Reveal (The Lamian Wars Book 2) Read online

  REVEAL

  A LAMIAN WARS NOVEL BOOK II

  C.M. Steele

  C.M. Steele

  Contents

  Untitled

  Chapters

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Release coming Fall 2017

  Reveal

  A LAMIAN WARS NOVEL

  Book II

  C.M. Steele

  Copyrighted © 2017

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written expressed permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is purely coincidental.

  Cover design: ZH Designs

  Cover Image: Deposit Photos

  The use of actors, artists, movies, TV shows, and song titles/lyrics throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as advertisement. Trademark names are used in an editorial fashion with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and please purchase your own copy.

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior express, written consent of the author.

  This book is intended for mature adults only. Contains sexual content and language that may offend some. Suggested reading audience is 18 years or older. I consider this book as Adult Erotic Romance.

  Created with Vellum

  Chapters

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Part III

  Release coming Fall 2017

  Chapter 1

  Charlotte

  Leonora and I came into work this morning to calm our nerves as we waited for our men to return. She had gotten off on her floor, and I waved goodbye with a twist of my lips. We were both scared, but I knew more than she did. As soon as I got off the elevator on the executive floor, I headed straight toward my office. I closed the door as soon as I passed the threshold, pressing my back against the door. I closed my eyes and hoped that it would all be over before it even started. This was the worst possible special ability to have. Why couldn’t I teleport or some shit? Why did I have to have these visions and live with the consequences?

  “I can’t do this,” I sobbed in my hands. This was too much. Fate was asking too much of me. My heart had been pounding out of control since Draco left for the castle, leaving me to hold down the fort so to say. His safety wasn’t the only thing that played with my pulse and rattled my soul. I’d known what was going to happen for weeks now, but I was forced into silence. A part of who I was would always be hidden away in secrecy, even to those close to me.

  Shaking my head, I pushed off the door and went around my desk. I plopped down on my large, comfortable chair that suddenly felt like a hard, cold, steel chair. I had to put on music to calm myself and hopefully not hear any sounds from below. I’d never heard anything from the labs; however, no one raised their voices or made loud noises down there. Either way, I popped in my earbuds and turned the volume up, ignoring the sound damage warning. I didn’t want to hear right now. “Work,” I said to myself. That was what I needed. I had to do some work or I would go out of my mind.

  The seconds seemed to pass slowly, as though time was standing still. I took in deep breaths, having to remember I couldn’t rush down there. Lives would change, one of us could be killed, and that was a risk I deemed too high.

  I didn’t know why these visions were so important until I had the ones with Draco. The visions weren’t always clear and often required me to make a choice that wasn’t easy. Falcon’s mother had them before me and she was the best. She was so strong. Despite knowing she would die if she carried on with her course, she did what was right. The day the Council was destroyed, it had to be agony for her and her husband to know and still march in like nothing was wrong. If I survive this war, maybe I’d grow to be as determined and brave.

  I straightened the cuffs on my jacket every other minute. When pretending to work didn't materialize into actual work being done, I jumped out of my chair, moving so fast that the chair hit the wall forcefully, leaving a mark. I forgot that my strength was growing every day, not that I could use it when my best friend needed it.

  The room seemed small as I paced back and forth, holding back the tears that wished to pour down my face. I took a deep breath and opened the door to my office. I was surprised to see Draco appear, his clothes torn and covered in blood. I rushed to him and into his open arms. My heart was pounding out of control.

  “You’re back,” I sobbed, squeezing him tight. His scent calmed me down as he pressed my head against his chest.

  “Yes,” he replied, sounding winded. I realized he was hurt and I was clinging to him like a monkey. My legs were wrapped around his and he was holding me off the ground.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, trying to pull away.

  “Don�
�t be sorry. I need you,” he growled, pushing us back into my office. I felt his meaning as his length pressed against my heat. The intensity of his gaze told me he needed this. I did, too. Closing the door, he slammed me against it, lifted my skirt, and pulled out his cock. Without a word, he pushed his way into me, claiming me. It was primal and carnal. His body slammed into me with each thrust and not one word was shared. We grunted and fucked until we were melded together as one. It was a quick, silent rejoicing of life. It was over in a minute and just what we needed.

