THE FINAL HAPTER
Will walked through the dark tunnels with Irene slung over his shoulders for what felt like a very long time before he found an opening where a smelly old vagrant apparently had taken refuge. He was lying on a pile of animal furs, and he was so drunk he didn’t even notice his space had just been invaded.
Without a second thought, Will fell upon him and didn’t stop until he drained him dry. Moving over to Irene, he slit open his wrist again, feeding her more of the medicine she needed most. “Here you go, pet. This should help. It’ll probably hurt some more, but remember, you need to stay as quiet as you possibly can, okay?”
She nodded her head as she continued to drink. She gave just one loud, long shriek before passing out. Will shook her and shook her, but she didn’t wake up.
“Jesus, what now? Did I kill her myself?” Outside the opening, Will heard the flapping of wings. At least a hundred bats suddenly came in and flew right past them. Will crouched down to protect Irene until all of them had gone by. “Don’t worry, pet, they’re not vampires. They’re the real thing. It’s gonna be okay.”
“That’s not quite accurate, I’m afraid,” said a familiar voice. “You see, my blood and yours are continuing to war within her. So, of course, I was able to find Irene.”
“And now?”
“Now?” Vittorio scoffed. “Now, I am going to slit your throat the same way that you slit mine. That’s going to leave a scar for days, you bastard! But at least I’m going to live to see mine. You are about to die, and then your lady will be mine. Every time I take her, I will spare a thought for you, old friend.”
Facing off just as before, the two of them began to circle one another, hissing and glaring. Will’s foot ran into something the old man must have placed underneath his blanket. It skittered across the dust, and then chinked against the man’s carcass. He realized it was a dagger, and so did Vittorio. The two of them lunged for it, but Will managed to latch on.
“What do you think you’re going to do with that?’ Vittorio scoffed. “You’re such a bleeding heart, you didn’t even kill me when you had the chance.”
“I may not have had the time to defeat you in the hallway, but don’t begin to believe I feel a similar sense of urgency now,” said Will, brandishing the weapon with a malevolent grin. “In fact, I’m really looking forward to this.”
“You won’t catch me off guard this time,” said Vittorio as he surged forward, trying to knock the knife out of Will’s hand. Will easily evaded him.
Will’s fangs slid into place on purpose this time. His nails lengthened into claws on the hand not holding the dagger, but he suppressed them in favor of a better grip on his right side. With a mighty yell, he closed the distance between himself and Vittorio, plunging the knife into the side of his neck.
He just missed the kill mark. Vittorio roared with pain and annoyance as Will yanked the dagger out and tried again. It plunged in, and this time, when he pulled, he dragged it through the flesh, slicing his neck wide open. At the same time, Will’s clawed hand punched through his chest wall and pulled out his heart.
Tossing it aside, he shoved the writhing body aside. It fell forward, but unexpectedly veered toward Irene. Will kicked it aside, protecting his mate from the lethal claws as the vampire attempted to hurt him just one last time.
The flailing arms and torso crashed into a small fire the old man had burning in the corner. Vittorio’s body began to roll all over the place, lighting up a backpack, the blanket, and the drape that had been erected against the wind.
“Dammit!” Will growled as he lifted Irene and tossed her over his shoulders. All the bats began to leave again, so they had to fight their way outside among them. When he reached the opening, Will almost flung himself right off the cliff. He teetered for a few moments, then sprouted a pair of wings again.
In the air, a few other vampires still flew. They began to pursue Will until they noticed the flames, then collectively turned toward the cave. Will brought Irene down to the ground again. He set her down and used the dagger to cut her bonds.
“Why did you set me free, Will?” she gasped in a confused haze. “Aren’t you still afraid of me?”
“The magic in Vittorio’s blood passes along with him,” said Will with a shrug. “If you’re not already, you’ll soon be free.”
“I—don’t feel him anymore,” said Irene between pants. “Only you. The way it should be.”
“Glad to hear it, pet,” he nodded. “Now come with me. We’ve got to get to shelter before daylight if we possibly can. We can’t endure much sun right now, while we’re both way too weak.”
They trekked together through the woods for about an hour before they happened upon a cabin. They were so hungry, they fed upon the couple they found within.
“And now, to sleep,” said Will as he bundled Irene off into the bedroom and laid her down. “We may have to remain here a day or two while you heal, my love. That shouldn’t be too much of a chore, don’t you agree?”
But Irene didn’t answer him. She was already fast asleep.
*****
Charles answered his cell phone with a frantic, “Irene?”
“It’s me, Charles,” said Will. “Sorry to disappoint. We won’t be home for a time, but not to worry; everything is fine. I didn’t want you or Hiram to be worried.”
“That is much appreciated, Will,” said Charles. “I know that you do not owe any explanations to me.”
