I turned from one to the other, waiting for their response. This command was only the first of many they would receive in the coming days.
“Agreed,” they said in unison, and without hesitation.
“Thank you. While we wait for my associate, I will run through the steps we’re going to take so you are not alarmed during the actual process.” They nodded, almost looking eager—willing to do anything to once again serve a higher calling. “First, I’m going to bite you and drink a sip or two of your blood, so make sure you don’t get hard on me—” I blinked, realizing how that had sounded. And then I coughed, noticing that I had glanced down at Adam’s…well-developed Tree of Knowledge. “Don’t let your skin turn hard on me,” I corrected.
Eve let out a pure, chiming laugh before slapping a hand over her mouth. I ignored her, hoping I wasn’t blushing. Adam, surprisingly, looked slightly self-conscious. Eve placed a hand on his arm when he shifted as if to cover himself. The warm smile she gave him seemed to shock even Adam, embarrassing him further. I pretended not to notice the virgin tension that bloomed to life between them in that single moment—for it was a pure, joyous tension.
“Then you will drink a few sips of my blood. I will use my powers to bond our blood together while you swear an oath.” They nodded somberly as I recited the words for them.
Surprisingly, they didn’t balk at the oath, and I began to wonder if I hadn’t made this a larger problem than it needed to be.
I cleared my throat, hoping the last step wouldn’t break their resolve. “The final act is to kill your first victim, consuming their blood.” Renfield rounded the corner, making sure to move loudly enough that he caught our attention from a distance rather than causing a panic. Then again, he was herding two dazed vampires ahead of him. He must have already enthralled them, because they appeared to be in a trance. Adam and Eve watched them approach with wary frowns. “These are two of Dracula’s vampires. They were caught lurking here in the underground, hunting my vampires and searching for weaknesses that their master could later exploit to destroy me. I can absolutely guarantee that they are heartless killers, for those are the only men Dracula turns. The only kind of men he would trust to send against me.”
The Nephilims’ demeanor changed between one moment and the next, and they eyed the vampires with sudden fury. They were also staring at the thick metal bracelets.
Renfield murmured a command, and the vampires calmly knelt on the ground, as docile as sheep. I sensed that Renfield was significantly stronger than the pair, even though he was outnumbered. Even Gabriel had been stronger. It seemed that Dracula had preferred quantity over quality when choosing his spies.
Renfield introduced himself, congratulating them on their decisions and welcoming them to our family. He briefly reassured them that the two vampires were enthralled, and that becoming a vampire wouldn’t suddenly turn them into monsters.
“It might temporarily make you a…difficult person to deal with,” I said with a disarming smile, “so we will put the cuffs on.” I turned to Renfield and gestured for him to remove the cuffs from the enthralled vampires. He did, handing each of the Nephilim a pair so they could inspect them for themselves. I wasn’t even sure if they were capable of restraining a Nephilim, but they were all we had. I waited until they looked up at me with satisfied nods. “Please cuff our new friends, Adam and Eve, Renfield.”
His eyes twitched at the names, but he masked his reaction, cuffing the Nephilim with gentle words, easing any last-minute concerns they may have. I turned away, taking calming, steadying breaths. Victoria and Natalie were definitely going to feel something through the bond tonight.
I turned back around to find the Nephilim facing me, wearing their bracelets with mild frowns. That was actually a relief. “Are they blocking your powers?” I asked gently.
“Yes,” they said, twisting the bracelets with mild surprise.
“Good. As soon as I see that you’ve got the change under control, I swear on my life that I will take them off.” They nodded somberly, but I wanted absolutely no doubt in their minds. “Renfield, you have permission to kill me if I break my word and try to keep them prisoner without cause.”
He paled, hesitating before giving me a sickened nod. The Nephilim studied me in open disbelief.
“Now, let us begin,” I said, ignoring their reactions. “Kneel, Adam. Kneel, Eve.”
