This Blood

by Basso, Alisha

  I felt nauseated. I was close to losing it all over Seth’s nice suit. I burped as my mouth filled with saliva. The sound alarmed him enough to stop him in his tracks. He pulled my face up to his.

  “You are ill? Lord, woman, you look even paler.”

  He scanned the room and motioned for someone. My head was spinning and my mouth was rapidly filling with saliva. A moment later, I was being rushed through the crowd to a nearby bathroom. I ran to the nearest stall and lost what little food I still held in my belly, then sat back on my heels, feeling only slightly better.

  I left the polluted stall and walked slowly to the sink. I cupped my hands and slurped up the clean, cool water that flowed from the antique faucet. I stared at my reflection. Despite the stress, hugging and puking, my makeup still looked pretty good; however, my skin was as white as a bedsheet.

  “You are still lovely.” A female voice said from behind me.

  I whirled around to find Arian standing there looking exquisite.

  “Hello, Arian,” I said, a little breathy. She was the last person I expected to see. “Thanks for the rescue.”

  “It was my pleasure. I was hoping I would get a chance to speak privately to you again.” She smiled, her eyes sparkling. “Have you thought anymore about our conversation?”

  Boy, she didn’t waste any time. She glided forward, her red gown barely moving with her steps. Her long hair was pulled into a severe knot at the back of her head and her neck was adorned with a king’s ransom in rubies. This was my chance to get her on my side, no matter how unwittingly. I needed someone to distract Thorak. I remembered what she said about not being allowed to mate with the yucky creature. If I were lucky, she just might be the solution to my problems.

  I had to convince her. I couldn’t screw this up! “Yes, I have,” I said, giving her my most seductive look. God, I hope I didn’t look sick to my stomach. “I have been thinking about many things, actually.” I took a step toward her and parted my lips, an invitation she quickly took advantage of.

  She crossed the room. Placing her hand on my shoulder, she leaned in and brushed her lips softly against mine. I fought to keep still, resisting the urge to hurl again. My head swam at the unwelcome sensations she was creating in my stomach. The strangeness of my situation was getting harder to handle. Damn, a few weeks ago, this would have seemed impossible! My life went from schlepping drinks, where the most exciting thing to happen was the occasional arrest, to seducing a preternatural woman in a ladies room with the intention of distracting a troll!

  “You are so sweet,” Arian said, interrupting my disturbing thoughts. “I knew you wanted me; you had to. Our sex will be incredible.” She traced the leather straps covering the full mounds of my breasts.

  “I have a few conditions.” I managed to say.

  Her eyebrows rose, “Conditions?”

  “Yes. First, I want this to be a surprise, so no telling Seth. And second, I want to watch you with Thorak,” I said, almost gagging on my words.

  She looked uncertain. “You want to watch me with Thorak? Why you wicked little voyeur! Why would you want to see that? Not that it is even possible. I have been forbidden to mate with him, as you may recall me telling you.” She eyed me, her voice filled with wonder. “You have a plan?”

  Yes! She was too easy!

  “Well, you could talk to Seth. Convince him that I need a female companion during the daylight hours. You know, someone who could make sure I don’t get into any trouble. Once I am in your care, we will be free to do as we please.” I batted my eyes and placed my hand on her throat. Leaning in, I placed a kiss on her lips and whispered softly, “It will be the biggest thrill, don’t you think?”

  She shuddered under my touch. “I will do it,” her whisper quivered. “Seth has a prize in you. I knew it from the first moment I saw you. I will not be bored in your bed, lovely Grace. Now, we must make haste lest Seth begins to wonder what I have done with you.” She grabbed my hand and we walked from the room.

  She was so giddy, I was almost a little sorry that I was going to betray her. But then, I remembered she was a bad guy like the rest of them. I had to get Ann and Lucian out of here, no matter what the risk.

  I spotted Seth. He was surrounded by females. They were all very lovely. Their slender bodies were pressed against him, shameless and uninhibited. I tried to ignore the prickle of irritation I was beginning to feel. After all, he was not my love, his attentions were not encouraged by me. These feelings had to be the result of stress, not honest regard. They were a lie.

