Deceived (19 page)

“Who is he?” I sat up and wrapped my arms around my legs. I was more bummed my libido hadn’t been sated than
worried about meeting the mysterious interrupter.

“He’s on the council,” Aiden paused. “Did you ask Holly about the meeting?”

“They’re going to discuss it. What’s he doing in Washington; I thought the VC was housed in New York?”

“It is, but they’re here to settle things with the witches.” Aiden looked down at me, his eyes raking over my exposed skin. “While you look ravishing, you may want to get dressed.”

I frowned. I didn’t want to get dressed. I wanted to continue where we’d left off and the hell with keeping
Mr.
La’rue
waiting. Deciding I probably wouldn’t get my way, I shimmied back into my dress. “So, I guess I’ll talk to you later?”

“You’re coming with me, Aaron wants to meet you.”

“Yes, but I don’t want to meet him.”

“Gwen, please. He may have information about Ian.”

That one little sentence changed my mind. Running my fingers through my hair and
letting out a grumble
, Aiden and I left the little room to find Aaron
La’rue
.

Aaron
La’rue
turned out to be a young boy with jet black hair and a dangerous glint in his brown eyes. He sat with his arms draped across the back of the velvet couch as two women snuggled against him. One of the women had long red hair and matching red bite marks on her neck. Her skin was pale and her eyes had a glazed over expression. The other woman was a dark skinned girl with long wavy black hair and the same dazed look.

“Please, sit,” Aaron extended an arm, and a man pulled out a chair for me. Glancing at Aiden to make sure I should, he nodded and I sat on the edge of the chair. Aiden bowed towards the man-boy then took a seat next to me.

“So, this is Gwen Sparks?” Aaron asked with a smile that sent chills dancing up my spine.  I knew everything I needed to know about him from just being in his presence for ten minutes. He was dangerous.

“Yes, sir,” Aiden replied with a stiff tone.

Aaron spoke in Italian, to keep me from understanding. Aiden replied in Italian, the words rolling off his tongue like butter. Aiden was from Florence and still had a slight accent,
but the
time I heard him speak his native tongue was when he was
ticked
.

Morte
.
My head snapped up when the word left Aaron’s lips. I didn’t know a lot of Italian, but I knew that word—death.

“
Egli
 
merita
di
 
morire
,” Aiden replied.

“Si,
si
,” Aaron said. “Sorry for our rudeness.” His gaze traveled back to me. Lifting a co
cktail glass full of red liquid, he
took a slow drink, his eyes watching me over the rim.

“Gwen Sparks, Aiden tells me you wish for us to take care of your bond with Ian
Despereaux
. Is this true?” He set the glass back on the table, the movement causing one of his groupies to shift uncomfortably.

“Are they okay?” I asked, watching the two women. I didn’t sense anything supernatural about them which meant they were human. A lot of vampires treated humans
with acceptable etiquette
, but there were those who didn’t. I had a sneaking suspicion Aaron was one of latter.

“Yes, yes, they are fine, just hypnotized.” He looked down at the dark skinned girl and then back at me. “I prefer my meetings to be private.”

If I wasn’t afraid to, I would have laughed. We were surrounded by
a club full
of vampires with exceptional hearing, a private conversation was impossible. “So, Ian
Despereaux
?”

“Um…Y-yes, I would like to break the bond.” I frowned that I stumbled over my words. When you’re near a predator, it’s not smart to show weakness. Everything about Aaron Walker sc
reamed predator, even though he
looked like a teenager, he was probably the most dangerous person I had ever been in a room with.

What are you up to, little witch?

Speak of the devil.
Leave. Me. Alone.
I thought back to Ian.

Why would I want to do that when playing with you is so much fun?

“Ms. Sparks?” Aaron asked.

I looked up at him through my eyelashes, embarrassed I had tuned out whatever he said. “Sorry, did you say something?”

“A penny for your thoughts?”

“It’s just—well, Ian is speaking to me right now, and It’s a bit distracting.”

Aiden’s body went rigid and his hands curled around the arm of his chair, the wood cracked under the pressure.

“I see. That can be a bit frustrating. It took me awhile to get the hang of it myself,” Aaron sympathized.

“You’re bonded?” The question came out a little more skeptical than I intended, but Aaron didn’t seem to take offence.

“The entire council is bonded to one another. It helps us communicate when we are far from each other.”

“You can be bonded to more than one person?” I sat up closer to the table, interested in learning more about the vampires.

“You can if you all share the same blood line. It seems Aiden hasn’t taught you much about our kind,” Aaron sent Aiden a pointed look. “The vampire council consists of the original six, all turned by
Nufesum
, our God you might say. We were chosen for our positions, not voted in like some councils,” he finished. The last part of what he said was directed towards the witches. Every twenty years we elected new council members. “Who’s
Nufesum
?” A waitress walked over and set a glass of something purple in front of me and walked away after Aaron nodded.

“Please drink, and I’ll tell you all about it,” Aaron smiled as he leaned back. I eyed the purple concoction with uncertainty. But when Aaron remained silent, I knew he wouldn’t speak until I drank whatever was in the glass. Picking up the drink, I brought it to my lips and allowed a small amount to fill my mouth. It tasted sweet and crisp. I took a larger drink. It prickled my tongue and sent waves of euphoria washing through my veins.

