I wiped my face clean and spat out the blood that fell into my mouth. I beckoned him to come at me again, planting my feet firmly on the ground ready for his next assault. He charged at me, faster than the human eye could see and punches flew between us. His bones crunched under my knuckles and I felt mine break and heal over and over again as we exchanged hits. I thrust both my hands against his chest and he flew backwards.
“Tired yet?” Quinn taunted.
We were both breathing heavily, both covered in blood. Both determined to be the last one standing. We both knew only one of us was getting out of this alive.
“Nope, not even close,” I replied back.
“You know, I was just going to hand little Miss Monroe over, but after seeing her in the flesh, I think I might have some fun with her first.” His face contorted into an evil smile and I was reminded again at how malevolent he really was. No way was he going to lay a finger on her. She was mine to protect and there was no chance in hell he would ever get near her.
I let out a growl as I attacked him with a newfound ferocity. I pummelled my fists into him wherever I got a chance. I was relentless in my attack, determined to protect Lori at all costs. I was so focused on attacking him, I didn’t notice the whisper of a blade until Quinn impaled my side. Pain sliced through me and I realised it was no ordinary blade. Slimy bastard, he’d used a silver tipped knife. I wouldn’t be able to heal that wound; silver was one of the only things that was lethal to vampires. Dread clawed my insides and the beast howled in pain.
I staggered backwards and Quinn laughed maliciously. I fell to my knees as the agony ripped through me like a fire, scorching every inch of me, burning me from the inside out. It robbed me of my breath and white spots danced across my vision. Quinn walked over to me and I could still hear him laughing. He placed his hands either side of my face and forced me to look at him.
“Oh, Jasper, I expected so much more. Look at little Miss Monroe,” he turned my head towards the car and I saw Lori. She stared straight back at me, panic and fear flooding her eyes. I’d never felt so helpless in my entire life. I should have known Quinn would fight dirty. I should have anticipated something like this, and now Lori was going to suffer because of me. Because of my arrogance. I had never needed to protect anyone like I needed to protect Lori. I didn’t understand it, I barely knew the girl. And now, I guess I never would. Somehow, that hurt more than the pain currently searing my veins. That I would never get the chance to…
My thoughts stopped abruptly. Pain exploded through me as Quinn brought my forehead down against his knee. Lori screamed my name as I fell to the ground, but she sounded a million miles away. This was it. I was actually going to die. Why didn’t I feel ready? I thought I was ready for this.
Quinn knelt next to me, bringing his face down to my ear.
“I’m going to have so much fun playing with her,” he whispered. “I can see how much she means to you, which will just make it all so much sweeter.”
I saw red. No fucking way would he lay a hand on her. I grabbed the back of his neck, holding him in place and plunged my other hand straight through his ribcage. The bones crunched beneath my fist and Marcus gasped in surprise. My fingers curled round the wet, sticky flesh of his heart and I took great delight in squeezing that muscle. I felt his heart try to pump blood. It strained against my fingers as it tried to keep Marcus alive. I literally felt Quinn dying and it was terrifyingly beautiful.
“No one touches her,” I growled, trying to stay alive long enough to enjoy the satisfaction of killing him. The pain from the silver blurred my vision, and with the last bit of strength I could muster, I pulled his heart from his chest. My elbow shattered as it collided with the ground, breaking into pieces from the force I used to pull the life-giving organ from Marcus’s chest. Quinn crumpled to the ground; his eyes still as soulless as they were in life.
Somewhere in the distance, I registered Lori shouting, but as I lay there dying, I wondered if death was truly what I wanted in the first place.
Chapter 10
LORI
Shit, shit, shit. He wasn’t moving. I managed to scramble out of the crumpled remains of the car and hobbled over to Jasper. My leg was a mangled mess. I didn’t think anything was broken but there were some seriously nasty cuts along my thigh and my jeans were soaked in blood. Urgh, that definitely wouldn’t come out in the wash. I could see why Jasper found black so useful.
