by Cynthia Eden
“Hello, my love.” A man’s voice, silken and dark with menace, called to her from the shadows.
She froze as ice-cold, numbing fear filled her. No, no, it couldn’t be—
He reached over, turned on a nearby lamp, and the glowing yellow light illuminated his face. His glowing green eyes. His glistening fangs. “I’ve been waiting for you to come home.”
“Eric.” Her heart raced and the furious pounding filled her ears. How had he found her?She’d tried to be so careful. She’d run far from him, leaving Baton Rouge and traveling southeast until she’d literally hit the ocean—the ocean, and the small, unassuming town of New Olympus, Florida, that graced the beach.
Eric stepped toward her and she instinctively flinched back, moving a good foot.
But he just smiled. “I’ve got your blood in me, love. That means you are in me. And I’m in you. We’re linked. Bound by the blood.”
She didn’t want to be linked with him. Didn’t want to have a damned thing to do with him.
“Our bond links us. It gives me your scent. It lets me track you. And I can track you—wherever you go, I can find you.” Another slow, gliding step toward her. His tall, sleekly muscled body moved with dangerous grace. “There’s nowhere that you can hide from me. Nowhere.”
With that, he shot forward and grabbed her. His long nails dug into her hair as he hauled her against him. “You’ve been a very, very bad girl, Terese. You shouldn’t have left me, not after all I did for you.” His breath blew across her face and sent a shudder of revulsion through her.
All he’d done for her? “You turned me into a monster,” she grated. “You took my blood and forced me to become…like you.” The memory of that night—of the burning pain, of that first, desperate taste of blood—filled her.
When the compulsion faded, when she realized what he was doing, she’d fought him. But Eric had been too strong, and he’d just held her down. He’d shoved her onto the floor as he drove his fangs deep into her throat. And though she’d struggled, she hadn’t been able to break free. As the minutes trickled by, she’d become weaker, weaker…and cold, so very cold. She’d drawn a last, gasping breath—
And then he’d shoved his wrist over her mouth and dripped his thick, hot blood past her lips. Her body had convulsed at the sickly sweet taste. Pain lashed through her. Agonizing. Wrenching. She’d blacked out, screaming—
And awoken as a vampire.
“I chose you,” he muttered, gazing down at her with his fangs bared. “I could’ve had anyone, but I chose you.”
And the sick psycho thought she should be honored. He hadn’t understood when she wasn’t thrilled by her new life. “I didn’t want this,” she whispered, not looking into his eyes. She didn’t want to look into those eyes again. Because when she did, it chilled her to the bone.
“If you’d given me time, I could have made you want this life, made you want me.” He lowered his head, and his breath tickled her throat. “I played the gentleman. I tried to give you time to accept your new world, time to accept me—”
Her hands came up and rammed into his chest. Grunting, he slipped back a step.
“Oh, yeah. You played the damn gentleman,” Terese snapped. “You just transformed me into a vampire without my permission! But, since you didn’t rape me, I guess you thought—”
His hands tightened into fists. “It wouldn’t have been rape. You would have enjoyed every moment of my touch.”
Yeah, right. She would have enjoyed it…as she gagged. “Only if you’d put me under compulsion, asshole. And even then, I would have been screaming on the inside.” She tried to lunge around him, but he grabbed her and shoved her back against the wall so hard that her head rapped against the wood.
“You’ll enjoy it. I’ll have you begging before I’m done.” His nostrils flared as he leaned closer, “I’ll show you how much—” Eric broke off, stiffening. “I can smell another man on you.” His hands dug into her skin, bruising, as he held her immobile.
Vampire senses. She tried to bullshit her way out of this hell. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Now, let me go!”
His head lowered toward her, and he inhaled deeply. “His scent is on you. On every inch of you.”
Oh, shit. Eric had been a vampire for over two hundred years, and she knew he had gained the enhanced sensory perception that came with age.
He can really smell Apollo on me. This scene wasn’t going to end well. At all.
