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Seven Years Ago
day 315 since capture
“You won’t let me fall asleep alone, right?”
“Of course not.”
“And you’re sure no one’s going to feed on me?”
“Positive.”
“But what if,” Shiloh hesitated, bringing her voice down to a whisper. “What if someone sneaks into our room when you’re not there and tries to bite me while I’m unconscious?”
“As long as we’re here, my guests are under my protection,” Drake assured her. “If anyone comes near you, they’ll have to answer to me. But I doubt they’ll get past the guards even if they try.”
Gulping, Shiloh peered at the supernaturals behind him. Six werewolves and eight vampires stood in two lines, looking as rigid and stoic as mindless robots. They formed a pathway for Shiloh out of the SUV, where she was still hiding. For once, she was more nervous about getting out of a vehicle rather than being inside it.
“Four of them will be stationed outside the door at all times,” Drake continued. “They won’t let anybody get too close to you. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, Father,” said the vampires in unison.
“No one will get past us, Master,” added the leader of the werewolf squad.
Drake stretched his hand out to her. “You’ll be safe, my love. I promise.”
After a moment, Shiloh nodded and reached for his palm. His hand was warm, reassuring, and his solid grip steadied her as he helped her out of the car. Together, they made their way inside the unfamiliar estate.
There was a certain appeal to the rich greenery of west Washington state, but it was rather unusual that a vamphyr would choose to settle down somewhere so close to humans. Lord Henry apparently thought he belonged among civilization rather than on his own, though his choice of architecture prevented his estate from blending in with its surroundings.
While Drake’s mansion emulated the grandiosity and elegance of Victorian architecture, Lord Henry’s estate resembled an ancient, gothic cathedral with its imposing edifices and almost exclusively black exterior. Against the backdrop of the night sky, darkened with a sheet of gray clouds, it felt stifling.
Despite her phobia, traveling had given Shiloh a brief respite. They had stopped a couple of times along the way for some fresh air—and to give the vampires time to hide out during the day. She had barely even seen the supernaturals, since they’d been traveling in their own vehicles, while she and Drake had Devon and their werewolf guards for company.
But now, her heart was thrumming faster than usual in her chest. She had only met Lord Henry once, when he came to visit Lord Benjamin during her early days at the estate. Yet, in their short exchange, the way he’d stared at her had caused all her internal alarms to ring. It was unsettling enough just coming to the vamphyr’s home, but being here without her usual trusted companions—save Drake and Devon, of course—made it even worse.
Not that she had seen any of her other friends much, lately. Just a few weeks ago, she had officially moved into Drake’s room. The vampires were still unhappy with her, so it was safer for her to stay with him. Living together felt weird at first, but for the most part, it didn’t change much. The only distinction—and a good one, at that—was that now she fell asleep and woke up to his smiling face. He always made time for her at breakfast and kissed her good night and good morning. It didn’t erase her loneliness throughout the day, but it made the ache of missing him a bit more bearable.
If it hadn’t been for him, Shiloh might not have come on this trip at all. Technically, she wasn’t even invited, but Drake didn’t want to leave her alone at the mansion, insisting that some time away might do her good. Plus, he refused to go without her, which could have started his ‘tenure’—so to speak—as a vamphyr on the wrong foot, so she had agreed.
Lord Henry greeted them at the door, his arms outstretched from side to side and a charming smile on his face.
“Welcome, Lord Drake!” he said with gusto. “What a pleasure to meet you at last.”
“Lord Henry,” Drake responded civilly. “Thank you for having us, brother.”
That was the usual terminology used amongst vamphyrs, according to Drake. But Lord Henry’s smile seemed to tighten for a second before it relaxed—unlike the knot currently forming in Shiloh’s stomach.
“You must be tired from the long journey,” he said. With a wave of his hand, he called a werewolf over, whose eyes remained glued to the ground. “Catherine will show you to your quarters so you can freshen up. And I’ll have one of my children help the rest of your company. Perhaps you and your paramour would like to join me for dinner this evening?”
That was when he finally turned to Shiloh with a curious gaze. There was no trace of malice anywhere in his expression, yet something about it made her skin crawl. The word “paramour” was odd enough on its own, but the way he said it was unnerving, as if Shiloh was some sort of family pet.
After thanking their host, Drake and his party followed their werewolf attendant to their separate quarters. Once the door to her and Drake’s bedroom was closed behind them, Shiloh finally exhaled a breath.
Sitting on the bed, she took off her shoes and inspected the room. It was quite large for just two people. The forest green aesthetic gave the illusion of being outdoors, but it was off-putting in a way. Drake’s estate might not match its desert surroundings, but at least the property was far removed from human civilization, so there was no pretense of belonging with its surroundings.
“Do we really have to be here for two whole weeks?” Shiloh asked, mostly trying to calm herself with light humor. “Maybe we could stay for dinner and leave in the morning.”
