by T. J. Quinn
They bounced into the shower, got dressed and hit his yard as her limo landed in shuttlecraft mode. The kids all had bags. She gave them free rein in the craft. Arianna piloted the craft with Dakota’s own pilot taking the co-pilot chair. Dakota could tell she liked the design. The other three spent the entire one-hour voyage messing with the holographic interface and scrolling through the craft’s database.
Alek and Dakota sat wrapped in each other’s arms. They realized that their children were very advanced and inquisitive. They were learning as they played and Dakota had to admit they were an impressive group of minds. Dakota curled up, wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. His arms immediately came up around her, and he kissed her forehead.
He suddenly realized why he was so keen on helping her. He was worried that as strong and dedicated as she was to the cause, he knew her to be sensitive and vulnerable as well and he wanted and needed to protect her. He didn’t want to see her go off and fail if there was anything he could do to assist her in being successful. He knew for certain that running a successful business was his personal superpower.
The shuttlecraft landed at the facility, and they went into the main compound. They were immediately surrounded by about a dozen scientists all clamoring for her attention and signature. She looked at Alek, and they began to review the information presented to them. She shoved off the tech stuff for him to study, and he ended up redirecting some to obtain more information, signing off on some and declining others.
Dakota said, “Good God that went more smoothly than ever before. Thank you.”
“How long until they figure out my signature means absolutely nothing.”
“We’ll have to see.”
Squeaky came in with a stack of reports in paper form, greeted them and took them on a tour explaining all the current projects.
The entire bottom floor was free space for scientists to test various gadgets and gizmos. One scientist had a small dog running around on a hoverboard as he tried to stabilize the board. Another was testing a holographic interface which appeared to be giving medical instructions…a field doctor designed to assist an officer when they had someone down in a remote location. Yet another something that appeared to be a small robotic vending machine that distributed warm synthetic blood pouches as well as an electrolyte balancing drink for humans. One person seemed to be testing a flying remote-control camera shaped like an eyeball.
The kids ran from test section to test section asking questions, taking turns at the controls and sharing feedback with the scientists. Alek was very impressed with the entire operation. Dakota was right it was very collaborative. He also noticed that they were heavy on vampire scientists, which was not surprising because many found it difficult to secure good jobs in the private sector. He knew Dakota well enough to know she would snap up every single one she could to get the results she was looking for.
Dakota continued to get approached by scientist after scientist asking questions and wanting approval for everything under the sun. Alek could tell she was getting exhausted.
He called Arianna and Squeaky over and said, “Dakota and I need a break. Do you think you could review the approval requests and ferret out the ones that seem viable give them preliminary approval and then rank them in order of viability for us to review later this evening?” They smiled and eagerly accepted the assignment.
Arianna accepted just for the privilege of reviewing the work. She was a geek at heart and truly loved that kind of thing.
Chapter 9
The Blood Rage
~ Alek ~
“I need to feed. Can we go somewhere private?”
Dakota took him by the hand to her private office on the top floor. He could see that she relaxed a little as soon as the door closed behind them. She led him to a sofa in a corner seating area. He sat in the middle, laid down and immediately pulled her on top of him.
She cuddled close and began to kiss him leisurely on the lips. He could feel the tension start to melt out of her as he ran his hands up and down her body. He was becoming accustomed to her melting at his touch. It was so pleasing to be with a woman who genuinely cared for him. He loved being with someone who didn’t play a bunch of games with his emotions. She was so open and dedicated to giving him her love. The fact that she liked him to feed from her was a pleasurable bonus. He had never felt truly loved and accepted by a female before. Her fascination with his bloodlust was quite perplexing. Most human women were frightened of it, and some shied away from vampire men for this very reason.
She slid her hand down the front of his pants and began to casually stroke his manhood. She could feel his lips on her neck. As he became more excited, she could feel his tongue on her neck.
She whispered, “Come on baby, don’t make me beg. You know I love feeling your fangs in me.”
He could not have stopped himself from feeding at that moment if his life depended upon it. He forced himself to be very gentle with her because his raging needs were getting the better of him. He gently sank his fangs into her soft, warm flesh and let the blood drip into his mouth. He could tell she loved that because she immediately, unzipped his pants all the way and stroked him hard with both hands.
God, the woman knew how to provoke his bloodlust. She knew what vampire men liked and gave it in full measure. When he released her, she moved down and pleasured him with her tongue for a long while before he eased her beneath him, pulled her clothing off and returned the favor. He continued to pleasure her until she whispered his name and told him she loved him over and over.
After he pushed her to a hard climax, he moved into her body and drank from her neck as he moved roughly in and out of her. He looked down and realized her entire body was blushed a deep pink from his lovemaking. It inflamed his desires. His eyes were bright amber jewels, and his fangs were tipped with her blood.
