Blood Rogue, #1

by Linda J. Parisi

  “All vampires?” Chaz stepped back to examine the possibility. One ruler? A vampire empire? The idea seemed beyond the realm of reality. Vampires were loners, singular; they only came together in cells for the right to feed. “That’s a major stretch, Sam.”

  “I know.”

  “And if anyone were powerful enough to do that, it’d be you.”

  She threw him a look but agreed. “Only pureblood would make it possible.”

  He frowned. “I’ve got another question for you. Why now, Sam? Why not twenty years ago? Or forty years from now? Or one hundred? Time is the one commodity we can use to our advantage.”

  “I’m not sure. However, this is the age of technology. Human science has gone to great lengths to understand their own biology, but, in the end, it all boils down to power.”

  She said the last word with such vehemence that Chaz asked, “How can you be so certain?”

  Sam turned to him and gave him a look he’d never forget. Sam had been part of a race of vampires who were proud and honorable. Mixed deep inside her anger, he read sadness. Only a coward would use beings to further a goal. “The lust for power destroyed my people.”

  It was a story he’d never fully heard. Only bits and pieces. Someday, Chaz thought, he’d like to know more.

  She frowned and fell silent for a long moment. “All right,” she continued with a long sigh. “What we’ve discussed is certainly plausible. I’ll warn The Council. But I don’t want to create a panic. We have very little proof beyond a group of over-confident, arrogant, and newly made vampires who require severe discipline.”

  “And one too many rogues.”

  “Indeed.”

  Chaz rubbed his face with his hands and slid his hair back off his brow. “So, you think I should go to her?”

  Sam’s mouth quirked. “She needs you.”

  “She needs a man, not a vampire.”

  Sam shook her head at him, and he felt like a child again. “Should I let one of these imbeciles loose so they can kick some sense into you, or will you just listen?”

  “I’m listening.”

  “She needs you, but you need her more.”

  Did he, Chaz wondered? He’d been alone for so long. Could that ever change? “You think?”

  She laughed. “Of course, idiot.”

  Chaz sighed, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. “Thanks, Sam. I owe you one.”

  “As you pointed out, I’ll have plenty of time to collect. Go on. I can take care of these… imbeciles.” She gave his hand a squeeze back. I’ll let you know what I find out.”

  He did. He ran to Stacy’s house using the exertion and the night air to clear his head. He liked her home. It was modern but homey. He remembered two bedrooms upstairs, especially the one downstairs, and what looked like a new kitchen. But the house had a feel to it, a vibe that made it quaint in spite of new siding and remodeling. She’d planted flowers in the front and placed little animal statues near them. Warmth and family, that was what he felt.

  He found Stacy sitting in her car in her driveway under the carport next to the house. She lay slumped over the steering wheel, resting against her forearm, her face hidden until she turned her head. Her tears hurt him, tore through him like little knives. He knocked on the window, but she refused to acknowledge him.

  “Stacy, please.”

  “Go away. Leave me alone.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Please, Chaz just…leave me alone.”

  “Stacy…don’t make me shell out to have your car repaired.”

  “Have my car repaired?” she repeated in disgust. “Ooh, you are so annoying.” She opened the door, catching him in the shin.

  “Ow. That hurt.” He lifted his leg to rub the abused area.

  “Serves you right! You…you…”

  Chaz only knew one way to shut her up. He kissed her. But, he didn’t simply kiss her—he yanked her up against his body and engulfed her. Their tongues fenced and parried, searched, and steamrolled. She bit down on his lip, and the pain shot right to his groin. They bit, licked, and sucked, but they still couldn’t get enough of each other.

  She went wild on him, slithering and sliding up and down his torso. She grabbed at his shoulders and jumped up, wrapping her legs around his hips, which was fine by him except for one tiny detail. She still had her clothes on, and so did he.

