The sun faded in the distance over New Orleans, leaving pink and orange highlights across the sky. The air was humid and thick. Olivia Martin rubbed the inside of her forearm. A birthmark that had been faint her entire life, until last month, turned darker, and became more prominent. She pulled up her sleeve and glanced down at the blemish.
The mark, a circular shape, similar to a maze, with five horn-like extensions. She rubbed her hand over it, then crossed her arms over her chest. This may be the last time she watched a sunset. Once she went underground, she may only see the stars, the moon…
Born as a nephilim, she bore the mark identifying her as a blood demon. It was not something she asked for, but it was not a choice given to her, either. Her human mother had been seduced by an Incubus. At least, that’s what she told Olivia. It wasn’t the best bedtime story. Thankfully, it wasn’t, ‘Hey daughter of mine. I laid with a demon. Bam, that’s how you were conceived.’
She knew of vampires, they existed in her world. Not everyone knew, but as a concubine it was her future, her destiny. Olivia wondered if this would ever shift her into becoming a succubus.
Could be worse ways to go, I suppose. Sex demon isn’t so bad.
When she performed a Google search on Succubus demons, she shuddered. Wings with a long tail? No thanks.
This was her destiny and whether she was ready or not to embrace it, she needed to be prepared.
She sighed and turned back to her car. Tomorrow would be her final day as a human. Tomorrow night, she would be introduced to the coven as the concubine to her vampire. She would be arranged to suit a vampire’s needs the rest of her natural life, or until he died, whichever came first. Once her fate had been sealed to said vampire, she would be tied to him, completely. It was not uncommon for the vampire and concubine to become mated pairs, however, if the vampire were already involved, fights had been known to happen. Not just fights, blood battles.
Vampires were much stronger, invincible to most things, as opposed to humans. If someone’s mate challenged her for their vampire, she would not stand a chance. That was, of course, unless said vampire defended her, resulting in her vampire fighting against their own mate.
Talk about a blood battle.
She shuddered once more. No one had ever wanted her that much in her life. She had lovers but no one ever serious enough to propose marriage. Not that she could have accepted anyway.
Once Olivia was paired, she would be set for life, wanting for nothing. It wasn’t a bad trade off. Not having a normal life, though, no husband, children, grandchildren…not that she wanted that right now, but if she had, the future of such aspect had been stripped of her at birth.
As a blood demon, she had no actual powers that a demon would possess, but rather she could ingest blood in place of food for sustenance. The thought made her stomach churn. She had only ever tasted blood when she’d bite the inside of her cheek or tongue. The iron taste was not something she ever desired. She read that would change once you were with your vampire. The taste would give a euphoric sensation. All of her senses would be heightened.
She recalled of her last boyfriend going down on her. He was okay but not sensational. He would be down there for what felt like hours with little real result. If he were a vampire, though, if the stories were true, she would not be able to control herself, or the orgasms she had. And there were fangs.
The thought of fangs scared her. Hell, needles frightened her. Once she was paired, fangs would be her life.
She drove home, making mental notes of her belongings. She arranged to have her clothes and personal effects brought to her new home. Once she knew where she would end up, directions would be given at that time. Parking in her driveway, she sighed and lifted her gaze to the front of her rental property. She would miss this house. She never bought property. Why would she? She would end up selling it to move.
Sliding out from behind the wheel, she pulled her purse over her shoulder, locked her car, and walked to her front door. She unlocked it and sauntered inside. Closing it behind her, she glanced through her mail and walked through her home to the kitchen. The light buttery walls lit her spirits, a welcoming color to the darkness of her world. She stopped on an envelope with a wax seal.
Do people still do this?
She did recognize it, though. It was the seal of the counsel, the vampire counsel. Breaking the seal with a nail, she opened the letter and pulled out a tanned invitation.
You are cordially welcomed to the introduction of concubine Olivia Martin…
She trailed off reading and sat the invitation on the counter. They sent her an invitation to her own ceremony. Why? So maybe she wouldn’t forget to show up?
“Assholes,” she mumbled. The meowing from her cat, Sherlock, caught her attention. Her midnight black cat stared up at her with his golden eyes. He meowed again. “Hungry?” she asked. As if Sherlock could answer, he meowed.
She laid out food for her feline friend and walked into her den. Taking a seat on her sofa, she turned on the television and stared at it. The news played, but she wasn’t listening. Soon would be the ceremony, her pairing…vampires.
What vampire will request my hand in the pairing?
Will he be sexy?
Old, fat, and ugly?
Hell, maybe a woman?
She shook her head and tucked her legs up underneath her. Sherlock jumped up on the couch. She pulled him into her lap and stroked his head.
Vampires.
Feedings.
Concubine.
Mistress.
It was all too much to consider as her future. If she ran and refused this life, they would hunt her down. They left her no choice. This will be her life.
“Tomorrow, human woman Olivia Martin will voluntarily sacrifice herself for the greater good.”
Olivia glanced to the television as the reporter continued, catching her attention.
“Her pairing will be a successful one, and she will make her coven proud.” The reporter grinned.
Olivia blinked and rubbed her eyes. She stared at the television. The reporter droned on about who would be playing what sport, what crimes happened in the area, and the weather.
Was she daydreaming this? It’s possible she was losing her mind and the pairing had not even started.
She laid down, resting her head on the shoulder of the couch. She curled up Sherlock next to her and he purred. Exhaustion set in, as well as depression. Olivia wanted to love someone and be loved in return. She wanted to make love going to bed and wake up to her man giving her oral sex. She wanted to wrap herself in saran wrap as a welcome home surprise. No man she had dated before wanted that from her, though.
Olivia had curves, her body thick. She liked her figure and didn’t care for men who wanted the stick thin women. That would never be her, and she was good with that. But when a man told her not to wear this, or don’t dress like that, she’d let them go.
She wanted to have someone hold her during the rough days and laugh with her at silly movies. She just wanted a life of her own. She would never have it. A tear slipped into her hair.
She thought of her mother just then. Olivia had held on to the anger against her mother up until the day she passed away. The moments before she took her final breath, her mother had whispered, “Forgive me.”
Her eyes burned, the memories bringing on a fresh set of tears. Olivia was alone in the world. Having a coven take care of her was not the worst thing in the world, but it wasn’t the best, either.
She swiped her tears away and closed her eyes, allowing the upcoming events to continue their onslaught as she slipped into unconsciousness. Tomorrow would be the first day to the rest of her life.