Resurrected

by Kim Faulks

  It was too late for me to stop. This was a one way ride all the way to Hell. He was in my mouth before I could think, sliding over the end of my tongue and probing the back of my throat.

  “Fuck!”

  I swallowed his words with ruinous licks, dragging out every shudder. My focus was here, always here. Excitement spread through my body. I warmed, moving against him, wrapping my fingers around him as I dipped my head to run my tongue along the underside.

  “Nova. Nova!”

  Kol buried his fingers in my hair, pressing me harder, wanting to take more. I pumped his cock, finding that thick vein pulsing, calling me, whispering this is what you need. I squeezed my grip and pressed my face to his skin. His tortured moan turned into a whimper. I captured the pulse near the head, and carefully bit.

  He roared, pulling my hair so hard tears blurred my gaze, and came. With a rush he flooded my mouth, blood mingled with his essence running over my barriers like an overfilled sink. Love, desire…and me. An image of myself filled me, smiling, laughing, lips peeled back as I snarled. It was the first time we met, back in my apartment. Power surged, waves swallowed one after another and with each one I was stranded alone in this need.

  His hands released my hair. He was lifting me, throwing me against the bed. My head smacked against the pillows. Something sharp cut my mouth. Kol attacked with a frenzy, biting, sucking, grazing my skin with his teeth.

  He never held back, never stopped. My legs were shoved wide and with a brutal, mindless thrust he cleaved my body to the hilt. One hand enclosed my breast, kneading, clasping my nipple between his fingers. Danger lingered in his snarl. “You…bit me.”

  I couldn’t think, couldn’t speak, only slid my tongue along the gouge inside my mouth and tasted blood…my blood…his blood—his body.

  His brutal thrusts were perfect punishment. I grasped his arms, holding on as he rode my body. Salt and copper lingered on my tongue as I growled. “Harder. More.”

  His eyes were bright with hunger, and lust. “More?”

  The bedframe thundered into the wall, something cracked and buckled. We dropped, riding the mattress as the bed collapsed. Kol never lost speed, never lost his damn fucking nerve, driving harder with single minded fury.

  My orgasm rushed like a long forgotten memory to the surface. Past and present collided. With the taste of his blood, I saw myself through his eyes—I saw a need fulfilled—I saw wanting and a needing so desperate, and then I saw…home.

  “I love you.” I held on as he gave one last thrust and spilled. I held on while the river of need ebbed. I held on while those three little words filled me, swallowed me…and became me. “I love you.”

  The surge slowed. My body ticked like a cooling engine.

  His fingers were gentle, brushing strands from my face as he buried his face into my neck. I mapped the way his lips moved as he murmured into my ear. “God help me, I love you too.”

  Time meant nothing…not to me…not anymore. I could spend a lifetime here, wrapped in his arms, listening to the world pass us by on this broken bed of dreams. But then he had to ruin it—he had to break the spell.

  “Don’t you think we should talk about what happened?”

  I turned my head to stare at the wall. If I ignored him, maybe he’d be quiet.

  “You shouldn’t. Shouldn’t want my blood, Nova.”

  I flinched and wrenched my gaze to his. “What?”

  He moved away, rolling to the side and kicked the tangled sheets. “Vampires don’t like the taste of their kind. It’s not the way we are created.”

  My stomach hardened. “You did…I saw…”

  The slow shake of his head stilled my tongue. “Kill, yes. But drink from one…never.” His words slowed, edged with guilt, frantic for an answer. “Maybe it’s my fault. Maybe my blood is…tainted.”

  He couldn’t meet my gaze, staring at the sheets instead. I scrambled for an answer, searching that hollow pit inside. It hadn’t felt wrong…I swallowed. That’s all I could find. It hadn’t felt wrong. “Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that.”

  Blue eyes gripped me in an icy embrace. “Maybe you just need a taste of human blood, maybe you’re just finding your feet. I’ve never done this before. Never turned another.”

