Is it not enough that I have put up with her blatant disobedience and have tolerated her abandonment to our way of living and our life together? As Matriarch of the Hightower Clan, I should take what rightfully belongs to me. No one would deny me that right, but I want more than just her body standing next to me. I want her heart and love to follow willingly.

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Lustful Torment

Copyright © 2010 Annie Alvarez

ISBN: 978-1-55487-501-6

Cover art by Angela Waters

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

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Lustful Torment

Hightower Book Four

By

Annie Alvarez

Dedication

To the woman who keeps me in a constant state of checkmate. I love you.

Chapter One

“She pleasures my wife again and yet, I let her live,” I whispered to my new confidant as I scratched behind her ears. Lately, it had been Izzy’s kitten, Zoe, that earned my trust. Even my best friend, Layla, had given me reason to doubt our friendship. Zoe, on the other hand, would visit with me every night. She curled up in my lap as I perched in the tree and watched Izzy’s curtain-drawn house from across the street.

I had been careful to stay in the shadows, especially since I had yet to smell one of my own. Witches surrounded me and I knew they would overreact and place protective spells around the town if they found out I walked among them. Sometimes being a vampire was a bitch.

“How long are you going to sit there and watch her?” Layla shifted her weight on the branch closest to me.

I shrugged.

“You can’t continue doing this, Tamara. It’s insane.”

I ignored her.

“You are the new Hightower Matriarch, such behavior is beneath you.”

Zoe picked her head up and hissed at Layla.

I am Tamara Hightower and I was, until recently, the Enforcer for our clan. Not only did I take my role seriously, but it suited my cold, hard, uncaring nature. I delighted in bringing swift justice to my own kind when they disobeyed our clan laws. After a series of unfortunate events, I was forced to take my mother’s matriarchal position. It was a position that required more than the brute strength and callousness I had so proudly mastered. A position that I felt I had not earned and had no right to claim.

My best friend, Layla, the Vampire Goddess, did not need to remind me of the dreaded events that took place in the last several months and of the sacrifices I had to continue to make.

It started when the Bruja Shamana and her vixen daughter, Celeste, attacked Izzy, my half-witch girlfriend and me. Celeste took a liking to me and her overactive hormones immediately clashed with Izzy’s jealous human nature. Over time, this little spat between them steadily grew into a full-blown war, dragging my family into the midst of casualties.

My sister, Kaley, went mad after her girlfriend, Jules, injected her with a concoction Celeste had brewed. In her psychosis, she attacked Izzy, almost killing her. I fought Kaley off, but it was too late. Izzy was already dying in my arms. I had no choice but to sacrifice her humanity or lose her forever. Then Kaley played Houdini, disappearing shortly after our fight. Eventually, Izzy and I ended up getting married—vampire style—with all the other major clan members as witnesses. Unbeknownst to either of us, when we shared our blood in a ritual that would bind us forever, Celeste had once again spelled Izzy, and her blood poisoned me, bringing me back to life. Unfortunately, my dead organs could not keep up with the new demands of my body and in turn, it had slowly been killing me. While I lay dying, Izzy traveled to Texas, met the keeper, Abby, and formed a unique relationship. They found Kaley and returned her home where mother permanently laid her to rest.

Celeste used my weakened physical and mental state against me and gained my trust. I bought a yacht and took everyone to our private Island, where Celeste kidnapped me, taking me to New Orleans and held me prisoner so she could siphon my blood for her sadistic rituals. Again, Izzy came to my rescue with the help of Abby, the Goddess Aisha, the Mother Goddess and of course my good friend, the Vampire Goddess Layla. When we arrived back at the estate, my mother, the true Matriarch of our clan, willingly gave her life force to save me. Now, she will lie in stasis for the next fifty or sixty human years, recovering her exhausted energy, but will not have the strength to rule our clan for a few hundred years. Shortly after my fight with Layla, Izzy packed her things and Abby drove her down our driveway and out of my life. My mother would recuperate, but I had permanently lost my sister, Kaley, and most devastatingly of all, I’d lost Izzy.

It had been six long weeks since Izzy turned her back on our relationship and started a new life with Abby. I tracked the happy couple down to a dankly suburb in Connecticut and for three weeks, I, Matriarch of the Hightower Clan, perched on a tree branch across the street from their new home, watching and waiting for Izzy’s blood-thirsty monster to rear its head.

The good news was Abby seemed to keep Izzy’s thirst at bay by providing her own blood as sustenance. The bad news was that as a newborn vampire, Izzy needed to drink long and deep, far more than Abby’s body could provide. It’s inevitable that one day, her hunger would get the better of her and only the mental connection and the physical strength of a master would be able to control her. So, I sat and watched, hoping to divert disaster before it happened. Don’t misunderstand. As Izzy’s maker, I wouldn’t lose a day’s sleep if her lack of control took its toll on Abby, but it was my responsibility to keep her safe, even if it meant sparing Abby’s life.

It was close to the Winter Solstice and Connecticut was cold, but that didn’t bother me. The sleepy little town teamed with suppressed energy that built stronger as each night passed. It was enough that it made me edgy and that wasn’t an easy thing to do. Luckily, Faelyn bumped up against New York and Massachusetts so it was only a quick run into the city to visit one of Kaley’s Donor Centers, or find an unsuspecting donor to calm my jittery nerves. Either would do for me. I’m not picky about feeding, but I do draw the line on Demons. It takes weeks to get the retched taste out of my mouth.

I heard the branch Layla was standing on creak. I smiled and turned to her. “You are a goddess, and yet, you stand on a limb that cannot hold your weight.”

“This is not about me.” She stepped onto a thicker branch. “This is about you maintaining order in your clan. You’ve sat here night after night, indulging in self-pity, watching what you once had instead of reassuring your clan that your strong hand will continue to protect them. ”

“They are vampires,” I said, stretching my leg off the branch and casually swinging it. “They should take care of themselves.”

Layla firmly grabbed the limb above her and swung her body close to me. “Need I remind you that you are only as powerful as your clan? If you continue to lose members, you will have failed your mother as well.” She paused. “Look.” She pointed across the street. “In the three weeks you have been perched here, she hasn’t noticed you because she’s moved on with her life, as should you.”

Layla was right. Yesterday, their neighborhood was a typical foliage-covered, standard-looking suburb, and tonight…it glimmered with shiny, white Christmas lights and solstice wreaths cleverly hung from trees. Their house was no exception. They were preparing for the Winter Solstice. Layla had an incredible knack for making a point and this one stung. I already felt as though I failed Izzy and now for a little extra spice, she added mother to my already simmering pot of failure. Maybe she had been right. What I needed was a good fight to get my head and my new priorities screwed on straight.

 “Very well. Where shall I make my appearance tonight?”

A smile curled on her lips. Layla wasn’t good at hiding her small victories, either. “A small clan has challenged the Hightower hold in New York. A rash of riots the police are calling gang related are plaguing the city.” She emphasized the term gang related. “You have already lost several loyal members. I suggest that you squelch this territory war quickly. It will not only save the rest of your clan there, but also increase its size.”

“I see,” I mumbled unenthusiastically, knowing that this was only a small part of Layla’s bigger plans. “How many have I lost and how many will you gain by this?”

Layla was and will always be about what benefits her, and while it’s true that all vampires were a part of her, as heads of clan, we influenced whom our clan worshiped. As Layla’s numbers dwindled, so did her powers. She was constantly looking to increase her flock. Personally, I didn’t care who my people devoted themselves to as long as they didn’t push their beliefs on others and recognized me as their primary source of life and death. If they didn’t, I quickly offered a permanent remedy for their confusion. There was no point in having vampires who believed in some half-baked god or goddess’s stupid ideas. Layla seemed calmer and far more intelligent than some of the other deities, so I ignored her sales pitch when she approached my newest clan members.

A sinister grin broke across her face as she laughed. “You do know me well don’t you, my friend.”

“I know you well enough. How many?”

Her laugh came to an abrupt end. “Forty-two were lost in the last three weeks, and we’ll gain two hundred.”

I raised a questioning brow.

She made a tisk, tisk sound then exhaled, correcting herself. “You’ll gain two hundred…there, does that make you feel better?”

The situation was indeed serious. Forty-two vampires were a lot to lose in three weeks. If I intend on keeping my family together, I’d better make an example of this renegade clan so, that other clans would think differently about challenging my territories.

“Who challenged me?” I rolled my eyes because I had yet to encounter an opponent whose battle skills rivaled mine. Mediocrity just takes the fun out of fighting.

“His name is Alexander. He is a youngling, barely under three hundred, but he is hungry for power and cares not how it gets it. He forcibly takes pleasure from the human females while he makes their mates watch, then changes them against their will.”

I couldn’t believe what I had heard. The mere thought that I had let him wander my streets all this time put me in a worse mood. The transformation is difficult enough, it’s too easy to lose one's compassion and turn into a monster, but when it’s done in a violent manner, it’s guaranteed you’d create a cold-blooded killer. Hell, it wasn’t easy for me to turn Izzy. I struggled with the probability that the change would affect her in ways I hadn’t even thought possible. Everyone reacts differently to it. Some fair okay while others lose their minds, you never can tell. Even after hundreds of years, I still struggled about bringing someone over. What Alexander was doing was barbaric.

“Come with me,” Layla suggested as she extended her hand.

She would transport me there goddess style, riding through the rips of current between this human world and her goddess world, which usually consisted of me leaving my stomach behind.

Zoe who had fallen asleep in my lap after hissing at Layla, jumped up and scrambled out of the tree, hissing again.

“Is it really necessary?”

“Yes, many more will die tonight if you don’t intervene,” she said.

I hesitated putting my hand in hers, but she didn’t give me the chance to protest as she grabbed it and said, “Close your eyes.”

I smelled the ionic tinge that only traveling between worlds held. I felt dizzy, lightheaded and nauseous all at once. My skin crawled with a tingle of electrical charge as I tightened my grip on her hand and heard her laugh. The last time I had let her transport me, I made the stupid mistake of watching. One minute, I was at home and within seconds, we were standing on top of a mountain with a goat herder yelling at us for scaring his animals. It took several hours for my mind to recover from the disorientation. It was a lot easier if I didn’t watch a new place materialize.

“You can open your eyes, now.” Layla chuckled, and released my hand. “I have put you two blocks away from Alexander. Now, it is up to you.”

The smells were the first to hit me—rotting garbage, exhaust, anger, pheromones, vampmones and fear. Then I heard the overwhelming sounds of cars honking and people yelling. I slowly opened my eyes, giving my mind time to catch up with my new surroundings. We were on a rooftop. The skyline of tall buildings illuminated the night where stars should have been. Damp laundry strung across poles, hung still in the heavy air and graffiti covered every inch of the rooftop access.

“Go that way to find him.” Layla pointed north. “I will return you to your comfy perch when you are done here.” She stepped off the rooftop and disappeared into the night.

For a moment, I stood there and took in the human pollution that had overrun this city. New York used to be my favorite place to visit back before the invention of cars, when horse and carriage were still a reliable way of transportation. When locking your doors at night was unnecessary and people took pride in keeping their city streets clean. A time when your neighbors delivered homemade meals to your house, welcoming you to the neighborhood and everyone was your friend. New York had been a peaceful place until the religious rejects or as history books called them, the colonist, outnumbered the good folk that lived here, but those days are long past. New York had changed, and I didn’t miss it or what it offered.

A woman’s terror-filled scream brought me back to the dismal reality of where I stood. Her unspoken words sang to me in a sweet melody of panic that enticed my hunger. The same kind of panic I’ve instilled on the despicable scumbags I’ve fed from when the need to hunt for my food overwhelmed me. I knew that I could visit any one of Kaley’s Donor centers, and feed off the willing, but I still enjoyed a good chase. I may be a bit more refined, but I was still a predator after all. The panicked, ear-piercing scream that announced her worst fears had materialized, echoed through me, sending shivers down my spine, exciting me.

I started running and then took flight from one rooftop to another as I followed the agonizing cries that called to me in a sweet seduction. Reprieve came as I soared through the air letting the wind hit my face before I landed on another rooftop and took flight again. It’s not that I actually defied gravity when I flew. I still needed to land and get adequate footing underneath me to take me into to the air again, but I could also jump far enough to give the illusion of flying.

The woman’s loud shrieks turned to a muffled cry barely audible to a human’s ear, but I heard her plead and beg for her god to save her from the demons that surrounded her. I would have bet that it wasn’t demons, but rather my own kind that had found her.

I landed on the rooftop next to the alley and scoping it out I saw two vampires huddled over a woman’s body lying on the dirty pavement. The fresh smell of blood hovered in the air and sat on the back of my throat enticing my thirst. I couldn’t help licking my lips in anticipation.

She moaned and struggled to get on her feet as the taller of the men kicked her in the side, heaving her onto several large garbage bags. Then both men laughed while unzipping their pants. I stepped off the ledge, letting gravity take me down the fifteen stories of the Building, and landed in a crouching position ten feet from the vampires. Hitting the ground from that height always rattles my insides. It took me a few seconds to let things settle back in place…a few seconds I knew that the defenseless woman didn’t have.

“Oh, boys,” I called, still crouched with my chin tucked into my chest.

“Well, well.” I heard one of the men’s enthusiasm spike. “Now we each get a girl.”

I stayed as still as death as I heard a slow, limping gait approach me.

“Please…” the woman begged.

I heard a slap, then silence. Hiding the exhilaration that my predator would play tonight, I smiled.

He was close. I smelled his musk, but I wanted him closer.

Wait…just a little longer I told myself as his bloody construction boots came into view. Eagerness swarmed under my skin, but I held my stance. I didn’t even flinch when he grabbed my leather jacket and raised me to my feet, slowly bringing his dirty, ripped jeans and flannel shirt into sight.

I disregarded the blood stained clothing—we all make mistakes—but the closer I got to his face, the harder it was to ignore his breath. Most new vampires didn’t realize that brushing after feeding is a good thing to place on the top of their priority list. Alexander obviously hadn’t been teaching his fledglings the importance of good hygiene.

As his eyes met my fully extended fangs and aqua blue eyes, his face went blank. He quickly released me and dropped to his knees. I didn’t always have blue eyes. My true color is an emerald green, but they’ve changed since I became a Matriarch.

“Come on, Pete,” the other man cried out as he continued to fumble with the woman’s clothing. “Get her over here, man. I thought we were doing this together.”

Looking down at Pete, I placed a finger over my lips, silencing him. I grabbed his shirt and dragged him behind me as I headed to meet his overly enthusiastic friend.

“Put that thing back in your pants,” I demanded as I clutched onto the back of his neck.

“What the…”

“You heard me.” I tightened my grip. I would have had a harder time killing one of my own without first punishing them, but he didn’t smell of my blood. “You are not of the Hightower clan or you would not be so stupid as to break our laws.”

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

“They belong to me,” a man’s voice called from behind.

Pete and his partner, wiggled in my grasp. I released my hold and watched as they scurried behind a tall, thin man wearing a silk, double-breasted, red paisley waistcoat, a black pair of gloves and a black frock coat that hung right above his knees. His tight, flat front, black striped trousers sat high on his waist and bulged at his groin. He was a step back into the Victorian age, complete with a black velvet top hat and a fancy bone handle cane. This was going to interesting.

“You must be Alexander.” I hissed through taut lips.

“I am,” he said as he casually strolled toward me. “You must be, wait—” He stopped, raised a finger and smiled. “Another messenger from the Hightowers. Such a pity.” He shook his head. “That they have sent someone as beautiful as you to do their dirty work. Tell me, how many must we kill before your Mistress accepts that we have laid claim to New York?”

Alexander freely admitted to violating one of our most sacred codes—you cannot harm a member of a clan when they are acting as a messenger between two rivaling houses in an attempt to diffuse an impending war. Our last notable war lasted ten years, ending in 1802 with the Treaty of Antoinette. The surviving vampiric houses grouped together to form a ruling body of thirteen members, known as the Senate, to enforce our new code of ethics. Hard to believe that the French Revolutionary War, which claimed thousands of human and vampire lives, started as a vampiric misunderstanding. Layla was right. This had gone on far too long. When my mother passed me the role of the Hightower Matriarch, she also passed upon me the title of an automatic Senate member, and now it was my responsibility to enforce the Senate’s laws.

Growing angrier by the moment, I stared at Alexander. He stretched his arms out to his sides, portraying himself bigger than he truly was.

“Will you worship me and beg for mercy?” He cupped his hands over the cane’s handle, using it to support his weight and leaned forward. “Or whimper as the others did?”

He had lost his mind and I had lost my patience. “I am not a messenger,” I shot back, lunging toward him, connecting a well-placed jab against his jaw, knocking him to the ground. I stood over him growling. “I am the message.”

He leapt to his feet, taking a martial art stance, and motioned his lackeys to surround me. I shook my head at his stupidity. He would not be the first or the last, to underestimate the strength of my linage.

“No one touches God without his permission,” he spewed, spitting out blood at the same time.

I raised a questioning brow. He was suffering from what we have come to know as mad-mind disease of which, there is no cure. If we did not exercise our mind and continually learn new things, after time, we developed ideas of grandeur and lost touch with reality as it truly is. We were not smart because we were born that way. We were smart because it kept us sane.

His underlings slowly began to close the circle around me, then one of them got antsy and rushed me from behind. The moment before contact, I turned and helped push him past me—untouched. Another one also rushed me from behind, only this time he came low, and I jumped to avoid their grasp. Again untouched.

“You send children to do your dirty work. Are we going to play or fight?” I egged Alexander, but incited his cronies instead.

The woman closest to me, hissed and stepped into a roundhouse kick, throwing her full weight behind her as she swung her leg. I went low, kicking and contacting with her other leg. Her knee caved in and she fell to the ground screaming.

I felt a punch to the ribs. Damn that hurt. I turned, he swung, I blocked. Another jab from behind. Shit! I had lost my balance—no, I didn’t. My feet had been pulled out from under me. I fell into a huddle of punches and kicks. Enough with being Miss Nice. I mustered my strength and stood, throwing Alexander’s followers off me. I wasn’t the callous monster that preceded my Executioner reputation. In fact, for the last hundred years, I’d only extinguished vampires that merited death, and I was quick about it, not slow and devious. I reached behind my back and pulled two silver daggers from their sheath. Only the older vampires knew that wood replaced silver because of its availability and price. Everyone had a nearby tree with a branch strong enough to whittle into a stake. At one point, being staked by wood was an insult. It meant the noble class had stopped hunting us.

I knew of men like Alexander. He would continue to hide behind any standing henchmen and his cowardice grated my nerves. Their seven to my one was barely a fair fight. They should have prayed for the kindness of the gods.

A younger vampire careened toward me. He couldn’t have been more than eighteen human years old. I reached out, grabbing his arm and spun him tightly against my front, driving my dagger deep into his heart. The poor kid never saw it coming. Six to go.

I circled, motioning at each one to come for me. An older woman rushed me and learning from the kid’s mistake, she kept her hands close as she leapt in the air, bringing her fist down toward my head. I scooted under the arched frame, thrusting my arm up and plunged my dagger into her heart while she was still air borne. This was too easy. I couldn’t help but wonder if they had learned to fight watching old Bruce Lee movies. Five to go, then, Alexander.

As the five remaining jumped me, I felt a slight twinge of excitement. Perhaps I would get a decent workout after all. I centered my point of gravity and spun into a roundhouse kick while slamming my dagger into a woman’s chest. My boot hit its target, but only enough to send him stumbling back a few steps. The woman fell backward taking my knife with her as she exploded into ashes. Four left.

I heard a slicing sound with a drag behind it. It took me only a moment to identify the sound from days past. Shit! An arrow had been unleashed. Not knowing which direction it headed in, my reflexes threw me into the center of the chaos, using the vampires around me as a shield. I’m not fond of arrows—lost too many friends to the retched, medieval contraptions. I kept low and scanned the air for the flying death trap. The man hovering above me suddenly went still and then burst into ashes. Damn that was too close!

The three remaining vampires scrambled to rush out of the alley, but the arrows sliced through the air quicker than they could find an escape.

Getting out of the open view, I approached Alexander, who had hidden behind one of the large dumpsters. He squatted against the brick wall and the steel can. He had lost his velvet top hat revealing a large bald spot, but acquired an arrow in his right leg and his trousers weren’t the only thing soaked in blood. His bloody tears had etched a trail down his face. He raised his head and locked his gaze on me. “Please, get me out of here alive, and I’ll give you whatever you want.”

I snickered, taking pleasure in seeing him paralyzed with fear. In the end, fear would do that—it would kill you, if I didn’t get to you first. “You dare call yourself a god?” I grabbed him by the collar and swung him into the open alley watching him scramble for cover. Stepping out behind him, I proclaimed, “What I want is your heart.”

He struggled with his right leg to get on his feet, but once he had gotten his balance, he quickly hobbled away as he continuously looked over his shoulder. Effortlessly, I caught up with him, tripping him on his staggered steps. I grabbed his neck, raising him up, beyond his tiptoes.

“You can’t kill me,” he yelled. “Without me, my clan will attack this city!”

The thought of swiftly killing him crossed my mind, but Layla wanted me to unify our clan and the only way to do that was to drink the blood directly from his heart. It was barbaric, and messy, but a necessary thing to do to merge our rivaling kin.

“Your clan will belong to me, Tamara, Matriarch of the Hightowers.”

Alexander must have known what the ritual entailed because his eyes went wide and his mouth opened as he started struggling to get out of my grasp. Without a moment’s hesitation, I drove my right hand into his chest, wrapping my fingers around his heart and yanked it free. As I pulled his heart out, he burst into ashes. I stared at his black heart, and then brought it up to my mouth. Vampire or not, I believed the act was barbaric, but I bit into it. His blood ran down my throat, establishing the connection with my new members. Before this was over, they would know me as well as I knew them.

