A Bloody London Sunset (Sunset Vampire Series, Book 2) (36 page)

“Incredible,” Caleb muttered as Katrina rubbed his back lightly with the palm of her hand. “That’s nearly a millennium.” He struggled to wrap his mind around the concept, not yet having fully reconciled the idea of having a five hundred-year-old mate in Katrina.

“Rubbish,” Alton complained. “I’m still a couple of centuries from a millennium yet.”

Caleb merely stared across the table at Alton with wide eyes. He averted his gaze to stare out of the window as Gibbons reappeared to take their orders.

Katrina ordered a fruit and herb salad, while Alton ordered a cheese and cracker assortment, claiming to have eaten a late breakfast. Gibbons looked at Caleb, who tried to collect himself enough to think of something to order. However, his memory of the menu suddenly failed him.

Just as Katrina began to speak up, Alton interjected on Caleb’s behalf, “The young man mentioned something authentically English. Bring him a Cottage Pie.”

“Very good, sir,” Gibbons replied and quickly departed.

“Caleb?” Katrina asked softly as she reached out to grasp his hand in hers. “Are you okay, my love?”

Her hand felt soft and warm in his, and he was momentarily jarred from his scattered thoughts. He blinked slowly and looked first into her eyes before turning his attention back to Alton.

“1216?” he asked again with disbelief.

The corner of one side of Alton’s mouth rose slightly. “I joined the ranks of our kind the year after the Magna Carta was signed. Henry III rose to the throne of England that year at the age of nine.”

Katrina squeezed Caleb’s hand in a gesture of support as she studied his features and listened to his heartbeat. She hadn’t expected her friend to reveal such information so abruptly to him and wondered what caused him to do so.
I’ll certainly ask him later
.

“It’s just so unreal to me,” Caleb stammered. “It’s like something magical and -- and ominous all at the same time. It makes my brief lifetime seem insignificant by comparison. I’m merely a blink in your existence.”

Katrina immediately frowned with disapproval, squeezing his hand and fiercely whispering, “Don’t you dare think that, Caleb Taylor. You’re the most significant and wonderful development that’s happened to me in centuries. You made me want to live again.”

He was taken aback by Katrina’s tone and winced slightly as she squeezed his hand to a nearly painful level. She immediately noted his reaction and cursed under her breath as she released his hand. He pulled it into his lap and massaged it with his other hand as he stared back at her morosely.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized in a subdued voice. “I didn’t mean --”

“No, my love, I’m the one who’s so very sorry. You have every right to your feelings,” she insisted. “Please, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” She reached out to his hand tentatively, and he allowed her to hold it gently between both of hers. She ever so lightly, and with deliberate effort to be careful, massaged his hand for him. She also berated herself for having hurt him, despite its being an accident. Even after so many years, she occasionally neglected to consider how easily humans could be injured by her kind, even inadvertently.

Alton viewed the exchange silently, but with a hopeful expression. “I’ve never seen a human and a vampire matched so perfectly before,” he whispered with an uncommon tone of reverence. “You’re an anomaly, Caleb, and not just for Katrina either.”

Caleb regarded Alton curiously.

The vampire read his expression and body language and explained in a subdued tone, “Human mates are actually as common as vampire mates for our kind. However, very few human-vampire pairings are successful for long periods without conflict, or the human’s being turned into a vampire, or being killed. And yet you and Katrina have been through more challenges and potential relationship pitfalls than any previous pairing that I’ve ever heard of, and you’re still together. No, not just together, truly devoted to each other. That surprises me, to be brutally honest.”

Katrina’s eyes darted to her former mentor and narrowed dangerously.

But Alton continued unabated by the warning signal. “And then there’s you specifically, Caleb: successfully paired with a vampire mate and supplemented by a vampire surrogate. I would say two guardians, but Devon Archibald is only temporary by agreement. That’s never happened to my knowledge, and I know a lot about vampire culture.”

“And?” Caleb beckoned. He wanted to know more and gain additional insight into the scenarios placed before him.

“And,” Alton answered with an uncustomary blank expression as his hazel eyes bored into Caleb’s directly, “I can’t wait to see what happens next. Though very little would surprise me. Or would it?”

Caleb shivered slightly from the distant and empty expression in Alton’s eyes, and he deliberately averted his gaze to stare out the window upon the expanse of city before them.

Further discussion was interrupted by the arrival of their meal. Alton deliberately lightened the mood by discussing the various points of interest that Caleb and Katrina needed to visit while in London. He offered the services of two of his human staff to escort Caleb through the city during the day, so he could take advantage of some locations that either weren’t open at night or didn’t offer viable vantage to human eyes in darkness. Katrina considered the merits of the idea, and while it saddened her that she couldn’t experience some things with her mate, she nevertheless wanted him to see as much as possible on their visit.

