The Blood Covenant: Book One of The Medici Warrior Series

by Emily Bex

  She feels her eyes burn with tears that want to fall, but she will not let him see her cry again. She closes her eyes and kisses his sweet mouth, before tucking her head into his neck.

  “I love you more than life.”

  “It is okay, I know you hurt, it will pass with time. But this was my bambino as well. We must push through it. We are together, and we will fight this together, if we do not, we each lose the other and by fucking hell, I will never lose you! Now sleep, I am tired, I am here, I love you, nothing will touch you, and when I come home tomorrow night, you will feed. It will make you feel better. Because we both need this, we will fight, we will win, and in the end, our love will conquer.”

  She clings to him as she hears his words. She will not drag him down, she will not. And she can't lose him. Losing the baby was her worst hell, but losing Shade, it is unthinkable. A pain she could never bear.

  “Yes, lover…sleep.” Her head on his chest, cradled in his arms, she feels him slip into his death slumber.

  91

  Rissa keeps looking over her shoulder. She is used to the photographers, they seem to cling to Alec more than her, but tonight, as she does her socializing without him, they are following her. Her gut is telling her something is not right, and she has learned to trust her instincts. She is used to their celebrity status in this town. They worked hard to craft their reputation, and it is a part of who they are. She and Alec are the darling couple of Washington politics, and many eyes are always upon them, so she tends to not pay much attention to the cameras and phones pointed in their direction. Hell, she works it to their advantage, always doing the right thing, wearing the right thing, and saying the right thing. Her vampire runs this damn town and before long, the whole world would know his name, and hers.

  As the night wears down, she begins to notice the paparazzi thinning out. There is nothing unusual about that since Alec isn’t with her. But there is one guy she has never seen before, and he looks out of place. He wears a ball cap low over his eyes, sunglasses, and dark clothing. His scent is unique. She tries to concentrate on him, but he would appear and disappear so quickly in the throng of those around her, she could never get a good look at him. Making her last stop of the night, she needs to run into the fashionable night spot and make an appearance for a friend.

  Rissa enters the club, and the music pounds her. She takes a drink from a passing waiter and holds it in her hand, chatting with her friend, making sure the crowd sees her. There is no Midnight available, so she pretends to sip at her drink. She doesn’t want to seem in a hurry, this party is an important gig, and Rissa needs to make some contacts. She stays for about an hour, making the rounds then making her excuses, always explaining that Alec is waiting for her, and of course, they understand. Hell, most of the women turn green with envy at the mention of his name and she loves it, loves their jealousy. He belongs to her and there is no way in hell they will ever have him, but she knows there are plenty of women who see Rissa as a way to get to him. Stupid bitches, not a chance in hell.

  Exiting the night spot, the suspicious photographer appears out of nowhere, clicking away, close to her, blinding her, and she stops dead in her tracks, lifting her arms in a defensive manner against anything that might attack. He is vampire, and suddenly, all her instincts go into overdrive. It happens in a flash and then he is gone, no trace of him. Was he after photos, or was he after something else? Rissa brushes it off, and files it away, reminding herself to be on guard.

  She teleports home and decides not to mention this to Alec. It was, after all, nothing. And she doesn’t want any restrictions placed on her schedule.

  ***

  The next day, Rissa runs from one appointment to the next, her day goes by fast, but she is constantly on alert, her senses tuned for anything suspicious. The night before has her unnerved, wondering what the hell that vampire was doing so close to her. As the work day comes to an end, she heads for the gym. Working out is her way of relaxing, releasing some energy while building her body and keeping strong for most anything, but especially for sexual activities with Alec. He likes her sleek and firm, and she has to be able to handle his sometimes-unusual sexual appetite. He isn’t one to take anything easy, much preferring to push the limits of what she can endure, and she loves it.

  Kickboxing is one of her favorite exercises. It is fun, and it works out her whole body, makes her sharp and above all, gives her time to think. Wrapping her hands, she goes after the bag next; punching, kicking, and taking out her anger and stress on that bag. She is in a public gym, so she has to hold back her strength so as not to draw the attention of mortals.

