“You sure you won’t share?” she asks him.
“It is against the lady’s wishes to be shared,” Vincent says.
“I’m not against screaming,” Olivia replies with a cheeky sort of twinkle in her gaze.
“I am,” I say as firmly as I can muster.
“Ah, Vincent, you always did have a taste for food with attitude,” Olivia says, moving back away from me. “Though I guess you are a special one,” she adds, and it doesn’t sound like much of a compliment. “Vincent told me of how you slipped into his mind.”
“Olivia is the one who made me,” Vincent explains. I can tell she isn’t pleased with him having to explain anything. I wish this were a conversation we could have had in the car on the way up to vampire manor. “Since she turned me, we share a special connection. She feels the emotions that I do,” he says.
“So, when I heard a little voice screaming that a human is inside my mind, I got a bit worried,” Olivia says, flashing her fangs again, her eyes sharp.
“Amy was helpful in bringing down the shaman, Elric. She saved my life. Her abilities are not entirely known to us yet, which is why she in an important source of nourishment,” Vincent tells his maker. He gives my shoulder a tight squeeze as a warning to keep my mouth shut. The way the vampires are talking about me, it’s like I’m some sort of delicacy. I am fuming silently at the conversation, at the practices here, at the way this woman is looking at me, but I bite my tongue and stay quiet.
“My Vincent has always liked to keep attachments to the human world,” Olivia tells me. “It’s frowned upon by some. It is a good way to attract unwanted attention. I’m proud of him for taking a pet, though, even if you can’t be compelled.”
She begins to stare into my eyes then. I want to look away, but something is drawing me back. I can feel something brushing my mind, some thought that wants to implant itself, but I shook it away without much effort. I see the same frustrated look come over her face that came over Vincent’s the first time we met. At least she’s not pinning me against a wall, though.
“What do you think of our dinner?” she asks me, sweeping her arms towards the three humans laid out on the table. I watch a male vampire bite into the open thigh of one of the females, who lets out a long moan, her eyes rolling back and hips thrusting up as if she is being impaled elsewhere. It seems so intimate I want to look away, but I know better than to do so.
“I think they’re enjoying themselves,” I say carefully.
“Would you like to join them?” Olivia asks.
“I’m quite content,” I say, making a show to snuggle in closer to Vincent. He kisses the top of my head.
“Humans have their uses other than being food,” Vincent says, almost as if he is lecturing Olivia. “Mabel does a good job of keeping you safe.”
“Mabel is also under my complete control,” Olivia counters. “She’s my favorite for her devotion.”
“A devotion that transcends your power to compel her,” Vincent counters.
Am I stuck in the middle of some debate between Vincent and Olivia about the worth of humans? Is this an ongoing battle in the vampire community, to figure out how to deal with us pesky mortals? No wonder hunters kill them all on sight. I watch the vampire at the table pull away from the woman’s thigh and move to kiss her on the mouth. I see she is hungry for the touch, her hand going up into his hair to pull him towards her. He begins to undo his shirt and pants, and my cheeks flush again when I realize what he is going to do.
“Humans usually don’t fuck the cows they’re going to devour,” I say without thinking. That gets a sharp look from Olivia. For a moment, I think she might slap me. Her nails look sharp, and they are painted such a dark red that she may have well had simply dipped them in blood.
Olivia pauses a moment and then begins to laugh. She pets my head like I am a cat who has just amused her. I feel Vincent relax beside me. Apparently, he thought she was going to snap my neck as well.
“I like her; she has a bit of spunk to her. As long as you can keep her under control, you can keep her,” Olivia says casually as if she’s telling him he can keep a stray. Great. Now not only am I a cat, I’m a stray cat.
“Amy will behave quite well, and I’m sure she will be able to show you that humans are useful as more than just a warm meal,” Vincent replies.
“She will have to do more to prove her worth then just remove a pesky werewolf with no regards to our laws,” Olivia says. “We will be in touch. Expect my call if something else comes up.”
