by Sophia North
"Yes, I especially like the teardrop ruby's inventive placement," she replied breathlessly. He may have wanted a deep meaningful discussion but Penny had other plans.
"Penny, we need..."
"Darling, let's make tonight just about us. Tomorrow will come soon enough and there'll be plenty of time for discussion then."
Vlad pulled her to him, drinking her in with amorous kisses, as she joyfully approved his concession to her wishes. Sweeping her into his arms, the two of them still naked, he strode from the ballroom towards the grand staircase. "Fuck it, I'm taking you to bed. The rooms aren't going anywhere."
Chapter Thirty-Three
THE PERSISTENT CHIMING from the mantle clock ended on twelfth stroke. Tomorrow had finally arrived, thus proving Vlad wrong. Sometimes tomorrow really did come.
With Penny cuddled against him, Vlad had to concede making love to her in a bed exceeded his expectations. It was surprising to discover his more traditional leanings. Sex in a bed seemed so conventional. Yet, with Penny at his side, it made it much more intimate and...special.
"Sweetheart..."
Penny leaned up and pressed a finger to his lips. "I know. It's tomorrow."
There was so much to say, Vlad didn't know where to start. There was one bit of news, however, he dreaded to impart.
"I have to tell you something about your grandmother," he ventured carefully.
"Oh my, yes. I'm sorry about all that. She can be somewhat opinionated. I hope she didn't offend you too much. Gran doesn't mince words, especially to my, er, male admirers," she explained. Goddess knows what her eccentric grandmother had said to him when they'd finally met at the hospital. "If it's any consolation, she told me she liked you the most out of all my other suitors."
Vlad had not expected the response. Did being the Dragon mean she could converse with the dead? Interesting. He'd make note of that ability. Could prove useful in the future.
"Somehow I doubt Essie was overly full of praise. We didn’t see eye to eye the first time we met. She was a formidable force back in Normandy. I now understand where your warrior predisposition comes from," Vlad commented.
"You knew my Gran during the war? She never said boo to me about it on the phone. How strange that she didn't," Penny replied, wrinkling her nose in perplexity.
"Essie's still alive?" Vlad exclaimed, before his more suspicious inclinations kicked-in and peeled away the layers to reveal the real picture. The clever old bird had tricked him. But the question was, why? To ensure he slept with her granddaughter? Seemed a bit farfetched. Although her 'last words’ were a plea for him to do just that. Immediately.
"Don't sound so surprised, she’s a MacGregor. And you know only too well that we're tougher than we look," Penny promptly defended.
"Yes, Dragon-like, I believe is one way Essie described it. Care to expand on where she left off? I only got told about the Dragon part," Vlad returned, starting to become annoyed with the MacGregor tendency to keep secrets.
Penny froze. Vlad knew the truth about her being a Dragon! This was not good. "It's just a silly title we MacGregor women are known by," Penny replied flippantly, trying to downplay it. "Clan traditions can be a wee bit dramatic for Southerners to understand."
If only it were that simple. Vlad could take a bit of family drama. His human life honed him to cope easily with the twists and turns of family life. More times than not, they involved knives, backs and a little bit of treachery.
Penny's magical ancestry, however, posed a much bigger challenge. He'd read Haan's journals and knew the freak's obsession with finding a dragon put her in peril. What he didn't know was how much danger she was in.
Essie had warned him of Haan's threat and his need to protect Penny, to keep her safe.
"Humour me. What does the Dragon title entail exactly?"
Penny bit her lip. It was one thing to claim to have witch blood flowing in one's veins, but dragon's blood seemed somewhat of a leap in believability. Even for her. And the power it brought when activated wasn't even in the realms of normal conversation. She needed to choose her words very carefully, especially given her audience. Vlad, by nature, was far too suspicious.
"It's about taking on a duty." She stopped, hoping this short answer would suffice. It didn't.
"A duty to..."
By the goddess, this was really not a conversation she wanted to have. There was going to be a Vlad-shaped hole through the door when she confessed the truth.
