“Alain Marchmont. My liege.” Karl gives me a mock bow and smiles, showing his fangs. “What a pleasure to be summoned to see you.” He glances around the empty parking lot towards the newly erected building. “What is this place?”
“None of your concern. We’re here to talk about other things.” My tone is sharp.
He shrugs, then narrows his eyes. “Are there humans near?” He sniffs.
“Do you see any?”
The scent of the feisty redhead lingers in the air, available to only those with the finest scent ability: FBI dogs. Shifters. Vampires, like us. But she’s far away by now, in that clunker of a car.
“I smell one.” He licks his lips. “Fertile and young. A girl. Fine, warm blood. “I thought you brought me a treat.” He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
A chill runs along my spine, thinking about the innocent in the hands of Karl. At his disposal.
“Do you feel you deserve a reward, Karl Gustavus Platt?” I raise a brow and cross my arms. “After what you did?”
I stare him down until he averts his eyes, but it takes a long minute.
“I was only trying to protect myself. I don’t see why you have to question me.” He crosses his arms and glares.
For some reason, Karl seems more powerful than usual—it’s odd.
Vampires change slowly, over time. Like glaciers. But Karl has become different in just the past few months; more conceited and, somehow, more robust. Like he’s bursting with energy.
But I called him here to discuss his behavior, not his demeanor. I frown at him. “What you did. It’s not code.”
He scoffs. “Just because you made up a code doesn’t mean I need to honor it.”
“I made more than the code. I made you.” I step in an inch.
His eyes go wide. He’s still just a brash bully underneath the bluster. I laugh. Partially with relief.
He snarls and leans forward. His breath stinks of rotten things, old dead and recently dead mixed, with the sweet iron tang of blood. Odd—the underscent of blood is refined, delightful—not the kind Karl enjoys. He usually goes for fast and easy.
“How dare you laugh?” His eyes are small and beady now, pellets under his protruding brow.
He has a shelf of a forehead, almost like an awning for the rest of his face. He’s a modern creature now, but he would have been at home in a Holbein painting. “Do you think that because you turned me that you own me?”
“You swore an oath of loyalty to me in return for the gift of eternal life.” I raise a brow.
“It’s been a long time, Alain,” he snaps. “Is there no statue of limitations?”
“Statute,” I correct automatically.
Now he’s embarrassed, and that turns him nearly feral. He hisses and steps in, baring his canines.
I put up a hand, mind racing. Surely, he won’t be foolish enough to attack his creator?
But no: he steps back, breathing hard, eyes glittering. Shiny with rage, like little new buttons in the holes of his sockets.
“Don’t do that again.” I pierce him with my stare. I’m stronger than he is, by far, and more agile. I’m smarter too, and he knows that. I think he hates that part most of all.
He swallows and looks away. “Understood.” His shoulders are taut and his body tense.
“Karl, last week you killed a young woman and her entire family in cold blood for no good reason.”
“They learned who I was.” His voice is flat.
“You could have wiped their minds instead.” The frustration wells up, and the words snap at him, bullets in the air. “The daughter was just eighteen. The boy, ten.” I run a hand through my hair. That was the age of my brother, eons ago, when he was killed.
“She made fun of me.” His voice is bitter. “She said I was ugly.” He giggles, high pitched, a sound that doesn’t match his physique. “Her blood was delicious. I drained her dry.”
He makes a fist and raises it, and the muscles bulge in his biceps and triceps. He has the face of a dullard, but the body of a champion weightlifter. “The second when you suck that last drop of blood? The very last one the body has to give? It’s the sweetest one. Hers was the best I’ve ever had.”
He has a look of bliss on his coarse face. “It almost makes all of this worth the pleasure.” His words roll off his tongue as he waves his hand up and down his body. At mine. His eyes roll back in his head before he seems to remember he’s talking to me. He snaps back into position and shakes his body, as if sloughing off a winter’s sleep.
“We don’t do that.” I snap.
