by Chloe Grey
“I’m sorry, Cass. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”
I tried to answer him between sobs, but everything got choked up in my throat.
“You’re not yourself. What you are feeling now, it’s not—” He paused. “—it’s not real. I will fix this. Get you back to normal.”
I nodded into his shoulder, and he hugged me tighter, enveloping me in his rich masculine scent and soothing me with his sex god voice.
Was it true? What I was feeling now, was it not real? I wanted him so bad, it actually hurt.
I didn’t complain as he guided me back to the cave. I didn’t feel cold, the heat within my body still flared, warming me up nicely, like being submerged in a hot tub.
We sat side by side this time, in stoic silence, listening to the crackle of lightning and recalling the life-turning events that happened. How long had I been out? One day? One week?
“You have only been out three hours.”
I frowned at him. “You need to stop reading my mind.”
“I can’t help it.”
“Why?”
“All vampires can read their bond slave’s mind. You’re my first, so I still need to learn how to control it.”
“I’m not a slave, Dave.”
He shrugged. “That’s just the term for it.”
“And three hours? Where’s Logan, Fletcher, my brother?”
“I brought them somewhere safe, don’t worry.”
“And the vampiress?”
His gaze darkened. “She won’t be bothering you again.” A stretch of silence, then he turned towards me, his black V-neck shirt dripping wet and clinging to his hard muscles. “You’re very close to turning fully. We don’t have much time.”
I almost didn’t want to say it, but I had to know.
“When I turn... will I be like Laura?”
“I don’t know, Cass. Let’s not think about that.”
“How are you going to cure me?” I pressed. “No one has ever done it before.”
He nodded. “The King created the bond magic. Only he can undo it. And just in case, we should try it before you fully turn.”
“The King? The Vampire King?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You will see.” Dave stood up and pulled out his phone. It was a brand new Android. He must have ditched his old phone. “We need to go back to the city. We will be meeting him there.”
I frowned, hating that he never explained anything fully. “Meeting who?”
Dave offered me a small smile. “Who do you think? The one everyone has been hunting for all these years. The devil himself.”
Chapter 9
-Cassandra-
We didn’t meet the devil.
The city was surprisingly not far away from the damp cave. I felt full of energy, not even out of breath as we made our way back into urban life.
But that died away quickly as Dave led us away from the heart of the city, away from the vibrant energy that was teeming with all the familiar sounds, and into an old, musty alleyway that was located behind a strip club, just a couple of miles away from home.
A woman in her mid-twenties was waiting for us when we turned a corner. I’d thought that the person we were meeting would prefer anonymity, having a direct connection with him, but she was the complete opposite.
Her striking midnight hair was styled to the max. She wore designer sunglasses to hide her symbolic eyes and a blazing red gown that hugged all her curves. You would be a fool not to notice her.
The woman took off her sunglasses, her violet eyes shining. My instinct kicked in and I reached for the gun that was always attached to my hips, but grabbed nothing but air.
She didn’t seem to take notice of my actions. Her gaze was fixated on Dave. She stepped forward once, then bowed low with elegant grace, before greeting us with a bright smile and a firm voice.
“My Lord. It’s been a while, we—”
“I don’t sense him, Amanda. Where is he?”
I froze. Lord? I looked at Dave, who walked ahead of me, stopping a few feet away from her, his jaw tensed and his body rigid. Lord?
Her smile stayed amiably enough, but her eyes betrayed it. “His Majesty won’t be attending this meeting. You have to understand, it’s for His safety since it‘s well known that you are a bit...” She pursed her glossed lips. “...unpredictable.”
Her attention switched to me, her lips curving to one side. “I see that you finally got yourself a bond slave.” She studied me intently, her gaze sliding over my face, wandering the full length of my body. I fidgeted, but relaxed instantly once she finally returned her attention back to David. “If we knew you had a thing for pink-haired beauties, we’d have sent you those instead.”
“I need to see him. Now.”
“You can talk to Him through me. I am His eyes and His ears, you know that.”
“Don’t play games with me, Amanda. He already won. He got me to do the thing. Where is he?”
Her smile finally faded. “What are you talking about?”
“The assassin,” Dave spat out. “Congrats. How did he know, huh? A risky play, sacrificing an A rank. But I guess it’s all worth it in the end to you guys.”
Amanda shook her head. “I don’t understand. We didn’t send any—”
She lapsed into silence, and I could see Dave was struggling to hold it in, both of his fists clenched up.
Finally, Amanda turned her gaze back to Dave, her expression grim. “Helen Turner arrived here a day ago. We warned her not to, informed her that this was your territory. But she did anyway, she was always a rebel.” A long pause. “What did you do to her?”
Dave remained silent.
She sighed deeply, rubbing her temples. “My Lord, you can’t just go around killing your subjects. A ranks are extremely rare; we have only eight at the moment. Killing one severely weakens our position over the humans. You know this.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have sent her to try to kill my friends then.”
“We didn’t send her,” she snapped. “She came here on her own accord. We kept our end of the deal. His Majesty figured out where you were and kept your peace like He promised to.”
