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  She could see and feel worry and anger surfacing from deep within his animated shell. He was probing her mind as she contemplated the correct way to explain it to him. She cleared her throat and swallowed, licking her lips. She was salivating from the hunger.

  “The phone call was not a hallucination.” She turned her face away from him, putting her fingers to her lips. “It was . . . Lokee. I’m sure of it.”

  Fire ignited in his eyes. “No, that’s not possible!” he hissed. His face grew dark and cruel. She could feel him, feel the fire dancing within him, and the effort of him trying to suppress the growing wrath so as not to unleash it inappropriately.

  “Yes, Lokee knows I’m here. I know it was him; I felt him all over me.”

  “He called you here? I can’t believe this.” He spoke through his teeth, pointing at the floor. “It is way too soon. I spent the entire night calling on the powers of our patron Goddess, Lillith, for protection. At least long enough to get you acquainted with your new life so that you could build the strength needed to shield yourself.”

  He turned away and raked a hand through his hair. He turned back toward her quickly, hopefully, “No, it could have been a prank!”

  “He never actually said his name,” she pushed herself up to her knees, pleading with Roman to calm down, “but I know it was him because he said I was his, and that he was back to claim his redemption.” Her voice trailed off in the last words she spoke.

  For Roman, that did it. The heat rose up and out of him in waves, rising and pulsing around her.

  “I thought he was you,” she continued, “perhaps disguising your voice, testing me, but it was him.”

  He shot her an unforgiving glance. She paused for a moment, trying to collect herself.

  “Roman, I can’t even start to explain to you the feeling I got while he taunted me. It was like a forbidden memory fighting its way back into my mind. It was him, I am sure of that, and he reminded me of some of the last words he ever spoke to Alexandria,” she closed her eyes and shook her head violently, “I mean me. He intends to live up to his threats!”

  She broke off in sobs as he took her into his arms, swallowing his trepidation, giving her the comfort she desired.

  “Shhh,” he soothed, pulling her close to his chest. “It will be all right, my love. He won’t get anywhere near you,” he promised, “because I will always be with you. When you get stronger, when my blood dominates your system, you will start to gain the incredible energy and power that you need to protect yourself against him.”

  Her only response was with tears.

  “Come now, we must get you fed.”

  He pushed her away from him tenderly and walked over to the closet. She climbed out of the sanctity of the warm bed and stood up, shivering. The room was freezing! Minutes later, he came back with warm clothing for her to snuggle into. Then, with his assistance, they moved out of the flat and into the foggy night.

  Twenty Nine

  Roman drove Alethea out into the lush countryside to a lonely pub. A handful of drunkards gathered around in front of the place, loitering. They clutched onto half-empty bottles of liquor, careful to sip from the bottles, as if they needed to be tender with them. Some were already passed out and others barely standing without using the building for support.

  Roman picked up a heartbeat around the side of the building. He tugged at her arm and led her over to the sleeping form. He was alone, half-hidden in bushes, and nobody would be competent enough to react to what was about to happen.

  Alethea stood above the man, looking down at him hungrily. She fought the urges, disgusted with the thought of draining him, polluted with cheap liquor and dirt. Just as she started to turn away, Roman shoved her down and warned her never to waste time like she was, standing over the man talking herself out of killing him.

  “He’s fine,” he hissed. “You need nourishment, Alethea. If you don’t, the process will not complete itself and you will remain a half-ling. Not really something I would advise.”

  “Maybe I want it that way, Roman. Stop forcing me to—” she stopped, realizing she was making things much too complicated, even for herself. She didn’t even feel the way she portrayed herself to feel; she just felt the need to argue.

  Roman turned away and disappeared into the trees to give her privacy for the “first kill.” Her vampire virginity was about to end, and what better person to end it than this alcoholic, wife-beating, daughter-molesting man? Or so his mind revealed to her.

