Born to Darkness Book 1 in the Immortal Destiny Series: Vampire Romance Paranormal (11 page)

The room was spinning. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t make her eyes focus on any one thing. The dizziness was nauseating. She fully expected to lose her stomach and vomit any minute. The nausea was bad, but not nearly as bad as the pain in her head. She felt as if her brain would explode.

“She’s waking up.” The female voice sounded as if it were coming from the end of a long tunnel.

Nicole opened her eyes - forcing the pain to the back of her mind with sheer will power. Her wrists were bound and chained to the ceiling. While she’d been out, her entire weight had hung from her arms - now they ached like hell. She pushed onto her tiptoes in an effort to take some of the pressure off her arms. 

The woman with the long black hair was standing near her, and then there was a man. He was a large man, and like Dash - he had no hair. Unlike the others she’d seen, this vampire wore a medieval style robe, instead of street clothing.

“Welcome back Nicole,” he said. A malicious smile spread across his face and he leaned in closer. “You’ve been a difficult girl to get a hold of.”

Nicole stared at him, but said nothing. She didn’t need to ask why they’d taken her - she knew. He seemed to be waiting for some type of response.

“What have you done with my mother?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Nothing … they just took her phone. But that could change if you are going to be difficult.”

Nicole swallowed. It was obvious he was going to go to any lengths to get what he wanted.

“Do you know who your father is Nicole?”

“No, who is he?” She decided it might be best if she didn’t let on to what she knew just yet.

“Well he is my brother … and you child … are a born vampire.”

“I don’t believe you,” she spit out.

“Do you know what’s wrong with a born vampire?” he asked, ignoring her outburst.

Nicole glared at him, remaining silent.

“They are forbidden!” Omar’s voice thundered through the room.

“Why?” she asked, not just to show insolence, but because she wanted to know.

What possible reason could the ancients have to forbid this?

“Because they are freaks of nature,” he told her.

“Well aren’t vampires that?”

Fury leaped into his eyes. “You are a sassy little girl, aren’t you?”

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” she said with a wicked smile.

“Where is your father?” he asked loudly - his voice actually vibrating off the walls.

“I don’t know, dear uncle.”

He stepped forward, raising his hand to strike her. Nicole did not let her gaze waver from his face.

“He will destroy you,” she told him.

Omar laughed. “Your father is weak. He chooses to mate with humans and hide like a rodent.”

Nicole gave him a scathing look. “I would not be too confident.”

Omar walked to a small - ornamental table. He then picked up a gold chalice and a knife. Slicing his hand, he let the blood drip into the chalice. When he’d filled it with a small amount of his blood, he pulled his hand away. As Nicole watched, the wound seemed to heal in a matter of seconds.

“You must become one of us Nicole,” he told her. “If you don’t … I will be forced to destroy you.”

“I have no intention of drinking your blood,” she informed him, betraying none of the fear or revulsion she was feeling.

“I am your uncle Nicole. I do not want to kill you … but I must if you choose not to join us and embrace what you were born to be. Your very existence is forbidden.”

He returned to her side and lifted the chalice to her mouth. Nicole clamped her lips down tight - hoping that he would not manage to get any in her mouth.

“This won’t work Nicole,” he told her, shaking his head disapprovingly.

Omar turned his attention to the woman. “Julia, bring Ethan in here.”

The woman left the room and returned a moment later with Ethan. Nicole barely recognized him, and was repulsed by what she saw.

He was bound in chains that he dragged with him as he walked. Ethan’s face was pale and sunken. He looked like a skeleton that was covered with a thin layer of skin.  His eyes were yellow and lethal. When he saw her, he hissed and drew back his lips so his fangs were visible.

“He’s starving Nicole. He has been deprived of blood for so long, he is a danger, even to us. Vampires that become blood deprived turn into true monsters … did you know that dear niece? If we let him loose, he will feed on the first human he sees … and I’m afraid in this case … you are the closest thing to human he will have to feed on.”

“You are deranged!”

“I am the same as your father,” he mocked. “I am also just like your lover. You hate us so much, but you would take a vampire for a lover.”

Nicole’s eyes widened with shock.

“Oh yes … I know Alec is your lover. If you don’t care for Ethan’s sad fate … maybe I’ll have to kill Alec.”

“You couldn’t!”

His laugher was hideous. “I most definitely can and will … if you do not cooperate with me.”

Stepping closer to her, he leaned down and whispered. “They are mere vampires. We are the Lords, and can do as we choose with them.”

Nicole’s eyes sliced at him - her anger overriding her common sense. “You are pathetic,” she told him. “My father is noble. You are no better than the rest of these bloodsuckers.”

This time he did strike her. She felt her lip split and blood dripping down her chin. Both Ethan and Julia began growling. Julia lunged toward her, but Omar knocked her out of the way.

“You see Nicole … right now it is only me that stands between you and a horrible death.” Omar took a tissue from a nearby box. He dabbed her lip and chin with it to clean her.

“You are wrong Omar! It’s also me that stands between her and death.” It was her father’s voice.

Omar swung around. “Well if it isn’t my brother … decided to crawl from his hole in the ground.”

“If you strike my daughter again, I will tear you apart and scatter your remains to the vultures.” Donavan spoke through clenched teeth.

Omar flew at Donavan, but her father easily moved out of his way. Alec and Dash stepped forward to stand on each side of her father.

“You dare to defy me!” Omar bellowed at Donavan’s companions.

“I do,” Alec told Omar, looking him right in the eyes.

