by Maya Daniels
And that’s what he was. A master.
“I’m no one to tell any of you what to believe, Andrei. My own beliefs are based on facts, what I have seen with my own eyes. Not on some fantastical story about people being cursed or reborn.” Shaking my head, I curl into a ball, stretching the fabric of the t-shirt to its limits with my knees. “All I know is that if I don’t get out of here, I’m going to die. Regardless of all your promises that no one will hurt me. Your protection, from what I understand of that story, comes with a price.” The damn tears well up again and I swipe at my eyes angrily. “That price is my life, no matter how you look at it.”
“He spoke the truth.” Andrei’s eyes soften. “With you so close to me now, I can feel the pull of your blood through my bond with Sebastian. It is you we’ve been searching for all this time, April. I swear it on my immortal life.”
“Yeah, you were searching for me just like the Council. The motivation behind it doesn’t change the fact that you will kill me at the end.” Failing to keep the bitterness out of my voice, I look through the broken window opposite my sofa.
“You don’t understand.” I see him shaking his head in my peripheral sight. “The pull we feel…I’m not sure how to explain it. It’s like an urge. And it’s not to harm you or kill you as you say it. It’s to protect you, keep you safe.”
My whole body freezes at those softly spoken words. The vampire accidentally gave me the leverage I need. If what he says is true, I can exploit that weakness to get the hell out of here. I just need time to think. Mind whirling with options, coming up with ideas and dismissing them just as fast, I don’t look his way. Staying as calm as I can force myself, I do my best to make sure he doesn’t notice the sudden change in me. His phone starts ringing, and I spring from the sofa, head whipping around looking for the threat.
“It’s just my phone.” Lifting it up to show me, Andrei presses a button, placing it to his ear slowly as if not to spook me more. “Sire.”
He listens intently, squinting at something that Sebastian says on the other side. I can hear the master vampire booming over the speaker. Unfortunately, my reaction to the sound of the phone ringing sent me further away from him than I should’ve been. I can’t understand a word that he says.
“You wanted to show your respect to the Council, Sire.” Andrei is staring at the plush rug at our feet. When the reply comes from the other side of the line, his posture changes. Squaring his shoulders, Andrei glances at me quickly. If I weren’t so intent on trying to catch a word from Sebastian, I would’ve missed it. My nerves prickle when the line goes dead, and Andrei lifts himself off the chair.
“We have work to do.”
Snatching me by the arm, he leads me back to Sebastian’s bedroom. There is no point in struggling, he is much stronger and faster than me. I follow him mutely, wondering what turned him from a soft-spoken guy to a drill Sargent. He marches me inside the room, depositing me on the bed. My butt bounces on the soft mattress, and I scoot away from him.
“Stay there!” Eyebrows scrunched up, he gets on his phone again. Whoever he is calling picks up instantly. “I need feeders. Five or six, all female. And I need a dress for a petite woman, something the feeders would wear.” My chest feels tight when I hear those words. He doesn’t look away from me. “I need them all here within fifteen minutes, and they all need to be dark-haired, petite. No blondes or redheads, no large breasts or big curves, am I clear?”
“Andrei…” I have no idea what is going on, but I really, really don’t like the sound of those words. Dread pools like lead in my stomach. He obviously ignores me, listening to the person on the phone.
“I need to explain nothing to you! We are Italian, we like our women dark haired. They better be here before the time is up or I will personally pay you a visit.”
He ends the conversation while the person on the other side is still talking. Swallowing the lump that lodged in my throat, I blink at him stupidly. What the hell happened, and why is he looking at me with anger and fear mixed in his gaze? Summoning all the bravery I have, I move closer to the edge of the bed.
“Andrei, what happened? What is going on?” Reaching a shaking arm towards him, I take his hand in mine. “The Council didn’t hurt Sebastian or Marcus, did they? Why do you need so many women?”
