I sprinted upstairs to my sister’s room. “Wake up, Gretchen!” I called through the door. “We’re going shopping.”
Chapter 2
“This is the only thing that hasn’t sucked so far about Romania,” my sister stated as she unloaded a stack of clothes in front of the cashier.
I closed my eyes, not knowing who to apologize to first: the cashier for Gretchen’s remark about her country, or Maximus, who now had to add more bags to the half dozen he already carried. This is what happened when you gave my sister someone else’s credit card. Vlad had a standing rule that any purchases for his guests went on his card.
He might reconsider that when he got the bill. My attempts to encourage thriftiness hadn’t worked, either. They’d only annoyed Gretchen to the point that she quit trying things on before she purchased them.
“I’m tired. We should go back,” I said, changing tactics.
Gretchen’s blue gaze narrowed. “No way. I’ve been cooped up in your boyfriend’s castle for weeks even though his vamp enemy has to be dead or Marty and Dad wouldn’t have gotten to leave.”
I didn’t point out that our father and my best friend, Marty, were less prone to recklessness. The odds were slim, but if Vlad’s nemesis Szilagyi had survived, then Gretchen was safer here. She couldn’t keep a low profile if her life depended on it, as she’d proved. I glanced at the cashier, forced a smile, and used Gretchen’s sleeve to tug her toward me.
“No talking about you-know-what in public,” I hissed.
“Why?” she shot back at the same volume. “Half the people in this town know about vampires since Vlad owns it and he uses some of them as blood snacks. As for the rest, Maximus can mesmerize them into forgetting what they didn’t already know.”
My eyes bugged as I glanced at the cashier. She held up a hand to the blond vampire and said something in Romanian.
“Don’t worry, she’s loyal to Vlad,” he summarized for me. Then his stormy gray gaze landed on Gretchen. “You need to show more discretion or the next person I mesmerize will be you.”
“You wouldn’t,” she huffed.
Maximus straightened to his full six feet, six inches, as if his thickly muscled frame wasn’t impressive enough. “I’ve done far worse to protect my prince.”
I still wanted to thump Gretchen, but no one—even a friend like Maximus—got away with scaring my little sister.
“She gets it,” I said coolly. “And if she doesn’t, I’ll be the one who deals with her.”
Maximus glanced at Gretchen, gave a barely perceptible shake of his head, and then bent low to me.
“As you wish.”
My cheeks warmed. Since I was Vlad’s girlfriend, the vampires in his line bowed to me as they did to him, much to my dismay. “Please stop, I hate that.”
He straightened, the barest grin tugging at his mouth. “Yes, I remember.”
When his gaze met mine, for a split second, I saw the man who’d pounced on the chance to date me when I first arrived at Vlad’s as a reluctant refugee. Then that familiar veil dropped over Maximus’s eyes, and my politely formal bodyguard was back.
“You have another hour, if you wish to continue shopping. Then we need to return to the house.”
“Why?” I asked, beating Gretchen to it.
“Because you need to be ready for Vlad’s dinner guests. You don’t want to be late to dine.”
Gretchen was faster this time. “Dinner guests? Who? Why weren’t we told before?”
“You weren’t told because your attendance is optional,” Maximus answered. Then he smiled faintly at me. “I waited to tell you because you seemed to have enough on your mind.”
Embarrassment and resignation mingled inside me. Did everyone know Vlad and I were having problems? Of course they did, I answered my own question. With the hearing abilities of the undead, they probably also knew that Vlad and I hadn’t had sex in a week because I’d had my period.
I sighed. “Looks like I need to buy something after all.” I hadn’t yet despite visiting several stores, not wanting to add to the crushing bill Gretchen had run up.
Something I couldn’t name flickered across Maximus’s face. “It’s not necessary. Vlad has your dress waiting in your room.”
First leaving without telling me where he was going. Then unexpected dinner guests, and now a dress picked out for me. My eyes narrowed. What was he up to?
