Chapter 14
I stood in front of the painting of Quinn, waiting for Carlos. In my art, I’d captured her likeness but had not foreseen the strength that woman possessed. In the face of a nightmare, she had refused to give in to fear. Instead, she’d pulled a knife on me, asked questions, and asked me to leave. It only made me more curious about knowing her. Most humans would have been quivering in the corner, but she’d stood tall. I should have compelled her to forget what she’d seen, but I hadn’t been able to bring myself to do so. Which added to my curiosity of her.
I could smell the moment Carlos walked in through my office. He wasn’t alone; a human woman was with him. His arm was around her waist as he stopped a few meters away from me, eyeing my art.
“Hand-feeding me again?” I asked, my mood shifting.
He turned to face me, sympathy in his face. “I know you hate it, but Gabriela made it clear to you that you were to be-”
“Babysat,” I grumbled, interrupting him. “You got burdened with watching me like a child, because of my inability to control my nature.”
His eyes hardened, and a look of fury swept across his face. “Dammit, it’s not-” he stopped, and let out a sigh. “You’re not a burden. You never have been. Despite what I would have had you believe in the beginning.” He pointed at the painting. “How was opening night? Was it what you hoped for?”
I crossed my arms, staring at the painting again. “There were a lot of people here. More than I expected.”
”I know.” He smirked. “I attended. Quite the lavish event.”
“You were here?” I asked in surprise. I hadn’t sensed him at all.
“I met the beautiful Quinn. Did you know the two of you made the front page?”
I’d seen the newspaper and had spent the day talking myself out of racing to Quinn’s. Australia already thought she was mine; why not make it official?
“How long were you here for?” I asked, curious as to whether he was aware of how the night had ended.
“Not long.” His eyes flashed red. “The soft and pretty throats became a temptation I could resist no longer. So I went hunting. Did you at least feed?”
The feeding that had resulted in a human seeing me in my true nature. “I did. No one died.”
Carlos glanced around. “Where’s your sunset painting?”
“I gave it to her,” I revealed, nodding to the art of Quinn.
Carlos’s fingers brushed the human’s throat. The movement made my canines ache. She smelled like cinnamon. Her eyes were wide, unblinking, a clear sign of the trance Carlos had her in. She would wake up in some dark corner of the city with no idea how she got there. Her heartbeat echoed through my head.
“She saw it for what it was,” I said.
His fingers stilled. “You’ve had that painting for hundreds of years and gave it to a human. She must really be something.”
“She saw me,” I blurted out. “She walked into my office when I was in mid-feed.”
Carlos frowned. “Did you compel her?”
I averted my eyes. “No.”
He sighed. “You know the rules. As beautiful as she is, she’ll become a problem if she starts screaming ‘vampire’. Especially if a hunter takes notice.”
“I don’t think she’ll do that.” She’d said she wouldn’t, but humans did strange things when they were afraid. I couldn’t know for sure how she’d react to the existence of vampires.
Carlos studied me. “You’re infatuated by her. Not that I blame you. It’s risky, Matteo. Especially if Gabriela gets a hint of a human knowing about us.” He licked the human’s throat, a low growl of satisfaction rumbling from him. “You must turn her, then. There is no other way. Or claim her; it will at least grant her protection.”
I wanted to turn Quinn, but I couldn’t do that to someone against their will. “I want her. She’s not ready,” I told Carlos. “ She fears me.”
“Then get her ready. I can feel how much you want her. That is dangerous, for her and for you.” A slow smile crept across his features. “She does desire you, though.” He pointed to the painting “As angry as she was that you’d painted this, I could feel it in her. Once she gets past her fear of vampires, she may be more willing to admit that. Claim her; you’ll both be happier for it. Then turn her.”
I moved towards the human, licking the other side of her throat. We both gave into our hunger and struck at the same time. I hated that I’d been placed under supervised feeding but appreciated that Carlos had been the one to be chosen for that role. The two of us had hunted together for a long time now.
I resisted the bloodlust that threatened to claim me and released the human. She fell to the floor. She let out a sigh, no longer under Carlos’s will, but still under the effects of our venom.
“You once told me that I’d be a maker and have a blood bond with another. I never thought there would be one that drew me in as she does. She calls to me. I want her more than I’ve wanted any human, and not for her blood. Everything in me wants to claim her as my own. I want to hunt with her,” I turned back to the painting. “But she must make the decision naturally. That won’t happen while she’s afraid of me, of what I am.”
He faced the painting, too, crossing his arms over his chest. “Then you have to help her past her fear of vampires. The rest will fall into place. She will be yours, Matteo. You can be sure of that.”
He’d likely attempt involvement of some kind. “Her choice,” I reminded him. “Not influenced by your sway.”
He grunted in disgust, moving away to look at the other art, and I followed him. “Very well.” He flashed fang. “She’ll soon ask you to bite her. Mmm, I can almost taste her myself.” His eyes closed and he breathed in deep. “She smelled like coffee and chocolate with the sweet aroma of desire.”
I bared my fangs and growled before I could help myself, the deep rumble vibrating from my chest.
Laughter burst from him. “You have not growled at me like that since we first met. This human really has her claws stuck in.” A glint of lust shone through his eyes. “I will not seek her for myself, but I won’t be opposed to sharing her with you. I do love the red-haired women; they’re usually so fiery.”
With a deep breath, I forced myself to calm down. “Sorry, I cannot help myself. The idea of another vampire anywhere near her, even my feral nature doesn’t like it.”
He continued examining paintings. “The fact that your feral half is as possessive as you are, is a good sign. All of you wants her and will likely protect her with everything. You know what you must do.”