Page 2 of Desired for Her Blood
“She is unconscious,” he replies, kneeling on the opposite side of Ember.
“No shit, Sherlock!” Ryker sneers at Zuben. “Why did Ember pass out? What happened to her? And why did Octavia back off?”
Under Octavia’s control at the time, I only vaguely remember what happened, so I too want this answer. Sitting near Ember’s head, I keep out of her line of vision. If she wakes, I don’t want to be the first thing she sees—the man who nearly raped her.
“How did that witch control me? I…” I look down. “I couldn’t help myself.”
“Hey.” Ryker claps my back. “Not your fault. She’s clearly got access to some kind of magic or special power that makes people obey her.”
“Why me?” Out of all of us, why was it me, an alpha, whom she targeted to control?
“That thingisa beast.” Glancing toward my lap, Ryker whistles between his teeth.
I growl low in my chest, but I can’t argue with what he’s saying; my size must be the reason she chose to demonstrate her powers on me.
Zuben adjusts his position on the furs. “I have another hypothesis regarding why she chose Axel to control.”
“Of course you do.” Ryker rolls his eyes.
Zuben nods toward him. “However, I require more information to test my theory. I met her on April 6, 1928,” he says to Ryker. “When did you meet her?”
Ryker shrugs. “Maybe a year before, if I had to guess.”
He turns to me. “And you?”
“1949. Summer.”
Nodding, Zuben turns back to Ryker. “What can you tell me about your experiences with Octavia when you first met her? Tell me everything you remember.”
“Believe me, you do not want to hear everything.” Ryker raises his eyebrows a few times.
“But I do,” Zuben says seriously. “It would be most helpful for you to recall all you can about her demeanor, particularly her ability to get others to do what she wanted.”
Ryker closes his eyes for a moment. “Fuck. She came into the club, and I was drawn to her immediately. Hate to admit it, but she was smoking hot back then. Still is, I guess. But back then, her combination of vulnerability and fierce ambition, her zest for life. Shit, we had some wild times…” His eyes glaze over as if he’s remembering times past.
“Philly was hopping back then,” he continues, “the jazz age, industrialists, lots of money, bootlegged hooch and underground clubs. And that’s just thehumanworld…” He shakes his head. “For vampires it was even wilder.
“Tavi and I…” Leaning back, he shakes his head. “Her Maker was CEO of DEFTA, very busy, so she didn’t have anyone to show her the ropes of the vampire world. The good parts of it.” Ryker grins.
“And geez…” He looks down toward Ember, as if to verify she’s still sleeping. “Did that broad like to fuck.”
Disgust bubbles inside me, boiling away any hint of respect I had for this vampire. “I should have left you to burn in that sunlight.”
He turns toward me. “What?”
Growling, I glare at him. I didn’t mean to say that aloud, but I’m not going to apologize for it, either.
“And did you observe any powers of persuasion then?” Zuben asks Ryker. “Did she compel you to fornicate with her?”
“Didn’t need to be compelled,” Ryker says. “She was steaming hot, always up for it.” He tips his head to the side. “Though I guess that was persuasive in itself, if you know what I mean.” Sneering at Zuben, he shakes his head. “Then again, maybe as a robot, youwon’tget what I mean.”
Zuben frowns. “Whether Octavia’s power comes from magic or from one of the Ancients, she most definitely did not have that power when I first met her. It is my theory that her power only works on those she first encounteredafterthis power was obtained.”
Ryker shakes his head. “Don’t have a fucking clue how or when she got her powers either, but from what I’ve seen, she can make people do whatever she wants.” He nods toward me. “Some people.”
My skin crawls with shame. “Is that something many vampires can do?” I ask Zuben.
He shakes his head. “No. I have heard stories of another vampire who can do such things—one of the Ancients named Azad—but I do not believe that Octavia has met this Ancient vampire, so there would have been no opportunity for him to share his powers with her, and there are only one or two other Ancients left on earth.”
