I tore the front of his shirt open and ran my hands down his chest. I fought his shirt off, and my hands went to the button on his pants.
“Lily, I don’t think…” he mumbled against my lips.
“Please, it’s working,” I pleaded as I undid the button of his jeans.
He relented and undid my jeans. He slid them off along, with my panties. He attempted to undo my shirt, but I didn’t want to wait. I pulled him over me and lifted my hips. His hard cock filled me, and pleasure rushed over me. I’d anticipated the feeling so much, and when it happened, it was incredible.
We moved together. My body felt like it was on fire. “Slow down, baby,” he whispered softly.
“I don’t want to. I need this,” I whispered breathlessly. Pleasure was building. It felt so incredible. My nails dug into the soft flesh of his back. The scent of blood filled the air as my nails broke his skin. I cried out as a rush of pleasure coursed through me.
He cried out, and I felt him release. My body completely relaxed as the euphoria filled me. The hunger was gone. I hadn’t even thought about it the entire time. All I could think about was how good he felt.
“This is an avoidance mechanism. This is not how it is supposed to work. I will not always be there to fuck you into control,” he growled, as he got to his feet.
I didn’t say anything. I knew he was right, but he didn’t have to be so rude about it. He dressed, but refused to look at me. I didn’t understand why he was treating me like this. I knew he was angry, but I didn’t understand how that overrode his love for me.
“You should go out with the others. Staying in your room isn’t the answer,” he said curtly, as he reached for the door handle.
“Why are you so angry with me? I thought we loved each other,” I said, confused.
He hesitated, but he didn’t look at me. “I loved Lillian Rayne, the hunter, not the vampire,” he said softly, then walked out, closing the door behind me.
His words hurt. I felt like he’d ripped my heart out. I stood and dressed. I was shaking with anger. I had to leave, to run. He’d just told me he didn’t love me because of what I was. The thought made me sick. All I could hear, over and over again, was, “He doesn’t love me,” and it was driving me insane.
I walked back to the bar. It was early morning and the crowd had thinned out. I walked toward the door.
“Aubrey said you couldn’t leave,” Justin said from behind me.
I turned and glared at him. “Are you going to tell?”
He raised his hands in surrender. “I’m not going to say anything.”
I turned and walked out. I didn’t want to fight with him; I wanted to leave.
I walked down the alley quickly. Drunk club-goers were spilling out onto the street as the clubs began to close. I could smell them, all of them.
I walked quickly down the sidewalk. My car wasn’t far. I got in and started it. I sped off in the direction of the warehouse. I didn’t know where else to go. I knew Aubrey would be angry, but he was already angry. He hated me.
***
I pulled into the warehouse and turned my car off. There wasn’t much going on due to the time. I just sat there, trying to decide what my next move would be. I kind of wondered if anyone here even wanted me around. They could all feel the same way Aubrey did.
Colin stepped out of the warehouse and walked toward his car. He hesitated when he saw me. He changed direction and walked toward my car. I sighed and climbed out.
“I thought you were on lockdown,” he said, watching me.
“I was, but I couldn’t stay there any longer.” I didn’t want to elaborate. I didn’t want to say out loud what Aubrey had said. The memory alone hurt enough.
“Well, you can’t stay on the street. You can come home with me,” he said softly. He obviously sensed I didn’t want to talk about it, which was a relief.
“Or she can come home with me, her maker,” Cornelius said, appearing out of nowhere.
Colin moved to stand between Cornelius and me. “Leave her alone. You might have made her, but you don’t own her, just like you don’t own me.”
Cornelius smiled. “Lillian is special. She is going to stay with me. I suggest you step aside.”
“You know I will fight you until the end,” Colin growled, stepping forward.
Cornelius raised a knife and smiled. “Before you do, you should know something about your precious little Lillian.”
We watched as Cornelius ran the silver blade across his palm. I cried out, startled, and looked at my hand. There was a cut across my palm; a cut identical to the one Cornelius had made on his own palm.
