by M. Cheykota
I can hear someone saying something, but I cannot really make out any words. Too caught up in the rush I am feeling, I don’t notice her heartbeat slowing. Something hard hits my head and I feel a sharp pain. Retracting my fangs in just enough time to prevent me from ripping out the woman’s throat, I snarl in anger from the interruption. Since I have just fed deeply, any damage from the blow to my head heals instantly.
Opening my eyes slowly after the pain in my head dissipates, I see Austin standing in front of my chair. Two men pick the woman up and carry her away towards the back of the building, out of sight.
People close by are staring at us from the dance floor. Austin’s eyes flick towards the people gawking and everyone that was watching us, look away, returning to what they were doing.
“Did you just hit me? What the hell did you do that for?” I yell at Austin, coming down from my euphoric high.
“Get up and come with me right now!” Austin demands angrily.
“I’m not going anywhere with you!” I try to get up to leave, but I stumble, full from drinking too much blood and still feeling high from my feed.
“There are some things we need to discuss. If you refuse, I’ll have Drake remove your head.” He replies irritably, walking away from the table without looking back.
Drake has a sword in his hand and is in the optimal position. Seeing no way out, I successfully get to my feet on my second try, only wobbling a little, and follow Austin in the same direction the two men carried the woman moments ago. Drake follows close behind me, pulling up the rear. Austin reveals a hidden door to me and Drake pushes me inside a long hallway with several doors on either side. I take a step forward and Drake motions me towards an open door on the right. Walking inside cautiously, I notice another door on the opposite wall before Drake urges me to sit down on one of the white leather couches in the large seating area dominating the room. Austin takes a seat in a matching chair next to the couch.
“Leave us.” Austin commands the other vampires in the room.
Some of the vampires look like they want to protest, but wisely keep their mouths shut and leave the room.
“What do you want?” Anger is noticeable in my tone.
“Who was your master?” He ignores my question and asks one of his own.
“As I told Drake already, he’s dead.”
“Has anyone ever taught you how to control your blood thirst? You drink as if you have no experience with a donor. If you have been killing your donors, it would explain the sudden increase in deaths and disappearances in the city I have been hearing about over the past few months. You behave as if you are a fledgling, yet your mind is strong.” He states plainly.
“Why do you care what I do?” I snarl at him.
“Girl, you are a feisty one aren’t you? You eat as you speak. A bloody mess whenever you open your mouth.”
Annoyed, I stand up to leave.
“Sit down!” Austin barks at me.
Knowing that I will not be able to leave without fighting my way out, I return to my seat and flop back down on the couch with my arms crossed over my chest sulking.
He lectures to me how important it is to feed from multiple donors and to keep the humans alive. “If all vampires drained their victims, we would soon run out of humans to feed from. If we take care of our food, they are more willing to feed us and the experience is much more pleasurable. Fear is an aphrodisiac, but sex is usually how most vampires acquire food.”
“I get your point, but I can’t help it. I am just so hungry.” I whine childishly.
“Do you enjoy the thrill of killing your donors?” He asks curiously.
My mouth drops open. “No! Of course I don’t.”
“Then curbing your need to kill your donor should not be that difficult for you to master.”
“That’s easy for you to say, but not so easy for me to do. Things were much easier for me to control my blood thirst when I was only drinking bagged blood. I never had a problem stopping. When the bag was empty, I was done. I guess it doesn’t work the same way when feeding on humans.” I reluctantly confess.
Austin ponders what I have said for several minutes. He nods in resolve. “Very well, since you are still learning and do not have a master, I may be willing to add you to my get.”
“Your what?” My confusion is visible on my face.
Austin chuckles then sighs, his temper forgotten. “A vampire’s get is another way vampires describe their household or vampires under their protection. You will need to blood oath to me if you accept my offer, but we can take care of that later.”
“Blood oath?” I ask skeptically. “What is that?”
“You pledge your loyalty to me. You will have to drink my blood to bind us together. It is the way vampires maintain order among each other. It is not a big deal. It is just a formality. All vampires make a blood oath to their masters.” He replies, unconcerned by my wariness.
“Why should I blood oath, pledging my loyalty to you? I have no ties to anyone right now. What makes you think I want to tie myself to you?”
“I am surprised your sire’s master did not bother hunting you down. It could be that your sire’s master is still looking for you. In that case, it might be better that I do not blood oath you. If they find out that I bound you to me without permission, they would consider that an act of war.” He muses to himself.
“What makes you think someone is looking for me?” As the question leaves my lips, my thoughts flash back to the man in my aunt’s house a little over a year ago, the night my life changed. Closing my eyes, I remember what he asked my aunt. “Where is the girl? The abomination derived from my vampire.” Chills run down my spine as I recall the cold look in that vampire’s eyes.
Austin watches me with interest. “Did you think of something?”
My eyes pop open and I stifle a yawn. “No, I was just thinking about everything you are telling me.”
