Page 31 of Born Reckless

A vampire father. That's the only way to create more vampires.

More vampires do not come from a vampire mother.

And suddenly I know why all those human women were looking at me like they wished me dead.

Mason is literally the most eligible bachelor in the city. And I cannot give him heirs. Yet no one seemed to miss the way I was looking at Mason today, or the way he was looking at me.

Elena shakes her head, and there is regret in her eyes. "I had a plan." Her voice cracks just slightly. "I knew that you and Mason would get along. Iknewthat he would take one look at you and wouldn't be able to look away. And after all of the shit you have endured from all of the different men in your life, I knew how you would take to him. My brother is one of the best people out there. So, when I finally convinced him to come with me to New York so I could introduce the two of you? And it was going so well?" She shakes her head and emotion gleams in her eyes. "I was so happy. Everything was perfect. I could see it all laid out in front of me. The two of you could fall in love. Mason would finally Resurrect. The two of you could get married, and the two of you could have as many children as you wanted. And when you were finished, you could Resurrect, too. And the two of you could have an immortal family."

Elena's words are beautiful. But they fill every bit of me with dread. They make me want to run and hide.

"And then you…" she struggles to get the words out. I've never seen my best friend be this vulnerable. I've never seen her display this much emotion. But it all shifts. And now she looks angry. "You weren't supposed to die that night. It was supposed to beyearsdown the road, Juliet. And now… now everything is screwed up."

Something hot ignites in my stomach. It’s sharp and wicked and I've never been able to control my mouth like I should.

"Who the hell do you think you are to make all of those assumptions?" I bark. My own dam bursts, and it all comes gushing out of me. "You don't get to make all of these plans for people, Elena. You…" I shake my head, completely astounded by her audacity. "I get that you could have hopes for it. I get that maybe you wanted me and Mason to hit it off. But to be upset that things didn't turn out the way you wanted? You don't get to make those kind of choices for other people."

Elena turns back at me, a glare darkening her eyes. "You think I don't know that?" she snaps. "I understand how the world works, Juliet. Iknewthe two of you would hit it off. I've seen the way the two of you have been looking at each other from the second we walked into that party. But Juliet? Youcannotfall in love with my brother."

Ice cold water shoots through my veins.

This isn't just about love. This is about a legacy. This is about politics.

The vampires here in Chicago say they reject the Royal way of life, but here we are, talking about the necessity of an heir.

And I cannot give that to Mason Godfrey.

I hate that I am at a loss for words. There's too much processing through my brain right now. I've had too many changes and too much information tossed at me in the past few days. I don't know what to say. I don't know what to think.

And for once, I'm not entirely sure how to defend myself.

"I know how powerful physical attraction can be," Elena says, her voice low and quiet. "It's obvious that you and Mason have chemistry. But you need to be careful. You can't look at my brother the way you do when there is no future for the two of you."

Heat pools in all of my extremities. Hot frustration is biting at the back of my eyes.

Because while I am thinking about the chemistry between Mason and I, I'm also thinking about the honest conversations we have had and the fact that he seems to like how messed up I am, and we've only known each other for a few days.

I only have two people in this world that I can be like this with. One is standing right in front of me. And my best friend is asking me to stay away from the other.

"You can't control everything, Elena," I say. My voice comes out tinted with grief. I turn and aim for the door. "Who said anything about love, anyway?"

I don't wait for her to come up with a rebuttal. I go straight for the door and open it. I let it slam shut behind me.

I take in a deep, rattling breath as I walk to the glass wall. I stare out at the city, though I'm not really seeing anything.

For Elena, I would do anything. At least that's what I've always thought. I love her more than I've loved anyone else in my life.

But I've never taken very well to someone who tells me what to do.

So, I lift my chin and I walk back into Mason's penthouse.

The second I close the door behind me, I freeze.

Mason stands at the end of the entry. He has his hands braced against either wall, as if he’s blocking my way from entering the rest of the house.

And he’s shirtless.

He still wears his slacks, and oh how they are tailored to fit him just perfectly.