“In your natural state, you’re the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.”
Alek could sense his bloodlust rising again. His sounds of pleasure were becoming deeper and his movements rougher and more intense as he made love to her. He needed to slow down, but his driving need to claim her was not listening to his brain.
She looked into his face, and her expression changed. For a split second there was fear then fascination. He knew his facial features were shifting slightly. It was the time when he looked slightly more vampire if that were possible.
She glanced over at his hand clutching the arm of the sofa. His eyes followed and what Alek saw mortified him. He had what could only be described as claws where his fingernails had been.
His little love mate had no idea what was happening, but Alek knew. He was momentarily becoming more animal than a person. She had clearly never seen anything like this happen to a vampire. To give credit where it was due, his new love mate sensed that it would be dangerous to disengage from him while he was in such an altered state. The poor woman did the only thing she could do in such a situation. She wrapped her arms around him and moved her body in sync with his to help him to his fall.
God, he’d never felt more conspicuous a day in his life. As he began to come inside her, Alek could hear a loud animalistic growl beginning in the back of his throat, and when it came out of his mouth, it was so deep and loud that it reverberated throughout the entire area.
Dakota’s secretary came running into the room and was shocked to see Dakota naked in his arms and to see him in such a state.
Dakota immediately wrapped her arms around him. “Don’t stop.”
She threw a vase from her end table at her secretary and yelled, “Get Out.” The damn moron should not need to be told that. Still, the poor shocked man scurried from the room as the vase shattered into the wall.
She immediately wrapped her arms around Alek, stroked his back and whispered reassuring and loving things in his ear.
Alek stilled, taking a moment to compose himself. He slowly moved from on top her and turned away. Why did all the seriously fucked up stu
ff have to happen to him?
Intuiting his needs, she pointed at a door. “There is a full restroom if you would like to shower. She knew he always liked to shower after sex, particularly if he was planning to be around others. She was extremely polite and accommodating to point him in the right direction. He moved to the door, wondering how she really felt about having an animal in her private shower.
Just as he got to the door, she asked. “May I join you?” The sharp turn of his head caused her to jerk back. Shower with a beast? Why would she even ask such a thing? Jerking his head slightly to one side, Alek tried to come up with an appropriate answer. Nothing came out when he opened his mouth to speak. Shutting the door behind him, he took stock of the fact that he could have killed her lost to the blood rage.
Alek stood in the shower letting the cool water run down his body. How could he have let her provoke him again and again easily into the bloodlust? He should have known what that would eventually lead to. She was just another foolish human and had no idea the danger she was in when he was like that.
If she couldn't exercise any kind of good common sense when she was with him, then he would just have to take matters into his own hands. She was not going to like his solution much, but it was better than losing control and shredding her precious body one night when he was too high on blood and lust to think clearly. He was also thoroughly embarrassed because everyone for about four rooms in every direction must have heard him roar.
God, how did he get himself into these predicaments?
When he emerged from the shower, she was sitting on the sofa looking as attractive as ever she did. Maybe a little more so because her hair was slightly messed up and her skin was still flushed from his somewhat rough lovemaking.
He immediately looked away. “Get in the shower.”
She looked at him strangely. “Did I do something wrong here?”
He barked, “Shower.”
She immediately complied, clearly more because she was shocked at his behavior towards her and less because she was naturally compliant.
When she emerged from the shower, he asked that she call the youngsters to a conference room so they could meet. She led him to a small conference room and paged for their children. The kids bounced in two at a time and took seats.
Alek stood up and announced. “Dakota and I have determined that we will not be able to stay at this time.
Arianna looked at him strangely and said, “I think you are both off task. Don’t let your personal issues impact your professional judgment.”
Dakota had no idea why he seemed to be making the decision for both them on his own, but she did not want to irritate him further.
Her son spoke up, “I would like to stay, that is if Arianna will permit it.” Dakota looked at Arianna who nodded. Dakota thought her son bright to realize that Arianna was the only person competent to carry on in place of Dakota and Alek.
Arianna said, “Selene can stay as well, and I will drop her off on Monday morning at class.”
Dakota said, “Don’t worry I will designate a shuttlecraft for my son’s personal use. It will enable him to visit with Selene whenever they like, and she can visit whenever her father approves.”
Everyone could tell Alek was highly agitated, but no one knew why. He stood up, walked through the door of the conference room, stopped just on the other side and said in a low gruff voice, “Dakota come.”
She gaped him, unable to hide her shock. After a brief moment, she complied with his request. As she stepped through the door, he turned slightly away from her and presented his outside arm. She wrapped her arm inside his, he placed his other hand on top hers and then began exiting the building.
He led her straight to her shuttlecraft, he whispered something to the pilot, and they took off.
