Her Vampire King: A Dark Vampire Romance (Royally Mated Book 4) Page 3

  He growls softly. “No, only you.” The intensity in his voice makes me tremble. “Please, Rosie, let me show you how good it can be.” His eyes flood with pure desire as they dip to my neck.

  I can’t deny that I’m attracted to this vampire, but he’s a freaking vampire. Sure, he isn’t drawing the blood without my permission, but something tells me if I push long enough, he might snap.

  He moves closer again, pressing his lips softly against mine. “I want to make you feel better than you’ve ever felt,” he murmurs, sending shivers down my spine.

  I can’t control myself as I launch myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

  He groans as he takes my weight, pressing me against the wall. “That’s it, baby, let me make you feel good,” he purrs into my ear, fangs grazing the skin at my neck.

  I nod my head. “Okay,” I say, voice quiet.

  He groans and then sinks his teeth into my neck.

  It feels like every thought in my mind is obliterated the moment he first sucks. It stings, but it’s nothing compared to the pure euphoria that hits me. My body coils tightly, and my toes curl as he holds onto me, sucking blood from my body.

  I feel myself getting wet between my thighs instantly. It’s a sexually fueled pleasure that makes me want to strip right here and now and have him inside of me. A ridiculous notion considering I’m still a virgin.

  Vlad withdraws his fangs, panting softly. He licks the blood from the wound, before slowly moving his lips to my exposed cleavage. “You are divine. I can’t imagine ever letting you go.” He grazes his fangs over my skin. “Perhaps we can take this somewhere more private?”

  My knees shake, and I feel lightheaded. “How much blood did you suck out?” I ask, clutching onto him for support.

  My question sobers him. “I didn’t think I took too much.” He cups my chin and looks into my eyes. “Do you feel weak?”

  I nod, noticing the concern in his eyes. “Yes, I feel so lightheaded.”

  He grabs my hair and pulls my lips to his, kissing me deeply. A sweet, sugar liquid pours into my mouth as he does, and he growls softly.

  I yank myself back, suddenly feeling strength imbue my body. “What was that?”

  He grins, showing me his fangs. “Vampire toxin, it has healing properties. You should feel better now.”

  I’d expect the fangs to be off-putting, but they make him look more handsome and rugged.

  The need inside of me is growing by the moment. Am I addicted to the bite already?

  Its addictive qualities are powerful.

  “I-I do.” I shake my head. “What have you done to me?”

  He smirks. “I think the more important question is, what have you done to me?”

  “There, it’s a fucking vampire,” someone shouts, startling both of us out of our lust-filled daze.

  “Fuck,” Vladimir growls, eyes meeting mine for a moment. He winks, and then he’s gone. A weakness floods through me the moment he’s gone, and my knees wobble. I fall to the floor, no longer having him to hold me up.

  Two werewolves shift in front of my eyes and chase after him, making my heart rate pick up. The thought of that man being ripped apart by wolves scares me, which makes no sense. Vampires aren’t supposed to come into the city. He shouldn’t be here, and that’s what they do with any vampires caught in London.

  Another werewolf approaches me, unshifted. “Hey, are you alright?” the shifter asks, crouching down next to me.

  A headache forms between my eyes, and I pinch my nose. “I’ve got a splitting headache.”

  He moves my hair from my neck. “A vampire bite.” He shakes his head. “The bastard fed from you.” He wraps an arm around my back and lifts me into his arms, carrying me out of the alleyway. “I’ve got to get you to a hospital.”

  I let my eyes flicker shut, knowing I’m safe. The main question in my mind is, did I want to be saved from Vlad? I don’t think he intended to hurt me, and I was excited to see where that went.

  His face is all I see as I shut my eyes, letting myself float away.

  5

  Vladimir

  Rage and adrenaline pump through my veins as I sprint away. I wanted to stay with that beautiful human, but those fucking shifters drove me away from her.

