Neli shakes her head and whooshes out a frustrated breath. If I agree with Neli, then I will have to accept making Stella mine, and I cannot have that. Stella is meant to be human—beautiful, kind, delicate. “No. Impossible.”
“Ohmygod. Why are you always so stubborn, Boz?”
“It is in my nature. Just as asking ridiculous questions is in yours.”
Neli rolls her eyes. “I’m telling you, she’s the one. Think about it. You get all flustered when she’s around. You think she smells and tastes like a virgin, but I’ve yet to meet a twenty-two-year-old woman who’s that hot and hasn’t managed to get laid.”
The thought of her with another man makes my blood boil.
“See!” Neli points a finger in my face. “You’re getting jealous right now, aren’t you? I said she’s not a virgin, and you jumped to thinking about some other guy boning her.”
“No. No. I thought of another man having sex with her.” Why would Stella require additional bones? She was born perfect. “And this is not proof of her being my mate.”
Neli grips my forearm. “Boz,” she says sternly, “you woke up almost immediately after I spotted Stella arriving home from college with all those boxes piled up in her parents’ car. It’s a sign.”
“And?” I push.
“I’m not stupid.”
“Yes, I am aware you have your moments of male-like intelligence, but I fail to see your point.”
Neli’s face turns a bitter shade of red. “I know about the witch. I know about her curse.”
Oh. That. I vowed never to think of Olga or the curse again. Reliving unpleasant memories are of no use to me. “Then, if you are aware of her curse, you know that it was a farce—a ruse.”
“She cursed you to sleep until ‘a woman came into your life, capable of breaking your heart.’”
“That is not exactly what she said. And, trust me, I was there when the curse was exacted.” Many years had passed since I overcame my forest-hag phobia, but I still felt a lingering unease around witches. And what better way to overcome a fear than to immerse one’s self in it. So I decided to pursue Olga, and we became lovers. Very briefly. Until she began asking me to kill her enemies and I realized her interest in me was a self-serving power grab. Yes, she claimed to love me too, but I believe she was simply enthralled by my massive cock. I could not fault her for that, but I could for her attempts to manipulate me. When I informed her it was over and that I would never do her bidding, she told the town that I had taken all of the virgins, of every age, and eaten them. In truth, she kidnapped them, ate their toes, and boiled their kneecaps into a broth, which she served that very evening to the town’s poor while she spun her lies.
I should have listened to Mother about hags.
The next evening, the village’s peasants came looking to burn my castle—all right, looking to burn everything in it. Stone is very difficult to ignite. I explained the situation to them, holding nothing back. Yes, I did enjoy my virgins, but I would never take the children. The peasants took me at my word, as I had never lied to them in the past, and they turned on the witch. When Olga saw that her plan to ruin me had failed, she stormed my castle and laid a curse:
“Prince Bozhidar, I curse you to sleep until a woman is born who will teach you humility and kindness, whose beauty is so majestic, it will bring you to your knees. She will break your heart, and you will feel the misery, same as I.”
“That is a bit harsh, do you not think?” I said. “We only fucked a few times, and it was quite underwhelming.”
I believe that was the part that pissed her off the most. Apparently, she enjoyed the sex. The underwhelming perception came from me and me alone. Oops. The point to all this is that Olga knocked me out, and I awoke five hundred years later to the day.
“So what does any of that mean?” Neli asks after I relay the exact wording of the curse. “Why do you think I’m wrong about Stella?”
I lift my chin with confidence. “It is far more likely that Olga’s magic simply expired rather than Stella being the woman who was born to wreck me.”
“Go on.” Neli swirls her index finger through the air. “I’m listening.”
“Stella grew up in that house right across the road from us. Why did I only just wake a few days ago?” I realize through conversations with Neli that Stella had been away studying for several years, but I am certain there were many occasions where she was here with her family and I was slumbering in my basement.
“Easy. Because she wasn’t a woman then. And clearly she hadn’t yet become the gal meant to break you. Now she is. Have you forgotten all about how witches and curses work? They’re very cryptic, yet incredibly precise in their meanings.” Neli shrugs.
