Crimson Ties

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Crimson Ties ISBN # 1-4199-0511-2 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Crimson Ties Copyright© 2006 Claire Thompson Edited by Mary Moran. Cover art by Syneca. Electronic book Publication: March 2006

This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 443103502. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

Warning: The following material contains graphic sexual content meant for mature readers. This story has been rated E–rotic by a minimum of three independent reviewers. Ellora’s Cave Publishing offers three levels of Romantica™ reading entertainment: S (S-ensuous), E (Erotic), and X (X-treme). S-ensuous love scenes are explicit and leave nothing to the imagination. E-rotic love scenes are explicit, leave nothing to the imagination, and are high in volume per the overall word count. In addition, some E-rated titles might contain fantasy material that some readers find objectionable, such as bondage, submission, same sex encounters, forced seductions, and so forth. E-rated titles are the most graphic titles we carry; it is common, for instance, for an author to use words such as “fucking”, “cock”, “pussy”, and such within their work of literature. X-treme titles differ from E-rated titles only in plot premise and storyline execution. Unlike E-rated titles, stories designated with the letter X tend to contain controversial subject matter not for the faint of heart.

CRIMSON TIES

Claire Thompson

Claire Thompson

Chapter One Joanna looked around her at the people dressed mostly in red and black, capes swirling, heads thrown back as they laughed over the clinking of glass. She had dressed the part as well, wearing a black velvet gown cut low for cleavage and slit high along one shapely thigh. Red satin piping held the gown over her shoulders, matching her red leather high heels. Her golden-brown hair, usually pulled back in a ponytail during her workday as a research and development scientist for a pharmaceutical company, was loose, flowing to her shoulders in soft waves. She had large blue-gray eyes, a snub nose and a dimpled chin that jutted out when she was trying to make a point. She was slender but curvaceous, with round, high breasts and an ass that always seemed to get noticed. Usually hidden by a white lab coat, tonight her body was outlined alluringly in the close-cut black velvet. She wore more makeup than usual, adding dramatic eyeliner and bright red lipstick to heighten her persona as Countess Raven, her vampire online screen name. She scanned the room, looking for a familiar face. This event had been touted on her favorite vampire role-playing website as Crimson Ties Gala Vampire Ball—Come Share the Blood, Come Share the Passion! The hotel ballroom had been decked out to create a lush vampire atmosphere. Sheer red silk had been draped over the walls and ceiling with the lighting angled to give the room an eerie red cast as if spilt blood were shining wetly beneath a white full moon. Black tapering candles glowed on the little tables set around the center of the ballroom and each table had a vase of budding red roses, their scent almost overpowering. Faces painted and powered white loomed up in the flicker of

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candlelight. Joanna looked at the array of costumed “players”, wondering if any of them really took this stuff seriously. For some it was simply a delicious, bloody, role-playing game. For others she knew it was a thinly veiled excuse to meet people for kinky online sex and perhaps for the real thing as well. She knew some of her online “friends” lived out actual blood fetish games in person. She’d been invited to a few blood-play parties but had declined, not because the idea horrified her but because it seemed silly. On some level, perhaps because of her research and her slowly building belief that vampires might not be just the stuff of folklore and fantasy, she was almost insulted by the games. She’d considered signing off the vampire sites altogether but something kept her coming back. Maybe it was loneliness, or maybe it was the closest she could get to her secret dreams and was thus better than nothing. Joanna probably wouldn’t have gone to this party if it hadn’t been right in her hometown of Albany, New York. She wasn’t usually one for big dances and events such as this, but her online friend Jessica, known in the rooms as Mistress Ivana, planned to go and had convinced her to give it a try. “It’s a great way to meet guys,” Jessica had assured Joanna. Joanna had split up with James, her fiancé, two months before, and Jessica told her it was time to consider meeting someone new. Joanna seriously doubted she’d meet anyone worth getting to know at a vampire role-playing ball! Still, it would hopefully be an entertaining way to pass a few hours. She had discovered the online vampire role-playing sites by accident while researching her favorite nonscientific subject—all things vampire. Since she could remember, Joanna had always had a fascination with the dark creatures of the night, reading all the fiction and folklore she could get her hands on. Lately she’d begun more serious research into the possibility that these non-mortals actually existed. She’d discovered an amazing archive of previously unreleased 5

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documents from Eastern Europe only recently translated into English and available online through a rather expensive subscription but one she had found well worth it. The documents included detailed information of various vampire sightings over a span of several centuries. Joanna had been able to substantiate the locations of a number of the village and city references as well as finding some corroborating data in the news of the day. Newspaper articles from the turn of the century would sometimes parallel the vampire tales with unexplained deaths from blood loss and stories of noblemen who never seemed to age. Though intellectually she dismissed the idea of real vampires, something deep within her persisted in its curious search, fueled by testimonials and evidence from around the world. And then there were her dreams. Vivid, blood-soaked dreams that sometimes felt more real than her everyday life. Since she’d begun the research in earnest, the dreams had been coming more frequently, coloring her mood the following day, whispering to her as she tried to concentrate on whatever was beneath her microscope, calling to her as she prepared and ate her solitary dinner or tried to read a book to relax. There were several recurring dreams, different in detail perhaps, but the same in mood and atmosphere. In one of the recurring dreams she lay with a man in an ancient forest, huge, thick-trunked trees towering overhead, a carpet of leaves as soft as down beneath them, their bare skin glimmering with silver moonlight through the branches. The man in the dream was making love to her, kissing her as he pressed his strong, naked body over hers, his cock entering her as his fangs bared, their sharp points poised over her white throat. She could feel his cock, hard and perfect, thrusting inside her. In the dream she was at once experiencing the sensations and watching from a distance. Split between sensation and observance, she would watch as her lover lifted his head and lowered it to her throat. She felt the piercing of her flesh as he bit, the blood spurting and gushing 6

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against his lips. There was no pain, only the fierce pleasure of his cock buried inside her, his mouth locked on her throat as he claimed her blood. Then she would rise in turn, her hair long and wild. It wasn’t light brown as it was now but a brilliant red, obscuring her face as it fell forward. Her lips parted, her distended fangs poised over her lover, she would lower her open mouth to her lover’s offered throat, delighting as his flesh yielded to her sharp kiss. Though her lover’s neck was strong, the sinewy muscles taut as he threw his head back for her, the little pulsing vein gave way easily as she bit. Take the sacred blood of one of the true kin. The language wasn’t English, but something Slavic. Yet she understood it perfectly. She didn’t understand precisely what the words referred to, but the taste of his blood was so real, a sweet, hot perfection against her tongue, filling her with the strength of ten mortals, making her wild with lust. She would rise, splendid and naked over her lover, a goddess filled with the power of his blood. Passion would sometimes overcome tenderness as she straddled her man, lowering herself over his hard, straight shaft with a primal cry. Pinning him with her body, holding his wrists over his head as she bent down to suckle more of his lifeblood. She would move against him, drawing them both toward almost unbearable pleasure and delicious release. He would allow this control for a time. Then with his much greater strength, like a lion tossing its playful cub over, he would press her to the soft ground, forcing her legs apart with strong thighs. He would enter her wet, swollen sex even as his fangs found their mark, this time piercing the tender flesh of her breast, making her scream as the sting of his bite was offset by the melting perfection of his pummeling cock. She would awaken from this particular dream panting and sweating, her nipples painfully erect, her fingers buried in her sex, her hips arched upward to take her dream lover deeper.

