The Blood Covenant

by Emily Bex

  She bit hard into her wrist, ripping at the skin, not the sharp, clean puncture wounds his teeth made. As her blood began to flow, she held it to his lips. “Shade, please!”

  Shade could sense her in front of him, smelled her blood, and sank his fangs into her wrist. He felt her other hand glide over him, soft and searching for any other injuries. Slowly, he felt her energy fill his veins. He grabbed her wrist and held it tight against his mouth, gulping down mouthfuls of her essence.

  Kate could see his strength and energy return, his wound healing as she watched, the pallor leaving his skin. She was relieved to see him come back to her, and yet, angry that he was injured and wondered what risks he took when he was on the streets.

  “Take all you need...I'm here.”

  His feeding slowed as his body mended. He licked her wrist and watched as it healed. His breathing still ragged, he laid his head back against the wall and told her he’d been injured in a fight, that Tomas wanted him to stay at the Dead House, to give the wound time to heal or to feed from one of the other warriors, but he had refused. He needed her, needing only to get to her.

  She helped him stand and stripped from him the bloody clothes. Together, they took a shower. As she washed him, she ran her hands over him, reassuring herself that he was whole and safe. After he was cleaned up, she led him to their bed and climbed in beside him just as she heard the whir of the electronic blinds close out the light of day. He slid into his death slumber, his body healing. She spent the hours sleeping intermittently, waking often to check on him.

  ***

  He had slept soundly in her embrace, but when he awoke he found she was gone. He felt her pain for he’d unintentionally exposed her to that side of his life he’d worked to keep hidden. He now had to face her and deal with the emotions he felt pouring from her. As she walked into the room, he looked at her.

  “We need to talk, Kate. I know you have things to say. Will you grant me this time to explain to you why you saw me in such a condition?”

  She sat on the bed beside him. “Please, I was angry because I felt like you took an unnecessary risk. Not in the fighting. I understand and accept that part of who you are. But when you tried to ignore the extent of your injury, was that just pride?”

  “My injury would heal, as I knew it would.” He pulled back the sheet to show her the wound on his thigh, and nothing was there. “Nothing will keep me away from you.”

  She smacked both hands down flat on the bed in exasperation. “You had lost consciousness on the floor! I didn't even know you were here. I heard your call just before you passed out. What if I hadn’t come to this room? You healed because I found you and you fed from me. But what would have happened had I not?”

  She went off like a time bomb, and he got rock hard at her beauty, cazzo, she is feisty as a lioness. “Do you have any idea of how beautiful you look when you are angry?” He shook his head and held up his hand. “Don’t say it. I know I am agitating you even more.”

  She stood up from the bed with her hands on her hips and that crimson hair flying. “Yes, you are! You asked me to allow you to explain, and I’m waiting for that explanation. Shade, I’m not going anywhere, I’m in this for the long haul. There’s nothing you can say that’s going to drive me away from you or make me love you less. I just need to understand!”

  He slipped from the bed and stood at his full height, nude and powerful as he balled up his fists, puffed out his chest and lowered his eyes to her. “You want an explanation? You shall have it. I am a fucking warrior! I bleed. But above and beyond that simplest of facts, I knew if I made it to you, I would be fine. I told you I would die returning to you. I promised to always come home to you. I could have stayed with Tomas at the Dead House, and would have if not for wanting, more than my life, to be with you, have you to heal me. Your blood will heal me, and it has. My other choice was to feed from one of the other warriors or have someone walk out onto the street and bring me fresh prey inside. I admit, I pushed it too far, but I could think of nothing but getting to you. I wanted you in my arms. I wanted to come home.”

