To Live and To Love (Black Wolf Agency Book 1)

by Jessica Swan

  “Oh, right, that,” he laughed, backing up quickly.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you,” she smiled, slowly taking his hand in hers. He caressed her hand softly and placed a soft kiss on the palm.

  She could tell there was nothing in the world that he wanted more than her at that moment, and she felt the same way about him. However, she didn’t want to risk his safety by waiting any longer to feed. She only was this thirsty once; when she had first become a vampire.

  “I have to go, but I’ll be back as soon as I can,” she said with a little too much urgency in her tone of voice.

  “I’ll go with you,” he insisted.

  “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” she hesitated.

  “Why not?” he appeared hurt by what she had said.

  “Because,” she murmured, looking down at the floor for a moment and sighing softly before her eyes met his again. “I don’t want you to see me do anything that will make your opinion of me change; that’s all.”

  “There’s nothing you can do or say that will change my opinion of you,” he said with a smile, stepping closer to her and placing his hands on her hips. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, mon cher.” And with that, she gave in to his request. “Alright, you can come with me, on one condition.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You’ll help me find my victim,” she laughed. James cringed a little before joining her in laughter.

  He couldn’t get over how beautiful she was. Not only was she beautiful, but stunning. And she fell in love with him, him of all people! It was another of those moments where he wasn’t sure what the hell realm he was in that he thought this was okay and normal. But since he brought her back from the dead, he had to accept some of the responsibility, because he seriously never would’ve thought he would be entertaining this thought before. Pick out a guy for his girlfriend to feed on. Hmm…

  “Follow me,” she said, holding his hand tight. She grabbed an empty water jug, and as they headed for the door, he grabbed his keys, and quickly locked it on their way out.

  “Where are we going?”

  “This is New York City, yes?” she asked in her innocent voice as they walked down the sidewalk outside his apartment.

  “Yes, it is.” He wondered what she was getting at.

  “Well, this time of night, there’s got to be plenty of bars full of drunk, single men.”

  “Good point, but none of us want an alcoholic vampire running around,” he said, and the look of worry on his face was quite apparent to her. She laughed and kissed his cheek.

  “No, silly. What I’m going to do is go in one of the bars, pick out the drunkest looking man in there, lure him outside, knock him out, and simply drain some of his blood into this,” she explained, holding up the empty water jug. “I won’t actually kill him, or even bite him.”

  “Oh, and I just thought you were taking out the trash for me, but this sounds better. Hey afterward can we stop for a pizza? I am freaking hungry, too,” he laughed.

  She giggled and kissed him, sending a surge of excitement through him, making his heart beat a bit faster. God, he wanted her, but that would have to be put on hold. Well, at least until her thirst was taken care of.

  She had him lead her to one of the more secluded bars in the city. As she walked into the bar, he followed her in the shadows, staying unnoticed, but ready to help her if she needed him. Vampire or not, he was still worried about her.

  James was actually surprised how strong she was, even though she was considerably weakened from thirst. With no trouble at all, she was able to lure one of the drunken men outside, knock him out, and drain some of his blood into the empty water jug, just as she said she was planning to do.

  James could have said a million things while he waited and watched, but he didn’t. His time at the Agency had taught him one thing; not to mess with supernatural beings and their food. Not that all humans were food, but still, you had to admit there was something strange about standing there waiting for his girlfriend to drain a man of some of is blood. It went against everything he had signed but for when he joined the Agency, but this was Kate; he would do just about anything for her. Hell, even bring her back from the dead.

  It wasn’t long before she had quenched her thirst, and they were on their way back to his apartment with what was left of the fresh supply of blood.

  “This will probably last me another day or so,” she told him as they walked along, concealing the jug from the occasional pedestrian.

  “You know, a jug of blood isn’t going to make a good addition to my refrigerator,” he chuckled and cringed as he thought, ‘I hope I don’t grab that instead of the orange juice in the morning. Talk about a new type of morning sickness!’

  Kate laughed in response to what he said. Then she leaned toward him, a little wobbly on her feet, and giggling when she kissed him.

  “I love you, James,” she said, grinning at him.

  “I love you, too, sweetheart,” he smiled. “You’re drunk, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, a little,” she giggled like a little girl.

  “Getting drunk off someone’s blood… What’s this world coming to?” he joked and they both laughed.

  As soon as they stepped into James’s apartment, she grabbed his hand and led him to the bedroom. She threw him on the bed and landed on top of him; he had a flash back to their first night together and realized that this time would be different… she would still be there by his side in the morning, no longer afraid of hurting him or having him reject her for what she was.

