Page 25 of Venice Vampyr: The Beginning

Trying to be as quiet as possible, he snatched his clothes from the chair and left the chamber, closing the door behind him without a sound. He felt like a thief as he got dressed in the corridor, but he knew if he didn’t leave now, he was liable to attack his wife.

Lorenzo’s offer to feed from his female victim the night before had had a certain appeal, but the thought of putting his hands on another woman had actually disgusted him. It was better to sink his fang into a man. It felt less like a betrayal. The fact that he was thinking in these terms scared him. He’d never been a one-woman man, but it was important to him to be faithful to Isabella. She deserved it. He wanted this marriage to work.

Raphael was quiet when he left the house and pulled the side door shut behind him. He looked up at the full moon, which flooded the narrow alleys with light. Too much light for his liking. He preferred it darker so it was easier for him to hide. But he didn’t have much choice. His hunger dictated his actions.

He’d fed the night after Isabella and he had stayed at his own house, and over the last three days, his hunger had been building. More than usual. The fact that he was making love to his passionate wife several times a day or night was one of the reasons for it. She was draining his energy, but he didn’t mind. He couldn’t stop himself from cornering her whenever the urge overcame him. Throwing her skirts up in the study had just been the beginning.

During the day, he fucked her fast and frantic, but at night, when they were cocooned in her chamber, he took his time and made sweet love to her, with words, caressing hands, and soft kisses. He couldn’t tell what Isabella liked more, the way he rutted on her in every conceivable place in her house, or when he worshipped her body at night.

Sometimes she glanced at him with the look of a frightened doe, but the moment he laid his hands on her, that look always vanished and was replaced by a sparkle in her eyes that he’d come to love.

Raphael sighed and trained his eyes on a movement ahead of him. Once he’d fed, he’d return home instantly and wake Isabella by making love to her.

The movement his eye had caught was a man, who staggered along the alley. The scent emanating from him confirmed that he was drunk. That would make it even easier. He wouldn’t even have to enthrall him to approach and feed from him. The drunk would never remember. And the alcohol swimming in the man’s blood would provide a certain buzz in addition to nourishing him. It wouldn’t make him drunk though.

Raphael approached the man. “Good evening, my fellow.”

The man turned his head, his eyes barely focusing, his mouth tilted up in a stupid grin. “Huh?”

Raphael put his arm around the drunk’s shoulder, then turned him into his chest before his fangs descended and drove into his neck. There was barely a shudder by the man. His fangs were coated with a substance that dulled all pain, thus making it possible to feed from a human without causing screams of pain.

As the rich, alcohol-infused blood coated his tongue and ran down his throat, Raphael let his senses relax. He closed his eyes and only listened to the demands of his body. He drew on the vein, long and hard, taking the life-sustaining liquid into him. His only thought was how much he wanted this neck to be Isabella’s. To drink from her, nourish himself with her fragrant blood, gorge himself on her essence, while he drove his rampant cock into—

A scream pierced the silence of the alley.

***

Isabella only realized she’d screamed when she saw Raphael’s head snap in her direction, releasing the neck of the man he’d had his teeth locked into. When his piercing eyes pinned her, she saw the blood drip from his lips and run down his chin. His mouth was open, and she could clearly see the white of his fangs. Paralyzed, she stared at him.

She’d heard rumors about creatures like him but never believed any. She’d always thought they were merely fairy tales to frighten children. But what she saw in front of her now was not a fairy tale, not something she could dismiss.

She was married to a vampire. A creature that drank blood and sucked the life out of humans.

The moment Raphael let the man sag against the wall and came toward her, she found her strength again and ran.

“Isabella,” he called behind her, “Stop!” The voice came closer, and she knew he was chasing her. She was glad she wore breeches that made it easier to run. She’d hidden them under the bed, knowing it would take her less time to get dressed in the dark than if she had to step into a dress. The moment Raphael had left her chamber, she’d jumped out of bed and gotten ready to follow him.

But she’d never expected to see this. Now, she almost wished she’d caught him with a mistress instead. It would be easier to deal with—and safer.

Her thighs burned as she continued to flee even though she knew she could never outrun him. The sound of his boots on the cobblestone street closed in on her. Her lungs stinging, she pushed herself harder and ran faster than she ever had.

“Isabella, please!” Then his hand gripped the collar of her coat and pulled her back.

“No!” She slipped on the wet stone and would have fallen had Raphael not pulled her against his chest and imprisoned her within his arms. Like chains, they closed around her, cutting off any movement of her upper body. But she still had her legs. She kicked them back, trying to make him loosen his grip on her, but to no avail.

“Stop struggling, Isabella. I would never hurt you. Please trust me.”

“No, let me go, you monster!”

His mouth was at her ear, his breath caressing her neck, when he answered her. His voice was low and soothing. “I’m sorry you had to find out like this, but I’m not a monster. I’m still the man who loves you.”

Tears threatened to burst to the surface, but she forced them back. “No. Let me go. Please let me go.”

She felt him shake his head behind her. “Never, my angel.”

Then Raphael started moving, carrying her in front of him. Renewed panic gripped her. He’d take her to a dark place and then drain her of her blood. She kicked her legs back again, hitting his shins. “No! Where are you taking me?”

“Stop struggling, it’s no use. We’re going home.”