Initiation Page 6

  "Addison?" Setting down his paint roller, Josh jogged over to her. "What the hell are you do—" Stopping mid-sentence, his face melted into a concerned frown. "What happened to you?"

  "I’m fine." Addison forced a smile, leaning up against the wall as she crossed her arms over her chest.

  "You’re a donor, aren’t you?" Josh pushed away some hair falling over her shoulder and searched for a bite wound on her neck. He didn’t find one. "I can tell by your complexion." Taking off his hat, Josh nervously let it bounce against his hip. "So your new boyfriend is keeping you at the manor now, huh?" Sighing, Josh shook his head, his worried gaze checking her over. "You know they kill girls like you. Usually after the second bite they toss you, and I’ve never known them to—"

  "Don’t worry." Addison laughed, taking a step forward and putting a calm hand on Josh’s shoulder. "No one’s going to kill me." Moving further into the parlor, she looked around at the half-painted walls, a giant white sheet draped over the floor. "So, what are you doing?"

  "Working." Josh walked past her and picked up his roller again. As he dipped it in the paint, coating it, his voice was a little stern. "Isn’t that what you’re supposed to be doing today?"

  "No." Making a sour face, Addison approached him. "I’m sick today."

  "I can see that." Josh forced a sigh, putting the roller on the wall and making long, sweeping strokes with it. "So…who’s the guy?"

  Addison didn’t respond, she just watched Josh paint, her eyes following his roller as it scaled up and down the wall slowly.

  "Huh?" Josh looked over at her briefly then back at what he was doing. "Addison? Answer me. Who’s the guy?"

  Addison crossed her arms over her chest, the blanket bouncing a little as it draped over her forearms. "Master Vallore."

  "Ha!" Josh faced her as he coated his roller again, "Then you’re definitely getting the axe on the next round."

  "Why do you say that?" Addison dipped her finger in the dark red paint in the pan, turning her finger around as she watched it drip down. The sight made her lick her lips involuntarily, Addison’s attention absorbed until Josh's voice made her turn back to him.

  "Because…" Josh’s voice was friendly as he spoke, his back to her as he worked. "He’s the one that makes vampires. If he bites you twice than you become an elite, and he doesn’t want that. Elites happen on purpose, not by accident—and both of us, Addy—we aren’t elite material."

  "Really?" Addison chuckled as she took a towel out of Josh’s pants and wiped the paint off her finger.

  Josh spun around, taking the cloth from her and putting it back in his jean pocket. "Yes, really." Putting his hands on her shoulders, his face took on a more concerned expression, "Why don’t you pick a safer vampire to mess around with, like a scavenger or something. Someone who won't kill you when they're through with you.

  “You've never been mixed up with the elites before. Sure, they're sexy, and all you ladies think it'd be the most romantic thing in the world to be with them, but their lust isn't like Carl's. They don't see drinking blood as a kinky pastime that gets ’em off with only a few nips here and there. Messin' around with them is serious shit, Addison. Don't do it."

  Addison’s lip started to tremble, a strange feeling coming over her now that she was so close to Josh. Addison looked away from him and pressing her lips together firmly, she tried to push it away.

  "Hey now." Josh chuckled taking her reaction as similar to other women he had seen that lusted after the elites, not knowing his sister was now one of them. He didn’t know how desperately she was trying not to jump him for a taste of his blood. "You’re my sister. I don’t want you to get hurt." He touched her face and tried to turn it toward him, but Addison’s reaction took him by surprise. "I—"

  "Don’t touch me!" Covering her mouth, Addison ripped off his hand, quickly jumping back a few steps.

  Addison’s body shook uncontrollably as she fell to her knees. Breathing heavily, she held a shaky hand to her lips and the other tightly to her stomach. Suddenly, the urge to attack her brother was so strong it terrified her, making her feel like a monster. She began to cry, giant sobs escaping her as she tried to fight back the feeling.

  "Holy shit!" Taking a step back, Josh’s jaw almost hit the floor, and his hands drew up to his chest quickly in surprise. "You’re not a donor—you’re one of them, aren’t you?" He had seen that look before in a vampire’s eyes. It wasn’t the longing look of a scavenger, but the hungry one of the Master’s bloodthirsty elites. "Addison—are you all right?"

