I woke feeling groggy, warmth all around me. I breathed in deeply and the scent of cheetahs, my cheetahs filled my senses. I didn't want to move, but someone, Dani, was resting against my breast shifted and tilted her head back to look up at me.
"Rylie, you're awake." She smiled through her yawn. "Do you feel ok? Asher said you lost a lot of blood." She let go of my arm as I felt at my neck. There was no bandage, but I could feel a scar. It travelled down my neck and on to my collar bone.
"I'm ok." I assured her as James yawned behind me and buried his head in my hair.
"You were so pale Rylie." He said and then Aydan sat up hugging her knees and Julian sat up rubbing her back.
"I guess I was, but I'm ok now…Asher…he…" I started, but couldn't finish it. I couldn't believe it had happened.
"Yes he gave you two of the marks. It was the only way Rylie, you were going to die." Julian finished sympathy in his voice. My blood ran cold. Dani didn't like it and shifted from me. I climbed off the bed slipping on a pair of jogging bottoms and a tank top. Even though I had lost a lot of blood I didn't feel weak. No if anything I felt stronger because of those damn marks. Two more and I became Asher's Human Servant. The first Mark was him sharing his essence, making me stronger, faster, more durable and able to heal quicker. The second gave him the ability to drain my powers, to help him heal, through the second mark he could enter my dreams and taste the food I ate through a metaphysical connection. The third mark the vampire or Asher would drink my blood, I would gain more power and be even harder to kill, I would be able to communicate completely with him mind to mind and I would also be able to share all his memories and we could tell how each other felt. Then the fourth mark, as far as I knew Anita only had 3 with Jean-Claude. But the fourth mark I would have to drink Asher's blood while he said the ritual words. Through the fourth mark I would become almost immortal, I wouldn't age. And I couldn't be killed by disease or poison, to kill me would, unless Asher was powerful enough, would kill him too and more often than not vice versa, though if the servant is still young and powerful in their own right their chance of survival is very high. I refused to be linked to a vampire through the marks. I pulled out my gun checked it was loaded and stalked out of the room I was in.
I quickly found Asher, possibly due to the marks I seemed to be drawn to where he was. I barged into the room finding him sleeping, it confirmed that it was daytime. I pulled up my gun and aimed it at his head.
"Rylie!" Anita was there and I could hear the terror in her voice that I might kill Asher, she knew I was as fast as her and she'd never stop me. But as I looked at Asher my finger tightening on the trigger. I couldn't do it. And it had nothing to do with him having given me the marks. It was seeing him there so helpless, so vulnerable. His hair had shifted showing the scarring on his face his silk bed shirt was open and it revealed his slim and toned body with horrific scarring all down the right side. It looked as if whoever did it had started on his face, but couldn't bear to mar it any more than they had. So instead they had poured holy water on his torso, but the scarring disappeared below the silk bottoms. And I wanted him to feel accepted, to feel loved and I didn't know if it was the marks or just me. I put the safety back on and shoved the gun in my pocket.
"I'm sorry Anita."
"It's ok. I didn't want the marks either. But if I'd have had the chance like you had just now, I probably would have killed him. Not know I feel differently, but back then I'd have done it in a heartbeat."
"I don't know why I can't, it just seems wrong." She squeezed my arm and I followed her out feeling almost guilty that I was going to kill Asher. We walked along and Nathaniel came walking towards us his eyes only for Anita.
"Hey, everything ok?" He asked he was very perky I couldn't deal with Perky this soon after waking up.
"Yes it is. I think if you're feeling up to Rylie you Graham and Sylvie can visit Haven see if you can get him to help." I nodded and watched as James came jogging down to us and hugged me.
"You didn't kill him did you? He saved you."
"I didn't so don't worry. And that's fine Anita I feel great." And that was all it took for Nathaniel to drag me off to change complaining about the joggers I was in and that I looked like a total slob.
I ended up in a pair of black high waisted shorts, a red ruched vest with a lace back, a black cropped blazer. A pair of knee high suede black boots covered most of my legs. The jacket though cropped allowed me to carry a gun at my back and Nathaniel insisted he do my hair curled like Anita's and even add a touch of make-up as Anita had started to wear it more. And if I was honest I didn't mind how I looked. The outfit was much more to my taste though I wouldn't pick this out for myself.
When we finally set off to Haven's I ended up with Aydan coming with me as she wanted to see Noel. Sylvie was up front and Graham drove again.
"Hey I'm sorry for last night." Graham started.
"So you should be idiot. You were her protection detail, your protection sucks." Sylvie growled at him her power trickling out.
