Viktor twisted to follow, the chain connecting him to the wall dragged across the stone floor.
Her gasp echoed within the dungeon. “You’re chained up like an animal.” She crossed to the silver infused hardware affixed to the thick wall of his prison and tugged.
He gave her an incredulous stare. “If I cannot break these bonds, then neither will you.” He peeled away her fingers from the chain, noting she had scraped her hand. She was sweet. He kissed her palm and licked her wound, her taste an ambrosia. So very sweet. He moaned as the flavor coated his tongue. Her innocence was not an act. “Virgin,” he murmured.
She yanked away. “How did you know that?” She tucked her hands under her arms.
Viktor stared at his empty palms. The sound of her pulse was a song in his ears, her taste lingering in his mouth. He wanted more. He wanted it all. A tremble shook his hands. He could not do it. He had fought too hard to regain what was left of his sanity. No matter how tempting the morsel. Or her rarity.
“Hey,” she whispered and cupped his face. She drew his chin up until their gazes locked. “I’m going to help you, okay?” She traced her fingers along the collar.
Help him. He was the most dangerous creature in the city, bar Eoin. She was the one who needed help.
“I can’t even see a seam. How was it put on?”
“Eoin welds it shut.”
She slowed her assessment. “He welded while you were wearing it?”
He nodded and took advantage of her proximity to smell her hair. Now he smelled the human. Her outfit had thrown off his senses.
“Didn’t it burn you?” Her eyes were wide again. Blue eyes, like the sky and the sea.
“Yes.” He could barely speak. His fangs had fully extended. “You should go now.”
“But—but…” Her gaze fell upon his mouth. “Big teeth.”
He pulled back his lips so she could see better.
She swallowed visibly. “Vampire?”
He nodded, waiting for the screams. Maybe, if he was lucky, she would find a stake and end him. He deserved nothing less.
“You exist?”
He blinked.
“I mean, I always suspected but you never came out with the other supernaturals.” She eased back toward the exit. “Is that why you’re locked down here? Because you’re a vampire?”
“No.” He leaned against the wall, holding the chain. “I am here of my own free will.”
She stopped in her tracks. “You want to be chained down here?” Her reaction was adorable and her concern awoke a slumbering desire.
Viktor had not liked someone in a very long time. Trixie made it difficult to dislike her. “Not anymore. I was a danger to the city.” And a bigger danger to her. He destroyed everything he cared about.
“And now you’re not?” she asked, still not moving away like she should.
“You are still alive, are you not? I think, maybe, I can be trusted to go free again.” He stalked toward her, growling low in his throat, reminding her monsters still hid in the dark. “If you see the dragons, please let them know I would like to go home.”
She spun on her heel and ran.
He let her escape and shouted after her, “Sorry I lied about the kennels.”
Chapter Three
Breaths bursting in and out, Trixie ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time with her long legs. Her brain had become an old LP record skipping. Vampire, vampire, vampire… Instincts as old as man drove her forward and away. That’s all she focused on. Getting away.
A light framed the top of the spiral stairwell and she burst through with a gasp.
“Trixie?” Angie stood in the hallway, a cat kennel in each hand. She peered at her as if she’d grown a second head. “Are you okay?”
She leaned against the wall, staring at the stairwell, half-expecting Viktor to jump out. But Angie was a fire breathing dragon. She’d be able to fight him off, right? She blinked at the bright lighting. “You have electricity?” Why was Viktor using candle light and sitting in the dark?
Angie’s eyebrow quirked. “Yeah, we’re not barbarians.” She passed Trixie, heading toward the exit—she hoped. The dragon tossed her a weird look. “What were you doing in the basement?”
Once outside, the sunshine melted Trixie’s terror away. Her encounter with Viktor suddenly felt like a nightmare she couldn’t quite grasp. Had she really met a vampire? She glanced at the castle wall with its winking gargoyle. “Don’t you mean dungeon?” she asked in a whisper, not able to take her eyes off the building that contained all the things that would haunt her forever.
