Dragon's Choice

by Juniper Hart

  “You have no other family. Both of your parents were the last people on earth with trace amounts of Vasile blood, but when they created you, the combination of blood made you powerful enough to make the prophecy come true.”

  Disgust wavered across Sawyer’s face, “You mean my parents were related?”

  Flavia laughed. “No. They both just had Vasile blood somewhere in their ancestry.”

  “Vampires can’t have babies? How do I have traces of Vasile blood?”

  “Well, when the sorcerer originally cast the spell, Dimitri’s sisters refused the immortality blessing. Your blood line traces back to his sisters.”

  “From thousands of years ago? They must have hundreds of thousands of descendants. How do you know there aren’t more of us?”

  Flavia answered, “Because of the prophecy. On the night you were born, the moon turned red. Only vampires could see it. Now, all we know is that blood spilled will fulfill the prophecy. We don’t know exactly what that means.”

  “Please, tell me everything you know about the prophecy.”

  “There is not a lot to it,” said Flavia. “It reads, ‘On the night the last Vasile is born, the blood moon will appear to all creatures of the night. The last carrier of the Vasile bloodline will spill blood to balance the magic. Many creatures of the night will perish. She will be turned and have the power of the originals. The woman who was born of wicked blood will reign as the rightful queen.”

  “Do I turn evil? The whole thing sounds terrible.”

  “I guess it does, but the prophecy could mean you save the world from the vampires who have been killing innocent people.”

  “And what if it means that you and Atticus die?”

  “I don’t know, Sawyer. I guess I just want to have faith in your good heart.”

  “Well, I promise to always try to do the right thing.”

  “I know you will.” Flavia paused, wanting to broach a new subject. “I know what happened between you and my brother. He shouldn’t have said that to you. Forget him. He’s an asshole. He’s probably slept with half the women in this fortress, plus thousands of humans.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  “Well, yes,” said Flavia. “I know you will never be with a human again, as you have to live your days out here. My brother has never been one to commit, so forget him. Have some fun with the other guys here.”

  A cunning smile spread across Sawyer’s lips. “I think that I will.”

  “That’s my girl!”

  6

  Flavia was eagerly planning her birthday celebration. She brought Sawyer an emerald green dress for the birthday ball.

  “I thought the dress would look lovely with your eyes,” mused Flavia.

  “Oh, Flavia. It’s beautiful! But it’s your birthday; I should have a gift for you.”

  “Sawyer, when you’ve had as many birthdays as I’ve had, gifts lose their novelty. I am just happy to have a friend.”

  “How old are you?” asked Sawyer, wondering if she would get an honest answer from Flavia.

  “Two thousand twenty-one years old,” said Flavia.

  “Just a few years older than me,” said Sawyer sarcastically.

  Flavia grabbed Sawyer’s hand and said excitedly, “I have one more surprise for you. I have flown in the most amazing stylist in the world to do our hair and make-up. She learned her trade with the French aristocracy during the Victorian era and has perfected her art over hundreds of years. You will love her.”

  Sawyer’s eyes lit up. She loved getting dressed up, and to be given the royal treatment for this grand affair lifted her spirits. Since Atticus had spoken such cruel words to her, she’d been depressed. Henry had even stopped speaking to her. She was ready to forget all of her troubles and have some fun. Now, she just had to decide which vampire she would pursue.

  The stylist was as amazing as Flavia had promised. Sawyer’s elaborate up-do was adorned with silver barrettes fashioned with the most beautiful emeralds she’d ever seen. Flavia gave Sawyer an emerald necklace and earrings to match the barrettes. Her makeup made her skin glow, and her eyes had never looked more green. Sawyer couldn’t take her eyes away from her own reflection because she didn’t feel like she was looking at herself.

  Flavia came up behind her and hugged her from behind. “Sawyer, you look stunning. I can’t wait until my brother sees you. He will regret everything he said.”

  “I don’t care about making Atticus jealous. I just want to have fun.” Sawyer turned to face Flavia, who wore a dress embellished with crystals. “Wait, are those real? Are those diamonds?”