Met with silence, she turned to Drake, only to find him standing rigidly on the side, scowling like he was puzzling over some internal dilemma.
Shiloh recognized the signs. This happened sometimes; his vamphyr nature taking over, his powers demanding to take in everything at once, analyze every threat and study every course of action. During these episodes, he would stare off into the void, as though the world around him didn’t exist anymore. It was unsettling to witness it firsthand, but he always managed to snap out of it and come back to her.
Shiloh stepped around the bed and came to stand in front of him. When that didn’t make him aware of her, she calmly raised a hand to his cheek.
“Hey,” she murmured, tenderly stroking his skin.
That was when his eyes found hers, and his whole demeanor softened. “Hi.”
“Where’d you go?”
Relaxing into a smile, Drake wrapped his arms around her. “Sorry, my love. I’m feeling strangely uneasy being here.”
This made her frown. “Can you make it to the end of the visit?”
He smirked, quirking an eyebrow. “What happened to leaving in the morning?”
“Hmm, so you were listening. You know that wasn’t serious. I might not understand much about vamphyr etiquette, but even I know leaving early would be a bad idea.”
“I know. I just need to shake this feeling. I’ll be okay; I have you.”
She smiled back. That was really the only good thing about this terrifying trip.
The only thing worse than being Lord Henry’s guest was having to eat every single meal of the day in his company—or really just being in his vicinity. The vamphyr didn’t stare at Shiloh in a menacing way, but his gaze occasionally wandered her way with a kind of hungry curiosity that put her just as on edge.
Surprisingly, though, Drake seemed to be handling the conversation much more skillfully than she expected. In those moments, he seemed more mature than ever, like an experienced businessman talking to a potential client. It made her realize that, although she couldn’t always see it, he really had grown to fit his role as lord of the estate, which was more than a little impressive.
“So, I hear you’ve been getting some new transfers lately. How has that been?” Drake asked.
Lord Henry raised his eyebrows, though his expression didn’t seem all that surprised. “Where did you hear that?”
“My predecessor left a vast network behind. It didn’t take long to get myself acquainted with every aspect of it.”
The latter chuckled. “That sounds tedious. I must say, I much prefer a less direct approach.”
“Perhaps I’m more of a hands-on kind of man. I may be new to this position, but I like to make use of all the resources available to me. There’s not a thing that goes on at my estate without me knowing.”
He took a swift bite from his fork, his eyes never leaving Lord Henry’s face. A brief silence followed, but Lord Henry carried on eating his meal as usual, smiling and nodding politely.
“So, is there any truth to it?” Drake asked. “With the transfers?”
The older vamphyr waved his hand, almost like he was bored with the topic. “Oh, those happen all the time, but that’s one of those tasks I delegate to my children. Although, I did hear we got a handful of newcomers not too long ago. Vampires who defected over a disgruntled dispute with their father. You know how it is with children.”
Up until that point, Shiloh had been sitting quietly, nibbling on her food in an attempt to make herself as invisible as possible. Yet, even she could notice the tension that settled after Lord Henry’s words, and the way Drake stiffened beside her.
It occurred to her that they might have been saying more to each other than what was apparent on the surface. Was Lord Henry somehow insulting Drake? Or was there more to it?
Something akin to remorse flashed on the vamphyr’s face as he looked at Drake head-on, letting out a self-effacing chuckle. “My apologies. I got caught up in the moment and forgot that that was Benjamin’s experience. I understand you haven’t any children of your own, yet?”
That curious hunger was in his eyes again as they swiveled to Shiloh. She had to make a conscious effort not to squirm, though the next time she swallowed her food, she couldn’t stop herself from making an audible gulp. She understood the subtext well enough, she just didn’t get the whole picture yet.
Later. Drake would tell her.
After a second, the latter relaxed and declared in a calm voice, “I do not need children at the moment. Not when I inherited a legion of them from my predecessor.”
Lord Henry took another bite out of his food, nonchalant. “Oh? Have the vampires adjusted to your ascension, then?”
This made Drake smile to one side. “Everyone submits eventually. But I’m not just talking about them.”
The other vamphyr stopped eating and stared at his guest, with a mix of apprehension and confusion. “You can’t possibly mean the werewolves?”
“For starters, yes, though I don’t plan to stop there.”
For a brief moment, Shiloh experienced satisfaction as genuine surprise registered on Lord Henry’s face. “Hybrids?! Are you intending to treat mutts as your children?”
“I don’t need them to call me father, but they would be under my protection just as much as vampires. My intention is to create a different kind of legacy than anyone is used to, including my predecessor.”
A pregnant pause followed. Shiloh stopped eating and held her breath.
Then, Lord Henry broke the silence when he burst out laughing. “What fabulous ambition! A very youthful endeavor, I must say. I applaud your confidence.”
Drake chuckled darkly at that, which didn’t help deflate any of the tension in Shiloh’s body.
Whatever the two of them had just started, it couldn’t be good.