Vincent bows his head to her and pulls me back. I can hear grunting from the table, but I don’t want to look up to see what is going on there. Vincent reads how uncomfortable I am and starts leading me out the door. Olivia has turned to watch the spectacle in the center of the room. The vampires gather together, voyeurs, to talk about the act as if it is some sort of art piece. They laugh at the way the human girl groans, commenting on it in an abstract way. I can’t help but peek at the way the vampire mounts the girl, but it is only a quick glance before Vincent has us heading towards the door.
“Vincent, I know you haven’t had all of the girls yet. I expect better of you next time we meet,” Olivia calls out over her shoulder from behind us. I feel Vincent stiffen beside me, but he says nothing. Mabel opens the door for us as we enter the chilly air.
“Are those humans going to live?” I ask Vincent.
“Not now, Amy. They can still hear you,” Vincent says, his words barely a whisper. We make it to his car, where he opens the door for me, and I slide in. He moves in beside me and starts the car, driving off quickly before I can even buckle my seatbelt completely.
“What about the Sisters?” I say once we have driven down the road some ways, frustration clear in my words.
“Not tonight. I didn’t like the way Olivia was eying you.”
“You’re not like them, are you?” I ask.
“I am, but I’m not. I use to be. I use to be a fan of the banquets, the blood lust, the sheer power that comes with taking a life, but it grew old,” he says.
We are silent for a while. “What were you as a human?” I ask finally.
He chuckles. “Ironically, I was a priest. An ex-priest, to be precise, since I questioned the morals of the Church. Olivia likes corrupting the pure of heart, though she hasn’t turned anyone in a hundred years.”
If we were closer, I would tease him about the priest thing. But there are still walls between us. And besides, I’m a bit too overwhelmed by the events of the evening to make jokes. I settle for asking another question instead. “How old are you?”
“I’m not sure. Around 500. I stopped counting and can’t even remember the day I was born, let alone the day I became this. Time moves differently for us. It becomes unimportant. A human life span is just a blink of the eye after you’ve lived so long,” he says, keeping his eyes on the road.
That explains why he is such a good kisser, among other things. He has centuries of practice under his belt. My brain is trying to take apart all I have seen and heard. To stay alive and get close to the Sisters, I am going to have to be useful to the vampires, but I am pleased I get to keep my free will in the process. I know I am playing a dangerous game, and that I’m putting myself at risk of becoming like Mabel, or the women on that table. But if I can succeed, I can get Damon back, and then he and I will keep each other safe.
“What did Olivia mean when she said you hadn’t had all of me yet?”
“Have you ever heard the legend of Ares and Aphrodite? Of lust and war becoming one over and over again?” Vincent asks.
“Vaguely. I know that Aphrodite cheated on her husband to be with Ares, and they had several children together.”
“Being a vampire is like having the forces of Ares and Aphrodite inside of you, being filled with a lust for both blood and pleasure. It’s always on the mind, right at our fingertips. We can give humans cries of pleasure or screams of war, and what the humans feel we share in. Some of us like the p
ain, others of us like the pleasure, but either way it is a sexual experience,” he says.
“What does that have to do with what Olivia wants?”
“To be honest with you, my sweet Amy, Olivia has ordered me to fuck you,” Vincent says, before turning into my apartment’s parking lot and leaving me speechless.
Chapter 11
When we arrive back at my apartments, I finally get to see how Vincent’s been entering my place. Again, he sweeps me off my feet and with one quick leap, jumps up onto my balcony before putting me down. I roll my eyes. Sure, it’s impressive. But it doesn’t change the fact that I’m seeing firsthand how my semi-stalker operates.
Vincent lingers at the balcony door, and I hang up my coat.
“Are you going to do what Olivia ordered?” I ask, sitting on the couch, looking at him.
“I will not force myself on you,” Vincent tells me.
“Have you ever?”
