Madison shook her head. "But you said they were born. You said vampires were born."
Kate stroked her arm, calming her. "Most vampires are born. But it’s possible for a vampire to turn a mortal. It was the only way to ensure his dynasty. To make sure Lorenzo was born a full-blooded vampire. Shannon has chosen to be turned as well, and in time, Luca will turn her."
Madison set down the glass and started pacing. "So, what are you saying? That Cory will have to turn me? That I will have to be a vampire too?"
Kate stood up to calm her and pull her back down to the sofa. "No. That’s not possible for you. Cory is a half-breed. He’s not able to turn a mortal. He lives with one foot in each world. He can drink blood, and it gives him strength, but he can also eat food. He’s not immortal, although he’ll most likely live longer than a mortal. Of course, none of us are guaranteed a long life. Vampires can be killed, just like mortals. But for you and Cory, you could live a life together very much like most mortals. If you had children, they’d be only a quarter vampire, and with each generation, their blood is diluted. A half-breed can only mate with a mortal. A vampire would not dilute their bloodline by mating with a half-breed."
For Madison, some of the puzzle pieces fell into place. It made sense now why Cory moved so slowly with her. Why he never had sex with her. He was protecting her. Waiting until she knew. Making sure it was her choice. A tear ran down her cheek and before she could wipe it away, she felt the gentle touch of Kate's hand.
Kate continued to talk to her. "Cory doesn’t have his father's power. He can't inherit the coven. But he’s loved. I promise you, Shade makes no distinction between his sons. Cory loves you. He’s told us you’re the one. He’s never opened his heart before. I hope you won't shun him now. I hope you know him well enough to know his heart. Please don't let this change how you feel about him."
Madison nodded her head. "His father didn't seem very pleased with me."
Kate smiled. "You caught him at a bad moment. I promise you, he’ll love and protect you as much as he loves Cory."
Madison polished off the last of the wine. Shannon turned the bottle upside-down to show it was empty. "Do I need to summon Gi for another bottle?"
Madison laughed weakly. "No, I won’t be able to walk."
Kate laid her hand on Madison's leg. "So, are you ready to start over? Return downstairs to Cory and meet his father."
Madison locked eyes with Kate. "I had my palm read once. The palm reader took my hand and ran her finger over my lifeline, then dropped my hand and pushed her chair back. I asked her what was wrong. She just said, ‘You're going to lead an interesting life.’ That was all she’d say. I tried to pay her, and she wouldn't take the money. My friends were all laughing, but that memory has stuck in my head for years. So, I guess I have my answer. Yes, let's go back downstairs."
52
Shade walked back to his office, his fists still balled tight at his sides. How in hell could this have happened? He could feel Cory’s fear and knew this was a delicate situation, but his coven was at risk of being exposed. He had the utmost faith in bel, but he wasn’t sure this was going to turn out in their favor.
But first things first, he needed to know how this mortal ended up unescorted outside his office. Walking to the bar, he poured a glass of Midnight, downed it, and poured another. "Don’t say a word, either of you. Just sit the hell down and when I ask a question, give me an answer."
Pouring two more drinks, he handed one to Cory and one to Luca. He paced back and forth behind Cory’s and Luca's chairs, not looking at either of them. He needed to get his head around this. "This is something I never expected in this house. I trusted you, Cory. Now, I have a mortal female upstairs, panic stricken, knowing everything. My house is in chaos. You brought her here to meet me, and you knew she hadn’t been exposed yet. You knew! You also knew I was in a meeting with warriors under this same roof. She saw the warriors, she saw me in full-out beast. You have given me few choices as to what I do next."
The more he talked, the angrier he became. He tried to tap it down, so he could think clearly, and make the right choices. Walking to the window, he stared outside, his back to Cory and Luca. He could feel Cory’s eyes burning a hole in his back, waiting for an answer. "So, let’s begin with how she got to my office, alone."
Cory stared at his dad. Shade couldn’t even look at him he was so angry, but Cory was angry too. He loved Madison, and no one was taking her away from him, not even his dad. Madison loved him, and for the first time in his life, he had something to fight for. "Kate told us to go upstairs when we came in, that you were running late. Madison came downstairs to get some drinks. I don’t know how she ended up in your office."
Shade spun around swiftly. "You don’t know? Right there is the problem. Why would you let her roam in this house alone? She’s only been here once before. What the hell were you thinking? Oh wait, you were not thinking. Careless, irresponsible!"
Cory stood to face his father and felt his fangs punch through as he growled low. His eyes locked with his father's. "I love her, and you told me this was my home as well. I’m none of those things...not careless nor irresponsible! You’re the one who let things get out of control when you had the option to stop it. You scared the living hell out of her and now, I could lose her. Not all of this is my mistake. And if you hurt her, I swear I will..."
Shade growled, not letting Cory finish. "Don’t threaten me. Tread carefully. I don’t want this to go wrong, Cory, but I will protect my family to the death. You are part of this coven now, so if this does not go down well with Madison, she will be gone."
Luca stood and held up his hand. "Master, come on, relax. This isn’t a fight. We need to come up with a solution. Both of you need to calm down."
Luca watched as neither of them unlocked their eyes. It was a battle of wills, and Luca was rather shocked at Cory's response. He never expected him to go up against Shade, and that’s when Luca knew, Madison was the female for Cory. He touched Cory's arm and Cory turned to him, retracting his fangs and sitting back down. Luca watched as Shade closed his eyes and took a deep breath before sitting in his huge leather chair behind the desk.
Shade sighed and put his elbows on the desk, lowering his head, letting his hands slide through his hair. "Damn it, Cory, I love you. I can’t always control my beast. It’s who I am. I know you can’t fully comprehend that feeling, but we could lose everything right now, that’s my fear. I don’t know shit about this female. I don’t know how she is going to respond to being exposed to what we are. I’m relying on my mate to explain to her what the hell just happened. If Kate can’t get through to her, nobody can."
Raising his head, he looked at Cory to see him staring back at him with determination. "You love her."
Cory nodded his head with confidence and pride. "I do love her, and she loves me."
Shade shook his head. "But you understand if she can’t handle this, we have a problem. So, tell me, does this female love you enough to keep our secrets?"
Cory leaned into the desk, staring at his dad. "Maddie loves me. She knows my family is everything to me. And in my heart, I believe, once she knows and understands, she’ll accept us."