The Last Vampyre Prophecy (11 page)

He wipes
my tears with his thumbs. “Hey.” He says softly. “Perhaps words won’t elucidate my feelings but maybe actions will. I will show you that for me, it’s only you and will ever be.”

I let my head
fall onto his shoulder as I feel the last remaining uncertain thoughts fade away.

He relaxes his tense shoulders and pulls
my face to his. “Do you trust me?” He asks.

I nod
. “Yes.” I breathe then his lips are on mine and all trepidation is swept away with his kiss.

Finally he p
ulls back staring into my eyes, his face softening. “I recall purchasing a great many pieces of clothing for you last night.” He smirks as he eyes my frayed sweater. “Are you trying to tell me I need to call Mena and ruin her day? Because I can tell you I don’t relish another encounter with that woman.”

I laugh
at his lighthearted distraction. “Good grief. Ok, I’ll change.” I turn for the rack of clothes then call over my shoulder, “Anything in particular you’d like me to wear?”

He grins
wide. “Start with those delicious panties and let me watch you work your way up.”

My jaw drops and I blush to my hairline. He leans against the door and folds
his arms across his chest, waiting.

I clumsily fumble
through the mass of clothes and land on a pair of designer jeans and a tight fitted camisole covered by a beautiful cream blazer.

Hurriedly
, I pull on my pricy underwear and then slip into my jeans unnerved by his burning stare. Finally I get the camisole in place and tuck my arms into the sleeves of the deliciously smooth cashmere blazer.

He st
ands there drinking me in—every last inch before he finally meets my gaze and shakes his head. “It’s criminally unfair for you to be so alluring. It makes me have such iniquitous thoughts.” He murmurs and I feel the sensation go straight to my groin.

He
is absolutely consuming me. Heart, mind and soul—I am hopeless.

He pushes off the wall and co
mes to a stop in front of the countless boxes of shoes. His fingers rove over the piles and come to rest on a long black box. He lifts the lid and pulls out a knee high mahogany stiletto boot. It is stunning but my eyes automatically go to the deathtrap attached to the bottom. I will break my neck in those things.

He
chuckles. “I’ll never let you fall, love.” And he saunters over taking my hand and leading me to a side chair. He sits me back and kneels in front of me gripping my foot then rubbing his long fingers in solicitous strokes across my heel then the pad of my foot. My head falls back against the headrest and my eyes seal shut. It is pure heaven.

Then he places
my foot in the arch of the boot and pulls the zipper up my calf. And I am treated with the same delicious treatment to the other foot.

I
am pretty sure my feet are Jell-O by the time the second boot is zipped high. He pulls me up. “So, where will the wind take us today, love?”

It’
s all happening so fast. My mind is a whirlwind of activity trying to digest the relationship forming here, separating my new job from the equation and actually leaving the country on a trip to a foreign land with a man I hardly know.

In all honesty any woman with warm blood pumping through her vein
s would have warning bells blaring and a sense of self-preservation, but me, I am spellbound and already head over heels. Sadly, I know deep down that it has never really been up to me, my heart made that decision when I first peered into those bright violet eyes.

A victorious smile greets me when I st
eal a glance at his face. I can’t help but to grin back because I feel myself light up within when I sense his happiness. I realize I will do anything to make sure he is pleased and contented.

“How about Venice
? It’s been a dream for me since I was a little girl, the gondolas and the ancient buildings under water. It seems so resilient yet magical and romantic.”

“It is all those things and I want to be the person you experience it with. Come, let’s go.” He sa
ys excitedly.

I pull
on his hand as he begins our retreat from the bedroom. “Wait,” I say a little panicked, “I need to call my parents, my brothers—let them know that I am leaving.” I run my hands through my hair trying to gather my wits because he has me scattered all over the damn board.

He steps in and cups
my face. “Minor details we can take care of on the way.” And he begins pulling me again.

I
am grinning from ear to ear as we nearly run through the apartment. I giggle, “I guess I’ll wear the same outfit our entire stay? We have no clothes, Khai!” I finish almost laughing.

He never slows
. “We may not even need clothes, love.”

