“The opening is only a few days away. Maybe you should stay away from her ’til then?”
“Christian, don’t worry. I’m hoping to have our bond completed before then.”
“Hells bells. Were you going to let me in on the plan?”
Sebastian glared at him, and Christian could feel the anger in his friend. It was a testament to how weak he was that they were speaking aloud and not telepathically. He wasn’t sure if Sebastian even realized. Christian had had the scare of a lifetime, hell, five lifetimes, when he’d walked into the dungeon and found Sebastian incapacitated. This bloody curse was escalating, and they were walking a tightrope. Would they be able to complete the bond with Gwendolyn before they were out of time?
Sebastian sighed. “Yes, you know I would. I’m not keeping anything from you.”
“Just make sure you don’t try. I can get into your head anytime I want.” Sebastian scowled at him. “Yeah, don’t look at me like that. You are too weak to fight me on anything.”
“I am going to retire now. We’ll continue this in the morning.” Christian could feel Sebastian’s anger, and he knew he was pushing his friend too hard. But this was life or death now. There was so much at stake for them, and he wasn’t sure his friend was thinking with a clear head at the moment.
“Do you need more blood first?”
“No, I don’t. Good night, Christian.”
He watched Sebastian make his way to his room, still not looking very steady on his feet. Christian decided he’d do a little research himself. It couldn’t hurt. Usually he left it to Sebastian, but with the way Gwendolyn was affecting him, he was more than a little concerned.
After a mental excursion to check on Sebastian, Christian was satisfied that he was resting and as comfortable as possible.
Back in their office, he perused the bookshelves and looked for answers. Christian pulled several options from the wall and sat down at the desk to begin his search. They needed answers, and he knew they were running out of time.
Chapter 8
Gwen was about halfway to her house when she felt a chill engulf her, almost as if she had stepped in to a walk-in freezer, and she felt her energy drain. What’s going on? She had the overwhelming feeling that she needed to get back to Sebastian and Christian. Something wasn’t right. They needed her and she had to get there—now.
At the next intersection she made a U-turn and headed back to Eternity. Twenty long minutes later, she was parked in front of the brownstone and staring at the front door. As she approached the building, the door opened for her, like she had been expected. It was like the building had been expecting her to return. She took the elevator to the second floor and walked the silent halls. It always seemed strange to her that she never saw anyone else around. But then again it was late and the club hadn’t opened yet.
The closer she got to the office the warmer her skin became. She was almost back to normal by the time she reached the office door. She saw the light seeping from underneath the door. She hoped that they were still awake, and she wasn’t going to disturb them. Gwen lifted her hand to knock when the door swung open and revealed a very surprised Christian.
“Gwendolyn, what are you doing here?”
“Umm, you’re probably not going to believe it if I tell you.”
“Try me…”
Gwen felt foolish suddenly, but now that she was there she might as well just spit it out. “I was about halfway home and had a horrible feeling that I needed to be here. That it couldn’t wait.”
Christian raised an eyebrow at her. “Really? What was it like?”
“Hmm, kind of hard to explain. I suddenly felt like I was in a deep freeze. It was difficult to breathe, and I was weak.”
Christian looked at her sharply. “That is strange. How do you feel now?”
“Better now, thank you. The closer I got, the better I felt. But I still have a niggling feeling that something is wrong.”
“Sebastian isn’t feeling well, but he’s resting and should be back to normal very soon.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Maybe that’s why I felt that way. It’s just so weird. It’s like I’m drawn to the two of you.” Gwen wasn’t sure what was going on. But she had definitely never felt this way before. “Do you think I could see Sebastian? Maybe I’ll feel better then?”
“I don’t think that is a wise idea at the moment. Like I said, he’s resting now.”
She knew this was not an option. The urgency was there. She needed to see him and to touch them both. Gwen had to do something to convince Christian to let her see Sebastian.
She reached out and took Christian’s hand. As soon as her hand touched his, a feeling of need and hunger flowed through her. Startled, she jerked back. “What the hell was that?”
Christian looked just as surprised as she was. “I am not sure. Maybe we do need to go see Sebastian.”
“I agree.”
“Right. Please sit here for a moment, and I’ll be right back.”
Gwen took a seat at the table. Just a few hours before, they had all had dinner together. Now she was in a Twilight Zone kind of moment. She was confused, but not scared, which didn’t make any sense to her, either. She should have been freaked out, but instead, all she wanted was answers.
Christian looked at her, seemed to shrug his shoulders, and proceeded to click on something on one of the bookshelves. It swung open and revealed a hidden door.
Holy shit…what have I gotten myself into?
“Gwen, please don’t leave. There is nothing to fear.”
She nodded her head at him but really was at a loss for words. This was freaky for sure. Did people really have hidden doors in their offices? Maybe she just needed to get out more? Who knew? Shrugging to herself, she did know one thing. She wasn’t going to leave this building until she figured out what the hell was going on.
Apparently she wasn’t going to have to wait long, when moments later, Christian was back through the doorway.
“Gwendolyn.”
“What, didn’t you think I’d stay?”