  “Thank you, my love. I needed that more than you could know,” he said, kissing my jaw and neck. He rested his head on my chest for a few moments before lifting up to look in my eyes. “Oh shit, I forgot about Leonora. We’ve got to see what happened.”

  “What do you mean about Leonora? What do you know?” I asked, looking up at him for answers.

  “Falcon killed Nero and saved Leonora, but she was injured. I wonder if they are in the lab or elsewhere. Shit, the staff will be coming in shortly.” He pulled away from me. “I’m going to change really fast. I’ll be back in two minutes.” He gave me a peck on my lips then disappeared.

  I straightened my clothes while I waited for him to come back. I knew he wouldn’t be long and the first major battle was behind us. Relief flooded me, knowing my vision had been accurate and that I made the right choice. She would heal and hopefully forgive me for not saying a word about it or lifting a finger to help her. I knew without a doubt Falcon wasn’t going to take too kindly to my decision. He loved Nora like Draco loved me and she could have died. He wouldn’t understand, so I mentally forgave him before I could forgive myself.

  I looked into my mirror, fixing my hair. My suit looked almost as pristine as it had been when I got into work, despite Draco screwing me senseless. Right now, I looked like the consummate professional, which reminded me that the staff were going to be here soon. Something would have to be said. No way could we cover up the incident in the lab without some excuse, and I didn’t have one ready. There would have to be some announcement and plan of action for the future. There was no way the lab wouldn’t be compromised with possible return attacks by The Lamian Army.

  Draco returned, looking dapper in a fresh, clean suit and his hair combed through with his fingers. He was much faster than me and had managed to do everything before I straightened myself up. “I’m going to call Falcon,” he said. He sat at my desk and dialed Falcon’s cell, setting the phone on speaker. I was going to lean over the desk, but Draco gave me a come-hither look and patted his thigh. Good, I needed his touch right now.

  “What’s going on, Charlotte?” Falcon answered abruptly, making me tense up. He was mad at me for sure. I couldn’t miss that tone.

  “It’s me. How’s Leonora?” Draco asked, gripping me a bit tighter, easing some of my tension.

  “She’s still unconscious.” Defeat was laced in his voice. I understood. Letting her suffer had been unbearable for me, but his pain was deeper, intense, and burning. “What happened at the castle? Tell me Mary and Dante are fine.”

  “They are. The staff is cleaning the castle, just awaiting your commands,” Draco informed him. It hit me that things had just shifted. The few weeks of bliss were gone, and danger and hard work were headed our way. My combat skills weren’t even close to Leonora’s, and she was hurt. I could be easily killed. Training was in my near future, if only I didn’t feel like shit all the time.

  “I’m not ready to make those decisions yet. I still have to deal with the lab and the staff. I can’t have them strike with my employees around. We don’t want our secret out.”

  “I will deal with the staff today, and then we can meet to go over the rest when you are ready,” Draco said. I could see that he had already considered that Falcon wasn’t ready to deal with things that didn’t revolve around Nora.

  “That’ll work. Come to me tomorrow. I need time to be with my mate, but we must ready to move before they strike again.”

  “She will wake, Falcon,” I said to him. My vision was only that she’d be hurt not killed.

  “Yes, but when? Have you anything to add?” he asked, his tone less than friendly.

  “I don’t know, Falcon. I haven’t had a vision other than the course of action that was taken today.”

  My mate eyed me suspiciously. “I will speak to you on the morrow. If anything arises at the castle, Dante will contact us,” Draco added.

  “Very well.” Falcon disconnected the call.

  “You knew what was going to happen to Leonora today, didn’t you?” he asked, but there wasn’t an undertone of anger. There was sympathy in his words.

  I nodded because I couldn’t speak; guilt filled me up.

  “Don’t be ashamed, Charlotte. Don’t feel guilty. It’s not your fault you were given a gift. If you didn’t have it, where would we be?”

  I refused to meet his eyes because I wasn't sure I could let the guilt go. He grabbed my chin and turned my face to his. "Don't cry, my love. It's not your fault. You've been given a gift that comes with a burden, and now I understand Falcon's frustration with his mother's gift. I want to make it better, to help you, but I can't. Has this been what has had you waking up in tears?"

