"Yeah, well, Barry is a skeevy prick," Christian told her, crossing his arms over his chest. "My uncle is just an asshole."
"And Isabella," Maggie pointed out. "What is she?" She hadn't meant to sound so accusatory. It was not in Maggie's nature to be territorial over someone she wasn't even with but her curiosity was making her mouth move completely beyond her control and she couldn't magically take it back the way she wanted to.
His brows pushed up in surprise and his eyes darkened once more due to her line of questioning. There was something there, something she couldn't quite read but wasn't entirely unpleasant. Almost as though he liked the prickle of jealousy he could see in her dark eyes. Which made no sense. Then again, Christian didn't make much sense to her. The feelings he caused in her system didn't make much sense. This whole situation didn't make much sense.
"What do you think she is?" he asked, his voice slightly raspy. She wasn't sure as to why, however. But it still tickled her spine as it slid down her back.
"I think she wants you," Maggie returned. "She makes it obvious with the way she dresses and the way her eyes linger."
"And does that make you jealous?" he asked, taking a step towards her.
Maggie wanted to step back but she refused to let him see that he was getting to her, that he was doing things to her insides that she couldn't explain.
"Why would it make me jealous?" she asked. "Just because you say you claim me to your uncle doesn't mean you will. And I have yet to claim you. I was just curious as to who she was to you."
Christian placed his palm over her pulse just to feel it jump against his hand. "And would you claim me?" he asked in a low voice. "If you had the opportunity?"
Maggie opened her mouth but no sound came out. Her eyes found his and she simply stared at him. He seemed surprised by something. Maybe he could read her thoughts. Maybe he could sense her non-answer in her scent. Whatever it was, he knew. He knew how she felt. And Maggie wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
Chapter 14
A few days later, Maggie was still unable to figure out what these feelings for Christian meant. He still hadn’t gotten the results from her blood test yet, which was probably a good thing. They spoke to each other before Maggie’s classes, but by the time she got home, he was holed up in his study. She didn’t want to disturb him so she went about her business like normal. Sunday, she had a brunch date with her mom, but until then, she had no weekend plans and definitely didn’t want to hang around the house when there was a good chance she would be by herself.
If she was being honest, Christian’s backstory intrigued her and she wished she had the courage to ask him more about it. All she knew was what Barry had let slip in his office. His uncle killed Christian’s parents instead of turning them, but he turned Christian and the majority of his clan. No wonder Christian hated him. She wondered why he didn’t just leave his uncle. Was there something that bonded a vampire and that vampire’s Creator? Was there some kind of loyalty they couldn’t compromise, even if said transformation was forced?
She wasn’t sure how that worked. Most of her classes didn’t talk about what happened if someone was forced to turn. There were crim classes for that but none she had taken. She wanted to ask Christian about it but wasn’t sure if he’d be open to talking about it, or if maybe it was better to not bring it up at all. It was probably none of her business.
But there was someone she did know that might be able to help her.
She pulled out her cell phone one evening and called Danielle. Danielle answered on the third ring.
“Hello?” Danielle asked.
Maggie smirked. “I’m sorry, am I interrupting something?” she asked.
Danielle chuckled. “No, you weirdo,” she said, and though Maggie couldn’t see her, she knew Danielle was rolling her eyes. “I’m surprised you haven’t called earlier. It’s been a while since we went out to a vampire club.”
Maggie felt herself blush and shift uncomfortably at Danielle’s insinuation. “Yeah,” she murmured. “About that.”
“Let me guess,” Danielle said. “That’s not really you.”
“How did you know?” Maggie asked, relief flooding through her system.
“Come on, Mags,” Danielle said. “Just because you carry a Black Card doesn’t mean I ever saw you go home with a vampire before. How is the whole donor thing treating you, by the way? I’m sorry I haven’t asked before now.”
“Dani, you have your own stuff going on,” Maggie said, waving her hand even though Danielle couldn’t see it. “Do you know where your father is?”
“Not that I can say over the phone,” Danielle muttered.
“Anyway,” Maggie said. “Are you still dating your professor?”
“Yes, I’m still with my former professor,” Danielle said.
Maggie bit back a grin. “Could we arrange a meeting?” she asked. “I have questions about vampire things and I wanted to talk to an actual vampire.”
“Of course,” she said. “How are things going with your vampire?”
“Danielle, he is not my vampire,” Maggie corrected, but then she stopped herself. “Actually…” He huffed a breath and proceeded to tell Danielle everything. How attractive Christian was, what happened the past few days during her interactions with Christian, how she didn’t understand these strong feelings that she had for him in such a short amount of time.
Danielle laughed. “Trust me, I know what you’re going through,” she told her. “Except I slept with Alek, you’re just giving Christian blood. I know the feelings have to be there, deep down, before anything can work. The feeding makes the feelings stronger but it doesn’t create them. Does that make sense?”
Maggie nodded but then she realized Danielle couldn’t see her. “Yeah, I get it,” she said. “But you’re bonded now, right? What does that mean?”
