by L. J. Red
Dana frowned. Break his trust? She didn’t know what Lucian was talking about, but she understood loyalty. “Fine,” she sighed. “But I’m going to have a chat with this Radiance vampire. I want to know who I’m sharing my home with.”
She felt a thrill of satisfaction down the bond. She turned her head and grinned up at Lucian. “Yes,” she said. “Home.” She rested her hand on his chest. “Right here.”
“Good,” Lucian growled, “and I agree,” he continued. “Speak to her. However, I suspect she is not quite the criminal mastermind you are imagining.”
Dana hummed, unconvinced. But Lucian had clearly had enough of the conversation. He dropped a kiss on her bare shoulder, another on her jaw, the next on her lips. The quick kisses turned deeper, delicious heat rising between them, sinking deeper into the bond, their bodies hot every place they touched. Flickers of arousal curled deep in Dana’s core, and a relentless hum of lust scattered her thoughts. She would go see this new vampire tomorrow, she decided. She would make her decision then. Right now, she had something more important to attend to: the virile vampire warrior lying hard and insistent between her legs. She finally let go of the train of the conversation and gave herself over to the delicious feelings rushing within her.
Dana rolled on top of Lucian with a grin, curving her body sinuously against him in a flagrant caress. She wanted him, she needed him. Now. She tilted her hips, offering herself to him wantonly. Lucian growled and gripped her tightly. She drew in a breath and let loose her desire, an explosion of want flowing across the bond.
“God, Dana, you have no idea what you do to me,” he said hoarsely, staring up at her. She shivered at the pure lust in his voice, marveling that he could want her so much that she could feel his naked desire through the bond. She exhaled roughly as the pressure brought her breasts against his chest, her nipples, tight nubs of sensation brushing against his rock-hard muscles.
“Fuck, Lucian, yes,” she gasped as the sheet slid away; their bare skin against each other. She arched back. Lucian ran his rough hands down her soft skin. He was magnificent, the spread of his muscles below her, the dark, seductive craving in his eyes. He gripped her by the hips, his palms searing through her skin, and shifted so that she sank down onto him, penetrating deep into her core. She cried out at the stretch as he moved straight into her, their passion driving them as if it were the first time, hungry for the taste of each other. Her fangs slid into her mouth, slick and hard. She needed this, needed him. She gripped his shoulders tightly and held on, shamelessly urging him deeper, faster, moving frantically against him as pleasure rushed over them both, cascading through the bond, incandescent and staggering in its intensity, until she lost herself to it, spinning dizzily and collapsing against him.
She wasn’t going to give this up, she thought, breathing heavily, her mind hazing in the afterglow. If this new vampire was a threat, Dana would deal with it. The Sanctuary truly was her home; the Shadows, her family, and she’d do whatever it took to protect it.
Chapter 12
There was a knock on the door. Eden, who had only just gotten out of the shower, pulled the towel tighter around her body, staring at the door with a frown. “Um, one minute,” she called. She dropped the smaller towel she’d been using to dry her hair on the back of a chair and walked over to the door, pulling it open a crack. An unfamiliar woman was standing outside. She was tall, easily as tall as Eden, with sharp, clever eyes that missed little and dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. Black t-shirt, black jeans, and a general attitude of—I can kick this door down if you give me a reason.
“Can I help you?” Eden asked, gripping the door a little tighter. The woman glanced up and down, taking in Eden’s state of undress, her dark, wet hair curled about her shoulders.
“I’m Dana,” the woman said, then waited a beat. “Lucian’s mate.”
Eden’s eyes widened. Oh shit. Lucian, as in the head of Shadows? Absolute authority over the Sanctuary, that Lucian? She didn’t know he had a… what had she called it, mate? But the woman’s tough attitude suddenly made a lot more sense. “Why don’t you get some clothes on so we don’t have to have this conversation through the door?”
Eden nodded, pushed the door shut, then scrambled quickly to grab her clothes. Was Dana here to kick her out? Shit, she’d overstayed her welcome. No, Talon had complained about that moment in the gym. No, maybe it was about Hope; oh God, had Hope done something? She hadn’t been policing her sister’s behavior, not wanting to risk another fight. She glanced at the door to Hope’s room. Should she knock on the door, see if Hope was in there? She thought she’d heard her moving about earlier. No, she decided, struggling into her pants and grabbing a red top from the drawer. It would be fine; she didn’t need to bring Hope into whatever this strange vampire wanted from her. Dana had to be a vampire too. She couldn’t imagine the head of the Sanctuary would have anyone but another vampire for a mate.
