Knight-in-Arms - Ultimatum: (BWWM Interracial Paranormal Billionaire Shifter Romance Part Four [Final]) Read online

  Maria stopped.

  “How did you know?” she asked, “Are you friends with Matt?”

  She seemed to light up at the last question.

  “I-I don’t know Matt but my boyfriend isn’t human either. I just wanted to talk to someone who knows what it’s like”.

  Maria looked at her for a moment.

  “Okay” she said.

  She grabbed a set of keys lying in a bowl on the windowsill by the door.

  “Claire, I’m going out!”

  She stepped outside, closing the door behind her.

  They sat together. In a quiet little café down the road.

  “My landlady, Claire doesn’t know Matt isn’t human” said Maria, “I feel like I have to keep everything secret about what’s really going on. And I’m worried about whether the baby will have any of his traits.

  “Matt never hurt me but when he turned, it was scary”, she said, “I remember the first time I saw him turn. He was walking me home after my friend’s party and some boys were about to mug us. I didn’t know whether to run from him or the muggers”.

  “My boyfriend eats people”, said Rochelle, “The first time I saw him turn, he bit me. It can be a struggle but we work through it. He’s the most wonderful man I’ve ever known”.

  It was nice talking like this, with someone who understood your situation, someone you could be honest with about the things that scared you or intrigued you about being in a relationship where your partner wasn’t human.

  Guilt stabbed her heart.

  “You know, I’ve really enjoyed this chat” said Maria as they made their way back along the road, “I’ve never spoken about this stuff with another person before”.

  “Well, have you heard of the Order of Jessick?” asked Rochelle, the words seeming to catch n her throat, “They have a reach out programme for girls like us. They even have facilities for you to give birth. A normal hospital wouldn’t even have to find out about your baby being half human”.

  Maria seemed interested. Rochelle hated herself.

  * * *

  Shawna was back from university. This meant so was Rochelle’s car. It was wonderful to have some freedom again – to be able to drop everything and go somewhere without having to schedule in bus and train departures and arrivals or taxis.

  Rochelle lay in bed, thinking. It was 2.48 in the morning. Today was the day she’d hand Maria over to the Order of Jessick. She felt awful but she had to keep thinking of Xavier. If she did that, she’d be able to do anything.

  Rochelle knocked on the door.

  Maria opened it. She looked happy to see her. Rochelle’s heart was beating wildly as she took Maria to her car.

  They drove to the Order’s headquarters. Maria listened to music and chatted enthusiastically. Rochelle tried to match her energy level but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was leading a lamb to the slaughterhouse.

  “Maria?”

  “Yes?”

  The traffic lights flickered from amber to green.

  “Whatever you do, don’t trust the Order”.

  Rochelle turned left instead of going straight and turned left twice more to get her back on the road they had come. Maria clung to the door handle.

  “What on earth, Rochelle!” she exclaimed.

  Rochelle drove frantically, adrenaline fuelling her flight.

  “Slow down!”

  Rochelle looked down at her speed. She was doing over 40 in a 30mph zone. She slowed down to the correct speed.

  “Sorry” she said.

  “What’s this about not trusting the Order?” asked Maria.

  Rochelle’s driving had finally slowed down to the point where she could think about something other than imminent death.

  “The Order isn’t what it pretends to be”, said Rochelle, “My boyfriend is dying because of them”.

  “What do you mean?”

  Rochelle told her what happened in Italy.

  Maria seemed shocked.

  “They know about you, which means your life – and your baby’s life – could be in danger”.

  They pulled onto Rochelle’s road.

  “You need to lie low”, she said, “Stay at my house for now”.

  Rochelle parked outside her house. She crossed her arms over the steering wheel and buried her face in her arms.

  “Rochelle, are you okay?” asked Maria.

  “No”, came Rochelle’s muffled reply, “I’m a horrible, horrible person”.

  She sat up and looked at Maria.

  “You know my boyfriend’s dying?”

  “Yes”.

  “Well the Order promised they would save him if I turned you over to them. But I can’t do it. I can’t be that person. I just can’t. I’m so sorry, Maria”.

  Rochelle crumpled over the steering wheel once more and burst out crying. All the stress she’d been under with Xavier’s illness, the deceit and her intended betrayal of Maria… everything bubbled up to the surface and she couldn’t stop her tears.

  She felt a comforting hand rubbing her back. She didn’t deserve Maria’s compassion.

  “You know”, said Maria, “My mum always used to say that if we judged and convicted people on their thoughts, we’d all be in prison right now. You thought about turning me in but you didn’t do it so I don’t think you’re a horrible person”.

  But Rochelle knew she was a horrible person. Not only that, she was also a coward. And Xavier would die for that.

