Love Bites

by Aleera Anaya Ceres

  Ignacio’s voice snapped her head up. Her gaze flew to the doorway of the bathroom. He stood on wobbly knees with a towel slung low on his hips and steam swirling around his body. His brown hair matted against his forehead, and he stared at her with a horrified expression. There was something odd about his stance, the hunch of his shoulders. Almost as if he were...tired... Then it clicked in her mind. The sun was coming up. Ignacio would be wearing down right now, though he seemed to be fighting it.

  “Ah, this is your vampire lover, I assume,” Hunter said, eyeing Ignacio distastefully. “We meet at last.”

  Ignacio turned back to Katheryn in question. What’s going on? he asked.

  It took Katheryn a moment to realize he hadn’t asked the question aloud. She’d heard his voice like an echo in her mind, as if it had been her own thought. She realized Ignacio had projected his thought into her mind, using their connection as Soul Mates.

  Katheryn shook her head slightly but didn’t respond. She knew he’d try to talk her out of it, try to save her from Hunter. And he’d get himself killed in the process. She couldn’t risk it. She’d block him from her thoughts and lie to him.

  “Ignacio I—” Her voice cracked, so she cleared her throat and fought to control her voice. Blinking back her tears, she began again. “Ignacio I’m sorry. I’m leaving with my fiancé.”

  It hurt to say the words, but she had to do it. She saw the confusion flicker on Ignacio’s face followed by his disbelief.

  “What are you talking about, Katheryn?” he demanded. My love, don’t do this. His voice fluttered through her mind.

  She threw up a mental wall to block him out.

  She needed Ignacio to believe she didn’t want him. If he came after her, he’d get shot. He needed to live.

  She tried again, putting as much venom in her voice as possible. “What I mean is that I am going back to Hunter. He’s my fiancé, and I want to be with him. I just used you for sex.”

  He stared blankly at her words as she threw them at him, he didn’t betray a hint of discomposure but through their Soul Mate connection she could feel his emotions, the confusion and most of all, she could feel his heart breaking.

  “You don’t mean that,” Ignacio said angrily, looking from her to Hunter. “He’s threatened you, hasn’t he, love?”

  “Don’t call me that!” Katheryn yelled. Because it makes it harder to leave you.

  Ignacio's expression flickered, and Katheryn realized she’d accidentally projected the thought to him.

  Katheryn shook her head. With all these men around them, it was obvious Hunter was threatening them both. But if Ignacio thought for a second the men were going to kill her, he’d back off. Ignacio please, she pleaded and knew by the look in his eyes that he’d picked up the thought.

  Aloud she said, “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

  “Katheryn, darling, we really must get going,” Hunter said with a touch of annoyance in his tone and pulled her possessively to his side.

  The gesture irritated her. Ignacio growled low in his throat. Katheryn could feel the anger rolling through their bond.

  Hunter laughed, triumphantly. “Jealous, vampire?”

  Ignacio didn’t answer. Instead, he looked at Katheryn. “I will always protect you, my lo—”

  “That’s enough, Ignacio!” she interrupted with a shout. She didn’t want Hunter to hear anything that transpired between them. “Let’s go, Hunter,” Katheryn urged, pulling his arm. If Ignacio attacked Hunter, his men wouldn’t hesitate to shoot, and everything she said to him, all of those cruel words to protect him, would be for nothing.

  “Yes, darling. Let’s go.” He flicked a triumphant smile at Ignacio before turning toward the door with Katheryn.

  She held back her tears by biting the inside of her mouth until she tasted blood. I love you so much. This is for the best.

  Katheryn...

  Katheryn forced herself to look straight ahead as she waked out of the hotel room. She didn’t want to look back and see the hurt in Ignacio’s face. She couldn’t let that be the last image she had of him as she walked away.

  “You did well, my darling,” Hunter praised, patting her shoulder. He turned to the men, who’d remained inside the room. “You know what to do.”

  Katheryn, confused by his words, turned back and saw each man take out his gun and pointed it at Ignacio. Panic seized her. Her heart dropped to her toes. Instinct overwhelmed her, and she tried to jerk free and rush to Ignacio, to stand between him and the pointing the guns. But Hunter gripped her tightly, preventing her from going to him.

