MY SUGAR MUMMY IS A BEAUTIFUL VAMPIRE

Elena hastened to do Duncan's bidding, her curiosity piqued in spite of the sense of dread twisting her stomach. It was never good when he called her to the top floor. Squaring her shoulders, she stepped into the elevator and prepared to meet with her master.

The elevator climbed higher and higher, and Elena's anxiety grew with it. It was laughable that Elena, a bloody Shelly was cowering because of someone that summoned her. But she knew deep within the recesses of her heart, Duncan was not just "Someone". No, he was a god! And by all rights, he deserved to be feared, worshipped, adored.

By the time the doors slid open onto the dimly lit top floor, her heart was pounding unpleasantly. She stepped out, her footsteps muffled by the plush crimson carpet.

"You took your time." Duncan's silky voice came from the shadows. Elena couldn't see him yet, but his presence was unmistakable, seeming to suck the oxygen from the room and raise the hairs on the back of her neck.

"Forgive me, my lord," she said quickly, bowing at the waist. "I came as quickly as I could."

Duncan finally emerged into a pool of light cast by an ornate wall sconce. As always, his beauty hit Elena like a punch to the gut - the glossy grey hair, the chiseled features that looked like they belonged on a Renaissance statue, the bottomless dark eyes. No one would ever guess at the dark power lurking beneath the perfection of his face.

"I have a task for you," Duncan said, reaching out to tip up her chin with one cool finger. He was close enough that Elena could feel his breath on her face. It smelled of ancient things - musty crypts and sacrificial blood. Yet, that was not her only problem. Why was he so god damn perfect? As much as she dreaded the nightmare that he was, he was every bit of a dream.

Duncan held her gaze as he continued. "One of great importance. It seems that certain enemies of mine are conspiring against me. I want you to..."

He whispered his instructions in her ear, each word sending a new shiver down Elena's spine. The closeness was both arousing and terrifying for her.

"Is that clear?" Duncan purred when he had finished, his fingers now curled loosely around her throat.

"Yes, my lord," Elena managed. "I will not fail you."

"You had better not. You know the price of failure." He released her abruptly and Elena had to catch herself before she stumbled. "Now go. And Elena?"

She turned back to him, pulse still stuttering wildly.

"Do try to be discreet, won't you? It would be a shame if I had to...replace you." His smile was a dark slash in the shadows.

Elena swallowed hard. Message received.

With a final bow, she fled back to the elevator, already mentally running through how she could carry out the dark deed he had demanded of her.

Elena's heart raced as she rode the elevator back down from the top floor, Duncan's words still echoing in her mind. She had been in his service for two years now, but his power and beauty never failed to unsettle her. And now, he had a new demand for her - one that sent a shiver down her spine even as it filled her with anticipation.

Duncan wanted women. Beautiful, desirable women to sate his hunger. It was a request he made only rarely, when his strength began to wane and needed to be replenished. And Elena knew exactly what that meant.

She hurried back to her office, ignoring Drake's questioning look as she brushed past him. Sinking into her chair, she picked up the phone and dialed a number from memory.

"Tessa? It's Elena. I need you to gather the girls. Yes, those girls. He's asking for them." She paused, listening to the reply. "I don't care what you have to do, just get them here.

Tonight."

Hanging up, Elena leaned back and ran a hand over her face. The "girls" were the most exquisite creatures in Elena's employ - women of surpassing beauty and allure, cherry-picked for their ability to entice even the most jaded of men. They were the ones Elena called upon when Duncan required his...feeding.

Elena shuddered delicately at the thought. She knew what happened to those girls when they were sent to Duncan. They came back dazed, depleted, and sporting mysterious wounds that they could never quite remember receiving. And yet, they were always eager to return to him, longing for another taste of his unearthly charms.

Rising from her chair, Elena went to oversee the preparations. Within hours, the brothel was transformed. The garish red lights were dimmed, replaced by the soft glow of candles. The raucous music was silenced, and the air was perfumed with heady incense. It was as if the building itself was holding its breath, waiting.

