by C. D. Gorri
Calm, I am not a monster. She would have the choice. I offered my patronage, and that was what I would give her for now.
The Ouroboros Society special, I smiled to myself. She went after Vladek for a reason, and I would find out why. If it was revenge she wanted, I would give it to her. I would give her everything.
My Chosen. Moya krov’ pesnya. My blood song.
2
CHAPTER 2
Carina
“Timeless Possessions will not be permanently damaged, Ivan, and neither will I.”
That voice. It was familiar. I heard it coming from the other side of the room as I slowly blinked awake.
“But Alek-”
“Fuck off, Ivan, leave the boss alone,” someone else spoke, a raspy, huskier sounding voice, followed by what sounded like a slap on another’s shoulder.
“I am merely concerned, moy Knyaz,” the one named Ivan returned.
More slapping of shoulders and a hastily whispered shh. Funny, I knew I should be afraid, but their chatter only put me at ease. Or maybe that was the expensive, crazy, good-smelling cologne that remained in the air and clung to the pillow I was resting on.
I opened my eyes, but the room was dark. Too dark to make out colors, but I could see shapes. The figure of a man standing not too far away. For some reason, I was not afraid. I knew I was with him. The man who’d saved me from dying of my wounds in a ditch in an alley in Newark. Except he wasn’t a man.
Memories of his voice and the promise he’d made me came flooding back. I licked my dry lips and tried to process what had transpired. He was a Vampire. That much had been clear to me before his eyes had started to glow with hunger. And I wasn’t attacked by ordinary thugs. No, I’d been attacked by Werewolves working for Vladek the Merciless.
My hand reached up and covered the spot on the right side of my neck where the Vampire had nuzzled my flesh, then bit, transferring whatever healing agents existed in his saliva or venom to me. I wasn’t sure of the exact physiological process, I only remembered how it felt. Sharp pain that had soon been replaced by white hot desire. So, good. Yeah, it felt good.
Fuck. What have you done, Carina Martin? I closed my eyes. I was no longer dying, but my strength was not fully there yet. I knew the answer to my question even as I thought it.
I’d gone after Vladek, seeking revenge for the crimes he was responsible for against my family, and he sent his dogs after me. I was spunky for sure, but I was no match for a pair of superhuman mongrels. Werewolves who’d had fun treating me like a brand new squeaky-toy.
All I’d wanted was for Vladek to pay for my parents’ murder. Simple, right? Only it wasn’t. Not anymore. I’d believed the man was just another mobster fuck who deserved whatever he had coming, but now I knew differently. He was one of them. A supernatural. Probably another Vampire.
And now I’d gone and accepted the, what did he call it? Oh yeah, patronage of yet another creature I had no chance of escaping from. But for some reason, escape was the farthest thing from my mind.
The spicy scent that I’d begun to associate with the Vampire who saved me seemed to fill my nostrils and wrap around me like a warm blanket. I recalled his breath and the gentle caress he gave me the night before. Truth was, I should be pissing in my pants with fear, but all I could muster was curiosity. And a hefty dose of lust.
Even cloaked in shadows and across the enormous room I found myself occupying, my rescuer looked damn good. I blinked my eyes and shook my head to clear my mind. I felt okay. Tired, but good. Odd, considering I just had the shit kicked out of me.
Wincing against the lingering pain in my ribs, I sat up. Or I tried too. Whatever I did, it was too quickly and I felt a wave of dizziness that had me crashing back on the fluffy pillow that was so not mine. My studio apartment in downtown Jersey City had nothing on this place.
The room I was in was done in ivories and golds. There were actual paintings, not prints or posters, on the walls, heavy polished furniture, and bookshelves filled with what looked like original leather-bound books even in the darkened light.
Clearly, Mr. Hottie McVampire was loaded. This place was simply too rich for my foster care system growing up ass. I wasn’t a snob or the reverse, but this was not my usual kind of digs. Don’t get me wrong. Being the practical person I was, I understood how the world worked.
