The Knights of Darkness Chronicles 01 - Desires Unleashed

by D N Simmons

  Elise looked at the sour expression on Sergio's face. She knew the numerous phrases which often followed that expression. 'He's not right for you', 'he's just using you', 'he's a vampire, you're a shape-shifter, he'll never respect you', and 'vampires only respect other vampires.' She'd heard it all before. They didn't know Darian. He was different. He made her feel like a lady, all the while taming the leopard inside. Many of the other leopards were against her having an intimate relationship with a non-Pride member, let alone a vampire. She paid them no mind. Darian would protect them, he would protect her. Not to mention the fact that Darian had saved their Pride member, Daniel, from possibly being sentenced to death six months ago. He'd been caught in the woods, hunting on non-sanctioned grounds. To Elise, Darian had proved himself to be a worthy lover.

  “I know what you're going to say and I don't want to hear it. You can save it, Sergio.” Elise climbed out of the bed with a smoothness only a feline can accomplish.

  “The only reason you don't want to hear it is because you know it's true!” Sergio retorted. “You belong with your own kind, Elise. This affair you have with Darian is wrong. It isn't proper!” Elise flashed him a look that nearly stopped him, but he continued. “Look, I'm sorry, but you know I'm right. Elise...” He rose from the bed, his tall, naked body glowing in the starlight. Elise watched as the muscles in his thighs flexed with his movement. He walked over to her, gently cupping her cheeks, tilting her head upward so their eyes met.

  “Elise, you don't need him. Yes, it's true that he saved Daniel but it's no reason for you to keep repaying him. Your place is here with us, with me. He can't offer you true companionship. Not like I can. I am your true mate.” He leaned closer to her, his lips brushing hers lightly. Their eyes closed as the heat of the kiss grew more passionate. As soon as it began, Elise broke away, moving from Sergio's grasp. Anger flared in his eyes. He turned away, not wanting to say anything that might hurt her feelings. That, he didn't want to do. He only wanted her to see that Darian was not what he seemed. He wanted her to see the truth that was right in front of her eyes. The truth that he was there, and had been there for over twenty-five years, waiting for her to accept him as her mate. He was Second to care for the Pride, but he longed to be her equal within the Pride and above all else-her mate. He watched her as she walked into the bathroom. He heard the shower and knew she was bathing her soft, creamy delicate skin. Sergio walked into the bathroom. He leaned against the door frame, crossing his powerful arms over his thick, muscular chest. He was six-foot-four-inches tall, olive complexion, gray eyes and short, curly black hair. His chin was clean shaven. His long, dark lashes curled at the very ends. Sergio knew Elise desired him. Not only could he see her desire, he could smell it.

  “Do you want me to go with you? You know what! Better yet! I think I will go with you.” Without waiting for an answer or permission, he turned, starting for his bedroom. He knew he was pushing it, but he always felt that Elise was worth it and then some. He hated that she was so enthralled with a vampire. Especially Darian, whose reputation spoke for itself. Many who knew him compared him to a mob boss. He always seemed to be so well connected. The S.U.I.T. never seemed to hang around and monitor his popular establishments. Desires Unleashed didn't seem to get any undercover investigations the way other supernatural owned businesses did. Sergio was quite certain that Desires Unleashed was more than just a dance and strip club.

  When their Pride member, Daniel, found himself in trouble with the law six months ago, Sergio urged Elise to take himself as her mate and protector of the Pride. He felt confident he could handle the situation himself. Instead, she decided to go to Darian. With his political connections, he arranged to have Daniel released in their care. The whole act angered Sergio. Not only had she sought outside help, but in doing so, she made him appear incompetent. He was more than prepared and he had earned his place as the dominant male in the Pride. Sergio took a quick shower, making sure he used a shampoo that wasn't too strong, but just the right scent to entice Elise. If he had to woo her away from Darian, then he would do so. He opened his closet and fished through his extensive wardrobe. He had not realized how many articles of clothing he had. Some things inside his closet he had not worn since the 1980s. He pulled out a checkered pink and orange shirt, wondering what the hell he had been thinking when he bought it, let alone wore it. Furthermore, why had he kept it?

