A Secret Baby for the Vampire

by Wylder, Jasmine

  Do not move, she told herself again. Wait here for Cozul to return. You can speak to him more directly about his plans when he gets back.

  As if on cue, the front door opened and Nira jumped uneasily. Cozul strode in, carrying a box and dropped it on the floor. He wore large, dark sunglasses over his eyes and she was again confused.

  The immortals can’t withstand the sunlight. How is he able to walk through the rays without disintegrating?

  The only answer Nira could guess was that all the accounts she had ever learned about the immortals had been inaccurate. It would make sense. No one had seen a vampire in one hundred years. Occasionally, when someone would vanish without a trace, speculation would run wild with the theory that they lived among the mortals but of course those were ghost stories, fiction. The ones which had been captured in wartime had been beheaded and burned immediately, the risk of them rerising too great. They could not be captured in photograph so like a bad game of telephone, their characteristics had likely been greatly distorted over time. No one was left to contest the current records of what the immortals were; it was easy to see how their traits and abilities could have become misconstrued.

  The idea gave Nira a renewed faith.

  Perhaps he is not nearly as dangerous as he seems. Perhaps they are simply a tribe of people who were infected due to no fault of their own and struggling for survival, just like any mortal would be.

  A compassion flowed through Nira and she cautiously regarded Cozul, weighing her next words. Before she could speak, his cell phone rang. He grunted and peered at the screen, his translucent eyes narrowing.

  “At this hour?” he asked, annoyed. He sighed and answered the call, wandering away from her. Nira trained her ears to listen.

  “Why are you calling at this hour?” he snarled into the phone. There was a slight pause. Although Nira could not see him, she sensed he was pacing along the hallway between the front room and the kitchen.

  “Yes, Byana, I have left the mansion.” He lowered his voice, his next words inaudible. Nira slowly rose, tip toeing toward the wall separating him from her and pressed her ear against the partition.

  “Are you threatening me? You believe your filthy mouth will have any bearing on the council’s opinion of me? You are more foolish than I originally thought.” Nira could hear the temperature of his tone dropping to frigid proportions and she wondered who was Byana.

  Is she a lover? A strange feeling of covetousness surged through her and she was shocked at her reaction. Why would she care who he bedded? He was her captor, not her boyfriend.

  “I owe you nothing,” he hissed. “If you go to the council or if you call me again, I will behead and set you afire myself. Go to sleep Byana. I believe you are exhausted.”

  He threw the cell against the wall where she was standing, causing Nira to physically jump back in alarm. Her body trembling, she rushed back to the settee and waited for him to round the corner. She had no doubt that he meant every word he had said.

  Is he threatening his former lover? If that is how he speaks to someone whom he once cared for, what will he do to you?

  Nira swallowed forcefully, terror rising in her windpipe. Cozul turned the corner, a tense expression on his face.

  “I am going to rest,” he told her. “I suggest you do the same.”

  Nira nodded quickly, not wishing to further aggravate her kidnapper.

  He is dangerous, she told herself, woefully. But I have no choice but to trust him.

  Chapter Eight

  Sleep came quickly to Cozul which was surprising. The call from Byana had unnerved him more than he wished to admit.

  Stupid woman, thinks she can blackmail her way into my house.

  Byana had been one of his usual bedmates in the estate and despite her incessant hints that she considered him to be her fated mate, Cozul had no interest in her beyond a physical pleasure. She was needy and vapid, two traits not uncommon of the hybrid females.

  They have been spoiled from the coddling of the elders, Cozul recognized. Even the males were uninspired, accustomed to having everything handed to them.

  They lack drive, all of them. Their human genetics have overpowered them despite the dominance in immortal blood. They are pitiful.

  Yet as Cozul thought it, he thought of the buxom brunette sitting nervously in his salon and marveled at her grit.

