The Blood Covenant: Book One of The Medici Warrior Series

by Emily Bex

  Kate shrugs her shoulders, “So, he’s like a bodyguard then.”

  “Si. In your mortal world, you would call him a bodyguard. I think you will find he is more. That is why you must choose. We will go to Castello, I will select from my best warriors, and you will choose among them. A protector will stay with you for life. He will be an extension of our familia. Understand?”

  Kate remembers the ice-cold fear in her veins as she turned on the light and saw Sabine standing in their bedroom. Their estate is isolated, and although she had never felt afraid of staying here, there have been very few times when there were no workers around who were busy working on the house and staff quarters. The work on the house is almost complete now, the workers will be leaving soon, and she will be here alone. Suddenly, the idea of a protector does not seem like a bad idea.

  “I understand.”

  “Good, then let’s get this done. Get dressed. bel and get something to eat, and then we will leave for Florence. I will call Alec and let him know I have to go back for a few days and tell Tomas to manage things at the Dead House while I’m gone.”

  Kate slides from the bed in the guest bedroom and walks back into their bedroom and stops abruptly. The furniture is destroyed, the window shattered where the beast tossed Sabine to burn in the sun, the carpet and walls are splattered in blood. She steps over the wreckage and heads to the walk-in closet. The shotgun is still laying on the floor. She pulls the nightgown over her head and dresses in jeans, a sweater and knee-high boots as a shiver runs up her spine. She leaves the bedroom and closes the door behind her. She’ll deal with this mess later. Heading down the stairs to the kitchen, she hears Shade in his office, making calls.

  Kate grabs a pear as she waits for the coffee to brew, the aroma from the freshly ground beans wafting through the room. She is pouring the hot brew into a mug when Shade walks in. “Will we be gone long?”

  “No, two, three days, maybe. You will select a protector, and since we have the staff quarters completed, I can also bring back staff to help run the house.”

  She sips at the hot coffee, “Do you think we need staff?”

  “Si, I will bring Gi with me, my man-servant. You recall meeting him, si? And Reynaldo, he is the chef at Castello. When I lived at Castello we would entertain, we invited mortals there, and Reynaldo prepares all the food. And a housemaid, I think. Theresa has been with our family the longest. It would be a promotion for her to go from being one of many to being in charge of Bel Rosso.”

  Kate is silent as he shares this new information. The need for a protector she understands, and Shade’s bond with Gi was evident on her first visit to Florence, but a housemaid and a chef?

  “Lover, I thought I was in charge of Bel Rosso?”

  “Oh si! You are in charge. The staff works for you. What is wrong, bel? I can read your face that you are not pleased?”

  “I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I am wondering what I will do? I mean, if we have this entire staff, what is left for me to do?”

  “Bel, there is much to do. You have the renovations to complete, the gardens in the spring, the staff is here to help you. It is how I grew up. They are discreet, bel. They will live in the staff quarters, they are not underfoot. Did you see them when you were at Castello? No. And yet there are about fifty people working at Castello. Please, do not worry.” He pulls her into his arms. “It will be fine, bel. And you will not be alone here. You will be taken care of. You will come to love them as I love them, si?”

  “And what if I don’t…love them.”

  “Bel, will you give this some time? Will you give them one year? If you are not happy with things in a year, then I will keep Gi and your protector here, and send the others back to Florence. Vampires are safer living within their coven. The numbers will be small compared to my coven in Florence, but as the estate grows, and the vineyards expand, we will need the help and protection of a coven. Will you give me that, mi amore?”

  “That is fair.”

  “Good, now come. Hold onto me. There is much to do.”

  He holds her close as she lays her head on his chest and they teleport inside Castello. He sits her down inside his bedroom. “You remember my room?”

  “I’ll never forget this room, lover. It is where I first fed from you.”

  “I need to arrange a few things for the interview process with the warriors, check in with my staff, and let them know we have arrived. Will you be fine here?”

