4
Fabio showered and put jeans on when Collosa called to let him know they were twenty minutes out. He even blow-dried his hair so it was going in mostly the right direction. It looked fine when he let it dry naturally, but it looked better if he took the time to do it right. His two housemates weren’t interested in feeding their new pet vampire, so he’d get her all to himself.
He’d seen pictures of her and talked to her over video once — she was a knockout, and she was intelligent. In his experience, too many women were one or the other.
Marco arrived five minutes before she was due to arrive, and Fabio let him in.
“Where’s Eunice?” Marco asked.
“Probably still asleep. He’s fine with her living here, but the fucker isn’t the welcome wagon sort.”
“Ah. Since he won’t be feeding her, I suppose that’s okay. You’ve fed Strigorii before?”
“Yeah. Dated a vampire for a few months. Best sex I ever had.” And he’d fed more than his fair share since. He wasn’t stupid about it, but when an opportunity arose, he often took it.
Marco gave him a steady look. “Kelsey’s a baby vampire, so she won’t know how to regulate her venom with the kind of accuracy older vampires can. Don’t get angry with her if she gets it a little wrong. Give yourself at least two hours after feeding her before you’ll need to drive a vehicle or handle weapons.”
Fabio nodded. “She warned me she’s still working on it, but said she hasn’t zoned anyone out in a few years. I take it that’s from giving too much venom to kill the pain?”
“It can be. I’m allowing her into the territory because she’ll be working for Aaron, and because she’ll be supervised by the three of you. If you have any reason to believe she might lose control, it’s imperative I’m immediately notified. The three of you have my private phone number. Normally, I wouldn’t take on a vampire who’s only been turned twelve years.”
Fabio crossed his arms and gave the vampire a measured look. It was probably a bad idea to call the vampire on his bullshit, but he was going to anyway.
“You’re gaining one of the top hackers on the planet by letting her in. Aaron Drake is making it easy on you by housing her and giving her a paycheck.”
“I have access to hackers. Since she’s here, I’ll likely utilize her a few times a year for my most complex needs, but I wouldn’t have brought her here without Drake’s request. With that being said, based on reports from individuals I know and respect, she has the control of a fifty-year-turned vampire, which is impressive. She’s still a baby vampire, though.”
“Ya’ll don’t consider them grown until they’re a hundred, right?”
“Most can be considered mature in that general frame, give or take a decade. All but a few are still locked away at a dozen years.”
Fabio couldn’t help but point out yet another reason Marco likely allowed her in his territory. “Kelsey will probably be a powerful vampire in another three hundred years, so befriending her and giving her a place to grow is a good move politically. Ya’ll think in terms of centuries, not decades.”
Marco smiled. “This is true. If she’s still alive in three hundred years, she’ll be formidable.”
Kelsey looked out the window at her first view of this new city she was supposed to call home. She could see what she assumed was the downtown area from a distance. When they left the city, the interstate wound around between a mountain and the Tennessee River for a short time, and then James finally pulled off the interstate. Five minutes later, they were driving up a small mountain on a narrow lane, and Kelsey knew they were close because she felt the Master Vampire’s power.
She felt as if she knew James inside and out, after their drive. Girls talk about having “the night” with a guy. Not a sexual night, but the one where you stay up all night talking. In a way, she felt like she and James had just done that. It felt intimate, even though they’d barely touched and had just met.
James pulled off onto what she hoped was the driveway, and the Master Vampire’s power was almost overwhelming.
A few curves in the driveway, and the house finally came into view. A two-story building, and though the lights were on, she couldn’t see inside.
“You like your privacy, I see.”
“As I’m sure you discovered, I own the home through a series of corporations. My official address is an apartment building I also own in town.”
She’d learned that when she’d researched him, but she felt good that he trusted her enough to tell her. “I sense Marco inside,” she told him. “Can we wait to bring the suitcases in once he’s left?” It was chilly, but not cold. Her electronics would be fine.
“Fabio will be up. He and I can take them in through a different door and put them in your room while you’re with Marco.”
Kelsey started to protest, but realized James was right — Marco wouldn’t want outsiders to witness the claiming ceremony.
She opened the door and stood, and her legs nearly gave out on her. She hadn’t realized how weak she’d grown during the drive, and wasn’t certain she had the strength to walk up the steps and into the house. The front door opened, and a gorgeous vampire walked out, down the steps, and to her. Without saying a word, he put his hands on the outside of her shoulders and poured energy into her.
Tears came to Kelsey’s eyes and flowed down her cheeks. “Thank you, Master.”
“Not yet, but we’ll get to it.” His lips brushed her cheek and he stood straight again. “Dear, if you ever doubt your strength, think back to this moment. In the first fifty years of my life, I couldn’t have made the trip you just managed without a Master giving me power.” He pulled her into his arms, and she felt as if she were home. The tears continued to flow from her eyes, and she didn’t try to stop them.
“I’m glad you’re here, Kelsey.”
Kelsey concentrated on her speech. It was important he knew she could fit in here. “Thank you for accepting me here, Master. I will do my best to be an asset to the coterie.”
James had come around, and Marco reached out to shake his hand without letting go of Kelsey. “I take it there were no issues?”
“I think Kelsey’s going to fit in just fine. Also, we reached an agreement on the way up, so I’ll be feeding her along with Fabio.”
Kelsey noted James didn’t answer Marco’s question. There had been issues — the gun, and her accent. However, James sidestepped the question.
Another male spoke from behind Kelsey, and she about came out of her skin because she hadn’t heard him or scented him.
“Damn, I thought I’d have her all to myself. I suppose I can share, but I’m assuming I’m still on the menu for tonight?”
Kelsey tried to calm her insides, and she turned in Marco’s arms. The man in front of her was shirtless, in jeans that hid nothing, and her mouth watered at the sight of him. He’d been model-beautiful on video, but he was so much more than that in real life. Raw virility. He was so pretty, she’d wondered how Alpha he was. In person, there was nothing to wonder about. This beautiful leopard shifter would never bow to anyone. Well, perhaps the Amakhosi, but she wasn’t even certain about that.