“Not too much, Sebastian. Where is your blood supply? I’ll get you some more clean blood.”
The smallest of smiles spread across his lips as he reached up to touch my cheek and closed his eyes. He couldn’t speak yet, but I heard the thanks in my mind. For the first time since all this happened, I was able to breathe at a natural pace. I curled up on the floor beside him, after wrapping my wrist with the sleeve of his discarded shirt. I’d heal quickly, thanks to the gargoyle that shared my body. I wasn’t worried. We’d both survive this ordeal… the question was, what would we do about our futures? I closed my eyes and snuggled into his chest.
I knew the answer. I would have to leave. The gargoyle leader would help me manage the beast. But to keep Sebastian safe, I needed to go. Tonight, I’d enjoy the last moments I had with him. I’d make sure he would survive, but tomorrow I would leave him and the life he offered behind.
Chapter Ten
Sebastian
WAKING UP WITH PIPER IN my arms was nothing short of intoxicating. She seemed so small and vulnerable in my embrace, but I knew that was the exact opposite of reality. This woman was a scrapper long before she was turned into a gargoyle. I squeezed her closer and reveled in the way she wrapped herself around my side. She had turned. The monster had tried to kill me, but her human side won out. I remembered her forcing me to drink her blood. So much for the theory that a gargoyle’s blood was poisonous. Instead, it saved me. Without her blood, the injuries were too severe and I would’ve died. A moan escaped her lips as she snuggled in closer and I turned into her hold. There was no doubt she was wrestling with inner demons, but now, in my arms she had a look of peace on her face, and I wouldn’t disturb that.
While she slept, I focused on ways to help her control the gargoyle that seemed to only come out when she was threatened. It couldn’t be that much different than dealing with the demon vampire that shared my existence. I had learned about a century ago to control it, taking only what was necessary, not killing. She could too. The problem was it took about a century to learn to manage my demon. How many times would I have to almost die to help her? How long would it take her to learn the control necessary to keep her animal half in check?
“That is exactly what I keep thinking.” Her voice was groggy as she cuddled closer.
“Just because you can hear my thoughts doesn’t mean it is polite to listen.” I kissed the top of her head.
“I’m sorry, I’m still getting used to how this works. Besides, you knew sharing your blood would make it possible for me to eavesdrop.” She glided her fingers over my chest and caused me to suck in a breath as that soft, tender caress rested inches from my manhood.
“Remember, that connection can go both ways.” I took her fingers in mine and kissed her knuckles. “I’m more concerned that I’m connected to you so I can keep my promise and protect you.”
She sat up and examined my neck with a careful eye. “You can’t protect me from what I am. I think you may be the one that needs protection from me.” Her shaky fingers touched my partially healed neck. “I almost killed you.” Her voice was hoarse with remorse.
“Instead,” I pulled her into my arms, “you saved my life.”
“By endangering you with my poisonous blood.”
I couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped my lips. “Apparently, your blood is not as deadly to me as you think.”
“Sebastian…”
I put a finger over her lips. I knew the words she was going to speak. I could feel her determination to protect me. “You’re going to leave with him.”
A single tear slid down her cheek and she nodded. “I think it is best. Maybe someday I can find a way to keep the gargoyle in her place, and we can give this a try again.” Hope filled her eyes.
Her words cut into me like a rusty pair of sheers. I didn’t want to let her go, but she wasn’t my prisoner. She needed to make the decision to stay with me. She needed to believe in my ability to protect her, otherwise, we were fighting an uphill battle. “I’ll let you go under one condition.”
“What is that?”
“You continue to take my blood. That way I can be sure that you’re okay.”
“How do I do that?”
“I’ll send a month supply with you, and when you get there, let me know where to send your monthly refills.”
She did little to cover her frown. “You don’t think you’re overreacting?”
“No, this man is a stranger. Many gargoyles hold grudges against vampires for what we did to them more than a hundred years ago. He knows you are under my protection, despite the crimes your co-inhabitant did on the vampire community here, which means he knows I have feelings for you.”
“You do?”
“Of course I do.” I brushed her dark hair from her eyes. “And he has said your gargoyle has a mate. I think this is why you lost control and attacked me. You deserve to be able to make your own choices.”
She collapsed on my chest. The sweet smell of strawberries from her shampoo filled my senses and brought me back to happier, human times.
“If I wasn’t such a danger to you, I wouldn’t leave you…You know that, right?”
I smiled. “I do, I can feel it, and I’m a vampire, Piper. Do you know what that means?”
“That we’re supposed to be enemies?”
“No,” I kissed her lips gently, “it means I have an eternity. I can wait for you to return to me. Take care of you, get yourself under control, learn about your new life, and then, come back to me. I’ll be here, and if you continue to ingest my blood, I’ll be able to watch over you just in case.”
“Don’t you need blood with sex and wine?”
“No, it tastes better, but I can get my sustenance other ways.”
“I don’t think you should wait for me.”
“Well then it is a good thing you don’t think for me. Now, kiss me woman, and make it a good one. I’m going to be without these lips for a while.”
