Page 7

“ O kay. I’ll stay,” Teddy says, and I let out one long breath of relief. Not that I need to breathe to live. I don’t, but I still do it out of habit.

Why am I fighting for him to stay, though? I literally tried to compel him minutes ago. If it had worked, he’d be out of my life for good. Plus, he’s right. We agreed tonight was just sex, a one-night stand. But my stomach aches and my chest grows heavy at the thought of him leaving me.

My whiplash emotions are about to give me a panic attack. Is that what’s happening to me? A panic attack?

I know it’s impossible since I have no heartbeat so it must be a phantom panic attack. Do those exist?

“What… what changed your mind?”

He shrugs. “I told you. My middle name is adventure. ”

I laugh. Laugh! That rarely happens. Layla regards me as if I’ve lost the plot.

I should apologize to her. I attacked her. I was… protective. I’ve never acted that way over anyone, especially a human.

“And you think you’ll find adventure with me by staying?”

“You two did say there’s a feral vampire on the loose. Are you going to go hunt them down? Can I go?”

Shit. That’s right. I already forgot. That’s why Layla is here.

“You want to go feral vampire hunting after admitting you lied about loving to be scared?”

He shrugs.

“Clearly staying with you means I’ll be protected. No need to be scared. Also, did she refer to you as ‘Your Majesty’ earlier? Are you really a queen? I know I said you looked like one, but are you? Really?”

“Um…”

Before I can answer Teddy, Layla appears by my side. “Can I talk with you a moment?”

She drags me away and tosses me into a guest bedroom.

I listen to Teddy in the living room to make sure he’s not leaving. He’s at the bar again, pouring more liquor. He better not get wasted. I cannot deal with a drunk human right now.

“You tried to kill me!” Layla hisses. “Over a human?”

I scoff. “I did not try to kill you. I was merely warning you—”

I gasp.

“Yeah, you figured it out, didn’t you?”

“There’s no way.” I start pacing the room.

“Your extreme attraction to this man? Territorial behavior over him?” Layla pauses, hesitant to say her next words. “His blood smells unlike anything I’ve ever encountered, Millie.”

I fist my hands and stifle a growl.

Fuck! No. Stop it, Millie! Don’t attack your best friend again.

“It sounds like he could be a blood mate. And since I’m not drooling over every little thing he does, I’m guessing he’s yours.”

“He can’t be, though. I mean, can he?” I don’t give Layla time to answer. She knows this is how I work through any problem I face. Pacing the floor and thinking out loud. “Blood mates are rare ! I know of only two vampires in my five hundred years of living who’ve met their blood mate.”

Blood mates are similar to fated mates, which is what gargoyles and shifters have. Many supernatural beings are destined to be with the ones who claim their souls. But vampires don’t have souls. It’s part of the curse against us. A curse that no one knows exactly how it came to be.

There have been theories over the years. A man broke a witch’s heart so she used her magic to sentence him to an eternity of no daylight, no heartbeat, a thirst for blood, and no love .

Another I’ve heard is the original vampire emerged from hell, starved for blood, and infected humans with damnation and immortality, effectively turning them into creatures of the night.

Whatever the reason, we were created to lust not love. We desire blood and sex, not eternal companionship that’s sweet and loving.

But if a vampire finds their blood mate and turns them, our curse is… changed. We are still vampires and drink blood to survive, but our heart restarts. We can withstand the sun’s rays. We can live without living.

We can truly love.

It’s as if the blood mate gives up a part of their soul. They become immortal and are bonded for life. A connection stronger than that of a sire.

A vampire with a blood mate is highly protective of them. It’s why the two vampires who’ve successfully turned their mates have gone into hiding .

I say successfully because blood mates amongst vampires rarely survive. Many who meet their blood mate become addicted to their blood, and they’re not able to control themselves during the first feeding and drain their mate dry.

A result of our curse and the evil festering inside us.

I’ve only had a taste of Teddy’s blood and it was unlike anything I’ve ever had.

What would happen if he lets me drink from him? Would I be able to control myself? I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I killed him.