I liked money, understood it made things easier for the rich and beautiful, I just didn’t have any. Supernaturals were in a different class than the rest of us normals mainly because of their longevity. At least, that had always been my opinion. But maybe it was the money that made all the difference. Shit. I did not belong in a place like this.
“Easy, little one,” a familiar deep voice whispered from close by, “Let me assure you, Carina Martin, you are exactly where you should be.”
Shocked and more than a little surprised that he’d read my mind or picked up on my feelings so accurately, I lifted my eyes to his face. Strong hands gripped my upper arms gently, leaning me forward while he placed another pillow behind my head. The lights brightened slightly as if by magic, but all I could see was him.
His silver gaze was brilliant and clear, focused on my face, which made my breath hitch and my heart skip a beat. I licked my lips, pausing when his eyes followed the movement.
His chiseled features were enhanced by the shadow on his cheeks, and I found myself staring too long. He was ruggedly handsome for someone so finely dressed. Even I could tell the black shirt and jeans he wore were designer.
“How do you feel?”
“Cou,” I cleared my throat, “could I have some water?”
“Of course,” he murmured.
He took a heavy-looking crystal glass filled with ice and water off the end table and lifted it to my dry lips. I was embarrassed to find I had no strength to hold it myself, so I allowed him to minister to me as if I was a child. The icy liquid soothed my damaged vocal cords as it slid down my throat. It felt good.
When I was finished, I looked down, noticing my clothes were gone. A tremor ran through my body as I took in the black robe I wore. It was huge and most definitely belonged to a man. Or a Vampire, I figured as it was his scent clinging to the fabric.
I closed my eyes and allowed my other sense, that part of me which I’d learned to use after years of denial, to roam. Yes, the robe was his. No, he was not just a man. He was so much more than that. Vampire. Protector. Patron. Fate. Mine.
I shivered and opened my eyes, blinking rapidly until his concerned face came into focus. I knew it had only taken a moment to connect with my abilities and get a read on the fabric, but I was not prepared for that bit at the end. Or the certainty that came with that last monosyllabic word. Mine.
“Are you alright? Here, allow me to adjust the light,” he took a remote from the same end table and pressed a few buttons. So, it was not magic then, just technology, and I smiled with the realization as the room grew even brighter.
When I opened my eyes again, I found him looking at me with worry and concern. Touching truly, but I did not know why he should care. I didn’t know him from Adam. The light allowed me to see my surroundings more clearly.
The bed I was in was enormous, bigger than any standard king size, and it had navy silk sheets and a matching duvet trimmed in gold brocade. Rich. Definitely rich. From a girl used to cotton and cheap microfiber it was positively luxurious. I noticed the amused expression on his face and stopped brushing my hands across the top sheet.
“Where am I?”
“My estate. You are safe here, Carina, let me assure you.”
“Am I?”
I might be safe from Vladek, but who was going to protect me from him? The thought surprised me and I looked away from him, afraid he would read it in my face.
“Of course,” he answered, oozing confidence, arrogance, and a blatant masculine sexuality that made my core heat and my pulse race.
His nearly black hair was combed away from his face, but his silver eyes had a har
d glint to them that was more like steel as he studied me.
“You’ll be disappointed if you keep looking at me like that,” I shook my head and looked down at my feet as I sat up, pulling the blanket off.
“Looking at you could never be disappointing,” he frowned and I could see he was fighting something.
Maybe the urge to bite me again? Hunger. Thirst. Yes. It was like I knew how he was feeling, but I had no idea why we should be connected.
“Are you going to-”
“No,” he answered my unspoken question and stood up, running a hand through his hair.
But I knew he wanted to. He wanted my blood. I felt his desire for it, his need, but for some reason I was more turned on than afraid and I had no idea why.
He was breathtaking. Gorgeous. A true predator. Vampire, my mind hissed. And yet I was not afraid. Well, not too afraid. There was something about fear and anticipation though, wasn’t there?
