Shadowed Allure (Daughters of the Vieux Carré Book 2)

by Rhys Rowlyn

  “No, I must see you home first, and I’ll feel better knowing you’re safe.” I take her hand and hurry my steps, pulling her along behind me. The desire for her blood is becoming increasingly harder to resist, and I don’t know how much longer I can hold out.

  We finally reach her building and I grimace, scared to open my mouth for fear my fangs may show. I take her hand and kiss her wrist. Blushing, she looks up at me through her lashes.

  “Call or text me when you’re home and let me know you made it.” She gives me a brief hug, then turns and disappears inside a building I can’t enter, and for the first time, I’m glad.

  I slip over to the building across the street so I can keep watch on her and text Phillipe to come meet me. Settling against the ledge, I keep my vigilance and wonder about the blood lust. I’ve never felt anything like it. Even when I’ve been without blood for days, the thirst has never controlled me. I was a bit crazy when I first woke from the curse, but it was more a disorientation and not knowing if I was in danger than an actual blood lust.

  Phillipe jumps up onto the roof and takes a seat beside me. “What’s wrong?”

  “Did you have a lust for Giselle’s blood that was almost uncontrollable when she was human?”

  “I wanted her blood, but it wasn’t uncontrollable. She tasted better than any blood I’d ever had, and she knew what I was, so it wasn’t a problem. Of course, I’ve always been able to take only a small amount, nothing that would have harmed her. Why, has this happened to you?” He pulls his knees up, crossing his wrists over them.

  “Yes, tonight it was almost more than I could bear.” I shiver, remembering the overwhelming urge to take Fleur’s blood. I wonder how much longer I could have resisted.

  Phillipe furrows his brow, staring at me. “Strange, I never felt I couldn’t control it. Something else is going on. We need to talk to someone.”

  I’ve about had my fill of witches and wonder if they’re not behind this. “Who? And what do you think could possibly be going on?”

  Using his phone, he messages someone. After a few seconds, his phone dings. “Chi says we need to talk to his grandmother. He’ll message her, but don’t expect to see her until tomorrow.”

  I guess I’ll have to suffer through meeting another one. I can only hope she’ll give us some answers. I don’t think I could handle harming my mate. “I’m fine at the moment but really want to know what’s going on. I thought it was a mate thing, but now I’m worried.”

  “Giselle is busy at the club, so I’ll sit with you and help keep watch.” Phillipe offers me a small smile.

  “Thanks, ami. Hopefully we’ll get an explanation soon.” I squeeze his shoulder, glad Phillipe is here and happy I don’t have to go through this alone.

  André

  “André, get up! We’re to meet Chi’s grandmother shortly.” Phillipe bangs on my door and I sit straight up, grabbing my head. “Come on, get up!”

  Flopping back on the bed, I groan. “What time is it? Surely she could meet us later.”

  “No, Chi called and said she agreed to meet us now or not at all. She was pretty adamant.” Phillipe mumbles something, and I hear Giselle giggle. Why are they so chipper this early?

  I get out of the bed, slip on a pair of discarded jeans, and open the door, catching them in an intimate embrace.

  “Really? You two need to keep it in the bedroom.” I slip by and go into the bathroom for a quick shower.

  When I emerge, Giles and Phillipe are waiting for me in the hallway. “How are we going to get to her house without cooking our flesh?”

  Giles grins, leading us down the hallway toward the stairs. “Haven’t you noticed the cars in the garage? The windows are blacked out, so the sunlight doesn’t get in. You two really need to learn to drive. It gives you a ton of freedom.”

  “Great, we’re riding in one of those death traps.” I did not like my first ride in an automobile last night and don’t imagine I will care for this one.

  “Man up, mate. It’s all part of living in the modern world. Besides, with cameras everywhere, we have to be extra careful not to be seen. You can’t go speeding around, or you’ll be caught.” Giles grabs a set of keys off the hook in the kitchen.

  I grab a bag of blood from the refrigerator and throw another to Phillipe before following Giles into the garage, a room I haven’t been in much.

