A Vampire's Saving Embrace

by Darlene Kuncytes

  “Good night,” Abby whispered – her voice barely audible.

  “Thank you, Lucas,” Desmond replied distractedly. His mind focused on the fact that Abby knew. But just how much she knew was yet to be determined – which caused a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he swore that if vampires could get ulcers, he would have one – possibly several!

  As soon as Luke closed the bedroom door, Abby turned to Desmond, her mouth set in a determined line, her eyes narrowed. “I don’t like this at all,” she stated quietly, but with conviction.

  Desmond tried to pull her closer, but she placed her hands firmly against his chest and pushed herself away slightly - her green eyes snapping fire. “No, Des,” she insisted, shaking her head. “Don’t you dare try and distract me. We need to discuss this.” She took a deep breath and held his gaze. “I won’t do this to all of you. I just won’t. I’m a danger to all of you.”

  Desmond sighed in frustration. How the hell was he going to convince her that she had no choice in the matter. He didn’t want to argue with her, he only wanted to hold her and to find out exactly how much she already knew – plus he needed to deal with the fact that Argramon was back – and try to figure out just how in the hell the bastard had done it. Lucas was right - this wasn’t just about protecting Abby anymore, he thought with a frown.

  “Abigail, this is not open for discussion,” he stated stubbornly, his mouth set in a tight line that masked her own - his expression as impassive as hers.

  “Not open for discussion?” she repeated, in complete shock at his gall. This was her problem, she silently reasoned – and she could not accept the fact that these people were risking themselves for her. A complete stranger who had stumbled into their lives because a drop-dead gorgeous vampire took it upon himself to become her Knight in shining armor.

  “Desmond, Luke told me that you almost died the last time you came across this demon,” she breathed and he immediately tensed -his damn jealously bubbling to the surface once again. It was bad enough that Luke had taken the liberty of calling her “Ab” – which had set his blood boiling, but now they seemed to have discussed him at length. What else had the two talked about? The thought infuriated him – and as ridiculous as he knew it was – he was unable to stop it.

  “Did he now? Well, it seems that you and the cur seem to be exceedingly chummy all of a sudden,” he bit out, much more harshly then he had intended - yet his eyes glittered with anger.

  Abby stiffened, her mouth turning down in a frown. “We are friends,” she replied, pulling away from him and standing - her tone cool. “At least he had the decency to be honest with me.” She snapped, her entire body tense.

  “I have been nothing but honest.” Desmond countered - standing and walking up beside her. She turned and looked up into his eyes – the eyes that she loved, and tried to remain calm - but she just couldn’t pull it off. Her overwhelming fear for him wouldn’t allow it – it clenched at her insides like a vise. All she could think of was trying to find a way to keep him safe.

  “Have you?” she demanded softly. “Sometimes not telling someone something can be worse than lying,” she said and immediately regretted her words – not meaning them in the least. He had been totally truthful with her from the start, and he most likely had his reasons for not telling her about her father. It didn’t mean that he wouldn’t. She was just so consumed with worry that he would be hurt - or worse yet, killed if she didn’t stop this.

  She opened her mouth to tell him that she hadn’t meant it, but snapped it closed when she realized that she needed him to be angry. She needed him to distance himself from her. “At least Luke trusts me enough to tell me the whole truth,” she said, hoping this would do the job. “Not just bits and pieces of it.” She watched guiltily as hurt flashed across his eyes to suddenly be replaced with a cool indifference.

  “Forgive me. I stand corrected,” he replied softly – his features strained. He took her arm and began walking towards the door and Abby felt a moment of panic rush through her – was he kicking her out of his house? She glanced down at the robe she wore and inwardly cringed.

  Well, she thought sadly, if he was throwing her out - at least that would mean that he and the others would no longer be risking themselves for her – but the thought of leaving Desmond sent a wave of utter terror through her. And the thought of being thrown out on the street dressed only in his oversized robe sent a current of heat to her cheeks. What the hell was she going to do?

  When he turned down the hall, away from the staircase leading downstairs she breathed a sigh of relief. He opened a door at the end of the hall and motioned her in. “You can sleep in here tonight,” he said, his voice still controlled and distant. “It won’t be safe in my room until that window is replaced.”

  “I…I, thank you,” she whispered, wanting more than anything to reach out and lay her hand on his bare chest - but knowing that she couldn’t. She needed him to keep that coolness in his voice – no matter how much it destroyed her, and she knew that if she touched him - she would be lost.

  She thought she could do this – but Desmond’s attitude was like a knife to her heart and she felt her eyes welling with tears and did everything in her power to bite them back.

  “Get some rest, Abby,” he replied, his face unreadable. He lifted his hand as if to touch her cheek, but caught himself and lowered it back down to his side. “I’ll bring you up a tray. You must be famished by now.” He turned and headed downstairs, leaving her to stare after him - choking back a sob as she desperately fought the inner battle between what she knew she needed to do and what her heart wanted her to. And as selfish as it was – her heart was putting up one hell of a fight.

  Desmond stormed into the kitchen, cursing under his breath. He knew he had done the right thing. Let her be angry with him. He needed some distance between them anyway - especially now that he knew he had to deal with Argramon once again.

