by M. D. Grimm
I checked the time after rinsing my plate. 10:00 a.m. The thought of departing left a bad taste in my mouth. There was absolutely no reason I couldn’t stay. I also suspected that, should I head home, come night he’d hunt me down and drag me back. Or simply drag me to the floor of my house and fuck me through it.
He was devoted to me. He’d want me to stay. And wasn’t that just fucking wonderful?
I grabbed my phone and returned to the bed with a glass of water. I wished I had my tablet, but my phone would suffice. I snuggled back in bed and propped myself on some pillows. On impulse I draped Cassius’s arm over my waist. I needed to feel him, to know for a fact this was all real. Contentment rushed over me as I checked my emails and flagged some commissions from current clients and considered the two emails from potential new ones. I was certainly becoming a popular guy.
Well, this was a first—I had a troll requesting I make several unicorn figurines out of pure gold, and he had the gold. He lived in the Black Forest in Germany. Trolls were endangered, and though I laughed at the odd request, I knew I’d help the guy. His commission was just too adorable to resist. Little gold unicorns? Certainly different than the coffins and weapons I most often created. And probably easier than puzzle boxes.
I worked for a while, even made a few calls. But by early afternoon, I was drooping. I yawned and stretched. After using the bathroom one more time, I curled up around Cassius’s still, cool body and quickly fell asleep.
“You piece of shit!” he says, then he kicks and punches me.
I whimper and curl into a tighter ball. Please stop, stop! But he doesn’t. He never does. Every hit is a blast wave of pain and fear. My ribs ache, my head pounds. Tears scald my face, and I bite my lip to keep from screaming. He hits harder when I make noises.
I only forgot one thing at the grocery store. Just one little thing. Why must he be so cruel? Why must be blame me for everything?
“I’m sorry!” I sob.
“You will be!” He grips the collar of my shirt and yanks me up to my knees. He bends over me and pulls his arm back, ready to punch my face.
Then… he’s grabbed.
I gasp as I fall forward and can only stare as a creature with red eyes and long fangs holds my father. A creature that growls. A creature that is a demon and savior in one.
Enough of this, the creature says. But his mouth doesn’t move. I simply hear the words in my head.
Wait a minute.
“Cassius?” I say, suddenly a man, no longer an abused child.
Cassius snarls and clamps down on my father’s throat, then rips it out. Blood and flesh fly, and I can feel myself waking up even as Cassius proceeds to tear my father’s head clean off his body.
I jerked awake. Panting, I struggled to sit up and could only stare at Cassius’s prone body. Cold sweat covered me, and I shivered as the memory of the dream replayed again and again in my head. Dear God.
I rubbed my eyes before I scrubbed my face and dragged my hand over my hair. How did he do that? As far as I knew, vampires basically hibernated during their daytime sleep. They weren’t aware of anything. They just… clicked off until the sun lowered.
Obviously I was wrong. Or Cassius was unique.
He’d worked his way into my dream and beheaded my father. A grin slowly grew, tugging up my lips. Soon it encompassed my entire face. I’d never forget that image for as long as I lived.
I glanced at the clock. Eight in the evening. Good. The sun would set in about an hour, maybe less. I took a quick shower to clean off the sweat, then settled on the couch to eat a late dinner. Or breakfast. Whatever.
I played on my phone, checking the feed from the cameras I had around my home. I rewound a little, but nothing seemed out of place. When Cassius began to stir, I returned to the bedroom and watched him wake up. His fingers twitched first, then curled into fists. His face scrunched up, and he sighed low and long. He stretched as his eyes fluttered open, momentarily blind and uncertain. Then his gaze sharpened and landed on me. His smile was fast and genuine.
“Good night,” he said, voice slightly raspy.
“Good night,” I said and crawled on the bed next to him. I kissed the tip of his nose, and he trailed his hand up my arm.
“How did you sleep?” he asked.
“Well enough. Thanks for the save.”
He frowned.
I raised an eyebrow. “You do remember ripping my father’s head off, don’t you?”
He squinted at me. Then the light seemed to dawn and he appeared surprised. “Huh. I thought…. I don’t dream. I haven’t in centuries, so that was quite odd. It was your dream.”
“Yep. A memory, really. Thanks for livening it up.”
He rolled over me, pressing me to the mattress. It was his turn to kiss the tip of my nose. “My pleasure, Andrew. Anytime you need me to slay your demons, just call me. I’ll come.”
And there went my heart, turned into a puddle of mush.
“I love you,” I said.
He froze.
My breath caught. Oh shit.
He attacked my mouth, invading with his tongue, fangs scraping. I gripped his hair and tangled my fingers in the soft locks. He rubbed his erection against my leg, and I wiggled my hips so he’d feel my own.
He pulled away and nuzzled my face, kissing me all over. “I love you. I love you.” He kept repeating those words, and they burned my system from the inside out. To hear those words for the first time in my life was painfully romantic. It wasn’t lost on me that he’d apparently waited for me to say them first. Probably thought I’d run for the hills if he uttered them.
