by Renea Mason
Colin thrust his cock in and out in slow, languid strokes. Soft moans escaped his lips each time he buried himself inside me.
I inhaled, ran my tongue over my teeth, and struck, penetrating the soft skin below his ear.
With the initial bite, Colin groaned and slammed his cock into me to the hilt. His muscles tightened and his hand on my hip trembled. His blood flowed into my mouth.
I swallowed the hot pools, tasting his desire. I couldn’t get him close enough, the need to have him inside me, in all ways, overwhelmed me. My hips countered his thrusts, trying to coax forth his release.
His body continued to move inside mine. His moans grew louder.
The thud of his pulse beat against my lips. My own climax threatening, I tried to focus past the euphoric feeling in my head.
Baron came to my rescue. “Come for us, Lillie. Allow it to take you. Fighting it puts him at risk. Succumb and then focus.”
Needing no further encouragement, I gasped as my head drowned in bliss. My legs grew rigid, and I gripped Colin’s back, clutching him to me.
Colin sighed my name, “Lillie… Fuck… So good. I’m…”
The shudder of Colin’s cock gave way to his climax. His cum filled me, making his thrust slippery as my muscles clenched and fluttered around him. The rhythm was too fast to sense a pulse, so I inhaled, trying to scent his blood. The absinthe was no longer detectable. With one final pull, I withdrew my fangs and lathed the wound with soft, soothing strokes of my tongue.
Colin rested his forehead against mine while he fought to catch his breath.
I brushed his long strands of hair over his shoulder and then caressed his face. “You OK?”
Still breathing heavy, he responded, “More than OK.” A deep inhalation. “A little light-headed, but I’ll say that’s a vast improvement over the IV needle. You have my permission from here on out to dine on me, just like this.”
Baron gave us a moment to gather ourselves before he stood and approached.
Colin straightened and tucked himself back into his pants just before Baron handed me my panties.
A loud chime, like an old church bell, sounded somewhere within the building.
“It seems you’ll both be my guests this evening. Once the bell chimes, no one is allowed in or out. You’ll be under my protection, so you need not worry, but do not leave your rooms under any circumstances until dawn.”
I slipped on my undergarment and took Baron’s hand when he offered to help me up.
“Follow me, I’ll show where you’ll be residing for the night.”
6
Limbo
Five minutes after Baron left me to ready myself for bed, my mind began to whirl. I wished Colin was with me, but the vampire had escorted us to separate rooms.
What the hell was wrong with me? Colin? How could I have allowed that? Baron, the creature that he was, had some kind of power over me. It was the only explanation. I had no reason to trust him. No reason to give my blind faith, but it seemed as though there was no other choice. Trusting him was as natural as breathing in his presence, but even his words warned me against what I was feeling.
So much had changed in just a few hours. Colin was a witch? A human familiar? A gift? Allister... Why had he changed me? Who was I to him? Was I the Vessel he spoke of? With every answer came twenty more questions. And Baron… Who was he in all of this?
A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. Speak of the devil. I could feel him before he entered the room.
“May I come in?” Baron’s deep, sensual voice sounded through the crack in the door.
Strange that he would worry about my modesty now, when less than an hour ago he had removed my panties, touched me intimately and watched me fuck my best friend. I took a deep breath. Like I could say no. “Sure.” I pulled the blanket up to my chest.
Baron entered and closed the door behind him. “I trust you’ve made yourself comfortable.”
“As comfortable as I can be, given the circumstances.”
“I’m sorry, Lillie. I never meant for things to turn out this way.”
Somehow I was able to break through some of the things his presence made me feel and press him. I wished I could have spoken to Colin before we were separated for the evening. “You know, you’ve said that a few times. How were things supposed to happen? I live out my human life and when I’m ninety some hot immortal hunk shows up and offers me immortality? Was that the plan? Am I immortal or will I be? It’s all so frustrating.” Sitting against the headboard of the immense bed, covered in luxurious linens, I stared at my hands.
Baron crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed beside me. “No. I mean, yes. That was sort of the plan. Allister had planned on revealing our world to you well before you turned ninety, but only after you’d experienced enough of your human life and only if you chose to be one of us.” He took one of my hands in his. “You’re in limbo right now. Not vampire, but not human either, so none of the rules apply. You still require sleep. Even though the effects of the sun have recently begun to bother your skin, you can still walk in daylight. But every day, you grow weaker and more susceptible to the symptoms of vampirism without the benefits. One day, you simply won’t wake up and it will be too late.” He raised the back of my hand to his face. “I’ve never known a fledgling in limbo to survive more than a few weeks without killing and even that would be astounding. Yet here you are, a miracle in every way.”
It was so strange to feel what he felt. If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was love, but it didn’t make sense. Wanting to unite me with Allister. Encouraging me to have sex with Colin. He didn’t really know me, nor I him, but his feelings resonated in my bones.
“I’m assuming that going back to being human isn’t an option? Why don’t you just turn me? Or have someone else? Why wait for Allister?”
