Deadly Beasts (The Curse of the Rose Book 1)
Page 12
He kept talking but slowly the sounds slipped away as the weight of slumber finally pulled me down.
Chapter Eighteen
The sound of a paper being flicked woke me, I strained my eyes as I awoke to the darkened room. A man sat by the light of the candelabra, reading a paper. I could only see the top of his head, an unruly mop of dark hair. The lower half was like a fashion show for the bad boys life, jeans, biker boots and a black button up shirt. I frowned, wondering if the slender man who was engrossed in the paper was... why did I want to call him spud? Sitting up made me a little woozy, the world around me span a little. I pulled the cover over me as his eyes rose over the top of the paper. Even without seeing his mouth, I could tell he was smiling. His eyes lit up with delight and when he finally dropped the paper to his lap, I could see the full blown smile. It was crazy hot, he had an incredible smile, perfect white teeth. A rough growth of hair adorned his face, I guess he was aiming for a beard though it seemed like a scraggly effort.
“Hey you're awake.”
“Spud?” My frown deepened.
“Now don't you go listening to him, Nick is fine.”
I grinned with a small laugh. “You don't look like a potato.”
“It's more that I have moments of stupidity and someone told me I was a spud and that was it. Now everyone calls me that.”
The paper was tossed to the chair as he rose to walk over to me. He stared at me like I was a peculiar creature, sitting on the edge of the bed near me.
“You are nothing like what everyone is saying you look like. They had you as some burly woman that could swat lycans with a flick of her hand. Surely not this petite woman?” He grinned. “A strong wind could knock you to the ground.”
He scratched at his messy brown hair as he tried to figure me out. Deep green eyes curved over me, assessing me.
“Are you friends with William?”
“Kind of. He's more like our boss. You know, vampires and territories.” He shrugged. “We've been a part of his family for just over two hundred years.”
“How long has he been in this house?” I tried to keep my snooping casual.
“His father built it a long time ago. Things happened and William left, he didn't come back until just before his parents death.” Nick's eyes darted to mine, the sad shrug said it all.
He mourned their death like a son would for any parent. I felt sorry for him and I barely knew him. Though he did seem extremely likeable, he had a presence that was friendly and a little cheeky too.
“He returned about fifty years ago.” Nick looked away as he spoke.
His words were slowly becoming softer, like he was avoiding the subject.
“So are you guys like friends or siblings now?”
“Friends.” He frowned. “Maybe family. Though we have known each other right from the beginning so I suppose we are friends. He did call us friends, didn't he?”
Nick nodded to his own question, I was beginning to think I had competition for the title of the person who talked too much.
“We're right up there on his list of go-to people so I suppose it could be a correct statement. We're not like doing his dirty work or nothing but you know we do on occasions do things that...” He looked at me as he paused. “I'll shut up now.”
I giggled, wondering what kind of dirty work William had him doing.
“Feeding isn't always like this, if you do it again it will be easier.”
Nick passed the glass of water to me for which I was extremely grateful, my mouth was parched again.
“So... you're in William's bed. Are you two, you know?”
I shook my head.
“Still stuck on the wife?”
Rolling my eyes, I earned a chuckle.
“Our little secret.” He winked at me. “I won't tell him though if you get bored of mister stuck so far up his own arse and want some bad boy lovin' you look to me first, okay?”
“Sure.” I grinned.
“I'll rock your world baby.” He grinned back.
“Oh that is so gross spud.” I turned to the woman that was standing at the entry. “Can't you go for a minute without thinking with that thing?”
“Nah.” He playfully swatted the air. “He rules my life.”
Then he proceeded to show me his version of how large he was.
“Don't believe him.” The blonde sauntered over. “I saw the inch worm when we were kids, I've heard the complaints. I'm Martine but everyone calls me Marty.”
Nick huffed as a protest, rolling his eyes at her.
“Hi.” I croaked.
She had the same deep green eyes as Nick, she was by far prettier and a whole lot more refined than he was but the similarities could be easily seen. The same stunning complexion, a gorgeous smile and a happy disposition. She was dressed immaculately in a jade green satin shirt that was dressy and looked expensive. It seemed odd that she would pick black jeans but they worked incredibly well together. Marty kicked off her shoes and sat on the bed near me, crossing her legs as she rummaged through the bag.
“Okay so we've got magazines, better ones than you've got.”
She flashed a wicked grin as she tossed them to the bed. I knew why William hadn't bought magazines like these, not when the front cover had references to stories about how to please your man, how to have an orgasm that will wake the neighbours and the results from an opinion poll about trimming the verge. Nick's eyes widened with a salacious grin, grabbing it off the bed before his sister could stop him.
“How to do a strip tease without the pole.” He laughed. Wicked eyes rose above the magazine looking at me in a way that made me blush. “Step one, get a chair.”
“She's just gone through her first feeding spud, leave her alone.”
He huffed tossing the magazine back. “It's fair game once she's right again.” He nodded once as he looked at her. “He ain't interested so it's open season, right Mary?”
I opened my mouth to respond but Marty got in before I did, her anger flaring for a moment.
