Savor

by Duncan, Megan

  This thought process was so alien to my nature, but the animal within me was growing stronger and was being fueled by the hundreds of vampire emotions within the room, feeding it more and more. I relished in it, enjoying the sense of power.

  As I stopped inches from the woman, I looked down at her with a firm scowl on my face, no doubt my brow was wrinkled immensely and a growl boiled in the center of my being. For a moment, I thought I had grown taller, but realized the woman cowered at my feet, as did many others.

  I imagined that in that instant I looked more like a vampire than I ever had, and no longer like the human they thought I was. My body vibrated from the rage of hundreds of vampires as the ribbons wrapped around me in their unyielding, fiery embrace. Doubt rippled through my thoughts for a fleeting second and I wondered if I was acting of my own accord or were these ancient vampires fueling my actions, trying to sway me in a certain direction.

  I couldn’t let this doubt build into fear and I wouldn’t. “Leave!” I growled at the protestors, my voice taking on the amplified quality that Nicolae had portrayed. It was deep and raspy, sounding nothing like myself. If I hadn’t known better I would have thought that I sounded much like a lion would have if it could talk.

  The humans hesitated only for a second before they threw their signs onto the floor and began to exit the ballroom walking backward as if they were too afraid to turn their backs to us. The woman and one man were the last to leave as she stared at me intently. She was searching for something in my expression or in my eyes that she was not finding. She was looking for my soul.

  “Let’s go,” the chubby man pulled at her shoulder.

  The woman shook her head, breaking our eye contact and threw her sign at my feet. I instinctively stepped back allowing the sign to skid across the marble floor behind me.

  I took a deep breath as the ballroom was finally vacated of humans and turned to face the crowd of angry vampires only to find that they had already lost interest as their attentions were being drawn back to the stairway where Nicolae was commanding their attention. I scanned the swarm of vampires for a familiar face and quickly found a set of eyes that were not interested in Nicolae, but were intently locked on me with wild amusement.

  The instant I let out an exhalation of irritation, Ana bolted toward me with incredible speed, her lengthy golden blond hair flowing behind her like a cape. “That was rather fun wasn’t it?” she asked as she slithered around me.

  “What do you want Ana?” I said defiantly trying my best not to care. I really didn’t want her to cause another scene and as much as I didn’t want to admit it, the sight of her made my stomach churn.

  “Oh, I already got what I wanted,” Ana said with a cackle as she left me in a whirl of air as she flitted through the crowd.

  “What was that all about?” Robin surprised me as she popped up at my side. Her expression was full of concern, but when I saw the smeared lipstick on her lips I couldn’t help but break out in a large grin.

  “I have a feeling she was gloating. Boy, am I glad to see you. Did you see all that?” I asked as I pointed my thumb toward the ballroom doors that just moments before stood a dozen protesting humans whose scent still lingered faintly in the air.

  “It was hard to miss, but you handled it pretty well. I wonder how they even got into the palace. I mean they are almost always protesting outside, but they have never made it in before or even tried.”

  We both pondered on the thought for a moment before something popped into my head, “You don’t think that… Ana?” I couldn’t imagine that Ana would put the entire royal family and every vampire dignitary in our whole region at risk by allowing a mass of protesting humans to penetrate the palace walls and crash such an important event, or did she really hate me that much?

  “Don’t even say it. I mean Ana is a bitch, but I don’t know if she is really that stupid.”

  Robin and I locked eyes and shrugged, both of us silently agreeing that perhaps Ana really was that stupid, but who would believe us if we told anyone? I imagined if I did voice my thoughts to anyone it would only make me look bad and I really didn’t need the negative publicity at the moment.

  “So, what is going on?” I asked Robin pointing to the crowd gathering around the base of the grand staircase. “Do you think Nicolae is going to make an announcement about what happened?” Nervousness twisted my heart as I worried that I might have handled the situation wrong, but as we approached the crowd I focused on Nicolae’s expression and couldn’t sense any hint of disappointment or disapproval.

