After about a half an hour, Darien drove Addison to the large mansion where Christian’s celebration was being held. On the car ride over, she decided to ask Darien more about the mysterious House that Christian worked for.
"Darien?" Looking over at him, Addison twisted a flower around in her fingers that she had picked at the park. "Who is the House?" Speaking lower, she frowned as she lightly ran her fingers over the petals, "The Master will only say that he rids the world of humans for them…" Darien had a slightly sour expression on his face, which made her frown grow deeper. "And where did the Master come from? He’s the first vampire, but he had to come from somewhere."
"He came from Heaven." Darien was waiting in the turning lane for their light to turn green, the signal on the dash flashing and ticking. "When he says he’s a god, he’s not joking. He really is."
"He came from Heaven?" Narrowing her eyes on Darien, Addison studied his face curiously, waiting for him to crack a smile. "I don’t believe that." She laughed as she looked back down at the flower in her hand again and stroked the soft petals.
"The House…" Releasing a heavy sigh that ignited a slight frown, Darien turned the car slowly as he followed the cars ahead of him in the heavy traffic. "Is actually a nickname for the heads of the church."
"The church?" Addison's jaw dropped a little, a fearful look in her eyes as she turned sharply to Darien.
"Yeah." Darien nodded, chuckling at her surprised face, "He’s an angel sent here to keep the human population down and rid the world of people that go against the ways of the church."
"That doesn’t make sense." Glancing down briefly, Addison’s lips formed a stressed scowl, "Why would the church want to kill people? And why would God make us to feed on his creation?"
"The world is a very violent place, princess. Why do you think God created lions and tigers? Why do humans kill animals to feed on their flesh?" Shrugging his shoulders, he smiled at her briefly before looking back at the road. "It’s the way the world works—killing is a part of life. The Master was sent here to be a predator against humans. He was designed to kill—designed with that uncontrollable thirst for blood that can drive a vampire insane."
"He’s an angel, so that must be why he’s so handsome and drinking his blood makes me feel so—" Biting her lip, Addison stopped herself before she said something she didn’t want to get into a conversation with Darien about.
"Yes," Darien smirked and thought Addison’s avoidance of the subject was cute. "Consuming the blood of an angel will do that to you."
"I never would’ve guessed the Master was an angel—a demon maybe—but never an angel."
"There must be a balance of good and evil in this world—the Master being a dark angel that keeps the balance in check." Darien glanced over at her beautiful artist’s fingers slowly stroking the blossom, making him think thoughts he knew he shouldn’t.
"So yeah…" Looking away as he swallowed the small lump in his throat, Darien dismissed the idea and tried to focus on something else. "He works for the church, but you must never tell anyone what I have told you. It is the secret of our kind, which must be protected. Once we leave this car, I don’t want you to say another word about it—especially to the Master. Understand?"
"Yes." Addison bobbed her head several times, but didn’t look up at him. "So we are a good thing for this world—I never thought about it that way before."
"Yes." He nodded, "We are the only predators to our fellow humans—the lions of the human kingdom." Darien laughed at his analogy, playfully punching her shoulder and trying to cheer her up. "We share the Master’s godly powers of immortality and strength, so we are gods here too. Just think of it that way."
He smiled when Addison’s sad eyes looked up at him, their innocent light reflected back at him, making him turn away from her and back to the road, "We’re important. What we do is part of life, our killer instincts a gift given to us by God."
"Gifts…from God." Pushing her lips together forcefully, Addison’s face was still frowning as she looked out the window. "I wish I could use that to justify my hunger for blood, but I can’t."
Darien didn’t say anything, her sadness making him back off from the subject. He turned up the radio, striking up a conversation about the hot girl he had met in the park. The lighter conversation made Addison laugh, her mood growing lighter as well.
Soon they arrived at the mansion. Everyone they met was very friendly and greeted them warmly. Addison was left to help with the decorations and preparations, while Darien went off to do something else.