Memories flooded my mind as the bond between master and servant took. Layla had lied about the number of Alexander’s followers. Two hundred were adults in their late twenties and two hundred and thirty were in their late teens. My clan size just increased to over thirty-two hundred, which by senate law meant I had to divide my territories into more manageable sectors and put a ruling body in each. That didn’t bother me, the part I dreaded the most was dealing with the teenagers. They were obstinate in human form, and worse as vampires.

I didn’t know how to deal with teenage sniveling, whining and complaining except to put distance between us, but as their master, it was my responsibility to teach them about their newfound hunger and powers. They would need to be taught everything, of which I didn’t have the desire or the patience. As I contemplated shirking off my obligations and sending the lot of them to boarding school, I had the idea of starting my own live in school. They would still be under my watchful eye and therefore, the Senate couldn’t accuse me of neglecting my wards. I’d get Stacia working on it as soon as possible.

The sound of another arrow cutting through the air caught my attention. I glanced up in time to catch the shaft right before it lodged itself into my chest and then felt a sharp burning pain run through my left thigh. Damn! I hadn’t seen the second arrow and from the way my leg burned, I knew it had been a silver tip that had sliced me open. Thankfully, it only grazed my thigh as it whizzed by. As it stood, I would end up with a slight case of silver poisoning. It would hurt, but if I fed soon, the wound would heal in a day or two.

Had the tip embedded into me, I could have ended up with severe poisoning that would put me down for days, if it didn’t kill me. I scanned the rooftops until I caught sight of a figure quickly moving away from a ledge. I jumped clearing the twelve floors, and landed on the roof with such impact that the knee on my injured leg, buckled. I faced a woman about five foot seven, wearing a tight pair of black leather pants with a matching black leather top, black combat boots and a custom built, double action crossbow pointed straight at my heart. Her long red hair draped over her shoulders, cascading onto her full size breasts.

She smiled. “Well, it’s about time I got your attention,” she said, not lowering her weapon.

“My fight was not with you until now.” With my left leg aching, I leaned on my good leg feeling my pants stick to my skin. I knew my wound was bleeding and the longer I went without feeding, the more it hurt. The burning I felt could have easily compared with dropping molten lava on my thigh.

“I needed to get your attention,” she repeated and then added. “The sun is coming up soon, you need to get inside. Follow me.”

Without hesitation, she took off running, scaling the rooftops, and I took off after her. I had no idea where she was leading me, but decided to follow her any way. Wherever it was, it gave me the chance to find out more about my mysterious archer. She ran, hopped and leapt for five city blocks, then climbed down the side of an old church. She stood patiently waiting for me at the door as I painfully trailed behind. I jumped off the rooftop to meet her at the church doors. As I landed on my feet, my leg buckled from the pain that jolted through me. It took everything I had to keep upright and from falling to the ground. I stood frozen in pain, something I had not experienced in over fifty human years.

“Come on,” her voice commanded from inside the church. “The sun won’t wait for you. It’s unsanctified. You can come in.”

I tested her theory by slowly putting one foot across the threshold and true to her word, I gained access. The last time I was in a place of worship was two centuries ago when I followed one of Mila’s killers inside a catholic church. I had persuaded the priest to invite me in. When I finally left the next evening, I had strung up one of the murderer’s body next to the crucified statue they adorned, unsanctifying their holy grounds.

The only difference was that this church already carried the smell of old, stale blood, mold and pain when I first walked into it. Something as horrific as my last churchly encounter must have happened here in order to leave such a strong imprint behind. Lingering sentiments usually vanished within a couple of months, but from the cobwebs, the pigeons and rats that made their homes in the ornate statues and pews, I’d had guessed the building had been abandoned for a few years, at least.

The smell of death and pain snapped at my senses as I followed her down the center of the large pews and down an abandoned staircase. At the end of the hallway, there hung a large wooden door. With it being so close to dawn, my strength was diminishing, and I couldn’t afford to take any chances. I leaned against the doorframe with my knife in hand, and I poked my head in.

“You’ll be safe in here for now.” The mysterious woman struck a match, lighting candles in the smaller, meagerly decorated room. It was a far cry from the massive hall with all the stained glass windows, but it provided safety from the sunlight, a cot, a table, a couple of chairs and some dusty boxes. The large wooden door was the only way in and out, and from my viewpoint, that was extra security.

“The cot isn’t very comfortable–ouch.” She flicked the match out of her fingers and then stuck her finger in her mouth. “It’s yours if you want it,” she offered while sucking on her fingertip.

“Why bring me here?” I limped toward the cot, feeling the pull of the sun. This wasn’t the smartest thing I’d done, but I didn’t have time to find another place to spend the daylight hours. I could always kill her, I reasoned, thereby insuring that I would be safe, but something scratched at my instincts to trust her.

“I’m Joan, a mutual friend told me you needed help, tonight.” Lighting the last candle, she placed it on the table and sat in one of the rickety chairs, while she watched me fight against the sun’s pull.

“Oh, sorry. I confused you shooting me with a silver arrow as trying to kill me,” I mocked with unrestrained sarcasm. As the sun pushed darkness into me, I dropped onto the cot, closed my eyes and hoped for the best.

Sleep well. Layla watches over you, were the last words I heard before nothingness filled me.

Chapter Two

I woke with the taste of blood in my mouth, sat straight up in the cot, and checked out my surroundings. Joan sat at the table watching me. I was grateful she hadn’t staked me during the day and left me for really dead. I then settled back down.

“For someone who dies during the day, you sure do talk a lot in your sleep.”

“That’s news to me,” I replied, settling back on the cot and rubbing my injured leg. I felt skin, my skin. I was naked except for the hot pink Scooby-Do boxers that blindly clashed against my pale skin and the tight gauze wrapped around my thigh. “Why was I undressed?” I sneered, agitation filling me.

Joan snickered. “The boxers were Layla’s doing.” She leaned in the chair, resting it on its two back legs. “I patched you up and fed you some of my blood. Your wound is healing nicely, thanks to me.”

“I would not have a wound to worry about, if not for you.” I rubbed my sore thigh. Her blood helped, but it wasn’t enough to repair the damage from the silver. That would take several days or a good healthy feeding to fix quickly.

Joan sighed, dropped the chair on all four legs and stood. “I need your help,” she said, pacing in front of me. “Someone or something has been killing people in my city.”

“Good god, woman. First you shoot me, and now you want my help?” I sat up in the cot, showing my bare chest. Joan’s mouth dropped open. “Why should I help you?”

With her gaze focused on my breasts, she replied, “Because I’m asking nicely.”

“Well, that settles it. Let me get dressed and I’ll go kill your boogeyman,” I chided her as I lay back down.

Joan kicked the foot of the makeshift bed. “This may have something to do with your girl, Celeste. Aren’t you even curious?”

I closed my eyes and concentrated on letting my body regain its strength. Unlike what you read in novels, we were not at a hundred percent when we first rose. I finally answered her query. “Unless you know where to find her, so I can kill her, then no, I’m not interested.”

She kicked the cot again. “Can I change your mind?”

Her tenacity was reminding me of Izzy, again. There isn’t an hour that goes by that I didn’t think of my wife. I sat up. We were not only weakened when we rose, but we were extremely short on patience. “No,” I slid out of the hot pink boxers. “I need to feed.” I grabbed my torn pants, but before I could step into them, Joan ran her hand over my thigh. Placing her hands on my shoulders, she pushed me back down on the cot.

“You’ve bled a little. I should put clean bandages on you before you get dressed. It’ll only take a minute.” She leaned over and pulled the first aid kit from the table, then knelt in front of me, caressing her hand along my leg as she slowly peeled back the layers of bloody gauze. I thought nothing of it until her hand inched up my thigh.

I took her hand in mine. “This is not something you want to start,” I warned.

She smiled as she pulled her hand out of mine and pressed soft kisses along my thigh until she was within reach of my curly hair. She raised her face and fluttered her long, red lashes, and a sheepish smile extended from her lips. “I thought about this all day while I watched you sleep. I’m obsessed with tasting you.” Her lips continued to lay gentle kisses on my skin, while her tongue glided a teasing path to my sexual essence.

Although, I couldn’t shake the connection between Izzy and me, for the last six weeks, I have felt the emptiness of her touch grow inside. I had abandoned sex, even when feeding. Perhaps, Layla was right. I had allowed myself to wallow in self-pity far too long. I leaned back letting the wall hold me in a semi upright position while spreading my legs further apart as Joan’s tongue parted my lips and her warm breath stimulated life back into my neglected core. Each flick of her tongue fueled a new level of primal desire. A desire—not demanding release—but demanding the possession of what belonged to me. In my world, Izzy was rightfully mine to do with as I pleased. As if knowing my attention wasn’t fully hers, Joan slid two fingers deep inside my emptiness, filling me with a fervor that encouraged my mind to forsake the thoughts of Izzy and submit to the carnal pleasures she offered. Her tongue stimulated my aroused state as I gripped her hair and moved her face to a place of my choosing. If she was going to do this, then she may as well do it right. My body warmed, feeling as if I had just fed and the air around us crackled with power, but I thought nothing of it. Whatever Joan was, it paled in comparison to my own abilities. I would let her play with her magic, until I thought better of it.

She pulled her head back and stared at me with wide eyes. “May I touch myself?”

With her head still in my grasp, I pressed my groin to her face and slid my pussy against her mouth. “Yes,” I answered, and she slid her hand into her pants, moaning.

Joan had played on my need for dominance, and she had done it well. That’s right, I thought. I am the Master.

AndI command your pleasures, Izzy’s voice screamed in my head.

Hello, my love, I answered, knowing she would hear me.

Why are you doing this? her words bit with sharpness.

Is it not enough to know that I have listened to your cries of passion, knowing someone else satisfied you? Have I hurt you so badly that you would also deny me my pleasures as well? I had heard every moan, every groan, and every thought that crossed her mind while Abby fueled her desires. She had done little to shield her thoughts from me and had done even less to sever our mental connection.

Noticing that Joan’s lapping intensity grew as she massaged herself quicker, I barked, “Do not come, yet.”

She slowed her pace and I allowed her to work her tongue around my swollen lips and stiff nub while occasionally teasing my opening. Still clutching a handful of hair, I pulled her up along my body until we were at eye level, and then forcibly yanked her head back. She yelped as I held her by the hair, exposing her neck and throbbing artery.

“Remove your clothes!”

For a moment, our gaze locked on each other. Her eyes were hardened slits and her breathing changed to slow, shallow breaths. My brows pinched and my lips tightened. I was in no mood to repeat myself. Her anger danced between us, swelling the air with more excitement. As she undid her zipper, I released my grip and watched her scoot out of her pants, letting them drop to the floor. She was indeed tan, toned, and a natural redhead.

I smiled. “Now the shirt!”

She pulled the shirt over her head, revealing hard nipples pushing against a white lace bra, and a full, flawless cleavage.

“That, too,” I ordered, pointing at her bra. “I want you naked.”

Will you please stop? I really don’t want to hear this. Izzy’s forced words rang in my head.

If you don’t like what you’re hearing, ignore it, but I will not stop.

You’re a bitch! she yelled.

I smiled because she was wrong. I hadn’t been a bitch, yet, but now that I knew how to get her attention, I would diligently work at fulfilling my new title.

Without the bra, Joan’s breasts held their full, perky form and her nipples grew hard in the chilly air.

“Fuck yourself,” I ordered.

She threw me a sideways glance than slowly caressed her hand down her flat stomach. “I would prefer to taste you again,” she said as she curled a strand of red pubic hair in her fingers.

“I’ll be the one tasting you tonight,” I coldly replied.

Her fingers disappeared inside her, and she began to moan. Her excitement permeated the air, calling on my own desires. I stood, holding her tightly in my arms as I moved her hand onto my groin and slowly rubbed against her. Her fingers slid inside me, filling my loneliness as she teasingly bit my neck. Obeying her commanding presence, wetness escaped me.

Fingers still inside me, she led me forward and in one swift motion, cleared the table, and laid with her legs spread open as she gently rubbed my stiff nub.

“I want to feel you inside me when you drink.”

I leaned closer, our pubic hair now touching and slid two fingers inside her. “We cum together!” It wasn’t a suggestion.

“As…you…wish,” she whispered, in labored breaths.

I rammed my fingers deeper inside her tightness. Her back arched, but she never faltered in stimulating me. Her muscles tightened around my fingers as she threw her head back against the table. “I’m going to cum,” she cried out.

I lowered my fangs and bit deep into her neck. The first drop of blood threw me over the edge. My body stiffened, and my senses dulled as my orgasm successfully claimed my neglected spirit filling it with a burning passion.

She dug her nails deep into my shoulder, squirming underneath me, and wailing.

Feeling better? Can I get back to work, now? Izzy’s voice broke through the moment.

I licked Joan’s wound, watched it close and silently thanked the heaven’s Izzy reached out to me.

I haven’t stopped you.

You know I can hear you. I can’t focus on work when you’re screaming a bloody orgasm in my head! Izzy snapped.

Really? I had no idea, I lied.

You’re only doing this to get on my nerves! she accused.

Joan pressed her lips against mine and caressed my back. “That was wonderful. I’m yours anytime you want to do that again,” she offered.

Oh that’s just great, Izzy sounded exasperated. Now you’re going to fuck her all the time.

“Oh, I think I will,” I answered both women.

Over the years, Kaley had bought property in key locations, and not just in New York, but everywhere our family’s hand ruled. She paid a witch to set up psychic homing beacons for each house so that, if need be, all within our clan could find a safe haven for a night or two. In this case, I wasn’t seeking shelter. I was looking forward to taking a hot shower and getting into some clean clothes.

Refusing to let me out of her sight, Joan drove me to one of the Hightower Station Houses, which was a feat all in itself. All I had was an internal homing beacon that led me there, and with a plethora of pointing, followed by turn here’s, we were on our way.

I sent my thoughts out to Jazlyn, who’s now the oldest and the most trusted servant I had, not to mention a great bedtime companion. She was to meet me at the House with a set of clean clothes and dinner for our guest, Joan. I had the feeling that Joan wasn’t going anywhere, any time soon, but most importantly, it was the polite thing to do after the healthy feeding she provided.

As Joan pointed out, my lack of proper pointing skills compounded the stress of the horrendous stop-and-go traffic. By the time we were in the correct neighborhood, she had been mumbling obscenities under her breath. The area wasn’t the rich section of town I had been used to in previous visits, but it was well maintained. Everyone’s lawn looked perfectly kept, and the houses all seemed to blend together—same lawns, same basic style and almost the same color splashed on the outside of their homes. I only hoped that I would get used to the sound of the ferryboats engines and train’s horns polluting the night air simultaneously. When we finally turned onto the right street, Joan was uttering something about what I could do with a flea-ridden werewolf.

“For the record,” I informed her, “I’m not a directionally challenged vampire, and I would never do that with a dog.”

“I said wolf, not dog,” she snapped.

“Same difference, dog or wolf, it’s still insulting. You’re the one who’s had trouble following my direc—stop!” I shouted while pointing to my right. “That’s it. That’s the house.”

“Which one?” She slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a squealing stop. “They all look alike!” She raised her brows, stared at me impatiently and then added, “See, that’s what I’m talking about. You could have mentioned we were close a couple of houses down!”

Before she shifted the gears into park, Jaz opened my door, and greeted me in the usual exposing-her-neck custom.

“It is good to see you again, Jaz,” I said, getting out of the car. I then turned my attention to Joan, who had started rummaging through the trunk's contents.

“Ah huh!” she mumbled, and turned toward me holding a mini version of her double action crossbow.

Jaz hastily jumped between us, put herself in the direct line of the crossbow and then hissed at Joan. I placed my hand on Jaz’s shoulder and gently moved her aside. “There is no need for that,” I explained. “Joan was merely showing me a prized procession.”

Jaz immediately relaxed, but Joan cocked her head at me.

“You are my guest, and you’ll be safe for as long as you decide to stay.” I approached Joan, placing my hand on the tip of the crossbow. “Jaz will see to that.”

“Of course, my lady,” Jaz replied, and rushed into the House.

Joan raised a questioning brow and laid the weapon back into its case, then slammed the truck shut.

“I hope you’re right,” she said, as she joined me on the sidewalk with a perplexed look on her face. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly and looked up at the house. “Does she always dress like that?”

I was so used to Jaz’s style that the low cut shirts revealing her stomach and flowy tie-dyed skirts didn’t faze me anymore. I had to admit that as Jaz’s fashion changed, it had been difficult for me to accept her new look. Her pitch black, short hair clashed against her pale white complexion, but in our world, it made her look regal. My issue rose when she refused to leave the sixties behind and added a kaleidoscope of colors to her outfits. Now, she just looked odd.

I chuckled. “Yes, she is rather eccentric.” Sensing turmoil coming from inside the three-story house, I shook my head. “Shall we see what my children are up to?” I asked as I held out my hand.

“Be aware, that if any of them gets out of line,” she said, then smirked while placing her hand in mine. “I will kill them.”

I smiled. “Not if I get to them first.”

Joan’s interesting character had certainly commanded my attention. It gave me a temporary retrieve from Izzy, and the drama that had built between us. I wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to sever the mental connection we had soon.

The house was quiet as I opened the door and stepped into the large foyer. We both looked at each other with puzzled looks on our faces. Then Joan simply shrugged. “Remember what I told you.”

Custom dictated that you welcome a Master or Mistress and the oddity was that no one came to meet me.

“Yes, yes. I remember. No one will hurt you here. You have my word,” I pledged as I entered the large, open living room. A 60-inch plasma television hung on the wall to our right. A black, sleek sectional and a chaise lounge sat in front of a massive wood-burning fireplace. The decor had Kaley’s name written all over it. It was minimalist, but classy. It was the first time I had truly missed my sister.

From where I stood, the kitchen seemed picture perfect. Bright, new, stainless steel appliances occupied space with their large, yellow, price stickers still attached. I doubted anything except the refrigerator and the microwave had been used.

 I paid close attention to any sounds and heard nothing, which wasn’t surprising since vampires don’t breathe, but this, was indeed peculiar. I took a deep breath, inhaling the smells, but found nothing out of the ordinary. No blood, no fear, no live humans or dead ones for that matter, just vampires and the dewy morning scent that Joan carried.

Joan shrugged again. I turned to investigate more of the first floor and heard a thump from upstairs. It sounded like someone hit the floor—hard.

I ran upstairs and threw open the bedroom door to find the house occupants holding down a newly turned vampire, compliments of Alexander before he died. As soon as I stepped into the room, I raised a brow at the two naked women and swept everyone’s mind, forcing them to their knees. I knew the poor bastard had no idea why he had knelt in my presence in the first place and why he couldn’t move now. Mental control of my fledglings had been my first lesson as a Master. It wasn’t something that I used frequently anymore, but I was still proficient at it. During my quick brush with their minds, I knew everything I needed to know.

The new fledgling’s name was Rick. A forty-three-year-old maintenance worker, turned four nights ago. He unexpectedly ran into Alexander and his cronies while they fed. His reward was to become a vampire and now, he faced the very real probability of not surviving a fifth night as one of us. The hunger had raged for too long in his body. Brian, a seventy-eight year old vampire with the body of a nineteen-year-old, held Rick’s right arm.

The person holding Rick’s left arm, Daniel, was born, raised and turned in New York at the beginning of the twentieth century and couldn’t bring himself to leave the city he loved so much. Alice, Kimberly, Mandy and Vanessa, formed a tight circle around him, ready to contain his movements in case he got away.

Raised in the country, Alice was turned on her first visit to California over forty years ago. She met Vanessa and now flirted with the idea of a stable relationship.

Vanessa, on the other hand, had a dark past. She was the proverbial troublemaker, hunting whenever, and wherever she chose. She had to conform to the Hightower rules quickly since my mother was the only Matriarch left that granted her access into our territory.

Mandy had her thoughts privately tucked away from everyone’s prying mind, except mine. Tall, tan, shy and homey was the only impression I had gotten from her.

Kimberly was a different story, indeed. Just short of 400 years old, she had not yet earned the trust to train for a Mistress position. Her anger fueled her immediate need to react, flying off the handle frequently. She had made an example of everyone who crossed her. She was physically strong, loyally dedicated and emotionally cold. If she had managed to get her anger under control, she would have made a great Mistress.

Jaz, the oldest, led the group, trying to regain control of the unruly vampire.

 “Forgive us, my lady.” Jaz bowed her head while she rested her weight on one knee. “He showed up a little while ago. We couldn’t throw him to the street in his condition.”

She was right. The hunger had already taken a toll on his body. His features were sunken, skin taut against his bones. His eyes had a wild, untamed look as he fluttered his gaze around the room, then locked on Joan. His jaw tightened and his lips parted as he tried to jump toward her. Joan took a step behind me. “Uh huh,” she mumbled. “I knew it was a bad idea to leave it in the trunk,” she whispered, not that it mattered in a room full of vampires.

One of the benefits of being a vampire is that words are rarely needed. I tapped into Jaz’s mind and showed her my ideas for the new teen-vamps I had acquired. The Hightower’s Private Academy for Wayward Teens would house, teach and protect the youngest members of our family. Then I showed her the council requirements for my territories.

“Call the center and have them send a couple of donors, then call Stacia,” I said as I released Jaz from my hold. “Tell her to make proper arrangements for my territories and for our youngest members. I entrust you to find them and take them to their new home, unharmed.”

