The Dark Rose

by Ramsey, Valentine

  He grabbed her hand as a door banged open and the group of vampires from before strode out, the redhead glowering hard. Her nameless love distracted, Paul dragged her away.

  “We’ve been made,” he said, anxious. “We have to get you out of here immediately.”

  “Wait!”

  Pan glanced back as her jeweled eyed love chased after her. Don’t make this harder, she silently pleaded. Not more than it already is.

  Reaching the grand entrance, Danna and Isla pushed through the crowd. Skipping down the stairs, Pan looked back to see a cluster of vampires block him. He struggled to get through.

  “How will I find you?!” he yelled as Paul and Brighton pulled her faster, near carrying her down the stairs.

  “It was but a moment! You won’t!”

  He bellowed and forced through the crowd, disappearing from her view. Outside, near salvation, Danna and Isla ran for the car as Paul and Brighton near but dragged her as she kept looking back.

  One last glimpse of the love she would never have again was all she wanted. One last glimpse…

  Mustering all her will and spirit Pan prayed, Oh dark goddess of the night, please guide his feet in flight so I may see his angelic face once more before I am to live forever without ever knowing it again. Please at least, give this to me.

  Two huge vampires stepped in front of them and Paul and Brighton suddenly skidded to a halt. Thudding into Brighton’s back, Pan gasped, swallowing hard. One of the giants met her scared eyes, his black and full of malice.

  Brighton’s lips began to peel back in a snarl. Pan squeezed his hand. He would fight valiantly to the death for her, but he wouldn’t stand a chance against them. But then—a saving grace with a mischievous face.

  A vampire in a sleek gray suit and short stylish brown hair stepped out of the shadows, as if just appearing.

  “Leaving so soon?” he inquired with a hint of amusement. “And before your complementary gift no less.” He tisked. “We can’t have that.”

  Paul and Brighton tensed when he extended his arm to Pan, a silver necklace with a pendent of Gray’s crest dangling from his finger.

  He grinned wickedly, teeth flashing sharp. “You don’t want to flee without yours.”

  Pan hesitantly took it, knowing her eyes were wide in fear. “Thank you.”

  With a small smile of secret knowledge, he inclined his head and stepped away, blending back into the shadows. Rumbling growls, the other vampires backed off.

  “Come on!” Danna yelled, waving them to run.

  Still blocking her with their bodies, Paul and Brighton pulled Pan between them and ran for the car. Pan threw one last glance behind her, hoping, waiting, needing….

  Passing her off to Paul, Brighton ran to the driver’s side as Paul practically picked her up and tossed her in the front, slamming the door closed.

  “Go!” he said, jumping in the back.

  Disappointment filling her, Pan sunk in to the seat. She was so foolish. How could she love what she never had? And how could it hurt so bad?

  Brighton pealed out, tires spinning and spitting gravel. Movement drew her eye and her heart skipped a beat as her love never more, ran out leaping the steps. Pan pressed against the window as he watched them wiz past. She would like to imagine his disappointment was as great as hers.

  Pan watched until she could no longer see him. Sitting back in her seat, she closed her eyes. Thank you dark goddess, she thought. Pan pictured his face and sighed at the image of his roguish smile. At this moment, would she rather have lost then to never have had at all?

  Yes.

  Though she mustn’t be so pessimistic. The night had been full of magic, mystery and romance. Everything she had been wanting and more. Reaching the main road from the private entrance, the tires squealed hitting pavement. Brighton let out his breath.

  “Nothing like an inconspicuous get away,” Danna said, shoving his head forward.

  “I was so scared, I almost peed myself,” Isla said.

  “All we have to do is make it to Verona Blvd., and we’re safe,” Paul said. “This was a stupid idea.”

  “Are you kidding?” Pan said, smiling into the night. “It was amazing.”

  They all looked at her like she was insane. Who knows, maybe she was.

  After all she was in love with a Gray.

