Round Two

by Eden Wildblood

  “While you prefer dark and cold?”

  “More like practical and private,” he corrected with a smile and then led her over to a garage. There, he opened the huge door to reveal a bright blue sports car that was the exact colour of his eyes, not that she’d noticed of course. Wynter grinned and let herself have a moment to appreciate the beautiful piece of machinery. She didn’t know much about cars, but she knew this was something special. And expensive—not that creatures like Jakob had to worry about it of course.

  “Understated, just like I expected of Mr Practical and Private,” she teased as she climbed in the passenger side and buckled up. “Now, take me out for dinner,” she added, and then checked her watch and realised that it was almost five-am, “or breakfast. Whatever. Just feed me.”

  Jakob watched her with a smile and then shook his head, as though surprised by something. Wynter wanted to ask what, but then remembered her promise to herself. She wasn’t going to care what other people thought of her any more. She was going to be herself and do what she wanted with her life. Those around her could get on board or get out.

  Look after number one—that was the goal.

  He sped away and in just a few moments they’d turned out of the private driveway and onto a winding country road.

  Jakob drove insanely fast and Wynter held on for dear life as he took the corners at breakneck speed and flew through lights as if he somehow knew they’d always be green.

  She hated every second of it. She was not like those girls in the movies where they always seemed to trust their driver and enjoy the fast ride. Nope, she was more the close her eyes and hope for the best kind of girl. Not one for thrill rides in the slightest.

  When they finally came to a stop, it was outside a small shopping village set away from the nearby town and regular shopping areas. Wynter just hoped there might be an early-opening coffee shop, or at least an all-night fast food chain there so she could grab something. Anything!

  “Will this do?” Jakob asked as they both climbed out and took a look around at the empty parking lot. “I meant it when I said I didn’t know where to get food.”

  As was expected, the shops were closed, but there was a burger-chain restaurant up ahead and Wynter ran for the door in the hope she might be in luck. She wasn’t. The damn place didn’t open until six-am. She cursed and stepped back, where she collided with Jakob, whom she hadn’t realised had been hot on her heels.

  He was quick to grab her so she didn’t fall, and she heard him take a sniff of her hair.

  “Looks like I’m not the only one who’s hungry?” she said, turning to face him, and Jakob seemed surprised by her reaction.

  “No, I’d never feed from you, Wynter. You’re not mine to taste,” he replied with an awkward expression. As if he really and truly would never take from her what Marcus so readily did. It was odd, but also a nice thought to have a vampire companion who didn’t want to devour her every five seconds.

  “Like you said, people seem to like me well enough. I’m starting to see how I can use that to my advantage,” she informed him, and then lifted her hand to show him the mobile phone she’d just taken from his jacket pocket while he’d been flummoxed momentarily.

  Wynter grinned mischievously and then pouted when she tried to access the phone but was halted by his passcode. “Tell me your code, Jak. I’ll pull up the maps and we can actually go in search of somewhere that’s open.”

  Jakob moved over to her in a heartbeat and had his phone back in his grasp without so much as a struggle from her. She wasn’t playing games, and so just continued to smile up at him and then looked down at the phone in his hands. “Hurry up, I’m getting hangry,” she demanded, and delighted in his puzzled look.

  Before he could ask her what that meant she took off for the parking lot and skipped over to his car, perching by the driver’s side. “How about I drive?”

  Now that really made him laugh. Jakob was still bellowing out sniggers after he’d physically placed her in the car’s passenger seat and buckled her in, and then he turned to Wynter, eyeing her with that same thoughtful look.

  Again, he seemed surprised by her, and she liked it.

  “I’ve found a food place that’s open,” he then said, before starting the engine and tearing away with a screech. They turned out of the shopping village and around the corner, and then it was Wynter’s turn to laugh as the bright lights of a huge supermarket came into view. It wasn’t exactly the greasy spoon or fast-food breakfast she’d thought, but it would do nicely.

