“Esmore, I am proud,” Chase said with a smile. He bit into his wrist and nuzzled it against the bear’s lips. “This will make sure it recovers properly. It will appear as if your damage was never done. Come here, Esmore.” Chase stood and opened his arms wide for me to walk into them. But the beast and thirst within me was in a frenzy. I continued to look behind him, to see that my prey was still there. I could smell Chase, his scent, his natural endorphins, his testosterone. My body reacted, I wanted to either drain that bear entirely or fill my needs by pleasing Chase. In one clean sweep, I slammed Chase into the corner of the cave. My nails dug into his back as I forced my lips to his and taking his breath. Between Chase’s hot breath and smile, he stripped my shirt away in one clean tear, discarding it to the wind that howled outside of the cave. He split my leathered pants, revealing my naked self. He looked over me hungrily, sweeping his hand over my stomach and brushing past my sensitive nipples. My nails dragged down his stomach, leaving scratch marks as I fumbled for his belt.
I could feel him between the thin material that came between us. I ripped them apart, no longer wanting to toy with them. His hard self rubbed up against me, forcing a moan to escape from me because I knew what was to come. I could feel how hard he was for me, which only made me more desperate to have my fill. His hard chest cooed to me as I bit into it, thirsting for his taste. His taste was like ecstasy to me. Filling me and creating a blurred vision which only focused on him.
Chase lifted me and wrapped my legs around him. With one hand free, he jumped over the cave entrance and scaled the wall with efficiency. He came to a stop on the wall, entering and impaling me with such impact as he stopped from the drop. My eyes lit up with shock. I could feel myself gushing over him, devouring his size and moaning in the beautiful pain it was. I continued to bite down on his neck, delving in his taste. This was my claim.
Chase lifted me from him, venturing at vampire speed across the blizzard. The wind seemed to pass over me; my skin tingled at the sensation. Suddenly, Chase threw me into ice cold water, the shuttering sensation hit me like fire. There was blackness to this water as I swam to the top and gasped in shock. I could feel this ice cold water.
“You lost remember,” Chase said with a smile. A ragged breath escaped my lips as I still was uncertain of what happened. Chase jumped in as well, leather jacket and all. I tried to crawl out unhappy and with all libido gone, but he pulled me back towards him. His wet long black hair stuck to his face.
“This is fucking freezing.” I shook.
“When you are a vampire for so long, Esmore, you find this refreshing to be able to feel,” he cooed as he swam closer towards me. “And to still be able to do this,” he grabbed me by my inner thigh and pulled me closer towards him. I could still feel that he was hard, even at this temperature. “I told you. I wouldn’t have you like that. It is hard for me to say no. But I want it to be you. I want you to crave me as well, not just your body,” he said. He rested his tip near my heat. I wrapped my hand around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. He pressed me against the ice of the surface where I had previously tried to escape.
“I get scared of it. When I can’t control it,” I whispered through ragged breaths.
“I know,” Chase purred. “Which is why I stopped you. It doesn’t mean that the experience won’t be the same,” he said, shoving himself hard into me. I gasped with satisfaction and surprise. A smile pulled at my lips. He returned the smile and enclosed me against the ice and slammed into me. The suction of the icy water offered a twisted and heated sensation. I kissed his neck, moaning as he thrusted into me with vampire speed. I was unable to control my urge to scream loudly in such a barren place. Chase lifted me out of the water and rested my back on the freezing ground that burnt at my skin.
He began to impale me again as he bit into my supple breasts. His bite forced me to arch my body into him with a loud moan. The flowing sensation of being his, and marked by him, consumed me. I wrapped my legs around him and threw him to the side and onto his back as I drove him deep into myself, enjoying his size. I rode him, the tops of my feet burnt against the cold water that they tipped in. I pressed my hand down on Chase’s chest, reminding myself that we didn’t have all the time in the world, although I would have loved to live in this dream for years. Chase tried to get up but I slammed him back into the ice, where the ice beneath him began to crack. I continued riding him faster and harder, almost peaking at my climax.