I got down on the ground, not an easy feat given the state of my leg, and placed my head on his chest, trying to hear a heartbeat. Tenuous moments passed before I heard a very soft, very faint beat. Thank God.
“Jasper,” I called, tapping the side of his face, hoping the sensation would snap him out of it. I thought vampires were invincible, but I watched Jasper literally fall to the ground and get his arse kicked. I didn’t understand what that other guy did to make Jasper so easy to take down. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t fighting fair. Jasper was totally owning that guy until he did something that caused Jasper to collapse in a heap.
I looked over to the dead guy, shock etched into every line of his face and a gaping hole in the middle of his chest where his heart should be. I located the absent organ on the ground next to Jasper. It didn’t look like a heart anymore; it was disfigured and out of shape and it sent a shiver up my spine as I looked at it. I retched at the sight of it. No one should have to see such a disgusting disfigured heart, left in the mud like trash.
I turned my attention back to Jasper. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to fix him or what he needed.
“Come on, Jasper, give me a clue,” I asked, hoping he’d give me some indication of what he needed. Ever so faintly, I saw his lips move but I couldn't hear anything. I leaned closer so my ear was hovering right over his lips and I heard him mutter one word.
“Blood.”
He said it so quietly I almost didn’t hear it, but that one word had the power to make my blood run cold. He needed blood; of course he needed blood. He was a vampire. I sat up and looked around. Nope, no other people who might volunteer blood, just me. Crap. If I didn’t offer him my blood I was pretty certain he’d die but what would happen to me? He barely had a drop from me last night and he went crazy, not to mention how I reacted. Sweet Jesus, this was a pickle.
How was this even supposed to work? Did it matter where he fed from? Would he just bite me, or did I need to slice my own neck open? Double crap. I was so out of my depth here, but I knew if I didn’t try and save him I would hate myself forever. Besides, I still didn’t have the first clue about where I was, what I was doing or what the hell was going on. I know it sounded a little bit selfish but I wanted to save him so I could get the answers I needed.
I patted Jasper’s body, hoping to find something to cut myself with. I tried to ignore the fact that I could feel all the ridges of his torso beneath my fingertips but damn the guy was solid. I came up lucky when I reached his waistband. Tucked into his utility belt was a wickedly sharp looking little blade.
How the hell was I supposed to do this? I sat astride his lap and had the thought that under different circumstances this would be quite sexy but as I looked down at his pale face I knew I needed to try and save this man. Jasper had put himself in harm’s way to keep me safe for the second time and I felt like I owed it to him to at least try. With grim determination I placed the blade of the knife against the column of my neck and felt a sharp sting as I sliced my skin. The blood began to trickle past my collar bone, so I reached down for Jasper pulling his torso up towards me. His head fell to my shoulder and I wrapped my legs around his waist to hold him in place against me, wincing as the pain in my leg became worse. I placed one hand behind his head and with my other hand I guided his lips to the cut on my neck.
“Come on Jasper,” I pleaded, “drink from me.” I silently willed him to move and for the first time in a long time I sent up a prayer. “Let him live.”
After what felt like hours, I sensed a slight fl
uttering against my neck, soft at first but the movement grew firmer with each pass of his lips against my skin. I felt Jasper touch his tongue to the cut I had made, lapping at my blood like an animal. But nothing prepared me for the moment his fangs pierced my flesh.
I let out a scream that was part surprise, part pain, but also part pleasure. Jasper brought one of his hands around to cradle my head and the other went around my waist, holding me firm against his chest. It was such an odd sensation, feeling the suction from his lips but also the feather-light licks of his tongue. I closed my eyes as I let Jasper take what he needed. I was saving him. At least, I hoped I was.
I started to feel a bit drowsy and my arms fell from him. Huh. That’s odd, why did my limbs feel heavy? It suddenly crossed my mind that Jasper was probably draining me dry, but it was too late for me to do anything about it. I had enjoyed the sensation of him feeding from me so much I hadn’t realised he was taking far more of my blood than he probably should.