  “No, Hunter!” she screamed. “You promised you wouldn’t kill him!”

  Ignacio stood immobile, staring from the guns to Katheryn. His eyes wide with understanding.

  Hunter chuckled, coldly. “I promised I wouldn’t kill him, my dear. I never said anything about my men.”

  With a laugh, he dragged her through the door, leaving Ignacio alone in the room, surrounded by enemies.

  Katheryn clawed and scratched, trying to get back to her Soul Mate. She could no longer see him, but she heard his voice clearly in her mind.

  Katheryn.

  Then the sound of gunfire cut off his voice. A wave of pain knocked the breath right out of her.

  Then everything went black.

  Katheryn felt as though she was dying. She couldn’t quite explain the feeling, but the closest approximation to it was fire. Not the pleasant warmth of flickering flames she felt whenever Ignacio touched her. This was more of an angry blaze, engulfing her entire body, from the inside out.

  The pain of burning, of searing flesh ripped screams from her throat. The pain was too real, too powerful and raw. She lashed out, tore at her flesh, clawed at her chest, as if she were drowning in the flames, swallowing them whole, and they melted her. Breathing was difficult, she gasped but nothing seemed to drag air into her lungs.

  “Wake up!”

  The voice was harsh, distant, but she couldn’t concentrate with her flesh aflame. There was a piercing in her heart. She felt the hole, felt liquid fire course from it and through her body.

  A stinging sensation on her cheek made her gasp again. Her eyes opened, only to blink away the brightness that threatened to blind her.

  She coughed, feeling the rasp deep in her throat. Once her eyes adjusted to the harsh light, she slowly looked around at her surroundings. She was in a bedroom, with rich furnishings of black and white. Groaning, she sat up, realizing she was in a bed with lush pillows and warm blankets.

  “Katheryn, wake up!”

  She felt the harsh sting of another slap. She blinked away tears and rubbed her cheek. Hunter sat at the edge of the bed, scowling at her.

  “Hunter...what?” She felt groggy and disoriented.

  She glanced around the unfamiliar room, and that’s when the memories hit her. How she could she have forgotten them, even for a second? Now, she remembered running from the bodyguard, finding Ignacio, going to the hotel with him, and making passionate love. Then Hunter had come with his armed men. “Oh, God,” she groaned, slumping against the pillows as she recalled the men pointing their guns at Ignacio and the sounds of gunfire.

  Afterwards, there’d been nothing but a terrible pain in her chest. A pain she’d known hadn’t been her own, but she’d felt as if it had been. She knew what she’d felt had been Ignacio’s pain as dozens of bullets had torn into him. The shock and pain of her Soul Mate getting shot had knocked her unconscious.

  “Ignacio’s dead,” she whispered, blinking away her tears. Hunter had the audacity to smile at her, and she realized how truly sadistic he was. Rage boiled down to her very core. “You killed him! You bastard!”

  Despite her pain, Katheryn lunged for Hunter. She scratched her nails down his cheek and felt a moment’s satisfaction as she tore his flesh. She wanted him to suffer, to feel her agony. He had killed her Soul Mate, and he had no idea what it had done to her.

  But her vengeance barel
y lasted. Hunter slapped her hard against the cheek, and she fell on her back. In the next moment, he was on top of her, weighing her down with his body, gripping her wrists tightly at her sides.

  “You’ve been a naughty girl, my darling,” he whispered in her ear. She cringed, as if it could make her smaller.

  He pressed a kiss to the side of her neck, but it felt as though she’d been doused with acid.

  “Let go of me, you bastard!” she snarled, squirming beneath him.

  “I’ve never wanted you so much.” Holding her hands above her head with one hand, he fumbled the other between their bodies. Panicked, she fought against him, twisting and squirming.

  “Let go of me!” She tugged with all her strength, but his grip didn’t ease.

  “Why? Are you still thinking about that foreigner? You need to forget him, Katheryn.” He paused and stared down at her. She saw the crazed look in his eyes, recognized his manic possessiveness. Fear lodged itself in her like a knife.

