Alana stared at Rose, her dark blue eyes wider than Rose had ever seen them. Her brows creased, and her fingers twitched at her sides, as if Rose’s observation sparked some kind of anxiety in her, as if she weren’t used to having someone read her so easily. “What would you know about love?” she growled quietly, anger flashing in her dark blue eyes. “No one ever loved you either.”
Rose shrugged sadly. “Kallias loves me.”
Alana stepped closer, her heels clicking harshly against the stone floor with her much-too-aggressive steps. A bitter, malicious smile curled at her lips. “One person. That’s all. And he’s loved you for a total of…what? One month?” she sneered. “Do you really think that makes you some kind of expert on love?”
“I never said that I was an expert on anything,” Rose corrected. “But it doesn’t matter who loves me or how long they’ve loved me. You don’t have to be loved to love someone. Your actions aren’t dependent on anyone else’s.”
“Listen to yourself,” Alana scoffed, rolling her eyes. “You sound so pure and light.” She moved even closer to Rose than before, until the front of her body pressed against the front of Rose’s body, until her breath warmed Rose’s face. “But I’ve been in your mind,” Alana whispered. “I’ve seen your darkness. I know the truth about you, Rose. You’re as screwed up as I am. Maybe more.”
Rose swallowed uncomfortably. “I never said that I wasn’t.”
“You pretend to be good and pure,” Alana continued, “but you’re dark.”
“We all are,” Rose stated. “We all have to fight with our own darkness every single day of our lives. But that darkness doesn’t define who you are. You do. All that matters is who wins on each given day: you or the darkness.”
“And when you lose?” Alana asked. “What happens then, Rose?”
Rose didn’t answer that question. Instead, she changed the subject. “Retract your command,” she pleaded with Alana. “Let Kara leave the building.”
Alana raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the plea. “Why would I do that?”
Rose chewed on her lip nervously. “What do you want in exchange for Kara’s freedom?” she asked. “You made a deal with Kara. Make one with me.”
“What?” Kara gasped, her eyes widening in shock. “Rose, you can’t.”
Alana smiled and stepped forward. She curled her hands around Rose’s hips and pulled her closer, tilting her face up toward Rose’s, as if she were going to kiss her. And then, with her lips nearly touching Rose’s, she whispered, “You.”
“No,” Kara snarled at Alana. “Absolutely not. You can’t do that to her.”
Rose swallowed uneasily. “You want me? Why would you want me?”
“Your power, of course,” Alana laughed. “Do you have any idea what I could do with the kind of power that you have? Together, we’d be unstoppable.”
“I won’t let you use her like that,” Kara tried to tell Alana.
Alana shot an irritated glare at Kara. “Hush now, darling. We’re talking.”
Rose scowled. She hesitantly removed Alana’s hands from her hips. “You don’t understand,” she sighed. “I have very little control over my power.”
“I could teach you,” Alana offered. “I’d show you how to control it.”
Rose frowned. “If it were that simple, Kallias would have shown me.”
“Are you sure?” Alana said, raising her eyebrow. “Do you honestly think that Kallias has taught you everything he knows? You don’t think he hides things from you, still? When you first met him, he didn’t even want to tell you about your power. He lied to you. To protect you. You think he wouldn’t do that now?”
“She’s using your insecurities against you, Rose,” Kara warned.
“Why would he do that now?” Rose asked Alana, humoring her. “When I was human, using my telekinetic abilities could have killed me. It did kill me, actually. Right or wrong, that decision at least made sense. But why would he lie about this? Why wouldn’t Kallias want me to be able to control my power?”
“Because he’s afraid of losing you,” Alana said simply.
Rose felt sick to her stomach, all of the sudden. Something inside of her seemed to recognize what Alana was saying was true. “But he wouldn’t lose me.”
“He could,” Alana said. “If you lose yourself to the power, like I did.”
Rose’s brows furrowed. “But…I would never do that.”
Kara moved closer to Rose, trying to pull Rose’s attention away from Alana. “Listen to me, Rose. She’s manipulating you, and you’re letting her do it.”
Rose looked at her. “But is she lying? You’d know if she was, wouldn’t you? You always know when people are lying. Do you think she’s being honest?”
