They say when death approaches, your life comes in flashes, like an audiobook played on high speed. Others have said it’s like walking the green mile.
Dead man walking, there’s a dead man walking here. Get out of the way, dead man walking.
The limo drove just over the speed limit, or so Olivia considered by the way the city streaked by her window.
When would she see the streets again?
The lamp lights?
The sun?
Oh damn, I’m going to miss the sun, so much.
She sighed and crossed her legs. If she wanted something new, she would have a personal shopper. Something made? Personal cook, or assistant, or whatever it was she desired. People longed to live this way. So many desire to want for nothing. Olivia thought this was what she wanted, until she realized what she had to give up in order to obtain it.
Nerves jolted in her belly when the limo turned a corner and then pulled to a stop.
“Miss Martin, we’re here,” called the driver. “Please, wait in your seat. Someone will come fetch you.”
She lifted a brow. “What the fuck am I,” she whispered. “A dog?” She thought she saw the driver smirk. She picked up her phone and checked the time. Nine pm. Nerves were now joined with impatience. She was here to meet her destiny, and destiny wanted her to wait.
She pulled her pocket mirror from her handbag and checked her lipstick and makeup. Everything still in its place. Nothing had smeared or needed touching up. Her team did an amazing job. Highlights, contours, all the new ways to do makeup, hair, and nails. They had it down perfect.
Bryce provided a few rings he told her were hers to keep, a gift from the coven. A pink diamond sat on her right ring finger, princess cut. It was set on a platinum mount. The ring was exquisite. A diamond bracelet rested on her wrist.
She felt as if she were being watched. She glanced up to the rearview mirror. The driver had been watching her. Their gazes met, and he quickly looked away. “How much longer will I remain in the car?”
“When they’re ready to retrieve you, someone will be out,” he answered.
Again, with the dog remarks.
“What’s your name?”
“Theodore, but you may call me Ted.”
“Nice to meet you, Ted. Are you the official driver for the coven?”
“Not quite,” he told her.
“Oh, then who do you drive for?”
Before he could answer her, Ted turned his head in the direction of the building. “Your party comes. Nice to meet you, Olivia.”
She tried to smile, but her heart dove into her stomach. She felt nauseous. The limo locks unlatched, and the door was opened. Night air blew into the car and a large hand with a midnight black sleeve reached in, palm up.
“Miss Martin?” called the deep, gravelly voice attached to the arm. “Please, join me.”
She tucked her purse under her arm and slipped her hand into his. She stood from the car and the stranger holding onto her hand made sure she was upright before he released her. The man shut the door, then turned to her.
“My name is Jesse. I’m assigned as your detail.”
She looked up to Jesse. The man was huge. He towered over her small size. She took a step back and lifted her brows.
“Nice to meet you, Jesse. Why would I need a detail?”
He smirked and offered his hand once more. She put hers in his and he tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. “I’m to keep you safe until the pairing.”
“Safe? Safe from what?”
“Not what,” he answered. “From who.”
Fear struck her, and she paused in her step. “Jesse, what will happen to me in there?”
“Nothing you don’t want to happen, Miss Martin.”
“Please, Olivia. And, if I don’t want this?”
“Well, unfortunately, you’re not able to get out of this. You’re a blood demon. You were born to feed the coven.”
She closed her eyes. “Then, why dress me up for a funeral?”
“Come again?” he asked.
“I feel like I’m walking toward my death.”
Jesse turned to face her. “No one in there can force you into anything you do not want. Once you’re inside and you see what all this is about, you’ll understand, and will feel safe. I’ll be by your side until the pairing. Once it’s done, then I’ll hand you off.”
She nodded, but still did not like what she was about to walk into, safe or not.
“All right, let’s do this.”
Jesse escorted her to a set of double doors to what appeared to be a warehouse. She glanced up to Jesse and motioned to the building with her thumb. “Incognito?”
He nodded. “Not everyone can know where we are. Imagine humans finding out we’re real, or you’re real.”
“But, I am real.”
He smiled. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Thank you for being nice to me. I wasn’t sure what to expect.”
