by DD Prince
The house was definitely beautiful; she felt slightly more at ease with appreciating it. It felt like a Tuscan villa with all the iron work, stone, and arches. She followed him through an archway into a huge kitchen that blended the old world look with some modern touches. It had a stone exposed wall and a big fireplace, but it also had stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. The vaulted ceiling had exposed beams. It was the biggest kitchen she had ever been in.
“It’s a nice night; I thought we’d eat in the courtyard. If you wanna go sit outside, I’ll bring out the food.” He motioned toward arched double glass doors covered in ironwork that opened out into the courtyard.
She shook her head. “Let me help.”
Tristan smiled, “It’s all done. Just needs to be carried.”
He opened the oven and lifted out a large deep casserole dish on a tray. The tray was steaming, and she stared dumbfounded at the fact that he wasn’t using oven mitts.
“It’s prime rib with roasted vegetables. Is that good?”
She nodded, feeling her mouth begin to water.
“You could help me set the table?”
She nodded again and then he motioned with his chin toward frosted glass-fronted cupboards.
She walked out into the courtyard with plates and cutlery toward a patio table big enough to seat 12, poolside. There were other entrances into the courtyard from this level, too. Kyla put everything down on one end of the table and sat. Tristan had already deposited dinner and was now coming out with a bottle of wine and two glasses.
He looked casual, gorgeous, wearing dark jeans and that wine coloured collared shirt that was loose and the first few buttons undone, the collar pointed up toward his ears. He was barefoot and had a bit more than a 5:00 shadow, and it looked so rugged and sexy. He looked like he belonged in a jeans commercial or a cologne ad.
Kyla was keenly aware of how very underwhelming her own attire was. She was in purple Capri track pants, a purple and black camouflage patterned racer back tank top, had damp hair, and fluffy chenille striped white and orange socks. Talk about underdressed and a fashion victim! She was sure she was even paler than usual and that her eyes were probably still swollen from crying…she’d done so much of it in the past few days.
She accepted the wine and smiled at him as he started to slice the meat and then served her a piece.
“Mine is quite rare, yours isn’t so much.” He sliced from the end of the roast for her and took a very pink middle piece for himself.
The food was delicious, and it was beautiful in the courtyard eating poolside. It was a starry night and the patio lighting gave off a warm, soft glow. Kyla was enjoying the much-needed breath of fresh air. She still felt her mind whirling around her circumstances. At least things were on speaking terms with Tristan now. She much preferred when he looked at her with passion than with rage or iciness. Heat pooled in her panties at the thought of passion. She shifted and took a sip of her wine. Tristan was smiling at her.
“What?” she asked, feeling like she was under scrutiny. Did he feel that swish she’d just felt? She hoped that if so that he was enough of a gentleman to keep that to himself.
His smile spread slowly into a sexy grin, showing off those dimples. “Maybe I’m just smitten.”
She felt very self-conscious. She knew she looked like a walking disaster. She fretted, wondering how much he could read inside of her head. She felt grateful, though, more relieved than anything else. She had certainly put him through lot of hassle the last few days and yet he was using words like smitten. It was odd to feel grateful to him, considering he’d kept her captive and had chained her for a few days. She tried to push the thought out of her head. Regardless of what had transpired so far, she wanted to explore her feelings for him, wanted to let herself feel them.
“Maybe you’re reading my mind. It’s an invasion of privacy, you know. And it’s not fair since I don’t know what you’re thinking or feeling.”
“You get an inkling of what I’m feeling when I feed.”
“Yeah,” she smiled and wondered if what he felt from her was similar, feelings, not clear thoughts.
He was smiling at her.
“I like your dimples,” she added shyly.
His face lit up and he touched one. “I didn’t think I had these anymore. I guess you brought them back.”
“So, you didn’t know I liked them?”
He shook his head, “Nope. And didn’t know they came back.”
“I guess you can’t read everything in my head?”