  His back was facing us as we drew near. Then his shoulders tensed and he turned, locking his eyes onto mine. Striding to my side, he brushed the other women off as though they were bread crumbs, including Arian, who didn’t seem bothered by it. She smiled at me and then, with a little wave, she quickly retreated.

  “Felling better?” He placed both of his cool hands on my face as he scrutinized my every pore.

  “Yes, I’m better. No barf breath or anything.”

  His eyebrows rose and his lips curved into a small smile. “How charming you are. I am relieved you are well.” He took my hand and once again began moving us through the crowd.

  After only a few steps, my eyes fell on a certain blond vampire. Visions of those poor, broken women made my steps falter. I looked up, staring at his cool visage. He was the spitting image of Billy Idol, which made me a little sad. Seth noticed my fumble and followed my gaze. I felt him stiffen beside me, then, suddenly, I was being dragged in the direction of the blond man. I felt my pulse jump at the memory of what he had done to those poor women.

  “Good evening, Edmond,” Seth said as we approached. “How well you look. So much so, that it would appear you have caught the eye of my fair Grace. Tell me, what do you make of that?” Seth’s face was cool, his voice even. He seemed perfectly at ease, but I knew better. Calm on Seth was not a good thing. Edmond seemed well aware of that fact.

  “My Lord, I am flattered. But, I think it was fear you sensed, not desire. You see, she was wandering around, when she caught me after my meal. I daresay she got a bit jumpy when she happened upon my little pile of beauties.” His eyes shifted to me. “My leftovers.” The amber depths looked like jewels. He was gorgeous, smaller than Seth, with a much leaner build. He was wearing a dark green suit that made his eyes pop. If he hadn’t been such a sadist, I might have been drooling.

  Seth regarded me as well. Both men were quiet, as if expecting me to explain myself. My eyebrows rose, I didn’t know what to say. If I confessed to being out, things could get pretty bad. Besides, good ol’ Edmond was doing a fine job of stringing me up all by himself.

  He turned back to Edmond “So, what did you do when you saw her?” Seth’s voice was flat. Goosebumps rose on my arms.

  “I told her not to mind the ladies, they were nothing and she wised up and ran back to her room. I told her you would serve her up to Eden if she made you angry enough. That seemed to put a little pepper in her step.”

  “Thank you, Edmond, enjoy your evening.” He dismissed the man and walked away.

  Seth’s grip on my hand was strong again. I could feel his tension building. He didn’t speak. I figured he took my silence for the guilt that it was. It was safe to say he was a bit pissed.

  We walked quickly, stopping only occasionally to speak to someone who wanted his attention. Never once did he loosen his grip on me.

  TWENTY-TWO

  Seth moved us across the room. As soon as the tall curtains near the exit were near, he swept me from the crowd. Walking fast, he hurried me through the elevator doors. He shoved me in hard and I stumbled, hitting the wall. I turned to face him. His breath came in angry gasps. His eyes swirled, swallowed by pure silver. The lifeless black orbs were no more. He looked like an alien.

  The elevator doors shut, but he made no attempt to send the car on its way. Instead, he paced the small space.

  “What’s wrong? Didn’t everything go as planned?” My words came out in a fr
ightened quaver. I had a sinking feeling I was going to pay for Edmonds big mouth.

  I pressed my back to the wall.

  “You meant to leave me?” he snarled between clenched teeth, his canines growing long in front of my terrified eyes. “You tried to slip away from me, again?”

  Yep, I was toast.

  He crossed the small space and grabbed both sides of my head, growling and baring his teeth. He was close enough to do some real damage. I tried to make myself small. I had no idea he would react this way.

  “No, Seth,” I whispered, trying to sound calm. “Please, you don’t understand. I wasn’t trying to leave, I swear. I wasn’t going to run. Why would I? You know how much my friends mean to me.”

