My life was simple until I met the Hightower Enforcer, Tamara. Since then, I’ve been turned, spelled and married. Now, I’m on my way to Texas to find Tamara’s sister, Kaley, while their mother, the Vampire Matriarch Katherine, invades my thoughts and resides in my head. If you think you hate your in-laws, try mine on for size!

Oh yeah, did I mention that my wife Tamara, the enforcer is dying because of me and I’m the only one who can save her, but I don’t know how?

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Dying to Live

Copyright © 2009 Annie Alvarez

ISBN: 978-1-55487-418-7

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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Dying to Live

Hightower Three

By

Annie Alvarez

Dedication

To all of the very nasty friends I have, and you know who you are, for challenging my creative side. Love you all.

Chapter One

I have a reoccurring nightmare that latches onto me like a pit bull attacking his last meal. I see myself lying on a lounger on a white sandy beach in Jamaica. The wind is softly blowing a cool breeze while the sun shines above. Its delightful rays are warming me while shadowing a gorgeous cabana girl who is approaching me knowing she will tend only to my wishes. Her bright smile relaxes me.

“Can I get you something else, Ms Izzy?” she asks with a flirtatious Island accent.

I am tempted to let go of the hold I have on reality and forever spend the rest of my undead days lapping up the sun and the care that this beauty offers. Then I snap out of my delusion and realize that after everything I’ve been through, I ended up in Texas—not the Islands, where I could enjoy the sun and the fun while searching for Kaley Hightower. Oh no, that would have been asking for way too much. Instead, I’m stuck here where everything is supposedly bigger and I have yet to see better. What I have seen is that the lack of Kaley’s blood donor centers has made Texas a free-for-all-vampire-feeding-frenzy state.

A few months ago, Kaley, and her human girlfriend, Jules, had a major fight. Afterward, Kaley showed up at our house with her hunger raging for blood and she attacked me. Tamara, my vampire girlfriend and Mistress of the East Coast, fought her off, but in the few seconds Kaley had me, she drained too much of my precious elixir, leaving me near death. Welcome to the Hightower Clan. If you think you’ve got it bad with your in-laws, try mine.

I never doubted Tamara would preserve my humanity. I never even had a fear and maybe that’s what got me into trouble. I trusted vampires, especially the Hightowers, and even though it was a stupid thing to do, let my guard down. Imagine my surprise when Kaley, Tamara’s sister, bled me. In an effort to save my life, Tamara took me to the Hightower estate and turned me into one of them. Yeah, she said she couldn’t bear the thought of losing me forever and took matters into her own hands. Even that wasn’t easy. The half-witch in me complicated things and I turned into the first living vampire to walk on the Earth. My heart still beats, but my lungs don’t breathe and my magic is fizzling out while the vampire in me grows. Oh yeah, and I don’t die when the sun comes up. That’s right…I’m a day walker, which means, most importantly, I don’t burst into a ball of fire when sunlight touches my skin.

As for how I’m handling my transformation, some moments are better than others. I still have the undeniable urge to latch onto and feed from the first available donor—willing or not—and I have a hole in the pit of my stomach that regularly reminds me no amount of nourishment will satisfy my new needs. I pass normal, everyday people who are oblivious to the monsters walking beside them. We are the monsters that want their blood, their lives, even their souls. Monsters, like me, who feel their tempting warmth and focus on the pulsating artery on the side of their necks that calls to us to feed and fill our needs—when our needs arrives.

After Tamara turned me, we married vampire style, which consisted of making a concoction of our blood and drinking it. My genetics for being half-witch are wrecking havoc on Tamara’s vampire system and now, after hundreds of years, she can’t sleep. Believe me, you haven’t seen chaos until you’ve seen a Mistress Vampire afflicted with insomnia. She’s cranky, irritable, and emotionally unstable. A trip to Jamaica would have benefited me greatly.

That’s why Lady Katherine Hightower, Matriarch of the Hightower Clan and my new mother-in-law, sent me, not Tamara, to find her other beloved daughter, Kaley, and bring her home. I’m no match for a Hightower, especially a rogue one, so Katherine had the bruja, Shamana, a witch from days past, brew up some mojo, and I now share Katherine’s experiences. Talk about not being able to get away from your in-laws. Can you feel my enthusiasm?

Katherine provided me with a recon team to help me in my quest, but Texas is such a big state, we had to separate to cover most of it. Raven, whose black hair, dark complexion, and fluid movements adequately describe her nickname, is in Austin. Tank, a tall, handsome, well-educated, black man and ex-football player whose remarkable muscle mass would intimidate the entirety of the Dallas Cowboys team, is in Houston. Hummer, the epitome of an ex Hell’s Angel biker, wearing Italian tailored suits trying to blend in, is in El Paso. That leaves me in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, alone.

On Tamara’s advice, I found Pinky’s, a small, grey, square building with limited parking, and Fort Worth’s only gay bar. It seemed that it was common practice for patrons to mingle in the parking lot as couples hid behind cars making out and women gathered in small groups listening to the music emanating from the bar while catching a breath of fresh air. Not exactly what I would have expected, but hey, not every club is as nice as Club Red, the club I own in Florida.

The smell of sage, flee dip and hormones stopped me at Pinky’s front door. A mixed club, just grand! Witches, weres and humans, it couldn’t get any better. I knew Kaley wasn’t here. After she killed me, I had developed a weird connection with her. I don’t know where she’s at, but I know where’s she’s been and she’s been here, of that I’m sure. As I stood at the door debating whether to enter, a group of women brushed past me, leaving the aroma of hormones and excitement lingering in the air. What the hell? I might get lucky—gathering information about where to find Kaley—and we could all head home soon.

All eyes turned to me as I walked in. It was an awkward moment, trying to figure out whether I was something to look at or if they saw their next meal. It’s a long-standing rule that vampires and weres don’t mix well and with my luck, they were probably thinking the latter. So I did the next best thing—I smiled, flashing a toothy grin and my pearly whites in a nerdy manner. The dance floor was small in comparison to my club and their décor was, well, it’s actually not much. Liquor posters were plastered on the walls in no particular order. Large plastic beer bottles decorated space behind the bar and Christmas lights strung across large mirrors, but the club seemed to draw in a big crowd. Elbowroom was in tight demand tonight as a first-time author’s book debuted—a lesbian vampire series—attracted most of the crowd. If she knew anything about us, she wouldn’t be here writing about it, instead, she’d run for the cold Northern weather where she’d be safe from us.

Everyone casually moved away from me while I headed to the bar. My newfound abilities tended to slow things down for me and I wasn’t sure if that’s what was happening or if people were being obvious about pulling in the welcome mat. Yeah, learning how to be a vamp was interesting. If I focused on something, everything slowed down to a crawl. It’s not that people slowed down, but rather, my perception sped up, making everything else seem slow. I took a seat on the stool, kitty-corner to the dance floor, and casually but quickly did an armpit check—you know the move—where you half-raise your arm and pretend you’re looking at the floor while taking in a deep breath. Did I really smell as bad as the werewolves did?

An attractive woman in her mid-forties, smelling like the clean scent of a dewy morning, bumped into me. “Bartender—rum and coke please,” she yelled over the music while waving a twenty-dollar bill. She flashed a smile that said, I know you’re a vamp and then got comfortable on the stool next to me. “It’s finally nice to meet you.”

“You must have me confused with someone else,” I mumbled, partially ignoring her and glancing around the bar.

“Oh, I don’t think so.”

I watched her casually adjust her shirt, allowing more cleavage to show.

“Keep the change, sweetheart.”

Then I felt her gaze on me.

“I’m Natasha and she’s not here,” she proclaimed, self-confidence oozed from her while she gulped down half the drink.

“Who’s not here?” My attention now focused on the dance floor.

“Katherine’s daughter, of course!” she blurted, tossing back the last of the alcohol.

I expected her to say many things—whomever you seek, the love of your life, best fuck you’ll ever have—anything but that. My curiosity and attention were now devoted to her. “Have you seen her?” I raised my brow, facing her, waiting for an answer, but a woman who smelled like flee dip walked up and started humping and grinding on Natasha’s leg before she answered. God how rude! Did wolves have no common courtesy?

“I really like it when they do this,” Natasha leaned in close, yelling over the music that had gotten two octaves louder. “You can tell how good a lover someone will be by the way she dances. Did you know that?” She hopped off the stool, holding her drink up, so as not to spill it, and returned the stranger’s rhythmic humps as they moved toward the dance floor.

Maybe, it’s me. Maybe my underexposure to werewolves has developed into a dislike of them, but either way, my patience was running out. The easiest way to find out if anyone has seen Kaley was to search their memories and that was something that with Katherine’s experience, I could do.

I leaned against the bar and quieted my mind, drowning out the music, but not my surroundings. I wouldn’t leave myself completely open for a surprise attack. Wooden stakes weren’t the only things that were fatal. I focused my attention on a cute little redhead swinging and jerking her way around the dance floor. She wouldn’t even know I had entered her mind. Once I was in, I would search her memories, much like flipping through a Rolodex. I would be in and out, jumping into the next person before she even finished her sentence. I bowed my head concentrating on my task. Slowly, images started appearing—home life, a pet, friends, sex and then they rolled through me until the memories flooded my psyche.

It would save time not to go too far back so I only focused on the last couple of months. I finished scanning the redhead and jumped into the next mind. The memories came upon me quicker and I found myself scanning the unsuspecting minds at the bar faster than I had thought possible. It was mostly of numerous bad days at work, upset lovers, betrayed confidences, friends and excited hormones. Everyone I skimmed had the same memories of sharing secrets and interrelating with friends. How I missed being normal and that’s when the dark cloud of loneliness rolled over me and claimed me as another victim. I felt lonely primarily because I was alone. Pushing my self-pitying thoughts aside, I kept at the task at hand.

I was on a roll, examining for memories of Kaley, when I hit a mind that not only denied me access, but also slammed me out of my trance with an impact that jolted me in my seat. Lifting my eyes, I saw a woman standing in front of me, smiling and touching my arm. My black eyes locked onto her amethyst eyes. I couldn’t stop myself from staring at how her eyes, which swirled with golden colors amidst the purple, radiated an inviting energy.

“You shouldn’t do that here,” she warned with a smile. “You are outnumbered and others,” she motioned behind her, “don’t like your kind. It’s not safe for you considering…” She paused, then leaned closer, whispering, “That there is only one of you.”

Her warning was clear. I needed to be careful of my new surroundings. Apparently, there were issues that I wasn’t aware of and something as innocent as scanning memories, they could perceive as a prelude for an attack. Shifters had started to get on my nerves. “I meant no disrespect.” Interestingly, I sensed nothing behind her purple eyes—no life, no memories, nothing and yet she captivated my interest in a most unusual manner. I had to find out more about her. Slyly moving my energy toward her, she pressed her lips tightly together in a disapproving scowl.

“Izzy, don’t press your luck,” she whispered, barely audible as if knowing I would be able to hear her over the extremely loud music.

I found it strange that she knew my name and my attempts at mind scanning. I wondered if she had any idea of whom and what I am. It’s not as if I had worn a tee shirt that stated I’m a vamp. “How do you know?” I asked, still unable to break my gaze, but more importantly, feeling an immediate connection with her.

“I know who you are,” she answered with a smile, leaned closer to me, and softly caressed my face with her cheek. “Don’t try to figure me out, you haven’t met my kind yet,” she said, sliding her hand over my thigh. “Natasha sent me to keep you safe while you are here.”

With her hand brushing against my crotch, I should have lost myself to her completely, but my instincts screamed that something was wrong. I had been too distracted to notice that what little personal space between the patrons and me had disappeared. The women at the bar were banding closer together as a group, surrounding me.

“I smell a dead leech!” A voice snickered. “Someone forgot to take the garbage out.” A chorus of laughter followed.

I knew this is where things escalate and someone inevitably gets hurt. Since I was the only vampire in the club, which, from my perspective, had too many pointed wooden objects readily available, I knew that I was the dead leech. I stood and faced the crowd of flee-dipped shifters that gathered behind me, snarling. Suddenly the group of women stepped aside, creating an opening in their ranks, and a young female with an assertive gait approached.

“Abby,” she said, shaking her head and frowning. “I should have known it would be you interfering.”

“Rosalie, you of all people should know that I have not interfered.” Abby took a step forward, putting herself between the woman and me.

Rosalie waved a finger at me. “She came very close to breaking the treaty and you stopped her. It would have justified our actions tonight without retaliation from Adele’s clan,” she replied angrily. “You ruined our fun.” She pouted, puffing out her lower lip.

Rosalie’s demeanor was powerful. She carried an air of strength and self-confidence that made the other woman appear as weak puppies that were first learning how to run and frolic without stumbling over their own paws. It wasn’t surprising that the pack was acting subservient to her. In my world, she had potential to be a Mistress.

Abby interjected, “She’s not from here. She doesn’t know about the treaty.” She then took a step toward Rosalie. “It would start a war if you killed one of them without their knowledge of the treaty. Is that what you want?” Her tone was even not to mention, majestic in nature. “A war?”

I just love when people talk about me as though I’m not even there. It gave me a warm fuzzy feeling all over. Katherine’s experience told me that I shouldn’t interfere so I stayed quiet, listening and learning as Abby and Rosalie ironed out my fate. If Abby won, I would walk away without an incident, but if she lost, I would find certain doom within these walls. The one thing I knew Rosalie wouldn’t count on was that I wouldn’t be an easy target. With Katherine’s experience mumbling in my head, I would surely hurt their numbers.

Most of the pack held their breath while Rosalie thought about what Abby had said. The moment was tense as Rosalie took half a step back and laughed.

“No, we are finally at peace.”

The pack took a collective breath as she waved her hands around. “Tell her what she needs to know,” she added while turning to face me. “Make her understand that she’ll get no second chance here.”

Abby bowed her head and Rosalie slowly stepped back until her pack had surrounded her, then turned and walked away. It was a smart, defensive move not to give a potential threat her back. Kudos for that, there was an intelligent dog in their midst. She had potential.

Turning on her heels, Abby spun around facing me. “You are not safe here.” In a tender moment, she raised her hand and caressed my face. “We need to leave before there’s another incident.”

The soft touch of her hand slid down my arm until she had entwined her fingers in mine.

Who could argue with a delicate touch? I stood, following her lead as she escorted me out of the club and we raced out of the parking lot in her Antique Steel Blue 69 Mustang.

“Are you suicidal?” she demanded, gunning the accelerator. “Because you almost got yourself killed back there and I didn’t sign up to babysit a death seeking vamp!”

After all the fear that I had felt in the bar, her anger was soothing and it tickled my inner monster, teasing me for a small taste of what pulsed through her veins. As difficult as it was, I was careful to keep my hunger in check. There would be time to feed later. I could force a few more hours before my need became desperate.

“God damn it!” she snapped. “Don’t just sit there and smile. Answer me!”

I chuckled. “No, I’m not suicidal. Tell me of this treaty.”

She rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. “It’s stupid, that’s what it is, but it keeps the peace so I won’t complain much.” She swerved around a slower moving car. “Not too long ago, a vampire came into town and had a few werewolves for dinner. I know you guys like their rich blood and all, but,” she curled her lips, “the wolves came back as mutant were-vamps and the pack had to put them down.”

Now I understood the distrust back at the bar. A werewolf with the abilities and strength of a vampire could be a potential problem for our entire community, humans included. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the damage one of those monsters could create, much less a pack of them. That would definitely be a problem.

“It wasn’t easy,” Abby added. “They lost most of the high ranking pack members trying to clean up the vampire’s mess. Rosalie was the most dominant member to survive, so she took control of the pack. What a mess that was!” She exhaled. “Natasha said you’re here to find the vampire, is that true?”

“Well, yeah. I am.” I leaned against the window and watched the bright city lights speed past me, pushing aside the thought that finding Kaley Hightower was the equivalent of finding my own death.

“Don’t sound so happy about it.”

Abby had a sense of humor or a hell of a sarcastic side. I hadn’t decided yet. “I’m not,” I mumbled into the window, not turning to look at her.

We sped along the highway into an area called Whiskey Flats, then traveled several more miles before she turned onto a dirt road and followed it to the end where a large gated house came into view. We were truly out in the middle of nowhere.

“Here we are.” Abby hit the remote and the front gates creaked open, giving us access to a long, dark, narrow driveway.

“Where is here?” I’ve been ushered out of the bar and halfway across town. I haven’t fed and I’m no closer to finding Kaley than I was several hours ago. I noticed that my hunger was directly related to my mood and something would give soon. Be it my hunger or my patience.

“This is my home and the house of the keepers.”

Keepers…I thought. Okay, my night just went from weird to wacked. I scanned the wooded area as we drove past it. Old, dense trees that formed a canopy against the moonlight, covered the grounds.

“Keepers, huh? Keepers of what?” I asked, thinking that the weeds and vines had grown out of control. The area desperately lacked the human touch of lawn work. Obviously, the keepers didn’t keep a lawnmower and Mother Nature was reclaiming her territory.

“The keepers of what you seek. You’ll understand, soon.” As she pulled into the large six-car garage, I saw a woman standing at the backdoor. She was dressed in a long, dark robe with the hood covering her head. “That’s Denton,” Abby pointed, turning off the car’s engine. “She’ll be our overseer tonight. Come on.” She closed the car door and headed inside the house.

I followed, noticing the marble floors and the custom artwork hanging on the walls. From the outside, this looked like a mediocre, middle class, large family home. The inside was nothing close to that. In fact, the artwork alone was worth a fortune and the custom woodwork that went into the house was spectacular. I followed Abby up the spiral staircase into her bedroom and Denton followed me.

Abby took her top off and flung it across the room. I stared at her bare breasts, then looked away. I had gone down this road once and refused to travel this path again. I wouldn’t cheat on Tamara.

“What’s the meaning of this?” I’ve heard of people seducing vampires just to be turned and I wasn’t going to play this game with her. I wasn’t going to take on a newbie. Hell, I was barely capable of taking care of myself. I had work to do and I needed to get home to my wife—a wife with a hell of temper lately.

“I need to help you and you need to feed.” She slid out off her tight jeans, then using her foot, flicked them into the corner. “This couldn’t have turned out more perfectly if I had planned it.” She giggled, slowly closing the distance between us. “You enjoy having sex while feeding. So, let’s do this, Izzy Hightower. Call your beast and feed from me.”

I thought about looking for the candid cameras that had to be secretly set up. This had to be a joke. No one in their right mind would have demanded such a thing, especially from a newbie like me. Our ability to control our hunger was minimal at best. We gain control over time and time was not something I had on my side.

Shaking my head, I chuckled at her audacity. “No, that’s not going to happen. I can sustain my needs for much longer than you have patience.” Oh, by the Gods above, I hoped I was telling the truth.

“We waste time,” Denton snapped behind me.

The two women nodded in sequence and my hunger started to roar to life. I felt the beast within push its way to the surface. I felt the pressure of my eyes turning black, my fangs revealed themselves, and for the record, I hate that part. I’m not entirely used to it and always end up biting my lip. I felt my hunger forced to the surface and fought to keep it contained. I knew that once unleashed, I wouldn’t be able to control myself and I refused to be the one responsible for a blood bath.

“Stop!” I heard myself hissing as my hunger rose. “Please, stop!” I went down on my knees, doubled over from the pain of fighting back my own demons. Trying to keep my monster contained, I yelled, “Don’t…do…this!”

Denton’s voice echoed in my head. “She’s inexperienced…she’s too young, she may end up damaged if we continue.”

As suddenly as the throbbing started, it stopped. Air easily flowed back into my lungs, not that I needed to breathe, it was still a living habit that I hadn’t lost, but my beast quieted. I knelt on the floor, shaking, sweat running down my face and stinging my eyes.

Abby knelt in front me and tenderly caressed my face. “Why are you so difficult?” She leaned toward me, working her hand down my neck and past my chest. “What is your weakness?” she whispered as she kissed me.

Images of Tamara flooded my mind. When I opened my eyes, I saw Tamara’s green eyes staring back at me and my world suddenly went still. Kneeling in front of me, she held her hand out to me and I took it. She led me to the oversize bed, my desires burned to touch her, to feel her touching me, and to be with her. She unbuttoned my shirt and slipped it off my shoulders, kissing my breast and teasing my nipple with her soft, familiar tongue. I fumbled with my zipper and she placed her hand over mine and guided me out of my pants. Tamara wrapped her arms around my waist and caressing my back, pulled me tightly against her naked body, fulfilling the only desire I’ve had since I left Florida.

With a gentle tug, she pulled me onto the bed. I fell on top of her and she kissed my neck, her pointed teeth barely scrapping against my skin. My defensives melted and I was willing and ready to have her claim my passion, to control my pleasure and to capture my euphoria.

Her hand slid between my legs and my warmth welcomed her. I kissed her, running my tongue along her fangs, playing with her points. She kissed me back, passionately gripping my crotch within her hand. I froze. Something was wrong. Her Achilles heel had never failed me, until now.

“Relax,” she whispered, “let me love you.”

Mistake number two, she would never say let me, she would say, give me this. I pulled away and looked at her. It was Tamara’s face looking back at me all right, it was her lips curled into a smile, and it was her perfect, flawless skin glimmering in the light. It was too perfect of an image staring back at me. Her scar was gone.

She leaned toward me. “What’s wrong, my love?” I watched her hand slowly move up my thigh as she whispered, “Give me this.”

I raised my eyes, examining her face again and without a doubt, her scar was right where it was supposed to be, adorning her right cheek. I kissed her, playing with her fangs and she froze, not moving a muscle, acting as she had always reacted. Perhaps my hunger was playing tricks on me or perhaps I was finally losing my mind. She parted my wet lips and slid a finger deep inside me. A moan escaped my throat as I willingly opened myself up to her pleasures. Slowly my passion built, I needed more of her. I wanted more of her. Running my tongue down her neck and over her breast, I gently nibbled her hard, pink tip, taking her breast into my mouth. Suckling it and teasing it, my free hand cupped over her other breast, fondling it, squeezing it and pinching her erect nipple. Hard.

With a speed that surprised even me, I pulled her into a sitting position and shifting behind her, wrapped my arm around her neck in a tight headlock. “Who the hell are you?” I demanded.

“My love, why do you do this?” She raised her hands up in front of herself, where I could see them. “Why do you fight when there is no need?”

“You’re not Tamara!” I squeezed, feeling her neck crushing in my grasp.

“You’re right,” she gasped for air without fighting. “Izzy, let me go and I’ll explain.”

Her request, more of a not-to-be-disobeyed order, pierced through every muscle and even though I refused to let go, my grip loosened from around her neck. My body burned with an invisible fire to obey her.

“You’re a very strong-willed person. It took me a while to get inside your mind.” She scooted off the bed, leaving me naked on my knees. “As I said earlier, we are gatekeepers. We,” she pointed to Denton, “are only a small fraction of the power that lives in this house.”

I shot her a nasty look. I was surely in trouble if these women turned on me. “What the hell just happened?”

“No need for deceptions anymore,” Natasha, the woman who ordered the rum and coke at the bar said, entering the room. “If you want to find Kaley…”

“And get home to Tamara…” Abby continued.

“Then you will let us help you.” Denton finished their thought.

It couldn’t get any worse, could it? I was naked in front of strangers whom one in particular, demanded I feed from and now they were finishing each other thoughts. I couldn’t possibly get myself in a more awkward position, could I?

“Well, what…” Natasha started.

“Do you…” Abby jumped in.

“Say?” Denton finished in perfect harmony again.

“Stop!” I yelled and the three women looked at me simultaneously. This was quickly turning into a bad Jerry Springer episode. “All right.” I let out an exasperated groan. “I’ll help you, but you can’t do that to me. If you start a sentence, you must finish it yourself.” I didn’t even know it was possible for vampires to get headaches, but I felt a doozie coming on. Spinning my legs around, I plopped on the edge of the bed, resting my elbows on my knees, clutching my head. “What do you need me to do?”