  Once we’re all settled, Giles starts the engine and backs out onto the alley behind the mansion. I close my eyes and breathe deeply. Glancing up front, I find Phillipe doing the same, and Giles bursts out laughing.

  “I wonder if the rest of your crew is going to be this comical when faced with modern vehicles. I would love to get you on an airplane.” Giles maneuvers the car with ease and acts as though driving is a natural thing to do. I envy his confidence.

  “I may get you to teach me one day, but for now, I need to be able to ride in a car without having a death grip on the seat.” I try to loosen my hold on the armrest, but he makes a sharp turn, and I hear leather rip.

  “Hey, man, don’t mess up the upholstery. Damn, we should have taken Cassie’s truck.” Giles growls as he pulls onto a major highway, and Phillipe rips the front seat. “Both of you are paying to have my seats fixed.”

  “I apologize, Giles. The highway gets me every time.” Phillipe’s looking straight ahead, his body sitting straight in the seat.

  After only a short while, we exit the interstate and drive a short distance to a large, pale-pink house with white trim. It is what natives apparently call a “shotgun” house. Giles parks under a large oak tree, and I’m hoping it will offer some protection from the sun as we make our way into the house.

  A young woman in her early twenties opens the door to allow us entrance. She is quite beautiful with light-caramel-colored skin, long curly red hair, and jade green eyes. She swings the door wide, motioning for us to enter.

  “Grand-mère is waiting on you. Follow me.” She leads us to the back of the house, which reeks of incense.

  We enter a room and find an elderly lady sitting in a rocking chair. She has a colorful wrap around her head, and her skin is light brown without a wrinkle to be seen. Chi told us his grandmother was in her nineties, but she looks much younger.

  “Grand-mère, the vampires are here.” The girl moves to stand behind the woman and rests her hands on her shoulders.

  “Thank you, Jade.” She reaches up and clasps Jade’s hand, looking straight ahead, and it’s then I realize she’s blind. “Chi didn’t tell you I couldn’t see. I’ll let you chastise him. Now what do you need? He made it sound as if it were life or death.”

  “Madam—”

  “Call me Ophelia,” she says, interrupting me. “You are much older than me, and I never married, so madam doesn’t apply.”

  “Fine. Ophelia, last night I was with my mate and was almost overcome with bloodlust for her blood alone. I haven’t felt it around anyone else. At first I thought it might be a mate thing, but Phillipe never felt this with Giselle. We were wondering if you may have an answer.”

  “Chi brought me the vampire repellent Camille made for Alice. Let me see the antidote she gave you.”

  I hand her the baggie, and she rubs it between her fingers and sniffs it. She wrinkles her nose and hands it to Jade, her hand trembling slightly.

  “I think it has something to do with Alice trying to counteract the curse. The repellent backfired, and it made you want her more. Fleur had this with her last night, and the antidote was with you. There’s bad magic floating around. This curse is old powerful magic, and these others don’t need to get involved. Alice is going to pay for her meddling.” Ophelia stands, taking Jade’s arm, and walks toward the door.

  “Wait, how is she going to pay, and how do I get rid of the blood lust?” I stand in the middle of the room not moving, determined to get answers.

  “With the repellent and the antidote gone, the bloodlust should disappear. As far as Alice goes, I don’t know how she’s going t
o pay, only that she’s messing with forces she needs to leave alone. Now, I’ve told you all I know. It’s time for you to leave. Show yourselves out.” She waves toward the door and exits the room through a side door.

  “That was only slightly helpful.”

  “At least I don’t have to worry about the bloodlust, but now I have to worry about Fleur being in danger from her mother.”

  “Are you meeting Fleur tonight?”

  “Yes. I really wish we could move her in with us. It is driving me insane knowing I can’t protect her during the day or when she’s in her parents’ house.”

  “The wolves will keep her safe. They are good at what they do.”

  My phone buzzes in my pocket and I smile, seeing Fleur’s name come onto the screen. “Hello, chérie, I was about to come meet you.”

  “André, I’m scared. The creepy cab driver is back, and he is following me down the street.” Her voice is shaking, and she’s out of breath.

