Honeymoon Bite (Golden Vampire Legacy) (21 page)

“Yes, I hope so too.” Paolo remembered the ringing phone. “By the way, who is Robert?”

“Robert?”

“Yes, Anne’s cell phone has gone off twice. I noticed someone named Robert was calling her. Does that name mean anything to you?”

“He’s her husband.”

“Excuse me?” Paolo wasn’t sure he heard correctly.
Marcus has fated to a woman who is married to another?

“They pledged their vows. That’s partly why I need council permission.”

“Marcus, you’ve made a mess of things. For once, you’ve outdone me!”

“Robert’s not worthy of Anne. And he’s mortal. She knew that before we became close.”

“So, you are not bedding her?”

“And risk separation forever? Hell, no.”

“When do you see them?”

“This afternoon. We have an appointment in one hour.” He stood up. “I think we should get ready. I need to prepare her for the inspection.”

“She bleeds?”

“She does indeed.” Marcus looked proud.

They said their goodbyes.

As Marcus walked out to the garden to get Anne, Paolo watched him. Was his brother man enough to do the unthinkable, be fated to two females at the same time? Was that even possible? And what would the council decide?

Chapter 20

On the way to the council meeting, Marcus took Anne’s hand and kissed it. “Your hands are freezing.”

Anne had been looking at the countryside as they passed by. The gently sloping vineyard rows and red rocky soil looked familiar. She felt an odd connection to this strange land. The driver behind the clear partition of the big Mercedes limo paid no attention to them.

Marcus always rode in style. She would have enjoyed it except for being so nervous. Who were these people on the council, and what power did they have over Marcus? Over her? Their entire future depended on what this panel of elders decided.

She still bled, but there was hardly a trace. She was slightly concerned it had dried up completely.

“Marcus, I have a bad feeling about this meeting.”

“Don’t, my pet. You will see. They just need to learn who you are. We have to follow the rules so we can enjoy the
benefits
of our society.” By benefits, she took it to mean they could have sex. Unlimited sex. Nothing less than that would do. She’d never had to ask permission for this before.

He nibbled on her fingers. She knew he was trying to get her attention, trying to seduce her again with those dark eyes. All she had to do was look at him, and she would do anything.

God, she loved watching him take command of her body, and of everything else around him. He owned it all. She craved the maleness of him—the way he smelled, how his huge dark form enveloped her, devoured her. She wished they were just going wine tasting or on their way to the jet or going on a road trip. Something fun. Not something she dreaded.

What would she do if she somehow didn’t pass muster? Was her life in danger? Was his?

He gazed at her now with that look that said he needed her, that he needed her kiss, the reassurance she was up to the challenge of facing them. She leaned forward and made her lips as soft as she could, then pressed them against his lips, flesh on flesh. He went deeper with his tongue, as if he could not resist. His hands—his wonderful big hands—covered and squeezed her breasts. He was totally hers.

If the council allows it.

“May I, just a little taste?”

She loved it when he begged. “I’m thinking, Marcus.”

“About what?”

He explored the valley between her aching tits. His tongue was hot and snaked under the black bra he had bought her for the occasion. The one with the matching panties that had the hole down the length of the crotch. She tingled with the thought of what his tongue would do as he nuzzled and found that opening.
Make him beg a little more.
She wanted to feel the fullness of his need.

“Just a little of you on my tongue.”

Yes.
She nodded as he bit her breast in the dark fold underneath, so it wouldn’t show.

His body shuddered as he supped her precious drop of blood. He and whispered, “My sweet, sweet Anne.”

How glorious it would be when she could completely surrender to him. Maybe she could get Robert to give her that freedom tonight, if she and Marcus were successful with the council.

A vision popped into her head, forcing a smile. She saw Marcus with her naked, his cock just at the folds of her sex, ready to enter and blast her to heaven and back, and her dialing Robert on the phone. The phone would ring, the anticipation fueling the passion. Just as Robert would be about to say he’d agree to release her, Marcus would thrust inside her. In just that second, she’d be free. No longer than a second. It couldn’t come soon enough.

