Deceptive Changes: Kat LaMond Book 1

by R A Baker

  “What’s wrong with him?” I whispered.

  Todd looked at me and then Sven. “I think it has more to do with your status, Kat. He’s attracted to your power.” Sven nodded in agreement.

  “I understand that, he said as much. What I don’t understand is why.”

  “There isn’t a good explanation for that, Kat.” He leaned over Erick and put his hand out. I grabbed it and he squeezed gently and then let me go. He sat up and said, “I believe because he’s my vampire, that is, he’s beholden to me. He may see you as I do.”

  “But not all see me this way. Most just want to kill me.” I wasn’t able to make sense of this conversation. Well, okay, I didn’t want to.

  Todd sighed. “You haven’t really met any of my vampires, Kat. You’ve only met those that want to do me harm. I’m not sure it’s every vampire under my rule but it may be some of the more powerful ones that feel the attraction.”

  I groaned and leaned further into the couch. “So you think it’ll wear off if he’s not around me?”

  Todd shook his head. “No, Kat. He’ll always feel this way.”

  “I don’t want him. I have enough men. I’m not even that powerful. Sure, I’ve killed some vampires, so what? I’m not that strong,” I rambled, gesturing wildly with my hands.

  “You’re stronger and more powerful than you realize, Kat. He sees this power and knows what he wants.”

  I leaned out and frowned at Todd. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying, because if you are, no fucking way.”

  “It’s not so bad, Kat. Trace, Erick, and I have already discussed this possibility.”

  I waved him silent. “No. I will not be some vampire whore. If you guys think that I’m going to just take anyone to me, you’re sorely mistaken. It’s hard enough with you three.”

  “It won’t be just anyone, Kat. It will be someone of our pleasure.” Todd sighed when he say my jaw tighten.

  “I’m not backing down, Todd. I will not, I repeat, will not, be some whore. I don’t mind the three of you because I’m comfortable with you guys. If you guys want to take him to your bed, that’s your business. It’s not my business what you do.”

  “Stop right there, Kat. The three of us don’t do anything without you in the room. Let’s get that straight. We do certain things because we know that you like it.” He held up his hand to keep me silent. “I like it, we like it, I should say. If you were to take Sven to your bed it would be different. The three of us were just talking about this when you walked in.” I jumped off the couch. I couldn’t sit still any longer. This so wasn’t happening.

  “May I say something?” Sven asked, breaking into the conversation.

  I swung my gaze to Sven and yelled, “This is your damn fault. You don’t have a damn say in this. Stay out of it.” I was furious with all of them. How could they be so calm about all of this? It was my body and bed that they were discussing.

  “Calm down, Kat,” Todd said, in a calm voice that made me want to scream and yell at all of them. I wanted to throw an epic tantrum, but I refrained.

  “I will not. You didn’t think to discuss this with me first? You, what, assumed that I would want to fuck Sven? Why? Because he saved my life?” I tightened my hands into fists. I wanted to smash something or hit one of them. I couldn’t decide.

  “It was a possibility,” he said, shrugging. “We were only discussing possibilities.”

  I did hit something then. I turned and slammed my fist into the wall. Pain flared through my hand and wrist as my fist went through the drywall. “I’m done talking about this. You can stay here tonight but you leave at day break,” I yelled at Sven, then stalked out of the room.

  I heard Erick say, “I’ll talk with her.”

  I walked into the bedroom and slammed the door. A moment later Erick walked in. “Katja.”

  I looked at him, my hands still fisted and my whole body tense with anger. “What is it, Erick?” I asked when I could speak a little quieter, a little less angry.

  “We only want you to be happy. It wasn’t like we were parading him in front of you. It’s more that we wanted to give you the option of having a fourth in your bed. Maybe having a vampire in your bed will give you a change of pace and allow you to do something that we can’t give you.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” My anger was fading quickly as Erick talked, his voice even and quiet, soothing, just like always.

  “It means that we all know that you enjoy a little bloodletting. We saw what Antreas had done and we just wanted you to have the option.”