“About that, Charles,” he said. “I know that you must be growing restless, despite the fact that you pretend to love being so sedentary. And so, I wondered, what would you think of joining the ranks of the fully initiated? I am in need of men who are ready and willing to protect me and their lady. If anybody would like to see us safe, I think you would be.”
“You mean, as in becoming a full vampire?” Charles asked, hesitating. “But if I did that, would you send me away? I don’t want to leave.”
“No, Charles, you are a special case,” said Will, laughing. “We need a guard who is always at our side. I figure, since you’re there anyway, all it would take is a bit of training to whip you into shape. And since I was once in the army, I am certainly qualified to teach you what you will need to know.”
“But, Will, don’t I belong to Irene?”
“You do,” he agreed. “She will be the one to infuse you, not me. You will be her very first child, born in preparation of the child within her womb. If you accept this position, you will be bitten just as soon as she regains her strength.”
“Regains her strength?” Charles gasped. “Has something happened to her then?”
“An unfortunate drink of punch, nothing more,” said Will, smirking. “She should be better in a day or two. And I’m sure that she will be very glad to see you when we get home. As will I.”
“You will, sir?” he chuckled. “How so?”
“I hate to admit it, but you sure know how to bring some extra spice to the main event, don’t you?” he teased. “You know how to spend an evening—enjoyably.”
“Well, whatever pleases the master of my lady, sir,” he snickered.
“Shut up, Charles; don’t get cocky,” Will grumbled. “We’ll see you in a couple of days.”
*****
“Will?” said Irene softly from the bed when he returned to the bedroom. “Where did you go? I think I’m feeling better now. Can we not go home?”
“Not until it’s dark,” he said with a shrug. “And I went to scope out the garage. Unless you were hoping to walk all the way home.”
“Well, what did you find?”
“A weather-beaten old truck or an economy car,” he chuckled. “Your choice.”
Irene grinned. “I think I’d prefer the car,” she replied.
“Good,” he grinned, kissing her. “Then get some more sleep, and I will wake you when it’s time to go, all right?”
“I think I’ve slept enough,” she complained. “How about if we raid these people’s fridge instead? I’m feeling hungry for some human food.”
Will chuckled. “All right, then, if that’s the way you want it. Come on.”
Irene grinned as she followed him out into the other room. They found wine, meat and cheese, and she busied herself with cutting it up while Will turned on the news. They cuddled together to watch a movie in the family room, and they were totally surprised when they heard the front door rattling before it opened.
“Mom? Dad? We’re here!” a woman called.
“Shit!” Irene groaned. “What do we do now? They’re going to come in and find us for sure!”
“Hush, pet,” said Will. “Let me mesmerize them. If we’re lucky, they won’t remember a thing and we’ll be able to just go. It’s a good thing I hid the bodies out in the foliage.”
“But mesmerizing doesn’t always work,” she pointed out.
“Then they still won’t know we’re vampires.”
“I’ve got a better idea,” she told him then.
“Hey, who are you two?” asked the man as the woman stepped in behind him.
“Thank goodness, somebody’s finally here,” said Irene. “We were lost in the woods and came in here, but nobody was home. Is this your place? How would you feel about giving us a ride back to town?”
“Yes, we just need to get back to our hotel,” added Will, easily picking up her theme. “We were up site-seeing on the mountain, but the rental car broke down. And we’re due to fly back to New York in another ten hours.”
*
“This is my wife, Gena,” Will was saying. “And my name is Kyle.”
“You don’t sound like you’re from New York,” the woman replied.
“Not originally,” he agreed. “We’re actually from Seattle, but you know how business can be. We had to relocate when the company grew.”
“I see,” the man nodded. “What exactly do you do?”
“I’m in sales,” he shrugged. “And Gena pretty much stays home. Listen, not to be rude, but do you think you can help? If not, I was just about to call a cab.”
“Thing is, my folks really should have been here,” said the woman. “It’s really weird that they aren’t, so, really, I think the two of you should just be on your way.”
“Sarah, you don’t need to be rude,” said her man sternly.
“They’re a couple of freeloaders,” she sneered. “Drifters, more than likely. They’re all over the place out here. I want them out of my parents’ home.”
“It’s not a problem; we’ll just go,” said Will, throwing up his hands. “Come on, Gena, I know when we’re not welcome.”
“Fine then, let’s go,” she agreed. “Thank your parents for their hospitality, please.”
The two of them got up and walked out the door. The sun was still bright outside, but they walked into it anyway, heading for the road.
“Let’s get as far away from here as possible right now,” said Will. “Hurry, into the woods. We’ll need to use the shade. Good thing I also ditched the colonial clothes when I got rid of Ward and June.”
“God, you’re mean,” Irene told him. “I thought they looked more like Mike and Carol.”
Will started laughing as they disappeared into the trees.
