by Norris,Kris
Rafe snarled, exposing the long points as he released the man’s neck. “Then what do you want, Sirus?” he asked, releasing Terryn from the restraints before the guy could blink. “Or didn’t you see enough already?”
A wicked smile spread across Sirus’ face as his gaze darted over to Terryn. Rafe stepped sideways, blocking the man’s view. Sirus sighed, shifting back to Rafe. “Never enough.” He nodded at Rafe. “I didn’t know you had such stamina, my boy. You put all my regulars to shame. I’m curious, is it just you, or do all vampires have a panache for fucking?”
Rafe took a calculated step forward. “I suggest you get to the point of this conversation before I decide to quench my thirst.”
The man laughed and crossed his arms. “From the rumours I’ve heard, you indulge in that habit even less than this one.” He held up his hand when Rafe barred his fangs even more. “Relax. I’m not one to tempt the beast. I just thought you might like to know a number of your…brothers…are gathering outside. They seem very interested in your whereabouts.”
A new tension bunched Rafe’s shoulders. He looked over at Terryn, pleased to find her slipping on her jacket, her pendant swinging against her neck. The colour had deepened into a fiery red, and he could feel the energy starting to build. He turned back, resisting the urge to rake his fingers through his hair. “How many?”
“A dozen or so. It’s hard to tell.” Sirus motioned to the Terryn. “Is it you, or the girl they want?”
“Does it matter?”
“That depends on whether you want my help or not.”
Rafe cursed. He’d known Sirus for years, even helped the guy out with a mob problem he’d been having, but Rafe knew better than to trust the man. “They want something that belongs to her.”
“Her necklace perhaps?” Sirus didn’t flinch when Rafe appeared an inch from the man’s face, teeth extended, his humanity gone. “Easy, lad. I’ve been around vampires long enough to know the stories, and the consequences if one of those monsters gets possession of your trinket. That’s why they’re still outside. They seem to be having trouble tracking you, which explains why you brought her in here.” He waved his hand around the room. “All my technology must interfere with the energy signature. But it won’t fool them forever. If you use the rear exit, you should be able to get a fair distance away before they realise you’re gone.” Sirus turned and walked to the door. “I’ve got a few tricks to keep them distracted. I suggest you get moving. I can give you about an hour. No more.”
Rafe bit back a curse as Terryn curled in behind him, her soft, warm body hugging his. He could smell her fear and the scent of it sickened him. He’d screwed up…literally. A simple fuck against the wall would’ve sufficed, but instead he’d indulged in her pleasures until their mutual release was his only coherent thought.
He sighed. He didn’t regret his impulsive decision. This might have been the only chance he’d get to experience anything close to true passion, and he didn’t want to die knowing he’d passed on the opportunity. Forgone the one chance to love the woman he’d been created for.
“Rafe? What does he mean they’re gathering outside? Why do they want my necklace?”
Rafe turned, ignoring the strange feeling in his chest, as he hugged her close, inhaling the combined aroma of her sweet essence and his dark seed. Separate, they were complete opposites, but together they formed the perfect balance between heavy and light, innocence and sin. “I tried to explain before, but…” His voice trailed off as he traced his fingers down her side, cupping her ass. “I guess you had other plans.”
She snorted, pulling out of his embrace and crossing her arms on her chest. The movement was intended to make her look imposing, but it only succeeded in exposing more creamy skin from the top of her shirt. Rafe rumbled his approval, trying to focus on her face.
“This is serious. What do we do now?”
“Move.” He extended his hand. “I can only take you along if you’re either willing, or unconscious. The choice is yours.”
She shivered at the dominance in his voice, glancing one last time at the dishevelled bed, before meeting his unyielding stare. “Just don’t drop me. I don’t like heights.”
Rafe smiled picking her up in his arms. “Like I said. I can’t fly. But hold on tight, just the same.”
