by Emily Bex
She reluctantly asked, “Is that why...is that your interest in me?”
“No, mi amore. I do not come here just to feed from you. I am a man of my word. Honesty, respect, and integrity are things I live by, so I must confess to you, your blood calls to me. I do wish to feed from you, but there is much more to feeding. I can feed from anyone, male or female, mortal or immortal, and I do because I must survive. But I would prefer to feed from only one, someone I care deeply for, someone I love. ”
He could sense the conversation was making her uncomfortable, but she had to understand this. He heard her tentatively ask, “Is there someone else? Someone you go to now?”
“No one person I go to every time. I hate to use this word, but we call it hunting. It may seem a haunting word and horrible images appear in your mind when I say it. We seek out someone to feed from. I may go on the streets, or a club. I do not harm them, I do not hurt them. I lure them softly, seduce them, take my fill without killing or hurting them, and then I erase their memory of the feeding. They remember the sexual encounter, but not the feeding. They only recall the pleasure that comes with feeding. It is how we survive among mortals, without notice.”
She stood up from the sofa and walked a few feet away to the window. He can read her thoughts as she worried about sharing him, how often he’d feed, and whether she could even be his only source for blood. She was questioning her sanity that she was even considering these questions.
"So...you would still go to them...the others?”
"Bel, I can answer all those questions you are asking inside your head. You won’t share me with anyone, not if you wish for me to feed from you. I feed when I feel my body slowing, when I need energy, just as you need food, I need blood. I do not feed three times a day, but perhaps every other day, depending on the stress I put on my body. If you are not here when I need to feed, I wait for you. I am more mature in my years. I can go longer periods of time without feeding. And if I have my way, you would be my blood source for the rest of my life. You will not experience any symptoms of the blood loss, none. You may experience a bit of dizziness right afterward, but nothing troubling. The more I feed from you, the easier it becomes for you. And for your last question, I would not go to any other but you, if you would grace me with the gift of your blood.”
Is this what Rissa meant when she said he was a player? Maybe that's what she was trying to warn me about. He will take from me until...until what? My blood no longer satisfies? Or maybe there’s a limit. A limit to how much he can take, and he’ll need more? More than I can give him?
She leaned her head against the window. There were a million questions in her head, all pushing to get out, but there was one thing she knew for sure. She could live in his altered world, she could follow this man, but the one thing she wouldn’t do was share. Infidelity was her deal-breaker, always had been. She wanted to get that out on the table right now.
"I don't share, lover. Not ever." She turned from the window and faced him, and locked eyes with those piercing blues, she didn’t look away. In a stern voice, she repeated, "Not ever."
He heard the struggle in her head and something happened inside her, he wasn’t sure what, but once she spoke, he knew her decision was made and she was staking her claim. She wasn’t his shy, reticent bel, she wasn’t playing games, but a woman who meant what she said and in one instant, love slammed into him so hard she could have knocked him over with a feather. Where in the hell have you been hiding, Kate Reese? You are the mate I have searched the world over for.
"Your choice is clear, as is mine. As a vampire, I have one that I seek, and will move heaven and earth for. And once she is found, I seek no other, I love no other. She owns my heart and soul and it belongs to her my entire life. She is the light in my darkness. I give my life for her. I drink only from her. She is mine. And I share her with no one, mortal or immortal. I claim her as my own. And if you choose to give me the greatest gift you can bestow upon me, mi amore, the source of my life, your blood, then this is what you get in return. I protect my own. I give her no reason to want for anything. She is all to me. All! That choice belongs solely to you.”
He sensed she still had questions, but she’d already given her heart. She walked to him as he stood with his arms open, and he enveloped her. She laid her head against his chest. She was his. He knew she hadn’t chosen an easy path, and there was much she didn’t understand. He knew they’d stumble over the differences in their two worlds, but he also knew that whatever lay ahead, she wanted to face it with him.
“I take that as a yes?"
“Yes, lover. My heart says yes.”
