6. Bloody Trail to Follow

Chapter 6

Bloody Trail to Follow

Talon

T he torturous wait and the lull of sunlight forced us both to sleep as we awaited nightfall. My natural body clock had my eyes opening the moment the sun finally dipped out of sight. The same for my anxious brother. We both could have fought against it but what would the point have been? For at the very least sleep, awarded us both the fresh wave of strength needed to face the night's battle ahead.

My problem though, was that guilt was gnawing away at me like an unrelenting beast. It was an admittedly foreign feeling I wasn't accustomed to, but I had been painted as a blood thirsty monster in the eyes of my fated, one who's introduction to her had been as a murderer.

Her murderer.

There was no getting away from the fact that I had in fact intended to kill her. Telling her so, despite it being done as a necessary evil at the time. I doubted she would think of it like that and even if she did, she was the injured party. Meaning I couldn't exactly see her being so forgiving of that fact.

It would take all of my charm in trying to change her opinion of me. And well, I did so enjoy a challenge.

Naturally, as soon as we woke, my brother and I practically sprang into action. We jumped in the car and headed from our office building toward our shared home… A high-rise fortress in the sky, that unbeknown to most was impossible to break in to, should we choose to engage the lockdown protocol. However, I thought that a little overkill even for a Vampire like myself.

For she was only one mortal.

One that was held securely behind a locked door with guards standing outside our penthouse apartment. Guards that were a mix of supernatural creatures that were of the daylight breeds. Like shifters, demons and even a few warlocks. Each the best of the best, like our own private army of soldiers, always at the ready should we give the word for them to assemble.

It was how we controlled our streets and our city. How we ran our empire. Our foot soldiers kept our kind in check and making us money by various means. We were the mafia to mortals and Kings to our kin. And now we had found our queen, we were more than eager to get to her. My brother even more so, for he had not yet had the pleasure I had in tasting her. Scenting her. The feel of her soft, pliable body sitting in my lap.

My brother's taste of late might have been the very opposite of our Moirai, but I knew better. I remembered the days where his preference had been full figured women, not these lithe creatures who spent their days toning their muscles at any gym. The ones who concealed true beauty with products. Making what they may consider imperfections disappear under a fashionable mask and what we would name to be unique features revealed with the use of soap.

For our Peach had worn none and I had been happy to discover this when touching her face and feeling pure skin beneath my fingertips. Even her long lashes had been of the natural kind, for I had found even my fingertip softly running along the ends as she slept. I hadn't even known my own touch could have been so gentle.

Even once I got her back to the apartment, I had laid her down in one of the guest rooms. Not wishing her to wake in one of our own, for our tastes were far darker than an angel like her deserved.

I had then offered her as much comfort as a gentleman could without crossing a line, because I had crossed far too many with her already. I didn't think stripping her naked without her consent a wise one to add to the growing list. So, I had simply removed her worn shoes, grimacing at the sight of them, knowing that she no doubt lived frugally.

Well never again.

No, I would not have our woman wearing anything less than the perfection she deserved, for I could scent a good soul when I smelled one.

When I tasted one.

She was pure. As pure as they came in fact, and I couldn't wait to corrupt her in the most delicious of ways. But then the irk of her shoes led me to the sight of her odd socks. Such a funny thing to grin at and find endearing, but the emotion found me all the same. Dancing cats wearing sunglasses on one foot and hamburgers on the other. An oddity indeed, but it had me grinning still… even after I had made my way in search of my brother.

But before I left her, I had lifted her smaller frame and taken off her sweater, taking care when laying her back down. In fact, I had never before taken such care with anyone in my entire existence, the feeling was foreign as much as it seemed natural. Like with her I simply knew what to do, without ever having done so before. Like the protective side of me seemed to emerge. Was it because she was so small and fragile? Compared to my towering six-foot six frame, an inch bigger than my brother and holding slightly more bulk, she seemed tiny in my arms.