  Next, she does a one-hour spin class, pushing her body. Getting ready to cool down, she glances at the clock and realizes it is past 10:00 p.m. and she has been here for hours. She feels like she could go longer, wants to go longer, but knows she had better get home soon. Alec will wonder what the hell she is up to. Not bothering to hit the showers, she gathers her things and heads home.

  ***

  Alec can sense that Rissa is ill at ease. She’s not angry or afraid, but something is bothering her. He tunes in to her, reaches out to see where she is, picking up an image of her working out at the gym. He can feel something definitely has her worried. The gym is her outlet. He needs to talk to her when she gets home. After the conversation with Shade, this coven seems much larger, much more organized than they had originally thought. They don't seem to care if their activities are exposed to mortals, and there is nothing more dangerous than a vamp who likes to flaunt his prowess in front of mortals. Rissa needs to be on guard. Hell, they both need to be on guard.

  92

  Waking from his death slumber, the sun has not yet set. Shade gets up, dresses, ready to get back to the streets. Before heading down to the bunker, he stands beside the bed and looks at bel. She is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, and he knows he needs to wake her and tell her he is leaving. Softly kissing her cheek, he slides his hand over her breast and whispers in her ear.

  “Mi amore, I need to go, I won’t be back early. Luca is here, bel. Call if you need me. Ti amo.”

  Kate is pulled from her sleep as she hears him whisper his goodbyes. “Then be careful, please, come back to me. I love you, Shade. I need you.”

  Her response irritates him, and he knows he is over reacting, but the words are out of his mouth before he can think.

  “Have faith in your damn warrior.”

  Walking out of the room, it ruffles him that she thinks he will get hurt or not come back. Fuck, he would drag his body home to be with her. Slamming into the bunker, he loads up with weapons and yells at Luca.

  “I’m out Luca. Get your ass to my mate!”

  Teleporting out to the Dead House, he is more than ready to rip the fuck out of something this night.

  ***

  Shade leaves her, and she feels his anger. Kate knows it is not directed toward her. She knows he suffers in his own way. This bed, where they have shared such passion, feels so cold to her now. He does not touch her in the same way. He holds her like a fragile china doll. She slips from beneath the sheets where, only seconds ago, he laid beside her, and she returns to the nursery.

  This room was meant to hold such joy but seems to be the only place she can let go of her pain. Someone has made the nanny’s bed where she spent the night. Most likely it was Theresa, so the staff knows she comes here to grieve. Kate climbs atop the twin bed, draws her knees up to her chest and lays her head on her knees and lets the tears flow, pent up tears held back since Shade arrived home. She weeps for the loss of their baby, and she weeps for the loss of Shade, for the loss of them as a couple, as they used to be.

  ***

  Luca hears master up even before sunset, already in the bunker and preparing to leave, and his agitation sends out vibrations it is so strong. He is yelling at Luca to get to her.

  “Yes, master.”

  Luca walks up the stairs and heads for their bedroom again, only to find the r
oom empty. He doesn't need to look for her tonight. He knows exactly where to find her. He walks to the nursery and sees her on the bed and hears her soft sobs. Master would never have left her like this. She is hiding her grief from him, as he hides his from her. He steps inside the room and she looks up at him. They lock eyes, but they do not speak, and then she puts her hand on the chair by the bed, indicating she wants him to sit there with her. He walks over and sits in the chair, facing her.

  Kate watches his face as he crosses the room and sits next to her and waits. He will wait in silence for her to speak. And then she does.

  “I feel like I am drowning and everyone around me is just watching me sink, helpless to save me. He can't save me, Luca. I have to save myself. I will either pull him under with me or he will have to break free of me to save himself. Am I losing him, Luca? I tried so hard to mask my pain while he was here, but he barely stayed through the daylight. A few minutes of his time before his death slumber, and then he wakes before sunset and leaves me.”

  “My lady...Kate...he grieves in his own way. I assure you, you are not losing him. I have known him my whole life. You know our history. There is no one I respect more, love more. In all of my life, I have never seen him as happy, as devoted, as he is with you. He finds his strength in you.”