  I put my hand over the phone and whisper for Phillipe to contact the wolves and find out where they are. “Fleur, where are you? I’m on my way.”

  We rush out of the house and all pile into Giles’s car. He cranks the engine and makes a sharp U-turn in the street.

  “I’m about a block from the club.”

  “The wolves are following her and have the cab in their sight. They won’t let him near her.” Phillipe glances over his shoulder, whispering low enough so only Giles and I can hear him.

  I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing the wolves are close. They’ve been doing a good job so far, as far as I can tell. Even Fleur mentioned seeing a burly man in a beard yesterday, which was one of them. This random cab driver is not. “Fleur, keep walking toward the club. Giselle and Cassie are there, and I’m going to have them meet you.”

  Phillipe calls Giselle, and within minutes, she’s meeting Fleur. “Giselle is here, and the cab left before we could get a good look at the driver. I don’t know who this guy is, but he’s really freaking me out.”

  “Stay with Giselle, and I’ll be at the club shortly.” I hang up the phone and meet Phillipe’s and Giles’s concerned gazes.

  Phillipe rubs his hand over his face. “Merde, I should have taken the incident more seriously.”

  “What incident? Is Fleur in danger? What’s going on? Is there a feral out there?” Leaning forward, I grip the back of the seat.

  My phone buzzes, and it’s Hollis. “André, I’m staying close to Giselle and Fleur. Douglas is trying to track the cab. She’s safe, and they’re almost to the club.”

  “Thanks, Hollis, I appreciate you keeping her safe.” The wolves are the only reason I have any peace of mind during the hours I can’t watch over her. I never would have thought I would feel this way… Wolves were always a wild card, but these have proven invaluable.

  Hanging up the phone, I narrow my gaze on Phillipe. “Now what were you saying about an incident?”

  “The night you awakened, I met Fleur on the street, and she was spooked by a cab driver. Nothing came of it, and I thought he was being overly aggressive in trying to get a fare. He left as soon as Fleur approached me and, like tonight, I didn’t get a good look at him.” He shrugs his shoulders and leans his head back against the seat.

  “Sounds like we may need to keep a lookout for this person. He could be a problem.” Giles’s knuckles turn white, and he’s growling under his breath.

  “Why are you so angry? You seem to be taking this personally.” I’m surprised Giles is so upset. I know he likes Fleur, but she’s safe.

  “I hate predators, and through the years, I have worked with the humans in capturing many criminals. I was a vicar before I became a vampire and think it is in my nature to help. I’m going to start sniffing around and see if I come up with any problems.” Giles stops the car in front of the club, then turns to face me. “Why don’t you tell her who and what you are? You can’t continue this facade forever.”

  “I do know this, but she’s not ready. She doesn’t believe vampires are real and thinks her mother is losing her mind.” Running my hands through my hair, I lean back against the seat.

  “How long are you going to be able to last before you have to claim your mate?” Giles asks.

  Phillipe nods in my direction. “I can answer that: as long as it takes. Making sure his mate is comfortable and willing to accept him is only one of the sacrifices you’ll make for her.”

  “It’s getting hard to resist her. I can’t get over the fact she’s Rosaline’s descendant. I hated that woman. She was awful.” Not that I’m not ecstatic Fleur is nothing like her…

  “You have never said too much about the women who betrayed you.” Giles’s brows draw together, and he frowns at us. “Why did you choose them to help you cross the ocean?”

  “It was Gabriel’s, our leader’s, choice to move to the New World, and most of the famille was on board. I wasn’t completely sold. I enjoyed the city and had no desire to move to the wilds and start over. Gabriel preached we needed an adventure.” Rubbing the back of my neck, I remember the awful journey over and how happy I was to finally be on solid land again. “Those women almost made me refuse to get on the ship. I was right not to trust them.”

  “What was so bad about them? Giselle’s not bad.” Giles waves his hand toward Phillipe.

