Reign of the Vampires Read online

  “When I woke up the next morning, I was in my apartment. My head hurt more than it ever had in my life. I tried to sit up, but I couldn’t. I spent the next day and night in my bed. By the following morning, my head was worse and I was so hungry for more of what he had given me. I wandered into the street to try and find more, but I couldn’t find the club again.”

  Danika sat silently. A male Vampire had fed the girl human blood on purpose. But to what avail? He had to know what would happen to her. Why in the world would a Vampire do something like that? “Can you think of anything else about the club you went to? Anything about the Vampire who fed you the human blood?”

  Mandy bit her nails and shifted her weight from foot to foot. Occasionally she looked up at William, and then down again.

  “You need to tell me everything if you want mercy. I cannot trust you if you won’t be forthcoming.” Danika let the weight of her gaze fall on the girl.

  Mandy whimpered and bit her nails harder.

  “Tell me!” Danika pounded on the arm of her chair.

  “I... I don’t know. I have this...this thing in my head. I don’t know what it is. After the Vampire and I...well...after we were intimate, I felt funny. I lay on the couch and someone came in. The Vampire said, ‘She’s done, and I need more. Go get a girl.’ Then the other person left. I passed out at that point, but when I woke up, he was bent over a human, feeding from her. He threw her on the floor when he’d drained her. I wanted to drink from her, too, but I was so out of it I couldn’t. Then the Vampire came to me and said, ‘Do your job well now, sweetie,’ kissed me, and...that’s all.”

  Danika’s knuckles were almost white gripping her chair arms. “Are you saying a Vampire just called for a human girl and someone brought him one? Like room service?”

  “It seemed that way.”

  Danika turned to the underlords; they were as stunned as she. “What does this mean?”

  “Possibly an underground slave market?” suggested Victor.

  “That doesn’t sound like a slave market. No one drains slaves. It’s too expensive. And why would a Vampire give a vamp human blood on purpose?” She shook her head.

  “This is something we need to look into,” said Oliver.

  Danika turned to Mandy. “Is there anything you can tell me about the club? Anything that would help me find it?”

  “Please.” Mandy began to shake. “Please, I have to feed.”

  Danika frowned. Mandy hadn’t had human blood in a week. She should be a bit better by now. “Hasn’t Neeman been giving you Savor?”

  “Yes, but it doesn’t taste right anymore. I need human, please! I promise I can control myself, I just need a little human.”

  “Mandy, you can’t have human blood. It’ll make you worse. You need to drink Savor. And within a month or so, you should be better. You’ll need to stay in confinement for the next thirty days, and you’ll be tended to daily by a doctor who’ll monitor your progress. I’ll do this for you in return for your cooperation in helping us find the Vampire and the club. That is your judgment.” Danika waved her hand.

  Mandy wailed. She started talking to herself in gibberish, pacing, alternating between chewing her nails and scratching her arms. Danika couldn’t quite make out what she was saying. Mandy kept glancing at William, becoming more and more agitated.

  Danika’s senses were on overdrive, the need to protect William becoming increasingly more urgent. Rogues in the throes of bloodlust were as strong as Vampires. “William, why don’t you ask Siad to bring Mandy some water, please.” Danika motioned for William to leave. “I’ll come to your room when we’re done.”

  “Yes, my lord,” he said, his voice strained. He moved down the platform, walked around the back of the chairs and tried to make a wide berth around Neeman. What occurred next happened so fast, no one had time to react.

  William was to the right of Neeman. Mandy’s protests of “No” became louder, and Mandy lunged. Neeman managed to grab her within arm’s reach of William. Neeman and the other trackers fought to gain control of her. William stepped back, into the platform. Mandy went into an all-out rage. Breaking her flex cuffs, she grappled with Neeman and the other trackers, and Danika had a hard time following the situation. But suddenly the men let go of her and backed away.

  Somehow, Mandy had gotten hold of Neeman’s gun, loaded with special ultraviolet rounds fatal to vamps and Vampires alike. Mandy paced, looking from Neeman to Danika, then William.