  He pushed his body closer. I was trapped in a cage of arms and legs. His breathing slowed. He opened his mouth, his full lips barely covering the deadly points of his teeth. I felt a shudder ripple through him. He grazed my jaw with his teeth.

  “Please,” I whimpered.

  “You torment me. Never in my long existence has a woman angered me so.” He let go of my face and slid his fingers lightly across my lips.

  I took a deep, wavering breath as relief washed over me. He wasn’t going to tear my throat out. I wouldn’t die tonight.

  “Edmond did not touch you, nor offer himself to you?” he asked.

  I cautiously stepped out of his embrace. “No, Seth, I swear, and even if he had, he disgusts me.”

  He watched my retreat with those frightening eyes. One look and I knew I could never get away from him. He would never let me go.

  “You must understand this, Grace, if I find any trace of another man on you, his life will be forfeited. You will be responsible for that life, Grace. Do not let it happen.”

  “No one has touched me. I only spoke with Edmond because he stopped me. I never would have approached him on my own. I had no idea what type of vile creature he was.”

  “But your eyes told me another story. I know Edmond; he would love to get you into his bed. Madea or not, Grace, you are a beautiful woman and Edmond is well known for his sexual prowess.”

  “You don’t need to worry. I saw what happens to the ladies he sleeps with. He’s disgusting. He acts like they’re food. He called them cows! How can he have sex with something he intends to devour? I mean, I don’t go around hitting on chickens before treating myself to KFC!”

  He smirked. “He feels nothing for those he considers beneath him. But you, my sweet, are an entirely different league. You are beneath no one. You forget that you are no longer human. Your blood is the blood of a Madea.” He brought his face close to my neck, pulling my scent in through his nose. I turned my head, allowing him to explore. “Your skin is the skin of a Madea,” he continued, while licking a slow, wet path down my neck. “You are powerful. The ring has started its transformation. You are now eternal, and your eternity is with me.”

  His words made no sense. Transformed? “What do you mean, ‘no longer human’? I’m the same as always; what are you saying?”

  He pulled back from me. “Your blood, Grace. Do you see what it has done to me?”

  I could feel all the color drain from my face. His eyes - they were silver! My blood did that to him? “I don’t understand. How is that possible?”

  “You were unaware?” He stepped back in mock surprise, “I thought your dear Lucian explained the ring to you. Then he did not tell you the ring would change your physical being into that of an actual Madea?” He looked pleased as punch, the ass!

  “Placing the ring on your finger altered you, and it continued to change you with every moment you wore it. Eventually, you would have drained the ring completely. But, alas, I am afraid I cannot let that happen.”

  “Oh, God! That’s why I felt so sick when I took it off! I was literally feeding off of it! “Why would Lucian keep that from me? Did he even know?”

  “I do not know, nor do I care.” He stepped closer “His actions are no longer of any concern to you.” He pressed his fingers into the soft flesh of my wrist, I could feel my pulse beat hard against his fingers. He closed his eyes, pressing harder, and leaned in close to my neck. “I need to be inside you,” he whispered. “But for now…” He drove his teeth into my neck. Shocked, I sucked in a great gasp of air at the sudden pain. He pulled away from me to press a button on the panel. The feeling of rapid descent pulled at my stomach, as heat settled in my core.

  We were dropping several floors underground.

  “Where are we going?” I asked, holding my churning stomach.

  “Surely you did not think I slept above ground?” he scoffed, like the very idea was insulting. “No, Grace, I trust no one. I have lived for several centuries, and I intend to live for several more. I did not survive this long by being a fool.”

  The doors opened and we stepped out. He led me through a long hallway to a huge door. Next to the door was a keypad that operated his security system.

  He stopped, “I have never brought a woman into my private quarters,” he said. “I have had thousands of women, but none have ever stepped into any of my sanctuaries. None have ever been more to me than sources of sustenance, willing food. No one has penetrated my being as you have.” And with that, he scooped me into his arms. The air left my lungs as I was pressed firmly into his strong chest. The door to his quarters opened and he stepped into the enormous room. I shivered in his arms.