Chase shifted, and overpowered me. He slammed me back onto the scorching cold ice. His hand toyed with my hard nipples as he leant in. He kissed me and delved against my tongue as his speed pounded into me. Crack by crack I could hear the ice, shatter beneath us. But I wanted more, I needed more. I was almost there. I was almost there with Chase. My back arched as I screamed out my final prayers. Chase arched into me. He too had succumbed to that urge. He leant in and kissed my lips and cheekbone softly. A decisive crack moaned beneath us and the ice shattered, and plummeted us into the water. The frozen water woke me from all sense that wanted to now slumber.
We both surfaced from the water with a loud gasp, shocked. Chase smiled cockily. “Well, I think we should be thankful there are no ice glaciers nearby,” he laughed. He bled from a deep gash on his forehead, where a piece of the ice must have cut him.
“Come here, you cut yourself,” I said. I swam towards him to rub my thumb over it. I was no longer a ghastly creature that only wanted to delve into his wound. This was the side of me that only Chase could find. My nurturing self, which even I could not bring out. Within seconds it was healed. “I don’t think I will ever get used to this,” I admitted.
Chase grabbed my hand and kissed it. He looked into my eyes and pressed his forehead to mine. “We will go at whatever pace is comfortable to you. I will forever be by your side. Mostly to annoy you,” he smiled. “But sometimes I might have my good qualities.”
“Sometimes,” I growled, with a smile and gave him a kiss.
“Now let’s get the fuck out of this freezing cold water,” Chase laughed. “I don’t know why on earth I followed you in here. You make me do terrible things,” he taunted. The smile pulled at my lips. Even without a heart, I could have this moment and happiness with Chase. “Put this on,” he said. He flicked his leather jacket off and wrapped it around me. I looked to the direction of the caves in thought of our scrap clothes. We didn’t think that far ahead, I suppose. Chase laid down naked against the ice. This was not at all a surprising image from Chase. He was well known for running through the Council naked, countless times. “A lady can’t be seen naked so carelessly,” he teased. He opened out his arm, so I could snuggle into him. It was freezing, but a coldness I did enjoy. We looked into the blizzard where there was no sight of sun. It was peaceful here. It felt as if it were the calm before a storm.
“Tythian wants to kill Fier, doesn’t he?” Chase said. It wasn’t a question it was an assumption. He toyed with my hand that laid on his chest, as he looked into the sky.
“Yes,” I said quietly. Chase wasn’t clueless. He was very smart and I questioned how long he had probably known for. “How did you know?”
“Because if he had killed my familiar, I would act the exact same way. Why didn’t you tell me?” Chase asked, curiously. “You know I can help you.”
“I know. I just, I know Fier was like a step-father to you,” I said pathetically. “I didn’t want to make you choose.” Chase laughed at me.
“Esmore, you are the only family I have now. He was a part of my life because he was my mother’s familiar, not mine. I respected him until he began to lose his mind to power. The day he tried to kill us, was the day that I lost all connection with him. I protect you now. If you see Fier as an enemy, then I do to. But, I don’t want you getting involved with this fight. Leave it to me. I know what Fier is capable of; he has the same gifts as my mother did. He is not a weak enemy, Esmore. I believe in you more than anything else in this world. But I won’t let you challenge him. No
t if I can take your stead. Would you like to tell me what else is going up in that brain of yours?” he mused. I propped myself onto my elbow, so I could look at him.
“How are you so calm about everything? With everything that is happening including your life being threatened, you still stay so calm like no action is required.”
“Because you are my only concern and right now you are so well, even without me. I will become active when I need to be, Esmore. But, this is a war and they can last lifetimes. You need to only take one day at a time, or you will lose focus of what you need to do today,” he said pinching my cheek and stretching it in a childish manner. I nestled back into his chest, enjoying his warmth that filled me.