  My legs move faster than they’ve ever moved. I feel stronger than I’ve ever felt, and Rosie’s blood is the reason. It’s something else. The chasing wolves are far behind, and I can’t hear them when I come to a stop in an alleyway. Usually, shifters give us a run for our money, but they couldn’t keep up.

  As the blood haze clears from my mind with the distance from Rosie, I remember my purpose here. It took a group of fucking werewolves to chase me away from her to refocus my mind. Little do they know that they’ve done me a favor as I wasn’t thinking straight at all.

  I punch the wall of the building by my side, crumbling a hole in the brick work. Wolves know that a vampire is trespassing in the city, and they’ll know why. I’ve got nowhere to go but try to carry out the assignment.

  Not only am I pissed off that I fucked up and forgot what I was here for, but I’m also angry that they forced me away from her. Rosie. Sweet as fucking sin and the most perfect woman I’ve ever set my eyes on in all my centuries of life.

  How could this happen?

  I never ask permission from humans to feed, but there was something about Rosie. I couldn’t drink from her and scare her. Maybe it was because I want her to be my new blood giver. You’ve got nothing if you haven’t got trust between a master and a blood giver.

  It didn’t feel like a conscious choice, though, it felt more instinctive.

  “I think he went this way,” I hear a wolf shout, his voice too close for comfort.

  I run a hand through my hair, before launching onto a fire escape and climbing it. The only safe place to move in this city will be the roofs since Wolves like to hunt on the ground level and are clumsy. Vampires are strong and agile enough to free run far better than any human.

  Once on the roof, I survey the buildings. I catch sight of the Tower of London at least a mile away from where I’m standing. There’s a clear path across the high-rise buildings, but getting there is only half of it.

  Rosie’s blood pumps through my body, giving me a high. Pure power races through my veins. I can hardly scent the millions of humans’ blood anymore, only hers, even though she’s not near. I can sense her moving further away.

  I crack my neck, feeling torn over which direction to go. That human powers, and her blood calls to me. I will find her again, but first, I need to find the chalice. If I want to walk in the sun, and not be confined to the night.

  Wolves are assholes. Self-important bastards think they are better than vampires. I won’t rest until I put them in their place.

  My self-control wins as I prepare to launch myself toward the Tower of London. I launch myself across the first building, leaping across the chasm easily. I misjudge the power of my leap, clearing two buildings at once.

  My eyes widen, and I glance back. I’ve never jumped that far before.

  What the hell is in Rosie’s blood?

  Maybe she’s my savior—the key to me making my way through this. I continue, leaping two buildings at a time, heading straight for the Tower of London. As I get close, I stop and take note of the outposts on the street. There’s a perimeter around the tower, blocking all streets leading to it. Werewolves are crawling the streets.

  This is going to be fucking hard. If there are this many werewolves outside of the tower, how many will be inside?

  There’s a large gap between the last building and the Tower of London. In normal circumstances, I wouldn’t be able to clear it. With Rosie’s blood pumping through my veins, I’ve got a feeling I might make it.

  In all my years of life, I’ve never believed in fate. Perhaps I ran into her for a reason. I glance at the London tower, certain that the chalice is inside. I can sense it.

  Fuck it.

  I launch
myself over the vast gap and land on one of the buildings’ roofs. The main, central building is where they’ll keep the chalice, and the courtyard is crawling with werewolves. The cover of the night will help me launch over undetected, but there are so many of them. If one of them catches sight of me, I’m screwed.

  I watch for a while, taking note of the patterns they repeat, as the guards’ patrol in formation. A conversation catches my attention, and I tune in.

  “Did you hear about the vampire attack on the other side of the city?” A wolf asks.

  The other wolf nods. “Yeah, we’ve got to be on alert, as they lost him.”

  “Do you think the vampire is going to attempt to get back the chalice?”

  The other guard shrugs. “Who knows, but it is best to be safe. They’re moving it somewhere no vampire could ever reach.”

  My heart pounds faster, overhearing that news. They haven’t moved it yet, as I can sense it.

