Prima

by Annie Nicholas

  “With you in the room? Yes.” He cupped her breasts. “I’ve been deprived. We must make up for the lack.”

  Just like that, the humor in her eyes disappeared. He could have ripped his tongue out. She brushed her fingertips over his zipper before letting her hands fall at her sides. “Yeah.” The word fell flat between them.

  He gave her breast a farewell caress. See ya later, he hoped. An apology emerged in his thoughts, and he quelled it. How many times could he say I’m sorry? It obviously wasn’t working. Probably because deep down inside he wasn’t. He had what he wanted, and now he needed to convince her she wanted it too.

  “I’m not sure how this will work between us. I can’t stand the idea of you being with another woman.” A tear spilled along her cheek before she punched him again.

  “Okay.” He dragged out the word. “That spot’s going to start tingling soon if you keep this up.” Then what she said finally sank in. “Wait, what? Being with whom?”

  “You’ve already mentioned how you’re not fond of feeding from men all the time, and I can’t picture myself pressing against a woman or holding her…” She shrugged. “If I’m going to feed from men, I can’t stop you from feeding from women.”

  “What happened to blood in a bag?” He shouted the question. Hell no, she wasn’t getting cozy with any kind of male. Pushing off the table, he rose to his feet and took a deep breath to clear his head.

  She paced across the room, cane in hand clicking with her steps. “I’ll try it, I said, but if I can’t, what are my options? I’ll have to find humans who’ll feed me. Shifter females are so possessive. I can’t imagine asking the Vasi for help. Maybe I should talk to Clementine instead. She might have some suggestions as to where—”

  He grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her to face him before she could wear a hole in his floor. “It’ll be fine, Sugar.” Cradling her in his arms, he pressed her shaking form to him. He couldn’t remember much of being a fledgling. Things were different for him and Pallas. “I’ve been a vampire longer than Clementine and know something about staying fed.”

  “I know, but I don’t want to hunt on the streets for bad guys.” Her voice came out muffled against his chest.

  He couldn’t stop his grin. “I do that for shit and giggles. I wouldn’t expect you to join me.” There was primeval satisfaction about hunting dangerous prey and feeding until their life drained from them. His clan’s urge to kill was the strongest. It made them fantastic warriors.

  Unfortunately the days of wars were long gone. He’d chosen to fight crime in his own way to ease these urges. He would teach Pallas this as well. Hopefully it would be enough for him.

  She nodded, her face rubbing on his shirt.

  “Let’s start with a date.”

  Jerking in his arms, she glared at him. “And do what?”

  “Like other couples. I’ll take you to dinner and a movie.” He grimaced. “Unless you want to dance.” After a millennia, he still couldn’t keep rhythm to save his sorry ass.

  “That sounds…nice.” A pale blush colored her cheeks. Hope swelled his chest that he could still induce this reaction from her.

  “The vampire population is more prominent in this area than in Chicago. Many businesses cater to our needs.” He twirled her around to face the door and gave her a swat on the rear for good measure. She truly owned the nicest heart-shaped butt he’d ever laid eyes on. “The sun will be rising soon. To bed.”

  She hesitated at the door. “Shouldn’t I sleep in a coffin like you did at home?”

  “Not here. The windows are shuttered during daylight hours. We’re safe.” He offered her a reassuring smile.

  It didn’t seem to help. “We could have done that at the brownstone for you.”

  He crossed the room until he stood close to her, skimming his fingertips along her jaw. “You would have done it, wouldn’t you?”

  She cocked her head. “Of—of course. I’m sorry it never occurred to me.”

  Sighing, he traced her rosebud lips. It was this lack of deception, this honest desire to do good for those around her, which drew him to Sugar like a bee to honey. She was an enigma. Or maybe his life had been so filled with darkness that someone with such a generous soul would seem so to him. “I wouldn’t have allowed it. Shuttering the sunlight out wouldn’t have been fair to you or the Vasi.” He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and whispered, “Besides, how would you have enjoyed your gardens with the windows all covered?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  The library was still in shambles and held too many bad memories for him to relax, so Daedalus sat in his study by the empty fireplace with as many chronicles of fledgling vampires he could gather.

