Chapter 2 #2
And yet…he hoped they could be close again. Him, Laurie, and a female third had always been his preferred method of enjoying sex. Just imagining the voluptuous female nearby being naked, her softness against his front with Laurie’s hard, muscled chest at his back, made blood rush to his cock.
Stop it, Joseph. She’s scared out of her wits. In less than a minute, he had his cock under control and tried to think of what to say to the fae witch.
For years, he’d tried so hard to blend into the background. Because while he could be more himself within these walls, not everyone was as understanding and open-minded about his presence. Humans, especially, resented that he hailed from a vampire horde that covered most of Western Africa.
The female’s voice brought him back to the present. “Can I have some water? Please?”
He nodded and gestured at the long, decorative bellpull by his desk. “I need to pull that rope over there to call for a maid. Is that okay?”
Her eyes darted to the rope and back to him. She edged closer to the fireplace, no doubt wanting to pick up the fire poker. “I guess so. But if you move any closer to me than that rope, you’ll be sorry.”
He resisted smiling. Since her powers couldn’t affect him as long as he wore his ring, he didn’t think she could overpower him, not even with the iron poker. “I won’t, I promise.”
Doing his best not to make any sudden movements, he walked to the bellpull and tugged. Instead of retreating, he remained where he was. When Meadow didn’t inch away, he stated, “You have unusual clothing.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, which only plumped up her breasts. Before his mind could dwell on what color her nipples were, she replied, “I’m in my pajamas. Since I had to run away from some vampires trying to kill or kidnap me, I didn’t have time to change.”
His gaze shot to hers before demanding, “Who was trying to kill or kidnap you?”
Her eyes moved to his mouth and fangs, and she inched away. “No one.”
Aware his brusque tone had frightened her, Joseph reined in his anger and asked, “Whoever they were, they won’t find you here. Unless there’s a time-wielder in your time period, no one except Yesenia will be able to move you again.”
“Time-wielder? Yesenia? What are you talking about? My sister doesn’t have any magic.”
He could hold back and brush off her comment.
Joseph, like most vampires, learned early in life how to dance the line between truth and lies since vampires experienced debilitating pain when they lied.
However, he didn’t want to do it with this female.
Truth had worked better with her siblings, after all.
He replied, “Yesenia has magic, and she brought not only you, but two others from the future to the past, one of whom is your brother, River.”
She wrapped her arms tighter around herself. “No, you’re just making stuff up to get me to trust you. Then, when I least expect it, boom, you’ll hand me over to Derrick and his lackeys.”
Joseph resisted a frown and wondered how he could get her to believe he had no ties to this Derrick person?
Then he decided more truths might help. Maybe. “If I were selfishly trying to gain your trust, it’s because you blooded me and Laurie, and we need to claim you, eventually.”
She studied him, probably trying to dissect his words and see if he was skirting the truth.
And Joseph let her. Because sometimes, waiting was more effective than more words.
“Tell me plainly I’m your fated one, with no filler words.”
“You are my fated one. And Laurie’s. You started both of our hearts.”
After a few beats, she replied, “So that just means you’ll be nice to me until you can claim me, and then you’ll look for a female more in your guys’ league. Someone you want to parade around half-naked in this place and be the envy of all. Which isn’t me, of course.”
As happened with others from the future, Joseph didn’t understand the meaning of some of her words or phrases.
However, he understood the latter part completely.
“If you were to ever grace the halls half-naked, Laurie and I would have to fight off most of the males, and quite a few females, who’d want to bed you. ”
Her eyebrows drew together. “Vampires aren’t supposed to be able to lie.”
“I’m not. It’s the truth. Your voluptuous figure would drive most mad.”
Including him, although Joseph did his best to keep his lust in check.
She searched his gaze for a few beats and looked away. “Whatever. I’m too tired to dissect vampire half-truths right now.”
He wanted to shout that he wasn’t lying. And yet, he sensed she wouldn’t believe him.
What had the males in the future done to her?
To avoid getting angry at their neglect and stupidity, Joseph decided to move the conversation back to Meadow’s family.
“Your sister has been working hard to learn how to use her magic. It’s been six or seven months now, I believe, since she started training.
Her dedication is admirable, although it’s been rather hard on her husband since they’re still newly married.
