The Witch's Vampire (New Adult Paranormal Romance) (Mystery Springs Series) (3 page)

There had been rare cases where the human mother survives, but it wasn’t pleasant or advisable. Wendy, Marissa's mother, knew the risk and begged Gregor, Gio's father to take her in if she didn't make it.

Wendy's case wasn't rare and the inevitable happened. Marissa was taken into the Mancuso family and raised with the expectation that she would someday become a member of the vampire clan-an honor typically bestowed upon only a few every generation. When she turned eighteen she became the rare exception and refused the offer - she wanted to live as a human. Knowing Marissa intimately, and now loving her as a sister, Gio suspected she wanted to have a human child before she was changed. Unfortunately, that path wasn’t an option for her. 

Gregor sentenced Marissa to death. She'd be in the underworld right now, but Gio spoke for her and requested her as his consort. Now she stood at his side, loyal to the end. She was his friendly companion, fed him when he was hungry, and protected him from humans during the day. In return he kept her young, strong, healthy and safe from other predators without changing her DNA by making her a vampire. Over time they’d grown to be best of friends. That was twenty years ago and neither one of them looked a day over 25.

“Are you hungry, Gio?” she purred as she ran her fingers down his arm. She was always willing and so remarkably giving but he wasn’t in the mood at the moment.

He shrugged her hand off his arm and continued to watch the dance floor. Someone caught his attention and he wasn’t sure what to make of the girl with long black hair as dark as night. “Not now, Marissa. Perhaps you’d like to go dance.” He suggested.

“I’d love to dance. Come with me.” She urged by pulling his hand toward her.

“In a minute. Go start without me and I’ll join you later.” He didn’t need to look at her to know she was sulking as she sauntered away. He could smell her hurt and knew she would be a great temptation on the dance floor. Hurt and pain fed so many supernatural. 

“Jeremiah, go with her to keep her company.” He instructed his second in command who eased out of the shadows without a word and followed Marissa down the stairs. Happy his consort was safe he refocused on the captivating girl. He was drawn to her but had no earthly idea why. She was far from his type.

He’d also never seen her before, but there was something familiar about her. Something that took his breath away, if he needed to breath, which he didn’t, other than to make humans think he was one of them. It was an automatic response he did to blend in and in that moment he realized his automatic response had failed him. He’d stopped breathing as he watched the slender but curvy petite girl weave within the crowd. She called to him like a beacon on a foggy night in a storm-tossed ocean. It was the oddest feeling. 

She had a drink in her hand, but was barely touching it, almost like she ordered it for show and had no intentions of finishing it. He found himself thankful that was the case. He'd seen so many lost souls travel further down the rabbit hole with mind altering substances liked alcohol and narcotics. It was a hazard of the job, lifestyle, and unfortunately, the dark world he lived in.

She was wearing a pair of faded, and strategically torn jeans with a green hoodie. It was her attire that first caught his attention. Most of the girls in his club wore skin tight, tiny dresses that left little to the imagination. The others, who wore pants, looked like they’d been poured into them. Almost all of them wore heels. This girl wore tennis shoes. Her midnight black hair was pulled up into a ponytail high on her head and bangs fell softly onto her face covering up a larger than average forehead. She looked so out of place he found himself wondering what her story was. He wanted her to look his way but she hadn’t yet. So she couldn’t be compelled easily, which intrigued him even more. Not all vampires were as skilled in compelling creatures as he was and very few could resist his urges when he focused on them. He’d never met a human that could, which intrigued him further, indicating she was a supernatural. He needed to know what kind of creature she was.

Without even thinking the command, his feet began walking, stepping down the metal stairs. His eyes never leaving her figure begging for her to look his way, a silent prayer that played on his lips because his desire was so strong. Each step brought him closer to the throng of people on the dance floor. Body odor, heavy perfume, sadness, happiness, agony all assaulted his nose. Emotions had scents and the miserable smell of pain was strong. He looked around, curious to find its source while he continued his trek toward his target. As he got closer, the agony got heavier and he realized the pain came from her when her emerald green eyes locked onto his grey ones. He froze, like a cat caught stalking its prey, worried the tiniest movement would scare her. Only she wasn’t prey, there was something more about her. The air seemed to sizzle around her and the closer he got he felt the electric pull like a magnet that found its metal of choice. She seemed as enraptured by his gaze as he was with hers which pleased him more than he expected or was comfortable with.

“You decided to join me after all.” Marissa snuggled up against Gio’s chest as she moved her hips to the music, rocking back and forth as though the heavy beats were a lullaby. Her happy strawberry and cream scent seemed to chase away the pain he felt from the strangely intoxicating girl. Usually, he'd be enthusiastic about wrapping himself up in her happiness, but at the moment his desire was darker, he wanted to wrap the strange girl in pain in his arms and provide her some comfort. 
How odd?
 He was not a selfish man, but he wasn't a masochist either. He looked down at Marissa's blonde tumble of curls for only a moment to unhinge her body from his. Unable to release himself from the brunette's unnerving pull.

“Marissa, dance with Jeremiah.” He smiled easily as he pushed a gentle wave of compulsion toward her. Her blue eyes danced as she giggled, nodded, and ran into Jeremiah’s eagerly awaiting arms. Gio suspected Jeremiah wanted more from his consort, but his bulky size and average looks didn't make Marissa swoon his direction. The attraction simply wasn't there.

