Bound: A Lamian Wars Novel (The Lamian Wars Book 1)

by C. M. Steele

  She paused what she was doing to give me a dirty look with her honey-colored eyes, then pointed to all the empty boxes around. “No, I don’t. You know I need to finish packing and everything. I was too busy working to do it.” She just didn’t like packing. I was with her, but I never had that much stuff, except my books.

  “Sorry, Charlie. I can’t wait for you to come. I need a buffer from my parents,” I grumbled, giving her a puppy dog look. She wasn’t above shutting me down, though.

  “Not going to happen.” Charlie shook her head at me with a smile before swaying her body to The Cure’s Friday, I’m in Love. Standing up from her seat on the floor with her light brown ponytail swinging, she sauntered to the Bose speaker and turned off the music, then, with sass, put her hands on her hips. She didn’t like to talk when her music was on. It didn’t matter what you had to say, it could wait until the song was over. I was that way with my books, so I tried not to roll my eyes at her. Don’t you dare interrupt me until you see me put that baby down. Heaven forbid I was in the middle of a great scene, I might bite you if you bothered me.

  “You’ll be fine.” She patted my shoulder before hugging me close. I hugged her back. Charlotte was the sweetest person I had ever met. Her heart was truly golden. All she wanted to do was help people. It was my way to get what I wanted a lot, but it didn’t seem she was going to budge on this one.

  “Are you going to drive me to the airport or are you going to make me take the train?” I asked.

  “You know, don’t be a shit because you’ve got to deal with your asshole parents. Soon you’ll meet Lombardi and Romano and get your dream job and maybe a man, too,” she said with a smile, turning her head slightly with an arched brow. I turned the look back on her and we both cracked up. It was our thing. We’ve lived together so long that the most mundane or simple things are hysterical.

  “Sorry, but I think between seeing my parents and interview, I’m so freaked out.”

  “You’re never freaked out. You’re one of the most levelheaded people I know.”

  “True, next to you, but it’s overwhelming. I actually think I’m more nervous about the interview than my parents.”

  “That’s because it’s been what you’ve wanted to do since you were a little girl. Not many people know their course in life at that age and stick with it. Trust me, it’s going to work out, and before you know it, you’ll be out of your parents’ home and living the life of a mad scientist.”

  “Don’t get a girl’s hopes up.” I hugged her close. She was the only one I could count on over the years. She came from Pennsylvania to Chicago to study psychology and we ended up as roommates. It was the best years of my life. She shielded me from my mother’s incessant need to turn me into a beauty queen or find me a rich husband. I didn’t need a man like that. I wanted a man who would love and respect me for who I was, and if he was rich and handsome, well that was a bonus, but it sure as hell wasn’t a requirement. He needed ambition because I wasn’t going to carry a grown man on my shoulders.

  “Let’s get on the road. You know how those security lines can be.” It was always a guessing game, and that’s why they warned you to be at the airport much earlier than your scheduled departure.

  “Tell me about it.”

  Charlotte drove me to the airport, the whole time convincing me that she needed to stay. I knew she was right, but that didn't stop my nagging. I truly hated my parents, it was something that I couldn't help. They were total bastards. All they cared about was their image. Even though having a scientist for a daughter would be considered awesome in most families, I was too boring for them. My father was a politician and my mother a housewife. They thought if I wasn't going to be a lawyer or some public official then I might as well be a housewife. I never understood their logic, but apparently, nothing else was good enough to them. I think they were used to the kickbacks and other benefits of being shady and wanted me to do the same. They were both corrupt as possible, even to each other.

  My flight arrived around ten at night. A driver was there to pick me up and take me to my parents. There was no way they’d pick me up themselves. They were too busy to even make it to my graduation last week. In four years, my father was going to make a bid for the President of the United States. He was going for the Senate this term, so he needed to build a better reputation for his constituents.

  I walked in the door, and my mother started on my looks.

  “You’re too curvy, Leonora. No man with power is going to want a chubby girl.”

  “Wow, no welcome home? For your information, I’m a size seven.”

  “You look bigger.”

  “And you’re worse than internet trolls.”

  “Well, I want you to look like the daughter of the future President, not a slob. I can’t have Dave thinking he got the raw end of the deal.”

  “Dave?” I looked at her like she was nuts. Who was this guy and why would I be a part of a deal? I hoped they didn’t mean the guy they mentioned to me the last time she called to see if I had a boyfriend. I looked him up after the call, and he wasn’t the guy for me at all.

  “To get that interview with Lombardi and Romano, we had to pull some strings. That means you have to go on a date with David Miller, one of their associates and a rich man who’s forty and interested in your father’s campaign.”

  I knew things were too good to be true. I’d been here five minutes and my parents already set me up on a blind date. They hadn’t even said more than a hello before they mentioned going out with a potential political backer.

  “Mother, I don’t want to go on a date with David Miller. He’s old enough to be my father. I just wanted to come back to the job I’d been looking for.”

  “Come on, you know what this means to your father’s career. If you do this, he’ll make sure Lombardi and Romano take you in as one of their employees. It’s only a date or two. You don’t have to give him the goods.”

