~1790~

When Karin arrived back at the house reserved for clan Toreador on that warm night, the hour was nearing midnight. She made her way through the main room and down the cellar stairs to feed on one of the two servants she had inherited from Sean and Claire along with their home and Sean’s position. Just as she reached for the door to the servants’ quarters, it was opened from the inside by the man who had been a very unpleasant shadow to her for three long decades now.

“Theo” she swallowed as he stepped out of the room “what were you doing in there?” she asked worriedly as she moved to look past him into the room.

“You were taking so long to finish fucking our Prince, I got bored waiting” was his simple response.

Upon moving to see into the room, Karin was more than a bit shaken. Inside, her male servant was passed out from blood loss, two bloody holes in his neck. While the female servant was curled into a ball on the floor, sobbing and naked, bleeding from various orifices.

“You raped her?” Karin exclaimed furiously.

“Oh do calm down. It’s not like it was the first time” Theo offered as his only excuse while donning a wry grin.

“You are the sickest…” she began, only to have her words turn into a yelp as his hand came up to grip the back of her neck, his nails nearly piercing her flesh.

“Baron said I could entertain myself any way I see fit while I have to spend all these nights waiting on you to finish servicing our Prince. You wouldn’t want to disagree with Baron, now would you?” he asked as his nails dug deeper into her skin as he held her fast, proving that he was indeed older and stronger than she.

“I don’t see what raping my servants has to do with our end goal” she managed in a bitter whisper.

“Nothing. But it’s fun” Theo stated coolly, to which she only glared and struggled again to get free of his grip. Though he did not wait for Karin to offer any further response before continuing “speaking of Baron; he thinks it’s way past time you check in with him again.”

That was when a trace of fear passed behind her brown eyes “what for? I’ve been doing what he wants, all this time” she defended.

“Yes, all this time” Theo repeated pointedly “I believe that is exactly what he wishes to confer with you about” he replied in a threatening tone as he moved to begin pulling her with him back up the stairs.

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As Theo pushed her through the illusion that Baron’s home was hidden behind that night, the illusion that made her Karin fell away as well. Though she didn’t have long to process being her true self again before she was being pushed just as roughly through Baron’s front door.

Inside, Baron was once again finishing draining the life from some hapless settler as the shell that was once Taylor sat huddled at the other end of the couch. The blonde girl’s body trembled even more as she tried to shrink into the cushions as her sire stepped through the door behind Awsha.

“Awsha” Baron greeted her as he stood, the young man’s body falling to the floor as he did “long time since we’ve seen either version of you” he stated pointedly as his eyes moved over Awsha’s raven locks and voluptuous frame which had been hidden behind the illusion of Karin for nearly forty years now.

“I’m not quite sure what I’m doing here tonight” Awsha admitted, not able to help her shock at how broken Taylor had become since she had last seen the girl on the night that ‘Freya’ was killed.

“I’m not quite sure what you’re doing there most nights” Baron told her with a pointed growl.

That did do well to cause a visible tension to take up residence in Awsha’s entire body “I’m doing what I’m supposed to; making Haven fall in love with me” she stated with an attempt at confidence that the shaking of her voice belied.

Baron simply scoffed “do you know what tonight is?”

“Tonight?” Awsha returned cautiously.

“Tonight marks the one hundredth year since your godforsaken sire was made Prince” Baron stated icily “one hundred years” he stressed with another growl.

“I didn’t realize that” Awsha responded, though her voice was tiny.

“Apparently not” Baron returned with the same ice “exactly how much more patience do you think I have left?” Awsha simply looked down, not able to offer any response then. That was when Baron scoffed again “and the last forty of those hundred years, you have allegedly been trying to get me my throne. Is that still your story?” he added with a hiss.

“I’ve made him love me; he’s made me Primogen” she attempted to defend.

“Do you think I give a damn about who’s Primogen?” he hissed again.

“But I’ve made progress” Awsha attempted once more, her voice shaking even more then.

“The progress that you’ve supposedly made doesn’t mean shit if I’m still waiting, one hundred years later” he told her as his anger rose “can you blame me for thinking that you’re just not trying very fucking hard?”

Awsha bit back a whimper “I don’t know what else…”

“I think you need more motivation” Baron cut her off as he nodded to Theo.

That was when Theo roughly grabbed her, pulling her body back hard against his own as she allowed another small yelp which was mirrored by Taylor as the blonde moved her hands up over her face. Still holding her tight against his body, Theo grinned over at Baron as the serpent moved his fangs to his own wrist and ripped a bloody gash there.

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“Your motivation” Baron hissed as he held his wrist out to her.

“You can’t expect me to actually drink your blood” Awsha returned with as much force as she could push into her voice.

“Are you refusing to drink my blood? Is that what I just heard?” Baron told her in an eerily calm tone.

“I was already forced to be bound to Haven for twenty years. I will never let myself get bound to anyone else ever again” she told him defiantly.

Baron continued to hold her in that cold gaze for an extra moment before speaking “well at least now we know for sure that Haven did manage to break that mental bond you had to me” he stated with that coldness to his tone again “and I guess that explains why it’s taken you four decades to not do what you were sent there to do.”

“I am doing it!” Awsha attempted to defend “it’s just taking a long time for Haven to trust me enough to make me his heir.”

“You really expect me to believe that you’re doing my bidding without the bond? That’s downright insulting” he growled “and you will drink my blood.”

“I am doing what you want! I don’t need to…”

“Theo, I believe she needs some convincing” Baron stated emphatically.

