Bite Me (16 page)

CHAPTER FORTY NINE

     I sought the girl at the wharf where I turned her. I had to also keep my eye out for Aiden. He knew the wharfs were my hunting ground. A place I would have to change. But right now, I needed to find my protégé.

     I found her in an alleyway. She had a girl pinned against the wall and I could tell, she was feeding. I grabbed her shoulder. She viciously turned with a hiss, splattering my face with blood. The dazed girl stared at us in horror.

     "Go!" I hollered at her.

     It was sheer will that she was able to hurry away.

     I still had hold of the girl. She hissed and struggled until suddenly she stopped and peered at my face. "I know you!"

     "Yes. I'm the one who turned you."

     She wickedly smiled. "Thanks."

    She obviously enjoyed her new role in life. I heard footfalls nearing the alley. I urgently snatched her hand. "Come with me."

     The girl didn't argue. She sped beside me. Of course, she had the same powers as me.

     I heard his voice on the wind. It was Aiden calling my name. But we already moved far from the alley.

     When I knew we were safe, I asked her name.

     "Grace."

     "I'm Lucy."

     "So, you're like my mother now?" she innocently asked.

     I cringed. "No. I just turned you. How are you feeling?"

     She smiled and nodded. "I never felt better."

     I must be the only one who didn't enjoy being turned to a vampire.

     "You must learn to feed without killing your victims."

     She pouted. "What fun is that?"

     "This isn't fun!" I harshly corrected. "It's survival. Just take what you need. If not, you could inadvertently turn someone and they may not turn with their senses intact if you don't do it correctly."

     "You're certainly sounding like my mother." She groused.

     "Listen, most vampires don't advise their creations. They just turn them and leave them on their own."

     "Is that what happened to you?"

     "Something like that." I muttered. "Do you have a place to stay?"

     "My flat."

     "As you probably already figured, you have to stay in during the day."

     She nodded. "The light burns my eyes. I thought that maybe…"

    "What? That you would sparkle?" I jeered. "Pure fiction."

     "So, what is truth and what is fiction? I want to know everything there is about being a vampire."

     "Come with me."

     "Are we going to feed?" she excitedly asked.

     "No. I'm taking you to a place where you'll fit in. It's a vampire club called Sinister Nights. It's run by my…" I paused. No, I didn't consider him my boyfriend. "Creator. He's the ruler of the underworld for the time being."

     "The time being?"

      "Until a vampire is born. He will then become emperor."

      "There's so much to learn."

      "Then listen to what I tell you."

     We stood on the main steps of the club. Grace's violet eyes were in wide-eyed awe and wonder.

     "I never knew a place like this existed."

     We pressed through the crowd up to the second floor where I took her to the bar. Jack and Bobby were working tonight. Jack curiously looked at the young girl beside me with the black hair and violet eyes, dressed in black.

     "Jack, this is Grace. Give her anything she wants. It's on the house."

     Jack nodded.

     "Just so you know," I stated. "There is no limit to how much alcohol you consume. It cannot make you drunk."

     Her dark brows arched; a smile played on her painted red lips. "Really? I'll have bourbon."

    Jack bobbed his head and turned to make her drink.

    "You're not a vampire." She commented to him when he put the drink on the bar. "Yet, I smell vampire blood on you."

     "It's a long story. He'll tell you about it sometime." I said. I picked up my Scotch and went to my table, leaving Grace to converse with Jack. She didn't seem to have a hard time adjusting or making conversation with strangers.

     I sat at my usual table by the rail and opened my computer. I barely touched the keyboard, Draco sat across from me.

     "You found her."

     I lifted my gaze on him, turned my head to Grace laughing and talking to a few girls at the bar, and shifted it back to Draco. "Down at the wharf."

     He watched the young girl at the bar. "She seems to have adjusted to the change."

     "Except, she likes to kill her victims. She thought that was a part of being a vampire."

     "It is, for some. That's why we have the dungeon. You should introduce her to it."

     I flashed my green eyes over the laptop. "I'm not her sitter. I found her, gave her a breakdown of what to expect. I told her to stay away from the wharf because Aiden is on some vigilante against vampires and he's been surveying the area. He chased us tonight. I can handle him but Grace may not."

     "You mean, you think, she'd suck him dry."

     I cast him a sharp glare. "No."