  “Where’s that, then?” I hold my breath, listening.

  “The UV room in a hospital nearby. They’re taking it now.”

  Fuck.

  Without the chalice in my possession, I’ll be burned to a crisp by the time I get my hands on it. These wolves are clever fucking bastards, but little do they know, I’m already here.

  I focus on the chalice, allowing my link to it to guide me. I launch across to the main building, heading toward the door in the turret and trying it. It’s locked. So, I smash my fist through the lock, breaking it off—the door swings in to reveal a staircase into the tower. Listening for any sign they’ve heard my break-in, I wait. After a few moments, I head down with light steps that are hardly audible. The scent of wolves is overwhelming.

  The chalice is lower in the tower, but I can feel it moving. It means the wolves are moving it right now, and I’ve got to stop them.

  I get to the bottom of the stairwell, glancing either way before advancing down the corridor. The shadows cover me as I try to focus on them, allowing them to engulf me. A shifter walks right past me, not noticing me hiding. It’s a skill all vampires can try to adopt, but not many are as skilled as I am.

  I move down the next flight of stairs, stopping dead in my tracks when I sense the chalice leave the building.

  Fuck.

  I may be able to hide in the shadows, but something tells me that walking out the front door of the Tower of London would be a bad idea. I turn around, and my heart skips a beat when I see a wolf walking right toward me. There’s nowhere to hide. He looks up, eyes widening when he notices me. I sprint for him and snap his neck before he can open his mouth, gritting my teeth as his body falls to the floor.

  If he is found, I’ll be in deep fucking trouble. I did what I had to, though. Allowing that wolf to even shout for someone would have been a death sentence. I drag his body into an empty room and shut the door, before sprinting back up the staircase toward the roof.

  The chalice is moving further away. I can’t allow shifters to take it into the hospital, because then it will be untouchable. The adrenaline racing through my veins heightens as I launch myself off the tower’s rooftop, landing on the outer wall.

  Wolves move through the streets, guarding it. I grit my teeth, rage pumping through me. What right do they have to take it in the first place?

  These assholes killed many vampires that I know. All because they say they are trying to protect humans.

  Bullshit.

  Shifters love getting one up on us whenever possible.

  I follow the convoy, hopping from building to building. With each jump, Rosie’s blood gets closer. It’s a distraction I don’t need right now, but something tells me she’s in the same building that they are heading to—the hospital. It would make sense considering wolf shifters make sure a huge deal over us feeding. Rosie was fine, although she said she was a little lightheaded, I was sure I hadn’t taken too much of her blood.

  There’s no chance I’m getting the chalice on the way to the hospital. Somehow, I’m going to have to come up with a plan to get it once they believe it’s as protected as possible. Then, I’ll strike and blow their entire plan apart. The all-important question is, how?

  6

  Rosie

  My eyes flicker open, and I sit bolt upright.

  Where the hell am I?

  I glance around and realize I’m in a hospital. Kev is sleeping in the chair by my bed, and I relax, seeing his friendly face.

  Vladimir’s face flits into my mind almost instantly as I try to remember what happened. The handsome vampire king who gave me a thrill of pleasure but took a bit too much of my blood.

  I groan softly as the headache between my eyes is still pounding.

  Kev wakes at the sound. “Rosie, you’re away?” He rubs his eyes. “Thank god, how do you feel?” he asks, swallowing hard. He looks guilty as he stares at me. “I’m so sorry I didn’t walk you home.”

  I shake my head. “Kev, it wasn’t your fault.”

  He looks unconvinced as he sits up straighter in his seat. “Vampires aren’t supposed to be able to get into the city.” He shakes his head. “That bastard drained too much of your blood.”

  I grit my teeth, strangely protective over the vampire who attacked me. I don’t voice my defense of him.

  He apologized when he took too much and gave me some of that sweet toxin. It made me feel better, but I think I needed more.

  “I don’t think he intended to kill me.”

