* * * * *
Robbie moved through the halls, searching for signs of life. All the vampires slept. Ella…where was Ella?
Where had they taken her?
He was so focused on finding her…he almost didn’t feel them come.
Sheila. He could feel her. A warm, sweet touch on his soul as he focused on her.
Leandra, Rafe, Dominic…they were here. Robbie wasn’t surprised. Leandra, she was…cool. He’d heard the word before and he liked it. Leandra was cool. Some people might think she was scary, and Robbie had…at first. Then he saw her, looked into her sad eyes and felt her soul.
She wasn’t scary.
She was scared. But she faced that fear.
Robbie could do that too. And he would.
If he hadn’t been focusing on them, he might have seen Pierre in time.
But instead, he barely realized the vampire had moved out of a room, until he heard Ella’s soft gasp.
Turning, he faced Pierre, his jaw clenched as he stared at Ella and watched as Pierre shoved her to the ground.
“My pets are back,” Pierre whispered. His eyes widened as he studied Robbie and he smiled, a slow, nasty smile that made Robbie’s skin crawl. “And this one has developed some teeth.”
Robbie felt everything inside him clench, his skin felt tight and hot, and he started to see red. “Get away from her.”
Pierre just laughed.
“You won’t hurt her again!” Robbie snarled, moving toward Pierre.
Pierre laughed, a low, warm sound that made Robbie’s belly twist painfully, and vomit rise in his throat.
“Oh, you’re right…after this, she hurts no more.” Two vampires came out of the darkness and grabbed Robbie’s arms. They slowed him down. But they didn’t stop him.
He was still too late though.
He reached Ella just as Pierre dropped to his knees by her side, smiling at Robbie all the while.
He smiled when he stroked a hand down Ella’s slender neck. Smiled as he closed his hand, his finger digging into her flesh…and smiled as he tore her throat out. “No more pain, pet. She’s not worth the trouble,” Pierre whispered, smiling brighter as he looked at Robbie.
Robbie screamed out her name and threw off the men holding his arms, falling to his knees as Pierre flung the bloody mess in his hand at Robbie. The gobs of flesh struck him in the chest, but Robbie barely noticed. Closing his hand around Ella’s, he whispered her name, “Ella…”
She couldn’t answer.
Blood was pouring from her neck in a gush and she rolled her eyes to his face. He felt her whisper his name in her mind as she faded away. Ella was weak. She couldn’t live after losing that much blood. He knew that.
So he held her hand as she died, and when he lifted his face to stare at Pierre, he didn’t realize the very fires of hell were burning in his dark eyes.
Leandra felt it, rolling across her skin like a nasty black wave.
Death… She hissed under her breath and turned to look at the others behind her. “Someting is wrong,” she whispered hollowly.
Something soft, gentle drifted by them and Leandra felt her throat tighten as a sweet laugh sounded in the air.
A tear rolled down her cheek. “The little vampire…Ella…she’s gone.”
“No.”
Sheila rasped out, shaking her head. “No!” She made a move to lunge for the house, but she didn’t make it a foot before Rafe’s hands closed over her arms.
At that second, the house exploded into a fireball.
And they all heard Robbie’s soft voice, from everywhere, from nowhere, as he said, “Barbecue.”
Several people tried to lunge from the lower floor of the house, but their bodies were nothing more than fireballs and they staggered just a few steps before they hit the ground and did nothing more than burn away to smoke and ash.
Sheila struggled against Rafe’s hands, tears streaming down her cheeks. There were screams…people—no, vampires—still alive in there, screaming. And Robbie.
“Robbie!” she screamed, the pain rushing through her, hot and bitter. She kicked back at Rafe’s legs and heard him grunt, but he didn’t let go. “He’s in there!”
Rafe pressed his lips against her brow. “Sheila, Belle, let him go… Ella’s gone. He wants this…”
“He doesn’t want to die!” she screamed.
“No. He wants to follow Ella,” Rafe murmured. “Just like I’d follow you…let him go.”