I shake my head. “This isn’t supposed to happen. I had plans.”

I desperately want to cry, but I avoid doing so since my tears turn to blood.

If Teddy is your blood mate, your tears would return to normal.

“What plans? Millie, you’re not making sense.”

“It doesn’t matter. I can’t deal with this possible blood mate shit right now.” I rub my hands over my face and sigh. “How many bodies from the FV?” Feral vamp.

Layla doesn’t answer right away, perhaps considering pushing me about Teddy and our connection, but after studying my face for a few minutes, she relents .

Did she see my vulnerability trying to break through? My fear?

I typically hide these emotions well, but tonight has been a struggle.

“Five and that’s just in the past forty-eight hours.”

“Fuck. That’s a lot.” I tap my finger on my lip, running through our options. “Okay. Call a council meeting for tomorrow night so we can discuss a plan of capture.”

There goes my plan to face the sun. It’s fine. I can do it anytime. Though I worry the longer I’m around Teddy, the more I’ll want to stay.

“In the meantime, reach out to the gargoyles and ask them to add extra patrols around the city.”

Layla taps away at her phone, then stuffs it in her jeans.

“Done.”

“Okay... You may go now.”

Layla lingers, a stupid grin on her face.

“Just say it.”

“What are you going to do about the pup?”

“I don’t know. Send him away.”

Layla snorts. “You know you won’t be able to. Actually, you shouldn’t be making official decisions right now if he is your mate. You’re not thinking clearly.”

Layla is right, and she smirks because she knows that I know she’s right. Because she’s a beautiful genius .

“Are you sure you don’t want me to kill—”

“Do not finish that sentence unless you want me to tear out your heart.”

She snorts, the hag. Layla likes to push my buttons and joke, but I do not find her funny.

At least, I’d never admit to her that I find her funny.

“So protective of your puppy, aren’t you? I’ve missed this side of you. Violent and mean. It’s why they named you queen, you know.”

“Which was the biggest mistake the council has ever made. I didn’t want it then, and I don’t want it now.”

I accepted the role because I thought it might have brought a little excitement to my life. I was wrong.

We return to the kitchen and find Teddy in my living room, staring at an original Rembrandt with his drink in one hand and an inquiring look on his face.

“I’m guessing you didn’t buy this recently from a gallery or from an art dealer.”

“You’d be correct,” I say and lean my hip against the kitchen island, arms crossed.

“Nice to meet you, Puppy!” Layla yells as she exits the penthouse.

“Puppy?”

“Don’t mind her. ”

He gives the oil painting of an old man praying one more glance before turning to me. “Did he give that to you personally?”

“I bought it from him personally.”

I just realized that Teddy changed the record to Etta James. A Sunday Kind Of Love plays and it’s the only sound in the apartment. The song is romantic... Sensual.

He walks to where I stand, setting his drink down and holding out his hand. “You owe me a dance.”

“I don’t think now is the time—”

“Come dance with me, Millie.” His demanding tone lights up my body.

How can this mere human make me melt into a puddle?

I take his hand and he leads me to the center of the living room. He snakes his arm around my waist and tugs me to his body. We take small steps, slowly turning in circles while swaying to the smooth notes. I can’t help leaning my head on Teddy’s shoulder.

Because he’s being so kind and gentle with me despite learning I’m a cold-blooded killer.

“Tell me everything,” he says, his breath fanning the top of my head. “Starting with how old you are.”

“I’m… 500 years old.”

He sucks in a sharp breath .

“I was turned when I was thirty. A vampire named Henry. He was going to kill my family, and I begged him to take me instead. Spare their lives, and in turn, he gets mine. A vow for the vamp, offering my soul.”

Teddy’s palm slides up and down my back, soothing me. Encouraging me to continue.

“He turned me. Then…”

My voice breaks. We stop dancing and Teddy pulls back. He cups my cheek.

“What is it, Milli Vanilli?”

The silly nickname makes me smile because it’s cheesy, but it’s mine, and I’ve never had a silly nickname before.