  Vampire virginity was sacred, after all, and Alethea learned this by opening herself up and absorbing the vampire essence that now hovered over her like a protective cloak. Her gums ached and she moved her tongue up to feel the new canines that tore through her flesh. She tasted blood only faintly, but it disappeared almost as fast as it had come on. Her mouth salivated to the point of making her drool profusely.

  Taken by the moment, she looked down at the man and knelt quietly beside him. From the pit of her stomach came an incredible surge of energy. Adrenaline rushed through every inch of her body. The hunger exploded inside of her and she no longer possessed the control to resist; vampire instincts consumed her.

  She hunched over the man, opened her mouth wide, hearing herself growl before she lunged down at him, briefly catching a glimpse of his beady eyes opening as wide as possible. She sunk her teeth deep into his jugular. She felt the power increase within her as she sucked sloppily, greedily. She adored the wonderful feeling that coursed through her.

  She found herself picking and tearing at the man’s flesh. He made gargled, inaudible sounds, even to her vampire ears. Just as she became rougher with the man’s body, he did his best to cry out. A strong, furious hand slammed down to knock him back out. Surprised, she looked down at her own powerful hand which clamped him down.

  Uncontrollable instincts.

  The blood swam down her throat, sweet and delicious, and into her veins. Rising to look at her handiwork, she heard Roman approach behind her.

  What a terrible mess she had made; was this wrong?

  Roman bent down to drag the body to a shallow grave he had dug under some trees. When he returned, Alethea was still standing over the death scene licking her lips. She could feel her body rising, almost as if she were having an out-of-body experience. Her spirit lifted and her flesh tingled all over as if it had been in a deep sleep all her mortal life.

  She was undergoing the final steps of the transition and she simply adored it. It felt good. Refreshing. All she could do was stand there and stare at nothing. Her emerald eyes sparkled brilliantly, fixed in front of her.

  Roman gathered her up and brought her to the desolate quiet area near the fresh grave. She was oblivious to her surroundings; she only felt the pure ecstasy flowing through her. It was stronger than the sweetest orgasm and more debilitating than a heroine rush.

  Turning abruptly, she attacked Roman, ripping off his clothes and hardening his erection to the point of explosion before even making it inside of her. She guided him in and they made delicious love under the full moon.

  When she was ready to come, she looked to Roman for approval. With half-open eyes, he looked into hers with the hungriest look she’d ever known from a man. They exploded together, ripping and biting at each other. When they were finished, they collapsed, lying on the ground in the dense forest. The moon shone brightly above them, smiling at them and covering them in silvery, Goddess light.

  Alethea sighed. “All you would ever have to do for me in life,” she paused, “or in our afterlife, is what you just did.” She stretched her legs out as far as she could, closing her eyes and taking in every ounce of the pleasure that she could.

  Roman chuckled, sitting up on his elbow next to her. “Call it whatever you prefer; I know what you mean.” He smiled, leaning down to kiss her eyelids.

  She shuddered blissfully. “All you have to do after we have a fight or heated discussion is fuck me like that. I’m serious.” she giggled, “that would be all
you had to do to make me forgive you for anything.”

  They laughed together.

  “Really?” Roman rubbed at his chin as if thinking of plots to play out so they could have the make-up sex often.

  “Stop it!” Alethea pushed herself up and looked at him, smiling. They pressed their foreheads together. “I guess we should go, huh?” she whispered.

  “Why?” He reached over and pulled her on top of him.

  “If you insist,” she smiled, sliding her body down and moving her mouth between his legs. “No biting,” he said.

  Thirty

  Several months passed since the night of Alethea’s first kill. Roman had witnessed the will of a woman change radically when faced with such an improbable change in her life. He remembered himself changing, and how he had felt once about the topic of killing for the Blood Life. He knew it was survival, and what was more, he had come to enjoy the wondrous feeling it filled him with.

  Alethea had undergone the entire alteration and was able to experience it for all that it was; therefore, she believed, thrived for and accepted vampyrism entirely. She wanted to absorb and experience every facet of it, especially if she would be able to spend eternity by Roman’s side. Forever in her lover’s arms, safe and secure, as it was meant to be. At least, that is what she wanted, but she knew she was forcing herself to feel completely safe, trying to ignore the fact that Lokee followed her every move.

