“That is not enough. If you don’t at least think about making changes, this unrest will never end.”
“This is all I’m offering. Refuse and I will happily tear your head from your shoulders before hunting down every last necromancer I can find.”
“Lucian,” Melissa tried to protest.
“No.” He silenced her with a wave of his hand. “This is about more than you and your boyfriend. I will not endanger the vampires of this city.”
“We only want peace,” Tarian growled.
“And you have nothing to bargain with. Take my offer, and leave my home.”
Tarian’s shoulders stiffened. “You swear neither you, nor the council, will come after any faction of our society?”
“My word,” Lucian agreed.
Tarian’s eyes met hers, and she read the resignation in them. No matter that he was in the right, the vampire community held all the cards.
“Father, that’s not fair,” she tried to cut in.
“I’ll deal with you later, Melissa,” Lucian replied. “But right now I am speaking as the elder of the vampire race, not as your father.”
“Lucian…” Abbey tried. “Think carefully about this. Is Tarian’s request so out of bounds?”
“Take it or leave it,” he told Tarian. “With one phone call I can rally an army against your people. And the first place I’ll start is with the woman in your home.”
Tarian’s shoulders bowed. “I accept,” he said, disdain dripping from his words.
“Good. Then there is just one more condition you need to agree to in order to ensure immunity for your people.” Lucian’s gaze turned to her. “You will say goodbye to my daughter and never contact her again. If you do so, I will retract my promise to leave the necromancers alone.”
“No,” Melissa cried. “You can’t do this. I’m not a child you need to save anymore.”
“You will always be my child,” he replied. “And I will always protect you. Even if it’s from yourself.”
Abbey pushed to her feet. “Lucian, this is exactly what I was talking about. You can’t control who she cares about.”
“Perhaps not. But I can keep the damned necromancer away from her, where he can’t continue to blind her with infatuation.” He looked back to Tarian. “Do we have a deal, or should I make my call?”
Melissa met Tarian’s tortured gaze and knew how this night would end. They’d suspected, of course, but planning for a lonely future and facing it were two different things.
“Please don’t do this,” she said to Lucian, without taking her eyes off her lover.
“I have no other choice,” he replied. “Not when it comes to your safety.”
Tarian’s expression blanked. “I accept. I will leave New York at once and never come back.”
“And what if I go with him?” Melissa demanded, rounding on her father. “What if I give up my life here and follow him?”
“Then I will consider his bargain null and void and go after the necromancers who took you.”
“Melissa.”
She turned to find Tarian at her side. He took her hands and pulled her close, ignoring the growl that rumbled from Lucian’s chest. “We knew it would turn out this way.”
“No,” she denied. “We can reason with him. I can change his mind.”
A tiny smile curved his lips. “You are a powerful, capable woman, sweetheart. But I doubt even you are capable of that.”
Her hands tightened on his. “I can’t say goodbye to you.”
Tarian closed his eyes as he leaned his forehead against hers. “Thank you,” he whispered.
A sob caught in her throat. “I did nothing. Less than nothing.”
“I didn’t lie when I said I no longer hated your kind, but neither did I exactly care for the vampire population.” His hands transferred to her waist, pulling her close. “But you changed all that.”
“How?” she asked, her voice little more than a breathless sigh.
“When I look at you, sweetheart, I see the woman behind the fangs. One who I will never forget. One who matters more than you will ever know.”
She closed her eyes, feeling a suspicious moisture gather behind her lids. “I don’t want to say goodbye.”
“Eternity is a long time. We might meet again.”
It was cold comfort when her arms would be empty tonight.
“I—” But she couldn’t say the words her heart cried. It was too soon. And too cruel. He didn’t need such a burden when walking away from her.
“I know,” he breathed, his voice almost too soft for her supernatural hearing. “Have a happy life, Melissa. Find your mate.”