by Alicia White
He chuckled darkly. “And why is it sad?”
She exhaled. “Because you’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.” It was true. He was inhumanly perfect.
“Really? Well, then, it’s my lucky day.” He grinned, flashing long, white fangs, and she swallowed hard. Was she really seeing this, or was it a figment of her overactive imagination? “I think you’re quite lovely, my Eternal Love.”
“Eternal Love, I like that.” Erin sighed.
“I’m taking you home now,” he told her.
Erin was pulled back to her reality. It didn’t matter that the man was her angel. He was taking her home, to heaven.
“Will you kiss me?” She felt silly for asking, but the desire to have his plump lips against her own was more important than being embarrassed
“Such a sweet request, love,” he murmured.
He lowered his head and kissed her. Full, soft lips pressed against hers, and Erin moaned. He groaned. As he opened his mouth, Erin took advantage, sweeping her tongue into his mouth. She brushed her tongue against his sharp fangs, confirming that they were really there. She momentarily froze, wondering why her angel had fangs. When his arms tightened, his right hand cupping her ass and his left gripping her shoulder, she stopped caring.
Her body ached, the need growing inside of her. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything, and that was saying something. Was it wrong to want this man to take her passionately? Was it wrong to want to see him naked, his hot flesh against hers? She wanted him to rip her clothing off and lay her on the grass. It didn’t matter that they were in the middle of a cemetery.
Pulling back, she stared at his swollen lips and panted, trying to catch her breath. He growled, and instead of the noise scaring her, it turned her on. His teeth seemed to elongate right before her eyes. Her angel lifted her higher in his arms and lowered his head, nuzzling her neck. Something sharp pierced her skin and Erin let out a shriek of pain, before she went limp in his arms.
Pleasure radiated though her entire body and her eyes grew heavy, closing without her permission.
Chapter 6
Elijah Moreau strode down the lavish hallway toward his brother’s suite. Anger and frustration burned through his veins as he thought of the debacle that had taken place in the cemetery. As the younger brother, he didn’t have much power or say when it came to the coven. Mikael ruled with an iron fist, leading them into battles with other paranormal factions over the New Orleans territory.
It didn’t make sense to him. Why couldn’t they all come together and live in peace? Why did blood have to flow every time a shifter, demon, or warlock crossed their paths? He was sick and tired of it all. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled, letting out all the negative feelings. It wouldn’t do any good to barge into Mikael’s room looking for a fight, especially when he wanted to end all the fighting.
When he reached the door, Elijah opened it and stepped over the threshold without knocking. The smell of rotting flesh assaulted his nose, and he made a face of disgust.
“It smells like death in here,” he muttered.
He didn’t know where the stench was coming from, and he didn’t care.
He needed an update. Men and women had been gravely injured, some dead. He had to get the facts from his siblings and calm the rest of the coven. Everyone was strung tight tonight, and he wondered if it was the constant battles, which didn’t seem to have an end in sight. The paranormal community was in turmoil, which wasn’t new, but he wanted it all to end.
Elijah didn’t understand why everyone couldn’t just get along and live in the same city. The territory wars were taking out paranormals on each side, including their own kind. If this doesn’t end soon, I’ve got to pack up my things and leave. He tried to keep everyone in his family together, but the fighting was pushing them apart, not pulling them closer.
“Yes, well, my Eternal Love is dying.” Mikael sneered, looking as if he wanted to rip Elijah’s head off.
Elijah took a small step back, his mouth opening and closing rapidly as he stood in shock staring at the woman lying perfectly still on the bed. If she was Mikael’s Eternal Love, she needed to be saved.
As of late, his older brother had been going off the deep end. He killed without provocation and wanted to go to war with the other paranormals that called New Orleans home. Most of the coven stayed far away from him.
The young woman could save Mikael, save all of them, but in order to do that she needed to be whole and healthy.
“There may be a way we can save her,” their baby sister, Sarah, whispered, and Elijah wondered if she could read his mind.
“How would we do that?” Mikael stared at Sarah, his eyes darkening, daring her to speak.
“A blood transfusion,” she quickly blurted out before pulling her lower lip into her mouth and nibbling on it.
She was afraid of Mikael, and for good reason, too. She’d been on the receiving end of his loud outbursts. The idea was valid, but Elijah knew that Mikael wouldn’t follow through. In order to save the woman’s life, he would have to sacrifice his own. He would have to give the human most of his blood and drain her dry. It could kill them both.
“If both of you give blood in the transfusion, she could be saved,” Sarah added, looking at Mikael and then Elijah.
Elijah immediately started shaking his head. “No, no, no…that’s a very bad idea.”
“But it could work,” Mikael murmured, a look of determination etched on his face.
“No way.” He couldn’t believe his brother would even consider it. “Think about what you’re asking of me. She’s your Eternal Love. With my blood pumping through her veins, she would feel connected to me. I would want to be with her. You’re asking the impossible, brother.”
“I’ll share her with you,” Mikael said, and the shock of those words hit Elijah square in the face. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but nothing came out. “I need you. She needs you.”
“You’re asking too much,” Elijah insisted.