“You’re not going to even give me a hint about what’s going on, are you?” I asked Maximus.
His smile was a little too tight. “As I said, I’ve done far worse to protect my prince.”
One look at the dress told me that dinner wouldn’t consist of Vlad catching up with some old buddies who’d dropped by. It was a black velvet sheath that had a small train in the back and a low neckline in front that looked like it was encrusted with tiny black jewels. Black heels and similarly encrusted elbow-length black gloves—lined with current-repelling rubber, of course—completed the seductively extravagant ensemble. I tried it on, not surprised that it fit like it had been sewn with my exact measurements in mind. It even managed to give me cleavage—a rare achievement with my small breasts.
It was the nicest dress I’d ever worn, but I’d exchange it and every other expensive gift Vlad had given me to close the growing gap between us. I stroked the soft fabric, wishing my abilities were back so I’d know if this was his way of making amends for his recent coolness, or simply ensuring that I looked good enough to be on his arm tonight. Either was a possibility with Vlad.
That was why I had to confront him later, no matter the outcome. The last thing I wanted to do was primp, but this was clearly a formal occasion. When I was done, my straight black hair hung in thick curls and my makeup was subtle, aside from dark crimson lipstick that contrasted great with the black dress and my winter-pale skin. All those years in carnival show business made me deft at sprucing myself up. It also made me an expert at concealing the scar that ran from my temple down to my fingers. A glossy black wave hung over that part of my face, with more draped on my right shoulder. I’d pulled the gloves up so only a few inches of skin on my upper arm showed evidence of the accident that had given me my unusual abilities.
Abilities Vlad had stunted when he coated me in his flame-repelling aura to protect me from the explosion Szilagyi detonated. Vlad’s enemy thought he was taking me down with him, but I’d survived the inferno. Figures my survival had come at a price. Fate didn’t let anyone off easily.
I shook my head to clear the past from it. Then, feeling anything but festive, I headed for the main floor.
Vlad was waiting at the bottom of the staircase. His black tuxedo should’ve been too severe with its lack of accent color, but instead, he looked like a sensual version of the Angel of Death. I couldn’t stop my shiver as his gaze swept over me. Emerald briefly shone from his eyes, and when he took my hand, I felt his heat even through my gloves. Normal vampires felt room temperature, but not Vlad. The pyrokinesis that made him so feared among his kind also made him warmer than most humans when his abilities, temper, or desire flared to life.
“You look ravishing.”
His low growl let me know which emotion heated him now, and once again I shivered. My feelings for him might be rife with doubt, but my body wasn’t conflicted. I’d moved closer before I realized it, my nipples puckering as soon as his chest brushed mine. Then something lower in me clenched as his mouth grazed my neck, that thick stubble deliciously chafing my skin.
He inhaled, air landing like the softest of kisses on my pulse when he let it out. Then his hands closed over my shoulders, their heat wonderfully potent. A flick of his fingers pushed my hair aside, exposing my neck. I gasped as his mouth lowered and two hard, sharp fangs pressed against my skin. The dark rapture of his bite was second only to making love to him, and I’d missed partaking of both recently. Without thought, I gripped his head closer, almost shuddering in anticipation.
He muttered something unintelligible and drew
away, his gaze still lit up with emerald.
“Not now. Our guests are waiting.”
I don’t care! was my first thought, followed immediately by What is wrong with me? Yes, people were waiting for us, not to mention several guards lurked in this hallway. Even if none of the above were true, I had serious issues to work out with Vlad. Assuaging my libido should be the last thing on my to-do list.
“Right,” I said, dropping my hands and stepping away. I didn’t look at him as I brushed my hair back over my shoulder, covering as much of the zigzagging scar as I could. I wasn’t ashamed, but the inevitable pitying glances from people who saw it for the first time got old.
“Leila.”
The way he said my name made me jerk my head up. Vlad’s eyes had changed back to burnished mahogany, the only green in them now the natural ring that encircled his irises.
