by Tara Sampson
Well, his master was sorely mistaken if he thought that Ric would bow to any human; his pet or not. It would be a cold day in hell before he lowered himself to that level.
Leo grunted but said nothing else in passing as he swept by Ric and headed for the basement. He needed to satiate his hunger so that he could get back to his Shelby and the sooner it happened, the better off he’d be.
Ric stared at his master’s back while he retreated down the stairs and knew exactly why he wasn’t himself. The human must have somehow bewitched him. She must have possessed some kind of dark magic; a different type of mind control. Why else would his master, the man that he had looked up to for all these years, fall for such a meager excuse of a being?
That has to be it, Ric thought to himself. It’s the only reasonable explanation.
Ric knew then that he had to do something. Being his faithful servant, there had to be something that he could do in order to help his master before he took that sniveling witch as his life partner.
Turning on his heels, Ric rushed up the steps. He had an idea but he needed to make a few calls to see if he could pull it together. His master needed him now more than ever and he would not fail him. Not this time; not with his reputation on the line. He would save Leo and his family the disgrace that a puny human would surely bring. Somehow, he would find a way.
Leo opened the heavy steel door that led to the holding room he kept in the basement. There were times when he needed this room in order to hold certain people, or rather beings and the stainless steel door was a strong deterrent to most of the others that walked the earth.
Stepping into the room, he immediately spotted the bald-headed man that furiously paced back and forth like a caged lion ready to attack. The simpleton rounded on Leo and with malevolence etched in his face, he angrily said, “Who the hell are you?”
Leo wanted to smile. He could feel his underlying fear and could imagine what the human was seeing. Although the balding man covered with the poorly made tattoos probably weighed around two hundred pounds, he was no match for Leo.
Leo towered over the man and in any other instance he would have enjoyed playing with his food. He enjoyed engorging himself not only on his prey’s blood which nourished his body but he also fed his soul with their fears and anxieties. It was a power trip that vampires tended to indulge in but now was not the time. This time, Leo needed to get right on down to business and then return to his love.
“I,” Leo stated and casually walked towards the man who tried so hard to look big and failed miserably, “am about to be your worst nightmare.”
With the words said, Leo grabbed the man by the neck and slammed his back against the wall. The balding guy’s eyes went wide as he struggled to reach out for the assailant holding him. It was a lost cause though. His strength paled in comparison to that of Leo’s.
“Please,” the man begged pitifully, “don’t hurt me. I’ll do anything. I’ll…I’ll kiss your feet. Just please, let me go.”
The man bawled like a baby and for a second, Leo thought about how this was such a disgraceful way to go.
Why can’t the man suck it up and die with some dignity?
Leo let out a dark laugh that would probably haunt the balding man into his afterlife. He took his free hand and splayed it across the man’s face. In one quick movement, he roughly turned the man’s head to the side and exposed the throbbing pulse of the man’s jugular.
This was exactly what he needed right now: the thrill of the kill, the taking of a life. It was what a vampire lived for—the utter control over another being, the hold over one’s life. The choice was his to make: live or die. And for this particular man, Leo chose death.
Opening his mouth wide, Leo felt the lengthening of his fangs and wasted no time in biting deeply into the balding man’s jugular. There was a faint scream that echoed in the room for several minutes while Leo drew out the man’s life force until eventually, there was no other sound other than the gulping of his meal.
When Leo had finally drained the last drop of hemoglobin from him, he dropped the empty shell of the man to the floor with a thud. Using the back of his hand, he wiped the red evidence from his mouth and was already feeling a hundred percent better.
Now he could gift his little bride with an offering of sustenance and that brought on a true smile to his face. Nothing made Leo happier than providing for his woman. Giving her the gift of immortality was his pleasure and soon enough, she would thank him for the special gift that she had received. When that time came, he knew that all of his patient waiting and all of his wanting would be well worth it and rewarded justly so.
Leaving the room, Leo didn’t even look back. He had been gone far too long from his Shelby and soon it would be time to rouse her and let her feed once more. He was also slightly bothered still by the fact that she had woken earlier and even though he had not sensed any other distress coming from her, he didn’t want to take any chances; not when it came to her.
Walking down the hall, Leo had found himself in a much better mood; more light hearted to be exact. He even found himself whistling as he approached his bedroom door. Just as he got ready to open it, Leo placed his palms on the wood and took a quick inventory on Shelby’s current state. He didn’t want to walk in on anything and be un-prepared as he had been earlier.
Satisfied that she was in fact still asleep, Leo opened the door and tiptoed into the room. As soon as he walked in the room his eyes fell on Shelby’s sleeping form and that was all he could see. As quietly as possible, he went to her side and carefully took a seat on the bed beside her. For several long moments, he was content to just sit there and watch the gentle rise and fall of her chest. It was when he went to brush some of the loose strands of her hair away from her face that he was suddenly startled.
