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ELEVEN

Seleme

“It’s not up for negotiation.” Maxim’s dark eyes leave no room for retort.

Terror grips my throat, knowing what I’m about to do will put us all in danger but realizing there’s no possible way I can go through with the marriage.

Not after what Maxim and I just did.

What we shared.

I swallow hard, the ache between my legs reminding me with every move what I’ve done. Maxim’s seed soaks my underwear, my outer clothing torn to rags so I wear his white dress shirt, my torn skirt held up by his belt, as we head down the stairs toward the front door on our way to the mansion, where we’ll try to explain to my parents and the Messinas that there will be no wedding tonight. Come what may, I will be with Maxim. I’m bound to him. I feel it, down deep in my soul.

And I will do whatever it takes to protect my family from harm, but I won’t marry as expected.

I feel my power building. Should I try to explain to Maxim that the woman he loves may, after midnight tonight, become a bloodthirsty vampire unable to control her bloodlust?

Uh, yeah, that’s sort of only fair.

That thought knots my belly, because what if he can’t handle that part of me? What if I can’t handle that part of me? What if, after all this, he is repulsed by what I am?

What if I kill him to satisfy my thirst?

I thought of telling him after we’d made love for the third time and some oxygen returned to my brain.

But I just couldn’t. How can I? What are the right words?

My heart thunders in my chest, the anxiety building, not just because I’m about to refuse to give myself to Alberto Messina and bring the wrath of the most militant vampire clan down upon my whole family, but because even if we survive I could very well lose Maxim simply because of who I am.

What I am.

A hot flush covers me as I think of all the ways Maxim touched me, and I know that whatever happens in the next few minutes, it was worth it. It’s more than just the physical pleasure, intense as it was. I bonded with him tonight in ways I never imagined. The very idea of giving myself to someone else now is a knife to my heart. It’s impossible to contemplate.

Feelings I didn’t know were possible exploded from me as we made love, and I am not the same woman that came through his door less than ninety minutes ago.

“Let’s go.”

Maxim thinks we are just going to talk to my father. After telling him I knew about his record, he insisted on going home with me and setting things straight. If that was the only issue, I know he could make my father see sense. The honesty that pulses under Maxim’s skin is impossible to ignore. If only that was all.

I feel both more alive and more afraid for the future than I’ve ever been as we step into the outside air which I know is near freezing, but I no longer feel the chill as he ushers me to his car, opening the door and buckling me in making me giggle under my breath.

Whatever happens in the next few minutes, it’s going to change everything. The need for a seatbelt fading and part of me wants to rail against the pointlessness for such a short journey, but at the same time I feel a warmth of security from Maxim’s protectiveness. Knowing he cares about my safety makes me feel loved. I wonder if that will change when he knows…

“Ready, baby?” His face is next to mine, and I turn and give him a quick kiss never realizing how having someone call me that could make me feel so…precious.

“As ready as I can be.”

He smiles and closes the door, oblivious to the depth of my statement. The dash reads 11:45 P.M., and in another world I would be giving myself to a stranger for all of eternity right now, trading my own happiness for the security of the Messina family's continued protection.

Instead, I’m putting us all in harm’s way for my own selfish desires.

As we glide down the driveway and stop at the gate to my family’s estate, Maxim rolls his window down and punches in the code, and the heavy iron swings away.

I stare, and he looks over at me, tipping his head. “I was prepared to do what was necessary to get to you, Seleme. Forgive me, but I had Dimitri text me the security code to your gate. It was on my phone when I checked it before we left. I was coming for you tonight, one way or the other.”

I reach out and rest my hand on his arm. “Maxim…” The words catch in my throat, but I force them forward. “I don’t care about that. There’s something you need to know.”

As he eases the sedan forward, I see the candlelight inside the mansion warming the windows with a soft blue glow, a color used in vampire society to welcome honored guests and promise safety.

They’re here.

It’s happening.

I can’t let him walk into an ambush.

“I didn’t tell you everything.”

He looks over, and the tension knots inside of me.

