His eyes flickered in my direction and his expression didn’t change but I could tell he wasn’t happy I was here. Suddenly Cyd was walking in my direction and I knew he’d told her to come. He could communicate with any of his family without speaking out loud, mind to mind, a bloody unfair advantage if you asked me. He could do it with me too but he knew it freaked me out so didn't often. I had been trying to communicate with him too but hadn't quite cracked it yet. He said it took practice.
Cyd arrived, red hair spiked artfully and wearing tight black leather trousers, high heeled boots and a corset top. I thought she only needed a whip to complete the ensemble. “You need to leave.”
“Hi, Cyd. Nice to see you too.”
She sighed and folded her arms. “Look, I’m sorry, Jéhenne, he asked me to get you out of here.”
“Well.” I smiled at her sweetly. “Maybe I don’t want to go.”
Rodney groaned beside me. “Aw, come on, luv, maybe you should just leave?”
I scowled and crossed my arms. “Give me a good reason? He wants me to be a part of his life, his family, well if that’s the case shouldn’t I know what’s going on?”
I looked at Cyd, who glanced at Corvus; he didn’t look in her direction but she nodded. “OK, stay, but don’t say you weren’t warned.”
She walked back to stand beside him and I felt a tremor of unease as he got to his feet. He was dressed up tonight, a slick suit that would have made Armani weep with envy but I knew he hated wearing it. He was far happier in jeans, but in this world appearances mattered, and tonight he was being visited as Master of the house. He looked like a god come to earth or a fallen angel, and I wondered how the hell I had managed to say no to him for this long. If he had come for me wearing that suit I reckoned the tattoo would have been a sure thing.
“I have heard both of your stories and I thank you for giving me the honour of your demand. One of you I find worthy of your place amongst my family, the other, I’m afraid I will have to decline.” He walked towards them and the big man began to tremble. He got to his knees as Corvus drew level with him.
“I consider it an honour to have you listen to my story, Master Albinus. I knew the risk I took, please, do what you must.” His voice was as rough as his appearance but he faced whatever was coming bravely, though he was obviously afraid.
The girl beside him bit her lip and I saw a smile of relief flicker across her mouth. Without a word, Lucas, Corvus’s second in command, walked over carrying a black wooden box, He lifted the lid and Corvus drew out a stake.
“Oh, God.” I clutched at Rodney’s arm as I realised what was going to happen, and why, exactly, Corvus had wanted me to leave.
Corvus placed his left hand on the man’s head, the stake in his right. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly.
What happened next was so fast it took a moment for my brain to catch up but suddenly the girl was gasping, the stake buried deep in her chest as blood, thick and black, oozed from the wound. There was a collective gasp from the crowd and I think I may have screamed as her body burst into flames and the resulting tower of ash fell to the floor, scattering over the polished wood.
I stood frozen, staring at spot where that beautiful girl had been standing just moments before.
Corvus regarded his new son who was also looking at the pile of ash in stunned silence.
“Give me your wrist,” Corvus said. After a moment the man seemed to come back to his senses and he held his arm out, his hand shaking visibly. Corvus took a small knife and a bowl from the box Lucas held out for him once more, and sliced into his proffered wrist, the blood dripping into the little golden bowl. Lucas took back the knife and I watched, my stomach turning, as Corvus drank. Once the bowl was drained he returned it to the box, holding out his own wrist to the man on his knees. “Welcome to the family.”
The newly accepted vampire smiled. “I thank you, Master, I will try to be worthy of this great honour.”
“That you will,” Corvus said as the man sank his fangs into his wrist and drank greedily. His eyes met mine and I knew he was pissed off with me but what the bloody hell? He’d killed that girl without so much as blinking and I felt my heart pound as I wondered why he’d done it. I hoped he had a damned good reason.
“Enough.” Corvus removed his wrist and arranged his cuff as the wound healed. “Lucas, I wish Michel to stay at the Chateau, make the arrangements.”
Lucas nodded and the big man got to his feet. “Mimi,” he said awkwardly. “Everyone calls me Mimi.”
Corvus raised one eyebrow but nodded. “As you wish.”
Everyone filed out behind them, leaving Corvus standing in the middle of the floor.
“I’ll see you later, luv,” Rodney said making a sharp exit with the rest of the crowd and leaving me alone with him.
For a moment he didn’t move or speak and it felt hard to breathe.
“Well then, Jéhenne, nothing to say?”
I walked over and looked at the pile of ash that had been a lovely young woman just moments before. I knew Corvus was a good man- well, vampire. He wouldn’t kill without a reason. I couldn’t deny how shocking it had been to me though.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“You think me an evil bastard I suppose?” he said it lightly but I knew he was really asking.
I shook my head. “I know you wouldn’t have done it without a reason. I’d like to know what that reason was though.”
“I could smell a fresh kill on her breath, she had taken a life. That in itself I could have ended her for but she did it here, less than an hour from my home. A creature like that would bring attention to all of us, put us all in danger. As it is I must have the family hunt down her kill and make sure it is disposed of.”
“Was that the only reason?”
“Is that not enough?”
