Kane wanted to take the blade pressing into Cara’s throat and sever his fucking head from his body.
“Regardless of Rosalee’s desire, you won’t make it out of here alive.”
“She’s behind the murders?”
“She wanted you to suffer, to drain the women you slept with.”
Kane raised a brow. “I don’t even remember all of the women who were murdered. That makes this whole debacle pointless. Those women died for nothing.”
Alec made a tsking sound. “For nothing? What about the last one? Surely after three years you remember her quite well.”
“An inconvenience to be sure as I’m still in need of another donor. But mourn her loss? No.”
“There had to be casualties to get your attention.”
“So now you have my attention. But I promise you, if you think to kill Cara and allow me to walk as Rosalee wishes, I won’t stop until I see you dead.”
“Rosalee may want you alive, but it’s not in my plan.”
“If my death comes at your hand, you know she’ll never forgive you.”
“You let me worry about Rosalee. With you in the way, she never will be mine.”
Kane felt his twin’s connection the minute he arrived. Kaleb wasn’t far beyond the doorway and it didn’t appear Alec had yet detected him. Kane needed to keep Alec’s focus, so he took a step in the primordial’s direction. The knife bit into Cara’s flesh and a drop of crimson blood trickled down her throat. The scent caused his gums to ache and his fangs began to fill his mouth. He wasn’t far from becoming the frightening animal Cara thought she had witnessed ten years back. That man had sex and satisfaction on his mind. This man, the one before her now, wanted to rip out Alec’s throat with his teeth.
Kane wanted blood all right. He wanted primordial blood.
* * *
Kane had found her, but little good it would do as she stood no chance of getting out alive. It was but a matter of seconds before the cold steel blade cut through arteries and veins, nearly decapitating her. She couldn’t die without letting him know how she felt, selfish as it might be. Because if he lived, and her instincts were correct, he’d have to deal with losing someone else he deeply cared about.
She held his gaze. Tears filled her eyes and slipped down her cheeks, making watery treks. The salty taste reached her lips as she opened her mouth to speak. It was now or never.
“I love you.”
Kane lunged for them, whether it was her admission or his desire to kill the vampire holding her, she was unsure. Time slowed to a snail’s pace as the sharp blade slid across her throat, the sting of the bite traveling to her brain. Her hands covered the wound, blood splaying out as the ancient vampire released her and shoved her in Kane’s direction.
“I’m not done with you, biker,” he hissed, “but follow me and she dies. It’s your decision to make.”
Alec could have left the shed for all she knew for her gaze stayed on Kane, wanting his face to be the last she saw before bowing to death. He pulled her into his arms as he carried her to the floor, cradling her in his strong embrace. Her blood covered his face, throat, and chest. My god but it was everywhere. His obsidian gaze glassed over like the Black Sea as he leaned down and placed a tender kiss upon her forehead.
“Forgive me, Mia Bella,” he whispered, barely audible over the buzzing in her ears.
Kane sank his fangs into the flesh of his forearm tearing open an artery and carried the bleeding wrist to her lips. Cara couldn’t speak, her mouth gaped for oxygen of which she seemed incapable of drawing. The knife had probably sliced through her trachea as well. Unable to question his actions, she watched as he placed the bleeding wound over her mouth and laid it against her lips. The first drop of his sweet blood passed over her tongue, nearly causing her to choke.
“Drink.”
Cara latched onto his jagged cut as if it were the most natural thing in the world, the warm metallic tang a balm to her dying soul. Her gaze fixed on his. She wasn’t ready to die. Her soul cried out and bright lights beckoned to her just beyond the black shadows clouding her vision.
The last thing she heard before succumbing was Kane’s watery admission, “I love you too, Mia Bella,” he said, then placed another warm kiss upon her temple.
Weightlessness settled over Cara. Her last thought before yielding to the darkness was that Kane had loved her.
