by T. S. Ryder
So she was free to leave but only if she wanted to die. Not exactly 'free'. Especially since she wasn't permitted to contact anybody… But who would she call?
"There are also other beasts that will do far worse," Thomas continued. "You are safe within my walls. No one will harm you in any way and you will have everything provided to you."
"And… I'm your prisoner."
Thomas cocked his head to one side. His deep, dark eyes were fathomless. A shiver went down Adrielle's spine and she was shocked that it wasn't fear. Her gaze roamed over her abductor's form. He was big, that was clear. He was also… attractive? No, that couldn't be right. Adrielle pulled back, shaking her head. She was not going to start lusting after the vampire who kidnapped her!
"I will leave you to become accustomed to your environment," he said stiffly. "You are free to explore the palace at your will."
He left and Adrielle caught a glimpse of Clarissa's face before the door shut. She sat there in a state of shock for a moment before shaking her head again and looking around the room. She sat upon a king-sized canopy bed with gauzy red curtains strung between the posts. It looked like something she would write into one of her romance novels. The bedspread was also red, but the carpeting was white. An Edwardian-style couch sat in one corner. Next to it was a rocking chair and a corner shelf unit filled with dozens of books. Last came a desk with a desktop computer. A sunset mural was plastered onto one wall.
Adrielle swallowed dryly as she stood and walked around the suite. The attached bathroom had a walk-in shower and a Jacuzzi tub. It was a pretty fancy prison, that was for sure. At least here she'd never be found by…
A shudder shook her. Don't think about him.
It was impossible, though. She was on the run. It was how she ended up at the auction in the first place. She had borrowed a lot of money to not only change her identity but also to erase her old one and start a new life far, far away from the one she had before. It had been her plan to self-publish the romances she loved to write, but after she was settled, she ended up with nothing left over to buy cover art or advertise her work. With no job experience besides writing, she ended up deeper and deeper in debt.
And then her debt-collector, a shady underworld mob boss, told her that she had two options. She was either going to be auctioned off to the highest bidder for however many nights it took for her to pay off her debt or she could pick out the way she'd prefer him to kill her. It wasn’t much of a choice. Was Thomas going to pay her for her work here? It really was a ridiculous question. The mob wouldn't find her here, though, so that was a plus…
Adrielle collapsed back on the bed. Her head pounded, the chill seeping into her bones once again. Nobody would find her. She would be one of those women that just disappeared without a trace. She'd already done that once… There was nobody out there who would look for her. At least nobody who she wanted to find her. No family. No friends. No work.
No matter.
She pressed her palms to her eyes. If there was one thing she had proven again and again as life kept hurling problems her way, it was the fact that she was a survivor. She had survived her past and she would survive this. That was the most important thing. Learn the rules. Find ways to make whatever happened bearable. She had a computer, which meant she'd be able to keep writing. She had books, which meant she could keep reading. There. Her two most important coping mechanisms were still available to her.
And once she learned the rules of this strange place? Then she would find an escape. She would get away from this place and she'd take Clarissa with her. The girl was clearly kidnapped and brainwashed.
All decided, Adrielle stood. It was time to start.
Chapter Three – Thomas
Chai tea and donuts. Thomas' mouth watered as he approached Adrielle's quarters. She was so delicious it was hard not to pull her into his lap and kiss and caress her until she agreed to give him one small mouthful of her blood. He paused outside his door, fighting to get himself under control. Those were not thoughts he could permit himself to have.
The human was terrified. Of him, of being here. Kiss and caress her into changing her mind? She'd probably break her fingers punching him in the throat if he tried to touch her. She might be terrified, but she was still a spitfire. The way she had put herself between him and Clarissa, thinking that she needed to defend her, still eased the knot in his chest.
A smile crossed his face as he entered the room. The human sat at the desk, typing at the computer. She started violently, then got to her feet.
"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" she demanded.
