Blood Lust (COMPLETED)

Chapter Forty-Four: Doubt pt. 2

All the blood drained from my face, my body stiffened to the point of trembling.

Gildoroy.

The very first person to be turned into a vampire.

The creature who turned Duke and Aiden.

Gabriel--and probably Nero's--father.

How was this possible?

"I know, I know." He said, rolling his eyes. "I am supposed to be dead. How am I still alive? What am I going to do with you? Blah blah blah. And before you ask, no, I am not psychic. Those are merely the same thoughts Nero had when I took over his body."

It was as if I'd been hit upside the head with a bat. I was flabbergasted, totally blank from shock. Then my heart pelted my breast bone, and a sickening thought suddenly occurred to me. "When was that, exactly?"

I felt clammy, cold to my very core.

What if it wasn't actually Nero I'd had sex with the night before?

What if it was..?

A knowing smile curved his lips, and mirth danced in his black eyes. "You are worried it was I, and not my bastard son, who so graciously accepted your virginity, aren't you?"

Too revolted to speak, I nodded with a jerk.

Gildoroy didn't say anything after that, not for a long time. He just watched me, his perverse amusement at my disgust twisting Nero's face in such an odd and terrifying way. I say terrifying because it looked so effortless, as if Nero wasn't fighting him at all...as if he wasn't in there anymore.

"Unfortunately, I did not have the pleasure."

He finally sighed, swiftly rising to his feet.

I felt myself sag, the breath I hadn't realized I was holding came out in a loud rush.

"Oh, come now." He admonished. "You could at least act a little disappointed. Yes, Nero did surprisingly well for his first time, but I could have satisfied you in ways that would make Lucifer himself blush."

I doubt that.

I wanted to spit the words at him, to see them erase that smug look he was making Nero wear.

But Gildoroy's threat was still hung heavily in the air between us. And if I really was going to die, I would rather it be later than sooner.

So instead, I asked, "how did you know about Nero and I?"

His face broke out in another creepy ear-to-ear smile. "I had a front row seat, courtesy of the gladiator."

I remembered the night before, how I had caught Duke watching me and Nero from the window. He had seemed so out of character, giving me a wink when he noticed I had seen him. Not showing any remorse or shame for peeping. I didn't give it a second thought at the time, but now that I knew he was possessed, his strange behavior made sense.

And it made me wonder...who else had Gildoroy possessed to spy on me?

"Although I must admit, the view from in here is much nicer." He pulled me from my reverie, pointing at his temple.

I gulped, fighting to keep my bile from spewing out.

"Amazing, isn't it?" He went on, turning his back to me. "I can see all of Nero's memories, every single thought he has ever had."

He must have been trying to goad me, because he glanced over his shoulder to study my face. "He truly loves you, you know. With every single ounce of his being...unlike the others."