Saving Sarah (Blissful Bets #2)

by Alaska Angelini

  Voices caught Sarah’s attention, and she walked to the door, listening closely. The sound of Evelyn’s laughter instantly made her smile. “Well, I guess we did sleep all day and night, Evelyn and, I’m sure, Brandon and Stephen are here. I’m jumping in the shower real quick. You can join me if you want. I mean, we don’t have to do anything. I just like being with you.”

  He smiled brightly. “Okay, let me go tell Devon and the others we’ll be out shortly.” Gavin brushed his lips against hers and was gone before she could even open her eyes.

  Sarah walked and turned on the shower, testing the water until it felt warm enough to get in. She had just rinsed the soap off her body when he pulled back the curtain and stepped in.

  “Devon told us not to be long. Evelyn’s not feeling too well, and they want her in bed, resting.”

  “Is she sick? She sounded fine.”

  Gavin shifted on his feet and shrugged, stepping in the water next to her. Confused, Sarah waited patiently while he washed his body. Her friend hadn’t seemed sick. She was laughing.

  Stepping back into the water, she quickly got her hair wet. Gavin surprised her by filling his palm with shampoo and working it into a lather. Just the feeling of him touching her, easing his fingers into her hair made heat quickly cover her skin. She suddenly realized his powerful, defined body so close to hers.

  A laugh caught Sarah off guard, making her jump. “Now, now. If you start with those types of thoughts, we’ll never make it out of this bathroom, and we have people waiting.”

  “I’m sorry.” Sarah placed a kiss on his chest. “I think I like you taking a shower with me.”

  Gavin’s took a deep breath “I like it, too. Don’t worry, I promise to make this up to you real good when everyone’s gone.”

  “I’ll hold you to that.”

  Sarah rinsed her hair and got out of the shower as fast as she could. As she walked into her bedroom, Devon was waiting. The smile transforming his face made her blush. The last twenty-four hours seemed surreal the more she thought of it. She’d never imagined herself this happy again, especially with her ex.

  “Everyone’s waiting in the living room, but Brandon thinks it will be better to unlock the memories here on the bed. He seems to believe you’ll be in need of some…attention, after he’s done. We’ve all agreed that it’s probably best for Gavin to take care of you. I’m sure there’s going to be a lot to discuss once we know something.”

  Sarah froze. “Hold on, I don’t understand. If Brandon’s a vampire, how is he out during the day? Shouldn’t he be dust right now?”

  Devon and Gavin both laughed. Devon opened his mouth to explain. “Honey, that’s just myth. Well, kind of. You see, vampires are sensitive to sunlight if exposed over a certain length of time. They get really bad sunburns if they’re in it too long, but I think they’re main problem is light in general. It’s horrible for their eyes. I think that’s probably why they wear shades a lot, even in the dark.

  “The older the vampire, the more problems they face. I guess that’s where the myths came from. After a certain point, the pain makes it impossible for them to come out during the day, not to mention their skin burns a lot easier with age.”

  “Oh.” Sarah took a deep breath, trying to process everything. As her mind drifted her to best friend, she pushed the fascinating thoughts about what Brandon was away. “I want to speak with Evelyn before we do this. I was told she felt sick.”

  Devon’s smile melted off his face. “Yes, she wasn’t feeling very well, but I think she’s better now. You and Gavin get dressed, and then I’ll send her in.”

  Sarah watched him walk out of the room. Biting her lip, she couldn’t shake the unexplained nervousness. As quickly as she could, she threw on clothes, hardly noticing Gavin getting dressed behind her. Advancing toward the door, she was surprised when it opened and everyone walked in.

  “Ev, what’s going on? Why are you here if you’re not feeling well?”

  The smile that appeared across her best friend’s face momentarily confused her. Evelyn didn’t look sick. The paleness of her skin looked normal.

  “Sarah.” Slowly advancing, Evelyn turned to look at Stephen and Brandon, and then faced her. “I wanted to wait, but the secret is driving me crazy. I have to tell someone, and I want it to be you, but you can’t tell the girls yet.”

  “Of course, tell me.”

  The smile slowly left her pale face only to return moments later. “I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby. Isn’t that great?”