“Really?” His brow tightens. “There’s more than you just marrying someone before midnight?”

“Yes. Something that might change everything. Will change me, and it frightens me to think how you might react. But you deserve to know before we go inside.”

Maxim parks and turns off the engine, then turns to look me squarely in the eye. “I want to know everything about you, Seleme. But nothing is going to change the way I feel. I never want you to think you can’t tell me anything.”

A chill rips through me as he reaches for my hand, and the scent of him changes. It’s his blood I smell now, and my mouth begins to water. The truth I see in his eyes gives me some comfort, but in the next thirty seconds, that all could change.

I’m salivating. A low growl vibrates inside me.

“I’m not like the other girls,” I say, willing him to understand the reality behind the vague words. “I’m not like most people.”

He nods, arching an eyebrow. “Clearly. Tell me something I don’t know.”

My mind scrambles, trying to find the words that will make it all okay, but finally I decide they don’t exist, and the truth spills out.

“I’m a vampire.”

Those three words hang in the air between us, and they would sound ridiculous if not for the tears brimming in my eyes. I can hear Maxim’s heart rate increase as his eyes narrow and he takes a moment to absorb the meaning.

The truth of what I’m telling him.

His silence urges me on. “After tonight, I’ll turn completely. My mother is…I mean she was human, when I was conceived. She was turned afterwards, and at that point she gained all of the vampire strengths. Their glamor, their power, their slower ageing. My father…my father was born a vampire, almost eight hundred years ago. At midnight tonight, I’m not just supposed get married. That’s a part of it, but it’s more. It was to be a union of two families as I come of age and become everything I’m supposed to be. This marriage was the price to be paid for protection, for all of us, past, present and future. You see, there was a prophecy a long time ago, and I’m a part of it. A lot of other vampire families want me dead. They think I’ll be too powerful once I’m a full vampire. I can feel myself changing already. The human in me is weakening, and my vampire is taking control.” I do my best to control the quiver in my voice, but the sincerity is there. There isn’t a hint of humor, and I let out a long breath, relieved to have the truth out of me. “I’m a vampire. This isn’t a joke.”

Maxim looks at the house then back to me. “I shouldn’t believe you, but I do. Explains some things, too.”

“You believe me?” My incredulous reply makes him smile.

“Before tonight, before I fucked you, I told you, you made me believe in things I never did before. I meant that shit.” He chuckles, then finishes, “I didn’t mean it literally at the time, or I didn’t think I did, but I guess you called me on it, and the cards are right there on the table. I gotta say, I have about a thousand questions, but I do believe you. None of that changes us, Seleme. You’re mine — bloodsucker or not, you belong to me now. I know that more than I know anything.”

I blink back tears, my arms closing around my middle feeling the warmth leaving my body. “I know you were watching me, but you should know I was watching you, too. In a different way. From the day you moved in, I felt you. I didn’t know what it meant at the time. I thought it was just the changes that were happening inside of me, but now I know. I love you.”

The three words slip out, and the silence inside the car is so loud I’m sure I’ve just ruined everything.

“I love you too, Seleme. I have since the moment I saw you. I didn’t believe in love.” He lets out another laugh, deep and full of irony. “Or vampires. But now I believe in both. I may be mortal, but you make me feel I’m going to live forever.”

Before I can answer, the car is surrounded by white doves. Nearly twenty swirl and fly around as the car and we both watch then look at each other.

Maxim finally speaks. “What the fuck was that?”

I shake my head. “I’m not sure. My world is strange, but I don’t know what the doves are about. We’ve been finding them dead on the front doorstep, now this.”

They fly in a circle around the car then seem to flutter in place for a moment before disappearing into the sky leaving us wide eyed and shaking our heads.

“Those aren’t doves.” Maxim finally speaks. “They’re love birds.”

I shrug. “I’m sorry I don’t know what it means. I’ll ask my friend Anna when I see her, she might know…”

Maxim clears his throat then asks. “Tell me about this other family, what I need to know.”

