“Do you have your medication?” her mom asked in a sing-song voice.
“Yes.”
“Are there bees in Paris?” Her mom’s brows were raised.
Amber had to laugh. “Yes, mom. I’m sure they have bees.”
Her mom stiffened and she sucked in a breath. “You’ve got your EpiPens and will take your antihistamine? Don’t eat at any of those fancy restaurants. You know what could happen.”
“Yes, mom. I won’t eat any shellfish or peanuts and I’ll be sure to stay away from bees.” She took her mom’s hand. “I’ll be fine.”
“I’ve almost lost you four times.” Her mom’s eyes filled with tears. “You’re our only child.”
Oh boy! Here we go again. “Mom, it’s only two weeks. I’ll be back before you know I’m even gone.”
“You were a preemie and a sickly baby.” She’d only heard this a million, make that a billion, times. “You were only three years old. A tiny, little girl. I should never have given you peanut butter on your toast.” She shook her head, her eyes had that glazed over look as she thought back.
“Mom…it wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know I was allergic. Just like it wasn’t your fault when I was stung by a bee at seven and again at twelve.”
Bees loved her. They gravitated towards her and it was like they could smell her fear because they would sting her with zero provocation. She’d been stung numerous times over the years. Thankfully she always had an EpiPen at the ready. Never left home without one. So far, so good. They’d tested her for allergies after that first incident at three. She’d never tasted prawns, crabs or oysters but that couldn’t be helped. On the up side, she was still alive. The only downer was that she had never outgrown her allergies like some people normally did when they reach adulthood. She could still remember being forced to endure months of allergy shots in the hopes of building an immunity. A fruitless endeavor.
She looked her mom deep in the eye. “Please, don’t worry,” she said, squeezing her mom’s hand reassuringly.
Her mom nodded, the older woman’s lip wobbled. “Okay, dear. Be sure to phone and to write.”
“I’ll try...” She was not allowed to have contact with the outside world during the duration of her stay. Several planned abductions of some of the female participants had occurred and the organizers of The Program didn’t want a repeat. After hearing the full explanation, Amber could understand the precautions. “It might not be possible with the time difference.” It was a weak excuse but what the hell could she tell them?
“Call anytime, sweetheart. Day or night,” her dad chimed in.
“I’ll do my best,” she said, looking at the floor. Amber hated lying to her folks like this. They were smothering but they meant well.
“Just promise us that you’ll look after yourself and that you won’t leave your hotel without your meds.” Her dad frowned so hard that his face shrunk.
“I’ll be careful. You’ve got my list of instructions for the store?”
Her father nodded. “Yeah and the temp you organized arrives tomorrow. We’ll be fine…just take care of yourself. We love you.”
“I know, dad. I love you both very much. Please try and understand that I need to live my life. I need to do this.”
Her dad huffed. “We’ll try even though we are still struggling to understand it all.”
“We’ll miss you, honey.” Her mother pulled her into a hug.
Amber hugged both her parents one more time and then walked away. Pulling the suitcase behind her, she went out the front door of the house she grew up in and although her hands shook, she’d never felt more alive in her life.
****
Even though all of the vampire women they had seen so far were really beautiful with swimsuit model bodies, it seemed that vampire guys were more into curves. Thank god! This assumption was based on the women that had been selected.
“Hi, Amber. Good to see you again.” Bethany’s smile spanned from ear to ear as she walked up to where Amber was standing.
“Hi.” She waved a hand, her eyes still tracking the other women as they milled around the hotel reception. “What happened to the sweatpants and jeans from last week?” Amber mumbled almost to herself. She felt distinctly underdressed as her gaze roved around the room. They hadn’t looked like this at training. She was wearing a pair of black slacks and a turquoise blouse, too conservative and casual by comparison.