“I wasn’t sure.”
“Well, considering why I came back here tonight, one hidden doorway wasn’t going to scare me away.”
Christian gave her a smile. It looked more like relief to her than a genuine smile. The more she was around these guys, the more she wanted to know. I want to know their secrets and what makes them tick. Hell, I want them to want me.
Christian sighed, “Okay, then. Looks like you’re about to find out a whole lot about us. Sebastian isn’t happy about this, but I don’t think we have a choice.”
Gwendolyn nodded. Hmm, actually, maybe I don’t want to know their secrets?
“You must promise me…well, us, that no matter what you learn tonight, you will not tell anyone.”
“You’re kidding, right? What are you doing, stashing bodies in there?”
Christian laughed. “No, not bodies. You are not in danger, but you need to give us your oath.”
Gwendolyn stared at Christian this time. What could they be hiding? How horrible could it be? I mean, really? It wasn’t like they were vampires or something. Gwen giggled at that thought, but seeing the look on Christian’s face quickly sobered her. Her life was getting stranger by the minute.
Christian grimaced. “Just wait. You haven’t seen anything yet.” Then he made a strange sound. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking. His eyes were smoldering like liquid chocolate. They were hypnotic. Gwen had the feeling that if she kept gazing into them she’d have agreed to anything.
“Of course. You have my promise. I will not say a word to anyone about anything I see or find out tonight. Will that work?”
“It will have to.” Christian turned toward the hidden doorway. “Follow me.”
Gwen didn’t have to be told twice, and she followed Christian through the doorway. I sure as hell hope I’m not sorry I decided to come back.
Chapter 9
As they entered the large livi
ng room, Christian could feel the surprise emanating from Gwen. He had to keep from chuckling. He had been unable to stop himself from reading her mind as she tried to figure this out. He wasn’t sure Sebastian found it as amusing, assuming that he was recovered enough to be able to read her.
Christian knew that these next few minutes could be the end of them. So much hung in the balance. How would Gwendolyn handle all of this information? Would she run for the next state? But of course they would follow her if she did.
“This is so not what I expected.” He could hear the surprise in her voice.
“What did you expect, Gwendolyn, a bat cave?”
Christian could tell that she didn’t appreciate his comment, since the look she gave him would have killed him if he hadn’t already been dead. Still, he couldn’t resist grinning. She was just too easy to play with. But reality being what it was, Christian knew that they didn’t have time for him to tease her, as he would have preferred. He hoped that whatever brought her back to them tonight would help heal Sebastian.
“Sebastian is in his room.” He could feel her doubt, and he could feel Sebastian’s pain, but at this point he didn’t think any of them had much choice. He realized that just being near her had already helped ease his pain, and he hadn’t even touched her.
Silently, she followed him down the hall and through the door he opened for her. Sebastian was stretched out in the middle of his huge four-poster bed. The room was shrouded in darkness, and the flickering of the candles on the bedside table gave off just enough light to show his body lying in the center of the bed. They both could read the thoughts running through her head. Even with his pain, Christian knew Sebastian could feel the doubt and fear as well as curiosity flowing from Gwendolyn.
Sebastian was the first to speak. “Good evening again, Gwendolyn.”
“Good evening, Sebastian. Christian said you aren’t well?”
“I’m much better now, thank you.”
“Are you sure?”
It was Christian’s turn to answer. “No, he’s not. But he is attempting a good front for you.”
“I had a feeling…”
Christian knew that he hated being seen this way, and he let him know telepathically that he was sorry, but it was for the best.
Sebastian grunted and sat up further against the pillows. As he did, the covers slid down, revealing his broad naked chest.
Gwendolyn sucked in a breath, and Christian smiled. He was happy to know that she was not immune to their charms.
“Gwendolyn, why don’t you tell Sebastian what you told me? About why you came back here tonight.”
Gwendolyn seemed very unsure of herself, more than either of the vampires had ever seen her, but they could feel her resolve. “Well…as I told Christian, I felt cold and very weak all of a sudden. I had the need to be here with you both. The closer I got to my home, the worse the feelings became.”
Sebastian and Christian exchanged glances, and they both silently agreed to tell Gwendolyn the truth about them. It was now or never. They hoped she would be able to handle what they were about to tell her.
Sebastian gestured to an overstuffed chair near the bed. “Gwendolyn, won’t you please sit down. Christian and I have a story to tell you.”
Christian stood behind Gwendolyn as she sat and gently rubbed her shoulders. He could feel the tension. She was stiff as a board, and they needed her to be calm. Sebastian began their tale, and he continued to rub her shoulders and the base of her neck. The anxiety was lessening, but he didn’t want to stop. Her silky soft skin felt so wonderful beneath his fingers. Her scent wafted over him. She smelled like lavender and vanilla. He pushed her shoulder-length black hair to the side as he continued to gently knead her shoulders, now that she seemed more at ease.
Christian looked into Sebastian’s mind and saw that he was conflicted about this. They both knew that they needed to be honest with Gwendolyn. But there was great risk.