    "It's nice how you're trying to protect the father of your baby." He taunted.

    "Aiden can take care of himself."

    "How many vampires do you know that he came up against?"

    I slammed the top down of my computer and glowered at Draco. "Don't get any ideas about sending your lackeys to ambush him."

    "Now, would I do such a thing to the baby's father? The human you obviously still have feelings for."

     I groaned and got up with my empty glass to return to the bar. Draco got up and followed me, wanting to meet Grace.

     She was conversing with Jack when we approached. I handed him my empty glass and he filled me another. Grace looked up at me and curiously studied Draco, studying her.

     "Grace, this is Draco. He's the owner of this club."

     "You're the ruler of this vampire world, Lucy told me."

     "Oh, she mentioned me?"

     Grace nodded. I rolled my eyes.

     "Welcome to our world, Grace. I'm glad to see you're enjoying yourself."

     "I am."

     "We have another part of this club called The Dungeon, if you're interested." Draco introduced.

     Jack froze in pouring someone a drink.

     Her eyes sparkled. "Sounds kinky."

     "It is." Draco subtly smiled. "I think you'd really enjoy it. It's very uninhibited."

     "I don't think it a good idea." I disagreed.

     "Why don't you leave that up to Grace?"

      Grace frowned at me, "Yeah, Mum, let me decide how kinky I want to get." She lifted an imploring gaze on Draco. "Would you show me?"

      He put his arm around her shoulders, "I'd be happy to."  Draco winked at me as he passed with Grace on his arm.

     "Why's he doing that?" Jack frantically asked me. "You know what could happen to her."

     I shrugged. "I really don't care anymore. I'm not her mother or babysitter. She can do what she wants." I downed my drink and put it down hard on the bar. I slung my bag over my shoulder. "I'm going home."

     "You aren't staying at the penthouse?"

     "I don't want to be around that jerk tonight."

     "What about Aiden?"

     "I'll face him if I have to. Good night, Jack." I waved to Bobby and strode through the crowd, down the steps, across the floor, up the main steps, through the lobby and out the door.

      I didn't know if I would face Aiden tonight or what would happen if I did, but it was better than spending another minute with Draco.

CHAPTER FIFTY

    I'd been home half an hour when someone pound on my door. I didn't have to guess who it was. I knew it was Aiden. I swung open the door.

     "Are you here to arrest me?"

     "I should. I saw you kill that girl in the alley. What happened? How's it possible she sat up in the morgue and killed the medical examiner?"

     "She's a vampire. So, technically, I didn't kill her."

     "You people are real. I get that now."

     "So now what? You hunt us down and kill us?"

     "You're a blight. How you came to be is beyond me but the world would be better off without you."

     "You mean without me personally." I jeered.

     "No. Just your kind. I don't regret everything we meant to each other once. Look, just don't go hunting in my territory because then I'll be obligated to take you in."

     "That's so kind of you." I wryly returned.

     "I'm trying to be. You're not making it easy."

     "Goodbye, Aiden."

     His eyes assessed me. "I have to admit that being vampire agrees with you. You've put on some weight and even have some color to your cheeks."

     I slapped my hands to my cheeks. Aiden softly laughed.

     "Goodbye, Lucy. And stay out of my way." He warned and turned away.

     I watched him walk down the hall and closed the door. I changed into my pajamas and flopped on the open sofa bed, watching TV and sipping at the Scotch I'd poured earlier.

     Dawn was breaking when Draco woke me up. I looked at him through heavily veiled lashes.

     "What do you want?"

     "Why did you leave the club and not come back?"

     "Because I didn't want to be around you."

     "You're jealous because I took Grace down to the dungeon."

     "No, because you're deplorable."

     "I didn't touch her."

     "No, you watched."

     "I wanted to be sure she didn't kill her victim."

     "Get out!"

     "I can't leave; it's daylight."

     "Good, I hope you fry."

     He narrowed his eyes at me. "You saw Aiden tonight."

     I rolled on my side, turning my back to him. "So what if I did."

     "Why didn't he arrest you?"

     "He had nothing to arrest me for. He had no proof that was me he saw in the alley."

     "Did you tell him about the baby?"

     "No."

     "Good." He undressed and climbed into bed with me, curling against my back and putting his arm around me.

