FULL NOVELXO Chapter 38
BELLE
Grayson couldn’t keep his hands off of me the next morning.
I sort of loved it.
He had woken me up extremely early with gentle kisses on my mark.
He had been receiving constant updates from the pilot of his private plane all night, and the moment he knew it was near, he wanted us up and moving.
We took a quick shower and then got dressed. Of course, Grayson got all growly when I put on Laila’s black leggings and a T–shirt instead of his humongous clothes.
Laila even let me use a pair of sneakers, too, which I was extremely grateful for.
“Fucking vampire scent,” Grayson kept fuming under his breath once I was dressed. I rolled my eyes. He should just be grateful that it was Laila’s clothes and not Liam’s.
We were just about to leave the room when rushed footsteps started approaching.
“Belle! Belle!” someone shouted.
I ran to the door and pried it open before Grayson could stop me, coming face to face with a very panicked–looking Laila.
“My dad is a traitor,” she said, her words rushing out before I could even react to the large tears. streaming down her cheeks.
“Liam is holding him off, but my father told Azazel where you are. You need to get out of here. Now.”
Grayson had me in his arms before she had even finished speaking. I didn’t even have time to process what was going on or what Laila had just told us.
My mate hugged me close to his body, pressed my face into his neck to shield my eyes, and then he sprinted.
Intense wind made my hair fly everywhere as he ran at a speed that made everything blur past us. I tried looking up, but Grayson’s firm grip kept my head forced down.
I expected to be there like that for a while. But only seconds later, we came to an abrupt stop,
Indian fammad. I amusalad in man
Chapter 38 of 59: Chapter 38
Emergency calls only M
The sound of a car’s wheels screeched in front of us. A door opened.
“Get in.” Relief filled me at the sound of Liam’s voice.
He was okay. Or at least, he sounded like he was.
D39% 12.50
Grayson finally released his hold on my neck, allowing me to look up as he carried me into the passenger side door of an absolutely incredible blue Lamborghini.
“Liam!” I exclaimed when I saw him in the driver’s seat, a scowl painted over his handsome
features.
I didn’t have time to ask him any questions or try to understand what the hell was going on because, the next thing I knew, Liam threw the car into reverse, not even waiting for Grayson to close our car door all the way.
Grayson pulled me into his lap in the passenger seat and wrapped his arms around me, acting as my
seat belt.
I screamed as Liam tore through the gates of his father’s driveway–nearly hitting an oncoming car -and swerved the car around so he was speeding down the street in front of his father’s house.
“Azazel knows where you are,” Liam explained in a rush once the car was stable. “He knows about the plane and your plan to bring Belle back to Croatia with you. He’s coming after you.
“He’s going to try and stop you
both.”
It was then I was able to get a good look at my friend. My mouth went dry. “Liam,” I said uneasily, “you’re covered in blood.”
He had red splattered all over his arms and down his chest.
The fact that he was wearing a white T–shirt only made the color of the bright blood more pronounced, and with his matching eyes, he looked like something straight out of a horror movie.
Liam wiped his hand over his mouth–which I now noticed had blood in the corners–and swiped his tongue over his sharp fangs. “Not mine,” he grunted in response.
I could see his muscles tensing beneath his skin and his dark eyebrows pulling tight together.
**Then whose is it?” I asked carefully, fearing I already knew the answer.
He hesitated for only a moment before answering. “My father’s. He’s dead. I killed him.
Chapter 38 of 59: Chapter 38
17%
D39% 12:50
Emergency calls only MO
“Liam…” What do you say to the person who just killed his own father?
“The fucker deserved it,” Liam continued, his voice coming out like a hiss. “He’s been in contact with Azazel since the day Adalce showed up. He was going to lead him to the house. Ambush you both.”
I put my hand on Liam’s knee. Grayson stiffened beneath me but didn’t stop me. “I’m sorry,” I said. “Whether or not he deserved it, what you did couldn’t have been easy.”
Liam suddenly swerved the car, quickly changing lanes. I hadn’t even noticed we had pulled onto a highway. He was speeding past all of the other cars. Blaring horns followed behind us.
I swallowed. “Liam, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Liam responded. “My only priority is getting you out of here.”
Grayson grabbed my wrist–I didn’t even realize I was still holding Liam’s leg and put his hand in mine. He held me closer.
“Where is Azazel now?” Grayson asked.
T
Liam’s eyes snapped up to the rearview mirror, looking behind us. “He’s coming after you now. Wouldn’t be surprised if he were in one of the cars behind us right now.
“We need to get you on that plane and in the air.”
”
“How long until the plane gets here?” I asked Grayson.
“The plane isn’t here yet?” Liam snapped. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“It should be landing now,” Grayson grunted through his teeth.
