Bless The Beauty

chapter Six




With Chase off to filter through the investigation with Mike and Nick, Kellen and I—well Kellen watched while I worked—called the nutty bins in the area. After my tenth call, I knew I was getting nowhere. I slammed down the phone, ran my hands across my face in frustration.

“Got nothing then?” Kellen asked in a bored voice.

I lowered my hands from my face and shook my head. My gaze fell back to the phone book. The yellow pages had eleven phone numbers marked. The last— Aurora Psychiatric Hospital. If this wasn’t the one we needed, it meant we had to do more research into Chad McKinney’s life. Truthfully, with the weight of the missing women, time wasn’t on our side. And I had guilt enough about having the moment with Chase.

Personal time like that wasn’t appropriate now. We needed to find these women before it was too late.

I reached out for the phone again, took it in my hand and dialled the phone number just as Kellen said, “I still find it difficult to believe that you have fallen for a mortal.”

There went my non-personal matters. Kellen wasn’t obligated to this case, and the man I knew wouldn’t wait for the answers he needed. Like Chase would. Instead of prolonging this conversation, I hung up the phone as it rang the first time and settled on answering him quickly so we could move on and I could get back to business. “It shocked me too, but there is something about him—something special.”

Kellen’s brow lifted as his head cocked. “What makes him so special?”

That was the question wasn’t it? What did make Chase so special? Never in my life had I been attached to anyone other than Kellen. As much as I loved Kellen, I loved Chase equally strongly. Only the love for them was different, if that made any sense at all.

“I don’t really know what it is exactly. I was attached to him from the moment I laid eyes on him.”

Kellen grabbed a pen off the table and began to spin it in his fingers. “And you have only been with him?”

He appeared uncomfortable and very unsure of himself. It was an odd state to see him in. The tough, strong vampire seemed a little off his axis. “Not for the first while, of course. I looked elsewhere, but over time I needed no one else.”

Both brows rose now as he dropped the pen and it began to roll off the table before he stopped it. “A mortal kept you satisfied?”

I nodded, smiling at his incredulity. “Quite.” The idea was going to be hard for him to grasp.

Vampires enjoyed being together. The unity of the two same creatures heating up the sheets and sharing blood was not one easily forgotten.

He glanced down to the table again, picked up the pen and continued to spin it between his fingers. Many silent moments passed, as he remained thoughtful, then he finally said, “I am oddly jealous.”

“You?” The idea sounded ridiculous. Kellen had nothing to be insecure about and never had I seen that emotion come from him. “Jealous of a mortal?”

He raised his gaze to mine, stern and unwavering. “You have never loved another but me.”

Then I knew what he was grasping at. I hadn’t considered this might hurt him. I suspected he’d be annoyed or disgusted even. That he’d tell me to forget him and move on. I hadn’t expected that he would have his heart broken because of my relationship with Chase.

Guess it was time for me to explain, not only to myself but to Kellen too. “It’s totally different.

With you, it’s boundless. You know me like no one else could. I am completely and utterly myself around you.” Then, I sighed deeply, hoped my words came out right.

“With him, I just want to keep him.”

Kellen’s sigh equalled mine as he dropped the pen, leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head. “Luckily for you I am not unwilling. Not all would be so.”

Wasn’t that the truth! But that is the reason, Kellen was Kellen. So unselfish and I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about that. What I did know was that it made me a selfish bitch. The worst part, I couldn’t have it any other way. I needed them both. I leaned forward and gave him a kiss I hope displayed what my heart felt. “It’s why I love you.”

He laughed a soft sound when I backed away from his lips. “And so you should.”

Then, he gave a stern look. “How do you wish to proceed with this?”

I thought we already sorted that out. “Proceed with what?”

He leaned forward in his chair, his face close to mine. “Are you going to treat him like a consort?”

Shit! I hadn’t really thought of that. Now, with Kellen back in our lives things had changed. With him working for the Mistresses, we needed to follow the rules by the book. I sighed at the idea of giving Chase such a title. “He doesn’t feel like that.”

“Hadley.” Kellen gaze chastised. “It will pose a problem if you will not declare him your consort.”

I understood. I’d been putting this off since I lived more like a mortal than a vampire. It wasn’t really necessary. But if it was discovered that Kellen was breaking vampire law, he’d be killed for it. Not an ideal situation. I wasn’t concerned about the meaning behind it, I knew Chase would be all right with declaring his knowledge of the vampires’ secret and would see to keep it that way. It was the ceremony I worried about.

I doubted Chase would want to be declared under their command.

Our situation was so different than most. Mortal consorts were addicted to their vampire—to the high they got from the vampire drinking their blood. With Chase, it wasn’t that way in any regard.

We loved each other and he was addicted to me. Sure, he enjoyed the rush of sexual satisfaction that came with the act of my feeding on him, but it was me he wanted—not the high.

If I didn’t declare Chase as my consort then he would be targeted as a threat. A means to expose the vampires to the world and that was something that went against our laws. My choices were limited.

“Have you shared blood with him?” Kellen asked, breaking me away from my train of thought.

I shook my head, as if I’d ever be that stupid. “I know better than to do that.” If I had, I would have defied the Mistress by not bringing Chase before her immediately. It was one of the reasons I never offered it to him. The other reason was that I just didn’t know how he would respond.

“Good girl,” Kellen smiled, approvingly and gave my thigh a pat.

