Christian pressed his lips together as he looked over at Maggie. "I don't know what you are," he told her in a low voice. Maggie had heard that vampires have sharp hearing. "But on the off-chance that you are something, I don't want anyone to know. It could be... dangerous." Maggie furrowed her brow. "Maggie, you don't realize the power you have. You are classified as human. But if you're more than just human, if you're more than just..." He looked away, placing his hands on her shoulders.
Maggie felt herself stiffen under his touch. Her eyes furrowed and she stepped out of his grasp.
"You have an idea of what I am, don't you?" she stated, her brown eyes dark with accusations. "The minute you tasted me, you stepped back and you really saw what I am, didn't you? And don't lie to me, okay? I may not be as experienced as some of the other feeders you've had before me but I'm not stupid. I can smell bullshit."
Christian pressed his lips together and curled a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Electricity sizzled whenever he brushed her skin and she was forced to suppress a shudder.
"I don't," he began. "It's just a theory. I'm probably wrong."
"Even if you are," Maggie said, "the least you can do is tell me. So I know what to expect. Just in case I have a new client at some point in the future."
She watched as Christian clenched his teeth together so hard it popped. She wasn't sure why he was reacting that way; surely he didn't think she would be his client for the foreseeable future. What if he got tired of her? What if he got over her taste. Sure, he liked it now because it was new and exciting. But after time, he would get used to it and it wouldn't be as special as it was now.
"What I'm going to tell you is just a theory," he repeated. He stepped close to her so their chests were nearly touching, so Maggie was forced to tilt her head back in order to look him in the eyes. "So far, there are only two supe species that we know of: werewolves and vampires. Rumor has it, there's a third."
Maggie shook her head. "What?" she asked.
"You cannot say anything, Maggie," he said in a hushed voice. "I really need you to understand that even talking about a third species of supes is dangerous but vampires and fairies have never gotten along, from my understanding and-"
"Fairies exist?" Maggie asked slowly.
Christian pressed his hand over her lips. "They look like you and me," he told her. "They're more human than we are, so it's easy to mistake them for one. But they are not human. They are beastly sprites who want to live in a world where vampires don't exist."
Maggie pressed her lips together. He was standing so close to her, she could smell his scent. It was husky but not overbearing and it smelled clean, like the forest after a hard rain. She swallowed, trying to quench the thirst that had built up in her throat and caused it to run dry. She reached his shoulders, which made him a head and a half taller than she was, and he was twice her size in weight – all lean muscle. He wasn’t typically good looking; he was rough around the edges but Maggie felt herself drawn to him regardless. She didn’t know if it was a result of feeding on her or if it was because she thought him beautiful in a broken way.
It didn’t matter.
Being so close to him did odd things to hear heart. And judging by the way he was staring at her, a slightly confused look in his dark eyes, let her know that he knew. He could hear her heart, he could hear it beat against her chest, because of his close proximity. She hoped he didn’t fire her because she was starting to have odd feelings for him.
The crazy thing was, Maggie had never been one of those girls who had a thing for supes. Yes, they were typically better looking than human males – stronger, faster, more experienced. They were successful and wealthy. However, the vampires were high-maintenance and the werewolves were flighty. She actually preferred humans because she knew what to expect, and with a job like being a donor, she didn’t think she would need to worry about being drawn to her employer.
How naïve she had been.
“How do you know this?” she whispered.
He was silent for a moment. “Do you trust me?” he asked.
“That didn’t answer my question,” she said.
“You didn’t answer mine,” he replied. “Listen, the only threat fairies have is vampires. The blood is brimming with life. With heart beats and sunshine and rain and oxygen. Once we taste something like that, our instinct is to feed on that fairy until the fairy is sucked dry. Not only is the taste sublime but there are rumors that drinking from a fairy could replenish a vampire’s life. Give him a heartbeat. Make him human again.”
“Is that something you want?” Maggie whispered. “To be human again?”
Christian opened his mouth to respond but no sound came out. He shook his head and looked away. “I have no idea what I want,” he replied. “I just know I was lost. I hated my job and I hate my uncle and I was hungry and searching for something but I didn’t know what I was searching for… until I found you.”
Maggie swallowed. “You mean, until you tasted me,” she corrected.
Christian looked confused for a moment. He didn’t correct her correction, however. Instead, he furrowed his brow once more.
“I love history,” he went on. “I lived history. I love learning.”
“Maybe you should go back to school,” Maggie murmured. “Why work here if you don’t like it?”
Christian clenched his jaw. “I owe my uncle a debt,” he said. “After he changed me, he changed the majority of my clan. He… he’s not a good person, Maggie. He went looking for The Change because he wanted live forever. He wanted all the powers that went along with that as well – the strength, the speed, the hearing, the tasting. He said he saved me – he was forced to turn me because I was dying. I owe him this life.”
“You don’t seem like you believe him,” she murmured.
Christian didn’t deny it.
“Fairies supposedly attacked our clan,” he went on. “Since vampires are the only real threats against fairies – werewolves don’t live off of blood and are already alive so there’s no need to fear them for that reason – there are rumors that fairies are hiding themselves so recently-turned vampires have no idea that they exist and they can take us out when we’re most vulnerable.”