* * * *
Rafe stopped at the entrance to what looked like an old mine shaft, placing Terryn on the hard ground. She stumbled to the broken door, bracing her hand to regain her balance.
“I thought you said you couldn’t fly!” she rasped, her stomach still lodged in her throat.
“That wasn’t flying, my sweet.” He moved behind her, wrapping his fingers around her arm. “We best get inside before that damn talisman pulses again.”
She nodded, not sure if she walked in or Rafe carried her. The room was black until Rafe vanished from her arm, reappearing before her next breath, a bright light blazing near the back. The room was really a cave, with a few rugs tossed down to soften the stone floor and a large bed wedged in the rear.
Terryn moved to the centre, noting a scattering of trinkets Rafe must have collected over the centuries. Antique lamps, wooden chairs and a number of paintings decorated the small space, giving it a more lived-in feel. She looked at him as he brushed past her, wondering how long he’d called this place home.
“About three hundred years,” he answered, making her jump. “Though I don’t live here all the time. It’s more like a retreat.”
Damn. The reading minds thing was a pain in the ass.
“I wouldn’t mention the word ass if I were you, sweet. Or I might forget you need to rest.”
She glared at his sinful smile and settled onto one of the chairs. “So are you going to finish your story about my necklace, or do we just wait here for the hordes of undead to arrive?”
“Whether I tell you or not won’t stop the hordes from coming. But I assume you’d prefer to know.”
She nodded, not trusting her voice. She was still trying to come to terms with the fact she was sitting in some ancient cave, talking to a vampire who’d just chained her to the bed and fucked her senseless. Though, if she were honest, it was the last part that frightened her, because it didn’t feel like he’d simply fucked her. It felt more like he’d possessed her, binding part of her soul to him as if he needed the connection to soothe the demon inside him. She’d noticed how his face had blurred into something more gruesome when she’d been feasting on his cock before he’d physically pulled it back, and, once again, questioned if this talisman was some type of cure.
“I wouldn’t call the pendant’s power a cure,” he replied, gazing at her with hot desire curling his lips. “More along the lines of a new beginning.”
“So what exactly does it do?”
Rafe shrugged, walking back to the entrance. “To be honest, no one knows for sure. Only one of the seven talisman has been claimed, and it didn’t end…as hoped.”
When she frowned at him he sighed, gazing out at the darkness.
“The prophecy has a lot of mystic mumble jumble, and quite frankly, doesn’t say much else. All I know is that I’m supposed to stop my kind from claiming it.”
“And if one does?”
“Then they’ll become a demonic creature the likes of which Hell has never seen. And when this demon is finished devouring every living creature, the place you call earth will be nothing more than another Hell dimension, inhabitable by only the most wretched creatures. Even vampires will parish in its wake.”
“Then why would they want it if they know the fate that awaits them?”
A knowing smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “Because, like humans, there are those among us who are tempted by absolute power.”
“How do we defeat them?”
“Simple. We don’t let them get it. If we can keep it hidden until dawn, the power will dissipate with the rising sun, and you’ll be left with nothing more than a pretty piece of glass.”
“And if they show up before then?”
“That’s where I come in. All you have to do is stay hidden. I’ll do the rest.”
“But—”
Rafe stopped her with a cool finger. “We can talk more later. Right now you look like you’re about to collapse.” He motioned to the bed. “Rest. I’ll wake you in a few hours.”
Terryn nodded, her eyes suddenly heavy. She sighed as Rafe picked her up, carrying her to the bed. Her last memory was the soft press of his lips on hers, then darkness.
Chapter Four
“Rafe?” Terryn jolted awake, her voice echoing off the walls.
“Here.”
He was standing at the door, staring into the darkness. He didn’t turn to her, but she could sense the tension hanging between them. She swung her feet to the ground, padding across the floor.
“They’re coming,” he said.
“How do you know?”
He shrugged as he darted a glance her way. “I can feel them. We’ve got a couple of hours before they’ll be able to track us down, but that’s still another two before sunrise.”
