Called by the Vampire - Part 4

by V. Vaughn

  Called by the Vampire - Part 4

  V. Vaughn

  Sugarloaf Press

  Copyright © 2017 by V. Vaughn

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Natasha Snow

  Editing by Jodi Henley, Red Adept Publishing and Angie Ramey

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  Contents

  About This Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  About the Author

  About This Book

  As Maggie tends to her broken heart in Alexander’s absence she kindles a friendship with Adly. Sebastian takes measures to ensure her safety, but it’s not enough when an unfriendly vampire sets his sights on Maggie.

  Lyndsey struggles to adapt to her new life, with Alexander by her side. While she makes her way through the process a startling discovery is made, and Lyndsey learns the truth about her father and how he affects her fate.

  1

  Lyndsey

  I stare at my naked body in the mirror. My long, dark hair is wet and hangs in loose waves as it falls over the full breasts I didn't have earlier today. I blink a few times to make sure I'm seeing the sexy swell of my hips right too, since as a human I had a more athletic body.

  I lean in closer and actually touch the sharp cheekbones I seem to have acquired with my new vampire state. I wasn't bad looking before, but now I'm freaking gorgeous. My eyes have become a more vibrant shade of hazel that is striking against my new pale skin. Skin that doesn't belong to a surfer.

  I'm not usually a crier, but fresh tears prick at my eyes, because the one thing I love to do is surf, and that's become nearly impossible now that I can't stand sunlight. My volatile vampire emotions turn my despair to anger in a flash, and I punch the mirror. It shatters around me, and the tinkling of glass hitting the floor is satisfying, even though I didn't mean to hit the mirror hard enough to make it break.

  "That's seven years bad luck!" Alexander calls to me through the door. He chuckles. "But don't worry. You've got hundreds left."

  I glance at my hand, and my jaw drops as I watch the cut I just got heal before my eyes. "Holy shit."

  "Let me guess. You're watching the healing process." If Alexander's voice weren't so damn sexy, I’d tell him to take a hike using flavorful words. I take a deep breath to help tamp down my physical desire for a man I just met. It seems not only do I have bloodlust I can't control as a new vampire, but I've already reached the insatiable-sex-drive phase, and I guess any eligible male will do. Although, Alexander would have made me look twice when I was human, with his muscular body and green-as-grass eyes.

  The towel is soft on my skin as I wrap it around me to leave, but when I try the door handle, I discover it's locked. I know Alexander did that to keep me from attacking him. I ask sweetly, "Any chance I can come out now?"

  Metal clicks before the door opens, and Alexander steps to the side to let me pass. I notice the bed before me. Four cuffs are attached by chains to the metal bed frame. They look like the ones Alexander put me in when I took a shower and then released me from when I was done to give me privacy. Or more likely, to stay safe from my advances. I glance at Alexander as I let my towel fall, and it lands on the floor with a soft whoosh. "Kinky, aren't we?"

  He sighs, and I believe he’s sincere when he says, "It's a shame I can't help you out with this phase of your development, but I'm in love with someone else."

  I purr as I step toward him, "She doesn't have to know."

  He holds up his hand. "But I would, and I'd never do that to Maggie. Now do we really want a repeat performance from before?"

  He's referring to the way he nearly broke my arm to stop my advances earlier tonight. I scoff. "Really? You can suck blood out of people without their permission, but sleeping around is out of the question?"

  "Touché. My morals are a bit spotty." He walks over to a bureau, where a bag of my clothing is sitting on top. "Put on something comfortable, because you’ll be sleeping in it."

  I give sex with him one more try. "You realize I might self-combust if I don't get some satisfaction."

  He tilts his head at me. "I suppose I could leave one hand free so you can masturbate." I let out a groan of frustration, and he laughs. "I can't, though. You're a clever one, and I won't take the chance you could escape." He winks at me. "Who knows what you'd do."

  He's right. I wouldn't stop trying until I was free, and then I'd likely go on a rampage to fuck and feed on every man I could find. I walk over to the clothing, and cotton is soft on my fingers as I sort through the items. "I'd give new meaning to 'chew them up and spit them out.'"

  Alexander barks out a laugh. "You're funny. We're going to like each other, Lyndsey. Once you acclimate to being a vampire."

  A pair of elastic-waist shorts slither over my thighs as I pull them up. "Lovely. I can't wait." I recall that I won't be able to hang out with my friends any longer and ask, "Is there a whole community of undead I'll be introduced to? Some secret society to keep me entertained?"

  "When you're ready. And once you can be trusted, you'll have Maggie, whom you already know."

  "Maggie?" I don't recall anyone I know by that name.

  "Oh. That's right. You know her as Kitty."

  "Kitty?" I remember how I followed the new girl in town who I’d befriended when I was trying to find out what happened the night of Matt's party. I saw her drive to the town's known haunted mansion, which is where I am now. I frown as I realize that Alexander is in love with her, but she made out with Aiden at Matt's. I wonder if Alexander knows. I smile to myself because it's always good to have an ace like that up your sleeve. I scan his body as mine screams for relief, and I contemplate using it now.