Caleb enjoyed the conversation, as well as the meal. His cottage pie was comprised of minced beef and vegetables topped with mashed potato, and he found it both delicious and filling. Alton assured him that it was a traditional entrée that he had frequently eaten as a human, though he offered few additional details regarding his human lifetime.

“The shepherd’s pie was excellent,” Caleb offered with satisfaction as he ate the last bite on his plate.

“Cottage pie,” Alton clarified.

“Isn’t it pretty close to the same thing?” he asked.

“Cottage pie is made with beef,” Alton explained in a practiced manner. “Shepherd’s pie is made with mutton.”

“Oh,” he muttered, filing the information away. “Either way, very tasty.”

“Just like you, my love,” Katrina offered with a sly smile.
Very tasty
, she silently added as she contemplated time back at the hotel with him.
And sexy
, she amended, considering additional options for their quality time together.

Caleb yawned after finishing his second glass of wine, though both vampires seemed completely awake and unaffected.

“Tired, my love?” Katrina asked.

He nodded and stifled another yawn.
Geez, I could fall asleep on the floor right now.

“It’s probably the wine coupled with a full stomach and jet lag,” Alton suggested.

“Speaking of wine,” Katrina prompted. “How did you know there was a 1900 Bordeaux available?”

Alton smiled brightly. “Oh, didn’t I mention? I own the restaurant.”

She rolled her eyes and muttered, “It figures.”
Thought so
. Then she humorously contemplated Caleb’s weariness and whether she would have to carry her sleepy mate back to the hotel room or not. In the end, he managed to walk out using sheer willpower, and she couldn’t help but smile at him endearingly as she wrapped her arm around his slim waist protectively.

Okay, sleep, then sex, followed by “tasting Caleb
,” she determined while following up on a previous train of thought.

* * * *

Chapter 7: Revelations

Caleb woke in their hotel suite a few hours following their return from lunch with Alton. The elder vampire had been correct that their flight, combined with the food and wine, had caused him to feel incredibly exhausted. He rolled over onto his back and immediately stared into Katrina’s beautiful eyes.

She smiled down at him warmly while perching on one elbow next to him. “Welcome back to the world of the conscious, my love.” Her fingertips tenderly brushed against the side of his cheek, causing him to smirk from the tickling sensation.

“Watching me sleep, I presume?” he asked before stretching and yawning.

She half-shrugged. “You’re the best view in the hotel.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know, there’s always
London
through the windows.”

“I’ve seen London. I can’t get enough of you,” she said simply and kissed him on the lips.

“You’re spoiling me. Badly,” he warned.

She smirked playfully and teased, “Don’t worry, I’ll put you in your place if you get out of hand.”

He rolled his eyes at her and glanced at his wristwatch. It was already early evening. “Wow, I slept five hours!”

“Just in time for evening, actually,” she offered.

He shook his head slightly at the late hour and asked, “So, are you ready to go out on the town for some sightseeing?”

Her eyes flared bright green for a second and she replied, “Once I’m done with you.”

“Done with me?” he asked carefully.

She smiled slyly. “You got your sleep. Now I want blood and more.”

While initially caught off guard, it took very little motivation to interest him for more amorous prospects. He was amazed by the level of passion she raised in him, almost at will. He felt a mix of adoration mixed with animal magnetism coming from her. It was like standing before the sun: blissful warmth that burned into you if you stood too long before it or got too close. But it was a blissful burning, the kind that you wanted to yield to and embrace. So he did, and time stood still for them.

Later, a numbing sensation formed in his neck as he lay on the bed, glistening with sweat. He was still catching his breath as he subtly felt Katrina’s fangs pressing into him. It wasn’t painful, thankfully, more like increased pressure forming in his neck. He heard the telltale slurping sounds indicating that she was feeding from him.
No, not feeding. Communion.
And he was only too happy to oblige. He let his mind wander on a euphoric tide, which ended much sooner than he wanted. When her head lay against his chest, her mane of hair tickling his skin, he opened his eyes and wrapped his arms around her.

“I so love you,” he whispered.

She kissed his chest with soft lips and murmured, “My love. My reason for existence.”

They relished the precious moments, lying together in contented silence.