Now why did that fact turn me on and get me fucking harder than ever before? It made me want to dominate her, bend her to my will as well as over my knee. Fuck, but her feet wouldn't even touch the floor and even that I looked forward to seeing. Such a small factor in comparison to what I would do to her once I had her there.

Oh, the fucking fun we would have with such a woman.

Our woman.

"Does this thing not go any fucking faster?!" I practically snarled as my brother snaked through early evening traffic.

"Not unless you want to end up trapped in twisted metal and for us to take even longer," my brother replied, his dark brown eyes narrowing as he concentrated on pushing the Corvette C8 ZR1 to its maneuverable limit without killing anyone.

We were both on edge as the time dragged on, despite it only being no more than twenty minutes. It would have only taken five had there been no traffic to contend with. It also had to be said that my brother certainly was showing some skills behind the wheel, and with such a collection of fast cars, I wasn't surprised. As for myself, I usually preferred two wheels over four. Motorcycles were my vice and preferred method of travel. Mmm, in fact, I couldn't wait to get her on the back of one of my bikes. I wondered which ones from my collection would be the most comfortable? How many would I have to get modified for her?

The thought lasted long enough for my brother to have pulled into one of the empty spots allocated to us, as we occupied most of the parking. But we did own the building, so it wasn't surprising that we did. The lower floors were used as offices for our many businesses, and the floors above were used as apartments for our hierarchy of those who worked for us, like Andras. As our second, he had the second biggest apartment. The entire top three floors were ours. Directly below our home was a gym, complete with sparring ring, and above was a rooftop pool and garden we barely fucking used.

But who knows, perhaps now we would have the excuse. The view from up there would certainly be classed a romantic one. Fuck but was that who I was becoming now? Someone who contemplated where best to take a girl on a date? But she wasn't just any girl, was she?

She was ours.

So yes, I guess I was, and I would kill any fucker who dared mock me for it. I had to wonder if my brother was having similar thoughts. Although most likely not, considering his jaw looked to be working as he ground his teeth together. He would have nothing left of the fuckers if he carried on.

We both swiftly exited the car and were at the elevator doors in seconds, swiping a card and putting in the code, one that was a date we would never forget… or forgive.

"For fuck sake, could this lift be any slower?" Victor grumbled, making me laugh before putting my hand on his shoulder and telling him,

"Patience, Brother."

It's not something I can admit to telling him ever before. No… usually it was coming from him and aimed my way.

I didn't know what I would enjoy more, our Little Peach or watching how she would rattle my brother's calm cage. Well, that was a lie, I knew which one it would be but watching my brother's reactions to her would only be the icing on the cake in adding to my amusement… something that died the second we exited the elevator, and I scented it.

Her blood.

My hand shot to my brother's chest because he didn't recognize it as quickly as I did. But then again, he wouldn't, not until he too had tasted it.

"What is it?"

"Her blood, it is here," I snarled angrily, walking toward the source of the divine scent.

My brother soon discovered it too, and he growled as the beast in him surfaced.

I could practically taste it in the air, and it was the cruelest of temptations. I ran my fingertip along the line of dried blood nearly hidden by the red stone that spilled from the eye of the skull. The epitome of life and death held in the wrong woman's hands… or in this case… the right woman.

I couldn't help myself but lick my finger clean, closing my eyes as the slight taste bloomed over my tongue. My brother no doubt was tempted to do the same. However, I also knew why he didn't. No, he wanted his first taste to be straight from the delicious source, like mine had been.

"It's not fresh," I growled out before we both moved as one, nearly tearing the double doors off their hinges.

"The guards, where the fuck are they?!" I roared, being far more vocal in my fury than my brother, despite being able to feel the anger coming from him in silent waves. He followed me as I sped through the space leading me to what I already knew I would find when opening the door, starting with finding it fucking unlocked!

The door didn't survive my wrath.

Because the worst had happened.

We had found our Moirai and now…

We had lost her.