Both Abby and Natasha spoke at the same time and I glared at them, stopping them in mid-word.

“You have established a relationship with her. You should take it from here,” Natasha said, bowing her head at Abby.

Shaking my head, I rolled my eyes. “Can we get on with this?”

Abby sat next to me, taking my hand in hers. “What you need to know is that Katherine saved our kind and we are indebted to her. That is why we’ll help you find Kaley.” She shifted on the bed to get a better look at me. “I have certain powers that I can use to help you find her.”

Well, if nothing else, I was headed in the right direction. Luck finally shone through. That’s progress.

“For instance,” Abby continued. “I get glimpses of the future and with that I can help you find her. Do you understand so far?”

I raised my brows in confusion. “No, but it doesn’t matter.” I slid my hand out of her grip and waved her on. “I’ll catch up.”

“To help you, you must carry my blood in your veins, which is why I need you to feed from me.”

Knowing what my blood did to Tamara, I shrieked, “Oh no!” I stood, pushing her away, but she placed her hand on mine and I froze, unable to move. The last thing I needed or wanted to find out is what, if any, reaction my blood would have with her.

“It will not be as you think. I will not have any hold on you, per se,” she assured. “However, you will not be able to take from me unless I sanction it.”

They obviously didn’t know my body or me very well and they certainly didn’t know that everything seems to work in reverse for me. “Are you crazy?” I grabbed my pants and slid back into them. “I can’t guarantee your safety. If you truly posses these powers, my hunger will stop at nothing to take them from you.” Finding my shirt, I finished dressing.

“Let us worry about that,” Natasha interjected. “We have a plan for that, too.”

“You seem to have a plan for everything,” I sneered, plopping on the bed. I picked up one of my boots, forcing my foot down the shaft until it settled comfortably on the insole. “What about a plan for the unexpected? Have you thought about that, too…the unexpected?” Without waiting for a response, I looked heavenward and let out an, oomph as I pulled on my other boot.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to get anything accomplished around this trio of weirdoes. It was a stupid idea to send me, a newborn, into the field to find Kaley. I didn’t even know what I was capable of yet. I rubbed my hands against my face in frustration. This had to be the stupidest, most absurd idea Katherine had ever come up with, and I was stuck in the middle of it. I looked up and stared at the impending squad of volunteers. I fell against the bed, my knees dangling off the mattress while I stared at the ceiling. I may as well accept all the help I can get. “Fine, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

No sooner were the words out of my mouth than Abby jumped on top of me, straddling her legs around my waist. Gradually, bending forward, her long hair tickled my face as she exposed her neck and moved closer to my mouth. Staring into her purple eyes, I saw the swirl of golden flecks dancing with an innocence I hadn’t felt in a long time and the entire thing felt wrong. “I can’t…I can’t do this.”

“No, but we can,” Denton answered.

Instantly, I felt the pull of magic and my eyes turned black. Everyone sees them as black, but I see through a red filtered lens. It’s too weird to explain so you’ll have to take my word on it. I felt my fangs lower. My hunger forcing to emerge, but this time, I didn’t fight it. I let it rise, giving in to it. Abby continued moving closer and I wrapped my hands around her neck, gently pulling her to me. The sudden momentary fear she oozed when I pulled her closer to the mouth of the beast, jolted my urging and I lost complete control. God help her now.

Her artery pulsed with a heavy beat, every contraction called my name, enticing me to feed. Closing my eyes, focusing on making this a pleasant experience for her, I repeated, enjoy the moment and feel no pain, as I drove my fangs into her neck, being careful to avoid her artery. No need to drink from the main tap when another one would do. Her sweet blood flooded me with images of Tamara. Memories of us making love, and feeling the tides of ecstasy that her pleasure washed upon my shores. For a brief moment between when the alluring smell of blood flows from its host and encapsulates my senses to right before it hits my tongue, my world has purpose and I knew where I belonged. In that miniscule moment, everything in this screwed up world made sense. This is the thing that I lived to do—drink and drink deep.

I took in her morning dew scent as I sucked her sweet nectar into me, filling an empty void with warmth. Her blood swelled in my mouth, the thickness easily flowed down my throat, coating everything with its delectable metallic element. Her blood surged through me with immense power, and I sucked harder and deeper, falling into the power she contained within the illusion of her frail human body.

My mind traveled to places that even in my wildest dreams I could not have comprehended. I witnessed the creation of Katherine’s obsession with the Council, when they targeted her family and newborn daughters and I saw their demise. Unknown to her, Katherine had truly obliterated their bloodline. Killing the last of their strongest members, the Council floundered aimlessly, regarded as radical religious fanatics that no longer merited attention.

My mind raced forward…I saw a very young Jules watching a vampire attack and kill her parents, swearing to avenge their deaths.

My mind raced ahead to the evening that Kaley and Jules had their fight. Kaley had tried to leave several times that night, each time she met with Jules’s resistance. The fight escalated and stumbled into the kitchen where Jules grabbed a knife. Kaley took hold of it, holding it to her own throat crying, if my death will avenge your parents, kill me now or love me without reserve. In a moment of panic, I watched Jules grab a syringe off the countertop and jab it into Kaley’s arm. The magical concoction, which had Celeste’s signature all over it, affected her immediately, her eyes turned blood red, and she went to her knees, screaming and foaming at the mouth. Struggling to her feet, she raced out of the house, heading to the one person she knew would help her, but found me instead.

My mind raced forward to the night of Tamara and my union and I caught a crude glimpse of what our blood mixture had created. As she took it in, it settled into her bloodstream, negating her vampirism, forcing her heart to beat and her lungs to burn with air for the first time in hundreds of years. Warmth had started returning to her cold body. I’m sure her mind had forgotten the involuntary reflex of keeping her organs working after so many years. I have all but forgotten mine, after such a short amount of time. I breathed because it was habit, not because I needed to. I now understood why the mental connection between Tamara and I was failing. She was turning human and would surely die!

Again, my mind raced and I saw Kaley sitting on a dance floor. Bodies littered around her as she drained the last of Rosalie’s blood. This was not good! If she left a shifter alive, there would be catastrophic problems.

With a grinding halt, my mind went blank. I was too afraid to open my eyes for fear of what I might see next.

“It is done, Izzy,” Natasha said, “Release her. Now.”

Keeping my eyes closed, I contemplated her request. Abby’s blood surged with a power that made me feel warm and alive. It worked itself into every fiber of my body, overwhelming me in passion. Thinking about Tamara, I forced my lips away from Abby’s flesh, slowly gliding my tongue along her wound as I pulled away. Everything had become so painfully clear and obvious. The tides of destiny had shifted, sending everything into a chaotic tailspin.

I didn’t so much as see but felt the fall of the Hightower Clan. Vampire or not, I couldn’t, wouldn’t see my life without Tamara in it. I could easily live an eternity by her side, but I couldn’t fathom living five minutes without her. She had made me whole in the muddled reality we call life. Her cold, dead heart warmed me and she filled the empty gaps in my life with love. “I’ve got to get home.” I scrambled out from underneath Abby. “I have to see Tamara,” I said, heading for the door.

Denton blocked my way.

“Move,” I commanded in my most powerful vamp voice. “Move now.” She instead, stood motionless.

“We do not respond to your powers.” Natasha stepped toward me. “You respond to ours,” she said, taking my hand and leading me back to the bed, then motioning for me to sit. I stood, refusing her invitation.

“Izzy, what you saw was a possible future. It doesn’t mean it will happen, only that the possibility exists. Relax. Tamara is well for the moment.”

“What do you mean for the moment? I saw the fall of my clan. I can’t continue to waste time chasing after someone whose mind is gone. Kaley has reverted to the animal within. There is no help for her now.” Turning on my heels, I stared at Abby. “Please help me save Tamara.” I would swallow my pride and beg, if that’s what it took. “There is no help for Kaley, but Tamara…” I let out an exasperated sigh. “There is still hope for her if we get to her in time.”

“We have a more prominent danger to stop first and then I’ll help you. Now, we have to get back to Pinky’s…” Abby caressed my face and her words burned true.

“And stop her.” I finished her thought.

“Yes.”

Abby hopped off the bed and disappeared into the enormous closet, leaving Natasha, Denton, and me in the room. We just stared at each other, unsure of what to say. My experience with keepers was not what I had expected. I thought they would be more like humans and even though they carry human form, they are far from it.

“Well,” Natasha said, breaking the silence. “Now that you’ve fed from Abby, you’ll be able to better control your hunger.” She smiled and then added, “When it comes to her.”

“That’s nice,” I mumbled, feeling the pressure of this mission and the new visions straddling my shoulders.

“You will find Kaley,” Denton interjected. “I have seen it in my dreams.” She rocked her weight uncomfortably.

That wasn’t reassuring.

Abby came bouncing out of the closet dressed in a tight pair of black jeans, a low cut purple blouse that accentuated her amethyst eyes, a silver and black scarf and a pair of black cowgirl boots. In spite of the dangers I would soon face, I couldn’t help but stare at her full cleavage. She looked absolutely enchanting.

“Okay, let’s go kick some vamp ass.” She caught her breath and whispered, “Oh sorry. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”

“It’s okay. Really.” I laughed, unable to restrain the smile that crept across my face. “I know exactly what you meant.”

Chapter Two

The tires of the ‘69 Mustang squealed as Abby hooked a sharp right into Pinky’s parking lot. The car bucked, throwing me forward, bringing us to a sudden stop by the front doors. She looked around the parking lot, then shot a disturbing glance at me. I had noticed it, too. No one mingled in the small lot—not like there had been before. Now, only empty beer bottles instead of would-be customers adorned the cement pavement. Abby pulled the emergency brake, turned off the car’s engine and looked at me.

“This isn’t good.” She squeezed my thigh. “Is she inside?”

A chill ran down my spine as I scanned the bar. There was a vampire in there, but I hadn’t picked up the scent of blood, yet. Yeah, Great Whites didn’t hold a candle to what I could smell, sad that I was comparing myself to a shark, but true. However, I did notice the scent of fear and adrenaline. A lot of it. Tension was building. We had to get in there fast. “I think so.”

Abby scrunched her brows together in a way that screamed a you-think-so-how-can-you-not-be-sure look.

Ignoring her unspoken sarcasm, I opened the door, jumped out of the car and within a fraction of a second, found myself inside the bar.

Again, all eyes turned to me as I entered the bar, only this time I knew why. Two vampires, one obviously a whack job, in such a small confined space, didn’t look like a good idea. I can’t say I blamed their uneasiness. It was a little unsettling for me, too.

The crowd had dispersed, leaving Kaley, in full view. Her tall, lanky frame leaned against the bar while her black gaze fluttered around the room. She reeked of death and my stomach turned. The smell of wet dog was easier to take over her. Her energy was sporadic. I knew she was trying to keep control—I felt it. She jerked her sights on me and a cold chill ran down my spine. My fears didn’t disappear when I turned into a vampire. If anything, I’ve added a few things and right now, Kaley was number one on that list.

“We must stop her,” Abby whispered, then sidestepped to move past me. Kaley hissed and I put my hand out, stopping Abby’s approach.

“We must not threaten her. She fights to keep control.” Slowly stepping toward Kaley, I positioned myself between them. “Empty out the bar. Slowly,” I ordered while continuing my approach.

Kaley took a step back and then raised her eyebrows as if she had recognized me. She smiled, but the smile only paved the way for a monstrous warning hiss that weakened my knees. It made me want to run out of the bar screaming like a sissy. That’s what it intended to do—to scare the shit out of me and it worked. I forced myself to keep a stern face, straightened my back, flared my shoulders and puffed out my chest. I refused to show weakness. I had to trust that Katherine’s experience would not fail me now.

Abby had managed to get everyone but a few stragglers out safely. Among them were Rosalie, the disc jockey and a couple of inebriated dancers. I wanted to remove Kaley’s food source, forcing her to deal only with me, but that wasn’t going to happen because too many grab-n-go snacks stayed behind.

She leaned toward a drunken girl hunched over on a small table. My face tightened into a disapproving glare as I stiffened my brow, slightly cocking my head to the side. I sent a clear message. I would challenge her if she tried to feed. Kaley stopped, meeting my defiant stare. The terror oozing off the disc jockey caught both of our attentions. Luck was on my side. I had fed earlier and was able to control my hunger. I moved to the center of the dance floor, giving me a more open area, in case Kaley lunged at me. Taking in a deep breath, I let out a warning hiss that reverberated off the glasses. Abby stared at me and I shrugged my shoulders, not knowing I was capable of that. In a split second, I had turned it from a feeding challenge to a battle of dominance and I would not tolerate insubordination.

Kaley took notice and the energy around her changed as she crouched on one knee.

I remembered that move. The same one she used on the vamp who assaulted me on the beach. She was readying herself. I knew formalities would soon be over. First, there would be an intimidation round. We would each have a chance to show off our strengths, giving the other a chance to submit. If that failed, we would battle for our positions. I knew she would accept nothing less than total submission from me and I expected the same in return.

Kaley took a leap, flying through the air, extending her leg as she careened toward me. I turned, just barely missing the impact. Spinning around, I connected a well-placed jab to her side as her momentum kept her moving forward.

She landed on her feet, rubbing her side, applying pressure to her ribs.

I stood my ground. I was not the defenseless human she had attacked months ago. Surprise! I had a few tricks up my sleeve.

Kaley growled.

Her anger resonated a rip current, trying to drown me in fear. I knew better than to let it take me under. Standing my ground, I slowly inched toward her and claimed the bar as my territory. She shifted into another attack stance, placing her weight on her right leg and slightly turning her body away from me. She had a crazed, wild look about her and her eyes burned with rage.

Abby unexpectedly moved and Kaley leapt toward her, hands outstretched.

I flung myself in front of Abby, ready to tackle Kaley to the ground, but she pulled a fast one. I watched helplessly as if it took a lifetime to complete Kaley’s deception. She shifted in mid-air, heading for the disc jockey instead. Her hands grabbed and put the woman into the perfect feeding position before I could react.

Head up, neck exposed, artery thumping fervently with Kaley standing behind her, ready to sink her fangs in for the kill. The woman struggled for only a moment while Kaley invaded her mind. The woman’s body went limp.

I threw my thoughts out, finding Kaley’s mental grip and challenged the hold. The woman twitched instantly, stopping Kaley from driving her fangs in. I had gained position.

She snapped her head up, eyes blazing a red glow, snarling at me.

I had successfully pissed off an ill tempered, out of her mind vampire. God help me.

Throwing the woman aside effortlessly, she sprang forward, heading right for me. I saw her extend her arms, ready to grip me in her grasp, her pearly whites shinning between her parted lips. Formalities were officially over. She was going for the kill. Time slowed down around me. Everyone except me, moved as if being held back by the hands of time itself. I could have run a full circle around her before she actually reached where I was standing, but two things happened at once. I saw Abby sluggishly waving the scarf she had been wearing and the vision of seeing Kaley tied with it tore through my mind. I knew what to do.

I raced toward Abby, yanked the scarf out of her hand and met Kaley at the point where we would have collided. Gripping and encircling her, I wrapped the long scarf around Kaley’s hands and arms, then tied it around her torso. I watched as it took several seconds for her expression to change as she realized what was happening. I stepped back, keeping an eye on her as time returned to normal, and let her fall to the ground, skidding to a stop against one of the massive speakers.

I was on her in an instant, but she just lay there, hissing, struggling to get free, while she kicked the speaker, threatening to knock over the 200-pound box. I waited, waited to see if Abby’s scarf could really contain her without physical harm coming to anyone, especially me.

The cloth would hold. Thank goodness. I took a deep breath mainly out of habit, and stood over her, careful to avoid her sporadic kicking as she continued to squirm violently in a tantrum, jerking herself around, trying to get free. Kneeling next to her, I got the sense that what I wanted to do was wrong, but chalked it up and rammed a fist into her side, feeling her ribs break. “That’s for bleeding me.” I panted and slammed my fist into her again. “And that’s for disappearing and making me come get you.”

Kaley hissed.

I cut loose with yet another punch, this time connecting with her face. “And that’s for scaring the shit out of me.”

“Do you plan to beat the crap out of her or take her back?” Abby asked, giving us a wide birth.

Abby was right, I needed to get Kaley back to the estate and let Katherine deal with her. Although, now that she was tied, it didn’t bother me one bit to keep unleashing my anger on her.

“The Zenoro will hold her, but don’t take unnecessary chances,” Abby added.

Still on my knees, I shifted, catching Abby’s concerned look. “The what?”

“Do I have to teach you everything?” She rolled her eyes, shrugging her shoulders. “The scarf that’s holding her,” she pointed at Kaley. “It’s the belt part of the vestment that priests wear. It will hold, but don’t provoke her. I don’t know its breaking point.”

I knew what it was. Vestments were the ceremonial robes that priest adorn themselves in for special ceremonies and Holy days. What I didn’t know is that the belt had a special name.

“For vampires,” she added, “a Zenoro is like titanium. It’s blessed by the Pope and it’s the only material that can truly hold a vampire…without hurting you.”

Why didn’t I know that? I had so much to learn about vampires, especially since I’d officially joined their ranks. Regardless, I had fulfilled my duty and captured Kaley. I was ready to go home and fall into Tamara’s loving arms once again.

It took me a few moments to realize that Abby had been shaking. I had almost forgotten that she wasn’t a vampire. If I had been human, I guess I would have been shaking, too. I stood, taking a step toward her and Rosalie jumped in front of me.

“Now that we have her, she must be put down!” She snarled, glaring at Kaley.

“Calm down, Rose. The worst is over,” Abby’s shaky voice assured her.

“You think so?” Pointing a finger at Kaley, she snapped. “She came here and butchered our pack. She is dangerous. She must not be allowed to exist. The wolves gather outside for vengeance.” Pointing at me, she lowered her voice, “They have many ideas for you, too, bloodsucker.”

That’s just great. I captured Kaley, their biggest threat yet and now they wanted to lynch me. I wasn’t feeling the love or gratitude. Damn, I hated complications! For the record, I knew someone would call me a bloodsucker someday. What a crappy, but precise word to use for vampires. Even though I couldn’t argue the term, that word made my skin crawl. It’s worse than being called a cunt!

“I cannot let you hurt Kaley,” I said, disappointed that I didn’t even get a thank you. “You’re their leader. Command them to give up this suicide mission. They must listen to you.”

I knew a pack must obey an alpha female. There was only one exception, an alpha male could technically overrule her, but I doubted that would happen since Kaley took them out.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Abby blurted out. “And yes, Kaley killed Rosalie’s mate. She is justified in wanting her dead.”

“I’m truly sorry for your loss. It must have been very difficult for you to lose someone you love, but I cannot allow you to hurt her. This is not her normal behavior. Our Matriarch has decreed that I return Kaley alive.” I wish I could have told her that I felt her pain, that I understood and that the bitch stole my humanity, but that would only fuel the hatred that burned in Rosalie’s eyes. “I am, by blood, to obey my Matriarch. Convince them to let us pass unharmed or we can settle this privately, if you wish.”

I gave Rosalie a chance to settle this without any more bloodshed and although I didn’t intend to hurt her, I couldn’t guarantee that I wouldn’t kill her.

“A single wolf is no match for the likes of you. I’ve seen what you are capable of.”

Again, she’s proving to be a smart girl. She knows she can’t take me down, unless her numbers overwhelm me.

“And you’ve also seen that I kept her from feeding. My intentions should be obvious.” I tried reasoning with her. Taking a step closer to Kaley, I positioned myself as her guard in case things escalated. “I mean you no harm, but that can easily change. The choice is yours.”

From the dawn of time, werewolves have been no match for vampires, but they outnumbered me, and would eventually take me down. Unlike Kaley’s attack, I wouldn’t seek to turn them, but I would decrease their numbers even more, leaving them an easy target for assimilation from another pack. I stared at Rosalie, waiting for her decision and felt the presence of another vampire approaching. I smiled. “While you take your time deciding, our numbers increase. What will it be?”

Raven entered the bar, head up, and shoulders back. Her long coat swished with every step, snapping at her heels. She approached without caution, ignoring Rosalie.

“I counted thirty wolves coming in,” she spoke, showing no expression. “I’d say we are evenly matched now, My Lady.” Bowing respectfully, a slight smile broke across her face as she bared her neck to me.

Rosalie rolled her eyes and dropped to the floor. A soft glow emanated from her as she shook off her human skin, exposing a beautiful, grey wolf. Raven immediately took an attack stance between us.

“Wait,” I ordered.

The wolf approached with her head down, this was not a challenge. Her eyes watched Raven intently as she nuzzled her nose into my hand, then strutted outside.

“You are a sight for sore eyes.” I squeezed Raven’s shoulder. “How did you know where to find us?”

She shook her head. “If I dreamed, I’d say it was a dream so we’ll call it a vision. It led me here.”

“That would be Abby’s doing. She’s been helping me find Kaley.”

“In that case,” Raven said, turning to Abby and bowing her head. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Abby extended her hand while Raven looked her over, then grabbed her hand and pulled Abby into her.

“It deserves more than a handshake,” she said and then laughed as she tightened her grip around Abby’s waist, giving her a very tight hug.

Kaley sprung to her feet.

Raven spun around, twirling Abby in her grip, depositing her slowly to her feet, as she faced Kaley. In an attempt to keep the situation from escalating, I dove into that dark mental space, the place I knew better than to linger in for too long. The same place that makes me power hungry and makes me want to control everything, and I connected with Kaley’s mind.

She hissed, but didn’t move.

Surrender to me and relax, I thought.

Kaley’s shoulders immediately slumped forward and her mind went calm.

“We will get you home soon,” I whispered, tenderly caressing her face, reinforcing tranquility.

As ragged as Kaley looked, the Hightower beauty continued to shine through. Her high cheekbones accentuated her majestically beautiful and flawless face, her skin as smooth and perfect as Katherine and Tamara’s. Kaley’s blue eyes deceivingly shone with the promise of a passionate adventure only to greet you with the deadly demise of her fangs. Admiring Kaley’s features only made me miss Tamara that much more.

“My Lady,” Raven interrupted. “Tank and Hummer are five minutes from here. We must have a decision from the wolves soon.”

I nodded. “Abby, since you know Rosalie, would you please explain that two more vampires are on the way and I need to know if her pack will attack us or if they will allow us to transport Kaley out in peace.”

“I will explain it to those animals myself!” Raven barked and headed for the door.

I couldn’t let her out there. She would surely piss off the pack and we would end up killing most of them. The growl that reverberated from my throat shook the hanging wine glasses and Raven stopped in mid-step. Her eyes were mere slits and her lip curled in disapproval. She moved toward me with exquisite speed, and still, her movements seemed sluggish, I could have moved before she ever reached me, but I stood my ground. She stopped, our faces inches from each other. I heard the front door open.

Abby gasped.

“Let the wolves decide if vengeance is worth their deaths,” I warned.

Raven tried entering my mind, but all she found was her own emptiness staring back at her and after a moment, she presented a formal bow, waved her hand and said, “As my lady wishes.”

I knew Raven’s thoughts about werewolves. She was among those who had to give up her hold on them when they rebelled against our kind. A long time ago, werewolves belonged to vampires as pets. Only the strongest of our kind acquired them. Raven had several packs that she cared for, and in return, they protected her. Much as guard dogs protects humans today. Raven lived through dark and troubled times. She survived by being feared, sacrificing several wolves a month kept the packs obedient to her. Katherine’s experience was well familiar with Raven’s dislike of wolves.

“Um…I hate to interrupt, but your ride is here and Rosalie has given her word that you can leave peacefully.”

Raven snickered and stepped back.

