Bed and Breakfast [Bloodkin 1] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) (15 page)

No other words were said. Thomson dissipated into thin air, departing to fulfill the command. A few seconds later, Kier sat in the spot the wraith had been. “This isn’t good,” he said. “At this rate, the elves will become involved and turn everything into an all-out war.”

Vane nodded. The Kin leaders feared this when they’d set the laws in place. Their civilization was falling apart. The elves loathed the bloodkin. They would never allow for a full-fledged assault on humanity from Tachaka.

For Vane’s part, he’d never truly believed the laws would keep their people in check. He’d inherited his position, and he was good at it. But he’d long ago lost hope anything he could do would change the situation. He seriously considered taking Kier and Moss and getting out of here while he still could. For now, though, he needed to remain here. He had a discussion pending with the Imperator.

“Let’s go,” he told Kier. If Thomson took the message to Tachaka, Vane would probably be summoned there. He had to make preparations to ensure the safety of his home and smooth running of his affairs in his absence.

He dropped a few coins on the table and made his way out of the tavern. Situated in one of the busiest sectors of Clavar, the tavern might’ve seemed a peculiar choice for a meeting spot. However, Vane played the game with the best of them. One never met an informer away from public eyes. Vane’s powers could keep the humans oblivious easily enough, but should a conflict emerge, they’d be alerted, a fact which all bloodkin sought to avoid as a rule. And in the end, Thomson answered to the Thieves’ guild, not to him.

“If I leave for Tachaka, you’ll have to stay here,” he told Kier as they began to navigate through the crowd. “I want Moss safe.”

Kier chuckled. “I thought you might say that. You’ve grown quite attached to the little human, haven’t you?”

“Like you haven’t,” Vane shot back. Of course he realized Kier had befriended Moss. He only accepted it because he trusted Kier to know better than to try and steal Moss from him.

Kier ignored his threatening tone. “So what’s the plan? How are you going to prevent the Kin in Clavar from instigating trouble? You know they’re just dying for you to leave so they can return to their old behavior.”

Vane didn’t doubt that, but neither would he allow it. “Not on my watch, they won’t.”

“Do you intend to leave without them knowing?”

“That’s hardly possible. No. Kier, I need you to spread a rumor around. Whisper in the right ears I’ve been summoned to Tachaka and I’ll be away for at least a week.”

His friend arched a brow. “Let me guess. You’ll make a sudden comeback and punish the idiots for going against the law. But what if it doesn’t work?”

“It’ll work,” Vane replied. “Go. Wait until you note unrest, and then, drop a word here and there. We don’t have any time to lose.”

Kier silently took off, his glamour changing as they split up. Benson disappeared, replaced by an elegant young bloodkin. Kier would definitely get the message of Vane’s departure to the right people.

Now, Vane just needed to wait. He’d have liked to see Moss, but he couldn’t go back to the mansion. Their conversation the night before still lingered in his memory. Moss was clearly getting more and more attached to him, a fact Vane could not allow. He needed to find a more serious and permanent solution for this predicament. The contract he’d signed did indeed bind him, as he couldn’t break it without going against his word and honor. If push came to shove, though, Vane would do it, if only to keep Moss safe.

Perhaps Moss would reconsider if given some time to think about Vane’s suggestion. At any rate, Vane would have to lie low for at least a few days. The bloodkin weren’t stupid, so Vane would not have to leave with great pomp. His absence would be conspicuous enough to cause doubt.

After this, he needed to do one more thing. The Courtesans’ Guild had been both a necessity and a thorn in his side for quite a while now. It was high time he dealt with the foolish Annette, once and for all. After Moss left, Vane would require their services once more, so he’d have to consider things carefully.

With his plan in motion and a heavy heart, Vane headed toward the Courtesan’s Guild. He might as well get this over with, because after that, his duties would require his full attention.