  “But not now, Luca. He finds no strength in me now. I am lost somewhere in the darkness and I can't find my way back. I want to go back. I want to get back to us, and a time when I could smile and laugh, and it didn't take everything in me to do it.”

  “That comes with time, Kate. This is all so fresh. You both need time to heal.”

  “But in the healing... There is so much pain in the healing, and I get so afraid we will never get back to where we were. I bear so much of the blame.”

  “There is no blame, Kate. You can't carry that around. This is no one’s fault. You lost your baby. You had no control over that.”

  “But it is my fault. It is my fault I was even pregnant in the first place. I wasn't doing anything to prevent a pregnancy. I assumed, since he was immortal... I don't know, I assumed nothing could happen. He was angry when I told him. This was not what he planned for us. And then, I learn once I'm pregnant a mortal/immortal pregnancy is high risk, so even from the beginning our baby...” Tears stream down her face, “Stupid, stupid decisions. I put us in this place. I lost our baby, and I put Shade in this place. Tell me how that isn't my fault. Tell me how he will not see it as my fault.”

  “Kate, I watch him with you. I know him, and I can tell you, he is carrying this entire burden on his own shoulders. His need to protect you overrides everything else. I watch him when he is angry or frustrated with you, and it dissipates in minutes. He can't even hold onto that. His love for you consumes him. Be patient with him. You both just need time.”

  “I can be patient with him, Luca. I can wait a lifetime for him if I have to. I fear he will get tired of waiting for me. Get tired of the drama. I try to fit into his world, but he still shields me from so much. I think his life was much simpler before I came along.”

  Luca smiles slightly, “Simpler, maybe, but much lonelier. I assure you Kate that he will always choose a life with you in it, regardless of the drama. You can never appreciate the isolation and loneliness of a warrior.”

  “Are you lonely, Luca?”

  He holds up both hands and laughs, “Oh no, you are not going to make this about me.”

  She giggles at his response. “I'm going to find you a girlfriend, Luca.”

  He stands up and starts backing out of the room. “And on that note, my lady, I'm leaving. Call me if you need anything.”

  ***

  She watches as he leaves the room, and realizes she has a smile on her face. It slowly fades as the pain creeps back in and grips her heart. She lies down on the bed, holding the bear, and lets the hours pass.

  93

  The warriors span out, taking their assigned quadrants and providing cover for the city. It is the easiest way to monitor activity against the fucking rogues who just pop up with complete unpredictability, then kill and leave their drained victims on display. Shade stays in the Dead House, monitoring his crew and directing their movements for hours, and he is getting more edgy by the minute. None of this makes any fucking sense to him. Who the fuck are they? And why the hell didn’t Alec know them?

  Shade has well over twenty warriors on the streets, and not a damn one of them can get a strike. It is so fucking random, and whoever these Aries rogues are, they are keeping well-disguised. It is cold here. It is snowing hard and everyone is bundled up like fucking Eskimos. He has whipped Alec’s crew into good warriors, not like his, not exceptional, but decent and they should be able to smell out a vampire five miles off, but they can’t.

  He sent them out in teams of three. Two to hunt, one to bring back the dead bodies left behind. If even one body was found by the mortals, Alec would have his head, not to mention, they all risk being exposed. The longer he is shackled up inside the Dead House, the worse his attitude gets until he bolts out alone. Nothing is going to fuck with him tonight. He is ripped, emotionally ragged, and ready to take them all on, if he could find them.

  He scans for miles and miles and begins to think this will be another wasted night for him when he decides to hang out on the edges of Georgetown. Nothing seems to be happening in this grid closest to Alec, and that also has him confused. Shade personally comes down here every night to check it out for a few hours before sunrise. He is determined to figure these bastards out, if it is the last thing he ever does.