Horrendous cracks sounded, and then sparks shot up into the sky as the house collapsed in on itself. That last long, unearthly scream was silenced and then the fire stopped.
One minute there, and then it was gone, like a candle snuffed out.
“Shhh…”
They froze as they heard that voice, that gentle, deep voice. It drifted around them and Sheila gasped as something, a hand, brushed the tears away from her cheeks. “I’m going now. Ella is waiting.”
And then he was gone.
There wasn’t another living creature around, alive or undead.
All was silent.
Chapter Nine
Sheila stood at the door to Kelsey’s house, staring at it numbly.
Rafe stood behind her, his hand resting on her shoulder as he stared up at the old, brownstone house. Sheila’s hand closed around the doorknob, but instead of turning it, she just dropped her forehead against the smooth dark wood.
“It’s over,” she whispered thickly. “I don’t understand. How can it be over…”
“Let’s go inside, Belle,” Rafe whispered, pressing his lips to her brow. “You need to rest.”
She laughed bitterly. “Leandra didn’t rest. She’s already gone. Just smoke and ashes left of Ella and Robbie. They won’t do anything but rest now,” she whispered.
“They’ve earned it.” Dominic stood behind them, staring at the sidewalk, shoulders slumped. Slowly, he lifted his head and stared at them. “They loved each other. But how could they do anything about it? They were unhappy, stuck in the lives they had.”
His eyes were dark, bitter, but a smile appeared on his face as he spoke. “They aren’t stuck anymore,” he said quietly.
Those words circled through her head. Not stuck anymore… She remembered the way Robbie had looked at Ella, so openly adoring. How Ella took care of Robbie, and smiled when he was near.
And the sadness in the air. It was more than just fear. There was pain and frustration there as well. Sweet heaven, they had been a sad pair. A hopeless pair. What kind of happy ever after would they have…
Closing her eyes, she felt the hot tears trickle down her cheeks as she took a shaky breath. “You’re right,” she whispered, her voice tight and husky. Reaching up, she brushed away a tear as she repeated, “You’re right. But damn it, it hurts.”
Rafe’s arms came around her, hugging her back against him, nuzzling her hair. “I know, pet. I know.”
* * * * *
They stood on the porch for a long moment while Rafe stroked one hand up and down Sheila’s arm soothingly.
Hours had passed.
They had searched through the rubble of the house briefly—until sirens wailed in the air, alerting them to the arrival of the fire department. Then the four of them had melted into the trees, watching from the shadows as the firefighters searched the ruin.
Nothing was found. The bodies of the vampires had burnt to nothing more than ashes. And after such a blaze, ashes were everywhere.
Robbie…she had no idea what had happened to the big witch’s body. But the firefighters’ search hadn’t turned up any bodies. Leandra had searched, her amber eyes glinting with tears as she murmured, “I can find him…I can…”
Nothing.
Part of Rafe was bothered by that. They deserved—something—though what, he didn’t know.
But Dominic was right.
They had loved each other—a love that could never be what it was truly meant to be.
And after so many years of suffering, of hiding, they w
ere free.
The moon drifted out from behind a wispy bank of clouds, turning the dark edges of the cloud silver, shining down on them. Turning Sheila’s face up to him, he bussed her mouth gently. “Let’s go inside, Sheila. Let’s go home.”
She nodded, pushing the door open and stepping inside, she turned back to smile at Rafe. “You know, you’ve never been inside this house, slick.”
A black brow arched and he drawled, “Really…and that means…what?”
Snickering, she said, “I ought to not invite you in. Make you suffer for a while.”
Running his tongue over his teeth, he said, “I’ve suffered enough.”
Sheila leaned against the door, and a winsome smile curved her pretty mouth up. Rafe felt a temporary moment of panic—he wanted nothing more than to spend the night loving that smooth, pale body. “I don’t know—six long months, I watched you walk around the Enclave, never once looking at me, as though I no longer existed for you. And before that…I only existed for you when you wanted me.”
