by F. E. Heaton
Running his finger down her throat, he followed it with his eyes. Her heartbeat was strong, as was her blood. She'd make a good feed. Just what he needed after everything he'd been through.
Lowering her, he released her mouth but caught hold of her arm. He pulled her close to him, grinning at her in the darkness. She trembled beneath his fingers, her breathing coming fast and shallow now as she began to really panic. He could see how petrified she was by her expression. Her eyes were darting about, trying to see him in the inky blackness, and her brows were furrowed. Tears streaked her cheeks, shining in the light visible only to him.
She'd make a sweet kill.
Releasing her arm, he counted to three when she ran, giving her a chance to get an adequate distance away from him. When she reached the end of the path, he went after her, herding her into the trees. He slipped through them with ease while she stumbled along, her hair and clothes getting caught in the branches. She stumbled a few times and he let her run on ahead again. Nearing the river, he bolted silently through the trees, knowing she'd head towards the gap he could see up ahead.
She shrieked when she ran straight into his arms. He gripped her arm tightly and caught her around the jaw with his other hand. Forcing her head to one side, he bit down hard on her neck and wrapped his arm about her, restricting her movements. He growled and bit deeper, pulling on her blood so hard that in a matter of seconds she was dead in his arms.
He dropped the body and breathed heavily while he ran his hand across his mouth and then licked all the blood off it.
He stared at the dead girl.
She had tasted sweet.
"I never thought I'd see one of your lot acting like that.” A female voice cut into his thoughts.
He reached his senses out. It was definitely another vampire. Raising his head, he looked straight into her eyes.
"An Aurorea?” she said with a smile and twirled her dark hair around her finger. “I thought your bloodline always stayed on the continent. Eastern Europe's your favourite haunt, isn't it? Your family must be missing you."
"You could say that they are looking for me,” he said and wiped the remaining blood off his lower lip with his thumb.
He looked at it.
"You killed the bloke without taking so much as a sip, but you fed from the girl. You've not drained her dry though. Why?"
He frowned at her. “That is none of your business. I do not have time for making pleasant conversation with a weakling."
"You should answer my question,” she said.
He smiled at her attempted threat.
"You should not be asking any.” He turned away from her and walked back towards the avenue where he'd left the man's body. The blood would be cooling by now and it would make it difficult to extract if he left it much longer.
"Are you a guard?"
He tensed his jaw and turned, growling at her. She flinched a little and then straightened up. That was the trouble with the weaklings. They had no manners, no backbone, half the strength he had, but they still didn't know when to quit. It was little wonder most of them didn't live to see one hundred. They were better off as humans.
Walking away from her, he licked his thumb clean and tried to focus on the task at hand. He sighed when he realised he had a bigger problem than the annoying girl. He had to get the body back to Prophecy. In his haste to leave the house that had been making him feel so claustrophobic, he had forgotten to bring the canisters.
"Didn't you hear me?” she called after him.
"I did. I have to kindly refer you to my previous answer and warn you that it would not be wise to continue your questioning."
"You're cute when you're angry.” She caught up with him and started walking beside him.
He snarled at her, amusing himself with the way she flinched again. She must have been young. It was either that or she was incredibly stupid to be remaining near him. A weakling like her was no match for a vampire of the pure bloodlines.
"How old are you?” he said. Even Prophecy acted more mature and sensible than this girl. Even Prophecy knew when she was treading on thin ice.
"I'm thirteen in immortal years, if that's what you're asking."
He stopped dead and narrowed his eyes on hers. “If you want to see fourteen, you should leave now."
"Is that a threat?” she laughed the words at him. “Seriously? You don't scare me."
He caught her around the throat and slammed her into the nearest tree. Snarling at her, he pushed her hard against it, crushing her windpipe. Her eyes widened in alarm. He remembered what it was like to be her age. Her mind still remembered the necessity of breathing, meaning she thought she was going to suffocate. He grinned and gripped her throat tighter, watching the panic surface in her eyes.
Dropping her to the ground, he walked away while she coughed and spluttered. He strode back towards the man, intent on getting the body back to Prophecy and hoping that the girl would leave him alone now.
"Okay ... you're not a guard ... you're something else. How many have you killed tonight?"
He smirked at her. “For blood, or for fun?"
"Both,” she said, looking a little unnerved.
"One, possibly two for fun. Two for blood. He counts as one.” He pointed to the body of the man.
"He does?” she said and he nodded. “You sure about that? Because he's coming with me."
He laughed at that. She seriously thought she was going to take his kill from him? A weakling like her?
Ignoring her, he continued to walk towards the body. She kept in step with him and the closer they got, the more irritated he became.
He was about to attack her when she pre-empted him. She swiped at him, slashing across his cheek with her claws. He growled and evaded her next attack. She rolled to one side when he went to hit her but the moment she came up into a standing position, he punched her hard across the jaw. He sneered when she cried out and tried to back flip away from him. Catching her foot, he swung her hard into a tree and smiled when he heard her bones crack. He released her foot and caught hold of her jacket, pulling her up onto her feet.
