“Who was he before he became a vampire?” I asked, not sure why.
“I think he should be the one to tell you his story. After all, it’s not mine to tell,” she said, watching the castle.
I nodded, and then smiled without humor as I shook my head in disbelief. “I’m sure that he wants nothing to do with me after tonight.”
“What happened?” Charlotte asked, turning her eyes toward mine.
I took a deep breath. “I accused him of killing my husband.”
“What?” she asked, confused. “What evidence do you have?”
I looked at Charlotte, wondering how much to tell her, not wanting to put Ms. Johnston in danger. After a moment, I relented and told her the story, but left her name out of it. Actually, it felt good to talk about it.
“And you immediately thought of Lance?” she asked, her eyes giving nothing away.
“Well, she described him t
I countered, taking a step toward the front of the car. He took another step around the car, away from the back door leading to the kitchen, just as I had hoped. “Oh? Have we met?” I asked, trying to sound casual.The man smiled, taking another step toward me as I stepped away. He seemed to be enjoying this game of cat and mouse. “A few weeks ago … in the castle … do you not remember?” he asked, clearly amused.Then, the realization of what he was set in: he was a vampire. Suddenly, a million ways to kill him ran through my mind … a stake through the heart … decapitation … silver … no, that was werewolves … or was it vampires? “Oh, I remember you!” I lied, trying to distract him, sounding matter of fact. “Well, of course you know I’m with Lance.”He shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he said, taking another step closer to me. “You were
“You need to lie down,” Lance said, eying my pale features then walked back into the kitchen.I shook my head. “No, I’m fine,” I replied, then walked over to the kitchen counter. “Sorry. I usually have a stronger stomach than this.”Lance laughed. “You just killed a vampire. You’re probably in shock.” He pulled out a chair and forced me to take a seat. Then, he opened a few cabinet doors and pulled the coffee jar and filters from a shelf, then rinsed out the coffee pot and filled it with water. Surprisingly, he knew his way around my kitchen very well.“Who was that and why was he here?” I asked, taking a deep breath, trying to steady myself as another wave of cold sweats washed over me. Lance was probably right. I was probably going into shock. I concentrated on steadying my breathing.“He was one of my men,” he said through gritted teeth, pouring the water into the coffe
Lance never made a move to seduce me while I sat on his lap and he rocked me back and forth in his arms, stroking my hair, and rubbing down my arms and my back. Suddenly, I could smell the blood pulsing beneath his skin. My breath quickened and my lips started exploring his neck. His scent was just too much to resist. “You smell so good …”“You’re craving blood,” Lance said, then bit into his wrist. A moment later, crimson blood was running down his arm.Without thinking, I took his wrist into my hands and licked the blood before it dripped onto the table, not wanting to waste a drop. Then, I covered the wound with my lips and drank, sucking the blood from his wrist, moaning in pleasure, as he cradled me to his chest. When I’d had my fill, I pulled back and the wound quickly healed.“Leila, are you sure you want this?” he asked. His pulse quickened, pushing the blood through his veins. “Are you sure yo
We made love into the night, repeating our words of love for each other over and again, truly making love to each other, until the rays of early morning sunlight came streaming in through the window. I quickly rose from the bed and pulled the shades, blocking out the light.“You’ll have to stay here for the day,” I said, crossing the room to the other window. I quickly snapped the shade shut. “It’ll be daylight soon and you don’t want to be caught outside.”“Stay with me all day,” he cooed against my skin as he wrapped his arms tightly around my body.Before I could answer, his lips found mine, cutting off any protests. Then, he pulled me into his arms and sank his fangs into my neck as my crimson, life-giving blood flowed into his mouth and my breathing quickened.When he pulled back, I said, “Feed me. I want to taste your blood again.”He leaned back onto the bed, leaned his head b
“Possible,” he corrected. He thought for a moment then asked, “What color are her eyes?”“Green, why?” I asked, stopping short when I realized that what he was saying was true. “Oh.”Lance nodded, forcing a smile. “You really need to go talk to her.”I nodded, knowing that he was right. After all, I couldn’t go to a regular doctor, could I? “What do you think is wrong?”“Well, I can’t be sure, but it sounds like you might be with child.”“With child?” I asked in disbelief. “Pregnant? No way!”“What are your symptoms?” Lance asked calmly. “Besides craving blood.”“Oh, my God!” I said, unable to believe what I was hearing. “I’ve been tired a lot lately, cold sweats, nausea, vomiting, and my stomach has a little pooch. It was always flat before. How could this have happene
When I stepped out of the bathroom, Lance was already asleep on my bed. I went to my closet and quietly dressed in a white button-down blouse, black slacks, and black pumps.“Have a good day,” Lance said, sitting up. “If you need me, just call.”“Okay,” I said, giving him a light kiss on the lips. “Go back to sleep.”He smiled, then rolled over and went back to sleep.I went downstairs and poured myself a cup of coffee. Then, I made myself some toast and slathered it with butter. It smelled delicious. I shoved it into my mouth, grabbed my purse, and headed out to the garage. The charred remains of the vampire were now just a pile of ash. It was strange that vampires burst into flames when they died. I stepped around the ash and slipped into my Mercedes.The drive to work was shorter than normal and, somehow, the sun seemed exceptionally bright. At a stoplight, I rooted through my purse and slipped on
The day went by pretty quickly and I didn’t have another bout of nausea for the rest of the afternoon. I helped Mr. Shaprio with his back, prescribing him muscle relaxants and pain meds; set a middle-aged man’s broken arm; and rushed to help a woman with chest pains, who ended up having angina … and all before eleven o’clock in the morning. I decided to take Rosa’s advice and silently vowed to leave for the day after I spoke with Dr. Ryan. I was just too tired to stay. I was going to have to watch my late night rendezvous.As I waited for Dr. Ryan, I wondered how she was able to be at the hospital so early, in the daylight. Who knows? Maybe she spent the night, or maybe there was another way that she could be in sunlight without bursting into flames. I made a mental note to ask her, in addition to other things.“Leila, Dr. Ryan is out of surgery,” Rosa said in a low voice. “I told her that you needed a minute.”