  She said nothing as he parked up and followed her inside, sticking awkwardly next to her. Wynter figured Jakob had never been to a supermarket before and she enjoyed being the one to take the lead. She took him into the foyer and ordered for him to grab a trolley, which he just about managed after finally figuring out how to pry the metal carts apart.

  She smiled to herself as she watched him, and then realisation struck her. She didn’t know how long she’d end up being away and so decided she was going to stock up on supplies. Just the human essentials, but necessities nonetheless. And why not. The supermarket was pretty much empty and actually, she enjoyed the simple pleasure of just being free to do some shopping.

  With Jakob in tow, she set about grabbing something to eat and also some snacks and basics for her stay at Camilla’s mansion. He followed her up and down the aisles with wide eyes and confusion that was so evident Wynter found it endearing. He really had no idea.

  Jakob actually seemed quite sweet and while she could tell he wasn’t keen on being away too long, he said nothing to hurry her as she browsed the store and made her selections.

  It was fun. Probably the most fun she’d had in weeks, and by the time she’d hit the checkout, she was smiling from ear to ear.

  Fifteen

  When they were back at the mansion, Jakob carried the bags of shopping in while Wynter munched on some croissants she’d bought from the supermarket bakery. She’d devoured one after leaving the store before they’d even reached the car and had put the rest aside, not wanting to make a mess of Jakob’s posh car, but was already hungry again so hadn’t delayed once they were back at Camilla’s foreboding home.

  The pair of them then went back to the room she’d woken up in and Wynter sat down on the bed with a sigh.

  “What’s wrong?” Jakob asked with a seemingly genuine frown.

  She wasn’t sure she could tell him, but she was still so lost. Wynter suddenly felt like she didn’t know what she wanted, not really. Put her in a room with Marcus and she knew she’d want him. The same would be for if she were with Warren. Neither one of them had really done anything to warrant her affection though and she wondered if she really was just a fool whenever it came to matters of the heart. Different men had done a number on her time and again, and yet she’d still never learned. And even after having convinced herself for years that she’d found the secret to surviving via her icy mind-set, it appeared she was still back to square one.

  “All of this,” she replied as she ushered around the room with her hand, meaning the situation she’d found herself in on a whole, not just the how and where of the current situation. “And I get the feeling you’re not just spending time with me for my sparkling personality. Are you babysitting me?” Wynter asked with a frown.

  “No,” Jakob replied with a smile, surprising her.

  She looked up at his handsome face and knew she was wearing that doe-eyed look of wonder girls often got when peering into men’s faces, but didn’t care. His chiselled jaw and hardened stare was still intimidating, but when he smiled, Wynter was captivated. She remembered what it felt like to have him hold her, and let herself indulge in her fantasies a little. After all, what harm could it do? She knew it’d never lead anywhere. He was just another vampire, and his kind did not fornicate with humans. That’d been well and truly drummed into her by now.

  “But?” she asked him, and knew there was indeed more to it when he bowed his head slightly as thoug
h conceding.

  “But I am guarding you. I’ve been asked to make sure you don’t misbehave or try to escape.”

  “Oh. And if I had tried to run earlier at the store?” Wynter said with a determined look at the vampire she knew was not only stronger and faster than her, but also more cunning and clever. There would be no way she could outrun or outsmart him if she tried, but that didn’t mean she’d have to like it.

  “I would stop you,” Jakob answered curtly, as if it were obvious. “I might not like it either, but I know what’s best and that’s for you to stay with me.”

  “With you?” she countered, having found his choice of words a little odd.

  “Well, I mean you must stay here and if it’s me or Lola watching you, then you’re better off with me. Camilla does not care for your safety, only that you comply with her wishes. Lola would not be an ally, but a warden. Someone who would merely keep you safe because she had been ordered to,” he answered, but Wynter got the feeling he too was bending the truth a little.

