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Chapter 1
“I want your daughter.” The brunette snarled. The older man shook his head, shooting up in his chair, as his fist banged down onto the hard elm wood table under him.
“I’ll give you one of our strongest men.” He retorted.
She shook her head, as her hand went up to touch the normal white teeth, sighing. “Your daughter.” She repeated.
“Anna, please. Two of our men.” He continued. Her light colored eyes darted towards him, shaking her head again. She sat up straight, crossing her arms.
“Mr. Donovan, how bad DO you want this war to end? How soon do you want the blood to stop? The most important question is what’s one life compared to all of your people? Hmm? How much do they mean to you? What do you think they’d do to you and your family if they found out you weren’t willing to give up one of your daughters to stop the violence? Hmmm?” she snapped.
The woman was curt; knowing full well the Elder on the Board of the Union understood what the consequences were if he didn’t do what she asked him to achieve. Giving up his daughter to end the latest gang fights between her people and their. They were winning, the night people. It sent shivers down his back as he thought of the massacre they could do, if it coursed into a full-on attack war. The Nation wasn’t ready to face the Night People, as he called them. Not yet. They were still suffering from the Cold War.
The man groaned, running his hands through his graying hair, biting his lip. “Don’t let them hurt her.” He begged.
She smiled. “I was human once, Mr. Donovan, trust me. I know how terrifying it is to be taken in without notice. She’ll get used to it though, I’ll make sure Justin doesn’t overwork her or should I say overdo her?”
“You better take care of her Anna, I’m leaving her in your hands. She’s yours.” He deadpanned.
“Oh no, sir, she’s not mine. She’s a part of the Chasez Clan now, JC’s property, but since I signed her on, I get to do whatever I want with her. And what I want is to give her as a gift to my mate’s second in command. I have a feeling she’ll be a beautiful young lady with a lot of talent.” The brunette smirked. She got up and handed the man a white form.
Signing that paper it would all be over. But signing it, he’d have to give up one of his daughters. The one daughter who was gold to any person. Mr. Donovan looked up at the Countess, the woman had so much power within her, and it scared him. She seemed so innocent and full of life when he looked at her. But with one summon she could kill him. She had the inner power and outer power, but most of all, she had the guards outside the door who could tear both him and all the people in the building apart if they wanted to. But she was smart and a mercenary. She didn’t like casting too much pain. That is TOO much.
He looked down at the sheet again and groaned, taking out his pen and signing his name on the dotted line. Mr. Donovan handed the paper back to the woman. She shook her head smacking her red lisp together.
“That’s not how we do a treaty, sir. This is a blood treaty.” She laughed. The man cut his finger with the paper and let the blood be absorbed by it, sliding it across the table, as she too it into her hands and grinned.
“Taylor Donovan is now mine. Take care, Mr. Donovan.” She called out walking through the door.
“Good bye, Anna Chasez.” He growled.
His daughter was now in her hands.
Chapter 2
Taylor yawned wrapping a hand around her opening mouth and let out a slight grunt of satisfaction. She opened her eyes to intake the darkness around her, and smiled, today she’d be going to the monthly Union Party, one of the best things and rewards of being 21 and having her father be the elder of the Union’s Board. She squinted and tried to dissect the setting around her, the white curtains were closed, and the bed with its comforter and sheets were mused around the floor and end of the queen-sized bed.
She was in need of that nap. The past few days had been hell, she’d been chosen to clean up the kitchen everyday after breakfast and dinner, being spared the task of lunch, which was undoubtfully the smallest meal. Her Dad had made her fill in for his vacationing secretary, filling in the 12-hour workdays, 7 days a week. If all that wasn’t bad enough, she was stuck baby sitting her baby brother. Sometimes, she wanted to get away from everything, just fly away and leave her life behind. The thought of running away from her family and current life was tempting, but…. It would just be called ignorance for a 21-year-old, working woman who was still living with her parents to run away.
She grunted again, and leaned against the nightstand by the side of her bed, groping for the switch on her lamp, when she found it, she burned her finger against something hot that was next to the lamp. She yelped and flicked on the switch, her eyes twitching with anticipation for the flaming object. What she saw made her freeze.
“Hi.” The female cooed, running her finger over the small reddish orange flame from the match she was playing with. The indescribable eyes trailed up from their game with the fire to look at her. They were haunting, teasing and dangerous all at the same time, Taylor shivered and opened her mouth to find nothing, millions of thoughts ran through her head all at the same time jumbled up together.
What was this woman doing in her room? WHO was she? Did her father know? Was she a night person? She choked on her thoughts, and ran her hand along her wrist to make sure she was still alive, the utter shock was horrifying. But when the unknown woman’s eyes went to crimson red and her mouth opened to reveal a white set of sharp fangs, the world seemed to freeze around her.
“Let’s see, what I can answer, Sweetheart. What am I doing in your bedroom? I’m here to get you; you’re coming with me. Yes, your father does know, he’s the one that signed the papers for you to come with me. You’re mine, lovely isn’t it? But don’t you dare worry now, darling, I’m not going to hurt you.” She answered.
Taylor sat back against the headboard. She was leaving with her? With a Night Person? The female looked at her and smiled, zoning in onto her thoughts.
Yes you’re coming with me. Don’t be too scared.
Taylor looked at her, incredulously. How the hell did she do that?
I’m a vampire, I have that ability. Don’t try to hide what you’re thinking because you can’t. At least not when I’m around. Get dressed, we’re leaving in half an hour, I want to get home before dinner. The strange woman thought spoke to her.
She sat there, how the hell did she know this woman wasn’t going to hurt her? She wasn’t going to take the risk. Gripping onto the sides of the headboard, Taylor looked down and bit her lip. She was NOT going with her. The girl laughed.
“Oh, please. Don’t make me get you out of here the hard way, and end up scaring you. I’m trying to be nice you know?” she spoke. Taylor shook her head, the brunette whether she was a Night Person or not, had no right to be in there.
