A Shade of Vampire (4 page)

Everything about his demeanor
–
the way his chest heaved, the way his fists clenched
–
made it clear that he was doing everything in his power to keep himself from attacking any one of us
–
perhaps even all of us. 

I shuddered at the display of temper from this young man, whose immediate command we were going to be subjected to.

Vivienne didn
’
t seem fazed at all. In a calm, collected voice, she responded to her brother.

“Because you and I both know that if you are to face what lies ahead of you, you need to be able to control your impulse to satisfy your hunger. These women were handpicked to become part of your harem. They
’
re the loveliest among a recent hunt we made.”

Despite my predicament, my ears perked up at that last statement.
Lovely
was not something I
’
d ever been described as before.

Lucas chuckled. “This is cruel and unusual punishment, Vivienne. I told you that. Derek hasn
’
t had blood for the past four hundred years. He can
’
t be expected to not want to rip these girls
’
heads off. Hell, I
’
ve been feeding for the last four hundred years and I still want to have my way with them.”

Derek, still looking like he was about to attack us at any moment, simply gave him a sideward glare before he roamed his eyes toward each of us girls
–
one by one.

“A harem? A hunt? Since when do we have these? Who are these girls and where exactly did you
‘
hunt
’
them?”

Lucas, Vivienne and the other woman present in the hall exchanged uncomfortable glances.

It was Vivienne who eventually answered the question. “They
’
re humans abducted from the outside world. We
hunt
humans from the outside world to become slaves here, to do the work necessary. Those who prove to be useless are fed on. The choicest and most beautiful among the captives are kept by the Elite as part of what we began calling a
harem
a long time ago. Some of the favored Lodgers also have one or two beauties of their own. The humans who form the harems are kept alive for a year and whoever owns them get to decide their ultimate fate after that.”

“It
’
s really just an excuse to be able to have them at their prime,” Lucas added with a smirk.

From the look on Derek
’
s face, he didn
’
t seem very happy about the explanation he
’
d been given.  He eyed us from where he stood
–
the distance between us only a few strides away.

I couldn
’
t help but wonder what was going through his mind.

“I know what you
’
re thinking and no, you can
’
t let them go, brother,” Lucas spoke up, sounding like he was talking to a five-year-old. “They
’
ve seen the Blood Shade. We can
’
t afford to risk the coven. They stay or they die.”

Derek
’
s expression turned to complete disgust. “They can
’
t be any older than we were when we were turned.”

“I know,” Lucas grinned, speaking as though it were the most amusing fact known to their kind. “They
’
re all seventeen.”

“The knights and guards take them at that age, because as you know, blood tastes sweeter once they reach the fullness of their womanhood at eighteen,” Vivienne explained.

Lucas scoffed at the notion. “Please. It
’
s all the same, but really, Derek, enjoy them. Just looking at them is already a feast. After the year ends, imagine all the wicked things you can do with them.”

Derek stood to his full height
–
a couple inches taller than his older brother and began walking toward us. My very first reaction was to flinch as he approached.

At that moment, the only way I could think to describe him was
hungry.

I stood there, sure that my knees were about to give way beneath me. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other and in doing so, found the back of my hand brushing against the hand of the blonde-haired girl standing beside me. I could feel her shaking. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it, hoping to both give comfort to and draw it from her.

The motion attracted Derek
’
s attention. I
’
d never felt more vulnerable than I did the moment Derek Novak
’
s electric blue eyes settled on me. His gaze betrayed the thoughts roaming his mind. I was a lamb
–
a lamb ready for slaughter.

I couldn
’
t pry my eyes away from her. I wanted to stop, but I found myself inching closer.

She was beautiful to behold
–
not just because her physical appearance drew me in above and beyond that of the other girls. No. In my eyes, she was most beautiful because at a time when she had every right to be terrified, she managed to show comfort to another person who needed it.

The moment I saw her grab the hand of the girl beside her, all the others paled in comparison. She showed me a humanity I longed to return to.

But I was the predator. She was my prey. And even as I admired her for that one simple gesture, I was battling to prevent myself from relishing the sweet delicacy that she was to my kind.

I muttered several curses under my breath. I knew my sister well enough to know why she was putting me through this. She knew my struggle to maintain control when it came to satisfying my hunger. So it was the first thing she put to the test. Why on earth she was testing me was still something I had yet to figure out. Vivienne was known for her mind games, but especially with the young innocent redhead who caught my eye standing before me, I couldn
’
t help but think that this was Vivienne
’
s cruelest game yet.

I studied the young woman whose emerald green eyes boldly settled on me. I took in the sight of those dark auburn locks cascading down her shoulders and framing her delicate face. There was an innocence to the slight blush of her freckled cheeks that made me ache inside. Her eyes and the way they were fixed on me
–
unflinching in their courage and audacity
–
made me want to shrink away from her.