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Along with the arousal there had developed a curious ache deep in her belly. Her fingers could ease the sexual need but the ache remained, lingering into the day, a dull pain of longing she didn’t understand. At first she tried to explain away the dreams and her physical longing as sexual frustration coupled with an overactive imagination, but the dreams persisted. The more she studied and learned about vampire lore, the stronger these dreams seemed to catch and hold her. They began to feel less like dreams and more like memories. Ancient, abiding memories that had been sleeping deep in her psyche, waiting to be reawakened by a vampire’s kiss. Sometimes it seemed her daily life was receding, graying in comparison to the vivid reality of long-lost memory. Maybe that was why James had left her. He claimed she’d already left him in spirit some months before. She’d tried to deny it, but deep down she knew it was true. Though she had never admitted it aloud, the secret lover in her dreams had become more real to her than her flesh-and-blood fiancé, and certainly more exciting! Joanna and James were going to get married. It was only a matter of time. Their families and friends already considered them a permanent couple. In fact, over the course of their three-year engagement, Joanna had been the one kept waiting. James had been insistent—he needed to concentrate on finishing his doctorate. He wouldn’t be a good husband and father until he’d made something of himself, he’d always told her. Joanna wasn’t one to press. She was content to work in her lab, share a nice dinner and talk over the day with James, make love a few times a week and keep their separate apartments. At first she’d thrilled to how he treated her like an equal. The world of science, while more open to women than in the past, was still something of a “good ol’ boy” arena, but James had always respected her opinion and been interested in her work. She felt most connected to him when they were discussing the viability of some chemical compound or her latest ideas for a research project.

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In retrospect, it hadn’t been a very romantic relationship. It had come to seem as if they were little more than colleagues or friends who had periodic sex. Sex with very little spark, she thought guiltily. Certainly nothing like the wild conflagration she experienced nightly in her dream lover’s arms. Still, at least James had been flesh and blood, not some mystical dream that haunted her sleep and her waking moments as well, leaving her aching and longing for his touch. Since James and she had broken up, the dreams had intensified with bloody sensuality. Without even the occasional physical relief James had provided with his unexciting but at least reliable sex, Joanna was left in a state of near-constant, secret arousal. “Countess Raven!” Joanna swiveled to someone calling her online screen name. She didn’t know the voice, but she recognized the woman from the online photo she’d sent. “Jessica,” Joanna responded smiling, choosing her real name over “Mistress Ivana”. Jessica, with her very short, close-cut platinum-dyed hair and overdone makeup, looked just like her photo—a rather large young woman trying to look more worldly than perhaps she was. “Raven, darling! I’d know you anywhere,” she said in a loud voice. “You look ravishing! What a tiny little thing you are!” They moved toward one another and Jessica caught Joanna in a strong embrace, crushing her to an ample bosom. Jessica was wearing an elaborate black leather gown with many ties and silver buckles. Her cleavage was accentuated by the tight corset-like bodice of her gown. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two women pushed their way through to the bar. As they sipped their drinks Jessica rattled on about various people in the room. “See him,” she pointed to a tall, barrel-chested man dressed in the uniform of all black, a red cape over his shoulders. He looked to be in his mid-thirties with long, blond hair and a gold hoop in one ear. “That’s Angelo. Yes, the very Angelo von Klaus you like to chat with online! Claims to be the real thing. Drinks human blood, never goes out by day, that sort of thing.” 9

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“So that’s Angelo,” Joanna mused, surprised. She’d imagined him as small and dark for some reason. Jessica went on, pointing and pontificating. Joanna listened with half an ear as she scanned the red-cast room filled now with costumed “vampires” in satin and velvet. Suddenly her eye was caught by a tall man with dark hair curling behind his ears and brushing his collar. As she looked at him, he turned slowly toward her. Joanna felt herself riveted by his gaze. She could feel herself color but somehow couldn’t seem to turn away. His eyes were dark, so dark they appeared black, the iris melting into the pupil. His face was aristocratic and proud, the nose long and fine, the jaw square and firm, the mouth wide and generous. He was tall and slender with broad shoulders hidden by his finely tailored suit. As Joanna stared at the man, she felt her pulse quicken and her mouth dry. She felt herself falling, falling back into her dreams. She knew this man. Her body knew him. Her lips had tasted him, her blood had flowed in his veins. She gasped, trying to catch her breath, aware her reaction was crazy. She shook her head as if she could shake the bloody, erotic images from her mind. Finally she managed to whisper, “Jessica, who is that?” Jessica stopped her monologue about a couple standing nearby and turned to see. “Whoa,” she murmured, her voice lowered with reverence. “I have no idea. But I sure would like to find out!” She giggled and thrust her ample chest forward, tilting her head coquettishly toward the stranger. Joanna felt herself compelled, as if he were silently calling to her. Several women were standing near the man, each trying to attract his attention, but he only seemed to have eyes for Joanna. She no longer heard Jessica or the music and laughter. Only his silent whisper calling to her. Jessica squealed, “He’s coming! To us! Oh my god. Is my lipstick good? How are my tits?” She cupped her large breasts and hefted them up so they almost popped out of their leather encasement. 10

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He was upon them in a moment, his movements fast and sure as he approached. A thick lock had fallen over one eye, giving him a roguish look. “I couldn’t help but notice you.” Both women smiled. Joanna at once warmed to his deep, sonorous voice, its inflection somehow foreign, though there was no discernable accent. His eyes were even more captivating up close, sparkling with some kind of secret fire as he gazed down at Joanna who blushed but couldn’t seem to look away. His skin was pale but with a kind of golden tint to it. There was a masculine shading of beard on his firm, square jaw. Anton… His name drifted through her mind the moment before he said it. “Anton Mahler, at your service,” he said, holding out a hand toward Joanna. She took his hand, its grip warm and confident as it closed around hers. Charmingly he lifted her hand to his lips, brushing it with a kiss. “Joanna Eastman,” she murmured, thoroughly enchanted. He had barely acknowledged Jessica until she nudged her way between them, forcing Anton to drop Joanna’s hand. “Pleased to meet you,” she said in a low, gravelly voice no doubt meant to be sensual, but which came across as more hoarse than sexy. “I’m called Mistress Ivana and I know a real vampire when I see one.” Anton didn’t respond right away, instead turning that dark, hot gaze on the large woman. Mid sentence she faltered, her hand dropping to her side. “I’m sure that…” she seemed to forget what she was going to say, even to forget how to speak for a moment. Her mouth hung slightly open as she stared at the man, her eyes locked on his. “I…I think I have to go…” she finally said, turning as if under a trance and walking away. “What…?” Joanna was confused by what had just happened. It was almost as if the man had willed her away, had stopped her speech, confused her mind and sent her packing. Anton laughed, the sound hearty and full of mirth. “That’s just exactly what I did!”

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“What!” Joanna’s hand flew to her mouth. Had she spoken aloud? As she stared dumbstruck, he licked his lips slowly. She felt her nipples stiffen as he made the erotic gesture and a little sigh escaped unbidden. He smiled, his eyes raking her body as he said, “I can see into your heart and mind. You are open to me. As are all mortals. And I like what I see. Very, very much.” “Mortals…” Joanna whispered. A role-player. That must be what he was. But what a role-player! He looked otherworldly somehow. Was it makeup? Joanna remembered several articles she’d read about vampire sightings, about the color of their skin seeming to be almost luminescent, a golden light shining from within. It had been mentioned in passing in those articles. She stared at Anton Mahler, a tendril of fear curling with desire around her heart as she considered the ridiculous possibility…no, it didn’t even bear thinking. Anton said, “We know one another. I sensed it the moment I saw you. Your soul is of the true kin. I can feel the connection, yet you reside in a mortal body.” He cocked his head, narrowing his eyes as he tried to ponder some mystery. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Joanna asserted, her voice a little breathless because on some level she did know. Anton took her hand and looked into her eyes. Joanna felt a sort of peace slip over her, coating her fears, dissipating her worries. She smiled up at him, her blue-gray eyes sparkling in the light of the chandeliers overhead. Anton took Joanna’s glass from her hand and set it on a nearby bar. He held out his arm and Joanna took it, looking neither left nor right as they walked out of the ballroom. She knew it was a bit odd that they had left the party and were now standing in front of the bank of elevators in the hotel lobby, but she didn’t really mind. It felt right. It was exactly what she was supposed to be doing. The elevator door opened and they stepped in. Anton pushed the number ten and the elevator began its smooth upward glide. Neither of them spoke. Joanna sensed she