The panties were handy for Marcus’s fingers as well. He stroked her. Anne saw the driver’s gaze fastened to the road. He was discreet and never looked back at them. The possibility of someone was watching heightened the danger of it, though, made her even hotter. She would have let Marcus do more, but he withdrew his hand.

“What were you thinking about just then, hmm?”

“About how it will be, our first time together. Having sex.”

He kissed her. “Me too, pet.”

“Taste me again,” she whispered with barely a sound.

But Marcus could hear. He watched the words form on her lips, leaned to her neck, and licked her pulsing vein. “Soon, very soon now.” His hot breath and one sharp fang slowly slid up her cool flesh, following the vein throbbing underneath.

Their lips claimed each other again, and she nicked her tongue on his elongated canine. He inhaled when her blood dropped onto his tongue, then rubbed the blood all over the insides of their lips. He pulled away and held her gaze without blinking.

“I have not told you something you need to know. They are going to have to inspect you. Inspect your bleeding. Just like at a doctor’s office.”

“Okay.”

“Someone other than I will need to witness, as well.”

“Like one of the directors?”

“Yes.”

“Perverts.” She was not looking forward to this at all.

“You’re unbelievable. Wicked and strong. I like this in you.” He gave her that smile, all white teeth, just showing the tips of his fangs. Just the look of his fangs could get her wet now. How her life had changed in such a short time.

She offered her wrist to him for another taste.

He took a small nip then said, “Thank you.” He licked the wound, blew on it, and rubbed it with his forefinger, accelerating the healing process.

“You should take more. I could live with wounds of your love all over my body.”

“In time, my pet.” His voice almost purred.

She saw the euphoric effect her blood had on him. His red lips puffed up, full. She knew his manhood was equally swollen. She knew they would do this when they made love. He would become so engorged from drinking of her. And her lips would swell from the drinking of him. Her muscles contracted in waves as she thought about them enjoying each other all night long. Unspeakable pleasure.

“You must feed now.”

Anne knew he was right.

He drew her to his chest. She peeled back his unbuttoned shirt and bit him just above his nipple. She resisted the urge to straddle him, her favorite position now when she was feeding, so she could rub him against her sex. That’s why they always had to feed in private. It was as intimate as making love.

She pulled away.

Marcus whispered, “Take more, love. You need your strength. I want them to see you fully sated on my blood. I want them to see the effects of our fating. I want them to smell the chemistry, the blood between us.”

The car descended to the council compound. Anne noticed Marcus’s glow had faded. His eyes squinted, as if in alarm, and his body tensed. He grasped her head between both his hands, and while smoothing over her lips with his thumbs, looked deep into her eyes. “Just answer all their questions truthfully. We have nothing to hide, right? You can tell them about Robert. You can tell them we have not had sexual intercourse. You’ll want to tell them what it feels like to be vampire. They need to know these things.”

She nodded. She knew there was something he wasn’t telling her. Was he worried they wouldn’t rule they were fated?

But how could they deny this evidence?
She decided perhaps Marcus was just overly cautious.

“I will tell them how much I need you, crave you, Marcus. Surely they will recognize signs that I am fated to you.”

He was silent, watching their fingers entwine on her lap. “Whatever you hear, know that I love you. Whatever they ask you to do, you must do it. Please do whatever they ask.”

“But, Marcus, what if they ask something of me I cannot do?”

He looked down. She could tell he was thinking about that.

“My pet, I hope that you are able to do anything they ask you to do, please, for us. Then we can be together, forever.”

“Yes. I will do it.”

“Remember that I love you. I would do anything for you.”

“Yes, I will remember. You can’t tell me anything more?”

“What we are asking has never been done before.”

They were ushered into the drawing room where they were instructed to wait on opposite sides, facing each other across the large spans. He was summoned. As he came over to give her another kiss, the messenger hissed at him and he was forced to follow, denied Anne’s touch. She did not like this one bit. Her bad feeling grew worse.