Sebastian looked into Gwendolyn’s eyes and began. “Before we tell you, we need a promise from you…that you won’t tell anyone what you learn tonight.”
“I’ve already promised Christian. What do I have to do to prove I won’t say anything? Sign in blood?”
“No, a simple promise will be fine. All of this will make sense, I hope, by the end of the night.”
“Very well. You have my promise not to divulge anything I see or hear this evening to anyone. Is that sufficient?”
They could feel the agitation coming off her in waves, but they both knew that it was better than fear.
* * * *
Sebastian hated that he was lying in bed for this, but it didn’t look like they had a choice. From the feelings pouring from Gwendolyn, they couldn’t afford to wait any longer to explain things to her.
“Gwendolyn, do me one more favor, please?”
“I’ll try…”
“Listen to all we have to say before you start asking questions, and please try to keep an open mind.”
Sebastian could feel her inner turmoil, and he knew Christian would feel it more clearly, since his hands were on her. He took a deep breath he didn’t need and began their story.
“We are cursed, twice cursed, actually, if you think about it. The first when we met Demetria. She ‘turned’ us about four hundred years ago.” He could feel the questions in her mind, but to her credit she held on to them. “Christian and I were in a pub in England and were entranced by her beauty. I don’t know how else to explain it. We took her back to my home. We were quite soused, which, unfortunately, was pretty normal for us.”
Christian let him know that he was surprised he was telling her that much detail. But he understood that Sebastian wanted her to know everything. If Gwen was going to have to make a choice, she needed to know it all. Good and bad.
“Neither of us remembers much of what happened once we were in my rooms. When we awoke the next morning she was gone but had left a note to meet her that evening. We both had bite marks on our chests which hadn’t been there prior to her visit, but we didn’t remember how we’d gotten them.”
Sebastian stopped to take a drink from the mug on his bedside table. He wondered what she’d think of them when she realized he was drinking blood. As much as he hated to admit it, even that small drink gave him more energy. They had begun to feel the results of the curse about fifty years ago, but lately it had gotten so much worse. They should have had another fifty years before they were in this decrepit state, but something or someone was escalating it.
“We slept most of the day away, which was quite normal after being out on the town all night.”
Gwendolyn inhaled sharply. She looked tense again, and a quick glance up at Christian verified that. He could feel her disbelief. Perhaps they should have all been in the bed together, touching. It would have given him and Christian some much-needed strength and helped soothe her.
“By the time we met Demetria in the courtyard, we were both different. We didn’t know what it was or why, but things were clearer, what you would call hyperfocused, and there were other differences. We were confused and hungry and way too cocky for our own good.” Sebastian couldn’t help but smirk, remembering how it had been. So different. They had avoided responsibility and, instead, chosen to be playboys, and live off their fathers’ money rather than living up to their responsibilities. How different their lives would have turned out. There was so much to regret.
Chapter 10
“Demetria arrived with all the nonchalance of a queen, which, as it turned out, she was. We just didn’t know it. She was the vampire queen, and she was our maker. We had fallen headfirst into her web and would forever be her ‘children’ forced to submit to her.”
Gwendolyn put her hand over Christian’s to stop his massaging. She was on overload. This was unreal. How could she be hearing this, let alone believe it? Yet somehow she knew everything she was hearing was true. She could tell it was difficult for Sebastian to recount their history, and Christian seemed eq
ually conflicted from the vibes she was getting.
“Go on, Sebastian…please.”
He startled. It was obvious he was lost in a memory and hadn’t realized he had stopped speaking. His eyes were like two sapphire orbs piercing deep inside her head. It was erotic and strange at the same time and much more intense than anything she had felt around him before.
“Demetria explained to us that we were now vampires. Immortal for all intents and purposes. We’d have to leave our families and everyone we knew. How could we explain to them what we were? We didn’t understand it ourselves back then. We have learned a lot over the last four hundred years.”
Gwendolyn was shocked. “Four hundred years,” she whispered, but of course they could hear her. They were vampires. “Holy shit…”
Christian had moved from behind her and was sitting on the edge of the bed. “You can say that again.”
Sebastian nodded. “Very true, we had to stay with Demetria. We had no idea what to do, what our powers were, or what being a vampire meant. Bram Stoker’s Dracula didn’t come out for quite a few years after we had been turned, but even if it had been available, we probably wouldn’t have read it.”
Gwendolyn knew she had promised, but she couldn’t help herself. “So you’re telling me you are both vampires. That you are over four hundred years old and suck blood from people to survive?”
Christian and Sebastian exchanged looks, but it was Sebastian who answered. “No…well, yes. Some of what you ask is true, and some is not. This is why I asked you to wait until I was finished with the tale.”
“I’m sorry, but this is all so unbelievable. I’m not sure what to think. I feel like I’m living in an Anne Rice story.”
“We understand that, and if you hadn’t come back here tonight, we wouldn’t be telling you all of this now. But you did, and here we are,” Sebastian said with a shrug of his shoulders.
Twice Bitten Not Shy [Vampires of Eternity] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 5