by R. J. Blain
Drinking bad blood from guilty miscreants seemed a hell of a lot safer than continuing to flirt with temptation.
Whatever. I’d worry about the brood’s master later, sometime after I took a shower and dealt with the myriad of problems waiting for me, including locating the bastard who’d turned me against my will. I forced myself to relax, grabbed the blanket, and covered my head with it. “Your bed is soft and warm.”
The bed shifted, and moments later, I listened to the pad of feet on the floor. “It’s been a long time since you’ve had a soft, warm, and safe place to sleep. It’s to be expected. The next time the brood has some younglings, the bed will become a very crowded place, as the newly turned often have a strong prey instinct and need security. They often sleep best with one of the older vampires for the first few weeks of their second life. Ben enjoys babysitting the younglings, as his is a nurturing soul. I do it when the youngling is particularly anxious. You’ve been on the streets long enough I expect you’ll alternate between finding dark, tight spaces to sleep and wanting to stay near an older vampire for protection. You’ll stay in my suite for however long it takes for you to adapt.” Emerick chuckled. “If you choose to adapt. My bed is luxurious, isn’t it?”
Emerick wasn’t good for my peace of mind, even knowing his interest had more to do with my rarity and situation rather than with me. I’d be in a lot of trouble if he ever developed actual interest in me, but I could play the game as well as he could.
Life with my father had prepared me for men who viewed me as a prize to be won and the piece in the game of wealth, intrigue, and power. Life with my father had also prepared me for men, period. In a way, I was grateful I’d been left in a grave to rot.
I no longer had a life with my father.
In my father’s world, men jockeyed to use me, and the only way to survive had been to prepare to use them in return. I’d been kept under lock and key, unable to slip away for a dalliance with a man, although I’d heard enough from my mother to know what to expect from men in positions of power.
If I wanted pleasure from the type of man my father wanted for me, she recommended buying stock in batteries and handling the problem myself.
The trick was to keep my evening activities a secret.
Secrets ruled women in a man’s world of wealth and power.
Life as a vampire didn’t seem much different from life with my father. The vampire had bitten and would bite again. That should have scared me, but it didn’t.
Yep, I needed therapy.
“You should get up. If I leave you in my bed, you’ll stay there all night. Some nights, I think I should get rid of that tempting trap.”
“Don’t you dare.”
He laughed.
Someone knocked at the door. “I’ve brought today’s schedule,” Ben announced.
“We’ll be out in a moment. My youngest has been seduced by the wonders of my satin sheets and mattress. I had not anticipated my bed’s ability to entice women into refusing to leave its warm comforts.”
Ben snickered. “You say that every time you allow one of the newly turned into your room. Don’t fill her ears with nonsense, Master. Pepper, there will be coffee in your office in a few minutes, along with some files. The order for your new devices came in an hour ago, and they’re mostly ready for your use. Oliver, one of our attorneys, also sent over a file that you might find interesting.”
Coffee. I could use some coffee. I tossed off the blankets, swung my legs over the edge of the bed, and stood up. Instead of standing as expected, I plopped to the floor. Scowling, I poked at my uncooperative legs.
Maybe going back to bed would be the best use of my time. One night of blatant indulgence wouldn’t hurt anything, would it?
“Having fun?” Emerick asked in an amused tone.
I showed him my middle finger. “That should not have happened. It’s obviously a sign.”
“Of what? Hunger? If blood’s what you want, I would be pleased to provide.”
Nope. One or two more tastes of his blood would secure his place as my favorite meal, and I knew myself well enough I’d act like a spoiled little brat and refuse to drink anything else unless I found a miscreant in a dark alley.
I had a lot of bad habits, and I didn’t need to add addiction to a man and his blood to the list.
“I could try a new type.”
“Feeling adventurous, are you?”
“You’re dessert. I can’t have dessert for breakfast.” I considered my stomach, which had no real interest in food. “When will my stomach want waffles?”
“Still no appetite?” Ben asked, and he frowned.
“Ask Giovanni to come in this evening, and we’ll get a blood test done, plus have her go through a basic examination.” Emerick strode to me and offered his hand.
If I failed to cooperate, I expected the vampire would pick me up and carry me to where he wanted me to go. I accepted his help to get to my feet, and I took more care with walking, relieved when my body decided to do what I wanted rather than make friends with the floor again. “I’m not usually a clutz.”
“It’s not uncommon,” the brood’s master assured me. “While you’re a year old, you are malnourished and unused to luxury and comfort for all you were raised in it. Don’t stress yourself over it. Of course, when we begin your self-defense courses, you will regret such slips, but I will have Ben decide your schedule for that.”
“She’s written in for her first session in three hours, sir. I’ll be handling her debut workout myself.”
Emerick grinned. “If my schedule has a conflict, remove it. Some things must be witnessed, and I expect our limited videos do not do her justice at all. Will you be working with stakes?”
“I have some saplings prepared, and they’re just old enough to paralyze her should she fail to defend herself.”
“What will I use?”
“You’ll be unarmed,” Ben replied.