“Do you want to explain to me what the hell you are doing?”
Leo jumped back off the bed and whirled around only to face the darkness in the corner of his room. A moment later, he watched as his mother emerged from those shadows. For all of the arrogance and pomposity that Isabella Risso possessed, not a stipend of it was showing now. No, from the look on her face, she was incensed and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why.
Chapter 8
“Mother, what in the hell are you doing in my room?” Leo demanded.
First off, he was pissed because she had taken liberties to enter his personal sanctuary without asking. Secondly, how dare she question what his motives are to begin with? He was a grown man for crying out loud, not some insolent child that needed to be told what to do.
“I came in here to talk to you, Leonardo. It’s been so long since we have just sat down and talked and look at what I find,” she stated waving her hand at the bed. “You have one of them in your bed,” she added, curling her nose up in clear distaste of the entire scene.
Leo stepped up to the foot of the bed and took a protective stance; hiding Shelby from his mother’s vicious glare. He was furious with the callous way that his mother had insulted his bride-to-be. It has been well over a decade since the last time that she had wanted to just talk as she had put it. Now was most definitely not the time.
“You may want to mind your tongue, Mother, dear,” Leo drawled out the words ever so slowly. He was forcing himself to rein in his temper; reminding himself that this was in fact his mother. Holding her stare captive he then added, “Shelby is my soon-to-be bride and in turn, your soon-to-be daughter-in-law. She will have your respect or else.”
Isabella Risso gasped in shock. Covering her mouth with a white gloved hand, she couldn’t believe what Leo had just told her.
“No,” she whispered, suddenly stricken by the idea that her baby boy had taken up with a measly human.
Isabella tried to take a step to the side in order to try and see if there was anything particularly special about the invalid that lay in his bed but Leo stood firm in his place and would not allow her even the minuscule of glimpses.
Frustra
ted, she dropped her hands to her side and stared back up at her son. He was so tall and so handsome, almost the exact mirror image of her late husband. Straightening her spine and putting back on her regal mask of elegance and poise she stated, “No, it can’t be. I won’t allow you to consort with the likes of that. You are a Risso, Leonardo; a Count of the highest order.”
Leo narrowed his steely gaze on his mother. His control had finally snapped and he began to stalk forward in her direction. No one, least of all his mother was going to tell him who he could and could not choose as a life partner. This was his decision and his decision alone. Fate had brought his precious Shelby to him and for once in his life he was following his own path. Family name and legacy be damned! This was about what he wanted.
“Mother,” Leo spoke tightly, grinding his back molars, “You have no say in the matter. She is mine and I have declared her as my life partner.”
Her eyes widened.
“You can’t do that,” Isabella whined sounding desperate now. She stepped forward and grabbed her son’s hands, willing him to see her point of view. It was just wrong. “Look Leo,” she said and turned her gaze towards the fragile figure in his bed. Shelby was sleeping dreamlessly away, oblivious to the ongoing discussion in the room.
Leo turned towards the bed and couldn’t help but smile as his dark angel accepted the conversion. Other than the one time that she wakened, everything seemed to be going as it should be.
Isabella spoke, pulling his attention from his bride back to her.
“She is but a human. Even with you gifting her with immortality Leonardo, she can never be like us. She will be no more important in our world than Ric is—a servant to your needs, another food source. If you are so hell bent on keeping her, then keep her as a pet. Just don’t bind yourself to this...this creature.”
Leo closed his eyes and reminded himself that the lady beside him was his mother for the second time in so many minutes. She was the one that gave birth to him and it would do him no good to cause her bodily harm. He clenched his fists tightly by his side and took several deep breaths.
“Mother, this is the last time I’m going to say this to you. Shelby is my partner, my equal. As soon as the conversion is complete, we will be married. Either get used to it now or you can leave.”
The way that he said the words brokered no argument.
Isabella could see the resolve on her son’s face but it didn’t stop her from trying again.
“But what about Tatiana?” she asked sounding forlorn.
Isabella had plans—big plans. It had been the whole reason for her coming up there in the first place. Tatiana and Leonardo were the perfect match for each other; both blood born and from upstanding families. Their wedding would be the social event of the year.
Leo snorted. It all made perfect sense to him, now. His mother wanted Tatiana and him to be together.
“Mother, stop!” he told her, holding up his hand when she began to protest. “My future lies with Shelby and no other. You better start getting used to that fact whether you like it or not. She. Is. Mine! End of story!”
A small mewling sound came from the bed. Leo’s attention went directly to Shelby and he cursed when he saw her thrashing her head from side to side. It was long past time for her to feed and he had lost sight of that fact by arguing with his mother. Unbuttoning his shirt, he continued to speak, “Look, I need to tend to my future bride. Stay if you want or leave but let it be known now, I will not have you treating my Shelby any different than you would treat Arneaux or Giva’s life partners.”