“Thank you, Abby. Raven, please grab Kaley and make sure not to undo her ties.” I stepped out of the bar to find a double line of werewolves creating a path directly to the suburban Tank was driving. Yeah, it was an uneasy feeling, knowing that I would be walking down the center of the enemy’s lines, but my fear was actually for Kaley. If the wolves harmed her, the Hightower hand would come beating down upon Texas. Katherine would have no mercy. I only hoped that Rosalie kept her word.

I waited for Raven to join me, with Kaley in tow and we proceeded down the long aisle the shifters had created. True to Rosalie’s word, we got some snarls, some growls and even some grunts, but we loaded Kaley peacefully into the SUV and made off as quickly as possible.

The sun greeted us in mid-flight. Thank God, the Hightowers own their jet, which travels with several coffins, just in case. No, vamps don’t need to sleep in coffins. It just makes it easier to transport them around the airport. I couldn’t see having to explain to airport security why a dead body that would rise when the sun set was stuffed inside a giant duffle bag. Coffins were a good thing.

We landed at the West Palm Beach Airport, which was the closest airport to Lake Worthington. The forty-minute drive north seemed to be the longest car ride I ever had to endure. Pulling up to the estate’s massive gates, my heart did a pitter-patter with the thought of seeing Tamara again. While we came up the driveway, I rolled the window down and the smell of Katherine’s roses hit me. Inhaling their sweet scent, I also caught a whiff of Tamara. She had recently been through here, maybe an hour or two ago. As we pulled up to the front doors, Stacia stood patiently awaiting our arrival. She looked as gorgeous and business-like as ever. A lethal combination.

“Welcome home, Lady Izzy,” she greeted. “I assume all are accounted for?”

“You assume right, Stacia.” I closed the truck door and headed inside the house. I didn’t need to be around to watch the servants unload the coffins. I had done my job.

“My Lady, a moment please?” She motioned for my return. “I have issues to discuss with you.”

“Oh, really?” Surprised that she would want me to tend to business now instead of greeting Tamara, I turned and met her gaze. “Can’t this wait?”

“No, Izzy. It can’t wait.” Her tone was firm.

I followed Stacia into the backyard, near the purple rose bed. Taking a seat on the concrete bench that adorned the pathway, she blurted out, “We have had problems with Lady Tamara.”

Now I understood the formalities, this wasn’t going to be good news.

“As you know, Lady Tamara has been changing,” she continued, shaking her head incredulously. “We cannot find a suitable donor to supply her with nourishment.”

“What about Trisha? She’s been Tamara’s Primera Sangre for over a year now.” Primera Sangre literally translates to first blood. Every powerful vampire had several to help satisfy their hunger when they first rise for the evening, but Tamara had decided on only one since she required little blood and we both trusted Trisha.

“No.” She shook her head. “Trisha quit after Tamara tried to bleed her a second time.”

“A second time?” Feeling the importance of what she had said, I plopped on the bench next to her. “Tell me everything.”

“After you left, Tamara became obstinate and reckless about her feedings. She bled Helena in a moment of passion, then attacked Trisha. We cleaned up all the loose ends.” Stacia looked at me with a please-don’t-be-angry-with-me look.

Cleaning up loose ends meant they had disposed of Helena’s body properly, ensuring she wouldn’t return from the dead. Stacia had been a busy girl cleaning up after Tamara. Damn it! I couldn’t believe she had bled Helena. She was a very sexy gift from the Irish Clan for our union and the first person Tamara and I had had a ménage à trois with. “How many others has she bled?” I needed to know how much damage I was walking back into.

“Six, in total,” she whispered.

Hearing the sorrow in her voice, I assumed Tamara was brutal. I had only been gone a couple of weeks. She shouldn’t have had to feed that often. Unless, her condition deteriorated.

“So many in such a short time.” I sulked at the possibility that even as a vampire, I could lose Tamara well before my own death.

“Yes.” Stacia leaned forward, placing her hand on mine and gave it a quick squeeze. “Shamana is out of ideas, but she hasn’t given up. None of us will give up. We’ll figure this out.”

“Thank you,” I automatically responded- not paying attention to her. My mind flirted with the probability that I would face an eternity alone, that didn’t frighten me, but losing Tamara terrified me. I had already decided that I wouldn’t live my life without her in it. The problem now was to find a way to end my immortal existence when the time came. “Help me find peace when the time comes,” I whispered, not looking at Stacia for fear that she would turn down my request, but I knew of no one else to trust for such an important matter.

It took her a moment to register what I had asked and as expected, she jerked away in shock. “No,” she shook her head adamantly. “I can’t do that. You’ve become my…my friend. I don’t have many friends and I won’t dwindle my own numbers.”

“Stacia, please,” my gaze met hers. “I don’t want to live without Tamara.” As I said that, I felt a warm drop run down my face.

“Please don’t cry,” she said, wiping my bloody tear away. “I’ll consider it, but I’ll make no promises.”

I hugged her. “Thank you.”

“Alright enough of you.” She pulled away, rising to her feet. “Let’s get you to Tamara. I think she was in the garage, working on her new motorcycle. She’s been out a lot during the day. I think,” she said, giggling. “She’s even got somewhat of a tan.”

“A motorcycle, huh?”

“Yeah, Celeste finally got her to come out of the house, even helped her pick out a motorcycle.”

“Let me guess, they bought matching bikes,” I teased with a fake chuckle.

A motorcycle and a tan, Celeste obviously hadn’t miss the opportunity to spend time with Tamara. I wondered how else she helped her out, but I was back now and planned to make up for lost time. Long before we reached the garage, I heard the awful sounds of an engine revving, then spewing, trying to stay alive while catching its last breath as it died.

“God damn it!” Tamara’s sweet voice snapped into the silence, and the dreadful sound of two steel plates grinding against each other tore through the air.

Stacia stopped as we got closer. “Her temper runs on a short fuse,” she said, heading in the opposite direction. “Good luck.”

Oh, that’s great. Stacia’s comment made me wonder what the hell I was walking back into. It didn’t matter. My place was with Tamara, for better or worse. Oh God! I had started thinking like a married person.

I shrugged it off and quietly entered the garage. I wanted to surprise Tamara, but the surprise was on me when she came barreling out on her motorcycle, almost hitting me. She swerved. I jumped, landing on my feet. The bike fell over, pinned her underneath it and dragged her a few yards until they both came to a stop in one of Katherine’s Rose beds.

“Oh shit!” I yelled and ran to her side. “Are you okay?” I shouted while lifting the heavy cycle with one hand. “Answer me!”

“Don’t throw it,” she mumbled with a dazed look.

Don’t throw it…that’s all she could say to me. She was more worried about ruining the bike then she was about her own health? This was all Celeste’s fault! That little bitch sunk her pheromones into Tamara and now she wasn’t thinking straight. I was so angry with Celeste and worried about Tamara that I let the stupid bike drop out of my hand, smashing on the ground.

“Did you have to drop it?” Tamara asked as she held out her hand.

“What? No I love you…I’ve missed you?” Placing my hands on my cocked hips, I stared at her sprawled out on the concrete floor, bleeding from her knees, elbows and face with an outstretched hand.

“Of course I love you,” she replied, extending her hand out to me further. “Now, help me up.”

“Really?” I ignored her gesture. “That’s all I get?”

Her brows came together and she bit her bottom lip. “I would give you more, but I think I broke my leg.” She half-heartedly grinned.

“Oh God!” I shrieked. I picked her up and carried her into the house, while my monster wanted just a small taste of her fresh blood. I carried her to the library and tried to put her down.

She protested, “Take me to the kitchen, Viola will know what to do.”

So off to the kitchen we went. Viola had apparently seen the accident and had the kitchen table cleared for Tamara’s medical care. Bandages, gauze, hydrogen peroxide and a small stitching kit littered the table. Bottles of painkillers adorned the kitchen countertops. That’s when I realized that Viola hadn’t seen the accident. She had prepared for the next mishap. I had been away for too long.

“Good to have you home, Miss Izzy.” Viola took one look at Tamara cradled in my arms and pointed at the table. “Just put her down, right there.”

“How frequent does this happen?”

“Not much,” Tamara answered, squirming out of my arms and onto the makeshift infirmary table.

“Oh, maybe five or six times,” Viola said, cleaning off Tamara’s bloody knees.

“That’s a relief. I was worried it happened more often.”

Viola turned to me and mouthed, a day.

“Oh.” I was shocked. Taking a seat near her, I watched as Viola patched Tamara back together. She was always a plethora of information, telling me how Tamara seemed more normal after she fed from Lady Hightower. It somehow slowed her transformation to human, but that there was only so much blood Katherine could give her, and she had to rely on donors to meet the majority of her needs. Then she would fall into a deep sleep as her body absorbed the nutrients. Viola informed me that Celeste made herself accessible to Tamara whenever she called her. Evidently, they had become close. Viola rolled her eyes and scrunched her noise. I knew the feeling. I was feeling kind of sick hearing this, too.

When the last of the bandages went on, Tamara smiled. “Well, are you going to give me a real greeting now?”

I just stared at her. Had I really missed that much in the two weeks I was away? I found it difficult to wrap my mind around the fact that Celeste made her move and Tamara fell for it. Hook, line and sinker.

She rolled her eyes. “How about a hey-I’m-so-excited-to-see-you greeting.” She then raised her eyebrows, and nodded her head toward the bedroom.

“Oh, yes. How silly of me to forget.” My voice grew louder. “It’s what I had intended to do before I had to rush you to see Dr. Viola in the makeshift hospital she has set up for you in the kitchen!” By the time I was done, I was in an all out screaming fit.

Tamara shrugged her shoulders. “Well? Dr. Viola is done with me, right?” She looked at the cook slash emergency physician.

“Sure,” Viola threw the bloody towel in the sink.

Picking her up, I raced upstairs.

Viola yelled, “Make sure she feeds.”

Chapter Three

Laying Tamara on our large bed, a moment of mourning swept over me as I realized that Helena would no longer join us. This is what I feared the most—having memories of people that were no longer around. But I took it in stride and helped Tamara out of her ripped and torn clothing as she moaned in pain.

“Strange to see me like this huh?” She wiggled out of her tight pants. “I feel so…so…human,” she said, caressing my face. “I’m glad you’re home.”

“We’ll fix this. I promise.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Izzy.” Her words cut to my core. “Promise me that you’ll love me enough to not to let me suffer for too long.”

“Promise,” I said, choking back tears.

“And promise me that you’ll make love to me as much as possible.”

Her smile broke my heart. I didn’t have the nerve to tell her that I would follow her, even in death, so I nodded.

“Good, now kiss me,” she ordered.

My lips instinctively found hers. Tamara kissed me with the passion of our first kiss. Wrapping her arm around my waist, she pulled me tightly against her while her free hand fumbled to get my zipper undone.

Getting me out of my pants, she stared at me with wide eyes. “I had forgotten how beautiful you are,” she mumbled while softly caressing the inside of my thigh.

I needed her hand to travel up my thigh and claim everything about me. I needed to feel our bodies close and feel the passion burn between us. More than anything else, I needed to know that she would be all right. Her fingers brushed my pubic hair and I had to fight back my tears. Would this be the last time we could make love? Would we ever be able to have a normal life again? Regardless, I couldn’t let my unrestrained emotions ruin our time together. If anything, I would drown myself in finding a way to fix her ailment.

Her soft caress ripped my attention back to where I had longed to be for so long, naked in her arms. Her touch burned me with a passion that threatened to swallow me and hold me captive. I craved to feel her inside me, filling and claiming me with her essence. Collectively, our hands found each other’s wetness while our lips pressed closer together feeling as if our bodies were became one and our souls embraced to unite our inseparable bond.

Slowly, I slid a finger deep inside her, pushing my way through her tightness. She moaned, raising her hips. Feeling her surrounding pleasure tightening and hugging my finger, my wetness swelled.

“Oh God.” She moaned and slid her finger inside me. “You’re so wet,” she exclaimed as her lips found their way to my neck.

A moment of concern stopped my enjoyment. Would she recognize me or would she be as brutal with me as she had been with the others? Her tongue inched its way up my neck and I relaxed, falling back into the sexual offerings she promised. I would give myself completely, even if it meant my existence.

Teasing my warm, blood-engorged lips, her touch felt different. It was softer, more delicate, more human and yet, immensely more addictive.

Softly nibbling my neck, a wave of ecstasy flooded my senses. I would do anything to reach the euphoric release she dangled in my grasp.

“Fuck me,” she ordered.

Sliding another finger deep inside her, her juices escaped, enveloping my fingers and I craved her taste. Pulling out of her, I licked her sweetness from my fingers, savoring each drop, allowing her taste to penetrate my taste buds.

Licking my fingers dry, I rammed them back inside her, sliding in and out repetitively. Her body froze.

“Stop,” she begged. “Or I’ll come.”

That’s what I wanted to hear, but I wanted to taste her while she came. I quickly rolled her onto her back and ran my tongue down her sleek body, tasting every bit of her exposed flesh, past her cleavage and over her nipple, where I lingered just a little too long, commanding it to stiffen and grow while I suckled it. I continued my path down her stomach, sunk my face into her public hair and then parted her lips, stumbling onto her hard, swollen clit and took it between my teeth, while my tongue gingerly caressed it.

Tamara moaned wildly.

Carefully maneuvering my body over hers, she raised her head, reaching for my own wetness. Lowering myself on to her mouth, anticipated desire soared through me as her tongue greeted my eager nub and my world exploded into a frenzy of unbound pleasures. Pressing my face against her hot pussy, I reamed my tongue around the opening of her cunt. She grasped for air and followed my lead, teasing my opening.

Exploring every part of her secret abyss, I caressed her folds, slowly working my way to her ass. Pressing against her tight hole, she clenched her muscles tighter, the tip of my finger fighting for entry into her dark tunnel. My tongue lapped up her juices, distracting her attempts to keep me out. I slid inside, feeling her warmth waiting for me, caressing me. As she clamped down on my finger, I quickly pressed my mouth against her engorged lips, forming a tight seal over her pussy and sucked until the sweet liquor of her pleasure drowned my senses.

Moaning, she relaxed and I drove my finger deep inside her ass, her hips bolted down, taking in every bit of the welcomed trespasser. I slid a finger inside her empty cunt, knowing that I filled her completely.

I owned every part of her, my body burned to unleash the constrained passion that flowed under my skin, churning like the turbulent waves of the unrestrained ocean, but I had to keep control, especially now when she was vulnerable to injury.

She moaned. My juices escaped me. She clenched tighter, repeatedly thrusting her hips deeper onto my invading fingers while lapping my sensitive nub. Pleasure pressed against my insides, threatening to escape. My body shook as small rapid jolts of pleasure burst from inside me. My mind went blank. I had only one purpose and that was to make Tamara come.

Her taste changed and her body tensed. She had started to come. Closing my eyes, I surrendered, letting the euphoria wash over me, capturing me. Tasting her sweet delectable juices, my orgasm exploded. Everything went black and only the sound of Tamara’s grunts and moans echoed in my head as we moved in perfect harmony.

Her body quivered underneath me. I held my face tightly against her wet, sultry pussy not wanting to let go.

“Can’t…breathe.” She squirmed, pushing me off her.

“What?” Why did I ask? Did I really have to hear it again. Tamara breathe? That was the last thing on my list of acceptable responses from her. I love you. What a great fuck! Oh my God, you’re amazing!

“Can’t…breathe,” she repeated, gasping for air.

I would have settled for anything other than, can’t…breathe. Those two little words were a nasty reminder that I was losing her, and they hit me like stakes driving through my heart. Scrambling around the bed to lay at her side, I noticed blood on the sheets and panicked, thinking I had hurt her. I searched her lower extremities for blood, and found nothing. Taking a deep breath, I calmed down enough to realize that the blood was too high up on the sheets to be hers and started to search myself.

Feeling behind my knees, I came up dry. My left thigh, again nothing. Then my fingers slid into a warm, gooey, sticky spot on the inside of my right thigh. Shit! She had fed from me, that sneaky, little vamp had fed from me knowing I’m the reason for her ailment. Knowing she had fallen asleep, I shoved her. “Wake up.”

She grunted.

I shoved harder. “Wake up!”

Viola had mentioned that Tamara falls asleep after feeding. That’s great. I can’t trust her to stay away from my blood. The same blood that once provided her with sustenance was now her poison. I hated knowing that I was the reason I might lose her forever. That’s the kind of guilt, I wouldn’t wish on anyone, except maybe Jules and Celeste.

Rolling out of bed, I dressed and headed off to find Katherine. There was much I needed to discuss with her—like what the hell a keeper was and how they played a role in helping me find Kaley. I also needed answers about the feeling I had of our clan falling. However, the one thing I needed most right now was a hot cup of coffee.

Viola was cleaning the countertops as I entered the kitchen.

“I heard your footsteps and poured you a cup,” she said, never turning to look at me. “Katherine will awaken late tonight.”

“How did you know it was me coming into the kitchen?”

“I know the sound of your gait. You put more pressure on your right foot than your left,” she said, scrubbing the counter.

“Really? What else do you know?” I poured creamer into my coffee and sat at the table.

Viola spun, looking at me. “I know many things. What is it you want to know, child?”

Damn, she was perceptive. I wanted to know a lot, but I didn’t think she would have answers so I decided to just sip my coffee quietly. Looking out through the large bay window at the cottage that Shamana and Celeste currently occupied, trying to make sense of the vision I had seen. Why would Celeste give Jules a magical potion that kills vampires? Did she not think about the ramifications it would have, especially since she lived around vampires? What could she have been thinking?

“Izzy,” Viola touched my hand. “Did you have another vision?”

“No, I was trying to figure out…wait, I haven’t told anyone about my vision? How did you know?” I cocked my head waiting for a response.

“I know many things.” She grinned as she sat next to me. “I have experience with the keepers.” She paused. “Abby called earlier today. She will be arriving tonight.”

“Abby?” That perked me up. I never said goodbye or thanked her for her help. Now, I had the chance to make up for running out so quickly. Okay, back to the task at hand. Katherine wouldn’t be up for several more hours so I could talk to Celeste and Jules in the meantime.

“Have you seen Celeste today?” Just as I finished asking, I caught a glimpse of Celeste scurrying through the rose garden. “Never mind,” I said, jumped out of my seat and headed out the backdoor. Within moments, I was close enough to the vixen bitch to smell fresh blood.

“Going somewhere in a hurry?” I inhaled, as the sweet aroma teased my hunger.

Celeste spun around with a surprised look on her face. “I should have known it would be you.”

The smell of blood soaked into my nostrils, tempting me. “What are you up to?”

“Personal business,” she snapped back, turned to walk away, but then stopped and faced me again. “I had personal matters to attend to, you do know what personal means right?” Sarcasm coated her every word. “What do you want, bloodsucker?”

That was the second time in so many days I heard the name, bloodsucker. But in her true spirit, her essence shone through, showing me the bitch she really was. There was no need for niceties anymore.

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my hunger under control, but it sat at the back of my throat, beckoning for sustenance. “Yes. With you, it means trouble,” I answered, visually inspecting her clothing. There were no bloodstains. There was nothing that seemed out of the usual, including the slutty outfits she was prone to wearing. Yet, the sweet aroma of blood hung on her like cheap perfume. So much for trying to talk to her about my vision.

“Whose blood are you covered in?” I looked away, fighting to keep the pressure from behind my eyes from growing. I knew it was only a matter of time before I caved and needed to feed. My surroundings appeared to fade as I watched Celeste. She moved her lips, but all I heard was the soft sounds of her heart beating. Thump. Thump. Thump-thump. I focused on the artery beating ever so steadily against the side of her neck. The sound became louder, mesmerizing me, drowning out the world around me. Thump. Thump. Thump-thump.

“Izzy.”

I ignored Viola’s voice echoing through the quiet garden. Celeste stood unmoving with her arms folded across her chest, watching me.

“Izzy Hightower!” Viola’s demanding voice shook me, but did nothing to pull me out of my trance.

Thump. Thump. Thump-thump.

I glanced into Celeste’s soul and found darkness hovering in every corner. The stench of her evil doings had corrupted her spirit. Now, all I wanted was to feed from Celeste and rid the world of her evilness.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump-thump. Thump-Thump. Thump-Thump. Thump-Thump.

Three heartbeats total. People approached. If I were to make my move, I would need to make it now before anyone interfered.

“Izzy,” Stacia’s voice chimed. “You must not do this.”

I didn’t respond. I deliberately lowered my fangs without nipping my bottom lip. Hooray! I realized it was a hell of a time to gain control of my actions, but then again, ridding the world of Celeste was something I wanted. She had to pay for the sequence of pain she had put into motion.

Izzy!

My name exploded in my mind, spreading its tentacles throughout every facet embedded in me. I couldn’t ignore it. “What!” I hissed through clenched teeth.

You must not do this.

Abby’s voice echoed through the darkness in my mind. “Why not?” I shouted, my focus never wavering off Celeste.

You’re anger controls you. You will kill her. She sounded concerned.

“And what of it?” I glared at Celeste, hoping she would make a run for it. A chase would have been fun even though she wouldn’t get far, but it would give me cause to finish this standoff.

Abby and Stacia both approached me from the right. Where Stacia stopped, taking her position next to me, Abby continued past me, standing directly in front of Celeste, blocking her from view.

“You must feed and I am offering.” She held her hands out in an invitation, slightly turning her neck, showing her pounding artery.

I heard Stacia take a deep breath and a step back. “You interfere in that which is none of your business,” I growled, moving closer to Abby.

“You make it my business. You are not a coldblooded killer,” she said, and stepped closer. “Your eyes glow red and your hunger screams for justice, but it is not justice you seek.”

My world slowed down, Abby’s eyelids were closing, she was blinking. Before her lids shut, I maneuvered behind her, my arm strapped across her chest, my fangs at her neck. Stacia gasped, her mouth opened in slow motion, the sound traveled slowly across the short distance, finally hitting me like a distorted special effect. And just as quickly, time shifted back to normal.

Stacia lurched forward.

Abby raised her hand up, stopping her. “She needs to feed, take Celeste and leave, now.”

“If you insist.” Stacia pinched her brows, raising and dropping her shoulders.

I’ve seen that look before. It’s the you’re-going-to-die-doing-this-but-who-am-I-to-stop-you look.

“I feel your fangs on my throat and yet, you cannot break skin. Good,” she relaxed, stretching her neck. “Go ahead, take what you need.”

Tightening my grip around Abby’s chest, I saw Stacia motioning to Celeste to step away from us and then I heard the scrambling of feet shuffling away. Dumbass vixen. This was far from over between us. I would get another chance at her.

Feed.

Abby’s mental request commandeered my insides, twisting my hunger into an unruly urge. The taste that had complacently sat on the back of my throat, roared to life, as I flung my head down, and plunged my fangs deep into her.

Abby exhaled noisily as I forced pleasure to overcome her.

Her sweet elixir filled my mouth, and warmed my throat as it slid down into my stomach, filling me with renewed life and strength. As her body went limp in my arms, I carefully lowered us both to the ground. Sitting on my knees with my feet behind me for support, I hugged her flaccid frame into mine.

I wasn’t surprised when my sight went dark and in my mind, Tamara appeared before me. She lay on the ground and I hovered over her, crying, realizing she was dead. This wasn’t one of the better visions I have had.

Enough.

Abby’s voice ricocheted through me, shaking my core and my fangs retracted. Shocked that she commanded my hunger, I knelt there, holding her in my grasp, motionless.

“Release me,” she whispered through parched lips.

I licked her wound, sealing the incisive punctures and my muscles went lax, obeying. She slid down my thighs until her knees slammed against the ground and her upper body fell forward, collapsing with her head tucked between her elbows.