“This other family, the Messinas, they are strong. Compared to them, my father is nothing. They could crush him without a second thought. They won’t be happy about what we’re going to tell them, and part of me wishes we could just run away together right now and never face them. But if I don’t go in, and midnight comes and goes, I don’t know what they will do to my mother and father.”

“Well, what does ‘not happy’ mean, exactly?”

“I’m not sure. They’re powerful and scary. Imagine every evil vampire stereotype you’ve ever heard, and then add on an extra layer of sinister and you’ll be somewhere close. It's like…paying the mob to keep your bar or business safe. They are the protectors, but they are also the threat.”

“Okay. I can’t say I know exactly how to approach this, but we’re going to try to be civilized and see what happens. In the end, you’re leaving with me, that’s all I know. Come what may.”

He reaches over and cups my cheek, and it takes every ounce of restraint I have not to jump into his lap and cling to him like a child. He seems so calm in the face of such absurdity, and I want to borrow just a fraction of that confidence.

“Now, let’s go inside. We’ve got business to tend to.”

The chill chases me as we approach the front door and it opens on its own, drawing a humorless chuckle from Maxim.

“Yeah, there are some strange things in my world.”

“I’ll adjust,” he says, his eyes darting around the foyer as he closes the door behind us.

“You’re late.” My father wanders over from his study. “Your clothes are a mess. And you’ve brought a guest.”

He eyes Maxim, then me, with wide eyes, running his tongue across his teeth, his sharp incisors more pronounced than usual. He’s losing some control, which is a sign not only of how much he needs to feed, but of how nervous he’s feeling right now.

“Sir.” Maxim steps forward, placing himself in front of me as he extends his hand, but my father only eyes him icily. “Seleme’s told me what she was going to do here tonight. And, just so everyone is clear straight up, it’s not happening.”

I hold my breath as my father silently regards Maxim, then I catch the sound of others as my mother, Alberto, his father, Michael, and two other Messinas step out from the study. Despite his confidence, I sense Maxim recoil from the sight of them, their long, gaunt faces like paper in the blue candlelight.

“What’s this?” Michael glides forward as my mother tries to step back, but one of the two Messina bodyguards has his hand at the back of her neck, and there is fear in her eyes.

“Nothing,” my father snaps, his eyes not leaving Maxim. “Our guest is leaving.”

Michael glances at the grandfather clock on the opposite wall of the foyer, an exact replica of the one in my dollhouse upstairs. “Are you sure? Because I could swear this seems like a problem.” It is only a few minutes before midnight, and the tension in the room is stifling.

He’s older than my father, though there’s not much between them. But the Messinas pride themselves on having never bred with humans in living memory. Their blood is purer than many vampires, and it shows not only in the predatory essence that seems to surround them, and their terrifying physical strength, but also in their faces. Gaunt they may be, but eerily young. Michael could pass for early thirties, easily. In a lot of ways, he looks younger than Maxim.

“No,” my father answers. “No problem. Seleme is here.”

“Yes, actually,” Maxim barks back. “Sorry, but there is a problem if you think Seleme is here to do what you planned. Plans have changed.”

Michael narrows his eyes as he looks to my father. “You assured me things were in place.”

“They are.”

“No, they are not.” Maxim’s patience is thinning. I have no idea if he realizes how much danger he’s in. “We’re here to do a couple simple things. First, I’m afraid I have to let you know…” He scans my father, Michael, my mother and then Alberto before his gaze quickly passes over the two bodyguards. “Seleme won’t be getting married tonight. Sorry. Also, she’s sleeping in my bed from now on. I want things civil. She just dropped a little nugget of information about all of you before we came inside. Gotta say, I’m still processing it, but it doesn’t change what is and is not going to happen.” He looks at Alberto. “I’m guessing since you’re the pretty one of the bunch, you must be the intended groom. Sorry, dude. I really am. I feel your loss. I get it. But she’s mine, and that’s not going to change.”

Michael smiles and looks from my father to my mother, then to me, stepping forward even as Maxim places himself between us.

