Love Bites (Book one)

Chapter Three

*Yasmin*

I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my pale reflection. I never knew if it was due to the fact that I was dead, or the fact that I never got to see sunlight that led to all the colour draining from my skin. My hands ran up and down the sides of the dress that Antonio had gotten for me. The material felt like silk against my skin, the dress trailing down to the floor but with a slit all the way up to my hip at one side. The dark material made my pale skin and blonde hair look white as a ghost, my grey eyes not helping to add any colour to my face. The top of my breasts spilled over the top of the plunging neckline, the way the dress pushed my breasts together giving me an ample cleavage. How it did that, I don’t know as there was no back to the dress leaving me to feel almost naked.

For the first time since I can remember in the past ten years, Antonio did not come and get me from my bed during the day. My mind was rested because of it, not having his manipulations warring with how I know I truly felt. It was awful, like I was his sick s*x puppet, made to think I wanted to bring him pleasure when I knew inside that I hated him. Hated him for what he did to me, hated him for making me into a monster who had to literally drink the blood of humans to stay alive. A monster just like him.

My bedroom door opened and in walked Antonio, his eyes darkening as they looked me up and down with lust. “My Yasmin.” He smiled, his hand reaching out to pull me to his side, running up and down my bare back making me feel sick. He pulled back, smiling even more than before. “We have to leave.” He held out his arm, using his hold over me to make me wrap mine around his as we walked out and down the corridor.

Elissa looked me up and down, a sneer on her face as she took in my outfit and the way me and Antonio held on to each other. We exited the building where our nest lived, getting into a limo that was waiting outside. As soon as we set off, Antonio turned to me, his expression hard. “While we are at Dimitri’s, you will not speak to anyone unless I give you permission, you will not look at anyone unless I tell you to.” I nodded my head, knowing that he would make sure I was unable to disobey him anyway. “And when you get into the ring, you will win.” He placed his hand on my exposed knee, his fingers circling my soft and sensitive skin.

I felt my need start to pool in my panties, hating how my body was reacting, hating that I felt like I wanted him. Was it all because of his sire hold over me? Or was there really a lingering attraction there from the night that I met him? Whatever it was, I hated myself for it and was relieved that the journey to Dimitri’s place was not a long one. The driver got out and opened up the door, Antonio getting out before reaching down and offering me his hand, making me shuffle across and take it before getting out.

As leader of the district, Dimitri’s accomodation was much finer than ours. I could feel the envy coming from Antonio in waves as I walked across the loose stone path which made up the extensive driveway. We lived in a run down town house, the stairs and floor boards creaking, the plaster on the walls cracked and the paint chipped with mould growing in the corners due to dampness.

This house was the complete opposite. It was a grand building with pillars either side of the double doors that welcomed the guests into a large marble floor entryway that had two staircases that hugged the rounded walls leading to the balcony above. There was a doorway straight ahead which was open and we followed the flow of people through to the extravagant hall beyond, the high ceiling and crystal chandelier made the place feel like a palace.

A waiter walked past with glasses of champagne laced with blood and Antonio took two, passing one to me, sending a warning glance my way to remind me to keep my eyes lowered so that I would not accidently look at anyone. I rolled my eyes before turning them to the ground, knowing the pain I would feel if I went against my maker's orders. My arm remained linked in his as he led me to a group of vampires, none of which I knew the voices of.

“Ahh Antonio, I was expecting to see Elissa on your arm this evening.” One of the male vampires dawled before a chuckle escaped him. “You cannot hope that a Sedvey will be able to beat one of Dimitiri’s Physvey’s.”

The others in the group chuckled along, only making the anger I could feel from Antonio rise. “Oh I am sure that Yasmin will be able to beat anyone that she is put against.” He hissed back, unable to keep the rage from his voice.

“I suppose we will have to see about that.” A voice from behind us laughed. Antonio turned around as two shiney sets of shoes came into my line of vision. “Antonio, I don’t believe you have had the pleasure of meeting Drex, one of the master vampire’s creations.”

“It is a pleasure.” Antonio bowed, tugging on my arm for me to do the same.

“I am sure.” Drex responded, sounding rather bored. “Who is this?”

Antonio stiffened at my side. “This is my creation Yasmin.” His voice sounded uncertain before he let out a long sigh. “You may look up, Yasmin.”

I lifted my head, looking at a stumpy man that I could not tell if he was a Physvey or a large Telvey, stood next to a Telvey who looked like he could indeed be a Physvey, however his muscles, although large, were lean again his frame instead of bulging. The Telvey looked me up and down, a smile spreading on his lips. “It is indeed a pleasure to meet you Yasmin.” Drex dauled.