“We exchanged blood,” Danielle said. “It wasn’t a ceremony, but to him, it was a big deal. Vampires don’t do this often, if at all. But claiming you verbally doesn’t actually claim you. It’s just a warning for now. Unless he actually does claim you, some other vampire could. But you have to consent to it. It won’t work if you don’t consent.”
“So,” Maggie said, her thoughts racing with what Christian had told her and what she overheard. “You would need to actually want to transform into a vampire before they did it?”
A beat. “No, you misunderstand,” Danielle said. “You can be turned into a vampire whether you want it or not. That’s why vampires are sentenced to death when they’re charged with transformation without consent. Sometimes, it’s the only way to save someone, and that’s when next of kin is involved. But to be bonded with a vampire, you have to want it.”
“Okay,” Maggie said slowly.
“Mags, do you really have a thing for this guy?” Danielle asked.
“I don’t know, Dani,” Maggie replied. “I swear, it’s too early to tell.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” A pause. “Look, I’m going to send Alek over to your place this afternoon for your meeting. Text me the address. Then, we’re going to go out tonight to Risk.”
“Why are we going to Risk?” Maggie asked.
“Because I’ve read it’s one of the places vampire businessmen like to unwind and Christian Stewart has been known to hit the bar there,” Danielle replied. “This will help you iron out your feelings for the guy. And maybe it’ll help him figure out his feelings for you.”
“What are you talking about?” Maggie asked, furrowing her brow.
“Just trust me, Mags,” Danielle said. “This’ll be good for you. Wear something cute at four, okay? Alek will be there.”
--
Maggie had no idea what Danielle’s plan was. Christian had been in and out of his study all day, barely even looking at Maggie, who was trying to do her homework in the living room.
She didn't own a sexy casual outfit but she threw on a pair of black leggings and an oversized off-white sweater tha
t made her feel sexy. Her dark hair was tossed up into a high ponytail and she was in the living room, using the space to study for an upcoming quiz in one of her classes. She had books out and open, a pencil behind her ear, and a pen in her hand. She had two notebooks filled with notes open and a yellow highlighter by her feet with the cap off, ready to be used at any moment.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Maggie hopped up, prepared to answer it. It was probably Alek, who had just wrapped up his last class for the day, and was meeting her, just like Danielle promised. Surprisingly enough, Christian beat her to the door.
When he opened it, Maggie saw the muscles in his back tense. She hadn't noticed it before, but Christian was wearing a muscle shirt and sweatpants so she could see his muscles clearly in his shoulders and down his back.
"Can I help you?" he asked, his voice giving off an unfriendly edge.
Alek was unperturbed by Christian's gruff greeting. Instead, he raised a brow, shooting his crystal blue eyes at Christian almost as if he was sending Christian a warning, sizing him up, calculating if he could take him. From where she stood, Maggie could see work was still in his typical suit - a blue collared shirt tucked neatly into fitted grey slacks. His blond hair was slicked back and there was gentle scruff on the lower half of his face that could barely be detected on his pale skin. It was no wonder why Danielle was deliriously attracted to him - he was tall, broad, and gorgeous. Apparently, he was a Viking when he had been turned, which would explain his Scandinavian features and his strong physique.
"I'm here to see Maggie Jarrett," he said, his voice low but firm.
"I'm sorry but Maggie is mine," Christian said, grabbing the side of the door so he could close it. "Don't come back here."
Alek stopped the door before he could close it. The corner of his lips turned up and his eyes danced with arrogance. "She invited me," he told Christian. "I'm sure if you ask her, everything will be resolved."
Maggie cleared her throat at that moment and both vampires turned to look at her. She didn't particularly like the attention they were giving her, had never been comfortable with it, but she tilted her chin up and looked Christian in the eye.
"He's right," she told him. "I invited him here myself."
Christian's brow furrowed so low it wrinkled between his brows. He clenched his jaw but stepped back, allowing Alek to walk into his home. Alek murmured a thanks but focused his eyes solely on Maggie.
"Good to see you," he said and he leaned down to kiss her cheek.
Maggie blushed. This had to be Danielle's fault. Alek was not a physically affectionate person. He did not go out of his way to kiss cheeks and hug. The fact that he and Danielle had danced so seductively at the club was amazing by itself. Danielle must have put Alek up to this in order to try and get a reaction out of Christian.
Surprisingly enough, Maggie noticed from the corner of her eyes that it was actually working.
---
Christian was tense, his eyes dark and narrowed, his jaw popping. His fingers were curled into tight fists and instead of heading back to his study to do more research on the fairy existence, how and if they bred with humans, and genealogy in the Somerset area to see if he could narrow down Maggie's lineage, he decided to linger in the kitchen and pretend to be busy looking through the fridge.
This was stupid. It was the dumbest thing he had ever done. Why did he care if some human girl he had only tasted once was meeting a vampire in his home? Who cared? Certainly not him. Why would he care?
He couldn't answer that. All he knew was that he did.
It wasn't even the fact that she tasted delicious, like she gave him life and a reason to live. He had noticed it when he first glanced at her picture on the website. There was an innocence there, a naivety that he was drawn to. She wasn't trying to act sexy; she was naturally, effortlessly. She didn't need to seduce him, he was drawn to her already. She wasn't going to bullshit him with unnecessary flattery or act like a high-maintenance escort. She was a young college student trying to make extra money. He demanded an interview with her and once he met her, he couldn't get her out of his head. She was completely unlike the women he had had as donors before, completely unlike the women he had slept with.
