by T. S. Ryder
***
The room was ornate. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling and the walls were trimmed in gold. A delicately patterned carpet lay beneath the throne-like stuffed chair that Rosa sat upon. She felt all the more grubby in this beautiful space she suddenly found herself in.
What have I gotten myself into?
"I have been watching you for a long time."
Angelus Rex was more awe-inspiring in person than he was on the news broadcasts Rosa had seen. His body was impressive, the white dress shirt tailored to his muscular chest and arms. He was taller than she expected. His dark hair had a slight curl around his ears and the back of his neck. There was something extremely alluring about him. Knowing that he wanted her in his bed had Rosa's heart pounding. She knew she should be more frightened than she was, but she didn't care. The sooner those full lips were on her body the better.
Their fingers brushed when he handed her a glass of wine. The ice-cold shock made her gasp. She didn't drink the wine, too absorbed in the King.
"You believe that I asked you here as a prostitute," he continued, settling in the chair opposite her. His dark eyes were locked on hers, unblinking. "That isn't entirely accurate."
Rosa finally made herself move, gulping down the wine. She set the empty glass down, twisting her hands. "You want to drink my blood."
The King's lips twitched. "No. Well… yes. But that's not what I really want from you."
He stood so quickly that Rosa flinched. He crossed the room and returned with a pile of papers, which he set on the table beside her. All the time his gaze never left hers, and she was unable to look away. If he told her to expose her neck to his fangs, she didn't know how she could refuse. She wouldn't want to refuse.
"This is a contract. It states that in exchange for an apartment here in the palace, a house in the city, and private tutoring for whatever university degrees you wish to have, as well as a stipend of a hundred thousand dollars every year, you will carry and give birth to my child. You will be my mistress until such an occasion arises that you desire to end the agreement."
Rosa gasped. Heat flooded her body, leaving her shocked by how good it sounded. A hand drifted to her stomach and she swallowed hard, scrambling to come up with an answer to that. The King was asking her to have his baby? To be his mistress? But how could this be possible? She was just a twenty-something, homeless college student. Why would Angelus Rex watch her… want her?
The King refilled her wine glass and sat down, his gaze piercing. "You are under no obligations, Rosa."
She shivered at the sound of her name spoken by his voice.
"If you decide not to sign that contract, you will be given a place to sleep tonight. Then, you will be dropped off at your college tomorrow and that will be the end of our relationship."
Rosa picked up the contract and tried to read it, though she kept being distracted by the powerful presence of the Vampire King. He had claimed the Americas as his Kingdom before she was born. Her mother remembered the times before Angelus rose. Back then, there was considerable bloodshed between Vampires and humans. Packs of Vampires would roam the land, killing at will. Angelus wasn't the King of the humans, only ruling over the Vampire kind as a separate nation within the various countries of the Americas. Even so, he had made life better for both walks of life.
Could she really agree to be a mistress, though? Especially since she would essentially be a prostitute. Call girl. Escort. Whatever. She would still be selling her body for her education, a place to live, food in her belly, and a hundred thousand dollars a year. It was far better pay than any job she qualified for. Besides, if she would be safe inside the Vampire King's palace, there was no way her stepfather could find her.
That decided it for her, and she flipped to the end of the contract, signing it. Her heart pounded as she laid down the pen and gulped down the fresh wine. She hadn't eaten all day, and the two glasses went straight to her head, making her thoughts swirl.
"I didn't know Vampires could procreate," she blurted out.
"We can, in the right circumstances… with the right partners." Angelus put aside his wine glass and stood, offering his hand to her. His pupils were dilated and he smiled–the first smile he had given her. Rosa's heart nearly jumped from her chest.
She put her hand in his and he pulled her to her feet. An arm snaked around her waist. She was pulled firmly against his body and his lips were on hers, hungry and demanding. Rosa's eyes widened. Heat flared through her body as though countering the coldness of the vampire's embrace. She couldn't stop herself from returning his passion, throwing her arms around him as his hands roamed her body.
But there is so much more I need to know, her brain protested, but she pushed it aside and kissed Angelus back, abandoning thought and just letting herself feel.
Chapter Two - Angelus
From where he stood he could almost smell her. He had not been expecting to seduce her the first night she came to him. It had been his every intention to take his time, let her become accustomed to this new life, go slow, courting her before he took her to bed. Yet, she had been so passionate–so demanding–that he found he had to throw all of his plans out the window. She wanted him, and who was he to deny her?
That had been two weeks ago, and now they were waiting for the blood tests to come back, determining whether she was pregnant or not. In the meantime, she was immersing herself in her studies during the day and luring him to bed with her at night.
Angelus smiled proudly as he considered what she was studying. Up until she was able to pay her tuition, she had been taking a massage therapy course, determined to have a trade she could use as soon as she graduated. Now that money was no longer an issue, she had turned her attention to the subjects she loved: archaeology and history.
There was so much that he could share with her. So much history to tell.
Rosa glanced up from the textbook she was reading and gave him a shy smile, her golden-olive skin glowing in the sunlight. He smiled back but didn't approach her, choosing instead to retreat a few paces to continue searching for the book he had entered the library for. It was taking all his strength not to just go to her, run his hands over her lush curves, and carry her to his chambers.
