Birth of a Vixen (Shadow Faith Book 1)

by Colleen Tews

  I laughed and gave him another quick peck. “We may just have to duck out a little early.”

  “I like that plan.”

  “I figured as much.”

  “Hey Raphe, where the hell are you man?” A man yelled from further inside.

  “Give me a second. I’m coming.” He called over his shoulder.

  I whispered in his ear, “Not yet you’re not,” and nibbled his ear lobe.

  He tensed and hissed as he inhaled. “You dirty little vixen. That’s cheating. Yeah, we’ll definitely be leaving early.”

  I laughed as we headed down the main hallway with Raphe’s arm entwined around me. It wasn’t until now that I realized I had been so distracted by Raphe I failed to notice my surroundings. That was not good. I snapped out of whatever trance Raphe put on me.

  The foyer was bigger than the one at my house with three wings branching from this centerpiece. Sandy painted walls were decorated with paintings of the Italian countryside.

  To our right was a wide lounge with tan walls, a brown suede sofa, two matching loveseats and tables of various sizes that bookend the seats. The room was full of vampires from all the Houses of the city. A Christmas tree stood about thirteen feet high in the far corner decorated with white lights, gold garland, red round ornaments, and a bright white star on the top branch. A lit fireplace with metal guard was adjacent to the tree. Stockings were indeed hung by the chimney with care.

  A round archway to my left opened to a living room with a massive entertainment center, the Transiberrian Orchestra boomed from speakers set in the four corners of the room between modern art that adorned the walls. There were two white plush sofas that faced one another. Small folding chairs were scattered throughout the large walk space mixed with four plush white recliners. There were so many people that it was standing room only.

  Throughout both rooms there were half a dozen mortal men and women waiting on the partygoers. The women were dressed like the woman that took my coat. The men were in revealing elf uniforms. A green velvet vest was worn long over their groins, pieced together with a thick black belt. Their legs were covered with green and red leggings. The green shoes they were forced to wear curled up at the toe with a little brass bell at the cusp. Instead of offering sparkling champagne on silver platters the waiters and waitresses offered their own arteries. It was quite the show.

  Raphe escorted me to the loud dining hall. He let go of my back and took hold of my hand. The hall was wide enough for us to walk side by side. Metal grape vine candleholders ran the length of the hall with small flames lighting one side. The opposite side, by Raphe, was covered with family portraits. Some of the frames contained recent pictures but most were older. Most of the vampires in the pictures I recognized. Some, I did not know at all. The Caravellies had to be one of the biggest families in the Keiser House.

  A cloud of cigar smoke hovered throughout the room. Below the smoke, around a green-carpeted poker table sat the city leaders. The occasional sharp chick-clank sound of poker chips hitting other chips in the middle of the table created an offset beat to the rhythm of the noisy room. Chick-clank, then joyous wild hoots and hollers. Chick-clank, laughter erupted in surround sound. Chick-clank followed by a random shout of ‘Son of a Bitch!’ then more laughter.

  A wide counter, with Christmas lights strung across the front, divided the dining hall and a white kitchen. Behind the counter Meisha and Father Khel bickered over the differences between Catholicism and Paganism and the significance during the holiday season.

  “Raphe, are you going to play or what?” Grump juggled a lit cigar between his lips. Ash fell in a giant clump onto his very festive, bright green shirt. “I saved you a seat.”

  “No. I think I’ll sit this one out.” He raised my hand to his lips.

  “And who is this?” A young man got up from his chair. He came around the table offering me his hand. He was Grump’s dueling counterpart with a red silk shirt and black slacks. The contrast to his deep green eyes was stunning. His long curly dishwater blonde hair was pulled back to the base of his neck, showing off his very masculine features.

  “I’m Veronica.” I offered my only free hand because Raphe tightened his grip on the other hand.

  He took my fingers, raised my hand to his lips, and it. He looked up at me through his eyelashes and frowned. “I’m sorry.”

  “For kissing my hand?” He was too polite. Was he apologizing for over stepping boundaries in front of Raphe? It’s my hand and I’ll let whoever I wanted to kiss it do so. After all Raphe had a slew of girls that kissed all sorts of places on him while I was not around.

