Vampire Heir (Scorned by Blood Book 1)

by Heather Renee

  I nodded, wondering how in the world he could shower and change that quickly. Well, if he was late, that would give me time to look around and see what new things I could learn about Maciah West.

  By the time I’d grabbed my water and phone from the table, Maciah was nowhere to be seen. I wasn’t about dressing up, so I headed straight to his office. I took my time, though, going past the media room and peeking in. I’d yet to watch a movie in there. Something about being in the dark with vampires still wasn’t sitting right with me. Maybe one day.

  There was a large group watching some racing movie. An echoing “Ooohhhh” sounded as one of the hotrods crashed into a guardrail. Yeah, not my kind of movie.

  I continued past and arrived at Maciah’s office to find another vampire exiting the room. My suspicions went up. I hadn’t ever seen anyone in his private space without him. Before I could question the vampire, he blurred out of sight, and I ran the rest of the way to the office.

  Inside, the smell of Hot Pockets hit me, and I started to laugh. The sound grew as I shook my head. “Ridiculous vampire,” I said.

  Maciah’s hands were on my waist. “I thought I was being funny.”

  I leaned into his touch. He still smelled of citrus, but there was also a woodsy body wash wafting off of him I didn’t miss.

  I turned around to take him in. He’d changed into Chino-style grey pants—a step above jeans, but not as fancy as slacks—and a white Henley sweater. I instantly thought of Dave, who liked to wear those, and my gut twisted that I still hadn’t told anyone about the bounty attached to me.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked as soon as my mood changed.

  “There’s something I should show you,” I said and reached for my phone in my back pocket. This was going to ruin whatever night Maciah had planned, but I was pretty sure he’d rather know.

  I pulled up the texts from Dave.

  “Who is ‘My Bartender’?” he asked suspiciously.

  I smirked and considered messing with Maciah, but then thought better of it. He’d had a long few days, and I needed to show him the photo before I changed my mind.

  “He’s my very good-looking and very gay bartender who is in a committed and happy relationship,” I replied, then gave him my phone.

  He zoomed in on the picture, jaw tightening as he saw it, forgetting all about talks of my hot bartender. “How did he get this?”

  “Dave works at Crossroads. He found it while they were doing a deep clean of the bar a couple days ago.”

  “And he just now sent it to you?” Maciah snapped.

  “No, he sent it to me immediately. I’m just now showing you, and before you get mad at me about that, you were busy. I specifically didn’t request to leave the house because of that fact. I’m not an idiot,” I said, hoping to defuse the bomb within him before it went off.

  “You shouldn’t be alone at all, Amersyn. What if one of my vampires finds out about this reward? Everyone is a good person until they aren’t.”

  I wanted to remind him that those who lived under his roof weren’t actually people anymore. They were vampires, and he was right.

  He started poking around on my phone. “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Forwarding this to myself. I see you’ve changed my name in your phone,” he muttered.

  Oops. I’d done that when I was mad at him. He was in there as “Stupid Prick Vampire”. I liked having nicknames for all of the contacts in my phone. It kept things interesting until said person actually saw the name.

  He continued to tap on the screen, then handed me back my phone. I shoved it into my pocket. “We can still have dinner. It’s not like there is much we can do about the bounty right this moment.”

  Maciah glanced at the two covered trays, then back at me. “There’s always something.” His tone was solemn, and I regretted telling him about the reward before eating. It wasn’t like he’d truly enjoy the food, but this would have been the first time we were together and didn’t spend most of it arguing about all the crap going on around us.

  I lifted the tray, trying to get him excited again. Underneath were steaks, fresh bread, and veggies. My face scrunched in confusion, then Maciah lifted the other lid.

  “This one was a joke,” he said, nodding toward the Hot Pockets.

  I smiled. “It was funny. I laughed pretty hard.”

  He put the cover back down and grabbed my hand. “I know. I could hear from the hallway. I’m glad. You should do that more often.”

