Darling (2 page)

“You know
cannot lie to a vampire, Mistress, and go undiscovered. Now tell
me—how long have you known?”

“Long enough
to understand my place.” Cassandra’s eyes darkened with
pain. She constructed a smile designed to patch her agony. “Please
help me. . .” Lenore spun and curtseyed low in obeisance.
Cassandra didn’t have to turn around to know he was there.

2

“What goes
here, Lenore?” Although delivered softly, Lord Constantine’s
tone communicated grave displeasure. Formally dressed in black
evening clothes replete with silver cravat, top hat banded in
matching, lustrous fabric, and completed by a voluminous overcoat and
sable leather gloves, the hauntingly beautiful vampire oozed colossal
power and elegant menace. He glided forward, booted feet soundless as
they traveled across stone, to tower over both women.

“Lord
Constantine, you honor us with your presence.” Lenore sank even
deeper as a sign of reverence.

“I am not in a
habit of repeating myself.”

Lenore rose at his
signal. She bowed once. “Of course, my lord. Mistress
Cassandra—”

“Has been
crying. Her misery found me in my rooms. Why?”

Lenore’s
expression remained placid, carved from living marble. Nothing seemed
to touch her, but Cassandra knew Lenore more than capable of
discomfort and disappointment. A lifetime spent watching these
ageless creatures had taught Cassandra to watch for the minutia.

There! She took a
little longer to blink. She’s sad.

Guilt suffocated
her. Standing there without a stitch of clothing, Cassandra had to
listen to her lord castigate her protector all because she wanted the
impossible.

If she hadn’t
been so selfish, Lenore would have already finished preparing her for
his visit.

If she hadn’t
been so weak, Lord Constantine would have never known she was upset.

If she hadn’t
been so disgustingly human, Cassandra would have been stronger than
her fears.

I must be who he
wants me to be. A girl. . .not a woman.

She summoned a
radiant grin and spun around. “Lord Constantine! I have missed
you so much!” Launching into his arms, Cassandra barely waited
for him to lift her up before she peppered his face with innocent
kisses.

“Mistress
Cassandra, allow me to put on your robe before you climb all over
your lord.”

Lenore’s
censure made the human girl latch onto her vampire even tighter.
“Please do not be upset with Lady Lenore, my lord. I fell to my
fears today. That is all.”

His icy aristocratic
countenance melted with a gentle smile. “My darling Cassandra,
what is there for you to fear? Hmm? Tell me and I will destroy it.”
He kissed the tip of her nose and hugged her tightly.

She giggled,
relieved to have spared Lenore a continued tongue-lashing. “But
you are the king of all fears, my lord. You make them appear so how
could you ever destroy them?”

“I am your
lord, am I not?” He waited until she nodded. “Then my
will is absolute.” Lord Constantine bounced her once. “Now
tell me. What made you cry?”

Cassandra thought to
lie. She tried very, very hard to do so without him knowing. She
failed.

His eyes hardened.
“Do not lie to me, darling. I will be most upset with you if
you dishonor me with a falsehood.”

Chastened, she
dropped her head onto his shoulder. “I am sorry, my lord.
Please forgive me.”

He carried Cassandra
back out into her chamber with Lenore following behind. When
Cassandra began to speak again, Lord Constantine shushed her. He
accepted the proffered robe and wrapped his little human up within
its generous folds. Settling onto the chaise, with Cassandra tucked
solidly against his side, Lord Constantine dismissed Lenore with a
nod.

Cassandra lay there,
quiet as a favored pet but not nearly as content. She awaited his
permission to speak again. Her heart thumped a nervous rattle.
Knowing he could hear it, she lamented again at being so easily
weakened.

“Why did you
become so sad, darling?”

Tears scalded. She
screwed her eyes shut. Cassandra wanted to defy him and remain mute.
His leather-clad fingertip brushed against her cheek in warning.

There’s no
hope for it. He will never retreat once he wants to know something.

“I become very
frightened without you, Lord Constantine. I think you will forget me
one day. I will disappear if that happens. I know I will.”

“Silly girl.”
He tipped Cassandra’s chin up. Brushing away her tears, he
pressed his mouth against hers in a chaste kiss. “I could never
forget my darling, dearest, sweetest girl. Didn’t you know?
Vampires have extraordinarily sharp memories.”

