Selena ran through the forest, oblivious to the wind and rain because she knew she was going to die. She was sure of it.
If not at the hands of the vampire, then because her lungs were going to burst.
It had been some time after midnight, and she and Brenna were playing their zillionth hand of gin rummy, when they saw headlights coming up the driveway. Her first thought had been that someone was coming to burglarize the house. After all, no one knew Mateo was here, and his car was parked in the garage, so any visitor would have assumed the house was empty. But then she’d recognized the vehicle. A dark blue pickup truck.
It was her father.
Heart racing, she ran outside, Brenna at her heels. Why had her father come all this way at this time of night in this storm? What had happened?
Windshield wipers on full blast, the truck stopped in front of the garage behind where Mateo’s car was parked inside. She started to dash off the porch, but Brenna grabbed her arm. “Hold on.”
“Why?” Selena asked incredulously. “That’s my dad.”
“Something’s not right.”
“I know that,” she snapped, impatience tugging at her natural tendency to be polite with a new friend. “He would never have come all this way if it wasn’t urgent.”
The driver’s door opened, and her father stepped out.
“Dad? Are you okay? What’s wrong?” The wind swept away her words.
He lifted his hand in greeting as the passenger door opened and his girlfriend Marcella got out.
Brenna’s grip tightened around Selena’s forearm, and she took a half step in front of her, partially blocking her view of the truck. “Go into the house and call Mateo,” Brenna said, her voice barely above a whisper.
The tiny hairs on the back of Selena’s neck prickled. “But I don’t have any cellular coverage here.”
“Then you need to get yourself somewhere with coverage.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked, even though she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer.
And then she noticed something odd about Brenna. Her lips looked…different. Fuller. There was a flash of white that hadn’t been there before. Fangs.
A deafening roar sounded in Selena’s ears and she took a step backward. “Brenna?”
“I’m going to do what I can to stall her,” Brenna said, “but you need to go. Now.”
Selena choked. All the questions she had about what was going on paled in comparison to the most important one. “What about my dad?”
“Your father is not the target. You are. His female companion is a Darkblood.”
With Mateo’s car blocked, she’d done the only thing she could do. She’d run.
Arms and legs like pistons, she was oblivious to the blackberry bushes and stinging nettles brushing her exposed skin. With just one bar of service, she had no idea if Mateo had received the text she’d just sent.
She prayed he did, because she didn’t know how much longer she could outrun a vampire.
“Damn it, Finn. What’s wrong?” Mateo adjusted his headset and stared out the rain-streaked windshield of the helicopter, wishing he had the supernatural ability to teleport like a few members of his race did.
“We can’t get off the ground in this wind,” Finn said, flipping a few switches on the instrument panel. “It’s too strong. We’re going to have to wait for it to—”
Like hell they were. Selena was in danger and needed him.
He took a deep breath, called forth an inner strength that he hadn’t known existed until Selena’s fall, and willed the aircraft to lift. Even with his eyes pinched shut, he could tell they were no longer on the ground.
“Holy shit. We’re airborne,” Finn exclaimed from the pilot’s seat. “Let’s just hope we stay that way.”
The land below them was dark as they flew over the tops of the trees. Although Mateo had no idea what was waiting for him back at Broadmoor, he sure as hell had an inkling, and the thought made his stomach turn.
After what seemed like a lifetime, Finn was centering the aircraft above the clearing near Broadmoor. The moment it touched down, Mateo leaped from the helicopter and shadow-moved through the forest.
He burst into the house to find Brenna in the kitchen, eyes closed and chained to the fireplace. Blood dripped from a fresh wound in her arm, and an older man lay unconscious at her feet. It was Selena’s father. A fresh round of panic coursed through him as he scanned the room.
“Where’s Selena?”
Brenna opened her eyes, a pained expression on her face. “Move him...away from me,” she said haltingly. “I can’t think.”
