by K. M. Liss
His fresh fragrance hits me hard in a wave.
“Well, well, turn around, let me see...” I twirl proudly, slowly, letting him have a good view of my bare back. I turn back to face him. I know my eyes are burning, I can see his are glowing too. “You are quite a beauty, aren't you?” He turns to Sofia. “You have done well Sofia. Very well. But would you leave us for a moment, I have some private business to discuss with my mistress.”
“As you wish... I shall dress and return in fifteen minutes to instruct you on etiquette, Cali.”
She leaves the room quickly.
“So, another 'friend' already?”
“She's been very pleasant and helpful so far,” I reply honestly.
“What's this private business you have with me?” I ask.
“I have been in counsel with Lord Raffaele. He is now ready to meet you. He is also most enthusiastic to pursue the mating as soon as possible. I explained that as you are very young, and understandably unsure of your new life, you will need some time to adjust to your situation. Hopefully this meets with your approval Mistress?”
“Yes thank you, I certainly do need some time to adjust.”
As much time as I can get, so I can wriggle out of this somehow.
“We shall wait for Sofia to dress and then we shall present you.”
“Nico, tell me, what happens if I don't want to mate with him?”
“That would be difficult and awkward. In fact it would be disastrous. Refusal is not an option, do not think of it.”
“Look, this isn't how I thought things would go down when I got here, perhaps it's better I leave straight away and go back to Exeter.” I'm not sure I can leave and go back to Mum and Dad to be perfectly honest, but I want to make my displeasure with this situation known to him.
There's no chance in hell I'm being forced into getting hitched, or whatever mating means, at eighteen, to someone I don't know and possibly may not like, however 'disastrous' that may be. They can all poke it!
I can see Nico's eyes fill with alarm. He obviously wasn't expecting me to say this at all.
“You are suffering from anxiety of the unknown that is all. It will pass. You will come to love your new life in a short time, I am sure of it. And I have much to show you yet. The world is your oyster Cali.”
I have to admit to myself that if Nico was my intended I would feel far happier about this arrangement, despite my young age. I shall wait and see what kind of vampire my intended really is, and not base my misgivings on a fucked up coincidental dream.
Sofia returns beautifully dressed a few minutes later and runs through a series of instructions for my presentation. I am to address Lord Raffaele, as My Lord or Sire. I should not bow or kneel as the others do, as I am of equal standing. I should greet him with a slight nod of my head, which she demonstrates. We must not touch in the company of others and must sit well apart until our mating, out of respect for each other. In private we may do entirely as we wish. I think I have absorbed these few instructions well enough.
“Right, lead me to my doom,” I say sarcastically to them both.
“You may find yourself pleasantly surprised,” Nico answers coolly. Sofia remains silent and gives me an odd, rather sad look after which she casts her eyes downwards. I find it disturbing. What is she thinking? Does she feel sorry for me?
Chapter 4
After being led in by the two of them and introduced by Nico. They depart. I stand alone before My Lord Raffaele in his 'office'. It isn't an office in the conventional sense. It contains a desk and a chair, but little else. I know this is him before he utters a single word. This is the man from my dream. I catch his familiar scent. I look at his hands. As expected, his nails are sharply pointed. He is wearing a traditional black robe. His jet black long hair hangs sleekly around his shoulders. He is darkly handsome, almost too beautiful. He couldn't look more like a vampire if he tried. My skin crawls with the memory of what he did to me in my dream.
“My Lady Calista. What a pleasure it is, to make your acquaintance, your adult acquaintance, that is....” He bows his head slightly and I bow back, as instructed.
“Sire.”
“How are your chambers, and your wardrobe? Is everything to your satisfaction?”
“It's all very nice thanks.”
“Good. Come closer, I wish to look at you.” I move forward a few steps and he walks around me slowly, his bright eyes taking in every detail. He leans his head towards my neck and inhales deeply, drawing my scent into his lungs. He circles again and finally comes to a stop in front of me
“Ahhh, so sweet and beautiful. I'm enchanted My Lady.”
I wish I could say the same, but I can't.
“Gratias tibi Domino meo,” I try out 'thank you my Lord', in Latin hesitantly.
“Lepidus...” He replies slowly with a wide white smile.
So... He thinks I'm lovely... well that's something, I suppose. At least we've got off on the right foot.
He lifts a curl of my hair and pulls it down gently between his long fingernails, letting it go and watching it spring back up again like a coil. His face shows amusement and his eyes show something else, something much more basic. He licks his lips sensuously and his nostrils flare. I'm holding my breath, waiting for something dreadful to happen.
“We shall have much enjoyment together, I feel.”
“Yes My Lord.”
“Come, take my hand, I wish to give you a tour of my rooms.”
I put my hand in his in disgust. I cannot bear his nails. I might have to ask him to cut them, if we ever become friendly enough. Which I sincerely hope and pray we don't.
