17*The Crimson Victory: The Crimson Vampire Coven (The Crimson Coven Book 17)

by B. A. Stretke

  “I’m in information and research because I’m too small to ascend any higher in the Brotherhood, but I will take your compliment and enjoy it for a long time,” Karam told him and returned the sexy smile Lucas was gifting him with. This little game they were playing was absolutely delicious.

  “I’ve been assigned as your guard so you will be residing in my quarters, if that’s okay with you. We can give you your own room and I can guard you there, but the comfort level is much nicer at my place.” Lucas coaxed hoping to persuade. Karam was as sweet as he was beautiful and although he had apprehension, he was considering the offer thoughtfully. He chewed on his plump bottom lip and stared Lucas in the eyes as he deliberated.

  Lucas waited and did not press him further. He was pretty confident that he could persuade Karam to come home with him. Karam was leaning into him even as he sat there silently thinking about his answer. The pull was amazing, and Lucas could see and scent Karam’s growing interest and desire. It wasn’t at his level yet, but Karam was getting there.

  “I think your place would be best and thank you for giving me a choice,” Karam told him and Lucas felt his heart expand with the honesty and sweetness of this man.

  “You’re welcome,” Lucas said and couldn’t resist dropping a brief kiss to the side of Karam’s head. The need to touch his lover was intensifying by the second and the kiss helped to appease the drive for now. He was pleased when Karam didn’t pull back or complain but accepted it with a smile.

  “I brought you some clothes since yours were destroyed.” Lucas reached behind him and handed Karam a bag containing a pair of tan khakis, a white cotton button-down along with socks and a pair of tennis shoes. “You didn’t strike me as the jeans and t-shirt type, so I went with semi-casual.” He explained his choices.

  “Thank you, these are perfect.” Karam took the bag and then looked at Lucas. It took Lucas a minute to get up to speed but realized what he was asking. Even though Lucas had already seen Karam in his tiny boxers, he seemed shy about showing off a second time.

  “I’ll turn around while you dress.” Lucas offered as he moved back away from the bed. “I can’t leave you alone in the room. I trust you but your safety is paramount. I can’t leave you unless someone takes my place.” Lucas turned to face the door and was thrilled when he heard Karam mumbling from behind, obviously not intending for Lucas to hear.

  “No one can take your place,” Karam said and Lucas ate it up. They were off to a great start and hopefully it wouldn’t be long before Lucas would mark and claim Karam as his own.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “Karam explained that although he wears the makings and has their protections, he is not an Akkadian Knight. His role within the Brotherhood is one of research and information. He’s behind a desk and not a field operative. I believe he was trying to prove himself with this current escapade, so he is being very vague with the details. He flew in from Brussels three months ago under the guise of a tourist. He took a position with Dr. Thatcher head of the Department of Computer Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and worked there for two months and seventeen days before resigning a few days ago.” Cullen presented the current intelligence on Karam Nour to Master Stone in the Master’s private family quarters.

  The Master’s beloved Quinn, a dragon shifter and their seven-year-old son Fergus were on a field trip. Being half-dragon and half-vampire Fergus had been tasked with aligning two cultures and making them one. His vampire abilities were made sharp and now Quinn was teaching their son the ways of the dragon. When Fergus reached the age of ten, he would be sent to stay with his grandfather, the Dragon King, to complete his study.

  “That’s the same University Daniel worked for. Is he at all familiar with Karam Nour?” Master Stone asked.

  “No, Karam arrived long after Daniel left. But he is familiar with Dr. Thatcher. He says that he’s a pompous, self-absorbed prick and that he didn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground when it came to computer engineering.” Cullen stated flatly.

  Master Stone chuckled. “Our Daniel is such a lovely and colorful individual.”

  “He calls them as he sees them, and he does tend to be right most of the time,” Cullen commented.

  “Even when he called you a cold, fucking bastard?” Master Stone barked a laugh.

