Chapter 119

Tessa’s POV

“She has the mark…” I whispered as the front door shut.

Joseph glanced at me with a frown.

“What mark?” He asked, furrowing his brows together.

“The mark on her shoulder blade,” I said, looking up at him. “She has the mark of the blood slave.”

His face showed something of anguish, and I knew I wasn’t just seeing things. She really did have the mark of the blood slave. But that didn’t make sense to me. She wasn’t a blood slave. She couldn’t have been. She was working as a nurse in the hospital. They said nothing about her being a blood slave.

“I think this is a story she should tell you,” Joseph said slowly.

I stared at him in disbelief.

“So, it’s true?” I asked, shaking my head in disbelief. “Anna was a blood slave?”

He nodded, meeting my eyes.

“Let’s get dressed and we can talk to her on our way to the city,” he said.

I sighed and went back toward his bedroom so I could grab a clean pair of clothing, completely forgetting I was still in my bathing suit.

I grabbed a pair of jeans and a sweater. It was a bit cold outside, and this was my usual attire. I went to the bathroom to take a shower, brush my teeth, and fix my hair.

Once I was done, Anna was already over, and she was sitting in the living room with Joseph. They were in a deep conversation when I showed up and they both fell silent. I knew they must have been talking about me and my recent discovery.

Anna’s eyes softened and she gave me a small smile.

“Hi…” I said to them, looking between the two of them.

“Sweetheart, how about you sit down,” she breathed, patting the couch beside her.

“I’m going to get dressed,” Joseph said as he walked past me. But he paused once he reached me and kissed my temple gently before making his way into his bedroom.

My heart thudded violently against my chest, but I did as she asked and sat down beside her on the couch.

“I know you probably have a lot more questions now,” Anna said, staring down at her hands. “When Joseph told us you were coming here, we all agreed to not tell you about the Blood slaves because we didn’t want to upset you. We should have known you would have figured it out on your own. You are very smart, and the others are very gossipy.”

“I’m not upset about it anymore. I understand why you all kept it from me,” I assured her. “I wish I found out a different way. But I’m not going to judge anybody.”

“That’s so good to hear,” she said with a kind smile, warming my heart.

Then she sighed and her hand reached up and touched the mark on the back of her shoulder.

“You were one too, weren’t you?” I asked, eyeing her carefully.

She closed her eyes for a moment as if she was watching the memory flash through her eyes. Then, she nodded.

“His name was Miguel,” she said slowly. “He was a rogue.”

I gasped loudly.

“You were a blood slave to a vampire rogue?!” I asked.

She nodded her head once.

“I was more than just his blood slave,” she explained. “I did everything for him. He allowed me to work in a hospital as a nurse but took all the money that I made. I did all his housework chores, and I was the only one who worked….” She paused. “I was also his sex slave.”

I could tell speaking about this pained her.

“You don’t have to tell me anymore,” I said quickly, placing my hand over hers.

She opened her eyes and looked at me.

“I don’t mind talking about this,” she assured me. “It happened so long ago.”

I nodded, waiting for her to continue.

“He would beat me daily and my wounds would heal because I was immortal. He made me have sex with humans and he would be hiding in the corner. Once they were in their most vulnerable states, he would attack them and kill them, drinking all their blood. It was painful to watch him sucking the blood of others because of the bond, it felt like he was cheating on me. It took a huge toll on my body and daily I felt like I wanted to die….”

“Oh, Anna…” I breathed, tears filling my eyes.

“Then, I met Bernard. I was instantly attracted to him, and he made me feel things I hadn’t felt in a long time. He knew from my smell alone that I was a blood slave and he told me that he could break the bond for me. But there was a chance I’d die in the process.”

“And did he?” I asked. “Break the bond I mean?”

She nods, a faint smile on her lips.

“Yes,” she answered. “He broke the bond, and he was right. It almost killed me completely…. But he had another plan for me.”

“He turned you,” I finished her thought for her. She didn’t have to say the words for me to know.

She nodded again.

“He turned me,” she said anyway. “But the mark never goes away,” she added with a frown.

“How did he break the bond?” I found myself asking.

She was quiet for a long while. I had a feeling I already knew the answer. Joseph had mentioned that Bernard went to that guy’s house and did something to him, but he wasn’t sure what.

It was to be assumed that Bernard killed him.

“The bond breaks when the vampire the human is bonded to breaks it on his own terms. He either tells her that the bond is broken, or he marks someone else as his blood slave. But there’s a third way…”

“He dies?”

She nods grimly.

“He dies,” she confirmed.

Before anything more was said, Joseph returned. Both Anna and I had misty eyes that he could see right away, and he gave us both gentle smiles.

“Did you talk?” He asked.

We both nodded.

“Yes. I think we got everything cleared up. Do you have more questions?” She asked me.

I shook my head.

“I think I'm good for right now,” I said, standing to my feet. “Let’s go shopping.”

…

The city's nightlife was incredible. It felt like were in Vegas. There was light and music everywhere. The streets were crowded and full of life.

Almost all the stores were open too and it was around 1 am.

“I can’t believe everything is open,” I said, loud enough for them to hear me through the music.

“You can thank Joseph for that,” Anna chuckled. “He compelled the owners of these stores to expand their business hours.”

I looked up at Joseph.

“That was smart,” I said to him with a big smile.

He laughed and wrapped me in his arms.

“I needed this,” Anna said as we walked through the streets. “A little retail therapy goes a long way.”

It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a shopping spree. Ruby and I used to go all the time, but not since before I started dating Brian.

We went into a few high-end clothing stores so Anna could pick out a couple of new dresses and she made me try on a few as well.

One was a red dress that rested above my knees and the straps went around my neck. It fit my body perfectly and showed off all my cures. The rims of the dress were made of gold fabric, and I have to admit, it was pretty.

When I stepped out of the dressing room, Joseph’s mouth nearly dropped, making me chuckle.

“I think we have a winner,” Anna cooed, noticing Joeph’s face as well. “It’s on me.”

“It’s probably really expensive,” I said with a deepened frown.

“Money isn’t an issue,” Anna said, waving me away. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I don’t think so,” Joseph said, glaring at her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, handing it to her. “I’ll pay for it.”

“Joseph—” Anna began to protest.

“Don’t argue with me Anastasia,” he said firmly.

Her face reddened on hearing her full name. But then she smiled and took his wallet. I still felt uncomfortable with having him pay for this expensive dress, but I didn’t argue either. I went back to change into my normal clothing.

We went to a few other stores and Joseph bought me a few other outfits. By the time we finished, Anna had both arms filled with bags and I only had a couple, which Joseph carried.

We went to a café for some coffee and treats. It was a small café and certainly a pretty area with a large water fountain in the outdoor patio and sitting area.

We sat outside and I gazed up at the large and gorgeous moon. It was so beautiful here and the music softened, so it was also semi-peaceful. Joseph sat beside me and sipped on his black coffee and Anna sat in front of me, watching me with a longing look in her eyes.

“What?” I asked, smiling.

She chuckled.

“I was just wondering,” she said softly. “Will you be living with us indefinitely?”