“Jasper, stop,” I said with the last bit of strength I could muster. It was all I could manage to say before succumbing to the encroaching blackness. I just hoped I got through to him in time.
***
JASPER
The sweet intoxicating liquid filled my mouth. It was glorious. Never had I tasted anything so magnificent. Surely this had to be the nectar of the Gods. It was delectable, like nothing I had ever tasted before.
More. I must have more.
I pushed my fangs in deeper, revelling in the flow of blood against my tongue. I gulped the delicious fluid down, enjoying swallow after swallow of beautiful, delicious blood. It pooled in my stomach, satisfying my hunger in ways I could never imagine. I was no longer aware of the injury I had suffered; the blood had healed me in seconds. Energy buzzed through me in a way I had never felt before. I felt like I could run a marathon in minutes or climb a mountain in seconds. This heady rush of bliss consumed me, and I was determined to take every last drop that I could.
I heard the heartbeat slow down to the point it was almost silent. There wasn’t much left for me to take. Consuming blood from the dead was pointless and disgusting. There was no life left in it anymore which meant it had lost its ability to give us life. As I slowed my feeding down, something at the back of my mind niggled at me, warning me that this tasted too good to be true, that something was wrong. But I didn’t care; I was too deep in the clutches of my bloodlust to comprehend anything other than the taste of the hot, wet, sticky blood dripping down my chin as I fed on my victim like a wild animal.
A wheezy breath sounded in my ears, like an annoying bee buzzing round my head, distracting me from the life I was consuming. Ignoring it, I turned my attention back to taking as much blood as I could in the short time my victim had left to give it to me.
Gulp.
Gulp.
“Jasper…stop…”
I stopped. Fear suddenly gripped me in an icy clasp. I recognized that voice, but I couldn’t place it. I retracted my fangs and sealed the wound with a lick of my tongue. As the haze of bloodlust cleared and the beast scarpered back into its cage with its tail between its legs, the enormity of what I had just done hit me with the force of a freight train.
I was suddenly looking at the lifeless, ashen face of Lori.
What had I done?
I shook her in my arms, but she didn’t respond. Closing my eyes, I listened for her heartbeat. It was faint, but it was there. Thank god. Relief flooded through me. Lori’s death was not one I wanted on my hands. I bit the inside of my wrist and held it over her mouth, watching as it dripped bright red onto her pale lips.
“Come on, Lori, fight for me,” I begged. I was holding my breath, waiting to see if she'd take the blood. At the sight of her tongue darting across her lips, relief flooded through me. Thank god she was going to be ok. She might hate me for this but at least she'd be alive. She licked her lips a few more times before her mouth sought the torn flesh of my wrist. Her hands clamped around my forearm and her mouth latched onto me. Her tongue glided across the wound with a ferocity that had me hard. Every suck from her mouth felt like a tug straight down to my cock.
Her eyes flew open and I stared into those beguiling brown irises, losing myself in the warm desire I saw there. She instantly released my wrist and I immediately felt the loss of her lips against my flesh.
“Jasper…,” she whispered. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she looked up at me. I could see her mind working out what had just happened. Her tongue swept across her lips and she moaned in appreciation, like she was tasting the most beautiful morsel of food. To know that she enjoyed the taste of me drove me wild. I crushed my lips to hers, swallowing her gasp of surprise. I used the moment to trace her lips with my tongue before delving into the warm softness of her mouth. The moment she touched the tip of her tongue to mine I was lost. I let out a growl as she pulled the sensitive hairs at the nape of neck and I retaliated by sinking my teeth into her bottom lip. I was rewarded with a groan as she ground her hips against mine. The connection between us pulsed. It was intense, dangerous and it made me ravenous for her. I was high on bloodlust and if I wasn’t careful, I would devour this girl on the spot.
“You taste exquisite,” I said, rubbing my thumb against her bottom lip, now swollen from the kiss and my bite. She looked marked and it had the beast in me doing a little jump for joy.