Stacia rushed forward, felt for a pulse and checked her breathing, then shot me a nasty look. “You cut it close with her. I need to get her to Viola.”

She started to lift her, but I took her lifeless body from Stacia’s grip and swooped Abby up in my arms. She nuzzled her face against my chest, moaning a feeble protest. Limply lying in my arms, I heard her chant.

“Have sight to see…the things unseen…the ears to hear…the things unheard…and the courage to face…the things unknown.” She passed out.

Energy started churning around us, crackling with power. A gust of wind carrying a thunderous roar enveloped me, piercing my eardrums and the swirling sand blew in my eyes, coating my sight. Struggling to keep my balance within the small tornado, I gripped Abby tightly, and leaned into the wind.

I had the feeling that this was no natural occurrence, whatever was happening, Abby had put into play. The energy danced along my skin with a sharp, stabbing pain and the voices of a women’s choir repeatedly chanted Abby’s incantation. “Have sight to see…the things unseen…the ears to hear…the things unheard…and the courage to face…the things unknown.”

Deaf, blind, and tired of fighting the wind to keep Abby in my arms, I dropped to my knees, and leaned over her, shielding her. It would not claim her alone. Suddenly everything went still, could it really be over? I raised my head to see a vortex within the wind tunnel we were in. Radiant blues, oranges, and violets glimmered as a transparent figure appeared, hovering inside it. Her long, flowing gown swayed in the wind that was no longer beating me. Her exquisite radiance permeated light into everything around her, including me. It was too bright to look at and I lowered my gaze. Immersed in her warmth, my fear disappeared.

“Stand, my child,” she said, waving her hands.

I closed my eyes and then opened them again. Yep, she was still there.

“Yes, I am real,” she extended her hand to me. “You may call me Mother, for I am the protector and bearer of all life.”

“Protector?” I sneered. “You did not protect me from Kaley’s fangs!”

The wind gusted stronger around us, then calmed. “It is true that Death called you. He is always seeking to carry souls across the eternal river, but in light of your abilities, you will be his greatest adversary. By your own nature, Izzy, you will keep death at a minimum throughout this troubling time.” Mother lowered herself to meet me eye-to-eye. “I am sorry, I could not interfere. Inanna marked you as hers to save you from Death. It was all that we could do.” She lowered her gaze.

“Inanna, you mean Layla?” I stared into her eyes and she nodded. “Mistress Layla did this to me?”

Layla is one of Tamara’s oldest and dearest friends. We met the day before I married Tamara and she complained about not being worshipped as a Goddess anymore. If what Mother was saying was true, that meant Layla wasn’t the nut job I thought she was. What the hell kind of world was I living in with goddesses, vampires and werewolves running around. What was next, finding out that unicorns were real?

“Katherine was right, we are at the brink of war and even though it does not involve humans, Death will call many to his side. In the near future, Reamus, the soul-snatcher, will awaken. The thin lines that hold our two worlds apart will start to weaken and chaos will reign.”

I gave Mother a what-does-this-have-to-do-with-me look.

“You will soon seek revenge, child, and there are those that will not allow you to interfere with their plans. How do you say?” She raised her finger to her mouth, then opened it as if to say oh, but instead exclaimed, “From those who are bigger and badder than you.”

Her statement sounded more like a question, but I let it slide.

“You will need help if you plan on surviving. I offer you allies.”

I cocked my brows. I had no idea what she was talking about and from the sound of it, I didn’t want to know either.

“There are three things you must do as if your life depends on it. One, you must not destroy the one you seek. Two, you must save Tamara’s life at all costs and third, you must keep Abby close to you.”

“I will not fight in your war.” There I had said it. I had too much on my plate to mingle in someone else’s problems.

Mother smiled. “Child, you have already been recruited. The question is, whose side will you take?”

Then, everything went black.

“Izzy,” Stacia yelled. “Izzy. Are you all right?” She gave me the once over and rolled her eyes, “I thought you were going to follow me to the kitchen? Oh no…you didn’t feed from her again, did you?” she gasped, inspecting Abby for new bite marks.

“What are you talking about, didn’t you see her?” I asked, realizing that I still held Abby in my arms.

“No. There was no one here except you and Abby.” She looked away from me, inspecting the open grounds. “I made it to the kitchen before you, which surprised me. I waited a few minutes and when you didn’t show up, I came looking for you. I found you standing, motionless with Abby in your arms.”

Don’t tell me I’m the only one who saw Mother. Good God, I’d surely be branded as insane. How was I supposed to explain this?

“Come on,” grabbing my elbow, she led me to the kitchen.

Abby nestled her face into the crook of my neck and pressed her lips tightly against my skin, kissing me. “Choose your side wisely.”

I walked in with Abby in my arms and Viola shook her head, making a tisk, tisk sound. “Set her down, here.” She pulled a chair out and held it.

I gently placed Abby into it, letting her slump onto the table.

“Get her a glass of orange juice.” Viola slapped my arm. “At least you didn’t kill her…that’s a good start.”

“Warn you,” Abby whispered as Viola held the cup of orange juice to her lips.

“Drink child. You’ll see Izzy after you rest.” She then motioned for me to leave the kitchen.

Embrace your demon and choose wisely.

Abby’s voice rang through me as I left the kitchen, stopping me instantly. It’s possible she was delirious. Blood loss would do that to someone…I should know. There were plenty of times, when I was still human of course, that Tamara took a little too much from me and left me weirded out, but that wouldn’t explain my hallucination.

What if Abby’s blood sent me on some kind of freaked out hallucinogenic trip? I wouldn’t be able to feed from her again. I couldn’t take that chance. But what if she wasn’t delirious and actually came here to warn me about something? Was she warning me about Mother? That just didn’t seem like my problem.

I needed a plan. The first thing on my list was to talk to Jules and confront her about Kaley’s disappearance. Did she really think no one would find out that she injected Kaley with a magical concoction that Celeste brewed?

I found the library empty, plopped on the couch, and called Jules’s cell phone. Naturally, it went straight to her voicemail. Nothing was working out the way I had hoped, why would this? I left her a quick message, asking her to call me. Lying on the couch, cell phone in hand, I fell asleep.

Chapter Four

Blood curling screams jolted me from my sleep and almost off the couch. I ran through the hallway, following its origin. Heading up the massive stairs, the shrieks grew louder. I must be getting closer. Turning down the hallway where the bedrooms were, I saw Viola leading against the wall, crying. Oh God! She was in front of Katherine’s room.

“She’s gone!” Viola cried.

My stomach sank. Was this, the beginning of the end I had seen? “Who?” I grabbed Viola by the shoulders. “Who’s gone?”

“Kaley’s gone again.”

“Jeez, you gave me a heart attack!” I snapped and she started crying harder. “I’m sorry.” I hugged her. “It’s all right, we’ll find her.”

Katherine appeared at the end of the hallway in her usual majestic stance. “Kaley is here. Shamana has spelled the grounds so she cannot leave.” Katherine glided toward us, her feet not touching the ground. “Izzy, we need to talk.”

“Of course.” I followed her down the hall and with a wave of her hand, a door I had never seen appeared. Entering the room, I saw that it was sparse except for two metal folding chairs, a phone, and several computer monitors that viewed every inch of the grounds. I looked around, taking in my surroundings and noticed that there were no windows. Of course! This was her safe room. Of all the clans out there, how did I get stuck with a minimalist Matriarch?

“Take a seat.” She pointed to the bare metal chair behind me. “We have a serious matter to discuss.”

I had the feeling I was going to get more information than I wanted, but I wasn’t going to tell Katherine that. No, I would hear what she had to say and be appreciative that she took me into her confidence. I also knew that no one in their right mind turned her down and lived to tell about it.

She scooted the chair in front of me where our knees barely touched. “I want to thank you for finding Kaley and bringing her home. You have served me well as a daughter-in-law.” She placed her hand on my thigh and gave a little squeeze. “But the truth is that the Kaley we all knew is gone. What remains is an empty shell of the person who used to be my daughter.” She leaned back and stared at the computer monitor, tracking Kaley across the grounds.

Not knowing what to say to that, I blurted, “I had a vision in which I saw Jules inject Kaley with a potion. Can’t Shamana find a way to reverse the damage?”

“We suspected as much,” she said, lowering her gaze. “Shamana and I have considered the possibility that Celeste was involved.” Then looking at the monitor, she whispered, “Kaley is beyond our reach now.” She lowered her head as bloody tears swelled in her eyes. “Her soul needs rest.”

“No!” I jumped out of my seat, protesting. “There has to be another way.”

“Don’t you think I would try anything to save my daughter?” she demanded. “We exhausted all of our options. She grows more dangerous by the hour and will soon start attacking her own kind. There is no other choice.”

Remembering what Abby and Rosalie told me about the werewolves Kaley had turned, I silently agreed as her sadness gushed through me, feeling the torment she carried. I knew she had pondered this possibility for months and when I brought Kaley home, it only confirmed the inevitable.

“Who will take her fledglings? Tamara is not strong enough to handle them right now.” I knew that I was corroborating her fear. Whoever took responsibility for Kaley’s fledglings would also end her existence. It was the only way to acquire another vampire’s nest.

Katherine stared at the monitor, watching Kaley throw herself against the invisible barriers that Shamana put in place. Katherine’s blood-red tears flowed easily, staining her face and clothes. “I will take her burdens until Tamara is well enough for the task.”

“And when will that be?” I hissed. Quickly realizing my attitude toward Katherine, I dropped my head, showing my neck in a submissive manner. Even to my own ears, it sounded unbelievable that I had snapped at her. Silence filled the room.

“You must curb your emotions, child.”

That’s all she could say to me? I left Tamara’s side to go find Kaley and now that she’s back, Katherine acted as if we could put Tamara on the back burner. “Why? Because I’m the only one who cares?” I yelled.

She stood so fast, the chair toppled over. “Don’t ever presume to think I don’t care about both of my daughters. I’m faced with the burden of having to end Kaley’s life and you…you’re not ready to help Tamara.”

Katherine’s presence appeared larger than life as she scolded me. Every word rang through me, breaking down my momentary courage. I would willingly give my life for Tamara, how could Katherine say I wasn’t ready to help her?

She lowered her voice to a whisper. “You must bleed her.”

Okay, maybe she was right. I would do anything except bring death directly to her door. I can see it now, Gee honey, I love you, but I’m going to bleed you—not.

“Until you are ready to trust yourself and what you have become, Tamara will remain as she is. Sometimes we have to make difficult decisions about the ones we love. Remember that the next time you start thinking that I don’t care about my daughters.”

Katherine’s gaze quickly snapped to the monitor in front of her.

Kaley had found Abby and was dragging her across the open field toward the wooded area behind the mansion. Abby tripped, sending her to the ground face-first. Kaley grabbed her by the hair, lifting her effortlessly. Abby placed her hand on Kaley’s chest, mumbling something and Kaley went flying backward, pulling Abby with her. The two of them hit the ground, rolling, then Kaley was back on her feet, yanking Abby up and carting her off. Damn, her magic wasn’t strong enough to ward off Kaley.

“Oh shit!” I barked, stunned at the scene unfolding.

“We will continue this later.” Katherine’s voice echoed as she disappeared down the hall.

I knew where Kaley was and took off after her, too. As I hit the back door, the brisk night air chilled against my skin. I took off running as fast as I could. The estate’s wooded grounds were hazardous to travel, especially for a vampire avoiding pointed wooden objects. The last Hurricane we had, mangled much of the two hundred year old trees, breaking limbs and splintering branches. Breaching into the wooded area, the fear of a tree branch impaling me, struck me, but I quickly brushed it off as I heard Abby’s ear piercing scream. I glided over fallen branches without missing a step, surprised at how light I felt on my feet, and arrived at the clear landing moments after Katherine.

Kaley’s firm grip around a now limp and bluish-colored Abby, would choke her to death.

We’ll get you out of this, I promise. I prayed, she could still read my mind.

Katherine slowly approached Kaley with her arms outstretched. Kaley hissed. Carrying Abby with her, she took a step back, trying to regain the space Katherine had claimed. Katherine stopped, waiting for Kaley to settle. Then crouching on her left knee, she stretched her right leg out, ready to catapult toward Kaley and let out a long, deep hiss. Katherine had summoned the power she held over her vampire children, me being one of them by default, and ordered Kaley to release Abby. The command was so great that even I felt her orders vibrate through me and my body wanted to comply.

Kaley dropped Abby’s unconscious body, her torso landed on the ground with a thud. Katherine continued hissing and Kaley took a few more steps back before she totally lost her mind, strengthened her shoulders and hissed back, holding her ground.

Three feet of clearance stood between Abby and Kaley. I would have liked more, but I’ve learned I can’t always get what I want. The moment Kaley challenged Katherine, I knew I wouldn’t get another chance and without a second thought, I ran in amid the two dueling Hightowers, scooped up Abby’s lifeless body and ran like hell back to the Mansion. “Viola,” I yelled, clearing the backdoor, resting Abby on the table. “Viola!”

“Yes…yes I know.” She limped into the kitchen holding a bloody rag against her forehead.

“What happened!” I had a feeling Kaley had found Viola and took Abby from her.

“Leave her with me,” she whimpered as she threw the rag in the sink, grabbed a handful of paper towels, and pressed them against the open gash on her forehead. “Go.” She shushed me out of the kitchen.

This night was already too long. I couldn’t wait for the sun to bring in a new day so I could get some rest. Looking forward to climbing in bed next to Tamara and spooning with her until I fell asleep, I headed upstairs.

The bedroom door creaked open and I stood staring at her, peacefully sleeping. Her long hair draped across part of her face and neck, hid her beauty. Eager to feel her nakedness, I threw my clothes on the floor and quietly slipped into bed next to my sleeping beauty. I wrapped my arm around her waist and maneuvered myself closely against her warm back. Yeah, regulating body temperature—something else to remind me of Tamara’s humanness. Placing my head on the pillow, I closed my eyes.

Tamara stretched, stirring to life. She rolled over, placing her chin on my chest, mumbling, “Good morning, sleepy head.”

What were the chances that she would wake up as I finally got into bed? Wait…don’t answer that, it’s obvious that I was the brunt of the Goddess’s sense of humor. “Hello, my love,” I muttered. “How did you sleep?”

“Too long, I think.” She kissed my cheek. “I’m stiff.”

“Maybe you need a little more sleep?” I snuggled into her arms.

“No, we have plans today.” She caressed my naked side. “Come on, we need to get up and get moving.”

“We do?” I asked, closing my eyes.

Tamara slid out of bed, pulling all the covers with her. “Yep.”

I heard the bathroom door close and snuggled with her pillow.

“Come on, get out of bed. I’ll have coffee waiting for you downstairs,” she said, pulling her pillow away from me.

I sat up, hoping this was a bad dream and that I was truly laying naked next Tamara. I was so tired that when she came back into the room, she found me sitting up, asleep.

“Come on. No excuses. Get up,” she demanded, putting a cup of coffee in my hand. “We’ll be late. Stacia is already on her way there.” She found a pair of jeans and a tee shirt and dressed me while I nursed the coffee.

I was grumpy to say the least, but I followed Tamara outside with my large portable coffee cup and headed for the Lexus. She smiled, kicked the motorcycle to life and waved for me to join her.

“I can’t get on that thing,” I complained, while cuddling the coffee cup to my chest.

“It’s a Hog, and why can’t you get on?” she asked, opening the dark plastic mask on the deep purple helmet.

“I’ll spill my coffee. Can’t we take the car?” I knew my priorities and coffee was on the top of my list. Not to mention, that I would save myself a few heart attacks if I could convince her to take the car. I didn’t mind motorcycles, but with Tamara’s condition deteriorating, I didn’t want to take a chance on her getting seriously injured. Especially on a bike called a pig.

“I’ll buy you a new cup,” she yelled over the roar of the engine. “Here, put this on.” She handed me a half-helmet. You’ve seen them. Imagine a full helmet, then cutting the bottom half off like a bad Bob haircut, only shorter. I gulped down the coffee and put the retched medieval contraption on.

“Swing your leg over,” she shouted, patting the six inches of cushion behind her.

I had never ridden a motorcycle, but I knew how to get on one. I’d seen it on TV. Per her instructions, I swung my leg over, accidentally kicking her in the ribs as I maneuvered my butt onto the sorry excuse for a backseat. The bike bounced as I landed my weight on it and that was the beginning of my mini-nervous breakdown.

“Wrap your arms around me and hang on.” She smacked down the plastic face guard, revved the engine and we were on our way.

I was fine on the driveway and I was even starting to enjoy the ride. Then she turned onto the main street and gunned it. I tightened my grip around her waist, leaning into her and closed my eyes. My fear revved as fast as the motorcycle. I was afraid Tamara would get hurt and I’m highly allergic to pain. I’ve seen the medical shows where they dig out road rash from your raw flesh and treat exhaust burns. I knew I would that wasn’t the issue. The point was that I would feel the pain before I healed and I’d rather suck blood from a sewer rat than to go through the pain of a motorcycle accident.

After ten minutes of swerving, speeding up, slowing down, and losing my stomach back near the estate, we arrived at the Lake Worthington Marina. Tamara turned the engine off, hung her helmet on the handlebars, and offered me a hand off the bike, of which, I was appreciative because my butt had fallen asleep.

“I have a surprise for you,” she proudly announced, pulling me down the long wooden dock.

We passed several large boats with occupants that Tamara waved back to as she bee-lined me to the end of the dock.

“She’s a beauty, huh?” She pointed, to a large, sleek, black boat with the name Izmara painted on the back end. “I came up with the name myself.”

The sheer size of it took me by surprise. Good Gods, it was larger than the houses where I grew up. The black sleekness shined in the sunlight, giving the three stories an awe-inspiring sparkle. The open back area had two fishing chairs bolted to the floor with pole holders and seatbelt straps attached. The rest of the area was large enough to park a small car on it, equipped with a mini-refrigerator, a bar, and couches.

“Well, what do you think?” She crossed the wooden walkway joining the boat to the dock.

A woman dressed in a white suit with a white captain’s hat came out of the top tier, and blew a whistle that commanded the attention of five women dressed in white, skimpy, miniskirts and bikini tops to come rushing out onto the deck.

“Good morning and welcome aboard. You must be Izzy,” one woman greeted as she extended her hand, offering to help me onto the boat. “I’m Beth, the Staff Manager.”

Taking her hand and crossing over the wooden bridge, I was pleasantly surprised that the boat didn’t rock and sway as much as I thought it would. So far, not bad.

Beth pushed the platform onto the pier, officially separating us from solid ground. “We are ready to depart on your orders,” she said, staring at Tamara.

“Are you okay with this?” Tamara faced me, grinning from ear to ear.

I wasn’t very well going to ruin her mood and in light of words failing me, I nodded.

“Very well then, let’s get moving,” she answered.

Beth gave the Captain a thumbs up and the engines roared to life, rumbling underneath my feet. Another woman, untied the ropes holding the boat to the pier and the boat slowly started drifting away. The engines roared and with a bump, we were moving faster. I grabbed the closest pole and held on for dear life, hoping I could keep my stomach contents where they were.

“It takes a little while to get your sea legs.” Tamara chuckled, holding out her hand. “Let’s take the nickel tour.”

The living room was enormous, African Mahogany walls accentuated the Marble floors and the large entertainment center housing a state of the arts stereo system, a sixty-inch plasma TV hooked up to satellite, DVD player and a telephone. The sectional couch was genuine black Italian Leather imported directly from Italy.

“This is your Captain.” A woman’s voice emanated from the ceiling. “We are now clearing the no wake zone and will be departing for our destination shortly.”

I stared at Tamara, but instead of saying what I wanted to say, I just smiled. I’ve been out running around trying to find Kaley, putting my life in danger, coming head to head with werewolves and she went out and bought a boat. I had no doubts that Celeste had something to do with this, too.

The engines roared and the boat leapt forward, knocking me off balance onto the couch. Tamara laughed, as I landed butt first on the cushy leather cushions.

“You’ll get used to it,” she said and then giggled.

“No. I don’t think so.” I swallowed, trying to keep my coffee down. Tamara extended her hand to me. Was she kidding? Did she really want me to get up and move while this thing gained momentum? My coffee was coming up. I gulped down what I could, prayed that I didn’t puke and took her hand. For the record, you don’t want to see a vampire throw up. It’s a cross between a cat coughing up a fur ball and a dog choking on a bone he refuses to let go of and with the same gut retching intensity. Only with us, it’s all blood that comes up due to our special liquid diet. It is the most unusual form of punishment you could ever bestow upon us.

I followed her lead, steadying myself as I bumped into the walls of the long, narrow hallway. She opened a door and proudly stood showing off the main bedroom. The walls were African mahogany with pictures hanging of the two of us. She plopped onto the bed.

“It’s a waterbed. Come and feel it.” She patted the jiggling mattress.

“Uh, no thanks. I’ll take your word on that.” My insides were churning. “I think I need to sit down.”

She jumped off the bed a pulled a chair close. “You don’t look so good.”

“Really? Green doesn’t go well with me?”

She laughed.

At my expense, but I took it.

“I’ll have Stacia bring up a Donor that should help settle you down.”

I wanted to upchuck everything I’d eaten my entire life. “No!” I snapped. “Not now, please.”

“All right then. Lay down for a while. I’m going to check in with the captain.” And she was off, disappearing down the hallway from hell.

Maybe she was right. If I lay down for a while, maybe I would feel better. I carefully maneuvered around the swaying bed and laid my head on the fluffy pillow. Closing my eyes only made it worse. I took a few slow, deep breaths, relaxed my death grip from the pillow and started feeling better. The boat rocked and then slammed down onto the water, jarring my guts. I grabbed the sides of the bed, hoping I wouldn’t have to pay homage to the porcelain goddess. Breath. Relax. Stay calm. Don’t panic.

I heard laughter and a voice I recognized coming from the other side of the door. No, it couldn’t be. Tamara wouldn’t dare bring her on board with me, would she? I gathered my strength and made for the door. Pushing it open, it hit the wall and slammed shut. Slowly opening the door, I saw Tamara and Celeste standing there with dumbfounded looks on their faces. Celeste bit her lips together in an effort not to laugh even though she was chuckling, while Tamara shook her head. “What the hell are you doing here?” I pointed at Celeste and quickly replaced my grip on the doorframe.

“I was invited,” she giggled, prancing out of the small confined space.

“Let’s go up and get you some fresh air.”

Tamara grabbed my arm and helped me stagger my way up to the deck. I felt constrained and started removing my shirt.

“Here, let me help you,” she said, pulling my shirt off.

“Stop it.” I slapped her hand away.

“I’ve put a towel out for you to lie on, if you don’t want to feed, maybe a nap will help.”

I could think of someone I could have easily fed from, but for the time being, I would play nice. Tamara removed my shirt and jeans and I lay down on the deck, took a deep breath and felt better. I closed my eyes and tried to relax.

I felt hands tugging at my shoulder and immediately my hunger roared. That’s a bad side effect of being a vamp—we want to feed as we wake up and it usually takes a moment to realize where we are. We wake up disoriented a lot.

Stacia leaned next to me, holding up a large towel. “Mistress Tamara wanted me to wake you.” She paused. “You might want to get up slowly.”

“Are we back yet? Did this blasted thing dock all ready?”

“No, so to speak. We are at the Hightower’s private island. Tamara and Celeste went ashore a few hours ago.”

“Together?”

“Izzy, if I were you, I’d get up and go find them. Why give Celeste another minute alone with Mistress T’mra?” Stacia smiled.

She made a good point. I got up and wrapped the scratchy towel around me. “Give me a minute to get dressed and we can go in together.” I headed into the living room and while passing a large, full-length mirror, glanced at it wondering how bad my hair looked and stopped dead in my tracks. I backed up to get a better view and screamed in horror as I dropped the towel. I was as red as a boiled lobster. They left me out on the deck to get sunburned and not one of them tried to turn me over.