The girl, let out an exasperated sigh and got off the chair, unraveling her legs from the Indian style position she had been in, the long leather pants fell to her ankles covering the boots she had on making her seem taller than she really was. The vampire fixed her leather vest and groaned, raising an eyebrow questioning her again. “Are you sure you want me to do this the hard way?”
Taylor let out a grunt, and continued chewing on her lip slowly. She had never been a stubborn child, but it was hard for her to believe her father would just sign her off to the devil like that, whether the woman said she was going to hurt her or not, she didn’t give a damn, she wasn’t going. The girl laughed again, tension behind the amusement.
“Ok, but I ASKED you NICELY, remember that much she you don’t go around telling all the servants I’m a nasty little bitch who hurt you trying to get you inside the limo, OK? OK. Because as it is, one of those little bitches is trying to sleep with my husband, and LORD KNOWS that ain’t happening…” the female trailed off, before stopping and smiling. She took a step forward, and reached for Taylor’s legs, swinging her over her shoulder so quickly, Taylor could already feel the whiplash coming into affect from the swing.
Her head bobbed up and down, as the woman kicked the door to her room open and proceeded to march through the deserted house, out the door and into a log dark limo situated in front of Taylor’s parents house. She sat up, her face flushed from the small ride to the car, Anna groaned and threw herself across the leather seat, reaching for her cell phone and marking numbers quickly.
“JC… babe…Just called to say I love you.” She hung up, quickly and looked at Taylor, closing her eyes. “Sorry about that, but I told you not to make me get you out of there.” She chuckled.
Taylor smirked to herself, for some surprising reason she wasn’t scared of leaving, it was actually scarier for her to go back than to leave her house, but one question sprang into her mind about the incident. She’d somehow known, even though her Father loved her, he would have given her up to end the fights, but who exactly was this woman who held so much power that scared her father? She knew the woman was reading her thoughts by the sheet of numbness that came over her mind as she thought, so she looked at the mysterious woman expecting her to answer.
“I’m Anna, but you might know me as either Queen Bitch, as your people just ADORE to call me,” she stopped and looked at Taylor briefly, sensing that Queen Bitch didn’t spark anything in her mind so she continued. “Or Countess or Lady Chasez.”
Taylor stopped dead. This was the girl that had solved the Cold War and signed the treaties between each Night Person clan, and each nation in a period of 10 years. Gaining uttermost respect for her sense of mercy and ability to be curt and simple cutting the facts straight, as her father had told her. The woman who had tamed the heart of one of the cruelest, as times, Night Person out there, and changed him into a kinder person. She looked at the woman, who was now sleeping.
This was going to be one hell of a ride.
Chapter 3
Taylor shot up on the leather mattress petrified to find a hand wrapped around her ankle tugging at her. She opened her eyes wider to see it was Anna, grabbing onto her, giving her an exasperated look, as she put her other hand on her other leg and pulled her out of the limo. She ran her hand along the curve of her face wiping off the sweat that had accumulated from the bad dream. Taylor had never been a big fan of the darkness, but she had never been scared of it. The dream was horrifying.
All she could see was the midnight moon wrapped around her, texturing out the setting of the horizon making an endless sea of night. She shivered, remembering the voices of demons and horrors beyond all imagination canting in the cerebrum, the faint white ghosts swaying around her, trying to bring her into the evilness of the dark. She choked but remembered the slight glow beyond the sea. The small hopes and face of something that would help. A man.
His features were too blurry to be told, but no. The feeling she’d felt when she had seen it made up for the scare. As if instantaneously, she didn’t fear the coldness of vortex feeling of emptiness inside after that moment. No. Nothing seemed to matter.
She was sucked back to reality by Anna’s deep breath. Her head was held high against the darkness, her indescribably mixture of colors in them glowed with the undoubted passion and inner being inside of her. The glowing texture in her soul that made her glow, the blood that was rich beyond riches, healthy and nurturing to anyone of Night. She was the Queen of the Night. Belonging to the lonesome howling of it. She was at peace with it.
Her petite figure turned back to look at Taylor smiling. “Take a whiff of that air.” She growled.
Taylor closed her eyes and inhaled the salty yet intoxicating scent of the ocean. She didn’t know where they were at know, being knocked out by the sudden sleepiness of the engine roaring she sprawled out across the seat and fell asleep. Now the brief yet old memories of a sea, of water, salty water drifted back into her head. Memories of a time she couldn’t remember ever living, as in a past life.
Flashes of smiles, curly masses of hair, laughing, sand. It ended. As quickly as it had come it left. She shook intaken by the power her head had now created, probably a figment of her imagination. She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, groaning.
“Where are we?” she almost moaned.
Anna smiled and extended her hand out to the side as a flame bulged out into an almost bonfire size explosion. “Casa de Chasez, in Miami. I love the sea so we got a house here.”
Taylor stepped back and wrapped an arm around her trying to keep the cold air from getting to her, but it was no use. She didn’t have a jacket or any kind of covering, only her jeans and white tank top. The other woman seemed to be cold too because she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and motioned to the guards behind Taylor to open the door to the huge mansion Greek Revival Style House. She sighed and followed the demanding figure to the door, where she pushed it open.
The hallway was cold, a deeper kind of intensity she didn’t get form the outside. Taylor sighed and stepped into the small passageway, as Anna flicked on the switch to the house revealing the hallway like darkened room to be more like a small ballroom entrance. A long spiral wooden staircase appeared around the wall leading to almost 5 floors. The rest of the opening was pure marble and expensive wood.
“You like?” Anna asked.
“Yeah its… its…”
She didn’t have enough time to answer.
The large French door on the side of the ballroom opened, showing off what looked like a gigantic office. A tall dark figure stepped up first, stalking quietly towards the older woman, embracing her tightly in an irrevescent sense of love. The man was about her height, almost graying dark black hair.
Another figure stepped out this one taller, with platinum blond hair, he smiled at her, his face full of a cold kind of warmth that even made Taylor want to smile, his face full of sullen joy to see the woman, he took her into his arms squeezing her tightly so that Anna grunted and slapped his back.