  She shook her head and took his hands in hers. “You know my anger is rooted in fear, the fear of losing you. I just found you, and I’m bound to you in a way no two mortals can be bound. I can't lose you. I’m struggling to understand. I won’t ask you to change who you are. After all, it was the warrior I fell in love with in the first place. But I’d be lying if I said this doesn’t frighten me. You don’t share details of what you do at night when you go into D.C., and I don’t ask. Meet me half-way. I still don’t understand where I fit in your world. ”

  Gripping her hands, his heart slammed against his chest and made him weak, his soul screamed with the memories of another, and how much that ancient event still tortured him. Before him was his second chance, the chance to not allow his pride to dictate, and let love rule instead. He pulled her to his chest.

  “I cannot change, mi amore. I was born to this life and being a warrior is all I know. You have taught me there is more to life than that. You have humbly shown me I can love, and I am worthy of love. I do not deserve so much from you, I only know I will die for you, and all I ask is you love me through it all. I made a mistake, my pride drove me beyond my limitations, but my love drove me harder to be with you. Because if I am to die, then it will be in your arms, where there is comfort and love. Your arms are my home, for I am a warrior, proud and strong, and only you hold the key to my life. Forgive me? I have…memories, and they drive me…to do right by you.”

  She looked into the depths of those blue eyes. Memories? What memories drove him to risk death to get to her?

  “You don't need to ask forgiveness. I’ve already forgiven, because I know it’s your nature, and I know it was in your heart to get home to me. I’m trying so hard to follow your lead. But understand I can’t live without you. You carry my heart, and when your heart ceases to beat, mine will as well. So, if you want to keep me alive, you must keep yourself alive. I plan on an eternity of loving you, and I expect you to deliver. You promised me that.”

  He felt her love, but there was also tension and unasked questions. “Mi amore, there is something else bothering you, spit it out. I want no dancing around issues between us. I am going outside to have a smoke, think about what you want to ask, and when I return, I am prepared to answer whatever is still churning in that beautiful redhead of yours.”

  Sliding on a pair of sweatpants, he walked outside, lit up, and knew he was taking a grave chance, but she needed to know. Looking up at the night sky, his anger ripped through him. He yelled into the dark. “Are you trying to get revenge, Adriana? It’s working. But you won’t win, belleza!” Taking a deep breath, he turned toward the house and decided whatever she wished to ask, he would answer.

  Kate looked up at him as he returned to their bedroom. “You said you have memories. There’s something that haunts you, pushes you to risk your life getting back to me. There’s something I’ve wanted to ask, something you alluded to when we were at Castello.”

  He stood before her, preparing himself for her questions. “My heart is open to you, ask.”

  She looked at the floor as she spoke, “I hesitate to ask because it’s in the past, and I have told myself what happened before me is of no concern. But a woman's heart wants to know, and if you decide not to answer, I’ll accept that and never bring it up again.”

  He smiled softly at her. “Bel rosso, believe me, I understand jealousy, that is something mortals and immortals share. And although the past is past, it does mold who we are and how we feel, and that is part of my problem. I perceive that you wish to know of Adriana, si? You have had questions ever since Florence.”

  “Yes, you alluded to her when we were in Florence, and you kept her painting in your bedroom for a very long time. So, I am asking, lover. Who is she to you? What is your story? Come lie with me on our bed. I have a feeling this is a long story, and I may not want to be standing when I hear it.”

&
nbsp; Kate stretched out across the bed and he lay down beside her. “I will begin by telling you, no one truly knows this story, so I am telling it for the first time to you. I wish to get it out of me.” He pulled her close to him. “It is a long story, but I can make it brief.” Taking her hand, he squeezed it and held it tight.

  She locked eyes with him. “Then tell me what you have told no other.”

  He took a deep breath before he began. “Adriana was immortal. She was beautiful, and a brave warrior. She was from another coven, an ally to Medici. I met her perhaps two hundred years ago. I saw her fight, win, and walk away as if it was an everyday chore and si, she took my breath away, I will not lie.”

  Kate caressed his face. “So she was a warrior, like you.”

