“And promise me that you’ll make love to me as much as possible.”
Her smile broke my heart. I didn’t have the nerve to tell her that I would follow her, even in death, so I nodded.
“Good, now kiss me,” she ordered.
My lips instinctively found hers. Tamara kissed me with the passion of our first kiss. Wrapping her arm around my waist, she pulled me tightly against her while her free hand fumbled to get my zipper undone.
Getting me out of my pants, she stared at me with wide eyes. “I had forgotten how beautiful you are,” she mumbled while softly caressing the inside of my thigh.
I needed her hand to travel up my thigh and claim everything about me. I needed to feel our bodies close and feel the passion burn between us. More than anything else, I needed to know that she would be all right. Her fingers brushed my pubic hair and I had to fight back my tears. Would this be the last time we could make love? Would we ever be able to have a normal life again? Regardless, I couldn’t let my unrestrained emotions ruin our time together. If anything, I would drown myself in finding a way to fix her ailment.
Her soft caress ripped my attention back to where I had longed to be for so long, naked in her arms. Her touch burned me with a passion that threatened to swallow me and hold me captive. I craved to feel her inside me, filling and claiming me with her essence. Collectively, our hands found each other’s wetness while our lips pressed closer together feeling as if our bodies were became one and our souls embraced to unite our inseparable bond.
Slowly, I slid a finger deep inside her, pushing my way through her tightness. She moaned, raising her hips. Feeling her surrounding pleasure tightening and hugging my finger, my wetness swelled.
“Oh God.” She moaned and slid her finger inside me. “You’re so wet,” she exclaimed as her lips found their way to my neck.
A moment of concern stopped my enjoyment. Would she recognize me or would she be as brutal with me as she had been with the others? Her tongue inched its way up my neck and I relaxed, falling back into the sexual offerings she promised. I would give myself completely, even if it meant my existence.
Teasing my warm, blood-engorged lips, her touch felt different. It was softer, more delicate, more human and yet, immensely more addictive.
Softly nibbling my neck, a wave of ecstasy flooded my senses. I would do anything to reach the euphoric release she dangled in my grasp.
“Fuck me,” she ordered.
Sliding another finger deep inside her, her juices escaped, enveloping my fingers and I craved her taste. Pulling out of her, I licked her sweetness from my fingers, savoring each drop, allowing her taste to penetrate my taste buds.
Licking my fingers dry, I rammed them back inside her, sliding in and out repetitively. Her body froze.
“Stop,” she begged. “Or I’ll come.”
That’s what I wanted to hear, but I wanted to taste her while she came. I quickly rolled her onto her back and ran my tongue down her sleek body, tasting every bit of her exposed flesh, past her cleavage and over her nipple, where I lingered just a little too long, commanding it to stiffen and grow while I suckled it. I continued my path down her stomach, sunk my face into her public hair and then parted her lips, stumbling onto her hard, swollen clit and took it between my teeth, while my tongue gingerly caressed it.
Tamara moaned wildly.
Carefully maneuvering my body over hers, she raised her head, reaching for my own wetness. Lowering myself on to her mouth, anticipated desire soared through me as her tongue greeted my eager nub and my world exploded into a frenzy of unbound pleasures. Pressing my face against her hot pussy, I reamed my tongue around the opening of her cunt. She grasped for air and followed my lead, teasing my opening.
Exploring every part of her secret abyss, I caressed her folds, slowly working my way to her ass. Pressing against her tight hole, she clenched her muscles tighter, the tip of my finger fighting for entry into her dark tunnel. My tongue lapped up her juices, distracting her attempts to keep me out. I slid inside, feeling her warmth waiting for me, caressing me. As she clamped down on my finger, I quickly pressed my mouth against her engorged lips, forming a tight seal over her pussy and sucked until the sweet liquor of her pleasure drowned my senses.
Moaning, she relaxed and I drove my finger deep inside her ass, her hips bolted down, taking in every bit of the welcomed trespasser. I slid a finger inside her empty cunt, knowing that I filled her completely.
