Alyia: Lady Love

By Kit Fox

In the enchanting world of Lady Love Book 2: Alyia, immerse yourself in a tale where love and friendship transcend time itself. Alyia Tito, a captivating young woman, finds herself drawn into a realm where vampires exist, and time behaves in extraordinary ways.

 

When Alexandria Love, a determined and mysterious woman, walks into Alyia's life, everything changes. Alexandria introduces herself as Alyia's new best friend, and with her arrival, an unexpected journey unfolds. Alyia, trapped in California State Prison after a harrowing incident, is accustomed to the presence of activists and reporters exploiting her story. However, Alexandria offers something different—an opportunity to reclaim her life.

 

As Alexandria unveils her plans to expose the truth behind Alyia's imprisonment, the two women embark on a quest for justice, challenging the powerful men who orchestrated the cover-up. Bound by an unspoken promise, Alyia must trust Alexandria's unwavering determination and unearth the strength within herself.

 

Intrigue and secrets abound as Alexandria navigates the complexities of her magical abilities, while Alyia faces the daunting task of rebuilding her shattered life. Amidst the chaos, a deep connection begins to blossom between them, defying the constraints of time and circumstance.

 

Together, Alexandria and Alyia will navigate a treacherous path, confronting their own fears and unlocking a love that transcends the boundaries of their reality. Will they succeed in their quest for justice and find solace in each other's arms? Dive into the mesmerizing pages of Lady Love Book 2: Alyia, a riveting romance novel that seamlessly blends fantasy and passion.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trient Press
• Release date: Jul 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9798889900498

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Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

Fox, Kit

A title of a book : Lady Love: Alyina

ISBN

Lady Love

Book 2

Alyia

Never have I imagined that I would find the love and friendships I have found. Two weeks is hardly enough time for such things, but maybe the world moves differently when you measure your age in centuries. How do vampires do it?

Alexandria Love- June 14th

Monday

June 15th

Good morning, Miss Tito, my name is Alexandria Love, this is my assistant Whisper Bishop, I introduce us to Miss Alyia Tito. Miss Tito was working as an intern for a marketing company out of Los Angeles when she claims to have accidently killed the man who was attempting to rape her. She has been at the California State Prison in Los Angeles for almost seven months now.

Hi. Activists or reporters? she asks curtly. I checked into her visitor list, and it is packed full of women’s activists and reporters who are also activists trying to take advantage of her story to further a movement.

I had Jacob find her Facebook page and some pictures. She was a beautiful young lady. Her raven black hair is naturally curly. Her eyes are so dark they are almost black, and her skin is a light mocha color. She is built long and lean like a model, but still carries an extra little bit that shows she likes to eat food.

Seven months in prison has not been good for her. Her lean body has become skinny. Her eyes are sunken into dark spaces, most likely due to little sleep and miserable living conditions. I will find out who has caused her the most pain in here and take care of that later. The effects of prison on the human condition do not discriminate for gender.

Neither, I am your new best friend, and I come bearing gifts, I tell her.

I need smokes to trade so my cellmate will stop pimping me out to the other girls, she says with no hint of hope in her voice.

How about release papers and getting your life back instead, I say.

She looks around. I asked to have this meeting with her in the prison chapel because there is only one camera, which I spelled into disservice while Whisper and I were waiting. It is also a place most people will find peaceful, and I was sure that peaceful would help with this conversation.

What do you want? she asks with mounting suspicion.

I believe your version of what happened. I believe you have spent seven months incarcerated because rich men are ass holes who think they can get away with anything. I you to go over everything with me step by step so I can find a way to press official charges against the men who covered up the event and put you here, I explain.

Here is the paperwork, Miss Love, Warden Swanson says as he walks in the room, I’ve already signed all the documents.

Here are her personal items, Miss Love. I just picked them up from the laundry downstairs and they are clean and pressed. There is a clean bathroom over there she can change in and just head out with you from here, a young, male officer carrying a plastic covered women’s suit on a hanger and carrying a box says excitedly as he enters behind the warden.

Thank you, gentlemen, that will be all, I tell them and wave my hand dismissively.

You’re welcome, they say in unison, and start backing out of the room with goofy smiles plastered on their faces.

Men, I say, still annoyed after all these years that it takes such little effort to have them behaving like smitten little boys.