The last figure walked out slowly. Taylor sucked in her breath when she saw him. His face was chiseled to a godly perfection she’d never seen, his eyes were glowing ferociously to the tone of a vampire on the prowl, almost the same kind of color Anna’s eyes had when she was sniffing in the sea air. His face was stone contemplated, not showing any emotions and oblivious to her presence. His eyes were staring to what seemed like the last dark crevice in the vampire woman’s soul. He stopped midway and licked his lips.
Taylor turned to look at Anna who know had her head tilted, hands on hips staring back at the man with the same capacity of power. She lunged forward breaking into a quick run, at a pace Taylor had never seen from a human. Maybe because she wasn’t human. The woman leapt forward landing carefully in his arms, legs wrapped around his waist and arms around his neck, still without breaking the extreme power of the glare. Then it hit her.
They were equals.
The man standing on her left was Lord Chasez. The ruler of one of the largest and if not, most powerful clan in the Night People. Their gazes fell from power to…sensual.
Taylor smiled; this was the man that had fallen for the perky mercenary. They were matches for each other. She looked down, grinning to herself before turning to look on her right away from the contemplating couple.
What she saw made her want to cry out. The simple shine of the dark shoes, to the black Dockers, to the dark gray shirt with a black wife beater under rounded out the man standing there staring at her. His face was masked by a black bandana hiding out whatever mass of hair he had, but his face. It was haunting. When she saw the eyes it all connected.
She’d seen those dark cobalt eyes somewhere.
In her dreams.
Chapter 4
Taylor sat on the couch placidly, tapping her fingers against the hard leather covering on the seat. She sighed and bopped her head from side to side, watching the darkness beyond the open window. She stood up and walked to the opening sticking her head out and inhaling the clean cold air of the outside. She smiled to herself and walked away from the window. Anna had told her she could go wherever she wanted as long as she stayed on the premises. But then Anna had gone upstairs with her mate, leaving her alone downstairs.
She quickly crossed the room, and walked out of the front door. It was cold, but she didn’t care. She knew there was no point in trying to run away, they would and could somehow get her back to the mansion before she could react to what was happening, so she brushed the thought away and walked off into the dark trees that had somehow made a small forest.
Taylor clutched her shirt to her body and shivered. NOW, she was cold. She walked pass the trees going farther and farther inside, till she almost had to squint to see where she was going. Turning back, she couldn’t even tell where she had come from. “Damnit,” she muttered. She stopped suddenly, hearing the frightening sound of an animal.
No it wasn’t of an animal. Animals didn’t howl so deep throated, she had only heard howls and growls like that when she saw some old sci-fi movie where the big bad wolf came to try and eat the damsel in distress. She snickered at herself and continued walking. The howl had been too far away for her to alarm herself. The endless path of trees continued, and she stopped and looked back again.
This wasn’t good, this REALLY wasn’t good.
Howl.
Her breath caught in her throat, the howl, it seemed too close. Too close for comfort, for safety. She stopped and turned back for the millionth time that night, looking in back of her, nothing. She turned around in a circle searching desperately for a light in the mansion to guide her back, but nothing. She was enveloped in and endless sea of dark shadows and haunting lifeless ghosts. Her heart was beating quickly, ramming itself against her chest like a poor shack during a hurricane.
Howl.
She coughed and started stepping back. Taylor’s Dad had always told her to go back when she thought she was in danger, and at the moment she was terrified. She took another step back. Taylor didn’t have enough time to sense the creature creeping up behind her, or even enough time to react to the hairy strong arms wrapping around her body, letting out a monstrous howl from the side of her neck. His hands tightened to an almost suffocating grasp around her abdomen.
All that could come to her mind was how this monster, this THING was going to tear her apart and be its dinner that night. The old tales that her school teachers had told them about a werewolf being able to sense a female human up to about 10 miles away, and traveling up to speeds of ungodly sense, drifted back to her mind. She was going to die.
The werewolf’s teeth brushed against her neck, sending shivers up her spine, the sharp fangs were digging away at the sensitive skin by her neck. Breathing in deeply she whimpered.
“Please God, save me.”
The next thing Taylor knew she was being flung from the animal’s grasp, and everything went black. All she could hear was shuffling feet, thrusts, punches and a fight from her hero and the creature. As quick as it had started it ended. She felt arms wrap around her, strong clean arms. She was being lifted up, being crushed against his body as he walked or maybe he was running, she wasn’t exactly sure. Trying to open her eyes seemed hard, very hard.
Taylor gasped, and snuggled up against the being, his body was warm and inviting. He continued moving, going up maybe on stairs, she still wasn’t sure, before she knew it, she was being placed on a bed. She knew she had to open her eyes somehow to see who it was, or what it is, she didn’t care. The being growled. She opened her eyes staring into glowing eyes. They seemed transparent, inhuman, he wasn’t human. He was a vampire who was still in that mode to hunt.
His face was twisted and wrinkled, but it slowly softened and the eyes stopped glowing, his chest heaving. “You shouldn’t have gone off by yourself.” He snarled.
“I’m…I’m sorry.” she murmured.
He shook his head and growled again. “You could’ve gotten killed if I wouldn’t have channeled you in, you better be lucky.” He stepped away, wrapping his hand around the doorknob.
“Thank you, Justin…”
The tall vampire turned around, his eyes flashing from something almost compassionate back to the ruthless Night Person he probably was, and he walked out, leaving Taylor in the darkness to herself. She wrapped her hand around herself and soon found herself asleep.
Chapter 5
Taylor yawned and rolled onto her side, griping. She knew it was late, but her body was aching for some abnormal reason. Clutching at the covers she brought them up to her chin and rubbed her eyes, repeatedly trying to make the lagging voice in her head telling her to go back to bed shut up. She felt extremely warm, next to the pillow. It was hard, and very warm, she liked that. She didn’t want to open her eyes, but knew she had to when she felt the supposed pillow stir besides her and grunt.
