Chapter 17
Chapter
Seventeen
Returning to Nightfall, Marcus showered and put on clean clothes before dropping by Darius’s office to collect his Little girl.
Darius sat at his desk with a lamp focused on the ledger in front of him.
Darkness shrouded the rest of the secluded space.
Marcus nodded his thanks to Darius before walking over to the comfortable couch where Carina breathed deeply.
He knelt beside her and spoke softly. “Daddy’s here, Little girl. Ready to go home?” He smoothed his hand over her shoulder.
“Daddy? I must have fallen asleep,” she mumbled.
“I’m glad. It’s late.” He stood and picked her up, loving that she wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled close to him.
The contrast between his actions in the last couple of hours loomed in his mind.
His brutal vampire nature couldn’t be more different from the tender side of him his Little girl brought out.
Marcus had believed becoming a vampire had eliminated gentleness from his nature.
He hugged her closer, treasuring her sweet scent and beautiful curves.
Will you turn her?
Marcus met Darius’s gaze. I will accept her decision if she chooses not to become what we are.
Darius nodded. That’s what a true Daddy would say and do. Focus more on his Little than his own wants and desires. I hope I am as brave as you if I ever find my mate.
You will be. Good night, Darius.
Take care of her. Carina is special.
Marcus bristled slightly at Darius’s compliment and pushed his jealousy aside. His clansman would never step over that line. That she is.
Carrying his precious armful carefully, Marcus descended the stairs to settle her safely into the passenger seat.
He paused for a second to scout the area for any threats before sliding behind the wheel and driving out of the parking garage.
He didn’t believe Costa would have rallied to mount an attack so quickly, but Marcus hadn’t gotten this old without checking out all possibilities.
He chose the long way home to monitor if anyone had trailed him. The abandoned roads at that early morning hour would make that obvious. He pulled into his estate only when he was sure they were alone.
Scooping Carina out of the car, he walked directly to their bedroom.
He stripped off her clothing and tucked her into bed.
As he undressed, she snaked a hand from under the covers to search blindly for Mischief.
Marcus plucked the stuffie from its hiding spot and tucked the raccoon into her arms. Carina murmured her thanks and snuggled with the plush animal.
He finished undressing as he treasured the view of his adorable Little.
Marcus gathered the discarded clothing in his arms and carried it into the bathroom.
After tossing the clothes into the hamper, he returned to the enormous bed and climbed in beside Carina.
To his delight, she scooted over without delay to cuddle against him.
With a sweet sigh of contentment, she crashed into sleep in his arms.
Marcus remained awake for several hours.
He hadn’t needed much sleep as a mere human.
As a vampire, he required even less. As he held his sweet Little close, Marcus explored different options on how to convince Carina to allow him to change her.
In the end, he decided she deserved the unglamorized truth and vowed to talk to her soon.
“Daddy? You’re thinking too loud,” Carina groused.
“Sorry, sweetheart. Go back to sleep.”
She flipped over to her other side and buried her face in the pillow. Marcus held perfectly still, waiting for her to drift into dreams. A few minutes later, Carina shifted onto her tummy. Just when he thought she’d allowed herself to doze, she turned her face toward him.
When her gaze met his directly, Marcus asked, “Can’t sleep?”
“No, Daddy.”
“Would you drink a warm bottle for Daddy?”
She scrunched her nose and refused. “No, thank you.” Carina opened her mouth to say something else and closed it again.
Marcus waited for a minute to see if she would speak to him. When she didn’t, he told her softly, “Little girl, you can ask me anything.”
She nodded as if she understood and wiggled onto her side to face him fully. Reaching out, she traced one of his scars. “Do you like living so long?”
Amazed by their connection, Marcus knew she’d picked up on his thoughts.
He shifted onto his side, so they faced each other a few inches apart.
“Most of the time. I’ve had my clan to provide people I trust and who always have my back.
Alaric, Titus, Darius, Bram, Donovan, and I have relied on each other for years. ”
“I haven’t really talked to Donovan. He’s the DJ, right?”
“He is. Donovan oversees every facet of the entertainment. He’s also solitary.”
“Really? He’s like a wild man while he’s playing music. He never takes a break and seems to sense what people need to get them out on the dance floor.”
“He’s good at his job. He also uses up all his ability to socialize each evening. Thank goodness Nightfall is only open on Friday and Saturday. He’s a hermit the other nights to recharge his peopling battery.”
