by V. Vaughn
He chuckles as he backs away. “Black lingerie.” He scans my body with an exaggerated lecherous gaze. “Naw, white. It better suits the good-girl thing you’ve got going on.”
I flash my vampire at him in a good-natured warning. “Go!” I hear his laughter through the door as he moves to my sitting room to wait for me.
I go to my closet and pull out the emerald-green silk blouse Adly was talking about. It’s a halter style I used to favor because it hid my heart-transplant scar. I glance down at my chest where the scar has magically been erased by my new state. I drag my finger along where it used to be and think about the heart in my body. It’s Elizabeth’s, but the piece of her I got when I was changed died along with my human life. What if I need my real heart to actually be connected to Alexander? Silky fabric is smooth in my fingers as I grab the blouse and go to my dresser to find underwear.
What if Alexander and I were nothing more than a fling? My chest tightens as I begin to get more afraid. It’s not as though he’s been desperate to see me for the past two months. He never flirts with me in texts, and those are sporadic at best. I’ve told myself he’s been busy making sure my mother is okay, but how much time can setting up a woman in hiding take?
I search for the style of bra I can wear under the halter and realize the only one I have is black. I suppose that’s appropriate because I’m far from the naive girl that first came to Port Porpoise. The scent of the woman I fed on comes back to me as I grab underwear to match. Yeah. My good-girl image is long gone. I hope whatever I had with Alexander isn’t gone along with it.
Chapter 3
Lyndsey
I let out a scream as I slam my foot into the chest of my trainer, Desmond. He flies across the room and hits the stone wall so hard I hear bones crack. I’d be concerned about the damage I just inflicted if it weren’t for the fact this is a daily occurrence. For both of us. “Sorry, Des.”
He stands up and snaps his arm into place. “Don’t be.” He grimaces. “A little help with my back, please?”
I walk over and drag my finger down his sweaty spine until I find a disk that’s out of place. I shove it back in with my thumb, and it lets out a loud pop. “So that’s five times in a row I’ve beaten you,” I say. “Call me cocky, but I think I’ve gotten the hang of this.”
“You are cocky. But it fits you, Princess,” says the vampire, who was turned over one hundred years ago.
I’ve had to get used to being called Princess Lyndsey or Princess. It’s actually a term of respect that vampires are required to use around me. When I was human, I’m pretty sure no guy that ever knew me would have dared called me such a thing. I made the mistake of telling Des that once, and now he uses it to tease me. “Careful,” I say. “I’m not above whipping your bony old butt again.”
Des smiles at me because me calling him old is about as appropriate as him saying I act like a high-maintenance girl. Des was changed when he was in his late twenties, and he has a body that rivals my old friend Aiden’s. If he could be in sunlight, I have no doubt Des would rock bleached-blond hair and tan skin too. He says, “I’m afraid my daily whippings are over for now.”
“I’ve graduated?” I ask with hope in my voice.
He nods. “Now you get to move to mainland excursions to learn control.”
I sigh because taming bloodlust won’t be as easy or fun as learning to fight. While my royal blood makes it easier for me to resist temptation than most vampires, I’m told learning to feed without killing isn’t. There are many vampires on this island who are not allowed to leave because they never mastered it. However, I have no choice. Not only do I have to learn control, but I’d better excel at it to keep my reputation as being extraordinary intact.
Des flips a lock of hair out of his eyes with a jerk of his head the way Aiden does, and I spend a moment thinking about my human crush. I wonder what he’s up to now, and perhaps once I learn control, I’ll be able to see him again.
“Deep thoughts?” asks Des.
I shake my head at myself because I shouldn’t be thinking about a guy I’ll never be able to have. Especially because Aiden wasn’t even attainable before I became a vampire. “I was just trying to imagine feeding on a human. I’ve never done it.”
Des lets out a low moan. “It’s amazing. Once you do it, you’ll wish you didn’t have to drink bagged blood ever again.”
“Yeah?”
He nods. “Trust me. It’s almost better than sex.”