  * * *

  “So that’s why Xavier’s dying”.

  Sebastian looked back at her. His sense of humour was usually never far below the surface, but today, sitting in his study in his London residence, he was very grave as she told her story. Of course, she left out the details of how Xavier had got mixed up in the Order in the first place.

  “I didn’t know who else to tell” she said.

  Rochelle felt a little bit awkward. They weren’t exactly on heart-to-heart terms. She’d had to get his phone number from Xavier.

  “Well, it was good of you to come to me” Sebastian said.

  Rochelle would have left it at that and gone home but Sebastian seemed to have more he wanted to say. He hesitated a couple of times. Rochelle got the sense, even before he started that this was going to be an awkward conversation for him.

  “I’m glad Xave has found someone like you” he said eventually, “He always had a hard time accepting his… nature. I know it sounds really mushy and he’ll probably hang, draw and quarter me for saying this, but these past few months, I’ve never seen him so happy and in love and I know you’re the reason behind it”.

  Rochelle felt a rush of too many emotions. They overwhelmed her. She felt touched, happy, prod, like she wanted to hug Xavier right now. But then she felt the harsh jilt of sorrow at how she was losing him and the sense of guilt she couldn’t shake.

  She said her goodbyes and excused herself from Sebastian’s house. As soon as she got outside, into the cool anonymity of night, she clasped her hands over her mouth and sobbed into the darkness, letting the tears fall that she had tried so hard to suppress. Xavier… Xavier…

  * * *

  The next evening, she went to visit Tobias Heath after spending the day with Xavier.

  Tobias was looking out the window as twilight descended.

  “You and I are not so different, you know” he said, without turning away to see who had just come in, “We both see something we want and do anything to get it”.

  “I’m nothing like you” said Rochelle.

  Tobias smiled to himself. He walked over to his desk and picked up a black, circular box, about the size of a plate. He gave it to her.

  “A life for a life” Tobias said.

  Rochelle lifted up the lid. Inside was a glass phial. A clear liquid sloshed about inside.

  “What’s this?” Rochelle asked.

  “The terms of our agreement”, he said, “It neutralises the effect of the Berudellum”.

  Rochelle coul
dn’t breathe. She felt light-headed. Her heart raced. Her knees were weak. This meant… this meant… Xavier wouldn’t die.

  But why had he given it to her when she’d failed?

  “I’ve got Maria, you get Xavier”.

  Rochelle’s bubble of elation burst with a pop. Tobias had Maria? But how? But why? He must be mistaken. Maria was at Rochelle’s house and she most definitely hadn’t brought Maria anywhere near the Order.

  Not sure of what was going on, Rochelle excused herself from Tobias to check on Maria and get the Berudellum home before she said anything incriminating.

  She gave Dr Astor the drug. She also looked relief, though perhaps, a bit apprehensive.

  “How do we know it’s really the drug?” Rochelle asked.

  For all she knew, it could be distilled water, which might not be a problem if distilled water was the thing that neutralised Berudellum but if they were being ripped off…

  “My staff will analyse it thoroughly” Doctor Astor assured Rochelle, “Just leave it with us”.

  There wasn’t really a lot Rochelle could do other than leave it with them. Her heart felt relieved that it was over. Her head, however, told her not to place hope in things that had not been verified.

  She went home.

  Maria was gone.

  There was no note or explanation other than that Tobias had her. None of her family had been in when Maria had disappeared. Rochelle sat down on her bed. Just when things were starting to get better, they got worse.

  * * *

  A loud clock wound into action and struck nine. Its booming chime reverberated round the headquarters of the Order of Jessick. Around ten cloaked and hooded figures began to pour from a room and make their way towards a grand, wooden staircase. One of them was Maria, making her way to bed, along with other expectant mothers brought in under the reach out programme.

  She didn’t see the extra cloaked person hiding the shadows but the intruder had seen her. As she walked past, the figure grabbed her, pulling her into the shadows. Maria tried to scream but a hand was clasped over her mouth.

  “Shh”, whispered a voice, “It’s me”. The owner of the voice pulled back the hood. Beneath it was a woman whose blonde hair was drawn back in her characteristic bun. Dr Astor.

  Maria stopped struggling.

  “Come on” said Dr Astor, leading Maria down a dark corridor. In a matter of seconds, they had melted into the darkness and were gone.

  Dr Astor hadn’t come alone. Xavier walked along the corridor to the chambers of Tobias Maximus Heath. He had taken the neutralisation drug three days before. He was still weaker than his normal self but stronger than when he was when he was dying. He hoped he had enough strength to make Tobias pay for what he’d done to Rochelle.