  There was a knock on his door. He threw the ghastly shirt back into the closet and walked to the door to unlock it. Opening the door he saw Devin standing there with a sly smile on his face. Devin was about five-feet, eight-inches, rather petite for what he was, a natural born leopard. He had close cropped hair and hazel eyes. His caramel complexion was smooth and blemish free. He was currently twenty-one years old, though at times he acted as if he were younger. Devin was the Pride prankster. Sergio loved all of his Pride members but wasn't necessarily in the mood for visitors right now. Unfortunately, he didn't have the heart to close the door on Devin. Sergio walked away and continued fishing through his clothes. He wanted to wear something that was going to show the best he had to offer without revealing all he had to offer, which meant no sheer net shirts or spandex pants. Though he wasn't opposed to spandex and sheer clothing, goodness knows. He was well endowed, never had a complaint in the bedroom department. His chiseled torso and tight, firm abs were what most mortal men dreamed of having.

  He looked at the Pride mate who just sprawled himself across his bed, watching him as he searched for something to wear. Sergio wondered why Devin had come to visit him. He was curious to know if this visit had a reason. He finally found a pair of black leather pants then searched harder until he found a black silk button up shirt with metal buttons. He looked across the room and located his black motorcycle boots. He returned his attention to Devin, deciding to ask him if there was a particular reason he was there.

  “So, what's up? Do you have something that you want to tell me? Or are you here just to keep me company?” Sergio asked as he tossed the towel he had wrapped around his waist and started pulling on the tight black leather pants.

  “No, I just wanted to keep you company. I heard you and Elise talking earlier. Did you two have a fight or something? I mean, I know how pissed you are that she hasn't chosen you as mate yet or even named you as Pride king. I also know how pissed you are that she's with Darian. So now, are you going to go with her to Desires Unleashed?” Devin asked as he began to jump up and down on the mattress.

  Sergio didn't want to answer. He wanted to keep that to himself. “Well, as for the first thing you mentioned, that's none of your business. But to answer the latter of your questions, yes, I will be accompanying Elise to that wretched club,” Sergio said as he pulled on his shirt and began buttoning it up.

  “Well, do us all a favor,” Devin started.

  “What's that?”

  “When you get there, get laid. You've been so damn uptight. I reckon it has been a while since the last time you fucked someone. You're starting to get on everyone's nerves. So do us all a favor and get laid or something, find a little cutie and get some booty, because we're all tired of getting our heads bitten off,” Devin said as he hopped off the bed, smiling at Sergio.

  “You little asshole,” Sergio chuckled. The sound of his laughter was sensuous. “Go, go on, bugger off. Tell everyone that I'll lighten up, but only a little. If I start slacking on you guys, you'll just get worse.” Both men laughed and Devin left Sergio alone to finish dressing. Sergio splashed on a little cologne, the same scent as his shampoo and body wash. He didn't want to smell of several different scents. People who used several different scents in their cosmetics gave him headaches whenever he was caught upwind of them. He applied a little styling gel to his hair and raked his fingers through, allowing some locks to hang over his forehead. He gave himself a look over. Once he was satisfied with his appearance, he headed down to Elise's room to see if she was ready.

  “Are you ready to go?” Sergio asked as he cr
acked Elise's door open and peeked inside. His eyes focused on her and what she was wearing. She was beautiful. He looked at her tight black leather mini skirt which barely covered her crotch. Her thigh-high black heeled boots added another six inches to her height; she resembled a dominatrix. To add to that effect was a black leather bra, covered by a black, sheer nylon shirt with the same color satin collar and cuffs.