  “Hunter, please…” she begged, feeling tears slide down her cheeks.

  “I’ll fuck him out of your mind.” He fumbled between them again, and Katheryn screamed, struggling against him.

  Before he had the chance to do anything more, a loud ringing interrupted. With a string of curses, he let her go and went to locate his cellphone.

  Katheryn scrambled to a sitting position, watching him warily as he walked to the bureau and picked up his phone. The brief conversation consisted mostly of him replying “yes” to whoever was on the other end.

  When he hung up, he turned back to Katheryn with a tight smile.

  “It appears we will have to postpone this until tonight, my darling. I have an important business meeting I must to attend to.”

  He pocketed his phone then fixed the lapels of his tweed jacket and straightened his pants. “I’ll be back later. Don’t worry about anything; you’ll have round the clock service at your disposal. And in case you get any ideas about trying to stab another bodyguard and escape again...” He paused and gave a little chuckle. “Well, this time, it’ll be much harder as there are armed guards posted at the doors. If you try to leave, they won’t hesitate to shoot you.”

  “Good to know,” Katheryn mumbled, bitterly.

  He nodded and walked back to the bed. Katheryn cringed away from his touch, but he held her firm and gave her a sloppy kiss that made her want to gag.

  “See you later,” he said, cheerfully then turned back. “If you need anything, just call one of your guards, and they’ll bring in the maid.”

  Katheryn didn’t bother watching him leave. She felt dirty all over, disgusted. Her burning hatred for him only grew. She’d hurt Ignacio, had said harsh words to make him believe she didn’t love him—to save him—but Hunter had killed him anyway.

  She’d never forget the look on Ignacio’s face as she’d told him he disgusted her, that he was a product of rape. Knowing those had been her last words to him before he had died left her gasping. She inhaled repeatedly, but her lungs refused to take in air, refused to give her comfort.

  She didn’t deserve any kind of comfort. She deserved to die for what she’d done.

  Katheryn brought her knees up to her chest and buried her face in them to hide her shame, to hide her tears. But the shame remained like a heavy sign, burning brightly above her head. Her tears flowed freely as she cried out Ignacio’s name, over and over, in sad desperation.

  He was dead.

  Her Soul Mate was dead, and it was all her fault.

  If only she would have pressured him more to get out of town, to leave Washington before Hunter had the chance to find them. If only she would have fought harder to save him.

  The pain was unbearable. Katheryn clutched at her naked chest, whether it was to feel if her heart still beat or to feel if it didn’t, she wasn’t sure. All she knew was she felt as though a part of her was missing. It felt as though she had a giant hole in her heart.

  “I’m so sorry, Ignacio!” she cried into her knees.

  She knew apologies were pointless. Ignacio couldn’t hear her pleas or see her remorse. Ignacio was dead. The reality of her lost Soul Mate sank deep into her brain, into her heart. She couldn’t imagine a world without him. Hell, she had just begun to imagine a world with him, with them together, and now, he was gone.

  And what would his poor mother do? Would she even find out her son was dead?

  Oh, God. What had they done with his body? Had they wrapped him up in a tarp and thrown him where he wouldn’t be found? Or had they burned his body? The thought made her head spin, and she sobbed harder.

  Ignacio, with his perfectly chiseled body and skin the color of light brown sugar. She remembered his honey golden eyes, his strong build, and those long delicate fingers. She saw his smile, his pointed incisors, the red flare when his eyes filled with desire. But more than that, she heard his laugh, heard the melodies he played on the piano for her, the music drifted through her mind like an old, familiar song.

  Katheryn lay against the pillows, wracked with sobs, letting the pain flow. Image of her Soul Mate filled her mind as she drifted, once again, into unconsciousness.

  Katheryn went to closet to find something to wear as she refused to walk around the unknown apartment naked. Hunter had stocked it with plenty of fancy dresses and silky pajamas for her to wear. Not too practical, she thought, but they were the sort of clothes he’d prefer her to wear, leaving her nipples half exposed beneath the flimsy fabric. Luckily, several pairs of expensive-looking fashion jeans and an assortment of designer T-shirts were tucked in the dresser drawers, along with some lacy undergarments.