Finally dressed, her hair still dripping, she pulled the door open and stepped back as Dana stalked in. Dana’s eyes flicked over the room. Eden was sure they missed nothing, and she cringed at the mess, her and Hope’s clothes, all borrowed from the Sanctuary since they’d brought nothing with them, scattered about the place. She’d been intending to clean up after her shower, but she wished she’d done it earlier.
“I wanted to see just who Talon had brought into the Sanctuary,” Dana said, finally looking straight at Eden.
Eden found her back straightening unintentionally, something within her responding to the tone in Dana’s voice. “Eden,” she said, offering her hand abruptly. “Eden Rey. My sister, Hope, came with me.” She nodded toward the other door.
Dana shook her hand. “Human?”
“Hope is yes, but I’m not.”
“No, you’re a vampire,” Dana said, nodding and walking slowly through the room. “A Radiance vampire, I hear.”
Eden frowned. “I guess, but I didn’t know I was part of a Bloodline, didn’t even know they were a thing. I was turned by…” How should she describe him? My ex? My abuser? The man I hate more than anything? “Riker,” she said finally. “He leads—”
“The Vampire Ravagers,” Dana said, spinning to face her again. “Ravagers for short. Yeah, I know. Kai, the Monster of Chicago, he was in charge of Bloodline Radiance here in the city. He turned the first few Ravagers. Between him and Riker, they pretty much created the gang, recruiting from criminals all over the city. Sound about right?” Eden nodded slowly. The Monster of Chicago? The serial killer that had terrorized the city for months? He was the vampire who had turned Riker? She had that monster’s blood in her veins? She was going to be sick.
Dana was still talking. “Kai was Radiance. That makes all the vampires he turned part of Radiance too. Bloodlines are a big deal in the vampire world. Sort of like aristocracy. The elite. Different to low-level vamps, like the vampire guards we have here, or the vamps who live in Chicago, owning businesses and living normal enough lives.” Her eyes narrowed. “Kinda weird them turning you though. You don’t seem like Radiance’s usual recruits, unless you’re a fan of the Ravagers?” She looked at her consideringly with dark, knowing eyes.
“A fan?” Eden pushed down her revulsion at the knowledge of exactly where her vampire curse had come from. “Hell no. Riker killed me and turned me into something I never wanted just to trap me with him. Now I can never go back to my life, my studies. I can’t even go out in daylight without splitting migraines and nausea. Not to mention I’m suddenly in the middle of some vampire turf war I knew nothing about, just on account of the blood in my veins. Why on earth would I be a fan of any of that?”
The hint of a smile appeared on Dana’s lips, and Eden flushed, realizing Dana had been pushing her deliberately. Something shifted between them. Dana’s closed-off body language loosened and Eden got the sense Dana had come to some kind of decision about her. She tilted her head. “On the plus side,” Dana said after a moment, “you can bench-press a truck now.”
Eden stared at her, then suddenly burst out laughing. Dana grinned in response, and Eden noticed how different her face was when she smiled. The strength in her frame became something protective, welcoming, rather than a warning.
“Yeah,” Eden said, when she got her breath back. “I guess that’s a perk.”
Dana walked back toward her. “May gave you the whole ‘you’re welcome to stay as long as you need it’ bit, right?”
“She told Hope, and Hope told me. I had… I was injured.”
“Injured?” Dana’s eyes went serious.
“I’m fine now. Talon took me to Dr. Patil.” She wasn’t thinking about that moment with Talon in the infirmary. Wasn’t thinking about Talon at all. No sir.
“Ah.” Dana’s expression cleared. “Dr. Patil is the best; you’re in good hands.”
“Yeah.” Eden felt a thrill at the thought of Dr. Patil’s knowledge; she’d love to know more about the doctor and her work, but she bit her tongue, not wanting to overstep. She was still a guest here.
Dana’s eyes were measuring. “Is that why he brought you, then? You were injured and needed the vamp doctor?”
