by Eve Newton
“Hence, why I’m here to apologize,” he says curtly.
“Later. Leave us now,” CK says.
He goes now under his sire’s orders. So much for my authority around here.
I climb out of the bath and grab a towel, drying myself as I go to find my phone. I find it in the sitting room and send a quick text before I turn to find CK standing in just a towel slung low around his hips. Fuck me.
“I think I might be drooling just a little bit at the sight of you,” I tell him with a smile.
He beams at me. “I know I am at the sight of you.”
“Get dressed. There is someone on the way up,” I say.
“Oh, who?” He looks slightly put out.
“I need to feed, baby. I’m starving. Nico is bringing me someone,” I say. Well, I hope he is. I sent him a message and assume he got it.
“Of course,” he says. “I’m still not used to you needing so much blood.”
I smile at him. “Me neither. It’s hard to remember all the time. I think I just need to have someone follow me around all the time,” I joke.
He looks at me seriously. “I could arrange that if it’s what you wanted. I would do anything for you.”
“Oh, no, no! It was a joke. I don’t think I could treat someone that way,” I say, feeling a bit horrible for even joking about it. We get dressed in silence, me in my usual attire, him in casual jeans and t-shirt.
Nico, not even bothering to knock, barges in with a Feeder for me and, looking mighty relieved to find me looking like myself and not gussied up as I was last night, nods briefly and exits. I cast a quick glance at CK with a small smile tugging at my lips and he grunts, “A beast.” I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing out loud.
I take my fill thankfully and feel much better about things. I have to go and find Devon soon to see how he is holding up, but there is one small thing I have to do first. I messaged it to Nico as well, so I see my Feeder out and wait. CK looks at me as I stand there.
“Everything okay?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“What are you up to?” he asks me suspiciously.
I step closer to him and take his hand. “There is something I want you to do.”
“Oh?” He raises his eyebrow at me and asks, “What is that, then?”
With excellent timing, Nico comes back in with a petite green-eyed blonde, who – despite the description – looks nothing like me, thankfully. He leaves and I say calmly to CK, who is glaring at me with undisguised fury, “Feed in front of me.”
“I don’t think so,” he says shortly.
“Yes. I want you to. You owe me.”
“Do I now?”
“You do,” I say with finality.
He flicks his gaze to the woman, who is trying to look nonchalant, but is most definitely not happy with this arrangement. I know this is one of his regular Feeders as that is what I asked Nico to bring, but clearly Sebastian was right. He doesn’t talk to them or even really acknowledge their presence.
“Aefre,” he warns me as I let go of his hand and take hold of the woman instead. I place her in front of him and she lets me, terrified out of her mind now that I am also going to drink from her.
“Do it,” I order him, stepping up close to the woman, sandwiching her in between the two of us. With a final glare at me, he drops his fangs and, gripping her by the shoulders, slowly lowers his mouth to her neck. She gasps at the sharp sting but then relaxes as he starts to suckle. Oh, she is definitely enjoying this more than she should be, and it’s no wonder. I was right about what I said about his effect on the female kind. She would drop her knickers for him in a heartbeat. I lean closer to her and her eyes pop open as she feels my lips softly on hers. I gently push my tongue into her mouth, and she responds to me as I knew she would. CK moves his grip to my shoulders, digging his claws into me since he can’t do it to her, and I gasp at the sting of it. He moves one hand up to the back of my head, keeping me close to her as I kiss her gently.
He releases the bite quickly, having taken a bit too much, and growls low in his throat as he is turned on seeing me like this. I have no idea if he will call it all off or follow through. I’m interested to find out if he was completely truthful about not fucking his Feeders.
Unfortunately, we are interrupted by a loud banging on the door. Ignoring it, I continue my task, but the banging continues. Geez, whoever it is, really wants in. The spell is broken as the woman comes to her senses and pulls away from me. She is the one who gets to the door first and rushes out, pushing past the woman who is standing there in surprise.
