The car was silent as August drove his car to a destination that was still unknown to me. I sat in the backseat, watching the trees and other scenery pass by while Nova had taken the passenger seat. We had left our city behind about thirty minutes or so ago, winding through roads I hadn't even known existed before now. 

My body felt drained but my mind wouldn't slow down. I had so many questions and very little information, my thoughts running wild, getting tangled around themselves. A headache was beginning to form behind my eyes but I ignored it, thankful for even the slightest distraction. I was beginning to think they would soon become a normal part of my life.

After what felt like another hour, we turned onto what appeared to be a small gravel road. Trees ran thick along the side, towering overhead and blocking out the sun. It was almost as if we were going down a magickal tunnel. 

As we broke through the trees, the sight that lay before us took my breath away. It was a large stone structure, several stories high, with elegant arches and gothic peaks. As we got closer I could tell the stones were worn smooth by the weather and vines wrapped themselves around the columns that supported the porch. This home had to be over a hundred years old but it was still one of the most gorgeous places I had ever seen.

"Holy shit! Is that a tower?" Nova exclaimed from the front seat as he leaned forward to look through the windshield. He looked over at August, his eyes wide. "Like an actual fucking tower?!"

"Yes." 

"Nevada, there's a tower!" Nova twisted around in his seat to look at me, his eyes lit with excitement as if he had just gotten a present on Christmas day.

I was stunned and could only manage a smile in return. The place was absolutely beautiful and I could feel the magick in the air. It was all around, blanketing us gently as we made our way through the grounds. It was a sanctuary tucked away from the world, a safe haven. I definitely felt safe here, even though my mind urged me to stay cautious and alert, the rest of me felt completely safe and at ease. 

We pulled around the side and into a garage, the door closing behind us. August opened his door without a word to either of us and retrieved our bags from the trunk before disappearing through a door in front of the car. After a quick glance at each other, Nova and I quickly followed him inside.

We found ourselves in a short hallway that led into a sitting room. I was surprised by the more modern look, having expected everything to be antique. There was a leather couch with a matching loveseat, a dark gray recliner, and a large oval coffee table in the center of the room. All of it was centered around a large fireplace that was situated on the right side of the room. Several bookshelves were placed around the room, all completely stocked with books.

August had placed our bags in the recliner and was bent over the fireplace. I considered mentioning that it was summertime and might be a bit too warm for a fire, but I decided I didn’t feel up to an argument, so I let it go.

"Whose place is this?" I asked in awe as I continued to look around the room.

"Mine," August replied without looking up.

"It's beautiful," I told him honestly as I moved around the room, glancing at him in surprise. 

I glimpsed a good sized entryway through the wide doorway behind the couch. There was a closed door on the other side of the entryway from where I stood, another hall, and a set of stairs that I assumed led to the other floors and bedrooms. The quickly fading daylight that shone through the windows didn't allow for much detail.

Turning  away, I took a seat on the couch and noticed that August had finally started a fire in the fireplace. I rested my head against the back cushions and closed my eyes, feeling the gentle heat caress my skin melting away some if the days tension.

I felt the couch dip slightly and cracked my eyes open. Nova had joined me on the couch and August was nowhere to be seen. He wasn't looking at me, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. 

"Are you mad at me?" he asked quietly, his eyes focus on the fireplace. 

I looked away, thinking about his words as I tried to figure it out for myself. He had told me something that caused him a lot of pain but instead of letting me be there for him, he had left. During a time that we both knew wasn’t safe, he had left me alone for days and it had almost become weeks. I knew he hadn’t intended to hurt me but he had when he had pushed me away. There was now a distance between us that I wasn’t sure how to fill anymore, which broke my heart even more.

It felt like he hadn’t trusted me with his secret and I wasn’t sure what to do with that.

"No," I slowly answered. "No, not mad. Hurt? Yes."

I didn’t look at him, keeping my eyes closed and trying to keep my breathing even. My eyes burned behind my lids and I knew if I opened them that the tears would fall. A lump formed in my throat when I felt Nova’s emotions become a jumbled mess but the most distinct feelings were regret and pain. I pressed my lips together to keep from whimpering as his inner pain was almost physical for me as it swept across my skin. I didn’t want him to feel this way but I didn’t know what I could do for him.

"I'm so sorry, Nev. I never meant to hurt you," Nova said, the couch dipping again as he rearranged himself. I could hear the sincerity in his words, the pain laced in his voice.

"Why couldn't you trust me?" I whispered, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's..." his voice trailed off and he growled in frustration. "I trust you Nevada, I do. But it's complicated."

I felt the anger slowly begin to return at his words. I was so tired of hearing that in the place of a valid explanation. It was getting old. Fast. 

"Everything right now is complicated," I replied, the bitterness in my voice prominent. 

Nova didn't say anything and neither did I. We both knew I was right. We were quiet for a few minutes, neither of us knowing what to say or even wanting to continue the conversation. After a short while, I opened my eyes and looked at him curiously.

