by Eve Newton
I stare at him for a moment. “No, it’s not easy in the beginning. But I will teach you. That’s why it’s so important for a sire to stay by their charge in the first years and vice versa. To teach, mentor, help make the transition easier.”
“Will you prepare me? Before, on what to expect?” he asks, almost afraid.
“Oh, my love.” I place my hands on his face. “Of course, I will. I wasn’t planning on just doing it. There are things you need to know about how you will feel, after. I had to learn quickly and the hard way. I won’t put you through that.”
He looks at me, those beautiful, smoky blue eyes gazing at me curiously now. “Will it hurt? Will I know that I’m dying?”
“Dying? No, baby, you won’t be dying. You’ll be transforming. The loss of your blood is for you to shed away from your mortal coil and to ascend to a higher being. And no, it doesn’t hurt. It just feels like you are falling asleep.”
At least that’s what I’ve been told, having been passed out cold myself when CK turned me, I couldn’t say for sure, but I leave that part out.
“How long will it take?” he asks. “The process.”
“The act itself takes a few minutes, the transition can take up to three days depending on the age and strength of the sire, and if it is performed correctly.”
Cole raises his eyebrows. “Correctly?”
“On Holy ground, with a healthy being,” I explain.
“Healthy as in not bleeding to death from a fatal wound?” he asks wryly, and I nod. “Exactly.”
“Will I wake up and go on a killing rampage?” he jokes, but there is a seriousness behind it.
I smile and say, “Not likely. The older and stronger the sire, the more controlled you will be when you wake. I adjusted straight away, as CK was over seventeen hundred years old and an Initial to boot. I come from the strongest bloodline and with a thousand years under my belt, you will be just fine.”
Ever competitive, he asks, “How long did it take Devon?”
“He was ravenous for about two weeks, but I was younger then and…different. It will take you less time to control the cravings,” I reassure him.
“Different? What does that mean?” he asks with a frown.
Hm, well, I suppose he needs to know.
“Erm, I encouraged him to kill to feed. I wasn’t always the restrained creature I am now.” I shrug. “I told you that we eventually had to evolve, but it wasn’t always the case.”
He blanches at my words but seems to accept them. He clears his throat. “I see,” he croaks. There is silence as he processes, then, “Will I get a ring? Like yours and Devon’s?” he asks suddenly, choosing to bypass the killing spree I sent Devon on.
Quite relieved not to have to explain the behavior of young me, I chuckle at his worry. “Yes, my love.”
He looks relieved. “How exactly are they made?”
“I will explain it to you, but can we get out of the bath first? I’m going all pruney,” I pout.
He laughs. “Of course, my love. I could do with another drink.”
“Get one for me too, please?” I ask, and he nods.
I step out of the tub and reach for a towel. Wrapping it around me, I head into the bedroom. Glancing at the clock, it says 5:30 PM, two hours until dinner.
Shedding my towel for a long satin robe, I grab my phone and head into the sitting room.
Cole is at the bar, towel slung low around his hips. My breath catches as I admire him unnoticed. But then my phone buzzes in my hand and the spell is broken, as Cole turns around and sees me. He smiles and walks over to hand me my wine. I smile my thanks and check my phone. My heart thuds as I see a message from CK. I open it, not quite knowing what to expect: “I don’t like him. xoxo.”
I snicker at his words, making Cole raise an eyebrow in question.
I message back: “You don’t like anybody! xoxo.”
I take a sip of wine and wait: “Not true! I like you. xoxo.”
“P.S.: And Nico.”
I grin like a fool knowing we are okay as another message pops up:
“P.P.S.: Will be back tomorrow by lunch, we have much to discuss. Ti amo, mi amore xoxo.”
I message back: “I like you too. I’m glad, see you tomorrow, mi amore. xoxo.”
He sends back the kissey-face emoji and I relax. He must have taken my words about not making this a Holy union seriously and he sees that everything will be fine and remain as it should be.
