Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 112849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
“Shall we?” he asks, gesturing to the door.
I nod and with flourish he punches in the code and the door swings open.
He grabs my hand, his palm cool as he holds me tight, and leads me through the narrow black corridor. It feels like walking through a coffin. Even though I already did all of this during my astral projection, it feels different now. Corporeal. It has consequences whereas it didn’t before.
Valtu then brings me to the other door, opening it so that we’re standing on the iron landing at the top of the red-walled room.
“Welcome to the Red Room,” he says to me, gesturing with a swoop of his arm to the scene of mayhem below.
Like last time, the metallic scent of blood and the musky smell of sex hits my nose, and also like the last time, no one seems to notice my entrance. Everyone below us is deep into their fucking and feeding sessions, though there seems to be even more participants than last time.
Valtu closes his eyes and breathes in deep, nostrils flaring, and when he opens his eyes again, his pupils are bright red. This is the first time I’ve really seen that with him and from personal experience, I know he’s feeling bloodlust. The question remains. How long will he remain in control until it totally takes over?
He looks down at me and smiles, and I watch in real time as his canines sharpen into fangs. “Don’t look so alarmed,” he says, and even his voice has changed. It’s become smoother, like it’s been dunked in silky fine wine. “This is something you’ll have to get used to. You don’t think me more handsome now?”
He runs the tip of his tongue over his fangs.
“I don’t think it’s possible for you to get any handsomer, if we’re being honest here.”
His grin widens just as the bass of the music downstairs rattles on. Even in bloodlust, his ego is the thing that needs to be fed the most.
“Come with me, my colomba rossa,” he says, holding out his arm. I’m his red dove now. “Let me introduce you to my world.”
We go down the steps until we’re at the main floor and still no one is paying us attention. The music is loud, hypnotic, drowning out most of the moans, and slaps, and groans, there’s blood and naked bodies everywhere.
“You hardly seem fazed,” he notes, looking over at me. “I would have thought walking into a vampire feeding frenzy and orgy would have spun your head around…then again, why am I surprised, when you’ve proven to have quite the appetite yourself.”
I clear my throat, my pulse starting to quicken as the sounds and smells start to get to me. “Yeah, well, guess I’ve watched too much porn.”
He laughs. “What kind of porn are you watching? And why aren’t we watching it together?”
Then his face grows serious and he steps further into the middle of the room, cupping his hand over his mouth. “Attention everyone!” he bellows.
Only a few people look up from their activities with mild interest, the rest carry on as usual.
“Don’t make me compel you!” he adds, his voice booming and I can feel it enter my head like I’m hearing it from inside my brain. This is certainly a loud way to compel people but it seems to work because finally he has their attention. Not everyone stops entirely, but a lot of the thrusting has slowed and the moans have grown quieter.
“I have a new human I wanted to introduce you to,” he says, rather proudly I might add. “Her name is Dahlia Abernathy and I have chosen her as my own. I wanted to bring her here to make sure you all know that she is a part of my life and will be treated with only the highest regard. To do otherwise is to face very grave consequences. She is mine and mine alone. Do you understand?”
A few murmurs sound from the crowd and I find myself looking for people I recognize, or Saara and Aleksi, but I don’t. I guess that’s kind of a relief that no one from my local coffee shop or my school is here. That will avoid future awkward conversations in class (though Valtu did say it was forbidden for humans to talk to other humans about vampires outside of these walls).
“Okay then,” Valtu says to them with a wave. “Go about your business.”
But they don’t. They stand there, watching us.
Waiting now.
We have their attention.
Great.
“Come here,” Valtu says, holding out his hand. I take a deep breath and put my hand in his, feeling like I’m sealing some deal as I do so, like all of this is now binding.
I’m led to a circular bed in the middle of the room, covered with black leather, with four metal poles around it and chains attached, the shackles dangling at the sides.