Isabella stared hard back at Leo. There was no way in hell that she would ever accept this fiend with open arms. There had to be a way to convince Leo otherwise. Tatiana was very beautiful and a much better match for Leo. Isabella had already come to think of her as a beloved daughter-in-law. Over the last month, the two of them had bonded and even gone as far as to look at wedding gowns and venues for the big event. All they needed now was the groom to agree to the wedding.
Leo ignored his mother’s stares. With his shirt off, he sat on the bed and drew his sweet Shelby into his arms. If this was what heaven was like, then he would be content to just sit there for the rest of eternity and hold her in his arms.
Shelby’s moans became more audible and her head started to turn more wildly. She needed sustenance and now.
Without a moment of hesitation, Leo lifted his hand and extended his large talon-like nail to slice it across his chest. The blood welled up instantly and that was when he finally lifted his head and met his mother’s stare with an equally hard one of his own.
“I will be busy for the next two days and I do not expect to be disturbed. Are we clear, Mother?”
Isabella’s gaze drifted to the frantic Shelby and a frown appeared on her face.
“Son, we can-”
“No!” Leo bellowed, having already heard more than enough. “No disturbances whatsoever. Clear?”
Isabella let out a long sigh and nodded her head.
“Fine,” she snapped. “Have it your way then.”
She turned on her heels and quickly walked out of Leo’s room. The mere thought of that human drinking from her son’s rich blood was repulsive. There was no way that she could have stomached actually witnessing it.
Once she was out of the room, the door slammed closed behind her. The sound was deafening as it echoed along the stony corridor. This was by no means over in her eyes. One way or the other, she was going to get Tatiana and Leo together. Even if it meant that mommy dearest was going to have to take out the trash. She was going to make it happen.
After Leo’s mother left, he sank back against the headboard and brought Shelby with him. When he brought her up to his chest, where the blood was already dribbling down his stomach, she instinctively went searching for the elixir. Her little tongue darted out and licked up the center of his chest, setting off a multitude of sensations in his body.
“Mercy me, sweetheart; the things that you do to me,” he murmured lowly as he held her tightly.
Finally, after several long torturous moments Shelby licked her way up his bare chest and latched on to the cut that Leo had made above his heart. Like a newborn babe she drank in his essence greedily. With each pull that she made, Leo felt himself getting more aroused by the second. Leo concentrated on keeping his breathing regular and contented himself with just holding his beloved close to him but the longer that it lasted, the harder it was to control and by the end of the feeding, Leo was so painfully aroused that he couldn’t move a muscle.
Through a mental command, he compelled his sweet angel to lick the wound on his chest so that it would close and heal properly. She obeyed him easily enough and then laid her head against his chest, closing her eyes and falling back into the deep sleep of the undead.
For two days, Leo woke Shelby religiously for the required feedings and during the in-between times, he just held her to him with all the tenderness and care in the world. The sun rose and set as per usual but Leo never left Shelby’s side. His one feeding from the balding man had been more than enough to get him through the final two days of her conversion and at that point, he wasn’t willing to leave her side for even a second.
Today, Leo could barely contain himself. Today was the day that she would wake for good; newly turned and fully converted. She would no longer be a weakling, but one and the same like him. They would be able to walk side-by-side as life partners, as predators of the night, doing as they pleased without a soul to stop them.
With a big smile on his face, Leo laid on his side with her nestled comfortably in his arms. He anxiously waited for her to open her eyes. Unable to stop himself, he traced the lines of her face with the tip of his finger. He would never get enough of just merely touching his beautiful woman. Her skin was so soft, so smooth, and luminescent that when he lightly brushed it, he felt like he was being gifted with the most secret of treasures.
His dear sweet Shelby—how magnificent she truly wa
s.
Shelby felt the hand on her face before she opened her eyes. The touch was very familiar to her but yet she couldn’t place it.
How long have I been asleep, she wondered idly, not quite ready to open her eyes.
One thing was for certain, she felt different, renewed in a sense. She felt like she could run a triathlon and not even spare a breath as she crossed over the finish line.
Weird.
Slowly, she began to open her eyes and then struggled to make them focus clearly. She blinked several times and the first thing that she noticed was how much clearer and sharper everything seemed to be.
What’s going on with me? She silently asked herself.
Then a smiling face came into her line of vision. It was a handsome face, one with dark eyes, dark as midnight and hair so black and silky looking that it reminded her of a raven’s wings.
At first, neither of them spoke. She studied him while trying to place exactly who he was.
“Hello, my sweet. How are you feeling?”
His voice was deep and simply caressed her, causing her tummy to do tiny nervous flips with every word.
Then it all came back to her in a torrential downpour. He was the knight of her childhood dreams, she found him in her apartment, she woke up in his bed, his fangs, her fangs, drinking blood. It was like a living nightmare that she couldn’t seem to wake up from.