He bowed his head. “Are you ready?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
Jesse opened a panel and punched in a set of codes. “So, you know what to expect, you’re not the only concubine here.”
“Oh? Is this some type of claiming ceremony?”
He nodded. “Something like that.”
“Oh hell, I was only teasing.”
The doors unlocked, and Jesse pulled one of them open. “Don’t let go. You’ll be fine next to me. Vampires will approach you and look you over. Speak when spoken to. Understand?”
Tears burned her eyes. She wanted to cry. She felt like a cow being sent in for slaughter. She nodded.
They stepped inside, and the doors closed, then locked. The area was small, like a passage between the outside and the event inside. A familiar sound of a fan motor hummed in the distance. She swallowed hard, her throat dry. Light classical music echoed from another room. They walked toward the source and her heels struck the concrete below her feet. Fear escalated further as they approached the next door.
Jesse pulled on the door and the music escaped and surrounded her. Inside, a chandelier hung overhead. The walls were red velvet with silver wall decor. The air felt chilly and she was grateful for the shawl Bryce provided her. She tugged the silver garment closer around her shoulders. The men were in tuxedos, women in beautiful dresses. First thing she noticed about this was the men were all in black. Some had bowties, others regular ties. Most of the women were also in black. Then, there were women in different colored dresses.
Those must be the concubines.
Jesse escorted her inside and stopped, just short of the dance floor. Just as her dress team stated, the men turned to gaze upon her. She felt exposed and vulnerable. Her knees shook, and she wanted to cry.
“Calm yourself,” Jesse ordered. “You’re digging your nails into my arm.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Everyone is staring.”
He smirked and leaned down to her. “Imagine walking into an art gallery. Amazing pieces of work hang on the walls, painted by world class artists. Each piece has a number assigned, like one fifty of four hundred. Then there is a painting brought into the room with no numbers. It is a one of a kind image that can be obtained by only one collector. Everyone wants this one of a kind. Olivia, you are that painting.”
Her heart leapt in her chest. “No one has ever compared me to something so precious before in my life.”
He lifted his brow. “Tonight will be interesting.”
She frowned. “Was that supposed to be a joke?”
He chuckled. “Can I get you a drink?”
She nodded. “A shot of something fierce.”
He nodded. “Water it is. Quiet now.” He walked her to the bar and waved down the bartender. She continued to look over the people, taking all of this in.
She had known about blood demons, Incubus, Succubus, and vampires her entire life. People were smiling, laughing, drinking, enjoying conversation. She noticed a few would follow her every move, others went back to their conversations.
Jesse handed her a glass of clear liquid with ice cubes. She took it and smelled it. Satisfied it was water, she sipped it.
“I wouldn’t give you something loaded.”
She arched a brow.
“You may speak.”
“I’m not a fan of not speaking. But, since I have permission now,” she said and stepped closer to him. She didn’t know the man, but right now, she felt his protection. “Tell me about the men who may try to pair with me.”
“I’d rather you meet them before I say anything.”
“What about Victor?”
Jesse snarled. He actually snarled. “Victor will do good to keep away from you.”
She raised her brows. “He’s that bad?”
“Let’s just say he won’t be given a pairing anytime soon.”
“Why? What did he do?”
“That’s a story for another time. Soon, the introductions will begin.”
Olivia sipped her water and held onto Jesse. He guided her toward the center of the room, pointing out a few people in attendance, explaining that they had been with the coven for more than a century. The eldest vampire attending tonight’s pairing has had four concubines. The oldest recorded vampire in history had fifteen.
Olivia could not imagine going through life having fifteen women spend their life with a man who would not love them, make children with them, marry them.
They keep telling me it’ll change once the pairing happens.
We’ll see.
The music dwindled away after the last song finished. Anyone dancing left the dance floor. Everyone in black made their way toward the walls of the room, leaving the floor space open.
Jesse held onto her hand on his arm. He took a step forward, leading her ahead.
Olivia’s breath became sparse. Her lungs burned and she couldn’t breathe. She shook her head and tugged on Jesse.