“Constantine?” Cole asks.
I nod. “Yes. Everything is fine. He’ll be back tomorrow around lunchtime. I hope it will be calmer then.” I sigh.
He folds me into his arms. “Me too. I love you.”
“I love you.”
“So, the rings?” he reminds me.
“Ah, yes.” I lead him out to the terrace, and we sit. I explain about the Faerie Silver.
“Faerie Silver?” Cole’s outburst interrupts me.
“Yes. Vampires aren’t the only supernatural creatures walking around, you know.”
He looks at me knowingly, remembering our conversation on other life forms. “But that’s a story for another time,” I add, resuming my tale.
“So, Constantine gave you a ring. Is his a ring?” he asks when I finish.
“Yes, once I accepted it and he placed it on my thumb, where he has his, it will only ever be able to protect me. They can be crafted to be anything though, a bracelet, necklace. Anything as long as it touches the skin.”
“What happens if you take it off?” he asks.
“If I am standing in the sun, I will burst into a big pile of ash,” I say matter-of-factly.
He blanches. “Oh.” A look of horror then crosses his face. “I nearly took yours off, that day at lunch. Jesus, Liv, I could have killed you!”
I burst out laughing at his horror. “Do you think it would be that easy to take it from me if I didn’t want you to?” I smirk arrogantly.
He looks slightly relieved and says, “No, I don’t suppose it would be.”
I lean over to kiss him quickly and then take a deep glug of wine. All of this talking is making me thirsty. “After I turned Devon, I acquired two. One for him and the other is sitting in a sealed box in my safe room at home and will be yours.”
“So not all Vampires have them?”
I shake my head. “No. Many try but fail to acquire them. Only the top three tiers are even allowed to try.”
“That’s kind of elitist, isn’t it?” he asks.
“That’s one way to look at it, I suppose. We prefer to think of it as ensuring the strong remain strong,” I announce haughtily.
At this point, Devon strolls in unannounced and says, “Ah, the story of the Faerie Silver. A bunch of elitist BS.”
“Thank you!” Cole exclaims. “That’s just what I said.” Devon grins at him, as I stare at the two of them.
“Creepy!” I sing to myself as I go back inside for more wine.
“What’s up with her?” Devon flops into my vacated seat.
I don’t hear the reply as I suddenly realize what time it is. Story time took longer than I thought. I had better get dressed for dinner. I turn back towards the terrace. Cole and Devon are laughing about something and I take a minute to watch them together. I realize that soon we will be a family, the three of us. It chokes me up and catches me by surprise how much I want that for us.
Devon senses my eyes on him and asks, “What’s up, Kitten?”
I shake my head. “Nothing. I’m going to get ready for dinner.” I head to the bedroom feeling content, knowing that Devon is going to be just fine and hopefully Cole will be as well.
A fter I have done my hair and make-up, I start to get ready for going out. I have chosen a tiny black skirt, which swirls when I turn, the highest black Louboutins with red toes and a black corset, handmade in Paris.
Cole grins at me as he watches me dress. It’s simple enough for him to throw on his gear. Not so much for me. I bend over, naked and I hear him c
atch his breath. Smiling to myself, I open the drawer that contains my underwear. Yes, sometimes it has to be done, especially in the instance of short, swirling skirts. Turning with my chosen panties in hand, I see Cole’s face drop slightly in disappointment.
I grin at him. “Don’t look too sad, my love.”
His face lights up as I show him the crotchless knickers. I hand them to him. “Put them on me,” I demand. His eyes darken and he does as I ask. I step delicately into them and he slowly pushes them up my legs, his hands leaving trails of heat in their wake. His fingers lightly brush between my thighs as he finishes his task and pleasure zooms straight there. We jump apart at the loud knock on the door, as I drag on my robe.
“Come in,” I call.
As Devon steps into the room, his Vampire senses go on full alert at the sexual energy charging around the room. Hesitating, he takes a deep breath to regain his composure. “You rang?” he asks sardonically.
