Page 19 of The Coven’s Sacrifice

Come for dinner tonight. We need to discuss a few things, all four of us.

Your vampire,

Jacob

“Really?” I sighed, but I couldn’t stop the dopey smile on my lips. He was mine.

Chapter Thirteen

Colin

After showering, I was pleased to see a few boxes in my living room, all containing my new clothes. Sienna was absent this morning, likely mad at me for the clothes I’d ordered. I wondered if she could be bought with pretty gifts? I really needed her on my side if I were to survive in this mansion. I felt less like I was going to get killed, but I still hurried outside once I was dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. I simply didn’t want to risk it.

My breakfast waited for me at my usual spot, so I sat down with my laptop and began researching the coops I could buy. I never got to it last night because a certain vampire had stolen me away to look upon the stars. A smile formed on my lips as I recalled our time together. Jacob was a surprise and yesterday I’d seen him as a man for the first time. He might still be a vampire, but his human side was in there and it was hard to resist his charm. He’d been honest and open with me. Not once did I feel lied to. It was refreshing, knowing without a doubt that he wouldn’t sugarcoat anything. Jacob just wasn’t the sugarcoating type.

I ended up ordering a big coop that could easily fit ten chickens. I had no idea how many I wanted, but I planned to start with two and see where things went after that. It was a coop I had to put together myself, but it seemed easy enough. The chickens could be ordered from a farm nearby, and I hoped whatever magic was at work here would allow the delivery, like with the clothes. Along with my clothes, I’d also gotten my new headphones and had them linked up with my phone. All was ready for me to start another day in the garden. I couldn’t fucking wait.

It was nearing dinner time when I finally called it quits and ventured inside. Jetty had left me be, obviously content to do his own thing. I preferred the silence today and, as I worked, I slowly went through my feelings and thoughts about everything. I feared whatever they would talk to me about over dinner, and if it was regarding me and Jacob having been intimate, then I would likely die on the spot.

The warm shower did nothing to soothe my nerves as I got ready for dinner, but the thought of soon seeing Jacob helped me get dressed and out the door. I entered the dining room, only to stop short at seeing Harland sitting alone at the table.

“Good evening,” I said, trying to be polite. Harland smiled at me, but it was a tight smile. “Where—”

“They will be here shortly,” he replied, cutting me off.

“Okay,” I said, looking around worriedly. Were they fighting? Was I the reason? I feared Jacob might end things with me if it made Alexander unhappy. No matter what he’d said yesterday, he’d had centuries with Alexander. There was no way in hell he would throw all that aside for someone as insignificant as me.

As soon as I sat down, the door opened. Alexander strode in, looking awfully smug. He sent a knowing look my way, only to completely ignore me after. I soon saw why. Jacob walked in behind him, looking mussed. He had bite marks all over his neck, his clothes were ripped in places and he seemed to be in a sort of daze. It was obvious what they’d been up to and even with my wish that he stayed with them, it still hurt to see. I had no claim on Jacob, I knew that. But I couldn’t help but feel like they were playing with me at that moment. Was Jacob in on it too? Playing with my feelings? Was that a thing they got off on?

“You have nothing to say to us?” Alexander asked as he sat down, raising a brow.

I had no clue what he meant, so I just blurted, “Um, hi?”

Alexander scoffed at that.

My eyes started to sting and I was fighting against my tears. What was happening to me?

Alexander must’ve noticed my struggle, because he mockingly asked, “Are you crying?”

My gaze landed on Jacob, who was sitting there with a dopey smile on his face, clearly well fucked and not even realizing what was happening.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

My body moved on autopilot, fleeing the dining room as Alexander’s mocking laughter followed.

Instead of fleeing to my room, I ran out into the garden, only stopping once I was on my little plot of land. It was dark but I didn’t care. I plopped down on the dirt and cried. I didn’t think I’d ever cried so much before in my life. Not even after losing Anastasia. This was a different sort of heartbreak. Jacob hadn’t seemed to care that I was sad. Maybe he couldn’t feel empathy anymore, or perhaps he truly didn’t care. I held my knees with both arms and allowed myself to grieve this wonderful thing that had only just started. It had never been real. I’d been used. Laughed at. Harland had known what they were up to. Was he in on it as well? He’d seemed tense when I came in, like he knew what I was about to see.

I guessed it didn’t matter anymore. For the first time since I’d gotten here, I felt the need to flee. To figure out a way to escape this prison and the monsters it held.

My body ended up in a fetal position and I didn’t even care how weak I seemed as I lay there on the dirt. The moon was my only witness as I fell apart under the stars.

“I hate to see you like this.”

I startled, opening my eyes to find Harland there, looking menacing in the dark. I had no words for him. For all I knew he was in on it.

To my utter surprise, he sat down next to me, seemingly unbothered by the dirt that now clung to his pants. “Alexander is a possessive lover, but please do not judge Jacob for it. Alexander feels threatened by you, and he claimed Jacob until he was left a satisfied mess. He would not have noticed anything in that dining room and likely will not for a few hours.”

Sniffling, I asked, “And you’re not bothered by it? By me?” I really wanted to ask if that meant Jacob truly cared for me, but I figured knowing where Harland stood first would be best.