by Paige Patton
Roman stepped forward once again to watch. He understood why men gravitated to her. She had a fun carefree spirit. Not to mention a body that should be kept under lock and key, which he had every intention of doing once she was his. The short white dress she wore dipped low in the back almost revealing the top of her ass. The front showed a great deal of cleavage. Having ample breasts, this alone drew men to her like bees to honey. She wore her long hair draped over her right shoulder as Delilah wore hers.
Thoughts of her helplessly under his control weakened Roman to the point of distraction giving the beast time to emerge.
Roman looked away again as the creature warned him of its intentions- It wanted Desiree, no, it needed Desiree’s blood. The craving gnawed away at his gut relentlessly pulling him toward her, taunting him; forcing him to go to her. To do what was natural. To sink his fangs deep into her neck and feed until his affliction was satisfied.
It was out of Roman's hands now. It was not even up for debate. The beast was in control. It would stay in control until its thirst for blood was adequately quenched.
Roman closed his eyes and prayed that the beast would be swift in his approach that he would take only enough to ease the excruciating pain that impelled him to behave this way. He prayed that the beast would be gentle as to cause her no pain.
Roman had fought many battles in his lifetime. Men twice his size; demons, monsters and even creatures of the unknown and every time he won. But it was the fight he fought with himself every second of every day that was the hardest. The struggle to maintain control of the creature that was a permanent a part of him. Over the centuries, he had become an expert at keeping it calm, but it took a will of iron. At times, the metal bent, and sometimes it snapped.
He blamed and hated Kourosh for this disease. Slavery, even death would have been a better option over having to live an eternity this way. Opening his eyes, Roman stepped out of the shadow to take her.
It was fortunate for Desiree but not so much for the young woman who accidently bumped into him. It was not the blood of a royal, but the beast was content and the young woman never knew what happened.
Every race of vampires has their customs and unique supernatural powers that relate to them specifically. These customs and powers carry on from one generation to the next. The Impundulu had many, but one common custom always remained the same; the insatiable need to feed on humans in order to stay healthy and alive.
In the beginning, this was an enormous problem for Kourosh. His people became more and more aggressive. They were animals and they behaved as such. He found the need to create standards for them. A way to control them and to test their loyalty without being there to watch over them. With the help of Jabari, the Taghavii rules and laws were created. Sealed with the blood of the four originals, these standards were made binding. They carried deadly consequences if ever broken.
The sanctity of marriage was just one of the many rules. It was the rule taken more seriously than any other created. Kourosh demanded honesty. He needed loyalty from his people. Not just loyalty with him, but with each other. Valuing the vows of marriage, Kourosh made it so that once two people were united and gave of their bodies; it was considered a sacred union.
Once bonded, vampires could only feed from their consort. This was needed in the hope of giving his people some humanity, in a world where they were already considered inhumane.
Using his powers, Roman cleaned himself up elated over the fact that he would no longer have to feed from strangers. His nourishment would be sleeping next to him every night and would wake up with him in the morning.
He returned to find Camille at the bar alone chatting with the bartender. He looked around for Desiree. She was gone! Using his powers, he searched the entire building until he found her in the ladies' room hugging the toilet while she emptied her stomach.
He vanished and reappeared behind her unseen. The whole place smelled of sweet apples and vomit. Even for a vampire it was a nauseating smell.
He stood back and watched her for a while. Even with her face in the toilet bowl, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He wondered why she was not able to hold her alcohol longer than a few hours. Surely, anyone who drank as much as she did should have that ability. He would make sure to monitor and limit her drinking habits when she became his property.
She stumbled to her feet and moved right past him as she made her way over to the sink to wash her face and hands. Here he could smell her as the scent of sandalwood and vanilla washed over him. Every part of him burned with desire. He wanted badly to reach out take a bite of her; even a lick would satisfy him. He wanted to take her in his arms and protect her from herself; not because of any deal made with her mother, but because he genuinely felt something for her.
Since their first encounter, he had not been able to go an hour without thinking of her. This worried him. He was in the middle of a revolution and did not have time for distractions, yet here he stood spying on her in the ladies' room. Something was seriously wrong with him he thought.
He watched her as she applied a fresh coat of lipstick to her beautiful plump lips. As he watched, he imagined the day when those lips and every other part of her would belong to him. He watched as she adjusted her dress. Not that it was much there to adjust; it was so short he feared that if she bent over anyone would be able to catch a glimpse of her perfectly shaped ass that would soon belong to him. He would make sure that such a garment would never hang in her closet once he was her master. Actually, he thought to himself, he would rid her of the dress-Tonight!
Pleased with her appearance, Desiree headed for the door. She gasped as she saw Roman standing in front of the door blocking her from leaving and looking outrageously hot. “What the hell are you doing in here?”
“I thought we were on first name basis now, Desiree.”
“How did you get in here?”
“The door; is there any other way?”
“Don’t be a smart-ass! You know what I mean.”