But I remember how it feels to take the last drop, the one infused with the very essence of life. My salivary glands start to produce, and I shut my desire down hard. “We take what we need and leave the host to be.”
He shrugs. “Your rules. Not mine.”
“You know that’s accepted across the globe by the majority of vampires because it keeps us safer. And you swore to me —”
He breaks in. “Who will ever notice a few more dead humans here and there? They’re all going to die someday, anyway.” He leans in, expression earnest. Like he’s the master, and I’m the acolyte.
For a minute as our eyes lock, my mind sways. He’s not wrong about their impending mortality, and when I think about his words, the ancient urges well up.
I take a deep breath. “Why were you even talking to the girl in the first place?” I shake my head, forcing myself not to betray my reactions. To show him that I’m still the stronger of us.
“Maybe I wanted to find a pretty sweetblood for some sex and dinner,” he drawls. “Is that okay with you?” He pauses. “But she wasn’t interested. So I showed her my fangs and threatened her.”
“We don’t kill those who don’t wish to fuck us,” I snarl back. “We definitely don’t tell them our true nature. That’s reserved for the select we can trust.”
“Humans are supposed to be scared of vampires. Do what we tell them.” Now he’s querulous. “But she didn’t. She was a bitch.” His mouth twists. “She deserved what she got. And so did her family.”
“I had to call in favors, Karl. Set it up like arson and fix the body so the coroner wouldn’t find the lack of blood and the broken necks. It was a world of trouble to cover for that.”
And beyond that–it didn’t feel good. It made me sick.
He shrugs. “Isn’t this your job, oh great and gracious father? To look after your offspring?”
I bristle. “It’s all of our job to protect each other. And them.”
Lately, this past century, I’ve come to feel that vampires have a purpose beyond mere existence. I feel it in my gut: We were chosen for a reason, and that is to protect and guide the weaker species. Especially humans.
Oh, I know how that sounds, especially to vampires who’ve lost any touch with humanity save that of the taste for their blood. But I feel it pulsing in my veins: There is a greater purpose for us all.
So far, I haven’t convinced many. Certainly not Karl.
He shifts his stance. “If you’re so concerned with who I drink, why don’t you find me the human that was here before?” He takes a deep inhalation. “What a delightful smell.” He narrows his eyes. “Maybe I’ll go see if I can find her, later.”
Karl has a better sense of smell than most vampires, yet even he can’t track her when she’s already driven miles away. I think.
But I remember the look of ecstasy on his face when he spoke of killing, and the urge to protect the redhead rises up suddenly with a power I can’t resist.
“You’ll do no such thing,” I snarl.
“Want her for yourself?” He smirks. Then his smile fades. He looks at me with an expression of surprise, then a smug knowledge. Like he’s figured something out.
Fuck, I’m usually better at hiding my emotions. How can he tell?
“This has nothing to do with her.” I lower my voice.
“Would it upset you if I took her?” He rubs his hands together. G
iggles.
God, he’s offensive tonight. It’s like he has no fear. And he’s oddly in tune with my emotions—more than usual.
“No more killings, Karl.”
“Fine.” His eyes slide away, and I don’t trust that he means it. “I don’t need her blood, anyway. I can get plenty.” He’s so confident.
He licks his lips and touches his face, where his cheeks glow, red and bright. He’s the epitome of health, in a sick sort of way.
“You look refreshed.” I make my voice sarcastic. But I can’t resist the impulse to dig.
“You have no idea.” He smirks.
“Then tell me.” I stare him down, hoping he’ll want to brag and drop some information.
He laughs. “Don’t you wish I would?” But it’s like he can’t help himself. “Maybe I have a new supply,” he says. “A really good one.”
“Oh?”
He bounces one leg, like he can’t hold back. “You’re not the only one who can do things. Get rich.” He gestures at my lab building. “You think you’re so smart, but I’ve figured a few things out myself.”
“Such as?” I raise my brow.
