Once again, I find her in her bed with books sprawled all around her.
Leaning against the doorframe, I fold my arms in front of my chest and cross my legs at the ankles. “I never pegged you to be a nerd, but you can’t deny it anymore.”
A delicious shade of pink spreads across her cheeks, igniting a raging fire in the pit of my stomach. My mouth waters, but it’s not her blood that I crave now.
“How did the meeting go?” She stands up, drawing my attention to her long, toned legs.
I walk over as slowly as I can, which is an exercise in self-control. Since I met her, it seems I’ve been running at full speed. Without the shadow of the curse hanging over my head, I want to take my time to appreciate every single bit of her.
“Dreadful, but let’s not talk about it now.” I grab her by the waist, pulling her flush against me.
Her smooth, warm body fits perfectly with mine. Something clicks in my chest; the piece that was missing from my heart finally falls into place.
She tilts her head, piercing me with her enigmatic eyes. There’s a slight crease on her forehead, which I want to smooth out.
“You’re frowning. That’s not allowed anymore.”
“How are we going to make this work, Luc? No one can know Rikkon and I are Nightingales.”
“Where is he now?”
“He’s with Cheryl and Karl.” Her eyes fill with sorrow.
I caress her cheek, hoping she knows she can count on me for anything. “I don’t want to see you sad.”
She lets out a shaky breath. “I can’t help it. Rikkon is a junkie now because of me. My mother warned us we would lose our minds if we decided to stay here. But he did anyway, so I wouldn’t be alone.” She drops her gaze to the hollow of my throat. “It’s my fault he’s like that.”
I place my finger under her chin and bring her face up to mine. “No, it isn’t. He made a choice, knowing full well about the consequences. Don’t you dare feel guilty about it.”
“He still doesn’t remember a thing. If the spell gave me awful new memories, it must have done the same to him.”
“We’ll find a way to break it. Now, enough doom and gloom. There will be time to think about our problems tomorrow.”
“What about me? I can’t keep pretending to be a vampire, and you can’t be dating a human.”
“Says who?”
“You’re the prince.”
“And you’re the princess. We’re a perfect match.”
“I’m not a princess anymore. I’m trailer trash.”
Now, it’s my turn to frown. “Don’t say that. You’re not trash. You’re the most precious being I’ve ever met. You’re my soul, the sun to my midnight heart.”
Her blue eyes become brighter. “I never knew you were so poetic.”
My lips curl into a smile. “You bring out the best in me.”
She rises on her tiptoes and kisses my chin. “I think I want to bring out the worst in you now.”
My fangs are on full display, an automatic reaction to my arousal. Vivienne doesn’t flinch or tense; she grabs my face between her hands and kisses me without reservation. When my fangs graze her tongue, she lets out a moan that sends pure libido down my cock, making it harder and bigger, if that’s even possible.
With a possessive groan, I fly us to her bed, falling with her in my arms on top of all her damn books. One hardcover pokes me on my side, but I’m already too lost in Vivienne to care. I don’t want her to be in any discomfort though, so reluctantly, I break the kiss to clear the mattress of everything.
“You know, some of those books are almost as old as we are,” she says.
The corners of my lips tug upward while my hand sneaks under her shirt. “You’re older than me, aren’t you? So, what does that make you? A cougar?”
Her pretty eyes widen. “Hey! I’m not a cou—” She gasps when I pinch one of her nipples.
“You were saying?”
“Oh, do you want to play games?” She unbuttons my jeans and reaches for my shaft.
I hiss when her fingers curl around me, and her thumb rubs my cock’s head. “No games. I just want to fuck you into oblivion.”
Grabbing her wrist, I pull her hand out of my pants.
“Hey!” she protests, but I cut her off with my tongue.