He pins me to the spot, his fingers gripping my hand so tightly I can feel the bones grinding. “We will have a visit from the Council.” My hand spasms in his and now it’s me squeezing him as hard as I can. “I need you to do everything I say, April. You must obey without question or a word. I will hide your presence only if you don’t give yourself away. Do I have your word?”
“Please let me go.” With a last-ditch effort, I try playing on his softer side. “You said you would protect me. If I hide, they’ll never find me. I promise.” I don’t mention that neither will he find me. Better to not remind him of that little detail.
“That’s exactly what I’m doing, April. Sebastian will have my head if you’re not here when he gets back. There is no safer place for you than in this apartment. Promise me you will do everything I say.”
Jerkily, I nod my head in understanding, not releasing the grip I have on his hand. We stand like that until he tilts his head, listening to something. Pulling me along with him, he opens the front door and five women walk in, all of them around my height, with long, dark hair in different shades. Standing among them at the entrance of the penthouse, I finally understand why Andrei told me I’m safest here.
He will hide me in plain sight.
“The dress I requested?”
All five of them turn to Andrei at his words, staring up at him adoringly. I have an urge to grab them by the hair and smack them around. Because of idiots like them, some of us lost families and live in sewers like cockroaches. While we are starving, scraping molded leftovers from dumpsters to feed ourselves, they are visiting monsters, all dolled up. Skin tight dresses, mostly in red but one of them black, barely reach to the middle of their thighs. High ponytails or messy buns sit at the crown of their heads, leaving their necks open. Bruises cover their shoulders and necks, scars from fangs visible, but not as bad as the one I have. The one in the black dress hands Andrei a zipped-up bag she is holding. Snatching it from her hands, he turns his back on them.
“Sit in the living room and don’t move,” he tells them over his shoulder, leading me away.
Letting Andrei drag me away, I twist my neck, walking sideways so I can keep looking at them. Glares and hostility meet me when the vampire has his back to them. Frowning, I stumble, nearly falling on my face. Andrei catches me, scooping me up fast as lightning, and continues walking with a purpose. After depositing me on the same bed, he disappears for a minute, coming back with his hands full of stuff. I’ve seen those being used by my mother, back when I had a family and a life. Sitting next to me on the bed, Andrei turns me so we are facing each other.
“Where did you find these?” Glancing at him through my lashes, I poke around at the makeup he dumped between us with one finger.
“Feeders always carry it with them. They think by painting their face they will taste better.” At my frown, he smiles. “Women always carry makeup.”
“Umm…” My frown deepens, making him chuckle. He lifts my face up with a finger hooked under my chin.
“Women that are not in hiding, I should say.”
“Whatever.” Jerking my face away from his touch, I clench my jaw.
“You don’t need it.” Speaking softly, he starts picking through the makeup.
I sit still, closing and opening my eyes when I’m told. With swift strokes, he wields brushes like a pro. Stunned at the look of concentration on his face, I hope I don’t end up looking like a clown, getting more attention that he expects. When he tells me to close my eyes again, I try picturing the five women sitting in the living room. Some of them had black lines arched at the corners of their eyes, their lips glossy. One of them had barely any makeup on her face if I can
remember correctly.
“Look at me.” Andrei pulls me out of my thoughts. “And I think we are done. Go put the dress on so I can pull your hair up.”
“How do you even know how to do this” Grabbing the bag off the bed, I start walking to the bathroom. “Do you do your own makeup occasionally?”
“No.” He laughs, pointing his finger at the bathroom, reminding me to hurry up. “I paint as a hobby. It’s useful in situations like this. And don’t look in the mirror, not yet.”
“Whatever, I’m not in a rush to see myself as a clown.” Stopping just shy of the mirror, I unzip the bag. A red something, I’m assuming it’s a tank top, swings on a hanger. “They forgot the bottom part.”
“Let me see,” Andrei says from right behind me and an embarrassing squeak echoes around us. “Sorry.”
“Make some noise when you sneak up on me. I’ll die of a heart attack if you keep it up.”
Taking the bag from my hands, he pulls the tank top out. With a grin on his face, he shoves it in my hands. “It’s a dress, so it doesn’t need a bottom part. Put it on.”
