His Captive Mortal

by Rose , Renee

  His Captive Mortal

  Renee Rose

  Lee Savino

  Midnight Romance

  Copyright © September 2020 His Captive Mortal by Renee Rose and Lee Savino and Midnight Romance LLC

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this book ONLY. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from the authors. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors' rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  Published in the United States of America

  Midnight Romance Publishing

  This book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book contains descriptions of many BDSM and sexual practices, but this is a work of fiction and, as such, should not be used in any way as a guide. The author and publisher will not be responsible for any loss, harm, injury, or death resulting from use of the information contained within. In other words, don’t try this at home, folks!

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Playlist

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  Read all the Midnight Romance books

  Other Titles by Renee Rose

  About Renee Rose

  Also by Lee Savino

  About Lee Savino

  Playlist

  Hopeless Romantic - Michelle Branch

  I Put A Spell on You - Annie Lennox

  Adore - i:cube

  Ooh La La - Goldfrapp

  Somebody - Project 0

  The Dark Side - MUSE

  Handsome Boy Modeling School - The Truth

  Glass Animals - Hazey

  ODESZA - Say My Name

  Stateless - Bloodstream

  Trixie Whitley - Breathe You In My Dreams

  Alan Walker - Faded

  The Tenors - Who Wants To Live Forever ft. Lindsey Stirling

  Daisy Gray - Wicked Game

  Isak Danielson - Power

  Somersaults In Spring - Friends of Gemini

  Ahmad Jamal - Stolen Moments

  Modern English - I Melt With You

  Chapter 1

  Aurelia

  The moon hangs high in the night sky when I exit the Tucson Center for Developmentally Disabled. I walk slowly, wincing. My grey-with-white-polka-dots ballerina flats are super cute, but they’re brand new and need to be broken in. Besides, any shoes I wear on a twelve hour shift that ends at midnight would leave my feet aching.

  “Aurelia, wait up!” My coworker Gwen bounces out of the building and falls into step beside me. Her hair is high in a fresh ponytail, and her feet are encased in heels. I hurt for her.

  “Girl, I don’t know how you have so much energy after a shift.” Although I can guess. Gwen’s younger than I am and part time, interning here before starting her master’s degree next fall.

  “I’m a night owl, I guess.” She shrugs and extends her arm, keychain in hand, and unlocks the shiny new VW Beetle her dad bought her for Christmas. I wouldn’t have chosen bright banana yellow as a color for my car, but I have to admit, it suits my bubbly coworker. Added bonus for those on the late shift: it glows in the dark. “Hey, wanna go with me to a club?”

  “Now? Are you serious?”

  “Yeah,” Gwen pauses beside her car to redo her perfect ponytail. “There’s this new place I want to check out. Everyone says it’s straight fire.”

  “What’s it called?” I ask politely, though I have zero intention of going anywhere tonight besides my bed. Maybe a short stop in front of the fridge if I’m feeling crazy.

  “Club Toxic.”

  Tingles run up my spine, and goosebumps rise on my arm like a cold wind just blew past me.

  Gwen seems unaffected, blithely reapplying her shimmery lip gloss. I shudder, hard, and she notices.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah.” I rub my arm. “Someone just walked over my grave or something.”

  Gwen gasps, her half glossed lips parted in horror. “What?”

  “Nothing. It’s something my nana would say. It’s an expression. When you experience a chill--someone just walked over your grave.”

  “Ewww,” Gwen says, but she doesn’t seem too worried because she finishes applying her lip gloss and drops the tube back in her purse. “So...club tonight?”

  “Rain check? I’m pretty tired.”

  Gwen pouts. “You always say that.”

  That’s because it’s true. “I’m getting up early tomorrow. Work and school.”

  “So boring,” Gwen says.

  “Yep, that’s my life. Not all of us can be as glamorous as you.”

  Gwen bites her lip. “I’ve been trying to get Chad to take me there for ages.”

  I arch a brow, wanting to ask why she didn’t just ditch Chad and go herself. But Gwen would look aghast at me suggesting she ditch her perfect fiancé for a night.

  “Hey, I know!” she brightens. “I can ask Chad to bring a friend for you.”

  “Oh, please, no.” A blind date arranged by Gwen? “That’s so sweet, but no thank you. I’m not really looking for anyone. And if I were, I doubt some random guy I meet one night will turn out to be ‘the one’.” I do fake quotes around the one. It’s a concept she and I have talked about at length.

  Gwen believes we get one true love. I don’t.

  I know I’ve made a mistake mentioning the one when Gwen’s eyes grow wide and out sparkle her lip gloss. “You never know. He’s out there, looking for you. Fate could be trying to bring you together.”

  “Well, Fate is going to have to send him straight to my apartment cause that’s where I’m going. Night, Gwen.” I turn to trudge home.

  “Wait, you’re walking?” Gwen calls after me. “You don’t have a car?”

