Chapter 5 #2
Long moments later, a knock sounded on the door. “Sir, I have a light snack for you.”
“Come in, Gio,” Titus called, tightening his arm around Alessia to keep her in place. She didn’t struggle. He guessed she didn’t want to make a scene.
A delicious scent wafted toward them as Gio pushed a silent cart over the thick carpet. Titus’s mate’s stomach growled. Thank goodness he’d thought to request food. Alessia needed nourishment.
“Would you like me to serve you?” Gio asked.
“No, thank you, Gio. I’ll take care of it.” Titus waited for Gio to close the door behind him before assuring her. “Gio will never make a judgment about what happens in this house. His family has served me for years.”
Alessia bristled and pushed away from him. “He’s used to you cuddling women on your lap?”
“No, Alessia. He’s never seen me hold onto anyone like I do with you. You are special, unique. You are my mate.”
“What does that mean, Titus?”
“You are hungry. Let me get you some food.”
“No. I’m not waiting anymore. Tell me what’s happening.”
“Of course,” Titus said. Without beating around the bush, he shared the truth with her. “I am a vampire. Turned in 1437, I was the youngest son of the de’ Medici family.”
“1437,” Alessia repeated, recognizing those numbers from the gate code. She stared at him in absolute astonishment. Alessia studied his face carefully for several long seconds. “You’re not lying, are you?”
Her calm acceptance impressed him. His mate hadn’t panicked.
“I am not. As the youngest son, my only value to the family and to society was my ability to entertain. I cultivated a lively personality that earned me invitations to all the biggest events of the year. Unfortunately, one husband took offense at my bedding his wife while he was away at a hunt. He challenged me to a duel. I never enjoyed swordplay. My lack of practice came back to bite me.”
“He killed you?” Alessia stared at him in astonishment.
“He stabbed me and left me dying on the dueling field. If Alaric hadn’t happened by, I would have perished.” He reached out, snagged a warm roast beef sandwich from the tray, and held the food to her lips. Alessia took a bite as she studied him.
“You don’t have vampire fangs,” she said. Her sharp mind captivated him. Titus guessed she hadn’t really processed that vampires existed.
“I do. I simply have control over them.” Titus lowered his teeth and smiled at her.
Alessia reached out a finger to trace the edge of one and squeaked when the pointed tip cut her skin. “They’re sharp.”
“Dull teeth are not good, Little mate.” He licked his lips, savoring the flavor of his mate’s minuscule drop of blood, before guiding her hand back to his mouth. Titus sucked lightly on her fingertip before swirling his tongue over the small slice. “There. All better.”
She stared down at her unblemished finger. “I couldn’t have… You’re going to tell me that your vampire powers healed me?”
“Yes. Remember my hand and the glass on the wall? I almost severed this finger.” He lifted his previously injured hand and showed her the faint, pale scar. “That will disappear in another hour. Soon, nothing will remain.”
“And because you’re a vampire, you could run so fast and jump the walls?”
“Yes, basically. I have athletic abilities that exceed a human’s. I can also see in the dark and….”
“And turn into a bat?” she said, interrupting.
“Now, that’s a myth. I can blend into shadows and disguise my presence,” he said.
“And you live on blood?” she asked, studying her finger.
“I could. You could survive on healthy foods for your body as well, but I bet you like sweets, potato chips, and pasta.”
He lifted the sandwich he still held to her lips. “Have another bite, Alessia.”
She took the food from his hands and absentmindedly chomped down. As she chewed, a funny expression passed over her face. She offered him the treat in her hand and watched like a hawk as he sampled it. “You can eat real food?”
“Yes, Little mate.” He reached a hand out and plucked a cluster of grapes from the tray. He fed a green globe to her before popping another into his mouth. “Good, huh?”
“Very.” She accepted another one as she sat quietly studying him. “Aren’t I supposed to be afraid of you?”
“If you were my prey, yes. But you’re not. You’re my mate.”
“You don’t drain visitors at Nightfall?” Alessia asked.
“That would be terrible for business, Little mate. We want customers to return and bring their friends. Besides, I enjoy entertaining the crowd. It’s what I’m good at.
Now, as much as back in the 1400s, people have challenges—different ones, of course.
I enjoy helping others escape for a brief time. ”
Alessia nodded and then looked seriously at him. Gathering her courage, she forced herself to say, “You call me Little mate, and asked me to call you Daddy.”
“Yes. Mates are perfectly matched. I’ve craved a special type of relationship from my teenage years. From your reaction, I’m guessing you have at least heard of that dynamic.”
Alessia squirmed a bit at his direct question. She couldn’t lie to him. She could, however, downplay the attraction to that lifestyle that captivated her. “I’ve read all sorts of books. I think one of them had the heroine calling their lover Daddy.”
“One, huh?” Titus’s green eyes danced with amusement.
Could he read her mind? Better stick as close to the truth as possible. “Okay, several.”
“Are you not attracted to having someone care for you completely, Alessia?” His hand smoothed over her shoulder as he studied her face. “Honesty is vital between mates. I could read your mind, but I’d rather you shared the information with me.”