  His body tensed at just the thought. Argramon was the most powerful demon Desmond had ever come across and he knew this was going to be dangerous – for himself as well as for Abby. But he would give up his very existence to protect her, and if the last time that he came across the demon was any indication -he might just have to do that.

  The bastard had almost brought him to his knees – but it didn’t matter, he would make sure that Abby was safe – no matter what it took. She was his first and only priority – and the thought of that bastard knowing about her and sending his flunkies after her enraged him.

  “Why in such a snit brother?” Marcus asked, walking through the back door.

  “Careful,” Desmond warned - glaring at him as if he was ready to pounce.

  “What? Don’t tell me there is trouble in paradise?”

  “I mean it Marcus,” Desmond ground out, his eyes flashing silver. “I am not in the mood for your bullshit right now.”

  “Des, I understand that you’re all jacked-up over Argramon and all, but please don’t take it out on Abby. She doesn’t deserve that.”

  “This is none of your concern,” he growled, his voice low – yet threatening.

  “Isn’t it?” Marcus questioned evenly, “Seems to me that it is. In case you haven’t noticed – we are all in this together Des, and I won’t let you hurt that woman just because you are too stubborn to admit to yourself how you feel about her.”

  “How I feel?” Desmond snorted. “I feel nothing more for her than a duty to protect Obilex’s heir - although, I will admit that she has been quite a pleasant distraction,” he finished - the words sounding hollow, even to himself and he inwardly cursed himself for his weakness. This woman had him tied in knots.

  Marcus folded his arms across his chest and studied his brother closely. “So, let me see if I understand this correctly. She is nothing more than a warped sense of retribution for not being there when her father was killed, is that it?” He smiled sardonically at his brother, his eyes gleaming wickedly. “Or perhaps it is her Fey blood
that calls to you?” He asked -his eyebrow rising, “I believe I get it now. You carefully seduce her - planning on having her become so desperately attached to you that you can then keep her for your own private blood-bank. Plus, you get the added bonus of screwing her brains out.”

  He knew he was hitting below the belt when he saw Desmond cringe as if he had been hit – but he also knew how completely hard-headed his brother could be and he figured that he needed a hard dose of reality -whether he wanted it or not. “I have to say, Desmond - that is brilliant. I do hope you are at least planning on sharing her blood with your own brother – if not her body. I honestly can’t say I wouldn’t mind having a taste of either one, seems to me she’d be a little hell-cat in the sack.”

  “I swear by all that is holy…,” Desmond ground out, his entire body tensing – his eyes gleaming with fury. It enraged him to hear her spoken about in that manner.

  “Upset with the thought of sharing - or do you just plan on draining her dry and being done with it?” Marcus threw out, his lips twisted in a sarcastic grin, “because that would be quite selfish – at least drain a bit for future use. I mean, she is one of a kind now, isn’t she? It would be such a tragedy to let all that delicious fey blood go to waste with just one feeding. And I do have to admit, I am a tad jealous that you were the one who chose to play with her. She smells delicious. And if she only tastes half as good as she smells…well hell, that would still be fine dining. I mean, think about the amount we could have if you would just continue playing with your little “distraction” while we drain her slowly . I’m sure you would have no trouble at all convincing her to give it up with your soft, pretty words. Isn’t that how you got her into your bed in the first place? Or perhaps now that you have bedded her - you are becoming bored? We could always throw her to the dogs when we are done – I’m sure Lucas wouldn’t mind one bit.” He finished, his eyes narrowed.

  “Enough! I…” Desmond stopped as the scent of vanilla and lavender hit him and he turned toward the doorway – only to find it empty. He shook it off as wishful thinking and turned back to his brother, trying desperately to contain his fury. “You know that damn well isn’t the case,” he replied, his voice much more controlled than he felt. He was actually trembling with his rage.

  “Yes, actually, I do,” Marcus stated simply, “but you really need to think about what you’re feeling Des. You don’t need to be distracted - especially now. And I truly believe once you’ve resolved yourself to the fact that this woman is extremely important to you, the better. You cannot spend the rest of eternity feeling unworthy of having someone care about you.”

  “There is no place for her in our world,” he replied softly – all the anger flooding from him at once, and Marcus could hear the hopelessness in his voice.

  “You seem to forget, big brother – she already is a part of our world.” With that, he turned and walked to the door. “I have to go meet Luke. I suggest you think long and hard about what you want,” he turned and studied him a moment before shaking his head. “Or better yet, think hard and fast about what you deserve.” He said with a sigh, then turned and disappeared into the night- leaving Desmond to stand there, staring at the closed door – his entire body as rigid as if it were made of stone.

  Abby crept up the stairs as quickly and quietly as possible – her vision blurred with tears. Cursing herself for coming downstairs to apologize in the first place. It would have just been better to have been oblivious to everything, she thought sadly. When she silently closed the bedroom door, she fell back against it, her hand covering her mouth as a sob escaped her. The pain she felt at the realization that Desmond cared no more for her than a blood supply cut her like nothing ever had – and to hear he and Marcus discussing whether he was going to drain her or bleed her made her physically ill. It was as if she could actually feel her heart shattering into a million pieces.

