Veso

  “Walk,” he hissed.

  She kept her chin up and shoulders straight as she stepped into the tunnel.

  “Go to your left.”

  It was the direction that the creepers had just taken the large tan guy. She had a really bad feeling as she walked fast enough to keep Vlad from bumping into her. She didn’t run away, even though it was tempting to try; she knew more creepers were somewhere ahead in the flickering candlelight. Additional sconces hung on the endless tunnel walls, about twenty feet apart, but they didn’t put off a lot of light.

  “Turn right.”

  Glen followed directions and saw brighter lights at the end of the tunnel. They passed more metal doors and she picked up a few sounds of distress. A cell on the left couldn’t contain a woman’s sobs, the distinctive noise soft but clear.

  A chill ran up her spine. Vlad had to be lying, and she was about to become dinner to some bloodsucking monstrosity.

  Images of old Vampire movies flashed through her mind. The master would probably be some ancient being with horrible features, who would be even less human than what she’d already seen. She slowed her pace, but Vlad’s bony hand shoved against her shoulder to push her forward and right into a large room where the metal door had been left open.

  She couldn’t help but gawk a little at the creepers hovering near a door on the other side of the room. They appeared far worse in brighter light than in the dim tunnels. They weren’t just pale, but had thin black veins showing all over their exposed skin. Their eyes were bloodshot, the whites of them almost completely red.

  One of them smacked his lips and she glared, daring him to try to bite her. Her hands curled into claws as her muscles tensed, preparing to fight. No way was she going to be a chew toy without trying to tear his evil eyes out.

  A young blond man in all black clothing stood in the center of the room. He wasn’t as pale as the creepers or Vlad, but not by much. He smiled, revealing smooth white teeth. His hair was trimmed short and pale blue eyes regarded her. She glanced down his body. He wasn’t more than twenty, if she were to guess, and the modern slacks and shirt made her wonder if he was another kidnap victim.

  “You’re pretty.” He took a step closer, staring. “Isn’t she, Vlad?”

  “Yes, Master.”

  Shock reverberated through Glen. “You’re the master?” She couldn’t hold back the stunned observation. “You can’t be.”

  “Why not?” He slightly bowed at the waist and used his hands to make the gesture a little flamboyant. “Am I not what you expected?”

  “No.” She wasn’t about to mince words. “You look barely out of high school.”

  He smiled again. “You’re a brave young woman.”

  “I’m a pissed-off young woman,” she corrected. “How dare you kidnap me and the others. We’re not cattle.” She shot Vlad a glare. “You should be feeding this one cheese because he definitely looks like a rat.”

  Vlad hissed, showing those foul fangs of his.

  “Enough,” the master chuckled. “She’s got fire. I knew she would.”

  “She cried a lot when she first arrived,” Vlad muttered.

  “Stop speaking before I rip out your tongue,” the master threatened.

  Vlad closed his mouth and stepped back, effectively blocking the door so she couldn’t escape. Her gaze returned to the master. He didn’t look monster-like but instead kind of innocent and youthful, except when he opened his mouth to speak.

  “You’re not here to be anyone’s blood donor.”

  That made her feel slightly less fearful. “What do you want from me then?”

  He stepped closer, examining her face. “I see the family resemblance. The curly blonde hair, the perky nose, the delicate features. You remind me of my sister, except you have brown eyes. She had blue. I knew you would be the perfect host to fulfill my legacy.”

  “What family resemblance? Legacy? What are you talking about?” Her stomach rolled a little, and she prayed they weren’t really related in any way, that he didn’t plan on turning her into a Vampire.

  “I’m your…” He waved a hand. “I forget how many generations…but I’m a distant relative.”

  “No, you’re not.” She instantly balked.

  “Oh, but I am, my dear. Trust that I double-checked your ancestry carefully to make certain we are linked by blood.”

  She really didn’t like being associated with him in any way. “Like a fifth cousin?”