My sex clenches
at the thought and I am suddenly anxious to get to Venice and stay holed up in a room over looking the city, window propped open letting the salt air waft in and him lying next to me in all his Adonis glory—naked. By the time that vision drifts from my mind I am fanning my face as we run.

He shuffles me into the car and pulls
me close to his side. “Jet.” He snaps at the driver.

Sec
onds later we are whizzing down the streets of the city headed for the airstrip. I grab my phone and try to fight back the wave of hysteria just bubbling under the surface.

My parents
are going to flay me and the thought of my brothers makes me want to vomit. I can hear it now as he screams in his NYC police detective voice, “What is holy fuck are you thinking, Andie? Do you know what happens to girls that do stupid shit like this? I’ve seen my share of dead bodies to know it doesn’t end well.” I’ve heard that line more times than I can count.

My hands begin to tremble and Khai squeezes
my fingers. “Trust me when I say, there is no place safer for you on this planet than with me.” He smiles and I sigh. I just can’t find a feeling of foreboding with him. He soothes me.

We ri
de in silence for a long while before he leans close to my ear and murmurs, “Andie, huh?”

My eyes widen
. No one outside my family calls me that. It was a joke between my brothers that my parents wanted another son and they ended up with me so they pinned me with that name since I was able to walk.

H
e grins and taps his temple. “Just extremely perceptive, love.”

We pull
in front of the plane at the private airstrip. I’ve never seen anything like it. It is sleek and white with Garai etched into the metal along the body near the wing. Two men are stationed at the bottom of a set of stairs leading to the cabin. They greet us as we approach and Khai nods slightly before ushering me up the stairs first keeping a firm grip around my waist.

When I step over the threshold I stare
in wonder. There are several sets of luscious leather seats facing one another spread sporadically with varnished maple tables centering them.

He gestures
to a set close to the rear. I turn and smile to him before I pad across the steel gray carpet. We sink into the chairs and a painfully beautiful attendant appears at the table.

She eyes
me territorially for several moments before she speaks, “Mr. Garai, lovely to service you again. May I start you off with a beverage before we take flight?”

I cat
ch the vitriol in her tone and the undercurrent of a past tryst possibly? Immediately I begin to feel used and cheap. How many were there like me? Does he take all his conquests on trips and have his way with them before he moves on to a newer version?

He pi
ns her with an icy look. “Perhaps you should address my lovely companion first. We’ll be having whatever she wishes.” He snaps, his tone matching the frostiness of his eyes.

I gape
at him.

She blinks
rapidly as she stutters, “O-of course, s-sir.” She turns her arctic blue eyes on me. “What would the lovely lady prefer today?”

“Uh…I—champagne?” I
murmur almost questioningly.

She plasters
a fake smile to her face. “Certainly, Miss. I’ll have that right out to you.” Her tone is clipped and she walks stiffly back to the front cabin.

He leans
in, his elbows resting on the table. “I have never brought another woman on this jet nor anywhere with me for that matter. You are the first and the only, Adonia.”

I smile then drop
my eyes to the table trying desperately to gain my composure. I sigh, “I really need to call my family, they’ll be frantic.”

He nods
. “Please use the office in the back—it will give you privacy.”

“Ok.” I murmur
and stand; cell phone clutched tightly in my hand and make my way through the other spots of chairs and down the short hallway.

A door i
s sealed shut at the end. I walk to the threshold and test the handle. It’s unlocked so I slowly swing it open. A beautiful high glossed cherry table sits facing the entrance with several computer monitors angled around the center.

There
’s a white leather sofa running the length of the opposite wall and two dark wood chairs facing the desk. Two flat screen TV’s hang on the wall across from the desk. A Series of financial numbers and stock information scrolls up the screen, muted.

I walk
to the sofa and take a deep breath as I touch the button and her name bounces across the screen.

Two rings later, “Adonia! What on earth are you doing making personal call
s on company time?” She shrieks.

My heart’
s beating in synch with a hummingbird’s wing. “I…uh,” I have no idea what I am going to say. Right now anything that comes from my mouth is going to spin her into a cyclone.

My mother, Polona Kostas
, came straight off the boat when she was twelve. You just don’t mess around with my mom—she will impale you with her stare alone much less her poignant way with words. It’s downright chilling.

