The Life of Anna, Part 4: Ensnared (16 page)

Anna smiled shyly at everyone as they were
introduced. Nina and Jackie both smiled at her, but Vlad and
Mikhail looked at her suspiciously.

“Dinner is ready,” Jackie said with a smile.
“I was hoping you’d make it in time. Let’s eat.”

Peter took her hand and the whole crowd moved
into the next room where a large table was set. Steaming dishes sat
in the middle of the table and smelled delicious. Anna sat between
Peter and Sergei. Peter sat near the end next to his father.

Dinner was a noisy affair. Everyone wanted to
hear stories of living in San Francisco and Peter’s dancing. He
apparently hadn’t been to visit for several years, though they had
gone out to visit him.

“You couldn’t come visit us?” Natalya pouted
prettily.

“I’ve been busy, Nati. You know how it
is.”

Once Peter finished telling them his stories,
the conversations drifted here and there around the table. Anna
kept silent. Peter’s father and uncle spoke softly in Russian and
looked at her every once in a while. Vlad seemed especially
unfriendly and Anna wondered what she had done to offend him. She’d
only met him once, at Alex’s funeral, and he’d seemed cordial,
though Anna had been less than that. Maybe that’s why he didn’t
like her.

“Dariya called me,” Sergei said, looking past
Anna to Peter.

Peter’s face went slightly pale. “Why did she
call you?”

“You weren’t answering your phone, so she
called me to find out what happened to you.” Sergei looked at Anna.
“I guess I know now.”

Anna was dying to ask who Dariya was, but she
had a feeling she already knew: Peter’s girlfriend.

“Can we talk about this later, Sergei?” Peter
asked calmly, though she could tell he was upset.

Sergei shrugged and went back to eating.

Anna took a few more small bites of food and
then was done. Since she and Peter had been getting along, she’d
forgotten about “the girlfriend.” Did he call Dariya at all? Did he
miss her? Anna was glad she wasn’t further along in her pregnancy
or she might have gotten sick. As it was, her stomach was churning
with the reminder that Peter wasn’t really her boyfriend. They were
still only together because Devin wanted them to be. How long would
Devin make him stay with her?

Peter put his arm around Anna’s shoulders.
“Anna, are you all right?” he whispered into her ear. “Sergei...I’m
sorry. He shouldn’t have said that in front of you.”

Anna shook her head. “It’s okay,” she said,
smiling weakly. “I...just forgot about her.”

He gave her a look filled with such affection
she had to turn away. She didn’t want him to look at her like that.
She liked him, there was no denying that. The reminder of his real
life was necessary, she decided. A dose of reality that would keep
her from getting hurt...maybe. They spent so much time together it
was already hard to imagine life without him.

After dinner, Jackie showed Anna to the room
she would be sleeping in. She would not be staying with Peter.
Instead, she would be sharing a room with Natalya, who had two twin
beds in her room. Anna heard Peter arguing with his father in
Russian, but Peter didn’t seem to be winning.

Peter stood behind Anna with his hands on the
deck railing on either side of her as she gazed out onto the dark
ocean in front of her. The house sat on a cliff above the ocean
with an amazing view of the beach below. Peter said it was even
better during the day.

The air was a little chilly, but Peter kept
her warm. “It’s so peaceful here,” she sighed.

“Until my dad and uncle start arguing,” he
chuckled. He leaned down and sucked on the side of Anna’s neck,
making her sigh again. “You like that, don't you?”

“Mmm.” She liked it when he touched her,
period. She was learning he was an excellent lover.

His hands slid up her arms to her shoulders
and he pulled at the fabric of her top so he could kiss her bare
shoulder. She leaned her head back onto his shoulder and closed her
eyes. When his thumbs brushed the bottom curve of her breasts, her
nipples hardened and pressed against the thin fabric of her
bra.

“I don't know if I can go four days without
being with you,” he murmured against her neck and pressed his
erection against her ass. “My cock will get lonely without
you.”

Anna giggled. “I would miss you too,” she
whispered, pressing her hips back against him and making him groan.
He cursed softly in Russian and moved his hands to cup her breasts.
“Oh, Peter...,” she sighed.