  “No.” He walked around her, studying her from head to foot. “You’re from my sister’s birth line. That would make me a great, great…” He shrugged, a sign of impatience. “Enough. We’re related.”

  It took a lot for her to hold still. He gave her chills when he examined her that closely. It freaked her out. “Why am I here if you don’t plan on feeding me to your, um…creepers?”

  He laughed when he stopped before her, way too close for her comfort. “I’m a king.”

  She blinked, unsure how to respond to that.

  “I need a queen.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I need a queen, someone worthy of ruling my empire by my side.”

  Glen had to lock her knees to keep standing as horrible suspicions filled her head. “Don’t look at me. You just said we’re related.”

  “Royal bloodlines should marry.”

  “That’s sick. Incest is wrong.”

  “Don’t you know anything about history?”

  “You mean how some royal families married cousins? I’m aware and it’s still wrong.”

  He grinned. “Fortunately, your opinion doesn’t matter.”

  She took a step back. “Stay away from me. I’m not marrying you. Ewww!”

  “Don’t, Vlad,” the master ordered.

  Glen twisted her head and realized that Vlad had inched closer to her, so she stepped sideways, keeping both of them distanced.

  “You’re not the one I want.”

  “Thank God.” She relaxed slightly. There are worse things than being bitten on the neck, she thought. One of them would be him wanting to get me naked. That tops the list any day.

  “It’s your child who will become my queen.”

  Her mouth fell open. “I’m not pregnant.” She was sure of that.

  “Not yet—but you will be soon.”

  She frantically shook her head. “Hell no. Not a chance.” Her gaze darted to Vlad. “Kill me now if he’s the one you think is going to knock me up. I’d rather die.”

  “Not him.” The Vampire master had the nerve to laugh.

  Glen glared at him, terrified and horrified at the same time. “Not you either.”

  The master smiled. He did that a lot, and it never reached his eyes. There was something cold about them, emotionless and scary. It made her wonder if he even had a soul.

  “Humans and Vampires can’t procreate life.”

  That’s good news. It meant neither of them planned to rape her.

  “We can, however, impregnate Werewolf females under the right conditions. I considered having you turned into one but the likelihood of death is far too great. I rejected that option.” He paused. “It would also give you the ability to control your reproductive cycle. I won’t have you denying ovulation. You’re the last of my line who is female, of breeding age, and carries a family resemblance. I can’t take the chance.”

  The master scowled. “Besides, it’s a brutal business, turning into one of those nasty creatures.” He opened his mouth and snapped his teeth. “Too much blood loss when they tear into you.” He paused. “There’s also the fact that I want my queen to be strong. I desire her to be an equal. It’s not really possible considering how old I am, but I do want her to be as close as I can design her. That means she’ll need to be sired by something I don’t like…”

  Glen didn’t know what to say, so she just kept silent, glancing around, looking for an escape but not seeing one. Werewolf? Did he just say that? He did. Shit! Vampires exist and now Werewolves. What’s next? Wit
ches and demons? I don’t want to know. Vlad still blocked the door behind her, and the one on the other side of the room wasn’t an option, since two creepers stood in front of it.

  “I’ve decided to breed you with one of them.”

  She glanced at the creepers. “No way!”

  “Not my pets.” He chuckled. “I doubt they even have a sex drive or remember what a woman is for except to feed from.” His voice lowered. “They aren’t very bright.”

  “I’m not allowing anyone to touch me.”

  The master suddenly lunged, and she gasped when he captured her jaw. His hand was icy cold to the touch. She tried to jerk away but cried out from pain when he tightened his hold, his fingers digging into her tender skin.

  “You have no say in the matter.” He eased his grip and let go. “Pay close attention if you wish to know what I expect from you—and you do want to know.”

  No, I don’t. She kept silent though, afraid he’d put that clammy hand on her again.