  “You have nothing to fear, I do not die while the sun shines as you feared. I merely sleep.”

  He walked deeper into the dark space. His room was enormous. The walls were covered in fabric rather than paper. They had a texture about them. His bed sat high on a platform, not a coffin in sight, thank goodness.

  The bed was covered in thick, fluffy bedding. Purple sheets and pillows were piled in careless tangles. The cleaning crew obviously never set foot in here.

  He carried me up the steps, setting me gently on the tall bed. I looked up at the ceiling, startled to see my reflection looking back at me. My wide eyes sought his.

  He smiled. “Eden and Ael had a hand in the decorating of this room. They felt the mirrors would be a great joke. They know I never allow anyone in this bed. Tonight, I am thankful for their jest.”

  “Did they also decorate Ann’s room? I noticed she was quite well, not a dent in the fender. So tell me, Seth, out of morbid curiosity, where did all that blood come from?”

  “We are vampires, Grace. We have a ready supply of blood; however, that particular blood was not human, it was swine. That should intrigue your police force for a while, shouldn’t it? We needed to shock and disturb, and obviously, it had the desired effect.”

  He stepped back and began to undress. He stripped his tuxedo jacket off slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. He tossed the jacket to the floor behind him and reached for the cufflinks at his wrists, flicking them away with expertise. His collar went next. He then began the seductive torture of unbuttoning his shirt front. Watching the descent from his neck to the waistband of his pants sped my heart rate. He pulled the shirt from his pants, opening it up to reveal his masculine chest, so pale and beautiful.

  My mouth went dry.

  I was so completely attracted to him. Whenever I was alone with him, my brain seemed to belong to someone else.

  He came to me with a look that was purely male.

  “I feel your lust. I will not need the ring tonight, will I, sweet?”

  I was half lying, half sitting on the huge bed. He was standing at my feet, looking deliciously dangerous.

  “I did not tell you how beautiful you look tonight,” he said, leaning down to take one of my feet in his hands. “You please me greatly. If only it were in my nature to choose a permanent mate. I would make you a queen. That is, if you were not so eager to run away all the time.” He pulled the shoe from my foot, then slowly slid his hands up my leg and flicked off the garters. “Of course, I do not know if a Madea could be changed by a vampire. Some creatures cannot it is impossible. I have no desire t
o risk it.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that. What was he suggesting? I wasn’t even sure I wanted to be a Madea, let alone become an accidental vampire. While I pondered this, Seth flicked my other shoe off, then made short work of the stocking.

  “Stand up, sweet. I will help you with your gown.”

  I stood on quivering legs. He turned me until my back was to him. He ran his hands over my shoulders as he undid the straps. The gown slid into a pool on the floor. I turned to face him. His breath quickened as he gently cupped my breasts.

  I threw my head back at the feel of his touch. It sent waves of pleasure through my body when he lifted me and set me on the bed.

  “Are you ready for me, sweet?” He took off his shoes. His pants were still on.

  “God help me, yes.” I reached for my panties, but he held my hand.

  “No.”

  I frowned at him as he walked from the bed. When he returned, he was holding two silken cords. I was only a little worried. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. I was too important to kill. He straddled my hips. Taking the cords, he grasped both of my wrists and bound them in a secure knot, fastening the fabric above my head. He ran his hands down my arms, scratching my sensitive flesh with his blunt fingernails. A trail of goose flesh danced along my ribs and down my belly. Then movement, so fast, all I could do was gasp, as he ripped my panties from my body.

  A heavy feeling settled in my chest.

  He straddled me again, taking a puckered nipple into his mouth. His tongue swirled and his teeth nipped. “You taste divine,” he said.

  I moaned in response. I had no clear thoughts and the ability to form complete sentences abandoned my brain long ago. He moved lower, kissing and licking my inner thighs. Teasing, almost there, then gone again. I pulled on the bonds. He smiled at my resistance, and then slowly crawled up my body to claim my mouth. I was writhing, my body begging for his.

  “Tell me you want me.”