“So does that mean you can slow down? Please?” I asked. Grayson’s thumb started to brush over my arm, trying to calm me. His chest vibrated with quiet purrs.
Liam shook his head. “We can’t let them catch up to us.’”
At the speed we were going, there was no chance of that happening.
Liam reached down and grabbed something from beneath his thigh. My eyes widened when I saw what it was: a gun.
Grayson snarled, ready to destroy the threat, but Liam quickly set it down in my lap before he could do anything.
Chapter 38 of 59: Chapter 38
30%
Emergency calls onlyMOR
12.50
零售39%
“That’s for you,” Liam explained grimly, never taking his eyes from the road. “I got it for you a week or so ago to keep in your apartment but never got around to giving it to you.
He met my eyes for half a second. “In case you need to defend yourself.”
I stared down at the handgun in my lap. I had never used a gun before. I wasn’t even sure I’d seen one in real life.
They honestly terrified me one of the only tools solely made for killing and injuring, so easily misused.
Grayson picked it up. “Do you know how to use it?”
I shook my head.
He explained it to me in a gentle tone, probably sensing my nerves, showing me the safety and how to hold it properly.
After he double–checked that the safety was on, he put it in the waistband of my leggings, setting my T–shirt over it, so it was out of sight.
***
After the most terrifying car ride of my entire life, we were pulling up to the Machias Valley Airport.
“Keep driving,” Grayson told Liam. “Get on the runway.”
I shrieked when Liam ran over a curb, causing the entire car to jump. My head nearly smashed into the roof.
Grayson pulled me closer to him and rubbed his massive hand over my leg. His arms were so tight around me that it almost hurt. “Try not to kill my mate, Blackwood.”
With a car so nice, I was shocked by how recklessly Liam was driving. Although, I was sure the Lamborghini belonged to his father. Guess he wouldn’t be needing it anymore, would he?
“Is this even legal?” I asked. We were on the runway now with several planes all around us. The long strip was mostly empty, though, with no signs of any planes getting ready to take off.
Liam scoffed. “Your boyfriend is the king of the fucking world. Anything is legal.”
Before I had time to process that, Grayson spoke. “That’s the plane.”
Emergency calls only
27….
12.50
039% I followed his line of vision. In the distance, there was a plane that had just pulled to a stop, the same one that had taken us from France to Minnesota.
I knew it because it had a big blue stripe on the side and was smaller than all the other planes.
When we pulled up next to the plane, the stairs to board were already lowering. Grayson carried me out of the car before setting me on my feet and leading me to the steps.
“You know,” a familiar voice started from inside the plane. He rounded the corner, revealing his grinning face. “Private planes are really bad for the environment.”
My heart leapt in my chest. “Elijah!” I exclaimed.
He looked good. I was relieved to see that it was the same old Elijah I had known before. He hadn’t grown a foot or looked like he was on testosterone.
Grayson released me, and Elijah met me halfway down the stairs with open arms. I practically launched myself against him, beyond happy to see him again.
“Fuck, it’s good to see you again, Luna,” Elijah said against my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. “I was so happy when I heard the alpha found you. You have no idea how worried I was.”
I leaned back to look at him, smiling brightly. “I missed you. I’ve been worried about you too.”
“All right, that’s enough.” Grayson growled. I hadn’t even noticed him coming up behind me. He grabbed my elbow and pulled me down a step.
I had to hold myself back from pushing him down the steps for trying to take me away from my friend after not having seen him for months.
If his wolf weren’t so close to the surface, I probably would have.
“Sorry, Alpha,” Elijah said immediately, tilting his head to the side as a sign of submission.
Grayson grunted in response, dismissing his apology.
“What are you doing here?” I asked Elijah.
“You’ll have time to catch up as soon as we’re back in the air,” Grayson said before Elijah could respond. He led me into the plane.
“We need to refuel, Alpha.” The pilot appeared from behind the door to the cockpit. “It’ll take an
hour or so.”
Chapter 38 of 59: Chapter 38
58%
The pilot didn’t hesitate before nodding vigorously. “Yes, Alpha. We can take off in ten minutes?”
Grayson’s nostrils flared. “Make it five.”
The pilot nodded once more and then scampered away.
“Heek!” another, more feminine voice screamed. Everyone’s attention swung to the back of the plane to where the voice was coming from.
Without warning, a tiny, black–haired body came flying toward me. But before she could reach me, Grayson reached a hand out, stopping the person.
“Minule,” Grayson spoke in a scornful tone. He had his outstretched hand on the girl’s forchend, holding her back from me like a parent would a misbehaving child. “Would you try not to flatten my mate?”
