A Rogue's Power.

Azalea Moone.

A young vampire learns that being a psychic may be a rarity, but possessing magic abilities as well is truly a game changer.

Eight year fledgling vampire Malachi Faust is living his new life clumsily. He's thankful to his maker, though he doesn't know who that is, but all he wants is to party every night away, not caring about anything in the world-including coven life and his kin.

That is until he meets older vampire Dante, who tells him he's not only a psychic vampire, requiring s.e.xual energy as well as blood, but he's also the grandson of a witch. These two gifts make him wanted by the most powerful clan leader in the city, who's set to capture him and introduce him to coven life.

Malachi's sceptical, though it does somehow explain his needing s.e.x when he feeds, but he's also unable to stop from getting caught up in Dante's promises and pa.s.sions. In order to survive the coven life, he must follow Dante through a world that he didn't know existed while fighting his own l.u.s.tful needs.

www.total-e-bound.com.

Dedication.

Thanks to my beta reader, you know who you are.

And thanks to the awesome peoples at the Bordello.

Chapter One.

Flight of Secrets.

A pair of amazing baby-blue eyes glinted in the neon lights at the opposite end of the club. He seemed like a shadow among the twirling spotlights that pierced the darkness.

Drunken women surrounded him, their hands all over his broad chest. They leant down to whisper in his ear, but his focus went right through the crowd to me. He would be mine tonight.

"Here you go." The bartender's voice caught me off guard.

I slapped my payment down on the bar, grabbed my beer, then turned back to stare more at that face. He was smooth and stocky, his splendid pink skin lit up in the yellow lights. I wanted nothing more than to be the one with my hands all over him, to shoo those ladies away, take him in my arms and feed off his youth, his vitality, in more ways than one.

The loud music made little ripples in my beer. Techno beats and sweaty dancers made the club come alive. The hordes of people only added to my excitement. This was my kind of place.

For years, I'd taken mortals out of here. I'd introduced them to the pleasure of their choosing, usually s.e.x. I hadn't needed friends or a vampire clan to keep me sane. No, I was on my own. I was a rolling stone in this world.

It has been eight years since I'd last seen the full light of day. h.e.l.l if I knew who'd done it, but I'd have to thank my attacker when I found him. Being a vampire in the modern world has its advantages. People were gorgeous and remained active and youthful despite old age.

Just as the stunning man narrowed his eyes, someone stepped in the way, blocking him from my view. I leaned to the side and caught his eyes, as if it were just us there. Silver piercings lined both of his ears, from the top to the lobes. Gel spiked his short, ebony hair and made it glimmer. He wouldn't be out of place in a mob.

This was it. He furrowed his brow and puckered his lips, calling me forth, sending a mad heat straight to my c.o.c.k. It was definitely time to make my move. I stepped away from the bar, but a mysterious figure stopped me. Fingers wrapped around my arm.

"Hey, there."*

7.

A voice made me pause.

The culprit stood a foot taller than I. The heady scent of cologne masked the familiar taint of death around him. He leaned against the bar and I melted in that intoxicating scent. I could have fallen into his arms if it wasn't for one thing-a pair of crimson red eyes, looking me over from head to toe. He was a vampire.

"Leave me," I groaned, disregarding the chilling need to breathe him in again.

He tightened his grasp. "That one over there? He's too good for you."

"And how would you know?"

The vampire pounded his fist on the bar and caught the bartender's attention right away. "Vodka on the rocks."

"Let me go." I writhed under his strong grasp and his fingertips seared into my skin.

His hard stare caused my knees to shake.

"Tell me, who do you follow?" he asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Your family. Are you an a.s.sociate? Or a hunter?" His powerful red eyes burned straight through me and a lump caught in my throat.

Why in the h.e.l.l does he care? "I follow no one."

He held his gla.s.s up to partly opened lips. The ice clinked against the sides. "Oh, an outcast are you?"

I squirmed again, shaking my head wildly. There was no way I would answer his stupid a.s.s questions, not when I'd never had to answer to anyone before. His nails dug deeper into my skin. I clenched my jaw, feeling flushed.

Stupid son of a b.i.t.c.h. "What's it to ya, huh?"

He wrinkled his brow. His sharp fangs clanked on the rim of the gla.s.s. I definitely had his attention. As he lowered his head, a long string of pitch black hair flipped over his right shoulder and stretched down to his stomach.

"Tell me who you are and I'll leave you be," he rumbled.

This intruder didn't need to know a d.a.m.n thing. I struggled again, almost dropping my beer in the process, and I was suddenly free. He stepped in front of me, the movement quicker than I could track, and trapped me against the side of the bar.

I clenched my fists at my sides. "Malachi," I stammered. "Now would you let me be?"*

8.

The vampire's eyes widened with interest. "Malachi? That's an interesting name. I wasn't expecting that."

