Lure of Forever

by Doris O'Connor

  "She would never hurt anyone, not even by accident. It's not in her nature." Lucas's furious denial made Ion step back a few paces. The smile on the shifter's face had Lucas grinding his teeth.

  "Take it easy. I know she wouldn't, but you know how fond Louisa is of our gardens. She blew up at Coralie only yesterday. Unfortunately, Coralie didn't take it well. Marnie had a devil of a job coaxing her out of her room and she's been refusing any blood at all. If she carries on like that, she'll get ill. So, like I said, I'm glad you're here at last. Marnie has been worrying herself silly over the both of you."

  Fear for Coralie's safety sent a cold chill up Lucas’s spine and he turned back to the window, careful to stay in the shadows. Both men lapsed into silence, observing Coralie's interaction with Lando. Ion's son was chatting away and Coralie listened intently, a small smile on her face. Again her inherent sadness tore at Lucas's heart. There were shadows under her eyes and every line of her body spoke of bone-weary tiredness. She moved with deliberate slowness, her body instinctively conserving energy. She needed rest and a good dose of blood, too. Why the fuck was she refusing it?

  Time to end this. Lucas opened his mind and waited.

  He knew the minute she sensed him. Her whole body tensed and her head swung around, her furious gaze connecting with his. Lando scrambled off her lap, as Coralie's skin started to glow and waves of shimmering heat pulsated to her fingertips. She balled her hands into fists and took several deep breaths. The shimmering stopped and she smiled at Lando and started to walk towards the house.

  "Holy fuck, I'm out of here. Hope you've got your fire-proof suit with you. Looks like roasted Lucas will be on the menu tonight." Ion chuckled and punched Lucas in the shoulder. "Gives a whole new meaning to breathing fire, does your Coralie. Oh, and I'll charge the damages to you, mate."

  Lucas nodded his assent, not once taking his eyes of the woman approaching him.

  ****

  Coralie's skin was too tight, her whole body consumed by internal fire. Her fingers burned and she itched to release the sparks shimmering on her fingertips. How dare he sneak up on her like this? And how dare he look so goddamn sexy and good enough to eat? All this time and he chose to make an appearance now?

  She was barely aware of a chuckling Ion shutting the dining room doors behind him, so focused was she on the vampire standing in the shadows. Lucas held himself perfectly still, making no move to stop her, even as she unleashed the power surging through her and burned the chair next to his legs. Sparks rained on his trouser legs, burning holes in the fabric, the smell of singed fabric filling the room. Another burst of stars from Coralie's fingers singed the ends of his hair, as she aimed a blast over his shoulder and one of the paintings on the wall dissolved into ash.

  It was only when she aimed for his chest that Lucas finally reacted. He was on top of her in the blink of an eye. His hands grabbed hers, interlinking their fingers and Coralie watched in stunned fascination when his hands glowed and the warmth spread up his arms, where it slowly faded.

  "Pardonnez-moi, mon amour. Je n'aurais jamais quitté."

  All the fight went out of Coralie at the whispered apology and her treacherous heart blossomed and swelled inside her chest until it felt as though it was going to burst with hope and happiness. She ruthlessly slammed her mental shields down and snatched her hands out of Lucas's. The frown on his face and the hurt in his eyes tugged at her bruised heart and she crossed her arms to stop herself from giving in to the need to touch him, and to run her hands all over that broad chest. Damn it all to hell. He'd left her without a word, left her on her own to figure out all the terrifying things happening to her body, and yet, all she wanted to do was climb into his arms and never let him go. Her eyes roamed all over him to appease her anxiety and her body responded to his nearness with embarrassing predictability. A new fire consumed her, liquid heat built between her thighs, as the force of her physical reaction pooled low in her abdomen and spread across her skin like arcs of electricity. Her jaw ached and burned and hunger consumed her. A fierce gnawing ache in the pit of her belly and her eyes zeroed in on the pulse visible at Lucas's neck. Her incisors grew until they stung her lips and she threw her hands over her mouth in horror.

  Oh God, what is happening to me now?

