“Brother,” Pierre started and was at his side in a matter of seconds. “Do not charge her guilty when she’s simply ignorant. Guards, please remove this woman from the ceremony and escort her to the donor center. Mark her name to never be allowed in our presence again.”
“Sir, no, please! I’m so sorry! Please, just give me—”
“Out,” he interrupted her. Pierre pointed to the door and a moment later, the woman was removed.
Alexia could hear her screaming from the exterior hall and she felt bad for the woman. She had the same fear moments ago and decided to speak up.
“Please, don’t punish her. She was scared and wanted to fight for her place as a concubine.”
Pierre and Jean-Paul rejoined her. Seconds later, Jean-Paul held his hand out for Alexia.
“Will you be ours?” he asked.
She blinked. “Did you not hear what I just said?”
“Yes, I heard, and we’re taking care of it. We’ll keep her on the list of potential concubines, per your request.”
“Oh,” she whispered.
“This is good, Alexia,” Olivia spoke behind her. “You should accept the offer.”
“Oh,” she said a few octaves louder, then she laughed at herself. “I’m sorry, yes.” She placed her hand in Jean-Paul’s and a sudden rush of relief rushed over her.
“Mmm,” Pierre whispered next to her ear. “I’ve wanted this since we first met that day in the building.”
Heat rushed across her skin and a huge, goofy as fuck smile split the crease of her mouth. She tried not to laugh or giggle at his words, and instead, a snort broke the sound barrier in the room. If anything, the sound echoed through the entire building.
Then, she blushed for an entirely different reason. She felt drunk on emotions and needed to sober.
“Well, that was the cutest thing I’ve heard come from a blood demon in my many centuries of living,” Jean-Paul admitted. “Strange, but very cute.”
“That’s me, strange but cute,” she repeated.
“No darling,” Marcus told her. “You’re breathtaking.”
“I have to agree with my brother,” Stephen added. “Everything about you is perfection.”
“Allow us to whisk you away,” Pierre told her. “There’s so much to do and so little time.” There was a darkness to his features, a dominance she longed to explore and could not wait to experience.
“Okay,” was all she could manage to get out.
“Hmm, I wonder,” Jean-Paul started.
“What, brother?” Pierre asked.
“I wonder if we may be too much for her to handle.” His words were teasing, and Alexia found herself grinning once more.
“Challenge accepted,” she answered.
“Then your carriage awaits,” Marcus told her.
Jean-Paul never let go of her hand and as he turned toward the exit, he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm.
She began to follow and looked back over her shoulder to Olivia.
“Oh my God,” she mouthed.
Olivia giggled and gave her two thumbs up. When Pierre turned to see who Alexia was looking at, he chuckled when Olivia cleared her throat and righted herself.
“I’m sure you’ll give your full report in the morning to your coven?” he asked her.
Olivia smirked his way. “Absolutely. This was a great night. Thank you for having me. And take good care of my girl.”
“Is that a threat I hear coming from you?” Pierre asked.
She winked. “Consider it a warning.”
Alexia couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up from her. She turned back around and followed the four vampires... her four vampires, from the grand ballroom. And as realization settled around her, she knew she was truly happy about the decision. For the last half hour or so in these vampires’ presence, she’d never once felt insecure, unwanted, or dismissed.
She felt desired, and that was something she never thought she would experience ever again.
As they reached the elevator, Jean-Paul announced, “Here’s to the claiming and to new beginnings.”
“Here, here,” Pierre chimed in, followed by Stephen and Marcus.
The doors opened and the quintet stepped inside. The moment the doors closed, Pierre took her by the hand and pulled her from Jean-Paul’s grasp. “I’m going to kiss you now.”
Her brows rose and her lips parted. “O—” was all she managed to get out before his mouth was on hers.
He pressed her against the wall, his hands cupping her face. His tongue slipped across her lips and she opened for him, greedily taking from him what he was offering.
“How does she taste?” Marcus asked.
“Like that fine Merlot,” Pierre answered.
Breathless, Alexia stumbled when Pierre suddenly let her go. Catching her in his arms, Marcus chuckled softly. “Here we go,” he whispered and steadied her on her feet. “And to just think he only kissed you. Just wait until you have all of us.”
“Oh hell,” she whispered.
The quartet chuckled, but not in a hostile or teasing way. Each of them was just as anxious to get to know her as she was with them.
The fear still of a prison cell that she could be locked inside ticked in the back of her mind, but she forced herself to believe that was not the case with these vampires, and she was in good hands with the coven leaders.
The coven leaders!
I’m with the actual coven leaders!
A grin widened across her lips at her thoughts and her stomach flipped in a delicious turn of events yet to come.
The doors opened and just outside was a stretch limo.
“Oh good, no real carriage,” she said aloud.
“Would you rather have had a carriage?” Stephen asked.
She shook her head. “Limos don’t fart in your face.”
There was a moment of silence, followed by a burst of laughter from the four vampires as they escorted Alexia toward the door.
“Well said,” Jean-Paul told her. “I’ve never heard it put quite like that before.”
“Well, I have many other quick witted comebacks, so be ready.” She grinned.
The driver opened the door and Alexia took a step forward, only to pause as fear suddenly clamped around her heart once more. She thought back to the moment she accepted Aubin’s offer, and what came shortly after.
“Where will I stay?” she asked and quickly turned to face the men.
The foursome all blinked, almost in unison.
“That was unexpected,” Stephen remarked.
“Anywhere you like,” Pierre answered. “Whether that be alone in your own room, or in a shared room with us, that decision is completely up to you.”
“Our home is your home now,” Jean-Paul added. “Anything you want or anywhere you’d like to venture, it’s at your heart’s desire, and if we can make it happen, we certainly will.”
She wrung her hands in front her body and her palms were damp. “I can come and go as I please?”
“Of course,” Marcus answered. “You’ll even have keys to the home as well as all the doors to the house.”
“There’s different keys to every door?” she asked.
“I think our locksmith would murder us if we did that to him,” Jean-Paul answered with a chuckle. “No, the same key opens every lock in the house, except for one.”