Chapter 16 - The Taste of Her Lips

Chapter 16 - The Taste of Her Lips
“Excuse me, Miss Cait, Mistress Heather is here to see you, ” Dayana informed an hour after Noman reluctantly left. He and Amanda had discussed about many things while he stayed. One of which included his first party in the castle where he mysteriously fell into an inebriated state with unexplained bruises on his wrist and chest. They had deduced that it was because of a vampire, but couldn’t be sure then.

Another was the murder case and how long it will be resolved. They both knew she couldn’t stay in the castle anymore longer. Her life was at stake even if the Master promised she’d be safe. To solve the case would be the best chance she’d get in leaving.

The third topic they discussed was the real attack Amanda experienced two nights ago. Noman knew it was just caused by a drunkard. She had to explain that it was a vampire attack and make him feel less...scared with it just as she was trying to be. Aside from her luckily protecting herself, she avoided getting deeper into the subject. It was an unsavory memory she decidedly buried in her mind, along with the cold feeling the attacker gave her when his fangs pierced deep into her flesh and sucked in almost all her blood.

The last they did was brainstorm on how to retrieve the amethyst necklace. They considered for her to request it from the Master politely, coercion wasn’t needed when it was hers to keep in the first place, but if worse comes to worst, Noman urged her to do it, with the help of a little bit of seduction of course.

“Right, I’ll be out in a few, ” Amanda answered just as she placed her cellphone in the mattress. She conveniently received a call from Matteo a few minutes after her bestfriend left and they managed to agree on meeting each other in the Vitalis castle.

He was happy of course, but Amanda had to giggle when Matteo called himself a fool for not realizing she was in fact under the Vitalis Family’s care.

“I’ll inform her then, ” Dayana said whilst bowing. She left with Amanda following behind and as soon as she stepped out of her bedroom, Heather quickly stood up from the sofa and opened her arms wide for an embrace.

“There you are!” she said, smile widening and showing the telltale signs that she was a vampire too.

This made Amanda stiffen on her spot for a moment.

“H-hey, Heather. What’s up?” she said when the woman gave her a warm and friendly bear hug.

Surely, she isn’t a vampire? Amanda questioned in her mind. But she did ask me if I was a blood donor so...possibly she is.

“I’d like to apologize for our cancelled dinner, Cait. Cord made me do it, ” Heather stated once they withdrew. There was a little bit of frown in her face when she mentioned the Master’s name.

Amanda half smiled. “Well, I was out of commission during that time, so no worries really.”

“Then, would you like to reschedule it? Tomorrow maybe?” The vampire woman pulled an expectant expression, but it deflated immediately once Amanda answered.

“Er, I’m sorry, I already have an appointment with someone tomorrow.”

“Urgh, I hope it isn’t Cord, ” Heather rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “He doesn’t like me dining with you in the first place, but I tell you, he’d do everything in his power to keep you from dining with anybody.”

“Uh, no, no, ” Amanda shook her head. “It is a friend. He is the vice president of my father’s company. He is coming over here tomorrow.”

Heather smiled and nodded. “Oh, I see. Then, how about today? We will just grab a quick bite.”

By the mere mention of the word bite, Amanda cleared her throat. Surely, this woman doesn’t plan on biting her too?

“Get to know each other more. No pressure at all, ” Heather continued as if she heard her thoughts.

Although Amanda would have wanted to decline, the jolliness and the easy attitude of Heather made her reconsider.

“Well, ” she started, smiling brightly this time, “that sounds goo-”

“No.” From the unopened main door, a male voice said.

The three women immediately looked to see and found the Vitalis Master standing tall, no cane, no blindfold, still in his trademark trench coat and with a thin, displeased mouth. “Amanda is occupied this evening.”

“Urgh, here comes the killjoy, ” Heather murmured, loud enough that he could actually hear.

This made Amanda hide a chuckle, but it didn’t stop her from feeling conscious and block the loud thumping of her heart. The last time they saw each other was last night, in his room, after their steamy battle.

“Good evening cousin, ” Heather greeted first, nodding once on his way.

