by Emily Bex
She gently runs her fingers down his cheek. “I have no fear. I know I will be pulled back to you. I will fight through anything to get back to you. Will it change me in other ways? Other than the death slumber and having to avoid the sun, will it change how I feel? Will it change anything for us? How I feel about you? Does it change us?”
He smiles down at her. “Oh si. You will have my skills of shadowing, teleporting, you will remain small because you were born mortal, but you will be much stronger. And you will have a gift. What that gift is, I cannot say. I am a dream-walker, Luca a day-walker. We will not know your gift until you are turned. It will make us true eternal mates and you will feel your emotions much deeper, more intensely. Your vision will be enhanced, and your sense of smell will be greater. The bond between us will be so much more intense in every aspect.”
“More intense? Lover, I can't even imagine more intense. And what is your plan for when this should happen? Does some vampire council have to approve me becoming immortal? What if they say no? Could they keep us apart?”
“This choice is all mine, I am a master. I choose to whom I mate and call home to me. No one can stop me.”
She lays her head against his chest. “And what do you choose?”
“You are mine. I choose you to be my mate, my immortal lover for all eternity and I choose to be your maker and master.”
“And I choose you, lover.”
He tilts her face up to his, “I think you should kiss me and seal this deal.”
She feels his arms encircle her as they kiss. “You have told me everything except when. Do you have any idea of when?”
“Not yet, but soon. You grow stronger as you continue to feed from me. You will need the strength to survive the turning. Now, I say we lay on this couch and make love all night long in front of this warm fire...hmmmm, what do you say mi amore?”
“I say yes."
46
It doesn’t take Luca long to realize he’s on his own to start the installation of the security system when Shade disappears with Kate. He leaps to the red tiled rooftop and scans the property. There is only one roadway into the property, the two-mile-long private drive. All other footpaths and roads on the land are closed loops or dead ends and are confined to the property. He makes sure to position cameras on the front entrance to the house, and the three rear entrances that lead onto a wide patio. He positions another camera so it is pointed at the staff quarters, and the other is pointed at the winery. He teleports to the staff quarters and places cameras to monitor both entrances and does the same with the winery.
Once off the roof, he teleports down to the fenced entry off the main road and installs a camera there. The entire property is enclosed with a white rail fence, except for the section that leads up the side of the mountains. It is a fence that marks boundaries but will not prevent entry. He notices the sign near the entrance that reads, ‘Bel Rosso Vineyards.’ As vampires living among mortals, they have learned over the years the best way to hide is in plain sight. Creating a fortress with a high chain-link fence topped with barbed wire, and lots of No Trespassing signs only makes mortals curious about what’s going on. This vineyard needs to look like all the other scenic vineyards that dot the Virginia countryside, and the winery and vineyards remain open for tourists as do all the vineyards. It is a risk they must take.
Luca places a laser beam motion detector at the entrance to the private road, and another motion detector about two hundred feet in. He knows some people will pull in because they are lost, or checking a map, and have no intention of driving all the way up the driveway. The first detector will alert them that someone has pulled into the drive. The second one will let them know the car did not turn around and move on. He places the other motion detectors around the perimeter of the house, staff quarters, and the winery, but far enough out that the staff will not trigger them in their day to day movement around the property.
When he gets back inside, he sets up the large screen monitor in Shade’s office, which will project a small image from each camera onto the screen. He mounts a second monitor in his suite. The system allows for him to zoom in on any image, and automatically enlarges any image to full screen if a motion detector within that camera’s range is triggered. Once everything is wired, he programs both his and Shade’s cell phones to be able to view any camera, and to receive a text message if a motion detector is tripped.
It is almost sunrise and he hears Shade and Kate on the stairs as the soft whir of the electronic blinds start to close. Luca steps out into the hallway to let Shade know everything is installed and functioning. He knows he will not see him again now until sunset.
Luca walks to the staff quarters to see Gi and the rest of the staff and finds all of their personal items that were flown over from Florence have arrived. Everyone is busy unpacking and getting moved into their rooms. Luca makes several trips back and forth to carry his things. Mostly clothes, books, and art supplies, taking the items back to the suite that will be his living space. He gets things put away as best as possible until he has more furniture in the room and then decides he too will sleep. He used a lot of energy in the teleport from Italy and then completed the security installation. He would like to feed, but master has not given him the details on the feeders here yet, and he does not want to hunt when he is not familiar with the territory.
