by I. T. Lucas
Amanda sighed. “As much fun as this is, I have a few more errands I have to run. You two stay. No reason to cut your time together short on my account.” Pushing up from her chair, she collected her handbag. “Onidu is parked in the back and will take you home when you’re ready.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll call him when I’m done to come and pick me up, or I maybe I’ll just take a cab home.” Amanda leaned to kiss Syssi goodbye. “Andrew, it was a pleasure. Once the lab is up and running again, I would love to run a few tests on you as well, if you’re willing of course.”
Andrew stood up and offered his hand. “Sure, it would be my pleasure. Just let me know when. I had a really good time… You’re a fascinating woman, Amanda.”
Ignoring his offered palm, Amanda pulled him in for a quick hug and kissed his cheek. “We’re family now, shaking hands is for strangers.” Flashing him her megawatt smile, she chuckled as a blush crept up his rugged face.
Once out of the café, Amanda walked the short distance back to the shops, heading for a jewelry store.
She planned to have a duplicate made of the small heart pendant hidden behind the collar of her blouse—the one Syssi had given her. There was no reason for Andrew to get upset upon discovering that Syssi had given away his gift. With both of them having identical pendants, chances were he would never find out.
CHAPTER 22: DALHU
Dalhu stuffed his shopping bags in the trunk of his rented car, still outraged at the obscene cost of the few items they contained. Two pairs of designer jeans at over a thousand dollar each, and a dress shirt at close to eight hundred—insane—he’d bought three.
Not to mention the custom tailored suit he’d ordered for six thousand four hundred dollars. And this was supposed to be a great deal. After over an hour of bargaining, he’d managed to get it at half the price he’d been quoted, the timid tailor probably giving in out of fear.
That still left the shoes.
Damn! He hated shopping.
It seemed as if all the high-end apparel for men boutiques were operated by faggots. And not the kind that kept their sexual orientation to themselves. No, he had to be served by the flamboyant types; getting drooled on in one store and fondled, accidentally, in another.
The guy was probably still nursing the offending hand… It had taken supreme effort on Dalhu’s part to refrain from crushing it to dust.
The things he had to endure for his job…
Leaving the car parked behind the restaurant he had lunch at, Dalhu headed back to the war zone of the shopping jungle.
With the shoe store across the street in mind, he walked over to the crosswalk and waited for the lights to change at the intersection when a tingling at the back of his neck made him turn his head and look to his right.
His attention was immediately drawn to a tall, exquisitely shaped female walking away from him. And as he kept staring at her retreating back, Dalhu felt a shiver of awareness and a hint of recollection.
Everything else forgotten, he hurried to shorten the distance between them, careful not to get too close.
He needed to see her face.
There was something familiar about her tugging at his memory. Perhaps she was a movie star, or a model he recognized from the screen or from a magazine. Either way, he had to find out.
The woman stopped in front of a window display, and he had no choice but to pass her by. Pausing to stand beside her would have been too conspicuous. There weren’t that many people walking down the street, and with his height and build it was impossible for him to blend in—even in a crowd.
Passing several stores, he ducked into the first one that wasn’t exclusively geared toward women and displayed a decent selection of luxury watches for men. Pretending to look around, he had his eyes on the street, waiting for her to walk by.
A few minutes later, he grew anxious. She’d either turned back or had gone inside the store with the window display she had been admiring before. But as he stepped out, intending to backtrack and pick up her trail, he was relieved to see her a couple of storefronts down, looking at another display.
Good, she was still heading his way.
Glimpsing her profile, he was certain he’d seen her before. Something about this magnificent creature made his stomach churn with excitement. And it wasn’t just a male’s natural response to an attractive female. For some reason, he had a feeling about her…
A very good feeling…
With his muscles coiled and ready to pounce, Dalhu retreated into the darkened interior of the watch store and waited.
It was his lucky day…
She walked in.
As her eyes landed on him, she froze, the rising terror on her beautiful face indicating that her mind had just finished processing what she had already felt in her gut.
In that moment of recognition, two lighting quick realizations hit him at once. First, he knew who she was. She had cut her hair short and colored it black, but there was no mistaking the stunning face he knew so well from the framed picture he kept by his bed. Second, he was going to grab her and run.
Fate had granted him this one chance to have a shot at fulfilling all of his impossible dreams, and he was going to take it. But he had to act fast.
The professor was about to bolt.
CHAPTER 23: AMANDA
Amanda was paralyzed with fear. Aside from one girl behind the counter, she was alone with a huge Doomer in the jewelry store.
There was no doubt in her mind as to what he was—the scent of his arousal was distinctly that of an immortal male… and not one of her clan.
Run, she commanded her feet, but they took too long to respond.
She was too late.
As she turned to flee, her flight-or-fight response finally kicking in, he lunged for her and grabbed her neck.
“Don’t move, and don’t make a sound if you want that girl to live,” he whispered in her ear.