Closing his eyes, he’d won her heart and soul, without taking her blood. His heart exploded with love for this woman who now held his world in her hands. "Grazie, Kate. Ti amo."
“And I love you, Shade Medici.”
Picking her up in his arms, he cradled her to his chest. She was light as a feather. Carrying her to the bedroom, he laid her down softly on the bed and they began the night as he hoped they’d begin all the nights to come, together, in each other’s arms.
18
For the third night in a row, Shade had spent almost the entire night with these mercenaries Alec called warriors.
He’d taken over control of Alec’s warriors and was establishing a command post and central meeting point for the battalion. This abandoned property belonged to Alec, and it hadn’t been occupied in years. Alec had boarded up the windows of the old house and let it go. Now it served as the perfect place for Shade to operate. It was on the outskirts of Georgetown, but perfect for them to cover all of D.C. The name Dead House had evolved over the years, as most mortals looked on vampires as the walking dead and any rogues they took down after an unfortunate encounter with them were definitely fucking dead.
The house looked like an old Victorian on the outside, badly in need of major renovation, with boards and bars over all points of entry. Inside, Shade converted the space below ground for use as a temporary barracks for warriors who needed their death slumber or were injured. He also designated space for dungeon holding cells and torture chambers for captured rogues, and an armory for weapons storage. Upstairs, he had set up space for a central command center and meeting room. He wanted his warriors to be heavily armed, and most had a specialty weapon of choice, Shade’s was swords. He had this place stocked with every variety of weaponry as was possible.
He still needed to install a high-tech security system in the command center, but currently it was furnished with the old rotting furniture left inside this hell hole. He wasn’t looking for comfort. The Dead House needed to be a place for the warrior’s to let off steam, and let the beast loose. This was no fucking Hilton Resort, but it was the best location for them to gather, grid out the city, monitor activity, and issue assignments to the warriors for the night. Alec had hired a bunch of stragglers, and by Medici standards, most of them were barely acceptable, useless in Shade’s eyes.
But this was what he had to work with, what he was getting paid for. Figure out who he could bring up to speed, who to get rid of, and find some solid replacements. For now, he tried to pair them off, placing a fairly efficient warrior with another who was less so. At least Alec’s warriors knew the city, but after two nights of being out there, Shade could tell already any one of his Medici warriors could do a far better job than six of Alec’s warriors.
There were only two from Alec’s crew that appeared to have any real skills. One of them was a mercenary named Skelk. He smelled bad, and looked even worse. Shade had seen some street trash that looked in better condition than this one. Skelk was a loner. He preferred to work alone, but the warrior had skills, and he was efficient. He was deadly with a crossbow, had zero social skills, but he did know how to take orders. Skelk liked to work up high on the rooftops. His aim was dead fucking on and convinced Shade he was worth his time.
The top vamp in this group was Tomas. He was another renegade mercenary who’d put in his time as
a warrior, taking assignments worldwide. He knew how to handle a city this densely populated, and he was an expert on just about any weapon. He was also sly as a damn fox. He didn’t take shit from anyone, but he knew who paid his bills. Shade could already see this one being his Second-in-Command here when he needed a night off.
For the past few nights, Shade assigned Tomas to take half the group and Shade took the other half. They showed them where the key lookout points were, where they had logged rogue activity, and where the hot spots for kills would be. They had logged many hours watching key areas of D.C., especially Georgetown near Alec’s home, the night clubs, and anywhere mortals congregated. Crowds of inebriated mortals made prime killing grounds for any rogue who decided they wanted mortal flesh and blood, and D.C. rocked twenty-four hours a day. It was an immortal’s playground.
Tonight, they stayed within the confines of the Dead House. He had each warrior show his weapons skills, hand-to-hand fighting skills, and anything else he thought might be useful in fighting a rogue enemy. As he suspected, compared to his world of elite warriors, this crew was strictly amateur. He took a break and let Tomas give them a workout on shuriken’s, or throwing stars. That was another one of Shade’s preferred weapons, and until tonight, he’d never known a warrior who couldn’t handle one.