Jaz rose to her feet and Rick flinched, trying desperately to break free of his bonds. Joan gasped and took a step toward me, clasping her hands around my waist. I knew the vampire would not move. I was confident in my abilities, but—I didn’t mind Joan pressing against me either.

“Yes, Mistress,” Jaz replied, heading out of the room. She stopped and turning to look at me, bowed her head. “Your bags are in the main room.”

“Thank you, Jaz.” I smiled. “Oh, come to my room before you leave.”

She winked and with a grin, disappeared down the hall.

“Do I even want to know how many women you’ve slept with?” Joan asked, slightly releasing her grip.

“No.”

I reached deep into the new vampire’s mind, trotted through his thoughts and memories until I came to the place where when we transform, was nothing left except, the blood thirsty hunger. Our unconscious mind was a dark, empty canvas thriving on the need for self-survival. It constantly fed our need to drink blood, keeping us moving forward in our infinite existence.

Relax, I slid the thought into his mind. You are not starving. Your hunger betrays you…relax.

Rick immediately settled down, finding comfort in my words, and I released the hold I had on the other vampires. I had lied. Death was a very real possibility for him, if he didn’t feed soon.

“Stay with him and see to it that no harm comes to the donors.” I spoke to Brian and Daniel. Both men nodded in agreement as they helped Rick to the bed.

“My Lady.” Alice stood and stepped forward, keeping her head bowed. “Vanessa and I were preoccupied. May we be excused?” I glanced at a naked Vanessa, who shifting on her knee, bowed her head.

“Is it serious,” I asked, looking back at Alice. “Or are you simply passing the time?”

Alice raised her head and held my gaze. She knew that I must sanction a relationship before anyone recognized them as a couple.

“I…I,” she stuttered.

Vanessa quickly came to her feet, shoulders back, head up and locked on my gaze. “My Lady,” she interrupted, “since you raised the issue…I would like to ask for your blessing.” Her fangs protruded as she spoke. “We have been together nearly two years now,” she snarled. “There is no reason why we shouldn’t be recognized as a couple. We have not broken any of your laws, on the contrary—”

I raised a hand, stopping her in mid-word.

“Hear this and hear it well.” My jaw tightened as I spoke. “Your outburst has done nothing to earn my blessing. I will speak to Alice privately and then I will make my decision. In the meantime, I suggest you reconsider the tone you use with me.” I turned to Alice and noticed, Jaz leaning against the doorframe. “Meet me in my room, now,” I said, waving my hand.

As I stepped out of the room, I heard Kimberly whisper, “She’ll fuck her first, then decide.”

“There is no point in whispering around me, Kimberly,” I warned as I was halfway down the hall.

Joan had followed my every step. I stopped in front of the closed bedroom door, and she stepped in front of me, blocking my entry. “Are you really going to sleep with her?”

I slowly leaned forward and placed my lips upon hers. My tongue gently brushed her lips as it commanded entry into her mouth. As she surrendered to my desires, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed herself into me. As one, we escaped from the reality of the evening. Our worlds blended into a quiet, peaceful moment until she bit my lower lip, pulling away from me.

“You didn’t answer me.” We were cheek to cheek as she nibbled my earlobe.

“Sleep with her—no,” I whispered. “Fuck her—maybe.”

Joan exhaled and rested her head on my shoulder. “Will I be safe while you are indisposed?”

I took a step back, holding her hands in mine and yelled out, “Kimberly!”

A moment later the blonde vampire appeared. “Yes, My Lady.”

“You will see to it that no physical or mental harm comes to Joan. If so much as one hair is out of place, you will forfeit your life.” I looked at Joan, then at Kimberly. “I will take my time with your death. There will be no mercy killing in your future.”

“I am not happy about it, but—” Kimberly huffed— “…I understand.”

I turned to Joan, and leaning into her ear, I whispered, “Behave yourself in my house. Do not provoke her just to get her killed.”

I closed the door behind me and heard the shower running. Jaz came out of the bathroom naked with a hop in her step.

“I thought I heard you come in,” she announced, while unbuckling my pants. “I’ve got a nice, hot shower going for us.”

Jaz had truly been God-sent. She cared for me in a way no other could, including Izzy. Jaz had the unique ability to know what people needed before they even knew. The woman could make a zombie feel better about being a half-decaying corpse.

She led me to the bed, threw herself on me, knocking us both on to the mattress. She then scooted down and took hold of my boot, slipping it off.

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted a threesome, but I’ve got Alice in the shower, just in case.”

She tugged on my other boot, then let it drop to the floor and pulled my pants down.

“How will Vanessa take it if their Mistress fucked her girlfriend?” I asked, unbuttoning my shirt.

She hopped on me and started giggling. “Does it matter?” She pulled my shirt off and kissed my chest.

“No, I suppose it doesn’t.”

Jaz clung on my back as I entered the large, extravagant, steam-filled bathroom. Kaley hadn’t spared a penny when she designed this space. A dark slate tile floor complimented the equally dark slate double sink countertop. Towel warmers hung neatly on the wall adjacent to the doorless walk-in shower, tiled in river stone and a claw foot tub sat opposite of a tiled sitting area, complete with sauna.

As I stepped into the shower, I turned, letting the water beat on Jaz and placed my hands on either side of Alice’s head, then leaned close, our lips barely touching.

“How important is your commitment to Vanessa?” I made sure that my lips brushed against hers.

Shying away, she leaned against the wall, tucking her chin into her chest. “Very important.”

I nuzzled my face into the crook of her neck, smelling her skin and letting the hot water droplets warm my cold body. “Important enough to satisfy my needs?” My hand followed the outline of her thigh. I had deliberately put her in a compromising position. Even if her relationship was that important, she couldn’t very well deny me without the fear of major repercussions. The flip side was that I was feeling generous and would have sanctioned her relationship if she had the nerve to stand up to me. Regardless of the rumors, I do admire courage.

Alice raised her head and lovingly gripped my face between her hands. “If that’s what it takes to get your approval.” She stared into my eyes and tickled my lips with her tongue, then placed her hands on my chest, and gently pushed me backward. “Then you can keep it. I will not be one of your toys.”

A seductive move indeed, she earned some respect for that. Alice seemed like a nice girl compared to Vanessa’s extreme possessive traits. I wanted to scream at her to run the hell away from the pain and sorrow that love offered, but I couldn’t. It was her decision to make. I couldn’t keep Alice from getting hurt. Perhaps, I underestimated her and thought of her as an amateur compared to Vanessa or maybe, I could shed a brighter light on Vanessa’s controlling side.

My lips tightened into a smile. I slowly pushed myself further back until the water soaked into my hair, cascading down my face and chest.

 “Very well, but you’ll stay until, Jaz and I are done. If, Vanessa believes that you have remained faithful to her, then she deserves your love, and you’ll have my blessing.”

Jaz soaped up my hair, massaged my scalp and then pulled me into the water flow and into her arms. As the shampoo ran out of my hair, our lips met and her embrace tightened around my waist. Her hand followed the path of the soapy water until it reached my butt cheek, giving it a little squeeze. Slippery and wet, she rubbed her breasts against my chest. Her nipples grew harder with every pass. I reached between her legs, my hand palm up and fondled her crotch. She dropped her head on my shoulder, sinking her teeth into me as she held back a cry. The hot steam rose around us, enveloping me in its warmth while her bite captivated my senses, encouraging my sadistic side to emerge. I had all but forgotten what it was like to be with another experienced vampire. We loved pain and we loved to bite.

I gripped her hair and pressed her face into my shoulder. I wanted to relish the sting of her fangs for as long as possible. I forcibly drove three fingers deep inside her cunt, and she bit harder. Tendrils of pleasure latched onto every nerve, and I spiraled into a passionate frenzy. Alice moved rapidly as I turned and slammed Jaz’s back against the wall where she once stood. Jaz moaned, released her bite and then filled me with her fingers, compelling my tightened muscles to give way.

As the hot water beat on my back, Jaz continued to fuck me, unrelentingly, driving her fingers into me, adding more fervor to each new stroke than the last. My knees had threatened to buckle. I knew I would come if I didn’t stop her. At the same time that I grabbed her wrist, pushing her arm down forcing her fingers out of me, I latched my teeth onto her shoulder, maneuvered my back against the shower wall and jutted my fangs into her flesh. She moaned and her knees gave. I held her tightly against my body with one arm clasped around her waist. My other hand invaded her wetness while I dug my fangs deeper and drank from her shoulder. Suddenly, the hot water turned to a cold spray. As I gripped Jaz by the waist and threw her out of the shower, I saw Alice moving her hand away from the faucet handle. I hissed and grabbed the back of Alice’s head, getting a handful of her hair in my grasp.

“You were draining her,” Alice pleaded in self-defense.

“She is mine to do with as I please,” I snarled, then yanked her head back exposing and biting her neck. Careful only to take a small amount of blood from her, I forced her mouth to my already healing shoulder and made her taste my blood. “Now, you, too, belong to me,” I decreed after our blood exchange.

The trading of blood between a Mistress and a fledgling guaranteed me her obedience. She, unlike the others, had lost the ability to disobey an order or even a request from me. She smelled of my blood and therefore marked as my property. All vampires would know that she belonged to me, even Vanessa. It was a small price to pay for her interference. I released Alice from my grip and as I stepped out of the shower, I heard Jaz hissing. By the time I looked up, she was already in flight heading toward me. I leapt. She twirled in midair, but I was too quick for her. I grabbed her, clasping my hands around her waist as I threw her onto the bed. I landed on top of her, straddling her. For a brief moment, we stared at each other and then she growled, showing her pearly whites. Her eyes narrowed to thin, black slits and her fangs extended out from under her top lip. I had startled her. I felt it. She wiggled underneath me, getting out of my grip.

I grabbed her again and tossed her against the bed, making sure she stayed on her back. Before she had a chance to react, I clutched onto her ankles, spreading her legs apart, and buried my face in her pubic hair. I wrapped my mouth around her engorged lips, and used my tongue to taunt her excited nub. Moving quickly, I shifted my body where I now positioned my pussy over her mouth. I leaned my groin forward, allowing her to taste me, while I continued the slow, circular tongue laps on her clit. She moaned raising her hips.

Simultaneously, we did the one thing that made a vampire extraordinary talented in bed. Using our fangs, we carefully pierced the tip of each other’s bundle. The vampire saliva quickly went to work. Warmth rapidly built within the small confines of my groin, then with a burst, it radiated through every muscle, nerve and fiber of my body. It encapsulated me in an inescapable passion that burned through my veins. As the heat built, so did the intensity. Every tongue-lashing mounted me to new heights. I soared through its euphoric waves and surrendered to its desires. It filled the emptiness that had grown inside me with passion, and I felt alive.

Again, Jaz filled me. I matched her actions, finger for finger and stroke for stroke. As she fucked me, release turned to necessity, beating against me, threatening to burn me alive. She pierced me again, provoking a new level of unquenchable fire. It roared inside me, taking me to heights that I had ever been before. It overwhelmed me. I had to release the trapped energy. I opened my mind, and threw my mental tendrils out, latching onto all who were connected to me, and forced the excess into them.

As Jaz’s orgasm raged, she wiggled and squirmed under me. I stiffened my grip around her thighs, securely holding her within my grasp. She dug her nails deep into my back, clutching at my skin. My muscles seized as blood escaped from my new scratches. My orgasm had finally reared to the surface. Taking over me and leaving me incapacitated and vulnerable as each climatic surge engulfed me, drowning me in a crazed onslaught of pleasure until I collapsed with my head between Jaz’s legs.

You never did that to me. Izzy’s thoughts touched my mind.

It was too dangerous to do with humans. It usually caused heart failure. Vampires didn’t possess a beating heart, so we could ride the wave of euphoria for hours. After I changed her, things became complicated and then she ran off with Abby before I had a chance to show her the sexual benefits she had inherited.

No. I suppose I didn’t, I mentally replied.

I knew I had to feed soon because my exhausted and fatigued muscled started cramping, craving nourishment.

I felt your energy. It…enveloped…me, Izzy said, sounding unsure of her word choices. It was like…nothing I had ever felt…before.

It wasn’t uncommon. Many Masters directed pleasure as well as pain to those under them. If needed, we could even take their energy, guarantying us better chances for survival. It was a cruel world our weak lived in. I suspected vampires within a hundred mile radius now knew their Mistress had been satisfied.

Yes, it happens occasionally when—

When you have a toe curling orgasm? She interrupted my train of thought.

Yes, I bluntly answered, not feeling the need to spare her feelings anymore.

Was it that way with us?

Her thoughts came as a whisper.

Did other vampires feel what I just felt?

Sometimes.

You could have lied to make me feel better. I imagined her smile as I heard her thoughts, but the pain that she had left me with, flared to life.

Why lie? I asked.

Because you’re supposed to care, that’s why! She huffed.

I am not the one who walked away, I retorted as I shut down the mental connection between us.

I had already gotten dressed and was on my way out the door when Jaz touched my arm and motioned to the bathroom. Alice’s cries had slowly escalated and now carried an annoying high-pitched squeal.

I stared at Jaz and mouthed, What?

She raised her brows and pointed toward the bathroom, then gave me a stern look as she used her fingers to mimic a mouth talking. I would have had to be a complete idiot to misunderstand what Jaz tried to tell me. I plopped on the edge of the bed as I called out to Alice, but her answer came in the form of a louder sob. I looked at Jaz and rolled my eyes. She in turn, put her hands together as if she were praying and mouthed, please.

“Please come here,” I urged, in the most pleasant voice I could force. Moments later, she appeared not because she wanted to, but because she couldn’t deny my request. She looked awful—her blood-red, tear-stained face accentuated her swollen eyes.

 “Come here! I won’t bite.” I patted the spot next to me.

She hesitated, lowered her head and slowly approached until she stood in front of me.

“Come on and sit down.” Again, I patted the bed. “Tell me why you are so distraught.”

 “You claimed me as property! I’m going to be your damn slave from now on,” she cried out. “Hell, I couldn’t even ignore your request just now.” She plopped on the bed next to me.

“Do I treat Jaz as my slave?” I asked, moving the hair away from her face.

“No, but she willingly sleeps with you.” Her tears flowed.

I took a deep breath and exhaled. I know it was pointless, but it was the effect I had been after. “Very well, then don’t sleep with me. Anything else bothering you?”

Her eyes grew wide and her mouth opened then closed. “You’re not angry?”

I smiled to help alleviate her tension. “No, I have a plethora to choose from if I want sex.”

“Then why did you claim me as yours?” She blurted out, and scooted back putting distance between us.

“Would you have preferred I killed you for interrupting me?”

Alice cocked her head to the side. I assumed she was taking in that she had been closer to death than she imagined. “No, but now, Vanessa may not want to be with me.”

I leaned forward extending my hand toward her face and she flinched. I touched her cheek, reassuring her that I would not hurt her and then I caressed her. “If she doesn’t, then that is her loss, but if she does want you, she will know that she must treat you well or suffer my wrath. Is that so unbearable?”

 Alice leaned closer into my hand. “No, I suppose that isn’t horrible, but know now that I do not want to fuck you.” She smiled while slightly rubbing her face against my palm.

“Very well, get cleaned up, you are too beautiful to be looking so upset.”

Hopefully, Vanessa would do right by her. I couldn’t see having to console a broken heart when mine had been shattered and I was still putting the pieces back together.

Alice went into the bathroom and I heard the water come on. She was taking another shower—one without interruptions. I laid back and allowed my feet to hang off the mattress. I had done the worst thing I could have allowed myself to do. I had thought about Izzy and our life together. Everything reminded me of her—her smell, her gentleness and her love. I had yet to know why she decided to leave with Abby, and I secretly hoped that I would soon have her back or that I learned how to live without her. Something I hadn’t told anyone was how utterly lonely and angry I had been since she left.

Chapter Three

After taking nourishment from one of Rick’s donors, I had agreed to help Joan find her killer. I should have known the ride to Central Park would have been challenging when Kimberly started complaining about having to sit on Brian and Daniel’s lap in the backseat of Joan’s eco-friendly small car.

“Don’t touch me again, you asshole," Kimberly spouted.

“Whoa.” Brian reigned her in. “I haven’t done anything. Who would want to touch you anyway?"

Daniel laughed.

“You fucking asshole!" she snipped at Daniel, then, turning her attention to Brian, she hissed. “I can feel you.”

“Enough!” I reprimanded as I turned around to face them.

I had piled Kimberly on top of Brian and Daniel. My three, sardine-packed vampires were not happy with their new accommodations.

“They’re feeling trapped.” Joan placed her hand on my thigh and gave it a little squeeze. “That’s all. We’re almost there.”

Even though traffic was lighter than usual, it was the bickering in the backseat that had taxed my patience.

“You’re sure about this?” I rolled the window down and leaned my arm out for a distraction.

“About what?” Joan shifted gears on the tiny coffin we were riding in.

“About what?” I repeated and smacked the outside of the car. “About your boogeyman, that’s what. Or are you playing me?” My eyes locked onto her.

My cranky vampires went deadly silent.

“I’m sure.” Joan’s lips tightened and her nostrils flared.

“Why haven’t I heard of this until now?”

“How should I know? Maybe your vampires are too involved with themselves to pay attention to something as minimal as humans disappearing.” She shifted into neutral as we cruised up to the red light. “Every fourth night something comes into Central Park and before people disappear, there’s a blood bath. You’ll see.” She truly believed something was out there.

The three vampires had been quiet too long. I lowered the visor and looked in the mirror catching a glance of them behind me. What I saw was a swift look of concern spread across their faces.

If this is true, I sent the thought into their minds. Someone will pay for not informing me sooner.

They are only humans, Kimberly’s thoughts blurted out.

Brian and Daniel’s instantaneous, oh shit, she’s on my lap, gut reaction forced a sinister smile on my face. I liked to be feared. It insured loyalty, respect and obedience.

Humans that provide our sustenance. I calmly replied while my smile crept from ear to ear. Unless, you would prefer to become a vegetarian? I’ve heard New York’s rat population is prolific.

No, of course not! Kimberly spewed and after a moment of what appeared to be deep thought, she bowed her head. I understand, my lady.

“We’re here.” The car rolled to a stop in a deserted parking lot, illuminated by two dimly lit streetlamps. I was the first one out, followed by my feisty entourage. Daniel and Brian stretched their legs a healthy distance from Kimberly and she in turn, gave me a wide berth.

Joan came up behind me, placing her hand on the small of my back. “It’s never in the same spot so, we’ll have to walk.” She pointed at a paved path leading further into the darkness. “It’s almost midnight, just listen for the screams.”

I pointed at Kimberly, Brian and Daniel. “The three musketeers can go that way.” I motioned toward the South walkway and began walking in the opposite direction.

Joan scurried to the trunk, popped it open and pulled out her mini crossbow.

“I take it, I’m with you?” she asked, running to catch up.

We walked for twenty minutes in silence. The park was quiet and dark, I wasn’t having a problem seeing, but the city workers really should have made it a point to change out the busted or burnt out street lamps for the human’s poor eyesight.

“So,” Joan said, shuffling her feet. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about the woman who mentally invaded our first…um…encounter.”

I stopped and turned, arms crossed over my chest. “What about her?”

Joan stopped. “Well, does she do that much?” She placed her hand on my arm. “I mean, it is rather distracting,” she said, flashing me a smile.

Although I wanted to make a snippy remark, Joan was not my enemy. I let my arms drop to my side. “That is my wife, Izzy.”

“I’m so sorry.” She stepped forward and gave me a hug. “I didn’t know that you were having problems.”

That was an understatement. Problems were when you could at least talk things out. There was no talking between Izzy and me and only my sexual affairs warranted her attention, lately.

Returning Joan’s hug, I heard shouting, then a scream.

It’s got Brian. The thought washed through me. I heard it as clearly as if I had been standing next to Kimberly. I let go of Joan and took off running toward the East, following the screams. I reached the parks’ short decorative wall and cleared it. They weren’t in the park at all. Pausing briefly to scan for oncoming traffic, I sprinted across 5th avenue and followed the commotion to the alley behind the tall, white corner building.

I found Brian lying on his back, his clothes burned and his skin mummified. After a quick assessment, I knew his essence had been pulled from him. He would not return to us. Daniel threw punches at two men dressed in brown monk’s robes that held their own while Kimberly grappled with a third.

I pulled the Monk off Kimberly and rammed my fist deep into his side, feeling ribs break. He gasped for air and dropped to his knees, wheezing.

Kimberly stood and we both joined the battle with Daniel. The two Monk rivals were inhumanly fast at blocking and returning their own barrage of punches. I blocked, grabbed a wrist and twirling behind him, set my hand on his chin and snapped until I felt his neck break. At the end of the alley, a plume of dark smoke materialized into the shape of a man. Two clocked figures dressed in dark purple robes threw a stream of blue energy balls at him as he maneuvered around the onslaught and returned fire.

His red energy sphere hit one of the purple robed figures dead center. As the body trembled and dropped to the ground in convulsions, my muscles immediately went weak. I leaned against the nearest wall to keep from falling over.

“Izzy!” A female cried out as she shot another blue bolt at the dark smoke and maneuvered toward her fallen comrade.

It was Izzy. My Izzy and she was dying. That would explain the weakness that came over me so suddenly. Before our union, I had told her that our lives would depend on each other afterward. I hadn’t realized it would be an immediate effect. With all the strength I had left, I rushed to her side. I positioned my back against the assailant to provide her some cover and turning her onto her back, the hood slipped off her head. Izzy’s beautiful, swollen black and blue face came into view. I grabbed her in my arms, and held her while she trembled uncontrollably.

“It h-h-h-hurts,” she stammered as she spat blood from her mouth.

“I know,” I whispered, as I felt my own life draining.

