Crimson Desire

Blood Rose, Book 2

Elisabeth Morgan Popolow

Published 2014

ISBN: 978-1-62210-170-2

Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © Published 2014, Elisabeth Morgan Popolow. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Liquid Silver Books

http://LSbooks.com

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

Lily's new co-worker, Anna, is anything but ordinary. Sure she's tall and speaks in a rich English accent out in the rural suburbs of Pennsylvania, but America is the world's melting pot, right? Then, why does Anna look as if she popped out of one of those Cover Girl Magazines? The way she talks sends chills down Lily's spine, but she can only see the good in people. That is, until Anna turns out to be a one-thousand-year-old crazy vampire with a toxic obsession for Lily. When Sang and Lily are kidnapped and taken to Anna's castle, they have no idea what lies in store for them. Now, trying to stay sane and waiting patiently for Darius’ rescue is all they can do as the mad vampiress threatens to swallow them whole.

Hiding from the person trying to kill you is anything but exhilarating. I didn’t know who—or what—chased after me with a fervent murderous intent; but whatever it was, I could not let it find me. This was a lot less fun than when I played hide-and-seek as a child. I never really enjoyed that game, anyway. It was too thrilling for me; my heart would hammer a thousand beats per minute. I was also not the best at picking places to hide, since my mind would reel like an out-of-control carousel, and I’d end up having to take cover behind a tree or something like that.

In dreams, one can usually manipulate the events however they please. In my situation, however, I found that attempting to change the course of my dream was as difficult as winning the lottery. My pursuer would not turn into a kitten and cuddle with me on a cloud made of cotton candy. They were getting closer to their target—and I was too paralyzed with dread to make a run for it.

Everywhere I looked was blanketed in an obscure haze which stretched endlessly into the distance. The ground wasn’t visible, and the air was deathly cold. I crouched low and pressed myself against the back of a twisted black column. They jutted from the ground erratically; some climbed so high they vanished into the sky. My breaths were shallow, and I tried being silent as the other person searched and searched.

I rested my head on the column and exhaled slowly. Suddenly, my pursuer looked my way and rushed toward me. I tightly closed my eyes before something wrapped around me, and I was wrenched backward into a blinding, golden light.

My eyes flew open, and I coughed as I woke from a terrible nightmare. I glanced at the clock and it had just landed on the eleven. Shit! I was late for work! I hurriedly jumped out of bed and dressed in my outfit, consisting of a pink blouse, black leggings, and leather boots. I combed my hair roughly and dabbed on some red lipstick. My blonde hair was still kind of messy, but I had no time to fully straighten it, so I grabbed my purse, descended the stairs, and got into my new, blue Nissan Versa. It was so tiny and cute, and I absolutely adored it. The car started and rolled from the curve of the mansion and onto the main road.

Yes, I lived in a mansion. As weird as it was, a couple months ago I lived in an apartment by myself and still had my humanity. Now, I lived in an enormous house, which I called a mansion, with two other people and sometimes a third or fourth.

And how did this all happen? Well, one night some crazy vampire, named Darius, turned me so I wouldn’t die. Other paranormal beings were out to kill me, because I was connected to Darius in some strange way. Thousands of years ago, I was his wife, and everything was all good and cozy until I died. Of course, I didn’t remember any of it, but that’s what my blood-sire, Darius, told me. So I stuck to his explanation. For now.

I parked outside the clothing store and ran inside. Although spring had just begun, the blasting chill from winter still hung heavy in the air in rural Pennsylvania. I fished a blush-colored scarf from my purse and hung it loosely around my neck. The manager gave me a quizzical look as I set my purse in the back room and then took my place at the cash register.

I didn’t particularly love the job, but I received discounts in the store, and it gave me something to do. When I wasn’t working, I helped Darius maintain his power in the eastern US territory. You see, vampires have the world spilt into different territories, and the vampire I lived with was the Master of Eastern North America, from the top right of Canada to the bottom of Florida. So, he was a very busy man, and I was a very busy woman.

Finally at four, it was time for my break, and I skipped into the back room and unzipped my purse to take out my special club sandwich Sang made for me. It’s kinda complicated, but I currently have two lovers. Yes, I know it sounds kind of kinky and greedy, but it’s what I’ve decided to live with, so deal with it. Sang and Darius, both vampires.

Sang’s blood-mother offered a pact over one hundred-fifty years ago that Darius could take custody of Sang if he would become gravely ill and drained of power for three days out of every month, leaving him weak and vulnerable to any vampire’s whims if they decided to attack on one of those awful days. Annabelle was known as being mad and a true monster, having had tortured Sang and deprived him of emotion. I also had a hunch that Sang’s blood-mother had silently waited for the perfect time to strike and take down Darius. Darius had agreed and freed Sang from his tortuous life.

I loved Sang as much as Darius. He was so sweet and took humor in amusing and teasing me like a little kid, even though he was well over three-hundred years old. Me, well, I was only twenty-three, but I now had an eternity to spend with my men if everything went fine and dandy.

Which I suspected it wouldn’t.

As I sat at the plastic table and munched on my sandwich, a woman sat across from me and began eating her sub. “Hello.” She greeted me with a smile. I’d never seen her before. She had medium-length ebony hair and deep green eyes which gleamed as if polished emeralds. I glanced at her nametag and it read:
In Training: Anna
.

“Hey,” I began, “I’m Lily.”

Anna swallowed and replied, “Hey, Lily. I’m just starting today. I’m Anna.” She spoke in a rich English accent. What she was doing in Pennsylvania I had no idea, but you can’t judge a book by its cover, can you?