  “Tell me more about Camilla,” she asked, opting to discuss the more important matter at hand—her official captor. “I need to know what I’m dealing with. Does she intend to kill me?”

  “Oh, yes,” Jakob answered with a jovial smile, but she knew he was telling the truth. “But only if you don’t behave. She wants to take you away from Marcus first as punishment.”

  “What have I done?” she demanded, feeling hard done by.

  “Not you,” Jakob chided, “him.”

  “Oh. And how does she plan to do that?”

  “Either by making him abhor you, or vice versa. She had hoped for an easy resolution, but your strength has made that somewhat difficult. You remember I told you we don’t mind killing humans? Well that was the old way. Times have changed and we’re trying not to do so unless absolutely necessary,” he explained, but Wynter was still confused.

  “How?”

  “We outnumber humans two-to-one. Because of this, we cannot kill them without facing the repercussions. Each human should be kept alive as a slave until they’re no longer fit for purpose. Camilla has never entertained that idea, so she feeds at clubs like Slave and the numerous others Marcus runs, but she also commands an army of vampires she calls hordes. They’re kept hungry and caged. The remains of their human minds broken and lost so that only the feral side is left. They are the ultimate hunting machines and were created as a contingency plan should the human race ever discover our existence and rise up against us. They are trained not to drink their fill, but to take a mere sip and pass their prey along so that the others in their pack survive.”

  “Oh, God,” she replied with a gulp, the realisation striking that she had indeed been right to assume the worst about them. “And Marcus wouldn’t drink from me if I have been tainted by the bites of others. He told me so before.”

  She cursed herself for being such a quick study, and clutched at her aching gut.

  “Exactly,” Jakob replied, “she won’t kill you, but she’ll make him refuse your vein by having anything from one to a dozen vampire soldiers feast on your blood.”

  A chill ran down her spine at the thought.

  “So it’s that or I escape him some other way?”

  “Yes. I guess the only other way would either be by merging your soul with another vampire, or becoming pregnant with another human’s child. Either would be enough of a change to spare you his affection for long enough to ensure your escape.”

  The room suddenly started to spin. There was no way she could imagine herself going that far. No fucking way in hell. She’d rather stay with Marcus.

  “But I don’t want either of those things!” she bellowed. If she let any of the hordes bite her Marcus wouldn’t just turn her away, he’d throw her to the wolves with all his other slaves. She’d have to work in that club feeding them in whatever depraved method he chose. He still wouldn’t just let her go free. Nothing was ever that simple when it came to him.

  And if she merged with another vampire, then surely that meant they’d have to love one another first? She couldn’t give her soul to someone and become their willing slave, because she knew that was what would happen once she merged. There was no doubt her mind and body would no longer be her own. Not really different to her current predicament.

  And then there was the third option. Marcella was doing it, she knew, but she couldn’t bear to do the same. The idea of bringing a baby into the awful world she’d found herself in was deplorable. She couldn’t imagine anything worse.

  None of these plans would do. Not a single one.

  Wynter decided she would fight tooth and nail with any man, woman, witch or vampire who tried to make her do any of them. This was no longer about just escaping Marcus, but instead this was about her survival in general. She was up against threats from numerous sources, and knew it was time she put her newest plan into place.

  She would put herself first like she’d promised and not cave again.

  Not even for a second.

  Because now, her life well and truly depended on it…

  Sixteen

  “I shan’t discuss this with you again, Camilla,” Marcus snapped before letting out an exasperated groan. How had he been so blind for all these long years? The damn woman was actually in love with him and yet he’d not seen it before. Not realised the extent of her attraction to him, while he’d taken their liaisons as casual rather than see how she adored him both in and out of the bedroom.