  “I am a cold fucking bastard.” Cullen reminded him. “Dr. Thatcher, true to form, immediately started a background deep dive on Karam with the clear intent of doing him harm. His investigation was leading him to Brussels and the Brotherhood, so I sent Michael to neutralize the problem. We don’t want anyone haphazardly showing up in Crimson looking for Karam, because it turns out the young man is Lucas’ chosen.” Cullen delivered the good news.

  “That’s wonderful, Lucas needs the love and stability that a chosen brings. He must be pleased.” Master Stone commented.

  “Very much, yes,” Cullen responded and then relayed the incident with Lucas and Magnus in the medical department when Lucas thought Karam was being abused. “Karam seems drawn to Lucas already, leaning on him and drawing support from him, so I assigned Lucas as his personal guard. I asked him to try and get information regarding the entity that attacked Karam and anything he can glean regarding the Brotherhood. Karam’s very guarded and there’s clearly a lot more here than he’s sharing.”

  “We need to know what it is and how to deal with it before the thing strikes again. If it attacks a human, a regular human without special protections, they won’t survive. Even our weaker, more vulnerable members could be in danger.” Master Stone became deadly serious.

  “Neither Steph nor Sean were able to pick up a read on it. But they did say that the scent of sulfur that Noa reported indicates that it is from the realm originating from beyond the Demon Realm. But with that said there are innumerable realms that exist there, so that doesn’t put us any closer to identifying the entity or determining a way to destroy it.” Cullen concluded his report.

  “Have Jaden and Dylan continue to concentrate on the Akkadian Brotherhood. They’re specific in the type of beings that they hunt, so if they’re hunting this thing maybe we can narrow the field of possibilities. Also, put in a call to Nael DuFour, maybe he can tell us something.”

  “The Demon Lord and his chosen are in the underworld and there is no way of contacting them there,” Cullen told him.

  “Damn, that man is never around when you need him and underfoot when you don’t.” Master Stone groused. “Keep tight surveillance on the city and the Plantation. That thing is going to show up again. It spiked in Crimson and in that field, according to Karam, so it seems to be hanging around.”

  Cullen nodded and left the room intent on getting to the bottom of what was taking place and all the players involved. Too many questions and no answers.

  …

  Karam paid close attention to his surroundings as Lucas led him through the medical section and out to an elevator. They went up to the fourth floor and stepped out. Karam noticed several people in the area and all acknowledged Lucas with a word or a smile. Lucas was truly well-liked in this coven and that fact furthered Karam’s belief that he was genuinely a kind man.

  Lucas took his hand at this point which felt like a proprietary move. They walked to a nondescript gray door mid-way down the hall and Lucas took the handle and pushed the door open letting Karam enter first. Karam walked inside and Lucas followed closing the door behind them.

  It was a nice and comfortable looking apartment from what Karam could see, much larger than his little room back in Brussels. The Brotherhood was headquartered in the Grand Palace and although it was a large structure the rooms afforded to the lesser members were minuscule in size. The Doyen and the Knights had luxurious apartments and they deserved them, but Karam could not help his jealousy.

  Lucas had a large window in his living room, nearly floor to ceiling with a great view of the grounds. It was beautiful and it captured Karam’s attention as he walked towards it and sigh
ed. His room at the Palace was an interior room with nothing but a small skylight. Karam reluctantly pulled his attention away from the window to regard Lucas who was speaking to him.

  “Make yourself at home. The kitchen is there,” He pointed to his left. “and is fully stocked but if you need or desire something that is not there just let me know. The bedrooms are down that hall and each has its own bath.” Karam stepped to his left and looked down the hallway. There was a room on either side. Lucas came up behind him and put a hand on each of his shoulders while leaning down to whisper in his ear. “I’m glad that you’re here with me, Karam.”

  “Why?” Karam turned slightly to look up into Lucas’ handsome face. He was planning on playing it cool and see what he could get from this man who seemed to be attracted to him. But Karam was finding his own attraction growing, and he wanted to know more about what he was feeling. This was not one-sided, or at least he hoped it wasn’t as he stared into those sensual light brown eyes that were holding his captive.

  Lucas continued to stare at him a little longer before answering. “I’m drawn to you Karam. I think you know that. I want to get to know you better.”

