Free Bless The Beauty by Stacey Kennedy

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