by Norris,Kris
“Now, Rafe.”
Her words bounced around in his head as he stared at her, certain he’d heard her wrong. She looked back at him again, hissing as he pummelled her ass, filling her hard and fast. Her face twisted in pleasure and pain and he revelled at the sight of it. “Terryn. No. I can’t…”
“Damn you. Either bite or get off, but do it now!”
His roar filled the room this time, his cock echoing the claim. It flared in anticipation, increasing the pressure, making her scream with delight. He covered her back with his chest, licking her skin, tasting the spot where her pulse throbbed below her skin. A hot breath prickled the hairs on her neck, making the skin bead.
“Mine,” he growled, threading his fingers through her hair, holding her head further to the side. “Close your eyes, my sweet.”
She obeyed and as his cock erupted, filling her ass with his fluid, he struck, sinking his fangs into her flesh, feeling the sweet warmth of her blood fill his mouth. Her body stiffened, a wail of pure ecstasy vibrating the air as she climaxed around him, locking him inside her tight canal. Beat after beat of blood flowed into him, giving him strength, forever binding him to her. He took as much as he could before pulling back, laving the marks with his tongue, sealing the wounds with his saliva.
She collapsed beneath him, and he followed her down, his cock still locked in her ass, her blood a sweet bounty on his tongue. Her breath came in frenzied gasps, her hair damp against the back of her neck. He rolled them over, curling her into him, tracing small circles across her skin. The beast in him purred, pulling back, hiding behind his human façade. He leant down, dropping a wet kiss on her shoulder.
“Terryn? Are you okay?”
She mumbled a sleepy yes, her mouth curving into a tentative smile as she drifted off. He closed his eyes, praying he hadn’t just condemned her to death, as he waited for the warriors to arrive.
* * * *
“Terryn!”
Her eyes flew open, the rough sound of Rafe’s voice staking fear through her chest. She bolted up, staring at the door, cringeing at the lethal expression on his face. “What’s wrong?”
He looked out the door, cursing under his breath. “They’ll be here soon. Get dressed.”
She nodded, wondering why he continued to stare at the darkness, as she pulled on her clothes, shuffling to the middle of the room. “What now?”
He turned, his face no longer that of the man she’d come to cherish. But she didn’t look away. He might bear the looks of a monster, but she knew his heart was pure. She held his stare as he stalked over to her, his fingers gripping her arm.
“Listen carefully. I want you to stay inside. Under no circumstances are you to lay one foot outside this cave, understand?”
His voice was harsh, and she whispered her agreement.
He nodded, reaching up to finger her pendant. “If I can’t stop them, I’ll come back inside. You’ll have to throw me the pendant. It’s the only way I’ll be able to destroy it.”
“But how?”
“I’ll drink the blood.” He cut her off when she tried to question him. “I told you. I was created to protect it. The power doesn’t have the same effect on me. I’ll try to hold them off, but…” He tilted her chin up so she was staring into his demonic eyes. “Promise me.”
“Rafe, please. There has to be another way. I—”
She stopped as he turned to the door, his low growl resonating through the air. He released her arm and moved away, grabbing two wooden stakes as he stalked past a table.
“They’re here.”
Rafe darted outside, Terryn’s heartbeat fading into the night. Ever since sharing her blood, he’d felt the steady rhythm as if it were his own—an incessant throbbing that was both familiar and new. It’d filled his head, ringing in his ears until he’d been forced to leave the bed in an effort to dampen the sound. Now it drummed in the distance, soft, but not forgotten.
He cursed, hating the beast inside him. He hadn’t intended to bite her. But when she’d looked at him, love in her eyes, accepting the monster as easily as she had the man, he’d lost control and allowed his instincts to take hold.
He sighed, hoping he had the strength to save her, when the first vampire stepped out of the night, shifting into view. A cruel smile twisted his face as he bared his teeth, hissing at Rafe.
