Lure of Forever

by Doris O'Connor

  Lucas had moved away from her to the bar at the other side of the living area. He had his back to her and she allowed her eyes to feast freely. The dejected slump of his big shoulders and the heavy-handed way in which he poured himself a straight Scotch spoke of deep-seated wariness and her whispering conscience settled in the pit of her stomach with intensity.

  "I'm sorry." His head shot up at her whispered words and he turned around slowly. Coralie's heart gave another little lurch inside her tight chest when she saw the swirling emotions in his brilliant green eyes.

  "Don't." He ran one hand through his hair, making the slightly damp strands stick up and Coralie's heart skipped another beat. He looked to the floor and the white-knuckled grasp on his glass lessened slightly. "You're right. I am a monster who shouldn't exist. I don't blame you, running from me. Most people do and with good reason. The fact that I need to drink their blood is usually an instant conversation stopper."

  His eyes briefly flickered to her face. He swore and threw the glass in his hand against the nearest wall with such force it shattered into a gazillion pieces. Coralie jumped at the display of violence and he swore again.

  "Merde, Chere, I so want to take that look out of your eyes, but I can't."

  "What do you mean, you can't?" Coralie forced the words out, not really daring to hope they meant what she suspected.

  "I can't compel you. Believe me, I tried."

  "You can't?"

  "Non."

  "Are you sure?" Coralie knew she must sound as though she was completely dimwitted, but she had to know for sure. Somehow this had become vitally important to her, because if he couldn't force his will on her, then that meant her budding feelings were real and that thought scared her more than anything else she had encountered so far.

  Lucas narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

  "Oui, Je suis sure. I have no idea why I can't and if Carmen ever finds out, you're as good as dead, but no. I can't compel you to do anything you don't want to do and I can't take the memories away, I'm sorry."

  "Why would you be sorry?" Coralie whispered. She didn't seem capable of projecting her voice with any conviction.

  "Because not remembering would keep you safe and I could let you go." He'd stepped closer to her, uttering those words, his green eyes darkening. Coralie's stomach somersaulted merrily. He tucked a strand of her hair back behind her ear. The innocent touch left tingles of awareness on her skin and she sucked her tummy in to stop herself from reacting outwardly. Shit, shit, shit, if he didn't exude any sort of vampire lure on her, then this chemistry they shared was real. Heaven help her, what was she going to do?

  "You can still let me go. I won't say anything. Who would believe me anyway?"

  His sad smile increased the butterflies in her stomach to swarming proportions.

  "You'd be surprised. Besides, with Jacomo on the loose I would rather have you near me."

  The mention of the demon brought forth a memory so horrifying, she almost screamed.

  "Jerry. Oh my God, we have to warn her, Lucas. You have to let me go. I have to tell her…"

  "You can't tell her anything, Coralie. Besides, Ion's pack is watching her and her little girl. Nothing is going to happen to your friend, trust me."

  Coralie could hardly breathe, the images scorching her brain so sickeningly vivid, as though they had already happened. She put her hands out to steady herself against Lucas's broad chest and he pulled her into his hard frame. One cool hand drew reassuring circles on her back whilst the other tilted her head up.

  "Breathe, Coralie. Focus on my voice. You're safe. Stay here, Chere. Breathe with me - in – out – in – out – that's it."

  Slowly her panic subsided, and the ice-cold fist squeezing her insides unclenched.

  ****

  Relief flooded Lucas. Coralie trembled like a leaf in his arms, but her eyes were back to their normal warm chestnut and some color had returned to her cheeks. She clung to him and his chest grew wet with her tears.

  "Where did you go, Chere?"

  "I…I don't know, but I don't want to go back there, Lucas. I saw… oh God," her voice broke and her shivers increased. He picked her up and settled her back in front of the fire, stoking them to increase the heat. When he turned back to face her, agitation was radiating off her in waves. Her hands clutched the pillow she held against her middle in a white-knuckled death grip and she was biting her bottom lip so hard, she drew blood. His fangs ached with the sheer force of will it took to stop them from running out. Her galloping heart and the tiny drops of blood on her lips raised the monster in him, and he stamped down on the bloodlust with grim determination. The last thing she needed right now was a reminder of who he was.