  Sarah could feel her lips part as she fought to think of words to say. Truly, she felt happy for her friend, but she wasn’t expecting the news. She froze in shock. She quickly fought the images of her own pregnancy so many years ago and thought of Ev. Closing her mouth, she walked forward, embracing Evelyn’s small frame.

  “That’s wonderful news. I’m so happy for you. How are you feeling?”

  Air brushed against Sarah’s neck as Evelyn laughed. “Tired, nauseous. But I couldn’t be happier. What about you? I was told you’re finally marked.”

  Heat filled her cheeks at Evelyn knowing, but it wasn’t as if her friend hadn’t undergone the same thing. Pulling back, Sarah walked to sit on the edge of the bed. “I feel great, wonderful, actually. But come sit by me and tell me more about you. How far along are you? Have you thought of any names, a gender you’re leaning toward?”

  “I’m not sure yet.” For moments, her friend studied her face. “Sarah, please. I know this must be hard for you.” Evelyn sat down on the bed, grabbing her friend’s hand. “There’s plenty of time to talk about the baby. Right now, let’s just focus on you. Brandon thinks he can find out more about Tom by doing this. I couldn’t agree more. There’s nothing to be afraid of, I promise.”

  Cautiously, Sarah looked up at Devon, then Gavin. “I trust you, Ev. I know you wouldn’t let anything happen to me. But really, I’m okay about your pregnancy. Please don’t keep anything from me because you might think it will upset me. I’m better now, I promise. Now, let’s get this out of the way. I want to hear about the baby. If this is the only way to get you to tell me the details then what do I need to do to get started?”

  “That’s my girl.” Evelyn waved Brandon in their direction. “I want you to lie back on the bed. You need to get in the middle though. Gavin will be on one side of you, Brandon on the other. He’s going to…bite you, and then after he’s finished we’ll leave you and your mate alone while we discuss what we’ve learned with Devon.”

  Sarah nodded and crawled to the middle of the bed. She could feel her heart hammering away at what was about to happen. Everyone kept saying it wouldn’t hurt. What if it did? What if something went terribly wrong?

  Brandon and Gavin settled themselves beside her. Panicked, Sarah bolted into a sitting position. “Devon…”

  Devon quickly reached her side. “What is it? Sarah, if you don’t want to do this, all you have to do is say so. We’ll stop right now.”

  “No, I just…Just tell me everything will be okay. When you go discuss this, you won’t be gone long, right?”

  A smile stretched across his face. “No, I’ll hurry back as fast as I can.”

  “All right.” Sarah lay back against the bed and closed her eyes. “Brandon, if you hurt me, so help me God…”

  A loud laugh echoed through the room. “I won’t hurt you. Evelyn would have my hide. Trust me, the last thing I want to do is upset her right now her. That woman has a temper like you wouldn’t believe.”

  “I can hear you,” Ev said, laughing.

  “Right. Okay, Sarah I want you to relax. Gavin, do me a favor and face her toward you and kiss her. She needs to be, well, completely relaxed, if you know what I mean.”

  Sarah felt Gavin’s arms go around her as he pulled her to face him. She looked deep into his eyes, and like every time she rested close to his body, she instantly calmed. The brush of his lips was soft against hers, gently coaxing her mouth open to receive his tongue.r />
  The remaining people in the room vanished with the first intoxicating kiss. Heat flowed freely throughout her body, increasing the moment Gavin’s hand trailed over her hip and up her ribs. When his hand slid against the bed and wrapped around her neck, Sarah was so lost in their kiss, she hardly noticed how exposed her neck became.

  Fingers weaved into her hair, at the nape of her neck, pulling her deeper into the passion. A slight sting pierced her neck, instantly vanishing. A feeling only Sarah could describe as body euphoria filled ever crevice of her being. What felt like instant and multiple orgasms combined made her dig her nails into the muscle underneath Gavin’s T-shirt.

  His hand tightened in her hair while they moaned into each other’s mouths simultaneously. Thoughts vanished into a jumble of complicated twists while Brandon sifted through the events of her past. She knew what he was doing, but her brain couldn’t focus, no matter how hard she tried. Overpowering pleasure seemed to be the only thing Sarah could process.

