William stared at the fire, and Isabel could tell by the way he gripped the chair that he held his temper in check- but just barely. Their whole future was falling apart, and there was nothing either of them could do but wait and watch as it did.
“Isabel,” Charles called and motioned for her to come to him.
Isabel obliged. Being bitten by him was better than Mr. Moorish by far. He took her hand and pulled her onto the couch next to him then rested his hand on her stomach with surprising gentleness. “You can share with me, if you’d like, dear brother.”
William’s eyes burned as he looked at Charles, but he nodded nonetheless. He wouldn’t look Isabel in the eyes, however, and she couldn’t blame him. He had to do this or face the council’s wrath, whatever it would be. Isabel only knew he was frighten of it- and if that was the case it must be bad.
William sat on the other side of Charles, pressing his chest into her body as he moved the hair from her neck. “Please, feel free to drink from our servants,” William said to his guests.
Isabel watched as John knelt before Abigail and Tabby sat between Mr. and Mrs. Moorish. She didn’t envy either of them.
Charles bit her quickly, taking no time to leisurely sink his fangs into her flesh. Just as suddenly, William eased into the opposite side of her neck. Each sip made her skin tingle- the slightest brush exciting her over sensitive body. William’s hands dug into her shoulder, fingers pinching into her flesh as he drew out each taste. Charles pulled out first, his tongue lapping at her neck as he caught the little droplets of blood. William followed his lead, each brother gripping onto her and tasting her at once.
John held his neck and Tabby got to her feet, just as Charles and William let Isabel stand.
“This is why you need more servants, William!” Mrs. Moorish said and dabbed a smear of red from her lips.
“Yes,” William said and licked his own lips, catching a drop of Isabel’s blood.
“You’re dismissed,” Charles said.
The three servants walked out of the room, shutting the door behind them. Together, they made their way to the kitchen.
“Strange Master Charles giving the orders, don’t you think?” Tabby said as she cut them each a slice of bread and slid the jam jar across the table.
“Yes,” Isabel said and absently took a bite of the cold bread.
“Must be getting ready for his brother leaving,” John said.
“Poor Master William,” Tabby said and shook her head.
“Yes.” Isabel knew she should say something, but just speaking felt like burden with her heart in so many different pieces. “I should return to my chores.”
“Are you sure you can manage after that?” Tabby asked, rubbing her hand over Isabel’s shoulder.
She wasn’t sure she could manage anything at all, but she had to. William would go off with his new wife. Their love, however brief, had at least given her something to look forward to. Maybe she would leave her servitude after all. She couldn’t stay and watch William with his new vampire wife- her heart would break every time she saw him.
“Isabel, do you feel all right? Perhaps you should lay down,” Tabby said.
“I’m fine.”
John smiled at her. “I’ll take you to your room. You do look a bit pale,” he said and put a strong arm around her shoulder.
Isabel walked with him toward the servant’s quarters and settled into her room. John stood in the doorway looking at her. The shadows from his candle crawled over his face. “There’s no place for us in their world, besides as a meal,” he said.
“I know.” And she did know, so why was this so hard? Why had she been such a fool to think she and William could be happy forever?
“You’ve got your freedom. It’s a good time to take it.”
Isabel looked at John’s his straightforward handsome face, and nodded. “Would you come with me? I don’t want to go alone.”
He smiled at her, a sad smile that didn’t reach his hazel eyes. “I give good advice, but I’m not the sort of man you’re looking for. Plus, Master Charles will need at least two servants, won’t he?”
“I suppose he will,” she said and climbed onto her thin straw mattress.
John stared at her for a moment then shut the door.
Over an hour later the creak of the door made Isabel open her eyes, but whoever came in didn’t carry a candle or a lantern. In the darkness, she couldn’t tell if it was Charles or William who disturbed her. Quickly, she wiped the tears from her cheeks and sat up. “I’m sorry Master. I felt weak so I decided to rest.”
“Has William been drinking too much? I hardly had a sip,” Charles said.
“No, that’s not it. I just- ”
“He won’t deny it. They laid out the wedding plans as soon as you left. William’s going to marry Ms. Perch and that’s that.”
Isabel bit her lip as a new flood of tears poured from her eyes. Why had his admittance of it made her feel worse? She’d been hoping William would say no and run away with her. Of course he wouldn’t! She was such a fool!
Charles’ dark shape stepped farther into the room. “I am sorry that he’s put you in this situation. But I do have an offer for you. I’m not staying here. I’m going to run away, Isabel. And you can come with me if you want. Since you’re no longer indentured you can do what you like.”
“Where are you going?” she asked, her voice trembling as she spoke.
“West, I think. Maybe as far as the French line. While the council might favor William, they have little need for me. I’ve been nothing but a disappointment to them from the start. They’ll give chase, but not into the wild. We should be safe.”
Isabel’s world had changed so quickly from that morning. How did something like that happen? “Travel into the wild? Where will we live?”
“There are homesteads, I’ve heard. Listen. We can’t go back to Europe; the council is too strong there. If we want to be free we have to head west!”
