Page 79 of Tears of Revenge
Lysander filtered the list, hiding properties in the midst of larger cities. “The least populated one is the one in Alaska.”
“You own a property in Alaska? Why?”
“The weather,” Marcus retorted sarcastically.
Lysander rolled his eyes, flipping through the photos for her. “Lycans don’t like the cold, remember? Plus, it’s pretty isolated up there.”
“It’s breathtaking, actually. The wildlife is gorgeous,” Varos explained. “We renovated the house a few years ago to bring it up to modern standards.”
“All I can think about is how cold it is.”
Marcus laughed and shook his head. “We don’t have to worry about the cold, Avalon, but the house is well-heated.”
“Not as large as this one though.” Varos leaned over her, explaining how each room had been brought into the twenty-first century. “You’re not picking a home to live in forever. We can move around as often as you like once you feel comfortable being around humans.”
She loved their little bubble. The one that she’d spent the past few weeks making herself comfortable in. “How would we even get there?”
“Once you feel confident leaving the house, we will take a private plane that I will fly,” Lysander explained.
“You’re a pilot?”
He grinned at her and nodded. “Yes. And we can make sure the hanger is not occupied by anyone else. I can have it ready to fly off so you don’t run the risk of stumbling into an unwanted situation.”
“You could also test your abilities while we’re there.”
She shivered, looking at Marcus who stood there with a broad grin. He’d been open about wanting her to test herself, to explore everything she could now do—especially her speed—but she felt too vulnerable, even scared of herself.
Varos leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Don’t pressure yourself; just think about it.” He moved to leave, but she captured his wrist. Varos crooked a brow, tilting his head curiously.
“Would you all be comfortable there? I mean, it seems like a big transition from Houston.”
“All of these properties have been fitted to our needs,” Varos assured her. “This is the only new one we’ve added recently, but every other home is ours and we feel comfortable living in all of them.”
She nodded slowly, staring at the pictures on the screen. “I would like to see Troy before we go. I mean, I know we can’t take him with us, but I want to see him.”
“I’m sure he’ll be delighted,” Marcus cheered, clapping like a kid on Christmas morning.
“When would you like to see him?” Varos asked. “I believe it is best if we bring him here. We can keep him in the dungeon.”
Since learning about Troy’s fate, she’d been contemplating what to do, but that always seemed to depend on her mood. Some days she wanted to hurt him, others she just wanted to see the look on his stupid face when he realised she could survive—no, thrive without him. “Maybe in the next few days?”
“We’ll make the arrangements.” Varos sounded so casual, as if he were planning nothing more than a business meeting. He held up the arm that she still clung to, sliding his hand back until his fingers tangled with hers. “We will make sure you won’t do anything that you will regret.”
“I know and that’s the only reason I’m agreeing to see him.” She wanted to get up, but Lysander’s arm held her firmly in his lap. “I’m thirsty,” she protested, but relaxed in his grip nonetheless.
“Allow me,” Varos offered, vanishing from the room.
“While we wait for him, you need to make some important choices.” Lysander opened the browser and navigated to a bookstore’s website. “It’ll be hard to order anything while we are there, so you should stock up your library now.”
She spent the next hour choosing books—and another ordering winter clothes. They insisted, and she was growing adjusted to being spoiled. Though Lysander made his displeasure very clear, Ava navigated the clearance sections. She tried not looking at the prices as she added things in the cart and Lysander made sure not to let her see the screen when he checked out. Though it was less for privacy, and more to do with hiding the price.
“We’ve ordered a card for you too,” Varos explained. “So, you don’t have to wait for us to buy you anything. We also set up a wire transfer once a month to your bank account. But please don’t feel like that is your limit.”
She stared at him, struggling not to let her jaw hit the floor. Then she remembered that fighting him—or any of them—on that matter wouldn’t change any of it. “Thank you.”
That evening, she retreated into her room. She wanted some time to herself, and the unfinished canvas she had sitting in the corner was the perfect excuse. The vampire stuff alone was completely overwhelming—now she had Troy added to the mix, and she needed a way to cope. Not only would she have to see him, but refrain from turning into a blood-sucking beast as well. Being with her men had helped her push aside a lot of those awful memories. They’d offered to listen if she wanted to talk, but she’d declined.
She dipped her brush into the paint, sweeping a dark stripe across the canvas. The ominous, brooding colours mirrored the storm brewing inside her. Seeing Troy sent a bubble of panic rolling through her chest. All that man did was take from her—over and over. She feared that he would ruin her own little dream world, because that was the only explanation for being a vampire and having three men worship the ground she walked on. But would seeing Troy again change any of that? Deep down, she’d accepted her fate—dream or not.