“Oh, no,” Eden said, surprised. “He didn’t know I was injured until I got here.”
Dana frowned. “So, look, I don’t mean this as an insult, but Talon isn’t exactly the rescuing kittens kind. Talk me through it.”
Eden frowned as well. Why had he rescued her from Max? Had it been his intention? To rescue her? Or had he just wanted to take out his enemies? Although, that couldn’t be it. That might have explained why he’d been halfway across the city in the first place, but if he’d wanted to take out the vampires at Bloodchase, why lock them inside the club and leave with Hope and herself? “I can’t really explain it,” she said. “Talon, he killed the vampire that was taking me back to Riker.” She remembered again the sheer brutality Talon had unleashed on Max, the shock of it. But now, with distance, she remembered too the gentleness with which he had taken hold of her straight after. It didn’t line up. She’d only known vampires, and men, who turned their violence out on everyone they met indiscriminately. She’d never known anyone like Talon. She realized she’d fallen silent for too long, and shifted her weight, embarrassed. “He just, he wouldn’t take no for an answer,”
“Really,” Dana said, looking at her sharply. “So, he didn’t attack anyone else? Just the vampire with you, and then he demanded you go with him.”
“Yes.”
“Interesting,” Dana said. She gave Eden another look, then seemed to come to a decision. “May and I are meeting in the ballroom. I’ve had a long week at the precinct and May’s had her hands full here at the Sanctuary; we’re gonna cut loose for a few hours, chill. Why don’t you come join us?”
Eden’s eyes widened. Dana wanted to spend time with her? No, surely she was just being polite. “Oh no, I wouldn’t want to—”
“You don’t want to spend time with us?” Dana asked, her eyes sharp and touched with an edge of hurt.
“No, no, it’s not that,” Eden said quickly. “I just… I’m not…”
“You’re one of the few female vampires here in the Sanctuary,” Dana said over her weak protest. “Us girls gotta stick together. Come on.” She took a step forward. “You haven’t seen all that much of us yet. Give us a chance before you make up your mind about the scary Shadows and their mates.” She grinned, her fangs peeking out against her lips.
Dana probably wanted to keep an eye on her, Eden thought. She was an outsider after all; that made more sense. Why would she want to spend time with her really?
Hope chose that moment to exit her room. She pulled up short seeing the stranger in their midst.
“Dana, this is my sister, Hope. Hope, this is Dana, she’s, um…” She trailed off.
“Lucian’s mate, and a Shadow.” She grinned. “Sorta.”
Eden glanced at her. “Does that make May a Shadow as well? Because she’s… at least, I assumed she was Neal’s… um, mate?”
“She is, and yeah, she’s not a warrior, sure, but by Bloodline, she’s a Shadow. You get turned by a vampire of one Bloodline, you become part of that Bloodline, like with yourself and Radiance.” A dark expression flashed across her face and was gone. “Or like the other Shadows. They were already vampires, but Lucian bit them and pretty much created his own Bloodline. It’s to do with strength. Lucian only chooses the strongest to become Shadows. But”—she tilted her head—“I don’t mean physical strength; I mean something more.” She touched her chest. “Something in here, strength of character, honor, loyalty, trust,” she said seriously. Then she laughed. “It’s all a bit mystical and I’m still working it out myself, to be honest.”
Eden smiled back nervously. That sounded nothing like the Ravagers. Riker didn’t care who he turned; he certainly wasn’t looking for honor in his recruits, he just wanted sheer numbers. More and more of them to overwhelm their enemies. She shook off her dark thoughts as Dana, still smiling, turned to Hope. “I was inviting your sister to spend some time with us. You’re welcome to come as well if you like; you must be getting bored cooped up in here.”
Hope shrugged, and Eden could see she was still smarting from their last spat. She didn’t want to deal with an angry Hope, stuck in her room, sniping at her, so, despite her reservations about spending time with the Shadows, she decided it was the better option. “Yeah, of course we’d be happy to spend time with you.”
“Great,” Dana said. “We’re having a dance party.”
“A what?” Eden asked, confused.