*****
After finding a comfortable place to sit for a couple of hours, Will and Irene ventured out at twilight. They quickly managed to find a ride from a passing car, who dropped them off at one of his hotels. Will called Hiram to ask him for a ride.
They stepped through the garage entrance and walked through the kitchen. Irene gave a heavy sigh. “Home at last,” she sighed. “Remind me never to go to a dangerous party ever again, okay?”
They sat down to watch the late news along with Charles.
“Hey, you two; you’re finally back,” he said in greeting. “I suppose I don’t need to ask how that all went, but did you have a chance to talk with Irene?”
Will shook his head and shrugged. “Not yet. Now will do, I suppose. Say, Irene, what would you say to making Charles a vampire for me?”
“What? I thought you didn’t want to.”
“Well, in light of the fact that we might need a bodyguard or two after what we’ve just been through, I seem to have changed my mind,” he replied. “Once you’ve bitten him, I will begin to train him too. But first, I think it would be wise for you to feed once more, since we don’t want the greedy bastard to drain you dry.”
“That’s not very nice,” Charles grumbled good-naturedly.
“No, it’s not,” Will agreed, but then he happened to glance at the television. “Holy hell, Irene. They’ve found the bodies already.”
They all three watched the footage as the newscaster said, “The bodies were hidden in foliage near the mountainside home, and a couple of drifters were found taking shelter inside when the couple’s family arrived. These two, a man and woman, are now considered persons of interest, and a manhunt has begun to find them and bring them in for questioning.”
“Well, at least they only have our descriptions,” said Will after the segment was over. “How many other people fit that same description, right?”
“If they ever see your picture, Will, they’d know it was you right away,” said Irene worriedly.
“Here’s an idea,” he said. “Why don’t we just go to the police station, tell them our van broke down and we found the cabin empty when we came there seeking help? It’s exactly what we told those other two, anyway. And, as vampires, we are immune to the lie detector testing. All you have to do is slow down your heart rate and remain calm, and you can pass it easily. And I’m sure the bite marks have gone away.”
“But you gave them fake names and said we come from another place,” Irene pointed out.
“Standard procedure for a billionaire, wouldn’t you say?” he shrugged. “If I told them who I was, they might demand an exorbitant and unwarranted sum of money for helping me.”
“And the colonial clothing?”
“Is nowhere near the bodies,” he added. “It was cumbersome, and we took it off in the woods along the way. Hell, even the fact that we were at a party checks out. We don’t have a reason to worry.”
“Even if they want us to come to court during the day?”
“We don’t burn up right away, remember?” he said. “How difficult is it to walk from a car to the courthouse? No, Irene, trust me. This is going to be okay.”
“But first, we need to deal with Charles,” said Will decisively. “I want his turning squared away. We need a protector already in place, don’t you agree?”
“If this is the sort of antics you two are getting up to, then most definitely,” said Charles with a wink. “Who knows, I may have to break you both out of a jail cell, eh?”
“Very comforting,” Will grumbled.
He winked again. “Turn-about is fair play.”
“Irene, bite him now, and drain him almost all the way,” Will instructed. “Then, we will need to put the blood back into him again. Since he’s human, he won’t have a feeding instinct until he has changed, so you will need to force it back into him again. In the past, this was a great difficulty, but, in the modern age, we have a syringe. I will have Hiram bring it along directly.”
“Are you sure you’re ready to do this, Charles?” asked Irene.
“As ready as I will ever be.”
“When this is over, you are going to sleep,” Will told him. “Up to three days, maybe. But Irene and I cannot afford to wait. We will need to call the police first thing tomorrow and tell them we didn’t know until just then that they were looking.”
“If you call them from home, they may try to come here,” Irene pointed out. “We should go back to your hotel.”
“Good thinking, my dear,” Will agreed. “Now start drinking. We can’t give the blood back until we pass it through you.”
“That’s one way of putting it, I suppose,” she said, giggling nervously.
“Calm down, pet,” said Will. “You’re going to do just fine.”
Charles bared his neck, and Irene bit in. He groaned softly. “God, that feels nice!”
“It’s called the kiss,” Will explained. “It’s meant to feel nice so the victim won’t try to get away. Good job, Irene. I’ll go and get Hiram while you keep on drinking.”
Irene gave him a thumbs up, and Charles groaned again. “Mm, Irene, you can turn me any day.”
“Stop making me laugh, dummy!” she complained.
By the time Will got back, Irene was feeling decidedly full, and Charles was just fading away. She groaned as she looked up at him and asked, “Was that enough yet, Will?”
He stepped over and looked Charles over. “Yes, that should do. He’ll die if you don’t fill him up again. I’m going to use this needle to suck blood from you and put it into him. I shouldn’t have to do much of it to start the process. Once he starts to turn, he will feed from you normally, and then he’ll pass out for a few days. When he wakes, the two of you will feel bonded. But no falling in love with him instead of me.”