“Oh, but I’ve said too much.” He smiles, but it isn’t pleasant. “May I go now?” His tone turns obsequious. “I do so hope you’ve forgiven me, my dear creator. My Lord. Oh, maybe I should get down on one knee.”
Karl waits in front of me, obviously loathing me but still beholden to me by the power of his oath. It keeps him there. It makes him stand back a few feet and tilt his head down, even if he doesn’t know he’s doing it.
It brought him here at my summons, even if he’s unpleasant and ugly. It means something to him yet.
And although I know he’s up to no good, I can’t push at this moment. I need more time to figure out what he’s doing.
“Go.” I nod. Karl vibrates in front of me and blurs away without a word.
I’m left with the odor of his mouth, the heavy scent of death overtaking the delicate night odors of creosote and damp earth. But the foulness of his breath carries a spark note of beauty—he has been into some good blood. Really good blood.
That, as well as his attitude, leaves me with a lingering feeling of unease. What is he up to?
I wish I didn’t need to care. But he’s still my responsibility. When you sire a vampire, it’s like giving birth, and forever after, you own the effects of what you created.
I step away from his effluvia into the freshness of a mesquite and create my own contamination by lighting a cigarette.
I take a deep draw, and my mind goes back to that human. I smile as I breathe out the smoke, remembering how her heart sped up when I smiled at her.
Oh, she wanted me, that one.
I contemplate finding her. Bringing her to Club Toxic as my very own sub for the night. Imagine her luscious, nubile body squirming on my lap as I spank her hard, turning her ass pink.
Think about the sounds she’d make when I drive my cock into her pussy and make her come. The feel of that red hair, thick, in my fist. Those tight, pert nipples in my fingers. A nick on her neck, the taste of her sweet, fresh blood. My God.
But then the night would end, as all nights do.
And I’d be left with the responsibility of the human, who would either need to be mind-wiped or brought into the circle of trust—a tedious effort that more often than not ends in a mess.
I already have a human I trust. I can’t risk adding another one to the mix.
And there’s something about this girl…I don’t want to risk wiping her. She’s sassy and smart, and it would be an utter tragedy to ruin something so lovely.
She’s best left alone.
I scowl at myself and toss the cigarette down, and grind it out hard, ensuring that there are no sparks left. I don’t want to start a fire. I’ve been around long enough now to see that global warming is very real, and so is human-related environmental damage.
Human. Ha.
I smile to myself, then pick up the butt from now and the one from earlier.
If I want to find a plaything for Club Toxic, I can pick up a beautiful little subbie in downtown Tucson. There are many vapid little lovelies there who are dying for a taste of the exotic…and I know how to deliver. And then disappear from their lives and their minds afterwards.
But later that morning, before I turn in for the day in the safety of my lair, I tug my cock. Imagine that it’s the redhead’s small fingers, her pretty tight mouth on me.
And when I come with a strangled cry, I see her vision in front of me so clearly that I almost think I’ve summoned her here with the power of my release.
Chapter 3
Bri
“I got a message to call the office?” My heart thuds. It’s Friday afternoon, and instead of feeling excited for the weekend, I’m filled with anxiety.
It’s been five days since my blood draw, and the results are probably in. Usually I get a message to check the patient portal for an email from my doctor. Every time, the anxiety gets worse. Sometimes it seems like I just can’t keep doing this, year after year. It certainly makes it hard to concentrate on anything else.
“Just one minute.” The receptionist is pleasant but impersonal. “Oh, yes. Dr. Su wanted to talk to you.”
“Personally?” Panic hits my nervous system like bird shot.
“Just one minute.” The phone goes mute for a second before I can respond. Then she’s back, and I can hear chatter in the background. “Oh, here it is. You’ll need to repeat your blood work.”
“Was something wrong?” I think I’m going to pass out.
“Just one minute.” She sounds uncertain. “It looks like… Gila Diagnostics lost the results, it says.”
