“Oh. My. God.” Her eyes were closed, and she was licking her lips.
“I’m pretty sure even He couldn’t do you so well without actually doing you,” Natalie purred, resting a possessive hand on my chest. I turned my head to see that she was lying on her side, facing me. She had draped her knee over my thigh at some point, and she was leaning on her elbow, propping her head up in her hand. She winked at me and then glanced over my chest at Victoria, who only just now seemed to be coming out of her haze. “You okay, Victoria?” she asked with a grin.
“I’m going to need a shower. Maybe reconsider my life’s priorities, because I’ve been focusing on all the wrong things,” the vampire hunter murmured in a sleepy hum.
Natalie let out a loud laugh, absently raking her fingernails across my chest—like a cat kneading a blanket. “Good. Because those two statues have been itching to get Sorin’s attention for a while now. Either that or they are shy. Or curious. Or shy-curious.”
I sat up sharply, my motion inadvertently forcing Natalie to break contact. I had completely forgotten that I’d told Adam and Eve to stand guard at the now-open door. Victoria tiredly lifted her arm up in the air to cast a vague wave at our audience, not bothering to sit up or cover herself, which sent Natalie into a fit of giggles.
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Missing my werewolf’s idle touch, I propped the pillows up behind me so that I could lean back at an angle. Then I silently grasped her hand and placed it back on my chest with a fond smile. She beamed brightly, obliging me with more attention. It felt…nice to maintain contact with my two devils, and it had nothing to do with lust. It was almost as if physical contact served to strengthen our bond. Victoria still needed time to recover, so I let her be.
I finally addressed the Nephilim. “Is everything okay?” I asked.
Eve was smiling warmly at me and Natalie, taking note of our silent exchange.
Adam nodded. “Yes, Master Ambrogio. Three vampires are waiting to speak with you outside of your chambers. Master Renfield refused to let them enter.”
“We can all hear you since you destroyed the doors!” Aristos called out in an annoyed, distant shout.
Adam cast me a guilty wince, shifting from foot-to-foot. “It was a sturdy door. My compliments to the carpenter.”
Natalie burst out laughing. “Please tell me that was a pun.” The Nephilim stared back at her quizzically. “The carpenter,” she pressed, glancing from one to the other. She finally sighed in grumbling disappointment.
I ignored Natalie’s interruption, turning back to Adam. “Please call Renfield in here.”
Adam nodded, cupping his hands around his mouth as he called out through the open doors in a booming voice. “Master Ambrogio requests your presence, Master Renfield.”
Eve was eyeing the three of us on the bed. She slowly licked her lips, looking upon us as I’m sure her namesake had once looked upon the infamous apple in the Garden of Eden. “Will…you show us how to do that?” she asked.
I studied her in silence for a few seconds, knowing that this was a pivotal moment for the Nephilim. “Biting someone?” I asked.
She shook her head very slowly. “The…other part,” she said quietly, her eyes discreetly flicking to Adam for the barest of seconds. He did the same thing, discreetly glancing at her a moment later. I hid my amusement at their apparent…well, whatever it was between them.
Natalie burst out laughing. “I like her! What’s your name, babe?” she asked, eyeing the Nephilim’s similar nudity with a nod of approval.
“Eve,” she said, sounding self-conscious. “I am a Nephilim vampire. I think.”
Natalie waved at her, unflustered by her answer. “I’m Natalie. And that lazy puddle of sex is Victoria—”
A pillow hit her in the face, barely missing me. “Fuck off,” Victoria muttered, still lying on her back with her eyes closed. She lifted her arm again to wave in Eve’s general direction. “Hi, Eve, the Nephilim vampire.”
Eve waved back with a crooked smile. “Hi, Natalie and lazy puddle of sex, Victoria.”
Natalie hooted, her fingernails digging into my chest at the motion. Victoria chuckled softly and finally rolled over onto her side to face us and join the conversation, propping herself up on her elbow. I draped my arm behind her, pulling her close enough so that I could rest my hand on her lower back. She smiled, wiggling even closer so she could set a hand on my stomach, her shoulders relaxing the moment she did so.
