"You can"t," Tatiana pleaded. His hand was on her throat, but it had loosened to a firm grip. Even now, she could feel her body responding to him. She hated him for it. She hated herself.
"Look into my eyes,bella , and tell me you don"t see the demon I am." Marcello"s laugh was cruel and taunting. "You mesmerized the wrong vampire."
"I didn"t mean to," she whispered truthfully. "I didn"t...."
Marcello"s dark eyes drifted down to her lips as she spoke. No emotions showed on his handsome features. He studied her for a long moment.
"Please," Tatiana whispered, disconcerted by the intense look on his face. "I swear I didn"t mean to do it. I don"t know what happened. I"ve never had ... I"ve not ... been like that. Please, my lord, let me make it up to you. What must I do to earn your silence? I"ll do anything."
As soon as the word "anything" was out of her mouth, Tatiana wished she could take it back. Marcello smiled at her, a dark and twisted smile full of malice.
"Bind yourself to me,bella mia ," he whispered. "Make yourself my slave."
"I can"t--"
"Shhh," he ordered softly. Marcello"s hand tightened on her neck to keep her from protesting. "You"re a natural witch. If you say you are mine, it will be so. You will not be able to recant your word. Bind yourself to me and I promise you my silence."
Tatiana sensed a trap. But as she looked into his eyes, she knew she had no other choice. It was either him or seeing her whole family in ruin. Her head spun at the very notion.
"What is your answer?" Marcello asked coldly.
"I"ll do it, if you meet my conditions." Tatiana drew her eyes away from him, but she couldn"t look away long.
"Name them," he said. She could see that he was ready to deny her. He held all the power here and he knew it.
"I would have you promise not only your silence, but also your protection," Tatiana said.
"Protection?" he asked, intrigued. "Who would you seek protection from,bella mia ?"
You! I would be protected from you!Tatiana couldn"t help the thought. Instead, she said, "I would have your promise that you won"t harm my family or any from their line. You won"t touch them and if it is in your power to protect or help them, you will do so. Also, you will leave this area. Promise me that and I"ll agree. Oh, and you must promise to let me see my family again. I wish to say goodbye."
"Done."
Tatiana blinked in surprise that he would agree so readily.
"Now, your pledge,bella mia ," he ordered. Antic.i.p.ation was raw on his face. His eyes narrowed, waiting. "Say you are mine "til the end of your days."
"I"m yours "til the end of my days," she repeated simply, mesmerized by his eyes. A strange curling sensation came to her limbs. Any remaining power she had over him left her. As she watched his face twist with pleasure and greed, she tensed.
What did she just do? How could she have bound herself to the devil? "Keep your word, my lord, take me home."
"You didn"t specify when I had to bring you." Marcello chuckled maliciously under his breath.
"But--" Tatiana said in terror. She looked him over. How could a man who looked so handsome, who"d touched her with such tenderness be so cruel? Her body shivered to remember it. The tenderness had been forced. Her mind condemned her for it.
"Ah," the Count hushed. His hand rose from her neck to stroke her cheek. There was no point in restraining her. He had her word. She"d restrained herself, given him power over her. "Don"t worry so,bella mia . I"ll bring you tomorrow at dusk. You"ll have your goodbyes with your family."
Tatiana nodded. Her lips trembled and she wanted to cry. She held back. This monster before her wouldn"t be swayed by her tears.
Tatiana"s memory again wavered and slid through time. She remembered that she didn"t sleep throughout the next day.
Marcello"s warning had been clear. If she weren"t there when he awoke, he would slaughter her father"s household. Huddled on the bed, she watched the flames dancing in the fireplace. The hours had pa.s.sed by too slowly.
That evening, as soon as darkness fell on the land, Marcello came for her. He threw a simple gown of brown wool on the bed.
She didn"t dare ask him where he got it. She tried to slip the dress over her body without dislodging the coverlet she used to hide her nakedness. This obviously amused Marcello immensely, who only laughed at her.