  “That’s nice, Erick,” I said sarcastically. “Thanks so much. Just because I don’t mind sharing blood with a vampire, a nice one, that automatically means I want to fuck him, right? What the fuck do you think I am? Do you think that I want to fuck everyone? Just because I have sex with the three of you, that makes me, what, some sort of whore?”

  “You aren’t a whore, Katja. Be reasonable. We were just talking about this.” I couldn’t read Erick’s expression. It looked like pain but I couldn’t be sure.

  “Why would this even come up?”

  “We needed to know where Todd stood if, for some reason, you chose to bed a vampire that happens to be lesser than Todd, and since he is king, he’s the top dog, as it were.” He held his hands at his side and looked like he wanted to come over to me.

  “Why would I choose a vampire, Erick?”

  “We didn’t know if you would or not, it was just an option.” This time he did come over to me. He held me in his arms and whispered sweet nothings in my ear.

  I pulled back from him and sat on the edge of the bed. “That isn’t right, Erick. You should have said something to me from the beginning.”

  “I know we should have, Katja. We only wanted to make sure that Todd would be okay, or not, with this.”

  “There is no this. I don’t want this. I want what we had without further complications.”

  “I’m sure that’s how you feel but Sven is in need of something.”

  “Well, he can just go find that something somewhere else. It isn’t me, Erick. Why would I take him to my bed? He isn’t even what I’m attracted to. Yes, I like a vampire to bite me once in a while and with this job, I’m not liking it so much. Why would you even suggest this? Don’t you feel crowded already?”

  “Yes and no. We broached the subject for the reason I stated earlier. Todd wasn’t sure if he could deal with you and a lesser vampire. I am comfortable with Todd and Trace. I enjoy our time together. Do I want another? No.” He sat on the bed next to me but kept his hands to himself.

  “I guess I should go out there, huh?”

  “That’s up to you, Katja.” He patted my knee and left the room.

  I didn’t want to go out there. I wanted to go to bed and never wake up. I was extremely happy to be alive but now that I was home it was much more complicated than I could have anticipated.

  I squared my shoulders and got off the bed. I stood at the door and looked at the knob. I really didn’t want to go out there.

  I grabbed the knob and opened the door. Sven and Todd were standing on the other side. I thought about slamming the door in their faces, but I didn’t.

  “What’s going on, Todd?” I stepped back and allowed them to enter.

  They came into the room and sat on the bed. I stayed standing. I didn’t want to be near Sven and his weird assumption that I was something more than I am.

  “Kat, Sven would like to say something.” I looked at Sven. His dark blue eyes sparkled as he looked at me. I frowned.

  “Ms. LaMond, I would like to apologize for my rude behavior. I wasn’t fully aware of your situation. I had heard that you were dating more than one man and I assumed, wrongly, that you would be open to more than just those that you have.”

  “Well, that didn’t seem like much of an apology. Next time ask. Don’t just assume that I want you. Why would you think I was interested in you in the first place?”

  “On the a
ircraft, you offered your blood. To me that meant you were interested in more than just some bloodletting.”

  I blushed and said, “Okay then. I only offered to help keep you calm instead of destroying the aircraft. Outside of that, it was nothing personal.” The look he gave me said it was personal. My blush disappeared and was replaced by a faint dizziness and nausea.

  Todd stood up and asked, “Kat, are you okay?” I couldn’t speak so I nodded. That didn’t help with the dizziness. I backed up, nudged the wall, and sank to the ground.

  “Todd, why didn’t you tell me about this?” I asked when I was able to speak and not throw up.

  He shrugged. “I wasn’t aware of this, Kat.”

  I couldn’t understand his blasé attitude. “Don’t you find this at least a little unnerving?”

  “I’m finding a lot of things unnerving, this isn’t one of them. To be honest, this isn’t something I had anticipated.”

  “I think this conversation shouldn’t even be happening. It’s over, at least in my head. I’m not fucking Sven. Sorry, but I’m not. You need to find someone else.” I climbed the wall and stayed standing against it for a moment. I took two breaths and walked out of the room.