“Please, don’t make me do this,” she whispered.
“I promise you will be safe. Now, please, behave.”
She wanted to cry, run away, rip her heels off and use them as weapons.
A loud creek of hinges erupted in the silence as a set of wooden double doors opened in the shadowed back of the room. Someone coughed. Olivia’s heart pumped loud in her ears and she vaguely wondered if anyone else could hear the thumping beat.
Heel strikes from men’s shoes began to echo. Olivia waited and soon, shadows formed in the dimness of the room as they entered from the long hallway beyond the doors. One by one, elegantly dressed vampires filed out, walking the circumference of the room. A few made eye contact with Olivia. She wanted to look down, hide behind Jesse.
“Keep eye contact, don’t look away. And don’t speak—”
“Yes, got it,” she interrupted. She felt him chuckle.
In all, twenty-five different men left the confines of the narrow hallway and the doors closed behind them. They trolled the floor, looking over each woman as though they intended to select the choicest morsel of meat from the offerings. Her eyes widened, her lips parting slightly as she drew in a deep breath. Each one of the vampires appeared to have just walked off a photoshoot. Holy hell, every single one of them were sexy as sin.
This may have been what Amanda and Jackie were talking about.
Two men stepped up to her. One with short, chestnut brown hair and striking hazel eyes. He tilted his head down and kept his gaze locked with hers. He did not move, blink, or make an attempt to speak to her.
Olivia held her breath. The man in front of her had to be the most attractive man she had ever seen. She wanted to tilt her head, exposeher neck for him to bite. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, fear crept back in and sent a chill skating down her spine.
Fangs.
Needles.
Vampires.
She felt her body shake with fear. The man before her took a step closer. He reached up and trailed a finger over her cheek. He leaned in and sniffed. He legitimately sniffed her. Then he leaned in closer and inhaled deeply. She could feel his nose tickle her neck.
Olivia closed her eyes. She had never had a stranger come this close to her, but at the same time, he calmed her.
“Remember to breathe, so you don’t pass out,” the man whispered to her.
He pulled back and met her gaze once more, then winked.
A smile crept over her lips as she relaxed.
“Who do we have here?” came a man behind her sniffer.
“Please,” the man offered and stepped to the side.
A man, whom she assumed from his accent to be Italian, stepped forward. His dark hair was longer, to his shoulders, with soft curls. Olivia wanted to run her fingers through his hair. He was just as sexy, just as gorgeous, as the first man. He smiled and stepped closer, then leaned in. Like the former, he inhaled her scent.
What are they doing?
Why sniff me?
“Thank you,” the man said and stepped back. “We’re done here.” Both men turned to head back to the inner part of the circle.
Olivia wanted to reach after them, ask them to come back. Something about them pulled to her, urged her to give herself to them. But why?
“Not so bad, right?” Jesse offered.
“What?” She asked and blinked.
He chuckled. “Nothing. You’re doing fine. But, please, breathe.”
She nodded and sucked in a deep breath, then turned back toward the men in the crowd. The two who had sniffed her were lost in the crowd. She felt sad. She attracted men, but never men like these two. Would she be paired to both men? One of them? Neither?
“Welcome to the formal introduction! Welcome to our new concubines!”
A man’s voice bellowing out over a microphone startled Olivia. The group of men spread out across the floor and the two men came back into view. Olivia smiled.
She'd walked in feeling fearful and wanting to leave. Now, she wanted these two men to call on her for the pairing. She felt shallow for feeling this way, but every one of the men in the crowd were simply astonishing. She leaned into Jesse.
“Which one is Victor?”
Jesse looked across the crowd. “At your eleven o’clock. Hands are in his pockets. Dark hair.”
She shook her head. “That explains over half of the men.”
He chuckled. “Second from the end on the left.”
Olivia peeked over to where Jesse mentioned, then gasped. The man was staring at her. He grinned and she saw his fangs. Fear crept inside her once more. She gripped Jesse again.
“Please, bring forth, concubine Melissa,” the man with the microphone announced.
