by V. Vaughn
The two of us don't talk as we work out, and I appreciate that Alexander likes to push as hard as I do. I let the power of exercise help me zone out, and I go over the events of the last few days. Mostly the idea that I'm royalty. I wonder what that means in the vampire world. I suppose there has to be a ruling system in place that keeps vampires safe from extinction, and I expect given the way underground operations tend to work, it's not necessarily a fair one.
I can imagine finding out you're a princess would be welcome news to most women my age. While I grew up never wanting for things, my mother and I didn't live a lavish lifestyle, and it's not something I've ever had the desire to work at creating for myself. The lure of money and power isn't a motivator for me. I don't like to be tied down, and I wonder what my duties as a vampire princess would entail. Chances are good they wouldn't be tasks I'm interested in performing.
I have to admit I'm curious about my father, though. My mother's love for him is so great that after twenty years without him, she still can't let go. And while I focus on hating him for leaving us, I've had enough free college counseling to know my pain has to do with rejection. I never considered he might have had a good reason for leaving. One I could have never thought of. Like being a vampire king. Although I still can't fathom why he wouldn't give my mother a reason to move on.
It occurs to me that while I said I don't want to see my father, he's bound to make it happen anyway. My guess is that a king gets what he wants, and the fact Alexander said my father would be happy to hear I'm a vampire now makes me sure I won't be avoiding King O'Kelly for long. I think I'd better get used to the idea.
The control on the treadmill flashes to let me know I'm finished with my run, and Alexander stops soon after I do. He says, "Feel free to come work out any time."
I take the towel he hands me, and it's rough against my forehead as I wipe off sweat. "I noticed you didn't lock me in my room earlier. Aren't you worried I'll try to find fresh blood?"
"I don't think you're that stupid, Lyndsey. And since this is your home now, you should be able to wander around it."
"Thanks." I recall how I thought about going outside earlier and then imagine sneaking off to surf early some morning. But I know I won't, considering the risk I am to people. Alexander opens a mini refrigerator and pulls out a pitcher of ice water. He hands me a glass, and as the cool liquid slides down my throat, I wonder how long it will be before I can surf. Although according to Alexander, I could be on my father's private beach anytime I want. I'm curious where my father's private island might be, and I say, "Tell me about the royal family."
3
Maggie
"Margaret," says Sebastian as Adly and I walk into the hotel suite. The faint aroma of coffee is in the air, and I notice Sebastian has an espresso on the table in front of him where he set his e-reader down. "It appears you're no worse for wear. Did you have a good time?"
I glance at Adly and go over to sit on the chair across from Sebastian. He moves over to let Adly sit next to him, and I say, "We didn't go clubbing."
He raises his eyebrows at me as Adly cuts in. "It was my idea, and Maggie didn't know anything about it until after we left."
"I see," says Sebastian.
"I went to Port Porpoise to see Alexander," I say.
Sebastian's expression turns cold. Adly says, "Don't worry. She didn't see Lyndsey, but we ran into a different problem."
Before Sebastian can speak, I say, "Something weird happened at a gas station, and while I didn't want you to find out about me seeing Alexander"—I glance at Adly—"we both thought it was important you know."
Adly says, "Maggie went in to the convenience store to use the bathroom, and when she took longer than I was comfortable with, I got out of the car to go find her. But on my way to the store, I discovered she was asleep against a gas pump."
"Yeah." I shake my head. "And that's not the strangest part. When I finished in the bathroom and came out of the store, I couldn't see the limo. It's like it was invisible, and that's the last thing I remember before Adly woke me up. I have no idea why or how I was sleeping by the pump."
Sebastian leans forward and gazes intently into my eyes. "How do you feel now?"
"Fine."
"Tell him about what happened at dinner," says Adly.
I cut my gaze to Adly because I already explained the stranger freaking me out was Sebastian's doing. I say, "Adly and I ran into each other on my way back from dinner, and he saw how upset I was about the vampire you had scare me."
Sebastian's shoulders jerk back a bit. "Margaret. I did no such thing. What makes you think I did?"