“I am your lord and master,” he yelled at them.

“You are not mine,” Dash said with a shrug.

Julia sauntered up to Alec and ran her fingers through his hair. “My sweet Alec, it has been such a long time.”

He did not respond.

“I am your maker Alec. You should obey me.”

Alec shoved her hand away. “You are the one that took me to hell. I owe you nothing.”

“This insolence is unbelievable.” Omar shook his head.

“Times are changing Omar. You will not control forever.” Donavan smiled.

Before those present realized what was happening, Ethan had broken free of his chains and was lunging at Nicole. Screaming, she lifted her legs so she was hanging by her arms, and kicked at Ethan to keep him away.

In a flash, Alec attacked Ethan - bringing him to the ground.

Omar went for Alec, but Donavan grabbed him by the throat and they both flew through the air - smashing against the wall. They hovered above the ground - their eyes alight with rage and bloodlust.

“No Omar! You will step aside and leave my daughter be.”

“Or what?” Omar asked sarcastically.

“I will destroy you,” Donavan promised.

“You know what that would mean … don’t you?” Omar smiled, the light gone from his eyes.

“Yes, but it will not matter.”

Slowly, the two Immortals descended until their feet were on the ground.

“Get Nicole free and make sure Ethan is secure,” he told the others without taking his eyes off of Omar.

“I forgive you brother … this time,” Donavan stressed.

Omar glared at him, but made no move to stop their escape.

“I will be watching over her Omar. I better not see any sign that your vampires are stalking her,” Donavan warned him as he was backing away.

“You’ve always been a pathetic Light Seeker Donavan,” Omar yelled after him. “It will be your undoing.”

With his bare hands, Dash broke Nicole free of the chains and led her out of the room. Alec was struggling with Ethan - pulling him by the chains he was wrapped in.

They entered a small hallway. Nicole could hear music coming from the front of the building. Apparently they’d brought her to the nightclub Alec had told her about.

“Go through the back,” Alec told them, motioning toward the other end of the hall.

They all slipped out of the building through the back door. Donavan wrapped his arms around Nicole and they rose into the night sky. In a matter of seconds, they came down in front of Alec’s house.

“Hold him down while I get something for him,” Alec told Dash.

Dash took over while Alec ran into the house. When he came back, he had a couple bags of blood. He held the first one over Ethan and let him sink his fangs through the plastic and feed. It was gone quickly and he started on the next.

“Where do you get that stuff anyway?” Nicole asked, wrinkling her nose.

“Black market donors,” Alec told her.

As they watched, Ethan began to resemble his old self, though he still looked ill.

“Are you okay now? Can we let you go?” Alec asked him.

Ethan nodded.

When they unwrapped the chains from Ethan’s arms, he sat up slowly. He then gave Nicole an embarrassed look. “I’m sorry,” he told her. “If I had been myself …” He stopped before finishing.

“I know.” Nicole smiled.

Donavan put an arm around Nicole’s shoulder. “I must be going. I have issues to attend to,” he told her.

Nicole nodded.

“Do you think your mother is still very angry with me?”

“Well … yeah. Maybe a little … or maybe a lot.”

“I guess that is to be expected.”

“You probably should have told her why you had to leave,” she scolded.

Donavan shook his head. “If I’d done that she would have worried constantly about your welfare. I wanted you to have a normal childhood.”

“What about my sisters, and their childhood? Do you even know anything about them?”

“I confess … I know little of your sisters. One disappeared when she was a baby … the other, when she was a little girl. They are both younger than you are.”

“Younger? I thought you said you loved my mother?” Nicole’s anger sparked.

“And I do … maybe more than any woman, but I am a vampire … and I like the pleasures of the flesh, as much as the essence of life. I much prefer mortal women to vampire females … they are too cold.” he explained. “I’m sorry, but I am what I am.”

“A vampire player.” Nicole rolled her eyes.

“Let’s not forget …  there was to be three of you. So it was meant to be,” he added.

“How will I find these sisters?” she wanted to know.

“You will find each other. I have no doubt about that.”

“Will you see my daughter home?” Donavan told Alec. There seemed to be some kind of unspoken message passing between the two vampires.

Alec nodded.

“I can do it,” Dash cut in.

“Alec will see Nicole home,” Donavan told him.

“Well I just thought … you know … since it was on my way,” Dash shrugged his shoulders.

Turning back to Nicole, Donavan said. “I will be back soon.”

“For sure this time?”

“Yes, for sure.”

Nicole turned toward Dash. “Thank you for all of your help,” she told him.

“Sure,” he grinned. “But when are we going to Wyoming? We’re still going to do that … right?”

Nicole smiled. “Yes, I do think we’ll be going there sometime in the near future.”

Alec took her hand in his and they started walking toward his car.

“We aren’t flying?” she asked. Nicole decided she really liked the feeling of flying.

He shook his head.

Once inside the car, Alec sped away. He seemed preoccupied - barely saying two words to her all the way to her apartment.

When he parked, he got out and opened the door for her.

“Would you like to come in?” she asked when they reached her apartment.

He hesitated, but nodded. “Sure.”

Once inside, Nicole turned to him. “What’s wrong Alec?”

“You should not have gone off like that … not alone.” He frowned.

“I thought my mom needed my help. How did you know where to find me?” she asked.

“Followed that beacon,” he said, his features softening. “I suspected Omar had you, and that he had taken you to the Cell,” he added.

“I should be thankful you are so in tune with my signals.”