“I’m not sure what happened. It was like I had no control over what I was saying.” She ducked her head and allowed her long curls to hide her face. “I wanted Spice to come even though it would place her in danger.” Rubbing her temples, she tried to relieve the tension growing there.
“That’s the bloodlust growing.” He settled some of her hair behind her ear. “This is mostly my fault.”
A sarcastic chuckle was her only response. “No, you might think you have control over me, but that’s far from true. This is my fault as well. I chose to come here.”
His laugh echoed on the night breeze. “Oh, baby, I know how little control I have over you. If I had it my way, you’d be locked in our bedroom until I got home for our date.”
Her head snapped up, and she pinned him with a glare. “What’s stopping you?” Power oozed off Daedalus. Since becoming vampire she’d become more aware of it. Nothing could prevent him from doing what he pleased. Not in this house… “Pallas?”
The amusement on Daedalus’s face vanished. “No. That’s not even a little funny.”
She frowned. She hadn’t meant it as a joke either.
“You’re serious?” He cupped her face. “I bend over backwards to make you happy, and you haven’t a clue why I don’t toss you in a cage?”
The knots in her gut loosened, and she nodded. “Because it would piss me off.”
“Protecting you would be a lot easier if you were more compliant.”
“Hiding in the bedroom kind of defeats the purpose of living forever, doesn’t it? I mean, what kind of life would I have?” She rose from her perch and checked out the grounds of Daedalus’s home. The patio spread farther out to an in-ground pool.
“A boring one.” He pressed against her back and wrapped her in his strength. “If I wanted a woman to control and pamper, I’d have had a Prima long before now.”
“I’m not opposed to pampering.” She rested her head back on his shoulder. She was so small it made it easy for Daedalus to engulf her.
“Did you know you’re my first fledgling?”
She heard the edge of anxiety in his voice. “But you’ve been around for so long.”
He nodded. “I’ve made a few Nosferatu warriors, but my clan took those to train. I’ve never asked to have a regular vampire made for a companion.” He leaned his chin on top of her head. “I spent all day researching what we should be doing.”
“And?”
“You can’t keep feeding from stored blood. You’re too young. The hunger will get out of control.”
“Like on the phone with Spice.”
“Worse.”
She hung her head. “I'll have to bite someone.”
“Yes.” His answer came out clipped. Glancing at him, she could see the tick in his jaw. That only appeared when he suppressed his anger. “It’s not as bad as you think.” He glared at the garden.
“Probably not. That’s what I fear. What if I like it too much?” She wasn’t a fool. She knew some vampires went feral. The news loved to sensationalize when someone lost control. Would she be a headline one day?
“I wouldn’t let that happen.”
“Because you have so much control over me.”
He chuckled. “We don’t have much choice at this point. I can promise to be the best teacher to my ability.”
The fierce pain of betrayal within her heart cooled. “You really didn’t plan on turning me.” She didn’t mean to sound as surprised as she did. What could she say? Doubt of his intentions had clouded a lot of her thoughts recently.
“One day I hoped you’d agree. Maybe on your deathbed when you were pushing eighty. I thought I would have time to learn what I needed.” He spun her around, his clear blue eyes piercing hers. “This is not how I would have done it.”
She ran her thumb over his bottom lip. “We feed tonight.”
He nodded, his face somber with his promise.
“Will we hunt?” She couldn’t picture hiding in shadows or going to vampire bars to meet food. Ugh.
“Not in the way you’re thinking.” He tugged one of her wayward curls. “When I get back, I’ll take you out like I promised. You’ll see.” Leaning close, he whispered in her ear, “Wear something I'll like.”
Chapter Eighteen
Abandoning Sugar in the garden with Clementine for company left Daedalus feeling hollow. The echo of his boots followed him out the front door. He had called his nest home. Soon she would have more company then two crotchety old Nosferatu and a somewhat-damaged vampire female.
Pallas sat in the driver’s seat of Daedalus’s car.
“Hell no.” Daedalus pulled the door open and yanked him out.
“How will I learn to drive if you don’t teach me?” Pallas grinned and ran a possessive hand over the roof of the car.
“They have schools for that.” He slapped Pallas’s hand off. “Go buy your own.” Daedalus slid behind the wheel and caressed it, wiping away any trace of Pallas.
His brother plopped onto the passenger seat. “I wonder which you love more, your car or your woman.”
“You should ask which I enjoy riding more.” He laughed at Pallas’s debased grin.
“I don’t have to ask. I know your answer. Both at the same time.”
The car started with its usual purr. He peeled out of the driveway toward the gates.
Pallas closed his eyes and reclined the chair back. “Where are we going?”
“Hunting.” He aimed for downtown, on the east side of the city, close to the train yard. If memory served him right, this was where most of the drug dealers and pimps did business. “Blonde or brunette?”
Pallas snorted audibly. “What kind of hunting are you talking about? I had my fill of pussy yesterday. I want to kill something.”
As Daedalus had suspected.
“Don’t frown like that. The council schooled me on modern laws and forbade me from old habits. I’ll be good.” He lifted his head to meet Daedalus's disbelieving gaze with wide eyes. “I promise.”
“You should start thinking about your future.” Daedalus gave him a year before he was on some slayer’s most-wanted list.
“Like go to college, Dad?” Pallas had returned to mimicking sleep.
“No.” What a nightmare that would be. He should limit the amount of time Pallas was sitting in front of the television. “You work for me.”
“Running security detail?” “I think not.”
Daedalus's head throbbed. “Will you talk out loud? You’re giving me a fucking migraine switching back and forth like that.” He parked behind an abandoned restaurant. “I have better uses of your skills than security. I’d be too worried you’d eat my customers anyway.”
They exited the car, scoping out the area. Visually it appeared dead, but mentally he could sense business as usual a few blocks over. “Can you hear them?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s stop pretending that you’re not going to break the law.” He faced Pallas. “Our kind isn’t matched for this age, but there are smart ways to find satisfaction in the hunt. You have to pick your prey wisely.”
“No more screaming women running through the forest?” Pallas actually looked forlorn for a moment. It took all Daedalus's self-control not to smack the expression off his face.
“You can pay for shit like that, as long as you don’t kill.” Daedalus grabbed his brother by the collar and pulled him close enough to smell the soap on his skin. “Stop fucking around. I’m trying to help you.”