Maybe I read that somewhere. Maybe I was just losing track of reality. He crossed the space between us and took my hands, pulling me to stand in front of him. He was huge. A good foot taller than me, with shoulders twice as wide.
I knew without having to check that every inch of him was hard like iron. Muscles corded his tall frame, and I knew without a doubt he knew how to use them. This was no soft aristocrat. Supernaturals were secretive, but even they had classes and social distinctions among them.
He was a mystery then. Rich, but powerful. Strong, but suave. I didn’t know his past, but he was so familiar to me somehow. Like I had been searching for him my entire life. He was deadly. I needed to remember that one irrefutable fact.
And yet, even as his face grew closer and his focus seemed intent on my lips, I was not afraid. Not until I realized I wanted his lips on mine and the smug bastard seemed to know it.
I shook my head, breaking the spell. He was gorgeous alright. A dark prince charming if ever I saw one. But I was too weak for that kind of thing. Besides, girls like me didn’t do fairytales. Time for proper introductions.
“What is your name again?”
I lied. I knew his name, but I was still trying to work out why I wanted to kiss him so desperately. Why the word mine seemed to flash in my brain whenever he was near.
“My name is Aleksei Delov, but you can call me Alek, Carina Martin.”
“Alek,” I nodded, “I suppose you want to know how I got involved in all this?”
“Yes, of course, but you can rest first.”
“No, let’s get this over with,” I walked past him slowly, pulling my hands from his as casually as I could.
I didn’t want him to see how badly his touch affected me. How much I wanted it. Fuck what was wrong with me. I didn’t believe in fate and I didn’t trust he was not using whatever Vampire powers he had to compel me to feel this way.
“You can freshen up first, Carina. And I swear I am here to protect you. You have my patronage now.”
“You said that already, but what does it mean?”
“We can go over that after you’ve had the chance to shower and dress, to eat something.”
My stomach rumbled, and I bit my lip in embarrassment. Trust the fat girl to be hungry at a time like this. I gasped as he crossed the room in the blink of an eye, catching me when I wobbled unsteadily on my feet.
“I’m too heavy,” I said, and this time his smile was so wide it almost knocked me out.
“You are light as a feather, Carina.”
“That’s the first lie you’ve told me so far,” I said.
“I would never lie to you, little one. You are not heavy for me. Your body is sublime. Perfectly curved as a woman should be.”
His eyes widened as they dropped down to roam my body and I realized the robe had opened to show an indecent amount of cleavage. Instead of covering myself, I allowed him to look, appreciated the fact his eyes returned to mine almost as quickly as they’d raked over my body.
“I’d heard rumors that Vladek the Merciless hated one man above all others, but I didn’t think I’d ever meet him in the flesh.”
“I see,” he bent down and returned me to my feet.
I missed his warmth almost immediately and was glad when his hands rested on my waist. My own hands went to his chest, and I felt his heart beat slow and steady beneath them. And I wondered, not for the first time, if Vampires were alive or dead.
“And what do you know of our dispute?” his voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Nothing really,” I winced as I tried to shrug, “just that he hates you and started a campaign to go after you which is how I got on his radar of course,” I offered.
It seemed pointless to lie. I’d been trying to find a way to attack Vladek for a long time. If this man could get me closer I was more than game. Besides, there was something about him that was entirely alluring. If I was being totally honest I’d admit I was attracted to him. And it was getting worse with every minute I stayed in his company.
“Here,” he offered his hand, and I allowed him to help me walk.
Wobbly as a newborn kitten, I breathed heavily and took small, slow steps with Alek hovering near should I fall over.
“Where would you like to go?” he asked.
“The bathroom,” I said, and raised my eyebrows in exasperation.
Sheesh. Let a girl pee now and then.
“I understand,” he smiled and there was that grin again.
I managed to find the clawed foot of one of the several end tables and began to trip. Maybe it was the sheer animal magnetism radiating off him that knocked me completely off my feet. Or maybe it had something to do with getting my ass kicked. Either way, I was in his arms once more.