Bethany gave a giggle. She fiddled with the cups of her bra, readjusting them so that her breasts were even more out there in a low cut top. “It’s on. This is it, we have a week to make an impression. It’s twenty-five of us to ten of them. More than half will be going home.” Then she smoothed out her tight fitting capri pants. “You were at the training; vampires are sexual creatures, and you’ve seen how the vampire women dress. I plan on getting noticed early on.”
Amber didn’t own revealing clothing. One of the women walked past. Her dress was so short that it could pass as a top. It would be acceptable with a pair of leggings or tights…maybe…but not like that. There was another woman across from them who clearly wasn’t wearing a bra. There were nipples all over the place. Amber sighed. If that was the case, then she was out of the running before the games even began. Disappointment welled up in her but she pushed it down. To hell with it! Issy was right. She was worth it and awesome and special. She was a catch, and if the vampires weren’t willing to spend some time getting to know her, without her having to parade around like a piece of meat, then tough luck. It would be their loss.
However, not every woman in the room was dressed provocatively. To her relief, she finally noted that there were quite a number of ladies who were dressed sexy but reserved and even one or two in jeans and a t-shirt.
Her mother had always told her to be herself: If he doesn’t love you for you, then he’s not worth your time anyway.
Amber wanted to groan out loud. When she’d first wanted to shave her legs…her mom had said that to her. When she’d wanted to wear that short bubble skirt that was all the rage…same thing. When she’d gotten her heart broken by Brad ‘Freckles’ Fletcher, she’d heard it yet again.
“Attention please.” A tall, elegant woman waved her hand. She had beautiful dark hair and the most striking green eyes Amber had ever seen.
“Don’t worry,” Beth whispered, she touched her lightly on the arm to draw her attention. “You can go and change because the meet and greet isn’t for another two hours.” She glanced at her watch. Her eyes brightened up and she arched her brows. Amber wasn’t changing. She liked her outfit. It was her. The pants were comfortable. It didn’t hurt that they made her ass look smaller. Her blouse was sheer, showing the camisole underneath and just a tiny, teeny hint of cleavage. Sophisticated with just a hint of sexy. The turquoise blue looked good on her.
“Attention please,” the vampire woman repeated, louder this time. Everyone was still chatting and giggling.
Amber turned her full attention to the lady even though Bethany gripped her elbow. “I could come by your room and help you pick out something.”
She glanced at Bethany and gave a quick smile. “I’ll manage, thanks.” She turned back to the vampire.
“I’m Allison,” the woman said. She held a clipboard and pencil. “A couple of house rules. You’ve all attended training and a record of each of your contracts is on file.” She looked down at the paper and gave a tick. “You have all been assigned a room. Your room will be cleaned daily and all meals will be provided for. A detailed itinerary will be handed out at the end of this session. You will be expected to attend all functions and excursions without exception. The whole idea is that you get to know the vampire males. You will notice that there are gaps in the itinerary. During these gap times, you can relax here at the hotel.” She paused. “It is also an opportunity for one-on-one dates with our males.”
The chatter immediately picked up once again and Bethany gripped her arm and gave a soft squeal.
“Yo
u are welcome to ask the males out. You need not wait for them.” Yeah right! There was no way she was chasing any of the guys. She was old school like that. Then again, maybe that’s why she didn’t go out…ever. No! She couldn’t possibly ask a guy out. She just couldn’t. If a guy expected her to do the chasing then maybe he wasn’t for her.
“Please remember that you are not permitted to leave the hotel without a vampire escort. An acceptable escort would be either one of the Elite Ten or a guard. You are only permitted to date and have any sexual contact with one of the Elite Ten. All vampire males outside of the Ten are off limits.” She wrote something on the paper attached to her clipboard before looking back up. “All of you should be on a contraceptive.” Alison seemed to look pointedly at Amber.
