Authors: Celia Styles
“Them.” His eyes searched the area around them and she saw that there were men and women who were forming a circle around them. The club was large and loud and most people would think that is was just a pit where everyone was dancing. It was, however, a circle of some strange looking people. Their eyes were the same bright blue as Damon’s and they looked like they were ready to pounce.
“You know the rules vampire. It is in the treaty. If two supernaturals deem for the same human then it is up to the human to choose who she should go with.”
Damon looked at the woman. He feared for her safety. Werewolves were not the nicest animals, mindless of the fairy tales and new movies seen about them. Little Red Riding Hood’s story was closer to the truth than any romance novel on the shelf today or any movie made about Lycans. He stared at Isaac then turned his attention to the lighter haired Calvin. They were right, and if he broke the treaty now it would not only hurt the humans around them but put his people and covenant in danger.
Sighing deeply he nodded his head. “You are correct. She has the choice. I just wish we could show her the last woman’s fate that chose the two of you. Actually, I can. Do you read the paper Angela?”
Startling her from her droning she looked at him. “Yes. Sometimes.”
“Do you remember the story of the girl who was found in the alley of 2
nd
street?”
She looked fearfully at the two men standing in front of her. “Yes.” The answer was more of a squeak than anything.
“That was compliments of Isaac and Calvin here.”
Her eyes turned to look fearfully at the two men. Self consciously she took a step backwards and closer to Damon. “You can’t prove that. Besides, wouldn’t be our fault if it was us. Humans aren’t built like we are. They can’t take the stimulation we give them. Their hearts give out too fast.” Calvin blurted it out before Isaac could stop him, and then gave an apologetic look towards the other man beside him.
Stepping forward he took her other hand in his own. “What my brother was trying to say is that yes, this can happen but we are too experienced and attentive to women’s needs for it to ever be a problem.” She felt his lips graze her hand before he squeezed it and let it drop back down to her side.
Damon turned to her. “You have to choose. Do you want to leave with me or them? Think carefully. The choice will change the outcome of the rest of your life.”
“What?” She’d had enough. First Matt and then this. Something snapped inside her and she wrenched her arm from the hold Damon had on it. “You know what… neither! I choose neither of you Neanderthals. You act as if I am some piece of meat. I will not be told where to go or what to do and I am definitely not going anywhere with any of you.” She turned to leave but was suddenly blocked by the people who stood in the circle. Walking straight up to one of them she yelled. “Move out of my fucking way! I have had enough of stupid macho men tonight to last a damn lifetime.” They looked over her shoulder and she realized that they were asking Damon for permission. She spun around again when they refused to budge and stomped back to Damon. “I demand to be able to leave. You can’t keep me here. I have to make sure the locks have been changed on my house and everything.”
“You must choose. If you’d like, the person who you chose can take you home first.”
“What do you mean first? I just want to go home.” The buzz she had been feeling earlier was suddenly gone and in its place was a pounding in her head that was getting worse by the minute.
“I am sorry sweetheart. You must choose.”
She looked at him and angrily stomped her foot. She knew it was childish but she did it anyway. “I don’t want to and don’t call me sweetheart damn it.”
He sighed that same exasperated sigh again and looked at her. His face turned aggressive as he told her firmly but not unkind. “You must, and now, or I will have to fight one of them to the death. Who do you choose?”
Angela looked at him and her eyebrows shot up in shock at the realization of his words. She looked at him and realized that she didn’t get the uneasy feeling she felt earlier that she did with the other two men. She looked over at them to see them looking at her, waiting. They were both extremely sexy but Damon wasn’t bad to look at either. She just wanted to go home and put an end to this nightmarish night. She didn’t trust any of them but she knew that Damon was the lesser of the two evils. The two men she had almost left with never denied outright that the woman found dead in the alley was their doing. In actuality, they had agreed to it somewhat. She shivered when she thought what that poor woman had gone through. She remembered the story. The abuse she had been through was too much for Angela and she had turned the paper away from her. There was no way in hell she would even attempt to go with them now. To think that she almost went home with them. Would Matt and her friends have gotten a call in the morning that her body had been found?
“I choose you then.”
“You must say the name and the species.”
“What?”
“You must say I choose Damon and the vampires.”
She looked at him like he had grown three heads. Now she was dealing with a lunatic. Vampires? “Fine I will play along with your game if it gets me home. I choose Damon and the vampires.”
She was instantly brought to his side and he encircled her waist with his arm. Giving the two men on the side a smile he ran his hand down her hair from her crown to where it laid to her waist. She jumped when she felt his breath feather across her ear. “It is no game sweetheart. You will see soon enough. You are now mine.”
She looked up at him and suddenly she started to panic. What was wrong with these people? Maybe she should have gone home instead.
“Let me go.”
“No. Let’s get you home.”
Before she knew what was happening, he had escorted her outside. He ushered her with one arm still around her waist to a long black limo. She started to struggle against him as they got closer to the car. Finally getting her arm free she ran her nails down the side of his face. She watched in amazement as the blood ran a path down his cheek. Her eyes rounded as the wounds began to knit back together. In a matter of minutes there was no sign of her attack on his handsome face. He gave her a smile before picking her up and dropping her inside the limo on her ass. Looking up from the floor, she sputtered in outrage. Not only did the asshole steal her away and kidnap her but he was being very rude to her as well.