  Sugar slept down the hall, and the comfort of her body called to him, but the need for knowledge drove him into another day of sleeplessness. Every fledgling he’d created was taken by his clan to train as warriors. Some of his brothers had vampire companions made for them by other clans, but he’d never felt this desire until recently. How did one teach a fledgling about the bloodlust?

  For Daedalus, the Nosferatu had used it to drive their new recruits to learn and to fight, using the bloodlust to hunt and tear their victims to shreds. Sugar needed a more delicate way to discover her control. He didn’t want to send her over the edge into insanity. He wished he’d questioned some of his nest before now. At the time, it seemed like a weakness to admit this lack of skill. His pride could make Sugar suffer.

  From what little he discovered, she would have had some kind of mental bond to her creator. He couldn’t find out what happened if the creator died in the process of her birth. Fuck a duck, he should have kept that twerp alive. He grimaced. The idea of her creator linked to Sugar would have driven him to kill the traitor anyway. Whatever issues this would create, they’d figure it out.

  Slight shuffling of feet at his door caught his attention. “Come in, Clementine,” he called before she could knock.

  She entered the room and waited in front of him. Decades of serving him as her master still kept her from treating him like a friend, even though they had shared the same house for months.

  “It’s a little early for you to rise.” He flipped another page and scanned the contents.

  “Not really. The sun set hours ago.”

  He shot her a quick look and checked his internal clock with some surprise. “I hadn’t noticed. Where’s Sugar?” He’d wanted to be at the bedside when she rose, damn. Setting aside his book, he got to his feet.

  “That’s why I’m here. She’s still asleep.” Clementine wrung her hands. “I know you’ve more experience than I, but I was wondering if I could offer you some advice.”

  Crossing his arms, he schooled his expression so he wouldn’t appear eager. “Please do.” Why hadn’t Sugar risen?

  “Fledglings have a difficult time waking for the first few months. Since her master is dead, I think you should take on this role.”

  He nodded, a little chagrined since her words revived a very, very old memory of being kicked awake in the train camps. “I can manage this. What else?”

  “I don’t think you should encourage Sugar to feed only from stored blood. Hunger in the young is very strong. The power it had over me when I first manifested was intense. It’s how my creator held sway over me and made—made me do those things.” She hated speaking of her past, and he regretted that his incompetence made her feel it necessary to recall her times as a whore.

  “I appreciate your being candid with me.” She had given him more information in two minutes than what he had gleaned from these books all day. “I’ll confess to not remembering much of my own beginning.” Clementine could have taken the easy escape and returned to Chicago with Sam. He wouldn’t have prevented it, but she’d volunteered to remain at his side. “You’re a good friend.” He didn’t name many of their race that. “Please, feel free to advise me on Sugar. I’m...floundering.”

  A bright blush spread across her face. She curtsied like
in the old days when she’d been raised as a human, and left the room.

  He followed her out then headed to the bedroom he shared with Sugar. So absorbed in searching for knowledge, he’d missed the sunset by hours. Call him dumbass.

  Surrounded by a halo of golden hair, Sugar rested with an arm flung over her head. He could spend the night watching her sleep, and had done just that on occasion. Not tonight. He had promised her a date.

  Pallas entered the room before Daedalus could reach the bed. He appeared whole. “Where have you been?”

  “Reading. The female the service sent last night is well?” They couldn’t afford an investigation.

  “Of course, she left very satisfied.” What Pallas considered satisfaction was better left unexplained. “Ready to hunt?”

  Daedalus had forgotten he’d promised to show him where to hunt for evildoers and how to dispose of the bodies discreetly. In his absence these last years, the populace of criminals must have increased in this small city.

  “Let me wake Sugar first. Why don’t you get her a cup of that stored blood?” He sat on the edge of the bed and nudged her mind with his. Clementine’s warning still rung in his thoughts about a fledgling’s feeding habits. The cold blood would have to do for now.