  As he whispered to Evilyn who stood nearby they both looked particularly excited about something as the smallest of smiles crept onto their faces. They must have felt my eyes on them because they both looked toward me, finding me immediately in the crowd and beckoned me to them.

  I realized I had grabbed Robin’s hand in my stress and hesitantly let go as I made my way toward the landing of the grand staircase. The crowd quickly separated, giving me a clear path. As I reached Evilyn she wrapped her arm around my shoulder and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek as she turned me toward the crowd.

  We stood together a few steps behind Nicole as he raised his hands to silence the crowd. They quickly obeyed and turned their dark eyes on us. Even in a sea of sparkling jewels and grand gowns with rich fabrics that exposed large amounts of flesh it was their eyes that hypnotized me. It was their dark limitless eyes that held my attention.

  “I must admit that I have another motive for inviting you all here tonight and after the recent intrusion on our celebration I am only further fueled by my decision. It was our belief that when we brought our new daughter into this family that we adhered to the traditions of our kind. It is with that devotion to tradition that we have chosen with unwavering certainty that Princess Claire be joined with a Blood Mate.”

  The crowd broke out in cheers at the King’s announcement, but I didn’t share their enthusiasm. I was in complete shock and confusion. I didn’t know what a Blood Mate was, but it didn’t sound like something I wanted. Robin had mentioned it briefly, but the way Nicolae announced it… it was a much bigger deal than I had thought.

  My knees began to buckle and I was certain I would have fainted if Evilyn hadn’t been firmly latched to my arm. I wasn’t sure if she was there to hold me still and keep me from running away or because she knew this announcement would rock me to my core.

  I knew it would have been more appropriate if I had kept my mouth shut but I couldn’t help but blurt out my question. “What is a Blood Mate?”

  To my dismay Nicolae completely ignored my question and continued with his statement. “The ceremony will be performed immediately to ensure the safety of the Princess. A Blood Mate has already been chosen and found to be a perfect match for my child,” Nicolae waved his hand toward me, completely oblivious to my unhappiness. He beckoned me to him and fighting my anger I went to him, letting him wrap me under his arm like an obedient child.

  “I want it known that your new Princess has a dedication to this family I have not seen in a very long time and her joining in this old tradition is just another sign of her love for her vampire family and her respect for our way of life. I hope that you all see, as I do, that after tonight we are all bonded in a new way. That we are all part of a new future and a stronger foundation for our region.”

  The crowd cheered again as their black eyes were lit up with fangy smiles. I was baffled by their reaction, making it hard to join in their jubilation when I felt such anguish. I respectfully bowed to the King and backed away as he marched proudly into the assembly of vampires as they congratulated him like he had accomplished some amazing feat. All I could think was that he was making me do something I knew nothing about, making it seem like he had my full support on the decision and it infuriated me.

  As the crowd grew distracted with the congratulations of the King and Queen I slowly walked out of the ballroom unnoticed. The halls of the palace were nearly empty with the exception of the o
ccasional vampire couple sitting on a lounge chair or whispering in a corner, ribbons of attraction and passion emitting from them.

  I wanted to go to the palace gardens, but as I made it to the stairway leading outside I could immediately sense at least a dozen vampires walking the grounds. I needed to be alone and I knew I wouldn’t find a moment of quiet if I sat out there, so I reluctantly retreated back into the palace and headed for my room.

  By the time I reached my bedroom door, tears were threatening to fall with burning ferocity but I kept them at bay until the very instant the door shut behind me. I stood in the center of my room sobbing as I stared at the beautifully decorated yet imposing walls. I could feel them closing in on me and I felt like I was suffocating. All the control that I had thought I had was disappearing and for the first time I was regretting my decision.

  I knew I didn’t have a choice, there was no going back from what I had done. Pangs of nausea wrought my stomach and the room began to spin. I snatched a throw pillow from off of the sofa and made my way to the balcony hoping for a bit of fresh air.

