by Amy Robyn
“That’s what you get for trying to touch me you pig.” She tells the disgusting human at her feet. William starts laughing as he comes into the room. I growl at the man and I am close to grabbing him and tearing him apart. The only thing that stops me is the fact that he is already writhing in pain.
“Your mate is quite a woman.” I smile at her and I have to agree. She is a vision with dark hair swinging around her and the can held in front of her as though it were a gun. I put my hands up.
“It’s okay. He will never touch you again.” I tell her as I move in and take the can from her hand. She looks up at me and I see her strength reflected in her unique colored eyes. She takes my breath away. Even if she wasn’t my mate she would still enthrall me with her beauty. I make sure the spray is closed before putting it back into her purse.
“Why don’t you go into the bathroom and wash your hands so that you don’t accidently touch your eyes. I would hate for those beauties to turn red.” She glares at me for a moment. I take it she doesn’t like compliments. What an odd female. Most women eat up any kindness they get. She sighs before looking up at me again.
“Fine, but this doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. You came in here earlier acting weird and then left. I need to know what you know about that.” She points at the image still frozen on the screen. She walks past me and into a small bathroom. I turn to William who watched our exchange. He goes over and pulls the tape out of the recorder.
“I see the angle this was filmed from. I will go find the camera. I will take this with me and make him forget. Is Steven ready to own this place?” He asks me and I tell him that he has a lawyer and everything here and ready.
“God he stinks.” William says as he lifts the sniveling idiot up and carries him from the room. I take a deep breath and release it through my nose as I try to get my heart to stop racing. Maybe it just feels as though it is racing because I am not used to feeling it. Hell it has been nearly a hundred years since I have felt it beat last.
My mate comes out of the bathroom and back into the small room. She notices that the screen is blank and she sees that the machine is open and empty. She glares up at me. She puts her hands on her curvy hips and starts tapping her foot.
“What are you doing here? Where is that creep and where is the tape?” She asks as she continues to look at me as though I am a stain on her perfectly white blouse. Great, my mate doesn’t like me.
“Please take a seat and I will try to explain.” I tell her. She is my mate and I’m allowed to tell her about our existence though I’m unsure if she is ready to hear that humans are not alone in this world.
“Do you believe what was on that tape?” I ask her as I sit down across from her. She looks up at me and again I get lost in the depths of her purple, blue eyes.
“I need to have it authenticated.” She tells me.
“That isn’t answering my question.” I tell her as she continues to look at me. I can feel her appraisal of me and I worry about how she perceives me. I was considered a good looking man when I was human. I hope like hell that she finds me appealing. I know that most women are drawn to vampires because we are made to look good. I do not care about what others think of me though. Only her.
I have black hair that I keep fairly long and tied back in a ponytail. I have emerald green eyes that William says looks like they are on fire when I am angry. I’m not sure about that. I just know that I never cared what people thought of me. Now, I want this woman to desire me.
“I try to keep an open mind but honestly it looked like it was staged.” She tells me and I can tell that she honestly believes that. I wish I could read her mind and know what she is thinking. It would help me tremendously if I could. Unfortunately it is another symptom that occurs when you find your mate. I will be able to read her mind, and she will mine, once we consummate our relationship. Just the thought has moisture leaking out the tip of my cock. I need to control myself. I shake my head.
“What if I told you that it wasn’t staged at all and that the man and woman had no idea they were being recorded.” I ask her. Her eyes get large and her breathing accelerates.
“It would mean that there is such a thing as vampires.” She says under her breath and then starts laughing. Shit, this woman is stubborn. I should have known that my mate would be. A mate is supposed to be our match after all. I do not laugh with her. I just continue to look at her.
“You’re serious?” She says when she sees that my expression never changed.
“I can prove it to you if I know that you aren’t going to panic.” I tell her. She takes a deep breath.
“Okay, I won’t panic.” She tells me and I open my mouth and let my fangs slide out. She watches with wide eyes. She gets up and steps closer. She reaches out with the tip of her finger and touches the sharpened tip of my fang.
“Ouch.” She jerks her finger back and a fat droplet of blood collects at the tip. Before I can think about it, I have her finger in my mouth. Just the drop has me cumming in my pants. I jerk and shiver as I feel the warmth of my fluid fill my jeans. Shit. Not smart, I tell myself. Thank fuck I wore my black jeans. I had no idea that her blood would affect me like that. Her blood is sweet and better than anything I have ever tasted. It gives me as much energy as an entire bag of blood does. Holy shit. The pleasure was exquisite and strong. It took me by surprise.
She pulls her finger from my mouth and I notice her panting and her legs rubbing together. I think it aroused her too, just not quite as much as it did me. I am about to say something when William comes back in the room. I quickly untuck my shirt from my pants, covering the wet spot on the front of my jeans. I should be embarrassed but I’m not.
“Well the owner has signed over the bar to Steven. The money is transferred and he will not remember the tape or meeting with your mate.” He tells me. My mate gasps. I look over at her as she looks between William and me. She is scared now and I do not like it at all.