Stacia and half the crew ran in. “I heard you scream,” Stacia said. “Are you okay?”

“Look at me,” I yelled. “I’m ready to be served for dinner.”

Stacia laughed.

“It’s not funny so stop laughing!” I scolded her.

“I’m trying.” She laughed so hard the tears flowed down her face.

“What am I supposed to do now?” My skin had started to burn.

“Perhaps I could take you more seriously if you weren’t standing naked with your arms held out in front of you.” She laughed so hard, she had started snorting instead of breathing while more tears fell from her face. She dropped onto the couch.

Great. Stacia, the heartless human found this comical. I’m doomed. I looked in the mirror and she was right. I was a sight for sore eyes. “Help me. I’m burning,” I pleaded.

Apparently, that was just hilarious because it sent her into another laughing fit.

“You…need…to…feed…maybe,” she said, every word between gasps of mirth.

“Maybe? Aren’t you sure?”

And that’s all it took to send her into another fit. I gave up. I slowly stumbled my way into the bedroom and slammed the door shut. I caught another glimpse of myself in the mirror. I looked pathetic and knew every inch of me would hurt. I fell back on the waterbed, wallowing in self-pity.

Knock! Knock!

“What?” I snarled, wanting to be alone.

“Dinner’s ready.”

I knew that voice and with a sense of humor like that, it had to be Vicky. We both worked as Donors at Kaley’s center before I was turned. We had become friends, yet I couldn’t let her see me like this. I didn’t care about the sunburn. I worried about my new status as a vamp. “Go away,” I whined.

“I can’t. Stacia threatened to throw me overboard if I didn’t do this.” Vicky paused. “Someone in there is hungry and I’m your girl. Open up.” She jiggled the doorknob.

“No.”

“Come on, girl.” She jiggled the knob again. “I know everything, so let me in and I promise I won’t laugh at the sunburn either.”

Carefully moving out of the bed, I unlocked the door.

Vicky turned the knob, slowly opened the door, and froze. “I didn’t know it was this bad.” She waved her hands up and down.

“Please,” I mumbled, slowly moving back to the bed. “I can’t handle more laughing.”

“I ain’t laughing at you, girl. I just ain’t never seen a vamp with a sunburn.” She rolled her eyes. “Ain’t no one gonna believe me so we’ll keep it our little secret,” she proclaimed, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Stacia told me you ain’t happy about this. Did she make you do it?” she asked, putting a little too much emphasis on the word she.

“No, not her. Her sister didn’t give me a choice.”

Vicky’s jaw dropped from the implications I had made. Who would have thought that the sweet, human-loving Kaley would have done this? But here I am, undead proof.

“Well, no need to cry over that now, huh?” She pulled her hair back, exposing her neck. “You’re finally on the other side so let’s take care of you now.”

“No!” I snapped, rolling away.

“Oh, baby, you’re cranky.” She straddled on top of me, and flung her bikini top to the side. Vicky’s large breasts wiggled as her nipples grew firm. Stretching and tapping the side of her neck with two fingers until her artery swelled to the surface, she slowly rubbed her groin against me. “You’re a Hightower now and, baby…I know how to work a Hightower.”

That reassuring pressure that I love to hate built behind my eyes and my fangs extended.

“Yep,” she grinned. “I’d say you need to feed.”

I knew what followed next and whispered, “I’m sorry,” as I latched onto her neck and took in her sweet blood.

Vicky didn’t flinch. She sat obediently, letting me suck and lap up her blood, enthralled by my charm. As she passed out, I held her in my arms and continued to drink. I paid special attention to her heartbeat and when it started to slow, I stopped. I was finally learning how not to bleed someone. She would recover nicely.

Feeding made my sunburn feel better, but it did nothing for the redness. I put on a large, loose blouse and found Stacia in the living room, reading the financial paper. “Where are they on the island?”

She looked at me over her glasses. “Near the restaurant section.” She folded the paper and laid it on the couch next to her. “How are you going to get there?”

“Isn’t there a boat to take me across?”

She chuckled and raised her brow. “Do you know how to drive it?”

“No, but how hard can it be?” I said, walking out on deck.

She followed me. “I’ll take you. With your luck lately, you’ll sink the boat.”

“You just want to see me kick Celeste’s ass. Get honest.”

We loaded up in a dingy with a motor, at least that’s what the captain called it, and took off toward the shore.

“I thought that Lady Hightower forbade you from hurting Celeste?”

Standing up in the dingy, I waved my hands toward the empty ocean. “Do you see the almighty Matriarch anywhere? Why do you care?”

“I have come to respect and admire you. I don’t want you getting in trouble because of your uncontrollable anger.”

“My uncontrollable anger…what…are we friends now?”

“No, but you are a formidable ally.”

“Well, I’m glad we established those lines. God forbid we should be friends.” I smiled.

“We both want what’s best for Tamara and it’s not Celeste,” Stacia confessed.

Well, it’s about time someone else saw it, too. I had begun to think that I was just jealous, but that solidified it for me. It was more than jealousy.

Stacia idled up to the marina and a handsome young man ran out, tied our dingy and helped us climb onto the dock.

“Should I get a golf cart for you?” he asked.

“No,” I replied.

“Yes.”

I looked at Stacia. “I can’t run as fast as you can. I’m only human, remember?”

The dock boy stared at us, confused.

“Yes, a fast golf cart…the fastest you have,” I corrected myself and Stacia smiled.

I floored the accelerator, cruising at a steady fifteen mph. Woohoo, we were moving now! The Island was huge so I followed the trail to the restaurant section. A wrong turn would have gotten us lost for days. “If the island is so damn private, why are there so many people on it?” I yelled as I swerved to miss a pedestrian on the narrow road.

“The island is rented out. All the movie stars come to vacation without worrying about their fans bombarding them for autographs.” She had a tight grip on her seat.

I hit the center of the steering wheel. “Where’s the horn?”

“There isn’t one,” she panted. “You’re in a golf cart, not a race car.”

The ten-minute drive would have been quicker by walking it, but I managed to get us to the restaurants safely. Pulling up to the barricaded street, another young man approached, asking if we wanted to valet the cart. Imagine that.

“Seriously?” I looked at Stacia.

She shrugged her shoulders. “It was Tamara’s idea.”

Shaking my head in disbelief, I entrusted the golf cart to the valet and accepted the ticket he offered. “Where do we start?”

Stacia rolled her eyes and sighed. “How about at the beginning?” She pointed at the first restaurant on the busy street. “We can start there, unless you can smell them. No, wait. Silly me, you haven’t practiced your new skills. You can’t do that yet, can you?”

Yeah, I deserved that, but I’d been a little busy lately. I smiled. What else could I do? She was right, I’d been afraid to embrace my new self. I believed if I ignored it, then it would go away, but it wasn’t going anywhere. “Okay. Point made. Can we find them now?”

Stacia’s posture changed. Her shoulders dropped a little and her face softened up. She turned and headed for the Devil’s Peak Café. “Do you know what I would give to have your gifts?”

I quickened my pace to catch up with her. “Why don’t you? I mean, why hasn’t Tamara seen to that?”

She stopped, waving her hands around. “Because I love this too much. I love the days. I can’t see myself reserved only to existing during the night.”

I remember when I used to think that way, too, but I wasn’t given a choice and now all I seem to do is harp on that fact. I wouldn’t try to change Stacia’s mind…if anything, I’d support her decision. What’s happened to me is almost surreal, I can’t believe the amount of problems and issues I’ve taken on since Kaley attacked me. Stacia is right—sunlight is a precious commodity. Maybe I should back off and give Tamara time to enjoy herself. I only wished she would enjoy it with me. “I can’t do this.” I grabbed her arm, stopping us dead in our tracks. “Let’s go back to the boat.”

“What? We just got here,” Stacia complained.

“I know and I’m sorry I dragged you out here, but Tamara needs time to figure this out on her own.”

“Yeah, but she’s not on her own. Did you forget that?”

“No. I didn’t forget,” I spat. The idea of the two of them together ripped me apart, but I couldn’t smother Tamara to keep her interested in me. I’m not sure when I developed this unrealistic insecurity, but it had to stop. I was driving myself crazy and for what? We were united and I hoped that was enough.

Under protest, Stacia followed me back to the dingy, occasionally reminding me that it was a stupid idea leaving the two of them alone. Wait a minute. We were united! I wondered if I could see into Tamara’s mind and get a peak at what they were doing together, but wait - what if my being nosey got me more heartache? No. I wouldn’t violate that trust. I would wait for Tamara to come to me.

Coming abroad the Izmara, Vicky met me on the deck. “Damn girl,” she said, rubbing her neck. “You needed me.”

I smiled. “I needed something, huh? How are you feeling? Did I hurt you?”

“Whoa.” She held up her hands. “You’re a vampire, sweetie. Don’t be so concerned about your dinner.” She cocked her hips and tightened her lips into a smile. “I knew what I was getting into.”

“I’m not really comfortable with this whole thing yet,” I said, defending myself against Vicky’s polite reprimand.

“Miss Izzy.” Beth hurried onto the deck, holding a satellite phone. “Call for you. Viola…says it’s important.”

I shrugged my shoulders at Vicky and took the phone. “Hello.”

“Lady Izzy, I found Jules’s body on the grounds.” Viola’s jagged words were difficult to understand.

“What do you mean you found her body?”

“She is dead, Lady Izzy,” she yelled. “She was killed on our grounds. We are under attack!”

“Viola, please calm down,” I said, using my vamp voice and I heard her take a deep breath. “I’ll get Stacia on it. Listen to me,” I said as I poured on my charm. “Only Edgar is allowed in Katherine’s room until she wakes. I’ll call you later.”

Surprisingly, I wasn’t terribly upset about Jules, but I was pissed. Shit had started to pile up and I wasn’t happy about it. I knew Viola would obey my orders and keep Katherine safe and, besides, not knowing if we were truly under attack, all bets were off. I had to find Tamara and make sure she was safe.

I wanted to tell Vicky what had just happened, but better sense took hold of me. “Please find Stacia right away. Tell her it’s urgent.”

I needed to find Tamara and we needed to get back to the estate. Whatever was happening had the potential of becoming very ugly.

I feel your anxiety. What’s wrong child? Katherine entered my mind.

Katherine won’t awake for a couple of hours. I must have been hallucinating.

The body ceases, but the mind does not. What’s happened child? Her calm voice soothed me.

So even during the day when you’re supposed to be dead, I have no privacy? Is that what you’re telling me? I couldn’t believe this shit! She’s always there, watching me?

I am only a spectator into the minds of my own. And you are still a part of me, have you forgotten?

How could I forget? I can feel her thoughts weighing on my mind. Tamara rode me to the Marina on her motorcycle. She let me fall asleep in the sun while on the way to the Hightower Island and now disappeared with Celeste. Viola found Jules body on the estate’s grounds and I’m sunburned!

I see, Katherine replied. Is there anything else?

Isn’t that enough? I choked back bloody tears. If we are all connected, can you find Tamara for me?

I cannot. Katherine muttered.

What do you mean you can’t?

I lost touch with her a while ago. I was hoping she was with you. Make sure you tell Stacia, that we need security for the estate.

I was ready to have a nervous breakdown. That’s all I needed was to lose Tamara. God Damn it! I knew that bitch, Celeste, was involved.

Izzy, find my—

Don’t. Don’t even say it. You know I’ll find Tamara and when I do, Celeste is mine!

As you wish, child.

And that quickly, she released the hold she had on me.

“Izzy.” Stacia was shaking my shoulders. “Answer me,” she begged.

I found myself lying in her arms with Vicky next to me. Knowing that things were about to get hectic, I allowed myself to take in the warmth of the sun, enjoying the calmness it radiated through me. And luck of all luck, we were still on the deck of this retched boat.

“What happened to you?” Stacia probed. “You’re eyes went white and rolled up into your head. Then you collapsed. I caught you as you started going overboard.”

“Huh?” I answered absently. “Katherine paid me a visit and scrambled my brain.” Leaning on Stacia while I lifted myself up, I told her what had happened.

She jumped to her feet, punching in numbers on the satellite phone. “The estate needs security and we need to find Tamara.” Putting me on hold by holding up a finger she said into the phone, “Hightower estate. Armed security.” She paused and then continued, “No, we’re aboard the Izmara, we’ll be there in a few hours.” Finally, she walked away.

“Never a dull moment, huh?” Vicky shook her head, staring at me. “What about that Celeste? What are you gonna do with her?”

“I’m going to kill her.” I don’t think I’d ever spoken truer words and I had no doubt that when the time came, I wouldn’t even hesitate. Pressure started building behind my eyes. I knew that feeling all too well, my hunger gently announcing its need. I had just fed from Vicky, this morning. I was getting hungrier and angrier as my stress rose. I had to find a way to curb my appetite or I’d never get anything accomplished.

“Chill,” she said, shaking her finger at me. “I know that look. You need to get a handle on this.”

I approached her quickly, standing mere inches from her. “I fed this morning…you should know.”

Vicky took a step back. “Yes, but stress tends to do nasty things to a vamp.” She turned and headed toward the interior stairs, then stopped, turning to look at me. “Just wait right here.” She disappeared down the spiral staircase.

Wait right here? What was I, a two year old?

Stacia came in with a scowl on her face, heading straight for the bar. “I’ve had no luck finding anything on Celeste’s whereabouts.” She poured some whiskey over ice and shot it back. “No one knows a damn thing!” she said, slamming the jigger down on the counter. “We shouldn’t have given up the search for Tamara. I knew Celeste couldn’t be trusted!”

“Oh no, you didn’t go there with me.” My hunger wasn’t the only thing beckoning, my anger had caught a ride on its shirttails. “Tell me you’re not implying that I left Tamara in the claws of that bitch intentionally.” My fangs lowered, I was ready to welcome Miss-I-love-this-too-much into our world permanently.

Her eyes grew wide. “No. That’s not what I meant.” She lowered her head and revealed her neck. “Forgive me, Mistress.”

Her submission washed over me, dulling the edges of my anger. She may be the Hightower’s trusted servant, but she had me to deal with right now.

“I was waiting to see which way that would go.” Vicky leaned against the stairs.

“Don’t press your luck with me- Vicky, I’m not in the mood.”

“My Lady,” Stacia interrupted, while holding her submissive position. “May I be excused? I would like make a few more calls.”

Well, that was more like it. Now, she was treating me with the respect that I deserved. “Yes, of course,” I said, dismissing her.

“Girl, what’s gotten into you?” Vicky slowly approached. “I never took you for the-kneel-and-praise-me kind of chick.”

“I’m tired. I’m tired of always having some kind of drama and emergency to take care of, instead of just being with Tamara.”

“Here,” Vicky held out the book, A Schmuck’s Guide to Being a Vampire. “Figured you needed it more than me.”

I didn’t know what to think about Vicky having a book like this or what to say. “Thank you, I think.”

Stacia ran in. “My Lady,” she panted. “Celeste was seen several hours ago at the airstrip boarding a private plane and loading a duffle bag large enough to hide a body in. She’s left the Island.”

My anger rose. That bitch carried my wife out in a duffle bag. “Where did she go?”

“I don’t know. The pilot made no flight record and hasn’t returned yet.”

I locked myself in the bedroom, and turned to the only person I thought could help me now. “Mother, can you hear me?”

Nothing but silence filled the room.

“Mother?” I waited a few more minutes and nothing happened. This was stupid. I was trying to contact a hallucination. There was no Mother or any other higher being out there. Just as I turned to stomp out of the room, I saw Mother standing in front of the door, wearing a pair of white shorts and a Hawaiian shirt with colorful pineapples imprinted on it.

“Impatient, aren’t we?”

I rubbed my eyes and used a finger to poke her. Yep. She was real and dressed as a tourist, standing in my bedroom.

She must have noticed my stunned look because she said, “I was having fun. What do you need from me, child?”

I poked her again and again my finger met solid mass. “Tamara disappeared. Can you find her?”

“And what will you offer for my help?” She strolled over to the window, looking out, waiting for my reply.

I knew there was a catch. Everyone wanted something. “How about I give you some fashion tips?”

She turned. “You waste my time.”

“Wait. What do you want?” I forced the words out. I would have made a pack with the devil to find Tamara.

“You will owe me a favor, of my choosing.”

“Very well.” I plopped on the bed. “I’m indebted to you, but could you please change into something more, I don’t know…goddess like… the pineapples are really distracting.”

She laughed and sat next to me. “We will need the help of Ina…Layla. She is Goddess of all vampires and can find your beloved.” Mother closed her eyes and a soft, warm breeze encapsulated the room. Mistress Layla, the Vampire Goddess, appeared in a translucent form. She was the same woman that had come to our union, sat with Tamara and had watched me agonize over which human gift to accept. Immediately, I noticed the blood dripping down her neck and my thirst closed in around my throat. She caught me staring and smiled.

“Why have you interrupted me?” She turned toward Mother.

“We seek Tamara Hightower.”

“And what has she offered?” Layla pointed at me.

They were all the same, wanting something in return for nothing. It would be me getting my hands dirty. All they had to do was tell me where to find Tamara.

“She has offered a favor,” Mother replied.

Layla thought about this and then answered, “I’ll accept the same. This could be quite interesting.”

She stretched out her arms and thin snakes of light slithered from her body, coiling and winding through the air, breaking out of the confined space of my room. One of the thousand beams charged straight at me, plunging itself deep into my chest, paralyzing me, twisting around my once beating heart. My first instinct was to gasp for air. I still wasn’t used to not having to breathe. Layla’s connection worked its way down my spine and settled in my groin, exciting, not only my hunger, but my clit as well. I’m sure that the boys would have instant erections.

Her darkness cradled my essence as it tore through me, stripping away pieces of my humanity until there was nothing left but hunger mixed with desire. Why is it vampires were synonymous with sex? Her calling woke every vampire that walked the earth, most were strong and bright. Tamara’s light dimly flickered erratically, unable to hold a steady link with the Vampire Goddess.

Layla folded her arms. “She’s in New Orleans,” she replied, then disappeared. Mother was right behind her, blending into the air that had brought her here.

I can’t explain it, but I had a feeling I would need Abby by my side.

Chapter Five

It wasn’t long after that, that the small prop plane taxied up to the New Orleans airport terminal. Even before I got off the plane, I got a strange feeling about this place. Every intuition I had stood at attention, shouting at me to get the hell out of here. Stepping onto the terminal only increased my restlessness. A shiver ran down my spine, cooling me to the bone on this hot, humid day. Dark magic permeated the air, hugging tightly against my chest. Not a good sign. Lucky me, I noticed a driver holding a sign that read, Hightower on it. Stacia must have arranged transportation.

Approaching the chauffeur, he quickly nodded and said, “We be honored to have ya with us, please, follow me.”

The limousine raced through the streets of New Orleans, or Noo Awyuns, as the Customs Officer corrected me, toward the hotel where we would meet Abby, then we would be off to find Tamara. I had heard that New Orleans was the ultimate party town, but I couldn’t wrap my mind around that when this place gave me the hibi jibies. I was supposed to be comfortable with the darker side of things. How could anyone let their guard down enough to have a good time here?

“We almost at da Canterin Whale Bed and Breakfast,” the driver said with a thick Creole accent, rubbing the rabbit’s foot dangling off his rearview mirror. “It’s on Royal Street, right in da middle of Videux Carré, which is da centuh of the Voodoo community.” He quickly made the symbolic cross jester across his chest and kissed his fist, holding it up to the heavens. He was highly dependent on his beliefs.

I would do my best not to shatter his religious values while I was here.

The car came to a stop in front of the bed and breakfast and he jumped out, raced around and held open the door for me. “I am yar drivuh, Pierre, and I’ll be here with da car.”

Abby came running out before I got halfway up the cobblestone walk and jumped into my arms. “Oh God, you’re okay! I thought something had happened to you,” she went on without catching a breath. “Two men escorted me to a plane, then brought me here. I was so worried, I tried to feel your presence, but I—”

“Yes,” I interrupted, “I’m fine. It’s Tamara that I’m worried about. Celeste has her somewhere here,” I said, waving my hands around.

“Oh,” she said, letting go of the grip she had on me. “Don’t worry, we’ll find her.”

“Um, I can take ya to see da High Priestess, if she is here, Pada will know.”

I raised my brows, impressed that Pierre would know a High Priestess after the obvious catholic religious practice he had shown in the car. “I’ll take you up on that,” I said, pulling Abby into the limo with me.

“I’m not so sure about this,” she complained.

“Da High Priestess will know what ta do. She is revered. You must pay your respects when she helps ya.”

“Does she take American Express?” Abby blurted.

I chuckled and Pierre shook his head disapprovingly.

We drove on main roads for a while, then turned off onto side roads that seemed to never end. Finally, we turned into the back of an alley overrun by chickens running free. Pierre slowed the car, then pulled over, parking next to a large overfilled dumpster. “It is bad gris-gris to take da life of da Priestesses livestock. From here we walk.”

Abby gave me a you’ve-got-to be-kidding-me look and huffed out an exaggerated breath. “Fine.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the car. “It stinks out here,” she complained as we followed Pierre down the alley and into an old, musky smelling voodoo shop.

I froze at the door. She yanked my hand trying to pull me inside. “I can’t,” I mouthed. My muscles reacted to an unknown barrier that I couldn’t cross. It denied me entry into the small, smelly shop.

“I’m not going in there without you!” she mouthed back and pulled again.

“Relax,” Pierre let out an amusing laugh, then reassured us. “Pada knows dat. Pada knows all.” And he disappeared through a beaded curtain.

Abby stepped out and stood behind me.

I laughed. Apparently, Abby wasn’t much of a risk taker with the unknown. Vampires and werewolves were fair game, voodoo priestesses were not. An old homeless looking woman, walking down the alley caught my attention. She struggled with a few plastic shopping bags, trying to pass a barking dog. The Shepherd growled, baring his large canines, then lunged at her. Without a second thought, I ran toward her, pushing the dog from its projected path and landed in a crouching position in front of her. Recovering quickly, the dog came to his feet, ears pinned back and drooling. He slinked forward. I hissed and he stopped, then laid on his belly watching me.

“Thank ya,” she said, putting her hand on my shoulder.

“No problem, happy to help.”

“I wasn’t thankin’ ya,” she clarified. “I was thankin’ da dog for helpin’ me decide if I should invite ya into my home.”

“What?” I turned, facing her. She wore a large, bright toothless smile on her face and Abby laughed behind us.

“Thank ya, King. Ya may go home now.”

The dog stared at her.

Waving her hand, she said, “No, I’m sure. I’ll be okay.”

The dog looked at me, then turned and peacefully strolled away, wagging his tail.

“You’re Pada?”

“And you are Izzy Hightower. Make yourself useful, girl,” she said, handing me a grocery bag.

I took the bag and followed her into the shop that once denied me entry. An overpowering smell of herbs and aromatic oil called, Patchouli, hit me hard as I walked through the door. I hate the smell of Patchouli. No, I’m lying. I detest it. It reminds me of the nasty potion Shamana had me drink after the bitch Celeste spelled me.

The old, wooden, rickety shelves held what I assumed were the typical merchandise for a Voo-doo shop—Tarot cards, books, herbs, powders, and small ivory statues, along with some objects that I had no clue as to how or what they were used for. The wooden floor creaked under my feet, giving the shop an unsettling, ucky feeling.

“Ya’re early. I didn’t expect ya for a few hours yet. Put da bag here,” she said, pointing at a round wooden table. “Pierre will put da groceries up while we talk.”

Following her through the beaded curtain, she turned, pointing at Abby. “Well, what ya waitin’ for, a written invitation? Come on.”

The room we were led into was exceptionally dark, I was grateful that my vampire eyes adjusted quickly. Abby fumbled her way in and I caught her as she tripped, almost falling face first onto a large bookcase.