The shock of seeing her there, lying in my arms dying, paralyzed me. Instantly, the fight behind me disappeared and the alley turned quiet as the enormity of the situation hit me. I reached inside her mind and found her jumbled thoughts riddled in pain.

The only clear thought she registered was I’m d-d-d-ying.

No, you’re not, I consoled her. Relax, my love. I placed my hand on her chest. See, I have taken your pain and you have started to heal.

No, don’t do this. I have hurt you too much.

It is already done, I assured her. I knew I couldn’t take away her pain or heal her body, but if I could convince her to relax and give her body time to heal, she might have a better chance of surviving. She was part vampire and did posses the regenerative factor of our makeup. I knew it was an illusion, but it was an elaborate deception she had to believe in order to save us both.

Slowly, her body started to settle down, releasing the tension when her mind screamed, Oh god! Then she started convulsing again. As she jerked and spasmed violently, my own muscles slackened and I started to lose my hold on her. I tightened my grip around her as best I could. I felt her desperateness take over. I reached into her mind to the place that I feared going—the place where her most precious memories were stored, where there was no hiding from the truth.

You’re dying, too! she complained. I feel you slipping away.

Yes.

No,don’t do this, I heard her say as I invaded her most private thoughts…but I ignored her. I pressed my hand against her chest, using her as support to hold me upright and forced my mind deeper inside. I waded through memories of us together and how much she continued to love me.

There is no pain. I used all of my hypnotic powers to calm her while I fought back the fear of my own death. There is only peace.

As she gripped my arm, calmness washed over her. That’s right. I put the thought into the deepest part of her mind. You’re fine.

I gambled with both our lives. If she couldn’t heal fast enough, we would both perish. In a desperate moment, I bit my wrist and put it over her mouth.

Drink, my love and let my blood heal you. She clamped her fangs onto me, and my body slumped forward, falling on top of her. I no longer had the strength to hold myself up. This was the closest I’d ever been to true death as a vampire, and it was not what I had expected. The more blood she took, the more the darkness encroached on me. Desperate to live, I pulled energy from the weakest members of my clan to fight the edges of the void that gradually claimed me, but death pushed forward. I had once believed that I would suffer an eternity of pain for all the souls I had taken from this life, but I felt nothing except an irresistible peace consume me. I had accepted my fate and given up hope when someone grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into a sitting position.

“They’re coming—get out of here—go,” Abby yelled. “Now!”

I sat in a daze with my fangs extended and scanned the alley. The fighting had stopped, there were no signs of the attackers. Still trapped in my arms, Izzy’s energy was slowly returning. We would be all right, this time.

“I’ll take care of her!” Abby lowered her voice. “They’ll think you and your vampires did this,” she paused. “I promise—I swear, Izzy will explain everything later. If they see us together they might kill us, please…just go.”

The grip on my shoulder tightened and I followed the arm up to Kimberly’s concerned face. Against my better judgment, I pulled my wrist away from Izzy. “If she dies, you die!” I warned the keeper. I also knew I didn’t have the strength to get myself out of the alley quick enough. “Kimberly, get me up there!” I ordered and pointed to the building’s rooftop.

Moments later, Kimberly and I we were safely above the alley. Daniel followed in tow with Joan. Kimberly released her grip and stood staring at me. “What the hell happened down there?”

I glared at her. I didn’t have the strength to reprimand her for her outburst. I could only rely on the fear I had instilled in my fledglings to put her in check, now.

She met my gaze and bowed her head. “I’m sorry, Mistress. I am concerned. We felt you pull from our weakness members and we all know what that meant.”

Indeed, they did know. If she knew how close I had been to death and why, she would have kidnapped Izzy and locked her away permanently, keeping us both safe.

In order to avoid a panicked clan, I had to convince them I had merely culled out the weakest among us, but Kimberly would know better. She had fought by my side and protected me while I was dying.

I felt Kimberly’s anger consume her. She turned to Joan with a tight jaw and fangs extended. “What the hell have you gotten us involved in?” she yelled.

“I’m not sure. I’ve only heard rumors.” Joan lowered her voice and took a step back. “Just rumors.”

I perched on the roof’s ledge and watched as five purple-clocked figures quickly surrounded Izzy and carried her away. Abby looked up toward me, then turned and followed them. The stench of wet earth lingered in the alley. They were powerful witches indeed.

“What rumors have you heard, Joan?” I asked as I sat on an air conditioner, positioning myself between a very pissed off Kimberly and Joan.

“I wasn’t sure it could even be possible,” Joan defended herself.

“I’m not interested in what you thought could be possible,” I said, leaning more of my weight on the rickety unit. “I want to know what almost killed my wife!”

Daniel stood on the ledge of the building looking down. “What about Brian? We can’t leave him there.”

I had almost forgotten about Brian. Daniel was right. If we left him there, he would attract company and the last thing I wanted were humans interfering.

“Kimberly, take Daniel with you and take Brian’s body to the funeral home. Have him cremated. Do not involve the humans.”

“Just like that?” She closed her hands into fists. “We just burn him and forget he existed?"

“Just do—” I stopped, realizing that a bloody tear ran down her face. This had been a personal loss for her. “Please, take him to the funeral home. We’ll say a few words for him at the house.”

“Can’t we wait until tomorrow night?” Her tears flowed easier now. “I mean, what if he can survive this.”

I knew the signs all too well. First came the anger, then the false hope in that we were vampires and should be able to heal our bodies, then the denial, then the anger again.

“No,” I answered as I slowly approached her. “There is nothing left to return to his body. I’m sorry, Kimberly, but he is gone.”

This was one of those times when I wished I could sound less heartless and more of the Matriarch my mother was. She would know what to say to console Kimberly. I didn’t have a clue. I took her hand in mine.

“I promise, we won’t stop until we figure out what that thing was and kill it.”

The one thing I was good at was dealing death. I would find it and kill it, not because it took Brian’s essence, but because it almost killed Izzy. Kimberly didn’t need to know that. What she did need to know was that vengeance would be as ours.

“You promise?” Kimberly squeezed my hand.

“As your Matriarch, I give you my word.”

Kimberly wiped the tears from her face, stood up straight, pulled her shoulders back and held her head up. “Let’s go, Daniel,” she said, stepping onto the ledge, then extended her arms out to her side and stepped off the roof. Daniel followed behind her. I watched until they both landed on the ground, Kimberly immediately sprung to her feet while Daniel maintained his crouching position for a moment longer, then he too stood.

“I want to know everything about your hypothetical rumors.” Moving rapidly, I positioned myself inches from Joan and locked my glare onto her. “Everything!” I repeated, through clenched teeth.

She started to move back, but I grabbed her by the shirt collar and pulled her closer.

“I thought they were only rumors,” she whispered softly. “If it is a Soul Snatcher, I don’t know how to defeat it.” She closed her eyes, swallowed then added, “I don’t know if it can be defeated.”

“You’d better think of something, or we’ll all die trying to kill it!” I shoved her while releasing my grip.

She stumbled back a couple of steps before she caught her footing. “You don’t have to be like that. I’ll willingly tell you what you want to know.”

“Good, start at the beginning.”

“Keep in mind that no one has ever seen one, so these are just tales told by storytellers.”

I raised my brows in a go-ahead-and-tell-me manner.

“The stories say Reamus was a loyal and trusted servant of Zeus until Zeus caught him having an affair with one of his concubines. Zeus casted Reamus out, but before doing so, he took away Reamus’ physical form so he could never again feel sexual pleasure. After centuries of boredom and lingering in a place between this world and the ethereal world of the Gods, Reamus learned magic. Using a human’s body, he could materialize, for a short amount of time, into this world.” Joan ran her fingers through her hair. “It has been said that because he can no longer feel physical pleasure he snatches souls from unwilling victims.” She paused and looked at me. The fear that emanated from her now crept across her face.

 I raised a brow and waved her on to continue.

“Snatchers are foul sadist creatures,” she blurted out. “It is believed that they torment the souls for their amusement.”

“Why is it they and not he?”

“What?” She leaned on a skylight protruding from the rooftop.

“Your story had been about Reamus, but you’ve said they. Are there more Soul Snatchers?”

Her shoulders slumped forward and she lowered her head. “Legend states that Reamus learned magic and summoned demons to keep him company. In return, Reamus taught the demons how to manipulate souls and together they created the plane of damnation.”

“Much like what humans believe to be hell?” I asked.

“Oh, no.” She raised her eyes. “Much worse.”

On the ride back to the house, I thought about the hefty legend Joan had shared, but I knew that no matter how absurd fables were, they usually commenced with some remnants of truth. The challenge would be to find the fabricated parts and those which held merit. I mentally recounted the story as Joan drove me back to the station house. Every tale, even human tales, has three parts—the beginning, the catastrophe and the resolution. Humans just aren’t aware enough to look for the solution unless it’s part of the story like don’t cry wolf, but when the answer was buried within the story, humans tended to overlook it completely.

My favorite twist of tales is about the girl with the red cape. She wasn’t an innocent child visiting her grandmother. She was a woman in a red dress trampling through the woods to meet her illicit lover. Have you ever heard of a real wolf talking? Of course not, because he was a werewolf looking to increase his pack. Her husband, a werewolf himself, found out and posted a reward for his head. The villagers hunted him, killed him and claimed the small treasure. For centuries, I have been amazed that humans are gullible enough to overlook the obvious.

“You’re weak. Izzy took a lot from you and you need to feed.” Joan shifted the car into gear and then extended her wrist to me.

“I can wait,” I said, placing her hand back on the gear stick. “Do you know of anyone who would have more information on these rumors of yours?”

She chuckled. “Yes, but you don’t want to go where they are.” She looked at me. “Trust me.”

“If they can help shed more light on this Soul Snatcher of yours, then I’ll take my chances,” I assured her.

“First of all.” She slammed her foot on the clutch and jerked the car into gear. “He’s not my Soul Snatcher and secondly, they don’t like vampires.”

“I think I can handle myself. After all, I did survive you shooting me.”

Joan swerved the car into an alley, slammed the gears into park and shifted, turning her body to face me. “It’s not my fault you weren’t on your game. You!” She pointed at me. “Never should have let an arrow come that close. I’ve already apologized, tended to your injury and fed you my blood. Would you prefer I had left you to face the sun?” she yelled.

Her emotions smoldered in the small confined space of the car. She was angry, but it wasn’t at me, that much I was sure of. She was angry with herself. I leaned forward, rolling the window down and inhaled the garbage-laden air from the alley.

“Why are you so angry?”

“I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you.” She relaxed her pose.

“No,” I agreed, “you’re mad at yourself.” I placed my hand on her thigh. “Why?”

She exhaled, while her shoulders slumped forward. “For starters, I’m supposed to protect you, and I almost killed you. Then you almost died in the alley with the Soul Snatcher. I’m failing miserably.” She finally confessed, raising her head and focusing her gaze on me. “They’ll replace me soon, if I can’t guarantee your safety.” Tears streamed down her face as she let out a loud sob.

“Who will replace you?”

“The other keepers,” she cried harder.

I knew I had recognized her scent. I just hadn’t made the connection. Keepers were an entirely different breed. They played by their own rules and even those were subject to change without notice. The best thing anyone could do was to avoid them completely, but I was already too far into this mess to do that.

“No one will harm you if I can help it, but I need to talk to your friend about your—this Soul Snatcher.” I corrected myself quickly.

She used her sleeve to wipe the tears from her face, took a long deep breath and gave me a stern look. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She started the car and sped out of the alley.

I stayed quiet for several miles while she hustled the small car in and out of traffic. Once we got on the highway, she gunned it and we raced past slower moving traffic at ninety miles per hour.

“You don’t have to kill us getting us there.”

“You’re already dead,” she snipped without looking at me. “Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.”

“Yes, I believe you can.”

That was the last we spoke until she pulled off the highway and onto a narrow road hidden behind a canvas of trees. I remained silent even though my curiosity peaked at the reflective signs nailed to tree branches announcing that the Otherside was ahead. Joan made a right turn, and I found myself staring at the large, well illuminated, Otherside Casino and Hotel with valet runners. She drove the car up, under the driveway’s canopy, but instead of opening the door for the valet, she turned and faced me.

“I need your word you’ll behave.”

“Of course, I’ll behave. Did you think I would do any less?” I said as I donned a crooked smile.

“Tamara, please.” She put her hand on my knee. “They’ll need to feel that I have some semblance of control over you. You don’t want to upset them.”

“Yes, yes, I understand. Let’s do this, alright?” I reassured her as the young valet runner held the car door open for me. I climbed out of the small car and stretched my legs while he shot me a disapproving look.

“Psst,” he leaned over the roof addressing Joan. “She won’t be any trouble, will she?” he asked while subtly jerking his head toward me.

“No dear,” I answered for Joan, patting the runners back. “Unless, of course you want me to be?”

He flinched and turned looking at me. “I’m sorry. I just got this new shirt.” He pointed at his crème colored uniform shirt. “Blood’s a bitch to get out of fabric.”

“I imagine it is.” I raised my brows, giving Joan a questioning look. She handed the valet her keys and dismissed my curiosity by waving me to follow as she headed toward the large casino doors.

Chapter Four

The smell of excited human hormones, the enhancers working their magic, and the noise of the slot machines that chimed announcing yet another winner, riveted me back to a time when I wasn’t a dutiful Hightower daughter. I had spent many months traveling and visiting well-known casinos around the world trying to hide from the demands that my lineage placed upon me. I had gone through what mother called a rebellious stage. At that time, I had thrown more money and energy into high stakes gambling than I did into my feedings. I became sloppy and disorganized leaving a trail of both human and vampire bodies everywhere I went. As I looked back on it, I was grateful that mother’s patience allowed me to play without interference from my duties and that her love cleaned up my mess.

Casinos in our world aren’t like normal human casinos. We have creatures called enhancers that look human enough, but they have the ability to manipulate your emotions for whatever suits their purpose then they feed off your emotions. In the casino, for instance, they enhanced a person’s greed. Don’t be so shocked. Haven’t you ever experienced throwing more money into a slot machine hoping to win the big one because that last pull of the lever brought you so close to the jackpot? Yeah? Then you were an enhancer’s victim, too. The problem is that my first emotion isn’t greed, its hunger and then sex—in that order. I would never have complete control of my real hunger, but I had learned how to channel it temporarily into the sexual realm, which caused the least amount of damage around me.

Joan put her hand on my shoulder and my fangs slid out from under my upper lip.

“Whoa,” she exclaimed as she held her hands to the side. “Oh shit,” she barked after a silent moment. “You’re not greedy…you’re hungry,” she whispered, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the back of the casino. Every Enhancer we passed aggravated my struggle to keep control. Halfway past the high stake's poker tables, I knew something was wrong. My excitement grew and my fangs slid out and I dug my heels in, refusing to budge. In the midst of my sudden stop, I had yanked her into my grasp, holding her tightly against my chest. Her delectable scent titillated the hunger churning deep inside me. Her steady heartbeat pounded inside my ears, deafening everything around me while the artery in her neck pulsed perfectly with its rhythm. I saw her through the eyes of a predator.

“Don’t,” she whispered.” Oh god. Please don’t feed here.”

My hunger gnawed its way into the crux of my being and demanded the taste of her succulent blood. I knew the enhancers were beckoning my hunger. I clutched her tighter in my arms.

“You’re shaking.” Her breath brushed against my ear.

If I yielded to my desires, I would not have made it out of the casino alive. I knew that between their security and the magic wielders, they had me outnumbered. I had to focus on something other than feeding.

“I want to play.” I pulled her away from me and held her at arm’s length. “Do you have an extra thousand on you?”

“What!” Joan yelled as she broke free from my grip. “Are you serious?”

I flashed an innocent grin as the poker players stared in our direction.

“Yes I am, actually.” I looked directly into her eyes.

She stared at me for a moment and then a look of realization covered her face. She leaned closer, filling the gap I had put between us. Pressing her chest against mine, she took my hand, placing it on the nook of her groin. “Yeah, I think I know what you need,” she whispered. “Follow me to the back, and I’ll get it for you.”

“Well,” I rubbed her crotch. “I think I’ll take you up on that offer.”

She entwined her fingers in mine and led me to the back wall where two large men stood guard in front of a metal door.

“Hi, boys,” Joan called out as we approached. They immediately straightened their backs and stood rigid, waiting.

“No need to get upset.” She waved at the tallest man. “We’re expected.”

Just as Joan said that, the metal door creaked open. I had to look down to see the short, older woman waving us in. I went through the door and noticed that Joan just stood there with her head bowed, showing this four foot woman extreme reverence.

“This is the one you spoke of?” the woman asked.

Joan raised her head, but didn’t meet the old woman’s gaze. “Yes, priestess. This is Tamara Hightower.” She fixed her gaze on me as she continued. “Of the Hightower Clan.”

I felt the enhancers’ pull clawing at me again. I raised an eyebrow and turned my attention to our itsy-bitsy hostess.

“Hello. “

“Tamara,” Joan quickly interjected with a stern voice. “She is our High Priestess so please address her as such.”

“Okay.” I shrugged. “Hello, High Priestess,” I said, flashing a toothy grin. "It is nice to meet you. I would love to stand here, but your enhancers are challenging my reserves as we speak. I fear I will not be able restrain myself for much longer. So, can we please get down to the business at hand?”

“Tam—”

“Silence, child,” the old woman scolded Joan. “She speaks the truth.” The priestess turned on her heels. “Come, Matriarch, for we have much to discuss.”

As I followed the priestess into the darkened corridor, I was acutely in tune with my surroundings. Flames flickered from oil-filled lamps that hung on the wall at three feet intervals. The fine mixture of dirt that covered the floor, gently puffed up with each step, and the air was unusually humid, something you’d find near a lake or the ocean. A blend of excitement, fear and death hung heavily in my nostrils as I continued further.

This place was no picnic, but I had trusted Joan when she said I would find answers here on how to defeat the Soul Snatcher. I would do anything to save Izzy from certain doom.

Joan shuffled her feet behind me while the sound of two more footsteps softly echoed behind her. Since the hunger still clawed at me, I assumed enhancers took up the rear. As the corridor veered left, the presence of children inundated my senses. Their laughter thundered in my ears and their scent overwhelmed me.

Vampires are predators and as such, we are immediately attracted to the weakest prey. Every vampire has an inherent weakness to children. It’s not something I’m proud of, but it is what it is and I…am a predator. It is something that we learn to curtail and under normal conditions, I would not have given the children a second thought, but with my reserves already running on low and the enhancers manipulating my hunger, I feared that each excruciating step only led me closer to losing my self-restraint. Of which, I’m sure would only have led to my demise. I struggled to keep a slow steady pace behind the priestess, instead of bolting into an all out predatory chase. Instincts gnawed at me that they were close. Too, close.

The short woman stopped. “This is our learning center,” she stated as she pointed to an open door that led to a school-like room filled with children. “Come.” She waved. “See how our generation learns.”

“I would prefer to bypass the tour,” I said through clenched fangs.

“Oh yes,” she nodded her head. “I suppose you would, but this is necessary,” she waved me forward. “Come closer, Matriarch, show us your soul.”

Her magic lifted me just above my tiptoes and pulled me into the room. Once past the threshold, it dropped me gently on my feet. I quickly scanned the room. Six children between the ages of six and eight sat at a large rectangular table. The two youngest, never looked up from their coloring books. The middle two stared at me from where they sat and the two oldest, ignored my presence. I spun on my heels and, as I headed for the door, I ran into an invisible barrier blocking my exit. Predator and prey trapped together.

“Do not do this,” I hissed.

The priestess approached the door. “I have done nothing and I have hurt no one.” She smiled, but even that carried an air of self-righteousness. “The question is, will you?”

My fangs slid out and rightfully took their place, readying for a feeding frenzy. “You know nothing good can come of this,” I snarled.

“Oh,” she asked with a raised brow. “Nothing good?”

Joan stepped forward. The priestess held her hand up, which made Joan freeze in mid-step.

I felt a gentle tug on my pant leg and hissed as I turned to face one of the six-year old boys who stood next to me, holding his coloring book. I hissed again in hopes to scare him away, but he didn’t run.

“Will you help me color?” he asked, holding a purple crayon up to me.

My throat tightened. My pupils dilated and my mouth watered. I could all but feel his warm blood sliding down the back of my throat.

“Will ya?” He stared directly into my eyes, showing no fear.

I knelt, coming face to face with him and put my hand on his shoulder. “How about we play a game instead?”

“You’re shaking.” His eyes drooped and a concerned look fell upon his little facial features. “Are you sick?”

“No.” I felt my grip tighten on his shoulder and quickly pulled my hand back. “I’m just excited to play a game with you.”

He smiled. “Okay. What game?”

“Green and red. Do you know how to play that?”

“Yes!” He fidgeted, swaying back and forth. “You say green and we run toward you. When you say red, we all stop and the first one to reach you wins.”

“Okay, go get your friends and start way over there.” I pointed to the furthest corner of the room.

He ran to the table and gathered his friends. Within a minute or two, they were all lined up against the back wall, waiting for my order to send them bolting toward me.

I turned and looked at the priestess. “You know I will lose control of my hunger. Their blood is now in your hands.”

“Tamara, please don’t,” Joan pleaded.

“I am vampire. It is what I do.” I turned and faced the children. “Green. Red!” I yelled, barely giving them enough time to take a full step. They lunged forward, froze and laughed.

“Green…red!”

This time they took two steps and stopped so suddenly that they stumbled over each other.

What I wanted to do was call green and not red. I wanted to lead them directly to my waiting hunger and satiate my thirst, but I couldn’t bear to think of the carnage I would inflict on those innocent faces.

“Green!”