  If I was honest with myself I’d rather be fighting a whole bunch of vampires than discuss my love life. To be even more honest with myself, I didn’t think about how many guys I’ve been having sex with. And to think that Sven thought I wanted him, yeesh. He wasn’t bad looking but he wasn’t someone I wanted to have any type of relationship with, except friendly.

  My feet led me into the kitchen. I peeked through the door and found that the room beyond was empty. I walked in and grabbed a bottle of wine and a glass. The glass was secondary to my way of thinking. I was thinking about downing the whole bottle but I knew that wouldn’t do any good. Better to get drunk on a glass or so of wine then a bottle I suppose.

  I poured a full glass of Merlot and downed it in two gulps. I poured another and took my time. That lasted about a minute and a half.

  I was pouring a third when Trace walked into the room. I smiled a lopsided grin at him. I could feel the alcohol working because everything was slightly fuzzy. Trace took the bottle from my hand, and damn it, I was too slow to grab it. He poured a glass for himself and then corked the bottle.

  “I’m not done with that,” I spoke slowly and with emphasis.

  He just looked at me and shook his head, “You’re done, Kat. Drink the last of the wine in your glass and then you should probably go to bed.”

  “I don’t wanna.” My words were starting to slur.

  I suppose I should be going to bed but I wasn’t in the mood to be near anyone or anything except a bed and pillow. No guys. Nothing. They had taken my couch with the pull out bed. My only other option was the guest room next to Sven’s but I figured that would be a bad idea. Maybe I could kick the guys out of the bedroom and use that as mine and they could have the guest room.

  My eyes started to close as I finished my drink. Trace nudged me. I stood up, mumbled a good night, and walked into the guest room. I dropped onto the bed face down and promptly fell asleep.

  Chapter Twenty

  I woke up to someone kissing my neck. I swatted at the person and rolled off the bed. I cringed as my head exploded in pain. “Ow,” I complained pathetically.

  I looked up and found Sven on the bed. “What the hell are you doing?” I asked, just slightly above a loud whisper.

  “You were in my bed. I figured you changed your mind.” His blue eyes were darker with passion.

  I gulped and tried to stand but fell back to the floor. “I stumbled into the wrong room last night.” Some of the passion that had heated up his eyes cooled. Good. “Aren’t you supposed to be gone?” I asked as I squinted into the sunlight streaming into the room.

  “Todd asked me to stay for a while longer. He doesn’t think it’s safe for me to leave.”

  I groaned. This is just what I needed. “I’ll get out of your room.” I stood up and stumbled toward the door.

  Sven was there before I could put my hand to the knob. “Get out of my way,” I growled. Yup, I really growled at him. I didn’t even know I could growl but I sure as hell did. He looked at me and smiled. That smile held a hint of challenge.

  My head was killing me and I was being held prisoner in a room with a man that wanted to fuck me. I guess it could have been worse.

  I stepped back from the door and looked around for a weapon. Of course, there wasn’t anything too dangerous in the room. He stayed at the door and watched me survey the limited options. I probably couldn’t get a weapon if I found one, he was too fast.

  “I’ll make a deal with you, Sven. I find a weapon, I bleed you, and you leave me alone. If you bleed me, well you’ll still leave me alone. Deal?”

  He shook his head. “I have a better deal. You bleed me first and I leave you alone. I bleed you and I get a kiss.”

  I sighed. That so wasn’t going to happen. “No. I will fight you, one way or the other, and you will leave me alone, even if I have to kill you.” He raised a delicate eyebrow and nodded.

  He stalked toward me as I backed up. I knocked into the nightstand table and grabbed the first thing I could grab. It was a nail file. Oh, great, like this is going to help me. I wouldn’t even be able to break skin. Damn.

  I stepped up onto the bed and walked across as he came to where I had been standing. I held the nail file in my right hand and flicked my wrist when he got too close. He looked at the puny nail file in my hand and let out a laugh.