Free. She’d be free from seeing William and his wife. Free from the constant heartbreak of watching the man she loved with another. And he’d be free of the burden of a human lover, a secret that threatened his very life. “What are you running from, Charles?”
“Toward. I’m running toward something- someone. I have to find someone.”
“Is it just the two of us? What about John and Tabby?”
“Tabitha won’t come. John might. I’ve yet to ask.”
“Fine. When do we leave?”
Charles stood so still in the darkness she almost doubted he was still there. “Tomorrow. We’ll leave at dusk. They won’t get suspicious until we’re too far gone.”
Less than a day left with William. What was she supposed to do?
“Don’t tell Will. You know he’ll try to stop us.”
She nodded, holding her hands to her mouth to stifle the sobs.
Charles sat on her bed and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close and rubbing her back while she wept all over his shirt. When he pulled back, Isabel didn’t think she could cry another tear for the rest of her life.
“He might come around, someday,” Charles said and his fingers trailed off her shoulders.
And when he did she might be dead and gone, Isabel thought, but she didn’t speak it aloud. Instead she only nodded and wiped her eyes. She had chores to get back to.
William pulled her from her work a few hours before dawn. She’d dined in silence with John and Tabby an hour before, and neither of them spoke of Charles plans for escape. Isabel wondered if he’d asked John to join them or not.
“No more for today,” William said and pulled her by the hand into his bedroom.
She nodded and set her jaw, determined not to cry. It would only make the whole situation worse. Instead of speaking, she leaned forward and kissed him, his soft lips pressing into her with as much need and desire as her own. If they only had one more night together she wanted to make it memorable.
Her lips bur
ned over his cool skin as she nipped at his neck, fingers unbuttoning his shirt. She kissed over the smoothly muscled skin, licking his pink nipples like he often did her own. Above her, William gasped, a sound he usually elicited from her.
“Isabel, what’s gotten into you?”
Without a word, she unlaced his pants, taking care as she kissed his stomach. His hardness stood and she tentatively licked the tip. She’d never given him this kind of attention before, letting him lavish it on her body instead. But tonight would be different. She’d show him how much she loved him before she had to leave his side forever.
William’s hands caught in her hair as she lowered her mouth around his throbbing member. The thickness in her mouth, slightly salty, was different from any experience she’d ever had. The way it beat against her tongue, the feeling of the veins under her lips and she moved it in and out, licking at the tip each time she brought her head back. Her own wetness seeped between her legs as she lapped at the milking substance dripping from his shaft.
William groaned, his hands gently caressing her head as she worked him deeper into her throat. “Wait, I’m going to-”
His body trembled and he burst into her mouth, the flood of his seed filling her throat.
Isabel coughed, involuntarily, and wiped her lips. Looking up at William, his eyes hooded with pleasure, she smiled at him. She had to hide the sadness she felt for this one night- their last few moments together should be full of happiness and not tears.
William pulled her to her feet and onto the bed, kicking off his clothes as he ravished her mouth with his own. She kissed him back, gripping onto the ribbon that held his dark hair in place and pulling it free. He leaned back only to peel her dress and petticoat from her body, leaving her in only the corset and chemise beneath.
Her breasts heaved as he lowered his mouth to the mounds of her breasts, kissing them with fervor. His hands trailed under her back, pulling at the corset’s strings in a useless attempt to remove it. Suddenly, he huffed and flipped her onto her stomach with ease, and she landed with a slight “oomph.” The demonstration of his strength filled her groin with heat.
“Damn it all,” he whispered and ripped the strings free- the sound of fabric breaking filled the air.
Once loose, he threw the corset to the floor then pulled the chemise over her head. Isabel helped, the moment overtaking her like nothing had before. She needed him inside her, deep inside, if this was their last night together.
William must have felt the same. His fingers probed into her warmth, rubbing at the wetness between her lips with a tender care she didn’t think him capable of at the moment. One finger slid inside, then two, then three, and he pushed them in and out with an almost painful care.
Isabel moaned, pressing her hip onto his hand in an effort for him to move faster.
“You’re ripe tonight, aren’t you, my love,” he whispered and pressed his hips between her spread thighs.
“Yes. Please, William. I beg of you.” She wanted to say more. To beg him to run away with her- beg him not to marry Abigail, but she knew it was useless. He had to do it in order to stay alive. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she gripped into him, brought him close to her and held on as if he might slip away at any moment.
He shoved into her with a sudden thrust that brought a gasp of delight from her throat. His mouth closed over her breasts as he throbbed inside, pushing his hardened manhood into her heat with a force he’d never used before. Her fingers dug into the skin on his back and she moaned as loudly as she cared to, each plunge bringing stars laced with passion before her eyes.
William’s teeth bit both breasts, but hardly drew a drip of blood, as if he just enjoyed entering her flesh. Even when his fangs found her neck, he only took a sip before he slammed into her again and again, the pool of their pleasure growing with each well timed trust. Leaning back, he picked her up and took her onto his lap. She wrapped her legs behind him, and moved her hips in time with his as they worshiped each other’s bodies with lips and hands, each touch and kiss an excitement for the senses.
