by Pace, Pepper
The next appointment was more common. A human donor was present without his Master. He wanted protection and a safe house. His Master was only a second, not a true Master level Vampire. He was brutal and would often smack him around. Sometimes he bled him almost to the point of death. Whenever the donor tried to leave, his Master would find him and bring him back. He had been recently returned after being in hiding for two years. This was his first opportunity to come to us for aid.
Tyler was seething. These were the appointments closest to her heart. One of her jobs was to take care of the safe houses and to keep their Vampire Masters from getting to them. And because of her history, she was ruthless when it came to protecting the people under her care. We even had a separate house for Vampire thirds who had been mistreated. We only had ten or fifteen of those houses, but we had hundreds of humans and sixty or seventy safe houses dotted all over our territory.
Tyler called Tige to accompany the human to a safe house. We went on with the third meeting so I didn’t get a chance to talk to him. Because Tige made me, I always got a thrill when he was around, but because of my scars it made him uncomfortable to be around me. He felt responsible for my punishment, and it was something that he couldn’t shake.
The third appointment was also routine. Two Vampires were fighting over land. A super mall was being built on one’s property but a portion of it did overlap on to the other’s territory. Therefore, the other Vampire thought that he should have a full share of the profits of the mall.
Kat offered to contact the county assessor’s office to find the exact dimensions of the mall, and once we determined the exact portion that overlapped, then Vampire number two would only get that percentage of the profit.
Vampire number one really hated that idea because it was his liege who would work the new mall, not Vampire number two’s. Vampire number two’s people wouldn’t be allowed to enter the territory, so he didn’t think it was fair to have to share any of the profits.
Paul said he thought that Vampire number two could pay rent to Vampire number one and allow a few of his people to make a profit.
That made Vampire number one happy, and Vampire number two grudgingly agreed.
Two more appointments settled their disputes in the living room and cancelled.
The next appointment ended in violence.
A Master accused me of unfairly stealing one of his donors. He claimed that I had allowed his donor to leave for a safe house without giving him an opportunity to tell his side.
I told him that slavery of donors had ended when I came into power. A donor was free to go of his own will.
He fucked up and referred to me as a mutt bitch. Paul leaped out of his chair. Since he looked like nothing more than a human to the Master, it caught him by surprise.
Paul backhanded him and broke all the fine little bones in the man’s jaw. His mouth hung uselessly.
The Vampire couldn’t drop teeth, but he bulked up and clawed at Paul. Paul punched him in the chest, and his hand went through the Vampire’s body—destroying his heart.
The Vampire turned to dust.
“Shit,” Karen said in a shaky voice. “You didn’t even begin to change. You move fast and you’re stronger even while you are in your human form.”
Paul dusted his hand in disgust. His face was twisted in anger. It seemed the Lycan in him made him angry very easily. Yeah, I don’t like being called out of my name, but I needed a better reason to kill than that. We’d have to have a sit down about that, I think.
Julie would be in charge of contacting the dead Vampire’s assistant to take his place. His assistant, thanks to Paul, had now become the Master.
The girls stretched and we called in the next appointment. The rest of the evening went relatively fast, and we adjourned before four AM.
The ladies went home, and Monica went to her suite of rooms.
Paul was hungry and grilled himself a couple of burgers warmed up enough to get grill marks on the pink meat before he placed them on buns.
“Tired?” I asked as I sat across from him.
“Yeah. I have to get used to staying awake all night again.”
“How soon did you get up this morning?”
“Today I slept until a little after one.”
“Remember how I used to give you a suggestion to feel awake.”
He smiled then chomped into his burger. “I remember. You were like a shot of espresso directly into the vein. But I plan on sleeping when you sleep, so that’s not going to work for now.”
As I watched him eat, my mouth began to water. My stomach had a strange feel to it, and I recognized it as hunger. A Vampire’s hunger is different than a human’s. I liken it to going through some type of withdrawal.
“Come here, baby,” he said.
I raised my brow and smiled, but I came around the bar and stopped next to where he was sitting.
He patted his leg.
I sat on his leg, getting comfortable and placing my arm around his shoulder.
Paul looked deeply into my eyes. “Mrs. Kim Kininsky.”
My heart leaped in my chest, and I felt unnaturally giddy. “That sounds so good,” I said. “Kim Kininsky.”
Paul kissed me, and his lips tasted like a feast! I found myself lapping at the taste of hamburger. He pulled back and picked up his burger. “Is this what you want?”
I nodded.
He pulled the bread off and picked up the patty with his fingertips.
I eyed it hungrily. I looked at him one more time, but my eyes traveled back to the meat. I knew I wanted it, even if it would eventually make me sick.
I reached for a small piece and nibbled it, but it was so delicious that I sucked every bit of juice from the meat before chewing it and swallowing it. Before I knew it, I had eaten the remainder of Paul’s burger.
“I don’t understand why I want meat so much,” I said while licking my greasy fingertips. I put his fingertips into my mouth and sucked them clean as well.
