3. When Blood Sings

Chapter 3

When Blood Sings

Talon

F uck!

Fuck… we found her.

The second her blood burst across my tongue it sang to me. It was a taste I knew I would instantly crave with every fiber in my supernatural being… nothing like the lowly cretin I had killed. The blood of a traitor was normally so sweet, but it had tasted like ash compared to this!

I never even imagined this was what it would have tasted like, having only ever heard stories of our kind meeting their fated mate. Their…

Moirai Theia.

Fables were told to our kind like myths you grew out of really believing. It was a cruel reminder of an endless life, one that passed by each year, only to welcome more disappointment as each century rolled into the next without ever finding her.

Which was why I was fucking astonished by the fact that I was actually holding her in my arms. This pretty little goddess that was going fucking nowhere. The moment I realized she had been playing a little witness, I had taken one look at her face and hated what I knew I would have to do next.

Despite what I was, a monster to all that knew me other than my brother, I still hated killing innocents. Thankfully there was enough mortal monsters out there, meaning there was no chance of us ever going hungry. Although, now I didn't foresee me being sated by another ever again.

Not now I had tasted her.

I swear, for the first time in as long as I could remember, I was fucking giddy, feeling how I could only imagine a child did on Christmas morning. I couldn't wait to tell my fucking brother, knowing he would be just the same. He would be ecstatic to the point the broody fucker may even smile.

But first, I had to put my angel to rest because she was starting to squirm harder in my hold and I feared she would only end up hurting herself. Something that wasn't acceptable to me.

"Ssshh, shh now, calm that fluttering little heart of yours," I told her, because the sound of it beating wildly was only making me more fucking crazy. I was desperate to taste her again, and this time not only her blood, but the feel of every inch she had to give… every inch of her that I would take… and soon.

"Let me go!" she shouted frantically, and I had to admire her spirit.

I couldn't help but chuckle as she struggled once more, clawing at my leather jacket like this would ever help. But I continued to hold her firm enough so as not to give an inch without wanting to hurt her. Mortals were so fragile, and I had to remember to take care with her. Treat her like the goddess she was.

Our goddess.

Our very own Moirai.

But always and forever, my peach.

It was what I had scented the second I breathed her in. And I had to admit that after feeling her curvy behind squirming into me, well, I had another reason to call her my peach too. Oh, how I liked a female with fleshy softness and curves I could grip on to.

"That won't be happening, Peach," I replied, trying out the pet name for the first time and liking how well it fit. She sucked in another of those quick breaths of hers, and I couldn't wait to hear it under different circumstances.

"Please… I won't tell anyone what I saw, I promise. I will just disappear and…" I couldn't help but growl at this, the very idea of her disappearing anywhere and escaping had me gritting my teeth. Naturally she flinched, holding herself still and ridged as a board in my arms.

So, I warned her, "I suggest not pissing me off with thoughts of you going anywhere."

"But I won't tell anyone if you just let me…"

"Silence!" I snarled angrily, making her tremble in my arms. Meaning it was also time to take this somewhere else.

The problem was, I knew she may get hurt in the process of trying to get her in the car if she chose to fight me, so I knew what that meant. I knew what needed to be done.

"Andras!" I shouted over to our second and right hand man. Someone who had been with us from the very beginning when we took this city as our own. If there were such a thing as a best friend in our brutal world, then he was it. Although to a mortal like the delicious little morsel in my arms, he would no doubt be an intimidating sight to behold. Just like I was.

Both of us were wide shouldered and packing more muscle than what was needed given our natural-born supernatural strength. Andras was two inches shorter than I was, but his height would still put him a fuck load taller than the peach in my arms. He had a tattooed, shaved head, startling light-gray eyes, and a scar running across his neck that was a warning to all that the hard bastard was even harder to kill.

Beheading was the only way for one of us to die, and that night his enemies learned the valuable lesson to finish the job and to sharpen their blade. A lesson that they took with them to the ash moments later when they realized their mistake.

As soon as Andras came into view I nodded to him, only he must have believed I wanted something else because he pulled a large bowie knife from his sheath. I responded to the threat without thinking, quickly putting myself in front of her, forgetting that she would most likely take this opportunity to run. Which was when a curious thing happened because instead of taking what she would foolishly believe was a chance to run, she instead suddenly clung to my back, as if trusting me to protect her.

Hmm, now I wondered where that came from? Did she feel our Fated connection without realizing it? Had she acted out of instinct?

"Put that shit away, for fuck sake, that's not what I need."

"My Lord?" Andras questioned, and all I needed to do was say were two words that meant everything to a pure-blooded Vampire.

"Moirai Theia."

His eyes widened in the same astonished way my own had. The two Greek words meaning Fated Goddess were a code we each lived by. For no one was permitted to touch a Fated one. Of course, there were many names for such but given our heritage, it was our preferred terminology. It also had to be said how rare it was for one of us to find such a gifted soul, one that would solely become tethered to our blood. Which was why I knew our little Peach here would also be my brother's Moirai. For we were one and the same.

"Of course, My Lord, synchoréste me," he replied, asking for forgiveness in Greek as he put away his blade in one swift and well-practiced movement. Then he nodded his head, and I knew what he needed because there was only one other reason I would need him now.

Andras would need to touch her, though, and it was something I hadn't realized I would struggle with as much as I did. In fact, had it been anyone else other than my brother, I think I would have torn his fucking hand off for even thinking that he could lay a single finger on the girl.

It still pained me when I reached back and took her in my hold again, forcing her to fight against me as Andras got close enough to touch a single finger to her forehead.

