by Prince, DD
“Am I late to the party or was I not invited?” Joe snickered and shut the door.
She saw Tristan’s jaw tighten from the corner of her eye and saw Joe’s eyes land on Tristan’s hands on her shoulders. Tristan moved his hands through his hair and then folded his arms across his chest. Kyla looked to Julia and tried to mirror the girl’s blank expression.
“Thought you were back tomorrow but I need to talk to you actually, bro,” Sam rose and motioned for Joe to follow him out of the room. Joe glanced back at Julia and then at Kyla. When his eyes landed on Kyla, she felt her blood run cold. There was something more sinister about him than Sam, for sure. Maybe just because she was on his shit list for getting him in trouble with Tristan. She tried not to show it, just stood as tall as she could beside Tristan and avoided his gaze. His eyes didn’t land on her for more than an instant and she suspected it had something to do with his fear of Tristan.
When Joe and Sam were out of earshot Tristan kissed her temple, “Let’s go to bed. I’ll find an errand for Joe tomorrow to get him outta here. I don’t like how he looks at you and I feel how much he stresses you out.”
Kyla nodded. As they walked away she looked back at Julia, who just sat patiently on the sofa in her underwear.
“What about her? Do we just leave her there?”
Tristan waved his hand dismissively, “She’s fine.”
~~~
“I don’t like how flippant you are about the whole entrancing thing and the way Julia is being treated,” she commented when they were back in the bedroom. Kyla felt like she could finally fully exhale.
“Flippant? Mindset shift in progress, baby. Habits take time to form and to break. But seriously, she’s fine. She won’t remember any of this.”
“Why do you want to even change those habits?” she sat on the edge of the bed.
“For you. I told you, it’s you. Feeling you. It makes me feel. I haven’t felt things like this in a decade. Some of it, ever.”
She was thoughtful for a beat, “But people only really change when they do it for themselves.”
“Then let me rephrase. For us. For possibilities.”
She was quiet for a minute and then decided to change the subject, “Things were odd with Joe. You don’t trust him and that was pretty obvious.”
“Yeah, I have to work on my own poker face, too. After you put a man down and exert dominance the energy changes. It’ll probably never be the same again,” Tristan shrugged.
“Because I hit him over the head with the vase.”
“Because he’s suspicious about our relationship and curious about your blood and because he crossed a line so I had to deal with that. His attitude toward me has shifted. The fact that he came in through that door instead of the front door was even shifty. I still see reverence but I know how vamps think and if I’m not controlling you I’ll be seen as weak. In my position I can’t be seen that way. Talk about me keeping you had to have come from Joe but he doesn’t have a direct line to Claudio so he’s talking to someone that does. It’s being talked about because it’s not something I’ve done so far and when I branded you by marking your throat in front of him it spoke volumes. And after having put him down I’m just not sure I have his loyalty.”
“I’m sorry if because of me that you lost a friend…”
“It was never a friendship. I don’t do friendship. I’m their boss, Kyla.”
“Everyone needs friends.”
“Like you? How many friends do you have?”
“Touché.”
He pulled her close and unclasped her coverall straps and let them fall. He pulled her onto the bed and cuddled with her. “I’ve said that I’m busier than ever and keeping one pet is easier than constantly bringing in new ones.”
“That’s what you did before?”
He nodded.
“Three or four a day.”
“Sometimes. I never found anyone I wanted to spend more than an hour or two with. The guys thought it was odd when you wouldn’t willingly leave with them from the bar but were sure you’d comply for me. When you didn’t, I assured Joe I was workin’ on you and made light of it, said it was a fun distraction. Like I was a cat with a mouse and instead of killing it, I was playing with it. I said that I’d heard of an herbal supplement that blocks persuasion and said it takes a few days to a few weeks to work its way out of someone’s system. But you going on a hunger strike probably didn’t help matters.”
“That’s not what that was.”
“I know that,” he caressed her face, “but he doesn’t.”
“So this has happened where a girl wasn’t mesmerized instantly and you’ve taken time to break her down?”
“Not me. I’ve never had a problem before. A girl Sam once brought here for himself wasn’t but it was just temporary. She was out of her head on coke and was still totally willing to do whatever he wanted, fangs and all. Kept going on about how cool it was to fuck a real vampire,” he shook his head in remembrance, “The next day she was fine and he had no problem programming her to forget. Some drugs block receptors, temporarily, but it takes a lot of them. One of my early mentors had trouble breaking a girl down but it turned out she had a massive brain tumour.”
Kyla winced.
“What happened?”
He shook his head, “You don’t wanna know. Anyway, I knew when I tasted you that there weren’t any drugs and I’m pretty sure you’re 100% healthy. Diagnostics are one of my strengths and I can usually smell drug use but I can always taste it. I sense a lot of health problems or issues in humans; high cholesterol, diabetes, HIV Aids, cancer, gum disease, ovulation, etcetera. Very few conditions would actually block my powers of persuasion and I’m pretty sure I can sense all of those conditions.”
She felt a bit more at ease about her own health, “If I hadn’t hit Joe and gotten away, would you have talked to him like you’ve done with Sam?”