  Kev raises a brow. “Rosie, he put you in the hospital, so I find that very hard to believe.”

  I know how it looks, but Vladimir never seemed a threat. I was disappointed when the werewolves found us and chased him away.

  He didn’t say anything, just winked and disappeared.

  A nurse knocks on the door before entering. “It’s good to see you awake. I’ve got your test results.”

  Kev shakes his head. “I don’t think we need them. She was drained of too much blood by a fucking vampire.”

  I shoot him a warning look. “Go ahead,” I say, smiling at the nurse.

  She draws in a deep breath. “While you were fed on by a vampire, it doesn’t seem like he took too much blood.” She shakes her head. “All of your vitals are fine.”

  I sigh, smiling. “That’s good news.” I rub my head. “What’s causing this splitting headache, though?”

  She clears her throat. “I believe the vampire gave you a fair share of vampire toxin, which is addictive. I would imagine it’s the withdrawal symptoms.”

  My brow furrows. “From one feeding?”

  She nods. “Yes, it’s the most addictive substance in the world.” She walks closer and checks the IV drip. “We’ll flush it out, though, don’t worry.”

  “Vampires are a fucking menace,” Kev says, shaking his head. “Did they find out how this one got through the defenses?”

  The nurse shakes her head. “You’ll have to take with the police about that. I believe an office is waiting to speak with Rosie, and I’ll let him know she’s awake.” With that, she leaves us alone.

  “I’m so sorry, Rosie.”

  I grab Kev’s hand. “Don’t be. No one could have foreseen this.” I remember my encounter with Elias, realizing that as soon as I get out of this hospital, I’ve got to get out of the city. Kev knows nothing about my past—none of my friends do. They believe I moved here because I had the scholarship to attend University College London, which was true, but not the whole truth.

  “It is my fault. I could have called you a cab. I could have—” “No, Kev. I’m solely responsible for my actions.” I shake my head. “Stop beating yourself up about it. I’m fine. You heard the nurse.”

  “Not fine,” a man says at the door, making me jump.

  “Sorry?”

  He’s wearing a doctor’s uniform. “There are some anomalies in your test results. We need to run more tests.” He steps inside, shutting the door behind him. “How are you feeling, Miss Davis?”

  I shrug. “A little weak still, I g
uess, and I have a headache.”

  He nods, noting down my symptoms. “While it doesn’t seem like the vampire drained much of your blood, you have very low blood pressure.” He nods at the monitor beeping in front of me. The machine shows 75/40 and keeps moving a little. “We’re very concerned, and we need to keep you in overnight.”

  I swallow hard, wondering if I don’t have to worry about leaving London. Maybe my time is up anyway.

  Kev stands. “What could cause this?”

  The doctor eyes him, and he moves his gaze to me. “We don’t know, hence why we will be running more tests overnight and tomorrow.” He returns his attention to Kev. “It’s best you say goodnight and leave Miss Davis to rest.”

  Kev looks back at me, uncertain. “Are you going to be okay?”

  I nod and smile. “Yes, Kev, don’t worry. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He stares at me reluctantly. “Okay, text me if you need me.” He walks past the doctor stiffly, leaving me alone with him.

  “Get some rest, Miss Davis. You’ll need it.”

  I swallow hard, watching him as he leaves me. I rest my head back against the pillow, shutting my eyes. Vladimir’s face appears again. Every time I close my eyes, he’s there.

  Another knock comes, and I sigh heavily, wishing these people would leave me alone.

  “I’m sorry to disturb you, Miss Davis, but I’m Officer Smith, and I’d like to speak with you about the attack.”

  I grit my teeth and open my eyes, glancing at the police officer in the doorway. “Okay, I’m feeling a little tired, though.”

  He nods. “Don’t worry. I won’t keep you long.”

  He sits down in a chair next to Kev, glancing at him. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather speak with the victim alone.”

  Kev glances between the police officer and me, before standing. “I’ll wait outside.”