  “Si, she was too much like me. She was prideful, brave, scared of nothing, and cocky. I had never met nor seen anyone like her. Later, we ended up together again, as our two covens were working and training together. We began to talk, get to know one another. I had never thought of her as anything other than a warrior. That night, around the campfires, she danced, and she looked like no warrior to me.” Clenching his eyes closed, the vision of her slid across his mind, and he knew she’d haunt him until he released this hell inside him.

  Kate swallowed hard, did he love her still? Was she in competition with Adriana? She knew if she showed her jealousy he’d stop talking. “I can understand why you would be drawn to her.”

  “We knew each other for some time, we battled together, cazzo, she was amazing. I began to care deeply for her. Not like with you, though. It was different, like a friend but something more. I cannot think how to explain it. She was my best friend, we had each other’s back, we travelled together, fought together, and then one night, it became more.”

  Kate ran her hand through his hair, brushing it back from his face. “I did not expect a virgin on my doorstep, and certainly not one with your skills. I know you’ve had many women before me.”

  “I just need you to understand, she was not like you, nor do I compare you. She was my lover, I hers. She lived with me for many years at Castello, as you know. Did I love her? Si, in my own way. But I knew she wasn’t my mate. Something held me back, even as she kept luring me on. She wanted us to be mated, to have bambinos, but I knew there was something more for me. I could never commit, there was something missing between us, and I refused to let her feed from me. It became a sore point between us, and we argued often. Making a long story short, our pride got in the way, and it kept getting in the way, a battle of wills for control.”

  Kate rested her head in her hand. “Two head-strong warriors, full of pride, and neither one wants to give in. What could possibly go wrong there? Sorry, tell me your story.”

  “I am sorry, this must be boring to you, and it must seem childish and ridiculous. I apologize.” Sitting up, he swung his legs over the bed and laid his head in his hands.

  She ran her hand over the bare skin of his back as he sat beside her in the bed. “Let me assure you, Shade Medici, there is nothing boring about you. Now lie back down beside me and let go of this story that is tormenting you. Do you think I can't see that? Your blood is in my veins now as well, remember?”

  Trying to relax, he laid back down. “We had a really big fight, I don’t even remember what it was about, but it was bad, and words were said that should not have been. In short, she was delivering an ultimatum. She wanted to be my mate, feed from me, have a child with me, and I refused. She said if I could not commit to her, then she would leave, that I was wasting her time. If you have ever seen two immortals fight, and I assure you, you will, it is ugly, to say the least. But before we could resolve the argument, she was called to battle by her master. At the time, we did not know it was a ruse to flush out some rogue warriors who had infiltrated their ranks. She assumed she would be meeting several of her coven at this location. She asked me to come with her and I refused. I was still angry that she had issued an all or nothing ultimatum. It is a decision I regret immensely to this day.”

  Kate laid her head on his shoulder and placed her hand on his chest. “All lovers quarrel, and you turned away in anger. We have all made choices we regret, Shade.”

  Shade closed his eyes as he spoke, letting the memories roll through him. “She left for her assignment from her master. I heard her call once, in my head. I didn’t respond. I blocked her thoughts from me. I thought she was playing games with me, to lure me to come help her, and I was angry and did not want to feel her. I blocked her out of anger. But something kept agitating me deep inside, nagging at me that I was ignoring her, and when I unblocked, she was screaming for me, for her life. She needed help, she was surrounded and being attacked and needed me desperately. She was far from me, and the sun was on the horizon. I could not get to her, and they killed her.”

  His body began to shake, blood tears welled inside his eyes. “She died alone. I never made it to her. I blocked her cries from me. No one was there for her, no one! She died because of me. She died because of my pride. They left her body lying for the sun to turn her to ash. I couldn’t get to her, the sun was rising fast, and I could not go and get her, bring her home. It tears me apart to know I left her alone. I left her to die alone. She never heard me, or knew if I heard her cries.”