“There’s a reason I didn’t want you sharing a
room, Peter.” Vlad came and stood next to Anna and Peter, leaning
against the railing. “They can be rather....” Vlad looked at Anna
with a lustful glance. “...addicting. You need some time away from
her.”

“She’s not a ‘they’, Vlad,” Peter corrected.
“She’s a person.”

“She’s an Elder-Mistress. Their job is to
seduce men.”

Vlad’s words pierced Anna’s peaceful bubble.
He clearly didn’t like her. Why did he allow Peter to come be with
her in San Francisco? Maybe he had to obey Devin because he was an
Elder.

“Let’s walk, shall we?” Vlad said, indicating
a gap in the railing on the side of the deck.

Anna looked up at Peter, who looked at his
uncle with narrowed eyes. “Why?” he asked.

“I told you, I want to get to know Anna. I
can’t very well do that in front of the family, can I?”

So that’s what he wanted. He wanted to use
her. Anna’s shoulders slumped and she walked in the direction Vlad
had indicated.

“Anna, you don't have to—”

“Yes, she does, Peter,” Vlad corrected.

The three of them walked to the side of the
house where there was a small, dimly lit flower garden.

“Keep watch,” Vlad told Peter, then pulled
Anna further into the garden and to a bench where he pushed her
until she bent over with her hands on the back of it. He pushed her
skirt up over her hips and pulled her panties aside to delve his
fingers inside her.

She glanced back at Peter, who watched with a
helpless look on his face. Vlad smacked her hip. “You are to please
me. Don't worry about him.”

Anna’s jaw trembled. “Yes, my lord,” she said
softly, glad he couldn’t see the tears in her eyes. She hung her
head and let him touch her as he pleased. She heard a zipper, he
pulled her panties down and a moment later he was inside her. His
fingers dug into her hips as he thrust into her hard. She clung to
the back of the bench and braced herself against his movements.

“Devin said you could come on command,” he
said with a gruff voice. “Do it. But softly.”

Anna bit her lip and concentrated on the
sensations in her body. It had been a while since she’d done it,
especially in this position.

Vlad’s movements quickened and he growled at
her. “Do it.”

She closed her eyes and felt relieved when
her body responded as he wanted it to. She gasped and covered her
mouth as she came, breathing heavily and trying to remain silent.
Vlad came with a groan a moment later and dug his fingernails into
her skin.

He pulled out, but Anna didn’t dare move
until he told her to. She kept her eyes down so he wouldn’t see she
was upset, but he grabbed her chin and looked into her face. “Why
are you upset? This is what you are for.”

Anna blinked several times. “Y-yes, my lord,”
she whispered over the lump in her throat. Would the whole weekend
be like this?

He looked at her with narrowed eyes for a
long minute and then turned on his heel and left. Peter moved to go
to Anna, but Vlad snapped at him in Russian and he turned and
followed his uncle out of the garden.

As soon as they were out of sight, Anna fell
to the ground and cried. She was apparently due to have many doses
of reality while she was here. She cried for a long time, and no
one came to the garden. Should she stay here? Vlad hadn’t given her
further instructions and she didn’t know what to do. It started to
get even cooler and Anna shivered, paralyzed with indecision.

She heard footsteps and saw Peter a moment
later. Her heart leapt at the sight of him, and then she pushed the
happiness aside.

He walked over to her and kissed her
forehead. “I’m sorry, Anna.” He helped her to her feet and led her
back inside, keeping a distance between them.

“What do you want to do?” Peter asked in a
gentle tone.

“Can I go to bed?”

Peter nodded and led her up the staircase to
Natalya’s room. He pointed out the bathroom again. “If you want to
shower, go ahead.”

“Is it okay if I do?”

Peter nodded. “Anna, I don’t know why Vlad’s
acting this way. He’s usually a really nice guy.”

“He didn’t hurt me,” she said softly.

“Physically, maybe,” he growled.

Anna tried to give him a brave smile. “I’m
okay.”

“No, Anna. It’s not okay that he did that.
I’m going to—”

She put her hand on his chest. “Please don’t
get into trouble for my sake, Peter. I’m okay. I’ve been through
much worse.”

“That’s not comforting.”

Anna shrugged. “It’s true.”

“I know. That’s why it’s not comforting.” He
sighed. “Go shower. I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep.”

