After Darkness Falls: After Darkness Falls Book One

by Sage, May

  “The queen of all vampires,” he replied.

  Levi frowned. No such thing existed.

  “She will have us give in to our true nature, hunt and celebrate darkness, once all who oppose her are gone. The queen will bring back the golden age, as it was foretold.”

  That explained it. Fanatics.

  “A name,” Chloe demanded.

  The vampire shook his head. “There is none. She is the queen.”

  Well, that was certainly convenient.

  Pointy Things

  The terrified vampire had nothing more to tell them. Chloe drew her leg back and tilted her head.

  “On your way, then.”

  The curly-haired blond vampire was confused. He no doubt expected to end up like the various pieces of bodies littering the ground. And that would have been his fate had he not talked.

  “If we kill everyone, who will be left to tell that queen of yours that we are not to be trifled with?”

  Levi didn’t contradict her.

  The vampire started to walk away, glancing back as if to ensure they weren’t changing their minds and preparing to attack from behind. Once he’d put a fair distance between them, he started to run.

  Levi was looking at her strangely, half-careful, half-admiring. Chloe decided she liked it.

  “I heard someone was wounded. Bitten,” she corrected.

  He nodded. “Bash. How…”

  How had she heard, how was she alive and healed—whatever his question, there was one answer.

  “Eirikr.”

  She was almost amused by his puzzlement, but there were more important matters. “Where’s Bash?”

  “My place. Chloe, there’s…”

  Without waiting to hear any more, she began running downhill as fast as she could.

  Turned out, that was a lot faster than she would have imagined. She retreated the way she’d come, through the muddy ravine, avoiding all threats in her haste. Eirikr had told her she could save Bash, and she believed him, but if he attacked one of the others and they had to destroy him before she got there, it would be too late.

  She was in front of the ridiculously large mansion in seconds, having crossed four miles down and then uphill again in under a minute.

  This vampire thing was turning out to be more fun than she thought. Bonus, she’d yet to feel like skinning anyone alive.

  She’d only just crossed the door when three huntsmen rushed out, weapons at hand.

  They stilled before her.

  “Jesus H. Christ, Cheetah.”

  Yeah, they had questions. So did she.

  All of them could wait.

  “Where’s Bash?”

  Tris gestured to the door on the right.

  “It’s best if you keep your distance. Blair and Gwen are trying to slow down the change. He’s fighting them, although he’s just taken a sleeping draught that should have knocked him out. He’s restrained, but…”

  She was already at the door.

  Bash was lying on a ruby-red velvet sofa, his arms crossed on his chest, his upper body in chains. His eyes were shut, yet he writhed and groaned, his teeth biting the air.

  Blair was holding on to his forehead, chanting. Her kindness had overwritten her caution. Gwen was no better, holding his torso so he couldn’t move too much.

  “Chloe! Stay away, he’s extremely dangerous.”

  Her change had been obvious to Levi and the huntsmen, but the witches didn’t seem to have caught on yet. Probably because their attention was focused on Bash.

  “It’s fine. I have a cure.”

  She could feel everyone freeze as she held out her wrist.

  Mid-move, she realized that baring her teeth right now wasn’t the smartest move.

  “Anyone have a knife?”

  When Tris was in the room, the answer to that question was always yes. She threw one of her knives and Chloe caught it with no effort. She sliced her wrist, wincing at the sharp pain, and held it up right in front of Bash’s open mouth.

  She had to admit, she gasped along with everyone else.

  She hadn’t expected this.

  Earlier today, her blood had been just as red as the sofa. She’d never thought that part of her had changed, but if it had, she expected it to become black like Eirikr’s. To her relief, it wasn’t.

  The blood was amethyst. A bright shade of darker purple, as unnatural as it was fascinating. Her scattered brain couldn’t help admiring it. Then, under her arm, Bash sighed deeply and settled on the sofa. Smiling, she pulled her hand back and concentrated on her friend. His chest was rising and falling. He’d be fine.

  Right?

  But deep down, she knew he wouldn’t be. Not truly. She’d cured him from the feral bite, yes, but Bash had been killed and, while he lingered in darkness, given vampire blood.

  When he woke, he wouldn’t be the same.

  This was better than the alternative, though.

  She got up and turned to the silent room.

  “All right, so this calls for hot chocolate. Where’s the kitchen?”

  They didn’t find the kitchen, although they stumbled upon various fascinating rooms—two torture chambers, a lab Frankenstein would have been proud of, and a hall full of weapons that Bat whistled upon seeing.

  "Dude, Tris will flip her shit. Is that Damascus steel?"

  Chloe, who had no clue what Damascus steel was, pouted because it definitely wasn't hot chocolate.

  She had to admit, she was reassured. Comforted in the knowledge that she could still desire some fluffy cocoa with rum rather than just blood, and blood, and more blood, as she'd feared.

  She had to ask Levi how the whole drinking blood thing was supposed to work.

  She had to ask Levi so many questions. After she was done yelling at him for hiding all this. And snapping her neck. And everything.

  "Wootz steel, actually. Faint distinction in the pattern—it's hard to tell at first glance."

