11. An Unwanted Re
AN UNWANTED REUNION
Alex
Two days had passed since our visit to Whitechapel, and only one thing had changed—my tolerance for sunlight.
When the sun disappeared below the horizon and the stars twinkled, energy rushed through me after a day of being exhausted and sick to my stomach.
Sunlight had always weakened me, but now it drained me and burnt like a bonfire. I had added a double pair of thick blinds to my windows to block the sun, but even when I stayed in the dark, the weakness plagued me, as long as the sun was up.
We’d searched the streets of Whitechapel for two days and found nothing. No more dead people or traces of the rogue.
Knight had joined the search, but he hadn’t been luckier than us.
Finally, dusk darkened Raven Hall, covering the gardens and Raven Lake like a cloak, bringing me relief. I’d been so tired that I hadn’t done anything but sleep. Now that I could touch Irene, I was too worn out to be with her. The irony wasn’t lost on me.
After I changed into a fresh suit, I flexed my fingers as I slid on a pair of gloves, ready to go out. The hallway was wonderfully cold and dimly lit. I went down the stairs, my thirst stirring as my energy returned. I’d fed recently, but somehow, I was thirsty again. Quite soon.
I didn’t look forward to chasing the rogue, and I didn’t know why.
Making sure the supernatural beings didn’t cause chaos was one of a duke’s duties, and I’d never neglected it.
But if the rogue was killing off Rothbart’s minions and criminals, I didn’t have to intervene.
It wasn’t that I didn’t care about innocent people, but I couldn’t worry about everyone, could I?
I massaged my chest where an ache stirred where the bond vibrated. Did I really not care? There had been a time when I had.
No one had worried about me when I’d lived on the streets. Aside from Irene.
My lovely Irene.
I was going out tonight only to please her. Hell, I’d made a dark deal with the witch only to please her. And she didn’t trust me. I could tell from how the bond tensed when we were together.
I frowned at my own thoughts. Since when didn’t Irene trust me? I rubbed the bridge of my nose. Her lack of trust in me worried me more than my newfound weakness to sunlight. Had I been that beastly to her?
“I’m ready.” Irene came down the stairs, radiant as usual.
Her Prussian blue gown was simple. No layered underskirts, white lace, or folds. But it exalted her lovely eyes, curves, and glowing skin.
“You’re stunning.”
She blushed, and the scent of her blood teased my thirst; it was getting stronger by the minute.
A footman helped her don her coat.
“I’m ready to go.” She tied the front buttons. “Hopefully, we’ll be lucky tonight although I’m not sure if meeting a dangerous rogue vampire means being lucky.”
I kissed her hand, inhaling her scent deeply. “Any progress with Lucy?”
“Myrtha is staying with her tonight. Lucy doesn’t want to leave her house and still doesn’t believe she will turn, but her symptoms have improved.”
“Improved?” I stroked her inner wrist, feeling her swift pulse.
“Myrtha told me the fever is gone. Lucy is eating regularly and doesn’t shiver anymore.”
“Odd.” I kissed her wrist, lingering with my lips until her pulse went faster.
I darted out my tongue to give a quick lash to her skin.
“Maybe we were wrong. The vampire bit her only once and had no intention of turning her. Vampire fever doesn’t break until you’re dead. ” I kissed her wrist once more.
She sighed. “You’re right. We need to go.”
“I haven’t seen you all day.” I trailed my lips along her neck. “Darius has already left. He’s going to patrol the northern part of Whitechapel. We can stay home and spend some time alone.”
“No.” She took my face, stopping me. “We do our part. Let’s go.”
Her neck attracted my attention, and my gums hurt.
I wanted to drink from her, not because I was thirsty.
Well, I was, but I just wanted to taste her blood and let it trickle down my throat and fill me with energy.
I already imagined her neck arching under my teeth, her hips rocking, and my hand slipping between her velvety thighs.
“Alex.” Her concerned face filled my vision. “You were miles away.”
The bond gave a sharp tug at the same time.
“Finding the rogue is important.” Her eyebrows drew together.