  “I’m sorry if I hurt you.” My words were strangled and weak. Disappointment was an ugly flower blooming in the center of my chest. I swallowed hard. “I’m sorry if I fucked this up.”

  “Look at me.” His finger was under my chin, turning my face toward him. “You didn’t fuck anything up and you didn’t hurt me.” His chest pressed against my arm as he took a breath. “You could never hurt me, Nova. You set me on fire. You make me hard just thinking about your tongue…and your damn fangs.”

  Fangs. My tongue edged over to the side. I followed the ridges of my teeth and skirted the bottoms until I found the point. I flinched, and wrenched my tongue back to the center of my mouth.

  “You are the most breathtaking vampire I’ve ever seen. I didn’t think you’d be so…”

  I lifted my gaze. “So what?”

  “Powerful. There’s something different with you. Something I’ve never seen before. They say our powers are created from what we want most at the time of our human death. I know it’s hard, but can you remember anything, anything at all?”

  The smell of burning flesh flooded my mind. My hand had burned, sizzled like a damn steak. I had no powers. I couldn’t even say the damn words…I couldn’t even seduce him. I had nothing. I shook my head backing away from that dark warehouse, panic closing around me like a tomb. He wasn’t the one who was tainted.

  It was me.

  “It doesn’t matter. Listen to me.”

  Shallow words. That’s all they were, aimed to make me feel better—but now I knew the truth. I forced a quick smile, then turned and rolled to the side of the bed.

  “I’ll teach you to hunt. I’ll teach you to be just like me. You’ll find your feet. You just need a little time.”

  I nodded and stood. “Sure, time.” My words were emotionless.

  Timber creaked and snapped. A hard thud followed as Kol rose in one swift move to meet me at the bathroom. His shaky voice said all I needed to know. “You will figure this out, Nova.”

  I stopped just shy of touching him. “And if I don’t?”

  “Then you don’t. Then we’ll adapt. You can have my blood until the end of time, if that’s what it takes. But, promise me one thing. No one can know. Not Rurik, not Angelique. No one.”

  It was just blood. Nothing more. He was making such a big deal. I stepped to the side and out of reach as he moved. “Fine, whatever.”

  “Listen to me. For God’s sake, listen!”

  He grasped my shoulders, snapping me to attention. “Others will see you as dangerous. You’ll be a threat.”

  I closed my eyes. I couldn’t take anymore, not one more thing.

  “If you drink the blood of your own kind, then you might be able to kill your own kind. Are you hearing me, Nova?”

  Be careful out there, Nova. Monsters are real, and now you’re one of them.

  I flinched at the echo of my Mom’s voice and raised my gaze staring at my reflection in the mirror. She hadn’t said those words. She’d never say those words. I clung to my memories. I clawed and raked, and yet all I found was sand…fine grains. My memories slipped through my fingers.

  I had nothing. Nothing.

  My filthy face blurred. Something slipped from the corner of my eye. One single bloody tear trailed, leaving a mess in its wake. They cry blood…and now I cry blood.

  “Nova,” Kol called, taking one step closer.

  I spun and leapt, wrapping my arms around his neck, crushing my body against his, taking everything he gave and more. His hold was a vise crushing me as my pathetic words mixed with a sob. “What’s wrong with me?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with you. There could never be anything wrong with you. We just have to figure this out.”

&nb
sp; I swayed as he walked toward the shower. His hand left my back for barely a second and the hiss of the water filled the air. There was no steam drifting up from the spray. Water splashed, drenching my hair as he climbed into the stream, cradling me against his body. I dropped my head back. Blood and grime filled the white porcelain tub.

  My blood. Remnants of my death—gone—as though I hadn’t been alive at all. I lowered my feet to the bottom, feeling my own weight.

  “I’m going to take care of you. Everything’s going to be fine. I’ll make it fine.”

  His whispered words ran like rivulets in my mind, carving a path through the horror. I stood under the water. The familiar scent of my shampoo filled my nose and his fingers were in my hair, washing, scrubbing, replacing the old with the new.

