Initiation

by H. N. Sieverding

  Addison slapped Christian’s hand away and glared at him, "Stop it, Christian." Her eyes met with Kim’s, who was watching her from a few rows back. Addison frowned and spun away from her.

  Christian wrinkled his nose playful as he bore his fangs at Addison, "Come on, party girl, it was a joke."

  "It’s not funny." Making an over-exaggerated pout, Addison’s annoyed eyes met with his. Her cheeks were slightly red from embarrassment, "I’m never doing something like that again."

  "Don’t worry." Christian placed his index finger under her chin, turning her head toward him. "No one saw it."

  Addison glared at Darien when she heard him chuckle, the venom in her glare more childlike than evil. Darien shoved away the two unconscious girls sitting next to him, who slumped over the arm rests a little.

  Brandon, who was sitting on the other side, gave Darien an angry look when one fell into him. He shoved her off. The girl yawned but didn’t open her eyes, her head falling flaccidly against her shoulder.

  "Christian," Addison pouted, a sweetness to her voice as she put her arms around his neck. She rested her nose against his, a giant smile on her face as their gazes met. "Can I go say hello to Kim?"

  Christian grabbed the sides of Addison’s face, a wicked look in his eyes as he cooed to her softly, "As long as you come back to give me some more…" He made a few clicking sounds with his tongue. "Of that when intermission’s over."

  "Stop teasing me." Addison wrestled her face out of his hands.

  Christian motioned with his index finger, "Give me a kiss, and you can go say hello."

  Addison wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss. Tilting her head to the side, she granted him a cutesy, love struck expression. "I love you, Christian."

  "I love you too." He motioned for her to get up, slapping her on the butt. "Hurry up and be back here when intermission’s over."

  "Okay." Addison jumped to her feet, walking carefully down to the end of the aisle and up the stairs toward Kim. "Hi." Squeezing between a few people, Addison sat down in the empty seat next to her.

  "Hey." Kim stared at Addison questionably as did a few people sitting next to her. "So, why didn’t you tell me you were a vampire?" Crossing her arms over her chest, Kim was trying to hide her anger over Addison’s deception. "I was worried sick that the Master was going to hurt you."

  "He won’t hurt me." Addison laughed, looking down at Christian, who talking to Darien and Brandon. He smiled at her briefly, always keeping a close eye on his wife.

  "Why do—" Some of the people next to Kim cut her off.

  "Hello, Mistress Vallore." The man spoke nervously, an awestruck gaze on his face as he looked over at Addison. "It’s a pleasure to meet you."

  "Mistress Vallore?" Kim’s eyes opened wide, her stare volleying between the man and Addison.

  "Yeah," Addison nodded, waving to Christian when she noticed he was still watching her. "Master Vallore is my husband."

  "Wow…" Letting out a giant exhale, Kim looked at Christian and then back at Addison. "That’s totally epic."

  "We can still be friends, right?" Making an uneasy smile, Addison searched Kim’s face for an answer.

  "Of course." Kim laughed, shaking her head as she took Addison’s hand in hers and shook it playfully. "Now that we’re both vampires, it makes things a lot easier."

  Christian was motioning with his index finger for her to come back down. "I have to go. I’ll talk to you later, okay?" Addison watched Kim slowly nod her head before leaving to join Christian.

  Chapter Twelve

  The House

  Christian took Addison with him on a trip to the holiest city in the world, Hanton. He was taking her to meet some of the members of the House, something Addison was very nervous about. She still couldn’t get her head around the whole idea of Christian and the family being God’s angels, either.

  After passing through several security checkpoints, Addison and Christian were on their way to meet the head of the church, Magnus. Viewing his private office was a grand experience.

  Magnus was dressed in his ceremonial robes, talking to a few priests on the other side of the room. Addison had only seen Magnus in pictures and felt awkward in his presence. She held onto Christian’s hand tightly, gluing herself to his side as they entered.

  Christian squeezed her fingers, sending her a reassuring smile and whispering, "Don’t be afraid, my love, as long as you are with me, no harm will ever come to you."

