Called to Order [The Order of Vampyres 1] (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Lydia Michaels

  “When I discovered what my father and the other men intended to do, I insisted on coming. I swore to do whatever my brethren required of me but harbored my own plan to save my uncle. I could not imagine my calm, tenderhearted mentor turning into such a beast. I was sure if it came to that I would be able to cure him some way or convince the others all hope was not yet lost.”

  Jonas gave a cold, humorless chuckle. “I was so naive. When we did eventually find him, it was in a field. The scent of bloodshed led us right to him. There were more bodies than I could have imagined. Cold, lifeless eyes stared back at us as we made our way past the carnage. When we finally found Isaiah, he was sucking the last drops of life from a woman who appeared long dead while he raped another still fighting for her life. It was a bloody mess, and he had become almost unrecognizable as the man I once knew.

  “We tried to save the woman he was raping, but when we pulled him from her, we realized his claws were actually holding her organs in place from where he gutted her. She died seconds after he released her. He was ferricked, deranged. He sprung at us like a demon, no longer seeing us as his kin. It was an image I hope never to see the likes of again.”

  “Did you kill him?”

  Jonas took a deep breath. “All of my plans to save him fell away once I saw how far he had fallen. We all attacked, but he was so full of human blood and rage he had become much more powerful than the twelve of us combined. Many men were hurt, some even lost limbs. Finally my father had him in his grips, his own claws and fangs out, ready to deliver a deathblow, when he swears he saw something human flash across his brother’s eyes, a glimmer of remorse perhaps. It made him hesitate only a second, but it was enough for Isaiah to gain the upper hand. He slit my father, his brother, clear across the throat, a gouge so deep it almost severed my father’s head. I ran to my father and made him drink from my wrist. The blood I fed him seemed to leak right out of his throat. I became distraught, thinking I would lose my father right there in my arms, murdered by the man I idolized most in my life.

  “Eventually, with many of the men donating their blood, he began to slowly heal. As you can imagine, by that time Isaiah was long gone.”

  “He’s still alive?”

  “We are unsure but suspect yes. You see, we waited too long and he grew too strong. It is a mistake we will never make again. People are watching Adam. They are weighing his every move. When he slips a little more into the darkness, he is taking another step toward his end. They will not let him follow his great uncle’s footsteps.”

  Anna shivered and wiped her eyes. She didn’t want to see such a thing happen to Adam. “I don’t know what to say,” she rasped.

  “Annalise,” Jonas said reaching over to take her hand. She looked into his silver eyes, eyes just like Adam’s, only Jonas’s were filled with unshed tears. “Please do not let Adam die. If not for me, then for my wife. She has lost so many children. Who knows what will happen to Cain after all of this is over. Larissa is busy with her own family now, and I cannot imagine Gracie being able to help my wife cope with losing Adam when she herself would be devastated. I know this is not what you asked for, but it is only you that can save my son. Losing him would rip our family apart in a way I don’t think any of us could ever recover from. I am begging you. Please.”

  * * * *

  Adam stepped away from the shadows by the kitchen door and returned to his room. He did not need to hear anymore. He would not allow things to come to that point. His family would not hold the burden of hunting him down like a crazed beast. He would end things before they reached such a point.

  He would give Anna another day to think. If at that point the idea of spending eternity with him still did not suit her, he would let her go and take himself where no one would find him. He would wait until the minutes just before dawn and slit his own throat. With no one there to offer him blood and the sun on his skin, he would slowly die, leaving nothing but ash and the woman he loved behind.

  It wasn’t long after he returned to the quiet darkness of his room that he heard Anna’s soft footsteps ascend the stairs. The knob turned, and she quietly slipped into the room and back into bed. He assumed she would fall back to sleep, but then her small voice called his name.

  “Adam, are you awake?”

  He turned to face her. “I am.”

  “Can we talk?”

  “Always. Would you like me to light a lantern?”

  “No, the dark is fine. I want to go home.”

  His heart seemed to chip, a piece of it breaking away forever in that moment. He would not force Anna into a life she would regret. “If that is what you choose.”

  She sucked in a breath. “You would just let me go?”

  “I will not take from you the life you know for something you did not want. I would be sentencing us to a lifetime of resentment and regret, something I do not want for you.”

  “Thank you.” She sighed. “But, that was not what I meant. I want to go home, but only to take care of some things. I know you need me and I cannot be gone long, but I will come back. I will let you drink from me before I go so that you’re strong and I give you my word I’ll return. I don’t know what will happen after that. I will stay as long as you need. And when things begin to…when you…well, I don’t have a problem with giving you my blood, but can we just cross the whole bonding bridge when we come to it?”

  “If you leave, I will follow. It is not because I do not trust you, but because I know my beast will not allow you to get away from me. No matter what we decided, I would not be far behind you. I am sorry. I wish it were not so. I dislike having so little control over my actions.”

  “You could come with me.”

  “We would have to travel at night.”

  “Could we take a car? I get motion sickness when you carry me in my sleep.”

  “I believe we could. How long would you need.”