Following a shower and changing into fresh clothes, they headed downstairs to begin their excursion into London. The weather was still cold and cloudy, but at least the rain had ceased, allowing them the opportunity to take pictures using Caleb’s camera. While the city was breathtaking to view from the hotel and Alton’s office building, it was another thing entirely for Caleb actually to walk through it. The city was alive at night, transformed from just a large metropolis to something mysterious and eternal, teeming with people from all walks of life.

The sights were amazing. Their view from inside the London Eye was impressive. Of course, while the stores were still open, they also did some souvenir shopping. Then they proceeded to get Caleb something to eat at a popular downtown restaurant named Bankside, not far from Southwark Cathedral. Katrina contentedly watched him eat, and they discussed their next destinations that evening.

Afterwards, they went through parts of the city to view key sights such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and the Thames River itself. Katrina even posed a couple of times with Caleb as friendly passersby were willing to snap the photos for them. As much as she enjoyed the touring, most of her satisfaction came from watching Caleb’s reactions and sharing in the excitement of his experiences. It was so easy to see how much fun he was having, and it filled her with genuine happiness.

It was while appreciating his interest in a granite-mounted statue of the Duke of Wellington on horseback that she caught the glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. Her keen vampire vision focused on a pale man in a dark overcoat who was watching them from about a hundred feet away while partially concealed in the shadow of a nearby building. However, once the figure realized he had been sighted, he quickly disappeared from view.

I wonder if he’s one of Alton’s vampire staff?
Katrina wondered with a narrow-eyed expression. Caleb looked up at her curiously, but she smiled at him as if nothing had happened. Instead, she made a point to stay close to him and be more aware of her surroundings without raising her mate’s suspicion. Fortunately, the remainder of their nighttime excursion was pleasantly uneventful.

As they made their way back to the hotel via the London Tube, she snuggled into his arms as he held her closely beside him, earning a number of envious-looking stares from fellow passengers.

All in all, it’s a perfect evening
, Caleb mused as he closed his eyes to rest.

This has been wonderful
, Katrina thought happily as she scanned the train car’s nearest passengers in precautionary fashion.

As soon as they carried their armload of shopping purchases into the suite, they freshened up, and Caleb collapsed into bed. Katrina lay beside him, lightly caressing his back while gazing out the large bedroom window into the night and out onto the city. Her mind recalled the events of their excursion, but also played back the brief discovery of the mysterious vampire observer. The stranger’s actions hadn’t seemed hostile, merely curious.
Probably one from Alton’s cadre of employees
.
I’ll ask him about it tomorrow.

Caleb woke early on Sunday to find Katrina gazing upon him fondly as she lay beside him. A glance out the bedroom window revealed gray clouds and some light drizzle. However, it didn’t detract from his excitement of knowing that he was waking up in London.

“Morning, Kat,” he offered with a sleepy grin.

“Good morning, my love,” she replied warmly.

She started to kiss him, but he held up his hand to cover his mouth and shook his head.

“Oh, not yet,” he protested and quickly rolled out of bed to patter into the bathroom as she regarded him with a raised eyebrow.

A few moments later he returned to bed and offered her a minty fresh-breath kiss. She smirked following their kiss and shook her head.
Always so thoughtful
, she mused.

“Fresh breath for a fresh day in London,” he quipped. “What’s on today’s agenda?”

“Well, there’s a couple of museums located near the hotel that aren’t open in the evening, so perhaps you can visit those today. We’ll see other sites together this evening,” she offered.

He glanced outside again before returning his gaze to her. “I’m no meteorologist, but isn’t it safer for you on cloudy, misty days like today?”

She smirked. “Somebody needs to watch more Weather Channel. Despite the clouds, the sun projects very powerful ultraviolet radiation that penetrates them, and it would still damage me. It’s an easy misperception by most people. UV radiation isn’t in the visible spectrum for humans, but vampires can sense it quite readily in much the same way you can feel heat emanating from an oven.”

“Oh,” he replied sullenly. He hated the idea of spending the day without her, but he certainly didn’t want her to be injured, either.

She reached out to caress the side of his face with her fingers in soothing fashion. “It’s okay, my love. I don’t want you to be cooped up here in the hotel all day. Besides, I’m used to the limitation, and it will be evening before you know it. There’s a lot to see, and we’ll only be here a week. Please, go enjoy, okay?”

“Well, okay. But I won’t enjoy it as much without you.”

“You’re very sweet,” she acknowledged appreciatively.

He wished that he could do something nice for her before he left, but it wasn’t as if he could order breakfast in bed for her. An idea struck him, and he smiled slyly. She frowned at him with a curious expression as he lay back down onto the bed and turned his head slightly away from her.

“Hungry? How about a little nip before I get ready?” he offered.