“Heather, ” Cord nodded back, but his glassy reddish-green eyes were still glued on Amanda.

“Amanda, get inside your bedroom now, ” he directed which earned a quick lift of her brow.

“I have nothing to do tonight, so why don’t I join Heather for dinner?”

Cord grumbled under his throat. “No, you will dine with me tonight and every night as long as you’re here.”

Heather, after hearing this, scoffed and placed her arms akimbo. “Well, what do you know... You are now acting like a possessive boyfriend, cuz. And to think, you haven’t marked her yet.”

“Heather, silence, ” Cord directed a glare at her. “Or in this modern time, I think I should say, shut-the-fuck-up.”

Heather, together with Amanda and Dayana, dropped their mouths.

“Ho-how about the night after this then?” Amanda cleverly stepped in and doused the tension through showing her smile in Heather’s way. “Does that sound good? I honestly need a better eating companion.”

Heather narrowed her eyes on Cord’s way, licked a finger, lifted it up midair and produced a hissing sound. “Owww burn, ” she stated, grinning. “She just ditched you Cord!”

She doubled over for a hearty laugh, a spectacle that silenced Cord and Amanda until she was done.

“Alright, the night after tomorrow it is then, ” Heather stated, wiping jolly tears from her eyes.

“Yeah, that sounds good to me, ” Amanda nodded.

“Well, since that is settled, I think I better go now. I feel a rather hostile aura from your man, Cait.”

Heather gestured her head towards Cord who just remained silent.

Amanda, too occupied to notice the meaning in her words, only added more gas to the flame. “Ah, no, he’s not my-”

“OK!” Heather quickly interjected, not giving her a chance to finish. “See you the day after tomorrow Lovely Cait!”

Amanda, although taken aback, still waved a hand. “Yeah, well, see you.”

Cord and Amanda watched as Heather exited the receiving room with Dayana meekly tagging along. Once the main door closed, the easy atmosphere inside the room fell down.

“Who is coming over tomorrow?” Cord, without delay, asked, striding closer to where she stood just a few paces from the bedroom door.

Amanda was taken aback. How did he know when he wasn’t present when she told Heather this? Maybe another one of his vampire abilities? Just like how he could come in and out of her bedroom without opening doors? “You-you heard our conversation earlier?”

“Yes, ” Cord answered directly, now stopping a few feet away from her. “Who is coming here?”

If he had heard them, then there was no point on answering his question but still she answered anyway. “Matteo.” She stepped backward, feeling her face flushed with their nearness. “He is a good friend of mine. I need to talk to him.”

“May I remind you that you aren’t supposed to accept visitors, ” he cited, looking down on her. “It is a risk to your safety.”

“Huh, ” she snorted and shook her head. “Your so-called safety has already been breached after my attack, Cord, and after you confessed to be a vampire. It doesn’t count anymore.”

“I prohibit you to see that man Amanda, ” sternly he proclaimed, but instead of making Amanda angry, she only lifted a brow up and rest her palms in her hips.

“I thought you wanted to know about the necklace? He is the one who gave me that as an...” she paused and bit her bottom lip, contemplating on telling him. “As an...as an early birthday present.”

Cord’s eyes minutely shined with the discovery.

“He asked Noman to give it to me. If there is someone who knows something about that necklace, it would be Matteo, ” Amanda continued and successfully kept her ground. “But wait, where is that necklace by the way?”

“I’m keeping it safe, ” he informed.

“I want it back.”

“I don’t want you choking on my neck again.”

Amanda scoffed. “Huh! You think the necklace causes me to be violent against you?”

“Yes, and I’m precise about that.”

She blinked many times, remembering the uncontrollable anger she felt while she wore the necklace. “I guess I can’t argue with you with that one.”

“Good.” Cord smirked.

“But I still want it. I need to show it to Matteo when he visits me, ” Amanda insisted, looking at him with pleading eyes just as Noman instructed.

“You will tomorrow, ” he answered stiffly, diverting his eyes past her. “In the meantime, have dinner with me now.”