Thomas glanced at the door, then back at her. For a moment, he wasn't sure what she meant, then realized that as a human, her senses would be less developed than his. He expected that she would know he was coming from down the hall. But, clearly, that wasn't the case. He cleared his throat, not about to apologize – that would only make him look weak. He handed her the dress bag he was carrying.
"Your uniform," he grunted. "Put it on and we'll see what adjustments need to be made for further uniforms."
Her teeth clamped down on her lower lip. "I'm not changing with you in here."
"There is a partition right there."
Adrielle narrowed her eyes for a minute, then slipped behind the silk curtain to undress. Thomas turned away, curious about what she had been writing. His brows pulled together.
Her pulse fluttered in her wrist as the big man closed his mouth over it. Though terror pounded through her, there was still a flash of pleasure as his teeth scraped her skin. Heat pooled between her legs and this is so stupid and cliché what the heck am I writing?
An amused smile lit Thomas' face. She was writing a romance novel. Doubting herself, too, apparently. Odd that her mind would go there in this situation. Maybe she wasn't as frightened of him as he thought. Maybe… or maybe this was just her way of pretending that everything was okay. He turned his back on the story.
"So…" She cleared her throat. "Where is Clarissa's mother, anyway? Why do you need a nanny?"
Thomas considered the question for a moment. It wasn't one that he particularly wanted to answer, but since Adrielle was going to be part of Clarissa's life, it made sense for her to ask these questions. He sat on the edge of the desk.
"Clarissa's mother… Her name was Erela. She was my wife and she died."
The whisper of fabric against skin stopped. Her heart rate increased and Thomas tensed. He already knew what she was going to ask before she said a word.
"Did you kill her?"
The quiet, terrified accusation sent his blood to a white-hot boil. Thomas jumped from his seat and strode to the partition. He knocked it aside so he could glare down at the little human. She made a yelping noise in her throat and stared up at him with wide eyes. The king thrust a finger in her face, then drew back. He had to remind himself that she was a fragile human and, even in his natural state, he could easily kill her.
No touching. Not one finger could brush against her skin.
"I loved her! She was my world. Don't you dare accuse me of hurting her. Don't you ever dare to even think it! She was everything to me, I was her willing slave and—"
He moved a little closer and Adrielle flinched. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to take a step back and then another one. Her scent enveloped him, the acrid stench of fear heavy in his nostrils. Another deep breath, this one through his mouth. The human was clearly terrified of him and with good reason. Still, a pang of disappointment hit him. He wanted Adrielle to become comfortable here. Screaming at her like that wasn't going to help. He was acting like a total jerk.
"I apologize for losing my temper," he said stiffly. "Clarissa's mother… She brings up a lot of emotions that are better left unfelt."
She made a small squeaking noise in her throat. True regret sucker punched him in the stomach and he stepped back again.
"You should dress." His gaze moved almost by itself down her voluptuous body. His gaze heated a
s it took in her deep cleavage and shapely figure. He swallowed hard. Yeah. He was worse than a jerk. "Your undergarments are… They will need to be replaced."
The bra she wore might once have been white, but it was gray now. It buckled at the front, stretched out. Her panties weren't in much better shape: too big for her body, pulled all the way up past her navel. He doubted that either of them was very comfortable and shook his head, forcing himself to avert his gaze.
"I'll have you measured and send for Victoria's Secret garments," he said. It was a favorite of the women he used to seek out above ground before Clarissa started asking him where he was going and what he was doing. How was he meant to explain to her he paid women for their bodies? So he stopped speaking altogether.
"Victoria's Secret," Adrielle repeated. She pulled her uniform over her body as her cheeks flushed red. "Well, I'm sorry that I didn't waste hundreds of dollars on a matching lingerie set before I came here. I didn't know I was going to be a sex slave."
Sarcasm dripped from her words, but Thomas still detected a hint of fear. His hands clenched. "You think I'm going to molest you?"