Could Neli be right? Could Stella be the woman who was born to best me, subdue me, break me? “Then…if she is the one who lifted the curse, what should I do? She means to destroy me.”
“No, Boz. She doesn’t. The witch just said the woman would break your heart. She would teach you humility and kindness.”
“Exactly. Are those not the ingredients to an epic vampire destruction?”
“Look. All I know is that since you’ve met her, you’ve embraced change, albeit in baby steps, and not nearly enough to change my mind about wanting death, but you have attempted to adapt. Overnight, you’ve decided to put the well-being of another person—Stella—above your own. All of this means you are learning humility and kindness, just as the curse prescribed. Change is upon you.”
“It is true, I do enjoy my new tan as well as the new cologne in a big blue spray can in the bathroom.”
Neli gives me a look. “You’ve been wearing Glade?”
I nod.
“I thought it smelled familiar.”
“The scent is very woodsy and fresh.” I wave my hand through the air to disperse more of the scent clinging to my skin.
She nods. “Yes. Yes it is.”
“But my acceptance of a few minor gadgets, such as the Summoner and a new cologne, does not signify I should take Stella to France. I do not trust myself not to lose control and kill her.”
“Then…” Neli groans, “you should turn her.”
I blink rapidly. “Why would I do that?”
“If she is who I think, then you’re right. You won’t be able to resist her. And, eventually, you’ll make her a vampire anyway. You’ll have to if you want to spend eternity with her.”
I groan with dread. Turning Stella is not as simple as shoving ice down one’s trousers. There is a dance to be had. There is a process of introduction to our world. Well, unless your parents gift you to a vampire, in which case, it is pretty much a go-with-the-flow sort of thing. Nevertheless, I cannot wrap my ancient mind around one simple fact: I do not wish to harm my beautiful human. I wish to protect her. Even if that means shielding her from myself.
“No. I will not do it,” I say firmly. “You will need to tell her that France cannot happen and—”
A blaring noise sounds, and I cup my hands over my ears.
“Fuck.” Neli’s green eyes go wide. “I think they’re here.”
“They? They who?”
“Those pesky asshole vampire hunters,” she replies.
“What do you speak of, girl?” I say loudly over the noise.
“Remember that lame cult of vampire hunters? They’re still around.”
“The Van Helsings? But how did they find me so soon?” I frown.
Neli rolls her eyes. “Luck. They’ve been lurking around for a few months. They set up an observation post across the road.”
“Where across the road?”
“In the attic over at Stella’s house.”
Jesus. Stella mentioned hearing strange noises in her house, but it is not due to a ghost. It is due to a very large cockroach infestation. And her old dog is too deaf to have noticed. Some watchdog. Stella needs a team of young hellhounds. In the meantime, I will draw first blood.
“Neli,” I growl through my teeth, “why d
id you not mention this before?”
“You forget, I’ve been on my own for five centuries. They’re not the first hunters to come sniffing around, and in my experience, the best defense is to just carry on like regular humans.”
This is no excuse. “Neli!”
“I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. Okay? But they usually get bored and leave on their own. I’ve only had to kill, like—” she holds out her hands and counts on her fingers “—eighty.”
Oh gods.
The alarm continues blaring through the house. “Shut that thing off,” I command. “I will deal with the intruders.”
“Are you sure?”
I give her a look that indicates I am about to kill her too along with the hunters.
“Okeydokey. Shutting it off.” She disappears into the parlor, and I go out the back door so I can sneak up on them from the outside. But after ten minutes of levitating from window to window, there is no sign of these Van Bastard vampire hunters. I go back inside and do a sweep of the rooms just to be sure. No one.
Standing in the foyer, I exhale slowly. Who knows what these hunters have seen? If they have proof that I have risen, they will never leave us alone. Not until they’ve put a stake through my heart.
“Anything?” Neli comes up behind me, panting.