Cassandra gripped
his overcoat. Rubbing her cheek against the velvety broadcloth
material, she swore, “I love you, my lord. I love you so very,
very much.”

“How much do
you love me?” he prodded with an indulgent grin.

Courage pulled back
the curtain on her inner morbidity. Cassandra cupped his cheek and
confessed, “I love you so much I want to die.”

Lord Constantine’s
humor disappeared. His ethereal face stiffened with disapproval. “Do
not say such things, Cassandra. They do not please me.”

Rebuked, she dropped
her hand and buried her face against his wide chest. Sorry she
displeased him but not sorry she said the words, Cassandra awaited
his lecture.

It wasn’t long
coming.

“Darling, you
mustn’t dirty yourself with those emotions. You are my
cherished, pure girl and, as such, you cannot feel these inferior
things. Do you understand?”

He intoxicated her.
It would be so easy to agree, to become anything Lord Constantine
wanted of her, just so she could continue to be the recipient of his
adoration. Wickedness prompted her to honesty.

“No, I do not
understand, my lord. I do not understand at all.” Cassandra’s
melancholy, girlish voice refused to be denied—even if it
angered her most important person. “I cannot help what I feel
for you, Lord Constantine. I do not think it dirty or inferior.”

He squeezed her
once. “Of course not, darling. You could never be either.
Forgive me for making it seem I thought that when I do not.”

“Lord
Constantine?”

“Yes,
darling?”

“When will you
make me your Beloved?”

The vampire smoothed
her hair back, fingertips straying to play with the ends of her damp
locks. “Why do you ask?”

Cassandra wiggled
until he let her sit up. Placing a hand over her heart, she
whispered, “I want to be your Beloved.” He communicated
his customary answer before speaking a single word. Frustration made
a fool of her.

“I know you
do, precious, but the moment is not right.”

“Why?”

Lord Constantine
frowned at the high-pitched, demanding query. “I have spoken,
Cassandra. Do not question me further.”

Terrifying rage
overtook her. Imagination turned half-truths into lurid facts,
leaving Cassandra on the precipice of abandonment. “You do not
care for me anymore! I know it to be true!”

“Darling, you
will stop this. I command it.”

Cassandra scrambled
off the chaise, easily fending away his halfhearted attempts to
capture her arms. She pointed a shaky finger at him. “You do
not see me as a woman, do you? You see me as a pet, as your human
pet, and I will not have it!”

“You are
overwrought, darling. Calm yourself.”

“No! If you
will not have me then let me go!”

“Be silent
now.”

Her vocal cords
froze, fallen under his compulsion.

“Come here.”

Cassandra’s
limbs tightened in preparation for his command. She closed her eyes
and fought it, knowing her struggles were for naught.

“Oh, you are
being very disobedient, darling. You will stop your defiance and you
will listen to your lord. Come here. Now.”

Her legs
high-stepped back to Lord Constantine, guaranteeing Cassandra a mild
dose of humiliation.

He is so mean!
Mocking me by making me walk like a horse. . .

He allowed a tiny
smirk to play about his hard mouth. “If I saw you as my human
pet, darling, I would have you walk as befitting my pet. Do you
prefer it this way? No? I did not think so.”

Lord Constantine
patted the spot beside him. Cassandra dropped down. Her eyes watered
at the subjugation.

His sadism retreated
at the sight of her tears. “Do not cry, darling. I cannot bear
for you to be upset. I adore you so. . .” Lord Constantine
gathered her back into his arms. “Cassandra, you must never
doubt your place by my side. You are my precious girl and I cannot
stand for us to have cross words.” Cupping her cheek, he leaned
down and feathered his lips across her temple. “Speak, my
sweet, and tell me you agree.”

Cassandra sobbed in
reply; heartbroken and left in shameful want.

“There, there.
Do not cry.” Lord Constantine’s tiny kisses marked her
cheek, chin, mouth, and shoulder before settling on the smooth curve
of her neck. “I cannot stand for you to be unhappy, darling.”