I did know that feeding on a human was addictive. That’s why the Hart brothers started a blood-bank business. Sebastian and Alexander are huge proponents of trying to keep peace between vampires and humans. They imagine that one day, new vampires will live off bagged blood and never have to endanger human life. I’m definitely behind them on the idea, but I’m not as optimistic. Vampires live in an underground world where the desire for pleasure tends to win.
I reach my hand out to help Des up. “I’m going to miss you. I hope my next trainer is as much fun as you’ve been.”
“Who is it?” Des grips my fingers tight as he stands.
“Tadhg.”
He smiles at my poor pronunciation, and he repeats it with the Gaelic accent.
I try again, making the gh sound softer like in the word “plague.” “Ti-gue.”
“Aye. That’s better,” he says, laying on the brogue. “You’ll get it, Princess.” Des leads the way out of the gym, and I take a sip from my water bottle as we walk down the hall. He says, “Tadhg’ll do right by you. He’s been at this a long time.”
“How old is he?”
“He was turned at around age thirty back in the late eighteen hundreds.”
I nod as I imagine Tadhg may have been one of the first to come to America and experience a hard life as both a human and a vampire. It makes me wonder how much fun he’s going to be. The vampires I’ve met who have been around since the beginning tend to dismiss me as naive. I’m willing to bet Tadhg won’t have much patience for me either.
We reach the main level of the castle, and Des and I part ways. I wander over to check in with Victoria. Her office door is open, and she’s on the phone when she glances up and sees me in the doorway. She waves me in as she says, “I’ll be sure to tell him. Bye.”
I plop down in the chair across from her desk. “I graduated with high honors.”
“Of course you did.” She frowns for a second. “How beat up is Desmond?”
“And you said you don’t have a thing for him.” I chuckle because Des definitely likes Victoria, and she brushes him off whenever he tries to get her to spend time with him.
“I never said that,” she says. “Desmond is a love-them-and-leave-them kind of guy. If I’m going to get involved, I need someone who will stick around for a while.”
“Smart,” I say as I lift my water bottle to take a sip. “You’re torturing him, you know.”
She gives me a coy smile, “Good. Maybe he’ll smarten up.”
“You’re evil.”
She chuckles. “Enough about my love life. When would you like to start working with Tadhg?”
Aiden’s laugh comes to mind, but I push it away since he’s not a valid reason to get back to the mainland. “As soon as possible. I’m feeling a little stir-crazy on the island.”
“I get it. That’s why I leave to go for a manicure, shopping, and a good feed.” Victoria is one of the vampires who would hate to see feeding on humans banned. Of course, she’s also the type to do it responsibly. She says, “I’ll give him a call and let you know when he’s ready to start.”
“Great.” I stand up to leave. “Thanks.”
“Lyndsey!” my father calls out as he enters Victoria’s office. “Just the vampire I’d like to see.”
“Hey, Dad. I’m free to surf, if that’s what you wanted.”
He plops down on the sofa, and I notice he’s dressed in all black. “I ran into Desmond, and he says you’re ready to hit the mainland for your first feed.”
/> “That’s what they tell me.”
Dad pats the cushion next to him for me to sit. “Great. I know it’s short notice, but I’ve got a hunt planned if you want to tag along. I bet I could get the Harts to join us.”
I join him on the couch and twist to face him. “Don’t I need training first?”
“Naw. You’re an O’Kelly.”
Since I was told my bloodline doesn’t award me any favors when it comes to feeding with control, I glance over at Victoria and hope she can help me. She says, “I’ll make sure Tadhg goes along.”
Considering I trust the Hart brothers and that Sebastian was my creator, I’m sure I’m in good hands. “What time should I be ready?”
“Go get dressed.” Dad stands up and tilts his head toward the door. “We’ll wait.”
I notice the sound of quite a few vampires joking around outside the office door, and I shake my head. Perhaps I shouldn’t have handled killing Liam so easily. Because apparently, I’m going to have an audience for this too, but I’m not nearly as confident I won’t come across looking like a fool.