“It's not open season.” She hissed. “And the claim hasn't been settled so keep it in your pants.”
“What claim?”
“Oh now you've done it.” Nick snarled. “Go on then, explain away. Better do it fast before he gets back.”
Marty sighed as she momentarily closed her eyes. She turned to me with a soft smile and large doe eyes. “When a human enters a vampires house, the vampire have the right to claim them as a feeder or a lover. It can be refused by the human of course but the vampire can still choose to invoke the claim to stop other vampires from claiming the human. For a claim to be in effect the human has to reside in the house for no less than eight weeks but because William is an elder, he can do it from as little as two weeks. Generally a vampire will do it as a precursor to turning the human into a vampire or as a guarantee for protection. When an elder does it, it creates a bond to the family line that can not be broken by anyone other than the elder. It will hold the human and the vampire together in their emotions, feeling each others presence no matter how far the distance between them.”
“Did William do this to his wife?”
They looked to each other, Martine nodded.
“They were married, her becoming a vampire was already set for the next full moon but then they found out she was pregnant and so they had to wait until after the birth.”
“Did you like her?”
Martine bit her lip as her eyes darted to Nick who let out a pained laugh.
“Of course.”
So that would be a no then. I raised my eyebrow at him, showing my disbelief. He sighed and looked frantically at the door, then turning back to me.
“When you are free from this house, we can tell you more but for now all I would say is be grateful she can't see where you have slept otherwise...”
The front door shutting interrupted Nick's words, he panicked more as he looked to the door. He huffed and turned back.
“Let's just say she g
ives a new meaning to the word bitch.”
Heavy footsteps drew closer, as always William's timing was impeccable. Now I wanted to know more about his wife and I had to wait. Chapter six, patience is a virtue. Or maybe it was a pain in the arse.
William was standing at the doorway with a glow in his eyes as he stared at me, a smile slicked across his face and stupidly, I returned the smile. This was ridiculous. I don't want you Mary, I love my wife Mary but oh, I do love to look at you and smile at you and make you feel all gooey inside. Chapter seven, vampires are arseholes.
“You're awake.”
I nodded, my smile faded as I looked at Nick. His gaze was sympathetic, almost like he could read my thoughts. Maybe he could sense the tension and knew what was waiting. This situation was like a volcano, laying dormant waiting for the opportune moment to erupt into a fiery mess.
“I uh, found salmon something.” He shrugged.
Marty rolled her eyes as she took the plate from him.
“Grilled salmon and veg hun.” She muttered as she passed it over.
“Thanks.” I looked to William with a smile, showing my eternal gratitude for something hot rather than tinned. Something must have entered his mind, the happy man was replaced with a sad one. He nodded with a hollow smile and turned out of the room.
“He couldn't hear us, could he?” I whispered.
“We might have good hearing but not that good.”
“What about mind reading, my thoughts?”
“No.” Nick scoffed.
“It's likely because your in the bed and you know.” Martine shrugged.
“No, I don't, do tell.”
They looked at each other again, whatever this little revelation was, it was huge. Martine got up to the door, turning back to Nick she nodded. He scratched at his beard, a worried furrow pressed into his brow.
“Well Mary, the thing is...” He sighed. “You look like her.”
I gaped at him as my eyes widened.
“How much like her?”
“When I arrived yesterday, I thought she had returned. It's like the two of you were formed from the same cast.”
The piece of salmon in my mouth was too big as I swallowed it, but the revelation of William's wife burned worse than the pain in my throat. The vision wasn't of me, it was of her. She was coming back and it was likely to be soon. All would be well again in his world.
“Though you ain't a bitch.” He muttered. “And even though you two have had some hum dinger of fights, they ain't nothing by comparison. She might have said she loved him but I had my doubts. It was all about becoming the wife of an elder. Do you love him?”
I shrugged as I picked at the salmon, suddenly my appetite was gone. “I think my feelings for him have been tainted by the vision.”
“What vision?” Martine frowned as she whispered.
“I saw what I thought was me, married to him and heavily pregnant but now that you said that she looks like me, it must have been her.”
Nick shook his head as he muttered no repeatedly. “Didn't he tell you? Wouldn't surprise me if he didn't. Visions are always about the person who has it and no one else. If you saw yourself then it is you, not her. If you saw yourself pregnant then that is you.”
“To him?” Marty's eyes were wide and full of hope as she crawled over the bed, closer to me.
“He was kissing the huge stomach, so I guess so. We were talking baby names.”
She sucked in a deep happy breath, grinning like a loon as she excitedly clapped her hands. “It means you're going to become one of us.” She whispered excitedly.
“It also means that the bitch will be permanently dead.” Nick looked to his sister and then back to me. “Because he will not get you pregnant unless you are a vampire and he won't marry you unless she is completely gone.”
Both Martine and Nick got smiles that were dark and wicked, ones that made my skin crawl. They seriously did not like William's dead wife.
Chapter Nineteen
William had returned a few minutes after I had finished my dinner, the topic of conversation was the night ahead. Things weren't going well, Marty was a stubborn creature and for all that William was her master, she liked to argue regardless.