“Maybe we should move again, keep running…”
“You’re safer here,” he interrupted. “We’re staying.”
Terryn watched as he moved past her, his head bowed low. He stopped beside the bed, but didn’t sit.
“If this talisman holds so much power, why do only some vampires want it?” she asked.
Rafe chuckled, meeting her gaze for the first time. “They’re what you’d call rogues, but that’s not your real question. What you’re really asking is why don’t I want it? Am I so different?” He paused and she drew a harsh breath as his expression intensified. “Do I have a soul?”
She shuffled her feet, not sure she was prepared for the answer. “Do you?”
“The question is impossible for me to answer, just as it’s impossible for you. What’s a soul? Is it consciousness? Knowing right from wrong? Possessing the ability to love without concern for your own life?” He walked over to a small table and held up a mirror, staring at the empty glass. “Is it as simple as a reflection in a mirror?” He cursed and threw the thing across the room, meeting her stare when the mirror shattered against the wall. “What I do know is that I remember the man I once was. That I feel guilt over the choices I’ve made. That I’d rather die than ever hurt you.”
He sighed and turned away. “It doesn’t matter. I was created to protect it, with my life if necessary. Whether that makes me different or just programmed, I’m not sure. But I’ll fulfil my promise.”
Terryn moved in behind him, brushing her fingers along his shoulder. “That’s more than most men.” She smiled as his eyes snapped to hers. “Are you tired?”
A sexy grin touched his lips and she felt the heat gather in her womb when he looked at the bed.
“Vampires require very little sleep,” he said. “But I’d hate to waste the opportunity to see your pale skin against the red sheets. If it’s what you want.”
She leant forward and nipped at his lip, raising her eyebrow as she eased back. “I thought vampires could lure a woman into their bed with nothing more than a smile?”
“I already have.”
Terryn grinned, spreading her arms, allowing him to remove her clothes and lay her across the bed. The sheets felt cool against her skin, a distinct contrast to the warm pressure of his lips against her ankle. She looked down, mesmerised by his predatory expression as he straddled her, bathing her body with licks and nips. She arched into each one, moaning at the erotic feel of his skin on hers. It was smoother, stronger, a constant reminder he was more than what he appeared.
“Is it true you can turn me into a vampire with only a bite?” she asked as he lowered over her, licking at her breasts as if they were mounds of ice cream.
He paused to look at her, one nipple captured in his mouth. “It’s more complicated than that, or there’d be nothing but vampires roaming the earth. Turning involves vampire blood as well.” He smoothed his fingers along her pulse. “Though I’d be lying if I didn’t confess you’d be a tasty treat.”
His warm laughter gathered the cream building inside her and she moaned at the way he inhaled, knowing the exact moment her juice moistened her labia, preparing for his invasion. “How often do you have to feed?” she rasped, spearing her fingers through his hair as he settled on her breast, pulling her nipple into his mouth with steady sips.
“It’s similar to humans. But I live mostly on rats and other animals,” he mumbled, switching to the other side. “I only drink human blood when my strength starts to wane. It does more than quench my hunger. It increases my abilities.” He glanced at her again. “Now would you rather talk or scream?”
Her voice broke the silence as he kneed her thighs apart and plunged home, burying his shaft in a single stroke. She gasped at the sudden penetration, closing her eyes against the rush of pleasure as the head of his cock forged through her tight tissues, brushing her womb as he hilted himself inside.
“Like a warm welcome,” he whispered against her neck, retreating an inch at a time, groaning in her ear with every tiny movement of his shaft through her channel.
She squeezed, forcing a husky growl from his chest. His head snapped up and he devoured her mouth, his tongue tangling with hers, stealing her breath as he drank in every murmur. She arched under his assault. The way he powered into her, then slowly withdrew only to slam home again. The coil curled inside her, drawing tighter with every thrust until she begged him to end the torture.
