Devour (19 page)

The large doors open and we’
re ushered inside. The doors shut and it sounds more like a slam as it echoes off the cavernous foyer. I watch behind us as Chase is brought in, still tied up, and my heart sinks. He doesn’t deserve this. I can tell by the murderous look on his face that he doesn’t take this situation lightly anymore.

I shake it off and follow the council into the royal chambers.
Three chairs have been set out in front of the dais. We are urged forward and take our seats in the spotlight. All around us, the council members sit in soft, cushioned chairs made of gold with blue fabric while we sit in plain, metal, folding chairs. Nice.

Contrary to popular belief, vampires don’t turn their homes into dark lairs.
Sure, it is dark in our home, but we don’t really subscribe to the red and black color scheme. The castle is enriched with vivid blues and our house is laced with yellows and the shades of the sunrise.

I can’t remember the last time I was this n
ervous. I want to throw up. I’m being punished for something I couldn’t have prevented. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and now I will pay for it.

Soon, the room
falls silent and we wait for Alexander to enter. I’m sitting in the middle and Cody sits to my left. I hold his hand tightly, trying to smooth my frayed nerves. He is the only thing keeping me grounded in this massive room.

Alexander walk
s in and takes his seat at the dais. He looks regal as ever. His ebony hair is long and tied back. He’s tall, at least a foot and a half taller than I am. I almost stop breathing when he pins his catlike green eyes on me. They are the color of cut emeralds and they’re unforgiving. I’ve always been intimidated by him, related or not.

“Callie, I understand you are the reason for this session to be called tonight.”

“Yes, sir,” I say meekly.

A member of the council, Alicia’s
Dad steps up to the dais and hands Alexander a file. He takes his gaze from me and studies the file before him. It takes him several minutes to digest the information. Then the real questioning starts. I drop Cody’s hand and fold both of my hands in my lap. I’m uncomfortable under his eyes, judging me.

No one speaks unless spoken to.
I wait a beat to begin answering as the onslaught of questions are hurled at me.

“Is it true, you felt something different about this human, Chase?” he asks me.

“I didn’t know if it was just a feeling or what, but yes,” I admit.

“Did you follow protocol and wipe his memories
, even though it is stated that you didn’t want to?”

Anger burns in my belly and works its way up.
My own parents have betrayed me to the council. I know that they had to tell them, but the knowledge still stings.

“Sir, I followed every protocol and did wipe his memories.
He was in a daze when I walked out the door Friday night.”

Alexander looks like he is scanning the file once again before he resumes the questioning.

“Did you run into Chase on purpose the n
ext night or was it accidental?

It says that he remembered everything.
How did you find this out?”

I wait until I think he is finished before answering.
My heart rate has taken a hike and I’m even more nervous, if that’s possible.

“Running into him was purely accidental.
My Mom was the one who arranged our outing. I only knew he remembered me because he called me Callie and thanked me for a wonderful night. It wasn’t until we took him home to question him that we found out he remembered
everything
.”

I want to take my eyes of
f Alexander and look at Cody. I hope that too much detail isn’t divulged here. I don’t want to hurt him more than I already have when I glossed over this part. I can’t look though. Alexander is an intimidating presence and demands my attention.

“Let’s fast forward to the blood ball.
It says here that you met your true mate there. Is Cody Gregoria your true mate?”

“Cody
Gregoria
is
my true mate. We began the bonding process that night. I can’t wait to be mated with him.”

“How did you find out he was your true mate?
Did you mate because of the situation with Chase?”

My breathing catches as the questions grow harder.
I didn’t mate because of Chase. It was a subjective matter and would be taken into advisement, but wasn’t the only answer possible.

“Sir, we did the blood bonding after our feelings became apparent.
My mating with Cody had nothing to do with Chase. I bonded with him of my own volition.”

My eyes dart to Cody’s for the briefest of seconds and his meet mine.
That small gesture is enough to comfort me through the rest of the questioning.

“Performing the blood bonding is risky.
If you hadn’t been true mates, the ramifications of making a formal bond based on a blood lust are serious. You would have mated for lust instead of love.”

“I never even thought of the risk.
It was Cody. I couldn’t even consider not bonding with him. Something deep inside me took charge and I will be forever grateful. Cody is my one true mate and I am blessed to have found him.”

Alexander look
s thoughtful for just a minute and then refocuses on the file.

“It seems that a number of adults have also tried the memory wipe on Chase with no success.
I wonder what is so special about him.”

He d
oesn’t look at me, so I don’t answer him. I’m not sure exactly what it is he’s looking for. My eyes nearly bulge out of my head when I hear Chase speak up. Apparently the council was not too clear on the rules with him.

“I’m right here.
I hate when people talk about me like I’m not here. Callie did try that memory wipe thingy and so did several other people. It just doesn’t work on me. I don’t know why. I just know that Callie is a vampire and I’m not.”

Alexander looks irritated, but also intrigued.
His eyes glitter as he turns all of his focus on Chase. I know this is important and that this could make or break me.