  “Yes, I’ll be fine here. I'll just stretch out on the bed and rest while you're gone... jet lag... or teleport lag. It makes me a little dizzy.”

  She sits on the bed and looks around this room where they were bonded, and she notices the large oil painting of Adriana has been removed.

  He chuckles as he kisses the top of her head. “You will get used to it, I promise. Don’t wander please. I don’t want you to get lost. Now listen to me! There is a walk-in closet over there on the left. It has been filled with clothes, shoes, jewelry, everything in your size. You can use my bathroom. The top drawer on the left is filled with your favorite things... perfumes, bath salts and make-up. You are now lady to the master, and you will need to present yourself as such. My warriors will definitely be checking you out.

  Kate walks to the closet which looks like he emptied out every designer shop in Italy. “How should I dress? What should I wear to meet your staff, and for the interview?”

  “Not formal. Not casual. Something in between, perhaps.” He kisses her softly. “I must go. There are things to arrange. I will be back shortly. Just call, I will come if you need me.”

  Kate is looking through the closet at the seemingly unlimited options, “Take your time, lover. This dress selection may take a while.”

  “One other thing, bel, the staff here, the warriors, they will all address you as ‘my lady.’ That is your correct and respectful title. If anyone refers to you as Kate, they will lose their head, for that is disrespectful to you and me.”

  “My lady? Seriously?”

  ***

  He chuckles at her response. “You will get used to it. Now I must go. Enjoy your new luxuries. I have done this all for you.”

  He turns to leave the closet when she reaches out, grasping his arm, “A kiss before you go?”

  “My pleasure.” He lifts her off her feet, kissing her passionately. “Damn, you drive me wild, and I love having you here.”

  Kate wraps her arms around his shoulders as he lifts her up. “I will follow you anywhere. Now go, finish your work. I’ll be fine.”

  “Si, but you do not make it easy, mi amore.” He kisses each cheek before turning and walking out of the room and downstairs to find Gi and Marco to get this show on the road.

  ***

  After setting up the meetings, Shade has met with Marco, his Second-In-Command inside the warrior camp to help select the five warriors who are candidates for the role of protector. He has reviewed their performance history with Marco, as well as their skill levels, and selected only his best warriors. All of them were raised in the Medici camp and are loyal to Medici. He has given the five warriors their instructions, and he knows Gi has the conference room prepared. All is ready to go, he just hopes bel is up to this and can choose from the five he has hand selected for her protector. The warriors know the conditions if they are chosen and what will be expected of them and have all agreed to this high honor if they are selected. Before he heads back to Castello to begin the interviews, he has one more piece of business to attend to.

  “Marco, tell me about Cory. He is fitting in, si?”

  Marco beams at him, “Shade, I have to admit, I had my doubts about this one. You have sent me some straggly pups over the years, and this one was one sad specimen when he arrived. Never seen such a scrawny vampire before. But he took to the feeders, and Reynaldo made sure he was eating human food as well, and he looks like a healthy mortal now. He has been working hard. The warriors were skeptical at first, but I expected that. He made custom le
athers for Luca and Marcello, which made all the others get in line. And Raven? Not sure giving Raven the option for custom leathers is a good idea, brother. He looks like a fucking magician instead of a warrior.” Marco shakes his head.

  Shade laughs out loud as an image of Raven flashes through his head. That vampire always had a flare for the dramatic. “Little fucker is fast though, got to give him that. Hell, I don’t care what he wears as long as he gets the job done. And where is Cory now? Where did you set him up?”

  Marco points in the direction of the barracks. “He bunks with the warriors, but he has his own workshop in that room on the end. Easy to find, it’s the building with the warriors standing in line, waiting for him to take their measurements.”

