3. Just a Taste
Waking in Julian’s arms felt so right, I nearly forgot all the pain and fear that lurked outside the warm nest of blankets surrounding me. The second our eyes met, his features softened into the gentle smile of true happiness I so rarely got a glimpse of. My hand trailed lazily up the center of his chest, fingertips grazing every ridge and dip of honed muscle as I kept my gaze trained on the glowing indigo of his crystalline irises.
When I caressed his face, thumb running along the curve of his full lips, the ring came into view, and I smiled back at the promise that we had a literal eternity together. Then I remembered the multiple threats to that eternity, and I dropped my hand to the mattress, rolled over, and climbed from our nest.
I hadn’t slept more than a few hours, as my new body no longer needed as much rest, and would likely need even less as the years went by. But what if Julian was ripped from me, and those long decades were spent in service to those who’d done it?
My hand fisted, and I punched the wall with a cry, breaking a hole through the thick plaster.
“Shit.” I stared at my hand, not a blemish in sight on my pale skin. “Sorry.”
Julian was already standing in front of me, rubbing my upper arms and surveying me with a worried expression.
“It’s going to be alright, my love. No one will know. I will keep you safe.” He tilted my chin up to look at him.
“Secrets have a way of coming out,” I said. If I were still human, tears would have been running down my face. Instead, I blinked at the dry feeling, and my stomach grumbled loudly.
“Time to feed again,” Julian said, planting a gentle kiss on my lips. “I will find a pledge from the manor and bring them here for you.”
“No, wait.” I grabbed his wrist. “Let’s go together. Show me how others do it, so that if I need to find someone on my own, I can.”
With the slightest pause and a nod of agreement , Julian took my hand in his, the corners of his mouth turning up at the sight of the ring. “Let’s get dressed then, and we will dine together, my love.”
The idea of dining on humans still sent a shiver through me, but I pushed it away as I donned my outfit from the night before at super speed. I really was starving.
“I will order more clothing for you until it is safe to leave the estate,” Julian promised as he led us down the hall and the grand staircase.
It was me that took the lead as the delicious aroma of warm blood called to me from the second floor. One particular scent rose above all the others—stronger and more enticing. I followed my nose toward the source, eyes stinging and fangs poking at my tongue.
“Charlotte—” Julian tugged at my hand, but it was far too late now that I’d scented the delicacy.
“Can’t you smell it?” I hissed, turning on him as my eyes burned. Did that mean they were red?
“Yes,” Julian said, holding me steady by the shoulders. “But you may want to pick something less…tasty for the time being.”
A whimper escaped as I struggled against his hold, gentle yet firm enough to keep me from speeding away. The pity on his face fueled my fury to the point my entire field of vision was flooded with a scarlet filter.
“Charlotte.” He snapped my name at me like a command, and I growled in response.
“Are you going to order me to do it your way?” I challenged around my fangs, which felt like bones protruding into my mouth.
Julian sighed and released his hold on me. “I’d hoped you would simply trust me.”
I hesitated, but the hunger that had quickly turned to physical pain was as strong as the scent calling me. “I can’t stop it now.”
Instinct took over, and I barely registered my race down the hall to the double doors at the end. Julian’s palm slammed over the wood before I could rip it open, and he knocked with his opposite fist.
“Do not feed until you have permission. That is an order, as you say,” he whispered.
I glared as footsteps sounded and the door was thrown open. A handsome young man in his early thirties glanced between the vampires at his door with honeyed brown eyes, lips tilted up in an expectant smile.
“Julian?” he asked, deep warm voice as sweet and tempting as the blood pumping through his veins. “How nice to see you.”
“Merl, I thought you might be visiting when I heard who’d taken over.”
When I growled, both men glanced over at me as though they’d forgotten I was present. This human man was tall and muscled, but if Julian hadn’t commanded it, I’d have already ripped into him. That thought twisted my stomach yet was undeniable all the same.
“This is my fiancé, Dr. Charlotte Devaux.” Julian put a calming hand at the small of my back.
“She’s starving,” Merl observed, stroking his stubbled cheeks as though he were used to having a beard. “Newly turned?”
“Yes,” Julian agreed. “She…scented you.”
The man’s bright eyes lit in understanding as his bushy eyebrows rose. “Would you, uh, care to come in and have a bite?”
Julian grimaced as Merl laughed at his own joke. His eyes were almost as stunning as Julian’s, and there was something in them that spoke of wisdom that should have been beyond his years. Then again, if he were some form of supe, who knew how old he really was?
“Is that…permission?” I asked softly, glancing at Julian rather than Merl.
“Provided you are gentle. I shall agree to one feeding without payment,” Merl answered, ushering us inside.
