Blood Bound Read online

  Blood Bound

  Marko Delacroix #2

  Alaska Angelini

  Blood Bound

  Marko Delacroix #2

  Alaska Angelini

  Copyright © 2014 by Alaska Angelini

  ISBN: 9781938076459

  All Rights Reserved

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and is punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Chapter 1

  Tessa

  To lose one’s self, even temporarily, was the worst thing a person could experience. I’d been there. Suffered, unable to voice my fear or concern over a situation. And where most people would have pulled through and moved on, I couldn’t. If ever I was trapped before, now I’d sunken as far as the pits of hell. And quite literally.

  The underground city I was being pushed toward laid ahead and I’d never dreaded a return back to a place more than I did now. I could feel the vampires’ presence crowding in against my skin, making it tingle in warning as I got closer. But I was helpless to flee. I was blood bound to a Master who had made me his blood slave and there was no turning back. Marko Delacroix owned me and only death would set me free.

  “Faster.”

  His palm pushed into the middle of my back, nearly making me fall. Dread had my feet unresponsive and I moved even slower. To fight against him now was pointless. I wanted to, but I knew better. My body was barely healed as it was. Not minutes ago, I had been on death’s doorstep, spitting up blood. Now, his blood was healing me, making me even more loyal to the one person I’d like nothing more than to cut ties with. I may have still had feelings for him, but the emotions were a twinge of what they’d been before. I served him. That’s all I knew at the moment. I’d be the keeper of his deepest, darkest secrets. A vessel for his lust. And the supplier of his meals. But I would not love this version of him. I couldn’t. I was trapped, lost…out of answers and ideas.

  Monsters came in many forms and my new Master was at the top of the food chain. The evil now resting inside of him didn’t hold a candle to the Marko I’d met at the beginning. The one who almost killed me, but found it within himself to let me live. This new Marko…he truly did scare me. Black still held the color of the brown eyes I once was in awe to look into, and his face didn’t reflect the devilish smile that tried to charm me, regardless that he didn’t like to. No, that Marko was dead now. Whatever had happened to him when they locked him away was beyond me. And I was too afraid to ask. Truthfully, I didn’t want to know. Julius mentioned turning me into one of them and having me take Marko’s place, but that’s the last thing I wanted now. I couldn’t be evil. Couldn’t be one of them. I’d kill myself first.

  “I can still hear you,” he growled. “Be careful how dark you let those thoughts go. You see slicing your wrist, do you know what I see?”

  Fingers weaved into my hair, jerking me back until his face was buried in my neck from behind. “I see blood. I see finishing what we started.”

  My eyes narrowed even though I couldn’t see him. “Are you threatening me? I figured at least that would end now since you finally trapped me into being yours.” Even though I knew I pushed him with my words, I couldn’t contain the anger.

  “You want me to end your life. I see it buried deep within your mind, Tessa. I know where your thoughts are going to go before the words even form to leave your mouth. But you will not die so soon. You once said I liked to play with my food. We both know you were right. After we meet with Julius, I think I’ll do just that.”

  Despite the fact that he was holding my hair, I gave a good pull. His words sickened me. This Marko sickened me. “Rape me if you feel so inclined, but I will not submit to you in that way. As my duty, you may have my blood, but I will never again willingly give you my body.”

  “Do you think I need permission to take what’s mine? I’ll fuck you right here if I want.”

  Even as he spoke in that deep tone, my body came to life without my consent. It had me tugging against him harder in an attempt to separate us. “You can barely stand, more or less get your cock up. I feel your pain, or do you forget the bond we now share? Let go and get this over with.”

  “My cock is going to be filling that smart ass mouth of yours before the night is over. Mark my words, Tessa. You’re going to learn very quickly who you serve and what that entails.”

  “And you forget Julius wanted me to take your spot. Maybe I’ll become the stronger one and I’ll let you serve me.”