Dana strode to the door and gestured for the two Rey sisters to precede her out of it. Eden traded a confused glance with Hope as Dana confidently led them through the Sanctuary. “A dance party,” Dana repeated. “It was May’s idea. A fuck-off dance-off. It’s kind of a fuck Radiance—” She glanced at Eden sharply. “No offense. Fuck the war, forget our troubles and dance thing. I think May is trying to teach Neal how to Lindy Hop. She’s gotten into the whole retro thing since becoming a vamp, but mostly it’s just a chance to let our hair down and relax.”
Hope glanced at Eden. Despite their recent arguments, they were still sisters, and Hope knew Eden wasn’t exactly a fan of parties or dancing. She raised her eyebrows in a silent question and jerked her head subtly back the way they came. Eden shook her head quickly. She didn’t want to risk offending Dana by backing out now. It’d be fine. She wouldn’t have to dance and make a total fool of herself. She could just find a place to sit and watch; that was what she usually did, ever since Riker had told her she danced like a robot in a dress, and had gone on to list everything she was doing wrong to all his cronies. She flinched at the memory of their cruel laughter. Yeah, no. No dancing for her.
Dana led them down a hallway Eden hadn’t explored, into a section of the Sanctuary that was filled with large, well-appointed rooms.
“Radiance used this for their swanky vampire parties, back when they were in charge,” Dana said, catching Eden’s wide-eyed gaze. “But since we put an end to Kai’s excess, they’ve mostly stayed empty. Seemed a shame.” She ran her hand over the edge of a picture frame. “So, we decided to open up a couple of rooms and use them ourselves. No reason we can’t have our own kind of fun too.”
The sound of music, something swinging, with a rolling, foot-tapping beat, grew louder as they approached the wide-open double doors at the end of the hallway. Eden stared in wonder as they entered a vast ballroom, a glittering chandelier hanging over the smooth dance floor, and a line of doors on the far wall leading onto balconies under the night sky. It was a gorgeous, glittering room, and Eden’s breath was caught for a moment by the sheer grandeur of it. Then she caught herself, and feeling like a poor cousin, she dropped her gaze and followed Dana to the corner of the room, where a small group was gathered. Eden recognized May standing with her back to them, moving her hips in time to the beat. She spun to face them as they approached and grinned widely. “Check it out,” she said and pointed t
o the hi-fi system that was belting out the music. “Neal hooked it up for me. Much better than playing off our phones like last time.”
Eden caught sight of the Scottish vampire standing just inside one of the balcony doors. He strode further into the room and, for a second, her heart stopped as she noticed there was another vampire next to him, but then the other vampire came in further, his blond hair catching the light, and Eden recognized him as the tall, pale vampire with the scar that had been there on the night they arrived. Not Talon; he was nowhere to be seen. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed. No, no, she was relieved, of course she was. She didn’t want to be insulted again. Or told to get out. She was relieved, she told herself firmly.
“Much better, I love it,” Dana said, grinning in response to May. “Also, I brought our guests.” And she gestured toward Eden and Hope
“Awesome!” May stepped forward and, before Eden could stop her, tugged them onto the central dance floor. “You want to learn some Lindy steps? It’s super easy.” She began to demonstrate the steps. Hope glanced at the pale vampire and flicked her hair back with a practiced movement, throwing her shoulders back and her chest out. She was quick to pick up the steps, her body moving with effortless grace. Eden didn’t have nearly the same ease. Every movement was jerky, cautious. The music jangled in her ears. She felt like everyone was watching her, like the other vampires were just hiding their laughs behind their hands. She was awful at this. She just wasn’t made for dancing, for the whole “let yourself be free, feel the music” shit. She got more and more embarrassed and frustrated with herself, until finally she gave up, edging out from between the dancers.
She took up position not far from the pale vampire and watched everyone else. May was dancing with Neal, the two of them fitting together so well, despite his bulk and strength and her tiny frame. And Dana… Eden caught her breath; Dana was dancing with a vampire who could only be Lucian. All lethal grace and feline strength, he complemented Dana too, but differently than Neal and May. He was the fire to Dana’s darkness. Both carried themselves with a kind of inner confidence, a predatory, lithe grace that took Eden’s breath away. They spun together, sometimes dancing the steps May had tried to teach Eden, sometimes forgetting the steps entirely and just circling each other, a deep heat in their gazes, their eyes only on each other, despite the others around them.