Seduce(58)

“If I could make his life better, I would do whatever it took... if you have feelings for him... then fight for him.” Snow closed his eyes and frowned, tipping his head back into the black pillows. Tears cut down his temples and soaked into his white hair. He snarled, his body as taut as a bowstring, and then relaxed into the bed again. He panted and looked at her, his pupils struggling between cat-like slits and circles. “Do not let Antoine draw away from you just because of the terrible acts I committed.”

An icy chill washed through her. Snow knew. Good Lord. He knew what he had done, not just to Antoine, but to his whole family.

Sera couldn’t stop herself then. She cupped his cheek, hoping to comfort him.

“He needs you. He just does not realise how much. Make him see. Sera. You are right for him. Not her. Never her.”

Sera nodded and held his cheek. She didn’t want to talk about that right now. She wanted to talk to him, to make him tell her that he knew what he had done. She felt sure that part of the reason his bloodlust had such a firm grip on him was those memories. He needed to share the burden with someone in order to overcome it, just as Antoine had confided everything in her, but that someone wasn’t her and it wasn’t Antoine. Snow clearly didn’t want Antoine to know and she could understand that. Antoine already suffered enough as it was.

That was why part of her wanted to leave.

“I want Antoine to be happy, Snow, with all of my heart... and he will be now that she has come back to him.”

Snow shook his head. “You are wrong. I have seen him with her and I have seen him with you... Sera... and it is you who will make him happiest. Do not give up on him.”

Could he be right? It was too much to hope that he was, even when it was what she truly wanted. She wanted Antoine to be happy and with her. She didn’t want to lose him.

She had already fought so hard for him.

Sera frowned.

She had.

She had fought for him and had come too far to give up now.

The doorknob rattled, a harsh curse sounded on the other side, and then there was a scrape of metal on metal. Sera turned to look over her shoulder at the door just as it opened, revealing a bloodied and panic-stricken Antoine. She didn’t take her hand away from Snow’s cheek. Her heart thundered, adrenaline flooding her veins and making her tremble as she waited for Antoine to speak, afraid that he would say how happy he was now that Anya had returned and that he wanted her to leave.

Antoine fixed wild eyes on them. “I didn’t know what to expect when Javier told me you had left with Snow.”

Antoine looked relieved when he saw his brother restrained and then his eyes darkened when they stopped on her hand where it rested against Snow’s face. He growled.

Snow raised a single pale eyebrow at his brother. “Thank you for your low opinion of me. I can control myself around a beautiful woman.”

Antoine’s eyes flashed red and he snarled. Was Snow trying to piss him off? Her eyes widened. No. He was trying to prove to her that his brother cared more for her than he did for Anya.

Antoine stalked over to her and yanked her hand away from his brother’s face, holding her wrist in a bruising grasp. “And what did you think you were doing leaving with Snow?”

Sera frowned up at him. She wasn’t about to sit down and take that sort of attitude from him. He might be around a thousand years her senior and an aristocrat, but she wasn’t some serving wench he could order around and treat like his subordinate. She rose to her feet, squaring up to him, forcing him to back off a step, and tore his hand from her arm.

“Snow wanted my assistance and I could judge what he needed me for, so I came with him to help him restrain himself. It was the least I could do before I left.”

“Left?” Antoine’s anger melted as his eyes widened and then they narrowed on her, red bleeding into them. “Why are you leaving?”

“She isn’t,” Snow piped up and Antoine’s gaze flickered to him at the same time as hers did.

“I’m not. I am. I don’t know. I’m not?” she asked Snow and he shook his head.

“You’re not.”

Sera dragged in a deep breath and sharply exhaled it. Having an immense, dangerous vampire, a man who was the older brother of the one she wanted, on her side was certainly good for her courage. She felt brave knowing that Snow had her back. She couldn’t fail. She straightened and faced Antoine again.

She wouldn’t fail.

“I’m not leaving. She is.”

“She?” Antoine looked lost.

Snow huffed. “Anya.”

“Anya,” Antoine echoed.

“The woman you left the party with? I know you still have feelings for her... love that has lasted centuries. I get that. I saw the look in your eyes when she fell into your arms tonight... but I’m not going to stand by and let her just walk back into your life and take you from me.” Sera prodded her fingertip against Antoine’s hard chest, digging it deeper with each word. Her heart raced and blood rushed, knees weakening with each passing second. She wouldn’t falter. Snow was right. If she wanted Antoine, she had to fight for him, and she would, even if it was a fight to the death with the bitch who had broken his heart.