The electronic blinds darken his room as well, and for now, he will leave them on the same schedule as Shade. He drops his clothes and steps into the large shower stall that has multiple shower heads, hitting him at different angles, and lets the hot water pour over him, massaging his back as the water pounds and pulsates. In Florence, the warriors all showered in a communal bathroom, with a line of showers and low water pressure. Showers were kept short, so you did not run out of hot water. He has never felt a shower like this one, and he takes his time. When he steps out, he grabs a towel that is thick and fluffy and almost as long as he is tall. He dries off and heads for the big king size bed. In the camp, the warriors slept in bunks, single width beds that barely fit their large frames. He lies across the large bed, the mattress firm beneath him, and yet, he feels it conform to his shape, cradling him in comfort. The pillows are down filled, as is the comforter. The sheets are expensive, and have a crisp, clean smell. In all his life, he has never been surrounded by this kind of luxury, living the austere life of a warrior. He does not usually sleep during the day, but the travel and hard work, the hot shower, and a bed that he has decided must be the world’s most comfortable bed, lure him into sleep. He can’t believe this is his. He saw the rooms that my lady prepared in the staff quarters, and he knows she will make his suite equally luxurious. Hell, he would have come here for the bed alone!
***
Gi and Theresa have finished unpacking when Gi tells her they have a job waiting for them in the main house. Theresa is delighted to have been chosen to come to the States. In Florence, she was one housemaid among many. But here, she will serve her master’s mate, just as Gi serves master. She met my lady briefly during both of her visits to Florence. Gi says she is kind and has a soft heart, like Shade’s madre. Theresa has been with the Medici family for two generations now, and with any luck, she will be nanny to her master’s children.
She watched Shade grow up, losing his parents too soon and taking on the responsibility for the warrior camp, and supporting the coven. His success allows all of them to be successful as well, and he is a good and fair master who holds their loyalty. Theresa has watched him over the years with the women he brought back to Castello. Most of them did not last long, much to the relief of the house staff. There were two that lived at Castello for many years that the staff feared would be his choice for a mate. Adriana could be both a regal lady, and a warrior, but she looked down her nose at the staff, feeling her position placed them all so far beneath her. The idea that she would be their queen was almost unbearable. Theresa knew her master had loved Adriana, but for whatever reason, he never took her as h
is mate, and when she died, he was inconsolable for many years.
He returned to his bachelorhood ways of courting many women, and then there was Sabine. Sabine could be hard and hateful to the staff, but never in front of master. She made them all wish for Adriana. Sabine’s darkness engulfed their master, pulling him down with her, and they watched as he changed before their eyes; sullen, angry, his beast easily roused. And the activities in the underground chamber were only whispered about by the house staff, knowing if Sabine or master heard their gossip they would be let go. When master finally broke free of her, there was jubilation at Castello among the staff, but of course, they had to hide their joy at Sabine’s departure.
And now he is mated. Theresa has heard the talk among the staff that she is mortal, and therefore not suitable for the role of their future queen. But never has Theresa seen her master as happy as he is now. She knows how important this would have been to his mother, to find a mate he loved and would make him happy, mortal or not. Theresa is delighted with his choice. The others will come around once she is turned.
She joins Gi in the great room of the staff quarters, ready to tackle whatever project he throws at her. Gi wants to go over some instructions first and asks her to sit.
He sits across from her, “Theresa, I wish for you to work in the main house during day hours. Master will be in his death slumber, and my lady tries to match her sleep schedule to his. In the evenings, master frequently leaves the house to work for master Alec, so my lady is up during the night hours as well. She may or may not need assistance during the night. Perhaps more in the beginning as she is still working on the house. Master has asked that we give her some space as she is not used to having house staff. Their bedroom can be cleaned at night, unless master is home. So, try to keep up with his schedule. Reynaldo has said she is very easy to work for. He says she is chatty and friendly and does not treat him as staff. Today, we need to clean their bedroom, but this is going to be a project.”
He stands to lead her to the main house and she follows behind him. “A project? Master Shade was careless with tossing his clothes about, but never left a real mess.”
“Si. But this is a special circumstance. My lady was home alone, and she was attacked by Sabine. Our master was able to respond in time, and it was a battle to the death. I’m afraid there is little left unbroken in that room. We must clear it out and wash away the blood. Even still, it will require new carpet and repainted walls.”
Theresa’s mouth is hanging open. Master slayed Sabine! If she would not be reprimanded, she would dance a jig. “So, that explains the sudden decision for a protector, and probably for all of us to move here as well.”
“Si. I think once master made the decision to live here, he would have brought some of us over eventually, but this incident just escalated his timeline. Master asked that there be no evidence of Sabine when my lady returns to their room, so we have our work cut out for us.”
Theresa smiles to herself. The prospect of washing away Sabine’s blood and watching it circle down a drain is bringing her great pleasure. The bitch had it coming.
47
Kate is looking for something to wear in a stack of clothing that had been moved to the guest bedroom. Shade is back at the Dead House for the night, and they had been sleeping in this guest bedroom since their return from Florence. He has asked her not to go back in their bedroom until it has been cleared. He has been going back to their old bedroom and bringing out stacks of clothes for her. She gets dressed in a pair of jeans and sweater, and heads down the stairs, joining Reynaldo in the kitchen.
Reynaldo tried setting a place for her in the dining room, but Kate eats at the kitchen counter, seated on a bar stool so she can talk to him. She enjoys his company, as well as his food. As she is wrapping up her breakfast meal, which she eats at an hour most mortals are sitting down to dinner, Theresa enters the kitchen.