  "You're in love with a human? Does she know what you are?"

  "Of course." Alexander's playful manner is gone. "Now put on a shirt so I can chain you to the bed. Unless you'd rather get back in the shower."

  "Touchy." I stretch my arms over my head and slide the shirt on slowly, making sure to glide my hands over my breasts. "You must have a tenuous relationship."

  "That is none of your concern." He motions toward the bed.

  I climb on and arch my back up as I slowly lie down, and I squirm with my unanswered need, as well as hope that Alexander won't be able to resist me. As he leans over me, metal clicks when he attaches a cuff to my wrist, and I inhale his male scent. I let out a moan and spread my legs. "Please help me."

  "From my experience, there is no help." He grabs one of my ankles with a tight grip. "At this stage, you can't get enough."

  I let out a scream of frustration. I've stopped being surprised by my extreme emotions and go with it. My anger switches to sobs as I come down from the intensity. When I'm done, I ask, "How long does this phase last?"

  "A few days. Now try to get some rest, and I'll check on you later."

  He walks away from me, and now panic takes hold, and chains rattle as I thrash in a desperate attempt to get free. I have no idea how long he'll be gone or what's in store for me. Hair is stuck in my mouth, and I can’t remove it. I yell, "Wait!"

  "What is it?"

  I stop moving and ask, "What happens next? Do I have to stay chained up like this for long? Sebastian said I coul
d work for him. When does that start?"

  Alexander walks back over so I can see his face. "We'll see how you're doing tomorrow and go from there."

  He starts to walk away, and I begin to cry. "Please tell me the phase after this isn't worse."

  Alexander's voice is soft when he says, "That depends on your definition of worse."

  The door clicks shut behind him, and I begin to wail as I imagine what could be next. Will I experience excruciating pain?

  My emotions flip on me again, and now I begin to rationalize with myself. Something a pregnant friend of mine once told me comes to mind. She was talking about giving birth to her first child, and I asked her if she was afraid of the pain. She said she thought about the wimpiest girl she knew who had given birth and decided it must be something anyone can live with. I know that Alexander and Sebastian managed to get to where they appear to be normally functioning people, so whatever is coming my way is bound to be something I can handle.

  Exhaustion begins to overtake me, and I close my eyes for a moment. I yawn and shift my hips to get more comfortable. I started this crazy ride a few days ago when I woke up in the middle of the woods, wondering what happened. Now I know that vampires fed on my friends and me, which explains why I was in such a weakened state afterward. But I wish I'd never gotten the need to know what had happened stuck in my mind, because I stepped into a bigger mess I don't understand. I followed Kitty to her book signing to get information, and when I confronted her, she didn't tell me much, but her actions made it clear something did happen that night at Matt's party.

  I recall following Kitty to the restaurant where she and Sebastian had dinner after the signing. I met a hot bartender while I was waiting to ambush Kitty alone. Unfortunately, I didn't realize he was a vampire or that they really existed. His whole routine about our connection was actually a way to get his next meal, but something about that seems coincidental to me. How many vampires can there be? And how is it I managed to get fed on twice in a few days when I never had before?

  I'm so sleepy I can't keep my eyes open, but I latch onto one more thing. Why was Kitty, who is still human, the one who poured blood into my mouth and made me a vampire?

  2

  Maggie

  The great thing about Sebastian leaving me alone with his driver, Adly, is that I can ask anything I want about vampires. I found out this morning Adly doesn't seem to have the same need for secrecy my boss does. Sebastian stayed in Portland, Maine, last night to deal with what happened to my friend Lyndsey while we went to Boston. After my first book signing yesterday, Sebastian and I went out to dinner, and when strolling on the pier afterward, we found Lyndsey unconscious behind the restaurant. I saved her life with the vial of Sebastian's vampire blood I was wearing around my neck, and apparently, it made Lyndsey potentially dangerous.

  Puddles splash beneath my feet, and I peek out from under my umbrella at the tall, blond, and very good-looking vampire, Adly, as we walk to the aquarium. He appears to be somewhere in his mid-twenties, like Sebastian's brother, Alexander, and I've discovered he's almost as much fun. This morning, he banged on my door to bring me pastries and coffee and then insisted we watch cartoons. When I told him I was going to the aquarium today, he offered to come with me since vampires can be outside on rainy days. "Thank you for keeping me company today," I say to him. "I hope you don't suffer too much for it."

  "Are you kidding? I love the aquarium."

  "What's your favorite part?"

  He chuckles. "What you'd expect from a guy like me. The sharks."

  "I don't believe that. Sebastian wouldn't have left me with you if you were a ruthless killer."

  "I'm not anymore." He flashes his fangs at me. "But I used to be."

  A small shiver races down my spine, but his grin lets me know he's teasing. "Was it hard to stop?" I ask.

  "Yeah. Especially when you're really hungry. But if you stay satiated, it's not bad."