A woman in a light pink dress was guided forward by her escort. Three men stepped toward her, each of them sniffing her like the two had done to Olivia. The men then took a step back and whispered to each other. A moment later, two left and one stayed. He held his hand out for this Melissa. She grasped his hand and he pulled her to his side.
“The pairing will be made official once the ceremony is completed,” the man behind the microphone announced. “Please, bring forth concubine Samantha.”
This continued on until the announcements reached Olivia. Her heartbeat suddenly pumped louder in her ears. Jesse tugged her arm, drawing her from her place on the side of the room. She took a few steps forward, trembling as ice water seemed to race through her veins and made her knees feel weak. She did not want to fall and be the one concubine in history to fall on her face.
When she and Jesse came to a stop in the center of the room, eight men stepped forward. Her eyes widened and she gripped Jesse's arm, no doubt digging her nails into his flesh again.
“Jesse,” she whispered.
“You’re fine,” he answered.
Then, another joined the eight, bringing it to nine. Then, Victor made ten. She gasped.
“Do I have to accept him?”
“No,” he whispered. “Now, be quiet.”
The two men she'd had the awkward sniffing interaction with earlier were among the ten. Three other men were chatting with her two. Victor stepped forward, putting himself into her space. He sniffed her, like the others had, then stepped back and grinned. He held his hand out to her.
Her eyes widened, fear clamped on her chest, and Olivia shook her head.
Victor’s smile dropped and he snarled. “You cannot defy me, concubine.”
“Yes, she can,” came the voice of the first familiar man. “She has the right to refuse. And she has invoked that right. Now, please, step away and allow the others to have a look.”
Victor snarled and turned away from her, fading back into the crowd. She met the gaze of the dark-haired man who had spoken.
Thank you, she mouthed.
He bowed ever so slightly, acknowledging her. If he were to hold his hand out for her, she would rush to his side.
The man turned back to the crowd and confusion filled her. Did he not want her? She felt a slight pang of rejection. Then, he turned back to her, the other who sniffed her at his side. The other three who were speaking with her dark-haired man stepped forward.
One had sandy blond hair and caramel eyes. He smiled at her and stepped close. He tilted her head up with a finger under her chin and kept her gaze locked on his.
“Are you nervous?” he asked.
“Scared to death,” she whispered.
He chuckled. “Don’t be. You’re safe here.” He released her and stepped back.
Another man stepped forward and he had similar features to her dark-haired beauty. Were they brothers? His hair was longer, though, shaggy. It suited him. He tilted her head up, then side to side, examining her neck, maybe her shoulders. He smiled.
“You’re stunning, my dear. Magnificent.”
She smiled and felt heat creep up her cheeks. Like the others, he stepped back to his friends. One more man stepped forward. His skin was dark like chocolate. His eyes a light coffee. He smirked and nodded to her, as if saying, “’Sup?”
She grinned and shrugged a single shoulder.
He chuckled and stepped closer. Like the first two, he leaned in and smelled her. Unlike the first two, though, he lingered. “My gods, I could breathe you in all day.” His voice was like a song that called to her. As he pulled away, she turned to meet his gaze. “Exquisite,” he whispered. He stepped back to his friends and the five of them conversed quietly, each sending sporadic glances her way.
She cleared her throat and looked up at Jesse. She frowned at the expression of humor on his face.
“What?” she whispered.
“I told you, you’re safe.”
She nodded and turned back to the five men. The first one she'd met stood to the front of the five and smiled, then held his hand out to her.
“Congratulations, Miss Martin. This will be a great pairing for you,” Jesse whispered.
She smiled, let go of her guard, and closed the distance to her vampire.
“My name is Jared,” he offered and tucked her hand into the inside of his arm. “Allow me to introduce you to my brothers at arms.”
Her brows lifted, curious. “I’m not sure I understand?” she asked.
“Miss Martin,” he began.
“Olivia, please.”
He nodded. “Olivia, you will not be just mine. You will be ours.” The other four surrounded her and suddenly five breath-stealing men encircled her.
She blinked, feeling light-headed, and her knees weakened for a different reason. “What?”