“Thank you,” she whispered, grabbing my arm and clinging tight.

“The Goddess told me to help ya so here we are.” Pada lit a candle that barely illuminated a statue of a woman with arms outstretched, reaching for the sky.

“The great goddess, Aisha, requires ritual to gain her favor,” Pada said, slowly walking to another candle, bowing in the direction of the statue and lighting it. Flames shot up from the glass candleholder, then took to the wick burning steady. “She axes nothing far reaching, a simple act of reverence and a few drops of blood.”

“Whose blood?” Abby whispered.

“The cold one’s blood.”

Oh, yes of course. It seemed everyone wanted something from me, now it was my blood. I rolled my eyes.

“Ya not surprised, cold one?” The old lady stared at me.

“No, I guess not,” I replied. “What else does Aisha want?”

“To feel mortal pleasure.”

“What?” Abby uttered, pointing at the three of us. “You want us to fuck?”

“Not me. Da Goddess has waited for ya,” she said and then grinned. She pointed to the rug on the floor. “Da Goddess commanded me to buy it.” Pada circled us carefully, her every step choreographed. “Then I am to burn it. She keeps yar passion to herself.”

“Oh, this is ridiculous!” Abby grabbed my hand and started pulling me out of the room. “That’s it, we’re leaving. She doesn’t have any—”

“If ya take the cold one, keepuh, she never lays eyes on Tamara again,” the hag said, swaying from side to side. “Is dat what ya want?”

Pada knew too much. She knew I was a vampire, knew of Tamara and knew that Abby was a keeper and even though that little voice inside of me screamed for me to run and run fast, I yanked Abby toward me. “I have to try.”

Abby closed her eyes. I prepared for a wicked argument, but I didn’t get one. When she opened her eyes, they glowed a bright gold.

“I knew you wouldn’t abandon your beloved,” Abby spoke in a voice not her own, her words ringing together in a soft song. “I have waited a long time for you to come.” She fluttered her eyelashes.

This, I was sure, wasn’t Abby talking and I’ve learned that Goddesses are tricky so I chose my words carefully. “I do this with you and you help me find Tamara alive, right?”

“As you wish, but,” she paused, running her hands over Abby’s body, “you keep this one near you always. I like how she feels.” She traced the outline of my face with her finger.

“Deal.”

A sinister grin broke across her face.

She then ripped my shirt off and kissed my breast, her teeth digging into my skin. “Whoa.” I pushed her back. “Don’t you know what foreplay is?”

“Of course, my apologies,” she said and backhanded me so hard I landed against the wall. “Oh, this is better than I imagine,” she exclaimed. “You’re such a turn on!” She then leaped toward me.

The impact rattled me, but not enough to keep me still, waiting for her to pounce on me. I slid to the floor and crouched. As she got close, I grabbed her shirt collar and swung her around, throwing her against the wall.

“So forceful,” she said with a moan.

That just seemed wrong. I wasn’t expecting her to say that, but I had agreed to this mess and I had to finish it.

Her eyes glowed more brilliantly than before and her sinister smile scared the hell out of me.

She sniffed the air and sputtered, “Where is it? Where is your hunger, bloodsucker?” Then she lunged.

I was too slow. Her openhanded slap rattled my teeth and her nails scraped down my face, drawing blood. Shit! That hurt. The burning on my face washed over me and my eyes turned black. No, I hadn’t gotten used to the pressure of my eyes changing color. It was still too bizarre. I wanted to rip her throat out, but that would only hurt Abby, whose body Aisha, had taken over. Well, fuck me, I was running out of options.

I hissed and rushed her, wrapping my arms around her waist. She struggled, bringing us to the floor and, lying on top of me, stuck her hand between my legs and squeezed my crotch.

“You are going to be fun,” she gloated, licking my wounded face. “Oh, you’re delicious!”

She had called my vampire and it had obeyed, arriving for the main part of her festivities. She rolled off and I sprinted to my feet, grabbing her arm, but again, I was too slow. She spun under my arm and had it locked behind my back, pressing her body tightly against mine. She ran her fingers through my hair, grabbed a handful and, pulled my head back, planting her warm lips against my cool neck.

“I haven’t played like this in a very long time. I’m so wet.” She released her grip.

I stumbled away from her. I understood! It was all a sexual game to her. The more I fought, the more she wanted me. The problem was that I was enjoying it, too. I could definitely lose track of time and play this game with her all night, but I had to find Tamara. Time to try new tactics.

In my best attempt to make a boo-boo face, I stuck out my bottom lip and approached her slowly. She stared at me.

“What’s the meaning of this? Are you done playing?”

“Yes.” I cupped my hands around her face and held her while I pressed our lips together and unbuttoned Abby’s shirt.

Her tongue teased mine, burning an intricate passion in me of all that was possible with her. I lost myself in the enormous pleasure that permeated my senses by her undivided attention. My thoughts of Tamara and my self-restraint faded away. I ripped her shirt off, caressing her breasts, feeling her nipples grow with my touch. I kissed her neck, running my tongue down her chest until I eased her swollen pink tip between my lips and relished its sweet savor. She moaned, scraping her nails down my back, awakening a dormant passion I had never felt, not even with Tamara. My world spun with desperate desire, a need that similar to my bloodlust, I had become a victim, too, and had to satisfy.

Wrapping my arms around her waist, I laid us on the new rug Pada had provided. I felt Aisha’s body pressed against mine intensifying my need to satisfy her. I unzipped her jeans, sliding my fingers under her panties. Her wetness barely soothed my undeniable yearning. I felt as though my only purpose was to satisfy her every wish.

“Show me your body,” she whispered, between kisses.

An instantaneous reaction overwhelmed me. I stood, pulling off my jeans and waited for the slightest acknowledgement from her that she was pleased. Her approval came in the subtle form of her lip twitching to form a half-grin and I fell to my knees, tugging off her jeans. My tongue traced her leg up to the swollen mass that beckoned and ruled my senses. She spread her legs, my tongue parted her engorged lips, and I delved into her wetness, satiating my taste for her.

Grabbing my hair, she led me within inches of her face, and slowly licked her juices from my lips. Then, bringing me to my knees once again, she knelt in front of me, spreading her legs wide and placing her back firmly against my chest. Her hand slid between our tightly cupped bodies, finding my waiting bud, and stroked it gently. My hands caressed her hips, then followed her curves to the sanctity of her desires, I slid my fingers deep inside her tight cunt.

She moaned and her groin swayed forward. As if in a choreographed dance, I followed her movements, keeping to her rhythm and letting my fingers work their way through her tightness. Her head leaned back resting on my shoulder, her neck and thumping artery dangerously teasing my persistent appetite. Pressed so close to her, the loud, thunderous beat of her heart pushing her blood through her body captivated me and my hunger reared its fangs.

“Don’t. Stop,” she panted while our sweaty, bodies moved in perfect harmony.

Using my first two fingers like scissors, I held and rubbed her clit until her shivering shook my body.

She screamed, “Drink.”

In that instant, my orgasm crashed over me drowning me in a feeling of euphoria and I bit down piercing my points into her artery and drank while we came together.

Gasping for air, she bent forward resting on her elbows. I watched her magnificent body rise and fall with each labored breath, and turned my attention back to her pleasure, but she grabbed my wrist as my fingers nestled through her pubic hair.

“No,” her tone was stern. “We have business at hand.”

I cuddled against her back, enjoying the softness of her skin and closing my eyes, I felt the heat of her orgasm diminishing into warmth.

“Get off me!” Abby protested, finally returning to her real form, bucking under me. “Oh God! I can’t believe you did that with me…I mean her…and in my body!” She stammered onto her feet, pulling her jeans on. “Please get dressed,” her mood suddenly changed from bitching to melancholy.

I put my jeans on and finding her ripped shirt, handed it to her. “Sorry. Things got out of control.”

“You have no idea,” she said, inspecting the mangled mess. “You owe me a new shirt.”

I felt terrible. Here I was having sex with Aisha in Abby’s body, ruining her shirt and still not having found Tamara.

Pada entered the small room. “Da Goddess told me to bring ya dis,” she announced, handing each of us a black tee shirt.

“Thank you.” Abby put her shirt on, tucking it into her jeans. Then she approached me and using her thumb, wiped a smear off my lip and sighed. “You fed from me—I mean her.” Her question was more of an accusation.

I just couldn’t feel any worse so I lowered my head, nodding. “Yes.”

“Did I…did she take your blood, too?” Staring at me, she swallowed hard.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“What about these scratches?” She gently touched the wound that had already begun healing.

“You—I mean—she scratched me, then licked my face. Why?” I pulled the tee shirt over my head.

“Because you’re now bonded to her, and I’m her fucking vessel!” she yelled at me and then took a deep breath. “Don’t you see? They’re playing games with us, that’s what they do. You and I aren’t just pawns anymore. We’ve been promoted and now,” she lowered her voice, “now you must do her biding.”

I was utterly confused. “What?”

“Oh God.” She leaned against one of the ceremonial tables. “Try to follow me here, okay? The gods and goddesses play games with us, Izzy. They use humanity as a giant chess game, moving people and setting things into action to see what kind of results they get. And Aisha just claimed two more in her quest, us.”

“You mean me, Tamara, Kaley, Jules…all of us are just a game to them?” I felt the life slowly drain out of me. All this time, I had been unsure that gods and goddesses exist and now I find out that they were just playing us.

She pointed at Pada. “We humans, we each serve a purpose. But those of us that are special,” she said, waving her finger at us both, “we try real hard to stay out of their reach. And you shot that one to hell. Now we have to play.” She dropped her arm by her side in frustration.

“She promised to help me find Tamara,” I barked, defending myself against what seemed like a horrific crime.

“You dumb vamp. If she does, she has bigger plans for us. Deities don’t typically keep a human’s favor unless they have an ulterior motive. They use the typical you-didn’t-have-enough-faith-in-me-to-see-that-I-have-been-working-miracles-in-your-life bullshit line.”

“Okay, so what now?” I glared at Pada, ready to make an example out of her if Aisha didn’t keep her word. “Do we sacrifice a chicken or something? You have enough of them out in the alley.”

Pada’s face froze in horror. “No!” she finally managed to bellow. “They are only for rituals.”

“Come on,” Abby took my hand, leading me out of Pada’s shop. “I have a feeling we need to go this way,” she said, pointing to the end of the alley as she pulled me along.

“I wait for ya here,” Pierre called out as we turned the corner.

This alley was no wider or cleaner than the road we just came off, with the exception that, there were no chickens here. For some reason, they all stayed on Pada’s street. Those poor, stupid, little birds, they didn’t have a clue about what was going to happen to them.

“Over here,” she said, pulling on a plank of sheet metal that doubled as a door.

The smell of ammonia hit me as I entered the warehouse, it crept inside my nasal cavity burning my lungs. Urine. That’s just great, but I pushed on. Blankets and food wrappers littered the floor. Vagrants obviously made their home within these flimsy walls.

“So what were we doing here?”

Abby jumped behind me, her heart hammering inside her chest. “That wall is watching us,” she panted, pointing directly ahead. “It has beady little eyes.”

Okay, here’s a newsflash. I don’t like it when people use me as their personal shield. I may be a vampire, but shit scares the hell out of me, too! “Where?”

“In that wall, over there. Don’t you see its eyes?” She pressed closer against me.

I took a step forward and she latched her arms around my waist, following my footsteps. I honestly didn’t see anything on the wall, but I heard purring—a soft, delicate, low rumble emanating directly ahead of us. It figured that the only stone wall this place had, also had a tiny opening chiseled out of it, but big enough to trap a small kitten. “You mean that?” I pointed at the skinny kitten watching us.

“Ah, you poor thing.” Immediately, Abby was out from behind her shield, reaching up to save the trapped kitten. As her hand got close, it hissed, snarled, and swiped at her. “Ouch,” she yelled, pulling her hand back quickly. “It bit me.”

I laughed. It seems it didn’t want our help after all. “It didn’t bite you, it merely clawed you.”

“Well.” She put her hands on her hips and looked at me. “Get it.”

I rolled my eyes at her and reached for the clawed fiend, waiting to get swiped, but it didn’t. The kitten let me pull it out of the crook it was in, purring and licking my hand as I brought it down. Abby went to grab it and again, it hissed and snarled, then jumped out of my hands and ran away.

She looked as though someone had killed her best friend. “Animals love me, I don’t understand.” She whined, rubbing the scratches it left behind.

In the midst of all the action, I hadn’t noticed the tagged wall. “Look,” I said, showing her the Canal Street Warlocks graffiti. “Maybe we’re supposed to go to there?”

“Yeah, maybe,” she said, sulking about the kitten attack.

We heard the loudest, gut wrenching scream and saw the puffed up hairball running in our direction with King, the Shepherd, hot on its heels. I braced myself, I just knew what was coming next. The kitten took a giant leap, soared through the air, and landed on my shoulder, digging its needle-like claws into me for support. Yet again, something uses me as a personal shield. King came to a sliding stop a few feet from me barking, while the kitten hissed and spit.

“Ah look, you made a friend,” Abby said with a pout.

“King! Stop dat,” Pada yelled as she wobbled across the warehouse. “Stop dat, right now. I’m sorry, but King still has his mean steak when it comes to da cats. They tortured da poor thing when he was a pup.” Pada stopped and smiled. “I see da Goddess has given you a gift, cold one.”

Yeah well, it was better than being called a bloodsucker so I didn’t protest. “I guess so,” I shrugged my shoulders and it dug its claws into me again.

“She has been a hellion around here, not taking to anyone in particular. A real troublemaker, but I’m glad she picked ya.”

“She?” I repeated.

“She’s a Maine Coon, very rare for these parts and very opinionated. You should get along nicely with her.”

“Yeah.” Abby agreed, chuckling.

Zoe meowed.

It was official. I had named her, but not of my choosing. The name that came to me was as clear as if she had yelled it from the rooftops.

Chapter Six

Sneaking Zoe, into the bed and breakfast was easy. She was so small, so black and so still that she blended right into my tee shirt. No one noticed there would be a third visitor staying with us. Pierre was nice enough to sneak some food and a litter box into the room for me. The basics were covered. Zoe could rest comfortably and safely in the room and Abby got the long, hot shower she had been wanting. Now it was time to find Tamara.

Pierre waited for us outside. Seeing us come out of the B&B, he opened and held the limo’s door for us. “Ya smell like a patchy meadow full of flowers, ya feel better now, Miss Abby?”

“Oh, yes. Thank you, Pierre.” She waved her hair behind her shoulder and wore a huge grin. “Much.”

I sighed. Yes, she flirted with the driver. Not that I cared, but we had more important things to do.

I settled into the backseat and Zoe jumped in my lap as I pulled the door closed. “Whoa. What are you doing here? I left you the room, baby girl,” I said, scratching behind her ears. “How’d you get out?”

“Magic,” Pierre offered, paying attention to the stop and go traffic. Zoe curled up in my lap and slept the rest of the way.

Pierre turned off Canal Street onto Lopez way, a residential area still recovering from Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath. Most of the quaint two-story Creole Cottages, were still boarded up and showing off the water line that had surrounded these timeless beauties. Torn and weathered flags hung off the balconies while the Search and Rescue’s marks adorned the once colorful pastel walls. Pierre stopped the car next to a church and Zoe popped her head up looking around, stretched, yawned, then lay back down on the seat between Abby and me.

“Dis is da place,” Pierre announced, leaning over to lock the passenger door. “Some very strange things happen here, but dis is where ya will find da one ya seek.”

Abby and I looked at each other.

“They be keeping her in da basement, but ya’d better hurry. Da lot of dem will come back soon.” And he did his ritual marking a cross across chest.

Could it be this simple? Could he really have driven us directly to Tamara?

“Well, wat ya waitin for? Go and hurry.”

I didn’t think twice about it. I jumped out of the car and headed around the side of the church. Finding a door, but not any open windows, I decided that the best thing to do is walk right in. I put my hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open. To my surprise, a man dressed as a monk, greeted me.

“Welcome, my child,” he said, with out-stretched arms. “We have been waitin’ ya.”

I raised an eyebrow and relaxed my attack stance. Oh yeah, I had been ready to attack anyone or anything in my way. “Really?”

He nodded. “Da Goddess had told us of ya’r arrival. Please follow me.” The hooded monk limped down the hallway and into a small room with a door against the far wall. “Take dis and take what rightfully belongs to ya, but hurry. Da Warlocks will return soon.” He handed me a heavy monk looking robe, turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

The wooden door creaked open and I wished I had someone to hide behind. The stairwell led into darkness and even though my eyes adjusted quickly, I couldn’t see where the stairs ended. Afraid that the first step would crumble under my weight, I gingerly stepped down. The step squeaked, rattling my nerves, but it held. Every descending step complained about the pressure it had to endure, and it’s not because I’m overweight. The wood was that old! I only hoped that Tamara was truly down here and the stairs would hold our combined weight coming back up.

I picked up the smell of Patchouli. Damn, I really hate that stuff and after seeing Pada’s shop, I expected to see a shrine of some kind, nearby. What I didn’t expect to see was two white tigers shackled to a chained around their necks, ten feet from Tamara’s unconscious naked body. Seeing me, the tigers lunged, pulling tightly against their restraints. Their skin was taut around every bone with sunken in ribs and eyes. My gaze rolled over them and focused on Tamara, curled up in a fetal position, trembling. Unlike the tigers, her shackles were around each wrist. She looked too thin and had a streak of, Oh. My. God. Grey hair! A full fledge streak ran along the right side of her head and her face and lips were covered in dried blood.

Then I heard the very distinct, meee-oo-ww. Zoe. I then felt her rubbing against my legs. The tigers lunged again with new ferocity Zoe, would provide them only a quick snack. I bent down, scratching the top of her head and she sat at my feet, staring back at the large cars. The two large animals lay down and watched her and then something happened that I wouldn’t have believed. She stood up, pranced over to the oversized felines, and rubbed her head against each one. As if obeying her, they rolled over onto their sides and pawed the air. Then Zoe meee-oo-wwed, and jumped onto Tamara’s side, continuing to meow at me. I guess she was telling me to come get Tamara, so I took a step forward, putting myself directly within the path of the tigers’ hungry appetites. I hesitantly continued to step toward Tamara and Zoe, as I watched them carefully.

One of the tigers yawned and laid its head away from me, the other devotedly watched my every move. The shrine directly behind Tamara had lit candles, incense, and a key. Two medium size statues, about three feet tall stood on either side of the shrine and a much larger one sat to the right. Something about the statues looked familiar.

I dropped the robe near Tamara and stepping over her, took the key from the shrine and repeated a little prayer. Please let this work. Please let this work. Please let this key work, as I stuck the key in the lock and turned it. Click, the shackle fell to the floor. I turned her onto her back, covering her with the robe and undid the other shackle. I glanced at the three-foot statue closest to me and that’s when the similarities hit me. It was a statue of Celeste! I shook my head in disbelief. She actually had these people thinking she was a goddess. I was about to pick up Tamara when Zoe rubbed against me, meowing, and pranced over to the large cats who were intently watching me.

“What? You want me to set them free?” I asked, half-expecting her to answer me. “They’ll eat me.” I must have lost my mind. I’m talking to my cat.

I see what you see. Katherine’s voice rung in my head. We will prepare and be ready for you when you arrive. Izzy, be certain that you are ready or we will both lose her forever.

This is about the draining thing, isn’t it? I thought it because I didn’t want Tamara to hear me.

Yes, my child. It will pain me more than either of you. She paused and then said, You have been a delight in our house, I would not have had it any other way. Now, bring her home.

Zoe had cuddled up to one of the tigers, patiently waiting for me. I slinked over, getting very close to the large teeth and patted the cat on the head, showing it the key. “See,” I whispered, moving closer to its neck. “I’m going to unlock it. I won’t hurt you so, please don’t hurt me.” The key slid into the lock and click, it opened.

The large animal stood, stretched and licked my face, then joined Zoe who was standing next to the other—a meaner looking tiger. I approached it with the same knot in my stomach I carried from freeing the first one. It blew the air out of its nose, slobbering me with tiger snot, yuck! Then it turned its face away from me, relieving my anxiety. Click. Snot-nose was free, too. Only it didn’t lick my face, it just stared at me.

I slowly backed away until I was within reach of Tamara, knelt down, scooped her up in my arms, and headed for the stairs. “Come on, Zoe, we’re outta here.” And with a meow, she was by my side. I closed the door to the basement, knowing that the Warlocks would soon return and provide the big cats with the hearty meal they deserved. Did I feel guilty? Nope, not at all.

Zoe was the first one into the limo, making herself comfortable on the seat. I followed closely behind, Tamara in my arms. “Head for the airport and don’t stop for anything.”

As soon as my door closed, Pierre gunned the accelerator.

“Oh my.” Abby put her hand on Tamara’s forehead. “She’s burning up. She needs to feed.”

“I know,” I said, staring at her.

“Oh no. I’m done with getting bitten.” She narrowed her eyes into thin slits and scrunched her nose, shaking her head. “No. No. No.”

“Fine. I won’t force you. We’ll be in Florida in a couple of hours. She’ll feed then. Pierre, get us to the airport.”

“Hey, boss lady, da po-po got us. What should I do?”

I turned and saw the red and blue lights flashing behind us. “Keep going. Let them get ahead of us, then stay with them.”

“Uh, okay.” His voice cracked. I knew he was confused, so was I, but I knew not to stop.

One of the police motorcycles pulled up next to the window, the rider craned his neck, looked in, then respectfully nodded and pulled in front of the limo. The second officer took his lead and we raced down Highway 61, with police escort, to the airport.

“She won’t last a couple of hours,” Abby mumbled. “Oh, fuck me. Here,” she put her arm in front of Tamara’s mouth. “Go on, cut me. Let her feed.”

If Tamara started feeding now, I may not be able to stop her. I needed a disposable donor, sounds crappy, huh? Hey! When it’s to the line and you had to choose between two people you loved or a complete stranger, we both know whom you’d choose. And don’t tell me otherwise because then I’d say you were lying.

“No.” I moved her arm away from Tamara’s face. “I can’t say that she would stop in time. But thank you.”

“Izzy.” She looked solemn. “I know,” she said, offering her arm again. “Let her feed.”

While I cradled Tamara in my arms, I took Abby’s forearm in my mouth and bit her. Satisfied that her wound was deep enough to draw blood, I turned Tamara’s face and pressed her lips against Abby’s bleeding gash. Tamara didn’t even flinch as the blood smeared across her lips and dripped into her mouth. She didn’t even try to take nourishment. I licked Abby’s wound closed and my mind immediately started replaying Katherine’s words, be certain that you are ready or we will both lose her forever. I knew what she meant. It’s something that I’ve struggled with for a while now. But if Tamara continued refusing to feed, she would leave me no choice, I would have to bleed her.

“We are near da plane, I’ll get ya as close as I can, boss. Good luck to da lady friend of yar’s.”

The Limo slowed, and true to his word, we were only a few feet from the Lear Jet. I opened the door, wrapped my arms around Tamara and ran for the jet’s ramp while calling, “Zoe, come on girl.”

Abby was the last one in. The flight attendant closed and locked the large door. “We have clearance to depart, please find a seat.”

The plane started moving as I carried Tamara into the back room. Yes, we were on the Hightower Jet. Of course they had a room, equipped with a bed and everything. The pilot’s voice broke through the loudspeaker as I kicked open the bedroom door.

“Okay, ladies, we’re out of here.”

Oh goody, he had a sense of humor. The plane lurched forward with such force that it threw Tamara and me on the bed. I held onto her and waited until we had stabilized from the we’ve-taken-off-like-a-rocket momentum. Zoe, of course, was the first one to greet me when I entered the main cabin. She jumped into my arms, almost knocking the bottle of water out of my hands. “Thought you could use this,” I said, handing it to Abby. She shrugged her shoulders in a I’m-in-deep-thought kind of way.