I am led around My Lord's rooms, which span the entire fourth level of the underground sanctuary. I find the tour very interesting. It appears my dear intended has a simplistic nature. Everything is either black or white, or some shade of grey. I murmur my niceties in every room. We trail through his library, his personal media room, his 'spa' area, which is basically a large bathroom, and finally we make our way into the royal bedchamber. The bed is enormous, at least eight feet wide, and covered in a swathe of silver grey silk and satin. He sits on the end of it and pats the space next to him with his horrible sharp talon-like hands. I sit down, edging away from him a little. This is dangerous territory. I try to remember that I am in fact his equal in standing. But I don't feel it at the moment. My limited confidence is shot to pieces in his dark and ancient presence.
“Tonight I have arranged a welcome celebration, to mark your arrival. It will also be your first feed, if you are in agreement. What do you say Calista?” He turns sideways to look at me. I turn to face him.
“Who will I feed from?” The thought disgusts me in reality, despite my blood craving.
“We have sources. Many sources. They are rewarded handsomely for their services.”
“Right... I see. What a pleasant job for a human to have.”
“At least I do not need to forage for my food. That would not be seemly.”
“That's true. It's not very noble roaming the streets for a likely tasty meal.”
“Ha, ha, ha...” His laughter makes me shudder. It is a devilish sound. “I see you have a fine sense of humour. I do so love to have fun, don't you?”
“And what does My Lord call fun, can I ask?”
“I like to play games.”
“What type of games?”
“Would you like to play one now?”
“As long as I keep my clothes on and it's pain free...” I stare hard at him. His eyes flash and widen a touch with surprise.
“Calista...? What do you know of my games? I am intrigued.”
“I don't know anything. But shall I tell you what I suspect?”
God, I'm feeling brave all of a sudden...
“Please do.”
I'm not sure this is wise, but still, it's gonna be interesting.
“I dreamed of someone like you. But it wasn't a pleasant dream. It was more like a nightmare. It involved pain and t
orture and being strung up helpless, upside down in a cellar, while this person abused me.” I watch his face for a clue. Of what exactly, I am not sure. There is very little in the way of expression on it, a small twitch of his lips and a cock of his eyebrow. Nothing for me to glean any insight from anyway. One thing's for sure. He doesn't seem to be shocked at my revelation. But then again, he's an ancient vampire. I don't suppose he'd be shocked at much at all.
“Ah, it appears you were in the same dream as I. That is odd, is it not? For us both to dream the same dream?”
And a clever bastard too...
“Was it a dream, or simply your sick thoughts entering my head somehow?”
I'm really pushing it now.
But he seems unperturbed. He lies down on his side, resting on his elbow and smiles at me, revealing his perfectly even white teeth. His look is wise and knowing. That is... he wised up and knows and I don't.
“My dear lady, I can assure you, my games are never 'sick'. They are always very enjoyable. Sometimes they are a little unusual in taste, I grant you that.” With that rather worrying ambiguous comment, he pulls me down on the bed and looms above me. I gulp and stare up at him, a frisson of fear entering my mind. His dark hair almost covers his face in shadow. He's so fucking creepy. He leans down in a rapid swoosh of silken hair and hot breath on my face and I smell his scent strongly. His tongue touches the tip of my nose and he licks his way over my face quickly, tasting it like he did before in my dream. I feel more than a little repelled and sexually unmoved by this sudden intimacy. I close my eyes so that he cannot see my lack of interest in him. There's only one vampire I'm into at the moment and it's not My Lord.
Christ, we've only just met fifteen minutes ago and already he has me on his bed tonguing me like a madman.
I'm starting to feel sick.
“Your human taste is very delectable.”
“Well, you seem to be making the most of it. Tomorrow I'll be pure vampire flavour, won't I?” I snort with disgust at the idea of what he wants to do with me.
“Are you inviting me to continue with my tasting?”
“Oh super! I didn't actually realise I had a choice,” I reply with a touch of sarcasm.
“I would rather you desired my attentions, and did not see it as a duty of some kind.”
My God, I need to get out of this fix and delay this horrible act from taking place right now.
I need to think of a way to put him off me big time...
And suddenly, I know exactly how to do that. I'll just be me. At my worst.
“Look Raffaele, I'm only eighteen okay. I'm totally inexperienced with all this stuff. I don't have a fucking clue about love and sex. I think I need a lot more time to get to know you as a person before things can go any further. Perhaps my feeding ceremony could wait for a while, if you want to get your hands on the human me first?”
He studies me intently, considering his reply. Then he runs a sharp nail down my cheek and neck following it with his eyes. Revulsion runs through me making me shudder and my body hair stand on end.
I'm SO gonna puke soon.
“The human issue is not so important to me. It would have been a pleasant way to spend an hour with you, that is all. Personally speaking, I think it is the best way we could learn about each other, but I understand your reluctance. If you need to 'know' me first, before we fuck, then that is acceptable to me. We will delay our mating for a short while. But we shall go ahead with the feeding. I wish to see you do it. Very much in fact. First feeds are exceptionally entertaining, passionate, and wild. It's so soul stirring.” He arises suddenly in a flourish of obvious excitement and expectation. In fact he seems more excited about this than the idea of indulging his sadistic side with me on his bed.
“How pleasant for you. I don't suppose I could do it in private, could I?”
“No. That is out of the question.”
“I thought so. Can I go now please? I need to prepare myself mentally for the big blood show.”
