Unleash (Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series Book 6) Page 8

  For the first time in endless centuries, he had to guard his heart against a female.

  A female he knew with startling certainty would be his undoing.

  CHAPTER 7

  She woke alone. The vampire was gone. While alertness had slowly dawned, she had thought that perhaps he had gone into the bathroom or was watching her silently and still enough that she had failed to detect him while the last vestiges of sleep held onto her.

  That opinion had altered dramatically when she had finally pushed herself up in the centre of his dark four-poster bed to see that she was completely alone in his grim black apartment.

  She couldn’t even feel any others of his kind on this floor with her. Unusual. Normally when she visited Snow, there was at least one person on this level. There wasn’t even anyone on the floor below tonight. Where had they gone?

  She focused, trying to detect whether they had all vacated the theatre or were somewhere else within its environs.

  There was a large gathering far below her and it was hard to place how many were there. There was too much interference from the levels of the building between her and them, but she could still feel Snow there.

  She shuffled to the edge of the bed, slipped off it to land on her feet and raised her arms above her head, clasping her hands together. She stretched and yawned, and her wings grew from her back until the tips of her longest feathers grazed her ankles.

  Lifting her right arm, she moved her wing forwards and extended it to its full span. She bent her head and looked at the feathers beyond the space below her arm. A solitary white feather remained, downy and small, tucked in a place that wasn’t normally visible to others.

  She lowered her arm and stared at the dark marks on her forearm.

  They throbbed and it was difficult to ignore the pain. Giving blood to a vampire was a sacrilegious act but she had committed the sin without remorse, and she refused to succumb to that emotion now.

  Snow had needed blood to soothe the terrible rage that had come upon him and she had known that her blood would give him the vitality he needed to regain control of himself and vanquish the evil that lurked within him.

  She furled her black wings against her back and walked to the door, grabbed the brass handle and twisted it. Locked.

  Why?

  Had he sought to contain her and keep her captive? His behaviour dictated that it was the most likely reason he had locked the door on her. He probably desired her as a blood slave of sorts now. She crushed that cruel thought and listened to what her heart had to say on the matter, trusting it to guide her when her clouded emotions could not.

  Perhaps he had desired to protect her from others here at the theatre.

  She smiled at that, preferring it as his reason.

  It took minimal effort with her powers to transport her from inside his apartment to the corridor beyond. She walked along the black hallway, admiring the accents of gold that lent it a decadent air that suited the naughty theatre.

  Snow needed such accents in his room.

  They took away the morbid air black could have and made it appear chic and designer. She wished she could decorate her small rooms in such a modern and interesting manner. She had tired of the stark white of them a long time ago. Everything in her realm was pristine white. She had once told her master that white was boring.

  He had scolded her.

  She didn’t bother to cloak herself as she headed down the stairs and instead enjoyed a moment of freedom in the theatre. She preferred to move around as much as possible without shrouding herself or teleporting to places. It made her feel tangible and real, a part of this world even when she didn’t really belong here.

  The sound of merriment drifted up the dim staircase to her and she waited until the last possible moment, when she had reached the black-walled double-height room at the side of the stage, before she finally shadowed herself from prying eyes. She followed the noise around to her right, along another black corridor to a large warmly lit room at the back of the theatre and slipped inside, keeping close to the pale walls.

  She had never realised how many vampires resided in the theatre. Not just vampires, she reminded herself as her eyes darted over familiar faces amongst the crowd.

  The male who had fae blood muddled in with his vampire genes was here, and he was keeping amusingly close to a very pretty woman wearing a long black slinky dress with silver stars stitched in a sweeping arc over one breast and down in a diagonal over her opposite hip. Her dark chestnut hair had thick threads of silver streaking through it that matched her eyes.

  She might have thought the elegantly dressed woman was human if she didn’t already know she was a witch called Elissa, and she was part of the reason Snow had experienced his worst bout of bloodlust in centuries.

  The woman bent her head and smiled at the small sandy-haired boy tucked between her and Payne, her silvery eyes twinkling with affection as she spoke to him. Another incubus, although this one was a full-blooded member of that species, and she suspected he was related to Payne in some way because they shared the same deep grey eyes and hair colour.

  They also seemed to share the same taste in clothing, both males wearing pinstriped charcoal shirts with the sleeves rolled up to their elbows, paired with dark blue jeans and biker boots. The outfit looked far cuter on the young boy, and she had the feeling that he was trying to be like Payne. He even wore his sandy hair tufted in soft spikes tonight.

  The boy grinned at Elissa and went to bound off into the crowd but Payne’s large hand caught his shoulder and steered him back into the fold, keeping him close.

  Why?

  Did he not trust the vampires with the child? Would they harm him?

  The thought that they might seek to injure an innocent filled her with a desire to lift her shroud and threaten retribution upon any who tried. She tamped down that desire, and this time issued herself a reminder of what had happened the only other time she had sought to protect an innocent.

  The female with a wild black bob that she knew as the only succubus at the theatre bounded up to the group, squatted and rubbed the young incubus’s cheek, earning a giggle from him. She rose to her feet and her vampire mate joined her.