  Gripping Gavin’s back tighter, she forced herself not to go any further with him, no matter how much she wanted to. As long as she didn’t forget people watched in the distance, she couldn’t touch him the way she wanted.

  “Brandon,” Gavin pleaded, breaking his mouth away from hers only for a moment. She knew he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. The hardness of his cock pushed against her stomach, causing her to fight against throwing her leg over his hip to have him closer.

  Images began to flash in Sarah’s mind, leaving her frozen. Everything disappeared as Tom’s fangs sank into her neck. The same pleasure she experienced now made her plead out to him. She couldn’t believe the way she could see herself acting. It was so unlike the way she responded to her bets. Promises poured out of her mouth. Promises she knew she’d never keep if she were in her right mind. She could feel the fangs ease out of her neck, and the light blue eyes blazed down at her.

  “You belong to me now, Sarah. Tell me you belong to me.”

  “No,” she could hear herself whisper. “I can’t. I’ll do anything tonight, tomorrow night, a month from now, but I don’t belong to anyone.”

  “Maybe not now, but you’ll eventually beg me to make you mine. You’ll see me, and you won’t be able to help it.”

  “Not true.”

  “But it is. You promise me a continual affair, something your mind tells me you never do, but I want more than that.”

  “I said I can’t.” Sarah could feel the bliss begin to wear off and her mind clearing. “I said affair. You’d be smart to take me up on my proposition. It’s one I’ve never offered to anyone.”

  The length of Tom’s cock eased inside of her. Holding in a moan, Sarah focused on not giving into what he wanted. She couldn’t belong to him. Her heart would always belong to someone else.

  “I have all the time in the world. You will be mine, Sarah.”

  She wrapped her legs around his waist, ignoring his words. All she wanted to focus on was the act. And those fangs, she wanted to feel them again and again. But she wasn’t willing to give herself over to him eternally for it. She knew what he meant, what he wanted.

  While Tom thrust into her repeatedly, Sarah could feel herself tightening. The instant her orgasm rocked her body fangs sank deep into her neck again causing her to scream at the intensity of her release. Blackness took over, as she hovered on the brink of unconsciousness.

  “When I call tomorrow you’re going to see I was right. You’ll want me to come back. Would you like to bet on it, Sarah? You like bets so much. Don’t think I couldn’t hear you and Red discussing me. How about we place a wager? If you beg me, I win. If you don’t, you of course win, and well…let’s face it. You’ll belong to me regardless.”

  “Never.”

  Eyes narrowed. “We’ll see about that. If I wasn’t being watched so closely by Channing, I’d turn you tonight. But he’ll know. He knows everything. I can’t afford for him to find out my plans, so I’ll wait this one out. You see, I don’t have that many chances left. One more mistake, and I’m history. Masters really don’t like their children to make trouble. Now, sleep. I’ll be watching.”

  Fangs sinking back into her neck was the last thing she felt. Sarah’s memory ended, leaving her feeling nauseous. Blinking, she tried to bring the room into focus. Gavin’s blurry face looked at her quizzically.

  “Brandon, stop,” Sarah whispered.

  “She’s going to be sick. Stop,” Gavin snapped.

  The fangs exited her neck leaving her feeling weak. The room began to spin, but she fought the queasiness. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but it wasn’t that.

  “How did you fight the pleasure? You shouldn’t have been able to resist the lust no matter what you saw. Actually, you shouldn’t have cared what you saw. The visions should’ve gone to the back burner, so to speak.” Brandon got off the bed and walked around to face her. Gavin brushed the hair back from her face while she tried to stop the rolling in her stomach.

  “I don’t know. The pleasure vanished the moment the images appeared. Who’s Channing, Brandon?”

  “Channing? You can’t be serious.” Devon walked over to them, anger filling his face. “Channing has been a pain in my ass for the last fifteen years. I’ve only run into him a few times, but every time, there’s always some kind of trouble following him around.”

  “Devon’s right,” Brandon sighed. “If Channing is Tom’s master, then we’ve got trouble. I don’t know him well. My master warned me a long time ago to steer clear of him. He’s known in the vampire community for playing dirty. I guess we’ve found the reason why your stalker has waited a year. Anyone would be stupid to go up against Channing.”