I c
an feel her bristling through the receiver. “About that mom. See, my new boss is uh, well, we’re actually on a plane right now, on a business trip.” I whisper hoping she didn’t hear me.

“YOU’RE WHAT?” She screams
. “What kind of a business trip?” Her seething words are raised in octave.

I si
t there unsure of what to say. But she cuts in again. “Who is this boss and where is he taking you?” She bellows.

My voice i
s meek and trembling when I reply, “Venice. His name is Khai Garai and he owns the company, momma.”

Her
sharp intake of breath signals the onslaught of punishment I am getting ready to receive. “Get off that plane this instance, Adonia Rheia.” Her tone is acidic and not to be argued with.

“But mom, I can’t.” I plead
.

I am coming to drag you off myself
then.” She spits.

Just then the door opens and Khai walks
in with a look of irritation. He simply reaches for the phone and takes it from my trembling fingers then places it to his ear.

He speaks
fluently in Greek for several minutes. They exchanged a couple of barbs back and forth before he slides the lock and places the phone on the desk.

“There, all settled. Now come back before your
champagne gets warm.” He reaches for my hand and I stare into those violet depths as I grip his fingers.

“But…how…?” I sputter
.

He laughs
. “Actually, your mother is very similar to me. We agreed to disagree but she understands my position now. You are not off the hook by any means but the threat of her alerting Interpol has been thwarted.”

He laughs to himself and pulls me back to our seats. We dri
nk in silence for the next hour. I am desperately trying to regain a modicum of composure.

Finally the champagne calms my nerves and I begi
n to feel a bit more relaxed. “How long do we have?”

His
beautiful lips stretch slightly as he runs his tongue along the lower half and a slick trail of glistening moisture mesmerizes me as he speaks. “About six more hours.” He reaches for my hand and brings it up to his lips. “I have a few calls to make. It seems the loose ends I meant to tie this morning were left unresolved as I tried to convince my beloved mate not to flee.” He kisses my knuckles. “I’ll be in the office if you need me.” He winks and bends down to place a kiss to my shocked open mouth before he lithely strolls around the corner.

He just said,
beloved…

CHAPTER
SEVEN

KHAI

“Yes. Call the board and begin preparations. I want to meet next week.” I place the receiver back into the plastic holder and search for her thoughts. Clips of me undressing her flashes across my eyes and I begin to stir.

I st
and from the chair and walk to the cabin. Her beautiful face is partially obscured by her long black hair. Her delicate eyelids twitch rapidly as a smile plays on her lips. She’s dreaming of me.

I want her comfortable. I walk over and gently scoop
her from the chair placing her head against my neck as I carry her to the sofa.

She never stirs
as I place her onto the cushions and brush her hair across the pillow. She is the epitome of beauty.

I pour myself a brandy and si
nk into the chair facing her as she slumbers comfortably and dreams of only me.

Being enclosed with her delectable
scent however is causing the dry burn to roar up my throat. My muscles are coiled into anticipation and the ache seeps into my gums around my teeth. I need to feed as soon as we land.

The
incensing attendant ambles into the cabin and flaps her threaded eyelashes at me. “We’ll be landing in twenty minutes, Mr. Garai.” The rumble of the purred tone she tries to achieve makes me want to tear into her carotid and watch her eyes drain with life.

She wisely turns on her heel and stalks back to the front. I reach forward and touch
her full lips then stroke the pale lids over her eyes that are etched with tiny blue veins. She wakes and smiles widely. I can see her corneas dilate and work to focus her vision.

“I trust yo
u had a restful sleep.” I smile. “I believe your dreams were quite colorful, yes?”

She flushes
and the capillaries beneath her skin flame red causing a rose glow to illuminate her face. The dull burn becomes a blue flame in my throat. I can feel the hiss building behind my teeth.

I st
and abruptly. “I have an urgent matter to attend to. Please excuse me for a moment.”

I cat
ch the confused tone in her thoughts as I nearly flea from the room. Testing my will power to this extent is ludicrous.

I close
the bathroom door behind me and brace my hands against the sink staring into the mirror. My nostrils are flared and my teeth exposed.  I can see the wildness burning in my eyes. Most of my rational thoughts are replaced by my natural preditorial instincts.