  Andreu looked much like his older brother, Javier, with the exception that his short hair was dark chocolate brown and his eyes were rich blue. Both of them preferred to dress in impeccable black designer suits though. He spoke to Payne as the witch spoke to his mate, and the young incubus tugged at the hem of the succubus’s short ruffled purple skirt, trying to get her attention.

  Gathered together like this, it looked as though Payne and the succubus were better suited for each other, their casual and slightly offbeat attire making them a sharp contrast against the neat and elegant clothing of their true mates.

  Her eyes moved on, scanning the room for Snow.

  They paused on the sharply dressed couple at the centre of everyone’s attention.

  The black-haired vampire male with dazzling green eyes and his brunette werewolf shimmered with happiness and affection. The shapely female’s hazel eyes shone as she bounced a baby in her arms, the girl’s pink romper suit clashing with her burgundy dress. The little girl reached up and twined her fingers in Kristina’s long wavy hair, pulling on it and causing her mother to wince.

  Callum, her partner, bent over and tickled the baby under her chin. Her innocent face scrunched into a frown and then she wailed. Callum grimaced and Kristina’s expression shifted towards desperate as she scoured the room for someone.

  “Snow?” Callum called out and she watched on, filled with curiosity as she caught sight of him across the room.

  He peered over the heads of everyone, formidable in his stature and build, and the crowd parted to allow him through.

  Her breathing slowed.

  He looked more handsome than ever in his black shirt and jeans, a twinkle in his blue eyes that she hadn’t seen in a very long time.

  He was enjoying himself and it show
ed, and she was glad. He needed this moment of normalcy after everything he had endured these past few weeks. It would help him shake off the last threads of darkness that clung to his heart and mind, restoring his faith that he could be in the company of others without the need for his restraints.

  His brother followed with his beautiful mate, the blonde elite female Sera. Antoine looked much brighter tonight than he had the last time she had seen him. Dressed in a tailored black suit and his favoured Italian leather shoes, he cut an imposing figure of authority, but Snow still outshone him.

  Antoine lacked the wild, hellion edge that Snow had always had. They were complete opposites in that regard. Antoine was the sensible one. Snow was the rebel.

  Sera carried the male child of Callum and Kristina’s twins, and he was leaning forwards in her arms, small hands grasping the air in Snow’s direction. She struggled to keep hold of him and keep upright in the tall heels she wore with her elegant deep crimson evening gown.

  Why did Callum want Snow?

  Her eyes widened when Snow reached the fretting couple, hunkered down and pinched the baby girl’s rosy cheek. She quieted and then burst into a fit of giggles.

  Surprising.

  She hadn’t expected or even considered it possible that Snow would hold any sense of tenderness towards the tiny babes, and she definitely hadn’t seen his ability to soothe them coming. It hit her hard in her chest, warming her heart and melting some of her hatred towards him.

  The baby girl bounced in her mother’s arms, vying with her brother for Snow’s attention as he tried to entertain both of them.

  It was strange seeing him smiling at the babies, teasing them and talking to them. It didn’t fit the image she had of him, or the man she knew him to be, no matter how long she watched him interacting with them. He looked so much more like the man he used to be and the hold of the dark feelings in her heart grew weaker.

  Sera handed the boy back to his father, who held him in the crook of his arm. Antoine said something to Snow and left with Sera. Snow looked uncertain at last when the baby boy grasped his index finger, his tiny fingers clutching it.

  Kristina laughed, as though amused by Snow’s discomfort. The baby girl began to settle, her eyes drifting closed as her mother gently rocked her.

  The baby boy opened his little mouth to reveal small fangs and tried to draw Snow’s hand up to him so he could bite it. Callum uttered something that looked as though it might have been an apology as Snow hastily removed his hand from the baby’s reach. Snow laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, his actions speaking of nerves that she failed to notice because she was transfixed.

  She couldn’t remember the last time Snow had laughed.

  It soothed her, stirring hopes long forgotten, and took her back countless centuries to a night that had changed her life forever.

  Snow said something and moved away from the couple, leaving Callum to offer his wrist to his child.

  Her gaze tracked Snow through the room. He settled himself into a corner, leaning against the wall there with one boot planted on the wooden floor and his other knee bent and that foot resting against the cream wall.

  She wanted to go to him and wondered if he could sense her presence. He had sensed her in his room when she had been shrouded. She took a step forwards with the intent of crossing the room and mirroring him by leaning against the wall near to him, but paused when a female approached him.

  Lilah.

  She looked radiant in her dark green slinky dress with her long chestnut hair sleek and straight.

  Snow’s lips curled into a smile when he spotted Lilah.

  She didn’t like that look. It was one thing for him to smile and laugh with babies, and completely another for him to smile at beautiful women. She checked herself. It was none of her business who he smiled or laughed around, and she would do well to remember it.

  Even if it did irk her for some reason.

  She skirted the edges of the room, moving closer. She wanted to hear their conversation. She had to avoid several vampires, ducking around them and feeling them turn as they felt the air shift as she passed. None of them sensed her. Her heart pounded and she edged closer to Snow and Lilah.

  She paused and leaned against the pale wall just a few metres from them.

