Claude's Conquest (Maura's Men Book 2) Read online

  Molly had been delightfully gullible, falling for everything Maura said about Shane abandoning her. She’d had no idea of Maura’s true intentions until Declan let his dick do his thinking. She’d had all three members of her old army exactly where she had wanted them, but Declan’s obsession with that Gretchen girl got the better of him. He’d attacked her without Maura’s permission, and things had gone downhill from there. With a huff, Maura made her way down the hall to the room where Declan waited.

  She shoved the door open and glared down at him. Declan shivered as a cold breeze swept through the room and over his healing form. It was taking a lot longer for him to heal than Maura anticipated. If she gave him some of her blood, Declan would be as good as new in no time. Not that she would, his pain was his punishment for ruining her plans. Declan sat up and smirked. Even on the edge of death, he reeked of arrogance.

  “I’d say it is lovely to see you, but I’m not one for white lies. You’re a few feedings short I’d say.”

  Maura’s hands curled into fists so tight, she was sure blood was being drawn. Declan flinched visibly as if her anger was a physical object, and she had just slapped him with it. That thought calmed her just a little. Maura had only felt more insulted one other time in her long life. Claude had learned his lesson, and now it was time Declan learned his. He had outworn his welcome. As soon as he was completely healed, she would use him to help rebuild her army. Then she would end his miserable existence as a lesson to the others about loyalty.

  “Go feed,” Maura ordered, ignoring his comment, “I don’t need you to die before you’ve been of any use.”

  “Yes, my Queen.” Declan replied, but his sarcastic tone wasn’t lost on Maura.

  She narrowed her eyes at him before leaving him in the room alone. Declan had once been a convenient ally, but he hadn’t lasted a week before his personal entanglements ruined her carefully laid plans. That annoying Gretchen woman; Declan had talked incessantly about her ever since his turning. If she hadn’t been well known amongst the students, Maura would have demanded her as a sacrifice that first day.

  Declan had truly disappointed her with his rash actions, and she had exercised great restraint in his punishment. She was sure he would find more ways to disappoint her. However, given that under his watch not only had her powers gone missing, but the key to her plan for revenge had taken off as well; she had no idea how much worse he could get. Even the traitors who had tried to kill her had been more competent than Declan Murray.

  Maura would have to be more careful with the rest of her new army. She reached the door to her room only to pause. The cabin was too quiet. Her latest recruits should have roused themselves by now. She turned and headed back down the hall, stopping at the second door. It flew open, just as her hand touched the knob, and she was faced with the scrawny weasel-faced Rodney.

  “Come to check on us?”

  His voice was nasally and grating, but she had witnessed firsthand his way with words. Rodney had interrupted Maura in her feeding on his brother Axel. It was his mouth that had saved his pitiful life. He convinced Maura that he could be of more use than his strong, but lack wit brother Axel, alone.

  “Just ensuring my newest members survived the night.”

  “All’s well and dandy with us, but I think you would prefer a little better accommodations?”

  Maura raised a brow in question and the man smiled.

  “I’ll get right on it,” he said and closed the door in her face.

  At the moment she didn’t have the capacity to be offended, all her anger was still focused on Declan and her current situation. Something Rodney had apparently picked up on. He was a sly one. Someone she would have to keep her eyes on. Maybe even more so than Declan.

  Unsatisfied

  “I can’t believe we just watched a marathon of teen vampire movies. Whose idea was this anyway?” Gretchen groaned, sitting up in the way too comfy recliner.

  She’d woken up right before the credits rolled on the last film. She glanced over to see Cat and Molly exchange glances before bursting into laughter. In the last four months, Gretchen had come to enjoy the company of the unlikely best friends.

  “Sweetheart, the only thing you were watching was something steamy involving Claude,” Cat said, and Gretchen blushed.

  Okay, so she’d been dreaming about a real vampire. A sexy one and a very off limits one, but how did they know that? As far as she knew no one here could read minds.

  “I don’t know what you are talking about,” she said, and they giggled before Cat grabbed Molly.

  “Oh, Claude!” Molly cried and proceeded to swoon as Cat pretended to kiss her.

  Embarrassed that she had obviously been talking in her sleep, Gretchen grabbed a handful of her discarded popcorn and threw it at them.

  “Stop, alright. So what? It was better than sparkly vampires.”

  “Hey, this is my bachelorette party. We get to do what I want.” Cat adjusted the fake princess crown on her head.

  Molly rolled her eyes.

  “Anything except leaving the compound and hire a male stripper. Doesn’t anyone else see how cult-like this all is? Three women stuck in a high-security compound with three men.” Molly complained.

  “Don’t go there Molly. It's only heavily guarded because Maura is still out there. You wouldn’t feel so caged up if you would just forgive Shane already.” Cat sighed.

  “Don’t start this again. He betrayed me.” Molly sat up in her chair.

  Not one to back down on anything, Cat sat up as well. “Oh, I’m starting it all right. You and Shane are meant to be ‘Together Forever’ if I recall correctly.”

  Things were going downhill fast. The issues needed to be talked out, there was no doubt about that, but Gretchen knew now was not the time. This was supposed to be fun girl time before Cat and Xander’s wedding tomorrow.