“Don’t hide for anyone,” he stated, pushing my hair off my shoulder. “Only fools pity survivors their scars and you should never kowtow to fools.”
Then he held out his hand, his own faded battle wounds crisscrossing his flesh like tiny pale stripes. “Come.”
I took his hand, forcing back the emotion that constricted my heart with invisible bands. Then I began reciting songs in my head, masking the most dangerous thought before it reached him.
That’s one of the reasons I love you. You bend for no one.
Unfortunately, that same trait might also tear us apart.
Chapter 3
As it turned out, I recognized some of our guests, though a lot of new faces were also present. Maximus sat at the dining table next to Shrapnel, Vlad’s bald, beefy third-in-command. Next to him was Mencheres, the long-haired Egyptian vampire Vlad described as his honorary sire, a title I still didn’t fully understand. The slender blonde next to Mencheres was his wife, Kira. Gretchen was there, too, seated farthest from the head and looking miffed about it. Everyone rose when Vlad and I entered, which made the whole scenario odder. I hadn’t been late, so why was everybody at the table already? Weren’t the host and hostess supposed to greet guests before they took their seats, not arrive last and have everyone stand at attention before them?
Vampires, I decided for the umpteenth time, had the weirdest way of doing things.
Vlad led me to my usual spot at the head of the table, which caused a few slanted glances among the guests that I didn’t recognize. Once there, I stood at the empty chair to his right, uncertain. Did I sit now, or wait for a signal?
“I am glad that you have come,” Vlad stated, the size of the room not diminishing the strong tenor of his voice. “I know some of you traveled a great distance to be here.”
I expected more, maybe a thank-you to those faraway guests, but then he lowered himself into his chair. Before Vlad, I’d never guessed that the simple act of sitting could look regal and intimidating, yet he pulled it off every time.
Everybody else took their seats, so I did, too, wishing I’d been given an Undead Etiquette for Dummies manual. From the too-fluid way they moved, none of his guests were human. I was used to being around vamps in a casual setting—or a violent one—but this was my first formal event. If I screw anything up, it’s on you, I thought to Vlad while affixing a pleasant smile on my face.
His mouth twitched, the only indication that he heard me. Then he gestured to his left.
“Leila, you already know Maximus, Shrapnel, Mencheres, and Kira, but let me introduce the rest of our guests.”
I kept that pleasant smile throughout a list of names I hoped I wasn’t expected to remember, because all twenty-eight seats at the huge table were filled. When I’d first seen the dining room with its wall of fireplaces, three-story ceiling, and gargantuan chandelier, I’d thought it was a dazzling waste of space since only me and Vlad ate here. Now its size and splendor came in handy. We would’ve needed another table if he’d invited more friends, and judging from the women’s jewels and the men’s resplendent tuxedos, those present were used to luxury.
I wasn’t. Neither was Gretchen, who looked as ill at ease as I felt. Our father had been a career military man, so we’d grown up in modest surroundings that frequently varied depending on his change of duty stations. When I struck out on my own at eighteen, I’d scrounged for jobs that didn’t involve technology or touching people—and all decent-paying jobs required one or the other. If I hadn’t met Marty and joined his traveling carnival act, I might have ended up on the streets.
I certainly wouldn’t have wound up at Vlad’s, smiling at strangers through a sea of crystal glasses that servants filled with a dark red liquid too thick to be wine. Those same servants then brought out enough food to feed everyone twice over despite Gretchen and I being the only humans. Nerves had stolen my appetite but I dug in with feigned gusto, wondering when Vlad would reveal the true purpose behind this occasion. He didn’t invite over two dozen people to his house merely to show off. Vlad was many things, but pretentious wasn’t one of them.
The bombshell behind this event dropped during dessert. I’d just helped myself to a spoonful of bourbon butterscotch crème brûlée when Vlad stood and all chatter stopped.
“Thank you all for coming,” he said in the sudden silence. “As you are either friends or honored members of my line, I wanted each of you to witness my actions now.”