  Everything he had done from the beginning had been a careful plan to get her to trust him…care for him, so that she would stay and be his own personal freaking meals on wheels! She slid down to the floor, hugging her knees to her chest as she let the tears flow. Nothing in her life had ever hurt as much as Desmond’s betrayal. He had played the enamored vamp well, she thought with a deep consuming sadness – and she had been taken in by his charms - hook, line and sinker! It was bad enough that she had thrown herself at him, but to think that all of his gentle ways were only an act hurt like hell. She knew it was stupid to trust another man. Dumb…dumb…dumb! She took a deep, steadying breath and wiped the tears away as she tried to think of what to do. She could no longer stay here, that was certain – but where could she go? And just how was she going to get out of the house?

  She stood, and began to pace the room, walking over to the window and staring out into the night. She definitely couldn’t leave when it was dark, she surmised. No, it had to be during the day, when Desmond couldn’t follow. She knew that she could go to Kat- that her friend would help her all that she could. The problem was in finding a way to get to her. She chewed at her bottom lip as she tried to think of a way out.

  If she could just bide her time until morning, she could most likely steal away before he even realized it. Marcus never seemed to be around during the daylight hours, so that was one less thing to worry about. She would have to try and avoid the brothers until she was able to escape unnoticed. She wiped her cheeks again and straightened her back stubbornly. She would get out of here, she swore silently to herself - and then she would let her body, mind and soul feel the overwhelming sadness that was enveloping her entire being.

  She jumped when there was a light tap on the door and turned to watch as Desmond entered the room, carrying a tray of food as promised. Normally her stomach would have growled in anticipation, but now she only felt a knot of pain as she tried desperately not to stare at the man she loved.

  “I brought you dinner,” he said, setting down the tray.

  She turned and stared back out the window, hoping he wouldn’t see the hurt in her eyes. “Thank you,” she murmured, trying desperately to keep the tremor from her voice. “But, I’m really not very hungry. I believe I’ll just go to bed. It’s been a tiring day and it’s late.”

  She heard what seemed to be a sigh, and then his deep, rich voice filled the room. “As you wish. I’ll just leave the tray here in case you change your mind.”

  He paused, and Abby could feel a tingling sensation run up her spine and knew that he was watching her closely – trying to read her, and was thankful that her blood prevented it. There it was again. Her damned blood, she thought miserably. It always came back to her damn blood. She squared her shoulders and turned to meet his gaze – refusing to let him on to the fact that she was painfully aware of what he had planned for her. “Good night, Desmond.” His eyes locked with hers and she fought the unwelcome urge to run to him and throw herself into his arms –begging him to love her as she loved him, or telling him that she didn’t care that he only wanted her for her blood – take it! Take it all – just as long as she could be with him. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and turned back to the window, he body rigid. She could not let him see her break. She was stronger than that.

  She needed to accept that this was the way it was to be. She had been alone her entire life, and that was never going to change. It was the way it was meant to be, and this small taste of Heaven she had experienced being with Desmond was only an illusion.

  “Abby…” he began, but she cut him off, knowing that the soothing velvet of his voice would shatter what little resolve she had left - and a part of her wondered if his calming tone was just another vampire trick.

  “Please, Desmond,” she quietly begged, her eyes once again glazing with tears. “I’m really very tired and just want to get some rest.” She choked out as Marcus’s words echoed in her mind. “I’m sure you’d have no trouble convincing her to give it up with your soft, pretty words.”

  There was silence and just as Abby was about
to turn around to see if he had silently left the room, his husky voice stopped her. “Very well, then. Good night.” She noticed a note of what seemed to be sadness in his voice and silently applauded his acting skills. She didn’t turn around until she heard the click of the door being closed behind him.

  She finally let out the breath she had been holding and threw herself onto the bed, muffling the sound of her sobs into the pillow.

  Desmond slammed out of the house and stormed across the yard- hoping a walk would clear his head. Just what in the hell had happened tonight? He seethed. It seemed as if he and Abby had been at odds all evening - and then Marcus!

  His brother’s taunts echoed in his brain, causing his anger to turn to blinding rage. To even insinuate that he was only using Abby to obtain her blood made his skin crawl. He would do everything and anything in his power to insure her safety – and it had nothing to do with wanting to use her as his own fucking personal supply!

  He loved her too damned much… Desmond stopped dead in his tracks as the realization hit him like a physical blow – his knee’s actually getting weak and threatening to give out on him as the truth hit him full force. He loved her. Holy fuck, he thought in wonder – he truly loved this woman. She was his life – his mate. No wonder everything he was feeling felt so foreign to him. He had never been in love before – not even close.

  That was - not before Abby had come into his life - and now that he realized how deeply he did love her, he knew that he could never let her go. She was a part of him. She was his soul – his heart. She had brought him a joy that he had never experienced before - she had brought light into the darkness of his existence and it felt as if she were the very meaning of why he even existed at all. This all-consuming love felt so blasted good that he wanted to shout it from the rooftop. My God, he thought in wonder, he had never felt so complete.