“You would have me live without my Eternal Love? You would rip my heart out of my chest?” Mikael finally stood up and started pacing around the bedroom.
You’re a selfish bastard, Mikael!
He wanted to shout those words out, but instead, he kept his cool.
“Just stop and think about this. You’re a very possessive man, Mikael. You wouldn’t be able to share her with me. You’d want to kill me. Do you think that I should lose another…” he didn’t finish that sentence.
They all knew what he was saying. He’d lost his Eternal Love long ago. Now all he had were his siblings and the coven. That’s all he lived for now. He couldn’t go through the loss again, even if it meant saving them all. His heart couldn’t take the pain. It had already been forcefully ripped from his chest once. He wouldn’t be able to leave and start over, not with the human carrying his blood in her veins. He would need to be with her, just like Mikael. Knowing his brother, the man would lose it and strike out at him.
Mikael walked toward him and placed his hands on Elijah’s shoulders, staring at him in the eyes. “We can make it work, brother. I need you.”
Closing his eyes, Elijah exhaled loudly.
This is a really bad idea. I’m going to regret this.
Elijah nodded reluctantly. He’d always been the one to make sacrifices for his family, and now he was giving his blood to a woman that belonged to his brother. How was this supposed to work? Would Mikael really share her, or would he be stuck on the outside looking in?
When a vampire found his Eternal Love, the attraction was instantaneous. The other person’s blood would sing and call to the vampire, pulling him or her to them. With the vampire’s blood running through the Eternal Love’s body, the bond would grow between the two, sealing them together forever. Since Mikael was allowing Elijah to join in the mating, he would want the woman as much as she would crave him. The need between them wouldn’t dissipate, even if he left town and traveled
to the other side of the world.
“Good, then we’ll get started.” Mikael grinned triumphantly, turning away from Elijah.
Mikael turned on his heel and walked toward the bed. He touched the bedspread, his fingers tracing the intricate pattern. Elijah wondered what his brother was thinking. It was odd to see Mikael caring for a woman. Where did he even find her? He had come into the suite to question Mikael about the cemetery incident, and now he had more damn questions than answers.
“What are you waiting for?” Mikael turned and looked at Elijah before moving his gaze to Sarah. “Let’s get started.”
“Uh…” Sarah bit her bottom lip, looking nervous. “We can’t do it this second, Mikael. I need to get some medical supplies. I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to just drain her blood without monitoring her condition. We need to place a needle in her vein in order for her to receive your blood.”
“How long?” Mikael asked, his brow rising. “I don’t think she has much time left.”
“I’ll go right now,” Sarah told him, leaving the room.
The door closed behind her on a soft click, and Elijah stayed behind, watching Mikael closely.
* * * *
Mikael stared down at his Eternal Love. He touched the red silk bedspread, his fingers gliding across the slick material. He wanted to touch her, hold her, but refrained. The woman on his bed was slowly dying. The scent hung on her like a cloak of death. Her time was almost over. Her blood had started calling to him the moment she had stepped on New Orleans soil. He knew she was in town, out partying and having fun in her sexy little vampire costume and fake fangs. As soon as his business was over in the cemetery, he had planned to find her. Except that she had actually found him first.
And I still don’t know your name.
Reaching out, Mikael touched her face, gently running his fingertips across her cheek. Her facial bones were delicately carved. Her body was slimmer than it should’ve been, bones pressed against thin skin, from being sick for far too long. She was beautiful even with her skin pale and clammy to the touch. Pushing his hand through her hair, Mikael stopped when he noticed a clump of blonde strands in his hand.
Pulling his hand back, Mikael swallowed the lump of emotion in his throat. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He could still hear her voice when she asked him to kiss her. He wanted to do that and so much more. He wanted to heal her. With his blood and Elijah’s, they would be able to save her life.
“You’re going to be okay. My blood is going to take away all your pain,” Mikael told her, hoping his words were reassuring even though she was still unconscious.
“I’ve never seen you like this,” Elijah murmured, and Mikael turned around. He’d forgotten that Elijah was still in his room. “I’ll do whatever I can to help save her for you if this is the outcome.” He nodded his head toward the bed. “You being caring and loving.”
“Am I that hard to get along with?” Mikael chuckled.
He left his woman lying comfortably on the bed and strode to the sitting area. Elijah followed him. Opening the bar, he pulled out his private stash of blood and poured a glass for both of them. Handing off one of the glasses, Mikael took a seat in his favorite chair, keeping his eyes on his brother. Elijah unbuttoned his perfectly fitting blazer and took the seat across from him. He appeared calm and strong, but Mikael knew he was nervous. He understood.
“You’re a good leader and a dedicated brother, but…” He shrugged, looking apprehensive. “This war with the other paranormals over the territory needs to stop. Now that you’ve found your Eternal Love, we should leave New Orleans for one of our other homes. We don’t need to stay here. We’ll outlive the others and come back.”
“We helped build this town, our family, our coven. Why would I voluntarily leave New Orleans? We’ve been here longer than anyone else.”
