Better Off Red (6 page)

They knelt on the cushion in front of the first woman, the one with the blunt blond haircut. I watched her face for a moment as she looked over Anna-Jade.

“Most gracious Natasha, our sister-queen, I present to you Anna-Jade Wilson. She is kind and giving and in need of love and respect,” Layna said softly.

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Heather continued with the same soft murmur. “We know you will bring her the same joy you have brought to us, and we know you will offer her your protection.”

Natasha gently lifted her finger and tipped Anna-Jade’s chin up so she could look her in the eye. “Do you understand what I ask of you?”“You want my blood?” Anna-Jade replied. I shuddered, hearing my fears confirmed.

“That is correct. If you will give yourself to me, never will you fear again. I will love and protect you and your little sister.” Anna-Jade made a small hiccupping sound and her body shook more.

Natasha gave her a moment before she went on. “I ask you one last time, my sweet, will you allow me to bind you to myself, my sister-queens, and your sisters?”

The decision was up to her now, not the group. This was her final out, her last chance to escape, but Anna-Jade nodded and said,

“Yes.”

I was captivated by the vows between them. I didn’t know Anna-Jade at all, but despite the size of Natasha’s teeth, her words were enough to take the fear away, for Anna-Jade at least. I hadn’t lost sight of what was going on here. They were asking us to feed them, but even I couldn’t fight the comfort Natasha offered…until she took the knife Layna held out to her and pulled the blade across Anna-Jade’s palm.

The air hissed between her teeth, but she didn’t move. Natasha dipped her head slowly and licked the blood away from the opening in the gash. She ran her mouth back and forth across Anna-Jade’s skin. I wanted to be horrified. I wanted to puke, then grab Amy and run. I’d promised I wouldn’t let them hurt her, and hand slicing fell under the umbrella of pain. I was still paralyzed by what I was seeing.

When Natasha lifted her head, Anna-Jade’s palm was clean and the cut was completely healed. Natasha brushed her cheek gently before leaning forward to kiss Anna-Jade on the lips. She pulled away and stroked her cheek one more time.

Then Heather handed Natasha a slim black box. I couldn’t see what was inside until Anna-Jade bowed her head a little. Natasha

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fastened a delicate platinum chain around her neck. I knew there was a small teardrop ruby hanging just above her breasts.

“You are safe here and we all will love you,” Natasha said before she looked to Heather and Layna. They took that as their cue to usher Anna-Jade up from her spot. The three of them shuffled behind Natasha and settled comfortably on the cushion. Anna-Jade was still crying. Heather wrapped her arms around her and let her sob quietly. I got the feeling they were tears of relief.

The queen had our attention again as she looked off to my right.

“Kate, Jordan, please make your presentation to your sister-queen.”

Kate and Jordan led Laura forward toward the chocolate-skinned woman. Her name was Omi. The vows were nearly the same. She promised to protect and care for Laura, whose palm was swiftly cut then resealed with a few swipes of Omi’s tongue. A ruby necklace was placed around her neck and Laura was kissed. Then she took her seat with Kate and Jordan behind Omi.

The queen went over the line again. On either side of me, one by one, a new girl was brought forward and presented to a different sister-queen. Natasha. Omi. Kina. Faeth. Tokyo. All exotically beautiful, all terrifying.

Then, Danni and Paige brought Amy forward to the queen. The most important sister-queen, the hazel-eyed leader of this insane ceremony. The queen made her pledge to Amy, then closed her wound. I watched Amy for a moment while she twirled the teardrop ruby between her fingers. When Benny went forward with Cleo and Barb, I realized I was the only one left. I was the thirteenth girl.

As Benny crossed the marble floor, I finally got a good look at her. She was heavy like Danni, but she didn’t carry her weight as well. Her long dark brown hair was frizzy and she had acne all over her back and shoulders. I hated myself for thinking it. I didn’t want to believe the queen found Benny more attractive than me.

And even more, I was filled with this irrational stab of jealously.