Soon, she was home, looking up at Eastwich Manor. Her whole body stung. When she moved to step up the front stairs, Marcello"s grip on her elbow stopped her. Tatiana blinked, looking up at him. His eyes glowed and she felt herself going weak in the knees. His eyes dipped to her lips and she knew he meant to kiss her. But, instead, when his mouth lowered, he pierced her lip with his fangs, drawing a hint of her blood.
Tatiana recoiled, trying to pull away. Her mouth opened to scream at him. His words stopped her.
"I"ll leave you here, for now,bella mia . You"ll suffer, never knowing when I"ll come. Each night with be a nightmare for you."
Marcello lifted his finger to her b.l.o.o.d.y lip. Wiping it gently, he added, "This is my mark. With this, I"ll always find you. You"ll never escape me. Each night, touch your lips, remember me--your new master."
"I wish not to remember any of this--nothing about you!" Tatiana growled, pa.s.sionately. Suddenly, she grew dizzy. Her head spun in furious circles. Falling forward, she felt herself caught up in Marcello"s arms.
Chapter Seven.
Tatiana screamed. Her body lurched forward as the memory released her. Her hands flung into the air, wildly searching through the darkness. When she was met with silence, she stopped. A cool hand found her arm, running up to the back of her neck.
"Let go of me," she gasped, disoriented. The memory had been so real. Glaring through the darkness, she tried to find Marcello in it. She slapped back his hand. Feeling the intimate brush of silk to her nakedness, she shivered. "Where are my clothes? What have you done to me?"
"You were lost in the memory for a long time," Marcello said. Tatiana thought she heard him yawn. She wondered if it was daytime and if so, why were they on a bed and not in a coffin? Marcello chuckled and answered the thought, "We are below the streets of Paris in the catacombs. This whole place is the grave. Though, if you like the idea of being pressed so intimately close to my body, I can send Cesare for a coffin."
"Get out of my head," Tatiana ordered, hating that he could always read her.
"Why should I when you think so openly?"
Tatiana didn"t answer. Was he being playful? She tried to edge away from him. But in the pitch black of the room, she had nowhere to go. She was too afraid to venture far from the bed. Her body shook. Had she really done all that? Had she forced Marcello into her bed? It didn"t make sense and yet she knew it had been real. She"d felt that it was real.
"I see you remember our time together," Marcello said, though the idea brought him no pleasure. "I had no idea that little spell you cast worked so well."
"What spell?" she whispered.
"When you said you wished not to remember." Marcello shifted on the bed. It was around noon in the outside world and his vampiric body was tired. "With the dreams you sent me, I thought you were sure to remember it."
"Dreams?" Tatiana asked, confused. She had sent him no dreams. The room was cool, but not too cold. She wondered how much of her he could see. She angled her body so that her back was to him and curled her knees into her arms.
Marcello chuckled. He long had her body memorized and her modesty before him now amused him. He didn"t wish to discuss their shared dreams with her. She"d made him endlessly relive their four nights together until he was wildly searching for any woman to slake his desires. It was h.e.l.l and Marcello had thoroughly enjoyed being tormented by his lovely slave. Being a vampire, he"d acquired a few depraved pleasures in his long life.
"What happened after I cast the spell?" Tatiana asked with forced lightness, when he spoke no more. She liked listening to him talk. His voice was calm and, when she heard it, she knew where he was.
"I carried you to your father." Marcello reached for her and pulled her down beside him. He was pleased when she weakly obeyed. But, as he moved to touch her naked arm, she stiffened and scooted her body to the far end of the bed. "I showed him your dress and told him of Alice"s grave. After admitting you"d spent many nights alone in my company--"
"You promised your silence," she broke in, horrified. "You didn"t tell him that...?"
"I gave my silence," he growled. "I didn"t say what we did. Your father a.s.sumed the worst in you,bella mia ."
"You let him believe I killed her," she whispered, accusingly.