  Chaz pushed her legs down and forced her to stand in front of him. He continued to explore every crevice of her mouth with his tongue. He inched them both along the side of her car until he reached the door to her house. They staggered and broke apart as he pulled the screen door open, and she fumbled with the keys to unlock the door. At that moment, the world shifted.

  Chaz smiled, took the keys, and once inside, pinned her against the wall and ground their hips together. He opened her jacket, popped open the first few buttons of her shirt, and lifted her breasts out of her bra. Ah, he thought. Instant push-up. Victoria Secrets style. Perfect for him to lick and suck.

  He opened his shirt as fast as his fingers would let him and pulled her hard against his body. Was there ever a sensation as wonderful as that first skin on skin contact? Her nipples grew hard against his chest as he plundered her mouth. Chaz reached into every crevice he could find as he unfastened her pants. He wasn’t surprised when her fingers began tearing at his jeans, trying to push them down his legs.

  Chaz had been making love to women for nearly a millennia. At times he’d thought he’d go mad with boredom, but this night was different somehow. Maybe it was his grief. Maybe it was his shock at being attacked. Maybe it was the greedy little thing she’d become in his arms. No matter what, Chaz hadn’t been this turned on in centuries.

  He broke their kiss and licked his way down to her breasts—time for a little taste. To make her even hotter. His incisors grew as soon as the thought entered his mind. As he bit gently down into one of her breasts, he urged her legs apart with his knee. One hand followed and cupped her center.

  God, you’re so hot.

  She moaned and urged him on. “Yes, please. That’s it.”

  He swept a finger through her slit, and she rubbed frantically against his palm. She was wet and hot and, he could tell from the furnace surrounding his fingers very close, so Chaz knew he’d never get inside her before she came. He slid his finger inside her and bit down even harder. The act of drinking was like turning up the gas on a stove on most women, it just made them crazy. Stacy was no exception. She gasped, her moan loud and her juices flooded his palm with an explosive orgasm that seemed to last forever.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Stacy

  Stacy thought for sure she’d never stop coming. And she knew she was far from through. He let go of her breast and withdrew his hand, intent she supposed, on getting to the important part. But Stacy had other ideas first. She unzipped his pants, and Chaz sighed with relief. God, he was huge. She pushed his boxers down, and his hips pushed forward, seeking exactly what she had in mind. She kneeled down and licked the tip of his shaft. His penis jerked, and a small drop of fluid formed at the tip.

  “Hello there, big boy.”

  Chaz urged her head forward, sucking in his breath in anticipation.

  Circling just the head, she held the shaft steady with one hand and rolled his balls lightly with the other. Although there was a thatch of hair around the base, his wasn’t a forest, and he had a unique scent, cleaner, sharper, not quite as musky as most men.

  What a turn on.

  Stacy didn’t care that the wood of the floor bit into her knees. Or that her breasts were sore from his bites. As soon as she opened her mouth and drew his length down her throat, the pain disappeared.

  Heat flooded her body as a live wire in a lightning storm. His hips pumped his full length into her mouth, hard but not out of control. She ran her tongue down the length of his shaft and over his balls, even taking one gently into her mouth. Then she sucked on the tip and let him slide in and out of her mouth. God, she lo
ved the way he tasted—all kinds of salty and tangy and sweet at the same time. Then she looked up at him.

  Chaz lifted her off her knees in one simple motion. His mouth engulfed hers as he lifted her legs with his arms as if she weighed nothing at all. He settled her in his arms, lowered her to the area rug in the middle of the room, and spread her legs. The tip of his erection teased her core. Her only thought was to be filled. She wanted his hard shaft pounding into her, filling her. He didn’t disappoint.

  He entered her in tiny, excruciatingly small movements. He seemed to be afraid he’d hurt her, but Stacy was different. Curse or gift, she’d never been certain, but her body could accept even his huge length.

  She wiggled a little, twisted, and he slid all the way inside. She heard his breath catch and felt his balls tight against her ass. She smiled. Then all thought ceased as he began to move.

