The King's War

8. The Bells

AVERY

Nate wasn't there to see me off. He left a note though, saying he was deeply sorry for what he'd done and promising that it would never happen again.

On one hand, I was glad I didn't have to face him. On the other hand, I wished he had the courage to say those things in person; to give me a proper goodbye.

A chauffeur took me to the airport, where I boarded Nate's private jet. During the flight, I wondered how everything had gone so wrong so quickly. Maybe I was deluding myself into thinking things were ever right to begin with. Nate was a vampire. He drank blood to survive. In the bliss of being with him, I'd allowed myself to forget that.

Would things ever truly work between us — a vampire and a human? He would always crave me in a way I didn't want to be craved. The only way to fix that was for me to be turned, and that was not something I wanted. I would never want it, no matter how much I love Nate.

Not to mention how pointless it would be for me to give up my humanity just so he'd never lose control around me. The very thought made anger flare within me.

This was what I feared when I first started developing feelings for him during the competition — that we were fundamentally incompatible. Maybe I'd been right all along. Maybe our romantic getaway to Nantucket and the thrill of allowing him to be my first had distracted me from the reality of our situation. I was human and he wasn't.  Our relationship won't be able to last without one of us changing for the other. Since he couldn't change for me, I'd have to be the one changing for him.

I shivered, and not from the plane's air conditioning.

⤞❖⤝

Lydia volunteered to pick me up from the airport, but I told her it wasn't going to be necessary. Nate sent a guard along with me and we'd take a rental car to Lydia's house. I was both pleased by Nate's concern and annoyed by his overprotectiveness. What kind of trouble could I possibly get in around Lydia's family?

We arrived at something I hesitate to call a town. It was mostly a single commercial street with businesses, a town hall, and a sheriff's office. Farther down, the road branched off into large residential properties housing what looked to be huge, newly built cabins. I wondered how the residents were able to make their money. The few shops in town couldn't possibly pay for such luxurious real estate. It was a long drive to the nearest city.

Lydia's house was the biggest in town — a sprawling modern cabin with giant windows and cedar siding. Their three-car garage was its own separate building. I didn't need to double check the address I'd been given to know that it was hers — she was waiting for me on the front porch and waved when she saw the car pull in. I smiled. It was so good to see her again.

Travis, my guard, pulled up to the front and allowed me to step out. Lydia immediately rushed over to me and pulled me into a tight hug. "I've missed you!" she exclaimed.

Shame nagged at me for ever having doubted her. "I've missed you too." I drew away and took another look a the house looming above me. "Your house is amazing."

Lydia glanced back and merely shrugged. "It's alright."

"Hey, not all of us come from money."

"Like that's still a problem for you, given who you're dating," she teased. "Come on, I'll show you inside. My family's dying to meet you."

A long hallway lead into a huge lofted living room with windows that stretched across three floors and looked out over a massive deck. The tall ceiling was lined with wooden beams, giving the place a rustic feel. The furnishings had that cozy, homemade quality reminiscent of a hunting lodge. I had to limit my gawking to a minimum because Lydia's family were standing and waiting for me to be introduced.