  + Chapter 7 +

  Hello Death, We’ve Met Before

  Gone like the wind like she had never been, he could simply stroll back inside, rejoining his party with the wild abandonment he hadn’t had before and pretend this night had never happened. Pretend she didn’t exist and that they hadn’t shared a kiss. Dom licked his lips, but they had and it was bliss.

  But it wouldn’t be him and it wouldn’t be true if he was to pretend that he wasn’t in love with the Princess of Rose, his once mortal enemy.

  “Can I stay here when my heart has gone forward?” Dom whispered to himself.

  Fierce determination swarmed him. He would never forget. He wouldn’t allow himself to. He had been damned the moment he looked into her large and innocent doe brown eyes. It was a damnation he welcomed.

  “Dominic.” Urijah strode from the shadows as thunder rumbled and lightning struck, illuminating him in its blinding flash. “That was too dangerous.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Dom said, staring intently in the distance. “Something as dangerous as she must be good.”

  Urijah rolled his eyes. “Word of order only holds sanguine vampires at bay for so long. If I hadn’t made it down before you, they would have torn them apart and spared no mercy for the Princess.”

  The fierceness in his eyes as he looked at his truest friend betrayed the lightness in his voice.

  “Then it’s lucky you did,” Dom said.

  “Dom,” Urijah said, exasperated. “If anyone had saw you with her and made the connection—it would have been mayhem and we don’t need any more blood on our hands, which if you remember, is exactly what you said we need be avoiding right now.”

  “I don’t want to hear your words of gloom and doom,” Dom said, irritated. “I have had the most—” He paused seeking the way to describe this sense of absurd, to describe her. An affinity of them came to mind, none good enough to render his divine. “The most fabled of nights,” he finished, sighing. “I won’t let you shatter that.”

  “Well, someone needs to. I mean for Christ’s sake, the Rose Princess? Are you looking for an early date with the grim reaper?”

  Dom flashed a smile. “I’ve already met the grim reaper. He doesn’t scare me.”

  Urijah groaned, closing his eyes and shaking his head. Dom looked into the night and it stared back at him waiting in anticipation for his decision. Run fast, dark shadow of dull earth, his mind whispered, and find your center.

  “You are completely—where are you running you light footed fool?!”

  Having no patience to be reprimanded over something he wanted with a desperation that made him feel like he was going to crawl out of his skin if he did not have her, Dom took off running, inescapable magnetism leading him.

  Turning to run backwards he yelled, “I’m going after her!” then took off in a blur.

  Skin fevered and flushed, an accomplishment for the dead and frozen vampire, Dom laughed as the rushing wind cooled him.

  “Dominic!” Urijah roared after him into the night. “You’re insane!”

  That he was.

  After all he was in love with a Rose.

  + Chapter 8 +

  Blood and Chocolate

  How was it with the discovery of love everything seemed more brighter and beautiful to the eye? Like now, staring out the window, the city lights resembled a million sparking fireflies. Thunder grumbled and Pan looked up into the luminescent night sky. Lightning struck, dazzling her eyes. In an instant a torrent of rain was unleashed from the heavens, the fireflies now a blur.

  Sighing, Pan looked ahead as Brighton flicked on the windshield wipers.

  “Oh no
,” he said, looking in the rearview mirror.

  “What?” But just then headlights flashed off and on.

  Pan looked around. She would recognize that monster truck grille guard and body kit anywhere. Andre. Oh no indeed. Couldn’t he make anything easy?

  “He must have been lying in wait,” Paul said.

  Isla looked scared. “You think he knows where we were?”

  “He’s Andre. He probably figured it out.”

  “What are you doing?” Pan demanded.

  Brighton had put on the blinker and was pulling off onto the shoulder of the road.

  “Getting in the submissive position and praying he won’t rip my throat out.”

  Pan shrieked. “You can’t!”

  “I am.”

  Pouting, Pan crossed her arms, glaring at him. “Coward.”

  “Damn skippy,” he muttered, but he still shrank back with guilt.

  Andre appeared at her door, hair dripping wet, his trench coat soaked. Bending, he knocked on the window. It whirred as Brighton lowered it a few inches. Andre needn’t speak, only glare. Pan sighed and rolled her eyes.