  “It was more like till death do we part. I died; it’s over.”

  “Did you think you weren't going to die if he turned you? Hello! Vampires are undead. What the hell happened that made you so—so—jaded!”

  "Actually, we were half dead when they turned us," Gretchen muttered. Cat shot her a menacing glare.

  “What happened? You know damn well what happened,” Molly spoke over her.

  The two best friends stared each other down. The tension in the room was palpable, and Gretchen knew she needed to interject before things truly went sour.

  “Listen up, you two. We agreed no serious talk tonight. We are supposed to be having fun,” she interrupted their bickering.

  They both glared at her for a moment before sighing and taking in the mess that they had created in Shane’s theater room. Decorating the space with pink and white streamers and crepe paper had been fun, but now after the festive feeling had left all it looked like was unwelcome work.

  “It’s late, you should all get some rest,” a disembodied voice said causing them all to jump.

  The girls searched the room only for Shane to emerge from a shadowed corner by the door. Gretchen relaxed a little, but not completely. Shane was a nice guy, but he could really give a girl the creeps sometimes. He looked almost nothing like the man Gretchen had met at the estate. Dr. Pearse had been somewhat gaunt in appearance, but he’d still had color in his cheeks and life in his eyes. The man standing in front of her now was well--his eyes were sunken and with barely any spark of life in them. His skin was pale and hung from his bony frame as if he were a malnourished child. If he’d been wearing a hooded cloak, he could pass as death itself.

  “We’ll go after we cleanup,” Cat said.

  Gretchen nodded in agreement, but Molly just scoffed and stormed out of the room.

  Shane’s eyes tracked her every movement, but as soon as she was gone the brief glimpse of light in his eyes vanished.

  “No, I will clean up. Consider it my wedding present,” he said, and Cat smiled at him before getting up and giving him a big hug.

  “Thanks Shane,” she said b
efore leaving as well.

  Gretchen stood and started tearing down the crepe. The others might be okay with leaving the mess, but she wasn’t. Molly was a bit of a prima donna, Cat was a permanent resident, but Gretchen was just a guest. Well, more like refugee, at least until she learned to manage vampire life on her own.

  “You don’t have to,” Shane began, but Gretchen shot him a look.

  “I don’t know all the details about what’s going on with you and Molly, but you really need to start taking better care of yourself. How is she supposed to remember the man she fell in love with when you walk around looking like death?”

  He seemed struck by her words, but said nothing as he began to clean as well. The next twenty minutes was spent working in a companionable silence.

  “I’ll make you a deal.” Shane bagged up the last of the trash.

  “What?”

  “I’ll take your advice into consideration if you take Claude into consideration.”

  “That is not a fair deal.”

  “I never said it was.” He said and left her in the room alone.

  Gretchen sighed and picked up the remaining trash bag to take out. Shane was one odd character. With the clean-up done, she headed for her room. It really was late, and she didn’t want to be too exhausted to help Cat out with the final details for the ceremony tomorrow.

  She was just about to reach the stairs when she saw Claude coming from the opposite direction. His head bent as he ran a towel over his sandy blond hair. His chest was bare, giving her the perfect view of his slim muscled figure, glistening with moisture.

  Gretchen took back her comment about sparkly vampires. This was one she wouldn’t mind getting her hands on. She was too busy ogling him to realize she had continued walking passed the stairs until she almost ran into him. She quickly backpedaled, only to lose her footing and begin to fall. He reached out catching her in his arms before she hit the floor, but instead of just helping her up he maneuvered her against the wall. Trapping her against it with his body.

  “You should be more careful,” he said giving her a killer smile.

  Being this close, she could smell the mixture of chlorine and sweat on his skin. She was completely unprepared to deal with this onslaught of sexy. To think she had thought him an angel on their first meeting. Granted, she’d been dealing with a severe lack of blood at the time.

  “I was just going to bed.” She stammered and silently cursed herself for showing even that much weakness in his presence.

  In the few months she’d been holed up in the mansion with him, she’d learned her angel was, in fact, a chauvinistic womanizer. Not exactly the type of man one should be involved with while dealing with a personal trauma. She took a deep breath and forced herself to look him in the eyes. Their hazel depths gleamed with wicked intent.

  “Ah, I’d be happy to join you.”

  Focus, Gretch. Don’t let him in. You don’t need this. Mind over matter, young lady.

  “Oh, I’m sure you would.”

  Wait, what? That’s flirting, no flirting. Just leave before you go too far.

  “It’s no secret that I want you, Gretchen.” He fondled a curly lock of her hair.

  There was no doubting the chemistry between them, but she wasn’t ready to give in.

  “I’m not interested in being one of your many conquests.”

  Yes! Just like that. Keep up the good work Gretch.

  “What if I told you I wanted more than just one night? That you could never be just a simple conquest.”

  The sincerity in his voice was almost her undoing. He leaned in closer his lips hovering over hers, waiting for her to make the next move. The ball was in her court now. If she just leaned in, gave in, took what he offered, would she be able to get him out of her system? Her body was screaming for her to go for it, but in the end it was her mind that made the final decision.

