Bete Noire (14 page)

Someone whimpered and after a moment, Tristan realized it was
him. Audric echoed with a small wanting moan and bit into his lower lip, pushing the point of a fang into the supple skin until a small spot of blood showed.

Ash just stared defiantly up into the eyes of the Master vampire who had driven her
to act without thinking. In all the time she’d spent with Tristan, she had been so careful to avoid even tasting his blood. Just the scent alone was enough to set her desire afire. And now, so weak in mind and body, she’d plunged headfirst into a situation so far out of hand she wasn’t sure how to get out of it alone. She had heard the Uruwashi tasted better than even the fae, the best of bloods to be had, but this, she was not prepared for this. In all of her time as a vampire never had she experienced anything like the blood sparking along her taste buds, lighting up each one so that she was nearly trembling with desire.

She just might kill him, right now, right here, just to gorge in this bliss for a short time.

And then, as fast as her senses took it all it, reveled in it, coveted that blood, there was that abrupt aftertaste. The shock of it was enough to make her jerk and she had to force herself to not bite down as her tongue tried to keep his blood from sliding down the back of her throat. Under the strong flavor of what she only assumed was the Uruwashi in him, there was something sour and spoiled. He tasted of death.

It was always their understanding that because of Tristan’s strong European features, he was only half Uruwashi. So what exactly was his other half, that dead tasting part, if not human? A few thoughts crossed Ash’s mind, none of which made any sense to her. One thing was for sure though, that despite the bad aftertaste of his blood, all she wanted was to finish what they’d started in the hotel, his weight pressed down on top of her, his scent and heat filling her, his body in hers... and his blood. She would bit
e him. Damn the consequences, she was so very tired of saying no. After the initial shock of tasting death in his blood, she realized she wanted more. She would finally bite him and sate both of their desires to the last.

Tristan had a surge of bad vibes and jerked away from Ash, only just managing to keep himself from being nicked as he ripped his finger from her mouth. They were both panting, staring at each other in shock. All along he was convinced he wanted to be bitten and made a true Uruwashi, but seeing the hunger, the dark desire in her eyes frightened him. It was more than her lust for his blood and flesh that ruled her. He knew she wanted to do what the vampire did. She wanted more than a taste. She wanted to kill him.

Audric pulled a handkerchief from his rear pocket and pressed it to his lip where he’d bitten himself. In a raspy voice, he said in English, “You have a lot of faith in a monster.” He wound the delicate silk handkerchief around his fingers, alabaster skin glowing bright against the vibrant red.

Feeling righteous, knowing she was swaying the man,
Ash lifted her chin to answer in a breathy whisper, “We are all monsters.” She really was at her limit and starting to understand the lunacy that took so many others of her kind. Why had she gone so long denying her hunger? To deny the hunger was true weakness.

Audric made a surprised noise and leaned towards her. “Those others haven’t even a spark of your strength.”

Not understanding what was happening, Tristan backed up slowly. Ash still had his gun. He had a knife hidden on him, but the gun was his pacifier, his safety net, without it he felt naked. He felt… human.

Audric’s attention snapped around to Tristan and he smiled. “Yes, that may be true enough.” He suddenly laughed, making Tristan flinch back and took the few steps between them to close their distance. Looking rightfully panicked, Tristan put his hands up, ready for a fight.
Audric smirked and stopped less than a foot away from him. “You may have redeeming qualities yet.”

Tristan
was fully aware of the wall very close to his back. He had nowhere to go and they both knew it. He swallowed past the dry lump in his throat, eyes darting to Ash as if to ask for help, something he hated but was man enough to know when he was backed against a wall. Um, literally.

“Master,” she said in a soft wispy voice.

He laughed, turning to Ash. “Please, Audric. I will not say it again.” He marched past her, swaying his slender hips in a bouncy gate. “Come with me.”

Ash obeyed without hesitation. Tristan however didn’t move from his spot. “What? Why?”

Audric twisted at the waist to look back at him as he slipped out of his open shirt. “I do not mean you… however I can find time for you later, I suppose...”

Tristan
turned his nose up at the smug vampire. He chose to ignore the implication of being in the vamp’s bed and moved right to the part that really bothered him. “She doesn’t go without me.”

“The way I see it, she is your keeper…”

“We’re equal partners.” Even as he said it, he knew it wasn’t his true feelings. Trouble was, the others knew too. Even Julien, nearly forgotten across the room, giggled at the lies Tristan told himself.

“I will speak with her alone and there is nothing you can do to change that fact.”

“No fucking way.”

Audric laughed, sending the first hint of lust across the room in a hot
wave of tingling desire. Everyone, even Ash, responded to that salacious lark. “Charming.”

Ash sighed. “It will be fine, Tristan.”

“No. No way.” He pointed at Audric, now naked from the waist up. For a small man, he was rather fit and trim. Completely smooth and hairless. Tristan wondered just how young the man was when he was killed, he didn’t look too far out of his teens. “I don’t trust ole long tooth there.”

“You are right to not trust him, but this is his home and we are imposing upon him for information he would rather not give. My going with him might change his mind.”

His jaw tightened. “Don’t fucking like it.

Ash sighed and crossed the space to him. She was careful not to touch him, it was already a feat nearly impossible to keep from tearing into his flesh right there. “I know,” she said softly. “But trust me.”

Tristan glanced at the older grinning vampire. “Just be careful.”

She nodded and held out the gun she took from him. “Behave yourself….”

When he went to take the weapon back, he purposefully brushed her hand. She jerked back so fast she nearly fell over. Eyes wide, panting with the sudden rush of fear, she could only shake her head in apology and turned away quickly, going to the slatted door. Audric, waiting patiently and smiling a little too devious for Tristan’s liking opened the door for her, shot Tristan one last stupid grin and disappeared into the room, shutting the door behind them. 

