Beautifully Unnatural: A Young Adult Paranormal Boxed Set (26 page)

“You’re getting it,” William shouts as he knocks another guy off her. He glances around, confused by the wall of bodies. “What the heck is going on?” he asks, ramming his shoulder into his chemistry lab partner.

Roseline opens her eyes and gasps, immediately realizing the problem. Even Nicolae has approached but is keeping his distance at the back of the crowd. Sadie glares at him from the deserted edge of the dance floor. Hurt pinches her eyes as she turns to stare at Roseline.

“Oh, crap,” she mutters. She had been so lost to the music, to the ecstasy of her careless abandon, that she failed to pay attention to her surroundings. “Let’s grab a drink and cool off. All this dancing has worn me out.”

She grabs William’s hand and pushes her way through the chorus of heartbeats pounding around her. But the harder she pushes, the harder they push back. William clenches his fist and punches Oliver West in the gut as his hand comes to rest on Roseline’s backside.

And then it all stops. Her body jolts as if she were stuck by a bolt of lightning. She is nearly knocked off her feet as her hormones snap back into her like a rubber band. Her mind feels fuzzy, her knees weak, as William scoops her into his arm and carries her out of the crowd. This time they are not followed.

“Rose? Are you okay?” he questions, brushing back the sweaty strands of hair from her face after setting her on a chair.

She nods, craning her neck to see around William. She knows Gabriel is there. Somewhere. She can feel him. It’s not hard to do when there is a blast of fury aimed right at her. “Oh no.”

“What’s wrong—” William’s question cuts off as Gabriel yanks him backward. He sprawls to the floor, his forehead connecting with the tile.

“Get your hands off her,” Gabriel growls, placing himself between Roseline and William.

William rebounds and leaps back to his feet, a bit unsteady but very determined. “Hey! She’s with me tonight. Leave her alone.”

Roseline clenches her eyes tightly shut. Too many hormones. Too many frantic heartbeats. Too much pumping blood. The smells are nearly impossible to cope with. Roseline feels her control beginning to slip and panics.

“Stop it,” she screams, halting both guys in their tracks.

“Rose?” Gabriel questions, shocked by the crazed look in her eyes.

The memory of Gabriel’s betrayal winds tightly with the revelation of his ancestry. Gabriel is Lucien’s son. No wonder he is special…and extremely dangerous. Fane was right all along. She was too foolish to listen to him. Her heart made her weak and foolish but not anymore.

Roseline turns an icy glare on Gabriel. “You have no right to attack him.” She advances, poking him in the chest hard enough to make him wince and to remind him of her brute strength. “I’m with William because you chose Claire, not me, remember?”

Gabriel’s jaw clenches. “Your date is waiting for you,” she snaps, crossing her arms over her chest. A part of her silently cries out at the raw pain in his eyes, but another part feels vindicated because of his betrayal. No doubt she will hate herself for speaking to him like this later, but right now, it feels good.

Without waiting for him to turn his back on her, she grabs William’s arm and leads him away.

“What just happened?” he stammers, fighting to remain upright.

“Nothing,” she snaps, carving a path back onto the dance floor. “Let’s just dance and forget about him.”

“Sounds good to me.” He grins and places his hands on her waist to pull her close.

Thirty-One

Not even the pull of the bass can help Roseline forget the look in Gabriel’s eyes when she reared on him. She can still feel his pain, even from across the room. It mirrors her own perfectly but she can’t give in. She has to prove to Gabriel, and to herself, that she can function without him.

Determined, she slides her arms down William’s neck until she is pressed intimately against him. Roseline tries to tune everything out except William’s racing heartbeat. As she moves against him, she can smell his mounting desire; she feels his faltering self-control as he struggles to find a place to rest his hands. She wraps herself around his leg and bumps her hips against him. William’s heart races like a prize stallion bursting out of the starting gate.

“Oh man,” he groans, closing his eyes as he tries to fight off his body’s reaction. “What are you doing to me, Rose?”

“Shh,” she whispers, placing her finger over his lips as she continues to writhe. She glances across the dance floor, watching as Claire rubs herself up against an uninterested Gabriel. His eyes are locked onto Roseline, face blotchy with anger as he watches her body move against William. She can feel his jealousy and smiles at him coyly. He is getting the hint loud and clear.