Only this time he was not smiling. Brows furrowed in concern and maybe a flash of anger, Alek’s growl rumbled through his t-shirt and my robe. It felt delicious and tempting, altogether dangerous which is why I suppose, I leaned closer and wrapped my arms around his neck instead of demanding he put me down at once.
The Vampire’s growl grew louder as his lips loomed close, and then he was pressing them against mine. Shockwaves of pure undiluted lust washed over me at the insistent pressure of his mouth on mine and soon I found myself opening for him.
He groaned and captured my lips in a kiss that was hot enough to sear my soul, but it was over far too soon. He ended the kiss, lifting his mouth and immediately I missed the warm pressure that was all him.
“Here you are,” he allowed me to slide down his body till my feet touched the floor and leaned forward to open the door to an enormous private bath, “I will wait outside the door in case you need me.”
I nodded my head and closed the door behind me. It was all I could do at the moment. Answers, I needed answers, yes, but first I needed a shower. I paused in front of the mirror, shocked to see the faint yellowish bruises that dotted my skin as I dropped the oversized robe to the tiled floor.
Shivering, I turned the water on as hot as it would go. I would never forget the feeling of being cold in that alley. Not as long as I lived. Thank goodness he found me. There was no way around it. Alek had saved me last night. I hated feeling indebted to anyone, but for some reason this was okay.
Maybe it was because deep down I recognized him. I don’t know how or why. Maybe it was from another lifetime. I only knew my soul seemed happy when he was near.
What was it he said again? He was a member of the Ouroboros Society? A secret Vampire group dedicated to helping normals. Somehow it felt made up. I didn’t really know much about Vampires. Supernaturals had come out into the open, but they were still very secretive. Besides, I never had a reason to dig deeper. Until now.
The hot water felt good against my skin and while I appreciated the job he’d done cleaning me up, there was nothing like a good, hot shower. Twenty-minutes later I emerged from the steaming bathroom with a fluffy white towel wrapped around my body to find a red shopping bag sitting on the bed with a note taped to a cell phone sitting beside it.
Plea
se use this to call me when you are finished dressing. If you need anything in the meantime, let me know.
-Alek
I raised my eyebrows and took in the name of the very expensive boutique the shopping bag boasted. A quick peek inside the large bag told me he had thought of everything. Panties, a bra, even a box with shoes, socks, deodorant, moisturizer, and cosmetics.
Amazing! How was he able to get clothes delivered at this time of night? And so quickly. Still, I doubted they were the right- Well, shit. They were the right size. I was shocked to admit not many people understood women’s figures, and I was a thick kinda gal.
Plenty of thighs and ass on my short frame, but I was in no way lazy. I worked out. Kickboxing and Tae Kwon Do. Not that it did any good against those fuckers who attacked me.
I shouldn’t be surprised though. They weren’t human after all. Werewolves were touchy little puppies. Didn’t like it at all when I called the taller one Fido. Oh well, I never was a crowd pleaser.
I blushed wildly as I lifted the tiny scrap of pink lace that was supposed to cover my privates and the matching demi-cup bra. Never in my life had I splurged on lingerie like that. Who would I wear it for? Besides looking at the price tags, that underwear cost more than my grocery bill for a week.
I bit my lip and shrugged. He’d already bought them and underwear was non refundable. I slid into them despite my blushes, sighing at the superb fit and the way the fabric felt soft as baby’s breath against my skin.
Next came a pair of kickass faux-leather leggings that molded to my curves perfectly. Paired with a thin long-sleeved blouse, I was more than happy with the fit. Both items were black and not fussy in the least. I had to admit they were just my style. Not my price range, but still, I loved the outfit.
Regardless of whether this patronage thing worked out, I was so keeping the clothes. Especially the chunky-heeled, blood-red, steel-toed leather boots. I floved those bad boys and like everything else. They were just my size. When I was finished going through the make-up, I picked up the phone and sent a text.