  "What did you see?" He made his voice as gentle as he could and took the cushion out her hands with infinite care.

  "I saw… I…" She rung her hands and Lucas enclosed them in his own. Her watery smile made his chest tight and he cleared his throat noisily.

  "What did you see, Chere? Tell me."

  "I saw him, this Jacomo. He was killing Jerry. I was in his head, Lucas - it was awful. He wants Jerry so badly, he's not going to stop until he gets her."

  The renewed tears glistening on her eyelashes settled like glue in his gut and he forced himself to not react to her words. Jerry must be the one who summoned Jacomo. Excitement coursed through his veins. There was no way Jacomo would be able to get to Jerry. Ion's pack would ensure that and the demon would walk straight into a trap. But he had to be sure and they needed bait. There was no way Jerry could be risked. If the demon killed the person who summoned him, he became invincible. Jerry was the seventh summoner. No spell on earth would ensure Jacomo would stay in the demon realm, if he killed Coralie's friend.

  And that would bring with it the end of humankind. But he couldn't tell Coralie that, at least not now. She looked absolutely terrified, her voice an agonized whisper.

  "I don't ever want to go back there, Lucas. That mind, he's…"

  "I know, Chere. I've been hunting him for centuries and I promise you I'll get him this time."

  "This time? And what if you don't? What if he gets to Jerry? I need to see her." She pushed him away with a force that surprised him. "I know I can't tell her the details, but I need to see her."

  As quickly as her outburst had started, it stopped. Her huge eyes implored him and he smiled. When she looked like that he couldn't refuse her anything. And it wouldn't hurt to check on Jerry and her escort himself.

  "As you wish, Chere. But it will have to wait till nightfall. And we have to do something about these."

  She flinched when his fingers ran over Carmen's bite marks.

  "I can wear a scarf or something."

  "In the middle of summer?" He smiled at her embarrassed shrug. "I could compel her or…"

  "No," her immediate denial interrupted him. "Don't you dare mess with my friend's mind… or mine."

  "I told you, I can't mess with yours. I don't mess with anyone's mind."

  "Bullshit. So the array of dazed women you've been feeding on for the last three days didn't have their minds messed with? Pull the other one, it's got bells on it."

  Vibrant crimson stained her cheeks at his quiet observance of her and she crossed her arms again. Amusement bubbled up inside of him.

  "And you know about these women how?"

  "What does that matter," she mumbled and he couldn't help it, he laughed. Her startled eyes connected with his and he tucked that errant strand of hair back behind her ear again.

  "It matters to me."

  He tilted her chin up, better to see her face and his amusement increased. She wouldn't look at him and embarrassment made her fidgety.

  "I can't see why it should matter to you. And besides I get it, you needed to heal. Ion explained it all. What I don't get is why you refused my blood. You, stubborn idiot, could have died."

  "Anyone would think you worried about me."

  She shrugged her shoulders again, still re
fusing to meet his gaze and that unfamiliar tightness was back in his chest.

  "So what if I did? You did save my life. One is bound to feel a bit obligated after that. Stop dodging my questions. Why didn't you want my blood?"

  She worried her bottom lip with her front teeth again and his fangs ran out with a soft click at the sight. Her eyes grew huge and settled on his mouth.

  "It would have been too easy to turn you if I had. You had a lot of my blood the night before. I couldn't take that risk."

  And he never would. There was no way in hell that he would condemn his Coralie to life in the shadows. The thought pulled him up short. His? She wasn't his, no matter how much he wanted her. She was human and fragile and deserved much better than him. But there was one thing he could do for her.

  He bit into his wrist and held it up to her lips.

  Chapter Twelve

  Coralie watched in horror as Lucas bit into his wrist and offered it to her.

