I rocked against her in a steady rhythm, and she grew even more restless beneath me. Her legs cinched around mine, her breath came out in pants, and her hands explored my exposed flesh. It was incredible. I wanted more. I wanted to be inside her.
I unhooked her bra, pulled it from her shoulders, and tossed it aside. When my lips trailed down her chest, passing over her sensitive skin, she cried out even louder. When I took her breast into my mouth, she started pulling down her underwear. Looking up at her, I paused her hands.
Chest heaving, her face was a mixture of frustration and desire. “Please don’t tell me you’re stopping this again. I don’t think I can handle that.”
Laying over the top of her, I cupped her cheek. “Nika, you’re still too young.”
Tears pricked her eyes. “Stop saying that. I’ve waited my entire life to feel for someone what I feel for you. I might be young, but I know what I want, and it’s you. I want to share this with you while we have the chance to share it, because who knows what’s going to happen to us tomorrow.” A tear rolled down her cheek as her voice broke. “I love you, so much. Please, don’t stop this.”
Sighing, I let her words sink in a moment. Then I shifted her fingers so that I was the one pulling down her underwear. The love and pain in her voice; I couldn’t resist her, and I couldn’t deny her this anymore. She closed her eyes in relief. Hoping I was doing the right thing, I removed mine, then repositioned myself on top of her. Leaning down to her ear, I murmured, “If you change your mind at any time, just tell me.”
She turned her head to mine. “Do you love me?”
I couldn’t contain my smile. “Yes.”
She smiled in kind and pulled on my hips. “Then I’m not going to change my mind. Please, make love to me.”
As gently as I could, I pushed into her. She held her breath and closed her eyes. The sensation of being inside her was so powerful, I had to hold perfectly still to stay in control. She was so warm, tight, perfect. When she started breathing again, and I felt she could handle it, I pulled back and pushed forward. A long moan escaped her, “Oh…God…”
An equally long groan escaped me. “God, Nika…I love you.”
Her hips started moving in time with mine. The heat, the friction, the sensations…everything was amplified. It was so much more intense than human sex had ever been. I could smell, hear, taste, feel everything. It was almost too much—sensory overload. I could feel the pressure building, and knew I was getting close to a release. By the sounds Nika was making, I knew she was getting close too. I drove into her harder, wanting her to feel everything as strongly as I was feeling it. God, could I ever leave her now? I could give up this foolish quest, return to the ranch, make love to her every night, drink from her every night. We could be happy like this. Forever. Is that what I wanted?
“Yes,” I groaned into the darkness, answering my own question. Yes, I did want this.
Nika started quivering. She wrapped her arms tightly around me as we rocked together. “Don’t go,” she whispered. “Don’t go after him and leave me. Don’t die.”
Her mind was in line with mine. “I won’t. I’m staying with you, Nika. I love you so much. I want this. I want you. I…”
I couldn’t finish talking because I was about to crest. All I had time to say was, “Do this with me.” I wasn’t even sure what I meant by that, but tossing her head back in a long, satisfied cry, Nika finished a half-second before me. And the sight of her climaxing beneath me was simply glorious.
No, I was hers now. My quest was over.
I FELT DIFFERENT. I wasn’t really expecting that. But I definitely felt a little different now that I was no longer a virgin. Physically, I was pretty much the same. I was a little sore down there, but it was a pleasant sore, a nice reminder of what Hunter and I had done together. No, all of my changes were emotional. I felt…bonded to Hunter now. Close to him, in a deeper way than I’d ever felt before. And sex wasn’t the only reason. We’d shared blood. I’d lost all my virginities, all in one swoop. And I loved him so much more now. I couldn’t stand the thought of him facing his father, of him never returning. I just wanted to take him home to the ranch, and keep helping him get used to his new life. And I was sure he would now. He told me he would stay, assured me he would live, and I believed him. We were going to be together for a very long time. Even though my limbs were chilly, that thought warmed me.
“Are you okay?” his voice rumbled in my ear.
I pulled the covers around me tighter as I twisted to face him. “I’ve never been better.”
