The Seduction of Gretchen: Paranormal Erotic Romance (Anam Céile Chronicles)

by Scarlett, Rosalind

  With Lucius, though he knows how to satisfy the carnal cravings of my body like no man ever has, still I am always left wanting more. Though I hate to admit it, I do believe it is something far beyond physical gratification I crave from him. I now realise that my soul needs him just as much— if not more— than my body!

  Just three days after my glorious night with Lucius, I was granted the night off, for which I was undoubtedly grateful. I really needed the time to myself to contemplate everything— these foreign feelings I had for him. What was this that had afflicted me? Simultaneously I felt restless, giddy, depressed, my stomach churning, my chest full, my head light, my mind overcome. Each day without him seemed like an eternity.

  Tucked away in my chamber contemplating the oddity which I had come to be, I decided to forego my evening meal. I just could not be around other people right now. All of a sudden— after four routine years of life at Sanguelascivia— for the first time I felt out of place, like no one could possibly relate to what I was going through. All of a sudden, to my intense surprise, I found myself wishing I could talk to my mother. Not that I could tell her of such things. I could see it now…

  Dearest Mother, I believe I have fallen in love with this dashing Vampire gentleman who has just given me the most superb sex of my life…

  Sure, that would go over well!

  Still, she was the only person I could think of with whom I could rely on for decent advice, who would have my best interest at heart. But I could never tell her such outrageous things. I certainly was not about to be the one responsible for her breakdown! Besides, she was all the way in Amsterdam, more than thirteen hundred kilometres from Venice.

  Pulling me from my mental meandering, came a sudden rap upon my door. With an exasperated sigh, I rose from my bed and made my way to it.

  It was one of the club’s couriers. “A message from Signora Lucia,” he said, handing me a notecard.

  “Thank you,” I told him as I took it and shut the door.

  Walking back to my bed, I opened the card. Inside the message read: “Gretchen, Your private service has been requested for the evening, commencing at the seven o’clock hour. Please see me as soon as possible for further details— Lucia”

  What? No! It’s my night off! I cannot be requested! Damn right I shall go see her as soon as possible!

  Hastily throwing on a robe, I left my room and marched down to the performer’s lounge to give her a piece of my mind.

  When I opened the door to the lounge, Lucia was right there as though she had been expecting me. “Gretchen, so lovely to see you—”

  The expression upon my face stopped her short. Holding up the note she had sent, I shook it in her face. “What is the meaning of this?” I demanded.

  “Well, as I already indicated in the note, your services have been requested, dear,” she stated, entirely unaffected by my outburst.

  “Who the hell requested me?” I bellowed. “It is my night off!”

  “Well, I thought you would be interested, but I suppose I shall have to inform him that you have declined…” she said, attempting to stir me.

  In was not in the mood to play her games.

  “Just spit it out, Lucia” I ordered. “Who is it?”

  Smirking, she enjoyed making me wait for her answer.

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I scowled at her.

  Finally she spoke, “A Monsieur La Croix… I do believe you have seen him before, no?”

  My heart stopped as I gasped.

  Lucius? He is back to see me already? But it has only been a few days! He must not have returned to Paris yet!

  “Never mind, I will see him!” I told her, trying to keep the eagerness from my voice.

  “I thought you might change your mind…” she said. “Room Three sixteen, Seven O’clock.”

  How she could know anything of my feelings for him, I do not know. No business is it of hers! Could it be that evident on my face?

  Glancing at the clock upon the wall, I saw that it was already half past six. I didn’t have much time. Though I was sure that seeing him so soon again would do nothing to help me sort out my feelings, insane with delight, I turned to head back to my room and do what I could in the short amount of time to ready myself for him.

  Though it was only thirty minutes till I was to be with him, the time seemed to drag by, giving ample opportunity for my stomach to become infested with butterflies once more.

  At last, the time had come. Feeling as though I could scarcely breathe, I made my way to the room in which I was told he would be waiting.

  Lifting my arm to the door, I took a deep breath to steady myself. Before I could even knock upon the door, it opened. There stood Lucius, looking every bit the blonde God he was, wearing a heartbreaking smile upon his beautiful face. For me.

  “Gretchen!” he said enthusiastically, pulling me into his arms.

  “Lucius,” was the only thing I had a chance to murmur before his mouth covered mine in a passionate kiss, filling my head with the scent which drove me crazy.

  When I was able to breathe again, I finished my thought. “Lucius, I am so thrilled to see you again. I… missed you.” I could not believe I let that slip out.

  I was busy worrying about what he might make of my declaration when Lucius burst forth with one of his own. “Then come with me, Gretchen.”

  “Come with you?” I repeated incredulously. “To Paris?”

  “Oui. I want you to come back with me to live with me in my chateau in Paris.”

  My mind was spinning.

  He wants me to live with him… to be his? I have always sworn I would never be part to that arrangement with a Vampire. But that was before I met Lucius… Somehow it all seems different now. Still, could I give up my freedom like that, truly commit myself to another?