He needed some cold night air to clear his head. He never cared to be caged up inside any building for too long, and his ass was dragging after three long nights with this fucking lot of losers. He hadn’t seen Kate, and as promised, he hadn’t fed, and that too had him in knots. His body was screaming for his woman, those soft red lips, flaming crimson silk, and a body that could ride him all night long. Cazzo, she probably thought he’d left the damn country since he last saw her. He’d only spoken to her on his cell a few minutes every night. He’d have to make this up to her and make it up in spades, and he was just the vampire to do it.
In addition to establishing the Dead House, he’d been trying to manage the new property in Virginia. He’d thrown a mattress on the floor in the largest bedroom, but the house still needed a lot of work, and staying at the penthouse kept him closer to Kate. Juggling their schedules was a challenge. She worked when he slept, he worked when she slept.
This damn Dead House was busting his ass as he tried to bring some order to this group of apes Alec called warriors. He stepped out into the enclosed courtyard behind the Dead House to take a short break, breathing in the crisp night air. He lit up a smoke as he dialed her up. Maybe, tonight, he could have a little longer conversation with her. Cazzo, he missed her!
***
Kate had gotten ready for bed, climbing between the sheets with a book, instead of him. She knew he’d call when he got a break. He always called her. The thought was barely out of her head when she heard the cell phone ring and she made a grab for it.
“Shade. I’ve missed you. Talk to me, I want to hear your voice.”
“I am so sorry, bel. I am so busy lately. I have a lot to do and I am trying to wrap up, so I can spend a few evenings with you. Forgive me?”
“Forgiven. But what keeps you so busy? Your vineyards?”
“Some. But I have been working for Alec. It is vital I am here, setting up what is necessary and once that is done, I won’t spend so much time away from you. But this is what I do, and it requires me to be available. Cazzo, I miss you. How was your day?”
“My day was fine, the usual. You work for Alec? In politics? I don't understand.”
He heard her keep the questions coming. She had a right to know what he did, but he was reluctant to tell her he was a warrior; that he killed for a living.
“Bel, I am not into politics. I am setting up the tight security and protection Alec needs and will need in his future. I work a lot of nights, training his people on how to protect him out in public.”
“Oh, I wasn't aware. I thought the vineyards were how you made a living. So, like a home security system? That kind of thing?”
Shade sighed. His woman wasn’t going to make this easy on him. “No, nothing like that. This is more in the line of armed bodyguards. Like the Secret Service? They are usually around the President. That is more in the line of what I do, train them on skills to take down the bad guys. I keep high profile people safe.”
He heard the long pause before she answered, and he sensed her concern.
"That sounds...dangerous. I had no idea. I mean, I can understand why Alec would need protection in his job, I get that. But I had no idea that you...that's what you do. You carry a weapon then?”
He looked up in the night sky and closed his eyes. “I do carry weapons. I have extensive training in weaponry, martial arts, and have perfected the art of training others. I know it’s very late, but I am asking you, begging you, please, I need to be with you this night. I miss you, bel. May I come to you?”
“Shade, you can always come to me. My bed feels empty without you.”
“Si, grazie. Let me wrap up and I will be there.”
Hanging up, he headed back in and told Tomas he was heading out because he needed to feed and do some hunting. Tomas slapped him on the back with a big grin. He understood, there was no explanation necessary.
Shade had decided he wouldn’t let anyone know he had a mortal female he was priming for mating. That would stir up way too much shit! Feeding from a mortal was one thing, but choosing a mortal as a mate would bring all kinds of problems he wasn’t ready to tackle.
He unloaded all his weapons quickly, leaving them in the Dead House. He’d not fought tonight and knew he had no blood on him since they’d focused only on weapons training. Immediately teleporting into her condo, he walked into her bedroom where she was sitting in bed and he leaned against the doorjamb and smiled. He knew he must look a sight to her; leathers, boots, and a black tee. He looked at her in the soft light of the lamp by her bed, her red hair glowing as the sheets were draped across her legs.