There was really no easy way to say it. Taking a deep breath, she blurted it out. "Procreate. Dragon bloodlines must be continued so they can be called upon when the great battles come to maintain the balance."
Penny lost Vlad at procreate. Somehow he'd managed to grow paler. Quite the feat for a vampyre. "But you are a vamp gene carrier!" he argued at first, before asking in an incredulous whisper, "Vampyres and...dragons can mate?"
"No," she explained. "Nor am I vamp gene carrier, which is why we can have as much sex as we like. You can't get me pregnant, isn't it wonderful?" she announced proudly. "Simone's test results were correct, I promise you. Ninety-nine percent human and one percent dragon. She didn't know how to look for it. You're the only one who knows what I really am."
Vlad's head swam with everything she'd told him. But none of it made any damn sense. If Penny wasn't his 'Mate', then what the fuck were they to one another? His body said one thing but science said another. Essie. Essie knew what it meant, she'd tried to tell him but he refused to listen.
"Who mates with a Dragon?" he choked out.
"Well, it's quite funny actually, given your ancestry. Viking bloodlines are the only ones which mix with a dragon's. It's why they conquered us in the first place, that was until we Scots turned the tables and took back our homeland."
Unable to trust himself to speak properly, he resorted to humour in order to carry on with the conversation. It was either that, or howl like a babe. "Love, I hate to point this out but the Scots never drove the Vikings out. Their conquerors stayed and assimilated into the culture."
"Precisely, we won. It's not called Vikingland now is it?"
Vlad smirked at her wit. "Very well, I concede the point. But let me ask you this: If your duty is to procreate when assuming the title, why be so blasé about it? Are you prepared to have children with some random Viking?"
He knew it was an irrational thing to say, but the thought of Penny being with another filled him with rage. Fuck her duty, she was his!
"I'm not planning to have children at all, not if they aren't yours. But as you do not want children either, I don't understand what you are getting so worked up about."
"To fail in one's duty usually carries consequences. And I am thinking neglected magical ones probably carry heavier tolls than most," he spoke worriedly. "What happens if you don't bear a child?"
Penny remained silent. Vlad grew increasingly concerned.
"Penny! What happens?" he demanded. "Do you even know?"
"Yes, I know what happens. And as far as anyone's aware, it's only happened once." Her voice had dropped to a whisper by this point. She didn't want to worry him needlessly.
In a matter of months, she'd be free and clear of the possibility of the same fate being forced upon her. Plus, now that she was loved and protected by the biggest, baddest vamp Lowerton had ever known, she had nothing to fear. Why upset him needlessly?
Answer: because she loved him and knew he would never forgive her for not telling him the whole truth. Especially given what was still to come. Procreation was but one duty, there were others. Many others.
"Tell me, love. I need to know," he pleaded.
"Promise you won't go off half-cocked, ready to do battle?"
Mother of fuck, how bad could it be if she had to prep him? "I promise. And when have you ever known me to be 'half-cocked'." Thank fuck there was humour to save him.
"For as long as the next Dragon hasn’t bore a child, she can be forced to...become pregnant."
Okay. Wha
t is the best way to react after hearing the love of your life is fair game to be raped? Vlad would have really liked to know the answer because half-cocked didn't even begin to describe his reaction. Pure, unadulterated rage? Hmm, warmish. How about - ripping apart anyone or anything in this world to ensure not one hair on her head was mussed? Much closer.
But amazingly, he remained perfectly calm. He had promised.
"So, other than you, who no longer is one, I don't know any Vikings," Penny continued to ramble, hoping if she just kept on talking Vlad wouldn't react. "Which means, we have nothing to worry about. When I turn thirty-three on Bonfire night, the threat ends. I'll be free. That's what - six months away? A pittance. I've made it this far without getting pregnant. And as I don't expect to be gracing anyone else's bed but yours, will not become so anytime soon."
Haan's threat in the cell about fucking the Dragon came slamming back to him. Is this what he implied? But why? A disembodied vampyre could no sooner get Penny pregnant than he could. Unless...perhaps Haan did not intend to return in vamp form. Was that even possible?