  “No. I am apologizing that I didn’t get the chance to meet you before Raphe snagged such a lovely vampire.” He smiled gallantly.

  Okay, so he wasn’t that polite after all. I took back my hand and wrapped my arms around Raphe’s waist. “I’m not.”

  Raphe folded his arms around me in return. “Don’t you have a game to get back to Romeo?”

  “Yes, I do, but I’m enjoying playing this one.” Romeo smiled in a way that made me think of a giddy used car salesman. The testosterone levels in the room went through the roof. Take one part testosterone, one-part primal vampire emotions, one pretty lady between two men and what do you get? Answer: the makings of a good brawl in the middle of a decent shindig.

  Romeo and Raphe were locked in a stare down. Both were as still as statues, waiting for the other man to make the first move. Romeo’s emerald eyes changed to a deeper shade of green with the slow rise of his power. I wished I saw Raphe’s eyes but with me hugging his waist I was at the wrong angle.

  “Perhaps you should only play games when you have a fighting chance, son. I don’t believe the lady wants to be fought over this evening.” Vinchenzo chimed in from the back corner dressed in a dark green suit and red turtleneck. His suit was so dark at first glance it appeared black.

  Romeo glared at his father. He marched into the kitchen where he found a better outlet for his frustration by joining the argument between the Catholic Priest and the High Priestess.

  I mouthed “thank you” to Vinchenzo. In return he gave a gracious nod and returned to his game. For as physically intimidating as Vinchenzo was to the rest of us, he held a different sway over his family. It was clear he held a firm grip on a tight rein. He didn’t put up with anything that would endanger his own prospects. Romeo came close to pushing that one step too far before getting the proverbial smack down by Big Papa Pimp.

  Brutus sat in front of me in his finest biker gear. I must have been watching him too close because he pulled out an empty chair beside him. “Take a seat. No one’s using it now.”

  I fought the urge to strike him down where he sat. Raphe tapped my arm. I realized I had been squeezing a little too hard. I looked up at him with semi-shock eyes. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” He kissed my forehead. “Don’t worry, Brutus won’t bite.”

  I forced a smile. I tried my best not to reveal anything else. That was close. I could do this and not hit him. Easier said than done. I took the offered seat. “Thank you.”

  “Do you know how to play?” Brutus asked.

  Afraid of what might come out of my mouth, I shook my head and played dumb. Sometimes acting stupid was a great way to deal with situations I really didn’t want to be a part of in the first place. I sat quiet while Brutus taught me how to play Texas Hold ’Em.

  Raphe leaned against the taupe colored wall. His arms were crossed nonchalantly over his chest and I felt his eyes upon me. Throughout the game he joined in random bits of conversation or touched me softly. For the most part he was content to watch me try to enjoy myself.

  Others came and went from the game, some leaving with money in their pockets, some not. The players in this round were Grump, Vinchenzo, Brutus, Meisha, Olivia -Vinchenzo’s eldest daughter, and myself. One crucial rule when playing poker with vampires, we were prohibited from using vampire wiles to win a hand. I thought it would be fun to read the
others emotional states when a hand was dealt, but that one rule made things far more entertaining.

  “I’ll see your fifty and raise you fifty.” Brutus tossed the necessary chips onto the pile.

  Meisha was the last to throw in a bet. Her pale skin looked paler against a deep red peasant top with her hair pull in a high and tight bun. Her flowing multicolored skirt swept the hardwood floor. “Someone’s feeling lucky tonight. You better watch it. Remember what happened the last time you got cocky.”

  There were groans around the table.

  Olivia flexed her fingers. “Let’s not bring that up again.”

  I leaned over to Meisha at my right. “Bring what up again?”

  “Well,” Meisha judged Grump’s reaction to the topic before she continued. “A couple months ago Brutus got it in his head that he was the luckiest son of a bitch in town after fighting off a gang of vamps that were passing through. So, he put together a poker tournament and lost five grand to Vinchenzo. Seems his luck ran out when El Diablo Cebo was run out of town.”