  At first glance, Sergio wanted to slowly peel every piece of clothing off her body. He wanted to lay her down on the satin covers, kiss her all over and savor her scent. He found her intoxicating. Then it all came rushing back to him hitting him like a freight train. All of this, this complete ensemble was picked by Elise to please Darian. Sergio wanted to know what Darian had that he did not. He wanted to know his competition. He opened the door wider and leaned across the oak frame.

  “Is all that for him?” he asked.

  “What does it matter to you?” Elise answered defensively.

  “What does it matter to me? Well, it should matter to you. Do you think he can love you as I do? As a matter of fact, do you think he loves you at all?”

  Elise didn't want to answer that question. She didn't want to think about such a thing. Of course Darian loved her, he had helped her, helped all of them, and he made love to her. Better than anyone else ever had, of that she was certain. Sergio would just have to get over his jealousy. She'd chosen her lover and it was not up for discussion.

  “I'm not going to stand here, Sergio and play these games with you. You simply have to get over this jealousy you have toward Darian and my relationship with him. Now, you should direct your interest to the other females within the Pride. You need to settle with one of them, and stop this constant badgering. I grow tired of it!” Elise said, confident she would put an end to Sergio's protest of whom she chose to sleep with.

  Sergio watched Elise closely. He could sense her apprehension. He believed she was aware she wasn't the apple of Darian's eye. He could not understand her obsession with him. Tonight, he would see for himself, firsthand, the two of them together. He wanted to see the manipulation in action. He wanted to be able to bring it up to her later, and say, 'see, I told you, he doesn't love you, but I do!' He wondered if even that would be enough to convince her just how serious he was. Only time would tell.

  CHAPTER 5

  Darian sat back comfortably in his black leather chair. He had turned the chair's temperature up to eighty-five degrees. He enjoyed the sensation of the heat over his skin. Not that he was cold, his skin would only be cold until he fed. Naturally, he liked heat inside his body and out. Heat was sensual, heat was sexy...heat was lust. He read through the gambling profits he had made the week before from his hidden underground arena, “The Coliseum”; the pride and joy of his club. It was hidden three stories underground. He charged the wealthy an outrageous amount of money to gain access to the arena, which didn't seem to bother them in the least bit. In fact, the obscene price for admittance into the Coliseum only attracted more attention from the powerfully wealthy. Rich, self indulgent mortals would place tons of money on a chosen fighter in the twelve man, three-day tournament. These mortals shared Darian's bloodlust. Though he set the stage for the violence, they hungered for it more than he did. They never really cared about the fighter personally, only that he or she was strong and could fight.

  Every week, Friday through Sunday, there would be a new elimination tournament held. One fighter would be pitted against another. For each match one would win, the prize of ten-thousand dollars was added to his or her purse. In the event that a fighter did not survive, which was often, the money they earned would be sent to the designated person stated in their contracts. On the third night, the last remaining fighters would face off in a three-way, every-person-for-themselves-battle. If he or she survived, they would receive five-million dollars and could live a nice life in the tropics. The real appeal of the arena was that the loser's fate was always at the mercy of the crowd. Darian found it amusing that for all the preaching about kindness, compassion and good will toward your fellow man that the human race barked out, he very rarely witnessed a merciful audience. Darian believed that mortals were just as monstrous as the next being. His club proved his theory-nightly. The hidden arena and bordello both, were very profitable. His club was a place where both human and supernaturals could go to indulge in the pleasures of sins.

  The idea to register the popular club as a supernatural owned business came to him one night as he watched the news. The anchorwoman was relating to the public all the crime that had taken place right after the Exposure. He watched the human race kill each other out of sheer panic. It didn't surprise him. He knew that humans would automatically convince themselves that the supernaturals were of the purest evil and needed to be destroyed. What they failed to realize was that just about every supernatural creature that walked the earth used to be human. They still had human desires and goals. Human ambition and lust, and above all, the desire to survive. He had witnessed, over the centuries of his long life, families torn apart out of greed. Spouses murdering each other for insurance money or the lust of a new lover. So Darian didn't see a line that separated supernatural evil from that of the human race. If humans considered them evil, it was because the supernaturals were higher on the food chain.