  Camilla had indeed played a perilous game in order to get him to her home, and Marcus was livid that it’d worked. She’d moved her pieces into place while he’d been too distracted to see it, and now there he was, her captive. And Wynter too. She was in the belly of the house and was being held there while he played his part of the game. Marcus could sense her, but knew she was well though. Not currently harmed or under any duress. He knew his actions might alter that however, and so treaded carefully whilst dealing with his hostess.

  “Then send the girl away, Marcus,” Camilla demanded, her voice shrill with jealousy. “Be done with her and things can go back to how they were.”

  He took a step towards her and fixed his icy stare on the ancient vampire he knew had the upper hand, for now. Marcus approached and Camilla retreated, but not like Wynter did. Not out of fear. No, she was doing it to lure him towards the bed she’d made up especially for him. She wanted him to take her atop it. To make love to her and have her believe that everything was going to be all right. But he couldn’t bring himself to want her or desire the same body he’d been with countless times before. Things had changed.

  Her actions had only cemented things for him. He wanted Wynter. He wanted to complete what he’d started a few weeks before and make her his. It was clearer than ever before and Marcus couldn’t believe it’d taken him so long to finally see it.

  In many ways, he couldn’t believe he’d wasted the time playing games and toying with her. She was the only thing on his mind and he was sure now that he was ready to take the next step. He was ready to merge his soul with hers. He had Camilla to thank for pushing him, at least.

  “I will not send Wynter away,” he groaned honestly, the consequences be damned. He would lie and fight his way out of whatever Camilla threw at him, but he couldn’t agree to anything that would damn his darling girl to whatever fate his vampire lover had in store for her.

  Marcus knew what had to be done. That he would need to offer Camilla something in exchange for his precious prize, and knew exactly what was needed of him. He had to agree to one more tryst. When it was done, he would take Wynter home and complete the merging process, but he had to do this one thing before he could take her and go.

  To save Wynter he had to lie. “I won’t send her away because she means nothing more to me than my fondness for the blood running through her veins,” he replied with a sour expression.

  Camilla seemed surprised, but convinced, and so Marcus moved closer still, giving his ruse everything h
e had to make it seem real. To make her believe it. “You’ve let your jealousy get the better of you, my darling. But your fears are unfounded. Here, let me show you. Let me love you…”

  And he did.

  ***

  After two days of being stuck under the watchful eye of the strange Russian vampire, Wynter began to see their world in a whole new light. He told her many things as they passed the time together. About the history of his kind and just how many countries were pretty much ruled by them. Jakob talked for hours about the places he’d seen and the people he’d encountered, but he always seemed to hold something back. She wasn’t sure why he insisted on it, but Wynter knew she was finally ready to know the truth. She wanted to get the whole story.

  “What are you hiding?” she asked as she propped herself up against her pillows and relaxed against them, feeling tired. The days and nights had blurred together in their small room and while she’d had decent amounts of sleep, she hadn’t ever slept for long at a time. Not with her guard always watching. Always seeming to be scrutinising her in ways she couldn’t fathom. “Your stories, they always end abruptly, like you aren’t telling me the whole tale.”

  Jakob shifted in his seat, seeming uncomfortable for the first time since she’d met him. That just made her more eager to get to the bottom of his unease.

  “It’s because with me, everything ends badly.”

  Well, that didn’t make any sense. Wynter sat up higher and scratched at the nape of her neck where a chill had just swept over her that seemed to somehow be emanating from Jakob. It was the same when Marcus was in one of his violent rages, and yet Jakob still seemed at ease. Far from the fear-inducing iciness she felt around her master when she’d said or done the wrong thing.

  “As in?” she asked in the hope he’d elaborate.

  “Death,” he eventually groaned, staring blankly through her. “I am known by many as an assassin. A butcher. A fiend,” Jakob revealed with a frown, “the village outside Paris I told you about—I burned it to the ground and killed everyone after my visit there. Man, woman and child,” he explained, knocking the wind out of her. “If you were to ask me what my trade is, I would answer that I am a reaper. I take those that are living and render them otherwise for hire, or for my own means.”