“Call me if you need anything,” Rosa said, standing under the awning of the hospital with me, just outside the automatic sliding doors.“Thanks, Rosa,” I said, slipping on my Ray Bans. “Rosa, I may not be home this weekend, but I’ll have my cell phone if you need me.” I pulled her in for a quick hug, and then hurried across the parking lot.She smiled. “Now, you tell that man to leave you alone and let you get some rest!” she teased as she headed back into the hospital. Before I could say anything, she waved to me over her shoulder and mouthed “Bye” to me, then disappeared.I shook my head as I walked across the street to the parking lot. I slipped the key into the ignition, clicked my seatbelt into place, and pointed my gray Mercedes toward home, unsure what I might find there. I sighed as my mind went through all of the scenarios of having a baby, not only a normal baby, but a supernatural pheno
LeilaJase started toward me, but Selestra held up her hand, stopping him. “Wait!”“Selestra,” Lance growled, his eyes flaring a brilliant green. “If you do not release the children now, I will personally tear you to pieces.”“As a show of good faith, I’m giving you back the children,” she replied. “But Raif is crazed with vengeance. I couldn’t take his abuse anymore, and I left him and took your children with me.”“It’s a lie!”“Lance, wait!” I held my hand up, stopping her. “What if she’s telling the truth?” Then I turned to Selestra. “So, give us the children. Once they’re safe, then we’ll talk.”Selestra nodded. “Agreed.” She motioned for Jase and Addie to go to us, and they both rushed toward me and hugged me.“She’s alone,” Addie whispered, keeping her voice so low only I could hear.I nodded once. “Jase, Sirena, go home with Raven. we’ll talk when we get there.”Jase looked between us and said, “Be safe.”Lance pulled them both in for a quick hug, making it look good. But he ki
Leila“I spoke with Kellen,” Lance said, quickly crossing the room. “He’s called an emergency and is locking down the castle as we speak. He’s also agreed to stay with Sirena and Emma, too.” He let out a deep breath, placing his hands on his hips. “It may be overkill, but I don’t care. Sirena needs all the protection we can give her.”A moment later, there was a knock on the door.Lance held up his hand to me and quickly crossed the room. He looked through the peephole, opened the door, and extended his hand to Emma. “Thanks for this. I’m so sorry we had to phone you on such short notice.”“Not a problem. I’m glad to help.” She walked in dressed in a pair of jeans, a floral shirt, and boots, similar to what I was wearing. I was sure she had come prepared to fight, too.“Thank you so much for this.” I pulled her in for a quick hug. “After Kellen locks down the castle, he’ll come stay with you.”Emma nodded. “That’s fine.” She pointed down the hallway. “Is Sirena in the family room?”I
Leila“What do you mean ‘they’re missing?’” Lance demanded, taking a step closer.Raven took a deep breath, the most flustered I’d ever seen her. “After dinner, they were dismissed and were in their common rooms. One of the other students said that Jase got a call... from you.” Her head snapped up toward me. “So, he stepped out into the hallway with Addie and never came back in.”“From me?” I asked in disbelief, shaking my head. “It wasn’t me.”“Well, the student said your number popped up on his phone.” Raven shook her head. “I’m so sorry—”“Who was the student?” I asked.Raven let out a deep breath. “Kian Medine. The Medine family is important in the witch community and very trustworthy.”I nodded. “Can you do a locator spell on him like you did last time?”“That’s what I planned to do.” She looked into Lance’s eyes. “I knew you would want to be present.”Lance nodded. “Thank you.” He gritted his teeth. “If Raif and Selestra have them, there will be no place they can hide. I’ll tear
LeilaI nodded. “I know you will.” I rose to my feet and pulled her in for a hug. “My husband and I will discuss this and will get back to you. Thank you for coming.”“Would you like to meet our daughter before you go?” Lance asked.Emma nodded. “Yes, please.” Her eyes brightened. It was clear that she loved children.I nodded. Whether or not we hired her, what harm could it do to introduce Emma to Sirena? “Right this way.”I walked down the hallway, and Emma walked beside me as Lance followed behind. When we entered the family room, Sirena was playing Chess alone, switching seats at each turn. It was the funniest thing I’d ever seen. Then guilt filled my chest for not having anyone her age to occupy her. “Sirena, honey, I’d like you to meet someone.”Sirena looked up and smiled, her game forgotten as she crossed the room purposefully toward Emma and thrust out her hand. “Hello. My name is Sirena. What’s your name?”“My name is Emma.” She tilted her head to the side, smiling. So, you