Colin grasped my hand and examined it. He glared at Cornelius. “You son of a bitch. You linked yourself to her!”
Cornelius smiled. “I did. So if you are thinking about fighting, know you will cause her whatever pain you cause me.”
I felt my stomach knot up. If Colin knew he would hurt me by hurting Cornelius, he wouldn’t fight like he could. Cornelius would end up killing Colin.
“I will go,” I said, stepping past Colin.
Colin caught my wrist. “You can’t,” he said, worried.
“I don’t have a choice. You aren’t going to die because of me,” I said softly, then pulled my wrist out of his grasp.
I walked to Cornelius and stood in front of him. “Leave him alone. I will go with you freely.”
He smiled and offered his hand. I swallowed hard and put my hand in his. He kissed the back of my hand. I wanted to pull away, but I fought the urge. He pulled me into his arms. There was a sudden rush and we were back in Cornelius’s house. I was back in hell.
“What do you want from me, Cornelius? Don’t you think you have taken enough from me?” I asked angrily.
He moved closer to me. I wanted to move away, but I was rooted in place. I knew he was controlling me. Strong vampires had that ability over the vampires they created. He leaned into me and breathed in my scent. “Perhaps I just enjoy your company,” he whispered, as he brushed his lips against my neck.
“You can enjoy my company from a distance. Obviously you feel I will reject you, and that is why you are forcing me to stand here,” I growled.
His eyes met mine. I couldn’t read his expression. He cupped my cheek. “You are so defiant. It won’t be long before you will be able to break my hold over you.” He turned and walked away from me. I felt his hold on me release.
I relaxed a little, but not much. He walked over to the bar to make himself a drink. I didn’t understand what his mission was. He made it so no one could hurt him without hurting me. There had to be a reason. Suddenly, it occurred to me that the spell might go the other way as well. If I hurt myself, maybe it would hurt him. I looked around me to see if I could find some form of weapon. The stair rails had a sharp post on the end. His back was turned to me, so I walked over to the rail. I took a breath to prepare myself for the pain. I pressed my palm down onto the sharp point.
I saw him freeze. He suddenly spun around and glared at me. “Yes, you can hurt me if you hurt yourself,” he growled, annoyed, as he walked back toward me.
I pressed my hand down onto the post further. “Stop and be still,” he ordered.
I felt my body freeze. He was back in control of my body; it was irritating. “What is the point of linking us? What could you possibly gain?” I asked angrily.
He smiled. “I gain you. And to make things even sweeter, if my brother kills me, he kills you - the love of his life,” he said dramatically.
I swallowed the pain his words caused. He really had no idea. I wasn’t Aubrey’s love, not anymore. Cornelius had already won, he just didn’t know it yet. “It won’t work,” I said softly.
He smiled confidently. “I am pretty sure Aubrey won’t like the fact that you are in my care. It has been a long time since he was fond of me. Go sit on the couch so you are comfortable,” he ordered.
I didn’t have a choice. I walked to the couch and sat down. He was co
ntrolling me, and it was an incredibly odd feeling. I felt like my movements weren’t my own, even thought I was making them.
“Would you like a drink?” he asked as he walked back to the bar.
“That depends on whether you are going to drug me. Or is that just something my uncle does for you?” I asked, trying to be difficult.
He smiled. “As you can see, I don’t need drugs to encourage you to do as I wish.”
I scowled. “I will have one,” I said, relenting.
He turned back toward what he was doing. “I thought so. So, are you going to tell me what the look of loss was for when I mentioned your dear Aubrey?”
I scoffed. “I am not telling you anything.”
He laughed. “You know I could make you, but I don’t think I will. I believe one day we will be friends. You and I are not as different as you think.”
“I am nothing like you!” I said angrily. I attempted to fight his control, but it was useless. I didn’t even know what I was fighting.
