“Hello, Mac. Where are you? Where is Eric? He needs to call his mate. No, Pete attacked her. Yea, she’s fine.” She glances at me.
“Hurry up and get home. I love you, too,” Kate hangs up the phone.
“He said he will contact Eric. They will be on their way as soon as possible.”
Hot tears drip down my face as I start to doze, wishing he was already home.
Ever since I arrived in Austria, I’ve been thinking about Sarah. I couldn’t let her witness me having nightmares about being a sex slave. Vienna is where I was a slave for fifty years, and being here makes me want to go to Dante’s coven and kill him. The beatings and the torture still haunt my mind. The vampires used a hot iron on my back carving the letter X; that’s how they identify slaves. It still feels like yesterday that I was rescued from the coven. Sarah deserves better; a human, not a ghoul who has all these problems. It’s pathetic to depend on magic to get rid of your demons. Then there is Dante. He swore if I found someone to love, he would come after them. He wants me to feel what he felt when I fucked Leyla. I didn’t want her; the thought of her touching me makes my skin crawl. I need to call Clayton again. He hasn’t been answering his phone, probably in his wolf form running with his pack. I down a whole bottle of Tequila, but I need something stronger. It will take twenty bottles to even feel a little buzz. I call Clayton, and his voicemail picks up.
You need magic, I need money. Leave a message, and I’ll hit you up.
“Answer the phone.” I toss the phone on the table and grab another bottle of liquor. I need to drown these memories.
“Run away with me,” Leyla says.
Has this bitch lost her mind? Does she realize that I don’t love her—or even like her? We sit outside in the garden. Dante is away again. I don’t respond.
“King Eric, we could build our own kingdom together.” That is the first time she referred to me as king. She rubs my face, and I remove her hand.
“Let me go.”
She smacks me. The guards watch me carefully. I have chains around my arms and neck.
“I love you,” she whispers.
Is she fucking serious? I’d rather die than to be with her. I could manipulate her and tell her that I love her too so she will release me. Once I’m out of here, I can free the other ghouls. No, I’ll wait for my brothers to come; they will get me out of here. After all the beatings, death doesn’t look so bad right now.
“I don’t love you.” Leyla punches me in the face, and blood pours from my lips. After all the beatings, it doesn’t hurt anymore.
“Guards, take this animal back to the dungeon, and make sure he is lined up for execution,” she says coldly. The guards yank me by my chains, dragging me across the hard concrete. My thin skin is abraded as they drag my weak body.
A knock on the door interrupts my memory. I open it to find Jack standing there with a bottle of bourbon. He collects a glass from the table and pours himself a shot.
“I found Rachael,” he says before downing the shot.
“Good, when are we leaving?”
“It will be best if you go. If she sees two ghouls at her door, she might report us to the Hudson coven,” he says. The six covens don’t allow vampires to socialize with ghouls. Jack hands me a piece of paper with an address on it. I stuff it in my pocket.
“Where is Mac? I ask.
“He went to check on Kate’s parents.”
I tuck my Uzi in my holster and head out the door.
When I arrive at the address, I bang on the door and Rachael opens it, spilling her glass of blood on the floor. She wears pajama pants and a see-through shirt. When our eyes meet, she flashes her fangs.
“You prick, you made me spill my blood!”
“Who did you buy the paradox box for?” I fold my arms across my chest, waiting for her to answer.
“Do you want to come in?” she offers. Is she out of her fucking mind? I don’t trust her.
“I’ll wait out here. Now talk,” I demand. Rachael holds up her index finger, disappears, and returns with a clean washcloth.
“What do I get out of it?” She bends down wiping up the blood.
“I have cash.”
“How much?” She stands up.
I grab my wallet from my back pocket and hand her ten crisp five–hundred-dollar bills. She counts it.
“Wow, five grand. I can buy enough blood for two weeks.”
“Start talking,” I order.
“I delivered it to a witch named Meagan. I don’t know her last name.”
“Where does she live?”