He shrugs. “It will be dawn soon and we have a lot to discuss. We should continue this conversation tomorrow after you have fed a little more and wake at sundown. You can be a guest in my home today. Come.” Austin stands and extends his hand to me.
“I didn’t think you wanted me to feed anymore. I think I got enough to last me for a while.” I comment, afraid of what may happen if I go with this vampire.
“I have human donors in my get that you can feed from while under my supervision. Once you have had enough to drink, your blood thirst will lessen and you will become more relaxed.” Austin wiggles his fingers on his outstretched hand for emphasis.
Biding my time until I can escape undetected, I accept his hand as he escorts me out the back door. Immediately after we exit the room, two black men, each well over six feet tall, flank us as we leave the warehouse. The one on my left has cocoa colored skin, black eyes and a short buzzed hairstyle. He is wearing a tight black t-shirt and new, black jeans. His shoulder holster contains a black 9mm Berretta. My gaze travels to the other guard on my right. He has lighter skin than the other guard does. His rich coffee colored skin looks smooth and soft. He has a perfect goatee and is nearly bald. The upper body of this guard is hiding behind the tailored suit jacket he is wearing to conceal the revolver he flashes at me when he notices me staring at him.
Tightening my grip on Austin’s hand, I nervously follow him to a limo waiting. The lighter guard opens the door for us, giving me a knowing smile so he can expose his fangs in an attempt to intimidate me. Austin climbs inside, pulling me in beside him. Both black men climb in behind us and sit in the seat across from ours, shutting the door behind them.
Chapter 7
Austin gently strokes my fingers, staring at me as the limo pulls away from the curb. Trying to ignore his steady gaze, I pay close attention to where we are going and to my surroundings as I stare out the dark, tinted windows. I can sense the guards eyeing me with a mixture of curiosity and contempt the entire way to our final destination. Although the tension inside the limo is high, the ride to A
ustin’s house is short and quiet.
We pull up to Austin’s house and I stare at it in admiration. His house is not quite a mansion, but it is not small by any means. It is located in a decent neighborhood, but too far away from the city for my liking. The two-story house is a newer build with a three-car garage with a long driveway in front of it. The house has a large front yard with mostly desert landscaping.
The limo door opens and we all get out. Austin leads the way as we walk towards the front of the house. The darker guard steps closer to walk at Austin’s right side, as the other lighter guard in the suit moves up to my left.
The darker guard opens the door and Austin walks inside, pulling me inside behind him. I am surprised to encounter no resistance when I enter his home.
I’ve never tried going into a vampire’s house before. Maybe I do not need an invitation to go into a vampire’s house. Maybe the invitation only needs to be from a human’s house. Normally I have to wait outside anyone’s house until I get an expressed invitation to enter. At least that part of what I read about vampires is true.
Austin interrupts my thoughts, answering my unspoken question. “I silently invited you in, in case you were wondering why you did not need an invitation.”
“Oh.” Nodding, I take a quick look around the house. There are stairs directly off to the right and directly ahead of us, there looks like a family room. To my left, someone has converted the formal living room into another family room. Vampires are lounging on the couch, watching TV. All of their heads turn towards us to stare when we enter. Some begin to stand to greet Austin. Many of the women frown when they see me standing next to him, but none of them voice what they are thinking aloud so that I may hear.
I wait patiently and quietly for Austin to finish his greetings, trying my best to be unforgettable. When he finishes his greetings, Austin nudges me up the stairs. Keeping my head down, I allow my hair to obscure my face.
We enter a large bedroom at the end of the upstairs hallway with a king-size bed. The black lacquered headboard is flush against one of the four blood-red painted walls. The bed covers are black silk. The blood-red leather couches and ottomans skillfully placed around the room match the walls perfectly. I stand in the nearest corner, out of everyone’s way as Austin waves his hand at the vampires that followed us into the room.
“Leave us and do not disturb us until nightfall.” He orders the two black vampires.
The darker vampire opens his mouth to object, but Austin stops him with a stare.
“Your objection is noted Jalik. I will be fine alone with her. You both may go.”
Jalik bows in respect before they leave the room.
I listen to the soft footsteps drift away before raising my head. My eyes scan the lavish room again, this time in appreciation, when Austin’s stare captures my attention. He unbuttons his shirt and rolls up his sleeves, keeping his eyes on me the entire time. He sits on the bed with his back facing me, while he removes his shoes and socks. I can hear him unbuckling his pants when my cheeks heat in shyness.
Austin lies on his back and rolls to his side. “Come, join me in bed.”
A million erotic thoughts cross my mind. I may not have any sexual experience, but that doesn’t stop me from realizing Austin is very handsome.
“I … I should get going.” I stutter. As I am turning towards the door, Austin seems to disappear from where he was sitting on the bed and reappear in front of the bedroom door, blocking my escape.
“What! How did you…?” I stumble backwards in surprise and trip over an ottoman. Never have I seen anyone move like that.
“There are many things you need to learn about vampires, Olivia. Things that your sire should have told you before you were allowed to become a lone vampire.”
