He holds my arm and pulls me back against his side pressing his hard-on into my hip.
I yank my arm but he pulls me further into the deserted hall.
“Just where do you think you’re running off to, pretty thing?”
Suddenly I am terrified. I pull on my arm again. “Let go.” I hiss but he smiles wider.
“Feisty. I like that.”
I glare at him. “I said let go dammit or I will scream my fucking head off.”
He yanks me closer. “One more word out of you and I’ll show you how I can shut that fine mouth of yours.”
My blood runs cold. All those years of defense against my brother’s flies right out of my head. I am blank and terrified.
He cages me against the wall and leans down to breath into my neck. I flinch and try to shove him back but he is a solid wall of muscle. He brings his lips to mine but I sling my head to the side. He reaches for my chin and holds it tight against the wall and tries to kiss me again but I bring up my heel and ram it into his shoe.
He winces. “Fuck! You fucking bitch!” He pulls his hand back but before he can swing it forward he is launched into the air crashing into the back entrance door and falling to the ground in a bloody heap. His nose is crushed and pouring blood, as he lies there not moving.
I blink several times then feel my legs begin to buckle. But a pair of arms grips me before I fall and pulls me into his side.
The automatic feeling of peace and safety washes over me. I look up and meet his eyes. His perfect full lips are parted and I can smell his delicious scent. The sharp line of his jaw casts a shadow over his perfect neck and shoulders.
He is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. My ability to talk has abandoned me and all I can do is stare. Then tears spring to my eyes as I realize what almost happened.
The strangest emotion flashes across his face when he sees my tears. It is as though he’s lost; he doesn’t know what or how to feel.
Then in a caring gesture he pulls my face to his chest and holds me close while I cry.
Finally I pull back. “T-thank you.” I stutter as I wipe my eyes. “I’m sorry I fell apart like that.”
He steps back. “There is nothing to feel sorry about. That man nearly violated you, it’s only natural to have a strong emotional reaction.”
His voice makes my insides hum with anticipation. Jesus, everything about him just oozes sensuality.
I realize I am blatantly staring and jerk my eyes to the floor. A moment passes and I look back up and this time I am met with longing eyes. They search my face and study every detail.
I remember the dream from this morning and try to place the similarities. They are all there, though his hair is not as long, his features are the same—those high cheekbones and strong jaw and that olive skin.
It is him.
I flinch when I remember the woman and the blood.
At that moment he inhales sharply and a look of horror flashes over his face. He grabs my arms and leans into my face staring straight through my eyes.
It is involuntary; I lean in close to his lips and pull in his sweet scent. My eyes close and suddenly my arms fall to my sides and I look up but he is gone. I look frantically around but he is nowhere to be seen.
I am crushed with a feeling of loneliness.
I feel tears smart my eyes again and I pull out my phone to send Tiffany a text that I am going home.
I glance at the man in the corner still hunched against the wall and turn for the door. I am numb so the cold doesn’t hurt. I walk home dazed, confused and absolutely heart wrecked.
I don’t even know his name but that man holds my heart in his hands and I have no idea if I will ever see him again.
CHAPTER THREE
KHAI
What the holy fuck was that?! How is it even possible? She knows who I am, what I am? I’ve gone eighteen hundred years with no one knowing.
I run my hands through my hair as I pace my living room floor. The feeling of fear and anxiety reverberates through my chest.
I’ve been a singular creature for my entire existence feeling only power and hunger. Then this girl comes along and nearly dismantles me. And the urge to kiss her and fuck her was nearly overwhelming.
Women are of one use to me and that’s food, nothing else. Very few women have ever enticed me enough to even explore that sexual side of my nature. But her, that girl, made me burn for it.
After that first encounter it’s been on my mind for days making me more apoplectic than usual.
Suddenly my life has become mundane and every thought swirls around her. It’s maddening.
Then the thought of that man with his hands on her made me boil with rage. The notion of jealousy had never erupted in me and frankly it was alarming with its intensity.
I wanted to tear his head from his body and would have had it not been for the several hundred people I would have had to also destroy.
When she began to cry all I wanted to do was move the world for her so that I would never have to see that look again. Those eyes have speared me before, before I became what I am now.
Nanu.
I haven’t thought of her in years but now my mind is wracked with her image and our brief affair before Mehi took her from me forever.
I am hungry and angry and I need a distraction. I grab my keys and walk to the car.
The thrumming sound of her fingers tapping the steering wheel vibrates in my ears. The car next to me idles at the stoplight and the woman is drumming to the beat of the music on her radio.
I can hear her steady breathing and sense the healthy heart that beats in her chest. I scan her between the glasses and notice the salubrious dew to her skin and bright sheen on her hair. She eats well and takes care of herself, which makes the blood taste sweeter and fuller.
She glances over and catches my eye. Immediately she blushes and I see the influx of air then the prickling of the hairs on her arm—all signs of arousal. I smile and her breathing falters. She blinks then smiles back and turns forward just as the light changes.
I catch the curl of her mouth and the shift of her body in the seat. I grin—this will be quick.