I hated being staked. My first taste of it at their hands had convinced me I never wanted to go through it again. I scowled, freed my hand from Emerick’s, and braced my fists on my hips. “Unarmed? How is that fair?”
“If I give you a weapon, you will likely do your best to kill me, of course. Why make it easy on you? After we’re sure you can control your instinct to kill any vampire you face off against, then I will arm you. I also want to see how well you think on your feet. If you want a weapon, you’ll have to take one from me.”
I straightened at that. “What other rules are there?”
“You’ll find out at the session later,” Ben promised. “With your leave, sir?”
“Go before we damage your precious schedule. It would be a tragedy if you were late.”
Ben shook his head but retreated from the bedroom. Stifling a yawn, I regarded my clothes with a sigh. “I need to buy things to wear.”
“I have already made some basic purchases on your behalf. I asked one of our tailors to estimate your sizes and had him acquire appropriate attire. They’re in the bedroom across the hallway, and that suite has a bathroom you may claim as your own if you’d like.”
“Which bathroom is yours?”
Emerick pointed across the bedroom to a door I hadn’t noticed beside his looming armoire. If his bathroom was anywhere near as nice as his bed, I’d push my welcome and refuse to leave until he kicked me out. I strode over, cracked open the door, and discovered heaven. White marble skirted a blue and green mosaic on the floor depicting crashing waves on a stormy day. The shower was fashioned to resemble a cliff with the shower raining down from a tiled ceiling portraying dark clouds. The vanity followed the cliffside theme, with a dark granite surface, blue-glass bowl, and a mirror fringed with river stones.
The tub, situated near the shower, boasted jets and was disguised as a tidal pool with a gently sloped bottom.
All right. I could move into his bathroom and visit his bed. “I need some quality time with that tub, Emerick.”
He chuckled. “If
you land a hit on Ben tonight, I will have someone fetch everything a lady requires to enjoy time in the tub. If you land a good hit on Ben, I will provide Champagne and some other delicacies you may enjoy. I won’t even complain when the Champagne inevitably has its way with you.”
I’m sure he wouldn’t. I’d been to enough parties to understand what happened to people once the alcohol kicked in and removed inhibitions and filters. As far as flings went, I bet the vampire had more experience than he knew what to do with, which would make him an ideal first partner.
Unfortunately, I knew myself well enough to recognize I’d become a jealous lover the instant I took the dive.
Then again, there wasn’t a whole lot of competition. I regarded Emerick with narrowed eyes.
“You have a thought. I have learned women are at their most dangerous when they have a thought they wish to share.”
“Why haven’t you done the bride thing?”
He chuckled. “If I wanted a flower, I’d plant a garden.”
“But aren’t you old?”
He raised a brow. “I am.”
“I thought you’d like a submissive woman. The brides are that, aren’t they? That’s the impression I got.”
“When I wed, should I wed, it will be because I have found a partner who can help me protect my brood, an equal to me in all ways.”
Damn. His blood tempted me, but his attitude would do me in if I gave him a few more minutes and a chance to ask me out of my clothes.
I needed to focus my attention anywhere other than him before I made choices I’d regret. Until I learned more about my new life, I couldn’t afford to think about men, or a specific man: Emerick Lowrance.
Fool that I was, I’d already claimed his name as mine, which would complicate the matter.
I was truly an idiot. Damn it, damn it, damn it.
Life on the streets had been easier. I’d just worried about where I’d get my next meal and how to avoid capture while searching for my maker. Emerick’s home posed many additional dangers. My next meal would come from a bottle or from him, and I wouldn’t have to hide from the sun. I’d woken up without thinking about my maker and how best to erase his existence.
If I wasn’t careful, I’d lose sight of everything I’d desired while fighting to survive.
I straightened, scowled, and asked, “Where’s some clean clothes? I need a shower, and then I have work to do.”
“I will bring something for you to wear while you explore the bathroom.” Emerick pointed at an outcropping of stone dividing the shower from the tub. “That’s a closet, and it has towels and everything else you may desire in there, although they’re my preferred scents.”
Ack. The last thing I needed was to run around smelling like him. What was left of my peace of mind would dive out the nearest window given a single shower or bath.
Oh, well. There were worse ways to go.
Emerick’s bathtub tried to kill me. I blamed the overabundance of food for falling asleep, and if I’d been lounging in the water rather than draped over the ledge to admire the stonework on the floor, I would’ve drowned. On second thought, could vampires drown?
Before I could ask about drowning, however, I’d have to deal with the annoyed brood master, who crouched beside the tub and observed me with a raised brow and an expression promising trouble for me.
Busted. Not only was I busted, I was busted while wearing bubbles. What sort of consequence would I suffer through for doing something rather stupid and dangerous? If it involved a spanking, he’d never get rid of me.
The thought of tangoing with the man post bath might be the straw that broke my dignity and resulted in the immediate loss of my virginity. That societal constraint, idiotic as far as I was concerned, didn’t give me any additional value. If anything, it’d add a whole lot of awkward to what should have been enjoyable for all parties involved.