“Hell no!” Pushing the damn thing back to his chest, I shake my head adamantly. “I’m not going anywhere dressed in this.”
“They’ll be here any moment. Do you want to die because you didn’t like wearing a dress? Or one of us to die because of it?”
Glaring at him with my teeth grinding, I slowly pull my hands away from his chest, the dress clutched in my fingers. “I don’t want to die because of it, no. I couldn’t care less about the rest of you.”
Andrei chuckles like I just told him a joke, walking out of the bathroom. I told him the truth. I think. I don’t care if any of them die. Especially that arrogant ass, Sebastian. The scent of him when he carried me in his arms fills my nostrils, and my heart skips a beat. What the hell was that? Wondering if they’re doing something to me that is making me insane, I pull his t-shirt over my head, dropping it on the tiles. It takes some maneuvering and wiggling to get in the tank top that is supposed to be a dress. When I finally have it on, I keep pulling at it, but the fabric doesn’t lengthen. It sits barely below my butt.
“Don’t look in the mirror,” Andrei calls out.
“Trust me, I really don’t want to see myself at the moment.”
“Can I come in?” It sounds like he is hovering behind the partly closed door.
“Yeah…I guess”
Still pulling at the bottom of the dress, my feet shift restlessly. Luckily enough, while in hiding, I never forgot to at least take a little care of myself. Shaving my legs and underarms was the only thing I allowed myself to do so I could feel like a woman. A human woman. It would’ve been very awkward wearing this thing if it was otherwise.
The door pushes open, and Andrei stops at the threshold, his gaze sweeping slowly up and down my body. I keep pulling at the bottom of the damn dress. He clears his throat after a few moments and comes closer. I stare at his chest, my face burning for being almost naked here with him. He wraps his fingers around my bare shoulders and turns me around. Without a word, he pulls the hair away from my face, his hands tightening it on top of my head. I didn’t see him holding a brush or anything else, but I wasn’t really looking at him either. Staying quiet, I let him do whatever he is doing.
“All done.” When the pulling on my hair stops, I stay with my back to him. “Come and see how you look.” Circling around me, he pulls me with him in front of the mirror. When I don’t immediately turn to look at myself, he nudges me gently. “Look, bella.”
Reluctantly, I turn to my right. My mouth parts and I find it a little hard to fill my lungs with air. The woman staring wide-eyed at me from the mirror is not me. She looks pretty, thick, long lashes framing her dark eyes. A bronze glow makes her high cheekbones more prominent, giving her an exotic look. Although on the skinny side, her breasts are full, stretching the red fabric. The high ponytail falls over her shoulder down her chest. Only the scar on her neck proves we are the same person.
“This is not me.” I hear my voice, but the lips on the woman in the mirror move.
“I assure you, this is all you. I merely shaded a perfectly painted picture.” Squeezing my shoulders encouragingly, Andrei smiles. His lips freeze the same second, and I feel sick to my stomach. I know what he will say before he opens his mouth.
“They are here.”
Sebastian
Holding tightly to my control, it takes a long moment for me to exit the vehicle. I’ve kept quiet, not trusting even my closest confidants with my secret. After drinking the blood from our matron, my powers have doubled, then they tripled. They kept growing, proving to be challenging to conceal around others. I have lost control many times in the beginning, gaining the reputation of cruelty amongst our kind. It serves me well, but that was not planned on my part. Barely keeping it at bay, it took a long time to keep it at manageable levels. If the Council gets a whiff of it, there will be a battle. Eight to one will be the odds, and not in my favor.
“Having second thoughts?” Khan swishes his robes next to the open door. I can feel Marcus’s anger pulsing through our bond.
“Just building the suspense.” Chuckling lightly, I unfold my body from the leather seat. “I’m sure Andrei can feel me being close, informing our runner that her death is coming.”
“You are a fine male, Sebastian.” Excitement comes off of Khan in waves. “I don’t know why you keep refusing to join us permanently here in America.”
