Coveted - Book 3 in the Gwen Sparks Series

by Stephanie Nelson

  Jillian walked into the living room but didn’t sit. Instead, she stood in front of my sofa table and stared at the silver frames lining it. She picked one of them up and studied the photograph.

  “How old were you in this?” She held up the frame, looking over her shoulder. My eyes fell to the picture of me with my younger sister Rebekah. We had been close despite our ten year age difference. I hadn’t seen her since I was sixteen but that didn’t stop me from wondering what kind of woman she’d turned out to be.

  “I was fifteen.”

  “And who’s this?” She tapped her finger over Rebekah’s face.

  “My sister.” Rebekah had the same raven colored hair as me, and her eyes were so brightgreen they resembled spring grass. I smiled as I imagined how beautiful she must be now.

  “I had a sister too,” Jillian responded more to herself than me. She stared at the photograph for another long second before placing it back on the table. When she turned to face us, she noticed Penny and I were staring at her.

  “Did she pass away?” Penny asked, her voice soft.

  “Wha—no, my family disowned me when I decided to become a vampire. My parents were afraid I would drain them dry.” She rolled her eyes. “Haven’t seen or heard from them in almost four years.”

  “I’m sorry,” I told her. “I know what it’s like to have an insensitive family. I’m sure you’ll see your sister again someday, when she’s old enough to decide for herself whether she wants to see you or not.”

  Jillian snorted. “My sister is older than me. If she wanted to reach out, she would have by now.”

  “At least you’ve got us,” Penny beamed, making me smile. I knew she was doing it just to annoy Jillian, and Jillian knew it too.

  “Lucky me.”

  “Okay, back to business,” I said. “The front doors may be closed, but thanks to Penny, we have the internet sales. Those will still need to be packaged and shipped each week. I made up a schedule.” I flipped open a folder and handed a piece of paper to both girls. “Each of you has keys to the shop. I just ask that you keep the door locked while there. Just in case. I’m not saying another rogue will pop up but it’s better to be safe.”

  “Oh, is it a girls’ night?” Lauren stood in the doorway, a smile stretching her lips. She had been out doing recon, or so she said.

  “Just a work meeting,” I told her. Turning my attention back to Jillian and Penny I said, “Do you guys have any questions?” Both girls shook their heads. Now that my business was situated, I felt a lot better, and Penny and Jillian wouldn’t have to look for another job.

  “If you’re done, we have somewhere to be,” Lauren said, her face growing serious.

  “Where?” I looked up from the folder in my hands.

  Lauren gestured with her head for me to follow her into the kitchen. Excusing myself, I got up and walked over to where Lauren stood by the counter.

  “What is it?”

  “Aiden has asked me to bring you to Vain.”

  I arched a brow. That news didn’t seem as important as she was making it.

  “The VC is in town and they’ve requested a meeting with you. Aiden wants to do it at Vain so that his vampires are there, in case things get out of hand.”

  “You know,” I said, “it would be nice if just for once, someone had good news.”

  Vain is in a long rectangular building. The outside was painted black, and the tinted windows looked like liquid silk as the lights reflected off them. Above the door hung a black sign with the word Vain in red neon, a drop of blood hanging from the center of the V. Gripping the handle, I opened the door and waited for Lauren to enter. She hung back, arms crossed and apprehension coloring her delicate features.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I can’t go in,” she all but whispered. I had to stick my head out to capture her words fading into the night wind.

  “What do you mean, you can’t go in? Aiden hired you to protect me. I mean, that is why you moved into my apartment, right?”

  “Yes, and I’ll be out here when you’re done. But I cannot go inside. Aiden knows why.” Lauren’s voice grew stiff, her blue eyes piercing.

  I shrugged. “Fine.” I stepped inside and let the door close behind me. “Shouldn’t I be the one terrified of entering?” I mumbled to myself.