Adrielle stared back, worrying her lower lip between her teeth again. She drew back from him even though he hadn't moved. "You come in here without knocking, give me this… uniform to put on, say that you're going to replace my underwear with Victoria's Secret while giving me the eyes… What am I supposed to think? Vampires have voracious sexual appetites, don't they?" Tears shone in her eyes as her voice cracked. "Please don't—"
"I'm not." Thomas turned his back and shook his head. There was an aching feeling where his heart used to beat and he wanted to punch something – badly. "I do not molest women. I am not going to touch you, Adrielle. Ever."
She was silent.
"You are here for Clarissa," Thomas managed. "If anybody touches you against your will, they will be killed. I stole you from your life and I acknowledge that. I expect you will be… frightened and uncertain about what is expected but you are here to provide Clarissa with what she needs: warmth, companionship, a broader world view."
"And you couldn't have… hired someone? You had to go to a place where young women were being sold like slaves? Screw that. We were being sold as sex slaves. You paid for me even though I wasn't there by my own will. What gives you that right?"
Thomas shook his head. He doubted that the human would understand. The world he had grown up in was much different than the one it was now. Even then he'd been more aware of the injustices going on around him, but it was a huge adjustment every time he went to the surface and found just how different the culture was to his own.
"If I didn't take you, somebody else would have. I stopped the auction, I called your human peacekeepers to inform them of what was happening. I doubt it will do much good, but I gave those women a chance. It's more of a chance than I—"
He cut himself off. There was no need to go into his history with the woman. Another pain shot through him as he remembered his mother handing him over to the man with a pointed beard, dark eyes glittering as he stared down at the boy being sold into his possession. Thomas knew he had been lucky. The worst he experienced as a slave was being beaten. His owner was strict but, in most cases, fair.
"I'm still your prisoner," Adrielle said, unaware of the turmoil in his mind. "You stole me. Is that the kind of attitude you want your daughter to grow up with? That it's expected for men to treat women like they own them?"
Thomas turned back to the human. By this time, she had pulled on the uniform. It consisted of a black double-breasted dress coat over a white shift. It fell to mid-thigh and she wore a pair of black leggings underneath. The shoes he had picked out were polished leather with non-slip soles. It was quite becoming to Adrielle's curvy frame, but, after their conversation, maybe it was too becoming… He ground his teeth together as he thought of other vampires in the palace looking at her with the same look he was giving her.
As in lusting out of his mind.
"Vampires do have voracious sexual appetites," he said, trying to keep his voice even. He ignored the last question she asked him. How could he answer that? "All our appetites are voracious. But we in the palace are blessed to keep our minds, so we can control ourselves. If anybody approaches you, let me know and I will have them whipped. Clarissa and I are the only ones who are permitted to command you. All others must do as you say."
Adrielle's hazel eyes widened. She twisted her hands together, then took a deep breath. "If I am going to teach Clarissa anything, then she needs to know that this place isn't the only thing there is. I need to take her to the surface so she can see the sun and go to a zoo… play with other kids."
Thomas tensed. He hated the idea of his daughter leaving the palace. It was a dangerous world out there and if he wasn't right beside her, anything could happen. But Adrielle had a point.
"Vampires can't go in the sunlight," he grunted. "It's a blistering, agonizing death to go to the surface during the day. Even at night, the moon can be very uncomfortable. The full moon is like having a flame too close to your skin. Direct sunlight is like standing in a fire."
She inched forward, eyes locked on his. "But Clarissa isn't a vampire, is she?"
Thomas opened his mouth to deny it but stopped himself. His shoulders slumped. "No," he admitted. "Vampires… are incapable of producing children. But it doesn't matter how she came to me. She is my daughter. I will allow nothing to happen to her."
A look of surprise flitted over Adrielle's face. She continued to inch forward until she was close enough to put her hand on his arm. Thomas couldn't help but shudder at her touch. It was soft, hesitant. Her large eyes stayed on his. Even though she feared him, she was willing to put herself this close to him. Strange. It confused him.