The girl, Minnic, looked at me with the brightest smile I had ever seen. I immediately knew she was a vampire due to her bright red eyes that matched Liam’s.
“I’m so excited to meet you,” Minnie said to me. She was practically bouncing with her enthusiasm.
“I’ve heard so much about you. I can’t wait to have another girl around the palace to talk to. Well, I menn, I have my sister, but she always has her nose pressed into a book-”
“You brought Minnie?” Grayson asked, directing his question to Elijah. He dropped his hand from her forehend, allowing Minnie to jump around.
“You try telling her not to do what she wants,” Elijah responded. “It doesn’t go well. She wanted to meet the luna. I was just lucky she was asleep for half the flight, so she didn’t talk my car off. Guess we woke her up.”
Grayson glowered at the little vampire.
Minnie scoffed, seemingly not the least bit threatened by the intimidating hybrid twice her size. “Your mate doesn’t like me. He’s an extremely grumpy person.”
I automatically knew we were going to be friends. A laugh escaped my mouth. “Don’t take it personally. He doesn’t really like anybody,” I said to her. I looked up at Grayson. “Except me, I RUCNN.”
Grayson’s eyes morphed to their normal forest green for a single second as he looked down at me. He brushed his thumb over my jaw lovingly.
Chapter 30 of 59: Chapter 30
71%
Emergency calls only
1250
03%
When I looked back at Minnic, her eyes were wide, and her lips were curled into her mouth like she was trying hard not to speak.
“You two are just so cute,” she finally blurted. “It’s nice to see King Grayson at peace.”
Elijah, who was standing next to me, leaned down to whisper something. “Who’s the tall, dark, and brooding character over there? And are we aware of the fact that he’s covered in blood?”
I looked over at Liam. He was standing in the doorway of the plane, looking outside with a deep
scowl on his face.
“That’s Liam,” I said quietly.
Elijah’s brows rosc. “Hold on. You mean Liam, as in Liam Blackwood?”
I nodded once, surprised that he knew his name. There was so much about the supernatural world that I had yet to learn.
“He’s cute,” Minnic whispered to me, eyeing Liam up and down like he was a piece of meat.
My lips turned up. “He can also probably hear you.” Liam didn’t react, but I knew he had incredible. hearing and was listening to everything we were saying.
She grinned. “Oh, I know.”
“Blackwood,” Grayson grunted. He seemed to have just remembered Liam was here now that we were talking about him. “What the fuck are you doing on my plane?”
“You think I’m just going to leave Belle alone after being the only person watching over her for months?” Liam replied as if it were an obvious explanation. “Not going to happen, werewolf.”
“Are you the luna’s protector?” Minnie asked him. “Oh, my gosh, you must be! I didn’t think she would find you so soon.
“But I guess you did come when she needed you most, just like the prophecy said you would. I just always assumed she would find you when she was
“Minnie,” Grayson interrupted, irritated. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Minnic frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Liam isn’t Belle’s anything,” Grayson snapped, his voice becoming deeper.
Minnic took a step back. “I think you might be wrong about that. He has all the qualities of the
Chanter 38 of 59: Chapter 38
85%
D39%
12.50
Emergency calls only M
Liam approached us, suddenly interested in the conversation. “The queen’s guardian? What is that?”
Minnic giggled. “Well… you. You’re the luna’s protector.” She turned to Grayson. “Didn’t you rend the prophecy?”
“What prophecy?” I asked.
“The prophecy that said I was going to be king,” Grayson explained, glaring at Minnic for bringing
“Of course I read it. I’m Belle’s protector, not some random vampire.”
it up.
you
“That’s not how it works. You’re not going to be able to be there for your mate all the time when are king. The prophecy stated that she would have someone to protect her, just as Queen Evangeline did.”
Queen Evangeline? Yet another name that I didn’t recognize.
“How do you know this?” I asked.
Minnie slowly looked at Liam, a small smile playing on her lips. “I can feel his soul. It’s filled with kindness and bravery, and goodwill. He will be the perfect guardian.”
Liam shifted on his feet, regarding Minnic with humble discomfort.
“That and the birthmark on his arm,” Minnic finished.
Everyone’s eyes fell on the large birthmark that took over half of Liam’s left arm. It climbed upper half of his bicep and beneath the collar of his shi
up
the
It was barely visible–only a shade or two lighter than his normal skin. It was the first time I had noticed it in the several months I had known him and spent time with him.
“It’s the same on
Queen Evangeline’s guardian had,” Elijah murmured in awe. “It’s incredible. Except hers wasn’t a birthmark. It was a scar–from a burn.”
Liam, who was also looking down at the birthmark as if he were seeing it for the first time, raised his head. “So… does this mean I get to stay on the plane now?”
DA