“No. They have fled.” I would chase after them, but it may be a trap. “I will have to survey the situation tomorrow—find out how many there are.”
“No need.” Neli waves her hand through the air as if dispelling a foul smell. “I have a private security company on retainer.”
I cock a brow.
“What? We’re rich. And, honestly, I got super tired of killing all those hunters.”
“So a company does it for you?”
“Pretty much.” Neli taps the side of her head. “The modern supernatural world has its perks.”
“I am not so sure I want to pay others to do my dirty work. Also, I rather enjoy capturing vampire hunters and torturing them. It is especially fun when you pluck out an eyeball and make them eat it.” Or send them to the hags for pedicures.
“Sorry, Boz, but we are running a very legitimate, very successful business. The last thing we need is to play torture with our enemies. Better to let the pros deal with them. I hired otherworldly mercenaries. They’ll make sure none of it traces back to us. Especially since there are eyes and ears everywhere.”
Ah yes. The technologenie. “How long will it take these mercenaries to catch the intruders?”
“Not sure. But I suggest we vacate the castle until they do.”
Oh hell. It dawns on me that the infestation actually lies across the road. Of course, the hunters are of no threat to Stella and her family, but we must get them out of the house if we wish to clean up the menace.
“It looks as though you and I are heading to France a bit early, Neli. We will send word to Stella and her family to join us there. Make up some excuse for our hasty departure.” I pause, thinking it over. Yes, this is an excellent plan. Castle Sangria is the defending champion and has already paid for several entries. Our daytime staff is perfectly capable of managing the winery in our absence. Stellariva has no business, so no one will notice if they shut down for a few days. And having Stella’s family around will help keep her safe from me. “Arrange to have them stay at a villa near us, and then send a private plane to get them. Say…in a week. Tell them they need to hand carry our new wines for the competition.” Neli had explained the process to me earlier when I questioned her on why she had not already sent our wine by ship, as I knew it would take months to arrive.
Neli flashes a devious smile, and I know it is because fate is playing into her hands. She wants to be free of me. She wants me to mate with Stella. As for me, I no longer know what I want. I cannot kill Neli. I cannot harm Stella. And, unfortunately, I’m beginning to believe I will do both.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Stella
I can hardly believe I’m on a private jet with my family on our way to Bordeaux, France. It’s dark now as we fly over the Atlantic Ocean. I know I should sleep, but I’m too excited. The furthest I’ve traveled is Phoenix, Arizona, to visit a friend. (Seems they still have some diehard hippies living there. I saw a sign for the Society of Sunshine Love.) Unfortunately, my excitement over attending the best wine competition in the world, in one of the best wine-growing regions, is tempered by the fact that yesterday’s bake-off didn’t go as we hoped for the twins. No full-tuition scholarship to culinary school or big prize money. I’m proud of my sisters’ efforts, though, and they did win something—Eliza took second place in the sweet category ($500 prize), and Mabel earned an honorable mention in the savory category (a ribbon). Now it’s even more important for Stellariva to gain recognition at this wine competition. It’s a ticking clock before my family’s winery goes under, taking everyone’s hopes, dreams, and livelihood down with it. No pressure.
I blink gritty eyes in the dimly lit cabin and check on my family. Everyone’s sleeping. I sigh. If this wine competition doesn’t yield any good results, it’s over. Bankruptcy. We’ll probably have to sell everything just to keep food on the table. The twins will have to take some low-level job at a restaurant after graduation and just hope to have a chance to work their way up. A process that could take years if it happens at all. I want better for them.
I close my eyes. My father left our winery in the care of our assistant manager, Max, who’ll be taking retirement when we return. I’ll miss him; he’s been with us since the beginning. At least we won’t have to worry about keeping him on payroll. Enough. I need to focus on the awesomeness of this moment. There’s plenty of time for worrying later.
