My uncle’s words come back to haunt me. He told me to surrender to the hunger, but what if I end up losing myself if I do?
26
Vivienne
I blink my eyes open, but my mind is still foggy as hell. It’s only when I notice a strong arm draped around my waist that everything that happened yesterday comes rushing back. Therese’s trap, the ghost in the catacombs, and most importantly, Lucca.
Oh my God. He spent the day with me. Does that mean that we did more than sleep?
“You’re awake,” he says gruffly.
If possible, my spine becomes even more taut. “How did you know?”
“Your pulse quickened, and your body tensed.” He pulls his arm away and sits up.
Slowly, I turn to him. “I can’t believe you stayed the whole day.”
He’s staring at the wall opposite the bed with a grim expression. “You asked me to.”
He doesn’t seem happy about it, which is making me even edgier. I sit up as well, pulling the sheets up to cover my chest. I’m still dressed, but somehow, I need this barrier between us even if it’s flimsy.
“Thank you.” My voice comes out raspy. I touch my throat, finding it tender.
“Did a ghost really do that to you?” he asks.
“Yes. I know it sounds crazy.”
“No, not at all.” He looks at me. “Please promise me you will not go back to the catacombs.”
His intense gaze renders me speechless. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
He frowns. “Vivienne, I thought we were … friends.”
“Friends? Oh, you mean friends with benefits.” My face goes up in flames, and the only reason I don’t glance away is because I don’t want to look more pathetic than I do already.
Lucca’s face is a blank mask, and his dark eyes reveal nothing as he stares at me. He jumps out of bed suddenly, runs a nervous hand through his hair, and announces, “I have to go.”
He’s out the door before I can blink.
What did I do? Did I say something wrong? I hug my knees, not knowing why I feel so depressed all of a sudden. I can’t possibly be falling for Lucca, can I? He’s a Blueblood, savage and cold. He’ll hate me once he discovers the truth.
I rest my head in my hands. Shit. We slept in the same room, and I totally blacked out, missing the best opportunity I’ll probably ever have to steal his necklace. I can’t believe this.
I reach for my cell phone, checking the time. Crap. I have less than twenty minutes to get ready for class. Like a lunatic, I run to the bathroom, yanking off my clothes as I go. The shower bit is an in-and-out situation. It’s a pity that I don’t have time to relax under the hot jets. Getting ready doesn’t take long either. Makeup is a necessity tonight, especially the heavy layer of concealer on my neck. I don’t want to explain how I got these nasty marks.
I’m clean and ready—sort of—for another grim evening at the institute, but when I walk out of my room, Manu is in the kitchen, making a mess out of the blood bags. There’s literally blood splattered everywhere. Disgusting.
“Can you eat without turning the kitchen into a horror-movie scene?” I say before I can help myself.
She turns her deranged eyes in my direction. The gold has flecks of red in them. She’s about to go psycho on me, but surprisingly, I’m not afraid. What I am is mad at her. She beguiled Karl into a lifetime of servitude, only to turn her back on him.
“What did you say?”
“You heard me.”
She tosses another bag to the side and takes a few menacing steps toward me. But I hold my ground.
“You think that because my brother has taken a sudden interest in you that it gives you the right to defy me?”
“This has nothing to do with Lucca.”
“Oh, so who is it all about then? Karl?” she sneers. “What’s your end game, Vivienne? Conquer every single male at Bloodstone?”
“I can’t believe this. You’re jealous of Karl and me?”
She twists her face into a scowl. “You’re delusional.”
“You tricked him into becoming your familiar, and for what? Was that one of your capricious games?”
“I didn’t trick him into anything,” she grits out.
“Bullshit. Karl is the most caring, kindhearted person I’ve ever met. He’d never get involved with a cold bitch like you out of his own free will.”
Holy crap. I must have lost my mind. One swipe from Manu’s clawed hand, and it’s game over for me.
But she doesn’t retaliate. She simply stays frozen with a new emotion etched on her marble face—agony.
She whirls around and disappears into her room without uttering another word. I don’t move for a few seconds, still processing what just happened. But then my common sense returns, and I head out. That could have been a stroke of sheer luck, and I don’t want to be here when Manu decides to act like herself and kill me.
I’m still replaying my argument with Manu when I reach the main area of the institute. Damon finds me on the way to Keepers Etiquette class.
“Hey, Vivi. Have you seen Cassie?”
“Not since yesterday. Why?”
“She was supposed to meet me at the end of the day, but she bailed, and now, she’s not answering any of my texts or calls.”
“Have you checked with her roommate?”
“Yeah, she told me Cassie didn’t spend the day there. Do you think something has happened to her?”
It takes a lot on my part to keep my face worry-free. I don’t want to freak out Damon more even if I am freaking out myself.
“Maybe she had to go home. Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”
“Okay.”
Damon walks away with slumped shoulders and heavy steps. I glance at the flux of students heading to class and decide that keeping a perfect attendance record for a job I don’t want is not my priority. Finding Cassie is.
I call her while I go in search of someone who can help me. Either Karl or Aurora will do. Lucca’s name crosses my mind, but I immediately scratch that idea. I don’t know what we are to each other anymore. He’s no longer my predator, but am I still his prey?
