Vampires of London: Books 1-3

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter ThirteenAlexander could hardly believe it. After he'd returned to Sotheby's and found no sign of her, he'd come home defeated. And now, it was Catherine who had come to him.

She'd kissed him with a need that seemed to match, if not surpass his own.

Only now, her eyes were wide and fearful again. He wanted so badly to reassure her, to convince her that she had nothing to fear from him.

Was that the truth, though? As he found himself so close to her, with her scent overwhelming his senses once more, could he honestly say that she wasn't in danger?

The temptation was stronger than the last time. Every fiber in his body seemed to scream at him to go for her throat, as well as her lips.

He realized it had been days since he'd last fed; all his energy these days had gone into trying to track her down.

"You're safe," he heard himself say.

It felt like a hollow promise, even if he really wanted to believe it himself. The way Michael had looked at her from the bottom of the stairs had suggested he too had fallen under the spell of the Blood Bride. Even if his loyalty to Alexander prevented him from acting on it, and Alexander somehow managed to suppress his own urges, they still had the Council to deal with. No doubt it was one of theirs who had followed Cat here in the first place.

He glanced at her as they continued up the steps and through the hallway, a journey they'd made together before. Their destination was the same too: the master suite. Once again, his eloquence was failing him; he wasn't sure how to talk to her, especially while she looked so vulnerable.

"I know this is a lot to take in," Alexander said finally.

She didn't respond, just looked up at him, and he was overcome with desire. He ached to kiss her, hold her, and comfort her.

But despite their earlier affections, it would be selfish of him to give in. This wasn't the time. Catherine was shivering visibly now. Humans were sensitive creatures, susceptible to all sorts of dangers. The last thing he wanted was for her to catch a cold on top of everything.

"The en-suite is through there." Alexander pointed at a door leading off from the other side of the bedroom. "You'll find a robe there if you want it."

He turned and walked back out of the room to give her some privacy.

"Don't go," Catherine whispered behind him. "Please."

He stopped. For her sake as well as his own, he should probably leave. But he couldn't deny her request either.

So he did as asked, closed the door behind him, and sat down on a chair in the corner with his hands folded. Within moments, he heard the sound of the shower inside the en-suite. He tried not to imagine her in there, warm water rushing down her curves, caressing her and soothing her.

There was no way of knowing how much time they had together before Lucille would inevitably interrupt. Michael would protect them, but he was their only ally against who knew how many Council loyalists? He could only hope that the safeguards this house offered would keep them out long enough.

It was obvious what they had to do. He'd seen the ritual performed once before, many years ago. Alexander rested his head in his hands.

Catherine's sense of reality was already shattered. Although his own initiation into this world had taken place several hundred years ago, he could clearly remember how frazzled he'd been. This wasn't an easy truth to be faced with.

The click of the bathroom door snapped him out of his thoughts. There she stood in the doorway, wearing his black robe. Clouds of steam billowed around her, carrying the scents of a summer meadow in full bloom into the room with it.

A radiant image of womanhood, her expression was calmer now. Perhaps she was coming to terms with where she'd ended up? He didn't know what to say, how to broach the subject.

"There is something about you," Catherine started.

Alexander's ears perked up. That meant she had felt it too, the inexplicable connection they shared.

"I've dreamed a lot about you," she spoke, as though she could read his mind. This very image, in fact, of Catherine fresh out of the shower, had visited him in his sleep before.

"Yes." Alexander got up and approached her while maintaining eye contact. The sweet smell of her blood was even more intense now that she had warmed up. How easy it would be to hypnotize her, to make her bend to his will right now. And how hollow a victory it would be.

"And you make me feel safe," she continued.

"I want you to feel safe." He meant it, and yet it felt like a lie.

Catherine raised her hand. "I'm not done yet."

Alexander paused.

"But at the same time, there's something in this house that makes me feel otherwise. Maybe your man, Michael." Catherine shuddered as she spoke his name. "Maybe something else." She frowned, like she was surprised at her own words.

Alexander took another step in her direction. This was his opening, his chance to explain the entire wretched situation to her. If she ran again, at least it would be after she had all the facts. "There is something you need to know."