  “But Tom’s afraid of him. Can’t we go tell him about what’s going on?” Sarah sat up in the bed, swaying slightly. She couldn’t help but wonder how much blood Brandon took while unlocking her memories.

  “You can’t just go up to Channing MacGregor and strike up a conversation. It just isn’t done. Plus, we’d never get past his guards, although if truth be told, he doesn’t need them. His powers are like nothing you can imagine.”

  “Powers? What do you mean?”

  Sarah stared at Brandon, confused, but he didn’t continue. Throbbing began to manifest at the back of her head, and it took everything she had to remain sitting.

  “Sarah, I think you need rest. You’re really not feeling well.” Gavin’s soothing voice had her leaning toward him.

  “Yeah, that’s because she fought the glamour.” Brandon said softly. “If she wasn’t marked, she wouldn’t have stood a chance. It’s just a headache. The pain should subside soon. I need to make some calls and Evelyn needs rest. If Tom is stupid enough to come over here, then he deserves what you two do to him, but do not leave Sarah. If you do, you’ll regret it. He’s watching at all times. I guarantee it.”

  Brandon took Evelyn’s arm and led her to the bedroom door. “Oh, and there’s one thing I know that Sarah couldn’t, and that’s his determination to have her. When a vampire locks a human’s mind, they leave an imprint. His allowed me to see what he thought at the exact time this took place. She knocked him down a peg by not begging him to stay like every other girl does. He’s used to them pleading him to either change them over or be with them forever. That’s why he wants her. He knows she won’t submit. It’s a challenge.”

  “We won’t leave her,” Devon said, sitting on the other side of the bed.

  Nothing had turned out the way Sarah expected it to. Besides Channing’s name, they didn’t know anything new. Now, not only was her head pounding away, her stomach still felt heavy with nausea and the effects of Gavin’s kiss. The combination wasn’t something she liked very much. At least she knew an aspirin would take care of the headache. As for her craving, well, she’d take care of that as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

  “Ev, go get some rest. I’ll call you later. And, I want details of everything you’ve thought of so far, names, ideas for a nursery, e
verything.”

  Her friend laughed and leaned her head on Brandon’s chest. “I’d be happy to go over everything with you later. Right now, I’m going to nap. It seems lately I can’t get enough rest.”

  “No joke. She’s been sleeping all the time. I’ve never known anyone to not hear an alarm clock in the morning, take a nap during the day, and still want to go to bed early. She sleeps more than a newborn,” Stephen said, teasing her. “Anyway, we’ll see you all tonight, right? It’s movie night at Ayden’s. He called me just before we got here. Nicole is anxious to meet Sarah.”

  “We’ll be there,” Devon said.

  Everyone said their goodbyes, and Gavin quickly locked the front door behind them and brought Sarah medicine. Thoughts of movie night set her heart racing and her head throbbing harder. Finally, she’d really get to meet Nicole. Evelyn spoke of her so frequently, she felt like she already knew her. Sure, they’d spoken on the phone, and been introduced before, but it wasn’t the same.

  Evelyn and Nicole were a part of something so big, a culture humans never even really thought about—vampires and werewolves. Would the gathering be just like any other, just movies and a group of people hanging out, or would she be walking into something unexpected? Maybe movie night wasn’t really a movie night at all. What if the words were code for something else entirely?

  “What are you thinking about?” Devon asked. Sarah jumped. “Oh, it’s nothing.”

  “No, it is something. You looked somewhere else entirely. Are you sure you’re feeling all right?”

  “I’m fine, I promise. But about this movie night. It is a movie night, right? I mean is that a code word for something else?”

  Devon laughed and looked at Gavin, who took Sarah’s glass of water and sat it on the bedside table.

  “It’s definitely code,” Gavin said seriously.

  Devon’s eyes shot to the floor and then looked back up. “Yeah, we should have told you sooner. What we wolves call movie night is really hunting/orgy night.”

  Sarah looked at Devon and then Gavin, and then back at Devon. “No. No way. You said hunt. Hunting what? And…orgy. I can’t see that happening. I mean…I’m not so sure I’d be comfortable with that. I don’t know these people and…You’re joking, right?”