She was a little nervous about being alone and took a deep breath as she opened the door to the ballroom. What she saw ignited a giant smile on her face. She ran toward Nicolette, who had her arms open wide, inviting her in.
"Nicolette!" Addison hugged Nicolette tightly, a few happy tears escaping her eyes. "I missed you!"
"I missed you too, my dear." Nicolette was smiling, a calm hand going to the top of Addison’s hair and stroking it gently. She and Addison had a strong familial connection, and she treated Addison like she were her own daughter. "We all came here for the Master’s birthday celebration. It’s tradition." She pulled away, taking in Addison’s joyful expression as she pushed a stray curl that had fallen into Addison’s face behind her ear.
"I’m so glad you came." Addison smiled at Victoria then back at Nicolette. "So…what are you doing in here?" She stepped away from Nicolette and looked around the large room, her nose turned up as she gazed into the balcony above. "It’s a very big place, isn’t it?"
"We’re getting prepared for the party, my dear." Victoria giggled, her expression comforting to Addison. "Come," She put her hands on Addison’s shoulders, steering her to another part of the room, "Help us."
Chapter Eight
Party Crashers
Holding a glass of champagne to her lips, Addison felt the bubbly substance enter her mouth. Her eyes were scanning the room as she stood next to Nicolette and Victoria. They were talking to Greg, a young man who had helped them earlier in the day with the party preparations. He was very nice and had a lot in common with Addison and Nicolette, which made their conversation both light and full of laughter.
Wearing a beautiful blue gown that sparkled under the lights, Addison was quite modest compared to most of the woman’s attire. She did look very beautiful and even though no one knew she belonged to Christian, she still turned many heads.
Christian had just arrived, so most of the guests were gathered around him, making sure they greeted the Master. The mood in the room quickly changed when he arrived, all of the women abandoning their dates to dote on him. Nicolette and Victoria had left Addison alone with Greg, while they also went over to say hello.
Greg’s face was all smiles as he looked over at Christian and then Addison. "What a treat it would be to wear his shoes for the night. I envy the Master in every possible way. I would love to become part of the family."
"He has a lot of…amazing qualities that I’m sure most men would be jealous of." Addison laughed as she looked over at Christian, who was speaking to some of his vampires.
"Well said, my dear." Greg chuckled too, his gaze settling on the sweet features of the Master’s mate. He was checking her out while her head was turned, his stare tracing her curvy outline, from her head down to her hips. "I hear from you ladies, he’s an amazing lover." He drank from the glass in his hand, his voice a little muffled because it was close to his lips, "I bet his dance card’s full for the next one-hundred years."
"I’m sure it is" After hearing Greg’s comment, Addison spun around and gave him a slightly dirty look, "And I’m well aware of how desirable he is, but still…I wish people would stop talking about stuff like that. The Master has many other gifts that outweigh the one residing in his pants. I’d rather discuss some other subject, if that’s all right."
"Excuse me, Addison, I hope I haven’t offended you." Greg put on a friendly smile, trying to remedy the conversation blunder he
had just made.
"No, it’s all right. I’m just one of the rare women here that doesn’t like to talk about the Master’s talents in the bedroom."
Speaking in a softer voice, he leaned closer to her. "Can I ask you a personal question?"
"What?" Addison took a drink, moving in to hear him better.
"Are you a vampire, too?"
"No." A small smile hid her lie, Addison speaking into her cup as she watched Greg interestedly. "Why do you ask?"
"No particular reason. I was just curious." Laughing nervously, Greg was looking around the room as if he were searching for someone. "I just assumed you were a mate by the…umm…" Shaking his head, he blushed a little when Addison caught him staring at her breasts, watching him curiously. "I guess you’re a scavenger then, huh?"
Addison smirked like a bad little girl, one corner of her mouth raised higher than the other. She didn’t answer him, a playful look in her eyes as she studied him.
"Did you know scavengers lose their fangs if they don’t drink blood for six months?"
