by R. E. Butler
He held the door open for her and followed her inside. The room was all glass and had several couches and small tables, along with a bar on one wall with a male bartender behind it. He was leaning on the counter and looking at his phone, but the moment they stepped into the room, he put his phone away and straightened with a smile.
“Hello, Cella. What can I get you and your guest?”
“Hi, Tyler. This is Cyrus, my beloved.” She looked at Cyrus. “What do you want?”
“A beer.”
“You got it,” Tyler said, lifting a mug from underneath the counter and setting it under a tap. “SyBl?”
Cella nodded. “Chilled, please.”
“What’s SyBl?”
Tyler set the beer and a wine glass of red liquid on the counter, and they took them to one of the couches and sat. “It’s synthetic blood, basically a blood substitute. We have to drink real blood once a week, but the rest of the time we can drink SyBl.”
She offered him the glass and he sniffed the contents and then handed it back to her. “It kind of smells like blood.”
“It kind of tastes like it, but not fully. It’s the difference between ground beef and Kobe steak.”
“Could you drink real blood every day?” He’d never given any thought to a vampire feeding from him, but now that he’d found Cella, he could think of nothing else but satisfying her needs. Every damn one of them.
“We used to. SyBl’s only been around for a couple decades. It took scientists a long time to get the formula right and for our kind to accept it, but the truth is that there isn’t enough real blood supply to support every vampire feeding daily. We’d be taking it away from blood banks and hospitals that need it to help others. There are SyBl factories in every state that supply it for the covens.” She took a sip of her fake blood. “Enough about blood. I want to know all about you.”
“I don’t know how much there is to tell,” he said. He took a drink of beer and set it on a nearby glass table. “I work for the ambush’s construction company. I’m an only child. Both my parents work at the construction company – my dad is a welder and my mom is an accountant. I live with my cousin Gavin in the ambush’s territory in Whisper Creek.”
“Did you always like construction?”
“Pretty much. Before Midas took over the ambush and started the company where I work now, I used to work for my dad’s company. What do you do for a living? I mean, besides looking gorgeous.”
That killer smile lit up her face again. “I’m the office manager, so I handle the day to day stuff for the coven and club, like ordering supplies, hiring staff, and whatever else the family needs. Right now, I’m also the food manager.”
“Food manager?”
She nodded and took a sip of her drink. “Humans who work for the club as blood donors. You can tell who they are in the club because they wear white shirts and have a red ribbon tied around their wrist or neck, depending on where they prefer for a vampire to feed.”
“I didn’t know that was a job someone could have.”
“Probably because you’re a shifter. I take it you haven’t spent much time around vampires?”
“No. I’ve been working at the restaurant since the holidays. It’s my first time around your people for any length of time outside of alliance meetings.”
“What do you think so far?” Her brows rose.
“I’m entirely smitten. With you, anyway. The vampires working on the restaurant are great guys. After the first few days I really didn’t even notice they weren’t like me, we were just guys working on a project, you know?”
“I do. Mishka’s mate is a musical muse, Brone’s mate is a wiccan, and Vex and Rage share a wolf shifter. Harmony’s bandmates are shifters as well.”
“I grew up being told that it was hard for vampires to be around shifters because our blood smells so good that they can’t help themselves. I figured out as a teenager when I went with the old king to an alliance meeting with Mishka that it wasn’t true. He had zero issues being around us. There are old myths like that for every group I suspect. I remember hearing from a wolf shifter once that he’d been told wolves never hung out around cat shifters because we couldn’t help but fight, like it was some inborn desire to hate each other.”
“I hear a lot from shifters that the older generations haven’t forgotten about the blood dungeons. Mishka never used a blood dungeon, and none of the family members did either. It’s pretty abhorrent to us as well.”
Centuries ago, vampires kept shifters captive, feeding from them and breeding them to keep a continuous supply of shifter blood, which was more potent than human blood. It happened in Europe more than in the States, but shifters did have long memories. No one in Cyrus’s family had ever been part of that sort of torture, but even if they had, it wasn’t Cella and her friends who’d done it.
Cyrus wasn’t kidding when he said he felt smitten with Cella. She was stunning and called to him on a hundred different levels. He’d never wanted a female more than he wanted her. The longer he spent in her presence, the more difficult he found it to keep his hands to himself.
“I wanted to ask you about a word you’ve been using,” he said.
“Which one?”
“Beloved.”
“The beloved is a vampire’s mate. It’s one chosen by the heart and not by something like mutual attraction. Vampires can date like any other creature and choose to mate with someone they fall in love with. But it’s not a complete bonding. The beloved is the one person on the planet who is a perfect mate for a vampire. I felt that my beloved was in the restaurant the moment I walked inside. It’s a stronger connection than a traditional mating.”
“Stronger how?”
Her gaze slid down to his throat and her eyes got dark again. “Because we’re beloveds, when we come together for the first time, we’ll share blood. Once we do that, it will link us together forever. We’ll see each other’s memories and you’ll gain my immortality.”