Kara looked conflicted. “That’s not the point,” she muttered, frowning.
“Just tell me,” Rose pleaded. “Do you think Alana is telling the truth?”
Kara sighed. “Yes,” she said reluctantly. “But you can’t think about that right now. She’s trying to confuse you, sow distrust, and make you insecure.”
“You see, Rose, one of the keys to controlling your power is giving up control,” Alana explained with an amused smile. “Surrendering to the darkness.”
Rose glanced at Alana, her eyes widening in alarm. “What did you say?”
Alana’s smile deepened. “Ah, you’ve heard that before, haven’t you?”
Rose just stared at Alana, her heart racing, as she tried to figure out how Alana could know that phrase. Perhaps she’d just seen it in Rose’s memories, but that seemed unlikely. Kallias had told her that sorting through subconscious thoughts, like memories, was extremely difficult while the person was conscious.
“So, what will it be?” Alana asked. “Will you help me? Will you give up yourself in exchange for Kara’s freedom? I’ll retract my command, if you do.”
“No,” Kara said pleadingly. “No. Rose, please, don’t do this.”
Rose glanced at her, her brows furrowing. It stunned Rose to see Kara so transparent about her emotions. She suddenly seemed so unlike the playful, enigmatic vampire Rose had come to know over the past several days. Moved by Kara’s pained expression, Rose placed her hand on Kara’s arm, squeezing it comfortingly. She shifted her bright, azure gaze back toward Alana. “I can’t. You’d use me to hurt others, and I can’t allow that. Choose something else.”
“Are we bartering, Rose?” Alana said, her dark blue eyes sparkling with amusement. “I must say: this is foreign for me. I’m used to getting what I want.”
“You must want something else,” Rose said, shrugging. “What is it?”
Alana tilted her head thoughtfully. “Your blood. I want your blood.”
Rose blinked in surprise. “That’s it? And you would let Kara go?”
Kara’s eyes widened. “Rose, if you let her feed from you, she might drain you and kill you. And even if she doesn’t, you’d have a blood bond with her. She would use it to manipulate you. Trust me. I know from experience.”
“Give me your blood, and Kara is free to leave,” Alana told Rose.
Rose didn’t hesitate. She extended her wrist toward Alana. “Deal.”
“No,” Kara said. “She won’t let me fight her, Rose. I can’t protect you.”
“I don’t want you to protect me,” Rose sighed. “You’ve done enough of that. It’s what got you into this situation. Now, it’s my turn to protect you.”
Kara placed both of her hands on Rose’s face, turning Rose’s face toward her, meeting Rose’s gaze with her own. “Please, don’t. If she kills you…”
“If she kills me,” Rose interrupted, “you’ll save the Tomb of Blood.”
“No,” Kara said. “This isn’t worth the risk. I’m not worth the risk.”
Rose covered Kara’s hands with her own. “Yes, you are.”
“Would you two stop?” Alana pouted. “You’re making me jealous.”
Kara dropped her hands to her sides. “I kept your deal, Alana
. You commanded me not to tell anyone where I was. How could I have broken it?”
“You found a loophole. You sent a message with a hint in it that they deciphered,” Alana said. “You don’t get to escape the consequences of your actions, just because you’re clever. You broke our deal. So, I made a new deal.”
“If you hurt her,” Kara growled, “I’ll hurt you.”
Alana sighed sadly, “I remember when you used to be like that for me.”
Kara looked away, her aggressive stance melting into a sad, broken one. “I still am. I’d still kill someone for hurting you. But I won’t let you hurt her.”
Alana smiled, then, slowly, maliciously. She stepped closer to Kara and hissed, “Then, I guess you’d better find another one of your clever loopholes.”
Kara stepped back, her pulse skyrocketing, as she tried to think of a way to save Rose. She watched in horror as Alana returned to Rose, licking her lips.
Rose waited, her hand still extended toward Alana. “Go ahead. Feed.”
Alana glanced down at Rose’s wrist, as if she found it repulsive. “Oh, darling, I don’t feed from the wrist. The blood flow is so annoyingly slow.”