  Coralie tried to back away, tears clouding her vision, but Lucas's arms went around her waist and pulled her in. She shook her head, desperate to get away, every low swoosh of his heartbeat magnifying in her ears until her whole being focused on the sound of his blood rushing through his veins. Her fangs grew longer still, the ache in her jaws now unbearable, and her hands formed into claws. They sliced through the fabric of his shirt. The coppery scent of his blood filled her nostrils and Lucas groaned in her hair and pulled her face up. She resisted, her strength matching his. She sliced through his skin again and again, in her effort to get closer, her body's only focus to sink her fangs into his flesh and sate the bloodlust consuming her. The beast within howled its need, her own blood heating with the need to feed.

  "Let me in, Chere, let me help you. You've got to focus. You can beat this, Coralie."

  The urgent words penetrated through the mists swirling in her brain and joined in with the low chanting, urging her to pay attention, to open her mind and listen. Lucas's presence flooded her mind, reassuring and familiar, and obliterating everything else.

  "That's it, breathe. Focus, slow your heartbeat. Breathe with me, slowly." Her mind focused on his voice, his breathing matched his and she screwed her eyes shut, every fiber of her being concentrating on his gravelly tones, talking her down until the fire ceased to burn, the fog lifted and her teeth retracted with a soft click. Her legs buckled and her body slumped as fatigue hit her.

  "Easy, Chere, I've got you." Lucas’s presence surrounded her and she closed her eyes against the wave of nausea threatening to overwhelm her. Bile churned in her gut and despair clawed at her. She pushed against his chest, suddenly desperate to get away. God, she was a monster. She had to be to react like that.

  His vice like grip on her neck made her wince and he forced her head up, until she had no choice but to look at him. His eyes swirling with a myriad of emotion, they bored into her soul until he touched his head to hers.

  "I take it that hasn't happened before."

  "No." Coralie shook her head and dropped her gaze. Horror suffused her when she saw the torn shreds of his shirt, encrusted with his blood. His torso of course healed once again. She trailed a finger over the dried marks of blood and Lucas pulled his stomach in on a sharp intake of breath. Coralie's eyes widened as his cock hardened and rose under her ass and when he once again tilted her chin up, the worry in his eyes was replaced with the heat of lust.

  "You've allowed yourself to go too long without blood. Your body simply responded to the need to replenish. As your maker I triggered the feral response you should have had when you first woke up. I'm sorry I wasn't here then. It would have been far easier on you, had it happened then, rather than all these weeks later. But, I had to get away. Coralie, had I known what you were I never would have left you."

  Coralie's heart clenched at the pain behind those growled words.

  "What am I, Lucas?"

  ****

  The whispered question lodged inside his heart like a poisoned dart and festered. He ruthlessly squashed down on the rising surge of his own feelings of guilt. This wasn't about him. This was about the woman he loved.

  Merde, he shook his head and forced a smile on his lips. His insides twisted and churned, sweat pooled between his shoulder blades and he ground his teeth together. He never once thought he would love again. It left you open to so much pain and heartache. And, so he'd run away. Unable to deal with his guilt over having turned her, having robbed her of her chance of children, her chance of a normal life, he'd left her to face the reality of who she was, who she had always been destined to be, on her own. In the process he had endangered not only Coralie, but Marnie and Ion and their little boy, who
he loved as his own.

  His gaze strayed to the window. The sun was now setting and the children had been called in by their mothers. The air streaming in through the open window turned chilly as the sun dipped behind the tree line. It would soon be dark enough to travel and he had to get Coralie away from here and Carmen's influence. If his maker couldn't use Coralie, she would have no compunction of ordering her execution. In Lucas's absence the only thing that had kept Coralie safe was the protection of Ion's pack.

  Not for the first time, Lucas owed Ion. One day the shifter would need the favor returned, but for now he had to get the trembling woman in his arms to agree to come with him.

  "Is it that terrible that you can't tell me? Is that why you left?"