I sigh. "Come on, Sebastian. I know you were angry with me for taking off by myself. You do tend to punish me in extreme ways."
He cocks an eyebrow at me as if I'm being foolish, and now I don't think he did send the vampire after me. A chill runs down my spine, and I shudder because I really was in danger. Sebastian says, "Tell me about this stranger who scared you."
I shrug. "There's not much to tell. I can't even remember what he looked like. I just know that on my way back from the restaurant, I thought I was being followed by a vampire who wanted to feed on me." I blink to clear my confusion, because I can't remember why I thought that. "I think." I frown, because while my fear is in my memory, the details are fuzzy. I wonder if I have a concussion and reach up to run my fingers over my head, searching for a tender spot.
"Margaret, what's wrong?" Sebastian comes over to me and gets down on his knees to place his hands on my thighs.
"I don't know." I glance down at my fingers to make sure my nail beds aren't blue. I know a lack of oxygen in my blood can make me confused, but when I see my fancy manicure, I realize I can't tell. I look into Sebastian's concerned face. "I feel like I'm losing my mind."
He stands up and turns to Adly. "I trust you realize that devious actions such as what happened tonight are not something I tolerate."
Adly nods quickly. "Yes, sir. I'm very sorry I deceived you."
"Very well. We'll be leaving at nine a.m. tomorrow. You may go."
Once Adly is dismissed, I say, "Something's wrong with me, Sebastian. I think I might need to see a doctor."
"What's wrong with you doesn't require a doctor, Margaret."
"You know what it is?"
"At dinner last night, you made friends with a vampire who possesses mind control."
"Mind control." I let out a dry laugh, because just when I think I've got the vampire world figured out, I get blindsided by a new danger. "I didn't make friends with a strange vampire, Sebastian. I was afraid of him."
"He had to have touched you. Do you let strangers touch you?"
I wrack my brain as I try to remember talking to the man I was afraid of. "No. Why would some vampire want to control my mind instead of sucking my blood?"
"To get to Alexander and me."
"You guys have enemies?" I think about how worried Sebastian is about me going anywhere alone, and it starts to make sense. "Of course you do." I let out a huff of air in exasperation. "Sebastian, why didn't you tell me? After what happened with Lyndsey, you'd think you'd have figured out keeping the truth from me isn't a good idea."
"If you'd follow my rules, I wouldn't have to."
I roll my eyes at him. "You might as well tell me about it so we can figure out what your enemy sucked out of my brain."
"Nothing was sucked from your brain. My guess is he made Adly drive elsewhere for a short period of time before he approached you and got you to give him information. Then he wiped both of your memories clean of the event."
"What do I know that could be dangerous for him to have? And who is him?"
"Robert Kearns. He and his sister, Charlene, have been trying to gain control of the Northern New England vampires for decades."
Now we're entering cloak-and-dagger territory I find hard to comprehend as reality. "What exactly does having control over vampires mean? Are you dealing in black-market blood or something?"
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"Very astute, Margaret. We do have a black market for blood, but that's not the issue. Alexander and I have worked hard to keep vampires undetected so that our clan can remain in one place. But the Kearnses don't have the same concerns, and they don't like our rules."
Since vampires by nature don't stop feeding until the blood is gone, I imagine that's one of the rules Sebastian is referring to. "And your punishments?"
"Correct."
"Classic good versus evil."
He offers me a wry smile. "Yes." But then his eyes flash with his vampire when he says, "But make no mistake. I'm not always good."
Elizabeth fills me with ice-cold fear, and it makes me wonder what she may have witnessed. I ask, "What do you think Robert could have gotten from me?"
Sebastian frowns. "I'm not sure."
"So you think he was snooping into your personal info?"
"Maybe. Or he could be sending me a message. It's likely he knew I'd figure out what happened tonight."
"Great. Now I'm a pawn in some turf war between vampires." I get up from my chair and walk over to the mini fridge, and the door pops open when I tug it. I don’t find anything I want and slam the door shut hard enough it pops open again before I have to tap it shut.