“Calm down, and keep your voice down,” he said, amused, as he set my drink on the coffee table in front of me. He took a seat in the chair next to the couch I was on. “Once all your friends turn their backs on you, and your true colors start to come out… You will become like me, I can assure you.”
“I will never kill anyone. Colin said I can fight it, just like he did!” I said angrily. I wanted to yell and scream, but I was stuck, motionless. All I could do was talk.
He started laughing. “Colin is a liar and a weakling. I should have known he would feed you lies to make himself look better. Colin killed four young women his first day as a vampire. Frankly, I am shocked you haven’t killed anyone yet. Hunters seem to have more of a bloodlust then human fledglings.”
I watched him for a second. “You’re a liar,” I said softly, even though I wasn’t completely convinced he was lying.
“I was there. I think I would know,” he said, amused.
“If he did kill like that, it was your fault. You were his maker; you should have controlled him,” I countered.
He laughed. “I didn’t care if he killed humans. That is what they are there for. How do you think vampires learn control? They learn by gorging themselves until they eventually level out.”
“I know I will never be like you. I don’t dismiss life so easily,” I said softly.
“Correction, love, you do not dismiss human life so easily. Humans to me are like vampires to you. You didn’t mind putting a stake through as many vampires as you could find, but you call me a monster for surviving by feeding on humans. That is a little hypocritical, don’t you think?” he asked, amused.
I didn’t reply. He was technically right, but I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of admitting it. “What are you going to do with me?” I asked tiredly.
H smiled. “That is completely up to you. I could tell you what I would like to do, but I do not think you will be very agreeable,” he said suggestively.
I scoffed. “I figured you would force me, just like you have been.”
“You can have your drink,” he said, as he nodded toward the glass on the table. “I am not going to force you to be with me, because I know you will come to me on your own one day.”
It was my turn to laugh. “That will never happen.”
“Never say never, dear,” he said, amused. “Why don’t you go up to your room? Do not leave without my permission.”
I sighed and downed my drink. Then I walked up the stairs and back to the room he had me in when he originally turned me. I was glad to be away from him, but I was still in his house.
Chapter 23
I woke up when my bedroom door opened. I hadn’t even realized I’d fallen asleep. I guessed it was another one of Cornelius’s tricks. I straightened when a human man walked into the room. He smiled at me. It was a lazy smile; I could tell he was under a trance.
“Leave,” I ordered, when I felt the hunger hit me.
“I am here to feed you. I can’t leave,” he said softly.
Something glinted in his hand, and I realized he was holding a knife. I stood watching him as he slid the knife across his wrist. He didn’t even act like it hurt as blood poured from his wound. The scent of fresh blood overwhelmed me, but I refused to give in. He went to cut his other wrist and I lunged at him. I snatched the knife out of his hand and he looked at me, confused.
“You are supposed to eat. He said not to stop cutting until you did,” he said, sounding out of it. He was definitely in a trance. Cornelius must have sent him, knowing I wouldn’t give in easily. He was going to let the guy cut himself up.
The hunger was still there, but my anger was quickly overriding it. I looked down at the knife and tried to decide what to do. I was going to retaliate. It may not last long, but it would hurt Cornelius a little. I closed my eyes and plunged the knife into my stomach. The pain was excruciating. I was comforted slightly by knowing Cornelius would feel it as well.
I fell to my knees as I cried out in agony. The man came to me and offered me his wrist, but I shoved him away. I knew that if I fed, I would heal. I was afraid Cornelius would heal as well. I twisted the knife deeper, causing more pain. It wouldn’t kill me or him, but it hurt like hell.
The door slammed opened and a female vampire rushed in. She hauled me to my feet and ripped the knife from my abdomen. “You are a stupid girl,” she growled, before throwing me against the wall and marching out. The human followed her out. I was losing a lot of blood, fast. Everything slowly went dark. I couldn’t help but feel a small amount of satisfaction. Obviously he’d sent the female vampire because he was in too much pain to come after me himself.