  His hold on her tightened and he dropped a kiss on her forehead, breathing in her unique scent. She pushed against his chest and he reluctantly let her go. When she would have stood up, however, he pulled her back on his lap with a muttered curse and kept a firm grip on her neck with one hand, tilting her head up with the other.

  "The reasons why I left aren't important right now. I was a fool, let's leave it at that. Too far up my own ass to think much beyond my own hang ups. I never should have left you. I just hope you can forgive me, in time. I would fully understand if you never wanted to see me again, but for now you're stuck with me. You need to come with me and away from here, Coralie. Your presence places everyone in great danger."

  Her eyes grew huge and filled with tears, the little color left in her cheeks drained away until she looked transparent.

  "So, I am the monster Jerry thinks I am? God, am I going to turn on others the way I did on you?"

  "Non, you're beautiful and strong and unique. What happened was a reaction to me and me alone. It won't happen again, and besides, you controlled yourself far better than I have ever seen a new vamp do. No, the danger comes from other sources and until you have made a decision you're vulnerable. Carmen would love to get her hands on you and use you for her own means. I'll die before I let that happen."

  "Why does she want me? What makes me so unique? Everyone keeps skirting the issue, but no one will tell me anything and Jerry, she spouted some nonsense about me being a witch, but I'm not, am I? She said…she said," her voice broke and Lucas pulled her closer to his frame, relief flooding him at the trusting way she leaned into him. Her fingers dug into his biceps and he felt her whole body tremble as she fought for control.

  "What did she say?"

  "She said Mummy appeared to her and that she was a witch, but she wasn't. She can't have been. I would have known, wouldn't I?" Coralie looked up at him, her eyes filled with desperate hope that made him feel like the worst heel ever, to have to be the one to tell her. Some of the hope dimmed, the longer she looked up at him, and her expression dropped when he nodded.

  "Your mother was the last in a long line of witches that can trace their ancestry back to the very first coven. She renounced her powers when she came of age. She wanted to live a normal life, because she had fallen in love with your father and she wanted to protect any future children. If your life hadn't been threatened you never would be faced with this decision now."

  "I don't understand. What decision?"

  Lucas sighed. She looked so confused, even as her skin started to glow again. He picked her hand up and Coralie gasped as the glow intensified and spread up his arm. She tried to ball her hands into fists to hide the sparks at her fingertips.

  "Don't, Coralie, you're beautiful. You have the power of your ancestors coursing through you, if you choose to use it. That's how you defeated Jacomo. That's why you can walk in the sun and have such control over your vampire side. That's what makes you a powerful weapon that Carmen will want to use." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the sparks, making her eyes widen further. "You need time to work out what to do, and you need protection. That's my job. I took some of the choice away from you when I turned you, but I'll make damn sure you can reach your decision without any outside influences."

  His heart soared at her tentative nod of agreement.

  "Where are we going?"

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Coralie snapped the heavy ledger shut and wrinkled her nose as the dust motes danced in the rays of the evening sun. She stretched and tried to rub away the crick in her neck. She'd sat here for hours, too excited to finally have found something concrete, to move. They'd arrived at Lucas's cottage a week ago, after an emotional farewell from Ion, Marnie and little Lando. The little boy had burst into tears when she left and Coralie too had broken down, once safely inside Lucas's car. Lucas had stopped the car once they'd rounded the bend and pulled her onto his lap, where she'd sobbed her heart out into his shoulder. When she'd finally got herself under control he'd handed her one of his monogrammed handkerchiefs, causing a surge of fresh tears. Lucas had sighed, dropped a kiss into her hair and settled her back in her own seat with a gruff order for her to get some sleep.

  Not having slept properly in days and exhausted after everything she'd learned, she'd indeed fallen asleep. She'd stirred when Lucas carried her into her the cottage and the next thing she'd become aware of was waking up in a huge four-poster bed. Lucas was fast asleep, his long legs falling off the end of the chaise lounge at the other side of the room. Coralie's heart had beaten a strange rhythm against her breastbone.

