by Lisa Olsen
“I think you have him now, petal.” Jakob’s voice sounded at my ear. “Take him.”
“This won’t hurt a bit,” I reassured him, stepping closer to trap him against the wall with my body. “Relax, and go with it.”
I pressed close, having to lean up on my tiptoes to reach his neck. His cheek was surprisingly soft, like he’d shaved not too long before going out for a drink. He smelled of sweat, cigarette smoke and cheap beer, but underneath it all I could sense the vigor Jakob sought as a palpable thing. The throb of his heart beckoned with each pulse, and my fangs descended, sharp and ready.
I could blame it on the hunger, but I have no excuse for the way I pounced on him, my teeth tearing into his flesh in my hurry to taste him. The blood rushed into my mouth eagerly, his strong heart pumping madly as if it was built to sate my hunger. At least Chad seemed not to mind, his arm wrapping around my waist convulsively as the first moan of pleasure left his body.
Jakob didn’t seem to mind the physicality of the way we held each other. Stepping up to my side, I felt him mirror my position, feeding with vigor, pressed as close to Chad as I was. It was as close to a threesome as I’d ever experienced, the hunger quickly turning carnal, the need to touch and be touched completely unhindered as Jakob and I drank our fill. Nothing felt inappropriate or wrong, and it wasn’t until my hunger started to ebb that I felt the cool night air on my skin and I realized they both had their hands halfway up my dress.
With great effort, I managed to pull myself away from the pair, staggering backwards, feeling almost drunk. Chad gave a low cry at my departure, but quickly refocused his attention on Jakob, who kept him pinned against the wall. Instead of cooling off once I’d disentangled myself, I still felt like I was standing over a heater vent, watching the two of them grapple, their hips locked together as Jakob drank and drank.
Catching my breath, I caught Jakob’s eye, gratified to see him pull away before he took too much. “Delectable. And now for the main course…” he grinned, carelessly letting Chad slump to the ground, forgotten as he reached for me.
“Hey, you can’t leave him like that…” I frowned, slipping past him to kneel beside Chad. He sat in a dazed stupor, but I could feel his heart beating steadily, if a little shallow.
“He’s suffered worse in a common brawl in this alley, I can guarantee you that.” Jakob waved away my concern, more interested in pulling me back into his arms, but I doggedly resisted him, doing my best version of spaghetti arms until I slipped through his grasp.
“At the very least you have to get rid of the bite marks,” I scowled, using my own blood to seal up the wounds. “Are you alright, Chad?” I searched his eyes, glad to see them focus, losing some of the dazed quality.
“Are we going back to your place now?” he asked, reaching for my face only to fall limply away, as if his hand was too heavy for him to raise it.
“No, I don’t think you’re up for something like that right about now.” My frown deepened as he showed signs of passing out. Maybe he’d recover, or maybe he’d find himself in a horrible mess if he wasn’t able to leave the alley on his own steam.
“Come, petal. He’ll survive the night, I’m certain of it,” Jakob urged, tugging at my shoulder, but I shrugged him off.
“Not if we leave him here, he won’t. In a neighborhood like this? They’ll eat him alive.” I had to get him back up on his feet again, and the only way I knew how was to give him some of my blood. Biting into my wrist, I pressed it to his lips, giving his shoulder a shake. “Hey, take this, just a little drink and you’ll feel a world of better, I promise.” I steeled myself for the sensation of his drinking my blood, but after the first surge of pleasure, Jakob pulled my wrist away from his mouth.
“Do not squander such a gift on the unwashed. I told you he’ll survive without it,” he scowled, clearly upset by the notion. It reminded me of Bishop’s reaction to hearing that Rob drank my blood in England. So apparently it was peachy keen to rub up against a stranger while I fed, but a simple gift of my blood was strictly verboten?
Whatever. “Well, I happen to think he needed it, so back off,” I grumbled, hitching myself up to my feet, more than a little annoyed by the proprietary tone in Jakob’s voice. He wasn’t the boss of me; if I wanted to share my blood with the whole town, it was none of his business. “Are you feeling better, Chad?”