  I push an errant strand of hair out of my face. I tugged my curls back in a loose braid since my hair is larger than life today with the humidity. I think about the burgundy liquid Sebastian and Alexander drink that I originally assumed was red wine, but now I think it's blood they keep on hand. I remember the first few days I spent at the Hart mansion and how Alexander needed to go feed to control himself around me. I ask, "How about being around people without biting them? Is it hard to do even when you're satiated?"

  "No. It's similar to passing up more food when you're full." We stop at the crosswalk and are in a group of people now. He glances at the plump woman next to us as if he’s sizing her up for a snack. "So many questions."

  I'm afraid if I tell him Sebastian doesn't tell me much, Adly will stop talking, so I ask, "Say I wanted to become... like you. Is it possible I could do it and be in control right away?"

  The light changes, and we begin walking across the street. Adly leans down and whispers close to my ear, "You want to become a vampire?"

  "No." My heart skips a beat, and I know that my donor, Elizabeth, whose emotions came along with her heart, is freaked out by the idea. I am too, and I frown at him. "Not at all. I'm just curious about how it all works."

  "I suppose it's possible." He steps closer to me to avoid an oncoming person. "You'd need a committed creator, though." We're at the entrance of the aquarium, and Adly says, "We should talk about this later."

  "Right." I pull my phone out of my pocket to check if I have a text from Alexander, and Adly leans in close to look over my shoulder. He asks, "Who do you keep hoping to hear from?"

  I sigh. "Alexander. I know it's stupid, but right now this is all we've got."

  "Yeah. I heard you two were a thing."

  I look at his face to see if he knows anything. I'd love to understand why Sebastian sent Alexander away, and why Alexander agreed to go, but Adly doesn't give me any indication he has the answers. I notice a young woman staring at Adly, and I whisper, "You have an admirer."

  Adly glances over at the girl, who sends him a saucy smile. He pretends he doesn't notice and gives me a wicked grin instead. "She'd be delicious."

  I chuckle at him and say, "Take me to the sharks."

  After we get tickets, we head over to the large, four-story, cylindrical fish tank and work our way up the winding walkway. I say, "The last time I was here, my mother made me wear a face mask so I wouldn't catch anyone's cold."

  Adly frowns at me. "Is she a germaphobe?"

  It makes me happy to realize he doesn't have a folder telling him I lived my childhood in and out of hospitals for heart disease. I decide I'm going to keep him in the dark. "Kind of. She's a nurse and knows too much."

  "I'm glad I was a child when nobody cared. In the summer, my mother kicked us out of the house after breakfast, and we didn't see her again until it was time for dinner." He stops, and we watch a gigantic octopus swim by.

  "That sounds wonderful," I say.

  "It was pretty great. I used to walk to school too. I hear kids don't do that these days." He begins to stroll again. "They're too busy watching TV or playing video games."

  "Is that why you love cartoons?"

  "What?" Adly turns to me. "No. I love them because I only got to watch them on Saturday mornings."

  "So you're not that old."

  "Nope. If I were still— " He glances around at the people near us and lowers his voice. "I'd be in my fifties."

  "You're just a baby." Adly is so open with me I decide I can dig deeper. "How did it happen?" He frowns, and I say, "I'm sorry. That was really personal, and you don't have to answer."

  "Maybe those rules parents have these days are a good thing. I was on a motorcycle and hit by a teenaged drunk driver."

  I shake my head in confusion. I thought you became a vampire because of a conscious decision. I don't get clarification, though, because Sebastian's voice makes me turn. "Margaret. Adly. I'm glad I caught up to you." He looks at me. "You haven't seen the penguins without me, have you?"

  Adly says, "I made
her see the sharks first."

  "I didn't know you were coming so soon," I say, and I guess that he and Adly were in touch without my knowledge. "Lyndsey is okay?"

  "She responded well and is recovering faster than I would expect. I left her with a friend, and she's going to be fine."

  I imagine Becky and Jenna doting on her. "That's a relief." And then I wonder if she knows that I gave her vampire blood, but I'm sure Sebastian would shut me down for asking in a public place, so I say, "It's so strange, though. Does she have any idea how she ended up behind the restaurant and who would have left her like that?"

  "She mentioned something about a bartender she had just met." Sebastian shrugs. "I told her I'd help in any way I can."

  "I should— " I frown because I was about to say I'd send her something and visit when I return from my book tour. But Lyndsey was at the restaurant to ask questions I couldn't answer about what happened the night Sebastian and a group of vampires fed on my friends at Matt's party. He did it to drive home the fact I can't have humans in my daily life if I'm going to hang out in the vampire world. Lyndsey was supposed to have not realized it happened, which is a flaw in the vampire feeding plan I'm surprised Sebastian didn't know about.

  Sebastian pulls something out of his pocket, and when he lifts his hands, he's holding my chain with the heart-shaped vial he gave me to stay safe. Its garnet-red contents, visible through the clear glass etched with leaves, tell me he refilled it since I made Lyndsey drink the blood. "I almost forgot to give you this."

  I frown, because while I know he wants me to be able to save myself from a heart attack, I'm still a little weirded out about wearing his blood around my neck. But I replace my scowl with a smile and turn around so he can put it on me. "Thank you."