Almost immediately a woman appeared right before the pair. She was small and had a sweet face, but Ash could hear the rough thoughts she was thinking. She was fae and rather ill-tempered if the tantrum going
on in her head was any indication. Ash couldn’t blame her, forced to live the life of slave, knowing what that was like herself. “Master?” the fae woman questioned respectfully despite the rude thoughts behind her words.

“Call the other’s back.”

“Master?” she questioned defiantly. “What about the fire user? I thought he was under your—”

“I said, call them back! And if you question me one more time I will give you to elves of
Revin and see how old feelings fare!”

The woman gasped and ran back the way she came to disappear behind a hidden door.

With Audric’s invitation to come in, Ash moved deeper into the room and noticed that it wasn’t small at all as it made an L-shape, following the outline of the room next to it. When she rounded the corner she stopped, making a small surprised noise. There was a fireplace here as well, much like the other room, and she realized that they shared the same space. It was the same fire. Since this part of the room was darker, she never noticed that the fireplace back was open. Set before that grand fire was a bed of even more grandiose proportions. It was a typical vampire bed—made for many bodies, of which there were two already, dozing lightly as they waited for their Master’s word.

Ash turned abruptly, feeling the Master at her back and his intentions. He only smiled at her and went to sit in one of the ornate wing-back chairs close to the door in a pool of yellow light. “Please,” he said, motioning to the seat next to his.

Ash swallowed down a breath of nervousness and obeyed his wishes, sitting stiffly in the surprisingly comfortable traditional chair. Between them stood a small dark wood table with a decanter of red liquid and two finely cut crystal glasses.

“A drink, perhaps?” he asked in French, a much more accommodating language for him.

Ash gave a nearly indiscernible nod.

“Yes,” he said, pouring their drinks. “I would think you would be rather parched after raising the dead
. And your aura… you have not fed on a human in many months. I find that as queer as your relationship with that monster in the other room.”

“He is no monster,” she snapped before she could stop herself. Tristan really was a bad influence on her, driving her
to curse and act impulsively.

“Hmmm,” the Master hummed as he handed her the glass of wine and blood—the wine, of course, to mask the flavor of deteriorating blood cells. “That is not all his influence will cause for you, I am afraid.”

“I do not understand.”

“While I can see the novelty to keeping him around, he is still an Uruwashi. He lives to kill our kind. One day he will attempt on your life, of that I have no doubt.”

“This is absurd,” she spit out as she shot to her feet. “We do not have time for this. Tell us what you want so that we can stop wasting time and get on with our task.”

“Do you always include Tristan in your tasks? We this, us that. I find your speech patterns very interesting…” The Master sat back in his seat, crossed an ankle over his knee, and crooked a curious eyebrow at her. “Sit. Please.”

She screwed up her expression fighting hard to keep her anger hidden, a feat not normally difficult, but in her current state… She sighed to herself, decorum would have to be put aside for the remainder of her time here, she hadn’t the energy for it.

“Your mind is completely open to me. I do not need to read your blood to know your deepest thoughts, they flow off you like a current of smoke and seep into me.”

“Then you know how strong my bond is with that man out there, the
monster
.”

Audric was nodding slowly, considering her. “You should have brought your fae with you.”

She couldn’t hide her vexation. For one, he was right.

“Lucky for you, I am feeling fanciful tonight and will gladly offer you one of my own.”

“I could not,” she said a little too quickly. For if she did, she feared she would do just what their kind has been doing for centuries… kill. It was the damning of the fae’s existence, their highly restorative and delicious blood. But, if she did accept his so generous offer, than she would be more than sated, strong enough to defend herself, to fight alongside Tristan again. And, despite the fact that she was using Audric’s resources, he would be in her debt. Silly vampire ethics again.

Audric smirked at her all too obvious turmoil. Just the right words spoken could mean the difference between her total submission and her fleeing. “Please, pick either of the two… Use them in
any
manner you so desire, but fill that deep need.”

She knew what he was saying. Kill if she needed to. “Why?” Ash asked in a near whisper.

“I wish you to be at your fullest when you face Lucien tomorrow night.”

“To—tomorrow, Master?”

“Yes of course… do you think that after you have indulged and found your way to Lucien that you will have time to kill him and seek sanctuary from the coming day? Your sense of time is still skewed.”

There was more than three hours of night left, plenty to have a quick bite to eat, kill Lucien and then back to the hotel before dawn. That was unless… Ash’s lips parted in understanding
, Lucien really wasn’t here, something Ash had been convinced of. Audric had her, she needed his assistance, no matter the cost. “I see.”

Audric smiled in a dark, knowing way. “Your time with the lesser beings has dulled your mind. I am truly disappointed in you, you used to be such a proud creature of the night.”

“Proud?” She stood, looking stiff and rightly annoyed. “You think I was proud once of what I had become?”

Audric’s silver eyes glowed yellow in the light of the fire, making him look sinister and sexy all at once. “As we all are.”

Ash was too tired, too weak to argue her sentiments at the moment. Indeed, all she could think about right then was the taste of fae blood on her tongue. She could smell them from here, the rich flavor of earth and cleaner things that the fae emitted. She said nothing as she marched across the room and around the corner to the other part of the large chamber. The two fae were on the bed just as she saw them earlier, only they were fully awake now, one on top of the other, kissing slowly, deeply.

Both men were nude under those decadent silk sheets except for an ornate leather collar encircling their delicate throats. The part of Ash she tried so hard to suppress wanted so desperately to be in that bed with those beautiful fae. She wanted
to feel the caress of silk against her naked flesh, the touch of strong hands over her body pulling at her, the scent of fresh green things filling her sinuses, the tang of fae blood down her throat.