  At first, he slid in and out like an experiment. Testing to see if something worked or didn’t work. He spread her legs so he could go even deeper, and she felt the tip of his shaft touch deep inside. Then the base brushed her nub. He twisted, kind of like a corkscrew, and started pumping again. He was trying to make sure to stimulate every nerve cell she had.

  He was doing a damned good job of it.

  An incredible pressure built inside her core. Her internal muscles clamped onto his entire length and didn’t want to let go. His breath caught again, so she kept squeezing and letting go. He moaned in her ear.

  He started thrusting into her body as hard as he could. He was building, and so was she. “Yes, that’s it. Harder. Oh, God, Chaz. Harder.”

  He obliged, and Stacy thought she would explode. She’d never built to such a crescendo before. With each thrust, he moaned, louder and louder until Stacy was certain they were going to wake the whole neighborhood.

  She didn’t care.

  One thrust. Two. One last push, and she reached the highest peak. She groaned and shattered in a monstrous orgasm. A half-second later, he yelled, spurting hot jets into her body as they convulsed all around each other.

  Stacy refused to let him go. He slid her hair from off her cheeks, fingers trailing gently down her skin. His gaze swirled with too many emotions. He buried his face in her neck as his short quick breaths slowed. He seemed to need her arms around him. She needed his more.

  “I left most of my windows open, you know.”

  He grinned. “The neighbors will never let you live this down.”

  “After all that yelling,” she continued teasing, laughter threading her tone, “they’ll just be jealous.”

  “I’m sure they’ve heard the same before,” he added to their by-play.

  “We’re lucky no one called the cops. I’d have had an awful time explaining.”

  Stacy pulled away gently even though it was the last thing in the world she wanted to do. She lifted herself off the floor, sighing with relief when he rose with her.

  She feathered her palms gently across his cheeks. Although she hated their attitude towards humans, she knew he was hurting. He’d just lost his friend. “I’m sorry, Chaz. About Pitch. He was…kind. But he made no excuses for what he was.”

  The pain in his gaze made her hurt right along with him.

  “Thank you.”

  They both reached for their abandoned clothes. After getting dressed, Chaz dug around in his pockets until he found what he was looking for. He opened his fingers to reveal a silver cross and chain. Very old looking.

  “This belonged to the vampire who tried to kill me and left me for dead nine hundred years ago. How Mick got a hold of it, I don’t know. I didn’t notice it when he attacked you. Pitch must’ve pulled it off his neck as they fought.”

  Stacy sucked in a shocked breath. “Oh, God, Chaz. I don’t know what to say.”

  “Hurts like a son of a bitch,” he told her. “Big time.”

  Her stomach plummeted. “If I hadn’t gotten into it as much as I did with those young vampires, you’d have had time to help Pitch destroy the rogue.”

  He sighed, and Stacy’s heart went out to him. She urged him across the floor, not stopping until they were in front of the island in her kitchen. She made him sit down, and then she sat on his lap. Uncertain of what the correct vampire etiquette was, she offered him her wrist.

  He pushed her arm away and buried his face between her breasts. She cradled his head and simply held him. Yet when he pulled away, he’d shed no tears.

  “Not your fault, Stacy,” he told her, leaning his head back into the crook of her shoulder. “Besides that was the plan, to begin with. There’s more going on here than even I thought at first. And Sam agrees. I think we were set up.”

  “Set up? By whom? The bastard who created you?”

  “I don’t know yet, but the cross makes him a suspect.” He paused. “Problem is, Sam’s not sure either. One thing I’m pretty certain of, though, is you were a diversion tonight.”

  “A diversion?”

  “Something we didn’t plan on,” he added with a nod. “I’m not one hundred percent convinced, but I believe the vampire manipulating us wanted me dead. Instead, it ended up being Pitch. ”

  Stacy didn’t like the sound of that one bit. She jumped off his lap and started straightening already straight items on her counters. She put away dishes sitting next to her sink. Then she made some tea.