  His hands worked my scalp and the back of my neck smoothing the strands with conditioner as he washed me. The whole time, he talked, telling me how much he loved me—telling me everything was going to be okay.

  The knots in my muscles melted under his thumbs. Crimson drops fell to splash into the water at my feet, until slowly, parts of me began to heal, parts of me began to believe. I lifted my gaze, finding the one tether I needed to this new world and to this body.

  Kol was a man of his word—I knew that. He’d proved that already. An ache spread through my chest. The quiet muscle inside still hurt. But he’d take care of me—and I would take care of him. I’d try. I’d force myself to do what needed to be done.

  I swallowed and forced the words. “So no more of your blood?”

  A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. “I never said that. Pleasure and pain, Nova. Although I have to say, you’re a damn fast learner.” He leaned in, his lips hovered over mine. “Just be careful…especially with the teeth.”

  I smiled at the wicked glint in his eye and licked my lips. Maybe this could work.

  His smile widened. “Now I don’t know about you, but I’m famished. We could catch a cab, steal my car from outside the warehouse, and find some nice, juicy human to sink our teeth into. How does that sound?”

  My hunger throbbed like a heartbeat, sending an ache through my teeth, all the way to the tips of my fangs. “Sounds perfect.”

  We danced, swapping places in the shower. Kol spun to stand under the spray. I dropped my hand and grabbed the wash, lingering over the hard curve of his muscles and reached lower.

  His hands stilled, washing the conditioner from his hair, and against my palm, his cock hardened. “Any more of that and we won’t be going anywhere, love.”

  He craned his body, towering over me. “And, seeing as though only one of us can feed during the day, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow night. You’re strong, Nova. But no newborn is that strong.”

  Still my hands never stopped, rubbing, stroking from the base all the way to the smooth skin at the tip. I couldn’t get enough of him—never wanted to have enough. Panic stared back at me from the depths of his gaze, followed by excitement. A growl trembled those perfect lips. Suds slid down his chest as he reached for me, grasping me by the waist and lifting me in one sudden rush.

  I wrapped my legs around him. His cock found home, parting me, filling me. We were alive in this moment—perfect without a heartbeat—just him and me. Here was my nirvana—here was my home.

  His hard thrust scattered my thoughts. I grasped his shoulders as he pivoted and pressed my spine into the wall. His chest crushed mine and the rush of air filled my ears. Desperation rode each powerful stroke. I speared my fingers through his hair, holding on while his body punished mine, forcing me to keep up.

  A high-pitched moan tore from my lips. The end rushed to meet me, swallowing me, stealing the world from view. He gripped, fingers pressed into my flesh, while inside I was coming apart at the edges.

  His name lingered on my lips and bounced off the walls as I jerked and shuddered. He held on, not yet finished and drove me into the wall with one savage thrust. Something cracked behind my head.

  Kol gave a roar and stilled, his chest pressing into mine as he gasped. Mumbled words filtered to my ears.

  I sucked in a breath, fighting to find my thoughts. “What?”

  He raised his head and searched my gaze. “I meant what I said to the human.”

  Images crowded in; running, laughing, the driver. I shook my head.

  “About you being my wife.”

  My breath escaped in one long rush and for a second none replaced it.

  He slipped from my body, eyes fluttering under the spray of water. “I fully intended to do this the proper way. But seeing as we’re a little past courting, you’ve left me no other course of action. So, Nova Flynn.” His hands lingered on my hips long enough for my legs to stop from shaking and sank to one knee. “Will you do me the utmost honor of becoming my wife?”

  Wife? I opened my mouth to speak.

  His forehead creased. He reached for my hand. “Breathe, Nova, honey.”

  I sucked in the air, a hard ball of nothing lodged in the back of my throat. I slapped a hand over my mouth as a cough tore free. I gasped and inhaled, staring as the concern in his eyes deepened.

  My words tripped and tumbled. “Yes. Yes… Oh, God, yes.”

  His smile was instant, radiating warmer than any sunny day. He rose and captured my hand. “I’ll keep you safe. You’ll never want for anything. Never.”

