ALEXANDER

Alexander lay next to Abigail after she fell asleep. It pleased him to know that he hadn’t gotten bored of her no matter how many times he held her. The feeling was a refreshing one, especially since he had never felt this way before. His fingers gently ran along her skin from her exposed shoulder to her waist. As he drew her closer to him, pressing her against his solid form, his eyes focused on her jugular. The vein pulsed at a steady pace, up and down, like a caterpillar moving along a leaf. His throat became dry, and the thirst he wished would never surface again reared its head.

He uncurled from her body and sat up, pinching the bridge of his nose. For two centuries, he never once regretted being what he was. Being part of the Grekov family permitted him to have riches he could only dream of when he was a servant. He had connections, the affection of many women, and booming businesses. Over the past three weeks, no, since he met Abigail, he had become doubtful if the things he possessed had brought him any happiness at all.

In his eyes, she lived a difficult life. Her father was ill in a hospital, and she struggled to make the ends meet. Somehow, her smile never waned when she was with the others. He wanted to keep her smiling. To do that, he wasn’t certain if she could love him for what he was. There would be no week when he wouldn’t require blood. She alone would never be enough to feed him.

Would she grow jealous over time as hatred takes root in her heart?

He slipped out from under the sheets and pulled on his trousers. Whatever the future held, he could not see into it like Zafira could. Even she, upon occasion, told him how she regretted being able to witness snippets of their fate and that of others.

Should I call her to inquire about my prospects with Abigail? Do I even want to know how we will end up?

With his phone in hand, he sauntered out of the room—careful to close the door behind him—and headed downstairs to where his study was. Once he felt he was out of the earshot, he called Tanya.

“Alexander, where are you?”

“I am at my villa in Howth. How is Andrew? Did Dr Foster examine him?”

“He did. The doctor said the only way to get the bullet fragments out of him is using a large magnet like an MRI machine. But…”

“But?”

“It would destroy the machine and rip out all of the metal from his body at once. In his current state, I fear for his recovery. His healing ability is also slowing down.”

Alexander didn’t like the news he was hearing. He rubbed his tired eyes and rested his back against the bookcase. “Do what you must, Tanya. Bring some spare blood to feed him after the procedure. We can donate the money to the hospital anonymously later to replace it.”

Her voice trembled. “What if something goes wrong?”

“You mean if he falls into a descent?” He dreaded the idea of having to lock Andrew up in a cell until he overcomes the raging of the uncontrollable thirst. “We will deal with that, too. And, Tanya…”

“Yes, sire?”

He wished he could give her a comforting hug, but it was not the time for it nor was he close enough to do so. “Contact our friend in the Court of Justice who is in charge of the fines and pay Abigail’s. I cannot allow her to show up to jury duty while there is a chance that the hunters are looking for her in the city. If they have visited her apartment, they would already know where to expect her.”

“Will do.”

Over the phone, he heard an e-mail notification popping up on her computer. She was most likely working, even though the sun was already beginning to rise. 

“Alexander, there has been a summoning of all vampires in Europe. No, wait.” She paused for a minute, which he assumed was because she was reading the e-mail. “All vampires are being summoned to London by the European Council.”

“Why?” His brows scrunched together.

“The message doesn’t say. It seems to be important if we’re all being called in like that.”

He didn’t like where this was going. The last time he was in London, everything went wrong. The werewolves washed their hands of helping eliminate the possessed vampires that roamed the streets. With two hunter clans united as one, their numbers doubled, and everyone in the vampire community was forced to mind their every step. Alexander feared for Lucious’ safety. But, until his friend contacted him, he wouldn’t be able to offer any help.

“Should I get our pilot to prepare the jet?” Tanya asked, breaking him away from this endless flow of thoughts.

“No. Not until we know more about what is happening over there. We cannot bring Andrew to a place where he may be in more danger, and I cannot leave Abigail unguarded.”

“That reminds me, I haven’t seen Katharine around. Do you have any idea where she has run off to?”

Alexander’s thirst started to claw at the back of his throat. He groaned, clutching the shelf of the bookcase. “I don’t have time to worry about that. Could you send someone here for me to feed on?”

“Aren’t you with Abigail? She could—”

“No!” he snapped and instantly regretted his harsh tone. “I apologise. I did not mean to react so violently to your suggestion.”

“I get it, sire. You don’t have to explain yourself to me. We’ve been together long enough to know each other’s size of underwear.”

“I would rather you didn’t bring that up.”

She let out a melodious laugh. “Oh, come on! You should be happy I no longer have to order your designer underwear. Abigail can do it for you.”

Groaning, Alexander ended the call while his childe most likely continued to cackle on the other end. His thoughts reverted back to the Council’s summons. There hadn’t once been an occasion in the history of their existence where everyone was summoned to one location.

Is it a trap or something else entirely?

He prepared to call Lucious, his thumb hovering over the call button. Pushing aside his pride, he tapped his phone’s screen to contact his friend.

