Alpha’s Blood: A Vampire Shifter Romance (Midnight Doms)
Alpha’s Blood: Chapter 8

Selene

I lie back and try to relax as Lucius places patches on my arms. It’s just torture. I expected this.

“Let’s start with something easy,” he murmurs and holds the square box right where I can see each button. He twists the dial and electricity zaps the skin under the patch. Breathe, just breathe. If I relax, the sensation doesn’t hurt as much, even when he thumbs the dial further and makes my arm jump.

He places more patches on my hips and tops of my legs. The restraints keep me from closing my legs, but he ignores the thin, sensitive spots on my inner thighs…for now. The current goes from nothing to the highest voltage, making me jolt My muscles contract, spasm, and finally relax, overwhelmed by the current. He’s avoiding any tender places that got pierced with cactus spines, and stimulating my large muscles. It doesn’t hurt–it actually feels good, like a massage.

A few minutes of getting used to electricity buzzing over my skin and he moves the electrodes, covering my nipples with patches.

“This should be interesting.” The first surge shoots straight between my legs and detonates there.

“Fuck me,” I throw my head back, gritting my teeth.

“No, pet. Not until you earn it.” Lucius isn’t playing. He moves the electrodes closer to my labia. My pussy is plump and aching. Each pulse of electricity makes my inner muscles spasm.

“So wet,” Lucius tsks. “I wonder…” The buzzing comes in short bursts, tingling in my sensitive bits, driving my arousal higher. By the time he turns the unit off, I’m whimpering, my hips working helplessly. I don’t know if I want him to stop or give me more…

“Look at you,” he murmurs, running a finger through the sopping mess between my legs. “You love this.” He toys with my clit, watching my face closely.

“Stop…” I whisper.

“Why, pet? Because it hurts? Or because you like it?”

I bite my lip so I don’t answer, Both. His dark chuckle raises hairs on my arms. He holds the unit in front of my face so I can watch him turn the dial all way up. The current buzzes along my lower lips, making them plump. My body reads the electric current as painfully pleasurable, responding to the stimulation. My clit is a lightning rod. Another minute, and my climax sears through me, my brain blanking with white heat.

He moves one of the patches between my ass cheeks, covering my sensitive back hole. I clench down, my face burning as my orgasm rises. “No…”

“You like it?” he asks.

In vain, I press my lips together. Another round ending in an orgasm, and I’m moaning.

“Let’s try something different.” He picks up a violet wand tipped with a glass tube and takes his time shocking me. My breasts swell.

Is he torturing me? Or taking me to a new height of pleasure? I spiral higher and higher, but the higher I go, the further I’ll fall.

“Why are you here?” he murmurs, taking a break from zapping me. “Who put you up to it? Why do you want to kill me?”

“You killed my pack,” I burst out.

“Your pack,” he repeats, brow furrowed.

Is he for real? I strain in my bounds. I’ve never wanted to behead a vampire so badly. “You don’t remember? I know you’re a monster, but forgetting an entire massacre–”

“Be silent.” He paces at the foot of the table, pausing to drum his fingers between my bound feet. “You say I killed your entire pack? How did they die?”

“Slaughtered in their territory. In their clubhouse, in their homes.” My family, too, but I don’t mention them.

“I’ve never killed an entire pack. One werewolf, perhaps. Or several, in a fight, but only because they were in a vampire’s thrall and attacked first.”

I grit my teeth, yanking on the cuffs. Tears burn my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall, to show weakness in front of this monster. Somehow it’s worse that he won’t acknowledge what he’s done. “You killed them.”

“Who told this?”

I shake my head.

“Did they have proof?”

“Yes.”

“Proof that it was me, and not another? Another vampire?” He rounds the table, coming to stand by my head.

I glare at him. “It was you.” It had to be. What reason would Xavier have to lie?

“Think about it,” he advises softly. His fingers drift across my chest, stroking the valley between my breasts. I should rant and rail, throw off his touch, but my back arches, pushing my breasts up, begging for the pleasure he can give me. “I don’t kill innocents.”

“You’re lying.” I fight against the delicious sensation.

“I have no reason to,” he continues, perfectly reasonable. “Why would I take out an entire pack and cover it up?”

“I don’t know. You’re a sick fuck.”

He tuts. “So feisty for someone hooked up to a TENS unit. Tell you what, pet. Please me tonight, and I’ll give you Declan’s number, and a phone to call him. You can see what he’s dug up.”

I shake my head. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but it won’t work.”

“I’m not playing a game. I’m playing with you.’

For the next few minutes, he toys with me, wringing climax after climax from my resistant body. He kneels beside the table, keeping his face close to me, as my naked body writhes above him.

It’s not until he gives me a break, shutting off the electric current and removing all electrodes before giving me a drink of water, that I tell him,

“Declan won’t find anything about my pack. They’re all dead. Someone killed them.”

He offers me another sip of water, holding the bottle for me and wiping spilled drops from my lips. “He and his friends are very good at digging up the truth. At least, they always poking their noses into messes. You can speak to them later.”

“If I survive tonight,” I pant.

“Yes.” His dark eyes glint, but he’s not trying to kill me. Not like Xavier said he would.

If I’d attacked Xavier like I attacked Lucius, I’d be dead.

“Had enough water?” Lucius asks. I nod, and turn my head to hide a smile. Even when ‘torturing’ me, he’s keeping my hydrated.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Nothing. You’re such a good dom.”

“Yes,” he leans close, “I never break my toys. Not when they’re so much fun. Now, tell me,” the mischievous light falls away and we’re back in scene. “How did you come to be in the auction?”

I close my eyes. I can’t betray my mentor.

“I’ll get it out of you,” Lucius vows. He doesn’t, but he does his best.

“Do you hate me?” I pant when he takes another break. This time he releases my arms and legs and gives them a good rub down before tying me back down.

“No, pet. I don’t hate you.”

“Then what? What will you do with me?”

He raises the violet wand, running a finger over the crackling bulb. With the lights down low and his face lit by the wand’s eerie glow, he looks like a mad scientist. “I told you from the first. I’m going to make you mine.”

Lucius

“No, no, no,” she mewls. My pet is so strong, but after hours of endless orgasms, even the strongest sub will break.

“Take it, pet.” I twist the dildo in her and turn up the TENS unit it’s attached to, stimulating her deeply.

“No,” She drops her head, tears running down her face. “I can’t.”

“You’re not dead yet,” I repeat the Monty Python joke, and wring another climax from her unwilling body.

“Has anyone died from too many orgasms?” she mumbles. I brush back her hair and make her drink a glass of water before giving her a cruel smile.

“Let’s find out.”

The sky outside is lightning. Dawn’s an hour a way and I need to be safely locked in my crypt well before. I towel her off and release her from the table, coming to her side to help her wobble to the props I’ve set up in front of the open patio doors.

She leans into me, her face soft and shining. So submissive. Her obedience lurks under her hard exterior, waiting for a dom strong enough to unlock her true self. That dom is me.

She doesn’t fight me as I set her on leather unit and secure her wrists and ankles. “These bonds will automatically unlock at a certain time.”

“What is this?” She blinks at the a smooth half circle between her legs.

“A Sybian.”

Her eyes widen as she recognizes the brand name. She’s basically sitting on a giant vibrator, and she knows it.

“Now,” I squat in front of her. “I’ll play a little game with you. You’re going to sit here and–” I stop as she tosses her head back and forth.

“I can’t–”

“Hmm,” I pretend to think. “Then, how about this. Tell me who you’re working for. Tell me and I’ll go after them. You can lie down, take a little nap…”

“You’re torturing me with orgasms?”

I smirk. “Didn’t expect that, did you?”

“Yes, well. Nobody expects orgasm torture.”