They took off running.

“Red!”

I knew I couldn’t keep them at a safe enough distance. Eventually, one if not all of them would reach me, and I was losing control. I leaned against the wall and slid down until my ass hit the floor. In a sitting position, I wrapped my arms around my knees and dug my face in.

“Green. Red!”

I smelled their blood and my skin felt their presence. I knew where each one stood without having to look up. My stomach ached for sustenance and my hands twitched. My beast had gained ground. I knew this last call would bring one within my reach. I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

“Green,” I whispered.

As I felt a soft touch on my shoulders and heard my little friend’s voice joyfully exclaim, “I win!”

I skillfully, but gently grabbed his arm, turned him around, sat him in front of me and placed him in the perfect feeding position with my arm wrapped around his neck. To my dismay, he didn’t struggle. He turned his head, giving me a better striking advantage. I closed my eyes and snapped my head forward, slightly turning my angle until I felt my fangs break skin, and bit down as hard as I could. I bit until my shoulder burned with excruciating pain. I then bit harder, making sure that I drove my points deep enough to touch bone.

I felt him gently slide out of my grip. Everything inside me fought to recapture my prey and to feed, but instead, I tightened my bite until my body screamed in pain and bloody tears rolled down my face. I had betrayed my ravenous instincts and attacked myself instead.

Moments felt like hours as I continued to dig my fangs deeper into my shoulder. I refused to feed off the innocent children corralled like cattle for the slaughter. A few more moments passed when I felt a cool hand pressed against my neck. My eyes snapped open to find Joan had knelt next to me.

“Tamara, feed,” she whispered with her neck fully exposed. “Feed, my friend,” she encouraged.

Trembling from the pain of the hunger, I instantly latched on to her. Her blood flowed into me, filling and soothing the ache I had fought for so long. I drank until I was once again in control of my beast and could think clearly.

I released Joan and stood, facing the hag that trapped me. “No one would fault me if I bled you for what you’ve done,” I warned her. “Humans are naïve to think that we are the cold-blooded monsters.”

“You confirmed what I needed to know.” She confidently stepped toward me. “Only one who carries that which does not belong to them can defeat the Snatcher.”

“Enough of the riddles, woman!” I snapped, and grabbed her by the throat. “Speak clearly, or by all that I hold sacred, I will end your life.”

As if on cue, the enhancers broke their position and moved toward us. “Right now, I’m angry. How smart is it to let them enhance that?” I squeezed my grip around her throat.

The priestess held up her hand and the two men stopped in mid-step, then slowly backed away from us.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” I sneered. “Tell me what I came here to learn.”

Joan placed her hand on my arm. “She can’t breathe. Please, let her go. We meant no harm.”

“We?” I released the hag. “You knew about this!”

Joan squeezed my arm.

“Tell me what I need to know,” I snarled as I pulled away from her.

“There is only one way to defeat the Snatcher.” She lowered head. “It is twofold. One, you need someone who shouldn’t possess a soul, but does.”

There is much debate on whether a born vampire ever possesses a soul. Once our transformation into adulthood is complete, the time when we officially stop aging, it is unlikely that if we did have a soul we would have retained it. I had lost mine a long time ago. However, very little was known about Izzy’s Keeper, Abby.

“Okay…and what’s the second part?” I snarled.

“They must willingly give up their soul, for love,” she said and started sobbing.

Abby has stuck to Izzy’s side knowing that Izzy is half vampire and she’s even fed her bloodlust. Was it possible that she truly loved Izzy and that she had enough of a soul to save her?

“I think I understand.” If I killed Abby, I also killed the chances of saving Izzy. I turned, disappointed that my vengeance toward Abby had to go unvented.

“Wait, I’ll come with you,” Joan exclaimed after me.

I stopped, not bothering to face her. “No. I cannot trust you or your intentions. You are not welcomed near me or my own.”

“Let me help you,” she cried as I left the corridor.

Once inside the casino, the Enhancers gave me a wide berth. I made my way outside and found the young valet who originally greeted us.

“Tell Joan to keep her distance,” I sternly warned.

He bit his lips together. “Leaving us so soon?” he asked with an understanding nod.

“Dawn approaches,” I answered and took off running.

At full speed, I would reach the Station house just before dawn. It would give me enough time to settle in before I lost yet another day to the sun.

The Station house was quiet—unusually quiet with only an occasional thump breaking the eerie silence as I ventured up the walkway. I entered cautiously. My guard and my senses had been on overdrive. I was still hearing the occasional thump reverberating through the floor of the house, but nothing that alerted me to danger. As I started up the stairs, Alice flew down the railing, using me to stop her fall.

“OMG!” she yelled. “Am I glad you’re here!”

“OMG?” I questioned.

“Oh my god. Don’t you keep up with the times?” Alice, put her hand on my chest, stopping me from going forward. “Anyway, we’ve got trouble upstairs. Some woman showed up, demanding to speak with you. When we told her you weren’t here, she went berserk.” Alice smiled. “She’s been kicking our asses for the last half hour.”

I moved forward, but she pushed me back.

“We’ve got this. You stay here where it’s safe.” Flashing an excited grin, she turned and raced back upstairs.

This was indeed curious. There was no way Joan could have made it here before me and I wasn’t expecting anyone else. Although, Alice’s response sent a buzz through me and I continued up the stairs, eager to see the cause of her excitement. Once I hit the landing, Daniel flew out of the girl’s room and with a thud landed at my feet.

“Wait. Don’t go in there,” he called to me as I stepped over him. “That bitch is crazy!”

I gave him the once over and stood at the threshold. The room sizzled with magic and my trustful vampires, with the exception of Daniel had all tackled a body to the ground. I leaned against the doorframe and took in the powerful energy that wrecked devastation into the small room. The mattresses were up on their sides, pieces of broken furniture littered the floor and Vanessa lay unconscious with a wooden chair leg protruding from her stomach. A nasty injury, but with enough rest and a few good feedings, she would recover nicely. Supporting my weight against the doorframe, I watched as one by one, my pretties went flying into the air and landed against walls, furniture or on the floor.

“Where is she?” Izzy screamed while magically lifting Jaz, hovering her in midair, then flinging her against a wall. Her burst sparked an energy that lifted the hair on my arms.

I broke out in laughter, and not just any laughter, but the heartfelt kind that brings tears to one’s eyes. After not having seen Izzy in months, here she was giving my fledglings a run for their lives, literally. Izzy turned and fixed her gaze on me. Daniel leapt, blocking me from the perceived danger.

“Don’t…” Izzy snarled as she glided toward me. I held my ground, unmoving. She magically knocked Daniel aside with the wave of her hand, then proceeded to punch my chest while shouting. “…Ever. Do. That. To. Me. Again!”

Everyone froze with shocked looks on their faces. I didn’t know if it was because I had laughed or because I had let Izzy continue beating my chest.

I grabbed her wrists, tightly.

She met my gaze with red, swollen eyes and a tear-soaked face. “I thought you were dead,” she confessed.

“I am not.” I wrapped my arms around her and held her for the first time since she walked out of my life months ago. “I am here.” I breathed deeply, taking in her new smell. Underneath the strong earthy witch odor, lingered the slight familiar scent I recognized, mixed with a touch of cold vampire death. I held her tight, savoring how she felt in my lonely arms. “What has upset you so?”

“You,” she sobbed. “You broke our bond. One minute I could feel you, the next you were gone. I thought you were dead!” She bobbed her head against my chest.

“I have broken nothing. Our bond remains intact.”

She pulled away, wiping her nose on her sleeve.

“Mistress,” Alice interjected. “What about Vanessa?” She pointed to the corner of the room.

“Ah, yes.” I looked at Vanessa lying in a puddle of her own blood. “Pull the stake out and call the center. She needs rest and a few good feedings.” I turned my attention to Daniel. “I take it you’ll help Alice look after Vanessa?”

“Yes, of course.” Daniel bowed his head in agreement.

As Alice pulled the stake out, Vanessa grunted. I knew it hurt. I had felt the agonizing burn that wooden stakes cause. Together, Daniel and Alice carried Vanessa out with Jaz following closely behind. She paused momentarily to sniff the air and made a sour face at Izzy. I should have paid more attention to Jaz’s reaction, but I was so overwhelmed at seeing Izzy in my house that I forgot Jaz carried the gift of knowing people’s intentions.

“You scared the hell out of me!” Izzy accused. “What were you thinking?”

“I see your emotions continue to rule your actions,” I said, looking around the room. I was rather proud that my wife could inflict so much damage on my fledglings.

“Answer me, damn it!” She stomped her foot.

“What I was thinking about what?” I asked, righting the only dresser that remained intact. “When you walked out of my life? Or when I heard how that Keeper you chose over me brought cries of passion from you night after night.” I grabbed the loveseat and not realizing my strength, heaved it at the corner of the room where Vanessa had laid, adding more wreckage to the already mangled wall. “Or how you came into my house as if you deserved to be here, beating and stabbing my poor fledglings?” I raised a brow. “Exactly what was I thinking about what?”

“Tamara, don’t, don’t do this now.” She approached me slowly, then caressed my face. “I thought I had lost you.”

“There is a difference between lost and discarded.” I pulled her hand away.

 “I wish I could explain, but I can’t get into it now.” She leaned into me, wrapping her arms around me. “I just needed to know you’re safe,” she confessed, hugging me tightly.

I fought my own emotional inner demons. Here stood the woman that I loved, the woman that I would willingly trade places with Abby and give my existence for, demanding reassurances from me and yet, she is the same woman who abandoned our relationship and ignored my many attempts to communicate. One burning question gnawed at me since she had left. A question that, quite honestly, I didn’t know whether I was prepared to know the answer to.

“Why?”

She stepped back. “Why do you have to do that?” She turned her back to me. “I thought we were finally getting along, and you throw that damn question at me. Why can’t we just enjoy the time we have together?”

“You want me to enjoy the crumbs you throw at me?” I put my hand on her shoulder and she moved away.

“Why does it always have to be so serious with you?”

This was the first time I had attempted to discuss our break-up, and she had acted as though that’s all I’d spoken of.

“You do still love me, don’t you?” She faced me.

I exhaled. “Yes, that has not changed.”

“And I know you want me,” she whispered as she closed the gap between us, pressing her body against mine, her tongue skillfully running small delicate circles around my ear lobe. “You know that I still command your pleasures.” She unzipped my pants and slid her hand to my crotch, gently squeezing life into my soft lips. Instinctively, my hips moved into her touch.

I had not forgotten what it felt like when she touched me. Forgetting would have made it easy to continue my life without her. No, instead, I remembered and drove myself crazy with thoughts of her.

“Yes,” she encouraged as she pressed her mouth to mine and her fingertips worked my clit.

I stumbled forward breaking free of our kiss and nestled my face onto her neck, clutching her tightly in my arms. She slid a finger deep inside my wetness, sparking a sexual desperation that trembled down my legs making it difficult to hold myself upright. Her overwhelming passion did in fact command my desires. She placed soft kisses on my neck while she scraped her teeth along my flesh. Her tongue expertly showing me things yet to come.

“See?” she breathed. “You do remember.”

I threw my head back and lowered my fangs. “How c-c-could I p-possibly for-get?”

She bit my neck—hard, letting the thick, warmth ran down my collar before she suctioned her mouth to my wound and drew my blood in. In that one moment, I knew I would never be complete without her. She owned all of me. I picked her up, cradling her in my arms making sure not to disrupt her feeding.

I carried her down the hall and placed her on my bed, all while the desperation of her touch burned a passionate frenzy in me. I had to make love to her. I had to have her—to posses her as she possessed me.

“I can’t,” she moaned as she wiggled out from under me, pushing me to arm’s length.

“Sure you can.” I scooted toward her.

“No,” she clamored and scurried off the bed. “Don’t get mad. I’m limited on time, that’s all.” She straightened her shirt. “I didn’t tell Abby I was coming here, but I’m sure she’s already figured it out and heading this way.”

For a brief moment, I had forgotten what my wife, the woman I had fallen in love with, had put me through. I had forgotten about Izzy leaving me, the Keeper, and the pain she had left me drowning in. My anger rose, darkening my senses and my good judgment. “Jaz!” I shouted and immediately rose to my feet. Putting distance between Izzy and I, I crossed to the other end of the room.

Moments later, she stood at my door. “Yes, Mistress,” she said, giving Izzy a nasty look.

Looking at Izzy renewed all the pain I had felt earlier. I turned and stared out the window, hoping that I would catch a glimpse of Abby and convince myself that her life was expandable.

“My wife’s uninvited Keeper will arrive here shortly.”

“Yes?” I could almost hear a smile break across Jaz’s face.

“Tamara, please don’t kill her,” Izzy begged. “Please.”

I snapped back around and stared at Izzy. Stared at the woman I loved, the woman I would willingly die for, deciding what to do and Jaz stared at me waiting for my orders.

“Tam, please.” A single tear ran down her cheek as she put her hands together in front of her.

I couldn’t bring myself to be the reason why Izzy would hate me for all an eternity. “Have Daniel take her outside to wait. Make sure they both leave unharmed, this time,” I snarled.

Jaz grabbed her by the arm, but she shook off Jaz’s grip and came to me.

“Thank you.” Her voice held genuine gratitude and it was that gratitude for saving her lover’s life that hurt so much.

As she turned to leave, I was the one who grabbed her arm, stopping her. “Next time you show up at one of my houses, you had better be prepared to stay or break the bond between us. My patience grows thin.”

She nodded her head and followed Jaz downstairs.

Jaz had found me pacing in my room. “May I come in?” She lightly tapped on the open bedroom door.

My answer was in the form of a wave.

“Izzy and the Keeper have both left, unharmed.” She stepped in behind me, keeping step with my pacing and rubbed my shoulders.

“Huh,” I grunted while I continued to pace.

“I haven’t seen you like this in centuries. If you truly love her, take her back. It is within your right.”

“Yes.” I stopped pacing. “It is within my rights, but I want her heart to follow, not just her body.”

“You were not concerned about such things when you took us from our homes.” She sat on the edge of the bed. “You have never cared if the heart followed.”

Jaz was right. In my younger days, I claimed many maidens, not concerned about their feelings or their love. I knew that as long as their physical need for blood was present, they would follow me to the ends of the earth to quench the thirst. Some of them drove themselves mad by refusing to feed and others committed suicide by running into the sunlight after feeding from their families. Only a handful survived, Jaz being one of them. I was not always the nice person I am today. Quite honestly, I was a tyrant who didn’t care about anyone or anything until I met Mila. I believe we would have still been together if the villagers had not killed her. She had much of the same effect on me as Izzy did. They both had a way of calming my brutal instincts. I plopped next to Jaz, put my elbow on my knee and ran my fingers through my hair. “I fear that I am losing her to that damn Keeper.”

Jaz pulled her shirt off and lifted her skirt, maneuvering a leg over my lap. Leaning her chest into my face, she stroked my hair. “Perhaps, but right now, I feel your needs calling me. We only have a little while of moonlight left.” She shimmied her breast on my face. “Let me do what I do best.”

Jaz was good to me even though I pulled her away from her rich family and forcefully acquainted her to a life of darkness. Oh, she enjoyed our secret rendezvous at first, but she later demanded a life of adventure, intrigue and vast fortunes and was shocked when I delivered. We started out using each other to pass time and I couldn’t say why we never ended up as a couple.

Once she had comfortably straddled my lap, she started kissing my face, and then worked her way onto my neck. She gave a nip and a nibble here and there, expertly working my desires while getting the rise she wanted.

I flicked my tongue on her nipple. I suckled it and sucked on it, pulling it with my teeth until it swelled in my mouth.

Jaz grabbed a handful of hair, forcefully yanking my head back and licked my lips. “I want you to fuck me, hard.” She nipped at my lower lip, drawing blood and with her fingers still entwined in my hair, she turned my head so I could see she was holding a strap-on. “Do you remember this?” she asked. “It’s the same one we used in the Caribbean when we were hunting the Voodoo bitch.” She smiled.

Oh, I remembered it all right. We almost got ourselves killed that night. While on vacation to the Caribbean Islands, one of mother’s friends met an untimely death. A Voodoo Vampire Mistress hunted her down and killed her for bragging rights. It was unnecessarily brutal, even by our standards. A crime like that would not go unavenged, so Mother sent me to deliver justice.

After several nights of unsuccessfully tracking down the clan, Jaz and I took a long needed break on a deserted beach. The night before, we had found an Adult Toy Store, and Jaz bought me a strap on. We lay on the shore letting the wave’s crash against us while I fucked her with my new toy when the Voodoo bitch showed up with her cronies.

Taken by surprise, we barely had time to get to our feet, much less get dressed and we fought as we were. Jaz, naked. Me, naked wearing the strap on. I’m sure it provided my attackers a moment of surprise to watch me defend and kill with a dildo bouncing between my legs. It was the most fun Jaz and I had had in a long time.

“I want you and everything you have, right now,” Jaz whispered, then yanking my hair back, exposed my neck and bit me.

I knew that she could feel my anger and that she was begging for it rough. In one swift move, I rolled her onto her back and positioned myself on top of her. Rubbing my groin against hers, I bit her neck. Her soft moan unleashed the damn of desires that Izzy had summoned and my juices escaped.

“Take my pants off,” I commanded.

Jaz slid her hand between us and unzipped my pants, slowly working them down past my ass. “I think that’s good enough.” She slapped my cheek. “Lift,” she ordered.

I lifted my waist and she strapped the harness on.

“No time for niceties. I want a smile on my face before the sun pulls me away.” She dug her nails into my shoulder and ran them down my back. “Get to work, big girl.”

 I didn’t need any more coaxing, and I certainly appreciated a wham-bam thank you ma’am when I got the opportunity for one. I guided my cock into her, making sure that the base pressed against my clit with each thrust and placed my hands on her wrists holding her still while I pounded myself into her hard, then harder.

I tried pushing the thoughts of Izzy from my mind, but each thrust took me back to the time when we had used the strap on in the Centers dungeon room. It was one of the first encounters Izzy and I had and to say that her confidence blew my mind would have been an understatement. I’m sure it was one of the reasons I fell in love with her in the first place.

You’re so sweet to think of me while you’re banging someone else, but aren’t you losing her attention? Izzy whispered in my mind.

She was right. My rhythmic thrusting had become sporadic and Jaz lay beneath me with a disappointed look on her face.

“It is one thing to know that she owns your heart, it is another to know that you communicate with her while you’re fucking me!” Jaz snapped.

“I’m sorry.” I felt as though I owed them both an apology.

Jaz stroked my hair. “Can you focus on me, please?”

Yes, can you focus on her? Izzy’s snide question filled me with renewed motivation.

I searched Jaz’s mind, not for her thoughts, but for her desires and I used them to fuel my own passions. Forcefully, I rammed my dildo into Jaz, grinding our groins together, letting the sensations of the strap-on consume me while I fought the exhaustion of the suns pull. Each thrust left me more fatigued then the last, but I would not disappoint Jaz nor would I give Izzy the satisfaction.

“Yes! Yes!” Jaz moaned. I just started to lose myself to the whims of ardor when Jaz’s orgasm took control of her. “Oh god!” She squeezed her thighs together and lifted her ass off the bed. “Come with me!” she cried, while her body shook with occasional tremors.

Yes, my love, come with her, Izzy mockingly coaxed.

I ignored her and focused on Jaz. I would take her to the height of her climax. She dug her nails into my flesh, screamed and collapsed onto the mattress with a smile on her face. Drained from the sun’s pull, I collapsed next to her.

Why do you torture me now? I shot the thought out to Izzy.

I am not torturing you. She laughed. I only wanted to remind you that I command your pleasures.

You cannot command something to which you have given up rights to, I retorted.

I have given up nothing, she yelled.

You cannot have it both ways, my love. You must choose between me or you’re Keeper, or I will choose for you.

There was Momentary silence.

You’re obsessed with Abby. Why can’t you just let it go? Tamara, I swear that I’ll give you bigger problems to deal with than Abby.

Izzy, you cannot threaten me. Please take this seriously.

I am serious. Two can play dirty and I promise you, that your lustful torment has only just begun.

Frustrated and horny as hell, I snuggled next to Jaz and her smiling face. As I lost consciousness, I replayed the conversation with Izzy and re-affirmed that it was time for me to claim her and dispose of her plaything.

I had woken to the steady song of a heartbeat pounding in my head. The harness I had fallen asleep wearing was resting by my feet and the heavy comforter that lay crumpled at the foot of the bed covered me. Sensing no immediate danger, I stretched, giving the room a quick scan. Stacia, my most trusted human servant sat in the overstuffed love seat that occupied the corner of the room.

“I taught you better than that,” I reprimanded her. It was a stupid idea to sit and wait for me to awaken. Only the more disciplined vampires can control their voracious hunger when they first wake, and I had a house full of one-hundred-year-old babies.

Stacia snickered. “That’s the thanks I get for taking the harness off you and tucking you in this morning?” She crossed her legs and her skirt slit opened revealing her toned, tan thigh. “I knew you would be the first to rise, and I’m safer in here with you than I am anywhere else in this house.” She raised a brow and pointed at Jaz. “You had fun last night.”

“Yeah, so much fun should be illegal.” I stretched again and then rolled out from under the comforter, putting my feet on the floor. “What brings you here?”

“Izzy…” she said, then paused. “…called me last night. She was hysterical, claiming that you were dead.”

“Her emotions will be the death of her.” I rubbed my face. “Of all people, you would know if misfortune strikes me.”

“Agreed, but Viola insisted that I come.” Stacia smiled. “You know how she is.”