  Shade slaps Marco on the back and heads out to check on Cory. The warriors standing outside Cory’s workshop see Shade approach and all stand at attention. He nods at them, tells them at ease, and enters the crowded workspace. Cory has stacks of quality leather, purchased from the best shops in Florence, mostly in black and brown, but he sees a few stacks of bright colors. Cory is busy taking measurements on one of the warriors and recording everything in a book. He has an industrial sewing machine and a large work table with handmade patterns stacked to the side, and the instruments of his trade scattered about. Cory looks up in surprise when Shade enters, and the warrior stands at attention. Shade dismisses the warrior, asking to have some privacy with Cory. The warrior quickly exits, and Shade takes a chair, kicking another chair out for Cory.

  “Take a seat, son. Tell me how things are going for you.”

  ***

  Cory is stunned that his master has come to visit him. He honestly thought once he was here Shade would have pretty much forgotten about him.

  “Master, I can’t even tell you how much I love it here. I stay busy all night. Every warrior here wants custom leathers. And I do repairs for them as well. I have a feeder. I could never afford a feeder at home, and most of the street kids were as malnourished as I was, so feeding from them did little to sustain me. I would hunt, but I was never really trained to hunt, so that was not always successful either. And no one feeds from me now. I did as you commanded, master.”

  Shade reaches out and puts his hand on Cory’s shoulder. “I am proud of you, son. Marco says you are doing well, and the warriors accept you here. You have any problems, you call me, understood?”

  Cory beams at him, glowing in his praise, “Yes, master. I don’t know how I will ever repay you. For the first time… I feel like, like a family. That I am part of a family.”

  Shade smiles at him. “You repay me by working hard, changing your life, upholding Medici values. You look good Cory, healthier, stronger. Now, I have other business here to take care of.”

  The boy is still frail by vampire standards, but he has clearly put on weight, his color not so pallid and the dark circles gone from beneath his brown eyes. His dark hair still hangs long and shaggy, but not unkempt. His face is still boyish and slightly feminine in appearance, making him more pretty than handsome.

  Shade stands, and Cory quickly stands up next to him, as Shade towers over him, giving him a bear hug and a couple of hard pounds on his back with his closed fist before turning to leave.

  Cory stands in the doorway of his workshop as he watches his benefactor stride back across the training field in the direction of Castello. He examines the flood of emotions he feels; pride, definitely pride in himself. And affection, for the man that picked him off the street and most likely saved his life.

  ***

  Shade heads back to Castello. He needs to go over a few things with Kate before they begin these interviews. Heading into the bedroom, he calls out for her, and laughs to himself. Clothes are strewn everywhere, and it looks as though a tornado went through. That’s my bel! Smiling to himself, he likes this feeling of having her here.

  “Bel, where the hell are you?”

  ***

  Kate calls out from the closet. “I am almost ready! I think I tried on every dress. I am so nervous, I hope this is appropriate. I was so unsure of what you wanted.”

  She chose a simple but classic red sheath dress with a scalloped hemline, black patent leather heels, and a pair of ruby and diamond earrings.

  “Just come out, mi amore, I am sure you will be fine.”

  Kate steps from the closet, her hair down, her make-up done, wearing his favorite red. “Here I am, is this okay? I can change if you don't like it.”

  ***

  He looks up as she walks out, her posture is regal, and she walks already like the queen of his heart. She is stunning, and she knows how the red lights him up! How the fuck will he be able to concentrate while she wears this?

  “Bel... I... you look beautiful! The dress, and the jewels... cazzo, you are stunning!”

  Kate sighs in relief. “You have no idea. Well, I guess you do since every dress is out of the closet and strewn across your bedroom. I am happy you approve. Now please, tell me what to do. I am so nervous.”

  “First, you get a kiss for being so beautiful and pleasing me so very much.” He walks to her, sliding his hands around her waist and kissing her softly. “Cazzo, you are so beautiful! Now I am going to give you some instruction. I have chosen five warriors to meet with you, like an interview more or less. I have already drilled them on their responsibilities and they have all agreed to them. You need not worry about such. I wish for you to ask them questions, just get to know them. Get a feel for them. You will meet them one at a time and then make a decision. It is a very high honor for them. I am not only master here, but one of the few remaining royal bloodlines in the vampire community. To be selected as your protector is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a warrior, but also, you must be able to get along with him, trust him. Go with your instinct, I will approve any of the five you chose. It is important to me you like him. I think if you just go with your gut, you will make a great choice. Understand?”