I don’t hold back, giving her a clear idea what I plan to do with her. Impatient to get her out of her clothes, I abandon her lips to leave a trail of open kisses down her body. She arches her back, threading her fingers through my hair. Needing both hands now, I peel off her sweatpants, burying my face between her legs before the pants are completely off. I’m dying for another taste of her, but I want to do every naughty idea in my head all at once because, damn it, she’s so fucking delicious. I reach for her breast with one hand and plunge my fingers inside of her while licking and sucking her clit.
“Lucca, you’re killing me.”
“Never,” I groan.
She yells, spewing dirty words that only make me want her more.
“Fuck.” I get out of bed for one second, long enough to rip my own pants off, and then I’m back between her legs, plunging my cock deep into her heat.
I should slow down, savor this moment longer, but Vivienne is doing everything she can to spur me on. Her knees are up, her legs are trapping me, and her nails are scratching my back. It’s like my savagery has rubbed off on her, and I love it.
“Luc,” she breathes out.
“Yes, darling?”
“I want you to do something for me.” Her eyes are at half-mast, and her cheeks are flushed.
I hope she doesn’t ask me to slow down because that’d be pretty hard.
My balls are tight, and I’m on the verge of release, so all I can muster in response is a groan.
“I don’t want you to be gentle,” she says.
“I didn’t realize I was.” I pull almost out, slamming back in hard the next second, drawing a delicious sound from her lips.
She kisses the corner of my lips and then whispers in my ear, “I want you to bite me.”
I stop moving at once, something I didn’t think was possible. “Vivi, I don’t know if—”
She covers my lips with her finger. “Shh. You broke the curse. You can drink from me without fear. Nightingales are cruel but not tricksters.”
My mouth is salivating, but even so, I hesitate. Vivienne still has the mark of my vicious attack on her neck.
Maybe guessing my thoughts or reading the conflict in my eyes, she offers me her wrist. “I want to know what a vampire love bite feels like. Please?”
Damn it. I can’t really say no when she’s looking at me like that, like a sex goddess who has the sole mission to tempt me.
I take her offer, licking her wrist first without taking my eyes off her. When I move my hips again, like a piston in and out of her, she lets out a throaty moan that shoots my libido to the sky.
This is it—the final test that will confirm if the worst five hundred years of my life are finally over. I bite her soft flesh, and the purest nectar fills my mouth. I couldn’t appreciate the taste of her blood while I was consumed by bloodlust, but now, it’s like I died and went to heaven.
Desire curls around the base of my spine, and then the inevitable happens. The orgasm that hits me feels like a fucking tsunami. It crashes against my body, breaking me into pieces. It sends me tumbling to the bottom of the ocean in a deafening rumble. A moment passes before I realize the noise is my pulse beating away in my ears.
Vivienne cries out, a sound that I want to memorize forever. Her body is shaking, and she’s holding on to me so tightly that she might actually leave bruises behind. I stop drinking from her when the wave of her release recedes and her body relaxes under mine. I lick her wrist again, sealing the wound shut, and then I collapse next to her, spent but never more alive.
42
Vivienne
Three Days Later
I’m staying at Bloodstone Institute for a while, unti
l things calm down. Now that Lucca has killed Boone, tensions are high once more, and it’s possible the Accords and the truce won’t mean a thing for much longer. That means I have to continue pretending to be a vampire, which is not the ideal situation, but at least now, it will be easier. I can store real food in the apartment and have the backup of Lucca’s inner circle. But continuing the training to become a Keeper is definitely out. Ronan, in his mysterious way, says he has something else in mind for me.
Manu is still my roommate. I can’t say we’ve suddenly become besties, but our relationship has definitely improved since I saved Lucca’s life. I’m not sure I’ll ever warm up to her completely. She’s still the vampire who broke my best friend’s heart.
Rikkon is staying with Cheryl at the moment, but he’s coming to Bloodstone in a day or two. It was hard to convince him to take up residency at the institute, but he’s not safe living on his own when Jacques wants me dead. Plus, Rikkon is still without his memories and susceptible to his old vices. There’s no denying we’re related, and we can’t hide that we’re siblings, so that means posing as a vamp is mandatory for him too. We have to drink the magical potion every three weeks to keep up with the charade.