Then she stuck her tongue out at Natalie, laughing at the werewolf’s playful, territorial growl.
Eve watched us, fascinated. To be honest, it was fascinating to me as well—if I tried thinking about it too closely. So, I didn’t. I simply knew that it felt better to be close to them. And it had nothing to do with any lurking darker desires that would have to wait until we fixed the door or found some other place with privacy.
Although I was confident that would make us all feel much better as well.
I realized Adam was discreetly appraising Eve with a hopeful, adoring smile. Thankfully, his display of pleasure remained limited to his face and not his open nudity.
Eve was as tall as Adam, but so much smaller that she looked tiny when compared to his sheer mass. He looked like a gladiator, yet I could tell that she had him in her thrall—and I hadn’t even taught them about that yet! This was the natural kind of enthrallment. The innocent beginnings of potential love.
Eve was watching me intently, still expecting an answer to her earlier question about teaching her the ways of lovers. Natalie slowly grinned, turning to look at me with an arched eyebrow. As did Victoria, both on the verge of laughter.
I cleared my throat uncertainly. “Well, you see, Eve…the thing is…” I trailed off, struggling under the scrutiny of the three female predators. I had no idea where to begin with the previously celibate Nephilim.
Victoria rolled her eyes before resting her cheek on my ribs to address Natalie. “When you find someone you like very much, you do things to make them feel good, to give them pleasure. And they return the favor. Then you try those pleasurable things without clothes,” she said, eyeing their already nude bodies with a smirk.
“And the favors and pleasures get better with practice,” Natalie said with a suggestive smile.
Eve nodded thoughtfully, pointedly not looking at her fellow Nephilim.
“My name is Adam,” he said, because everyone else was staring at him, having already picked up on the apparent attraction between the two Nephilim. Eve’s lips thinned, and she looked suddenly embarrassed.
“Hello, likeable someone,” Natalie said with a grin, leading Eve to catch the obvious hint. Adam and Eve each tensed, pointedly avoiding looking at each other.
I wondered if they had ever been permitted to entertain romance as Nephilim. It didn’t seem like it. They had lived underground together for hundreds of years, so it would have already happened long ago if they harbored such feelings for each other and were allowed to indulge.
I would have to change that—help them understand that romance wasn’t an evil thing.
Renfield chose that moment to enter the room, striding past the Nephilim without noticing their discomfort.
Renfield smiled, looking relieved to find me healthy and hale. “Adam and Eve told me about the Olympian intruder. We are fortunate that they were so quick to respond to your blood alarm.”
“We were already awake,” Adam said with a light shrug of his broad shoulders.
I arched an eyebrow at Renfield, and he nodded. “It seems your new Nephilim vampires do not require rest during the day. The rest of us were still sleeping, so we were not as swift to respond. It will not happen again, Master Ambrogio.”
“We do not require sleep at all,” Eve clarified. “At least we didn’t as Nephilim.”
I nodded thoughtfully, realizing I had just promoted them to guards. “Last night is rather hazy to me—at least following the ritual,” I clarified.
“We felt the ritual,” Natalie sai
d with a shiver. “It was different than our bond, though,” she added, glancing at me curiously. I nodded without explanation, because I had no answers.
“You were singing,” Victoria smiled, but her nails scratched my stomach to let me know she wasn’t pleased about my deceit—that I hadn’t included her and Natalie.
“We had fun getting you ready for bed,” Natalie smiled, pointing down at my pajamas.
I blushed, studying the Nephilim. “Your blood is very…potent.” Internally, I wondered about my new bond with them—how different it was from my bond with Natalie and Victoria. I was certain that I would find out tonight when we summoned the castle.
Adam smiled at my comment. “No other vampire in the world has ever been able to bite us without simply exploding upon contact, thanks to our Holy nature. A little singing is better.”
I grunted. “Should I be concerned about you shaking hands with my vampires?” I asked, wondering if their very touch was poison.
They shared a long look with each other before Eve smiled brightly. “I do not believe that is a concern. We consumed the souls of the two vampires you gave us in the underground before Master Renfield brought us all here. They did not explode upon contact.”