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was being controlled in some way but she still felt so peaceful and utterly relaxed it didn’t seem to matter. Anton slipped his keycard into the door of his penthouse suite and opened it, gesturing for Joanna to enter first. She walked into the living room. One wall was entirely of glass, the bright lights of the city twinkling beyond it. She sat on a couch as Anton moved to a bar set against one wall. He uncapped a crystal decanter and poured brandy into two snifters. He sat next to Joanna, silently handing her a brandy. As she took it he set his down to remove his suit jacket. He loosened and removed his hand-tied silk bowtie, opening his shirt a few buttons at the top. Joanna admired his strong neck as he shook his hair back. Joanna sipped her drink, her mind curiously blank, her body relaxed against the couch. Anton looked at her and she could actually feel his invasion of her mind as he probed her thoughts and feelings. Had she been able to she might have taken offense. Instead she set down her glass and looked placidly back at him. He held her gaze another moment, dark eyes searing into hers before leaning forward. As his lips touched hers Joanna did not pull away. She closed her eyes, her lips parting of their own accord. He kissed her for several long moments, a kiss sweeter than any she’d ever tasted. He smelled delicious, a hint of lemon soap and ginger and something earthy and deeply sensual. She knew the smell! It assailed her like an old lover, never forgotten, always yearned for by some deep, secret part of her. She kissed him back and her body warmed as pleasure welled inside her. He didn’t try to touch her otherwise, only their mouths connecting as they leaned toward one another. As he withdrew, she instinctively leaned forward for more. When it wasn’t forthcoming, she slowly opened her eyes. He was watching her and again she had the sense of being controlled. What was happening to her? All at once the veil of

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mesmerizing peace was lifted and it was as if the world had clicked back on. Joanna gasped and looked around her. “What’s happening? Why am I here? I know you, and yet I don’t know you. I don’t understand.” Joanna’s mind was roiling with confusion. Anton touched her hand lightly, his expression bemused. Her hand trembled slightly and she willed herself to calm down. “I let you go.” “Excuse me?” “I was holding your mind. As I probed your heart, what I found confused me. You are strong, very strong, Joanna Eastman. You were aware of my control, which is rare indeed in a mortal. You have the spirit of the true kin.” “The true kin!” Her dreams! This was literally the man of her dreams. “Please. I’m so confused. I feel I know you.” She blushed suddenly as her dreams surfaced vividly in her mind. Though the face of her lover was mostly obscured in her dreams, cast in shadow or hidden as his lips dipped to her breast, there was a familiarity to this man she couldn’t deny. To the line of his jaw, the cut of his hair, the way he had shook back his hair as her dream lover did when in the throes of passion. Anton was watching her intently, his eyes blazing with intelligence and raw sensuality. “You are not what you seem to be,” he said softly, musing. “The soul of a vampire is captured in the body of a mortal. I’ve heard tell of this, though not for centuries. Your scent, it is vampire. Your awareness of my hold on your mind—this is not something a mere mortal could grasp. From the moment I saw you, it was if I were drawn to you. Not because of your obvious beauty and charm though you are lovely. But something deeper. An essence. At first I thought you were of the true kin. Then I realized you were mortal. Now I’m not so sure.” He looked into her eyes again, and Joanna felt as if she were being stripped naked—not her body, but her heart, her very soul.

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Her face burned. She wanted to believe this was simply artful role-playing taken to a ridiculous extreme. But her gut knew otherwise. The enormity of what she was facing left her weak, almost faint. Finally she dared say aloud, “Who are you, Anton Mahler? What are you really? Are you actually telling me you’re a…a vampire?” “Do I need to tell you? Ask your own heart and see what it tells you.” Joanna sat up straight, unable to take her eyes from his. Whatever else he was, he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. She swallowed, trying to get a grip on her confusion. “I can’t just accept this. I’m a scientist. I need proof. I’ve studied the legends and folklore extensively. There have been hints, possibilities. But no proof! No definitive proof. What can you offer to convince me?” Have I not shown you already? You feel me in your soul. We know one another. You are one of us. Joanna gasped as his words eased into her mind, though his lips did not move. Aloud he said, “I would never reveal my true nature to a mortal—I wouldn’t even allow the question to enter their mind. But something different is at work here, Joanna.” Anton watched her carefully, waiting a moment before continuing. “Vampires do in fact exist. I know you have come very close to this truth, but your modern sensibility has prevented you from accepting it fully. I am one of the true kin, those who live on the blood of humans. Its delicious elixir gives us long life and powers far beyond what humans possess.” Joanna’s eyes were wide as she listened, somehow certain in her bones this was no act despite her mind’s continued effort to reject it. “There are things in the world, Joanna, things of which you have no concept. Some things seem so fantastic they are dismissed as legend. Yet once upon a time my kind was accepted by mortals as a part of the fabric of a multilayered existence—a reality that included both the natural and supernatural. In these modern times we are now relegated to the stuff of folklore. Indeed, that is how we would have it. It wouldn’t do to advertise our blood-thirst, our greatly extended lives, our ability to penetrate and influence thought.”

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Joanna felt strange. Even as she tried to dismiss his words with her rational mind, a part of her knew instinctively what he was telling her. Anton watched her, reading the doubt and confusion on her face, sensing the glimmer of understanding beneath. “We move among humans, blending in or watching from the edge, taking what we desire. Indeed, I had planned tonight to lull you through enchantment, to take my pleasure with you and take your blood, leaving you merely asleep and confused with bloody dreams and two pinpricks at your neck as your only evidence of my deeds. Yet your spirit prevents me from simply using you. “I sense you are mortal, or rather, your body is mortal, but your soul is vampire. I suspect you know this as well. Am I right?” He spoke softly, his tone gentle. Joanna turned her face away, as if by avoiding his words she could deny them. “I don’t understand,” she insisted. “This goes completely against my training as a scientist, everything I know to be true. I require proofs, I use logic and search for answers that can reproduced. What you’re saying is fantastic. Impossible. The stuff of fairy tales. And yet…” “And yet, you know in your heart what I speak is true.”

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Chapter Two Anton smiled a slow, wide smile and Joanna gasped as she saw his two canine teeth distending, elongating before her eyes into the fangs made famous in vampire lore. For a moment she fancied she saw bright red droplets of blood dripping from the fangs, but she shook her head, knowing that couldn’t be so. “You asked for proof. The proof of your heart is not enough for you so I show you this physical evidence of what I am. When a vampire is aroused, when they hunger for the blood, the teeth that prick extend for the purpose, much as his manhood engorges at the sight of a beautiful woman he would have for his own.” Joanna stared at Anton, shaking her head slowly. Her arms were wrapped protectively around her torso, her voice small. “This is crazy. I don’t understand. Please.” Her plea was unclear, even to herself. Anton moved closer to her, taking her face gently in his hands. “Don’t you? I think you do.” As he said this, Joanna felt something almost tangible exchange between them—something warm and vibrant and highly sexual. She felt her pussy tingle and moisten and her face flush as Anton’s penetrating gaze pierced her. She was certain he knew of her arousal. She had to kiss those lips so sensual and compelling in that masculine, beautiful face. Her lips burned for his, recalling their sweet kiss. Yet she had never met the man, she was certain of it. What a bizarre evening! Who would have ever dreamed of meeting a real vampire at one of these parties? And here she now sat, alone with this stranger in his hotel suite, with no one aware of where she was, no one to save her. “Do you wish to be saved?” Anton whispered as he leaned toward her, lightly kissing her mouth then moving down to her throat. Joanna tensed, half expecting to feel 17

