Betrayed by Morgan Rice Page A

volition, for his own reasons. What she failed to see, what she always failed to see, is that it had absolutely nothing to do with her.
    Caleb strode across the stone patio, past dozens of vampire guards, who all came to attention as he walked. Caleb had never seemed quite this display of strength before; his coven must truly be on guard. Usually, there were just two guards; now, with a quick glance, he noted at least 50. All soldiers, all armed, and all watching the night sky.
    Caleb was sure that, if they hadn’t had recognized him, they would have attacked him before he’d even reached the ground.
    “Aren’t you going to wait for me?” Sera asked, marching up beside him as the large, arched door was opened for them.
    Caleb ignored her, continuing his march—until he felt her cold, icy grip on his arm, felt her fingers digging into his flesh. She stopped him, and turned him to face her.
    “I will not be disrespected by you in front of our people,” she snapped in a hushed tone. “We will enter together. We are still a couple.”
    “We are not a couple,” Caleb shot back. “I don’t know how many times I can tell you this.”
    “Just because you don’t think we are, doesn’t mean that we aren’t,” Sera shot back, equally determined. “You married me 600 years ago. There are no divorces in the vampire world. Our separation was never sanctioned.”
    “I don’t need it to be sanctioned,” Caleb said. “Our marriage was a mistake. It was 600 years ago. You really need to let this go. I don’t need a governing body to tell me I’m allowed to separate.”
    “Oh, but you do,” Sera said. “Without their sanction, you’re violating our law. You’re subject to punishment, and always will be.”
    Caleb laughed in derision. “You’re really delusional, aren’t you? Do you really think I fear punishment, whether from them or anyone else? I have never lived my life in fear of authority.”
    She stepped closer to him, out of earshot of all the soldiers now looking their way.
    She whispered, “I can tell them more. I can tell them about you and that human. Caitlin. You violated our sacred law in sleeping with her. You know the punishment.”
    Caleb stared back, his eyes becoming cold with rage.
    “And more than that,” she said, “even more, I can tell them that you turned her. No one sanctioned you to do that, either. And that is something they would never accept. They would kill you for that, you know.”
    Caleb clenched his jaw.
    “Then tell them,” he said, calling her bluff.
    She stared back at him, cold and hard. He knew that she would never tell. If they killed Caleb, that would leave her with no one to obsess over. She needed him alive. As much as she wanted to blackmail him, they were empty threats.
    And even if she did tell them, he really, truly didn’t care. He was done answering to vampire organizations. He would live his life now as he wished. The security of his coven no longer meant as much to him as it once did. He wasn’t here to beg for their pardon. He was here to warn them, to save them. If they didn’t want his help, he would be just as happy to leave this place for good.
    He desperately missed Caitlin already. He could feel it, like a tangible thing, sitting in his chest. He hated being away from her. And he hated even more that while he was away from her, he had to have Sera clinging to his side, this crazy woman who simply refused to accept reality.
    Caleb turned and walked through the door, entering the inner stone courtyard of the cloisters, Sera right beside him. She just wouldn’t quit. The two of them strutted down the arched, stone corridor, side by side, her pretending for all the world that they were a couple.
    They walked down another corridor, turned through a small, stone archway, and found themselves on a wide landing, about to descend a staircase. There, waiting to greet them, was Samuel. Caleb’s brother.
    Samuel was flanked by a dozen vampire soldiers and