Bound by Her Blood

by Mara Leigh

  “Tell us more,” Astrid prompts.

  “I didn’t have any freedom. Xavier’s Guard watched me, night and day. Supposedly, it was for my protection as the king’s future mate, but soon I realized I was his prisoner and he was determined to marry me, whether I wanted to or not.”

  I tell them about my failed marriage ceremonies and some of what followed. I leave out the worst parts, but at each detail I give, Rock’s hold on me tightens. His body tenses like actual rock, and I know if he ever met Xavier, he’d kill him—if the powerful vampire didn’t kill Rock first.

  Chelle arrives at the table and sets down another round of drinks.

  “Thanks, Chelle,” Rock says.

  “No sweat, boss.” She smiles at him, then shoots me a sneer. “Shall I keep them coming?”

  “Actually,” he says. “My friends are going to take off.”

  “Great!” she says with way too much enthusiasm.

  “And I’m going with them.” He looks over at Malcolm and Astrid. “I could use a walk.”

  Chelle walks away, muttering under her breath, “Fucking vamps.”

  My belly tightens and I lean toward Malcolm and Astrid. “Did you hear that?”

  “Hear what?” Rock asks.

  “Chelle knows we’re vampires,” I whisper to him. “Or that Malcolm and Astrid are, anyway.” My heart rate triples. Chelle already hates me. If she calls the police…

  “It’s okay,” Rock says. “Chelle and Kev have been with me for years. You’re all safe here. I promise.”

  I glance toward Chelle, just as she looks back toward me. The hatred in her eyes…

  I guess I understand. I’d be jealous, if she were the one with Rock. I resolve to be extra nice to her, make it extra hard for her to hate me.

  “Well, Selina,” Astrid downs her drink. “I guess that’s our cue to exit. We have to get you fed and back before dawn.”

  Chapter 13

  Selina

  Astrid and Malcolm’s limo lets us out in front of a typical-looking east-end bungalow, one of hundreds of nearly identical homes built in the middle of the last century.

  “This is as far as I go.” Rock bends to kiss me softly, then he holds me and whispers, “I’ll see you soon, Acushla. Get what you need. And remember I will be here waiting for you, no matter what happens.”

  “What do you think might happen?”

  “Nothing in particular.” He smiles, but there’s a hint of regret in his eyes. “Just remember I’m here for you. Now go.” He releases me from his hold.

  I reluctantly follow Malcolm and Astrid through a totally normal looking garden gate and down a paved path to the bungalow’s porch. I turn back at the door.

  Rock moves into the shadows of a large maple tree and leans back against its trunk. No human will be able to spot him there unless they shine a light directly toward the tree.

  Malcolm types a code into a lock, then pulls open the door. “Ladies.” He sweeps out his arm. “After you.”

  I step into the generic-looking home, everything in grays and whites with chrome accents and graphic stylized portraits of old movie stars. It looks like the place was decorated at least a couple of decades ago.

  “This way.” Astrid beckons for me to follow and she leads me past the basement stairs to the kitchen.

  She presses a tiny gold button in the middle of the refrigerator door, one so small I doubt a human eye could detect it, and then tugs open the fridge. The fridge shelves and their sparse contents slide back to reveal a staircase leading down into darkness.

  Behind Astrid, I descend the stairs to a long hallway, the floor a dark slate and the walls upholstered with black satin punctuated by nails or pins that reflect the light as if each head is a gem. Perhaps they are.

  Astrid opens a door at the top of another long staircase leading down. My stomach tightens. This is too much like going down into Xavier’s dungeon.

  I grab her shoulder. “I thought you said this was a club? Where is everyone?”

  Turning back, she smiles and takes my hand. “They’re all another two flights down. The club is deep so no vibrations from the music carry up to any of the neighborhood homes.”

  Vibrations—or screams?

  I will myself to be brave. If this vampire couple has nefarious plans, it’s already too late. Rock can’t hear me from down here and there’s no way I can fight them off myself.

