Fine. He would kill her. He would just gorge himself on her fiery, fresh blood while she lay helpless in his bed...
His body reacted as though it had just been zapped by a bolt of lightning at the thought. He jerked and gasped, every nerve sizzling with need as his blood pounded violently through his veins.
Gabriel staggered down the wide curved staircase of his mansion, shaking the image of Eva out of his head. He had come this far. He had become a Master vampire, and he was so near, so close to finding her.
Vonetta.
Vonetta was his betrothed, his love. It was Vonetta. It had to be Vonetta. Vonetta Imotez was his mate, not...Eva Stone.
Gabriel stood at the foot of the stairs and turned in a slow circle, taking in the entire sprawling mansion and forcing his thoughts back on track. No human would sway him and distract him. He couldn't falter, not now. He had survived. He had prevailed. He had avenged Vonetta. He had destroyed his Master, and his entire vile coven.
The mansion was now his. It had belonged to his Master, but since he destroyed the old vampire, he was now the new Master vampire. When he defeated and destroyed his Master, everything that belonged to the Master—his powers, his properties—passed to Gabriel.
That was how a lowly vampire became a Master vampire. By killing his Master.
Gabriel smiled thinly. He had no regrets killing his Master. He only regretted not being able to kill him sooner. If he had, perhaps he would not have lost Vonetta.
Gabriel blinked rapidly in the darkness, and as he turned around, he saw the walls of his mansion fade away. Flickering shadows closed in to create a prison, a cage around him.
In a flash, he was back in the dungeon, lying in a pool of blood, blinking through the bars of his cage.
With each blink, his vision sharpened until he could see perfectly well in the darkness.
He opened his eyes wide and looked around, looking out of his cage at the world with his new vampire eyes. He had just risen, as a new, hungry vampire.
Gabriel pushed himself up on his knees and raised his hands to his mouth. His palms were red and sticky, and he could smell blood. Human blood.
The blood was all over the floor of his cage. Making wild, frenzied animal sounds, Gabriel started lapping greedily at the blood. He licked all the blood off the floor, and growled. He was still hungry, so very hungry.
He looked up and met Vonetta's wide, unblinking eyes.
She was lying on a stone slab beside his cage, her body naked and covered with blood.
Blood!
Gabriel lunged towards her, slamming hard against the bars of his cage to get at her. But she remained out of his reach. She wasn't dead. He could hear her heart pumping, and her blood smelled rich and fresh.
Her eyes stared straight at him, but there was no love in her eyes. He saw only disgust, contempt and pure, unadulterated hatred.
Gabriel stared down at his hands, suddenly aware of what he had just done. He reeled back in horror and revulsion. He made a strange keening noise and doubled over, retching violently.
What was he? He was no longer human. But...what had he become?
He was now a vampire. He was worse than an animal. He was a monster, an abomination.
And the blood...all the blood he had just swallowed...
He saw the answer in her hate-filled eyes.
That was her blood.
Her blood, in his cage.
Gabriel gasped, and he spun back to the present.
He stared down at the ground, expecting to see blood. But the marble tiles beneath his feet were gleaming and spotless.
He raised his head and looked all around him. He was in his mansion. Not in a cage in the dungeon.
“Vonetta,” he choked out. “I will find you.”
She might have hated him then, but she would understand now. She was like him now.
Gabriel closed his eyes and took a long, painful breath. He would not give up. All these years, he had never given up on her. He could sense that she was near. Vonetta was right here in New Moon City. That was the reason he had come to this crazy, confusing city, where humans had the license and authority to hunt rogue paranormals. He had been surprised to learn that the head of the PAC Enforcement Unit was a human. Jett Riley was the one who had given the order. He had ordered his Enforcers to hunt the rogue Master vampire down and destroy him on sight.
Gabriel's lips curled. Let them come. Even with that fearless and formidable Jett Riley leading the manhunt, they wouldn't be able to stop him. Nothing would stop him from finding her.