“How do they lose results?” If she says just one minute again, I’m literally going to scream.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have that information. Dr. Su said to call you, so you could reschedule a new blood draw ASAP? And you might need to talk to insurance to approve?”
“Okay.”
“Have a great day!” She hangs up without waiting for a reply.
I take a deep breath to calm my racing heart. It’s okay. It’s not bad news, not yet. But I can’t seem to relax.
“Fuck it.” I grab my phone and call my best friend, K.
It’s a complete relief when I hear her cheerful voice. “Bri Baby! What’s up?”
I hear her girlfriend, Mani, in the background: “Tell her hiiieeee!”
“Ugh. Just freaking out.” I shut my eyes and try to imagine K.’s small face and blonde braids. Her blue eyes. She and Mani are probably twined together on the couch in her front room, watching some kind of history documentary.
“Why?” She sounds concerned. “What happened?”
“The lab lost my blood test results. How does that even fucking happen? Now I need to wait at least another week, maybe two, to find out.”
“Oh, Bri. I’m sure the results will be great. You’re going to be fine.” She answers automatically, and I know she’s only trying to reassure me.
“You can’t know that.” I sound bitchy, but it’s only because I’m anxious.
“Didn’t Dr. Su tell you that she was confident they got it all after the last surgery?”
“Yes, but still. I need the test results to relax.” I bite my lip.
“It’s going to be okay. Wait, don’t you have Gila Diagnostics?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Maybe they lost your results during the break in.”
“What break in?”
“It was on NPR.” Her voice cuts out then comes back in. “Mani, can you move Arthur?” Arthur is her ancient arthritic cat, the one that makes me sneeze every time I visit them.
I smile as the phone clatters, and her voice recedes.
“Okay, I’m back.” Her voice is her usual mix of confidence and confidentiality. She always sounds like she’s about to tell you something important, secret, meant just for you. “Apparently vandals broke into the Gila D
iagnostics testing lab, the one where all the blood vials go. They destroyed a bunch of samples and maybe stole the rest.”
“That’s creepy. Why?”
“You know what’s really weird? And this part wasn’t on the news. My brother said that the security cameras were turned off ahead of time. And nothing important was taken. Not even the expensive testing equipment.”
“Is Peter supposed to tell you stuff like that?”
“Nope.” She laughs. “But he did anyway because it’s weird, and he just wants me to be safe with everything going on. The Night Stalker and all. You know the Stalker’s taken three women, now, right? And still no sign of them. No bodies.”
“Ugh.” I shudder. “They’re about our age, too. They keep talking about it on the news.”
We’re quiet for a minute. “Be careful,” we both say at the same time. Then we laugh.
“Tell your brother to ask the other cops to put us on their do-not-give-a-speeding-ticket list.” I smile. “If he really wants to help.”
“Yeah, I don’t think they have that.” She laughs.
I’m still disturbed by the initial topic. “Who’d break into a lab, leave expensive equipment, and take blood?” I frown.
“I don’t know. Halloween is coming up. Maybe they want real blood for a costume party.” She snorts.
I’m still uneasy about this topic, but it’s more fun to joke than to obsess. “Couldn’t the assholes have waited until I got my results? Then then can smear my blood all over their stupid whore faces.”
“They are whores,” she agrees. “Hey, I have an idea. If they want blood…” she starts to laugh.
I cut in. “They can suck on my fucking tampons!”
She screams with giggles. “You’re so gross. And I was going to say that!”
I hear Mani groan in the background. “You guys are disgusting.” But she’s giggling, too.
“I want to go out tonight. You guys want to meet me at a wine bar or even Starbucks?” I try to dial back the plaintive note in my voice. “We haven’t hung out in a while.”
“Oh, I can’t. I’m so sorry, Bri. Mani and I are going to dinner at her mom’s.” She sounds guilty. “Otherwise, I totally would.”
Her Vampire Temptation (Midnight Doms Book 8) Page 2