The call didn’t connect. Strange.

ABIGAIL

Alexander’s mouth left kisses along her chest as he moved downwards. Her breath hitched when his fingers sunk inside of her, stretching her wet opening and seeking her ultimate pleasure point. As he glided his fingers in and out of her, his thumb circled her sensitive spot, making her back arch with pleasure.

She grasped the sheets around her. Her moans filled the room with every skilful stroke of his rough fingers. Biting down on her lip, she closed her eyes, trying to focus on the individual sensations until her throat suddenly began to hurt.

Gasping, she craved more oxygen and it didn’t come. Her hands shot to her throat in an attempt to free her from the unknown cause of her suffocation.

Her eyelids fluttered open, and she jumped into a seated position. She rubbed her neck with a tremor to her movements, feeling shaken by the night terror. Once she was happy she was in one piece, she scanned the room. Alexander wasn’t in there with her, but he left the door wide open.

She climbed out of bed and quickly put on her clothes that she had scattered around the bedroom. No longer shivering from the chill, she entered the bathroom and flicked on the light switch. Her attention was drawn to the large mirror. There was an angry handprint on her neck as if someone had tried to throttle her in her sleep. She knew Alexander wouldn’t do something like that. He seemed to care too much about her safety to go around trying to hurt her. The thought of someone being in the villa with her who wished her harm made her legs quiver.

Stumbling to the sink, she turned on the cold tap and splashed her face numb. She eyed her reflection once more. Some of her panic had receded. If a person really tried to kill her here, they would have done so by now, wouldn’t they? Is it a warning? She rushed through rinsing her mouth and combing her fingers through her hair before she ventured on her search for Alexander.

First, she checked upstairs. He wasn’t in any of the six bedrooms or three bathrooms. She made her way downstairs, peering over the bannister in case there was someone hostile waiting for her at the bottom. A nervous laugh escaped her. This had to be a safe place or Alexander wouldn’t bring her here.

Unless he got hurt…

Her steps quickened, and, soon, she was running from one room to the next, finding him in his study with his mouth locked on some blonde’s neck. Words failed her completely as she felt her legs losing their ability to keep her upright. Before she knew it, he was holding her up and gazing at her with worry. The crimson on his lips proved to her that he was definitely drinking that woman’s blood.

“Are you unwell? Shall I call a doctor?”

“You’re taking her blood,” Abigail managed to say.

Alexander brought her to the nearest cushy chair. Crouching in front of her, he wiped the remainder of the blood off his lips. “I needed to feed. It has been more than three days since the last time I have taken blood, and I couldn’t take any more from you.” He glanced over his shoulder at the blonde who was watching them with her hands on her hips.

Abigail scowled at the woman’s expensive designer clothes and the flashy jewellery hanging from her earlobes and neck. Why would someone so young and beautiful willingly become vampire food? Then again, she was also very willing in Alexander’s arms.

“Want me to leave?” the blonde asked, cocking her bleached brow.

“Allow me to heal your wound for you first,” he replied, standing. He bit into his wrist and used his blood to cover the blonde’s wound on her neck.

Once he was done, the woman blew him a kiss then grabbed her coat off the back of the chair. “You know where to find me, luv.” With her head held high, she ambled out of the room, swaying the perfect ass that even Abigail had to admit was great.

Alexander stopped in front of Abigail and knelt before her. His eyes narrowed on her neck. “What happened?”

Her shoulders deflated. He didn’t seem to have any answers for her, either. “I thought you were going to tell me.”

He shot up. “Where did this happen? When?”

“While I was asleep. I woke up, feeling like I was being strangled.”

“Did you see anyone?”

“No.” She watched him as he got up and paced the length of the room. “Alexander, what’s on your mind?”

He paused midstride. “It could not have been a vampire, the sun outside would have knocked them out, and I do not sense any heartbeats in the vicinity. I don’t understand—”

“Could it be something else?”

His eyes widened a fraction, but he did not elaborate on the thought that crossed his mind. He took out his phone and stopped when a gorgeous redhead in a tightly-fitting green dress strolled into the room with a pleasant smile on her face.

“Katharine…” he growled, gripping his phone in a crushing hold.

“I did not kill her, as per your instructions,” Katharine said.

“I told you not to harm her!”

The woman shrugged. “I don’t believe she’s beyond repair. A little blood and the human will be back to normal.”

Abigail’s stomach sank with worry. It was the same woman she had seen at the hospital car park. “Why did you come here?”

Katharine’s eyes flared as they zeroed in on Abigail. “You should stay quiet until you are spoken to, mortal.”

“Do not speak to her like that!” Alexander moved to shield Abigail from the redhead’s venomous glare.

“Why? Are you going to command me to stop?” Katharine fired back. “You are no better than the Council’s Ghoul Master, always demanding, always forgetting about my existence until I am needed.”

“I did not forget about you,” he corrected her. “I was busy with work.”