My options were dwindling down to only one. Kellen’s stern eyes said I couldn’t manoeuvre my way out of this one. “I suppose there is no choice here.”

“Not if you want this mortal to remain with you.” His gaze turned curious. “Unless you want to turn…”

I stopped that line of thinking by raising my hand. “That is not an option.” No, I didn’t want to give Chase immortality. I wasn’t quite sure of my reasons behind it, I just knew, it wasn’t an option.

Kellen wanted to say more, I could see that, but apparently, he knew to leave it alone. “Then, we must bring him to Mistress Ellery.” He glanced back to the phone book.

“As soon as we can get away from this mind-numbing task.” He glanced at me, amusement twinkling in his eyes. “You really enjoy this?”

I nodded and laughed. It was a funny thing really, something he would never understand. His life revolved around danger and action. Mine was so simple compared to his. “This is just one part of it, but yes, I love it.”

The amusement in his eyes grew as he brushed his knuckles against my cheek. “I am pleased to find you like this. I had hoped that giving you this time would settle you and you would return to me when ready.”

“You see a difference?” I asked, curious about what he saw.

He nodded without hesitation and pride oozed off him. “I see a purpose. Turned so young, you hadn’t had the time to gain a life for yourself. I had two hundred years on your twenty-four. I was already established as a shield with a meaning for what I was to do. You lacked that.” He ran his hand along my face to cup my cheek. “I am happy to see that you have found a purpose to your days that gives you joy.”

I sank into his embrace. All of what he just said filled my heart with a certain kind of peace. “I guess I should probably thank you. I know the past years without me must have been hard.”

“Hard…” he repeated, incredulous. He dropped his hand as a loud laugh spilled from his lips, “is putting it lightly, dear.” His gaze was as intent as it was soft. “Your happiness is all—and will always be—what is important. If this life you have now pleases you, than I am content with that.”

I smiled as happiness coursed through my body and leaned forward to bring my face close to his. “You know you are perfect, right?”

He grinned, haughtily. “Yes, I do know this.”

I shook my head at him, laughing. Classic, arrogant Kellen. How I missed his confidence. “So what’s the plan?”

“Make the call—if we find out this is the hospital, we’ll take Chase with us to go and talk with this Doctor. But first we’ll take a quick trip to see Mistress Ellery to claim him.”

“We?” I repeated. Did I hear him right? Was he really that accepting of all this? I couldn’t believe my ears.

“He is important to you,” Kellen replied with a smile that showed he just enjoyed shocking me.

“If I claim him too, it will give him a stronger protection.”

“You think he could be in danger?” I hadn’t even considered that a possibility.

Kellen glanced away from me for a moment. When he met my gaze again, there was guilt in the depth of his eyes. “I am a shield again, Hadley.” His look was firm and serious. “You know what that means.”

I did know. It meant danger of every sort. I hadn’t wanted to go back to the memory of all the times I found myself in precarious situations before I left Kellen. But it was those reasons he loved and thrived on by being a shield. The only reason I never put up a stink about it was because Kellen was a strong protector. I never was in serious danger.

Now, things were different and the idea of bringing Chase into this world was very unsettling.

“Have you been in danger recently?”

Kellen let out a self-righteous laugh, then his grin settled. “Not likely. If I happen to piss someone off and they know my bride has a consort, they may use him as an act of revenge. If I claim him too, it is more likely they won’t.”

The thought of anything happening to Chase sent a shudder straight through me. Just as that settled, I felt entirely grateful Kellen would offer this. No matter how long we’d been together, he could still surprise me. “You would really do that for me?”

“Darling…” Kellen arched a brow, “I would lay my life down for you. This is not putting me out by any means.”

I could only smile in return, unable to explain how I felt about this with words. I was beginning to remember why I loved Kellen so much. The man didn’t have a selfish bone in his body. I knew he was now, and would always be, a better person than I could be on a good day.

Resolved to get back to the matter at hand, I picked up the phone and dialled the number. Only two rings in a soft voice answered, “Aurora Psychiatric Hospital, how may I help you?”

“This is Special Agent Hadley Sloan. I am working a case with the Milwaukee Police Department, and wondered if you at some point had a patient there by the name of Chad McKinney.” Silence filled the line. “Hello?”

“I’m sorry,” the woman’s voice said in a soft tone. “I suppose we should have expected this call.”

My dead heart leapt into my throat. That was just the response that I’d been hoping to hear over the past hour. Her response, though, irked me. Why wouldn’t they offer their help on the information they had on him? Damn, mortals could be so annoying. “So, he was a patient there, then?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I let out a long deep sigh, relieved that we had gotten somewhere. “We need to come and speak with you immediately.”

“But it is the middle of the night. Dr. Peterson, who treated Mr. McKinney, worked the day shift today. He will be sleeping now.”

“This cannot wait until morning.” Not only because this was urgent, but also because I couldn’t go out in the daylight to talk to him. We needed to act now. As it was, we were going to lose some time going to Mistress Ellery’s.

This choice was the only one we had. Kellen had enemies that would love to expose such a secret as what I had going on with Chase. “You need to wake him up. We’ll be there in…” I looked at Kellen, who raised two fingers. “Two hours. Make sure he’s there.” Then, without another word, I hung up.

Kellen grinned. “Now then, let’s go and claim ourselves a consort.”