  “Give him to me, or I’ll shoot everyone,” she shrieked.

  Danika rose from her seat and William stepped next to her. “William is mine,” Danika commanded. “If you give the gun to Neeman now, I’ll allow you to live.”

  “No! Give him to me and I’ll stop."

  Mandy was crazed, but wavering. “Mandy, stop this now and give Neeman the gun.”

  “No!” Mandy screamed again. “You Vampires are so selfish. You refuse to share with us. Except for the Vampire in the club, he was nice. He didn’t care that I was a vamp. He shared with me. I’ll never tell you who he is!”

  Mandy pointed the gun at Danika and pulled the trigger. Hands pushed her out of the way. She hit the step, as the sound of the gunshot reverberated around the atrium. All three underlords, as well as Neeman and the other trackers, tackled the girl and ripped the gun away from her.

  The smell hit Danika first, the sweet, wet smell of fresh blood. William lay on the floor, next to her, his eyes wide and staring. The hole in his chest spilled blood onto the floor. Danika’s teeth burst forth from her gums at the smell. She stared down at William, unsure what to do. She pressed a shaky hand over the wound. Not William. He blinked at her in slow motion, trying to form words but couldn’t. Danika continued to cover the hole in his chest with her hands. Her brain refused to work. There was something she should be doing.

  She stared into his dimming eyes. She’d grown fond of him in the last weeks. Though she hadn’t put him under the slave bond, he was the closest thing she had to a friend. She scanned the room, trying to remember where she was when she saw Mandy. Danika’s rage took over.

  In a flash, she jumped the distance from the platform to where Mandy thrashed. The three underlords stood aside as Neeman and another tracker restrained the girl by her arms.

  With a swift movement, Danika was on the girl and ripped her throat out. Mandy’s eyes bulged, and then she gasped for air as the huge hole in her throat shot black blood, pouring onto the red carpet.

  Danika turned. William’s face grew pale.

  “You must make him yours,” said Oliver. “It is the only way to save him.”

  She crossed to William and gathered him in her arms. “He isn’t ready.”

  “He took a bullet for you, Danika,” said Neeman. “He’s ready.”

  The smell of so much blood made her predatory instinct take over. All she wanted to do was feed. Her adrenaline pumped in huge waves from killing the rogue vamp. Focus. She had to focus.

  William began losing consciousness. He needed her blood. The bullet had gone straight through him. There was no UV inside.

  “Leave us,” she said in a quiet voice. She turned to William and brushed back his hair. “William, can you hear me?”

  He nodded.

  “William, it’s time now. I have to bond you to me, to make you stronger. Otherwise, I don’t think you’ll make it. I’m sorry it has to be this way.”

  He didn’t make any motion of a reply. Taking a deep breath, she rolled up his sleeve; his skin was milky-white and smooth. Lifting his wrist to her mouth, she bit down. He cried out and grabbed at her blouse. Then she took her own wrist and bit into the flesh. Lifting William’s head into her lap, she dripped the blood from her wrist into his open mouth; she drank from his at the same time. As first, he sputtered and coughed. But after a minute he swallowed. Again and again he swallowed, until he lifted his hand and pulled her wrist down to his mouth. He sucked at it like a baby at his mother
’s breast. Danika stopped drinking from him and sealed the wound. Stroking his hair she watched the edges of his wound cauterize. When it did, she pried his fingers off her wrist and pulled away from him. She licked her wound shut and continued to stroke his hair till he passed out.

  Minutes later Doc hurried down the red carpet toward her.

  “Is he dead? Let me get a drip started for him,” he said.

  “The bullet passed through, and I’ve begun the process with him. In doing so, his wound has already stopped bleeding and is healing. He needs rest, and tomorrow he’ll need more of my blood. But I think he’ll be fine.”

  “Well, if you know so much, what do you need me for?” Doc asked.

