Sold To The Alpha
Hated Ties That Bind Chapter 34

'Crazy Vampire who wants to bite me said what now?' Phillipa replied stunned.

'Two hundred and fifteen' Sage replied easily as he started to plait a small section of her hair with his fingers.

Turning back to the human woman at the top of the table, Phillipa shook her head weakly, 'I can't be married to someone over two hundred! I'm eighteen!' she mumbled dazedly.

Idris gave a nod, 'I understand Phillipa, I felt the same when I met Cassius, but you need to understand that Vampire's reach maturity at two hundred years old, so in comparison, in human years, Sage is nineteen years old. Opening and shutting her mouth, Phillipa looked back at the Vampire and finally forced out, 'I think I'm just going to pretend you are nineteen if that's OK!

Sage chuckled, 'you can make me any age you want baby as long as you stay by my side!

Tempest looked up at Stone, 'how old are you?' she asked softly.

'Two hundred and eighty four' Stone replied gruffly, 'so twenty five in human speak!

Tempest nodded with a small smile, 'I'm twenty two, so how old is that in Vampire?'

A small smile graced the Vampire's face for the first time as he quickly did the math, 'about two hundred and fifty' he replied warmly as he moved closer to her and slipped his arm around her waist.

Ren went to open his mouth when Cyan silenced him by placing her lips to his in a slow heated kiss that caused his breathing to falter. 'One never asks a lady her age' she whispered against him as he nodded dazedly. Looking up at Abel, Terri waited expectantly, meeting her gaze momentarily, he let out a frustrated sigh as the Vampire grumbled, 'I am three hundred and twenty five!

'Uhhh, oh.. OK' the young girl replied surprised, 'well I'm twenty three.

Irdis gave Terri a wistful look, 'twenty three' she whispered, 'just like her.'

'Like who?' Landen asked from his seat beside the older woman.

Idris smiled sadly, 'it doesn't matter sweetie, I lost someone when I came here, well actually I lost two someone's, but I got one of them back!

'You had a child' Nathanial replied softly, as the older woman nodded.

'I had two children, my son, who came back to me and I also had a daughter. Just after she was born, Cassius came for me, I.. I didn't even get to name her' she added wistfully, before shrugging sadly and plastering a smile onto her face.

Terri froze as she looked up at the woman with blonde hair just like her own and green eyes like her brothers. 'Was your son's name... Steven?' she asked, her heart beating faster.

Idris nodded slowly, 'yes, how did you know that?' she asked warily.

Terri smiled sadly, 'my brother's name is Steven, he was taken when he was twenty four. My mother was taken an hour after I was born, my father had to raise me alone. He named me Terri, he said that my mother was raised by an Aunt as a child, and her name was Terri-Anne, he said that my mum was heartbroken when Aunt Terri died just after they met and used to say how she wished that she had lived to meet her children.

Idris nodded as tears slid down her face, 'my auntie Terri took me in after your grandma ran off with her third boyfriend, leaving me once again on her doorstep. Auntie Terri said no more and took custody of me. I loved her so much, she was my real mum in every sense except she didn't give birth to me, caring for me when I wasn't her responsibility!

Terri's brow furrowed, 'dad always called my mum Diddy though, Steven and I always thought her real name was Diana or something' she said in confusion.

Idris laughed, 'that's what my Derek always called me, he used to say it was because i'm not very tall, though who is when stood next to someone who is six foot two' she added, smiling at the memory. 'I was small... diddy' she whispered as she reached up and brushed away a tear that was trying to leave her eye.

'You are my mum?' Terri called uncertainly as the group looked between the pair.

'My baby' Idris whispered, nodding her head as she stumbled to her feet and ran blindly toward the girl grabbing her tightly as she fell against the older woman's chest.

'Why didn't you come back mummy?' Terri asked, her voice cracking, 'why did you leave us? Daddy needed you, Steven and I needed you but you never came back!

'I'm sorry baby, I'm so so sorry, I didn't have a choice' Idris whispered as she clung to the young woman as if her life depended on it.

'Aunt Idris, I think we need to explain what is going on here' Cian rumbled from next to Abel.

'No' Abel growled forcefully, making the two women separate in surprise, 'Terri will make her mind up without bias, she will stay with us for seven days and if she chooses to leave she will be allowed to do so.

'Abel! Stop being stubborn! This is your.. 'Cian started before Abel cut across him.

'Cain, I said no' he roared harshly, slamming his hand down onto the table before pushing back his chair roughly and climbing to his feet. Holding out his hand to Terri, he mumbled, 'come I will take you to your room. The young woman placed her small hand in his tentatively and allowed him to help her from her chair and lead her toward the door.

Looking back at her mother, Terri whispered, 'I will see you later?' hope flickering in her eyes.

Idris nodded immediately, watching her daughter until the door shut behind the pair.

'Cain, would you show our other guests to some rooms please' Idris asked quietly.

'Aunt Idris! How can you .. ' Cain started hot headedly, falling silent as the older woman shook her head slightly.

'It is his decision Cian, respect that' Idris replied sadly before collecting up the plates and placing them in the dishwasher, dismissing the group who all stood to leave.

Walking along the dark corridor, Terri had to half run to keep up with the long strides of the vampire who was leading her silently by the hand. 'Could we slow down?' she called out breathlessly, Abel looked down at her, a sheepish grin crawling across his face as he shortened his steps. 'I apologise little one' I am used to the speed of my brothers and sisters, I forget that humans are not built like us, forgive me' he replied softly. Nodding, Terri gave a small smile, hesitating slightly as she tried to muster the courage to ask the solemn vampire a question.