  “Stacy, stop. We’re both still alive.”

  She gripped the edge of the sink with both hands before whirling to face him. “Sort of.”

  “Not funny.”

  “But true.”

  He gave her a self-deprecating grin. “And that’s the point. In a sense, we won.”

  “Or maybe Pitch was the intended target all along.”

  Chaz shrugged. “I don’t know, but from now on, you’re not leaving my side. And we’re going to fight this thing together. Got that?”

  “Sure.”

  He rose and started swaying on his feet. The sky had lightened considerably outside, and he was going to fall asleep soon.

  “I’ve got some sick time,” she began, a steely peace settling inside her. “I’m not going to just sit around and watch you try to get yourself killed. I’m going to call in with the flu. This way, I can stay home during the day.”

  “All right.”

  “Then I need to get into my lab. We’ll have to do this at night when no one’s around. So, before you decide to serve yourself up on a silver platter, how about you let me try and help?”

  “That makes me sound like a piece of meat,” he groused.

  Welcome to my world. “I know the feeling. Is there a French word for a rogue appetizer?” she asked, trying to inject a little humor into the situation.

  He gave her a half-hearted smile. “Don’t think so.”

  “First, I need to figure out how to explain to my boss that I discharged my firearm.”

  Chaz shook his head. “First, they’ll never find the bullets you put into Mick. Second, Sam will take care of the rest. Give me your boss’s address. Sam will convince him that the next time he sees you, nothing ever happened.”

  “She’s able to do that?” she asked, startled by their abilities, and beginning to rethink her position. Maybe she was trying to equate apples and oranges after all. The thought scored her insides.

  “Yes.”

  He answered with such a matter of fact tone that Stacy realized she was back in Oz again.

  Tongue in cheek, she added, “Think you can get me a raise?”

  “Stacy,” he chided, swaying as he tried to stand.

  Stacy gave him a wry smile. “Can’t fault a woman for trying.”

  Chaz threw her a look and made it to the couch just before he collapsed. She watched him fall into a sitting position on her sofa.

  “The first thing I want to do is test you.”

  “Test me? Why would you want to test me? I already know how long I’ve been dead,” he joked back. His words were already slurring.

  Stacy shook her head. “
Enough with the lousy humor.”

  He shrugged. “Actually, I really am curious.”

  “You’ll find out soon enough. I need you to ask Sam if she can get me a tube of blood from the vampires that attacked me. I’m going to test your blood, theirs, and then test the cross and chain as a comparative. There’s probably some of the rogue’s blood on it. If there is one, a difference might give us a clue as to what happens to you when you go rogue.”

  “I already know how that happens. We call it blood fever. And once you’ve had it, you never forget what it feels like.”

  “All right,” she sighed. “But something causes blood fever.”

  “Yeah. Starvation.”

  “What if there’s something more?”

  “More?”

  “Of course. You said it yourself. Another cause. An additional cause. Or else something that can aggravate an already existing condition.”

  “I guess I never thought there could be something inside of us that would need to be triggered.”

  His eyelids began to droop.

  “You wouldn’t. You’re not a scientist.”

  His mouth quirked. “About as far from one as a body can get.” He rubbed his face with his hands. “Very well.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the cross and chain. “You won’t end up destroying it, will you?”

  “I’ll take very good care of it. Promise.” He started to lean back to lie down on the sofa when Stacy stopped him. “Hey, let’s get you into bed.”

  He rose with her help, not an easy task. “Are you sure?” he asked, his gaze softening at the offer.

  Stacy returned the look and nodded. He smiled, and she returned the expression. She drew his arm over her shoulder and helped him walk into the bedroom. “I’m going to take a shower, and then I’m going to join you. Later, I’ll show you my domain.”

  He stretched out on the bed, and within seconds, he was out cold.

  “My domain and perhaps a little more,” she added with a soft smile.