Authors: Maya DeLeina
Steffan breathed a sigh of relief as Anya walked past him to sit next to Rhys and Brynne. One of the council members removed Anya’s chair from the table.
I love you, Steffan. I am accepted as your mate.
I love you, Anya. This will be over soon, and then we can celebrate.
Steffan, how do we change my name officially to Matthews?
We have someone in the records department. But I see what you’re thinking. Yes, I agree, this is definitely the way it should be done.
Thank you.
“I think you’ll be fine, Steffan! Look, they’re thinking outside the box with this human marriage thing. Everything will be all right,” Eilian whispered.
“I hope so. I’m still trying to figure out what the three chairs are for and where Ryan and Madeline are at. Surely, they wouldn’t miss this for anything.”
Right on cue, the council member spoke. “Madeline, Ryan, and Alex, you may join the proceedings up at the council inquiry table.”
Steffan turned around, watching as the three made their way down the stairs from where they sat disguised in the general public seating. Ryan looked like he had aged ten years as the black burn lines remained etched in his skin. Alex looked dazed, as if under a trance. Madeline walked tall with an air of confidence. She raised her eyebrow in a small gesture toward Steffan as they took their seats at the table.
Anya, do you see what I see?
Yes! I can’t believe it. The lightning seemed to steal years from him! I didn’t know that was possible!
Neither did I. And I believe his healing mechanisms to repair aesthetics have been damaged. He shouldn’t have that burn mark across his face.
Steffan, we ruined his looks! He is going to be furious. Watch yourself up there!
“Ryan, what happened to you? You look horrible,” the female council member stated as she gazed at Ryan.
“I got struck by lightning earlier this evening. It wiped out most of my memory of what happened. And I do believe I’ve suffered quite a bit of damage to my abilities.”
“How so?”
“A metal stake hurled at me in the storm and stabbed me in the leg. The repair mechanisms were employed and repaired the damage, but my mechanisms to fix the damage across my face weren’t. I also seemed to age.”
A male council member spoke in response. “It looks like the lightning robbed your of your ability to repair aesthetics and altered your cells to age you. Son, these are all things that can be remedied in other ways. Be thankful that your repair mechanisms are still intact.”
Ryan nodded and looked down at the table.
The male council member looked down at his notes and resumed the proceedings.
“Eilian Matthews,” his voice boomed in the room.
“Yes, sir.”
“As the alternate leader of this family—”
“Wait, Eilian is our alternate leader? When did the family vote on this?” Madeline blurted out of turn to the council.
“Madeline, Steffan was free to choose an alternate to assume his responsibilities in times of need. We would still have to vote as a family to make any permanent changes.”
“Thank you. I apologize for the disruption.”
Wow. Is that what she wants? To take your place as leader of the family?
Anya whispered to Steffan inwardly.
It sure sounds sound like it. By the way, I can also hear what you are not saying.
What?
Miss innocent! Just remember, I was intrigued with her ability. That’s what attracted me to her.
Sorry. She’s a little tacky for my taste. I couldn’t image you finding that appealing.
I was too focused on her mate-matching abilities, thinking she could help me find you, that I didn’t even take notice.
“Eilian, did you take steps to confirm Anya’s identity while Steffan was indisposed in an effort to uphold and protect our creed and law?”
“Yes. I went to M.J. and did some legwork recon as well.”
“And what did Madeleine tell you?”
“She told me that Anise was Ryan’s fiancée. When I inquired about Anise, M.J. told me she had been killed in a car accident mere days after his turning. She confirmed that Anya and Anise were identical twins and that Anya’s husband had passed from a sudden aneurysm years before.”
“What did she mention about Steffan?”
Eilian searched his mind to recall the conversation.
“She didn’t mention Steffan at all.”
The council deliberated.
“Eilian, the council finds that you had no wrongdoing in the situation. You are free to join the family.” He motioned Eilian to take a seat with the family behind the Steffan.
Eilian patted Steffan on the shoulder as he left his seat to join Catrin. The council member removed Eilian’s chair from the inquiry table.
“And now, to the matter of our leader, Steffan Matthews. Ms. Doyle has brought forward evidence in this case to the council earlier in the evening that we will share with the entire family. Ms. Doyle, am I to assume that Ryan Evans and Alex Stemper are the last parts of the evidence that we requested?’
“Yes, sir.”
Steffan turned around and glanced at Eilian and Rhys. They both shrugged, not knowing what was going on. Steffan’s gaze met Anya’s. She was riddled with fear.