“Don’t be dumb,” she replied. “Haven’t we been over this already? If I didn’t love you with all my heart, Vittorio’s blood would have killed me the other night.”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” he grinned. “Well then, let me have your arm.”
Filling up the syringe, Will then brought it over and injected Charles right in his bite wound. With a gasp of air, he sprang back to life. Hunger filled his eyes, and Will moved quickly aside.
“Not me, fledgling,” he said sternly. “You must feed from Irene.”
Charles turned to Irene as fangs sprang out in front of his regular teeth. Grinning in a playful, seductive manner, he asked, “Shall we?”
Irene laughed and let him bite.
“Well then, I’ll leave the two of you to it while I go find Irene a meal,” said Will with a smile. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Irene called after him, “That sure leaves a lot of room, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah,” he called back with a chuckle of his own. “It sure does!”
All the biting sure brought out the beast in Irene and apparently in Charles as well. A sexual urge overtook them, and Charles stopped feeding long enough to indulge it, ripping off Irene’s panties and taking her right there on the sofa. Still moving within her, pumping for all he was worth, he latched onto her throat once again.
“Remember, Charles, not too much,” she admonished him. “I still haven’t eaten anything but you.”
But when they came, she could feel herself going lightheaded, and, hazily, she wondered if he had gone too far. Sometime later, she awoke all sticky and weak, and found that Charles was gone and Will was at her side.
“Hungry, pet?” he asked, pointing to a subdued vagrant which he’d set in the chair.
“Ravenous,” she growled, then went over to drink her fill.
“If you’re finished, I’d like to get back to that hotel tonight,” said Will. “I would rather take care of this business before daylight.”
*
Irene was sitting with one of the cops at the station about three hours later. She had managed to mesmerize him, and he had easily believed that she was innocent and that the house had really been empty when she and Will arrived. He shook her hand, and the two of them stood up and walked out together.
Will was already in the main lobby waiting for her, and he wished the cop a good night as they were let out of the station. They headed back out to the sensible car that they’d used to drive to the station, got inside, and headed home just in time for the sun to rise.
“That was quite a night,” said Will with a sigh. “I wonder if they installed a listening device to see if we’d talk about this on the way home.”
Irene snorted. “There’s nothing to talk about, anyway.”
“Other than how terrible that stupid party actually was,” Will added. “If I had known it would end up like this, I never would have decided to go.”
“Too right,” Irene agreed.
When they arrived home, Will handed Hiram the keys. “Take that thing to the cleaners today, won’t you? I don’t trust the motives of anyone who let us out of there so easily.”
“Will do, sir,” Hiram agreed.
*****
Charles actually woke up after two days and fed well on the appetizer that Irene had lured home for him. He seemed to be in pretty high spirits and feeling just a little bit naughty. “So, how long do we have to wait before we can play?” he asked hopefully.
Will laughed. “Don’t you think we ought to wait? We’re meant to be going out to replenish tonight.”
“No, I don’t think so,” he said adamantly. “I’ve already been waiting for several days. I hope becoming a vampire isn’t going to ruin everything.”
“Well then, as your fate forever lies in the hands of this lady, I shall leave it up to her,” said Will, running a hand down her spine. “Irene?”
Desire flickered easily to life within her belly, and Irene gave her two men a special smile. “I believe after the week we’ve been through, we all deserve a treat, Will. Don’t you?”
“Yes, my darling pet,” he agreed. “I do believe we do.”
“So, we’re not leaving?” asked Charles hopefully.
“Not quite yet,” said Will, grinning.
As they were already in Charles’ bedroom to check on him, it required no more prompting than that. Will’s lips crushed against the back of Irene’s neck as the two of them toppled down onto the bed to join their third. Charles welcomed them both with open arms.
Irene could feel Charles’ hands working at the buttons on her blouse, while Will’s hand slipped down and around to find her fly. She gave an eager sigh and surrendered herself fully to their questing touches. The heat of both men’s breaths feathered through her golden curls, and the heat of their touches sent a heady fire down below.
Will’s hands slid up and ran over her breasts as she sat up on Charles’ belly and tugged her shirt free. With a teasing flourish, she tossed it aside. Will undid her bra, and tugged it free too. Then, he removed his shirt while Irene danced her fingers down Charles’ already bared anatomy, peeling back the blanket like she was opening a present.
When he was completely free of the blanket, Irene wadded the thing into a ball and threw it over the side. Charles was already as hard as a rock. Thinking back to her own awakening, she was pretty sure she knew why.
“Will, it really looks like our third requires a little ride,” she chuckled, running her index finger down his length.
“That comes as no surprise,” he said. “Maybe you should oblige.”