  Sliding down when she could no longer support her weight, Addison’s butt hit the white canvas cover, her knees spreading apart as she covered her face.

  Nicolette and Brandon appeared behind Addison. Like an over protective father, Brandon stood with his arms folded angrily over his chest as he glared at Josh. Josh took a few steps back, his fearful eyes never breaking from Brandon’s challenging stare. Backing up against the nearby wall, Josh’s back got slathered in paint, but he was too afraid to notice. He looked nervously over at the doorway where Christian and two other vampires were standing.

  There was a scowl on the Master’s face as he stood with his arms crossed, his eyes not leaving Addison. He seemed hesitant to go to her, a slight wrinkle in the middle of his lowered brow as he tried to keep up his strong stance. He wasn’t standing out in front of the others like he normally did and seemed to be avoiding her.

  "It’s all right. I’m here to help you through this, my dear." Putting her hands under Addison’s arms, Nicolette slowly pulled Addison to her feet. "I know it’s hard…" Looking into Addison’s terrified face, she slowly stroked the side of Addison’s cheek as she tried to calm her down.

  She leaned close to Addison, cooing to her in a motherly tone as she looked into Addison’s watery eyes. "And I know you’re hungry, but you must resist it. This is a test to see how well you can withstand the urge."

  Addison’s lips were pouted slightly, the wetness from her tears making them shine like a clear lip-gloss. She sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand as Nicolette turned her around and made her look at Josh, Nicolette's hands planted firmly on her shoulders.

  Nicolette pressed her cheek against Addison’s, both of them looking at Josh as she spoke softly. "Now go up to him and try to suppress the desire to bite him. Show the Master and the others how strong you can be. You can do this, my dear."

  "Will you stop me if I can’t?" Addison’s eyes stared straight ahead, her bottom lip trembling as she looked fearfully at her brother, who was cowering in front of her. "Don’t let me hurt my brother."

  "You must be the one to stop yourself. I will not intervene if you can’t hold back the temptation."

  "Okay. Let me try it." Addison nodded, Nicolette pulling away from her slowly and walked over to Brandon. Speaking to herself, Addison balled her fists at her sides, a determined look on her face. "Okay. Okay. You can do this, Addison."

  Taking a deep breath, she took a few steps closer to Josh, her confidence growing after each shaky one. "Josh." She held her hand out to him, a scared look in her eyes, a sweet smile filling out her tender lips. "I’m sorry. I wasn’t going to hurt you, I promise. This is the first time I’ve been close to a human since my initiation. The hunger took me by surprise, and I got scared. I’m sorry if I scared you. Please forgive me."

  "It’s…okay." Josh was trying not to look afraid, even though he was. He looked briefly at Brandon, who was standing next to Nicolette. His towering figure was very intimidating, the hardness in his stare showing his jealousy over Addison’s deep affection for her brother.

  "Can I have a hug?" Addison held her hands out to Josh, a fragile smile on her face that looked like it could turn to tears within seconds. "I won’t bite, I promise."

  Josh swallowed hard, taking a step toward Addison as he opened his arms. "I’m holding you to that, Addy." Chuckling nervously, Josh wrapped his arms around her shoulders, slowly rubbing her back as he held her
loosely in his arms. "You okay?" There was a strong bond between the twins, and the soft loving tone in his voice soothed her.

  "Yeah." Sniffling, Addison clung to Josh tightly, a few tears falling as she snuggled into his neck. She could feel Josh shake in her arms, the brother who always protected her was now the one needing protecting. "Are you afraid of me, Josh?" Being so close to him was hard, as Addison still had the overpowering urge to bite him. She closed her eyes, her fingers digging into his back as she tried to push back the impulse.

  "No."

  "Really?" Hearing Josh’s words, Addison opened her eyes as she grinned. Her grip loosened on him, and she found the strength to push away her hunger. "I was really scared, but I’d never hurt you, Josh. Never."

  "It’s okay." Still hugging her, Josh pulled away a little, "And damn. I’m so jealous. So you’re a vampire now." Laughing, Josh playfully pinched her cheek, his fear of her subsiding a little. "That’s really cool."

