The Vampire’s Servant
Chapter 57

[Gray]

I couldn't believe he just walked out on her like that. Echo looked like her heart was breaking. I could feel it as if it were my own heart breaking. Just like when I thought she was rejecting me at the restaurant.

"He'll come around." I told her, pulling her into my arms.

"What if he doesn't, Gray? I loved him first. I don't know how to deal with this. Do you think this isn't really me? Will I change after I've been awake longer?" She asked.

"I feel the intentions of your heart, Echo. Your mind may worry about this later. I know you don't like people to be sad, especially because of you. I won't mark you until we know the truth of your heart and mind together. I can wait for you. I love you that much. Victor was teaching me how to be better for you." I said.

It dawned on me that this may have always been his plan. Maybe he was teaching me so I would be a better mate in this life. It was his way of taking care of her.

That was the sort of selflessness I didn't think I could manage. I couldn't just walk away. I wanted to be there for Echo always. I wanted her in my arms like this, forever.

She wrapped her arms around my neck. I got up and sat on the bed, holding my mate as she cried softly for her lost love. I'd kick his ass for hurting her like this.

"Let's get dressed. I'll introduce you to the wolves who are here to help train you. Maybe Bellamy can make you some blood food to get you used to eating normal foods again. I can imagine you don't want to feed on me at school." I chuckled. "Thank you for staying with me, Gray. Thank you for being patient." She replied.

"I wasn't patient, Echo. I was selfish and stubborn. I wanted you to be mine and I didn't even think about what you might want. I thought you were just confused because of what your parents did to you and because Victor was the one to save you from them. I'm still learning. I love you enough to do whatever you need me to in order to make you happy." I told her.

She turned her face up to me and kissed me again. I loved the feeling of her lips on mine. Echo opened her mouth a little and I felt her tongue touch my lips. I fell passionately into the kiss, granting her access and tasting her mouth for the first time. Echo pulled back. "Was that okay? You just made me so happy, I wanted to kiss you."

"More than okay, sweetheart. I love your kisses. I feel like I've waited my whole life for the feeling of your lips on mine. Come on. Do you think you can stand?" I asked.

"I think so." She replied and turned in my lap.

The feeling of her sitting there was starting to stir up Rex. When her hips ground against me while she turned, I groaned. I couldn't help it; she was rubbing right on me. The kiss had already started blood rushing down there. "Are you okay, Gray?" Echo asked.

She had no idea what she did to me. I wasn't going to kill our progress by telling her. Just kissing was a huge step, s*x was far down the line.

"Fine, Echo. Go on. I'm here to catch you if you fall." I promised.

Carefully, she got up out of my lap. She lost her balance a little, but I was there to help stabilize her until she was feeling more comfortable. I guided her to her closet and told her I was heading to my room for a moment to get my clothes. Outside of her room, I saw Victor's door open. He was fully clothed and looking at his phone. I couldn't help myself. I grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him against the wall.

"How could you do that to her? After what she's been through? How could you be so f*****g heartless? You made her cry." I snarled.

He maintained a blank, empty look and stared at me silently. I knew he loved her as much as I did. I felt the intensity of his love while we were looking for her. I saw how he cared for her every time she woke up. I heard him telling her that he loved her. "Are you finished? I have business to attend to." Victor replied coolly.

"Why don't you try being a man instead of a vampire sometime? She needs both of us. Do you really hate me so much that you won't even entertain the idea of sharing her?" I asked.

"Why should I want to share her? Echo is my Solus Amor. My only love. I am not that to her. Until I am her Solus Amor, I should step aside. She will still be registered as my bride and Master Marius is claiming her and her siblings as his children. They'll all be safe. When you die, I will step up and take my place by her side." He said in a tone that made me want to smash his head in.

"Will she even want you if you abandon her now?" I pressed.

"Time heals all wounds. One day, Echo will realize I was doing what was best for her. Or, she won't and the mark will fade, then she can reject me as her Solus Amor. You two can stay until we have her trained and educated in the world of vampires. After that, I'll talk to Bellamy about having rogues live out in the guesthouse to guard me during the day and I'll find a human servant to take care of me. You two can go have the life you were meant to, without me." Victor replied and pushed my hands away as if I were a child. "You're making a mistake. This isn't selfless, Victor. This is just as selfish as the fact that I'm thrilled you're stepping aside. What makes this different, was that I was willing to give up part of my heart to make her happy, and you're going to exist as some martyr in your own mind without her." I told him, turning to my own room.

I couldn't argue with him anymore. We had until Echo was finished with her vampire education and the training to change his mind. I was willing to give up a lot for Echo's happiness, but I knew she wouldn't truly be happy without both of us in her life. Quickly, I slipped on jeans and a t-shirt, then headed back to Echo's room. When I arrived, she was dressed and standing by her bed. She had something in her arms. Moving closer, I saw that it was Victor's pillow. "Echo." I murmured.

"I know he loves me. I could feel his heart breaking. Why would he leave me?" She whimpered.