  “Now that isn’t the whole story. If you’re gonna tell it, tell it right.” Brutus slammed his fist on the table.

  “Oh, sorry.” Meisha threw up her hands. “By all means tell it the right way. That is if you aren’t still hiding behind the whole ‘they started it,’ bullshit.”

  Grump set his cigar on an ashtray. “If you aren’t I’d love to hear it.”

  Brutus shifted uneasy in his seat. He leaned his elbow on the table. “They did. See this gang of vamps came into town spouting shit about wantin’ to help us out with Lucian, which was a load of crap. Khel knew their reputation from years back and warned Grump. When Grump blew us off, Vinny and I thought I should have a talk with them, just a talk. Remember?”

  Vinchenzo nodded his head. “How could I forget?”

  “Sounds ballsy.” I said. The whole conversation was astonishing. I leaned closer with my elbows on the table. Tension tightened my stomach.

  Meisha elbowed my side. I managed not to jump at the surprise of her touch. “It does, but he hasn’t gotten to the best part yet.”

  “You mean the worst part.” Khel slithered into the conversation.

  “Depends on your perception.” Meisha rolled her eyes. Then returned to her cards.

  “The main problem was that my luck ran out long before the poker game. “The little one got away. I’ve got no idea where or how. She just went poof.” All the light from our fun and games left his eyes. “Someone like that doesn’t stay hidden for very long. But I’ll find her, and when I do…”

  “You’ll beat her in a game of cards?” I joshed him with a wide mocking grimace.

  “Yes, well, one can play the game only for so long.” Khel spoke from his perch on a barstool beside Vinchenzo. “Everyone must pay for their sins. That night the devil bit off more than he could chew and it cost them their lives.”

  I was done tolerating Brutus and Father Khel’s company, or anyone else’s for that matter. I stood and excused myself from the table.

  “Are you leavin’ so soon?” Brutus smiled up at me, teeth bare. The twinkling Christmas lights bounced vibrant colors across his baldhead. The effect was reminiscent of him running between light and shadow on the highway.

  My stomach clenched into a tight fist that urged me to either hit him and run or just run. Raphe came up behind me and placed his hand on the small of my back. He was lucky I didn’t swing at him. The scent of his cologne over his natural scent was the only indicator I had that told me I was safe from whomever it was behind me. His touch felt reassuring and calmed my nerves enough for me to squeak out. “Yeah, I think I have had enough of the game for now. I might be back later though.”

  “I’ll hold the seat for you then.” Brutus replied with a nice, if not unwanted, gesture.

  “Thanks, but don’t worry about it. If I come back, and there is someone here, I’ll wait my turn.” I left behind the comfort of Raphe’s touch and went into the empty kitchen.

  The few short feet away from the poker table was welcome relief. Like the rest of the house, the kitchen was quaint with an old Tuscan theme but held the comforts of a modern day kitchen. I gripped the counter and stared out the window over the sink. A small pot of poinsettias rested on the window’s ledge. The delicate intricacies of the small plants fascinated me. I brushed my fingers across the velvety softness of the leaves. The tiny hairs tickled my fingertips. I would have loved to smell them but Raphe’s intoxicating aroma floated across the room and overpowered the flowers’ natural perfume.

  From behind, he encircled his arms around my waist. The full weight of his body pressed me against the countertop. His breath coursed across my neck and sent shivers along my shoulder and down my back. “Are you having a good time?”

  I nodded. Wanting to give into the sweet surrender of his being I rested my head back.

  His lips caressed my skin. His hands kneaded my stomach. His fingers methodically walked higher. “What do you say about you and me getting out of here?”

  “I say that sounds like a wonderful idea.” I turned around in his arms and saw his beautiful pale blue eyes; eyes that hypnotized me the first time we met. I wrapped my arms around his neck and sighed. My forehead fell forward against his brow.

  Without a word he puckered his soft lips and begged for a kiss. I answered his desire. The kiss wasn’t as charged with passion as the last one. Instead, it was full of sweet promise.