“I’m still learning to translate what I feel coming from you, but I don’t get words, it’s more like a sense of emotion.”
“Hmm.”
She’d pushed emotions away for years. He didn’t feel them. Now, she couldn’t hide from her emotions and he could feel them, too. He was forcing her to feel them.
This, a relationship with him, if that was what you could call it, felt impossible but so possible at the same time. She wanted, no needed, to know more about what danger she was in. She blushed and repositioned the napkin across her lap.
“So, real vampire legends? Spill.”
He winced and then popped the cork on the second bottle of wine.
“I’ll handle it. I have to,” Kyla told him.
“Okay,” he said, as he poured, “A very small fraction of the female population has a certain blood element that can best be described as a highly addictive performance enhancing drug to vampires. Most refer to it as enchanted blood or vampire nectar.” He stopped.
Maybe he was letting her absorb what he’d said.
Kyla blinked and waited for him to continue.
“Put things into context by thinking of it as steroids blended with heroin. I don’t know why it’s out there, but it is, like an elusive four-leaf clover. It’s out there but most vamps never find someone with this blood.”
She sipped her wine and nodded.
“I believe you have this blood. I’ve heard stories about women with this blood. The way I’m feeling, how much stronger I am after each feeding, things that are happening, like some of my strengths being even more acute, and new ones --- it’s the only explanation.”
“Okaaay?”
“Your blood would be in demand if others knew. High demand,” he arched a brow, looking at her with seriousness.
“So, you think someone will try to steal me for my blood?”
“And probably kill you.” He said this very matter-of-factly.
“Why, though? Wouldn’t it be more enterprising to hook me up to an IV, bottle it, and sell it to other vampires?”
Tristan took a deep breath and gave her a disapproving look.
“I’m not trying to make light of it; I just don’t understand…”
“Let’s not give anyone any ideas. I’ll enlighten you.” He moistened his lips and then took her hand in his. “There are stories of those who’ve tasted this blood. One I’ve heard is of a vamp who loses a pet with the enchanted blood because she gets stolen and drained dry by another vampire who wants it. The grieving vamp loses it, hunts down the other vamp, they battle to the death. Both die. She kills herself afterwards.”
Kyla shifted uncomfortably. Tristan continued, “Another story tells of a vampire killing an enchanted blooded woman he’d been keeping as a pet by accident, draining her dry out of greed, and then he goes on a rampage and kills innocents because he’s looking for a duplicate of that blood. It was years ago, but is still discussed in the media here as a cold case, Toronto Mangler? I’m sure you’ve heard of the case. It’s said to make vampires who have tasted it but who can’t have it maniacal, power hungry, ruthless.”
Kyla’s blood ran cold, knowing exactly what he was talking about. That case was mentioned frequently on the news despite it being from over 20 years ago.
“No one knows who this vampire is. Few vamps even know much about nectar. If the Toronto Mangler is still here and hears rumours of you…” He didn’t finish that sentenc
e. He squeezed her hand and took a sip of wine, “I never gave it much thought,” he said. “Most vamps I know don’t even talk about it. It’s sort of taboo because if anyone is keeping a pet secretly with the nectar they’d be worried about their secret getting out. Anyway, the few stories I’ve heard were far removed from me. It was always a friend of a friend kind of thing and never something I had experience with directly. Until now. I want to do more research but am trying to find a way without arousing suspicion.”
They were both silent for a moment as Kyla processed all he was telling her, then he asked, “You’ve heard of blood doping?”
“Like Lance Armstrong?”
“Right. So, you know it’s something athletes use to gain a competitive edge. The average blood gives a vampire a similar edge. And we can survive without it for a while but eventually start to crave it and get sick and weak if we go too long without it. Enchanted blood is said to be like that but multiplied. Enchanted blood gives a vampire an enormous edge, picture adding a spoonful of baking soda to a glass of vinegar. And every time he drinks it, he gets stronger. Then he starts to crave more. My blood was sent away with yours for testing. It’s all still being analyzed, but since drinking from you I’m different. I feel stronger every time I feed. Tried to drink ordinary blood while I was angry with you. It was like drinking dirty water. Did nothing for me.”