LeilaEmma sat on the edge of her seat and smiled, folding her arms on her lap. “My name is Emma Fitzroy.” She had the type of British accent that I could listen to all day.Lance’s head snapped up, a crease between his eyes. “Fitzroy? As in ‘the bastard son of a king?’”“Lance!” I scoffed, unable to believe what he had just said.“Please, pardon me, both of you.” Lance looked over at me and smiled. “The word was more commonly used in our time. Please, forgive me.”I nodded cautiously. “It’s okay.”But Emma smiled, unaffected. “It’s okay. I used to hear it all the time years ago. But not many people know the meaning or connotation today.”Lance nodded. “So, who was your father?”She let out a deep breath. “My father was King Henry I, and I am one of his illegitimate children.”My eyes nearly bugged out of my head, but miraculously, I maintained my composure. “Could you explain that to us? I mean, how did you come to be in our coven?”She nodded. “I was born the twenty-sixth of June, i
LeilaLance let out a deep breath. “After hearing everything, the Council agreed with my reasoning. They couldn’t believe all the threats Raif had leveled against you and the children, and they agreed that if he defeated me, he would also take over the Council, the vampire world, and the rest of the supernatural creatures. When I told them he wanted to be king, they agreed that we can’t let that happen.”“Well, let’s eat, and then you can take a shower before Emma gets here.” I made a sandwich out of a biscuit, an egg, and a slice of bacon.Lance laughed. “What are you doing?”“I used to do this all the time when I was human.” I picked it up and took a bite. “You should try it! It’s good!”“Can I have some?” Sirena asked, looking at my biscuit sandwich with curiosity.“Sure!” I slid her onto my lap and made her a sandwich with the other biscuit, egg, and bacon. Lance got up and made another one for me and warmed up a bag of blood for her.“Here you go!” I handed her the biscuit sandw
LeilaLance raised up and kissed my shoulder, smiling as he laced his fingers through my hair. “Why don’t you shower, and I’ll fix the coffee?” He traced lazy circles over my body, raising my nipples to peaks and sending chills over my body. “I would take a shower with you, but Sirena will be up in a few minutes, and her seeing her mommy and daddy naked may cause unnecessary trauma.” He chuckled. “It’ll cost me a fortune in therapy for the rest of her life.”I laughed, running my fingers through his dark brown wavy hair. “We really need to find her a nanny.”He laughed. “Yes, we do.” Then his lips descended upon mine in a passionate kiss as my tongue swiped over his, all heat and desire. He pulled back a moment later and gave me one last sweet kiss. Then he slid out of bed and slipped into his sleeping shorts and a white T-shirt.“Ahh,” I moaned, reaching for him. “Come back to bed.”He chuckled, one corner of his lips curling into a sexy smile. “You don’t know how tempting that is.”
LanceI nodded. “So, what say you? I will poll each of you. An answer of Yay will be in favor of banning together to fight. An answer of Nay will be against.” I looked around the room. “Xander.”“Yay.”I nodded. “Drake.”“Yay.”“Annette.”“If he would go so far as to threaten you and your family and then take over the Council, then my answer is Yay,” she replied.I nodded. “Felicia.”She let out a deep breath, a crease forming between her eyes. It was clear that she was not making her decision lightly. “Yay.”“So, it’s unanimous. We will stand and fight. I appreciate your support.” I placed my hands on the table as I leaned forward. “I’ll coordinate with you and will let you know when we plan to attack. But as of this moment, we are at war with Raif Cavanaugh, Leader of the East Coven.” I let out a deep breath. “I asked Chef Faustino to prepare a special buffet for you. So, please. Enjoy.” I motioned toward the buffet lined up against the wall, filled with all sorts of delicacies incl
LanceLeila and I went through several applicants for Sirena’s nanny but didn’t find anyone suitable. The successful applicant needed to be a vampire with fighting skills, capable of protecting Sirena during a crisis. He or she would also have to have good nanny and child nurturing skills. Not an easy combination to find in one person.“So, did you have any luck finding a nanny for Sirena?” A smile spread across Kellen’s face as we headed toward the main conference room for the meeting with the Supernatural Council, consisting of the heads of all the covens and packs in Las Vegas.I scoffed. “No. Not yet. It’s proving to be as difficult as it was to find a nanny and protector for Jase.”Kellen nodded, stopping just outside the door. “I think I may have a solution for you.”“Oh?” My eyebrows shot up.“I know a young woman that reminds me a lot of Addie, but she was a little older when she was turned.”“How old was she?”“Eighteen,” he replied. “I think Addie was sixteen when she was tu