Vampire Dreams Revamped (A Sons of Navarus Prequel) (9 page)

“Enough!”

The look of rage that Vasilije flashed
toward him surprised Brandon, and he had to force himself to resist
deferring to the one who’d made him what he was.

“Brandon, I grow weary of your
interference.”

“Vasilije, don’t do this to her.”

But his plea fell on deaf ears and Vasilije
continued his questioning.

“Arden, tell me what happens when he visits
you at night.”

Looking up into his face, her beautiful eyes
glazed over, she whispered, “He makes love to me and drinks from
me.”

Brandon closed his eyes in pain. He should
be doing everything in his power to protect her from his sire’s
manipulations. Instead, he stood obediently as the shame of
powerlessness washed over him.

“And you like when he does this?”

Shyly, she answered, “Yes. I love him.”

Relieved and thrilled by her answer, Brandon
opened his eyes and saw Arden’s innocent face beaming from her
admission. Gradually, the pain that had forced his eyes closed
ebbed away and he found the strength he needed to protect her.

Running his hand over her cheek, Vasilije
thanked her and turned to Brandon. “You’re right. She’s
perfect.”

Relieved she’d passed his sire’s test, he
looked over at her beautiful face staring straight ahead.

“So I’m going to take her.”

Brandon whipped his head around to face
Vasilije. “No! She’s mine!”

“As your sire, I have right of first choice.
You know that. And as I watched that beautiful mouth pledge her
love to you, I couldn’t help think how much I wanted that mouth
filled with my cock.”

“No! Don’t do this!”

“Why not?”

“Vasilije, why would you do this? I’ve been
obedient and loyal all these years. I’m alone, unlike you, and I
want her for me.” Brandon dropped his gaze to the floor. “Don’t
make me beg. Please.”

His sire’s mouth twisted into a cruel smile
and Brandon worried he’d lost her. His mind raced through his
choices. He could try to get her out, but she remained under his
power. He had only one choice—kill his sire.

Brandon looked over at her, his heart full
of sadness. He couldn’t lose her! If having her meant killing
Vasilije, then that’s what he had to do. Slowly, he moved toward
him, unsure of how he’d do it, but sure he had to.

Desperation raced through him as his heart
pounded against his chest. So many times for so many reasons he’d
obeyed Vasilije, even when every fiber of his being had told him
not to. He’d allowed him to lord his power over him, never
possessing the strength of will or the true desire to defy him.

Until now.

Rage like he’d never harbored for anyone
surged within him. His hands began to shake in anticipation of what
he knew he must do.

I can’t let him have her.

Frantically, his eyes searched the room for
what he’d need to do the deed. He zeroed in on a small antique
table pushed into the corner.

Vasilije’s attention was focused on Arden,
but Brandon knew his power. Only a fool would underestimate his
sire. But he had to get to that table.

Lightning fast, he lunged toward the corner
of the room, catching him by surprise just long enough to reach his
goal. Smashing the table off the wall, he hurriedly broke off one
wooden leg as splinters flew everywhere.

He grasped the makeshift stake tightly in
his trembling hand, raising it as he prepared to plunge it into his
maker’s heart. Vasilije stood facing him, the smug expression still
on his face.

“You can’t do it, Brandon. I’m your
sire.”

“Don’t you mean won’t? It’s never been that
I couldn’t but that I wouldn’t. But I can’t let you have her,
Vasilije. I love her.”

“What a ridiculous idea! You act as if
you’ll only have one like her from this point on. Have you learned
nothing in all the years with me?”

Brandon glanced over at Arden, who sat
silently still under Vasilije’s spell. All he wanted was her. No
one else had ever made him so completely happy. He wasn’t like
others of his kind who collected women for their selfish pleasure.
All he’d ever truly wished for was that one soul to share his years
with, to erase the loneliness he’d lived with for so long.

And now he’d finally found her and Vasilije
would take her from him to add to his menagerie of playthings.

“Let her be with me or I swear to God, I’ll
stake you.”

“God? Now you bring God into it? Christ,
Brandon. You sound like a simpering human.”

As he spoke, Vasilije inched closer and
closer to him.