I grip
the counter hearing the crack stretch across the marble stone. I close my eyes and inhale several deep breaths trying to will my body to remain in this spot. I can smell the attendant roaming about the cabin. Her sickening perfume permeating the air. Her heart is pumping strong and fast delivering the rich blood through her perfect arteries. She is in perfect health and her genetic makeup assures a healthy long life. She would be something to savor.

Then I hear
Adonia shift on the sofa and tense against the wall. Her thoughts are unsure and she is feeling very over solicitous.

The
strong sense of protection sweeps over me, and the urge to feed fades to the background. I want to assure her she’s safe. I open the door and walk directly back to the study. She is propped against the wall staring out the small rectangular window.

I walk
over and without a word I pull her close to my chest and kiss her hair above her ear.

I feel
the tension fade in her shoulders as she nestles herself closer taking in my scent. That causes other feelings to course through me. Being near her triggers many conflicting emotions within me and I have no idea how to cope with the myriad of conflicts raging through me.

I pull back and grip
her hand. “Come. We need to take our seats for landing.”

She follows
me clinging to my arm as though I were her life vest.

Thirty minutes later we
are filing off the plane and the fresh air bolsters my lungs and clears my senses. Adonia is gaping at the surroundings, clearly awestruck.

I wrap
my hand around her waist and kiss her head. “This is only the beginning, love. Wait until you see the cityscape following the moments after sunset. It’s resplendent.”

She beams
at me. “Let’s hurry.” She murmurs. I grin and pull her to the car. We drive the short distance and park in the Piazzale Roma at the entrance to the city. I lead us through the throngs of tourists to an awaiting boat at a small dock. I lower her onto the deck and the motor thunders to life.

We meander
through the water ducts passing the decaying buildings lined with centuries of water lines soaked into the ancient bricks. Adonia marvels at the architecture and romantic culture of the people.

We drift
to a stop in front of our hotel. I jump on to the wooden dock and see the snaking hand of the driver inch close to her breasts as he pretends to help her out of the boat. His thoughts are consumed with her supple curves and flagrant skin. I must look murderous because he instantly cowers behind the hull and begins his preparations of launching.

She grips my hand and skips
to my side, radiating excitement. We walk the short distance on the cobbled sidewalk to the entrance of the hotel. Inside she gasps loudly and jerks to a standstill eyeing the Grande foyer leading to the master ballroom for check-in.

The clattering of dish
es and silverware below signals the bustling energy of the kitchen racing to accommodate the room service demands. I couldn’t help but catch the post-coital energy of an exuberant couple hiding in a locked storage facility one floor up. They had engaged in extra-marital sex and were basking in their endorphin-fueled tryst.

I just never understood monogamy. It’s in every creature’s nature to indulge in
the natural urges of sexual attraction. Each individual brings something new to the gambit and what one lacks another fulfills. It’s a cycle and anyone who says they aren’t tempted is layered in deceit.

Then I sense the depravity. A man i
s circling a small child in an abandoned electrical room beneath the kitchen level. I can sense the sedatives floating in the child’s bloodstream. He’s a predator of the vilest nature—he will be my prey.

I rush
our check-in process and escort Adonia to our Penthouse Suite on the top floor. As soon as the concierge opens the door to our suite I slip several large bills into his eager hand and show him out the door.

Adonia’
s in awe over the opulent surroundings, but I need to go before he disappears back into the trenches.

“Love, I ha
ve an emergency that I need to attend to, I shouldn’t be more than an hour, please just relax and order anything from the menu you’d like.” I give her a kiss to the lips and try to ignore the stab of disappointment coming from her thoughts.

I pull
the door closed behind me and begin walking toward the stairwell. It’s deserted and I run down the decrepit concrete stairs and reach the metal door to the basement level.

I c
an hear the water seeping from the metal pipes above pooling in the ceiling and dripping into stagnant puddles covering the uneven floor. I sense his thoughts and walk to the room next to an old boiler. Rats are lining the walls scavenging for any morsel of food.

He’
s in a prone position looking down over the child. I grip the rusted handle of the steel door and slam it against the unforgiving brick on the interior wall. It clashes with an earsplitting shriek. He jumps in the air eyes wide with fear.

“I-I wasn’t gonna d
-do nothin’! I swear!” He pleads.

