mythology, vampires ate; but they required fresh blood daily in addition to normal food. Other World doctors called the condition dietary anemia. He had fed the night before on Tessa, but he knew he needed blood again soon. Gideon had known he should feed before coming, but he only wanted Tessa. He also knew he couldn't feed on her again. Even if she wasn't a well guarded daughter of the Grand Master, she was still part human. Feeding on her again so soon wouldn't be good for her. She couldn't die, but he didn't want to weaken her. He'd taken more than he should have already; but she'd been so responsive that he'd been unable to resist a second bite. Judging from the looks the Grand Master was giving him, he felt reasonably sure the doctor had reported the suspected blood loss.
Tessa looked beautiful; but her glowing smiles were all an act. Thanks to the blood link he felt her emotions. When he gazed into her thoughts -something he usually didn't do, but with Tessa, he found he couldn't help his curiosity- he saw that Victor had dropped a bomb on her.
Opening his senses up a bit more to the emotional residue that vampires couldn't help but feel, it surprised him that he couldn't even accidentally glean emotion from the man. Unusual. Even the most powerful usually let things slip now and then. He obviously worked very hard to keep his every thought and feeling private. Considering his position it made sense. Whatever secrets the Grand Master hid, Gideon was sure they were important. He didn't try to invade the man's mind; he knew that with barriers that rigid the man would feel any attempted invasion.
His daughters all exuded their feelings like waterfalls gushing them out at him. They held nothing back. Tessa was the most guarded of the bunch, and her mental barriers were all a natural result of her aloof personality.
All of Tessa's sisters hoped for something to spark between him and their sister so that she would be around more often. It made him smile. He hoped for something more than one fabulous sexual encounter too.
Of all the women he'd enjoyed, Tessa had been the most delightful and surprising. He felt her freedom when they were together, and he knew she relished his body and welcomed anything he wanted to do with her. It made him hard just imagining the possibilities. If she allowed him to be with her again he had very definite ideas of what he would like to do with her. She seemed to be a bit vanilla in her tastes, and the idea of opening her sexually to a bit of kink made aroused him so much he had to bite his lip to keep a groan from escaping.
He could just see her now; bound with black silk scarves and waiting for him, the black silk against her milky pale flesh. Her wide eyes taking in his body as he readied himself to take a bite of her; Tessa would scream his name as he gave her orgasm after orgasm. Quickly, he brought his thoughts away from her body and what he wanted to do with it. This was certainly not the time and place to get hard.
The meal was delicious; he had expected no less dining with the ruling family. After they ate and the dishes had been cleared, the tall plump girl – he'd forgotten her name- began to beg her sister to sing.
'Please sing for us, Tessa. I look forward to hearing your carols all year. Please; Tonia can play the piano while you sing.'
Tessa blushed and glanced at him. Finally, after the rest began to beg too, she stood and went over to the piano. She whispered to Tonia, the tall plump girl, and music began to flow from the piano. Gideon glanced at the stoic Grand Master, and he noticed a subtle softening in his face when Tessa began to sing.
Softly, she began on a classic, 'Winter Wonderland.' As she sang, Gideon felt her magic. Even her voice held the magic and he knew she didn't even realize it. Somehow, that fact charmed him even as she entranced him. She sang a few more songs before she and her accompanist sat back down at the table.
Someone suggested games, and he followed the family from the table. It surprised him when the Grand Master sat down across from one of his daughters and started to deal a deck of cards. This was a side of the man he doubted very many had ever seen; it made the fearfully powerful man seem almost approachable, until he remembered what he'd been told about the Grand Master being different only with his family.
While the family was distracted choosing activities, Tessa approached him slyly. She took his hand and all but ran with him from the room; yanking him out the door. When she finally stopped dragging him he noticed that she had taken him into a beautiful atrium. It held so many plants it looked like a forest. The room was almost entirely composed of glass, and with the subtle lighting it felt as if they were walking in a summer garden.
Looking out a window at the snow made a striking contrast. The snow in Other World wasn't like the snow in the human world; it was less soft and fluffy, yet as she glanced out the glass with a wistful expression, he could tell it made her homesick. When Tessa turned to him and spoke, he had to clench his hands into fists to keep from grabbing her and taking her right in the middle of the room.
Tessa brought Gideon to the atrium because she wanted to talk to him without her entire family present.
'I just wanted to let you know that I've not told my sisters or my father what happened between us. It was just one of those things that happen in the heat of the moment.'
He didn't speak, and worse; he looked like he was upset. He clenched his fists tightly.
Blushing, Tessa tried to correct her blunder. 'I didn't want to make you feel awkward.' She turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm. Looking up into his face, she found his expression was unreadable. Biting her lip, she didn't know what to say or do, so she just stood there mutely, feeling foolish.
Gideon pulled her to the side and took her cheek tenderly in his palm. 'Look up, Tessa.' His voice was hoarse when he spoke.
She did; and found mistletoe hanging over their heads. Mistletoe was one of her favorite parts of Christmas and standing there, with Gideon, felt simply perfect. She saw his eyes change, filling with lust, but also something else; something they might be able to build into a real relationship. He seemed to feel the moment as strongly as she did. When he made a move toward her his actions spoke to her, and she liked what she was hearing.
Gideon leaned down and claimed her lips with a rough passion that stole her breath. Her pussy was wet just from his kiss. His breathing was ragged when he pulled back. 'Tessa, you mean something to me, and I know I mean something to you. Please, Tessa, tell me the truth. I don't want to steal it from your head; I want you to tell me.'
'I want you more than I have ever wanted another man. I don't even care that you're from this place, that you're a vampire. I don't know what it is I feel, but it's certainly not hate.'
Growling, he pulled her to him; and Tessa let him kiss her until she couldn't breathe. The sound of footsteps startled her, and they both turned. To her horror, Victor stood in the doorway. He didn't look happy. She stepped in front of Gideon, trying to shield him from her father's ire.
'Vampire, if you plan on spending any time with my daughter casually, you'd better request my permission!' Tessa wasn't sure which of them felt more surprised by his words, her or Gideon.
'Grand Master, I would like to request your permission to spend time with your daughter.'
'Tessa, do you want this vampire to court you?'
She didn't know how to answer that. Her heart told her that Gideon was perfect, but her head told her he was a vampire. If Victor won and she was forced to stay in his world, she couldn't imagine being without Gideon. Finally, she found her voice again, because ultimately the answer was easy. 'Yes, Father.'
'I want you to stay with the family in this house, and if this… man… makes you happy, then I will allow him to remain also.'
Tessa was shocked. She hated anyone trying to dictate her life, but as she lived trapped in Other World until further notice, she knew she was stuck with her father too. Gritting her teeth, she replied, 'I do want to see Gideon. But I plan on getting my own apartment and a job, and I don't want your goons stalking me. No humans can hurt me here, and I doubt any Other Worlder would be stupid enough to mess with me. So if you will give me a little bit of rope, I promise not to hang myself with it.'
Victor's eyes glowed red and she could see how close to losing control he was, but something stopped him. She wondered if he was as sick of fighting as she was. He seemed to calm, the red left his eyes and as he left the atrium Tessa was sure she heard him muttering something about vampires and mistletoe.
Gideon looked at her and grinned. 'What kind of a job do you plan to get? I hear you've got a good chance at future Grand Mistress.'
'I'm stuck here for now. You're right; I'm going to need to do something if I don't want to be under Victor's