How did you get this done? Alyia asks me with obvious wonder.

I will tell you later. Before we get started, I have something I would like you to sign for me. It is not a legal document, just a promise between you and I, I tell her as I pull a contract out of my shoulder case.

If it’s not legal, why sign it? Why can’t I just agree to it? she asks with some annoyance in her tone.

Call it a declaration of your intent, and a promise between us that you will be honest and forthcoming with all the information I ask for. Everything I do on this case, including what I have already done, I am doing at no cost to you, I tell her.

I’m guessing that I am right back here if I break that promise, she states as if she has done this before.

Absolutely not, but I assure you, breaking this promise will not be a pleasant experience for you, I tell her in as serious a tone as I can. I have had this conversation more than once.

She says nothing else before taking the pen I have extended out and signing the document. Like most people, Whisper included, she does not read it first. It is a simply worded contract, but explaining the complexity of magic and how it reacts to your intent is a little harder to word.

Excellent, now, you get changed, and we will talk more over brunch, I tell her.

Alyia hesitates for a moment looking from me to her clothes and back to me. When she bites her lip, I know she is contemplating reality. Her reality is about to completely change, but I encourage baby steps. My reality recently changed quite drastically, and I still stop to think about it often.

This is really happening, Miss Tito, Whisper tells her.

Alyia grabs her clothes and the box with her shoes and all but runs to the changing room.

What was she thinking? I ask Whisper. For three hundred years I have relied on my own judge of character and ability to recognize peoples’ intentions or thoughts, but I wanted to give Whisper an opportunity to practice with her ability.

She is wondering what the catch is, and if the consequences of breaking that contract could be any worse than being here. She also wants Starbucks, Whisper tells me and ends with a small smile.

Do you feel alright doing this? I ask her.

It feels a little weird doing it as part of a job, but I don’t feel bad about it. I told you I want to help and be a part of what you do, she answers with a smile.

Two weeks ago, I came to Hollywood to help Whisper. She had been raped by a rich ass hole who was luring girls in for sex under the guise of auditioning for a film. The film ended up being of the adult variety. It is a way around prostitution laws, and a way for him to get variety for his money. He is a worthless human being who is currently locked up and suffering daily under a curse for his multitude of crimes.

Weird is alright, I guess. I am concerned about uncomfortable though, I tell her.

Oh, she says and laughs, I have been doing this for years to stay safe. Being able to read minds makes deciding on which parties to go to easier, she finishes.

As if a guy’s intentions are hard to figure out, especially when they invite you to a party, I say.

True, but that is easy to avoid when you don’t go with the ones who are thinking about date rape drugs and how much fun him and his friends are going to have with you, she says with more than a little sadness in her voice.

They are all prince charming at first, I say and allow a little of my own sadness out.

Speaking of Sampson, why did he cancel your date Friday? she asks.

First of all, that cat is not prince charming, no matter what he thinks. Second, he was not lying when he said he had to work, I tell her and attempt to hide how upset I was when I found out where he was working.

Sampson is a shifter who was born as a white tiger in the San Diego Zoo. He has become the tribal executioner in North America and runs a private security business that employs other shifters who otherwise would have a hard time getting a job. He is also seven feet tall and built like a wild animal, a handsome wild animal, with large...

No dammit!

And that is why Sarah says the two of you should tie him up and have your way with him to get it out of your system, Whisper says with a smile.

Tying him down and doing something to him sounds fun, but I do not think they make rope strong enough to hold him down, I say trying to redirect my own thinking.

I have recently discovered a hidden flaw in myself that my adopted mother, and rescuer, Lilith adds to the monsters she creates. Now that I have stopped hiding from people, my libido has gone into overdrive. I have Sarah for that, but my body craves more.

My experience with men is neither extensive nor good, but something tells me he would not resist, she says with another smile.

That is because boys are dumb, I say in a childish tone.

I agree, she says.

Me too, Alyia says as she walks up to us. I had not noticed her come out of the dressing room.

I could use a coffee, is Starbucks good with the two of you? I ask.

Oh my god, you read my mind, but I don’t have any money, and I don’t have a bank account to cash this measly check the state has provided, Alyia says.

My treat, I tell her.

Yay, can we go now, this place is loud, Whisper says and rubs her temples.