Amanda sighed. At least she made progress. She certainly didn’t want to resort to seducing him. “As a Master, you really are asserting yourself huh?”

“It’s an advantage Amanda and I don’t want to hear you refuse,” he answered whilst turning around for the main door.

The latter huffed, recalling the last time they dined where it ended her wrist as the dessert. “Dinner with my enemy? Huh! What can go wrong?”

And nothing untoward happened really. Their dinner remained lifeless just as its previous two predecessors. But Amanda noticed him opening and closing his mouth a few times, seemingly debating on establishing a good conversation just like her.

It was in the middle of their meal when she finally gained the courage to break the silence, but before she could open her mouth, a female stepped into the room and waltzed towards Cord’s side.

“Is this the special guest you had been so preoccupied this past few days Cord?” she asked, pointing her attention to Amanda, but remaining a gloved hand on the Master’s left shoulder.

“Pamela, ” Cord said in a low voice and tilted his head.

“Just a nod?” she stated, making a displeased face. She sent a wink on Amanda’s way and continued, “Aren’t you going to invite me to sit down and have dinner with you?”

Amanda aware as just how rude Cord can be towards his subjects quickly cut in, “Uh, please, we would like your company. Come and sit.”

She gestured a hand towards a seat opposite hers, but Pamela, grinning, rounded behind Amanda’s chair and claimed the empty seat next to hers.

“Such a polite human you are, ” she whispered, eyeing Amanda’s turtleneck, long-sleeved blouse to her black jeans and beige stiletto. “The North Wing residents have grown curious about you, you know. Like me, so that’s why I’m here, to see for myself what’s all the fuss about.”

There was a displeased groan heard from Cord’s way after this, but both women disregarded it.

Pamela’s voice was a siren lulling a sailor to sleep. It was pleasing to the ears and no matter how Amanda thought herself an enchanting woman because of her bloodline, she still find herself captivated with this new vampire’s beauty who had lips, a blood red, an hourglass figure dressed in a bandage dress with green crystal beads, and an angel hair of fine white and gold.

“I’m sorry, we aren’t properly introduced yet, ” she stated and then offered her right hand up for a handshake.

“My, my. Silly of me, ” Pamela stated, glancing at the silent Cord whilst smiling like a seductress, and then pulled the black glove of her right hand.

Amanda, seeing this, thought it odd.

“I’m Cord’s cousin, and unlike Heather who you met first, I’m related to Cord by blood, ” Pamela informed.

“Good to meet you then, ” Amanda, no matter how hostile she was against vampires, summoned a beautiful smile from her lips, “I’m-”

“No need, ” the woman raised a French-tipped, flower-tattooed hand and stopped her, “I know everything about you.”

“Excuse me?” Amanda’s forehead creased.

“Pamela has an ability to learn the person’s characteristics, attitude, feelings and experiences through touch Amanda.” It was Cord who enlightened her.

She watched him with grave eyes and then back to Pamela and said, “Wow, that’s...”

“Great, I know, ” the female vampire interrupted. “I happen to acquire this ability by drinking the blood and taking the life essence of one of your kind, Amanda.”

“You-you know already who I am?” Amanda almost stood up from her seat, taken aback.

“Well, I touched you didn’t I?” Pamela cited, her seductive grin making a comeback. “And not only that, I happen to know that you are the owner of the blood bags Cord always and solely drinks every year.”

Busted. Cord glared at Pamela.

Amanda, in response, sent a questioning eye at him.

“I know about your suffering when your father died, ” the vampire woman continued, “and how your mother remarried for your safety’s sake. I saw how you cried when your mother breathed her last in front of you.”

A pricking sensation threatened to surface in Amanda’s heart, but she successfully blocked it out. Pamela had no right to look into her memories like it was just some free show in a movie house and for that, she shot a cold look at her, the previous revelation about the blood bags quickly forgotten.

Undaunted, Pamela still continued, taking advantage that none of her audience objected audibly, yet. “And I also happen to know your deepest, subconscious secret, Amanda.”