  The front door burst open. Footsteps pounded down the hall as people shouted over one another. Everyone at the table stopped what they were doing and went to investigate the situation.

  Raphe pulled back. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.” Then he darted down the hall after Grump.

  I let my head sag. The physical let down was rather easy to get over. He would be back soon enough. I mean, how bad could it be? I focused on listening in on the conversation in the hall. I missed the first few words but heard the rest.

  “…jumped in an alley by the student center. There was the little Asian chick and a few of Lucian’s men with her and they fucking ambushed us, man.” Said a male vampire I did not recognize.

  “Are they at the student center now, Clay?” Raphe asked.

  “No. They took off when the cops showed up.”

  “But that’s okay.” That sounded like the blonde female Maarten.

  “Why is that, Billie?” Grump asked.

  “When that bitch thought she had me pinned down I stuck a tracking device on her. Here look.” After a pause and small audible sounds of her digging something out of her pocket she continued. “We can track her back to Lucian. We’ve got ‘em right where we want ‘em. We can get those fuckers before the start of the New Year. Come on!”

  “Alright, alright.” Grump calculated the state of affairs. “Raphe take Brutus and Father Khel with these guys to wherever this thing leads to and then give me a call. Do not attack them without back up.”

  “You think it’s a trap?” Raphe said a bit closer than the last time.

  “Just check it out then report back. With any luck they are sloppier than we give them credit for and this could be our big break.”

  “Got it.” Then Raphe yelled -which caused me to stop listening in or risked damaging my eardrum. As it was, there was a slight ringing in my ears. “Where are all my deputies?”

  The sound of shuffling feet and other vampires hollering at one another led all his flunkies to come to him. “Here’s the game plan. Thanks to Billie we are positioned to track Lucian’s people back to him. I need you all to stay here to protect everyone while Brutus, Khel and I see if this is the real deal. I want you to guard the exterior perimeter. Use whatever force is necessary. In case you’re in doubt this is a direct shoot-to-kill order against anyone that threatens any vampire in this house. Got it?”

  Seconds later Raphe came back into the kitchen in long, rushed strides. As devilish as he appeared the fire in his eyes could not be mistaken for anything but unadulterat
ed fury. He bottled it up well while he spoke to me. “Beautiful, we’re going to have to take a rain check on our plans.”

  “What? Why?” I faked a wide-eyed look of heartbreak.

  “We got a big lead on Lucian’s army and I have to move on it now before it’s too late.” His mixed emotions were obvious without forcing the read. He wanted to stay with me but he wanted to stop Sasha too.

  “Okay, you want me to wait for you here.”

  He stewed over what I said for a second or two. “Alright, but shit, I don’t want you to be without an escort if this is a trick. Truthfully if it is I don’t want you here, either.” He fervidly scanned the room for something or someone. “Meisha?”

  “Yes?” She came in from the hall with Grump at her side.

  “Can you keep an eye on Veronica or take her home? If this turns out to be a decoy I don’t want her to be alone.”

  “You want me to babysit your girlfriend?” Her insulted surprise mirrored my own. I must have been doing a better job than I thought of convincing Raphe I needed him not just in the sack but in general. I should rein that in a bit until I had more breathing room. I couldn’t have Meisha watching over me like a hawk.

  “I know it sounds weird but there is a good reason.” He pleaded with her better nature.

  “And what reason is that? She should be fine here. There are a ton of us.” Her eyebrows wrinkled her forehead to the point of loosening her bun. She put her hands on her hips and shifted her feet in stubborn defiance.

  I decided to butt in before too much was shared about my false connection with Lucian. I didn’t want Meisha or Grump having any thoughts that involved Lucian and I floating around their heads. They were too smart not to put two and two together. Plus I couldn’t cloud their minds the way I had Raphe. Grump was too loyal to Raphe for it to work, and Meisha, well, I didn’t feel comfortable seducing another woman. “I can stay here with everyone else until you know if it is a trap or not. I’ll be safer here with a house full of vampires than at my place with just Meisha. No offense.”

  “None taken.” Meisha dropped her hands to her side in an awkward moment of reversed deja vu.