"Margaret," Sebastian says in a stern tone as if I've overstepped my bounds.
I turn to him. "Seriously. I did not sign up for this. I'm just a small-town girl who thought she was going to be working for some old dude as his personal assistant where my biggest concern was if he was trying to look down my shirt after he dropped a pen.” I throw my hands up in the air. “And now look at the mess I'm in!"
"You're being dramatic."
"Am I? Let's see. About a week ago, I attend a party where my boss sucks the blood out of my friends, then one of those friends figures out something happened." I step closer to where Sebastian is sitting. "When she comes around asking questions, she gets killed. But wait." I glare at him as my anger ramps up a notch. "I just happen to have a vial of vampire blood around my neck I can use to rescue her. Only I turned the poor girl into a vampire without permission."
Sebastian stands up to tower over me. "That's enough."
I scoff as I gaze up at him. "I'm not done. Because now I'm being stalked by your enemy, who wants to control my mind!" I poke him in the chest as his vampire simmers in his eyes. I didn't even get to the love-triangle part, but Elizabeth is filling me with enough fear to make me realize I've gone too far. So I step back and curl my offending finger into a fist I clutch at my chest.
Sebastian controls himself and steps back from me. "I understand this is a lot for you to deal with, but I assure you that you're safe with me."
"Right. As long as I follow your rules." He tilts his head at me as if I'm stupid. Okay. So right now I probably am since not letting him protect me from evil vampires is a death wish. "Fine. I will. But you really should have put this in my job description." I rub the heels of my palms over my eyes and let out a noise of frustration before I stomp off to my room.
4
Maggie
Even though I took a bath to calm down after fighting with Sebastian, I still find myself tossing and turning in bed. It's a terrible feeling to know you've lost a chunk of memories because your mind was controlled by someone—something. And that something is a vampire enemy of the men I work for. Elizabeth fills me with a warm glow and I gasp at the intensity. The men I love.
Tears spring to my eyes, because I do love Alexander, and while it is Elizabeth who loves Sebastian, I've grown to care deeply about him too. Even if he infuriates me on a daily basis. I hate thinking I may have revealed something to Robert Kearns that could harm either man. This is much more than me being in danger, and I wish I knew what I may have said or how Robert plans to use me. I'm sure this isn't over, and if I'm feeling unsettled, I imagine Sebastian has to be as well.
I whip off the covers and get out of bed. The hotel carpet is rough on my feet as I make my way out into the sitting area of the suite I share with Sebastian. I walk over to the mini fridge and open it up. I gaze at the selection of soda and juice, but nothing interests me. Tiny bottles of alcohol are cool under my fingers as I touch them and notice the bar needs to be restocked because there are only three.
I jump when I hear Sebastian's voice. "Might I suggest vodka?" I turn and notice him sitting on the couch. The faint glow of a nightlight allows me to see he's drinking something too. "It will be practically flavorless in a juice but sure to do the trick."
"What are you having?"
"Whiskey. Neat." He tilts his glass at me, and I notice the reason the mini bar is bare. Numerous small bottles and loose caps are on the coffee table. "It's a terrible brand, but I can hardly taste it."
"I can see why. Have you been out here drinking since I went to bed?"
"Perhaps." He downs the rest of his glass. "Get yourself a drink, Margaret, and keep me company."
I go with his vodka suggestion, and the top of an orange juice can pops when I open it. When my drink is ready, I sit in the chair across from Sebastian. His face is drawn, and his eyelids look heavy as if he hasn’t slept in days. This isn’t the Sebastian I’m used to. I wonder if he’s worried about Robert. "I—I’m sorry,” I blurt out. “About all of it.” I glance down at the pale-orange liquid in my glass.
He leans forward to grab a small bottle that hasn't been opened yet, and the contents splash in his tumbler. "This isn't how I thought things would go for you and me."
I don't think he's talking about Robert. "Me falling in love with Alexander put a glitch in that plan, didn't it?"