I duck my head to hide my smile, and take the moment to check her bonds, making her wiggle her fingers and toes, testing her circulation.

“Lucius,” she whines as I rise. “I can’t do this.”

“I know, pet, I know. It’s so hard.” I mock her. I’m going easy on her and she knows it. Everything between us is a game. “But it’s what you signed up for, isn’t it? Night after night, at my mercy.”

“I feel like Sheherazade,” she mumbles. “Instead of a story, I have to come for you.”

“Does that make me a mad sultan?” I stroke my chin and laugh at the look she gives me. Selene makes me laugh more in a day than I have in a century.

“You’re mean.”

“How should I behave, when I find you were plotting to murder me? Did you think you could waltz in and find my hidden lair? Did you think it would be so easy?”

She bites her lip and I continue, “Don’t feel bad. I knew you were plotting against me.”

“You did?”

“Of course. It was all so obvious–your resemblance to Georgianna, the auction. What else could you be but a plant?”

“If you knew then why…?”

“Why what, pet?”

“Why did you go through all this trouble?” She jerks her hands in her bonds. “To bring me here. To train me. To make me fall–”

“Make you what?”

“Make me come. Do all these intense things but make me enjoy it. Make me feel good.”

“Have I done that? I suppose I couldn’t resist mastering you in this way. You fight so deliciously, and in the end–”

“I lose?”

“Oh no, pet. You win. We both do.” I raise the Sybian remote and flick the on switch. The unit comes alive with a subtle buzz.

“No, Lucius,” Selene writhes on the leather seat, panting. “I can’t.”

“Tell me who you’re working for. Who sponsored you in the auction and planned all this.”

She shakes her head and I increase the force of the vibrations. Her head jerks back and she cries out, her chest flushing with climax after climax. I leave her for a few minutes and return with two more toys.

“Oh thank you,” she sobs when I release her, letting her off long enough to drink some water and have some food. She struggles when I lead her back to the unit, whimpering when she sees the two dildos I’ve affixed to the top. Double penetration will provide far more than double the torture.

“Now, now, pet. This isn’t supposed to be fun.”

“You’re evil,” she gasps, sinking down. Her face goes tense as the dildos disappear in her pussy and ass.

“You’re good,” I murmur. “So very, very good. Now,”–I crouch in front of her–“We’re going to play a little game. I’m going to retire for the day and leave you like this–” She whimpers and I raise my voice. “Because I want you to experience something I can’t.”

“What’s that?” Her voice is sharp, frightened. She thinks I’m going to leave her on the Sybian all night.

I won’t. I’m not that cruel. I have a timer set so the machine will turn off and the bonds will release in an hour.

“I want you to watch the sunrise.”

She goes still, eyes wide.

“That’s what I’d do, if I was alive. I’d never miss another dawn.”

She’s tense, trembling, her body wracked with anticipation of the coming climaxes. I comb her hair back with my fingers and knead her tight neck. Her pulse thuds under my palm.

“Enjoy it, pet. Your life is short, but at least you have the light.” And I leave her to witness what I no longer can.

Selene

I tug and tug but it’s no use. The bonds hold fast. I could gnaw off my own arm, of course. If I was in a more gruesome situation, I would. But something tells me Lucius isn’t lying when he says he won’t kill me…yet. This is a game to him. He takes too much enjoyment out of causing me pain. Why would he leave me strapped to a Sybian after forcing me to orgasm over and over again?

It’s been about a half an hour since he left. My internal muscles ache from clenching. My clit is raw from me rocking my hips down on the goddamn dildo. Between my legs, the machine hums along. It’s on a setting where the vibrations increase and decrease in waves. I get a few seconds of relief before my orgasm builds again towards another painful peak.

Watch the sunrise. Of all the ridiculous things. Lucius is crazy. Old age drives these vampires to madness.

I lean forward, wishing I could lift off the dildos. Having them vibrate inside me only reminds me that Lucius hasn’t fucked me. Not yet. What the hell is he waiting for?

Past the patio, the desert sprawls in a mess of moonlit creosote and cacti.

A jackrabbit hops across the patio and hesitates, ears outstretched and quivering.

“Move along,” I order. That’s all I need, the killer rabbit of Caerbannog witnessing my humiliating state. “I mean it. Don’t make me come down th-there–” I stutter as the Sybian comes to life. This time vibrations increase rapidly and I moan. My legs clench, my sore pussy convulsing. My labia are numb. If I make it to dawn, I’ll be lucky if I can walk.

When I look back up again, the rabbit is gone, disappeared into the desert. The mountain peaks are limned in soft blue, glowing with the approaching light.

Watch the sunrise.

Does Lucius miss it so much? How would I feel if I could never see another sunrise? Never witness sunset? The beauty of the light. I watch as day breaks, pretending it’s the last time I’ll see one. Memorizing it.

The first touch of sunlight is soft on the mountain face. The birds sing. A few flutter from their perches, safe from predators in the morning light. The earth warms, the red desert coming to life. The shadows shrink into pools of rich darkness stretching from the saguaros. In the heat of the day, those shadows will be welcome, cool places to rest, but right now the darkness flees, the night shrinking, the dawn washing the world clean with light and birdsong. This miracle happens every day, but is anything but mundane. Being forced to witness it almost makes me grateful to the damn vampire.

Almost. As the sun crests the mountain peaks, I gasp through another climax.

Suddenly the Sybian goes silent.

The birds keep chirping. My friend the hare hops between two barrel cactus, sniffing at their fruit.

Behind me the house is empty, its master safely locked in his lair. Lucius has never seen the Tucson dawn, this glorious spectacle. Two thousand years of endless night. A lonely existence in the dark.

The locks on my cuffs click open. I’m free.

Thank fates. Lucius is a merciful king.

At least to me.

I move off the Sybian, the scream of my muscles fading in comparison to the weight in my heart.

And that’s when I know.

I don’t hate Lucius Frangelico.

My muscles scream as I take a quick shower. It’d be nice to fill the bath and soak, but I’m wasting time as it is.

I’ve got to get out of here. Lucius knows I’m here to kill him. He says he won’t kill me, but who knows what kind of games he plays.

Everything’s twisted, jumbled. My enemy isn’t who he thought he’d be. Or have I lost all perspective?

I dress in jeans and a t-shirt and grab a bag to pack some things when I see it. On the nightstand that was empty before: a cell phone. It’s black and basic looking, not a fancy smartphone, but I bet it’s untraceable. Lucius fufilling his promise. I keep my promises, pet.

There’s one number saved. Declan’s.

I press the cell against my mouth. To call or not to call? I could leave, run to Xavier, tell him I failed. I can’t kill Lucius.

I mean…I won’t.

Even if I could, which I’m not sure is possible, I couldn’t bring myself to.

Xavier will destroy me for my failure.

I could run far away, and hope my path never crosses a vampire’s again.

Or… I could stay.

Stay with the Vampire King, the supposedly cruel, definitely dominant ruler who’s shown me more care and kindness than I’ve had in years.

My body craves him. Even after what he’s done to me. Especially after what he’s done to me.

I hit “Call” and put the phone down before I can change my mind. What’s the point of calling Declan? Why would I have him investigate my pack? If he somehow figures out it wasn’t Lucius…what will I do?

Stupid. I should hang up. I grab the phone just as Declan picks up.

“Hello?” the Irishman’s voice is tense.

“It’s Selene.”

“Jay-sus, I thought ya were Frangelico, calling me in the day. Nearly stopped me heart.”

I can’t stop my smile. “No, it’s just me. I’m Lucius’…” Sub? Lover? Pet? Slave? I make a face.

“I know who ya are, lass,” Declan saves me. “Frangelico called me earlier, said he was turnin’ the investigation over tae ya. I can tell ya what we got so far, if ya like.”

