Cursed: A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance

by Jami Brumfield

  That is sweet. It really is, and I truly appreciate it. I am taking your blood. We’ll keep the connection strong. If I am in danger you’ll know it.

  Then I need to come there, to Montana so I can be close by.

  Not until you make sure your council knows the danger the gargoyles pose. They are seriously pissed at you guys, and Colorado is one of the first stops on their rampage.

  You are a stubborn woman.

  I could hear the frustration in his voice, and knew he was fighting against his natural urge to keep me safe. It made me feel special. Like a cherished flower. It also made me realize how much he had come to care in such a short time. Like a key opening a lock, there was some deeper connection between us growing, and I wanted to explore it.

  So how intimate is this telepathic connection we have?

  What do you mean?

  I mean, can we partake in a little long distance brainwave intimacy?

  Are you asking for phone sex via our telepathic connection?

  I think I am. Why I felt so nervous was beyond me. I’d been with men before, but this was completely different.

  I’ve never tried it, but I am up for the challenge. Where would you like me to start?

  I bit my lower lip. I’ve never done this either, not even of the phone sex variety. Where do you think we should start? Before the final word left my mind, I felt his lips on my neck. Oh, okay, that is a good place to begin.

  His chuckle warmed me from the inside out. I felt every caress. He laced his fingers in mine and pulled my astral body with him. I want to show you someplace very special to me. One minute we were in my bedroom, and the next, we were in the mountains next to a bubbling stream that had steam escaping its waves. I knew they were hot springs, but the location didn’t look familiar to me. He claimed my lips, and I opened for him. Ready to receive all the gifts he had to offer.

  It is beautiful, I told him once I got my breath back from the intense kiss.

  His hand caressed my cheek, and I could feel the callouses against my skin. Just like you.

  I laughed. You spoil me, sir.

  Right now I wish to ravish you, princess.

  Okay. Taking the connection to a deeper level, we both closed our eyes, and melted away our clothing, leaving ourselves naked and vulnerable in front of each other. Our grins mirrored each other as we greedily took in each other’s bodies. My fingers immediately went to his chest, exploring the peaks and valleys. His fingers went to my breast as he leaned in and licked my neck. I reciprocated as my hand traveled down his torso and grasped his manhood. He groaned and leaned into my hand as I caressed the silky skin, playing his body like a finely tuned instrument.

  He growled deeply, picked me up in his arms, and carried me into the bubbling hot springs. The feel of the warm water surrounded me, soaked into my skin, and soothed me to the core. He leaned me back, floating on one of his hands. The feel of weightlessness overtook me, and I closed my eyes, reveling in the intensity of the moment. Slowly, his free hand moved over my body, exploring every valley and dip, the touch intimate and ticklish at times. Desire pooled in my center. Each stroke forcing me closer to the edge of a dangerous abyss, threatening to pull me into the current of passion. Wave after wave, taking control of my body and driving me closer to the precarious footing that would send me over into ecstasy.

  Just as I was about to lose control he claimed my lips, and pulled me onto his lap, entering me, joining our bodies at the apex of our cores. We rocked to our own rhythm.

  Look at me, Piper. I want to see and feel you cross the line with me.

  We stared into each other’s eyes. The world around us crumbled as we allowed ourselves to crest on the passion one more time, every thrust driving our primal need for each other. At the point of orgasm he bit my neck, intensifying the moment, and leaving my body shattered in the process. My breath lost, my body shaking with the aftershocks of our love making, I simply collapsed in his arms and let everything else disappear.

  *****

  “Wow! It was the only word I could utter as I lay back into the bed and snuggled into the blanket and pillow, imagining it was his arms around me. Was that as amazing for you as it was for me?

  Mmmm. His voice took on a lazy tone. It was. It would be better if you were here in my arms.

  Sebastian, we talked about this.

  No, you talked, I listened. What we just did was more than sex with a blood courtesan, it was intimacy on an intense level. I want you here so I can protect you. His voice became possessive. The idea that Jonathan is out there, threatening to take you as a mate when you’re mine is unbearable.

  I am no one’s property. I couldn’t keep the warning out of my voice.

  How can you say that after what we just did?

  I said I’m not leaving.

  Why? I don’t understand. You came to the vampires for protection. I’m offering you just that, and you simply laugh in my face. I’m over two hundred years old, Piper, I don’t handle rejection well.

  I came to the vampires for help. You helped me find out what was happening, stopped me from killing anymore vampires, and got me to the people who can truly help me control the beast inside. I’m not rejecting you, I’m simply standing my ground. If there is to be anything between us, I need to be able to make my own decisions.

  So that’s it? What you say is law and what I want doesn’t matter?

  My heart plummeted to my feet. No that isn’t it. I wouldn’t have done that with someone I didn’t want more from, but you’re going to have to wait until I am ready to give that to you.

  So you make all the rules?

  In this, I do. A part of me feared he’d end things, take what we just shared and throw it away. The other part of me knew I was doing the right thing for us, the only thing that could bring us together.

  I’ve humored you enough in this.

  Humored me?

  Come home, Piper.

  No.

  Come home, or else!

  Or else what?