  “Laugh? Our lifestyle doesn’t often give moments of laughter,” I said.

  “Then, we should do something about that.”

  I nodded. “But after we eat. Now that I can smell the steaks over the frozen crap, I’m starving.”

  Maciah released my hand and made us two plates. I was going to gain fifty pounds if I stayed in this mansion for long. Between Nikki’s cooking over the last couple of days and this dinner, I’d eaten more lately than I normally did in an entire week.

  We sat on the couch, and Maciah lifted the top of the coffee table up so that we could eat without bending over.

  “Fancy,” I said with a grin.

  “It comes in handy when I can’t leave my office,” Maciah replied, cutting into his steak.

  The inside of his was raw. Like all the way. Only the outside had been seared, and I tried not to be grossed out by it, considering I knew humans who ate their meat the same way.

  Mine was a medium rare which was surprisingly how I preferred it. I had no idea how Maciah had managed to get dinner up here so quickly, but I didn’t question things. He’d made the effort, and I wasn’t going to try to ruin it again.

  “Besides the courtyard, did you find enough to do around here to keep you busy the last couple of days?” Maciah asked. He was trying to make small talk. It was adorable.

  “The gym is pretty awesome. Other than that, I spent most of my time outside or with Rachel and Nikki who warned me not to go to the cabin areas where you were.”

  He grimaced. “While I trust all of the vampires that live on this property to an extent, they were right to caution you. When we have a newborn, the others get a little jumpy. Add you to the mix and they’re more on guard than normal. I’ll take you out there whenever you’d like, though. There is nothing here that is off limits to you.”

  Well, that was nice of him.

  We ate in silence for several minutes, and I took a drink of my water, noticing he didn’t have any blood to drink. “You know it doesn’t bother me if you eat from a glass, right?”

  “I drank enough after my shower.” He smiled, showing off a small dimple I hadn’t noticed before.

  We continued to chat idly about nothing and anything. It was odd, but welcoming.

  I never imagined I’d befriend a vampire, let alone be attracted to one or have dinner with him.

  Life had a way of stirring things up when I least expected it, and even though there was a reward for my capture and two old and powerful vampires were after me for various reasons, I was content for the first time in much too long.

  21

  Two weeks had passed since I’d moved into the vampire nest. The first week was rough, but the second was a little easier. I began trusting the vampires around me a little more and doing my best to accept what my life had become.

  Maciah and I continued to have our dinners. Sometimes alone, sometimes with Rachel, Nikki, and Zeke. I was getting antsy, though. I was used to hunting nearly every night. Sitting around, playing games, working out—none of it was curbing my appetite for justice.

  I was in my room, organizing my stakes and daggers that really didn’t need to be organized when a knock sounded.

  Rachel’s head poked in as I turned around. “Hey, are you busy?”

  I laughed. “I haven’t been busy since I moved into this place.”

  She grinned widely. “Well, hopefully that’s about to change. Come on. Zeke said he has some news.”

  “What news?” I asked.
r />   “I don’t know. That’s why we need to hurry,” she said, grabbing on to my hand as I dropped a couple stakes back into the drawer where I kept them.

  We rushed down the hallway. I’d been working on my running, trying to draw on whatever skills I was supposed to be acquiring even as a mortal. My speed had increased, but not as much as I’d hoped.

  Nikki was already in the office when we arrived, along with Zeke and Maciah. Nobody seemed upset, so I took that as a good thing.

  I chose to stand while Rachel sat next to Nikki. Maciah nodded at me, his eyes darkening as he appraised me. He did so openly and often in front of all of his vampires. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about that at first, but the more he made me feel for him, the less I cared what others might think.

  I smiled in return when Maciah didn’t seem to be able to look away from me. Finally, Zeke spoke up, breaking whatever awkwardness Maciah and I were creating for everyone else.