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the prick of his fangs against her flesh, but instead she felt only the warm, sweet press of his lips and the teasing touch of his tongue. She sighed, letting her head fall back. His touch was perfect, his lips electrifying each part of her body they grazed—her lips, her cheek, her neck. She shuddered as his lips parted, his teeth nudging against the pulse at her throat. Anton took her in his arms. She moved into them as if she were born to be there, placing a cool hand on the back of his neck as she drew him back to her mouth. They kissed again, the kiss lingering and passionate. He pulled away, only to trail his lips again down her throat. Her breasts were rising and falling with each deep, shuddering breath. Joanna’s eyes were closed as she felt Anton’s fingers pushing the shiny red straps from her shoulders. He kissed the creamy tops of her breasts, his hands cupping them. Joanna felt her nipples poking hard against the satin of her demi bra. Anton dipped his face between her breasts, nuzzling against them as Joanna arched toward him. She could almost feel the sting of needle-sharp fangs piercing the tender flesh just above her nipples where a long blue vein rested just below white skin. Yet this was no dream! She didn’t protest as he slid the velvet of her gown down to her waist. Holding her, he easily released the clasps of her bra and pulled it from her body. Licking his lower lip in a slow, sensuous gesture, he bent toward her now bare breasts, soft, white flesh tipped with blood-red nipples, round and fat as little cherries. His tongue found a tip, teasing and licking it, letting it feel the sharp possibility of his teeth as he caught it between them, biting lightly until Joanna moaned, her dreams again coloring her perception so she barely knew reality from fantasy as she tensed, half expecting his bite. She shifted her body, parting her legs in a wanton gesture, barely conscious of her own movements, on fire with lust. She wanted to feel those sharp teeth against her throat. She wanted to give him a gift, a gift she’d given him before, at least in her dreams. 18

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“Beautiful Joanna,” Anton whispered, “I will have your blood, but not yet. Not yet, my love. You’re responding out of lust, your head muddled with passion, your loins aching with unspent need.” She barely processed his poetic talk, but accepted that now was not the time for what her body seemed to crave. Anton stood, long, sure fingers quickly unbuttoning the rest of his shirt. He shrugged it off, revealing a broad, strong chest with masculine, dark curls in a V tapering down his firm belly. As Joanna followed the line, she stopped at his crotch, openly admiring the large erection pressing against his pants. She actually licked her lips in an uncontrollable gesture, aching with desire. They could have been lying on that soft forest floor or in this penthouse suite. It didn’t matter. On some primal level she knew this man and he knew her—though how this was possible she did not yet understand. She pulled him down onto her, feeling his hard, strong body press her soft, yielding breasts. Anton responded to her, wrapping her in a strong embrace. After a moment he stood, pulling the rest of his clothing from his body, rising like a god in his naked splendor. He slid Joanna’s gown from her body, pulling satin panties down her smooth legs with his strong fingers. His hand slipped down to her sex, drawing a cry of pleasure and need from her. She found herself ripe for his touch, raw with need as he kissed her mouth, his hand creating sensations of such intense pleasure she thought she would faint. She felt herself open, wet and needy, so when he moved over her, his strong chest pinning her down, his erect cock teasing against her pussy, she moaned and pulled him against her. The thick, hard shaft slipped into her and almost at once Joanna began to tremble, her body spasming in uncontrollable lust against his. Anton held her tight, moving slightly against her, giving her small body time to adjust to his large, rock-hard cock. His thrusts were almost savage as he held her to

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him, his lips again finding hers. The sensation roiling through her made her cry out, passion obliterating all else.

He hadn’t meant to, had promised himself he would not, but at that moment, as she shuddered and cried out so sweetly in his arms, Anton forgot himself. His fangs brushed the sweet, soft flesh of her throat as he held her. Bloodlust overcame reason as they slipped past the glove of flesh, finding the pulsing artery below, eager to yield its offering. Joanna stilled, her eyes closing, her mind blank as he took her blood, eagerly sucking the delicious elixir. Had she felt the sharp sting of his teeth against her skin? When feeding, a vampire would first render their prey unconscious with a chokehold or cleverly placed pinch to a nerve that would give the vampire a chance to bite. Like an insect depositing its poison, a vampire leaves a serum in the bloodstream of the victim, coagulating the blood almost instantly once the vampire has taken their fill. In addition, psychic suggestion wipes the consciousness clean from the moments just before the vampire strikes until the mortal awakens, perhaps confused, perhaps with memories of bloody dreams. From time to time the serum was not as effective as it might be, which explained the periodic sightings and testimonials that, luckily for the true kin, are usually dismissed as fantasy or drunken dreams, especially in these modern times. As Anton drank her delicious blood he was shaken to his core, struck not only by its purity, but by a certain familiarity. A longing burst through him, a palpable ache for what had once been, so sharp it took his breath away. He held her for some time after his wanton theft of her blood. She was sleeping peacefully in his arms, a slight smile on her lips. As he gazed at that face, its features were not what he recognized. Rather, it was the soul within. Not only was it vampire, it was the soul of one he had once loved with all his heart. Her blood still sweet on his tongue left no doubt. 20

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Anton stroked her hair from her brow as he waited patiently for his new lover to awaken. She was so lovely, completely vulnerable as she rested in his arms. He knew now why their connection had been so immediate and so fierce. He knew in his bones this woman had once been his, so long ago. Finally Joanna stirred, opening her eyes as she smiled sleepily up at him. She closed her eyes for a kiss, which he gave her, his lips lightly touching hers. Gently he probed her mind, satisfying himself she had no immediate memory of his taking her blood. He regretted the rash act, though at the same time, it had given him the answer to the mystery. He knew that blood—it had once flowed in his veins as well. “Joanna, I must confess something to you.” “Hmm?” Joanna said, still lazing in Anton’s arms. He touched her neck, circling the two tiny wounds left from his bite. Because of the special vampire coagulant, they were little more than pinpricks and Joanna might never have been aware of them. Nevertheless, Anton felt he must share with her what he had taken without her knowledge or consent. “While we were making love, my darling, I was so overcome with passion for you that, in my lust, I took your blood. I hope you can forgive me. No harm has been done to you.” “What?” Joanna’s hand moved to the spot at her throat, her fingers touching the tiny wounds. “I don’t understand.” “Yes you do, Joanna. You know what I am, and you feel the evidence under your fingers. I took your blood, compelled by a desire I didn’t fully understand. But I do now. And I would share it with you. We are not new. You were once mine. I know now who you are. Your sweet blood spoke the truth to me, lifting the fog from my memory. We have shared the sacred blood. We were once lovers—before you were lost to me. Close your eyes and feel this memory with me.”

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Joanna obeyed, all her defenses and attempts at logic shut down for the moment, her body weak with pleasure. As she lay in his arms, images appeared with the same rich quality of her bloody dreams… This time they weren’t in a forest, but in a large room built of stone with high ceilings and long, narrow windows paned in thick, dimpled glass. She saw a woman, tall and regal, with streaming red hair glimmering with gold. It wasn’t Joanna, and yet it was. It was as if she were looking into a mirror of her ancient soul—she recognized herself. Kalina… The name was whispered in her head as Anton held her more tightly in his arms. The man in the dream, or memory, or whatever it was, was Anton, though he looked younger, his face more innocent. There was a large, high bed covered in crimson satin, the bedding hanging half off its mattress. The vampire lovers weren’t on the bed, however. Joanna understood the woman’s name was Kalina, and knew it meant flower in some ancient language. And most importantly, knew it was she herself she was seeing—the essence of her soul now contained within Joanna’s body. Kalina was pressed against a stone wall, pinned there by her naked lover. His mouth was at her throat, his cock impaling her. His hips were swiveling in a sensual grind against the captive woman who sagged in his arms, weakening as he took her blood. Just as she seemed on the edge of oblivion he drew back, his mouth red with her gift. Lifting her into strong arms, Anton carried his swooning lover to the bed, dropping her there. He knelt over her, offering his strong neck for her kiss. As his flesh touched her mouth, her lips parted, her eyes still closed. Sharp little teeth met little resistance as she sank her fangs into the supple vein, closing her lips over the little wound with a groan of primal pleasure.