  The major problem was that Lokee was a very old vampire. Not just old—ancient in comparison to Roman. Alethea was afraid that she would have Roman killed by provoking or not cooperating with Lokee’s wishes.

  She could not bear to face one day without Roman now that they were reunited. It terrified her that she could end up losing him by Lokee’s hand.

  Roman thought it was ridiculous, of course, but she still imagined and dreamt of it almost every time she slept. Lokee would come to her in dreams and tell her to follow him. He wanted her to go to him “where she belonged.”

  No Roman, no protection.

  Thirty One

  “Roman,” Alethea said. She sat lazily on the sofa by the fire in his office at Dusk.

  “Yes,” he answered over his shoulder. Lance, one of his employees, was sitting across from him at the desk. Lance stared at Alethea as though she had addressed him.

  She didn’t answer, shifting her emerald gaze back into the vivid colors of the flames in the fireplace. She watched intently, with her new sight, as the flames danced, licking at the brick wall, blackening it more than it already was.

  “That will be all then, Lance, thank you.” Roman stood up to walk him to the door.

  “I’ll have those figures ready for you by Friday, sir.” Lance glanced over at Alethea. “We sure are happy to have you back, sir, and it was nice meeting you, Alethea.”

  She turned and nodded to him. He was a short fellow with a round face and long, dirty blonde hair. He was the type of person anyone could feel comfortable around, but when it came to discussing personal matters, he was the mouth of the club.

  “Friday will be perfect, Lance. Remember, you are always in charge of things in my absence, no matter how long.” Lance nodded, enthusiastically, as Roman smiled and shut the door after him.

  He sighed and turned to face Alethea, changing his uptight, professional expression to one of love and affection. She giggled at the dramatic change.

  “What?” he asked, defensively.

  “I was just thinking,” she answered, running her fingers through her freshly curled hair, admiring the burgundy locks that glistened in the light of the fire.

  “About what, may I ask? If I am the cause of your laughter, I deserve to know why,” he protested, grinning playfully.

  “Please, Roman, stop wasting my time like this.”

  He looked very confused. “What?”

  “You know as well as I do that you can just read my thoughts. I can hide nothing from you and it bothers the hell out of me,” she snapped.

  “Ooookkkkkaaayyyy,” he sang, sarcastically, “what’s the matter?”

  “Nothing,” she countered. Roman cleared his throat patiently. She looked at him seriously, “Really, I was actually laughing at myself. The way I think.” She paused, reflecting. “Quite melodramatic,” she smiled, apologetically.

  Roman’s smile lit up the room even more than the cozy fire. “That’s better. I try not to read your mind, if that is of any comfort to you. I do respect your privacy.”

  “You don’t cease to amaze me,” she replied, rolling her eyes out of spite, then pushing herself up from the sofa.

  She took slow, graceful steps over to his desk, feeling the pull of his curiosity. She always did feel his energy when she was close to him. He got up and walked over to her, luring her in with his wet, delicious lips.

  “What did you want when Lance was in here?” he whispered, being sexy with her ear.

  “I just wanted your attention,” she whispered back. “No, really, I wanted to ask you something.”

  “Go ahead.” He held her at arm’s length to look her squarely in the face.

  “Last night—” she stopped, unsure of how to start.

  “What about it?” He looked concerned as she tried her damnedest to cloak her thoughts from him. Since she so stupidly built this up by hesitating, he was sure to pry. “Well, Alethea?” He snapped her back from her tremulous thoughts.

  “I . . . um, maybe you should sit down for this.”

  He obeyed, maintaining eye contact.

  “I had another dream last night.”

  “You dream every night, Alethea,” he replied, “we all do.”

  “You don’t have to be rude. I’m just having a little trouble with this one.” She went back to the couch and plopped down, sulking. He got up from his chair and followed her.

  “You don’t have to sulk,” he retorted. “Now, what is the problem?”