"Yeah, what were you expecting to hear?"

He drifted closer and I could feel the warmth of his breath. My skin began to tingle at the strong scent of blood on him. d.a.m.n, he'd fed lately. I wondered if that thrilling taste was still on his tongue.

"Merrick."

I stilled. "Where did you hear that?"

"I'll tell you if you take me with you."

Wait. What about my hazel eyed cutie?

I tried to look past the vampire's shoulder at the man I'd spied just moments ago, only to see nothing but the crowd on the dance floor. Where the h.e.l.l had he gone?

The vampire caught my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing my attention back to him. A strange urgency rattled my nerves. This vampire's touch was unimaginably soft now, and d.a.m.n, I needed to know how he knew that name. However, I'd never shown another vampire my home and really didn't desire to. If only he'd open that d.a.m.n mouth of his.

"Who are you?" I whispered.

He stepped back and gave a courtly bow of his head. "Dante von Stein. At your service."

Von Stein. Had I heard the name before? I searched my memory but couldn't recall hearing it. As a matter of fact, almost everything was unclear besides for the last few nights. I could only imagine it was like that for every vampire. You kill, you feed, you f.u.c.k, and there's no memory of it left to devour you.

"Well, von Stein, I don't like being interrupted," I said, and he narrowed his eyes. "But if you're not willing to explain yourself, I have no choice in the matter. Do I?"

A wicked smile spread on his pale lips. "No, Malachi. I suppose not."

I flicked my gaze to the man I'd been spying on tonight at the entrance. He stood alone, watching us attentively for a moment before slipping past the bouncer and out of the door. I slumped against the side of the bar in disappointment. d.a.m.n it, I suppose I wasn't going to feed tonight either.

"Come on then," I sighed, moving from the vampire's grasp.*

9.

He took one last drink then turned to follow me towards the door. He curled his hand around my shoulders, leading me out, and I'd bet it was also to make sure that I wouldn't dart away.

The outside air bit into my alcohol warmed skin, but it was a delightful welcome into the night. This vampire made me sweat just being in his company. No one had made me this uneasy before.

A line of people stood outside the club, waiting their turn to go inside. I stopped, looking each one over. I could have gone home with any one of them.

One person leaves, one person can go in, and that's how it was every night. Lucky for me, I've had first privilege since I'd f.u.c.ked the doorman. It was the best night he'd ever had-he'd said. His blood, however, hadn't been as special as his tight, s.e.xy a.s.s. Dull.

Metallic. Just like every other human I'd the pleasure to taste.

Dante stepped out ahead of me and stood beside the edge of the road. The lamplight above highlighted his hair, revealing brown and blond streaks. His thick leather trench coat hid the rest of his features from my view and for a moment I wondered just how nice his a.s.s would look in those blue stonewashed jeans.

"Well, lead the way," he ordered. "Quickly."

I shook away any thought of catching a peek at his a.s.s. "Yes, this way."

For some reason, I wished he couldn't keep up with my speed. I dashed towards my home and he was quickly on my trail. That was the b.u.mmer about taking humans home-I had to walk for at least a mile in the dark with them wrapped around my arm. They always had something to complain about, even the men. It was either too creepy, too dark or too scary. Their comments made me laugh every time.

My current living arrangement was an old hotel room just on the outskirts of town. The office remained open twenty-four seven and I was sure the receptionist had thought I was some kind of freak when I'd checked out the room, with my pale skin and dry, cracked lips.

She'd had no clue that I hadn't fed for a week.

We stopped just a block away from the building. Dante hovered over me like a spider in its web.

"You have great taste," he said.

You jerk. Was that an insult? "I do what I must."

He moved to stand beside me and gripped my shoulder. "We all do, Malachi."*

10.

"Just keep it down when we get inside. The owner doesn't like late night visitors."

"Is that so?" He lowered his voice. "I'm surprised they even rented to the likes of you."

The likes of me? What the h.e.l.l does he mean by that?

Dante remained silent as we entered the motel. I caught the usual curious, guarded look from the receptionist and stepped into the elevator with Dante following closely behind. I imagined the questions she had. I bet we both looked like a couple of junkies.

"I know this place," Dante said as I pressed the b.u.t.ton to the fifth floor. "There used to be a brothel on the second floor in the twenties."

I snickered. "You must be ancient."

"At least I'm not a punk like you," he said with a sneer.

I wasn't about to play nice with this guy, honestly, I couldn't care less about making friends. I'd gone so long without any kin, I didn't need to start listening the minute one showed up. If I wasn't the least interested in hearing all about his story, I'd have punched him out long ago. Or would I? He was amazingly attractive despite his skinny figure, and I'd almost drowned in his rich aroma. h.e.l.l, I'd wanted to brush my lips against his just to see how he tasted after a kill.

I'm utterly f.u.c.king terrible for craving him so much.