“New Orleans. Can I go now? I’m thirsty.” She slams the door in my face. Fucking bitch. I hate vampires.
When I return to the hotel, I remove my clothes, place them in a suitcase, and lie on the bed. I haven’t heard from Sarah since I left. I need to feel her cool body beneath me. I want to play in her soft hair and stroke her soft skin. I miss everything about her; her lavender scent when she is aroused, the dimples in her cheeks when she smiles.
Jack and Mac barge into my room with their bags slung over their shoulders.
“What?” I snap.
“Pete attacked Sarah. We need to go home,” Mac answers. The blood drains from my face. Why the fuck didn’t she call me? Grabbing my phone from my pants, the blue screen lights up, and I have a few voicemails, but no missed calls. I hit the play button. Sarah’s voice is urgent and afraid.
Please… call me… It’s about Pete.
I see text messages from Mae, and I hit the delete button without reading them. I call Sarah several times, but she doesn’t pick up. I grab my suitcase and head out the door.
Within seconds of arriving at the mansion, I am in Sarah’s room. She is balled up in the fetal position, and her eyes are puffy and red. Her make-up is smudged, and she looks like she aged since the last time I saw her. Our eyes meet, and she lunges into my arms, squeezing me tight. I cradle her as I kiss her hair.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here to protect you.”
“It’s not your fault,” she whispers. My heart aches for her. I angle her chin so I can see her face and kiss her soft, pink lips.
“What happened?” My voice is soft.
“He wanted the key, but I didn’t bring it with me,” she whispers. “He tried to rape me, but I kicked him in the balls and…” trailing off her words, she trembles. “I hit him in the head with a vase.” Her voice breaks, and tears spill down her cheeks.
“Vampires like to have sex with their prey while draining their blood.” Sarah flinches at my words, but I hold her tight, not wanting to let her go.
“He knows about us,” she whispers.
“Pete asked me if I gave you the key, but I didn’t answer. I don’t know how he knows about us, but I’m scared, Eric. I have never been so frightened in my life.” Her words shoot through me like ice. I don’t want her to feel afraid.
“Do you trust me enough give you a potion?”
“I trust you,” she assures me.
“I’ll call my friend.” I stroke her right cheek again. I need to get a potion so she can summon me when she is in trouble. I care too much about her, and the fact that I wasn’t there to protect her kills me. Sarah pulls her blouse over her head exposing her red lace bra.
“Make me feel good, Eric,” she says, her voice barely a whisper. As much as I want to fuck her, my conscience won’t let me. She’s hurt, and I don’t want to have sex with her when she is emotionally wounded. Any other female, I wouldn’t care, but I don’t want to take advantage of her.
“Love, do you turn to sex every time you’re hurt?” Her eyes flicker with shame. Looking down at the wooden floors, she exhales. I tilt her chin to look at me. Her silence tells me everything I need to know.
“You don’t need sex to make you feel good.”
“Please?” Sarah pleads, and my dick throbs at her words. I don’t want to turn her down.
“It’s not a good idea.” Laughter escapes her lips, and that is the first
time I see the light in her eyes since I’ve arrived.
“Are you turning down sex?” she asks.
When I don’t respond, she pushes me down on the bed and unbuckles my belt. Trying so hard to fight temptation, I gently push her off of me.
“No, Sarah, I’m not taking advantage of you.” I refasten my belt and zip up my pants.
“Seriously?” she snaps.
“Yeah.” I can’t believe I’m turning her down. Her whole body tenses, and her breathing speeds up.
“Eric, I don’t want to feel this way. Okay?” Her words are filled with hurt.
“No matter how much I fuck you, it won’t take the pain away.”
She folds her arms across her chest, pushing up her cleavage and mumbles “Unbelievable” under her breath.
“Don’t be mad at me.” I hate disappointing her.
“Screw you!” She bellows and whacks me in the head with a pillow. I laugh; she’s cute when she’s mad. I grip her hips tight until she stops fighting me, then pull her onto my lap and rock her until she falls asleep.