I looked over to Antonio who gave me a begrudging nod, allowing me to respond. “Trust me, the pleasure is indeed yours.”

“Yasmin!” Antonio growled, to which I sent him a sweet smile. I never said that I would be pleasant and I hated the fact that I was being led around the ballroom like a prize pooch at a dog show.

“Oh, she still has some fire in her.” The stumpy man laughed, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye while looking at me with distaste showing me that he did not think that my comment was as funny as he made out. I rolled my eyes, deciding that I would rather stare at the ground and be silent than participate in this charade. “Well I am sure that we will be able to take care of her for you before the night is over.”

With that, the two men moved away, obviously circling the room. Antonio grabbed my arm painfully, pulling me to a secluded corner of the room. He roughly shoved me against the wall, glaring down at me before moving his lips close to my ear, hoping that the others in the room would not be able to hear him with their enhanced hearing. “Listen to me you little slut, you will be respectful to Dimitri and Drex. I did not bring you here to embarrass me.” His voice had a dangerous edge and I knew that I had crossed the line with him.

I hated that a large part of me cared that I had upset him, and again I had to question if the guilt that I felt was my own or only existed because of the hold Antonio had over me. “Sorry sire.” I hung my head.

He grasped my hand, pulling me back towards the middle of the room, muttering under his breath about how Elissa never would have embarrassed him in this way. He was right, she really wouldn’t. I really did not understand how she could actually have feelings for Antonio, unless he had messed with her brain so much over the years that now she believed everything that she felt was her own emotions.

For the next few hours I kept my head bowed, not even wishing I could see those who spoke to my maker. They all seemed to be as self centered and conceited as he was. Is that what I had to look forward to in a couple of decades or centuries? Losing who I was as a person. That thought made me feel unsettled to say the least. I may not have had the best human life, but at least I was myself. I had been holding onto that self as much as I could over the past ten years, and to think all of that was for nothing made me feel hopeless.

Dimitri’s voice came over the speakers, everyone immediately stopping their chit chat and turning to face the end of the room. “Ladies, gentlemen and creations, we are honoured this evening to have one of the Master’s own creations come and visit our little district.” Everyone bowed slightly and I followed suit. “I am sure that he will find the evening's entertainment most enjoyable.”

There were a few laughs as everyone seemed to start to file out of the room. I hated the fact that Dimitri seemed to think of creations as lesser than their sires, even though each sire was once a creation themselves. All that is, except for Drex who he seemed to revear as if he was the Master vampire himself. If what Doyal told me was right though, it had been more than a century since anyone outside of the Master’s kingdom had laid eyes on him. Maybe that was a good thing, as I hated to think how warped his mind had become if he was centuries older than the other vampires present here.

We moved out of the grand hall and down into the basement, Antonio leaned in against my ear, his lips so close that they grazed my earlobe when he spoke. “This is where I leave you. Follow the other creations and remember, do not disappoint me.” He spoke the last four words with such force that they sent a shiver of fear down my spine, although I did not understand as if I did fail, I would be dead and there would be nothing that he could do to me. As appealing as that thought was, I still had too much determination to live to allow it to happen.

As Antonio stepped away, I looked up to see the other sires ushering their creations into an archway that led off one side of the room before they turned and went in the other direction. I looked towards the way we had come in, edging my way back towards it, seeing the doors closed and locked behind the last of the vampires that entered. I let out a long sigh, it was worth a try. I followed the other creations through the archway that led down a short tunnel with two Physvey vampires at the end, each holding a clipboard.

“Name and sire.” One of the Physvey’s demanded.

“Yasmin, Antonio.” I replied, looking into the two rooms which the vampires before me had been split between.

The other Physvey looked me up and down a small chuckle escaping his mouth. “I can't believe that Antonio has lost his mind enough to send a Sedvey to fight for him.” I clenched my hand into a fist at my side, fed up with everyone looking down at me.

“I am sure that she has many other uses for her as well.” The second said as he licked his lips and looked up from his clipboard. “What a shame.” He ushered me into the room on the left and then the door was closed behind me. I was surrounded by Telveys and Physveys, making me wonder if I was in fact the only Sedvey that was being forced to fight for their sire.

Everyone sat in silence, not bothering to talk amongst themselves. I understood why, what was the point in trying to make friends if you knew that you were likely to end up having to try and kill them or be killed. I joined then, sitting on the end of the wooden bench that lined the wall. A door at the other end opened and someone's name was called. A Physvey vampire got up and walked towards the door, an air of confidence about him that he would win his fight. Oh how I wished I had that confidence, as I knotted my fingers together on my lap, taking a deep breath to try and calm my nerves that I would not be able to make it through the night.