“Okay,” I mumbled
. “Tell your story.” My body was warm like being wrapped in an electric blanket, and my frustrated libido awakened in a frenzy. I rubbed my legs together as I tried to concentrate on Aaron. Aiden’s eyes shot over to me, and my hand  caressed his face. His skin was course under my fingertips as I trailed my hand across his five o’clock shadow.

Aaron chuckled, bringing my focus back to him. “You like the drink?”

I nodded in slow motion, everything lingered longer than it should. “It’s delicious,” I purred, my voice huskier than normal. I reached for the glass again and downed the last of its contents. Aaron raised his arm in the air and motioned for someone. The waitress appeared beside the table and another purple drink was set in front of me.

“I think one is enough,” Aiden said.

“Nonsense, let the girl enjoy her drink Aiden,” Aaron said with a smile, but even I could hear the threat in his voice.

Lifting the glass, I took another drink. An explosion of desire and heat surged through my body the moment the contents slid down my throat. My chest heaved as I breathed deep, my eyes glued to Aiden’s.

“
Nufesum
,” Aaron began. “Is a demon
ic
vampire—one of the originals. He’s not much to look at, but he is powerful. When the vampires were created by the Devil,
Nufesum
was the commander in charge of all of the Dark One’s children. But
Nufesum
couldn’t stay on earth all the time, so he set out to build a council to watch over the children. I remember it as if it were yesterday. I was tending the farm when the sky blackened with winged creatures.
I was nineteen then and frozen
with fear as I watched the monsters descend upon me and my family.
Nufesum
ordered for me to call for my brothers and sisters and when we all stood in front of him, he hypnotized us so we
would remain silent and
obedient
. One by one he bit my brothers and sisters, draining them of their blood and then refilling their veins with his. I still remember my siblings tear streaked faces and soiled trousers as the monster came for them. I was the last in the line and watched his show so I knew what I was in for.” Aaron stopped when I giggled. My hands searched for the glass again, but Aiden snapped it off the table before I realized it was gone. I stared at the spot it had been and frowned.

“No more,” Aiden said, more to Aaron than me.

“When did you get so uptight, my friend?” Aaron questioned with a grin.

Even in my intoxicated state, I could tell the difference in the air around our table. It
was
suffocating compared to my relaxed and aroused body. Aiden and Aaron’s energy swirled like an angry tornado within the small space and rippled across my skin.

“What’s in that dink,” I busted out laughing. “I mean drink, not dink.”

“Vampire venom,” Aaron spoke, but his focus was on Aiden. “
My
venom.” The energy grew thicker, and I could almost feel Aiden and Aaron’s energy fighting each other. Aaron’s rubbed against me like a soft caress, whereas Aiden’s energy whooshed in and tried to eradicate Aaron’s power from me.

I never quite understood what vampire’s energy was. Aiden once explained it was their influence. Humans could sense it. It caused their fight or flight switch to kick into overdrive, but they weren’t affected by it unless a vampire caught their gaze. Witches, however, are sensitive to magic and auras. So when a vampire was using his influence, or vamp juju as I called it, it felt like tingling prickles along our skin.

“It’s not wise to fight me, Aiden,” Aaron warned. “Gwen has asked for our help and everything has a price. You cannot pay her debt.”

Aiden’s energy withdrew, and a smile spread across Aaron’s face. The warmth in my body amplified and my hands gripped the side of my chair
to keep from slithering out of it
.

“Gwen, Aiden has told you of your debt I assume?”

I nodded my head as I clenched my teeth to keep from moaning. Vampire venom was what made their bite so desirable, or painful, depending on what the vamp was in
to. Ian had shown me exactly how painful those types of bites could be. Luckily, Aaron preferred to inflict pleasure rather than
torture
. Or he could have been turning me on just to piss Aiden off. Vampires loved having pissing contests.

“And what is your answer?” Aaron asked, tilting his head back as he
observed
me over the brim of his nose. “Remember once your word is given, it cannot be taken back.”

The currency for my debt wasn’t money, it was my blood. Aiden called it a blood gift, but I knew better, and I knew what kind of power a vampire could hold over you once your blood hit their tongues. Aiden drank from me once and the exchange of blood
and venom left us hyper aware of each other’s emotions. This time around it would be six vampires drinking from me, six different types of venom traveling through my veins. While the price seemed high, the reward was bigger. I would be rid of the bond with Ian, and I could kill him.

“I accept the offer and willingly gift my blood to the VC,” I told him breathless. Aaron’s energy traveled up my legs, curling around my calves and ascending up my legs.
The invisible caress
was
like warm hands charged with electricity that set every one of my nerve endings on fire.

My back arched against the chair as my head drooped and lips parted
.
A
soft moan escaped from deep in my throat. Aiden snarled next to me, but I was lost in a sea of euphoria, unable to see the lighthouse that would guide me back to sanity. My neglected libido yearned for the sensation of Aaron’s influence, or at least that’s what my body said. In my mind, I knew Aaron was controlling the venom.