Mae tried not to cry as the vampire dragged her down the hallway. The house was eerily silent and dark. She looked around her, but she couldn’t see anyone around. She wondered where everyone was. The vampire turned down the hall and stopped in front of a room. He opened the door, and pushed her inside. Mae walked a few steps in, and then skidded to a stop when she saw the other females in the room. There were about twenty of them. And they sat on the floor, looking terrified.
“Go sit. They’ll call you when she’s ready for you,” he said, pointing to the floor where the other females sat. Mae walked to the wall and sat down. The vampire walked out, closing the door behind him.
“Are you alright?” one of the females asked. Mae turned to her, and she recognized her from earlier. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
Mae shook her head. Tears filled her eyes. She couldn’t believe that she was worried about her when she was the one who went through that in front of her. “I’m fine. He didn’t do anything to me.”
“I was so worried about you,” she said, touching her arm. “He’s the worst of them all. He kills every female they bring to him. I was surprised when he let me go. And then I saw you sitting there. I thought…I’m glad you’re still alive.”
“He didn’t do anything,” Mae said. He ignored her as if she wasn’t there. She was so glad he hadn’t bothered her, because she was afraid he would read her mind. She was sure he would kill her if he found out what she was there to do. Mae shivered at the thought. She almost pissed herself when he said her name. That was strange. The way he said it…Mae tried to think back. There was something there…she didn’t know what it was, but it felt like he knew her.
She shook her head because that didn’t make any sense. The only time she saw him was when he attacked her pack, and she was sure he wouldn’t remember her. It happened a long time ago. But she remembered him. Mae closed her eyes as the face of her nightmares flashed through her mind. She trembled as the old fear she’d lived with all her life surged through her. She tried to shake it off, but then the door to the room opened, and another vampire walked in. He stared at them.
“Come,” he said.
Mae looked around her as the other females stood up. She got to her unsteady feet and walked out of the room. They silently followed the vampire, and he took them deeper into the house. They came to stop in front of a door.
“Stay here,” he said as he walked into the room. He came back a few seconds later. He opened the door wider and let them in. They filed into the room, coming to a stop in front of a sitting area. A female vampire stood in front of a large couch. She wore red from top to bottom. She looked lethal and fiery. She turned to face them. She looked at them with red assessing eyes. If she thought Vicker was scary, she was terrifying – there was something about her that made Mae feel uneasy. Her eyes landed on her, and they narrowed as if she found something interesting about her.
“Leave her with me,” she said, pointing to her. Mae’s stomach squeezed tight. She watched the other leave the room. The female witch glanced at her, and she could see fear in her eyes. Mae stood there trying very hard not to tremble in fear.
“You’re a beautiful one,” she said as she walked to her. She came to a stop in front of her. Her red eyes took her in from red to toe. “You say she spent the night with him?” she asked. Mae stared at her confused.
Who was she talking?
“Yes, Seria” someone said in the room. She turned to the sound of the voice. The darkness next to the window moved, and the vampire that brought her to Vicker’s room appeared. He walked to the couch and sat down. He looked bored.
“Why do you ask?” he asked as he stared at Mae.
“It’s strange, that's all. She doesn’t seem to have a mark on her,” Seria said. She lifted her bony hands and ran her fingers over her shoulders, pushing her hair back. “He didn’t feed from her. That’s strange. He normally goes through two females in a day.”
“He told me to take her away when I brought her to him,” the vampire said. Seria turned to him.
“Why?”
The vampire shrugged. Seria stared at him for a while. “What?”
“Why does it feel like you’re hiding something from me, Fluvia?” she asked, walking to the couch. She stood over him. Mae caught the slight shift in Fluvia’s demeanor, but he hid it so well. Seria leaned close, so that they were staring at each other eye to eye. “Whatever you’re planning, stop, because I’ll strap you into the milking machine myself if I find out that you are trying to kill him again.”
“I’m not planning anything,” he said, pushing to his feet. “He refused you and the other elders’ gift. Maybe you don’t have a hold on him anymore.”
“That’s impossible,” Seria said. “Even his brother couldn’t remove our hold on him. We control his every thought.”
“Are you sure about that?”
Seria bit into her bottom lip. She didn’t look so sure. She stared at the door, and then walked out, leaving them together. Fluvia waited for a beat before he turned to her. He closed the gap between them.
“You know why you’re here, right?” he asked.
Mae nodded even though she wasn’t sure she could do it anymore. She failed the mission before it began. Vicker scared her out of her mind.
“Okay. I have to find a way to take you back into his room,” Fluvia said, drumming his finger over his chin. “I didn’t expect him to chase you out. You’re going to have to stay with Seria while I try to figure out what that bastard is thinking. f**k. He’s an unpredictable motherfucker. Killing him is not going to be easy. But I’ll get him.” Fluvia clenched his hands into fists, as his nostrils flared.
“I don’t think I can…” she began, but Fluvia interrupted her.
“Remember your mate. You promised him.”
Mae felt guilt well up inside her. She didn’t want to disappoint him. But…
“The plan is already in motion. Everyone relies on you. Don’t disappoint them,” he said, staring at her. “Just be ready. I’ll take care of everything else.” He said, walking to the door. He walked out, leaving her standing there.
Mae wrapped her arms around her body.
What was she going to do?