“You’d kill your sire for one woman? What
has happened to you?”

“Release her now and I’ll take her away from
here. We’ll never bother you again.”

“And if I don’t you’ll stake me?”

Brandon heard the disbelief in his voice
mocking him. As much as he knew his sire possessed the power to
defeat him, he had no choice. If he wouldn’t give her up, he had to
kill him.

“You may taunt me all you want, but I’ve
made up my mind. I won’t lose her to please you.”

Before the last word had completely left his
mouth, Brandon was defending himself from attack. By some miracle,
the stake remained tightly in his hand, but in seconds he was flat
on his back with the ancient and far more powerful vampire looming
over him.

“You underestimated me, my child,” Vasilije
chided through gritted teeth.

“Not at all!”

With a grunt, Brandon raised his arm to
thrust the stake toward him, but Vasilije caught him by the wrist
and held him fast to the floor.

“You can’t win over me. Accept it.”

The deep chuckle that punctuated the end of
his sire’s statement renewed his ire.

“I won’t let you have her. Never!”

Wildly swinging his free hand, Brandon
attempted to inflict some small pain on the one being that stood
between him and his happiness, but Vasilije was too fast and
quickly had both his wrists pinned to the ground.

Looking up into his sire’s eyes, he saw all
too clearly the cruelty that lay behind his beautiful facade.

“Do you remember that moment when I
delivered you from your mortal life, Brandon? You were so
innocent.”

For a moment, Brandon’s mind returned to the
night he turned him into the creature he now was. “And I’ve been
alone ever since. Whatever you think you gave me, you took away
that innocence and replaced it with loneliness.”

Vasilije dipped his head to Brandon’s neck
and grazed the skin with his teeth. “I gave you life,” he said
softly.

“Then allow me to have someone to share it
with.”

“Don’t be maudlin. You can find others.”

Brandon thrashed his body around, bucking
wildly to throw Vasilije off him. His sudden movements surprised
him, and Brandon saw his chance. In a flash, he’d rolled his sire
onto his back and prepared to do what every vampire was forbidden
to do—kill the one who'd created him.

His hand squeezed the wooden stake so hard
pain radiated through his wrist and forearm. What he was about to
do would make him a pariah in his world. But he had no choice.

He’d live as an outcast if he could have
Arden.

Vasilije stared up at him with a look on his
face that showed he finally understood. “So you've finally become
the vampire I always knew you could be."

“Let me sire her, Vasilije."

As Vasilije considered the demand, Brandon
readied the stake to plunge into his chest.

"There's no need to stake me, Brandon. She's
yours."

“Release her now.”

Vasilije waved his hand and released her
from his hypnotic spell as Brandon jumped to his feet and ran to
her. Falling to his knees, he gazed up at her lovely face. “Are you
okay?”

Arden nodded. “Would you take me home now?
I’m tired of sitting here alone while you two talk.”

“What about that carriage ride I promised
you?”

“Can we do that another night? I’d rather go
home.”

He loved to hear her refer to his house as
home. “Of course. Whatever you want.”

Brandon escorted Arden to the door and
stopped to bid farewell to his sire. Even now, as it seemed he
would be allowed to safely leave with her, he worried Vasilije
would attempt to once again ruin his chance for happiness.

“Thank you, Vasilije.”

"Brandon, I didn't let you sire all those
times because I didn't want you to make another mistake. You're not
like me. I knew that."

For the first time in all the years he'd
been Vasilije's vampire, Brandon believed that he truly did favor
him. As cruel and manipulative as he could be, Vasilije had given
him the greatest gift of all in his permission to sire Arden. Now
what was paramount was that he claim Arden as his as soon as
possible to bind her to him and make her his forever.

As they rode home after saying their
goodbyes, she leaned close to him and whispered, “What happened
back there? How did that table get broken?”

Pulling her close to him, he smiled and
kissed her. “Nothing. None of that means anything to us now.”

Chapter Eight
Hours later, after more chocolate, kisses, and declarations of
love, Brandon stood at her bedroom door ready to finally make her
his. Everything was perfect. She loved him and somewhere deep in
her mind, she knew what he was and accepted him.

