Toma (The Dark Shadows Book 2) (6 page)

T
oma stood
outside Anika’s door in disbelief. The door was locked. She had never locked her door before. He knocked softly on it, anticipation building for what he knew would happen once he entered the room.

She had been on his mind, as usual, all fucking day and he couldn’t wait to dive in between her legs. He needed to be inside of her. He couldn’t get home fast enough tonight so that he could be with her. He heard the soft patter of feet before hearing the door unlock and it pulled open slightly.

Anika’s big beautiful mocha eyes peered through the crack wearily.

“Are you going to let me in?” he asked softly, waiting for her to open the door all the way. She stared at him for a moment before opening the door all the way, waving him in. “How was your shopping trip with my mother?”

“Good,” she said, refusing to meet his eyes. He instantly went on alert. Something was wrong.

“What’s wrong?” he asked moving closer to her. He growled as she flinched when he tried to reach for her.

She walked away from him, stopping to gaze out of her bedroom window. His heart pounded in his chest as he waited for her to respond.

“We need to talk,” she said, folding her arms in front of her. “What is this between us?”

“What do you mean?” He rubbed his hand across his face before focusing on her again. She turned to him, with sadness in her eyes as she leaned against the wall.

“Me and you. What is this? Do you even care for me or am I just a body to warm your bed at night?”

He closed his eyes briefly before looking at her. She was his mate. But he couldn’t bring himself to tell her knowing that he wouldn’t be able to claim her.

“I care for you,” he started, feeling panic starting to set in.

“Do you?” He could clearly see the doubt beginning to line her face.

“You know that I do,” he quickly responded, crossing the room and stopping in front of her.

“How do I?” she snapped, fire burning in her eyes. “You come in here every night, making love to me all through the night and then during the day you act like you don’t even know me. How the hell does that show that you care for me?” Her voice cracked as he witnessed her eyes water before a big fat single tear slid out of her right eye.

He tried to gather her in his arms but she pushed him away. “Just let me explain—”

“Explain what? That I’m only good enough to fuck and that’s it?” she whispered softly as more tears fell from her eyes. He shook his head no, unable to speak. “I think we need to stop. I can’t do this any more.” She was openly crying now.

“No, Anika, please don’t do this. I need you,” he begged, this time grabbing her and pulling her close, nuzzling her neck while he rubbed her back as she sobbed. “Please,” he mumbled against her skin.

He had never begged for anything in his life but he wouldn’t be able to deal with himself if he lost her. He knew it was hard on her, with the way he acted during the day. Even he was frustrated with it. There were so many times he wanted to grab her and kiss her senseless in front of his family.

He loved watching her with his sister as they joked around or the times he caught her in the kitchen trying to learn to cook from Tabitha and failing miserably. He tried to make up for it at night, letting every orgasm that he wrung out of her represent an apology. He thought that she understood why he did what he did.

“Why?” she asked as her sobs finally quieted. She looked up at him with wide eyes. He found himself mesmerized by her beautiful mocha eyes.

“Because you’re mine,” he answered, grabbing her face in his hands, rubbing his finger against her bottom lip.

“But you could never be mine,” she answered softly pulling away from him.

He instantly missed her warmth. He watched as she turned back to the window. His fingers itched to grab her again and this time never let go.

“Your mother explained to me about the party that your family will be hosting. She told me that as the vampire princes, you and your brothers are obligated to mate with a female vampire to secure your family line to ensure that there will always be an Olaru on the throne.

“How can I compete with that? I refuse to continue to sleep with you every night, losing pieces of my heart to you, knowing that you could never be mine. I don’t know if I could deal with the fact that you would find a beautiful vampire woman to fall in love with and to share an eternity with, while I’m left behind, forgotten. I’d rather just end it now, while I can still hold on to some of my dignity.”

He could tell she was crying again. He instantly wrapped his arms around her squeezing her tight. Rubbing his nose on the hollow of her neck, breathing in her scent.

“I can’t let you go. You belong to me.” It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her that she was his mate and damn his family.

“Toma, go,” she whispered.

His heart stopped beating while his breath caught in his throat. He couldn’t have heard what he thought she said but his heart cracked as she repeated the request.

