Page 10 of The Love Bitten Series: Vol 2

When I opened a frame without a picture in it, I turned it around so he could see the front. “I think you forgot something.”

“I left it empty on purpose. We’ll take a photo in front of the tree later, and it can be the first of many to go up on the walls.” The wink he aimed my way sent shivers down my spine. “You never know, it might be our only chance to snag a holiday photo of just the two of us before the pitter-patter of little feet fills our home.”

The amount of thought and effort that he put into my gifts brought tears to my eyes, and that was before I realized he’d saved the best for last. Getting up and striding over to the fireplace, he retrieved a jewelry box that I hadn’t noticed before. Then he dropped to his knees next to me and flicked the lid open with his thumb. “Amaia, my darling, would you do me the honor of wearing this ring to symbolize our bond?”

The ring was beautiful and unique, the luminosity of the pearl capturing my gaze. Holding out my hand, I whispered, “Yes, please.”

With the worst timing in the world, Jareth popped into the room as Liam slid the ring into place on my finger. “Great choice, brother. Nana’s ring looks perfect on Amaia.”

Liam didn’t look thrilled at the interruption, but I couldn’t be too angry since he was here at my request. Jumping up, I grabbed a few of the presents from the stack in his arms. “And now it’s my turn to spoil you, Liam.”

I moved closer to Jareth and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Thank you so much for helping me surprise your brother.”

A growl rumbled up Liam’s chest as he yanked me back and glared at Jareth, making me giggle and blush.

Unbothered by his brother’s flash of jealousy, Jareth patted his stomach and smiled. “I was more than happy to help, but now I must be off. I’m beyond famished, and there’s bound to be a feast laid out at our parents’ house by now.”

“Oh, wait. Please.” I pressed my hands together as I beseeched, “You’ve done so much for me. The least I could do is give you a snack before you run off. We have quite the spread ourselves in the kitchen. I could dash in there and fix you up a plate in no time at all.”

Jareth bent at his waist and swept his arm out in front of him in a courtly bow. “Thank you for taking pity on me in my time of need, dearest sister.”

Liam let out a huff of exasperation as I padded toward the kitchen, giggling over Jareth’s antics all the way. I hadn’t been exaggerating about the bounty of food we had available. I grabbed only one item off each tray, and the plate I put together for Jareth was still piled high by the time I headed back to the family room. To prevent anything from falling onto the floor, I moved slowly down the hallway. As I neared my destination, the low murmur of their deep voices floated toward me.

“I told you so.” My lips curved into a grin at the hint of superiority in Jareth’s voice. He sounded just like my sister and I did when we lorded it over each other when we were right about something. But my smile was wiped from my face as he continued, “I hate that you’ve spent the past five hundred years convinced you’d never get to experience the consort bond because you refused to listen to any of us when we tried to tell you how wrong you were about Barbra. At least now we won’t have to see you wearing those ridiculous gloves of yours wherever you go.”

I halted in my tracks, remembering the gloves Liam had pulled off when dinner had been served yesterday. I’d wondered about them since I had never seen another unmatched daywalker wear something that would prevent them from being able to touch a potential consort to discover if they were meant to be together, but I’d forgotten about them after we had learned we were destined to mate.

I was so deep in my thoughts that I missed Liam’s mumbled reply, but unfortunately, I caught every bit of what Jareth had to say next.

“I understand that Barbra was special to you, but the pain of her rejection should have lessened enough for you to finally be willing to listen to what we’ve been trying to tell you for half a millennium. You let emotion cloud your judgment and put her on a damn pedestal for far too long, brother. Your refusal to see that woman for what she really was almost cost you your only chance at happiness.”

I felt as though I’d been stabbed in the chest. What I’d just heard should be impossible. Daywalkers couldn’t feel desire for anyone except the person they were destined to spend an eternity with. They only had one consort out there, and fate made it damn clear who that person was. There was no mistaking the bond...but apparently, daywalkers could wish they were paired with someone else. And I had the unfortunate luck of being fated to spend my life with a man who’d fallen for another woman and pined for her for hundreds of years.

Although we’d just met and didn’t really know each other, I had expected that the explosive chemistry between us would lead to an emotional bond that would develop over time. But the coupling of our bodies had been nothing more than biology for Liam. What I’d thought of as lovemaking had just been sex to him. I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been thinking of her the entire time, wishing that fate had paired them together instead of us.

The mental anguish was more than I could bear. Whirling around, I raced back into the kitchen, ignoring the cookie I accidentally dropped on the floor, and set the plate I’d been carrying onto the counter. Then I dashed over to the back door. I opened it as quietly as I could, not even bothering to close it as I hurried outside. I needed to get as far away from Liam as I could. And quickly.

Once I was safely away, I’d call Everleigh. I had no doubt that she’d come for me, and she could get me out of here in the blink of an eye. I didn’t know what I’d do then, but I couldn’t possibly stay with Liam after what I’d just heard. I refused to come in second place to a ghost for the rest of my life.

6

LIAM

“I’m not going to deny that you were right about Barbra,” I grumbled as I dropped onto the sofa. My eyes were glued to the door where my consort had disappeared, waiting for her to return. Even these few minutes without her made me ache to have her in my arms. “But I am going to look on the bright side of things. At least she saved me the ups and downs of wondering for centuries. I can be grateful to my friend, who is now just a fond childhood memory.”

“Are you going to tell Amaia?”

I looked at my brother and frowned. “Of course. There will be no secrets between us.”

Jareth nodded. “Good.”

“Now that I have Amaia, I feel even more lucky because what I feel for her could never be compared. I already love her more than I thought possible. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, consort or not.”

He snorted a laugh and grinned. “I’m happy for you, brother. But a word of advice. Don’t tell her that today, or you’ll spend eternity trying to top it every Christmas.”

I rolled my eyes, and he laughed, glancing toward the doorway I’d gone back to staring at.

The contentment I felt when Amaia was near had begun to dissipate, and it made me wary. “I think I’ll go check on my mate and make sure she hasn’t lost her way. I haven’t given her a tour of the house yet.”

---