* * * *

“Please, don’t misunderstand, my lord. I realize your chosen bed and breakfast provides you with sustenance. I’m merely pointing out that he is clearly not a professional at this, and couldn’t possibly give you the satisfaction the Courtesan Guild always provides.”

Vane listened to Annette in silence, having of course, expected a protest from her. No matter what she thought about him, she was clearly not willing to lose him as a customer.

Vane waited for her to finish her rant and then asked, “Annette, how many years have we known each other?”

It was a tricky question, since she didn’t like being reminded of her age. “Quite a lot,” she replied, not showing any discomfort at the inquiry.

“Then you must understand better than anyone the nature of bloodkin. Our long existences guarantee that we need variety. I’m not arguing against the quality of the services of the Courtesan Guild. I have no doubt that I’ll be visiting you again. Just, not right now.”

Out of all his carefully chosen words, she somehow managed to pick the only one that was weak. “Variety,” she repeated. “So you’re bored.”

Her bland expression clearly managed to point out how pissed off she truly was.
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
Vane didn’t have the patience for this. He knew he should be more diplomatic, but he ended up arching a brow at her and nodding. “I suppose you could put it that way.”

He and Annette had never had a sexual relationship of any kind. However, as the leader of the Courtesan Guild here, she would undoubtedly be insulted by his words. But Vane had too many concerns to worry about Annette’s hurt ego, and right now, neither she nor any of her employees managed to stir any interest.

He was well aware that, if Moss finally agreed to leave as Vane wanted, a poor relationship with Annette would put him in a bad position. But he’d worry about it when the time came. In the end, Annette was a savvy woman and would undoubtedly open her doors to him once more. After all, money talked.

Right now, though, she was clearly more than pissed, although she tried not to let it show. Smiling tightly, she answered, “Of course. The customer is always right, and you are, as always, a most valued customer.”

“Thank you. And now, I truly must go,” Vane said. “My duties summon me away even from your lovely presence.”

She led him to the door of the establishment. Vane murmured a good-bye and stepped out. No sooner had he left the Guild than all thought of Annette vanished from his mind. What he truly wanted was to go home and see Moss, bury his fangs in the human’s neck and his dick in Moss’s ass. But that wasn’t possible. So instead, Vane allowed his steps to lead him to a reclusive inn, resigned to a night of loneliness and starvation. No matter how much he desired Moss, the chemistry between them was far too dangerous for the human, so Vane had to keep his distance.

* * * *

A few days later

Vane watched through the windows of the mansion as one the bloodkin drank from yet another human. They had not killed anyone so far, but a couple of the unwilling donors were a step away from being drained.

Vane would have loved to burst into their little party, but he needed to get enough evidence to ensure they stayed out of commission for a little while. He couldn’t kill them, as not even he had the influence to go on a rampage and take everyone out. But with what they were doing, he could do enough damage so they’d be too busy licking their wounds to cause trouble in his absence.

The idiots had actually organized a party, blood and wine flowing and mingling together in a red river. They deserved to die just for their stupidity.

As one of the nobles grabbed an unconscious human female, Vane gave the signal to attack. He couldn’t allow the humans to be killed either, because he himself would be accused of complicity to the illegal hunts. He’d lose his influence, and everything would descend into chaos. He hated to think what would happen to Moss if such a thing came to pass.

Followed by his guards, Vane burst into the mansion of his fellow bloodkin. The noble he’d spotted from the outside, a young bloodkin named Fangrift, dropped the woman and gaped at him. “Bloodmoor? What? What are you doing here?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Vane sneered at the idiot. “And it’s Kin Lord Bloodmoor to you.”

“We’ve done nothing against the law,” another bloodkin piped in. “They are alive. You can go ahead and check.”

Vane knew they were alive. The scent of death hadn’t yet descended over the mansion. Even so, Vane had enough evidence to keep them locked up and under watch for a little while. As long as he made sure they didn’t cause mayhem, he’d be happy. “They might not be dead,” he said, “but they would’ve been had I gotten here a few seconds later.”

“It’s your word against ours,” Fangrift protested once again.