  After pulling on jeans and a shirt, she slid her feet into a pair of white flats, she decided to take a look around the place. It wouldn’t help her to just sit around and cry all day, though it was what she really wanted to do. What she needed was to get off her ass and find a way out. If she was lucky, she’d be able to trick the new bodyguards—although she assumed Hunter had warned the new ones about her. Still, she could look around and plan, despite her pain.

  This bedroom had its own bathroom as well as the walk-in closet she’d already explored. The closet hadn’t yielded anything useful. Not even a pair of stiletto heels to use as a weapon, just flats and low pumps in an assortment of colors. None of the clothes had pins or other fashion attachment that she could have used either.

  A quick search of the bathroom told her Hunter had Katheryn-proofed it, too. No scissors, no files and definitely no pills. The counter held a hairbrush, shampoo, conditioner, body soap, a sponge and that was about it.

  Disgusted, she left the room and made her way to the living room, which was decorated with tasteful Moroccan furnishings. A Persian rug covered the floor. A beautifully carved coffee table held a graceful beaded lamp and remotes for the flat screen TV and VCR. She crossed to room to a small kitchen that had been stripped bare. No dishes, glassware or silverware. There wasn’t even any food in the cupboards or fridge.

  Finally, Katheryn went to the front door and tested the doorknob, only to find it locked. She took a hasty step back from it when she heard the lock click. The door opened, revealing one of the bodyguards, Who eyed Katheryn.

  “Is there something you needed?” he asked with brusque politeness.

  Yes, to get away. Instead of saying that, she made up an excuse. “Yeah. I’m hungry.”

  She crossed her arms, almost daring him to question her words. Her eyes darted behind him, checking to see if anyone else was in the hallway with him. If not, perhaps she could push past him and make her escape.

  Seeming to recognize the purpose of her gaze, he chuckled and moved aside his suit jacket to reveal the gun holstered underneath.

  “Don’t even try it,” he warned. “We were given specific orders to shoot you in the leg if you attempted an escape.”

  Katheryn snorted. “Good to know.”

  “So what would you like to eat?” he asked.

  “Surprise me,” she said then
stepped forward and slammed the door. The click of the lock told her he’d locked her in again. Heaving a sigh, Katheryn wandered back through the rooms, hoping she’d overlooked something on her first walk through. Maybe, there was a window she could climb through if she made a long rope from her bedsheets or clothes. Feeling determined, she went to search.

  The house was absolutely escape proof.

  They’d left no way for her to get out, she discovered. She didn’t want to spend the rest of the day huddled miserably in bed, thinking what life would be like without Ignacio. Not that it mattered, anyway.

  Whatever happened from here on would be her karma. If Hunter raped her, beat her, or did whatever he wanted with her, she’d deal with it. She deserved whatever he dished out, because she’d killed Ignacio. She hadn’t pulled the trigger, but he was dead because of her ex. She’d brought the ugly into his life.

  Trying not to cry, Katheryn plopped onto the couch and reached for the TV remote. While she awaited her fate, she’d watch some television. It would distract her from thinking about Ignacio—at least, she hoped it would.

  A short time later, Katheryn heard a key turn in the lock and the front door opened. She turned and watched her guard usher in a young woman with a serving cart. He stood for a moment and watched the woman roll it to Katheryn before closing the door and locking it again.

  On the cart was a large silver tray, loaded with covered dishes. Katheryn barely noticed. She was too busy staring at the young woman.

  The maid was of medium height, with long blonde hair worn loose around her shoulders. The woman seemed to avoid Katheryn’s gaze as she began setting plates and silverware on the coffee table. Katheryn followed her movements, certain she’d recognized her from somewhere.

  “Hey,” Katheryn said. “Look at me.”

  The girl, startled, dropped the silverware she held and stood before Katheryn with her head bowed. Her blonde hair fell forward to cover most of her face, but Katheryn saw she was biting her lip.

  “Look at me,” Katheryn repeated. When the girl looked up, Katheryn registered a moment of surprise.