My temples pulsed with the effort of staying focused. “Of course.”
She held my hand when I helped her climb into the carriage. “What are you going to do if we find the rogue?”
I sat next to her. “I’ll kill him.” So everyone would stop bothering me about him.
“But don’t you want to understand how lost he is to start with?
He might not be fully a rogue. There might be hope.
” She tilted her head, exposing her neck.
“The fact that he didn’t kill Lucy means he may be reasoned with.
Or we should take him here and lock him up in a cell with silver bars until we’re certain he isn’t dangerous. ”
“Yes, but it’s easier to kill him.” I pulled her closer by her waist. “This rogue is a nuisance.” I nuzzled her neck.
“He might be more than that.”
I lifted her wrist and pressed my lips to her throbbing vein. The urge to bite her made me shiver. My fangs descended of their own accord.
“Alex.” She cupped my cheek. “We should focus on the rogue.”
“We’re still in my carriage.” I brushed a golden curl of her hair from her neck, exposing the main vein, and caressed her skin.
“That’s true.” Her voice sounded husky.
I pulled her onto my lap and held her by the waist.
She giggled. “Alex!” She squirmed, which started a delicious friction against me.
“I haven’t seen you all day.”
I slowly stroked her thigh through the fabric of her skirt. The touch wasn’t enough. I bunched up her skirt and petticoats and palmed her thigh.
“It has been a long day without you.” She sighed and sagged against me.
The hem of her bloomers was loose enough to give space for my hand to slip underneath.
She parted her lips as I slid my fingers between her thighs and found the slit of her drawers, and she eased out a sigh.
She was warm and soft, sheer temptation, and I loved the little noises she made as I rubbed her with my thumb.
She gripped me hard, and the delicious sensation of her fingers digging into my shoulders made me groan.
I watched her reaction as I drew slow circles.
Pink glowed in her cheeks and lips. I went deeper, and her legs tightened around me possessively.
The bond wasn’t exactly relaxed and warm, but not as stiff as it’d been yesterday. Good. It was adapting to my new status.
When she quivered and her blood rushed through her veins in a sudden flare, I pressed my lips against her neck before touching her skin with my fangs, ready to drink from her.
I anticipated the swift flow of her blood into my mouth, the taste of peaches, vanilla, and spices. I wanted to drink from her, take until I was drunk on her blood.
The bond strained painfully to the point of being distracting.
The tips of my fangs scratched her skin, and tiny drops of blood hit my lips. I opened my mouth, ready for more.
“Alex.” She took my chin and lifted it, forcing me to withdraw from her neck. “Don’t.”
The carriage gave a jolt, disturbing me. I reluctantly sheathed my aching fangs. She blew out a breath but remained stiff in my arms.
She slid off me. “You can barely control yourself. You were about to bite me. Without asking me first, as you usually do.”
I cleared my burning throat. “I’m sorry.”
“Your control is struggling,” she said in a low tone. “Admit it.”
“But I didn’t bite you.” I licked my lips. “Your scent is irresistible.”
“The bond has changed.” She touched her forehead. “I feel a little dizzy.”
My throat was on fire, and I forced myself to ignore it. “Controlling myself is getting difficult. The thirst is growing stronger. I won’t deny that.” I kissed her hand, wondering why I hadn’t asked her if I could bite her.
“And then there’s your temper and the sunlight.” Compassion filled her words, and I wasn’t sure I deserved it.
“I’ll be more careful, more focused. I promise. Things are changing, yes. It must be the deal with Cara.” I glanced at her. She narrowed her gaze. “But I’ll defeat whatever bad instincts I have. Trust me.”
She wasn’t reassured by my words, if her frown was any indication.
The carriage rolled to a stop, and I jumped out to help her. “Would you like to return to the mansion?”
“No. I feel better.” She shot me a glare.
The loud cacophony of sounds hit my ears and made me wince. The rattling of a cart itched along my skin although I was yards away.
“Is something the matter?” Irene touched my arm.
“Loud noises.” My vampire senses were heightened as if I’d released my powers.