  No, no one night stands either. There is no telling how long you will be stuck here.

  “What makes you think if something did happen between us that I would want more than just one night? You are such an arrogant ass. Don’t ever dare to think you know what I want.”

  She closed the gap between them. Her lips pressed softly against his for a brief moment before she pushed him away and ran up to her room. As relieved as she felt with the encounter being over, part of her was having a pity party. She only hoped she wouldn’t regret rejecting his proposal in the morning.

  Claude stood stunned as he watched Gretchen practically sprint away from him. To be honest his words to her had surprised even him. He’d known he’d lusted for her, but it wasn’t until he’d held her in his arms that an uncomfortable warmth had spread in his chest. He actually cared for the sassy little mouse. She had a way of keeping him on his toes that no other woman had managed in his long life, not even Maura.

  Not wanting to be found half naked with a hard on in the middle of the night, he headed for his own room. Even after that sweet stinging rejection, he would need a cold shower to alleviate his discomfort. He paused as he passed Gretchen’s room. He could hear her moving around inside. She was getting into bed judging by the shifting sound of linen and the slight creak of mattress springs. Despite his better judgment, he stood there listening, imagining her movements.

  He stopped breathing when he realized her movements had a rhythmic quality to them. He moved closer to her door, picking up on her soft moans he found himself cupping his own erection. Matching the slide of his hand with her intimate cadence. Her breathing increased as did her movement and the barest hint of her aroused scent tickled his nostrils. He knew she was close as her breathing became labored and erratic.

  “Claude!” He could have sworn she whispered in the height of her own completion.

  Losing what little control he had over his own actions, he tightened and released his grip as he stroked himself, mimicking the spasmodic contractions of the female orgasm. He placed one hand on the door to steady himself as he finished, making a mess in his swim trunks. Claude cursed under his breath. The release had only been a temporary solution. He hadn’t experienced such uncontrollable lust since his teen years.

  I must be completely out of my mind.

  He quickly walked the two doors down to his own room and slammed the door shut behind him. His predicament was calamitous. This would not do at all. He had to find some solution. He stripped off his swim trunks and deposited them in the trash. There was no way he could wear those again. Claude needed a plan, but first he really needed that cold shower.

  After the appalling end to her bachelorette party, Cat had tried her best to take Shane’s advice and get some rest. Despite her best efforts, nothing had worked. It was the night before her wedding, of course Cat couldn’t sleep. She spent the past three hours nervously pacing her room until she was sure everyone else had gone to bed.

  Cat hadn’t been able to keep herself from thinking about the million different ways for the day to end in disaster. Her dress might become inexplicably ruined, Molly and Shane would most definitely get into an argument, and Xander would be displeased about the decorations if they weren’t perfect.

  There was so much that could go wrong. Worse than anything else, Maura could attack, and everyone would be so caught off guard that it would end in mass bloodshed and death. Cat didn’t want to think about any of it anymore. Maybe a change of scenery would work. She left her room and made her way to the courtyard where everything was all set for the wedding.

  As much as the boys talked about hating the MacDonald estate, they had moved into what was possibly the closest thing to a replica of it as they could find. The mansion, although much smaller than the estate, had a similar stone fortress feel from the outside. It even had towers at each corner of the house.

  It was the inside of the mansion that they had truly made their home. Each of them had their own corner decorated to suit their personality and era, even if they didn’t realize it. Xander and Claude’s spaces were filled with impressive an
tiques and very sparse modern conveniences, while Shane’s area looked like the sixties and seventies had a baby.

  Everything was dated except his movie room, and other than the kitchen, it was the most modern space in the house. The garden out back and even the center courtyard had an old world charm to it. One could almost forget you were in the mountains of California.

  The slight chill in the air made Cat shiver and wish she had put on her robe instead of traipsing around in the vintage silk night gown Molly had insisted she wear as the bride to be. Taking everything in, Cat felt herself relax a little. The courtyard was breathtaking even in the light of the full moon. The flowers were all perfectly placed and except for a few last minute details everything was exactly as it should be. It gave her hope that maybe things would be okay after all.

  “Everything will be just fine,” a familiar voice said from behind Cat.

  Startled, Cat turned quickly, nearly losing her footing. She managed to catch herself in time, but the sight of the shadowy figure had her stumbling once again. The first time the Shadow had visited her, she had thought she was going crazy. As if being a vampire wasn’t enough, now she saw ghosts.

  Although the ghost had no real form or features, Cat was pretty sure the ghostly shadow was Xander’s first love Rachel. Not that the Shadow ever gave any hint to its true identity. It just randomly showed up one night and scared the crap out of Cat with a creepy photo montage and a cryptic message about Maura’s plans for revenge.

  “Jesus! What do you want?”

  “Don’t worry. I am not here to hurt you.”

  “No, you just like to scare the living daylights out of me. Can a girl get a little warning sometime?”

  The dark figure laughed and crossed the space, getting closer to her until she was almost certain she could feel the shadow’s breath.

  “I don’t know why. I have done nothing but help you.”