I knew she was studying me and I would
’
ve given anything to find out what was going through her head as she looked me over.

A familiar ache gripped my chest with every step I took closer to her. She was everything I no longer was. She represented everything I lost when my father turned me into this monster.

When I was about two feet away from her, I immediately regretted ever going near her, because the sight and smell of the slightest bit of blood on her lower lip became my complete undoing.

Lightning speed and strength I forgot I had pushed her backwards until her back hit one of the sanctuary
’
s giant marble pillars with a loud thud. Guilt and shame filled me for causing her pain, but I was giving in to my nature, desperate to draw her blood and taste it.

I swallowed hard as my eyes centered on the cut on her lip. I knew that the moment I did anything to taste it, I wouldn
’
t be able to control myself. There was no going back.

“Derek, no…”

My uneven breathing and erratic heartbeat drowned out my sister
’
s protests. As far as I was concerned, there was no one else there with us. It was just me and this innocent
–
this innocent I was about to totally destroy.

I wrapped an arm around her small waist and lifted her up the pillar, supporting her weight with my hips. She tried to push me away, tried to free herself from my grip, but it didn
’
t take long for her to realize that there was no escape. I was too strong for her and she was at my complete mercy. She knew it. I knew it, and I hated myself, because at that moment, there wasn
’
t a single bit of mercy running through my blood-deprived veins. There was nothing in me but an animalistic and primal need that was begging to be satisfied
–
hunger
.

What is it with these people and shoving me up against hard surfaces?

I was fully aware of the gravity of my situation, and yet that was the one thought that circled my mind the moment he lifted me so that my face was directly in front of his. He had me pinned against a black marble pillar. My back was suffering from the abuse it
’
d been receiving all night long
–
first from Derek
’
s brother and now from him.

Lucas was probably right when he referred to me as a “fragile little twig”. It was exactly how I felt, with Derek pinning me there, all my attempts to push him away and break free failing miserably. I wasn
’
t even sure if he was aware of how strong he was, but he exuded a power that I didn
’
t sense even with Lucas. I felt like a china doll, as though he could shatter me the moment he wished to do so.

Everything about Derek Novak was overwhelming my senses. The feel of his body pressed against mine, the chill of his breath against my skin, the sound of his uneven breathing, the light scent of his musk mixing with the myrrh they applied on me before we were brought to him.

He stared at me and I stared back. I could almost see the wheels in his head turning and every bit of his demeanor showed how conflicted he was about what he wanted to do. And yet, there was also a determination in his sharp blue eyes that left me grasping for any bit of hope.

When his free hand grabbed my head and pushed it to the side to clear my neck as he bared his fangs, all I could think of doing was beg, “Please don
’
t.”

I could hear Vivienne trying to plead with him, reminding him that he could control this. He needed to regain control.

I didn
’
t understand what was going on or why they were doing what they were doing. I just knew that I was at Derek
’
s mercy and yet, unlike what I experienced with Lucas earlier that night, right now nothing about what Derek was doing made me feel violated.

That scared me. This man had me shoved up a hard surface, trapping me with his strong arms, crushing me. He was about to sink his teeth into my bare neck and drink my blood. I had every right to feel violated, but I didn
’
t.
What does that say about me?

“Derek… you don
’
t want to do this… you have control.” Vivienne just kept at it.

I looked into Derek
’
s eyes wondering if it was getting to him. It seemed it wasn
’
t, because he pushed against me as he leaned forward, his fangs beginning to press against my neck.

Even as all five of my senses were assailed by sensation after sensation brought about by my unfamiliar and strange predicament, I recalled something Ben always told me when I began to pity myself and blame my circumstances for my sorrow.

“I know an excuse when I hear one, Sofia. Don
’
t you dare dupe yourself into believing that you
’
re the victim.”

I tried to push him away, but surrendered to the idea that it was no use. Instead, I pressed my cheek against his, the warmth of my skin fading with the coldness of his.

“
You can control yourself. Don
’
t do this to me
.” I whispered into his ear.

To my surprise, just when his fangs were about to break my skin and draw blood, he stopped. I could feel the fangs retract and it was just his lips pressed against my neck. “I can
’
t,” he responded. “You
’
re too beautiful, your blood too enticing, too sweet...”

Tears began to stream down my face
–
partly because everything that
’
d been happening came crashing down on me, overwhelming me, and partly because of how much I ached for Ben as I spoke the same words that he had so many times before.

“I know an excuse when I hear one. Don
’
t you dare deceive yourself into believing that you
’
re the victim, Derek Novak.”

I could hear a soft gasp escape his lips the moment I said the words. I couldn
’
t help but sigh with relief when his arm
’
s grip around my waist loosened. His lips remained pressed on any part of my skin it could brush against as he eased me down so I could stand on my feet again. I felt so small and fragile standing so close to him. The moment my feet hit the ground, my knees buckled and to my horror, I found myself leaning to him for support.