They each bent down on one knee, looking up at me with their fiery blue eyes.
“Give me your wrists,” I commanded.
They complied, lifting the wrists closest to each other like reflections in a mirror. I listened as their breathing grew faster and shallower.
I grabbed a wrist in each hand, took a deep breath, and chose Eve first. I met her eyes as I bit into her soft flesh, relieved that there hadn’t been any resistance. My eyes instantly rolled back into my head as raw, icy power rolled over me, threatening to drown me in liquid light that felt strangely cleansing—purifying and refreshing, even. It was unlike anything I’d ever felt before.
Although it was shockingly intense, it still wasn’t as potent as Victoria’s blood—it was just…different.
And I didn’t dare take more than a few sips, having no idea what possible effects that Nephilim blood might have on a vampire. I heard Eve whimper in bodily pleasure and I quickly let go, not wanting to accidentally be the first man to give the Nephilim that type of sensual experience—and definitely not after the way she had looked at Adam. Or the way he had discreetly appraised her when he thought she wasn’t looking.
My head began to spin as I turned to Adam. I bit into his wrist before he had time to notice how much Eve’s blood had affected me. He gasped as I drew two sips of his strangely clean blood before withdrawing. I had to fight to conceal the tingling sensation that began to dance across my flesh, making my skin suddenly feel tight and rejuvenated.
Renfield shot me a concerned look but I waved him off, thankful that Adam and Eve were too transfixed with their own sensations to notice mine. I bit into each of my wrists and then steadied my gaze on Eve. “Open your mouth and drink me, Eve,” I told her.
She shuddered involuntarily, blinking dreamily, but remained coherent enough to obey.
“Open your mouth and drink me, Adam,” I told him
He did the same, his shoulders trembling.
I extended my wrists over their mouths, marveling at the sight of my bright blood striking their white tongues and throats. They swallowed desperately, their eyes closing as they let out sounds of intense pleasure between fervent gulps of their new master’s blood.
I almost gasped in alarm as crimson veins abruptly exploded across their flesh in beautiful striated designs from head to toe, decorating the pristine white marble skin in a manner that somehow only served to emphasize their muscles and curves, turning them each into works of art. Even more mesmerizing, the designs shifted and changed, expanding and contracting like growing root systems across their flesh.
I withdrew my wrists and their eyes shot open, now flaring with crimson flames.
I managed to maintain my composure even though I wanted to stare in wonder. I reached deep within our bodies and latched onto the blood we had each consumed, binding theirs to mine, and mine to theirs before our bodies had time to process it into power or nourishment. The Nephilim tensed, their backs suddenly arching as they flared their chests out, momentarily unable to catch their breaths. My ears popped and I suddenly felt like the room was slowly tilting from side to side.
I felt my bond with Natalie and Victoria suddenly vibrate like a struck gong, but I didn’t know what it meant, having to use all my concentration to remain standing and in control of the rest of the process. I didn’t have the energy to entertain any distractions.
“Swear your undying fealty to me,” I said, using what remained of my focus to speak clearly and concisely, hoping I wasn’t slurring. “That you will faithfully and loyally serve me, and only me, until death do us part.”
; They did, their voices dripping with pleasure and anticipation. “I swear my undying fealty to you, Sorin Ambrogio. I will faithfully serve you, and only you, until death do us part.”
I felt the magic take hold of me from two different directions—one from Adam and one from Eve—hitting me like sudden storms of ice and fire that chimed like massive bells, tolling deep enough to make my bones vibrate and my teeth rattle. They gasped, trembling as the same sensations rocked through them. I felt light-headed, but they were too distracted to notice.
I stumbled backwards a few paces, suddenly feeling drunk. “Rise, my children. Rise, Adam and Eve. Welcome to House Ambrogio,” I murmured, having to squint to see the room clearly.