Chad looked up at me, the dimple puckering into a satisfied smile. “I feel great. We should do that again.” With a lurch, he tried to gain his feet and I offered him a steadying arm. Once he was upright he seemed to do better, only weaving slightly as if he’d had a few too many to drink.
“I think it’s better if you get on home now and get some rest.” I turned to leave and he caught hold of my elbow.
“Wait… I don’t even know your name.”
“It’s better that way,” I assured him, gently disengaging my arm from his weak grasp. “You’d do better to forget you ever saw me. In fact, you’d better forget us both. Come on, Jake, let’s let this nice man get home and be on our way.” Jakob let himself be led, his arm wrapping around my shoulders once we reached the sidewalk.
“Where shall we go now?” he asked equably, an extra spring in his step, probably from the hot meal.
“What was that back there? You were all set to leave him bleeding the alley, weren’t you?”
“What of it?”
“That doesn’t seem all kinds of wrong to you?” He stared at me blankly, even after I started listing them off on my fingers. “He could have bled out, or been mugged or worse in that alley. And what about erasing the evidence? Don’t you think people will start to get suspicious if a slew of attacks are reported with puncture wounds on the neck? The Order monitors for stuff like that. It’ll bring them down on our necks with a vengeance.”
“What do I care for the Order?” he shrugged.
“That’s easy enough for you to say, but I’m the Jarl of these parts. I have to be concerned for what goes down in my city.” Any breach of the laws meant more Order involvement and that meant more opportunities for them to keep us under their thumb – something I was definitely not okay with. I noticed the play of a smile on his lips at that, and it bugged me. “What?”
“Nothing, you’re adorable, that’s all.” He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Very well, I’ll attempt a bit more care in my feeding, but only for you, not because of any law.”
“Thank you,” I mumbled, slightly mollified. “But you’re sort of missing my point.”
Jakob stopped, turning me to face him and tipping my face up to his. “I understand your point all too well. I promise, I’ll make an effort to embrace your humanity and its practices.”
“You will?”
“Of course. It’s easily done. I’ve lived among them long enough. I know what it is to blend in.” Which meant he was still operating under the wrong reasons, but as long as he was prepared to behave, I was willing to take it. “And now, perhaps we might retire to a more private venue?”
“Actually, I think I’m ready to call it a night.”
His eyes widened in disbelief. “You can’t be serious. It’s not yet midnight, and now that we’ve taken the edge off your hunger, I thought…”
“First date, remember? I think this is about all I can handle for one evening.”
“But there will be other dates?”
Despite the surge of hormones every time Jakob pulled me close, I wasn’t over Bishop, not by a long shot. But Bishop was part of my past, and I had to admit, part of me was very interested in learning more about the man beside me. Despite some of the atrocities I knew him to be capable of, he clearly wanted to change, and all in the name of his feelings for me. Maybe I could help him recover the humanity he’d left behind long ago?
The naked hope on his face was enough to make my head nod in response before I even realized I was doing it. “Yes, we can date.”
“When, when can I see you again?” His eyes fairly glowed with warmth, and Jakob kissed t
he tips of my fingers, holding himself back from more with a visible effort.
“Um… let me see… when are we?” I’d been so busy I hardly knew what day of the week it was. “Oh man, Thanksgiving is the day after tomorrow so I’ll be with my family all evening, and then I’m going shopping with Hanna on Black Friday. (Which for once wouldn’t be a stretch to stay up all night for the early bird deals.) After that I’m really not sure. I should probably put in some face time with the local vamps, make sure they’re getting their money’s worth. I’m supposed to go to Jarrod and Leander’s new club opening, and I’m not sure when that is. I’ll have to get back to you, okay?”
“Make it soon. There is a limit to my patience, älskling.”
“You never told me what älskling means,” I realized aloud.
“Now you have something to anticipate as well.”