“Peter, you don't have to do that. You’ll get
in trouble.”

“I don’t care. You don't deserve to be
treated this way. I was hoping he’d see that if he got to know
you.” He rubbed his face. “Go,” he said in a gentler voice. “I’ll
be up in a little while.”

Anna nodded and he headed back down the
hallway. She went into the bedroom and opened her suitcase to pull
out her toiletries and pajamas and then went to the bathroom and
showered. When she went back to the bedroom later, Peter was
sitting on her bed.

“Feeling better?” he asked, opening his
arms.

She nodded and gladly went into his embrace.
His arms were so comforting. She knew she shouldn’t let herself get
lost in her emotions for him, but right now she couldn’t help it.
She needed comfort. After a while he pulled back the covers and
tucked her into bed, then lay down next to her with his arms around
her.

“I’ll let my family know you weren’t feeling
well and went to bed early. You remember where my room is?”

Anna nodded.

“Come get me if you need anything.”

“Okay.”

Anna closed her eyes and relaxed, letting his
warm embrace lull her into the peaceful oblivion of sleep.

“Is there anything I can do to help today?”
Anna asked as she helped clear the breakfast dishes.

She had one year of Thanksgiving experience
behind her; the Thanksgiving she’d spent with Ben’s family.
Katherine had taken command of the kitchen the whole day and Anna
had helped out where she could. She wasn’t very good in the
kitchen, but knew a few things. Plus, maybe she could stay busy
enough to keep out of Vlad’s presence, though it would mean being
away from Peter as well. But that would also keep Peter from
getting into trouble.

“Oh, you’re so sweet Anna,” Jackie said with
a smile as Anna brought a stack of dishes to the sink. “Do you have
any family traditions from growing up we could try to
incorporate?”

“No,” Anna said softly. Thanksgiving had been
like any other day with Jack and she didn’t remember much from her
parents. She didn’t remember much of a celebration from growing up.
Her mother didn’t have any traditions and her father...well,
Immortals don't exactly have families.

Jackie gave her a kind look. “Peter said your
upbringing was kinda rough.” She smiled. “Don’t worry, I have
enough to fill the day.”

Nina and Natalya were in the huge kitchen as
well and they laughed.

“Poor Jackie has had to teach all of us about
the American traditions,” Nina said. “I am becoming quite fond of
them. I like coming out here this time of year. For one, I do not
freeze.”

Anna laughed. “I was in Germany in December a
few years ago and I remember it was absolutely freezing. But St.
Petersburg gets much colder, I understand.”

Nina nodded. “Oh, yes. I would consider a
German winter to be very nice.”

“What were you doing in Germany?” Natalya
asked.

Anna bit her lip. How did she answer that?
She picked up a cloth and began wiping the table down. “I...was
visiting someone. It was a few years ago.”

“Is your family German?” Nina asked.

“No, they’re....” Anna chuckled. “They’re
Russian, actually. My grandparents settled in the Russian part of
San Francisco when they emigrated. But not Russian hill.”

“Really? That would explain why we get along
so well,” Nina smiled. She had been very nice to Anna both last
night and this morning. “Do you know where they are from?”

Anna shook her head. “No.” She hesitated. “My
parents died when I was twelve.” She worked at a sticky spot on the
table.

“Oh, that must have been difficult,” Jackie
said. “I’m so sorry.”

Anna shrugged.

“Who raised you?” Jackie asked.

“My guardian, Jack. He was a friend of my
parents.”

“Are you close to him?”

Anna stared at the table and considered how
to answer the question. “I don’t like him,” she said softly, amazed
that she could actually say the words aloud.
I hate him!!
She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

“I didn’t mean to bring up unsettling
memories, Anna,” Jackie said. “Forgive me.”

Anna opened her eyes and stared at the table.
“It’s okay,” she said.

She finished wiping the table in silence.
Nina changed the subject, talking about one of her daughter’s
upcoming wedding. Anna didn’t pay much attention, instead she
immersed herself in memories of Alex and his family.

Jackie kept the women busy all day. She had
Anna peel potatoes and cut up fruits and vegetables. Jackie and
Nina made pies and Natalya helped with both. Anna handed Nina a
bowl of cut apples and Nina caught sight of Anna’s wedding
band.