  I launched forward at his push and slid to my knees. The burn from the cement cut into my skin and I knew he’d broken the surface. It was enough to have a sob escaping, but not from the pain. It was from the anger and unfairness that was my new life. If only Hunter would have gotten to me faster, before the bond, I could have been spared. Hunter could have killed him for good.

  A roar sounded behind me before I was picked up and slammed into the side of the tunnel. It came with enough pain to have me whimpering. Although it was pitch black, I could see the outline of Marko’s features and the slight illumination from his black eyes.

  “Take it back,” he said, digging his fingers into my face. “You love me. You do.” Hurt flashed across his face and it was nearly enough to stop my heart. This new monster wouldn’t have cared…

  “Marko?” The tears escaped at me wishing the old him rested somewhere within the demon that had taken over. If only the one I’d grown feelings for would come back, then maybe things wouldn’t be so bad. My hand unclasped from one of his wrists and rose to trace over his slightly rough cheek. After a few blinks, his anger returned and he reared back from my caress.

  “You’re going to pay for that. When I kill Hunter, I’m going to make you watch. I’m going gut him alive right in front of you while you scream for me to stop. And I won’t. I might even make you help.”

  I sobbed angrily, kicking my leg into his thigh. There was no point in arguing. I wanted away. To hurry up and get out of this tunnel and into his room so I could close myself off. Surely, he’d have to talk with Julius. That could buy me some alone time before I had to endure another second of being in his presence.

  “So quick to escape your new Master.” He moved in closer, inhaling deeply against my neck. At the push of his hard cock against my pussy, I turned, groaning in aggravation, and pleasure. “How I long to taste you. I’m starving for your life. Starving to death,” he whispered.

  The grip loosened while he let my body sink into his. Again, he ground his cock against me, sparking lust deep within my core, even as his voice changed more to the Marko’s I missed. “I know you want my bite. You want that sweet sting and I’m going to give it to you right now. Fuck, you smell so good. You make my mouth water. All I can think about is how much I want you. You fighting me makes me want it even more.”

  My head shook, trying to move him away from my neck. “I fight because I can’t stand this. I do not want you.”

  “Liar,” he moaned. “You do, I can smell your arousal. You want me and I want you, too. Something tells me I love you, but I don’t know how I could. Maybe if I got my fill of you, tasted what you’re made of, I’ll remember.”

  Thoughts faded as the temptation of his words sunk in. If he did taste me, would the old Marko return? Would this demon vampire be sated and go away? If that didn’t work, he could very well kill me from taking too much blood.

  “Not here,” I managed. “You need to feed, I feel
that. But let’s go to Julius first.”

  Vibrations shook my body at his warning. “I say what we do. Not you.”

  I fell to the ground, grunting at the impact. Throbbing flared in my leg and I scrambled to my feet to get further away from him. I didn’t want him changing his mind. If I was going to die, it sure as hell wouldn’t be in these tunnels. I’d almost been killed here before. It wasn’t a memory I wanted to repeat.

  Light rested ahead and with each step I took closer, music began to register. Exhausted and sore, I tried to push myself faster. It had been too long since I’d slept. I’d expected Marko to come for me the night I was attacked. The delay until the following night left me restlessly anticipating his return and the lack of sleep was taking its toll.

  “Wait.” Marko rushed forward, cupping my shoulder and spinning me around to face him. “I’m curious to see something. You go first. I’ll be behind you shortly. You are not to look back. You are not to say a single word. Not one. Not to Julius or anyone. He’ll be waiting for you. Now, go.”

  My mouth opened to ask questions, but at his anger, I turned and headed through the entrance of the tunnel. A few steps in and the music slowly died. Heads began to turn in my direction and Julius spun around from a far table to look at me. Fearfully, my hands came up and gripped the bloody, ripped nightgown I wore. It was from Marko’s wound and the last blood exchange, but they wouldn’t know that. They very likely thought I’d been successful in killing him.

  Quickly, Julius began walking to me, such grace and poise in each step. I felt myself stumble, but continued ahead. My eyes searched the surroundings, taking in all the vampires and slaves standing around. Had they been waiting for the result, too? It only made me more curious about what had happened after they attacked me.