A sharp sting pierced her left arm, and Terese felt the warm well of her blood. Glancing down, she saw that his claws had pierced her flesh. “I-I had to feed.” That was the truth. Another night, and the hunger would have killed her.
The claws dug deeper as they cut into her muscles. “But you didn’t have to fuck!”
No, that part had been pure bonus, though now might not be the best time to mention that fact. “Eric…”
His teeth snapped together. “You’re mine, Terese. Mine. I made you, and I’ll be damned if I let you go to another.”
Too late. I already did. “Then I guess you’re just—”
“Terese!” Apollo’s voice roared from the hallway.
Eric’s eyes narrowed. “He comes for you,” he whispered, “but he’ll get me.”
The front door shook as Apollo’s fist pounded against the wood. “I know you’re in there, so let me in! We need to talk.”
At the sound of his deep voice, Terese didn’t know if she should be relieved or absolutely terrified.
“Shall I make his death slow…or fast?” Eric whispered.
And she knew how she should feel—absolutely terrified. “Please,” she whispered, and it wasn’t the first time she’d begged him. “Don’t hurt him.”
“It matters to you?”
Yes.
He must have seen the answer on her face because he smiled and said, “Then I’ll make sure I take my time with him.”
Chapter Four
Just as Apollo lifted his hand, preparing to pound on Terese’s door one final time before space jumping into her apartment, the door was wrenched open. A man stood in the doorway, smiling at him.
“Who the fuck are you?” Apollo snarled. He didn’t like the look of this guy. Didn’t like his too perfect dark hair. Didn’t like those eerie green eyes or the guy’s pale, sickly skin.
“I’m Terese’s mate, Eric Montraine.” The smile stretched to reveal razor sharp fangs. “And I’m the man who’s going to kill you.”
Terese’s mate. Hot fury knifed through him. “Funny, Terese didn’t mention you, but then, we were kind of busy fucking.”
The jerk’s eyes narrowed.
“And as far as killing me…” Apollo put his hand on the asshole’s chest and shoved him back into the apartment. “That’s really not going to happen.”
“Apollo!” Terese stared at him with relief and fear coating her expression.
His gaze darted over her, and he instantly saw the blood that trickled down her arm. “What happened to you?”
Her right hand lifted and covered the wound. “I-it’s nothing.”
He glanced back at the asshole. “You did that to her.” Not a question.
The guy held up his hand and flashed deadly claws. Not human. “Terese has been bad, so she needed to be punished,” he said as that freaky-ass smile slipped over his face again. “And so do you…”
“No!” Terese ran forward and put her body between them. “Don’t do anything to Apollo. He-he was just prey. I was hungry, so hungry, and I had—”
The smile disappeared. “You’re protecting him.”
Yeah, she was, Apollo realized. And it was rather humiliating for a god to be protected by anyone else. Hadn’t he told her that he was all-powerful? Immortal? Unstoppable? He was sure he’d mentioned those facts once or twice. He didn’t need—
“Don’t hurt him, Eric,” she whispered. “Please.”
“Ah…begging already, my dear?”
Oh, that was it. Apollo
caught Terese’s arms and pushed her behind him. The vamp would pay. “I think I’m gonna have to kick your ass, Drac.”
Eric’s eyes shined brighter. “Kneel before me,” he ordered.
Apollo quirked a brow. “You’re kidding me, right?”
Behind him, Terese inhaled sharply. “Don’t look into his eyes, Apollo, don’t—”
“Kneel!” Eric screamed, veins bulging in his forehead. “Kneel and bare your throat so that I can rip it out.”
The guy was a fucking nut job. “Um, no thanks. But how about we do this?” And Apollo drove his fist into the guy’s mouth, aiming straight for those white fangs.
Eric fell back. A cry of pain and surprise broke from behind his now bloody lips.
Apollo drew back his fist once more. “Here’s a warning, asshole. For future reference, don’t ever fucking touch her again.” He drove his fist forward, ready to feel the satisfying crunch of bone—
Eric caught his fist and held it immobile five inches from his face. Blood slipped down Eric’s chin and splattered onto his white shirt. “What are you?”