  “Amersyn, I know you’ve been feeling trapped here. We all appreciate how accepting you’ve been of the changes thrown at you. So, as a thank you for your cooperation, I’ve been working on something. I didn’t want to say anything in case I came up empty-handed, but I have news.” The vampire’s smile stood out brightly against his dark skin, and he was practically bouncing in his seat.

  “Is Silas or Viktor dead? Even better, both of them?” I asked.

  “No, but this might be just as good for you,” he responded.

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “Spit it out already, dude.” I wasn’t the most patient person in the world.

  “I found out where Rigo is going to be tomorrow. Somewhere I think we can get close to him,” Zeke said.

  My heart raced as the news sank in. A giddiness came over me, and I nearly squealed with joy. “Seriously? Like you know exactly where he’ll be and what time and everything?”

  He nodded, still grinning. “Seriously. It’s his two-hundredth birthday, and he wanted to celebrate big in Vegas. Apparently, that got shut down by another big nest there and his party has been moved to Los Angeles. With the time we have to prepare, I think we can put together a plan solid enough that the risk will be minimal.”

  Maciah still hadn’t spoken or moved from his spot. He didn’t seem nearly as thrilled about this news as I was, and I wasn’t sure why.

  I glanced at him, and he was staring down at his desk. “What do you think?” I asked him.

  “I think that this is something you’ve been wanting, and we should do it if that’s what you still want,” Maciah replied, his words sounding almost rehearsed.

  “Of course, it’s what I want. This bastard played a role in killing my family. He needs to die,” I said defensively.

  “I agree,” Maciah replied.

  “But?” I pressed. I didn’t want to fight with Maciah. We’d been getting along so well. Except I could tell he wasn’t happy with something.

  “The protector in me wants to keep you here forever, but I know I can’t do that. I’m going to support whatever choice you make.”

  “Choice? Like I have options here? He has to die, Maciah,” I said, hating that I was beginning to second-guess myself. Was I being selfish for wanting to go after another vampire when we already had two that wanted me dead?

  No, I needed this. There was no reason to waver on this decision. Zeke had put forth the effort, and we were going to kill Rigo. Tomorrow.

  Holy shit. I was going to kill another of the five tomorrow. I wasn’t sure how I was going to contain my excitement, and Maciah’s hesitancy wasn’t going to ruin this for me. He might not like the thought of leaving his mansion, but as he’d said, it was just the protector in him.

  Finding Rigo was exactly what I needed to feel better about everything that had been happening. We hadn’t received word about Silas in days, and Viktor or his crew hadn’t been sighted since that initial visit to the bar that Dave had told me about.

  My bartender had been checking in with me, but things had remained unusually quiet. I knew that couldn’t be good, but there was nothing I could do about it given my current situation.

  Rigo, though? He was something I couldn’t ignore. Plus, it was all the way in LA. By the time word got out that we’d been in town, it would be too late for anyone to do anything. We’d show up at the party, I’d kill the vampire, and then we’d come home.

  Home. Huh. I hadn’t realized I was beginning to consider the nest home. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but analyzing that could wait.

  “So, where is this party at?” I asked, needing more details so I could begin formulating my plan.

  “It’s at a supernatural club called Warlock. Normally, it’s for humans and supernaturals, but it will only be open to invited guests tomorrow. There’s a bouncer there named Gregory who we can trust. He’ll get us in, no problem, as long as Rigo doesn’t replace the staff for the night,” Zeke answered.

  “And what is the plan if the staff is replaced?” Maciah asked, taking a seat at his desk.

  “Then, I get us in,” I said. I already knew how this would work. I always had back-up plans.

  Maciah raised a brow at me. “How so?”

  “I’m still human. You might sense the vampire in me, but that’s because we’re linked. Nobody else knew before you said anything, right?” I asked.

  Maciah grimaced. He was a smart man. He knew where I was going. “No, they didn’t, but that doesn’t mean older, more powerful vampires won’t realize what you’re up to or, even worse, recognize you. There is a bounty out on you, Amersyn. We don’t know how far word has spread about that.”