  He flew at me as I stumbled back and had me against the wall. I kicked and connected with his groin. He flinched but kept me against the wall. He breathed in my scent and let me go. “You aren’t even trying, Katja.”

  I walked away from him and said, “You don’t have the right to call me by my first name.”

  He followed my movement with his eyes. “You gave me permission last night.”

  “I take it back. It’s Ms. LaMond to you.” I backed up until I was at the door. I used my left hand to grab the knob.

  Just as he flew at me, I opened the door and stepped behind. He crashed into the door and I went flying into the closet door. Jesus Christ! Pain slammed through my already hurt head and shot down my back. My hand spasmed and I dropped the nail file, for what good it did me, and almost passed out.

  He bent down and pulled me up against his body. He held me loosely in his arms and bit my neck. I guess he won.

  Instead of pain leaking into me, passion filled me to the brim. My headache was gone in seconds and the pain in my back disappeared. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders to hold him in place.

  I looked up and found no one at the door. I wondered why no one came to the door. How odd. I struggled against the passion that was filling me. I struggled against Sven. “No. No more. Let me go. If you don’t, you better fucking kill me because I will kill you.”

  He pulled his fangs from my neck and chuckled. “You talk so tough but you really aren’t, Katja. We made a deal, remember?”

  “The deal was that I’ll kill you either way. Let me go. Now.”

  He set me on my feet and bent to lick the wound closed but I slapped his face as hard as I could. Apparently not hard enough because he just smiled, then he bent back in and licked the wound; I felt it close up.

  I slid around him and walked out of the bedroom. A new door was needed since he practically went through it to get to me. He didn’t follow.

  I walked through the kitchen to the basement and grabbed my Glock 10mm. I grabbed two clips and walked back upstairs. The clip in the gun was loaded with target rounds. The other two clips held live bullets that would harm anything, even vampires.

  I found Sven in the sitting room with Trace, Todd, and Erick. I sighted on Sven and pulled the trigger. Everyone looked startled except for Sven. He knew what I would do, we had made a deal. I shot him until I dry fired. I popped the clip and loaded it with regular bullets.

  Todd stood u
p and yelled, “Kat, what the hell are you doing?!”

  “I told him I’d kill him. That’s exactly what I plan to do. Don’t try and stop me.” Todd stayed in front of Sven. I looked at Todd and said in a drab voice, “I will shoot through you if I have to, Todd. Now get out of the way.” He continued to stay where he was, calling my bluff.

  Sven took advantage of the situation like I knew he would. He was at my back and held my gun hand to the floor. I squeezed off a shot but it did no damage, except a hole in the floor. He tightened his hold on my arm until I dropped the gun. He let me go for a second but it was enough to pull the dagger from my pocket and stab him in the chest. I missed the heart by an inch but it proved a point, literally.

  I stepped back from Sven and watched as he pulled the dagger from his chest. “That was a warning. You touch me again and I won’t miss.” I backed up, keeping Sven in sight. I found that I was in the far corner away from everyone. My guys were looking at me like I had lost my marbles. Maybe I had.

  “Kat, we need to talk.”

  I swung my angry gaze back to Todd. “I don’t think there’s anything to talk about. We had a deal. If he bled me and didn’t kill me, I’d kill him. If I bled him first, he leaves me alone. Point, Todd.”

  “We need to talk.” He stormed over to me and grabbed my arm. I dug my heels in but couldn’t compete with his strength. He pulled me into the kitchen and nearly threw me into the chair. “What the fuck just happened?”

  “You mean to tell me you didn’t hear our fight?”

  “We were outside sparring.”

  I sighed. “I woke up in bed. Apparently it was his room. I was a bit tipsy last night and stumbled into the wrong room. I woke to Sven kissing my neck. We had words, made a deal, and I plan to honor that deal. If you want him alive, I suggest he stays elsewhere.”

  Todd shook his head. “No. I need him to stay here. He’s more useful here.” He wasn’t going to budge on this issue, I could tell by the set of his jaw.

  “Fine. If he stays here, I’m leaving.”

  “What do you find so horrible about him?”