Forbidden Touch (39 page)

"So what does vampire blood do?" Mitch asked curiously.

"Well, it will make you physically and mentally stronger, and it will last longer than human blood, but there is a huge side effect from taking from another vampire, and it is the reason that you can't take from my vein."

"And what is that?" Mitch asked.

Lazarus grin grew even bigger, and he glanced at Mitch. "You will become incredibly horny. I don't want you trying to fuck me."

Mitch smiled and looked out the window. "No, I don't think I will be taking from your vein anytime soon. I mean, you're a sexy son-of-a-bitch and all, but you aren't my type." He was vaguely hearing Lazarus' soft chuckling. Mitch's mind wasn't thinking about taking blood from his partner. He was thinking about taking blood from Ciera, and wondered if she had ever taken blood from another vampire. He suspected that she was no longer innocent. She hadn't come right out and said that she and Dane had been together like that, but he could tell. He had wanted her to wait for him, but he wasn't angry with her that she didn't. He could tell by the way she acted earlier that she really did love Dane. That hurt like hell, too, because he wanted her whole heart. It was just his luck that the one girl he falls in love with can't love only him.

Mitch looked up as Lazarus pulled the car over to the curb. "You want me to hold your hand, or have you got this?" Lazarus said as he cut the engine off.

Mitch gave him a go to hell look and glanced at his watch. It was nine o'clock. "I got this, and I won't be long. I need a beer."

Lazarus smiled and Mitch left the car to go on his hunt.

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Chapter
62

It didn't take Mitch very long to find, mesmerize, and feed from a lonely homeless guy. The flood of images that he received from the old man's thoughts had been similar to the other homeless guy he had ran across only last night. Although the second guy hadn't lost his family to death. He had lost them because he had lost his job when he failed a drug test. He could imagine that would be a hell of a way for your wife to find out that you were a drug addict. He could tell when he had taken his blood that he had drugs in his system even now. Guess he hadn't learned his lesson, or else he didn't care anymore because he had already lost everything he had ever had.

Mitch had taken only what he needed from the guy, and was surprised to find that it was a lot easier to stop feeding than it had been last night with the girl from outside the bar. He opened the passenger door of Lazarus' personal vehicle. It was a dark blue Toyota Tundra, and it fit the guy's style perfectly. He didn't know how the guy afforded all that he had, and had been sending his mother all of that money over the years. He decided to ask him as he closed himself in the truck. "I know your career isn't paying for everything you have, and it doesn't explain the fat savings account my mother left for me, so what's your secret?"

Lazarus smiled. "I have very good investors." He shrugged and pulled away from the curb, then turned left at the light. They were headed toward Lake Decatur now, so they must be going to the club, he thought. "And I have taken money from a few humans over the years."

Mitch didn't need to ask him what a few meant. He could see it written all over the guy's face. He did it on a regular basis. Probably every time he fed from one, he would clean their wallet or purse out before he compelled them to forget about him. Mitch imagined that most vampires earned their money that way. He couldn't see them holding down a nine to five. The only reason Lazarus had, was to be able to stay close to him.

"So what are your other skills, besides daywalking and blocking?" Mitch asked.

"I am a pro at telekinesis, but other than that, that is all. The daywalking was a very important skill to the Elders. I could go out in the daylight, where no other vampire could. That is how I escaped. You can't just quit being an Elder. When they get you in, you are in until someone kills you, or you kill yourself." Lazarus shrugged. "I thought about the latter."

"Killing yourself?" Mitch asked.

"I was almost six hundred years old before I ran away Mitch. I was tired. I was still considering it when I met your mother, then you came along, so I had something to live for. I had to watch you grow up. I had to make sure that your mother was financially taken care of." Lazarus pulled into the parking lot of The Pulse. There were only about thirty vehicles in the lot, but it was still early. Mitch just didn't know how he was going to get Lazarus to leave by midnight. He was going to have to find some women for them fast. Ciera really had a lot of faith in him. He had never been charming, and now he had only a little over two hours to woo a woman enough to make her want to go home with him. He could always get her drunk. Getting a woman drunk had never been a problem before. He wasn't a bad looking guy. Actually he thought he was rather good looking, but he didn't have the gift of words, and he didn't know how to flirt. Usually, when he opened his mouth to say something nice, it would come out sounding more like an insult.

He nodded to himself. Yes, getting a girl drunk was the current plan.

Ciera opened her eyes to loud knocking on the bedroom door. She sat upright quickly and looked at Dane. He was blinking several times, like he was just coming out of sleep himself. What time was it?

"Yeah! Come in." Ciera said, and the door opened.

Lenya poked her head in the door. "There are a whole lot of vampires here, and they look like they are about to head out to war. I overheard one of them saying that he didn't think this task was very important to you, being that you were going to miss it."

Ciera and Dane both jumped out of the bed and ran for the door. Lenya moved out of the way just in time to keep from getting trampled, then she followed them to a room that was closer to the stairs than they had been in earlier.

There were about forty vampires in the conference room when Ciera, Dane, and Lenya barged in.

Dante looked up and frowned. "So nice of you to join us."

"Were you not going to wake us, Father?" Ciera asked.

He shrugged. "You were the one who was so hell bent on going. I assumed you would set an alarm, but it isn't something that we can't take care of on our own, Ciera."

"How about the fact that Lenya was going to use her skill so he could be captured? Or the fact that you don't even know where he is?"

"We had every intention to take Lenya with us, and we know where the two vampires are located that need to be subdued and eradicated. Your services are not required," He glanced at Dane with a disgusted look on his face. "Nor yours, Dane."