Narrowing his eyes, he said, “Haven’t we already gotten past this?”
She chuckled. “Well, of course, we have. But I had to make you suffer a little,” she whispered, pushing the door open wide. “Come inside, Rafe.”
He crossed the threshold and hooked his hand behind her neck, pressing a rough, biting kiss to her mouth. He stilled at the sound of footsteps behind him. Lifting his head, he turned and saw Dominic walking back down the sidewalk, his dark head lowered, shoulders slumped.
“Where you going?”
Dominic stilled, flicking a glance at Rafe. “Home. It’s been a while.” His eyes darkened, a look of pain entered them and then he shrugged.
Rafe laughed. “Dom…this is home, don’t you know that?”
Dominic turned back around, staring at Rafe, his eyes black in the night. They glittered in his solemn face and as Rafe came back outside, staring at Dominic, his body tensed.
Sheila followed him, moving to stand beside Rafe, reaching out and taking his hand in hers. “You know, don’t you, that your old life…it’s gone, right?” she asked gently when Rafe stood silent.
The young vampire flinched, his jaw clenching. Turning away, he hunched his shoulders as though he could block out the truth. “Yeah,” he said roughly. “I know that. Shit…what in the hell am I supposed to do now? I’ve always known what I wanted—I can’t do that now. Hell, I don’t know what I am supposed to do.”
Something inside Rafe’s heart stirred…pity? His heart had been cold for so long, it was hard to always recognize the emotions stirring inside it. “I know.”
Dominic’s head raised, but he still stared out into the night. Bitterly, he asked, “Yeah? What?”
Sheila slid her hand from his and moved up to rest one hand lightly on Dominic’s shoulder. “You’re a Hunter…you’re one of us, Dom. I knew that the minute I saw you lying in that bed. Come on…come inside…come home.”
Dominic took the dark, drape-shrouded room under the stairs for that night.
Lori, or maybe Kelsey…one of the witches would come and lay the spells on the windows, spells that would protect the vampires from the sunlight that would drift in from time to time.
Maybe Kelsey would let them buy the house.
They needed a base, someplace to call home over the coming years as Rafe established his territory.
A big house…that more vampires, witches or weres would eventually call home.
This house, nestled on several acres on the outskirts of town would work wonderfully.
Sheila moved through, studying the rooms with an intensity she hadn’t used before. On the third floor there was a room she’d fallen in love with, a pale ivory room with a magnificent four-poster canopy, high on a raised platform. But the windows—four of them—too much sunlight flooded the room.
They could close up one or two of those windows, maybe, cover the rest with thick drapes. Stroking one hand down the golden gleam of the comforter, she thought of sleeping here, in this big, golden bed, with Rafe next to her. A slow smile curved her lips and then she sighed, closing her hand into a fist.
“Pretty room,” Rafe murmured neutrally from behind her.
Turning, she met his eyes and smiled, lifting one shoulder. “Yeah. I like it.”
“Do you sleep in here?”
Sheila shook her head, hunching her shoulders at the thought of sleeping in a room not protected by sunlight, either by material substances or by magick. “No. The windows…” Lifting one shoulder, she said, “There’s a bed below the stairs that I slept in. Dominic’s down there. He needs more security from the sun than we do right now. The rest of the basement is empty.”
Rafe came inside, sliding his hands into his back pockets.
The black shirt he wore was unbuttoned and it parted, revealing the hard muscles of his golden torso, that black line of hair that curled around his navel before disappearing inside his jeans. Her heart started to pound as she stared at him, gums aching as her fangs started to press against them.
“Couple of bedrooms,” he murmured, circling around her, watching her closely. “We could take a mattress down to the basement come daybreak. Sleep there for now.”
Sheila nodded, dragging her tongue across his lips as he passed in front of her, his upper arm brushing against her breasts as he continued to walk around her in a slow circle. Her nipples tightened into hard, demanding little peaks as he came to a halt behind her, gathering her hair in his fist and pulling it aside, baring her neck.