  He would just have to change their dinner plans to somewhere with fresher...donors.

  ***

  What passed for vampire rest resembled sleep, but Sugar hadn't dreamt, which had some benefit since it lacked nightmares. At dawn, her body had slowed, giving her enough time to find her bed when her switch went off and she lost consciousness. Next thing she knew Daedalus was waking her to a new evening.

  Alarmed didn't quite cover how she felt. She could understand why most vampires went to such great length to protect their sleeping area. While comatose, she was completely defenseless. Would she have awoken if she'd been set on fire? She wasn't sure.

  Pallas entered the room with a cup and handed it to her.

  She sipped it. The blood tasted like cold, thick iron, and the vampire in her relished the flavor and what remained of her humanity cringed. “Thanks.” She eyed Daedalus. “Should I expect breakfast in bed every night?”

  Snorting, Pallas shook his head. “I’ll wait for you outside.” He spoke to Daedalus.

  Her lover gave her a weary smile. “If you’d like.”

  She watched Pallas exit their bedroom. “Where are you going?” Didn’t they have a date? She wanted to practice feeding techniques before being faced with some stranger and looking like an inexperienced fool.

  “I’m going to show Pallas my old feeding grounds.” Unbelievably, his eyes grew even darker. “I’m concerned with how he’ll adjust to this time period. Pallas isn’t very good at following rules, especially human ones, and there are so many laws now.”

  She set the cup aside on her nightstand and took Daedalus’s hand within her own. “You care about him?” The brothers’ relationship seemed like a twisted combination of aggression and support. She understood this. She shared a similar bond with her twin. It was fine for Sugar to pick on Spice, but she’d be damned if anyone else tried.

  “He might be an ass, but he’s still my brother, and there are so few of us left. I hadn’t realized how much I missed my clan until he showed up at our door.” He sighed. “It shouldn’t take long. A few hours at most.”

  She squeezed his fingers. This little glimpse of his vulnerability gave her hope. This was a baby step toward leaning on her for help. She now understood her insistent need for complete independence had driven a wedge between them. “Go hunt.” Their love for each other had turned into a desperate desire to not burden the other with problems. It had grown out of control recently.

  He gave her a quick kiss. “Thanks for understanding.” Then he left.

  Sugar finished her cup of cold blood. It didn’t quench her hunger as it did yesterday. She dressed and wandered the house, listening to the echo of her footsteps. The last few years she’d lived in a house crowded with pack. She'd never lacked company. Had he forgotten their date? She should have mentioned it.

  The cellphone rang in her pocket. She pulled it out to answer. “Hello?”

  “What the fuck is going on?” Spice’s voice held an edge of panic, and her fury radiated through the satellite connection.

  Sugar closed her eyes and stopped in her aimless wandering. “Hi.” What was she supposed to say? She had gotten killed? “I’m a vampire. Surprise.”

  “Eric is packing the car. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  Sugar's lungs seized at the thought of her sister visiting. Not from fear, but hunger. She’d be fresh and warm, not like the dead mess in her cup. “Y-yes.” Where did that answer come from? “Can’t wait to see you.” Metal creaked in her grip as she squeezed the phone.

  “You sound strange. Is Clementine around?”

  The muscles in her limbs went stiff. “Who?” If Spice spoke to Clementine, she’d change her mind and not come. “I’m fine. Really, really fine.” Something sharp scraped Sugar’s bottom lip. She tongued her fangs. They'd grown longer during the conversation. “I can walk again.”

  A small gasp sounded over the phone. “I knew it.” Spice sounded so elated. “Daedalus did the right thing, Sugar. Don’t be too hard on him. We’ll be there soon. I can’t wait to see you whole again.” Her voice rose with excitement.

  “Okay, see you soon—”

  The phone was taken from her grasp, and Clementine glared at her as she brought it to her ear. “Who’s this?” Sugar could barely hear Spice’s voice, and her words came out too mumbled to understand. Clementine frowned. “It’s too soon to come. Sugar hasn’t control over her hunger yet. There’s a good chance she’d hurt someone.”