"Sylvie it's ok. Just relax about it, I'm alive and that's what counts."
"Yeah, but now you're half way to becoming Sulky Sue's Human Servant." She sighed I didn't say anything though Asher had yet to sulk in front of me. "Anyway what's with her?" She pointed to Aydan.
"She wanted to see Noel. Didn't you Aydan." I smiled and hugged her.
"And I wanted to make sure he was ok."
"And if he ain't I'll castrate Jesse." Sylvie smiled over at me. We pulled up and walked in unhindered, Graham was almost glued to me making sure I was safe and that no one came to me. Haven was at a desk feet up looking like a boss man. Jesse was at his back and Payne was stood off to the side. Payne nodded in acknowledgement of my arrival, Jesse flat out ignored me while Haven smiled up at me. Aydan went with Noel laughing and joking happily when she saw he was ok.
"Anita here wants you to provide her security as you want to take her as your Regina." Sylvie said crossing her arms and staring down Haven. I suddenly didn't think having Sylvie here was a good idea. Haven was dominant, extremely in the sense that he felt women were weak, unless proven otherwise, like in my case he'd seen I wasn't all talk when I floored Jesse.
"Sylvie, Graham can you wait outside please."
"R-Anita I don't think that's a good idea, Jean-Claude wouldn't be happy if I left you again after last night." I looked at Graham.
"I don't think I'm in any danger here. There are four dominants in this room, ones me, one doesn't like me and the other two are currently impartial. If Gabby were to attack me here and they didn't act it would make them all look weak." Sylvie nodded she knew I made sense and she pulled Graham from the room. I didn't wait to be asked to take a seat, just pulled up a chair.
"So what is it exactly you want?" Haven asked staring at me.
"Your cooperation and hopefully you'll lend me a dominant to guard me, replacing Graham." He looked at me and then sent Jesse and Payne out.
"So say I do, what do I get out of it?" I had to smile as at first he thought sex and then to my amazement he thought about me being his Regina, but that thought was squashed when he thought of Anita. So I offered him what I was willing.
"I'll owe you. What I'm doing is for her, but you'd be helping me. So I'd owe you." He shifted so he was leaning on the desk.
"I like that, a Marshal owing me one. What happened last night? Why do you want to remove the wolf male from your protection detail?" I relayed to him what had happened last night, from speaking with Richard, to finding Graham not at his post and Gabby attacking me. That's when I remembered something hadn't felt right. Something was there in her head that shouldn't have been. But I couldn't remember what it was. "Anita…Anita….Rylie." I looked up at Haven who'd moved in front of me with what I'd have liked to think of as concern in his azure eyes.
"Sorry…"
"It's ok, like you said Jesse doesn't like you, so I can spare Payne. He's excellent at what he does. He'll guard you twenty four seven. That leopard won't get anywhere near you." He'd leaned in closer, we were so close and I wanted nothing more than to wrap myself around him and he felt the same, though he was fighting it because of Anita. We never heard the door open.
"Haven! Honey bunny!" I watched as his face fell at the squeal of delight from the woman. I turned to look up at her. "Who is she?" She asked as she came and put possessive hands on Haven. I could hear her, she was married to him and his Regina. Which didn't make sense, I had thought he wanted Anita, Noel wanted me as his Regina, Haven had fleetingly thought about taking me as his Regina. But I picked the answer up from Haven. He had used this woman to make Anita jealous. I don't think it had worked, but I was. She wasn't good enough, strong enough or capable enough to run a Pride.
"Well thank you for lending me Payne. As I said I owe you." I stood to leave and Haven reached out to me, but I shrugged it off walking out the door. "Payne you're with me. My new protection."
"Of course Anita." I smiled at him for remembering to call me Anita.
"Sylvie, Graham lets go. Where's Aydan?"
"She went with that boy. Headed to town I think for a movie." I smiled again. I had never seen Aydan come out of her shell so quickly around others. "Graham you'll be the driver from now on. Sylvie you and Payne will be my main guard." I felt angry about the Lioness that he had brought in, there was no way she'd give up her position even if it was a lie.
I spent the rest of the day in the gym that Anita and Jean-Claude had built in under the Circus. All I could think about was that something was up with Gabby trying to kill Anita and then Haven. By all accounts Gabriel, Gabby's brother had been the Alpha of the St. Louis Pard, not the Nimir Ra as he wasn't strong or capable enough for that. He was an evil bastard, having pimped Nathaniel out. Nathaniel use to be beaten and tortured regularly for money in BDSM sessions. Gabriel never let him be killed, but it had come close. And Gabriel's wildest fantasy was to rape Anita while she tried to kill him. Only thing was she got there first. She killed him while he attempted to rape her. But this was almost 5 years ago. So why only now did Gabby want to seek revenge for her brother's death?