  If Byana or Maxia were in this position, there would be a sea of histrionics, of that I am certain. Nira handles her fate with grace and dignity. She does not threaten to report me to council for lecherous sexual acts nor does she scream in my ear like a petulant child. She is classy and strong, stronger than the flavorless women I have known in both worlds.

  Cozul closed his eyes, allowing the darkness of the blacked-out room to enfold him, Nira’s emerald eyes dancing in his vision.

  When he woke, he was discombobulated.

  Where am I? He wondered, sitting up quickly. It took him a few seconds to get his bearings. A slow smile spread across his lips.

  I am in my new home. Away from the others, left in solitude for the first time.

  A small frown overtook his happy expression.

  I am not alone. I am hiding a human in my house.

  As if a wave of sanity washed over his body, Cozul leapt from the bed and hurried to the door.

  You damned fool! What were you thinking leaving her unattended? You must have been exhausted. What if she tried to run? She will be caught for certain and then she will talk. There would be no explaining this away.

  Concern pushed him down the stairs and into the living room. Nira was not there. Cozul’s heart began to beat uncharacteristically quickly. A look in the kitchen and toilet proved she was not in the house.

  She was gone.

  Cozul let out a feral howl of rage, his long arms wiping against the mantle in the front room, smashing a cast iron candelabra to the ground.

  How could I have been so stupid? He raged at himself, pulling open the door. Dusk had quietly fallen, bouncing pinks, oranges and blues against the purples and blacks of the water directly at his front. His car was still parked on the drive but Nira was nowhere in sight.

  She was not so idiotic as to take my vehicle. That is good for me but bad for her. I will find her if she is on foot. I must think of a story, something to say. I will tell them I thought she was dead but she tricked me with sorcery. They still use it in the South. I will have to dispose of Nelo somehow so he cannot contradict me. He saw that she was alive. Oh, what have you done, you fool! She is a mortal. They are all deceitful. You must go looking for her. Perhaps you will find her before one of the elders does. Then you can get your own retribution upon her.

  Cozul thought of how sincere her face had been when she told him the tale of her attack.

  Lies, all lies. She is a witch, a cunning, manipulative witch. I have met my match.

  He whirled back into the house to retrieve his car keys and as he turned back, he jumped into the air. Nira stood in the door, a surprised look on her face.

  “Are you leaving again?” she asked.

  “Where were you?” he demanded, grabbing her arm and pulling her into the cottage. Relief almost knocked him down as he shoved her to the ground. She cowered slightly but Cozul saw how she tried to remain strong. She held up her hands and showed him.

  “I went looking for something to eat,” she told him, producing a shirt overflowing with tigerberries. Cozul blinked in confusion.

  “You – what?” he asked, uncomprehendingly. “You went berry picking?”

  Nira nodded slowly, her face turning pale as she took in his expression.

  “I – I was very discreet,” she stammered. “I didn’t go far. I was hungry…”

  Cozul shook his head and suddenly began to laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

  “Did you think to look in the cupboards?” he asked as he regained his composure. Nira studied him blankly.

  “The cupboards?” she echoed. Cozul snorted and gr
abbed her arm, pulling her into the kitchen.

  “This is a kitchen,” he told her condescendingly and she scowled.

  “Yes, we have them in the South also,” she retorted despite her mild unease. Of course, she had not bothered to open the refrigerator nor the pantry; she did not wish to see pints of human blood stored within their depth. Cozul, however, did the honors, wrenching open doors to show her what lay inside. To her surprise, the cabinets were filled with fruits and vegetables, breads, cookies and nuts.

  Nira was in shock.

  “Wh-why do you have all of these things?” she asked, dumbfounded, her mouth watering slightly at the sight of the contents. He pushed her forward slightly.

  “Eat,” he ordered, yanking out various items. “We are not savages.”

  Nira slowly accepted a ripe, yellow uberkong fruit and bit into it. She had never seen one of them outside of a book, the luscious food only being grown in the North. It was delicious. Cozul took a bite of his own and Nira regarded him strangely. He plopped onto a stool at the island in the kitchen.

