Forever Touched (Touch of Vampire #5)

CHAPTER 1

1

ADALYN

“Adalyn!”

The all-too-familiar shout dispelled my dream, and the images scattered before I could commit them to memory.

Sighing, I rubbed my eyes and struggled to clear the fog from my tired brain.

“Adalyn, now ,” the shout came again, more demanding this time.

“Coming.” My reply came out as a dry rasp, but I knew Mistress could hear it. Forcing my stiff limbs into action, I pushed myself into a sitting position. My head promptly pounded, and I grabbed it with a muffled groan.

You okay?

As the concerned words flitted through my mind, I cracked an eye open to glance at my nightstand. A brown mouse with a white streak on her chest stared back, her round black eyes blinking up at me knowingly.

Yeah , I quickly reassured my familiar through our telepathic connection and reached out to stroke her tiny head with one finger. Just had a busier night than usual .

She nuzzled my finger, flooding our bond with sympathy. You need more rest. And food. Don’t forget that you’re mortal, Ada .

I snorted, which further irritated my parched throat. How could I forget when my body painfully reminds me of that fact every day? Don’t worry, Pepper. I brought in really good money last night and kept a little extra for myself. I’ll splurge and buy a huge breakfast .

When she eyed me skeptically, I rose from the bed on unsteady legs and started to dress.

Promise? the little mouse pressed as I exchanged my pajama bottoms for a ripped pair of jeans.

Shimmying into them, I looked over my shoulder at her. For such a small creature, she was really good at calling me out on my bull. I’ll do my best, Pep. You know how busy I am. I forget to eat sometimes .

She twitched her long whiskers at me in annoyance. You don’t forget. You just give all your money to her.

I pursed my lips and turned away, not bothering to reply. We’d had this conversation more times than I could count, and it always ended the same way. I was feeling lousy enough already without adding guilt to the mix, so I ignored my familiar’s judgmental stare and threw on a torn oversized sweater.

“ADALYN!”

Wincing at the shrill scream, I hurriedly slipped on my sneakers and called back, “Coming!”

At least drink some water. You sound like you have laryngitis .

Stifling an eye roll, I walked the three steps to my little bathroom and switched on the sink faucet to guzzle some water and splash my face. Neither made me feel better, but I threw Pepper a saucy look anyway and crooned, “Happy?”

She huffed a perturbed squeak. No. Be careful .

My smirk widened. Always am. But be careful yourself. That stray tabby has been sniffing around here again. He tried to sneak inside last night .

Pepper somehow managed to look indignant, lifting her pert pink nose into the air. I’m no ordinary mouse, Ada. I can’t be bested by a stupid tomcat .

Despite my exhaustion, a laugh burst from me.

“Adalyn Elise Starr, this is your last warning. You have five seconds to get your butt up here!”

Instead of giving in to a shiver of dread, I blew Pepper a kiss and whispered, “I’ll bring back some cheese from that deli you like so much.”

Sharp cheddar, please! she called as I whirled and beelined for the basement stairs.

Taking them at a run, I made it to the top in three seconds flat and yanked the door open just in the nick of time. A figure in a black satin robe greeted me on the other side, a matching satin scarf wrapped around her golden hair. The tall regal woman didn’t look a day over forty, but she was much, much older. Old enough that using a phone to shout at me wouldn’t even cross her mind.

At the sight of me, she frowned, which caused her ivory skin to heavily crease.

“I’m—” I started, but she raised a jeweled hand for silence.

“You know how I feel about punctuality, Adalyn. A slothful spirit is not only unattractive but highly disrespectful. I rely on you to complete errands during the day, and the sun already rose half an hour ago.”

“I know, and I’m sorry, but—”

“ No excuses,” she said, her tone sharpening. “Own your mistakes and accept the consequences like I’ve taught you.”

I bit my tongue to keep a retort at bay and lowered my chin a notch in submission. “Yes, Mistress. I’ll—”

“Not be paid today.”

I felt the blood drain from my face, even as I nodded my understanding.

She shoved a handwritten list at me and a wad of cash, which I gingerly accepted. “I want you back no later than noon. Georgina and Octavia should be up by then, and I want you to supervise their dance lessons again. Octavia especially needs help.” Biting my tongue once more, I nodded and turned toward the kitchen door. Before I could make my escape, she stopped me in my tracks with a stern, “Have you forgotten something, Adalyn?”