When I make my way back after changing, the hunting party is restless, and I’m not even down the stairs when they begin to leave the castle. Everyone moves quickly, and as I glance around at the small crowd my father has gathered for the hunt, it strikes me we look like a cliché. All of us are dressed in black and have pale skin, vivid eyes, and striking heads of hair. Except for the vampire I heard someone call Tadhg. The man’s head is clean-shaven, and I suspect he does it to look intimidating. It works.
Icy air blows around us as we gather on the dock. This isn’t the pier I recall from the night I arrived. It’s on the other side of the island and has slips for numerous boats. There are two cigarette boats, an expensive fishing boat, and a large yacht one would expect to belong to a billionaire.
Apparently, we’re going in style because two men appear on the deck of the yacht, and one calls out to my father, “Everything is set.”
Desmond holds out a hand to help me aboard. “Have you ever been on a boat like this?”
I nod. “A few times. There are plenty of trust funders who work in the resort world.”
“C’mon,” he says. “Let’s hit the bar.”
I’m sure I’m going to need to be functioning at one hundred percent, so I say, “I’m good. I’ll catch up to you later.”
I turn to discover I’m face-to-face with Tadhg. Since he knows who I am, I take the opportunity to address him. “Do you have any words of wisdom for me tonight?”
“You’re going to fail.” He brushes past me to enter the main cabin, and like a dutiful puppy, I follow him. He may not be fun like Des, but I have no doubt I need his valuable lessons. I prepare myself for an evening of defeat and vow to handle it with O’Kelly style.
Chapter 4
Maggie
“Margaret, you look lovely,” says Sebastian once I’ve entered the study. “How are you feeling?”
Like I’m going to be sick. My stomach is a mess with the mix of my emotions because I’m both excited and scared to see Alexander. “I’m okay.”
“I know this has been hard for you.” Sebastian looks at me with concern. “Taking a life is devastating, but I’m not sure you did.”
“What?” I flash to the memories of the two people who haunt me. I’m absolutely sure I fed on them, and since I don’t have control of my bloodlust, I can’t imagine how I didn’t kill them.
“Come. Have a drink with me,” he says, and he leads me over to the sitting area. “I’m having a whiskey.” He goes over to the bar. “Or would you prefer a B&B?”
I recall the sweet brandy Sebastian has given me in the past and say, “A B&B would be nice. Thank you.”
A cork pops as he pulls it out of a bottle, and when he hands me my drink, the strong odor of alcohol wafts up my nose. “Sebastian, I appreciate your willingness to give me the benefit of the doubt, but I’m positive I fed on those people. I scrubbed blood off my face.”
“I believe you did feed on them.” Sebastian lowers himself to sit on the couch across from me. “But I think you had help.”
“Help?” I take a swig of my brandy, and it burns as I gulp it down. I rack my brain for any memory of someone else. “No. I can’t remember anyone other than the two people.”
Sebastian says, “We didn’t find any bodies, and Adly tells me you don’t remember a portion of the morning. Is that true?”
I nod. “But couldn’t that be because I suffered a traumatic event?”
“Yes,” Sebastian says. “That’s certainly possible. But without bodies, I don’t think you went on a bender.”
Relief rushes through my veins like a soothing elixir, and I let out a sigh as I close my eyes for a moment to soak up the good news. When I look at Sebastian again, he leans forward and sets his drink on the coffee table with a thud. He gives me a serious look. “I think Robert got to you.”
My chest tightens. “Robert.” I recall the way Sebastian’s enemy controlled my mind and left me sleeping against a gas pump without any memory of it. We think it was a warning to Sebastian. “So you think he was with me to mess with you again in some way. But why would he keep me from killing? That doesn’t make sense.”
“Robert has more than the ability to wipe your memory. He can also let you remember only what he wants you to remember.”
“Wow. So he wanted me to think I’d actually killed those people even though I didn’t.” I shake my head. “But what’s the purpose of that other than to be cruel?”