  Chloe turned on her heel, and there he was. Blood up to his elbow, his suit torn, but he looked so very calm one would have thought he'd just come out of a long, relaxing bath.

  "I keep the interesting artifacts under key, though, if you're curious."

  Bat scratched his head. "Sorry, mate. We weren't snooping, we were looking for the kitchen."

  "Ah, yes. This way."

  Chloe remained in the armory, forcing herself to stay put.

  Her desire for hot chocolate was long gone. Right now, she didn't need to ask any questions about bloodlust. She needed to bring her teeth to his vein and plunge them in deep.

  He smelled of sweat and blood. She'd never encountered such a delicious combination. And the fact that it was delicious was screwing with her head.

  She saw him glance at her before exiting the armory with Bat, Gwen, and Blair. And the asshole smiled, as if he knew just what she was going through.

  He probably did.

  Damn him.

  Chloe's mind was easier to distract now than before her change. She looked at the weapons. Every now and then, she'd take one and twirl it around. She had no clue how to use them.

  Muscle memory will help. More than you know. It's a wondrous thing. One day, you’ll wake up and know all these moves. You’ll know how to block, fight, lunge faster. You’ll be able to anticipate your adversary's next move with just one hint.

  Had he told her that just a week ago? Levi knew exactly what he was doing. The moves she'd learned over the last week had come to her naturally after her change. They were second nature, as if she'd practiced them all her life. But she'd never learned anything about weapons, so she'd have to do that from scratch.

  Part of her wished she'd taken up fighting when she'd first arrived at the Institute.

  "No hot chocolate for you, then?"

  He was back.

  Dominion

  Levi shut the door behind him. The gentle click of the lock sounded like thunder in the silent weapons hall.

  He brought his attention to the vol
atile newborn vampire who was glaring like she wanted a piece of him.

  First things first. "Do you want a report on today's events before we discuss the rest?"

  Her jaw was tight. "Would you give me a full report if I asked?"

  Fair. He deserved that. "I see no point in deception now. You're considerably more durable."

  Still glowering, she nodded.

  "The casualties are two huntsmen—one, now that you've healed Bash." He frowned, still confused. "Did I hear that your blood was the cure?"

  Chloe nodded. "Eirikr told me our blood was different, as his—my—family has drunk vampire blood for generations."

  Fascinating.

  She’d talked to Eirikr himself. He’d guessed as much, because she was standing, and in one piece; as Tom was in India, based on his last phone call, he’d gleaned she’d somehow convinced their volatile ancestor to help her.

  Levi was acutely curious about the other elder, but he was practically salivating to ask for a few drops of her blood to study—and synthesize. But he had a feeling that request wouldn't be well received at the moment. She had questions of her own, and many reasons to be furious with him.

  His deception.

  His killing her.

  "What about the other huntsman?" she asked. “You said two casualties.”

  Levi watched her closely. New vampires weren't equipped to deal with their newfound strength. Her rage might destroy the whole house.

  Never mind. He could build another one.

  "He died. I believe he was called Reiss."

  Choe gasped and leaned against the glass display case behind her.

  Good. She was sad and shocked, but not wrathful. An acquaintance, perhaps a friend, but not a close one.

  He kept going. "All ferals were destroyed, and we estimate that about thirty-four vampires escaped Oldcrest's borders. As we've killed another forty, I'd say we haven't heard the last of them. Besides, we found no leader among the bodies we've assembled. Strictly foot soldiers."

  Better she focused on the oncoming threat than grief.

  He was right to start with that; some of her ire and sorrow disappeared, morphing into concern.

  "Do we know more about their queen?"

  "Not as of yet, but I'll send orders shortly. Most of my forces will be looking into it. I've also contacted your brother. He's on his way."

  Her eyes widened.

  "How do you know my brother?" she asked.

  Thus prompted, Levi told her everything. His journey to London many moons ago, suspecting what she was at first glance, Tom and Viola's visit, his decision to have her protected while they figured out the real enemy.

  "I never expected them to breach Oldcrest. The implication isn't something anyone would like to believe. Someone here has betrayed us. We knew there was a traitor among your entourage because of the scarf. Now we’re sure he or she lives here. No one may enter or even find this hill unless they've been invited by a resident. Today's attack wasn't part of the plan. Your brother and I agreed that we wanted you to finish school. Finish learning about our kind, and then ideally start to suspect what you were so the truth might not have been that much of a shock."

  He hated the way she'd been turned, surrounded by violence and fear. A born vampire joining their ranks was a joyous event. In the old days, it would have been celebrated.

  “Besides, knowing your nature, and speaking of it outside these wards, might have increased the danger to you. We…”

  The blow didn't surprise him when it came. She was a lot more collected than most newborns he'd encountered, but he'd known the anger would win eventually.

  As well as the lust for his blood. His flesh, his essence.

  This, she probably didn't understand.

  The shove on his chest was so strong Levi was flung backward, and then she had him pinned on the wall. He could have pushed her back, but what was the point? He rather liked her on top.

  "Didn't it occur to you that I might have known there was something wrong with me long before I even got here?" she growled.

  "Sure. No doubt you thought you might have ADHD or be bipolar. I doubt you were prepared to hear that you might be a vampire."