  "Yes," I admitted, still sobbing in my hands. He held me every night regardless of me not being able say a word about them.

  "Oh, Charlotte." He rocked me in his arms, easing the heartache I'd been coping with. "She's going to be well, and I'm sure you did the right thing.”

  "Thank you, Draco. I know it was the right thing, but it still hurts. I let her suffer terribly."

  "Well, how about we focus on something else? We have to address the staff about a temporary shutdown. Everything they are working on will be viable when we come back in a few days." We knew what everyone was working on. I didn’t know what was viable or not; I’d have to take his word for it.

  "Okay. We better get down there then. They’ll be here in about 10 minutes."

  I gathered up my composure and fixed my makeup. Draco smiled at me then kissed me hard. "I just put that on," I griped.

  "I know, but you belong to me and they already think you're beautiful,” he informed me.

  "Silly man," I teased because we both know he is so much more than a man. “Let’s get down there.”

  “Oh, what about Vigo? Isn’t he already supposed to be here?” Draco asked before we stepped on the elevator. I hadn’t thought about that either. My thoughts had been full of dread for Leonora and Vigo wasn’t in the visions, so I completely let him slip from my head. It was strange since he was the only vampire Falcon had trusted to work on the cure before Leonora showed up in their world. Vigo was hard working and determined to find the cure for his wife and child.

  “Do you think we should check the lab first?” I asked, hating the idea of seeing the aftermath, but it was probably a good idea.

  “Hit the button, love.” I hit the lab level and closed my eyes, mentally bracing myself for what was to come. I took a deep breath as the elevator came to a stop. The moment we stepped out of it, Draco was holding me in his arms, my face pressed tightly to his chest. He smelled so wonderful; I didn’t want to pull away. I took in his scent and tried to use it as my strength.

  “I know this is hard, Charlotte, I do, but you know that she will be well. This was a must. And now, we have to be strong and continue as we were meant to.” He kissed my forehead and took my hand, leading us to the lab. His hand in mine eased the tension in my body. I understood that our love was greater than just a normal love. Our bond was deeper than any human one could ever be. We felt each other, and his strength flowed through me when I needed it most. He was more than my rock, he was my everything. Until this moment, I hadn’t realized the depth of our connection. We were bound in every way possible. I wouldn’t be able to exist without him.

  He pressed his card to the reader and opened the door. Vigo turned to us and smiled. It wasn’t the full genuine smile that he always had. I liked Vigo. He had a go
od soul and glimmer of hope in his eyes.

  “It is good to see you made it back very much intact. I’m afraid to ask about the battle, but it is good to know you are safe.”

  “Yes, well it has been a long while since I’d battled. I’m grateful I made it out.” Draco’s eyes turned to the floor around where Vigo was sweeping. He pursed his mouth, looking down at the mess. I scanned the area myself. My heart was in my throat as I looked at everything that was overturned - the blood splatter, broken equipment, and shattered glass.

  I gulped, holding back the building vomit in my gut. Wow, nausea was hitting me hard. I rushed from the room as fast as I could and dashed into the women’s restroom down the hall. Draco was behind me in an instant and held my hair as I puked everything out. I only had a half bagel and a sip of coffee, so it wasn’t long until I was dry heaving and did that suck horribly. I suppose I deserved a bit of pain after my silence.

  “Charlotte, are you okay?” Draco rubbed my back, then grabbed a paper towel, wetting it and bringing it back to me. I stood up and wiped my face. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m okay now. I guess it was too much to be in there.”

  “Let’s go down to wait for the staff to arrive. I love you, Charlotte, and I promise that I will make it right.” He held me not knowing that he made everything right by just existing. I stood straight up and collected myself. There were things to attend to, and they couldn’t wait for me to get my shit together.

  As we got down to the lobby, the head of security greeted us, and Draco replied, “Hello Meyers, please have all staff members wait here. We need to have a brief yet important meeting.”

  “Okay, boss.” Wonder what this is all about, Meyers thought to himself. Shit, I hadn’t thought about what we’d say and we didn’t get to talk about it.

  He pulled me to the side and we sat on the sofa farthest from the desk, my heels clicking fast all the way there. “What are you going to tell them?”

  “I don’t know.” I intertwined my fingers with his and thought this conversation was better kept super private.