Chapter 269

Tessa’s POV

The hotel we were staying at was really nice. It was a basic room because we were only there for a night. It had a king-sized bed, a couple of bedside tables, a desk, and a small table for two on the far side of the room. There was a closet and another door that led into the bathroom. Upon looking in the bathroom, I was amazed by its huge size.

It had a whirlpool tub, a regular shower, and a “his and her” sink with plenty of counter space.

Carter had gotten his own room next door, not that he would be doing much sleeping. We only had a couple of hours before we needed to get to the vampire council headquarters. Joseph assured me that he wasn’t going to let anything happen to me, but I knew even this was out of his hands.

Before we left, I took a quick shower and changed my clothes into something a little more professional. I wore a blouse with a black skirt and flats. I left my hair down and cascaded around my shoulders in a wet mess as I left the bathroom.

Jospeh’s eyes widened when he saw me, and I could see the desires pooling in his eyes.

I smirked at him.

“None of that, mister,” I teased, kissing him gently on the lips.

His grin widened as he took me in his arms and deepened the kiss. I laughed against his lips and he finally, reluctantly, let me go. He went to take a shower as well and by the time he returned to me, he was looking like a whole new man.

We went to Carter’s room and asked if he wanted to join us for dinner. But he declined the invitation, stating that he was too nervous to eat and that he wanted to prepare for this meeting. We didn’t press him any further and Joseph took my hand, pulling me alongside him.

The hotel had a really luxurious restaurant on the inside and as soon as we stepped foot through the doors, the scent of the food made my mouth water. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until that moment. It was an Italian restaurant, so I got a nose full of garlic and meatballs.

“Table for two?” The hostess asked, beaming at us both.

“Yes,” Joseph said, giving her a panty-wetting smile. I don’t even think he knew he was doing it. It made me step closer to him, claiming what was mine in front of this woman. Joseph smiled even wider at me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

The hostess grabbed a couple of menus and brought us around the corner and to a booth near the window.

It was beautiful here; the hotel sat in front of the ocean, so we were facing the beautiful waters. The moon glistened above the shoreline, making the water sparkle throughout the night. There were a couple of boats around the docks and the sand on the beach looked so warm and inviting.

We didn’t have any beaches in the city; even when I lived on the farm with my father, we didn’t have any beaches in that area either. If I wanted to go swimming as a child, the local pond would be my best bet. I never really liked pond water, so I stayed clear of it for most of my life.

“Have you ever been to the beach?” Joseph asked, watching me curiously.

I shook my head.

“Never,” I admitted.

He raised his brows in surprise.

“We will have to change that,” he said simply.

Before I could respond, a waitress appeared at our table. She looked like she was in her early to mid-30s with a head full of dark curly hair and eyes that were as blue as the ocean outside. Her cheeks were pink as she smiled, looking between the two of us with the notepad and pen in hand.

“I am your waitress, Gabby, can I get you something to drink?” The waitress asked in a very thick Italian accent.

“Can you bring us a bottle of the best wine this place has?” Joseph asked.

“Certainly,” she said, writing it down on her notepad.

“And a water with a lime wedge,” he added.

She nodded and wrote that down as well.

“I’ll return shortly,” she said, turning on her heel and scurrying toward the kitchen.

I raised my brows at Joseph.

“How did you know I wanted water with a lime?” I asked him, genuinely curious.

He only gave me a bemused look.

“Because I know you,” he said, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

I laughed and we talked for a little while until Gabby returned with our drinks. Once she poured two glasses of wine and put the rest of the bottom on the table, and then she set my water down beside the wine bottle, she took out her notepad and pen and took our orders.

Joseph ordered veal parm and I ordered the classic spaghetti and meatballs. My mouth was practically watering at the thought. I slowly sipped on the delicious red wine, struggling against chugging the entire thing.

It truly was delicious.

“So, I have to pledge myself to vampires?” I finally asked the question that’s been weighing on my mind. “What would that look like?”