I follow her several blocks until she pulls in front of a familiar hotel bar. I park behind her in the valet circle and slide out of the car. She blushes as she sees me and waits for the valet to hand her a stub.
I walk up and smile. “Well, it appears we have similar taste in recreation.”
She cocks her head to the side and studies me. “And so it does, Mr…?”
“Khai Garai.” I reach for her hand. “And you are?”
Her flush makes my teeth clench. She smiles timidly and takes my hand, “Kate Bass.”
I skim her knuckles with my lips and feel the blood rush through her veins as her heart picks up in pace.
“It is all my pleasure, Kate. Tell me, are you dining alone this evening?”
“Actually I am supposed to meet a few girlfriends at the bar.”
“Ah, I see, well I would be honored if you would share a drink with me first and toast to our new acquaintance.”
She glances into the windows of the bar unsure then turns back to me and hesitates. I peer into her eyes and invade her thoughts. She wants to go with me but there is a hint of trepidation and her instincts are turning her away from me.
She is a fighter.
Women rarely resist me and hardly ever mistrust me but she is different. I need to change my approach and somehow inveigle her to join me because I have met a challenge and it makes me tense with anticipation.
“Although I should make sure my companion hasn’t arrived yet. Perhaps we could check in at the hostess stand and decide from there.”
Her shoulders relax and some of the apprehension melts away at my reassuring words that I am meeting someone.
“That sounds great.”
I gesture for her to precede me and then watch as the veins in her muscular legs stretch and swell with each stride. The humming
of the streetlamp however distracts my thoughts of how crisp her blood will taste when I sink my teeth into her skin.
The doorman opens the door and shows us to the podium where a luminesce young girl greets us enthusiastically. The rose in her cheeks tells me she is also a very healthy being. Her eyes widen when she takes me in and I smile as I step closer. I feel the shift of her thighs and hear the friction of her skin rubbing together.
The artery in her neck swells slightly as her blood rushes with the acceleration of her heartbeat. The small blood capillaries in her chest bloom a magnificent amaranth color as her breathing quickens.
She finally opens her mouth to speak and her angelic voice rings in my ears. “Will you be dining with us tonight or having drinks at the bar?”
I place my hand on the wooden podium and watch her eyes follow the progress of my fingers as I slowly run it down the page looking for a name. She swallows and I can hear the dryness of her tongue as it rubs against the roof of her mouth.
“Ah, I see my colleague hasn’t yet made it. Perhaps we could start with a drink at the bar and someone could alert me when he arrives?”
She smiles. “Certainly, sir. May I ask your friends name?”
“Gerard Milestone.” I grin because he is my lawyer and one of the only humans I can tolerate and that is only because he’s almost as ruthless as me.
I glance at Kate. “Would you like to join me for a cocktail before you meet your friends?”
She glimpses around the room. “It looks like they aren’t here yet.” She turns back to me. “Ok. One drink that would be nice. Thank you.”
“Splendid. Shall we?”
She nods and I turn back to the hostess to get one more look at that perfectly flushed skin.
“Thank you.” I murmur and the resulting blush that colors her cheeks makes my throat burn. She shifts her feet and I can smell her arousal. If I continue to linger I will inevitably take her where she stands.
I place my hand at the pit of her back and lead her to the darkened area of the bar. I pull a chair for her at a table in the corner and sink down across from her.
Almost immediately a waitress appears at our table and folds her arms behind her back pushing her chest forward, which I am sure is for my viewing pleasure.
I repress the urge to scowl at her. I gesture to Kate. “I’ll have a glass of the Terrenus Alentejo, please.”
The waitress trains her eyes back on me and I watch as her pupil’s dilate and her fingers twitch behind her back. “I’ll have an Armagnac.”
She smiles and touches my shoulder. “Just let me know if there’s anything else you need.” She purrs, with what I assume is her seductive voice but I catch the undercurrent of cigarettes and cocaine scars that make it sound harsh and sickly.
She pads around the corner her eyes glancing back at me as I intentionally brush her advance off.
Kate places her hands in her lap and I can hear the rubbing of metal on her finger as she twists her ring.
I sit back more comfortably in my chair and rest my arms on the sides. “So, Kate, tell me, now that I have a feel for your nocturnal entertainment activities,” I flash a broad smile, “tell me what is you do during the day?”
She laughs once. “You certainly are a charmer aren’t you?” She slides back in her chair and regards me. “I’m more interested in learning about you at the moment, Mr. Garai.”
Ah, turning the tables and taking the upper hand. I like her; she keeps me on my toes. This could possibly turn out to be entertaining on two levels—satiate for my appetite and intellectually stimulating as well.
I smile. “Oh a little of this and that in the entrepreneurial world. You know acquisitions and mergers, those boring details.”
The waitress arrives with our drinks and places them on the table. I thank her not meeting her eyes and raise my glass to Kate.
She mirrors my action and touches the tip of my glass with hers. “To acquisitions and mergers then.” She grins.