  They were deep in conversation and if Snow could sense her, he didn’t show it.

  “I am sorry you felt you needed to return to the theatre early,” Snow said, genuine regret in his tone.

  Lilah touched his arm and smiled. “Don’t be. As soon as we heard what had happened, we decided to come back and be here for you. We couldn’t celebrate while we knew that you were unwell, and we knew Antoine would need us. We knew you would need us.”

  Snow smiled at her. “I am sure Javier was not so thrilled about having to return. I am sure he resents me for ending what should have been a long joyous celebration.”

  “It was a good celebration.” Lilah leaned closer to him and dropped her voice to a whisper. “I’m not going to complain about having to end it early. Believe me, a few weeks with my in-laws is more than enough. Don’t tell Javier, but they were beginning to drive me crazy. I was longing to come back to Vampirerotique after the first week.”

  Lilah giggled, eliciting another, broader smile from Snow.

  “It will be our secret,” he whispered.

  She didn’t like that the two of them shared secrets with each other, or the way Lilah kept touching Snow’s arm, as though they were very close. Dark claws curled around her heart, gently holding it but ready to squeeze any positive feeling from her.

  Snow’s pale eyebrows met in a frown and his ice-blue eyes scanned the room.

  Had he sensed her?

  She moved back a step, trying to elude his keen senses. His frown hardened and then he went back to speaking to Lilah. She wished he hadn’t.

  “You look beautiful tonight. Javier is crazy to let you out of his sight.”

  The claws holding her heart tightened their grip and she glared at Lilah. She was pretty, she supposed. The only thing stopping her from revealing herself and trying to steal Snow’s attention for some ridiculous reason was the fact that he wasn’t looking at Lilah with desire.

  Not as he had looked at her.

  She had seen the fire in his eyes whenever he had glanced at her and had witnessed the evidence of his arousal. He desired her.

  Why did that please her?

  She cursed her feelings, hating the way they flip-flopped when it came to Snow. Part of her despised him and she felt certain she would always hate him. The rest of her felt softer feelings for him and was drawn to him in a way she had never experienced before.

  Her eyes moved back to him, studying his lethal beauty.

  He was large compared with Lilah, powerful and like a warrior, his broad thickly muscled build making her appear tiny.

  His crisp black shirt stretched across his chest, the cut emphasising the breadth of it and how narrow his waist was in comparison. He had left the top few buttons undone, revealing his collarbones and a hint of his defined pectorals. Black jeans encased his long legs, almost as tight as a second skin, and his black leather boots wrinkled their bottoms, adding a twist to his appearance.

  Only Snow would pair scruffy army boots with an expensive shirt, and keep them sticking out of his jeans too. Even Payne hadn’t gone that far.

  Her gaze delighted in roaming back up his powerful legs and over his torso to his face. He shoved his fingers through his white hair, dragging the long strands out of his eyes. He was handsome but radiated darkness and danger. Alluring.

  Enticing.

  She blushed as she recalled how aroused he had been after taking her blood, his body hard and primed, because of her.

  When he had bitten her, she had experienced an incredible surge in feelings from deep within her, heat that she didn’t understand and urges so wicked and dark that they had shocked her.

  They still shocked her now.

  So
had her reaction when he had subtly pointed out that he lusted after her.

  Images of him naked and hard had sprung into her mind, immoral fantasies about him stripping before her and then removing all of her clothes and touching her. Her throat dried out and she swallowed, trying to wet it.

  Her body quivered as those images invaded her mind again, hotter this time, a vision of them naked and entwined, his powerful body braced above hers as he made love to her, kissing her and devouring all of her, body and soul.

  Snow frowned again and scanned his surroundings, and she gasped. His gaze shot towards where she stood shrouded by her powers, invisible to his eyes. He inhaled deeply, his pale blue eyes darkened with desire, and he pushed away from the wall, coming to face her.

  “Snow?” Antoine’s voice coming from behind her caused her to press herself flush against the wall to allow him to pass without brushing her and snapped Snow’s attention away from her.

  Her heart pounded, legs like jelly and threatening to give out. She pressed her palms against the wall, clutching it for support. Her stomach fluttered, hot with forbidden foreign feelings. Arousal. Her master would be more than furious if he discovered she harboured desire for the vampire.

  Antoine stopped in front of Snow. Lilah greeted him and then looked over the crowd to the happy couple. Javier was there with Callum and Kristina. Lilah beamed at him across the room, as radiant as Snow had said she was, and then weaved through the crowd to take the outstretched hand of her male.

  Javier pulled her into his arms, bent his head and pressed a tender kiss to Lilah’s lips.

  Wicked thoughts popped into her mind and she shoved them straight back out again, fearing where thinking about how Snow would kiss would lead her.

  Into temptation no doubt.

  She moved her focus back to Snow and Antoine. She had never been able to grasp how two brothers could look so incredibly similar in their facial features and their striking pale blue eyes, yet be so very different. Not just in personality either. Antoine’s dark chocolate hair was a complete contrast to Snow’s silvery-white, and Snow was taller than Antoine by at least two inches too, and more powerful in build.