by Niyah Moore
That night, the relaxing ability of the open fire wasn’t going to soothe the wild beast within him. Since the beginning of our time, we had gathered around the open fire for a sense of safety and deep conversation. We had yet to have one of these meetings as everyone always followed the rules of the covenant.
Father continued to stare through me,rubbing his thick goatee. “You felt the need to do this…”
“I didn’t feel the need to do this. It sort of happened.”
Regardless of the incident, he was going to pronounce Chantal as my wife, and that was something I really wasn’t ready for, but what other choice did I have? I was the idiot who was caught up in the heat of the moment. I was going to have to spend eternity with a woman that I didn’t want.
“This sort of happened?” Father asked as he observed Chantal.
“Yes.”
He cocked his head to the side as if he were trying to figure me out. “You have broken the rules of the covenant and yet, you are so calm about it. You know what this means, don’t you?”
“Yes, Father.”
“She is now your wife. Is that what you want?”
I was going to have to live with being married to her. Being married now meant that I could never be with another woman again. My days of romping around with plenty of women were over. I was stuck with her. I looked around the room at Azura, Onyx, Rain, and our mother, whom all looked very disappointed in me.
“Yes, Father.”
“I should rip her heart out right now.”
“No,” I replied quickly. “This is my fault, so let me deal with this.”
Father leaned his large frame against the living room chair. “Well, I’ll tell you what… You take your wife home and make sure she gets the proper feeding. We wouldn’t want her roaming the district as a newborn. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Father.”
He stood up and walked out of the living room.
I sighed under my breath and looked over at Mother.
Mother made a “tsk” sound with her tongue. “Je pars.” She said she was leaving in French before following behind him.
Our parents’ frustration with me was something I never wanted to cause or see ever again.
“So, are my siblings pissed off with me, too?” I asked them.
Azura stated quickly, “I’m not pissed off; I’m very disappointed. We don’t know what kind of wife Chantal will make.”
“You mean if she’ll become a blood-sucking murderer?”
“Exactly. I guess we’ll have to watch and see how she turns out. Let’s hope she fights the urges.”
Onyx and Rain didn’t utter a single word. They didn’t have to. I knew my brothers well enough to realize that they had nothing good to say, but their silence left me feeling unsettled. I wanted my siblings to know that everything was going to be fine. Well, that’s what I hoped anyway.
I swept up my unconscious bride over my shoulder and left our parents’ house without saying anything else to any of them. They would get over it soon, so I decided not to think about it. What was done was done and this mistake would smooth over.
It was about a half an hour too close to the sun rising. I was going to have to hurry home. A few taxis headed my direction. I put my hand out and waved. One taxi finally slowed and pulled up to the curb. I slid Chantal across the new soft leather and a faint smell of strange, unidentifiable funk greeted me. Some cabs carried inimitable odors from either previous riders or the driver. I rolled down the window to get some fresh air to help eliminate some of the stench.
“Où allez-vous?” the cab driver asked.
“Le 18ème arrondissement.”
He pulled away from the curb smoothly. I lifted my head and stared out of the window as we passed through Montmartre. The sky was still dark, much like the way I was feeling. I had to shake the darkness that was trying to creep over me.
Silently, I sat, but my mind was thinking too loudly. I was such an idiot. My days of conquests were over. Chantal was my wife.
CHAPTER 3
ONYX
The brand-new female bartender we hired was so damned fine that I couldn’t stop staring at her. Where had she come from? Azura showed her around our spacious club, spanning more than 45,000 square feet and sprawled across two stories.
Club Vaisseau was ours and it brought a new dimension to the Paris nightlife with its premium location, and breathtaking and lavish décor. It was perfect for a nightlife experience unlike any other and that was the reason why so many flocked our way. We never ever hired humans. Living in an all-vampire district, we liked to keep “us” employed. We had plenty of human visitors, but they knew what we were. Those that didn’t were usually compelled and lured here by one of us or another vampire.
The new bartender was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. I was speechless. We had go-go dancers and peep show girls that worked in our club. I dibbled and dabbled here and there, but there was something different about this one.
Her wild golden hair looked much like a uniformed afro. Her hair brought certain warmth to her cold pale skin, so many would mistake her for a mortal easily. I could tell that when she was human, she had skin the color of toffee. I might’ve been taking a guess, but I liked to imagine it.
“Who do we have here?” I asked.
“Soleil, this is the middle brother, Onyx. Onyx, this is our brand-new bartender, Soleil,” Azura introduced.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Onyx,” Soleil said with a grin.
“Same here,” I replied, trying not to smile too hard.
“You’re so tall. How tall are you?” she asked, tilting her head back to look into my eyes.
“I’m six-five and you’re about five-seven, right?”
“Yeah. You’re pretty damned tall. I like your bald head.”
I rubbed the top of it with a grin. “Thank you.”
“I see why you’re the club’s door man. Your muscles are pretty…big…”
Azura cleared her throat, catching on to our obvious attraction to one another. “Onyx, Mother needs you to do something for her.”