Schooling my expression, I faced her with a blank look.

She huffed in annoyance. “We’ve been over this countless times. Every morning, I need to know if you’ve seen or heard anything new at Dreamscape.”

“But the cameras—”

“Can’t pick up everything. Details, Adalyn. Details . You’ve been given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We pay you well and expect your full cooperation in return. You should be grateful for this job.”

“I am .”

“Well, if it’s proving to be too much for you, I could always tell Heath that you can’t handle it.”

“No,” I replied, a little too quickly. Her lips twitched into a faint smile. “I can handle it. I really am grateful to have been given the opportunity.”

She raised a manicured eyebrow expectantly.

Ignoring my lingering headache, I quickly racked my brain and said, “We have a new prospect. He watched me dance for two hours last night and was definitely interested.”

Her brown eyes started glittering with an excitement I’d seen many times before. “And? Details , Adalyn. What did he look like?”

“Um, he was tall and dressed in dark colors. His hair was black, but since he wore a mask, I’m not sure if his eyes were blue or green.”

“Venturi?”

“Definitely. He carried himself like a noble. ”

“Did you flirt with him? Let him touch you?”

“I . . . I winked at him.”

“Winked? That’s it? ”

“Yes, Mistress.”

The excitement faded, replaced with an ire that made me want to shrink back. She stepped into my personal space and roughly grabbed my chin to hiss, “Is that all? Tell me the truth, Adalyn.”

A familiar pull tugged at my mind, forcing me to say, “That’s all I know. I swear.”

She let go of me with a disgruntled huff. “Sloppy work. I’ll have to dock your pay again for potentially losing us a client. Now leave before I get any more upset. And don’t forget to wear your hat.”

She didn’t have to tell me twice. Tugging the baseball cap from my back pocket, I jammed it on and slipped out the door before she could find another reason to punish me. The moment I stepped outside, warmth from the early morning sun greeted me like an old friend. I paused to greedily inhale the fresh, salty-sea air.

Inside the old Victorian-style mansion, the curtains were always drawn, the air chilly and drenched in the coppery scent of blood. My room in the basement was even chillier—since my mistress rarely bothered to “waste money on heat,” as she put it. As a vampire, the cold Maine winters didn’t bother her. The same went for her two grown daughters. I, on the other hand, woke up each morning frozen as a popsicle.

Thankfully, the weather was finally starting to warm up. June was my favorite month here in Glassport, Maine. Everything was blooming, and the tourists were starting to make an appearance. That meant more humans at Dreamscape Lounge, which meant more vampires, which meant more money .

This month was also a reminder that another year had passed. That time was still relevant, despite how frozen it felt. In less than two weeks, I’d be twenty-one years old.

The only downside of being reminded was that I’d been here for six whole years. Six years that I would never get back.

As a sudden chill worked its way up my spine, I shook the thought off and turned toward the carriage house that had since been remodeled into a garage. The structure desperately needed a new paint job, but I didn’t dare bring it up to Mistress. I already had a big enough to-do list on my hands. Literally.

I quickly scanned the list before tucking it into my pocket, along with the cash. For three females, they sure drank a lot of blood. My once-a-week trip to Bangor for fresh blood was now becoming twice a week. Pulling out my keys, I unlocked the garage door and headed for the freezer stocked full of ice packs. I grabbed several and dropped them into a cooler, then popped the trunk of my car to place it inside.

Well, it technically wasn’t my car. There was very little that I actually owned, but since I was the only one who could go out during the daytime, Mistress had given me permission to use it almost exclusively. The vehicle was a forest green 1960s Aston Martin, one that had been collecting dust for years before I came along. I’d had to tinker with it for countless hours before finally getting it to run again.

Even though the car wasn’t really mine, it still made me feel independent when I drove it. Like I could simply take off and never come back.

If only.

Banishing the impossible thought, I hopped into the driver’s seat and started the engine. It rolled over easily, thanks to my constant tinkering, but I grimaced at the high-pitched squeal the garage door made as it lifted. I made a mental note to replace the rollers soon, then carefully eased out of the garage. If either Octavia or Georgina heard me leaving, they’d bombard me with texts, adding to my already long errand list.