Cariad, calm yourself. Your heart feels like it’s going to jump right out of your chest.
I can’t help it, Steffan. What is she planning? What did she tell them?
Anya, promise me something now.
What?
While it may be hard to find, there can be multiple mate matches for a vampire out there. Everything is based on complete capability between two souls.
What are you asking me to promise?
If this ends badly for me, I need you to promise me you will search for another match. Someone who would love you the same way I do. You have an entire century to find another mate, should I die.
No. You’re hurting my heart. Don’t talk like that. Turn around and concentrate. They can’t do this to us.
Anya…
No! Don’t talk to me like that. Don’t say those words to me!
Steffan retracted his mind from Anya and returned his focus back to the proceedings.
“Please disclose the family members what you informed the council of in the matter of Steffan Matthews.”
Madeleine turned around and addressed the family. “I held this information from the council and you because I was in fear for the life of my mortal daughter, Lisa. But I’m not going to burden myself with this anymore. Unforeseen events have occurred, and Lisa is no longer mortal. He has nothing to hold over my head.”
Madeline took a long pause as if to regain her composure. She snuck a little glance at Steffan before proceeding. “Our leader, Steffan Matthews, visited me a few nights after he turned Ryan. He told me about the connection he’d made with an object that belonged to Ryan. He asked me to get all the background I could on Ryan. Alex and I gathered all we could at Steffan’s request. I called him the next day to arrange the meeting at his home. Instead, Steffan asked to meet me at my cabin to go over the information. Here is what I gave to Steffan.”
Madeline turned on the projection unit that displayed a PowerPoint presentation from her laptop. With a click of the mouse, she engaged the slide show. One by one, the contents of the box she’d shared with Ryan displayed on the screen. The family gasped and mumbled as wedding photos, love notes, and the marriage certificate that belonged to Anya and Ryan played out in slow motion.
“Is this is what was presented to Steffan?” a council member asked.
“Yes.”
“And Steffan came to see you prior to Eilian?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you mention that to Eilian?”
“Steffan told me not to.”
“Steffan. What do you have to say in response?”
“She showed me the some of this, not all. I didn’t see any of the wedding photos or the certificates. In fact, the only certificate she showed me was Anya’s name changes from Anya DeVera to Anya Somar. Other than that, all she shared with me were the notes, and they were only signed with A. I just assumed it for stood for Anise. And, I visited her
after
Eilian, not before.”
“Madeline?” the council member voiced.
“Here is a still shot of my security camera showing Steffan at my place.” Madeline clicked the presentation to advance to a fuzzy photo of Steffan walking up to the front door of the cabin with his red Ducati in the background. “And here is an angle of the camera that catches the interior of the house. It’s a little blurry, but you can see him going through a box. This is what I kept all Ryan and Anya’s belongings in.”
The crowd’s collective voices talking at once rose in the room.
What is this, Steffan? Where did she get this?
This was when I was seeing her. I can’t believe she had security cameras. I can’t believe she kept the security tapes from that long ago. The box, she was showing me fucking photos of a rogue attack up at the reservoir along with items Alex collected from the scene. It was nothing to do with you. She is unbelievable!
You’ve got to say something!
I will, when it is my turn.
“This is the picture that Steffan became obsessed with,” Madeline continued as she advanced the slide.
A publicity photo for Anya’s Heartstring organization displayed on the screen. Anya was sitting in her studio with a long white dress on that seemed to glow all around her. She was playing her cello.
“As with this one as well,” Madeline continued.
A photo of both Anya and Anise together from their college graduation faded on the screen. A cheesy animation command sent the two photos in movement on the screen.
Tears fell from Madeline’s eyes in a dramatic performance.
“This is when he told me to burn the evidence and fabricate the story of Ryan being the fiancé of Anise instead. See, I already informed him that Anise had passed away earlier. He wanted Anya for himself. He was obsessed with her. He ignored that she was Ryan’s wife.”
The crowd became unruly. Comments shot out left and right.
“How could you, Steffan?”
“You liar!"
“Family, please, settle down,” the council member ordered the crowd to regain composure so they could proceed.
“Madeline, what else did Steffan say to you that evening?”
Madeline sniffled and released a wave of tears as she spoke, “He told me if Eilian came around asking about Ryan that I was to give him the story of Ryan and Anise instead. He said if I didn’t do as he commanded, he would kill Lisa.”
The crowd became unruly once again as the sneers shot out instantaneously.