  They lay there kissing, exploring each other’s mouths, remembering what they had lost. She loved the way he kissed, sweeping his tongue so forcefully in her mouth as if he could never get enough of her taste. Kate pulled her lips from his, and as she gave him a smirk, she said, “We need to get naked now, race you,” she proceeded to get off the bed and remove her clothes. She paused, watching as he jumped from the bed and flung off his shirt; she laughed at the feeling of impatience they both had. It had been so long, she wanted to make it last. After she finished undressing, Kate slowly looked up and smiled at James, who stood in front of her, gloriously naked. She loved the sight of his hard, firm body. Grinning, she raised her hand and pointed her finger at him, and then she crooked it and made the motion to ‘come here’.

  When he got near her, she sighed and kissed him again lightly before teasingly pushing him back onto the bed and then following him down, landing beside him. Kate ran her hands delicately along his chest as she placed sweet kisses on his neck. She almost forgot how gorgeous and hard his body was; how his shoulders were broad and led to a narrow waist. And how could she have forgotten his rippled abs? Kate ran her hand lower and had just reached his erection when James grabbed her hand, flipping her to her back. His heart was beating faster with every kiss and every touch, and he quickly succumbed to his need for her.

  James took over, and as his lips met hers again, he started making a slow journey down, kissing and licking until he reached her breast, stopping just before her nipple, teasing her. As he kissed his way up to her neck, he ran his hands over her breasts and cupped them gently. She moaned softly in response. James smiled against her neck; he missed the small noises she made when they were making love. Nipping her earlobe, he whispered, "I missed you so much."

  Kate ran her hands down James’s chest, along his toned abs, and finally resting her hands on his hips. As they lay there, Kate could feel his hardness between her legs, driving her wild. She kissed along his neck, up to his earlobe, nibbling on it softly; she knew that was his weakness. "I missed you, too. I missed this. I missed us."

  He kissed down to her breast and when his lips stopped at her nipple, he sucked hard on it for a moment. She used to love this, and apparently still did. She let out a low, pleasured moan in response. He then proceeded to the other, doing the same, but this time biting down a little. Kate was in agony; she was on the verge of erupting. It had
been so long, she did not know if she could last.

  Then, as his lips made their way back to hers, and he began to kiss her, she felt him enter her slowly. The impatience of waiting seemed to flow over them, she knew this first time would be hard and fast and she was okay with that. Kate gasped when he had fully penetrated her. The way he felt inside her was amazing; he filled her completely. Being with him like this was like a dream to her; a dream she never wanted to wake from. It was even better than she remembered.

  James held her head in his hands and kissed her as he thrust into her. She loved him, and even though she was strong and could probably kill him with one single hit, he treated her like glass. She loved the feeling of being taken care of. All these years she had been the one in control; she had to be. But with James, she felt like she could be herself.

  The loneliness was slowly creeping its way back into the dark place it held both of them. As they touched each other and made their connection come alive again, they felt like they were both finally coming home.

  As they made love, time seemed to no longer exist. They had no idea how late it had gotten, but the longer time had passed them by, the further they lost themselves in each other, bringing them closer to that final breaking point. They reached their climax together, both reaffirming, their love for each to her. James kissed her once again slowly before he lay down beside her, holding her close. As they gazed into each other’s eyes, they smiled. Nothing felt so right.

  James drifted off to sleep first, and as Kate watched him sleep, she couldn’t help but think about her life and what had happened in her past leading up to this point.

  Early in Kate’s life, she met her first love, Andre; the only love she ever thought she would have. When she looked back on that now, she knew that finding James was like finding her soul mate. The love she had with Andre when she was a young human was just that; youthful love.

  Kate met Andre at a ball, one lovely summer night. They spent just a little over a week together before they rushed off and got married. They were happy with each other, but never had the chance to continue enjoying that happiness.

  Only a month after they were married, she was kidnapped from her home and bitten by a vicious and vindictive vampire named Alexander, whose ultimate goal was to convert as many humans as possible, so he could grow his coven and become the most powerful vampire in the world. He told her he wished for her to become his mate, but he was so cruel; there were times when she thought she would take her own life instead of trying to make her new life work. With all the physical and emotional abuse, how could she ever learn to love someone like that? At last, after months of living in agony in his captivity, she stood up to him and said, “I will never love someone like you, whose eyes are dark and heart is as cold as ice.”

  After finally giving up and accepting the fact that he would never have her, he rejected her, throwing her out into the woods to fend for herself. She hated her life as a vampire, but it was far better after Alexander wasn’t a part of it anymore. She even managed to find ways of fulfilling her thirst, other than by killing people.

  Concerned about Andre, Kate found her way back to the city to check on him. She arrived at their house around midnight and peeked in the window to see if he was there. She spotted him in the living room, kissing another woman. At first, Kate was angry, but then she realized it was better this way. Andre deserved someone like him; a human. Kate would never again be the person she was to him. No matter how hard it was for her to accept that, it was still the truth. She was glad to see he was happy, at least. As she disappeared into the night, she knew that would be the last she would ever see her husband.

