by Sophie Stern
Colin rose and threw Norman off of me. The two of them started screaming at each other, but I just reached for my neck, gasping for breath. Okay, I definitely shouldn’t have taunted the vampire. That was a bad, bad choice. Someone like Norman should never be taunted by someone like me. I was wildly human, I knew. I was weak. I didn’t know how to fight.
“Get out!” Colin screamed. “Leave this place! You are no longer welcome.” Colin had tried to be patient with his brother. I knew that. He’d let Norman stay past his welcome, which, to be fair, wasn’t very long at all.
“Fine,” Norman snapped. “This visit has been terrible, anyway.” Norman sounded a little bit like a toddler who wasn’t allowed to have extra dessert. I don’t even like stupid chocolate cake, anyway!
“I never want to see you again,” Colin told his brother decisively.
“The feeling is mutual,” he said. Norman sneered at me and pointed at me. “This is all your fault,” he said. I didn’t want to upset him anymore, so I didn’t say anything else. Instead, I just sat there, trying not to look weak and broken.
“The sun is rising,” Colin said. “I’m not a monster. You can stay until nightfall, but then you need to leave. Stay in your quarters until then.”
“Of course.”
Norman left without another word, and I just sat there on the couch with Colin. My heart was racing, and my body hurt. I felt weak and stupid and silly. I shouldn’t have let him get so close to me. I hadn’t been careful enough, and Norman had gotten the jump on me.
“I’m sorry he hurt you,” he said.
“It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine.”
“I deserve it,” I whispered.
“Nobody deserves to be hurt,” he said. “Nobody.”
“I’m sorry I egged him on,” I whispered. I knew that I had. I’d gone overboard for no good reason except that I had wanted to show off how brave and strong and independent I was. That was pretty bad, to be honest.
“I like a sassy girl,” Colin said, stroking my cheek.
“A sassy girl?”
“Yes,” he said.
“Well, then I guess it’s a good thing I’m a little bit sassy,” I told him. “Because I like you, too.”
I hadn’t meant to say it. It had just sort of slipped out. I liked him. A lot. He was fun and interesting and smart, and he knew so much about the world of vampires. I understood that he was a busy man. He was independent and he was strong and wild. He had his hands full running Darkvale, but he still made time to take care of his team and the vamps who lived with him.
He was a good man.
He talked a big game and acted all scary and menacing, but I’d seen a lot over the past couple of days that told me just how not bad he was. For one thing, he was always saying “please” and “thank you” to the other vampires. I mean, I hadn’t expected much from him, but I really hadn’t expected him to be using good manners.
It was obvious that he cared a lot about the other vampires in ways that most creatures didn’t. That was part of what I liked about him. The other thing I liked about him was that he made me come apart endlessly. Even now, as he stroked my cheek, he looked at me like I was fire and ice. He looked at me like he was going to turn me into a meal.
“Take off the dress,” he finally said, and I found myself getting to my feet.
“You’re a little bossy,” I whispered. We were alone in the sitting room, but the doors were still ajar. There was a big hallway just outside of the room that people walked through pretty frequently. If anyone walked by and peered in, they’d be able to see me.
Did I care?
I knew this was some sort of test. He wanted to see if I’d listen to him. Perhaps more than that, he wanted to see if I’d do something simply because it pleased him. That was asking a lot for a guy I wasn’t officially dating. We were sleeping together, and I was feeding him, but it was temporary. In fact, I’d wager that he’d be sending me home tomorrow. The idea was that I’d be here to feed him while Norman was in town. With Norman gone, Colin would have plenty of blood available.
I’d never done anything like this before for any guy I’d ever been with. I’d never been bold or brave or sexy or wild. I’d never stripped down just because they liked it. I’d never teased my dress off and tossed it to the floor. Never.
The idea that someone might see me probably should have been horrifying, but it wasn’t. I actually really loved the idea. It was a good idea, I thought. My nipples peaked at the very thought of showing off for strangers. Vampires were known for being sexual creatures. Would one of the vamps who roamed the house see me and want to join in?
Maybe it was a dangerous game. Perhaps I was playing with fire, but I just couldn’t bring myself to care. Colin was incredible. He protected me. He’d keep me safe if someone wanted to get too close or if they crossed a line. Right now, though, he was asking me to trust him.
That’s what this was.
It was a trust game.
“I think you like me being bossy.”
“A little.”
“Take the dress off, Juliet.”
Somehow, I tugged at the dress. I pushed the straps over my shoulder and the soft fabric fell to the floor, pooling around my ankles. I was wearing a strapless black bra and matching lace panties. I didn’t have any shoes on because Colin was a fussy vampire, and he didn’t like people wearing shoes in the house.
He twirled his finger, gesturing for me to spin in a circle so he could see me. I moved carefully, slowly. I was trying to tease him a little. I wanted a rise out of him, but I wanted a rise in a good way. I wanted him to push me down on the floor and fuck me from behind. I wanted him to take me, to devour me.
I didn’t have to wait long.
“Stop,” he said. His voice sounded husky and aroused.
I looked over my shoulder at him. He’d pulled his cock out and was stroking it. That was fast. I hadn’t even heard him unzip his pants.