"You should have listened to my warning,” he said and ripped her head off.
Letting her lifeless body slump to the floor, he turned around and looked at the man's body. He didn't hold out much hope of the blood being any good now. He pressed his fingers against the man's neck. It was cold. The blood would have coagulated and would be impossible to get out of the body.
He raised his hand when something tickled his neck and wiped away the blood that had dripped down from his cheek. She'd deserved to die for that alone. He ran his fingers across his cheek and then licked them clean.
Looking at the sky, he noticed that it was getting late. Prophecy would have to wait for her next meal. If she was hungry, she could share his blood. It would sate her for a while, at least until it was dark enough to go hunting again.
He sighed and his head ached as he thought about having to return to Mathias’ house.
Hopefully by the time he got there, Venturi would be asleep.
Right now, he needed to be alone with Prophecy.
Chapter 18
Valentine wearily pushed the door open and closed it behind him. He leaned his back into it for a moment and listened to the silence in the house. The sunrise was still an hour away, and the sky was only just beginning to lighten. He wasn't tired. Sleep wasn't going to come easily. It had taken Prophecy's magic and the drain of being healed to knock him out after she'd rescued him, and since then he'd been awake. If he closed his eyes for too long, his mind conjured up images of his torture and they felt as though they were happening right that minute.
Pushing away from the door, he walked down the hallway, wondering where everyone was. Had Prophecy gone to bed already? Where was Venturi?
The house was too quiet.
Extending his senses, he searched the building for a sign of the two vampires. He looked up the stairs. One of them was up there and it wa
sn't Prophecy. He wondered where she could be. Walking through into the lounge, he went into the kitchen and found it was empty. He stared at Mathias’ glasses for a few seconds, trying to figure out where she was, and then went back into the hall.
He reached out again, letting his senses guide him towards her. Her blood was so familiar to him now that it was easy to find her once he was concentrating. His feet moved of their own volition, carrying him towards her. He knew where she was. She had gone to the same place she had the last time she'd wanted to be alone so she could think.
He thought about letting her be alone, but his heart won out over his mind and he pushed the doors to the courtyard open.
She looked up when he stepped out, relief evident in her eyes. Had she been expecting someone else? He was glad that she obviously didn't welcome Venturi's company. Her eyes dropped to his hands and he held them out by his sides.
"I will have to get you something to eat tomorrow,” he said in an apologetic tone.
She smiled and he realised that she wasn't angry with him. Walking towards her, he was within a metre of her when she shot to her feet, her look becoming one of worry. She reached her hand up and her brows furrowed when she brushed her fingertips against his cheek.
"What happened?” she said with a weight of anxiousness.
"I met a weakling who had the audacity to fight me for my kill.” He sat down and leaned into the back of the seat.
His eyes moved to rest on her face when she sat next to him. She was so concerned with the scratches on his cheek. His chest almost warmed to see it in her eyes and feel it in the tender, gentle way she was inspecting the wounds. It was instinct and love driving her, and he felt as though he'd never seen the full depth of her feelings for him before that moment. When she raised her eyes to his, he was hit by how beautiful she was and how much she loved him. He cupped her cheek, giving her a tender and affectionate smile.
"Let me,” she said and leaned towards him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath when her tongue traced the length of one of the scratches on his cheek.
He sighed out his breath, relaxing into the seat and letting her continue with what she was doing. It felt so soothing to have her tending to his wounds, to feel all the love she held for him in one simple act of healing. He moved his head to one side, giving her more access to his cheek, and relished the way she carefully cleaned and sealed each cut.
It had been too long since he'd felt so looked after, so safe and cared for.
She purred and his jaw tensed on hearing it. Lowering his head, he tilted it towards her, nudging her cheek with his own. She nuzzled him back, her fingers seeking his and her breath tickling his ear.
"I'm so sorry,” she said.
He frowned and leaned into her, burying his face in her neck and holding her hands tightly.
He didn't say anything. There wasn't anything that he could say. He didn't want to speak about what had happened, he just wanted to feel her arms around him and take comfort from her touch. He pressed a kiss to her throat and the marks that now littered it. They were all his marks. She was indelibly his, as he was hers.
She kissed his neck and a shudder ran down his spine.
He held his breath while he waited for her to do it again, wanting to feel it and knowing that it was a precursor to something more. She was hungry for his blood.
He was hungry for her.
Prophecy pressed another kiss to his throat and then another. She parted her lips enough that she could trace her tongue across his skin, tasting it and refreshing her memory of his scent. His fingers tightened around hers, drawing her towards him a little when he pulled his arms back. She closed her eyes, savouring the quiet feeling of intimacy between them.
Sighing into his neck, it became a moan when he ran his tongue up the length of her jugular. She moved her head to one side, exposing more of her neck to him while she continued to lick his. She could still taste his blood in her mouth, the richness of it filling her senses and stirring desire in her stomach. She slipped her hands free from his and slid them up over his jacket to his shoulders. Her fingers curled around them, holding him and bringing him closer to her.