Angie dropped the two kennels next to a pile by her truck. She spun around, pinning Trixie with her glare. Her eyes no longer looked human, the pupil suddenly slit like a cat. “Damn it, you should know better than to snoop in someone else’s home.”
Heat bloomed on Trixie’s cheeks and she pressed her hands to her flaming skin. “I know. I know. But I got lost.” She shouted that last word.
The dragon sighed and her eyes shifted back to human. “Did you meet Viktor?”
She nodded, fighting tears. “Why don’t we know about them?”
Angie drew closer, hands extended.
Trixie’s back hit the truck’s side before she knew it, heart thumping a mile a minute.
Angie slowed. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to make sure he didn’t bite you.” She pushed her hair away to examine her neck, then pushed the sleeves off her wrist. “You look unscathed.” She sounded surprised. “Tell me what happened.”
Trixie looked at her torn running shoes. “He said he knew where the cat kennels were.”
“Didn’t your mama explain about stranger danger?” The dragon huffed, hands on hips. “That was so dangerous, Trixie. He could have killed you.” She slapped her own forehead. “Fuck, if he had. How would I have explained that to Ken and Betty?” With inhuman strength, she hugged Trixie tight. “Don’t ever do that again, you understand? He’s dangerous.” She set her back on her feet.
Trixie coughed, air returning to her squeezed-empty lungs. Viktor wasn’t the only dangerous creature here. Her ribs would ache for a few days after that hug. “Is that why he’s chained to the wall?”
Angie rubbed her temples. “Eoin is going to kill me.” Then she grabbed Trixie by the shoulders. “You can’t tell people about Viktor, or vampires.”
Trixie sank to the ground, her legs refusing to support her anymore, and Angie followed. Trixie’s stomach rolled. The dragon looked like how Trixie felt.
“Why?” she whispered. A shiver ran through her body and she rubbed her arms. “I mean, we know about shifters and magic and witches. Why not vampires?”
“Did you flunk history class in high school?”
Trixie shrugged. “Maybe.” She hadn’t attended often. She’d worked at a sandwich shop to help support herself and Ruby. Food had seemed more important than history at the time.
“Shifters didn’t have much of a choice. We were discovered instead of coming out. Medieval times were bloody for both our kinds.”
“I know. I watch television. I’m not totally ignorant.” She pressed her lips together and glanced at Angie. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. I’ve been up all night at work.”
“And then you met your first vampire.” Angie flung her arm around her shoulder in a side hug. “And lived.” She leaned her head back on the truck. “You really can’t go public with this, Trixie. It would be chaos.”
“As if anyone would believe me.” Angie was right, though. Trixie could imagine human reaction to discovering vampires really existed. Look how she’d reacted and she was a laid-back person. “They’d probably hospitalize me.”
“There’s that. Or there’s the repercussion that the vampire community might want to silence you. Permanently.”
“That’s comforting.” She closed her eyes. What would keep Viktor from finding her to do just that once Eoin let him go? There couldn’t be many pink haired Trixies in New Port that
worked for the animal control office. “Shit.”
“Don’t worry about the vampires. I’ll have a talk with Eoin. He’ll vouch for your safety and no one screws with my mate.”
She gave Angie a watery smile. He was only one dragon. He couldn’t watch over her every night. Trixie’s days were numbered. If the vampires wanted to ensure her silence, they’d want a permanent solution. She climbed to her feet and started loading the kennels. She needed a beer or six and a long, hard sleep.
“Viktor asked me to tell you that he’s ready to go home.”
Angie snorted. “We’ll let Eoin be the judge of that. Those two have been doing this for decades. Viktor goes crazy and Eoin locks him up for everyone’s safety. Personally, I think Viktor needs to retire from being a vampire.”
“Retire?”
She ran her finger across her throat. “He’s a menace to society. I don’t care what either of them say. Viktor has killed too many people to deserve any more chances at rehabilitation.”
“Oh.” He hadn’t tried to hurt her though. She kept that to herself. Angie sounded like she already made up her mind. Trixie slid behind the wheel of the truck and started the engine.
