A new round of agony surged from the pressure of Marie pushing against something inside of me. It had a scream leaving my mouth and my hands pushing against the table, right into where I’d apparently gotten sick while I was under. The thought left me cringing for only a moment before the awareness of what I was feeling came crashing back.
“Love, I’m sorry. I can’t do both anymore.” He glanced back to me, his features twisted with emotion I couldn’t even grasp the depth of.
“Hold on, Tessa. I think I’m almost there.” Marie’s voice was comforting and I tried to brace myself to take what I was feeling, but it was impossible. The pain was worse and increasing by the second.
What felt like a knife sliced into my back, closer to the side. I heaved, curling my fingers into a fist. Marko’s hands shook as he held it before him. My eyes tried to stay focused on what was happening to take my mind off what Marie was doing. It helped a little, but the worry over what I was seeing left the anxiety worse.
Higher, the vampires climbed each other, trying anything they could to get through. Blood drenched most of their shredded clothes and black eyes remained entranced on us as they clawed and bit at the wall. My worst nightmare was coming true and there was nothing I could do about it.
“Where’s Julius?” I managed as more pressure pushed into me. “Why isn’t he here yet?”
“I’m not…sure.” Straining in her tone gave way with a high-pitched noise following. “Mother of God,” she said, frustrated. “Tessa, I’m so sorry. I—”
“What is it?” Marko’s head spun back in our direction.
“I don’t think I can get to it.” Marie moved over to where she was in my vision. “Tessa, it’s really deep. If I go any deeper, even Marko’s blood won’t bring you back. It’s in a very complicated place. You’ve already lost so much blood. And...” Her eyes rose to Marko, who was still staring at us nervously.
“Do it.” My head went back to the table. I was too tired to keep fighting this. “I can’t take much more. You have to get it out.” Heat poured from my body and I was sure I was running a fever from the holy water boiling inside of me.
“Wait.” Marko took a few steps back and vampires broke out into a sprint, falling over each other as they raced forward. Growls were followed by them tearing into each other as they fought to gain ground. The power from the force Marko threw at them sent a wave of vampires flying across the room. The new group slammed back into the wall he replaced, whining at piercing volume. “Fuck! My bedroom door won’t hold them out. Not anymore than what I’m doing now. You have to make it fast, Marie. You have to…” A groan came from his mouth and his elbow jerked in from our pain, but his palm still held firmly toward the vampires.
Fingertips brushed down my cheek and Marie lowered, placing her lips against my skin. “I’m sorry.”
A scream tore from my throat as her finger pushed deep, tearing muscle and what felt like something harder. Lights flashed before my eyes and I was falling again. But I wasn’t the only one. Through a haze, I saw Marko crash to his knees. A mass of bloody bodies raced forward as I faded in and out of consciousness. Voices broke through, but I had no idea whose they were. The accent threw me off and the words were unrecognizable. Whether it was from my lack of awareness, or the man was speaking another language, I had no idea. And I didn’t care. I barely caught Marko pushing to his feet to rip a vampire’s throat out as he tried to rush past him.
The room swayed and I could hear Marie talking, but to who, I didn’t know. Heat formed over my back and grew unbearable as my toes pushed against the wood. Regardless of how much I tried to flee, nothing else was working. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t so much as crawl or push up on my hands. I was trapped while whoever was burning me continued to increase the temperature.
“Pl-ease.” The sob somehow brought my plea out and my eyes rolled. If I was going to die, I didn’t want it to be like this. I’d have taken the holy water pain over what I was experiencing now.
Julius was suddenly before me, kneeling as chaos blurred around him. I knew it was the other members getting everything under control. Their blurry figures only registered a moment before he stole my attention.
“So close to death. Should you die,” he said, leaning down closer, looking into my eyes, “I feel your friend would…come sooner. Yes, he’s responsible for this. Yet, he’ll blame it on us.” He paused, seeming to read something more. “But if you happened to die and be reborn into one of us, your newborn could manipulate him. You could keep him here or kill him for us.”