My relief was overshadowed by her other comment. “Consumed their souls? You mean their blood, right?”
Adam shook his head. “When we bit them, we drank down their spirit and power, along with their blood.” He licked his lips fondly. “I must admit that I did not anticipate it tasting so pleasant.”
Eve nodded with a shudder of pleasure. “It was…a first for me,” she said. Then she abruptly averted her eyes, looking ashamed of her reaction.
Natalie slowly sat up, hopping off the bed. “Can you help me get some warm washcloths, Eve? So I can clean up the mess Sorin made?” she asked the Nephilim, stretching her arms out over her head and rising up on the balls of her feet with a sigh. Victoria watched Natalie’s movements like a lion hunting a gazelle, humming absently, not seeming to realize her fingernails had dug into my stomach. I forced myself to look away before a much more direct reaction came over me and I ordered everyone but Natalie from the room.
Eve followed Natalie into the bathroom. I heard the two women speaking softly and smiled. Adam was in trouble, now.
Renfield cleared his throat, drawing my attention. “I thought it safest to bring the Nephilim here after you grew weary from turning them,” he said carefully, rather than stating I had passed out cold. “Since it was their first night, I put them in the warded cells in the event they lost control while we slept.” He eyed Adam with a reassuring smile. “Though it didn’t do much good.”
Adam lifted his wrist to reveal a charred mark over his wrist where the manacles had been. “When I felt your alarm, they just burned off. Then I tore through the ward, freeing Eve so we could come to your aid.” He frowned. “I had to break quite a few more doors, Master Ambrogio. Otherwise, I would have been here sooner.”
I burst out laughing, shaking my head. Good lord. How strong were the Nephilim? Neither the warded cells nor the nullification cuffs had held them back.
“How do you feel? You seem in control of your faculties.”
Adam shrugged. “New powers, new day. I feel no uncontrollable urges.” He frowned. “Well, I did when I saw the Olympian,” he admitted with a growl.
Natalie guided Eve back into the room, tugging her by the hand. The Nephilim carried steaming washcloths over to me and Victoria. I dipped my chin, accepting one as I sat up. I used it to wash off my hands and wrists, knowing we would all need a long shower rather than just a washcloth. Victoria did the same, and Natalie watched us, perched on the edge of the bed.
I stared down at my hands, recalling my strange meeting with Selene. “The Olympian’s name was Selene, although there is a chance she is not an enemy.”
Victoria gripped my shoulder, turning me to face her. “Selene?” she asked meaningfully.
I nodded. “Yes. That Selene. The Goddess of the Moon. My…wife, once upon a time.”
Natalie cleared her throat and I turned to see her studying her own chest and the almost invisible pale line that created a horizontal S over her breasts. “S…for Selene?” she asked softly, tracing it again with a finger before meeting my eyes. “Are you really trying to tell me that your ex-wife caught us in bed with you and tried to skin me alive, but that she might not be an enemy?”
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I winced at her tone, reaching out to squeeze her thigh. “Enemy or not, I was trying to kill her while she had you. She bound me with powerful chains that nullified my powers.”
Natalie continued staring at me, looking shaken. “I…was having a dream. It hurt in the dream, but I couldn’t wake up,” she whispered.
I nodded, the fear in her voice waking something very dangerous deep within me. “I was shouting at the both of you, but you couldn’t wake up, and I couldn’t break free of my chains,” I said, my voice cold and dry as their blood boiled in my blood reserves, begging for release. “But as she was moving to Victoria, she leaned in close enough to whisper a secret message.”
The whole room was listening now—especially the Nephilim.
“She said the only way for her to speak to me without drawing suspicion was to hurt me through you two, because the other Olympians were watching her…” I turned from Natalie to Victoria—the only two who really mattered in this conversation since they had been the victims. “She told me to remember my name. That they all want me dead, and that they would turn him against me—whoever that is. That I was supposed to die many times in my life but that I keep dodging it somehow. Which is why they collaborated to curse me. She…begged me to stop her from hurting you,” I rasped.
