“My opening bid for Mason is two million dollars. And I open the bidding as a non-private sale.” Danika walked to her car with Clive in tow.
Clive’s jaw dropped. “But my lord, that means—”
“It means that everyone will see who I am and what I’ve bid.” It also meant that anyone who bid against her would have to show who they were. It was risky showing her face as the buyer, but in doing so, there were those who would bow out because of who she was. And those who had the money to bid against her would think twice. The bid was a message. This one is mine.
“Very good.” Clive had his businessman smile on his face again. “Two million, that’ll be the opening bid when the auction begins tomorrow at seven PM. You may watch the progression of the auction, live, on our website.” He handed her a card.
“Clive, it’s been a pleasure.”
“It’s been my pleasure and honor, Lord Danika. The auction ends at midnight sharp. And of course, should you win we’ll deliver your slaves at your earliest convenience.”
“I look forward to it.”
Clive bowed low to her. She sucked in a deep breath, anxiety and tension slipping away with every inhale. It was a crisp spring night. Danika wanted nothing more than to go home, throw open her bedroom windows, and let the cool breeze rush over her naked flesh. But sunrise was still more than three hours away and she had many things to arrange before midnight tomorrow.
As soon as she reached home, Danika transferred the deposit money into an escrow account, and then started making calls. Spreading around a little money and calling in a large favor, she got what she wanted.
The idea had come to her after she’d seen the size of Mason. She’d been so stressed by the hassle of finding a new slave that she hadn’t even read his file. They said a picture was worth a thousand words. Seeing him in person was worth two million. Whitey would obviously not work as a blood slave, but Mason… He could be both blood slave and guardian. Maybe more.
Lying in the king-sized four-poster bed that had belonged to her parents, she thought about Mason. Heat had radiated off him from three feet away. His eyes had glowed bright amber when she’d approached. It’d sent shivers down her spine. Mason’s scent had almost sent her over the edge, right there. The way he’d looked at her had made her knees want to buckle. But it’d been the fear she’d seen, and the lie he told about his age, that had intrigued her more.
His scent lingered in her mouth, making her gums tingle with anticipation. The desire to be near him had not diminished since she’d left his presence. She was drawn to him. A part of her wanted his fingers on her flesh. She mused about what she’d find under his tight T-shirt and dark jeans. Images flashed through her mind.
She shook her head at the thought. Bidding on Mason was inviting disaster into her life...again. Had she learned nothing from her problem with Xenock? No. She had learned from her time with Xenock, which was why she would make Mason her slave. He was human, not vamp, and as a slave, he’d be bonded to her and unable to disobey her commands. She’d drink from him at will with no repercussions. There would be no room for error this time. She’d make sure Mason knew his place under her boot heel.
The wind from the open French doors tickled her naked skin. She lay, taking in the smells of the grounds and the lake beyond her property. As she drifted off to sleep for the first time in months, the sight of those amber eyes burned behind her eyelids. She hoped that when she bonded him as her slave, it would slake her thirst, and she wouldn’t drink him dry. If not, he’d be a very expensive meal.
* * * *
Danika slept through the day and didn’t awaken until her alarm went off the next evening. She felt more rested than she had in weeks, but also hungrier. Her legs now weighed her down and she was almost unable to make it to her bathroom. When you were a Vampire, taking care of yourself was the number one rule. It was the very first things she was taught as a newborn. You slept when the sun was up, you fed at least once a week, and you made sure that the blood was pure. If you didn’t live by those three rules, you died by them.
When Danika finally reach the bathroom, she took a lengthy, hot shower and then wrapped herself in her jade green silk bathrobe, and sat on her bed. The old-fashioned phone on her nightstand was beautiful antique brass and Bakelite with a rotary dial. She lifted the receiver.
“Yes, Lord Danika, what may I do for you?” asked Siad.
“Siad, are any of our house-feeding slaves healthy and full right now?”
“I believe that Matthew has been reserved for you.”
“Since when, and by whom?”
“Master Chase, Lord. He reserved Matthew for you soon after Xenock...left us.”
She rubbed her forehead. Why hadn’t Chase said anything? “Of course he did,” she said almost to herself. “Would you please send him up for me?”
“Right away, my lord.”
Movement by the window caught her eye. Xenock’s image leaned against the glass, staring at her. Danika shifted on her bed, smoothing the rumpled covers. She didn’t have to wait long. Within minutes, there was a light knock.
“Enter, Matthew,” she called, lounging on her bed. In walked a handsome young human with dark brown hair and large green eyes. His skin had the warm pink tone of vitality, which his strictly nutritious diet and healthy living provided. Danika’s coven had twenty blood slaves for close to fifty coven members. Matthew had been with them for almost seven years. “Have you been well?”
“Yes thank you. I’ve been hoping you’d call for me every day. I’ve felt quite useless not having a job to do.” A boyish grin crossed his face, revealing a dimple on his left cheek.
“I was unaware that you had been set aside for me. Unfortunately, I’ve been very busy and have neglected to take care of myself as I should.” Why had she offered him that piece of information?