Giggling, Irene scooted down Charles’ body and took his cock into her mouth, giving it a playful suck. Then, with a wicked gleam in her eye, she determined that playtime was now over. She was about to get down to some very serious business now that she had the full attention of Will’s avid eyes.
She cast Charles a salacious grin, and his own eyes acknowledged the true source of her desire without even a trace of jealousy. I’ll have you any way I can get you, Irene.
You’re able to talk to me already? I never would have thought.
In earnest, she sucked and licked at Charles until he was groaning for her to stop, yet still she did not allow him to get off. She brought him to the brink once, twice, three times. When Will quickened the pace of his hand on his own cock, Irene gave Charles what he was after too. The sound of both men moaning together left her shuddering for more.
She managed to pull her pants and undies free while Will stood up to get rid of the rest of his clothes.
“God, mistress, you are so beautiful,” said Charles as she settled over him once again. He moved to suck at her tits only for a moment before he said, “Now turn that sweet ass of yours my way, Irene.”
“Yes,” she agreed, and then as soon as she’d turned, Will was right there above her, ready to join the fray.
He bent down, kissing her deeply right there on top of Charles, who grasped her hips and began to move his cock against her. Irene ground down into him, making him moan. Will’s hands moved all over her body, and so did Charles’, and together they found places on her that one man could never play with simultaneously while he was alone.
Will slid his fingers into her pussy, finding it slick with her juices. Irene gave a little moan, letting him know she liked what he was doing. Seeing this, Charles moved one of his hands down as well, discovering a much tighter hole.
“I think we could take her like this, Will,” he said in a heated whisper that traveled right past her ear. “I think I could come in from down here, and you could do wild things to the rest of her anatomy.”
“And I think that you should hold up her breasts for me,” Will replied.
Irene gasped when Will reached under the pillow and retrieved a cat-o-nine that had gotten left there from a session before. She thrilled to the thought as Charles roughly grabbed each of her nipples and gave them a turn.
“Ow!” she gasped. “Do that again, slave!”
He did it a few more times for good measure. Then, Will got up and stood over the top of them, flicking the whip experimentally. It sliced across her nipples and Charles’ hands at the same time, leaving both recipients gasping.
“Charles, I have a better idea for you,” he said wickedly. “Why don’t you impale her now, and get her primed? I’ll just keep right on teasing these nipples at the same time.”
“Oh, God!” said Irene. In full cooperation with this concept, she helped Charles with his task, groaning and gasping until he was fully seated inside of her.
“That’s it,” said Will, slicing the whip over the man’s thigh. “Nice and deep. Get her going for me.”
While Charles moved slowly around underneath of her, angling his cock in some pretty interesting directions, Will’s cat-o-nine-tails sliced deliciously across her breasts with an occasional pot shot on Charles too. Both of them were groaning eagerly when he finally tossed the thing aside and straddled Irene.
“God, what you do to me, sir!” she whispered appreciatively.
Will grasped Irene’s hips to hold her into place while Charles spit on his palm, angled himself, and finally managed to slide up and into Irene’s ass. She groaned appreciatively, bearing down, making sure he pushed into her all the way. “Come on, Will,” she pleaded softly. “I need this. I need you both!”
Grinning broadly, Will positioned himself. “Sounds like somebody has finally figured out the way to keep from being bored,” he teased just as his cock slid home.
“Yes!” Irene agreed wholeheartedly.
The three of them moved together, heightening the pleasure. Their moans filled the room as sweat sheened over them, making the work a bit more slippery. Irene didn’t mind being soaking wet and pleasured to the brink of her little death—that’s what showers were for.
When they had all come and they were completely done basking in the glory, it was Irene who moved first. “I totally need to get cleaned up before we go anywhere,” she commented dryly. “I’m going to my room. You boys should probably get cleaned up too.”
“Fine,” Will agreed and extricated himself as well. “Meet at Irene’s jaguar in one hour.”
“Are you finally going to teach me to drive it?” she asked hopefully.
Will laughed dryly. “Not on your life!”
“You big meanie!” she replied flippantly as she headed out the door.
“I could always become her chauffeur,” Charles said hopefully.
“Not you, too,” said Will
“You really are a big meanie!” Charles called after him.
Over his shoulder, he called back, “Guilty as charged.”
*
They headed for the club at Berkeley. When they divided at the car, Will pretended to be with Charles, and Irene started to mill around by herself.
“Honey, what sort of a party are you looking for?” said a darker woman with a smirk. “Those boys are totally hot.”
“Yeah, and very good, too,” she agreed. “Though they seem pretty wrapped up in each other tonight, don’t they?”
“Are they—both yours?”
“Yes, indeed,” she said with a smile. “And it can get pretty crazy.”