Chapter 1

What Friends Do

The ride to Starbucks begins quietly as Alyia stares out the backseat window. Seven months is a long time when it is spent incarcerated, especially if you should not have been put there to begin with.

I read the police reports, the court transcripts on her case, and the word ‘holes’ does not begin to describe it. I feel like a lot of money and influence was the key factor in the fast decision of her case.

I am about to ask Alyia about any personal items that may have been put in storage, or are being kept by family, when Sarah’s name pops up on the control screen of my car.

Well, hello beautiful, I say to answer the call.

Flattery will get you anything you want gorgeous, she replies. Being this openly affectionate is something new for me, but I thought I would try it on and see if I like it.

We have left the prison and are on our way to Starbucks for brunch, I tell her.

I bet that is a relief for all three of you, she says.

It is, I answer.

Good, she says, and I can tell there is something on her mind.

Sarah, what is it? I ask softly.

I hate to ask, but will you grab the food to go and meet me at Astrid’s please? she asks with hesitance in her voice. Something is wrong, and I do not like the fact that Astrid, the Vampire Mistress of the Los Angeles, and Hollywood area, is involved. It is also daytime, and she is one of the vampires who likes to sleep during the day.

Sure, I answer, wanting to ask questions, but I trust Sarah. If it were life or death, or something that could turn into life or death, she would tell me now.

It is probably news that Astrid received about events, and she does not want to say anything while I have Alyia in the car and will hear it. Astrid’s estate is huge, and Alyia can be easily distracted there by the maids, or the harem of beautiful men Astrid keeps.

Thank you Love, see you all when you get here, she says, and the call disconnects.

She is already there, I say softly. Sarah is my emotional center and the main reason I stayed in Hollywood after Whisper’s case ended both abruptly, and exactly as I wanted it to, which was a pleasant change. Whisper... I start to ask if she knows anything, but she cuts me off.

Don’t ask me, she says and begins playing with her phone.

Is something wrong? Alyia asks.

I am about to say no, but I feel like something is wrong, which would make that answer untrue. The magical contract I had Alyia sign works both ways, so if I tell her an untruth, I pay for it.

I am not sure. Sarah would not have asked me to meet her there if it were not important. The last few weeks have been eventful, is how I decide to word it.

Who is Sarah and Astrid, Alyia asks.

Sarah is my girlfriend, Astrid is a friend of ours, I answer.

Astrid is letting me stay at her place until we get my college arrangements made. You will love it, Whisper tells her excitedly.

The original arrangement with Astrid was for Whisper to stay until the issue of the Order of the Rose was dealt with to my satisfaction. Uffe, my twice cursed Viking Warlord and long-time companion, Peter, a young vampire, and myself, killed the thirteen men who were in the area killing off my coven to get their hands on Whisper.

After it was done, which it was done much faster than anyone thought it would be, Astrid offered to let Whisper stay until the fall semester of college starts. We have enrolled Whisper, and my ward Jacob, at the University of California in Berkeley, which is Sarah’s alma mater.

Does she have a pool? Alyia asks.

Oh yeah, Whisper answers and then she begins to give Alyia a full breakdown of all the cool things at Astrid’s house. She does leave out the vampires in her description.

The ride to Astrid’s is a little quieter as we all eat our food and drink our coffee. Understandably, Alyia acts as though she has not tasted anything this good in years. When we arrive, Sarah’s car is parked between Astrid’s limousine and Sampson’s hummer, which is a blight on mother nature.

Whisper, any idea why Sampson is here? I ask her in a stern voice.

She hesitates, then says, yes.

I want to scold her for not telling me what is going on, but it dawns on me that someone, like Sarah, may have asked her not to say anything. Sampson, regardless of what my body wants, is not my favorite person right now. He was supposed to go with Sarah and I to a movie Friday night, and instead I found him and his security team at the house of a man I was there to punish for his part in a human trafficking ring.

I do not say another word. I just get out of the car and head for the door. The two girls follow me. I do not bother with knocking today; I am suddenly feeling trapped and agitated.

Patentibus, I growl out, and the door swings open with enough force to knock the man behind it down and slam into the wall.

Oops.

Where? I bark at him.

Main room, my Lady he answers, hands pressed tight to his forehead.