  “Nope. It’s fine. I live close.” Five blocks—not that close, but close enough to walk. I walk faster in the opposite direction, declining Gwen’s offer of a ride with a wave.

  The prickle on my neck persists, and I rub my arms as I walk. This is nothing new. For the past few days, I’ve gotten the sense that I’m being followed. So weird.

  Out of the corner of my eye, something flickers. A ghostly white shape flutters towards me, and I jump five feet in the air before I realize it’s only a piece of paper. It lands at my feet, and I snatch it off the ground. I can read it clearly in the light of the full moon. “Black Tie Affair. Ladies Get in Free.”

  It’s a flyer for a club. There’s a logo in the corner, and when I read it, I get another full body shiver.

  Club Toxic. This is the club Gwen was talking about. If my nana were here, she’d say it was a sign.

  Or...I’m just tired. My exhausted body’s overreacting. This Club Toxic thing is just a coincidence, not the universe trying to tell me something.

  I crumple up the flyer and keep walking.

  * * *

  Charlie

  My mortal prey tosses a piece of trash into the proper bin, shrugs her purse higher and keeps walking. According to my intel and what I’ve observed, she li
ves alone and keeps mostly to herself.

  Which is perfect for my purposes.

  I follow her down Congress Street. If all goes to plan, I’ll nab her tonight. The king of this territory can’t know I’m here, so I’ll get in, get what I need, and get out.

  And only one poor mortal will ever know I was here...

  * * *

  Aurelia

  I hobble down the dark downtown streets, peering into alleyways. Congress is usually safe and busy, but it’s late and a weeknight. The streets are mostly empty.

  But the moon lights my way. I raise my face to the silvery light and breathe in. Taking a second to bask in nature’s beauty always makes me feel better. After a moment of moon communion, even my feet hurt less.

  I’m almost home when a tall shadow detaches itself from an alley wall and blocks my path.

  I startle, but on second glance it’s only a man. He doesn't look too menacing. Tall and pale, he’s dressed in sleek black slacks and a white button down shirt with a thin black tie. A businessman probably headed home after dinner or drinks. Just in case, I hold my keys pointed through my knuckles the way I learned in a college self-defense class.

  The man walks towards me. The closer he gets, the taller he looms, and my heart pitter patters faster. It’s fine, it’s fine. He’s totally harmless. To calm my fear, I visualize a giant ball of white light surrounding me. It’s a silly little exercise I came up with on my own, but it’s always helped center me. Sometimes I imagine I can see the glow of the protective aura flickering just out of the corner of my eye.

  And it works. As soon as I imagine the white aura, I feel calmer. But then something strange happens.

  The man approaching me stops in his tracks. And he’s staring at my aura as if he can see it.

  I freeze like a rabbit catching sight of a hunter.

  Goosebumps break out over my skin as a slow grin spreads across the man’s face. “Is this for me?” he drawls in a sexy British accent. The moonlight glints over his unusually long canines.

  Vampire.

  I don’t know why, but the word enters my mind clearly.

  The man grins broader, showing sharp, way-too-long-to-be-human canines. “Yes,” he purrs as if I spoke the word aloud. “And you are…what? A witchling?” He cocks his head to the side, “Priestess? Or something special...something more?” His voice is reverent as he extends his fingertips in the air, touching what would be the edge of my ball of light. And in a flash, I see clearly what I’ve only caught glimpses of before—a shimmering white wall of protection that ripples and repels his touch.

  A shiver shimmies up my spine.

  Even in the low light of the street, I can tell he is beautiful. Dark hair, strong jaw. Cheekbones sharp enough to cut my palm. He’s pale, but there are deep shadows under his dark eyes.

  I can’t stop staring at him. It’s worse than the time I saw a movie star in a coffee shop. If this guy asked me my name, I’d stammer gibberish. Maybe drool. He’s that fucking hot.

  And he knows it. The corner of his mouth crinkles as he studies my creation with apparent fascination. He turns his glittering gaze on me, and his eyes lock with mine. Eyes so dark, I don’t know where his irises end and his pupils begin.

  Energy shifts within me. The street feels like it’s sliding out from under my feet, and when I step to balance myself, my belly seems to move to the left while my chest moves right.

  In slow motion, the man raises his hand. Still holding my gaze, he snaps his fingers.

  And my bubble of light...vanishes.

  I gasp, swaying. I’m panting like I’ve run a mile. I tense, ready to run.

  He smiles wider.

  “Oh yes, run, my little Tinkerbell,” he murmurs, his voice deep and smooth as if he’s saying sweet nothings to a lover. “I do so love a good chase. I’ve been looking for one of your kind for a long time.”

  I stumble backward. I want to run by my feet won’t obey. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” What did he say earlier? “I’m not a priestess or a witch. I’m nobody--just a counselor at the School for the Disabled.”

  The man stalks forward slowly, a predator content to know his prey is stuck fast. Every cell in me screams to back away, but I can barely take one backward step. It’s like I’m mired in quicksand.