The strawberry blond immediately sat up and looked at the pillow she’d been using conspicuously, it was a man. His chest rose and fell rarely, stirring again. It was Justin. She felt like croaking but knew if she did, he’d probably wake up. If he were half as pissy in the morning as he was at night, getting him to wake up by squeaks and squeals would be a bad idea. She brought her hand up to her hair and she fingered the hair back behind her ear where it lay limp. She cocked her head to the side and looked at the Night Person. He was handsome, very, very handsome, she realized. His dark blond curls lay as an emasculate crown on his head, and his pale skin fell in contrast to his hair perfectly.
She smiled to herself and slowly untucked her legs from the black comforter she was laying under. “You’re beautiful yourself.” A voice grunted from behind her.
Taylor turned around to see Justin groaning as he got off the bed, he turned to look at her quickly and flashed her what seemed like a small smile. She didn’t realize as the blood flowed to her cheeks, until she felt them hot. He walked to a door that was in front of the bed and opened it walking in. She heard him pee inside what she figured was the restroom, and sighed as she heard the shower start running. Justin walked to the doorframe, where he watched her intently; she looked at him and blushed. He took another step forward and peeled off his shirt, grinning mischievously, like a person who knew something the other didn’t.
“You’re free to join me if you want.” His voice was husky as he walked back inside the restroom.
The coloring from Taylor’s cheeks fell, and she swore to herself the temperature in the room plummeted along with it.

Anna looked at her and grinned, devilishly, as she plopped down and onto the leather seat beneath her. The petite brunette propped her head on the armrest and crossed her ankles as she sat there, looking like a psychiatrist patient waiting for her 50-minute session to begin. “Sooooooo, Tay, can I call you Tay? I heard JuJu man asked you to take a shower with him, you should have. Have you seen the BODY on that piece of meat? Graaaar.”
“Aren’t you married or something?” Taylor asked, smiling a little.
She nodded. “You know it, babe, to the finest French piece of meat out there, but it’s kind of hard not to think Justin’s cute… my baby’s cuter though. DAMN cuter.”
“Lord Chasez, right?”
“JC? Yeah, him. Anyway, answer my question, why didn’t you get in the shower with him? Hehe, if I wouldn’t have Josh, I’d probably before at JuJu.” Anna sighed and licked her lips. “But I do, so who’s to say?”
Taylor raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying you’d rather be with Justin?”
She burst into laughter. “HELL no, oh girl. No. Josh is my mate, and I love him, enough said. Justin and I would kill each other… I think he likes you. He told me; he was disappointed when you didn’t go inside with him, hehe. That’s a shock though, I would have figured he still thought about… oh, nevermind.”
“Thought about who?”
The brunette’s hand went up to her face as she looked at the floor. “There was another girl, Taylor, who looked JUST like you. Or is it you look just like her? Oh well, anyway, after she died, he was devastated and hated women. You come around; he sees you and suddenly starts acting like Romeo…. OOOOOOH! LOVE CONNECTION!!” she screeched.
“Like me? I doubt it, he was acting like King Bastard last night…”
“Don’t be mad at him, he gets like that all the time. One minute he’s Mr. Peppy next minute he’s Mr. Bitch. You get used to it.” Anna said.
Taylor nodded. “Ok.”
The other woman sat up. “Damn, Bloodfeast is in two days…”
“Bloodfeast?”
“The night when lamia get together and hunt as a pack as the one’s before us, used to. The clans are gathering at our place this year, its going to be a sea of ruthless feelings and raw emotions… dangerous….”
Chapter 6
She lay there on the bed thinking of what the day brought. It’d already been 3 days since she arrived at the Chasez Mansion, her third morning to be exact, today, today was the most significant day for the Night People. She wasn’t exactly one, but she felt connected to them, especially to Anna on another basis. Probably because she had been human once a century before, and had been taken into the lamia suddenly by Lord Chasez… or JC and Josh as Anna called him. Taylor could never hear herself calming him something so simple, she was taught to fear him, and Josh seemed so innocent. So, so normal it scared her.
Taylor rolled on the bed, there was still a lot more to learn and worry about at the moment. For one thing, tonight. Bloodfeast had come, and she could still hear the Lady’s words in her head. “Raw emotions…. Dangerous.” She shuddered under the comforter’s cover and grunted. She wasn’t exactly sure what that had meant, but it scared her, yet excited her in a weird way. One of the servant’s in the mansion had given her a leather outfit she was asked to wear. She’s realized it resembled Justin’s in a way. They both had gems scattered across the neckline and bottom of the dress, but he had the gems on his coat.
Justin was another thing she worried about. Never in her life had she ever slept with a man next to her, groaning against her, and stirring. He smelled so nice, but she knew he was a part of them. The Night People. “You should’ve gotten in the shower with him.” Anna’s voice reeked through her head again. The vampires were looser, more laid back than her people were. Taylor was aware that she had to loosen up to, make life a little more fun, but it seemed hard.
She looked at the door as she sat up; the water from the shower Justin had just started taking could be heard. Her heart started pounding against her chest, as her breath caught in her throat. She could see him in the shower from the bed. He was running his fingers through his hair with the shampoo lather. Anna had been right, his body was exquisite. The pounding in her heart continued as she got off the bed and almost dragged herself inside the lavatory. He couldn’t see her because he was now facing the wall where the showerhead was placed.
Taylor sucked in her breath as her hand went to the large shirt she had on, she pulled it over her head and pushed down the boxers. Stripping herself of the rest of her clothing she silently opened the glass shower door and stepped inside. Justin turned around and smiled at her, pushing unruly strands of hair out of his face, as his hands went to her shoulders, and his lips to her neck.
“I see you came to join me, Taylor, finally…”
She nodded numbly and pushed her body against his.

She looked at the mirror across large den, and groaned. Taylor had been sitting there for the past hour or so watching the Night People walk in and out repeatedly, looking at her through the corner of their eyes. Most of the men growled huskily as they passed by, almost as if they were going to do something but at the last moment something took over and they opted with not doing it. She sniffed her arm, she smelled nice, and she didn’t stink. She grunted and looked at Anna who was hanging on her mate’s arm, running her eyes around the room desperately.