  He waited impatiently for Annette Balfour to arrive. Just when he was about to buzz his secretary to find out if Annette had arrived, he heard the high-pitched beep from the telephone on his desk. He pressed the little square green button that allowed him to answer.

  “Yes?” he asked, then waited for the response.

  “Mast- Mr. Alexander, Miss Annette Balfour has just arrived. Shall I send her in, Sir?” Annabelle asked. Darian smiled. He liked hearing his subordinates call him Master, but not when he was handling business in front of a mortal. Unless, of course, that mortal was the business at hand.

  “Yes, please do so, Miss Baker.” Darian released the little green button and settled comfortably into his chair. When he heard the door open then close, he knew it was Miss Balfour. He could smell the blood underneath her skin, feel her pulse beating fast making her body heat rise. Ah yes, Darian loved the heat. Slowly, he turned his chair around to face her. He thought she was beautiful indeed. He could not understand why he had not met her personally before. He would have to have a small talk with Xavier.

  He entrusted all of the hiring of the staff to Xavier. He knew Xavier would have the right eye for such beauty. He was sure that Xavier had already bedded Miss Balfour. If he had not, then it was his loss and Darian's gain. It was one of the aspects of their relationship Darian enjoyed most of all. They had to have an open sexual relationship. He would not have it any other way. Sex was one of Darian's favorite pastimes. He enjoyed the feel of hot, sweaty bodies beneath him or behind him. Enjoyed the sensation of heat as it increased until it spilled over their bodies in that one final moment when time would freeze.

  He gazed at her caramel colored skin, admiring the smoothness of it. He wanted to feel that smoothness with his fingertips. He liked her permed, straight hair, how it framed her slender oval shaped face. Her lips attracted him as well; he loved how full and luscious they were. He was a lover of both men and women and cherished all of the individual qualities each offered. His mind raced to what he wanted to do with her before the night was out. A wicked smile spread across his lips, exposing his dimples, making him look both innocent and guilty.

  He looked at her entire appearance, mentally calculating the quickest way to remove her clothing based on hooks, zippers, snaps, etc. She was dressed in a leopard print bra top and a black satin skirt with a leopard print hem and wearing a pair of black heels. Darian, admired the way the outfit enveloped her. It was one of the reasons he decided to have a strip club, bordello and arena in addition to his dance club-the seduction! Desires Unleashed was exactly what the name stated, and that was what Darian wanted.

  “Miss Balfour, I've called you into my office tonight because

>   I have some good news. You see, I've been going through my employee records and reviewing some of my best staff.” He looked in her direction and smiled. He rose from his chair and glided around the desk. All of his movements were as smooth as satin. His body never looked clumsy, never once. He leaned against the corner of his desk in front of Annette. He held her open file in his hand as he looked down at her over the edge of the file and smiled. His eyes sparkled as his smile warmed her. He slid halfway onto the corner of his desk and pretended to look over her information. He had already memorized her file before she came into his office but now, he was keeping up appearances.

  “It says here that you've never been late and only absent one time since you started working here.” He paused and leaned in closer to her. “Most impressive,” he whispered seductively.

  His forest-green eyes peered into the chocolate brown of her own. She felt his aura pelting her, making a heat rise from between her legs. She fought the urge to squirm in her seat. She could smell his cologne, as if he needed any. She was willing to bet he was just as good in bed as he looked and that was saying a lot! She had the desire to press her hand to her chest, and in a exaggerated southern belle accent, say “Why sir, I'm just a southern belle and we southern gals don't do things like- ooooohh, Oh My!' She mentally shook her head. She wanted to focus on what he was saying to her, even though it was proving to be more difficult with each passing second.