Indebted to the Vampires
Chapter 24

Antoine

A burning rage filled me. It flowed through my blood as I clenched my jaw tight. I was the master of my own actions. I would not succumb to the violence within me.

“Do you think what you did was wise?” I bit out as Rayne sat down in his chair at the end of the table. “We are trying to gain her trust, not destroy it in a single instance.”

I couldn’t help the sharpness to my tone as my anger started to get out of control. Sucking in a breath, I steeled myself, replaceing the center of perfect balance. He was just a child playing at being a full-grown man, let alone a mature vampire.

Sometimes I wondered what our sire was thinking when he made this lot.

Actually, I knew what he had been thinking. Nothing. Like he did with all his creations. He simply found someone interesting or attractive and changed them, with or without their permission.

I’d learned that the hard way when he took me under his wing. Then I spent every day of my undead life fighting to get out from under it and run things my own way. Now that I finally had my own house, I wasn’t about to ruin it by letting my brothers in blood get out of control.

“She pisses me off.” Rayne pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.

I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, I couldn’t read minds. How was I to know what he’d been seeing inside that woman’s head? However, a point had to be made.

“If we all got to do whatever we wanted just because someone irked us, I’d have staked you lot a long time ago.”

Draconius and Allister snickered, earning them a glowering stare. They hushed up but didn’t stop smiling. The idiot twins. I didn’t know what possessed me to allow them to come with me to build my house.

Oh, I remember. I was a sucker.

They were abused far more than the rest of us underneath our sire’s delicate hand. No one knew how to push boundaries like our sire did. It was no wonder they had rushed to accept my offer of joining my house as easily as they had.

My hand reached up and palmed my chest, right above my heart where my own house tattoo sat. When we were all full of optimism and joy for our new house and freedom, we’d gotten matching ink. Some days, it was a reminder of what we had broken away from. Other days, like today, it reminded me to have patience and compassion. They needed me as I needed them. Blood of my blood, now and forever.

“Oh, come now, Antoine. You know you’d be lonely without us here.” Wynn smirked, lounging in his chair like he had no cares in the world.

Sadly, I knew differently. The flirty vampire might act like nothing bothered him, but I knew what the sire had him use his powers for.

“I have Darren,” I reminded him, not playing his game. “He is far better company and gives less lip.”

Wynn opened his mouth to retort, and I held up a hand. “Forget it. I set myself up for that. Keep your comments to yourself. Anyone else want to bring up new business while we are at the table?” I laced my finger and glanced around the room.

Surprisingly the one who answered was Marcus. The quiet stoic mountain of a man who acted as my unofficial guard during formal events shifted beside me. “Yes, Marcus?”

“Is it wise to allow an unclaimed human to attend?”

I didn’t need to ask Marcus what he meant. He was a man of few words, but when he did speak, he only spoke what was necessary to portray his point, a very good one in this instance.

“I’m with Marcus.” Rayne sniffed and then scowled, probably listening into someone’s thoughts. “The maid isn’t marked. She’s untrained in our ways and will only be a liability.”

“Then perhaps you should be the one to instruct her?” I countered, almost smiling at the way the redhead froze in his chair. “You seem so concerned with her wellbeing, after all, so maybe you should be in charge of making sure she is presentable and acts accordingly.”

This time Wynn spoke up, his usual carefree expression pensive. “But Valentine and Theresa are coming.”

He didn’t need to explain further. We all knew what those two coming would mean. Our sire was sending his lap dogs to check up on us, make sure there were no reason to dissolve our household... or maybe make a reason. One never knew with him.

“Yes. Valentine is coming.” I crossed a leg over the other and leaned forward to catch their eyes. “Which means we play their game. No need to bring attention to ourselves or give them an excuse to drag us back to the main household.”

“Then why let Piper come at all?” Drake asked.

This time I let a slow smile slide up my face. “Because Valentine would be suspicious if we didn’t have a maid, even more so if we hid her away.” I paused for effect. “He might think we have other things to hide, and we cannot have that.”

The others grumbled their agreement and I thought that would be the end of it.

“Mark her.”

My head swiveled Marcus, surprised he would make the suggestion. “Why? She has not proven herself trustworthy.”

Wynn snorted. “She knows we’re vampires and yet stays. Is that not trustworthy enough?”

Rayne made a rude sound in his throat. “You only want her marked because you are already one step into being blood bonded. What’s a bit of fang action going to hurt?”

Wynn glared at Rayne. “Says the one who got punched because they were jealous and pushed her too far.”

Jumping out of his seat, Rayne banged his fists on the table. “I am not jealous.”

Sliding his eyes to the side, Wynn gave a small shrug. “Says the one not in her dreams.”

I placed my face in my hand, shaking it slightly. And around and round we go.

“Enough.” I pushed a bit of power into my voice, causing Rayne and Wynn to stop bickering. Rayne slumped down in his seat, and Wynn merely went back to smirking.

Standing from my own chair, I placed a finger on the table. “If you have an issue with Miss Billings, you will remedy it before this weekend. I don’t need you lot airing our dirty laundry in front of Valentine.”

Rayne opened his mouth to argue, but I pushed even more power out until the room filled with it. A human would have choked on the amount, falling to their knees before me.

“You will replace her suitable attire and teach her what she should and shouldn’t do. I am leaving Miss Billings’ welfare in your hands.” Rayne gaped at me as I continued. “If Valentine lays a single hand on her, it will be you who pays.”

The unspoken question was met by a chorus of nods.

Satisfied with their agreement, I adjusted my cuffs and moved away from the table. “Now, I need to release some of this energy before I bring the house down. Who will join me for a hunt?”

It was not surprising that the whole table stood with me. We were all a bit on edge, and the reason being was only a paltry hundred and twenty pounds of blonde simpering flesh.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.