“I did, help me?” I pick up the corset and understanding crosses his face. The corset is handmade from black satin complete with whalebones in place, with hundreds of Swarovski crystals sewn across the front and back. It’s an exact replica of the 18th century style with the ties at the back, and therefore impossible to dress oneself, so it requires a second set of hands. Devon is familiar with 18th century corsetry and is skilled at lacing; he always helps me with mine. He takes it from me while I nip into the bathroom to put on my skirt. This is going to be naked enough without me standing there in just my crotchless knickers.
Exiting the bathroom, I stand in front of the mirror, and take off my robe. Cole’s eyes widen in shock that I’m standing there with my tits on show in front of Devon, but then it changes to something else. Something I can’t quite place but I want to say desire. I catch his eye in the mirror. “Devon is skilled at lacing. Unless you want to have a go?” I ask him with a soft smile.
Narrowing his eyes at me, he huffs out a breath and shakes his head. “Don’t think it’s in my bag of tricks,” he comments.
“Okay. Devon?”
Devon steps up behind me and places the corset in front of me, pulling it close to my skin. I position my breasts where they should be and release them as Devon pulls it tighter to me. I hold it in place as he grabs the laces on either end and pulls the sides together at the back. His fingers just skim my skin and I see his eyes darken in the mirror. Pulling tight on the top hooks, he slowly starts to crisscross the laces into the hooks, pulling tight, deliberately making this look sexy as hell. I flex my shoulders in protest.
“Be still,” he murmurs softly and carries on with his work.
Seconds later, he ties it off at the bottom with a flourish. He places his hands on my hips and turns me to face him. With his trademark smirk in place to hide his desire, he adjusts the top skimming his agile fingers over the tops of my breasts, now pushed into two luscious mounds by the whalebones. Trailing his hands down my sides to adjust the bottom, he smiles a sexy, predatory smile, “You’re done,” he says and steps back. I let out the breath I was holding and shoot a quick glance at Cole, who is staring at us with what is now, definitely, desire. I quickly step back as well, as I don’t think now is the right time to push this issue.
“Thank you,” I say loudly.
“You are welcome,” Devon says, that sexy smile still in place.
Turning my attention to Cole, who has now adjusted his features into a more neutral expression, I hold out my arms to the side and cock my hip. “What do you think?” I ask.
Cole stares at me for a few moments. He clears his throat and steps towards me, saying, “You look beautiful.” He pulls me to him in a deep, possessive kiss that makes me smile inwardly.
Pulling away, he turns to Devon. “I look forward to undoing your handiwork later,” he says with a smile on his handsome face. Curious though, he asks, “Where did you learn how to do that with such ease?”
Devon looks taken aback for a microsecond before answering in his usual offhand manner. “Elizabeth taught me,” he says, catching me off guard. “She was a good teacher,” he adds softly.
Cole, knowing that he means me, nods swiftly and turns back to me. “Time to go?” he asks briskly.
I bob my head in response.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
A fter dinner, Cole is eager to resume his Q & A of Vampire knowledge. I am eager to share, as he seems so enthusiastic.
“What else?” I ask.
He hesitates and I know something bad is coming. “I need to know more about this sire and charge relationship. It’s complex, yeah?”
I sigh. “Yes. Which do you want to know of first?”
“Charge and sire,” he says.
“Well, my relationship with CK is very, very complicated. When he first turned me, I was naïve and innocent, and I was madly in love with him. He found me at a very vulnerable time in my life and he was everything I ever wanted. He loved me and took care of me. But things ended badly after a century of being together. After many years apart, we found each other again through a major hardship and we were together for centuries, but again, it ended badly, and we have been on and off since then. It’s no one’s fault, just circumstance, but I love him completely as he is my savior. You have to understand that he will always be a major factor in my life, as I will be with him. I will never be able to turn my back on him. I need him in ways that you won’t understand until you are one of us.”