  “Well, yes. Is it too much?” asked Flavia, superficially embarrassed at her lavish gown.

  “It doesn’t matter; you look amazing.”

  “I do, don’t I?” Flavia had never been humble. “Well, then, are you ready for your first vampire ball, Sawyer?”

  “But we’ve been to lots of parties.”

  “Yes, but never a ball,” said Flavia, eagerly.

  “I don’t think I will ever be ready, but I am really excited.”

  Flavia walked with Sawyer through the hallways as they came to the ballroom. Before the door opened, Flavia said, “Sawyer, try to forget Atticus. So many of the guys here want your attention, but they were scared that Atticus had already claimed you. You don’t belong to him. And, in your case, you’re only young for a short period of time. Enjoy your youth.”

  The doors opened, and Sawyer gasped at the extravagance before her. A chandelier larger than her bedroom hung from the ceiling. Glitter floated through the air and never landed, but remained in continuous motion. The most beautiful people Sawyer had ever seen were gliding across the dance floor, and Sawyer wasn’t sure if their feet were touching the ground. Large silver strands of fabric hung from the ceiling to give the room a majestic feel. Turquoise flowers were placed throughout the ballroom, and a full orchestra provided the music. It was magical.

  As the women walked into the room, everyone turned and stared. Flavia was the guest of honor, and Sawyer still remained an enigma, so a mystery surrounded her. A dark-haired vampire grabbed Flavia and pulled her onto the dance floor. Sawyer was nervous that she was left alone, but she was determined to have a good time.

  Cold fingers wrapped around Sawyer’s hand, and a sweet, deep voice asked, “May I have this dance?”

  Sawyer turned to find an extremely handsome vampire with a color of hair that matched her own. His red eyes were intense, but his smile made her warm in his presence. He led her to the dance floor, and she began to dance a waltz, the fiery-haired vampire leading. Her earlier question was answered: their feet were not touching the floor. Instead of questioning how she was floating across the dance floor, she just moved to the music and enjoyed dancing on air.

  When the dance was complete, another vampire wrapped his arms around Sawyer as she floated across the floor with her new partner. It felt like a dream. Coming out of a twirl, she turned her head to see Atticus looking at her with a menacing glare and angry eyes. Sawyer narrowed her eyes at him to indicate she was still upset and had not forgiven him. Her new dance partner twirled her again, as Sawyer once again began to dance.

  After nine dances with nine different partners, Sawyer needed to rest and get some water. Four glasses of champagne had left her quite tipsy, and she was in desperate need of hydration. Although she was fit, she did not have the same stamina as the rest of the party guests. Vampires didn’t sleep, so Sawyer didn’t think the party would wind down for a while; she wouldn’t miss much if she sat down for a few songs. When she looked around, she noticed there were no chairs. Great. Just great.

  Sipping on her water, she turned down several vampires who asked her to dance. Her eyes were locked on one vampire: Atticus. Sawyer watched as he danced with a dark-haired vampire who was obviously enamored with the king. Atticus glanced in Sawyer’s direction, then Sawyer quickly looked away. She was mad and embarrassed that Atticus caught her looking a
t him. She wanted Atticus to believe that she felt nothing.

  “Sawyer, you look beautiful tonight.”

  Sawyer turned to meet Henry’s eyes. Finally, he is speaking to me!

  “Thank you, Henry. I’ve missed you. Why have you been ignoring me?”

  “To be honest, I was hurt. I thought there was more to our relationship than just a friendship, so I needed some time away from you.”

  “I never meant to hurt you, Henry. You have always been so kind to me.”

  “Well, you can make it up to me with a dance.”

  “I’d love to!”

  Feeling slightly intoxicated from the champagne, Sawyer tripped as she reached for Henry’s hand. Before she fell flat on her face, Henry caught her and scooped her up into his arms.

  Sawyer allowed Henry to lead her to the dance floor. The orchestra played a slow song, so Henry took the opportunity to guide Sawyer’s arms around his neck, and then he wrapped his large, muscular arms around her waist as his hands rested on her lower back.