That was when Theo dragged her with him over to the end of the couch, forcefully bending her over the arm as he ripped away a large portion of her skirt as Awsha screamed and struggled that much harder “It’s been a while since I had me a taste of another vampire. Right Taylor?” Theo taunted as he held her tight with one hand while pulling open his pants with the other. Awsha continued to struggle and scream while Taylor continued whimpering at the other end of the couch “I bet Toreadors feel even better than the little Ravnos bitch” he growled against her ear as he yanked her undergarment down her legs.

“All right!” Awsha screamed as that piece of clothing was ripped from her legs “I’ll drink it!” she sobbed as Theo just chuckled and pulled her back up to an upright position.

“I was honestly hoping she’d still say no, for at least a few more minutes” Theo replied wryly to Baron as he pushed Awsha roughly toward the other man, his task accomplished.

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When Karin returned home three nights later, she walked emotionless through the quiet house to the stairs. The one redeeming factor was that Theo had not followed her on that particular night; though there was very little comfort in even that thought. She slowly moved down the cellar stairs and to the servants’ quarters once more. Her female servant startled more than a little bit as the door opened.

“It’s me” Karin attempted to comfort the trembling girl, though her tone was still nearly devoid of all emotion.

“Is he coming back tonight?” the young servant asked, her tone barely hiding the sob.

“It won’t matter” Karin told her in the same flat tone as she moved into the room, ignoring the questioning look on the young brunette’s face. In the next moment, Karin moved in a flash of motion to snap her neck and end the young girl’s pain once and for all. If only she knew how she could ever end her own now.

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On the other side of the world, in London, there were slightly less volatile events going on. Though they were intense, just the same. That night within the lavish Denbourough home, Claire and Sean were again visiting the couple who had indeed become their quite passionate consorts a quarter of a century earlier. Claire was actually alone with Daniel that night, in the huge and luxurious master bedroom. Sean and Anastasia were also enjoying each other’s company in the adjoining bedroom. Of course, each night of this long passionate affair varied. Some nights the men were together in one room while the women pleasured one another in the other. Some nights Aidan even joined in on their passionate encounters as it came to light that he had indulged in both Daniel’s and Anastasia’s attentions even before Sean and Claire had made their acquaintance. Most nights though, it was usually all four of them in one bed, switching partners throughout the night until either the sun or their own hunger put a stop to such encounters. Needless to say it was among the most stimulating twenty-five years of their long lives.

This night though, Claire was atop Daniel’s hips, writhing against him as their bodies inevitably gave into that pleasure once more. Upon the feel of their climaxes overtaking them, Claire collapsed against his chest as they both took several long moments to recover. Just as their bodies began to once again cool to room temperature, Claire found herself distracted from their afterglow.

Claire? Can you hear me? A woman’s voice broke into Claire’s consciousness, startling her more than a bit as she sat up from her place above Daniel, his body inside of her own still.

“What is it, darling?” Daniel asked her as she moved from where she had contently been laying in his arms a moment earlier.

“I don’t know…” Claire responded warily as she pushed herself up off of Daniel’s sculpted body to take a place next to him on the bed instead.

Can you hear me? The voice asked again, which caused Claire to furrow her brow as she looked around the room.

“Are you alright dear?” Daniel asked her again as he pushed himself up to his elbows.

“You’re not hearing that?” Claire finally asked him warily.

“Hearing what, love?” he returned with the same smile that seemed to live upon his lips almost constantly.

Claire just shook her head as she got up from the bed to look for a nearby robe to slide into “I think someone’s trying to talk to me… in my head” she clarified as she pulled the robe around her nude body.

“Well tell them they have a rather abominable sense of timing” Daniel chuckled and then added “though I suppose a few minutes earlier would have been that much worse” he teased.

Claire just shook her head “pardon me” she stated distractedly as she left the room and Daniel behind to simply shake his head after her. Who is this? Claire allowed herself to transmit that thought back to whoever it was in her head right then as she made her way toward the room she and Sean shared on the rare nights when neither of them were in the bedchambers of either the lord of lady of the house. Although that was a rare occasion, they still had a permanent chamber there of their own as they rarely even returned to the modest home above Claire’s shop any longer.

Oh good, you can hear me. I don’t do this often. The woman’s voice continued as Claire stepped into the room, closing the door behind her.

Who is this? Claire asked once more.

It’s Karin. The voice returned sweetly as Claire looked more than a bit surprised at that answer.

Haven’s new Toreador Primogen? That Karin? Claire responded as she moved to take a seat at the foot of the bed.

Well, if I’m still considered new after thirty years. Karin teased back.

Claire just shook her head at that. So why are you contacting me of all people? She had to ask.

A slight pause before Karin responded, I was thinking about that conversation we had when I first came to Las Californias. It seemed like neither you nor Sean were very thrilled about Sean being Haven’s heir. She dared.

That’s not that much of a secret, I suppose. Claire admitted.

That’s the main reason that I’m contacting you. We talked a little more than Sean and I ever talked. You know, before you left. Karin began.

What’s this about exactly? Claire asked again.

Haven told me that he’d be willing to make me heir instead of Sean. Karin told her cautiously.

But? Claire returned, trying to keep any emotion from coloring her thoughts just then.

But he says he’s not prepared to do that until Baron’s dead. Karin managed to reveal.

I see. Claire responded, having a bit more difficulty then hiding her emotional response to that.

So if you really want to keep Sean from becoming Prince…We need a little help to keep that from happening. Karin returned in the same wary tone.

Claire was quiet another long moment before she found some response. So, you’re asking me to convince Sean that we need to go back to America and help get rid of Baron… somehow; so Haven will make you heir instead of Sean? Claire summarized with more than a bit of fear at the prospect, all things considered.

Well, none of us want Sean to become Prince after all, do we? That was the only response Karin provided.