  I’ll come there and bring you home.

  Try it! I regretted the words the moment I thought them.

  He disconnected our contact. It felt more painful than a hang up. A shiver ran through me. What just happened? One minute I was wrapped in warmth and sexual afterglow, and the next I was left alone in the dark. Was that the equivalent of a breakup in the vampire world?

  Sebastian? I reached out for him like I was grasping for a life preserver in the middle of a dark ocean.

  Nothing. No response, not even the feel of a connection. He was gone. Refusing to answer my call.

  “Are you seriously ignoring me?” I asked the darkened abyss. “That is a little childish for a centuries-old vampire, don’t you think?” I sat there in my empty room and waited for a response. Nothing came. “Sebastian, if you don’t answer me right now, I’ll stop drinking your blood,” I warned. Still nothing. The cold grip of dread wrapped its long tentacles around my spine and sent shivers through my body. “So that’s it?”

  Sadness seized my heart as a single tear fell down my cheek. No man had ever made me cry, no man except my father, and he made me cry because he made it clear I wasn’t good enough. I wouldn’t let Sebastian have that level of power over me. I pushed the tears that threatened to fall back and forced myself to stay strong. If that was his choice, I’d have to live with it.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Sebastian

  JOSHUA ANSWERED THE DOOR, I heard him greeting a woman in the foyer as I came out of the living room, chalk full of heavy alcohol and microwave warmed blood. I’d been plowing through the alcohol ever since the fight last night with Piper. I heard her calls through the connection, but ignored her. She was being stubborn, I could be stubborn too. It wasn’t until the cries started sounding desperate that I decided to drown myself in the bottle. She needed to allow me to help her. Otherwise, where would this relationship go? She was insisting I change who I was. I wanted her to change who she was. There was little h
ope for us if we didn’t find a compromise.

  “Who is it, Joshua?” I stumbled down the hall and came face to face with a woman who was the mirror image of Piper, only a few years older. If I didn’t know any better I’d think she was Piper’s sister.

  “Miss Olivia Mason.”

  It was difficult looking into the face of the woman I was falling for and seeing pure disgust. Her eyes zeroed in on me. “May we talk?”

  “So you are alive?” I nodded. I wasn’t surprised. Supernatural creatures were sometimes harder to kill than humans, and if she was a gargoyle, she had immortality on her side, which was why she looked so young and vibrant.

  “Yes.”

  “The rumors are true? You’re a gargoyle?”

  She shrugged. “Yes.”

  Anger ran through my system with the span of three heartbeats, if my heart actually pumped. I narrowed my eyes on her. “Did you set up your daughter?”

  “I gave my daughter a gift.”

  The laugh that erupted from my lips was involuntary and full of contempt. “By making her a killer?”

  “She only kills monsters like you.” Olivia straightened her purse over her shoulder, raised her chin defiantly, and watched my movements with careful eyes, eyes like a cat monitoring her prey.

  I nodded, and took a long swig of bourbon. “So that is how you’re going to play this.”

  “No, I came here to request that you not see my daughter anymore. She has a greater purpose which does not include you.”

  “The prophecy?” I slammed the empty tumbler down on the entry table.

  “She is to be queen.” The proud look on Olivia’s face made my stomach curl.

  “I bet that is a bite in the ass for you.”

  “If I can’t be queen, at least my daughter can. But if you want to get technical, it was your kind that took that destiny from me.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Had you not played jailer, and trapped Jonathan and his guards away, I would’ve been there to marry him and take my place on the throne. Instead, I was forced to marry Piper’s father and give birth to her. Do you know how infuriating it is to give birth to your replacement?”

  “How surprisingly selfish of you.” At least she could have children, unlike most vampires. “So I am guessing you do not feel guilty for what you’ve done to your daughter?”

  “As I said, I’ve given her a gift.”

  “You’ve doomed her to be with someone she doesn’t love.”

  Piper’s mother snorted. “And you think she loves you?”

  Her words were like a slap to the face. “I think she could. If given the chance.”

  “You really are an imbecile, aren’t you?”

  “Insults aren’t necessary,” I growled coldly.

  “You’re right. I came here for a reason. Stay away from my daughter.”

  “And if I don’t?” I crossed my arms defiantly over my own chest. We were like two generals at an impasse.

  “I’ll personally kill you.”

  “You’re a brave woman, coming to my home and threatening me.”

  “Believe me, Sebastian, it is not a threat.”

  “I think you’ll be surprised at how much tougher I am than you think.”

  “Not that tough since my inexperienced daughter almost killed you.”

  It was true, Piper almost killed me, but that was only because I let her get close to me. “Don’t you think you should let your daughter choose her own destiny?”

  “It is the parent’s job to help direct their children.” She hoisted up her purse and headed for the door.

  I followed her. “I won’t back down,” I warned, as she grasped the door handle.

  She turned and looked at me, anger sizzling in her eyes. “Good. I am glad, because that means I’ll get to kill you.”

  “Don’t you think killing me would upset your darling daughter?”

  She paused, and a moment later, an evil smile spread across her face like jam on toast. “You’re right. I’ll get her to do it.” She snapped open the door and left.