  “Vampires and Werewolves can breed under certain circumstances, which I have already stated. Half-breed children were born of such unions, and the man I’ve chosen for you is one of them.”

  She let that sink in. “Some half Vampire, half Werewolf? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “Isn’t that what I just told you?” He shook his head, a disgusted look twisting his features. “She’s pretty but not very bright, is she, Vlad?”

  “No, Master.”

  “Hopefully her daughter will be more intelligent. I’ll be in charge of her education once she’s born. We’ll make certain she is an exceptional student.”

  “Yes, Master.”

  Kiss-ass. Glen shot Vlad a dirty look before turning it on the Vampire master. “You want me to let some halfling monster guy touch me? Not in this lifetime.”

  “In your lifetime, to be exact. You will be locked inside a room with him until you produce a daughter.”

  She gaped at him. The guy was insane.

  “With luck, the first attempt will work. I’m hoping you don’t birth a boy.”

  “They make for good blood donors,” Vlad piped up.

  Glen was horrified. “You’d suck blood from a baby? It would die!”

  “Shut up,” the master snapped. “The boy would be a relative of mine, and therefore I would put him to work for me. I could use any boys as day guards.” He glanced at her stomach. “I prefer the first one you have to be my queen. I don’t want to have to wait too long to claim her. I’m lonely.”

  “You have your brides,” Vlad whispered.

  “Brides aren’t my queen,” the master hissed at him. “Silence!”

  “Brides? Plural?” Glen had caught that.

  The master arched an eyebrow and frowned. “I have five of them, but not one is worthy of me. They serve my physical needs, but my queen will rule at my side.”

  He’s bat-shit crazy, she decided. Oh God. I hope he can’t turn into a bat. That was a disturbing thought.

  “I’ll introduce you to the VampLycan. He’s vicious, so try to keep far from his mouth when you breed with him. He won’t willingly agree to this.”

  “I don’t agree either,” she reminded him.

  “As I said, your wishes are irrelevant.”

  Glen stared at him, her mind working. “Let me get this straight. You want me to have a baby so you can marry a relative and this…whatever…doesn’t want to touch me either, but you expect us to have sex?”

  “Exactly.”

  Glen blinked a few times, letting that information sink in, then had to lock her knees to remain upright. “No.”

  “I’m not asking. He’s being cleaned right now. I didn’t think you’d find blood appealing, and you’ll need to be in the mood. He’ll be chained down flat, so just climb on. I’m aware you’re not a virgin.” He shook his head. “Young women these days are so promiscuous. You even lived with a man for two years. In my day, your parents would have disowned you for such shocking behavior, but at least I won’t have to instruct you on the mechanics of getting pregnant.”

  The guy had nerve. “You expect me to just climb on some poor guy and, um…do him? No way in hell. You’re crazy!”

  Her pale relative grinned. “He can’t hurt you if he’s the one chained down. You’ll do it—or I’ll wait for him to go into heat. They do that, you know. It’s disgustingly crude, but it will serve my purpose. You’ll be the one tied down, naked, at his mercy. And they have none. He’ll rut on your body until he no longer has the need. That’s when he’ll decide to kill you, but I’ll stop him before his cycle ends. You’ll hopefully become pregnant. I just don’t know what shape you’ll be in after a few days of taking his lust.”

  Vlad chuckled. “He could crush her bones. They aren’t gentle in heat. But she isn’t his mate, so how do you plan on getting around that? They can only impregnate a mate, from what we’ve learned.”

  “I’ve thought of that.”

  The master snapped his fingers and the creepers suddenly lunged.

  Glen screamed and tried to twist away but they were on her in a heartbeat, taking her to the floor. Her back hit the dirt so hard, it knocked the air from her lungs.

  The master was suddenly straddling her hips, and she watched, horrified, as he withdrew a big syringe. It was full of something dark, looking suspiciously like blood.