Rose dropped her hand. “Then, where do you feed from? The neck?”
Alana moved closer and then completely stunned Rose by moving her hand between them and dragging her fingernail up Rose’s jean-clad thigh. She smiled as Rose gasped at the sensation. “The femoral artery is quite pleasant.”
Rose grabbed Alana’s wrist to stop her. “You’re not biting my thigh.”
Alana’s smile deepened, and she leaned closer, until her breath fell on Rose’s lips. “What’s wrong? Don’t you like a woman’s head between your legs?”
Rose’s eyes widened. “Are you ever going to stop trying to seduce me?”
Alana giggled. She pulled her hand out of Rose’s grasp and stepped back. “Fine. Since you insist on being such a killjoy, I’ll feed from your neck.”
Rose scowled. “I appreciate your sacrifice,” she muttered sarcastically.
Alana swept her hand out, gesturing toward the floor. “Lie down.”
Rose glanced down at the floor with a frown. “Are you serious?”
“You’re taller than me,” Alana sighed. “Feeding from you neck would feel awkward if we’re standing. It will be more comfortable if you’re lying down.”
“You can’t make the princess uncomfortable,” Kara explained to Rose.
Alana narrowed her eyes at Kara. “No one asked for your input, love.”
Rose rolled her eyes in frustration. “Fine. Whatever,” she grunted.
Alana watched with an amused smile as Rose lay down on the dusty, stone floor. Then, she stepped forward, placing one foot on each side of Rose’s hips, tugging up her tight, lavender dress so that she could spread her legs wider. Then, as Rose stared up at her apprehensively, she lowered herself over Rose, comfortably straddling Rose’s hips. Her thin, silky dress rode up around her waist, leaving her thighs bare against Rose’s hips. Concerned that Rose might try to fight after she started feeding, she pinned Rose’s hands to the floor with her own. She leaned over Rose, her pale blond hair falling around her face, her eyes darkening.
Kara crouched down beside them, her leather pants stretching tight around her muscular thighs. “Alana,” she tried again. “Please…don’t do this.”
“Oh, relax,” Alana scoffed. Her smile deepened. “She’ll love this.”
Rose watched Alana with a resigned expression, even as her heart raced frantically against her chest and fear-induced adrenaline rushed through her veins. A sinking ball of dread weighed down her stomach as she watched Alana’s eyes darken with hunger and her tongue slide hungrily over her razor-sharp fangs. “I don’t think that love is the right word to use. Endure would be more appropriate,” Rose corrected, “since, you know, I don’t actually want you to feed from me.”
“But why not?” Alana asked. “It’s the most pleasant way to die.”
Rose frowned. “Yeah…I’m even less excited about the dying part.”
“Don’t do this,” Kara continued to plead, her cornflower-blue eyes flashing with anxiety as they darted back and forth between Rose and Alana. “Alana, leave her out of this. Please. Let her go, and I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Uh, no,” Rose said, scowling at Kara. “No, you won’t. I won’t let you.”
Alana rolled her eyes. “We already made that deal, Kara. You broke it.”
“Not yet. I haven’t broken it yet,” Kara argued. “Please. Just let her go.”
Alana stared at Kara for a moment, her brows furrowing, as if she couldn’t understand Kara’s change in attitude. “I have never seen you like this.”
Kara swallowed. “I swore to protect her. I can’t let you hurt her.”
“Liar,” Alana hissed. “It’s more than that. I can see it in your thoughts.”
“Regardless,” Kara said, her eyes narrowing, “I can’t let you hurt her.”
Alana leaned toward Kara, her hands still tightly gripping Rose’s wrists. Her dark blue eyes sparkled with amusement as she said, “You can’t stop me.”
Rose gasped as Alana’s fangs suddenly sank into her neck, ripping into the skin, piercing into the artery that pulsed frantically inside her neck. Alana had moved so rapidly that Rose had never noticed her move, but now, Alana’s entire body pressed against her, lying on top of her, Alana’s mouth at her neck, Alana’s pale blonde hair draped around her neck and chest, Alana’s breasts and stomach against hers, Alana’s bare thighs wrapped tightly around her hips. Rose tried to stay in control of her mind, but she could already feel her control slipping, the endorphins flooding into her bloodstream, flooding her with desire and pleasure.