  “What were you thinking? That we hunt for our food? We have the same technology as you. We are not from another era, Nira,” Cozul told her but that was not what Nira had been thinking. “We once lived in the South also.”

  “I…we had always been taught that your kind drinks blood,” she faltered nervously, swallowing a piece of the saccharine fruit. A wry smile crossed over Cozul’s face.

  “Yes, that is factual. We do drink blood,” he agreed. “But we also have to eat. A diet of strictly plasma would be both boring and potentially dangerous.”

  “Why?” Nira heard herself asking. Cozul stared sharply at her, his eyes becoming slits at her silly inquiry.

  “Why must we eat?” he demanded sarcastically.

  Perhaps she truly is not so smart, he thought with annoyance but Nira shook her head.

  “Why do you have to drink human blood to survive?”

  Cozul raised an eyebrow. It was a valid question, one he had never been asked before.

  “If we do not have proper rations of human blood, we will die a slow and painful death. It would be akin to if you went without water for many weeks. You would dehydrate.”

  Nira nodded pensively, taking another nibble of her uberkong.

  “Does it always have to be human blood?” she asked after a pause and Cozul shrugged.

  “We are able to sustain ourselves on animal blood of large mammals but the results are best with human blood.”

  “I wonder why,” Nira commented but Cozul got the sense she was speaking more to herself than him. He answered anyway.

  “I imagine it has much to do with our genetics,” he replied, settling back to watch her face. She did not seem as frightened as she had and her expression read like that of a schoolchild in class.

  “Do all of the immortals look like you?” she questioned, finishing the last of her snack and Cozul handed her another which she eagerly accepted.

  “Thank you,” she said gratefully, chewing off another chunk. Cozul was amused by the gusto which she ate. He was finding all her small movements incredibly attractive.

  “How do you mean?” he replied. He found he was enjoying the conversation with her. He had never had cause to discuss immortal history with a mortal. It was refreshing.

  “We were taught that the vampire population looked much different. Did you ever look different or were we misinformed?”

  Cozul tensed suddenly.

  “Different how?” he asked slowly. He knew what she meant but he was buying time, seeking a proper answer to her inquiry.

  “I don’t know. We learned that they were killed by direct sunlight, pale and frail, easy to spot. You are slender, yes but you don’t seem to have any of those characteristics. Why?”

  Cozul shrugged but he was on edge by the direction the talk had taken.

  “We all look different, just as you mortals,” he told her, half-truthfully but she did not seem content by the answer.

  “Well, what do your parents look like?” she demanded. “Do they look like you or more like how I described?”

  Abruptly, Cozul flew from his seat, knocking his stool to the floor with a crash.

  “You ask too many damned questions for someone in captivity!” he snarled, his face suddenly inches from hers. “You are not here for a playdate. You are here because I have graciously allowed for you to finish your business before relinquishing you to the tribe. Do you understand?”

  She recoiled, bewildered by the sudden change in his demeanor but she held his gaze.

  “Yes,” she whispered. Cozul stared at her, a confusing wash of feelings overcoming him. Without saying another word, he spun on his heel and left her staring after him.

  Inside his room, he found himself regretting his outburst.

  You must learn to control your temper. She does not know how things work in the North. You cannot alienate her; she is your prisoner until we return to the South…provided you keep her hidden for the next three days.

  Cozul willed himself to be calm. He wanted to ensure that he would not explode again in front of Nira, regardless of her questions. He had never answered to anyone, barely even the elders. Jemmy and he had gone head to head many times but Nira was not Jemmy. Nira was bright and inquisitive. She did not seem to hold judgement, only curiosity.

  And you are pushing her away with your short temper.

  He tried to recall the last time he had conversed with anyone on matters not trivial, and he genuinely could not.