  The inside of the club had a red, black and white color scheme. The walls were covered in black and gray damask wallpaper. Various two-person love seats were ranged along the wall, while the dance floor was situated in the middle of the room. Off to the left, a bar made of black marble stretched along the wall. Rows of alcohol bottles were perched on black glass shelves, red lights beneath to cast an eerie glow. The floor was covered in black slate tile and hanging lights with red shades fell from the ceiling, their bulbs barely casting enough illumination on the space below them. Seeing wasn’t necessarily difficult for me, but it wasn’t easy either. Silhouettes of bodies cast shadows against the walls, only visible when the dance lights cut across the floor and revealed their identity.

  Arms slid beneath mine, languid yet possessive. I didn’t need to see the person’s face to know that it was Aiden behind me; my body was attuned to his energy. The air around me thickened as Aiden slipped one of his hands free and trailed a finger down my arm while holding me against his chest with the other. My eyes closed briefly, relishing the familiar ecstasy. For just a moment, I didn’t want to think about what he’d done, why we were apart or the impending meeting with the VC. If only it were that easy. My newfound spirit walker powers wouldn’t allow me absolute ignorance. The death rolling off Aiden twined with his energy and sent goose bumps flitting up my arms. I tried to push the feeling away, to ignore the truth of his past.

  Aiden settled his face against mine, his mouth brushing my ear. The sound of his tongue rolling across his lips as he licked them was an intoxicating seduction that stirred the fire within me. No matter whether Aiden and I were together or apart, I would always be attracted to him, had been since I first met him. It only made being away from him that much harder.

  “The VC does not know that we aren’t together,” he whispered, a kiss behind my ear following his words. “It would be best if they didn’t find out. Without a vampire consort you’re fair game.”

  I hadn’t realized my eyes had slipped all the way closed until Aiden’s embrace disappeared. When my eyelids opened sluggishly, he was standing in front of me. His blue eyes broke through the darkness: penetrating and hungry. He watched me for only a second before he stepped forward, his hand disappearing in my hair as he cradled my face and kissed me hard. His mouth claimed my tongue, sucking and twirling in a delicious battle to bring me to my knees.

  When he broke the kiss, my breathing was heavy. I traced my swollen lips with my fingertips, averting my eyes from Aiden’s. Oh, man, I was on a slippery slope. If Aiden kissed me like that again, reason and sense wouldn’t penetrate through my desire to have all of him.

  “I’ve missed the taste of your lips, my Gwen.”

  “Don’t say things like that,” I breathed. “And you shouldn’t kiss me.”

  A devious smirk lifted one side of his mouth up. “So I can still affect you; is that what you’re saying?”

  “The VC—”

  “Can wait,” Aiden stepped closer, towering over me like a dark seductive shadow. He kept advancing until the only option I had left was to step backwards. When the wall stopped my retreat, his smirk grew into a full-blown smile. He reached an arm up and rested it against the wall, while his other hand settled on my hip, his fingers gripping my waist.

  “My blood runs in your veins. I know how turned on you are right now, my Gwen.”

  The techno music beat against the walls, sending short vibrations running against my back. Vain was crowded, but all I could see was Aiden’s athletic lean body in front of me. My eyes fell to his full lips, and I licked my own in remembrance of how they tasted. Aiden yanked my hips toward his body, my pelvis smacking against
his in a delightful collision. A moan slipped through my lips before I could stop it. Aiden’s mouth was busy suckling against my throat, his tongue licking an upward path. For the love of god, he felt good against my body, an enticing drug that promised the ultimate high. I could lose myself to this man and not realize I was lost.

  Someone clearing his throat made me snap open my eyes. Aiden leaned up slowly, more annoyed about being disturbed than embarrassed. When I realized I had his shirt fisted in both of my hands, I quickly let go. Aiden smiled at me before turning toward our interrupter.

  “Aaron does not appreciate being kept waiting while you grope your witch,” the man said. “His words, not mine.” The man looked out of place in his jeans and sweatshirt. A baseball hat pulled low on his head obscured his features in the shadows.

  “My apologies,” Aiden said dipping his head. “But can you blame me for wanting to stay in her company instead of theirs?”

  Though I couldn’t see the man’s eyes, I could feel them observing me.

  He shrugged. “She’s no Alana.”