I owned every part of her, my body burned to unleash the constrained passion that flowed under my skin, churning like the turbulent waves of the unrestrained ocean, but I had to keep control, especially now when she was vulnerable to injury.
She moaned. My juices escaped me. She clenched tighter, repeatedly thrusting her hips deeper onto my invading fingers while lapping my sensitive nub. Pleasure pressed against my insides, threatening to escape. My body shook as small rapid jolts of pleasure burst from inside me. My mind went blank. I had only one purpose and that was to make Tamara come.
Her taste changed and her body tensed. She had started to come. Closing my eyes, I surrendered, letting the euphoria wash over me, capturing me. Tasting her sweet delectable juices, my orgasm exploded. Everything went black and only the sound of Tamara’s grunts and moans echoed in my head as we moved in perfect harmony.
Her body quivered underneath me. I held my face tightly against her wet, sultry pussy not wanting to let go.
“Can’t…breathe.” She squirmed, pushing me off her.
“What?” Why did I ask? Did I really have to hear it again. Tamara breathe? That was the last thing on my list of acceptable responses from her. I love you. What a great fuck! Oh my God, you’re amazing!
“Can’t…breathe,” she repeated, gasping for air.
I would have settled for anything other than, can’t…breathe. Those two little words were a nasty reminder that I was losing her, and they hit me like stakes driving through my heart. Scrambling around the bed to lay at her side, I noticed blood on the sheets and panicked, thinking I had hurt her. I searched her lower extremities for blood, and found nothing. Taking a deep breath, I calmed down enough to realize that the blood was too high up on the sheets to be hers and started to search myself.
Feeling behind my knees, I came up dry. My left thigh, again nothing. Then my fingers slid into a warm, gooey, sticky spot on the inside of my right thigh. Shit! She had fed from me, that sneaky, little vamp had fed from me knowing I’m the reason for her ailment. Knowing she had fallen asleep, I shoved her. “Wake up.”
She grunted.
I shoved harder. “Wake up!”
Viola had mentioned that Tamara falls asleep after feeding. That’s great. I can’t trust her to stay away from my blood. The same blood that once provided her with sustenance was now her poison. I hated knowing that I was the reason I might lose her forever. That’s the kind of guilt, I wouldn’t wish on anyone, except maybe Jules and Celeste.
Rolling out of bed, I dressed and headed off to find Katherine. There was much I needed to discuss with her—like what the hell a keeper was and how they played a role in helping me find Kaley. I also needed answers about the feeling I had of our clan falling. However, the one thing I needed most right now was a hot cup of coffee.
Viola was cleaning the countertops as I entered the kitchen.
“I heard your footsteps and poured you a cup,” she said, never turning to look at me. “Katherine will awaken late tonight.”
“How did you know it was me coming into the kitchen?”
“I know the sound of your gait. You put more pressure on your right foot than your left,” she said, scrubbing the counter.
“Really? What else do you know?” I poured creamer into my coffee and sat at the table.
Viola spun, looking at me. “I know many things. What is it you want to know, child?”
Damn, she was perceptive. I wanted to know a lot, but I didn’t think she would have answers so I decided to just sip my coffee
quietly. Looking out through the large bay window at the cottage that Shamana and Celeste currently occupied, trying to make sense of the vision I had seen. Why would Celeste give Jules a magical potion that kills vampires? Did she not think about the ramifications it would have, especially since she lived around vampires? What could she have been thinking?
“Izzy,” Viola touched my hand. “Did you have another vision?”
“No, I was trying to figure out…wait, I haven’t told anyone about my vision? How did you know?” I cocked my head waiting for a response.
“I know many things.” She grinned as she sat next to me. “I have experience with the keepers.” She paused. “Abby called earlier today. She will be arriving tonight.”
“Abby?” That perked me up. I never said goodbye or thanked her for her help. Now, I had the chance to make up for running out so quickly. Okay, back to the task at hand. Katherine wouldn’t be up for several more hours so I could talk to Celeste and Jules in the meantime.