His head snapped up and he stared for a long time into my eyes. “Lillie… I wish… When Allister and I first found you, we came to an agreement. He would be the one to offer you immortality, and I would do everything I could to see that you were protected. Even then I had a few too many enemies, and I don’t live in a way I think you’d approve. Allister’s role has been the emissary—the peacekeeper. His life was more in keeping with what you’re accustomed. It made more sense for him to become your mate. With me, you would always be a target. You’d have to compromise who you are. I don’t think you understand how dangerous it would be for me to give in to my weakness and take you as my own, no matter how much I might want to.” He brought my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “I’ll be your guide, your protector, but anything else would be far too great a risk.” His love was now surrounded in sorrow. His duty and desires at odds, much like mine were where Colin was concerned.
“How does it work, Baron? What do you mean by claim me?”
He exhaled a deep breath. “There are two things that must happen. The mating ritual must be completed and then your mate must turn you. Turning someone without mating makes them your slave. You can feel how influenced you are by me now, and I only initiated the turning process. If we weren’t mated, and I turned you, I’d deny you free will. Mates, on the other hand, share an equal bond, shared experiences are balanced. The bond that’s formed is beyond any union a human husband and wife might have. You are forever linked. You sustain each other. The bond is eternal. Humans with the ability to become mates are rare and much sought after.”
“So you two protected me all this time, so you could keep me for yourself?”
“No. We protected you to give you a choice. If it was ever discovered otherwise, you would have been gathered up by the council and given away as political favor or worse. I never wanted that for you. Why Allister did what he did is beyond me. His actions go against everything we agreed to.”
“But what if he meant to do this? What if he has been compromised?” I squeezed Baron’s hand and wondered if he could feel how afraid I was of being promised to this stranger.
Uncertain, I let the fingers of my other hand drift to his hair, smoothing over the soft stubble in an effort to comfort him and myself. The conflicted feelings inside him overwhelmed me. Would it be even more intense if he were my mate?
“Get some sleep, Lillie. I’ll stay with you here tonight. I’ll watch over you. Sleep, dear.”
7
Truth
I woke to the sound of Baron’s voice. He sat in a plush chair several feet away. His eyes focused on me. “Yes. Well…that’s unfortunate. My reasons are my own. Just see to it.”
I sat up, stretched my arms above my head and allowed a yawn to possess me.
Baron stood and crossed to stand beside the bed. He brushed a strand of hair from my face, his fingertips gently caressing my skin. “Good morning, love. You’re so beautiful in slumber. Like an angel. Fragile and majestic in equal measure.”
His declarations confused me. I could feel his adoration for me, but when he spoke, the confirmation made the bigger picture seem wrong somehow. I was missing pieces. Baron wasn’t being completely honest. I had to be careful where he was concerned.
I covered my mouth when I yawned again. “What time is it?”
“Just before dawn. Once the sun comes up, and it’s safe to leave, my driver will take you and Colin back to your hotel.”
“Will I see you again? I mean…what happens next? If I can’t stay like this.”
Grasping my hand in his again, seeming to almost need to have contact with my skin, he rubbed his face against the back of my hand. “You continue to do what you would normally do. I’ll see to your protection. My men will always be in the shadows. You’ll allow Colin to care for you, provide you what you need. I met with him last night after you fell asleep. I want to help him embrace who he really is. When I find Allister, I will bring him to you.” He set a card on the nightstand beside the bed. “That is my number should you need anything. No matter what, Lillie, I am here for you. Your wish is my command.” He pressed a kiss to my palm. “I’ll meet you in the study once you’re dressed.”
Neither Colin nor I said a word on the drive back to the hotel. Colin followed me to my door and slipped inside with me. “Lillie, we should talk about…”
I closed my eyes. “Maybe I don’t want to talk. Maybe I can’t.”
“OK.” He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Everything will be alright.”
“Will it? How can you be sure? You and that obsessed man…vampire…whatever the fuck he is, keep telling me that, but you know what? It doesn’t feel OK. It feels anything but OK. It feels like everything is falling apart.” Tears threatened my eyes. “Nothing in my life has been real, not even you. I didn’t ask for any of this. Did you know?”
“That I was chosen for you? That my real family was a bunch of witches? That I may have untapped powers? Fuck, no. Everything about last night was new to me. Lillie, I would have told you. But are you sure we can trust Baron? That place he runs… I’m sure stolen artifacts and unique services are just the tip of the iceberg. What if he’s playing us?”
“It’s possible. He said that I’m a mate and they are rare. His behavior is so suspicious, but what I felt from him…”
“You can feel him?”
“Yes, like his surface emotions. I could feel he wasn’t telling me everything, but there was truth. The caring was real and there was concern. The strangest thing of all is that it felt like…”
Colin grasped my upper arms. “Like what, Lillie?”
“Like he loved me, but at the same time he hated himself for it.” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I don’t have a choice, Colin. I have to become one of them at the end of the day, or die. Because of how everything has been set in motion, I will be tied to either Baron or this Allister person forever. And I’ll lose you.” I pressed my face into his shirt, allowing it to soak up my tears.