Suddenly, the air in the room seemed to thin. Having to go and see Dr. Simons in order to get a pill prescription was one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do. Especially when he asked her if she planned on having sex and she had answered yes. There was no way a person could lie about a thing like that. Dr. Simons had been her physician since she was a baby. He knew everything about her and her medical history. The mortification had been all consuming because she might not even end up having sex at all.
“Your contraceptive should either be in the form of birth control pills or an injection. The reason for the contraceptive is to not only prevent unwanted pregnancy but also to ensure that you do not go into heat… I believe you humans call it…ovulation. The scent of a female in heat drives our males a little crazy. As a second precaution, it is required that condoms be worn during sex. This is without exception. The only time a male is permitted to ejaculate inside a female is if he intends on mating her.” Amber felt a little flustered. Suddenly the neckline on her blouse seemed a little tight and her armpits felt a little sweaty. She was really here, on vampire territory, about to meet a whole bunch of guys. All of whom wanted nothing more than to take a human wife and to make lots of vampire babies.
What would her parents say? They would never approve. Best she not think about that right now. She was living. This was it. She wanted to do this, for herself, regardless of what her parents would say or think.
Back to the vampire hunks. What if one of them actually wanted to have sex with her? What then? Would she be able to do it? He would need to be more than just good looking. He would need to be sweet and caring and would need to prove that he had feelings for her. Genuine, real feelings. It could never be just about the sex.
“Here, Amber.” Something was thrust into her hand.
“Um…what…?”
“It’s a box of condoms. We’ve all been issued them.” Bethany giggled. She read off the side of the box. “Ribbed for her pleasure and they’re a size extra-large.” She grinned, wide. “The rumors must be true.”
Amber looked down at the box in her hand. “What the hell am I going to do with a hundred condoms? I mean, seriously? We’ve all been issued a hundred condoms?”
“More than one rumor must be true.” Bethany winked. “They have big you-know-what’s and like to use ’em.” She winked again. Amber swallowed thickly before stuffing the huge box into her oversized purse.
Chapter 3
Without so much as taking his eyes off of Zane, Lance caught the box of condoms on reflex. He immediately tossed them back to the male. Zane casually glanced down at the box, as it bounced off his chest and landed on the floor with a solid bang.
“I’m good…thanks,” Lance quickly added, when he saw the look of reproach that tightened his king’s features. “I still have the last box issued before the previous round.”
Zane’s eyes narrowed.
“The box is still unopened and will stay that way.” Lance narrowed his own eyes, refusing to be intimidated. “I don’t need another one.”
“I don’t know how you survive.” Brynn made a groaning noise. “Surrounded by all of those lush females and not so much as tempted to touch even one.” He held up a finger.
Kai chuckled. “Lance rutted more females in the first heat than most of us will see in a lifetime. He was all rutted out by heat two.” He raised his brows before continuing. “Thing is, you should be ready to get back into the game by now…surely?”
Lance had to bite back a response he’d regret. It was his business what he did, when he did it and who he did it with. His fucking business. It sure as hell wasn’t a game. Not for him.
“I, for one, plan on checking compatibility as soon as possible. It’s a pity that rutting on the first night is forbidden,” Brynn complained.
“Human females like to talk. They like it when a male shows interest in them first. Talk to a few of the females. If there is one that attracts your interest, then see about taking it further.” Zane let his focus wander about the room.
“They did mention that in training.” Brynn frowned. “It’s a very strange concept. It doesn’t matter how much I enjoy talking with a female, if we are not compatible then what’s the point? I would rather rut first and ask questions after.”
“You make a valid point. There is no reason to pursue a relationship if there is no compatibility. That’s the vampire way of thinking. Humans do not always feel the same though. Especially the females of the sex. Trust me, Brynn, talk with them this evening. There will be plenty of time for establishing compatibility.” He gave the male a slap on the back. “Also…” Zane smiled. “Trust me on this one…if you like a female, do not rut with others while you pursue her. If she finds out…” He shook his head. “It will be over before it even starts. They do not share well.”
