Kristen Painter - Forbidden Blood

Which led her back to Dominic and the price Arnaud would extract from him. She swallowed down the guilt already clogging her throat. Maybe there was a way for both of them to escape.

Would he go? Would he leave this life behind?

She turned her face into the pillow. She already knew that answer. No. What vampire would willingly leave the noble life to live as an anathema? Because they would cast him out, if not for his crimes against his brethren, then surely for helping her.

Pushing upright, she sighed at the enormity of what lay before her. Maybe she should just run. Could she get Dominic to tell Arnaud that she’d died during an experiment? The thought lightened the weight pressing down on her. Yes, that might work.

Except Arnaud would want to see a body.

The weight grew heavy again and she covered her face with her hands. She was a fool. How would she make Dominic fall in love with her? With what skills? Being part of the comarré love with her? With what skills? Being part of the comarré breeding program only meant she’d been impregnated; it hadn’t educated her on the finer points of male/female relationships.

She knew nothing about love, except what she felt for her child. Knew even less about men. Her heart felt like lead in her chest as hope receded. Liquid welled in her eyes. She squeezed her lids tightly, trying to make the tears go away.

The door to her room burst open and Dominic flew into the space. “I am not going to bite you.”

“What?”

As if he’d just realized he was on the edge of losing control, he straightened himself, calmly closed the door, and came toward her, his voice low and even. “I know you expect me to bite you in order to test the sunlight serum, but I’m not going to.

You’ll simply drain some blood into a glass for me.”

She pushed off the bed to stand before him. She took a breath and focused on his eyes. He really was a handsome man when not in full vampire mode. “That’s not how it works. You know the comarré benefit from the bite. Would you allow me to weaken during the time I’m to be here? What if your potion doesn’t work and I’m forced to defend myself against Arnaud?

What then?”

For a moment, he said nothing. Then he shook his head. “It isn’t proper. You are not my comarré. And you’d have to drain the blood anyway. I know how the comarré system works. Too much blood in your system and you’ll become sick.”

She decided on a different tactic. “Hmph. You’re afraid of Arnaud.” She leaned in and poked her finger into his hard chest.

“You’re a fool.”

He grabbed her wrist, the tiniest shards of silver dancing in his eyes. She hoped it was desire and not anger. “And you’re as disrespectful as Catarina. If you’re not afraid of Arnaud, then you’re the fool. He could ruin me.”

She refused to back down, puling herself up a little taller

“And he’ll kill me.”

The silver resurfaced in Dominic’s eyes. He turned and paced across the room, muttering in Italian and waving his hands. She sat on the bed, waiting for him to stop. When he did, he glared at her. “You will be the death of me.”

She slid back her sleeve and extended her bare wrist to him.

“I disagree.”

His face shifted and his eyes went full silver. “I am too hungry to argue with you now.” He put his hand up and headed for the door.

She got up and stepped into his path. “I’m not Catarina. I don’t care if you bite me.” She cared if he didn’t, though. She knew what kind of bond the intimate experience could create between a patron and his comarré. At least she’d heard about it.

Her bond with Arnaud was nonexistent. Based on Dominic’s lack of interaction with Catarina, it was doubtful they shared any connection either.

Dominic closed his eyes briefly, as if steeling himself; then he Dominic closed his eyes briefly, as if steeling himself; then he took her by the shoulders. His voice was calmer when he spoke.

“Cara mia, I have work to do. Your willingness to provide me with blood is”—he shrugged—“not what I am used to. But you belong to a very dangerous man. For both our sakes, it is better if we don’t do this. I’m sure you understand.”

She did, but her need to save her child overrode all that. “If that’s what you wish.”

“It…is. Because it must be.” His eyes betrayed his lie.

She stepped aside and opened the door. “I’m sure you’ll call me when you’re ready.”

“Si.” He looked disappointed. Had he expected her to fight harder? “Until then.” He left.

She waited, thinking she should have asked him how long until he needed her, but the serum couldn’t be tested until the sun rose, so she had plenty of time to strengthen her plan.

If Dominic wasn’t willing to bite her yet, she’d give him a better reason to. She’d make him need her.

By eliminating the competition.

“Come in.”

Marissa entered cautiously. She could imagine how Catarina would respond to her visit, at least initially

The other comarré’s eyes narrowed. She set her e-reader aside and leaned back on the sofa. “What do you want?”

“To apologize.” She pointed to an empty chair in the sitting room. “May I sit?”

Catarina nodded, still wary.

Marissa took a breath. “I shouldn’t have said what I did to you. I was tired from travel, and to be honest, my nerves have been rather frayed since I found out my patron was turning me over to Lord Falconetti to be experimented upon.” She wrung her hands for effect while staring at them. “It’s been a difficult couple of days.”

“I can imagine.” Catarina cleared her throat. “Look, what happened, happened and I hate to admit it, but you were right. I shouldn’t have spoken to Dominic that way. He’s not a bad patron. He’s just not the patron I signed on for.”

Marissa looked up, relieved her apology had done the trick.

“What do you mean?” Playing dumb always got one so much more information.

Catarina got up and went to the tea service on the side table.

“Would you care for a cup?”

“That would be lovely, thank you. Extra sugar.”

Catarina began to pour. “Dominic inherited me. My patron was a very wealthy, very old vampire. He treated me like a treasure, not a possession. Our life together was wonderful until the eldest of his sired children was killed under very mysterious circumstances. He was convinced the murder was the work of the caedo and that he’d be next.” She brought a cup of tea to the caedo and that he’d be next.” She brought a cup of tea to Marissa, then sat with hers. “Eventually he became so paranoid he hired Dominic to help him end things on his own terms.”

She sipped her tea, looking over the cup’s rim at Marissa.

“That’s where Dominic’s wealth comes from, you know. Al this”—she slanted her eyes toward the suite—“paid for by the deaths of other vampires.” Another sip of tea. “Very black market and highly illegal if the council ever finds out…”

“But you’d never say anything.”

Catarina laughed and put her cup down. “Of course not.

Dominic’s one of the best unsuspecting allies the comarré have.

He’s removed more aged vampires these last few years than infighting ever could.” She sighed, her fingers working the fabric of the silk throw resting on the arm of the chair. “Still, I miss Lord Itsak.”

Marissa nodded. Catarina was a strange one. “Did you go directly from his house to Lord Falconetti’s?”

“Yes.”

“Really? I’ve never heard of that. Usually one takes a small sabbatical at their house of origin. It seems to me you were never allowed time to grieve.”

Catarina shook her head, her memories reflected through the sadness in her eyes. “No, I wasn’t. I should have gone back to the Secundis Domus for a few weeks. It never really occurred to me.”