“I have a question.”

Nova looked at me with a raised brow.

“Why don’t you like vampires? You don’t seem to have any issues with any of the other species.”

“Because they are violent assholes who have an obsession with fae blood. They won’t hesitate to drain us which was one of the biggest causes of the war with the vampires." Nova scowled in disgust. "They are drawn to us, our blood and smell is seductive to them, or something... I don't know."

I bit my lip, nervously looking around. August was still gone, to where I didn't know, but I couldn't help but feel uneasy. 

"Don't worry. For some reason, August doesn't seem to be affected by the scent of fae like other vampires," Nova said as if reading my mind. "And he seems to genuinely want to help us."

"But why?" I asked, confused.

Nova shrugged.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked him again.

Nova sighed and closed his eyes.

"Because I've been hiding my entire life, as long as I can remember. It was second nature for a while and when I wanted to tell you, I felt like you would be safer not knowing." 

"Safer?"

"I spent the first several years of my life on the run with my mother. I don't remember it but she's told me stories." A shadows danced through his eyes as he spoke but almost instantly disappeared. "She settled after a while, convinced they believed me to be dead."

"Who?"

"I'm not sure. She never would tell me who, only that the less I knew the safer I would be."

Suddenly, I remembered the message I had tried so hard to deliver to August after I had woken up. I jumped from my seat and spun around like he would instantly appear out of thin air.

"What? What's wrong?" Nova asked worriedly. 

"Where is August?" I asked as I looked through a window.. 

"I'm here," came a voice and I turned around to see him coming from the garage hall with the vampire named Hatter not far behind. 

"I need to tell you something," I began.

Without waiting for him to question me, I quickly told him what I could remember of the dream and the message I heard in my head upon waking. I half expected him to ignore my words or make me feel stupid. To my surprise, he listened intently and, when I finished, his eyes were filled with a mix of concern and irritation. 

Instead of saying anything, he pulled his phone out and tapped a few times before putting it to his ear.

"I don't know what you're planning but whatever it is you better be ready. This won't end well and you know it," August growled into the phone. 

He glared at the wall as he listened. 

"Both," he said in a clipped tone and quickly pulled the phone away from his ear before returning it a second later. "Damn it, asshole. I'm a vampire. Yell at me like that again and I'll eat you."

I glanced at Nova and saw that his eyes were trained on something else, oblivious to the conversation. I followed the direction of his eyes and found he was focused on Hatter who was leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. He looked like he was about to laugh as he watched August. 

August snapped, drawing my attention once more. "Not my doing, so you figure it out."

"Who was that?" I asked when he slid his phone back into his pocket.

"Don't worry about that now. You'll find out soon enough," he replied without looking at me, turning to Hatter instead. "Where's the food?"

Robbie pointed his thumb in the direction of the garage.

"Car," he said, still fighting laughter for some reason.

"Shut the fuck up and get the food," August told him with a glare.

Hatter only rolled his eyes but left the room anyway. August looked from Nova to me.

"You need to eat and settle in, then we'll talk," he told us briskly before picking up our bags and heading towards the stairs.

"Wait, no! I want answers now," I argued.

"After you rest and eat something."

I huffed and crossed my arms.

"Fine, but only if you answer something for me first," I negotiated, feeling proud of myself.

August turned back to me with a raised brow but said nothing, letting me know he was listening. I searched my brain, trying to find something that I wanted to know but that wouldn't be pushing my luck on answers. After a moment, it came to me.

"Why aren't you affected by our scent like apparently most vampires are?" 

It wasn't an important question per se but would ease my curiosity, at least until he was willing to answer my real questions. August studied me for a moment before sighing and giving in.

"Because I used to be a fae. Centuries ago." And with that he turned and disappeared up the stairs.

I was completely caught off guard by his response. Looking at Nova, I saw that his face mirrored my own feelings. We definitely had not been expecting that.

●●●●

It took Nova and I a few minutes to find the rooms that August had left our stuff in. After reaching the first landing, he had been nowhere in sight, leaving us to figure it out ourselves. Eventually we found them with Nova at one end of the floor and me on the other. 

I wasn't sure why he had separated the two of us but I wasn't going to think about it. It didn't really matter, at least not once I thought about the last several weeks. He had helped us, saved us twice and had brought us to his home to keep us safe. Where he wanted us to sleep didn't matter, we were just lucky he was willing to help.

My room was large but sparsely decorated. A king size sleigh bed, stained a deep cherrywood, was positioned at the center of the wall directly in front of the door. A matching end table was placed on either side with small lamps on them and two drawers. There was also a vanity, a chest of drawers, and a bookcase.

I saw two doors, one opened into a large walk in closet and the other into a bathroom. The bathroom was like a dream. A black marble countertop held two sinks, a jacuzzi tub was taking up the entirety of one corner, and there was a large standing shower across from it. The shower was tiled in black and the sliding doors were clear, allowing no privacy. It was all simple yet there was a delicately seductive feel to it that I was immediately in love with.

