Little Lies

by Elena M. Reyes

  “To what end?”

  “Don’t answer,” Diana grits out, yet her body shakes. Their combined pheromones create a heady scent in the room. Many begin to shake. Some let their fangs drop.

  “I’d be quiet if I were you,” I croon. “There are plenty of hungry vampires in here ready for their pound of flesh. Conspiring against the queen is punishable by death in our world. Turning my eyes back to her husband, I shake my head. Pathetic. “Carry on. I want the full story.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You truly are, Consuelos. I’m not arguing that. But finish the story.”

  “We were told that Elise is your mate and Gabriella was a witch who cast a spell on you. That she turned you against your wife, and I believed her. This was over a hundred years ago. I had no way to verify, and chose to trust those I call family.” His chest heaves, a sob catching in his throat. “At first, it was supposed to be Tim that took care of her after the brunch meeting—make Gabriella disappear while Elise grieved by your side. Reconnected with Miss Moore out of the picture, and with her son’s infatuation at her disposal, Elise used that to her advantage by enticing him to kidnap her and then keep her as a pet. Her only goal was to make you forget her.”

  The room erupts in angry hisses. Many shout curses and demand for me to shed his blood.

  “Silence.” All noises cease. “Continue, Detective. Gabriella deserves the truth.”

  At that, she makes a small, distressed sound, as if she doesn’t want to hear any more.

  I’m sorry, my love.

  “But when you killed Tim, plans changed, and I was brought in. My wife signed my death certificate when she begged me to help her frame, kidnap, and then sell Miss Moore to the highest bidder in an overseas auction.” Said wife doesn’t look at him, not an ounce of shame or affection on her face. “I know I’ll die because of this, but please, spare her. Send Diana away from her mother’s influence—”

  He’s silenced by my hand around his throat, squeezing hard enough to cut off his air supply but not snap his neck.

  “Theo!” Gabriella calls out and I turn to face her, the choking man in my grip now off the ground and his neck exposed to me. “You—”

  “They were going to rape, sell, and eventually kill you,” I growl, voice thundering throughout the room, and the vampires within all bow their heads. Even Meera, Tero, and Marcia, who are from a line of witches and shapeshifters, show their respect and kneel. My anger can’t be abated. Not by killing him or his cunt wife. Nothing can take away the anger but my wife, and she’s the one who’s carried the brunt of injustice at every turn. “His sentence is death.”

  “Is there any other way?” Her timid voice and the fear in her eyes hurts, but I harden my features instead. She’ll remember soon enough.

  “No.” And then I sink my teeth into his neck, lip curled up as my body vibrates with ire. Each drop of blood that flows down my throat brings my beast further out, my need for vengeance overriding my senses.

  What they almost did to her…

  I rip his arm clean off his body and toss it at his wife. Her screams rend the air, causing the others in the room to begin stomping their feet. Next, I send her his right leg and then left while pulling in the last few mouthfuls of his blood, what’s left of him is limp in my arms.

  Diana is crying, trying to move away from the parts of his body near her, but what’s in her eyes isn’t love or remorse. No. It’s disgust and anger; like her mother, she’s bitter and shrewd.

  When I’m done with him, I toss what’s left with the other body parts. “Go ahead and put your toy back together again. Or better yet, let’s see if your mother comes to save you.”

  37

  Gabriella

  “Why?” is all I can think to ask, my mind trying to make sense of the incomprehensible—a nightmare come to life. Diana’s chained in front of me and wearing her husband’s blood after a confession that rocked me to my core. What have I ever done to these people? Her clothes are in tatters while the crowd begins to chant around us, their feet stomping the concrete ground.

  Then, there’s Tero, his wife, and the cobra that lies closest to me in her coiled form, creating a barrier between me and the crowd. She’s attuned to my every move. Her head is low to the ground in a non-threatening way, and it reminds me of Mr. Pickles—

  “My dog,” I say suddenly, and the room goes quiet. They all look at me with affection. With the need to help me, but don’t know how.