  "If you don't want your friend suspecting anything, then drink. It will heal your injuries."

  She shook her head in denial. There was no way she could drink his blood, no matter how bad she felt.

  "Coralie, drink and heal, or accept that I will have to compel your friend and her little girl too, if she sees me."

  "You can't do that. You wouldn't dare."

  His raised eyebrow told her that he would and her stomach churned, looking at his wrist. It closed up in front of her eyes. Holy shit.

  "Your other option is to not go and see her."

  "I have to see her, Lucas. And I have to get out of here."

  "Then drink for your own safety as much as your friend's. Carmen will expect me to heal my… pet. "

  "Your what?"

  A slight flush appeared on Lucas’s sculpted cheekbones and he didn't quite meet her eyes. He couldn't be embarrassed, could he? Some of her annoyance at being called a pet dissipated, seeing his discomfort. Her silly little heart did a small flip inside her chest. Get a grip, girl.

  "Seeing you still injured will only serve to increase her suspicions. It's taken all of Ion's influence on the council to stop her from compelling you. She would drain you on the spot, if she knew you couldn't be compelled. I sure as hell couldn't cope with the guilt of my responsibility for your death. There have been too many already."

  He still wouldn't look at her and the tension emanating from him was almost a palpable presence in the room.

  "I may be a monster, but I do have some morals."

  The growled words carried a depth of hidden pain and Coralie grabbed his wrist. He smiled his approval and bit his wrist again. The thick liquid oozed out and Coralie's stomach rebelled. She swallowed convulsively to stop herself from being sick and screwed her eyes shut, when he urged his wrist towards her mouth again. The coppery smell filled her nostrils and she gagged when the hot liquid spilled into her mouth.

  He pulled her closer until her back was resting against his chest, his wrist held firmly to her mouth, giving her no choice but to swallow.

  "Suck harder, Chere."

  His deep growl into her ear, coupled with his erratic breathing and the erection pressing into her bottom, did strange things to her insides. Or maybe it was the effect of his blood. She pushed his wrist away, as her body felt lighter, the aches and pains being replaced by the heat of arousal. He groaned into her ear when she wiggled her bottom into his cock, and her excitement rose to fever pitch.

  "Coralie, if you don't stop wriggling I shall not be responsible for my actions." His hands roamed to her hips and pulled her tighter against him. Oh, that felt so good, but she wanted more. Right now she wanted, no, she needed him. After everything she learned and witnessed she needed to reaffirm that she was alive.

  "Chere, stop." His strained voice skimmed across the sensitive skin of her neck and sent tingles down her spine that settled in her core and turned her inside out. Liquid heat flooded between her thighs and she moaned her denial.

  "I don't want to stop, Lucas, please."

  She barely recognized her own voice – breathy and laced with need. The grip on her hips grew painful and she bit her lip to stop another needy moan escaping as he ground his erection into her bottom. The heat between her legs reached unbearable levels, her breath coming out in short bursts and she whimpered her need for him to fill her, to take away the unbearable need for release.

  She spread her legs to give him better access when his hand strayed under her robe.

  "You're so wet, Chere." She sighed her relief when his fingers sunk into her. His thumb rubbed her clitoris in maddeningly slow strokes and she pushed herself down on his relentless fingers. His hot breath fanned across her neck and his fangs scraping her neck sent her arousal higher, even as fear sliced through her.

  "Don't bite me."

  The butterfly kisses delivered across her neck with whispered affirmations that he wouldn't bite had her sinking against him. Her legs buckled and he pulled her back up with one hand. She was so deliciously close, but she wanted more.

  "Lucas, please, I want you inside me."

