by ERIN BEDFORD
I admit, I tried to listen to Antoine's thoughts. I wanted to know if he was pissed that Piper and I had slept together, but as usual I only heard what he wanted me to hear and right now he didn't want me to hear anything.
"This situation is worse than we could have imagined." Antoine stared off into space as if none of us were really there. "This isn't just some test to see if we have strayed from Boris's lifestyle."
"Well, of course not," Drake scoffed, brushing his thumb across his nose. "We know what this is about. Valentine. He threw a hissy fit ‘cause he couldn't steal Piper as his new toy and now wants us to pay."
"True." Antoine nodded, finally meeting our gazes. "But it's about more than that. I believe that he, Boris, is trying to bring us back into the fold."
"What?" I straightened, my eyes widening with surprise. "He can't do that. Can he do that?" I glanced around the room, my heart pounding in my chest.
"He can try," Drake growled, his whole form tightening up.
A sick feeling twisted in my stomach and I had to take slow, shallow breaths to keep from upchucking or passing out or both. While I focused on that, everyone's thoughts became a chaotic blur, filling my head until I couldn't pick one out from the other.
"Quiet." Antoine's voice rang out through the room, the force of his power instantly quieting the space and the voices in my head. Everyone looked to Antoine for guidance. He'd led us out of hell, so if anyone could keep us out of here, it would be him.
"Now, I understand your concern." Antoine's eyes drifted over to me briefly. His thoughts a soothing comfort to ease the rumbling turmoil in my chest. "I promised you years ago when we left this place that we would never be under our master's thumb again. We are our own house. Coming here was a diplomatic choice, but it was that...a choice. Boris might have made us, but he does not own us. Not anymore." He paused for a moment, his face clouding over with darkness. "We paid that price."
Wynn snorted. "Ten times over."
"Precisely." Antoine inclined his head.
None of us spoke for a moment. I didn't need to peek into their heads to know what they were thinking, because I was thinking it too.
That day when we first requested to leave our master's house and become our own was one that left a scar on each of us. Boris didn't just demand payment for one of us, but all of us. Each one of us had to pay their bit of blood and flesh, even a part of our sanity, to be free. The fact that any of us came back here after what we went through to get out was laughable. But I guess that proved how much we all cared about Piper and keeping Valentine as far away from her as possible.
Allister stepped into the middle of the room, his arms tight across his chest as he spoke. "Vampire law states that once abjured, our master cannot command us back into his home. We are here because we have made it so, not the other way around. Which means he cannot force us to stay. We have to want to," Allister finished with a confident grin.
"Pfft, bloody likely that's going to happen," Wynn snorted and shifted in place. "I'd sooner fall on a stake than stay here."
"Agreed." Antoine nodded and the rest of joined him.
"So..." I sighed, a bit more relaxed about the conversation and where it was headed. "What other surprises do you think our dear old daddy has in store for us?"
Chapter 10
Piper
I awoke with a start. Lifting my head up from my pillow, I scanned the room. This wasn't my room. The sheet in my hand covered my naked body and suddenly it all came rushing back to me.
I flushed and rubbed my thighs together in remembrance before turning slowly in bed. I'd expected to see a redheaded vampire next to me, but what I got was an empty bed. My hand touched the wrinkled spot on the sheets, but it was cool.
Oh. Duh. Vampire.
Of course, it was going to be cool. It still didn't answer my question though. Where was Rayne?
Sliding my legs over the side of the bed, I pulled the sheets off and around me like a toga. When my feet touched the cool wooden floors, I shivered.
Clothes. I needed clothes.
I blindly searched for the light on the nightstand and clicked it on. The room, once cast in the dim moonlight, gained an orange glow. Now able to somewhat see, I easily found my dress from dinner. Unfortunately, it was a bit worse for wear. Looked like I wasn’t putting that back on.
My eyes drifted over to Rayne's dresser and my lips ticked up into a smirk. I shouldn't. Still, my feet padded over to the dresser and I pulled open one drawer, and then the another, until I found Rayne's shirts.