Tonight she would come to him in his world
and his lonely nights would forever be ended.

Taking her hand, he whispered, “Good night,
love,” and began to walk to his bedroom one door down. Sensing her
desire, he turned and said, “If you need me, come to me.”

Ten minutes led to fifteen minutes and he
wondered if he had made a mistake. He knew as much as he wanted
her, if she didn’t come to him willingly, she’d never completely be
his. As he waited, he listened for her, hoping she would give in to
her desire.

Then a soft knock on the door was followed
by her whisper. “Brandon?”

Opening the door, he saw her standing there
with a look of apprehension. For the first time, she was there with
him because she wanted to be. No vampire tricks. No hypnosis. Just
her heart guiding her.

“I need...”

Cradling her face in his hands, he kissed
her softly on the lips. “Let me give you what you need.”

He took her by the hand and brought her
close to his body. She felt so warm as her form melded to his. He
knew she was frightened as her delicate hand trembled in his. Fear
was the last emotion he wanted, though. That worked for his random
victims, but he wanted the sensuous woman she’d been when he’d
visited her before.

“Brandon, I...” she began and then stopped
and lowered her eyes.

Trailing his finger over her throat, he
said, “Don’t be afraid. I would never hurt you, Arden.”

Slowly, he undressed her as she stood gazing
up into his eyes with a look of pure love. When she was naked, he
inhaled deeply, his breath catching in his throat. She was so
beautiful. Her soft white skin seemed to dance in the moonlight
that shone through the far window. He ran his hands over her
shoulders and down her arms, loving the softness against his
palms.

Her body was like that of a goddess to him.
He'd seen it before, but never as she stood wanting him as much as
he wanted her. As his cock stiffened in response to the vision in
front of him, his fangs exploded into his mouth.

His lips covered hers and just as before she
ran her tongue across his fangs, teasing him. She pulled away to
see what she’d felt and looked carefully at them, watching them
lengthen even then from the desire building in him.

Softly, she whispered, “Vampire.”

Brandon didn’t sense fear or disgust. The
word sounded as if she were simply stating a fact that neither
upset nor pleased her. He waited for her to speak again, but she
said nothing, instead moving closer to his mouth and gently
stroking a fang with her fingertip.

His breath left his body in a hiss as very
quickly the last remnants of control began to evaporate. Grabbing
her wrist, he struggled to keep her from going to a place she knew
nothing of.

“Love, you’re taking me somewhere you may
not be ready for,” he said in a raspy voice.

Innocently, she looked up at him.
“Where?”

“Stroking my fangs is one of the most erotic
things you can do to me. But I may not be able to control my desire
for you if you continue,” he cautioned.

“Then I’ve been forewarned,” she said in a
voice full of need.

As he continued to hold her by the wrist,
Arden leaned into his mouth and slid her pink tongue between her
lips to softly touch his fang. Desire shuddered through him as she
repeatedly teased him, slowly stroking up from the sharp tip.

Something snapped inside him and he rushed
to shed his clothes, wanting nothing more than to plunge inside
her. His body felt like it was on fire with need for her. He wanted
her more than he'd ever wanted any woman.

Taking her in his arms, he carried her to
the bed and laid her down. “God, I want to be inside you. Open your
legs so I can see that beautiful cunt.”

Smiling up at him, her eyes half-lidded from
passion, she obeyed and he filled his eyes with the sight of the
soft, pink skin his cock would soon devour. He ran his finger from
her swollen nub to her wet entrance and slid it in to stroke her
sensitive flesh.

“Tell me what you want.”

“Take me. No more waiting. I want you like
you are in my dreams.”

Brandon knew exactly what she wanted and
just before he filled her to the hilt, he whispered, “They weren’t
dreams. And this time, when my cock is deep inside your cunt,
you’ll truly become mine.”

“Yes! Make me yours!”

Her pleas made the last of his control
vanish, and he slid into her wet channel until their bodies met,
flesh on flesh. Over and over, he thrust into her as she begged for
more. Awake, she was so much more than he’d ever dreamed she could
be, and her desire spurred him on.