“I–” The camera in the corner catches my eye. “Yes. Um, first I need to do something. Can I call you back in ten minutes?”

Ten minutes later, I’ve snuck out of the mansion. The desert doesn’t give me much cover, but I get out of the house and away from the guards without being seen, and head down the mountain. When I redial Declan, he asks me where I am, and if I’m hungry. And that’s how I end up at In-N-Out Burger with Declan, Parker and Laurie. The trio is as weird as I remember. Possibly weirder.

They fight over fries and sauce packets for a full ten minutes before I clear my throat.

“Right, lass.” Declan leans forward. The three stuffed into seats across from me. The better to steal each other’s food, I guess. “Your pack.”

“Shhh,” Laurie cautions.

“Sorry,” Declan says in an exaggerated whisper. “We got your file from the auction. Traced the address, but it was a fake.”

I knew that. Xavier would cover my tracks better than that.

“So we asked the shifter slavers. Real nasty fellows, them. They didn’t want to tell us anything, but we did some digging, and found your birth certificate. Selene Black of the Black Pine pack.” He slaps down a document. I zero in on my parent’s names.

I can’t believe it. Lucius was right, these guys are good.

“From there it was easy,” Parker continues. “The human news caught the massacre. A nearby pack had to come in and clean up–buy off the coroner and take possession of the bodies. Passed it off as a serial killer. Luckily there weren’t too many fang marks to pass off as needle tracks or whatever. The leech who did in your pack was in a hurry, and sloppy. Did feed, left ‘em where they lay.”

“Y-you okay?” Laurie asks, putting out a hand close to mine without actually touching me.

“Yes,” I find my voice. “I knew that. I have a picture of the clubhouse from…after.”

“Right,” Declan said after a long pause. “Well, we thought we’d spread out in a wider radius. Interview more packs in the nearby area, see if anyone knew what happened.”

“Yeah. Sounds good.” I cover my hand with my mouth.

“I’m s-s-sorry for your l-l-loss,” Laurie stutters softly.

I jerk my head. “It was a long time ago. Do you think…” I swallow. “Do you think you could ask around to find out what happened to my family, too?” I tell them the date my family died. Laurie looks even more stricken. Declan glares at the table.

“Do you remember anything from that night?” Parker asks.

A flash of pain sears my temple. “No,” I rub my head. “Nothing. It must have been traumatic. I usually get a headache when I try to remember.”

Declan and Parker exchange looks.

“Do…” I rally before I lose my nerve. “do you think you can find out the vampire who did this?”

“I don’t know, lass,” Declan says grimly, a muscle clenched in his jaw. “But we’re gonna try.”

Lucius

The air of my crypt thickens as night falls. The magic that makes me what I am tingles along my body, waking my senses. I open my eyes. The night stretches before me, filled with delicious possibility. I have a pet to catch and punish, or reward.

I taste the air as I leave my crypt.

I fully expect Selene has run away. No worries. I will find her. I won’t hurt her–I would never harm the little wolf, but I’m not finished with her yet.

I stop when I catch her fresh scent. Selene’s room stands open, but she’s still here, somewhere in the house. After all that’s come between us, she didn’t run.

“Pet,” I call, stalking barefoot across the carpet towards the telltale sounds. She’s on the Sybian, her hands and feet slipped through the bonds.

Oh fuck. Did it not release her? I hasten to her side. “Were you here all day?”

“No.” She gives me a tired smile. “I left when the cuffs unlocked, but I wanted to be back before you woke. I wanted you to find me like this.”

“Why, pet?” I stroke down her bare back. She’s a miracle. I’ve never known anyone like her, not in two thousand years.

“I wanted to please you,” she whispers, closing her eyes and pushing into my hand. She’s in that sweet space after a scene, when her resistance has blown away.

“Oh, pet,” I stroke back her sweaty hair. “You have. You do.”

She whimpers as I lift her off the dildos. As I carry her into the bathroom she twines her arms around my shoulders, settling close until I coax her into a warm bath.

“I take it that you no longer wish to kill me.”

“Jury’s still out.” The corners of her mouth tip up. “I talked to Declan and friends. They’re looking for my pack. They told me they’d help me, and I believe them. I think I can trust them.”

“You can. They help shifters of all sorts, and hate anyone who threatens the weak.” My mouth twists is self-derision. “They owe me a debt, otherwise they’d never work for me.”

“That’s not true,” she surprises me. “They spoke highly of you. Said you were okay…for a leech.”

I chuckle and hold a bottle of water to her lips.

Her throat works, her eyes on my face as she drinks. When she’s done, she lets her head fall back with a sigh. “So I guess we have a truce?”

“Truce,” I agree. “Now hush and let me take care of you.” She closes her eyes and I wash her, massaging her feet, her calves, her toes. She’s limp and pliant when I’m done with her, her skin pink from the bath. I slide a hand down her inner thigh and she closes her legs, tucking away from me with a whimper.

“Poor pussy,” I croon and give her a few painkillers. Her shifter healing has kicked in, healing her labia of all but some residual puffiness, but I don’t want her feeling any pain. She lays back, lets me wash her hair.

When I lean close, her lips part, her throat working.

“Shhh,” I tell her. “Just be quiet.”

She shakes her head.

“Pet. Obey me.”

“I watched the sunset,” she whispers, her throat hoarse. She sits up, capturing my hand. “It started with a glow. A yellow light on the mountains. The sky had already turned navy blue…”

I sit frozen as Selene describes the dawn, every minute.

When she’s done, she licks her lips. “Did I do all right?”

I blink. “Pet. That was perfect.”

Selene

I wake to cool air blowing across my face. Beside me, a giant form breaks his stillness to stroke the hair back from my face.

“Pet. You’re awake.”

“You’re still here.

“Where else would I be?” He keeps playing with my hair, spreading it over my shoulder, gathering it in his fist. He’s obsessed with it. “You feeling all right?”

“Not dead yet.”

We’re together, alone. The room is familiar. The master bedroom, on the giant king bed across from the fireplace where I was trapped.

I guess he’s forgiven me for tearing apart his bedroom.

I twine my legs with his.

“Pet, no. You’re sore.”

I take his hand and place it on my lower belly. “I’m ready. I want it.”

Lucius slides his hand lower, eyes glittering. “You know, you’re not really submissive.”

“I told you that.” I roll my eyes, my breath coming in pants.

“You’ve always been too brave for your own good. Even when you kneel for me, you show no fear.”

I snort. “I’ve always been afraid of you. I’m not dumb.”

He pinches my nipples. The pain rings through my body, sets my senses singing. I hook my bare leg around his hips, coaxing him closer, well aware that I can’t make him do anything he doesn’t want to do.

“I want this.”

“So brazen.” His lips nuzzle my jaw. I turn my head, chasing his kiss. He withholds it, dragging his lips over my face while he pins me with his heavy body, forcing me to accept his dominance. When he finally presses his mouth against mine, I let out a triumphant growl.

He finishes the kiss, gazing at me with satisfaction while his cock pokes my thigh, a hard, distracting length.

“You’re an alpha, Selene. In any pack you would be at the top.”

I flinch at the mention of a pack. He reads my dismay because he slides his hand up my front. “Pet, I didn’t mean–”

“It’s okay,” I interrupt. “I know what you meant. I’m not in a pack, now.”

“No. You’re here, with me.”

“The home of the Vampire King.”

“In bed with a monster.”

I crane my neck to find his ear. I can’t fight his pull, not any more. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”

With a growl of his own, he grabs my wrists, pinning them beside my hips as he works his way down.

“Be still,” he orders when he reaches my pussy, his hot breath blowing over my shaved skin, making me try to wriggle out of reach.

His fangs scrape my bare labia, and I shiver at how dangerous he is.

