Deadly Beasts (The Curse of the Rose Book 1)

by T. M. Watkins

  Beside me was a human who had slurred her name as Lola. She giggled when she saw the dragons moving around and gasped when mine snapped at her. I didn't want to tell her that it was conveying my emotions, instead I smiled and said nothing. When I couldn't stand the boredom any longer, I politely excused myself and made a hasty retreat to the bathroom. Marty was my permanent shadow, I figured William had said something to her to ensure my safety. She was in one of the stalls when two blondes wafted into the bathroom to reapply their make-up. They both had had a lanyard hanging around their necks which was a curiosity.

  “What's that?” I smiled sweetly.

  “Oh this?” Blonde number one held it out. “This is access to the masters meeting.”

  She grinned at blonde number two.

  “We were picked out of all of the feeders.”

  “Oh that's great, so awesome for you two.”

  I laid on the sugar as sweet as I could to see how much I could get out of them. My eyes darted to the stall in the corner that Marty was in, it was opening a crack as she peered out. I narrowed my eyes at her and she stayed put.

  “So they pick out the prettiest women I guess. No men?”

  “No way.” Blonde two giggled. “They aren't gay.”

  I chuckled as I fanned myself with my hand, pretending to have flushed thoughts.

  “Sounds pretty hot, must be like some big swinging orgy in there.”

  “Oh yeah.”

  They both giggled, far too engrossed in themselves to notice that the woman they were talking to had cuffs for one of those elders. Blonde number one entered a stall and Marty came out from hers, stalking up behind blonde number two, whispering something in her ear. Instantly the woman went limp in her arms, Marty mouthed asleep to me. She dragged the woman into the stall, returning with the lanyard. Marty winked at me with a grin as we waited for blonde number one to finish. She looked at us when she exited her stall.

  “Hey where's Kelly?”

  “She's gone back to the party.” I grinned.

  Marty did her thing and then dragged blonde number one into the stall with blonde number two. When she came out she held the lanyards in her hands, looking at me with concern.

  “I'm not one for the sneaky stuff Mary but I thoroughly detest cheaters and liars. I know your reasons for feeding with him tonight and I agree with you completely and this is why we are doing this. But I have to know, if you find the worst in that room, what are you going to do?”

  “Gut him like a fish.”

  I swiped the lanyard out of her hand and stalked out of the room. We watched the door into the meeting room for several minutes. There was a guard on the door and women were passing in and out like it was just another door. The guy just looked at the lanyard and let them pass. There was no picture id on the pass, it just said it was unrestricted access.

  “You two are crazy, you know that?” Nick hissed. “If he finds out...”

  I turned to him and looked at him, wondering what he thought was going to happen. “Of course he's going to find out, we're about to walk into the room. He's going to see us the second we walk through the door.”

  “Fine.” He sighed. “Don't say I didn't warn you.”

  My eyes narrowed at him as my lips pursed a long thin line. “Do you know something you need to tell us Nick?”

  “Are you serious?” He scoffed. “As if I would be allowed in there. Lowly servant, remember?”

  I stood tall with my shoulders back, hoping that I could pretend that I was meant to be there.

  “Come on, let's get this done.”

  Marty was less enthused, I knew she had bravery in these situations but going up against her boss? I reckon if there was no music booming I could hear her teeth chattering and her knees knocking. I had to remain cool and calm otherwise the little bastard on my wrist would give me away. Marty was a step behind as we approached the door, I held the lanyard at the guard and he nodded, barely paying any attention to us. I would be surprised if he actually looked to see if Marty had one. All that mattered was there was two pretty girls wanting into the room.

  Beyond the door was a small foyer, it was lit only by the light coming from the next room. To our left was a corridor that turned sharply a few steps from us. The sounds of five men talking echoed around us, there was no moans or giggling girls. Just the men talking. I thought they were supposed to be discussing my predicament, not the state of politics. Marty and I stood there listening to them, waiting for something to happen. My legs felt heavy as I waited, unsure if I was doing the right thing. Did I not trust him? He said that he would be true to me, that he would not stray from me. Was I messing things up again? Marty could see the fear in my eyes, she gripped my hand and offered a sweet smile. She knew it was time to leave. Our back up plan for what we would do if we got caught would not be needed, beyond the door we would pretend it never happened.

  “Ladies.”

  We turned to a full figured woman who was dressed like she ran a whore house. Tight fitting lingerie that left nothing to the imagination. I gulped hard as I tried to look to Marty.

  “Are you staying for the after meeting festivities? The hour is almost upon us and our masters will be looking for their entertainment.”

  I looked at Marty who had determination in her eyes. She nodded and grabbed my elbow, dragging me along behind the woman. This was crazy. We were crazy.

  Chapter Forty-four

  The woman led us to a dark room with a sunk in lounge in the centre. Long floating strips of material hung from the centre of the ceiling, stretching out to the walls. It looked like some kind of love pit, I crinkled my nose at the thought that they might come in here... together.

  “Are you crazy?” I hissed at Marty

  “This is what you wanted, don't back out now!”