Wounded vampires had one thing on their minds. Blood. Selena’s father wasn’t a sweetblood, but that didn’t matter. A hurt vampire was a hungry vampire.
Quickly pulling the man out of her reach, he repeated his question.
“I...don’t know,” Brenna said. “I told her...to run.”
And that’s when he smelled it. Darkbloods.
His worst fears had come true.
“How many are there?” They usually traveled in pairs.
“Just...one. A female.” Brenna grimaced. “I tried to stop her…and I held her off for a while, but then…this happened. I’m sorry, Mateo.”
His heart thumped a hammer-like staccato in his ears as he sprinted outside and tried to pick up Selena’s scent. Which way had she run, goddamnit? With the wind blowing as hard as it was and the rain washing everything away, all he smelled was sea air and the earthy, clean fragrance of the forest.
At least the Darkblood was at the same disadvantage. His only hope was that the female hadn’t found Selena yet.
Chapter 14
Lungs ready to burst, Selena was soaked to the bone by the time she got to the fourth cabin overlooking the bluff. She didn’t care if this one was locked like the other three had been, she couldn’t go any farther. She’d break a window if she had to.
As it turned out, the door was unlocked—yes!—and she let herself in. When she went to close it, a gust of wind tore it from her hands and the door slammed shut with a bang.
She twisted the deadbolt and collapsed to her knees, water pooling around her as she struggled to catch her breath. Although she couldn’t be sure, she had an overwhelming sense that Mateo was nearby, and the thought reassured her. She gripped the silver candlestick in her hand tighter. It was a wonder she still had it. She’d grabbed it as an afterthought as she’d sprinted through the sitting room. She may be new to this dangerous world of his, but she didn’t need to be helpless. If she got out of this alive, she’d take all the self-defense classes she could find. Learn to fight with a knife. Maybe even fire a gun.
Please, she thought, let Dad and Brenna be okay.
“Ah, Selena,” said a woman’s calm voice from behind her. “So glad you could join me.”
Her breath lodged in her throat like a splinter from a bone and she almost dropped the candlestick. She turned around slowly.
It was Marcella. And she had a mouthful of fangs.
He almost missed it. The scent of blood. One moment it was there and the next it was gone, carried off by the howling wind. But one thing he knew. It was Selena’s.
Weapons in both hands, fangs protruding, he sprinted toward the bluff and kicked in the door of Cabin #4. And there, in the musty darkness, his worst nightmare came true.
A Darkblood female was leaning over Selena’s prone body, blood dripping from her fangs.
Oh God, he was too late.
A murderous rage unlike anything he’d ever felt before spiraled up like a hurricane and consumed him. This vile creature had killed the woman he loved. The woman who’d loved him in spite of his flaws, who’d filled the hole in his heart, making him feel as if he were enough just the way he was. She’d forgiven him and he’d wanted to figure out a way to spend eternity with her…but now she was gone.
In a flash, he yanked the creature away from Selena’s body and flung her across the tiny room. Something crashed
, but the Darkblood landed on her feet like a cat. He planned to cut her to shreds, throw her pieces into the ocean, but before he could throw one of his blades, a powerful blow hit him in the stomach. He staggered backward and fell to the ground, dazed at the female’s speed and strength. She’d no doubt been bolstered by Selena’s rare blood.
“The two of you recently fucked,” the female spat as she circled him. “I could taste you in her blood. But she’s mine. I found her first.”
“I...am no one’s property,” said a tiny voice to his left.
Selena? She was alive!
She flung an object—a candlestick?—that landed at the female’s feet.
Although it did no damage, it was enough to distract the Darkblood. Taking advantage of this, Mateo sprang up and drove his silver blade straight into the creature’s heart. “Mine!” he growled viciously.
He didn’t wait for the thing to charcoal. Spinning on his heel, he fell to his knees at Selena’s side, then hesitated. Blood was everywhere, her scent overwhelming in the small space. His dark nature reared up, a powerful force raging within him, and he ached to bury his fangs in her neck.
