Blood Awakening

  Ciopori reached for the covers and pulled them all the way up to her chin, her eyes growing wide with surprise. “Are you always this forthcoming, brother?”

  Nathaniel’s smile was sinful...and shameful. “If you wish, I can be as quiet as a church mouse, sister. What is it they say? See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil?” His dark black eyes held a glimmer of amusement in them.

  Ciopori shook her head. “Well, I would hardly call any of my thoughts—or what Marquis and I do in our own time—evil. But by all means, don’t bite your tongue on my account.”

  His smile lit up his eyes.

  “Well?”

  “Well what?” he asked.

  Ciopori exhaled slowly and rolled her eyes. “Well, if whether or not I intended to flirt with you isn’t the point, then what is the point?”

  “The point is…” He scooted closer to the bed. “You would be wise not to look at, touch, or even think about another male, not even in passing appraisal. And should you ever do so with a human, do not be surprised if you are the cause of his death. Marquis is not known for his mercy. Why grab a tiger by its tail, sister?” His voice was absolutely serious.

  “Are you kidding me?”

  Nathaniel frowned. “I would never kid about such a thing.” It was obvious that he meant every word.

  Ciopori was momentarily speechless, searching for a reply, when all at once a firm but gentle female energy surged in the room. Would you shut up, knuckle-head! You’re scaring the poor woman. She is too new to this family to be subjected to all that cave-man nonsense right now. For heaven’s sake, she’s pregnant, Nathaniel.

  No doubt, this was Nathaniel’s beautiful wife, Jocelyn, and she was speaking on a public family bandwidth just to make her point.

  You would do well to watch your tone, female, Nathaniel snarled in response. Do not forget who the master of our house is.

  Jocelyn sighed loud and long. How could I possibly? He’s squirming in my arms and demanding to be fed even as we speak.

  Nathaniel’s drawn-out hiss was positively frightening. His sculpted muscles contracted and released in a series of waves that started at his shoulders, moved down his arms, and ended at his torso. His dark eyes turned even darker—if that was possible.

  When I return home and tie you to our bed, perhaps then, you will remember who the true master is. Or perhaps, should you continue to try me, I might just have to teach you the difference between male and female—dominance and submission. Make no mistake, woman, I can have you calling me master for the next thirty days—in public—should I choose. Now tend to our son, and leave us be.

  Jocelyn’s answering snarl shook the overhead lighting. Nathaniel Jozef Silivasi!

  Nathaniel’s eyes flew open wide at the mere tone of Jocelyn’s psychic voice, though he tried to hide his reaction. Ciopori bit her bottom lip in an effort not to laugh.

  Listen here, oh great male vampire: Do not make me come in that room and slap you upside your head right in front of our new sister—because I will if I have to.

  Nathaniel laughed heartily then, both his sense of humor and his tenderness for his mate getting the best of him. I’m afraid you are neither that strong nor that quick, my beautiful love, but you inspire my soul. Tonight, colega mea de sexy, save it for tonight.

  Jocelyn giggled then, the love in her voice apparent. Ma asteptam, de masterat.

  Ciopori knew exactly what the words meant—I’ll be waiting, master—and the look on Nathaniel’s face was priceless. He was no longer a stern, domineering vampire, but a grinning ten-year-old boy with glazed-over eyes, looking much like he had just discovered candy.

  “Yes,” Ciopori said, laughing, “I can see you have things well under control at home, my fearsome brother.”

  Nathaniel chuckled and tightened his grip on Ciopori’s hand. “Ah well, a male has to try.” Concentrating, he continued to absorb the full range of sensation from Ciopori’s pregnancy, shielding his new sister-in-law from even the slightest tinge of discomfort.

  Marquis leaned back against the sturdy railing of the back porch, his legs crossed casually at the ankles, his arms folded in front of his chest, waiting for Kristina to stop pacing.

  “I still don’t know what you could possibly have to say to me, but fine, I’m listening. What now, boss?”