  Shoving the door open so it thudded into him, a red umbrella instantly popped open over her head. Andre bent again to glare at Brighton. He growled and they all sank back in fear. Slamming the door, Andre grabbed her arm, directing her towards the Hummer.

  Pan yanked out of his grip. “I can walk myself, thank you very much.”

  He growled again at her snooty tone. Head held high like the Princess she was, Pan ignored it. Opening the door for her, Andre took her hand to help her on the chrome assist step to get in. The vehicle was so huge she probably could have used a stepladder.

  Seated, still haughty, Pan smoothed her dress as Andre slammed the door. His eyes glowed with fury as he walked in front of the lights, trying to scare her with his glare. It was unfortunate for him she had no concept of fear.

  Getting in, Andre ran a hand through his wet hair, spiking it.

  Never having been one to postpone the inevitable, Pan said, “There’s no need to punish them.”

  Andre whipped around on her snarling. Pan stared at him calm and composed.

  “Have you no concern of danger?” he demanded. “You could have been slaughtered! Any Gray could have recognized you. Do you not understand the severity of this war, of the risk you took on your life?!”

  “They don’t know what I look like,” Pan reasoned.

  She hated when he was surly with her. It made her want to sulk and appear pitiful and

  Princesses were never pitiful.

  “The hell they don’t. I’ve chased after spies your entire short life, fearing assassination and you walk right into the vipers nest, offering yourself!”

  Pan gulped. “Spies, really?” She had never known.

  “Yes,” he growled.

  That thought was frightening, but Pan still felt rebellious. She wouldn’t change one thing she did at all tonight. He had been worth it, her nameless love.

  “Well, they didn’t do anything,” Pan said, defiant. “And going was my idea.”

  Andre laughed without humor. “Oh, I know that. It’s always your idea. Is it no consequence to you that five of your people were viciously mauled recently? Doesn’t it matter that one even died?”

  Pan resisted rolling her eyes at the guilt trip. Yes, of course it mattered, but in all truthfulness, they knowingly wandered into Gray territory. They were asking for what they got. But on second thought, so had she. She had walked right up to them, offering her life and the life of her friends for slaughter. But in her case, the difference was they hadn’t been caught. Princesses were lucky like that.

  Sitting in silence, considering this, Pan realized Andre was waiting for her to reply.

  She sighed. “Can we just go?”

  Rolling his head back, he sighed in aggravation at the wasted effort of trying to make her feel shame.

  Ignoring it, as he should know better than to ever make a Princess feel guilty, Pan said, “You’re going to give him a heart attack,” in referral to Brighton as he was waiting for them to leave first since they were superior.

  “Good. Let the dork sweat. If they weren’t so easily influenced by you, you never would have gone.”

  “He may be a dork, but he’s my dork and I would like to see him grow into Vampirehood and that’s not going to happen if you give him a coronary.”

  Throwing the car into drive, Andre whipped into the traffic, causing several cars to swerve and honk. Pan tilted in her seat from the force. Leaning across her, Andre pulled the seatbelt, buckling her in.

  After a few moments of listening to the pounding rain and the windshield wipers, Pan glanced at him a little anxious. “Are you going to tell my father?”

  Andre looked at her like she was absurd. “Of course!”

  “Andre!” she cried. “You mustn’t! Isn’t it enough for you to scold me but now you want me to suffer eternal damnation?!”

  “Don’t be so dramatic Pan.”

  “You know my father just as well as I do.”

  He threw her a hostile glance.

  “I promise I won’t slip you again,” she said innocently.

  “You and your devious tongue say that every time.”

  “And me and my devious tongue, so let the words be hung, will say it again, but please, please, please don’t offer the lamb to the lion.” She clasped her hands, looking at him with her huge doll eyes and stuck out her bottom lip.

  He glanced at her, face softening. He swore and Pan knew she was off the hook. Her hush puppy eyes always worked on him.

  Leaning on the council, Pan kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

  “You’re a dirty manipulator.”