"Be strong, my little sweetheart. He'll change his mind. He's just got selflessness mixed up with sacrifice. He just has to see how this would work. I have some ideas. We'll get him to see that he needs to be with us." I told her and put my hand on her shoulder. Echo dropped the pillow on the bed and turned to wrap her arms around my waist. I stroked her hair and back.

"Am I being selfish, though? You don't really want to share me with him. Why are you accepting this?" Echo asked.

"Because I know that having you in my life will make me happy no matter what else I have to deal with. Victor is only awake for a short while and it's less time in the summers. That means I get you all to myself for those long summer days. As long as you love me, I'll do whatever I have to so I can be near you."

'Gray. I'm here with Val and Harmony. We're just pulling up to the house now!' Cam linked me.

'How did you guys know to come?' I asked.

'Victor called and said she was awake a while ago. I practically had to throw myself on the car to get them to take me too!

'I'll bring Echo down. This'll help her a lot. She's dealing with some stuff! I told him.

15

I get it. Harmony was inconsolable the entire time Echo was gone. I bet Echo will be much better after seeing her sister and brother again. He replied.

"Harmony and Valor are here. Let's go down and see them. Hiding up here and being sad isn't going to change anything." I said.

Echo nodded and pulled away from me. She took my hand and pulled me from the room. It was obvious that she was excited about seeing her family again.

When we reached the stairs, she held the banister tightly. I switched which hand she was holding so I could hang onto her waist and ensure she didn't fall. She didn't shy away from my touch at all.

At the bottom, I let her go. Cam told me about the argument the triplets has Sunday morning. I didn't want to spark anything between them when they were just being reunited.

Bellamy opened the door when they knocked and stepped aside. Harmony and Val rushed in and pulled Echo into a hug between them. Cam stepped around them and stood next to me. 'How did everything go today?' He asked.

'She mostly slept and fed.

'On blood?'

'Yeah. I pulled the neck of my t-shirt aside and showed him my mark. 'Echo needs to feed on blood right now. It gets me hard as hell each time!

'She marked you?! Holy shit, man! Congrats! Harmony has been so worried, that I didn't want to pressure her. Maybe I can get my mark soon. Have you marked her back?' Cam asked.

'No. We're waiting for her to feel better. She didn't really mean to mark me. It's the least I can do after everything she's been through.

'That's mature, man. I'm sorry I told you to give her up. I saw how hard you were taking her kidnapping and I realized you loved her as much as I love Harmony. I just didn't want to see you hurt. This is the first time I've really seen her relaxed around you.' He noted. 'Echo is my entire heart. Now that I have her mark, I can really feel her as if she were a part of me. I can feel how happy she is to be with her sister and brother. Why haven't you marked Harmony?'

'Are you kidding? Her sister went missing, then she wasn't allowed to come see her when she was found. None of that has been the right time to talk to her about it. Maybe I'll talk to her tonight. I might wait for tomorrow!

'Take her out for a picnic. Somewhere nice. That field in the southwest corner of the pack land. The one with all the wild flowers. Lay with her and talk to her about everything. Let her vent to you. You need to make sure she's entirely comfortable. That way, Harmony will be more open to what you're saying. You might even want a few chill one on one dates before you bring it up.' I offered.

'Good call. Thanks, man!

'No problem.'

Marius walked into the room from the hallway where Victor's office was. He watched the triplets as they hugged and talked. I watched him take a picture of them with his phone. Bellamy stood to the side with a smile on her face. She saw him too. He was usually so stiff, but he seemed to soften just a bit there before putting on his grumpy vampire mask.

He cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the group. Echo grinned and hurried over, hugging him. Marius seemed startled.

"I remember hearing you when I was rescued. Thank you for coming to save me, Marius." Echo said while hugging him.

"Of course I came for you, Echo. You're my child." He replied.

Echo pulled back and looked at him. "Marius? I thought we weren't telling anyone that."

"This vampire didn't believe you when you told him you were under my protection because of that damned reputation I tried to shield. He told me he hit you." Marius said softly and put his hand up to her face and gently cupped her cheek. "No one will ever hurt any of you like that again. I've already announced you and your siblings to the other members of the High Council. Your lives and existences will be claimed by me. The only caveat being that you entered a marriage bond with Victor and this wolf."

It was the first time he hadn't called me a pup or a mutt. It felt almost like acceptance. Oddly, I was thrilled.

"You did what?!" Val and Harmony shouted.

"Echo bit both men and they now carry her mark. It will fade after one hundred years unless reciprocated. Grayson already knows his bond with my daughter is incomplete. Victor intends to honor this union as well. He will take no other bride and will not claim another as his Solus Amor in the meantime." Marius stated.

"You're married, Echo?" Harmony said softly.

'One of my mates treats me as if I'm the most fragile thing in the world and the other acts as if I have the plague. Some marriage.' I heard Echo in my mind.

I wondered if Victor heard it too. He should know that she was upset. He should have to hear this stuff too. I hoped he was suffering a little.

It would make it easier to get him to join Echo and me. She needed him as much as she needed me and I wouldn't let her go unfulfilled because I was a little possessive. We needed to get him to accept her and keep her around. As much as that made Rex growl in my head. This was a challenge I was up for.