“You have anything stronger?”

“No, but we have fresh blood in the fridge if you want that instead.”

She rolled her eyes and sighed, opening the bottle. “I’ve been thinking.” She gulped down half the bottle. “Ever since I arrived in Florida, things have been a little hectic.”

I plopped in the seat adjacent to hers and listened, even though my eyelids felt a thousand pounds heavy.

“Well, first Kaley, then New Orleans, and— wait! How could I forget, the Goddess Aisha and oh yeah, having her take over my body…”

Abby slapped my leg and my eyelids flew open.

“Wake up!”

“What,” I squealed. “I’m listening.”

“Where was I? Oh. Yeah, having her take over my body and having sex with you. Is this usually how complicated your life is?”

I thought of a way of telling Abby exactly how complicated my life had become without going all the way back to the beginning. “My life got complicated when Kaley showed up at my house and killed me.” Not so sweet, but simple. She raised a tell-me-more eyebrow and shifted in the seat, getting comfortable.

“It’s too long to go into. I might put myself to sleep.” I chuckled.

“We have time,” she said, looking around the cabin. “Neither one of us is going anywhere.”

I heard a thump come from the bedroom and was immediately on my feet.

The bedroom door opened and Tamara stood in all her glory, holding on to the doorframe. “I need…” and down she went.

I picked her up and tucked her back in bed. She grabbed my arm as I was leaving and repeated, “I need.”

Abby stood in the doorway, watching Tamara beg for sustenance. “I can’t do this! I can’t watch her suffer.” She held out her arm to me. “Bite me or I’ll cut a vein open.”

I could tell by the way she shoved her arm in my face she was serious. “Fine,” I said, sinking my fangs into her and tasting the warm, thickness that oozed from her wound. I was tired of people telling me what to do or using me or hiding behind me.

“Ouch!” She yelped, pulling away and laid on the bed. She scooted tightly against Tamara’s back and carefully positioned her bleeding arm at her lips. “Drink and be well,” she said, not sounding like herself.

Shit! Shit! Shit! “No,” I yelled…but it was too late. Tamara had latched onto her arm and was already drinking Abby’s blood, which just happened to be Aisha’s blood now. “She does not belong to you!”

Abby turned, looking at me with glowing eyes. “Only partially.” She grinned.

Tamara moaned, oh not just any moan, but the one I’ve become so intimately acquainted with that tells me she’s enjoying herself and I cocked my head, staring at Aisha. Tamara stirred, forcefully grabbing Abby’s arm and slowly thrusting her waist. I didn’t have to be a mind reader to know what she was thinking. “You’ll bleed that body you’re in, if you’re not careful.”

Watching Tamara enjoy the sexual dream Aisha had put in her head, pissed me off. That’s my wife she was messing with. Then I felt the tingling of my own desire sparkle. Oh, not now. I was no good at holding back the dam of passion, especially when Tamara and Abby, now Aisha, were involved. Please, not now.

“Join us,” Aisha whispered. “Your wife longs for your touch. Come feel what she offers.”

I felt like the last time Tamara and I had sex, the passion was missing either on her part or on mine. It really didn’t matter now. I’d be an idiot to pass up the chance to re-kindle that flame.

I leaned into the bed, slowly caressing Tamara’s thigh while Aisha stroked my arm as I moved closer. I wouldn’t interrupt Tamara’s feeding. She needed her sustenance, but I couldn’t stay away, either. My hand fumbled on Aisha’s breast. Her moaning carried a new wave of excitement through me, a desperate excitement. I would give anything to be in Tamara’s loving arms again. A stabbing pain radiated from my back down my arms and broke my trance with Aisha. Zoe jumped on me and drove her little sharp needles deep into my flesh.

“Enough,” I snapped at Zoe and Aisha. Zoe, the good kitty that she is, jumped off me and curled up next to Tamara’s feet. Aisha gave me a curious smile. “She’s draining Abby.” I pointed at Tamara. “Enough.”

She slowly pulled her arm away from Tamara. “I’ll care for this body, as it happens to be the only one I have at the moment,” Aisha said, with a smirk.

Her at-the-moment comment, weighed heavily on me. Was I expecting her to gather more bodies and try to take over the world? Probably. I wasn’t putting anything past Aisha, not anymore.

Chapter Seven

This time, I was back at the estate, not in Jamaica, as I thought I should be. I was bra deep in humidity. My sweaty clothes clung to me as if I had an invisible electrical barrier around me creating static.

Tamara moaned from the bed. She was restless. I couldn’t blame her. I prepared myself, as well as I could, to do the most insane thing I have had to face since being turned. I had to bleed Tamara. Don’t ask me how I felt about it because I couldn’t just give you an answer without having to philosophize my entire belief system again. And I didn’t have time to do that. The only thing I was sure of is that my options had quickly dwindled. I could watch Tamara continue refusing to feed, except for feeding on Abby. Who the Goddess Aisha, acquired the habit of borrowing Abby’s body to manifest herself in, simply watch Tamara grow old and die, permanently or bleed her and hope that Katherine’s plan worked.

Dying to live sounded farfetched even for me, but I would take my chances with Katherine. She had as much, if not more reason to see her daughter live. Abby wanted to be here with us, but with Aisha being able to take over her body at will, I didn’t think it wise. Mistress Layla had flown in from Egypt to help Katherine and I complete this risky task. That made me nervous. If someone as powerful as Katherine needed help, our chances of succeeding where slim, but it was the elaborately decorated wooden coffin sitting in the room that reinforced my fear.

I sat in the chair, staring at the coffin. I wondered if I would ever know what the colorful hieroglyphics adorned on the sides and the top of the wooden box meant. I didn’t stare at it to decipher its meaning. I stared at it to ignore that the two Matriarchs had tied Tamara, naked and spread-eagle to the bedpost.

“We don’t know what effects this will have on either one of them.” Layla offered.

I shrugged, not being able to tear my sight from the coffin. “We’ll see, won’t we?” I let my anger settle into my words prematurely. I wasn’t pissed at them. I was pissed at myself. I should have done Celeste in when I had the chance. Yeah, I know…would have, should have, could have. Nothing ever worked the way I planned.

Thankfully, Layla ignored my attitude. “I give you my word that Katherine will be well cared for until she fully recovers.”

My brow shot up. “What…what are you talking about?”

Katherine looked at us as if Layla had let the proverbial cat out of the box then lowered her head and continued her silent thoughts next to Tamara.

“Perhaps we should give them a moment alone,” Layla suggested, extending her hand toward the door.

I gave Layla a hard look, stood and went out into to the hallway. “What the hell is going to happen!” I meant it as a question, but my tone made it sound harsh and demanding.

“We are not sure.” Her soft whisper, echoed.

My patience was running on reserve. I took a breath. “What do you think is going to happen?”

“I’m not sure, Izzy.” She laid one hand on my shoulder. “Katherine, will give Tamara her essence.”

I frowned. “That’s not good.” The one thing I’ve learned is that essence is what keeps a vampire coming back every night. Without it, the body stays behind as an empty shell.

“Hopefully, all will be well. I will care for Kate until she recovers and returns to us. As you must care for Tamara.” She stepped in closer. “I will stay behind for a few days in case, you need some help.”

“Help with what? I mean, they’ll either live or die, right?”

“Yes, but the other clans may see this as an opportunity to stake a claim on the Hightower territory.”

“Who cares,” I shot back with bitter words. “Let them have what they want as long as everyone survives.”

Layla squeezed my shoulder. “It’s not that simple. If a powerful enough clan challenges you and wins, the Hightowers will have acquired a new Mistress.”

I opened my mouth to say oh then closed it. I understood the implications of leaving the fragile Hightower Empire in inexperienced hands, like mine. Yeah, this was serious business. Lucky fucking me.

We looked at each other with a knowing gaze. She knew that I could not maintain the Hightower’s power structure and I knew that she would help me, but only because of the namesake.

We turned ready to go back in and start, but Shamana came running down the hallway. “Wait…wait…I…have…news,” she said between pants.

Layla removed her hand from the doorknob, and said, “You will want to hear this.”

I faced an out of breath Shamana, taking in a lungful of air.

“I…know…what…went…wrong.” She doubled over, putting her hands on her sides, breathing hard.

I leaned to the side, impatiently waiting for her to catch a breath and tell me what she was talking about.

“I already know old friend,” Layla responded, “but Izzy needs to hear it.”

Shamana held up a-wait-a-minute-finger, her breathing still sporadic.

I looked at Layla. “Just tell me.”

“I cannot.” She smiled. “It is not my place, but you will understand soon.”

“I know why…this has…happened to Tamara,” Shamana spouted between breaths.

“Tell me.”

“She was…spelled.” Shamana’s voice carried a sweet tang of fear.

I didn’t need any guesses as to who had spelled her. Ding! Ding! Ding! And my answer was…Celeste. Now, I won the grand prize of hunting her down and killing her. The look on my face must have given away what I was thinking because Shamana’s expression changed. “Oh, Izzy, I’m so sorry!”

I stood, quietly staring at her. My emotions were so jumbled up, I didn’t know what to say.

Shamana grabbed my arms and dropped to her knees, pleading, “Please, child, say something.”

I watched her. I was unable to speak.

“Please forgive me,” she sobbed harder, her warm tears ran onto my hands, leaving a salty trail.

Will you punish the parent for the sin of the child?

It was Layla’s voice, whispering in my head.

I was about done with all of this—the whispering in my head, the going out to find missing vampires, the calling me child, the feedings, both from me and for me, the magic, the goddesses, Tamara dying—all of it! My anger rolled in on a thunderous wave, pounding my insides and just before I gave in to it, Zoe jumped into my arms with that meee-ooo-uugg that she uses when she’s demanding attention. I petted her head. She stretched her body to meet my hand and rubbed her face against mine. The more I petted her, the more my anger receded. Imagine that. “I will find Celeste and when I do, I will kill her.”

Shamana sobbed harder.

Layla helped her to her feet. “She had written her future as certain at the tides have, my friend.” Layla wrapped her arm around Shamana’s shoulder. “We all knew there would be a point of no return and it pains me to say that Celeste has crossed that line.”

“But she’s a child.” Shamana whimpered.

“No.” Layla pulled her in closer. “She knew what it would cost her and she decided to walk this path. It is not a reflection on you.”

My attention snapped to Layla and she shot me a warning glance. I left that comment alone.

“It is time,” she said, breaking the embrace she had around Shamana. “We must go and establish a solid foundation for this family again, but we will speak of this more when Izzy and I are done.” She held her at arm’s length and looked straight into her eyes. “Come find me afterward.”

Shamana nodded and sulked out of view.

Layla opened the bedroom door and stepped inside. The shock of seeing the coffin not far from Tamara and Katherine sent me for a tailspin. My emotions swelled and for the first time, I felt panic overtaking me.

Layla stopped, took a step back, held my hand and led me into the room.

“I am ready,” Katherine announced, looking at us.

Layla led me to Tamara’s side and positioned me near her neck, giving me a soft pat on the shoulder. “Timing is of the essence. I will help you drink until her blood is pure.” She scooted down the bed until she was next to Tamara’s thigh. “Katherine will then give of herself until Tamara’s supply is renewed. We will not get a second chance.”

Her unspoken words burned into me.

If I fuck this up, we would lose both of them.

Katherine placed a soft kiss on my forehead and moved next to Tamara, then curtly nodded. She was ready to gamble with both their lives.

I leaned into the crook of Tamara’s neck, taking in her scent and kissing her. Forming a tight seal on her pale skin, I sunk my fangs in deep, hearing her flesh rip. Her blood hit my tongue and a wave of euphoria arced through my body. This was the moment of truth, the moment that there is no turning back from. I took all the blood her body willingly swelled into my mouth and then forcefully took her reserves.

I knew the instant Layla embedded her fangs into Tamara, we both moaned with pleasure. Unlike me, Mistress Layla was powerful enough to offer her pleasure in dying. She’s had centuries to perfect her pleasure giving vampmone abilities. Tamara’s body prepared for the promises of sexual release that I knew would not come. The new urges drowned me. I wanted more from Tamara than just her blood. I needed to feel her taking control of my pleasure and wrapping my desires to her commands.

I felt her essence slipping away. Tamara gave one last struggle against her restraints. I wanted to pull away and scream stop it, but Layla’s influence held me prisoner to Tamara’s blood and lifeline. We drank until Tamara quietly fell against the mattress, unmoving, surrendering to our inescapable feeding.

Moments later, Layla tugged on my shoulder. “Our part is done,” she stated as she tightened her grip on me. “It is up to Katherine now.”

I pulled away and watched as Katherine placed her bloody wrist to Tamara’s mouth.

“I will care for her until she is strong enough to care for her own.” Layla pointed at Katherine, who now looked twenty years older. “Do not worry, child, she will return. I give you my word.” Using the hold she had on me, she lifted me to my feet and led me to the door. “You should go and calm Katherine’s weaker followers. They will come seeking reassurances that their Mistress will not leave them unattended.”

I had no idea what she was talking about until I opened the door and saw Viola, Edgar, Abby, Stacia and Zoe in the hallway.

Abby jumped up and rushed to my side. “I’d prefer to stay close to you today,” she said, entwining her fingers around mine.

“Yeah, me, too.” Viola added, moving closer.

“And me,” Stacia interjected.

Releasing Abby’s hand, I stepped back. “What the hell is going on?”

“Vampires are hanging out on the estate grounds. In all my years, I have never seen anything like this before.” Viola sighed. “This is because of Lady Katherine and Mistress T’mra, isn’t it?”

I could lie, but why bother? If Katherine’s fledglings started dropping dead for real, everyone would know we failed and the Hightower house would be vulnerable. “Yes, it is.” I pushed past the crowded hallway and went to the kitchen. I needed something I wouldn’t get upstairs, time alone.

“Self-pity does not behoove you,” Abby said, as she strolled in and lifted herself onto the countertop.

I shot her a glaring look. “I came here to be alone.”

“That doesn’t suit you either. You’re a leader and people want to be around you.”

Ignoring her, I opened the refrigerator door, hoping she would go away. I scoured the shelves looking for anything that would catch my attention and felt something hit the back of my neck. Pulling it off me, I stared at a pair of bright red panties. My desires flared. The unprecedented urge to have an orgasm tore through me. Lately, I had suspected that my hunger incorporated more than just blood and this proved it. As the days passed, my sexual hunger rooted itself firmly into my core, but I couldn’t allow myself to give in. I slammed the fridge door and threw her panties back. “I’m not in the mood.”

“Perhaps not now, but you will not always be able to fight the urges that will arise.” Parting her legs, she reached under the tight mini shirt and ran a finger through the slit of her crotch. Just lovely.

“I’m tired of riddles and especially tired of not understanding things,” I said, getting in her face, which was a mistake. She wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled me close. Her arms locked around me, sealing our bodies together, her tongue teasing my lips to open and accept her. My better judgment screamed at me to stop, to honor the promise I had made to Tamara, but I couldn’t.

A spark sizzled between us as our lips met, releasing the longing that had settled deep inside me. I wanted to feel the exuberant pleasure that only a toe curling orgasm provided, but worse yet, I needed to give myself over to Aisha’s beckoning. The intensity of the moment burned through me and I wrapped my arms around her, lifting her up off the counter. Straddling her against my waist, our lips pressed tighter. Our tongues dancing as I laid her on the kitchen table, fumbling to work my hand up her tight-fitting skirt. She squeezed her legs tighter, bringing me closer.

Desperate to surrender to her burning desires, my fingers lightly brushed her pubic hair and my muscles tensed preparing to drown in her wet promises. My jagged breath came sporadically as her experienced hands masterfully unzipped my jeans. Her fingers accidentally brushed against my sensitive lips while she pulled my pants down, leaving me exposed.

A voice from nowhere unexpectedly interrupted us. “Why must I keep finding you in this position?”

I froze at the sound of Tamara’s voice. I should have known she would find me here, in this position. Her hands grabbed my ass as she spooned herself up against my back. “Do you not like the way I fuck you?” she asked, sliding her hand between my legs.

My knees went weak at her touch and I turned my face to kiss her. Instead of meeting my lips, she rammed two fingers deep inside me. I lost my balance as pleasure swept through my body and she chuckled a sinister laugh while holding me up.

“Aisha does us no favors, summoning you at this time.” She glared at the woman lying on the table, spread eagle.

Aisha smiled and touched her wetness, drawing her fingers to her lips. “Care for a taste, Mistress Tamara?” Her eyes beamed with invitation.

Ignoring Aisha’s incitement, Tamara plunged her fingers deeper. “I think it is time…” she said, kissing my neck, “…for you to learn your place.”

Did I hear her right? Did she say I had to learn my place? Tamara would never say that. Before I could even process what she meant by that, she had scooped me up in her arms and was carrying me upstairs with unnatural speed. Kicking open our bedroom door, she laid me on the bed and slipped leather restraints on my wrists, tightening the buckles.

“Okay, this isn’t funny.” I tugged against my shackles. The corner of her lips curled into a wicked smile as she looked at me. “Stop this,” I said, getting nervous.

She said nothing.

She just stood there smiling at me. Now, I’m feeling panic consume me and pulled tighter against my bonds. “Please,” I begged. “Untie me.”

She stared at me for a moment, then without saying a word, turned, and walked into the closet. She returned carrying our toy bag, the bag we keep all of our sex toys in, and emptied it on the bed. Meticulously inspecting every toy, she put an eight-inch dido and her leather harness to the side.

Well, if that’s what she has her heart set on, I’m game. After all, it’s been a while since we had mind-blowing sex. I relaxed. This wasn’t as serious as I thought. She pulled out her harness and securely fitted the dildo to it, stroking it as if it were a part of her. Strapping the attachment on, she continued stroking her new penis and smiled.

“I want you so bad. I miss feeling you inside me,” I said, confidently knowing that she would satisfy my urges tonight.

Silently, she looked at me, picked up the bottle of lube, and squirted some on my future intruder. She knelt next to me and I brought my legs together preparing for her to undress me. She pulled off my jeans and the cool air hit my warm skin. “I can’t wait for you to fuck me,” I said with a moan, encouraging her.

“Oh, am I going to fuck you.”

She grabbed my legs and flipped me onto my stomach, my arms crossed leaving me in somewhat of a tangled position. Shit. My stomach clenched at the thought that there’s only one thing she can do with me in this position. An eight-incher is more than I could handle from behind and from the looks of it, she didn’t intend to slowly work it into me.

“Please, don’t do this.” I used my most sincere voice. She grunted and continued to prep herself for my place lesson.

Panic became by new best friend as images of pain flashed through my mind and I tried to imagine what it would feel like. I couldn’t see what she was doing so I buried my head into the mattress. Did I really want to see what was going to happen next? Probably not. Then I thought, it couldn’t possibly be that bad, could it? I’ve had anal sex before and it wasn’t terrible so maybe this would be a pleasant surprise. I could think about it in one of two ways. Either, I could panic about the possibilities or I could look forward to the new experience. I choose the latter for obvious reasons and now I was getting even more excited.

My excitement quickly turned to fear as she grabbed my leg and squeezed so hard I thought she’d bruised me. She was extremely rough with me, clutching and forcefully rubbing my cheeks apart. I clenched. I wouldn’t make this easy for either of us. Yeah, that’s me, cut my nose off to spite my face. So what’s your point?

She chuckled and released me. She came into view on my right side, grabbed my face in one hand, and stared in my eyes. Then she smiled mumbling, “Huh-uh.”

That’s when I had the bright idea to placate her. “I understand,” I said, forcing my voice to drop, sounding remorseful and ashamed. “I know my place is with you. I have dishonored you.” I shut my eyes, desperately trying to squeeze out some tears. Nothing, not a single drop emerged, primarily because I was pissed, but I kept up the charades as best as I could. Her brow twitched. I thought I was making progress and got excited over the possibility of not having an eight-incher up my ass. “Please, don’t hurt me,” I pleaded, staring into her green eyes.

“You hurt yourself enough for both of us.”

Her demeanor changed immediately and her face went expressionless. I was back to dealing with the Tamara I had learned to fear.

She moved behind me and I felt her situating herself on the bed. She slapped my butt cheek and I yelled as the stinging erupted. Another slap and more yelling. Several slaps later, the stinging became a burning. Another slap and I yelled, “Mother fucker!”

This stopped her. Now, the tears I had wished for earlier were flowing naturally. My clogged nose made it difficult for me to breathe and my ears rung.

Something cold hit my blazing cheeks and I temporarily found relief until I realized it was only a prelude to what came next. She parted my cheeks, and poured additional cold lube on me, working it into my crack. Lucky me, I was slippery and gooey.

She shifted her weight, spreading my legs—my legs were loose! I kicked as hard as I could and felt my foot connect with her. I kicked wildly and desperately, running in place for my life. I finally ran out of steam, laying exhausted and panting in a puddle of my own sweat. In the midst of my outburst, I hadn’t noticed that Tamara had safely moved off the bed.

She moved toward me, staring in my eyes.

“Close, “she mumbled, then once again took her position behind me.

Spreading my legs open, I felt straps fitting around my ankles. I was too exhausted to fight and prepared for what came next. She slid all eight inches against my slippery crack as she stroked her dick between my cheeks. I held my breath waiting for the moment that pain that would scream at me, letting me know that penetration was happening. Instead, her fingers gently traveled and laid claim to the wetness that had seeped from my betraying pussy. She dwelled deep inside me, awaking the spot that delivers me to an involuntary state of euphoria and I quivered uncontrollably while she flicked my g-spot to life. I raised my hips, but the force pushed them against the mattress. Confused and afraid of her reprimand, I laid still, unsure if I should enjoy her touch. She finger fucked me—hard. An involuntary moan escaped my lips and she stopped. I felt her situating her weight amid my legs. I pulled on my wrist restraints, took a deep breath, and waited.

She entered me slowly, only it’s not where I thought it would be. She drove her eight inches deep inside, commandeering her way until she filled my cunt and something of a half-yelp, half-moan rumbled in my throat. She repeatedly slapped her groin against mine, ramming her member inside me until I was completely full. Pleasure replaced my fear and I was willing to forget the horror she’d put me through. She pulled out, got off the bed and I heard whispers.

“Now what?” Tamara asked.

“You must be more persuasive.”

Layla’s voice drowned me in an angry fear. I had no idea we had an audience. Talk about humiliation! There’s only so much I’m willing to forgive, but this…this had crossed the lines. “Untie me!” I demanded, using my best vamp voice.

Silence fell on the room.

“How cute,” Layla commented, amid a low laughter.

“Yes,” Tamara responded. “She is feisty.”

“I would not have been as companionate with her. Your emotions hinder you. With your permission, I would like to try myself.”

“Yes, perhaps you’re right,” Tamara agreed. “Of course, you may do as you like.”

And just like that, I’m passed off for someone else to have her way with me! Cool hands touched my legs. I flinched at the thought that Layla was touching me. Her touch followed the outline of my thighs until it reached my wetness. Then Tamara appeared within my view and placed a gag over my mouth. I turned my head away, but she grabbed my hair and held me while tying it securely.

Next, she pulled out a handkerchief, folding it lengthwise until it resembled a long strip of cloth and placed it over my eyes, again tying it securely. The moment darkness took hold of me, my anger billowed. I thrashed wildly against my restraints, and screamed through the unforgiving gag.

Hands held my hips down, and the dildo forced its way between my crack as I yelled futilely. I don’t know how long I thrashed for, but I knew two things, one is that she hadn’t penetrated me and two, I was exhausted. Then suddenly my handkerchief came off and Layla was eye to eye with me.

“I think it is done,” she said, caressing my face.

