by Claudy Conn
I can remember her face. That memory crops up and into my mind from time to time. She was everything my mother had never been.
She had her baby in a basket and when I came towards her, she got on her knees and begged that I take her but spare her child.
I told her to take her babe and run and to never walk the Soho streets of London in the dark again.
I watched her run as she clutched the basket to her chest.
She had been no more than a babe herself.
Her memory made me turn to the long mirror and contemplate what I have become. I am who I am and I know what that is. I am more selfish and wicked as a vampire than I ever was as a man, but even as a man, I learned early never to care for anyone other than myself.
Sadly, my selfishness does lead me onto narrow roads. Now and then I take a calculated risk that backfires. It seems I have done just that very recently. My plan backfired grotesquely. I was so certain it would work on the Alpha Shifter’s sister, you see. I thought her alpha blood was all that was needed…but it all went to hell!
As I said, I have a passion for experimentation. One of my favorite experiments over the last three years is the one I call my hybrid trials. I have a great desire to create a hybrid group of creatures with the best of the wolf and the vampire.
Some months ago, I discovered a willing wolf shifter subject. I seduced and used her. I was so certain it would work. Apparently it was an unwise choice. She was too young. She had not reached her full majority and did not have the strength to get through the changes my serum produced.
I chose her unwisely.
She was the beloved sister of the Alpha Shifter, Hawkeye.
I knew this and was arrogant enough to think I might be successful and all would be forgiven, even applauded. I didn’t take the time to study Hawkeye and his pack.
My experiment went awry. She was, as I said, too young.
Hawkeye’s little sister did not take to my serum…and as so many other Shifters and werewolves before her, she succumbed to a terrible and agonizing death during the hybrid imposed changes.
Hawkeye has vowed to destroy me and all my clan if they attempt to protect me from him. He is the most powerful Alpha Shifter I have ever come across. I have challenged him to ‘bring it’, but he prefers to choose his time. It is unnerving.
It is rumored that his grandmother is an immortal witch. Thus, I have incurred the wrath of both. It is also rumored that he inherited her powers, as well as his original ancestor’s shifter might.
The situation has me worried. I need to find the day-walking potion and I need to create a hybrid to protect me from Hawkeye and his grandmother.
So, I won’t underestimate them. To do so would be foolish.
I have been awaiting an attack, but as of yet, none has come. Two months have passed since his sister’s death at my hands, but…although I know some of his pack has stalked me, no one has made any attempt to get at me.
I cannot explain this to myself. Why does Hawkeye wait? It is a torment and, therefore, perhaps his intention?
At the moment, I have gathered my vampire warriors in London. I have great plans and mean to incorporate everything at my disposal to carry them out. I will create a hybrid race and I will have day-walking powers.
But I will have to watch my back because of Hawkeye. I know eventually he will strike, and I believe he means to do so when I don’t expect it, so I must expect it at all times.
I have work to do—I mean to own the world, and I have all of eternity to accomplish my goals. I am determined to infiltrate governments, military, police…everywhere, slowly at first as we build our blood depots. Others before me have tried and failed, but I have studied the mistakes they made and don’t mean to duplicate those mistakes.
I took a long look at myself in the mirror. Damn, but I am handsome. And yes, oh yes, we do cast an image—humans believe such nonsense about us.
I usually dress and act the playboy billionaire, because, actually, I am. Indeed, I look the part I play dressed in my silk, black tuxedo for this evening’s entertainment.
My long, silver streaked hair is slicked back and braided at the nape of my neck. Forever thirty years old, never aging. But if a human were too look long into my eyes, he would see the ancient deep inside.
I was turned at thirty, but I look even younger. My eyes are hazel, unless I am angry or hungry and then they are red…very red.
It all starts tonight at the ball.
I mean to get close to the daughter of the Prime Minister. How close? Ha—I mean to turn her in slow stages. I will use my power of compulsion if my charm doesn’t work. In the end, she will turn her father.
Many of my vampires, female and males alike, are recruiting specific targets all over the world. We ancients command a great many underworld vampires.
I heard her steps, light and fast, before she cracked open the door.
“Darling?” Allora stuck her lovely head just inside. Oh, but I love the look of her. She moves me.
Indeed, but she needs to be punished.
I don’t wish to do what I must, as I do seem to have a soft spot for her. I suppose all villains care for something or someone.
I won’t do to her what I should, but she needs to believe that I will punish her severely.
Her mission this night is to turn a specific target, a government head who will be at the ball this evening. I have told her to forget whatever it is that draws her to Scotland until her mission has been completed and her target has acclimated to his fate.
She will obey. She has no choice. She obeys not because of loyalty or love to me, but because of fear. I am one of the most powerful ancients, created by Dracula himself. I learned much from my sire and was his general for many years. You could say I am royalty.
“Ramon…I need to talk to you.” Allora stepped inside and took a step towards me.
She is a beauty and desire rushed through me, but she must be punished.
