Stolen: A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance

  STOLEN

  A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance

  Marissa Farrar

  Michelle Fox

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  *You can click on the title to be taken to the selection. Additionally, clicking on the chapter titles will bring you back to the table of contents.

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Before we start, be sure to check out the other books in the series at www.bloodcourtesans.com.

  Chapter One

  Light pressed upon my eyelids, coaxing them open.

  Resisting, I squeezed them even tighter shut. I knew what day it was, and I wasn’t ready. Despite my training having started exactly six years ago, I didn’t feel prepared. Even so, I couldn’t hide forever. They would be coming for me soon, and I needed to get dressed.

  I opened my eyes.

  Hazy sunshine filtered through the window of my third-floor room. The place was starkly decorated, with bare concrete floors. Even the view from the room showed me nothing more than an expanse of gray concrete walls. I had a desk and a dressing table with a mirror, but that was it. No trinkets or framed photographs adorned the space. Even my sheets were plain. There was nothing of beauty in the room, because we were supposed to be the things that added the beauty.

  I wondered if any of the other girls were awake yet. Were they thinking of me, musing on how the six of us would soon become five? The reduced number wouldn’t be for long. They’d bring in a younger girl to replace me some time in the next few months. We all had the same look in our eyes when we first arrived—frightened and alone—but, as time passed, we grew used to our confines, and the other girls became family. Problem was, on our eighteenth birthday we were once again sent to a strange place to start over.

  Today was my birthday.

  A knock came at my door and I swung my legs out of the bed. “One minute!”

  “You should be up already, Dakota,” a stern voice came back. “It’s your passing out day, and we have people waiting.”

  “I know, Mother. I’ll only be two minutes!”

  She wasn’t my real mother, but that was the only name I and the other girls knew her by. I wouldn’t have dared call her anything else, even if other, not so nice names had passed through my mind on plenty of occasions.

  “Well, hurry,” she replied from behind the closed door, which I knew would also be locked, two guards most likely standing with the older woman. “We’ve got lots to do to get you ready.”

  Subconsciously, I reached to my neck and fingered the solid metal collar at my throat. I’d received the collar on my first day, and, other than for size adjustments, it had never been removed. The collar was about an inch wide, lightweight, and black in color. Each of the girls here wore an identical item. They were a symbol of our training, our throats covered to show no vampire had been allowed to touch us yet.

  I sighed and got to my feet to make my way to the adjoining bathroom. I relieved myself, and then dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants, before raking my dark hair into a ponytail and scrubbing my teeth. It didn’t matter what I looked like. I’d be primped and primed to within an inch of my life before the day was done.

  I left the bathroom to go to my bedroom door. Lifting my hand, I rapped on the solid metal door with my knuckles. “I’m ready, Mother.”

  A number of clicks signaled the locks being unbolted, and then the door opened to reveal Mother, and two of the guards waiting on the other side. Mother was a tall, waifish woman in her forties, her dyed blonde hair swept up into a chignon and her face perfectly made up. When she’d been younger, she was the most highly paid of all blood courtesans. Rumors were that she knew exactly what a vampire wanted, and just a taste of her blood had sold for a fortune. I guessed that fortune hadn’t ever been enough for her, as she’d moved into the business of selling others instead of herself.

  She tutted at me as I emerged. “Oh, really, Dakota. You look like you’ve barely woken up. I thought you’d have made an effort, today of all days.”

  “Sorry. I did just wake up.”

  She swept me forward with her manicured hand. “Don’t you dare let me down, Dakota. I have a reputation to uphold, and if vampires think they’re buying a product that is anything less than first class, they’ll start looking elsewhere.”

  I’m more than just a product, I wanted to say, but didn’t. Truth was, I was a product. A thing to be bought and sold—and used.

  I glanced back at the guards as I was ushered down the corridor. Warren, the older guard, who was in his thirties, at least, gave me a scowl, but the other guard, Aiden, offered me a sympathetic smile. My heart fluttered. Aiden couldn’t have been too much older than I was. With his short blond hair and blue eyes, most of the girls in the training center whispered about him. But I couldn’t help feeling like I was the one he connected with the most. Perhaps it was just an age thing—that he knew the other girls were younger, though my best friend Christa was only a matter of months younger than I was. Aiden had a kindness about him that no one else who worked here seemed to display. He’d slipped me candy bars in the past, even though he knew we weren’t allowed them—Mother was very particular about what we ate in order to control our weight—and never told on me if he caught me handing notes to Christa.

  We passed by the closed doors of the individual rooms where the other girls were being held. Were they in there, or had they been taken down for breakfast by now? My stomach grumbled hungrily. It felt like it had been days instead of hours since my dinner of fish and salad the previous evening.

  We caught the elevator down to ground floor level, and exited onto another corridor. We walked down the length of it, toward the big hall that served as the place where we ate.