“No. And from now on, besides me a lone vampire will never be alone with you. Ever. Not even Sam. If you find yourself alone with any vampire for any reason, any reason whatsoever, it’s a problem, and against my wishes. Remember that. When I had you restrained I had them deal with you together. Because of your blood I can’t trust that anyone will have the self-control. There’s strength in numbers.”
“What if two decide to conspire?”
“That’s something we’re at risk of.” His jaw was firm, “But so far I’m comfortable enough with Sam. He was very loyal to my grandfather. Sam has been with me since I was transformed, he was one of the first vampires I dealt with and I have intuition about these things. My gut instinct hasn’t let me down yet. I’m minimizing your direct contact with Joe but can’t let him think I’m hiding anything or worried about anything. I’m keeping him close so I can keep an eye on him, watch to see what he does about his suspicions. Make sense?”
She nodded.
“Anyway, you can see that with someone entranced, they’re not all that different but you have to work on your reactions. There will be dozens of vampires here, Kyla.”
She chewed her cheek.
“We need things to go flawlessly when I bring you out. I’ll have you out during a banquet and it’ll be a masquerade ball. That’ll help as you can wear a mask and it’ll help shade your reactions.”
“Okay.”
“But things can get a bit raunchy at these parties. It might seem like a bit of a freak circus. Some vamps will have human dates. It’s not unusual to feed at these things after the liquor has been flowing a while and things can get raunchy. You can’t react if you see a vampire feeding or doing something sexual.”
“You won’t do anything raunchy in public with me, right? You won’t tell me to take my dress off or something fucked up like that?”
“Of course not. There’s no way I want anyone looking at your body. But others might not be on their best behaviour. The world I live in is very much about satisfying urges, baby; that’s what vamps see humans existing for. You can’
t show a reaction. Nothing above small talk if someone addresses you and no reactions. No matter what.”
Her throat felt bone dry. He rubbed her shoulders.
“And I own you. You have to remember that when I say something to you in front of another vampire that you have to oblige instantly. That’s how entrancing works. It’s late. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
Own me? That was something that would’ve bothered her, even enraged her, a few days ago but now? Now it sounded kind of hot. Who am I?
Kyla got up to use the washroom and get ready for bed. Tristan was already asleep by the time she climbed back in. Yeah, it had been quite a day and she could see how beat he was.
She thought about Julia, likely being Sam’s warm blow-up doll right now. Soon she’d just be discarded back into her own life and be none the wiser. It was crazy. How many women had to endure that on a regular basis? How many vampires were out there in the shadows waiting to grab unsuspecting females? And were there other females out there who had fallen for their vampire out of some weird chemical reaction? How many had thought those feelings were real but only because they’d been starved for affection their whole life?
Is that what this is? Am I so weak?
She sighed, filled with self-loathing. Then the day after tomorrow there would be a house full of vampires. And Kyla would be, what, paraded in front of them, Tristan’s new “pet”? The day after she’d have to meet Tristan’s boss. She felt her anxiety spike. A headache was coming on. She nuzzled into his back and tried to go to sleep. He was warm and smooth and smelled like banana bread warming over a wood fireplace. Just touching him settled her, for some reason.
He turned over and pulled her close and kissed her, “Hey.”
“Sorry I woke you.” she said.
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I had plans for you tonight.” He kissed her shoulder, “Are you okay?”
She nodded but then said, “Not really.”
“It’ll be okay.” He kissed her forehead.
She put her head on his chest, “I believe you.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m scared but I’m trying. Fake it ‘till I make it.”
“You are my #1 priority. Believe me when I say that. We got interrupted earlier when I started to tell you how I feel about you.”
She felt her face heat up at the memory of him saying he was in love with her.
“I know you can feel it when we touch, when our eyes lock. I’ve been feeling your resolve melt bit by bit. It’s been fascinating. I keep feeling more things from you. More than anxiety and fear.” He touched her hair and ran his thumb up and down her ear, “I feel your passion when you’re angry, when you’re aroused. I feel fight in you that excites me even when you’re defying me. I love what I feel when you’re concentrating on something, like when you’re reading or watching those dancing stiffs. I can’t get enough of that zone you go into when you’re running on the treadmill. It makes me want to run and get in that same frame of mind. Be right where you are, you know? I’m still learning your different emotions but I’m feeling so many of them.” He caressed her face and touched his lips to hers, “I feel you opening up to how you feel about me and I can feel your emotions growing stronger each day. I’m so glad you’re not still trying to push that away, princess. That’s a gift, you know? You’re giving me a beautiful gift by letting yourself feel this, letting this happen. I know you’re afraid. I’ll be strong for you, baby. Gimme that fear; let me crush it.”
She put her palm on his cheek. His eyes were luminescent in the dark room and she felt her heart warm at his words, “When you feed from me, I feel things from you, too, Tristan. It’s like there’s bliss inside me. I feel and see passion and emotion from your eyes as well as feel it inside me.”
“I feel those emotions because of you.”
“We’re some co-dependent pair, huh?” She laughed a little but then went serious, “But I also felt it inside of me when you were mad at me. Rage flooded my veins like something hateful and… unholy. That was so scary. I never want to feel it again.”