  Marquis raised his eyebrows and smiled. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a black and gold rectangle of hard plastic and handed it to her.

  “What’s this?” She snatched it out of his hand.

  “It’s a credit card...with a two-hundred-fifty-thousand dollar limit on it.”

  Kristina’s eyes grew enormous as she read the name on the bottom of the card: Kristina Riley Silivasi. “You’re still giving me money? And you want me to keep your name? I don’t get it.”

  Marquis shifted his weight from one foot to the other and re-crossed his legs. “Of course I’m still going to take care of you, and why wouldn’t I? It’s your name now, too. The bills for the card will come to me, and on the first business day of every calendar year, any outstanding balance will be paid in full. Then the original two-hundred-fifty thousand limit will be restored, so consider it an annual...salary of sorts.”

  Kristina looked stunned. “But how? When? Why?”

  “Nathaniel took care of the details for me.”

  Kristina tried to suppress her excitement but failed, which pleased Marquis greatly. “Kristina, I may not be your mate, but I am still your sire. You will be taken care of for the rest of your life.”

  Her large blue eyes widened with surprise...and appreciation. “Wow, that’s really cool of you, thanks.”

  Marquis nodded. “As for living arrangements, you will not be going back to the apartment you shared with...that human. I wish I could give you a place with more privacy, but as your safety is my utmost concern, I am having one of the executive suites at the lodge renovated as an apartment. I think you will be quite satisfied with the accommodations when they are through, and there will always be guards and security within reach. You will stay in a guest room until the suite is finished.”

  Kristina’s lips parted like she was about to ask a question, but then she slowly pursed them back together. For the first time since he’d claimed her, the female was speechless.

  Marquis chuckled. “Yes, there will be a theatre room in the suite and a large Jacuzzi as well. A wet bar should be no problem, but be careful—vampires must never lose their inhibitions...for obvious reasons.”

  Kristina frowned then. The news that she would no longer be mated to Marquis had clearly been a relief, but the caveat that she would never be human again must have been devastating. “So then, uh, how will I—”

  “Feed?”

  Kristina looked down. “Yeah.”

  Marquis sighed. “Kristina, you will become accustomed to your new life in time; it will not always be so difficult. I want you to understand something very important, un pic—little one. When I sired you, my blood became your blood, my DNA part of your DNA. You are a true Silivasi now—by name and blood—despite our not being together. That cannot be reversed.”

  Kristina tilted her head as if trying to absorb the information.

  “That means that you now have four living brothers, and trust me, as rare as females are in the house of Jadon, the idea of having a sister is an extraordinary treat. You couldn’t get away now if you tried. Not to mention, as you know, vampires can be a bit overprotective.”

  Kristina sighed, finally getting it. “They wouldn’t.”

  “Oh, they will.”

  She shrugged. “Well, it’s not like there’s anyone for me to date anyhow.”

  Marquis shook his head. “That is not necessarily true. There are widows in the house of Jadon just as anywhere else. Between vampire hunting societies, wars with our dark brothers, and our natural enemies, the lycans, many males have lost their destinies over the long centuries. The problem, however, will be getting any one of these males past your new brot
hers.”

  Kristina shook her head. “Oh, great.”

  “You also have two sisters by blood now as well,” he offered as a consolation, “Ciopori and Jocelyn. Three, if you count Vanya. Perhaps they will assist you.”

  Kristina just stared at him.

  “And you will soon have two nephews, so you are no longer alone in this world, sora mea.”

  “Sora mea?”

  “My sister.”

  Kristina looked down at the ground.

  “And all of your brothers will see to your feeding.”

  She looked up, a subtle flash of fear in her eyes.

  Marquis shook his head. “It’s okay. Your needs will not be as urgent as they were when you became ill right after the conversion. A wrist should suffice. And if that is too difficult, any one of us can siphon into a wineglass for you as long as the blood is fresh when you get it.” His eyes narrowed and fixed upon hers. “You will call one of us the moment you feel hunger, understood?”