  “No, but Giselle was the only one who wasn’t a total bitch. Phillipe knew immediately that she was his mate, and we had never seen a vampire find his mate, so we were fascinated. It was the deciding factor in me following Gabriel. Rosaline, Fleur’s ancestor, was a conniving, sneaking whore, and I’m not using that term lightly. She was a prostitute. There were a few in the group who were.” I let out a humorless laugh, remembering the women.

  “Wait, I thought they were tested and proven to be virgins.” Giles glances from me to Phillipe.

  “Some were, but most weren’t.” Phillipe explains. “I think they bribed the doctor, or someone wanted them gone and paid for their trip. I will say Gabriel got the worst of the lot. Simone was awful and, from what Giselle has told me, the ringleader in hiring the witch who cursed us.”

  The car door opens, and Hollis slides in. “Fleur and Giselle are safe in the club. Douglas tried to track the cab, but he got away. It’s hard to keep a scent when someone is in a vehicle.”

  I squeeze Hollis’s shoulder. “I understand. We’ll have to keep Fleur under tighter surveillance. I don’t plan to let her out of my sight at night.”

  “We’ll do the same. There are a couple of half-breeds who are cops, and I’ve put them on alert. I have a bad feeling about this guy.” Hitting his thigh with his fist, Hollis blows out a disgusted breath.

  “You kept my girl safe, and I consider that a win. If this man is up to no good, we’ll catch him. I’m hoping he’ll give up but if he does make another attempt we’ll be there to stop him.” I sense Fleur’s distress and need to see her. Waving to the other men, I exit the car and cross the street to the club.

  I enter the darkened building, and Chi points toward the office. The crowd is thick tonight, but I finally make it to the hallway and rush into the room. Fleur turns and, upon seeing me, runs into my arms.

  She buries her face into my chest, wrapping her arms around me. “André, thank goodness you’re here.”

  “Of course, ma chérie. You are safe now, and I won’t let anything happen to you.” I lean down and kiss the top of her head, and I don’t feel any blood lust. The witch must have been right about the spells causing it. Now I need to worry about her mother and the threat she most likely poses.

  “Fleur, stay with me tonight. I don’t think I can let you out of my sight.” I hug her tighter to my chest, breathing in her scent.

  She looks up at me and smiles, nodding her head.

  “Why don’t you go to the house?” Giselle asks. “I know neither of you feel much like socializing, and it’s going to be empty until morning. We have a DJ coming in tonight who will have us here until almost daylight.” She pu
shes us out the back door, into the alley behind the club.

  Once we’re alone, I push Fleur against the side of the building and crush my mouth against hers. I need to feel her against me and assure myself she’s safe. She lifts her hands to grip my hair and opens for me to deepen the kiss. I rub my tongue against hers and, at her moan, lift my head.

  “We need privacy.” Backing away from her, I take her hand and lead her to the front of the building. Giles is still parked across the street, so I go directly to his car, open the back door, and help Fleur inside. He and Phillipe look up in surprise.

  “Do you mind giving us a ride to the house before you come back and work security?” I narrow my eyes at the men, and they both grin.

  Fleur

  We burst through the door and my hands are in his hair, holding him to me, not wanting to break our kiss. He kicks the door shut with a bang, and I break free for a second.

  “Is anyone here?” I call. I know Giles and Phillipe dropped us off, but I want to make sure no one else is here. I really don’t want an audience and have a feeling this man is going to make me scream. I can’t get enough of him.

  The whole way here, I sat next to him, my thigh against his and his hand rubbing my arm. Our kiss in the alley had me wanting to lose all common sense and have him where the whole world could see. Thank heavens he stopped us when he did.

  “No, everyone is at the club and shouldn’t be back until morning.” He kisses down my neck, and I arch to give him better access. “I need to talk to you about something.”

  “Talk later. I have other things I want to do right now.”

  He lifts me, and I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling his mouth back to mine. He slams me against the wall, and I moan as he rubs against me.

  He groans into my ear. “Want to get you upstairs.”

  “Please take me upstairs.” I’ve never wanted anyone like I want this man. I am on fire.

  Holding me tight, he continues to kiss me as he runs up the stairs. Damn, he’s strong. I’m not a tiny girl.