Fangs in Space

Chapter 30: Zeander

Kieran's POV

The girls held each other and cried. Zea kissed the tears from Anastasia's face. I had been dreading this moment. From her blood, I knew that Zea cared deeply about the girl. But Anastasia had always held back.  Wanting to do nothing with demons, Anastasia had resisted a deeper relationship with Zea than just the casual sex. Zea’s blood had shown me that I would be fighting a losing battle if I dared to come between the two.

Zea had met Anastasia when checking up on the progress of one of Komar's secret underground laboratories that was being set up in the area. One night she had been on the prowl for fresh blood and stumbled upon Anastasia, who had by sheer chance lured her victim - a scruffy looking biker- into the same alley as Zea was dragging hers. Of course the first rendezvous resulted in a major catfight. Zea easily won and didn't hurt the half demon too much. She was in a good mood, being away from court, her mother and Kieran. And frankly, the little blonde was hot as hell.

The fiery way in which she had defended herself had caught Zea's interest and instead of killing her, she had allowed her to live in the hope of some amusement. She had taken a little zip to taste her and assess her strength. The energy rush that followed had taken her by surprise, and she had let Anastasia go in confusion. Instead of running like hell, like any other sane half-demon would have done when faced with one of royal breed, Anastasia hadn’t moved a muscle. She had trembled and struck Zea squarely in the face, screaming that she had had it with all the stupid demons destroying her life. Zea had licked her lips clean and had asked the woman why she was still there.

In response, Anastasia had hit her again and again. Spilling out all the anger and frustration that had built up over the years. After the rage subsided, Anastasia had sunk down to the ground and started crying. Witnessing another woman at her weakest moment, Zea had –for the first time in her life - felt some pity for something other than herself. She had proposed a simple business arrangement. Anastasia’s demon-tinged blood in exchange for Zea's protection. The blood had helped Zea regain her strength faster and Anastasia was protected by the vampire court against her father, who was set out to kill her because her human mother had managed to escape from his grip.

 Zea had led most of her life sheltered, mostly among monsters and food. As a youngster, she had only been allowed out on the Earth hunting grounds when accompanied by a legion of guards. This has intensified after the attempt on her life. Even now, as a full-grown vampire, her guards were not far away. Her meetings with Anastasia allowed her a glimpse of the real world outside the palace. Outside of protection. Outside of her mother’s suffocating grasp. She found it intoxicating and she couldn’t wait to taste more of it. Not only of the world in which Anastasia had lived but also of the special young woman herself.

After two months, Anastasia had told Zea that she had to leave to take care of something she should have done a decades ago. Zea offered her help, worried that she might go on a suicide mission to stop her father. Anastasia had declined her help, which had resulted in a bitter fight. Zea had stomped out and cooled off by killing a bunch of bikers. Upon return to the flat in which Anastasia was staying, Zea had found her gone. She had searched the city and its surrounding villages and asked her network of spies to search for Anastasia’s but with no result. Anastasia clearly didn’t want to be found.

Defeated, Zea had returned to the palace and tried to forget about Anastasia and her blood. Two years later Anastasia had shown up at her doorstep, again asking for protection in return for her and her blood. Zea had taken in her in and slowly they had restarted their relationship. Bit-by-bit Anastasia had told Zea what had happened. That she had killed her father for making her life miserable. That she was hunted down by her species as a consequence. That she thought she had started a new life, with a new name, out of the reach of her people. She had run her own PI agency, taking advantage of the skills that her mother taught her while being on the run. How she had met and fallen in love with Peter.  And finally, how she had been betrayed by Peter, who was not who she thought he was.