“Whose blood?” She knew it was an odd and possessive question as soon as it came out of her mouth.
He looked at her and laughed, hard. She narrowed her eyes at him.
He chuckled, “Just some stored blood, my green-eyed girl.”
Kyla felt silly. She covered her eyes out of embarrassment. He took a hand away and squeezed it, eyes sparkling, lips turned up into a big smile. She flushed and shook her head. Their eyes locked for a moment and then she gave him a small smile and finished the rest of what was in her wine glass, shaking her head.
He refilled their wine glasses, beaming, so obviously pleased that she was being possessive. She felt like she was getting a bit tipsy, but she started to fret about his whole “junkie” comment so could use some liquid courage. Would Tristan lose control? That was what happened after the bath the day after they’d met, when she wouldn’t go along with his wishes?
“I need to find out more, so I know what we’re facing,” he said. “People in my position should know these things, but a decade in this world is still a relative newbie so maybe that’s why I’m not well-versed.” He shrugged. “I do know that no one can find out about this. It would spark far too much interest in you. You could become the target of power hungry vampires who would kill to get to you and probably kill you in the process.”
Kyla nodded, absorbing his words.
Their eyes locked. He leaned over and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “I’m serious, baby. If I didn’t have the power and control I have I would’ve drained you dry that first night. Power is a hot commodity in my world. I’m already considered powerful and this, this could make me invincible. People in my world would want this. I don’t want anyone to get an opportunity to sink their teeth into you. They might not stop.” Then he added in barely more than a whisper, “And…you’re mine.” He said this with finality, looking her in the eye. Then he downed his wine and put the glass down with something like a stamp on the finality to it. He sounded logical and overly possessive all in that sentence. Is he going to go all Gollum a la Lord of the Rings on me?
“Because I’m the key to invincibility for you?” she asked accusingly.
“For fuck sakes, Kyla.” He got up from the table and glared down at her.
She winced, feeling regret, but not wanting to back down.
He sat down and blew out a long slow breath, “Always looking for ulterior motives.”
“Pretty much,” she sipped her wine, then added, “And I’m yours? It’s done?” raising brows at him.
“Yeah, I haven’t explained that part yet. You are mine. In every sense of the word.”
“I don’t know how to respond to that,” Kyla said softly.
“It freaks you out.”
“Uh huh.”
“We’re connected, bonded.”
“I don’t know how to respond to that, either.”
“Part of the legend is that each feeding deepens the vampire’s abilities, but also that after several consecutive feedings there’s a chemical reaction that binds the human to the vampire permanently. When you fell apart before you left me, it had to be that. I’d been waiting for it, hoping for it, because I suspected your blood was enchanted.”
Kyla chewed the inside of her cheek.
“It’s unbreakable. It’s for the vampire’s benefit, of course, because the human is bonded to him, becomes his. She wants to feed him, only him. From what I’ve heard, you’d fight to the death rather than let someone else feed from you, and if you can’t feed me you’ll have withdrawals. We know that started to happen upstairs for you. Regular people will let any vamp feed. It gave me a feeling of peace when it happened…that moment when you fell apart and I knew my suspicions were right and you’d become mine. But then you pulled back afterwards. Then you ran. That peace disintegrated when you ran. It made me question all of this. But, what I’ve felt coming from you the past few days…I’m sure that this is it and that your blood is enchanted. You’re stubborn and you needed that time alone to help you realize that we have something. Maybe your resistance comes from the same reason you aren’t entranced. Whatever that reason is… all of this isn’t exactly textbook. The blood reactions are, the cementing of the bond, but everything I’m feeling from you, the fact that you’re not entranced, none of that is textbook. Not from anything I’ve learned, anyway.”
She took a deep breath.