  I continue to follow Astrid, and as we go down farther the sound of pumping bass vibrates up through my feet and then into my ears. Astrid opens the fourth door we encounter, and music bursts out like it had been caged.

  Behind the door, lights flash to illuminate red satin walls, not to mention our clothes and skin, as we descend yet another flight of stairs. At the end of a short hall at the bottom, a huge, tuxedo-wearing vampire stands, arms crossed over his chest.

  “Hey, Jordie,” Astrid says. “This is Selina. She’s with us.”

  “Nice,” Jordie says as he looks me up and down. He winks at Malcolm. “You two taking a second mate?”

  I cringe. Is that what this is?

  “No,” Malcolm says. “Selina’s just a friend.”

  The word friend warms something inside me. Other than Lark, I’ve never really had friends. When I was a kid, I didn’t dare bring anyone home to face the monster, and he refused to let me go to the few playdates I requested before giving up.

  The steel door Jordie’s guarding is massive and dancing with light. “Are those crystals?” I whisper in Astrid’s ear.

  “Diamonds,” Jordie says with a huff, clearly insulted.

  Who owns this club? I wonder, as Jordie swings open the door.

  We step into the room, and sounds and sights and scents bombard me. It’s the most beautiful space I’ve ever seen—and that includes Xavier’s decadent palace, which was more garish than beautiful.

  The walls and ceiling sparkle as thousands of lights dance over what must be more diamonds. Even the floor seems to glow. The music is contemporary, similar to what I’ve heard passing bars in the human world, and just loud enough to fill the room and still allow conversation.

  A bar stretches along the side of the room, and bottles behind it glimmer under lights. The bar itself is made of glass, etched in beautiful patterns that seem to shift as the bartenders serve drinks from behind it.

  I’m underdressed in my gray jersey dress and Keds, and even Astrid’s gorgeous sheer blouse and form-fitting leather pants seem conservative here. But no one stares or makes us feel uncomfortable.

  “Let’s get a drink.” Astrid, still holding my hand, pulls me toward the bar. Malcolm heads the other direction, clearly spotting someone he knows.

  “Whiskey?” Astrid asks as she leans against the glass structure.

  I shake my head. “I don’t have any money.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” She smiles at the Asian bartender when he approaches. The vampire is tall and bare chested, his body sculpted and hairless, and the blood pounding through his veins smells so delicious I want to vault over the top of the bar and dig in my fangs.

  “Who’s the baby?” he asks.

  “Am I that obvious?” My cheeks heat.

  “No need to be embarrassed.” He leans toward us. “We don’t get many babies in here. She yours?” he asks Astrid.

  She shakes her head. “I’ll have a Sazerac, a double, and my friend here—”

  “I’ll have the same,” I interrupt. I love my straight-up whiskey, but it’s a night for new things and whatever Astrid was drinking earlier smelled delicious. I trust her taste.

  As the bartender makes our drinks, Astrid and I lean back against the bar, looking out at the club. The area immediately in front of us is filled with small high-top tables and dozens of vampires talking and sipping on cocktails. Beyond that lies a dance floor. It’s hard to be sure, but the dance floor looks like glass, too. Past that, I can barely make out what looks like a lounge area in the distance.

  “This place is huge,” I
say.

  “It’s under the entire block,” Astrid replies. “Plus the next one over. Humans have no idea.”

  “How long has it been here? Who owns it?”

  “It’s owned by FJS, the company Malc and I work for, and it was built at the same time as the houses, although it’s been upgraded over the years.”

  “How does everyone get in here without humans noticing?” There are hundreds of vamps down here, maybe a thousand, and if they all come and go through that house on any given night, I can’t believe the place hasn’t been raided.

  “There are several ways in,” Astrid says.

  “Here you go, ladies.” The bartender sets down our drinks.

  I pick up my glass and twist it around, loving how the light dances through both the vessel and its contents. Down here, everything seems like a work of art.

