Tawne rested her head against the Victorian style bathtub, her arms resting on either side. Her men had drawn her a bubble bath and Chayton had lowered her into the sudsy hot water. It smelled of lavender and vanilla.
She looked around her Parisian embellished bathroom. From the light colors of the stone tile to the cream-colored walls with accents of black and red throughout, this room had to be her favorite out of the entire house. She glanced over at the separate shower. It was large enough to hold at least three people.
I could live in this bathroom and be content.
Art decorated the walls with black and white painted images of couples in downtown Paris. Each portrait featured a red umbrella. On the ceiling hung a chandelier and the crystal lights projected multi-colored beams that danced around the room.
Tawne reflected on her time with Cristofano, Evan, and Chayton. The men lavished her earlier and asked for nothing in return. Would this be her life? Would they continue to be there for her, be anything for her? That’s what was promised and so far, they’d held up their end of the promise.
What about next year, the next decade, hell, the next century? Would they grow tired of her? Would Chayton’s serum really do what he was suspecting? Would she really be able to live out her life with her men and never age?
Her stomach quivered and felt heavy at the thought of jumping in feet first, then realizing, after the fact, she’d rushed in haste. At this point, only time would tell. Was she ready to commit to this type of lifestyle? If she chose this life, there would be no children or grandchildren, no schools, no PTA planning, nothing. Not that her parents did PTA planning when they were alive, but was this something she may want to consider if she did have children?
What if I want to have a child? Could I? Can they do that?
She sighed and lowered herself further into the tub until she was submerged completely. She imagined her men walking in on her bath time and her looking like a soapy, drowned rat. The thought amused her. Coming up for air, she drained the tub and decided it was time to clean up and see if she could spend some time with the devil…and in this case, the sexy-as-sin and mean as hell, Will.
Tawne stood in the hallway outside her bedroom and stared down the corridor where she last saw Will. His room was just down the way, last room on the left. She walked, one foot in front of the other and all the while she wanted to flee. She flexed her fingers, curling and uncurling the digits. If she were to go into this arrangement with these men, it would include Will. She was certain she could do this without him, but she would never ask the others to not include him. It wouldn’t be fair. Like a lineup of picking teams and being the last one. The team would be obligated to take him. The situations were different, but the feelings of being last were the same. The hurt would be real and, regardless how much they may end up hating one another, she would never put that much hurt into someone’s heart.
She had been that person in the past, the one picked last. She was never good at sports, at debate, and most of all, standing up for herself. That changed, though, when her parents passed away. She had no one left in her family, except Olivia. Her best friend had become the sister she never had. If it weren’t for her, she wasn’t sure she would have made it this far.
She sighed when she finally stood in front of Will’s door. She recalled the times when Olivia told her to stand up for herself, that if she refused, who would fight for her?
'Fight for what you want, and never back down. Fight for it! If you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything.'
“Didn’t someone famous say that last part?” Tawne had asked.
She smiled to herself as she recalled their conversation. She’s right. I need to fight for what I want and, dammit, I want this. I need this in my life.
A part of her wondered if she wanted this because she was alone and felt desperate. The other part felt as if something inside her she didn’t know was dormant had been awakened. She didn’t want to lose that feeling.
She would fight.
Tawne raised her fist and closed her eyes, then knocked on the door.
“What do you want, Tawne?”
She opened her eyes. The door had not opened, but Will knew she was outside. Of course he did. He’s a vampire and could sense feelings, or something. Like the others. Yet, he wanted to know what she wanted?
“I don’t know.” She looked down at the clothes she’d opted for this moment. In her closet were more clothes than she knew what to do with, but for this occasion, she picked a pastel yellow, halter style sundress with a white shrug and white sandals.
She continued and stared at the door. “Since you know it’s me, tell me what I want.” She cringed as soon as the words were out of her mouth. So often, words spewed from her before she had a chance to think about what she wanted to say.