I don’t have any hope that Cassie will pick up the phone, so when her scratchy voice rings in my ear, I halt mid-step.
“Cassie. Oh my God. Are you okay?”
“Vivi, can you please come get me?” she whispers, but I manage to catch the fear in her tone.
“Yeah. Where are you?”
“In the east wing.”
“I’ll be right there.”
I pivot and run in the opposite direction. If I’m not mistaken, that part of the building is closed off for renovations.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“No. Can you please hurry?” she sobs, and then the call goes silent.
Fuck. Did it drop, or did something worse happen?
I call again, but it goes straight to voice mail now. Damn it.
When I reach the east wing, I call out Cassie’s name. The corridors are darker here and much older. It smells moldy and damp, and in the distance, I can hear the constant noise of water dripping into a puddle.
“Cassie,” I say again, and then I hear a muffled sob.
When I turn the corner, I find her at the end of the hallway, hugging her legs and with her head hanging low. Her hair is matted, and it covers her face. I hurry the rest of the way, dropping to my knees when I reach her. At once, I notice her torn-up dress and the purple marks on her arms. There are also angry bite marks on her shoulders. A vampire did that to her.
She looks up, allowing me to see the angry claw marks on her cheeks and her smudged makeup.
“Oh my God, Cassie. What happened?”
She falls into my arms, hugging me tightly as she hides her face in my chest. Being in such close proximity with a vampire would have terrified me a week ago. Now, I hug her back without a second thought.
“I swear I didn’t ask for this, Vivi. You have to believe me.”
I pat her hair, trying to soothe her. “Of course I believe you, honey. Who did this to you?”
She tenses in my arms, and there’s a pause in her crying. I don’t believe she’s breathing now.
“You can trust me, Cassie.”
“It was Boone. He did this to me.”
My blood seems to freeze in my veins.
Cassie becomes a blubbering mess again, crying her eyes out. Violent shakes rack her body, and all I can do is rub her back and wait until she calms down. But my mind is spinning, and with each sob from her, my anger grows.
I don’t care who he is. He can’t keep attacking people and not suffer the consequences. Lucca is forbidden to attack him, thanks to some idiotic truce. But I’m not.
27
Lucca
Ronan advances with the katana raised above his head and a war cry. I pivot out of the way, coming at him from behind to deliver a roundhouse kick to his back. He staggers forward, using his weapon to avoid a frontal fall. I break into a run, grabbing the sword I dropped earlier, turning just in time to block his blow.
His eyes are glowing red now. He’s pissed that I was able to break through his defensive stance. I’m sure my eyes are shining just the same. My pulse is pounding in my ears, and the fury coursing through my veins is familiar and foreign at the same time. I’m not a stranger to overwhelming emotions, but the reason behind it is what’s puzzling me.
In a shitty move, I jam my head against Ronan’s nose, and a resounding crack follows.
“Fuck!” He pulls away, covering his face. “Damn it, Lucca. You broke my nose!”
Breathing hard, I don’t say a word as I stare at my friend through a crimson haze.
When I don’t apologize, he continues, “What has gotten into you?”
I toss the katana aside and head for the bench. It would be easier to list what has not gotten into me lately. I woke up after almost a hundred years to a world I don’t recognize anymore. I’ve never felt weaker or more impotent in my entire life. And I’m craving someone I definitely shouldn’t.
Dropping onto the bench with my head hanging between my shoulders, I reply, “Everything.”
“Is this about your meeting with Solomon?”
I snort. “If only. I’m so fucking angry. I know it’s normal to feel disoriented for a few months after awakening, but I feel like I can’t control anything in my life anymore.”
“You’re wrong, Luc. Your uncle had to bend over to Tatiana. So what? We don’t need to stay here. There’s no law that says Bluebloods must attend Bloodstone after hibernation.”
“I can’t leave.” I meet Ronan’s gaze.
“Why not?”
Sighing heavily, I say, “I don’t know.”
“That’s bullshit. It’s the new regular, isn’t it? You’ve been acting like a mated male around her.”
Fuck. Have I? I’ve never heard of mated vampires developing bloodlust for their partners.
“Mated male,” I scoff. “What a load of crap.”
“Then explain to me why you can’t stay away from Vivienne.”
Ronan is not going to drop the subject, and honestly, I’m tired of keeping this secret.
“Vivienne is human.”
“What?”
“She’s the thief who tried to steal my necklace at Havoc.”
Ronan stares at me without blinking for a few seconds before he lets out a string of curses.
“How long have you known?” His hard stare is piercing and annoyed.
“Since her first day here.”
“Fuck.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because I wanted to deal with her on my own. Maybe you would be able not to meddle, but Saxon or Manu?” I shake my head. “Not a chance.”
“How has she managed to conceal her true identity?”
“A powerful spell.”
Ronan narrows his gaze, and I can almost see the gears in his head at work. “If she’s using a spell, then Aurora must have seen through it. And her mother too.”
“Probably.”
“And you haven’t wondered why they haven’t said anything about it?”