His arms encircled my waist. “You’ll never lose me. When Baron and I met last night, he said, either way, it’s my choice.”
I clenched my fists at my sides. His eternal optimism was most frustrating when I couldn’t feel anything but defeat. “You’ll die, Colin. You are mortal. After the change is complete, I won’t be.”
He kissed my forehead. “We still have many years ahead of us, and if I can find my ancestors, according to Baron, I could become quite powerful and the more powerful the witch, the longer they live.”
I blinked in astonishment. A short time ago, witches and vampires only existed in imagination. “I wish we had never gone there last night. That we were never able to find them. One day I would have just not woken up and that would have been the end. Now—”
Colin shoved me an arm’s length away and gripped my biceps. “Never say that again, ever. You can wish those bloodsucking bastards never did this to you, but don’t you ever wish that you’d leave me without you. Never. Do you hear me, Lillie?” Colin had never been so forceful with me. “The one thing I learned from Baron is that words have power. Don’t ever say that again.” Tears flooded his eyes. “Please…”
“I’m sorry. I just…”
“Come on, let’s get packed and get the fuck out of this city. Baron can find us when he’s ready.”
8
Death
Four weeks and twelve cities later, we still hadn’t heard from Baron and in that time, I’d started to notice changes. My tolerance for the sun had decreased so much that I had to avoid direct light altogether and indirect exposure caused me great fatigue within about fifteen minutes. My energy overall was waning. Concerts had lost their air of wonderment and revitalization. They were now nearly impossible to finish with the exuberance necessary to give the audience what they paid for.
Colin’s hovering and concern irritated me. “Come on, it’s been nearly two weeks since you last ate.”
“I’m not in the mood.” I rolled over in bed. Since blood and sex now came as a package deal, we’d embraced our newfound intimacy and started booking only one hotel room. It saved money but lacked the much needed personal space I’d been craving.
“Then I’ll get the IV bag.” He rolled up his sleeves and got up from the bed.
“No… I’m not… I don’t want anything. Thank you.”
He rounded the bed and knelt, so he could look me in the eye. “Why does it feel like you’re giving up?”
I curled the blanket in my fist and pulled it tight against my chest. “I’m not. I’m just tired.”
He steadied himself with one hand on the mattress. “Let’s cancel the show tonight and call Baron.”
“Absolutely not. Those people paid to see us. The show must go on.”
He hung his head in defeat. His hair cascaded over his face. “OK. But if I notice one more thing, I’m calling Baron myself.”
Baron was the last person I wanted to see. As my strength weakened, my compulsion to see Baron McCaffrey increased. I longed for him, a man I didn’t know. Whatever vampire voodoo lurked in my veins, it fueled my strange pull toward him, and I needed to fight it. I sighed and gave Colin the answer he needed to hear. “OK.”
Later that night we were halfway through the show when my skin tingled. A pit in my stomach formed out of the blue. I powered through the final songs but was overcome with a feeling of dread. Just as I was about to walk off the stage, I saw several men in black combat attire enter the theater, pushing past the early departing audience members.
I rounded the curtain, the audience still applauding when a hand clasped over my mouth and pulled me into a storage room. Without looking, I knew who it was.
“They’re coming for you. You need to come with me.” He cracked open the door and looked both ways before grabbing my hand, dragging me along. Through the rear door
and into the alleyway, I tried to keep up with Baron’s long strides.
Before we made it to the main street, several of the men dressed in combat attire appeared. The first man spotted us and hollered to the others before retrieving a crossbow from his back and aiming it at Baron, who moved to stand in front of me.
“Like lambs to the slaughter.” Baron’s calm, almost jovial tone was a vast contrast to the concern I’d felt moments ago inside. “What did they promise you? Immortality? Enormous wealth? Did he happen to tell you the price you’ll pay? Take it from me, vampires can’t be trusted.” He took one step toward the man.
Others appeared and trained their weapons on Baron. But what I felt from Baron wasn’t concern. It was elation. He was having fun. “I’m sure they told you the mission was simple. Grab the girl. Perhaps kill a vampire? But did they tell you which vampire? I’m not exactly your average bloodsucker.”
The men pushed into the alleyway, unifying their front.
“This is your last chance, gentlemen. I extend to you an invitation to change sides. Join me, and I will spare you.” Baron tented his hands in front of him as though he were praying.
The man in front shouted, “Step away from the girl.”
“I’m afraid that’s not going to be possible. You see, I made her a promise a very long time ago that I’d never let any harm come to her, and well… I’m sensing that your intentions are less than honorable.”
I placed a hand on his back. “Baron, they’ll kill you. Don’t do this. I’ll go with them.”
“Trust me, love. I have this all under control.” He took two steps forward and made one last plea to our aggressors. “You think you’re doing the right thing. You think it’s all black and white. This is your last chance to stand down before I ruin your evening.” In a softer voice, for only me to hear, he commanded, “Press yourself against my back, darling. I’ll shield you.”