“When you’re sleeping.”
Christian nodded once. “The only thing that can stir a vampire when he’s sleeping is when his chosen partner is in trouble,” he told her. “You see, an exchange of blood takes place as does an exchange of the soul. Let’s say, for explanatory purposes, you and I were Mates. Because I’ve tasted you, I can feel you, I know your emotions, even if I’m not with you. If you tasted me, it would be the same thing. If we exchanged blood, we would be bonded.”
“So you know my emotions,” Maggie stated, tilting her head to the side. “You know what I’m feeling in this moment.”
Christian nodded. “If I concentrate, I would know, yes,” he said, nodding his head.
Maggie nodded. “Tell me about fairies,” she said. “Please.”
“I can’t tell you much,” he said in a low voice. She could feel his voice vibrate through her body. It nearly rolled off onto her skin. “Not here. I just know they exist and for some reason, they’re still not out in the open. If you have traces of fairy in your system, you would be in danger from vampires and fairies alike.”
Maggie shot him a questioning look but didn’t ask him why. She didn’t need to.
“You’re a threat to their existence,” he explained. “You taste different than humans. Clean like the rain, filled with life like the sunshine. Pure, like the white clouds. Humans taste good but you taste… I can’t put it into words. It’s hard for me to describe. If any other vampire had gotten a hold of you, there’s a chance you wouldn’t be here. A taste of you is almost too much, yet it makes us want you more. Vampires would suck you dry, fairies would kill you to keep their secret a secret. You definitely aren’t full-fairy, so they don’t particularly care if they dispose of you.”
“How
do you know all of this?” Maggie asked.
Christian pressed his lips together and looked away. “I’m associates with Lucas Cruz,” he said. “It’s not something we advertise since we come from two species that constantly seem to be at war with each other, but we talk,” he said. “We respect each other.”
“He and Montgomery invented that tracking app for the NDS, right?” Maggie asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Exactly." Christian nodded his head once, his jade green eyes sparkling. "That app was supposed to help the NDS keep track of registered offenders from other species. So, let's say a werewolf or a vampire got convicted of a crime they committed. Once they're released, their DNA gets put into a special system that allows the NDS to keep tabs on them, much like your human fingerprinting system."
"That sounds like a violation of privacy," Maggie murmured.
Christian shrugged. "When you break the law, you don't get the same freedoms you once were privileged to have," he pointed out. "Some people forget that certain rights are a privilege, not a guarantee."
"So this tracker," Maggie went on.
"Right," Christian said. "I'm hearing that this tracker is being used by the NDS but as a means to track all vampires, not just ones who have been convicted of crimes."
Maggie furrowed her brow. "Why would the NDS only track vampires?" she asked. "Not that I don't believe you, I'm just confused as to why only one species and not werewolves and potentially fairies?"
Christian glanced at the door before looking back down at Maggie. He leaned down so his lips were centimeters away from her ear and he didn't even touch before a shiver slid down her spine.
"The NDS is controlled by fairies," he said. Goosebumps erupted all throughout her body but she was certain it had nothing to do with what had actually been said. "Why else do you think Prince Nikolai was nearly assassinated. Elizabeth Grant came out and admitted that the NDS set her up."
"I remember that," Maggie said. "It was back in June, right?"
Christian nodded. "They're supposed to get married in a few months," he said. "It's going to be a big thing. Like the whole Prince William, Princess Kate thing, for the vampire community. It would be the perfect place to attack, don't you think? Especially if they had a piece of technology that told them where we all were at one time. It would be the perfect revenge, to get back at the human assassin who betrayed them in favor of a vampire. And it would kill him, to watch his mate die."
"I didn't realize vampires actually mated the way werewolves do," Maggie muttered. She really needed to take another sociology 101 class because this seemed like basic stuff and she didn't quite understand it all.
"It's not exactly the same," Christian said. "But it does happen. It's kind of like love at first sight, except vampires really don't believe in that since we live forever. However, we do have a mating bond and that includes an exchange of blood, cementing the bond. It's kind of like a human's marriage ceremony."
"I take it you've never mated with someone?" she asked.
He reeled back at even the insinuation he had and Maggie couldn't help but laugh.
"You know what I don't understand?" she asked once she had calmed down. "As a vampire, I'm sure you've seen some scary stuff in your long life. You’re built, powerful, strong. Yet the thought of meeting someone and falling in love with them and mating sends you running away."
Christian shrugged. "Commitment is a scary thing," he pointed out.
Maggie gave him an odd look. "Not really," she said.
The corners of his lips turned up into a gentle smile and he stared at her with a warmth in his jade green eyes she hadn't seen in them before. It did funny things to her stomach, causing butterflies to take flight, and even though she wanted to look away, she couldn't quite do so. He reached out and curled a stray strand of brown hair behind her ear and let his fingers linger, giving her a tingle running down her spine.
"Anyway," she said with a shrug. "So fairies exist and you're worried the weapons that your company produces will fall into their hands and used against you. And, on top of that, you think I'm part-fairy."
