The vampire and the mistress

Chapter 1

My name is Rosetta Crowe, but I prefer to go by the name Rosa, and when I tell you my life has been one hell of a roller coaster, you honestly wouldn't believe it. Let me start by telling you about six months ago.

Six months ago, I was miserable and forced into a life I wasn't happy living and making choices because it was either that or death was how I was given my choices. Anyway, I ended up being put into the situation of being told that I had to kill one vampire called Lord Xander Akako because his brother had basically decided to kidnap me and torture me, and then gave me the choice of killing him or being killed. I thought that Xander was like his brother Lucian Mortimer; however, he was every single shade of different from Lucian. The only things they had in common were the fact that they were both vampires and that they both had the same master. That was as far as the similarities went. Anyway, the short version of what happened was that while I lived in Xander's care with my VBF Dorian, my vampire best friend; I ended up changing. At first, I'm not going to lie, I was resistant to the change as I knew what it would mean for me if Lucian found out, but I ended up giving in to it as I was liking what and who I was becoming.

When it came to the time to kill Xander, I knew I had no choice but other than making it look like I'd gone through with it and had tried to kill him, and I just had to hope that Xander would kill me instead. I know it sounds strange saying one vampire couldn't kill me but another one could, but it all came down to the fact that I trusted Xander and I knew that if I gave my life for him to continue being the amazing vampire he is, he wouldn't have wasted the sacrifice. That had been how I'd seen it in my head, but the way it played out had been a whole different situation. Xander had been close to killing me, but queue my VBF in his cape and hero mask, he'd stopped Xander from doing something he'd end up regretting and as it turned out both Xander and I owe Dorian everything for saving us both in that moment. His whole reason for saving us both in that moment had been because we'd both needed each other. That was very much true, we both did need each other. Xander had been searching for his soul mate and I needed to know he'd found her. Ok, when he'd told me he'd found her, I was jealous, but it turns out I was jealous over nothing because I was his soul mate.

Xander and I had tried our best to keep it a secret about him and I, but like every secret, someone was bound to let it slip and when the whisper had started amongst the vampires, Xander had had to call a meeting to make it clear that it was a very private matter and sure I was his mate, but they weren't to disrespect me nor mess with me in any way simple because I was a human. I'll admit I was terrified the day that Xander had said that because I knew a wave of rebellion was going to follow and boy I wasn't wrong. The house ended up being pretty divided because some of the vampires took the stand of I didn't deserve to be his mate being a human, while others took the stand that I was to prove myself to the vampires by allowing Xander to turn me. Xander had told them all up and down that wasn't going to happen in the slightest as he refused to take my life from me. Others on the other side of the argument had all accepted what Xander had said, one of which being Dorian. I knew more had happened, but Xander had asked Dorian to take me out of the chaos and when I'd asked Xander what had happened he'd retorted nothing that he hadn't been able to handle.

I want to say that since all of that things had looked up, but that would have been a big fat lie on my side. I mean two months ago, I told the vampire king who is Xander's master that I refused to work for him and refused to accept his offer of safety in exchange for me going back to my old ways. I didn't want to go back to that dark place. I'd found my little piece of paradise and I was happy and I hadn't wanted to give it up, but not only that, I trusted Xander to have my back and keep me safe and if he couldn't I knew I had my superhero Dorian who had my back too, but I also knew that my little bubble of happiness wouldn't last forever either.

You see, the night that I was supposed to have killed Xander, Helena who was his wife-to-be, and Lucian took off together. Since that night no one had heard from them and I knew it was certainly putting me on edge having to live with the fear all over again, but the biggest difference was this time I wasn't living out of fear because of something I had done, I was living in fear because of the fact that I'd stood up for what I believed to be right and now my dark past was threatening to wash away everything in a moment, but like I said, I wasn't scared on the level I had been once upon a time because I knew this time around I had people who loved and would protect me.

So that was my roller coaster of a life up to now and I bet you're thinking, well if things are starting to seem like a happy ending for you Rosa, then why are you dwelling on it if you have people keeping you safe? You see Lucian is only part of the problem with Helena because the other part of my problem is my ex-boyfriend who got me into this screwed-up life. You see one night one of Xander's friends came to visit and he had a message for me. He told me that Liam my ex was looking for me. I wouldn't have been bothered before but well... I knew what Liam was like and I knew what he could do and I knew he and I had a score to settle between us, I wasn't going to let what had happened in the just simply lie despite Xander asking me to let it go. I just simply couldn't because that was who I was and just like he couldn't let the crap go with Lucian.

So I guess now I've brought you up to date on the last six months. I guess that just leaves about more recently, for the last week I've been confined to the house with Dorian being my protector and keeping watch over me and Marie being my teacher while Xander was off doing whatever Lord Vampire wanted to do. I'd sulked for a few days during my confinement, but Marie had dragged me out and into the library saying that if I was staying and being the lady of the house eventually I had to learn everything to keep myself alive and to make sure I followed the vampire rules. I'd honestly felt like telling her that vampire rules were pretty much pirate rules, but I knew that wouldn't have gone down that great so I kept that thought to myself.