"You are a beautiful sight for these sore, tired eyes."
She looked up from where she was curled up on her bed with a book, startled as always by his sudden appearance. This teleporting was going to take some getting used to. He stood in her bedroom door, leaning against the doorjamb, dressed in those freakin’ leather pants. The soft leather conformed to him. He wore heavy black boots that laced up over his ankles and a fitted black tee. His hair hung tangled around his face, and those eyes, always those eyes. He had a slight smirk on his face, but he did look tired, sexy as hell, but tired.
"Come here, lover. Let me make you feel better." She flipped the covers back on the bed, inviting him into the space beside her.
His beast sat up and he had to slam him back down. Not yet big guy, she is nowhere ready to tackle your ass, she is mortal, remember? And you can be one hideous fucked up animal when let out.
Shade had never experienced his beast so vibrant and aggressive as he had with Kate. She brought his dark ass right to the surface just looking at her, and he ached to be released. She invited him into her bed and his eyes went straight to that pulsing vein in her neck, beckoning him, calling to him to take what he wanted. His defenses were low. He hadn’t fed once since promising her she was his and his only. He wouldn’t feed from another ever again, but he had waited, giving her time to change her mind. Now his body was showing the signs of the lack of nourishment, the lifeblood it needed to survive and remain strong. He ached with his body’s need to taste her. Sliding the shirt over his head, he threw it to the floor and unzipped his leathers, as he walked to the side of her bed.
She watched him pull the shirt over his head, exposing his bare muscular chest as he started to unzip the leathers. She patted the mattress and he sat on the side of the bed. She slipped to the floor, kneeling between his legs, and slid her hands up the smooth leather that conformed to the muscles in his thighs. His eyes were deadly. How did anyone refuse this man? She untied the laces on one of his boots and tugged until she could pull it free, then unlaced and removed the other boot. She put her hands on
each thigh and slid them up to his hips, leaning into him, her lips just inches from his as she whispered, "Tell me what you need, lover."
"I need you, mi amore."
He heard the sound of his voice, a deep growling tone, his hunger screaming, and his hands gripping the edge of the bed to steady himself, keeping his beast under control. But the hunger was clawing inside him, and the beast wanted out to ravish and take the beauty that was before him and he trembled, holding back taking her. He needed her to want the feeding, that first experience of him feeding from her was so vital.
She saw him gripping the edge of the bed, restraining himself, holding back. It had been several days since he’d been here and they had the conversation about feeding. He said he usually fed every other day, and yet, he hadn’t fed from her. Is that what he fought? Her heart rate picked up, she had no idea what to expect. Would this hurt? There was a savagery in his lovemaking, but he never hurt her. Perhaps the feeding was different, and he feared her reaction. Without the feeding, he wasn’t hers. If she didn’t let him feed, she knew he’d be forced to go to another, and she didn’t want to share him.
"Shade, do you need to feed from me?"
He tipped her chin up and kissed her deeply and passionately, letting his tongue explore, having a small taste of her. "Bel, please, I need to feed. It is hard to be around you and not want that from you. I made you a promise and I intend to keep it, but my feeding is necessary. This must be your choice, you must want this. It will only sting for a moment, and I have ways to help you not feel pain, only pleasure, do you trust me?”
She felt the depth of his need. "Of course I trust you, Shade.”
He pulled the soft nightgown over her head. As her body was exposed, his hands wandered slowly over her delicate bare skin, as if exploring the map of her soul.
He felt her hands tug at his leathers and watched her slide them down his legs. They were not easy to remove as the soft leather clung to him, but her hands made easy work of their task. She wasn’t innocent in the ways of sex, but sensual and soft. She heightened his arousal, yet calmed his inner turmoil at once. Her hand brushed against his cock and he moaned with the warmth of her touch. And tonight, she’d take the next step in becoming his.