by V. Vaughn
“No,” I say. I make eye contact with each man. “I will learn control.”
“You will,” says Tadhg with conviction. When he notices the skeptical look on Alexander and Des’s faces, he says, “It can and will be done.”
“How?” asks Des. “We’ve never had a shredder who could.”
Alexander shakes his head. “We could banish her to the island.”
“No!” barks out Tadhg. “We start from the beginning.” He pauses for a moment. “Next time, we control it by bringing the human to her. She’ll be restrained.”
“Ah,” says Alexander as his expression lightens with his realization. “Okay.”
Tadhg looks at me. “We have to break you down to a primal level.” His fist slams hard into his palm, and I think he may not have been joking about beating me. “This will be the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do.”
I nod because I have no choice. I’m not the kind of princess who would do well banished to the ivory tower of my island, and I can’t go on a feeding rampage once I’m around humans either. Besides, the moment word got out I was a shredder, any respect I have would be gone.
We all turn when my father and Sebastian appear in the doorway. I expect to see disappointment on their faces, but I don’t. Dad says, “Tadhg.” Anger flashes in his eyes. “What the hell was that?”
Tadhg bows his head. “My apologies, King.”
I frown. I know this is how it needs to be, but I don’t like that Tadhg is being blamed for my weakness. I look at Sebastian, but his face is expressionless. I suppose that’s good because I’m not sure if seeing compassion would have been better. I say, “I’m sorry I failed you, Father.”
He nods at me and holds out his hand. “Let’s go home.”
I take Dad’s hand, and he squeezes my fingers as he looks at me with compassion. The urge to cry is strong, but I shake it off and squeeze his hand back. Dad and I lead the way as Des and Tadhg follow us, and I feel as if I’m a puppy with my tail between my legs for disappointing my master. Most of my life, new tasks have come easy for me. I never had trouble in school, could handle any athletic endeavor I chose, and even was able to make people like me if I chose. But being a vampire isn’t nearly as simple. It seems each new challenge is harder than the last. So far, I’ve managed to win. But from the sound of it, this time, I might lose.
Chapter 7
Maggie
From the darkness at the edge of the forest, I watch a car shake as the two occupants do what lovers do in a remote area. The scent of their blood fills my nose, and even though I have the desire to feed, it’s as painless as human food cravings, and I don’t make a move. Robert had me imagine putting a blanket over my bloodlust and muffling the intensity. I’m sure the fact he was stroking my cheek when he made the suggestion means I’m under his mind control, but I like that it’s working. This is the first time I’ve felt as if I have some power over my vampire side.
I stand perfectly still as we wait. I gaze up at the sky and hope to see a shooting star so I can make a wish. I smile to myself as I wonder if vampires even get wishes.
“Very good, Maggie,” says Robert. “You’re exercising great restraint. When the lustful are done, we’ll go feed.” He chuckles softly. “When they wake up in a few hours, they’ll think they had the best sex of their life. Ah.” He sighs. “High school love.”
I refrain from commenting since this is not a line of discussion I want to have with him. I focus on my imaginary cuddly blanket and wrap my arms around myself as if it’s keeping me warm.
Suddenly Robert turns, and in a flash, he’s got Adly in a choke hold. And before I can get more than a small noise of surprise out, Adly’s unconscious.
“What did you do?” I whisper. I’m not alarmed, even though a tiny part of me is screaming in fear.
Robert says, “Adly’s taking a little nap during your training.” He gently lowers my friend to the ground, and I drop down next to him to see if he’s okay. He appears to be sleeping.
I squint at Robert. “You swear you didn’t hurt him?”
“Scout’s honor.”
“Like you were ever a Boy Scout,” I say.
Robert grins at me, and we hear a moan followed by a grunt coming from the car. Robert tilts his head toward the vehicle, and we creep our way over. He opens the door, and two startled people blink in the brightness of the dome light in the car. “What the hell?” asks the guy as he moves to put the girl behind him.