  He slid his hand over and rested it on her thigh.

  She couldn’t bring herself to look up at him, so she fixed her stare into the fire again, allowing it to soothe her enough to begin. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to speak.

  “Last night, I dreamt of a dark-haired woman with sapphire eyes. She was very beautiful and known but unknown to me. She spoke fiercely of Lokee and his intentions. Then, suddenly, he appeared and enveloped her, taking me into his arms, forcing me down beneath him.” She broke off, finding it difficult to swallow as she recalled the terror of it.

  “What do you mean ‘he enveloped her’?”

  “Well, she disappeared; he seemed to have overpowered her somehow. She was just gone. And I was his victim.”

  “What did he do to you?” he asked, evenly, but she knew the rage that surfaced beneath his skin at the very mention of Lokee, especially in reference to Alethea.

  She could feel his heat rising as she continued. “He raped me, violently. It burned, and foul smells filled my nostrils, smells of evil and deceit. He ravaged me, and I had no chance to escape.”

  Alethea broke off to ease Roman. His face was so red she was afraid he’d explode. He motioned for her to continue. “Then the woman reappeared and tore me away from him.”

  He lowered his head, gripping his hair in his hands and pulling it tightly. This was his release; his rage had no place to go now.

  “And then I woke up.”

  Alethea shook all over. To recall the nightmare was more than she wanted to do, but she knew Roman should know about it, especially since the woman was undoubtedly the vampire/witch he spoke so highly and fondly of: Devendra.

  Thirty Two

  “Why do you still torture her?” Devendra paced his dim bedroom with quick, tense steps. “Why did you kill her friend?” She stopped to face him, with her arms crossed and her face dark and sad.

  “That blonde woman was her friend? I had no idea,” he taunted, rolling his eyes. He curled his fingers and wiped at alligator tears.

  “Yes, Camilla was her best friend, the only person in her mort
al life that she held dear. She will find out soon enough and then it will be too late—” Devendra stopped, sick with grief for Alethea. It would be too late to turn back the massive hands of Father Time and Sister Fate. Roman would declare war, and Devendra wasn’t sure he was strong enough to battle Lokee, who was, by birth, one of the Combined. He also held the shape-shifting gift, passed along through Devendra’s own rich heritage. It gave him so much supremacy.

  Lokee shrugged and waltzed around the room, whistling a tune she wasn’t familiar with, reenacting the way he killed Camilla only hours before.

  Devendra turned her head away from Lokee’s tasteless display of malice, balancing herself against a bookshelf. “Have you any reason at all, or is your reason for immortality only to break bonds and ruin lives?”

  She pivoted around to face him. Moving toward him, gathering strength and fury from inside of her, she continued, “When I bore you, Lokee, allowed you to be born into this world, it was out of love.”

  He made a spitting sound.

  “Oh, but it was! I knew the consequences of having you, yet I did it against the will of Lillith—a price only I can pay. I begged her to give you a chance, to believe in your ability to cast away the evil your father instilled in you.”

  He looked at her, unmoving. No expression animated his statue-like face.

  “She was right. You only breed hate! Hate for yourself and everyone and everything around you!”

  She stopped just short of him, her arms hanging at her sides; her hands were clawed and ready to attack.

  Lokee cleared his throat and turned away from her, knowing she would not strike. Not right then. “You birthed me a long time ago, Devendra, and that motherly time has long since passed.” He paused, turning back to eyeball her for any sudden movements, any change in demeanor. “You have no control over me,” he continued, smugly, flopping himself down on a recliner and picking at imaginary hangnails on his fingers. “Besides,” he added, “my father was an incredible man. It’s really too bad you destroyed him before I got the chance to look up to him in the flesh. Didn’t he have Combined blood in his veins?” He thought for a moment, leaving a long, hollow silence between them. Lokee looked up from his nails and into Devendra’s eyes. “I’m sorry. My mistake. He was not one of the infamous Combined, but he was a very powerful vampire. I still cannot comprehend how you destroyed him.”