Gabriel strode to the door, but just before he faded to mist, he turned round and glanced up towards his bedroom door.
A name formed on his lips. His breath caught sharply at the realization that it was the wrong name.
Scowling, he marched to the spare bedroom downstairs and yanked the wardrobe open. He pulled on a pair of black cargo pants and t-shirt, and as he stabbed his feet into his boots, he let his angst and his anger simmer to a boil.
He would find Vonetta and they would make up for lost time. They would have all the time in the world.
Vonetta was his mate. She was a vampire now, like him.
She wasn't a weak, sniveling little human.
At the front door, Gabriel glanced up towards his bedroom. That female could hear his thoughts and tempt him like no other.
No, it wasn't the blood bond. There was no blood bond between them!
He knew that some humans had psychic abilities and dabbled in witchcraft or some other forms of black magic.
Maybe she was one of them. There were demons in New Moon City. She could have made a pact with one of them. Of all of them.
Gabriel ground his teeth. If she had offered them her body in exchange for some strange, psychic power, he would hunt every one of those cursed demons down and tear them to shreds.
And he would torture that infuriating female in his bedroom, break her and crush her.
Then he would kill her.
Kindness and mercy had no place in his world. He had been caught, tortured and turned against his will because he had stopped and shown kindness to a stranger.
No, not kindness.
Weakness and foolishness.
He should have listened to Vonetta. She had urged him to keep going, to ignore the crying child at the side of the road.
Ignoring her entreaties, he'd stopped his cart and approached the small, seemingly helpless child.
And for that one moment of weakness, he'd paid a terrible price.
That was no child.
It was a vampire.
One of the Master's servants.
Because of his stupidity, his folly, they had been captured by the Master.
He had been too weak.
But no more.
He would never be weak again.
He had survived, only because he had finally learned to be as cruel and cunning as his Master.
Only the cruel will survive.
Gabriel turned to face the white double doors, and repeated her name, this time with vehemence.
In a flash, he transformed into a column of mist. The mist swirled and lingered for just a heartbeat in the air before rushing away from the mansion, leaving just the softest whisper of her name in its wake.
CHAPTER SIX
Eva gave the bedroom door one last kick and stomped to the bedside table. Picking up the plate of sandwiches, she aimed it at the door and let fly a string of curses. Just before she hurled the plate with all her might at the door, Eva stopped and pulled back abruptly.
She lowered her hand and glared at the plate of dainty triangular sandwiches. At an insistent growl from her stomach, Eva set the plate down and grabbed a sandwich. Why waste good food? Besides, she needed to keep her strength up. She needed all her strength and wits to fight that big, bad vampire.
Eva sat on the bed and began to cram the sandwiches into her mouth. In a few minutes, there was nothing but crumbs on the plate. She leaned back against th
e pillows, chewing the last mouthful of buttered bread, ham and cheese. With food in her tummy, she felt stronger and calmer. Being mad and scared never did anyone any good. As she gulped down the cup of bitter lukewarm coffee, she began to formulate a plan.
She looked round the bedroom. The bedroom was spacious, and the furniture all looked like expensive antique pieces. The desk, the chair and the bedside tables looked solid and heavy. There was no way she could lift or break any of them.
Gabriel had taken away all her weapons. She couldn't fight him, not physically. He was too strong, too fast.
Eva drained the rest of her coffee and set the empty cup down. She got off the bed and scooted to the bathroom door. Maybe she could find something useful in there. A razor, a pair of scissors, or even a broom. Anything she could use to beat that evil vampire back would be good.
She pushed into the bathroom and saw that the shower was still wet and filled with an alluring, rich scent. She looked around quickly. There was nothing on the polished marble vanity top, not even a mug and a toothbrush. The bathroom was clean and bare. No cabinets, no bottles and toiletries lying around.
Annoyed and disappointed, she backed out of the bathroom and surveyed the bedroom again. Marching to the desk, she tried the drawers. They were all locked. Damn.