  “A day, maybe two. I need to e-mail my professors and ask for a leave of absence. I suppose I could tell them I’m sick. I also need to notify Jim and explain some of this to Kyle.”

  Adam reached for her hand, needing to touch her. He did not like the mention of the man who had tried to climb in her bed. “Who is Jim?”

  “My boss. He owns the bar.”

  “And the other, Kyle, why must you explain yourself to him?”

  “Adam, Kyle and I have been together for almost a year. He deserves my good-bye.”

  “Are you sure you will be telling him good-bye?”

  She took a deep breath, the motion causing her breasts to rise under his shirt she wore. “Yes. What we had is no longer what I want.”

  “What is it you want now, ainsicht?”

  “I wish I knew. I don’t want to be tied up in knots anymore, to feel like so many people’s lives rest on my shoulders.”

  “You only need to worry about yourself, ainsicht. I will worry about the rest.”

  She sighed and turned to face him. Their noses rested only an inch apart. “I don’t want you to worry about it either.”

  “You are a compassionate woman, Annalise. Try and get some sleep. It is almost dawn.”

  “I’m not tired.”

  “Would you like me to put you to sleep?”

  Rather than answer she crossed the last inch that separated them in the darkness and pressed her soft lips to his. She kissed him softly in the dark for several long moments. He allowed her to set the pace and take the lead.

  When she pulled away, he watched as she slowly began to undo her shirt. He waited. Although his body was hardening and he wanted to take her, he was unsure if that was what she wanted. She slid closer to him and reached for him. Her hand caressed his solid length, slowly gliding up and down. Adam rolled to his back and allowed her to play.

  “Anna…”

  “Let me do this, Adam. This is what I need right now.”

  He sat passively as she gently climbed over his legs, his shirt spread wide over her narrow shoulders, bearing her beautiful,
pert breasts in the moonlight. She reached for him and guided him between her legs. When he felt her moist heat engulf him, he moaned in pleasure. She began to slide up and down over his length. He reached for her hips and guided her movements. He had never considered making love in such a position.

  Mesmerized, he watched as she fondled her breast then trail down to where their bodies met. Her fingers rubbed over the bud that bloomed from her moist petals and his throat went dry. She was stunning.

  Her hips began to move faster, the start of her climax caused the walls of her sex to flutter around him, making his own body tighten another degree. He tipped his head back and sighed her name, and she froze. He opened his eyes and looked at her, wondering what had made her pause. She blinked against the darkness and reached a hesitant hand toward his mouth. She ran a gentle finger over his lips, and his jaw loosened. That was when she ran the tip of her finger over his fangs.

  He shut his eyes, never before hating what he was so much. The next thing he knew she was leaning over and kissing him. She softly whispered, “Don’t bite me, okay?”

  He nodded. She ran her tongue over his lips and across his teeth then her hips began to move again. His hands slid to her round bottom and over her back, as the kiss grew bolder. She was not repulsed by what he was, only curious. It did not take long for them each to reach a place of pure pleasure. He held her to him as they climaxed together and afterward when she began to cry, he held her then as well.

  Chapter 18

  Anna awoke to the sound of gravel crunching and women and men shouting. Something was going on. Adam had already left for the day. She quickly climbed from their bed and ran to the window. Everyone was crowded around the large door to the big barn. Wanting to know what was happening, she quickly freshened up and tugged on her clothes. She barely had her bonnet over her head when she raced down the front porch.

  As much as she wanted to see what all the excitement was about she wanted to pee more. This outhouse business was for the birds. If she ended up staying here with Adam she would insist on indoor plumbing.

  When she finally reached the barn, she had to nudge her way past the others to see inside. There was a loud roar and then a loud cheer. She stilled when she saw that the noise was coming from an old Ford truck. He did it. He had actually managed to acquire a truck on a farm that didn’t even believe in electric appliances. She wasn’t sure how Adam had convinced the others, but she knew she was grateful. The idea of traveling home on foot was simply unacceptable to her.

  Adam had told her that while his order did practice much of the Amish faith and ways of life, there were exceptions. She supposed her request fell into that category. Well, that was good to know. Score one point for the Amish vampires. From what she understood, the Amish lifestyle acted as more of a veil between Adam’s kind and modern civilization than anything else.

  Still, perhaps if she decided to stay here on the farm she could convince Adam to acquire other modern amenities she couldn’t imagine living without, like a blow dryer and her laptop. She frowned when it occurred to her that those items would be useless without running electricity. Score a point for modern living.

  Adam sat behind the wheel and Jonas stood by the driver’s side door giving him instructions.

  “No, no, son, only use one foot. Your right one. The left just stays off to the side. It’s just like a carriage brake, except here you have a gas pedal, too.” The car gave a long, hard roar as Adam pressed the gas pedal while the vehicle was still in park.