“I don’t know, I don’t want someone like her killing innocent people but ... But you killed her, so ...casually.” I wondered if I would ever become accustomed to the violence of the vampire’s world, I hoped not.
“You wish me to weep for her?”
“I don’t know, maybe, at least feel something.” I shook my head, I didn’t know what I expected, I just didn’t want to see him do such things.
He stood over me, looking down and I stepped back. “You think I took pleasure in it?”
“No. No, of course not but it seemed so ...easy.”
“It was.” He sighed. “She was not stable; her mind was not a pleasant place ...” He gave me a sly smile. “In fact, if you had known what was on her mind, I like to think you may have saved me the trouble.”
“Oh?”
He stepped closer and leaned down to whisper in my ear. “The things she promised to do to me if I took her into the family were very ...inventive. She had quite an imagination.”
I felt flames rush to my fingertips and his laughter echoing around the huge room only made it worse. I clenched my fists. “I wonder that you didn’t keep her after all then but I’m so glad you found her entertaining.”
“Oh not as entertaining as you, my heart, your jealousy is a balm to my wounded pride.” He kissed my forehead. “Are you angry with me?”
I slipped my hand into his, the skin cool against mine. I wasn't angry. I should’ve probably been more upset than I was. What did that mean? “No, not angry, just rather ...shocked.”
He shrugged. “I told you to leave, as usual you disobeyed me.”
I felt my temper rise and withdrew my hand from his. “Let’s get one thing straight now, you can ask me to do things and I will decide if I’m going to do them or not but you do not command me. I do not obey you!”
He narrowed his eyes a little. “Oh, I think everyone is perfectly clear on that point, Jéhenne. The Master of this house cannot even get his wife into bed, let alone ask her to leave to protect her delicate sensibilities!”
I blushed. “It’s not that simple and you know it and it’s none of their bloody business!”
I snorted and rolled my eyes. “You’re hardly weak.”
His head dipped and he kissed my neck, grazing the skin with his teeth. My breath caught in my throat and I seriously wondered if my knees were going to hold. “I am where you are concerned and they know it. You are my Achilles heel, Jéhenne. They wonder just what I would do for you, as do I. They fear you could bring down this house.”
My heart stuttered and I looked up at him as his head raised and his eyes found mine. “That’s ridiculous,” I whispered but he shook his head.
“Any other of my kind would have claimed what they desired, taken it whether it was given freely or not. That I haven’t makes them wonder just how much power you have over me.” His fingers slid around my jaw, tipping my head back. “Is that what I should do, should I take what you won’t give me?”
His eyes were cold and hard and for a moment I wondered if he meant it. “That’s not what you want,” I whispered.
He snorted and dropped his hand, turning away from me. “Since when do you care what I want?”
I walked up behind him and put my arms around his waist, my head resting against his back. “Since the first time I saw you at the council meeting, and before that, in another life time.”
“And yet you will continue to make me wait.”
I hesitated for the briefest moment. “No.”
He stilled and then turned around, looking down at me with a frown. “No?”
I smiled and shook my head. “No. I won’t make you wait. You wanted your decision tonight and I’m giving it to you. I want to be with you. I don’t know what’s coming and I don’t want to. I know there’s going to be some bad stuff there because ...well because I’m me and that’s the way it seems to go but--but if you can accept that, accept the whole messy package, then it’s yours. I’m yours, body and soul.”
He looked at me for the longest moment, like he was waiting for me to change my mind already and then his mouth lowered to mine, slowly, the barest of touches that had my heart skipping erratically. “Finally,” he breathed against my mouth.
I smiled. “Yes, but on one condition ...”
He froze as he waited for what I was going to say next.
“Don’t you dare change out of that suit. I want to take it off you myself.”
I felt a rumble of laughter as he pulled me against his chest. “Gods, Jéhenne, one day you really will be the death of me.”
He kissed me until I was breathless and then looked down, the desire in his eyes making it even harder to breathe. “There is someone waiting for me, the meeting has been arranged for some time so I must speak with them but ...I will not be long.” He brushed his thumb over my bottom lip. “Be waiting for me.”
“Is that a command?” I teased.
He looked back, his eyes deadly serious. “Yes.”
My stomach did a little flip. “OK, well, I’ll let it go, just this once.” I stood on tip toe and brushed my lips against his. “Master.” A smile flickered at the corner of his mouth and the next moment I was standing alone.
Chapter 9
Hands shaking and eagerness warring with fear in my stomach, I ran up to the apartment and dived into the shower. Thoughts crowded my mind as I washed, each one jostling for attention, but I stubbornly blocked them out. I wouldn’t think about it, I wouldn’t think about anything at all. This was right, I knew it was right, and I wasn’t going to let anything spoil it. It was easy to say but a lot harder to do.
I spent far too long faffing about trying to decide which undies to wear and finally decided on white. It wasn’t exactly our wedding night but,well it kind of was too. I thought he might appreciate the sentiment.
I did my make-up, keeping it simple, and then sat at the dressing table in just my underwear, drying my hair. My mind wandered as the synthetic air blew around me, and I felt my heart leap as a baby’s cry pierced my mind through the drone of the hairdryer. I flicked the off button and sat, listening.