Amanda inhaled deeply, then straightened her spine. “Sorry, my Lord, that was uncalled for. The practised smile returned on her pretty features. “Why did you call for this meeting?”
“I want the bond broken.”
Her violet eyes showed shock. “What?”
“It’s still fresh. She hasn’t fully turned yet.” Dave grabbed my trembling hands without glancing at me, giving a warm squeeze for comfort. “I want her cured.”
“You fully know that the bond is unbreakable.”
“Don’t bullshit me, Amanda.”
“Am I?” She raised an eyebrow. “Listen for my pulse.”
Dave snorted, furrowing his brow. “That doesn't mean anything. You obviously are trained to lie.”
“The bond is unbreakable until death.”
Dave’s jaw tightened, along with his grip on my hand. “This isn’t up for debate. Break it. Now.”
Amanda looked from Dave, to me, to Dave again. “May I ask why? Is she not the right fit for you?”
“She can’t be a part of this. Not her.”
Amanda exhaled. “I’m sorry, my Lord. I really am telling the truth. The bond can't be broken. If you don’t want her, then command her to kill herself.”
David was silent for a while. When he spoke, it was lower than a whisper, and I was only able to pick it out due to my new hearing.
“If you break this bond, I will take Amber back.”
Amanda froze, her violet eyes going wide. “You will?”
“Yes.”
She shook her head. “As much as we would love for you to mate with her Ladyship, we cannot uphold our promise. The bond cannot be broken. I’m sorry.”
“Dave...” I said, my voice startling him. His grip was tightening so hard, it was starti
ng to hurt. I gestured to his hand, and he let me go, his breaths leaving him in short rushes as he muttered an apology.
He turned his attention back to the woman. “You’re bullshitting me.”
She studied our exchange with curiosity. “I’m not, my Lord. I don’t know how I can prove it to you.” The woman pursed her lips, switching her focus to me. “You have a very interesting relationship with your bond slaves. You have not marked Her Ladyship, and you have not marked her either.”
“I’m never going to.”
“You’re going to send her away too?”
“No.”
“Then you will mark her soon enough. No one can resist the pull.”
“Watch me.”
Amanda sighed, her hazel eyes gleaming in a small spot in the sunlight. “May I ask why you are so hesitant to mate? Do you require a more attractive female to please you? She paused. “You can have anybody you want. We just thought her Ladyship’s beauty would be enough to captivate you. ”
Dave narrowed his eyes, taking a step forward. “Where is he, Amanda?”
“Your fathe—”
“Don’t call him that,” Dave snapped, his palm tightening back into a fist, his knuckles white.
“His Majesty,” Amanda corrected, a tight frown on her face, “is not available right now. And what you’re requesting... it cannot be done.”
“Here’s what’s going to happen. You fix her, or I will come for him again.”
“My Lord, you promise—”
“He killed my mother!”
I started, so did Amanda. Dave never talked about his mother. Every time I enquired, he would fall into a sour mood, and so I had learned never to probe anything too personal.
Amanda finally found her voice. “My Lord, that’s not what happened.”
“Fix her.” Dave turned around, walking past me. “Or I will come for him, and this time I won’t hold back.”
“I’M SORRY ABOUT YOUR mother,” I told Dave as we walked towards the main street, sunlight and buzzes of noises greeting us again.
He ignored me, his gaze was set ahead, but not focused; he was bumping shoulders with people, knocking them aside. They glared at him, muttering everything under the sun.
I apologized to them and jogged forward, grabbing his arm. “Dave...”
“Not now, Cass.”
I nodded, understanding, moving my grip down and catching his hand. He didn’t object, and I gave it a small squeeze.
We eventually stopped in front of a luxurious hotel. I thought Dave wanted to take a break or something, but he went in and I was forced to follow, a cool breeze of rich lavender greeting us.
We walked through a lush reception area with cool marble tiles and bright chandeliers hanging from a huge golden dome.
We were going to stay here? There was no way we could afford this. And I looked like a homeless person right now. A homeless wet one.
“Do you have a reservation, sir?” A guy behind the reception asked even before Dave reached him. He eyed me curiously for a second before quickly returning his attention back to Dave, who looked like he belonged anywhere even in just a plain black shirt.
“No.”
“How many rooms?”
I didn’t hear what Dave said because I was busy paying attention to a group of hunters to the far right side of us. I knew they were hunters because I could make out their conversation.
“Don’t worry about them,” Dave said, taking my hand and leading me towards the elevators. Gold elevators. Everything was golden here.
Dave had chosen one of the better suites—a frivolously open space with a touch of modern Italy.
As I kicked off my slippers and walked on the cream-colored carpet, the wool melting in between my toes, I could only wonder where Dave got all his money. We were paid well by commissions, split evenly, but he always seemed to have more than us. He was always flinging money around, always bringing back the most pizza, always the one paying for our night’s out. He even handled the house’s rent.