“Perhaps he wanted me to think that you killed people.” Sebastian takes a slow sip of his drink and savors it while I resist the urge to tap my foot with impatience. He says, “You know about our blood business, but what you don’t know is that Alexander and I would like to change the way vampires feed. We’re trying to have it put into law that new vampires who haven’t experienced feeding on a human never learn to.”
I chuckle. “Right. Like you’re going to stop vampires from attacking people.” I recall the rush of pleasure that comes with the memory of when I fed on a live being. “Isn’t the high supposed to be better than crack?”
“I don’t expect to stop anyone who already has fed.” He grins. “Even I don’t want to give it up. The goal is to keep new vampires from ever needing it.”
I frown because it’s a pretty lofty goal that would take more than a few centuries to make an impact. “You don’t really expect it to happen, do you?”
Sebastian sits back on the couch and studies me for a moment. “You’ve just spent a good part of a week in bed because you can’t handle the aftermath of killing.”
“So?”
“How does bagged blood taste to you now?” I scrunch up my face as I think about how unpleasant the flavor has become now that I associate it with my guilt. Sebastian offers me a wry smile. “That’s because you’ve tasted it warm and fresh from a body. It’s the difference between filet mignon and chuck steak, only multiplied. But—” Sebastian gets up to pour himself more whiskey, and liquid gurgles as he speaks. “If you’d never had it, you wouldn’t know what you were missing.”
“Forbidden fruit is too tempting, Sebastian.”
“Apt analogy, Margaret. But imagine if you never had to worry about the anguish of taking a human life as well.”
This past week has been hell, and I would have been glad to avoid it. “I see your point. I assume Robert wants nothing to do with this?”
“Exactly. He thinks of it as a way to let the cream rise to the top.” Sebastian sips his drink. “Not everyone has the strength to coexist with humans in a way that doesn’t draw attention to us.”
A chill runs down my spine, and I ask, “What happens to those who can’t?”
“If they have value, we find a way to keep them secluded. If they don’t—” Sebastian shrugs. “Then we let them realize the death they were originally destined for.”
I think about how I used to matter to Sebastian because he was ho
ping Elizabeth, his soul mate, would come back to him through my donated heart. But she didn’t while I was human, and now she is gone forever. Now I seem to be nothing more than a vampire who can’t get it together, a reminder of what Sebastian can’t have, and a pawn in Robert’s evil games. “So what will happen to me if I can’t learn control?”
He smiles at me. “My dear, you have value. I wouldn’t have turned you into a vampire if you didn’t.”
“But that’s because you hoped for Elizabeth.”
Sebastian shakes his head. “While I’m sure that was part of my impulsive decision, you have become important to me, Margaret. And you’re very important to someone else.” He glances down at his watch. “He should be here soon.”
I’m almost afraid to ask in case I jinx it. “Alexander?”
“Yes. I believe you have overcome enough of your change that you and Alexander can now explore your relationship and determine its potential.”
I frown because Sebastian doesn’t sound confident his brother and I are soul mates. My fears are valid, and I bite my lip as I contemplate what my life will be like if Alexander doesn’t want to be with me. I glance over at Sebastian’s desk and see shipping boxes stacked on the floor. I get up to go to them, and when I get there, I recognize the return label on the boxes. Print books for Kitty were delivered.
“How long have these been sitting here? I ordered them for you weeks ago.” The old wooden desk drawer creaks as I pull it open to get a box cutter. It occurs to me that Sebastian has been doing everything by himself lately.
“Margaret, you don’t have to do that.”
“I’m afraid I do, Sebastian. You haven’t had Bertha here since I returned, and Alexander has been gone. I imagine you’ve had your hands full.” Tape pops as I yank a box open.
Sebastian comes over to me, and he reaches down to pull out books. “You’re nervous.”
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be? You just told me Alexander might be nothing more than a fling and if I can’t learn to control my bloodlust, I’ll be secluded.”