“My pet, so sweet, so tempting.” He nuzzles my inner thigh. “Do you know there’s an artery, right here?” His tongue swirls over sensitive skin, followed by his nipping teeth. “Delicious. A veritable buffet, right here.”

Do it. Bite me. I want to beg, but my pussy must look too juicy and appetizing because he turns his head and rewards me with a long lick. I’ve healed from the electric play the night before, but can’t suppress a whimper as he lashes my labia with his tongue, driving me to the peak. His hands push apart my legs as mine fist in the sheets.

“Beg me before you come,” he orders and I immediately start babbling.

“Please..sir, Lucius…”

“Come. Now.” He accompanies his order with two fingers pressing on my g-spot, and I come hard enough to crack in two.

I’m still gasping as he rises over me, grasps my wrists again and fills me. I’ve been stretched by his fingers and diloes, but nothing prepares me for the feel of his cock: Hard. Dominating. Perfect. My eyes water, it’s so beautiful.

“Pet,” he rasps, rocking gently, surging into me as my orgasm builds again.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“Fuck,” he mutters, eyes roving over my face. “So sweet.” His hips roll against mine, sending his cock deeper. “You gonna come for me?”

“Yes–”

“Yes?”

“Yes, please, sir, may I come?”

“Good girl.” He speeds his thrusts and my legs start shaking. “Come, beautiful. Come for me.”

I cry out, head flying back as his cock rams my cervix. It’s too much, it’s not enough, it’s just the way I like it. My nipples are chiseled points, rubbing against his firm chest as he gathers me close. His fangs nip my ear, a little pinch I feel in my pussy. He bites harder, sharp enough to break skin. “Mmmm,” he murmurs, licking my ear lobe. I come harder knowing he’s licking my blood, tasting me.

Lucius

My she-wolf howls under me, her pussy clenching me like a vise. The drop of her blood blooms on my tongue as I finish inside her. I reach between us, grazing her clit until she jerks hard, her eyes fluttering through her final climax. I lick my lips and pull out, admiring the glazed pink of her poor battered pussy. Her taste is addictive. I’ve never known anything so sweet.

I lounge beside her, trailing my fingers over her face, between her breasts, I could lie here forever, watching her.

But as always, my pet must push it.

Her arms slip around my shoulders and her mouth nuzzles my ear. “Bite me,” she whispers. “I want to feel it.”

I draw my head back to study her face. “It might hurt, at first.”

She meets my eyes, fearless as always. “I can take the pain.”

“Yes, I know you can.” I lift off of her, signalling for her to stay still as I settle between her legs. “I’ll make it good for you,” I promise, working down her body. I penetrate her with my fingers, working her slowly to a peak. She responds as she always does, fighting the rising pleasure, making me wring it out of her. As she gasps through her climax, I flip her over and drive inside her tight pussy. Her inner muscles are hot and grasping, pulsing with her orgasm, squeezing me like a fist. I spear her, gathering her in my arms and bowing her body back. One orgasm ends and another begins, tearing a cry from my beautiful pet’s chest. I wrap an arm around her middle, bracing and holding her up as I take her from behind. My free hand sweeps the hair away from her neck.

“Be still,” I tell her, pinning her with a strong thrust. I grasp her neck, forcing her head to the side. “This will hurt a bit.” My head whips to the opposite side, my fangs pierce her sweet skin. A pinch as I penetrate her, the promised painful moment. Her pussy clenches. I take a strong pull, pleasure blooming in my brain as the sweet rush of blood hits my tongue. Selene moans, and my fangs pump a pleasure serum into her body.

She comes, screaming my name, as I pierce her over and over with my fangs and my cock.

When it’s over, I clean her off with a wet cloth. I make her drink a glass of water and take another Advil. I don’t want her to feel the merest hint of discomfort. Unless I’m not torturing her.

The bed dips under my weight, and she rolls down the slope into me. I kiss her sweaty temple. “How are you feeling?”

She opens her eyes. “I’m not dead yet.”

I stroke her neck. “Are you sure?” I turn her jaw this way and that, examining the bite marks I left on her neck.

“Werewolves mark each other when they mate,” she murmurs.

“Do you wish these were mating marks?”

“No.” Her body hardens.

“You sure? Werewolves mate for life.”

She turns her face away, giving me her profile. “I’m not interested in a mate. Ever.”

I cup her chin, drawing her back to me. “You’re so young, pet. You don’t know what you want.”

“I don’t want a mate. I don’t want to risk…”

“Losing them?”

She’s quiet.

“We all die,” I remind her.

“Except you,” she mutters darkly.

“Except me. But even I could choose to face the dawn.”

That gets her attention. “Would you? One day?”

“If I ever loved someone beyond reason. Beyond my own good sense, and they were mortal, then yes. When they died, I would face the dawn.”

A furrow appears between her brows and I press my fingers to it, working to smooth it away.

“So, you see, you and I are the same. We both refuse to give into love. Do you know why?”

“Because we are incapable of being with someone?”

“No,” I tell her what she already knows. “Because we love too deeply and too much.”

She snuggles into me. “That’s why I like this.”

“Why, pet, I’m flattered. You like me?”

“No, not you. This.” She presses into me. “Snuggling. With a vampire king.”

“I can’t ever let you leave here. My reputation won’t live it down.”

“You’re going to kill me, remember?” she yawns. “Or I’ll kill you.”

“You speak of life and death so lightly pet.”

“I’m ready.”

“You’re young,” I remind her. “You shouldn’t throw your life away.”

“Are you lecturing me?” her eyes widen.

“Yes. You’re wasting yourself on a stupid cause.”

“It’s not a stupid cause.”

“Assassinating me? Foolhardy and impossible.”

“Well, you would say that,” she grumbles. “You don’t want to be assassinated.”

“Not only that,” I say, and I’m surprised to find it’s the truth. “ I don’t think someone as young and lovely as you should waste her life obsessed with me.”

She gives me a look. “Obsessed, huh?”

I squeeze the muscles in her hands and arms. “You’ve fought before. Did you imagine fighting me?”

“Yes,” she answers, tense.

“Don’t worry pet. I won’t question you anymore.”

“You don’t want to know why?”

“I’ve lived a long time. I’ve committed any number of abominations.” I turn her to her side so I can spoon her. “You have a very human view of justice. Does the lion regret killing the gazelle? This is the law of nature. Survival.”

“And if a lion kills senselessly, needlessly, should it die?”

“If it is stronger than its prey, than no. It has a right to kill.”

“Is that what you think? You have a right to kill? Where is your humanity?”

“It bled out with my life when the vampire virus took over.”

She stills. “So you don’t have a sense of morality.”

“I do, pet. I have been very moral, especially when compared with my colleagues.”

“Would Georgianna say you’re moral?”

I hide a smile. Selene’s obsession with my past love is more telling than she knows. My little pet has feelings for me. “She might. I treated her well. I know you have no reason to believe me–”

“I believe you,” she contradicts me softly and looks me in the eyes. No other creature looks me in the eyes like Selene does. Her lack of fear isn’t bravado. She wants to look at me, so she does. She might be the only creature who truly sees me. “You treat me well,” she says. “So I can believe you showed kindness to her.”

“Until she betrayed me. I killed her. She tried to kill me, and I… well, I’m the bigger predator.”

“You loved her.”

“Yes. And I believe she loved me.”

“What?”

“A vampire in love, is that so impossible?” I tease.

A little shake of her head. “She loved you and she tried to kill you? Why?”

My heart sinks, remembering. “Because, Selene, her maker told her to.”

“Her maker?”

“He was a vampire like me, old, powerful. He brought her to life. Loved her, I thought, like a daughter. But now I know he wanted more from her.”

Selene wrinkles her nose. “Eww.”