“They shouldn’t trouble you.” Suspicion crept into her voice.
“My powers are stirring.” I rubbed my chest where the bond gave a tug.
“The deal again?”
“It could be.” I hated not understanding what was happening to me, but then again, Darius had warned me. If he were here, he would say I was a daft dimbo. “I need to focus on the rogue. If anything, my senses will help me find him more quickly.”
She exhaled. “All right. But I’m worried.”
“So am I.” I rubbed my chest again.
An ache bothered me, but it wasn’t the bond with Irene.
She was so close that the warmth of her body reached me. “How are we going to find the rogue?”
I ignored the different smells tickling my nose.
“Two vampires think alike. If he needs to feed, he’ll search for prey in the rookeries.
They’re overcrowded and filled with people whose disappearance won’t cause a stir through society.
Three men died, and the police are barely investigating.
Besides, if the victims are thugs, no one cares. ”
“It’s sad though. Lucy was attacked, and if she’d been a regular human with no knowledge of the supernatural world, she wouldn’t have received any help.”
Sweatshops and gaming dens stood side by side in the overcrowded streets. The smell of filth, opium, and horse dung mingled. A man was pissing in a dark alley. A couple was satisfying other urges in another.
I forced myself to stay focused on Irene. “If the rogue has a personal vendetta against Rothbart, he’ll be here. If he’s close enough, I should sense his presence.”
“What about Darius? How is he going to find the rogue on his own?”
I held her hand, glad she allowed it. “Is there anything he can’t do?”
She smiled. “Good point.”
Her laughter lifted a weight from my chest, and the thirst diminished. As the thirst died down, guilt flared up. I’d been about to drink from her without her permission. I’d never drunk from anyone who hadn’t agreed. That worried me more than my intolerance to sunlight.
I cleared my throat. “There are a few clubs and gambling dens Rothbart’s minions love. We’ll start from there.”
Lords, gentlemen, and all sorts of workers mingled in this area, drawn together by the common pursuit of pleasure. The only limit was one’s wallet.
The smell of blood and the drumming of strong heartbeats distracted me.
Men with unbuttoned shirts and women with low-necked gowns exposed their necks to my hunger.
The thirst scratched my throat, roaring once more, and Irene’s scent tormented me.
Her blood was perfection, but the thirst would be satiated with anyone’s blood if Irene didn’t want to let me feed from her.
“Alex.” She swept into view. “Did you hear what I said?”
“I didn’t.”
“Do you see any members of Rothbart’s gang? I think I’ve recognised one. That man over there in the brown jacket.”
Hell. I hadn’t paid attention. We stopped in an empty dark corner. I studied the man, and yes, he was one of Rothbart’s thugs. He had an endless supply of them. If anything, I had an excuse to drain someone.
“We’ll follow him—”
The tug in my chest was strong enough to cause me to shift forwards. But it wasn’t my bond with Irene.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” I bent over.
I searched the crowd and met the gaze of a gentleman I’d never seen.
A fine charcoal-grey suit, a matching top hat with a d’Orsay curl on the brim—the man had money. He didn’t particularly stand out in a crowd where there were men wearing fine clothes, but his presence called to me. His blood did. But not because I wanted to drink it.
He locked his gaze with mine.
The realisation dawned on me.
“He’s my sire.” I didn’t know if I’d spoken out loud or not.
The moment I finished the sentence, my blood stirred and urged me to go to him, and vivid memories flooded my mind.
He’d come to my flat, searching for my late sister Odette. He’d introduced himself as the Count of Bethlen and had bitten me three times before giving me his blood.
“Your sire?” Irene searched the crowd. “Where?”
I licked my dry lips. “Until a moment ago, I didn’t remember his face clearly, but now I remember everything. Every detail.”
He weaved through the crowd towards me, moving with an elegance that hid his physical strength. What the hell was I supposed to say to the man who had cursed me?
Irene shifted her weight. Her nervousness caused the bond to tighten. “Is it that gentleman? Why is he coming here?”
The closer he walked, the harder Irene gripped my arm, and the more I wanted to unleash my power.