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Joanna knew as she watched the images unfold that this wasn’t merely Anton’s shared psychic vision—it was her own ancient memory as well. Somehow, some past life, some different existence, was being recalled into Joanna’s conscious memory. It was at once terrifying and exhilarating. She didn’t yet understand or appreciate the implications of what they’d just shared, but Joanna knew from this moment on her life would be altered forever. She was at once Joanna Eastman, modern American scientist aged twenty-seven, and yet also Kalina, ancient soul, a queen and a vampire in some dark Slavic past, centuries old. His shared vision had awakened the sleeping memories in her soul, the memories she’d been reliving in her dreams night after night for these many months. The ache in her gut made her gasp, her mouth watering for something she didn’t yet understand. Breathlessly she whispered, “I remember, Anton! I remember…”

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Chapter Three “Who was she? Is she? You know what I mean.” Joanna laughed a little at her own confusion. They had moved from the low couch in the living room to the king-sized bed in the bedroom. They were snuggled naked together under the fine cotton sheets. “Kalina?” Anton sighed, and turned on his side, stroking Joanna’s cheek. She smiled at him and something clutched at his heart. She was so familiar, though her face and body were new to him. Kalina… “You know it then, don’t you? You feel her essence inside of you. Somehow your souls have fused. You are Joanna, but you are also Kalina. Extraordinary.” Anton lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling as if answers might be printed there to explain this metaphysical mystery. “Who was Kalina? Queen Kalina of Taurage. She was my one true love. I found her in 1650. I had just reached my maturity and appeared to mortals as a man of perhaps twenty or twenty-one. She was a mortal of only nineteen and already the ruler of her land. I was born a vampire in the year 1555, in what is now called Lithuania.” “1555!” Joanna exclaimed. “Why that makes you—” “Four hundred fifty-one, in mortal years. Somewhere around thirty-two in vampire years. After puberty when we begin to take the blood, the aging process slows dramatically in those of the true kin.” Joanna was silent, processing this amazing information. Anton looked at her, at her delicately featured face with those large blue-gray eyes, snub nose, small mouth and sweet cleft chin. Kalina’s features had been more dramatic with a large, sensuous mouth and narrow green eyes that always seemed to glint with mischief. Yet as he gazed into Joanna’s eyes he saw the same spark, the smoldering fire waiting to be reignited. 24

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“Kalina was mortal. She was a great queen, powerful and strong. When her husband died, she had taken over rule, refusing the suitors her advisors put before her, preferring to take power herself. She was remarkable, especially for her time and her young age. Through intelligence, wit and grace she was able to rule, controlling her ministers while allowing them to think they were controlling her. “I had come to stay in her court for a while, enjoying the lavish balls and parties she held regularly for the nobility. I was accepted as some distant count, gold making my acceptance all the easier. When I saw her, I couldn’t help but fall in love. The beautiful flaming hair, the noble countenance, the lithe, graceful body. But it wasn’t just the physical. Indeed, I knew all too well how fleeting physical beauty is for mortals. No, it was her spirit that drew me, her strength and passion for life. “She didn’t know of my true nature. She allowed me to admire her, even to make love to her. Eventually she professed a love for me as well and was relieved I didn’t seem to covet the title of king, having no desire to mire myself in the petty ruling of mortals. I would have been content to simply stay on, loving her, enjoying her lavish hospitality, letting things flow as they would. “But she fell ill after a hunting accident. She was thrown from her horse and her leg was broken. An infection set in and doctors, such as they were at the time, were powerless to save her. “I was very young by vampire standards, but she was a great and noble woman, and I appealed to my Elders for the right to turn her. They were swayed as well by the events of the time as her death without an heir would create a vacuum that would have led to a civil war.” “Turn her?” “Yes. It’s the process whereby a human can receive the sacred blood and become vampire. It’s not something undertaken lightly, especially if the human is weakened. I knew she would die otherwise, and I found I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her.

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“I was able to explain the process to her. Mortals from that age were more accepting of things beyond their realm of physical experience. They didn’t require proofs and hypotheses back then.” He grinned at Joanna who smiled back. “She took me at my word, eager to accept what I offered, though she understood the risk. Not all mortals can accept the richness of the sacred blood.” “But she was able to?” “Yes.” Anton took Joanna in his arms. “She took the gift of the sacred blood. She recovered completely from mortal wounds, and went on to reign for forty more years, with me at her side as prince consort. Because neither of us seemed to age we had to be careful as eternal youth was obviously inexplicable to mortal minds. “She had raised a mortal boy as her own who had assumed the mantle of king when he came of age, and things were prosperous and peaceful in his kingdom. We had planned to stage Kalina’s death and my disappearance, ready to travel the world and leave behind at last her mortal duties as queen mother.” He stopped, surprised at the pain that still pierced his heart after all these years. Joanna gently whispered, “And what happened, Anton? I feel your sadness like a weight on my heart.” “She was murdered.” “Murdered! But I thought vampires were immortal?” “No, no. We die, just much more slowly than humans. While vampires don’t fall prey to human illness, eventually the body does wear out. And loss of the sacred blood when not replenished can sap the life before its time.” “What happened?” “Kalina became a pawn in a political plot to usurp the throne from her son King Asher. While I was in Paris taking care of some business as she prepared for her secret departure, she was kidnapped and held for ransom. One of her foolish captors slit her throat instead of keeping her as the bait necessary to effect the coup.

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“The perpetrators were captured and put to death, but not before my love’s sacred blood had spilled beyond recovery.” His voice caught as tears welled, spilling over his cheeks. Anton smiled sadly at Joanna. “I never got over her. I never again allowed my heart to be taken. I had lost my taste for love.” Joanna kissed his wet cheeks and pulled down his head to cradle at her breast. Anton breathed in her light, sweet vampire scent, recalling Kalina, sighing with wonderment that somehow after centuries, she was being offered to him again, her soul nestling in the body of this beautiful young woman lying naked beside him. Anton had known love since Kalina, some with mortal women, more rarely with vampires. Yet no woman had ever seized his heart, its secret-most chambers always held by his Slavic queen. With the rise of the vampire clubs over the past century, he had found some distraction in attending the meetings, the dances and the balls. He was amused by the misconceptions and occasionally impressed with how on the mark some of the rituals and games were with respect to the true kin. Occasionally he would take the blood of an unsuspecting “donor”—one who claimed to give their blood to the so-called vampires in their little groups. After their paltry offering of a few drops, spilled from a cut to the arm or thigh, his bloodlust would be aroused. Occasionally he would succumb to his own weakness, rendering the unsuspecting player unconscious, taking his fill and disappearing before his true identity was discovered. This was a dangerous game however, and he rarely mixed feeding with play. Especially in the past century, Anton had remained closed to love, preferring the casual sex of the age, conquering women with his good looks, his charm, his wit and his wealth. Because he could have his pick perhaps it made the conquests less sweet. Something so easily attained lacked challenge, its value discounted. He was often bored, even in the middle of making love.

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With Joanna though, his entire being had come alive. It was as if for many years he’d literally put himself into a dormant state, his very spirit dying when Kalina had been murdered. With Joanna’s kiss and the taste of her perfect blood, he’d revived, awakened thirsting for the possibility of that love returned to him at last. Yet could he bear the thought of falling in love again and possibly losing her once more? For this was no vampire, though her soul was clearly that of one of the true kin. A few short mortal years as her body withered and aged, snuffing her noble spirit as the body gave out… If only she were vampire. If only there were a way… Anton sat up suddenly, pulling away from Joanna. “What is it?” “You have the hunger, don’t you? A pain in your belly that nothing seems to ease? I sensed it just now. Your longing.” Joanna startled and stared at him. “How did you know? It’s been happening for a while now. I was thinking of going in for tests. It’s a sort of persistent pain, dull and always there since the dreams began a few months back.” “And sometimes it’s sharper, a knife twisting in your gut so you almost double over from it…” “Yes! After the dreams, that’s when the pain comes.” “It’s bloodlust, Joanna. You are longing for the blood. Your vampire soul has been awakened by your dreams, your memories. It hurts now, doesn’t it, worse than ever?” “Yes,” she whispered. “Your words are awakening the pain. Yet how can this be?” “I’ve only heard of this once before. Because of your interest, your probing into things vampire, your meeting me—somehow your vampire soul has fully revived. It’s almost as if you were vampire already, needing only the sacred blood to make your change complete.” He was quiet a while, pondering something. “Joanna. If I could gain permission from my Elders, would you consider the gift of vampire life? I could turn you, set your vampire soul free from its mortal prison.”