“Yes. It’s a tricky relationship, the bond between sire and sired, and he took advantage. He ordered her to kill me, and I doubt she thought to say no.” My sigh gusts through Selene’s hair. “I’ve never told anyone this.”

“Why are you telling me?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because you look just like her. You remind me how I felt when I was with her. Young. In love.”

“Love.”

She’s quiet so long I think she’s fallen asleep.

“Lucius?” Selene asks in a small voice.

“Yes, pet?”

“What happens after? Where do we go from here?”

“What do you want to happen?”

I would like…there are things I would have liked to do.”

“Kill me?” I offer, dryly.

“There’s that…but other things too. Those shifters in cages. I wanted to save them.”

“What if they wanted to be there?’

“They don’t. The auctions are an abomination. I’d like to put a stop to them.”

I want the same thing, though she doesn’t know that. “How about…you help me, and I help you?”

“How?”

“You remain here, as my submissive, until the end of the month.” That will give me time to flush out my enemies. “In return I will stop the auctions.”

“And set all the other shifters free?”

“Yes. No shifter will serve a vampire. Not unless they want to.”

“They won’t want to,” she says.

“You sound so sure. A shifter in love with a vampire? Is that such an impossible thing?” I ask.

She raises her head and meets my gaze. The air charges between us. Little currents of electricity running between me and her.

“One month,” she agrees, her voice husky. “Then it’s over.”

“One month.” I nod and pull her back into my arms. “Now, hush. We have things to do.” I reach to the bedside table and nab the remote.

She hides her face in my neck. “No more scening, I can’t take…”

“Shh,” I chuckle. “It’s all right, pet. That part of the night is done.”

I click a button and a panel over the fireplace pulls back, revealing a flat screen TV. Another button and the screen flickers on.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail starts playing. Selene goes still.

“Comfortable?” I whisper. She nods, eyes on the screen.

“Good. Relax,” I order. A moment later she giggles at the ‘Swedish’ subtitles. She’s still rigid in my lap, fighting my order.

At one point she makes to move and I restrain her.

“I have to pee,” she pouts and I let her go on the promise that she come right back.

“Feeling all right?” I ask when she re-enters and stands at the foot of the bed.

“Just a flesh wound,” she says in the Black Knight’s voice.

I open my arms. “Come,” I order her when she hesitates. “I want to hold you.” Biting her lip, Selene crawls into my lap. A second later, my submissive she wolf sighs happily. The credits keep rolling and our laughter mingles.

It won’t last forever. But nothing does.

Selene

I wake at noon the next day. The bed is empty and I am bereft.

I didn’t expect him to be this way. I didn’t expect for the kindness, hate, anger and love all tangled up. But whenever he’s gone…I miss him.

He says he didn’t kill my pack. Who do I believe? My mentor, who sacrificed everything to give me revenge, or Lucius?

Do I trust my head or my heart?

“I’m such an idiot.” I rub sleep from my face. I have a crush on the Vampire King.

A shifter in love with a vampire…is that such an impossible thing?

He’s a vampire, and not just any vampire–the King. I’m a wolf. We’re worlds apart, far as the sun is from the moon.

It’s no use. I’m in love with a monster. And I don’t even care.

At nightfall, Lucius finds me pacing on the patio.

“Pet?”

I push back my wild fall of hair. I bathed after my babysitters left, but didn’t primp. I couldn’t bear to be inside, surrounded by his scent. “You call yourself a monster. Why?”

“I’ve done things, Selene,” he says gently. “Things I regret. Not what you’re thinking–but I have killed before. Hurt people. But it was a long time ago.” He spreads his hands. “The world was different then.”

Call me stupid, but I believe him. “What made you go to the auction?”

“I heard they were auctioning shifters.”

“You didn’t know?” Xavier made it sound like the auctions were Lucius’ idea.

“I knew there were vampires with a taste for shifter blood who’d take consorts. But shifters are not our natural victims. I didn’t know shifter slavers were hunting down the weakest species and auctioning them to the highest bidder.”

“You didn’t?”

“No. I confess, I had my head in the sand. But now that I know, I’m putting a stop to it. And not because of our little agreement,” he adds. “I had planned to do it long before that.”

“You did?” I shake my head, dizzy. Lucius isn’t the villain Xavier makes him out to be. Is he?

“It’s not all altruism. There’s evidence my sired have latched on to a new scheme to rise up against me.” He shakes his head, looking as if he’s found a toddler finger painting on the living room wall, not a set of grown vampires plotting a coup. “A few of them got the idea that they could turn shifters, form an army to overthrow my rule.”

“Turn shifters? How?”

“The same way humans are turned vampire,” he strokes his chin. “Blood exchanges, followed by an exchange of heart blood that kills the new host, allowing the vampire virus to take over.”

“Is that possible? Have you done it?”

“Turned a shifter? No. I would never. Such a creature would be … an abomination.”

I flinch.

“Not fully shifter, not fully vampire. More powerful than either. If it could be done, of course. Few vampires are strong enough to create more of our kind. It takes a strong victim, and a strong sire. Perhaps that is why my sired turned to shifters. They had no luck with humans, and decided to try with a stronger species.”

“And did it work? Is it possible?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so–at least, I doubt any of my sired have discovered how to do it.” He pauses. “There is a way to make shifters as powerful as vampires. but no one knows it.”

I take a step forward. “How?”

“Our blood.” He enters the patio, coming closer I try to puzzle out what he meant. He cocks his head, looking down at me. “Do you want me to show you?”

Selene

“Yes.” I say. I don’t know what I’m consenting to, exactly. But I’m in too deep to stop.

“Come to me.” Lucius orders. “Closer. That’s it.”

“What…what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to drink from you.” He pushes my hair back from my shoulders. “Then you’re going to drink from me.”

“What? No–” I suck in a breath as his fangs sink into my neck. A small pinch and bliss,

my body shaking with the heady feeling.

“All right?” he murmurs.

“Just a flesh wound.”

“Your turn, pet.” He slashes a cut into his chest, presses my mouth to the wound. The first taste of blood is sweet, sizzling on my tongue.

“Do you feel it?” Lucius asks.

I gasp as adrenaline hits my veins. My limbs tingling with an excess of energy. My heart seems to pump faster, my senses sharpening.

I am super Selene, warrior woman.

“Race you.” Lucius points to a saguaro cactus in the distance.

I push after him, my legs pumping–and I blur. The landscape rushes past until I stop, staggering. I reached the cactus before he did, and I’m not even tired. My body pulses with power.

I turn my palms up and study them, shaking. “How long does it last?”

“Depends on how much blood you drink. The effects wear off, in time. Until then, you’re as powerful as a vampire. Maybe more powerful.”

I stare at Lucius.

“Run with me.” He holds out his hand.

I smile…and take off for the mountains. His laughter chases me and I run faster, with him hard on my heels. He might be letting me out pace him, but he’s right. I am so much stronger than I ever was. With this blood, a super drug flowing through me, I could take down a Vampire King…

“This way,” he shouts, blurring between two boulders. I follow, ducking around rocks as we climb the mountain trail, red dust rising in our wake. The trail ends halfway, so I make my own way, leaping from rock to rock, scaling the cliff leaps and bounds at a time until we reach the peak. The stars are brighter up here, the moon close enough to touch.

A whoosh of air and Lucius is at my back, wrapping his arms around me.

“I can see forever,” I whisper and raise my hands to the endless blue, drinking in the silvery light until he turns me to face him, fists a hand in my hair, and claims my mouth. I arch into him with a cry, exhilaration snapping through me, making me tear at his clothes. We fall, him cushioning me before I hit the ground, rolling under and holding my hips aloft until I free his dick and drive down. The world spins and the starlight smiles above us, but even as I ride him, I know it’s not forever.