* * *
The strong scent of human blood wafted to his nose. Son of a bitch! Kaleb stood just beyond the door, waiting for the perfect timing, praying to any god who might hear. They needed the fates to be on their side if they were to get out of this alive. Time sure as the hell wasn’t, if the scent of Cara’s blood was any indication. If the primordial even suspected he stood just beyond the door, they’d all be dead. No way could Kane and Kaleb’s combined strength match that of the ancient vampire’s. The best they could hope for would be blind-siding the bastard.
Taking a deep breath, crouching just beyond the entrance, Kaleb readied to pounce on the son of a bitch as he heard footfalls heading for the door. Just as he made his move, he leapt into the oncoming path of Alec Funar. Kaleb rolled backwards from the force and Alec flew head first into the dirt. Before Alec could get his footing, Kaleb jumped to his feet and dove on top of the vampire.
He grabbed a fistful of blond hair and yanked back his head, Alec hissing in response. Kaleb had all of two seconds to act before this shit tossed him like a rag doll and ripped his limbs from his body. Snatching the large hunting knife from the dirt that the vamp had dropped when colliding into Kaleb, he drew it across the ancient’s throat with all his might and separated his head from his shoulders, drenching himself in the primordial’s blood.
Kaleb shuddered at the dying wail. After a few violent thrashes, the body beneath him stilled. He tossed the blond head a few feet away, just in case the damn thing had the ability to bite by reflex. Kaleb stood up from the headless corpse, watching as the flesh quickly fossilized before his eyes.
Not wanting to waste another moment on the fuck, he turned and headed for the door of the shed, hoping Kane hadn’t been too late. Inside, he saw Cara’s pale lifeless form in his brother’s arms. He couldn’t help but ache at the loss.
“Is she gone?” he asked.
Kane’s obsidian gaze turned on him and he shook his head. “Her heart beats.”
Kaleb cursed a colorful stream. “Jesus, Viper! What the hell did you do?”
His brother looked back at the woman lying in his arms, her limbs now twitching and the gaping wound on her neck closing miraculously. No divine healing here.
“She’s one of us.”
Kaleb ran a grimy hand through the overlong curls on his head. “Ah, hell! What the fuck am I supposed to tell the Sons?”
“Tell them the truth.” Kane reached to his breast and pulled the president patch from his cut and handed it to Kaleb. “I know what I did was against club rules. But given the option, I’d do the same. Take them the facts, let them judge me.”
“And if they decide to take your rockers?”
“As long as it’s not a death sentence, I can live with it.” Kane turned from him and looked down on Cara. “Living without her wasn’t an option.”
“I know,” Kaleb said.
And he did. The look in his brother’s eyes told him as much, as if the bond they shared as twins wouldn’t have. But that wasn’t going to be reason enough for the MC not to hand out punishment for his actions. Turning another into a vampire was forbidden, unless first voted and agreed to by every voting member.
Kane glanced back at his twin. “And Alec? Did he get away?”
“No. I wasted that fuck.” Kaleb grinned. “Guess I’ll have my own actions to answer for. You know as well as I do, killing a primordial is forbidden. If convicted of such, you and I both know the judgment is death. Looks like we better bury this fuck and pray that no one finds him.”
A cell phone rang, drawing their attention to the door where on
e lay in the dirt just beyond the opening. Alec must have dropped it in his hurry to flee. Walking over to the downed phone, Kaleb smiled at the name staring back at him.
“It’s Rosalee. You want to speak to her?”
His smile grew as Kane’s laughter filled the small building.
* * *
Cara leaned down and kissed the old man’s balding pate. Knowing that her grandfather wouldn’t have to learn his last living relative had nearly died made the scorching pain of the last few days worth it. There had been times she felt as though she wished for death. To say the transformation had been painful was an understatement. Liquid fire coursed through her veins and arteries.
“You best eat that peanut butter pie after supper, Grandpa. Otherwise, you’ll spoil your supper.”
“Bah! Nonsense. You can’t spoil the meals they serve here. Anything would be an improvement.”
Cara laughed, her fingers going to the scarf wrapping her throat. The deep wound had healed for the most part, leaving behind nothing more than an angry scar and a sore throat.