  "I think I can get in on my own. After all, I do have my degree." Countering her because I hated the pay to play type politics. Especially considering I was the payment. It was sick and twisted, but even getting an interview with Lombardi and Romano had been hard. Their HR department said they weren’t hiring, but I continued to try. I finally got the interview, and my father claimed that he talked to Lombardi himself to garner the opportunity and now I owed them. Even if they weren’t interested, he was going to talk to them.

  “You think a Masters is going to get you a job with them? They have doctors running around that place. A Masters will get you a job in their mail room.” Self-doubt creeped in with her words and the years of constant belittling struck the right chord. It had always been the same. Nothing I did was good enough. I hadn’t understood why, but I never let them stop me from living my dreams.

  “I’ll do it, but first I’d like to get settled. When is the date?” I hoped it was after my interview that way I could get out of the date. My heart told me that I would get the job on skill and merit, but I didn’t trust my parents not to sabotage it.

  "He'll be picking you up around ten tomorrow," she nonchalantly replied, applying her lipstick. It was clear she was leaving to go somewhere. It was like I was an unwelcomed guest in their lives.

  "What?" I asked in outrage. "Why would you do that? It's a fucking weekday."

  "Watch your language," she scolded me. I couldn't believe she made me curse. I never swore in front of them before, but hell if she didn't push my buttons. I had a date at ten in the morning on a Monday. He should be working, not trying to bed someone who could be his daughter. Dave Miller was rumored to be a man whore. I didn't want him to even breathe near me. But all my life I'd been dying to work as a scientist. Something in me screamed with excitement at the prospect of working alongside the greats at Lombardi and Romano. Most kids dream of being something outrageous and usually change their minds with every new cartoon or toy that comes out. I never wavered. Chemistry sets, microscopes, and lab coats were what I asked for ev
ery year for Christmas. There was nothing more exciting than looking at molecules changing when chemicals were applied. Microorganisms under a microscope made me feel like the world was bigger than even my imagination could envision. I smiled thinking about making my own slides. I wondered if my enthusiasm for chemistry would hurt or hinder my interview tomorrow. Would I make a fool of myself or impress them?

  “Would you stop daydreaming?” my mother barked. I shook out of my reverie.

  “Excuse me. Since I have to be ready in a short while, I want to be alone.” I walked away without another word. She got the answer she was hellbent on getting, so I knew she would leave me alone.

  “Just so you know, he’s taking you to a movie. The one all the girls are going to see with the vampires. I knew you’d like that.”

  “Okay,” I grumbled, continuing to walk up the stairs. When I got up to my old room, I noticed that most of my stuff had been boxed up. Hell, there was just the bed with basic linens on it and the suitcase I brought back with me from Chicago. I didn’t know if I was staying, so I left most of my belongings in storage. What I hadn’t expected to come back to was what looks like my freshman dorm room. There weren’t even curtains on the window. Granted, it did have blinds so that was something, but it wasn’t like my mother to have any part of her home dressed down. I wondered if they had planned to remodel it and didn’t get to it before I got back. It would be plausible for a normal, loving family, but that wasn’t who we were. Even the Addams family loved each other with their own brand of kookiness, but not us. My father was into politics and pussy. He had a string of woman partners over the years. Then again, my mother wasn’t any better. Her rich lovers essentially paid for my father’s greedy lovers. I was left to watch the forced family until I became old enough to go away for college.

  Why I came back was beyond me. I didn’t have the money to live on my own yet without getting a regular job, but I had an opportunity at a perfect one and I didn’t want to pass it up. Like they say, nothing that is worth it comes easily, so I had to make some sacrifices and that included coming to stay here temporarily and going on this God forsaken date. I had enough money for a few weeks at a hotel, but that was it. Biting my tongue, I placed my suitcase on the bed.

  Opening it up, I found a pretty pink sweater and a pair of jeans. That would be my date attire. If he didn’t like it, well, tough shit; he could go fuck himself. It was only an afternoon date to the movies, so no big deal.

  I didn't know what his motive was in taking me out for a day date. That was kind of odd for a man as successful as him. Either way, it would be our only one because there was no way I'd voluntarily go out with this guy again. I jumped in the shower to wash off my travels. Towel drying my hair, I hopped into bed with a new book on my tablet.

  Chapter Eight—Falcon

  I was startled awake by the sound of screaming, piercing and horrendous. It was the same dreams I’d had for over three centuries. Torturous screams that echoed in my head and in my memories. The blood curdling cries of those who’d been burn to ash by the sun and their loved ones who witnessed such finality.

  The sun I have come to love and hate mocked me daily. The sun hadn't even risen and yet I selfishly longed for it to set again. The pain of the past was masked in the dark of night. My mistakes came to haunt me every morning. I looked toward the window, the sun unable to enter through my blackout curtains when it finally rose. Smiling at the fact that they hid the sun made me feel better.

  It was Monday morning, something the mortals hated. I didn’t know what it was about Monday’s in particular. They had a nasty effect on the disposition of all those around. Perhaps it was the need to work that bothered them. I couldn’t imagine being so weak. Working was a tedious thing, but I had nothing to do otherwise.