“Do you ever need an extra girl in that mix? I’d love to volunteer,” she said slyly. “I mean, you’re pretty hot yourself.”
Irene giggled. “I’m pretty new to this whole experimental sex thing,” she admitted shyly. “I’ve never had sex with a woman before. Maybe you’d like to show me a thing or two?”
“Baby, you need to watch out,” the woman told her. “Sabina might just put those boys out of a job.”
“Is that your name?” she asked sweetly. “Sabina?”
“Yeah, baby, that’s it,” she said, sipping at her drink as she leaned back in her chair. “Why don’t you come join me over here, and we can talk more about this, hmm? You are one mighty fine little thing.”
Irene moved to the seat, but she hesitated inwardly. She really hadn’t ever touched a woman sexually before, and she didn’t want the girl for anything but a drink. She was already working out exactly what she could do to take a taste, but as she went to sit, Sabina pulled her into her lap and plastered her lips with a rather unchaste kiss.
Never one to miss an opportunity, Irene returned the kiss, sucking in the woman’s tongue so that she could bite her someplace where it would not be seen. She sucked face with her for a while, leaving her feeling decidedly light-headed, but also rather satisfied.
“Baby, you must have lied,” she said dizzily. “You must have kissed a girl before. That was—sublime.”
“Sweetie, are you okay?” Irene asked solicitously. “I think you might have drank too much wine. I can see it in your eyes.”
“Yeah, you might be right,” she agreed tiredly. “Why don’t you give me your number, sugar? Maybe we could continue this some other time.”
“Sure thing,” she said, giving her a number to her private line. “I’m always willing to make another friend. And maybe sometime we might give something more a try.”
She needn’t have said this last part, since Sabina had already completely passed out. After making sure she was all right, she headed back over to Will.
“Who was that you were sucking on?” he asked cheekily. “What, so many men you’ve decided to switch sides? Charles will be devastated, as will I.”
“Don’t be dumb,” she replied. “How goes the hunt for you guys?”
“Charles has got someone on the line,” said Will. “I was waiting to see if he can reel him in. But it looks like you’ve already imbibed.
“Well, I didn’t think your prey tonight would be interested in me,” she shrugged. “The place is mostly filled with guys. If you like, though, I could always pick up somebody else for you.”
“Oh, no, I’ll be just fine,” he replied. “I think I’ve had enough vitality to last me a while.”
“Then maybe we could find one more person who wants to play?” she suggested.
“What about the girl you were already talking to?” Will inquired.
“No, not her,” Irene said. “I think I may just cultivate that for a while.”
“You mean you want to give her a try and see what you think?” he teased.
“Something like that, yes,” she said, grinning. “Cameron did take my virginity, after all. There might be a few things I’d like to try before I’m too pregnant to do them, since I have no idea what motherhood is likely to do to my libido.”
“Woman, you are just so very naughty,” he whispered in her ear.
“Don’t flirt too much, Will,” she chided. “How will Charles manage to get his mark if the guy thinks you’re into me instead of him?”
“I don’t care who he finds, really,” he shrugged. “I told him to find a guy because they tend to come in bigger sizes, but a woman would do just as well.”
“Hey, you two are the couple from the television, aren’t you?” asked a woman as she was walking by. “They said you were in the cabin of that older couple in the woods, right?”
“Yes, we were,” said Will, looking her over. “Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Police questioned us for four hours.”
“You poor things,” she cooed. “But at least it turned out all right, eh? I’m mighty surprised to find you two here so soon after that kind of a night.”
“Oh, we came here with our friend,” said Irene, pointing over to Charles. “He’s out looking for a good time.”
“So I see,” she said. “Too bad he’s totally into guys.”
“Oh no, not really,” Irene told her. “I mean, he doesn’t really care which way he swings.”
“You think he might be interested in me?” she asked curiously. “He is really cute, isn’t he?”
Irene scoffed. “I suppose he’ll do.”
“Well, considering who you’re with, that’s not a surprising response from you,” she chuckled dryly. “If you’ll excuse me?”
“Sure, go right ahead,” said Will, smiling sweetly.
“Oh, aren’t you adorable,” she chuckled, chucking him under his chin before she walked away.
“Gawd, can we say sugary?”
“I thought you liked sweet things,” Irene teased.
“Baby, I like a couple spoons of sugar in my coffee, not the whole damned syrup factory.”
“Come on, Will, you are so mean,” said Irene. Then, her eyes fell upon a nearby table where another man seemed to be watching. “Hey, I think we’ve got his attention anyway.”
When Will glanced over to where she was pointing, nobody was there.
“Whose attention?”
Looking around the room, Irene spotted the man again and pointed him out. Will looked at him, dumbfounded, and said, “Well, it doesn’t matter if we have his attention, Irene, because that man happens to be another vampire.”