I haven’t eaten in a few days; ghouls don’t require food every day. I grab a raw steak out of the fridge and eat at the breakfast nook. Spotting Odessa talking to a kitchen servant, anger grips me tight. I blame her for what happened to Sarah. She shouldn’t have taken Sarah out after dark. After devouring the food, I call Clayton. I released him from guarding the property since Sarah tried to escape; I didn’t want her to feel unsafe roaming outside. He picks up on the third ring.
“Hello,” Clayton says in his British accent.
“I need a favor,” I get right to the point.
“What is it?” I can hear loud music through the phone.
“I need a summoning potion so my mate can track me.”
“Who is dumb enough to mate with you?” Clayton asks.
“You have the potion or what?” I ask, annoyed.
“Yeah, but if she drinks it, she will be able to track you forever.”
He pauses, waiting for a response. I don’t care. I wouldn’t mind Sarah being with me for the rest of her life. I just care about her safety.
“Okay, another thing—I need the repel potion. The memories keep coming back.” I thrust my fingers through my hair. With Sarah dealing with Pete, I can’t let my bullshit divert my attention.
“All right, I’ll be there tonight for dinner. I would love to see Sarah again.”
“Don’t come in your wolf form. The last time you saw her, you scared her shitless.”
“No promises.” With that, he hangs up the phone.
Sarah treads in with her hair pulled in a messy knot. She has on knee high socks with ankle boots, a white dress shirt and black skirt with a white lab jacket on. She looks stunning. She glares at me as she grabs a banana off the counter. The servants made sure to stock human food in the fridge.
She peels the banana and begins to eat.
“Morning beautiful,” I say to her; she shoots me a death stare.
“You still mad at me for holding out to you?” I move up behind her and nudge my dick against her ass, taunting her. Sarah squirms as her face heats.
She shoots me another glare as she finishes the banana and leans over the counter. I hover over her, pinching her ass.
“Eric!” she yells.
“I see you’re talking to me,” I say. Sarah rolls her eyes, tosses the peel in the trash can, and rushes out the kitchen. My phone dings with a message from Jack.
Meet me outside, Need to talk to you.
Be there in ten. I respond.
Outside, Jack leans against the black SUV. He wears a warrior uniform, and his dreadlocks are pulled into a ponytail.
“Get in,” he says as he climbs into the driver’s seat. I jump in the passenger seat. He shifts gears and pulls out onto the road.
“I hacked into the security footage at the bar that Sarah was at,” Jack says.
“Did you find anything?”
“Yeah, it’s him alright; going in after her when she walked into the bathroom.” He turns left at the stop sign and continues down the highway.
“I think someone that works in the mansion sent Pete after her.”
I stoke my smooth chin. Who in the mansion would want Sarah dead? She doesn’t talk to anyone except Odessa and me.
“My only suspect is Mae,” Jack says.
I know she doesn’t like Sarah, but would she go to the extent of having her killed to get me back?
“After I fucked her, she went on and on about how she wants revenge on Sarah. Man, that female is a nutcase.” Jack shakes his head at the memory.
We arrive at the shore on the island. The water is deep blue, and the clouds block sun. I will never forgive Mae if she sent Pete after Sarah.
“I built a frequency transmitter to keep vampires off the island,” Jack says. We both jump out of the SUV and he places it in the sand. I squat down.
“Mae sent me messages saying she needs to talk,” I say.
“Yeah, she wants to know if you are okay with me banging her,” Jack says nonchalantly. I don’t care who she is fucking as long as she leaves me alone.
“Yeah, I am,” I say with relief.
I need to talk to Mae to see if she knows anything about the attack. If she sent Pete after Sarah, then she will be charged with treason and executed, even though we haven’t had an execution in three centuries. Things will go back to the old days, starting with her. I need to meet with David and Nicholas about rules and regulations among the ghoul race while we live among humans. I bang on Mae’s bedroom door, and she swings it open. Her white hair is braided down her back. She has on tight black pants and a yellow sports bra. Her skin is flushed. She smiles when she sees me.