He chuckles loudly, a little madly. I'm getting desperate to leave his company. He is so unnerving and weird. I feel constantly under his scrutiny. As if he's thinking up new ways to torture me. Stretching me on a rack or sticking me with hot pokers. Maybe chaining me up somewhere dark and cold and whipping me or something. I don't know the extent of his evil side and that worries me lot.
Maybe all vampires are like this?
I think of Nico. He's a vampire too, but do I get bad vibes from him? No. I don't think he'd ever hurt me intentionally. Raffaele definitely would. And he'd enjoy doing so. I am actually quite scared of him. Scared and repulsed. I really don't want to mate with him. However disastrous that may be to the household plans. I'll play delaying tactics for a while until I can work out what to do.
I want to get back to Nico and Sofia, to speak to a friendly face. I need to see someone who understands what I'm going to be going through tonight and who doesn't see me as a source of entertainment during the process.
“Of course you may return to your room. I have enjoyed our first meeting immensely and look forward to seeing you perform later this evening. Let me escort you back, My Lady.”
He accompanies me arm in arm up to my level and bids me farewell at my door with a quick bow of his head. He disappears almost immediately in a flurry of black which I can barely see, it moves so fast.
I enter my room and lay down wearily.
Oh well, that was shit...
A few minutes pass and I hear a knock at the door.
“Enter,” I call out loudly, as I had heard Raffaele call out earlier when he summoned us in. I'm getting into the swing of things already. Nico arrives in the room looking so hot, fit, and 'normal', compared with Raffaele, that I could eat him, here and now. I really need to stop thinking this way about my guardian. It's not right.
“So, tell me. Was he not handsome and charming?”
“He was indeed. Very handsome and charming. Also creepy and scary.”
“He is a little too much vampire. I concede that point. We all used to look similar at one time, but most of us have adopted a more modern look, to blend in well with the times and our surroundings. But it seems My Lord likes to retain his traditional appearance. He is lively and interesting company, do you not agree? I'm sure you will make a good match given time.”
“Maybe if he cuts his nails and has a personality transplant I might consider it.”
“Let us see how things develop,” He replies curtly. I think I'm pissing him off a touch with my non reverential opinion of the wonderful Lord Raffaele. “You have an hour before your first feed at eleven tonight. Is there anything you would like in the meantime?” He sits next to me on the bed.
“Yeah, a hug. I'm real nervous actually.”
“Sometimes it's the simple things in life that matter, isn't it?” He stands up and opens his arms to me. I suppose hugging on the bed with his mistress is a little too risqué.
I stand and attach myself to his chest, my arms around his waist, listening to the slow and steady thud of his heartbeat. I breathe him in and sigh with contentment as he strokes my head. I look up at him for a moment. His eyes are closed. He seems to be enjoying our hug as much as I am. I snuggle back down again.
“It's been a hell of a day.”
“And it is not over. The best is yet to come. You will embrace our world fully tonight.”
“What's going to happen to me Nico?”
“I don't know. I can't remember my own experience. It was such a very long time ago.”
“Will it hurt?”
“Perhaps. It can be quite heated.”
“How hot?”
“Again, I don't recall.”
“Can't we stay here, doing this instead?”
“No, we cannot.”
“But I like it.”
“What we like is not the only consideration we have.”
I look up at him again. He seems so serious. But then his eyes suddenly twinkle and flare wildly when the
y catch mine and he smiles broadly at me.
“You have such lovely eyes Nico.” I can't help but stare into them in adoring fascination.
“So do you, of course.”
“Why do they turn yellow like that?”
“It's our emotional barometer. They heat, flare, flash and cool all the time.” This is simply confirmation of what I already knew. But I like to hear him say it.
I'm pretty sure mine must be burning very emotionally yellow at the moment.
He takes my chin and looks deeply into my heated pools.
I stare transfixed at his blazing yellow suns.
My breathing sky rockets noisily, my heart is thumping like crazy.
His head moves closer, so slowly, I'm surely going to faint before he gets there.
I'm willing him in, praying for it to happen.
I close my eyes and I feel it. His lips touch mine softly. He brushes them over mine, back and forth, teasing me. It's so wonderful and I want much more.
I gasp with shock at the heated sensations which have started whipping around me so quickly. I'm lost in a world of new feelings.
The next second he pulls away, holding me at arms length and looks down at the floor in shame. I can see he's getting himself in check.
“Nico, please...?” I hold out my hand to him, willing him to come back, to carry on with what he has started.
He recovers enough to look me in the eye. There's not a trace of yellow to be seen in his.
“My apologies, Mistress. That was most inappropriate of me. I shall send Sofia to tend to you shortly.”
He turns and leaves the room abruptly, banging the door shut behind him with force. I throw myself on my bed, trying to calm down. The tears start to flow, trickling down the side of my face and into my curls.
Fuck it... I don't care what I look like anymore. It doesn't matter, does it?
Moments later Sofia appears at my bedside.
“Are you unwell?” She asks studying my teary face as I lay curled up on the bed.
“No. Just upset.”
“Why so?”
“It's my first feed tonight. I'm scared of the changes I need to go through.”