“Really? I’ve been here for three years, so I can show you what to do.”

“That’s what the manager told me.” Before I knew it, she was done eating her sub and got up to throw the remnants away. “Will you show me how to stock?”

“Sure,” I replied and made a note to self to tell Briana to take over cash register for me.

I tossed my baggie and soda can in the trash and gestured for Anna to follow me. “Come with me, Anna.” I began to show her how to stock clothes. She moved so fluidly and fast, I couldn’t keep up. Damn, she was perfect for the job I loathed the most!

“Thanks for showing me.” She grinned.

“Welcome to the family!” I exclaimed happily, and she gave me a hug.

A shiver rippled up my spine and a faint sense of dread flooded me. It couldn’t have been Anna, could it? She was just a newbie, and I was sure she wasn’t anything paranormal. Just a curious British woman here to make a living in the States, I reckoned.

But then why couldn’t I shake the feeling there was something off about her, and I didn’t mean her magazine-model good looks. Maybe I was paranoid from hanging around vampires and what-not too much. Who knows?

When I arrived home, the orange sun, a sizzling egg in the sky, dipped below the horizon to welcome the moon’s presence. My feet killed me from standing almost all day, and I shook my shoes off as soon as I stepped through the double doors. Darius stood against the side of the wall to the living room, clad in his golden robe with white, fluffy trimming which complimented his wavy, chocolate hair and deep amber eyes perfectly. I mentally drooled over his beauty and began to ascend the stairs to put my boots away.

“Where are you going, my dear?” he asked in a silky voice, and did I sense a tinge of disappointment?

“May I join you?”

The color in my face must’ve escalated to a chimney red. “Um…uh…sure, I guess.”

He followed me up the stairs and into my room which was a jungle of pink—pink bed, pink stuffed unicorns, pink carpet, and pink wallpaper. God, I loved this place! It was a total paradise for me to relax. Mr. G, my ghoul of a goldfish, swam circles in his bowl, waiting eagerly for me to feed him as always. I put my boots on their respective rack, sat on the bed, and swung my legs freely to alleviate my aching toes.

Darius stood near the door watching me as I chilled joyously. He had his arms crossed over his chest and gawked at me with silent amusement. I stopped kicking my legs and locked eyes with him. He was like a dangerous animal, a lion, and I was his lioness, the one he kept a look out for. A smile graced his lips as I began to laugh, and he came closer into the room and sat beside me, weight pushing the bed lower.

“Lily,” he began, staring intently at my face, “I know you may love Sang, but remember, I am your blood-master, and I have a greater connection to you. If ever you need my aid with anything, please do not hesitate to ask. If you are feeling something out of the ordinary, let me know immediately. I am different from Sang in this regard.” His voice was stern and commanding, and after caressing my hair with a hand, he stood and left the room.

He could be so weird at times. Did he suspect I still pondered over Anna, who she was, and why I had a weird hunch about her? I didn’t know, but he could peek into my mind whenever he pleased. Ugh.

I hopped off the bed and went downstairs to see if there was anything to drink. Man, was I thirsty! I opened the fridge and saw nothing but milk, and I hated drinking milk when it wasn’t chocolate. I searched all over the pantry for chocolate syrup but to no avail. I finally gave up and went into the living room to get into Darius’s liquor cabinets.

I was surprised when I saw Darius lying on the couch with a glass of red wine, his bare legs showing from his pinched up robe. I froze and tried to backtrack my movements when Darius raised his glass and spoke, “Don’t be shy, Lily. Come join me.”

I considered his offer for a second and replied curtly, “No thanks.”

“Please?” He batted his long eyelashes and that got me. Dammit. Damn him and his naturally handsome charm.

I flopped on the opposite couch and scrutinized him as he poured himself another glass of wine, humming a peculiar song all the while. It was strange, so strange, but I felt nostalgic, as if I’d heard the song before. Before I knew, I was humming along with him, humming a song I’d never heard in my life.

He delicately placed the bottle of wine back in the cabinet and gracefully lay on the couch, head resting atop his folded hands. His hair cascaded to the floor in a thick, wavy spill, and his cat-like eyes were focused bemusedly on me.

“Why aren’t you speaking?” he asked in a matter-of-fact manner.

“I-I um…I don’t know what to say. What a lovely night? Work was good? I had to show a new person around. You’re so difficult to speak to,” I stammered.

He sighed and shrugged elegantly. “Just say whatever is on your mind, my dear. We’re not strangers.”

He was like a great big cat on the couch, protecting his territory.

Protecting me. And I hated it.

“I have to go get a drink,” I hastily breathed.

“There are no drinks here, Lily. Lawrence must restock them overnight. Come here.” He wagged a finger toward himself, and I walked near him, my body not listening to me. This was his power over me as my blood-master. He could control me at will. And it was such a pain in the ass.

I halted in front of him, and he gestured for me to crouch on both knees on the ground. “I have no idea what the hell you’re doing,” I grumbled.

“You must be thirsty, my dear. I am offering you a drink.”

“Oh, no. The last time I drank alcohol I was paralyzed for hours! I’m not falling for that shit again.”

He chuckled and leaned his face down a breadth from mine. “I do not mean that kind of drink, my dear. I am speaking of my blood. I am offering you my blood.”

I wasn’t particularly thirsty yet, but the moment he said the
B
word, the hunger roared awake inside me, and I trembled with the weight of it pressing down on me, raging to get out.