“I never want to make you feel it again.” He kissed her nose and then nuzzled into her neck.
“I don’t think I love you,” he whispered, “I know I do. I love you, princess.”
She felt pins and needles disperse through her limbs, then heard an ugly-sounding sob escape her mouth. She pulled it back.
Oh great. An ugly cry? That’s what a guy wants to hear when he says the 3 magic words! But Tristan hadn’t just said three magic words; he’d said 4. Was it corny that she wondered if he really was her prince, the prince she’d dreamt up when she was a little girl hoping to be rescued? She thought back to that Lite Brite screen with the green eye and the blue eye.
There was quiet for a moment. Then, Tristan broke the silence with a soft whisper,
“I can feel it and you’ll say it when you’re ready…”
He didn’t initiate sex, surprisingly, but she was happy about that. She just wanted to feel close to him right now. She could see his blue eyes piercing the darkness of the bedroom, gazing at her lovingly. She curled in deeper and slid into a deep sleep, feeling 100% protected.
-10-
Kyla woke up first the next morning and the first thing that entered her mind was: He loves me.
No one had ever loved her, not that she could ever remember. Jackson said he did but they just felt like words and she’d never said it back. They’d had more than a few big blow-ups about that fact, too. Tristan saying it didn’t just feel like words. It felt real. She stared at his sleeping form. Could a human and vampire live together happily?
In a matter of days her whole life had changed and after the things she now knew she knew she’d never be the same. The upcoming few days were lurking over them ominously. She had trouble shaking the anxiety. His transformation so far had been fascinating, too. He’d been so arrogant, cocky, and entitled that first night and then turned into some sort of romantic. He was still authoritative and confident but the edges had softened a bit and she could feel something different when he fed. The journey they were on, whatever this was, it was changing them both.
He woke up, was all over her, kissing her, rubbing her body up and down with his strong and powerful hands, gazing into her eyes sleepily, sexily.
“Good morning, princess.” He whispered into her ear. She smiled, feeling like her insides had melted at the name he kept using on her. Did the vampire prince know about her childhood fantasies about being a secret princess waiting to be rescued by her prince? Or did he just feel her swoon every time he called her that? His teeth pierced her throat. She froze at first, still not used to that happening so out of the blue but more than happy to let him do it. She rubbed her hands up and down his arms and enjoyed the hum through her veins. Calm washed over her and then joy spread through her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and used them to pull him close.
He chuckled against her throat, “Quid pro quo, babe?”
She giggled, “Yes! I have an itch that needs to be scratched.”
He trailed kisses down toward her pelvis.
Never before would she have felt so brazen about sex. Sex was something she’d enjoyed, despite some bad early introductions to it. She hadn’t had any action in the last few years but before that, in her late teens and early 20’s, she did enjoy it but more bashfully, in the dark, under blankets --- not in the bright morning light uncovered and totally spread-eagled like this.
She angled herself so she could watch him go down on her. It was so sensual to watch, especially with the fact that he kept looking up and meeting her eyes with his while he was doing it, his eyelids fluttering or eyes rolling, showing how much he was enjoying her. She felt like she was a different person with him. Was this the blood bond that was changing her or was she just finding herself and becoming uninhibited because of how being with him made her feel? She arched her back as he tongued a loud orgasm out of her.
~~~
The
big table beside the pool was set for breakfast for 4. Tristan and Kyla joined Sam and Julia and food was being served by a middle-aged woman in a maid’s outfit. Joe was nowhere to be seen.
“Since when do you have a maid?” Kyla whispered to Tristan.
“Esther’s been my housekeeper for 10 years. I inherited her. She was away visiting a sick sister for a few weeks.”
“Is she a---”
He interrupted, “Functional trance. Shh.” He put his index fingertip to her lips. Kyla wondered what the heck that meant.
Julia was dressed in a red bikini with a white sheer swimming wrap that covered her bottom. Kyla realized after a moment that the suit Julia wore was bought for her and in the booty she’d put away the other day. She guessed Tristan had given Sam some clothes for Julia since she was staying the extra day. The bottoms fit but the bikini top was definitely too small. There was significant boobage overflow.
Underboob, side boob….too much boob for the breakfast table, for sure. Kyla was a little above average in the bust department but Julia was off the charts and they didn’t look remotely real. Sam was in swim shorts, showing off his very tattooed muscular body and they both had wet hair. Sam dug into the breakfast of French toast, ham, and eggs, like he was starved. Kyla studied Julia’s face. Other than the chest overload, she looked like an average girl having breakfast. She looked younger and more innocent today without all that make-up on her face.
“So, what do you do for a living, Julia?” Kyla asked as she poured a coffee.
“Hmmm?” She looked at Kyla with a dumbstruck look on her face.
“Do you have a job, go to school, or?”
“I dance.”
“Where?”
“Copper Railing.”
Obviously not at the local ballet company…
“And you just met Sam yesterday?” Kyla asked. She knew that peeler bar well. It was down the street from the bar she bartended at and she’d met a few girls who worked there through Daisy.