by Cynthia Eden
He’d returned her solid favor by tossing her right at Wyatt. What a prince.
She turned off the water with a yank of her hand. Stood in the shower, with her forehead pressed against the tiled wall.
“Eve.”
She’d known that Cain was there, so she didn’t jump or rush to cover herself. What would be the point? He had already seen all of her.
She turned. The glass door hadn’t steamed beside her and she could see right through to him. He watched her with eyes that were so hungry. Full of need.
Right then, she could only see the lust in his stare.
What happened when she saw more?
He walked toward her slowly, never taking his eyes from her. Drops of water were sliding down her body. Her nipples were tight from the cold water.
He opened the shower door and stared down at her. “I’d . . . never hurt you.”
He hadn’t. “But what if I hurt you?” Her fear. She knew Wyatt must have a plan. He’d tested her because he wanted to use her.
To hurt Cain? To kill him?
His hand lifted. Traced the curve of one breast. “You won’t.”
She couldn’t be so sure of that, but right then, she just wanted to stop thinking. To stop remembering fire and death. “Make it stop,” she whispered to him.
Frowning, he glanced back up at her.
“The fire,” Eve told him, her voice a bare breath. “The blood. I don’t want to think about it anymore.”
She didn’t want to see death.
Her eyes closed once more.
His lips feathered over hers. Soft. Gentle.
“No.” She turned her head away from him. Gentleness wasn’t what she needed at that moment. She was tearing apart from the inside out. She wanted to scream. To fight. To rage.
“Eve?”
Her eyes opened. “Wild.” That was what she needed, the way she felt inside. Too many emotions were splitting her in two. She had to stop the rush of feeling.
She needed . . . him.
Eve pushed him back and stepped out of the shower. He was still dressed, or at least, still wearing pants. She eased to her knees on the plush bathroom rug. She’d make him as wild as she felt. She could do it. She might not have been able to push her other lovers past the point of no control, but she hadn’t wanted them the way she wanted Cain.
She’d never wanted anyone this much.
His zipper eased down and the heavy length of his cock—fully aroused—pushed into her hands. She bent toward him, licking her lips. She’d nearly touched death.
Time to taste life.
She put her mouth on him. His breath hissed out as his hands clamped down on her shoulders. But he wasn’t pushing her away. No, he was urging her closer. Closer was exactly where she wanted to be.
Her lips opened wider. She licked him. Sucked. Tasted. Wanted more.
Her hand curled around the base of his shaft as she pumped him into her mouth. His taste was rich, salty, good. She licked the head of his cock, then took him deeper into her mouth. So deep she could feel him in the back of her throat.
“Enough.”
No, no, it wasn’t. He could still talk. She could still feel. They had to go further. Push more. She licked him. Sucked around his length.
And found herself pulled away. Pulled up into his arms.
“Cain—”
His mouth locked onto hers even as he carried her toward the bed. Then they were falling together. Crashing into the bed.
Her nails raked down his back. Hard. She opened her legs, wanting him to thrust in deep. “Lose control,” was her whisper to him. A desperate order. She couldn’t be the only one feeling this way.
He stilled. Cain stared down at her with the gaze she should fear. Too bright. Too hot. “You don’t want that.”
Yes, she did. It was the thing she needed most.
“Lose control,” she said again.
His hands were on her thighs. Pushing them farther apart. Then his fingers were on her sex. Stroking over her clit, pushing inside her. Deeper.
It wasn’t enough for her.
She grabbed his head. Kissed him with all the passion she felt. He still had his control. Why couldn’t it break?
She was breaking. Shattering on the inside.
Blood.
Her eyes were closed. Her body shaking.
Fire.
“No.” His growl. “Stay with me.” Then his fingers were gone from her body. His cock pushed against her. Her gaze flew to meet his.
“Stay with me,” he said again and drove into her. In that one moment, as she stared into his eyes, she saw the man’s control rip away.
And only the beast was left.