Danni and Cleo had brought Benny and Amy for the queen, and I was left out. The other girls were involved in their own sister-queens, exchanging small kisses and petting strokes. They didn’t notice just how uncomfortable I was standing in the middle of the

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room alone. I felt like crying. And then I felt crazy. I actually wanted this—vampire to pick me. At least over Benny.

“It looks like you and Cleo have brought me one extra,” the queen said to Danni as she looked me over. I watched her hands as she gently stroked Amy’s leg. That pissed me off even more.

“She didn’t want any part of this, but we thought maybe you’d like to meet her. Ginger Elizabeth Carmichael, meet Camila, our kind and loving and most gracious Queen,” Danni replied. I couldn’t tell whether she was messing with me or Camila.

“You are too sweet, Danni. I want you to take Amy and Benny.”

I took a step back as all the women stood at once. Danni handed Camila another slim black box. “I would like to have a word with Ginger alone.”

Everyone ignored me as they filed out of the room. Amy didn’t even glance back to see if I was okay. She was so wrapped up in Danni. She and I were going to have a long talk.

When it was just the two of us, Camila held out her hand for me. “Come.”

I stepped forward and took Camila’s hand. Her skin was warm and soft. Up close, she smelled like fresh cinnamon with a bit of sugar. My mouth started to water, and other parts of my body became more and more wet. I swallowed and followed her silently as she led me from the room.

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The other girls disappeared down a long hallway. Camila tugged me in the opposite direction. I glanced back after Amy. The dimly lit corridor made it impossible for me to find her in the sea of black robes, white nighties, and bare skin. I wanted to trust Danni and Cleo to keep her safe because I’d never forgive myself if she were to get hurt. Or worse. If I found Amy the next morning with her perky demeanor intact, I’d let her know I was a little annoyed she had bailed on me so easily. At the moment, though, Amy was the least of my worries.

Considering how much time I’d spent thinking about Camila, I should have been anxious to actually be with her alone, but that was the Camila I’d dreamed up in my head. The harmless, yet outrageously sexy college student, maybe a senior with a thing for girls my height with green eyes and freckles. The reality of what I had just witnessed, the blood oaths and the fangs, left me a little conflicted. While we walked, I pictured the short blade cutting open Amy’s skin and the satisfied look on Camila’s face as she licked the blood away. If she was fulfilled by the taste of blood, there was no way I was safe with her alone. I might not live to see the morning.

Were amazingly good looks reason enough to trust your blood lusting captor?

I suppose I didn’t have to hold her hand. My body didn’t see that there was another choice. Camila, the queen, my Hazel Eyes, was a vampire. Vampires were supposed to be cold, undead creatures

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of the night or something just as cute and cuddly. Camila’s skin was incredibly soft, and even though her grip was confident and firm, she was surprisingly gentle as her fingers interlaced with mine. I inhaled another hint of her warm, mouthwatering scent as she pulled me closer. I had to get away from her.

I tried to focus on where we were going instead of on Camila’s bare ass. It was difficult. Her backside was so round and perky. The black chain around her body shimmered as she moved, following the curve of her hips, up around her back. I looked at her smooth shoulders and the graceful line of her neck. Her haircut was so…

cute. The dark spikes were in perfect disarray, short in the back and slightly longer over her ears and bangs. It wasn’t a style many people could pull off, but like the bright red lipstick, it looked amazing on her.

My clit wanted to see just how close I could get to her. The throbbing pulse between my legs wanted to touch her. It was telling me to run my fingers over her whole body. The logical side of my brain wanted to make a run for it. If I only knew which way would take me to an actual exit and not back into the arms of the other sister-queens.

Our long walk brought us to a red door. Camila opened it and patiently ushered me inside. I don’t know what I was expecting. I found a pretty regular lounge area. A dark carpet covered the floor.

There was a black couch, a few chairs, and a coffee table centered around an enormous flat screen TV. In the corner there was an elegant bar. Along the far wall were three more red doors. Camila led me to the door in the center.

