Claude's Conquest (Maura's Men Book 2)

by Stella Williams

  “I don’t think I’ll be taking up drinking again anytime soon,” she gasped.

  Molly patted her on the back before walking away. Gretchen followed her movement through the crowd and made a mental note of who she sat with. If Molly was spending more than a few moments with this particular group then, one or more of them had to be important.

  Molly’s establishment was becoming the most popular club for vampires in the area to hang out in. She didn’t exactly condone feeding on the premises, but most of the vamps abide by her rules. They flocked from all over just to get a moment in her presence. Gretchen had overheard a few of the vampires discussing Molly as if she were some kind of royalty. Being sired by Maura, she had some of the oldest vampire blood running through her. Being the only female Maura ever sired made her an oddity.

  Gretchen had learned a lot about vampire society in the few weeks she’d been away from the mansion. There were pure blooded, or born vampires, and then there were the turned vampires. Of the pure blooded there were seven family lines. Each family had jurisdiction over a continent, after that point turned vampires came into play and things got complicated. Gretchen hadn’t fully sorted out the details, but to put it simply the closer your ties to the pure-blooded, the higher your status.

  After finishing her third run for the night, Molly found her again.

  “Enough work, come hang out for a bit,” she urged dragging Gretchen over to the VIP section.

  “Sometimes I wonder if you hired me to work or to be your wing girl,” Gretchen said and Molly smiled.

  “A little of both.”

  Gretchen laughed at that and turned her attention to the group of vampires who anxiously awaited them.

  Molly quickly ensconced herself with one of the male vamps, giggling and flirting. That left Gretchen to entertain the rest of the group. It wasn’t too hard, as she called upon her old persona of Liz, initiating drinking games and frivolous conversation. Luckily, none of the male vampires in the group seemed interested in her sexually. That was another thing Gretchen had learned.

  Male vampires were all very forward about their intentions towards a woman and very possessive. Once one had staked his claim the others pretty much backed off unless the woman showed a competing preference.

  Gretchen was just beginning to enjoy herself when there was a commotion by the auxiliary bar.

  “Sorry boys, duty calls,” she said cheerfully.

  Security had already handled the scene by the time she got there. She craned her neck to see who was being escorted out by the bouncers only for a shot of fear and anger to run through her. She could have sworn that it was Declan. She pushed through the crowd, but by the time she got to the door the man was long gone.

  The only other way to confirm her suspicions was to check the security cameras, but that would only be possible after her shift. If it really were Declan, she needed to know. She wanted her revenge, and if he was stupid enough to come looking for her, then she would surely get it.

  “Declan! At My Club!” Molly slammed her mug of blood on the counter.

  Gretchen nodded and showed her the still shot she’d pulled from last night’s security footage. She had wanted to show Molly sooner, but Molly had been preoccupied entertaining her guest all last night. Unlike Gretchen, Molly wasn’t hesitant about exploring her dating options.

  “If he comes back. I want to deal with him personally.”

  Molly didn’t give any indication that she had heard Gretchen’s demand. She just sat there muttering curses for a moment.

  “Sweetheart, as much as I would love to let you have your revenge. I have to notify the boys. It was part of the agreement for them staying the hell out of my business.” She finally came back to reality.

  Gretchen sighed and nodded. She was angry, but Molly was right. She did have to tell the boys, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t convince them to let her kill Declan once they were finished with him. Molly pulled out her cell phone while Gretchen thought of all the ways she could torture Declan before ending his pitiful life.

  Her musings were cut short as her own cell began to ring. It was just a text, probably just one of the waitresses asking for time off, but when she opened it time froze as real life came crashing in on her. The text was from her brother.

  Maura sat quietly in the overstuffed chair, placed directly next to the massive brick fireplace of the cabin’s living room. Axel sat on the couch nearest her with his brother Rod, while Declan chose the seat directly across from her. She raised an eyebrow at his impetuous glare. He was anxious, his foot shaking restlessly and his hands clenched together on his lap.

  They had been sitting in silence for nearly ten minutes, she loved seeing him squirm with the anticipation of her next order. They were lucky she was allowing them to sit. In the old days, she would have made them stand or kneel on the hard ground, but those days were gone, and the men were so much weaker. They could not withstand her usual brand of torture and Maura knew she needed them at their physical best if she had any chance of regaining what she had lost.

  “I need new recruits, strong men, fighters.” She finally spoke.

  She watched the men’s faces, not entirely surprised by their different reactions. Axel was stoic, as usual. Not because of character, but out of a lack of understanding. Rod smiled, if his smarmy grin could be called that. He had been an asset from day one, taking charge of the financial situation. In two months, he had already secured a moderate sum of money, almost enough to upgrade their living conditions. Declan, on the other hand, stiffened in his seat, his face slightly paler than usual. Maura forced herself to maintain her indifferent mask. She could enjoy Declan’s unease without letting the others know.

  The larger her army grew, the fewer days he had to live. He was no fool. He had failed her once too many, and his obsession with that Gretchen girl had made him weak and unpredictable. Without her magic, she relied mostly on her weak ability as a vampire to control the minds of these men and his infatuation with Gretchen easily undermined her pull.