Andria, it’s not bad; I promise, Whisper says from behind me, probably helping the man up as I storm through the corridor to the main room. Usually hearing her call me Andria, like my little sister used to, calms my temper a, but not today.

Sounds like... I hear Astrid begin to say as I open another closed door.

Patentibus, I growl, as that trapped feeling grows with the sound of creaking wood as my magic pushes on the ornate, hand-carved, and solid oak door. It opens with a slam against the wall as the latch gives way before the door.

She is upset, Astrid finishes as I stride in.

Astrid, Phineas, who is Astrid’s driver and the one tasked with looking after Whisper, Chester, who is Sampson’s best friend and a magic wielding werelynx, Sampson, and Uffe are in the room sitting on a circle of plush couches.

You are in on this as well? I say to Uffe in old Norse.

Oh, don’t blame him for anything, he just found out, Astrid says, also in old Norse. I forgot she is from the same region Uffe lived in fourteen hundred years ago.

What’s going on with her hair? I hear Alyia ask from behind me.

Sarah gets up and rushes toward me. Watching her glide across the room, like the goddess she is, calms me some. She is my center, and everything is better when I am with her. Sarah would not have lured me here for something bad, and I silently curse myself for letting my mind take me so far into anger.

Maybe I should take Alyia outside or something for a minute, Whisper says.

Oh no, she should get to know the group, Astrid says, waking past me as Sarah wraps me in a hug.

Her embrace is warm and loving. Feelings of calm push from her to me as she settles my rattled emotions. I am not used to dealing with people I care about. Until a few weeks ago, aside from the occasional fling, Uffe and my Earth-Bound Angel of a husband Barbatos were the only two beings I spent much time with. Jacob has only been with me for a few years now.

Hello, I’m Alyia Tito, Alyia says to Astrid.

I hear Astrid take a deep breath through her nose like she is scenting her. Oh darling, you smell divine. Welcome to my home, Astrid says to her in the most seductive tone I have heard her use.

Thank you, Alyia answers in a suspicious tone. She is not being immediately taken by Astrid’s vampiric seductiveness.

You are most welcome. I like her, she says and leads her and Whisper past Sarah and I to sit on the couch.

Love, Sampson needs to talk to you about something, Sarah finally says to me, and my anger immediately boils back up a notch. In my life, when men need to talk to me, it is never anything I want to hear.

She takes my hand and walks me over to the rest of the group and the couches. The couches are where the hot tub was in the middle of the room. The last time I was in this house, was the first time I was in this house. It was for a party. Sarah and I spent an amazing night with Astrid. The two of them worked so well together, it made me feel a way I never dreamed I could.

In the center of the circle of couches is a round coffee table with a platter of finger sandwiches and a veggie tray. Enough partially full wineglasses are on the table to know that everyone has been here and had at least one glass of red wine, or at least I hope it is just red wine.

What am I feeling, and why?

Would you like a glass of wine, Lady Love? Samantha asks from the other side of the couches. I did not see her there; she must have been hidden by the huge marble pillars surrounding the middle area.

Goddess yes, I answer.

And for you, Lady Tito, she asks Alyia.

Um, no thank you. I’ll stick with my coffee for now, she answers.

Very well, Samantha says, and walks away.

Sampson takes this moment to slide to the edge of the cushion he is sitting on. Chester and Uffe are flanking him on that couch, while the females in attendance and I are now occupying the other two. I take note that there is a definite gender split in the seating.

Okay, I’m not good at this so here it goes. Alex, I need you to understand something... Sampson starts, with the worst possible sentence he could.

I stop him before he can say anything else as I burst out laughing. When I compose myself, I say, "Really, you need me to understand something. Why is it that men always need me to understand something when they get scared and want to leave? Why is it men always need me to understand something when they are ready to abandon me?

No sir, I do not need to understand, because I already understand. I have understood since the first man to abandon me used that phrase to open the conversation, I begin to rant. I cannot help it. Every man in my entire life who has left or abandoned me comes to the front of my mind like a lineup of mistakes laughing in my face.

But... he tries to stop my raging tirade as my anger explodes.