“I’d like to talk to him again. You know to thank him and tell him how much I appreciate his skills. I love dancing out on Nightfall’s floor.”
“He’s told me how pleased he is that you are mine. Donovan finds you charming. Your enjoyment fuels his energy.”
Carina smiled at him. He could tell his words had tickled her. Marcus reached out to tuck flyaway strands of hair behind her ear. His love for her astonished him.
“You said most of the time you’re glad you’re a vampire. Why not always?” Carina asked.
“I’ve had a group backing me, but I’ve been solitary. Does that make sense? Even though I have friends who would give their lives to save mine, I haven’t had the one person I crave.”
“Your Little girl?” she whispered.
“Yes, Carina. I’ve dreamed of finding you, and now my life is complete.” He leaned forward to kiss her hard and forced himself to move backward, sensing they had more to discuss.
“What if we’d never met?”
“I would have missed out on finding my heart’s match.”
“That’s really sad. What happens….” She stopped halfway through her question.
“What happens when you die?” he guessed.
Carina nodded with tears in her eyes.
“I’m alone again.”
“That’s so sad. I don’t want you to be by yourself,” she whispered as a tear escaped and rolled down her cheek.
Marcus wiped away the moisture on her cheek. “Then I can turn you, and we’ll have a thousand years together.”
“You would like to have me with you that long?”
“And a thousand years more after that. You are mine, Little girl. How ever many days we’re lucky to have together will not be enough. I will always want more.”
She nodded, holding his gaze. “Does it hurt?”
“Becoming a vampire?”
“Yes.”
“Sometimes, if your vampire sire is vicious. I would never willingly cause you pain. Do you want me to describe what happens?”
“Please,” she leaned forward as if hanging on his every word.
“I will kiss you like I have a hundred times before. When your gorgeous, big brown eyes cloud with desire, I will trail a dozen more down your throat to your pulse.”
“You’ll bite me?” she asked eagerly.
Pleased that she’d enjoyed the previous occasions when he’d drunk from her, Marcus nodded. “Yes, sweetheart. I will savor you. Then, when it is right, I will feed you my blood. That exchange of our life essences will cause you to change.”
“And poof, I’m a vampire?” she asked.
“You’ll need a few days to adjust, but I will help you, Carina.”
“And I’ll be super-fast and a badass?”
“Perhaps. All vampires have talents. We will have to see which ones you develop.”
“Maybe I’ll be able to turn into a bat and fly?” she asked eagerly.
“Only if you’re a movie star and they have special effects.”
“Can I still enjoy mac and cheese?”
“Yes, you’ve seen me eat.”
“Oh, yeah. You do have meals with me. Do you have to? Or could you just rely on a… a liquid diet?” Carina asked.
“I could exist on blood alone, but I’d miss tasting my favorite treats,” Marcus said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively at her.
She giggled, erasing any tension from their discussion. “Is there anything bad about being a vampire?”
“Like sunlight kills you or makes you sparkle?”
“Daddy, I know there’s a lot of baloney out there describing vampires. But there has to be something bad.”
“Vampires are predators. They can easily lose control and kill any human. People are automatically scared of us. That immense power can drive a vampire mad. Rabid.”
“How did you prevent that from happening?” she asked.
“I went crazy for a while. Then I ran into someone tougher than me.”
“Did he hurt you?” Carina leaned forward. Her face was drawn with concern.
“No. Alaric didn’t cause me harm. He’s the strongest vampire I’ve ever come across. He blunted the blood hunger new vampires experience long enough for me to gain control and then gave me a purpose and a clan. I needed those things.”
“Alaric is the guy who shows up in the video, right? And the guy in the street?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve never seen him at Nightfall,” Carina mused, focusing on the blank space above her like she was trying to recall her interactions at the club.
“Few humans meet Alaric. He prefers the shadows and is solitary.”
“Does he have a mate?”
“Not yet. Alaric conceived of the idea to create Nightfall. If we couldn’t find our mates, maybe the allure of the club would bring them to us. His plan definitely worked for us.”
She smiled at him. “I’m really glad it did.”
“Me too, Little girl.” Marcus looked past her to check the clock. It was almost six. She hadn’t gotten enough rest after the late night, but she’d never fall back to sleep after their conversation. A good long nap was in store for her later. “Saturday is for pancakes, right?”
Her tummy growled ferociously. “Can you make fangs this time?”
“I even have strawberry syrup,” Marcus shared.
“Yummy blood! Let’s go.”