“No.” I tried to shake my head, but it wouldn’t move. The fire still burned my insides and I knew someone other than Marie was doing it.
“Oh, yes. Thing is…it’s not your time. I feel that. So, there’s only one other option.”
The strength wouldn’t come to ask. I blinked heavily, almost finding it impossible to open my lids again. Pressure eased and a hand grasped around my ribs, turning me almost to my side. A cry came out as I felt the wood break free and disappear from within. More pressure was followed by heat. I knew it was somehow healing the major damage. How, I wasn’t sure. My body jolted and twitched, even though I couldn’t move.
Julius looked up at someone, smiling. He stood, not bothering to tell me what he’d meant. As he stepped away, I was suddenly faced with a man I’d never seen before. He was dressed in all black. The color made his dark blue eyes glow. His features were sharp and his sandy-blond hair was longer in the front, just to the top of his cheekbones, making him looking even younger. But the age behind his stare couldn’t be mistaken. I wasn’t looking at a man who could have graduated high school with me. This vampire was old and his power was more than I’d felt from anyone. Even Julius.
“You must be Tessalyn Antoniette. I’ve heard a lot about you in the last week. I’m Sayer. It’s nice to finally meet my future concubine. Seems I came at the perfect time.” He pulled up his sleeve with a bloody hand and slit his wrist with one of his nails. I couldn’t stop my eyes from going wide, even when I didn’t have the strength. My palms pushed against the table and I tried to move away. All I managed was to fall back to the surface with how weak I was.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll have you healed in no time. Besides, we share the same blood. You’ll be fully recovered and feeling better than ever before the sun rises.”
His arm came closer and I was ripped backward so fast, I couldn’t stop the cry that escaped from the pain.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Marko positioned me to lie straight before him where my face could bury into his neck. Just the feel of his arms had the fear in me easing.
“Ah, the bonded.” I heard Sayer’s voice growing closer from behind me as he continued. “You know how things work, Master Delacroix. Tessalyn and I are to be together when she’s changed. Our blood is one. You know what that means.”
Marko held me tighter as he stepped back. No words came from his mouth as he cut to the side, moving more in the direction of the new tunnel where our room was. Sickness swam through me and I cried out at the twinges jerking my body.
“You need to give her to me so I can heal her more than I already have.”
Marko voice boomed from beside me. “Tessa will have my blood. She’ll heal just fine.” More, we moved.
“Not as fast as if she were to take mine.”
The statement had Marko coming to a stop. “Maybe not yet, Black Prince. But, in time, I assure you it will. If not more. And I’ll make myself clear right now. You will not have her. Tessa is my slave and that’s the status she’ll carry until our deaths. I will not consent or allow our bond to be broken and that’s final. I don’t care who you are.”
Marko spun around to head for the room and I came face to face with Sayer. His eyes narrowed while he watched us walk away. A smirk quickly replaced the anger and I couldn’t dismiss the weird feeling, as if he were hiding something. Julius was moving more to his side and my heart thumped hard in my chest. My blood was going t
o be the death of me, and quite literally if Sayer had his way.
Chapter 15
Marko
The Black Prince. God dammit, why couldn’t it have been anyone but him? Sayer. Fuck…I could feel how bad this was going to turn out. Weird prickling stabbed my insides as I tried to hold in the nausea suddenly plaguing me over our predicament.
Green eyes stared up at me while I ran the warm rag over Tessa’s nude body. I could feel her pain, her uneasiness, while I cleansed the blood from her skin. The expression she wore made me even more unable to process what it would mean to lose her. Sayer wanted what was mine. The bond she and I held should have prevented that, but them sharing the same blood changed things. He could easily win over the ties I held and replace them with his own. Not only from the power he harbored, but because her blood would be more compatible with his. Her essence wouldn’t fight as hard, like it had done with mine.
I was in a losing battle and I could see the end getting closer. Desperation did strange things to even the sanest man. And I was far from stable.
“Marko, I don’t want this.”