  Chloe, who was on the doorstep, managed to avoid getting hit by the thunderstorm that was Piper’s mother.

  “What do you want?” I growled as I turned and headed back to the living room. I needed a drink, and the last person I wanted to deal with was my sister after her betrayal last night.

  She didn’t take the hint. Instead she followed me inside. “Can I have one of those?” She asked as I poured myself a whiskey.

  “Suit yourself.” I left the bottle on the counter for her to pour her own glass, and headed to the leather sofa. “What do you want?”

  “I get the feeling you’re mad at me.”

  “You’re so intuitive.” I took a swig of the amber liquid from the crystal tumbler, and stared at the flames that licked the air from the fireplace.

  “You do know I acted like I did at the council meeting so I’d be able to stay and find out their plans.”

  “I figured.” She’d played that shtick countless times before.

  “And yet you’re still mad at me?” She turned pouty lips in my direction.

  “You tried to skin Piper alive,” I snarled.

  “I’m sorry for that. She’s a danger to us, surely you see that?”

  “I don’t care.” I twisted the crystal glass in my hand, and watched as the liquid sloshed from side to side.

  “She killed Roderick. Our brother!”

  “She didn’t kill anyone. It was the beast within. We know what that is like.”

  “So you forgive her?” Hurt crossed behind Chloe’s eyes.

  “There is nothing to forgive.”

  Chloe rolled her blue eyes and sat down in a huff. “You’re delusional.”

  “Perhaps.” She handed me the whiskey bottle and I refilled my glass. “Did you discover anything useful with your ruse?” I finally asked after a long, uncomfortable silence stretched between us.

  “Yes. They think it is better if they attack the compound where your girl is first. It is sound logic, and will give them the upper hand.”

  “That is what I was afraid of.”

  “Which means, you may want to get your little killer out of there before she gets hurt.”

  “Easier said than done,” I grumbled.

  “They are going to act fast.”

  “Figures.” I filled my glass again. “Did you find out anything about the prophecy?”

  “No, they’re pretty tight lipped about that one.”

  We sat in silence for a long moment. I needed to clear my head. The council wouldn’t wait long to act. “I’m going to need to go to Montana. Viktor is working on getting access to the original prophecy.”

  “I can go to the archives while you go and save your girl.”

  “Why are you being so helpful? It wasn’t but a few days ago that you were ready to kill her.”

  “Because, when all the stars align, you are and always will be my brother. You’re my only family left, and I intend to keep you in my life. If that means I need to accept the girl, then I will accept the girl.”

  “You’re convinced I feel more for her than I do.” Just saying it out loud sounded ridiculous.

  “I know you, brother. You’d never do what you’ve done for this girl unless you cared for her.”

  I ran a shaky hand through my dark hair. “I just met her.”

  “Don’t be daft, Sebastian.” She headed toward the door. “I’ll contact Viktor and let him know of the change in plans.”

  I stared after her as she left the room. I couldn’t help but wonder what her game was. I trusted my sister to embed herself into the situation and make the best choice for herself, not necessarily for her family. I sighed heavily as I called the airport to schedule a flight to Montana. I didn’t have much of a choice. At the moment, she was the only one I could trust.

  *****

  Piper

  I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling I had about this place and its inhabitants. I knew they were supposed
to be my people, we had a genetic disorder that was supposed to bond us together as a group, but there was nothing about them I trusted. There were so many secretive conversations that happened around me, words that I couldn’t quite make out. I tried. I focused my supposed super hearing in their direction, but the words and hushed tones made it impossible to make out anything intelligible.

  The training was filling my days, and the silence from Sebastian the last two nights had echoed coldly through my soul. I missed him. Was that even possible? I had only known him for a short time, but his kindness, his affection, and something about his soul pulled me to him. It was like I was caught in a sink of water and the drain had been pulled. I was swirling around the drain, helplessly being pulled toward him. The unknown, and darkness, of what was beyond that drain scared me. His temperament was not okay. How dare he give me an ultimatum and insist I come back to him? He knew controlling the beast that shared the darkest recess of my mind and body when triggered was of the utmost importance, especially after I had almost killed him. How he couldn’t understand that was baffling. He couldn’t protect me, not like he believed. Not to mention the issue of the absentee mate out there that could show up at any time and collect me. How would I react when he did? Would I be drawn to him like a moth to a flame? Would he pull me in like a magnet? Would he steal me away from Sebastian – if there was even a Sebastian and me anymore? His silence was like a jagged knife cutting through my soul, tearing away the fabric of my existence.

  “Whoa, watch it!” Martin, one of my sparring partners, slammed into me as I was walking the peaceful gardens. He reached strong hands out to catch me before I landed flat on the ground. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine.” I nodded and gazed into his brown eyes. “Sorry.”

  Martin chuckled, and ran a nervous hand through his sandy locks. “I know these gardens are for meditation, but I don’t think walking meditation is a smart thing to do out here.”

  “I wasn’t… I was in deep thought.”

  He nodded. “I felt a little lost when I first came here too. Don’t worry, it’ll…” his words trailed off as he stared, open mouthed over my shoulder.