“Look at that, Maggie,” says Robert. “Chivalry is not dead.” In a flash, Robert grabs the boy by the neck and yanks him out of the car. The girl begins to scream, but she barely gets out a peep before Robert has her in his grasp too. He tucks them against his body as though they’re children and speaks in a soothing voice. “Be calm. This is all just a dream. You will only watch, and you won’t remember.”
The two teens nod, oblivious to the fact that their pants are around their knees and the girl is completely topless. “Good,” says Robert. “Now get dressed.” As the teens work at clothing themselves, he gazes at me. “Sweet or savory?”
“Sweet,” I say, as if it’s the most natural question in the world.
Once the girl is dressed, he steps beside her and tugs on her hair to pull her head back and expose her neck to me. He says, “Do you remember what it’s like to be human?”
I nod as my body trembles with desire. Robert says, “Treat her like a small kitten, and when you drink, savor her blood like a fine wine.”
I let out a small sigh as if he’s presented me with a delicious dessert I want to last forever. I inhale to fill myself with her scent before I latch onto her neck. My teeth sink into her skin easily, and hot liquid fills my mouth. I let it linger on my tongue, and a moan escapes me before I swallow it. My entire body is quivering with pleasure as if I’m on the brink of an orgasm. I break away to say, “My god, that’s amazing.”
“Yes.” He hands her to me, and I cradle her in my arms. She feels light with my vampire strength. “Enjoy it, my dear,” he says. “There’s no rush.” I suckle on the girl more until Robert touches my shoulder. “Stop, Maggie.”
I pull back with a small whimper.
“Feel this? The way she’s relaxed even more?”
“Yes.”
“This is your cue to stop. She’s lost consciousness, and that means she’s very vulnerable. If you take any more blood, she could die.”
“Okay,” I say as I lower the fragile being to the ground. “But I’m still hungry.”
“I know.” He glances at the boy, who is standing in a trance. “I believe this young man would be willing to help you out.”
I repeat the ritual of feeding slowly and stop when the kid becomes unconscious. When I’m done, Robert and I place the teens in the backseat of their car in an embrace so that when they wake, they’ll think they took a nap.
Robert faces me and strokes a finger down my cheek. “You did very well tonight, Maggie. You will continue to remember how to feel this way, and you’ll remember everything that happened. Except for—” Robert leans in and whispers in my ear. “Neither of the Hart men can have you. You’ll be in great danger if they do.”
He releases me. As if a heavy fog has been lifted, my mind is suddenly clear. “Except for what?” I ask. I blink and wonder why I asked that question, then I realize I just fed on the two teens in the car we’re standing near. Panic tightens my chest for a moment before I also remember what else happened with Robert. I stare at him as a realization hits me. “You aren’t always evil.”
He chuckles as I think about how amazing having control of my vampire feels. Could learning to feed really be that simple? I recall something Sebastian told me the first time I had my mind controlled. I say, “I thought your effects could only last for a few hours. Yet you told me I’ll remember how to feed this way again.”
“I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do for more than a few hours after I’ve touched you, but when it’s something you want,
it will last much longer.” Robert walks with me toward the woods, where he hoists Adly over his shoulder.
“But not forever,” I say. So much for the good version of Robert. I knew there had to be a catch. “So to stay in control of my bloodlust, we’ll have to do this again?”
Robert smiles at me and licks his teeth slowly before he says, “It would be my pleasure.”
I shiver as if I’m his prey, but my life isn’t what I fear. It’s the way I’m filled with kind emotions for him. The kind that make me want to be in his company again. Brush scratches at my legs as we walk, and I frown because I know I shouldn’t want to see Robert again. I think about the sleeping kids in the back of their car. They’re going to wake up without any knowledge of what happened to them. I wonder how long it will take for me to get to the point I can feed like that without mind control. I ask, “How many more times?”
We’ve reached a small path, and Robert sets Adly down with a thump. “It’s different with everyone, but you did so well tonight, I can’t imagine it would be more than a couple of hunts.”