***
I woke up choking on something cold and disgusting. Someone put their hand over my mouth to keep me from spitting.
“You are going to drink cold blood out of a bag, since you refuse to feed like a normal vampire,” Cornelius growled.
He dumped more of the cold blood into my mouth, and clamped his hand over my jaw. I tried to pull his hand off my mouth, but it was impossible. The blood was disgusting, but I was starting to feel my strength come back and my wound heal. He forced me to drain the entire bag.
He released me, and I rolled off the bed away from him, coughing and sputtering. The stuff was disgusting, but it worked. I landed on my knees on the opposite side of the bed.
“I hope you feel better. This was donated blood; no one died for it,” he said, amused. He had to know how nasty it was.
I just glared at him. “I didn’t need any blood.”
“Yes, you did. I can tell by the amount you lost on my Persian rug. Thank you for that, by the way. That rug was one of my favorites, and now it is garbage,” he said as he climbed off the bed and stood.
“You look a little pale yourself,” I said, smiling slightly.
He watched me, grinning. “I am sure you thought your little stunt was amusing. Just remember - I don’t mind killing a few innocent humans to heal.” He turned and walked out before I had a chance to reply. I wasn’t really sure what to reply with.
I stood slowly and looked down at myself. My clothes were covered in dried blood. I needed a shower and a change of clothes. I looked around the room for clothes, but all that was in the closet was the stupid dress he brought me the first night I was here. It was a beautiful blue velvet, and I was sure it would be stunning on me, but I didn’t want to wear it. On the other hand, it didn’t really look like I had a choice now that I’d ruined the only other clothes I had.
***
I stood in front of the mirror. I looked like a vampire, and I hated it. It was my eyes; my eyes betrayed what I was.
The door opened and the female vampire that ripped the knife out of me walked in the room. She looked me over, and she didn’t look happy. “He requests your presence downstairs. If you say no, he has given me permission to make you. I really would enjoy making you,” she said snidely.
I rolled my eyes and marched out past
her. I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of making me do anything. I walked down the stairs and waited at the bottom for her.
“This way,” she ordered, as she walked past me. I could hear what sounded like a party going on. There always seemed to be a party going on in Cornelius’s house. I followed her into the room where the party was happening. I spotted Cornelius first; then my eyes landed on Aubrey. Aubrey wasn’t standing far from Cornelius. Relief and excitement washed over me.
“Aubrey,” I said excitedly, and hurried to him.
He wrapped his arms around me, and I felt a little better. “Are you okay?” he asked softly as he looked me over.
I nodded. “I am fine.”
He looked at Cornelius. “Let her go. You have had your fun.”
Cornelius smiled. “No, I won’t let her go. Quite frankly, brother, I am surprised you even still want the girl. I figured once she was turned you would lose interest. Isn’t that right, Charlotte?” Cornelius looked to my escort. She stiffened, but didn’t answer.
Aubrey looked from Charlotte to Cornelius. “My relationships are none of your business. Let her go,” he growled.
“No. You can come see her, but she remains with me. She is my fledgling, and I refuse to turn such a beauty over to you,” Cornelius said amused as he sat down in a chair. He was so arrogant it was irritating.
“I don’t want to stay with you,” I growled, stepping toward him.
“Ah, ah. Behave Lillian. I don’t want to make you in front of our guests,” he said, smiling.
I balled my hands into fists and pressed my lips together. It was irritating that he had power over me. I felt helpless when it came to him, and I hated it.
“There must be a reason for this. What do you want in exchange for her?” Aubrey asked as he stepped up beside me.
Cornelius looked from him to me. “Nothing. I want her. Now, enjoy your time with her and stop irritating me, or I’ll make you leave.”
Aubrey muttered in annoyance. He grasped my hand and led me away from Cornelius. He stopped on the other side of the room and turned to face me. “I can’t fight him. I will end up hurting you if I do,” he said, sounding upset.