The Blood Covenant

by Emily Bex

  Alec swirled his drink in his glass. “Dead House, that’s a good name for it. That place has been vacant for years. I thought I might renovate it, but never got around to it. Was going to sell it, but the realtor said I’d need to do the renovation first. So, it just sat there. Do whatever you want with it. And I’ll tell my warriors you're in charge. They all know you, know your reputation. They’re all mercenaries. You won’t have a problem. We'll set up a meeting with them.”

  Shade smiled. “Sounds like a plan, brother. I met Tomas, and to be honest, he may be the only one who is going to be of any use to me from the start. He has some skills. I can use him to help train the others. We will go through them all, see where they fall, they either stay or leave. It won’t take me long to decide, trust me.”

  Alec shook his hand. “I'm glad we have a deal. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to mingle. Politics...it's all about who you know, brother. Everyone here tonight is someone in my circle; other politicians, press, the social climbers, power brokers, lobbyists, and a few of Rissa's clients. Just get a feel for them. There’re only mortals here tonight. No other vamps. But these are the people I'm around all the time. I don't sense any danger with this group, but I wanted you to get a sense of the people in my social circle.”

  Shade emptied his glass and looked around the room. It was a sorry excuse of a social circle.

  2

  Shaking Alec's hand, Shade watched him work the room. He was one slick politician, but Shade had bested him at his own game. Rule number one when doing business, don’t get sucked in by the first offer. Shade knew what he wanted going in and was prepared to walk. It was the ace up his sleeve.

  He stood back, watching the people in casual conversations, all mortals, but never harmless. The deadliest enemies Canton had could be right in front of him, and Shade always kept his enemies close. Alec was useless as a warrior, but he was definitely one personable wheel and deal vamp. Alec needed him much more than he needed Alec, but they went back a long way, and each of them had secrets they wished their enemies to never know. He looked around their classic Georgetown home. It was elegant and tastefully decorated.

  His eye caught Alec’s lovely mate, Rissa. She was a beauty, and not unlike the other women here, had her nose in the air. There was a wild, wicked side to her, just as there was in Alec. They were made for each other. Shade watched her laugh and schmooze with the crowd, the darling of G-town they called her. What a joke. There wasn’t a fucking thing darling about Rissa, but she could hold her own on the business end of any deal. He saw her smile and wave at someone across the room. His eyes went immediately to her target.

  Shade’s attention was captured by this petite woman. She couldn’t be more than five foot three in her bare feet. He was typically drawn to statuesque women. He preferred strong vampire females who were his equal and this one was clearly mortal. She had a mass of crimson hair that tumbled down her back and swayed when she turned her head. Her bangs framed her face and hung almost to her lashes. Her eyes were large and changed color depending on the light, from a dark brown to deep amber. They peered out from under bright red hair. Her skin was pale. No, not pale. White. She was lily white. Her lips were soft and full. She wore a red lipstick, which only intensified their fullness against her pale, white skin. Her breasts were full, her waist tiny and the curves of her hips and ass had him entranced. She wore a simple, white silk blouse and a tight black skirt that clung to her slender frame. The black stiletto heels were all straps that wound their way across her feet and around her slender ankles. Her toes were painted bright red, as were the nails on her hands. She looked more elegant in her simple attire, than all the other women in the room who were over-dressed to impress.

  He made his way over to Rissa, nodding his head in the direction of the redhead, and asked for her name.

  Rissa looked up. “Her? She’s no one who could hold your attention for long, warrior. She’s not your type. We went to college together.”

  Shade raised an eyebrow at her response. “I wasn’t aware you knew my type, Rissa.”

  Rissa laughed. “Shade, I’ve seen some of the women you’ve been with. I think I have a good idea. And let’s just say she’s no match for you.”

  He swirled the Midnight in his glass and looked at her impatiently. “I don’t think you told me her name.”

  Rissa sighed. “What in hell is it about her that has you so worked up? She’s nothing. Her name is Kate. Kate Reese. But you’re wasting your time. You’ll scare the hell out of her. Besides, she’s mortal.” She laughed and flung her blonde locks back from that highbrow face of hers.

  Shade ran the name over his tongue… Kate Reese. He walked across the room to stand closer to her. He picked up the scent of her perfume. Roses, she smelled like roses. He listened to her talking to the other guests. Her voice was soft and breathy…soothing. It calmed and excited him at the same time. Then she laughed. He watched as she threw her head back. Her hair swayed and her laughter sounded like music to his ears. She had a contagious laugh that made the other people around her laugh along. She lit up the room without even trying. She was completely unaware of the stares she drew from the other men. And they were watching her. He could read their thoughts and feel their emotions as a few of them wished they had that sweet ass under them, when the night ended. For some reason, the thought bothered him. They were dogs, mortal abusers who wished for nothing but a good lay and to move on. He knew the type. Hell, he was that type. He didn’t see one mortal in this fucking room who deserved her. He felt an intense need to protect her. She drew him in. How strange, this small mortal female could bring this out in him. He’d not even spoken to her yet, but that was about to change.