Buttoning the top two buttons of my jacket, forcing myself not to wrench the bastards head off in front of the hotel, I smirk at him. “Ah, Khan. If I am here all the time, who will keep you on your toes when they visit?” They want me close so they can keep an eye on me, but he has no idea how close to being permanently in America I am.
“I’m sure you will do that even if we keep you locked in the Council Towers.” Petting my shoulder like we are old friends causes my fangs to throb in my mouth. If he keeps touching me, I might just rip his throat out.
“Shall we?” Pointing my hand gallantly, I encourage him to precede me into the hotel.
Puffing up his chest, he strides through the doors. Following behind him, thoughts swirl in my mind. I will have to be more alert, not allowing him to provoke me when April is present. That’s another problem, as well. I have spoken the truth to her but now to keep her and all of mine alive, she will have to see a side of me that she always expected. She will see the monster that even the Council fears. There is no getting around it. I’ll just have to smooth things over after Khan leaves. If everything goes well. If not, I may not allow him to depart this hotel. That will flip everything I’ve worked hard to build on its axes.
The door chimes before it slides open. We enter the elevator, the four of us. Khan, his sentinel, Marcus, and me. With a gentle lurch, we start lifting up. The closer we get to the penthouse, the more agitated I become. My fist clenches in the pocket of my pants. Marcus shifts slightly. Sometimes he is too observant for his own good. When we reach the top floor, I’m of half a mind to slather both outsiders before they exit this metal contraption. Marcus clears his throat. Khan glances at him, frowning, but I keep my focus at the doors. They will open any second now.
With a whoosh, the doors slide to the sides, the three of them exiting. I stand rooted to the spot, intently focused on Khan. When he realizes I didn’t follow him out of the elevator, he turns to me with raised eyebrows.
“Problem?” His voice is even, but the threat is evident on his face.
“You keep asking about a problem.” Moving my legs finally, I get in his face. “I’m starting to think you are looking forward to one.”
“Meh, I’m barely just asking.” Waving a hand nonchalantly, he stays facing me. “I haven’t spent enough time around you for centuries to know your…how should we call it?” Tilting his head left and right, he grins. “Mechanics, let’s say.”
It is not a friendly grin. I match it.
“No mechanics, Khan, I ass
ure you.” Walking past him, I stride to my front door. “Just pure instinct.”
I am grateful for the situation that allowed me to have Khan at my back when I enter the apartment. Six females are in my living room. Five looking doe-eyed at me, batting their eyelashes and pushing their shoulders back. One is standing apart from them, looking at her feet. When she lifts her face up, all the oxygen in the room is sucked out. Everything around me fades away, and I finally understand how humans feel when looking at one of us. April watches me warily, uncertainty clouding her wide eyes.
She is breathtaking.
Andrei nudges her closer to the others, and she stumbles, sending an annoyed glare his way. Khan steps next to me, breaking me out of my stupefied state. What in the world am I doing? I’ll fuck up everything if I keep acting like an adolescent.
“Ah, I see you have entertainment, as well.”
Khan sounds delighted, as I knew he would. He focuses on April straight away. My anger comes to a boiling point, and I can feel the control on my powers slipping like sand through my fingers. Andrei whispers something to April, her eyes rounding in outrage or fear. Ignoring everyone, it takes two long strides to find myself in front of her. Snatching her by the arm, I whirl around, walking towards the bedroom. Khan steps in front of me, blocking my path.
“I have my eye on that one. You can pick another.” He reaches a hand for her, but I push her behind my back.
“I hunger for more than just blood. You are my guest, but I have given way too much and been insulted on top of that. For my troubles, this one will do. You can have her after I am done.” Pulling April back to my side, I point at the scar on her neck. It’s worse than any of the others have. “It looks like she can handle rough just fine. The others look too pampered. You are lenient in this country.”
Satisfied with my words, Khan looks at April hungrily. My hand tightens on her arm, making her gasp in pain. “Do not break her. I would like to taste this one as well.” With those words, he moves out of my way.