“I’m glad you’re not entranced. If you were, maybe your feelings for me would be just the bond. But you’re not in a trance. They’re real. I feel them.”
She felt invaded, but relieved at the same time. She didn’t want to have to articulate how she felt. If he felt it that’s why he’d forgiven her. But knowing that some chemical mystical reaction was probably responsible for some or even all of these deep emotions? That was unsettling; more than unsettling.
He continued, “Some things are going on right now, too, that complicate things further. As if we needed things to be more complicated, right? I’m hosting a party and conference here in a few days for some powerful vampire colleagues. I can’t cancel. It’s my first conference since my promotion to president of the company so all eyes will be on me. I have to keep you hidden and hide the changes in myself. I have to let my men think you’ve been...”
Kyla sighed, “Broken? I have.”
“No, no, don’t say that.” He squeezed her hand. “I don’t want that; I really don’t. I’m crazy about your personality, who you are. But can you please PLEASE cooperate? For the sake of your safety as well as my sanity?” His eyes pleaded with her.
“I think you did mean to break me,” she muttered bitterly, “You left me alone knowing what I was going through. Made me beg for you. Did it make you feel powerful? Justified?”
He closed his eyes and sighed. “Maybe. And yeah, that makes me a monster. But maybe you needed that, needed to know what we have is real. Now we can move forward, on the same side.” He pulled her so that she landed on his lap, “I’ll learn more, figure out what to do.”
“What if you drink too much? What if you drain me?” Her voice was barely a squeak. He nuzzled her throat.
“Baby, I will do everything I can to not hurt you. You still don’t get it. You are such a breath of fresh air. To be with a girl who is actually there, with me, really with me? When you say my name, it reminds me that you’re really there, not just a shell, but a person. That I’m really here. You have no idea how powerful an effect you’ve had on me. I feel alive. Like I’d been walking around numb before I met you. It’s not just about your blood. It’s you.” He reached out and caressed her cheek. “I won’t risk your life.
I won’t risk losing this feeling. The way it feels this soon? I can’t wait to see what this feels like a year from now, ten years from now. I’m strong. I have control. I’m not just some turned vampire, I’m part vampire in my DNA. That makes a difference to my control, my abilities.”
She pulled back, but he didn’t let her off his lap. “But…I keep pissing you off and when you’re angry? You’ve already lost control with me.” Kyla reached for and poured more wine in both of their glasses and then stared into her glass, swirling the liquid around.
A year, ten years? Wow.
“I’m stronger since then. I didn’t know what was happening. Now that I do, I can control it.”
“What do you mean, your DNA?”
“There are vampires in my bloodline. Most vampires are vampire because they were turned. My bloodline is what makes me the vampire royalty, the super vampire. When I was turned, it flipped a switch in me. I have control; I promise. Each feeding from you makes me stronger, enhances my abilities and my control. Stop trying to escape. That’s what I really need from you.” He kissed the back of her neck. “Okay?”
“What about me? What about my actual life, my plans for my future? Does it all just get swept under the rug now because you like the way my blood tastes? Because you like the way you feel? Because of sex?”
“That hurts.” He had a wounded look on his face. “Man, you’re stubborn. Am I not getting through to you? It’s not just blood and sex, it’s this connection. Don’t you feel different, too? Like meeting me, like the things you feel might mean that your future could change and that it wouldn’t be so terrible if it did? My future looks different to me since meeting you and I don’t look at that as a bad thing. Who says that a future with me would mean you couldn’t be happy? I could make you happy.”
She didn’t know what to say. It had been an emotional roller coaster so far. “We don’t even know each other. We’re from two different worlds. You’re so out of my league and if I have to spend my life hiding in your bedroom…”
Tristan got to his feet and held her shoulders, “We’ll get to know one another. Let’s just take things one day at a time for now, okay? You won’t have to hide forever. Somehow, I’ll fix this. And you’re out of my league. Stop seesawing and pulling away from me. It hurts. I haven’t dealt with hurt in a long time. I don’t like it.”