  The conversation was breaking up. She was turning away from the group and turned to face him. She stopped short and looked up at him through her red hair. His breath left him. Those dark eyes pulled him in. Their eyes locked for a few seconds before she looked down. Her thick lashes fanned out across her cheeks. When she looked up again, he nodded his head at her.

  “Your glass looks almost empty, mi amore. May I get you a refill?” He watched as she blushed.

  She looked away and stammered a reply, “I, uh…I’ve probably had too much already, so…no…but, thank you.”

  She appeared uncomfortable when he stepped so near. He had to know what she was thinking, so he invaded her thoughts. He picked up fleeting impressions. She was wondering who he was, taking note of his height, as he towered over her. She felt intimidated, cornered. He noticed her breath quickened when he spoke, and she found his Italian accent disarming. She thought he was breathtakingly handsome, as she noted he was wearing a suit clearly hand tailored to fit his frame. He watched as her eyes scanned his hair, dark and long, but tastefully tied back in that loose ponytail at his neck. He waited until she locked eyes with him again and was struck by their piercing blue.

  “Scusi, my manners.” He lifted her hand to his lips and bowed slightly. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shade Medici.”

  He felt her nervousness, but she liked what she saw. The feeling was mutual.

  “I’m Kate Reese.”

  “Kate. What a beautiful name.”

  He knew she was affected by him, as most women were. She looked away, and he knew she was having a difficult time maintaining eye contact. He felt her pulse quicken and watched as she blushed. “You are friends with Rissa, si? She said you went to college together.”

  “You know Rissa? Are you a client?” She looked around the room for Rissa to avoid looking at him. She felt trapped in his gaze.

  He smiled at her discomfort. “Alec and I are old friends, so I have known Rissa for as long as she has been with him.”

  He knew she was as drawn to him as he was to her, and yet he could tell she sensed there was something different about him. He watched her eyes dart around the room, looking for a way to bolt and run.

  Kate stammered. “I…I’m…uh, I hate to rush off, but I was just leaving
. I’ve already stayed longer than I intended.”

  He watched her look about for a place to set her empty glass when he finally reached out and took the glass from her hand. His hand touched hers and he felt her pull back slightly as they both responded to what felt like a spark of an electric current.

  He smiled at her. She was timid and sweet. He liked the look of her soft white skin against the contrast of his dark olive complexion.

  “Do you have a wrap, Kate Reese?”

  “Wrap? Yes, it’s in, uh…”

  “I believe your wrap is in the study. Allow me?”

  He offered her his arm and watched as she hesitantly placed her small hand around his elbow. She glided in those stilettos. He slid his eyes behind her to watch that beautiful ass swish and sway on the way to the study.

  She identified her dark green suede coat from the pile. He noticed the label inside. It was made in Italy…leather from Florence. He smiled. He held the coat for her, as she slipped her arms into the sleeves, then he slid the coat onto her slender shoulders. His hands grazed her hair and neck. He loved the feel of her, touching her. He loved her petite stature to his height and mass. He watched as she pulled those long crimson locks from the collar of her coat and flung them to her back. He was assailed, once again, by the scent of roses. She turned and looked into his eyes again, then quickly looked down. She was unable to maintain eye contact with him for more than a few seconds. “Do I make you nervous, Kate?”

  “No, no, no...I, really, I just need to go. Thank you.” She scooted past him in the study and back to the formal living room, with all the guests as he followed behind her. Kate approached Rissa to offer her thanks for the invitation, and to let her know she was leaving.

  When she turned to leave, she bumped into Shade. “Oh, sorry, I…”

  “No apology necessary, mi amore.” He chuckled at her and the frenzy she’d worked herself into trying to escape him.

  She rushed past him to the front door and stepped outside into the crisp air of the fall night. She took a deep breath of cold air. She thought, What just happened? I’ve never been tongue-tied in front of a man before. Shade. Even his name sounds mysterious. I’ll ask Rissa about him. Or maybe I’ll just leave well enough alone and know when I’m out of my league.

  He watched her from the window, as she walked to her car and then she was gone. He couldn’t get the image of her out of his head.

  He heard Rissa as she stepped up behind him. In her spiteful laugh, she commented, “Like I said, warrior, you’ll scare the hell out of her.”

  He looked at her, hiding his annoyance at her response. “Ah, patience, Rissa. The situation calls for patience.”

  Rissa shook her head. “Shade, there are at least fifty women in this room who’d climb in your bed tonight. Each one giving you exactly what you crave.”

  He smiled. "Rissa, if you give up the details I need, I will leave you alone, and you can get back to Alec's cronies, which I am quite sure you cannot wait to do."

  Rissa stared at him with her big blue eyes. “I can’t imagine how that timid little mouse could please a hot ticket like you, Shade Medici. You’re a player. You’re the wandering Casanova of vampires. There’s no way Kate could keep you entertained. She can’t keep a man to save her life. There’s a reason they all leave her. She can’t hold a mortal’s attention, let alone yours. Is it sex, or do you just desperately need to feed? I can’t figure it out."

  Chuckling, he winked at Rissa. "You do not need to concern yourself with how serious I am. Just tell me where she lives, where she works. That’s all I need, trust me."