And there’s Vaughn, a brand-new vampire who has no clue about how to live as one. If anyone needs a crash course on vampirism, it’s him. He’s still under King Raphael’s care, and that’s who Lucca and I are going to see now.
I was apprehensive when Lucca told me his uncle, the powerful king of vampires, wanted to meet me. But as we approach his hidden estate, my stomach is a tight ball made out of a thousand knots. My body is shaking, and not even curling my hands into fists or biting the inside of my cheek is helping.
Lucca reaches over and grabs my hand. “Relax, darling. This is just a casual meeting.”
“You don’t understand. My mother cursed you, and with the other Nightingale royals, she damned your race to wither and die. How can I face your uncle?”
“You’re not responsible for your mother’s actions. No one is blaming you for your mother’s sins, much less my uncle.”
Even so, I can’t help feeling the full weight of guilt. Lucca is wrong; I am partially responsible for my mother’s decision to shut the portals. She’s spiteful, and I’m sure my choice to stay in the mortal lands motivated her even more to punish the vampires.
A tall male opens the door for us. Lucca warned me about King Raphael’s familiar, but it’s hard to not let my jaw drop. He’s not only freakishly tall, he’s also built like a mountain. He only spares Lucca one fleeting glance before giving me a scrutinizing once-over.
“So, you’re the Nightingale who saved Lucca’s whiny ass.”
I didn’t expect that comment to come out of the male’s mouth. I quickly glance at Lucca, and his response is a roll of his eyes. Okay then.
“Yes, I’m the one,” I reply, tilting my head up so I can look the familiar straight in the eye.
I’m not afraid of him, bear or not. Only meeting his boss is giving me the shivers.
In another surprising gesture, the male captures me in a bear hug—no pun intended. His arms translate as tree trunks, and I disappear under them.
“Thank you. From the bottom of my heart,” he says.
Lucca clears his throat, prompting the familiar to release me. He fixes his jacket and composure and then steps aside to let us in.
“King Raphael is waiting in his office,” he says.
“Thanks, Mauricio.”
Steering me to the right of the grand staircase, Lucca moves fast, not letting me linger anywhere long enough to inspect the king’s lair. The decor is dark and gothic though. It seems he never got out of the Dark Ages.
My heart has leapfrogged up to my throat, and the loud buzz in my ears is competing with the sounds of our footsteps echoing along the wide hallway.
When Lucca finally stops in front of a thick wooden door, he looks at me. “Ready?”
“No.”
He chuckles. I’d hit him upside the head if he didn’t look so adorable doing that. Now, I’m nervous about meeting his uncle and a little horny.
He leans closer and whispers in my ear, “After we’re done here, I’ll show you my old room. The bed there is wicked good.”
Desire licks my spine, which is mortifying since I bet vampires can notice arousal with their enhanced senses.
“You’re the worst,” I reply.
With a mischievous smirk on his lips, he winks. “I know.”
“Quit your lovebird nonsense and get in here already,” a gruff male voice commands from inside the room.
Shit. Of course King Raphael could hear us.
My face is in flames when we finally enter the king’s office. It’s a large room but not as pompous as I expected it to be. It’s also not quite as dark either. The walls are covered in a light-gray wallpaper, and the thick curtains are off-white. The furniture is all dark wood though and sturdy.
The king is standing in front of one of the windows, gazing outside. He’s a little taller than Lucca and with broader shoulders. I remember him from before my banishment. He had the same coloring as Lucca, but the male with his back to us is gray-haired and familiar.
Son of a bitch.
He’s the vampire who approached me outside of Havoc and gave me the spell. When King Raphael finally turns, my suspicions are confirmed. It was him.
“Hello, Vivienne,” he says.
At once, my nervousness evaporates, and it’s replaced by pure aggravation. “I can’t believe this. You set me up.”