Pulling out a t-shirt, I dropped the sheet and dragged the shirt over my head. Since Rayne and I were about the same height, the shirt wasn't long enough to cover my ass. I searched for my underwear, which was thankfully still intact. Putting them on under the shirt, I searched Rayne's other drawers for some sweatpants or something. Finding a pair of drawstring pants, I tugged them over my legs, but had to tie them tight to keep them from falling.
There. Now to find Rayne.
I ducked into his bathroom and frowned when he wasn't there either. I relieved my bladder and washed my hands. Before leaving the bathroom, I glanced toward the bedroom door. Maybe he went to get something to eat? It technically was still his daytime hours, right?
My feet made light sounds as I walked to the door and slowly twisted the doorknob. For a second, I thought it might be locked, but then with a sigh it opened. I shook my head at my silliness and then peeked my head out into the hallway.
The halls of Boris's home were intimidating in the daytime, and at night, they were downright scary. With only a few walls sconces turned on, the hallway was all doom and gloom. Reminiscent of the days the castle was new. Looking both ways, I chewed on my lower lip as I contemplated searching for Rayne. A glance at the bedside clock said it was just after two in the morning. I'd left my phone back in Antoine's room along with the rest of my stuff. If anything, I should go check in. Make sure my mother hadn't blown up my phone after their surprise visit.
That's doubtful after what Antoine did to them.
It was still a bit creepy that Antoine could control human minds so easily. The way he had handled my parents with ease was both impressive and frightening. It made me wonder if he'd ever done it to me. Of course, it wasn't like I would know even if he had. Still, it was something to ask the vampire later.
Scrounging up my courage, I stepped out into the hallway. It took me a second to remember I was in Rayne's room, so my room was in the opposite direction. A girl could get lost in this place with all the rooms and doors looking the same. I was lucky I'd had a guide so far. I didn't dare try and explore on my own. Besides getting lost, there was the fact that I was a human in a vampire's domain. With my luck, I'd walk right into Boris's bedroom. Or worse. Valentine's. A shiver ran down my back at the thought. No thank you.
Walking as quickly as I could down the hallway, I tried my best to keep calm and not jump at every noise. Vampires could smell fear, as well as hear my racing heart. The less appealing I was to them, the less likely they would come after me. Or at least, that was what I hoped.
I reached my room without incident, and I let out a long and heavy sigh before reaching for the doorknob. My hand paused before it reached the handle. There were voices inside. I leaned closer to the wood. That wasn't just Antoine and Darren. The whole group was in there.
Were they having a meeting without me? Annoyance filled my chest. If they were going to make plans behind my back, then they didn't really trust me the way they said. Didn't they say before that since I was the one Valentine and Boris were going gaga over, that I should be in on the plans? So much for that. Apparently, I was good enough to fuck but not to include in important decisions.
I tried to hear what they were saying but the words were garbled. One thing I knew for sure was they were arguing. Something had their panties in a twist. Was it me? Were they fighting over me?
"It's rude to eavesdrop, you know," a smooth, silky voice whispered behind me. I
practically jumped a mile high and barely contained the screech that wanted to come out of me. Spinning in place, I came face to face with a smirking Valentine.
Great. Just who I was trying to avoid.
Crossing my arms over my chest—my braless chest for that matter—I scowled at the vampire. "I wasn't eavesdropping. I was waiting for them to finish so I could go in." I tried not to shift in place. I didn't want Valentine to know how much his presence bothered me. If I'd learned anything from Darren and the others, it was that Valentine was a typical bully. If he knew he bothered me, then he would be even more inclined to find reasons to mess with me.
"Then go in," Valentine taunted with a sly grin.
"I will." But then I didn't move. I didn't want to be out in the hallway with Valentine, but I also didn't want to go in there with the guys. If they'd been talking about me, then they'd know for sure I had been listening in. If they hadn't been, then I'd feel like an idiot. Also, they'd smell that Rayne and I had sex, and that's not something I was ready to face yet.