“Is everything okay?” hesitantly, the girl asked from behind the counter—hopefully, with her finger hovering over the panic button.
“Everything is all right. Don’t worry about it. It’s just a game my girlfriend and I play.” He projected influence with his voice, which Amanda prayed wouldn’t be enough to thrall the girl without him looking directly into her eyes.
Obviously not possessing the strongest of minds, the girl said cheerfully, “Okay then.” She shattered Amanda’s last sliver of hope.
Desperate and scared out of her mind, now that she realized the Doomer could also effect a powerful thrall, Amanda began shaking in his grasp.
“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered, his mouth so close to her ear, his breath tickled. “I mean you no harm.” He slackened his grip on her neck and blew warm air on the bruised area. Moving his large hand around, his strong fingers closed over her throat and chin.
Tilting her head, he struck quickly, sinking his fangs into her neck.
I’m going to die, was the last coherent thought Amanda had before the venom-induced pleasure took over her body and mind.
She leaned back into the strong male behind her, marveling at how nice it felt to be held by someone so much taller than her for a change. He smelled delicious, all male and fresh scent of soap. And as her body flushed with powerful arousal, she wanted him to touch her all over.
Arching her back, Amanda mentally willed him to bring his big hands up and cup her aching breasts. She pressed her behind into his groin, rubbing against his erection. “Just touch me before I die,” she whispered as he retracted his fangs and licked the small wounds closed.
“You’re not going to die, and although there is nothing I want more than to have my hands all over you, I’m not going to. I want your sober consent when I do…” the Doomer whispered in her ear, encircling her waist with his arm and tucking her against his big, strong body.
As he led her outside, she rested her head on his shoulder. Her arm going across his broad back, she delighted in the feel of all
those incredible muscles flexing under her roaming palm—dimly aware that they must’ve looked like a couple in love to the few pedestrians they were passing by.
With her legs too wobbly to support her weight, the Doomer was propping her up and holding her glued to his side. She moved because he wanted her to move: the venom making her uncharacteristically docile and submissive.
Somewhere at the back of her mind, Amanda caught wisps of random, disconnected thoughts.
So that’s the real purpose of the venom.
Who needs seduction and foreplay when all a male has to do is grab a female by the neck and bite her for her to welcome him between her thighs…
Who knew it would feel so damn good…
Why is that insufferable man refusing to touch me?
I’m so wet…
Is he going to kill me?
He said he wouldn’t.
Didn’t he?
CHAPTER 24: DALHU
As they walked the few blocks from the jewelry store to the restaurant where he’d left his car, Dalhu was counting the seconds. He wanted to take her as far away as he could, as fast as he could, fearing that any moment someone would come running to her rescue. Someone like a Guardian… or two…
And the scent of her arousal wasn’t helping either. He was so painfully stiff, he could barely walk. When they finally reached his car, he stifled a relieved breath.
They were alone in the parking lot behind the restaurant; nevertheless, Dalhu was glad Amanda was still too woozy to resist him as he helped her inside and buckled her seatbelt, or when he pulled out a pair of handcuffs from the glove compartment and secured them around her wrists. Using a second pair, he closed one cuff on the chain connecting her shackled wrists and attached the other one to the door handle. That way, once her lucidity returned, she wouldn’t be able to grab the steering wheel or jump out from the speeding car.
“Kinky…” she purred, squirming in her seat.
“No, sweetheart, just careful and prepared,” Dalhu chuckled, shaking his head.
The poor girl will be mortified once she sobers up and remembers her wanton behavior.
He’d have to explain that it had been the venom’s fault, not hers. How else would she know? It must’ve been her first bite.
Pulling out of the parking lot, Dalhu debated what to do next. First priority was to get his other watches from the mansion so he could sell them for some cash. There was no way around it. They’d need lots of money on the run, and using his credit cards or hers was not an option.
But she couldn’t be seen by his men because then he’d have to kill them all, and that would look even more suspicious than him just disappearing without a trace.
It would be better if they assumed he had a misfortunate encounter with Guardians and was taken out.
Actually, he realized, that would be the perfect cover-up.
CHAPTER 25: SYSSI
“You look a little flushed, is everything okay?” Andrew cast Syssi a measuring look.
She brought her palm to her forehead. Ever since Andrew’s embarrassing questioning session with Amanda, her face had remained warm, but she thought nothing of it. Except, it was getting worse. Damn, why now? “I feel a little feverish. I’m probably coming down with something, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time.”
“Why? What’s special about today?”
“Kian made a reservation at a very fancy and exclusive restaurant. I was really looking forward to spending a romantic evening with him, and even went to all this trouble to look nice.” Syssi pointed at her face and shook her head to show off her new hairdo. Then lifted her hands and wiggled her fingers, showing him her manicure.
“Yes, I was wondering why you look different today. I thought it must be love…” he teased.
“That too…”
“Seriously? You’re in love with the guy? You just met him, for Pete’s sake…”
“I know, but I can’t help the way I feel. I love Kian…”
“Kian who? Now, I really need to do a thorough background check on him.”