  She cut him off. "Never again. You will never lie to me."

  Levi didn't like making promises he might have to break. If it was in her best interest, if telling her the truth might put her in danger…

  She stepped forward, closing the small distance between them, her chest against his.

  "Never again," she repeated slowly, weight on every word.

  Dammit.

  "All right. Never again. I do reserve the right to hide Christmas presents and…"

  He never finished the sentence, because her lips were crashing against his.

  He smiled under her mouth, his hands pulling her hips closer, pressing her against him. Chloe tasted of forest, wood, and fire. Spices mixed with everything he loved and feared. He couldn't imagine he'd ever get enough. Her mouth left his lips and dropped along his chin, then to his throat, his collarbone. Her fangs grazed his skin, never breaking it. He expected to find her confused by her own craving, but her eyes weren't asking for explanations; they were asking for permission.

  "Biting me isn't simple, Chloe. There's something between us—this would only make it stronger."

  Unbreakable.

  As he'd promised not to lie just moments ago, he knew he had to tell her.

  "You're mine. Whatever gods still watch over us occasionally bless our kind with a soul bound to us in a way that's past natural. Taking my blood is a step toward…"

  "You talk too much."

  Her fangs sank into his shoulder. Levi fell to the ground, not even attempting to still himself as she climbed on top of him and sucked. He threw his head back and moaned, trembling under her mouth, tongue, and fingers. She fumbled with the top of his shirt.

  Levi laughed, grabbing both sides of the fabric and ripping it off his torso. He wanted to feel more of her everywhere.

  And she obliged. Her mouth lowered to his pecs, nipple, and along his stomach, kissing her way down. He growled, flipping her around so that she was the one seated on the floor, and then he hovered over her, encircling her with his arms.

  Two thousand years he'd lived, and in all that time, no one had ever brought him quite so close to madness.

  "You got me. What are you going to do with me now?" she questioned.

  "Everything."

  He started at her earlobe, nibbling it, while his thumb flickered at the apex of her thighs, teasing her heat through layers of fabric. As a human, she should have felt it. Now that she'd turned, he knew it was pure torture, as intense as if he'd directly touched the sensitive flesh of her clit, and yet not quite enough.

  "More," she demanded, her breath hot on his skin.

  Who was he to refuse her?

  He loved savoring her every move and gasp as he took his time with her tank top, lowering the strap on one side and kissing her shoulder, then her stomach, and finally wrapping his mouth around her breast.

  "Levi!"

  He smiled, sucking at her left nipple and playing with the right. His free hand dipped to her crotch and opened the top button of her muddy jeans before sliding under the fabric. She arched to him when he played her hot inner folds and circled her clit, then pressed on it.

  She was so fucking wet, gorgeous, perfect. His.

  A younger, less experienced immortal would have bitten her right then. Claimed her body and soul after they exchanged blood. Made her swear herself to him. But she was twenty-five, and they'd known each other three months. What they had was already too soon. Her marking him without understanding what that meant was enough of a shaky beginning. If he rushed this now, he'd regret it until the end of time.

  They'd get to know each other. And she'd understand what she was getting herself into when they completed the binding sequence.

  For now.

  Levi peeled off her pants and flipped her over onto her hand
s and knees. She pushed her pear-shaped ass up in the air.

  Fuck. She looked perfect. Freeing his erection, Levi rubbed it along her wet slit, hitting her clit.

  "If you keep teasing me, I swear to God…"

  The last word ended in a half-whimper, half-plea as he pushed his length deep inside her tight pussy. Fuck.

  He’d had a lot of sex in his day. He hoped they never got around to divulging number of previous partners, because he'd honestly lost count. If he'd had sex with one person a year since his boyhood, the number would have reached four digits. But most years, he'd had more than one woman—and man. A lot more.

  He knew the feeling around his cock, his groin, his legs. He'd never felt it in his mind, heart, soul. He wasn't in control. His beast wasn't in control. Something else moved him, making him pound harder, faster, as if to attempt to climb deep beneath her skin and root himself within.

  Anchoring her hands on the wall for support, Chloe was meeting him at every thrust, demanding he go deeper, harder. Every part of him was tense, hovering painfully at the top of a cliff, until she tightened around him, her release making him join her in ecstasy.

  They were panting like they'd run a thousand miles, his cock still deep inside her.

  Levi ran his hand down her back and kissed her delightful ass before finally mentioning, "You know your friends are still here, by the way?"

  A New Beginning

  Chloe was still cursing Levi. There was no way—none whatsoever—that Blair, Gwen, and the others hadn't heard her yelling like a banshee. He could have mentioned their presence earlier, damn him.

  Bat wasn't meeting her eyes, and the witches looked like they were moments from exploding into laughter every time they glanced at her.

  Only Tris didn't seem bothered. She was more interested by Chloe's tale.

  "And you had no idea you were a fledgling, all along?"

  She shrugged. "I mean, I knew I was weird, but no."

  Tris glared at Levi. "You should have prepared her better for this."

  Part of Chloe felt like she should come to his defense, explain why he hadn't. But she ended up sticking out her tongue at him.