He wanted her. He could feel it now, watching her smile at another vampire in his home. And he knew she wanted him. He could smell it on her, her desire. Her confusion. He could hear her heart jump in her theist whenever he was near her. It made him feel wanted. Special. Desired. He knew many women who wanted him, many women who were flustered just being around him, but never one as innocent as Maggie was. Her giggle, her blush, the way she couldn't quite meet his eyes at times, all charmed him.
The problem was, he couldn't have her. Quite frankly, he didn't particularly give a shit about her contract because he would have paid for it to be broken. What he did care about was her happiness and well-being, and after that visit at his office, his uncle made his intentions perfectly clear. If Christian wanted her, Tristan would do anything he could to ruin that. Tristan wanted to hurt his nephew, to exert power over him. God forbid Christian did anything outside the company. It was why he stayed away from attachments, anything that could be used against him.
He just couldn't stay away from her.
She was more beautiful in person than in her picture, and that was saying a lot because her pictures were gorgeous. She had this aura around her that made him feel at ease. He needed to be around her always, which completely contradicted the fact that he needed to stay away from her as well.
If his uncle found out about how he felt, if Maggie really was a fairy, then Maggie could get hurt. And the last thing Christian wanted to do was put her more at risk than he already had.
So he shook his head, closed the fridge door, and slinked off to his study even though he wanted nothing more than to stay and ensure nothing happened between her and the Viking.
Chapter 15
That evening, Maggie dressed in the raunchiest club dress she had. While she felt more comfortable in flats and hoodies, she had a lot of dresses that were both sexy and revealing, things she liked to wear in order to make her feel free and alive. It wasn’t typical attire for her, but that was all right. She didn’t need to wear it every day in order to receive the feeling. She just liked how she looked in the clothing – completely sinful and unlike herself. It was where she got the confidence she had when she went out with her friends.
The dress she picked for the evening was one of her new ones she hadn’t worn out before. It was designed to resemble lingerie, so there was black lace that decorated the skinny sleeves and the cups of the dress that pushed her breasts up and gave her more cleavage than she had naturally. There was also lace that trimmed the hemline of the dress, which fell to her mid-thighs. The dress itself wasn’t so tight but it hugged her curves with a crimson-red color. She wore high heels, black in color, and curled her dark hair so it resembled messy sex hair – even though Maggie had never had sex hair in her life.
Alek’s words ran through her mind: He claimed you so no vampire could. Labeling a human as his, Christian Stewart ensured that you belong to him and no one else. If a vampire tried to challenge that claim, vampire law dictates that one vampire may kill another as a way to protect what he or she has claimed.
Like she was property. Like she had no say in this situation whatsoever.
Yes, Maggie was a donor and Christian had an exclusive contract with her for feeding purposes only. That didn’t prohibit her from dating who she wanted or sleeping with who she wanted just as long as she didn’t feed them.
She knew, deep down, that Christian wouldn’t have done this unless there was a reason for it. The fact that he had yet to share what that reason was frustrated her to no end. Shouldn’t he trust her by now? Sure, it was just a couple of weeks. She understood that. But if she was trusting him with the fact that she could be a freaking fairy, the least he could do was tell her why he needed to claim her, what potential danger she wa
s in from his uncle.
When her phone chirped with a text from Danielle, her heart fluttered. She sucked in a deep breath and took one last look at herself in the mirror.
“You are amazing,” she told herself. She didn’t quite believe it, but it certainly made her feel good.
With that, she bounded down the stairs. Christian had emerged from his study to check out the fridge. It was actually perfect timing because just then, someone knocked on the door.
Maggie watched as Christian furrowed his brow and turned his attention to Maggie. At that moment, his brows shot straight up to his hairline and his eyes took in the sight of her. Maggie felt her stomach tumble but she kept her face passive, her jaw clenched in order to not give anything away. She didn’t want him to know that she appreciated the way he was looking at her; both awed and hungry. Like she was some kind of angel he wanted to take to the back room and have his way with. His mouth hung open as his eyes finally met hers once more.
“Um,” he said, reaching up to scratch the back of his head. “Are you expecting someone?”
“Just Alek,” she said with an innocent shrug of her shoulders. She continued down the stairs in her high heels, taking care to look both casual and comfortable in shoes she had only worn once – at her high school graduation.
“Just Alek?” Christian asked, quirking his brow. There was an edge to his voice, an edge Maggie couldn’t necessarily interpret. “You mean the vampire from this afternoon?”
Maggie scrunched her nose. “Is that a problem?” she asked. “A bunch of us are meeting up at Risk tonight to blow off some steam.”
“Risk?” Christian asked.
Maggie smiled. “You seem to be repeating everything I say,” she said slowly, coming to stand in front of him. “Is everything all right?”
“You know,” Christian told her. “If you’re going to be having guests over – especially male vampires – the least you could do is give me a head’s up. This is my house, remember. And you’re here. As my guest.”
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