My hunger back, my teeth gleamed with venom
and the burn in my throat rages. In a split second I am in his face with his body five feet from the ground.

“I will take pleasure, great immense pleasure, watching the life fade from your malevolent eyes.”

His heart is bouncing in and out of rhythm causing the blood to pool around its chambers. The fear in his eyes is intoxicating. Before he can utter a word I clamp my mouth onto his neck and eviscerate his main artery spilling blood down my throat.

Within seconds my bloodlust has
drained his body dry. I drop his worthless shell to the floor and glance at the child curled on a burlap bag. He is sleeping heavily under the sedation with no visible trauma to his body.

I bend
over the remains of the abhorrent figure in front of me. He doesn’t deserve to drift away in ashes; he deserved to be scavenged by the creatures filling this basement. I kick him into the corner of the room and walk over to the child pulling him from the floor and into my arms.

I pull
the door several inches into the frame so no one will be able to open it without removing the entire frame.

I race
him up several levels and place his sleeping form on a sofa in the onsite doctor suite. I know he will be examined and cared for properly.

Moments later I
am swiping my keycard for the room and walking with renewed purpose. Replete and under control I open the door and seek out the beauty of a creature waiting for me.

She’
s sitting in the window, her knees against her chest and her arms locked around front. “Hey.” I say as I cross the room.

She gi
ves me a small smile. “Hi.”

I c
an see in her thoughts that she was lonely and uncomfortable in a new country.

I bend down and place
my hands against the bench on either side of her hips and kiss her beautiful lips. Her breathing hitches and her heart rate doubles. She places her hands on either side of my face holding me against her lips. Soon her hands find themselves tangled in my hair and my mood shifts instantaneously.

I pick
her up and walk her over to the glacial bed centered in the room. Soft silk adorns the headboard. The yellows and gold’s used in the room cast a muted yellow tinge around the room in the evening sun.

The intricate cherubs painting co
loring the framed ceiling dance with the amber rays filtering through the tall open windows. I can smell the salt hovering in the air and hear the seagulls making their daily visit to the neighboring pastry shop.

I climb
into the bed next to her as the sun is just setting and we spend the next several hours enjoying our first night tangled in sex and love.

****

The hideous smell of fried bacon and onions wafts through the room and I have to suppress my internal gag. Human food always revolts me. So many unnatural fillers and processed ingredients taint the way nature intended it and makes it rich in fat.

Adonia’s not in bed and I assume she has
gotten up to order room service. I have no idea how I will combat the odd notion of not eating the entire time we’ve been together. I know she hasn’t seen me take one bite.

The time i
s coming for me to admit to what I am. She needs and deserves to know. But the reality is that she would leave once she knew and the thought paralyzed me.

I shift
out of bed and follow the repulsive odor. When I round the corner, Adonia is skipping around the kitchen singing to herself and smiling wide.

I clear
my throat, “I’m sorry to interrupt. Er, I should say I’m not sorry.” I grin.

She skips
to a halt balancing on her toes staring at me with a horrified look of embarrassment, which makes it all the more charming.

“H-how log have you
been standing there?” she pants.

“Long enough to know that we may need to hire you a manager
and set a tour date.”

She covers
her face giggling. “You’re a comedian, Khai.”

I ease
around the table separating us and pull her into my chest. “What would you like to see today?” I ask as I brush a few strands of her hair behind her ear.

“Well,” she sa
ys reaching for a glossy magazine lying on the table. After flipping through several pages her fingers point to a picture of St. Mark’s Basilica.

“I’ve been in awe of this place since I was a small girl. My dad used to take me to a local deli on Long Island every Sa
turday afternoon.” Her eyes become glossy and her pupils dilate marginally as she continued, “We’d sit in this little booth in the corner by the kitchen and there was a picture of this hanging over the table. I would stare at it wondering how long it took to build and who designed it because it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.” A beautiful smile spreads across her face as she remembers.

Watching her joy is the best feeling I’ve
ever had. I tell myself I’ll buy her the place if it puts such a smile on her face.

I cup
her face. “Then what are we waiting for my love? Let’s shower then I want to start making some of your dreams come true.” I lace her fingers and bring them to my lips, watching her blushing smile, then pull her toward the bedroom.