I sneered at her so that she may see I am displeased. I took a sip out of my scotch before I said, “Take out your tits.”
She laughed. “Don’t you like my pretty gown?”
“Take them out and come here,” I insisted in a tone she has heard before.
“But, Ramon, I want to talk to you about Scotland…” She attempted to skirt what she knew was coming.
“You finish your mission and we will talk about Scotland, now, come here, or get out and send pretty little Roma to me.”
Her chin went up in the air. She gave me one of her ‘damn you’ stares before she marched over and did what I asked.
Her breasts are not large, but they are perfectly rounded with pink taut nipples. I love her breasts and as I fondled them, I was almost lost to a sudden need to lay her down in her pretty gown and take her over and over.
I have learned control over the years. I drop her breast and step away as though she is nothing to me, and I see her frown take over her pretty face. She is confused.
“Now, straighten yourself up and we will go to the ball,” I snapped, and watched her pull up the bodice of her satin gown.
I moved behind her and patted her fine rump.
She turned and slapped my hand away and glared hard into my eyes.
Damn, she is always beautiful, but especially when she glares with those bright blue eyes…amber lit in the recesses.
She runs a hand down over her dark navy gown, but I wasn’t done. “Give me your hand.”
She placed her delicate fingers, fingers that could rip out a human’s heart, gently into mine. I smiled to myself as I led her to my desk. I pulled open a drawer and took out a long, black velvet box.
Her expression immediately made me feel like a boy, and I couldn’t prevent the grin that slid my lips open and displayed my fangs.
Allora looked, in that moment, like a little girl.
I opened the box and dangled the diamond necklace before her wide open eyes. Oddly enough, I always have enjoyed pleasing her.
Allora has always loved receiving gifts. I discovered that early on in our…long off again, on again relationship.
She has the power of compulsion and could obtain as many jewels as she wants, but she doesn’t enjoy stealing or buying them for herself. She likes to receive.
I clasped them around her neck and whispered, “Tonight, pet, when we get back, I am going to fuck you into a stupor.”
She threw herself into my arms and into my kiss. When I was done, I told her, so she would understand she must never disobey me, “You will learn that I can be very harsh, even to you, when I discover you have not followed my orders. Allora, if you again do something you know will displease me, I shall punish you.”
“How?” she asked, and flirted with her eyes.
“I shall shame you before the council,” I told her grimly. “I will do that by dragging you by your lovely yellow hair and fucking you in front of the entire Council of Ancients. I will shame you and then imprison you for weeks without nourishment. Understood?”
She lowered her eyes. “Yes.” She had seen me do that to a wayward female vamp a hundred years ago, only I gave the vamp to the council…to use. I won’t do that with Allora. She is mine and mine alone to punish.
I see that she believed me. She should, that is exactly what I would do. I am what I am.
~ Thirteen ~
Bobbie Skye
MY EYES SNAPPED OPEN AND I sat up. I had been dead to the world and realized all at once, as I stared into the darkness, that I was still in Devin’s bed! I lose track of time when we are together. “What time is it, Devin?”
“Hush, lass,” he answered, and fondled me as he settled me back down. His lips were on mine, taking, giving, seducing, and my mind turned into mush, as it always does when he is touching me. Wait…no. I remembered I needed to go back. I had an idea I wanted to research. I had been lost in my Shama during my sleep, and it had shown me a spell.
I needed to fully understand how to use it, and I had to go back.
I didn’t want to raise Devin’s hopes, so I was going to keep this to myself ‘til I knew more.
“Up…up, I am up!” I told him, and scurried out of the bed and headed for the shower. “I’ll just take a quick shower and be off.”
He followed me to the bathroom. “I dinnae want ye to leave me, Bobbie lass.” He took my shoulders. “If ye could stay here with me in Trinity…I wouldna care about ever leaving. ‘Tis ye I need…ye are all that I need.”
I threw my arms up and around his neck. He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around him, leaned my head back enough and kissed him hard and hungry before I whispered, “I feel the same, Devin.”
“Then stay,” he answered.
“I can’t. There are things I have to do,” I said, and dropped my legs and slid my feet to the ground. He allowed it, sighed, and walked away.
“Don’t be upset,” I said to his back.
“How can I be anything but, lass?”
“No, don’t think like that. Dev…I want to bring you home, and I will.” I hurried into the hot shower and soaped down, fully expecting to be delayed by him getting in with me.
“Don’t be upset,” I called out.
He stepped inside the shower with all the wonderful shower heads and took the soap from me, running it all over my body. “Right then, I wouldna be…if ye convince me otherwise.”
I pushed at him, and laughed. “It’s all sex with you.”
“Well now, sex is a good thing, aye, and with us, ‘tis a better thing.” He grinned broadly. “But ye know that the two of us are more than that. ‘Tis yer laugh, yer flashing eyes that get deeper violet when ye are angry. ‘Tis yer heart, which is open and full with caring. ‘Tis yer mind, so quick so…och aye, independent.” He touched my lips. “And, lass, I could stand here and list all the reasons I love ye, love being with ye, want nothing more than ye at m’side, but…‘tis also the sex!” He laughed out loud and pushed me gently up against the tiled shower wall, went to his knees and spread my thighs wide open.