My stare rose to Tessa’s and the tears welling in her eyes broke my heart. God, I’d almost lost her once already tonight. Now, I would, permanently, and right in my face to where I couldn’t do anything about it. She’d stay here…bonded and bound to one of the strongest vampires on earth. And she’d rule. For some reason, the last part didn’t bother me as much as seeing someone I loved every day and not being able to have them. Tessa wouldn’t want me once she was tied to Sayers—especially if she was turned. Nothing would matter to her but the hunt and the man whose blood gave her life. There was no out for me. Even un-bonded, I’d still love her. The fact was etched into my soul as if she’d carved her name right into what I was made of. I was hers, eternally, and there was nothing me or anyone else could do about it.
“What don’t you want, ma minette?”
The trembling of her bottom lip had me swallowing past the weird nausea. My heart constricted as if it were being crushed into a thousand pieces. And although it was a mix of both of our heartache, I knew the majority of it was coming from me. I’d die trying to keep her, and maybe that was for the best. To live through the torture of seeing her love and pine for someone else would kill me.
“I don’t want to belong to Sayer. I don’t want to be turned. I want to stay with you, like we are now, Master and slave.”
At the tear escaping, I lowered my forehead to rest on hers. “Shh, don’t think about it right now. I’ll…” Do what? There was nothing I could do to stop the inevitable. Sayer would have her. Whatever he decided wouldn’t be stopped. Power was the ultimate corruption for vampires. We thrived to make it to the top. With Tessa, the Black Prince may ultimately rule. He wasn’t far off now. Her blood would strength him. Her own special powers would expand his.
“Can we run?”
My head lifted in surprise. “Run?”
“Yes, so we can stay together?”
The question was absurd. I never ran, for nothing or nobody. But I couldn’t deny it was half-tempting if it meant I could keep her.
“No. It’s out of the question.”
“Then, I’ll run. I won’t be changed.”
The strength pouring from her had a mix of anxieties going through me. If she left, I’d lose her, too.
“You will not. You are not weak, ma minette. You will face whatever it is your life holds for you.”
“To rule? I don’t want to rule. And I sure as hell don’t want Sayer.”
Even as she said it, a weird twinge twisted my stomach. It held enough force to make my face tighten “You lie,” I whispered. “Jesus…you lie. He…appeals to you.” Just picking up on her inner emotions drove the vampire in me to a jealous rage. I saw the fear in Tessa’s eyes. Felt her internally cower at my stare. I knew it was the blood. Just as we vampires were attracted to hers, she was being sucked in by his. The need to drown it out, to end the inner cravings altogether, had crazy thoughts beginning to take me over. If I changed her first, she could carry my blood. It would take her over completely. She’d be one with me. But, if I did that, I’d lose her just the same. Prey would be her only love. We didn’t share the same blood so the automatic emotions wouldn’t exist. I’d have to win her over. Once she saw the real me, the one who was her equal, she very well might not want anything to do with the Marko she knew. Vampires and humans thought differently when attracted to one another. It wasn’t all just physical. If I didn’t hold something Tessa deemed worthy or would benefit her, she’d turn her nose up. If she were as powerful as they believed she would be, even I wouldn’t draw her in. Past or not, what we shared now would be nonexistent. At least for her. I was doomed. And that was even if I lived. Sayer would try to kill me if I took her from him.
“I don’t like your thoughts.” Her voice was low as she stared up at me with uncertainty. I brought up my walls, moving to sit beside her. My face stayed devoid of emotion as I slit my forearm, only to bring my free palm back against my belly.
“Drink. You need to heal. Unless, of course, you’d prefer to feed from the Black Prince. I’m sure Sayer wouldn’t mind in the least.”
Her head shook and her body spasmed again while she clutched her own stomach. Her actions mirrored mine and I suddenly couldn’t breathe as I looked between us. A small cry left Tessa’s mouth as fear began to etch in. Although I had my thoughts blocked, I had a feeling she was picking up on my suspicions. I didn’t have to wait long before they began to come true. Tessa’s eyes widened even as she gasped through the increasing pain. Black began to spread out within the green, like dark vines overgrowing the color. Shock had my lips separating. The beat of my heart increased and I slid my hand up to my chest at the power it threw off. The thumps were hard, fierce as they slammed into me. Adrenaline spiked and I gasped, pushing to my feet as a piercing scream left ma minette’s throat. The power her voice had was deafening. And so strong. Her body bowed as her palms pushed into the mattress.