  By no means was the truck a classic. Two large glass headlights dating the car back to the nineteen seventies marked either side of the big silver grill. She wasn’t sure what its original color had been. So many different paint colors overlapped on the metal exterior, it could have been red or white or even brown. The blue door had white sand marks all over it while the white hood had a big brown rust mark spreading over the top. The big tires raised the vehicle a decent bit off the ground, and the long bed could fit a smaller car inside. There would definitely be no air conditioner in this old thing. Anna smiled. One look at this truck and the Steaming Turd would be in love.

  Adam saw her and smiled. He motioned her over through the windshield, and his father stepped back. “I found us a car.”

  “I’d say. Do you know how to drive?”

  “It cannot be that hard. Here, come in.”

  Anna laughed and circled the front of the truck. The heat steaming from the grill heated her side as she passed the front of the hood. She could barely see in the window when she reached the passenger door. Reaching for the old metal handle, she pressed her thumb into the large silver button and the door clicked open with a groaning squeak. She stepped up on the side and climbed in. Adam smiled and reached for her, helping her pull herself the rest of the way.

  The leather upholstery was broken in to the point that she almost oozed across the bench seat which tipped from Adam’s heavier weight. He laughed and kissed her quickly on the nose.

  The console had an old needle radio and one big knob. Below was an ashtray the size of a serving bowl and a large gearshift stuck out from the wheel. At least it was automatic.

  “Would you like to go for a ride?”

  “Okay.” Annalise scooted more into her seat and reached into the cushions. Frowning, she said, “There are no seat belts.”

  “Don’t worry. I will protect you,” he declared confidently then turned to yell out the window, “Step aside.”

  The sea of black hats and white bonnets parted, and Adam placed his hands on the wheel and shifted his weight. “Now, which one’s the brake?”

  She opened her mouth and stared at him. “The left, Adam! Try to remember that please.”

  He laughed. “I was kidding, ainsicht.”

  She forced a halfhearted chuckle and gripped the door. The truck roared and lurched forward then stopped. The action caused her to propel forward then slam back in her seat. She looked at Adam.

  “See, brake. I told you I knew where it was,” he teased.

  “And to think, I was worried about dying from a vampire’s bite, not his driving.”

  They pulled out of the barn and Adam slid a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket and onto his face. The ride was bumpy and Anna was becoming carsick. They drove for several minutes and Anna gasped when she spotted a huge field with wild horses. The land was really quite beautiful.

  Similar houses to what Adam’s family lived in dotted the property. Porches were decorated with hanging laundry drying in the summer heat. The truck was hot, but Adam was barreling down the dirt roads fast enough that a breeze from the open windows cooled her heated skin. He turned and followed a winding road toward a large gathering of pine trees. When he stopped, she looked at him. “What are we doing?”

  “I want to show you something.” He reached for the door handle and Annalise grabbed his sleeve.

  “But the sun…”

  “I think I will be fine. I fed this morning before dawn, and where I plan to take you is somewhat shaded. We will not be under the direct rays of the sun for long.” He left the car and came to open her door. He lifted her down and kissed her just as her feet touched the ground. “Come on.” He turned and pulled her by the hand through the trees.

  When they came out from the cover of trees, there was a pond on the other side. She would have never guessed it was there. It was surrounded in a perfect circle of pines. “It’s lovely.”

  “I thought you would like it. Come on.” He tugged her to the water’s edge and turned. He reached for her bonnet and slid it from her head. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders the moment he removed the cap since she had not taken the time to pin her hair that morning. He turned her and began untying her apron.

  “Adam, what are you doing? Someone will see.”

  The apron fell to the grass, and his hands went to the tie at her waist. Her skirt fell as well, leaving her ridiculously fluffy, white bloomers for the entire world to see. “No one will disturb us here. We a
re still on my family’s land, and the others will scent our presence. They know better than to interrupt a male and his mate.” He lifted her blouse over her head and then turned to remove his shoes.

  Anna slid down her underpants and by the time they were at her ankles Adam was already naked and in the water. “God, you’re fast.”

  “Language,” he corrected as he wiped the water from his face sending his dark hair spiking every which way.

  “Sorry. Is it cold?”

  “Refreshing. Come on, before you get a snake bite on your bum.”

  She sucked in a breath and moved quickly to the water. She inelegantly trotted into the shallow banks, the cold water making her catch her breath. Just as she was about to go put her clothing back on, she stepped off of the bank and fell front-first into the water. On her plunge down her toes never touched the ground. She came to the surface, blustering about the cold and mopping globs of wet hair out of her eyes. Adam’s warm body came up behind her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her shoulders.

  She relaxed in his hold and let him support her weight. “Are there really snakes that bite out here?”

  He chuckled. “The only thing you have to worry about biting you around here is me.” He playfully nipped at her shoulder.

  She turned in his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. “Let me see your teeth.” He hesitated then slowly opened his mouth. She frowned. “Where are your fangs?”

  “I told you, they only show when my emotions are high or I am about to feed.”

  “But last night…I mean…I’m naked. Why aren’t they out?”

  He smiled. “Because I am focusing very hard on keeping them in.”

  She looked at his beautiful face. She wanted to remove his glasses but was afraid the sun would hurt his eyes. “I want to see them.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then kiss me.”