  "Yeah…" Addison was uneasy, her hands resting on his shoulders. "But it’s not so fun now, ’cause I feel so sick." Letting out a nervous laugh, she glanced toward the doorway, but Christian and the others were gone. "I—" She looked back at Nicolette, a triumphant smile on her face. "I think I’m all right now. Can I talk to him alone?" She took a step away from Josh, smiling as she motioned toward her brother.

  "Some other day." Nicolette held her hand out to Addison, motioning for her to come to her. "You must go back to your room and rest."

  Brandon walked over to Addison, placing his hands on her shoulders and speaking softly to her, "You look tired." Behind Addison, Brandon’s evil stare settled on Josh, the malice making Josh look away.

  He walked around Addison and stood in front of her, blocking Josh from her view, "I’ll inquire with the Master and see if he will allow you something to eat." Lightly touching her face, he studied her worn out features. Then, he nervously looked toward the empty doorway as he took his hand away, tensing slightly.

  Addison nodded, Nicolette came up behind her and led a reluctant Addison out of the room. Nicolette took her back to her bedroom, sitting her down on the bed and making her lay in it.

  "Sleep now, my dear." Nicolette pulled the covers over Addison’s legs, treating her like a child. "You’re not well enough to be walking around the manor yet."

  "Where’s the Master?" Addison was attempting to protest, pulling off the sheets and trying to get out of the bed.

  "Hush now, dear." Nicolette pushed on Addison’s shoulders and forced her to recline. "You need your rest."

  "Why hasn’t he come to see me?"

  "Never you mind what the Master is up to. You’ll see him soon." Nicolette smiled as she knelt at the bedside, taking one of Addison’s hands and holding it in hers. "Right now, I have some wonderful news to share with you." She ran her hand over the sheet, smoothing out the wrinkles in the soft fabric. "In a few days, we will welcome another member to our family. Her name is Amanda."

  "So I’m not the only new member?" Addison’s face filled with a small frown, "The Master has chosen another girl?"

  "Yes." Nicolette laughed as she dropped Addison’s hand and stood up. "You are very special to us, and there is no need for you to get jealous. There is enough room in the family for another as well. Now, you will have someone to share your experience with." She tapped Addison’s leg, a happy expression on her perfect features. "I know you will become good friends." Nicolette walked toward the door. "Now get some rest. I’ll come see you later."

  * * * *

  A few days passed, Addison spending most of the time in her room sleeping. Christian hadn’t allowed her to eat, and she was getting weaker by the hour. Now, perched on the railing of the balcony, Christian looked out over the gardens, hundreds of lights sparkling and lining the walk below.

  "Master." Brandon walked out onto the terrace, hopping up like an agile cat and sitting next to Christian. "Do you wish for one of us to stay back with Addison during the initiation tonight?"

  "No." Christian didn’t look at Brandon as he spoke, his eyes narrowing on something below. "I want her to come."

  "Are you going to allow her to feed?" Brandon’s voice came out slightly lower than normal. "I think it may be hard on her to be around everyone else feeding, if she can’t."

  "I would imagine." Christian laughed, pulling one of his knees up to his chest. He looked over at Brandon’s concerned face. "But I can’t let her do that yet."

  "Yes, Master." Brandon looked away from him, his hands holding the railing loosely. "Then I will have Nicolette escort her."

  "Is she…" Pausing, Christian let out an annoyed sigh, his nose squishing up slightly as he stopped himself from completing his sentence.

  "She’s very weak, but her self-control is amazing." Brandon let out a small chuckle, the noise coming out more like a grunt than a laugh. "She’s going to pass this test, so you have nothing to fear. I have a mate myself, so I can relate to what you’re feeling…but why haven’t you come to see her? She’s been asking for you."

  "I’ll see her tonight." Christian rubbed the side of his index finger under his nose a few times roughly.