  “And you should expect nothing else.”

  Pan smiled big, bouncing back in her seat. Looking at her reflection in the window she sighed happily. Remembering her loves kisses, she touched her lips. Blowing fog on the window, she kissed it and watched the impression of her lips faded.

  Andre eyed her curiously. “Is all well, Pan?”

  “Everything is brilliant.” Her own reflection seemed to be eradiating happiness and serenity.

  “I’ve never seen you so—euphoric.”

  Knowing he was the only person she could trust indefinitely, Pan burst, “I’m in love!”

  He looked at her alarmed. Pan frowned, her excitement dying a fraction. “But in my rush to offer my heart I was foolish in forgetting to ask his name.” She frowned at herself in the window, but smiled again. Nothing could keep it from her face.

  “Oh, it does not matter!” She bounced again, the seat barely able to contain her. It felt like her body was trying to pull her in a million different directions all leading back to her nameless love. “Never have I felt something so intensely magnificent! All my sense of emotions bursting into a—a life I never knew they could take! My lips tingle from his kisses, my mind hums with his words and my heart—my heart,” she sighed, “beats in a rhythm of content peace I have never known.”

  Pan closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of complete self-satisfaction, of all perfection, of utter grand achievement of the soul. She looked out the window smiling as Andre watched her, his brows pulled in deep worry.

  After a moment, he said, “Banish those thoughts. We’re home.” Pulling into the private drive, the gravel crunched under the tires. “Leave them as a stranger in the night and forget their existence. They’ll do you no good.” He stopped, waiting for the wrought iron gates wound with iron roses to retract into the stone walls with perfect hedges at the bottom. Sentinels with rifles stood at either side.

  Feeling that pang of sound advice, Pan sighed resting her head against the cool window.

  Driving onto the grounds, she barely noticed the shadows of guards lurking in the darkness of rosebushes as they were such a common sight. She was so used to them they were just part of the decoration. Pulling around the water fountain at the front of her home that was equally grandiose
as the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, Pan hopped out, not waiting for Andre to open her door.

  Coming around to her side, he ordered the others who pulled in behind them, “Go home.”

  Pan waved lamely as Brighton circled the fountain, all looking at her with regret. But as they drove away, Paul mooned them, butt pressed against the back window. Pan laughed and Andre quickly tried to cover her eyes.

  “I’m going to have to remind him of his manners,” he growled.

  “Oh please.” Pan slapped his arm away. “He was just having fun. Get over it.”

  Climbing the stairs, Andre pushed open the doors for her. Walking into the grand foyer,

  Pan slipped off her heels, the marble floors cold on her feet.

  “Go to bed Pan,” Andre said, heading to the right, the south wing being the guard’s corridors.

  “Goodnight Andre,” Pan called, ignoring his order and heading for the kitchen.

  Hungry, she headed for one of the four silver refrigerators, knowing it was stocked with food the chefs prepare especially for her since she was the only superior human they catered too.

  Pan paused noticing a box tied with a red bow on the counter. Annoyance bubbled in her as she knew immediately it was her favorite chocolate covered strawberries.

  Glancing around, Pan snatched the note tucked under the ribbon.

  FOR MY KITTEN, it read in neat sharp scrawl.

  Irritated, Pan crumbled the note. It was from Raphael and she wouldn’t put it past him to have spiked the chocolate with his blood. Still she wanted one, poison and all, though it would be his victory. That being her decider, Pan pushed them away, regretful. But just then a gentle unnatural wind stirred her hair, giving her a slight chill.

  “Hello Raphael,” Pan greeted darkly. “Don’t you ever go home?”

  “Rarely. Why should I when I feel so at home here?”

  Being that his father, King of the Stone coven, rarely made time for him since he was the second son, her father had taken Raphael under his wing, mentoring him, hoping to solidify the Stone Rose alliance. Her father never saw Raphael’s deceit as his talent was manipulation. And helping him along with the good ol’ boy façade was that most of his friends were other Prince’s and Rose vampires.