  Even in her four-inch heels, Henry towered over Sawyer by at least five inches. She looked up into his eyes and took in his scent, which was a pleasant medley of citrus and sandalwood. They swayed to the music as Henry pulled her in closer. Sawyer considered whether or not she wanted to encourage his attraction to her. Two songs later, Henry still held Sawyer in his embrace. Finally, Sawyer went to pull away.

  “Not yet,” said Henry. “Let me have this moment with you.”

  Henry’s wavy blonde hair, chiseled jaw, and taut physique made him look like an airbrushed version of a fitness magazine cover model. Sawyer felt excited. She wondered if the champagne was clouding her judgement as she never had feelings for Henry before, but in the moment, she didn’t care. After a promise to Flavia to let go of her inhibitions, she wasn’t about to back down. Sawyer pulled Henry’s face closer to hers so she could kiss his cheek. He grabbed her chin and lightly brushed his lips across hers.

  Without hesitation, Sawyer asked, “Do you want to get out of here?”

  Henry didn’t answer, but instead picked her up and left the ballroom, moving swiftly towards his living quarters. Exhaustion was beginning to take over, but Sawyer pushed away all thoughts of sleep as she knew she had a long night ahead of her.

  As they approached his door, Henry put her down and asked, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  Sawyer nodded her head. Henry brought his mouth to hers in a wildly passionate kiss. The spark that she felt with Atticus wasn’t present, but Henry was hot, and she wanted him. Henry opened his door and gently nudged Sawyer inside. Without wasting time, he guided her to his bed. Sawyer always wondered why vampires had beds since they didn’t sleep, but now she knew.

  Henry ripped off her dress, which disappointed Sawyer because the dress was a gift from Flavia and she really loved it. But she decided to forget the dress and focus her attention on Henry. As his hands moved across her body, Sawyer sighed with pleasure and welcomed his touch. Henry lifted her off the ground, and instinctively, Sawyer wrapped her legs around him, feeling weightless in his strong hold. He pushed her back up against a wall, but he was a little rough.

  “Henry, remember, I am not as strong as you. Be gentle.”

  “Just shut the fuck up, Sawyer.”

  “What?” asked Sawyer, taken aback by his harshness.

  Henry growled loudly, which startled Sawyer. Unexpectedly, he bared his fangs as he thrust his head forward toward her neck.

  Sawyer let out a blood-curdling scream as she closed her eyes and braced herself for his bite. But it never came. A hand grabbed her and ripped her away from Henry. Sawyer’s feet were dangling off the ground, and she realized someone else was holding her up. She turned and gazed into Atticus’s familiar blue eyes.

  “What’s happening?” Sawyer cried. The chaos from everything happening around her sent her into a panic. She didn’t know who to trust. She was lifted off the ground with two vampires staring at her, while she was only clad in her black, lace thong and a pair of black stilettos.

  “Did he hurt you?” asked Atticus, with terror in his eyes.

  “No!” screamed Sawyer. Even though she was sure that Atticus had just saved her from imminent death, she felt that it was the perfect opportunity to say something cruel and mimicked the words he had spoken to her earlier. “Whatever you thought we had meant nothing, Atticus. You showed me that vampires come and go. You’re keeping me locked away, so I thought I’d have a little fun.”

  Atticus set her on the ground, gently. She saw the hurt in his eyes.

  Atticus turned to Henry. “Why did you turn on me? I thought we were friends.”

  “Seriously, Atticus? I am so sick of you always thinking your choices are what’s best for all of us. We are predators, and we are meant to hunt. The last straw is that you chose this human over your own kind.”

  “I didn’t choose her over my own kind.”

  “Atticus, I can read your thoughts. You love her, which is why you refused to kill her.”

  “You can read my thoughts?” Atticus was confused. “You’ve taken the drug from the fiery willow tree.”

  Henry just stared at Atticus and gave a slight nod.

  Atticus didn’t bother responding, but instead took action. Sawyer didn’t see Atticus’s hand move, but in an instant, he was holding Henry’s head by his hair. Did he just rip off his head? Sawyer felt sick to her stomach.