  “We have him,” Meera says, stepping toward me with both hands up. “Tero called me when they took you and I brought him home; he’s asleep next to our rescue puppy. See?” She’s holding up her phone, and on the screen is a live feed of both dogs asleep and cuddled up next to each other. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to him, Gabriella. He’s safe.”

  “Thank you.” There’s an audible sigh of relief from the others in the room, but Theo has yet to say a word, although it’s better this way because seeing him handle Consuelos like a ragdoll gave me an adverse reaction to what I should consider normal. He was a beast, and while it scared me, a small, hidden part of me liked it. Enjoyed seeing a man—the killer beneath the façade of a handsome man gives into his baser need.

  For revenge.

  For death.

  To protect me.

  The latter of which I’m still choosing to ignore because anything otherwise means I’m giving in. That I believe all this is real and not part of a broken mind’s hallucinations.

  And yet, I’ve seen Theo’s bloodied fangs. I watched him drain the now mangled body of Detective Consuelos, tossing him aside as if he were trash. This is real. Accept it.

  “…finish the story your husband began, Miss Veltross,” Theo snarls suddenly from beside me and I yelp, his bloody lips curling over his fangs. However, my brows scrunch up for a different reason. I pause because of that name. Why does it sound familiar? Why does the blood within my veins sing with a burning ire each time he mentions it? “Tell Gabriella why she died in my arms over a century ago after your grandfather slashed her chest.”

  My hand instinctively goes to my chest while my mind revisits that dream. I remember vividly how the man in the dream took me, made my body sing with pleasure, and then the words that followed.

  “They did this to us,” I whisper and his head snaps to mine, the softest look overtaking his features. “That was really you in my dream, wasn’t it? It was you I visited?”

  “Yes.”

  “How?” How the hell is any of this possible? “How did I see you…how did—”

  “With the help of Meera and your sister, I was able to dream walk.”

  “Dream walk? My sister?” I sputter, not knowing which one to dissect first. “Please help me understand, Theodore. I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

  “Once the truth is out, it can’t be undone. Don’t turn your back on my mother again,” Diana begs, drops of bloody spittle staining the dirty clothes she’s wearing. Her hair is matted to her forehead, her stench reaching me where I sit on a throne made for a king—solid gold with a crest embedded into the velvet cloth covering the seat. “Gabriella isn’t one of us. She’s never belonged in our world.”

  Theo shakes his head, a cruel smile on his face. “Why don’t I tell you a few things you didn’t know, Miss Veltross.”

  “This woman isn’t your mate. She can’t be.”

  “Did you know your mother thought herself so smart, her plan so solid, that she never once questioned who Gabriella’s benefactor/uncle was all this time?” A gasp escapes me at his words, but Theodore doesn’t look at me. Instead, he lightly squeezes my shoulder in a show of comfort.

  “It was you,” I say on a shaky whimper, my heart breaking all over again. “So I really had no family, not a single person that wanted me?”

  “I’m sorry, love. But I’ve been protecting you since the day of your rebirth.” His revelation doesn’t shock me. Being honest, it gives me a bit of relief to know someone cared. “But it was when
your painting of a warrior’s death crossed my desk, you were about eight at the time, that I had the proof I’ve been waiting for all along.”

  “How? Why is...Christ, this makes no sense.”

  “And yet deep down you know it’s true.” I do. Every cell in my body is begging me to accept him, while my fight or flight is demanding I run. “The original of that painting sits in our home back in—”

  “Italy,” I answer for him, and he nods.

  “Italy.”

  “How did I know that?”

  “Because it is who you are. Our life.” The small smile on his gorgeous face falls, and I’m once again greeted by the monster in him. His expression is hard and his muscles coil, his anger palpable as he turns to look at Diana. “You have sixty seconds before I rip your head off and feed your blood to the vampires standing guard.”