“Thanks for lending us the kennels. The cats are great at keeping the rat population down.” Angie gave a weary smile. “And keeping Eoin entertained.”
Trixie waved and put the truck into drive. She couldn’t leave the castle fast enough. She wished her vehicle could hit warp speed. It really didn’t take long to return to the animal control central dispatch, it just felt like an eternity.
Boss-man held out his hand for the keys. “Back already with the kennels?”
“They are in the back of the truck.” She pointed with her thumb over her shoulder. “See you tonight.”
“About that, Trixie.” He crossed his arms and glanced at his feet. “I can’t let this slide. I’ve let too many things slip, like the missing tranquilizer darts from your gun and the personal use of city equipment.”
She pouted. “Come on. You know I only mean well.” She pressed her hands together. “I’m your best worker. I’m never late and don’t call out sick.” She was the only one who took this job seriously. Half the time the other two trucks working the night shift were at some rest stop.
“I know, I know. That’s why I’m only suspending you for the rest of the week.” He leaned forward. “I have to make an example of you. Otherwise, everyone will start doing this shit and I’m going to lose my job.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, she nodded. “Okay, I can handle that.”
She wouldn’t argue. He had a point about those darts. If he investigated a little harder, he’d find out she’d shot the beta leader of the city werewolf pack right in the ass. Twice. Then boss-man would really have to fire her. Time off, even without pay, would be welcomed. It would give her time to sort out this vampire stuff. She wasn’t sure what to think or how to feel. A few hours of sleep would help sort that out she hoped.
She tossed her smelly work suit in her locker and ran for the city bus.
Nothing like public transit after the longest and scariest night shift of her life. She stood in the aisle even though there were seats available. If she sat, she’d fall asleep and wake up across town or worse.
Her phone beeped. Ruby was texting her. She smiled at her message.
I don’t think I have enough limbs to accomplish those sexual acts, she texted back. I’m on the bus doing my impression of the walking dead. Be home soon.
The zombie reference reminded her of Viktor. Were vampires dead or were they born like shifters? And even though Angie had tried to explain why vampires lived in secret, Trixie still didn’t understand. Yes, the shifter exposure had caused a war, leaving many dead, but humans lived side by side with supernaturals now. What was one more type of creature in the grand scheme of things?
The bus let her off in front of her apartment building. Built in the late twenties, the structure was of solid brick. Chipped brick now, with rusty metal fire escapes that were barely attached to the wall. Even the pigeons didn’t trust them enough to perch on the railings. Beggars couldn’t be choosers though. The place was cheap and didn’t have bugs.
That last part made it a palace in her opinion.
She entered and climbed to the top floor where she found Ruby waiting in the hall.
Her hair in curlers, Ruby wore a short faux-silk robe and fuzzy purple slippers. She handed Trixie a cup.
“No coffee.” She sniffed the contents and smiled.
“There’s more whiskey in the cupboard. Thought you might need it.” Ruby sauntered back into their home and plopped onto the worn but comfy couch. “Did you lose your job?”
She grimaced. Her sister had an uncanny way of knowing things. Ruby called it a lucky guess because if she had real powers, she’d have won the lotto by now. Trixie thought there was more to it though.
“No.” She sat next to Ruby and took a long drink, then promptly wheezed for air. Wow, that was cheap whiskey. “I’ve been suspended for the rest of the week. Without pay.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll make ends meet. We always do.” Ruby rubbed Trixie’s shoulder and took a closer look at her face. “Stop it. You’re worrying too much.”
Sure, she was, but not for the reason Ruby thought. Trixie’s mind had returned to the castle. More specifically, to the person in the dungeon. Angie had assured her Eoin would protect her from any vampire backlash if they discovered she knew they existed. The only way that would happen was if Viktor told anyone, because she had decided to keep her mouth firmly shut. Not just for her safety, but for Ruby’s. If someone wanted to make Trixie suffer, all they had to do was hurt her sister. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure that out.