Mikael, Elijah, Sarah, and a small group from their original coven had sailed to America in the early 1800s from France. The choice to stay when America bought the territory was an easy one to make. The city had changed so much over the years. It had been one of the largest and wealthiest cities. The port, open to trade with the Caribbean, South America, and Europe, brought the city wealth and power. One hundred years after they arrived, the city’s streetcars had become electrified, and jazz was born.
As much as the city had grown, it had survived through major catastrophes. And with each change, they stayed, building and rebuilding. He wouldn’t let other paranormals run him out of the city he loved. New Orleans would always be his home.
“What about your Eternal Love? You want to bring her into a war?” Elijah asked.
“She won’t be human. She’ll be able to defend and care for herself. But I doubt it will come to that. No paranormal will touch her, not knowing that she’s mine. There are unspoken rules when it comes to war—no innocent women or children.”
“She’ll have a target on her back when the other factions find out how important she really is. They’ll try to take her and use her as leverage. The safest thing we can do is leave town. We have homes located all over the world.”
“You’re probably right, Elijah, but I don’t want to leave. Our Eternal Love—in case you forgot, she will belong to both of us.” He stared at Elijah intently, reminding his brother that they were in this together. “She’s going to need time to heal and adjust. She’ll be in severe pain while our blood heals her internally, changing her body. We can’t pick up and leave, not now.”
Elijah let out a sigh, but eventually, he nodded.
Chapter 7
“Okay, let’s get this show on the road.” Sarah breezed into the room, followed by a cart full of medical instruments.
Mikael finished his drink in one gulp before he pushed himself to a standing position. “What did you do, rob a hospital?” he asked, inspecting all the things she’d brought. The corners of Sarah’s mouth kicked up and she shrugged, which told him all he needed to know. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you,” Sarah said, joy shining bright in her eyes at the compliment. “I also brought along a doctor.”
“You brought a human doctor here?” Mikael hadn’t noticed the pasty old man standing by the door. The man was holding a black medical bag in one hand as he stared forward, blank faced.
“I used mind compulsion.” She sighed. “He won’t remember a thing. I do need him to help me though. This is a dangerous procedure that needs to be timed perfectly. She’s human. Therefore, we needed a human doctor.”
“What do we do first?” Elijah asked.
“The doctor will set up a monitor to keep track of her heart rate and vitals as we drain her blood,” Sarah said, and Mikael nodded.
He knew this wasn’t going to be easy. The pain his Eternal Love would endure was going to be bad. He just hoped that she wouldn’t feel anything, being in her current state.
“We have to move fast once we start,” she continued. “As soon as one pint is drained from her, that’s when we start infusing your blood. I’m going to hook you both up. We can infuse at the femoral artery, jugular, and arm. We need to keep her heart beating and be prepared for the worst.”
“I’m ready.” He kept his voice strong even though he was concerned for the woman’s safety. He felt guilty, not knowing her name and not being able to make her healthy without sending her closer to death.
“You and Elijah get on the bed and get comfortable. The doctor and I will get everything set up,” Sarah ordered.
Mikael knew Sarah was taking his Eternal Love’s safety very seriously and he appreciated the lengths she’d gone through for them.
Heading toward the bed, he kept his eyes on his woman, hoping that this worked. They were going to drain all her blood and transfuse his and Elijah’s into her pale, emaciated body. He didn’t know what the transfusion felt like, not from personal experience. He’d only heard stories and hoped the woman was strong enough to endure. Climbing up on the bed, Mikael stretched out, settling c
omfortably beside her.
“I never asked, but I should’ve. What’s her name?” Elijah asked as he stood on the opposite side of the bed.
“I don’t know,” Mikael admitted, glancing up at Elijah.
Elijah’s eyes widened. “How’s that even possible? Where did you find her? How did she end up here?”
“I found her in the cemetery tonight, or maybe she found me. It all happened so fast. I was in the middle of a battle with a shifter and a demon when I sensed her close by. She was watching the whole thing, leaning against one of the headstones. When she fainted, I rushed over, picked her up, and took her far away from the danger.”
“We don’t know anything about her.” Elijah breathed out, looking down at their Eternal Love. He looked as if he wanted to touch her, but instead, he touched the bedspread near her resting form. “She could’ve been killed.”
“She could still die,” Mikael murmured, silencing Elijah and ending their conversation.
Sarah glided over to the bed with a medical tray in hand and placed it on the side table. “Mikael, I’m going to get started now.”
Mikael watched as Sarah pressed a large needle into his woman’s right arm. It didn’t take long before her blood started running through a clear tube, filling up a plastic bag. The stench of death made him cringe as the poisonous blood left her body.
“How are we going to find out who she is? Or do we wait until she wakes up?” Elijah asked. He sat down on the edge of the bed, making himself comfortable.
“Did she have a purse?” Sarah asked as she slowly pushed another needle into Elijah’s arm before connecting a tube to their Eternal Love.
“No, I didn’t see any purse, but there could be one somewhere in the cemetery.” Mikael watched the bag slowly fill up.
When there was a full pint, Sarah hooked the tube up to his Eternal Love’s other arm and Elijah’s blood started running into her body.
“You could check her bra,” Sarah said, rushing to his side and pushing a needle into his arm.