“My lady?”
Kate turns to her and smiles. She has seen very little of Theresa since they got back from Florence. Shade was right about the staff being discreet. She never sees them unless she calls for them or seeks them out, and yet, the house remains immaculate, the laundry done, folded, and put away. Reynaldo’s kitchen is clean enough to eat off the floor.
“Theresa, can I help you?”
“No, my lady. Gi has asked that I inform you your bedroom has been cleaned. We worked with the contractor’s and they have installed the carpet you had selected for all the second-floor bedrooms, and the walls have been freshly painted. I have laundered all of the clothing in your closet or had them sent for dry cleaning. The clothing that was in the dressers has also been cleaned. Since the furniture has not yet been replaced, I folded those items and placed them in large laundry baskets. The same for Master Shade. I apologize for the inconvenience, but master was quite clear there was to be…no, uh, evidence.”
“You laundered all of my clothing?”
“Yes, my lady, I hope that is all right.”
“I… it is fine, Theresa. I was just thinking about how full my closet is!”
“Think nothing of it, my lady. The room is ready now for you to furnish.” Theresa bows her head slightly and leaves the kitchen.
Kate slides off the bar stool and climbs the stairs to their bedroom, excited to finish up one of the final rooms in the house. She opens the door and steps into the empty space. The bedroom was already large, and then they had decided, during all the remodeling, to knock out the wall to an adjoining bedroom to create two large walk-in closets, one for her and one for Shade. Unlike Luca’s suite, their bedroom did not have a separate sitting room, but the space they have is large enough to accommodate two large arm chairs along with the bedroom furniture she has selected. The adjoining bathroom has a large tub, designed to accommodate two, and a gas lit fireplace that is open to both the bedroom and the bathroom, enclosed by a glass panel on both sides. There is a long granite vanity with two sinks, and a separate shower stall with a rain forest showerhead. There is a great window in the bedroom that looks out over their property and has a view of the mountains, and a small balcony ̶ too small to accommodate a chair ̶ beneath the window. Maybe she will put some plants out there. She loved this room when she saw it. Now she has to make it theirs. She needs to make this their sanctuary. The place he wants to come home to.
She had already worked with the designers and the antiquities dealers to purchase the items for this space, so it will take no time to wrap this up.
***
Gi has an army of workers organized as they bring in the furniture pieces, an old Bombay chest for her, a large armoire for him, the large hand carved headboard for the king size bed, flanked by nightstands. Two overstuffed armchairs are positioned near the window. One wall in their bedroom is stone, and the other walls are Venetian plaster. Kate has chosen colors in muted earth tones, with furniture that is heavy and substantial, still keeping a Tuscan feel, and making sure the room is not too masculine for her or to feminine for Shade. She is still looking for art pieces, but she is most excited about the fantastic find of the antique hand-stitched wall tapestry.
As the room comes together, she has the workers hang the tapestry over the bed. The colors of the threads are now faded in the ancient tapestry, but the view of a Tuscan estate in the early fall, with rolling hills of green, gold, and brown and the ever-present cypress trees is perfectly proportioned to hang over their bed.
The room looks transformed. This room speaks to her heart, and she hopes it will speak to his. This room holds no memories of a battle with Sabine.
With this room complete, she seeks out Luca and they meet with the designers to plan his suite. She hates that he is living so sparsely and wants his rooms to be a sanctuary for him as well. She picks out pieces that are heavy and masculine. Dark wood tables and a large leather sofa, a softer upholstered arm chair. His room has beautiful large windows and French doors, giving the large space beautiful light and an open feel. All the while, Luca is telling h
er he needs nothing, and she is doing too much. He fears master will not approve. Kate laughs softly, reassuring him that Shade will not object, and somehow, Luca knows it is true. Shade will deny her nothing and will let her do whatever makes her happy. And what makes her happy is taking care of others.
***
Luca looks up to see Theresa standing in the doorway, taking in the flurry of activity. He knows she too is overwhelmed with her good fortune, and the beautiful space she now lives in. Luca has already moved his books onto the book shelves, but his art supplies are stacked in a corner, along with an easel. Kate works with the designers to create a small art studio in an alcove by the window that will take advantage of the natural light. She has the designers build custom shelving for him to accommodate storing canvases and drawers for storing paints and brushes.
Luca understands, as does all the staff, that Kate makes no class distinction. She cringes when they call her my lady, a title she accepts with reluctance. Her familiarity with them, her casual conversation, makes it is clear she sees them as an extension of her family here with Shade. And even though a coven is a family, in the vampire world, there has always been a hierarchy within the coven. Luca has seen enough of mortals to know they too have a hierarchy, of the rich and the poor, the haves and the have-nots. But that is not Kate’s world. She has her own rules, and in her world, everyone is on a level playing field. She is mate to a master, a king, one of the richest vampires in their global community. It is her prerogative to command them at her will, but he sees already she will rule with a soft hand, and the coven will love her for it.