Claire follows his gaze. She shoots icy daggers toward Roseline before she pulls the hem of her dress higher to mount Gabriel’s leg. Her skimpy dress does little to hide the assets she is trying to pawn off on Gabriel but he doesn’t even glance at her.

Just as William’s hand moves a bit too close to her cleavage, a hand grabs Roseline’s arm and spins her around. William cries out as he tumbles backward. The granite grip instantly sets her nerves on edge. “I told you to leave me alone—” she cuts off as she comes to face to face with someone other than Gabriel.

The man pins her close to his chest. A deep chuckle rumbles in his chest. “Nice to see you too, Roseline.”

All fight goes out of her as her mouth gapes open. “Fane? Is it really you?”

“Boy, you sure look pleased to see me,” Fane laughs, pulling Roseline into a hug. He molds himself around her, leaving barely an inch of breathing room. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Roseline wants to return the sentiment but her tongue is tied in knots, much like her stomach. “How did you…why are you here?”

Fane frowns. “You knew I’d come.”

“But how did you track me?”

Fane holds up his cell phone. “You shouldn’t have stayed on so long, Roseline. You know better than that.” He turns and stares down at William. “Who’s this guy?”

She turns to give William a hand up from the floor. His shirt is rumpled, his hair matted with sweat. The disgruntled look on his face matches the fire in his eyes. “I could ask you the same thing,” William bristles. “You know this guy, Rose?”

“I’m sorry, William. This is Fane. He’s a friend from back home.”

“Yeah.” Fane grins, pinching her side. “Roseline and I go way back.”

“Roseline?” William glances between them. “What’s he talking about?”

Roseline shoves Fane away, turning her attention back to William. “I’m so sorry. He’s not normally like this. Can you give us a minute? I really need to catch up with him.”

William shoots a wary glance at the stunning man standing before him. Although his face appears to be that of a nineteen-year-old, his muscular physique is that of someone much older. The guy looks like he personally modeled for one of the Roman statues!

Roseline winces at William’s critical stare, knowing exactly what he must be thinking. “Sure,” he mutters, finally tearing away his gaze to look at Roseline. “I’ll just go grab us something to drink.”

“Yeah, you do that.” Fane grins, tucking his arm around her waist.

Her smile fades the instant William turns to leave. “Why are you here?” she hisses, shoving Fane into a more secluded section of the ballroom. The shadows are a perfect hiding space for them since human eyes will be hampered by the dark.

“I came for you, of course. I couldn’t just leave you with that guy.” Fane’s head ducks to the side in search of William. His nostrils flare. “I gotta tell you, Roseline, I think your taste in men has really fallen over the last few years. Please tell me he’s not the guy.”

Roseline rolls her eyes. “Of course he’s not. He’s just a friend.”

“Is that how you treat all your friends?” Fane asks. Roseline flushes, embarrassed by the show she put on for him.

“You were spying on me?”

Fane rolls his eyes. “Oh come on, Roseline. Every male in this room was glued to your little dress.” The jealously in his tone is unmistakable.

“Whatever,” Roseline snaps. This is exactly what she was afraid of. Fane isn’t taking their separation well at all.

“Where’s the other guy? The one you called me crying over?” Fane raises his head to scan the room. “I figured he’d be the one you were plastered to.”

“We are not talking about this here. You can’t just burst into my life and assume I’ll be happy to see you.”

His eyes soften as his hand gently rises to brush along her jaw. She closes her eyes and her heart to the memories of his touch. “But you are happy to see me.”

She sighs, amazed at how odd her native language feels rolling off her tongue. She has spent far too long among the Americans. “Of course I am, but you can be so infuriating at times.”

“Of course.” Fane grins. “It’s one of my better qualities.”

She stares up into his eyes, as green as a spring meadow. So beautiful. So tranquil. She used to spend hours staring into them, reading every thought before he could say it. They were inseparable for the first hundred years of her life. He taught her how to protect herself, how to heal, and eventually how to love. She knows him better than anyone else. He has never been able to keep anything from her…and right now he’s fighting to hide something from her.

His fingers flicker on her arm, tensing and releasing. His black pupils dilate. The muscle along his jaw twitches. “You’re not here to rescue me, are you?” Roseline whispers. She averts her gaze, unable to endure his discomfort. She should have known his shift in mood was a bad sign.