The attraction was, however, present between the dark haired girl and himself. When Gio looked up to find the green-eyed vixen she’d disappeared into the crowd. 
Shit! Most likely she saw Marissa clinging to me.
 Frustration meshed with his thoughts as he searched the dance floor for the girl. From this vantage point it was far more difficult to see, even with his above average height, so he focused on her scent. He wasn’t a wolf so his sense of smell wasn’t as strong, but it was hard to miss the pain that vibrated off her in pulsating waves. That mixed with the sweetness of honey, her underlying, natural scent which he identified as hers, made locating her a little easier than he expected.

She was by the bar. The crowd seemed to part for him like the sea did for Moses as he made his way towards her. Of course he knew the tales from the bible, he was human at one time in his life, despite the creature he was now. He held beliefs once, even though now those beliefs were suspended and far from being unlocked anytime soon. He had one belief at the moment, he had to know the girl. He didn’t understand the pull she had on him. It was unsettling, but undeniable. He wondered if it was the pain she felt that attracted him, but somehow, underneath his musing, he knew that wasn’t the case. People in pain came into his nightclub every night and none of them made him want to be near them. He had no desire to touch them or soothe away their pain. No one but this strange girl intrigued him this deeply.

He was only a few feet away now and she hadn’t noticed his approach. He stopped for a moment to look at her. Her face was red and blotchy under the slight tan of her olive skin. She was wearing glasses, fifties-style glasses. How had he not noticed them before when their eyes met?

She hugged her purse closer to her body as Tucker, a regular patron, made a move toward her. The monster inside Gio’s mind snarled as the sandy haired, playboy werewolf offered to buy her another drink. She smiled and told him, “No thanks, I’m getting ready to leave.”

“How about a dance then?” he tried his not-so-smooth moves on her again and Gio felt his demon claw under his skin. If Tucker wasn't careful Gio was going to hurt his old friend. 
What the hell was happening? 
Gio knew he had more self-restraint than this.

She shook her head and gave him a weak smile, “no, I really need to leave soon.” Her voice was almost melodic, like she was singing a verse with every sentence. It reminded him of another time. A time when he was human, before he was made into the creature he was now. So many things seemed familiar about her, but nothing that he easily recognized. Her voice, the scent of honey, her eyes - those soulful orbs that latched onto his with a ferocity that made him need to protect her. In all his years of life he’d never felt this hooked by a woman that didn’t even know his name, or he hers for that matter. He was acting like a jealous school boy for the Gods’ sake!

He decided to reign his emotions in before he approached her. He didn't want to scare the poor girl. He realized he wanted to seduce her.

“She’s otherwise occupied, my friend.” Another man Gio wasn’t familiar with pulled the brunette’s arm toward him. "I need you." 

“Ouch! Excuse me?” She turned and glared at the man.

Gio didn’t recognize him, but his scent told him he was nephilim, which was odd since angel half-breeds weren’t local to Mystery Springs. He didn’t have time to think about how a nephilim in Mystery would shake things up because the cupid-looking man pulled the spunky brunette toward the exit of the club without another word. The way she was fighting against him made Gio believe he was taking her against her will – not in his club.

He followed the human angel out of the club despite the danger the nephilim posed to his life. Angels had a special firelight sword that killed most supernatural beings including vampires. They were one of the most effective killers of vampires which was why many nephilim were hunters. It was also why he waved the bouncers of the club off when they began to follow him. He wasn’t interested in risking the lives of his men over this endeavor. Besides, alone he could be stealthy. But as a group they would be far more obvious, especially to a hunter if that was what the angel-boy was.

When they were outside of the club in the alley the girl managed to yank her arm free. 
Good for her,
 Gio thought. He was thankful she wasn't weak in the face of danger.  

"Don’t touch me!” She snapped.

“Look,” the angel-hybrid ran a hand through his blond waves, “I’m not trying to hurt you. I just want to talk to you.”

“You sure have a funny way of showing it! If you wanted to talk all you had to do was ask. Instead, you attempted to kidnap me from a crowded nightclub. Who does that?” She spun on her heel and started toward the parking lot shaking her head and mumbling in coherently. Gio focused his enhanced hearing toward the rant she was having under her breath and found himself fighting off the chuckle that was building in his chest from her random frustrated words. She was an interesting woman.

The blond boy followed her and Gio followed him. Something about this situation still didn’t sit right with him. No one spoke until she reached her car and put the key in the door. “You're Sophie Waters, daughter of Regina Clarke?” the girl froze and Gio held his breath, he finally had a name, maybe. The problem was she was a witch, a powerful witch. Witches were his least favorite supernatural species. They were always so moralistic and idealistic. They had an unrealistic view of the world, believing there is good to be found in all things, no matter how bad they were.

“Yes, how did you know?" When the blond didn't answer she continued, "Look, the wake will be next week.”

Now Gio understood the pain that rolled off her. Her mother was well-known and her death was very public in the supernatural circles. It was a compliment, a testament to how great a loss her life was. But that loss paled in comparison to what Sophie must be feeling. She lost her mother. Loss of a loved one is never easy no matter how long you live, but a daughter losing a mother is a tragedy. The overwhelming desire to wrap her in his arms and kiss away some of the pain returned and filled him with so much need he slipped out of the shadows and asked, “Excuse me, is this man bothering you?” He cursed inwardly. W
hat the hell is wrong with me?
He could’ve stayed hidden until she got in her car and left but no his body seemed to have a mind of its own, and it wanted to be close to her.

Sophie jumped back against her blue sedan which proved to him that he’d managed to stay hidden in the darkness well enough for her. The nephilim wasn’t as surprised which was easily explained, they were natural enemies.