“She needs constant supervision.”
William rolled his eyes as he paced the floor, Marty turned with a wink and a devilish grin and then returned to her determined stance. They were fighting over where I was sleeping tonight.
“Well then you sleep with her.” William snapped.
“Damn it, why did you have to be my sister?” Spud groaned. “That would be totally hot if it wasn't so gross.”
Marty shot him a confused look that was quickly turning into a sneer.
“I'll sleep beside her.” He waggled his eyebrows at me.
“Absolutely not.” William and Marty said in unison.
I grinned at him, not because I thought it was a good idea but because I knew he was only being funny. The only issue was, William saw it and confused the look.
“You two, out.”
Instantly Nick was on his feet, scurrying out the door after Marty, a sombre look on his face as he closed the door. William stalked to the edge of the bed slowly, his face had become distant. I hadn't seen this William in weeks, this was the man that was standing at the door when I arrived, this was the man that stalked me in the entry, this was the man that I feared.
“Mary Arnold you are not to engage in any physical relations with Nicolas Delacroix, do you understand?”
“Excuse me?” I glowered at him. “How dare you dictate to me who I can or can not be with. It is none of your business. You have your wife, you stated quite clearly that you don't want me so back off.”
Before I knew it, the empty plate was smashed against the wall and he had pinned my shoulders to the bed.
“It is my business. You are in my house, you are tempting one of my clan members into a forbidden entanglement. And as for my intentions, I may just change my mind.”
All I could focus on was the fangs, as he spoke they seemed to get longer. It was scary but I couldn't help but be angry at him. I narrowed my eyes with a sneer, all it got me was a chuckle.
“Elders harken to my words, under the laws and regulations inscribed at the dawn of time, I make a claim of this life. I William Lancaster, elder of the Lancaster dynasty claim this life known as Mary Arnold, her fate yet to be determined by me alone.”
I could feel my wrists burn, why I had no clue. I couldn't get up from the bed, nor could I lift them to look at them. William had me pinned, brutally pushing against my shoulders. Bearing his full weight down upon me as the cold and indifferent eyes stared into mine. A dark grin curled into his lips, his head rising ever so slightly, almost triumphantly. He got up from the bed and looked down at me coldly. “Broken only by death or my release.”
“You don't want me.” I whispered. “You said that you can not love me, why did you do this to me?”
Tears rolled down my cheeks as I sat up on the bed. I didn't know the full extent of this claim business but I could figure out a fair amount of it. He had just forbidden Nick to chase me because he was jealous.
“Why?” I screamed at him. “You've got your damned wife, why can't you leave me alone?”
I picked up the blue lantern and threw it at him, annoyingly he moved and I missed. Glass smashed over the wall beside the closed door, tinkling down onto the wood floor only to smash some more. The pillows weren't threatening but they did enough to help my anger, again he moved. Now I was reaching for whatever I could find. The magazines, the bag of crap that Marty had bought. Anything that could be used as a projectile was being hurled at him. I was running out of things, his room was a mess.
“You don't love me, you said so yourself.” I cried as I stood from the bed, backing away from him.
His stoic face had never left me as he continued to stalk me, avoiding the things being thrown at him. I hit the wall behind me, watching as he got closer.
William said nothing, the pain in his eyes said it all. Nick and Marty were right, I looked like his dead wife.
“Don't I?” I screamed.
Still, he said nothing. I tried to push past him but he grabbed me, pulling me back. No amount of pushing him or punching at his chest would stop him. The hysterical sobs, the screaming at him, nothing. Nothing until he pushed me to the wall and kissed me.
Chapter Twenty
Chapter eight of my book, the push and the pull. Push me away with cruel and cold words, indifference to my emotions and my needs only to pull me back with one kiss. But it wasn't just any old kiss, it wasn't sloppy or careless. It was perfection in a heated moment of need. He pressed hard against me, wrapping my legs around his waist. My hand was tangled in the soft strands of his hair, the other on his firm chest. I was too engrossed in the kiss to look at my burning wrists, the pain of the searing heat all but forgotten. His soft lips traced over mine as as the kiss slowed, his eyes were burning with passion. Lifting me from the wall, William carried me to the bed, laying me gently onto it. Those soft lips traced over my neck, slowly moving lower. I gasped as I stared at the ceiling. This was it. I was on the bed, he was hovering over me, etching his way over my chest. His hand tugged at the nightdress, pulling it away slightly to reveal a little more flesh. As his hand cupped over my breast there was a mighty thumping on the door.
“Go away.”
“Can't.” Nick muttered. “We have visitors.”
William's head lifted with a frown as he got up from the bed I got a sympathetic smile. He thumped his way to the door, opening it swiftly.
“At such a late hour?”
“You invoked a claim William.” Nick hissed under his breath. “Of course they are going to turn up.”
“All of them?”
“Apparently they were in town because of the attack and waiting for an invitation to meet the human. They're pretty pissed William, they think that you should have sent the formal request for their attendance within minutes of her arrival here.”