His tongue laved the skin there, one long, hot stroke before he raked his teeth across her skin. “But I don’t want to sleep yet…not nearly yet,” he purred.
Then he reached around her and cupped her breasts, kneading them with his palms, plumping them together, pinching her nipples—he played until she was rocking back against him and moaning.
“I love you…”
That low rough murmur, words she never thought she’d hear from him, sent a shiver down her spine and locked a fist around her heart. Covering his hands with hers, she pressed them against her flesh as she said softly, “I love you, too. Damn it, so much.”
Rafe chuckled, sliding his hands from under hers and dropping to his knees, reaching around to open the snap at the waistband of the black fatigues she still wore. She looked down, watching as his hands took the black pants down her legs until they puddled around her ankles. His mouth, cool now, but so silky-soft, pressed against her ass, kissing one cheek, then the other.
“I adore you…”
Another kiss, pressed to the soft skin just above the crevice between her cheeks as he tugged her underwear down. “Worship you…”
One hand rested on her spine, pushing her upper body forward and down, until she was resting on the bed, her hips braced against the side. She quivered as his big hands came up and spread the cheeks of her ass, then his mouth pressed against the sensitive skin of her anus, his tongue gliding around it in one silken stroke.
“Need you,” he breathed against her damp flesh, making her quiver.
Then he was gone and she heard the harsh grate of metal as he unzipped his clothes. His hands came back around her hips and she cast a look over her shoulder to see him pressing against her, his pants shoved down just far enough.
Sheila screamed as he shoved inside, her flesh still tight, unprepared. Digging her hands into the comforter, she hissed out, “Yes…”
He pulled out, his cock rasping against the soft tissues of her pussy, the flesh resisting him, squeezing him even as he withdrew. “You’re not ready,” he groaned, starting to pull away.
She shoved back against him, reaching back with one hand to grip his hip, to keep him from pulling away. “Don’t stop,” she whimpered. “I need this…need you…don’t leave me.”
“Never.” His hands stroked over her ass, and he started to rock against her, slowly, and she felt the muscles in her pussy relax and open, the cream of her arousal wetting her inner folds.
&
nbsp; “Harder, Rafe.” Planting her hands on the bed, she shoved back against him and wiggled her ass. “Fuck me, damn it. Hard and fast and… now!”
The last word left her in a wail as he started to shaft her, pumping within her with hard, deep strokes, faster and faster until his flesh slapped against the taut skin of her buttocks.
She screamed as he pressed against the tight pucker of her ass with his thumb, the muscles there resisting him.
“You’re tight,” he whispered.
She shivered at the sound of his voice—deep, thick, drugged. He only sounded like that when he was very tired…or when he was deep inside her body. The sound of it caressed her flesh like a velvet glove, drawing her skin tighter, making her heart kick up until it felt as though her entire body felt its erratic pulse.
“You’re wet,” he crooned, sliding his hand around her, rubbing his thumb over her clit, pressing against her teasingly, circling around it with fast, sure strokes.
Then his hand was gone and she mewled in frustration, sliding her own hand down until she could play with her clit, circling around it and rocking her hips against her touch. His cock jerked within her and Rafe laughed that low, masculine sound a man only makes when it involves sex.
A thick, wet finger pressed against her anus again and she sobbed out his name as it slid inside, past the tight muscle, pushing in, in, in…until his finger was seated completely inside her.
“I’m going to fuck this ass again, and soon. I’m going to fuck your pussy, your ass, your mouth until no part of your body remains untouched by me. I’m going to mark you, brand you, so you know you’re mine and if you ever leave me again…”
His other hand left her hip while he continued to pound inside her, his cock filling her pussy, his finger filling her ass. She screamed as he slapped at her ass, once, twice, and again, until the skin of her ass was on fire and hot little licks of hunger flooded her senses.
Sheila whimpered and pushed against him, rocking her hips, lifting herself for him. His hand struck her flesh again and Sheila shuddered, unable to even scream as her throat went tight.
The Hunters 6: Rafe and Sheila Page 16