Apollo smiled back at him. “I already told you, I’m the guy who’s gonna kick your ass.”
Eric growled and slashed out with claws. The swipe drew a well of blood from Apollo’s side. “Think again, mortal,” Eric snarled.
Mortal. He’d never been called that one before. Ignoring the pain in his side, Apollo rammed his booted foot into Eric’s stomach.
The guy barely flinched. But Eric did charge at him with fangs bared and claws extended.
“Stop!” Terese threw a lamp at Eric. Her aim was dead-on as the lamp slammed into the side of the vampire’s head. “I told you to leave him alone!”
Both men froze.
Apollo glanced back at her. Her pale face was set in determined lines…and she had another lamp in her hand.
“You would choose him?” Eric gritted as he swiped at the blood on his chin. “After what I did for you?”
“You killed me, Eric! You. Killed. Me. How many times do I have to tell you? I didn’t want to become like this! I. Didn’t. Want. This!” She was shaking, violent shudders that wracked her entire body.
“You’re mine, Terese.” Eric’s shining gaze locked on her and seemed to brighten. “I’m not going to let you go.”
“You never had me.” Her knuckles were white as her fingers clenched around the base of the lamp. “Now get the hell out and don’t ever come near me again.”
Eric glared at her.
“Do what she says,” Apollo ordered, his fists ready at his sides. He was tempted, so very tempted, to call on the power of the sun…and burn the vampire to ashes.
But if he did that, Terese would be hurt. She was too close to him, too close to Eric, she’d never be able to withstand the blast of the sun’s power.
The anger slowly drained from Eric’s face. “This isn’t over, Terese,” he said, his voice almost…sad?
Her jaw locked. “Yes, it is.”
Eric stalked toward her.
Apollo stiffened. “Don’t even think about touching her.”
“Oh, I’ll touch her,” now that freaky smile was back, “and I will see you dead.”
“Promises, promises…” Apollo taunted.
The vampire growled, then vanished.
* * *
“Oh, shit!” Real terror rocked through Terese when she saw Eric teleport right before her eyes. “He’s an elder!” No wonder Eric had been able to control her so easily, to convert her and—
“What,” Apollo began carefully as he closed in on her, “is an elder?”
“An ancient vampire.” She dropped the lamp and realized that her knees were shaking. Being a vampire hadn’t made her immune to human weakness like fear. She was so scared then that she was shaking. “One who has lived for centuries and has the power to prove it.” A vampire who could teleport, just as Eric had done when he’d disappeared from her apartment.
Well, at least that explained how he’d managed to get inside her locked home.
And, unfortunately, it also presented her with a whole new slew of problems. Because if Eric could teleport, there would be no safe place for her to hide from him.
She didn’t doubt that he’d be back for her. Eric wouldn’t just walk away. Things would never be that easy.
He’d be back, and he’d make her pay for her perceived betrayal.
“You’re not his mate.” Apollo gazed down at her with blazing eyes.
“No.” Hell, no.
His fingers circled her injured arm. Warmed the flesh.
“You don’t have to—” She began but the dull ache immediately eased as the skin closed. Terese swallowed. “I told you before, I can heal myself. Vampires heal while they sleep.”
His hand dropped away, and she missed the warmth of his touch. “Eric’s the one who made you into a vampire.”
Even though it wasn’t a question, she nodded.
“Was he your lover?” Quiet, emotionless words.
“We-we were dating. We’d just been seeing each other for a few weeks. I didn’t know what he was.” It wasn’t like she’d expected her boyfriend to be a vampire.
“Were you lovers?” Not quite so emotionless now. There was anger humming in his voice. Anger or jealousy?
Terese shook her head. “We weren’t. Not even after he changed me.” She’d thought he would rape her after that first terrible night, but he hadn’t. Eric had been waiting, confident that she would turn to him, that she would seek out his lovemaking.