  The cool night breeze seemed soothing and made the tracks of my tears feel icy against my skin. As I looked out into the night, I saw figures walking around the property. I didn’t want anyone to see me, so I sat in the corner of the balcony not caring if I ruined my dress or not. I hugged my pillow and cried as I looked out between the beams of the balcony, silently watching the vampires below as I wept.

  I grew envious of their freedom as I realized I would never have such a thing myself. I was being forced into some kind of union or joining with a Blood Mate, whatever the hell that was.

  Chapter 13

  A curious meow startled me as Louie approached and began to rub his head on my leg. I scratched his head lovingly and smiled at how his fur felt so much softer than it had when I was human. Everything felt softer, like my skin was silk.

  Needing comfort, I pulled Louie into my lap and surprisingly he didn’t protest. His rhythmic purrs vibrated loudly and could have almost put me to sleep if I hadn’t been so emotional.

  “It’s not fair, Louie. This isn’t how tonight was supposed to turn out,” I looked down at him as if he were going to answer me. It was actually rather nice to talk and not have someone around to comment back. “They want to join me in some kind of union. It sounds like an arranged marriage.”

  The word marriage made me want to throw up and when my stomach growled loudly it sent Louie grumpily running back into my chambers. As I felt the tears returning there was a soft knock at my door. I thought for a moment about ignoring it, but it continued as if the knocker knew I was inside. I didn’t want to talk to anyone but I got the feeling that they wouldn’t go away until I answered.

  I made my way to the door, taking my time as I threw the pillow back onto the couch and kicking off my heels dramatically, letting them fly across the room as they may and hit whatever they liked.

  I opened the door to find Dmitry standing there looking much like I imagined I did. His hair was in complete disarray and not in the usual attractive way, his dress shirt was thoroughly wrinkled and pulled from his pants and his tie pulled completely loose from around his neck.

  “Can I come in?” he asked. His voice was hoarse and cracked, containing no bit of his usual amused inflection.

  “Of course,” I said. I hated to admit it, but seeing that he was as upset about the night’s events as I was made me feel quite a bit better. That definitely made me selfish, but misery loved company.

  “Sorry it took me so long,” Dmitry said while offering me a small goblet. I took it greedily as the hunger inside me took control. I knew I would have to take more responsibility for making myself eat regularly, but there seemed to be so much more going on that I put eating too far down on my priority list.

  We took a seat on a couch together and as I licked my lips, I placed the goblet on the table and did my best to avoid looking into his eyes. I knew once I did I would lose control of my emotions again. I didn’t know what this new announcement meant for Dmitry and me, but from his current state, I guessed it couldn’t be very good.

  “What’s going to happen?” I asked him as I fiddled with the locket around my neck as if it were terribly interesting.

  “You’re going to be joined with a Blood Mate,” he sighed. “It’s an incredibly old tradition that hasn’t been practiced in our region in… in a very long time.”

  “So, why are they doing it now?” I asked as I turned to look at him. He pulled me close to him and my body trembled with sadness and happiness at his touch.

  “I suppose they fear for your protection. Especially after tonight. Humans have never gained access to the palace without admittance, so they either have strengthened their forces or someone helped them.”

  I wanted to ask him who he thought helped them, but I didn’t want to distract him from the real issue. I needed to know what this union really meant for me. “Protection from what? Humans? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Claire…” Dmitry said my name so softly as he ran his fingers through my hair, holding my head to his chest. “Humans pose a greater threat than you think. It is not their actions, but the actions they can inspire by others. The humans in our region are beginning to show signs of unrest. If other regions hear of this they may think to overthrow Nicolae’s reign.”

  “So he is doing this because he is scared of other regions?” I pushed away from Dmitry in my anger and fought the urge to curse Nicolae at the top of my lungs. “If he is so scared of those regions why did he invite them tonight? There were dignitaries from all over the world here tonight, weren’t there?”