  She nodded...unconvincingly.

  Marquis took a step forward then. “We will keep track of your feeding cycles, little sister. Do not think you will be left alone from this point on by any stretch. In fact, I think I already heard Jocelyn mention something to Nathaniel about your upcoming birthday—something about planning a party.”

  Kristina looked shocked, an odd mixture of both dread and wonder. “What if I don’t want all this family?”

  Marquis shrugged. “It’s a little late for that.”

  “Yeah,” she glowered, “I know.” She put her hands over her neck, indicating the place he had bit her during the harsh, forced conversion. “How could I forget?”

  Marquis shook his head slowly. He was extremely regretful for the harsh way he had converted her, but she had shot him after all. “Look,” he said, “what is done is done. What matters now is the future.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a set of keys. They were dangling on a custom key ring with the crest of the house of Jadon on it.

  Kristina’s eyes flashed with excitement, and she began jumping up and down, trying to reach the keys as Marquis held them higher and higher. “What is it, Marquis! Let me see!”

  After a minute of toying with her, he finally dropped them in her hand. “You must be sure and thank Nachari. You have no idea how difficult it is to get a pink Corvette in the space of five days—even for an auto-enthusiast vampire.”

  Kristina’s eyes teared up, and she quickly brushed the drops away. “I can’t believe this…” Her voice trailed off.

  “If you are still inclined to have a Hummer as well, Kagen has agreed to take you car shopping this coming weekend.”

  Her smile was positively radiant as she held up the keys to the Corvette. “Where is it?”

  “In Nachari’s garage, of course. You may claim it whenever you like.”

  Kristina fisted the keys and nodded her head, trying to play it cool. “Thanks, boss. You know what? You’re not as bad as I thought.” She looked out toward the river behind the house and immediately averted her eyes, trying to shield her face with her hair. She was battling tears—for reasons beyond the car and family—and trying like hell to hide them.

  “Kristina,” Marquis whispered.

  “Don’t go there.”

  “That day by the river—”

  “Marquis, please...just forget it.”

  “I want you to know that I wasn’t using you. I wasn’t...pretending.”

  Kristina held up her hand. “Don’t, Marquis. I mean, the way I see it…you know...hey, it’s all good, right? You did what you had to do, and well, I’m not all that hard to manipulate...for guys, anyway...so, whatever. It’s cool.” She tried to force a smile.

  He held out his arm and shook his head. “I will not make light of this with you, Kristina. Nor will I allow you to believe that what happened between us was a mistake.”

  She looked up at him then, and her blue eyes held a pain so stark that their reflection startled him. “Nah, it’s okay…you know? I mean, you’re with the woman you’re supposed to be with.” She laughed insincerely. “And lord knows—you and me—that was a disaster.”

  He smiled. “Then tell me why you are crying.”

  She rolled her eyes and looked away. “Dag, you are so pushy!”

  He stood firm, staring at her without any anger or impatience—just waiting.

  “I just…it’s just...no big deal really.”

  He continued to wait, the silence absolute.

  She huffed in exasperation. “It’s just that, you know…no one ever treated me that special before.” She turned her back to him. “Dirk never touched me like that...and neither did any of the others...but hey, it was a mind control kinda thing anyway, right? So more like a dream—nothin’ that you actually meant.”

  Marquis reached out and took her by the hand. When he spun her around to pull her slight body into his own, the short female measured well below his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his chin against her soft, curly hair. “You are special, Kristina. I chose to…make love…to you in that manner because it was the only way I could approach it that would be authentic. And I refused to use you or lie to you involving something so intimate. I meant every moment of it.”

  She shivered, her heart soaking up his words like a dry sponge dipped in the ocean.

  He felt her tears against his arm. “You know…there’s one thing that I wasn’t able to finish, though.”

  She cleared her throat, and they could have both heard a pin drop from a mile away. “What?”