“Have you seen Celeste today?” Just as I finished asking, I caught a glimpse of Celeste scurrying through the rose garden. “Never mind,” I said, jumped out of my seat and headed out the backdoor. Within moments, I was close enough to the vixen bitch to smell fresh blood.
“Going somewhere in a hurry?” I inhaled, as the sweet aroma teased my hunger.
Celeste spun around with a surprised look on her face. “I should have known it would be you.”
The smell of blood soaked into my nostrils, tempting me. “What are you up to?”
“Personal business,” she snapped back, turned to walk away, but then stopped and faced me again. “I had personal matters to attend to, you do know what personal means right?” Sarcasm coated her every word. “What do you want, bloodsucker?”
That was the second time in so many days I heard the name, bloodsucker. But in her true spirit, her essence shone through, showing me the bitch she really was. There was no need for niceties anymore.
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my hunger under control, but it sat at the back of my throat, beckoning for sustenance. “Yes. With you, it means trouble,” I answered, visually inspecting her clothing. There were no bloodstains. There was nothing that seemed out of the usual, including the slutty outfits she was prone to wearing. Yet, the sweet aroma of blood hung on her like cheap perfume. So much for trying to talk to her about my vision.
“Whose blood are you covered in?” I looked away, fighting to keep the pressure from behind my eyes from growing. I knew it was only a matter of time before I caved and needed to feed. My surroundings appeared to fade as I watched Celeste. She moved her lips, but all I heard was the soft sounds of her heart beating. Thump. Thump. Thump-thump. I focused on the artery beating ever so steadily against the side of her neck. The sound became louder, mesmerizing me, drowning out the world around me. Thump. Thump. Thump-thump.
“Izzy.”
I ignored Viola’s voice echoing through the quiet garden. Celeste stood unmoving with her arms folded across her chest, watching me.
“Izzy Hightower!” Viola’s demanding voice shook me, but did nothing to pull me out of my trance.
Thump. Thump. Thump-thump.
I glanced into Celeste’s soul and found darkness hovering in every corner. The stench of her evil doings had corrupted her spirit. Now, all I wanted was to feed from Celeste and rid the world of her evilness.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump-thump. Thump-Thump. Thump-Thump. Thump-Thump.
Three heartbeats total. People approached. If I were to make my move, I would need to make it now before anyone interfered.
“Izzy,” Stacia’s voice chimed. “You must not do this.”
I didn’t respond. I deliberately lowered my fangs without nipping my bottom lip. Hooray! I realized it was a hell of a time to gain control of my actions, but then again, ridding the world of Celeste was something I wanted. She had to pay for the sequence of pain she had put into motion.
Izzy!
My name exploded in my mind, spreading its tentacles throughout every facet embedded in me. I couldn’t ignore it. “What!” I hissed through clenched teeth.
You must not do this.
Abby’s voice echoed through the darkness in my mind. “Why not?” I shouted, my focus never wavering off Celeste.
You’re anger controls you. You will kill her. She sounded concerned.
“And what of it?” I glared at Celeste, hoping she would make a run for it. A chase would have been fun even though she wouldn’t get far, but it would give me cause to finish this standoff.
Abby and Stacia both approached me from the right. Where Stacia stopped, taking her position next to me, Abby continued past me, standing directly in front of Celeste, blocking her from view.
“You must feed and I am offering.” She held her hands out in an invitation, slightly turning her neck, showing her pounding artery.
I heard Stacia take a deep breath and a step back. “You interfere in that which is none of your business,” I growled, moving closer to Abby.
“You make it my business. You are not a coldblooded killer,” she said, and stepped closer. “Your eyes glow red and your hunger screams for justice, but it is not justice you seek.”
My world slowed down, Abby’s eyelids were closing, she was blinking. Before her lids shut, I maneuvered behind her, my arm strapped across her chest, my fangs at her neck. Stacia gasped, her mouth opened in slow motion, the sound traveled slowly across the short distance, finally hitting me like a distorted special effect. And just as quickly, time shifted back to normal.
Stacia lurched forward.