  Taking a sip of the drink, I close my eyes in pleasure. “Wow, that’s delicious.” It’s like the best whiskey I’ve ever had, but with sweet and bitter notes added in. A thin section of orange peel swims in the amber yumminess and adds just the right hint of citrus.

  “Glad you like it. See anything else down here you like?” Astrid nudges me. “Does anything beyond the drink smell delicious? I mean, anyone?”

  I grin, my cheeks on fire. Ever since I got down here I’ve been hungry for vampire blood. Something I never really knew I wanted, and it’s a good time to ask Astrid questions.

  “I’ve never felt a hunger for vampire blood.” As I say the words, I realize I’m lying. I have felt it before. Once before. But the memory of yearning for Pike’s blood chills the warmth I’ve been feeling, so I try to forget it. “How come I feel it so strongly tonight?”

  “You’re a bit of a mystery.” Astrid takes a sip of her drink. “Until you’re fully formed, you should only crave your Maker’s blood. Thirsting for another vamp’s blood doesn’t typically start for a couple of decades.”

  “Does that mean…could my Maker be down here? Is that why I’m so thirsty?”

  She shakes her head. “I doubt it. Everyone down here either works for FJS or has been carefully vetted. You wouldn’t have gotten in so easily if you weren’t with me.” She sets her cocktail down on the shiny bar. “I’m head of security.”

  Glancing around the chatting patrons, it’s like I can smell each and every one of them, both separately and together. The scent is so strong it makes me weak in the knees and, I notice with some horror, wet between the legs.

  “What’s happening to me?”

  Astrid strokes my upper arm. “You’re growing up.” She raises her eyebrows a few times. “You’re so different from most babies so it’s hard to be sure, but I guess you weren’t ready to feel this craving before tonight. And your story about being made—”

  “It’s not a story. That’s what happened.”

  She hides her obvious skepticism behind her glass as she takes another sip of her cocktail.

  “How do I choose?” I glance around the room. The females smell as delicious as the males, and as my hunger builds, I want to taste everyone. “Do I get to choose?”

  “Well…” Astrid lays her hand on my arm. “Malcolm and I talked on the way over, and we have an idea.”

  “I don’t get any say?”

  “Sure you do.” She rubs my arm. “If you don’t like him, that’s okay. We’ll find someone else. But feeding, it’s a very—a very intimate act. I can’t really describe it. Malc and I want to make sure that you’re going to be safe.”

  “Safe?” My heart starts pounding.

  “No one here would hurt you,” she says. “There’s no need to be afraid of that, but just like humans, some vampires are rougher than others, and some more possessive. And I know you like Rock.”

  “It’s that obvious?”

  “Honey…” She laughs. “That’s why we don’t want your first time to be with someone who might want to claim you.”

  “Claim me?”

  “Take you away from Rock.”

  “That’s not going to happen.” After my experience with Xavier, I will never let myself be claimed again.

  She shrugs in a way that says it might not be my choice. “Selina, when you feed tonight…you might want to claim the vampire you feed from, too.”

  “What?”

  “If you’re compatible, the feeding might bring on…certain intimate feelings. So we think you should feed from someone who won’t reciprocate any feelings that may arise inside you.”

  “Okay.” She’s crazy if she thinks I’m going to have intimate feelings about anyone other than Rock. But I guess I should be thankful that she’s taking precautions.

  “The vampire we have in mind is a friend,” Astrid says. “He’ll stay detached. Just let you feed without…”

  “Without what?”

  She smiles. “Let’s just say you’ll never get a marriage proposal from this guy.”

  This is starting to feel more like Xavier’s court and I don’t like that.

  “Why mention marriage proposals? Didn’t you say that vampires don’t have to be mates to feed from each other?”

  She nods. “Yes. But feeding between vampires is intimate. As intimate as sex.”

  I suck in a sharp breath. In spite of my reluctance to be here, my intense thirst continues to build, and it’s a hunger for more than just blood. I don’t want to have sex with anyone but Rock, but my entire body pulses with need.

