I smelled James before I saw him and didn't bother to turn around to face him. My hands were clenched and my claws digging into my palms while my emotions bounced between fury and worry over Roxie's well being. Xavier promised he'd do what he could to find my daughter but it was proving difficult since something was blocking him from finding Victor and Roxie.

"You're dripping blood on the floor." James finally spoke.

I scoffed. "You've never cared about what ended up on the floor."

"Like you'd know." James tossed back.

I couldn't help the small smile that crossed my lips. "I would."

He sighed and I heard him come into the sitting room and take a place on the couch. "You wanna tell me what the elevator was about?"

"I thought you died in 1965." I said softly, knowing he'd hear me. "Man named Stryker led me to believe that."

"Why would you care if I was dead or not?"

"Because I loved you." I finally turned to face him and moved to sit on the couch next to him. "We fell in love in 1840 on the way to the Northern Territories after running away from France."

"What happened then? How'd you end up with Victor?" James asked, clearly skeptical. I didn't want to break his heart a second time but he asked. Taking a deep breath, I told him the story of our relationship.

-0-

1841

I went to the harbor every day, waiting for James' ship to return. When I finally saw it on the horizon, I giggled gleefully and when James finally walked down the gangplank, I ran to meet him halfway. Jumping into his arms, I threw him off balance and we fell into the ocean but we didn't care as we kissed. Victor had to fish us out of the water, which he was less than happy about, but we managed to get home safely.

"Did Victor apologize?" I asked, wringing the sea water out of my hair. I noticed James' distracted demeanor and tossed a towel to him to bring him back to reality. "Are you all right, love?"

"Just tired."

"Get some rest." I smiled up at him. "I'll be back to get you for dinner."

The sound of a piano playing made me curious and I followed the sound, fully expecting to find Christien playing but was surprised to see it was Victor. His fingers were moving expertly over the keys and his eyes were closed. Not wanting to disturb him, I walked quietly up to the piano and watched him play. The same hands that had killed so many people were compelling beautiful music from the keys, as gently as James' hands had moved over my skin. He opened his eyes as the song ended and saw me standing there. "It's not polite to stare."

"Murder is on the list of poor manners as well, I believe." I gave him a half smile to let him know I was teasing. "I didn't know you could play."

"You never asked." Victor replied as he picked up a wine glass I hadn't noticed and took a drink. "You play?"

"No. Christien does but I have no talent for musical instruments." I ran my hand along the length of the piano, enjoying the smooth texture under my palm. "I'm better at dancing."

"I know." His eyes roamed my figure in an appreciative way and finally he held my gaze, his own filled with desire, lust, and something else I couldn't place.

"Did you apologize to the English family?" I asked, changing the subject as Victor's stare had become a bit too intense for me.

"Jimmy boy made me." Victor stepped closer to me, leaving only a few inches between us. "Said that I had to if I planned on stayin' with you two. He doesn't want you in danger."

"He loves me." I said.

"I know." Victor said softly, as though the slightest offense would shatter this moment. His eyes were grey, like the sky after a storm and his fingers brushed an unruly hair back from my face. When I started noticing his lips and the slight stain the red wine had left on them, I knew that being this close to him was a mistake. When I wanted to taste the wine on his lips, I spoke.

"I'm not going to betray James."

"By keeping him away from his true mate, you are betraying him." Victor wasn't mean but it was the truth and I knew it. I loved Jimmy more than myself but being too selfish to let him go would be horrible for him. He deserved to have someone who'd truly complete him, who'd know him better than he knew himself. A mate filled a void that a lover couldn't. I'd have to let him go.

"Charlotte?" James' voice brought me out of my thoughts and to the realization that Victor and I, while not having actually done anything improper, were still too close for his comfort. "Are you all right?"

"I am fine, James." I cleared my throat and said, "Can we speak privately?"

"Of course." Jimmy put his hand on my lower back, a sign of possession, and we walked silently back to our room.

"I thought you were resting." I said after he closed the door.

"I wanted to see you. Victor's been in a foul mood since we left England."

Jimmy reached out to pull me to him but I stepped out of his grasp. "I need to speak to you."

"What's wrong?"

I licked my lips and ignored my pounding heart. "I—I'm leaving you."

"What?" Jimmy scoffed good naturedly until he realized I was telling the truth. "For Victor?"