This had to be the embodiment of hell, he thought. To see the person you love survive an attack by your enemy, only to die by your hand.
“I love you, Mateo,” Selena said softly, reaching out to touch him. “You’re…strong enough, but I’m afraid I’m not.”
No. He wouldn’t let her die. He couldn’t. He loved this amazing woman with every fiber of his being. She was his, and he was hers. He shoved his dark nature aside, swept her into his arms, and rushed her back to Broadmoor.
Chapter 15
Three months later
“Christ, Selena. You’re insatiable.” Breathing heavily, Mateo fell onto the bed, his magnificent cock still hard and glistening. This view of her man was one she’d never grow tired of.
“What can I say?” she said, grinning playfully and licking her lips. “You’ve turned me into a monster, and I can’t get enough of you.”
His laughter, deep and hearty, shook the entire bed. “I’d heard a changeling’s appetite was big at first. Didn’t realize it also meant this.”
She lifted a brow and put her hands on her hips. “What are you complaining for? I thought vampires had much higher sex drives than humans. Afraid you can’t keep up?”
Something naughty gleamed in his eye as he propped himself up on one elbow. “Did the future Mrs. Carrera just issue me a challenge?”
“I think Mr. Carrera is scared.”
He narrowed his eyes. “No one calls me scared and gets away with it. Care to take it back?”
That was what she’d been hoping for.
“No.” She spun, bolted out the bedroom door, and sprinted down the hallway buck naked. It was times like these that made her thankful they had moved her father into the carriage house instead of the mansion.
The attack from the Darkblood female had almost killed her, but Mateo had conquered his fear of being unable to control his dark nature and rushed her back to the mansion. They’d tried to revive her, but even with Brenna’s medical training, Selena had lost too much blood.
She didn’t remember much about that night, thank goodness, but she did remember one thing: Mateo bent over her, tears streaming down his face as he wrestled with the decision of whether or not to try turning her. It was a risky proposition at best. He’d told her later that her lips had been turning blue when she’d whispered for him to do it.
She let out a little squeal as footsteps pounded on the floor behind her. She ran down the back stairway and into the kitchen, where a lemon cake was cooling on the counter. She’d been testing and perfecting various food items to be included on the resort’s menu when the place opened for business next month. When they’d moved her father out of his house, Mateo was the one who’d found her mother’s original recipe lodged behind an old cookbook. Both she and her father had been ecstatic.
“You saved my daughter and found this recipe?” Tears had welled up in her father’s eyes as he’d pulled Mateo into a warm, fatherly embrace.
He’d been horrified to learn that his lady friend was a vampire and had nearly killed Selena, but he was so grateful to Mateo, Brenna and the other Guardians for their role in saving her. After getting clearance from the Council not to wipe his memory, Mateo had asked him if he’d be the resort’s head of maintenance and operations, and her father had gladly accepted.
Just as Selena reached the door on the other side of the kitchen, Mateo’s strong arms circled her waist and she shrieked.
“You think you’re fast,” he growled from behind, “but I am faster.”
Before she knew what was happening, he threw her over his shoulder and headed back the way they had come.
“Oh no you don’t,” she laughed, struggling against him.
He hesitated. “So you want me to have my way with you right here?”
She looked around. “In the kitchen? Oh my God, Mateo, no!”
There was that gleam in his eye, challenging her to defy him again. “Guess you should’ve thought about that before you led me here on your little chase.”
His dominant, aggressive nature was intoxicating, and she couldn’t help but test those boundaries. After all, she’d made testing and perfecting her business.
Setting her on the edge of the counter, he pushed her knees apart, exposing her sex to him. “Christ, Selena. Every inch of you is gorgeous.” His mouth was hot against her and she cried out, fingers latching onto his hair as he kissed and licked and sucked her. Her release came hard and fast. The man definitely knew what he was doing.