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Joanna stared at him, her eyes wide, her mind open to him. He felt her longing, the lust for blood, the wonderment at his offer, the underlying fear at what it would entail and if she would survive the gift. He shared all the feelings. He wondered himself at the offer, yet felt in his bones it was the right thing. Gently he said, “Let us sleep on this, my love. You are tired.” She nodded, her eyes heavy, aided by his gentle psychic suggestion that she sleep. As he held her close in the dark, his eyes remained open for a long time, his mind spinning with possibility, his veins on fire with her blood, his heart swelling with hope and love.

***** Stanislav the Elder sat with his hands folded. Anton and Joanna sat before him. Joanna couldn’t quite believe she’d dropped everything, agreeing to fly with Anton to Prague where his Elders now resided. He’d gotten her a passport, she’d packed her overnight bag, called into work with a family emergency and they were on their way. Careful, methodical Joanna barely knew herself. The daily worries of the lab and her research had paled into insignificance in light of the amazing discovery of this dangerous, delicious man. A vampire! And now he was offering this gift to her! The sacred blood as he called it, shared between them to give her the chance at nearimmortality. They had discussed it at length. “Once we begin the sacred exchange,” he had explained, “there’s no going back. If the blood is too rich for you, you will die. If the turning is successful, you will be a vampire again. You need to think on what this means. You will face centuries, not decades. “That may sound exciting and amazing on its face. Immortal life! But think again. Imagine the eons stretching before you—you’ll travel the world a hundred times over, you’ll have loves and lose them too many times to count—it can become an aching, endless tedium. You lose the appreciation for what time you have, because it seems endless compared with a mortal lifespan. Vampires age only the approximate

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equivalent of ten mortal years in three centuries. Time ceases to have meaning. For some this can become a sort of hell on earth with no release.” “Is that what it’s like for you?” Joanna asked, her eyes wide. “No. Though there have been times of terrible loneliness when I felt forsaken and bereft. Because of what we are, vampires tend to remain alone, only rarely connecting and finding the kind of love you and I have the potential to share. Somehow though, I have always felt I would find that love again. Perhaps that persistent hope has kept me from the despair so many of my kind fall into.” Looking deep into her eyes, Anton added with awe in his voice, “I never dreamed I’d find you again. My Kalina, my Joanna.” Joanna was drawn to Kalina, to the memories that flooded through her when they lay together, half dreaming, half remembering. She knew the risk of possible death if the turning failed. Yet the vampire within her compelled her forward. She longed for the blood, its taste, its power. She felt in her bones she could withstand the exchange— as he’d told her, she was already vampire in spirit. “Yes. She could withstand it, I agree,” Stanislav now said, responding to Anton’s request. He spoke in English out of courtesy to Joanna. With centuries to learn, he spoke a dozen languages, all of them flawlessly. “I too sense the vampire within. A most unusual thing, but not unheard of.” He turned toward Joanna. “Joanna Eastman, do you understand what is being offered? The risk and the gain?” She felt him penetrating her mind, probing as he gazed at her with those ancient eyes. Slowly she nodded. “I understand. I accept the risk. I am honored to be considered, sir.” “And you, Anton Mahler. If you bestow this gift, I charge you with her education. Teach her the ways of our people. Keep her safe until she is ready to make her own fledgling journey.” “Yes, sir.” Turning toward Joanna, Anton put his hand over hers, the burgeoning love in his eyes warming her. 30

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Stanislav smiled, though his eyes were sad. “Young love,” he said, too softly to be heard as he turned away. The interview was over.

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Chapter Four They stood together under the hot spray, letting it heat and wash their bodies. Anton enjoyed Joanna’s naïve excitement at being in a foreign country. Himself a world-weary traveler, he was coming to realize he might rekindle his love affair with once-loved cities as seen through her fresh eyes. The Prague hotel was lavishly appointed, restored to its pre-World War Two splendor. Vampires, with centuries to gain and cultivate their wealth, usually chose the finest hotels and inns when traveling, if they weren’t staying in one of their many homes scattered across the continents. Anton laughed with delight as Joanna admired the huge shower with its many spigots both overhead and along the walls, bathing them on all sides with steamy water. He held her sweet, naked form in his arms, showering tiny kisses over her face and neck. Leaning down he lightly bit one nipple, the nudge of his teeth drawing a moan from her lips. He felt the nipple harden as he licked it. Moving to the other one, he bit and kissed it as well ‘til it was hard as a little cherry pit. He moved her gently back against the back wall of the shower. Lifting her in his embrace, he held her as she wrapped her strong thighs around his body, locking her ankles over his ass. She was wet and ready for him as he pressed his hard cock slowly into her willing body. The water splashed over them, steam thick in the air as he held her tight. Anton lowered his mouth to hers, his body melting with desire. Her lips were hot against his as he moved his hips, holding her easily in his strong arms. Joanna was sighing and moaning against his mouth, her breasts pressed sweetly against his chest, her velvet tunnel clenching his cock with almost unbearable pleasure.

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They climaxed together, the friction of his body rubbing against her clit sending her into a shuddering climax that pushed him over the edge as well. He held her until her thudding heart slowed to a more normal rhythm. Carefully he set her down, soaping her body lovingly as she stood smiling at him. She washed him as well, paying special attention to his again rising cock, laughing impishly as she knelt to kiss the sweet, hot skin, teasing him back to full erection. Finally they stepped out of the shower, drying each other with large fluffy towels before moving to the bedroom. They dropped their towels as Anton took Joanna again in his arms. Releasing her, he ran his thumb over her nipples. She whimpered softly, closing her eyes and parting her lips. Anton kissed her a moment and then lifted the naked woman in his arms, dropping her gently on the bed. He lay across her, his cock still rigid, his hunger for her blood now a palpable, aching thing deep in his gut. He kissed her softly at first, touching the pulse at her throat under his fingers, feeling his fangs lengthen with blood desire. “Are you ready, Joanna? Ready for the sacred exchange?” Joanna looked up at her lover, her pupils dilated, her face flushed from the heat of the shower. Her hair spread wetly over the pillows. She looked so young, so innocent. Was he sending her to her death? Was his longing for what had once been with Kalina so great it had obscured his better judgment? Yet Stanislav had felt confident she could withstand the exchange. He had noted her soul was vampire though her body was mortal. Would it be enough? Joanna, as if sensing his hesitation, said, “Anton. I understand the risks of what we’re about to undertake. I know this could kill me. Yet something is compelling me forward. “If I don’t take this chance—if I go back to my life as a research scientist, force myself to forget the secret soul yearning to express itself inside of me, I honestly think I would die. Kalina has awakened—I feel more at one with you, more connected with my dreams and memories than with anything from my ‘old’ life. I could no more return to 33

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it than you could slough off your vampire powers and be content to die amongst mortals, never again tasting the sacred blood. “The pain in my belly is a constant now. Food does nothing to relieve it and I can’t will it away. It’s almost as if I were already vampire, and only my body needs to catch up with the rest of me.” She lightly kissed Anton and then laid her cheek against his firm chest. He brought his arms around her. “Please,” she whispered, “I long for what you offer.” “You shall have it then.” Gently he rolled the girl from his embrace and stood. Going to the top of the bureau where he’d placed some items from his pockets, he returned with a small silver pocketknife. “We’ll begin slowly,” Anton said. “You will take a little of my blood first so the vampire properties can work their changes inside of you. Too much too fast could overwhelm your delicate mortal balance. My blood will give you what you need to begin the process. You’ll need several feedings for a complete exchange.” Her eyes were bright with anticipation and he could sense her desire and also the underlying fear. “Are you frightened, Joanna?” “Yes, but I want this. I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it. Yet when I close my eyes I see myself as I once was, in your arms, my mouth at your throat. I can almost taste the coppery sweetness. I’m eager for it. I wonder at myself—desiring to take the blood of another. Yet at the same time it seems the most natural thing in the world.” She sat up, hugging her knees, biting her lips. “The knife. You have to cut yourself?” “Of course. You have no vampire fangs to pierce me yet. As to worrying you won’t know what to do, rest your mind. I know what to do and I will guide you. The pain of the blade is nothing to me—not when it means you have a chance to return to your true nature. Once the process begins and you receive enough sacred blood, the changes wrought inside of you will give you the powers you need to take the blood on your own.” 34