  As he lights up a smoke, Shade drops down to street level. He walks among all the pretty people who have more fucking money than sense in this damn town. He hates it here. D.C. is not Florence, and he would not have stayed if it was not for bel. She is the only damn thing keeping him here right now, and he isn’t sure he can even hang onto her anymore. She is in a place he can’t reach, lost in pain he cannot fix. Then his eyes catch something, stragglers that look out of place here. They aren’t blending in, and he knows in his gut they are rogues.

  Instinctively, Shade calls for backup to surround this area, but he isn’t waiting for anyone to get here, these rogues belong to him. There are four of them wearing sweats and hoodies, looking like wanna-be gangsters and totally out of place in this upscale neighborhood. They are clearly stalking and hunting when they get a whiff of him, and the battle begins.

  He draws them into an alley, away from the crowds. Things move fast, and the rogues are quickly all over him. He relishes in the adrenaline rush of battle, the speed, the alert and focused mind, and his skill with weapons. He takes two of the rogues out, removing their heads with a single swing of his sword. The other two play cat and mouse, stay with him, trying to circle him. You fucking little pups, you will not wear me down. Then he feels the sudden pain as a shuriken slices into his arm. Shade doesn’t stop or even look down. He lets his anger and pain fuel his fight as he nails the rogue through the heart. Suddenly, his own warriors are surrounding them, and there is only one lone rogue left.

  “You are mine, you scum sucking piece of shit!”

  Shade’s warriors make a seething, hissing circle enclosing them, as the rogue stands speechless.

  “Full of fight until you are confronted by real warriors, is that it? Talk and you will come out alive. Keep fucking with me and you will die like your compadres.”

  The rogue comes at Shade at a blistering speed, invisible to the mortal eye, and yanks on the shuriken sticking out of his arm. Shade screams from the pain, and tries to grab the rogue’s neck, but the rogue maneuvers out of his grasp. Shade does a backflip and slams his fist straight into the rogues’ chest cavity, ripping out his heart and squeezing it in his hand until it oozes through his fingers. The rogue stares back with a look of surprise, as Shade holds his beating heart in front of his face, in that split second before the rogue drops dead to the street.

  Shade rips the clothes off the rogues back to discover the Aries
tattoo.

  “Get these bodies off the street and take their asses back to the Dead House. I need to get home. Call in the rest of the warriors for the night, the sun will be up soon, so we are done here. I need to rest, as do all of you. We will have the same schedule for tomorrow night. This is how we hunt where I am from. So, take heed and get it done!”

  Teleporting home, his arm is damn near useless until he can extract this fucking shuriken from it.

  Shade stumbles in through Luca's entrance from the patio, to see him waiting and pacing. Luca could feel that something had gone wrong. As he makes it inside, Shade just looks at him.

  “Need your help. Shuriken lodged in my arm. Fuck!”

  Shade slides down to the floor. He feels like shit and the adrenaline is wearing off.

  ***

  Luca knows he is in pain and he has lost some blood. Luca cuts off the jacket around the shuriken lodged deep into his bicep. Luca shakes his head, looking at the jagged saw-tooth teeth of the shuriken lodged deep in the tissue.

  “This is going to fucking hurt.”

  “Yeah, just do it, Luca. I need to get to bel, I need to clean up. I need to sleep.”

  Shade lays his head back and braces himself for the pain, but Luca appears to be stalling.

  “What are you waiting for Luca? Just fucking do it!”

  Luca winces, “Shade, you have already started to heal around the blades. I will have to rip it free, one stroke, then bind it up quickly until you heal.”

  “Do it!”

  ***

  Shade feels Luca’s hand around the blade as his other hand is pushed hard against his shoulder, bracing him for the pain. The pain screams up his arm and into his neck as Luca rips the shuriken free, making Shade’s head spin, as the shuriken tears through the muscle.

  “Master, let me help you up, you need to bathe before I can bind it, come on.”

  Luca hoists him to his feet. He cannot believe this has happened. Kate will flip out if she gets any signs of this, but at least master should heal before the next sunset. Luca helps him to shower, stands close by and lets Shade clean himself off, helping him as much as he can. Luca can tell he is feeling better just washing away the grime, stench, and blood from his body.