That it was, but it would keep them off the streets. “My guards and the humans can attest to what went on here. Should there be a misunderstanding, I’m sure we can demand for a blood test from the Imperator.”

As he’d expected, Fangrift and his cronies lost their courage at that. If the Imperator’s Inquisitors analyzed their blood, they’d see into the memories hidden in life essence, just like Vane did with Moss.

“That won’t be necessary,” Fangrift said. “We’ll come with you.”

Vane smirked in satisfaction. Sure, he’d have to release the idiots eventually, but by then, he’d have come back to Clavar.

He directed his men to gather the unconscious humans and round up the partying bloodkin. It took longer than he’d have liked, but finally, he finished his dreary task.

After three days of staying in hiding and watching his kin’s every move, it was refreshing to take a break. At last, he could go back home.

He wondered if Moss had taken his advice and left. Kier could have easily paid him his dues. Vane half wished Moss had ignored him, because he really needed a taste of Moss’s delicious blood right about now.

So many days he’d spent away from Moss, so many days obsessing over the human, tortured by never-ending dreams. In some of them, he saw Deathgrove returning to take vengeance and bleeding Moss dry. In others, Vane himself hurt Moss while taking his pleasure. He needed to deal with this situation somehow.

Vane shook himself. He could control his instincts, and he’d deal with the blood lust. And now that he’d arranged for the bloodkin nobles to be under lock and key, he’d deal with sending Moss away, for his own safety, and for Vane’s sanity.

He knew better than to believe that by weeding out the bloodkin who’d been killing humans, the problem was over. As he had explained to Moss, time and time again, the bloodkin instinct would always return to haunt them. Vane could handle it. He’d been handling it for decades. But if the problem grew worse, Moss would be a weak point, and one easily exploited.

In the end, there was only one way out of this, one path Vane could walk. And he’d do so, because he had no other choice.

* * * *

Vane had been gone three days now, and Moss was slowly going mad. Benson refused to answer his questions, and he’d been prohibited from going outside as well. The servants had even begun to avoid him when Moss tried to push Pena for information. He could not do his job, and he did not know where his master had gone. Instead of deciphering secrets, he seemed to be running into more.

He’d tried to figure out what Vane did and who he worked for. By now, he figured this peculiar absence must have something to do with that. But no one would tell him anything, and he knew so little of the bloodkin.

Frustrated, he continued to scan through the papers all over the desk, hoping to find something he’d missed. Nothing. He couldn’t find anything to give him a clue about Vane’s whereabouts. Some of them looked like lists of names, but most were written in a weird alphabet Moss didn’t understand. The books were no help either since the information provided in the human tongue pretty much spoke of what Moss knew already. In one section, one of the tomes mentioned something along the line of a Covenant, but never expanded or it. The translation seemed to get messy and unclear.

It didn’t help that Moss had been having all sorts of weird dreams as of late. Most were sexual, like the first ones, but several had been dark, bloody. Sometimes, he saw himself, dead in Vane’s grasp. He didn’t know what to make of it. He felt so confused and lost and no one told him anything.

He swept his hands over the desk in fury. The papers flew everywhere, covering the floor of the study like a thin layer of inky snow.

He didn’t know who he was angrier with, himself or Vane. When had he become so addicted to the bloodkin’s presence? For all he knew, Vane had gone on some sort of business trip. But Moss couldn’t help but remember the beautiful Annette, and Vane’s payments to her. When he’d last spoken to Vane, the man had tried to fire him. How could he not be scared? How could he not be jealous?

Moss blinked away the angry tears suddenly clouding his vision. He needed to focus on something else, lest he lose his mind completely. Leaving the desk, he knelt and started gathering the scattered papers. Halfway through, Annette’s name popped up on one of the documents again, and Moss cracked. “Fuck it! Fuck you!” He tore the paper in question, ignoring the way his mind screamed at him he endangered his already tenuous job situation even further through his irrational behavior.