His voice sounded dark in her head, his words unrecognisable, as he gave one last retreat before claiming her. She released a soundless scream locking her ankles behind his back and her hands around his shoulders. Her channel rippled, hanging on the edge until he reached between their bodies and pinched her clit.
Fireworks exploded in her head, shattering her hold on reality. Terryn screamed Rafe’s name, burying her head against his neck as her orgasm drained her energy, leaving her sagging in his arms. He kissed her head, holding her close, smiling down at her when she finally found the strength to open her eyes.
“I love watching you come,” he said, dropping a chaste kiss on the tip of her nose. “Let’s do it again.”
Before she could register his words, he’d flipped her over, knees tucked under her hips as she rested her weight on her elbows. The slow progression of his hand across her ass had her tensing, memories of his promise still vivid in her mind.
“So beautiful. The perfect pleasure.” He caressed her skin, trailing a single finger down her cleft to circle her anus. “Did you enjoy my touch before?”
She could only nod, her mind too locked on his hand to form words.
“I promised you I’d fulfil your desires,” he rasped, gathering some of her release on his finger before pushing it past her tight muscles and sinking it inside her anal channel. The sensation was strange, but hot, bringing a different kind of satisfaction. It was darker, more forbidden, and felt more intense than when he’d touched her pussy.
“Try to relax. If you give me complete control, you’ll only feel pleasure.”
He was asking her to trust him.
Terryn closed her eyes and gave herself over to him.
Rafe stared at Terryn, feeling her surrender as surely as if she’d screamed the words. He choked back the tight feeling in his chest, overwhelmed by her trust in him. He was a creature of the night, yet her faith in him was absolute. He closed his eyes, pushing the new feelings away. Their time was limited and he wanted her to experience everything he could give her before the battle began.
She sighed as he smoothed his fingers along her curves, caressing her pale skin, watching it mould to his hands. He kept a small flask of oil on the table beside the bed, and he reached for it as he probed her pucker with the tip of his finger.
“So pretty,” he said, drizzling the liquid across her skin, chuckling at how she twitched at the cool sensation. “Don’t worry, it’ll warm up soon
enough.”
She moaned as he worked the oil inside her, coating her channel, spreading his fingers to ease some of the tension. Low, raw sounds filled the air, spiking his need, making his cock pulse against his stomach. He poured more oil on his hands, spreading it across his shaft, groaning in anticipation.
“Take a deep breath, sweet, and blow it out slowly.”
Her chest expanded, her exhalation timed with the press of his cock against her anus. Her muscles quivered, a deep moan bubbling from her chest as he pushed through her tight ring, sinking the crown inside.
Pleasure surged through him, clenching is thighs, making the room fade at the edges. Damn, she was so tight, so hot, he wondered if he’d be able to move. Terryn whimpered and pushed back, impaling herself on half his length, crying out at the sensation. Rafe, lowered his head, scrapping her shoulder with his fangs as he sighed his defeat and hilted his cock in her ass.
“Yesss!”
Her voice was shrill, but the pleasure in it cascaded over him, extinguishing the last of his reservations. He pulled back, growling at the immense pressure, wondering if his shaft would simply explode under the strain, before surging back in, claiming her anal canal in a long, deep thrust.
The beast in him roared in triumph, contorting his features, shattering his fragile hold on humanity. His fangs stretched to their full length, filling his mouth, brushing over his tongue as he twisted under the assault. He looked down at Terryn, seeing her body shuffle on the bed with each thrust of his hips against her ass. Juice from her pussy covered his sac as it slapped against her clit, making her writhe. He came down over her, licking the vein threading from her neck into the sleek muscle of her shoulder. He could hear the blood pounding through her, beckoning him.
Terryn turned at the rough scrape of his teeth along her skin, catching his gaze, snagging her lip at the creature she realised was fucking her. He waited, expecting her to scream, to demand he stop. Instead she closed her eyes, stretching her arms out in front of her as they’d been in the bar. Then she tilted her head, exposing her neck.