I’ve been so obsessed with Vivienne that I didn’t even consider that. Fuck. “Not until now.”
“Hmm.” Ronan crosses his arms. “You said you wanted to handle her on your own terms. How is that working out for you?” He raises an eyebrow.
Truth be told, I’ve been holding back. I could have been ten times worse toward Vivienne than I have. I spent the day in her bed, for crying out loud, even though it pained me in more ways than one.
“Terribly,” I say.
The urge to see her again returns with a vengeance. I’ve been denying my hunger all this time, lying to myself that I just need to torture her more. In the end, I’ve been torturing us both.
I jump off the bench, filled with renewed energy.
Ronan’s brows shoot to the heavens. “Where are you going?”
“I’m putting an end to this.”
Faster than lightning, he blocks my path. “Whoa. You’re not going to kill her here, are you?”
Here. He said here, and that feels like a punch to my chest. If she were anyone else, that’d be the outcome. I have never been a merciful Blueblood, and I don’t think I’ve changed. I can be a great ally or a terrible enemy. But despite Vivienne’s lying and scheming, I can’t hurt her.
The problem is, do I only want her blood and her body, or do I want more?
I shove Ronan out of my way. “I’m not going to kill her, dumbass.”
Before he can stop me, I zoom out of the gym. The hallways are empty. It seems I worked out for longer than I thought, and classes have ended for the day. I stop in front of Vivienne’s apartment just as my sister is about to head in with another human toy in tow.
I slip in between her and the door, bracing my hand against the frame. “Go somewhere else.”
She arches her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”
“Just go,” I grit out. “You can ask for any favor later. Just don’t come back until sundown.”
“We can go back to my place,” Manu’s snack pipes up. “I don’t live far from here.”
She glances at him like he just said the dumbest thing. “The sun will be up in less than an hour, moron.”
“Just take my room,” I say.
“Fine!” Manu glares at me, poking me in the chest with her finger. “But you owe me. Big time.”
She whirls around, whipping her long white hair. Her human follows her like a lovesick puppy. It’s always the same deal with them. They live in hope and die in despair. Vampires very rarely fall in love with their food.
Then why do you want the apartment to Vivienne and yourself, Lucca?
I shove the pesky thought to a dark corner in my mind, but the actual front door I close with a soft click. I don’t want to announce my arrival yet. Moving as silently as I can, I head to her room. The door is partially open, allowing me to see Vivienne sitting on her bed, surrounded by old books and scrolls. Her eyebrows are creased together as she peruses the content of a yellowed-out parchment and then tosses it aside, irritated.
My throat begins to burn a little as I watch her while I try my best to ignore the steady sound of her heartbeat. But there’s another urge competing with the bloodlust. I want to hold her, protect her, and I don’t know why I want all those things. Pure lust I get; it goes hand in hand with feeding. But this isn’t about sex.
Unable to stay away any longer, I push the door open all the way and walk in. Vivienne lifts her gaze to mine, gasping in surprise.
“What are you doing here?” She shuts the book in her hand fast, almost as if she wants to hide something.
“I came to see how you were doing.” I grab one of the scrolls near the edge of her bed, immediately noticing Vivienne’s sharp intake of breath.
When I glance at the scroll, I understand why she’s nervous. This is a family tree of Tatiana’s bloodline. An old anger
unfurls in the pit of my stomach, surging through my body in an instant. I crunch the paper in my hands while trying to contain the dark emotion.
“What are you doing with this?”
“I want to know more about Boone.” She keeps staring at me without flinching. And yet I can sense her increased pulse and see the slight trembling of her hands.
“Why?”
Her nostrils flare, and her sweet lips become nothing but a slash on her face. “Because I’m going to kill him.”
Not many people are able to surprise me, but that’s what Vivienne just did. The shock only lasts a few seconds before I process her words and, most importantly, her motives to want my nemesis dead.
“What did he do to you?” I growl, taking a step closer to her.
She winces as if she’s afraid of me. Damn it. That’s not what I want anymore.
“You can tell me.”
“He attacked one of my friends.”
A human? The question is on the tip of my tongue, but I hold it at the last second. Now is not the time to tell Vivienne I know who she is.
“Who?” I ask instead.
“Cassie. She’s a regular. I think …” She drops her gaze to her lap, releasing a shaky breath. “I think he raped her.”
My fangs descend fully, and my nails turn into sharp talons. It was only a matter of time before Boone showed his true colors. He’s a monster, and he deserves to die like one, destroyed into pieces. My breathing is ragged, and I’m a moment away from hunting him down.
“You can’t go after him.” Vivienne is suddenly in front of me.
I was so lost in my rage that I didn’t even see her moving.
“He has to pay,” I snarl. “This is not the first time he’s hurt a female, and it won’t be the last until someone stops him.”
“I don’t think Cassie will be willing to denounce him, and you can’t attack Boone unprovoked.” She touches my hand, sending an electric shock up my arm.
I reach over, sliding my hand to the back of her head and grabbing a fistful of her hair. “You’re crazy if you think I’m going to let you get near that depraved male.”
Dark Prince: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Blueblood Vampires Book 1) Page 14
