Strange Love

Jos could feel Russ's angry gaze on her as they finished up the meeting in Poseidon's office. Unable to take being in a room with such high testosterone for a second longer, Jos pushed the heavy door open and stepped out into the hallway. She closed her eyes as she leaned against the wall and let out a long breath.

"You seem at home here... in this swanky palace, with your new friends, and new f.u.c.k boy." Russ stepped in front of her and bent to eye level. "Or should I say old friends and f.u.c.k boy? Tell me was any of the emotions you've ever had with me real?"

Tears began to build in her eyes as Jos shook her head. "No... not on your part at least. Can't you see this is all the curse... the anger, the jealousy, you thinking you love me... You don't, not really."

He slammed his hand against the wall centimeters away from her face. "Is this your plan? Make our breakup and your loss of feelings my fault?"

She pushed against his chest, attempting to put some space between them. "Russ, you even admitted yourself you forced yourself on me. I've told you from the beginning, we can't be together in the way you want. Whether you wanted to admit it then or now, you've known this." She tried to move away from him, but he caught her arm pulling her back around to face him.

His lip curled up over his upper canine. "It's only been doomed from the start because you've never loved me, not really. What if I'm not willing to give up so easily?" His grip tightened on her upper arm. "What if I choose to drag you into one of these rooms and remind you what we have together?"

Jos's breath caught in her chest as an elegant fist shot out over her right shoulder causing the hand gripping her arm to release. She wobbled into the wall as the heavy doors to the office opened and Russ hit the floor. Arei and Ry were stepping out together, still in conversation. Their eyes both moved from around the three people standing in the hall and both their lips quickly turned up into matching half-c.o.c.ked grins. "I'm not sure what we missed, but I'm damn sorry I missed it!" Ry said as he walked over and held his hand out to Russ. "First time being knocked out by a woman? Don't worry, she nailed me a few good times too." Ry sent Chary a wink as Arei made his way over to Jos, instead. "You may want to shift before we leave to reset that nose and prevent the shiners already setting in." Ry chuckled as he pulled Russ to his feet.

Arei ran his eyes over Jos, noting a bloody spot that was spreading on her upper arm. The kid must have cut her with a claw. His eyes shot over to Ry. "Get him out of here. Tell dad to go ahead and teleport the two of you out. He can shift in the conference room of the Embassy." He waited until Ry nodded and led Russ back into the office before turning his attention back to Jos. His sister was now talking to her with one hand placed lightly on her shoulder.

"You alright girl? Why in this world would you let that kid talk to you like that?" Chary growled indignity as she frowned down at the blood-staining Jos's white blouse.

"It's a difficult situation, Chary." He patted his sister's shoulder. "Thank you for that, though."

Chary nodded, not taking her focus off Jos. "Any time. I'm always down for beating the sense into guys who treat women like that... especially when they are threatening to **** one..." She arched a brow and pursed her lips together as she shot a look from Jos to Arei. "Better keep an eye on that kid, little brother." Without saying anything else she turned away and sauntered down the hallway. "Good luck today!" She called before entering one of the upper-level library doors just past the office.

Arei turned back to Jos. "I'm sorry you had to go through that again. He'd barely been gone a minute..."

Jos forced a smile as she pressed her index finger against his lips. "It's alright. With any luck, it will be the worst thing I deal with today."

***

Jos's head pounded as her eyes wondered over the beautiful but stern-faced woman now taking the stand. Her cosmically bad luck had decided to pay her back tenfold for testing fate with her earlier words. If the sky would open up and swallow her whole right now, she'd consider it a blessing. The first half of the trial was over. It hadn't been as bad as expected having Russ identify the assassin from the beach, but to have him still present even if on teleprompter was horrible. Her chest clenched causing her breathing to come out rigid as the woman answered Marcus's first question. "Please state for the court your full name and your relation to the victims Xavier and Dante DeMarco." Jos felt the large hand holding hers under the counter tighten.

"Vivian Elizabeth Bathory DeMarco, acting head of DeMarco industries and acting head of the European Vampire Association along with the fractions that have joined in recent months." Her cold eyes turned to Jos and held her gaze as she answered the second part of the question. "Xavier DeMarco was my husband and father of my children." She didn't take her eyes off Jos as she lowered to the seat within the witness box.

"And how do you recognize the defendant?" Marcus asked glancing over his shoulder to Jos as well.

Vivian's dark crimson lip peeled back to reveal a sharp canine as she snarled toward Jos. "That is the bitch who seduced then murdered my husband and brother-in-law along with several other important members of our clan."

"And how is it you are able to recognize her?" Marcus asked, a knowing twinge to his question.

Vivian's glare burned into Jos. "My husband and I spoke regularly. We exchanged several messages and emails over the course of time he was involved with Ms. Decker." She bit out Jos's last name as if it left a rancid taste in her mouth. "I recognize her from some of the photos he'd shared on social media and had personally sent me."

Marcus lifted a hand, pointing a remote toward the projector. "And is this one of the pictures he had emailed you?" Two pictures of Jos set side by side and Jos instantly recognized them both. The clothing worn in each picture alone were enough to mark the age of the photos. He clicked to the body of the email. "Do you recall what your husband had said in this last email he'd sent you?"

Vivian nodded holding Marcus's gaze. "In a previous phone call we'd shared, he'd mentioned that he'd felt bewitched by Decker, he sent these pictures as proof that something was amiss with the woman that she was at least hiding her age and species. He also informed me that he planned on looking into the matter more by bringing her to the family property in Florida where she could be properly questioned." Vivian sent Jos a devilish smile as she said the last part.

Jos leaned into Arei involuntarily. {Thank the stars he'd been there and interfered when he had!} She thought.

"As his wife were you not concerned that your husband was seeing another woman?" Marcus asked.