He nods grimly. “And sire to charge?”
“Well, that is even more complicated in this situation. Devon is my only living charge. He means everything to me. If you want to be with me, you will have to accept our bond. We will always be together. He’s not going anywhere,” I say impassioned, hoping he will understand.
He nods his acceptance, albeit reluctantly. I am hoping he will fully understand this once I have turned him.
“What will I feel for you after you turn me?” he asks.
“You will love me just as you do right now. It will be more intense, a feeling of need other than want, but you need to be able to separate the feelings. I need you to be able to recognize that you want me, not just need me.”
“Why did you choose Devon over Constantine?” he asks suddenly.
This unbelievably insightful question catches me off guard and I frown. “Is that what you think happened?” I ask tentatively.
“Yes,” he states.
“Hm.” I don’t really know how to answer that. “Before I answer, why don’t you tell me why you think that.”
“Well, you have only ever mentioned one time when he wasn’t with you in over five hundred years, and yet, you and Constantine seem to have been apart for most of your thousand years. Did you choose to be a sire over being a charge?”
“Hm, impressive deductions,” I say, a bit annoyed. “But no, in truth, I didn’t. Not by choice. I had to move on and like it or lump it, as the saying goes.”
“I don’t get that. He loves you. It’s obvious! Why did you feel you had to leave?” Cole presses with a conviction that I could really do without right now.
“Does it matter?” I ask, frustrated. “He betrayed me. Let's just leave it at that.” I sigh.
“Fine, but in light of that, what’s to say you won’t betray me?” he asks.
“What? You think I would?” I ask incredulously.
“I don’t know,” he says, exasperated. “I have no idea! That’s why I need to ask these questions, Liv,” he says at a loss.
“Okay, me and CK, well, let’s just say he has a hot temper and the tendency to jump to conclusions along with the pride to not back down. And well, the same can be said about me. If I had stayed and asked at the time what it meant, I may never have left in 1112. Who knows what would have happened after that?”
“What did happen?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Yeah, Liv, it does to me. I need to know so I can prevent the same thing happening to us. Do you understand that?” he asks me seriously.
“So, tell me. What happened?"
Tuscany, Italy 1112 - Aefre
I loved being here in his castle. He had many dwellings, but this one was his real home. He loved it here. He was totally at ease here in Tuscany. The Council members lived in Rome, but he refused, saying he wanted to stay here. I loved his dominance and authority. It was very arousing. But then again, he just in himself was arousing. I loved him so much, I could die happily in his arms. He had many admirers and I knew at this point that he had many lovers. It hurt me beyond anything I could say, but he said it was of no consequence. A Vampire’s nature was to enjoy everything life had to offer, to embrace it. I was not so sure. How did I manage to love only him completely, and yet he couldn’t do the same? He said I was his favorite and only I was allowed to drink from him, but I didn’t know. I didn’t think he was being truthful. I knew what it did to him when I drank from him, who was to say he didn’t want that feeling from others? He was so much older than me and so much more experienced and worldly. I felt like a small child next to him. I knew that he took Vampire lovers who were older than me and it killed me.
One night, he came to me and took me with such abandon, telling me he loved me and only me. I wanted to believe him. I asked him hesitantly if he would show his commitment. He readily agreed to my utmost joy. I asked him if he would give me a ring to show his promise.
“Soon,” he said.
I believed him, but it never came.
I held on to the hope that one day he would marry me. He said he turned me so he could love me forever, but I wondered what that really meant.
O ne evening, a few months later, having expected him in my bed chamber some time ago, I went off in search of him. The servants said he was up in the bedrooms on the right wing. My heart dropped as I followed their instructions and went in search of my love. I felt the now familiar tingle down the back of my neck as I got close to him and peeked through the door as I sensed him. I saw him laughing with Eloise! That bitch. He said he had nothing to do with her, that he hated her, and yet there he was with her. He was half naked and glowing.