That doesn’t sound so bad—What is wrong with me? Sebastian will freak about this as it is, and I bet Alexander won’t be impressed either. I don’t even want to tell Adly. I gaze at my friend sleeping peacefully and wonder if I have to. “I’m going to have to think about it. I really should get back.”
“Of course. I’ll look for you on the rocks.” Robert lets out a sigh as he smiles at me, and he takes my hand and kisses the back of it. “Till me meet again.” He then barks out, “Adly,” and disappears in a split second.
I watch my friend scramble to his feet in confusion. Adly asks, “Maggie?”
In a flash, I decide to keep what happened tonight a secret for now, and I step toward him. “That tree you hit did a number on you. Are you okay?”
He reaches up to touch his forehead as he frowns. “I hit a tree?”
I nod as I touch his hairline. “You did, but it’s already healed. I suspect you’ll be fine in a minute.”
“Huh.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I know I’m being a brat wanting to play with the big kids. I didn’t mean to give you such a painful chase.” I swallow hard as if I’m struggling to control myself. While the scent of the teens is faint, I think it’s best if I pretend it’s affecting me. I clench my fists. “Adly?”
He sniffs and nods as he grips my arm tightly. “Let’s get you back before you get into trouble.”
“Right.” But it’s already too late.
Chapter 8
Maggie
A bird lets out a shrill call as I lead Adly back to the mansion along a path in the woods. I ask, “Are you going to tell the Harts I ran after them tonight?”
“That depends. Are you going to do something that foolish again?”
“No.” I glance back at Adly.
He smiles. “Then we’ll say we went cliff hopping.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” Adly chuckles. “I can’t believe I ran into a tree and knocked myself out. I think I lost a few minutes of time too.”
“Thanks. What’s the last thing you remember?”
“I smelled humans and was afraid you might have stumbled on them.” We’ve reached the street where the glow of lampposts adds a yellow cast to the sky, and Adly walks beside me. “Then what I remember jumps to when you were telling me about my accident.”
“You didn’t lose much time,” I say. I think of a story for him quickly. “I heard you behind me and did a zigzag thing to try to keep you from catching me. That’s about when you hit the tree.”
“Oh. Good.”
When we get to the lawn, the front door of the mansion opens, and Lyndsey and the king walk out followed by the rest of the men they brought with them. Adly asks, “Good hunt?”
Lyndsey gives us a stony stare as the king answers, “One of the best.”
I want to ask Lyndsey how she did, but her expression makes me think it didn’t go well, so I don’t say anything as we pass. I notice the vampire who flirted with me earlier, but he doesn’t even make eye contact. They’re a strongly somber bunch for vampires who just fed.
When we get inside, I glance at Adly in confusion and see he’s frowning too, but he shakes his head as if to let me know not to ask. Not that I would, because I’ve got a bigger concern. My stomach flips at the thought of seeing Alexander again. While I’m sure my love for him hasn’t wavered, I’m not so sure about his feelings for me. When I saw him for the first time in months earlier tonight, he kissed me as if he’d missed me as much as I’d missed him. But then he took off on a hunt with the princess.
The image of Lyndsey and Alexander joking around burns in my memory. I shake my head at myself and follow Adly inside the study. I find Alexander instantly, and when he notices me, he gives me a big smile and opens his arms. “Maggie.” Relief fills me as he lets out a sigh, and I walk over to embrace him. “It’s been a long night.”
I pull back to gaze up into his eyes. “What happened?”
“Nothing that matters right now.” Alexander lowers his voice. “I feel like it’s been years since we’ve been alone.”
My body warms up with the rush of my love for him. “It feels that way for me too.”
His eyes dance with mischief. “Let’s get out of here.” He releases me and takes my hand to lead me out of the room.
“Good night, Margaret,” says Sebastian.