But he had work to do, and she was clearly engrossed in her studies. He would be patient. After all, he didn't want to be too intense with her. She was human, fragile and breakable. He didn't want to break her.
He quickly found the book of human laws he was looking for and retreated to a chair across the library from Rosa. The subtle currents of air carried her scent over to him–vanilla and lemon, like the cookies he vaguely remembered his old grandmother making for the Master's children. Angelus closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.
"She does smell good, doesn't she?"
Angelus opened his eyes again, glancing crossly at his niece. Lucilia was his younger sister's daughter who now served as his aide. She had an annoying habit of turning up at the most inopportune times.
"What do you want, Lucilia?"
His niece set a file folder on the table beside him. "The information you asked for about your mistress. Although these are all things you should have known before you started stalking her, Uncle. Family history, medical records, living family…"
Angelus narrowed his eyes. "You are working as my aide right now, not speaking to me as my niece. You will show me the respect I am due."
Lucilia shrugged, nonchalantly. Angelus knew he really should be stricter with her, but ever since he lost his sister a hundred years ago to a witch hunt, Lucilia was the only family he had left. He could never chastise her properly. This was all the more reason why he should have a child soon. He wanted a family–the tangible closeness that could only be felt when he looked at a person and saw some of his own features in them as well. Especially now that he was a King, he wanted a legacy that he could pass on.
"And I didn't stalk her," Angelus added, opening the file. "That implies something predatory. I
had no intention of making her do anything she didn't want to do, and I certainly didn't have any of those creepy shrines like the stalkers do on TV."
"You still followed her around without—" Lucilia cut herself off, looking like she was trying not to laugh when Angelus glared at her.
"That's enough, Lucilia. You may go now."
His niece curtsied and slipped away, giggling as she did so.
Angelus shook his head, though a smile tugged at his lips. She reminded him so much of his sister… He set the file on Rosa aside for now. While he was eager to learn more about his mistress–more than what she had divulged thus far–he had more important work to see to. There had been an uptick of death threats for him as of late, and the violence against Vampires was becoming quite brutal. He was all for humans defending their lives against rogues, but cutting off a Vampire's head and sticking it upon the gates of a school populated by Vampire children was unforgivable.
As much as he would have liked to have found those responsible and kill them, he did not rule over humankind. The American government thought that he existed for their own benefit, and this arrogance served his needs fully. He would rather use their laws to punish their own citizens. Thus, he had to know what laws were in place to use when he found the individuals responsible for the atrocities.
Rosa stood, stretching her back. Angelus couldn't help himself. He stared at the curve of her spine, her arms reaching above her head, emphasizing her breasts. She was the most sensuous woman he had ever seen, with her dark hair and dark eyes and shy smile. He would have to get Lucilia to take her shopping and fill her wardrobe with dresses–clothes that he could tear from her body, a marginal barrier to their shared passion.
He was so focused on his mistress that when his guard, Morgan, stepped up beside him with the daily security report, Angelus was actually startled enough that he jumped. He silently cursed himself. Distraction did not suit a King.
Morgan's nostrils flared and his head swung around, focusing in on Rosa. "So that's the human you've taken to your bed, my King? Mmmm. Smells good."
Angelus growled a warning.
Apparently, Morgan had a death wish. He ignored the warning. "When you're done with her, let me know. I'd like to bend her over my table—"
Angelus jumped to his feet. His chair went flying, clattering to the floor. It drew Rosa's attention and she stiffened, wide-eyed. The King attempted to give her an apologetic smile, then turned to glare at Morgan. The Vampire seemingly knew he had crossed a line as he withdrew, eyes wide, his face paling. The King jerked his head towards the hall, leaving his things on the table as he walked out. Morgan followed.
As soon as the door was closed behind them, Angelus spun on his heel, sinking his fist into Morgan's stomach. The Vampire heaved, doubling over. Another punch to the Vampire's face had him on one knee. Angelus stepped back, letting him recover from the two blows he had already received.
"I'm sorry, my lord," Morgan wheezed, still kneeling. "I meant no disrespect towards you. She is just so sensuous that I lost my head."
Another growl rose from the depths of Angelus' throat and he tackled Morgan, pummeling him hard in the face, chest and stomach. When the Vampire dropped to the ground, he kicked him in the back a couple of times for good measure before he stepped back, forcing his temper to cool.
"You will speak and think of my mistress with respect," he ordered. "If you ever try to blame her for your lack of self-control again, I will have you castrated and left to garden with the women. Do you understand me?"
Morgan groaned, curling in on himself. Thick, blackish blood stained the ground around them, oozing out of Morgan's wounds. Angelus' own knuckles were bleeding, although his blood was more fresh and red than Morgan's own. He kicked the fallen Vampire again.
"I asked you a question."
"I understand," Morgan mumbled. "I will not disrespect the human again."
"Good. She is mine. No one else will have her or lay a finger upon her. She is mine," Angelus repeated. For as long as she wants to be, his mind told him, but he didn't say that part out loud. Morgan only needed to know one thing. "She is mine."