Well, no matter how I looked at it, I’d earned the brood master’s ire, and I hadn’t even made it far out of bed. “Can vampires drown?”
“While vampires are technically classified as the undead due to how we are created, we are still living beings capable of dying. You can drown in the right circumstances, as you can’t breathe when under water, and we do need to breathe. I could cover your mouth and pinch your nose and eventually kill you. We’re more resilient than regular humans, so it would take longer.”
“Go figure. How long would it take for me to die after I got staked and paralyzed? If the staking didn’t kill me right away, of course.”
“I feel a direct demonstration might be in order after your failed attempt to drown yourself in my tub.”
Ouch. “That sounds painful.” I would have preferred a spanking, which would still hurt but might lead to something beneficial. I saw no benefits to a staking of any sort. “Can I pass with a promise of not taking unsupervised baths in the future?”
“Part of the fault is with me; I suspected something like this would happen. You have been supervised during your rather long nap. You failed to turn the heaters of the jets on, so the water is cold, and should you remain in there for much longer, you will develop hypothermia and possibly catch some pesky illness.”
I realized he was right; the water had cooled since I’d filled the tub. Rather than near the boiling point, it had chilled to close to room temperature. “I’ll bite. How long have I been in here?”
Emerick checked his watch. In the time I’d been dozing, he’d changed into a fresh suit, a classic black capable of reducing me to a drooling mess if I hadn’t already been embarrassed I’d passed out in the tub. “Two hours.”
“Think Ben will reschedule my beating so I can get some work done?”
“No.”
“That’s unfortunate. The work is probably breeding in my new office. That’s what happens when work is left unsupervised, Emerick.”
“It gave the techs in the brood time to set up better systems for you and make your office a more welcoming space, so nothing was lost. It’s easier to work on things like that when the attorneys are not present to offer their opinions.”
As I had a lot of opinions, I couldn’t argue. “I’ve made a mess of Ben’s schedule, haven’t I?”
And his, too.
“His creative language provided some amusement for me this evening, but we agreed we were rather foolish to expect you to do anything other than sleep in any comfortable or questionably comfortable location. Are you hungry or thirsty?”
I thought about it. “No, but I think I turned into a prune. Please don’t juice me. Prune juice isn’t all that good.”
“Prune juice isn’t something I enjoy, either, although I look forward to the next time I partake of your blood to solidify your place in the brood.”
“How often do you typically bite your vampires?” I had a faint recollection of talking about it before, but it vanished in the blur of the past few days. “You told me before, I think.”
“Yes, I had. There’s a ceremonial bite once a year. We view it as a vow renewal, but I will bite any in the brood who feel insecure. Some become anxious after six or so months. The older the vampire, the more sensitive they become to the brood bonds. In time, you’ll become aware of the other members. I expect you’ll develop those abilities faster as you’ll be drinking my blood more often than others in the brood do.”
“You do a full bite exchange?”
“Yes. Just a token sip, but that’s all that’s needed. The initial bite is the important one. The following are more ceremonial than anything else, but there is magic at play. You’ll have a chance to learn more about all it means to be a vampire, so don’t feel you need to remember everything immediately. You have a great deal of change to adapt to. Now, do get out of the tub and get dressed. Ben asked me to make sure you drank some blood before your session, as he expects you will need it before he is done with you.”
“But I had a lot of blood last night.”
“We discussed this already. You need at least a pint
a day.”
“I think you’re making that up to push my buttons.”
“I’m really not.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. I take the health of my brood quite seriously.”
I wiggled in the tub, wondering how the bubbles had lasted two hours, resting my chin on my crossed arms. “Or you just like having women bite you. Is this some sort of weird vampire fetish?”
To my delight, Emerick chuckled. “That is for me to know and you to find out.”
I enjoyed secrets when they led to fun, interesting places. That the vampire had enough of a sense of humor to play along with my game promised he wouldn’t be a complete bore, something I’d dealt with in my father’s empire enough that I’d questioned why I’d participated in his schemes at all.
Ah, right. I loved my mother and didn’t want her to die at my father’s hands, because if he needed a new heir, he’d have to get rid of my mother.
He might still try to get rid of my mother, a sobering thought. If I brought his empire down around his ears, what would happen to her? I doubted my mother cared one way or another about the supernatural, doing what my father said to preserve her gilded prison.
“You’re anxious about something. What is bothering you?”
Damn. I’d have to remember to hide my emotions from the vampire—if I could. The question reminded me I needed to take better care if I wanted to survive in a world I no longer understood. “I was wondering about my mother,” I admitted. “My father can’t pursue a new heir if she’s around, and those old, elitist bastards don’t believe in divorce.”
“You’re concerned for her safety?”
“I am.”
“Over the years, I have learned that there are many who will not turn away from their old, comfortable things because it is what they know. The brood would be willing to offer her a safe haven, but would she accept it?”
My mother could have left my father long ago; all she had to do was walk out the door while he oversaw his empire. He sometimes had her followed, but as often as not, she went where she pleased when she pleased as long as she didn’t embarrass him in any fashion.