“It’s a blood oath,” Joseph explained. “They need to know that they can trust you. Once you give them a taste of your blood, they will be able to see into your spirits, and their senses on you will be heightened. They will know if you’re lying or telling the truth. They will know where you are around the world—”

“They’ll be able to track me?” I asked, my mouth falling open.

He nodded, looking a little sheepish.

“It’s for safety,” Joseph explained. “It’s not an ideal situation. But you were right when you said we were going to be married. Word about you will get out and the council won’t be happy if I keep this from them.”

“Will they even let me pledge to them?” I asked well aware that I sounded panicky, but I didn’t care. I was nervous about this meeting.

He looked a little troubled as he thought about the answer to that question, and it only made me worry more. A tightness formed in the pit of my stomach and for a second, I thought I was going to be sick.

“I will make them listen,” he finally said after a breath of silence. “It won’t be easy. But I’m sure we can convince them to hear you out. Usually, when a human or other species finds out about our kind, it’s automatic death because the council doesn’t want to take the chance of letting anyone find out about this. The only exception has always been the Nightwalker police because they work closely with our kind and have protected us on numerous occasions. They each have pledged their oath to the council and now they know where each member of the Nightwalker Police Force is at all times.”

I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. I wasn’t sure how I felt about a bunch of strangers being able to track me so easily. But I also understood.

“And if the oath is broken?” I found myself asking, even though I already knew the answer.

Joseph took a sip of his wine and once he finished, he placed the glass back on the table and leaned back in his seat.

Meeting my eyes, he said grimly, “Then, they die.”

I nodded, understanding.

Gabby returned a few minutes later with our dishes and we ate mainly in silence. It was a nice silence though. The food was so good that I had trouble putting my fork down. I ate most of it and then I got incredibly full.

After Joseph paid the bill, he looked at his watch and sighed.

“It’s almost 11:30,” he informed me, making my entire body tense. “We should probably go.”

I nodded in agreement, and I stood to my feet. Joseph stood as well and draped an arm through mine. After we thanked the waitress and then the hostess on the way out, we got into the rental car that Joseph purchased just before we reached the hotel, and then we drove off.

I wasn’t sure how long it was going to take to get here, but it couldn’t have been that far. Sure enough, we were pulling into a long driveway that led into the woods only 15 minutes later.

After we drove a couple of miles in the woods, a large gate came into view. Joseph pulled up to the gate and rolled down his window at the keypad and he typed in a few numbers. The speaker on the keypad crackled and then a voice sounded on the other end.

“State your name.”

“Joseph Evergreen,” Joseph said firmly.

After a short pause, the gates opened, and Joseph rolled up his window while driving through.

“What about Carter? Shouldn’t he be here too?” I found myself asking.

“Carter texted me while we were at dinner saying that he got a cab and was heading here early,” Joseph told me.

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but I certainly wasn’t expecting a giant manor. It didn’t look like a headquarters building at all; it looked like a giant house. The forest opened up revealing this massive cut of land with beautiful green grass and a rounded driveway that led toward the front entrance. In the center of the round driveway was a beautiful fountain of water with flowers planted around it.

“Wow,” I breathed in awe, staring up at the fountain.

Joseph gave me a light laugh as he put the car in the park and opened his car door. Before I could react, he was running around the car and opening my door as well. He offered me his hand and I took it without hesitation.

I was nervous, but as long as I was with him, I knew I was going to be just fine.

Joseph turned and was starting to pull me inside, but he froze as he stared up at a set of stairs that led to the front porch.

A tall man with massively broad shoulders and dark grey eyes stood at the top of the stairs. A chill coursed down my spine upon seeing this man. Joseph visibly tensed from beside me and his hand on my arm tightened protectively.

This man wasn’t looking at Joseph though, he was looking directly at me. His nostrils flared and his lip curled up as he said, “Why is Tessa Campbell standing on my property?”