“Cesar wants you to claim your coven and force an alliance between his, your coven and others. He threatened your life if you resisted,” I said as I drew circles on his chest with my finger.
“I thought it would be something like that. If it will aid in protecting you, I can push aside my arrogance and do that for you, if you wish me,” he answered.
“But I know that you are not doing it because you are arrogant. You shouldn’t be forced into joining the coven which destroyed your childhood,” I said angrily, surprised by my own sudden surge of aggression towards the topic.
“It’s okay Esmore,” Chase said patting down my hair against my cheek. “This was something I had to deal with eventually. But I still think your father is an ass. I like Yolo but,” Chase smiled. “He reminds me of a younger brother that I never had. I think the others will protect you no matter what as well, so I have respect for them too. What will you do about the Human Compound, now that you have found out Dillian and Julia can’t go there?”
I was unsure as to what truths I should tell him. I’m tired of hiding everything from him. Being a Token Huntress was a part of me and I couldn’t neglect my sense of duty to my previous hunters who fought by my side many times.
“Kora and Kasey are in there. They have been genetically modified into half saber like creatures. I want to rescue them. I’ve made contact with Teary and Tori again. They will help me in this.” I held my breath, waiting to see how he would react. Chase blew out a gush of air.
“You have really been busy while I’ve been stuck in a room throwing a rubber ball against the wall, haven’t you?” Chase said digesting the information. A noise in the distance grabbed both of our attention as we both perked up. We listened for a little longer, unsure of what we were listening to. Chase nodded at me, thinking the same.
We both ran towards the noise with vampire speed, curious as to what made the noise. We stopped behind a pile of thick snow, looking over the tip of it. There was a large built civilization, where a wooden piled fence enclosed the outskirts of some sort of human camp. A man with six dogs and a sled opened the wooden gates himself. There were few huts outside, and the few remains of where dirt had been dug up. It seemed more than likely, experimental area for crops. Crops would never survive in such weather. He continued to the back of the area. He was thickly clothed in furs and a mask which covered his face from the blizzard. A cave opening that had been blocked off by wood, opened and the man slid in. The aroma of about one hundred dirty humans, which hadn’t showered in weeks, consumed my nose. Amongst it I could smell four Hunters and the scent of foliage and meat being cooked inside. The gates closed and I looked at Chase with wide eyes of hope.
“They are humans,” Chase said. “Who would have known some would survive in this temperature.”
“I could smell Hunters in there,” I said. Chase agreed that he smelt the same. After my feed and feeling restored once again, my senses were further heightened. I could now distinguish the difference between human and hunter. I wondered what I smelt like to others?
“You smell like human,” Chase answered. “In your normal form. We should go back for now, Tythian might be waiting.”
“Chase, if the human camp near my old Guild is over run by the Hunters and under Campture’s command, this might be a place for Dillian and Julia to find purpose and refuge safely. Even Teary and Tori could safely be here. Even my mother if she permitted it.”
“We will inspect the first human camp. If that doesn’t work, then we will bring them here,” Chase said and pushed back my fringe. “I hope we can find them somewhere safe soon. I know how much relief this will bring to you. But, Esmore, have you thought about where and what you would like to do once you find them a safe place to go?”
“There you two are!” Tythian said, appearing amidst the blizzard. “My fine shirt is being destroyed in this blizzard.” Tythian looked Chase up and down. I tightened Chase’s jacket around me, so none of my skin was exposed. Chase gave Tythian a very proud and male smile. “Did your clothes get ripped away in the blizzard?” Tythian asked rolling his eyes. “I swear every time I stare at you, Chase Bourne, you are naked.” Tythian grabbed onto both of us. We would now return to what felt like our prison. But it allowed me to escape the reality of having no idea what I were to pursue, after those who I wanted to protect, were safe.