And then, they began to arrive. The girls, each one lovelier than the last. They came from all walks of life - students, actresses, models, socialites, married and single women. Women who had everything, and yet were willing to give it all up for a chance to be with him.

They had all heard about this mysterious man that could go rounds for rounds and were there to find out for themselves just what stuff of legend he was made of. Fools!

Elena greeted each one personally, ushering them to luxurious private rooms to await their turn with Duncan. They preened and fluttered, adjusting their hair and clothes, a feverish light in their eyes. Elena felt a pang of something like pity as she watched them. They had no idea what they were getting into.

She had seen it happened so many times in the past two years to know the outcome scarcely ever changed.

But then again, they were getting the pleasure they needed so who cares?

At last, everything was ready. Elena made her way back up to the top floor, schooling her features into a mask of composure. She found Duncan waiting for her, lounging on a velvet chaise like a king surveying his domain.

"They have arrived, my lord," Elena said, bowing deeply. "The finest flowers in my garden, ripe for your plucking."

"Excellent." Duncan rose to his feet in one fluid motion, his dark eyes glittering. "You have done well, Elena."

He stepped closer to her, and Elena had to resist the urge to shrink back. This close, his power was a tangible thing, rolling off him in waves that made her skin prickle. She watched, transfixed, as he seemed to shimmer before her eyes, his edges blurring as one not quite of this world.

"Send in the first one," Duncan commanded, his voice a dark purr. "And Elena? Ensure we are not disturbed."

"Of course, my lord." Elena backed out of the room, feeling as though she could breathe again only when the door closed between them.

The next few hours passed in a blur. One by one, Elena brought the girls to Duncan's chamber. One by one, they disappeared inside, faces alight with desire and trepidation. And one by one, they stumbled out again, drained and disheveled, bite marks marring their perfect skin.

Elena watched it all with a growing sense of delight. She knew that Duncan was not normal, that the way he sustained himself was not natural, not even for vampires. And to see it happening, to be complicit in it...it made her feel contented. Powerful. She was part of something great brewing just beneath the surface.

And yet, as the night wore on and Duncan's power grew, Elena could not deny her own dark fascination. Each time the door opened and he emerged, he seemed to glow brighter, his eyes darker, his beauty more terrible and magnetic. It was as though he was shedding his human guise, revealing the true face of the beast within.

By the time the last girl had been sent to him, the brothel was deathly silent. Even the usual sounds of the city outside seemed muffled, as if the world itself was holding its breath. Elena paced the halls, her nerves stretched to the breaking point.

When the door to Duncan's chamber finally opened, she froze. He emerged like a conquering god, his skin luminous, his eyes bottomless pits. The smell of blood and sex clung to him, a musky perfume that made Elena's head swim.

"It is done," he said simply, his voice echoing in the stillness. "You have served me well, Elena. I trust you will see to the needs of our guests?"

"Of course," Elena managed, her throat dry. "They will remember only pleasure and generosity. Nothing more."

"Good." Duncan stepped closer, his hand coming up to brush the side of her face. Elena trembled at his touch, hot and cold all at once. His very presence did something to her but it was his touch that made her feel she could piss on the throne of the devil and get away with it.

"I have great plans for you, Elena. Great plans, for us. But I will need my strength for what is to come. You will continue to provide for me, won't you?"

"Always," Elena whispered, trapped in his coal-black gaze. "I am yours to command, my lord."

"Yes," Duncan murmured, his thumb stroking over her bottom lip. "Mine."

And then he was gone, like chaff in the wind, leaving Elena alone in the guttering candlelight. She stood there for a long moment, trying to calm her racing heart. The world felt changed somehow, shifted on its axis. She had always known that her role in Duncan's schemes was a dark one - but tonight, she had glimpsed the true depths of the abyss she had thrown in her lot with.

There would be no going back from this. Duncan's power was growing, his plans moving forward. And she was bound to him now, tied with chains of blood and shadow.

Elena squared her shoulders and turned to go deal with the aftermath of the night's work. Dawn was coming, and with it, a new chapter in their twisted tale. She could only pray that when the time came, she would see all her plans through.

No matter what the cost.