Chapter Seven.

Dusk arrived. I'd barely slept after Samuel left. Now that he finally returned, awkward tension flooded the room. I couldn't look at Samuel as I swam in guilt. Part of me was p.i.s.sed he'd raced off and never returned until dusk. The other part was glad he had stayed away, but completely embarra.s.sed. The rest of me felt hung over from his bite-my head ached, my throat was dry, my stomach churned with unease. No more vampires. I'm done with them once I get back to Zumaya. We tiptoed around the small room, gathering our things and saying nothing but a few words here and there. Samuel handed me a bag of clothes and shoes he'd bought me. Whispering a thank you, I rushed off to the bathroom, glad to be out of the gown. His scent saturated the material. I had caught myself smelling it several times this evening.

I opened the bag. Surprise washed over my face. Indigo pants with leather laces and boots? I had never worn pants or boots before-only robes, gowns, and dresses with slippers or sandals. My father considered pants only a man's attire. My husband Ethan said it made the few women who wore them appear unattractive, and of course The Quiet King's staff outfitted us in only solid-colored robes. Putting on the pants, I dressed in the manly garments with delight. They adorned me like armor and gave me strength and confidence.

I'll never wear a dress again. Ethan will have to just get over it.

I walked out of the bathroom in them, feeling a bit awkward. I dug my hands in my new pockets and drew in the confidence I'd experienced in the bathroom. Samuel's eyes went to mine. His mouth curled up at the edges. "I was worried about the sizes, but everything fits perfectly. Are you comfortable?"

"More than I've ever been. Thank you."

"I figured a dress and heels would be uncomfortable during our journey."

I dragged my hands out of my pockets and scanned the room, confirming I'd cleaned up any mess I caused. Samuel's eyes followed me, so I turned my back to him. A torturous pounding thumped over and over in my head like someone was steady hammering at my skull. I rubbed the sides of my forehead.

"Do you want something for the pain?" Samuel came up to my side. I shook my head without looking at him.

"Your body will eventually get used to the bites." He moved some of my hair out of my face.

"You won't be biting me again."

"Are you sure about that?" His gold eyes brightened for a second before returning to their original hue.

"Yes."

"Well then, let me know if you need anything." He stomped around me, s.n.a.t.c.hed up the bag that held my old clothes, and slung it in a trashcan near the bed. "During the daylight while you slept, I bought us horses and supplies as well as purchased a kit with some medicine."

Is that all you did? No doubt, you were pleasuring someone else. I paused and blinked a few times. What is wrong with me? What he does is none of my concern.

Samuel loudly cleared his throat. "Zumaya is a two-day ride. We'll have to camp outside during the day. I also bought us a leather tent. Blood for me. Some meat for both of us to eat as well as dried fruit and nuts for you. I'm not big on sweets."

"Just one tent?"

"Yes." A growl erupted from his throat. His eyes widened as he put his back to me. "Is there a problem with that?"

"No." I hoped I didn't sound p.i.s.sed. One tent? Let's just make this trip even more awkward. And would it have been too much for him to just come back after a few minutes? Now everything is weird. I folded the gown I'd slept in and put it on the bed. He didn't return until dusk. It enraged me to no end that I cared or at least wanted to know what he did. I bet he feasted on another.

No, Brie. I sat in the bar thinking of you, his voice swam in my head, and trying to calm my body down. It took the whole day.

My fingers trembled. "Don't do that."

I headed for the door and stepped out into the hallway.

Within seconds, Samuel got in front of me. "Don't do what? Read your thoughts or speak in your mind?"

"Both." I frowned and quickened my pace as we came to the staircase. His hand clasped on to my wrist. He twisted me around and pulled me to him. Samuel's herbal scent swarmed all over and claimed my senses.

What is wrong with me? I'm embarra.s.sing myself and being irrational.

"You have nothing to be embarra.s.sed about." He pressed me up against the wall. "We're linked now. It's normal for you to wonder about me and be a little jealous."

I shook my head. "I was connected to the king and never jealous."

"He's not me and besides, he didn't bite you. The bite changes things." He sneered and then stopped himself. "The very thought of him coming so close to tasting you makes me want to split his head in two."

His gold eyes went to mine. I looked away.

This is insane. I just need to focus on going home to Ethan.

Samuel growled and released me. "Well, don't worry. I kept you nice and clean for your money greedy husband."

I shoved him, but he remained there like a metal wall. "Stop calling my husband names."

The right side of his lip lifted as he sneered.

"And unless it's extremely necessary, don't talk to me in my head or read my thoughts." I poked his chest. "The bond was made so I wouldn't tell your secret, not so you could take advantage of my mind. And no more kissing or anything else. I won't be drunk off your bite anymore."

"So according to you, last night was the only time I'll bite you?" He leaned his head to the side.

"Yes."

"My hormones are inside of you."

I swallowed down my unease and stepped around him.

"We're not done talking," he called after me.

"Yes, we are." I raced down the stairs.

He caught me before I reached the bottom floor. His gold eyes blazed with rage. He grasped my waist with both hands. His fangs pushed out. "Be very careful with how you address me. We're bonded and through our blood I am your king and master."

"You're many things right now, but the t.i.tles king and master don't come to mind."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"You fled the room like I had a disease and stayed away for hours," I blurted. I'd thought I had calmed down, but my own anger rose within me. "We wouldn't have had s.e.x. I-I was coming down from that high-"

"No. You weren't. Do you even remember how you were acting and what you said?"

I cringed.

"Should I remind you?"

"No. Things are awkward and uneasy already," I mumbled. I must sound crazy.

"You don't sound crazy." He closed the distance between us until he was half an inch from me. His breath caressed my skin.

"Stay out of my thoughts," I demanded.