Yes, indeed. As our human servant’s cook, Viola had taken a personal interest in our family since before Mother took me in. Yes, I always knew that I was adopted, but not in the sense that you may think. I am Katherine’s daughter, it’s just that Kaley and I share different fathers. Katherine gave birth to me and, afraid that her new husband would kill me to maintain his bloodline, she left me with her lover, my father.

As fate would have it, weeks after my birth, the council found our home and during the daylight hours, killed my father along with all the human servants. I, on the other hand, had been safely tucked away in one of the safe rooms father had built. Katherine found me, starving and half-dead two weeks after the massacre. For the fragile body of a vampire baby, I should have died days after missing my first feeding, not weeks. It was a miracle I had survived at all so, Katherine named me Tamara after the palm tree. I don’t know why.

Viola had been Mother’s friend, confidant and our nursemaid. She spoke her mind, argued with mother, loved us and reprimanded us, when needed. She is the one person I would never cross. After Kaley’s death and mother’s untimely stasis, the mild mannered woman drastically changed into an overprotective, Mother Hen. I went in search of Izzy for several reasons, and one of them was that I needed a break from her constant worrying and fussing over me.

“Huh.” I grunted.

“She wanted to make sure you were all right. You know Viola’s worried about you.” Stacia stood, stretched, then walked across the room and fumbled behind the closet door. “I took the liberty of packing a bag for you.” She heaved the duffle bag at me. “Thought you might like some clean clothes and your slicker.”

I caught a smartass remark escaping my lips but simply grumbled a curt, “Thank you,” as I stood, stretching last night’s nightmare off me.

“It’s amazing that you still look as good as you did when we first met.”

“That happens when you stop aging.” I faced her, allowing her to see a frontal view of my naked body.

Her gaze slowly swept over me, lingered on my breasts, then continued the downward inspection of my bare flesh.

I turned and leaned over intentionally, giving her a bird’s eye view of my ass as I unzipped the duffle bag and rummaged through it. I heard Stacia suck in a breath of air and I smiled. After all these years, she still found me attractive. It’s not that we didn’t try to hook up. It’s that we were completely incompatible for each other and decided to remain friends, instead.

Jaz moaned and rolled over as the night called her back to life.

“I’ll wait for you downstairs,” Stacia mumbled as she hurried out, practically tripping over the threshold and slamming the bedroom door shut.

“Jaz, go keep her company. Make sure the others understand that she belongs to me.”

I took some much needed alone time in the shower, but I wasn’t alone. Izzy’s words rung through my mind. Her emotional outbursts were getting worse by the day. She made absolutely no sense at times, jumping from one subject to the next and, how could she possibly have believed that she could deny me my passions? I feared that the day I would have to rein her in had been quickly approaching. The next issue was Abby. What was I supposed to do with her? It’s not as if I knew where she came from or who to send her back to and I certainly did not appease the thought of letting my wife’s lover stick around. I had two choices, turn her and risk retaliation from the other Keepers or kill her and risk losing Izzy’s love, for I knew she would never forgive me for that.

I finished the shower more confused than when I went in, but I had resolved not to make any decisions, yet. I dressed and headed downstairs.

“She almost got herself killed,” Daniel called out.

“Yeah, she stabbed Vanessa. She’s lucky that Mistress T came in when she did,” Alice confirmed. “Or I would have killed her myself.”

I stomped my weight down on my foot as I stepped off the stairs. “I see they are filling you in to Izzy’s latest antics.”

Alice and Daniel jumped to their feet. “I hope that’s okay,” Alice said, bouncing to her feet.

“I hope you remember the part where Izzy bested all of you…together,” I spouted as I strolled past them and entered the kitchen.

Jaz had been hot on my heels, pulling me by the arm to the back porch. “What’s your problem?”

“Do not forget that I am still master of this house,” I reminded her while turning for the door.

“I’m not challenging your position.” She blocked my exit. “I’m challenging your attitude. Alice was scared shitless. Did you not taste her fear?”

“What do you want me to say?” I relaxed my stance. “That I’m sorry? Well, I can’t. Maybe if more of my own feared me, I wouldn’t face having to make difficult decisions.”

“This is about Izzy?” She rolled her eyes. “Why are you letting her torture you like this? Go and claim what is rightfully yours.”

“Oh, and what I am going to do with her once she’s here, chain her to a fence pole to keep her from leaving?” I shook my head. “No. She needs to come back to me, willingly.” I looked up at her. “Willingly Jaz. Stay away from her and Abby.”

She wore a cynical smile. “I would never…I’m not that kind of person.”

“Tell it to someone else. I know you and I mean it. Stay away from them.” I moved her away from the door and stepped back into the kitchen.

Stacia sat at the large butcher-block table that took up a third of the room. In front of her, the coffee pot steamed with hot water and, several tea bags were lined up in row.

“You’re drinking tea?” I said, shocked.

“I thought I’d try something new,” she said, without looking up.

“Um. You mean Viola got to you.” I snickered.

Stacia looked up. “Well, maybe she did suggest it.” She stirred the contents of the cup and took a sip. “You know, her concoction isn’t that bad. I taste a bit of cinnamon and…” Stacia smacked her lips together. “Nutmeg.” Viola said it’d be safe for you to try.” She held the cup toward me.

I held the cup to my nose, taking in its aromas. Cinnamon and nutmeg, no surprise there, but the underlying smell of bitter almonds clung at the end of the other scents. It’s the one smell that only someone with a genetic abnormality can pick up and I’m one of those abnormal ones. Yes, even dead, I can smell cyanide.

“Your tea is laced with poison. I will assume that you are not trying to kill me, so my question is who’s trying to kill you and why?” I handed her back the cup, which she took very carefully, almost as if it would explode if she pressed her fingers on it too tightly.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Stacia’s voice held a shriek of panic.

I smiled. “It’s up to you, but personally, if I were human, I wouldn’t drink it.”

“Oh you’re a big help.” She stood very still, making sure not a drop of liquid escaped the cup, then shuffled her feet as she stepped toward the sink.

“Hey.” Jaz called out as she bounced into the kitchen. Stacia jumped and tea went flying onto the countertop, the floor, her Italian-made suit, all over her hands and everywhere except the sink.

“Shit,” Stacia mumbled.

“Hey, it’s just tea.” Jaz tried comforting her while she pulled the dishrag out of a drawer and helped Stacia sop up the spill. “It’s been a while since I’ve been around a kitchen, but I’ll make you some more if you want. I’m sure that I remember how to boil water.” Jaz’s soft laugh lightened up the somber mood and Stacia leaned back on her knees and chuckled.

“I guess it wouldn’t have worked on me anyway since I have your blood running through my veins.” She looked at me as if asking for reassurances.

“Yes, whoever tried was an idiot and obviously doesn’t know much about our affairs. Jaz will keep an eye on you, just in case.”

It was time to settle this skewed business one way or another. The Soul Snatcher was a threat to Izzy, and now, someone had taken a shot at my most trusted friend and companion, which meant that I had a traitor in my house. Someone knew me well enough to target my weakest links—Izzy for obvious reasons, and Stacia. Without her, I would have been strapped down into the dreadfulness of having to tend to my own affairs, both human and vampire.

There was only one solution I could think of and that was to stick close to Izzy. Eventually, she would either find the Snatcher or he would find her, but I had to be there. Izzy and I would surpass this or we would perish together.

“Jaz, take Stacia to one of our safe houses. Take no one else with you and do not tell anyone where you are.” I leaned on the butcher-block table. “I will send word when you can return. Keep her safe, my friend.”

Stacia bounced up, throwing the rag into the sink. “You’re going to do something stupid aren’t you?”

“No. I would prefer to say I’m doing something brave, not stupid.”

Jaz leaned against my knee. Her somber facial expression told me she did not agree with whatever plans I had made.

“I understand.” She placed a soft kiss on my cheek. “I am not interested in serving another mistress, please keep yourself safe,” she whispered in my ear.

“What, that’s it? I get shipped off with Jaz until we hear from you. What if we don’t?”

“Jaz will know what to do.”

“That’s not accept—” I looked at her sternly and she lowered her head. “Fine. Check your bag. I hid a few of your favorite knives under your clothes.”

“I never thought I would see this, your concern is touching.” I grinned.

“Don’t get used to it. My concern has to deal with Viola if this goes sour.”

I laughed. Stacia and I have always had a unique relationship, why would it change now.

She breathed deeply. “Tamara, put some hurt on them,” she said and left the kitchen.

“Is there anything else I can do?” Jaz offered. I felt her concern and her fear. She knew I had decided to gamble my existence to resolve this issue.

“Yes.” If my instincts were right and I hoped they weren’t, someone extremely close to me was the traitor. “Prepare Vanessa for the trip with me.”

Jaz’s face went stiff. “Do you think that’s wise? She’s so young.” Jaz paused. “Her wounds would prevent her from being an effective protector.” She spouted almost as an afterthought.

Custom dictated that when a high-ranking official, such as myself, goes into a dangerous situation, they are accompanied by a protector. Someone to watch my back and if need be, lay their life down for me.

“I’m not taking a protector with me, Jaz. I’m returning a traitor.”

Chapter Five

It had been just past midnight when we crossed the state line into Connecticut and Vanessa started grunting from the backseat. She had had moments when she came around, mumbled something incoherent than passed out again. I suspected this was once again, one of those moments. I wasn’t surprised it was taking so long for her to regain consciousness, even with the feedings. Her wound had been deep. She would need rest for a few more days before she would be able to hold her own. Izzy had done a number on her.

“So it’s true,” she groaned, with a raspy voice. “You think I’m the traitor?”

I looked in the rearview mirror. She lay lengthwise across the backseat, hunched over, holding her side. Her head bounced with the subtle spring of the car careening down the black top highway, but her wide eyes focused solely on me.

“Get some rest. You’ll need your strength.” My answer wasn’t much in the sense of comfort, but that’s all I could offer her.

She propped herself up on her elbow. “Why, so you can kill me later?” Her eyes glowed red. “I’d prefer you did it now and ended the hellacious pain I’m in.” Having said that, she collapsed back onto the seat, unconscious.

I couldn’t afford to tip my hand from I didn’t know what, yet. The problem was that I didn’t think she was smart enough to be the traitor. They would have had to do their research before coming to my clan and as much as a fledgling wants to believe that they can keep their thoughts from an elder, the truth is that they can’t. We can rip through every thought, every whisper, every belief a weaker vampire ever possessed. We choose not to, of course, but it is rather easy to do. I would have eventually found the traitor, unless the thought had been removed and only another elder could pull that off. Elders aren’t necessarily old. They’re powerful and any good vampire has the capacity of secretly accumulating power.

I wasn’t aware of anyone challenging me for my territories except for Alexander and I had made sure he was no longer a threat. So, this had to be personal.

Not too long ago, I had bled Helena, the gift Mistress Ryanne from Ireland had given Izzy and me for our union. There was Count Vladimir, whom I allowed to live even though his betrayal had caused Mila’s death. I immediately discounted Celeste, even though she is the catalyst for most of the problems Izzy and I have had and continue to face with the Soul Snatcher. She’s a vixen. She’s certainly no vampire elder.

I focused on keeping the car on the road. The darkness, the trees flying by, the blacktop road, and broken yellow lines had become monotonous. A driver’s nightmare.

We were only an hour outside the Faelyn city limits when I noticed I had been grinding my teeth, then felt the stiffness of my jaw. I turned the radio on for some needed distraction, but that didn’t help the anxiousness that crept along my skin and settled deep within me. Vanessa tossed and moaned in the backseat, but thankfully had not woken. Whatever magic was in the air, was affecting us both.

I turned the music up and rolled the window down. I was fine for a while, leaning my face out of the window like a dog riding in heaven. However, soon afterward, the constant and meticulous thump of the music got a hold of me. I turned the radio off, shifted in the small leather seat and hoped the cool night air hitting my face would break this road trance.

My plan was simple enough only because I didn’t have one. Abby was the one with a soul so, it temporarily precluded her from certain death. I concentrated on getting to Izzy’s house, then I would wing it. I would think of something meaningful to say that would convince her that we had to work together. I had to stick to my simple plan. No killing her keeper, yet.

After another hour of driving, I finally turned onto Izzy’s street and into a thick, eerie silence that blanketed the block. Even the sound of the barking dog I had passed moments ago was as if someone had hit the mute button on life. I pulled in front of her house and placed the car in park, noticing that even the sound of the engine had disappeared. I had a steel grip on the steering wheel and my anxiousness sharpened my senses.

Zoe, Izzy’s kitten, jumped up and balanced herself on the ledge of the driver’s door. Taking a step forward then back, she looked at me and meowed. Her little mouth opened and closed without a single sound emanating from her. I raised my brow and cocked my head, watching her deafened meows. I scanned the house. It was dark, giving the impression that its inhabitants had gone to bed. Nothing looked out of place. Zoe jumped onto the dashboard and showed her tiny white teeth. She was hissing at me. I hit the car’s horn and nothing. Not a sound escaped into the night.

I slammed the car door. Silence continued to reign. I shuffled the small rocks underneath my feet as I approached the front door. It didn’t help that my footsteps were inaudible, but I tried to make noise. The fleeting thought of knocking occurred to me, but I quickly dismissed it. They wouldn’t hear it anyway. I leaned my weight on the door and pushed hard enough to splinter the wood molding holding the lock’s latch in place. As the door swung open, the exhilarating smell of fear hit my senses. The door handle dug into the wall behind it, holding the door open. It was the first time I had seen the inside of their cozy little home. The furniture had been upturned, broken picture frames lay on the floor surrounded by glass shards, drawers turned upside down revealed their contents, motion sensors hung precariously by their thin wires, burn marks etched onto the walls and the smell of fresh blood lingered in the air.

The kitchen wasn’t in better shape. The dining room table was cracked in half. The smell of fear hovered heavily against the refrigerator, which leaned against the counter at a ninety-degree angle with a burn mark coating its side. Someone had tried to hold their ground here. Zoe coiled around my ankles. I looked down at her and she pranced down the hallway disappearing into one of the rooms. I followed. The bathroom was large, and in the same condition as the rest of the house—in total disarray. Everything had been knocked out of the medicine chest, and laid scattered on the floor. The shower curtain barely hung onto the rod by two hooks as steam rose from the tub behind it.

If I had a beating heart, it surely would have stopped as the smell of blood permeated my senses and the thought of Izzy’s dead body lying in the tub crossed my mind. I pulled the curtain back and found Abby instead. Zoe jumped into the tub and licked her face as her blood continued to wash down the drain. I turned the water off and left her there to search the rest of the house. The bedrooms were even worse than the rest of the house. The master bedroom had been the last stand before the fight was lost.

I returned to the bathroom and put a finger on Abby’s jugular, feeling for a pulse. It was slow and weak, but it was there. The spell made sense. They could come in, attack and not worry about waking the neighbors. There was no point in trying to talk to her here. We wouldn’t be able to hear each other. I grabbed Abby’s arm and flung her over my shoulder. I had to get us out and I had to do it fast before the spell wore off and the alarm screamed warning the neighbors and implicating me for this assault.

I opened the car’s back door and thought better of putting Abby next to Vanessa. She would surely take what little life Abby had left in her. I slammed the door, rounded the front of the car, opened the passenger’s front door and had Abby nearly in place when the spell broke and noise flooded the block. The house alarm cried alerting everyone that its boundaries were breached. The incessant barking of dogs joined several different car alarms in the wakeup call. One by one, the neighbor’s lights quickly started turning on. Swiftly, I slid over the hood of the car, landed on my feet, opened the door and had the engine revving within moments. I had to get us out of there before all hell threatened to break loose.

I was turning off the street by the time the first neighbor made it outside. I had cut it too close. I drove to the outskirts of a few towns over before I stopped to get a hotel room. The hotel looked skanky, but I didn’t have time to be picky about what I was getting. I convinced the desk clerk that we never showed up, took the keys, carried everyone inside the hotel room and hid the car. I couldn’t call Stacia to send a doctor for Abby. Hopefully, she was safely tucked away with Jaz and I wasn’t going to give anyone my exact location—not now.

I pulled the blankets off the beds, tucked them over the windows for added security from the sun and tucked Vanessa under one of the mattresses. She wouldn’t bother Abby during the day. Hell, she wouldn’t even twitch.

I laid Abby on the other twin bed, stripped her clothes and cleaned her wounds as best I could with what I had. I took advantage of the fact that she was already bleeding and lapped up some nourishment while I glided my tongue over her wounds, depositing my healing saliva in its wake. She had taken a serious beating. An eight-inch laceration on her back split her flesh open from shoulder to shoulder. Another deep cut ran halfway down her thigh. A thin, inch and a half slit just below her belly button told me she had been stabbed. Her face was the worst. A gash from the top right side of her forehead to the left bottom side of her chin ran deep enough to show bone. She may have lost vision in her right eye. My saliva had healing properties, not magical properties. Only time would tell.

I knew she was in shock and covered her with a spare blanket, trying to keep her body temperature warm. Retiring to the bathroom, I took a chair with me. I locked the door, and then I wedged the chair against the door handle. I would spend the day sitting on the toilet, which wasn’t my first choice or trapped inside the tiny tub until I was once again free of the suns grip and able to move around. I maneuvered myself into the tub, curled my legs up into my chest and waited patiently. The last thing I saw was Zoe’s big, bright golden eyes staring at me.

I stretched and my legs hit the back of the porcelain coffin. It was a great reminder of where I was, not that I could forget Izzy was missing. I sat up, clunked my head on the tile soap holder and stretched again. I was extremely stiff. I usually had better accommodations for the day. I heard a thump coming from the room and remembered that Abby and Vanessa were together, alone. I jumped out of the tub, ready to move the chair and instead found Zoe, curled up sleeping in its place. Curious.

Abby was lying on the floor. She had obviously tried to get up and fallen, which explained the thump I heard. She moaned and rolled onto her back, moaning more. Vanessa was still under the mattress, unmoving. The sun had not released her yet. Picking Abby up, I placed her back on the bed and inspected her wounds. Her back, thigh and belly had completely healed, but her face would take more time and she would carry a nasty scar to show for it.

“Find her,” she mumbled, grabbing my shirt collar.

I leaned closer. “Who. Who took her?” I whispered, penetrating my hypnotic voice into her sub-consciousness.

She breathed deeply and moaned. Tears ran down her cheek. “They came for her.” She coughed. “Too many. Couldn’t stop th—” She passed out.

Damn it! I would never get answers this way. We were wasting time. The only other Keeper I knew was Joan and I feared I had burned that bridge. I leaned on the bed, pushing my thoughts out to Joan. I scanned hundreds of minds within my close proximity, nothing. I pushed my mind out further. More humans and other vampires came to view, but no Joan and no Izzy. I concentrated, pictured myself back at the Casino in Joan’s presence.

You warned me to stay away. I had finally tapped into her mind.

I need your help, I confessed.

I’m not interested.

Please. I sent her my memories of the last twenty-four hours, every detail. Please help me find her, I begged.

As quickly as I had formed the mental connection with her, it was gone and a knock came from the door. I had expected to see Joan, not a stranger standing in the hallway.

“What!” I barked.

“Do you want your room cleaned?” she asked, leaning her thin, slick body past the doorframe trying to give the room a quick scan.

“No,” I said, not bothering to hide my disappointment as I started to close the door, but she stuck her foot against the door.

She smiled. “I heard that you needed help cleaning up.” As soon as she said that and, matching my own vampiric speed, she was on me. Her long, straight, black hair still fluttered in the wake of her speed as she pressed her lips to mine.

I didn’t have time for this. I started to push her away when Izzy came into view.

Don’t fight me, vampire, the stranger’s thought echoed in my mind. Think of your beloved. Her tongue pushed past my teeth, exploring my mouth. Think, she ordered.

Standing in the doorway, I gave myself over to her commands and thought of Izzy. I thought of our union, thought of us making love and of my love for her.

We weren’t alone. People entered the room. The ruckus around me jolted my thoughts away from Izzy.

Find her, vampire. The stranger encouraged while she pushed her tongue deeper into my mouth. Find your true love.

The world melted around me, leaving only my thoughts for Izzy. Through the darkness, a figure emerged. She was tied and bleeding.

She raised her head as if looking for me. Tamara, are you here?

Yes, my love. Put your head down, I suggested as anger burned deep within me. Don’t let them know we are speaking.

She heard me and lowered her head.

Where are you and who took you? I demanded and waited, but I got nothing. Izzy, I barked.

Huh?

Where are you?

I d-d-don’t know. She staggered. I-I’m tired.

Look around, my love. What do you see?

Darkness.

Izzy started fading from my mind. I couldn’t lose my connection with her and embraced the stranger in my arms, returning her passionate kiss.

Izzy, I thought. Think. What do you smell? What do you hear?

You are here. You are everywhere, she replied, confused. I wasn’t with her.

Feel her, vampire. The stranger pushed the thought into my mind. Moments later, fear inundated me, attacking me from all sides. I was helpless, tired, hungry and in pain. I felt a cold pressure against my wrists and ankles. Invisible shackles burned my skin, holding me in a sitting position with my arms raised above my head. Escape was impossible.

What do you see, vampire? the woman asked.

Darkness overcame me and my instincts screamed of impending danger. There was nothing except darkness.

Nothing, I thought.

What do you smell? The stranger’s voice reverberated through my mind.

I had to swallow the panic and the fear that Izzy felt in order to hone in on my predatory instincts. Vampires didn’t need vision. Our other senses were sharp enough to paint a perfect picture of our surroundings. As Izzy’s fear escalated, so did mine. I breathed deeply hoping it would help settle Izzy and that’s when I picked up a faint moldy undertone and dirt. Raw earth. Pheromones. Blood. Fear. Death. I’ll be damned! I picked up my own scent mixed with other vampires. I had recently been there, but there were too many other smells to narrow down where they were.