We made love again, lingering over each other. Then we snuggled for a while after until he could no longer deny his thirst. He left to get blood from the fridge, and I stayed in the bed, gazing dazedly at the ceiling. Wow. To hear the words was on a level all its own. I just wanted to stay in this blissful world forever.
Too damn bad that couldn’t happen.
We spent the night together, making love and talking. I told him more about my asshole father, as much as I could stomach, and he told me about his childhood.
“My father was a gladiator,” he said. I lay with my head on his shoulder, and he held my hand that rested over his heart. “He died in the ring before I was even a year old. My mother was a prostitute. I had three younger sisters, all different fathers. She did the best she could by us and loved us as much as she was able. I learned how to steal from an early age and my sisters were talented at looking pitiful and getting a few charity coins, especially from older women. I think the mistress of the whorehouse only kept us around because she knew the girls would make great additions to her business. I was big for my age and protected a few of the younger whores from violent customers.”
I held him tighter, and he sighed and shook his head.
“My mother’s name was Livia. What I most remember is the way she sang to us. She was a goddess when she sang.” He paused. “I was ten when a client killed her.”
I gazed at his face. An old sadness strained his features. I reached up and stroked his cheek. He closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“The world has always been harsh,” he said. “About a year later, I tried to steal a horse from a legatus legionis when he visited the whorehouse.”
“Is that like a general?”
He shrugged. “Close enough. He was middle-aged senator who’d chosen the army for his career. He was on leave and thought to have some fun.”
“What happened?”
He smiled slightly. “He ran into the streets in just his skin and chased after me. One of the soldiers with him must have told him what I did. I put up a hell of a fight when he caught me since I knew he could kill me without any repercussions. Instead he dragged me back to the whorehouse, dressed, and said I should use that fighting spirit in the army. So I did. I sent money to my sisters when I could and trained under Atticus after he adopted me, until I was old enough to enlist.”<
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So similar to how I met Dain, it was uncanny. Would he tell me about his rebirth?
He stroked my hand, seeing things, remembering things I could never imagine.
“She came to me as I lay dying,” he said softly.
I stared. “She?”
He smiled softly. “Yes, she. Hrafnhild. She used to be one of the Sami people. She traveled with a large coven of mostly women, visiting battlefields. She came to me cloaked in black as I lay dying by the Rhine, and gave me a choice. It wasn’t a hard decision. I had more battles to fight for the glory of Rome. I wasn’t ready to die yet. And I wanted power.”
“I understand that,” I said. “When you’re powerless it’s all you want.”
“Yes. She told me she always chose her protégés from dying warriors. She found them the most willing to accept her offer. I’m certain her coven started the myths about the valkyrjur of later Viking tales. I was in her care for about a year, learning about myself and my new nature. She was strict yet had a deep well of compassion not common among vampires. I returned to Atticus one night, and after convincing him I was not a ghost but a creature of the night, he decided I was the perfect secret weapon for the empire.”
“Why do I get the feeling he was more than just your adopted father?”
He glanced at me. “For a short time we were lovers. It was complicated.”
I stared . “Uh huh. I’d say so.”
He snorted. “I have had many lovers, both men and women, and some who didn’t identify as either. Does that upset you?”
I thought about it. I shook my head. “No. I’m glad you had some love in your life.”
“I wouldn’t call it love so much as comfort at times.” He kissed my forehead. “You are my love.”
I smiled. “How old were you when you changed?”
“Twenty-two.”
Younger than I was now, but already a man, already a warrior.
Cassius fell silent. I felt his body grow lax. I glanced at the clock. It was early morning, and the sun had to be rising.
“I can’t stay here another day,” I said softly and kissed his cheek. “I have a business to run.”
“I will find you,” he said with slurred words.
I smiled. “I’m counting on it.”
Chapter Fourteen
The meeting with the ghouls took place two nights later. Cassius picked me up in his jaguar and held my hand the entire way to our destination. Between my commissions and his coven duties we’d only managed to call and text each other. I hoped the meeting didn’t take too long. I’d brought my overnight bag and hoped to stay with Cassius until the morning.
He parked just outside a large conference hall the duchess had rented for the gathering. It was a few blocks down from La Rose. The main headquarters for the ghouls’ operations was also a few blocks in the other direction. It was the most neutral territory they could agree on.
I hadn’t eaten anything in several hours, and it had been a wise decision. My stomach would have betrayed me. Cassius came to my side quickly as I stepped out of the car. He locked up and then took my hand again. I couldn’t find the strength to shake him off. Maybe I needed him to keep me moving forward.
We nodded to members of the duchess’s coven who stood outside the front doors. They followed us like an armed escort and when I made an attempt to remove my hand from his, Cassius caught my eye and shook his head. I swallowed a sigh and stood taller.
The duchess was already seated at one long table that stretched half the length of the room. It was placed directly across from another long table. The ghouls were already seated, and I got my first look at the matriarch—Lamia Safar. Her daughter, Shamira, that caused all this sat by her right side.
Cassius took me to the duchess’s table, and we stood behind those seated, as did our entourage. The main doors thudded shut and silence fell. Cassius never took his eyes off the ghouls, and I felt his tension. He was braced to attack. So was I. He hadn’t worn his long jacket in deference to the chilly night air—it hid the gladius I’d made him. Guns wouldn’t do much against ghouls—the best way to defeat them was to behead them. I had my cuff blades and one of my heaviest forging hammers. I figured that crushing their skulls would work just as well.
