Rule (3 page)

Chapter 5

Marko

The large number of vampires before me looked on in eagerness as I walked the length of the large room. They kneeled, awaiting my instruction. I could feel their excitement. We all craved the hunt and I had no doubts the rumor of Hunter’s escape had made its way around the city.

“As most of you are aware, my concubine was murdered on the day we were meant to take vows. She was murdered by a human named Hunter Moretti. The soldier not only has to pay for his crimes against Princess Tessalyn, but also for his escape from our world. He was prohibited to go back to the top and he disobeyed. Until he’s located, you will give search. If he is found, you are
forbidden
to kill him. That’s my job. Now who here isn’t aware of who Hunter is?”

I was prepared to show them, but no one raised their hand. Everyone knew who the bastard was.

“Good. I want this city torn apart. You are not to return until you either have him or the sun is threatening to rise. Do I make myself clear?”

Nodding had me gesturing with my hand. The two dozen vampires left in swift strides and I dropped back, but followed. Hunter would be mine soon enough. If he was in Austin, I’d find him.

Darkness engulfed me as I headed into the tunnel. The vampires were already long gone, no doubt breaking out into their true speed to make it to the exits as fast as they could. This would be a game for them. For me, this was more. This was pure, hot revenge. I’d make him suffer for as long as it took for me to get over this pain of losing ma minette. If that took years, decades, so be it. He was going to see what the definition of what love truly was. What he felt for her wouldn’t compare to the devotion and worship that I surrounded her with in my mind. The focal point in his core was his God, but Tessa was mine. She was everything to me … and I’d prove it.

Moonlight shone down through the grate above and I climbed up the ladder, pushing it free, and taking in the familiar street. I hadn’t been back here since Tessa had run away, and Julius and I had found her. Seeing her neighborhood again made me feel sick. If I went into her home, would it still smell like her? The question drew me forward. The closer I got, the more grief engulfed me. I stopped in front of the driveway where a new vehicle was parked. Someone had moved in which meant I was fucked from going inside. They’d have to invite me in. Temptation was there, but I wasn’t sure I could bear it. The amount of longing I had for the female I was meant for was killing me. If it wasn’t for my status, I probably wouldn’t have gotten out of bed at all. Let me die too. As long as I could be with her again. Maybe that’s why I was out here, knowing the radicals that were trying to hunt down our kind.

I strolled past the house, watching a light flip on. It was Hunter’s old room. I paused, seeing the silhouette of a woman. I could tell she had short hair, but reality blurred with my instability and I quickly found myself headed to the front door. I knocked harder than I had intended. A middle-aged man answered, slightly overweight.

“Can I … help you?”

His fear clouded around me and I watched as an older woman peeked around the corner and took a few steps into the living area.

“I’m sorry. I was looking for my friend who lived here a few months back. Her name was Tessa.” My voice gave out and I had to stop the tears from blinding me. Fuck, I could still smell her. Lavender with a hint of jasmine. It was right there, trying to lure me in. “I’m afraid we left on upsetting terms. I was hoping she was still here so I could … get her back.”

The man shook his head. “We’ve lived here for two months. I’m sorry, I wish I knew how to help you.”

“It’s quite alright,” I said, stepping back and pushing my hands in my pockets. “Have a good night.” I turned, heading for the sidewalk before I broke down completely. This wasn’t what a leader was supposed to do. We were meant to be strong. Ruthless. Tessa was my only weakness and I would have given anything to get her back.

“Sir?”

I turned, looking over my shoulder.

“I hope you find her.”

A sad smiled pulled at my lips. “I’m afraid that’s impossible now.”

He frowned. “Sometimes the answer is the most obvious. Often times, we just don’t see it until we step back and assess the situation. Maybe you’re forgetting something important. Think on it. I have faith you’ll find her.”

“Thank you.” I turned, heading toward the church. He wanted me to assess the situation. There was nothing to assess. Hunter had stabbed her through the heart and she had died. What more was there for me to think over? Tessa was dead. I had seen it happen. I’d … I blinked, still not able to conjure the scene my memory seemed to lock away. I knew in my head she was dead. I felt my mind telling me so, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t actually see it.