“Take off the bra,” he said. “But don’t turn around.”
I stood with my back to him and unhooked the bra. I was still looking over my shoulder, watching his gaze. I couldn’t help but get wet as I saw him stroking himself. The sight of his hand fisting his dick over and over made me want to climb him.
“Now the panties.”
I turned so I was facing away from him. I bent, tugging down my panties. They were added to the pile of clothing, and then I stood back up and kicked everything away. Almost immediately, he was standing behind me, rubbing his dick against my ass. He was still fully clothed aside from his cock, so it was a strange sensation.
I could feel his clothes, but I could feel his skin, too.
I wanted him.
I knew he wanted me, too.
I knew that he needed this just as much as I did. The Vampire Lord had a lot on his plate. His life was wild and chaotic and incredible. He was always busy, always needed, and always forced to take care of other people. When we were together, it was a chance for him to just forget about everything else. When we were entwined, he didn’t need to worry about protecting the world.
He pushed me onto the floor and, just as I wanted, he mounted me. He didn’t hold back. He started thrusting hard and fast immediately, and I started to cry out. He grabbed my mouth, covering it with his hand, and then he sank deeper inside of me.
“Someone could see,” he hissed, and I was perfectly aware of this. It made me more wet, more excited. I liked that he was acknowledging this fact.
Anyone could see.
“If someone walks by, they’ll see me fucking your tight little pussy, Juliet. They’ll see my cock sliding inside of you. They’ll see how much you like this. You love having vampire cock inside of you, don’t you?”
I growled, nodding my head, but I still couldn’t speak. His grip on me was too tight, and I was pinned down as he fucked me over and over. Finally, he released my mouth so he could use that hand to rub between my legs. He teased me, pushing me to the edge
of orgasm. My hair was to one side, which meant part of my neck was bare. Just as I was about to climax, I felt his lips there. His fangs pierced my skin, and he bit me, sucking my blood.
My body’s reaction was instant.
I came so hard for him that I felt like I was going to pass out. He was no longer covering my mouth, so I did cry out. I groaned his name, growling and crying and begging for him to stop and keep going at the same time. He came, too, and then he collapsed on top of me, spent and exhausted. He rolled to his side and stroked my hair for a moment. We both laid on the ground, entwined in front of the fireplace. I looked over at him and smiled. He made me feel so many wonderful things.
Then we heard someone clearing their throat.
“If you don’t mind,” Ida whispered. “There’s a problem.”
10
Colin
THE TONE OF HER VOICE let me know that the problem was very real indeed. Juliet started scrambling for her clothes. She’d come apart for me so beautifully that I couldn’t quite believe it had actually happened. I got dressed a little more slowly, looking at Ida while I did.
“What happened?”
“There was an attack at the hospital,” she said.
“An attack?” Juliet asked, looking up sharply.
“An administrator called us right before she...” Ida stopped talking, and we both looked over at Juliet. She had paled.
“Before she what?”
“She’s dead,” Ida said.
“Who was she?”
“She said her name was Clarissa,” Ida told us. “She called during the break-in. Apparently, a bunch of rogue vamps that nobody has ever seen before stormed the hospital.” The look on Ida’s face told me everything I needed to know. It had been nasty. It had also come at a horrible time.
“Norman’s goons,” I growled. Damn it all to hell! What the hell was he playing at? I knew what he was trying to do. I knew that he was playing at. He’d come here acting like this was some sort of peace offering for humans and vampires, but the truth was so much worse. I knew without a doubt that my brother must have been behind the recent attacks and the missing blood.
Had he intercepted medical supplies and deliveries from other places on their way to Darkvale?
Had he arranged to have the blood from the hospitals in Darkvale stolen?
Was it all part of some vicious plan to overthrow my rule?
“Maybe,” Ida said. “But you need to make a decision.”
Alice appeared in the doorway, along with a few of the other vampires who resided at our house.
“Get dressed,” I said. “And get over to the hospital. Ida, you’re in charge. Call anyone you can. Just get it secure, and kill anyone who’s breaking in. We don’t need to take prisoners. We need to nip this in the bud before we’re in a full-on war between us and any other community.”
The vamps nodded and took off running. I looked over at Juliet. She was shaking. I went to hear and pulled her into my arms.
“She was your friend, wasn’t she?”
“Yeah,” Juliet whispered. “She was my friend.”
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Just go get the bastard who did this,” she said through gritted teeth.
“He’s right upstairs,” I told her. I was sad to admit that my brother had betrayed not only me, but my people, as well. “Stay here.”
“Yeah,” Juliet said. She collapsed on the couch and nodded. There were tears streaming down her face, and even though I wanted to stay and sit with her, I knew I needed to keep going. I had to get to my brother and stop whatever nonsense he was playing at. I knew he was still upstairs in his room. That was where he’d gone after dinner. If he’d left the mansion, I would have known. I had more alarms rigged up in my house than should be possible.
I took the stairs two at a time and raced down the hall until I reached his door. I knocked, pounding my fist against the store. Anger welled up inside of me. This was it. This was the day I stopped having a brother.