  After Kate’s last bit of hope of getting back together with Andre had vanished, she was determined to seek revenge on the man who had ruined her life. With help from some vampires from a nearby coven, Kate was able to kill Alexander and his closest followers. As he took his last breath, he told her he knew the way out of the cursed life of a vampire. For three centuries, she had wished Alexander had lived long enough to share the secret to escaping this wretched life.

  In the early 1900’s, she moved from France to Montreal, hoping she could find happiness there. Then, when she had heard about Black Wolf Agency through whispers from other vampires, she decided to visit New York City to investigate, bringing with her the urn that contained the dust from Alexander’s body.

  Shortly after arriving in New York City, she met James in a nightclub near his apartment. She knew who he was; she knew that he worked for Black Wolf Agency and possessed the Resurrection Amulet, the one thing that could bring Alexander back to life, so she could finally learn the secret to becoming human again.

  Her plan had been to seduce James and take the amulet from him. The plan had been a success. She just hadn’t expected to develop feelings for him so quickly, and she knew he was starting to feel the same way. She should have known that he already knew what she was; it was his job after all. James was smart….too smart.

  James confronted her about it, knowing in his heart that she wouldn’t hurt him. She told him the truth, told him everything. Instead of running away, he stayed with her and helped her through it all.

  After they performed the Resurrection Ritual, they successfully brought Alexander back to life. At first, they had him tied down so he couldn’t escape and hurt anyone, but he quickly tore away the bonds that held him and attacked Kate. She fought back, and he almost killed her… almost.

  James was the one who had saved her life. Like the smart man he was, he came prepared that night. He swiftly pulled out a wooden stake and plunged it through Alexander’s heart.

  As Alexander fell to the floor, Kate demanded that he tell the secret to becoming human again. Near death and with blood seeping from his mouth, he laughed. His evil eyes locked onto hers as he said, “You’ll never be human again. Other than a wooden stake to the heart, the only way to escape this life is through sunlight.”

  That’s what led her to her decision to die; the worst decision she had ever made, for the only thing worse than the life of a vampire was the death of one. Now, because of James, she was alive and by his side once again.

  Yes, she had felt love once before in her life, but it was nothing compared to this. She couldn’t believe she was willing to give this up, to be alone forever, thinking it was going to bring her peace. Nothing she could ever say to James would let him know exactly how thankful she was to him for bringing her back.

  With that thought in mind, she happily drifted off to sleep, wrapped in her lover’s embrace.

  What Lurks in the Darkness

  ~ Chapter Three ~

  James woke in the morning to the delicious smell of sweet pea and vanilla, along with a hard-on to rival the density of steel. Hmm, lucky for him, he knew what the smell was and that the person that wielded that pleasant smell could help with his other problem. He was lying behind her and still had his arms wrapped around her. He was glad he could spend time with her in the morning like this. After all, most other vampires would be awake at this time of the night, prowling the streets for their next victim. Kate was certainly unique.

  He began to kiss her neck and run his hand softly along her hip. Only a moment went by, and she began to stir a little, on the verge of waking up. He carefully brushed her hair away from her neck and continued to place soft kisses on her cool skin.

  “Mmm,” she moaned lightly, and even though he couldn’t see her face, he knew she was smiling. He continued his assault on her senses. Slowly, moving his hand down to her thigh, he took hold and gently lifted it onto his hip. Then, running his hand between her thighs, he found her sweet spot and began to make slow circles with his thumb. Softly reaching around with his other hand, he ran his fingers across her breast softly, teasing her a little. She responded by arching her back into his open hand. James grinned against her skin. He took her breast in his hand and teased her until she was writhing against him.

  Kate’s moans were growing louder, and as she
pushed forward to reach his touch, he slid inside her softly. He moved with gentle easy strokes as the tingling began to move down his spine; he knew he wouldn’t last. But last night had been so explosive, but they had not savored the feeling of being together. James wanted her to be begging for it, so she would never again think of ending her life. He increased his pressure moving inside her, making sure he was hitting the one place that would drive her crazy.

  Slowly he made love to Kate, his excitement grew as he heard her crying out with pleasure, it made him more determined to make this something that would be branded in her brain, in her thoughts. James moved his hands over her body, claiming each part he touched. His hands were masterful and knew where he could get the most response.

  James played her body like a fiddle and would bring her to the brink of her climax and then pull back, each time making her beg for more. He could feel her body drumming with desire, and she was frantically trying to get her release, but he was in control. He was the one who was the master of her body and her passion. Something he wanted to make sure she would remember.

  Finally, he sank deeper into her body and claimed what was his. Her heart, her soul; she was his everything, and it was time for her to realize it. No more talk of leaving. James would train harder and more often. He would be the one to protect her.

  Feeling his possessiveness, he whispered what he was thinking in her ear and she responded by nodding and agreeing. He smiled and felt the triumph in her words. And finally he allowed her to fall over the edge. Kate started to constrict around him, and he knew then that he was a goner. They both erupted together. They lay there for a moment to catch their breaths. When he slowly moved from inside her, he whispered in her ear, “Good morning, baby.”