Aggravation had me jogging across the street. The church made my skin crawl. I couldn’t even look at the cathedral without seeing Tessa. It’s where I first spotted her. That hair, twirling in the wind as it blew around her.
And her smell.
Fuck, it was still with me from her house... It was as though she’d embedded herself in my lungs, teasing and torturing me with each breath I took. Figured Tessa would do something like that. She wouldn’t want me to forget her and I had no intention of doing so.

Music from the downtown clubs registered. I turned right, heading toward them. Although I didn’t think Hunter would be here, I needed to feed. It was almost an impossible task to even think about, but if I didn’t try to get rid of Tessa’s scent, I was going to lose the restraint I held to. It wasn’t safe to bask in the sweet fragrance for too long. I needed to drown her out while I was so exposed. If not, I’d not only lose my leadership, but probably my life. I could wipe out this entire city in mere hours if I used my powers. No one here stood a chance. And Axis wouldn’t stand for a massacre of that proportion.

Axis…

Something tugged at my brain, but I pushed it away as I zeroed in on the cluster of young people in front of me. Mostly they consisted of college aged kids, but a few were younger, trying to sneak into the clubs. A handful were in their thirties and forties, but I couldn’t focus enough to read them. My mind kept getting foggy. It was enough to have my feet coming to a stop.

Axis. What about them kept messing with me? My head shook as I let what I knew of them slide through. Aetas led us all. He was the oldest vampire alive. Margo was the third oldest.
Margo.
Her visit had been so brief. So…

The more I thought about it, the more it felt as though I was watching a movie of her time there. Everything was distorted. Had my grief disassociated me so much? I couldn’t even remember her departure. How long had I been sitting on the bed? A week? How or when had I gotten there from the floor? I wasn’t even sure. The last thing I could remember was holding Tessa and Margo was yelling at me to hand Tessa over, but I wouldn’t.

Marko Delacroix!

My body jerked at hearing the memory of her shout. It was the last thing that was clear. Everything else was a haze.

I shook my head, trying to clear the night from my mind. For some reason I didn’t want to remember. Pushing too far felt toxic to my system. It made me sick. And too sad. Yes. I was fucking bleeding on the inside without Tessa.

“Jesus.” A girl walking past jumped a few feet away, throwing me a weird glare. It was my aura.
I
was the one toxic. My killer was ready to get to work and here I was, taking a trip down one fucked-up memory lane.

I continued toward the clubs, searching out women who appeared to be by themselves, but they didn’t have appeal. I couldn’t bring myself to take a female. I caught myself eying men. They were plentiful enough. The majority of them were waiting to get in. I zeroed in on a short, brown haired guy in his early twenties. His eyes scanned the line, stopping to come up and connect with mine. I locked our stares, smiling as I internally called him forward.

Like an enamored zombie, he obeyed, following me as I walked backward toward the closest alley. I stepped into the darkness, jerking him into me the moment he emerged into the shadows. My fangs sunk in deep. Images of his life began to pour in as a gasp came from his mouth. Hands pushed against my shoulders, but I ignored everything as I drank. His sighs and whimpers echoed around us and I slammed him into the wall, covering his mouth with my hand. I took enough to sate my thirst and not a drop more. I couldn’t bear to put more into me than needed for my survival. As my tongue slid over his neck to conceal the wounds, I didn’t think twice before breaking his neck and letting him fall to the ground.

Movement in the far distance had my head jerking in the direction. The darkness was easy enough to see through, but nothing stuck out as unusual. Regardless, I headed toward where I’d seen it. Light haloed a good ways away from the adjoining street. The closer I got, the more I eyed the dumpster toward the end. Just as I got within feet of it, a vampire emerged, wiping his mouth. I looked down at the dead human girl, returning my glare to him.

“Master. I didn’t know you were there.”

“That’s a problem. You should always be aware when you’re feeding. I could have been anyone.”

The young vampire wasn’t one I had sent out looking for Hunter. He probably had no idea what was really going on at all.

I stepped closer, wiping the blood from his mouth with my thumb. “I want to show you something. A human I’m looking for. I want you to keep your eyes peeled for him. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Master.”
Frank Williams
. My mind registered his information as I stepped in to close the distance between us. He was scared. I could feel him shaking as I held to his arm. I could easily kill him and he knew it.