JC turned to look at his wife and kissed her neck softly, as in a gentle reminder of what was to come later on at night. The small brunette immediately composed herself again and smiled. Taylor knew what was going to happen, even if she DIDN’T want to know the goofy smirk on the Lady’s face was undeniable. Anna caught ahold of Taylor's attention and wiggled her eyebrows, before JC wrapped an arm around her waist and continued talking to the man in front of him.
She grunted and got off the couch heading for the gazebo that was out back outside the house on the patio facing the ocean. That’s what she needed right now, some peace. Pushing herself across the swarms of people she slid the door to the side and stepped outside inhaling the salty air and whipping breeze lap at her shoulders. She’d gotten the same kind of invitation when she’d just gotten there a few days before. In those three days, she’d changed. Changed in ways only she could comprehend.
Shuddering off her thoughts, she stood and stared out into the dark sea beneath her, biting at the jagged rocks. Taylor brushed her hair aside and closed her eyes sighing. She felt free.
The freedom stopped suddenly, as she felt hot lips on her shoulder, kissing her neck and hands getting settled on her hips. “Hey beautiful.” The voice cooed.
She nodded against the body. “Hey Justin.” It was pure animal lust she had for him, and probably the same coming back. But it felt good. He continued kissing her neck, and nibbling at the skin.
“I have to go in a little while on the hunt, but I’ll be back, okay?” he murmured against her skin. “Then we can have some fun…”
“Fun…” she mumbled.
“Mmmh, go upstairs, Taylor. Go upstairs and lock the door. I can feel the lamia changing. Go.” He growled.
Chapter 7
She lay there in the midst of the darkness between the covers, they had been gone about three hours already and it started worrying her. Taylor wasn’t sure if they were ALL supposed to hunt and come back together, but it seemed eerie that a mass group of Night People could take so long to hunt one human. Maybe it was supposed to take longer she wasn’t really positive, since their customs were unknown to her. She rolled on her side and yawned. Sleep wanted to take over her body but there was a queer feeling in her gut. The kind of feeling you get after being apprehensive about something to begin with, and the yearning to make sure.
“Stop being paranoid, Taylor.” She whispered to herself.
Closing her eyes she shot back up again, and pushed the covers aside, walking to the slightly ajar window on the other side of the bed room. She pushed it open and peered outside on the dark premises a kind of evil smile falling across her lips as she remembered the first night when Justin had saved her from the werewolf. Damn, that man was good. VERY good. Her tongue flicked out to lick her lips as her eyes gazed at the wooden forest lying still, whipped at by the cool breezes. The scent was tentiizing to her nostrils, the mix of salty ocean and breeze wood pine.
But Justin smelled better.
She laughed at herself, before it dissolved into worry. She swore to herself she could hear yelling, shouting and could almost see glowing brown and green eyes in the distance, the eyes kept lunging for each other, each as powerful as the other. Taylor could feel her heart beating in her throat, as she grasped for breath. There was one last ring of shouts before the eyes pulled away aggressively. The light glowing brown eyes was being walked towards the house.
Taylor lay back down on the bed, pulling the covers up to her waist, lying still, and motionless. She could hear the front door open and close, with several footsteps and loud murmurs. The footsteps got closer to the room and to her floor, almost a few feet away she lunged upward and sat up, trying to strain her ears to hear what they were saying. As if they knew what she wanted the steps stopped in front of the bedroom, as Anna’s voice growled through the air.
“That bitch had it coming to her.” Anna snarled.
There was a soft laugh. “Have to defend your man and honor, right?”
“You know it, damn are the scratches healing already? It’s starting to itch.”
“Yes, Love.”
“See, Justin I told you Josh still called me that.”
“I’ve always called you that.”
“Yeah, but Justin here hasn’t heard you, so HA! I’m tired and semi beat up, lets go get some sleep. No bootie tonight.” Anna whispered.
Justin chuckled. “I hear you, I’m tired from just watching your ass pounce on that girl.”
The door opened and Justin stalked inside, peeling off his shirt and black leather pants, as he slid inside, his breath low until he stopped breathing altogether and wrapped his arms around her smaller body. “I’m tired, baby, no fun tonight.”
She nodded against his neck, kissing it before lying back down against his body. “Okay.”
“Fun tomorrow morning.”
Chapter 8
"…Train her tonight, Justin. Start as soon as possible…” Taylor could hear the words in her head, drifting past one ear and out the other. The voices were familiar, but she couldn’t concentrate on them. The sleep was too overwhelming in her head. Her brain felt sore and throbbing, banging against the skull that restrained it.
The voice changed again, as it sighed. “…What’s the point? Who even knows if there will be threats in the future? If there are, I’ll be there…” It sounded like Justin, the soft melodic voice fell swiftly as a growl from the female yearned out.
“What’s the point? You aren’t going to be there twenty four hours a day, and if you refuse to turn her into one of us…” she couldn’t hear what she said next because it turned into a whisper. Straining her ears against the throbbing ring swaying through her head, she clenched her eyes closer together. “…Death will approximate sooner than you believe…”
Death? Did they want to kill her? Oh God, that’s what they were talking about… Justin grunted. “Fine, Anna. I’ll start the basic training tonight. But don’t expect me to go hunting with you for a while.”
“Big baby, I’m gonna go. But remember about tonight, it wouldn’t hurt to have her at least knowing the basic fight skills that humans use.” The throbbing stopped as the voices faded into the dim light that surrounded the room. Taylor opened her eyes and gulped, taking in a deep breath. What had they meant by fighting skills and death? Were they taking precautions in the brawl that had occurred the night before or what? The Lady didn’t seem like one who kept her hands to herself when it came to certain things so she doubted that, that argument had started a flame, and she just happened to be in it’s plans.
She brought her hand down to her stomach and sighed as it rumbled. Whatever happened the rest of the day didn’t matter as long as she had some food. Scratching at her abdomen through the sheets she sat up, and let them fall into her lap. Her body ached and she felt like throwing up. Her eyes cast down, as they noticed the red spot on the covers, and grunted.

“You aren’t kicking high enough, Taylor.” Justin roared.