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Holding out his hand, palm up, Anton looked again into Joanna’s eyes, reading her determination and her desire. As she watched he drew the blade down across the fleshy pad beneath his thumb. Bright red blood beaded in a line across his flesh. “Take it,” he commanded, holding his palm to her mouth. Joanna obeyed, at first tentatively touching the warm liquid with her tongue. She sighed, almost a moan, as she licked again, this time with more confidence. Taking his large hand between her own two small ones, she put her mouth fully over the small wound, suckling, drawing the blood forth as if she were born to do this act. Anton felt the pull of her hot little mouth against his flesh. His body reacted with sensual pleasure, his cock rising up as he watched the greedy girl taking her first mouthful of hot, red perfection. Joanna had risen up on her knees, holding his hand tightly in hers as she sucked. She was breathing hard, her breasts heaving, the nipples distended, a flush across her chest. He could feel her pleasure, her desperate all-consuming bloodlust as she took the sacred blood for the first time. He knew what she was experiencing, though it wasn’t often he shared the blood with another vampire as it was dangerous and, in his own heart, something to be saved for a soul mate. Yet one never forgot the rich, pure mixture. Human blood was delicious and sustaining, but it couldn’t match the melted purity, the empowering, intoxicating burst of liquid joy offered by the sacred blood. Even now his fangs were distended with desire as he watched the lovely naked girl taking her first mouthfuls of the heady nectar. Sheer self-will kept him from throwing her down, pushing back her head and pricking the white supple sweetmeat of her throat as he thrust his rock-hard cock into her cunt. He took a deep breath, feeling a little dizzy as she continued to gulp his lifeblood, her eyes rolling back, her body hot with blood fever.

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When he knew he couldn’t risk another drop, he pulled her back, forcing her to release her grip. Her eyes were wild and unfocused as she tried to lower her head again, to take more of what he offered. Anton held her firm, his fingers entwined in her golden-brown hair to keep her at bay. He licked the cut at his palm, immediately sealing the flow of blood with the coagulant properties of his vampire saliva. “Slow down, my hungry girl,” he admonished. “Not too much, not at first. We have all the time in the world.” “More,” she murmured, straining against his grip. Her mouth was stained with his blood, a trickle at the corner. Anton leaned toward her, licking his own blood from her lips as he pressed her back onto the bed. He smoothed her hair from her face, forcing himself to control the raging impulse to take her blood. Her eyes had closed, her head back so her slender white throat was offered to him, the delicate blue veins pulsing like an invitation. He could feel the heat of her blood, a humming, thrumming, siren’s call. Taking a deep breath he added, “You shall have all you need. For now, sleep. Sleep, my virgin vampire. Soon you will be one of us again. But for now, sleep.” Exhausted, Joanna obeyed, sinking into blood-soaked dreams full of the promise of things to come.

Kalina was crouched with her lover watching the mortals dance in a large circle around the raging bonfire. A spring breeze gently blew her flaming red hair. She turned toward Anton, nodding toward the lone woman who had stepped out of the circle, moving a ways into the forest to rest against a huge tree trunk. “You take her,” Anton whispered. She nodded, the bloodlust rising in her like a drug as her fangs distended with desire. Like a ghost she slipped silently over the thick carpet of leaves. The mortals danced and sang behind her, unaware of the vampires in their midst as they reveled. The woman’s eyes were closed, her head lolling to dreams fueled by too much mead. Her bodice was loosened, her face and chest flushed from the dance and the wine. A small snore issued from slack lips. 36

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In a moment Kalina was next to her, pinching the nerve at her shoulder to make sure the mortal woman remained unconscious as needle-sharp fangs slid easily past yielding flesh. The sweet blood gushed against her mouth like a bit of heaven, the first few mouthfuls easing the ache in her gut. She continued to suckle, savoring the red elixir as it fired her veins. She felt Anton’s eyes upon her, glowing black against the reflected firelight of the bonfire. Their eyes locked a moment as she took the blood. She felt his silent warning to stop before the mortal became too weakened. Reluctantly she released her bloody kiss, gently settling the woman against the tree, smoothing back the wispy blonde hair from the flushed face. With the fire of human blood coursing wildly in her veins, she returned to her lover, flying into his arms as he caught her in a strong embrace. Together they moved farther into the dark forest, pulling at each other’s clothing as they moved, laughing and eager as young lovers who can’t get enough of one another. Kalina tumbled down as Anton pulled the sleeves of her gown, untying the silk ribbons at her breasts. She moaned with pleasure as his lips closed over her nipples. His hands were busy, pulling her gown from her slender, willing body. Laying his own splendid naked body over hers, he whispered his love for her as his cock found its mark, moving into her heat as she wrapped strong legs around him, pulling him into her. He kissed her mouth and then moved to her throat. Willingly she offered white silky skin for his bite, sighing a little as the fangs found the artery beneath, sucking her rich, hot blood. His cock moved inside her, pummeling her with pleasure as he took his fill of her sacred blood. Delicious sensation spiraled from her center even as she weakened from his vampire’s kiss. “Anton,” she murmured, “Anton…” unable to articulate the danger as his lust overcame reason, pulling her toward the abyss. She felt the world flowing away from her, her life ebbing as he went on too long, too long, sapping the blood without returning the sweet gift. One last effort as she whispered into his mind, “Release me, my lover, or send me to my death…” His scent assailed her, his hot throat pressed against her lips as consciousness returned. Barely aware, her lips parted, the fangs piercing flesh as sacred blood pulsed into her mouth. 37

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Awareness returned along with a rising lust as his blood renewed her. Fully awakened, she held him tight, her pussy contracting with pleasure against his manhood as she drank from his lifeblood. Again and again they shared the blood, dancing on the razor’s edge of oblivion, trusting in the other to pull them back from the brink of sweet death, until finally they collapsed together in exhaustion, entwined in each other’s arms as the sun slipped its warming rays through the branches of ancient trees…

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Chapter Five The dawning sun reddened the morning sky as Joanna stirred, rising slowly out of ancient dreams. She stretched on the bed, feeling languid and sexy, not yet fully conscious. “Did you sleep well, little one?” Anton asked, smiling down at her. His dark hair was mussed, a curling lock falling over one eye. Joanna looked at her lover, still caught in the thrall of her dreams. “Anton, do you remember a bonfire? Making love in a forest, sharing the sacred blood while the mortals danced nearby? Is this just a dream, or is it a memory?” Anton drew her into his arms and said, “There were many such festivals in your kingdom, my love. In Kalina’s kingdom. The people loved to dance around the fire, its heat and light keeping the darkness of a sometimes difficult life at bay. We often found it convenient to take their blood at that time. Wine muddled their heads and it was easy to take our prey and leave them without drawing attention to our bloody pursuit.” “And the exchange? In the forest. It’s my most recurring dream—the two of us sharing the blood, often dangerously tipping toward death as one or the other took too much.” “Yes. We were foolish young lovers, taking more than we ought, letting passion rule our actions.” He kissed Joanna. “I can’t believe you’re here with me. I can’t believe you have come back to me. Yet your dreams, your memories, confirm what I felt in my heart almost from the moment I saw you. We were meant to be together, Joanna…Kalina…” Joanna opened her arms, beckoning Anton into her embrace. “I want more, Anton. More of your blood. And I want to offer mine to you. To make the exchange complete.” “Are you ready for that, my love? To remain conscious as I take your blood? Humans are frail, but you are already part vampire, my blood now mingled with yours. 39

