Present Day
Michael
It had been a week. Juliet would be awake, and I was in control of all my faculties. At first, I was scared of going into vampire mode. So I did it in the barn where I was locked in. The whole place was creature-proof. All types. I thought about anything and everything that would make me want to kill Juliet for the right to rule… But that would mean we all would die… Or wouldn't I die? Did Brylee speak the truth?
Magically, there were people in there. I had killed, at that stage, a staggering amount of humans… I Made sure Juliet and her parents ate. I lined them up… and she killed them. I had seen the car parked outside. I didn't really mind being watched. Especially if it was James. When I did go into vamp mode… I stood there to try and get over the overwhelming feelings... When it didn't want to subside, I drained three people. Ate them as a Riphath and werewolf… so that I could get over the cravings and lay there for the longest time. I had no problem crossing the line. Little Michael the human was no more. The barn door opened eventually.
I walked out as a new Michael. Manifested and teleported. I couldn't get over the fact that I had so much power.
I ended up in France at the front door. I knocked. Silvanus opened the door and mocked me, holding up fighting fists. I ran my hand through my hair and chuckled.
"Who is it?" I heard Louis ask. "It's husband number one." Silvanus provoked some more.
Louis practically dove at me, hugged me, and threw his legs around my waist. I grabbed his ass and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry, man." He whispered.
"Thank you. I needed to hear that..." I said. He let go of me.
Juliet was watching over the crest of the couch. Our eyes met. She waved at me like nothing was different. Like, I didn't just literally grow three extra heads. I walked over and pulled her up. She jumped over the back onto me. I held her like Chris always did. We both peeked at him.
His eyes were narrowed. "If you two do that again… There will be consequences." She jumped off and laughed as I kissed her.
"How many times has that happened?" Chris asked.
Juliet guiltily glanced at Marcus, who was reading and smirking… His eyes didn't come up. Her thoughts wandered. Chris fell back onto the couch. Holding his stomach. Groaning. "I told you, Chris." Ira chirped from the side. "Let's go home. There is nothing for you here."
Chris stood up and walked up the stairs.
"Where are Jamal and Selena?" I asked Juliet.
"They are at the cabin."
I teleported us there. Juliet stood back regarding me in my Riphath form. Her hand reached up, but I was so tall she couldn't even reach me. I towered over her. I got on my knees, and she traced my face. I changed to my vampire. Her hand stilled, and she pulled back. Stepped away from me. The one thing about adult Juliet was that her face was unreadable. Where she always wore her emotions on her sleeve, she no longer did.
Jamal and Selena were sitting on chairs outside, gazing out over the view. They turned, and Jamal was happy to see us. He went on and on about my new features. Juliet was still fixed on me. I caught her in an embrace and teleported. Somewhere, it was night. Across the world and back in time. The compound to my room. I manifested into a werewolf and sat down on the bed like that. I didn't like the reaction she was giving me.
After some moments, with my head in my hands, she sat next to me. I dared to look at her. One hand was stretched out, and I put a paw in hers. "Are you okay, Michael?"
I transformed back into a human and enveloped her. "Tell me that's what's wrong."
She nodded, and tears pooled in her eyes… "I'm sorry. If I knew. I wouldn't have…."
I took her face in my hands and pulled her lips onto mine, wiping under her eyes. "Show me."
She jumped up and pulled down her pants. My fingers explored the little bee. "Juliet… When did you fall in love with me? I had loved you for so long… But you had so little time with me. How could you be so sure?"
She turned and straddled me. "You're just like Marcus… Had no faith in me. Now that you know how I feel, you're all talkative and open." I fell back on the bed. She went down with me, and we both stared at the roof. "I think it was the first time I saw you at the Embassy. Realizing who you were…
You looked at me, and then you couldn't. Such a coward… Such a lovely person… I liked the fact that you never did go anywhere. Even if you didn't look back at me that morning when we left the farm… Instantly, I had a life companion… One that knew so much about me and still… loved me… When you touched me, I knew… I could see it. I could feel it.
The way you glanced at me. The way we kissed that night. How I felt even after Marcus. I had thought I would never love anyone again. But you saved me just in time. Restored my faith just enough. If it weren't for you… Liam and I… My life would've ended. Or… I would've lost Caleb.
Your body had changed so much… At first, I couldn't believe it... It took me a moment to accept that you were at the farm at all. The months we spent together there were so confusing. Those two months while I was pregnant. It was like we never left… Michael, I'm really not a complicated person. I love easily, and I don't like letting go. I don't like giving up on something I was sure of at one stage in my life. It's not who I am… And once I'm sure… I will keep fighting for my family. You taught me that.
It's what got me to where we are. But I wouldn't want any of you out of my life. I know it's hard. I'm more jealous than anyone else. How could I expect it from you?"
She turned on her side and faced me.
"When did you know you would have to share me? Did you at all. Or were you hoping that we would end up together? Just the two of us?"
Her hand was in mine, clutching.
"I could see something was going on between Liam and Marcus. I started watching Kubra's feed on Marcus when he was alone with Liam… I found out about the brandings. Did all my research and started talking to Samuel about it… I knew it was coming, and I knew when Marcus did that… I would probably lose you for good. There was no way he… You would be stuck on the compound… But he didn't. He let you go… I can't tell you, Juliet, how he suffered those three years. How much it took for him to do it. I felt for the guy… And when you clung to Louis as you did… I didn't know what the hell was going to happen… I read your journals and could see you building up to it… I was the one that was ready that night. Kept everything on hand… Louis also knew and kept it on him… I wanted it because I knew if you could love both of them… maybe I had a chance. I couldn't care less about sharing. All I cared about was bridging the gap… getting to you…."
I sat up and wrung my hand through my hair.