Boy howdy, did I…
Chapter Seven
Even with the early sunset, I arrived at my parents’ house hours later than I usually did. I’d given them a quick heads up that I’d be late and not to hold dinner for me (especially since I wouldn’t be eating much at all), but my mother insisted we could just as easily eat at a later time to accommodate my schedule. We were never a football kind of family, and the day usually revolved around cooking and baking, with an impromptu musicale in the evening. My family members were the only people I didn’t mind performing in front of by myself, and it wasn’t unusual for us all to take turns singing or playing the piano. Sometimes we all burst into a number together.
At least this time I had a ride; Gunnar and Isak chauffeured me without question after I explained I had to visit some old friends for the holiday. They parked across the street from my parents’ split level home to keep an eye on the place, even after I assured them I’d be perfectly safe inside. I wore my cream colored dress with the embroidered flowers along the neckline, doing my best not to think of the last time I’d worn it in England.
Despite Mom’s easy acceptance of the new dinnertime, I still felt awful when I rolled up to the door well after dark. The moment I opened the door, the heavy odor of cooking food hit me like a wall. Normally the flavorful scent of the turkey and all the trimmings would have me drooling, but now it was akin to the greasy smell you get from a deep fryer, cloying and vaguely nauseating. Sometimes it sucks being a vampire.
Unfortunately, the door was as far as I got, as the unseen barrier reminded me I hadn’t been invited in since turning into a vampire. “Mom?” I called out, craning my neck to see if she was in the living room.
“Is that you, Anja? Stop fussing by the front door and come in, you’re letting out all the heat.” Permission given, my foot passed over the threshold, and I took my last breath of fresh air before stepping into the overheated house.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” I added, letting myself in to hang my jacket up in the hall closet. “Holiday traffic was blecchy. I should’ve left earlier.”
“It’s alright, your sister’s running late as well,” my mother called out, and I followed the sound of her voice into the kitchen. Dressed to perfection in an ankle length skirt with a green silk blouse and pearls, you never would have guessed she’d been slaving in the kitchen all day. June Cleaver would have been proud. I could see the table already covered with food through the arch to the dining room, and she busied herself with whipping up an herby butter to go with the fresh baked rolls.
“She is? I thought she was coming over early to help you cook?” That was usually their thing. I was more the guinea pig when it came to taste testing – that was the extent of my contribution to the holiday meal.
“Something came up, that’s all she said. You look nice, dear,” she smiled, looking up at me for the first time.
“Thanks, so do you,” I returned, wondering if I should take advantage of Hanna’s absence or wait for her to show before I launched into my reasons for dropping out of college. “You know, there’s something I need to talk to you and Daddy about. Where is he?”
“He’s in his study, as usual. Why don’t you go get him, tell him dinner’s on the table in five.”
I should have known. “Okay. Is there anything I can help with?”
“No, I’ve got it all under control.”
Of course she did. That was my mother in a nutshell, controlled at all times. “I’ll go get Daddy then.” No sooner had I stepped into the hallway than the doorbell rang, bringing me up short. Backtracking a few paces, I halted at the top of the short flight of stairs leading to the front door, the fan shaped window revealing the top of an all too familiar head. “Oh no…”
“Is that Hanna?” Mom called out. “I thought they weren’t going to be here for another hour.”
“No…” The whole time I descended the stairs I recited a feverish plea to the gods to let it be someone else standing on the other side of the door, but there Jakob stood, larger than life, dressed in an elegant gray suit and topcoat. “What are you doing here?” I hissed, stepping out beside him and pulling the door closed behind me.
“I’m embracing human customs. Isn’t that what you asked for?” he beamed, too pleased with himself for his own good. “You look lovely as always, petal.”
“I didn’t mean here! Those are my parents inside.”
“Exactly the reason I’ve come. I know my duty.”
“Your duty?” Why did that make the hairs on the back of my head stand at attention? What was he up to?
“Anja?” My father pulled the door out of my hand, his eyes settling expectantly on me with his best what the heck is going on look.