She steps inside and I give her a once-over, eyes sweeping from the top of her auburn-haired head, down to her glowing green eyes, down her stunning body to her feet clad in very expensive shoes. She looks very familiar as she closes the door and turns to CK with a winning smile.
“Constantine, my love,” she gushes. “I heard you were in town. Thought you might want to play.” She brushes past me with a dismissive glance and goes to kiss my man firmly on the mouth. I note with absolute fury that he doesn’t push her away.
She is tall with legs up to her ears and as she turns back to me, piercing my eyes with hers that look so familiar, it suddenly comes as no surprise to me when she says, “I assume you are the one who killed my sister?”
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-SIX
“V ivienne,” CK says quietly, “this is Liv. Your Queen. Do well to remember that.”
“Oh, I mean her no harm, Eloise was a first-class bitch. I’m not sad to see her gone,” she says breezily, putting her arm around my sire.
So, Eloise turned her own sister. Interesting. First charge? I assume so. I narrow my eyes at her, liking her about as much as I did her sister, which was more in the region of outright loathing.
Again, she dismisses me and turns to him. “So, how about it?” she says, taking off her coat and flinging it onto the sofa. “I don’t mind sharing,” she says with a backward glance at me. My mouth drops open in shock as I clearly see what is around her neck: a very similar collar to the one I had on just a week ago, minus the diamonds. Gee, I feel special. A little platinum ‘C’ dangles at her throat, marking her as his. I resist the urge to throw up. He sees my reaction and he quickly steps to the side, away from her, his eyes begging me to let him explain. But I’m not sticking around here for explanations.
“I have to go,” I say as forcefully as I can. “I will see you later…maybe,” I spit out, and I beat a hasty retreat, not daring to look back as I hear her stupid, tinkly laugh.
“Alone at last. I have been dying for you to hurt me,” she says harshly.
I run.
I burst into Devon’s suite. Lincoln and Scott look up at me startled. “Everything okay, V.A.?” Lincoln asks quickly. “Did he hurt you?”
“Erm, no. It’s fine. Something else. It’s okay. How’s Devon?” I ask, desperate to change the subject.
“Asleep. He was exhausted,” he replies, not happy with my lack of forthcoming.
I nod and go into the bedroom. I didn’t expect to find him on the bed. Instead, he is curled up on the floor with a pillow propped up under his head. I kneel down and brush his hair off his forehead, taking comfort in him, even as he slumbers.
Well, nothing for me to do here as I glance a look of contempt at Jess. Now might be a good time to sneak off to see Cade. Clearly Constantine is being kept busy, so it’s perfect. I shudder at the thought of him with that woman. He might as well be fucking Eloise. I can’t believe he kept this from me. Arse.
I stand up again, shaking, willing myself to back up there and take back what’s mine, but I don’t. I can’t walk in on him with her. I just can’t. I decide on a whim to change. I swap my black mini and top for a professional black pant suit buttoned up with two buttons and a thin, silky black camisole underneath. I sweep my hair up in a tidy bun and pin it up. I like the look. I look kickass. Business-style kickass. I can’t really pull off scary kickass. I sigh, cursing my swee
t looks. Next time I Shift, I am going hardcore. Maybe more people will take me seriously and my authority won’t be defied.
I stalk back out of the bedroom, feet still clad in my trademark Louboutins, and tell Lincoln and Scott that I’m going to meet Xane. Scott won’t offer to come – which reminds me he had something to tell me – and Lincoln will leave me to it knowing I can handle myself.
I excuse myself and fortunately neither one of them offers to join me. With a quick thought, pushed aside about what my sire is up to, I head downstairs to the still empty conference room. I sit on a table swinging my legs and wait.
He must really be watching me as not five minutes later, there he is, walking towards me, eyes narrowed in caution. He knows he can’t kill me, and he also knows I want to kill him. He should be nervous.