“You mean even if we have not rutted? Even before there is a relationship?” Kai asked, confused.
Zane nodded. “If you are pursuing a female but not yet in a relationship, per se, you should avoid sex with others. This courting phase can take time. Some females will make a male wait…sometimes days, sometimes even weeks.”
One of the males cursed and another growled. “Weeks without rutting. Is that even possible?” Kai asked, his forehead creased with a deep frown.
“Not a fuck,” another male swore.
Zane chuckled.
“That can’t be healthy,” Brynn noted, looking appalled.
Zane shrugged. “You would not be at optimum strength but it is possible. It is not natural but you won’t die or suffer any ill effects. It will be taken into consideration when evaluating elite males but please be sure to disclose this information to your team leaders. Look”—he paused— “it’s up to you how you deal with the humans. All I am saying is that if you like one of them but continue to rut others and she finds out, then you will have no chance. Females like to feel special. They like the idea of a male caring so much that he is willing to abstain. To sacrifice his needs over hers.”
Brynn muttered a curse. “Thanks for that, my lord, you just ruined it for me.”
Zane, however, looked pointedly at Lance. “Do not fuck your way through the humans and expect one to welcome you with open arms.” He looked away for a second before looking back. “Do not fuck your way through the vampire females while courting a human and then expect any type of a future with her either because, if she finds out, and she will find out, it won’t happen. If you find one that draws you, by all that is red, stop and think. Commit to winning her. You need to be willing to sacrifice, to get on your fucking knees if you have to. Human females are not forgiving. They attach emotion to sex. Respect that and respect them and you will be fine. There will be females that throw themselves at you, but fate can be a bitch; she will make you want the female you can’t have.” He smiled. “All I can say is thank fuck that I’m mated. I would hate being in your shoes.”
Brynn nodded his head, glancing over at their king. “Makes sense. And because I want a mate, I will heed your words. A life partner and not just a good time. I can only pray that she is amongst the females in this heat.”
Lance rolled his eyes. “Relax, pup. This is the first round of your first heat. There is still time.”
“Out of curiosity, why have you stopped…interacting with the humans?” Brynn asked as he turned his gaze to Lance. Kai and Zane were also looking at him closely.
“Because everything our king just said is true.” He turned to Zane. “Are we done?” he asked, impatient for the conversation to be over.
Zane picked up the condoms and threw them back at Lance. Once again, his reflexes kicked in and he caught them.
“We are now.” Zane gave him a smirk. “I need to talk with you.” He held Lance’s gaze for a few beats. “The rest of you are excused.”
The others filed out. Zane waited until the last had left before turning to Lance. “I’m glad to see that things are going better with you,” his king said, keeping his voice low. “I was worried.” The male turned to face him. “It hurt me to watch you pining for a female you could never have.”
Fuck!
He didn’t want to have this conversation. Certainly not with Zane. Not again. The male might be a friend…one of his best friends, but he was still the king. Telling his king to go and fuck himself was not an acceptable thing to do. He used to be able to get away with outbursts like that but those days were long gone. There was a ton of water under that bridge. Maybe too much to ever get past it completely but he would try.
Zane’s eyes were dark. Their focus directed at him. “I know I fucked you up when I showed you those pictures of Stephany and her children. When I showed you her and the wolf playing happy fucking family, but it needed to be done.” He paused. “It was no coincidence that you reacted the way you did that day. Maybe I could’ve timed things a little better.”
Lance nodded. That was for fucking sure. Zane had showed him the pictures just before he had gone into a sparring session with his best friend, Griffin, and he’d ended up killing the male like a ruthless fuck. He’d cut his throat and without a moment’s hesitation.
Thank the gods the male had come back. Then again, it was Griffin, if anyone could come back from the dead, it was him. It still should never have happened and although he knew the male meant well, he wished Zane would stop his shit.
A Mate for Lance (The Program Book 5) Page 2
