Toma (The Dark Shadows Book 2) (5 page)

H
e’s gone again
.

She didn’t even have to look around the room to see that there would be no trace of
him
. The past two weeks, Toma had come to her in the wee hours of the morning, making love to her, no
fucking
her until the sun rose, leaving her deliciously sated to drift off into a deep slumber with no nightmares. During the day, they acted as before, no communication other than when necessary.

She should feel ashamed or even angry at the behavior. Clearly he didn’t want to claim their relationship in front of his family or even acknowledge what they do have between them. But the minute he appeared in her room at night, all conscious thoughts left her brain the minute his lips and hands graced her body.

She was surprised the sheets and bed hadn’t caught fire with how hot the sex was between them. He had completely ruined her for the next man.

She sighed staring at the ceiling, not wanting there to be another man in her future. She wanted Toma to stay in her life, to be that man, or vampire, but she didn’t think that he would want a future with her.

She crawled out of bed and took a long, hot shower erasing all traces of Toma from her skin. Once dressed, she went in search for Nadira finding her sitting at the kitchen table on Cooper’s lap.

“Is it safe to come in?” she joked covering her eyes.

“Of course it is!” Nadira laughed. “We are in the kitchen, you goof.”

“I don’t know, she might be on to something,” Cooper teased. “We haven’t Christened the kitchen—” Nadira’s elbow to the stomach cut him off.

“Tabitha left a plate of food for you in the microwave,” Nadira said pointing to the microwave.

Anika immediately went in search of the food, finding a plate piled high with a spinach and cheese omelet, bacon and sausage. A note near the microwave from Tabitha instructed Anika to make herself some toast to go with it. Her stomach growled at the thought. She set the microwave to heat up her food while she made her toast.

“Don’t forget, you have your doctor’s appointment,” Nadira reminded her.

“I know, who is going to take me?”

She was still not allowed to leave the Olaru grounds without an escort after the attack. According to Nadira, her brothers had been trying non-stop to track down her attacker. They believe it to be Xalak, the necromancer king’s son.

“Cyran is going to take us,” she said as Cooper gently got up and placed Nadira in the chair.

“You ladies behave yourself today while I’m gone,” Cooper said after briefly kissing Nadira. A brief feeling of nostalgia passed through Anika’s chest at the tenderness displayed by Cooper. She knew that Cooper loved her best friend and she couldn’t be happier for both of them.

“Have a good day at work babe,” Nadira said before Cooper walked out of the kitchen. Even though Cooper was now a turned vampire, he still kept his job as a detective. Nicu thought that it would help the Dark Shadows to have an inside man on the police force.

“How’s everything with Cooper?” Anika asked sitting at the table with Nadira, diving into her breakfast. She couldn’t help but moan at how delicious the omelet was.

“He’s adjusting. It’s amazing how well he acclimated to being a vampire. Most newly turned vampires take months to adjust and learn to control their urges. Cooper took to vampirism as if he’s been a vampire for years.”

“I take it that’s not normal?” Anika asked before stuffing her mouth with the delicious crisp bacon.

“Hell no, my father thinks that one of Cooper’s ancestors must have been a vampire and he may have carried the vampire gene in his system already, making the transition easier for him.”

“Any idea who?” Anika asked fascinated.

“Nope, no clue and there is no telling. It could be any of his ancestors,” Nadira said tapping her fingers on the table. “So how are you feeling?”

“Okay, the ribs are still a tiny bit sore. Other than that, I feel fine,” Anika said finishing the last of her breakfast. “Done. Let’s go get prodded by the good old doctor.”

“
Y
ou didn’t have
to come with me,” Anika said as she sat on table waiting on the physician to enter the room.

“Nonsense,” Nadira looked away from the magazine in her hands. “I want to be here. You’re family and wild vampire rogues couldn’t drag me away.”

“Thanks,” she replied, sighing looking down at the time display on her phone. It had only been about five minutes since the nurse left the room promising the physician would be in soon. “You sure it’s okay for me to see a paranormal doctor? Maybe I should have just made an appointment with the doctor that the hospital had recommended.”

“It will be fine. This physician will really keep everything confidential. He knows of my family and the importance of secrecy. Most humans don’t even know this practice is a little different,” Nadira said, just as a knock sounded at the door.

“Come in,” Anika called out, feeling a little nervous about her check up.

In the last few weeks since the attack, she had begun a slow healing process. Nothing as fast as the vampire family she lived with. Her bruises were barely noticeable, her throat no longer felt raw and even the slight headaches she would experience had pretty much gone away. The only remaining reminder from the attack was just the small ache in her ribs.

The door opened and in walked a short husky man with salt and pepper hair, with a smile on his face. Dr. George Weinstein had been practicing medicine for close to thirty years. His old outdated jokes immediately made Anika feel comfortable and eased her apprehension about her check up.

