Fatal Cravings: Immortal Keeper Vampire Paranormal Romance Series, Daniella Starre [classic books for 11 year olds .TXT] 📗

find out.” I rubbed my neck. “Go ahead. Kill me first. After all, I was the one to kill your son. Why should I take another breath when he’s nothing but ashes?”

Viktor threw Maxwell aside and was next to me in the next moment.

“Drink my blood. See my memories,” I taunted. “See your son one last time. Or don’t. Believe that your son was strong and noble and all that jazz. But in the back of your mind, you’ll always wonder. You’ll always think back to this moment when you could have learned the truth and—”

Viktor yanked my head back and bit my neck savagely, and I could feel him force my blood into his mouth at an even faster clip than Magnus had. I could smell blood, and I realized there was some on the iron knuckles Viktor wore. The damn cheater!

But I could play dirty too.

As he drank my blood, I drank the poison. Maxwell had given it to me for a reason, and I could feel myself grow weak. My body felt pins and needles everywhere, and then I felt as if I was burning from the inside out.

Viktor tossed me down and staggered back. He licked his lips, looking confused, and he shook his head as he swayed this way and that.

My blood was weakening him.

So was the poison.

Viktor glowered at me. “What did you… What did you do to me?”

I said nothing, not daring to react at all as Maxwell crept up behind Viktor. My vampire husband was covered in blood, his blood, but he seemed all right enough as he lifted his hand and slashed a chopping strike that took Viktor’s head clear off his body.

His body remained upright a moment longer before collapsing, and I shrieked and jumped back even though he wasn’t close enough to fall on me.

But jumping wasn’t a good idea, and I fell. The poison was still in my system, and I could feel my tongue swelling, my face… I couldn’t breathe, and…

Maxwell was there, sitting on the ground, cradling my head in his lap. His fingers touched my cheeks, parted my lips, and something cool and slimy went down my throat. It tasted disgusting, but I swallowed it all.

“The antidote,” Maxwell murmured.

“The antidote…” I was feeling better already, and I sat up, twisting to glare at him. “Why didn’t you give me your blood like you did early?”

“I could have, but I’m a bit beaten up, in case you didn’t see,” he said dryly.

My eyes widened. “You… You wanted me to have vampire blood in my system in case…”

“I walked away from you once because I thought it would protect you from me, from vampires, from all of this. Vampires are monsters. We bring chaos and carnage wherever we go.”

“You aren’t a monster,” I protested.

“I needed you then,” Maxwell murmured. “I needed you since before you were born.”

I shook my head. “How is that… Why me?”

“Do you believe…” He blew out a breath. “I couldn’t bear to leave you, but I wanted to spare you a life of pain and misery and sorrow. Instead, Magnus found you. Maybe he sensed our bond—”

“What is the bond?” I cried. “What is it? Why have I felt as if my life means nothing without you? When you left me, I was ruined!”

“I never intended that,” he assured me. “The bond… It’s complicated.”

“It’s also not small talk,” I said sharply. “It’s a bit important, don’t you think?”

“Yes,” he murmured, “but how about we leave this place? We can go in the bathtub, wash each other off… See what happens next…”

“I would need to brush my teeth first,” I said tartly, “and I would rather talk…”

“Here, around the dead bodies of our enemies?” he asked with a wry grin.

“Well, when you put it that way…”

I allowed him to help me to my feet, and the next thing I knew, we were back at his palace, standing just inside the closed fence.

“Do you think his followers will come after us?” I asked Maxwell.

“Are you worried, cuore mio?”

“No, but I do think it’s a legitimate concern,” I protested.

"It is not something we need to worry about."

“How can you be so certain?”

“With Viktor dead, his lieutenants—”

“Goons,” I corrected.

“Goons,” he allowed with a grin and a kiss to my forehead. “His goons will be too concerned with fighting over his properties and trying to gather as much of his wealth as they can for themselves for them to come after us.”

“But his lover—”

“Viktor had no lover, no wife.”

“Magnus…”

"His mother sold him to Viktor. She owed Viktor a debt she couldn't pay, so she handed over her son. Viktor took pity on the boy and groomed up, and once he turned twenty-one, Viktor bit him."

I sucked in a deep inhale.

“Did he cry out for his mother?” Maxwell murmured. “Forget I asked. I don’t need—”

“Yes. With his last breath, he did. He was cruel and vicious as he drained me, but… once he realized he was dying, he was on the ground, and he called out her name, and then he passed.”

Maxwell shook his head. “Come,” he said even though he was carrying me still.

He walked with bold steps toward his palace.

“We’ll bathe and then talk.”

“We’ll talk as we bathe or else no bathing,” I correct.

“Is that so, Mrs. Maxwell?”

My heart skipped a beat. “Yes, Mr. Maxwell.”

He chuckled.

It didn’t take long for the bath to be drawn, and this tub was luxurious, large enough to hold six people, and I wasn’t talking about six Barbies.

Maxwell had a knowing glint in his eyes as he came over to me with soap in his hands, but I maneuvered away from him.

“The bond,” I reminded him.

“What do you think of the name Allison?” he asked me.

A chill ran down my spine for some reason, to hear that name from his lips.

“Amy? Alice? What about Alexis?”

A chill accompanied each, and I felt as if I were fracturing. “Why are you…

“Aubrey,” Maxwell continued, gazing deeply into my eyes. “How about… Amalia?”

“What do those names