Eve smiled even as she held onto him as tightly as she could. His thrusts were deep, driving, plunging into her. The rhythm was fast and frantic. He held her hands down against the sheets. Pounded into her again and again and she loved it.
The rush of pleasure built fast. No gentle peak. A tidal wave that flooded over her and took her breath.
It didn’t stop. He didn’t stop. More. More. He rolled her over on the bed. Lifted her onto her knees. Surrounded her with his body and his heat and his power and—
Took.
Deeper. Harder. Her hands fisted in the sheets. She yanked, pulling the sheets toward her even as she arched her hips back against him.
The release hadn’t stopped. The pleasure pounded through her. Again and again and the scent of sex filled the air around her.
He was so big, filling her completely. His mouth was on her shoulder. Licking. Biting. She couldn’t suck in a deep breath. Couldn’t do anything but feel.
The pleasure hit her again, hollowing her out, leaving her shaking and weak.
He came inside her, exploding with a growl as his hold tightened around her. He held her so close. Held her so tight.
Right there, with him, death seemed so far away.
But she knew . . . the monsters were coming for her. Soon, they’d be at the door.
Her scream woke him at dawn. Eve was thrashing in the covers, struggling to escape.
Cain reached for her. “Eve?”
Her eyes opened, and she screamed.
What the hell? He pulled her close.
She was shaking. “V-vampire . . .”
“There aren’t any vampires here, baby.” Just a nightmare. So why was his heart racing so fast? “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
“Blood . . .” She sounded lost. Her eyes were open, but was she seeing him?
Cain didn’t think so. “There isn’t any blood.”
“I hate . . . fire.”
His body tensed. “There’s no fire.” His fingers tightened on her. She felt too cold in his hands. Trembles shook her body, and she didn’t sound like his Eve.
I don’t want her lost.
He pressed a kiss to her lips. “Wake up.”
Her breath came in low pants.
“Eve, wake—”
“Vampires are coming,” she whispered. Her voice was as cold as her body. “We have to stop them.”
Cain shook his head. “There aren’t any vamps here. You’re safe. You’re—”
He heard it. A thud from downstairs, at the door. His head whipped to the right as tension tightened his muscles. Wyatt and his men? Already? No way should they already be at the cabin. The place was secure.
He leaped from the bed, but Eve grabbed his hand. “Stop the vampires.”
It wasn’t the vampires. Vamps didn’t attack during the day. That wasn’t the way they operated. Most of them holed up underground during the daylight hours.
He went to the window. Searched below. Saw no one. But that just meant his prey was good at hiding. “Stay here,” he told Eve.
She was sitting up in bed, frowning. Her gaze didn’t look lost and when she said, “Cain?” he knew that she was back with him.
“We’ve got company.” And he was never a good host. He yanked on a pair of jeans and headed down the stairs. He h
eard the squeak of the hardwood floor behind him and knew that Eve was following.
Figured.
He eased open the front door. Listened for every sound and whisper. No cars had approached. He would have heard them. Their guest had to have come in on foot.
Cain inhaled, taking in all the scents. He focused his hearing, narrowed it down until he heard . . .
The creak of hardwood floor. One step. Two.
Eve, coming after him.
Another creak. And the smell of fresh blood.
Cain whirled around. The threat wasn’t outside, not any longer. He lunged for the stairs, his heart racing. Eve was heading toward him and she didn’t even realize . . .
A vampire stood two steps behind her.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Eve saw Cain’s eyes widen as he lunged forward. The air seemed to rush against her skin, and, before she could turn around, she felt hard arms wrap around her waist. She was yanked back against someone—a male—and she felt something sharp press against her throat.
“Stand down, phoenix.”
At the vamp’s words, Cain froze. “Ryder, you’re begging to feel the fire.”
Ryder? The vamp who’d sold her out? Her teeth ground together as her nails sank into his arm. She arched her neck and tried to pull away from him. No dice. That vamp’s grip was hard—and painful.
“Where is she?” he snarled into her ear.
Um, she was standing right there. Standing there, and feeling lost. Ryder had known that Cain was a phoenix? All along?