“I love you,” he whispered into her ear, placing his hand over the back of her head and cradling it.
“I love you too,” she said between gasps of breath, the pleasure overflowing.
He moaned with her, his seed leaking into her warmth as she pulsed around him. The sweat cooled on her skin in the early morning air, and she rested her trembling hands on his back, pressing her forehead to his. He rubbed her back, his own breathing ragged as his member slacked inside of her.
They sat together like that until the first light of morning shone behind the heavy velvet curtains. Pulling out, William opened the covers and pulled her beside him. Isabel pressed her warmth into his coolness, enjoying the feeling of him seeping between her thighs. At least he knew how much she loved him. She only hoped he understood why she had to leave.
Before the sunset, Isabel rose and took a quick bath. As she washed William’s scent from her body, she wept a fresh set of tears, then pushed them away as she dressed. This was the only way for them to be happy. If she stayed, they’d only be miserable. Plus, the life of their child depended on it. She had no doubt if the council knew about it they would kill her or the baby.
She packed the few things she owned, and joined Charles and John in the yard.
Tabby stood looking tired with a basket of food over her arm. “You’ll need this,” she said. “It’s a long ride to Boston.”
Isabel nodded without asking why they’d be traveling to Boston, and climbed onto a horse behind John.
As they set off into the night, she glanced back at the house, hoping William would run out and stop her, call of his wedding and marry her on the spot. But the house stayed dark and quiet as stars slowly lit up the sky.
Chapter Four
William knew something was amiss as soon as he woke. Isabel never got up without waking him. Then he found the note on his dresser scrawled in Charles’ spindly writing. It read:
“I’ve taken Isabel west. She carries your baby, dear brother. Who will you choose? The council or the woman you profess to love?”
William read it three times. Charles had whisked Isabel out of harm’s way. He should be grateful. Ever since his meeting the day before with Mr. and Mrs. Moorish he’d feared for her safety if she remained. Now he had nothing to worry about. He’d explain Charles absence and keep the council content while he wallowed in misery for the rest of eternity with the pretty Ms. Perch.
No. He couldn’t do it. Ever since the announcement he’d tried to think of a way out of the marriage without upsetting the council, but he now understood there wasn’t one. Charles had seen what he hadn’t and taken the initiative, the cunning bastard! William had to choose between the council’s wrath and his love for Isabel. And in her belly grew their child. She’d have to raise a dhampire on her own- their child would never know its father if William was a coward and stayed behind. He’d chosen to touch her, to love her, now he had to do what was right to keep her.
He lit a candle and burned the note to ash before he dressed and hurried out of his room. Tabitha was lighting fires around the house when William found her.
“How long ago did Charles leave?”
“About an hour or two. He’s headed to Boston with John and Isabel for a wedding gift.”
William nodded. That meant they’d have a good head start. “Listen to me, Tabitha. Pack up your things and be on your way. You’re dismissed.”
The blonde woman looked close to tears as she stood up. “I beg your pardon, Master, but what have I done wrong?”
“Nothing! You’ve been a wonderful servant, but I no longer need your services. I’ll give you a severance and a good reference. You can find new work in no time, I’m sure. But you’ll have to leave Philadelphia at once. Do you understand me?”
Tabitha nodded, her eyes wide. “I won’t ask what’s wrong, Master William. But I want to know if I’ll be safe.”
“Yes. T
he council won’t go after a servant I set loose. Pack your things, and I’ll get the money and a letter.”
Tabitha hurried out of the room, and William went back to his own. He threw his sturdiest clothes into a pack, leaving behind the silk britches and waistcoats- the badge of opulence he’d carried for years. He counted out twenty pieces of eight for Tabitha and wrote a very flattering letter for her service.
Tabitha waited for him in the kitchen, the look of worry evident on her face when he walked in.
He handed her the money and the letter. “Wait until the fires burn out before you leave. Catch the first cart heading in whatever direction you desire and you should have no problems. I’m only sorry John didn’t stay to travel with you.”
“I’ll be fine, Master William. I’ve got a few friends who could do for a change in scenery.”
William nodded and saddled his horse. Of course, Charles had taken the mare and gelding as they made a better traveling pair. He must have left the stallion on purpose. It would give William the boost he needed to catch up to them.
He waved at Tabitha as he rode out of the yard and down the dirt street. At this time of night the only ones about were vampires and other foul creatures, plus the few unlucky drunks who stayed at the tavern too late. He decided to walk the horse out of the city to avoid suspicion from any on looking vampires that caught a glimpse of him. He rode past opulent mansion after mansion, all the windows aglow for the vampires who resided inside. Just as he neared the road to turn off into farmland, he heard a familiar voice call his name.
“William? What are you doing out here?”
William pulled his horse to a halt and glanced down at Mr. Moorish. If the man weren’t the head of the Vampire Council William would have ripped his heart out then and there for the delay. “An errand, I’m afraid.”
Lust Immortal (Immortal Series Book 1) Page 4