Chapter 3
Rayne
The consistent tappingof feet on the floor combined with the sighs and grunts coming from the other vampires in the room were just shy of driving me insane. Not to forget the roar of thoughts pushing at my brain.
What is going on in there?
Is Piper okay? Are they feeding her?
I’m going to march down there and break down the door. They can’t stop all of us, if only we...
“Shut up already!” I snarled at the room, unable to take it any longer.
“I am sorry,mon beau. We are having quite a time controlling our thoughts.” Wynn dragged a hand through his dark curls and sank further into his chair. The others nodded their heads in consensus around the sitting room.
I leaned my head against the fireplace mantel, closing my eyes against the words pouring in. “I don’t think I can do this anymore.”
“Don’t say that, Rayne.” Drake leaned forward on the couch, his hands clasped in front of him. His large bulging muscles making him look ridiculous all curled over himself. “We’re all struggling here. And can you say that Piper isn’t worth it?”
“And what about the baby?” Allister, Drake’s twin, jumped in, usually the less vocal of the two. “Can you really give up Piper because of this?”
I dropped my hand and stared at him. “I don’t mean leaving Piper. I mean, you assholes. I can’t stand to be in the same room with you for two more seconds or my brain is going to explode. I am having a hard enough time dealing with this on my own, let alone listening to you worrying and whining like a bunch of babies.” I jerked my arm toward them, pacing back and forth before the fireplace. “I just...I need a break.” Shaking my head, I stalked toward the door.
Marcus stepped out of my way, him being the only one who wasn’t driving me nuts with his constant thoughts though they were still there. Even he was worried for our girl.
Before I could make my exit Antoine appeared in the doorway, stopping me in my tracks.
Everyone crowded in behind me, their thoughts whirling so hard that I stumbled in place. Glaring at them, I focused on Antoine and tried to push the voices out. “What happened? Is Piper okay?”
Antoine ushered us back. Reluctantly the others filed back into the room, anxiously taking their seats once more. I couldn’t sit. I needed to know what was going on. Then I had to get the hell out of there. I needed space. Or I didn’t know what I was going to do.
“Don’t leave us in suspense,” Drake growled, his knee shaking relentlessly. “How is she?”
Antoine took his place in the tallest chair in the room. He took his time sitting down and crossing one leg over the other. He adjusted his tie and cleared his throat.
“Come the fuck on already!” Allister jumped to his feet.
Everyone’s head jerked toward the vampire before Wynn threw his hand toward Allister. “What he said!”
Antoine waited patiently for everyone to calm down or at least as calm as they could be in this situation. I tried to peek into his head but the bastard was closed tighter than Drake’s ass.
“Piper,” Antoine began lacing his fingers over his knee. “Misses you all. She is distraught as we knew she would be, but otherwise she is doing well.”
“And did you find this out before or after you fucked the living daylights out of her?” I scowled, crossing my arms over my chest and glowering at him.
The others looked from me to Antione and waited.
Antoine, never one to be frazzled, leveled his gaze on me. “Before, if you must know.”
Drake groaned and threw himself back on the couch. “It’s bad enough that you get to see her in your dreams, now you get to be inside her too? Fuck, I knew I should have been the one to claim her.”
“Woah, woah now,” I stepped up to the couch. “If anyone was going to claim her it was going to be me.”
“And why would you think that,mon ami?” Wynn stroked his jaw with his finger and thumb, an intense look in his eyes. “I hope you do not think because you were the first one to experience her sweet folds that means you hold claim to her. I do not think Piper would like such a reasoning, do you?”
“I for one do not care for it,” Darren said from the hall door. Darren adjusted his gloves and folded his hands before him, his suit even more pristine than usual. “I’m sure that Piper would love to know that you are all so concerned about who is seeing to her needs in the bedroom over her physical condition.”
Drake snorted. “Oh, fuck off.”