As if reading my mind, Valentine sniffed the air, his nostrils flaring, and a snarl curled his lips to reveal his fangs. "You've let another one defile you, I see. What should I expect from a little human slut like you?" I flinched and backstepped as Valentine moved in closer.
"T-That's none of your business," I snapped, cursing myself for stuttering. "What I do with my masters is between us."
"Ah, but you have it all wrong." Valentine braced his hands on either side of me, leaning in until he was only inches away. It almost seemed like he might kiss me, but then at the last second, he turned his head, brushing his lips down my cheek, his nose sniffing along my neck. He traced the line of the scar on my neck where Antoine had bound me to him, and growled, "I really wish you hadn't done that."
"What?" I answered, trying to get him talking and not focused on my skin. On my blood. Why weren't the guys coming? Couldn't they hear us out here? Fuck me for choosing the coward's way out. Now, Valentine would suck me dry right outside their bedroom door and there was nothing I could do about it.
Valentine huffed and tossed his strawberry blond hair a bit like a horse would. "You think that his mark will protect you? He's nothing." Valentine's hands drifted down to grab the sides of my head, his eyes locking with mine. "Antoine's power is nothing compared to mine. I could take you right now, make you mine, even with his mark on your neck. In your blood."
The longer I stared into Valentine's hazelnut colored eyes, the more I believed what he said. Antoine was weak. Valentine was strong. He should be my master. Not someone as unworthy as Antoine Durand.
Valentine released my head with a satisfied smile. "Yes, that's it pet. Tell me, who's your master?"
I opened my mouth to answer him, it was clearly him, but then Antoine's voice rose above the others behind me in the room separated from me by a wooden door. No. It wasn't Valentine. Antoine. Antoine was my master. Wait. Fuck that. Anger billowed up inside me, making me grind my teeth. Faking a sweet dopey smile, I reached up and placed my hands on Valentine's shoulders. Pretending to press up on my toes to kiss him, I pulled one leg back and shoved it up with all my might. My knee found its soft target and Valentine's eyes went wide. Clutching his damaged goods, Valentine stumbled back from me with a groan.
"You-you bitch," he croaked out, and tried to grab me while holding himself.
Jumping away from him, I laughed. "Good to know that even vampires can be taken down with the right motivation."
However, my laughter died off as I realized that vampires recovered far faster than men did. Valentine's eyes glowed with an ethereal evil light, and he bared his fangs seconds before he came at me. I let out a high-pitched scream and curled back into the door. If I was smart, I'd have run, but apparently I was stupid in the face of danger. Not surprising with my track record. When Antoine had caught me trying to leave the manor after I found out what they were, I hadn't been smart then either. If I survived this, I'd have to make a conscious effort to change that.
Valentine's hands latched on to my shoulders and jerked me to him. His fangs sank into my neck. The agonizing pain of my flesh ripping caused me to let out another bloodcurdling scream, but this time Valentine was ready for me. His hand clamped down over my mouth, pushing against my face until I could barely breathe, let alone make a sound.
I thought for sure that I was going to die right here in the hallway tonight. Tears burned my eyes as they trailed down my face and I realized that no one was coming for me. No one was going to save me. If they were, they would have done been here if they had heard me. Why, oh, why hadn't I just faced the embarrassment and gone into Antoine's room? Why did I have to taunt the evil vampire instead?
Valentine's grip on me tightened as he gulped down my blood, and I was beginning to get lightheaded. I was becoming unsteady on my feet when all of a sudden, there was a loud curse and Valentine was ripped away from me, taking a good chunk of my neck with him. My legs went out from under me, but I didn't hit the ground. Strong arms wrapped around me and the scent of jasmine and thunder filled my nose before everything went black.