  She'd left him sleeping and tiptoed out of the room to investigate her surroundings. The cottage was cozy and welcoming, furnished with antiques and decorated with original artwork. The two other well-equipped bedrooms made her smile, hope blossoming inside her. He'd had no reason to sleep on a cramped couch, other than wanting to stay close to her. Surely that meant he cared for her a little…why else go through all trouble to bring her home? When she'd turned around, Lucas stood in the doorway quietly watching her.

  "How are you feeling now?"

  "I'm okay. Could murder a coffee."

  The ghost of a smile had kicked his lips up.

  "Coming right up."

  She'd watched him moving around the little kitchen, and as the aroma of coffee filled the air, she'd needed to ask.

  "Why did you sleep on the couch when you have two other bedrooms in this place?"

  He hadn't looked at her, just continued wiping the spotless kitchen counter and Coralie had to wonder at the tension in those broad shoulders.

  "You were restless. I wanted to make sure you were okay. Waking up in a strange place can be disorienting." He'd turned around then, his green eyes searching her face. "You're still too pale. You need some blood."

  "No, I don't. I don't want any."

  "Coralie, you will get ill if you don't. This isn't up for discussion, Chere."

  "I can't, please don't make me." Her stomach had rolled at the thought of forcing more blood down her and terror filled her at the thought of what her body may do if she gave in to the ache in her jaws. "What if I lose control again? I couldn't, I don't. I don't want to turn into a monster."

  He'd been next to her in an instant, drawing her trembling frame into his side and she'd simply given herself up to the comfort he offered.

  "You could never be a monster, Coralie, but your body needs blood." She'd heard the soft click of his fangs and screwed her eyes shut, her heartbeat roaring in her ears, as her nostrils flared at the scent of blood. Before she could do anything at all, Lucas had pressed a shot glass into her hand and urged her to drink. Confused by his actions and compelled by the hypnotic quality of his voice, she'd downed the contents in one go, bracing herself for her stomach to rebel—only it hadn't. Warmth spread through her veins instead and a sense of rightness settled on her.

  "That's my girl. See, that wasn't that bad, was it?" Lucas smiled at her and that feeling of belonging increased.

  Coralie shook her head to clear away the maudlin thoughts. She may feel as though she belonged, but Lucas had kept his distance. He'd been polite and attentive: a comforting, but never prying, presence in her mind that kept the other voices at b
ay. Voices that still scared her witless, but at last she had made a decision. It had taken a week of poring over old ledgers, tracing her family ancestry and learning about the intricate involvement between the original vampires and the ancient covens to reach her decision. Coralie's ancestors had been the ones to curse the vampire race into darkness to try and stop the spread of vampirism, which was fast turning into an epidemic.

  The original vamps hadn't taken kindly to that and a bitter war had ensued which had spanned centuries and involved many other facets of the supernatural community. Whilst a fragile peace now existed, skirmishes broke out all too frequently. Coralie's heart beat a little faster when she came across Lucas's history. The old troll had been right. Not once in his three thousand years had Lucas turned a human. He'd killed many––in fact, he was the assassin for the council and after Carmen, one of the oldest and most powerful vamps in known existence. Known for his ruthlessness, he was feared and respected in equal measure.

  His story made for gruesome reading and Coralie should have been repelled, but instead she'd cried for the lonely man the pages depicted. Not much was written about his human days, but one fact jumped out at Coralie. He had been married to a witch named Melisande, who was killed by a demon. Without knowing the name of that demon Coralie knew it had to have been Jacomo, because a just-awakening Lucas brought his mental shutters down with a resounding thud, leaving Coralie reeling.

  He was next to her in a whirl of air, slamming the vampirology book shut with so much force, Coralie was surprised the ancient texts didn't evaporate.

  "There is nothing in there you need to read." The pain behind those words brought a new wave of tears to Coralie's eyes. Lucas had jumped when a single drop of moisture fell on the hand with which he held the ledger.

  "Don't. It was a long time ago." The growled words made her reach out to him and he'd pulled her close with a muttered curse. His hold on her tightened for an instant with her heartfelt words, "Of course it matters, Lucas. I am so sorry."