"You still going at it? What did that punch bag ever do to you?" I stopped and looked at Payne who was watching me intently. Payne must have only just come back as while in the Circus I said I would only need one guard at a time with how heavily guarded the Circus already was. Sylvie must be taking her break.
"Yep…I'm trying to figure out what is actually going on."
"What do you mean?" He asked coming to me and passing me a bottle of water. I started to drink only just realising how thirsty I actually was. As I drained the bottle I looked at Payne. He really was extremely good looking. His Lion wasn't as powerful as Haven's but it was just as dominant. I started to wonder what it would be like to make love to him. I stopped the thought at that. I wasn't that kinda girl. I never had been, so why did I suddenly want to screw him? I pushed the thought and urge to the back of my mind and answered him.
"Gabby…" I told him what I thought, what I had felt when I got a peek at her thoughts before she cut me.
"Well it could always be a vampire. A smart one too. Most people know Anita is virtually untouchable. And anyone with half a brain would get someone to do it for them. And if a vampire found someone who already held a grudge against Anita, they'd be that much easier to manipulate, to control or roll them." And he was right. Why hadn't I thought of that? I needed to go find Gabby with some man power that could keep her put.
"You are an absolute genius Payne!" He smiled and I quickly pressed a kiss to his cheek before running out of the gym.
"Rylie! Wait!" He shouted and ran after me. I burst into the living to find Anita, Haven, Nathaniel and Micah.
"Now isn't the time, Rylie." Haven snapped not looking at me his eyes only for Anita.
"No Rylie stay." Anita ordered. Payne was behind me and he placed a hand on my arm. He wanted me to walk out and leave them till this argument was over with. "You want me to be your Regina, you want in my bed, but you can't share."
"I shouldn't have to share. Sharing with other dominants is one thing, but another Lion or them. No." Haven growled.
"Micah is my Nimir Ra and Nathaniel is my Leopard to call. I love them and if you can't deal with that or share then there will never be an us. You tried to attack Nathaniel." I saw then that Nathaniel had touched Haven while they tried to have sex, Nathaniel had touched him not sexual, but as if moving him and he flipped at him and Micah. I understood Haven's view to an extent. He was to macho, anything close to homosexuality repulsed him, because that was just how he was. And Anita knew he wanted a monogamous relationship which she couldn't give him yet still wanted him. But Haven knew Anita was polygamous how could he expect her to ditch all the men in her life.
"But you're mine!"
"I'm my own, no one owns me." She hissed at him. He was going to bring up their beasts and how they reacted to each other, but stopped.
"You want me."
"I want a lot of things Haven and I go without them. Doesn't matter how much my Lioness wants you. You attack the men I love, you attack Noel and Travis because you have it in your head that I'm sleeping with them. You're just a thug. And one day you're going to cross a line." It was pretty much an empty threat, but I knew if he did cross that line she would end him her…I bit me lip to stop from laughing as I heard her nickname for him. Her Cookie Monster. But I suppose it made sense, with his blue hair and the Sesame street tattoos that I could see in her head. Bert and Ernie on his left shoulder, Oscar on his right hip and of course the Cookie Monster on the back of his right shoulder. My Cookie Monster.
"What about Rylie's Lioness? Even I can feel the sexual tension between the two of you." Nathaniel's words snapped me back to what was happening in front of me. Haven looked over at me and my Lioness came again. I beat her back down with my Leopard, there were more leopards in the room than Lions. I ignored the entire conversation acting like I hadn't heard Nathaniel.
"I think Gabby is being controlled by a vampire. I felt something strange last night and Payne made a very good point on it." All eyes turned to me now and I was surprised the arguing stopped completely.
"Are you sure?"
"All I know Anita is that something was in her head that shouldn't be. I felt it right before she slashed me. But then she was gone when Richard and Asher chased her off. It's been bugging me all day and Payne suggested it might be a vampire as no one would come and try to kill you unless they had a death wish or were under control or they were certain they could kill you. If she had a death wish she'd have took another swipe at me last night killed me and then let Asher and Richard kill her. But she fled."
"I think it's very likely that is what has happened." Payne offered.
"They could be right Anita. It's a very logical explanation. And something some of the vampires you've pissed off might do." Micah stated, I wondered if Anita's list of enemies was longer than mine, cos it sure sounded that way.
