“You were engaged.” He couldn’t hide the shock that news caused. “I understand now, your hesitation with our relationship. It’s because of him. He’s the cause of the broken heart you spoke of. You still love him.”
“Yes.” I was going to be as honest with him as I could. “But not in the way you’re thinking. He was an important part of my life and he’s a big part of the person I’ve become, but I’m not in love with him. Please understand he has nothing to do with our relationship. I want to take things slow, and I want us to know each other. Also, I have to deal with my brother and the fallout from leaving. I feel like I put everyone around me in danger and I couldn’t live myself if anyone got hurt because of me, especially you.”
“I’m not afraid of your brother, and there’s no way I’ll let him take you back to that life, if that’s not what you want. Don’t worry, Sophia, no one’s going to get hurt, we’re all safe.” He was holding me again, but his words were not comforting me. He needed to be afraid; they all should be. But I had been thinking a lot about what to do since I talked to Enoch. I had an idea of a way to keep everyone safe, but I needed to go see a Voodoo friend of mine.
“I know you’re not afraid, but Irad requires caution. I think I’ve come up with a way to settle this on my own, without involving anyone. But I need to take a little road trip to see a friend in Louisiana. I’ll be leaving early tomorrow morning, but I’ll be back tomorrow night.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“Absolutely…but I need to do this on my own.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
I’d been on the road for five long hours on my drive to the Voodoo capitol of the United States: New Orleans. I pulled up in front of a little shop in the heart of the French Quarter on Bourbon Street. Marie Laveau’s home of Voodoo was busy as the tourist moved in and out of the shop. I laughed to myself – if only they knew the true power of the “souvenirs” they bought.
I followed a group of teenagers into the shop, but passed them as they stopped to look at some Voodoo dolls. There was a young man I didn’t recognize at the counter. He smiled as I approached.
“Can I help you?” His Creole-accented voice was smooth.
“I hope so.” I smiled. “I’m looking for Adelaide, is she here?”
“Yes, she’s in the back. Let me go get her.”
“That’s alright, I know my way back there. Thanks.” I waved and headed back through the beaded curtain.
Adelaide was sitting at a round table mixing some herbs.
“Black Sampson. You’re making a lust spell?”
Adelaide’s head slowly lifted from her herbs, her beautiful mocha face and hazel eyes lit by the flickering flames of candle light.
“I don’t believe it.”
“Hi Adelaide,” I smiled wide. I had missed her. I’d been missing a lot of people lately.
Adelaide was in her early thirties, and had learned the craft from her mother, who’s a descendent of the famous Marie Lauvaeu, hence the shop’s name. I’d met Adelaide when I was nineteen and Ash and I had taken a trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. I had been fascinated by the religion and Adelaide had taken the time to teach me a little bit about it.
“Come on, Ash, please? I just want to look.”
“It’s a Voodoo shop, which means one of two things, my bella-amore, either they’re all frauds, which means it’s a waste of time, or they really do practice Voodoo, and most witches and Voodoo practitioner’s don’t like vampires.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you. I won’t let any crazy Voodoo queen hurt my man.”
His laughter was light-hearted and sweet. “Alright, how can I ever say no to you? Besides you know I love it when you call me your man.”
I kissed him softly. “You are my man. Always.”
“And you’ll always be my girl.”
The store was in an old building with a red stucco façade and brown shutters. The shop was busy with tourist much like myself; drawn by curiosity to the unique little shop. I was looking through a large shelving unit filled with herbs, one of which was called grains of paradise. It looked a lot like pepper seeds and smelled a little like black pepper with a floral undertone.
“Grains of Paradise?” asked the sultry, Creole voice.
I looked up at the tall, slender, mocha-skinned woman – she was beautiful, with striking hooded, hazel eyes and a full-lipped smile.
“Ah, yeah it reminds me of a flowery black pepper.”
She laughed. “That is precisely what it smells like. It comes from a leafy plant out of West Africa. It’s quite a sexy herb used in the magics of passion and lust. But I saw you enter with that young man over there and somehow I doubt you need any spells for passion or lust.”
“No,” I flushed. “I don’t suppose we do. We’re pretty well covered in that area.”
“Then what do you seek in my shop?”
“Knowledge, I find this all very interesting, I’d like to learn more.” I stuck my hand out to her. “I’m Sophia Daletsky.”
“I’m Adelaide Lauveau. It’s nice to meet you, Sophia.”
“Well Miss Sophia,” her accent was thick like molasses and beautiful. “I’ve not seen you in a very long time, though I did get a surprise visit from Ash a few months ago.”
I felt my eyes widen. “What did he want?”
She laughed. “You know what he wanted, help finding his bella-amore. Child, don’t you fret none; I didn’t give him no spells or charms to help find you. If you ran, you had good cause. I know that. You two oozed passion and heat, but I always knew that at some point that wouldn’t be enough for you. So what brings you here now? I know you’ve gotten into some trouble with that brother of yours, are you here seeking my help?”
“Yes ma’am, I do need your help. I need to know how to perform a blood claim.”