  “Axel can hit up the gyms in the area, under my supervision of course,” Rod offered as Maura knew he would. She flicked her wrist in his direction simultaneously agreeing and dismissing the pair.

  They stood and headed for the door. Declan stood as well, but her glare rooted him in place.

  “Is there more?” he asked between clenched teeth, but his eyes were to the floor.

  “I need you focused on the task at hand. Not that girl. You still have some use to me otherwise I’d have killed you months ago.”

  He clenched his fists at her words, his eyes snapped up to meet hers. After a brief staring contest, his eyes returned to the floor.

  “I still own you. Remember that.” Maura smirked.

  “Yes, my queen.” His shoulders slumped in a defeated manner.

  Now that he had been reminded of his place, Maura decided to use his distraction as part of her plan.

  “As long as you remember your duties, I will allow you to hunt the girl.”

  He straightened, and a smile crept to his lips.

  “And when I find her?” The hungry look in his eyes intrigued Maura.

  “You will bring her to me, alive.”

  Maura stood and headed up to her room, leaving Declan to stew in his anger and resentment.

  Reality bites

  The drive to Berry Hill had been shorter then Gretchen had expected. She felt a little like Alice in Wonderland being back in her hometown. Not that she had many fond memories of the place, but anything was better than her current reality. The town had changed a lot since she had last visited her family. The opening of a large superstore on the edge of town had left the once busy local businesses almost desolate; the only places remaining a hair salon and old Ms. Myrtle’s craft shop separated by the town’s small movie theater.

  Where there had once been fields of berry bushes were now new housing developments. There were so many new streets it was hard to recognize the turn that w
ould take her to the older part of town where her parent’s lived. It had been a few years, but she still managed to find her way. Parking behind a blue minivan she didn’t recognize, she sat in her rental car slowly gaining the courage to do what she came here for. She took a good look at the house she had grown up in. It would probably be the last time she ever saw it.

  There were a few subtle changes, but for the most part it was the same. The two-story home was the same shade of light green her mother had fallen in love with after watching it featured on her favorite home show. A season appropriate flag hung from its post next to the porch stairs.

  Even the creepy little gnomes she had hated so much still sat in their carefully selected spots amongst my mother’s prized rose bushes. The tree her family had planted when Gregory had gone off to the military was bigger now. The trunk looked sturdier and the leaves fuller. There was even a bird feeder hung from one of its thicker branches. Just like this house, her family, on the outside looked perfect.

  Molly had been surprised to find out Gretchen still had family, and had urged her to go and make her final goodbyes. The problem was, Gretchen, in some ways, had already said goodbye to them. Her relationship with her parents had been rocky since her teen years. Grace, her sister, had never forgiven her for kissing some boy she liked in high school. It was a silly grudge to hold, but that boy was now Grace’s husband.

  Gretchen hadn’t even been invited to the wedding. Even the family dog only tolerated her. Fancy, the poodle, was a very affectionate show dog. She loved pretty much everyone but wouldn’t let Gretchen so much as pat her head. The only member of the family she had a good relationship with was her brother, Gregory. It was because of him that she had relented to Molly’s urging. The thought of being around her family was just as stressful as the thought of running into Maura.

  “It shouldn’t be so hard just to get out of the car,” Gretchen groaned to herself.

  She was losing her nerve and she knew it. Her hand reached slowly for the start button on her car. No one had seen her pull up, so it wasn’t too late to just leave. She dropped her hand with a curse and forced herself from the car. She’d driven all the way here, she couldn’t back out now. This wouldn’t be another regret on her already long list.

  She marched around the house to the back yard. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and she had smelled charcoal and molasses as soon as she had pulled up. Her family always liked a good backyard barbecue. At first, no one noticed her as she approached. They were all too busy laughing and joking with one another. Gretchen stopped for a moment taking in the sight.

  A little boy around three was chasing Fancy around the yard. His big brown eyes glittering with youthful excitement as he awkwardly toddled after her. He had curly brown hair and freckles that made it quite clear that they were related. Her brother-in-law was at the grill with her father and Gregory. No doubt talking about sports judging by the way her father was emphatically waving his arms around. Her mother sat at the table with a heavily pregnant Grace sipping lemonade.

  Gretchen was surprised at her restraint. She had been practicing for months to try and control her extra abilities and this was the ultimate test. Her emotions were running high and yet she felt normal. She wasn’t inadvertently hearing people’s conversations, her nose wasn’t burning because of all the different smells and her eyes weren’t going in and out of focus. They noticed her then, she knew because all talking had ceased and everyone was now staring at her. She smiled careful not to show teeth. Not that she had gigantic fangs or anything, but just as a precaution.

  Gregory smiled at her, but no one else seemed to make a move. Her family was staring at something behind her and that’s when she felt him. A warm tingle spread through her body from the base of her spine to her feminine core. Ever since she had given in to temptation her body had been hyper aware of Claude’s presence. Gretchen fought the urge to run as he got closer to her and her family. They would already have questions and she didn’t want to add to them.