“What? Really?” she cringed. “You’re not going to tell me he’s another one like Vittorio, right? Because I really have no desire to go through that mess all over again.”
“No, he isn’t like Vittorio, and no, he is not one of Vittorio’s men,” said Will, smiling tightly.
“Who is he, then?”
“That is my little brother, Alex,” he said, turning away. “And if he has come here, it can only mean one thing. He must be looking for me.”
“Then why has he not spoken to you?” asked Irene curiously.
“We are—not speaking.”
“So, he came all the way here looking for you, and now that he is here, the two of you are not going to talk?” she complained. “That is completely crazy. You should go over there and talk to him right now.”
“Not right now,” said Will. “It looks like he is trying to obtain a bit of food.”
Looking again, Irene saw that the man was no longer alone, but appeared to be flirting with one of the other men. Before she could say another word, the two of them turned and walked out the door together.
“Well, now what?” Irene wanted to know. “How are you supposed to find each other again?”
“If my brother truly wants to find me, he can always come directly to our home,” Will scoffed. “I don’t believe he was hoping to be seen here, in any case. I have probably just completely ruined his whole strategy by finding him here.”
“No way, Will, you should go after him,” Irene insisted.
“It looks like I won’t have to,” he said then. Alex was coming back through the door again, and this time, he was looking right at his brother as he strode up to them.
“I am not going to play this stupid game anymore,” he hissed as he arrived. “I need to speak with you, and I need to do it right now.”
“I’m sorry, brother, but I’m on a date right now,” Will replied. “Perhaps another time.”
“This cannot wait for another time,” he insisted, then glanced at Irene. “This is no mortal. Who is your friend?”
“I’m his bride, actually,” Irene supplied.
“You mean somebody was crazy enough to get with this character?” he laughed. “My condolences.”
“Hey, that’s not nice,” she grumbled. “I happen to be quite happy with my choice.”
“That’s good to know,” he smirked, but then quickly sobered again. “Will, I’ve come to get you and to bring you home.”
“I swore I would never go back there,” he answered stubbornly.
“No, Will, this is different,” he said. “I really should tell you about it outside.”
“You can tell me right here.”
“All right, the battle was victorious, but I’m afraid that James was not,” said Alex gravely. “He has been fatally wounded. Zach managed to get him back home, but they’ve tried everything that they could to heal him, and nothing has worked. Our father is going to die.”
*
“How long?” asked Will woodenly as he and Irene followed him out the door. Irene gestured to Charles, and he quickly followed along behind.
“How long what?” he asked.
“A week,” said Alex. “Maybe less. You know that we must go to him. We must all three complete the ceremony of passing.”
“What’s a ceremony of passing?” Charles asked curiously.
“Hush, Charles,” said Irene. “It’s something to do with dying. Their father is about to pass.”
“Pass? But he’s a vampire.”
“Not all vampires are immortal, Charles,” said Will irritably. “And if you don’t shut up, you’re about to find that out first hand.”
“Who the hell is this guy, anyway?” asked Alex, glaring at him.
“He is our third,” Will shrugged. “Now, why don’t you start at the beginning and explain to me exactly what was done to our old man. Maybe there is something that has been overlooked.”
“No, I wish there was, but apparently even the mages of high court were unable to end the spell,” Alex insisted. “I’m telling you, Alex, things are about to change. Zach is going to take control of our branch of the clan.”
“So, what, now you want me to go there so it’ll be that much easier if he decides I should be killed?” Will scoffed.
“He won’t kill you, brother,” Alex scoffed. “Unlike our father, he is willing to welcome you back into the fold.”
“Yeah? Well, maybe I’m not willing to let him,” Will said angrily. “He drove me away from there just as much as James.”
“All this fighting over a girl who clearly did not belong to either one of you,” Alex said. “It’s completely pointless now. Your true mate stands before you now, and Zach no longer has Mary. She was killed nearly twenty years ago.”
“Will? Just how long have you been away?” asked Irene curiously.
“Sixty years, almost to the day,” Alex replied. “I almost didn’t recognize him.”
“And he left home over a woman?” she chuckled, glancing at Will indulgently. “I can believe that. He may act like a meanie, but he wears his heart on his sleeve. I’m very proud that now it belongs to me.”
“Enough, Irene,” Will grumbled. “I need to know precisely what has happened. You say the battle was won? Has the Arimathean been returned to the seat of power?”
“He has,” said Alex, giving the air a fist-pound. “At least the loss of our father will not have been in vain. But one of the Carpathians used some sort of spell as they stabbed him in the back. No one recognizes it, and so James continues to fade. From the wound site outward, all the flesh is turning black, and there is a fear it may even be filled with a contagion, so they have placed him into isolation.”
“What?” Will gasped. “And they call me cruel? How is Zach allowing this? If James was in fact contagious, he would have contracted it on the way home. He must know this to be true.”