  And then, what if he grows tired of me? Then will he just send me back here or would he merely drink me to my death one night? No, I cannot believe Lucius would do that… He is so different from them. And I think I may actually be in love with him. Still, I cannot very well be rash with a decision such as this. It is not all that different from a marriage proposal.

  “Will you allow me some time to consider it?” I entreated him. “Perhaps give you an answer the next time you come to see me?”

  “I apologize, Gretchen, but I haven’t much time. I am to depart momentarily. But I could not seem to get you out of my mind. I could not bring myself to leave without you.”

  What am I to say to that? Should I tell him that he has not left my mind for one second since the day I first saw him? That even when my body was being occupied by another, he was with me in every breath? That I too, cannot imagine being without him, that it hurts me every moment that we are apart? No, I am not ready to make myself vulnerable, to spill my heart like that just yet.

  But can I refuse him? And if I do, will he still continue to call on me?

  “So… you are requesting me to be your blood servant? You wish for us to be bonded?” I confirmed, still unclear. This was completely unexpected.

  “If that is what you wish to call it. Whatever it takes. I just know I cannot live another day apart from you,” he confessed.

  “So then you have spoken to the managers of Sanguelascivia to petition for my release?”

  “No. I see no need to speak to anyone,” Lucius answered bluntly. “You are not a slave, Gretchen, and I will not pay anyone for you. You are a free woman, whether you want to believe it or not. And it is my wish that you will use your free will to choose to come with me. Because you want to, not because you have been bought.”

  Adding fuel to the fire, he said, “When I go, I do not know when I shall return to Venice again. The truth is, Gretchen, I want you for myself and cannot stand to have to watch you being taken by other men. If you refuse me, I simply cannot come back here. My heart cannot take it.”

  His heart? Not return to Venice? Not see him again— feel him again?

  The way my heart wrenched at
the mere thought of it, I knew very well I could not just let him go knowing I would never see him again. I would never forgive myself.

  “Alright, Lucius,” I stated as steadily as I could manage, though my mind was a whirlwind. “Yes, I will come with you.”

  Clutching me by the waist, Lucius kissed me more fervently than before. When he finally let me go, the room was spinning.

  “You must go straightaway and gather your belongings. We need to leave as soon as possible if I am to make it to Paris before sunrise. I will clear you with your employer, if that will ease your mind and meet you out back.”

  “Yes, my Lucius,” I said, leaving him with another brief kiss upon the lips.

  I felt no qualms at all about leaving Sanguelascivia. Quite the contrary, I was most eager to begin this new chapter in my life.

  Chapter Eight

  By horse-drawn coach we travelled to his home in Paris. The journey would take the length of the night. If we were lucky, we would arrive before sunrise so that Lucius could get to safety. If not, we would have to find safe lodging somewhere and resume our trek upon the sun’s next descent. It did not matter to me either way. All that mattered was that he was safe and that we were together.

  The long journey presented us with ample time to talk and get to know one another better than we had been able to do in the confines— not to mention the highly sexually charged atmosphere— of the club. As Lucius was still such an enigma to me, I relished the opportunity.

  “How old are you, Lucius?” I blurted out, unable to hold back my curiosity any longer.

  “That is not a very polite question, Gretchen,” he scolded me teasingly. “After all, never have I concerned myself with your age, now have I?”

  “And why should you?” I asked. “You know that no matter the answer, I am most definitely much younger than you!”

  Affecting the scowl of an old man, he turned towards me to scare me.

  “I am Twenty-two years,” I admitted candidly. “Now, then, it would only be polite for you to divulge yours to me, in turn.”

  Playing into my little game, Lucius sighed. “Very well, Mademoiselle. I am Twenty-six years of age.”

  Rising my brow, I looked at him. “You are not!”

  “I am. And I have not aged a day since!” he jeered.

  “Well, please allow me to rephrase the question then,” I replied, striving not to laugh. “How long have you been a Vampire?”

  “I became an immortal Five-hundred and fourteen years ago,” Lucius stated proudly.

  I just looked at him stunned. “So then you are in total, Five-hundred and forty years old?”

  He nodded his head. “Essentially.”

  “So that means you were born in the year Twelve hundred and twenty?” I confirmed.

  Seeming somewhat astonished by my quick math, Lucius nodded his head.

  “You are a right old man!” I exclaimed in jest, poking him in the side.

  “Well, if it makes a difference, then I shall say you are free to change your mind and return to your place of employment. But then again, you have yet to complain about my virility, now have you?” he pointed out.

  I smiled at him. He knew he had me. Besides, I did not really care how old he was. In fact, I was actually intrigued.

  Taking full advantage of his apparent openness and my curiosity overcoming me, I asked, “How is it you are able to… have this?” My hand went to his groin, gripping his manhood. Delighting me, Lucius sucked in his breath. “In all the time I had been at Sanguelascivia, all the male Vampires I have serviced, never have I known one able to… actually perform.”

  I swore I detected him growl under his breath and immediately presumed it was due to the mentioning of my servicing other male Vampires. After a moment of pause, Lucius answered. “Let us just say that I possess a secret formula donated from a private source.”

  Secret formula? Private source? Well, I don’t really care how he does it, I am just thrilled that he can!