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I will keep you conscious, not sending the hypnotic command that you sleep, not rendering you senseless before I pierce your flesh. Thus you will give of yourself consciously—a gift to me, freely given.” He stroked her bare breasts, running a finger in a circle around a nipple, watching it darken and distend. Joanna felt her pussy moisten, even as she trembled at the thought of his sharp kiss. “You are beautiful. How I want you!” His voice was throaty with lust. She felt him control his impulse to make love to her, instead intent on her blood. He smiled, his fangs revealed. “You will feel the pain, but do not resist me. Flow with it and accept it as a part of your turning.” Joanna nodded, eyes wide. Anton lifted her onto his lap, settling himself in a sitting position as he held her like a babe in his arms. Her heart fluttered with fear as she watched the glistening fangs lower toward her throat. She couldn’t control the shudder of her body as they touched her flesh. Stay still, he whispered in her thoughts. Flow with the pain. Accept it and it will soon turn to pleasure, I promise you. Joanna nodded, closing her eyes, her heart pounding against her ribs. Anton leaned over her as his fangs easily penetrated her flesh. As her blood flowed, a few drops at first then a spurting red fountain, Anton sucked deep, swallowing rapidly to get every drop of the elixir that would sustain him when he in turn offered himself to her. He felt the power human blood always gave him, rising up like a wild thing inside him. He could crush the mortal he now held in his grip as if she were no more than a butterfly with gossamer wings. As it always did in every vampire as they slaked their blood-thirst, the drink aroused something primal and dangerous in him. It was a moment of potential danger if he allowed his most base desires to have reign. For then he would not stop the feeding until his prey was completely spent, sucked dry, a lifeless hull. 40

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But Anton’s nobler instincts were still strong within him. As he continued to pierce the flesh, finding the sweet lode of her blood, Joanna sighed and her head fell farther back, but other than that she was still and compliant. Anton knew she felt the pain, but she was at peace, her entire being focused on giving herself to her lover. The offering was sweet, stronger than mortal blood, already mixing with his sacred blood. Anton could feel its perfect heat flow like liquid fire into his body. Anton knew he should stop, must stop before he weakened her too far to continue. With great effort he pulled himself back, releasing the sharp grip at her throat. Two little red dots were all that remained of his kiss as the coagulant released while feeding had already sealed the tiny wounds. Gently he lay his lover down against the pillows. He smoothed her hair back from her face, pale as death. She lay utterly still, her eyes closed, her body limp. Yet Anton could feel she was conscious and aware of what was happening. “Joanna,” he whispered, “Open your eyes.” Slowly she complied, her pupils fully dilated as she turned unfocused eyes on him. “Joanna, we must continue what we’ve started. You need my blood now to regain your strength. Each time as our bloods blend further, you will become more and more vampire, until the last of that frail humanity is absorbed.” Joanna nodded, still deathly pale but eager to continue. “Show me your teeth,” Anton said. For a moment Joanna didn’t seem to understand but then she smiled, her lips parted to reveal her canines. Anton touched one lightly and shook his head. “Not yet. You don’t yet have enough of the sacred blood to use your fangs. I will cut myself again for you, sweetheart. You will suckle from the wound as before.” Anton sensed her rising desire. The heady taste of his strong blood still resounded through her like a lover’s song. She was yearning, aching, for more. And she would have it. Anton took the blade from the little night table next to the bed and cut his other palm, lowering his hand to her mouth. The first few droplets of blood touched her lips and eagerly she licked them. With sudden renewed strength she 41

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grabbed his hand in hers, holding it to her mouth as she greedily began to suck the redhot blood, its taste richer than the finest wine and far stronger to the senses. After a time Anton tried to pull away, but Joanna’s grip was strong, the strength of a vampire now coursing through her veins. Anton well knew the powerful allure of what he was giving her. Even the strongest vampires could not always restrain themselves in the face of such an offering. Vampire blood was like opium to an addict, grabbing the user, never loosening its grip. As Joanna continued to suck, pulling hard with her lips and tongue, Anton carefully inserted the index finger from his other hand in between her lips, releasing her suction for a moment so he could pull free. He felt lightheaded and knew if he didn’t stop his greedy girl now he might be unable to. She gave a cry as the offering was withdrawn, falling back on the pillows, her lips blood-red, her golden-brown hair wild about her face, one tendril across her mouth stained with Anton’s blood. Anton licked his wound as he stared down at the beautiful woman. Weakened, but still lusting for her blood, Anton leaned over her, this time taking the artery on the other side of her neck, feeling the hot stream of blood spraying into his mouth as she moaned, a guttural, animal sound against his ear. He felt his strength returning tenfold as he swallowed, though taking just enough to be able to give himself again to his lover. This time when he examined her fangs he said, “You can do it, my love. You are transformed enough now to take the blood yourself, my fledgling vampire.” The naked man knelt up on the bed and pulled her up with him, locking her in an embrace as he offered his throat to her. He chose not to lie down, knowing he might become too weakened to fight her off in that position, should it become necessary. Joanna smiled slowly, her eyes preternaturally bright as she leaned toward the offered throat, her fangs distended. Anton couldn’t quell the small sigh that escaped his lips as the sting of her canines penetrated his flesh. The knowledge that he was giving 42

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Joanna the gift of vampire life was wildly exciting and precious to him. A kindred spirit with whom to share life’s long journey. Someone to cherish and love who would not die after a few decades, withered and spent after what seemed only a few moments in time. Joanna suckled, still greedy, though with less desperation than her first feedings at his hand. The pain receded as endorphins began to flow through Anton’s body. He could feel his blood racing through his veins toward Joanna’s hot and eager mouth. He let her suck as long as he dared before gently releasing her grip as before. They both fell back, he exhausted, she with eyes wild with the blood fever. He took a little more of her blood and offered himself again. Over and over they played out this scene as the sun set, as the moon rose and as the dawn again crept through the windows. Finally Anton could give no more. He was unsure if he’d given her enough to make the transfusion complete, but he was so weakened now he could only lay against the pillows, his hair dark against his pale face. He held his lover who was sleeping deeply, her small body curled against his, warm and so sweet he thought he might die of happiness. Anton too eventually drifted into a sleep, neither of them stirring until the moon again rose high in the night sky, its pale reflection of the sun shining into the room, silvering the naked pair entwined in each other’s arms. When Anton awoke he stretched for a moment, coming fully awake to her words. “It is done,” Joanna said in a low, sultry voice. I am vampire. Her words slipped into Anton’s mind and he smiled at her, his eyes full of wonder. Together they had done this thing, turning a mere human into something more, so much more. “The spirit of Kalina has been reborn inside of me. My heart belongs to you, Anton. As it has since those ancient days.” She sat up, her breasts full and luscious as she opened her arms to him, her hair wild about her face, her eyes shining. Anton pulled her down onto him, kissing her mouth as his cock rose hard against her.

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As in her dreams, as in his memories, their bodies joined now as equals, vampire lovers with the strength and passion only the true kin can share. Slowly, with no regard to time passing, they made love, his cock hard and strong inside her as they kissed and held one another, drawing each other over and over to the edge of sweet oblivion. “I love you, Anton,” Joanna whispered. “And I you, Joanna.” Yes, Joanna, not Kalina. For though that ancient spirit still resided somewhere in Joanna’s soul, this woman was reborn to him, as fresh and new as the dawn that now tinted the room a rosy red. Anton knew he would revel in the joy of discovering his new lover, and learning what he could from her while sharing his heart and soul at last with his kindred spirit. He held Joanna close, tears of joy falling in her hair as his words slipped into her mind. We are bound together now, our blood mingled, our hearts aligned. Welcome back to the endless circle of the true kin.

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About the Author Claire Thompson has written numerous novels and short stories, all exploring aspects of Dominance & submission. Ms. Thompson’s gentler novels seek not only to tell a story, but to come to grips with, and ultimately exalt in the true beauty and spirituality of a loving exchange of power. Her darker works press the envelope of what is erotic and what can be a sometimes dangerous slide into the world of sadomasochism. She writes about the timeless themes of sexuality and romance, with twists and curves to examine the ‘darker’ side of the human psyche. Ultimately Claire’s work deals with the human condition, and our constant search for love and intensity of experience.

Claire welcomes mail from readers. You can write to her c/o Ellora’s Cave Publishing at 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

Also by Claire Thompson Bird In a Cage – with J.W. McKenna Closely Held Secrets Club de Sade Face of Submission Jewel Thief Outcast Pleasure Planet anthology Sacred Circle Secret Diaries The Seduction of Colette Slave Castle Slave Gamble Turning Tricks

Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.

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