She started screaming the second his eyes misted over, and white smoke snaked out of them, like underwater sea serpents reaching for their next prey. The sight of her distress did something to me. It created a bitterness within me that I strangely found distasteful. Usually, I fed from the fear of others but not hers.

Never hers.

"Easy now, he won't hurt you, Peach," I cooed down at her, trying to calm her as she struggled to get away from Andras.

Just as I had been at the ready to catch her sleeping form, our second pulled back, frowning.

"What is it?" I asked, making Andras smirk before telling me,

"Her mind belongs to another."

I found my jaw tightening in my anger as I gritted out, "Who?"

A jealous fury quickly built within me quicker than ever before. My reaction enticing another flinch from her, before causing her to tense in fear of me this time. But then just before I could punch the smug look off my bastard friend, he shocked me.

"Yours, My Lord. Her mind is yours."

It was my turn to suck in a hiss of breath at my astonishment. I raised a brow in question, causing Andras to nod before walking away knowing I would want privacy once more. Which was when I tested it, leaning down closer to her ear, the fang marks long gone after I had allowed my saliva to heal her skin. Oh, how I wished to see our mating mark upon her flesh, a scar that would never heal.

But first things first.

Time to get her home.

So, after taking liberties once more and breathing her in deep, running my nose along her trembling flesh, I whispered softly,

"Sleep, my Peach… sleep for me, my beautiful Moirai."

Astonishingly, she obeyed, giving in to my gentle command. When I felt her freely gift me her weight, I lifted her easily into my arms. I then started to walk with my new treasure over to the SUV that Andras had the foresight to open the back door of. Meaning I could easily lay her inside. But before joining her there, I looked back to the mess I had made of the traitor and nodded.

"The clean-up crew are on their way," Andras told me before I could ask.

"Good, then you know what to do."

Andras grinned, one that many would have been terrified of, for it usually meant something sinister was swimming in the depths of his mind. But when you had the power to control others, then let's just say that he could quite easily be affected by so much darkness our world had to offer.

"And which part of him would you like me to use this time to send a message?"

I grinned before looking back at my sleeping beauty now finally within my grasp. Hence why I told him, "The heart… for I am feeling somewhat… sentimental."

He laughed at this before bowing his head in respect.

"It will be done, My Lord."

I nodded and slid in next to her, closing the door before giving my driver the order to take us to 520 Park Avenue.

I was tempted to take her to our private estate in Millbrook but I was unsure how long she would remain asleep for and I was eager to speak with my brother. Right now, nothing was more important and although our unique gifts allowed us to walk in the sunlight without burning to a crisp, we preferred conducting our business at night like most Vampires did. In fact, being day walkers made us some of the rarest Vampires in existence. This as well as being able to shift the shadows and move at incredible speeds. Of course, all Vampires were blessed with enhanced speed, strength, and senses, but there was speed and then there was shadow shifting.

There was the darkness.

One we could manipulate, becoming one with it for a short time. Absorbing it, twisting it to our heart's desire and using it to travel or at times, as a weapon. We were known as the stuff of nightmares and stories of us were even told to our younglings as something for young Vampires to fear. At one time they had tried to hunt us, to rid the world of us, fearing the uprising and that we would become too powerful to control.

Well, nothing had changed in that department, only the power and position had changed to one of understanding and respect. For we had no ambition to rule over all Vampires and take over the world. No, New York would do nicely and who knows? Should we choose more, then that was another story. But as for now and my consumed thoughts of the future, I gathered up our queen. Our innocent little Angel, knowing that I could see us being quite content with all we had. For suddenly all the vast fortune we had amassed over the centuries, seemed to pale in comparison.

I settled her in my lap and took the time to study her sweet face. Every detail, every unique feature that painted the face of beauty was one I could see even in the darkness. I batted shadows away from her face like a child playing with soapy water, disturbing the suds to get to the clear liquid beneath. That was what I did now, absorbing the light from the surrounding streetlights we passed and the glow from the car's console. I pulled them toward me and held them suspended over her, gasping at the sight.

She was stunning.

I had called her pretty, but I see now that I had underestimated her beauty greatly. She was a fucking goddess, and I couldn't help it when a laugh escaped at the dumb fucking luck I seem to have been blessed with. An evil creature such as I… I found myself shaking my head in awe and disbelief.

Fuck, I couldn't wait to see the look on my brother's face. In fact, had I been in control of the car, I would have broken every speed limit this city had. But as it stood, I didn't trust anyone with my girl's life in their hands but mine and my brother Victor's. So instead, I forced myself to relax my excitement and simply spent the drive back to the city taking her in.

The delicious curves she had were a torture in their own right. My cock was as hard as fucking granite and my mouth watered as my fangs refused to retract. God damn it, it was like being a youngling once again. I just hoped I wasn't the only one who struggled. At the very least, if Victor had the same problems, then it would give me something to fucking laugh at.

My brother and I were like chalk and cheese.

He was the silent assassin that stalked the night and would slit your throat without a word of ever knowing why. Nothing ruffled his fucking feathers. And as for getting a smile off the dark bastard, well, not unless Hell froze over and invited us for a fucking party would that ever happen.

As for me, I was the danger you saw fucking coming. The freight train you couldn't stop. I was loud, I was brash, I was a fucker. I also sucked every ounce of life the world had to offer… quite literally. I smiled, I laughed, I joked (usually at my twin brother's expense), and I fucked my way through the woman of the world, draining the evil fuckers I hated.

I was the live wire.

My brother was the switch that powered it.

Together we were a team, and we were each all the other one had ever needed. But looking down at her now I realized that had changed. Because now, after so many centuries of being all the other needed…

Now there was her.