  Doc was an old codger who was grumpy and wise beyond his three hundred years. She smiled at him. “You’re right, Doc. You’re the human fixer, you tell me what you think.”

  Doc peered at her through thick spectacles, and then assessed the wound. After he finished bandaging William, he said, “The bullet went right through. Because of your blood, he should make it, but he’ll need more tomorrow. I’ll watch for signs of infection, but I’m sure he’ll be fine. I’ll give him a shot of antibiotics.” Danika had to turn away so he wouldn’t notice her smile.

  “Let’s get him to his room,” she said. “He’ll be more comfortable there. Oh, and Doc, you can take his bracelet off now.”

  “But he isn’t fully bonded to you yet,” Doc protested.

  Danika gazed into William’s peaceful face. “Yes,” she said. “Yes, he is.” Her chest tightened. He’d taken too much from her. He’d needed it to heal, but doing so might cause a result she wasn’t prepared to deal with. But time would tell. In three days when the bonding was complete, she would see.

  Two house guards carried William out of the atrium. Danika stayed behind, ordering the house slaves to scrub the floor. She didn’t want any stains on the white granite. Silly that she should hold court in the one white-floored room of the house. More blood was bound to spill in here than in any other.

  The night had taken its toll, but her body was still filled with the adrenaline of the evening, and with William’s and Matthew’s blood. They swirled around inside her, healing and strengthening her.

  Neeman waited for her in the front hall. His eyes were like blue glass, floating on a white sea. His body was rigid with tension; he was obviously in distress. The other trackers were nowhere to be seen.

  “Are you all right?” He moved toward her in a quick, heavy step.

  “I’m fine. It was stupid of me; I was careless.” She felt foolish for not having expected something to happen. She’d only overseen one other rogue trial before. And the girl’s body language should have told Danika what was brewing. But she’d been so concerned with the club that she hadn’t even cared that William’s presence was causing such distress.

  “I never would have brought her in flex cuffs if I thought there was even an ounce of a chance she was dangerous.”

  “I know.” Danika gave a warm smile. “This isn’t your fault. I don’t blame you. She’d been on synthetic for days. How could you have known?”

  “Danika, you need to be careful—”

  “I am being careful, Neeman, that’s why I sent Mason to you for training. To keep me safe.”

  He reached out for her, his eyes softening. He stroked her hand. “I can protect you. I still want to. After all these years… When Mandy grabbed my gun and pointed it at you, I was frozen in terror. Paralyzed at the thought of losing you. But I promise you, Danika, I will never let that happen again.”

  His sudden tenderness made Danika’s chest tighten. It was more than she’d seen from him in their years together.

  “Neeman.” She stepped closer to him. “Rogues are unpredictable. That’s why we have the quarantine period and the cleansing. There was nothing you could’ve done. You were standing next to her, not watching at her as I was. I should have seen it. I did see it, I just didn’t pay attention. I wanted so much to know who gave her the blood and where the club was.”

  There was nothing she wanted more at that moment than to feel comfort in a pair of big, strong arms. But it wasn’t Neeman she wanted. The scent of Mason was all around him. The sweet, strong scent of something so intoxicating that she thought she might burst if she didn’t taste it. Again, her gums ached. She needed Mason. It was crazy. She’d seen the male twice, but something about him had caused such a reaction in her, the likes of which she hadn’t had before.

  Neeman smoothed the hair from her cheek and wiped at a spot of blood caked there. She stepped away from him, then turned so as not to face him. “How is Mason?”

  Neeman was silent for a moment. Then his tone of voice changed. He was all business again. “I don’t know why but he holds back when we spar. He takes everything in, nothing escapes him. Almost like a vampyr, but...more. He still has a rage problem. He needs more time to control it.”

  Danika nodded and turned to face him. “Unfortunately, tonight has proven that there’s no time. It can’t wait. Please bring him in two days. I need to finish bonding with William, and then I’ll bond Mason. I will not hide. Fear is a luxury I cannot afford.” Though afraid was exactly what she was. Now more than ever she was convinced someone was after her.