Without preamble I pulled him toward me and stretched onto my tiptoes, even in my heels, to sink my fangs into his throat. Don’t hurt, I thought as I pulled at the blood that tasted almost as sweet as Julian’s. My fingers sank into the thick muscles of his arms, but I willed myself to be gentle as I moaned in absolute pleasure.
Oh gods, that was embarrassing. Why did I feel it between my legs? I clenched them tighter as I adjusted my stance and slowed my draw, trying to get myself under control. My fiancé, as Julian had put it, was standing beside me and absolutely knew exactly what my reaction was.
The thought stopped my meal before I normally would have. But the warmth in my fingers told me I’d had enough, thanks to Elsa’s teaching the night before.
I bit into my tongue and licked the wound, ignoring the shiver of heat that traveled down to my core yet again, then stepped away, releasing Merl and unable to meet his eyes—or Julian’s.
“Thank you,” I said softly as Julian pulled me into his side, letting me know silently that everything was alright. But it didn’t make it any easier to raise my gaze, and when I started to, I nearly choked when I saw the bulge protruding from Merl’s pants.
“No problem,” he said, rubbing his palms together. “Now, let’s have a more human style breakfast, if you wouldn’t mind joining me?”
Julian’s grip tightened around me. If I were human, it would have pulled me off balance. “We don’t want to impose.”
Merl laughed again—a rich sound. “That part isn’t the imposition.”
I bit down on the inside of my cheek and cringed at his words.
“I didn’t mean anything,” he said quickly. “I’ve seen many new vampires, and you, my dear, were quite civilized and gentle. But I expect no less from Julian’s mate.”
Finally, I found the courage to meet his gaze. Dimples made his smile seem even warmer, though I still felt something behind his eyes I couldn’t quite name. Inside, his blood warmed my body, sating my hunger, and buzzing as it traveled through my system.
What the hell is he?I asked through our silent bond, thankful for Julian’s grip.
A wizard, Julian answered. Out loud he said, “Perhaps we can take a rain check?”
Merl clasped Julian’s shoulder. “Nonsense. No payment necessary if that’s what worries you. Just company for a lonely old man.”
Lonely old man? Julian might be old but certainly wasn’t lonely. Was he talking about himself? How old could he be if he were a wizard? Witches and wizards, as some antiquated misogynistic male witches liked to refer to themselves, aged similarly to humans, maybe an extra ten to twenty years on their life expectancy. He couldn’t be older than forty.
“I’m guessing Julian hasn’t had time to mention me,” Merl said as we took seats at a round table in the large quarters I hadn’t bothered to look at until now. He waved a hand, and three settings appeared in front of us, along with plates of steaming eggs, bacon, potatoes, and a full pot of both coffee and tea with the fixings.
Without preamble, Merl piled his plate full of food and began eating. Julian stayed still, and I glanced between them, uncertain what to make of this man.
“Go on,” Merl motioned with his mouth full. “At least have some coffee to keep me company. I have to replenish after losing blood.”
I winced as Julian reached for the ceramic pot of coffee and filled our cups, fixing mine for me in silence.
“So, what do you want to know?” Merl said, waving his fork as he chewed. Not exactly old school manners, I noted. “Ask me anything. I mean, we already did the intimate part.”
“Okay,” I said, tired of his cutting remarks. “How old are you?”
Merl smiled around his food and leaned back in his seat. “I like her,” he said to Julian. Then he wiped his mouth with his napkin and stared at me. “Six hundred and fifty-eight.”
I gaped. “Six hundred…”
“And fifty-eight,” he finished. “Elixir of Life. Next question?”
I sipped my coffee, trying to mimic Julian’s talent for acting non-plussed. “How do you know Julian?” I asked.
“We’ve been business partners for hundreds of years.”
“What sort of business?”
“Magic.” Merl gulped at a glass of orange juice that appeared at his side then set it back on the table.
“Is that why you keep saying no payment necessary?” I guessed.
“Yes. I learned early on to keep all business professional or risk losing a lucrative relationship.” Merl sipped on his tea as he stared unblinking at Julian.
“Well, this has been…enlightening,” I said with a forced smile. I set my napkin on the table beside my empty plate and rose.
“Despite my teasing, I truly enjoyed our sample interaction,” Merl said, rising to meet me.
”Sample interaction,” I echoed, unsure what to do with that.
“He means you get the first sample free,” Julian said from my side.
“In fact,” Merle said, stepping close enough for me to scent his intoxicating blood. “In your case, I may consider the act payment enough in the future.”
I stiffened in Julian’s grasp and couldn’t get out of there fast enough, aware of my every step as Merl’s gaze bored into my back from his door.