Vlad needed to speak to Mariam ASAP. Then Essie. Penny's explanations were not satisfactory. And there was also the small matter of the old woman faking her demise to force him to act without thinking through the consequences. Oh, who the fuck was he kidding about that? Encouraged or not, he'd have still made love to Penny.
"Vlad, are you listening to me?" Penny asked abruptly. He'd become vacant and withdrawn for far too long. Perhaps, she'd been unwise to tell him quite so much in one go. But he had insisted.
Throwing his long legs over the side of the bed, he rose woodenly. "I need to go out for a bit..."
Penny was outraged. "You can't just leave!"
"A spell round the gardens for an hour or..." He calculated how long it would take to go to Lowerton, freak out on Mariam and Godfrey, and then return. "...three. Yes, no more than three hours."
This was bordering on the insane. Why would he need to walk around the gardens for three hours? He was up to something.
About to launch into a scathing tirade about breaking his word, Penny was stilled by Vlad’s next act of strange behaviour. Cocking his head to one side, he held up his hand, instructing her to be silent. Listening intently, he eventually spoke. "Penny, put some clothes on. We've got company."
Company, at this hour? He had to be joking. Besides, if it was another vampyre he'd heard, he or she couldn't enter the house without Penny's invitation. So whoever this late night visitor was, they could damn well wait until she was finished with him.
Vlad's warning came too late. Before they knew it, the bedroom was overrun with rats crawling out from every crevice available. It was disgusting. They were everywhere.
Hoping to take out as many as he could before the inevitable happened, Vlad attacked. The squeals of carnage didn't last long.
The army of rodents transformed into an army of men. And leading the charge was none other than the detestable Reginald Reilly.
"Hold him down, privates!" barked the contemptuous little rat man, waving a ridiculous looking leather crop. "Sergeant, the chains, if you please. They will keep him subdued. Vamps are fucked up by silver."
Vlad tried to fight them off, but there were too many to kill for one vamp. They crowded the bedroom and extended out the door into the hallway. For all he knew, there could be hundreds of the vicious fucks.
"I'll kill every fucking last one of you if she is touched!" he roared, straining against the chains a few of the braver rodents had managed to restrain him in.
Reginald Reilly sidled up to Vlad, who was now tied by silver chains of submission and unable to break free on his own. "Touch her? Tsk tsk. Why would I want to touch such a vile creature? Privates, let's have a better look at this human he is willing to be destroyed over. I mean, she wasn't too hard on the eyes the last time I saw her. But then again, my eyesight isn't the best."
Flanked by two odious little rat-men, Penny was hauled forward, unclothed. Reginald walked around her, taking his fill of her beauty while trying to act disinterested. "She might be considered attractive by some, I suppose. But those breasts seem rather large to me. And that nipple! I don't know if it will fit into my mouth, I'm used to much smaller teats." His criticism did not sound convincing.
"You may think you have the upper hand, but I can assure you things are not as they fucking appear." Holding up his wrist, the face of Vlad’s watch flashed red. "The Exterminator has been notified and will be arriving any minute."
"You don't say." Reilly didn't look too worried about the notion.
"Look, I'm a fair vamp,” Vlad said, trying to distract him. “If you leave right now, I'll give you an hour's head start before I seek out and massacre the lot of you. That's fucking generous, it has to be said.”
Reilly rubbed his chin, as if seriously contemplating the offer. "Hmmm, yes. Time is of the essence in such situations. And my rats and I are partial to living. Your offer is generous, we can cover a lot of ground in many directions in one hour. But friend, you have a serious problem. Your expected Exterminator is the one who has sent us."
The Rat was clueless if he really thought Vlad believed him.
As if sensing his distrust, Reginald continued. "Oh, you think I don't know who your Plan B is in this little scenario?" he asked, pivoting a finger between the two of them. "He said you wouldn't have an inkling. Whereas I, on the other hand, thought a vamp as smart as you would be all over him from the get go. That there was no way you'd be fooled by him for very long." Reggie threw his hands up. "But damn me, if the bastard's not just gone and done it. Duped one of his best mates into not recognising a threat when it was right under his nose. He did say Dante was cleverer. Good thing he took care of him first."