Then he moved behind my chair, resting his hand on my shoulder. I resisted the urge to twist around so I could see him. What’s going on? I thought nervously.
He ignored the question. “Most of you know that Leila has been my lover for the past few months. In addition, she also risked her life to save my people and demonstrated unwavering loyalty even during torture. Because of her great value to me, I now offer her an eternal bond, if she accepts.”
Then he leaned down, breath warm on my neck as he whispered his next words. “You’ve wondered if I felt differently about you since your abilities diminished. Let this serve as your answer.”
I caught a glimpse of his scarred hand before he placed a small velvet box in front of me. My heart started to pound while my mind overloaded with shock and joy. At the far end of the table, I heard Gretchen gasp. Out of all possible reasons behind the surprise fancy dinner, I hadn’t expected this. Things had indeed changed between us, in the best way possible.
“Vlad, I . . .”
Coherent thought and words might have failed me, but my motor skills didn’t. With hands trembling from joy, I slowly opened the ebony box.
Gretchen rocketed out of her chair to come toward me. At some point, happy tears must’ve sprung to my eyes because the box’s content was blurry. Still, I could make out a ring. An avalanche of happiness swept over me. It wasn’t until now that I realized how much I loved Vlad and how fervently I’d hoped that he loved me, too. I blinked to see the ring more clearly . . . and then my elation became tempered with confusion.
Maximus caught Gretchen’s arm before she reached me, but she was still close enough to get a look inside the box.
“You cheapskate, that’s not a diamond!” she announced with her usual tactlessness. “What kind of engagement ring is that?”
I’d wondered at his choice, too, since I recognized the ring as a replica of the heirloom that had been passed down from Vlad’s father to him. No matter, I’d cherish any engagement ring he gave me. Besides, maybe proposing with a replica was a Dracul family tradition—
“It’s not an engagement ring,” Vlad replied crisply to Gretchen. “It’s the symbol of membership in my line. All the vampires I’ve made carry one.”
At those words, my ecstatic jumble of thoughts crystallized into one heartrending realization: He’s not proposing. He’s only offering to make you a vampire!
Vlad straightened and his hand left my shoulder. He’d heard that. With how it had roared across my mind, he’d have to be telepathically deaf to have missed it.
I knew I should sing something to keep him from hearing anything else, but I couldn’t think up a single verse. My pride screamed at
me to act as though I hadn’t misunderstood, yet all I could do was clutch that box while my previous joy turned to ashes. Nothing had changed except Vlad thought my humanity needed an upgrade, and he’d decided to inform me of that with a roomful of vampires as witnesses.
I glanced up. Our guests’ gazes skipped away with pitying quickness while their uncomfortable shifting told me Vlad wasn’t alone in figuring out my misinterpretation. If I hadn’t felt as though my heart had been ripped out and flambéed in front of me, I would have been mortified.
Gretchen’s voice broke the loaded silence. “You want Leila to become a vampire? That is so creepy!”
“Maximus,” Vlad bit out.
The brawny vampire had Gretchen hoisted up with his hand over her mouth before I could blink. Normally, such handling of my sister would’ve incensed me. At the moment, I was trying too hard to pull myself together to respond.
“Leila,” Vlad began.
“Don’t.”
The word snapped out with all the force of my shattered hopes. I got up, almost overturning my chair, but it was either get out of here now or burst into tears, and I still had enough pride not to do that in front of everyone.
“I need some air,” I muttered.
And some razors to finish the job you started when you were sixteen, my hated inner voice supplied.
I ignored that, blasting the first song that came to mind to hide my thoughts. It turned out to be “Taps.”
Figures.
Then I left as fast as my new high heels could carry me.
Chapter 4
I went straight to the small, rubber-lined room in the basement level that Vlad had set up for me. Once inside, I yanked off my right glove. As soon as I did, electricity spat out of my hand in sizzling strands as the emotions I tried to control manifested in miniature energy bolts. I gathered those currents into a single pulsating rope and then whipped it toward the stone statue in the room.