My eyes penetrated into his and I let Hunter’s face and voice break into his mind. I pushed back into his brain, hard, making sure if he ever heard the man’s tone that he’d recognize it. Just as fast as I planted the information there, I blinked, breaking the connection. “He killed Princess Tessalyn. She was to be my concubine. You know that, though, don’t you.”

“Yes.”

I nodded. “I want this human found. If you spot him, you give me the call. You know how to do that?”

The pull on my core had me throwing him a slight grin. “Good. Do that and I will know you’ve done right by me. If he appears armed, which he might, do not get close. Not until you warn me. I don’t want him dead. His death is mine.”

“I won’t kill him,” he said, quietly.

“That’s what I want to hear. Now watch yourself. Times are getting dangerous. Vampire hunters are no longer a myth we dismiss. They exist and they’re growing by the day. They want our kind gone and they’ll do whatever they can to achieve it. Watch your back.”

I left it at that, giving him one last look before I headed into the light of the adjoining street. More clubs rested along the strip, but I turned left, away from it all. Now that I gotten what I needed to focus, my mission was only one thing—finding Hunter.

Chapter 6

Tessa

My lids were impossibly heavy as I tried to open them. A blurry figure moved in closer and I tried to take a deep breath, but it was barely there. I had no strength. The need to defend myself was there, but as I tried to get my arm to lift, the most I could do was feel my finger twitch against the sheet.

“Don’t move, Tessa. You’re okay.”

The woman’s voice put me at ease.
Marie.
She’d been here for me from the beginning. I wasn’t sure how I knew her, but I knew I did.

My throat was dry and burning as I tried to open my lips to speak. She seemed to know what I needed. My head was lifted and I felt cold metal settled on my bottom lip. I somehow managed to open my mouth the smallest amount. Warmth ran over my tongue and I almost chocked on the first swallow. As I forced it down, coughing had my eyes flaring open for the briefest moment. There were two more people in the room. The awareness triggered my vampire and instinct kicked in. My lids lifted higher and the bedroom I was in began to come in clear.

“You heal, but very slowly.”

A man eased from the chair and walked to the end of the bed. A crown sat atop his short brown hair and he looked young. Too young to hold the amount of power he did. It was inconceivable to me how one could be so strong. But he was. I could feel the energy roll from him in suffocating waves. They were so thick it made it even harder to breathe.

“Wh … ere…” My throat was so raw I could barely speak. Marie brought the cup back to my lips and I took another drink. And then another. Just the small amount of blood made me feel a lot better than I had when I’d awoken.

“Where are you?” He glanced at the blonde woman who still stood in the back. “You’re at Axis Headquarters, where you’ll stay until you heal. You are the last of The Black line. We can’t afford to lose you.”

“Then you should give her your blood,” the woman behind him said quietly. “Or allow me.”

The male vampire turned, giving her a look I couldn’t see. It was enough to silence her.

“We do not mix blood,” he said, giving me his attention again. “The blood you carry is strong enough. To mix another with what you carry would be a disaster. Two donors is bad enough. Three would kill you for sure. It doesn’t matter how strong we are. It can’t be done.”

The woman crossed her arms over her chest and I took in her tiara. Were the man and woman king and queen? I didn’t feel as though they were together as a couple.

“I…” I blinked, trying to remember why I was here. There was something way in the back, but I couldn’t remember. I turned, taking in Marie’s face, studying her features.

“You look beautiful, Princess. Such a beautiful bride.”

Bride? She was smiling … and I was… Memories rushed back so fast and hard that I gasped, clutching to my chest as agony flared in my heart. Not just from the heartbreak of what transpired that day, but because of the injury I could still feel. Together they were overwhelming.

“Calm,” the man said, walking around the bed. His jaw was tight as he went back to looking at the woman. “I thought Margo scrubbed her memories?”

“She said she did,” the woman whispered. “I’ll … go get her.”

A flare of cream silk followed her as she ran off.