  The woman turned to us as her eyes grazed over us. “Have you been in here before?” She purred with a sultry tone.

  “No.” Marty smiled too eagerly.

  “Two for each master, you will be selected and taken to a private room.”

  Marty nodded and I wanted to be sick. All hope was lost, I was ready to return to the quarters and pack my bag. If only I knew where the quarters was.

  “Is it just feeding?”

  The woman chuckled and waved her hand to the lounge.

  “No darling. Our masters are free to do as they please. Now the bar is over there, please help yourself if that is what you need.”

  I made a beeline for the bar, ordering the barman to give me the most hardest drink he had. It burned as I drank it in one gulp, sliding down my throat with a hot fury.

  “Settle down.” She whispered. “Just because he comes in here doesn't mean he will.”

  My eyebrows raised at her, one look at me and she sighed, sagging onto the bar stool beside me. We were in the darkest part of the room, an alcove area that held a bar and a few stools. Barely any light shone here, it seemed they liked the pitiful lighting.

  “It won't happen hun, I believe in him. Do you?”

  “If you believe in him, why are you here?”

  “Support.”

  Her hand rubbed over my arm as the door swung open, the first through was Elias. No surprises there. With one little gesture, two girls giggled and followed him past the lounge and through the opening that sat off to the side. Next through was Gabrielus and Augustus. They were deep in conversation about something until they stopped at the edge of the lounge. Four women stepped up and followed them as they continued to converse, almost ignoring the women. Hezekiah came in next, holding the door open as William walked through. It felt like my heart stopped beating, Marty's grip on my arm had tightened as we watched. Both of them stepped into the pit and sat down to continue their conversation. I wasn't sure if either of them had noticed that there was only two women with them or maybe they could see our figures at the bar. The girls giggled their way over to them, stopping short of the two men.

  “It seems we are short, old boy.” Hezekiah ch
uckled gruffly as he stroked the whiskers of his beard.

  “There's two more at the bar.” The red head said sweetly as she sat in between them. “Who is going to be my friend today?”

  The question was directed at both of them but I could see where her eyes lingered.

  “You take them Hezekiah.”

  He chuckled again and stood, taking the red heads hand to lift her to her feet and smacking the backside of the brunette. She yelped with a giggle and took the path that the others had taken. I couldn't help but notice the red head casting a longing look back at the vampire that all but ignored her. Momentarily he had redeemed himself. I hoped that he would offer his condolences to the two women in the dark and tell them that he was not in the market for entertaining those that weren't his love but he didn't. He turned on his seat and looked at the darkened figures at the bar. Marty's grip was so tight on my arm, I was sure I was about to lose circulation.

  “Why are you hiding in the dark? Am I so scary that you cannot venture forward a step?”

  Tears were welling in my eyes as I watched him sit there, waiting for his entertainment to entertain him. My heart was beating harder than it ever had. Harder than when I walked into the alley, harder than when I was running for my life. This was hell.

  The barman had placed another drink on the bar in the moments that Elias had stepped into the room. I turned and gulped it down hard, wishing that the man hadn't disappeared when the elders stepped into the room. We were trapped, no matter what happened from here, it was going to be one hell of a fight. Either he is a liar and I yell at him because of it or he isn't a liar and he yells at me for being distrusting. Trouble always was my best friend and yet again we had found each other.

  “I am not going to harm you, I have already fed today. I do not require sustenance so you do not need to offer yourselves for a feed.”

  “So what do you require?” Marty said low, throwing her voice off in a different tone.

  William chuckled as he rested his head on his hand, leaning on the back of the lounge. His gaze was pinned to us and I wished I knew how much he could see. Was he toying with us, knowing it was us or was he truly in the mood for some alternative entertainment?

  “You do have a voice. How amusing. I was beginning to think I had been given the only women in this place that couldn't talk.” He stood to his feet, climbing over the lounge to the floor that surrounded it. “How about we get this over and done with, yeah? Put you two out of your misery?”

  William stalked closer to us, the smell that made me want him desperately had reached me, making me a mess of emotions. Love him, hate him. I had it all. I wanted to press myself hard into the wall behind me, hoping that he would give up and leave. But there was no luck for me tonight. His stature moved with ease as he came closer, amusement filled his eyes. He reached to the lanyard that laid on Marty's stomach, tugging her into the light. There was no surprise on his face, the humour had gone as well.

  “I expected better from you my dear.”

  Crud balls.

  “She is but a child and knows no better, but you, you are over two hundred years old and understand how this world works. You should be her guide and help her, not hinder her.”

  “You would have.” I pushed him off her. “There was enough women here to accommodate you so don't be getting high and mighty on her.”

  William turned to me and looked at me with disappointment then turned back to Marty. “We won't discuss this again Martine, but heed this warning. I will not be so lenient if you cross me again. Go back to your quarters and take your brother with you.”

  Nothing more was said until the door clicked closed, William turned to me. “They always accommodate all of the elders regardless of whether the women are needed or wanted. I never asked for them, they just provide in case I happen to change my mind. What did I do to deserve this? What made you think that I would betray you?”