  “You called me your destiny,” Karam remarked as he turned completely around and faced Lucas. Lucas took the opportunity to drape his arm loosely around Karam’s shoulders.

  “You are.”

  “I’m drawn to you too, but I don’t know what it means and I’m not trusting myself right now,” Karam spoke very softly while searching Lucas’ face for clues of deceit but all he saw was tenderness and a lot of hope. His heart was telling him that Lucas was indeed a kind man.

  “Get to know me, Karam.” Lucas’ voice held a pleading quality that Karam could not resist or ignore.

  “I think I’d like to, yes.” Karam fell for the loveliness Lucas was selling hook line and sinker.

  Lucas smiled and pulled him close for a brief full-body hug. He didn’t linger but the energy of the contact had Karam feeling a little buzzed. Was this a vampire thing? He hadn’t dealt with vampires before and although it all felt real, could this just be a glamor? Was he being fooled? That thought brought with it a slight flattening to his spirit.

  Lucas felt the sudden shift in Karam’s mood and at a loss of what to do, he did what came naturally. Lucas lifted Karam’s face to his and kissed him, it was a demand and a promise rolled into the sweetest kiss Lucas could ever remember.

  Karam lifted his hands to rest on Lucas’ hips eagerly opening and accepting the embrace. His lips were made to be kissed and Lucas planned to taste them often. He slid his fingers through Karam’s silky black hair and held him in place as he plundered the depths of his sweet sensuous mouth.

  After leaving his chosen breathless, he gradually brought the kiss to an end and leaned back to look into Karam’s lust blown expression. He was definitely feeling the pull. Karam was struggling to understand but he was feeling everything Lucas was feeling.

  “That was unexpected.” Karam panted while trying to calm his excitement. “But it was so nice.” He added and the praise went straight to Lucas’ heart. Karam wasn’t as shy and demure as his appearance would lead you to believe. He spoke his thoughts more often than not.

  Lucas suspected that Karam didn’t have a lot of experience with kissing or flirting. His behavior was hesitant and cautious. But he was unquestionably interested, and Lucas could work with that. This was a splendid beginning and Lucas had high hopes of moving this connection along quickly.

  He couldn’t believe that he’d been given the gift of his chosen bond. Fate was not negligent or cruel, she gave him what he needed the most and Lucas needed someone to touch his heart and his mind. He needed his true bond, his true love, his anchor in life, he needed Karam Nour. Being with him had calmed his agitated mind and settled his tortured soul and Lucas couldn’t lose him. He wouldn’t lose him.

  He ordered a light meal for Karam considering he probably hadn’t eaten since before his attack yesterday.

  “I’m not really hungry,” Karam said.

  “Just a little something to help get your strength back.” Lucas pressed with that sexy smile gracing that handsome face once again. “Please baby, just a few bites. Do it for me.”

  The endearment was a surprise, but it felt like a warm embrace and caused Karam to flush with the heat of it. “Keep calling me baby and you could probably get me to do anything,” Karam responded with a teasing smile.

  “Good to know.” Lucas purred the words right next to Karam’s ear and Karam melted into his arms. The strong muscular arms that wrapped around him from behind were a balm to his frazzled nerves. He moaned softly and leaned into the light kisses Lucas lavished to the side of his head and down his neck. The thrill was sending chills down his arms and heightening his arousal. Thankfully his shirt was long enough to conceal his prominent bulge.

  Lucas was in heaven with his chosen in his arms so warm and willing and the scent of arousal permeating the air around them. He ached for a taste as he kissed the tantalizing flesh of Karam’s throat. Resisting the temptation, Lucas turned Karam and led him over to the sofa and had him take a seat. Lucas ordered a light meal for Karam and they sat together on the sofa while he finished it.

  “You’re not having anything?” Karam asked and Lucas was touched by his concern, especially when he offered to split dessert with him.

  “I’ve already eaten,” Lucas stated and then added. “But thank you for the kind offer.” He took the opportunity to move closer and draped his arm around his shoulders. Once Karam had finished, he placed the plate on the adjacent table and pulled Karam up to his side. “As you said earlier, we need to talk. Are you ready?”