Ciera couldn't catch her breath. She felt like her heart was about to explode in her chest. Her Father did not just say that they were going to kill Mitch. It couldn't be true. "Father…Mitch Foley is on our side. He is helping us take down Lazarus. Why would you destroy him?"

Dante had begun talking to someone else about their plans while Ciera was having her breakdown. But he stopped talking and looked at her then. "You can't be positive that he is helping you. He may only be telling you that he is to lure us all in so Lazarus can complete his task. I can't take that risk."

"But I am positive, Father!" Ciera cried. "Please don't kill him," she pleaded.

Dane touched her hand lightly and whispered, "Ciera, this is a trap. Please don't say anymore."

She turned and looked at him with tears running down her beautiful face. "I have to, or they will kill him."

Dane closed his eyes and shook his head. All the Elders were present, and their Father was trying to get her to tell on herself, and she was going to do it so she could save Mitch. "Please, Ciera. Don't do this."

"I am sorry, Dane," she said, and he sighed in defeat. She looked back at Dante. "Mitch is my soulmate, Father. Lazarus knew I would turn him to save his life. I fell for a trick, but the truth still remains that he is my soulmate and I am in love with him. I have loved him from the first moment I laid eyes on him, and he loves me. That is how I am positive that he is on our side, Father."

Dante sat down in the chair at the head of the table. He laced his fingers together and put them to his mouth as he studied her. "Ciera, you know the consequences for breaking vampire law. Not only did you fall in love with a human, but you exposed us all when you told him what you are."

She nodded once. "He wanted to be one of us. He wasn't going to tell the world about us. He already has five skills, and that is only the ones that he has discovered in the last two days. He will be an asset to our Family, Father. Please don't do this."

"I told you not to let this happen, Ciera. You have just spoken your case in front of the entire Illinois Vampire Aristocracy. They will judge you, not I. I can only wish you the best of luck. You will need it." He looked to Alino, the King or Head Elder. "What say you, Your Highness?"

Ciera and Dane immediately looked in the direction that Dante was looking. Six huge vampire bodyguards moved aside, and the King was before them all. They fell to a bended knee with their heads low in respect. She hadn't noticed that he was in the room. How had she missed his beautiful appearance here in this room amongst all the riffraff?

"How do you believe in destiny and fate and soulmates, after over three centuries of being the way you are, my child?" Alino asked Ciera.

Her eyes were wide and looking at the floor. He had spoken to her, but he hadn't told her to rise. She didn't know whether to answer his question like this, or stand and face him to answer the question.

"Stand up," Dane whispered.

"Thank you," Ciera whispered back, then stood and made eye contact with the King. He was beautiful. He looked to be no older than thirty. He had slightly tanned skin, much like her own, with bright green eyes that stood out in contrast to his skin color. His hair was flowing black silk, and she longed to touch it, to prove to herself that nothing could actually be that soft. "I did not, only mere weeks ago, Your Highness. I have not, in all my existence, felt something as powerful as love. I have never known it. I know it now, but I actually think that fate is laughing at me."

"Why ever would you think that, Ciera?" he asked, and she could tell that he was really interested. He was talking with her as if they were the only two people in the room, and she was telling him a great story; one where dreams came true for a change. His eyes were dancing with curiosity.

"Fate has dealt me an extra card, Sire. I am in love with two men, and both of their lives are in your hands. I have told you of Mitch, but Dane is just as dear to my heart," Ciera said, and her eyes misted over. She didn't look away from the King.

He tilted his head to the side a little and studied her. "The vampire who committed treason? The male who is at fault for all of this?" He glanced at Dane and one side of his mouth tilted up in a half smile. "You love him as well?"

Ciera shook her head. "No, I mean yes ... yes I do love Dane, but none of this is his fault, Your Highness. Lazarus manipulated him. Dane's love for me was his weakness and Lazarus knew that. The only person responsible for any wrong doing tonight is Lazarus."

Alino moved his gaze to Dane again. Dane's head shot up without a word being spoken aloud to him. "Did Lazarus compel you?"

"No sir," Dane said, and Alino's brow went up a fraction.

"Are you telling me that you committed treason of your own free will?" Alino asked, amused.

"I had only one thought in my mind, Your Highness. I didn't think about what I was doing as treason."

Alino laughed loudly. "Then what on earth did you think you were doing?"

"He promised me that I could have Ciera," Dane responded.

"How could he promise such a thing?" Alino asked.

Dane shrugged. "He said that Mitch would be out of the picture because he would have control over him, and Ciera would turn to me then."

"Mitch has not been in the picture for the last century, Dane. She has never turned to you before. Why would she do it now?" Dante said.

Dane blinked a few times, then looked at Ciera. "I…I don't know why I thought that."

Alino glanced at Dante. "You may want to further investigate your family members the next time you are thinking about turning them over to the Elders, Dante. Dane's brain has been manipulated. He has been trying for the last century to win her affections, and it hasn't happened. Now, all of a sudden, a vampire that is powerful enough to be an Elder tells him it will happen, and he simply believes it?" Alino shook his head at Dante. "Do not make me question your authority, Dante. I really don't think I'll like the answers I will get." Alino looked back to Ciera, then offered her his hand. She took it and he brushed her knuckles with his lips as he looked in her eyes. "My child, you have enough to worry about without me executing any of your loved ones. I do hope you find happiness in all of your trials." He briefly glanced at Dane, then back to her.