“There is nothing to be scared of. We will protect you with our life. You’re are my son’s mate. That makes you important to me too.” William tells her and she gasps again. Damn it.
“Mate? What is he talking about?” She looks at me and I am unsure how to answer that question.
“A vampire only has one mate that he can find in his lifetime. Most never find theirs. You’re my mate. The first to be found in centuries.” I tell her and William nods beside me.
“I never met the couple unfortunately they were found by hunters but from what I heard they were very happy together.” William tells her and she turns even paler.
“Hunters?” I groan. William doesn’t seem to be much help here.
“Why don’t we go to the house and discuss this?” I ask her because I can smell that disgusting man’s lust in here and it is making me want to go out there and end him. How dare he touch my mate? It is a good thing she sprayed him with mace before I found him. I would have torn him to pieces.
“I’m not going anywhere with you. All I know about you is that you have fangs and you crave my blood.” She says. Damn, she has a very valid point. I look over at William. His eyebrows are raised and he looks like he wants to laugh.
“She is truly your match.” He says as he starts laughing. I haven’t heard him laugh since Malcom died and it is a welcome sound. I thought I was going to lose him too for a while. I am sure he thought the same thing about me. Malcom was the heart of us and when he was gone it was as though all of the joy in the world went with him. My mate has given us a beautiful gift. She has given us something to be joyful about again.
“Please, come with us. I know you have to be curious about what we can tell you.” I call out the reporter in her. Her natural curiosity should make her want to join us. It’s what makes her a great journalist. She shakes her head and stands up.
“Fine but I am keeping my mace handy.” She tells us and again William laughs.
“I wouldn’t dream of taking it away.” He tells her before we head out of the
small claustrophobic inducing room. William walks further ahead so that we have privacy and I appreciate that. I feel extremely possessive of her. It’s as though a switch has been thrown and I can’t control the urge to claim her. I have never experienced anything like it. It is so visceral and animalistic. I do not like her sharing time with other men, even William. I hope it gets better after we are fully bonded.
We walk outside and she stops at her car. She looks around the parking lot.
“How did you get here?” She asks. I smile at her knowing she isn’t going to like the answer yet it is the only answer I can give her. I refuse to lie to her.
“I ran.” I move toward her so quickly that she lets out a yelp and jumps back. Her eyes grow large as she watches me. Her heart is beating far too fast for my liking.
“Calm, I would never hurt you. I was just showing you that is how I got her. I can outrun any car” I tell her as I cup her cheek. She jerks away from me and steps back. I do not want her to fear me, yet I can’t help but touch her. The need clambering inside of me is dueling with the desire to keep her fear at bay. I make a fist at my sides to keep from touching her.
“I refuse to leave my car.” She says as she sticks out her stubborn chin. She truly is a beautiful woman, especially when she is being brave. To survive in a house full of vampires she will need to be. I would get us our own place but I am committed to training the fledglings.
“I will ride with you.” I open the door for her before darting around to the passenger side. I am in before her door even shuts. She shakes her head.
“Fucking vampire.” She mumbles under her breath and I laugh. She needs to remember we hear really well too. She starts her car and backs it out of the parking space.
“Where to now?” I give her directions. I am glad now that I insisted on paving the road leading to the house. William wanted to make it difficult for the hunters to sneak up on us. I argued that it would also mean more maintenance needed on our vehicles. He finally agreed when I showed him a place to put the road where it wouldn’t be seen well from the road. We will hear the hunters coming because they have always been loud. Heavy feet and vehicles. We have superior senses. I can usually smell them from miles away.
I have her slow down and show her where the turn is. She barely sees it in time and I know that she would have a difficult time returning if I’m not with her. Hopefully we aren’t apart from this day forward but human women are not the most predictable. It will ultimately be her decision. The problem is that I will slowly starve without her feeding me.
Vampires become completely dependent on their mates. That is why they are cherished by their vampire. If that one drop of her blood is what I have to look forward to then I wouldn’t want to go back to what I had been ingesting before her. She is like a steak dinner after having nothing but crackers for years. I felt the strength of it infuse me with only a drop. It will do amazing things with just a swallow. A shiver races through me.
The road winds around and through the forest and between the peeked mountains surrounding us. We are in high elevation and protected by mountains. Though, it seldom gets warm here, it is truly beautiful. It is perfect for vampires. Heat causes us to weaken. It is the reason most vampires only go out at night. Though here we do not have as many problems with that. The heat causes our blood to thin and we have to feed more but we also run the risk of sweating blood in front of humans.
She gasps when she pulls up in front of the house.
“I thought you said it was a house. This is a friggin castle.” She says in awe. I show her where to park and I get out quickly and open the door for her.
“I will never get used to how quickly you move.” She tells me as she shakes her head. I could slow down for her but I’m afraid that the others won’t. I take her hand and she glares down at our clasped hands but doesn’t pull away. I breathe a sigh of relief. It is a small concession yet to me it feels like I won a battle. I have a feeling I have far more to do to win the war for her heart.
Chapter 4.