She was trying to interrupt what I was trying to get started, but I went along with it anyway. I smirked. “No problem, sis. I’ll head up there now.”
While I made my way to the elevator to head to Mother’s office, I couldn’t shake Soleil’s slanted eyes from my mind. I couldn’t wait to see how much we had in common.
CHAPTER 4
RAIN
On my way over to Club Vaisseau to work for the night, the raindrops started sprinkling. I was feeling anxious because a good friend of mine, Colette, had told me that she was going to bring a young woman to meet me. See, I had been looking for the perfect woman to spend the rest of my life with and Colette said that she would be.
I stared out of the taxi at all the colorful lights reflecting off the raindrops that remained on the car after the drizzle. In red and blue lights, the signs reading DVD’s, Peep Shows, Nude, New Girls, and Sex surrounded the street. This was home.
Colette called my cell. I picked up. “Hey, Colette.”
“Rain. Are you at the club yet?”
“I’m on my way there now.”
“Cool. Hey, what you think your parents are going to say when they find out you’re pursuing a mortal? Do you think they will accuse you of the same thing Legend just did?”
“No. What Legend did was stupid. He wasn’t looking for a wife. I’m simply choosing my bride, Colette. Now, if this woman that you speak of is what I’ve been looking for, then I will have my bride tonight.”
“I think you should talk to your parents first before you do this. I don’t want them to be upset with me for helping you break the covenant.”
“They won’t be upset with you, Colette. I won’t tell them that you were the one that introduced me to her. Plus, if I don’t like her, it would be a waste of time to tell them something I’m not sure of myself.”
“I hope it goes well.”<
br />
“It will. Don’t worry.”
“We’re on our way,” Colette said.
“I’ll be at the bar, working, as usual. Bring her to me as soon as you get there.”
“She is something special. You’ll love her,” Colette reassured me. “She likes confidence and you have enough of it for the whole world.”
“You trying to call me conceited or something?”
“I’m not trying. I’m saying it.” She laughed.
“Whatever.”
“Yeah, okay, whatever. Wear that shit well ’cause this may be your only chance to win her over.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
As soon as I hopped out of the taxi and my black leather Cabo Gancia Strap loafers hit the wet pavement, I felt a little anxiousness hit me. I took in a deep breath and exhaled. For decades, I’d searched high and low for a bride. That’s not saying I wasn’t close many times, but this time was going to be different.
“You good?” Onyx asked as soon as I made my way through the crowded line and up to the club’s front door.
“I’m good,” I replied, flashing him a quick smile.
When I entered into Club Vaisseau, the place was already starting to fill up with a host of the most beautiful women in the world. Loud house music was bumping. After scanning the club of some familiar faces, I went over to the bar. Legend and a new face were serving drinks.
“Who’s this?” I asked Legend with a frown and hopped over the bar.
“This is our new girl…Soleil.”
“Ah, Bonsoir, Soleil. I’m the youngest brother, Rain.”
“Bonsoir, Rain. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Ditto.”
“I hear the ladies go crazy over your…um...” She cleared her throat as her eyes scanned over the way I looked. “…drinks. Would you agree?”
“I would,” I replied assertively.
“Looks like I could learn a lot from you.”
I winked at her, removed my shirt, and checked the bar to make sure we didn’t need to stock anything else. We were good for the moment.
“Do you always bartend without a shirt?” she asked with her right eyebrow raised.
“He always bartends without a shirt,” Legend replied before I could. “Charming bastard always tries to steal all of the women.”
“That’s a fabrication. He likes to bend the truth. Legend and Onyx take home just as many women, but Legend’s days of frolicking and playing are over. He is officially off the market.”
Legend rolled his eyes, slid a drink across the bar, and collected the money for it.
“Well, okay then,” Soleil replied with a head nod.
I did a double-take when I spotted Colette and her friend at the entrance. I paused. Colette’s friend was stunning, to the point where I wanted to make her mine right then without delay. Something about her fascinated me. The warmth of her blood illuminated her milk-chocolate skin and I wanted to taste her to see if she tasted like hot cocoa.
“Whoa,” I said under my breath. That was all I could manage.
She and Colette made their way over to the bar, through the howling dance crowd of sweaty bodies pressed up against one another, ready to fuck. The naughty grin on her face made me aware of her arousal. I had to bite my own lower lip to stop myself from grinning. I wanted to know her name, so I could whisper it sweetly in her ear.
Colette’s friend nodded her head to the music and began to sway her hips to the pulsating beat. The large blowing fans caused her wild, curly, jet-black hair to flow. She closed her eyes as if the pulse of the music electrified her.
When she opened them, her eyes immediately fell on Legend. He was spinning bottles, juggling glasses, and engaging every woman who crowded the bar around him. I could see that she was more than attracted to him. I could read her mind. She wanted to fuck him.