“I’m okay,” I said, wiping the tear that escaped. “I am. Don’t make me forget. Don’t…” Words were getting harder to speak. “Where’s Marko?” I glanced up at Marie. “I want Marko. Where’s Marko?” Panic was beginning to edge into my tone. Even though I tried to hide the anxiety, it was inescapable.

“Master Delacroix is fine.” The man assured. “He’s in Austin taking care of his duties.”

That’s right. He was leader now. Yes … I was remembering …. everything. My human life. How we had met. My time of change. It was all coming back at such a fast rate that I was trembling at the overload of knowledge. The rate of my pulse was beating at such a speed that I had to lay my head back down to try to slow it, not that it made a difference.

Marko! Marko, please. Help me. I want to come home!

I used our connection, closing my eyes as I prayed he’d hear me. With how weak I was, I wasn’t sure it would work.

“Marie, I want to talk to him. Can I call him?”

Her eyes were wide as she looked between me and the man. He shook his head and the door burst open as the blonde and another woman came rushing in. Pearls rested along the dark skinned woman’s shoulders and she wore a gold, flat band on her head that dipped braided strands over her forehead.

“It’s impossible,” she said, rushing up angrily.

“I assure you it is not. Tessalyn would like to go home. Back to
Marko
. I hear her thoughts.”

Dark eyes settled on me, fearful, as she shook her head. Margo bowed before the young man before moving around him to make it to Marie’s side.

“Princess Tessalyn, look into my eyes. I’m going to make you feel better. I’ll help you relax.”

My head shook and I squeezed my lids shut. “I don’t want to forget. I just want to sleep. Please, I’m fine. Leave me.”

Finger’s settled over my cheek and she turned my head to face in her direction, but I forced my lids tighter.

“Marko! Marko, please! Come get me!”

“Tessa, open your eyes.” Pressure tried to separate my lids, but I began to thrash, trying to dislodge the touch.

“Please,” Marie, begged. “She’ll be okay. Please, don’t upset her worse.”

Silence followed her, ending with a voice in my head.
“Tessa? Oh … God. Tessa? I have to be losing my mind.”

“Marko!”
I put everything I had into screaming his name. Light broke through and I thrashed more, feeling a hand settle on my other side, holding me down.

“I’m fucking losing it. Jesus Christ. Tessa, why are you doing this to me? You speak and I hear you, but you’re dead. Fuck, I miss you. I wish this was real.

A gasp exploded from my mouth and my eyes flew open at the pain that exploded on my inner elbow from the slice of fangs. Just as I took in what the man had done, Margo pulled my face over, tapping into my stare. Heaviness began to take over my body and I felt the fight leave me as I relaxed into the fluffy mattress. The man immediately lifted. He’d done what he needed and now I was going to disappear again.

“You will remember nothing. Sleep, Princess. Sleep and heal. You still have a ways to go.”

Remember nothing.

I blinked heavy, feeling a zap in my mind. My body jolted as my lids flared opened. “No! Marko!”

Margo’s gaze shot to the man next to me who growled.

“Impossible,” she breathed out. “She can’t fight my gift. She’s nowhere near powerful enough!” More anger was laced in her tone and she lunged for me, trying to bring my stare back to her. I slapped at her hand, ready to attempt to try to use my own gift. If it weren’t for the threatening sound that came from the man, I wasn’t sure what would have happened between us.

“Not impossible,” he said, moving closer toward me. “She’s stronger than we thought. Her blood,” he said, lowly. There was a seductive drawl in his tone. “She’s growing at a rapid pace. Right now she’s more mind than body. Her physical strength hasn’t caught up, but it will. When it does…”

His fingers gripped my chin, making me look at him. When my eyes came to his I was nothing but a shell. My soul was sucked from my body and I was pulled deep into his depths. It was as though he had captured me and taken me to live inside of him. I was him and he was me …. my creator, more than Sayer had ever been. He was foundation. He was the first, and yet …. not. I didn’t understand. His information poured into me. His name,
Aetas
, which meant time. He had no last name, no record of birth. The vampire just
was
. Space, power, love, hate, energy, emotion—I was in awe of the multitude of his being and what it meant. Resting within him, I felt no pain or weakness. Just bliss. Freedom.