Christian wrinkled his brow, pressing his lips together as he blew out a sigh through his nostrils. "That sounds about right," he said. "Although, coming out of your mouth, it almost sounds as though I'm paranoid."
"If you were paranoid, the minute you thought I was fairy, you would have killed me," Maggie said. "If we're supposed to be enemies."
He made a face at her words. "I would never harm you, Maggie," he told her, and oddly enough, she believed him. "Fairy or not, you're still mine." He paused a moment and then shook his head. "My donor. You are my donor. That comes with certain responsibility on my end to protect you, especially since you are exclusive to me."
Maggie nodded. "So you want to confirm your hypothesis not that fairies exist but that they still exist," she said.
"I want to know what you are, exactly," he told her. "And once I find out, I want to ensure that you know what you are so you can do what you need to do to protect yourself."
Maggie gave him a look that included her tilting her head and quirking a brow. "Why do you care?" she asked. "We barely know each other. I'm just your donor. Why worry about me?"
"I don't know," he replied, shaking his head. His eyes were intense but they never left hers and his head dropped slightly so all she would need to do was tilt her head up and they would be kissing.
Did she want that?
Yes. Yes, she did.
She swallowed and Christian's sharp eyes caught the gesture.
His nostrils flared. He could probably smell her. Smell her desires. Smell what she wanted from him.
His eyes dropped to her lips and she knew he was going to kiss her. She knew it and she wanted it and just before his lips met hers, Christian’s office door opened.
Chapter 12
Maggie felt her eyes roll to the back of her head as she felt Christian’s teeth puncture her throat. He seemed to be able to think a lot more quickly than she could simply because he tilted her head to the side and bit her throat that did not have the wounds from early this morning. His fangs didn't sink in as far as they had this morning, nor did he suck the blood up. This was all for show.
The feelings that accompanied the rush of endorphins, however, was not. Her pulse pounded against the inside of her throat and she could feel her lips part slightly, like she needed to breathe but didn't exactly want to. Her pelvis was set on fire, sparks flying everywhere like it was wild and untamable. Each spark caused her to squeeze her insides painfully. She clutched at his shirt, balling the cool, cotton material between her fingers. She was certain it was going to wrinkle but she didn't particularly care. He could afford to replace it. Plus, if she didn't grip on something, her knees would out give out from underneath her and she would have collapsed underneath herself and make herself look like an idiot.
"Oh, my," the familiar voice of the secretary exclaimed.
Christian didn't even turn to yell at the secretary. Instead, his mouth was sucking her skin, his teeth inching deeper inside of her so agonizingly slow that she nearly felt herself react by grinding against his string, muscled thigh.
"Mr. Stewart," she tried again. "Barry is here. Should I have him wait?"
Again, Christian said nothing. There was something highly arousing at the fact that Christian didn't seem to care that his secretary was watching him feed on her. Like he was so wrapped up in the moment that nothing and no one could break him of the spell he was currently under.
Maggie barely heard the door close. It took Christian a moment longer than it should have before he retracted his fangs and stood upright. He still kept a tight grip on her, however. And that was okay with her.
"Jesus," she heard him mutter under his breath.
"What is it?" Maggie asked before tugging her bottom lip between her teeth.
He shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it," he said. His body was angled away from her, his hands tugging
at the roots of his dark chestnut hair. He looked lost in thought and Maggie felt confusion and worry warring with each other in her mind.
"Okay," Maggie said. "I'll just-"
"Don't mention another client," Christian told her, his eyes cutting to her. "I paid for your exclusive contract before even tasting you. I don't want to hear about the fact that you'll have a new client."
"I'm sorry," Maggie said, her voice small. She had no idea what she was doing, had no idea why Christian was reacting with such conflicting emotions. "Are you okay?"
He furrowed his brow and cocked his head to the side, almost surprised she had even asked the question. It almost seemed as though he wasn’t used to people inquiring about how he was.
At that moment, the door burst open and in walked a short, stocky man with dark hair and dark eyes. He had whiskers on the lower half of his face, high cheekbones, and was dressed in a sharp suit. Maggie didn’t know designers but it was probably Armani because he was known to dress vampires and even had a line just for them. He had a black leather briefcase in his hand, but he seemed to have forgotten about it. Instead, his focus was on Maggie and Maggie alone.
The blatant stare caused her to shift with discomfort, and Maggie looked at Christian with a look that questioned what she should expect from this situation now that another person had been added to it.
“What the fuck, Barry?” Christian said, all but slamming the door to his office. He turned back around, only to find Maggie staring at him with wide eyes. He gave her a reassuring look but kept his distance. Maggie wondered if he did that on purpose or if he didn’t want to be seen around her in front of other vampires. She pressed her lips together in hopes that her disappointment wasn’t evident on her face. “You can’t just come barging in here like that in the middle of-“
“You were really feeding on her here?” Barry asked, quirking a brow. His eyes had yet to leave Maggie’s and she continued to feel rooted in place. She didn’t like being the center of attention and almost wished Danielle or one of her friends would call so she had an excuse to leave. “You were sent home yesterday.”
An Education in Scandal: A Somerset Novel (Somerset Series Book 5) Page 7