  “Theodore, please,” Diana cries out, her desperation mounting. She fights against her bindings, the metal digging into her wrists, and rivulets of blood fall down each arm, creating a puddle on the ground. Is that the human side of her? “She will never be good enough for you. For our kingdom.”

  “There has never been an ‘our,’ Miss Veltross.”

  “Don’t do this.”

  “Do what?” I ask.

  “You’re willing to end a pure bloodline for her? A priestess?”

  “Yes.” Walking behind me, Theodore grips my ponytail and wraps the long strands around his fist. He gives one sharp pull to the side and I’m left exposed, at his mercy. “I’m sorry, my love.” With the tip of his nose, he skims the length of my neck before placing a chaste kiss over the juncture before exhaling roughly. “I’ve missed you and can’t live another day like this. In a world where you don’t walk beside me.”

  “You’re scaring me,” I say, my eyes closing to avoid meeting anyone’s eyes. Too many are witnessing my death, and the joy on their faces breaks my already fragile mind. “Please don’t kill me.”

  At those words, an animalistic snarl leaves him, the sound pained and angry. “Out.”

  The people in the room don’t hesitate and run out; they too are afraid of his wrath. And when the last person exits, he releases his hold and comes back to my front, squatting down to meet my tear-filled eyes.

  I look away.

  “Please don’t. Not you, Gabriella.” His emotions are my own. I feel him in that moment, and the anguish nearly makes me fold into myself. The depths—the yearning causes me to shiver and cry out, teeth chattering as a painful iciness seeps into my bones. “In this world, you are the only person who is safe from me. The only person with the power to kill me, and I’d let you. No questions asked, my wife. If it’s my life you want, I’d die with honor knowing it made you smile.”

  “Don’t,” I say without hesitation. The mere thought of him not standing in front of me brings on a different level of pain—of anguish—and while I don’t understand it’s meaning; the other choice is unacceptable to me. “Don’t say that.”

  “It’s my truth.”

  “But not one I can accept.” Tears fall, running down my cheeks while his hand cups my jaw. He’s trying to comfort me, to soothe me with his touch, but fear is a dominating emotion, and right now it’s clashing with its direct counterpart. Theo is my comfort, while King is a killer.

  He’s my Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and one doesn’t exist without the other.

  “I’ve loved you for over a century, Gabriella Moore. It has always been and will always be you for me.”

  “What will happen to me?”

  At my concern, Diana scoffs, her chest vibrating, and the look on her face is one of disgust as her dark orbs meet mine. “You were weak then too, you know. Even with all the power you held, the curse your kind looked upon as a gift, you were a disappointment.”

  “And yet, I sit where your mother—you—wish to be?” I ask, but there’s a tinge of taunt in my tone. Some malice. I’m not weak. I’ve just been thrown into a world I don’t understand. “Tell me, Diana. What did I ever do to you?”

  “You existed.” The chains around her wrist rattle, the scent of burning skin heavy in the air around us. Whatever they did to those bindings are slowly melting her skin off, imprisoning her. “You took the throne from my mother, my grandfather, and now me. And even if it takes my mother another hundred years, My Queen...” she spits out the word with malice, so much hatred “...the Veltross family will kill you.”

  “A glorified necromancer as the bride of the vampire king. I never thought I’d see the day the monarchy stooped so low,” a male voice I’m familiar with says, entering the library where I’m relaxing. I’ve had a busy morning so far, dealt with a problem back home, and all I’ve wanted since opening my eyes is some peace and quiet. Nothing else.

  “What can I do for you, General Veltross?” My tone is bored, and facial expression holds annoyance. I tolerate him as much as he likes me. “As you can see, I’m busy.”

  “You don’t belong here. Your kind is an abomination I’d have eradicated if—”

  “You’ll never sit on that throne no matter how much you whine about it.”

  “And he’ll never change you. I’ll make sure of it.”