"Maybe."

I pushed against his chest. "Move please."

"Would you rather I had torn off your panties and licked between your thighs last night?"

"No," I murmured. Ambi, yes.

He smirked. I was sure he read that thought. I averted my eyes from his mocking view.

"Filling you was all I thought about the whole afternoon," he confessed. "I stopped myself twice from storming into that room and burying my face between your legs."

He kissed me. Sugary wine coated my tongue.

If I had come in before dusk, my face would still be down there, gently nibbling, he said in my mind. I groaned as he sucked on my bottom lip.

By now you would've forgotten your husband's name, he whispered.

"I doubt that," I said, reluctantly moving away from him. I placed my hand on my bra to touch the locket and realized it wasn't there. I must have lost it in the sewer.

"You doubt it? Then let's see." He lifted me up by my waist and slung me over his shoulders.

"Wait a minute!" I shouted.

"Samuel!" The old woman, I now knew as Leeta, appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

He halted.

"Is this how I raised you?" Leeta asked. "And don't you think both of you should be going now?"

"Put me down," I whispered.

Growling, Samuel placed me back on my feet. His fangs disappeared. Mumbling curse words, he stormed past Leeta and s.n.a.t.c.hed open the door. "Brie, I'll be waiting by the horses. And Leeta, I'll be back in four days with Zumaya mushrooms. See if you can get someone to trade me food or supplies for them...please."

The door slammed behind him.

"Be very cautious." Leeta faced me. "Samuel and you have vampire hormones bouncing around inside your bodies. You both will be unpredictable."

"What do you mean?" I pretended to be confused.

"You already know he's a prince, a strong one. He told me you saw his marks. And I can smell you on him." Leeta beamed. "Your blood triggered his powers. He's starting to mature into a full-grown king."

"None of this concerns me." I hurried to the door.

"His power sings to your blood. I witnessed your reaction to him just now. He'll be a king in a few years." Smiling, Leeta opened the door for me. "And you'll be his queen."

"No. I've already escaped The Quiet King, I won't be running into another king's arms." I left the building.

Chapter Eight.

Although Samuel had bought two brown-and-white striped horses, we rode together on one. Supplies draped the other horse's back. I held the reins of our horse while Samuel sat behind me, towing the supply horse along with a steel rope he held in his left hand. All night we journeyed through areas that had been destroyed from the Great War, A war The Quiet King had initiated and eventually won. The ground out here was harder to travel on since it was more ash and decayed vampire soldiers' dust than dirt. It sunk in some places and hardened in others. A few times we had to stop to let the horses rest.

Unlike in the city, millions of stars glittered in the sky and the two moons gleamed brighter than usual. Various scents lingered in the cool night air-smoke from smothered camp fires, the bitter odor of blue kotaki vines as they hung from tall trees, and the sweaty stench horses earned from riding for a long time.

Damaged forest surrounded us. The sounds of the area spooked me the most. When the wind blew, a haunting noise came with it as if someone were screaming from miles away. Slurping and munching noises drifted from darkened areas full of shadows. A few horse-pulled wagons screeched by us, packed with men coated in filth who gazed at my b.r.e.a.s.t.s and licked their lips. All the wagons had been made of wood so there was no need for us to worry. Only humans and other non-vampire species rode in those.

Wild tigers and coyotes jogged by and steered clear of us once they got a whiff of Samuel. I'm glad Samuel is with me. If I had traveled through this area alone, they would have attacked me or perhaps the wagon men would have gotten to me first. Samuel had given me a sharpened wooden dagger with a b.u.t.ton at the bottom of the handle. When I pressed the b.u.t.ton, the wood shifted into a silver blade. With all the possible dangers a person could greet out here, I patted my weapon a few times as it stayed tied to my waist.

Avoiding any discussion about last night or what happened in the stairwell, Samuel and I talked for hours about other things, like my life before being a domina. He asked questions about my children, the things I enjoyed, and even some inquiries about Ethan. Most of all, he wanted to know why my hair was so red. But I had no answers. It was just a weird outcome of my family's genes.

"Enough about me. How did you begin helping people escape Capitol City?" I asked after a few minutes of silence.

He rested his hand on my hip and then glided it up to my waist. His thumb paused an inch under my shirt and traced circles on my skin. My blood rushed to the area. All night my body had been reacting to him. I blamed it on the new vampire hormones inside of me as I gripped the reins tighter and tried to think of anything else besides his finger. I should have stopped him from touching me, but I enjoyed it too much.

If Ethan saw this, what would I say? I bit my lip until blood filled my mouth and gave me a distraction.

"Leeta raised me from a baby to a man," he said. "Once I was older, my mother began visiting."

"She didn't visit before?"

"No. She only sent trinkets and letters. When she finally came, the plotting began. She begged me to help her friend escape."

I smirked. "A domina she wanted you to breed with?"

"Yes." He chuckled behind me. "Unfortunately for my mother, I felt nothing for the domina and so I got her to the village in no time."

"Through the sewers?"

"No. This was twenty years ago, before the wall was built around the city." He scooted closer to me so his hard body formed into mine as we rocked on the horse. "It was so much easier to leave the city when we had other kings, but of course, it was all before the Great War."

"I remember. I was just a teenager."

"Yes. I keep forgetting how much older I am than you," he said in a low voice. "Either way, the Great War changed things. The Quiet King kept conquering vampire kingdoms and killed off all the powerful bloodlines. His royal court grew. More and more, people wanted to escape the city. By the time the king raised the taxes and limited the amount of vampire children per household, I was aiding five to ten people out of the city each week."

"Why do you think he limited the amount of kids?"

"I'm not sure. To better control the population maybe. I couldn't imagine being in so many minds at once."