  “Yes there were. He wanted them to see firsthand as he announced your coronation as well as your union. Having a Blood Mate, especially for a vampire such as yourself can make our region very powerful.”

  “They really are using me,” I said almost as a whisper as thoughts started to overflow my mind.

  “What?” Dmitry shot up from his seat and held my shoulders firmly. I bit at my nails as I stared into his intent gaze.

  “They are doing exactly what they swore to me they weren’t doing. Don’t you get it Dmitry? I’m a pawn, I’m just a pawn to them.”

  “Don’t say that Claire. You are important to this family, you are important to me. They wouldn’t do that to you. I’ve known Nicolae for a very long time and I know he’s not like that.”

  I pushed his hands off my shoulders and turned away from him. He wasn’t understanding how I was feeling and I didn’t know how to make him comprehend. I wasn’t just losing my freedom but I would be losing him as well.

  “What does a Blood Mate do? Do I have to marry them?”

  “Not exactly. Although many vampires do take their mates as…” he swallowed hard, “lovers.” When I remained quiet he continued, “They are like protectors, bodyguards.”

  “Like Fox?” I turned to Dmitry quickly as my interest peaked at the possibilities. I had always sensed there was something different about him.

  “Yes, Fox is one of the last Blood Mates in our region.” Dmitry nodded and sat back down. I watched him as he rested his elbows on his knees, his fingers laced together into a tight first. It had to be difficult for him to have this conversation with me, but I needed to know and I wouldn’t stop asking questions until I got all the answers I wanted.

  “Whose Blood Mate is he?”

  “The Queen’s.”

  My mouth fell open and I rushed to sit beside Dmitry, “She can have a Blood Mate and be married to Nicolae?”

  He refused to look at me as I placed my hand on his arm. I was hopeful again that we might still be able to be together, but Dmitry didn’t seem to feel the same. “A vampire with a Blood Mate is not required to be loyal to them alone. They can have as many lovers as they so choose.”

  Dmitry sped out of my hold and toward a nearby armchair. He grasped the back of the chair so hard that the sound of the wood splitting echoed throughout the room. The heat of
Dmitry’s rage was building, causing the chamber to grow uncomfortable and I longed to be back on the balcony with the night air blowing against my skin, but I wouldn’t leave him like this. I hated seeing Dmitry hurt, so despite my better judgment I rose to stand by his side.

  I felt invisible as I walked toward him. His eyes didn’t follow me and when I touched him he flinched in surprise. I cupped his handsome face in my hands, feeling the clenching muscles of his jaw and looked him deep in the eyes.

  “Dmitry, I want no other.” My words sounded seductive and velvety as they were fueled by the animal inside me. I kissed him deeply as our arms wrapped around each other. The kiss wasn’t as passionate as I thought it would be but was more filled with longing for one another, as if we already missed each other intensely. It felt like we had already been separated by the Blood Mate I had not yet met.

  Robin burst into the room as we held each other and let out a gasp at her surprise. As she backed out of the room to leave Dmitry stopped her. “No Robin, it’s fine. Stay.” He didn’t look at her as he said it but held my gaze as he raised his strong hands to my face and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. In his usual way he seemed to disappear with speed, leaving me hanging in the air with the sensation of his kiss still lingering on my skin.

  I had expected Robin to start animatedly on an unending tangent about what she had just caught Dmitry and me doing, but instead she looked at me solemnly and followed me into my closet. We didn’t say anything as I pulled of my dress and wrapped myself in a plush robe. Doing that much seemed to deplete the remaining reservoir of energy inside me and I sank into the chaise heavily.

  I looked to Robin trying to convey an invitation to comfort me that she instinctively understood. She rushed to my side and gave me one of her bear-like hugs and even though it seemed to crush the life out of me I didn’t complain. “It’s going to be okay, Claire. Getting a Blood Mate isn’t a death sentence. It might turn out to be a good thing.”