“Daddy, this is Jake. He’s my, um…”
“Lover,” Jake supplied glibly, an easy smile on his face as if he’d remarked upon the weather.
I stared at him stupidly, sputtering on the inside before I could make the words tumble out. “I am not! We’ve never… Daddy, I swear he’s not my…” I couldn’t even say the word.
“We haven’t shared certain physical intimacies, but make no mistake, I intend to make you mine in all ways.” The man had no shame in such a public declaration in front of my father, of all people.
Oh no… I wanted to crawl into a hole and pull the dirt in after me when I saw the bulge of my father’s eyes. “Daddy, I…”
“All is well, petal. Your father is a man of the world, he understands such things well enough,” Jakob declared confidently, clapping him on the shoulder. “I’ve brought surety so there will be no doubt my intentions are honorable.”
The mind boggled.
“Perhaps we’d better bring this inside.” My father suggested after an uncomfortable silence, turning to go up the stairs to the main living area.
“I couldn’t agree more.” Jakob snapped his fingers, and Gunnar and Isak appeared at the end of the walk, arms laden with packages.
“What is that stuff?” I whispered.
“Is it not customary to bring gifts?”
“That’s Christmas, not Thanksgiving.”
“Ah, forgive me the blunder. I mean to pay my respects to your family.”
Unable to go inside, my bodyguards deposited their bundles on the front porch, and Jakob ferried them in, not allowing me to carry a single thing. I went back upstairs, not having to enter the kitchen to hear the whispered conversation between my parents as my dad brought Mom up to speed on the late addition to dinner.
Thankfully, Jakob refrained from using the L word again during the introductions that followed. I hadn’t brought anyone home with me for the holidays since Trent, and they’d loved him to pieces. But I could tell he’d already won my mother over, and I was pretty sure he hadn’t even had to put the whammy on her. All it took was a case of expensive merlot and a compliment to her hairdo.
“Let’s sit down, shall we?” she suggested, touching her hair almost girlishly. “We don’t want the food to grow cold.”
You know how in vampire movies, the newly turned vamp can’t get enough raw meat when he’s going through the transition? I couldn�
��t stomach the stuff. Meat – cooked or otherwise – made me gag, but I could still appreciate simple starches. I took the smallest piece of turkey and focused on the mashed potatoes and stuffing, leaving off the gravy made with turkey drippings. Not that I’d eat a whole ton of those sides either, but I could at least make a small dent in my plate.
My father bristled when Jakob took his place at the head of the table, but he didn’t say anything as he took a seat beside my mom. There was general small talk as the meal was served, and I relaxed, trying to find the normalcy in the holiday. If I could just keep Jakob from saying anything boneheaded…
“So… Jake,” my father began once his plate was loaded up. “You said something before about intentions.”
“Indeed,” Jakob replied, draining his glass and pouring another of the merlot. I could begin to see why he’d brought an entire case of wine. His plate was completely covered with food, and as he had on our date, he ate with gusto, already putting away nearly half of it by the time we’d barely started. He wiped his fingers on the cloth napkin in his lap, drawing a sealed envelope from his jacket pocket. “I humbly ask permission to court your lovely daughter, and offer this as a token of my worthiness.”
“Isn’t that nice,” Mom beamed, accepting the envelope and handing it to my father.
“What is that?” I leaned close to Jakob, whispering in his ear, but he only winked, watching for my father’s reaction.
Daddy’s eyes widened as unfolded the sheaf of papers inside. “This is… this is generous indeed, but… hardly necessary to date my daughter.”
“I merely wish to show you I can care for her in a manner which befits her.”
“What is it, Daddy?”
“It’s the deed to this house. Our mortgage has been bought from the bank and paid in full.”
“Oh my…” Mom gasped, and I was right there with her, only with a few choice words in Chinese running through my head. Was he for real? He’d bought out their mortgage as an ice breaker?
“I can’t accept this.” He folded the deed back up and held it out, but Jakob put his hands up.