“Still want to kill me?” he says.
“Depends,” I say nonchalantly. “Who was it you killed?”
“It doesn’t matter. He hated you though, so I still think I did you a favor.”
“Hm, I’ll be the judge of that. Make this quick. I can’t say for sure how long until someone comes looking for me.”
He comes to stand in front of me, quite boldly, and looks down at me, still sitting on the table, with those serious gray eyes of his. I stare back up at him, not particularly liking being so short next to him. I focus on his rapidly beating pulse and he steps hastily back.
“Well?” I prompt him.
He blinks and clears his throat. “I have a proposition for you.”
“So, you said on the phone. Get to it.”
He sits next to me, a few feet away and launches into his, quite frankly, bizarre business offer, and catches me completely off guard. I just stare at him momentarily, trying to organize my thoughts.
“I see. It’s interesting. Of all the things, I thought you would say, this wasn’t one of them.”
His smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “Thought I might surprise you.”
“What would your reasons be?” I ask, genuinely interested.
“Those are my own to know.”
“How do I know I can trust you?” I ask.
“You could snap my neck like a twig and yet I trust you,” he says by way of an answer.
“I will think about it.”
“I would expect nothing less,” he says, standing again and turning to face me. I bring my legs up onto the table and raise myself to my knees, so I’m now looking directly into his eyes. This is better. He doesn’t think so as he shifts back a bit. His eyes drop to my mouth and back up to my eyes quickly and I mentally chuckle. He’s wondering what it’s like.
“Have you ever been bitten, Cade? I would imagine in your line of work it must be tricky to avoid, despite your magick blood.”
He sneers at me. “The day I let any of you get your fangs in me is the day I will kill myself.”
“But you don’t mind that I have drunk from you already?” I ask.
“That’s different,” he says shortly.
“How so?”
“A self-inflicted wound that I offered to you.”
“Hm,” I say. He seems to think there is a difference. I put my hands on his shoulders and he tries his best not to flinch under my touch. I drop my fangs and lean in close to his neck, inhaling deeply. “You know I could take you if I wanted to,” I say to him quietly. He remains perfectly still, wary of me like he would any other predator. He says nothing, so I lean even closer and even though I have no intention of biting him – not with the crazy rage that follows suit – I tilt my head to make him think I will.
He has his hand at my throat in a flash. “Try it and we’ll see just how invincible you really are,” he whispers to me.
I giggle at him and retract my fangs, pushing his hand easily from my throat. “You shouldn’t knock it till you’ve tried it,” I say, using the old Devon adage.
“No, thank you. I will not reduce myself to be a source of food,” he says stiffly.
“It’s not just about sustenance, Cade. It is also about pleasure. I can make you feel things you have only ever dreamed about.”
“I would rather shoot myself in the eye than be with one of your kind,” he says insultingly.
I am rather insulted. Jerk.
“Very well,” I say dismissively. “Let me know if you ever change your mind.”
“I can assure you, Mrs. O’Dell, that that will never happen. Think about what I said and get back to me, tomorrow. Your time is running out.”
“Fine. Why do you call me Mrs. O’Dell? Liv will suffice.”
“Someone has to keep reminding you of your wedding vows,” he says as he walks away. “Good day, Mrs. O’Dell.”
I pull my face at his retreating back in a childish move which makes me feel better but glad that no one else was around to see it. Oh, well. I will probably accept his proposal, even though I know the shitstorm it will cause, but mine is the only vote that counts so everyone else can just stuff it. I suppose I’m going to have to slink off to see Xane now and explain that he is about to have a ravenous baby Vampire waking up any time now in his hotel. Christ, I wish I knew how he would react. I know nothing about him.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-SEVEN
I stalk across the casino and up the stairs to his office. I’m stopped by two enormous bodyguards, that must be Demons as they aren’t any other species that I know of. I glare up at them and tell them my name. They let me through without incident, fortunately. It wouldn’t do to stand there like an idiot while they checked to see if I was allowed entry. Most undignified.