  Kate stroked his face. “I’m so sorry! I can't believe you’ve had to live with this.” She covered his face with kisses, wiping away his blood tears. “It sounds like her master set her up, like he used her, knowing full well her fate. And maybe you could have made a difference, or maybe you would’ve both been killed. That will forever be unknown to you and I understand the pain of not knowing. Oh Shade, I’m so sorry.”

  Tears streamed down her cheeks as she wept for the depth of his pain, and how long he had carried this burden. “There are no words to ease your burden. I understand that now. But you can't know what’s in a woman's heart. Mortal or immortal, women are defined by love, and trust me when I tell you, blocked or not, she knew you loved her. With her dying breath, she knew.”

  He rolled to her and buried his face into her neck and for the first time since Adriana’s death, he wept like a child, letting it all go with someone who loved him, someone he trusted.

  “So, you see, mi amore, I learned my lesson. I will always come home to you, talk things out, never remaining in anger against one another without finding resolution. I would walk into the flaming sun just to join you. I never wanted to let Adriana down, but she wasn’t the one for me. I miss her, but I know her dying was to teach me. I will not die alone on a battlefield. I will always come to you.”

  She wrapped her arms around her vulnerable warrior and absorbed his pain and tears. “I don't want you to die for me, warrior. I want you to live for me. I want you to fight like all the demons from hell are on your back and you will conquer them one by one with a flash of your sword. I want you to fight as if you have everything to lose, because you do. We make mistakes, and we learn from those mistakes. That's just life, mortal or immortal. Your world is more violent than mine, but the lessons are the same. Thank you for baring your soul to me, and for trusting me with that burden. If you feared I’d turn away from you, then know I only love you more, if that’s even possible. Now hold me tight and let me ease this pain in your heart.”

  Laying his head across her heart, there was strength inside him, a future that looked bright. There would be many more fights for land and blood, but he was ready and willing, nothing would stop him with this woman beside him.

  “You have the gentlest caring heart, mi amore. It’s so gentle and yet, so strong. You love me even though I have shown my downfalls, my inability to move past pride. I hope you understand why I returned last night. Five hundred years I searched, I craved, and bled for a love like yours. And now, I fight for our love, I fight to return to you. I love you, Kate. I will always love you above all others.”

  She held him in a gentle embrace. “I understand now why you put yourself at risk in that way and I love y
ou above all others as well, but you know that. Deep in your heart, you know that. There can never be anyone else for me. I have placed my fate in your hands, my heart in your hands, so carry me gently, lover.”

  39

  Reviewing his options for the next campaign cycle of Republican Presidential candidates, Alec saw two big obstacles. First, the incumbent President was not sure if he’d run again. If he did decide to run, he’d be a shoo-in as the parties' nominee. So, Alec needed to figure out how to help him decide running for a second term wasn’t in his best interest, and he had a few things in the back of his mind to tackle that problem.

  His second problem was the very popular senior Senator Ralston. He had a huge backing from the far right, and he’d just written a book. He was pre-campaigning, hitting the book tour circuit, getting on talk shows, and taking the temperature of public opinion. If the President didn’t run for a second term, Ralston would be the parties' choice. If Alec could remove Ralston from the picture, then his chances of becoming the parties’ nominee were a shoo-in. He happened to know Ralston was a reformed alcoholic, and a reformed alcoholic was always a short step away from falling off the wagon. He just needed a way to break his will, and he thought he had the weapon to do it.

  This didn’t fall under the terms of his contract for protection services he had with Shade, but he thought Shade would play this game. After all, he got a pretty fucking generous payment for his services, and now he was shacked up with that redhead. He should be one happy ass vampire and ready to return a few favors. Alec pulled out his cell phone and gave Shade a call.

  Shade was back in the Dead House now that his injuries had healed. Tomas and the other warriors had been watching him closely but he appeared to be back to normal. He was barking out orders, assigning grids, and getting the warriors’ asses out on the streets when he heard his cell phone buzz. Raffling through the papers haphazardly strewn on the table in front of him, he found the cell and saw Alec on the ID.