  Then she screamed again in terror as he buried the needle into the skin of her left breast, right above the edge of her low-cut shirt. “What is that? What are you doing?”

  “It’s the VampLycan’s blood.” The master finished injecting her and withdrew the needle. He lifted it to his lips and licked the tip. “Mmmm.”

  “How long?” Vlad hovered over them.

  “A few minutes.” The master continued to sit on her while the two freakishly pale creepers held her arms down. “Did I properly introduce myself, my dear? I’m King Charles Borrow, at your service.”

  Her maternal grandmother’s maiden name had been Borrow, a hint that he must come from that side of the family. “You’re insane! I’m going to die now. Have you ever heard of people going into shock by being given the wrong blood type?”

  “Human blood, but not VampLycan.” He used one hand to withdraw an old-fashioned timepiece from his pocket and used his thumb to lift the lid. “Right now his blood is mixing with yours.” He leaned in close enough for her to smell his breath, not a pleasant thing. “What does it feel like?”

  She was petrified and a little lightheaded but that was from the fear. Those horrible creepers were too ghastly to look at, their cold hands on her wrists what she guessed it would feel like to be held down by corpses. They were animated though, real freak shows. Her relative wasn’t much better. Part of her hoped the blood would kill her. It beat living in the hellish nightmare her life had become.

  “I asked you a question. What does it feel like?”

  She took some deep breaths and tried to ignore everything but her body. Her heart raced and the lightheadedness was more pronounced. “I think I’m going to faint.”

  “Don’t crush my amusement.” He suddenly jabbed the needle into the other side of her chest, again just over her breast.

  Glen screamed out from pain once more, tried to struggle but couldn’t get away as he dropped his other hand on her rib cage to hold her down. She watched helplessly as he used the dirty needle to draw her blood. It filled the large syringe.

  The pain dulled when he withdrew the needle and eased his hand off her ribs. She sucked in another breath, blinking back tears. His weight lifted off her middle as the crazy Vampire master rose to his feet.

  “Now it’s his turn to be given your blood. It’s a bit barbaric but it will fool your bodies into thinking you’re truly mated, at least long enough for you to get pregnant. Get her on her feet.”

  The creepers yanked her up and released her. Glen spun away, putting as much distance as she could between all of them and herself. There wasn’t anywhere to really go except to press against
the rock wall.

  Vlad bent to retrieve the forgotten watch and return it to his master.

  “Now what, Master?”

  The blond handed over the filled syringe. “Inject him and shove her inside his cell.” He glanced at her. “Go near his mouth and he’ll kill you. He could drain your blood or just tear you open enough for you to die of blood loss. The only way you’ll walk out of here alive is if you produce a girl for me. I give you my word as a gentleman that you shall have your freedom then.”

  She didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him. Not that she’d ever want to touch the man.

  “I had to call in a lot of favors from friends to have this VampLycan captured and brought here. Some of them died in the process. I’m that determined in this endeavor. I’ll even reward you with money if you don’t give me any headaches. But disappoint me, and your life will be a living hell. Do what you modern whores do, and make me my queen.”

  Chapter Two

  The lit candles in caged lanterns hung high on the walls, making the room brighter than anything she’d seen since being kidnapped. And Glen couldn’t help but stare at the huge man chained down on the gurney.

  It was the same man who’d been rolled down the hallway outside of her cell. The blanket she’d seen draped over his middle had been removed and wasn’t within sight. They’d chopped off his long hair and given him a bath of some sort. He currently lay naked, secured by his ankles and wrists. The snarls and vicious sounds he made kept her by the door.

  Muscles bulged aplenty as he struggled. She’d seen bodybuilders before, but never so much of one. Her gaze avoided his midsection, since she’d hate to be stared at if she were in his vulnerable situation. Her chest still hurt from the two holes that had been jabbed into her by the needle. The lightheadedness had faded but she was starting to get a headache.

  “Could you please stop?” The noises he made were making it worse.

  He ignored her.