“Go.” Her voice came out stronger this time.

He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling his heart crumble as what she was requesting set in. He held her tight for a second before backing away from her.

Her shoulders shook with sobs as he continued to make his way toward the door without taking his eyes off of her. The image of her leaning against the windowsill sobbing over what he could never give her would forever be burned in his memory.

He turned immediately leaving her room and stalked to his. His eyes burned as the full crimson haze overtook his vision.

His fangs descended as he quickly lost control and a fury like he had never experienced before, was begging to be let out. He would let it out tonight. Toma was going hunting for rogues, versi or necros. It didn’t matter what crossed his path, if it were one of the three on his small list he would be killing it tonight.

He changed his clothes swiftly, throwing on his black leather pants and sleeveless leather tunic that he usually wore when patrolling with his Dark Shadows unit. He grabbed his sword and blades.

Five minutes later, the sound of his truck’s wheels screeching pierced the night silence, as he flew down the long driveway disappearing into the night.

“
S
o when are
you coming home?” Anika’s older sister, Selena asked over the phone.

“Probably this weekend,” she answered, sitting outside on the Olaru’s veranda overlooking the beautifully landscaped backyard.

She missed her family terribly and after breaking it off with Toma two nights ago, she had realized that she could no longer stay at the Olaru mansion. She was waiting for the king to meet with her. She had Nadira arrange this meeting between herself and the king.

“I just hate that we weren’t here when you were attacked,” Selena said, her voice breaking through Anika’s thoughts.

“It’s okay, believe me, if I would have been able to predict that I was going to get attacked that night, I would have just gone to mom and dad’s house.” Anika tried to joke but failed horribly. Her sister’s sigh could be be heard coming through the phone loud and clear.

“You should have come with us on the cruise,” her sister said wistfully. “You could have joined me on the warm Mediterranean sandy beaches, with a nice drink in your hand as we soaked up sun. You could have even found a hot cabana boy to have a fling with,” Selena joked.

“Well next time you three book a vacation, I am there! I will not be left behind next time,” Anika vowed.

The sounds of the sliding glass door opening behind her caused Anika to turn to see who was exiting the house. Vladimir Olaru stepped out onto the veranda, with a small smile in place.

“Hey sis, let me go,” she said quickly ending her phone call with her sister. She went to stand as the king came closer.

“Please, Anika,” he said waving her back to her seat. “You do not have to stand for me,” he said taking a seat in the comfortable lounge chair next to hers. “This meeting is not formal.”

“Thank you for meeting with me,” she said, nervously. “Do you want to go inside away from the sunlight?” She knew that vampires could tolerate the sun with it only draining their strength, making them almost human. The king shook his head with a small smile.

“I’m a very old vampire, Anika. The sunlight doesn’t drain me as it does the younger vampires.”

She wasn’t sure if the king would go along with her plan. She knew that he could be stubborn. The past few weeks had been an eye opener for Anika regarding the Olaru’s as she watched the queen run circles around the king. He would try to act regal and as if he was in charge of the household but it was truly the queen.

“So what has you sitting here all nervous Anika?” he asked gently.

She turned to him, amazed at how much Toma resembled his father. The only difference was the eye color, where Toma’s was almost a clear blue the king’s were a dark mocha, almost black.

“I think it’s time I moved out,” she started, growing more confident as the king waited for her to continue. “I am grateful for your hospitality but I don’t want to overstay my welcome. I can go stay with my sister —”

“It’s not safe, my dear. The versi have been spotted frequently. Nicu and his team have had their hands full. They are close to narrowing down where Xalak is hiding.”

“I’ve talked it over with my sister,” she said, ignoring him. “She has an extra room and I can stay there.”

“Anika, does Nadira know that you are thinking of moving out?” he asked quietly.

Anika shot him a guilty look, knowing that she had kept this from her best friend. She knew that Nadira would have a fit if she knew that she wanted to leave the safety of the Olaru mansion.

“No, I haven’t spoken with her yet. But this is something that I need to do,” she said adamantly. “I need to get back into the swing of things. I can’t live in fear forever.”