I felt like I was going to vomit when Tythian dropped us into Cesar’s quarters. I felt like I had been plucked and thrown into a completely different area. It was taking its toll on my body. I missed the days of when I ran freely; where my destination and arrival time was within my control. My legs could run as quickly as I desired. I missed that most. Only my mother, Dillian and Julia were in the room. I sensed that Yolo, Balzar and Connor were outside.
“Is there a reason why all of them are guarding the door now?” I asked Tythian. Over the last few days they didn’t have all three here guarding it. They were raising their security of this room. I hadn’t the chance to invest further into the coven and to question some of those, who might use action against them. This temptation was too great for the coven to ignore. I wondered how powerful Cesar’s firm word was against them.
“Just precautionary. However between you and me, I don’t like that Thomas is still alive. If an attack does happen, I could only imagine he instigated it. Trust me when I say, the sooner he is dead the better,” Tythian said as he looked between Chase and me.
“It feels so good being included in the master plan,” Chase joked. This was the first we had spoken of it to Chase. By Tythian saying it so openly, it led me to believe that the other brothers were included or he wouldn’t have mentioned it in hearing range.
“Meet Yolo at the same time, tomorrow. I am going back to the Fier’s Council now, but will come back shortly to take you both to the outskirts of the Human Compound again,” Tythian said. He dismissed himself and walked out of the room. He continued to walk with Yolo, but I sensed that Connor and Balzar stayed guard. Because they were within hearing range, I grabbed a pen and paper from the desk and chair. I wrote my message on the paper so the others could read it. I informed Dillian, Julia and my mother, of the discovery of the human camp at Antarctica. Also the things the Human Compound had done to Kasey and Kora and my attempt of freeing them;
the compound was not a safe place for them. Then there was my meeting with Teary and Tori and that I had made an agreement with Tythian, so that, within the next day I will inspect the old human camp near our past Guild.
“I am getting restless in here, Esmore,” Dillian said. Black rings under his pink eyes conveyed such tiredness. He had pinned back his long black hair, so the bars in his ears were more evident. “I’ve never felt so useless and defenseless in my life.”
“I will get you both out,” I promised to Julia and him. I looked at my mother, who watched us. “What do you plan on doing mother?”
Her beautiful orange eyes expressed such sadness. Her golden blonde hair, the same as mine, uncombed for weeks, yet still perfectly positioned. “I will follow you, Esmore. Whatever you choose to do, I will do so as well. I have been with Cesar this entire time, to plan and focus on your security.”
“Odd, since I have hardly seen you, and you would side with him on the ideal of killing my familiar,” I sai
d. There was no venom in my words, only fact. My mother looked at Chase expecting a response, but there was none. He calmly lent against the wall.
“I never sided with him. But, I would agree that if your familiar did claim the right to his coven, that you will be further protected. If he is their leader and you his familiar, you will be treated and protected as a priority. I am sure this has already crossed Chase’s mind.”
“I don’t need protecting. Remember, you made me practically immortal,” I said indifferently.
“With everything that is happening, Esmore, your father and I have decided your heart is not safe where it is. If, Campture and the Guild know of that, they will try to find it. They will spread this information and it will leak. We need to find it and hide it closer,” my mother said forwardly.
“Why not put it in my chest, where it belongs? So I can actually feel and have the choice of emotion?” I asked bitterly.
“Because there is no guarantee that you can control it. It would end both your life, and any species you chose. Whether vampire, Hunter, human, or all. There is another part to you now Esmore that you must learn to control first. And that is your vampire side.”
I looked at everyone that was within this circle. My gift was a curse. How was I to control or suppress that weapon, when I had no idea what it even felt like within my body? My mother took it too soon for me to even taste, to see whether it was a gift I might be able to control.
“My priority is getting Dillian and Julia to a safe place. I will inform Teary and Tori of this tomorrow when I leave the Human Compound,” I said indefinitely.
Token Vampire (Token Huntress Book 2) Page 16