His arm was around my bare waist, and his fingers were rubbing patterns across my low back; they felt wonderful. “Again, I feel like I should apologize,” he murmured, leaning in to kiss me. “I hadn’t meant to go that far with you. I guess I lost control after all.”
A low laugh escaped me as I pressed my warm chest against his. Our activities had warmed him up some, and he wasn’t as cold as he typically was. “Thank God you did. I was going to explode if you stopped again.” He smiled under my lips, and I added, “I wouldn’t say you lost control though. I’d say you finally gave up control. You finally stopped fighting against yourself. I’m very proud of you.” I pointed to the ache on my neck where his fangs had punctured me. The wounds were nothing. I barely felt them.
Hunter sighed softly, then leaned up and kissed the tender area. His stubble against my skin tingled in an amazing way. “I’ll admit, that was amazing, Nika. More incredible than I ever thought it could be, but…”
He pulled away from me, and I frowned. “If you say we can’t ever do that again, I might have to cause you bodily harm.”
He laughed, and I delighted in seeing humor on his face again. It had been a while. “No, I was definitely not going to say that.” His hand left my hip to travel up my neck. “I was going to say it wasn’t just incredible, it was deeper than that. I see what you meant now. That I was more scared than I needed to be.” His fingers traced the holes as he whispered, “This was something so intimate and personal, that I know I’ll never do it with anyone but you. You’re the only one I will ever bite. I know that for a fact. And as strange as it is for me to say that, I’ve never felt better about anything in my life. I think…I think I’m actually happy.” He laughed again and shook his head.
Tears stung my eyes as I watched the peaceful glow emanating from his. It was a peace that now originated from within him. “And I’m so happy to hear you say that.” After a second, I added, “Does that mean we can have sex again?”
Hunter chuckled as he pulled me into his side. “Another time. I need to rest.” I tossed my body around his, sharing my warmth. Closing his eyes, he made a content noise in his throat. I shivered, but I knew the longer I held him, the warmer he would become. “You don’t have to snuggle with me, if I’m too cold.”
I kissed his chest before laying my cheek on him. “You’re fine. And I’m hoping my naked body against yours will eventually change your mind.”
He laughed again, and I marveled at the change in his mood. “You’re going to be a problem, I can tell.”
I bit my lip to contain my giggle. After a few moments of silence, I whispered, “Hunter, what are we going to do about your father?”
He didn’t answer me. With my head on his silent chest, I could tell that he wasn’t breathing. I knew that meant he was asleep. Guess I wore him out. A huge smile on my face, I closed my eyes, and followed him into slumber.
I WAS WOKEN sometime later by someone pounding on the door. Startled, I sat up. Hunter was asleep on his cot, his naked body just barely covered by a corner of one of my thin blankets. The rest were firmly wrapped around me. I wasn’t worried about him being cold though.
I could feel my brother’s anxiety now, and fear shot through me. “Nika! We’ve got a problem, I’m coming in.”
I panicked for two reasons. One, I was completely naked under the covers, and two, the door couldn’t be opened because Hunter would be exposed to the trace
amount of sunlight coming in from the interior of the house. Even just that little bit would hurt him. “No, Julian, stay out—”
He didn’t listen, and the door burst open a fraction of a second later. The room brightened to a dull grey as light seeped in. Hunter’s eyes immediately snapped open. He hissed in a sharp breath like someone had doused him in ice water. Julian instantly closed the door after Arianna stepped through, but the few seconds of exposure was enough to have Hunter panting, his face pained.
Fangs down, Hunter twisted to glare at the door. “Why did you do that?”
Ignoring him, Julian flashed down the stairs; his emotions were brimming with worry, which jacked up my nerves. What the heck was eating him? When he stopped in front of our cot, his mood changed to disbelief and disgust. That was when I remembered what Hunter and I looked like right now. Julian glanced at Hunter’s mostly-bare body, then spun around to face the door. His emotions darkened as he watched Arianna head down the stairs. Luckily, it was really dark down here. Her human eyes probably wouldn’t see much.