She flicked a switch and a soft, golden glow lit the room. I glanced up and saw small yellow bulbs hidden in the molding around the ceiling. There was an enormous bed covered with black satin sheets and thick black blankets. Another flat screen TV was mounted on the wall across from the bed, over a large dresser. On the far side of the room, a set of black curtains were pulled open on either side of a sitting area with two oversized armchairs and a chaise lounge. All the furniture was black and there were no windows.

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I stood by the door and watched Camila. I was fascinated by the way she moved. Her hips and shoulders rotated in lithe, synchronized movements, like a jungle cat. I almost felt rude staring. I had to take advantage, though. I didn’t know if I’d ever see her again. I needed someone to slap me. If I lived, I had to get out of there.

She walked over to her dresser and stashed the thin black box.

I think it held a necklace for me. A necklace that I’d have to shed blood for. Camila unhooked the weaving of metal and rubies from around her waist and placed it gently in a wooden box lined with black silk.

“You may sit if you like.” Without looking at me, she nodded toward the bed. My stomach clenched at the sound of her voice. The bed seemed like a bad place to sit and I’d have to walk past her to get to the chairs.

“I’m fine.”

She opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of black lace underwear and a black tank top. It was a shame to cover any of that perfect golden skin. As she pulled on the underwear, she turned toward me a little bit. She was completely bare between her legs.

The skin of her slit glistened. For a split second, I wanted to know what exactly had made her wet.

“Kinda overdoing it with the black, huh?” I blurted nervously.

She pulled the tank top over her head. Her hard nipples puckered through the fabric.

“I have to offset Natasha. Her room is all neons. It’s hideous.

Besides, don’t you think it’s fitting?” She turned around and leaned against her dresser, folding her arms across her chest. “For a vampire.”

“Is that what you are?”

“It’s what you think, isn’t it?”

“Something like that.” I took a deep breath and stood up straight. It was time to leave. “You guys seem pretty stocked up on food now. What do you want with me?”

“Tonight, I was hoping you would feed me. And then I was planning on fucking you to sleep.” Heat surged across my chest and face. No one had ever said anything like that to me—ever. I had no idea what to say back. That didn’t stop my body from reacting to

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her even more. My nipples started to tingle and my feet shuffled, my thighs pressing together.

“But we have some things to discuss before that.” Her fangs had retracted for the most part, but the light still caught their sharp tips when she talked. She caught me looking at them before she licked her plump bottom lip and glanced at the floor. The red lipstick didn’t budge at all. I shifted my weight more to my left foot.

“Wha—” My voice cracked so I coughed and tried again. “What things?” Camila pushed off the dresser and turned to rummage through another jewelry box. I wanted to back away as she came back toward me. Instead, I watched helplessly, my eyes glued to the long needle she carried. She picked up my hand and pricked my index finger, then pinched it so the blood came rushing to the surface. I gasped as she took my fingertip in her mouth. Her warm tongue swirled over my skin. She looked up at me, still sucking on my finger, and my pussy gushed.

“I figured,” Camila said. She straightened and let go of my hand. “You saw me that night, didn’t you?”

“When?” I glanced at my finger. Every trace of the pinprick was gone. “The night of the open house?” She nodded. “Yeah. You were talking to Barb.”

“Did you see any of the other sister-queens?” I scanned my memory. There had been so many people in the past week. Something clicked, though.

“Yeah, Faeth? The tall one with the brown hair.” Camila nodded again, pursing her lips. “Yeah, I saw her last night when we came over. She was standing by the window for a little while.”

“Cleo tells me you were adopted.”

“I was. What does that have to do with you or Faeth?”

“What happened to your birth mother?”

“She died.” I shook my head with a humorless chuckle, wanting to move away from the painful truths of my past. “She died twice actually. She used to joke that women had nine lives, like cats.”

“What do you mean twice?”

“She was found clinically dead when she was about five months pregnant with me. A mugger or something. The doctors saved her.”

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“Ah, okay.”

“What?” My relationship with my real mother had been short and painful, but I didn’t appreciate anyone being so casual about her death. “Why are you asking about her?”