“Open the fucking door,” I said.
Nothing.
Silence.
I pounded again before trying the knob, but it didn’t budge. So, he’d locked himself inside, had he? I didn’t care. I’d get inside. This was my house, and I wouldn’t stand to be locked out. I would normally kick a door open, especially when I was pissed off, but it wasn’t really a secret that vampires were wildly strong. The doors in this house were enforced to prevent vampires from simply kicking or fighting their way out of different situations.
Instead, I darted across the hall to my bedroom, grabbed the key that unlocked Norman’s door, and went inside.
“Where the fuck are you?” I screamed. “I know you’re in here.”
Only, he wasn’t. The room had been locked, secured carefully, but my brother wasn’t anywhere to be seen. I looked at the closet, the bathroom, and even under the bed, but it was empty. Then I realized that Norman wasn’t nearly as much of a fool as I’d thought he was.
“The passageway.”
I darted over to the painting that opened up, the one that led to a passageway, and I saw that it wasn’t quite clasped shut. So that’s what he’d done. He’d come upstairs after our argument, as I thought, but then he’d called his vampire goon squad and told them to move forward with their attack on the hospital. He’d come into the bedroom, perhaps so I wouldn’t think he was to blame, and then he’d sneaked on out.
Why had he sneaked out?
If there was one thing my brother loved more than anything else, it was hurting me and seeing me squirm. Had he sneaked out to come watch me suffer? Had he wanted to overhear when Ida gave the news?
That was when I realized that I knew exactly where he was.
He wasn’t in the bedroom because he’d circled back around to her.
Juliet.
He knew I cared for her.
If I’d had a beating heart, that would have been the moment it stopped. If I’d been alive, I would have had a complete heart attack as I thought about her dying at the hands of my insane brother. I ran back downstairs, hurrying to where I’d left her in the sitting room, but I was too late.
He was sitting on the couch, and he was drinking from her. Judging by the pale-white complexion of her skin, I knew that I was too late. He’d had too much. He’d drained her.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I called out.
“Something I should have done a long time ago,” he said. He pushed Juliet off of him and she rolled onto the floor. I cringed as her body hit the ground. If she survived this, she’d have bruises from the impact. It didn’t matter, though, because she wasn’t going to survive, and I was well aware that my brother wasn’t going to take the time to turn her into a vampire so she could live.
If someone had to be turned into a vamp, it needed to be done by the person who had killed them. We all knew this. It was textbook.
“What is it that you want?” I said.
“You know what I want.”
“And I told you no,” I said. “So, you’re just going to take it?”
“You’ve always been weak,” he said. “That’s your problem, you know. You’re weak. You’re pathetic!”
“I’m not weak,” I said. It took every ounce of self-control to keep from killing him right then. He stood and walked toward me slowly, carefully.
“You’ve always been weak,” he said. “Last year, when I came to Darkvale, I could have killed you. I didn’t because I thought that once you had time to nurse your wounds, you’d see reason.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
A smirk spread across his face: one that let me know he pitied me. He thought I was a fool, and maybe I was.
“The attack last year,” I said. Realization dawned on me. Norman had been more than happy to come to town for the funeral, which had been strange for him, but I’d been mourning. I hadn’t seen it. I hadn’t seen that he wasn’t actually sad about the loss of Elizabeth. He wasn’t there becaus
e he was being supportive. He’d come to the funeral because he was already in town.
“It was me,” he said cheerfully, raising his hand like I was going to be happy about this turn of events.
“How? Why?”
He’d killed my wife?
It had been him?
But why?
Why had he come to Darkvale to kill Elizabeth?
Only, I knew why. I understood why. He’d come because I was weak. I hadn’t been able to defend my wife. I hadn’t been able to protect her. Norman was a dick, but he was also wildly persuasive. There was this idea that you should be able to just turn away from your family, but until now, I’d always struggled with that. I’d known my brother sucked, but I’d still tolerated him because he was family.
Now I was man enough to see that it had cost me not one, but two women I loved.
He had to die.
“Why?” He asked. “Because you’re a pretentious asshole who thinks he’s too good for everyone else.”
Well, he wasn’t wrong.
“And Elizabeth...well, let’s just say that she wasn’t the delicate flower you always pretended that she was.”
“She was fierce,” I said. “But she was loyal.”
“Until her death,” he agreed. “Her and that asshole who protected her. What was his name? Mark? Mateo?”
“Matt,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Ah, yes, Matt,” Norman said. “Matt was fun to kill, too. You know, it’s funny, I always thought he was a human. Imagine my surprise when I staked him, and he turned to dust just the same as Elizabeth did.”
Norman blinked innocently. Suddenly, everything fell into place. No one had known what caused her car to stop that night, or why she’d gotten out. Had Norman lured her out of the vehicle? Had he blocked her in somewhere? Had he hauled her out kicking and screaming and then attacked her?
She’d known him, so maybe she had trusted him. Maybe she had known something was wrong, but it was Norman, so she’d thought that he was there to help her. Had she realized something was amiss? I had to admit that my brother had done a wonderful job making her death look like a random act of violence. I’d never suspected him.