  Mother pushed open the double doors to the dining room, and I smiled to see the other five girls sitting around the large rectangular table, waiting for me. Christa got to her feet as I entered. My friend was blonde, blue-eyed, and stunning, and she’d go for big money when her time came. Leaving her was going to be the most difficult part of today. I was going to miss her like crazy. It was especially hard as I knew she was picturing herself in my place in a few months. The next oldest girl was Scarlet. At sixteen, she thought she knew everything, and hated me for some reason. She also believed she would be the most sought after courtesan the vampire world would ever know, and often spoke of the sexual things she looked forward to doing, despite being as inexperienced in the actual act as the rest of us. Fifteen-year-old Rosa also got to her feet as I walked in, her fingers pressed to her mouth, but Kitty, who was two years younger, looked away, bored. Sweet Annie was the youngest of us all, and she appeared to be on the verge of tears, but then she’d been that way since she’d been brought here. The poor thing still remembered her parents and her life before the training.

  “Oh, Dakota,” Christa cried, running up to me and flinging her arms around my neck.

  I hugged her tight, holding back tears. I couldn’t believe I might never see her again. Mother told us we may come across each other at some point in the future—vampires enjoyed big, lavish parties and often brought their courtesans along as a display of
wealth and generosity—but no one could promise the men we’d be sold to would even live in the same country, never mind know each other.

  “Don’t,” I managed to croak. “Don’t say anything.”

  I knew if she told me how much she loved me and would miss me, I would lose any of the bravery I’d stored inside me for this day.

  Rosa was next to hug me, with Annie right behind her. The young girl broke down into sobs, but I didn’t have any words to comfort her right now. She had at least six years of relative security here at the training center. I had my whole life ahead of me outside, and the prospect was terrifying.

  The adjoining doors opened and one of the kitchen staff—a short, dumpy woman in her sixties—came out carrying a tray of croissants and fresh fruit.

  “Sit, eat,” said Mother. “It’s a special day and you need your strength.”

  I released Annie, and wiped the tears from her face with my thumb. We all took our seats and the food was dished out to us. I took a bite, forcing myself to chew and swallow, though the pastry lodged in my throat. To prevent choking, I took a long swig of the orange juice the staff had poured for me and looked around at the girls I was leaving behind.

  We had all been trained in every art of entertainment. We’d been taught to sing—though my voice was lackluster compared to some of the girls’. Scarlet, in particular, could sing like a lark. We’d been taught to play piano, to dance, to appreciate art, and be the perfect hostess. Most of the girls found one particular thing they excelled at, and Mother would use that talent to command more money for us, not that we’d see a cent of it. She was disappointed that I’d simply been proficient at most things, but had excelled at none. Sometimes, I wondered if perhaps I hadn’t yet found my talent, rather than that I was simply talentless as she liked to point out. We were expected to be graceful in long dresses and heels, and be beautifully held together at all times. We’d also been trained in the art of pleasure, though that had all been figurative until now. Being made to lick and suck a rubber penis was not the same as when you had to pleasure the real thing, I felt sure. The numerous giggles and silly jokes that normally accompanied our training sessions would definitely not be allowed.

  My heart beat harder at the thought. Would that be what I’d be doing by the end of the day? Would my owner expect me to touch him in such a way?

  Yes, of course he would. Male vampires could have regular courtesans if they wanted. They weren’t hard to come by, or so I’d been told. We were special, raised with only one task at hand—to be the perfect companion for vampires.

  Regular courtesans were employees, but we would belong to whoever bought us. We got no payment, and had no use for money. Our owners would supply us with everything we needed. We could not question what they asked of us, or ever expect to belong to anyone else, unless we were sold on, which was highly unlikely. Only those vampires with ridiculous amounts of money could ever afford to buy one of us, and there was a waiting list as well. I’m sure other places like this training center existed around the country, but we only came into maturity once. Our virginity was something rare and precious.

  Mother approached us and stood at the end of the table. “I hope you’ve finished, Dakota. We have a lot of work to do.”

  I put down my half-eaten pastry and nodded. Christa reached out to me beneath the table and gave my hand a squeeze. I’d see her briefly once more during my passing out ceremony, but after that I’d be alone.

  Well, except for the vampire I was being sold to.

  Chapter Two

  Nauseated, I rose from the table and followed Mother out of the dining room and down the corridor to the dressing area. The two guards waited outside of the door.

  Our stylist, Christophe, entered in a flamboyant display of brightly colored silks and flowing clothing.

  “I am so excited for today,” he gushed, clapping his hands together. “Dakota, my dear, come here and let me look at you. Not too bloated from breakfast, I hope?”

  I shook my head, and he spun me around, looking me up and down.

  “Good. Now, remove those tatty clothes and get into the shower. You need to be clean, and I don’t want to see a single hair on that body of yours, is that understood?”