  "I don’t blame you for not wanting to watch her starve." Brandon’s fingers wrapped tighter around the railing. He studied Christian’s reaction to his comment, a small look of triumph on his face when he saw Christian’s scowl. "I couldn’t watch my Lettie suffer either…" He looked down at his feet, which were dangling a few stories from the ground. "But to be worthy of being your mate she must be strong, and—"

  "It has nothing to do with that." Looking over at Brandon, Christian sent him an annoyed glare. His voice was not friendly, but it was soft. "It wasn’t my idea to starve her this long. This is a test being carried out by the House. They want to know how long she is able to go without food."

  "The House?" Brandon narrowed his eyes on Christian. His words hissed off his tongue. "They know about her?"

  "Yes." Christian nodded, putting his finger between his nose and lips and letting it pause there as he looked distantly ahead. "They told me about her a few years ago. An angel sent from Heaven, worthy of becoming my wife. I didn’t realize then how she would make me feel—"

  Pulling his hand away from his face swiftly, Christian switched his position on the railing, letting both his feet dangle over the side. He gripped it tightly as he shook his head. "Even though I know starving her is what must be done…" His brow lowered as he glared at his knees, a sad tone creeping into his velvety voice. "I do not want to hurt her. I want to protect her, feed her—" He looked up at the darkening sky, the clouds blocking the stars. "But I cannot."

  "They need her for something, don’t they?" Brandon’s voice was soft as he leaned a little closer to Christian. "What do they want her for?"

  Christian didn’t look at Brandon as he spoke. "It’s getting late. I need to pick up our new sister. I will see you soon. Do not speak of the House’s intentions with the others. I do not want anyone to know about it."

  "Yes, Master." Brandon nodded, watching Christian jump off the railing and disappear into the darkness.

  Brandon informed the others, and they all waited for Christian’s return in the sitting room on the top floor of the manor. Sitting next to Nicolette, Addison was laying on her as Nicolette lovingly stroked her hair and spoke softly to her. Addison begged Nicolette to feed her, but Nicolette had to refuse.

  The others were looking at them, but quickly turned to Christian as he entered with the new initiate. Addison looked as well but neither she nor Nicolette got up to greet her. The new woman was beautiful and hung on Christian as Addison had done, a look of complete admiration in her eyes. Christian left her with Victoria, who led her over to the group of women.

  "This is Amanda, our new sister. Let us welcome her." Smiling, Victoria held her hands lovingly around Amanda’s shoulders, all of them saying hello.

  Nicolette motioned for Addison to sit up on her own, Addison groaning because she didn’t want to move. Feel
ing faint, Addison leaned against a large pillow behind her. She forced a friendly expression for Amanda but didn’t say anything.

  "Thank you all for welcoming me." Amanda had a shy smile on her face, feeling safe and secure around the kind women. However, a slight frown crept into her happy features as she saw the worn out expression on Addison’s face. "And what’s your name?"

  "Addison." Addison extended her hand, shaking Amanda’s. "Welcome to the family."

  "Are you—" Amanda was going to comment on Addison’s appearance, but Nicolette and Victoria pulled her away before she could finish.

  They led Amanda away and redressed her as they had Addison. While they were gone, Addison laid her head back and curled up into a loose ball, falling asleep before they returned. Christian looked over at her, but his eyes didn’t linger long, instead turning to the women coming back into the room.

  Christian motioned for Nicolette to wake Addison up and for Victoria to bring Amanda to him. Nicolette quickly moved over to Addison, making her sit down with the others so they could watch the initiation.

  A young woman walked past Addison, her bare arm brushing against her and making her jump. Whimpering softly, she tried not to wail loudly as she fell into Nicolette’s arms and began to cry. She could smell the blood of Amanda’s first kill and desperately wanted a taste.

  Nicolette held Addison close as they sat on the floor ahead of Christian and Amanda, Nicolette kissing Addison’s hair softly. "It’s all right, my dear. Shh…" Cooing to her, Nicolette tried to calm Addison down, her nervous gaze focusing on Christian, who was watching her interaction with Addison closely. "You have to resist it. The Master will feed you soon, just be patient."

  Addison’s face streamed with tears as she pulled at Nicolette’s shirt. "I’m so hungry. I’m so hungry." Addison repeated the phrase a few more times, with each sentence her words getting softer and softer until finally fading. Resting her head on Nicolette’s chest, Addison’s attention turned back to Christian, who was now speaking to Amanda.