  “There was something else I wanted to give you, but Nachari showed up before I could…finish.”

  She jerked away then, looking up at him with an ashen expression. “Uh, I’m pretty sure Ciopori’s not havin’ any of that.”

  Marquis laughed low in his throat. “You misread me, little one.” He pulled her back into the comfort of his arms. “You are thinking of the physical aspect. I am thinking of the spiritual.”

  “I don’t want your charity.” She tried, once again, to pull away, but he wouldn’t allow it.

  He growled. “And I’m not very charitable, so there’s no problem there.” He held her until she quit struggling, and then he began to surround her body with a warm, glowing energy until she relaxed into him. Lightly stroking her hair, he placed a gentle image in her mind: that of a perfect white canvass bearing the reflection of her eternal soul.

  Marquis reflected back to Kristina the spirit she had been at birth.

  The perfection that had been created by her human god long before she entered the world.

  He revealed her immeasurable value and beauty to her, while displaying her strength of character—her unique wit and charm, the determination she had used to survive. He presented her with her divine reflection and showered her in the light of her infinite being: a perfect woman without scars, failures, or regrets.

  He showed her who she truly was beneath all of the tragedy.

  Kristina twisted and turned, trying to wrench away from the overwhelming light of her being. The pure experience of self-love clashed with so many years of self-degradation, but Marquis held firm until she finally let go and began to weep. He tightened his arms and held her until the warmth had washed all of her tears...and shame...away.

  He had not only shown her a side of herself she had been lost to, but in doing so, he had shared a compassionate side of himself that no one had ever seen. Not even his brothers or Ciopori. It was the least that he owed her—and the most powerful gift that he had to give her.

  Kristina slowly pulled away and wiped her eyes. She tried to utter thank you, but the words stuck in her throat. Finally, collecting herself, she whispered, “You and me, I guess we’ve got a couple secrets of our own now, huh?”

  Marquis smiled. “Most certainly.” He would never betray such a private moment.

  She nodded then and started to turn back toward the house.

  “Kristina...”

  She glance
d over her shoulder.

  “There will always be a special place in my heart for you.”

  Kristina sniffled and nodded. “Yeah…I know what you mean.” She let out a deep breath. “So there’s no hard feelings…about...anything...then?”

  Marquis smiled a mischievous grin. “S’all good,” he said, emphasizing her typical vernacular.

  Kristina’s smile was absolutely glowing, her soul shining through. “Indeed, warrior. Indeed.”

  The two of them laughed out loud.

  twenty-five

  Marquis checked the time on his black, Corum, stainless steel watch: three a.m. Exactly forty-eight hours since he had commanded Ciopori’s conception. “Are you ready, my love?” he asked, hardly able to contain his excitement.

  Ciopori looked down at the unsightly monstrosity that had become her midsection over the last two days and nodded decisively. “Yes! Because if this keeps on growing, I’m going to explode.”

  Marquis bent down and nuzzled her cheek, stopping to place a soft kiss on her lips. His very own wife. His very own soul-mate. His destiny. And now, it was time to meet his son. How had life gone from so barren to so full in the blink of an eye? How could he have believed the gods had forgotten him, when all along they had been preparing such a rare and beautiful gift?

  He sighed, and then he began to gather his energy into a focused stream of light, connecting it to the two beating hearts in Ciopori’s womb. With an eloquent prayer, spoken in the ancient language, he called his sons from the cramped chamber they had so briefly shared to the full breadth of the world, commanding them to come to their father.

  Small prisms of light filled the bedroom like a thousand shimmering rainbows, the interconnected colors hovering in a radiant arc until a distinct halo formed above the bed, and then a rhythmic, hypnotic sound filled the room: white water rushing in a river, the steady drumbeat of life humming in harmonic, expanding waves. From beneath the crest of the halo, gold dust began to gather, swirling in soft circles above Ciopori’s pregnant belly, turning like a soft funnel, the ether connecting above, below, and within.