“Take a deep breath, my dear,” Dr. Weinstein said as he placed his stethoscope on her back, listening as she breathed deep. “How are the headaches?”

“They’ve lightened up,” Anika said. “I’m only taking an over the counter medicine if it really bothers me.”

“That’s good. The headaches will eventually go away,” he said as he quickly finished his exam. “And the ribs?”

“Just a slight ache, nothing I can’t handle.”

“Have the police caught your attacker?” Dr. Weinstein asked taking a seat in his swivel chair, typing on his computer.

“Not yet,” Nadira chimed in. “My brothers have been working around the clock, trying to find the person responsible.”

“Well, if the Shadows are looking into your attacker then I’m sure he will be found and dealt with,” he said whilst nodding. “Based off your exam today, I would say that you are fine. I don’t see any reason why you can’t resume your normal activities. I would say to take off at least another two weeks or so from work though since you are a nurse. Heavy lifting of patients could put a strain on your ribs.”

“That won’t be a problem, doctor,” Nadira said before Anika could respond.

“
Y
ou’ve been testy lately
, Toma,” Nicu said. “More than usual. Anything I need to know about?”

Toma grunted at that. Of course Adrian and Teague would run and tell Nicu about his temper. Now here he was, in Nicu’s office, sitting across from his brother like a delinquent child being called into the principal’s office.

“So, Adrian and Teague complained about me?” he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“There have been some complaints,” Nicu nodded, his eyes not breaking their connection with Toma’s. “I’ve seen a change in you, too. We can’t afford to have any more of your recklessness. We are a team and will continue to work as one.”

“So, I’ve had a bad day or two,” Toma shrugged his shoulders, leaning back in his chair. “Everyone has them.”

“Let me get this straight, you choke your own brother, Teague, punched Ronin and threatened to carve out Khalid’s heart.” Nicu’s voice grew colder as he rattled off some of the events from the past few weeks. “Now I’m going to ask you again, what the fuck is going on with you?”

Toma paused, looking away from his brother. He felt guilty for threatening and attacking members of his team but for the life of him, he couldn’t come up with one good reason for his actions. It was like he was losing control over his own body and emotions. Fury and rage just simmered right beneath the surface and it only took one small trigger to activate them.

When he punched Ronin, it was like he was in a fog and his arm shot out before he knew it. Ronin had only commented that Toma should have waited for back up when dealing with a set of rogue vampires they had been trailing.

But Toma didn’t want to hear the criticism, it was only a few rogues and he knew he could take them out on his own. He needed the fight and the kills. But before he knew it, his fist was landing a punch to Ronin’s jaw and immediately they had to be pulled apart from each other by Khalid and Viktor.

“It’s nothing,” Toma sighed looking back at Nicu. “Nothing, I can’t handle.”

“Well, see that you do.” Nicu nodded his head. “You are a vital part of this team and I can’t have you falling off of the deep end.”

A knock sounded at the door. Nicu called out for the person to enter. The door slowly opened and in stepped their mother, the queen with a certain curvy female that had Toma’s heart pounding in his chest.

“Mother,” Nicu said, standing to hug their mother. “Anika.”

“Hello Nicu,” the queen said before turning to Toma. “Toma, you aren’t going to stand and hug your mother?” she asked playfully, as Toma rose from his chair and hugged his mother while eyeing Anika over his mother’s shoulder.

His eyes drank her in, starting at her tiny feet, up her jean-encased legs, her soft cream sweater and ending at her beautiful brown eyes, that he knew all too well.

“Hello, mother,” his voice came out gruff as he pulled back from the queen. “Hello, Anika.” He had to drag his eyes off of her. Nicu motioned for everyone to have a seat.

“Oh, no dear, we don’t have time to sit down. I came to tell you that the final decision was made for the ball to be here,” the queen said hooking her arm with Anika’s.

“Ball?” Toma asked, confused looking between his mother and brother.

“You’ve got to be shit—” Nicu cursed as their mother held her hand up.

“I know what you are going to say. We are at war,” the queen said. “But life goes on, and we can not have the vampire nation on a standstill. The ball will help build up the morale of our people.”

Toma found his eyes being drawn to Anika as she stood next to his mother. His fingers itched to caress her soft skin at the hollow of her neck, to nuzzle her neck and breath in the addicting scent of her.

His gums burned with the threat of his fangs descending. He gripped the armrests of his chair, as again, he had to tear his eyes from her. He turned finding Nicu’s eyes glued to him.

“What ball?” Toma asked again, looking away from his brother, placing his attention on his mother. He didn’t even want to know what his brother was thinking. He knew he wasn’t acting like himself and he’d rather have Nicu focus on that. He didn’t want to accidentally give away his feelings for Anika.