"I’ve heard something like that, yeah." Addison wasn’t looking at him anymore, her eyes scanning for Darien or Christian.
"Are you seeing anyone? I—" Greg’s voice was cut off as his phone vibrated in his pocket. He walked into a nearby hallway to answer it, Addison unaware.
"Of course. I have a wonderful fiancé." Addison beamed as she looked over at the large group of people she had seen Christian with last. "And I’m very much in love." She turned to Greg, but he wasn’t there. Addison scanned the space in front of her quickly, "Greg?"
"Like a fine wine, it only gets better with age." Christian suddenly appeared behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, speaking softly in her ear.
Addison giggled, twisting around in his arms and holding onto his waist. "I was waiting for my turn to come say hello to you, Master, but I see you’ve come to greet me instead."
"You don’t have to wait in line. You’ll always be closest to me, no matter the physical distance." Christian’s eyes sparkled as he spoke, the devilish grin on his face making Addison swoon. "We must leave here—there is a matter to be discussed with the family."
She nodded and took Christian’s hand, walking with him to another room, where just a few people had gathered. It was quieter here than the crowded ballroom, Addison's eyes turning to some familiar faces. Nicolette and the others were there as well as some other vampires she didn’t know.
While standing near the doorway, Christian kissed Addison’s forehead lightly. "Sit with Nicolette."
Christian sat down on a large chair near the fireplace, as Addison moved to sit with Nicolette and Victoria. There was a stern look on his face as he waited for the others to file in. He was leaning to one side, his index finger resting near the corner of his lips as he licked one of his fangs near it. There was a dangerous look in his eyes, that sinister, distant look appearing on his face when he was thinking of killing. Addison knew that look well, and it frightened her.
Addison whispered to Nicolette, her scared gaze still glued on Christian. "What’s wrong with the Master? He looks angry."
Nicolette leaned close to Addison, speaking into her ear softly. "Hunters have secretly entered the grounds. We must be careful because they are very dangerous. Brandon said their leader, Monroe, is in town and has organized an ambush on our party tonight. They killed some of our members and are hiding among the party guests. Monroe is a very dangerous hunter."
"I would like Jeremiah to stay here with the women. The rest of you…" Christian stood up from his chair slowly, an evil scowl twisting his handsome face. "Come with me."
* * * *
It was quiet now, a few hours having passed since the elites had left them alone and most of the woman were restless. They feared it may have only been a false alarm and that Jeremiah should release them. Even though he was going against his own good judgment, Jeremiah decided to go check on the others. He locked the door before leaving, securing the women inside.
Walking out into the hallway, Jeremiah looked around quickly. It was empty and quiet. His footsteps echoed, one after the other taking on a permanent, solitary sound. He paused near a bend in the passage, peering down to see if there was any activity farther on.
Sighing, Jeremiah turned around, the keys that were hooked to the loop of his pants jingling with his movement. "Fuck this hunter crap. I don’t see—"
A long sword plunged into his back, but didn’t go all the way through. A few more inches and Jeremiah would have been dead. There were now a few people standing behind him, one of them Carver, Monroe’s lackey. Greg was there as well, shaking like a scared little boy behind Carver.
"Keys?" Carver let the weapon pause inside Jeremiah as he got close to the vampire’s ear. He laughed as he reached around and slowly unhooked the keys from Jeremiah’s pants. "Thank you."
Then, he plunged the sword deeper, stabbing Jeremiah through the heart. Blood trickled out Jeremiah’s mouth, as Carver let his body fall limply to the floor. "Monroe has the Master and the elites occupied downstairs. Let’s rescue the donors and take them back to the base before any elites find us here."
Hearing the lock click open, some of the women ran to the door. Addison was sitting next to Nicolette. Her eyes were focused on the door Jeremiah had gone out of, not quite sure who was out there. Addison was clinging tightly to Nicolette, her arms wrapped around Nicolette’s waist, her head to Nicolette’s chest.