“Back off.” Maxim’s snarl elicits nothing but a broader smile from Michael as he turns to Alberto and nods.

I hear my mother yelp and glance over to see the guard’s hand slip around her neck, a long silver knife held at the base.

Before I can react, the second guard moves behind my father and places another knife at his throat. Immortality has its weaknesses, and there are things that can kill even the undead. If you remove a vampire’s head or drive a wooden stake through their chest, they will perish.

I know my father is strong compared to any mortal, but he’s no match for these vampires. They’re pure-bloods in the truest sense of the word, and unlike my parents they’re well fed, their eyes glowing red as their power permeates the very fabric of the room.

“Let them go,” I manage. “This marriage isn’t going to happen. What benefit is there to any of us if you kill us all? I can be your ally, if you let us all live. If not, I can become your nightmare.”

“Two weak vampires and a mortal man. Seleme you have yet to prove your worth.” Alberto matches his father’s chuckle. “Do you want to be responsible for their deaths? Really, Seleme, just think about what you’re doing. Because that is what will happen. We have a contract. We protected you in exchange for our union. If you do not hold up your end of the bargain, we will kill dear old Mama and Papa right here, right now. And,” He tips his head toward Maxim. “The mortal just for fun. I’m hungry.”

“This goes against the rules of truce,” my father seethes. “While the blue candles burn–”

Michael bursts into laughter. “We’re the Messinas. Who’s going to hold us to account, Rudi? Nobody has challenged us in two thousand years.”

“Hey guys, I’m back! Where is everyone?”

Everyone falls silent as Anna’s voice echoes through from the kitchen. Where a second ago there was no sound, suddenly there are the clickity-clack of her stilettos on the marble floors. It’s almost surreal to hear her light tone as we all stand around threating each other with death.

“So, Seleme, I’ve been reading up some more and it seems — ”

She stops in her tracks as she comes out of the kitchen finally looking up from checking her fingernails.

“Anna,” Michael greets her in a tone that’s only half respectful. “Turn around and leave; this doesn’t concern you.”

“Well, excuuuuuuse me, Michael, actually it does. You appear to have my Goddaughter’s parents at knifepoint.” She glances my way. “Is it that time already? How long have I been gone? And who’s this human?”

“Anna, don’t test me…” Michael growls. “You’ve survived very nicely by not involving yourself in other’s disputes. It would be a shame for that to change now.”

“Gawd, so droll, I hate thinly veiled threats. Your mother will hear about this.”

“Do not involve my mother.” There’s a flash of fear in Michael’s eyes before he composes himself. “This is happening, the body count is on all of you.”

Michael moves too quickly for anyone else in the room to see, but I do. My senses have only grown more acute over the past few days. In the blink of an eye, he’s behind me, pushing me aside, and I’m unable to resist his strength. As I spin, I see him slip behind Maxim and wrap a hand around his throat.

“No!” I shout. “Don’t hurt him!”

“Well, it seems we now have something to grab your attention. Shame for your parents that you didn’t care this much about them, but I really don’t care about your priorities. Your family made assurances, and we have lived up to our end of the bargain, Seleme. Now it is time for you to live up to yours. I don’t care if you like each other.” He looks to his son then back to me. “It is your unique birth that gives you value, not your heart. It’s a value never seen before, and honestly, I’m interested to find out exactly what that means. But whatever happens, you will add power to our family by breeding with my son, and your offspring will make us nearly invincible. If you choose not to live up to what has been promised, I will kill the human first. Feed…Easy. Quick — as a token of how much I respect his courage coming here tonight. Then, you will watch as we remove your parents’ heads. That I will do slowly because I’m quickly losing respect for your entire family. It will be…” He shakes his head in mock distaste. “…messy.”

“Fucker.” Maxim struggles, his hands tearing at Michael’s arms, but it has no effect. His human strength is like the buzzing of a fly.

Anna takes a step forward, but Michael responds by squeezing tighter, and I see Maxim’s eyes roll back.