She was still panting, her inner muscles still spasming, when he withdrew and rose to his full height. Fangs out, he growled possessively. “You’re mine, and if you run again, I’ll catch you.”
Good. She was counting on it.
Then he lifted her onto his shaft. “This isn’t going to be slow.”
And he was right. Just three hard thrusts had her shattering around him. He pulled her hair, exposing the curve of her neck. With his cock pulsing inside her, his mouth came down hard, and she felt the delicious sting of his bite. This incredible sensation would never grow old, she thought as she held his head in place, stroking his back while he drank.
When he was done, he drew away from her and sealed the marks with a gentle stroke of his tongue. “When we were apart, I felt lost, as if someone had pulled a thread and unraveled my soul. But then you untangled the knots and put me back together. I love you, Selena.”
Her heart swelled, feeling as if it would burst from happiness. “And I love you, Mateo.”
He’d saved her life more than once. First by leaving her, then by returning and fighting the darkness that had driven him away. Her man was fearsome and powerful, and she couldn’t wait to spend forever with him.
I hope you enjoyed Mateo and Selena’s story!
Have you read ENTICED BY BLOOD, the first book in the Sweetblood World yet? It stars Mateo’s friend Andre.
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Excerpt from ENTICED BY BLOOD:
Juliette Bishop wished she could turn around and go home. Although New Orleans was a beautiful city, it was the last place on earth she wanted to be.
She stepped through the wrought iron gates of the restaurant courtyard, where twisted branches from several trees formed a canopy overhead. If her hands weren’t full, she’d brush a wisp of hair out of her eyes. She tried blowing it away, but the strand clung stubbornly to her damp skin.
After her flight, she’d had just enough time to shower at the hotel, change and take a taxi to the French Quarter. Little good that did, because the back of her silk tank felt as if it were already covered in sweat. The locals were probably used to this humidity, but by San Francisco standards, it was almost unbearable.
She glanc
ed around. Only a few tables in the courtyard between the two buildings were occupied. Maybe there were more people inside.
With a heavy portfolio in one hand and a handbag in the other, she headed toward the hostess station. The brick footing was uneven, so she had to walk on her tiptoes to avoid catching a heel.
“Welcome,” said a young woman with sleek black hair. “Will you be joining us for dinner?”
Nodding, Juliette set her things on a nearby chair, relieved to be rid of the weight for a moment. “I’m meeting someone, but I’m a little early. I doubt he’s here yet.”
She pictured herself sitting inside an air-conditioned bar for fifteen or twenty minutes, sipping a tall cool drink. One with an umbrella and lots of ice. That would give her time to cool down and collect her thoughts.
Under her breath, she cursed her father’s alcoholic business partner for putting her in this situation. If it hadn’t been for Henry’s drinking problem, she wouldn’t be here right now, taking time off from her job at the brokerage firm, trying to salvage her father’s biggest customer—her former lover. A man she despised.
She’d met Andre Lescarbeau last New Year’s Eve in San Francisco. Fueled by one too many peach bellinis and his delicious French accent, she soon found herself in his hotel suite having the best sex of her life. He was dominant and demanding, and although she considered herself a strong, confident woman, she’d willingly submitted to him.
He wouldn’t let her take any time off from work, insisting that he had important business matters to attend to during the day. But every evening like clockwork, when she stepped out of her building on Market Street, there he was, waiting for her at the curb in his vintage Aston Martin convertible. How he managed the parking mojo night after night was beyond her.
Andre had asked about her family, so she told him what her father did and all the awards his vintage woodworking company had won, including the articles in Architectural Digest, Traditional Home, and Southern Living. Unbeknownst to her, Andre later contacted her father to do some work for him. He’d inherited a string of old boutique hotels in the South—New Orleans, Mobile, Savannah, Charleston—and was planning to renovate all of them one-by-one.
Unraveled By Blood, A Sweetblood World Vampire Romance Page 7