You need me to understand. Roberto needed me to understand. All the other men needed me and the other women they were abusing or abandoning to understand. My father needed me to understand, I break for only a moment as the world gets both red and blurry, when he left me and my sister to be tortured by day and raped by night in that hell! I scream as magic flows around me, ready to do my bidding.

Sarah jumps in front of me blocking my view of him. My anger flares, but then starts to change into something else. The sadness, loneliness, and regret of three hundred years spent holding my feelings back. Maybe I am just upset that I want to feel something for someone I know will let me down like they all do. My tears flow.

Fine, let’s try this, Sampson says, stands, and begins to take his clothes off. Sarah turns slightly to see him and freezes. I have no idea what to say as he exposes a body that is so natural and masculine that all the emotions I am feeling come to a screeching halt and my brain shorts out.

Oh my, Alyia says as he slides his jeans down.

What are you doing? I ask him as his body begins to bulge and change. His joints pop as they start to realign and white fur begins to spread across his body.

Dear lord, save me, Alyia says.

He won’t. You would do better to just be quiet and pay attention. You’ll get more survival tips that way, Astrid tells her.

Watching his transformation is horrifying and hypnotic at the same time. His parts slowly and painfully change. The bone and muscle of his face grow and contort into the massive head of a tiger, as his spine stretches. His legs and hips completely contort to serve a quadrupedal animal rather than a bipedal human.

Within a minute, there is a massive white tiger standing where the man was. All I can think about is how beautiful he is. His coat is pure white from the back of his striped head to the tip of his tail. His paws might be bigger than my head and as he flexes them, claws like daggers extend from them. He is one of nature’s most accomplished killing machines, and he is gorgeous.

Now will you listen to me! he roars out in frustration.

You are going to yell at me now? If you think for one minute that this is going to scare me, then you are seriously misjudging me, I snap at him.

You’re right! he growls out.

Do not... what? I ask, a little confused suddenly.

I need to understand something that I don’t understand, and that is what I need you to understand, he says in a low, and calm tiger growl.

Sarah moves to the side to let us talk. My emotions calm now that the look of his body has changed. I also find myself wanting to listen to him as a tiger more so than I did as a man.

Have I become so angry over the years that I cannot stop hating long enough to listen to someone I should call friend?

What do you need to understand? I ask.

You, he answers.

Choose your next words carefully, I warn him, not sure where he is going with that, but warry of it.

What is happening, I hear Alyia whisper to Astrid.

She can talk to animals, Whisper tells her.

That night we went hunting, I saw a different person than I saw Friday night at Shepherd’s house. I’m sure you saved my life, and you did it with a magic kiss. Friday you tortured and finally killed Shepherd and you were laughing. You enjoyed every minute of it. I don’t understand it, and I want to because... he stops talking and the big tiger looks at the floor.

Why, I ask, crossing my arms over my chest and cocking my hip in the classic woman’s power pose. In my experience, all men know this means I am not softening up and he better be careful.

I really like you, and I don’t like not understanding why you react to killing the way you do, it’s confusing, he answers.

Astrid, do you have an extra swimming suit that might fit Alyia so her and I can take a dip? Whisper asks her.

Samantha, take Lady Bishop and Lady Tito out to the pool and find Lady Tito a suit please, Astrid says to Samantha whom I did not see return.

Yes Mistress. Come along Ladies, she says and the two of them get up to follow her. I do not take my eyes off Sampson, but I can tell Alyia has become curious, and I will have much to explain to her later.

Once they are gone, I take a few steps toward Sampson to close the distance between us. Seven hundred pounds of tiger, and I must show him that I am not scared of him in the least. If I am honest with myself, Sampson is nature’s purest form, and nature should never be taken lightly.

You execute shifters, and you are not sure why I react to killing horrible men the way I do. Is that what is confusing you? I ask him to clarify.

I kill shifters who have lost control and are dangerous to those around them. I have never enjoyed doing it. I enjoy killing a deer, or an elk for dinner because the hunt is exciting and the fresh meat tastes great, but I don’t enjoy killing another shifter no matter what they have done or might do. I now also don’t understand why you think my position in the tribe would help me understand you, he tells me.

Because you kill to protect, that is what I do, I retort.

May I interject something I think might be relevant? Chester asks quietly. Sampson and I both look at him, but neither of us says anything, we just look at him. He was born in the spring of two-thousand and eight, he says after neither of us