She raised her brows at me “What kind of blood claim? Over a person or property?”
“Over a town.”
“Oh child,” she shook her head at me. “No one has claimed a whole town in centuries.”
“But it can be done?”
“Well yes, of course it can. Anything can be done with the right Voodoo priestess, and the right amount of power. What are you trying to protect?”
“Power like yours?” I asked, raising a brow.
“Yes Sophia, I have enough power to perform the ceremony, but again, what are you trying to protect?”
“People I care about. Adelaide…I found the ancestor. I want to protect her, but I don’t want her to know. She doesn’t need the anguish the truth will bring her. She doesn’t need to know the truth about why her mother died.”
“Child, you must protect her, this feud has gone on far too long, but do you understand what a blood claim means?”
“Yes, and now I need to know how to do it.”
“You’ll need an old vampire of blood relation, as yours is not pure.”
“So I need Enoch,” I stated.
“Yes, also you’ll need a Voodoo priestess to perform the ceremony,” she smiled.
“Are you willing to perform the ceremony?”
“Of course, but most importantly, your father will need to consecrate the claim after the ceremony is complete.”
Adelaide explained how the ceremony would be performed. She loaded me up with calamus, master wort, dragon’s tears, and few other roots and herbs to complete the ceremony. She was going to meet me at my home in one week, giving me enough time to contact Enoch and get him and my father on board.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
When I got back to the Baikov’s, the house was empty and there was a note written in Dante’s elegant handwriting on the kitchen counter with a lovely red rose laying across it.
Sophia,
Went with Tavian and Sarah to Curley’s. Hope you achieved what you had set out to accomplish for from this trip. Please come down and meet us if you’re up for it or call me and I’ll come home.
I missed you today.
Love, Dante
I smiled as I smelled the stunning flower. I’d missed him too. I didn’t really want to go out and being alone with him sounded really good to me. So, I called him.
“Hi, I just got back. I think I’m just going to stay in though.”
“I’ll come home then.”
“You don’t have to, but I missed you too and would really like to see you.”
“I’m running out the door right now. I’m on my way.”
I laughed softly. “You don’t have to rush. I’m going to take a shower. I need to clean up after ten hours in the car.”
“Mmm, a shower does sound good, how about I come home and join you?” he said seductively.
I couldn’t control the longing that gripped my body at his words. My God, I want him.
“You’re a constant temptation, you know that?”
“As are you my sweet, regardless, I’m on my way.”
“I’ll see you soon then, bye.”
I really needed a shower now…a cold one.
Dante was fast, I heard him pull up as I was getting out of the shower. I put on a robe and walked into the hall. He was coming up the stairs and didn’t stop to say a single word. He just wrapped me up in his arms and kissed me eagerly. The kiss reignited that burning ache in my body. I could smell the desire wafting from him and I knew I was giving off much of the same scent.
“I really did miss you.” He pressed his face against my skin and took a deep breath. “Mmm…you smell so good,” he murmured against shivering, exposed skin.
I just couldn’t hold back anymore. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and pressed hard against him, kissing him with drowning passion. His hands moved all over my body, only the thin, silky material of my robe separating them from my skin. I ran my hands down to his chest and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. I only broke the kiss to move my lips down to his neck. He moaned and lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he pressed me against the wall, seeking out my neck. My head fell back and my pulse pounded as he kissed right over it. He slowly traced my neck with soft kisses as he moved down to my collarbone. I gasped as he lightly nibbled on my sensitive skin. I felt his body respond and harden with every touch, taste, and moan that escaped me.
“Sophia, either you say yes or we have to stop this now.” His voice was husky and slightly muffled as he spoke while still nibbling on my skin.
I hadn’t told him everything I had wanted to before this moment, but I couldn’t deny my body and my heart what it had patiently waited for.
My response was soft but in no way hesitant, “Yes, Dante.”
I was barely through saying his name before we were in his room, a little of his inhuman speed seeping through his carefully placed façade. While holding me with one arm, he slid his free hand down my stomach and untied my robe. I let go of his neck long enough to allow it to drop to the floor. He continued moving his hand down, lingering briefly to stroke my inner thigh; a small whimper escaped me when he stopped to unbutton his jeans. He walked over to the bed, laying me down gently and simply staring at me. I placed my hand on his beautiful face, stroking his cheek.
“My God, you’re gorgeous,” I whispered.
“And you are the most breathtaking woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
It was ridiculous, but I blushed.
He took my hand from his face and kissed it, working his way up my forearm and shoulder, eventually stopping at my neck. My fingers twisted in his hair as my other hand greedily pulled him closer. Once on top of me, he moved from my neck to my collarbone and slowly drew his lips down further, stopping at my breast to softly suckle and caress them with his tongue. My back arched in pure delight. He continued on a path lower and lower down my stomach, kissing and nibbling the skin as he went. He stopped between my legs, lightly sweeping me with kisses on my inner thigh; he drew a line with butterfly kisses to center himself between my legs.