And then she was summoned.

The room was dark and had a smell she found disgusting.
Vampire sweat.
Old vampire sweat. All of the seven council members were ancient. Two of them were especially hunched over, looking barely alive, sitting in wheelchairs, which squeaked and echoed off the walls of the enormous hall lined in mirrors
.

How can these be immortal? They look like they are dying.

She guessed this large room had been the scene of many great pageants and celebrations over the centuries, but now was covered in cobwebs. There was no music, no laughter. Just cold marble statues and dusty two-story high mirrors in heavy baroque gilt frames.

The two sick council members had IVs of red liquid attached to their arms. All of them wore deep red robes. She could see Marcus nowhere.

“Welcome, child.” All but the two infirmed stood as she approached the long raised table. The two who didn’t stand grunted and frowned. The vampire in the middle motioned for her to have a seat in the red leather chair in front of them.

Anne’s first reaction to all the red and the smell was to be sick to her stomach. How could Marcus abandon her to this group? They appeared disinterested and dangerous.

After she took her place, the leader began the questioning. “So, my dear. You are a conversion, is that correct?”

“Excuse me?”

“You are not a naturally born vampire, right?”

“Right.”

“And tell me about that experience.” His eyes turned to slits as he leaned forward to hear. “And you must speak up because several of us have hearing problems.”

Anne thought one had already fallen asleep. Odd. Very odd. This vampire appeared to be mortal.“Well, I was bitten, by a woman. I was told later it was Maya.”

“Who told you this?”

“Marcus.”

Two of the members grunted in open disgust, nodding to each other.

“Go on.”

Anne wasn’t sure what to say next. “Well, she bit me, and then I woke up in a hospital room, or what I thought was a hospital room. I was released the next morning, and they said I was okay, free to leave, and that I hadn’t been harmed.”

“Who are ‘they’?” the robe next to the leader shouted.

“The nurse.” She decided to leave off the fact that it had been Laurel. No sense getting her into this mess, though she was probably already involved.

It worked, as the heads bobbed while they conferred in whispers. When they looked back at her, she realized they were expecting her to continue the story.

“I drove from Genoa, along the Mediterranean all the way to Spain, then went by boat to Majorca. I had my first urge to feed four days after the bite. So I did.”

“And how was that?”

Anne remembered what Marcus had told her. She decided to appeal to their maleness, if that was still present under their wrinkled skin and somber demeanor. She thought she would use a little helpless charm.

“It went awful. I got blood absolutely everywhere.”

Several of the road vampires chuckled.

The sleeper woke up. “Is it over?” he blurted out.

Someone reassured him he hadn’t missed anything. They stared back at her. She figured she’d continue talking until they asked her to stop. Her time to show what she was made of, perhaps. Maybe this was what Marcus had meant.

“I ruined a perfectly good pair of jeans that cost me $140.”

She got no reaction. Maybe they didn’t know about jeans.

“I was embarrassed, ashamed at having caused so much of a mess. My intention was not to draw so much interest. And I felt sorry for the man I essentially murdered.” She kept her eyes lowered in a sorrowful demonstration. But it was an honest depiction of how she had felt that day.

One of the leaned forward and opened his mouth, about to say something. The man next to him stopped him. “You have fed many times since then, right? No problems?”

“Yes. Until recently, I preferred doing my feeding in the shower so I could wash up afterwards. I’m sorry, but I don’t like to walk around with blood all over me. Besides, buying new clothes is expensive.”

She saw some faint nods again. Maybe this was working. “One thing I do not like.”

“And that is?”

“I really don’t like taking lives just to eat.”

“But when you were human you sacrificed animals to eat, no doubt.”

“But they were raised for food. I don’t see the human population as being raised for food. For us.”

More nods. “Go on.”

“I work at a home for battered women, as a volunteer. I have taken to feasting on some of the awful men I have heard about. I am careful. I try to choose people who have no redeeming qualities. People no one will miss. But do not mistake me, I still believe every life is sacred.”