What was she going to do?
She glanced at Ruby and held up her cup. “Thanks. I really needed this.”
“And some sleep.” Ruby leaned against her shoulder and turned on the television. One of the local morning shows discussed the increasing crime rate in Riverbend, the city closest to New Port, and how the local wolf pack might be involved. Trixie had met their alpha at Betty’s wedding. This news didn’t surprise her.
She finished the contents of her cup and let it warm her from the inside out. “I met the most beautiful man this morning,” she murmured.
Ruby made a sleepy noise.
“Too bad he’s a murderer.” Trixie promptly fell asleep.
Chapter Four
The bag of expired packed red blood cells in Viktor’s hand was cold and lifeless. Eoin had procured it from the local blood bank. The hospitals would be forced to destroy the bag anyway.
“Yum yum, old blood. You know how to make a friend feel special.” He bounced it, the fluid thick and dark red.
“It’s all I could obtain. Your usual sources refuse to come to the castle and I had business elsewhere then New Port today.”
“My sources would come if you did not insist on scaring them each time.” He bit into the bag and drained the contents in a few gulps. It tasted like chemicals. The blood banks spun the cells free of plasma so it was more concentrated for transfusions—less fluid more hemoglobin. They also added preservatives to keep the blood from clotting. This was a vampire’s equivalent to a Twinkie. It eased the hunger but he distrusted its nutritional value.
“Their choice of business makes me question their character. Do I want them to feel comfortable? I think not. I have a mate to think of now. Her safety comes first.”
It was interesting to watch Eoin’s evolution from terror of the skies to lovesick puppy. Yet he managed to maintain his fearful reputation. The dragon seemed more unstable when it came to Angie’s happiness.
“Why do you have cat kennels?” Trixie still plagued Viktor. No matter how hard he tried to forget, his thoughts circled back around to her. Was it bloodlust or just lust?
Eoin watched from the other side of the room, arms crossed while he leaned against the wall. He shrugged. “I adopted some cats to take
care of the rodent population. Angie hates rats and mice.”
“Cats? You have pets now?”
“I’m surprised you haven’t seen them. They’re inquisitive creatures.”
“They are also intelligent. They know not to come down here.”
Eoin grimaced. “Unlike a certain human girl.”
“Trixie.” Would he seek her out once he was set free? No, she was better off if he stayed away.
He had to stop fooling himself—of course, he would hunt her down. What he would do with her was what concerned him.
“How much longer do you plan on keeping me here?” He tugged at the silver infused titanium collar welded around his neck. He had yet to break it. This was his fourth time being locked in Eoin’s dungeon for killing.
It was in his nature to hunt humans, but vampires did not need to kill to feed. Eoin and the others just assumed he was an asshole. Older supernaturals had all killed people. Those had been different times. Dragons, vampires, and shifters had all eaten humans at some point in history, hence Eoin’s tolerance of Viktor’s slips. It was only in present time that they were expected to respect human authority.
Viktor didn’t kill out of malice though. He was ashamed to admit he had control issues. It didn’t take much. The vampire council understood and turned a blind eye to his indiscretions. He, on the other hand, could not ignore the fact that while others had changed with the times, he was locked in bad habits.
For one hundred years, he had tried to stop killing. Most of the time he did a good job at keeping his prey alive, but most wasn’t good enough.
“I set you loose too soon last time. It’s only been a decade since the last time you were chained in my dungeon. You shouldn’t have slipped and killed someone so soon.” The dragon eyed him from head to toe. “You’re running out of skin for your victims’ names. What then?”
“I did not harm the girl. She stood right here by the wall and I did not lay a finger on her.” Except to touch her hair. Odd that he would want to do that before tasting her soft skin.
Eoin pushed off. “I only have your word on that. She could have been standing outside your reach the whole time.” He shook his head. “No, when I make a mistake someone suffers for it. A few of those names I carved onto your flesh are just as much my responsibility.”
Not His Vampire: Vampire Romance (Not This Series Book 3) Page 2