“I don’t know….” Syssi felt stupid. She’d never bothered to ask.
“You claim to love the guy, and you don’t even know his last name…” Andrew shook his head, his expression disapproving.
“I assumed it was the same as Amanda’s, but later I found out they had different fathers. So I’m not sure anymore, okay? It’s not such a big deal. I’ll ask him tonight. And no… I’m not going to tell you so you could dig into his background. You can forget about it.” Syssi crossed her arms over her chest, ready to butt heads with her stubborn brother. God only knew what Andrew could discover if he were to snoop into Kian’s business.
Surprising her, he just smiled. “As you wish… Don’t come crying to me, though, when later you discover things you wished you’ve known before; previous marriages, illegitimate kids, prior incarcerations… Small things like that…”
“Oh, just drop it, Andrew, there is nothing like that lurking in his past.” His very, very long past…
“Okay, okay…” Andrew raised his palms in mock surrender. “You know I’m doing it out of love. Someone has to look after you. You’re just too nice and trusting.”
“I love you too, Andrew. But I’m a big girl now, and you need to start trusting my judgment. You cannot protect me from everything and everyone at all times. I can take care of myself…” Syssi was starting to feel even worse. Forcing a weak smile, she said, “I think I’d better go. I feel really crappy.” Trying to get up, she got dizzy and had to grab the back of her chair to steady herself.
“I’ll walk you to the car.” Andrew wrapped his arm around her so she could lean on him as they made their way to the limo waiting for her in the back.
“A limousine… Nice… Now, I’m really curious,” Andrew taunted.
With no energy to keep it up, she didn’t respond. Casting her a worried look, Andrew dropped it. Still, she had no doubt he’d go snooping around—regardless of her asking him not to.
Pulling her into his arms, Andrew kissed the top of her head, then helped her inside. “Take care of yourself, and call me if you need anything. You hear?”
“I will. It’s probably nothing.”
CHAPTER 26: DALHU
It took Dalhu about ten minutes to find a motel. As he stopped and got them a room, he couldn’t care less that it seemed questionable. With Amanda already looking a lot less dazed, he was running out of time.
With a quick glance, he made sure there was no one in the parking lot before he un-cuffed her, scooped her up in his arms and carried her inside. Kicking the door closed behind him, he didn’t waste any time before gently laying her out on the bed and securing her wrists to the slatted wooden headboard.
“Ohh, I feel like a bride on a bondage honeymoon…” she giggled and swiveled her hips in invitation.
Taking a moment to look her over, he was struck again by how beautiful she was. “You’re magnificent…” He rubbed his mouth with his hand, wanting her so bad, it hurt. But he couldn’t have her, not yet, because sure as hell, she was still very much high on his venom.
Amanda didn’t appreciate his efforts one bit. “Would you put us both out of our misery and fuck me already? Is this your idea of torture? You’re such a jerk! I’m going insane with lust, and with my hands cuffed like this I can’t even do anything about it myself…” she hissed at him, stunning him speechless.
Apparently, he had a lot to learn about immortal females, or maybe just this one. Defying his expectations, instead of cussing him out for abducting her, she was mad because he refused to have sex with her…
Go figure…
Sitting beside her on the bed, he was careful not to touch her as he looked into her eyes, checking for the glazed look he was expecting to find. Amanda’s eyes seemed clearer, though her pinched expression made it obvious that she was suffering for real. Evidently, there was another thing he hadn’t known about immortal females—their needs were just as ov
erpowering as the males’.
Dalhu sighed. “I have to go and get us some money, but I’ll give you something to make you sleep, making it easier for you until the venom leaves your system. And if you still feel the same when you wake up… then I promise, I’ll take care of you…” Gently, almost reverently, he touched his palm to her cheek and caressed it lightly. “I’ll always take care of you…”
“What do you want from me?” she whispered.
“A future…” He sighed again. “A life partner, a family, everything…” Gazing at her stunned expression, he held his palm to her cheek for a moment longer. “I know you don’t want this with me right now. But I promise I’ll do everything I can to earn your love. You shall want for nothing…”
Dalhu pushed off the bed, walked over to the dresser, and took one of the motel’s two complimentary water bottles. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a plastic packet and emptied its powdery contents into the water, then shook the bottle lightly.
“Drink!” He touched the bottle to her lips. “It’ll only make you sleep, nothing else.”
Amanda pressed her lips tightly closed and shook her head from side to side.
“We can do it the easy way, with you being a good girl and drinking it all up, or the hard way, with me pinching your nose and forcing it down your throat. Your choice.” Dalhu didn’t want to scare her again, but he didn’t have the time nor the patience to play games, which, unfortunately, made him sound harsh.
When she opened her mouth to drink, the fear in her eyes as she looked up at him was something he hoped never to see again.
Dalhu tried to be as gentle as he possibly could, supporting her head and making sure she had time to swallow before he gave her more. But in the end, he had her drink it all.