Page 26 of Vampires & Bikers

Lying in bed with her, making love to her, I had been able to escape from the confines of my existence, the burden of memory, the many years that I’d been alive. Bonds forged over so many years with those in my community and I loved them, deeply, but they were also a burden.

With Ruby, there was none of this heaviness.

Our interactions were light and sweet, I could almost taste this sweetness. When we had sex the first time, I’d allowed myself a drop of her blood. She had permitted it, feeling the sharpness against her skin, she had not hesitated, trusting me and that single drop had exploded in my system, it was a sensation I could become addicted to. I also enjoyed her personality, her conversation. I liked to be with her, around her. There was none of the awkwardness I’d experienced with so many other women.

I had no idea what she expected of me or if she expected anything at all. Usually at some point with other women, there had to be a talk about relationships and commitment. This wasn’t the case with Ruby. I knew she wanted to be with me when I saw her, but she never asked to see me again or if I’d call her. Her life was chaotic and she was clearly used to figuring out things on her own. I found myself wanting to help her though. It annoyed me that she seemed so loath to accept it.

When I got the sense of distress from her, I left everything to get to her as quickly as possible. I dealt with her attacker and was surprised by her reaction, which was not as grateful as I thought it would be. She seemed annoyed by my response and even upset at the sight of the dead shifter. When she told me to leave, I did.

But the conversation between us had not been as before.

It caught me by surprise.

As I fled bloody Buzzard Creek with all the trouble it had, I thought to myself that this was perhaps the perfect ending to what had so far, been the perfect hookup. Even though Ruby was a wonderful girl and I enjoyed myself thoroughly with her, her relationship with the shifters was problematic. I thought she’d want to be free of them, but it didn’t seem to be the case now. She kept pulling me into that hellhole where I was at risk of injuring myself.

In addition, did she now blame me for killing a filthy dog?

Please.

Making matters worse, jumping to her aid was interfering with my finding out who had killed Matteo. I was finally beginning to get some answers and I needed my wits about me to pursue this matter. Things were far more complicated than I’d realized. I was beginning to think the answers lay in the royal family and this would take my investigation into a very dangerous direction.

When I’d tried to find the Clarissa who had spoken to Captain Dennington, I was told there was no such person at the Castle. I spoke to the staff member in charge of the royal family and she curtly informed me that she didn’t know what I was talking about. Then, out of the blue, Queen Taheera appeared.

“What are you doing here, Lord D’Essay?” she asked in a frosty voice.

“Shouldn’t you be fighting our war?”

I told her I was still looking into Matteo’s death.

“Shifters were responsible, we already know this,” she said, waving her hand to dismiss me.”

“No, it seems that is incorrect,” I said. She fixed a sharp gaze on me. She was an attractive woman, but I knew what lay behind her looks. She was ambitious and vicious at the same time, it could be a lethal combination.

“Matteo’s dead,” she said slowly, as if I needed reminding. “You need to worry about the living. Including yourself,” she said, before walking off briskly.

It was a threat, clearly.

I was mulling over her words, when a figure stepped out of the shadows.

“You need to be careful,” I heard someone say. I turned to see Prince Dano, the king’s son from a previous marriage. Even though his body resembled a young man of 17, he was much older now, closer to 70. He had not approved of the marriage to Thaheera and therefore did not live with the king anymore. He had been banished from the Castle, spending most of his time managing other properties.

“Prince Dano,” I greeted him as per our protocol, with a nod of the head.

He acknowledged the greeting and stepped closer. “I’ve come to see my father. I was wondering, have you noticed his strange behavior?”

“The king?”

Prince Dano looked at me. “He has not left the top floor in months. He is always at the lookout, staring at the city.”

“Surely, he’s attending the War Council meetings?”

He shook his head. “Harris is representing him, supposedly carrying out his wishes.”

“Supposedly?”

Prince Dano carefully chose his words. “I don’t think my father really knows what is going on. He trusts Harris and his wife to take the right course of action but I fear his mind is failing.”

Such words were treason and Dano knew it.

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