  Shame burned a path across her cheeks. Clementine knew what she’d been thinking. All Sugar could picture while speaking with her twin was Spice’s blood on her tongue. She’d become what she feared all along, a monster. She twisted and ran for the closest exit.

  French doors flew open as she pushed her way outside. A lush garden lit with moonlight lamps greeted her flight, and she came to a sudden halt. She blinked and rubbed her head. Whoa. Where had this garden come from? The last time she’d been here she didn’t remember a water fountain. Her lungs still heaved. Not from lack of air, but from the struggle between the love for her sister and the desire to feed.

  Control over her words had vanished when Spice said she would be here soon. Sugar wanted her here for so many reasons, but the worst of them could hurt her. Her sister had to stay away. All of her friends and family did.

  She sat on the edge of the marble fountain and stared at the lily pads within. Bright pink flowers spotted the gently flowing water. Her gaze moved to blooming flowers that lined the stone patio. Quantity made up for the lack of variety.

  A large hand rested on her shoulder while the other offered her cellphone. “Clementine told me about Spice’s call.”

  Staring at her lap, she clenched her hands together. “I thought you left with Pallas.”

  Daedalus sat next to her. He leaned back and stared at the starry night sky, taking a slow, deep breath. He always seemed more comfortable outside. Her garden had been their sanctuary very late at night when most of their neighbors slept. “We were on our way when Clementine contacted me. Pallas can wait a few more minutes.”

  “I’m not sure what happened. It was like I had no control over what I was saying.” She ducked her head and allowed her long curls to hide her face. “I wanted Spice to come even though it would place her in danger.” Rubbing her temples, she tried to relieve the tension growing there.

  “That’s the bloodlust growing.” He settled some of her hair behind her ear. “This is mostly my fault.”

  A sarcastic chuckle was her only response. “No, you might think you have control over me, but that’s far from true. This is my fault as well. I chose to come here.”

  His laugh echoed on the night breeze. “Oh, baby, I know how little control I have ove
r you. If I had it my way, you’d be locked in our bedroom until I got home for our date.”

  Her head snapped up, and she pinned him with a glare. “What’s stopping you?” Power oozed off Daedalus. Since becoming vampire she’d become more aware of it. Nothing could prevent him from doing what he pleased. Not in this house… “Pallas?”

  The amusement on Daedalus’s face vanished. “No. That’s not even a little funny.”

  She frowned. She hadn’t meant it as a joke either.

  “You’re serious?” He cupped her face. “I bend over backwards to make you happy, and you haven’t a clue why I don’t toss you in a cage?”

  The knots in her gut loosened, and she nodded. “Because it would piss me off.”

  “Protecting you would be a lot easier if you were more compliant.”

  “Hiding in the bedroom kind of defeats the purpose of living forever, doesn’t it? I mean, what kind of life would I have?” She rose from her perch and checked out the grounds of Daedalus’s home. The patio spread farther out to an in-ground pool.

  “A boring one.” He pressed against her back and wrapped her in his strength. “If I wanted a woman to control and pamper, I’d have had a Prima long before now.”

  “I’m not opposed to pampering.” She rested her head back on his shoulder. She was so small it made it easy for Daedalus to engulf her.

  “Did you know you’re my first fledgling?”

  She heard the edge of anxiety in his voice. “But you’ve been around for so long.”

  He nodded. “I’ve made a few Nosferatu warriors, but my clan took those to train. I’ve never asked to have a regular vampire made for a companion.” He leaned his chin on top of her head. “I spent all day researching what we should be doing.”

  “And?”

  “You can’t keep feeding from stored blood. You’re too young. The hunger will get out of control.”

  “Like on the phone with Spice.”

  “Worse.”

  She hung her head. “I'll have to bite someone.”

  “Yes.” His answer came out clipped. Glancing at him, she could see the tick in his jaw. That only appeared when he suppressed his anger. “It’s not as bad as you think.” He glared at the garden.