Right now I’m living a dream. Neli arranged everything for our family at no cost to us, from the limo ride to the private airport to the jet and hotel. We’ll be arriving in Bordeaux at seven a.m. local time tomorrow, which is Thursday. The competition is Friday, there’s an auction and a formal ball on Saturday, and we return home on Sunday. My sisters say Bordeaux is known for incredible food too. They want to try a few restaurants with the money Eliza won. By the time of the auction, the prizes will already be announced. The auction is open to the public, which gives Stellariva another chance to shine. We brought several cases of wine for it. You never know who’ll show up. Maybe a sommelier from a famous Parisian restaurant, or a huge international wine distributor.
My mind drifts to Boz in formal wear at the ball. Gorgeous perfection in black. He defines tall, dark, and mysterious. Since he left for France ahead of us, there’s been a strange hollowness in my chest. I’ve missed him, which says a lot. In the past, it’s taken months for me to get to know a guy before I felt even a hint of attachment. With Boz, it’s like our connection was already there. All I needed to do was to open my eyes and let it in.
I drift to sleep, finally, the thought of his powerfully confident take on the world making me relax. I’m so glad he’s in my life. He’s brought hope to a dark situation. His generosity and strong character have inspired me. Simply put, I’ve never met a man who’s more honest, genuine, and giving. His physical attributes aren’t so bad either.
I wake to a fresh woodsy scent that smells just like Boz’s cologne. My pulse races until I realize I’m still on the jet. I glance around. My dad waves to me as he exits the jet’s bathroom.
“Morning,” he whispers as he takes his seat across from me. Mom and the twins are still sleeping.
“Morning. Are you excited about the competition? It’s amazing what Boz did for us.”
He leans across the aisle. “I am. I have to admit I had my doubts about Boz, but his generosity and Neli’s competent manner, well, it really puts my mind at ease. What do they have to gain from helping us, after all? This is what good neighbors and community are all about.” He gestures, raising his palms. “Lifting each other up.”
I smile. “I’m glad you came around. I told you they were good people.”
“Still, I don’t want y
ou dating him. He’s a little off. Fine to be friendly, but, err, not someone I’d like as part of the family. Understand?”
I scrunch my nose. “You make it sound like I’m about to marry the guy.” A flutter of excitement in my stomach surprises me. Me and Boz—being married, intimate. I flush at the thought.
My dad shakes his head. “Better not to head down that road. Maybe you’ll meet someone cool at this wine competition. Hopefully, a local from California wine country so you can stick close to home.”
Someone “cool” by Dad’s standards is my high school boyfriend, Tyler, a chaste relationship since he used me to cover up that he was gay. Dad hoped we’d marry. Unfortunately, so did I. Secrets are the worst, though I understand now the pressure Tyler was under at the time. Tyler promised me we’d be engaged the year after we graduated high school, and I believed him. He broke it off on graduation night, finally admitting the truth. My heart was shattered. When I finally got the courage to try dating again in college, I fell for a medical student at a nearby university. Turned out he was an unemployed, married con man. Another devastating breakup. Secrets and lies. I learned a hard lesson, and I learned it well. Now I have zero tolerance for liars. I don’t need anyone in my life like that ever again. Boz is the exact opposite, honest even when the truth is sometimes hard to hear. I appreciate that.
“Thanks for the advice, Dr. Love Genius,” I tease Dad.
“That’s what dads are for.” He crosses his eyes, making me laugh. “I can’t help looking out for you. I just want you to be happy.” He jabs a finger at me. “So no dating guys that set off my Danger, Will Robinson alert.”
I roll my eyes and settle back in my seat.
“Psst, you think we’ll win something?”
I shift to meet his eyes, and he looks so hopeful I know there’s only one right answer. “Absolutely.”
I walk with my family to the restaurant where we’re meeting Neli and Boz for dinner. We’re really here! Bordeaux is beautiful with so many well-preserved majestic buildings. I’ve already seen a cathedral, a palace, and an opera house in the neoclassical style with impressive Greek columns. The wine competition takes place at a modern-looking conference center and exhibit hall with lots of glass to let the light shine in.
Fanged Love, Book 1 Page 13