I realize we’re being rude, and I look over my shoulder to say, “Good night, Sebastian.” I study his face for a moment and am happy to see that Sebastian appears to have made peace with the knowledge that I want to be with Alexander instead of him. I glance over at Adly and say, “Thanks again.”
“Anytime, Maggie,” says Adly with a wink before Alexander and I are out of the room.
Alexander squeezes my fingers. “You’ve never been to my room, have you?”
“No,” I say, and I grip his hand tighter. My excitement is laced with a bit of fear as our footsteps thud softly up the stairs. We turn to the left and go down the hallway.
“Nervous?”
I chuckle. “Yes.”
Alexander puts his arm around my shoulders. “Don’t be, Maggie. I have no expectations. All I want to do is talk so we can get to know each other again.”
He doesn’t think he knows me? My heart sinks. Oh god. I was right to be afraid. The moment I saw Alexander again, I knew I still loved him as much as I did before I was changed, but apparently, he didn’t have that same rush of clarity. I remember that Sebastian said Alexander and I needed time to explore our feelings. Did the brothers talk about this? I shake off my negative thoughts before I have a total freak-out. “Okay,” I say.
We stop, and Alexander opens a door on the left. I notice the layout is similar to my suite as we enter into a sitting area. Only instead of my bright white, this room is dark wood with touches of forest green and burgundy. Two decanters of amber liquid are on a side table along with a pair of glasses. For two. The idea that he invites other vampires into his room makes anger begin to simmer.
“Would you like a drink?” asks Alexander.
“Sure.” I can’t help myself when I imagine Lyndsey drinking out of the glass I’m about to use. I see them kissing in my mind— I ask, “Do you entertain in your bedroom often?”
Alexander chuckles. “Someone’s jealous.” He hands me a glass.
“Or no longer naive,” I say as I begin to squint in anger. “I realize you come from a time when women were like property. I don’t.” I take a swig of my drink, expecting a bitter taste, and am surprised when I realize it’s the sweet brandy Sebastian knows I prefer.
Alexander smiles. “Like it?”
“How did you know?”
“I asked. I like to think I’ve changed with the times, Maggie. There hasn’t been anyone else in a long time.”
“Oh.” I take another sip of my drink to help swallow down my embarrassment as it occurs to me that he brought the brandy an
d glass up to his room for me, and I’m being foolish.
“I know it’s been hard for you to have me stay away, Maggie, but it was for the best,” says Alexander. “Changing is a very tumultuous time and not something you should combine with a new love.”
“Love?”
Alexander lowers himself to the sofa. “Love.” He pats the cushion next to him for me to sit too. “But we have decades to talk about that. Let’s catch up. You must be eager to hear about your mother.”
“I am,” I say as I sit with a lighter heart now, and I tuck a foot under me so I can face him. “Where is she? What’s she doing? Does she hate me?”
“Whoa.” Alexander grins and takes my hand.
“Sorry.” I give him a sheepish look.
“I can’t disclose her location to you yet, but she’s in a lovely cottage on the ocean.”
I smile as I recall my mother’s standard wish for birthdays, shooting stars, and the Thanksgiving wishbone was living in a house by the water. “Thank you for giving her that. I hope it’s softened the blow of what her life has become.”
“I think it has.” Alexander turns my hand over, and tiny shocks of pleasure tingle under my skin as he traces lines in my palm. “You know your mother. She’s not one to let things get her down. She’s still working as a nurse too.”
“At a hospital?”
Alexander shakes his head. “She’s a visiting nurse now and driving to clients in a fancy new car as well.”
“Really? What did you get her?”
“She refused a sports car, saying it would be horrible in the snow, so we got her a Lexus SUV.” He releases me to grab his drink.
“A Lexus? Wow.” While that sounds like a dream come true, I know my mother would choose me over it all. At least the human me. I ask, “Does she hate me for what happened?”
“No, Maggie. She worries about you and hopes that some day she’ll be able to spend time with you again. But she’s never hated you for something you didn’t choose.”