  “I can wear a wig and pile on the makeup. It’s amazing what some contouring can do to a girl,” I said with a smile.

  Maciah wasn’t going to win this. He had to support me. We’d made a deal. Sure, that was before I accepted my heritage and before we knew about Viktor, but I couldn’t let this opportunity pass by. It would shatter me.

  “Okay,” Maciah said.

  “Okay? Just okay? No other counter arguments?” I asked.

  “Nope.”

  I glanced at the others, wondering what they were thinking. Nikki just shrugged, and Rachel was avoiding my stare. Zeke seemed to be the most supportive, and I wasn’t sure why. I was grateful but curious at the same time.

  “Fine. When do we leave?” I asked.

  “Tomorrow morning. I’ll have a plane ready. We will drive in one car with all of us sitting in the back behind tinted windows and another vampire driving. The plane will take us to a private airstrip outside of LA, and then we’ll head to my house there and regroup, depending on how things go up until that point,” Maciah answered.

  For someone who didn’t seem to be fond of the idea of leaving, he sure seemed to have a solid itinerary laid out already.

  “Thank you, Maciah,” I said sincerely. He wasn’t holding me back from my purpose, even though things were uncertain around us. That made my attraction to him go up a few levels. A man that could stand beside his woman instead of in front of or behind her was a man worthy of her heart.

  “I’m going to go check on a few other pieces of information and make sure nothing has changed,” Zeke said.

  I reached for him as he passed me. “Thank you as well. I didn’t expect to get this opportunity until the other things were dealt with. It means more to me than I can express.”

  “Honestly, I expected you to kill us all. The fact that you didn’t and have embraced everything around you deserves something in return,” he said.

  I laughed. “I’m not sure how I should take that.”

  Zeke grinned. “Good. I like to keep people on their toes. Makes life interesting.”

  The vampire left. Nikki got up next with Rachel right behind her. “If we’re going to a club, I need to pick out some outfits. Don’t worry, I’ll get you something to wear, too,” Nikki said to me.

  “I think that worries me more,” I replied with a wink.

  Rachel gave me a hug. “This is good news. Ju
st remember that.”

  They left the office, and Rachel’s ominous words didn’t have me feeling much better. I wasn’t sure what to do next.

  When I’d entered the room, the attraction between Maciah and I was tangible, but now…I didn’t know how okay Maciah really was with the plan. Given that I wasn’t one to ignore problems, I turned toward Maciah after closing his door.

  “Tell me how you really feel about this little side mission,” I said as I walked toward his desk and rested against it while facing him.

  He pushed his chair back so he could look up at me better. “This is what you’ve been wanting. I don’t see how you’ll get another opportunity like this.”

  “Those are facts. Not how you feel. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t ignore this, but I’d like to know your concerns before we go. If there are certain things that we can avoid doing to lessen the risks, we will, but if you don’t tell me what you believe those are, then I won’t know.”

  Maciah tugged me onto his lap, and I didn’t fight him. I sat across him with my legs over the arm of the chair. His palm covered my leg as his thumb rubbed small circles on my inner thigh.

  “When I first realized you existed and what was happening, I found every bit of information I could on what it meant to be a protector. I researched who you could be and whose child you might have been. I had very little information to go off since it was only your blood I scented, but the moment I saw you in that alley, I knew who you were.”

  “How?” I asked when he paused.

  “Your eyes. You might think you had your stepfather’s eyes, but I believe your mother purposely searched for someone who resembled Darius. A task that had to break her heart but was necessary to keep you safe. You look just like the original vampire.”

  “Do you have a picture of him?” I hadn’t asked before, because I hadn’t been ready. I wished more than anything I could ask my mother these questions, but Maciah was going to be the closest I came to getting answers.

  “I have a portrait from an old book. I’ll grab it,” he said, moving to lift me up.