First Trace, now Ryder. She was feeling left behind on the whole paranormal-knowledge bit. Did everyone else know that the ancient phoenix myth was real?
Her breath heaved out and her eyes found Cain’s.
“Where?” So much fury as Ryder nearly screamed the word.
Those were claws at her throat. So much for the scratches that she was leaving on his arm. The guy was about to cut her throat open. Eve stopped fighting, for the moment. With her struggles, she was just making his claws press harder against her skin.
“You’re dead,” Cain promised him.
Ryder just laughed and the sound was wild. “Don’t you think I fucking know that? Without her, I’m dying. Day by damn day.” He spun Eve to face him. “You saw her, didn’t you? When Wyatt took you, I know you saw her.”
Okay, she was dealing with a psycho vampire and she didn’t have a weapon. But she had something better. She had Cain.
“She’s still alive, isn’t she?” Ryder asked, shaking Eve. “She’s—”
Eve kneed him in the groin as hard as she could. She didn’t know if the move actually hurt him or just caught him by surprise, but either way, his grip eased and his claws—two-inch long, razor-sharp claws—pulled away from her throat.
That instant was all she needed. She stumbled back. Cain leaped forward.
“You’re dying, asshole,” Cain snarled and put his hand on Ryder’s chest. Flames were already rising from Cain’s fingers. Eve scrambled back. Vampires burned fast. She’d seen it happen once before.
Twice.
Ryder would go up like a firecracker and—
He was laughing.
Not burning, laughing.
How was that even possible?
Cain tried to pull back. Ryder grabbed Cain’s hand and shoved it harder against his own chest. The fire burned between them, melting away Ryder’s shirt, but the vamp wasn’t dying.
He’s like me.
“See what she did?” Ryder demanded. “Do you see what her blood did to me? Didn’t realize it . . . not until I had to escape your fire at Genesis. It didn’t burn me. The fire doesn’t . . . not any more. . . .”
Cain yanked his hand away from the vamp and punched Ryder. The vampire hurtled over the side of the staircase and crashed to the floor. Cain jumped over the banister and landed in a crouch beside him. Ryder wasn’t rising. He’d fallen on the wooden table and a huge chunk of wood burst from his chest.
Fire might not kill him, but a good, old-fashioned stake to the heart would.
Eve rushed down the rest of the stairs and hurried to Cain’s side. Only . . . Cain wasn’t finishing the vamp. Cain just stared at Ryder with his hands clenched.
“I crave her,” Ryder said as blood dripped from his mouth. “Every damn moment . . . I need her.” His eyes locked on Eve. “Tell me where she is!”
Eve grabbed a piece of broken wood. She just had to take out the bastard’s heart. She could do this. Cain had been right. They never should have rescued Ryder from Genesis. Some monsters couldn’t be saved. She needed to stop trying.
Eve pushed forward with her weapon ready, but . . . Cain stopped her. He grabbed her and yanked the stake from her hands.
“No.” Cain’s voice. Firm. Flat.
What? She could still feel Ryder’s claws at her throat. Her blood had spilled onto her shirt. He’d cut her. Would have killed her.
The kids always taste so good. The voice from her past whispered through her mind. Eve wanted to slap her hands over her ears, but she knew that wouldn’t do any good. The voice was on the inside. It would be with her forever.
Ryder was rising and yanking the wood from his chest. Blood had pooled beneath him.
Mommy! Another echo from the past. the echo of her own scream.
Ryder reached for her, but Cain stepped between them. His hand wrapped around the vampire’s throat and lifted Ryder into the air. “Control yourself. . . or I’ll kill you right now.”
Ryder’s fangs flashed.
Cain tightened his hold. “I’ll snap your neck, and while your body tries to recover from that injury, I’ll shove a stake in your heart.”
Ryder wasn’t fighting. His breath came out ragged, panting.
“I know crazy,” Cain said, voice a snarl. “Trust me, I fucking know it.”
Eve picked up the shattered piece of wood. A foot long. Jagged on both ends. It would be a perfect stake.