  “I’m sure you’ll try.” Standing from my seat on the couch, I take the steps between us and stand toe to toe. I will never be intimidated by this man who reeks of narcissism and greed. “But keep in mind that I’m a firm believer in an eye for an eye. And while you have fangs and sharp nails, I can take a life with a few simple words and the touch of my hand. Do not threaten me.”

  “Those things won’t work once you’re dead.”

  “They will when I come back. And I will,” I say with a saccharine-sweet tone. “My deal with the devil is sealed in my enemies’ blood, and I deliver on my promises. Never threaten me again.”

  “My love,” Theo says, and I’m snapped back to the present. Each of these feels like memories fighting to break through. Like missing pieces of a story I’ve forgotten.

  “That’s where you’re wrong.” Turning my head slightly, I meet Theo’s eyes and even though I don’t understand what she’s claiming, I’m willing to accept my fate. There’s a reason I am here and feel what I do the second we touch—the electrifying current that ripples up my arm and squeezes my chest while causing my core to throb. There has to be a reason that explains why I know my life would lose all meaning if he walked away. “Bite me.”

  Each memory uncovers a stolen moment in time that shows the life we’ve been robbed of.

  Each time he touches me, I find myself wanting to be closer.

  I need to know the truth.

  “Are you—”

  “Bite me, Theo.” Mimicking his actions, I cup his chin and then lean my forehead to his. I stare into his eyes and let him see me. All of me, with every fear and pain filling my heart, but the knowledge deep down that this is right. We are right, no matter how much I want to fight it. “I need this.”

  “Thank you.” Then his lips are on mine, a reverent kiss that steals the very breath from my lungs while feeding my soul. Slanting his mouth over mine, Theo moves his hand from my chin and places it over my neck, fingers spread out. His hold is a little tight while controlling the kiss, dominating my senses with sweeps of his tongue over mine before embedding his teeth into my bottom lip.

  Then he’s dragging them down my chin and the column of my throat, leaving behind tiny nips of pleasure that make me wet. Embarrassingly so.

  “I am darkness. I am sin,” he says against my skin, his tone gravelly. I tilt my head a little more to give him better access, and I’m rewarded by a hum of approval. “I’m the devil incarnate and everything you shouldn’t want, but I am yours, Gabriella. Today. Tomorrow. Always.”

  “Always yours.” My answer slips past my lips before I can question the words, but the smile on his face tells me I’ve done something right.

  “Always yours.” Then he bites down, breaking my skin and coating his mouth with my essence. At once, blinding pa
in overtakes my senses and I gasp, clutching his arm, but he only digs deeper. His snarls become louder, and just when my body becomes faint—my eyes roll back and consciousness begins to evade me—a euphoric feeling I’ve never experienced before rocks me to the core.

  It slams into me with the weight of a freight train, robbing me of every one of my senses while pleasure pulses from every cell in my body. I come. I lose myself as wave after wave of bliss pours into me before everything goes black.

  38

  Theodore Astor

  Vampire King

  The day my world stopped…

  * * *

  I’d been out most of the day, meeting with a small coven of vampires that lives in New Mexico. They’d been asking for support on a small problem with a nomadic trespasser in their territory, and I’d conceded to send three of my men to scan the area and deliver a message.

  Control your body count, or I’ll take that as a personal disrespect to me.

  “That took longer than expected,” Tero says from beside me, keeping up with my pace as he writes a few notes down. He’s been working longer hours for the past week, trying to repay us for Gabriella saving Marcia’s life, something that isn’t necessary. My wife loves them both as if they were her siblings. Feels a connection that ties them together spiritually.

  “It did. Do you know where—” I don’t finish as my chest suddenly explodes with pain. This near crumbling pressure knocks the air out of me, and I lean on the wall for support.

  “My King!” Tero yells, grabbing my arm to keep me upright. The throbbing is nearly unbearable. “What’s wrong? Why are you grabbing your chest?”

  “I don’t know.” The alarm sounds then, coming from the southern tower, and the heavy footfalls of guards rushing follow. There’s screaming, the sound of women crying, and I take off running—I’m a blur through the courtyard.