“Jasper… I….” Her voice took on a breathy tone, but it wasn’t desire that did that.
Oh God. Something was wrong.
“Lori?” I asked, concern making my voice quiver.
“I don’t feel right.” She looked deep in my eyes before a deep, wracking cough ripped from her. Her whole body shook as she coughed, blood spurting through her lips and splattering my face.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. I’d never seen anyone reject blood before. Maybe I’d taken too much? Shit, if she died now would she turn?
“Lori, stay with me.” I stood, lifting her in my arms as she carried on coughing. I needed to get back to the Conclave now. The car was wrapped around a tree, so that option was out. I was going to have to run. As I looked down at Lori, now silent and unresponsive, I just hoped I could run fast enough.
Chapter 11
LORI
“Lori…,”
I heard my name as a whisper on the breeze, trying to pull me from the depths of my slumber. But I didn’t want to wake up. I was so tired. My mind drifted back into the deep chasms of unconsciousness, falling deeper and deeper…
“Lori, it’s time to wake up.”
The voice was deep and smoky, like the soft dying embers of a fire. I yearned to wake up and find out who it was, but my body wouldn’t respond. Maybe I was dead. Maybe this was finally the end…
“Lori, wake up now.”
There was that voice again, power reverberating through every syllable despite the command being spoken softly.
Didn’t he understand I couldn’t move? If only I knew what was happening to me. If only I could see where I was. Would the owner of the voice help me? Could he see where…
A searing hot sensation spread across my lips, as if I had been kissed by fire. I bolted awake and opened my eyes into a blaze of bright white light. Perhaps I really was dead?
No, wait.
Everything was coming back into focus. I shielded my eyes from the sun as I took in my new surroundings. Soft golden sand stretched out in front of me as far as my eyes could see and the sound of waves crashing in the distance carried on the warm breeze. I was on a beach. But not only was I on a beach, I was on a lounger in a bright red bikini with a cocktail in hand. How did I end up here? I tried to recall how I got here but my memory was all fuzzy, like my mind rebelled at the idea of recalling anything before this moment.
“Hello, sleepy head,” that rich voice spoke to my left and my head snapped round to find its source.
My eyes connected with a gaze so dark, so unnaturally black that my breath caught in my c
hest. It was like staring into the maw of a void. They were bottomless and I felt myself falling for an eternity the longer I stared into them. They were beautiful but so inhuman.
Then they blinked, releasing me from their captive hold and I noticed they weren’t completely black. I could see a flicker of red tinged the edge of his irises, like a flame dancing on hot coals. An unbidden shiver of fear crept up my spine and took hold of me as I stared into their fathomless depths. An amused smile played about his mouth as he watched me drink him in. And what a mouth it was, all sinful curves that looked like they were made to entice secrets from your soul. I had no idea who this man was, but he was so good-looking he made my eyes hurt and my stomach churn.
“Where am I?” I asked, glad my voice didn’t betray my fear.
“This is a dream, Lori, but I think the sea and the sand give it away.” He laughed, a rich deep rumble that sounded like thunder in a storm. He wouldn’t take his eyes off me. I wasn’t sure if it was flattering or creepy, but something about him was odd. If this was my dream, who was he and where had he come from? I thought dreams manifested from your subconscious, I was going to seriously start worrying about myself if I had managed to drag this guy from mine.
There was something about him that instantly felt just a little sinister. Maybe I was painting him in a bad light. This place was eerie, and it seemed to capture him in its strange embrace. He was probably fine out of the context of this place.
“Who are you? This can’t be a dream; I’ve never seen you before.”
“Always such a bright spark. It’s one of the things I have always liked about you.” He smiled at me with that wicked mouth of his, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Something about the way he smiled made me think he only knew how to use his smile to manipulate people. It wasn’t natural, and that somehow made me feel sad for him. Had he never known joy?
To Crave Darkly: Trials Of A Morta: Book One Page 7