“Get that crazy under control,” Cain ordered, “and tell me what the hell you’re talking about, vampire.”
Eve shook her head. This was a mistake. “He led them to us again.” Didn’t Cain realize that? “He’s sold us out, just like he did before.”
Cain stared at Ryder. “You’re talking about a woman, aren’t you? The thing that Wyatt took. The thing you want so badly . . . it’s her.”
Her who?
Ryder nodded. Cain dropped him to the floor. The vampire scrambled back and then rose slowly to his feet.
Eve kept her fingers curled around the wood. If he came at her, she’d stake him. She’d already tried to play the Girl Scout with him and that bit hadn’t worked.
The guy probably ate Girl Scouts for breakfast.
“She’s . . . like you,” Ryder said as he stared at Cain. “She burns, then comes back.”
Eve’s gaze darted between them.
“Just like you did in that bar,” Ryder added. “I saw you.”
“How do you know she’s like me? How can you be sure?” Cain demanded. His voice had lowered, hardened.
Ryder hung his head as if in shame. “Because I killed her, and she came back.”
A muscle jerked in Cain’s jaw. The air around his body seemed to heat up.
“Wyatt starved me,” Ryder said. His eyes were on Cain, but Eve could see the emotion flooding his gaze. Pain. Rage. “I wasn’t there for just a few months—it was a whole fucking year. A year kept in his cage. Trapped. I was so hungry, and then he brought her to me.”
Wyatt had told Eve about the starving vampire. He’d threatened to feed her to him. Goose bumps rose on her arms and pity stirred in her heart for the woman she didn’t even know.
“Her blood—it was different. Tasted different from anything I’d ever had before. I didn’t know what I was doing. I couldn’t stop. I tried and I tried, but I couldn’t. . . .” Ryder’s eyes squeezed shut, but there was no missing the torment on his face. “Then she was still, and I couldn’t get her to open her eyes.”
> “You drained her,” Cain said. His legs were braced apart. His hands loose at his sides.
Eve couldn’t tell if he was about to attack the vampire—or give the guy a free pass out of the cabin.
No free pass. Eve still had her weapon ready.
Ryder’s eyes opened. Darted to her, then back to Cain. “I called for the guards. Begged them to help, but they wouldn’t touch her.”
Eve bet that had been on Wyatt’s orders. The doctor had been waiting, probably eager to see what would happen next.
“Then she burned.” The quiet words came from Cain.
Ryder nodded stiffly. “I was fighting the guards, trying to get back to her. I thought . . . I thought I could try to turn her.”
Turn her. Eve felt nausea rise in her throat. No matter what else happened to her in this life, she never wanted to become a vampire. Not that most people survived the brutal turning, anyway. If they did, the vamps would have taken over the world long ago.
Ryder jerked a hand through his hair. “Then I smelled the smoke. The fire was everywhere. Wyatt was in the hallway, watching her, smiling. Smiling when she burned, and—”
“When she came back,” Eve said, cutting into his words. She’d seen the same thing with Cain. Wyatt, standing back in his pristine lab coat. Studying the death scene with a steady gaze, then smiling when the fire brought his subject back to life.
“I have to get her out of there.” Ryder’s gaze was on Eve again. Pleading. Demanding. “You saw her, I know you did. When Wyatt took you, you saw her.”
Eve shook her head. “There were only guards. I didn’t see anyone else.”
Ryder lurched back. “You’re lying.” Anger flashed in his eyes and his claws rose up. “Tell me where she is!”
Eve’s hold tightened on the chunk of wood. Why did she have to get stuck with the crazies?
“You need to feed.” Cain’s voice was quiet, calm, such a contrast to the vampire’s frantic words.
Ryder impatiently shook his head. “He did . . . something to me. I can drink other blood. I fucking have. Over and over. But it doesn’t quench the thirst. It just makes me crave her more. Wyatt did something.”
Yes, but with Wyatt, there was no telling exactly what he’d done. Anything was possible with Dr. Frankenstein.