This feeling can’t last.

“Thank you,” I murmur to him, much later, when we’re tangled in his bed.

“You’re welcome, pet. But what are you thanking me for?”

I palm his cheek, holding his incredible beauty in my hand. “You let me into your world. It’s a beautiful thing.”

“It is. But you’re not a creature of the night. You’re made of light.” He catches a strand of my hair between his thumb and finger, rubs it between them.

“Moonlight,” I correct. “Lucius. I want to stay with you.”

He releases my hair, takes my leg and eases me under him. “No,” he says as he glides inside me. My legs open wide to accept him. I couldn’t resist him if I tried–and I have tried.

I twine my calves around his fine, flexing ass. I don’t want to resist him any more.

“Lucius,” I gasp as he speeds the rhythm of his thrusts.

“Selene.” He sets his fangs at my throat, and pierces as my orgasm blows up.

When it’s over, I huddle in the shelter of his strong arms.

“Let me stay,” I murmur.

“I can’t,” he murmurs. “Even if I wanted, you don’t belong here.”

Selene

A pale face greets me in the mirror. A month as a vampire’s sex toy has left my cheeks pale and bloodless as a ghost’s, not that I’m complaining. Any exhaustion is wiped away as soon as I drink Lucius’ blood.

I apply red lipstick–the color of blood and vampire dreams–and check the fit of my collar. Lucius has me wear it almost constantly, now. Our nights have become one long scene. Our time together is frenzied, desperate, both of us aware of the countdown towards the end. Lucius has me so well trained, I’m wet and dripping as soon as I hear his voice. He says my name and I’m on edge. He snaps his fingers and I come. We spend every waking moment together, and we exchange blood almost every day.

In a few days, it’ll be over.

Lucius strides past my door, looking delicious in his suit. He’s promised me a night on the town, a night of pretending to be a couple. We’ll end at Toxic, like usual. He’s opened the top half of the club, so his sired can mingle with humans and sip from the victims in the dark corners. The dungeon is still reserved for him and me. In a few days, his sired will gather and I’ll have my first public scene. Our last scene together.

A phone rings in the house. I exit my room in a rustle of fabric, still slipping my earrings in.

Lucius is in the foyer, on the phone. “Theophilus?” he answers and pauses. My ears prick. Lucius’ has shared the names of his sired and Theophilus is one he respects. “Where are you?”

“At the club,” says the vampire. I hear him as clearly as if he was in the room. Werewolf ears are great for eavesdropping.

Lucius turns and meets my eyes. He knows I’m listening and if he cared, he’d leave. He doesn’t care. In the past few weeks, we’ve shared everything.

“You should come here, now,” Theophilus says, his voice tense. “There’s something you should see.”

We hit the club at half past nine. The dance floor is already a crush, the bar four people deep.

Lucius stops beside coat check. Ever the gentleman, he helps me out of my wrap, his face a stern mask as club employees rush around, eager to do his bidding.

He guides me to a private booth overlooking the dance floor. “I have to deal with something. I’ll be right back.”

“It’s all right,” I tell him, sliding deep into the booth. “It won’t ruin our night.” The way his jaw is clenched makes me think heads will roll. Literally.

“Keep everyone away from her,” he tells the guard, and strides away, straight through the dance floor. He looks neither left nor right, but the crowds part for him as if by magic. As soon as he disappears, I sink back in the booth, toying with the glass of Merlot a waitress delivered, suppressing my growing sense of foreboding.

Lucius

“What is it?” I snap as soon as I enter my office. Most of my sired have jobs at the club, and even if they don’t, I require them to report to me in person regularly. I have a list of vampires who avoid or delay these meetings. Theophilus isn’t on it, but he better not disappoint me tonight. I have little time left with Selene, and I don’t’ want to waste it.

“It came in an unmarked package, delivered to the club’s doorstep an hour before opening. We’ve got footage of the delivery, but the person was on foot in a ski mask. Male, Caucasian, probably human. We’re still tracking him.”

“So what was the package? A bomb?”

“No. This.” He holds up a jump drive. “We’ve already done a virus scan and it’s clean. Empty except for one video.”

“Play it.” I cross my arms and turn to the blank TV at the end of the room. To the side of my desk, a row of screens give me a view of the entire club via security feed. People gyrate on the dance floor, human and vampire alike. It’s impossible to tell the vampires apart unless you are one yourself. By midnight, the vampires will have chosen their victims and herded them into a private booth to enjoy a drink in private.

“Sire,” Theophilus calls my attention to the main screen. The mysterious video starts with a flash of familiar white blonde hair. Selene strides on screen, dressed in fatigues and a black sports bra. She’s barefoot, unarmed, except for a wooden stake in her hand. Someone off camera must direct her, because she nods and turns, heading to a man chained down on the floor. She grabs a hank of his hair and draws his head back far enough I see his fangs. He’s a vampire and she has a stake. In one movement, she plunges the weapon deep into his heart. She cuts off his head and holds it up for the camera. The shot ends, and another begins. Same set up. This time, the vampire is female.

“Your Majesty,” someone calls. Theophilus waves them away and closes my office door, muffling the sounds of the club, people having a good time. The security feed shows bright-eyed, happy horde of humans, laughing, talking, dancing on silent repeat. I want to destroy this office, burn the club to the ground, with everyone in it. Torture Theophilus for being the messenger, for witnessing my humiliation.

Instead I remain still and silent, watching my lovely pet staking vampires. Again and again and again.

The video ends with a close up shot of Selene’s perfect face. She’s younger, cheeks flushed and hairline sweaty from exertion, but it’s her. She looks straight into the camera, a defiant expression that’s all too familiar.

A garbled voice breaks the silence. “Who are you?”

“My name’s Selene.”

“What is your mission?” The camera zooms in further.

“Find Lucius Frangelico.”

“And then?”

She doesn’t hesitate. “I’m going to kill him.”

Selene

Ten minutes without Lucius, and I’m bored out of my mind. Watching vampires try to seduce unsuspecting humans isn’t my idea of a good time.

“I’m going to the bathroom,” I tell the guard.

“Frangelico says you stay here.”

I roll my eyes. “It’s either that, or I pee on the seat.”

The guard touches his earpiece. “We’ll clear it first,” he says. Good call.

The bathroom they clear has a luxurious sitting room attached to the room with the stalls. There’s a couch and huge mirrors. The sinks are set into fancy marble topped vanities with gold faucets. I primp and freshen up, feeling a little bad that there are women waiting in the hall to pee while I have the entire room to myself. Lucius is paranoid about security, seriously. It’s not like anyone can get to me and even if they could–

“Hello, Selene,” a deep voice makes my head snap around. A whimper escapes my throat as a giant shadow pushes open the door and enters.

Xavier.

“What are you doing here?” Any minute my guards should burst in.

He prowls to my side and sets down a glass filled with amber liquid on the fancy vanity.

“Drink,” he orders. “You’ll need it.”

I’ve swallowed half the glass before I realize I’ve obeyed without question. Old habits die hard.

I finish off the drink and set it down.

“You can’t be here,” I whisper. I stare in the mirror at my own reflection. Xavier’s doesn’t show, but I feel his eyes on me all the same.

“Frightened for me?”

I start to turn and he grips my neck.

“Have you forgotten who you are? What he did to you?”

“I’ve…gotten to know him. He’s not like that…” I feel stupid even as I say it.

“He’s a monster.”

I blink as Xavier uses the word Lucius so often uses to refer to himself.

“He killed your pack with no remorse.”

“Is there proof?”

“You’ve seen the photos. What more proof do you need?”

That’s not proof, I want to say. But vampires can’t be caught on film, so if there is any proof, it’s lost. “Why did he do it? He can lure any victim he likes. Why would he need to massacre an entire pack?