Damon followed the aggravating woman into the car and sat on the seat. He didn’t help her up to the other seat but sat back with his arms folded in front of him. He didn’t have time for this crap, or this infuriating woman. He had seen the werewolves with her on the floor of the club and instantly had a compelling urge to save her. There was something different about her than the rest that he saved. Why had he made her choose? He could have just made her choose between leaving with the werewolves or him. He didn’t have to put himself into it at all. Now he was bound to her and, by the glare she was giving him, he didn’t think she was going to like the outcome one little bit. They pulled up to the townhouse to see a man standing at the doorway. The man was lean and looked to be fit, but Damon knew that the man wouldn’t even be a slight challenge to him. Looking over at her, he saw her eyes round when she saw the man. An instant dislike flared up somewhere inside him.
He was pissed that she would want another man. This must be the ex she had spoken about outside. Damon had just arrived, and with his supernatural hearing, he had heard the conversation she had with her friend. His thoughts were disrupted when he thought about the man touching her body. He couldn’t think straight when he thought of anyone else touching her except Broden. Broden was his second in command, and his best friend. They had spent many centuries ruling the vampire kingdom together. Broden would definitely like her and he could see his friend now trying to woo her his way. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the man. When the car came to a stop he looked over at her.
“You are to tell him you are leaving for a while.”
“And you think he is going to believe that? I told him to come get his stuff off the front porch in the morning. He is probably here to get it now. This may take a while. Thank you for the ride but I can take it from here.”
“I am going nowhere without you. Whether either one of us likes it or not, we are bound to each other. You must come back to the castle with me.”
“I must come back to the castle with you? Are you fucking crazy? Never mind, I know you are. I am not going anywhere with you. You are not human or normal. Something is truly weird here and I don’t want to be any part of it. Got that buddy? Now if you will excuse me. I have to go take care of another macho man idiot.” She went to move from the car and her wrist was encircled with his hand.
Damon chose to ignore the spark of electricity that shot up his arm with the contact and the spark of interest that lit her eyes. No matter what her mouth said, her body was attracted to him. Maybe she was a light emblem. If that was the case then he had found a weapon against the werewolves like no other.
“I will go with you.”
“Uh, No.”
“Yes.” They were face to face and so close that she could feel his breath across her lips. It was the faintest of feelings but it was there. Her eyes traveled to his lips and then back up to his eyes. She realized suddenly that they were breathing hard and she quickly shrugged her shoulders and made her way from the car.
“Suit yourself.” Squaring her shoulders she stepped away from the car and towards her home. She could only deal with one thing at a time, and right now it was extracting Matt from her life for good.
******
Angela glared at the man across from her. They had finally gotten rid of Matt with his things after two hours. After watching her argue with him for a while, Damon had finally stepped in and told him he needed to leave. When he argued and told Damon to mind his own business, Damon had kept his head which she admired. After some time however he apparently had had enough. Matt left shortly after. His stuff had been piled in the back of his truck while he held his hands to his bloody nose. Damon had rushed her up the stairs shortly after to get clothing, while someone that must have been called without her knowledge changed the locks to her house.
Damon knew the woman was pissed but he knew she wouldn’t be safe at her home. He smelled the Lycans all around the perimeter and knew that they had probably followed them to her home. Until her powers came into play, she wasn’t safe alone. The first thing he needed to do was to make sure she was safe. The second, was to explain to her what was surely going to happen sooner or later to her, and her life. That was a conversation that he was not looking forward to. Hopefully Broden would want to sit in on it too.
Angela turned her eyes from the pain in the ass in front of her to the window. Gazing out she saw indeed a castle to the side of the road they were traveling. It stood high and proud with large towers on either side of it. The stone of the exquisite fortress was a pale white in color and looked almost marble. It was breathtaking and she felt herself holding her breath as they turned and went through the gate. There was a large area where houses were sitting out everywhere. People walked to and from homes and buildings. There was a lot of laughter and joy and she saw nothing but smiles on the people’s faces.
“Breathe before you collapse.” Her eyes traveled back in front of her to meet the demanding eyes of Damon. He grinned at her and gestured at the windows. “What do you think of my home and people?”
“It is exquisite and gorgeous. I would love to live in a place like this.” She didn’t realize what she had said until she met his eyes again. “You know… if it were possible and I wasn’t forced.”
He laughed out right throwing his head back. “You are a delight to be around. So refreshing from the people who are always tripping over themselves to please me. Especially the women.” He winked at her and laughed even harder at her blush. “You should get used to it because you will be staying with us for a while. Whether forced or not, you have a lot to learn. I fear the dogs were right. You may just be an enlightened and, if that is true, there is much to tell you. I fear you cannot go anywhere without me or Broden from this point forward. No one is to be trusted. EVER! Do you understand?” His eyes bore into hers and she suddenly felt afraid. Not of him but of what he was talking about. What was an enlightened? She nodded her head in agreement.