  "Christian!" Speaking in a friendly tone, Magnus opened his arms and welcomed Christian into them. "It’s always a pleasure to see you, my son."

  "Good afternoon, your holiness." Christian let go of Addison and hugged Magnus.

  The two men seemed to be very close friends, Magnus wearing a giant grin as his eyes showed his love and admiration for the Master vampire. Instead of igniting fear, Christian’s presence was a joyous event for him. The two spoke softly to each other, Magnus wearing a serious expression.

  Addison bit her bottom lip anxiously, holding her hands tightly in front of her and trying not to fidget. Her baby blue eyes scanned the room uncertainly as she watched some of the men leave, all of them giving her friendly smiles. She felt naked without Christian’s hand in hers, and when he left her side, she felt like a lost child and wasn’t sure what to do.

  "Hello, my child," Magnus addressed Addison, motioning for her to join them. "I have been waiting to meet you for a very long time."

  Addison’s fearful eyes looked at Christian’s as if waiting for him to tell her what to do, but after a few seconds pause, she slowly walked over. "It’s an honor to meet you, your holiness."

  "As it is you, my child." Magnus beamed as he studied Addison’s angelic face. She looked very innocent and childlike—her appearance pleased him. "You are a lucky woman to stand at Christian’s side and carry out the orders from our lord." Motioning for them to sit in the chairs in front of his large desk, Magnus walked away from them, "Come and sit. There is much to be discussed."

  "I believe your beautiful wife will be able to help you capture Monroe." Magnus’ smile was gentle and loving, not a trace of evil in his expression. "He has eluded us many times before, but with this child on our side, we shall finally be able put an end to his organization."

  Magnus’s voice was very eloquent as he gestured with his hands, "To capture a demon, you must use the powers of an angel. If she does not become a hunter, innocence will always remain in this child’s eyes, and the medallion will not have an effect on her. Monroe will not be able to resist the need to own such a beautiful, untainted creature. She will be the lure that will rope in the devil."

  Addison quickly grabbed Christian’s hand, the conversation scaring her. He smiled at her, but it wasn’t enough to calm her. Seeing her fear, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and she immediately clung to him, her terrified eyes looking over at Magnus.

  "I am very pleased with your bride, Christian." Magnus glanced at his archbishop, who was standing next to him, both of them exchanging calm smiles. "Now—Mistress Vallore." He turned toward Addison, "We need you to help us capture Monroe, the leader of the vampire hunters. He is getting in the way of Master Vallore’s mission and must be killed before he upsets the natural balance of this wonderful world our God has created."

  "A vampire hunter?" Addison looked between her husband and the holy man, "How do I do that? I’m not strong like Christian. I can’t fight anyone."

  "You will not capture him by force." Magnus chuckled as he steepled his hands in front of his lips, his calm eyes still settled on Addison. "You will seduce him—use your innocence and beauty to make him fall in love with you. Once he trusts you, you will lure him to Master Vallore, who will kill him."

  "Why can’t you kill him alone, Christian?" Addison searched his face for an answer.

  "Monroe has a medallion that repels vampires. You are the only one with an immunity to its powers because you have never hunted a human as I have. You possess a rar
e power, and your ability to resist the temptation of blood is amazing. There is no vampire greater than you, my love."

  An angry expression appeared on his face as glared at his knees. "I know this is going to be difficult, and if I had a choice, I would never make you do such a thing alone, but I do not have a choice. You have to steal his medallion so he can’t use it against me in a fight. If we don’t kill him, he will kill me, Addison."

  "He could kill you?" Addison bit her lip as she spoke, her voice shaking, "I want to help, but I’m not strong enough to stand up to a hunter."

  "There is no reason for you to fight, my child." Magnus unsteepled his hands and rested them on the top of the desk. "Your role is to seduce Monroe, not kill him. Master Vallore will always be near to protect you. He will make sure no physical harm will ever come to you."

  "I won’t get hurt?" Addison pulled on Christian’s shirtsleeve. "Do you promise Christian? You’ll protect me?"