She turned to look at him, swiping at the sweat that was dripping from her brow as she rolled her eyes and turned to look back at the red bag hanging from the wall. Her leg went up as it kicked it quickly, retracted and kicked again. At the moment she felt like kicking HIM in the face. For the past hour he had been arguing with her about kicking and punching technique telling her she hit like a girly human. She explained to him she was a female human but it seemed to have no effect on him.
He was STILL being a pain in the ass.
Taylor turned around at last, to see him sitting on the bench press, arms crossed and staring at her like a piece of meat as his hands wrapped around the 20 pound barbell, and lifted it up easily without a single grunt of pain whatsoever. He shook his head and put it back down.
“You’re improving for your first night, but by the time we get through tonight you’ll be decent. Don’t think this will be the only day though, we still have months ahead of us. Tonight is something to just test your stamina.”
She fell into a squat and nodded, smirking. “So you’re telling me, working inside a room that has NO air conditioning and trying to kick a punching bag is for stamina? You’re kidding me right?”
He shook his head. “I wish it was, Taylor, but it isn’t. Time will come one day when you have to defend yourself and once I turn you into a vampire, fighting still comes with it’s tasks. You can’t just bite them and let them die, strength and agility are a key.”
“Who says I’m going to let you turn me into a vampire first of all? I don’t WANT to be a Night Person.”
“You have no choice. You’re going to have to be, if you’re going to be the mother of my children.”
Chapter 9
“The mother of your WHAT???” Taylor yelled, she hadn’t meant to scream, but the obnoxious comment had risen something inside of her. Hidden morals she had forgotten to have been in planted in her head as a child, which were now coming back to haunt her. As this man… no, he wasn’t a man, he was a Night Person… this vampire, stood there telling her she was going to conceive his children. She shook her head at the tall, gangly blond, as she stepped back shaking her hands in front of her face, as if it helped to heal the shock running through her.
“You heard me, Taylor. The mother of my children. What OTHER reason do you think we brought you here? To just lay around and SLEEP with me? Oh no, my dear.” He stepped forward running his index finger down the jagged curve of her cheek. “I need a mate, to produce my spawn. You were chosen, whether you wanted to be or not. It’s your DESTINY.”
Taylor coughed out, as her hand sought the protection of her hip, stepping farther back, away from the man. “I don’t have to listen to my destiny though. I don’t have to have your children if, I don’t want to. AND I don’t have to SLEEP with you if I don’t want to. Get that straight.”
Justin laughed, chuckling so loudly the sound reflected off the walls, sounding in a thunderous array of triumphancy. She heard him growl deep in his throat, as he looked down at the floor, his eyes trailing back up her body even slower. “That’s where you go wrong, my darling. You can never escape destiny. For that reason things were taken into action already.” He spoke slowly almost slithering out each word from his mouth. “My child is already being created in your womb.”
“You’re lying.” She quipped.
He shook his head. “I’m not, baby. Once you realize that, you’ll become my mate.”
“I doubt it.” she murmured.

One Month Later
“Damnit Anna, I feel like crap.” Taylor muttered as she leaned over in the sink and threw up. The light brown headed woman frowned, shaking her head, repeatedly.
“God, that’s nasty. And I ask myself why I’m happy not being human. Yucky throw up.” She squirmed away shuddering, as she sat down on the counter and looked at her intently. “Are you sick?”
Taylor shrugged, swiping away at her mouth with a towel. “I don’t think so. It’s like this past month has been all morning throw ups, maybe it’s a bug.”
A slow smile fell across the Night Person’s face, as it slowly and surely turned into a smirk. “I think you’re pregnant.”
“Don’t tell me that, I can’t be pregnant. He’s vampire I’m human it isn’t possible.” She retorted.
Anna shook her head. “It is possible. I was pregnant with JC’s child before he turned me into one of them. Some sort of mutation, but no Tay, you probably are pregnant. Congratulations.”
“You were pregnant?” she asked.
The brunette nodded. “I’ve been pregnant three times, yet I’ve lost each child. Which explains why we constantly get our groove on. A 100 years of marriage is too long for any woman to go on without children. Believe me.” She sighed and jumped off the counter quickly and efficiently. “I just hope you don’t lose the little squirt inside of you. It’d a shame.”
“I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. Shit happens. Anyway, what are you going to do? Justin knows already, huh?” Anna wiggled her eyebrows.
Taylor felt like slapping herself, she hadn’t listened to him, now there were two people going after her, claiming to tell her she was pregnant. Maybe she was, maybe she wasn’t. Maybe it was morning sickness, maybe it wasn’t. She didn’t want to be pregnant. Simple enough.
Anna shook her head, as she walked towards the door. “Believe in destiny. Otherwise it’s going to come back and kick you in the ass.”

Chapter 10
She put her hand up and quickly fanned herself, taking in a deep breath as the whiff of salty air filled her nostrils and made the morning sickness worst than before. She sucked in her mouth, trying not to inhale the air and moaned. Taylor wasn’t feeling good. Not whatsoever. She looked around the bathroom quickly and placed a hand on her now bulging stomach. Five months of pregnancy to a vampire wasn’t fun, she realized that too soon into her labor called giving birth. But it was her fault; no one else’s but hers, for not realizing a Night Person had as much sperm as a normal human, if not more. She had just been stupid in not making him wear a condom every time they went at it. The feeling she had in the house at the beginning had made her feel free, more freedom than she had ever experienced while living with her parents.
But the freedom came back and smacked her on the ass.
She touched her belly, and rubbed it. It came back as an impregnated Taylor Donovan. She leaned forward on the toilet seat and spilled her load, getting up and swiping at her mouth she rolled her eyes at herself and turned on the faucet splashing water at her pale reflection she sighed. Her Mother had never told her being pregnant would be this horrible. She put her hand to her face again and started fanning herself. God, she didn’t feel good. It would be midnight and she would still be sick. Throwing up, feeling tired, and weak.
Anna had said, she was probably sick. Maybe the flu or something, but it was highly doubtful, since there was no other human in the household but herself, and the Night People. But who could really know? Justin had somehow managed to find a doctor, who would come and check up on her state. He’d been overprotective ever since the pregnancy was confirmed. She sighed as she walked through the empty bedroom and lay down.