  Ouch, that stung. Alana was Aaron’s sister and a member of the Vampire Council. She is also Aiden’s very blonde, very sexy ex. I hated her.

  “That’s what I love most about her.” Aiden’s fingers brushed a light path across my cheek, and then he turned back to the man. “And if you ever speak ill of my Gwen again, the VC won’t even be able to protect you from my wrath, understand?” When Aiden gave a threat he did so with calm and calculated words. He was over six hundred years old and knew how to demand respect. His low clipped words wielded the danger of a blade as he directed them to the man, who was wise enough to fear them. He bowed before disappearing through the shadows.

  Exhaling to clear my head, I ran my hands through my hair and got myself together. Aiden’s little seduction had knocked me off track and that was dangerous—he was dangerous, at least to my resolve.

  “Aiden, while that was…nice, and thank you for threatening that guy…but—.”

  “I know you’re not ready to be with me yet. But I don’t apologize for what just happened. I love you, Gwen and I’ll never stop craving you.”

  “As long as you don’t get the wrong impression… Just because we made out a little doesn’t mean we’re getting back together. Things are fragile right now and while I’m still physically attracted to you, nothing more can come of it.” I mentally groaned at how cold and technical my words sounded. “I do love you, Aiden, and the Goddess knows I’m attracted to you. It’s just…”

  “Dorian?” Aiden supplied.

  “What? No.” Dorian hadn’t even entered my mind while I was being seduced by Aiden. “There’s nothing going on with us. I think it’s smart if I take a break from relationships for a while.”

  Aiden frowned. “Everyone makes mistakes, Gwen. Don’t allow mine ruin your outlook on love.”

  Disbelief fell over my face. “Are you saying you want me to be with Dorian?”

  “Fuck no,” Aiden growled. “I only meant, don’t let what I did ruin what we could have. Screw Dorian. On second thought…don’t.”

  *

  When Lauren told me that the VC was waiting to meet me at Vain, I hadn’t expected all of them to show up. Six pairs of steely eyes landed on my face when I entered the private room in the back of the club. Aaron, the voice of the group, stood and met me in the center of the room. He might have looked like a teenager, but there was nothing naïve about him. His brown eyes held knowledge while his face deceived the world. The Vampire Council was made up of the original vampire family, the first humans to be turned by the demon Nufesum. And their appearance in Flora wasn’t just a friendly meet and greet. I had struck a deal with them while in Moon and the payment for their help was my blood. I knew it was only a matter of time before they came to collect, but I hoped it would be in the distant future.

  “So nice to see you again, Ms. Sparks,” Aaron La’rue smiled, clasping my hand and bending at the waist to place a kiss on top. I was sure all of them could hear my heartbeat speed up; I could almost feel the rapid thump against chest.

  “And you,” I said through tight lips. My eyes circled around the room and landed on the other five vampires. Alana sat on the edge of the suede sofa, her lengthy legs crossed and a satisfied smile on her face. Her long blond hair was neatly pinned up while tendrils escaped and brushed her shoulders. Pernis, Ian’s sire, sat next to Alana. He was tall and lanky with slicked back brown hair and a no nonsense attitude. He wore a three piece suit that looked like it had been constructed in the 1920s.

  “Let me introduce you.” Aaron still held my hand, and as he walked further into the room I had no choice but to follow. Aiden made sure to stay right beside me, his hand on the small of my back. I knew in a room full of elders there wasn’t a damned thing Aiden could do to save me, but I appreciated the illusion of security he offered.

  “You’ve met Alana and Pernis.” Aaron gestured toward the two of them. They both smiled, and I tipped my chin down in a shallow nod. “This is Fredrick.” Aaron held out his hand toward a man with reddish brown hair, a thin coating of freckles lining the bridge of his nose. His eyes were brown like Aaron’s but had gold twining through the irises, giving him an almost ethereal look.