  The blood started to pool at Sawyer’s feet, and she felt the room closing in on her, the colors surrounding her turned gray and slowly faded to black as she fainted.

  When she opened her eyes, she was in her bathtub, surrounded by luxurious bubbles and warm water. Atticus was tenderly washing her body.

  “What happened?” asked Sawyer as her eyes fluttered open.

  “You fainted. I caught you,” answered Atticus.

  “You killed him.”

  “He was going to kill you.”

  “I think you misunderstood the situation. He wasn’t going to kill me, he was going to fuc—” Sawyer knew there was no truth to her statement.

  “Stop, Sawyer. I don’t want to hear about it. And yes, he was going to kill you. Vampires are scared of very few things, but a lot of them are scared of you.”

  “And you? You’re scared of me, too?

  “No,” said Atticus. “I am scared of losing you.”

  “Stop!” yelled Sawyer. “You need to stop playing games with me. You lock me in a prison, then you make love to me. Then, you take me to Paris, which was one of the most wonderful days of my life. Well, it was wonderful before you killed everybody. But, then your attitude changed again, and you told me that you don’t want anything to do with me. I can’t take it anymore.”

  “Sawyer, I began loving you when I saw what a wonderful woman you had become. When I found you as a child, I watched over you. At first, I was going to kill you, but I saw that you were good and had a kind heart. I wanted you to have a chance at a good life, and I wanted to leave you alone. But then others discovered you, and rumors started. I couldn’t deny your existence anymore after those vampires attacked you and brought you here.”

  “Why did you leave me in a prison for days if you already cared about me?”

  “Days? You were in there for less than twelve hours. I just needed to figure out what to do with you once other people knew the prophecy was coming to fruition.”

  “Wait, did I hear you say you love me? Why are you so cruel to me?”

  “I can’t be with you. We are on the brink of a war. Making our love public would be the catalyst both sides need to act and rise up against me. And you’re human. You will die long before I am willing to let you go. I needed everyone to believe I felt indifferent towards you and that I was doing what was best for everybody.”

  “So, instead, you are going to keep me here, locked up, without any chance of a happy life? And you just thought you would say horrible things to me then expect me to live here with you peacefully?”


  “I thought by saying those things, you would hate me. I wanted to make it easier on you. And, I want you to be happy. I hope you’ll find happiness here and hopefully make some friends. I know that Flavia adores you.”

  “Flavia is wonderful, and I consider her my best friend. But I’ll never fall in love. I’ll never get married. All of my friends will be dead bloodsuckers.”

  Atticus didn’t answer and instead continued to wash her body. His touch sent warm vibrations throughout her core, and she craved his touch on every inch of her body. Atticus sensed her arousal and stood up.

  “I think it’s time I leave,” he said.

  “But, you don’t want to,” said Sawyer, offering an invitation to stay. What am I doing? He’s been such a jerk.

  “No, I don’t want to leave,” answered Atticus. “But, I don’t want to hurt you anymore. We can’t be together.”

  “It’s not like you have to marry me. I like being near you. You make me feel safe.”

  “If circumstances were different, I would marry you. I would love to have you by my side for eternity. If it weren’t for the prophecy, I would turn you if you wanted to be turned. Over thousands of years, I have never found anybody that makes me feel the way you make me feel.”

  Atticus gave into his desires. He lifted Sawyer out of the tub, carried her to the bedroom, and placed her on the end of the bed. Goosebumps formed on her skin, partially because she was cold, but mostly because of the effect Atticus had on her. Atticus was still in his tuxedo from the birthday celebration, so he removed his jacket, shoes, and socks before lifting the duvet and the sheets as they both slid underneath, and into the soft bed. Sawyer took the opportunity to guide him onto his back as she straddled him, feeling his erection, which was hidden under his pants.

  Slowly, she unbuttoned his shirt, and he lifted his shoulders off of the bed so she could slide it off. Sawyer traced her finger from his Adam’s apple, down his chest, past his stomach, and finally reached the hem of his pants. A low growl, almost like purring, came from Atticus’s throat, giving away his deep entrenchment in pleasure.