"I'm sorry, honey… that I've not given you the space to love where you need to. I've become possessive… and selfish. Not talking to you… You might think that we have issues with sharing you… But it really isn't that… You don't hurt us. Well, not me…."
She sat up and put her head on my shoulder. "I want to take back what I made you promise… before…."
"Even the dance?"
I turned to her, bending one leg underneath me. "Even the dance."
She turned on her stomach, playing with the sheets. "I'll think about it."
"What do you mean?" I stroked her head and put her hair behind her ear to see her face.
"Just what I'm saying!" Her tone changed. I had made her mad… "You can't just nullify our promises. It takes two people to make them. Shouldn't it be both of us to break them?"
She stood up in a huff. "Take me back."
I laughed at her… "Make me."
Her eyes slowly met mine. "Please take me back." She was hurt, not mad...
I opened my mouth to say something but closed it again. "Juliet, I'm sorry. I should have told you that's what Louis said to me… to calm me down… He told me that I… buy your love. That I… coerced you into kissing me. It was really all he had to say…."
"HE WHAT!! TAKE ME BACK NOW!"
I kinda jumped to attention and traveled her back. We were on the porch. "He apologized… He had to. I made a mistake… Please." I tried to reason with her.
She touched my cheek… walked into the house, and yelled so loud. "Louis Du Pont! You better freaking show yourself." I heard him running up the stairs. She was hot on his heels. The door slammed so hard that I thought the glass would break and the whole room would crumble down.
***
Juliet
For the first time, I locked the door. Louis had undressed so quickly he was lying face down on the bed in his underwear. His arm bent, his head resting on his elbow, knowing how to tempt me. I smiled, and he turned his head towards me. "So you do read me in my vanished state…." He smiled.
I really had only one thought when I looked at Louis. When our eyes met. Both sets of piercing blue oceans dug deep into the others.
I loved him.
I walked over to a little nail he had hammered into the wood. I pulled both chains over my head and pushed the ring onto my finger. Louis had turned and was sitting up, staring at me. His hands were resting on his legs.
"I know he loves me… even more than you… But I… love you most… I'm tired, Louis… of running from my feelings… Tell me why I can't get you off my mind. Is it wrong, or is it right? Why am I unable to put you away?" I turned away from him and walked towards the door.
He didn't let me get there. His hand was resting softly on my shoulder, stopping me. "Can I kiss you, baby?" I nodded.
***
Louis
She turned slowly. My eyes were on her lips… Our hands didn't come up to grab onto each other. She didn't cup my neck to drag my lips onto hers. I didn't run my fingers through her hair. Unthinking, we moved closer to each other. Our heads already knew where to go. My eyes closed, and I knew hers were as well. It didn't last long. I lifted my face from hers and pulled away to take off the chains. I lifted her hand and pulled off the ring. I walked back and hung it up.
"I don't think we should flaunt it anymore… Or tell anyone. They don't deserve it. It will be our secret… I gave you those chains when it was just you and me. It was never meant to be a bondage to you. You taking it off was the right thing to do."
Rain was falling outside. So heavy that the wind was a constant howl. I sat down on the bed. Elbows clutching my knees because the bed was so low on the ground.
"Marcus… has no idea what's going on most of the time. He follows your lead. He's trying so hard… And he's who you want the most physically. He's the reason I was so jealous… And I couldn't even take it out on him. Didn't think you would allow it… I know I'm the one who started it, wanting a schedule. But I realized that I wanted to stand aside for the wrong reasons. And I'm sorry. I keep making the same mistakes."
She was standing, looking down at me. I started out at the falling drops on the window…
"The problem is… that everyone wants to be with you, baby… All the time. I think the sex should be your choice. We're all different, and you're the girl… We get off easily… You're a little harder to please. Hard to get there… These days… It's all connection for you… so let them work for it…."
That made her smile, and she fell down on the bed behind me.
"Baby, I don't know how we will do it?" I whispered.
She moved closer to me and trailed languid kisses over my back. Slowly, she sat up, her hands tracing my spine while her lips found my skin.
"I will always sleep next to you and one other person. They can have a schedule. But it's my room…." I smirked. Like that was really the reason. I glanced back over my shoulder. Her eyes were on my body.
She turned me, and we sat chest to chest… She kissed me long and hard and kept going down my neck.
"I don't think we should split up. We should all live here… Zoreah is out… We can build more houses. One for your parents. One for Carl if he and Kubra can't share."
Her hand ran through my hair. It was long. Because she liked it long. Her lips kissed my cheek. The corner of my mouth as I spoke.
"I think we should all work… You and Marcus need to be on En-gannim. Together… I will be here on Earth… Michael can manage Palmyra because he's the only werewolf… Chris can be on Zoreah. His hours will be difficult… but I think he can manage. If we're all busy, it might not be so bad…."
She was still kissing me. In my neck and running her hands over my chest and arms. Touching every part of me. Her pulse was racing, and her breath was hot on my skin.
"I will put them in their places when they get too demanding. I will be there for you…."
"Like my pimp…." Her lips planted on mine. She still tasted of cherries… using the exact ChapStick she always had with her… A sliding touch up my thigh. My hand matched hers on her soft skin. My thumb rubbed and pressed ever closer.
"Your lips are so soft." She whispered.
"What every guy wants to hear. You're so soft…." She smiled against my lips. It was quick. She was already there, climbing on top of me.
I didn't use my ability every time we made love. I didn't need to tell her if I was... She knew when she was getting what she wanted, and I left that for special occasions.
At that moment… I felt like being myself. Letting go of the fear that had been plaguing me for the last year… Not reading her had left me in tatters. I touched her the way I wanted. Where I wanted… Used as much tongue as I wanted. I devoured her. Because she was mine.