Going back into the room, I grabbed a pair of yoga pants and a tank top from my bag and returned to the bathroom. I took a hot shower, washing away the dirt and grime from the days events. It had been a long day and I knew it wasn't over yet.

●●●●

By the time I made it back downstairs, it was fully dark outside. I found August, Hatter, and Nova in the same sitting room that we had been in earlier, no one speaking. Chinese food boxes were waiting on the coffee table and my stomach growled loudly as the smell reached my nose.

Hatter chuckled as he used a pair of chopsticks to pick up a piece of chicken. 

"You eat food?" I ask, unable to stop my curiosity from spilling out. 

"Yeah, my other half still needs food," he answered casually before popping the chicken in his mouth.

"Other half?" Nova asked as I joined him on the couch with a box of food.

"Shifter."

"Wait a minute. You're half shifter?" I asked surprised.

August had said he used to be a fae, like he wasn't anymore. But Hatter said it like he was still somehow both.

Hatter nodded in response as he chewed a large mouth full of food.

"I was born a shifter. A wolf but shit happened and now here I am," he told us, his face smirking but I didn't miss the slight bitterness in his tone. "Because I wasn't born a vampire, and I wasn't human, some of my shifter traits stuck with me after I was turned."

His eyes flicked across the room briefly before focusing back on his food. I followed the direction of his eyes and saw August who had yet to say anything, his back to us as he faced the fireplace. I couldn't help but wonder if the same had been true for August.

"What do you mean some of them?" Nova questioned further, drawing me back to the conversation. 

"Well, the shifter in me still gets hungry, for actual food. Which I'm thankful for because I'm not sure I would have been able to go without pizza for all eternity," Hatter joked, drawing a small laugh from Nova. "A few other things but that's my favorite."

It was obvious that he didn't want to talk about it any further. Nova opened his mouth as if to say something else but I shook my head slightly. Rolling his eyes, he went back to his food. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Hatter repeatedly look at Nova with an unreadable expression but kept whatever thoughts he had to himself.

As the minutes dragged on, my mind grew even more restless. 

“Okay, how long are we going to be here?” I asked, realizing I had to work the next day.

“As long as it takes for the two of you to be safe,” August replied.

“What does that mean?” Nova asked.

“It means that until we are positive that the threat to your lives is no longer a problem, you will be here. You won’t go anywhere other than this house or the ground for the foreseeable future,” August explained as he looked at the fireplace.

“You’re going to keep us here until the gods know when?” I asked through clenched teeth. “Against our will?”

August wheeled around faster than I could blink, his silver eyes blazing in anger.

“I will not let you end up dead, Nevada. You will stay here until you are safe and then you can do whatever the hell you want. Until then, be thankful you’re here and not being tortured or worse,” he growled.

“Yes, because everyone is thankful when they're being held captive,” I sneered at him before storming out of the room and stomping up the stairs to my room.

I had no sooner slammed the door before it burst open once more to reveal a very agitated looking August. I crossed my arms and held my head high as he closed the door and looked at me, his eyes glittering dangerously. I wasn't afraid of him but I knew he wasn't a man to be crossed. He wouldn't hurt me no matter how angry he was, that I knew to be true down to my bones.

"You're being unreasonable, Princess," he said after a moment, his voice deceptively calm.

I glared at him. 

"Unreasonable? You force us to come with you and then you tell us we can't leave whenever we want?!" I growled. "That's called kidnapping. How much more unreasonable does this situation have to be?"

"You need to be kept safe."

"I'm not an incapable child, August. I can protect myself."

I bit my lip when I remembered the night with the wolves. I hadn't done very well in protecting myself then. If it hadn't been for August that night I most likely would have died. 

August's eyes flicked down to my lips before back to my eyes. He took slow steps towards me and I instinctively stepped back, his anger too palpable in the room. I stopped when my legs hit the bed and attempted to calm my racing heart as I kept my face as blank as possible. August would no doubt hear it but I was determined to pretend otherwise, refusing to let go of my anger just because some sexy vampire was in my personal space.

That thought flew out the window moments later when he raised his hand and I felt the back of his fingers caress my cheek. I inhaled sharply and closed my eyes as fire ignited on my skin, sending warmth straight to my core. I felt his nose brush mine and his cool breath fanning against my lips as he spoke.

"These creatures... vampires, fae, wolves, and many more... have had years to hone their skills. Many even had centuries to train. You, Princess, are a lamb facing a lion's den as it waits to devour you," he whispered, his lips grazing mine with each word, a feather light touch that had wetness pooling between my legs. "You will be safe here. Hate me if you wish but you will remain here, even if I have to tie you up."

And then he was gone. I opened my eyes and found myself alone. I could still feel his lips brushing mine a ghost of what almost was. His words echoed in my mind, replaying themselves over and over as I climbed into bed. And I knew nothing would be the same after this; it would only get harder from here.