“I have never needed to,” he says, still not moving. I look at him, his long muscular body. I used to refer to him as Mister Muscles in my head before I knew his name. Between his general attractiveness and the intoxicating atmosphere, vampires seem to create, I can understand why he’s never had a problem following Olivia’s orders in terms of his…pets.
“Where do we go from here?” I ask, looking down at my hands. Vincent moves from the balcony slowly and comes to sit beside me on the couch. He takes up my hands and presses them to his cold lips. I look up at him, and he is staring at me intensely.
“I don’t know what it is about you that makes me want to keep you alive and in my life, so badly,” Vincent says. “It isn’t just your ability to keep me out of your head, or the sweet taste of your blood. There is something that is compelling me to keep coming back. It has since the day I met you.”
I’m not really sure how to respond to that. It was slightly romantic until he threw in the part about my blood. I’m still not sure how I feel about Vincent. A part of me thinks I should tell him to leave, but I logically, I know that would only get me into trouble. If Vincent leaves me, I am confident that Olivia would come knocking on my door. And I don’t think she would have any qualms about forcing me to do anything.
“You’re not in the business of saving lives,” I say, finding my tongue is tied up in knots.
“There has never been a reason to do so,” Vincent says, and he moves forward to press his lips against mine. I begin to lose the logic in my brain as he parts my lips and I find myself kissing him back. I know this isn’t mind control, this is me wanting him. I can’t think about Damon, I can’t think of anything, other than the touch of his lips against mine. He pulls me in closer to him, allowing his hands to explore my back. I move my fingers through his hair, it feels like fine silk. I can feel his need crawling through my skin, and it mixes with my own. It is like we are feeding off each other’s emotions and there are no words left to say.
Vincent sweeps me off the couch and moves towards my bedroom. My hands are wrapped tightly around his neck as he goes. He nips at my lower chin – without using his fangs – and a small sound comes from deep in my throat. Vincent lays me down on the bed and begins to remove his jacket. I look him over and see his need straining against the black slacks that he wears. He starts to remove my boots. I remember something and try to stop him. He jumps back when the necklace with the cross on it tumbles out from inside my boot and flares to life. He retreats backward as I grab it up to hide it. Whatever spell was over the two of us is instantly broken, and my body so severely regrets it.
“Sorry,” I say hastily. Vincent is breathing heavily and fixes me with a glare.
“Why would you go with me so heavily armed?” he demands.
“I didn’t think a silver knife and a cross added up to being heavily armed,” I say, leaning back on the bed and glaring back at him. “What am I supposed to do? Your maker seems to think I’m nothing more than a walking, talking meal.”
“Yes, and you think making yourself appear deadlier would be in your favor?” Vincent is close to yelling at me. Just as I could feel his lust a minute ago I can feel his anger now. It is filling me up to the brim, but I can also read more into it. He isn’t mad at me for bringing the weapons; he is angry because he could have lost me if someone discovered I had them.
“You’re in my head again,” he growls.
“I’m not trying to be,” I growl right back. I try to shut it off, but his emotions keep hitting me. He is attempting to reign in what he is feeling as well; I see him in my mind putting a steel shield around his feelings. I watch the walls come up even though they aren’t there. I take a deep breath; I can think as myself again.
“As much as I would like to share myself with you, this will have to wait for another night,” Vincent says.
“Will I have to worry about Olivia?” I ask.
“No. Remember, we perceive time differently. We don’t always have the same sense of urgency you humans do. Unless boredom actually takes over, she is likely to ignore you,” Vincent says.
Oh, joy. I’m not that important in the vampire world after all – that is, until there is nothing more interesting happening. Vincent is still looking at me, but he clears his head of whatever thoughts were in there and turns to leave.
“I will visit you tomorrow night,” he says. I stand up off the bed to walk him towards my balcony. I feel like a teenager, walking my…person to the back door so he can sneak out of my place. I guess it just goes to show how strange our relationship is. Do we even have a relationship, though? I’m not sure where I stand with Vincent. I want him so badly, but I don’t want to say it out loud. I don’t even want to admit it to myself
“I work,” I say.