He smiles. “I take it you have gotten over your fear of our kind.”
No, I’m screwing your nephew while I’m still gripped by terror because that’s how I roll. That’s what I want to say, but common sense prevails.
“Obviously,” I reply. “You knew all along I was Queen Maewe’s daughter, didn’t you?”
He steps away from the window, walking closer to us. “I didn’t know you were her daughter. I knew you were a Nightingale though.”
I turn to Lucca. “Did you know this?”
“I only found out right before Boone tried to kill us both.”
“I purposely kept Lucca in the dark. He would have never tried to feed from you if he knew you were a Nightingale.”
“But how did you know?” I ask.
“Since Maewe cursed him, I’ve been searching high and low for someone with Nightingale blood. I was hoping to find a descendant. I had no idea you and your brother had been banished. The rogue mage who sold Rikkon the memory spell led me to you.”
“Did you pay Larsson to kidnap my brother, only to force me to get close to Lucca?”
King Raphael’s attention switches to Lucca for a brief moment. There’s a flash of guilt in his eyes.
“No. I didn’t pay Larsson to kidnap your brother. I offered him a deal to keep your brother alive.”
“Was my mother’s necklace part of your arrangement?” Lucca asks in a low tone.
“Yes.”
The tightness in my chest returns, but it’s worse than before, because now, I remember her and how she died at the hands of my own mother.
“Why? What does that barbarian want with my mother’s necklace?”
King Raphael looks away and walks around his desk. “There are some parts of history that are better left forgotten.”
Lucca lets out a snarl. “Don’t you dare give me one of those enigmatic answers again.”
He whips his face toward Lucca with eyes glowing red and long fangs on full display. “Watch your tone, boy. I am still your king.”
Holy shit. Things escalated fast.
A knock on the door breaks the tense moment. The king’s eyes return to brown before he tells whoever is outside his office to come in.
The king’s familiar enters. “The High Witch is here.”
“Why is Isadora here?” Lucca asks.
“She’s here because I asked her to come. There’s another issue that needs to be addressed as soon as
possible.”
“Is this about Jacques going after your crown?”
“No. Something more pressing than that.”
At once, the memories of my attack by the vampire zombie ghost return. What could be more pressing than a coup besides a vengeful wraith in the bowels of the institute?
“This is about the secret chamber and the ghost I freed from it, isn’t it?” I ask.
“Yes, my dear. But you don’t need to worry about that now. I assume you want to see your friend?”
I know he’s manipulating me, but I do want to see Vaughn. Besides, I doubt he will answer my questions if I press. Not even Lucca can make the guy talk.
“Yeah, I want to see Vaughn. Is it safe now?”
He nods. “He’s over the hump. As a matter of fact, he can return to Bloodstone with you tonight.”
Lucca
The meeting with my uncle was more frustrating than I’d thought it would be. But it doesn’t compare to the painful trip back to the institute with Vaughn in the car, firing questions nonstop. I rub my forehead. I haven’t had a headache in centuries, but I think the male’s incessant chatter will definitely give me one.
When I see the grand building looming in the horizon, I let out a relieved sigh. “Thank heavens.”
Vivienne laughs next to me.
I peel my eyes off the road for a second. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.”
“Wow, this is awesome.” Vaughn sticks his nose against the window. “I feel like I’m Harry Potter when he arrived at Hogwarts.”
“Who?” I ask. I know the name sounds familiar.
“Wait, you don’t know who Harry Potter is?” Vaughn asks.
I glance at Vivi again. “Should I?”
“Dude, there isn’t a person on this planet who doesn’t know who he is,” Vaughn pipes up.
Grinning, Vivienne shakes her head. “Don’t worry. I’ll introduce you to him.”
Okay, now I’m annoyed. It seems my lack of modern knowledge has made me the butt of a joke.
Dark Prince: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Blueblood Vampires Book 1) Page 23