I’d feared a strong response or a possible failure. I was turning two Nephilim, after all. If a little dizziness was the price to pay, I would gladly pay it, because I could tell that it had worked. I had turned them!
My bond with Natalie and Victoria still hummed deep in my chest, feeling suddenly warm and…ticklish. I found myself chuckling dazedly. “Don’t forget to eat your dinner,” I mumbled tiredly. And then I fell, the world slowly fading to black. I heard a loud splash as Renfield shouted in alarm.
But I was more interested in who was tickling me, even though I was too tired to laugh…
25
I woke up with a start, panicking about an already dissipating distant dream. It took me a moment to realize that I was in bed, back at my chambers in the Museum of Natural History. The crackling fireplace served to calm my racing pulse, and I took a relaxing breath.
Then my eyes widened as a different panic settled over me. I wasn’t alone.
Natalie was on my right, and Victoria was on my left, both sleeping soundly. I was extremely aware of this promising development because I could feel the tantalizing sensation of their hot flesh pressed against mine.
And it was enough bare skin for me to realize we were all naked, at least from the waist up.
I regulated my breathing, not wanting to disturb them yet.
Because I couldn’t remember how I had gotten to the museum. Had they taken me here? Had…we done anything before falling asleep? My pulse quickened as Victoria murmured something in her sleep, sliding her knee over my thigh. Her head was swiveled in my direction as she hugged a pillow to her cheek, sprawled out on her belly. Her ripe, plump lips begged to be kissed, but I refrained for obvious reasons.
I remained still, wondering exactly how naked I was, and desperately trying to recall exactly how much fun I’d had getting that way.
With no memory coming to mind, I carefully lifted the crimson silk sheets to see that I wore silk pajama pants that were a darker red than the sheets. Rather than scoping out my bedmates, I dropped the sheets, triumphing over the temptation.
What had I been doing last night—
Thinking about my current temptation, the answer hit me with a blinding flash.
The Nephilim! Adam and Eve! I’d passed out after turning the fucking Nephilim into vampires! Oh no. Where were they? Who was watching them? Renfield? Was he strong enough? Had the cuffs been strong enough to hold them? Had they killed the two vampires—their first victims? Maybe they’d already overwhelmed and killed Renfield. I needed to get out of bed and call him. Call someone. Anyone who might know his whereabouts, because someone had brought me here.
Recalling the strange sensation of my shared bond with the Nephilim and the crisp, purifying taste of their blood, I decided to see if I could feel them through our bond. If successful, I would at least know if they had lost control—feeling a frayed, roughened rope connecting us rather than the smooth, tight wire that signified a healthy relationship with my offspring.
I reached out through my mind, prepared to struggle to find the entirely different breed of vampire. Almost instantly, I blinked in surprise. I immediately felt a solid, slick cable of cleansing light connecting the three of us together in a trinity—not just me to them, and them to me, but them to each other as well.
It was like spotting two lighthouses on a stormy night. They felt utterly dependable and reassuring as their steadfast beacons pierced my murkiest fears from a moment before.
My bond with Renfield wasn’t even that smooth. How much of that was from them and how much of it was from me? Regardless, I finally allowed my shoulders to relax, knowing that the world hadn’t ended after I passed out. Wherever the Nephilim were, I now sensed that Renfield wasn’t far from them, and I felt zero cause for concern from any of them.
Even though one major concern was alleviated, two more tangled knots of seductive trouble dozed only feet away from me.
I slipped out from beneath the silk sheets—careful to keep the women covered up and decent—before I accidentally woke them up and initiated an encounter that I wasn’t prepared to handle.
The most frightening aspect was that they seemed more accepting of our strange bond and apparent accompanying relationship than I was. Sure, it sounded glorious on the surface, but it was gods damned complicated. Not that they seemed conflicted or concerned about anything approaching the rational—other than how they intended to share me.
Either way, the situation stressed me right the hell out, and I wanted to clear my head before the other vampires in the museum woke up.