Katharine snorted. “I see your work involves spending a lot of time with this particular wench between the sheets.”

From where she sat, Abigail noticed the tension building in Alexander’s broad shoulders. She rose from her seat and edged closer to him. Her hand rested on his back. She could only hope it would provide him with the support he needed to deal with this crazy woman.

“Don’t touch him,” Katharine forced out through her clenched teeth.

Abigail didn’t react. “Why should I listen to you?”

“You whore!” Katharine moved in, and Alexander caught her by the arm.

“Don’t hurt her,” he warned.

Katharine’s pleasant smile returned. “You are a businessman, I have almost forgotten. So, allow me to impose a bargain upon you, Master. You can choose to stay here and protect this woman from the hunters that are going to surround this place soon, or you can save your childe who is in the same precarious position.”

“Katharine, what have you done?” He shook her.

“I betrayed you like you have betrayed me. Decide quickly, my love.” She smirked and launched for Abigail.

Before Abigail could even think of getting a safe distance away, the redhead’s fingers were already digging into her throat. They tumbled to the ground, and Katharine mounted Abigail’s chest, knocking the air out of her lungs.

Katharine squeezed to the point where Abigail thought her neck would snap at any given second. As her airways closed, Alexander tried to pull the woman off unsuccessfully.

After a while, she could no longer make out what he was shouting as her vision blurred and her lungs burned. She tried to fight back, but her hands were growing weaker until Katharine’s hands stopped their assault.

The redhead staggered into a standing position. When she turned to face Alexander, Abigail gasped at the sight of a fist-sized hole right where Katharine’s heart should have been.

Alexander’s face was covered in tears. He caught Katharine’s falling form with his bloody hands, and they slid to the ground together.

“You have killed me twice, my love,” Katharine said, stroking his cheek. “I am now certain that I will forever be in your heart.”

Abigail’s eyes bulged when the woman’s face began to age. Her pearlescent skin became leathery and her rich, coppery hair lost its colour altogether. Life left Katharine’s green eyes like a candle’s flame being extinguished for the night.

The evident pain on Alexander’s face tugged at Abigail’s heartstrings as she coughed to try and clear her airways. That woman had more than enough strength to kill her with ease, so why didn’t she do it? Why did she wait until Alexander acted and killed her?

“I’m so sorry…” he mumbled to the mummified corpse in his arms. His tears dripped onto the body. He did not move to wipe them away.

The longer Abigail sat there, the more she understood how much that woman meant to him. Whatever their past was, she was the reason why they went their separate ways. Swallowing the lump that formed in her throat, she crawled to his side and wrapped her arms around his trembling shoulders.

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “It’s going to be okay.”

ALEXANDER

Alexander lost track of time as to how long he held Katharine’s remains in his arms. Her threat that the hunters were coming was a lie. He should have known that. He should have been able to see through her and prevent his rash actions from taking her life. But, in the end, he did not. The fear of losing Abigail was greater than the need to repay Katharine for everything she had suffered over the centuries because of him and his foolishness. Most likely, she created this scenario to test his allegiances, and he failed her.

Sucking in a strained breath, he lowered her body with utmost care and stood. By his side, Abigail kept holding on, clutching him as if he was about to shatter and disappear. He tenderly brushed her messy hair away from her face and kissed her on the forehead. Her neck seemed bruised from the force Katharine used, but he knew well that if she truly wished to dispose of Abigail, it would have taken her less than a second to do so.

Is this Katharine’s way of releasing us both from our tragic love? He would never know.

“Alexander, I—I don’t know what to say…”

He kissed her on the lips. When she closed her eyes, more tears escaped him. The pain in his soul would never cease. He doubted he was capable of bringing happiness to anyone. Those close to him had been hurt, time and time again, by his one-sided belief that he knew better. This situation proved that he knew as much as anyone when it came to the matters of the heart. He was just another lonely soul, shrouded in the darkness that never stopped chipping away at his sanity as eternity passed him by.

She pulled back enough to see his face. Her soft hands wiped away the wet streams on his cheeks. “Come with me.”

“I must attend to her body…”

“You are in no shape to do that. Come.” She took his bloodied hand and led him up to the bedroom they spent the night in. After pushing him to sit on the bed, she ran into the bathroom and returned with a wet towel with which she cleaned the blood off his hands.

Once she was done, Abigail nudged him to lie down.

He complied, too numb to think for himself as Katharine’s final words replayed in his head.

Abigail settled on the bed next to him and allowed him to bury his face in her chest. Her vanilla scent enveloped him and her fingers combed through his hair. The warmth he felt in her embrace was not like any other he had experienced in his lifetime. He found belonging there. The woman he was clinging to for support was the only thing keeping him from plunging a silver dagger in his heart to end his vile existence.

To his surprise, she started softly singing a lullaby. The shakiness of her voice reflected his inner turmoil, and he allowed himself to let his sorrow out in the form of more tears.