  “And Mira and Giles,” Aaron continued. My eyes fell on the last two. Mira looked to be the youngest, maybe fourteen when turned. She had shoulder-length dirty blonde hair and wide green eyes. Giles, I admit was good looking, with spiky golden hair and blue eyes. There was a cockiness about him that was both off-putting and alluring. I gave both of them a small smile before bringing my attention back to Aaron. I should have said something along the lines of “it’s nice to meet all of you” but that would have been a lie. In no way was I happy to meet the entire Vampire Council or have them travel all the way to Flora to meet me. If they thought my silence was rude they didn’t comment. Out of all of them, Pernis was the one I was most afraid of. I had killed his child, broken a bond with someone he’d had in his life for over eight hundred years. Depending on the vampire, retribution could be extracted should they see fit. Another thought occurred to me, one scarier than allowing six vampires feed from me. Were they here to kill me for killing Ian? In Moon they had offered to help capture Ian, but there was no talk about killing him. Maybe I stepped over the line and they were here to punish me for it. I mentally laughed, more of a stressed out chuckle as I thought about the absurdity of worrying about demonic rogues when the real threat was the VC. I hadn’t been anticipating their role in my survival.

  “Please sit.” Aaron held out his hand to an empty chair. “We have much to talk about.” I walked toward the chair and sat while Aaron joined Frederick on the couch. All six vampires were watching me, each with different expressions. Aiden stood beside me, his hands clasped in front of him. I looked up at him briefly before looking back at the VC. The room remained silent except for the echo of music beating against the dark walls. The VC remained motionless; their eyes pinned on my face. I trailed my own eyes over each of their faces, expecting someone to say something, anything. The awkward silence was playing hell on my heart. It jumped and slammed harder against my chest as my anxiety spiked.

  “This is your idea of having a lot to talk about?” I finally said. My impatience always outweighed my common sense. Granted I wasn’t trying to make a good impression with the council leaders, but I knew it was dangerous to mouth off to them.

  “Apologies,” Aaron said. “We were having a short meeting.”

  I looked up at Aiden in confusion and he tapped the side of his head to indicate they were talking mentally amongst themselves. Creepy.

  “You remember your promise, I assume?”

  “Yes, but it was under the terms of you guys helping me capture Ian.” I shrugged. “Seeing as how handled it myself, I figured the deal was null and void.” I knew for a fact that it wasn’t but you couldn’t blame a girl for trying. There was no way I wanted six pairs of fangs sinking into my body. Again, I sh
ould have thought about the consequences before making the deal. The best I could hope for now was that they didn’t inflict pain when they bit me.

  “Capture is the key word, Ms. Sparks,” Pernis said. “There was no mention of killing. When you drove that stake into Ian’s heart, you didn’t just kill him, you offended me in the process. As you know Ian was mine to deal with how I see fit. It was not your call to end his life—”

  Aaron placed his hand on Pernis’ arm to stop his speech. Pernis’ hard eyes bore into me while his mouth stretched into a thin line.

  “What Pernis is saying is that it goes against our rules to kill another’s child. In that aspect you took a piece of his property.”

  “You guys do realize why Ian bonded himself to me, right? Why this whole thing happened?” I paused for a moment. “He wanted to turn me into a hybrid so that I could kill each and every one of you. If you’re asking me to feel sorry for ending him, I don’t. I do however apologize for taking a piece of your property, Pernis. But judging from how Ian talked, there was no love lost between the two of you.”

  Aiden tensed up beside me. I didn’t have time to think how unusual that was because Pernis shot up off of the sofa and was in my face before I could blink. Hisses echoed around the room. Fangs glistened, capturing what little light was in the room. Aiden was crouched beside me, his hand gripping the edge of the chair tight. I could tell he wanted to rip Pernis away from me but was biding his time. Once he laid a hand on Pernis, the tension would escalate to something deadlier.

  “He was mine,” Pernis snapped. “Feelings are beside the point.”

  “Pernis,” Aaron warned, standing up. Frederick and Giles joined him. I wasn’t sure if they were getting ready to grab Pernis should he attack or if they simply wanted to join in on the fun of ripping one of my veins open.

  Pernis blinked and I could see the veil of his anger falling away. With one last contemptuous look, he stood and took a couple steps back. The entire room took a collective sigh as the tension settled back to normal. Aiden stood back up, portraying a statue of calmness.