“Don’t be an idiot, Jéhenne, it’s all in your bloody mind,” I grumbled, and switched the hairdryer back on again. But the sound still echoed through my head, making my stomach clench.
It was ridiculous. I mean I had never in my life been interested in babies. There were girls at school, pregnant at sixteen, who would come back, bearing their babies like trophies. I could never understand it. I mean yes I had always thought, one day when I was older. In fact being an only child I had always loved the idea of a big family but not yet, and with Corvus, not ever. Vampires couldn’t. No matter how alive he appeared and felt, he was dead, and there was no escaping that fact. The thought made me so miserable I had to push it away quickly before it could take hold. But even if it were possible I wouldn’t do it, not yet, not for a long time. So why did the sound of this child’s cry make me want to tear down walls with my bare hands to get to it?
Because he’s your son.
“Stop it, stop it,” I muttered crossly but I couldn’t forget the sound of its cry. I remembered the picture of it in my mind, the thick, dark hair. Who was his father? Even if that child was in my past, when he was still human, I knew it wasn’t Corvus. For starters he was blond and blue eyed, and even though that wasn’t conclusive evidence, I just ...knew. I threw the hair dryer down and sat with my head in my hands. I hated my life.
I thought of the man who pursued me through my dreams. Could it be his? Surely if I'd had a child with someone my first instinct wouldn't be to run from them ...would it?
I toyed with the idea of telling Corvus everything but I simply couldn’t. If the child was in my past, well, there was nothing I could do about it and if it was in the future ...I had no way of knowing what the circumstances were or even when it happened. Once I was twenty one I would be immortal, assuming I made it to twenty one, and then there would be centuries ahead when that child might be born. It might not happen for many centuries ...or it might happen this year. I cursed the spiteful voice in my head and told it to shut the hell up. I wouldn’t do this, I wouldn’t turn him down again. I just couldn’t.
I got to my feet and turned to see him standing in the doorway and felt a thrill of anticipation. I was right, I just couldn’t. There was no way on earth I could say no to him. He took in the sight of me slowly and I could feel the weight of his gaze on my body as though he was already touching me. Everything stopped. Every thought, every doubt dissolved in the heat of that look and I crossed the room, flinging my arms around his neck.
He bent his head to take my mouth and pulled me against him as I grabbed hold of his hair, urging his head down, and kissing him back hard. He broke away and I watched as he trailed a finger down my stomach to hook it around the fine material of my knickers. “I approve,” he said, his voice low and rough.
“I thought you might.”
His hand came back up to caress my cheek and I turned my face, kissing the palm of his hand, never taking my eyes from his face. “Nice suit.”
“If this is the reaction I get, I shall wear one every day for all eternity.”
I laughed and undid his tie, pulling it free and letting it fall to the ground. “You could get this reaction wearing a bin bag, and you know it.”
He watched as I undid the buttons on his shirt, slowly, sliding them free one by one. “I hadn’t noticed,” he said, soft desire lingering on every syllable.
I parted the shirt, letting my hands smooth across the impressive expanse of muscle and sighed. “Then you clearly haven’t been paying attention.” I leaned forward and planted a line of tiny kisses across until I came to his nipple. I circled it with my tongue and then nipped at it, and felt his hand at the back of my neck, twisting in my hair. I hadn’t been wasting my time the past weeks, I knew what he liked, and biting ...it was way up the list. I teased him a little more wit
h my teeth and then looked up to see his eyes were black, the pupil completely swallowing the blue, and smiled, satisfied with his reaction.
I stepped away a little and drew the suit jacket over his shoulders and let the shirt follow, both falling in a careless heap on the floor.
With one hand at his neck I smoothed the other down his chest, feeling the slope of hard muscle, the ridges of his abs, following the trail of golden hair that disappeared beneath his waistband. With impatient fingers I grappled with the belt and then eased my hand slowly beneath the material. He made a noise low in his throat that was more animal than man, and it made my blood thrill in my veins.
Leaning forward I nuzzled the base of his neck and began to kiss a trail up to his jaw line. He pulled me towards him and before I could take a breath his lips were on mine, harsh and demanding. I coiled around him, my free hand snaking into his hair. I felt his fangs nick my tongue and the copper taste of blood as his mouth devoured mine. His hands released the catch on my bra and he tugged at it, so I stepped away, allowing him to draw it down my arms. It hadn’t even hit the floor when I was swept off my feet, and he placed me gently on the bed.
I lay back self-consciously as his eyes roamed over my bare skin. Thankfully, Corvus’ room was always boiling but somehow it didn’t stop goose bumps springing up all over me.
“So beautiful,” he murmured before bending his head and running his tongue lightly over my breast. I gasped as my body tightened in response, and the expression on my face must have amused him as I felt a wicked chuckle rumble through his chest, and then his mouth was upon me again. The feel of his body against mine was electric and I clung to him, wanting more and pulling at his trousers. “Off,” I demanded, and he obeyed, for once moving slowly so I could watch.
The Heart of Arima. Page 7