new enhanced senses were taking some getting used to. Marcus was up and heading to the door.
“It’s Antonio,” I said as I subconsciously covered my new ring with my other hand.
Marc raised his eyebrow questioningly. “How do you know that?”
My shoulders hunched into a shrug. “It’s hard to explain. I don’t understand. It’s just the sound and smell of, well, just of him.”
He didn’t try to hide his scoff and he grumbled under his breath. “Fucking vamps making my woman all supernatural with their blood.” I assumed he thought I didn’t hear it, but I did. If this encounter went by without incident, I would be very surprised.
Marcus opened the door. “You’re not invited,” he said in a snide tone.
Antonio ignored the comment and entered the room. He was bearing a vase with a mixture of white and red roses. “I’m sorry it’s taken me so long, Evelina . It’s been hard to maintain order.” Lewis came bounding in the room and I expected the usually threatening barks. The dog just ran up to the vampire and sat down in front of him, wagging his tail. I could see Marcus frowning at the traitor dog and shaking his head.
“Thank you.” I accepted the flowers, exposing the ring as I did so. Marc’s face was practically as red as the roses as he looked on, while Antonio’s spirit seemed to sink as he spotted the jewelry. His eyes just stared into mine for a moment and he kept his back to Marcus until he had mastered his emotions. Awkwardly, I just set the flowers on the table.
“So…?” Marcus asked impatiently. “Do we have any leads or is this just a social visit?”
Once again, Antonio paid little attention to my fiancé’s comments. He just gave the dog a friendly pat then took a seat on the couch beside me. Lightly, he brushed my cheek with the back of his hand. It was as if he thought I would break. “Color…that’s good. I’m glad you finally decided to feed. Your body seems to have won the battle. Sometimes, the combination with another vampire, especially one so ancient, is too much to endure.”
This wasn’t all that surprising to me from the way I had felt. Marcus looked appalled, but he didn’t say anything. He did grab a beer from the fridge and take a large gulp. “I feel strong and….” It was so difficult to find the right words to describe the change. I slammed my fists onto my knees and sighed in frustration.
“You feel aware and in touch with the world as you never have been before.” His voice was gentle. “The only reason you’ve been allowed to get away with living so human, outside of vampire society is because you were weak. You didn’t feed as most of us do. But now….” He looked down at his hands.
“Now what?” I was afraid to even ask the question. Living outside of “vampire society” suited me just fine. I didn’t even know what vampire society meant!
“Dante escaped and returned to a mansion he has nearby. Many of his followers now back me as the society’s Master. A dictator can only rule for so long before there is rebellion. You know about rebellion better than most.” He straightened his silk tie before looking back at me once more. “I had planned to protect you by claiming you as mine, but with that ring, I doubt either of you will agree to this plan.”
When I looked toward Marcus, I expected him to be grinning over the victory, but he just looked deep in thought and concerned. “Why would she be safer if she were your…mistress or whatever the hell she would be?” Surely he wasn’t considering agreeing to that plan.
Antonio pinched the bridge of his nose. He was weary. The stress he’d been enduring because of me was clearly visible. “Dante has been spreading rumors, many of them true about Evelina . The vampires feel threatened by her potential power and
“It’s Antonio,” I said as I subconsciously covered my new ring with my other hand.
Marc raised his eyebrow questioningly. “How do you know that?”
My shoulders hunched into a shrug. “It’s hard to explain. I don’t understand. It’s just the sound and smell of, well, just of him.”
He didn’t try to hide his scoff and he grumbled under his breath. “Fucking vamps making my woman all supernatural with their blood.” I assumed he thought I didn’t hear it, but I did. If this encounter went by without incident, I would be very surprised.
Marcus opened the door. “You’re not invited,” he said in a snide tone.
Antonio ignored the comment and entered the room. He was bearing a vase with a mixture of white and red roses. “I’m sorry it’s taken me so long, Evelina . It’s been hard to maintain order.” Lewis came bounding in the room and I expected the usually threatening barks. The dog just ran up to the vampire and sat down in front of him, wagging his tail. I could see Marcus frowning at the traitor dog and shaking his head.
“Thank you.” I accepted the flowers, exposing the ring as I did so. Marc’s face was practically as red as the roses as he looked on, while Antonio’s spirit seemed to sink as he spotted the jewelry. His eyes just stared into mine for a moment and he kept his back to Marcus until he had mastered his emotions. Awkwardly, I just set the flowers on the table.
“So…?” Marcus asked impatiently. “Do we have any leads or is this just a social visit?”
Once again, Antonio paid little attention to my fiancé’s comments. He just gave the dog a friendly pat then took a seat on the couch beside me. Lightly, he brushed my cheek with the back of his hand. It was as if he thought I would break. “Color…that’s good. I’m glad you finally decided to feed. Your body seems to have won the battle. Sometimes, the combination with another vampire, especially one so ancient, is too much to endure.”
This wasn’t all that surprising to me from the way I had felt. Marcus looked appalled, but he didn’t say anything. He did grab a beer from the fridge and take a large gulp. “I feel strong and….” It was so difficult to find the right words to describe the change. I slammed my fists onto my knees and sighed in frustration.
“You feel aware and in touch with the world as you never have been before.” His voice was gentle. “The only reason you’ve been allowed to get away with living so human, outside of vampire society is because you were weak. You didn’t feed as most of us do. But now….” He looked down at his hands.
“Now what?” I was afraid to even ask the question. Living outside of “vampire society” suited me just fine. I didn’t even know what vampire society meant!
“Dante escaped and returned to a mansion he has nearby. Many of his followers now back me as the society’s Master. A dictator can only rule for so long before there is rebellion. You know about rebellion better than most.” He straightened his silk tie before looking back at me once more. “I had planned to protect you by claiming you as mine, but with that ring, I doubt either of you will agree to this plan.”
When I looked toward Marcus, I expected him to be grinning over the victory, but he just looked deep in thought and concerned. “Why would she be safer if she were your…mistress or whatever the hell she would be?” Surely he wasn’t considering agreeing to that plan.
Antonio pinched the bridge of his nose. He was weary. The stress he’d been enduring because of me was clearly visible. “Dante has been spreading rumors, many of them true about Evelina . The vampires feel threatened by her potential power and
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