She bit back a squeal when he swiftly caught hold of her waist and dragged her onto his lap, sitting her sideways on it. Her breathing quickened when she felt the hardness of his legs below her and his stomach brushing against her side. She frowned when he placed his right arm under her knees and supported her back with his other one. He stood up, carrying her with him. His lips still coursed over her neck while he walked and the sensation it made run through her pushed all of her questions away. She didn't need to ask to know where he was taking her.
Raising her hand, she ran her fingers into his hair, twirling the longer lengths around them while her other hand played against his chest. She undid the top button of his jacket, letting her fingers brush inside it before moving slowly downwards to the next. He growled quietly against her throat and she smiled at his reaction. When she slid her hand inside his jacket, brushing her fingers over his bare chest, he moaned and nipped at her ear.
Nerves flooded her but were quickly dampened by her excitement. A thrill coursed through her when he nipped downwards to her neck and nicked her. She moaned this time, unable to stop herself when he lapped at the small amount of blood he'd drawn.
She heard him mounting the steps and her head fell to one side. She watched the stairs passing beneath her while her concentration remained on the way he was kissing her neck. She wanted to be out of his arms so she could reciprocate. He'd started a fire in the pit of her stomach and with each nip and kiss, he was fanning it higher and higher. If she didn't kiss him soon, it was going to consume her.
Hooking her hand around his neck, she drew herself up and smashed her mouth against his, her tongue immediately tangling with his. He growled and his grip on her tightened, holding her against him. She realised that she'd made him stop. He was standing on the stairs now, his teeth clashing against hers as she kissed him, not caring how desperate it appeared. She needed to feel him against her. Dropping one hand to his chest, she drew her claws down it, eliciting a small moan from him. She did it again, smiling against his mouth when he responded by taking the steps two at a time.
He kicked the door to her room open and then shut it again. She giggled a little when he flung her down on the bed but her laughter fled her lips when she caught sight of the dark hunger in his eyes.
She lie on the bed on her back, propped up on her elbows. Her breathing was heavy, her eyes never leaving his as he stripped his jacket off and walked towards her. She was stunned when he threw it to one side instead of carefully placing it down like he usually did.
Desire shot through her when he caught hold of her ankle and tugged her towards him, forcing her to fall onto her back. She stared at the canopy of her bed and then closed her eyes when he removed her boots. Her mouth went dry and she grasped the sheets when he pushed her knees apart, crawling up the length of her.
When he stopped, she opened her eyes and looked straight into his.
He had so much fire in his eyes that she wanted to look away, unsure of what she was supposed to do to quench it and the flames that were burning inside of her.
He lowered his head at an achingly slow pace and his lips barely brushed against hers, teasing her. She ran her hands up his arms, delighting in the feeling of his strong muscles tensing beneath her fingers and the silkiness of his skin.
She closed her eyes and leaned her head to one side when he kissed along her jaw. Opening them again, she stared at his throat and couldn't stop her teeth from extending. Her hands caught his shoulder blades and she lured him down to her, close enough that she could reach his neck. She ran an incisor along it, cutting him, and then wrapped her lips around it, sucking on the shallow wound. He groaned into her ear and placed his arms about her. Her eyes widened when he rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him. She swallowed hard when she realised that she was straddling him and for
a few seconds she wanted to get off, but then he tugged the hem of her shirt up and ran his cool fingers across her belly. Her fear was instantly replaced with arousal and she moaned against his skin. Her teeth sliced into him and she pulled hard on his blood, letting it fill her mouth and her senses.
His fingers tensed against her, his claws scratching her and his breath heavy in her ear. She extracted her fangs and sucked the blood from the twin holes she'd created before licking them clean. Leaning back, she sat astride him, her eyes locked with his. She ran her thumb across her lips, capturing the blood that coated them. Extending her hand, she smeared the blood across his lips and smiled when he craned his neck, sucking her thumb greedily into his mouth. Her eyes became hooded when his hands moved to the front of her shirt and he began to unbutton it. When he peeled it open to reveal her bra-clad breasts, she kept her eyes fixed on his. There was no sign of the awkward look he'd given her that night in Venice when he'd walked in on her while she was only in her underwear. In his eyes burned a fire so strong that she knew it was consuming him as much as her desire was consuming her. She removed her thumb from his mouth and extended her claws again. Running a lone finger down her chest from her collarbone, she noticed the way his eyes darkened, his pupils dilating while he followed the progress of her hand. She looked down at the thin streak of blood she'd drawn and then at him.
He immediately sat up, his arms snaking around her back and holding her so she didn't fall while his tongue ran up the length of the cut on her chest. She leaned back, luring his mouth downwards and digging her nails into his shoulders when he nipped at her breast.
"Valentine,” she whispered and buried her fingers into his hair, holding him against her.
Valentine growled into her chest and pushed the shirt off her shoulders and down her arms. He held it for a moment before letting it drop to the floor. His hands coursed upwards to the back of her black bra and he hastily unhooked it. He discarded it, tossing it towards where his jacket lay on the floor.