Maybe there could be something between them.

Justin scoped the doctor’s face for any reassurance that his child’s mother was fine. The slightly graying man ran a hand through his thinning hair before sighing and rubbing his hands together almost apprehensively. He looked up at the tall, young, vampire and rolled his head from side to side as if almost trying to prepare himself for having to explain to the Night Person what the young woman’s position was.
“What happened?” the vampire growled.
The doctor coughed and cleared his throat. “There are a few labor defects I noticed.”
“Can it be fixed or are they serious?” Justin asked. The man looked down, sullenly, quieting his movements.
“They aren’t too great. I think there are problems with the fact the mother is a human and the child is vampire. Big problems.” Dr. Eisenhower quipped. “The baby, is believed to be feeding on his mother, as should be expected but not in the safe demeanor we would all hope he’d be. As I told you before, he’s fully vampire bred, which means he would not feed like a normal child, from his mother’s food, but since this isn’t a perfunctory occasion, we think that the reason your wife…”
“She isn’t my wife, just someone.” Justin corrected. The doctor nodded.
“Excuse me, you’re girlfriend, since she isn’t vampire like you or the child, has been feeling a bit ill willed, is because the child is feeding off of her blood. Which in this situation is dangerous because the normal human doesn’t and would not have enough blood to feed a lamia child.” Dr. Eisenhower concluded.
“So you’re telling me, that she’s going to have to be converted into a lamia, to survive his or her birth otherwise. The child himself would kill it’s own mother?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. It’s up to you what you want to do from right now. Have an abortion and retry later on after she’s strong enough to be a Night Person. Either that or take the risk to convert her into one of you right now, but there are no ‘for sures’ in this. Chances are, if something goes wrong with that, both the child and mother would die from the lack of immunity in each of their systems.” He explained.
The young man swore under his breath and nodded. “Okay, thank you. If there are any repercussions in the future or if we do decide to go through with the abortion I’ll let you know, Dr. Eisenhower.”
“It was nice seeing you again, Mr. Timberlake. Tell Lady Chasez, I expect to see her again soon for her pregnancy test.” The Doctor nodded, and walked out of the room, bag in hand.
Justin slid down the length of the wall behind him and crumbled on the floor. Whatever was going to happen in the next few weeks would be hell on everyone, especially Taylor’s he knew that much. But there was only one thing, he already knew, she would agree to do for the sake of the child even if it took a while to convince her. That she would have to become one of the lamia vampires, even if the risk was there.

Chapter 11
She shook her head, holding her hands up in disagreement. “Justin, no. I’ve talked to JC and have tried to con him into breaking the rules for you and Taylor but he isn’t bugging. I’m sorry.”
“Damnit, Anna! Can you not try ANY harder?” he begged, flopping down onto the red French imported couch.
She looked at him angrily and brushed his legs off the side of the couch so she could sit down. She raised an eyebrow. “You wanna blow him and tell me you didn’t try hard enough?”
He closed his eyes and shook his head. “I take it back, you worked hard enough although I really don’t think it was WORK for you but…. Anyway, are you positive JC isn’t going to let Taylor’s pregnancy just slip by like any other pregnancy? Or is he really going to hold down the rules, seriously, this time?”
“You’re going to have to mate the girl, Justin. First of all, it was against the Lamia law to associate with her, but hell, who am I to say ANYTHING? If JC had risked his ass, Anna here wouldn’t be around. But, since he already went through with him and the elders are making him enforce the law, you have to mate the girl and turn her into one of us, whether she wants to or not. And if she chooses to be ignorant and go through with this, JC will be forced to you know… take her down.” Anna sighed and shrugged. “So it’s really up to you, when to tell her. The sooner the better.”
“The sooner the better, good Lord. She isn’t going to want to do it. She’s already pissed that she’s pregnant with my child, and she had the biggest shit attack when I told her she was loosing blood as the days kept going on. And she was ready to kick my ass when she began to start having blood transfusions, so the idea that she has to be my mate from now until the end of time, is just damn well going to make HER day.” He put his hand to his forehead and started rubbing it quickly.
She laughed an exasperated tone in her voice. “You two, have this love-hate relationship I find damn funny. You like screwing each other, yet you get mad, then you screw some more, find out she’s pregnant, and get pissed again. I think you two are like meant for each other. Seriously. It’s like when you two get together, graaaaaaar. And when you’re apart all you can do is think o what the other is thinking. Love baby, looooooooooooove.” Anna giggled.
He rolled his eyes at the fire-eyed woman. “You’re nuts. Are you starting to hallucinate things, because I think you are.”
“Nope, you wish I was though.”
“You’re a moron, and you know you are. Anyway, how AM I going to tell her, what we have to do?” he asked her.
Anna hissed. “You call me a moron and less than 2 seconds later, ask me for advice, you my dear, Second in Command, are the idiot. But hell, I have to remember who I’m talking to, a guy whose dick rules his motives. Eh.”
“Oh, you’re just damn funny.”
“You know it, babe. What should you do? Tell her, if she opens a can of whoop ass on you, then go with plan B. Plan B is to drug her up real good at night and if she doesn’t want to cooperate mate her while she’s crashed out.” She suggested.
Justin bit on his lip lightly. “I think you might have a good idea.”
“I always have good ideas, what you trying to say?” she barked.
He shook his head getting off the couch. “Nothing, nothing at all, shortie.”
“Better not be.”

((That Night))
Justin hovered her still form, as her breath heaved in and out, her chest raising and falling with every intake of air. He sighed as he brushed a loose strand of strawberry colored hair from her forehead and knelt down as he took her cheek into his hand and moved her head into an angle. His fingers brushed against the delicate skin on her neck as his lips brushed against it. He felt himself trembling as he nibbled at the piece of skin and bit into it lightly.