  “As long as I have you, I won’t.”

  He turned off the water and cast the shower curtain aside. His hands were there, guiding me, taking care of me. He spoke with an urgency, talking about rings and dresses—even talking about a new house. I’d never seen him act like this—chattering like some excited school girl—and for this moment, his happiness was contagious.

  Same block, same faces. Kol slowed the car to a crawl and leaned close. “That one, love. He’s got desperation written all over him.”

  I swallowed and stared at the guy standing on the corner. “No, not him. Keep going.”

  Kol slammed on the brakes pitching me forward. The seatbelt snapped tight, digging into my shoulder.

  “This is the tenth one, love. It’s got to happen tonight. You won’t make it to tomorrow night.”

  I gave a snarl and turned to the window. The guy looked too innocent, too young—too damn human—my stomach rebelled at feeding from him. “I don’t think I can ever get used to this.”

  “What, hunting?”

  I winced at the word. “Yeah, that.”

  “It’s our nature, Nova, no different to breathing. Just think of it as that. You’re taking a breath, a beautiful, sustaining breath.”

  He made it sound so easy.

  “Just try this once. If you can’t, then we’ll think of something else.”

  I jerked my head toward him. “Like what?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe my blood can sustain you, although that shouldn’t be possible. If not we’ll think of something else, maybe an animal?”

  The grimace on his face said it all. Here I was, the predator—yet I was the one backed into a corner. I reached for the handle and turned back to the young guy’s hopeful gaze. He stared into the passing cars, searching, wanting. I clenched my jaw and growled. “I’ll do it.”

  My emotionless words were born from my dark pit of despair. “I’ll do it.”

  Kol killed the engine and brushed his hand along my back. “I’ll be there with you every step of the way.”

  I cracked the handle and shouldered open the door. The young guy turned toward the movement as I stepped from the car. His breath stilled, but his frantic pulse gave him away.

  I covered the distance in long languid strides and with each step his heart picked up pace. The offset street lights never reached the alley behind him. Maybe that was the reason he lingered here in the dark shadows of the night, waiting to be needed while vampires combed the streets for food.

  Excitement and fear stained the air, filling me with a fragrant spice. My body reacted to the scent, desire trailing along m
y spine with a seductive touch. His eyes widened, gaze drifting down my body and then jerking up to my face. The cold ache in my chest swelled. Comforting words suck in the back of my throat like a filthy rag. I tried to find something to say—anything to say.

  The muscles of his throat worked and the harsh sound of his swallow filled my ears. He reached out with a trembling hand. It seemed no words were needed.

  I followed suit, grasping his palm and slipped into the darkness. Kol followed, crowding my senses, filling me with the sweet scent of need. Images filled my head, silken skin shimmering, ice blue eyes. A throb echoed spreading out from between my thighs, and lapped my breasts, rolling each nipple in its greedy mouth.

  The tips of my fangs gouged the inside of my mouth. All I could feel was Kol—all I wanted was Kol.

  My meal tugged on my hand, leading me deeper into the alley, out of sight from passersby on the street.

  “Is here okay for you?”

  I caught the tremble in his voice and a seed of doubt sprang through. “Why are you doing this?”

  The thick, heavy beat of his heart answered. “I like to be used.”

  I closed my eyes and swayed. “Why would you want something like that?”

  “I have no family, nothing. No one to want me, no one to care for me.” I tracked his movement in the dark as he turned away from me. “This is my way of staying here, knowing that somewhere out there, one of you will come—that you’ll find me. You need me. You need me.”

  My voice was harsh and bitter. “You have your life…don’t…don’t waste it.”

  “What would you know?” He shook my fingers lose and raised his hand, wrist up, “Just get it over with.”

  I opened my eyes to stare at his pale skin, listening to the patter of his heart.

  “Take his hand, Nova,” Kol whispered in my ear, coming up close.

  I knew this guy, knew his words—Hell, I’d been these words. My hand was made of stone. I couldn’t do it, couldn’t bite his flesh, couldn’t take what he so freely offered.