They say the love of money is the root of all evil and it doesn’t buy happiness. Whoever said that didn’t have a bottomless pit for a wallet. They also didn’t have everything you never knew you wanted until it was placed on display before you.
Tawne stepped out of the limo in front of a warehouse district. Realizing it was the same place where Olivia had them meet not so long ago, she frowned. She turned to Cristofano as he exited the car behind her. The others had remained behind for this part of the trip. The sun had already set, but it didn’t stop the vampire from wearing sunglasses.
She grinned. “You know you don’t need those, right?”
He chuckled. His white teeth and fangs shimmered in the iridescent light of the full moon. His gray business suit was almost black in the darkness. He lowered the shades to the middle of his nose and looked at her over the rims. “Don’t take away my fun, my love.”
The man was crack for a sex addict. Sexy-as-sin in the darkest way possible, yet, each had a light about them that promised safety, security, and promise.
Cristofano winked and pushed his glasses back onto his face. “Come on, we’ll be late if you continue to stare at me with those hungry eyes.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she whispered with a giggle. She turned to face the warehouses and the night her world changed came rushing back to her. Everything she knew, and believed, had shattered that evening.
“What’s the matter?” he asked her.
She shook her head. The same feeling she had in the elevator came rushing back. Her chest clinched, and her heartbeat sped in rhythm. “I—I don’t know.” She damn well knew what it was, but she couldn’t admit to one of the men who had shown nothing but adoration for her. She stepped into their lives and they wanted nothing more than to give her everything, be everything she could ever need, even if it meant no longer being human.
She swallowed the dryness in her throat as he took her hand.
“Come, it won’t be so bad, I promise. Inside looks much different than out. Every quarter the coven hosts a pairing ceremony. The next one is in a few days. If it were not for you, my love, we would be part of the ceremony.”
That was almost hard to hear. They expected she would take this serum Chayton was working on and she would become their concubine, just like Olivia had for her men. But was this what she really wanted? Did she want this life?
She looked back at the car they'd arrived in as the driver pulled away toward a parking area, lights still on.
Well, at least he didn’t leave.
When she remained silent, Cristofano continued. “There’s a surprise inside waiting for you,” Cristofano announced. “I think you’ll be quite pleased.”
“Is that so?” Tawne glanced up at the man, then stopped in her steps. “Wait,” she whispered. “I need a minute.”
“What’s the matter, my love?” He touched her chin with a finger and lifted her head up.
She avoided looking into his eyes, keeping them trained on the beard covering his cheeks and chin.
“Talk to me, what is it?”
She took his hand and pulled it away from her face, then forced a smile. She met his gaze and took a step back. “Nothing. Let’s go inside. I’m curious about this pairing Olivia has talked so much about.”
He nodded, pulled her hand into the crook of his elbow and proceeded forward. The light from the parking lot lampposts faded into the shadows of the building. Soon, they stood before a painted red door. He knocked three times on the solid wood and they waited.
The door unlocked, and it creaked open. Fear shot through her and she squeezed Cristofano’s arm.
“My love,” he whispered, “you’re perfectly safe. No harm will come to you here, or anywhere while you’re with us.”
She nodded and tucked herself in closer to his body. The inside of the building did not settle her fear any. There was only darkness on the other side of the door. That was, until a light flicked on.
A woman on the other side peeked through. She was beautiful with pixie styled blonde hair, light blue eyes, and pale skin. She smiled, and fangs tipped on the edge of her soft pink lips.
“Hello, Cristofano. I’m happy you made it with your friend.” The woman looked at Tawne and opened the door further. “This is indeed a treat! We have never catered to humans. You are most welcome, Mistress Tawne.”
Tawne grinned. “Thank you, I appreciate that.” She wasn’t sure what else to say. In a way, she felt like a sheep being presented at a conference for vegan lions, but only recently converted to this new way of eating. She took a deep breath and followed along with Cristofano.
The heavy door closed behind them and the woman led the way toward another door. “My name is Sasha.” She turned to look at Tawne and smiled. “Anything you may need tonight, I’m happy to help.”
“Thank you, Sasha,” Tawne answered. If she wanted to quickly exit, she wasn’t sure Sasha was the best person to ask. She at least knew of this door to leave, but there had to be others inside as well.
The next door opened and Tawne held her breath. She wasn’t sure what to expect on the other side, but when the door opened fully, it was not anything like she expected. She thought she would walk into a chamber of wooden crosses the size of humans. She would be tied to it and drained, then her blood replaced with this synthetic substance Chayton made. It was barbaric, but it was what her mind was putting on display for her.
Rather than something like a dungeon, the room opened into a grand ballroom. Red velvet walls with lined art from familiar artists, tables with chairs and centerpieces, and in the middle it was empty. Maybe a dance floor?
Above the open space hung a chandelier of crystal. She could not imagine how much that would have cost but admired the lights as they danced off the walls and the floor. Everything inside this room, this warehouse, was stunning.
She smiled and let go of Cristofano’s arm.
“Not quite what you expected?”
She turned to an unfamiliar voice. A man glided with the air as if he floated and stood next to Cristofano. He was someone she had not met before now. The man had raven colored, shoulder length hair, parted down the middle. It looked as soft as silk and hung bone straight. She could imagine what it would feel like as it trailed over her fingers. He smiled at her, and like the others, his fangs were displayed.