I look up at what he calls a home and feel as though I have fallen into the unknown. Everything that has happened tonight seems impossible, yet my eyes are seeing it. Hell, I felt it when I touched his fang. I shake that thought away or I will get aroused again. There has to be something in his saliva that causes intense pleasure. Had he suckled my finger one minute longer, and I would have had an orgasm. That would have been humiliating. Though I did get to watch his pleasure.
I shake my head again. I do not need to be remembering this as I am entering his home, where I will be alone with him and the other man… uh vampire. I wouldn’t be having such a difficult time if he wasn’t absolutely gorgeous. Hell, he is everything I have ever fantasized about and more. Too bad he isn’t human. Even William is beautiful in an unusual way. He doesn’t hold a candle to my vampire though. Not mine, Jesus.
“What is your name? I know the other guy’s name because you have said it several times but you never introduced yourself to me.” I am curious about far more than just his name but it is a good start.
“I’m sorry. That was rude of me. My name is Drake Evans.” He says with just a slight European accent. If I had to guess I would say he has lived in England at some point.
“My name is Emily Sanders. Please call me Emmy.” I tell him. Why I asked him to call me the name that only my closest friends call me, I do not know. I guess it’s the way he looks at me. The way my body seems to want to be closer to his. My heart beats faster with just the smell of him. When he touches me I feel lost. I am not sure whether I should embrace this feeling or run as fast as I can. I nearly snort out loud. Yeah, like I could outrun him.
“Emmy.” He says my name as though he wants the feel of it on his tongue. It is very arousing. How am I supposed to keep resisting him when he is so charming? He is also a vampire. I remind myself. I can’t let my guard down no matter how many times he tells me that he would never hurt me. Even when my body is craving his.
I have never had cravings like this. I am no virgin or anything, though my experience is limited. I have never felt my body become this moistened and taut in my life. He makes me want to strip myself bare and beg him to take me. I refuse to ever do anything like that. I would never make myself weak for someone. I would hate making myself vulnerable. I will do whatever is in my power to keep from letting that happen. I am a journalist. I have seen what happens to people that give up their control.
We walk into the castle and I look around in awe. The place is beautiful. It is a little drafty but that is to be expected in a place this old. What really gets to me is that it’s clean, even with these bachelors living in it. It doesn’t seem to have a feminine touch, yet it feels comforting like a home. I can certainly see the charm. Drake takes my hand and leads me through the foyer and into a large dining room where four guys are sitting. They all stare up at me curiously.
One guy stands up and starts backing away. I look up at Drake who is watching the guy.
“Paul, control it.” He growls at him. The guy, Paul, is staring at me and backing away. I recognize him from the tape that guy Neil showed me. I stare at him as he struggles with something, next thing I know I am being grabbed by strong hands. Paul has me pinned to the wall as he sniffs my neck.
“You put one fang in her and I will kill you.” Drake says. He is holding Paul by the neck as he holds me pinned to the wall. I struggle to take a breath, scared to move an inch. My fear is beating at me, though I try to control it. Never show fear to a predator. Paul opens his mouth wide and I watch in horror as his fangs slide down.
“You will be drinking from a straw, if I decide to let you live. RETRACT YOUR FANGS, NOW!” He shouts the last part near Paul’s face. Drake tightens his grip around his neck. William steps forward with a bag of dark fluid. It has to be blood. William rips the top off and fans it near Paul. He reaches for the bag but William steps back.
“Let go of the girl.” William tells him as he again puts the bag under
his nose. Paul releases me and sags against the wall. I take a deep breath as I watch Paul take the bag and starts drinking it down sloppily. I look away. I never could stand the sight of blood.
“Are you alright?” Drake asks with such concern that my snarky reply gets lodged in my throat.
“Yes. He didn’t hurt me. I just couldn’t catch a full breath with the way he held me.” He looks at me as though he doesn’t believe me but his attention shifts to Paul. For the first time I am truly scared though not of my safety. Paul looks over as though he senses the wrath that is upon him. He stumbles backward and nearly falls.
“You tried to harm my mate.” He yells at Paul. Paul starts to shake. Paul looks to William and pleads with his eyes.
“It is up to Drake on whether to punish you or not. It is his mate that was harmed. You know the laws.” William tells Paul.
“It is within my rights to destroy you if I choose to.” Drake tells Paul. I can’t hold back anymore. I step forward and put myself between Paul and Drake. Drake’s brows raise and he gives me a strange look as though to say ‘what the hell are you doing?’
“I take it he is a new vampire?” I ask Drake. He nods his head as he answers.
“Yes, he is a fledgling but he also knows our laws.” He looks back at Paul and his eyes narrow.
“How often has he been around humans?” I ask as I continue to watch both men. I still do not trust Paul, though I do not wish him to die.
“Not often.” His brows pull together.
“What’s your point, love?” He asks. I am not sure I like his pet name but I let it go for now.
“He doesn’t know how to control himself yet. Give him another chance and start taking him to public places more so that he builds up a tolerance to the smell of us.” I tell him. He starts laughing. I shrug my shoulders when William joins Drake. I have no idea what is so funny. I am just glad to have the tension gone. Paul even seems to relax a little.