Julian turned just his head in our direction. “Jesus, Nick. You slept with him? After he kidnapped us and held us hostage?”
Arianna gasped and peered more closely into the darkness as she continued her careful progress. Scowling, Hunter picked up his clothes off the floor and proceeded to get dressed. “I did not kidnap you. If you remember what happened correctly, I was trying to get away from you.”
Julian half-turned to glare at him. “I remember you threatening my girlfriend if we didn’t follow you to Flagstaff.”
Not wanting the two men in my life to start brawling, I clutched the blankets under my arms and asked Julian, “What’s going on? Why did you rush down here?”
He locked gazes with me, and fear immediately flushed out every other emotion in his body. Arianna finally joined us. Hunter’s glowing eyes were the only source of light in the room. They highlighted her pale face and trembling body. Oozing nervousness, she clasped Julian’s hand tightly as she looked between the three of us; she was so freaked out, she wasn’t even impressed by the passionate evidence she’d stumbled across. “There are hunters in the woods,” Julian whispered. “Three, from what I can tell.”
Hunter paused in zipping up his pants. “What? How do you know? They could just be hikers…walkers…regular hunters.”
Julian shook his head. “They circled the house. I think they’re waiting for the old man to leave. And…a couple of them have gas cans.”
I violently shook my head as I scrambled off the cot. “No, that’s impossible. No one knows we’re here.”
Hunter’s mouth dropped, and his eyes flashed to his jacket. “The box. He put a tracker in the box.”
I had no idea what he meant by that. “Hunter?”
Hunter closed his eyes like he was cursing himself, then he turned to me. “You and your brother need to get out of here. Now.”
Bending down, he handed me my clothes. I reluctantly took them while Julian spun back around. “And you,” I told Hunter. “I’m not leaving without you.”
Not wanting to waste a minute, I dropped the blankets and blurred back into my clothes. Hunter’s sad eyes scanned the basement while I dressed. “I can’t leave, Nika.”
That reality hit me like a tidal wave, knocking the breath from me. It was the middle of the day. He was stuck here. If they burned down the house…he would burn with it. Gritting my teeth, I fortified my stomach. “This isn’t happening. Julian and I will take care of them. We’ll protect you.”
Julian turned around to face me, his mood unsure and nervous. Knowing he was silently asking me, Really? I snapped at him, “He’s part of our nest. We don’t abandon each other.”
I started to storm off, to go wage war on a group of vampire hunters, but Hunter grabbed my elbow. His grip was so tight, I was sure I’d be bruised tomorrow. “No,” he growled. “The three of you forget about me and get as far away from here as you can. You run home, and don’t look back.”
His hard gaze was impassioned, fierce. I knew he would compel me to leave him if he could. “I can’t leave you here to die.” My voice broke, and my speech cut off.
Hunter cupped my cheek. “I’ll be fine, but I can’t protect you in here, so I need you to run. Please.”
“Hunter…”
Hunter looked past me to Julian. He shoved my shoulder in his direction. “Take her, and get her out of here.”
Julian grabbed me and took a step forward. “I would love to, but you made it so my girlfriend can’t leave the house without you. Fix her, and we’ll happily leave.” He indicated Arianna attached to his side.
Hunter closed his eyes, drowning the room in darkness. “I’m so sorry I did that to you, Arianna.” Reopening his eyes, he locked gazes with her. “You are free to leave without me, you are free to call for help. Your memories will remain intact.” He switched his gaze to Julian. “Now go, please.”
Arianna was eager to leave, and pulled on Julian’s hand. He, in turn, pulled me. I didn’t want to go, but I knew I couldn’t help Hunter. As Julian dragged me away, Hunter stood tall and straight, watching us leave with his captivating glowing eyes. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from him. I tripped on the steps when we finally reached them. Hunter gave me a sad smile. “Go…I love you.”
I twisted to face the doors, and dashed up the steps past Julian and Arianna. Damn if I was going to let a few jerk-holes kill the man I loved. When I got to the door and prepared myself to pull it open lightning fast, it wouldn’t budge.