  “They said that no men come in here as feeders because none of you are gay.”

  “They?” He frowned with the whisper.

  I jiggled the lanyard at him.

  “You believe drunken women?”

  “They seemed pretty sober to me. I asked if it was like some orgy in here and they said it was. What am I expected to believe? The prettiest women get picked to come in here, the woman that runs this thing says that it's more than just feeding. Come on, tell me. Tell me you've never had a woman in here.”

  I flinched when his hand reached for my face, his fingers traced over the tears that were flowing. A drop froze onto his finger as he turned it over and crazily, he lifted the skimpy dress I was wearing. He dropped the tear of ice onto one of my scars and then punctured his finger with one of his fangs, letting a drop of blood fall onto the scar. The smell of it filled the air around us, swiftly I grabbed it and sucked the blood. I craved his blood, it was like nothing I had ever had. It was better than Adrian's or the woman that we fed from earlier. His other hand traced over the skin of my stomach, he looked up at me from under his eyebrows. The defences were down as he looked at me with a smouldering gaze of lust. I was a goner.

  “I have never had a woman in here. While we are on the subject, I have never had a man in here either. Why are you drinking?”

  His hands cupped around my jaw, holding me to look up at him. “Please don't drink my love, I couldn't stand the thought that I caused you such pain that I drove you to it. If you doubt me then tell me so that I can put your mind to rest. If you want to be beside me then say so, there was no reason that you could not have come here with me. I did not offer it because I knew you would find it boring. Hell, even I find it boring. You do not need to play detective to know what I do. There are no secrets any longer, what I have, what I do and who I am has been laid bare for you to see. I made a mistake with my choice this afternoon but I thought that I had fixed it. Did I not fix it sufficiently for you? Did I not feed as you asked?”

  I nodded sadly as the tears continued. He sighed and rested his forehead against mine, looking into my sad eyes as his hands washed down my neck and rested on my shoulders.

  “What is making you so sad?”

  “I forgot all reason. All I could see was those bimbos giggling as they prettied themselves, readying to come in here. And I knew that you were in here and it became like an obsession that I had to know. I wanted to be angry at you so that it wouldn't hurt so bad when they finally take me away because they are going to, aren't they? They aren't going to give up until they have me.”

  William said nothing, the darkness hid his expression. I wished he would say something like, don't be silly, they'll give up after a while. But he didn't.

  “That's why we're on the run, aren't we? You knew the house wouldn't hold up to the fae army, right?”

  “One man's powers are no match for an entire army, regardless of how old or how powerful he is.”

  He sighed painfully, pulling me into his embrace. “We were going to make a pit stop at Nick's apartment just for the night because I knew we would not make it here in one night. Of course you know how well that plan worked. It was always intended that we would come here. There is nothing that can penetrate this place without Dimitri's permission and of course the collective power of the vampires here.”

  I lifted from his chest and wiped the tears as I frowned at him. Not that it would do any good, I think it was far too dark for it.

  “So every vampire has come here, just to protect me? That's ludicrous.”

  “No, that is the power that the elders hold. They ask, they get. More so when all five ask. And besides, what vampire wouldn't come to a place that's known as the biggest party house on the planet?” He grinned. “Come on you crazy woman, I'm tired and rather sick of this room.”

  He wrapped his arm around me as we moved to the door. “Personally I have never liked the concept of this room. I come in here and sit on the lounge, have my feed and then pass them off to someone else.”

  William chuckled as he opened the door,
grinning at me. “I don't think they are ever impressed. They think they've struck gold and all they get is short changed.”

  “You must have such a great reputation.”

  He looked down at me, narrowing his eyes to long thin slits as a grin slicked across his face.

  “A reputation for gifting, yes I suppose so. I'm sure Elias is more than capable to accommodate their needs. He likes to think he is such a ladies man then four of them should not be a bother.”

  I giggled as I wrapped my arms around him, thinking at how easily I had come out of this situation. It was wrong, I deserved worse. I stopped and let my arms fall around me, looking up at him sadly.

  “Why didn't you yell at me or get angry?”

  William stopped and looked at me, worry etching into his beautiful features.

  “Why did I get away with being distrustful so easily?”

  He sighed as he stepped closer, taking my hands into his. “Because I understand that this is something that you are not used to. Have you had a relationship before? No, you haven't. Have you had a boyfriend before? No, you haven't. You are venturing into new territory here, all while running to save your life. It would be wrong of me to be so harsh as to take the other direction with the situation. You are scared and confused, you are in a new place that is scary with people that you hardly know. And like you said, you were faced with two women who you knew were entering an area that is used for the purpose you think it is designed for. There are no lies here Mary, I may not venture down that path but the others do. You were right to think like that in the sense that you knew it's true purpose and you do not completely know me yet. With time you will learn and understand me, with time such actions would be frowned upon and yes in the future a fight may ensue if you were to carry out such actions again. But like I said to you, you are always welcome to join us in the meetings if you choose. You are always wanted by my side because this...” He held up one hand that was still holding mine “This is what I need, you by my side forever.”