Just Like That? II

Genesis's [POV]

We'd gone to at least three bakeries, and two Starbucks, bought flowers, and berries, and finally ended up by the pier.

The building said Immortal Industries.

Talk about blatant.

"You ship fish?" I still couldn't believe it.

"Worldwide." Ethan grinned. "Disappointed?"

"The name needs work."

"Yes, well, I decided that sometimes the best way to hide is to do the opposite of hiding.

" He frowned. "You're cold?"

I shivered. "A bit."

He wrapped his arms around me. "It's Cassius."

"You lied to me."

His breathing slowed. "Eavesdropping is frowned upon always."

"What aren't you telling me?"

"A lot."

"At least you're honest about that much."

Ethan went very still. My back was to him; his arms wrapped around my body, warming me from the inside out. "I'd have to show you talking about it is too difficult."

"Is it scary?"

"No." His lips touched my neck. "Just very sad, embarrassing, a lot of other unfortunate emotions."

"Show me."

"Not here."

"Yes, here." I turned in his arms. "Eventually, you're going to need my help, right? You can't just keep information from me and then expect the bond or whatever we have to make up for everything else. We're at least friends, right?"

His eyes widened. "Yes."

"And friends share."

"They do."

"And you drink from me."

"Shhh…" He pulled me closer. "Yes."

"So, you owe me this. Honesty, you owe me."

"You raised your voice." He sounded amused.

"Yeah, well… you make me angry."

Another heavy sigh. "If I show you, you may leave me."

"I'd have a choice?"

"We always have a choice, Genesis."

"So trust me to stay."

He was still again; his heartbeat slowed I could feel it like it was my own. Finally, he answered with a brisk, "Alright."

We walked in silence back to the car.

"It's safer at the house," he whispered. His gaze no longer had light in it; it was like the conversation sucked all the energy, all the spark from his body, leaving him haunted.

When we walked hand in hand through the door, Mason was waiting. Ethan chucked the berries at Mason's head and dragged me down the hall and up the stairs.

Once we were blanketed in the silence of the bedroom, the doors locked behind us, Ethan turned, his eyes black, his fangs elongated. "Promise me to wait ten minutes."

"What?"

"Ten minutes. When you wake up, wait ten minutes before you decide to leave or stay. At least give me that."

"Okay…" I swallowed the lump in my throat. His heart was breaking, I could feel it, and I had no idea why. "Ten minutes."

His teeth ripped into his wrist, and then that same wrist was pressed against my mouth. "Try to understand…" His last words before sleep overcame me.

Before a dream appeared in front of my eyes.

Before I came face to face with the most beautiful woman in the world. The same one from Ethan's dreams when the transition had occurred.

Her eyes danced with life.

Ethan adored her.

I adored her.

She danced around him.

He laughed and tugged her across his body. "I love you."

"I love you too, silly." She drank from him freely, yet she was human. She had fangs just like Ethan. But I knew she was human. I could feel it.

"Make me immortal." She pouted, bracing herself over his body. "It's time already."

"After our child is born, it will happen. You know this."

"I'm tired of waiting."

Her pouting was getting on my nerves. Rage poured through me as she dragged her fingernails down his chest. That was my chest; those lips were my lips.

I clenched my fists at my sides and kept watching.

More scenes of them laughing and playing.

I tried to look away, but it was impossible.

Cassius appeared. I flinched, thinking it was a trick, but he was part of the dream.

"And how is my favorite girl?" He kissed her palm.

"Upset." She put her hands on her hips. "He refuses to make me immortal."

"Is that what you want? Your greatest desire?"

She nodded.

"Above Ethan, even? Your mate?"

"He may be my mate…" Her hands trailed down Cassius's chest. "…but we both know I have a wide range of tastes."

"If you don't truly love him, the change will kill you." Cassius pushed her hand away. "You know this."

"I do love him!" She twirled around. "I love everything about this life. Is it so wrong to want more?"

"Sometimes…" Cassius's face fell. "…it is."

The scene changed.

Cassius was walking with Ethan. "She's going mad."

"I know."

"It's the power — your power's drugging her, Ethan. You must let her go."

"No!" Ethan roared, pushing at Cassius. "I could no more cut out my own heart, you know that!"

"It's you or her," Cassius said.

"She's pregnant."

Cassius cursed and looked away. "Is it yours?"

"How dare you!" Ethan roared. "Of course it is!"

"And you know this for a fact? Because your mate is true?"

"I'd know if she weren't. I'd taste it in her blood."

"Unless you were too blinded by your feelings… friend." Cassius shook his head again. "If the madness overtakes her, if you're wrong, you'll have to kill her yourself."

"I'm not wrong."

"So arrogant."

"Are we done here?"

I blinked away the tears. How could Cassius ask that of Ethan? I felt the love he had for her; it was powerful, like a star exploding in the sky.

"A daughter!" Ethan laughed and held up his daughter. "Ara! You've given me a daughter!"

She nodded.

The scene from the dream replayed, only slightly different than what I'd watched before.

Cassius entered the room.

Ara, Ethan's mate, looked away from both of them.

"I told you what would happen," Cassius said. "I warned you." He reached for the child.

"No!" Ethan screamed. "Don't. Cassius if you do this"

"It's already been done." Cassius turned and pointed his hand at Ara. "Is this the daughter of a vampire?"

She trembled beneath the blankets and then burst out laughing. "No, no, you know whose daughter she is."

Ethan paled. "Ara? My love?"

"He promised me immortality." Ara pointed at Cassius. "So give it! I birthed a daughter! The daughter of a Dark One! I will be queen!"

Her laughter hit a point where I needed to cover my ears.

"Cassius?" Ethan whispered. "Tell me you did not do this. Tell me, brother, that you did not"

"She was tested. She failed," Cassius said simply, grabbing the child. "Now finish it."

"Cassius!" Ethan roared.

Ara continued to laugh. "I'm going to be queen. Finally, Ethan. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I was afraid you'd be angry. You know I love you, yes?"

Ethan's eyes turned black; the entire room shook.

"You bitch!" He clenched his fists so hard blood began trickling from his palms. And then, in an instant, he was on top of her.

One bite.

She struggled for two seconds.

Before I felt her life force leave the room.

"It's done," Ethan swore, falling to his knees, blood dripping down his face.

"She would have died regardless," Cassius answered.

"My daughter."

"She's not your daughter, brother."

Ethan's eyes flashed. "Give me my child!"

"One day," Cassius started to fade into the darkness, "you'll thank me."

"One day… I will kill you."

Cassius disappeared from the room with the newborn, his voice a mere whisper. "You can't."

I woke up gasping for air.

I was lying in bed. Ethan was a statue next to me.

"Y-you killed her!"

Tears streamed down my face. I hated him. Hated us. I couldn't explain it, but the anger he'd felt I felt; the shame it was mine. I tasted revenge on my tongue. I wanted to scratch his eyes out, yet scratch my own out because it was like I was the one who had committed murder.

The darkness consumed me.

"Ten minutes," Ethan whispered.

"No."

"You promised."

He reached for my hand.

When I didn't take it, he straddled me and pinned my arms to the mattress. "Ten minutes. You promised. In ten minutes, I'll release you. Not a second sooner."

"Get. Off."

"He can still take you from me as he took her."

"She chose herself, not him."

Ethan nodded sadly. "Yes."

I struggled against him, but he was too strong.

"Ten minutes, Genesis."