“Who knows why the killer kills? Boredom in his old age.”

I bite my lip because Lucius has said the same sort of things. I almost tell him Lucius has a search team looking for my old pack but Xavier speaks first.

“There’s more. I have eye witnesses. He took the youngest and the strongest to his lair. Lucius took them to his lair where he drank from their neck, forced them to drink from him, then tore out their hearts.”

I shake my head.

“Yes,” Xavier booms. “It’s true.”

“Why would he do that?”

“To turn shifters into vampires.”

“He can’t do that. He wouldn’t.”

“If he can do that, he’ll be the most powerful vampire on earth.” He sets the stake on the sink. “Unless you can stop him.”

Lucius

The video ends and I rewind it. This time I play it on silent. Whether she’s facing the camera, staking or beheading, her expression never changes. She’s so young. So determined.

It’s one thing to hear her admit she came to kill me.

It’s another to see it.

She worked at this. Trained. Everything we’ve shared and she hasn’t told me who sent her. I could torture it out of her, but it will break the fragile trust we have.

“I thought you should know,” Theophilus says, stupidly reminding me he’s here, witnessing this private humiliation.

I whirl on him. “Did you deliver this?”

He backs up, palms up. “No…”

“Did you have anything to do with this?”

“No! I just happened to be here. That’s the she wolf you bought at auction, right?’

“Yes.” I grip the edge of my desk so hard something cracks. “This video. Did it come with anything else?”

“Just the jump drive.”

“Show me the box.”

Theophilus hastens to fetch it. “We had it checked out when we first thought it was a bomb.”

No return label, just the club’s address scrawled on a white notecard taped to the front. I rip the tape away with a sharp nail. Peel off the label and there it is, the note. On screen his voice was garbled, but when I read the slanted script Xavier’s voice plays in my head.

Quite the warrior, isn’t she?

She was mine all along.

Selene

I barely register when the guard resumes his place at my side. Xavier must have paid him off. Lucius’ security isn’t as tight as he thinks it is. I should tell him…after I decide whether or not to kill him.

A frantic giggle bubbles in my chest. I press my free hand to my mouth. My right is tucked half under the fancy skirt of my dress, hiding the stake Xavier gave me.

What the hell am I going to do?

A vampire appears at my booth. Slim and dressed in a black suit like a secret agent, he beckons to me.

“I’m taking you back to the mansion. The King’s orders.”

“Where is he?”

“He doesn’t want to see you,” the vampire says. “I’m Theophilus. Trust me, you don’t want to cross him right now.”

I exit the booth on shaky legs and follow my guide out of the club. He shuts me in the limo. The divider’s up so I pull out the stake and stare at it all the way to Lucius’ home.

Who do I trust? Who’s telling the truth? Do I listen to my head or my heart?

Selene

The house is quiet, empty. I creep through the halls, not glancing into the rooms. There’s a cold smell coming from the master bedroom. I follow the scent trail, my skin prickling.

I enter the room I tore apart searching, the one where I got trapped in the false tunnel under the fireplace. The fireplace is the same, but the king bed is gone folded up into the wall like a Murphy bed. In the spot where the bed used to be is a stone staircase leading down into darkness. The cold scent wafts up from the crypt.

This is Lucius’ lair. He left it open for me. For I second, I’m dizzy. Does this mean Xavier found him?

Left hand out for balance, I descend. The walls and floor are solid stone, cold on my bare feet. My skin tingles as I cross the threshold, a buzzing feeling not unlike an electric current. The sensation rises to the point of pain; I hold my breath and fight through it, my steps slow like I’m wading through water. All at once, the spell lifts and I can breathe again. Vampire’s as old as Lucius have more than the usual defenses.

The air changes. I scent, rather than see, a great room in front of me. A light comes on, triggered by my motion. It cuts the gloom enough for me to look left and right, half expecting a giant boulder to roll out of a booby trap, like something out of Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones. Nothing happens, but I hurry on, my feet slapping against the stone.

His large form stands on a raised platform. A long stone rectangle, about hip high and ten feet long, is the only piece of furniture.

His dark hair falls across his brow. “Pet. You’re here.”

“The door was open. This is your lair,” I say stupidly. Surprise makes me Captain Obvious. “It’s…big.”

He looks around as if seeing it for the first time. “I’ve never had anyone here before. I suppose if I had planned ahead, I could’ve decorated.”

“With what? Medieval furniture? Torture devices?” I try to joke.

“Yes, well. No one expects the Spanish inquisition.”

I want to laugh, but he sounds so tired. He moves, putting the giant stone rectangle between us. Grateful for the barrier, I walk forward, stopping on the edge of the raised platform.

“Why did you let me in here?” My voice echoes in the empty space.

“Why did you come?”

I pull my right hand out from behind my back and show him the stake.

“Ah yes.” He runs a thoughtful hand over the stone slab. It’s the size and shape of a coffin. That’s where he sleeps, in a sarcophagus. Another layer of protection. Even if I broke into his lair, I might not be able to open the coffin without help.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment,” he tells me and pauses, eyebrows raised like he’s waiting for me to deliver my part of the script.

“I was sent to kill you.”

“I know.”

I step onto the dais, and walk around the sarcophagus. I’m close enough to stake him, which means he’s close enough to reach out and snap my neck.

“I didn’t live this long by letting my guard down,” Lucius continues. “As soon as I saw Xavier, I knew something was going on.”

I jerk back. “You knew Xavier?”

“Yes. He was Georgianna’s maker.”

Georgianna the vampire he loved. The one I look like. “He ordered her to kill you. You killed her when she betrayed you.”

“History repeats itself.”

I step closer to Lucius. He doesn’t move. “Why did you let me close? If you knew Xavier was involved, if he sent me, why did you keep me here?” And not just keep me close. Fuck me, hurt me in a way we both like. Show me a world I came to love.

He turns slightly towards me. “Some risks are worth it.”

My head tilts back to keep my eyes on his as I move closer. “Are they?”

“I’ve lived a long time, Selene. I know when someone’s worth it.” He extends a finger, traces a strand of my hair that’s fallen loose from my tight ponytail. His smile is so sad it hurts my heart. He does something I’d never expect. Not in a thousand years.

He turns his back.

The stake is somehow in my fingers.

I come forward. It’s now or never. I could kill him. That’s why he left his crypt open. He’s letting me.

I toss the stake onto the floor by his feet. It lands with a clatter.

Lucius raises his head.

“I can’t do it,” I say, voice echoing a little in this stone tomb. “I won’t. I wouldn’t be here except….Xavier said you killed my family, my pack. But then I met you and… I don’t know what to believe any more…” I wait but he stays silent. “I guess you didn’t kill them.”

“Do you want me to deny it again?”

“No,” I say, decided. “You didn’t kill them. You’ve killed before but not like that. Not a massacre.”

“You think better of me than anyone else, pet.”

“It’s not like you. Maybe before, a thousand years ago. But not now.”

“I’m glad you think me so civilized.” Light glints off his fangs, but he’s not smiling.

“I’ve killed before. Xavier trained me. He found vampires for me to kill, and I staked them to practice for you. He told me they deserved to die.” I trusted Xavier, but what if those vampires were innocent victims like my pack? “So I’m a killer, too.” I swallow, working saliva into my dry mouth. Lucius still hasn’t moved. “What do we do now?”

His cheek curves. “It’s up to you, pet. What do you want to do?”

“I think…it’s time say goodbye.”

He breaks his stillness, twisting around. His face is composed, regal, but his eyes are sad. “A vampire and a shifter. Is it such an impossible thing?”

My eyes drop to the stake. “Yes. Xavier won’t be happy about what I’ve done.”

“I’ll handle Xavier.”