“No disrespect intended, Lord, but you look as if you could use several feedings.”
“I appreciate your concern. Why don’t you come and make yourself comfortable.” She patted the bed where she’d curled up. Something about the way he moved reminded her of the slave Jax. She took the towel from her hair, letting the chilly wet tresses fall down past her shoulders to the small of her back. Her skin broke out in goose bumps. Matthew moved forward, unbuttoning his red silk shirt and dropping it to the floor.
His body was tanned and cut. He’d been working out and eating quite well. It was important to feed humans properly, not only to ensure that their blood was clean and pure, but also to extend their years. Blood slaves were retired around fifty. However, males had lasted as old as sixty-five before being retired. And it was all due to their exercise regime and specialized diets.
Matthew sat down, and she smelled his anticipation. She hadn’t been with a male sexually since she’d broken it off with Xenock a year ago. And before Xenock, she’d had one long-term sexual relationship. Smelling Matthew’s scent made her gums ache and her body tingle with desire. She lifted a gentle hand and brushed a lock of hair from his face, then ran her long thin fingers across his cheek, down his chin, to his neck. His eyes closed in pleasure. The Vampire pheromones she threw off were beyond her control. Everything was heightened because she hadn’t been living by the three rules. She was lucky she hadn’t gone into bloodlust and killed someone already.
The pheromones were an initial sedative to humans, relaxing them to give in to a Vampire’s needs. When Matthew opened his eyes again, they were glassy. He lifted his hand and ran his fingers through her hair. The sensation tickled her spine. Her mating instincts had been getting stronger with each passing moon. Her biological clock was ticking, and her hormones were listening. As she gazed at Matthew with his finely chiseled features and strong body, she saw a different face. The face of the slave Mason.
Suddenly she was on top of him, her mouth on his. Matthew’s lips were warm and inviting as he tangled his fingers into her long hair. He encircled her and pulled her close, his mouth hot with passion. He slid his hands up and down her body, smashing her against him. Her breasts brushed against his hard chest, and she lost all control. Her fangs burst from her gums, nicking Matthew’s lip. His blood dripped onto her tongue. She ripped her mouth away from his, and sunk her fangs deep into his awaiting neck. He let out a quick gasp and hugged her tighter as she took her first draw of his blood.
The rich liquid squirted into her mouth and slid down her throat. It was warm and wet and sweet. She drew from him greedily. He responded by kissing her neck and her shoulder. The blood flowed to her limbs. Her feet and legs began to tingle and throb with a burning pain. This was exactly what she needed, and it had been too long.
Matthew’s hands stopped moving on her skin. Her thirst waned, but she didn’t want to stop. When his breathing became labored, Danika withdrew her fangs, licking his wound shut. Matthew’s eyes drooped. She leaned in close to him and kissed him on the cheek.
“I thank you, Matthew, for the gift you have given me.” She rolled over in the blink of an eye and had the phone to her ear quicker than a human would’ve seen.
“Yes, my lord?”
“Please send Doc up.”
“I understand.”
Danika set the receiver on the cradle. Her robe hung open and she had blood smeared over her chest. Her vitality restored, she strode into her bathroom to wash. Her feet and legs obeyed her every command, without so much as a stiff muscle. The mirror told her everything she needed to know. Her eyes were not as bright, and the dark circles she’d been hiding the past weeks were almost gone. Her skin was less translucent and had a more pink tone, instead of blue.
Danika stared at her reflection, angry with herself. She’d let her guard down with Matthew, something she never did. Not just with her words, but with her body. Her mating instincts were getting worse. Mason’s amber eyes flashed into her head. Mating a human was unheard of. Mating a human that you turned wasn’t. She held enough power and money to stave off the worst of the criticism, but... Stop! Just stop! This was crazy! Why was she even thinking about Mason? A human male that she hadn’t even bought yet. It was the bloodlust. She hadn’t gotten enough from being with Matthew; that had caused these sudden rushes of lustful need. That’s all it was, lust. She didn’t need a male, she’d make her way on her own.
Taking a deep breath, Danika tried to clear her thoughts. If she was going to be drawn to Mason, it could be very, very messy. Getting close to someone was not an option. Men were for protection and feeding.
Visions of Mason’s hard, massive body on top of hers flooded her mind. The touch of his warm skin on hers as he—
“Stop!” she screamed into the mirror, pounding her fists on her head. It was the effects of the feeding and from being alone too long. Everything would be fine.
She stared at herself in the mirror again. Xenock’s image stood behind her, smiling cruelly. “Get out!” she shouted. She spun around to find nothing there. Facing herself again in the mirror, she straightened her spine and breathed in and out several times. “You are a Vampire lord. You need no one. You are strong on your own. Like your Vampire mothers before you. You will not fall again.”
A knock interrupted her pep talk. Doc entered, assessed Matthew, and started an IV drip. Then two house guards picked up Matthew and carried him out. Doc inspected her, nodded once, and left. Danika glanced at her clock. It was six-thirty. She had thirty minutes till the beginning of the auction.