The dawning reality hit Vlad like a tank. It wasn't possible. But sadly, it all made sense in a fucked up kind of way. "Darius," he hissed aloud in recognition.
Reggie's grin reached from ear to ear. "Why yes, that's the name he currently goes by... but my Master much prefers Haan."
Chapter Thirty-Four
FUCK. WHEREVER HE WAS, it smelt bad. Tales from the Crypt bad.
Suspended by his wrists, Vlad managed to pry open an eye. Not the easiest of feats. The beating he'd taken from Reggie and his ratty mates had left a lasting impression. Both eyes swollen shut and several cracked ribs.
Why the fuck wasn't he healing? The rodents had inflicted some damage to be sure, but the injuries should have sorted themselves out by now.
The answer to the conundrum, when it came, was excruciating.
White hot molten fire coursed through his veins, a pain so great it robbed him of breath.
Silver. The precious metal guaranteed to fuck a vamp up. It's mere touch seared a vampyre like a rib eye steak on an open flame. And if applied long enough, the strength to heal as well.
With a supreme effort of will, Vlad turned his head. His blurred vision searched for the source of his woes. It was a struggle, his swollen eyes impeded him from getting a proper look. But eventually, the glint of a thick silver chain being used to bind him caught in the flickering torch light.
Exhausted, Vlad's head dropped back down to his chest.
The situation looked bleak. Without his vamp strength he had no hope of breaking free. No hope of saving Penny.
His heart lurched. Penny! He had to save her from Darius, Haan or whatever the fuck he called himself.
Rage swelled up at the thought of her at the mercy of the demented Haan, pushing the agony of his pain aside. Under the delusion that one great effort might set him free, Vlad gathered his strength and strained against the chains. His shouts of pain filled the dank chamber.
His monumental effort started out with a roar but soon ended in a whimper. The chains held firm, robbing him of what little strength he had left.
Crumpled in defeat, Vlad prayed for a miracle. Unfortunately, the Creator wasn't in a generous mood.
Behind him, the creak of a door opening should h
ave been sweet music to his ears. Except, the voice accompanying the miraculous sound left him seething instead.
"Good evening, brother."
Darius. The two-faced bastard responsible. Oh good.
His heavy footfall crunched as he approached Vlad, the noise reminiscent of boots walking on sand. That might account for the god-awful smell, he thought. The damp rot of the sea could release many an unpleasant treasure.
The footsteps ceased in front of him. The bastard was close, very close.
"I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to wake up." Darius's emphasis did not go unmissed.
Lifting his battered head, Vlad's blood soaked blond hair hung down around his face, but through the matted strands his piercing grey stare met Darius's. "Unchain me, and I'll be happy to show you how well I now see," he growled in return.
A wicked grin worked its way across Darius's handsome features at Vlad's bravado. "Ah Vladimir, you never fail to impress. Even now, in the face of utter defeat, you'd still try to thwart me, wouldn't you?"
With a surprising surge of strength, Vlad pulled at his silver chains and bared his fangs. "I will defeat you, Haan, you treacherous cunt."
"I somehow doubt that. You couldn't even figure out I've been in control of one of your best friends," he derided. "But I applaud your tenacious spirit. Unfortunately, the time for heroic feats has finally reached its inevitable sad end. And it will end with your death. Pity. A vamp of your calibre will be missed."
"How long?" Vlad rumbled menacingly.
"Bit of an open-ended question, Elder Barath. How long what?...how long have I fooled you by masquerading as Darius? ... how long do you have left before I kill you? ... or my personal favourite. How long will I make Penny writhe in pleasure as I fuck the life from the Dragon? And I mean that in the literal sense."
To Haan's great surprise Vlad starting laughing.
"You fucking excel at talking shite, mate," he taunted. Yet inside, inside he was raging. But Vlad refused the give the bastard the satisfaction of knowing it. He wanted answers to all three questions Haan had posed and knew the best way to get to the truth was to lie his way to it.