She gave me a coy grin as she straddled my thighs and leaned in to kiss me. Inches before our lips touched she hesitated.
I planted my hands on her hips and smiled. “You won’t hurt me,” I reassured her as my fingers crawled up her spine, wrapped around the back of her neck, and pulled her in for a mind blowing kiss.
Chapter Eleven
Piper
THE MONASTERY THAT I NOW called home was different than the creepy mansion Sebastian lived in, but both of them were a far cry from my comfy, one-bedroom studio apartment I owned in Denver. I missed my sanctuary. It’s the reason why I wasn’t willing to give up my place. It also helped that Sebastian offered to keep an eye on the apartment while I was gone. The main reason, though, was because keeping my place meant I planned to return home someday, and hopefully spark up a relationship with Sebastian when I did. The question now was how long I was going to be MIA from Denver, Colorado.
The monastery, located in the Montana Mountains, was open and spacious. The walls were inlaid into the mountainside on one half of the building, and glass and wood made up the other half. It was surrounded by a beautiful garden on the left, and a training ground in brown sand, which reminded me of a super large beach volleyball court without the net, on the right. There were at least twenty-five warriors sparring with various weapons throughout the day. I wouldn’t want to meet any one of them in an abandoned alley on a dark night.
“Impressive fighters,” I told Jacob.
“Once you’re settled in, you’ll be training with them as well.” He patted my hand in a fatherly way. It was hard to believe his alter ego was a cold-blooded killer. He assumed a mild mannered persona as a human. Wire-rimmed glasses, thinning brown hair, sweaters and jackets with patches on the elbows, and even corduroy pants. If I had met him on the street I would have passed him by, thinking he was harmless. Instead, he was a leader of a deadly race of gargoyles focused on protecting the humans.
“They’re all gargoyles?” I asked as we continued the tour of the grounds.
“Yes. The sparring helps them learn control. Control helps to keep your other half nestled away until you need her to surface.” He explained as we made our way down the stone stairway.
“It also helps them be ready for a fight if needed.”
Jacob chuckled. “You’re right. They are ready to defend themselves if they need to.”
I couldn’t help but wonder if the vampire nation knew the gargoyles were gearing up for a possible war, and if they were, I couldn’t help but worry that war was with their enemies, the vampires.
“I suppose you can never be too prepared.”
“You’re right. I’m guessing you learned that as a private detective?”
I nodded. “I did.”
“Your mate chose well when he chose you.” Jacob opened the door and waited for me to cross the threshold.
“I thought there wasn’t much of a choice. My own DNA gives me the ability to house the gargoyle gene.” The whole situation seemed a little far-fetched to me, then again, a couple of decades ago, vampires were believed to be fictional villains.
He nodded. “Correct.”
“How did he know I could be changed?”
Something crossed behind his eyes. It was so brief I wondered if I imagined it. “I’m not sure. Maybe he was infecting everyone that came to the tomb.”
“And he’s out there somewhere, searching for me?” The very thought frightened me. It was one of the scariest moments of my life when the creature attacked me. I had convinced myself that my imagination had made him more terrifying than he really was, but now that I knew the truth, I knew he really did look as horrific as I remembered, and when provoked, I could look just as deadly.
“We’re looking for him. I’m sure you’ll want to meet him, and get to know who he is.”
“Sure.” I lied. I had no intention getting to know the man that infected me and made me this monster without my permission. There was no way in heaven, hell or on Earth, I’d mate with a man that took away my free will, my choice to live as I chose to live. What he did was unacceptable.
“What were you doing in the tomb in Egypt?” Jacob asked, jarring me from my thoughts.
“I was following a lead for a client.”
“Who?”
“I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean?” Confusion creased his forehead.
“My client hired me through a liaison. I never met him.”
“Is that common in your line of work?”
I shrugged. “Sometimes. Clients don’t want the jobs traced back to them. A liaison makes it possible for them to remain anonymous.”
He nodded as we headed down a narrow hallway. “Interesting. Down the hall is the women’s bathroom. You’ll be sharing it with fifteen other females. Showers and facilities are all set up and ready to be used when you need them.” He pointed to the door at the end of the hall. “Here is your room. I’ll let you get settled in, and come and get you for dinner in a few hours.”
“Thank you.” He left, and I placed my suitcase on the thin cot-like bed. The room was nothing more than a tiny square office-like space with a cot, a miniature desk, nightstand, closet and dresser. This was a far cry from my apartment and made me miss it even more. At least there were two windows in my studio. A view of a grimy alley was far better than the view of four grey walls.
I unpacked quickly. After a five-minute debate with myself I decided to hide Sebastian’s blood in the vent underneath the wire framed desk. I used the Swiss army knife I kept in my boot holster to unscrew the nuts, and placed the crimson colored sacks in the hidden cubby. I figured it would be one of the coolest places in the room, and best to conceal things I didn’t want the gargoyles to discover.
When I finished unpacking, I decided to take a walk around the building. The garden looked peaceful, and a little relaxation sounded nice. I needed to gather my thoughts and figure out my next move. Even though I knew this was my only option now, something didn’t sit right with me about all of this. It might be my paranoid, private detective mind or female intuition, but whatever it was, it didn’t feel good.