The door unlatched and was pulled open with a hard thrust, and an angry Will stood on the other side. He frowned and furrowed his brows.
She met the dark brown evil stare of his eyes and took a step back. His tight fitted white tank top compressed and released over his pectorals. His arms were bare, and the muscles tensed and released with each movement he made.
He took a step forward and his lip curled in what could only be described as disgust. “I said, what the hell do you want?”
She frowned, and her stomach fell into her shoes. Her body trembled, and she opened her mouth to speak, but only squawked. Her heart raced in her chest and she took a step back.
“No, don’t you leave now. You’ve got my fucking attention. Tell me what you want!”
She let go of the breath she’d been holding and squared her shoulders. The fear started to drain and was replaced by anger—no rage. Heat rushed up her neck and her face and ears grew hotter. She fisted her hands and her arms shook for a different reason.
“What the fuck is your problem with me?” she yelled.
His brows rose, and his mouth opened agape. He blinked a few times, then frowned once more. “Fuck off.” He turned his back on her and started to shut the door. “I would never want you.”
She gasped and put her foot by the door and held it open with her hands. “You could never have me!”
He whirled on her and grabbed her by the shoulders. He yanked her inside, slamming the door behind her. “You’re a human piece of shit. Do you need me to go on?”
Tawne screamed and dug her nails into her palms. Her throat stung from it, but she also felt a huge release of adrenaline. She took a few steps toward him and it surprised her to see Will stepping backward. “You’re a piece of shit dead man who doesn’t deserve me or to be happy!” She pointed her finger at him and continued. “I don’t know who the fuck took a shit in your bowl of I-hate-everyone-Cheerios, but it wasn’t me and you don’t get to treat me this way!” She continued her verbal assault until they stopped, and Will was pressed against a wall. She stepped into his space and poked his chest. “What the hell is your problem?”
“You’re human is my problem!”
She flinched at his words and lowered her hand. “You were human once. Why is it an issue with me being human?”
Will sagged at against the wall, as if he had given up on their fight. He lifted a brow. “You won’t stop or leave until I tell you, am I right?”
She shrugged. “I would never ask anyone to divulge anything they’re not comfortable to tell, but in this case, I deserve to know why you hate me without even knowing me.”
“You’re tougher than you look, you know that?”
She took another step back. “I have no one else to stand up for me or defend me.”
He sidestepped her and made his way across the room to his desk. It was then she took a moment to look around his bedroom. It was kept neat. Bed made, a few art pieces on the wall, and law books on bookshelves. It was a large room, like hers, but it didn’t have a balcony.
He stood next to a wall that had a dark mahogany armoire with a set of double doors and a large drawer below it. Will opened the doors and inside were four crystal carafes. Three contained a brown liquid except one, it was clear. Water maybe?
He lifted two crystal brandy glasses and poured one brown liquid into them. He turned and made his way back to Tawne, then handed her a glass.
“It’s whiskey. I figured we’d start here.”
She nodded and accepted the glass. “Thank you.”
He lifted the contents then drained the glass.
She raised her brows. “Does the whiskey have any effect on you?”
“None whatsoever.”
“Then why drink it?”
He sat his glass down and walked over to his desk in the room. He took a seat pressed a button on his laptop. The screen came to life and she looked to see what he had been working on.
“The whiskey reminds me of my life as a human. I used to enjoy it.”
She took a few steps toward him. He motioned to another chair by the desk. She pulled it out and took a seat, then sipped her whiskey.
“Is that music sheets?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
She looked to him and raised her brows again. “You write music?”
“Yes. I also play.”
“The piano and cello, those are yours?”
He nodded again. “Yes.”
“Wow, I never would have thought you played.”
“I’m quite good.”
She took another sip. “I have no doubt.”
A moment of silence passed between them. Tawne thought to say something else, but this was Will’s story to tell. She wasn’t sure what she was about to hear or experience, but she wanted to give him time. She knew it had taken her a long time to talk about her parents death, but this was his pain, not hers.