I silently slithered off the foot of the bed, biting my lip as a significant portion of my brain threatened to take over my body to see what kind of fun we could have with the silk sheets and a crackling fire to produce just the right kind of ambience. But that wasn’t what I truly wanted. My inner demon wanted it.
Very much so.
I controlled my breathing, closing my eyes as I banished my almost overwhelming lust. Once composed, I crept out the large bedroom’s open doorway and into the main salon of my suite. I walked past the coffee table near the second fireplace and picked up the phone Renfield had given me, before slipping out the door and into the main library. I closed the door behind me with a soft click and let out a sigh, leaning back against the warm wood.
I glanced down at the phone’s screen to check the time and relaxed even further. I had a little while before the other vampires would wake up, giving me a few moments to sit down and think.
I walked over to a nearby couch and sat down with a huff.
This bond was going to take some serious getting used to. It was confusing as all hell, because as similar as the two women could be, they were also remarkably different, occupying two separate halves of my heart.
I truly cherished Victoria and wanted to learn everything about her. I had already started to believe that I might have finally found my soulmate. She was even immortal. We also shared Artemis’ blood—something that could not be duplicated by any other person. Period. I’d felt that powerful resonance between us from the very first moment we’d met.
And her blood. I leaned my head back to stare up at the ceiling high above. Her blood made me feel stronger than I ever had in my entire existence. I had quite literally felt unstoppable the last time I’d fed from her—like I’d momentarily become a god.
Even without her incredibly potent blood, Victoria empowered me—not through compliments, but through confrontation and challenge, forcing me to consider all angles of any decision I made. She didn’t agree to every little thing that I did. She pushed me, holding my decisions to the grindstone to force me to be better, wiser, and stronger. And I felt it working, even in the brief span of time we’d known each other.
Victoria seemed to feed my very soul, keeping me grounded and focused. A kindred spirit that understood me inside and out. Like she was a missing piece of me that I had finally found.
I could feel her fingers gently curling around my heart, slowly, silently stealing it for herself. And…I liked that feeling. Very, very much.
But then there was Natalie…
As much as I wanted to deny it, I felt an incredibly strong attraction to Natalie in the magical sense. Something about her werewolf spirit seemed to strengthen my own powers, drawing out
the bold wildness within my heart. It didn’t make me feel godly like Victoria’s blood, but it seemed to ignite my heart with passion—as did Natalie herself. She made me believe that I had no limits, that I could reach higher, fight harder…that I was more than I let myself believe. That I could achieve more with her cheering me on.
Much like a general could deliver a rousing speech on the battlefield, inspiring the wounded, beaten soldiers into fighting one last time even when they faced insurmountable odds. Natalie was that general—feeding my inner dreams and making sure my heart was full and ready for the next fight.
Natalie desired to be my battery—to keep my passion, drive, and energy up without taking away from any loving feelings that I held for Victoria. She didn’t want the part of my heart that Victoria was interested in, and she was perfectly content with sharing.
Because Natalie wanted to support me in any way I needed, and a large part of me desperately hungered for that—to have an unquenchable bed of hot coals to keep my heart blazing and hungry for the next conquest. I felt like a stronger man with her snarling territorially beside me.
Together, did that make them my heart and soul, or was I being idiotically romantic?
How could a man love two different women in two different fashions and not be considered a scoundrel? And for that matter, I had a hard time truly believing they seemed fine with it, let alone that they also had feelings for each other!
No matter the answers, I wanted both of them. I hated myself for it, but it was the truth.
Even though I’d never been able to handle even one woman, let alone two. Each time I’d fallen in love, my life had taken a drastic turn for the worse. The first time should have been the only lesson necessary—loving Selene had turned me into a vampire, cursed by the Olympian gods for my heart’s desire.
It seemed to indicate that my current situation meant that I was setting myself up for twice the fallout. Was I supposed to love both of them equally? Differently?
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