“
So, Chase, did you know what Callie was when you met at the bar that night?”

“I felt something different about her, but no, I didn’t know she was a vampire.
I didn’t know that part until she sunk her teeth into my neck. That was an experience.”

I s
ee Cody stiffen out of the corner of my eye and know he read what happened in my mind. Oops. I send thoughts of me kissing him and how I feel about him, hoping they speak the truth.

Even members of the council gasp at his comment.
Taking blood can be as impersonal as feeding off a homeless person in an alley. As a teenager, I always went the other route. I was single and liked hot guys. I had no idea it could ever come back and bite me in the ass like this.

Luckily
, Alexander has moved on and is asking other questions.

“Chase, are you close to your parents?”

Chase frowns and pauses before answering. “My Mom died six months ago from cancer and my Dad took off before he even knew about me.”

Alexander looks thoughtful and is filtering through the file once more.
Then he stands and I know he is getting ready to arrange our judgments. The council’s job is to do whatever Alexander asks and has everything prepared for our final trial on Friday. That’s our last chance to prove my innocence and save Chase.

“I have made my decision.
There are too many variables at play here. First, I want Cody and Callie blood tested to prove they are true mates. Then I want Chase blood tested as well. I have a few ideas that I want to rule out. The council will also gather a complete work up of Chase and his history. We need to assess his situation in the human community.”

He looks up and pauses before continuing.
“Not memory wiping a human is treason and comes with a death sentence. However, if you really are true mates, that will not be possible. I’ll have to come up with an alternate punishment for you, Callie. As for Chase, his life hinges on several factors. Chase, you will either be changed into a vampire or meet your death. All this will be decided at the final trial on Friday. Thank you all for coming.”

Alexander stands, takes his file and exits the room the way he came.
My eyes are wide with worry. I may not be handed a death sentence, but I’m not sure what will happen instead. I can only hope that Cody and I will get through it together and be allowed to mate on Saturday. I feel bad for Chase and wish I hadn’t dragged him into this. It can’t be helped now. All we can do is hope for the best.

I think about Jane and what she would have said if
I had just told her. Now she’s going to be upset for missing out on all the drama. She has to forgive me. Maybe I can get her to visit me before Friday. Lana must want to see her brother as well. Hopefully they can come together.

The council st
ands in silence. The guards appear and make their way towards us. I don’t want to admit I’m scared, but I am. They don’t handcuff or tie us up since we agree to go willingly. The first guard takes Cody. I feel terrible that he has to endure my punishment. He is a good man and I love him.

My first reaction is to go to him and have him wrap me in his arms.
I know I can’t do that in the company of the guards. It’s really hard to restrain myself. I need that comfort and only he can provide me with it. At least he senses or hears this and sends love and affection through the bond.

The next guard
grabs me and drags a reluctant Chase behind me. Chase is no longer an enigma to me. I don’t find his clear, blue eyes intriguing and I certainly don’t find his messy brown hair sexy. How could I have gone so wrong?

We are guided into a staircase and are taken down three flights of stairs.
This is deep in the bowels of the castle. It’s the perfect place to keep prisoners with no chance of escaping. Despair floods me and I know I need to get my emotions under control. It’s not fair to broadcast my feelings into Cody.

When we finally reach the bottom of the stairwell,
a light is switched on. There is a row of large, metal, jail cells. My heart sinks. I’ve never been down here before and now I know why. It’s dreary. The first guard veers to the second empty cell and deposits Cody in it.

The first empty cell next to Cody’s is
mine and I’m sealed inside in a matter of seconds. Chase gets deposited into a cell across from me. Then the guards turn to go, leaving us alone in the underground hallway of barred rooms.

We aren’t in a dungeon exactly. Yes, there are bars all around us. The floor is tiled strangely enough and there is a single bed up against the back wall that resembles more of a cot. In the back of the small cell, there is a small bathroom with an actual door on it. True, it only contains a rudimentary shower, toilet and sink, but it’s still a private bathroom. Thank goodness for small favors.

The first thing I do after I get my bearings is pull the bed over to the bars next to Cody’s.
I need his closeness. The bond is getting stronger and it’s getting harder to be away from him. I crave his touch. I long for the feel of his lips on mine. Licking my lips with my tongue, I refocus on getting my bed where I want it.

I look up and Cody winks at me.
Just that simple gesture calms me a little. He also is moving his bed towards mine. I push mine as far as it will go and sit down. I am still in shock over everything that has happened.

I’m
preparing to turn around and talk to Cody when Chase speaks up. I shift on the bed to face him.

“So
, Callie, if you are to mate for life with this guy, why did you seduce me the other night?”

Chase put
s extra emphasis on
seduce
and I grit my teeth. My eyes narrow as I prepare my response. I know he is just trying to get under Cody’s skin.

“I wasn’t mated then.
Besides, I needed blood. We didn’t even do anything.”

I know it is kind of a lie, but I will not give him the benefit of seeing just how shaken up I am by the proximity of him and Cody to me.