He froze at that last word. “Seriously?”
“For which part?”
“I’ll become immortal?”
She nodded and set down her glass. She linked their fingers and gave his hand a squeeze. “Yes. You asked earlier what the difference was between a chosen mate and a beloved mate, and that’s the biggest difference. We’ll make love and then share blood – you’ll drink from me and I’ll drink from you. Our memories will be opened to each other like a movie playing in our mind. And then we’ll be tied together forever. You’ll be immortal, but your immortality will be linked to me. If I were to die, you would die as well.”
He mused on that for a moment. “I had no idea such a thing existed for any supernatural group.”
“To be honest, I always thought it was just a myth of our people. But then Brone found Arissa, and she was his beloved mate. She almost died during a battle with the church, and Brone would have died with her if she hadn’t been healed by a dragon.”
“I’ll just have to be extra-strength careful, not only with your safety but my own.” Knowing that Cella would die if he was dumb enough to get himself killed gave him a whole new perspective on what it meant to keep her safe.
“I’m very hard to kill.”
“Good. But it’s not going to get me to be any less protective.”
A slow smile spread across her face. “You’re very sweet.”
“Just being honest. So tell me more about the church.”
She propped her head up on her hand. “The church was created by a human man named Jason Finnegan. He hides behind the church, using it as a front to appear to be only about human rights and keeping vampires from taking over the world. But underneath the façade is a dangerous male who thinks nothing of harming innocents and killing vampires. He says he wants vampires out of the States, but what he really wants to do is eradicate our species.
“They stay under the radar now. In the beginning when he started the church he used to go on television and radio to rant about how vampires were goin
g to kill every human. At some point, he must have gotten a PR person, because he changed his tune for his public persona and doesn’t directly condone violence against vampires.”
“And there are churches all over the States?” he asked.
“Near the bigger covens. Our coven is the largest in the Midwest. It makes us a handy target.”
“What do you do for safety?”
“Aside from the vampires who guard at night, during the day we use trolls as guards, and the security system for the club is excellent. It’s been upgraded several times. Mishka bought the properties around the club to ensure no church members could buy one and use it as a front for their nasty business. The family members oversee the coven’s protection – Brone is the head of security and Vex and Rage work with him. No coven members can leave the club alone.”
“That’s smart.”
“Mishka’s over five hundred years old. He’s learned a thing or two.”
“And you’re how old?”
“Three hundred.”
“You don’t look a day over twenty.”
“I was twenty-three when I was turned.”
He took a drink of beer and set the bottle on the table. Rubbing his hands on his jeans, he looked at the gorgeous female beside him. His cat appreciated everything about her, from the sweet way she smelled to the beautiful blue of her eyes. He’d never been so attracted to a female before.
Leaning over, he brushed his lips over hers. “Wanna dance?”
Her brows rose. “Up here?”
“Sure.” He stood and offered her his hand. He pulled her to her feet, her body brushing against his as she rose. Pulling her to the center of the glass-enclosed room, he put his hands on her waist and began to move with the music he could hear faintly through the walls.
As if on cue, the lights dimmed in the room and the sound of the music increased. He glanced over his shoulder at the bartender who gave him a thumbs up and then walked out of the room, leaving Cyrus and Cella alone.
He’d have to thank the male. Later.
Chapter Five
Cella loved being in Cyrus’s arms. His touch was gentle but firm. He was positively the sexiest male she’d ever seen in her life. From his tousled blond hair and piercing blue eyes, to his broad shoulders and thick muscles. As their bodies pressed together it was difficult to miss the hard ridge of his erection that made her body heat and her imagination wander to all the wicked and wonderful things they could do together.
She couldn’t believe that she’d accepted the invitation from Mishka and Harmony to tour the restaurant and ended up finding him. And she was certain he was her beloved. She could feel their connection strengthening with every second that passed. Her fangs throbbed with the thought of taking his blood and binding them together.
“Your fangs don’t disappear?” He nuzzled her throat and nipped at her skin, making her spine tingle.
“I’m a turned vampire so my fangs are permanent. Only naturally born vampires have retractable fangs.”
He spun her away from him and then pulled her flush against him. “I didn’t know there were natural vampires.”
“Not a lot of people do. Natural vampires are a lot like turned vampires, but their powers are amplified in some ways. Turned vampires have the power of compulsion. Depending on how old a vampire is determines how powerful that ability is, and some vampires are naturally better at it than others. But a naturally born vampire of two vampire parents is far stronger at that ability than even Mishka, who is very, very good at it.”
“Could you compel me to do something?”
“No. It only works on humans and wiccans.”
He hummed. “I feel like there’s so much I need to learn about your kind.”
“Well, when we become beloveds, you’ll learn a lot in a short amount of time.”
“Speaking of that,” he said, turning them in a circle and then bending her back slightly to kiss her throat.
As he righted her, she said, “What?”
“Do we need to wait for anything in particular for you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean is there a certain time of the month that vampires mate with their beloveds? Since it’s like marriage, would we take time off for a honeymoon? I want you to meet my family and king too. I think my parents would be kind of pissed if I basically got married and didn’t tell them ahead of time.”