Chapter 10
Putting Safety First
~ Dakota ~
They landed on her property. She exited the craft, and it took off again. She felt distinctly reprimanded. She tried to call Alek, but he did not answer her call. She wondered what was going on but decided to just bury herself in work and let him work out his own issue.
She went into her study and spent several hours reviewing reports for the institute. She decided to go shopping and have a bite to eat to take her mind off the fact that she had somehow been cheated out of her weekend with her son. She found she was extremely irritated that he had forced her back only to ignore her.
She stopped by several of her favorite boutiques and then her favorite bar for bits of food. Immediately upon arriving she was greeted warmly by the hostess. It was early afternoon, and the place was virtually empty. She ordered tiny bits of food and wine. She asked the waiter to leave the bottle.
Halfway through the bottle, a vampire male came to sit with her. He was large and handsome. He said his name was Navon.
She made it clear that she was unavailable, “I am spoken for already.”
He responded, “Is your bond mate so jealous of your time he would begrudge you polite conversation with another male.”
She wrinkled her nose trying to figure out an appropriate answer to his question and finally responded. “No, I don’t think he would mind.”
The next thing she knew Alek slid into a chair beside her and said, “Well, if you are unsure, why don’t you just ask him?” His voice was openly hostile.
Dakota looked at him and said nothing. The male slid out of his seat and said his goodbyes. Alek said nothing, so Dakota asked, “Are you even going to tell me why you are so incredibly angry with me that you spoiled my weekend with my son?”
He didn’t say a word. He walked over to the bar, smiled at a human female, bought her a drink and began to flirt with her. He twirled her hair around one finger, and she presented her wrist for him to feed from. He immediately did so. He took her by the hand, led her to the dance floor, and they began slow dancing together. She was smiling at whatever he whispered in her ear, and he began to nibble on her neck.
Seeing him act that way with another woman tore a gigantic hole in Dakota’s soul. He had always seemed so reserved to her, and now he was kind of letting it all hang out. She knew he could not possibly be hungry as she just fed him a few hours ago. He was just being a prick. Her only question was why? She continued to look at him and noticed his eyes were changing color. She was absolutely shocked. Apparently, the bloodlust she provoked in him was nothing special because he was doing just the same with another woman right in front of her.
What she thought of as a unique bond between the two of them was nothing to him. She realized that he was just a male vampire who easily fell into bloodlust. He was communicating to her that she was nothing special and she had to admit she was getting the message loud and clear.
She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. It was the large man that she’d nicknamed the henchman who’d been standing with Mr. Abrams at the theatre. He was leaning against the bar taking the whole scene in. Who in the hell was he?
The next thing she knew Durk had her by the hand and was leading her out of the bar. Where he came from she never knew. He put her in the passenger side of his car and drove her home. He didn’t have much to say on the way home, and she could tell he was shocked that she had gotten intensely involved in a relationship with someone who cared so little for her. She was a bit shocked that she had fallen for someone so quickly that she overlooked some serious issues. How could he have seemed so nice and now his behavior was utterly deplorable?
She slid out of the automobile and turned to thank him.
“Do you need anything, love?”
“Company?”
He parked and went into her house. She asked if he wanted anything to drink. He smiled, and she went into her kitchen, made a tray with wine and a small glass of her blood. Durk was a good friend, and he had drunk her blood many times over the years. She would have warmed him synthetic blood, but she knew he did not drink the stuff. She returned and served them drinks.
“Thank you, Dakota, you are always such a polite hostess.”
She was too worried, and shell-shocked to take any enjoyment of Durk’s nice compliment.
They sat playing Mahjong for a long time.
He finally asked, “So what did you do to the shy and reserved Alek to totally piss him off?”
She replied honestly, “I wish I knew. I really have absolutely no idea. Maybe he is just tired of being with me and likes to spectacularly kick women to the curb.”
Durk looked doubtful. “That kind of behavior in a male is reserved for getting even. Figure out what you did wrong and make it right if you want him back.”
She looked surprised. “I have not decided if I want him back.”
“You know you do Dakota. I have seen you two together. You were never like that with me.” Dakota could see his face darken.
Dakota explained, “I can’t think of a single thing that I could have possibly done to him. Since the first time I laid eyes on him, I have been attracted to him. I have been careful to avoid being offensive in any way. Honestly, I have given of my heart, soul, body, and blood generously. I can’t think of anything that I could have possibly done to more clearly communicate that I love him. He just does not love me back. You know better than most how awful that feels. It serves me right for not being able to find it in my heart to love someone as perfect as you. It seems like poetic justice to me.”
“I always wondered why you broke it off with me.”
“You are one of the nicest men I have ever met. I broke it off with you because I want you to find true love and I know I am not that for you.”