  Kate wrings her hands, “What... What do I ask them? I don't know anything about warrior skills.”

  He smiles down at her. “Has nothing to do with their skills. I have all of that covered. I have selected only my best warriors as candidates. Ask them about themselves, if they have family, what they like to do, if they like music. Find out who they are, you will be spending much time with whoever you select. Relax, please. They will be much more intimidated by you than vice versa.”

  Kate looks surprised. “Intimidated by me? I doubt that. But I think I know what you are asking of me You will stay with me, of course?”

  “Si, I will never leave you alone. At least until one of them is appointed. Now come, we must go, they wait for us.”

  Taking her arm, he leads her down the long marble hallways and feels all eyes on them. None of the staff is visible, but he feels them watching from their hidden perches to get their first glimpse of his mate. He puffs out his chest, his stride is strong, and he feels like he will burst with pride at the beauty on his arm.

  ***

  Kate’s heart is beating fast as she allows him to lead her through these hallways. She feels like she’s the one being interviewed. Thank goodness he is with her. She draws strength from him. He is confident, in his element, and it shows. She will try and mirror his confidence, to be what he needs her to be. She holds her head up high and tries to keep up with his bold stride through this palace.

  As they come close to the conference room, Gi is standing by. Kate remembers his kind face from her first visit.

  “Good Evening Gi, you, of course, remember my mate, Katherine?” Shade releases her arm and places his hand lightly on the small of her back, watching as Gi bows low and smiles at her.

  “It is a great honor, my lady, to have you back within the walls of Castello. We are all pleased to see our master so happy and we wish to be of the utmost service to you while you are here. Please call upon me personally if there is anything you need, my lady.”

  Kate nods to Gi as Shade steps beside her,
taking her hand. “Kate, Gi is the majordomo here, head of my house and the entire working staff. He served my padre in his younger days and has seen me grow to be the vampire I am today. I have already spoken to Gi today to inform him that he will be coming back to Virginia with us, and he is to select from the house staff someone to take over his position here.”

  Kate immediately likes him. He has a warm smile, and he is clearly fond of Shade. “Gi, may I call you Gi? I only saw you briefly when we were here before. And I look forward to hearing more about your time with Shade growing up. Something tells me you will have more than a few stories to tell.” She returns his warm smile.

  ***

  Shade observes her as she takes his manservant in stride, he can feel her relax a bit and he can tell she likes Gi. They will get along fine, and he will make her life much easier and more comfortable when he returns with them to Bel Rosso. Gi opens the conference room door for the both of them, and Shade leads her inside and waits for the reaction.

  Kate steps into the massive room, turning her head in all directions to take it all in. “This is your conference room? Lover, there are Fortune 500 companies that don't have conference rooms this big!”

  The long room is filled with a massive oval conference table polished to a high sheen that will easily seat fifty people. But most impressive of all are the walls. Each of the four walls has been painted in frescoes depicting Florence or the Tuscan countryside. She walks over to the walls and sees a signature in the corner. She squats down for a closer look… Vasari. A painter from the Renaissance period, and he was here, in this room, painting these walls. Kate realizes that even among art historians, this work exists here unknown and unseen by the mortal world. She stands and turns to look at him.

  Shade smiles widely, knowing she recognizes the artist. “It is very old, and many historic things have been decided in this very room. Now, I have young warriors ready to meet you. So, come, let me settle you down, and I will call in the pups.”

  He takes her hand and leads her to a chair at the head of the huge table, pulling it out for her and making sure she is comfortable. Leaning down, he kisses her softly.