Wrong again, asshole.
Some of the tension eased from Apollo’s shoulders. But his gaze still simmered with emotion when he said, “Don’t run from me again.”
A broken laugh slipped from her lips. “Don’t you get it yet? That’s all my life is now. Running.” And the running wouldn’t stop. Not until Eric was dead.
Killing an elder? Good luck with that one.
“Why did you leave?” His fingers brushed her arm. “Was I…too rough?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I liked…everything you did.” That was the problem. Terese stepped away from him. “And now I need you to leave.”
He blinked. “Run that by me again.”
Didn’t the guy see that she was fighting to hold on to her control? “Eric is an ancient vampire. One who now hates you.” Because of me. “The last thing I wanted to do was put you in danger.”
He laughed.
She glared. “I left to protect you, Apollo! I didn’t want my hell coming to your home.” But he’d followed her, and Eric would know him now.
“I don’t fear your vampire.” Ah, that cockiness was back in his voice. “He should fear me.”
Then his hands wrapped around her and pulled her against him. “Why did protecting me matter to you?”
This was the tough part. “Because…you’re special.” He’d brought her out of the sunlight. Shielded her. Healed her. “You took care of me. You gave me so much pleasure. I just…I don’t want anyone to hurt you.” Because her feelings for him were so new and confusing and it almost felt like they were ripping her apart.
“And I won’t let anyone hurt you.” His words were a vow. “Trust me, Terese. I can protect you.” His lips feathered over her jaw. “I can give you everything you need in this world.”
Her eyes closed. “I wish I’d met you months ago.” Before…
His breath blew against her skin. “I’m here now. That’s all that matters. The past is gone…”
As was her human life. She knew that. Time to pony up and deal with it.
“The future is right here.”
He raised his head and smiled down at her. Sexy dimples.
“I’m your perfect partner. You can’t kill me, no matter how much blood you take. And you can fuck me to your heart’s content.”
Terese’s heart kicked in her chest.
“But it’s only gonna be me, do you understand? From here on out, only me.” He stared down at her as his han
ds stroked her flesh. “You need to feed, you feed from me. You need to fuck, you fuck me.”
The idea of biting someone else filled her with revulsion. She’d tasted the sweet warmth of Apollo’s blood, a blood that was so different from Eric’s bitter bile, and even now, she hungered for more of him.
As for wanting another man…well, she’d never wanted anyone the way she wanted him. Never felt such strong passion, had such freaking amazing sex…until him.
His hands slipped beneath the bodice of her dress, and his fingers, those strong, wicked fingers, plucked her nipples. “Terese, promise me.”
She felt her sex moisten. “Only—ah—you.”
He growled. “Right answer.” He yanked her dress down, baring her breasts completely. “And I’ll only be with you. No one else can even fucking compare.” Then his mouth latched onto her right breast, sucking, licking, biting—
Her knees buckled. His arm caught her as she slipped and easily held her upright. “You taste so good,” he rasped against her flesh and turned his attention to her other breast. His lips closed over her plump flesh, and he sucked her breast, pulling the nipple deeply into his mouth, using his tongue, his teeth.
But this time, she wanted something…more. “Apollo…”
He pulled back and gazed into her eyes. He was breathing hard, his chest rising and falling jerkily.
“I…want to taste you.” Her admission.
He turned his head as he offered his throat.
“No.” She took a deep breath. “I want to taste you.”
Terese saw the understanding in his eyes. “I-I’ll be careful,” she promised. Sure, the fangs might put some guys off—
His hands moved to her shoulders and he pushed Terese to her knees.
—but, Apollo wasn’t your average guy.
“I like to be sucked hard,” he told her as his fingers trailed over her lips.
Her knees were on the wooden floor. Her hand still cradled his cock. Her tongue snaked out, lightly licking the thick head and sweeping away that sweet drop of moisture.
A growl built in his throat. “Open your mouth.”
She licked him again, a long, slow lick from base to head.
He shuddered.