“Now I know you jest. You forget I’ve eaten meals here with you, old man.”
She patted his arm and stood, clearing her throat. The gesture had Kane reaching for her hand and squeezing her fingers. The simple gesture warmed her heart. Cara glanced at him, holding his gaze and offering him a tender smile. He winked at her and mouthed the words, “I love you.”
Cara’s smile grew. She’d never tire of hearing it. Turning back to her grandfather, she leaned down and kissed his weathered cheek. “We have to go, Grandpa. But we’ll be back soon.”
The old man turned his watery gaze on Kane and pointed a gnarled finger in his direction. “You take care of my granddaughter. Otherwise, you’ll be answering to me.”
“I wouldn’t allow anyone to harm her, sir. Death to anyone who tries.”
He nodded in acknowledgement. “She ain’t got anyone else in this world but me.”
“If you don’t mind me saying so, sir, she now also has me.”
Her grandfather held Kane’s stare for a long moment, then turned to Cara and grabbed her free hand, taking it to his lips, placing a kiss on the back, then whispered, “He’s a keeper.”
“You don’t have to tell me that, Grandpa. I’m not letting this one out of my sight for a minute.”
He smiled, then touched his throat. “You take care of the cold.”
Cara almost denied the fact she was ill when she realized he referred to the hoarseness of her voice and the scarf draping her neck.
“You worry too much.”
“Get on out of here. I’m sure you two have something better to do than spend your evening entertaining an old fool.”
Twenty minutes later, Cara lay stretched out, naked in Kane’s king size bed, reveling in the feel of the sheets against her highly sensitized skin. They had the clubhouse to themselves for the time being, and Cara planned to take advantage of every second of it. Relocating Kane to her house seemed the better option, and maybe she’d even talk him into it, but for now she just wanted to be wrapped within his strong arms, with him buried deep inside her.
Kane pulled his shirt over his head; his black jeans hung low on his muscular hips. His tee hung from his slack fingers as he advanced upon the bed and dropped it at the foot. Cara’s mouth watered. His six-pack abs and the muscles at his hips arrowing into the Levis had her fairly salivating.
“You ready for this?”
Her gaze widened and he laughed. “You have no idea what you’re in for, Mia Bella.”
Cara laid her hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat mightily beneath her palm. “This isn’t our first time.”
“No,” he kissed her brow, “But it’s your first time as a vampire. Take your last orgasm and times it by ten.”
Her brows rose. “Seriously?”
What a perk!
Kane ran a hand from her shoulder, down the soft flesh of her chest to her breast and covered it with his palm. Heat like she had never felt before pooled between her legs and and spanned out along the rest of her body. The ache between her thighs grew nearly unbearable.
Cara could hardly speak as she shifted on the sheets. “Please, Kane.”
“Oh, I plan to please. You have no idea.”
He lowered his head and covered her other nipple with his mouth, suckling it, teasing it, then nipping it with his growing fangs before soothing the ache with his tongue. Cara cried out, her back arched off the mattress and her gaze heated and her vision sharpened. Fangs filled her mouth and suddenly, not only was her libido at an all-time high, she was ravenous. Instead of waiting for permission, she sank them into Kane’s shoulder, tasting his blood, drawing it into her mouth. He tipped his head back, cords in his neck standing out as he roared from the pleasure.
Kane allowed her to suckle for few minutes longer then pulled her head from his shoulder and chuckled. “Careful, Mia Bella. My blood offers you no nourishment. Save it for a donor.”
She wiped her hand across her mouth, seeing the rich blood now on her palm. “Then why do I have this insane desire to feed from you?”
“You’re mistaking passion and hunger. Biting and drinking from me during sex will give you pleasure you’ve never known, but nourishment can only come from blood untainted with our DNA.” His smile washed over her, increasing the ache between her thighs. “We’ll go to the Rave later, see that you’re nourished. But for now, let’s satisfy another hunger.”