“I only know what you asked.”
What a fucking dickhead, she thought. She had only dumped a small portion of alcohol into the toilet bowl, so she was still pretty buzzed. She was not about to let the professor take her buzz away.
“Fuck you- Move!” She said dismissively shoving him aside.
He grabbed her firmly by the wrist and pulled her into him. “You have a nasty mouth, young lady. That will be the first thing I fix when you are mine.”
Desiree couldn’t believe her ears. When she was his? What the hell did that mean? “Take your hands off of me you fucking perv.” She said as she tried to pull away from him.
“Do you always dress like a whore?” He asked as he wrapped his free arm around her waist pulling her even closer to his body.
She struggled against his hold, but he held her tight against his body. She was not going anywhere until he was finished with her.
“It’s none of your fucking business how I dress.”
“It is my business. Everything you do is my business from this second on.”
Desiree was flaming hot as she fought hard to free herself, but it only made him grip her even tighter.
“It’s late. I think it’s time for you to wrap this little celebratory party up and go home.”
Desiree opened her mouth to speak, but she was speechless.
“No more prancing around and showing off your ass to strangers. Do you understand?”
“Are you on crack?” She asked trying to free herself from his hold.
Roman tightened his grip on her arm wondering how deeply buried was the virtue of patience. Perhaps a lesson in patience versus wrath would be his first order of making her a proper vampire’s consort.
“Listen to me.” He started, but Desiree cut him off.
“No! You listen to me. Fuck you! And you don’t tell me when it’s time to go home and for your information I can show my ass off to anyone I choose.” She said struggling harder to fr
ee herself.
“You’re behaving like a stupid whore. It is one thing if you are a working girl. Receiving payment for your shameless display out there. But you are not. You’re working for free.”
He knew how to make a girl feel good about herself. Shit! He was ruining her buzz. She was completely sober now. Hit hard with the realization of his mean words. She was acting out of character, but she didn’t care. She was hurting and needed this time to act out. This was her way of washing Liam out of her system; this was the only way she knew how to cleanse herself of him. She wasn’t hurting anyone but herself. Who was he to try to stop her?
“Please take your hands off of me.” She asked this time calmly.
“Or what- You’ll scream?”
Desiree didn’t have the energy to scream. She just wanted to be left alone.
“You’re behaving like a naughty girl, Desiree. Do you remember what happens to naughty girls?” He asked in a way that made her feel like she was actually misbehaving.
Oh, please, not again she thought as that feeling took over, that horny, needy feeling where she lost her common sense. Her thoughts were running all over the place, blowing a fuse, short-circuiting and going haywire all at the same time. She was once again lost in his dynamic sensuality.
“Look at me, Desiree.” He ordered.
Desiree had no other choice. She had to obey. Gazing into his mesmerizing eyes, she surrendered to his will.
“When you leave this room I want you to collect your friend. You will call a cab home because you have poisoned your body with too much alcohol. You will go directly home. Once there, you will take off that disgusting dress that you are almost wearing, and you will toss it into the trash. Do you understand me, Desiree?”
She couldn’t imagine why she would even consider doing anything, he asked, especially throwing away her dress. But for some odd reason she could not disobey him, and everything he said made perfectly good sense. She wanted to say go screw yourself; she even tried, but the words came out as, “Yes, I understand.”
“Good girl.” He said as he released his hold on her. She stood there looking up at him feeling like she was under a spell and unable to think for herself. “Tell me what you’re going to do, Desiree?”
“It’s late. I should get Camille. I will call a cab. I poisoned my body with too much alcohol.”
“And once you get home?” He asked.
“I’m going to throw my dress into the trash.” She answered mindlessly.
“Very good,” He said as he opened the door and watched her disappear into the crowd.
****
Delilah stood on the grassy banks of a garden next to a fountain that fed into a trickling stream of cool clear water. The gentle sound of birds singing could be heard in the stillness of the air. Beautiful shrubs and tall, elegant trees surrounded her. A magical place stretched into the distance as far as the eye could see.
Roman appeared before her with a look on his face that told her he was not happy to be pulled away from his world. She didn’t care. Promises had made between them, and she was dead set on making him stick to every one of them.
“We had a deal.”
“Your daughter is a brat.”
“You knew this beforehand. I hid nothing from you.”
“I only compelled her to calm down; to make her listen.”
“As a man you are the strong one. You have the power to make her calm down and listen. It shouldn’t take using magic.”
“I’ll try to remember that when she’s telling me to go fuck myself.”
“Once she is yours you are free to do as you please. But let’s not give Kourosh ammunition to use against us. The use of magic is unacceptable. Everything she does must be of her own free will. It is the only way any of this will work.”
She linked her arm with his and led him deeper into the garden.
“I’ll let you in on a little secret. Most women are wired to be submissive. Some even like it though most will never admit it. There is a certain amount of joy in being acquiescent, giving up control and letting someone else take charge of your life. Nevertheless, you will always have those who are stubborn and who refuse to see. It takes the right man to make a woman see.”