Teddy’s bright and accepting self has somehow relaxed me, and I’m able to confess the worst thing I’ve ever done.

“He forced me to kill my own family.”

Teddy immediately brings me in for a hug, and the move surprises me because I can’t remember the last time someone held me like this and consoled me, allowing me to just... feel . I start crying, sobbing into his chest and not even caring that he’ll see the horror of my blood-stained cheeks after. I shake against his body, my eyes aching and my throat tightening. He kisses the top of my head and rubs his palm over my back.

“I hated him,” I continue, still nuzzled against my sunshine man. I’m bleeding all over the Milli Vanilli shirt. Still, I don’t care. Not when he’s treating me with such compassion. “The moment he sired me, my life belonged to him. He could control me. Force me to do his bidding. For the first three hundred years of my vampire life, I killed. I tortured. And I enjoyed it.”

I peel myself out of Teddy’s hold and step back.

“I’m a monster.” I point at my face.

He stares back with soft eyes. No fear. No judgment.

He’s too good for me.

I turn away from him, but he comes up behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders. He smooths them down my arms and then back up before moving a piece of hair out of the way.

“That’s not who you are anymore.”

His lips press against my neck, and I lean into him. His nearness is comforting. He’s letting me know that I won’t scare him away.

“No. It’s not who I am anymore, but I can never forgive myself for the things I’ve done.”

I pause because I hate talking about this part of my life. I never talk about this part of my life. Only Layla knows the things I have done.

“Tell me more.”

Such a gentle command .

This man, this human, makes me want to share everything with him.

“When I arrived in New York City in the 1800s, my reputation followed. I was approached by some elder vampires. They were part of an organization called WOVE or World Organization of Vampire Elites. They wanted to form a council and implement rules for our kind. They sought me out to serve on it, and I did because it was about time vampires had rules to follow in order to live in this human world.

“Up until then, we could kill as we pleased and turn any human we wanted. But people were noticing and with technology rapidly advancing, rumors spread quickly. Fear was rampant. We had to protect ourselves because the humans formed teams of hunters to find and kill us.”

Teddy places another kiss on my neck, and I close my eyes. Every time he touches me, a thrill shoots between my legs.

“What are the rules?”

“No feeding in public, violators have their fangs ripped out.” He sucks in a sharp breath. “It’s painful, but they grow back after a few weeks.”

“What else? ”

“No turning a human unless given approval by the council. If a vampire were to break this rule, both sire and newborn vamp are killed.”

“That’s harsh,” Teddy says and spins me back around to continue dancing.

“We have to control the vampire population. If too many humans die, we run out of food. If too many are turned, we run out of food. We have synthetic blood, but it’s only for emergency situations. It’s not sustainable.”

The song is coming to an end and Teddy dips me. I yelp.

Then I laugh.

Not the first time he’s made me feel joy.

And I love it so much.

He tugs me upright and kisses me, first on the lips, then along my blood-streaked tears. I gasp when his tongue laps up the mess. He hums the moment the blood hits his taste buds. It takes him a couple minutes to clean it all before he pulls back with a goofy smile.

God, he’s too cute.

“This feral vampire,” he begins. “What will happen to them?”

“They will be caught and killed. They broke our number one rule. No killing humans. This vampire is putting our existence at risk of discovery. We have vampires embedded with the NYPD so we can clean up these murders and compel humans who were witnesses, but there’s always a chance someone will be missed and with cellphones in every hand...”

A new Etta James song plays, I Just Want To Make Love To You, and Teddy’s palm returns to the small of my back, the other cupping my hand. Before tonight, it’s been decades since I’ve danced with anyone. Perhaps longer. Mostly because I’m not a fan of dancing. I have two left feet that refuse to find the beat.

But I love dancing with Teddy.

“Are there rules about compelling?”

“Yes. No compelling for sexual pleasure. No compelling a human to commit a crime. And no repeat compelling as it could cause brain damage.”

“You said you tried to compel me, but it didn’t work.”

I peel myself from his grip and drop my arms.

“About that…”

Before I can explain, my cellphone rings.

The pizza is here.