  Impatient to finally know the answers to the questions which had plagued my mind these past few days, I endeavoured to question him further.

  “So, then, tell me… can you father children?” I asked cautiously. Of course, I had immediately thought of this after our previous time together when he had spent himself inside of me without bothering to withdraw. Typically, that would have infuriated me, had it been any other man. But, I was too lost in the moment of the entire thing to care. However, the concern had crept into my mind later, especially when I did not know if I would even see him again.

  “Not that I am aware, Gretchen, no,” Lucius answered tentatively. I thought I could detect a slight regret in his face, which made me realise that meant that I, too, would never have a child, so long as I remained his.

  Nevertheless, I was not about to let trepidations over what might have been spoil what I had now. I was beyond fortunate in so many other ways I would have never even dared to dream of before!

  Caught up in the elation of seeing him again, as well as what I was doing, I could not manage to keep my hands off him.

  “Oh Lucius, let’s make love! Right here, right now!” my lips whispered into his ear, one hand travelling up his thigh, the other down the muscles of his abdomen, both ultimately headed for the same destination.

  A smile erupting across his face, Lucius looked over to me, his eyes gleaming with desire just like the first time I had seen him gazing upon me from the audience. “You know I would love to, Gretchen, but the next time I have you it will be in my bed, so that I may savour the experience without any reason to rush.

  A bit disappointed, but still euphoric just to be with him, with a kiss upon his cheek, I laid my head upon his shoulder, the rocking motion of the carriage swiftly lulling me to sleep.

  The next thing I knew, Lucius was gently jostling me awake. “Gretchen, we have arrived.”

  Peeling my eyes open, I spotted the morning sun nearly peaking over the horizon. At once realising what that meant, I sat straight up and alert, muttering, “Lucius! You must get inside, quick with you!” I was not about to let anything happen to him just because he was concerned with getting me inside.

  He only laughed at me as he stepped out of the carriage and whisked me up into his arms, carrying me towards his home. My eyes adjusting, I gasped as I turned my head to look upon it.

  It was more beautiful than I could have imagined! Set atop gently rolling hills with sweeping views of the valley, his chateau was utterly majestic, appearing as though it had been perfectly preserved in time since the fifteenth century. It was sprawling and white, save for the gilded gold trim, which adorned virtually every turn and corner.

  Carrying me across the threshold as though it were our wedding day, Lucius carefully placed me on my feet just inside the foyer.

  “Are you alright to stand now?” he checked, endearing me to him that much more.

  Smiling sweetly at him, I nodded my head as I looked around, taking it all in.

  The interior was even more elegant than the exterior, if that was possible. The walls were covered with a pale blue jacquard fabric, the baroque trim all white with gold accenting the fine details. Showcased upon its walls were fine art pieces from the past several centuries. It was like a museum! Right before me, the grand sweeping staircase curved gracefully upwards to the open upper floor connecting to the balcony railing.

  I could not even imagine living in a place such as this and here I was about to call it home. It was utterly surreal!

  My face in awe, I turned to Lucius. “So where is our room?” I asked provocatively, the intention of my words all too clear.

  The smile spreading across his lips told me he understood. “Come, I will show you.”

  Grasping my hand within his, Lucius led the way up the stairs and turned down the long corridor. I had to wonder how many rooms this place had. But there would be ample time to discover those inconsequential things later…

  Right now, we had more important matters to at
tend to.

  “Would you prefer mine or yours?” he asked.

  Confused by his question, I stared at him. “We will have separate bed chambers?”

  “But, of course, Madame. No proper lady shares a bed chamber with her husband. However, that does not mean that we are not free to share a bed as often as we wish, whether it be mine or yours. Besides, you will want your own so that you are free to move in and out throughout the day without disturbing me during my required rest. And the last thing, you want to do, my lady, is to disturb a sleeping Vampire.” With that, he gave me a teasing bite upon the neck, sending shivers down me.

  But he did not frighten me. Or was that foolish of me? Should I be concerned for my own safety, sleeping alone in the same house as a Vampire, entirely vulnerable to his every whim and desire? That is simply a risk I shall have to take!

  Mine or his. Hmm… decisions, decisions.

  While I was curious to see what the bedchamber I would now call my own was like, I was more intrigued to see where the man who had captured me spent his time.

  “Take me to your bedchamber, Lucius,” I finally said in answer.

  Flashing a seductive smile at me, he squeezed my hand and walked just a few more steps before stopping in front of a door.

  Turning to me, his tone became more serious as he said, “Just know, Gretchen, that you are the first woman to have the privilege of being invited into my bedchamber.”

  Stifling a laugh, I cocked my head in disbelief as I peered at him. “Nice try, Lucius! You really expect me to believe that?”

  The expression on his face slightly injured, Lucius replied, “Yes, I do, for it is the truth.”

  “Well then, I am a fortunate woman, indeed! Not only have I found the only male Vampire who can have sex, but he is a five hundred year old virgin, as well!”

  “I did not say that I had never had a woman. I just prefer not to bring women here… to my home,” Lucius corrected, a bit perturbed. “Furthermore, I do believe that I was the one who found you, not the other way around, Mademoiselle.”