A sigh escaped my lips as I rolled over in bed as I knew that today was going to be a repeat of yesterday that was a repeat of the day before. I really didn't want to get up, so I shut my eyes keeping hold of the cover when I heard my phone ringing on my bedside table. I really hadn't wanted to answer the phone, but I knew I should have just in case it was Xander. He'd made a habit of calling later on in my day rather than first thing, I guessed it had been because he knew I'd been with Marie learning.

I reached across and saw his name on my phone which made me smile as I sat up. Maybe today was going to be different from yesterday, maybe today he'd say whatever adventure he'd been on was at an end and he was coming home to me. I answered it quickly before he hung up.

"Hey." My heart was hammering in my chest at the very idea that I got to speak to him this early in my day rather than last thing when we were both nothing but exhausted from our day and wanting nothing more than rest.

"Hello Rosa, I thought you would have been in a lesson with Marie by now." Hearing his words I pulled the phone away to look at the time.

"Shi..." I muttered to myself as I jumped out of my bed quickly.

"Overslept sweetie?" I could hear the amusement in his voice as he tried to keep back his laughter. He would have known I wasn't in a lesson if I'd answered him. As I rushed to get dressed into my skirt I wondered if Marie had called him to get him to wake me up. Not Marie's style, it was probably Dorian's as he knows I've been struggling.

"Yeah, I did," I muttered. "Give me a minute." I put the phone down and put on my vest top quickly and picked up the phone.

"Are you getting dressed?" Xander seemed even more amused by my obvious panic. "So how did you manage to oversleep?"

I stopped dead in my tracks and went quiet for a moment. "Rosa?" Xander asked me softly.

"I didn't want to get up," I told him simply.

"Talk to me, sweetie. Don't worry about Marie, I will deal with her if I have to. Just sit down and tell me what's wrong." I sat down on the chair that had my clothes put on for today and took a deep breath.

"I miss you," I told him simply trying to keep my emotions in check. It was hard when it came to Xander because of the way I'd grown to love him and trust him and also the way he'd made me feel so safe.

"I'll be home soon. What else is wrong?" He knew me too well. He always knew when there was more to the conversation when we spoke. He knew me in ways that I didn't even know myself sometimes and it scared the life out of me.

"I was dreaming of you when I slept."

"What about me?" He asked. I could hear the smirk in his voice and I could picture that grin on his face he always wore when conversation turned like this. He wore a grin that lit up his face but it was also a grin of mischief and when he and I were alone together, he very much was mischief when he wanted to be.

"Just about that night at the hotel room." I laughed quietly as I could picture it all in my head all over again. The way Xander and I had laid on the bed together, I was wrapped in his arms tightly and protectively as he kissed my cheek lightly. 'Are you still jealous of my soul mate?' His words had had a slight chuckle to them, but the chuckle that night had been that he'd found it funny that I'd been jealous of myself and the chuckle had also been because I had been finally in on the joke. I'd snuggled my head closer to his chest and had closed my eyes that night as he'd said those words. 'I think I can live with sharing you with that woman.' I'd looked up at him seeing him as my whole world in that moment. 'I'm pleased you can live with her. Now you know why I tried so hard not to laugh.'

"Rosa?" I shook my head and let out a sigh.

"Sorry," I whispered.

"We'll do it again, I promise. We just need to sort this mess out once and for all. I want to give you your fairytale ending Rosa."

"I know," I whispered as I stood up grabbed my hairbrush and went into the bathroom to get ready. I began to brush my hair with my phone on my shoulder.

"I should let you go."

"No, please... Normally I don't get the chance to talk to you because normally I'm tired and you're in need of rest."

I heard movement and someone talking to Xander while he was on the phone to me and then Xander sighed a little. "I'm sorry sweetie, but I have to go. Lucian isn't going to just roll over and die as much as I wish he would." His comment made me laugh a little and then I let out a sigh.

"I should go too as otherwise, Marie will string me up because of how late I am to lesson today. Oh, any news yet?" I tagged on hoping I could get a moment longer on the phone.

"No, I'm afraid." He sighed as I quickly brushed my teeth. "Feels like I'm chasing my tail at the minute I'm sorry to say." When I was done I went and grabbed my shoes by the door with my phone still to my ear and began to run.

"Are you running?" Xander asked with a laugh. "Marie will torture you if she catches you running."

"That's what Dorian's for to protect me." I laughed softly as I got to the bottom of the stairs.

"I've really got to go now, sweetie. I hope Marie doesn't give you hell over you being late."

"If she does I'll blame it on you." I laughed as I walked to the library door and waited. "I love you."

"Love you too. See you soon." The line went dead and I shoved my phone into the pocket of my skirt. I then went and put my shoes down to slip my feet in as the library door opened. Busted!

"Rosetta Crowe, what time do you call this and why do you not have your shoes on?" Marie scolded me. I quickly slipped my feet into my shoes and went into the library.

"I'm so sorry," I told Marie. "I overslept and then..." I began but she held up her hand to me to silence me.

"Hurry and sit down and let's try and make a lesson out of today so it's not completely wasted." Marie slammed the door as I walked into the library and sat down. I noticed Dorian was sitting in the corner laughing at my telling off. This was going to be a long lesson, I knew it and I was regretting that I hadn't simply opted to stay in bed. There's always tomorrow for that one.