     I bent his arm back, "Don't touch me!" I turned and sat up. "In fact, get out of my bed."

     "If I was Aiden, you'd let me curl up against you naked."

     I threw my pillow in his face. "Get out of my bed!"

     "Fine, I'll sleep on the floor. Vampires don't need beds anyway." He grumbled and laid down on the hardwood floor beside the sofa bed.

     I punched my pillow and laid my head on it, closing my eyes but it took me some time to fall asleep.

CHAPTER FIFTY ONE

     Jack walked through the door of my flat, "You must stop Grace from going to that dun…" he paused seeing Draco sleeping naked on the floor.

     I closed the door behind him. "There's nothing I can do. She isn't my problem."

     Jack turned to me as I passed him toward the kitchen. "I didn't know Draco was here." He whispered.

     "Just ignore him. He's just a big bug." I returned. I opened the refrigerator. "You want a beer? I have a few bottles left."

     He nodded and I handed him one. As he opened the cap he frowned at me pouring a glass of wine. "No beer?"

     "I'm told it isn't good for the baby."

     "It isn't." Draco spoke from his position on the floor. He got up and hiked on his jeans. "Wine is better for the baby's blood."

      He came into the kitchen. "I'll have a cup of coffee."

      "That's nice." I jeered. "I don't have any coffee."

      "Fine, tea then."

      "There's the kettle." I gestured and sat down at the table.

      Draco glowered at me. He took the bottle of wine from my hand and pour him a glass. He leaned against the counter, ankles crossed. "And, as for Grace, she did fine in the dungeon. What about you, Jack? Did you ever try it?"

      "No, and he doesn't want to." I retorted.

      "Amazing, Jack, your mouth is opened but Lucy's voice is coming out of it."

      Jack looked at me. I sneered at Draco. "Not everyone wants to participate in your perversions."

      "A vampire with moral inhibitions." Draco mocked.

      "You know, in fact, I don't think I want to go to that club anymore." I added. "Jack, come back to Tasmania."

       "I don't know if I could get my job back."

        "It's still better than working in that den of iniquity."

        Draco groaned with a roll of his eyes. "It's a vampire club. What did you expect? That we'd all drink soda pops and sing around a camp fire?"

       "Fine, keep your club. It just isn't for me anymore."

       "You're saying all of this because you're jealous about last night."

       "I am not jealous! Do what you want. I just don't want any part of it."

       "You were fine with things at the club until I took Grace down there." Draco argued.

      "Look, I'm as lusty as the next vampire. I just don't like being watched."

       "No one is paying much attention to what's going on in the next cage."

       "You do."

        "You see, I'm right! This is all about my watching over Grace her first time in the cage. I told you; I did it to be sure she didn't get into a wild frenzy and kill the human victim."

         "Go home!"

       "It's only four thirty, it's still light out."

       "It's almost dusk. Walk in the shade. Just get out of my flat!"

       "Fine. I'll see you later." He huffed and was gone out the door.

     "I despise that man." I snarled to Jack.

    "Will you really stop going to the club?" Jack asked.

    "I've seriously considered it. It's lost its appeal."

    "You mean you lost your appeal for Draco."

     "I don't have any appeal for Draco. He's my creator. That's it. Although, he thinks he owns me."

      "So, where will you hang out now?"

      "I may go back to Tasmania. I need to stay out of Aiden's sight."

     "Would he really arrest you?"

      "I believe so. He let it slide tonight but the next time he just might arrest me."

      "Wait, you mean he caught you?"

     "He was here. He let it slide for what we once meant to each other. So he says."

     "What will you do if he ever sees you in full bloom of your pregnancy?"

     "Tell him it's Draco's."

      "Won't he be the least bit skeptical?"

      "I don't know. I'll worry about it when it happens. You want another beer?"

      He shook his head and stood. "Nah, I've got to get ready for work."

      "I was serious about you quitting that place. It's bad news."

      "I promise, I will not go down in that dungeon. And Bobby and I watch out for each other."

      I shrugged, feigning indifference. "Very well, but don't say I didn't warn you."

      "I'll call you." He matter-of-factly stated and departed.

     I gulped down my goblet of wine and got up to put the glass in the sink. My stomach was rumbling. Both baby and I needed to feed. I showered, changed, grabbed my jacket and shoulder bag, and was out the door for the evening.