Surging energy surrounded me in the black void, brushing along my skin and coaxing me to give myself over to it even more. I was floating in the nothingness. The tingling was pleasure-inducing and I never wanted to leave. Nothing else existed in this moment except for the sensations and my own power swirling within. I could feel him tap into it, tugging and playing with the darkness as he let it combine with his. And I let him. I didn’t feel threatened with the way he was dissecting my gift. His curiosity and happiness at what he was discovering made me giddy. It made me feel important.

And then I suddenly felt it, clouding around the edges of the blissful bubble I resided in.

Evil. Devil
. My mind locked and the heaven I was a part of was overclouded. I didn’t fear Aetas. I feared the magnitude of
who
he was. He might not be the actual devil, but he was equivalent to what I viewed true evil as.

The essence of who he was perfumed around us as he stayed focused. I put all of my attention into cracking what it was. At first I couldn’t quite understand why I could see my fog before me, but nothing from him. I could feel his gift, but I couldn’t see it. As his focused energy came to me, I knew. A spell spun around my energy, so powerful I almost couldn’t deny giving myself over to it.
His gift, or at least one of them.
It wasn’t a substance or an actual force like my fog. He was mentally strong—mentally persuasive. He could become everything I had ever wanted. Everything
anyone
wanted. Whatever it was a person desired, they would see it within him at first glance. Like love at first sight. He was the answer to all of their problems. Love, protection, money … they would know he was the solution. But it was an illusion. None of what registered in the minds of his victims was real. Not the comfort of his presence, or the beauty of his face that caused a woman’s heart to soften. He was the opposite of what he portrayed. He was malicious.
Real
evil. And here I was, the true me, trapped inside of a place I might never be able to escape from again. He could hold me here if he wanted. I knew he could.

Even as I soaked in the vastness of the situation, I couldn’t stop the obsessiveness that began to tug at my mind. No one was like me. I was different. Aetas wanted me. Our gifts played well together and I could still feel his pleasure at seeing that. He wanted me. Me.
Wanted
me. Just me…. It repeated over and over until I was shaking my head and screaming. I couldn’t escape the mantra that was continuous.

“Shh, don’t fight it, Princess. Don’t you want to love me? Don’t you want
me
to love you? We could be happy, together. You’d have the ultimate position at my side.”

The void that was him, enveloped me, hugging with the right amount of strength to make me feel safe and secure.
Needed
. Yes, he needed me. And he was handsome.
Everything I’d always wanted. Dreamed of….
No! I loved Marko. This was a trick, a test, and I couldn’t fall into it. Nothing about this was real.

“I want to go home. Send me home right now.”
Panic had me nearly screaming the words. I wasn’t sure how long I could stay unaffected by the temptation he was drowning me in. He was beyond strong and somehow I knew he wasn’t even really trying.

“Hmm.”
The tingling covering my body increased until I was vibrating perfectly in all the right places. I moaned, arching through the ecstasy he was pleasuring me with. Deep pants left my lips and I tried to turn and move away into the nothingness, but I wasn’t sure which way was up or down or to the side. The pitch black surrounding me was so disorienting.

“Send me home. Marko will heal me. He’ll make me better.”

A laughed echoed all around.
“Always so focused on Marko. Will he heal you? You have such faith in Master Delacroix. I don’t. His intentions for our race are not honorable. Greed rules him.”

“Ruled,”
I corrected.
“He’s changing, and it’s because of me. We love each other.”

“You think you do. I can see the memories that make you believe what you say to be fact. I see everything,”
he said slowly.
“His … love. His adoration for you. It doesn’t mean he will not change when your honeymooning period comes to an end.”

“I will not let him tease the idea that he can rule over you. We know our place. You have my word.”

What felt like hours went by as I floated in the silence.
“Watch what you say, Princess. Your word could be your death.”

“Marko will not try to take over.”
I swallowed hard.
“I will not let him. He’ll have to kill me first.”

“And you have faith that he loves you more than his own greed?”

“I do.”

Again he got quiet.

“I can see your Marko sleeping. Even now, he dreams of you.”

My heartbeat all but stopped. When I caught my breath, it began to increase, fluttering around me like a living thing that made up the void.
“Will you show me? Will you teach me how to see him like you do?”

“I can show you, but your request comes with a price.”