“Well,” he sighed. “If I can’t change your mind then I will have to let you go. You are not a prisoner here in our household. I will provide around the clock protection, though,” he said firmly. “I will not argue with you on that.”

She nodded her head sadly. It just about broke her to distance herself from Toma. But she could not continue to stay in the same house as him. Her room was filled with memories of him and if she wanted to start the long journey of getting over him and mending her heart, she needed to leave.

She knew that she had lost her heart to him and would always love him, but she also knew there would be no future between them.

“
T
his is fucking ridiculous
,” Toma muttered walking through the Olaru mansion. The house was buzzing with excitement, as the royal family hosted the Vampire Fall Extravaganza. Vampires from all over the world had begun to arrive throughout the week. He did have to give his mother credit for pulling together a massive ball in such little time.

He had hoped to skip the party and go on another assignment. He’d rather battle a rogue vampire then be dressed up in a tuxedo. It had been a week and a half since the night Anika refused to continue their relationship and he had been in one hell of a mood. No one wanted to speak to him, which was fine by him. He was too torn up from not being able to be near Anika.

He could feel himself filling up with darkness that even he couldn’t stand himself so he had taken every mission that Nicu threw at him, no matter how dangerous it was, alone. He didn’t want a partner or a team because he knew that he was close to losing it and if he was killed then he didn’t want to take any of his team members with him.

He stalked his way to the ballroom of the mansion and the sounds of the small orchestra his mother had commissioned to play at the party grew louder.

He scowled at the mask he was forced to wear. It caused his face to itch, but even in his bad mood, he wouldn’t dare cross his mother and not wear the damn thing. He adjusted the mask as he walked down the long hallway that was filled with partygoers and past a few females dressed in floor length gowns with masks on their faces. They all tried to gain his attention but he wasn’t interested in another female. He ignored them and kept walking.

There had only been one female on his mind and he was anxious to see her tonight. Even if it was from afar, he had to see her. He would go to the ball as directed by his parents, stay for what would be deemed acceptable then leave. But before he left, he had to get a glimpse of Anika. He knew she was coming to the ball, from listening to his mother and sister chatting one night about the shopping trip his mother took with Anika.

He entered the room finding it decorated with the finest that money could buy. His mother did not spare any expense, from the diamond-encrusted chandeliers to the servants walking around with what he was sure was the finest champagne.

Alin Olaru sure knew how to throw a party. The room was filled with vampires from all over the world. He spotted Nicu and Adrian standing off to the side by double doors that led outside to the veranda. He would recognize his brothers from anywhere even with their suits and masks on.

“You actually showed up,” Adrian said, his voice filled with awe as Toma came to stand next to him.

“I didn’t really have a choice,” he replied sourly. His eyes roamed the room looking for
her.

“Well, if it makes you happy, none of us had a choice either,” Adrian said.

Toma grunted in response. His mind was focused on finding Anika. He could care less that his brothers were just as miserable as he was. Nicu hadn’t said a word since he joined them. He turned to find Nicu’s eyes on him.

“What?” he asked irritated that Nicu’s attention seemed to be on him more lately.

“Who are you looking for?” Nicu probed with a raised eyebrow.

“No one. Just observing,” Toma snapped. The room roared with applause as his parents made their presence known. The crowd clapped as they stood in the entryway, before the queen curtsied and the king nodded his head to the vampire dignitaries that stood together near the entrance. Toma watched as they split up, circulating around the room greeting their guests.

“How long do we have to be here before it’s deemed acceptable for us to leave?” Teague questioned, joining them.

“At least an hour,” Adrian answered dryly.

“Oh boy, here she comes,” Teague groaned.

Toma turned in the direction that Teague was looking, hoping for a glimpse of Anika but instead found their mother walking towards them accompanied by a female with deep red hair and clear green eyes on her arm. Her green and gold mask hid her face but Toma wasn’t interested. Teague seemed to take notice of her nice figure that was displayed by her fitted black floor length dress.

The queen’s clear blue eyes sparkled behind her mask as she brought over her first mate prospect for her sons. Toma rolled his eyes before turning to search the room for a certain curvy female.

