One Purpose

Grayson's POV (Continued)

"That's not important right now. It's our existence which you're risking that you should be focusing on." He began.

"I didn't ruin anything!" I spluttered.

"What was your one purpose? The one reason why you are always around the Brailles? Hmm?" He raised bushy eyebrows at me and managed to frown with his eyes.

My anger snuffed out of me like a candle in the wind. "To protect them" I replied in a monotone.

"Wrong. You were sent there specifically to protect Josie. No one else. But what did you do when you got there? You forgot your duty that's what."

"It's not that...." I announced weakly.

"I might be old but I ain't stupid. I already told you a sure fire way to rein in the girl but you refused." He admonished.

"Rein? No one alive can control that little imp. I'm certain the only reason none of her stupid decisions have ended her life is pure luck and nothing else."

"But if she was yours, you'd have better control over her."

I grimaced. "I can't do it and you already know this."

"Why not?"

Anna's smiling face flashed in my eyes and I focused on him.

"Josie is the important one. Keep your focus on her and rein in your lust for the younger one."

"It's not lust." I gritted out. This all encompassing feeling couldn't simply be lust. This need to claim..to own, no, it was not lust.

But I can't claim Ana for my own, not when Josie is the breaker. I understood the choices I had to make, I just haven't been able to find the strength to do it yet.

"Love, lust. Neither makes a difference. It's just wants of the body that you youngsters use as a shield to be selfish. I admit the younger one is prettier, but if it isn't lust, why have you chosen her over Josie?"

I refuse to be queried by this cynical old fool. Nothing I said would get through to him. He just wanted my reply, not to understand but so he could counter them.

"It doesn't matter. Josie in spite of her faults, is my friend, my closest friend and I refuse to trap her in a marriage of convenience for the sake of power."

"Your principles are admirable but understand that Vladimir has no such consideration. What do you think will happen when he finds out she's the breaker? Do you think he'll let her live? Let any of us live?" He glared at me and I shrunk away, ashamed in spite of myself.

I didn't mean to risk every one's life, but if I chose Josie and made things official, Anna would be lost to me forever. And I just can't seem to find the strength to take that step. Logically, I knew she could never be mine, but as long as I didn't make a move on her sister, then there was a possibility that the fates would smile on me and make my greatest desire come true, but if I married Josie, that door would be closed to me forever.

"If she knew...."

"You know the rules son." He cut off my weak defense. "No one can inform the breaker until she's of age." Which she would be in a few months when she turns twenty eight, the age the last breaker had been when she died.

I'd always evaded Stravos's constant hounding that I marry Josie by reminding him of the one loophole in the pact rules. It was more than an excuse for me.

It was the lifeline I held on to that I could possibly end up with Anna. When Josie was of age, I could tell all and then I wouldn't need to marry her to keep her away from the vampire king since she would know to stay away from him. And, finally, I'll be free to make Anna mine.

But the problem now was, Josie's constant need for attention has brought Vladimir into the picture.

I couldn't count on him not finding out about her and using her against us.

That damn pact that was meant to give the hunters control in this war will now give all the power straight back to Vladimir, and Lord knows how much havoc he'd wreak just because he could.

"There has to be another way." I grumbled. Vladimir didn't know who she was yet, or her importance. If I could keep him away from her, then we should be fine. "We just need to find her father, then she won't have any reason to see him."

He grabbed the whiskey the bartender had brought when I wasn't paying attention, uncorked it and poured a generous amount into his tumbler -pouring none for me.

He took a sip before meeting my eyes. "Well, the council of elders is yet to give us the go ahead. It will have to be done in two days or so..."

"We don't have two days!" I screeched. Josie wouldn't wait that long and I need to give her good reason to stop her from meeting with Vladimir.

"Why not?" He glared at me suspiciously.

Thinking on my feet I said, "Vladimir could kill him in that time."

"Seems highly unlikely. He took him for information, nothing else. He won't kill him until he gets it."

Maybe I could walk away from this meeting without telling Stravos everything. "What makes you think Arthur won't break?"

"Because he can't, not even if he wanted to. Let's just say the witches made sure of it." He finished with a wryly. Translation, the witches used magic to seal his memories, even from himself.