Thankfully, no texts came in while I steered away from the seaside property and turned onto the road that would lead me to Bangor. As soon as the coast was clear, I whipped off my hat and tossed it on the passenger seat. Cranking the music, I rolled down my window and basked in the feel of the wind stirring my hair. These precious moments on the road were the only ones I had to myself, and I made the most of them the only way I could. The music effectively drowned out my thoughts, while the wind swept away any lingering traces of the world I lived in.

It was a ruse, though. A temporary band-aid fix.

As much as I yearned to leave this life behind, I couldn’t. I was stuck. For how long, I didn’t know. If Mistress kept finding reasons to dock my pay, I’d be here forever .

Feeling another shiver creep up my spine, I gripped the steering wheel and stomped on the gas. The wind whistled through my ears, whipping long silvery strands of hair across my face.

I wouldn’t be stuck here forever, I firmly told myself. I’d take matters into my own hands if I had to. It wouldn’t be hard. In fact, it would be easy. Easier than breathing.

With a mere thought, I could make this all go away.

But I wasn’t ready to pay that price. Not yet, anyway. I’d been stuck here for six years, but I could last a little while longer.

By the time I arrived in Bangor forty minutes later, my mood had darkened considerably. Knowing that I wouldn’t get paid for the next twenty-four hours definitely made it hard to stay positive. Mistress knew just how to pull my strings. Robbing me of the ability to pay off my debt was the number one way to secure my obedience. I wouldn’t be slacking off anytime soon .

Grabbing my hat, I made sure it was sitting low on my head before leaving the car. Bangor was a big enough city that I easily blended in without being recognized, but Mistress didn’t like to take chances—not when it came to me. I was lucky she even let me drive into the city by myself.

Scurrying from one place to the next, I quickly knocked off the to-do list, saving the blood supply store for last. As soon as I was finished, I’d make good on my promise to Pepper and indulge in a large breakfast. My stomach growled at the thought of finally being filled, and I hurriedly entered the store to collect my order.

As usual, a human manned the shop—at least during the daytime hours. Vampires like my mistress and her daughters couldn’t tolerate the sun and, therefore, mostly slept during the day and went out at night. Since they hadn’t been born as vampires like Venturi were, life wasn’t handed to them on a golden platter. They had to work for a living like the rest of the world, not that Georgina or Octavia had ever worked a day in their lives.

The Faircrofts were made vampires, also known as Feltore. They weren’t royalty or even nobility, even if they wanted to be. Still, their mansion was as close to Sanctum Isle as it could get while remaining on the mainland. I’d never stepped foot on the island where most of the Venturi lived and probably never would. Only a few Feltore were allowed to mingle with their kingdom’s elite, and the Faircrofts had been trying for decades to infiltrate that exclusive circle.

They still were, but not for the same reasons anymore. Everything had changed six years ago when Mistress lost her husband. Unfortunately for me, I was stuck in the middle of their scheming and knew far too much.

But, despite how desperately I wanted to leave this life behind, I understood their motives for getting close to the vampire elite. Understood and agreed.

Which was why I was able to set aside my own dreams and focus on the task at hand. I’d seen the human male dozens of times before, but when I entered the shop, he greeted me with a blank look. Thralled to forget. Most of the humans who fraternized with vampires were, including the humans who visited Dreamscape. It was the only way to ensure that the vampire’s existence remained a secret. Even witches practiced spells of forgetting on humans. The fewer of them who knew about supernaturals, the better.

“You here for an order?” the human asked me, skipping pleasantries.

Nodding, I held out my cooler for him to take. “Order for Margaret Smith.” I wasn’t allowed to speak the Faircroft name in public, but my presence here had never been questioned before. Blood had become a lot more accessible for the past six years, and vampires were encouraged to visit establishments where blood was freely given. It cut back on attacks that often led to human deaths. Fewer human deaths meant less chances of vampire exposure.

I understood this plan and actually agreed with it, but the word “free” was a joke. Blood was expensive .

When the human male returned with my cooler now stocked full of blood bags, I was painfully reminded of that fact.

“That’ll be two thousand,” he said, holding out his hand.

Shocked, I pushed back my baseball cap to gape at him. “Two thousand? There must be a mistake. It’s usually only fifteen hundred.”

He shrugged. “Business has been slower than usual, so our prices increased.”

“But . . . but I don’t have two thousand with me.”