Abby raised her hand up, stopping her. “She needs to feed, take Celeste and leave, now.”
“If you insist.” Stacia pinched her brows, raising and dropping her shoulders.
I’ve seen that look before. It’s the you’re-going-to-die-doing-this-but-who-am-I-to-stop-you look.
“I feel your fangs on my throat and yet, you cannot break skin. Good,” she relaxed, stretching her neck. “Go ahead, take what you need.”
Tightening my grip around Abby’s chest, I saw Stacia motioning to Celeste to step away from us and then I heard the scrambling of feet shuffling away. Dumbass vixen. This was far from over between us. I would get another chance at her.
Feed.
Abby’s mental request commandeered my insides, twisting my hunger into an unruly urge. The taste that had complacently sat on the back of my throat, roared to life, as I flung my head down, and plunged my fangs deep into her.
Abby exhaled noisily as I forced pleasure to overcome her.
Her sweet elixir filled my mouth, and warmed my throat as it slid down into my stomach, filling me with renewed life and strength. As her body went limp in my arms, I carefully lowered us both to the ground. Sitting on my knees with my feet behind me for support, I hugged her flaccid frame into mine.
I wasn’t surprised when my sight went dark and in my mind, Tamara appeared before me. She lay on the ground and I hovered over her, crying, realizing she was dead. This wasn’t one of the better visions I have had.
Enough.
Abby’s voice ricocheted through me, shaking my core and my fangs retracted. Shocked that she commanded my hunger, I knelt there, holding her in my grasp, motionless.
“Release me,” she whispered through parched lips.
I licked her wound, sealing the incisive punctures and my muscles went lax, obeying. She slid down my thighs until her knees slammed against the ground and her upper body fell forward, collapsing with her head tucked between her elbows.
Stacia rushed forward, felt for a pulse and checked her breathing, then shot me a nasty look. “You cut it close with her. I need to get her to Viola.”
She started to lift her, but I took her lifeless body from Stacia’s grip and swooped Abby up in my arms. She nuzzled her face against my chest, moaning a feeble protest. Limply lying in my arms, I heard her chant.
“Have sight to see…the things
unseen…the ears to hear…the things unheard…and the courage to face…the things unknown.” She passed out.
Energy started churning around us, crackling with power. A gust of wind carrying a thunderous roar enveloped me, piercing my eardrums and the swirling sand blew in my eyes, coating my sight. Struggling to keep my balance within the small tornado, I gripped Abby tightly, and leaned into the wind.
I had the feeling that this was no natural occurrence, whatever was happening, Abby had put into play. The energy danced along my skin with a sharp, stabbing pain and the voices of a women’s choir repeatedly chanted Abby’s incantation. “Have sight to see…the things unseen…the ears to hear…the things unheard…and the courage to face…the things unknown.”
Deaf, blind, and tired of fighting the wind to keep Abby in my arms, I dropped to my knees, and leaned over her, shielding her. It would not claim her alone. Suddenly everything went still, could it really be over? I raised my head to see a vortex within the wind tunnel we were in. Radiant blues, oranges, and violets glimmered as a transparent figure appeared, hovering inside it. Her long, flowing gown swayed in the wind that was no longer beating me. Her exquisite radiance permeated light into everything around her, including me. It was too bright to look at and I lowered my gaze. Immersed in her warmth, my fear disappeared.
“Stand, my child,” she said, waving her hands.
I closed my eyes and then opened them again. Yep, she was still there.
“Yes, I am real,” she extended her hand to me. “You may call me Mother, for I am the protector and bearer of all life.”
“Protector?” I sneered. “You did not protect me from Kaley’s fangs!”
The wind gusted stronger around us, then calmed. “It is true that Death called you. He is always seeking to carry souls across the eternal river, but in light of your abilities, you will be his greatest adversary. By your own nature, Izzy, you will keep death at a minimum throughout this troubling time.” Mother lowered herself to meet me eye-to-eye. “I am sorry, I could not interfere. Inanna marked you as hers to save you from Death. It was all that we could do.” She lowered her gaze.
Dying to Live Page 5