  “You live.”

  Although his tone sounded unsurprised, I found my eyes stopping on Marie’s sobbing form. She’d been sitting in the chair Julius had been hovering over. Her shoulders sank in and even as she returned my stare, she cried harder.

  “Look at me.” Julius’ anger had me tearing my gaze away and I met his light blue eyes for only a second before I lowered them to stare at the onyx brooch pinned in his cravat. “I said, look at me.”

  The warning was all too clear, but Marko’s words had me locked into his orders. My gaze stayed transfixed ahead and my lips were involuntarily sealed shut.

  “I won’t ask you again. If I have to force you to obey, you’re going to regret it.”

  My pulse jumped and my mind was empty as I stood there. I knew Marko was making it impossible for me to think. I wasn’t sure what he was hoping to get out of this or what he wanted to see, but using me as a pawn didn’t make me the least bit happy.

  “That’s it.” Bony fingers wrapped around the back of my neck and he spun us, leading me toward one of the halls in the back. “You don’t want to show me what happened, I’ll see for myself. Then, you’ll be punished as you wait out your fate.”

  Somehow, a small sound broke free of my lips and I searched for the words to tell him no. Fear shot through me and I tried to fight his grasp, but I couldn’t.

  “There’ll be no need for that.”

  Marko’s deep voice echoed from the walls and his body stalked forward, dried blood moving with the powerful muscles of his bare chest and stomach as he advanced. Julius’ grip tightened for only a moment before he let go completely.

  “And here I thought you were dead.”

  “So little faith in the man who will someday be leading us. I told you before, I have no intention of dying, and I won’t.”

  Julius smirked. “Had you been so powerful, you would have killed her, yet the two of you are now bonded. And you expect me to have faith?”

  All emotion melted from Marko’s face. When his black eyes met mine, I couldn’t help but feel my stomach drop. If my new Master hadn’t been having second thoughts about keeping me, he sure as hell would now. Weakness wasn’t something he liked and Julius had brought me into it.

  “You’d have me kill your kin? I thought I was doing you a favor.” Marko grabbed my bicep, pulling me to his side. The pressure of his fingers almost brought me to my knees. The statement succeeded and I would have hit the ground had it not been for his tight grip.

  “Tessalyn Antoinette is not my kin,” he said, smiling. “But I do know whose she is.”

  “Kin?” Marko’s memories hadn’t told me that. My gaze went between them. Although Julius glanced down to me, Marko stared at our present leader. “I’m kin to someone here?”

  The smile grew bigger while he turned his attention back to Marko. “You’re kin to one of us, yes. But you don’t need to worry about that now. In time, things will reveal themselves. There’s no rush. Why don’t you two go clean up? The night is still young. Marko, I expect you in the meeting room in an hour.”

  The grip around my arm tightened and with a nod, Marko turned us and headed toward the tunnel where his room rested. My eyes went back to Marie as she continued sobbing. What was she doing, sitting out here crying? Although I was afraid after the last time we were with each other, my heart ached to go to her. Something was wrong. Something was very badly wrong.

  Darkness came within the distance and I looked over my shoulder as Julius made it back to her side. The tunnel entrance cut off my view and I pulled against the grip as we disappeared into the pitch black.

  “Marko, wait.”

  He didn’t even react as he threw his door open and pulled me inside. I couldn’t stop the scream from exploding from my mouth—Marie’s four bonded men, dead on Marko’s bed. Their pale, lifeless bodies left me jerking hysterically against the vice that gripped me.

  “Oh…God.” My mouth opened and a shuddering breath left as I tried to figure out why they’d be here, in Marko’s room. And then I knew. The truth left me cold and growing still. Silent sobs wracked my chest and I let my face slowly rise to the creature standing next to me. The hardness behind his stare wavered the smallest amount before it reappeared. Maybe I’d imagined it, or maybe I just wanted to believe he regretted what he’d done. Either way, I’d never wanted to get away from him more than I did in that moment.