Austin pushes away from the door and offers me his hand to help me to my feet.
“Thank you.” I mumble as he easily lifts me up.
“Relax Olivia. You do not need to be afraid of me.”
I take a deep, calming breath, and smile weakly. “I am not a very trusting person.”
“You have questions, I have answers. It is worth the risk, is it not?”
“That is why I am still here.” I hedge.
He guides me to his bed and sits down gracefully, whereas I just flop down.
“Would you like to feed first, or talk?” He asks quietly.
I shrug.
“It will be easier for you to focus on what I am saying if you feed first. If you would like to feed from me, I will allow it. Otherwise, I can call for a human donor.”
“I don’t want to hurt any of your humans. If it’s okay with you, I’d rather feed from you. At least you can heal if I get carried away.” I am curious what it would be like to feed from a vampire, but I don’t tell him that.
I wonder if vampire blood will sustain me like human blood.
Austin stands, removes his shirt and tosses it on the floor.
Unable to resist, I watch him remove his shirt and gawk at his sexy chest.
Not quite nineteen, I have never had the opportunity to date since I escaped my Aunt’s house. Honestly, I have never even had a real kiss. I’ve seen naked men on TV, but to be this close to a half-naked, gorgeous vampire, I cannot deny that I am curious about what it might feel like to experience some of the things I have seen on TV. Warning bells go off in my head, but I push them to the back of my mind to focus on the half-naked man in front of me.
Sensuously, Austin steps between my legs. My head is at his chest height. Knowing how sensitive a vampire’s senses are, I am sure he can smell my excitement.
His right hand grazes my left cheek. I turn my head to allow my cheek to follow his fingertips.
He watches me through the slits of his eyes as I rub my cheek against his palm like a cat. He lowers his head to mine in attempt to kiss me. Snapping out of my daze, I lean back away from him, my nerves overwhelming me.
He gives me a perplexed look. “Have you changed your mind about feeding?”
“No, I don’t know, maybe.” I pull my legs to my chest and wrap my arms around them.
Austin crawls on to the bed beside me. He lies on his side and props his arm under his head.
“I think it would be better if I just fed, without the sex.” I whisper, barely audible.
“That’s too bad. You are quite beautiful. Very well.” He lies on his back and exposes his neck to me.
Awkwardly, I maneuver myself next to his body and lick his pulse to entice my fangs to extend.
His eyes close as I place my lips over the vein on his neck.
My bite is quick and painless. He gasps from the intrusion only to begin moaning in pleasure the next breath. Taking a deep drink, my blood thirst roars to life. I can feel his hand stroking my thigh. My blood thirst changes into lust as I continue to drink, tasting his lust through his blood. His fingers wriggle between my thighs and he begins stroking me over my jeans. My hips involuntarily rock against his hands, forcing my heartbeat to race. He continues his machinations as I am feeding. I reach my climax and pull away from his neck as I scream in pleasure. His blood is spilling out of my mouth and down my neck as my body hums from the release. He grabs my arm and pulls me underneath him, stripping off our pants and my weapons during the process. He is moving so fast, I barely realize my back is on the bed before he has his manhood between my bare legs.
I scream in horror as I realize what is happening. “Wait!”
Startled by my protest, Austin pauses right before entering me. “We both want this. Why do you still hesitate?”
“I … I want you to wear a condom.” I blush furiously at my bold request.
“We are vampires. We do not need to worry about pregnancy or diseases. We do not need a condom.” He informs me while pushing my legs apart.
You may not need to, but I do. I think to myself.
“I can’t do this!” I shout, pushing him off me roughly and grabbing my pants and weapons off the floor next to the bed.
He exhales loudly in frustration.
In seconds, my pants are back on and I am reaching for the door.
“Stop!” Austin calls to me. “I should not have pressured you for sex when you explicitly told me that you only wanted to feed. I apologize.”
I stare at him, looking for any deception in his words. Not sensing any, I calm down but remain guarded.
“You should clean up and we can talk before sunrise. Now that you have fed, you should be feeling better.”
Austin points out the en suite bathroom.
Thinking it might not be a good idea to walk through a house of vampires with his blood on me, I agree to clean myself up. When I turn on the light and look in the mirror, I am horrified to see my chin and neck covered in Austin’s blood. I quickly remove my weapons and clothes while turning on the shower. I rinse the blood from my shirt in the sink and hang it on the towel rack to dry. As I am showering, I hear a knock at the bathroom door. I look around in alarm before the door begins to swing open. Thinking quickly, I grab a dagger and wrap a towel around my body.
Austin sticks his head inside. “Olivia, I brought you a t-shirt to sleep in. I’ll just leave it on the sink for you.”
I finish my shower after he leaves, locking the door behind him, and dress in the shirt he left me.
Pay attention Jess! You are making too many mistakes around this vampire. I scold myself. You may not be used to anyone getting the drop on you, but you need to be more vigilant until you can find a way out of here!