Her Grace stood. So did Lamia.
Two fierce leaders faced each across a dozen feet.
“Have you looked over the evidence I sent you?” The duchess asked.
“I have.”
“And your decision?”
“I will offer weregilds for those who have lost thralls.” Her eyes flickered over me. “As well as to other victims of the attacks. And I will strip my daughter of her titles and use her to gain the names of the other rebels.”
“Mama!” Shamira surged to her feet but was overtaken by two huge ghoul guards. Even as some of her true nature started to tear past her human mask, she was clamped in irons and restrained.
Without looking at her, Lamia said, “I have no use for a rebellious child that doesn’t have the patience and wit to wait for my death before making a power grab. I will discover the rest of the conspirators, Your Grace. I assure you of that.”
The duchess nodded her head. “I know you to be a ghoul of your word.”
Lamia gave a sharp smile. “As I know you to be a vampire of integrity.”
They bowed their heads all the while never breaking their stare-off.
“I will send the weregild to your manor and you can distribute as you see fit. I will also make sure that any further messes made by my horde are cleaned up.”
“I accept your terms and your promise. We will continue to have the mortal authorities look the other way and soon the mess will be forgotten.”
“Agreed.”
That’s it? I’d never witnessed any meeting between the parnormals so I had nothing to compare it to. At least I knew better than to speak until the meeting was officially concluded.
Lamia led the way out of the hall. A few ghouls looked quite sullen at the state of affairs but no one dared contradict their matriarch’s decisions. Only when all the ghouls had gone and after someone radioed in that the horde had left the vicinity completely did everyone relax.
“I’m missing something,” I said.
Cassius opened his mouth but Her Grace beat him to it. She turned around to face me. “Shamira was rousing her followers to cause a ruckus with my coven and planned to blame it on her mother. She wanted me to be forced to dethrone her mother and that would set her up for power since she is the oldest. That incident at La Rose was only the start. She learned about your identity and association with me and thought you a fine target.”
I swallowed hard and Cassius squeezed my hand.
“Shamira was also insulted that a weak mortal managed to best her followers.”
I barely stopped myself from rolling my eyes at the arrogance.
The duchess smiled and patted my cheek. Then she caught a glimpse of our joined hands and grinned. My face heated and I looked away.
“Come with me,” she said. The rest of her coven parted for us and didn’t follow. We left the conference hall and stepped outside. The sidewalk was empty even though the roads were still packed.
She turned to us and met Cassius’s gaze. “As much as it pains me to say this, we have lost the slayer.”
Cassius’s jaw clenched and I grimaced. “You mean that fucker after Cas? Santiago something?”
“Yes,” she said. “We are working to find him again. He seems to just drop off the map.”
“He’s good,” Cassius said. “That’s why he’s still alive. He’s wily and determined. We’ll see him again.”
“I’d rather it be before he tries to behead you.”
Cassius’s gaze softened and he cupped her cheek. Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment before she met his gaze again.
“I trust you,” he said gently. “And I trust me. He didn’t get me the first time. He won’t get me now. Just let me know if you need me for bait. I’m re
ady.”
“No,” I said before I could stop myself.
They both looked at me. I finally got my hand back and crossed my arms. “If you plan to use him as bait, then I come along. No way in hell am I going to let him go into that sort of situation without having his back.”
“Let me?” He sounded amused.
I glared at him. “Yeah, I said it. I meant it. Dumbass arrogant centurion bloodsucker.”
Her Grace’s eyes widened in surprise. Cassius laughed. Then it was my turn to be shocked when he grabbed my face and kissed me. Right in front of Her Grace. Right in front of the world.
The kiss was fierce but short. He pulled back and captured my gaze.
“Is it any wonder I love you?”
I grunted.
He slipped his arm across my shoulders and turned us to face the duchess. She smiled, her hands clasped and pressed against her bosom.
“You both have made my dear romantic heart flutter with joy.”
I looked down and shook my head, my face on fire.
“Take care of each other,” she said. “And I will let you know the moment I hear anything about the slayer. Have your night, Cassius. We will speak later.”
He kissed her cheek before leading me back to his car.
“Why did you have to fucking kiss me in front of her? Ever heard of discretion?”
In answer he kissed me again, laughing.
It was a decadent indulgence to be with him so intimately. After so long denying it and fighting it, to cuddle and kiss him, to make love was overwhelming and addicting. I could touch him because he wanted me to touch him. He could touch me because I craved the feel of him.
The second he shut the door to his apartment, I gave into impulse and jumped. I shoved him against the wall before falling to my knees. He grunted and ran his hand over my hair as I swiftly undid his pants and freed his cock. He thickened quickly even before I got my mouth on him. I loved his taste, the power I had as I worked my mouth on him. I had an ancient vampire at my mercy, and I was going to enjoy every second of it. I knew he’d give it back to me tenfold and the thought caused my stomach to flutter and my own cock to harden. I cupped his balls and massaged them in time with my sucking.