"You deserve to find your own mate. Your true mate." My eyes burned with tears that soon spilled down my cheeks. "I can't love you the way you deserve to be loved."

"Charlotte," Jimmy took my face in his hands and made me look at him. "Is this you or Victor talking?"

"Does it matter?" My voice wavered. "I'm not your mate and there's nothing I can do about that fact."

"This hasn't bothered you since you came here with Victor." Jimmy wiped away a tear with his thumb. "I've never cared that you weren't my mate because I love you and you love me. I'd rather die than let anything happen to you and we've taken care of each other. Isn't that enough?"

He wouldn't let me go so I had to make him. I'd have to lie. "I love him."

I could smell the hurt and anger in his scent. "Victor?"

My tongue wouldn't say the words again so I just nodded. Jimmy released me and a tear rolled down his cheek. I had broken his heart and I knew it. I wasn't prepared for what he did next. He grabbed my waist and smashed his lips on mine, putting his free hand behind my head. It was a passionate, desperate kiss and I was tempted to stay, our bodies molding together until Victor's words echoed in my head. Against his lips, I said, "James, stop."

I pressed our foreheads together when he honored my request, our quiet sobs mingling as I tried to gather the strength to leave him. "I have to go."

"Stay just for tonight." Jimmy pleaded. "You can leave in the morning."

I shook my head. "If I don't go now, I won't be able to."

"Then don't."

"I'm sorry." It took every ounce of will power to pull myself away from him and walk through the bedroom door then close it behind me. Victor was waiting for me in the corridor, unconcerned about my tears or his sobbing brother. He extended a hand to me but I walked past him and said, "Can I just have a few minutes alone?"

Victor could see that I was barely holding it together so he nodded once then told me he'd be nearby if I needed him. I didn't reply as I found my way to the balcony where I had met James a year before then allowed myself to crumple to the ground, a hand pressed to my mouth to muffle my sobs. Grandfather found me, whether it was the sound of my cries or Victor who led him to me, I didn't know and he collected me in his arms, allowing me to sob into his jacket. He whispered soothing words but they were little comfort to my aching heart. I cried until I couldn't cry anymore and when all that was left was an empty space where my heart should have been, I sent for Victor. He arrived a minute or so after I asked for him.

"If I'm your mate, what now?" I asked numbly.

"Now we do whatever you want." Victor replied.

-0-

I watched James' reaction carefully when I finished speaking but it was hard to read him. My fingers nervously moved over the braided leather bracelet that he had given me so long ago and that I had been wearing since. "It took a while before you came around and before we could be together as a...family of sorts. But the last time I saw you was in 1965 when you left to serve in the Vietnam war."

"Why didn't Sabretooth tell you I was alive?" James asked.

I shrugged. "Maybe he didn't know. He had always been very jealous, even after I accepted him as my mate. He didn't like us being alone together and was competitive with you. Did you find your mate?"

"I don't know about mate but there was a woman. She was a doctor here."

"What was her name?"

"Jean." There was a twinge of pain in his voice.

"What happened to her?"

"She died."

"You still love her." I took one of his hands in mine. Mate or no, I still knew him very well. He must've really cared for her. I wasn't going to judge. Even after all that Victor had done, including taking Roxie, I loved him and I hated myself for it. James looked as though he felt responsible for her death.

"Don't make much of a difference now." James said gruffly.

"I'm sorry that you're hurting."

"Why should Sabretooth's girl care?"

"Whether I'm Victor's mate or not, I still care about you." I replied. He was being rude to shield the way he felt and to keep himself from feeling anything else. The guilt would eat him alive if he let it. "I loved Victor because I had to. I was instinctually paired with him. I loved you because I wanted to. My feral may belong to Victor but my heart will always belong to you."

I wasn't looking for a response or asking for a commitment so it surprised me when James kissed me. It was innocent, a mere brushing of the lips, but the message behind it was clear. Stay.

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It was a bit shorter than I wanted it to be but next chapter is going to feature Phoenix and Roxie heavily and I felt it should be it's own chapter. Thanks to all the new alerts and favorites. Leave a review on your way out and let me know what you think.

A giant thanks to my reviewers: OptimusPrimegirl, brigid1318, and Jinx of the 2ndLaw. You guys are fantastic and I always look forward to your reviews.