“Can I tell you something?” she asked.
“I have a feeling you will regardless of what I say.”
A small laugh sounded in the room and Tawne smiled. “You have me figured out already.”
Will perked a crooked smile at her remark.
“My parents died a few years ago in a horrific car accident.”
He met her gaze and held it for a moment. “I’m very sorry.”
“I am, too. It hurt me for a long time and I couldn’t talk about it. I didn’t want to. But, not talking tore me up inside. I felt myself becoming bitter.”
“You realize I’m not you, right?”
She nodded. “I’m only trying to help.”
He moved the mouse across the screen and pressed the save button. With a sigh, he sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m surprised the others didn’t tell you.”
Tawne sipped her whiskey. “It’s not their story to tell.”
Will let his head relax back on his seat and stared at the ceiling. He had facial hair cut close to the skin. A part of her wanted to rub her palms on the scruff, the other was frightened he may try to bite her if she did.
“I was born and raised in California. I grew up in a home built on dirt that had a leaky roof. My father was an abusive drunk. When I was five, my mother left us and I never saw her again. I had no brothers or sisters. It was just me and my father.” He paused for a moment in reflection of his memories.
Tawne wanted to reach out and take his hand, squeeze it, let him know she was there, but she remained in her seat instead.
“Women came and went week after week. One of them stayed longer than the others. Her name was Holly.”
When he spoke Holly’s name, there was a hollowness to it. Pain came with her name and Tawne was about to hear something she may regret later in asking.
“Holly took it upon herself to teach me all about sexual education. I was twelve years old.”
“Oh god, Will, I’m so sorry.”
He tilted his head toward Tawne. “There’s a lot more. Are you sure you want to hear this?”
She sat her glass down and scooted her chair closer. “Will, I had no idea. You don’t have to tell me this.”
He turned his head up and stared at the ceiling. “She sexually molested me a few times a week. When I turned thirteen, she took it further. She decided she would train me to become a Dom, but in order to do that she forced me to submit to her. I tried to tell my father what she was doing, but he only backhanded me and told me I was lying.
“One night, when Holly was higher than a fucking cloud, she came into my room. I think I was already fifteen, maybe sixteen by then. She came in there and crawled into my bed, on top of me. I’d had enough of her and my father. Something inside me snapped.
“I fought back against Holly and knocked her out. I honestly thought I had killed her. I grabbed a few things of mine and ran away.”
He paused in his story and stood from his chair. Will checked his watch then walked over to the windows of his room. He pulled the curtains open and the light of the moon illuminated the dark sky.
“Eventually, I wound up in a foster home. The abuse didn’t stop there. It became physical. If anything, the beatings taught me how to fight. I held my own against the man of the house a few times, but when I turned eighteen, I was kicked out.
“I lived between homes on people’s beds, back porches, bars, or the forested area. Anywhere I could get work or somewhere to get food or water, I took it. I resorted to stealing clothes a few times when mine were outgrown or were ripped.
“On my twenty-fifth birthday, I went down to Hollywood in hope of finding work, or you know, getting discovered. The movie, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, had released a few years prior and horror was the way to go it seemed. Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde were quite popular, as they still are today.
“My goal was clear. I needed a positive change and the only way to do it was with money. Hollywood had it and I wanted it. I was hired by a local film company to clean the sets, work on building things, stuff like that. I worked during the days since the movies were mainly shot at night. I seldom saw my employer, but when I did, it was quick moments. He was there, then he wasn’t. It was very odd. I grew curious about what went on during the filming sessions. So, one night, I decided to stay. I hid in one of the backdrop areas.
“What came next, it changed everything I ever knew about our world.”
Tawne’s grip tightened in her lap. She fisted her hands in anticipation of what would be coming next. He had already been through so much.
“Women were brought into the set to audition for roles…or so I thought. They began to read the lines and the men surrounded them acting out their parts. Then, when the women were not expecting it, the men attacked them. They bit into their necks and blood spewed in all different directions.”