Paul’s eyes fluttered, and I felt a hardness prodding against my bottom. I rotated my hips to allow my ass to roll against his hardening erection.
“How much time before sunrise?” he asked.
“Maybe an hour.”
He stood abruptly, gripping me to him effortlessly. The bar stool fell over with a thud, I wrapped my legs around him, and he gripped my ass in his hands. We kissed again, frantically reaching for and touching each other.
“We’ve been married for over a year and we’ve never made love, never consummated our marriage,” I said.
Paul lowered me to the floor. I could feel his pulse racing, but a calm had taken over him. “I’m not going to make love to you for the first time rushing to beat the sun. When I finally get to love you I want it to be like I dreamed every night for the last year. I want it to be more than a quickie in a kitchen.”
I loved him more with each word. I wanted him so much, and I knew that he wanted me. That he wanted it to be special meant the world to me.
I placed my head on his chest. “Will you hold me until I fall asleep?”
He placed his chin on top of my head. “Like old times.”
We undressed down to underwear because Paul said that he’d explode if his naked body touched my naked body. Then we climbed into my bed, and he held me in his arms. I could still feel his erection straining against me, but he controlled it. I ignored the throbbing between my legs, because I knew that there would be a tomorrow. And tomorrow I would have Paul every way that I had ever wanted him.
“Do you think the sun awoke you during the day with Alexis?” Paul asked.
My cheek was against his hairy chest. “I have the impression that the sun burning me is what brought me out.”
Paul frowned. “Pain?”
I nodded. “Even Monica said that when she was cleaning the burned skin from me during the day the pain seemed to wake me. Alexis told me that no one could show me how to wake up. I had to become strong enough to do it on my o
wn.”
Paul sat up a bit. “Would you like me to try to wake you?”
“How?”
“I could start by shaking you. But you know I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. I can try carrying you outside so that the sunshine touches you.”
I licked my lips. “Okay. But if I start burning …”
“I’ll rush you back in if that happens.”
I trusted Paul. “Okay.” I snuggled back into his arms, and he held me to him tightly. “What do you think about me eating meat?”
“Kim, I think our bond has transferred some of my ability to you just like it transferred some of your ability to me.”
“But I’m a Vampire. I can’t digest food. Where is it going?”
“I think we’ll find out tomorrow.”
I grimaced. “I hope it’s not too gross.” I yawned. “The sun is rising.”
I felt him look down at me. “Then if it works okay, I’ll be seeing you in a few minutes.”
I smiled and snuggled up against him.
Then I slept comfortably.
CHAPTER 13
My limbs felt heavy and I was confused when I awoke. I felt Paul’s hands stroking my hair, so I focused on him.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“Night, but earlier than you usually wake.”
I sat up feeling tired. It wasn’t something Vampires felt when they rose. You were asleep, then you were awake, and that was that.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
“Like I could sleep a little longer.”
I slid out of bed wearing only panties and a chemise. “Did you take me outside dressed like this?”
He stayed in the bed. “Wrapped in a blanket.”
“I guess I didn’t wake during the day, but something happened because I’m up earlier than ever.”
Paul blinked. “Kim, you did wake up.”
I sat down. “Huh?”
“Honey, you don’t remember?”
“No.” I tried to concentrate, but there was nothing there. “What did I do?”
“You only woke for a minute, if that. After you went to sleep I waited until the sun was bright. Truthfully, I dozed for a few hours. When I woke up it was probably after nine, and you were fully cold. I wrapped you in a blanket and carried you out to the back porch. Immediately you began to warm up. I sat on one of the lawn chairs and sat you on my lap. You looked less dead and more asleep. After you warmed up you started breathing. It scared me because you’d be breathing and then you’d stop, like you had sleep apnea. I tried then to wake you up by calling you and shaking you a little. I even tried kissing you to see if lust would bring you out … but it didn’t.”
I listened completely enthralled and a bit nervous.
“I thought I’d try splashing you with cold water, but while I was carrying you back to the house, your eyes opened. You gasped and covered your eyes like the sun was hurting you. You buried your face in my neck and started whimpering like it was really painful. When I got you back to the bedroom you were sleeping again, breathing, just like real sleep. I tried everything to wake you, from yelling your name to splashing your face, but you eventually grew cold and your breathing stopped. I’m not going to lie. Part of me worried that you were, you know, really gone.”
“I’m obviously not gone,” I said.
“And I’m glad,” Paul said. “Monica came down to check on you and said that you’d be ash if you were really dead. Still … until you awoke just now, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “Maybe next time you’ll have to do something more … intense. You might have to bring me pain.”
Paul stood, dressed in a pair of boot cut jeans and a black button-down shirt. Around his neck he wore conch shells on a strip of black rawhide. “I’m not going to do that. You can stay asleep all day if I have to do that.” He gripped my hand and pulled me up. “Come on, get dressed. I want to show you something.”
“Get dressed?” I whined. “I thought you were going to show me something, you know, here in the bed, without clothes.”