Vivian shook her head as a smile curved her lips. "I was only concerned for his safety as I obviously should have been. It is common knowledge the DeMarco men seek various partners based off attributes the women could contribute to offspring. I alone was his wife and life partner." Her wicked gaze moved back to Jos.

"What do you believe happened between your husband and Ms. Decker the days leading up to his death? Do you believe she had a motive?" Marcus asked as if reading from a teleprompter.

Vivian narrowed her eyes at Jos. "I believe whatever powers the girl possesses somehow forced my husband to admit he had uncovered information on her while in Florida. After one of the first meetings, he had also began looking into the possibility that she could have been the murderer behind the killings his brother Dante was being accused of." She scanned the council members as she waited for the next question.

"Do you believe she worked alone, or did she have help?" Marcus asked.

"I suspect she had help from more than one person. The man who helped her escape before questions could be asked is sitting beside her as we speak. He brutally beat my husband and used his connection with the USVA to uncover information about him. I can also surmise the wolf sitting beside her is also the girl that seduced my brother-in-law, most likely on Decker's orders."

The gavel slammed against the countertop, bringing everyone's attention up to Themis. "You may want to revise that last statement or be arrested for perjury."

Vivian narrowed her eyes. "I believe the wolf girl was put in the path of my brother-in-law by means involving Ms. Decker whether intentionally or not." She lifted from the seat and leaned over the counter in front of her. "I believe Ms. Decker planned to use my husband for her own benefit whether it would endanger his life or not."

Themis inclined her head toward Vivian, acknowledging the truth of the statement. "Will there be anything else Marcus?"

Marcus smiled up at Themis. "No, My Lady."

"Very well, Prometheus, you are up." Themis said.

Prometheus cleared his throat as he stood. "You say you and your husband were on good terms, when was the last time you'd seen him in person Mrs. DeMarco?"

She cast him a hate-filled glare. "In France nearly a year ago, but we were supposed to have met during both his recent trips to the family's manor in Florida."

"And why didn't you meet?" Prometheus asked.

She gritted her teeth. "He'd received a call from Dante and left early, believing Decker may have been in trouble." She faked a sad expression. "At the time he'd thought her to be human and was only looking out for the best interest of the girl and her wolf companion."

"Is it not true that Dante and Xavier DeMarco were both also aware of the Boosilis twin's identity and planned to act on that knowledge? Was Xavier DeMarco not only aware that his brother was holding Ms. Boosilis against her will but also sent his brother after her once she escaped?"

Vivian frowned, thinking over her word choices carefully. "I was not privy to information involving the Boosilis twins until much later. I have no way of knowing for sure how much my husband knew of Dante's relationship with the wolf girl."

The gavel fell again. "Though I may not have detected a lie within your statement, I am intelligent enough to notice an evasive play on words. Please address the questions more directly."

Vivian gritted her teeth. "My husband was aware of the girl's identity, but unrelated extenuating circ.u.mstances arose preventing her release. I stand by my belief that my husband was innocent in this matter and that my brother-in-law's overall continued involvement with Ms. Boosilis had little to do with her identity."

Prometheus frowned. "No further questions. I would like to bring Areion to the stand."

Arei gave Jos's hand another tight squeeze and placed a light kiss to her forehead as he stood, but before he could make it out from behind the box, Marcus called out. "The man is obviously involved with Ms. Decker and any testimony against the vampires will be bias."

Themis rolled her eyes. "Did we not just hear from the man's own wife? Areion, please come forward."

Prometheus focused on Arei as he took the stand. "While working with the USVA, what did you discover?"

"Irrelevant! Anything overheard during his time with the USVA can only be considered circ.u.mstantial at best. They were on the fence about dealing with the DeMarco's. His own reports state as much."

Prometheus frowned, "Areion, how long have you known Ms. Decker? And in that time has she ever been willfully violent?"

"524 years, and no she has not. Any act of violence she has ever been a part of has been the direct result of either a curse she has no control over or justified based off the harsh nature of the individuals involved." He held her gaze lovingly. "She would do anything she had to, to protect the ones she cares about. There is nothing wrong with that."

"No further questions." Prometheus said, smiling at Arei.

Marcus stood before Themis even had time to call on him. "Areion, you witnessed Xavier and Ms. Decker together. How would you describe that relationship."

Arei frowned as his eyes involuntarily moved to Themis. {Shit!} "They seemed overall happy with one another."

"Did he seem overly taken with her... as if under the curse?" Marcus asked.

Arei bit his bottom lip. "He seemed taken with her, but to know her is to love her. There is no way of knowing for sure whether the curse was involved."

"What happened the night you attacked Mr. DeMarco?" Marcus asked.

Arei let out a long sigh. His hopes of helping Jos were slowly fading into the distance. "He was making advancements on her and had even gone as far as to throw her cellphone into the ocean when she wasn't with him. He had seen us together along with reading messages on her phone and got jealous."

"Overly jealous and fits of rage and s.e.x.u.a.l aggression?" Marcus rubbed his chin thoughtfully before turning his attention to the conference screen where Russ sat quietly staring back, his audio muted. "Doesn't that sound familiar? I believe we have all held witness to a similar event here inside the Embassy, have we not? As if part of a curse, wouldn't you agree?" When Arei only frowned, Marcus smiled back at him. "No further questions. I call Joslyn Decker to the stand."

Jos could feel the cold chill of defeat creep up her spine as Arei's troubled eyes met hers. It was over. There was nothing anyone could say to color the situation in her favor. She slowly stood, pausing only long enough to bend and stroke the head of Shelly who was now whining from the chair beside her. "It's okay." She said to Arei as he lipped the words 'I'm sorry' as he walked past her. She could feel all the eyes in the courtroom fall on her as she took her seat.