She chuckled. “I can see that. No, there isn’t a time of the month that matters to vampires. I will tell you that once you and I are beloveds, you’ll feel an allegiance to Mishka because he’s the one who turned me and he’s the master of the coven. It may change how you feel about your king and the ambush.”
His brows rose. “Is there a beloved mate who’s a shifter?”
With a nod she said, “Yes, Angie is a wolf shifter and the sister of the alpha. She mated Vex and Rage, and when they became beloveds, she said she didn’t feel the same toward her brother and the pack. I don’t know how similar tigers and wolves are when it comes to hierarchy. I’m also kind of assuming that we’ll live here in my chamber. If you don’t want to do that, of course, we can figure it out. I just need a house with light-blocking shutters for the daytime. But I’m getting ahead of myself. When we become beloveds, we’ll take time off work to be together. The norm is a week.”
“Would it be okay if we waited to become beloveds until you meet my family?”
“Of course.”
“Is any of your family still alive?”
“No. My parents died before I was turned. Mishka is like my older brother in a way, but the family is all I have now.”
“You’ve got me. And I know my parents are going to love you. I don’t mind living at the club, but I’d like to have a place we can stay in ambush territory that will be safe for you during the day. Our ambush likes to have ceremonies and get togethers on the full moon, so you and I can join together as mates in front of the ambush for the upcoming full moon. Do vampires get married?”
“Of course. But nothing is as strong as the beloved bond.”
He squeezed her waist and lowered his head, brushing his lips over hers. “I still want to take you some place private, strip off your clothes, and find out what you sound like when you fall apart.”
If her heart was beating it would be going a mile a minute.
“I want that too.”
He gave her a slow smile, all heat and promises.
“Take me to our chamber, Cella. I want to chase the night from the sky with our pleasure.”
She rose onto her toes and kissed him, their bodies pressed tightly together. “Let’s go.”
They left the family room and headed down the stairs, skirting the dance floor, and walking to the offices. When they approached the door into the reception area, she greeted the two guards, Bellamin and Dylan, and introduced them to Cyrus.
“Welcome,” Dylan said, shaking Cyrus’s hand.
“Congratulations,” Bellamin said.
“Thanks, nice to meet you both.”
Angie was seated at the desk and Cella introduced her. Cyrus didn’t shake her hand but inclined his head with a smile. “It’s nice to know I won’t be the only shifter in the family.”
“That’s true,” Angie said. “How do tigers feel about vampires in their ranks? The pack wasn’t too crazy about my mates and it caused some issues. I don’t commune with them on the full moon anymore, but I’m still technically part of the pack.”
“I have no idea, actually. I don’t think it’ll be an issue with the ambush for Cella to be with us during ceremonies, but we’ll just have to wait and see.”
The phone rang and Angie said, “Congratulations,” then answered the call.
Cella entered a code to open the door leading to their offices. She stopped along the way and introduced Cyrus to the family members and showed him her office. Then they got in the elevator and traveled to the basement. She was very glad she wasn’t still living in the cubicles and could
have privacy with her sexy beloved.
She unlocked the door with a code, and he grasped the handle and opened it for her. She passed inside, clicking on the overhead light.
“Damn,” Cyrus said as he shut and locked the door. “This is cool as hell.”
She grinned, relieved he liked her chamber. The spacious room had been carved into the bedrock which gave her stone walls. When they’d moved into the chambers originally, she’d found the walls to be very masculine feeling and she’d toyed with either painting them or covering them with wallboard. In the end, she’d waited long enough that she grew accustomed to the stone and didn’t want to cover it. Paintings of flowers and pretty scenery hung from gilded frames, and electric sconces added a touch of old-world charm. The carpet was pale yellow – her favorite color. Two doors were set into one wall – one leading to the private bathroom and one for the walk-in closet.
Cyrus rested his hand on the bedpost, his gaze roaming over the yellow quilt and mound of decorative pillows.
“It’s pretty girly,” she said.
He chuckled. “Yeah, but I like yellow. It’s my mom’s favorite color. When my dad redid their kitchen, he did it all in yellow, from the walls to the curtains to a new set of dishes ringed with sunflowers.”
“Sounds like my kind of kitchen.”
His hand tightened on the post and he cleared his throat. “Do you need to feed?”
She frowned. “I just drank SyBl, so I’m fine.”
“I want to take care of you. If you’re hungry, I want to satisfy that need. All your needs.”
She moved to him, stopping just inches away and gazing up at him. “I need real blood once a week. I fed a few days ago, so I’m fine. Once we become beloveds though, I won’t be able to drink from anyone but you.”
He reached for her and pulled her close. “I like that.” His voice was low and gruff, his blue eyes darkening. “I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to handle seeing you drink from someone else.”
She liked that he was possessive and protective. Although the family members all watched out for each other, she’d never had anyone care quite so much about her like Cyrus did already, and they weren’t even fully mated yet.