I swipe a hand over my brow, drop it to my throat. My skin feels clammy. “He chose me because I looked like Georgianna.”

“Yes.”

“He’s been planning this awhile.” I gnaw my lip. “When I leave here, I’ll have to go on the run.”

He shifts his weight. “What makes you think I’ll let you go?” Red light gleams in his eyes.

“You told me you would. You said the ones you love always leave you.”

“They always die.”

“I’m not going to die. Not for awhile. I can run.” I suck in a breath, feeling dizzy. There’s not enough air in this crypt. “I can’t stay here. Vampires and shifters don’t belong together.”

He gazes at me, face limned half in light, half in darkness.

Answer me, I want to shake him.

“You’re right. A vampire in love with a shifter. It’s an impossible thing.”

“I …I just wanted you to know.

“Go. with my blessing.”

I jerk my chin up and take a step. Like a klutz, I misstep and stagger off the platform. In an instant, Lucius is at my side, a big, dark monolith of support. His scent washes over me.

“Selene–”

“No–” I pull away. I’m not as strong as I act. If he touches me, I’ll crumble. “I’m fine.” I’m not fine. My stomach roils,

My vision blurs, the world narrowing to the light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve got to get out of here before I do something weak, like burst into tears or vomit.

My legs wobble as I head for the exit, but I make it.

“Selene,” Lucius calls after me. “Where will you go?”

I don’t turn around. “Return to my pack’s territory. See what happened to them.”

“Take the blood. You might need it.”

“Lucius–”

“Take it,” he orders harshly, before continuing in a more normal voice. “And a car. My last gift to you.”

I wait but he doesn’t say anything else.

I want to tell him everything he means to me. Instead, I rally my weak limbs, my stomach still roiling.

He doesn’t turn around or watch me go.

Fifteen minutes later, the night air hits my face as I stagger out the door. I make it to the side of the Lamborghini before leaning over to vomit on the pavement.

Several security guards pop up to watch.

“You okay?” One of the guards asks.

I wave my hand. “Too much to drink tonight.” That’s not it. The only thing I drank was what Xavier gave me. I must have caught a bug.

He fetches me a pack of wipes and bottle of water, points out the plastic bag stored in the glove compartment. I lean on the door, heaving air into my aching lungs. Would suck to throw up in such a nice car. But I’ve got to get out of here.

The sickness lessens long enough for me to throw my stuff in the back.

I’ve got the blood. I don’t know why, but it seemed too good to waste. It can help me fight. If Xavier comes after me, I might need it.

The further I drive, the weaker I feel. I must have eaten something weird. If breaking up is making me physically ill, I’m a sentimental fool. It’s not like we were together that long. I didn’t expect it to last, did I?

I drive faster, my vision blurring. The sun’s coming up.

I turn off the main road and find a sheltered parking lot near a nature walk. Weakness radiates up my arms. I’m super dizzy. I open the door and dry heave a little, but my stomach is empty. I flop back and shut the door, locking the Lambo before reclining the seat. I’m not driving anymore today. My body feels like it’s been beaten and encased in lead.

I dump my purse out, reach for the burner phone. I should call Declan and figure out what leads he has on my pack, but I’m too tired. I lie back and and pull the towel over my face. Just a little sleep. Just a little…

Lucius

Cold air wafts over my face. This time of night, I’d be preparing for bed, checking my security, closing my crypt.

Tonight I sit like a statue, my first curled on my knee.

She left me.

I text Declan: From now on, report directly to Selene. I give him the burner number and let the phone clatter to the floor.

My crypt is still open, but I don’t care. It’s time to sleep. A month of heaven, and I am back to feeling like one of the damned.

My life stretches before me, dark as a night with no moon.

Selene

As soon as my head hits the headrest, the dream envelops me like it’s been waiting for me. I’m back in the battered activity room of my pack’s hangout. Old pool table in the corner. Ansel Adam’s print peeling off the wall. There are voices coming from all around. Outside and in the kitchen. The whole pack’s about to come here and eat, talk, play games, wile the night away.

Someone’s calling my name. A woman’s voice, soft and light. My mother. I haven’t heard in over a decade. I step through the door–and end up in my bedroom. I haven’t been here since the night my family died. The room tilts–I’m sitting in my bed, upright, rigid, waiting. Someone’s outside. An intruder.

“Who’s there?” my dad calls gruffly. My parent’s door opens. He’s going to confront the intruder.

No, I open my mouth to scream. Don’t go–he’ll kill you!

“Selene?” My mother opens the door to my bedroom to check on me. A thud and my father falls in the living room. My mother turns, the door swinging wide enough for me to watch the vampire blur to her side. He’s on her before she can turn. Her voice cuts off and she falls, her head at a funny angle. Broken.

The vampire comes into my bedroom. I’m frozen in my bed, my mind screaming, my muscles refusing to respond as the vampire crosses the room to my bed. His huge body looms over mine. “Georgianna,” he says, and reaches out to touch my hair. And I see his face clearly–

I scream and throw myself out of bed, but he’s too fast. He’s going to catch me–

The room fades and I’m back in the pack club house. Bodies all over the floor. An old woman in the corner, rocking. “It was him,” she says. “It was the one-eyed vampire.”

I come awake. My whole body chilled, like I’ve been plunged into ice water. All around me, shadow dance, lengthened. It’s not dawn, but sunset. I’ve slept the day away.

I slept and I finally dreamed–

A clanging noise breaks the silence, makes me jump. My phone is going berserk.

I answer before I know what I’m doing.

“Hiya–is this tae wolf lass?”

It takes second for me to untangle the meaning of the accented words. “What? Yes. It’s me. Selene.”

“Thank fuck,” Declan mutters. “Been calling ya all day!”

I glance at the car seat where the burner lay. “Yeah, I fell asleep. I was super tired.” I must have been exhausted to pass out all day and not hear the ringer.

“You with Lucius?”

“No. I left him.”

Declan pauses a beat. A car enters the parking lot and does a slow roll past the Lambo. I twist in my seat, following its trajectory. It’s a black sedan with windows tinted enough I can’t see the driver. Something about it makes me tense, but it doesn’t stop or park, just glides past and exits. Must have been a wrong turn.

Declan’s talking again, so I focus. “Frangelico wanted us to tell ya. We found a woman from your old pack.”

“What?”

“She survived the massacre. Was picked up by another pack, lived out her days there. But she told the story of the attack to the leaders of her new pack. I can send ya the recording.”

“That’d be good. Did you listen to it? What did she say? “

“We did, lass,” he says in a gentle voice.

I swallow, my mouth is so dry. I still feel weak. “Tell me.”

“It was a vampire attack. Just one, but he was strong.”

“He?”

“She describes him.”

My gut cramps so hard I double over. “Yes?” I gasp. Please don’t say it’s Lucius. Please.

“It’s not Lucius,” Declan says as if he can read my mind. I slump back in my seat, my head so light it could float away. It wasn’t him.

My stomach clenches but the pains are weaker. My emotions are wreaking havoc on my body. Either that, or I ate something bad…over twenty four hours ago. I shouldn’t be reacting so strongly.

My first instinct shouldn’t be to clear Lucius’ name, but there’s no changing how I feel.

“At least, I don’t think it was,” Declan continues. “She described a big, powerful vampire, but this one had only one eye.”

The dizziness is back. “What?” I snap, my hand gripping the phone so hard the plastic cracks. “One eye? You’re sure?”

“He wore an eye patch, but in the struggle a wolf ripped it away. There was nothing where his eye should be.”

The image from my dream blows up in my mind’s eye. The dark shape in my childhood bedroom, stalking me after killing my parent’s. The one-eyed vampire. Xavier.

“You’re sure?” I whisper. If this is true, it changes everything.

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