“This is a lovely surprise.” Her voice is cheerful.
“Cut the bullshit, Mae.”
Her brow shoots up and she gives me a puzzled look.
“You sent Pete after Sarah,” I say. I want her to think I have proof she did it.
“What the hell are you talking about?” She fists her hands on her hips.
“The vampire that attacked Sarah the night you went out.”
“I don’t know any vampire!” She screams.
“I might not like the human, but I wouldn’t do that; believe it or not! I care about your happiness!”
“Bullshit.” I am so fucking mad I could punch the wall.
“I’m telling the truth.” Her voice breaks.
“When David gets back, we are going have a trial and if you’re lying, you will be executed.”
Tears pour down her cheeks, and I feel bad because I don’t like to see any female cry, but I have to let her know what is up. I have to protect Sarah.
“How can you be so cruel to me?” she whispers. Ignoring her question, I turn my back on her.
“Oh, I see; three centuries with me didn’t mean anything to you, huh? Tell me what she’s got that I don’t.” I turn to face her and her face is red with anger. I can’t help that Sarah makes me feel alive and likes me because of who I am and not what I am. She doesn’t care if I’m a ghoul. Mae cares about me too, but I believe she only loved the idea of me. She never once asked me what I wanted or how I felt; everything was about her. When Mae nursed me back to health, she did it for her own benefit, she wanted the glamorous life, and the royal treatment. She saw my wealth and my status. When I don’t answer her question, she balls up her fist. I felt dead on the inside when I was with Mae.
“Just tell me! I need to know!” She pushes and slaps me. I stand there taking the blows. Finally, her arms get tired, and she slams the door in my face.
Feeling shitty about the blowout that Mae and I had, I wander to the room where Sarah saved Jack’s life. When I see her, she is speaking to Dr. Edward with a clipboard in her hand. She jolts something down and walks to a bedside. The smile on her face says she loves her job. She takes an instrument and puts it in the ghoul’s mouth. Moments later, she looks at it. Sarah pulls a computer to the bedside and b
egins typing. The ghoul asks her a series of questions. I listen to their conversation.
“Your temperature is 104, which is normal,” Sarah says.
“Can I ask you something?” the ghoul asks.
“Of course.”
“Are you dating anyone?” he asks. Sarah’s face flushes.
“Yes… no… it’s complicated.”
“Complicated. You don’t date outside your species?” The ghoul gawks at Sarah. Jealousy bubbles inside me. Sarah rests her right hand on his shoulder.
“It’s not that. I’m seeing someone, but I don’t know if we’re serious.”
“Well, if things don’t work out, give me a call.” He winks at her.
She giggles.
“I’m going to put some ointment on that wound, and your body should be able to heal in a few days.” She pats his arm.
Sarah sees me, and her breath hitches. While she walks towards me, she smooths out her jacket. Her black curly hair hangs past her waist. She examines me from head to toe.
“What are you doing here? Did you hurt yourself?” Her voice is tinged with concern. I should ask her about the conversation with the male.
“I came here to see you,” I say. She tries to bite back her smile. I pull her into a hug, watching the ghoul who asked her out. He glances at us, and my hand roams to her ass giving it a light squeeze. The ghoul looks horrified. I kiss Sarah with passion and gently nibble on her bottom lip. When I let go of her, her breathing is heavy. Her lips are swollen and red. The ghoul looks away.
“What was that for?” she asks, her cheeks a rosy red.
“I miss you. Take a fifteen-minute break,” I urge her.
“Sure,” she says.
We roam the hallway. Why does Sarah think we’re not serious? My mind goes back to her conversation with the ghoul. Is it something I did or said? If I ask her, she will know that I was listening to her conversation and be pissed at me.
Sarah stops mid-step, her green eyes narrow.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, interrupting me from my thoughts.
“Nothing. My friend is having dinner with us tonight.”
“I can’t watch you eat raw meat.”
A Ghoul's Kiss Book 1 Page 10