“Sayer.” His name oozed past my lips with all the venom I felt for him. Inside, my vampire clawed its way out, and I let him as I watched my slave scream through another round of shocks to her system. God, it was already happening.
I’ll kill him. God, I swear, I will. I spun around, racing from the room. The monster within me roared to life at the threat plaguing it. Tessa was mine and he’d somehow given her his blood. Probably when he was messing with her back. All he would have had to do is slice open his finger and…
The tunnels blurred in my peripheral vision for only a second before I broke into the heart of the city. I spotted him immediately, not far from the last place I saw him standing. The corner of his mouth upturned into a smile as I sprinted forward. My fangs drew down, ready to shred him to pieces for the deceit he’d pulled.
Julius’ hand came up and I knew he was going to throw up a wall to try to stop me. It only made me push myself faster. My own hand was already raising to try to somehow block his power, even though I knew I wasn’t capable yet.
“Bonded, you return,” he said, heartily. “I was wondering how long it would be before you graced us with your presence again.”
I connected with the wall hard, slamming my fist into the invisible surface not five feet away from them. The air locked in my lungs from the force, but I didn’t stop trying to break through. Sounds left my throat, animalistic deep snarls, and I let them.
“Oh…you’re almost not bonded anymore. I should probably just go back to calling you Master Delacroix.”
“What you did...” Again, I hit into the wall, feeling it waver the slightest amount.
“What I did was begin the process of removing you and inserting me. It’s amazing what a few drops of my blood will do compared to your entire bond. How is she, by the way? My…Tessa, that is? Does she heal? Does she…” he paused, smiling bigger. “Oh wait, never mind. I can already feel her. Let me show you what real power looks like.” He pushed from the table he
was leaning against and reached forward, crooking his finger as if he were motioning for someone.
I could feel the wildness within me as my eyes flared, only to narrow. My claws sunk into the wall as I tapped into my own powers and let them simmer and stir around. I didn’t want to turn around. Didn’t want to see what I already knew. One exchange on his behalf. He hadn’t even bit her yet, but I knew Tessa would come at his call. Their blood was too similar for her not to react.
Shuffling in the distance had my head lowering and the anger only intensifying. Closer it got, until it was directly behind me.
“Master, please.” The sob had me turning to face her. “I don’t want to go to him. Please, make him stop.”
Tessa threw herself into my arms before I could do or say a word. I held her as I faced Sayer. “You may call her, but look who she comes to. She doesn’t want you. She never will. Tessa loves me. Blood may allow you to claim her, but her heart will always be mine.”
A laugh echoed around us. “I don’t want her love. I want what’s running through her veins. But I do believe you offer quite the challenge. I like a good game.”
“Her love isn’t a game,” I growled. “Besides, you won’t win against her. You may find yourself in love with her, too, and then where does that leave you? She’ll still love me more.”
“We’ll see. But just so you know…I let her go to you. Had I wanted her kneeling before me, she’d be here right now.” He paused. “And that’s just a few drops, Delacroix. Wait until I finalize the first exchange. She won’t even care who you are. Come morning, the true Tessa may arrive, and she’ll know what you two share is nothing but a lie.”
I didn’t doubt what he spoke was the truth. Then again, for all I knew, he was bluffing. Sure, his blood had hit her hard. It explained the nausea and twinges we both felt. And she did look a little better than before, but I could still feel how weak she was. Fuck. I needed to feed her and quick. More of my blood would help dilute his. Not that it would ever go away. I wasn’t strong enough to overpower the purity. At least, not yet. With everything that continued to happen, my vampire was constantly being tested and was still strengthening from being in lockdown. It was only a matter of time. Time, I wasn’t sure I had if Tessa saw through what I’d been doing.
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