Rattling the knob, I glanced back at Julian. “It’s locked.”
Like he didn’t believe me, Julian reached forward and tried the knob; he couldn’t turn it any more than I could. “Did the old man lock us in?” he asked, looking down the stairs at Hunter.
Hunter tilted his head, listening. “No, the hunters are in the house. I can hear them. One is taking the homeowner out the back door, the others are…” His eyes shot to mine. “You need to get out. Now.”
I could smell it then…gasoline, inside the house. I could hear the fast heartbeat of the hunters, too, could hear shuffling boots and liquid splashing on the hardwood floors. They really were going to torch the place. Julian met my eyes. A simple lock like this wouldn’t keep us in. Even a bar across the door wouldn’t hold us back. We’d just smash the heavy wood into splinters. But we’d be letting in a lot of light if we did that. It would seriously hurt Hunter.
From downstairs, Hunter murmured, “Nika, hurry. They’re preoccupied now, so you can slip out. Save yourselves, and don’t worry about me.”
Arianna looked down the stairs at Hunter. “But what if they’re right on the other side of the door, waiting for us?”
Hunter shook his head. “They’re not. I can hear their heartbeats.” He nodded at Julian and me. “And so can they.”
Julian tightly clutched her hand. “It’s okay. They won’t even see us.”
I knew he was only saying that so she wouldn’t be scared. Truth was, they were most likely keeping watch on the door with the vampire locked behind it. They probably didn’t expect said vampire to bust out, since he couldn’t go anywhere during the day, but they’d surely react the minute they heard the door crack. Plus, if Hunter’s dad had sent them, too, then they might know about Julian and me. They might know what we can do, and we could be shot the second we left the room. But I didn’t want to think about that, and I definitely didn’t want to tell Arianna that.
Julian dropped Arianna’s hand and sucked in a deep breath, preparing himself. I gave Hunter one last pain-filled look. My vision hazed and panic started to fill me. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t leave him to die in here all alone. Julian grabbed my arm, forcing my attention back to him. “I’ll make sure it’s clear, and you get Arianna out. Can you handle that?”
By the intensity in his voice, I realized Julian was giving me a mission, so I could get myself under control. Even though I was scared out of my wits, I was impressed. Julian had come so
far from the boy who’d had a panic attack in a storage closet. Refocusing on the task at hand, I swallowed and nodded. Calm returned to me as I scooped up my best friend as easily as a child. Arianna needed us. Protecting her came first.
Julian took a slight step back as he wrapped his fingers around the doorknob. I tensed, ready to run. Julian nodded at me, then shoved the doorknob with all his supernatural strength. It took a second, but the wood around the knob splintered and the metal went straight through the door, leaving a fist-sized hole in its wake. Not wasting any time, Julian pulled the door open.
I heard shouts from around the room, and the chaotic shuffle of people reacting. Before I streaked away, I heard a sound that I knew would haunt me for the rest of my life. Hunter crying out in pain as he was exposed to sunlight he could no longer hide from. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I darted toward the front door.
I couldn’t feel Julian anymore, but I prayed with every blurry step I took that he was right behind me. I burst through the front door and felt the warmth of the sun on my face. Arianna clung tightly to me, practically cutting off my circulation, but I didn’t ask her to ease up. We still weren’t clear. As I buzzed down the front steps, I heard a gun go off. I didn’t know if it was aimed at me or not, but I dodged anyway. There was a whizzing in the air by my ear as bullets flew past me.
When I hit the lawn, I heard a low, menacing growl. A growl filled with pain. Hunter. Had he run out of the basement? I couldn’t even imagine how much pain he was in. The sounds of a scuffle met my ear, furniture breaking, guns firing, people yelling. Then there was a sickening crunch that sounded like bones breaking. But all those sounds paled in comparison to the crackling hiss of flames springing to life.
I didn’t stop running until I was at least three miles away. When I set Arianna down, I immediately started looking for Julian. So did she. “Where is he, Nika? Did he get out? Is he okay?”
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