Alana pulled back, blood dripping from her plump, bloodstained lips, overflowing from the corners of her mouth. “Wow,” she breathed, her dark blue eyes wide with wonder. “Kara, you must taste her!” She licked her blood-soaked lips. “She is absolutely delicious! I have never tasted blood this powerful!”
“No, thanks,” Kara growled, a dangerous edge to her voice. Her icy blue eyes flashed with rage. “I prefer to feed from women who actually want it.”
Alana sighed and glanced irritably at Kara. “You’re ruining the mood.”
Kara leaned back on her heels, exhaling shakily, as the sweet, powerful scent of Rose’s blood filled her senses, igniting an intense, fiery hunger inside of her. “She doesn’t really want this, Alana,” she continued, desperately trying to reason with Alana. “You manipulated her into making this decision. Don’t you understand what you’re doing? You’re violating her will, just like people violated yours. Is this what you’ve become? Have you really become what you hated?”
Alana rolled her eyes. “Stop being so melodramatic. She’s enjoying it.”
“No. I’m not,” Rose managed to say, despite the waves of euphoric dizziness that flooded her body. It was true that, physically, she felt great. But her mind was still hers. She still knew what was happening. “I want you to stop.”
Alana’s dark blue eyes shifted back toward Rose, and a cruel smile curled at her lips. “Aww. Don’t you wish you were me?” she taunted. “I always get what I want. And unfortunately for you, what I want right now is to taste you again.”
Rose whimpered as Alana’s fangs sank into her neck again, ripping through the partially healed bite wound, tearing open the skin again. Alana’s mouth felt hot against Rose’s neck as she sucked at the wound, draining the blood from Rose’s body. As the electric-hot desire and mind-numbing pleasure coursed through Rose’s veins, she quickly began to lose the will to fight. She knew, intellectually, that once Alana finished draining her of blood, she’d be powerless, and Alana would most likely kill her. And yet, she couldn’t fight.
Kara raised herself to her full height, then, and took a step backward, as if she were preparing for something. Her light blue eyes flashed with fear, and her chest rose and fell quickly, in time with her fast, shallow b
reathing. “You’re such a coward,” she breathed slowly, almost reluctantly, as if she needed time to consider what she was doing. Hesitancy bled into her voice, and regret burned in her eyes. “You know that she can’t fight against you. That’s the only reason you’re doing this. You would never pick a fight with someone who actually stood a chance against you. That’s why you commanded me not to fight you. You know I would beat you in a fair fight. Because I’m the only one of us with actual skills. Because I’m the only one of us who was anything before becoming a vampire. I was a warrior, and you were nothing but a slave. You are nothing without your telepathic abilities, Alana, just like you were nothing when you were human.”
The only warning that preceded the attack was a harsh, shrieking, animalistic growl that echoed through the room, vibrating against Rose’s throat as Alana suddenly froze. Within less than a second, Alana unfurled her body from around Rose’s body and launched herself at Kara. Kara’s body slammed into the wall with so much speed and force that the block wall caved in, causing concrete and dirt to crumble to the floor, creating a cloud of gray dust that floated around them. An agonized scream escaped Kara’s lips as Alana held her against the wall with one hand and shoved the other hand into Kara’s stomach. Kara’s head fell back against the caved-in wall, and blood spilled from her mouth as she choked on her own blood, her entire body shaking and convulsing.
“You called me a slave,” Alana breathed. “You called me nothing.”
Waves of dizziness washed over Kara as she felt the warm blood spilling over her body, soaking her leather pants. She strained to see Alana through her blurred, shadowy vision, regret twisting at her chest as she saw the pain in Alana’s expression. “I’m a Viking,” she said weakly. “No one plays dirty as well as I do.”
Alana’s dark blue eyes glistened with unshed tears, and the look of betrayal was so clear in her expression that Kara recognized it, even through her clouded vision. “You hurt me,” Alana mumbled. “Why would you hurt me?”
“I had no choice,” Kara said regretfully, still trembling from the pain.
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