Quickly, she walked over to the curtains, and with a grunt, she pulled the heavy drapes back.
Her eyes widened in astonishment and anger. She glared at the expanse of blank wall behind the curtains and spat, “Shit!”
There were no windows in the room. She couldn't even see if it was night or day outside.
She backed stiffly away from the wall to stop her fists from flying towards it. Punching the wall would achieve nothing. Nothing but bruised and bleeding knuckles.
She needed to hurt him. Not hurt herself.
Think, Eva, think!
What can you do to get out of here?
Taking a deep breath, she spoke out loud, hoping to get a better perspective of her own predicament, “I am locked in a room. I need to get out. To get out, I need a key. A key,” she repeated slowly.
She let her eyes dart all over the room before she shook her head. He wouldn't leave the key here in the room with her. He wasn't stupid.
Eva looked at the bed, then at the bathroom door. She remembered his intense look of yearning as he stood staring at her. She remembered how his body had felt against hers, as he crushed her to him possessively and misted her here. She had felt his huge, throbbing erection as he grabbed her, the hunger in his eyes raw and searing.
He had wanted her, with every fiber of his being. It had terrified her, and...excited her.
Eva's hands trembled as she twisted the corner of her rumpled t-shirt. When Gabriel grabbed her, holding her fiercely in his arms like she belonged to him, a whole wave of powerful, conflicting emotions had slammed into her. Her entire body had shivered with terror, anticipation, confusion, and a strange, overwhelming need. She had...wanted him. Her body had reacted to his, becoming aroused and ready, even though her mind screamed at her to fight him, and fear him.
And Gabriel seemed to have sensed her arousal. It had made him even madder and scarier. He looked almost crazed with lust and hunger. His eyes and nostrils had flared the moment her need exploded low in her belly. He seemed to know that her body was ready and aching for him, her moisture pooling uncontrollably between her thighs.
Eva squeezed her eyes shut, and was immediately tormented by the images of their bodies pressed together, his hands gripping her waist and his lips brushing against her neck. She could see his glistening, muscular body, and began to shiver when she remembered his erection stabbing into her belly.
Eva stifled a cry and pushed her hand between her legs, trying to ease the agonizing ache. She bit her lip so hard she could taste blood.
What the hell was going on with her?
Why was she lusting after the malevolent rogue?
She should hate him, not want him. She could not, would not, let him take her.
This was pure madness. She would not sleep with the enemy.
She would rather kill...
Eva's eyes flew open on a shuddering breath, and she blinked her surroundings into stark focus.
No, she would not kill herself. She would kill him. And if sleeping with the enemy could get the job done, why not?
Could she do it? Would she...really do it?
Eva closed her eyes and swallowed hard. She was a police officer. But she was also a woman.
Gabriel King was a rogue Master vampire. But he was also a man.
Slowly, she undid her braid and let her red hair tumble over her shoulders.
Her lips curved in a slow, tight smile that didn't reach her eyes. Gabriel King might have destroyed her gun, but she wasn't defenseless. She still had a very powerful weapon.
She let her jacket slide off her shoulders and walked to the bedside table. Carefully, she picked up the plate and turned it over in her hands. It was a beautifully hand painted china plate. It must have cost a lot. Pity.
She weighed the plate in her hands for a moment, admiring the intricate design.
With a wince, she brought the beautiful plate down against the side of the table. She stared down at the broken pieces with both satisfaction and sadness.
Slowly, she picked up a jagged shard with trembling fingers and turned it over in front of her.
This would do.
After hiding the remnants of the plate under the bed, Eva slipped the long, jagged shard under the pillow and began to undress.
She was shaking so hard it took three tries before she could unhook her bra. She laid her clothes on the chair and climbed into bed.
Pulling the covers up over her naked body, she squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself to breathe. She wouldn't chicken out now.
There was no other way.
