Dark Possession - Aja James Page 0,15
with maximum efficiency. Something he had in common with the Commander, for Maximus tracked his summary perfectly.
“Do you know who is behind this?”
Ramses arched an eloquent brow.
“Right,” Maximus grunted. “Ariel and I will look into it immediately. What do we need to know?”
“Mind-controlled vampire soldiers were the Pure female’s guards. They merely carried out orders and knew nothing about the wherefores. I received a hand-written message to retrieve my ‘gift’ at a well-hidden location in the Catskills. My Sentries have the exact coordinates. The note itself was written in calligraphy script. Here.”
He retrieved the missive from his desk drawer and handed it to Maximus.
“Work with Devlin to see if there is any forensic evidence. I doubt it, but still.”
“What else?”
“Eveline Marceau is a member of the Dozen. The perpetrators must know this. They raised the stakes by targeting her instead of an unknown, common Pure One.”
“They want to force you into action.”
Ramses smiled grimly.
“They obviously don’t know me very well.”
“It is a bold and reckless move,” Maximus observed. “In of itself, the abduction and enslavement of a Pure One is a serious concern, given our laws. But worse, they have alerted other hives of their actions.”
Ramses simply stared meaningfully at Maximus to expound.
“The Great Plains Queen did not overtly state her knowledge of this event. But upon our early departure, she said, ‘Give the Dark King my well wishes. May his health be Nourished by the purest blood.’”
It was a common farewell among ancient Dark Ones, but the typical saying was “May your health be Nourished by the strongest blood.” Both Ramses and Maximus knew that the one word difference was significant, especially if the adjective began with a capital P.
“I did not mark her words when they were spoken, but now that I know what has happened…”
“She is testing us, Queen Anya,” Ramses murmured reflectively. “They are all watching.”
“What will you do?” Maximus asked the obvious but difficult to answer question.
Ramses steepled his fingers, resting his elbows on the desk, and leaned forward.
“I have a three-month agreement with the Pure One. She will stay here as my Blood Contract for that duration.”
Maximus inhaled audibly through his nose. Ariel’s whiskers twitched, and she let out a sound that might be interpreted as “oh, shit,” in panther speak.
“But not a Blood Slave,” Ramses added significantly. “She is bound to me, as I am to her, but she is still free.”
“Ingenious compromise,” Maximus noted.
Ramses quirked his lips, half in respect, half in chagrin.
“She’s the one who proposed it.”
Maximus’ heavy brows shot up at that.
“What was your alternative?”
Ramses met his Commander’s rather intimidating, scrutinizing gaze full on. They agreed on many things, but not on the alliance between Dark Ones, Pure Ones and humans.
“Obviously not as attractive as the option she presented,” he answered without really answering.
The Commander glared at him for a couple of long minutes, a silent communication flowing between the two males.
“As to what I will respond to the Dark nobles who are tracking my every move,” Ramses finally said, breaking the staring stalemate, “I will play it by ear. They must know already that Eveline Marceau is here at the Cove. I think I shall invite a few select nobles to come and observe our relationship with their own eyes. Make of it what they will.”
“An answer that keeps them guessing,” Maximus mused.
“Knowledge without truly knowing,” Ramses confirmed.
“You have a list of nobles in mind?”
“Yes,” Ramses answered simply.
“Nobles and Queens.”
*** *** *** ***
When Eveline next opened her eyes, it was sixteen hours later, give or take.
Famished, she fried a fresh ribeye steak she found in her fully stocked fridge, put a salad together, and devoured her meal with unseemly haste.
She didn’t usually eat red meat, preferring seafood and pork for her protein, but she figured some extra iron intake would be beneficial for her current circumstances—
As a Blood Contract for the Dark King.
Granted, she wouldn’t necessarily be his sole source of Nourishment, and she was also free to feed others (not that she’d ever volunteer herself, unless it was to save the life of someone worthy or someone she cared about).
But in most cases, the exclusivity of a Blood Contract between the concerned individuals was implicit and upheld. Otherwise, the provider of blood could merely give their Consent and be done with it. No need to formalize the arrangement as a Contract.
A Contract signified a sense of ownership, at least for its duration, if not forever. When Ramses had emphasized that she was his for the next three months