Chapter 11
Antoine
"This is not a negotiation," I snarled, frustration filling my voice. "No one is going to sacrifice themselves to save the others. We are going to all make it out together, with Piper." My eyes moved over the room, meeting the gazes of my blood brothers. Each of us had a reason never to want to come back to this place, but all of us came back for her. If that wasn't a testament to how much we had come to care about the little human woman, then nothing was.
"I'm not saying anyone should sacrifice themselves," Drake countered with a frown, as he leaned forward from where he had taken a seat on my bed. The same bed I had tasted Piper on just a few short hours ago. Against my will, my eyes slid over to Rayne. Piper had slept with Rayne. That much was clear. The scent of sex still clung to Rayne's skin and the sweet scent of Piper tinged my nose. It overrode any other scent in the room. A part of me wanted to tell Rayne to go back to his room and shower, but that would be admitting I cared if Piper slept with Rayne and I wasn't about to do that.
"Then what are you saying?" Rayne asked, with an irritated scowl. "I'm not playing the puppet for him anymore. I won't. I can't." A dark shadow crossed behind Rayne's amber eyes.
I understood where Rayne was coming from. As the youngest of those our master had changed, Rayne had been the most popular with the other vampires. Especially those who preferred young boys. If it wasn't forbidden to change children into vampires, then I was sure some of our master's friends would have done it already. It wouldn't surprise me if they did in secret. Though, the punishment was death by starvation.
Oh, we could die alright. In some of the most grotesque ways possible. Sunlight burned if we were exposed to it for too long, a stake to the heart or a knife to the neck was the quickest and most merciful way to kill us, and the longest and most drawn out was starvation.
We wouldn't die after a few days of not eating. No, that would have been preferable to the hell that we went through. A vampire, if unfed, desiccated...slowly. Each day was a burning, gasping need for blood until you were a rampaging animal ready to feed on anything that was within biting distance, including yourself. Eventually, you become so weak, that you just lay there with the moisture sucking from your skin as you become not much more than a living husk. It wasn't a pretty sight. I'd seen it a time or two in my lifetime, and it wasn't something you easily forgot.
Our master liked to punish his creations with starvation. I'd been locked away for weeks at a time dying but not dying, all because I dared to displease him in some way. He always let me out of course—I was his favorite after all—but those days felt like an eternity. However, it was nothing compared to what Marcus has endured at the hand of our master.
My eyes flicked in the direction of my sentinel, the logical one of my brothers. Which was surprising, since at one time he would have been called the crazy one. Now, he was the broth
er I went to when I needed an unbiased or unemotionally based opinion. Sometimes, though, Marcus could be too logical, as was the case with Piper. I hoped I wasn't putting her in danger by just having him around.
Seconds before a sharp tang of blood filled my nose, terror ripped through my chest. Piper. I froze. A quick look around the room showed that the rest of them had smelled it too. Just as Rayne murmured, "Piper," I was slamming the bedroom door open.
My heart lodged in my throat at the sight before me. Piper was clutched in the arms of Valentine. His filthy fangs were inside her neck as tears ran down her face. How had I not heard them? We hadn't been arguing that much for me to miss this, had we?
Before I could think, my feet were moving and I slammed into Valentine, ripping him away from Piper. Piper started to collapse to the floor, but Wynn was there in time to catch her, leaving Valentine to me. I snarled and bared my fangs at the bastard who smelled of Piper's sweet blood. "What the hell do you think you are doing?"
"Why, tasting our girl." Valentine smiled and licked the blood dripping from his lips. He didn't seem at all concerned by the fact that I had him by the throat. He really should be. I tightened my fingers around his neck until he winced.
I could hear the others crowding around us, whispering warnings of caution, but I ignored them. The protectiveness in my chest burned for me to seek vengeance for Piper.
"She is not our girl. Piper is mine," I roared at Valentine, my nails slicing into his skin until his blood slid down his neck and stained his pristine shirt. I had always hated how clean of an eater he was, but now I was happy for it. I didn't know how I would have reacted had he been covered in Piper's life source.