I felt Tamara’s weight shifting, sliding off the bed. She looked into my eyes as well.

“I think you’re right,” she said as she unbuckled one of my wrist restraints.

Immediately, I removed the gag. “You fucking bitch!”

Ignoring me, she began to unbuckle the other restraint.

“Are you sure that is wise?” Layla asked, putting her hand on the buckle Tamara was unfastening. “She seems quite angry.”

Tamara hesitated, smiled and then answered, “Yes. I will tend to her. Will you see to Abby?”

“Of course, my friend.” Layla turned on her heels and left us alone.

I sat up and started untying my ankles. Tamara joined me. “Don’t touch me, you sadistic, fucking asshole!” I snapped, slapping her away.

“I’m sorry for scaring you, but there was no other way.” She sloped down onto her knees. “We couldn’t tip off Aisha.”

“Oh, that’s lame,” I snarled, undoing the last ankle restraint.

“Will you listen to the truth?”

I scooted away from her and closed my legs. Tight. “What truth? The truth about how you almost raped me? Or the truth about how you almost let someone else do it for you? Which truth were you talking about?”

“I would not have allowed it,” she said, touching my foot.

I kicked her away and raised my eyebrows in a disbelieving manner. “Oh, really? What would you call what just happened? Explain it to me…cause I didn’t get the fucking memo!” I sat up with my legs curled up in front of me, crying. That’s just great! So much for holding my own when I’m crying like a baby. Who cares?

“Izzy.” She sighed. “I’m trying to explain.”

“So explain,” I snapped and felt snot run out my nose. Lovely.

“Aisha was feeding from you, from us. We had to stop her.”

I waited to see if she was going to add anything to that lame explanation, but she didn’t “That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?” Her expression was a cross between sadness and confusion.

“I’m sorry I scared you, but there was no other way of releasing you from her bond.” She leaned closer, but I gave her a fuck-you glare that stopped her in place.

“I want to know everything,” I said, scooting back, regaining my lost ground. “And don’t sugarcoat it.”

She slid to the edge of the bed and put space between us. “When I opened my eyes, I felt Aisha’s call. It was so strong that Layla had to hold me down in order to keep me from sacrificing everything my mother did to give me life. Layla’s people put my mother in her coffin and carried her out while Layla tended to me.”

“You mean while she fucked you,” I shot back.

Tamara shook her head and continued. “She knew of Aisha’s calling from a time that no longer exists and was able to release me from her service. Had it not been for Layla, we would not be free of Aisha.”

Tamara looked at me with sad puppy dog eyes. God, I hated that look, but fortunately, my anger didn’t let me fall victim to forgiving her just yet. “And?” I said, coldly.

“Aisha is a goddess, much like Layla. Only she feeds off sex. She promises whatever she can to gain your trust, then grows stronger inside you. She is dangerous and deceiving.”

“She helped me find you,” I insisted, not convinced that Aisha was my enemy.

“Yes, she did and what price have you paid, my love? How many people have you fucked recently?” Her tone came sharp and I knew from the sound of it that she was getting annoyed. “Aisha is helping Celeste, and I will not make allegiance with my enemy. Celeste will die and Aisha will use whatever body she can to try and stop it.” She lowered her head and her voice. “Yes, Layla fucked me and yes, it was as unpleasant as your experience. It had to be. Aisha’s weakness is that she cannot handle true fear when sex is involved.” Tamara’s voice got lower. “We used your humanity to drive her out.”

“What about Abby?” Apart from being possessed by a sex goddess who, incidentally was feeding off me, I liked her as a friend.

“Layla will see to her wellbeing. As a goddess, she is better equipped to protect Abby than either one of us.”

Her words sunk deep into my consciousness as I thought about what she had said. Could it be possible? If I think about the sexual hunger that took over me, yeah, it’s possible that Aisha had fed from me, but that didn’t explain the sexual excitement that had taken over me now. “How did you know I was me again?”

She looked at me with the words, “Huh,” forming on her lips.

“It’s a simple question,” I yelled, feeling wetness escape me. “How do you know that she has left and that I’m me again?”

“Your eyes…your eyes are no longer gold.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, as my urges turned into desperation.

“Yes, my love.”

Oh, thank God that what I felt had nothing to do with Aisha because I thought of all the things I want to do to Tamara and decided why not. “In that case,” I said, waving her off the bed, “stand up.”

She paused, but did as I instructed. Slowly approaching her, I was careful to make sure our nipples touched, then moved behind her, rubbing my breasts on her back. I unsnapped the harness from her waist, but I didn’t let it drop to the floor. Instead, I caught it and maneuvered myself in front of her, dangling the harness in my hand.

“Put this on me,” I said, caressing her groin.

Tamara froze. “W-what?”

“You heard me. Put…this…on…me.” She took it and fit the strap around my waist, adjusting the leg straps. It was a tight fit, and it’s not that I didn’t trust her, but I checked to make sure it wouldn’t come loose. I stood in front of her wearing her strap-on and feeling a little out of place. I shifted and felt the dildo bounce, pulling on the harness. Looking at myself, I saw my perky breasts, flat stomach and her dick hanging between my legs. Blood rushed to my face, I was dizzy with ideas of inadequacies, but I thought of it buried deep inside her and the awkwardness disappeared. “I’m going to finish what you’ve started.”

“Oh?” She gave me a sinister smirk.

I took it as a challenge. And confidence filled me. She will feel me inside her tonight. “Tonight, I am Mistress and you will obey me, even if you don’t want to. On your knees,” I ordered, not giving her time to argue with me. Or worse yet, talk me out of what I’m planning. She isn’t the blunt taking-orders kind of girl, she’s more of the subtle, let-me-seduce-you-into-what-I-want-you-to-do kind of, girl. Sure, we’ve played games, but I’ve never taken such an active dominate role before.

She bent down on one knee.

I pointed to the floor. “Both,” I said as I disappeared into the closet. I came out and she was still where I put her. This made me happy and horney. I placed a collar around her neck, fastening it to a thin chain. Feeling her uncertainty, I smiled. Mrs. Calmer than an ice cube’s emotions are running rampant. Good. I walked toward the bed and yanked on the chain for her to follow. She stood, but I put her back down on all fours, knelt at the foot of the bed, her face even with my new dick. Pulling on the chain, I brought her closer. “Suck it.”

Her eyes turned black, her fangs dropped and a low growl echoed from her throat, but I knew her tactics and she didn’t scare me. I knew that Tamara, the enforcer, was sizing up the situation and weighing her options. We both knew that I am the keeper of her pleasure and I patiently waited to see if she would disobey me. Moments passed in silence then leaning forward, she placed her tongue on the shaft. Right away, my mind reacted to what I saw and my clit tingled as if she were directly on it. I tugged on the chain. She responded by licking her way up the shaft, to the tip of my dick. Placing my hand on her head, I slowly pushed her face down. New urges built as I watched it disappear into Tamara‘s mouth. I wanted to pin her to the floor and fuck her hard, but I controlled my desperation. That would come later.

“You have been a naughty little vamp,” I informed her. She stopped. I pushed her head back down, encouraging her to continue, which she did. “You were not told to stop,” I reprimanded. “But you need to know that I love you,” I said, pulling her head up by her hair, the dildo plopping out of her mouth bouncing against her chin. “Do you know that…that I love you?”

She nodded.

“Good, don’t move.” As I stood up, I allowed my new attachment to brush across her face. She was very patient with me and I knew this. I dug through the toy bag she had left on the bed and pulled out a remote control vibrating bullet. Not the one she used on me during our union, that one was wireless, this one isn’t. “Stand up and lean over the bed.”

She didn’t move.

“I want your ass in the air,” I commanded and gave the chain a swift jerk.

She stood, leaning her elbows onto the bed.

I walked behind her and inspected the view. Her round, cheeks are lightly spread apart. I used my foot and separated her feet into a wider standing position. Now I saw the slightly darker color of the fracture that hid her ass and the outline of her wet opening. I caressed her buttocks, running my fingers down her crack and teasing her puckered hole. She leaned away from me. I pulled her back and continued my examination, letting my fingers roam to her warm and slippery place. Although she may never admit it, something about this was turning her on, too. The moment I rubbed her nub, I slid a finger inside her and her juices leaked, covering my hand. I knew I was wet. I felt my own slickness rubbing against the harness. There was no need to lube the bullet, it slid in perfectly and I used my finger to push it deep inside her.

She moaned.

“You are being so good, you deserve some pleasure, too.” I offered her a kind reward, and leaving my finger inside, turned on the vibrator. Her face dropped heavily to the mattress. The bullet massaged the tip of my finger as I pushed it deeper inside her cunt, making sure that it wouldn’t easily back out. “Sit down.”

Ah, this time she obeyed without faltering.

“Do not let it fall out, or I will punish you for your disobedience.” I handed her the bottle of lube. “Make me slippery.” Tamara squirted my dick—yes, it’s my dick now—and expertly rubbed the lube on me. “You’re punishment will be to take this up your ass,” I said, pointing at the dildo she was stroking. “Now, you have no need to wonder how I will punish you, and you can concentrate on obeying me.”

She nodded.

“What…what was that, I didn’t hear you!” I scorned.

“Y-yes, ma’am.”

“Now lay back and spread your legs. I have never felt myself inside you and wish to do so.”

Tamara didn’t lean back, she plopped against the mattress and I didn’t care because she had obeyed. Holding the dildo in one hand, I positioned myself directly in front of her and guided it toward her submissive treasures. I rubbed the tip on her hood and used it to separate her lips. I perched at her opening, barely making my entrance. I cranked up the vibrator's speed as I pushed myself inside. She was tight. It took more force than I was anticipating, but ultimately, I felt the head of my cock slip in, and I stopped, giving both of us a moment to rest. To see a part of me, whether it was silicone or real didn’t matter. Inside the woman I love was the single, most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It completed me.

Pushing myself further in, I pressed the base against me, caressing my engorged nub. The feeling hit me hard, flooding me with desperation to find sexual release. Now, I understood her obsession with our strap on. It was a combination of mental and physical appeal. Putting my weight on my hips, in one swift movement, I drove myself in. She moaned, I grunted. I pulled my hips back and the toy slipped out of her. Again, I fumbled with getting myself back in. After several attempts to stay inside her while thrusting, she wrapped her legs around my waist and helped me develop a rhythm that satisfied my own needs. I pushed in deep and held my stance, unsnapping the harness. Sitting up on my knees, I pulled the toy out of her and held it up.

“Put this on,” I commanded.

She happily took it and snapped it on. I turned the bullet off and adjusted the wire to keep it out of the way.

“Now, lay back down.”

Finding the restraints she had used on me earlier, I tied her spread eagle to the bed, her dick pointing straight up.

Before straddling her, I warned, “Do not come until I say so.” I turned the bullet on max and rode her, hard, scratching my nails down her stomach, taking her to the brink of orgasm. She gasped, pulled on her restraints and raised her hips. I stopped. “Oh no…no you don’t,” I disciplined, and then turned the bullet’s speed down.

I placed a pillow underneath her head, making sure she had a good view of what I was doing. That, I knew was her greatest torture, to see and not touch.

She curled her lip and cocked her brow, gently pulling on the restraint. Placing my hands on her shoulders, I leaned my weight onto her and shook my head with a tisk, tisk.

She settled down quickly.

“Do you know where it’s going?” I asked, leaning myself back onto her perch.

She shook her head.

Placing my hand on the soon-to-be intruder, I leaned back feeling it skim my crack and rest on my asshole. “Do not move. I am giving you want you want.”

Her eyes grew wide as her waist started to rise. I leaned my weight on her hips, not only holding her still, but using her as leverage, I lowered myself onto her. Painfully the toy pushed its way in. Pausing, I took a deep breath waiting for my muscles to relax.

Tamara’s face glowed with excitement and her hips started rising. I held her still.

“Move again and it will be the last time you touch me!” I barked.

She froze with her hips in the air.

I pushed her ass against the mattress, again.

Slowly, I wiggled down the long, thick shaft until I was sitting directly on her pelvis. “Do you know where it’s at?”

She nodded her head.

“That’s right,” I responded squirming, rubbing the base against her clit.

Her eyes rolled up as she closed them.

I twisted her nipple and she snapped her eyelids open. “Watch,” I commanded as I ran my finger through my fur and slid it inside my cunt.

She tugged on her bonds, but didn't move her groin.

“This is what you wanted right…to be inside me…like this?” I asked, massaging my nub.

“Fuck me!” she commanded, using her vamp voice.

I smiled. This is what I’ve been waiting for. I knew her disobedience would come. Arching my back, I found the string of beads I placed behind us and moving the strap that runs down her crack, I inserted a bead into her virgin ass. Yes, this is a new sensation for her. She’s only had the tip of my finger enter her darkened void. Her face contorted as she swallowed a breath of air. “That’s for using your vamp voice on me.” I inserted another bead. “That’s for disobeying me.”

She clenched her cheeks together and moved away.

I pushed another one in. “That’s for moving.”

She stared at me and then leaned her head back against the pillow.

Satisfied we have drawn clear lines of dominance, I worked her cock for my pleasure, teasing my bud while I rode her, hard. “Watch!” I panted, turning her bullet on high.

Careful not to lose my momentum, I fell onto her chest and took her nipple between my teeth, suckling and caressing it as it grew firm.

Her breathing changed and I knew she was close. I sat up straight, my hips crashing against her groin, while my fingers encouraged my euphoria. Sweat dripped down my chest, every drop ablaze with desire. Her moans set off a cataclysmic response that I could no longer hold back. “Come!” I ordered, pulling on the string that housed the beads inside her.

She yelled, grabbing the sheets in a tight ball. Her back arched perfectly off the bed, and her hips followed. I took her deeper than ever before and my orgasm exploded as I ground my weight on her.

Exhausted, I collapsed on her chest, panting. The dildo had worked itself out during my toe curling experience, so I didn’t need to worry about her being gentle. I squeezed my cheeks around it, holding it tightly between my crack, kissing her chest.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you, too.”

Chapter Eight

I was so tired that I slept through the day, waking when Tamara rose the next evening. I felt her slip out of bed, heard the rustling of clothes and heard the door close behind her as she left the room. I tried going back to sleep, but my mind was working overtime. What the hell were we supposed to do now? Katherine was out of the picture, for the next fifty or so years. Kaley and Jules were dead. Goddesses were using us as pawns and Celeste was out there, running around creating more havoc for us. Oh yeah, and something called a soul-snatcher would awaken. I pulled the covers over my head, temporarily hiding from the nasty reality that faced us.

A light tapping came from the door.

“Izzy, are you up yet?” Abby’s voice called.

“That depends. Are you fixed now?”

“As fixed as I’ll ever be,” she said and then laughed. “Can I come in?”

I pulled the sheet off my face. “I guess.”

Abby opened the door and she seemed like her own self. I stared intently, trying to catch a glimpse of Aisha under her teddy bear pajamas. She noticed my gaze and twirled in a circle.

“It’s me. Promise.” She dropped on the bed. “Tamara is downstairs barking orders. She’s in a mood tonight.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” The sarcasm flowed too easily from my lips.

“Viola filled her in on everything.” Abby stretched, placing a hand on my chest. “She’s put a bounty on Celeste.”

“I’m not surprised.” I moved slightly out of Abby’s reach. I wasn’t going to take any chances about Aisha being gone. She moved up the bed, facing me.

“I don’t like the idea. I have a bad feeling about killing Celeste.”

“Celeste will die. It’s inevitable.” I smiled and caressed her face.

Abby shimmied off the bed. “Either way, you should go downstairs. Tamara and Layla have been arguing since they rose.”

Abby was right. I could hear Tamara and Layla yelling at each other before I came down the stairs. I had planned to talk to Tamara about Helena and the other donors that she had ravaged, but I had the distinct feeling now wouldn’t be a good time. I could tell by the sound of Tamara’s tone that this was going to be an interesting evening. Coming into the library, I saw Layla levitate into the corner of the room. How cool was that? Tamara followed, yelling at her. Ignoring what they were fighting about, I wondered if I could hover like that, too.

Layla lowered to the ground. “What are your thoughts on this, Izzy?”

“Can I do that, too?”

Layla cocked her head obviously confused.

“Yes with practice,” Tamara interjected, lowering herself to the floor. “We were discussing Celeste and Shamana,” she said, planting a kiss on my forehead.

“Which one, Celeste or Shamana?” I asked, not wanting to confuse the two.

“Does it matter?” Tamara snapped.

“See, that’s what I’ve been saying.” Layla smirked. “It does matter. They are two very different people. I would trust Shamana with my life.”

“Obviously we couldn’t trust her with Kaley’s life!” Tamara barked and floated to the ceiling.

“She did all that she could!” Layla yelled and followed her.

“And what about you, old friend, taking a favor from my wife to help her find me?”

Yep, those were fighting words, but I was curious about that, too.

Layla started glowing crimson red. “You dare question me?”

Tamara hovered dangerously close to the vampire goddess, fangs extended. “As a friend, yes. Remember that you are not my goddess!”

Layla’s glow disappeared. “You have every right to question our friendship, but do not forget that it was I who kept you alive after you gave up.”

“So what?” Tamara was yelling again. “Now I owe you for that, too? Your friendship is costly!”

Layla slapped Tamara across the face. Tamara punched her back and the fight was officially on as they threw each other around the room, slamming each other against walls, knocking over bookshelves and squealing like banshees. Abby and Viola ran into the library, careful not to cross the threshold and stood shocked at the sight unfolding.

Layla had Tamara by the hair while Tamara beat punches into Layla’s side. Tamara swirled around doing a back flip and landed behind Layla putting her in a headlock then sunk her fangs deep into Layla’s neck. The beginning of the squabble looked like a fight, but when Tamara bit Layla, and the blood slowly dripped down her neck, it turned into a seductive dance.

“Stop it!” I yelled, but they ignored me. I started forward and Viola grabbed my arm, stopping me.

“Leave them be,” she said, pulling me away from the library. “Layla will not hurt her, child.”

It wasn’t Tamara I was concerned about. The pull of their vampmones and the scent of fresh blood were driving me over the edge.

“I know that look.” Abby grinned. “You’ll need to feed, soon.”

“Layla is summoning her strength. Izzy feels it,” Viola answered, pulling on me harder. “We must put some distance between them.”

I felt Abby’s hands grab my other arm and yank on me until I was moving. It took everything I had to continue walking away from Layla’s pull. It was the most agonizing few steps I had ever taken. Even in the kitchen, I still felt her call stirring in me.

“Here, drink this.” Viola put a glass in my hand and tipped it to my lips. “Go on, drink.”

I stared at the thick, red liquid and then sniffed it. It smelled like blood so I threw my head, taking a big gulp. As it hit my tongue, my mind short-circuited, closing my throat and I spit it out. “What the hell is this?” I handed the glass back to Viola while wiping my face on the sleeve of my shirt. “It tastes like shit.”

“It’s animal blood.” She handed me a rag. “Don’t ruin your shirt. Blood is very hard to get out.”

“That’s nasty. Don’t ever do that again,” I warned.

“You need to expand your menu,” Viola argued.

Abby closed in on me, whispering, “I think I found Celeste. We need to talk.”

I followed her outside while I continued to wipe my tongue on the sleeve of my shirt. “Where, where is that bitch?”

“I’ve heard rumors that she’s moved to a Connecticut suburb called Faelyn.” Abby casually strolled over to one of the rose bushes. “It’s not even on the maps yet. A lot of our kind of people,” she waved her finger between us, “has been moving up there to get away from the constraints of human society.”

With Layla’s pheromones playing havoc on me, I was ready to kick some ass. “Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go find Celeste.”

“Wait.” Abby shifted her weight from leg to leg. “It’s not that simple. If we go, Tamara will insist on going with us. I’m afraid people will clam up if they know she’s there. She does have a nasty reputation. I just don’t want to ruin our chances of getting to Celeste.”

I understood what Abby was saying and she was right. Tamara would go. I wouldn’t be able to stop her. “What am I supposed to do, leave her or disappear for a while? She’ll seek me out.” I sat on the wall ledge that separated the patio from the rose bushes and brought my knee up to my chin.

“How much do you want to get at Celeste?”

“I hate her. She ruined my life!” I rested my face against my knee. “If she hadn’t given Jules the potion, Kaley wouldn’t have attacked me and left me for dead. If Kaley hadn’t attacked me, Tamara wouldn’t have turned me. I hate that fucking bitch and want to see her burn in hell.”

“Then tell Tamara you need some time away. If she truly loves you, she’ll understand.”

I frowned, doubting that I could pull it off.

“Go talk to her. I’m sure she and Layla are done fighting now and she’s all ready for the evening so she should be in a good mood.” Abby grinned, placing her hand on my shoulder and giving a little squeeze. “I know you can do this,” she reassured me.

I found Tamara and Layla in the library, picking up and organizing the books back onto the bookshelves. Viola had probably reamed them and strongly suggested they do their part in cleaning up the mess. For a cook, Viola carries a lot of weight around here. I stood in the center of the room, overwhelmed at everything that’s happened to me lately. Whenever I’m near Tamara, I can’t seem to think about anything else. Maybe I did need some time away to get my head clear.

She approached.

I stepped back. “We need to talk,” I said, without making eye contact. She was good. If she saw into my eyes, she would know I didn’t mean what I was about to say.

“What’s wrong?” Again, she stretched her hand out.

I stepped away. “I need a break—”

“Done,” she interrupted me. “Where should we go?”

I love her unselfishness toward me, but she was making this harder. I must be an idiot to go through with this. “No, not we. Me. I need some time away from…” I paused, wondering if I was making the right decision… “you.” Ready to deal with her getting pissed, the hurt look that crept across her face, took me by surprise and I had to turn away.

“Your words do not match what your heart is saying.”

“Don’t. Don’t do that. I’m tired of you looking inside me and minimizing what I feel.”

“I’m sorry. You’re right. I should be more considerate of your feelings.”

“It’s too late. I need to get away from all of this chaos and see if I even have a chance at a normal life.” I went in for the proverbial kill, knowing her well enough that she’ll think I’m blaming her for all my problems and my unhappiness. “Please don’t look for me…I’ll find you,” I said, as the bloody tears stung my eyes. I couldn’t let her see me like this and ran upstairs slamming the bedroom door shut behind me. I pulled out a suitcase and shoved it full of clothes. I didn’t even see what I was packing. I didn’t care. I knew that if I didn’t leave now, I wouldn’t have the strength to follow through with my plans. All I wanted was to beg Tamara for forgiveness and take away her pain. With my suitcases and pillow in hand, I went outside and loaded up Abby’s rental car.

“Are you sure you’ll be able to heal the wounds you’ve created?” Layla stepped out from behind the fountain that adorned the Hightower driveway.

“What are you talking about?” I slammed the trunk close.

“Izzy, don’t play coy with me, I am a Goddess. Is losing the love of your life worth the revenge that you seek?”

I guess the cat was out of the bag…at least with Layla. No point in lying to her, too. “No, I’m not sure that Tamara will ever forgive me, but I want that bitch dead.” I opened the passenger door and leaned against it. “Please don’t tell Tamara what I’m planning and please watch over her, as a friend.”

“You willingly hurt her, then you ask me to watch over her. You should embrace the vampire in you, more. Our ways are simpler than this, we say what we mean and we mean what we say. ”

That was a jab and a good one, but I wasn’t going to argue the ways of the vampire with the vampire goddess. I’m not that stupid, yet.

“Whatever.” I got into the car and Abby started the engine. “Please keep her safe until I return.” I closed the car door and Abby drove me away from the estate and from Tamara.

About the Author

I live in Texas with my partner of 12 years, our two dogs and three cats. I am often spotted in my PJ’s chasing down creative ideas with a cup of coffee in hand. I love playing pool and wearing Harley boots.