She would just have to risk it.
CHAPTER SEVEN
As dawn broke over New Moon City, Gabriel misted back into his bedroom, frustrated and denied yet again.
Another fruitless night. Where the hell was Vonetta? Why couldn't he find her? She was his betrothed, his love, his mate. Wasn't she?
He was now a Master vampire. He should have been able to find her without much effort. And yet, all this effort, night after night, had yielded nothing.
He had nothing.
All he had was...
...a warm, human woman in his bed.
Gabriel jerked at the lush, female scent in his room. His eyes snapped to his bed, where he saw tendrils of red hair spread across his pillow.
Eva was lying on her side, curled up tightly in a ball as she slept fitfully. As he neared her, she whimpered softly in her sleep and shivered.
Gabriel stared down at her sleeping form. She looked so much smaller and younger when she was asleep. He saw her shiver again, and instinctively he reached out to tuck the covers in snugly around her.
His hand brushed against her bare shoulder when he touched the warm covers and he jolted back.
He had touched her bare skin.
She was...naked.
Gabriel could feel his heart rate and breathing speed up. No, she couldn't really be naked under the covers.
His fangs stabbed out painfully, long and aching. Another part of him was long and aching as well, and Gabriel felt a tremor course through his entire body. Her scent, her sweet, rich scent was driving his mind and body wild. He wanted to take her now, take her body and her blood.
He blinked hard to try to clear his mind. This wasn't right. She shouldn't be affecting him like this. This human woman was not his mate. He shouldn't be feeling anything for her, not desire, not overpowering hunger and want.
He should fight this, fight this...insanity.
He stumbled back and hit his boot against the leg of the chair. The sound woke her up, and she jerked up with a cry. Her gray eyes were wide and wild, and for an instant, they were filled with terror. She looked lost, confused and absolute
ly terrified. Then she gasped and blinked rapidly. In three quick blinks, she blinked away every last trace of fear in her eyes.
“Shit, I fell asleep...” He heard her curse softly at herself as she yanked the covers up to her chin.
“What are you doing?” Gabriel said harshly. His words came out on a hiss of pain and anger.
She stared up at him with eyes that were hard, cold and steely.
“And a very good morning to you too,” she said coolly. “It is morning now, isn't it?”
Gabriel stared at her as she took a deep breath and let the covers slide down her bare body. The soft, satin sheets fell to her waist, exposing her round, lush breasts. Gabriel saw her hand shake as she instinctively reached out to grab the sheets but instead of pulling the covers up, all she did was twist the fabric viciously in her fists. Her throat moved as she stared up at him, her eyes blazing, her jaw tightly clenched.
Gabriel read the dare in her stormy eyes.
Isn't this what you want, Gabriel King? Do it, Gabriel. I dare you to do it. Take me. Take what you want.
He took a step forward, and she gulped audibly. Her breath hitched but she remained unmoving.
“Are you...tempting me, Eva?” he asked in a voice so hoarse and low he could barely hear himself.
The corner of her lips curved in a smirk.
I know your weakness, vampire.
“Do you know what I can do to you, human?” Gabriel dragged the last word out.
But she didn't look intimidated or insulted. “Kill me, if I'm lucky. Turn me, if I'm not,” she deadpanned, and he heard the scorn in her voice.
Gabriel stared at her for a long while. She wasn't afraid of him, of death. Instead, she despised him. Gabriel narrowed his eyes and advanced towards her. If she despised vampires so much, perhaps he would turn her. Turn her into the very thing she so despised. She would be...like him, forever.
She would hate him, enough to try to destroy him...or destroy herself.
The last thought caused a piercing pain in his heart. The blow was so sharp and sudden it made him gasp and stagger back.
The image of her turning her back on him and stepping defiantly out into the fiery sunlight burned through his mind. He had no doubt that she would do it. If he turned her, she would kill him, and then meet the dawn.
Dark Mate (MATE series) Page 3