Feel the air, the stranger ordered and my skin tingled. My pores opened taking in moisture. It was wet. No, not wet. Humid. It felt cavernous. Stale. Old, strong magic prickled my skin.

Listen! the woman ordered. Hear that which she cannot.

I lost perception of everything else as I focused on the sounds around me. A painstakingly slow water drip caught my attention, and in the distance, the low howl of wind swooshed. Almost like the opening of a wind tunnel. Crickets chirped. Clicking. There was a lot of high-pitched clicking. I heard breathing and a heartbeat. She was not alone. Creaking, much like walking across a hard wood floor. Car horns blasted in the distance. I heard the squeal of steel on steel and the roar of a diesel engine. Then I heard the one long and two short whistle blasts that were customary for ferryboats captains to use to announce their arrival. Son of a bitch! She was near the station house I was staying at in New York.

Return to us, vampire. The woman’s silky voice started to dissolve my connection with Izzy. I fought to keep it open, but her call was more than I could handle, and in a last ditch effort, I pushed the thought out to Izzy that I loved her as the link faded.

Time was once again my own and the realization that I was lip locked with this mystical stranger washed over me. My fang nicked her tongue. I quickly lapped the drop of blood and flicked her tongue with mine as I explored her mouth further. The extreme passion that burned between us threatened to erase my memories of Izzy. I broke our kiss, gently caressing her lips with my tongue.

“Thank you.” For the first time, I couldn’t think of anything to say except to profess my gratitude.

She leaned back enough to look me in the eye. “Do not thank me yet, my vampira. You owe me a favor and I will collect it soon. Now, go and save your beloved.” She smiled, pressed her soft lips against mine, then walked out of the hotel room.

I expected to find everyone where I had left them, but the only one in the room with me was Joan leaning on the dresser and Zoe, asleep on a pillow.

“Glad I could help,” Joan said, while standing up and straitening her shirt.

“Thank you,” I humbly offered.

“Are we friends again?” She cocked her brow and offered a handshake.

I didn’t want to forgive her, but she had helped me find Izzy. I suppose that kind-of, sort-of made up for trapping me in a roomful of innocent children. “Don’t ever do that again, or I will bleed you,” I promised as I shook her hand.

“Fine, in that case, let’s go get Izzy.” She smiled and pulled me in to her, hugging me.

“Where are Abby and Vanessa?” I asked, swooping Zoe up in my arms. “And where the hell did you come from?”

“Keepers have a way of getting around, and your friends are being cared for.”

“If that’s the case, take me to the city. It’ll save me a few hours of drive time.”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t work that way. Only Keepers can move about the way we do. We had to physically move Vanessa out of here. You would never survive the trip.”

I nodded. I wasn’t happy but I accepted her response. “Vanessa will not pass your children’s test,” I assured her. “She is a youngling and I do not want to see harm come to her.”

Joan chuckled. “No, of course not. She’ll be well cared for until she heals.” She exhaled while motioning a cross over her heart. “My word.” We had made it to the car when Joan stopped, looked at me curiously and put her hand out. “Give me the keys.”

“I am perfectly capable of driving.”

“No doubt, but you have another issue to tend to while I drive.” She motioned her hand forward.

“Do you know where we’re going?” I held the key up, not willing to give it up yet.

“Yes, smarty pants, Erika allowed me to look inside your mind when you found Izzy now hand over the key.” She curled her fingers in a give me manner.

I slapped the key into her palm, put Zoe in the backseat and got comfortable in the front.

“Who’s Erika?” I asked, snapping the seatbelt in place.

“Oh, no one important. She’s only the one that helped you find Izzy.”

“No need to get snippy, it’s not like she introduced herself before she mind fucked me and what favor do I owe her.”

“I have no idea.” She shrugged.” I guess that’s her call.”

We had been quiet for a majority of the trip and that was the problem with letting someone else drive, I get very bored very quickly and start fidgeting with things that perhaps, I shouldn’t mess with. I spotted a loose wire under the dashboard and pulled on it, causing the radio to go dead. Joan reprimanded me and forbade me from pulling on any more wires. I slouched into the seat as I looked at another hour or two before we were back in New York.

“Okay.” I broke the silence. “What do I have to tend to?”

Joan sucked her teeth. How annoying.

“Well?” I asked.

“Well, what?” she retorted.

I rolled my eyes. “Forget it.” I shifted in the seat, leaning my forehead on the window. I would rather stare at the trees passing by than to play this word game with her.

“Meow?” a woman’s voice called as a hand from the backseat touched my shoulder.

I jumped and turned, coming face to face with a sultry, longhaired brunette. Her wide, innocent brown eyes were staring at me while my eyes followed the curvature of her naked body.

“You’re the cat?” I spewed.

She smiled. “No, the cat is me.”

“You’re a werecat?”

She shook her head. “No, silly. I’m a werehuman.”

I’m sure confusion wore a great look on my face because she looked at Joan and said, “You’re right. She’s not comprehending.” She giggled.

“Wait a minute.” I turned completely around in the front seat to get a better view of her. “You’re Zoe, the cat.” My question sounded more like a statement. “But you’re not a werecat. You’re a werehuman.” My statement resonated like a question.

“Yes,” she purred.

Joan laughed a hearty laugh, veering the car slightly out of the lane.

“Now, you understand.” She stretched and then sniffed her arm.

“Okay, Lucy,” Joan bellowed in a thick, Latin accent. “I think you need to splain.”

“No, not Lucy.” Zoe rolled her eyes in what looked like frustration. “I like Zoe. It suits me well.”

I laughed. This couldn’t have been a better who’s on first if we had practiced it.

“Humans,” she puffed, making it sound insulting. “I don’t understand how you have lived this long. I,” she pointed to herself, “am a werehuman. My natural form is of a kitten. A big,” she spread her hands apart showing a large space between them, “kitten that occasionally becomes a human. You,” she pointed at me, “are a vampire that is usually a bitch, but you have redeeming qualities.” She plopped against the backseat, looked at me and smiled.

Joan burst with another set of uncontrollable laughter.

I stared at woman—the cat—the thing that was purring in the backseat and then at Joan. “I think I’ve been insulted,” I whined.

“Hey,” Zoe yelled.

I turned my attention back to her.

“Do you understand?” she asked.

“I think so. Tell me if I’m wrong. You’re a cat that turns into a human when you choose to.” I smiled at her. “Technically, you could have saved Izzy, but you didn’t, so I should get you fixed and lock your flea-infested ass up in a small kennel with a yapping Chihuahua for the rest of your life. Do I understand?” I grinned, making sure the pointed tips of my pearly, whites showed.

“Uh, no.” She shook her head quickly. “I’m not broken, there’s nothing to fix and I can’t control when I turn.” She lowered her voice. “I’m not saying that anything is wrong with me, but I’m a little skittish. If I’m scared, I can’t stay in human form.”

“Wait. The pussy’s a pussy?” I laughed.

Oh, this was classic. This was the group that was going to help me get Izzy back. I immediately contemplated staking myself and saving the Soul Snatcher the hassle.

Zoe hissed at me. “Meany.”

“Well, at least we’re in the city now,” Joan interrupted. “Are you ready, Tamara? We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Yes, yes. Get us there.”

I turned to Zoe and found her kitten-self sitting there, looking pretty. “Wimp,” I mumbled and she stretched, digging her little, sharp claws into the leather seat.

“Do you have a plan?” Joan accelerated, passing the slow pokes occupying the left lane. “Or are you just going to run in and tear the house apart?”

She made a good point. If I stormed in, it would alert them that I had figured out their hiding place. How they had managed to find a cave, under the house to hide Izzy was beyond me, but it showed that whoever was behind this was one sadistic son-of-a-bitch. I wouldn’t put it past them to kill Izzy on the spot. I leaned into the backseat and picked Zoe up by the scruff. She hissed, but I knew I wasn’t hurting her. I held her face to face and stared into her eyes. “You’re going in the house and you’re going to find a way for us to get inside that cave or I’m going to feed you to a mangy, hungry, attack dog.”

Zoe went totally slack, her little arms and legs dangled in the air and then she started purring. I took that as an understanding between us. Just then the car leapt forward, out of control, sending us into the concrete medium. I lost my grip on Zoe and, spitting, she fell onto the floorboard by my feet. A large, black suburban had rammed into us from behind. Joan yelled, “Hang on,” while she struggled to regain control. The car jerked to the right, then the left before she straightened it out and gunned the accelerator. “We got company.”

Zoe hid under my seat and Joan tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

“Turn around,” I ordered. “Get us away from the city.”

“What? Are you serious?” She looked at me. I gave her the I’m-as-serious-as-a-heart-attack look.

“Fine.” She careened the car onto the off ramp. Driving on the shoulder, we whizzed by stopped cars. The suburban followed. At the light, Joan hit the brakes and we skidded into the middle of the intersection, barely missing slamming into a passing truck. The car tilted, threatening to roll and for a moment, I worried about Joan and Zoe. I would survive a rollover, unscathed. They would not. The vehicle slammed back down on all four tires and Joan gunned it. She hooked a left at the next light. The black truck slid into position following us. We sped back onto the highway, leaving the sounds of squealing brakes and honking horns behind us as we headed in the same direction we had come from.

“Now what?” she shrieked. The excitement in her voice carried over. I felt her adrenaline rush inundate the car.

“Find a secluded place and pull off the road.” I put my hands on the dashboard to keep from being thrown around as she weaved past slower moving cars.

“Oh yeah,” she barked. “Let me just pull a place out of my ass.”

We drove for several miles before she found a secluded exit surrounded by nothing, but large trees.

“Pull off and hit the brakes. Once I’m out, pull the car over there and wait for me.” I pointed to a small grouping of trees.

The car skidded to a stop, kicking up a blanket of dirt and rocks. I jumped out, landed on my feet and waited until the suburban approached. It skidded to a stop. A large, burly man with brown hair cut in a military fashion—high and tight, probably in his late forty’s jumped out of the driver’s side. He leaned on the hood of the SUV, aiming a forty caliber, semi automatic pistol at no particular spot. The little dust storm had blinded his line of sight. I raced behind him, pulled the weapon from his hands and dug my fangs deep into his neck. I fed quickly. My razor sharp bite had only one purpose— to feed quickly. It was not intended to heal. The passenger door opened. A tall, slender brunette with a pixie cut hairdo yelled, “Stop!” as she slammed her arms down on the hood and pointed a similar weapon at me. Within a fraction of a second, I was at her back, tapping her on the shoulder.

“Oh shit,” she mumbled, placing the gun on the hood, splaying her fingers over it. “I guess it doesn’t matter that we’re FBI.”

“Should it matter?” I curiously asked.

The woman lowered her head as if she was watching her life flash before her. Unfortunately, I knew the routine all too well. The bargaining would come next, then the groveling.

“Well, in that case, do it and get it over with,” she confidently replied. “Unless your some sick bitch and expect me to beg, then I assure you that ain’t going to happen.” She emphasized that.

Interesting. “Why were you following us?” I grabbed her shoulder, turning her around to face me. I looked deep into her green eyes. They’ve said that a person’s eyes are a window into their souls. I knew this to be true. I didn’t need to look into the dead man’s eyes. His energy vibrated of evil doings long before my fangs cut into him. The world would be better without him.

“Because since vam—” She stopped herself. “You’re kind came out of the coffin, not one of you had been willing to sit down and talk to us.” She forced a smile. Her pulse increased and her breathing changed.

She lied. I knew for a fact that several vampire’s had donated their time to be, as she put it, interviewed. It consisted mostly of their agents wielding crosses and clutching onto bottles of holy water while they interviewed one of my kind. The entirety of it became a joke and we stopped co-operating.

“Not one?” I asked, raising a brow.

“Well,” she looked down, avoiding my gaze. “Not the way we would like anyway.”

“So you followed us and sacrificed the life of an agent to get my attention?”

“Yes, we followed you and,” she paused, weighing her words carefully. “Jackson was a dumbass. I told him not to draw his weapon.” She looked me in the eye. “He got what he deserved.”

Big words for a small woman. I felt her fear, but it wasn’t fear of dying. It was fear of suffering. A typical human emotion.

“So, are we going to get all intimate now?” Joan dragged her feet as she approached, stopping at the fallen man, she shook her head. “That’s just great. What do we do with him?” She then looked at the woman. “And with her?”

Turning to look at Joan, the woman bumped me with her shoulder. “Hi,” she extended her hand. “I’m Bright. Agent Carly Bright, FBI.”

Joan just stared, not moving to take her hand. After a second, she said, “Kill her. Let’s go.”

I stepped toward her.

“Whoa,” Bright protested, taking a step back and holding her hands in the air as if surrendering. “I can help. I know about the cave.”

That stopped me. “What cave?”

“The one under the house. I found it the other day. I know about the entrance and I know where Izzy is.”

Bright may have just won herself a few more hours of life.

“Oh?”

“Look, its simple.” She smiled. “You need my info and I want your help. We can work together and everyone comes out a winner. What do you say?”

I walked past Joan toward the car. “You had better be right, or it will cost you your life. Leave the truck here.”

“You can’t be serious?” Joan griped as she followed me. “She’s with the fucking FBI.” Her words were sharp.

“Let’s go,” I ordered while I snapped my seatbelt into place.

Carly piled in the backseat and Joan started the car. “Wait,” I said, noticing that the kitten wasn’t in the car. “Zoe,” I bellowed out the window. “Zoe, we’re leaving shithead. Get back here now or stay.”

“You talk to cats?” Bright asked, amused.

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it.” Joan snickered.

Zoe ran out from underneath some bushes, jumped through the window landing on my lap and Joan sped back onto the highway.

Chapter Six

We pulled onto the street and Joan stopped the car.

“Well?” Joan asked.

“There are two entrances. One at the house and one a few hundred yards away, in the neighbor’s backyard.”

Joan parked the car in front of the house and cut the engine. I stepped out and holding the door open, I whispered at Bright. “If you’re wrong. I’ll kill you slowly and painfully.”

“As opposed to killing me quickly and humanely?” she answered, climbing out of the backseat. I grinned. I think I would like this Carly Bright if she lived through the night.

We approached the house quietly as if not wanting to awaken sleeping parents. I stood on the porch and the smell of death hit me. I held my hand out keeping Joan behind me while I slowly opened the front door. Everything looked as tidy as I had left it, with the exception of the death that permeated the air.

“Wait here,” I whispered. “I need to check the upstairs.” Moving inhumanly fast, I climbed the stairs and checked each room individually. Strange. The house was empty. I had expected to run into at least one of my fledglings.

I was only gone a minute, two max, when I returned. “No one’s here. Let’s go.” I pushed Bright ahead of me. “Lead the way.”

She stumbled forward. Cautiously, heading toward the kitchen. Stopping just inside, she motioned to the built-in bookcase along the wall. “It’s a trap door. I found it a couple of weeks back.”

“You were in my house uninvited?” I asked, annoyed.

“Give me credit. At least, I didn’t stake your ass while you slept.” She crossed to the bookcase. “Help me, it’s pretty heavy.”

Touché. She could have done more than just trespassed. For now, I would have to trust her. I grabbed one end of the fake bookcase. It slid open rather easily revealing a rickety staircase leading down to a darkened tunnel. I smelled death, blood, mold and… Izzy. I scrunched my nose, not a good aroma.

Bright stepped aside and motioned for me to go first. “No offense, but I don’t like dark spaces.”

I rolled my eyes. The wooden step creaked and complained about the weight I had put on it. I pushed its limits as I continued to descend the spiral stairs. I kept an eye out for cobwebs, but it seemed that Bright caught most of them when she had snooped around my house. I really hated spiders. Zoe, in kitten form, brushed past me and continued down into the darkness. A few minutes later, we were all up to our ankles in muddy water. Shit! At least, I was wearing my boots. A small ledge rose above the water and occupied either side of the tunnel.

“Yuk!” Joan whispered. “It smells like sewage down here. Why couldn’t we land on the ledge instead of in the giant toilet bowl?”

“I know what you—”

My fangs clicked down. I turned to both of them with a harsh look.

“Interesting,” Bright said. “Your eyes glow blue, not red.”

I shook my head and moved forward. I dragged my feet through the muddy water careful not to splash. The girls had climbed on the concrete edge and followed. If I had been trying to sneak up on anyone, the girls had ruined it. Even Miss FBI was noisy. I followed Izzy’s scent. She was close by.

One hundred yards ahead, the tunnel split into two directions. I inhaled deeply letting the smells lead me. This took me to the left tunnel.

The girl’s stepped off the dry perch and sloshed their way behind me. I stopped. Not more than fifty feet in, Daniel’s body laid, sprawled on the ground. His torso split open from a very large knife or a sword. I couldn’t tell which. The rats had already indulged themselves and eaten the viable organs. Leaving an empty cavity. He had apparently been here several days. I would have to put Daniel to true rest once I was done here. Joan gasped and Bright just made a raspy throat noise, as they slowly moved past him.

The tunnel narrowed, lining us up in single file. The further we went in, the darker it got. My eyes adjusted quickly, but looking back, I saw Bright and Joan were having difficultly staying close to me.

“Come on,” I said, positioning Bright’s hand on my slicker’s belt loop.

Twenty yards ahead, the tunnel opened up into a large cavern with a light blue haze. If I had to guess, I’d say it was the size of a football field, maybe two, and as tall as a twenty story building. Crystal Stalactites with large points hung a third of the way down from the ceiling. The temperature dropped by at least ten to fifteen degrees and a constant trickle of water echoed through the open space.

“Keep going. Izzy’s on the other side,” Bright offered.

I heard Zoe meow. It sounded urgent. I spotted her beady little eyes shining at the other far end of the cavern and rushed to her side. Alice lay behind a massive boulder, sliced open like Daniel had been. I scooped her up onto my lap and she opened her eyes.

“Miss T?” She forced the words through her dry throat. “Is that you?”

Maternal instincts grabbed me as I saw sweet Alice rotting like garbage. Whoever had done this would pay with their life. I wiped the dirt off her face. “Yes, child. I am here.”

She smiled, then coughed. “I knew you’d come.” She then passed out.

She needed blood—fast or she would end up like Daniel. I reached inside my right boot and pulled one of my backup blades from its sheath. Without thought, I cut my hand and allowed my blood to drip into her mouth. Anger boiled inside me, filling me, propelling me to move forward.

Zoe lay next to Alice’s head and started licking her face.

“I know, girl,” I said, reaching out and scratching her head. “Stay with her until I return.”

I licked the blade clean and stuck it back in its sheath.

“I could have done without seeing that,” Bright huffed as she and Joan got closer.

“One of you stays here and keeps her company. She deserves better than this.” I stood and dusted off my pants. “I’m going on.”

The end of the cavern narrowed to a smaller tunnel that I had to crawl through. I heard voices. I stopped. There was chanting and Celeste’s voice ran through the undertone of the rhythmic cantillate. Izzy’s ear-shrieking scream vibrated my eardrums. I shuffled forward disregarding any dangers I might find. Coming to a small opening in the wall, I leapt out and rolled to a stop in the middle of the torch lit room. I noticed seven cloaked figures stood in a semi-circle around Izzy. To the right was an altar. A semitransparent hooded man stood watching me. Celeste stood to the left of him, her face in awe.

One of the figures lunged toward me. His fist connected with my side. Damn, that hurt. I swiveled on my heels missing his next punch. Another cloaked figure was on me from behind. He grabbed my throat and lifted me to my feet. I elbowed him in the gut. He dropped me. Before my feet touched the ground, a perfectly executed kick slammed into my side. Ribs cracked as her foot drove home the impact. Had I been alive that kick surely would have sent me to my maker. My only saving grace was that I had faced death centuries ago. A fist came at me. I blocked. I swung out. Another punch. I blocked, parried and swung. A blow into my back sent me to my knees. Instantly, I was being pummeled without reprieve. I looked up and saw the cavern ceiling. Much lower than the one I had just been in. I positioned my weight on my foot and heaved with everything I had, sending myself up. I clung to the rock, upside down. Bet they didn’t know I could do that. For a single moment, I felt relieved. The hooded man raised his head, magic oozed from his being. He stared at me. My skin prickled like fire ants digging their nasty little mandibles me. Then with a wave of his hand, the cloaked figures nodded their heads and son of a bitch, they started climbing the rock walls.

I waited until one of the creepy crawlies cleared the wall behind the altar and jumped. I did a full roll in the air and landed on my feet next to Celeste, taking her in my grip. “Anyone moves. She dies.” I stared at the half-formed man materializing before me.

He pointed at the center of the room. Izzy was up on her feet with a knife pressed against her throat so tightly that she had started to bleed. They were serious. I understood the silent bargaining. Izzy’s life for Celeste’s. I pushed Celeste into the now almost complete figure. She grabbed the altar to stop her fall. Two cloaked figures approached and slapped silver shackles onto my wrists. I felt the burning of skin before I smelled it. I knew that blisters would soon form. If I stayed shackled in silver for too long, it was possible that the silver would eventually burn through my wrist, leaving me without hands. Vampires had always had a severe allergy to silver.

They pushed me away from the altar and toward the center of the room. One of them kicked my feet out from underneath me as I got close to Izzy. Another slammed her fist into my face and I heard Izzy gasp for air. I tasted blood swell in my mouth—busted lip or busted tooth, I couldn’t tell. They all took turns beating me before forcing me to my feet.

“You shouldn’t have come,” Izzy whimpered.

“Shhhh,” I hissed through a busted lip and tried to smile.

“Ah, isn’t that sweet?” Celeste proclaimed. “You still love her!” she barked accusingly.