He shrugged again and lowered his hand. “You can come back later, or I can just cancel your order. ”

When he moved as if to return the blood bags, panic fluttered in my chest. “No, that’s okay. I have the money. Here.” I dug into my pocket and pulled out the extra five hundred he needed. As he took the money and handed over the cooler, my stomach growled miserably. Sighing, I exited the store with my precious cargo. Pepper would be upset that I’d sacrificed my well-being yet again, giving up the only money I had to ensure I stayed in Mistress’s good graces, but what other choice did I have?

The only way I was going to pay off this blood debt was with sacrifice. Nothing short of giving up my soul would make Mistress free me of my indenture.

By the time I made it back to Glassport, I could barely keep my eyes open. Witches needed food and sleep the same way humans did, and I was running dangerously low on both, especially after the longer than usual night I’d just had. Mistress rarely kept the fridge stocked with anything but blood, so chances were I wouldn’t get anything to eat until after I’d earned some tips this evening.

Tips that weren’t mine to keep tonight, I reminded myself. Still, I couldn’t perform my duties if I starved to death. I’d keep just enough to buy a sandwich and save a few scraps for Pepper. Just the thought of a sandwich made my mouth begin to water.

Ignoring my aching stomach and burning eyes, I lugged my purchases into the house and began to put them away.

Ada .

At the gentle admonishment in Pepper’s tone, guilt flooded me.

I tried. I really tried, Pep. I’ll catch a quick nap and eat tonight, though. Promise .

Her resigned sigh whispered through my mind. You can’t keep going like this .

I know, but I’m tougher than I look , I told her, trying to lighten the mood. When annoyance trickled through our connection, I changed the subject. Hear anything interesting this morning?

Nothing of importance, but Thing One and Thing Two have a guest over. He’s still here .

At the news, my amusement over her nickname for the Faircroft sisters quickly faded. Again? I glanced at my phone and scowled. They should be prepping for their dance lesson right now. If they kept me waiting too long, I wouldn’t have time for a nap before heading over to Dreamscape. Tempted to start on my household chores early, I banned the idea and shut the fridge with an extra loud snap .

Rules were rules. Straying from my predetermined schedule wasn’t an option unless I wanted to be punished again.

My mood took a nosedive, and I marched from the kitchen before I could check myself. Dimly, I heard Pepper warning me to stop, but I was too annoyed. Too tired. Too hungry .

Those two needed a wakeup call, and I was the only one who would do it. Their mother certainly wouldn’t. She allowed them their every whim, spoiling her daughters every chance she got. And when they inevitably screwed up, I took the blame for it.

Well, not today. Today, I needed to follow the rules, which meant they needed to follow the rules. Time for some tough love.

Not bothering to be quiet, I stomped up the stairs to the second floor and stormed toward Octavia’s room. I whipped open the door without knocking, then squinted through the darkness to find the space empty. Turning on my heel, I crossed the hall to Georgina’s room, once again jerking the door open without a knock.

The moment I did, I desperately wished that I hadn’t.

Several candles had been lit around the room, illuminating the luxurious space enough to reveal three forms tangled together on the massive four-poster bed. A male was in the middle, flat on his back and stark naked. The sisters were draped on either side of him, both feeding from his neck and equally naked. Octavia was feverishly pumping his dick, and before I could look away, he orgasmed with a groan, spilling a stream of cum onto his stomach.

The second he was finished, Georgina removed her fangs from his neck and straddled him. Before his shaft could soften, she sank on top of it, impaling herself balls deep. As she began to ride him, she crooned, “Have you come to watch, troll?”

I hastily stepped back, but before I could close the door, her voice cracked like a whip through the air.

“ Stay .”

I started to shut the door anyway. Her golden curls tumbled forward as she looked over her shoulder and met my gaze.

Immediately, I felt the pull as she opened her mouth and ordered, “Come inside and close the door.”

Against my wishes, my feet crossed over the threshold, my hands betraying me as they shut the door. Satisfied, Georgina resumed her ride, bouncing up and down with abandon as her younger sister continued to feed from the male’s neck. After a minute, she ordered him to fondle her breasts, and he readily complied. Feeling left out, Octavia grabbed one of his hands and placed it between her legs. As he began to rub her clit, she moaned into his neck and roughly grabbed his hair.

Agonizing minutes later, all three of them were panting heavily, on the verge of release. Like a domino effect, they reached orgasm one after the other, starting with Georgina. She dramatically threw her head back and screamed, digging her nails into the man’s chest. Scratch that. Claws . As dark blood pooled on his brown chest, he loudly groaned out another release. Octavia followed suit, releasing his neck with a shuddering gasp as she came against his fingers .