  "Yes, my love." Christian nodded. "As long as you keep well hidden, Monroe will never suspect you are a vampire. All you have to do is get his medallion. You do not have to fight him or be unfaithful to me as a wife."

  "And you’ll be with me?" Addison’s stare was glued to Christian, making him feel like she saw him as the only person in the room.

  "Yes." Christian nodded, picking up one of her hands and putting it to his lips. "We will be a team, as we always have." He kissed her fingers, the strong bond between the two lovers very apparent. "You have to do this for me and our family."

  "Okay." Addison nodded, trying to be brave. "I’ll try."

  "Christian will give you more instructions about your mission later." Magnus smiled as he stood up, motioning for them to do so as well. "Now, I must borrow Christian for a few moments. Please excuse us, my child."

  "Stay here and wait for me." Christian put a calm hand on Addison’s shoulder. "I will be back for you when I conclude my business with his holiness."

  Christian walked out of the office with Magnus and into a small room at the back, leaving Addison sitting alone. Leaning up against the wall, Christian put his index finger to his lips, a giant scowl on his face.

  Magnus shut the door. "I sensed jealousy in your words. It makes me wonder if your love for your wife will get in the way of her mission."

  Christian’s nose crinkled slightly as he glared at the space in front of him, the words hissing from his lips, "I do not want that bastard to lay a hand on my wife." He crossed his arms over his chest. "The thought of him even conversing in a loving manner with her makes me so…" He paused as he searched for a more appropriate word to use rather than what was about to slip from his tongue. "Angry."

  "Your feelings are understandable." Sighing, Magnus slowly leaned up against the desk near him, half sitting on its surface. "But we have discussed this. You know she will have to be unfaithful to you to seduce Monroe, and that you must encourage it. You agreed to go along with this mission, and we cannot afford to—"

  "But that was before I met her."

  "Do not take this the wrong way," Magnus’ voice dropped lower, "But I think it might be best if you keep your distance from her while she’s in Jenson. I would suggest you go back to Castile and leave her under Brandon’s care. As long as you are with her, she will not concentrate on her mission, and you might let your jealousy get the best of you."

  "There is no need for such a precaution." Forcing a smile, Christian looked over at Magnus. "I can control it."

  "I am hoping that will be the case."

  * * * *

  Addison was afraid of entering into the mission at first, but Christian assured her it would be all right. She was fitted with a false mouthpiece, and because her fangs were so small, the piece easily disguised them. She moved to the city of Jenson, getting her own small apartment and posing as a single woman.

  Christian wasn’t being good like he was told. He was making a scene with his vampires, having traveled there as well, arrogantly making his presence known. Staying away from Addison wasn’t easy for Christian, nor would her mission be if he carried on in this manner.

  Magnus had told Addison that Zak Monroe was very athletic and ran every morning through the park. Which is why Addison set up her sketchbook and drew some of the scenery there in hopes of spotting him.

  Addison wasn’t an active person, she was more of the bookish kind of girl who got winded running down the stairs. But she was very beautiful and that was all she needed to turn Zak’s head. After becoming a vampire, she had grown more slender because of her change in diet and her features were perfect and flawless.

  Biting on the end of her pencil, Addison was trying her best to be herself, which was easier than she thought. It was windy that day, Addison’s long hair pulled back in a messy bun, some of her long curls escaping and dancing near her intense doe eyes. A few men had stopped and tried to flirt with her, but she refused them. It was quite annoying, and she was trying not to lose her temper every time a man came by spouting a cheesy pick up line.

  She’d been sitting there for two hours and hadn’t seen a trace of Zak. Thinking it was a lost cause, Addison folded up her sketchbook and put it back in her large purse. She was dressed down in jeans and a zip up hoodie, which clung nicely to her figure.

  With a heavy sigh, Addison stood and walked over to the railing a few feet away from her. She wanted to get a better view of the bluffs and the lock where the boats were waiting to cross over to the other side of the dam. She spied a telescope mounted nearby and went over to use it.