She smiled at his thoughtful gesture. Her eyes briefly flashed, and she advanced upon him to kiss him deeply, warmly.
I’m such a lucky woman. He’s so giving, especially of himself.

Her mouth moved from his lips to the side of his soft neck, and she kissed him ever so gently a number of times with appreciation. Her lips parted, her tongue pressing against his skin. He waited patiently as the numbing sensation spread throughout his neck.

“Thank you, my love,” she whispered. “You fulfill me in so many ways.”

She held her tongue against his skin for another brief moment, and then extended her fangs into him. A wave of ecstasy passed through her as his blood trickled past her lips, into her mouth, and down her throat. She caressed his scalp with her fingertips soothingly and deliberately controlled the rate at which she drew blood from him.

Knowing that he was preparing for a day of sightseeing, she made sure to take only a small amount from him, just enough to fulfill her morning craving. There were few words she could use to describe the satisfaction that partaking in him brought to her. Human blood was sweet, but all the sweeter when given freely and with love. The time passed all too quickly, and she carefully retracted her fangs and used her saliva both to seal and heal his bite marks so nobody would be the wiser.

Despite his aversion to the idea of touring London alone, the day passed quickly for Caleb as he visited two museums close to the hotel. He ate in one of the museum cafes and continued his perusal until later that afternoon. He was amazed by the diversity of people that he saw as he walked around the exhibits and quickly understood how popular the city was for tourists. By four o’clock, he hurried back to the hotel. Upon entering the suite, he found Katrina sitting on the couch watching television and using her notebook computer.

After he freshened up, he and Katrina went out on the town. They went to a different local restaurant so that he could eat dinner someplace new and afterwards took in a play at the Her Majesty’s London Theater. It was a rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s
Phantom of the Opera
, and they had a wonderful time. The remainder of the evening was spent seeing various sites of interest and walking arm-in-arm together while appreciating each other’s company. Time flew by, and soon after midnight, Katrina redirected them back to the hotel so that her mate could get a decent night’s sleep. And though it felt like a brief evening out for a vampire, she felt the quality of their time made up for its length.

The next day was Monday, and Caleb woke very late in the morning to find himself alone in bed. He stretched, yawned, and happily reflected on the previous night’s events. Despite the closed the bedroom door, he heard Katrina talking in the living room beyond.

“…he just woke up, in fact,” he heard her comment when he strained to hear what was being said.

Okay, so I’m nosy
, he conceded with a shrug.

A few moments later, Katrina appeared in the room with a swoosh of air and a sweep of the doorway. The gust of air actually blew his hair around slightly before she appeared at the bedside.

“Good morning, sleepy-head,” she murmured before placing a soft kiss on his lips.

“Hey, morning breath alert,” he warned, but was too late to make a difference.

She merely shook her head. “A few hundred years ago, there wasn’t any such thing as morning breath. Just breath. And a morning waking with breath was a good morning.”

He pursed his lips as he considered the historic logic of her statement, admitting, “You certainly have a way of putting things in perspective.”

She gave him an endeared look. “You better get up and around; breakfast will arrive soon.” She noted his curious expression and explained, “Alton thought you would appreciate an authentic English breakfast. Oh, and he made an appointment for you.”

She explained that Alton had scheduled for him to meet with Dr. Guilhelm that evening. He hoped that the accomplished vampire psychiatrist would be able to unlock his blocked childhood memories. And while he was adamant about recovering those memories, he still felt a sudden rush of anxiety at the prospect.
But I’m not going to get cold feet, that’s for damn sure
.

He shaved and dressed and was ready to eat the breakfast that had arrived just minutes prior. Katrina watched with amusement as he gazed upon the large platter containing eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, mushrooms, and baked beans.

He wrinkled his nose and looked up at her with shock. “
This
is a traditional English breakfast? Mushrooms? And baked beans?”

She laughed so hard from his semi-horrified expression that tears streamed from her eyes. In the end, he ate the eggs, bacon, and part of the sausages and picked at the rest just to be polite.

Overall, not too bad
, he reflected.

He passed the time perusing the local shops and interests within a block of the hotel while Katrina spent most of the afternoon visiting with Alton about his new European project intended for the upcoming summer. When evening arrived, Katrina would accompany him to see Dr. Guilhelm.

Much as Caleb expected, and as was typical when he was apprehensive about something, the afternoon passed rather quickly. By the time the sun began to set and early evening arrived, he returned to the hotel suite to find Katrina sitting on the couch channel-surfing. He put down a small sack of novelties he had purchased and plopped down on the couch next to her. After a quick exchange of kisses, he glanced at the television and pointed to the screen as the channel changed.