  Neeman’s eyes widened. “Danika, he isn’t ready. If you bond with him at this point and he’s unable to control his rage, it could pour into you and cause you a problem, as well. Not to mention that if he doesn’t control it, his judgment will be compromised and—”

  “I appreciate your concern. I know you still regret what happened with Georgus at the truce conference. But you were young, and new to guarding. No one blames you.”

  Neeman said nothing. He’d been sent to guard a Vampire lord at a truce conference more than twenty years ago. But his pent-up anger issues, along with his turning, caused him to lash out. And in the end, his hotheaded temper had caused an incident. There’d been a death, and though he wasn’t blamed, everyone knew that if Neeman’s actions had been different, the incident could’ve been prevented.

  “You need to forgive yourself and move on, Neeman. You need to learn to let the past go and get a life for yourself now.” She wasn’t talking about just the incident years before.

  Chase flew into the entrance hall. He rushed to Danika’s side as Neeman moved away.

  “Nika! Are you all right? What happened?” Chase boomed. Taking her by the arms, he looked her over from head to toe.

  “I’m all right, Uncle. Nothing happened.” She brushed him off.

  “I heard you oversaw a rogue vamp trial tonight. I’m so sorry, I didn’t know, or I’d have been here sooner.”

  “But you gave the file to William,” Danika said.

  “It was in an envelope on my desk, addressed to you. I didn’t open it. I’m so sorry.” Chase took a step closer to Neeman. “You. How could you have let this happen? You of all people, Neeman.”

  “Chase, stop.” Danika stepped between them. “This is not Neeman’s fault. It’s mine.”

  “No, Danika,” said Neeman. “Chase is right. I was in charge of the prisoner. It’s my fault. I apologize again.”

  “Neeman, you don’t need to—”

  “I’ll make sure Mason is delivered in two days. I’m glad that you were not hurt, my lord. Good evening to you.” Neeman bowed stiffly.

  Danika wanted to go after him, but doing so would only encourage what could not be. She watched him leave and then rounded on Chase. “That was not necessary.”

  “Nika. Someday you’ll learn. You’re a coven lord now, and people are held to a higher standard when it comes to your well-being.”

  Danika scowled and headed for the stairs. Neeman never would’ve done something that would put her in danger. She hadn’t known till seeing the way he’d looked at her tonight. He still held out hope. But for them, there was no hope. He was not the one.

  Chapter 10

  Neeman returned from th
e court hearing in a foul mood. He didn’t say anything to Mason about it, but anger and frustration rolled off him in waves. He pulled Mason into the training center, working without a break for the three final hours preceding dawn. He pushed Mason harder than ever.

  The following evening Neeman returned in the same foul mood, and announced that the next day Mason was leaving. Mason spent that entire evening training.

  The entire Tracking Squad attended the session. They worked him with drills, then simulated situations that he might encounter. He spent most of the night controlling his mounting anxiety about being surrounded by so many Vampires at once. But he’d held back his beast and hadn’t lost his temper. Finally they went random. Attacking as a group, then individually, and ending with Mason and Neeman.

  By four in the morning, Mason was winded, and every part of him ached. He hadn’t given it his all yet, and somehow Neeman knew that. What Neeman didn’t know was what giving his all meant.

  “It’s you and me now and we’ll keep going till one of us gives in, or passes out.” Neeman’s voice was deadly.

  Mason nodded. He’d have to judge this carefully; he didn’t want to hurt Neeman. Before Mason was ready, Neeman was on him so fast that all Mason could do was push him off. He kicked Mason in the gut and Mason staggered, but caught himself on one knee. Mason got up in time to see Neeman’s fist flying through the air. He whirled sideways and Neeman’s blow landed on the floor. Neeman came at him again, pummeling him. Neeman had a wild gleam in his eyes. In the weeks previous Neeman had been training him, guiding him, trying to help him improve. This time was different. This time it was personal. Mason didn’t know why, and he didn’t care. He waited till the right moment, and then he struck.