I made no push to stop him.
“Och lass, ye taste so good…I cannae get enough,” he said at some point. I had his hair in my fingers and pulled him back in place.
I was nearly there…on that pinnacle and ready to fly.
He laughed, got up and sat on the tiled bench, stroking his big hard cock and pulling me towards him. “Climb on, Bobbie lass…climb on and ride me like ye never want to stop!”
“Okay,” I said, and did just that.
His hands went to my breasts as I moved, and I wanted the feeling to go on forever, it was almost excruciating, the pleasure that having him inside of me produced.
I rocked him hard, and all at once, my body imploded with my climax. I trembled, and each nerve was rattled with a full round of sensations that held me in place.
The muscles of my pussy clenched his dick and he gave me his hot seed deep inside, and we just clung to one another.
I don’t even know how long we stayed like that with the hot shower water running over us, but I knew I never wanted to be without him.
Now, going back was harder than before. All I wanted to do was get back into bed and snuggle. But I am made of sturdy stuff.
I pushed off, quickly washed off, and got out onto the bath rug while he still sat on the shower bench and watched me with those dreamy blue eyes.
I dried off and put the towel around myself as he stepped out of the shower and came reaching for me.
Magic! And my clothes were on.
He moaned. “Och lass…I thought to keep ye just a bit longer…”
“No, no…there is no such thing as ‘just a bit longer’ with you. A bit turns into hours. I have to go.”
He grabbed me and held me against his wet body, and his kiss was hungry and needy, as though he hadn’t just made love to me.
His kisses take me to another world, one where there is only the two of us, and if I didn’t make him stop, I would be lost to those kisses.
I had to make him stop. I had to make him understand that I had to get back. I pushed off him and with a blink, he was dry and dressed. He only needed to pull his boots on.
I eyed him. He looked good in his black T-shirt and jeans—damned good.
I turned away hurriedly.
He laughed as he inspected himself. “Ye should dress me more often. I like this T-shirt, it’s one of m’more comfortable ones.” He looked at his jeans. I followed his look. I had somehow left his zipper undone.
He grinned and said, “Do ye want to do this for me, lass?”
I chuckled and said, “Och aye, sir, I do.” I mimicked his Scottish accent. “But I cannae do that now.” I rushed for the front door.
Devin got serious all at once and was at the door and blocking it before me. “Ye are not going to the divide without me. Do ye ken, lass?”
“I do,” I said, and smiled. “I was hoping you would walk me there, but first, I need some part of the notes on day-walking. If I don’t give Beyland something to stall him, he might get more threatening, and I don’t want anything happening to anyone because we overplayed this.”
He sighed and went into his closet and returned with one of the notebooks. “This should keep him happy for a time.”
“Good…now you can take me to the wall,” I said softly as I tucked the notebook under my arm.
“I’d rather take ye somewhere I could be at yer side. I want ye staying safely here with me, but since go ye must, of course I’ll walk ye as far as I am able. Always.”
I laughed at the serious look that took over his face. “Come on.”
He pulled up his zipper and gave me a comical look. “Aye then.” He took my hand and closed his eyes as he put my fingers to his lips and when he opened his eyes, he said, “I know, m’love, that I took yer time, more than ye wanted to give. So then, I’ll
make up for it now. Do ye want to walk…or travel vampire speed?”
“Vampire speed, My Lord,” I said softly, and kissed his knuckles.
Devin picked me up and we traveled speedily to the barrier between our worlds. When he set me down, he kissed my nose.
“Do I need to tell ye that ye must be careful…for me. I cannae live without ye. I dinnae want to. Do ye understand, lass…do ye really ken what it would mean if I lost ye?”
I hugged him tightly. “That is not going to happen.” I sighed and pulled away, and said the word that would open the portal. The silver sliver cut through the atmosphere lengthwise and widened just enough for me to go through.
Devin pulled me back for one more kiss and oh, my knees buckle for his kisses! It took a great deal of willpower to leave, but I turned and stepped through, landing in my bedroom.
Pound…pound…pound! Someone was banging at my door!
Jeremy anxiously called, “Wake up…Bobbie…wake up!”
I put the notebook down on my bed, rushed over and flung the door open wide, noting with a quick glance at my nightstand clock that it was nearly two in the morning!
Jeremy stepped inside and grabbed my hand. He didn’t question the fact that I was awake and dressed, but just told me, “Come on…come see what I have found!”
“Jeremy…do you know what time it is? Have you been up all night?”
“Yes, and yes,” he said, and laughed. “And, little American, it has paid off!”
“Jeremy!” Devin called after us. “Let go of not yer little American, but m’little American’s hand. Now.”
Jeremy looked at him and laughed. “Right, yes, but, Devin…wait ‘til you see what I have discovered!”
~ Fourteen ~