Page 4 of Rescued By the Vampire Rogue

Her gaze didn't waver, the deep blue of her eyes clouding momentarily with frustration that she quickly masked. "I'm not your guest," she said, her tone betraying a hint of understanding, "but neither am I truly a prisoner, am I?"

"Indeed." The word felt like silk over gravel. "You are something... undefined."

"Then I want access to your mansion. To walk freely within these walls."

"Free rein..." My brow arched, considering the weight of her demand. "That will require some thought. For now," I gestured toward the sleek panel on the wall, "the intercom awaits. Whatever you wish for, within reason, will be yours."

She studied the device as if it were a lifeline—or perhaps the chain binding her to me. The air between us was thick with unspoken words and tension that one could carve with a blade.

Leaving her room, I shut the door behind me with a soft click. The scent of her still clung to the air around me. A potent, haunting aroma that whispered of mysteries yet to unravel.

I refused to let her go—no, I couldn't—even as the thought clawed at the edge of my conscience. She would be mine, in every sense the word promised. My fangs ached with the need to pierce her skin, to taste the rush of her life force mixing with mine. It wasn't a matter of if, but when. And when that moment came, I knew no power on earth would compel me to release her from the sanctity of my embrace.

CHAPTER 3

IVY

Acacophony of gunfire and the screeching of steel tore through the night, jolting me awake. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, threatening to drown out the chaos around me. In an instant, Kael burst into my room, his eyes glowing with a mix of fury and urgency that sent shivers down my spine.

"Get up now," he snarled. "We're under attack." The usual eloquence in his voice had vanished, replaced by raw danger.

Before I could even process his words, his hand gripped my arm, firm but not painful, as he yanked me from the bed. I stumbled after him, my breath hitching in fear as we navigated a labyrinth of hidden corridors within the vast mansion. I'd wondered what the place looked like outside of my room. Now I knew. Everything was the pentacle of luxury and elegance.

The tension radiating off Kael was palpable, a silent promise of retribution for whoever dared to invade his territory. Every muscle in his body seemed taut, poised to strike without mercy. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of enemies would be foolish enough to provoke someone so obviously powerful and lethal.

Finally, we arrived at a heavily fortified room deep within the mansion. Kael locked the door behind us. His eyes met mine for a brief second, conveying a wordless message: Stay here. Then, to my astonishment, his form blurred and shifted before my eyes, transforming into a little bat. With a flutter of wings, he disappeared through a narrow tunnel in the door. It was way too small for me to even attempt to follow. Damn him.

I was alone now, locked in this room while knowing there was some kind of battle going on around me. The adrenaline coursing through my veins began to ebb, replaced by a growing dread as I realized just how dangerous Kael's world truly was. This was no longer some dark fantasy I could escape by closing the pages of a book; I was caught in the middle of it, whether I liked it or not. What would happen if they killed Kael? Would I die here?

As I stood there, I tried to calm my racing thoughts. I had no choice but to trust Kael to protect me. And to hope that whatever malevolence we faced tonight wouldn't kill us both. A little voice inside of me wondered if I was really safer with Kael than whoever was out there… but I'd gone three days in safety since he'd brought me here. Sure, he'd threatened me and made shows of power, but he hadn't even tried to harm me. I couldn't say the same for whoever else was on the other side of this door.

I turned and inspected this room, which was vastly different than anywhere else I'd seen since arriving here. Instead of plush elegance, this room screamed modern business man. Rich modern business man. The bed was simple with a small padded headboard, decked out in all navy blue linens and pillows. In another area was what appeared to be an office space with modern designs in black wood and silver finishings. On another side of the room was a sitting area with a loveseat and two chairs which also matched the theme of the room. That's when I saw the floor to ceiling wall screens. They were off, but with everything in here, they gave me the vibe of some kind of supernatural panic room.

With nothing else to do, I decided to snoop around and see if there was anything that might give me a clue… either to the missing people or about my captor.

The door to the fortified room swung open with a heavy metal click, revealing Kael in his human form once more. A mixture of relief and apprehension washed over me as he entered, his eyes still holding that dangerous glint. A quick search revealed he looked as perfectly put together as he did last time I saw him. No wounds or disheveled clothing, which if he was a vampire and they were anything like what was on TV, then it wasn't a surprise he didn't appear to be injured. That was definitely on my list of questions in a future interrogation.

"Come," he said, his voice low and commanding. "We have much to discuss."

He led me to a sitting area within the room, adorned with a few simple pillows. The space felt strangely intimate despite the circumstances, and my heart raced at the prospect of being so close to him.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his tone softer now.

"Considering I just survived an assassination attempt, I think, I'm doing pretty well," I replied, biting back the sarcasm. In truth, I was terrified, but I needed some semblance of control over this chaos.

"Abduction attempt on your part, not an assassination attempt on mine. But indeed, you have proven quite resourceful and resilient," he said, a hint of admiration in his gaze. "But now, it's time for you to understand the gravity of what you've stepped into."

"Oh, goody. Just an abduction. Not nearly as serious as an assassination."

With a wave of his hand, a wall screen flickered to life, displaying two faces – one belonged to a man with dark, piercing eyes, and the other to a woman with an aura of mystery about her.

The video call connected, and Kael introduced me. "This is Brayden. He's a loyal and intelligent vampire from my direct line. Maeve is a powerful witch who can get anything you need, or anyone."

Both of them looked at me for longer than was comfortable, but neither of them spoke.

"Your assistance tonight was invaluable," Kael told them solemnly. "Now, we must deal with the looming threat."

"I've reached out to some contacts and the word going around is that Lucien has decided to make a run at you." Maeve said, her attention divided between Kael and me. I didn't feel threatened by her, but something niggled at my gut telling me she knew something about me I didn't.

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