I stood quietly, waiting for them to finish. Georgina languidly moved off the male, only to bend over and lap up the blood on his chest. My stomach lurched, but I forced myself to watch anyway, my expression carefully neutral.

This was punishment for daring to think my opinion meant anything in this household. It was my own stupid fault for coming up here.

This wasn’t the first time the sisters made me watch them having sex. They were attached at the hip and shared everything, including men. The first time I’d been exposed to their kinky love life, I’d only been fifteen years old. I’d cried then, but I’d never cried since. The less I reacted, the less ammunition they had.

Thankfully, they never forced me to join them. Even now, when I looked the same age as them, I knew they wouldn’t cross that line.

They despised me too much, especially Georgina.

She finally looked over at me with a self-satisfied smirk and purred, “Enjoy the show? I know how much you love watching.”

Knowing I wouldn’t reply, she made a show of stretching like a cat before grabbing a pink satin robe and slipping from the bed. The entire room looked like a tornado had swept through it. Clothing, shoes, and other accessories littered the floor, even though I’d just cleaned it yesterday.

As she sashayed toward me, slowly pulling on her robe, she said, “Octavia, take care of our guest.”

Octavia lifted her head with a pout, reaching up to wrap a strawberry-blonde curl around her finger. “But I always do it. Why can’t you?”

“Because I need to take care of our other guest.”

At the evil glint in her dark brown eyes, dread shivered up my spine .

Octavia huffed but did what she was told, forcing the man to look at her as she thralled him to forget certain aspects of their coupling. “You were never bitten . . .” she started, pricking her finger with a sharp black claw so she could smear blood over the bite marks on his neck. The puncture holes immediately began to seal shut.

“You’re late for your dance lesson,” I told Georgina, hoping to distract her. No such luck.

“I don’t remember hearing about a dance lesson today.” She lifted a hand and slowly licked the blood from her claws. “Do you, Tavia?”

“Nope,” her sister chirped.

“Sounds like you made a mistake, troll. I think a punishment is in order.” Pausing to examine her claws, she let them recede back into her skin before tapping her chin in thought. “What do you think her punishment should be for barging in on us, Tavia?”

Octavia let go of the man to clap her hands with glee. “I know, I know! Make her dance naked! ”

I stiffened.

Georgina rolled her eyes. “So juvenile.”

I started to relax but should have known better.

“Well, troll? You heard her. Strip and start dancing.”

A groan pushed at my throat, but I swallowed it. As far as punishments went, this one was rather tame. And by dancing for them, I was technically still “helping” them with their lesson. It would be humiliating, but my days of feeling self conscious were long gone.

Before she could force my cooperation with thrall, I started to undress. Georgina looked on with amusement, watching until I was completely nude before her. “When’s the last time you ate, troll?” she sneered, reaching out to poke one of my ribs. A sudden violent urge to grab her finger and break it ripped through me, but I balled my hands into fists and kept still .

At my stubborn silence, she scowled, looking like a younger version of her mother.

“Well? We’re waiting. Dance, already.” She flicked her fingers at me impatiently and stepped toward a chaise lounge to drape herself across it.

“How long should I dance for?”

I should have known better than to ask.

“Until I tell you to stop.” That evil glint returned.

Gritting my teeth, I started to dance. Slowly at first, then faster when Georgina demanded it. I danced and danced, losing myself to the movements, to the rhythm until the room and its occupants melted away. Music wasn’t necessary. I created my own, my body responding to each silent note.

At some point, their male companion left, but I kept on dancing. My feet flew over the hardwood floor as I leapt and jumped and twirled. My hair fanned out in shimmering strands, catching the flickering light of the candles.

I danced for hours. Danced until my feet ached and my legs turned to jelly. The room suddenly spun, faster and faster until I lost my balance and crashed to the floor. Stifling a yelp of pain, I struggled to rise, only to fall again.

After the third attempt, Georgina sighed and droned, “I’m bored of this. Dance lesson is over.”

I barely heard her, my headache like a deafening drum in my ears. Somehow, I managed to pick myself up, collect my clothes, and leave the bedroom. How I got from the second floor to my room in the basement, I didn’t know. All I remembered was falling onto my bed right before darkness swallowed me whole.