He tenderly licked, separating my tender lips. My arms flew back behind me, grasping the headboard with such force I think I may have heard it crack, but I couldn’t tell. Dante’s tongue created such pure ecstasy in me; I could barely hear anything above the humming in my ears. It was useless to try to focus on anything but the wet, pulsating feeling his tongue created as he stroked my soft flesh and drew small circles, teasing my clit.
“Yes…ohh…Dante…yes,” my words came out in low, panting breaths.
When I thought I wouldn’t be able to take anymore, he moved back up my stomach, stopping when our hips met. He rubbed between my legs slowly, but not penetrating me. Screams were ripped from me with each meticulous stroke of his hard flesh. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight to him. I latched on to his shoulder, biting him to muffle the screams.
“I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I first laid eyes on you. You are so beautiful.” His voice was low and husky, drenched in pure pleasure.
I had no words; the only noises that escaped me were whimpers and moans. He flipped us over where I was straddling him. We moved together as he finally breached my depths. I cried out as he went deeper into me.
“Harder…Dante…Harder!”
He moved deeper and harder in me. Savoring every thrust as he held me tight, kissing my neck between moans of pure rapture. With my back arched, head thrown back, and nails dug in his back, I rocked in rhythm with his body till I was taken over with an orgasm that rocked me from my very core, causing warm, wet bliss to escape me.
I woke the next morning, to Dante gently getting out of bed.
“I’ll be back, luv, I’m famished. Try to sleep a little longer, it’s quite early.” He tenderly kissed me and then left. I curled up, enveloped in silk sheets laced with Dante’s scent.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I got the keys to my new house the next day. It felt a little weird leaving the Baikov home, especially after the night Dante and I had just spent together. As exciting as having my own home was, I didn’t want to leave him.
My new house was only about a quarter mile from the Baikov home. It was built in 1880, in a romantic Victorian style, and sat on fifteen acres. The home was white-washed brick with three large arches that covered the front porch, and an intricately paneled front door. They also created the base for the master bedroom’s balcony. A complex roofline and large picture and bay windows completed the five-thousand square foot house.
It’s beautiful and it’s all mine.
No brothers and no ex’s. Having left everything I owned, aside from a few clothes and a photo album, made moving day very easy.
Sarah, Rachel, and I set out on a major shopping spree, while Dante and Tavian offered to paint inside for me. I told them they didn’t have to do anything, but they insisted on helping. So I let them. I’m not much for painting anyway. After spending a lot of money, and nearly the whole day, picking out four different bedroom sets – one for the master and three for the guest rooms – couches, coffee tables, a dining room set, pots and pans, dishes, and everything else my new house didn’t come with, I dropped Sarah and Rachel off at Sarah’s house. They were going to have dinner with her dad and then Sarah was going back to Dante and Tavian’s. I grabbed some pajamas at my new place and headed back to the Baikov’s. I would be staying there one more night since my furniture wouldn’t be delivered until tomorrow.
Since our homes were so close, I decided to walk. When I reached their long driveway, I was hit with an odd sensation that something just wasn’t right. I felt a brush of uneasiness tickle the back of my neck. I sprinted to the back of the house only to come face to face with one of Irad’s men.
“How odd,” he began, “to not only find your scent here, princess, in the middle of nowhere Georgia, but as I followed it the scent of the Baikov brothers gets stronger as well. I wonder what your brother will say when he hears the news.”
“Why are you here, Hunter?” I demanded.
“Why, Sophia, I am hunting…for you, of course. Irad’s not happy with you. But the scen
ts,” he drew in a long whiff of the air his nostrils flaring, “mingling in this little rat hole of a town are quite curious. Not only the Baikov’s but the ancestor as well. Have you found her?”
“No, and I wouldn’t tell you if I had. This has to stop.”
“Oh Sophia, Sophia, you are lying to me, little princess.”
Crap.
He was right. I was lying about finding her. Hunter moved as fast as lightning; within a fraction of a second he had me in an iron grip, fangs slowing extending, his green eyes swirling and darkening.
“You can’t compel me, Hunter. I won’t help him get her!” I hollered at him but didn’t waste my energy to struggle against his grip.
He smiled a mouthful of teeth and fangs. “I know, but I will get the information from you,” he hissed as he backhanded me so hard I could taste blood.
He was back on me with a fist full of my thick, black hair before I could recover. Hunter was an old vampire and he was strong. I knew Irad wanted to find me, bring me home, but he has an ‘any means necessary’ policy when it comes to finding Sarah, and Irad wouldn’t blink at the news that Hunter had beat it out of me. He could kill me and Irad wouldn’t care…as long as he brought me back as a vampire.
He started to drag me into the surrounding forest. I knew I had to get away, or this wouldn’t end well for anybody. He pulled me back against him, fangs grazing my neck as he moved to my ear and whispered, “I am going to enjoy this.”
“Not as much as me,” I hissed as I pulled my head forward and then slammed it back as hard as I could. He shoved me with one hand as he re-cracked his already healing, broken nose to straighten it. He smiled with a smug, enamored grin.
Blood Claim Page 6