The guy was outmatched, his corpse flaming into dust around a stake on the first strike. Rafe didn’t give him a second glance, watching for the next bastard to materialise out of the mist. Two came this time, eyes red against the darkness, fangs coated with blood. They played off each other, attacking in tandem, lunging through the air with a cry of fury. Rafe waited, body primed, muscles tensed, until they descended over him, opening up their flank. Rafe dove, rolling to his feet, plunging both spikes through their backs, turning away as their bodies exploded, spraying a cloud of ash into the air. He howled, releasing his beast in all its glory, eager for the next round of prey.
* * * *
Rafe staggered back, bracing his weight on a large rock. It’d been over an hour since the first vampire had reached his home, and the constant fighting had drained him. He chanced a glance at his door, but was greeted with only dark shadows. Terryn had stayed inside, just like he’d ordered. He turned away, not sure why his chest ached. He knew he’d tan her hide if she poked so much as a hair through the doorway, but a part of him longed to see her. See her easy acceptance, her sexy smile. Draw strength from the love that flickered in her eyes, even if she didn’t know it was there. He cursed, hating the part of him that longed to be human. He’d left that behind, choice or not, and second chances didn’t apply to demons.
A strong charge prickled the air, raising the hairs on his arms. He forced himself up, sensing the hoard just moments away. Twelve had appeared last time, and he knew this round could well be his last. He glanced at the horizon. A thin grey line snaked along the landscape, but sunrise wasn’t close enough. He stood his ground, squinting when the mass of vampires wavered into sight, eyes shining like beacons, teeth gleaming against the darkness.
One of the creatures stepped forward, smiling at the piles of dust littering the ground. “Ah, Rafe. It’s been a long time.”
Rafe snarled, keeping himself positioned between the door and the men. “Not long enough, Alexander.” He nodded at the men standing behind him. “Still need your minions to fight your battles, I see.”
The vampire laughed. “Still serving the righteous, I see.”
“Why don’t you and your children just leave? You won’t find what you’re looking for here.”
“That remains to be seen.” Alexander motioned towards the door. “Is she hiding in there? Guess it’s time to find out.”
Rafe shifted just as two vampires appeared at the door, their silhouettes blurring amidst the shadows. Rafe lunged, catching them across the chest, slamming them into the stone. Howls filled the air as he tossed them back, grabbing another when he was attacked from behind. Sharp nails pierced his flesh, tearing him open, erupting pain through his arm. He twisted his spike, grazing his side and slicing open his skin, as he plunged the wood into the creep’s heart. The demon flared into ashes, but not before Rafe’s blood sprayed across the stone, dropping him to his knees. He turned, unable to move fast enough to stop the vampire poised on his doorstep. The bastard grinned at him, stepping inside before bursting into flames, his charred dust scattering in the wind. Rafe pushed up, when Terryn appeared through the smoke, a wooden spike in each hand.
“Damn it, Terryn. I told you to stay back.” Rafe joined her at the door, ripping off the head of the next vampire trying to gain access.
“You can’t stop all of them by yourself. There’re too many.” She spiked the next creep when Rafe tossed him to the ground beside her. “Besides, I’ve seen enough Buffy reruns to know even a child can stake one of these fuckers.”
“Too bad there isn’t one around when you need it,” he mocked. He nodded at her neck. “Make sur
e you keep that hidden, or all Hell will break loose.”
She glared at him. “I’d say Hell’s already here.”
“Sweetness, this is just the appetiser.” He pushed her behind him when Alexander appeared at the entrance, the remainder of his hoard crowding behind him.
“What’s this, Rafe?” he asked. “Need a woman to fight your battles?”
“That’s right. And I can’t wait to see her stick a fucking stake through your heart.”
Alexander chuckled. “An amusing thought.” He leaned against the doorframe, surveying the room. “Nice place. It’d be a shame to die here. I’ll make you a deal. Hand her over, and I’ll forget all about this misunderstanding.”
“Fuck you.”
Alexander shook his head in feigned disappointment. “A preacher’s son ‘til the end. How very human of you, Rafael. Too bad your faith wasn’t strong enough to save you before.” He waved his hand down the length of Rafe’s body. “A vampire who hates to kill. And you call me a monster.” He took a step inside. “It’s nearly dawn. I’ll give you one minute to choose before we rip you apart in front of your lover.”