He pulled back, questioning himself whether he should go through with it or not. When the answer fell into his head he leaned forward again. If anything went wrong, at least she would go away peacefully and not in pain. That gave him some comfort but another side of him, prayed everything would be okay. He liked Taylor; he wasn’t about to lie about it. He liked her a lot. She was strong willed like himself, and gorgeous even with a bulging stomach that carried his child. He owed both the unborn child and his mother.
Justin cupped her face in his hands, sucking in his breath he bit down and into the tender flesh. He could hear her breath stop, irregularly, and the panic in him rose.
She wasn’t supposed to stop breathing.
Chapter 12
Taylor felt herself falling. Falling faster into the epitomy of darkness that surrounded her, in a shadowed darkness. She couldn’t hear her breath, she couldn’t feel herself move anymore. But she soon could feel the endless vast of cold night, around her as she hit floor. It was dark. She felt suffocated, imprisoned by some mysterious force around her. She felt herself turn, but it was a normal feeling. It felt, empty. She could see a light. A faint glowing circle in the midnight ahead of her. Her body glided across the endless darkness, till she came to the small glow.
What she saw scared her.
One of her friend’s had long ago told her, that while you were being inverted into a lamia vampire, your soul was transported into the mind of the one who was transforming you, and could see through their eyes and into their thoughts. What she saw was herself. Herself being clutched at closely by the large being she was inside of. Sniffles were stifled, and the person pulled back, running fingers back and forth across her lifeless form, the air inside of the place she was in became salty and uneasy. The form seemed apprehensive and worried. She could almost feel the strain inside of the person while they watched her. Taylor had to wonder who had, had the nerve to do it. Who had the nerve to actually think she wanted to be Lamia? She had been happy being human.
Happy being able to breathe, knowing it was you’re life source. Not just something you could live without. Eat and having the taste of strawberry on your lips and knowing you were born to eat the sweetness. But she had never wanted and had never dreamed of being a blood-sucking monster. That’s how she felt right now. But her thoughts were diverted again, as the walls around her form began to pull, pull violently, as if almost struggling to pull her back out of the being she was in. She wanted to do so, but not yet. She wanted to know who had done it. Who had taken her away from her birthrights.
She staggered, and almost fell trying to get to the walls that were now visible. Taylor saw faint memories of club scenes, and plenty of women, of pain and fighting, or restrain and love. It was at that point she realized it was a man. Her hand reached out to touch the warmth that was coming from the visions; the warm gooey feeling that was regurgitating at her. She stepped back, scared. It was warm and almost had a loving kind of embrace around her. She tried to peer through the faint light, but it beated brightly.
The light seemed to grow bigger, almost to accommodate her tall frame, just to about the same size as her. She turned back, expecting someone to usher her inside, but she did it on her own, before a beaming yellow light hit her eyes roughly, and she tried to blink it away. Taylor grabbed onto her arm to pinch herself and make sure she was still alive. Well, kinda… The memories flashed by too quickly, and bluntly. Visions of her, the first night she was there. Visions of herself through the bathroom shower, more scenes of her in front of the eyes arguing about something, and the last warp of herself under the pressure of a body moaning loudly. It then hit her.
Justin had done it all.
She wasn’t sure what to think at that moment or even what to feel, but the same gooey feeling that had overcome her when she had first seen the tall, vampire ran through her again. The same hot feeling when she had seen him in the shower. The same warm feeling she had, had when walking through the blinding goo of light. It now dawned on her, how horrible she had actually treated him after she got pregnant. How she could have made him feel every time he tried to treat her right, and make sure everything was okay.
And now the feeling of guilt was finally starting to take over.
She hadn’t wanted to hurt him. She didn’t want him to feel like he had just slept with her and gotten her pregnant. But she was going to bare his child, whether she wanted to or not. He had seeded her, and now she was stuck with it whether she wanted to or not. Questions came up in her mind. She had always said the man who bore the father of her children would be her husband, but what would she do now? Taylor turned back to look at the yellow light behind her, and sighed. She didn’t know, but she knew her morals weren’t to be messed with especially since she had broken many of them by simply just being impregnated.
She sighed deeply. And turned back to the pounding yellow light as it blinked and the walls pulled at her body again. She let herself fall into the walls. Determined.
Epilogue
“GOD DAMNIT, JUSTIN!” she held onto his hand tighter, making his skin turn a chalky white color, she looked up again, her blue eyes hazed with frustration and pain. Taylor let out another grunt before, pushing harder. “Remind me the next time you try to stick your dick into me without a condom, to tell you to go JERK OFF! UGHHHHHHHH….”
Justin smiled and patted his mate’s forehead before sweeping in to kiss her softly. Her face strained as the doctor looked up from his spot at the foot of the bed. “One more big push, Ms. Timberlake. One more big push…”
Taylor let out a fierce yell. “THAT’S WHAT GOT ME HERE, STUPID!” she arched her hips forward and let out another piercing scream throughout the bedroom, before the sound of a high-pitched cries filled the room, and the doctor looked up, pulling his hands out from under the blood-stained white sheets, holding a small body in them.
“It’s a boy!” the balding man announced. Her face softened immediately and she let go of her mate’s hand taking the tiny body into her grasp. Justin leaned forward to brush his fingers across the child’s creamy skin. Weirdly enough, his eyes were wide open, looking at the two looming figures intently. His eyes were a glittering mix of aqua and sky blue, transparent as an aquamarine rock held up to the light. The color of a prizm of rainbow flickered in dimming light.
“He has your eyes.” Taylor quipped, holding up her son so Justin could take a hold of him.
“He’s going to be one sexy little man, when he gets older. Except he has your hair, not that much appeal in your color hair but there’s always hairstylists…”
“Are you saying I have bad hair color? Because I KNOW you just didn’t say, I had bad hair, there isn’t another woman on this PLANET who’d have your kid, besides me, with your afro-puff wanna-be self.” She retorted, smiling.
Justin rolled his eyes and cradled the boy against his chest sighing. “Sure Tay, keep believing that.”
The Doctor laughed, and smiled at the young couple. “I’ll be outside if you need anything.” He said, and pushed the door to walk out of the bed room, he found himself being looked at by 5 eager faces. He chuckled under his breath.
“It’s a boy.”
The End