Alessia bristled with indignation at that statement before she processed he had simply stated the truth. If she could believe he was a vampire, wasn’t his ability to sense her inner desires understandable as well? “I’ve never discussed age play with anyone.”
Fierce heat lit up his gaze as his eyes turned red. He liked the idea that he was her first Daddy. She smiled at his excitement. “Then we explore the dynamic together, Little mate. You tell me what you enjoy and what you don’t. I’ll take your preferences under advisement.”
She bristled slightly. “What does that mean, under advisement?”
“A Daddy is always in charge, Little mate. I promise I will discuss things with you where possible.”
She took a bite of the sandwich to digest his statement.
The thought crossed her mind that he didn’t say he’d get her approval for his actions.
A mental image of lying over Titus’s lap as he spanked her shocked her.
Alessia coughed and choked on the bread.
Titus helped sit her up straight and pounded on her back.
She held up her hand, asking for a moment to recover, and drank deeply from her glass.
That gulp of brandy burned down her throat.
Instantly, she launched into another coughing fit.
Titus grabbed a bottle of water from the tray and twisted the lid off. “Here, Alessia. Try this.”
He plucked the snifter from her hand and swapped the brandy with the plastic container.
She could feel his concern as he carefully watched her swallow several times.
As if he needed to touch her, Titus rubbed her spine to console her.
Titus never took his gaze off her. That level of concern felt incredible.
“Sorry,” she said finally.
“I think I’m more the cause of you choking than you are. You asked me for the truth,” Titus reminded her.
“I hate lies.” Alessia paused and took another drink before adding, “I don’t know how you got that impression.”
“Really? I agree with you about deceit. Lies create a distance between people. I will not allow that between my mate and myself.”
“Not allow? What does that mean?” She squirmed to turn to look at him directly, studying his face intently.
“Little girls who lie to their Daddies or attempt to deny the truth get spanked. Usually, Littles only need to experience a few red bottoms to convince them to tell the truth,” Titus said. He reached a hand up to push her hair away from her face. “Have you been spanked before, Little mate?”
“No! Of course not.”
“Hmmm. Have you experimented with other punishments? Standing in the corner? Writing lines? Wearing a naughty plug in your bottom?”
Alessia shook her head vigorously to cover her excitement about at that last option. Why did that sound deliciously effective to capture her attention? “Maybe I should rethink this.”
“Our relationship? Too late, Little mate. Our bond has already snapped into place. We can’t simply walk away from each other. I need you, and you need me.”
“I crave chocolate, but I don’t eat it every day.”
“That’s not quite the same, but I enjoy being compared to chocolate and savoring,” he teased. “Tell me what you know about Littles and Daddies.”
Aroused, nervous, and curious all at the same time, Alessia struggled to escape from that request. She swallowed hard and blurted, “Maybe I should eat another sandwich half. Or some of those cookies.”
“Of course. You can have the tray if you’d like. Could you see me as a Daddy? As your Daddy, Alessia?” he asked, handing her a cookie.
Alessia studied the front of his shirt. She took a big bite of the cookie and chewed it. Titus didn’t interrupt her. She swallowed and drank some water.
“Those are good cookies. Gio didn’t make them, did he?”
“No. My cook did. I’ll introduce him tomorrow. He’ll be excited to meet you. Pascale enjoys cooking for humans more than for vampires. I pay him enough that he puts up with me.”
Her lips twitched at his admission. She glanced down at the cookie as if she were going to enjoy more but hesitated.
Titus waited patiently, not rushing his mate.
After several long seconds, Alessia whispered, “I already told you I’ve never met a Daddy in real life. I’ve only read about them in books.”
“You’ve never met a Daddy before me, Little mate,” he reminded her.
“But I didn’t realize you were a Daddy,” she whispered.
“Your Daddy.”
“My…
My Daddy.” Her body trembled. Hearing that come out of her mouth sent a wave of emotions through her. Alessia couldn’t figure out if she should bounce with excitement or blush with embarrassment. She squeezed her thighs together telling her body to settle down.
Titus pulled her close and hugged her to his warmth. “Yes, Little mate. Your Daddy. I didn’t think I would ever find you. Do you have any idea how long I’ve searched for you?”
She shook her head. Her gaze fixed on his face.
“Since 1420. I was thirteen when I realized I was wired differently than my brothers. At seventeen, while my peers were drinking and carousing, I only wished to take care of special people. I hadn’t found the right one.
But I was sure she was out there. When I was turned, I learned about being a Daddy from my vampire clan.
Everything clicked into place then for me. ”
“Other vampires are Daddies?”
“My entire clan. Alaric has a way of finding us.”
“Alaric is the guy who talks on the screen, right?” Alessia asked.
“He is. He’s our elder.”
“Is that like the president of the clan?”
“More like a dictator. In a benevolent ruling mode. He’ll listen if we have concerns, but he is more powerful than everyone,” Titus said before adding, “How about we talk about vampires later? Did you have more questions for me?”
She studied him before shaking her head.
While processing that vampires were real and she was incredibly attracted to one confused the heck out of her, Alessia surprised herself by accepting such strange new truths.
Something did worry her. “I think I asked the most important ones, but I need to know… Are you going to send me back?”
“Never, Little mate.”
“Thank you. I feel safe with you.”