  Xavier knocked on Tobias’s door. Tobias opened it. Seeing Xavier, he tried to close it again but Xavier was too strong. He held the door open and went inside. Tobias backed away from him.

  “Wait, no, Xavier, I’m sure we could come to an agreement” he stepped backwards until his back was up against the wall.

  Xavier grabbed him by his shirt. The beast was threatening to come out and Xavier didn’t want to suppress it.

  “The time for negotiating is up” he spat.

  It angered him to think how he had used Rochelle to do his dirty work.

  The paged guards ran in and stood poised, deciding the exact moment to attack. Xavier looked at them out of the corner of his eye. There were more than last time and judging by the armour and weapons, a lot better equipped. Hmm. In his current state, this would be difficult.

  No longer alone, Tobias gained confidence.

  “Seize him!” he ordered, “And I want him alive!”

  The guards made their way towards him, cautiously as he still had their Chief Protector up against the wall.

  “Looks like today is your lucky day” said a voice.

  Tobias looked up. His men turned round. Sebastian stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. He seemed amused. But then, he stood up properly and shrugged off his jacket. Slowly, he unbuttoned his shirt and removed it.

  “It’s fight one, get one free”.

  He slinked forward, graceful, yet dangerous, like a predator. His wings unfolded slowly, panning out across the room.

  “You see, Xavier here is all twisted and bitter because you hurt his girlfriend”, he said, “whereas I’m naturally mad, bad and dangerous to know”.

  The man nearest to him ran at him with a knife. Sebastian caught him and a second later, disarmed the guard, swinging him round to face his fellows. The man was pinned against him. Sebastian raised the knife to his throat and pressed it against his skin, so hard, blood began to trickle. And then, he dragged the knife across the guard’s neck, slitting his throat. He let go of him and the man collapsed to the floor.

  Sebastian licked the blade of the knife.

  “Mmm”, he said, “Haven’t tasted human blood in a while”.

  “After I’ve killed you all, I’m going to eat you”.

  His words brought on pandemonium. Several of the guards rushed at him. But Sebastian now had a knife and was expert at wielding it.

  The rest went for Xavier. He was forced to let Tobias go. For now.

  As he turned round to face the guards, the beast burst out. The men didn’t stand a chance.

  Together, he and Sebastian fought them until there were none left. Except Tobias. Sebastian had made sure the door was covered. Anyone trying to leave had to go through him. And so, Tobias had stayed put, hidden under a desk.

  Xavier bound over there now and dragged him out. He twisted his arm behind his back so far and so fast that it snapped. Tobias cried out.

  “That’s for Rochelle” Xavier said. But he couldn’t hold back the anger. It crashed upon him, larger and larger, like waves on a beach as the tide came in.

  He threw Tobias across the room and flew over to where he’d landed. Tobias tried to stand but Xavier knocked him to the ground and administered blow after blow, pummelling him growling with each punch. The more he hit him, the angrier he got. How dare he kidnap Rochelle? How dare he manipulate her and make unfair deals with her? He roared.

  There was hardly any life left in Tobias. Xavier raised his hand to throw another punch but a hand stopped him.

  “Take it easy”, Sebastian said, “Remember, you’re still ill”.

  Xavier sat for a while, breathing heavily. He had exerted so much energy, he was too out of breath to speak.

  “If you’ll do that to someone for kidnap and manipulation, I hate to know what you’d do to me” said Sebastian, “Cate and I got Maria to turn herself in until we rescued her later so we could get out hands on the anti-Berudellum drug. But we didn’t tell Rochelle our plan so she was a bit distraught”.

  Xavier glared at him.

  “But all’s well that ends well, eh?”

  Xavier shrugged. He wasn’t feeling up to doing much else.

  He waited until he had calmed down and stood up. He teetered as the world spun. Sebastian reached out to steady him.

  “Steady on”.

  Xavier stood up and staggered forwards. Blood began to trickle from his nose where it had haemorrhaged due to his weakened state.

  “Let’s get you home” said Sebastian.

  He kicked a dead body out of the way.

  “I’ll be back for you later” he said to it.

  Together, he and Xavier left the Order of Jessick.

  * * *

  “It’s been an eventful year” said Xavier.

  The late summer sun was starting to set far away in the west, spilling pink and burning red and fiery orange hues across the sky. They were walking in the countryside, Mindy running on ahead. As far as the eye could see, the land belonged to Xavier.

  “It has” Rochelle agreed.

  He looked at her, taking both her hands in his.

  “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before”, he said, “I love you so much I want to be with you
every waking moment of the day and all the small hours of the night. I want to hold you in my arms and kiss you and speak nonsense to you... Kind of like I’m doing now”.

  Rochelle chucked.

  “And when Roseford is finished, I’d like you to come and stay again”.