Page 61 of Blood Ties
“Hurt how?” This time it was Damien.
“I was attacked.”
“When?” Grayson wondered. “I would have noticed something like that happening.”
“It was when you were in Los Angeles.” Enlightenment passed over his eyes. It was just after he got home that I had my first panic attack. “I was surrounded and managed to take one out before a warlock cursed me.” I peeked a glance at Grayson. He looked a bit guilty over the word warlock. I wanted to tell him that he shouldn’t, that just because he was one, or rather he came from them, didn’t make him responsible for the choices of others. It was the same as holding all humans accountable for the choices of the few. “It drained me, paralyzed me.” I looked to Damien. “They said it was to hurt you.” Damien fury turned to anguish. I knew he was blaming himself too, but if I was going to tell this story I wasn’t going to leave anything out. “One of them, he um…” I didn’t know how to say it, probably because I didn’t want to. I wrapped my arms around my chest to comfort myself. “He tried to…hurt me, but he didn’t. Sebastian saved me. Later when I woke, I needed blood and he offered himself because I wanted to get back to you and didn’t want to wait for however long it would take to find blood.”
“That’s why, when I got home, you…” He left his words hanging in the air. I nodded. It was why I had a panic attack when he tried touching me. “Not that I’m not grateful, but how did you know where she was Sebastian?”
“It was most likely because of their blood tie,” Damien answered.
“Their what?” Grayson pried.
“Their blood tie,” Damien repeated. “Surely you understand that Gaby has angelic blood flowing through her veins.”
“I hadn’t really thought about it, but that raises more questions than it answers.”
“Allow me to explain. Gabriella is an anomaly, for angels are all men, but here she is, a woman with angelic blood. What that means is that her blood calls to any angel around, except for mine because I am her father. It is why her and Sebastian have the connection they have. Why they feel connected. It is almost similar to your mating bond, but different in some ways.”
“I’m sorry, they’re what?”
“No, no, Grayson. Do not worry. It is the blood that ties them, nothing more. It is meant to urge Gabriella to procreate with an angel to bring forth more, but it would be the same with any angel around.”
“Damien, I don’t think you’re really helping the situation,” Sebastian spoke.
“You have feelings for him?” Grayson asked.
“No. I love you.”
“But you feel something for him.”
I wanted to say no to tell him that none of it was true or to even go back two hours and not come tonight. “I can sense him when he’s near or…” I didn’t want to say that my blood hummed when he touched me. Even I knew that that wouldn’t sound right out loud.
“Or what?”
“Grayson, there is nothing going on between us. There will never be because my world is eclipsed by you. You are all I see and all I will ever see. As Damien just said, it’s the blood that ties us. It’s nothing else. My blood is also tied to you and my heart.” I turned to Damien. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do this right now.” I handed him some papers. “These are the changes you asked for and copies of the final menu.” I walked up to Grayson holding my hand out. “Please.” He took it. Without a word, he followed me out of the room.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
I didn’t go back to The Angelo Tower after that night. Jade became our go between. I was angry at Sebastian for forcing my hand into telling Grayson and my father about the night I was attacked. I was even a little mad that no one told me about the blood tie I shared with Sebastian until then either. I had spent all this time questioning what I was feeling when it was easily explained.
Grayson didn’t ask me about Sebastian after that night, but I would catch him looking at me when he thought I didn’t notice. I didn’t know if it was betrayal over my feeding from Sebastian or that he thought I had feelings for someone else, but he would look at me with longing in his eyes. His lovemaking was tender and drawn out. We would spend hours in bed with him worshipping my body, drawing out everything. He would keep me on the brink of an orgasm for what felt like an eternity until I thought I might go mad before he’d finally allow me some relief from the ache that built. It was both astounding and heart wrenching. He made each time feel like it might be the last time. I didn’t know if he thought I was going to leave or ifhewas contemplating it, but the notion would have me in tears as soon as I was alone and knew I wouldn’t be overheard.
The day of Damien’s small party, which by my book was still large, Grayson and I spent the morning and the better part of the afternoon in bed. We didn’t need all the time in the world to get ready for the evening. We were vampires after all. So instead we started our day the best way possible, rolling around naked.
Grayson was buried between my thighs. His hips moved, pushing him in deeper causing my back to arch of the mattress. I could feel my body slowly building when he paused for a moment. I opened my eyes and saw him taking his time just looking at me. He brushed my hair from my face with his fingers using gentle touches.
“I love you,” he whispered to me. The feeling behind his words was almost like he was saying them for the first time. I looked into his eyes and they were his normal gray, not the honey green they turned when his vampire nature took over.
I smiled softly at him and with a tear escaping my eyes I whispered, “I love you too, Grayson, more than anything else in the world.” He leaned in placing a soft kiss on my lips before moving his hips once more. He kept his rhythm slow, but I fell apart all the same.
After a few rounds between the sheets, we decided to go out for a late lunch or early dinner, depending on your perception. When we arrived at the restaurant, the waiter sat us at a square table with four chairs; one on each side. It didn’t take me long to understand why. A few moments after sitting down, I heard a familiar voice.
“There’s my girl.” I turned in the direction and saw Shawn. I hadn’t seen him since the day Grayson had tried to get him to talk to me. I had thought about calling many times, but I just didn’t know how to apologize. I was also scared that he might not want to talk to me. There had been a time when he and I were almost inseparable, but now we both had men in our lives that loved us. Even now, I didn’t know what to say to him. I looked to Grayson.
“I invited him. It’s my fault that you two aren’t talking.”
I looked at Shawn skeptically. He was holding hands with Clive. The last time we had spoken we both had been hurtful, maybe unintentionally, but still. Shawn spoke first breaking the ice.