Chapter Three - Rosa
The toilet was pristinely white and fitted a heated seat and gold-gilded handle. Angelus liked his gold. The back of the toilet was either carved from marble or designed to look like it had been. The water that flowed through it was scented of lavender and had the slight bluish tinge of sanitization products. Yet, none of this mattered as Rosa leaned over it, puking her guts out.
Rosa had never felt like she was particularly glamorous–not even like a tragic heroine meeting her Prince Charming. She was just a homeless girl struggling to make it through college. But she had never felt less sexy than over the three weeks since it was confirmed that she was pregnant. She thought she might die before making it to the fifth week.
I never asked what to expect with Vampire pregnancies, she thought ruefully, washing her face at the marble bathroom sink. There were two jewels implanted in the golden tap handles: a ruby for hot water and a sapphire for cold. She rinsed out her mouth and brushed her teeth. For some reason, the minty flavor of toothpaste was one of the few things that actually helped calm her stomach.
She knew that morning sickness was to be expected, but she hadn't expected to be so exhausted that all she ever wanted to do was sleep. How did women survive this for nine months? One thing was for certain: she wasn't going to have any more kids after this!
Just the movement of walking to the bathroom door had her head spinning. Rosa leaned against the wall, gulping in deep breaths to try to calm her stomach. Nope. She dashed back to the toilet, heaving until a little bit of acid came up. There was literally nothing in her stomach left to vomit.
With a groan, Rosa lay on the heated tiles. If the floor wasn't so unforgiving and her breasts and back weren't already so sore, she would have just slept here.
"I'm going to die."
A moment later, the door opened, making her look up. Angelus' expression twisted in concern as he rushed to her side. Rosa struggled to sit up, but his hands pressed on her shoulders firmly, keeping her down.
"Your heartbeat is fine," he said, running his hands over her body. "Where does it hurt?"
Rosa repressed a gasp at his touch, heat building in her core. She dreamt of their attempts to conceive almost every night and she woke shaking, gasping, longing for his touch. She had to stop herself from moaning in dismay as his hands retreated. She had signed that contract to be his mistress, and yet he didn't seem very interested in taking her to bed since it was confirmed she was pregnant. Maybe that was because she was so sick with the pregnancy.
"What happened?" Angelus picked her up, cradling her on the way back into her bedroom. He tucked her into the king-sized canopy bed.
"Nothing, I just feel really sick today."
The Vampire King stroked her hair back from her face. Rosa leaned into his gentle touch.
"You said that you were dying."
He had heard that? Rosa felt her cheeks warm and shook her head. "I was being dramatic. It's because I feel like I'm going to puke whenever I sit up."
Angelus sighed in relief and his hand withdrew. "I see. The doctors and midwives that I've brought to see you all say that your pregnancy is normal. Are you sure these human medications don't work?"
He picked up the bottle of prescription anti-nausea pills that a doctor had given her. Rosa shook her head. Those awful things just made her feel worse whenever she tried to take one. "I haven't been able to do any studying in three days."
"You don't need to be done with your courses at a specific time."
"But I love learning. I feel so lazy just lying in bed all day." Rosa sighed. "Can you read my history book to me?"
"History? I don't need to read that to you. I lived it, Rosa. What I didn't witness myself I read about." Angelus settled in beside her, stretching his body next to hers over the blankets. "What do you want me to tell you?"
; "Uh…" Rosa struggled to think with Angelus so close to her. What she wanted was for this feeling of sickness to go away so she could tackle the King to his back and spend the day making love. Yet, she wasn't about to risk vomiting all over him during sexy time. "How about yourself? When were you born?"
Angelus rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. His mouth drew thin and his brows pinched together, and Rosa wondered if it was because he didn't want to tell her or if he was struggling to remember. Eventually, he nodded, his expression clearing.
"Somewhere around 44 BC. I was born just a year or two after Julius Caesar was assassinated. My original name was Julius, in honor of him. The Master was very loyal."
"The Master?" Rosa pressed, rolling to her side and fluffing her pillow so she could see him better.
"I was born a slave. My younger sister was, too. Eventually, I won my freedom as a gladiator. I was turned into a Vampire almost immediately, so I tracked down my sister and her daughter who were sold when our Master ran out of money, and…" He shot her a brief look, shrugging. "I turned them into Vampires as well. Well, I waited until Lucilia was old enough to make her own choice."
Lucilia. His aide. Rosa nodded. She had seen similarities between the two of them. A hand rested upon her belly. "And will the baby be born human or Vampire?"
"Human, but with the strength and speed of a Vampire."
"How does a human become a Vampire?"
Angelus rolled to his side, his cold fingers grasping her wrist. He brought it to his nose and sniffed deeply, closing his eyes. Rosa's heart rate spiked. She had seen some of the human women who worked as servants exit a room with two small puncture marks in their necks. They always had a glazed, glowing look about them that made it look like they just had the greatest sex of their life. Rosa thought that allowing a Vampire to drink one’s blood must be an erotic experience.