“Love, this is Malik. He’s one of the leaders in our coven. Malik, this is Tawne O’Brien, the human we spoke of on the phone.”
Tawne glanced between the men, then took note of Sasha as she stood toward the back of the room. Was she something like wait staff? Maybe a bodyguard? She looked back at Malik and offered a shy smile.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard much about you and the coven.”
He chuckled and held his hand out for her, and she took it. “Well, pray tell, I hope it was all good.”
His hand was soft, and somewhat cold, but he was pleasant. “Yes, all good.”
“Perfect. Now, Miss Tawne, if I may be so bold, I understand you were studying history? Maybe looking to become a museum curator?”
She raised her brows. “How did you…” she trailed off and caught Cristofano smirking. She lifted one corner of her mouth into a grin. “Yes, sir. My ambition is to restore artifacts and become a curator of a museum. I love history and all that comes with it.” She removed her hand from his.
“That is wonderful to hear. It also just happens that we have a position open here with our coven for such a role.”
Tawne took a step back. “What?”
“That’s right,” Cristofano answered. “All of this can be yours, if you want it.”
Her mouth agape, she was lost for words. She would have to have worked for years to build up credibility and establish herself as a professional just to get in the door at a museum. Yet, here they were, offering her what she wanted on a silver platter…with a syringe filled with a substance to change her chemical makeup.
Everything comes with a price.
She again forced a smile. “I…I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes,” Cristofano whispered to her. “All of this, and all of us, will be yours.”
“All I have to do is sign my life away and become something I’m not.”
Silence passed between the three and Malik cleared his throat. “I will leave you two to talk this over.” He turned to leave and after a few steps, he paused. “I heard from Chayton just before your arrival. He has finished the serum.”
Tawne closed her eyes and turned away from the men and faced an open space of tables, red walls, and light dancing around the room.
Everything she could have ever wanted was laid out before her. Money, wanting for nothing, a life of luxury, her love of history and restoration of artifacts. All she had to do was become an artificial blood demon.
A tear slid down her cheek and she quickly swiped it away. A pair of hands rested on her shoulders and Cristofano stood just behind her, his chest touching her back. “My love, I am picking up melancholy from you. What’s the matter?”
“I…” she couldn’t get herself to finish. Instead, she shook her head.
“Is this not everything you wanted?”
“It is,” she whispered.
“Then what’s wrong?”
She turned to face him and took a step back. “Everything is wrong. This. All of this is wrong. You can’t buy me, Cris. I feel like I’m being bought like that actress in that hooker movie where a rich man swept her off her feet. Life doesn’t work like that.”
“Pretty woman?”
“What?”
“The movie. Pretty woman.”
She sighed and nodded. “Yes. Pretty Woman.” She looked into his eyes. A part of her died just then. He looked like a hurt puppy and it killed her. “I just need time. All of this has been rushed and thrust upon me. I don’t know if I’m ready for all of this.”
“No one is rushing you into a decision, my love.”
Her mouth opened in shock. “Is that not what all this is for?”
“Yes, and no. This is to offer you something to do if you chose to stay with us. We would not dare keep you captive inside our home for all eternity. With your love of history and restorations, the coven actually required a team to do this work for them. When the knowledge was passed over to Malik on what you desired, he made sure you would be well compensated. And not just a monetary value. He wanted to make sure you had everything you would ever need with this new role.
“You being here with us is also new to the coven. You being here is changing the face of everything we have ever known and believed. Chayton is making history with this serum. You could be the first human to serve as a concubine to vampires. I need you to understand the importance of this.”
She nodded. “I do. I understand, but I also need you to understand the hardship this is putting on me. I’ll be giving up my life as human to be your concubine. I’ll never have children or grandchildren. I don’t know if that is something I can live with.”
Cristofano lowered his gaze to the ground and nodded. “I see.” He turned his back to her and headed toward the door. He paused with a sigh, then glanced over his shoulder to her. “Come. We’ll drive back home, and I’ll discuss what we talked about tonight with my brothers. If you choose to leave, it will be your decision and yours alone. No one will come to you to try and convince you to stay. Honestly, we shouldn’t have to try to convince you.” He grabbed the door and turned back once more. “It is not often one finds the love of their life by a chance encounter. Add to that three additional bodies who feel the same way I do. Love is love, Tawne. It’s only up to you to accept what may be the best thing that has ever come into your life. Monster or not.”
Cristofano opened the door and passed through it. When it closed behind him, Tawne pulled out one of the chairs at the table and sat down. She held her head in her hand and let everything she had been feeling, go.
Pain. Misery. Happiness. Lust. Angst. Power.
Yes, she felt powerful with her men. No one had ever made her feel this way in the past. She would always change herself for the person she dated until their true colors showed. But then again, didn’t she do the same thing?
These men, these vampires, hid nothing. Will, desperate and powerful Will. He surprised her most of all. He didn’t put up a false bravado. He was an asshole and had every right to feel the way he did…until he took a chance on Tawne.
And here she was, an even bigger asshole, walking out of their lives.
“I can’t do this.” She stood and looked over to where Sasha stood. “I need a ride, please.”