“The Vampire Fall Extravaganza,” the queen began excitement lining her face. “It will be a magnificent masquerade ball. Vampires from all over the world will be here. Anika and I are going out shopping so she can get out of the house,” she gushed sweeping Anika out of the room. “Oh, and one other thing,” she said pausing at the door, her face suddenly serious. “The council is expecting one of you to take a mate soon. So you better make sure you are presentable for the ball. Go buy a new suit if you have to. Our family line depends on it.”

“
O
h
, Anika, that is the one!” the queen exclaimed as Anika walked out of the dressing room into the sitting area where the queen was waiting. Anika walked over to the platform in front of the three way mirror as the store attendant, Monica, followed behind Anika, smiling.

“I agree, Miss Massey, this is it,” she said nodding her head with the queen.

“I don’t know Mrs. Olaru,” Anika began biting her lip.

The dress was breathtakingly beautiful. She instantly fell in love with it as soon as the queen brought it to her. The deep, navy-blue, mermaid, V-neck, floor-length, chiffon evening dress was a dress that Anika would normally kill for.

She took a peek at the price tag before Mrs. Olaru could snatch it off and she just about swallowed her tongue. The dress cost more than she made in six months!

She turned looking at her back eyeballing the Swarovski lined straps that crisscrossed on her back, leaving it almost bare. The dressed hugged her perfectly showing off her hourglass frame.

“I don’t know Mrs. Olaru,” Anika began again, realizing she never finished what she was saying as she drooled a little over the dress. “It’s really expensive, all of this,” she paused, waving her hands around in the air. “This is just too much and I’ll never be able to repay you.”

She gazed longingly again at herself in the mirror, dreading going back into the changing room to take it off.

De Matteis was an exclusive clothing store, located in the heart of downtown that catered to the extremely wealthy. It actually required an invitation to get into the store. Anika’s mouth had almost hit the ground as she watched the queen announce herself to the door attendant who then checked for Mrs. Olaru’s name on the exclusive list before they were allowed into the store.

“Nonsense my dear,” Mrs. Olaru waved her hand, dismissing Anika’s concern. “I insist. You are like the other daughter I never had. It is the least I could do with everything that is going on.” She came over to stand behind Anika smiling. “You know, with some soft curls and pulling your hair off to the side, that will make the back of this dress stand out,” the queen said, pulling Anika’s hair out of the way.

“You’re right, Mrs. Olaru—”

“Please Anika, call me Alin,” Alin insisted.

“Ok, Alin, if you insist, then this is the one I will take and wear to the ball,” Anika said smiling to herself in the mirror. Who was she to deny the queen a request? She couldn’t wait for Toma to see her dress. Even though they barely spoke to each other in public, once he took one look at her, he wouldn’y be able to stay away for long.

One hour later, the dress, undergarments and shoes that Alin insisted she buy were packaged up and loaded into the trunk.

“You didn’t get anything?” Anika asked as one of the two bodyguards for the queen, opened her door.

“I already have a dress picked out,” Alin laughed as they got into the back seats. “My trip to Paris was amazing. I picked up a dress there not knowing where I was going to wear it to, but now I have the perfect excuse.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Anika changed the subject. Ever since they left out of Nicu’s office, she had been dying to ask this question. “What did you mean that the guys would be expected to find a mate and that the family line depended on it?”

Alin explained to Anika about the royal lines and as the ruling vampire family, it was their duty to mate and produce strong offspring in order to continue to have an Olaru on the throne.

She went on to tell Anika how when she and her husband were in Europe meeting with the European Vampire Lords Council, it was demanded that the Olaru’s began securing the future.

“How can they demand the family just start producing offspring. I thought that mates were hard to come by?” Anika asked remembering what Nadira had taught her.

“Finding your one true mate is extremely difficult. Vlad and I were lucky to find each other. But I’m not sure it will be easy for the boys.” The queen gazed out of her window, deep in thought. “Occasionally, vampires will just have to marry as the humans do. You don’t have to be mates to produce offspring. The Council will be ensuring that all of the most eligible vampirian women who would be suitable for royal mates will be here for the ball.”

Anika swallowed hard at that, fear setting in, as she realized that her time with Toma may be drawing to an end. She fought back tears, knowing that she would never be the mate for him. He would find some beautiful female vampire to spend the rest of his life with as his duty to his family name demanded.

Her chest became heavy as she realized that it might be best to end their dysfunctional relationship now before her heart was broken even more. She refused to sit back and watch him fall in love with his true mate. That she didn’t need to witness!

She stared out her window at the scenery flying past as she began to think of how she was going to break up with the love of her life.