"Clarissa needs to know the world isn't just this darkness."
Thomas hesitated another moment, then nodded. "It's why I got you… I want my daughter to know about the light that exists. I didn't think about it literally, but you're right. She needs to feel the sun on her face. I won't let you go alone, though. I have a friend who can accompany you. Madrid might look fierce, but you have nothing to fear. As long as you don't try to kidnap my daughter or alert the humans to the existence of the kingdom."
"I understand."
"Very well. I'll send Madrid to collect you shortly, then."
He left without another word. Servants bowed as he passed, but he didn't acknowledge them. Worry twisted in his stomach and he couldn't help but wonder why he had agreed to Adrielle’s request. She had been there for all of one day. There was no reason to think that she wouldn't try to run away and take Clarissa with her.
Was it a mistake? He waited for the dread – the gut feeling that would make him change his mind and forbid Adrielle from taking his daughter away. It didn't come.
Chapter Four – Adrielle
Thomas was right when he said Madrid looked fierce. When Adrielle first saw her, the phrase 'Viking axe-murderer' came to mind. The woman was as tall as the vampire king and built like a brick house. Her arms were the size of a gorilla's and just as hairy. Her blonde hair hung in braided ropes, a fine fuzz covered her face, and her canine teeth were distinctively sharper than your average human's. Not quite fangs, but not normal, either. She was dressed in leather from head to toe and the people on the beach gave the three of them a wide berth.
Adrielle enjoyed the feeling of warmth on her arms, feeling surprisingly comfortable with Madrid's presence. Maybe it was because the huge woman reminded her of her own aunt, a member of a motorcycle gang until she was killed in a police shootout. Aunt Cherry always had the best stories – always made sure she was being taken care of.
After she died, there was nobody to look after her. It was the start of Adrielle's downward spiral.
"Here, let's get some ice cream," Adrielle suggested, taking Clarissa's hand.
The little girl wrinkled her nose at the cone that Adrielle bought her. "What is the point of this stuff?" she took a te
ntative lick. "It's just sugar. I can't imagine it has any nutritional value."
"Eating isn't just about nutritional value," Adrielle said. "It's about enjoyment, too."
Clarissa wrinkled her nose. "That doesn't sound right."
Madrid chuckled, getting two cones for herself. "Your mama loved ice cream. Give it a try."
Clarissa made a face but continued to lick the ice-cream. As they continued, Adrielle glanced around. If she could get a cellphone from any of the beachgoers, then maybe she could call the police. Despite Thomas' warning, she wasn't going to just roll over and let this be her life from now on. She had escaped from one madman before, she could do it again.
If she did call the cops, though, what could she tell them? If she said anything about vampires, they'd write her off as a crazy person.
The waves of the lake lapped against the shore, drawing Adrielle's attention. There probably wasn't any point in calling for help. The police hadn't done much when she was begging for help against another human. Thomas was a vampire king. A frown creased her brow. She knew she should be terrified of him; she should be running away screaming. But earlier that day, when he had been staring at her in her underwear, there had been more than lust in his eyes. There had been guilt, too. She had almost missed it, but it was there.
"You know what's really fun?" she blurted, trying to tear her mind away from the enigmatic vampire king. "We can take off our shoes, roll up our pants, and go wading in the lake. It's a hot day; it'll be great."
Clarissa's blue eyes widened, her jaw hanging open. "But our feet would get dirty!"
If it wasn't so tragic that an eleven-year-old was horrified about getting dirty, Adrielle would have laughed. "When I was your age, I'd make mud pies and feed them to my friends. Getting dirty is part of childhood. Besides, it's only sand. Come on, it'll be fun."
Clarissa glanced at the water, chewing on her lower lip. She suddenly stiffened. Her thin arms wrapped around Adrielle's waist and she shrank into her side. Adrielle was so surprised that at first she went rigid. She had the ridiculous urge to push the girl away but put an arm around her instead. She was about to ask what was wrong when Madrid let out a growl.