The minute we made it downstairs to the lobby, I spun on Julian but found I had nothing to be angry at him for. He’d warned me to go the other direction, and I hadn’t listened. In fact, I probably owed him an apology.
“It’s okay,” Julian said when I couldn’t form the right words. “You were going to meet him sooner or later. In fact, there’s one more person I should probably warn you about if Merl’s here.”
“Who?” I asked, curiosity piqued.
“Back in the day, vampires used to align themselves with a witch. The more powerful the vampire, the more powerful the magic wielder. It’s since gone out of style—or more accurately, become a lesser discussed habit.” He guided me into the sitting room where I’d first seen my father face to face after his desertion. Today, it was physically empty of occupants, but the emotions the memory evoked seemed to leave little space for us. Even so, Julian sat on the sofa, and I joined him on the edge of the soft cushion, tilted toward him.
“So Merl was yours?” I clarified.
“If you ask him, he’d probably say he still is. Though I ask him for things rarely these days. The last thing I purchased from him was my car.”
I gaped, all distraction now erased, as the mystery of the vamp mobile that magically reappeared even after being destroyed or across the planet the previous day made sense. Sort of.
“That’s almost an impossible level of witchcraft,” I argued, folding my arms. I was raised by witches—some of the best, and that was not something I’d ever heard of.
“Almost impossible means absolutely possible, just unlikely,” Julian said, relaxing back with a wicked smile. “The important thing is that you do not hire him for anything, do you understand?”
“Excuse me?” My eyebrows shot upward, and Julian leaned toward me, suddenly serious.
“His payments are too high for anything we may get in return. He knows his blood is like nectar for vampires, and believe me, that free sample he gave you was meant to hook you like a drug. You won’t need to feed again until this evening, and you are two days old.”
I wondered what it was Merl demanded as payment for magic or blood, but I trusted Julian enough to know that he meant every word. Swallowing hard, I nodded my understanding. A memory flooded my mind from my first weeks on the island. He’d made an ominous comment about there always being a price for magic. Had he been referring to Merl?
“There will likely be another person here soon that you will come across,” Julian said, ripping me from my thoughts. “And Merl is an angel compared to her. You have nothing to fear as long as you keep your distance and do not take any ‘samples’ from her.”
“Who is that?” I whispered.
“Her name is Kayora, and she is to Elsa what Merl is to me.” Julian took my hands in his and traced his thumbs lightly over my knuckles eliciting shivers of anticipation that mixed with the shivers of foreboding at his words.
“Thanks for the warning,” I said.
“We are likely to be here for a while, so it’s prudent to be wary. At least we will be together, so whatever comes our way, we can face it as partners.” He dipped his head and brushed his lips across mine.
“We should probably figure out what our next move is regarding the demons,” I said, disconcerted that my body would awaken so easily to his lightest touch even in the midst of our serious conversation.
As though reading my mind, Julian’s eyes flashed a deep purple, and his voice took on the gravely tone that heated my core. “Do not be alarmed. You are feeling the mating bond that is only getting stronger now that you’ve turned. I feel it and am adjusting as well. It is natural, and we will become more accustomed to it over time.” He brushed the hair from my cheek, and a trail of electric want coursed down from the point of contact.
I was captive to his gaze, his scent—so strong and all-encompassing as he leaned over me. Instead of discussing demons, I might have found myself back in our rooms breaking through more plaster if Lydia’s voice hadn’t broken the spell.
“There you are,” she said, and Julian sat back against the sofa as though she hadn’t just interrupted a moment. “Sam said he’s been trying to reach you both. We’re meeting in the lab in an hour to regroup.”
“The lab?” I asked, blinking. “Isn’t it my father’s workspace?”
“And ours,” Lydia said, sitting on the arm of the couch closest to me. “It’s soundproofed and warded to prevent eavesdropping, even by vamps. And he’ll vacate, but only on one condition.”
“What’s that?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
“That you speak with him alone first and hear him out.”
“I don’t know that I’m ready to do that yet,” I answered, shifting on the couch. “I may never be ready.”
Though Julian’s hand landed reassuringly over my shoulder, Lydia frowned and stared unblinkingly at me. “I’m about to give you my opinion, doc, so brace yourself.”
“He waited twenty years before deigning to speak to me,” I argued, ready to fight whatever she said.
“Suck it up, buttercup,” Lydia countered, ignoring Julian’s answering growl. “You don’t have to forgive him or even like him, but you are going to be working with him if the rumors are true, so you might as well get it over with.”
My mouth hung open as she leaped lightly from the arm of the sofa and popped a candy from a dish on the coffee table before sauntering away.