Menage: The Vampire Brothers Hunger (Menage Paranormal Romance Book 1)

by Marsh, Beverly

  She wondered if she was going to make it there. Her alarm went off before she could make up any decisions. Her day at the convenience store was going to start. She couldn’t possibly stick around and do nothing until her first regular class. Orientation is over. The term was officially starting.

  “Hi!” Fatima was surprised to see Love with a mountain of corn-flavored snacks in her arms. “Cool, you work here!” She put all the snacks on the counter and began to unload yet another basket of treats, this time they were pudding and chocolate. “Don’t judge me. Being stressed out from yesterday makes me want to buy everything in sight.”

  When Gael came and calmed Fatima, Love also came too. She moved to the farthest end of the bed and began to pray.

  “Praying won’t help you. We aren’t demons you can exorcise, y’know.” Saul sat close to Love and tried to reach for her. Fatima wanted to go to Love and make sure Saul didn’t try to do what he did to her.

  Love flicked Saul’s forehead with her finger. Saul touched his forehead and smoke came out of it. “What the heck?” Saul touched his forehead and walked away.

  “Be careful what you touch.” Love didn’t look like she was that afraid now. Fatima wondered what there was about Love that made her think the petite girl was stronger than her.

  “Are you okay by the way?” She asked Love as she began to punch in all the things that the little woman was buying. She still can’t figure out how Love is going to pack all that in.

  “Oh, yeah. I will be. My mentor told me that the other students are perfectly safe. I mean not perfectly safe, but they can’t hurt me. It’s against the rules.” Fatima wanted to tell Love that rules never stopped the bullies in her school and the people in her village from trying to hurt her. But she didn’t want to tell the innocent one that the world is out to get her. It was too early in spring to do that.

  “But what is up with that Gael guy? He really gives me the creeps.” Love pouted as she eyes the candy bars near the counter. She took three more and added to her pile. “I know people who don’t say much. But it’s almost like he can read people’s minds and doesn’t even bother to ask them anything. He just knows.”

  “I kind of like him.” Fatima continued on to the chocolate pile this time.

  “Of course you do. He is nice to you.” Love pouted as if she wanted Gael to pay attention to her too.

  A Hennessy Venom stopped in front of the building where Fatima was standing in front of. She was waiting for Love, who decided to visit the bathroom on last time before they walk to the school’s entrance. It was going to be awhile, so she conceded.

  “Get in.” It was Gael.

  “I am waiting for Love.” Saul pulled up beside Gael and called out to her.

  “I am here, my love.” Fatima couldn’t help but hit her forehead in frustration.

  Gael got out of the car and leaned as if to wait for her to choose which car she was going to get into.

  Fatima heard Love before she could see her, “Ohmygod! A Venom! I love it!” She looked up at the tall Gael with playful eyes and asked, “Can I take a look inside? Please?”

  “No.” Gael pulled Love away from his car as if he was scared she was going to drool on it.

  “Let’s go, Fatz. Let’s leave these weirdoes with their awesome cars.” Fatima looked at Gael as if pleading him to let Love ride with him. Gael sighed and opened the passenger door.

  “Get in before I change my mind.” Love shrieked in delight. “Be quiet.” Gael looked like he was regretting it already.

  “He took care of you too, you know.” Fatima figured no one told her that Gael carried her from the auditorium to the bizarre clinic.

  “I don’t believe you. He scared me to death with those fathomless orbs of his. God, I hope I am not in any of his classes. I don’t think I can handle being around him every day.”

  “There are only a few students. So I am pretty sure you would bump into him eventually.” What Fatz was hoping for is that she wouldn’t bump into Saul that often.

  “I knew you would choose me over him.” Fatima was regretting letting Love go with Gael. She was stuck with Mr. Hurricane ego.

  “Just drop me off at the gate. I can take the bus from there.” It was already four in the morning. So it was possible to get into the first bus trip from the university to her place.

  “I’m taking you home.” Fatima rolled her eyes at his offer.

  “You don’t even know where I live.” Saul wasn’t the kind to be deterred by that miniscule detail.

  “There are ways to get what I want.” Saul looked at her, and Fatima felt a slight tug.

  “Mapo Gu, it is.” She lived near the school because she couldn’t afford to travel that far from her old place. She didn’t know how he knew where she lived.

  “There are many things you don’t know about me, Fatima. Just enjoy the rest of our time together. I know I will.”

  “I doubt that I will enjoy being with you at all.” She crossed her arms and leaned towards the window.

  “Now, now, Fatima did you miss me already?” Speak of the fanged day-walking devil.

  Chapter 6: The Choice of the Faithful

  “Welcome to Introduction to Vampira…” Fatz was nervous when the class started. A beautiful woman with a pale face stood in front of them and watched Love and Fatima change their facial expressions from admiration to veiled fear. There were other students with them, Gael and Saul decided to sit on either side of them. Fatima didn’t feel protected at all. The aura in the room seemed to be heavy, and she didn’t like the feeling that other people were talking about them behind her back.

  “Gael, come forward.” The teacher then turned to Fatima and asked her to stand. “Right there,” she gestured at a chair in front of the class. “Many vampires have common abilities amongst themselves. But there are those who are born into the darkness with an ability that is rare even for a vampire.”

  Gael sat on the chair next to Fatima’s, and she felt as if she was being placed under a deep sleep. She was feeling sleepier and sleepier until she couldn’t keep awake anymore. Then there was a cold feeling that filled her. She wanted to stand up, but she couldn’t. She wanted to scream, but her mouth was tightly closed. Her mind was rejecting the lack of mobility, but she was helpless against it.