“And what is that?” Amanda asked, inhaling, swelling her chest so that she’d appear not intimidated by her, which, well, she was, slightly. What possibly had this vampire discovered when their hands touched? The first one may have been a shock to her, and the second, almost made her cry. What was in the third that she herself doesn’t know about?

“You are attracted to a certain someone, but you just don’t want to acknowledge it, ” Pamela started, her eyes never leaving hers. “Same goes to...” Him, she mouthed and drew her eyes on Cord who was just intently listening to them.

“You are talking nonsense, Miss Pamela, ” Amanda stated, lifting her chin and tightly clenching her fists under the table. This, to her, was the limit.

“Oh please, just call me Pam. You, me and Heather will become best buddies. You don’t need to think of us as enemies anymore.”

Amanda scoffed.

“Unfortunately, that’s quite hard to do. I’m possibly the last of my kind. Who’s to say you won’t take whatever ability I possess?”

“No, your protected by Cord’s rules, Lovely, and besides, ” Pamela pointed a finger at her chest. “I don’t feel any power in you. It’s as if it is blocked by something. I can’t seem to get through that slice of information in your brain.”

“Huh, at least there is something I have privacy about, ” Amanda pointed out.

Pamela only gave her a slow nod, somehow pleased with the progress of their first meeting.

“Well then, I guess I am overstaying here, so I will leave now.” She stood up and smiled on Cord and Amanda’s way. “Enjoy the remainder of your dinner lovebirds.”

Amanda hissed. Cord clenched his jaw, but they both remained silent until their intruder left.

“She’s a matchmaker too?” she asked, frowning at Cord, once Pamela was out of sight.

“No, but her readings are always accurate, ” he answered and just like that, his look on her changed. From cold, uninterested ones to eyes softening and then transforming into orbs lit with yearning.

Amanda intentionally ignored this and proceeded to ask still riled up with the words Pamela released, “And you believe her?”

“No, ” Cord replied, shaking his head.

This would have relieved her a bit until Cord added, “But I sense in you an undeniable attraction, Amanda, directed to me.”

Amanda’s breath hitched. She quickly pulled her gaze away from him and into the half-finished plate.

“I’m full, ” she said, taking her napkin out of her lap. “I’d like to return to my room now. Have a pleasant evening Cord.”

She hastily stood up, not waiting for him to reply. It may have been wrong of her to leave him like that but their conversation was getting absurd by the minute and she just needed to get away. Fast.

It may have been cowardly of her to do that too, but she did it to preserve her dignity. Her sanity. She couldn’t just admit she felt something to the Vitalis Master and not feel guilty at the same time. They were enemies for heaven’s sake!

When Amanda reached for her unlit bedroom panting and all, she thought she’d be safe from him, but to her surprise and dismay, she felt a hand ran along her spine and before she could react, she was pulled and pinned against the carved wood helplessly, her arms and body boxed in by this male’s large frame.

“Why do you run away?” Cord asked, his mouth mere inches away from the bridge of her nose as she looked up.

Inhaling as if her courage was air, she answered with a stony voice, “I’m not.”

“Then acknowledge the desire you feel towards me.” Cord caressed her waist to the underside of her breast and she squeaked, closing her eyes. “I desire you too, Amanda.”

“No! You will not beguile me like this!” she shouted with teeth gnashing and eyes popping open with angry fire.

Oh, but Cord, instead of riding along her anger, cupped her chin and whispered close to her lips.

“I wish I was beguiling you Amanda, but I’m not. That ability doesn’t work on you. You are feeling it on your own; your blood boiling in sync with mine, the burning in your skin, the yearning to be touched, to be kissed, to be one with me.”

“Stop it, ” Amanda ordered, seething. The pounding of their hearts against each other’s chests, his hand burning her, lighting flames in between her loins, and his face close to her were just too much. Too much!

“Mean what you say, ” he fired back, daring her.

She inhaled again with determination, looking at him without blinking and replied, “STO-”

But Cord didn’t let her finish.

Hard, bruising and in total dominion, he mauled her lips to stop her words from coming out.