  The growled curse into her shoulder blades was followed by the sound of a zipper. Coralie held her breath, as he bent her forwards with a husky, "Hold onto the bar." The thick tip of his cock rubbed along her slit with maddening slowness. She grabbed the bar for support, as sensations assaulted her. Her breath escaped in one big whoosh, when he pushed himself inside her in one swift move until he was seated to the hilt. Her muscles contracted as his thick shaft lodged inside her, and she cried out when he started to thrust, slowly at first and then with increasing speed. She locked her arms and pushed against him, every thrust bringing her closer to the brink until Coralie’s climax exploded. He pulled her upright, lodging himself even deeper into her. His cock nudged her cervix with every move and she cried out at the pleasure-pain of the thick invasion. He increased his pace until all she could do was hang on for dear life. They came together in one earth-shattering orgasm that saw them tumbling to the floor in a heap of tangled limbs and shared laughter.

  ****

  None of that earlier laughter showed on Lucas's face now. He watched Jerry's block of flats with narrowed eyes, whilst maintaining a firm grip on Coralie's arm to stop her from dashing across the road. Her eagerness to see her friend seeped into his consciousness. Something had changed between them since that hard, fast ride against the bar. He'd half-expected her to be furious again, once the immediate effects of his blood had worn off. Instead he'd seen acceptance in her eyes and understanding had settled deep inside his ancient heart.

  His voice had been rough, with long suppressed human emotions battering their way to the surface, and she had eagerly taken him up on his growled suggestion that they should take this somewhere more comfortable.

  When night finally fell, she had adopted the role of his pet human with admirable enthusiasm, not even flinching when they came across Bughar in the corridor. Something suspiciously like pride had made his chest swell at her courage. When they'd finally made it out of Carmen's compound her trembles had started and he'd held her until she regained her equilibrium.

  "Can we go yet? There's no one here. Where are these supposed guards?" He shook his head in answer and she stamped her foot. She looked cute enough to eat right now and if he didn't sense Jacomo's presence he would have given in to the temptation to kiss that pout away. Instead he pulled her closer and indulged himself for a second, letting the warmth of her skin soak into his, her natural scent chasing away the faint stench of demon.

  "They wouldn't be very good guards if you could see them. Look over there." He pointed across the street and Coralie gasped. The shape of a wolf was visible for just a second, before he melted back into the shadows of the alleyway running parallel to Jerry's flat.

  "Okay, so if they're doing their job, why can't we go in?" She crossed her arms. The action pushed her breasts up and Lucas' fangs ran out. Merde. As if the sounds he could hear from Jerry's flat weren't bad enough.

 
"Your friend is a bit busy at the moment."

  "Well I'm sure she won't mind, she can't be that busy." There was that adorable pout again, and Lucas shifted in his tight jeans.

  "Trust me, she would mind." Amusement bubbled up inside him, as her eyes narrowed and she looked him up and down. A slight flush crept in her cheeks when her eyes strayed to his crotch, where his cock strained against his fly.

  "Jeez, Lucas, don't you ever think of anything else? This is hardly the time and place to – oh." Her mouth formed a silent O and she looked up to Jerry's lit bedroom.

  "She isn't…?"

  He raised an eyebrow in answer and flashed his toothy smile. That endearing flush turned bright scarlet and her eyes darted back up to the window.

  "Good God, trust Jerry." She punched him on the arm and he suppressed a laugh at her discomfort. "Stop listening in, for pity's sake. It's rude!"

  "It would be ruder to interrupt them, Chere, and besides it's hard not to. She's rather loud."

  "Lucas!"

  He did laugh then, at Coralie’s feigned outrage, and he silenced her protests by sliding his mouth over hers. Her scent engulfed him and he took the kiss deeper. She molded herself against his length and when they broke apart moments later they were both breathing heavily. Thankfully the noises had stopped, and the scent of demon in the air was now a faint memory.

  The fact he'd been there confirmed his suspicion that Jerry was the one Jacomo sought. His gut churned uncomfortably. Coralie would not take this well. Even now, her lips swollen from his kisses and her breath coming in short gasps, the scent of her own arousal hanging between them, she backed away.

  "Is it safe to go and knock on the door now?" She shook her head, looking back up to her friend's place. "I can't believe she's hooked up with someone else, after last time. You'd think she'd be a bit worried about my sudden disappearance."