She stopped and turned to him. “You are the right man without the use of magic and spells.”
“Enlighten me, Delilah. How did you arrive at that conclusion? What makes you so sure that I am the right man for your daughter?” He asked curious to know the answer because when he was around Desiree he did not feel strong or powerful. He felt like a man who was falling in love with a woman.
“Trust me.” She said smiling up at him. “You two were made for one another. You will see.”
Roman did not have time to wait for Desiree to come around on her own. His men were being drained of their powers. He needed help or they would all die.
“I hate to ask this of you, but my men are being stripped of their powers the more they fight our cause. Kourosh takes from them what makes them strong.”
“Were you not listening when I spoke of my daughters powers? The moment she submits to you, you will gain them all. There is enough to go around for many centuries to come. You will then have the ability to give each of your men whatever they need to stay healthy and strong as mighty warriors. Kourosh will never have the power to strip them of anything else. They will be warriors for the gods.”
Roman had no idea of the magnitude of powers he would hold once he and Desiree were bonded. Delilah kept this from him to keep him focused and grounded. But the moment his consort surrender herself to him, he would feel the difference and know just how powerful he was. Delilah's only hope and fear was that he did not let it all go to his head.
“But you must hurry. The bonding ceremony must take place soon. Kourosh is on the hunt, reaching out to the leader of the Asasabonsam tribe.
This gave Roman even more reason to be concerned for his men. The Asasabonsam were hairy creatures who could take the shape of a man, woman or child. They had hooks instead of feet, which they used to hook their victims. Then they would eat them alive with their iron teeth.
“They are deadly, but they too have a weakness.”
“You are wrong on that count. They are virtually indestructible, but I will find a weakness. Deals are made all the time, and I am not above stooping low to meet them face to face.”
Using her powers, she flashed them into the room where the eye of Horus stood on the pedestal. She led Roman over to the eye and placed his hand directly on the Oracle. When he removed his hand, he had to take a seat.
“Why didn’t you share this knowledge with me before now?”
“I just learned of these events myself.” She did not bother to mention that the main reason was that it was forbidden and that she was risking his life along with her powers by sharing this information with him.
What Roman saw was too cruel to believe. He knew Kourosh was a sick bastard, but to send the Asasabonsam out to torture and eat thousands of innocent women just to find Desiree was despicable.
“We must stay focused on our efforts while Kourosh is out on the hunt for Desiree. He is not in his right mind at the moment.”
“But yet he sent his demons to question my men.”
“He suspects you of being the one behind the revolution, but he is not one hundred percent sure. You are safe until he knows the full truth. We must use this time to our advantage. He and his men are far away combing every inch of the planet killing innocents to find Desiree. Make her yours before he finds her.”
“I’m afraid that without the use of magic or duct tape, that might be impossible.”
“I beg you to find a way before Kourosh does. I assure you, he will not have any trouble making her submit to him.”
Chapter Eight
Built in a two-block stretch of a mountainside, Roman's home sat high up and well hidden from everyone. The front of the house hovered over the ocean while the back was built into the mountain. Having
no windows, that area remained dark and cold. This is where you would find Roman most of the time. He much preferred the peacefulness and solitude of the darker side. He never cared for a house full of servants underfoot pestering him. Even though he had an entourage of servants on his staff that remained at his disposal, he kept them away and out of sight, calling upon them only when needed.
Unlike most modern day vampires, Roman was old school. He preferred the traditional ways of the vampire, mysterious and private. You would never find him flaunting his wealth or living a wild and crazy lifestyle. He was a homebody and would be just as happy to sleep in coffins rather than his oversized California king size bed. He would even be down with only coming out at night if he had the choice.
He was also a man with many hard-set rules and a few pet peeves. Obedience was pet peeve number one. This made it impossible for him to maintain a relationship with a woman for any length of time. He lacked patience, social skills, compassion, and diplomacy. He refused to compromise on any rule and never failed to carry through on a promise or a threat.
Roman flashed himself into his private gym. Of course, he didn’t need to waste his time or his energy on a treadmill or lifting weights, he did it because he enjoyed going through the motions, claiming that it helped relieve stress.
After his visit with Delilah, he needed a stress release. Not only was he tasked with seducing a headstrong, human female into marrying him, now Delilah expected him to do it in a hurry and without his powers of magic. What next he wondered, do it all with my hands tied behind my back and blindfolded?
Roman knew next to nothing about modern day women and even less about modern day human women. He was stuck on ancient old traditions where women did as they were told, rarely opening their mouth unless spoken to. He would need help on this, so he summoned Ivy, one of his female servants.
Having no other choice but to come whenever he called, Ivy appeared before him. She was an exotic beauty who was doomed to a life of servitude as his slave. Making the mistake of falling in love with him had cost as her everything.