  It didn’t matter if it was Monday or Friday to me, the days seemed to meld into one. After centuries, what was a day? It was a drop of water in a vast ocean. I lived every day for one thing. It seemed the only thing keeping me going. Centuries of regret and guilt ate me alive and demanded I find a resolution.

  Tossing off the covers, I planted my feet on the cool floor and sat on the edge of the bed. Despite the rumors, we weren’t the undead. We were born, so we kept warm like the humans, if not a bit warmer as our muscles were constantly engaged and our metabolism high.

  Rubbing my hands across my face and through my dark brown hair, I tried to will myself to go to work. I loved what I did because there was hope that one day we’d have the answer to our problem, but with no progress it was painful. It made going into the office and labs a difficult to do. Every test failed the initial screenings. We experimented with everything we could. We’d spent years in school, always learning the latest in genetics. There were no answers. Hope was fading for those in the dark and their pain and frustration was felt. Attacks were getting bolder and more out of control between the sects of vampires. I wanted to make it right, but it was disheartening with each failed test.

  Clearing my mind, I sat there for ten minutes doing absolutely nothing; no thinking, I just sat there. The ding of a notification on my phone shook me out of zoned-out state. The angry, ill-tempered frustration was still strong in me. The phone was resting on my old but well-crafted dresser made of solid oak. The sound of the vibration rang so loudly in my ears that I had to get the damn thing. Picking it up, I read the email notification.

  Want to be rutting like a beast into your woman? Click here.

  I wanted to toss the damn phone across the room. Those spam emails were the worst. I was tempted to hunt those people down and rip out their hearts and drink their blood. Four hundred years without a mate could make a vampire insane. “I would have to have a woman to rut into, and if I ever did, I wouldn’t need a damn pill,” I roared. It would take hell and high water to get her off my cock. There would be no stopping the immediate mating need. It would be so strong that it could shake the earth, or so I was told. Many of the unmated vampires couldn’t find mates after the great event in the winter of 1695. It was like a curse was cast upon us by Enrico Vasco.

  Attached to the dresser was a large mirror. It was built at the same time as the dresser, at the turn of the twentieth century when things were made by hand and with so much care. For all the advances the human race has made, I found myself drowning in a sea of sloth and ignorance. Cheaper, faster, and smaller had been the trend for the past fifty years. Some things needed to return to the old ways. After living for centuries, there were definitely massive improvements in the quality of life, but some of it became quite annoying for someone like myself. Daily narcissistic posts of themselves on the internet. It was a newer invention and had grown like wildfire. Social media had been the latest craze. I personally didn’t spend time on social media. It wasn’t my ‘thing’ as they say. I was still working hard for answers and had no time for dealing with the latest “Can you name the movie from the picture?” quiz. However, all businesses had them these days, so we kept one. I would catch several employees checking their profiles almost every day. They said that half the workday was spent by employees goofing off. Some things did not get better with time, and work efficiency was one of them.

  Despite my dislike for the internet, I loved a lot about the past three and a half centuries. One of my favorite things about innovation was in aerospace. It made it easier for me to travel fast without people wondering how I got somewhere so quickly. My other favorite invention was the motion picture. Since movies came out, Draco and I would attend many of them. The silent ones were entertaining, but the latest three decades have been top of the cinematic experience for us. Watching supernatural movies reminded us of times of battle that we hadn’t seen since we left for America. Going to the movie was a release for us and often the only way to forget what we were. Books were another way to lose ourselves, but something in the films made us forget that we owed our people an answer that we’d been working for centuries to figure out.

  I stared into the mirror, examining my v
isage. Despite the rumors, we had no issues with our reflections. We were just as vain as any other, probably even more so. At six foot-four, two-hundred and forty pounds, I was broad and looked menacing. Well, if it wasn’t for my face. My eyes were a pale blue at the moment, but when my emotions were high, they were a bright glowing blue. My fangs were hidden until I lost control, but that wasn’t often. It was something I managed to control in the past three centuries. My hair was messy and I needed a shave, which wasn’t going to happen today.

  Even though I had no intention on shaving, I would definitely bathe before heading into work. Something about the feel of the water against my cool flesh felt relaxing. My phone buzzed again before I made it to the shower. This time it was a text from Draco.

  Meeting with Miller today.

  I didn’t give a shit about a meeting with a pencil pusher looking for an edge into our profits. David Miller was everything that I thought was wrong with this world. He was vile, corrupt, selfish, arrogant, and a fool. Miller was a completely self-serving, impatient piece of feces with an entitled attitude. However, there was that saying that Draco and I had started to live by. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. We had a feeling, even though he didn’t know the truth about us, that he wasn’t the type to give up on his pursuit. He was a weasel that was too nosy and had too many connections.

  I sent a frustrated message back. I know. I’ll be there in an hour.

  Running my hands through my hair, I walked to the bathroom. It was in my bedroom and one of the things that I had updated when I purchased this place. It was a large estate on the outskirts of Seattle with very little light entering the home. It was reminiscent of some of the castles in the 14th century. The rest of the house was made of stone and wood and felt like it was my sanctuary.