  When she noticed it took change to activate, she reached into her purse to grab her wallet, accidentally dropping some things. Even though Addison was a vampire, she still had a sweet tooth, some candy bars falling out along with her bag of pencils.

  Addison groaned as she bent down to pick up her things. "Damn it." Reaching for some of the pencils that were rolling away from her, Addison sat on her knees in hot pursuit of a few that were quickly racing to the edge. "No, no, no…" Letting out a few whines, she watched some plummet into the water. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, she studied the ones she had managed to catch in her hand.

  "You shouldn’t eat this stuff, it’s bad for you." A man was standing behind her, his hand outstretched as he held some of her forgotten candy bars. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, his toned chest wet with sweat.

  "I know." Addison laughed as she rose up and grabbed the chocolate treats from his hand. "But they taste so good." There was a sweet tone to her voice, her gentle nature showing through in her actions. "Thank you so much for helping me pick up this stuff. Too bad you didn't get here earlier to help me rescue everything else."

  She had a small pout on her face, her disappointed eyes looking at the pencils in her hands as she shoved them back in her bag, which was on the ground near her. "I’m a bit of a klutz sometimes." She looked down the bluff as she stood on her tiptoes, over exaggerating her natural innocence. "I just bought a great set of Grama pencils, and now they’re all down there."

  "Accidents happen." He chuckled softly, his dimples rising with his action. "Here." He handed her some other items before his eyes landed on her sketchbook. He flipped through some of the pages and seemed to be impressed with what he saw. "You’re an artist, huh?" A cocky smile filled out his lips when he saw the nudes Addison had drawn in class. His tongue peaked from them slightly as he spoke in a teasing tone, "Nice."

  "Thanks." Addison ripped the book away from him, irritated that he had snickered at her work. "And I presume you’re high on something?" Her anger faded a little as she pointed toward his shorts and laughed. "Don’t you know it’s only like fifty degrees out here?"

  He ran a thick hand through his messy blond hair as he spoke, "Sixty-five."

  She looked away from him as she repacked her large purse. "It makes me shiver just looking at you. Jeez—you’re going to get sick or something."

  He chuckled, wiping at his sweaty brow with the back of his hand, "I’m fine. A good run always warms me up. Be
sides, I know a good doctor that’ll take care of me when I’m sick."

  "Oh." Addison frowned a little, biting her lip a little as she pretended not to be looking at the excellent shape of his body was in. "I guess that makes sense then." Palming her head, she didn’t have to fake embarrassment as she giggled, "Okay—I think I embarrassed myself enough for one day."

  She sighed before making a sour face as she peeked up at him, the young man eyeing her curiously. "I…umm…" She couldn’t meet his eyes. "I should…" Staring at the ground, Addison was being her mousy self as she bit her bottom lip, her words coming out faster than normal, "Probably be going. Thanks for your help."

  She started walking away, cursing under her breath because she had totally bombed being a Master seducer. Her anxiety was genuine—she always had a hard time flirting with guys, and this time was no exception. She hoped she wouldn't become this tongue tied when she met Monroe.

  "Hey!" The young man ran after her, sticking to her side. "So, are you foreign or something? Cause you have a really cute accent."

  "Yeah." Addison giggled as she put her finger to her mouth, her cheeks slightly red. "I’m from Caron. I actually just moved here a few days ago."

  "Really?" He was jogging in place, his high-energy personality showing through. "So did you come all by yourself or…" He looked down at her hand resting on her bag as he looked for a ring. "With a boyfriend or something?"

  "No boyfriend." She shook her head, not able to hide the devilish spark in her eyes as she scanned his handsome figure. "I came all by myself so…" She looked away from him, her eyes settling on the telescope from before. "I don't really know anyone here yet."

  "Well, now you do." His face filled with a cheeky grin, as he held his hand out to her. "I’m Zak."

  "Ashley." A relieved exhale escaped her tender smile as she took shook it, his grip strong and rough.

  "Maybe I can show you around a little."

  "Umm…" Addison glanced down timidly, wanting to kick herself for not jumping at this open opportunity and asking him out on a date. "Okay." Addison found her smile, the cute tender one that Christian loved.