She felt Rafe tense, the muscles in his jaw twitching. He turned to her, his decision written in his expression.
Terryn shook her head, fingering the pendant. “No. There has to be another way.”
“None I’m willing to risk.” He touched her hand. “Just stay back. This won’t be pretty.”
Rafe reached for her necklace when Alexander grabbed his ankle, tripping him to the ground, pulling him to the door. Terryn screamed his name, watching as the two vampires wrestled, Rafe’s weakened body losing the fight. She backed up, cupping the talisman, watching as Rafe extended his hand, begging her to throw it to him. She shook her head, unwilling to be a part of his death, praying for a miracle, when the pendant grew warm against her skin, the purple hue sparking to life.
Turning involves vampire blood as well.
She stared at it, finally understanding her role as keeper.
Rafe’s voice thrummed in the distance, but all she heard was the pounding of her heart as she removed the small lid, holding the liquid to her lips. The vampires stopped, the brilliant light from the vial drawing their attention. She heard one of them growl a moment before she tipped the glass, consuming every drop of blood.
Rafe watched Terryn stagger back, his hand still stretched towards her. She blinked, staring at the empty vial before falling in a heap. The pendant slipped, shattering on the ground, spraying bits of glass across the room. The other vampires howled in pain, the tiny shards burning their flesh, driving them back. He pushed up, leaping at Terryn, scooping her off the cold stone.
“Damn it, Rafe. Do you know what you’ve done?” Alexander cursed him. “You’ll pay for this. Until next time, preacher.”
Rafe growled as Alexander vanished, his evil smile fading with the first hint of sunrise. Rafe looked at Terryn. Her eyes were closed, her mouth turned down in a slight grimace. He placed her on the bed, laying his head on her chest, sighing at the steady rhythm of her heart.
“Rafe?”
Her eyelids fluttered, slowly opening. The green was brighter than before, the edges rimmed in red. He leaned back as she sat up, gazing around the room before settling on his face. He tensed his jaw, not sure what was staring at him.
“Is it over?” she asked, looking at her body as if she expected it to start changing.
“For now.” He inched forward. “Are you…okay?”
“If you call being somewhere between human and vampire okay, then yes.”
He shook his head as she walked across the floor, picking up a piece of the broken mirror. She stared at it, holding it so he could see the blank surface.
“But, your heartbeat?”
She smiled, joining him back on the bed. “Like you said…a new beginning.”
“So does this mean you’re…”
“Immortal? That we can have children? That I’m the start of a new breed? I don’t know. It’s all still swirling around in my head. But there’s one thing I’m certain of.”
He raised his eyebrow at her.
“You definitely have a soul…one we both share.” She wrapped her arms around him, laughing when he pushed her down, stripping them both in the space of a heartbeat. “I love you, Rafe. I think I always have.”
He smiled down at her. “Like I told you in the bar. It’s already been foretold.” He dipped his head for a long, slow kiss. “Thank you, my love.”
“You’re welcome. But there is one problem,” she whispered, licking the side of his neck.
“What’s that?”
“You owe me a new necklace.”
About the Author
Kris sees herself as somewhat obsessive and feels she tends to push the limits sometimes. But her friends graciously see her as passionate and adventurous. After all, speed limits are only guidelines and shouting is just her way of rising above the chaos. Besides, she thinks the air is cleaner out there on the edge.
Kris started writing erotic stories a few years ago, but didn't try putting them out into the real world until recently. She loves penning independent leading ladies who aren't afraid to kick a bit of butt, especially when it only fuels the desires of their men. But of course, it wouldn't be any fun if the men didn't get to play... Most of her stories involve elements of suspense and quite often have a downright creepy villain lurking in the shadows. But all the better to get the hero's protective instincts going. After all, Kris still loves having a knight ride to the rescue...
Email: [email protected]
Kris loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.total-e-bound.com.
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