  I nodded. We girls were waxed from head to toe the moment we started to show any sign of body hair, so he didn’t need to worry about that side of things. I did need a wash, though, my body still clammy from sleep. I removed my clothes under the watchful eye of Christophe and Mother. My body was mine, but it also didn’t feel like fully my own. I’d been owned in one way or another since I was small. The moment I’d been snatched from my family, I no longer belonged to myself. Removing my clothes in front of other people was the least I had to worry about.

  The shower was filled with an assortment of bottles of fragranced soaps. I washed my hair, and then my face and body. I delayed getting out for as long as possible, knowing what lay ahead.

  I would be sold with a suitcase of expensive dresses and underwear, which I was expected to wear at all times. There was no room for yoga pants and t-shirts in my future. My underwear would all be tiny, lacy items, made for seduction, not comfort.

  “Hurry up, Dakota,” came Mother’s irritated voice. “Do I have to rush you along all day? Where’s your sense of urgency?”

  I grabbed a towel through the steam and stepped out. “Sorry, Mother.”

  “Anyone would think you didn’t want to meet your vampire,” she said in annoyance. “You have a great privilege, Dakota. Only a handful of you girls even exist. You should be proud to be one of them.”

  I nodded. “I am. I’m just a little… nervous.”

  “Well, don’t be. Your training is top-class. Anytime you find yourself starting to falter, look back on all you have been taught. There isn’t a single thing you don’t know about being with a vampire.”

  I did know. I knew about all the places they liked to bite. I knew how they liked to use both sex and pain to enhance the taste of a courtesan’s blood. I knew how they liked to show their courtesans off, and would pass us around to their fellow vampires at a party.

  I knew too much. That was what frightened me.

  Christophe appeared, holding a bag. It contained the dress I would wear to meet the vampire who had bought me. He unzipped it, and displayed a beautiful, silver, floor-length gown. The material appeared to be satin, which I knew would display my nipples. I didn’t expect to be allowed to wear a bra.

  “Well?” he said with pride. “What do you think?”

  “It’s gorgeous, thank you,” I said, forcing a smile, and remembering my training to always be polite and courteous.

  “It’ll look even better on with your curvaceous figure.”

  I knew I wouldn’t struggle to walk in the dress, even with the three inch, matching silver stilettos Christophe dangled from his other hand. We’d been taught how to walk in such outfits. To be seen as anything less than graceful was frowned upon.

  My hair was brushed, and dried, then twisted up into a sleek knot to show off my neck and throat. Makeup was applied, but only on my lips and eyes. Vampires liked to be able to see the natural blush of a woman. Something about it was erotic to them, and no additional perfume was applied so my vampire would be able to inhale the real scent of me.

  “There,” he said, finally, beaming at me, his hands clasped together. “You look perfect. Absolutely ravishing. Your vampire will be thrilled with you, I’m sure.”

  I gave an awkward glance toward Mother, but she gave me an encouraging smile for once. “He’s right, Dakota. You really are a vision.”

  She took hold of my shoulders and maneuvered me around so I could look in a full length, free-standing mirror. I’d seen myself in such outfits before, but today I barely recognized my reflection. I looked older, as though tipping over that cusp into eighteen really had made me a woman.

  I was taken back to my room, to sit and wait while everything was prepared for my departure. Though the space was spars
e, I couldn’t help but look around, mentally saying goodbye to the place that had been my home for the past six years. The time dragged painfully, and part of me wanted to lie down on my bed and go back to sleep. Only the knowledge that both Mother and Christophe would kill me if I wrinkled my dress or smudged my makeup stopped me from doing so. Were the other girls excited that I was moving on? There was always a strange atmosphere when one of us was leaving to go onto their new lives, each of us putting ourselves in the leaver’s place. Except now I didn’t need to imagine what it would be like. My time had come.

  Finally, a knock sounded at my door, and it opened to reveal Mother and the guards, just as it had that morning. But then Christophe stepped into view, and I couldn’t even pretend I was being taken for mealtimes or lessons as normal.

  “It’s time,” Mother said. “Everyone is waiting.”

  She swept away, leaving my room and almost gliding down the hall. I knew where she was going. I’d attended the passing out ceremonies of a number of older girls who had left before me. Some of the girls I hadn’t been too worried about not seeing again, but others I’d missed like a part of my heart had been chiseled out. Of course, with each girl who’d left, I’d found myself growing closer and closer to my own birthday and the day when I’d leave the relative safety of the training house.

  Now that day had arrived.

  Christophe caught me by the elbow and gave me a smile. “Ready?”

  I nodded. “I guess.”

  We walked down the corridor to the stairwell, which led to the ground floor. Here was the great hall. The large metal door at the farthest end of the hall led into the real world. Normally, it was kept locked and bolted, with a closely guarded key code which none of the girls had ever managed to get hold of—not that we’d know what to do with it if we had. We had nowhere to go, our memories of our homes and families long faded. This time, the door was missing the massive bars which protected us all from the outside world. Only the keypad remained as a barrier.