He’s quite besotted, actually. It’s been amusing to watch. ”
Her gaze shot back to his. “Wait, Yesenia has a husband?” Meadow rubbed her forehead with one hand. “I must be dreaming. I don’t know how or why this feels so real, but maybe those vampire guys drugged me before strapping me into a virtual reality machine just to mess with my mind.”
Joseph had no idea what the latter was, but before he could ask, Laurie rushed back into the room.
“They’ll be here as soon as they can.” He glanced at Meadow’s overwhelmed expression and sighed.
“You could’ve waited to explain some of this to her, Joseph.
She just arrived and needs time to take it all in. ”
“Why? Now she can confirm being in the past, as well as being our fated one, once her siblings arrive.”
At the bewilderment in Laurie’s gaze, Joseph nodded. Yes, he’d told her.
Thankfully, there was a knock on the door, and the maid entered with a cart carrying water, tea, wine, bread, and some small cakes. Once she left, Joseph motioned toward the cart. “You may as well eat something.”
She eyed it dubiously. “For all I know, they’re blood-filled cakes. So, ew, no thank you.”
Joseph snorted at the same time as Laurie barked out a laugh. The other male spoke first. “Even though we can eat again now that our hearts are beating, I’m waiting to have a nice Yorkshire pudding for my first meal. And Joseph will ask for something disgusting, like jellied eels.”
He raised his eyebrows. “They’re delicious. They were treats for me as a child.”
Laurie shuddered. “You can have them all.” He went to the cart, sniffed the wine, and smiled. “But your taste in wine is unmatched, my friend. I’m going to have some. What about you two?”
He nodded, and Meadow merely glanced between the pair of them before muttering, “This is the last time I eat a gummy right before bed.”
“Gummy?” Joseph echoed as he took the wineglass from Laurie.
It was hard to focus on her reply since Laurie had deliberately brushed his fingers against Joseph’s, but he somehow managed it. “I take them sometimes to calm down, so don’t judge me. Because if I get too anxious, I can’t control my magic.”
She slapped a hand over her mouth and widened her eyes.
Joseph replied, “I still don’t know what a gummy is. But stay away from opium. Some use it to relax, but it’s addictive and forbidden on the premises.”
Laurie frowned at him as if to say, Stop scaring her.
Joseph shrugged, and Laurie focused on the female.
Holding out a glass, he said, “This will calm you down. And whilst you’ll want to drink the entire bottle—Joseph is the best at selecting wine, more than anyone, in my opinion—it’s not addictive for most. Only to those who need to drink incessantly.
If you start doing that, then we’ll stop giving you any. At any rate, try it.”
Laurie was rambling, which he did to fill the silence when he was unsure of what to say.
Before his friend could scare the female more than with anything Joseph had said, he sipped his glass and sighed at the smooth, tart taste. He’d missed this. As much as vampires enjoyed blood, there was something about a good glass of wine.
After another small sip, he held out the glass to Meadow. “Now you know it’s not poisoned.”
She hesitated, and so he sipped again. After sighing with pleasure, she finally reached out. “Considering this must be a gummy-hazed dream, what the hell? Let me try it.”
He closed the distance and held the glass to her mouth. She tried to grab it, and the urge to take care of her, the female who’d made his heart beat again, was strong.
Not yet. Soon. He relinquished the glass and stepped backward, closer to Laurie.
As she drank, Laurie’s hand brushed against his, and awareness rushed through him.
Part of him wanted to push Laurie against the wall and kiss him.
But they couldn’t risk scaring off Meadow.
And as he watched her drink greedily, he wanted to kiss her neck and graze his fangs over her skin, all while Laurie did the same to him.
When she finished the wine, she licked a drop of red liquid from her lower lip, and both he and Laurie groaned.
Which was a mistake. Because Meadow retreated to the far side of the room. “I thought you said my magic wouldn’t work on you.”
Joseph said, “It doesn’t. But you’re the fated one of two vampires. Surely you understand what that means?”
Laurie cursed. “I swear, Joseph, you’re being entirely too honest right now.”
As Meadow looked between them, someone pounded on the door. “Let us in, Laurie and Joseph. Now.”
Ah, it seemed Leo Yates, the vampire Dark Lord of London, had arrived.