“Holy shit,” she whispered.
He turned and met her gaze. “I screamed, and they found me.”
“What happened?” She knew what happened. The end result stood before her.
“They found me and brought me out into the open. I was bound to a seat and forced to watch the brutal rape, feeding on, and murder of the women.”
“Oh, Will,” she whispered.
“I saw the worst of humanity that night, but for me, it still wasn’t over.”
Tawne wiped away a tear that slipped down her cheek. Her heart bled for the man before her. Everything became clear—his hatred for humans, why he didn’t want her there, everything.
“When they were done with the women, the leader, the man who hired me, took my life. He bit into me, then forced his blood down my throat. He changed me that night, then left me for dead. My body was dumped into an alley.” He turned back to the window and looked out upon the night sky once more.
“Malik found me soon after I was turned. He brought me back to New Orleans and took me into his family. He gave me everything I never had. He encouraged me to go to school and earn a degree in something, to create a career for myself. It would keep me busy, I suppose. I decided to go into law to protect those who could not protect themselves.”
Tawne stood from her chair and crossed the room to where Will stood. He had his hands in his pockets and didn’t move when she approached. She laid her hands on the back of his shoulders. He didn’t move away from her this time. She took this as a positive thing.
“I am so sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t know, any of it.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for, Tawne. It wasn’t you.”
“No, it wasn’t, but I understand the hatred for humans. You knew nothing but hate, torture, and demise.” She paused and rested her forehead against the middle of his back. She felt his muscles move but remained where she was. “I promise, I’m not like any of those monsters. I promise to never hurt you like that, or anyone in my life.”
“Tawne,” he whispered and turned to face her.
She took a step back and looked up into his eyes. “Yes?”
“Thank you for listening. My brothers here know, and Malik, but no one else.”
“It stays with me and me alone. I promise you.”
He nodded. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Thank you for sharing.”
He touched her cheek with the back of his hand, then leaned in. “I’m sorry for holding you accountable for what my past did. It wasn’t fair.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “May I kiss you?”
He didn’t have to answer. He leaned in and his lips captured hers in a kiss of desperation. He cradled her head with both hands and leaned into her, tipping her back.
She gripped his forearms and held on. His tongue danced with hers in a power struggle of dominance. She gasped, and her head tilted back when his mouth pressed against her neck.
“We must stop,” he growled against her throat, “or I will not be able to control myself around you.”
She longed to have this man on top of her, inside, her, claiming her, along with the other three. Her heart raced as she pulled herself free from his grip. “I want you to lose control. I want you to claim me with the others. I want to be yours.”
He tilted her face to his and stared into her eyes, directly into her soul. “Are you sure this is what you want?
“Yes,” she whispered. “I want you, all of you.”
A knock rapped on the door. Tawne took a step back from Will, and lowered her gaze to the floor.
“What’s wrong?” Will asked.
The universe saying wait?
She shook her head, then looked at him with a smile. “Nothing. This morning I wasn’t sure what would be in store for me…for us. All of us. I’ll be honest with you, though. Everything that’s happened today? I never expected any of it.”
He touched her underneath her chin and lifted her head up. Will leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead. “Sometimes we need someone to remind us of our humanity.”
She closed her eyes. His words… No one had given her a compliment as deep, as meaningful, as Will’s. It took her to a new place within herself, a place she didn’t know existed until she met her men. There was a side to Tawne that had been dormant for far too long. Her men summoned this part of her she didn’t know existed and brought out a beast within.
She followed Will with her eyes as he crossed the room to his bedroom door. He turned the knob and peeked around the doorjamb, then stepped back and fully opened it. On the other side were Cristofano, Evan, and Chayton.
The three joined the fourth and together the quartet became the predators. Tawne was their prey and a fire ignited between her legs, an intense longing for the four of them to devour her, claim her, and give themselves to only her burned itself deep inside her very soul.