The door opened quickly and something was thrown inside before it shut again. White smoke filled the room, all of the women screaming and looking for a way out. One of them ran to the door and shook the handle, desperately trying to open it. A few broke a nearby window and jumped out, but most weren’t so lucky. The sleeping gas had already taken effect, and the remaining women passed out.
The men waited a few minutes for the gas to fade, all of them impatient. When it cleared, they unlocked the door and walked into the room. Some of the women they recognized right away as well-known vampires, Carver and the others killing them before they had time to wake up.
"Looks like we hit the jackpot here guys." Carver gestured toward Nicolette’s sleeping body next to Victoria’s.
He had wanted to kill these two for years and finally he had his chance because of Jeremiah’s bad decision. Carver laughed, raising his sword over Nicolette’s head and chopping it off. It fell into Addison’s lap before rolling off her and onto the floor. Addison was covered in Nicolette’s blood, her headless body slumping over to the side and resting in Victoria’s lap.
"Hey Carver." Greg was sitting on the couch next to a sleeping Addison. He had her head in his lap, checking her neck for any wounds. "This is the girl I was telling you about. She’s just a scavenger, so I’m sure it’ll be okay to take her back too, right?"
"Sure, if she’s starved of blood for a while, she’ll be good as new in a few months." Carver walked over to Greg and looked down at Addison as he put his sword back in its sheath on his back. "Good looking girl there too," he pulled Addison away from Greg and held her limp body in his arms, "Let me take her. She’ll make a fine prize from tonight’s hunt."
He turned from Greg, Addison’s lifeless legs dangling over his arms. "Did you find any other donors besides this girl here?"
"Yep." Another man was kneeling on the ground next to a girl some of the women had been feeding on earlier. "But just this one."
"Let’s get the hell outta here before the elites find us." Carver motioned for the others to follow him.
After exiting the room, they slowly made their way back downstairs with the two girls. They hid in shadows, sometimes for several minutes at a time, before they forged ahead. They were being extra cautious because they had no idea where the vampires were. They escaped through an old series of tunnels underground that were built hundreds of years earlier.
A few minutes later, Christian and the others were alerted to Jeremiah’s dead body lying in the hallway. Christian led the
group, running faster when he saw the closed door to the room where their women had been hiding. He went to turn the handle, but the door just pushed open, having been left slightly ajar. His face filled with anger when he saw the dead bodies lying on the floor, his gaze immediately falling on Nicolette.
"Addison!" Christian bolted into the room, checking the bodies and seeing if Addison’s was among them. Speaking a little louder, he searched under some of the furniture and in the closets, "Addison!"
When he couldn’t find her, he kicked at some couches and chairs, letting out a giant yell as he knocked over a few things. His face was contorted into a demonic scowl, the anger so intense on his face one, could be killed by the sight of it. He was breathing heavily, his rage making something explode inside him. "Where the fuck is she? Addison!"
* * * *
Opening her eyes, Addison looked down at her hands and feet that were tied to a chair. The gag in her mouth muffled her words as she frantically tried to pull off her restraints. The chair jumped a little with her attempt, but she couldn’t break free.
Soon, her gaze settled on the hunter staring back at her, who was eyeing her like a display of fine chocolates. His tongue slowly ran over his top lip, his stare pausing at the rip in her dress near her breasts that gave a good peep show of the cleavage hiding underneath.
"Good morning, little lady." Carver was sitting backward in a chair, his hands reaching up and grabbing onto the back of it. He smiled when he saw the fear in her eyes. There was a sweet innocence reflected back at him, an innocence that hid what she really was behind the delicate mask of an angel.
Her face squished together as she began to cry, giant tears falling down her cheeks and soaking the gag in her mouth. She reacted differently than the other members of her family would have, her age making her more emotional and soft.
"Awww. Is that the kind of greeting you give someone who saved you?" Carver laughed, the giant scar on his face paralyzing the right side. "If you’re a good girl, I’ll take that thing out of your mouth, okay?"
Initiation (Christian's Kisses) Page 12