Goosebumps erupted.
Cassandra’s sobs took on a breathy quality as Lord Constantine
continued to press his lush mouth against her sensitized skin. His
tongue snaked out to taste her and Cassandra felt his large body
shudder.

“Darling, you
cannot continue to be so miserable. It kills me. I know what you
want. . .what you’ve always wanted.” Lord Constantine’s
hand found its way beneath her robe. “I will make you feel
better, darling. I promise.”

His touch shocked
Cassandra enough to stop weeping. Despite all their years of
familiarity, Lord Constantine had never once caressed her in such an
intimate way. Trembling, she parted her legs, hoping, praying, ready
to bargain for anything, if only her lord would finally change their
interactions.

Please, please,
please!

“Is this what
you want, Cassandra? Tell me.”

Besotted by the
touch of leather against her skin, she sighed, “Yes, my lord.
This is what I have always wanted. Always.”

His eyes flashed
crimson. She immediately looked away. Her instinctive reaction
apparently gave him much needed control. “I adore you so much I
am almost willing to give into damnation.” Lord Constantine
squeezed her thigh once. Face tight with tormented lust, he struggled
to hold back the beast hiding behind the beautiful mask of a
civilized man. Lord Constantine waited until Cassandra looked back up
at him. “Almost, but not yet.”

Lord Constantine
removed his hand. Ice descended. Shock made her body numb. “I
do not understand, my lord.”

Pity softened his
expression. “I know you do not and I am sorry for it. We cannot
do this.”

“But why?”

He kissed her
softly, silencing her plaintive cry, and whispered, “I will not
allow your love for me to become a poisoned thing.”

3

Constantine left his
human in her chambers with instructions to prepare for their evening
out. He had patted Cassandra on the cheek once and forced himself to
overlook the devastation bruising her lovely eyes. Constantine
promised to entertain her to her heart’s content when they went
out. Her wan smile wounded him. It was difficult to leave Cassandra
in such somber circumstances. He absolutely hated disappointing her.

Better to disappoint
her than destroy her.

Constantine scented
Cassandra’s companion long before seeing the vampiress. Careful
to school his features back to their placid mask, he wondered what
was so important to cause Lenore to seek a private audience with him.
Constantine had a sinking feeling it had everything to do with his
darling’s uncharacteristic tantrum. Lenore, gracefully deep in
curtsey, awaited him in the long hallway leading away from
Cassandra’s luxurious rooms.

Constantine stopped
before her. “You may rise, Lady Lenore.”

Skipping the formal
speech of thanking him for his time, she promptly mutilated
Constantine’s world with two words.

“She knows.”

“Knows what
exactly?”

“She knows of
the others you have kept.”

Constantine’s
stomach dropped. Rank guilt consumed him, seeking to force him to
turn around and beg Cassandra’s forgiveness. His vow to keep
his human safe prevented him from making that impetuous mistake.

I must keep my head
if I am to rectify this.

Calmness made a cold
lie of Constantine’s turbulent emotions. “I see. How did
she find out?”

“I do not know
yet. I will discover it.”

“What was her
reaction?”

“Despair.”

Constantine blinked
slowly. His mind whirled like a mad dervish. “I never wanted
her to know for a reason. Those women are of no consequence. I cannot
allow it to affect her.”

“My lord,
please forgive me for bringing you such news but it already has.”

“No.”
The denial slashed the air. “Cassandra cannot be sullied by
this. She is the one thing most precious to me and I cannot lose
her.”

Lenore pressed
forward, determined to make her liege understand the severity of the
situation. “She sees this as a betrayal, my lord. She believes
this to be proof of your lack of intention towards her. She believes
you will abandon her. I fear what will happen if Mistress Cassandra
continues to believe you do not hold her in the highest esteem.”

He blindly stared at
the lavish surroundings, all chosen with the sole purpose of pleasing
Cassandra. Agony liquidized his aloof posture.

“She is my
entire world. How can she believe I would ever set her aside? I have
adored her since I first held her in my arms. I have protected her
with all of my power. I have suppressed my birthright, my sacred
duty, to keep fear far from her. How can she even think I would do
this for anyone else?”

“As a human,
Mistress Cassandra cannot differentiate between the attention you
give her and the carnal association you give another.”