The room was deadly silent. “Remember your name?” Renfield finally asked. “Sorin Ambrogio?”
I shook my head. “When I knew Selene, my true name was only Ambrogio. I adopted Sorin in bitter irony since it means sun, because Apollo cursed sunlight to harm me.”
Victoria frowned thoughtfully. “What about Ambrogio? What does that mean?”
I grunted bitterly. “The root word is ambrosia—the nectar of the gods.” I let out a breath, deciding that the details of Selene’s private message didn’t matter at the moment. I wanted to analyze them myself in private, not with an audience. My mind worked better that way. “Anyway, the restraints were designed to turn my power against me, making them unbreakable, so I turned them in on myself instead. I used them to cut into my flesh and drain all my blood. I used them to kill myself, hoping it would break them.”
Natalie and Victoria stiffened in disbelief. “You what?” Victoria snapped in breathless fury.
Natalie was staring at me, opening and closing her mouth wordlessly. “You…killed yourself to try and save us?” she whispered, sounding both awed and confused. “How would that have helped?”
“The restraints were leeching off my blood, using its power to restrain me. The harder I fought, the stronger they grew, and the weaker I became. So…I turned their design on its head.”
Victoria blinked. “Just…like that. While witnessing Natalie’s torture and listening to Selene tell you a cryptic secret message, you were clearheaded enough to decipher how to break an Olympian’s chains…” she said, sounding as if she thought she must have missed a vital part of my story.
I nodded. “I think clearer in times of stress,” I admitted with a shrug.
Victoria mouthed my words, shaking her head. “Sorin, you are incredibly humble…and scarier than anyone I’ve ever met,” she said, making it sound like a compliment.
Natalie smiled deeply. “And he’s all ours. All. Ours.” She suddenly leapt on me, wrapping her arms around me in a hug and kissing me on the forehead. “Thank you, Sorin. I thought I was going to die in my dream, and then I woke to find you almost dying!”
Victoria joined in, wrapping me in her own hug, but resting her cheek on my shoulder and squeezing long and tight in a silent thank you. “You amaze me, Sor
in,” she whispered. “Truly.” Then she kissed me on the cheek and pulled away, wiping back a tear.
Natalie cocked her head with an emotional smile. “I don’t think anyone has ever fought for me like that, Sorin. I think we both just fell in love with you. Even if you do bring home strays without discussing it with us first,” she said, eyeing the Nephilim with a playful grin. “We’ll have to add that to our rules.”
The Nephilim smiled back at her. I noticed that Eve looked decidedly more confident after her brief talk with Natalie. Her posture had even changed ever so slightly. Enough to better emphasize her feminine form in minute ways. A fact which Adam hadn’t failed to notice, judging by the startled look on his face and the almost panicked covering of his genitals with both hands. I glanced at Natalie suspiciously and she shrugged with false innocence.
Adam and Eve shared another of their private conversations before kneeling on the ground with heavy thuds. They lowered their chins and spoke in unison. “You almost died. We failed you, Master Ambrogio.”
Renfield’s eyes widened before flicking to mine. I waved a hand at him reassuringly. “No one failed me tonight. None of us expected an Olympian—let alone that they would have the ability to sneak in here undetected,” I said firmly.
I scooted down to the edge of the bed and set my feet on the floor. I set a palm on both Adam and Eve’s heads and gently tilted them to look up at me.
“I think you honored yourselves tonight. And you honored me. I do not think we have any concerns when it comes to your self-control or devotion,” I said with a proud smile. “You sensed I was in danger and broke out of your restraints to come save me. That is not failure. That is dedication.” They smiled faintly but didn’t speak. “Your alleged greatest enemies are the Olympians, as far as you’ve told me.” They nodded resolutely. “Which means your blood was up—your anger—and instead of losing control, you saved me. Then you guarded my door while we…put on a show. As Nephilim, this would have greatly offended you, adding to your already turbulent anger over the Olympian…” they winced, nodding guiltily. “But as vampires—especially vampires only a few hours old—it should have shattered your inhibitions completely. Even experienced vampires would have likely started their own…offensive celebration right here on the floor.”
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