I laugh; I have to because she got me on that one. But I am growing tired of the game and am ready to take her to a back ally and drain every drop from her veins.
We talk for a few minutes and discuss a little about the local political scandal when I see the tensing of her abdomen muscles and the shifting of her torso.
Finally, show time.
Her bladder is full and she’s close to a restroom break. Moments later she places her drink on the table. “Excuse me, I’ll be just a minute.”
I smile and nod watching her stand from the chair and walk around the corner.
When I hear the thud of the door close I stand from the chair and make my way to the back.
Four minutes later she emerges from the room dusting her dress and patting her lip-gloss. We are in the vacant part of the restaurant next to the kitchen and the exit door to the back ally.
I reach out and grasp her arm pulling her firm against my body. Before she can say a word I seal her mouth with mine and let my centuries of abilities work their magic.
My tongue dances in her mouth tasting and searching. Hesitant at first,
she begins to respond and threads her hands in my hair pressing closer to my chest.
I feel her heart racing and taste the chemicals mixing in her body making her arousal heavy.
I bring my hands up to cup her face and splay them across her neck and lower back pulling her into me.
She lets out a soft moan and becomes more seeking with her actions running her hands over my shoulders and down my back.
She is now where I want her so I lean back staring into her eyes. “Come.”
She doesn’t hesitate when she nods and I grab her hand pulling her out the back door. I open my senses and feel around but no one is close. I pull her into a shadow and pick up the sensual assault.
She is running her hands under my jacket over my abdomen and up my chest. But I hate the feel of someone touching me and it sparks my anger. I pull back and look into her eyes.
“I’m glad you joined me tonight.” She smiles as I continued, “I’ve been thinking about how good you would taste and I’m ready to find out.”
For a spilt second comprehension flares in her eyes and terror follows before I lean down and sink my teeth into her carotid artery.
I close my eyes with pure blissful pleasure as the warm nectar floods my body. It is rich and clean. I can taste the vegetarian diet and the sweet aroma of fruits and nuts. Her organs are pristine and free of contaminates from the environment or drugs.
She tastes divine. I can feel my muscles soaking the liquid and strengthening. My vision is brighter and my cognitive functions are shaper. Everything is so alive.
All too soon she is emptied and I feel a pang of disappointment because she has been the best I’ve had in a long time.
I pull her limp body behind the dumpster and take a moment to study her face before I place my hand in the center of her chest and begin building the familiar burn inside.
In seconds her ashes scatter with the wind between the buildings and I pick up her tattered clothes and shove them into the dumpster.
Moments later I walk around the corner of the restaurant and hand my ticket to the valet smiling thinking of how I have, once again, dined and ditched. I enjoy a moment of absolute puerility at the fact before I fold into my car and pull from the lot.
Once alone every detail of the girls face comes slamming back to the forefront of my mind. Her eyes, those beguiling eyes and her cheeks so high and prominent offset by her angular jaw.
She is everything I remembered. Beauty incarnate.
How could it be Nanu? The girl has memories of her last moments but how? I run the possibilities through my mind but there are just no answers.
I open my console and pull out the ID card. I had swiped it from her clutch after the mongrel assaulted her and she rested against my chest.
Adonia Kostas. She’s Greek, a senior at NYU and she’s twenty-two. Then I pin those eyes. Everything I remembe
r is staring right back at me.
I turn down the next street and head in that direction—I need to see her.
I park several blocks down. I frown looking at the condition of the buildings. She is living in squalor. Then I castigate myself for even caring. I have no idea what is going on with me. All these feeling are foreign and I have no idea how to mange them.
Irritated I stroll up the walk and pass between the two dilapidated buildings. I check the surrounding rooms and rise quickly up the building side and hover outside her window.
The light is muted from a small table lamp perched beside a tattered sofa. Her black, sleek hair is fanned across the pillows as she bundles under heavy blankets and drinks a glass of wine.
She is watching something on television and the merriment in her eyes brings a smile to my lips.
I can sense the chills through her body from the cold and search for a source of heat in her apartment to only come up empty.
She is living in the cold and that thought makes me fill with rage. I take a moment to scan the rest of her surroundings and deduce that nearly everything is second hand or extremely old.
Her furniture is sparse and the clothes that I can see hanging in her closet are worn and frayed.
But watching her relaxed and utterly content despite her conditions makes a little part of my being sprout with a pang of joy.
She is meek and humble, very rare qualities that I come across these days.
I feel myself wanting to scoop her up and take her away, give her everything she ever desired. Wrap her in the finest silks and cover her in diamonds.
At that moment I realize that she is what I have been waiting for and didn’t know I missed.
CHAPTER FOUR
ADONIA
I pick through the letters at the mailbox anxiously hoping for an interview at one of the many places I have applied.
Three responses are tucked in with the mountain of bills in my box. I tear through the first one with eager fingers and smooth out the folds. I read the first line and my face falls…. “Unfortunately, Miss Kostas we have already filled the position. Thank you for applying and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.”
The Last Vampyre Prophecy Page 3