He waves his hand in the air. "That's only a small part, my dear." He leans forward to put his elbows on his knees. "And contrary to what you believe, if Alexander were the one for you, I'd give you both my blessing."
"Were? He is." I sit up a little taller. "We're soul mates."
He scoffs. "Perhaps if you still had your heart, you might be, but as you say, there's a glitch in that plan."
My throat tightens as I think about it. Is it true that because I lack my own heart, I can't be Alexander's soul mate? Elizabeth sure makes me feel things for Sebastian, and she hasn't been swayed no matter how I feel about Alexander. His words from earlier tonight come back to me. "Sebastian isn't making me stay away, Maggie. It was my decision." I thought he meant that he was acting out of guilt over being with the woman his brother loves, but what if he's known all along that we aren't really soul mates? I lift my drink to take a sip and notice my hand is shaking.
Sebastian gazes at me with what I think is compassion, and his voice is soft when he says, "He does love you, Margaret. That's enough for a human."
But what about vampires?
He throws his drink back and sighs. "It's an interesting love triangle we find ourselves in. No? And I fear none of us is going to win."
Is that true? Is Alexander pulling back to let Sebastian have a chance, but the reality is neither one of them can have all of me? I remember when Alexander and I first kissed and he came to me that night in my room. He said he wanted all of me before we made love. But that didn't happen, and I wonder if he gave in knowing it would never last. If that's so, I'm not much more to the Hart brothers than an employee whose future is dependent upon Kitty Kane's career. The one they produce the products for. Elizabeth sends a bolt of fear through me that matches the chill running through my veins. I ask, "Do you regret hiring me to be Kitty?"
Sebastian offers me a wry smile. "I regret putting you in a situation that endangers your life. You're young, beautiful, and have decades of life ahead of you. I may have stolen that from you."
I think he's talking about Robert now, and my fear blossoms into panic. My heart beats faster as Elizabeth joins in. "Does Robert still have control of me?"
"No."
When he doesn't say more, I let out a huff of frustration. "How does it work, Sebastian?"
"I explained he must touch you to make it happen."
I think about how Ad
ly didn't remember driving away while I was in the store and thought he'd been waiting for me in the parking lot the whole time. "And then what? Where the heck was Adly when he thought he was waiting for me? Because Robert couldn't have been touching us at the same time."
"Robert can give you an order to carry out, but it can only hold for a couple hours. You're well past that time frame now."
"Can he put a mental surveillance camera or something in me? What if I'm a spy without knowing it?"
Sebastian shakes his head. "Robert was sending me a warning."
"But you said you're in control of the vampires and you already know he wants that power. What is he warning you about?"
"He's discovered my weakness." I notice Sebastian's eyes are shiny in the dim light as if he might be crying, and I reach over to take his glass from the coffee table. I gasp when he latches onto my wrist with an iron grip. "Don't you want to know what that is?"
"S-Sure."
He releases my wrist and lifts my hand to thread his fingers through mine. I notice how pale his skin is, and when I gaze into his eyes, he says, "You."
Elizabeth makes my heart ache, and I'm overcome with the desire to hug him. My grip on Sebastian's fingers tightens. I walk over and wrap my arms around his waist as I sit beside him. His shirt is smooth on my cheek. "I'm sorry, Sebastian."
He puts an arm around me and slides his hand down the back of my head as if he's petting me. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Margaret. I, however..."
I pull my head back to gaze up at him. I know one of my flaws is that I speak my mind when I'm angry, but my immediate thoughts aren't always rational. "No. Don't say I shouldn't be here. Do you have any idea what I'd be doing if I hadn’t come to work for you?"
He shakes his head as I think about my friend Kristi teaching freshman English. "I'd have ended up teaching in my small town, doing the same boring things day after day." Instead, I'm living the life of a famous author, with beautiful clothes and a sexy car. I even have a relationship, as complicated as it might be. I say, "You're giving me adventure, excitement, and experiences I never thought I'd have. I don't regret coming to work for you for one minute."