'Ask little one' Abel said, breaking the silence, 'I will answer any question you have that I can!'

Taking a deep breath, Terri stumbled out, 'what are you keeping from me? What happens if I leave?'

Abel stopped, turning to face the woman, a look of pain showing fleetingly in his features. 'I cannot tell you that' he said softly, 'not yet anyway!

Terri studied him for a moment before asking, 'will you tell me if I stay?'

Abel nodded, 'if you allow me to mark you, make you mine, I will happily tell you everything' he replied with a small smile.

Resuming their walk, Abel led her through many corridors before they finally reached a door. Opening it, he ushered the young woman inside, Terri gasping in shock as she looked around the uniquely decorated room. 'This is for me?' she breathed. Abel nodded, 'of course little one, my match deserves the best that I can give her, so until you leave or decide to stay, this will be your room' he replied.

Looking back at him, Terri raised an eyebrow, 'where is your room?' she asked.

Abel smiled, 'My room is on the second floor, but for the next seven days, I shall use the room adjacent to yours!

'Why?' Terri asked nervously.

The vampire frowned, 'I do not want my match here at the brood, unmarked' he said, a hint of insecurity in his voice, 'a couple of our people have grown desperate before now and forcefully marked another's unmarked match. Though I am the nephew of the leader and know that our people would not anger me in such a way, I would rather not take the chance just because I would have to change rooms for a week.

Terri nodded, slightly dazed at the admission before walking across the thick cream carpet and perching on the edge of the large queen sized bed. Folding her arms over her chest, she watched the vampire from underneath her lashes. 'Why do you only visit when the clocks chime twelve?' she asked finally.

Sighing deeply, Abel shut the door before grabbing a chair from beside the desk and taking a seat across from the human female, placing it backwards and resting his arms on the chair back. 'We only come when the clocks chime as it is the only time that we can replace the town' he said softly.

Terri blinked, 'sorry? How do you mean? The town never moves' she replied.

Abel shook his head, a sad smile playing around his lips, 'to us, the town can only be found when the clock chimes, it calls to us, to those that are chosen. Eight to twelve Vampires are selected by the clock to hear the chimes, telling them that they can have the chance to replace their true love. We follow the sound, four of the chosen will be blessed and the others who are not so lucky will then help us bring our loved one back. When we reach the clock tower, the chimes silence and then, then we can hear our beloved's heartbeat.'

The young woman fidgeted slightly, 'why did it take you so long to replace me that night, I was the closest, but you were the last to move!

Abel shook his head in amusement, 'the wolves' he replied with a chuckle, 'their heartbeats overpowered your own and hid you from me, it wasn't until you spoke, your fear increasing your heartrate that I pinpointed you.'

Terri giggled nervously, 'they said that they would protect me' she mumbled.

Abel reached out and took the young girl's hand in his own, 'they seem like honourable people' he said softly.

'So how old is Cian?' she asked interestedly.

Abel grinned, 'Cian is the baby of the family, he saw his two hundredth birthday this moon' he replied fondly, 'he has only just entered the period of replaceing his match, which is why he is so scathing of the effect it has when we discover who they are, he will learn though' he added as his eyes danced with amusement.

Terri's eyes widened at his words, 'you are waaaay older than him!' she whispered in awe before blushing, 'sorry! I didn't mean..'

Her words were drowned out by Abel's laughter, 'it is true, to Cian, I am an old man' he agreed in amusement.

The human's eyes dropped to her lap, 'so those other people that were with you? They remain alone?' she asked quietly.

Abel released her hand and placed his finger under her chin, lifting her eyes to his, 'yes little one, until the next summons from one of the towns comes, where they may be called forth again to search' he replied.

Terri looked into his eyes, feeling a small flutter in her chest as she gazed into the deep brown pools, 'why don't you just explain to us why you want us?' she asked slowly, 'why kill people?'

Abel's face hardened, 'we are not meant to hurt anyone' he growled lowly, 'but it seems not all of the members got that memo, believe me though, those that did spill blood in the collection of their match, did not go unpunished' he muttered darkly. 'How did you know if someone got hurt?' Terri whispered.

The vampire smiled, 'when you send eight to twelve members out, it is very rare to have an entire group who will keep a secret like that from the leader, and if they try? Well, let us just say that my uncle has a very special gift of coercion that he uses to make sure no human is killed.' 'And you don't explain to us because?.. 'the young woman prompted.

Abel sighed as he rubbed his chin, 'many reasons, would you believe us? Would you come willingly if we gave you the choice? The time limit we have in which to leave the town.. we do not like the way this works ay more than your people do, we are a peaceful brood, we do not want trouble with our neighbours, but some things are beyond our control.'

'If I had refused to come, would you have made me?' Terri asked, her voice soft.

Abel met her gaze for a moment before he shook his head, 'before I saw you, I would have said yes, I'd have picked you up and taken you. However, the moment I looked in your eyes I knew that your happiness was all that mattered to me, so no, I would have left you there if you had asked me too' he admitted.

Terri smiled shyly as she reached up and brushed his hair from his eyes, her skin soft touching against the roughness of his cheek as he instinctively moved into her touch, his eyes closing.

'I'm really glad I came with you tonight' she murmured softly, her eyes crinkling up at the corners as she smiled up at him, 'but, i'm warning you, if you try to eat me later on when I'm asleep or preoccupied, I'm going to be really angry with you, so be warned' she added sternly.

Abel chuckled in his deep manly voice that sent shivers through her body, holding up his hands in innocence, 'I swear I won't eat you... well unless you ask me too, I'm betting you taste divine my little human' he added with a wink, causing the young woman to blush deeply at his words.