“Get some sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow,” Dave said as we were settling into the spacious living room. The fancy space was dominated by an enormous stone fireplace. He closed the distance between us, catching me by the hips, and kissed my forehead—something he was very fond of doing. I just squeezed his hand goodbye, desperately not wanting to let go, but eventually we did. I watched Dave make his way to his room, shutting the door behind him.
I went to my own and resigned myself to a long steaming shower in perhaps the grandest bathroom I’ve ever seen. I scrubbed my body, trying to wash the day off. I could still feel his touch on my skin, lingering there like a scorching brand.
Was I dreaming? Dave, a vampire. And the woman called him a ‘lord.’ I didn’t understand anything. I had so many questions swirling in my head, and I desperately wanted them answered.
I thought of my brother, Fletcher, Logan. Dave had said they were fine, and I believed him. Despite everything that had happened today, I believed him. I felt closer to him than ever before, knowing things that he definitely hadn’t told anyone. Maybe it was the ‘bond.’ I still feel the pull, tugging me towards Dave’s room, inserting thoughts in my head that lined up with my very own. Go to his room now, naked, surrender to him, taste his lips. Oh god, those lips.
I turned off the shower and dried off with the towel hanging neatly beside the basin, frowning when I caught my reflection in the mirror.
I was pretty, I knew that. Many men had told me so.
But who was I kidding? Dave could have girls way prettier than me. I’d seen them too—supermodels look-a-likes throwing themselves at him.
What chance did I have if he’d refused even them? And not wanting to kiss me had sealed the deal, disposing whatever hope I’d left. Dave saw me as a sister, his best friend, not a romantic interest—never a romantic interest. I was so naïve to even consider the possibility. Now I knew what it was like to be rejected.
I sighed, finished drying up, then went to bed.
Chapter 10
-Cassandra-
I woke up from a nightmare and entered a worse one.
A pain so intense, so unbearable... It felt like my blood had turned to fire. Invisible flames were licking across my skin, burning me alive.
Sweat poured out of every inch of me. I was breathing hard, my heart a jackhammer in my chest.
I was horny too. Very, very horny. My core was heating up, along with the rest of my body. I slipped my hand in between my thighs, trying to relieve the sensation that was building up so quickly.
Then another heat wave came. An immense throb that came from my sex, radiating throughout my entire body, making me spasm. I tried to scream, but all that came out was a croak. I needed Dave. I didn’t know why, but I needed him inside of me. Now.
I tried to call out for him. Another dry croak. I banged the walls to hopefully wake him up.
Before I could do more, another wave of pain came crashing down, forcing me to lay as still as possible. I curled up into a ball, one hand clutched to my chest, the other rubbing my clit furiously, but it was no use.
I started to cry. The pain. It was too much. Worse than when the vampiresses had punctured my stomach. I was going to die.
I don’t want to die.
“Dave,” I finally managed to get out. Just a throaty, dry whisper. No way he could hear that. I needed to scream. I tried again but nothing came out this time.
A loud sound outside, then my door was flung open, revealing Dave in a black V-neck and grey shorts.
“Cass!” He ran to me, swiping long strands of hair away from my forehead, staring at my eyes with his piercing blues that were filled with worry. “Cass, what happened?”
“I-I don’t know...”
He caressed my cheeks, and placed his other palm on my forehead, checking my temperature. He jerked his hand back and started examining me, looking for injuries, signs of something unusual, then he saw my hand, still frantically rubbing my clit.
<
br /> “You’re horny,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone.
I nodded just as another wave of pain hit me. My voice finally came back to me, and I screamed, tears flooding out of my eyes and falling off my cheeks.
“Fight it, Cass,” Dave said. “Please. Don’t make me do this.”
I nodded, forcing a tight smile, but that quickly dissolved when another shot of pain jolted through my body. I groaned, black spots forming in my vision, everything blurry around me.
“Cass? Cass?” Dave cupped my cheeks, tilting my head to look at him. I tried to respond, but all my muscles had left me. My hand fell limp by my sides. So much pain...
Dave cursed, then did something unthinkable. He slid a finger in my burning sex, then another, spreading me apart and stretching me open. Pulsing them back and forth gently.
My core rippled frantically around him, grasping at his fingers with ravenous greed. The pain started to subside, a little, and I let out a thankful groan.
A third went in my tight confines, and I felt the pad of his thumb rubbing against my clit, making me thrash wildly. Dave held my body still with one hand, fucking me with expert strokes with his other. I moaned and groaned as he pleasured my body into delirium, working on my sex that was so desperate for him.
Oh, god. I forced myself to breathe steadily, but it was impossible. My lungs were burning up, I was feeling dizzy with lust. I am almost there, alm—
I came, my climax hitting me like a tidal wave, rushing over me in powerful spasms, a wash of sensations bursting through my core, echoing through the rest of my body. I could only manage a breathless cry of his name as my hips jerked and my knees weakened, my body wrenching in violent shudders. I had never felt like this from any other man before.
The pain was completely gone now, but the horniness had only subsided a little. Energy came flooding back, seeping into every inch of my skin, filling me up completely.
I sat up, rubbing my temples.
“Are you okay?”