  Gretchen’s mother was the first to greet them.

  “Gretchen, you should have told us you were coming,” her mother said, embracing her like she actually cared. Then she turned to Claude with a knowing smile, “and you must be Felix. Gretchen has told us so much about you.”

  Gretchen cringed. She had never mentioned Felix to anyone but her brother. Her mother had probably heard about him from Gregory and assumed that there was more going on than what there had been. The old Gretchen would not have been above dating a professor. She looked at Claude who despite being slightly tense in posture was maintaining a neutral expression. He smiled at Gretchen’s mother, and it looked almost genuine.

  “Mother,” Gretchen began, but stopped when Claude draped his arm over her shoulder.

  “I’m Claude, the new boyfriend,” he said

  Gretchen felt her control slip just a little. How dare Claude tell her mother that they were dating?

  Taking a deep breath, Gretchen willed her trembling fist to relax at her side. It was the first time since she had left the mansion that she had felt this worked up, but it was also Claude who was standing beside her. Claude, who had somehow managed to not only find her, but follow her to her parent’s home. She forced a smile, hoping her shocked mother would mistake her furiously red face for a strong blush.

  “Oh! Well, it’s so nice to meet you.”

  Gretchen’s mother blushed offering her hand for him to shake.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, as well.” Claude kissed her mother’s hand.

  She watched in horror as her mother giggled and looped her arm in Claude’s to give him a tour of the house and introduce him to the rest of the family. Grudgingly, she followed them. There was no telling what Claude might say, and as much as Gretchen hated it, there was too much at risk for her not to be on the same page now.

  “Everyone, this is Gretchen’s boyfriend, Claude,” her mother said as they reached the patio.

  Everyone greeted him nicely, except Gregory. He glared at Claude while gripping his hand tighter than necessary. Claude didn’t flinch, even as the veins were bulging out from Gregory’s hand in effort. It was a tense few seconds as they stared each other down. Gregory finally smiled and released his hand. Claude had passed the first test. Gretchen rolled her eyes at the blatant display, but she wouldn’t expect anything less from her older brother. He had always done his best to protect her, even when she had been at her most destructive.

  After the introductions, Gretchen’s mom forced Claude into a seat next to her at the table. The real inquisition was about to start. Her family was being way too nice, but then again Claude was still a stranger and appearances had to be kept.

  “So tell me how you two met?” Her mother asked.

  Gretchen bit her lip to keep herself from ruining her mother’s obvious joy. Gretchen had finally brought someone nice to meet the family.

  “I saved her life,” Claude said simply, and Gretchen glared at him.

  “If that’s what you want to call it,” she mumbled, knowing that he would hear it anyway.

  “Saved her life?” Gregory asked, taking more of an interest in the conversation.

  Her family had known about her previous destructive behavior, but Gregory was the only one who knew what had really changed her.

  “I was hiking in the woods behind MacDonald Estate when I heard a woman calling for help. I found Gretchen in a clearing. She had been bitten by a poisonous snake,” Claude said.

  “A snake in Scotland?”

  Gregory didn’t look convinced.

  “I know, very rare, but it was close enough to spring and she somehow managed to aggravate it,” Claude replied.

  “Oh, I’m sure it wasn’t that hard for Gretchen to aggravate it,” Grace joined the conversation, and Gretchen frowned at her.

  “She can be abrasive at times,” Claude laughed.

  Gretchen had expected Grace’s comment, and maybe Claude’s as well, but that didn’t stop
her blood from boiling. She wasn’t sure if she was more angry or embarrassed.

  “Well, it must have been an awful experience,” Gretchen’s mother said, and Gretchen decided it was probably safer to focus on her mother, who at the moment was being surprisingly neutral.

  “You have no idea,” Gretchen slipped.

  She even fussed over the collar of her shirt, making sure it was still covering her scar. Her emotions were getting the better of her.

  “She hated not working and having to deal with the after effects of the poison,” Claude clarified for her.

  He reached over and squeezed her hand gently as if to reassure her.

  “I’m sure it was Felix she was more anxious to get back to than work,” Grace said.

  Claude’s grip tightened around Gretchen’s hand.

  “Really, Grace?” Gregory snapped at her.

  Grace stood, signaling for her husband.

  “It’s so nice to see Gretchen finally settling down. She always had a tendency to bounce from guy to guy,” Grace said with a smile before taking Henry’s hand and walking away.

  “I’m sorry. Grace’s pregnancy has made her very moody,” Gretchen’s mother excused, and Claude nodded as if in understanding.

  “My past isn’t one to be proud of either, but people change. Even if others aren’t willing to see that.” Claude looked pointedly at Gretchen.

  She pulled her hand from his and smiled at Gregory.

  “We should go catch up and let Claude get to know mother and father better,” she said standing. Gregory nodded and followed her into the house.

  “So what’s really going on here? That guy is definitely not your boyfriend, even if it’s obvious you are into each other,” Gregory said as soon as they were alone.

  “Felix is dead,” Gretchen blurted, and he frowned before pulling her into a hug.

  Gretchen hadn’t realized she had started crying until Gregory wiped a tear from her face.