I chuckled to myself. My brothers caught a lot of women’s attention. Therefore, I wasn’t surprised about her attraction to him, but I couldn’t help but feel a pinch of jealousy. I wanted to see what her reaction would be once she saw me. I wondered if I was her type.
As they approached the bar, they found a spot and secured it as their own. I made sure to disappear before she could see me. I appeared in front of them before they could put in their drink order. She saw me.
“What can I get you ladies?” I asked, leaning over the bar.
Her eyes became low and she couldn’t turn away from my shirtless, sculpted body. She clutched her heart and made it obvious that she was into me.
I smiled on the inside while keeping a straight face.
Colette spoke up first, “Can you give us two shots of Vodka, s’il vous plaÎt?”
As I poured the liquor, Colette placed some money on the bar.
They started whispering to one another. I chose not to invade their privacy to hear what they were saying, though if I wanted to, I could hear every word. I slid the two shot glasses in front of them with well-practiced fluidity, not wasting a single drop on the glass-topped bar.
“Bottoms up!” the goddess yelled before downing the shot. Colette downed hers as well.
I placed two more shots in front of them before they were done.
“This one is on the house,” I said with a wink before I made my way to the other end of the long bar.
I could feel her staring at me while I worked my magic. She was completely spellbound, fixated by the way I commanded her attention, and I hadn’t hypnotized or transfixed her to do so. I didn’t want to use any of my powers to persuade her. I wanted her to be attracted to me without manipulating her mind.
After fulfilling a few other drink requests, I was back in front of them. Legend covered me by taking over the end I’d abruptly abandoned.
“Encore du Vodka, Mademoiselles?” I asked with my left eyebrow raised.
“Give me one with cranberry juice this time,” she replied.
“Encore,” Colette exclaimed as she shook her ass to the music.
As I poured more drinks to get them drunk, I admired her ebony skin, her eyes, her smile, high cheekbones, and cute button nose. Everything about her appearance was perfect to me. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her, and she couldn’t keep her eyes off of me. Every time our eyes met, we smiled. Couldn’t help it.
I licked my lips before asking, “Do you like what you see?”
“I do,” she admitted quicker than I thought she would.
When she smiled wider, I knew I was going to have her.
“I’ve never seen you here before. Are you new to the city?” I questioned, though I already had the answer.
Colette told me her friend was from San Francisco, and studying abroad in Paris. Colette pretty much gave me all of the background info I needed, but I wanted to hear her friend tell me.
“I’ve been here for a few weeks. Maybe you can show me around some time.”
“I would love to.”
“Hopefully, you can show me more than the city…” she hinted.
I smiled broadly, staring at her before hopping from the other side of the bar swiftly. There was no bar between us anymore. I was so close to her, I could feel her heart beating rapidly up against my bare chest and I could smell her. She smelled so good.
“And your name is?” I asked.
“Essence.”
“Essence. I like that… Come with me.”
I didn’t know if it was the liquor or if she was as horny as I was, but she let me take her hand while I led her through the club to the elevator. The elevator went up to the second floor. The second floor held rooms where we could do what we wanted to whom we wanted. Many times, we fulfilled plenty of fantasies, right there in those rooms.
“Where are we going?” she asked hesitantly.
“Do you trust me?”
She paused as if she had to think about it. “I trust you.”
The golden elevator opened and we went up to the second floor. We went down a long dark hallway that was illuminated by red pulsa
ting lights. I couldn’t stop myself from pressing my body on hers so she could rest against the first door in the hallway. Soon, she would find out what kind of freakiness was going to happen behind it. The mere thought of fulfilling her wildest fantasies made my dick hard.
I leaned in closer to Essence before my tongue traced her lips. I hummed. “You taste too good.” Both of my hands went into her curly hair. I moved her hair out of the way so I could place a kiss on her neck.
I made the door open up with my mind. I had that kind of power. I could move objects with telepathy. My hands were on the small of her back to catch her before she could fall from the door opening up so quickly.
She gasped, turning around to see that we were entering into a red velvet-covered bedroom with candles.
Once inside the room, I closed the doors with my mind.
“Pretty cool doors,” she murmured while looking around the room.
A masked woman, erotically and scantily dressed, danced in each of the five narrow windows surrounding us. In addition to these peep shows, porn was playing on a high-definition flat-screen behind the round bed in the center of the room.
“Tell me something about you,” Essence said, trying to break our silence.
I whirled her back around to me so I could put my lips to her ear. I whispered sweetly, “I’m the unspoken passion women secretly desire. You wonder about the mystery behind my eyes, don’t you?”
“Yes,” she whispered back.
“I am sex upright and poised. I am the lover you dream of.”
I could feel her shudder underneath my touch, enthralled by every word that came from me.
Every inch of my skin crawled as I moved my hands all over her body. I was ready to see all of her, exposed, naked. But, that wasn’t all I wanted to see. I wanted to get to know the beautiful woman for who she was. That really wouldn’t matter; the woman she would become after the transformation would ultimately take over. I wanted to remember her the way she was, nonetheless.
“Rain…”