Celeste exposed herself from behind with a bounce to her steps, advancing toward me. Gingerly, she wiped away the blood from my lips. “All this could have been avoided if you’d only taken me as your wife.” She caressed my face. “Oh poor baby, your eye is swollen shut. I can fix that.” She carefully pressed her lips upon my swollen face, kissing my temple. “I can’t save your life. You see,” she turned and blew altar-man a kiss. “My new husband, the Snatcher, wants me to prove my love for him. I must kill you while he kills Izzy. Isn’t that right, honey-love?”

I snuck a look to Izzy. Celeste had unequivocally lost her mind. If I had only listened to Izzy when she argued that Celeste must die, we wouldn’t be in this position, now.

“My honey loves me so much that he agreed to let me sleep with you before I kill you…” She paused, then with a cheerful note added, “While your precious one watches.”

Izzy’s eyebrows shot up. I shook my head, no at her and for the first time I prayed. I prayed that she understood not to say anything.

“I will never sleep with you, Celeste. Haven’t you shamed your family enough? End this nonsense,” I demanded through clenched teeth.

She opened her mouth in an O, then bellowed, “Prepare her!”

At once, several cloaked figures encircled me and led me to farthest wall. One cloaked figure unbuttoned my shirt while another stood behind me with a silver cross. As one unshackled my wrists, the one behind me pressed the silver cross to my back and instinctively I leaned forward to get away from the burning. Two more pulled my slicker and my shirt off, leaving only my leather pants and Harley boots. Then I felt the renewed burning of the silver shackles trap my wrists again. They had clipped a chain attached to a pulley to the three-inch chain between the shackles. This did not look good. I tried to call my fledglings, but my thoughts resonated back into my mind. I tried to call Layla, but again, nothing. Whatever magic he had used, blocked my mental connections with my clan. Slowly, one of the figures pulled the chain and my arms rose with it until I stood with my arms above my head. The blisters broke open, sending a new pain through me, but I refused to scream.

The sound of Izzy sobbing, broke my heart. I wanted to cuddle her in my arms and reassure her that this would pass, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t sure we would make it out of here alive.

Celeste leaned into me, putting her full weight against my bare back. “I knew you would never agree to sex with me,” she whispered in my ear. “So I’m going to flog you into submission.” She cracked a whip behind me.

“No!” Izzy pleaded.

I heard the panic in her voice and assumed it was more than a regular whip Celeste had cracked in the air.

Starting at my waist, on the center of my back, she ran her tongue up to my neck, nibbled my ear and said, “Oh yeah, I had it specially made for you. It’s got silver tips.”

Yeah, that was going to hurt. “You’ve always been such a tease. Get it over with, Celeste.” I goaded her.

“As you wish, Matriarch,” she breathed into my ear.

Ah, shit. This was really going to suck. I tensed, waiting for the first crack to hit my skin. I heard her footsteps one after the other. Then she stopped and shuffling her feet, she turned. I couldn’t tell which direction she faced. “We’re not going to hold you, but every time you move, she gets three extra lashes.”

“No, please,” Izzy begged through sobs.

Feet shuffled, a deep breath, and I felt the tearing of skin across my back as I heard the crack of the whip. I leaned into the wall, clenching my jaw. I wouldn’t give Celeste the satisfaction of hearing me so much as whine.

Crack. I felt warmth run down my bare back. Blood.

Crack. I grabbed the chain above my hands. My fingers and palm burned. Damn it that was silver, too.

Crack. I clenched my jaw as the silver tore through my skin. You, good for nothing fucking bitch of a Goddess, answer me! I mentally called out as my world faded to black.

You called? I heard Layla answer.

I opened my eyes. I was no longer in the cavern, shackled, and Celeste was nowhere around. I was in an exceptionally green meadow covered with flowers and trees. The sunshine glistened on my skin. I gasped in fear of what the sun may do to me. Realizing that my skin wasn’t burning and there was no smoke, I took a deep breath, taking in the smell of fresh roses, lavender and freshly cut grass while I enjoyed its warmth. Small boulder’s scattered the landscape. Some radiated with beautiful hues of blues, and pinks while others blended into the darker purples, maroons and eventually black. The soft gentle breeze shook the leaves, making a rustling sound that sounded like a chorus of greenery. I couldn’t explain it any better than that. When you’ve been allergic to the sun for as long as I have, things just smell green. The sky was perfect. Cotton ball clouds slowly moving across a blue expanse of colors.

“What took you so long? That shit hurt.”

“Uh,” Layla snickered. “Sorry I didn’t come running when you beckoned. I was a little busy.”

“Busy,” I huffed. “I was getting a silver lashing for the love of blood. You couldn’t have made an exception?”

She cocked her head, raised a brow and wore a crooked smile.

“What?” I growled, her lackadaisical attitude grated my nerves. “What’s the stupid look for?”

“You need to know that you’re still getting flogged.” She pointed down. I looked through what seemed like a transparent floor, allowing me to see everything going on below and was immediately sorry I did. I saw myself splayed against the wall. Izzy sobbed behind Celeste as she cracked the whip into my back unmercifully.

“How much longer do I have?”

“Before what?” Layla questioned.

“Before my end is inevitable.”

She laughed. “You will be around for many more years to come, my friend. Right now, you must focus on besting the Soul Snatcher.”

“And how, pray tell, do I do that?” I raised my head and closed my eyes, letting the sun hit my skin.

“This—” Layla waved her hands around— “is where you find the Snatcher. If you defeat him here, half your battle is won.”

I looked down again and my anger started to rise. Celeste cracked the whip, blood seeped down my back soaking into my black leather pants. Izzy had curled up into a ball, crying while hysterically begging. “Stop. Please stop.”

“How do I find him?”

Layla put her hand on my arm. “Look closely, Tamara. Everyone has a thread of life that attaches them to the ultimate energies of life. Sometimes, those threads are interweaved with others, but there is ultimately only one that links a person to the ever-after. You must find his thread and sever it.”

I stared at the Soul Snatcher for the longest time, trying to see his thread, but I kept coming up empty. All I saw was him standing in the same room as Izzy and not being able to protect her from these two maniacs. I sat on the green grass, Indian style and changed tactics. I stared at Celeste until my eye’s crossed and that’s when I saw it. I had to do the same thing with the optical illusion pictures I used to look at.

Once I relaxed, I could see the stupid is it a rabbit or duck photo. Regardless, I couldn’t deny that a thin, grayish black thread emanated from Celeste. I followed it as it weaved and knotted through other threads, pulling color from each one. Izzy’s, mine, Shamana’s and then I saw the Snatcher’s black, almost nonexistent thread. His pulsed. Every contraction pulled yet more life from Celeste’s fiber while hers sucked on the others. It was a spaghetti bowl mess. Looped, knotted, backtracked and pulled so tightly in some areas, I thought it impossible to figure out.

I kept following it, even though I had to do some backtracking on my own, but I got it and followed his putrid string. Not wanting to lose sight of it, I got up slowly, following it to the middle of a field. The only thing I saw were more trees, beautiful vivid flowers, grass and more boulders. I could have sworn that it led right here. I looked around. There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. I was the only one here, how could that be? I was very careful to trace his line exactly to where I stood and all that was there was a boulder. I leaned on the rock, confused.

The moment I touched it, I felt power flow through me and saw his figure shimmer between the materialized man and the ghostly looking figure that attacked Izzy and I in the alley. How in the hell was I to destroy this boulder? I could punch it until it broke into tiny pieces, but that would take too long. I stared at the images below me. Izzy had been grabbed and was being led to a different room, Celeste and the Snatcher left me, leaving my body to hang there, beaten, bleeding and powerless to do anything.

Celeste! I could use her line to smash his. I focused until I had found it, and followed it to a smaller stone. As I picked it up, ripping it away from the earth, I heard Celeste scream. I had no idea how much time I had before the Snatcher figured out what was happening. I raced back to the Snatcher’s rock. I packed all my strength into hurling Celeste’s stone against the Snatcher’s.

It hit, chipping off a large chunk. Celeste and the Snatcher both screamed. I picked it up again and slammed them together. Again another scream. Celeste, it seemed, had a much harder stone than her new husband did. How poetic that I should use hers to demolish his. So be it. I plowed the rocks together until there was only small fragments left of the Snatcher’s. As the last piece fell apart, I saw his thread disappear. He would bother no one for a very long time.

Now, the only thing was Celeste. Her boulder, fractured and cracked still harbored her physical ties to my world. I looked down to my feet. She lay on the ground squealing in pain. Her servants surrounded her from the perceived attack. I felt an enormous jostling that pulled me down. With steadfast speed, I crashed into my own body and into the ocean of pain that awaited me.

Carly had me on my back and in her arms. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, unsnapping the shackles. “I couldn’t get close enough to help you sooner.”

“Izzy?” My voice rumbled through clenched teeth.

“They took her,” Carly whispered as if afraid of being heard.

“Feed.” I tightened my jaw in pain. “I must feed.”

“Yeah, I figured as much,” she replied nervously. “Please don’t bleed me.” As I felt her skin press against my lips, she said, “You owe me, big.”

Great. I owed two people now. I sunk my fangs in, deep. I had no time to waste if I wanted to get to Celeste while she was down. Carly moaned. I was in a hurry, but I would not let her feel the agony of having an artery sliced open. As I drank, I felt my wounds closing. It would take more feeding to heal silver wounds, but it was a start. I took Carly just over the edge of unconsciousness and slowly laid her down. I stood, feeling the blood still running down my back and took off to gather Izzy and finish Celeste.

I entered the bedroom they were hiding in. Celeste lay in the center of the floor. Her faithful minions had abandoned her. Izzy had been tied to the bedposts, her clothes still intact. Thank the Goddess! Celeste tried crawling her way to an opening in the wall. I leapt, blocking her escape.

“My sweet Tamara,” she coughed blood. “Would you kill the one who loves you?” More coughing. Blood splattered on my boots.

I looked at Izzy, then at the pathetic mess lying at my feet.

“No,” I replied, as I helped Celeste to her feet.

Celeste’s lips formed a weak smile and her eye’s shone with a bit of hope.

“Not only would I never kill the one who loves me,” I said, looking at Izzy, then turning my attention back to Celeste. “I would die to protect her, even if she didn’t love me anymore.” Celeste’s smile quickly disappeared as I plunged my hand inside her chest, wrapped my fingers around her pulsing heart and ripped it out of her cavity. Her body slumped forward. I pushed it back, letting it fall to the ground. I stepped over her and untied a severely beaten Izzy from the bedpost.

“Let’s get you back to Abby,” I said, lifting her into my arms. “I’m sure she’s worried about you.” I placed a kiss on her forehead.

“Promise me, you’ll never let me go.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and cried.

That was a promise I fully intended to keep.

Two months have passed since the ordeal with Celeste and Snatcher. Izzy and I both returned to Florida where we belong. Izzy explained that she ran off with Abby because the witching community that Celeste was hiding in would not have taken well to a vampire running around among them and she could have lost the only opportunity to find Celeste. She also thought I would have interfered with her tracking Celeste down and killing the Vixen bitch. Abby has left my territories hopefully, never to return again.

I have kept the secret about Zoe being a werehuman even though I’m still not totally sure how that works. The only time I threatened to reveal her secret was when she attacked me after having inhaled catnip. Note to self. Cat drugs make a mean pussy.

Joan has returned to the Keepers and has told me that she is now the official Keepers’ vampire liaison. I have yet to find my traitor, but I will keep looking. As for my debt with Carly Bright, I put in an official request that she become lead investigator in any supernatural cases in the Florida District—specifically working hand-in-hand with the Hightower Clan learning about our way of life. Unfortunately, that meant she would be around more than I had anticipated. It wasn’t going to do my reputation any good if my community thought I was turning soft on humans, but hell, it wouldn’t hurt either. Maybe this Bright—Carly Bright would actually learn a thing or two.

My wounds finally healed completely and tonight was all about Izzy and me being together. We’ve tried to be intimate, but silver is a bitch of a weapon! Every time we started to get just a little too rough, my back would start bleeding. So, we swore off sex for a while. I will forever carry the scars of Celeste and the Soul Snatcher.

I turned on the four-person hot tub in my bathroom, decorated the bathroom with the smelly candles Izzy liked and popped open a bottle of the best champagne. Tonight, I would spoil her and tomorrow, I would tell her what my debt to Erika entails.

“Are you joining me?” Izzy called out from the bathroom. “The water’s great.”

“Yes, dear. Give me a minute to finish undressing.” I had been out feeding and found Izzy awake waiting for me. Lately, her liquid diet appetite hasn’t been up to par, so she’s stayed home the last few times I’ve gone out. An educated guess told me that it would soon change.

“Come up. Hurry,” she whined.

I pulled my shirt off and slipped out of my jeans. On Izzy’s recommendation, I’ve been wearing jeans more often than my usual leathers. Yeah, not digging it. I like the cool feel of the leather nestled tightly against my skin. I stepped into the bubbly tub. She scooted over and I took my traditional position next to her.

“You were out late tonight.” She stuck her hand in front of the jet, aiming the pulse of water toward me. “I was missing you.”

I put my arm around her shoulders and hugged her closer to me. “You should not miss me. I always come home to you.”

“I know, but lately I feel a little overprotective of you.” She laughed. “I don’t know why. Forget it.”

Oh, I knew. That’s what I had to talk to her about, but first, we needed to tend to affairs of the heart. Well, not necessarily the heart, but just as important. We soaked in the tub for nearly twenty minutes before the warmth penetrated my cold insides, making me feel alive again.

I filled her champagne glass and watched her down it in one swig. She placed the glass on the tile floor behind her, then gave me a quirky little smile. “Come here, big girl. Mama’s missed you.” The corner of her lip rose slightly and quivered as her smile grew.

I didn’t need another invitation. I was on her, kissing her warm, wet chest. Her nipples were ripe, ready for the taking. She wrapped her legs around my waist and arched her back as I flicked her nipple with my tongue, then sucked.

“I love you,” she whimpered, bringing herself back into a sitting position on my lap.

The warmth of her body lured me closer. All the sexual energy I had felt while away from her, rushed back to me in a fury. I wanted her now, but I couldn’t bring myself to ruin the moment. I would be patient.

“Je t'aime aussi, ma petite diablesse,” I whispered, caressing her back.

“That sounds so romantic. What does it mean?” She threw her head back giggling, showing the tips of her baby fangs. Her neck fully stretched.

“I love you, too, my little troublemaker.”

Sweat beaded, seductively caressing her skin as it traveled onto her chest and blended into the steamy pool of water. Picasso couldn’t have painted a more beautiful portrait of anyone. “I forgot you spoke French.”

“Among a few others,” I reminded her, as I kissed her luscious neck.

She tightened her legs around me, massaging her groin against my front. Slowly moving up and then down, rubbing her essence on me—marking me as her property. Unconsciously, her vampire was slowly emerging. We are extremely territorial. She tucked my face in between her breasts.

“Touch me.” Her voice carried a hint of desperation.

I stood, taking her with me and carried her to our bed. Starting at her neck, I laid soft delicate kisses along the contour of her body, while I followed her curves down to her hips. Then I slowly worked my way to her trimmed patch of hair. Using my tongue to tease her, I deposited more kisses on the sensitive area between her thigh and crotch. Goose bumps bristled onto her skin as she spread her legs and the sweet smell of her pheromones engulfed me. I wish I could bottle that smell and carry it with me everywhere I went. My mouth lingered just above her well-trimmed patch as my warm, intentional breath barely swept over her. She raised her hips to me. I pushed her back down. I would take my time, driving her totally insane with passion before I allowed her to surrender to the pleasures I planned.

“Please!” She raised her hips again.

“Shh,” I said, making sure that my breath bounced across her pubic hair.

“I don’t—”

Her desperation sounded stronger.

“Shh,” I repeated as I pushed her down and rested my hand right above her hairline. I flicked her hair with my tongue and she arched her back. “If you move again, I will stop.”

Izzy let out an exasperated sigh and slid her hands under her back.

“Good. Now spread your legs wider.” I moved closer, stopped and checked to make sure she had laid perfectly still.

I caressed the inside of the thigh, lightly brushing my fingers through her hair. She moaned, but obeyed. I rewarded her by spreading her lips and licking her moist opening. She shifted toward me. I stopped and waited. After several still minutes, I continued. Running my tongue to the tip of her opening, I lingered, lapping up the sweetness that dripped from her cavity and stimulated mine.

A murmur…I waited patiently for her to disobey my request, but she did not fail me, this time. She remained as I suggested. I pushed her protective pink hood back, blowing a soft, warm breath on her exposed bud. I deliberately took my time slowly caressing my tongue against her sweet tiny bulge. It grew and stiffened. My fangs clicked out. I slid my arm under each thigh, holding her tightly. She wouldn’t be able to squirm away, but most importantly, I had full control of positioning her where I wanted.

The tip of my fang gently broke skin, piercing her swollen member. The merging of sexual pleasure and vampire poison coursed through her body, instantly, setting off a chain reaction. Her skin would tingle and muscles would twitch as nerve endings throughout her entire body fired to prepare for one purpose and one purpose only. Sexual release.

 She moaned, pushing herself harder onto my face. “Taste…you…please,” her words staggered as her body lurched into mine.

I held her tight. She would not escape me or the delight I offered. I rubbed my tongue on her heightened bundle. She bellowed in a rhapsody of increasing euphoria, igniting my own desires.

“Pl-please,” she begged in between breaths. “Taste y-you.”

I couldn’t hold back any longer. I needed her touch as much as she craved my taste. Maneuvering my body over hers, I supported my weight as I lowered myself onto her waiting mouth. Her moist touch blazed through me, exploding into an unquenchable passion that left me frenzied for more. Piercing her again, she bucked underneath me. My juices dripped. She lapped ardently.

Her tongue rolled my clit as she groaned excitedly and wiggled below me. Ready to give in to the desires she had harvested in me, I tapped into her mind. I wanted our minds to share each other’s desires. Intertwined as one, reaching the ultimate satisfaction in known sexual ecstasy. I pushed her excitement to limits that humans were incapable of knowing and momentarily held her there. Captured in my turbulent waves of burning desires, she flung her arms around my waist, digging her nails deep into my skin, moaning. Then I released the floodgates that held her at bay. She tightened her grip, pulling me closer onto her mouth, piercing me with her fang. My world disappeared as I exploded, releasing my juices. She dug her nails deeper and with a thrust, she surrendered to me, filling me with her sweet nectar as we rode the current of orgasmic pleasure together.

I shifted off her. Snuggling my face in the crook of her neck, I kissed her with the gentleness of a mother kissing an infant and left her to sleep peacefully.

Wrapped in my black silk robe, I entered the kitchen and found Viola stirring a large pot of stew. “You’re up late,” I said adjusting my robe. I hadn’t expected to find anyone awake, much less cooking at this time of night.

“Izzy has had some very strange food requests, lately. Perhaps, Shamana should look at her. Make sure she’s all right.” Viola rolled her eyes as she stirred the beef stew. “Something must be wrong with all the strange food concoctions she’s been craving.”

“Shamana can’t help her,” I stated flatly.

“Why not?” Viola huffed.

“Well, it’s complicated, V,” I said, looking around and checking that no one was nearby. “My debt to Erika was one that only a living person could complete. So I volunteered Izzy.”

“Tamara, what have you done?” She put down the ladle.

“Well.” I did a quick search of the room again. “Erika couldn’t use me because she needed a living body.”

“To do what, child?” Viola blurted out impatiently.

“To carry a child,” I mumbled.

“I’m pregnant!” Izzy screamed from behind me.

I had a feeling that the next several months were going to be hell.

About the Author

I can put together a lesbian erotica at the drop of a dime, but ask me to write an autobiography and my mind goes completely blank. So, here goes…I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.

That's right, the Big Easy or the bathtub, whichever you prefer. Anyways, when I was born, Mercy Hospital was still called Mercy, so I've got a few years under my belt. At the age of five, my family moved to sunny South Florida. I spent the next twenty-seven years baking in the sun and enjoying the constant, predictable weather.

As a teenager, I caused my share of trouble, which I will not go into here. Needless to say, when I turned eighteen, I came out to my friends and family. I'll never forget that day either. My picture was plastered on the front page of the Miami Herald's Sunday edition. For those of you who don't know what the Miami Herald is, it's only the largest newspaper in South Florida and my picture took up half the front page. Woohoo! My first fifteen minutes of fame.

I've had my share of relationships, some were good and some were downright wrong. At the age of thirty-two, a mutual friend introduced me to my current partner, who lived in Texas. We seemed to hit it off, even though she spoke with a funny accent. She returned to Texas and I followed her. We've been together thirteen years now and I wouldn't trade a single day of it. We don't have kids even though we both want them. What we do have is three cats who are highly opinionated, and two  huge, loveable dogs.

I never said, oh geez, when I grow up, I want to be a writer. No, that didn't happen to me. What did happen was that imagination sideswiped me one day and an erotic story, complete with characters, consumed every bit of my waking moments. To get it out of my head, I put it on paper, smart, huh? Well, that's what started my writing career. I successfully have four published ebooks, The Hightower Series, and I'm working on the fifth.

My stories center on Izzy and Tamara, both vampires and both very sexy, but deadly. It's full of hot, explicit love scenes between them and sometimes, other partners. A lot of people have asked me if I tend to write from experience, my answer is yes, and no. Yes, because I write lesbian erotica and I'm a lesbian, duh. No, because I'm not a vampire although some days, I wish I was.

Well, there you have it, my life in a nutshell. Of course, I left stuff out…I already share my dirty mind with you, I can't very well go sharing my dirty laundry, too!

Toodles :)