That nagging voice in the back of my mind was trying to tell me something wasn’t right. It would be better to figure it out first before reporting back to Sebastian and worrying him unnecessarily. I learned quickly that the monastery was bigger than it looked from the outside. As I traveled down an unrecognized spiral staircase I knew I was heading the wrong way, but decided to continue the path I’d started to see where it would lead. When I reached the bottom, I noticed the change from the wood flooring above to uncoated cement floors and dusty wood paneled walls. The voices coming from a room near the end of the hall grabbed my attention. I crept the few yards towards the partially opened door and tuned my ear to the conversation.
“Does she know?” A female voice asked, coated in impatience.
“I don’t think so. Going through a third party was a stroke of genius.” I recognized Jacob’s voice.
“I was married to a PI for years before she was born. I picked up a few things.” The female’s voice held a familiar tone, but not one I could easily recognize.
“It worked. She has no idea she was sent there to meet him.”
“She was sent there to be bound to him,” The female voice stated with authority. “I want only the best for her.”
“Choosing him as her mate is a good start.”
“Have you found him?” She asked, annoyance colored her voice.
“No, but now that she is here, he will find us. There is just one problem.”
“What is that?”
“I think she has feelings for the vampire.” Jacob answered her in hushed tones.
“That isn’t a problem. When we disassemble the vampire council in Colorado we’ll make sure he is one of the casualties.”
My heart slammed against my chest. They were planning to kill the vampires in Colorado. To kill Sebastian!
“That won’t be so easy. She attacked him and healed him with her blood,” he argued quietly.
Something slammed against the wall and shattered. “Damnit. So much for the fear around our blood killing their kind.”
“It still does, only the vampire has to drain us of blood to ingest enough poison to kill them.”
That made sense. I wondered why Sebastian didn’t get sick from the lifesaving liquid and now I understood.
“Do you think that is a secret we want getting out?” Her voice displayed a level of hostility that made me step back for a moment. This woman was evil to the core.
“No. Of course not.”
“Did he ingest enough of her blood to change him?”
“Probably. She almost killed him. I have someone watching him to see if he was affected.”
“Wonderful. If that secret gets out, we’ll be hunted and killed off before we can get this plan underway. None of this is good, Jacob.”
“No.”
“So how do you plan to protect my daughter and fix this mess?”
Daughter? I stumbled backwards. My mother was dead, wasn’t she? I wanted to hear their plan, but the shock of what she just said had blood rushing to my brain which made everything sound like I was listening to it underneath water. Nothing made sense. I hit the wall, making a soft thump sound.
“What was that?”
I didn’t think, I simply ran. These people were no good and I had no way of protecting myself. Father always taught me to be prepared before entering a battle. Now was not the time.
Piper, are you okay? I heard Sebastian’s voice in my head.
No, not really, I said as I swallowed hard and focused on escaping. The house was a maze, but I managed to find my way back to my room without being discovered. Things aren’t what they seem, Sebastian. The gargoyles are not your friends.
We know this.
Do you know they’re planning to attack your council in Colorado? And they have their sights set on you.
The gargoyles and vampires have been in a centurie
s-old fight. Their job is to protect the humans, we… his voice trailed off. We haven’t protected them as much as we should.
You mean you were ruthless with your food. I couldn’t help the thought that slipped out.
Yes, unfortunately. There was a long awkward pause that stretched between us, taut like a rubber band ready to be shot across the room. But those days are over. We’ve become more civilized.
Sure. I doubted they were all civilized.
Of course, there are some vampires that refuse to conform, just as there are in other situations. That doesn’t give us the right to condemn one species because of a select few.
Good point, but I think you should warn your people just in case.
And I think you should come home.
I couldn’t. I needed to know more about who I was, how I could protect him, and who that woman was, why she called me her daughter. I need to stay here and see if I can discover more intel about their plans.
He paused for a long moment. I could tell he wasn’t happy with my decision. I don’t like it.
Neither do I, but it is better for all of us that I stay here for now.
*****
Sebastian
Piper had disconnected our contact when Jacob arrived to escort her to dinner. I didn’t like her plan, but had to agree it was a smart one. I’d seen that she could protect herself, but even that didn’t put my mind at ease. The nagging concern that she was in danger was unsettling. I hadn’t felt concern for a woman this way since I was human. The feisty private detective was getting under my skin.
She was right about one thing, the council needed to be warned. I headed to my brother’s office and picked up the phone. Before calling the council, I decided to call detective Marshall. He needed to know we’d found the culprit.
“You’re up early, aren’t you?” Marshall’s voice sounded sleepy when he answered the phone after the fourth ring.
I glanced out of the window and saw the sun high in the sky. It was daytime, and I was not sleeping. That was odd. I could wake up in the day in emergency situations, but I wasn’t a day walker. At least I hadn’t been until now. How the hell did that change? I frowned. Something wasn’t right. Now I had another issue to delve into. “I guess I am. Do you have a minute?”
Cursed: A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance Page 7