Page 9 of Tamed By Her Vampire Protector

“I’ll be careful.Cross my heart.I’m not going to sneak out or whatever.I only want to test the potion’s effectiveness.Hopefully I make it back to the kitchen in one piece.”

“Do you remember the way back?”Rose asked.

I nodded.“Yep.Two lefts, skip a hallway, take a right, go downstairs to the servants’ quarters, and then another right.Wish me luck.”I infused my voice with more confidence than I felt.

The journey back to the kitchens was disappointingly uneventful.Not that I wanted to run into a bloodsucker by any means, but a part of me wanted to see if I really did lack my usual delicious walking-burger aroma to the vamps.

As I turned around the last corner before reaching the servants’ quarters, I ran right into two young guys who looked to be my age at the end of the hall.No, not guys, vampires.Nowadays, without the sun, it wasn’t possible to tell humans and vampires apart by the pallor of their skin.A more reliable indicator was the absolute stillness that surrounded them due to them not breathing or having a heartbeat.

Tweedledee and Tweedledum gave me a quick glance up and down before moving to walk past me.I took a step and continued walking down the hall.One of them turned and took another look at me and paused.

“What are you doing here?”he asked me.

I stopped, but kept a distance between us.Somehow, I had a feeling that retreating or showing any sign of fear would give away my status.So far, it didn’t seem like they knew I was alive.I schooled my face into a cold and empty expression before I turned around to face them.“Emergency meeting.The Master is expecting us upstairs.”

Tweedledum scratched the back of his neck.“I didn’t know there was a meeting today.”

I had to think quickly.“Dante found some new information about the covens.”My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest.I slowed my breathing and hoped the lies that rolled off my tongue sounded believable.

“Hmm,” Twedledee paused and looked at me again.He narrowed his eyes.“I haven’t seen you around before.”

“Uh, I just got here, from Paris.”I prayed they wouldn’t notice the sweat that was breaking out on my forehead.

“You’re lying to us.”He cocked his head to the side and gazed at my chest, which was rising and falling despite my best efforts.

I immediately stopped breathing and held my breath.

“Ticktock.Ticktock.I hear the beating heart of a lying mouse.”His lips curled back into a sneer.Letting out a feral snarl, his fangs dropped.

His hand shot out quicker than I could blink and wrapped around my throat.I reached up to grab at his hand by reflex, but it was like trying to pry apart a steel cuff.My eyes bulged out as I clawed at his hand.I had to get free before I passed out.

“Wait a minute,” said the other one, “the Master said we’re not allowed to drink from the humans.”

My captor snarled at his partner.“The Master spouts a lot of shit.He may have a fetish for the human cows, but as far as I’m concerned, they’re only good for one thing.It would have been better if a real vampire like Georgjie was our master.”He grabbed my hair with his other hand and wrenched my head to the side.

A whimper escaped my lips as searing pain exploded from my head.He leaned in until I could see the golden flecks in his demonic eyes.With one last snarl, he lunged for my exposed neck.

I squeezed my eyes shut.My last thought was that at least my death was going to be quick.

Chapter 5

Meghan

Suddenly, the painful prick of fangs digging into my neck vanished.Something jerked away the heavy weight of the vampire on top of my body.I fell free from his painful grasp around my neck.Staggering back, I gasped for air as stars exploded in my vision.

“Watch your mouth.”Leo shoved the vampire away from me and stood between us, guarding me from Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

Before I could catch my breath and figure out what was going on, there was a wretched scream as Leo twisted and ripped the vampire’s head off in one twisting motion, like he was plucking a grape.All that remained of the monster that tried to kill me was a black puddle of foul smelling ooze on the ground.

Leo looked down at the puddle with disgust before stepping aside and addressing the remaining lackey.“The punishment for treason against the Master is death.Is that clear?”

The vampire cowered and fell to his knees.He touched his forehead to Leo’s shoes.“Yes, sir.”

“And remember that any and all of the humans under our care are his property.Any liberties taken are also an insult against the Master.”

As much as I was thankful that Leo saved me, a part of me couldn’t help but bristle that he only killed the other vampire because I was the property of the Master.According to the laws of vampire society, I was nothing outside of my status as chattel.

“Yes, sir.Thank you, for your kindness and understanding, sir.”The vampire trembled as he groveled at Leo’s feet.

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