“You always could read my thoughts,” Fane says softly, cupping her cheek in his hand. “No, I’m here to take you back.”

“You know what he will do to me. I have a chance here. I have friends, a life…”

“And what do you think Vladimir will do to those friends when he tracks you here? Do you think he will spare their lives just because he found you? No. He will tear them apart, piece by piece, to make you suffer. You know this, Roseline.”

Tears sting her eyes as she stifles a sob. He is right. She knows he is. She has always known.

“I’ve been so selfish,” she whispers, glancing out at the unsuspecting crowd around her. “I just wanted to be free.”

Fane pulls her into his arms and rests his head atop hers. “I know. Trust me, I know. If there was another way…but there isn’t. If you love these people you have to come home with me.”

She wipes a fallen tear from her cheek. “Does he know where you are?”

“No.” He shakes his head. “I covered my tracks. Your friends will be safe.”

She closes her eyes to the pain she knows awaits her. Even if she survives Vladimir’s brutality, will there be anything left of her soul to carry on?

Can she really live without Gabriel?

This question makes her hesitate far more than the certain pain she faces. The memory of her last escape flashes before her eyes. It was nearly a century ago. She made it all the way to London before Vladimir tracked her. He cornered her in a boat bound for Africa. It took nearly a week to get all of the blood out of her hair after her husband’s rampage. There weren’t any survivors on the ship. The lifeless eyes of slaughtered men, women, and children had stared blankly up at her, accusing her.

She raises her eyes to see Sadie and William peering in their direction. The firm set of Sadie’s lips as she sets down her drink tells Roseline she doesn’t have much time. No matter the price she must pay, she cannot ever let Vladimir know of this place. Of these people. Of Sadie and William. She dries her tears and looks to Fane. “He can’t come here.”

“Then leave with me.”

Roseline bristles, sensing the turmoil before she finds him across the room. Gabriel is livid and heading straight for her. His blue eyes pierce through the darkness. “We need to go,” she whispers.

Fane glances over his shoulder, noticing the direction of her gaze. His face hardens. “So he’s the one that’s got you all hot and bothered?” He eyes up the tall boy; a deep rumble builds in his chest as he notes how handsome and self-assured he is. He bares his teeth in response.

“Stop it, Fane,” Roseline growls, pulling him away. “That’s none of your business.” She watches as his mossy green eyes flame to life. He is the last person in the world that should meet Gabriel.

“Not my business?” Fane snarls, pulling her close. “Have you forgotten our time together?” His gaze flits down the curves of her body, the admiring gleam is quickly replaced by something hungrier.

“Of course I haven’t.” She slaps his hand away. “But that’s in the past. Let it go.”

She glances back over her shoulder. Gabriel is getting too close. Fury rolls off him in almost visible waves. Roseline’s stomach cramps with fear. She has no idea what Gabriel might do with his newfound abilities but one thing is for sure, if he and Fane throw down there is no way Vladimir won’t hear about this epic fight once it hits the news channels. “We can talk about this later. Let’s go.”

Fane smirks, planting his feet firmly on the floor. “Why? Because you think I might hurt your little boyfriend?”

“No.” Roseline locks her gaze on Fane so there will be no mistaking her intent. “Because I will hurt you if you try.”

Fane flinches, incensed. “You’d fight me over a human?” His fingers dig painfully into her arm when she nods. “What have you been doing while you’ve been gone, Roseline Dragomir? Did you get yourself a new toy to play with?” Speaking her maiden name is the highest insult he can use against her.

Roseline’s hand blurs as she slaps him across the cheek. “That’s for being rude. Now let me go or I will rip your freaking arm off.”

“You have a lot of explaining to do,” he snarls as he sweeps her up into his arms and runs for the door. Fane does not pause when Gabriel bellows at him to stop or when Sadie tries to wrench Roseline from his arms. He shoves her aside. Roseline cries out for her friend as the scent of blood wafts toward her.

Fane races for the exit, past haughty hotel guests, and out through the front door. His fingers close around a pair of keys being tossed through the air to the valet. In one fluid motion, he shoves Roseline into the passenger seat and leaps over the roof of the car, landing next to the open driver’s side door.