  “Where’d you learn to do that?”

  “What? The bubble?” The words pop out of my mouth before I decide whether I want to talk. He’s controlling me, a panicked part of my brain screams. But I can’t resist. “I don’t know—I just invented it, I guess.”

  “Powerful,” he mutters, more to himself than to me. Those black-as-night eyes fix on me like a tractor beam. “Do you do other magic?”

  I shake my head so hard my hair flies in my face, looking around for anyone who might help me. “No, sir.”

  I don’t know where the sir comes from, but it feels right. And it seems to amuse the stranger. His lips curl into another toothy grin, his fangs lengthening before my eyes.

  And I remember something about vampires. It had been his eye contact that burst the bubble. All I have to do is avoid looking directly at him.

  With a full body shiver, I focus on creating another bubble. It’s harder this time, like I’m straining a muscle I haven’t used before. A magic muscle. But it works. As soon as the white sphere pops around me, I take off running as fast as I can. I dash around the corner, listening hard, but there are no footsteps following. Only the sound of laughter--a deep, chocolatey chuckle that makes my stomach dip not in fear but another reason entirely. It’s the sexiest laugh I’ve ever heard. Coming from the handsomest man I’ve ever met. Lean and fit, with that face. And under his shirt and slacks….

  No! Do not visualize the vampire naked. But if I do, is it really my fault? He’s got some compelling mojo. Sex and vampires go together, right?

  I race home, every hair on my body standing up in warning. What else stops a vampire? I jab my key into the lock. So far so good. I slam the heavy door behind me, throw the deadbolt, check the locks. Then rush to the back door. Locked. And the windows--latched. All the while, I’m breathing hard from adrenaline and running. But my body feels slow and languid, like I’ve just gotten out of a bath or, Goddess help me, out of bed after a two-hour sex marathon with a vampire.

  A stake through the heart. That’s how you kill a vampire. And garlic. I pull open kitchen drawers, looking for any kind of wooden stick. There—the dowel in the little Live, Laugh, Love wall hanging my neighbor gave me. The dowel is three quarter inches thick and 18 inches long. It might work. I grab a knife and begin carving the end into a crude point.

  Only to drop it and scream when someone bangs on my back door. My neighbor’s voice calls out, “Hey, Aurelia, got any smokes?”

  I never should’ve told my neighbor I had the night shift. It’s half past midnight, for Pete’s sake. “No, Karen! I don’t smoke, remember?”

  A pause, then, “I accidentally locked myself out of my apartment. Can I come in?”

  Crap.

  I creep to the door, sharpened stake in hand, and open it.

  And there he is next to my neighbor, my vampire stalker, tall, dark and toothsome as he leans in the door frame. Somehow I’m not surprised.

  Chapter 2

  Aurelia

  “Go back to your side,” he murmurs to Karen, whose eyes are glassy and unfocused. My neighbor trots obediently away, clearly mesmerized by the vampire.

  Thanks a lot, Karen.

  I frown at my dark stalker, and I make a mistake. My eyes slide to his and my world turns black. I hear his fingers snap, and just like before, I experience a weird swirly sensation in my belly and chest like I'm being rendered in two directions

  “Come in,” my ears are horrified to hear my mouth say.

  My vision clears, and the vampire flashes a fang at me as he pushes past me into my duplex apartment.

  “Aurelia,” he says slowly, testing my name.

  “Yes.”

&n
bsp; “I’m not going to hurt you. At least, I won’t if you cooperate. I’ve been looking for you a long time.”

  He’s been looking for me? I try to make sense of it, but his eyes are so dark. Fathomless. I could gaze at him forever until the world ceases to exist. Why was I so worried?

  A little voice in the back of my mind screams, telling me to fight.

  “I know this is unconventional,” the vampire continues. “But secrecy is of the essence. I can’t be found in Tucson, and if my enemies found you talking to me, your life would be forfeit. And we don’t want that, do we?”

  A little bit of logic worms into my bedazzled thoughts. Vampire. Enemies. “No,” I whisper.

  “You cooperate with me, and I’ll protect you. But cross me, and I’ll punish you. Do we have an accord?” His accent makes the words sound so polite and old-fashioned.

  The pull on my chest eases enough for me to take a deep breath.

  “Yes,” I agree, even as my fingers tighten on my homemade stake.

  “Then let us proceed. Shall we sit?” The vampire turns to lead me into my own living room.

  The moment our gaze breaks, my wits come rushing back. I launch myself. I aim for the middle of his broad upper back with the sharpened dowel.

  Live, laugh, love, DIE!

  The vampire whirls and catches my wrist so quickly I don’t see it happen. Irritation registers on his perfect features. His face twists as his fangs elongate, and he hisses.

  Caught in the grip of a monster, I scream. A fresh batch of adrenaline dumps into my bloodstream. My wrist throbs.