Catherine averted her gaze and wrapped her arms around herself tightly.

"You're not like other women."

Her eyes snapped back up at his again and she raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not saying this to flatter you, I'm stating a fact. Perhaps you've noticed it before." Alexander ran his hand through his hair as he tried to find the right words to continue.

"Our kind—” He paused and rested his gaze on her lips.

"Vampires," she whispered.

He nodded. It was good to hear her say it finally.

"You'll know the stories. The immortality, the drinking of blood. But we're not murderers." He started pacing around the room as he spoke.

"No?"

He shook his head. "It's against the law. We feed just enough to sustain ourselves, but we're not allowed to harm humans. Not that I personally would ever want to even if it were allowed. We're not monsters. Most of us aren't, anyway." He was rambling. This wasn't good. He paused for a moment to see how she was taking all the information so far.

"Then why do I keep feeling like I've got death hanging over my head?" Catherine said.

"Because you do. You're different, as I said."

She walked up to the bed and sat down in the center of it. Then she looked back up at him.

"Your blood is special. Any vampire who gets close to you falls under your spell. That's why you're being stalked." He stopped and looked down at her.

"So there are vampires after me for my blood?" Her eyes widened again, and her bottom lip trembled slightly.

So fragile, so beautiful. How could she not know the power she wielded?

"Unfortunately, in your particular case, the laws mean next to nothing. They'll drink every last drop of it, no matter the consequences."

"Except you. You don't want to... kill me?" she whispered.

Alexander shook his head.

"And that's why I feel safe with you, but not any of the others?" she asked.

Alexander ran his hand over his chin. Her conclusion was logical. He started pacing back and forth again.

"It's only a matter of time before they find you here. Whoever was out there was probably tracking you on their behalf." It hurt to admit it, but it was the truth and she deserved to know. "I'll do everything I can to keep you safe. But we are outnumbered."

"I trust you." She looked up at him, and he found himself lost in the depths of her green eyes and froze.

It was bittersweet, hearing her say those three little words. He was unworthy. Throughout their interactions, he'd been teetering on the edge of control. Even as they kissed, he was only a hair's breadth away from satisfying his intense thirst. The slightest misstep, and his dark side would destroy everything they had.

"Why?" he asked finally.

She blinked a few times and frowned. "I can't explain. It's what's in my heart."

"Maybe it's a sign," Alexander mumbled.

"What?" she asked.

He shook his head. All of this was highly illogical. Their connection, as well as the fact that he could resist her—at least for now. He might as well throw all logic out the window and follow his heart too. There was only one way out; he had to take a chance. A leap of faith.

So he walked up to her until he was only a step away from the bed. Then he fell down onto one knee and reached out for her right hand. A surge of electricity seemed to pass from her hand into his, so intense was the sensation of touching her again.

"I know this makes no sense, but I must ask. Knowing everything you do now, and considering what your heart is telling you... Would you walk the earth with me, companions in life and death, now and forever?"

"Are you... Is this a proposal?" she stammered and drew her hand back a little, though not far enough to break their connection.

Of course she was taken aback. They hardly knew each other beyond what their instincts were trying to tell them. In these modern times, they didn't make commitments anymore until much later on in relationships. He had let his old fashioned ideas get out of control and jumped the g*n.

Alexander averted his gaze and was about to get up again when she placed her other hand on his arm.

"Wait. I need to know your reasons."

When he raised his head and saw how she looked at him, with those expressive eyes, overflowing with emotion, he knew that perhaps, there was hope still. He just had to work for it. Alexander closed his eyes to collect his thoughts.

"Because from the moment I saw you, you shone a light into the darkest crevices of my heart. You reminded me of what it's like to be alive. You make me feel things I haven't felt in over three hundred years." He opened his eyes again as he spoke, noting the surprise on Catherine's face at his last statement.

Of course, she knew about him only in theory, but learning how long he'd lived in his current form really seemed to hit home.

"Three hundred years? That's how old you are?" Catherine whispered.

Alexander nodded. Thereabouts.

"And in all that time, you never thought to settle down?"

"Never crossed my mind." It was the truth. Even in life, he never married, which had greatly frustrated his parents when they were still alive.

"Wow."