"Either way. I don't know about you Anita, but I'm not one to hide behind guards or away from people who want me dead. I'm going up and I'm going to grab her and find out if she has been rolled." I turned to move and Payne grabbed my arm.
"I'm guarding you and you aren't going up to get yourself killed." I smiled at him, he cared, he didn't want me hurt.
"No you're guarding Anita and I'm going up there as Rylie, Lady Death and doing what I do best." Anita was smiling she found it amusing.
"Oh and what's that?" Haven asked.
"Getting information and killing bad guys. Anyone's welcome to come, but I'm doing it now." Haven's Lion flared out with excitement and it made me want to jump him there and then.
"If it's a vampire Rylie, he's going to be rising soon." Anita cautioned.
"Well then I'll have that much more fun hunting him down. I do like a challenge on my hunts."
I had geared up and was ready to go when Asher walked into my room. Aydan had yet to come back, James and Julian had gone out though I wasn't sure where and Nathaniel had offered to stay with Dani so she wasn't alone. Plus Nathaniel was just as if not motherly than I was. And Dani was quite smitten with him.
"Rylie, Ma jolie I don't think this is wise. Only last night you nearly died." I wasn't sure how I felt about him I had intended to kill him earlier, but now I couldn't. Looking at him awake brought back images of last night, sex in the Lunatic café that I had forgotten until now.
"Why did we have sex?"
"I am of Belle Morte's blood line. Beauty, love and lust essentially sex. With my connections to Anita and Jean-Claude through the sex I was able to heal you. But I had to make you my Servant or at least take the first two steps to it. I am sorry if you would not want to be associated with one with my disfiguration." I wondered if this was what Sylvie had meant, by him being sulky, but he genuinely felt that way about himself. I holstered the gun I was loading and crossed to Asher. I tucked the hair on the right side of his face behind his ear before running my thumb across the scarring gently, then I kissed his cheek.
"There is nothing wrong with you Asher. Nothing at all and if I have to be tied to a vampire, become a Human Servant I'd rather it you than any other." He smiled at me, really smiled and it was like looking upon heaven. He pulled me into him and kissed down the scar I now had on my neck.
"I am so very sorry that I couldn't rid you of this Ma amour." I sighed contently at his touch and realised I was side tracked from what I needed to do.
"It's fine Asher one more to add to my collection. But I have to go. I need to capture Gabby and find out if she has been rolled by a vampire." But he didn't let go.
"Stay Ma amour…" But as I just looked at him he stopped. "I will come with you then. I do not want you to come to harm." He was surprised himself that he felt so strongly about me. Asher was Bisexual, but preferred men to women and he was confused by the strong attraction to me.
"Ok, but please, I don't mean to sound harsh, but stay out of my way when she comes."
I was stood by Danse Macabre another club of Jean-Claude were people could pay to dance with vampires and shifters. Asher and Payne were closest to me. Asher was a top the building looking down as he was one of few vampires that could fly. Payne was lounging outside a bar across the street. Anita, Haven, Sylvie and Graham were scattered about. I brought forth my cheetah as much as I dared to help me move faster when she attacked. I heard her first, I was waiting to hear her thoughts and I did, they didn't make sense it was just a jumble of many different things. Then she suddenly came flying at me. She had every intention of slamming my head into the wall behind me, but Asher's Marks had given me the edge, made me just that little bit faster, that little bit stronger and I pinned her to the wall instead by her throat. Payne and Asher were by my side a second later. The others quickly coming to us.
"You're going to tell me everything." I stated my power trickling out with the adrenaline pumping through me.
"Whose orders are you following?" Payne growled. Gabby continued to struggle and Payne helped me hold her still. She growled, hissed and snapped trying to break free. And then I felt the connection in her mind. She had most definitely been rolled by a vampire. I could see him, what he looked like. I turned to Anita to see if she knew who he was.
A/N: Just to clarify there are 6 vampire bloodlines, each with their own, abilities and heads of line or Sourdre de Sang's (google translates this as blood welling, I think basically it means source of blood) all blood lines originate from the Mother of Darkness. Jean Claude also becomes powerful enough to become his own Sourdre de Sang. Though originally he came from Belle Morte. Belle Morte is also known as Beautiful Death, she too carries the Ardeur and she only turns vampires that are beautiful to the extreme or create beautiful things. She's shallow what can I say? She also has the ability to call/control all shifters of the big cat variety. Julian Belongs to J4M3Z XO, Gabby belongs to Zombie450AirBournePrincess, Danikha belongs to KaneLovesTristen, Aydan belongs to Krazy 13 and James belongs to me and Krazy 13. Hope you are enjoying the story so far :D