  Scanning the crowd, I eye a slender but sculpted, dark-skinned vampire. He moves like a track and field star as he approaches a slightly effeminate male wearing a pink silk jumpsuit. The two couldn’t be more opposite to each other, but right now I want them both—their blood, anyway. I’m losing my mind.

  “Which one is your friend?” I ask, my voice slightly breathless.

  “Malcolm is looking for him. He’ll tell him what we need. What you need.”

  Anticipation dances inside me. I was desperate for human blood last night, so hungry and weak, but my need for vampire blood is even stronger. More than a matter of survival.

  “While we’re waiting…” Astrid puts down her drink “…how about we dance.”

  I set down my drink and follow my new friend through the groups of chatting vampires. As we get closer to the dance floor, the volume of the music increases until I can feel my eardrums move.

  We join the gyrating dancers. I look down and gasp. The floor is glass, as I suspected, and there’s a pool underneath. Several vampires are swimming beneath us, totally naked.

  “How do they breathe?” I whisper in Astrid’s ear.

  “You haven’t tried swimming yet?” she asks, but doesn’t wait for an answer. “Most vampires can stay under water a half hour or more without coming up for air.”

  I had no idea. A female vampire swims up below me, smiling, her dark hair swirling around her like a deep-sea creature, then a male swims up from below her, his skin pale against her brown complexion and his erection obvious.

  He grabs her from behind, and I gasp.

  I crouch down as if I can reach through the glass to protect her, but she doesn’t fight him, and within moments, their bodies are joined. He holds her hips tightly as he drives into her from behind, and she braces on the glass between us.

  The act is too intimate to be on display, but I can’t look away, and the need between my legs intensifies.

  Astrid pulls me up from my crouch, a knowing grin on her face. “Come on. We came out here to dance.”

  She moves, her hips swaying and the rest of her flowing along in perfect time to the music. I’ve never been much of a dancer, but caught up in Astrid’s motion and the energy of the others around me, I’m swept into the current of movement. My awkwardness vanishes.

  I can’t remember ever having this much fun.

  Chapter 14

  Grayson

  Watching the dance floor below, I lean back against the pillar, absentmindedly playing with one of Kara’s tits. The slender vamp is nearly as tall as me—and she’s
sexy as shit—but I’m bored.

  Or not in the mood.

  Odd, because I’m always in the mood.

  “Earth to Grayson.” Kara’s hand brushes my cock.

  “That’s nice, pet.” I glance at her and smile. “Just like that.”

  “Nice?” Through the trousers of one of my best bespoke suits, she squeezes me hard, and I’m fully stiff within seconds.

  My cock’s in the game, but my mind still isn’t.

  Kara reaches up to loosen my tie, probably planning to go for my jugular, but I grab her hand. “Later?”

  “What’s wrong?” she asks, straightening her red silk gown, pulling it back up over the tit I barely noticed exposing.

  Kara’s objectively gorgeous—I’m sure she turned heads even before her transition—and I do enjoy her as a sexual partner, but I’m just not into it tonight.

  She grabs my package again, clearly hoping I’ll change my mind.

  I sigh. I could give her a quick fuck, seems like the polite thing to do, but all this random shagging is getting old. I shouldn’t have come to the club tonight. I’m going to head home.

  “Nothing’s wrong, pet.” I grab her wrist. “I’m just distracted. Can we get together later? Find me before dawn?”

  “Sure.” Her smile quickly turns aloof. “That is, if I’m still in the mood.” She kisses my cheek.

  Kara sashays away, making sure I take note of how juicy her arse looks in the tight red packaging of that dress. My stiffy stirs, but going home is still the most appealing option.

  Getting ready to leave, I spot Astrid on the dance floor below. She’s mated to my dear friend Malcolm, so I’d never consider Astrid a shag candidate, but the vampire she’s dancing with is new, her hair the color of spring lilacs.