“Hello, my sons,” the queen said with a large smile. They each respectfully greeted their mother with either a hug or a kiss on her cheek. “Let me introduce Latosha Valsalvia of Italy. Her father is Lord Armando Valsalvia, who holds a seat on the European Vampire Lords Council.”

The queen smiled as they each took turns greeting the vampiress. When it came to Toma, he offered a tight smile and nodded his head before turning away. He took a few steps as they made small talk but his attention was on the entryway.

His sister stood at the entryway, dressed in a tight white dress with a pink and black mask on. Cooper stood behind her, dressed in a black tux with an all black mask disguising his face, but it was not Nadira or Cooper who grabbed Toma’s attention. It was the curvy female dressed in the dark blue dress that hugged all of her curves. Her white and silver mask with dark feathers did nothing to hide the fact of who she was.

Anika.

Toma would know her body from anyone. His eyes greedily roamed her body, memorizing every aspect of her outfit down to her heels that made Toma’s mouth water.

He moved further away from his brothers, watching every step she made as she walked around the ballroom with Nadira. He looked around the room noticing that he wasn’t the only one that had eyes for Anika.

He ducked behind a large pillar that hid him perfectly so that he could settle in and so that she couldn’t see that he had eyes only for her.

A
nika moved around the room
, with a tingling sensation sliding down the back of her neck. She had a funny feeling that someone was watching her. She knew that Toma would be here but she had yet to see him.

There was no way that she would have been able to get out of coming to the party. Nadira was a drill sergeant when it came to proper etiquette of the royal family. No matter how many times Anika tried to remind Nadira that she was not royalty, Nadira insisted that because they were so close and best friends, there would still be an expectation from Anika because of their relationship.

“I wish you wouldn’t go,” Nadira said softly as they walked arm in arm through the crowd. “You just don’t seem happy. Was it something I did?”

“No,” Anika rushed to assure her friend. “It’s just that not being able to work, being cooped up with nothing to do is draining.” She felt guilty for not telling Nadira about her and Toma but looking at how it ended, it was probably best that no one really knew about them. “Its just time for me to move on.”

“You can stay here for as long as you want,” Nadira said stopping to look at Anika.

“Thank you BFF,” Anika said with a genuine smile. “But you know me, I got to do, what I got to do.”

“Okay, lets see if we can find you a man,” Nadira said laughing. “Since mom is trying to hook up my brothers, I can at least try to find you love!”

Anika gave a short laugh but she didn’t have it in her heart to tell Nadira that she didn’t want to find love tonight. Love had already found her and it was with a vampire who couldn’t love her in return.

She smiled softly watching Nadira circulate the room. For someone who was the shy one between the two of them, Nadira certainly flourished when it came time for her royal duty. This was totally her element. Nadira introduced her to many of the guests and Anika knew she would never remember any of their names.

“And who might this be?” a familiar voice asked to the right of Anika. She turned finding a taller man with a black and gold mask with deep brown eyes staring down at her.

“Brian?” Nadira cried out, hugging the new comer before making introductions. “Anika, this is Brian Schnyder. Brian, this is my very best friend in the world, Anika Massey.”

“We’ve actually had the pleasure of meeting before,” Brian murmured as he placed a small kiss on the back of Anika’s hand. “We met at the club a few weeks ago.”

“Yes, we did.” Anika nodded her head as recognition set in.

Nadira’s smile grew wide at the information. Anika could instantly tell that Nadira was scheming. Laughing, Nadira pushed Anika and Brian together towards the dance floor as Cooper swept her onto the floor.

“I guess we are being ordered to dance together,” Brian laughed holding out his hand.

Anika smiled, knowing that her friend meant well. “I guess we are,” she said taking his hand, not wanting to cause a scene by refusing.

The music switched to a slow number as Brian pulled her onto the floor amongst the other dancers. Anika glanced around still feeling as if she were being watched but not finding anyone openly watching her. She looked over at Nadira, catching her eyes, as she beamed with pride.

That little snot!
Anika thought to herself. Nadira was playing matchmaker just like her mother was with her brothers. Anika made a mental note to get Nadira back for this. She would have to think of a slow and tortuous punishment for her best friend.