  Shaking her head, she sighed. “Fine, you want details, you can have them. I don’t give a fig what the hell you do with her. It makes no difference to me. She lives in Arlington, has a condo around Pentagon City. You should be able to find it. Just don’t expect to knock on her door and jump her bones. She’s Miss Prim and Proper. You scare the hell out of her, which should be obvious to you after she almost knocked down half my guests getting to the front door. She works for the Brunswick Agency, based here in D.C. They do national magazine ads, commercials, marketing campaigns, and such. Kate refers some of her high-profile clients to me. She’s been a good resource. Maybe you could use that as an angle. You need someone to market your wines here in the States."

  Downing the last of the Midnight, he set the glass on the table and smiled at her. "Thank you for the information, but let’s get one thing clear. I need no angle to get a woman, they usually come to me and so will this one."

  Turning on his heels, he headed out the door, and found his journey took him straight to a little condo in Arlington.

  3

  Shade teleported directly to Pentagon City and had no problem finding her condo. As he checked the listing of residents, he found she was on the seventh floor. He landed directly inside her home, shadowing his presence and blocking any detection; a handy little vampire trick. He could watch her without her ever knowing he was there.

  She hadn’t arrived home yet. Teleporting these short distances was instantaneous, faster than any mortal human eye could see. He used the time to walk around her condo. It was clean, organized and very feminine. No dog to greet her, no cat to ignore her. No pets here at all. The furniture was comfortable, her style eclectic. She decorated in greys, blacks and white, which sounded harsh, but she had made it soft. She had lots of books; novels, histories, biographies, travel. She was well read, with a diversity of interests. She had interesting art on the walls. He picked up a few pictures she had in frames on the tables; family and friends, at the beach, in the mountains, standing in front of recognizable backdrops like New York, San Francisco, Paris, London, and Hong Kong. For a mortal female, she was well traveled.

  He heard the key in the door. He hovered in the corner and watched her as she slammed her back against the door, something had her spooked. He had this overwhelming urge to protect her, watch over her, and he’d be damned if he knew why. He just knew he wouldn’t settle, unless he knew she was protected, home, safe and sound.

  ***

  Kate drove home through Washington D.C. traffic to condo. She hoped the traffic would have thinned out by now, but D.C. traffic never stopped. She parked the red Miata in the underground garage and headed for the elevator. As she waited for the elevator doors to open, she thought she heard something behind her and turned suddenly, her keys held in her hand like a weapon, but there was nothing there. She hated this parking garage. It never failed to creep her out.

  The elevator doors opened, and she quickly moved inside and pushed number seven. Seven was her lucky number. She lived in unit number 711, doubling her luck. She remembered being so excited to buy this place, giving her a view across the Potomac River and the D.C. skyline. She unlocked the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her, and stood with her back against the door.

  The first image in her head, the only image in her head, was of him, those piercing blue eyes, and those long black lashes. “Enough!” She shook her head, trying to rid herself of him.

  Tossing the keys on the side table in the entry hall, she walked to her bedroom. The drapes were open, and she stepped to the large picture window, looking out at the lights, and the traffic on the Arlington Memorial Bridge. From here, she could see the Pentagon, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument. She never got tired of this view. Her family thought she was insane to live this close to D.C. They were always worried about the crime. But she felt safe here...sort of...most of the time.

  She unbuttoned her blouse and slipped it off her shoulders, tossing it on the bed. She unzipped the skirt and slid it down her hips, letting it puddle at her feet before stepping out of it. She sat on the bed, crossed her legs and unstraped the black shoes.

  She kicked her shoes off and stood. As she started to remove her bra, she felt a shiver down her spine. She turned and looked around the room. Walking back to the window, she drew the drapes, then removed the bra and tossed it o
n the bed. Sitting back down, she unhooked her stockings from the garter, then slid them down her legs, tossing them aside before unhooking the garter belt. She walked to the closet, wearing only a lace thong. She pulled her robe off the hook, slid it on, and tied the belt at her waist. She turned suddenly. Again, shivers ran down her spine. She couldn’t shake the feeling of someone watching her.

  That man...Shade...she couldn’t get his face out of her head. Get a grip, Kate Reese! You took a solemn oath in front of Shannon over wine at Happy Hour, one hand on your heart and the other on the wine list...no more men!

  She walked back to her bed and piled her pillows against the headboard, grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, pushing mute. Digging into her purse, she pulled out her cell phone and hit dial for her best friend, Shannon.

  Laying her head back on the pillows as the phone rang, she wondered if it would go to voice mail. It was still pretty early on a Saturday night for Shannon, and then she heard her voice. “Hey, you...I thought you were going out tonight?”

  Kate laughed. "I did go out. You know, some of us do manage to get home before the sun comes up." She put her phone on speaker and laid the phone on the bed.

  “Yeah, well...some of us know how to have more fun than others. Just sayin'! So, what were you up to again?”

  “I was at that big cocktail party Rissa was throwing for Alec. A lot of politicians were there, the rich and famous...rubbing elbows.”