  “Why?” I sniffled, wiping the tears from my face with my free hand. My heart ached for Marie. What could she have done to deserve having her bonded killed? It didn’t make sense. It left my mind reeling with questions I couldn’t decipher. “Why would you do that? She loved them. They…adored her. Why would you—” At my voice cracking, I let the anger force its way past my lips. “Why! Answer me. Answer…you…insufferable, disgusting—”

  Gravity disappeared as Marko’s hand latched around my throat and slammed my body diagonal, across all four of their laps. One minute, I was screaming in horror, the next, stinging locked my arms and legs from his fangs brutally embedding in my neck. I gasped and dug my forearms into his shoulders, trying to break him free.

  Hard tugs on my vein left tears flowing down the sides of my face. I hated him. Wanted nothing more than for the bastard to feel how deep my aversion ran while he took my very life from me. My eyes closed while I let my loathing seep from me in waves, praying he felt it down into his evil, black soul. What seemed to last forever went by and my lids blinked weakly. The sucking softened and I felt sicker knowing he wasn’t going to finish me off.

  “I will hate you until the day I die. And then I will hate you for an eternity after that.”

  Marko broke from my neck, meeting my gaze. “No. You will love me. It says so right there on your skin.”

  “That was for the old Marko. I did love him to death. Now, I’m left with you, and I will hate you with every last breath I take.”

  Whether my words affected him was beyond me. He lifted and I tried not to be sick as I scrambled from the bodies. Bile burned the back of my throat and all I wanted to do was stop this nightmare.

  “I want Marie. I want to go to her.”

  Marko spun on me, his lips peeling back as he took a step forward. �
��She will not want to see the murderer of her bonded. I may have killed them, but their deaths are yours. You did this, Tessa. Had she not tried to make it to you first, her men would still be alive. You killed them through me and she very well knows it.

  Chapter 2

  Marko

  Who was Tessa to make me feel bad for what I’d done? This woman, this…slave, she was nothing to me. A peasant to the Master who towered before her. Her mouth was crass, her manners deplorable. Yet, she stood up to me as if I were beneath her. As if I were the filth caked to the bottom of her dirty feet. It enraged me, made the vampire within beg to end her life, and I would have if not for…something. I knew I’d drank too much of her and I’d had no intention of stopping, yet I did, and I couldn’t understand why.

  A sob left her lips as her head turned toward the door. There was such yearning, such melancholy pouring from her that it only increased the rage. This ungrateful wench should have been kneeling before me, not begging to go to Marie. I was her Master. No one else. I fucking…loved her, even if I didn’t understand it. And this was how she behaved? How she treated me.

  Knocking on my door had her taking a step forward. I didn’t have to tune in to know who it was. “Stay and be quiet. It’s not who you wish it to be.”

  The collectors swept in as I swung the barrier open wide. I knew it was them because I’d called the servants, even as I took my slave’s blood. To feel her hate…a part of me wanted to somehow erase it from within her, even as I tried to block it out any way I could.

  “Take them out and bring new sheets to fix my bed.”

  Two human men walked forward, moving into action at my orders. They weren’t much different than the suppliers who fed our kind. Instead of their blood paying their way, they were muscle, offering their services in exchange for our bite.

  A small sound came from Tessa and I noticed she’d moved to lean against the far wall. The haunted look only registered for a moment before I moved my gaze over her body. The full shape of her breasts was the first thing to pull my attention, but I tore my thoughts from imagining what they looked like. Blood, old and new, stained her once white nightgown and I let it sink in. The sight didn’t bother me in the least, but how disheveled she’d appear to everyone else did. If she were to be my blood slave, she would reflect me. Her appearance was important. I wasn’t just anyone. I’d rule this place someday and she’d damn well represent that behind, and outside, my door. I couldn’t stand that the collectors were seeing her this way. Or that anyone had to begin with.