I debated going into it, telling him everything I’d read. It was the perfect time. But when I opened my mouth, nothing came out. I pulled my hands from his grasp and walked over to the windows, checking out the view of the city.
“Why are you here?” I finally asked, deciding to start with that.
Adam came to stand beside me. “After you left, later that night a group of werewolves surrounded the mansion. They got in and ransacked everything. They seemed to be looking for something. Isaac, Mrs. Dotts and I tried to fend them off, but in the end we had to hide.” He seemed to struggle with the words. Something still felt off.
Ask him! Ask him if he’s the Locanis who tried to kill your parents and stole your father’s medallion.
“Are Isaac and Mrs. Dotts okay? What about the other servants?”
“Yeah, they’re fine.” He leaned in and despite my fears I still wanted him to kiss me.
I stepped away, needing distance to keep my emotions in check. “Did the Locanis find what they were looking for?” I picked up a magazine and flipped through it before setting it back down. I hadn’t seen a word on the page.
Adam ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know.” He sighed. “Once I knew they were gone, I sent Isaac and Mrs. Dotts to stay in a hotel and then I came after you.” He tried to grab my hand, but I pulled away. “What’s wrong? Is it that Cole kid? I can tell he’s different. His hand was hard as rock. And I can tell he likes you, which is completely understandable.” He gave me a sideways smile. It was a new look and I realized I didn’t really know Adam at all. Probably even less than Cole.
“No, it’s not that.” I wished I had the guts to ask him. But if he knew I knew the truth, would he try to kill me right away? “Tell me why you’re really here.” I swallowed my nerves and tried to remember I was a vicious werecat that could take on a gargoyle.
Adam took a deep breath. “It’s just so difficult to explain. When I first met you, it was . . .” He walked back over to the window. “But I’m weak.” He punched the wall and his fist went right through it. “Shit.” He pulled his fist from the plaster, shaking his hand. That was going to cost a bunch to fix. Hotels normally didn’t take kindly to their suites getting destroyed.
Adam went on, “I thought it would be easy to—”
A howl echoed through the night, above the honking of horns, and the buzz of the city. It reverberated off the walls and seemed to sink into my toes.
“Stinking dogs.”
Adam froze and I suddenly felt bad. “You heard that.”
“Yes, I heard it,” I spat, anger superseding my fear. “I know why you’re here. You’re supposed to kill me.” I slammed my fists into his back and he fell to his knees.
“I bet Celeste isn’t even your real mother. You didn’t come to my house to pay a debt. You came to kill me.” When he didn’t move I glared at the back of his head, shooting daggers with my eyes. “Too bad you didn’t finish the job while my mom was still pregnant with me.” Angry tears fell onto my cheeks, hot and wet. He hadn’t denied my allegations and his silence spoke much louder than any words. “If you’d succeeded you wouldn’t have had to waste your precious time coming after me now, pretending to like me and kissing . . .” A sob ripped out of my throat. I put my hand over my mouth. He still hadn’t tried to get up. “It was all a lie.” I fell to my knees behind him, unable to stop myself from pressing my head into his back. “I don’t even know you, do I?” The last words came out as a whisper. It felt like my heart was breaking.
Adam turned and took my face in his hands. “Beatrice.” His eyes searched mine. He was scared. “Please, believe me when I say I’m sorry. I didn’t know you when I agreed to the plan.”
I heard his words but didn’t understand them. I was drowning in pain. “You should’ve killed me, you stupid, stupid . . .” I thought of vilest word I could call him. “Dog.”
“Beatrice.” He spoke my name again softly.
“Shut up. Just shut up. If you want to kill me, do it.”
“I’m not going to kill you, Beatrice.”
My pulse responded to his words by speeding up. My breath came out in gasps.
Adam shook me again. “I swear an oath on Altuatha.” His eyes dropped to my lips. I licked them. “You can trust me.”
I wanted to ask him who Altuatha was but there were other more pressing matters.
Adam growled, pulling my face toward him. Even on our knees he towered over me. He tugged my chin upward, and slammed his lips into mine. I clawed at his face but he just kissed me harder, deeper. It only took a few moments and my own body betrayed me, and I was sighing. Freaking sighing into his kiss. There was desperation and raw desire that flamed his movements. I was suddenly in Adam’s arms and on the bed. His hands found their way under my shirt. I clung to him, wrapping my legs around his hips.
Adam. Adam. Adam. My mind kept repeating his name. Each letter filling up the ache in my heart. He had no intention of killing me.
I pulled his shirt from his pants so that I could feel his warm skin.
Another howl permeated the air around us.
“Okay, that one was closer.” Adam quickly jumped up and ran to the window, pushing back one curtain.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Maybe nothing.” Adam grabbed my hands, helping me stand. My thighs were shaking. His eyes were hard with ferocity and he gave me a little shake. “You can trust me,” he said again, repeating his words from before.
“Trust?” I snorted. “Do you even know what that word means?”
Adam released my hands. “Yes, Beatrice I do. I trusted your father when he promised to protect my mom and my sister. But when my mother was killed by his father, Fisher did nothing.” The words ripped from his throat and I felt his agony.
“So I was right. Celeste wasn’t your mom,” I muttered softly.
Adam went back to the window. I moved closer as a strong desire to comfort him swept through me.
“I have no idea who that woman is.” He brushed a hand through his hair. “It was my job to infiltrate, destroy, and bring back the pendant.” He closed the curtains and moved over to the couch in the living area. “I’ve been studying your family for a long time, and when I saw Celeste being taken away by the police I used the situation to my advantage.”
My heart pounded in my ears. “Did you kill my mom and dad?” The words came out barely above a whisper. I hadn’t wanted to ask, but I needed to know.
He crossed him arms. “No,” he said, his gaze holding mine. “I would have.” He paused and started to pace. “Except they’d already vanished.” He glanced at me. I felt my mouth open and close as questions rose and fell from my lips in silence. His jaw clenched. “Fisher always was a coward.”
That pissed me off. I walked over and slapped his face. “How dare you speak like that about my dad?”
A wisp of a smile played on his lips. “When Fisher used the spell to allow you to cross realms, it took away all the best parts of you. For eighteen years your parents gave you everything, but you felt nothing. You may look human but you’re not. You’re Vaktare and not just any Vaktare, but of royal blood. On your birthday, when you were busy being a total bitch with your friends, you should’ve been in Hiraken preparing for your vision quest, allowing your people to see that you would stand against the terrible things still going on in your land.” He was fuming, barely able to contain his emotions.
“My what? Do what?” I was seething too.
“It’s a journey you take into the Fyrge desert and discover what your ability is.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling that what he said was true. “But not if your kind killed us all. I read the history. That was what the Locanis wanted. To destroy all Vaktare, to take Hiraken for themselves. I thought my kind were all dead.” I knew it wasn’t true even though I’d said the words. Obviously there were more Vaktare alive than my parents first believed. Still, I didn’t know what to do. I watched Adam silently, my fingers gripped in fists, but the position felt awkward.