Paul grinned happily. “Monica told me about the house you’re going to buy. I really want to see it. This house is great, but …”
“It’s not home,” I said.
“No, it’s not home. I want us to start our life together in our own home. That’s why I want to buy it for you.”
“It’s over two million dollars.”
“You’re not the only one in the family with money.” He pulled me into his arms, his fingertips stroking my back. “I just don’t want Johan’s money touching our home.”
I nodded in agreement. Maybe that was the key. Living in Johan’s manor and decorating it with Johan’s money still made it essentially Johan’s.
I hugged him. “This is so exciting. We’re going to buy a house together!”
He swatted my bottom. “Hurry up and get dressed so you can show me the house before we go to the Council meeting.”
“We?”
Paul’s eyes blazed in anger. “That fucking Council will never hurt you again. Malarias pushed you. Nobody’s going to be putting their hands on you while I’m around or using their mind power to hurt you ever again.”
“Paul, you’re strong, you’re fast, but …”
Paul put his hand on my cheek and kissed my words away. “Shh. Don’t be afraid for me and don’t think I’m planning to start a war out of some need for vengeance. I just want to have your back. Hurry up and get dressed. Wear jeans because I want to take you on my bike.”
I took a quick shower instead of my usual luxurious bath. The thought of Tony and Paul at the meeting together made me apprehensive. Would Tony be pissed that I was now with Paul? Would the attraction I felt for Tony be so overwhelming that I would regret pushing him out of my life? With a sigh I put Tony out of my mind, the only way I would ever get over him.
Council meetings didn’t start until three AM. If Paul wanted me to rush, then he must have a full evening planned. Excited about what our day would hold, I dressed in black jeans, ankle boots, and a white knit sleeveless shirt. I didn’t plan to wear a helmet because if we ended up wrecking, it still wouldn’t kill me.
When I came out of the bedroom, Paul was talking on his cell phone. “I gotta go. Just have all the paperwork ready to go no later than midnight. Here is fine. Talk to you later.”
I slipped into his arms and kissed him. “What are you doing?”
“Mara is getting our marriage license. We’ll need to sign that so that we’re legal.” He kissed me. “You look beautiful, baby. Are you ready to go? Do you need to feed first?”
“No. It’s Kat’s day and before we head to the Council meeting I’ll flash to her place for a feeding.” That’s usually how we did it when no one was required to be here. “Oh, and don’t forget that if you’re coming to the Council meeting with me, we’ll need an extra hour and a half. It’s a fairly long drive.”
“Or, I’ll take one of the cars, probably the Porsche, then while you’re with Kat I can be driving to the Council house. Then you can flash yourself to the car.”
“That sounds like a plan, but I don’t have a Porsche.”
“We have a Porsche. I had my Porsche taken out of storage. A mechanic will drop it off here later tonight after he gives it a thorough once over.”
Wow. “One thing I remember about you is that you are a man of surprises. I like that.”
“Kim, I want to bring you life.”
My eyes stung and my chest felt tight.
Life.
~***~
We got on his motorcycle. He placed a helmet on my head though I complained that Vampires didn’t wear helmets, but he insisted and spent some time making sure it was secure. Once he started the bike, I gripped him around his waist, and when we began moving, I felt as if Paul had achieved his wish.
I felt alive!
The ride to the house was exhilarating. I’d never ridden on a motorcycle, and traveling thr
ough the wind and feeling like I was flying was a great deal of fun, especially when we bypassed the city and left the highway behind. I could have ridden for hours with forests at our sides and the moon over our heads.
We rumbled up the private drive to the house that had captured my heart.
“The driveway is cobblestone,” I said.
Paul nodded and parked on the circular drive.
I hopped off and stretched.
Paul climbed off, examining the house and the surroundings.
“The lights are on.” I commented.
“I called Kat earlier today and had her make arrangements for us to view the house in private. I have the code to the lock.” He took my hand, and we strolled up the walkway. “It’s private. And I see that there are lots of wooded spaces.”
“Seven acres,” I said. “I didn’t want to bring any Vampire business to our home so we won’t be attracting that kind of attention. And there are no neighbors close enough to worry about.”
“That will be good, especially when I change. We don’t want the neighbor’s dog disappearing.”
I punched him playfully in the arm.
A Vampire and a Werewolf in a residential district. It sounded like a show in the fall lineup for the FOX network.
Paul entered the combination, opened the door, and picked me up in his arms. I gripped him tightly as he carried me over the threshold.
It made me reflect on the last time I’d been carried across the threshold. Alexis had done it under the guise of carrying me over sharp rocks at our private beach house …
He smiled at me. “You okay?”
I hugged him. “Thank you for being you.”
He kissed me sweetly then lowered me into the entrance of what would become our first home together.
Paul whistled under his breath. “Wow! This is great, honey.”
We explored each room hand-in-hand, each of us throwing out decorating ideas. The lower level had a wine cellar and was completely windowless, perfect for guest rooms for Vampire visitors. And with the right touch it could be comfortable and stylish.