  She is the closest thing you’ve ever had to a friend in your life, he realized with some horror. Go apologize to her for acting so irrationally.

  As he thought it, he heard a door open and close. His ears perked up, his back tensing but he relaxed as he heard water running.

  She is having a bath, he realized. I will bring her some towels.

  Chapter Nine

  Nira lowered her body into the torrid bathwater and closed her eyes. She revelled in the feel of her worries seeping out from her pores and into the clawfoot tub. The steam rose into her nose and for a blissful moment, she felt relaxed as if she was home in her own bathroom.

  Except my bathroom is half the size of this one and my tub is a shower surround. This is incredible. Even the water feels lighter, not as chemically induced. I wonder if it is filtered directly from the Seforic Sea.

  On impulse, Nira put her fingers to her lips and tasted the salt, her eyes growing wide with amazement.

  It is so much more beautiful up here, she thought wistfully. I wonder what it would be like to live in the North, away from the sounds and smells and smog of the cities.

  It was a fleeting, wishful thought but it filled Nira with a melancholy so deep, she could feel it in her bone marrow. To stop the overwhelming sadness, she let her body carry her head beneath the surface of the water, holding her breath until she felt like her lungs would explode. She was a mess of emotions, fearing the next moments, hours and days but refusing to forsake hope. Hope was the only thing which had sustained her since childhood.

  Everything will be alright. I must find a way to win over Cozul and perhaps he will let me go permanently.

  She silenced the voice which told her that if he allowed her to go free, someone else would be forced to take her place.

  That is not my concern, she tried to convince herself but she could not stop the guilt from piercing her heart. No one deserved such a hideous fate.

  Raising her neck above the water, she started to see Cozul staring at her from the doorway. Her heart stopped and she studied him curiously. He held two large black towels in his hands but he made not a move nor a sound as they looked at one another.

  Nira offered him a small smile.

  “Hi,” she said and rose from the bath. Like the beads of water, Cozul’s eyes traveled over her curves, around each crevice of her body and toward her pearly pink toes as she stepped alluringly from the tub. Up again, his gaze went, over her wide hips and full br
easts until finally resting on her face.

  “I brought you towels for your bath,” he breathed, stepping inside to hand her one which she accepted gratefully. She deliberately dried herself, relishing his glowing orbs upon her.

  Perhaps if I can seduce him…she thought but she wondered who she was fooling. There was an attraction to this beast, something magnetic and unstoppable. She was both repelled and drawn to him, deigning to know what he felt like against her. Nira’s mind had flashed back several times to the weight of him pressed against her in the airport holding area and she would be a fool to tell herself she did not want to experience that nearness again.

  Carefully, she wrapped the inky towel against her voluptuous frame and sashayed toward him, her auburn hair dripping against the peachy skin of her shoulders. Their eyes remained locked and Nira drew toward him, slipping her arms around his neck.

  “Thank you for protecting me,” she breathed, cocking her head to the side. She silently commanded him to kiss her but Cozul had already buried his nose into her soaking wet hair, his lips grazing against her ear. Gooseflesh permeated Nira’s arms and legs as his mouth lowered to her chin, his lips tasting her salty jawline.

  Oh yes, she thought, closing her eyes and succumbing to the feel of his body against hers. It was as if she had been waiting for this forever. She could not remember the last time she had wanted to give herself so completely to a man.

  He is not a man, something screamed at her but Nira did not care, not when her body was floating away already and he had barely touched her. She could not imagine what heights she would be brought to being possessed by this being.

  His kisses were becoming more forceful now as he made his way behind her ear and down her neck. Nira felt her pulse quicken and she wrapped her arms more tightly against Cozul’s body.

  It was only when his mouth began to suction around her delicate skin did Nira feel a flash of alarm but it was so far away she did not heed the warning. His teeth nipped into her throat and suddenly Nira was thrown back against the wall of the bathroom.