Kane reached for the bedside table and pulled out a condom. Cara looked at him queerly as he tore open the little foil packet with his teeth.
“I thought you couldn’t get me pregnant and diseases weren’t an issue?”
“Diseases will never be a problem for our kind, that is true. But now you’re a vampire, procreation is definitely a possibility. That’s why we only have sex with humans unless we are mated.”
“But we aren’t mated.”
“Yet.”
“You’re still mated to Rosalee.” It shouldn’t bother her and she hated herself for allowing it to.
“Until I visit Mircea. Once he hears of his stepdaughter’s actions, he’ll abrogate the joining and I’ll be free to mate again.”
“Is that so?” She cocked one brow. “And who do you plan to mate yourself with, vamp boy?”
“Need you even ask?” Kane leaned down and kissed her, one full of possession, leaving her no doubt as to who he intended to mate with. “Any other questions?”
“Yeah. How about you get out of those jeans?”
“You don’t have to ask me twice, Mia Bella.” He quickly did as she asked, rolled on the condom then situated himself between her spread thighs. “Now … where were we?”
She framed his handsome face in her hands, loving the features that once had caused her nightmares. “You were about to show me how much you love me.”
“That I was,” he said, then leaned down and kissed her, proving to her just how much.
Epilogue
Kaleb tossed the Vice President patch on the table, the President one now sewn to his cut. Conversation came to a halt as every pair of eyes focused on the telling patch. All voting members sat in a semi-circle around the large oak table in the center of the room. Kane and Ion’s chairs remained empty.
Grayson was the first to speak. “What happened to Viper?”
“Viper’s relinquished his role as head of the Sons of Sangue. That makes me club Pres. This church meeting has been called for a couple of reasons. First, we need to vote on a new VP. I vote Gypsy as the successor. Anyone care to second that?”
Grigore Lupie was the first to raise his hand. “Aye.”
“Let’s take it to a vote.”
One-by-one the voting members concurred, making Grayson ‘Gypsy’ Gabore the new VP of the Sons.
“First order of business,” Kaleb continued, “is what to do about Viper’s actions.”
The members looked from one to another, though no one spoke up. Kane had been the ru
le follower, the straight shooter. To him everything was black or white, no grey in-betweens, that is until Cara Brahman entered the picture and set out to take him down. Since the interruption in their lives, he had been breaking rules right and left. The Sons had chosen to look the other way for his previous disregard of the rules. Kaleb doubted Kane would be given the same exemption this time.
“What’s he done?” Grayson asked. “Don’t tell me this has something to do with that detective bitch? I take it she’s been found.”
“The primordial, Alec Funar,” Kaleb began, “acting on orders from Rosalee, sliced her throat clean through. She was bleeding out, and there was no time to get her to help.”
“So she’s dead? Good riddance,” said Grigore.
“She’s not dead, Wolf.”
“I thought you said—” he began, then went silent in understanding.
“Kane turned her.”
Everyone started talking at once. Kaleb had to bang the gavel against the wooden block to restore order. Silence once again filled the room.
“Before we vote on the consequences for his actions, I’d like a moment to tell the story.”
“I’m not sure he deserves the right,” Joseph spoke up. “He’s been sniffing that tail and causing this club problems. And yet he continued when he knew it wasn’t in our best interest.”
“I can’t say I disagree, Kinky. However, as club Pres and as my brother, I would like the right to speak on his behalf.” When no one argued, he continued, “My brother loves Cara … deeply. That much is apparent. He was left with the decision to watch another person he loves die,” Kaleb did not have to mention Ion’s name, “or give her … himself a second chance. He didn’t have time to ask for a vote. He acted out of love and gave her his blood.”
“They cannot be mated,” Grayson pointed out.
“Not as long as Rosalee lives, Gypsy. You’re correct. We all know to mate with someone is for life. Unfortunately, unless Kane can get Mircea’s blessing, he’s stuck with that bitch. Cara knows that, and yet she is willing to be with my brother.”
Viper (Sons of Sangue) Page 31