“Liv,” Xane says slyly, “I knew you would come to me.” He leans over to give me a kiss on each cheek and I let him but then push him back.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but this is business. Unpleasant business,” I say seriously and his whole demeanor changes.
“What is it?” he says then, all brusque.
I go into my tale of woe about Jess, the stupid skank.
His face goes dark as he frowns. “So, one of you has sired a Vampire in my hotel?”
“I’m afraid so. It was unavoidable.”
“Well, I suppose the alternative wouldn’t have been great for business,” he says ruefully. His eyes suddenly snap up to mine. “Wait. Are you sure?”
“Sure, about what? That she is sired? Yes,” I say curiously.
He shakes his head. “No, it shouldn’t be possible.”
“Why not?”
“The wards. This office is the only place where magick can be conducted. The wards are especially strong and are up all over the building to prevent magick from being used to cheat.”
“But siring isn’t magick,” I say, confused.
“It is in its own little way. It should have failed. Are you sure she isn’t just dead?” he asks again.
“Of course, I’m sure. She isn’t dead. She healed. She’s in transition.”
He frowns again. “Come.” He takes my hand and leads me out of his office.
“Where are we going?”
“I want to see this for myself,” he says curtly.
Okay, don’t believe me then, I think, a bit annoyed.
“By the way,” he adds casually, “you look amazing in that suit.”
“Thanks,” I say, taking the compliment. “So, do you,” I murmur at his seemingly standard black suit and black shirt. It definitely suits his persona.
“Thanks,” he says, pleased.
I practically have to jog to keep up with his long, quick strides across the casino and hotel and once in the elevator, I start to get anxious. What if it did fail somehow? What if she never wakes up? I’ve never heard of a ‘failed turning’ before but maybe it has happened?
We go up in silence and as the doors ding open, he takes my hand again and leads us to the suite, where he just barges in like he owns the place. Oh, well I suppose he does, actually.
“Where is she?” he asks a startled Lincoln as Scott leaps back. Devon is awake at this point as well and points to t
he bedroom. Xane marches us across to the bedroom where he stops and peers down at Jess. The other three are standing behind us, not very pleased that Xane is still holding onto me.
“Corinne!” he suddenly bellows, making me jump, and he turns around as she Teleports into view.
Erm, how the fuck did he do that? Calls her name and she just turns up? I have tried for months to contact her with no joy. I gape at him and vow to get him to tell me how he did that.
“Yes, Xane?” she snaps before she sees me. “Oh, hello, Aefre. So, nice to see you,” she says as she curtsies.
“Corinne,” I say and look from her to Xane and frown. If there are strong wards, how come she can Teleport? In fact, how can any of us? I mention this to him, and he stares at me in surprise. “You can Teleport?”
“Well, no, I don’t Teleport as the older Vampires do, exactly. I call it Astralling. But so far, I’ve done it, Constantine has done it, and so has Sebastian. And I have been able to do everything I normally do.” I am getting more confused by the second here.
“Aefre. You are Queen. The wards don’t affect you. They don’t affect me, as I am the ward setter. As for the rest, I don’t know. It shouldn’t be possible. And this…” she looks down at Jess, “this should have failed. Unless…” she turns to me, “Did you?”
“No, no. It wasn’t me. It was Devon.”
She turns to Devon and he shifts uncomfortably under her scrutiny. “Did you have anything to do with it?” she asks, turning back to me.
“Like what? Only one can sire,” I say, glad that CK isn’t here to hear me say that.
“Did you tell Devon that he had to do it?”
“No, I told him the opposite. I didn’t want him to do it. I offered to do it myself but CK stopped me due to my… unknown status.” All eyes land on me then at that nugget of information.
“I see,” Corinne says. She is silent for a long time and we all just stare at her.
“You sire, your sibling, and your charge? Yes?”
I nod.