“And that is why he is the one who has been bringing him food.”
“Just how long has he been in there?” Will demanded angrily.
“About a week, give or take a day or two.”
“I do not think you came here to tell me our father was dying,” Will scoffed. “You came here because you want him not to die alone.”
“Precisely, brother,” Alex replied. “Plus, you and Zach are twins. You could always fight him for the seat of power. Change the way those two have been running things all this time.”
“Well, I’m not about to do that,” Will told him with a scowl. “Zach was clearly named as James’ heir, and I do not wish to usurp him on the eve of a battle to remove a usurper that got our father killed. That would be --”
He stopped, struggling to find a word.
“Tasteless? Tacky? Rude?” Irene supplied.
“These are not strong enough, but I suppose the idea has been conveyed.”
“Sometimes, a person needs to be a little rude to get things done,” Alex replied. “Don’t you think the usurper found it rude that a group arrived and decapitated him? Yet, now, the proper ruler has returned to his seat. Is it not so?”
“I will not fight our brother, Alex, and there is an end to it,” he insisted. “At least, not if he doesn’t do anything to make things worse. But I believe there may have been decisions our father made that he will wish to change. I would like to see if they are changed for the better before I arbitrarily decide to remove his head as well.”
“Is removing the head the only way to kill a vampire?” asked Irene curiously. “Because you didn’t do that before.”
“No, pet, either the head or the heart,” said Will. “But we must save all of this speculation for another time, I think. If my father is failing, we will need to go to him right away.”
“We?” she asked curiously.
“I will not go without my mate, and she must not abandon her fledgling for at least another week,” he pointed out. “We must all three make the journey.”
“And exactly where is it that we are going?”
“Our father owns numerous cattle ranches in the greater Texas area,” Will explained. “They are run by humans who are in his employ, and once he passes, each brother is expected to take on the ownership of two or three apiece, unless Zach chooses to buy us out. If he asks me, I would much prefer to have the money.”
“Same with me,” Alex agreed. “We both left home for the same reasons in that regard. A preference for hunting in the city.”
“And that isn’t where you lived?”
“Indeed not,” said Will, frowning. “Our father owns several acres of beachfront property, some of which remains open to the public. His favorite pastime has always been to use that open beach for hunting ‘pretty little things.’ He’s a bit of a sadistic bastard. You’ll be glad you never had to meet.”
“He sounds—lovely,” Irene said, hiding her smirk.
“I’ve half decided not to go,” said Will.
“No, brother, you simply must go,” said Alex insistently. Their ambling walk brought them to the jaguar. “Did you drive out here in this?”
“I got it for Irene,” Will shrugged. “She likes flashy things.”
Alex smirked at her. “He doesn’t let you drive it though, does he?”
“No way,” Irene mimicked.
“There are some things that never change.”
“Really?” Will scoffed. “Then what are you driving?”
“Beamer, of course,” he replied. “I will follow you to your house. Is Hiram still in your employ? He may want to come along as well.”
Once they got back to the mansion, things seemed to happen at a whirlwind pace. Will told Hiram what was happening, and he definitely wanted to go pay his respects. Each of them began the process of packing things they might need in Texas for at least two weeks, filling up four suitcases within just a couple of hours.
“There’s no way we’ll be able to travel during the day without my van,” said Will with a sigh. “Too bad it’s still in the shop for at least another three days. I don’t think we can afford to wait.”
“I’ll drive Hiram over to the airport with me now and meet you there in the early evening,” Alex offered. “One of my private jets will be waiting.”
“I could just as easily take one of mine,” Will scoffed derisively.
“Yeah, if you’d ever bothered to buy one at all,” Alex replied.
“You know, I think I’m beginning to remember why I never missed you.”
Alex chuckled and thumped his brother on his back. “I never missed you either”
“Go on, then,” he grumbled. “Get the hell out of my sight! I’ll see you in Texas and let you manhandle me some more, then.”
Laughing all the way, Hiram and Alex headed for the kitchen and out into the garage, leaving the three of them alone.
“Great, this was not what I was planning to do this week,” Will sighed as he began to carry some of the luggage over to the exit door and set it down. “This is about all that little sportster is going to hold. We leave at nightfall, everyone. I think it’s best if we all get plenty of sleep. Who knows if we’ll get any once we are there.”
“Don’t worry so much, Will,” said Charles as he headed for the stairs. “I’m sure that everything is going to turn out all right.”
Will sighed heavily. “Thanks, Charles. I really hope you’re right.”
THANKS FOR READING!
Message From The Author:
Hey vampire lover, Thanks so much for reading my novel, I really hope you enjoyed it. Remember, you can check out my other vampire romance releases on
Especially check out my bestselling “House Of Vampires” series.
Samantha Snow x x
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