  “Body snatching is a very useful ability for vampires. As we sleep in our chambers, we can walk in the light. This is an ability that requires tremendous amounts of will and training. Thank you, Gael.” Fatima felt the cold air leave her body, and she was able to move again. She stumbled as she stood up. Saul was quick to catch her.

  “Your turn, Saul.” The teacher was clearly using practice over theory in their class. Fatima didn’t want any part of it. She stood up and was able to go back to her seat when she hit an invincible wall in front of her. “Where do you think you are going, young lady? Do you think the class is done?”

  “I thought I was done.” Fatima went back to the seat she was on earlier.

  “Learning never ends.” The teacher sounded more and more dangerous. Wasn’t there another student who can learn this time around?

  “Just relax, Fatz. It’s not as bad as you think it is.” Saul was sitting beside her. “Don’t worry my special skill is very enjoyable.” Fatima didn’t really want to know just what he was capable of.

  “Gael, don’t interfere.” Saul smirked at the stoic vampire. Love looked at Saul like he was going to do something terrible. Fatima’s hands were getting clammy. Please let this be painless.

  It began as a scent of something sweet and floral. Fatima began to look around, and she was no longer in the room that she was before. There was a bed instead of a chair, and she wasn’t in her freshman uniform. She was in a silky white dress and all around her there were long candles, their light flickering softly. It was almost romantic. “This must be his ability. Making illusions.” She tried to touch one of the candles, sure that her hand was going to go right through it. But she was able to hold on to it. S
he let it go with a gasp and one by one the candles’ lights were extinguished. “No, please.” She wasn’t afraid of the dark, but an imagined darkness is always more frightful than the actual thing.

  “I’m here.” She heard Gael’s voice, and she felt instant relief. Gael put his arms around her, and she turned to him. She imagined that embracing him would be like this. She felt him kiss her shoulder, and the shiver that ran through her spine was both exciting and new. She felt him cup her face with his hands. His lack of breath made it more nerve-wracking for her. With a regular guy, you would hear his breath and feel the beating of his heart, but not with vampires. The anticipation would leave you breathless and the excitement is bound to make your heart skip several beats.

  “Kiss me.” He said in his deep voice. Fatima felt a familiar pull. She remembered it from somewhere and tried to rid her mind of doubt. The one she was about to kiss is Gael. But why did she have a feeling like she was being drawn towards someone like that last time with Saul?

  Saul. She suddenly remembered where she was supposed to be and who she was with. She was in the classroom, and she was having a demonstration of Saul’s ability. He was right when he said that she hadn't experienced the full extent of his power. Because if he did this that one time in the clinic, then Fatima wouldn’t have thrown him off. She was bewitched by him, and she didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t let him kiss her. But should she reveal to the class that she can fight him off? Isn’t Saul supposed to be a strong vampire? What would it make her, the human who can fight him off?

  So she let him place his lips on hers, and she didn’t realize how big of a mistake that would be. She felt her heat come out of her body and transfer to him. Slowly she was being drained by him. She remembered something that he said the last time too, that there are creatures that feed on energy and not on blood. Was he one of them? Was he feeding on her right now? Was that even allowed? The chance to escape him has passed, and she was trapped in his embrace. She was sure that her mind was slowly fading, but her body was getting hotter too. She felt the kiss deepen, and the bond between them was volatile.

  “ENOUGH!” She felt the yank later after the connection was abruptly cut. A furious Gael was facing Saul and Saul was baring his teeth. The teacher was not even trying to stop them. The other students moved back from their chairs. The energy from the two brothers was menacing. Fatima wanted to stop them, but she was too weak to do so.

  “You can’t have her. She’s mine.” Gael wanted him to understand that, but Saul was clearly not going to let it be the case.

  “I suppose I will have to convince you that she is mine, then. There are many things that you can’t have, and she is one of them.” Saul was clearly toying with Gael. “She’s never been yours as Bora was never to be mine. There are times when not even you can be the best in all things.” Fatima didn’t know what they meant, but it was clear to her that she was being dragged into it.

  “You have no idea what I am capable of doing to get what I want.” Gael was angry, and Fatima’s arm was trapped in a grip that she never expected to be caught in. The bruise would be massive, that was for sure.

  “Then ask her. Tell her to choose between the two of us. Just like you asked Bora once! I let you have her because she chose you over me. But you were never able to protect her from all the monsters who wanted to hurt you! You told me that you could protect her. But in the end she had to protect all of us because you ran off to do devil knows what! And I was too weak to do anything for her.”

  “Stop it, Saul. You are mixing Fatima up with Bora.” Gael was no longer angry but concerned about his brother.

  “Am I? Or are you? You know why I want her. But do you know why you want her? She can’t replace what you have lost. And I am not about to do that to her either. Fatima is too pure for the likes of me, is she? Is that what you think too?”

  “You can’t have her because you don’t know what love means!” Gael threw the truth at his brother’s face.

  “Now, now, big brother. Just because you were the lover doesn’t mean you were the only one who lost the woman you loved.” Saul drew back his fangs.

  “Fatima. You need to choose.”

  End OF The Part I

  Conclusion

  The next step is to find out who Fatima is going to choose between the enigmatic Gael and the playful Saul. Things are heating up, but there is still a lot about Fatima that is yet to be seen. Will she ever master her ability or will it always be a burden to her?

  Finally, if you enjoyed this book, please take the time to share your thoughts and post a review on Amazon. It’d be greatly appreciated!

  Thank you and good luck!

  Beverly Marsh