  “I’m ready,” Karam responded. Lucas could tell by the look on his face that Karam said he was ready, but he was dreading the conversation. Also, Lucas hated to admit it, but he doubted Karam was prepared to be completely truthful with him. Regardless, Lucas would lay his cards on the table so Karam could begin to process the fact that he was Lucas’ chosen.

  “I’m going to be perfectly honest with you Karam. I realize this information may shock and confuse you at first but just listen to your heart and you’ll know it’s the truth.” Lucas held him and looked him right in those beautiful dark eyes and began.

  “You’re aware of all things paranormal so I’m not going to bore you with the basics. You are my chosen, Karam. You are the one Fate destined to be mine. In the vampire world much like the shifters, we have one predestined bond, mate, chosen, whatever you wish to call it, and we wait sometimes our entire life to find them.” Lucas paused for a moment as Karam’s eyes widened but he didn’t say anything.

  “We recognize our chosen but sight, smell, taste and just basically an all-encompassing awareness of importance. I was the guard posted outside your hospital room. I was there for hours not knowing that my chosen lay injured just beyond the door behind me.” Lucas raised one hand and ran his fingertips down the side of Karam’s face needing the intimate contact as he continued. Karam was listening and appeared to understand although he was still looking shocked.

  “I scented cotton candy when the van carrying you pulled onto the grounds. I was working at the front gate and the smell was amazing, but I had no idea where it was coming from. I really didn’t think about it at all apart from the fact it was a lovely smell. Then the scent was there again when I was standing in the hall outside your door and once again, I didn’t consider where it might be coming from. It wasn’t until I burst into your room and was hit full face with that incredible smell that the meaning became clear.”

  “Why did you charge in like you did?” Karam finally spoke.

  “I had to, your scream pierced right through to my heart and everything in me reacted to it. I had to get to you and protect you. It felt like a matter of life and death and that’s how it is when a vampire finds their chosen.” Lucas pulled Karam a little closer, tucking him into his side but he continued to hold his gaze. Karam needed to read him and know that
his words were the truth.

  “When I saw Magnus roughing you up, I lost my mind. Getting him away from you and keeping you safe were paramount and I didn’t care how I did it as long as you were protected. In my conscious mind, I knew that Magnus meant you no harm, but my instinct was to protect and defend. I was even prepared to take on Cullen if he’d pushed it. That man could wipe the floor with my sorry ass and yet I wouldn’t have hesitated in your defense. That’s how strong a chosen bond is for vampires.” Lucas fell silent and waited for whatever Karam had to say.

  Karam was thrown for a loop with the assertion that he was Lucas’ chosen. He was aware of the term but never gave it much thought since he wasn’t a vampire. Lucas’ behavior was indicative of a vampire under the thrall of his chosen and Karam was not unaffected by the man.

  He’d felt drawn to him from the beginning and was acutely attuned to his presence. He was in the middle of a mess and fighting for his life and yet all he could think about was the handsome vampire named Lucas. That was not normal behavior for him or anyone.

  “I know of what you speak, and I too feel the power of our connection. With that said, we only met a few hours ago so I’ll need some time to take it all in. I’m flattered and very impressed by you Lucas but there is one thing I would like to know.” He leaned in closer and paused just a beat as Lucas waited expectantly. “What’s your name? All I know is Lucas, do you have a last name. We were never actually introduced.” Lucas chuckled.

  “I’m Lucas Reid, Guard for the Crimson Coven. I’m very pleased to meet you.” He stated formally and ended with a tender and tentative kiss to Karam’s lips. Karam embarrassed himself when a small giggle got past his lips.

  “Sorry.” He said. “That wasn’t very manly of me.”

  “Never be sorry for showing me what you’re feeling. I love that you are so open, please baby don’t ever hide from me.” Lucas told him and followed with another soft kiss. Karam was melting into his arms and just wanted to stay there until all this confusion was cleared up. He was a vampire’s chosen and he knew what that entailed. It was a commitment, more than life, it was for eternity. Everything he’d planned and the life he thought he wanted was now in question as this man so gentle and so loving promised him forever.