“Stop!” I beg, holding my hands out toward them both. “Don’t, please, let’s figure this out some other way.”

“There is no other way.” Alberto steps toward me. “We are wasting time. We gave you nearly twenty-one years. That was the contract.” He looks at the clock. “Now we have only minutes. You will mate with me. Before your twenty-first birthday. We will be bonded together for eternity. You will eventually marry me. But I don’t give a flying fuck if you love me. This doesn’t have to be a big issue. If you want to play with your mortal toys after tonight, it really doesn’t concern me, but you will fulfill your obligation right now. You will lie with me, you will belong to me, or…”

He looks at my mother, then my father, then at Maxim, as his father’s hand tightens and I see the life draining from Maxim’s eyes.

“Show her.” He nods at his father, who brings his other hand to Maxim’s forehead, and I know with one jerk he could tear the head from his body.

“Okay!” My gut turns. “I’ll do it.” Tears sting my eyes as Maxim loses consciousness and Michael lets his limp body fall to the floor.

“Of course, you will.” Michael swipes his hands together as though they are soiled from touching Maxim, and my heart wrenches. “Go. Take her before midnight. That is our contract. You will mate, and the bond will be formed. Her power will increase our own in ways we haven’t even started to imagine. We will be gods.” He turns to me with a grin. “And your family gets to live. Such as they are. Win-win.”

I swallow hard. Maxim’s chest rises and falls, and his life is in my hands as I look at my father.

“Seleme, do whatever you feel is right. I’m sorry I caused all–”

The vampire behind him squeezes, cutting off his words, and as my mother opens her mouth to say something, the guard holding her does the same, covering her mouth as her eyes go wide.

Anna looks at me, and I’m sure if I asked her she would try something, but there’s nothing she can do. Her powers protect her from harm, but they don’t make her strong. She can’t protect anyone else.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, to whom I’m not sure, as Alberto extends his arm toward the bedroom off the main hallway.

The thought of what we will do is horrifying, and I’ll lie with him, on bare floorboards, not a bed, appropriate for loveless, duty-bound mating.

“Shall we?” He grins, and I hear his father’s chuckle from my left. “Time isn’t on our side.”

I move toward the stairs as Alberto places his hand on the small of my back, pushing me forward.

“Don’t touch me,” I snap, knocking his hand away.

“Oh, I’m going to touch you. In ways you can’t imagine.”

“I’ll go with you, Alberto. Just don’t hurt them. I’ll do it, but you must promise me they will live. All three of them.” I turn to Michael. “Do you promise?”

He smirks, nudging Maxim’s shoulder with his foot. Then he shrugs, rolling his head on his neck, and I see he’s toying with me. “Fine. Consider it done. If you fulfill your promise, I will fulfill mine. But you better not dawdle, Seleme. You have two minutes to complete the mating. Gives new meaning to the word ‘quickie,’ doesn’t it?” His laugh turns my stomach.

Alberto urges me forward again, his hand on my back, but before I can smack him away again, he grabs me around my waist, throwing me over his shoulder as though I’m a feather, and I feel his strength as he locks an arm around my legs, my torso hanging down his back.

My hair hangs in my face as he carries me toward the door. The last thing I see is the sorrow in my father’s eyes, the horror in my mother’s, the fury in Anna’s, but the only thought I have is: Thank God Maxim does not have to watch what’s happening because I know it would kill him.

“Better hurry,” Michael says as Alberto steps through the doorway into the bare room.

As he does, there’s a flutter down low in my belly. The walls begin to glow. Everything is glowing. No, it’s not them, it’s me. It’s inside my eyes.

I’m changing. I can feel it.

Something is growing inside me, it’s pulsing.

I didn’t know what to expect, but it’s happening. I only have a few minutes left, and from the urgency in Alberto’s steps, he must feel it, too.

I take one last look at Maxim, lying on the floor, and try to push away all the thoughts of what could have been. He’ll never look at me the same way again, but an eternity with the memory of what we had, as brief and fleeting as it was, will sustain me through it all.

It has to.

As long as it saves the people I love.