“I can wait,” he replies as he opens the balcony door to slip outside. He backs slowly to the edge so I can watch him, jumping up onto the railing and flashing me a smile with a bit of fang showing. “I’m a very patient man, Amy. I just hope I won’t have to wait too much longer,” he adds, before stepping backward and disappearing from my sight.
I close and lock the door a few seconds after I’m sure he is gone. I go into my kitchen to fix a cup of chamomile tea to calm my nerves. I’ve seen and learned a lot tonight, but I’m not sure where to put Vincent in the scheme of my life. He is not going to be a permanent fixture, obviously. I know that eventually, I will grow old, and he would become bored. From what I saw tonight, it seems that vampires preferred the young, or at least my generation. I am thankful I didn’t see any kids, but I wouldn’t put it past them to feed on children. The thought is beyond unappetizing, and I am glad the tea will help settle my stomach.
The benefit is that Vincent is an excellent distraction from Damon. He tugs a bit at my heart when I think about him, but my brain is so wrapped up with Vincent that I can put Damon out of my mind, at least to an extent. When I am with Vincent it’s like our minds meld into one. I know that’s problematic for the vampires, but it is exciting for me. It is exhilarating to know what a person is actually thinking of you when you are with them. At least I know on some primitive level, without relying on words, that Vincent genuinely does care.
I drink my tea in peace, holding that thought close to me and trying to block out the memory of the humans being laid out on a buffet table. One problem at a time. When I finish my tea, I go into the bathroom to wash off my make-up and brush my teeth. I slip out of my dress and into pajamas, undoing the excellent braid that Vincent left in my hair. As I run my fingers through it, I remember the way his fingers felt. I smile at my reflection. I crawl into bed, looking forward to tomorrow night. It takes a few minutes for me to fall asleep as my head rests on the pillow, but I’m not uncomfortable. I don’t cry that night. I just go to sleep.
My alarm wakes me up at around 8 a.m., a little earlier than normal, but I have a gym class to get to at 9. I work hard to keep my body in shape, and more so recently since I know I may have to defend myself against creatures infinitely stronger than I am. I have Vincent there to pr
otect me, probably, but I don’t want to leave my well-being in the hands of others anyway.
I go to the gym at least three times a week and run the days I don’t. Yesterday was a break from the usual routine, and I am happy to get back into it. I’m a fan of the gym because I can make sure the workout is different every day. I don’t compete against other people like I know some do; I compete against myself to see how much better I can do. I can bench press my own weight quickly, which is saying a lot for a woman of my size. The other thing I like about the workout is that there is little thought that goes into it other than concentrating on keeping the form right. I don’t have to think about the past, what I’ve been through, or what I’ve lost.
I finish my workout and I’m covered in sweat, downing the last of my water, when my trainer Chris comes up to me. Chris is a good-looking guy with abs for miles. He has a strong chin with a little dimple in it. I used to be insanely attracted to him before I saw the wedding band on his finger. Some of the girls here like to ignore that little detail, but I don’t go for guys who are married. I like how he just brushes off their flirts with a laugh. He’s a good guy.
“Good work out today, Amy,” he says.
“Thanks,” I say, still trying to slow my heart rate down. I blink at him through the sweat running down my face.
“Everything going okay?”
“Yeah, work is dull as always, but everything’s alright.”
He shifts from side to side, and I can read in his body language that something is bothering him. I wait patiently. I can almost see the words rolling around in his head.
“You’re not shooting up, are you?” he finally asks.
I’m taken aback. I just stare at him for a moment, then realize his eyes are going to the two puncture marks on my neck. My hand goes up to brush over them.
“Oh, you mean the marks on my neck?” I ask. He nods his head and I let out a laugh – a bit forced – but it comes and it seems to relax him a bit.
Fatal Allure Collection Page 19
