Hearing a gasp from behind me, I turn to look at the shocked expressions on Victor, Jasmine, and Kheda’s faces. Even though Victor had seen the photos coming out of the printer, and Jasmine knows how precise I am in my photography, it hadn’t given them a heads-up to what I now displayed. They literally had a bird’s-eye view of the crime scene, but from different angles.
“My god, these are amazing,” whispers Kheda in awe and shock. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting this. I can almost smell the damp and decay just by looking at them.” Kheda apologizes as the horror of the cave stares back at him, in stunning precise detail.
“Okay, this is what I’m thinking, if everyone helps move the boxes and furniture out of the room, we’ll have enough space in here for at least two full sections at a time.” Rubbing my forehead, I feel the beginning of a headache throb in the centre of my forehead, feeling like a distant banging drum.
We carefully collect the photos and bring them into the kitchen, depositing them on the kitchen table. We rearrange the kitchen and move the sitting room furniture and boxes in. By the time we’re finished we’re all exhausted and call it a night. Personally, I’m happy not to look at the photos again tonight, and I think everyone else is too.
“I think it would be wise for no one to go out alone. A minimum of two people out together, but no one left alone either,” Kheda informs us as we troop upstairs to our rooms.
“Okay, but I go running every morning. Who wants to come with me?”
“I will,” Jasmine answers in understanding. The moons pull is a powerful thing and has to be answered, even though there are still a couple of days before the night of the full moon.
“I need to go running as well. The full moon is almost here,” Kheda echoes as if he’d heard my thoughts.
“If you go a bit later, Kheda, I’ll go with you,” Victor says coming to my rescue without even knowing it.
“Yeah, okay. I suppose all four of us running around the woods would be noticeable.” Kheda laughs. It’s the first time any of us have heard him laugh and the rich deep baritone sounds wonderful. Hearing a sigh behind me, I smother a smile as I realize Jasmine finds it very pleasing.
“Okay, good night, everyone. I’ll see you at six a.m.” I smile in gratification before heading into my bedroom with Victor on my heels. Closing the door behind him, I watch Victor lean back against it, watching me with sudden intensity. I feel my desire rise swiftly.
“At last we’re alone,” purrs Victor, as he pushes away from the door and stalks toward me, giving a wonderful impression of a great big panther. Grasping a hold of my hands, he reels me into his embrace, bringing me flush against his body. His arms wrap around me, as he bends his head to give me a thorough kissing. His velvet tongue delves into my mouth to explore every inch of it, before massaging my tongue with his.
Our tongues start a wiry dance as they twine around each other and withdraw, before plunging back into each other’s mouths once again. I wrench my mouth from his, so I can breathe in some oxygen; once I’ve gulped in enough, I latch my mouth against his again, as if coming home. My arms circling his back pull him to me as one hand reaches for his hair and delves into the silky mass bringing his head closer, until our teeth smack. With a panting laugh, I withdraw myself from our embrace. Crossing the room, I close the curtains.
I notice the doubt in Victor’s eyes when I pull away from him. Does he honestly think I don’t want him? Crossing my arms in front of me, I grasp the ends of my T-shirt slowly pulling it up my torso, over my head before letting it slide to the floor. I reach for the clasp of my jeans slowly undoing them, pushing them down my long legs till they meet my trainers, which I toe off. I finished removing my jeans and socks, leaving me in my matching red lace bra and panties.
Most of my underwear doesn’t match, but I’d hoped Victor would stay with me, so I made a special effort. Going by Victor’s slack-jawed, wide-eyed appreciation, my effort met his approval. With confidence, I walk toward him, a sultry smile curving my mouth. I extend my right hand to him and then I’m in his arms again. I don’t even see him move!
****
As his strong arms plaster my body to his, I feel his rock hard penis pulsing through his jeans, straining to reach me. My desire brings a flush to my skin, and my scent rises in anticipation of what is to come. I watch Victor through half closed eyes breath me in, so I surround him, inside and out. Blue fire bleeds into his eyes, his fangs elongate. He gently kisses me, before pulling away.
I watch at first in puzzlement, then in raw fascination, as he slowly removes his clothes until finally, he’s wearing only his boxer shorts. His engorged penis pushes against the material, as if trying to reach me. With a gulp, I tear my eyes away from the fascinating sight, to lock eyes with Victor. Once we make eye contact, he pushes his boxers down, freeing his member from the confines of his clothing. My eyes widen in appreciation at the beauty of him.
Even though we’d made love the night before, I hadn’t seen all of him. And what a glorious vision he is. Slowly so as not to frighten me, he pulls me flush against him once more. Wrapping his arms around me he lifts me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist, his penis nudges against my vagina trying to gain entry, my lacy panties preventing the joining we so desperately want. Reaching down I move them to the side allowing his hot shaft to slide into my waiting, moist cave.
Slowly, oh so slowly, I slide down onto his throbbing shaft. My heat surrounds him as I impale myself, holding him, squeezing him in my velvet grip, before withdrawing only to deepen my glide, as I stretch to accommodate his girth. Slowly we make love, gently exploring one another as I rise and fall on his phallus. We kiss, deep exploratory kisses, learning every contour of each other’s mouths, until our climaxes ripple through our bodies, and we scream our releases into each other’s waiting, open mouths.
“Drink from me, Victor. You will need your strength for tomorrow, if not tonight.” My voice, husky and low, sounds more like a purr from a tiger than words.
“Next time,” promises Victor as his penis thickens and he begins thrusting into me again. As the tempo of our bodies increase, he gently kisses the side of my neck, his tongue licking deliciously against me. Gently his fangs slide into me, and he drinks my blood. With every sip he takes from me, my body winds tighter, light and power rising up inside me. Just when I feel as if I’m about to explode in fiery ecstasy, he withdraws his fangs, a flick of his tongue to catch any stray drop, and my wounds close.
“What are you?” he gasps as he thrusts harder into my welcoming body, as my blood spreads its way through him.
“I’m me, I just have more magick than others,” I gasp my reply, as I feel a second orgasm crashing through my body like a freight train out of control. I smother my scream of satisfaction by sinking my teeth into Victor’s shoulder, breaking his skin and drinking the few escaping drops of blood, bringing him to completion.
“You bit me?” gasps Victor in shock, lying on his back panting, placing fleeting kisses along the side of my face he strokes my back.
“I’m so sorry; I’ve never done that before.” My face blushing scarlet, I try to wiggle off Victor’s powerful body.
“Shhhhh, there’s nothing to be ashamed of, and to be honest, I liked it,” Victor sooths as he holds me still. “If you keep wiggling, you’re going to get more than you bargain for,” he bluntly adds, with a deep chuckle rumbling seductively through his body, and vibrating beneath my ear.
“You can’t be serious?” I gasp, giving a tentative wiggle, and yep, he is standing to attention again. I can’t help feeling rather satisfied I can bring on such a reaction so easily.
We start our dance all over again, until finally I collapse sweaty on top of him, my body so relaxed and my muscles feeling like jelly. I shakily withdraw from him, stagger off the bed, where I land on the floor in a heap. “Fucking hell, my legs won’t support me,” I exclaim in wonder.
“Where are you trying to go?” laughs Victor in delight.
Giving him a wry look, I blush bright red and admit I’m trying to make it to the bathroom. Valiantly, Victor climbs off my bed, kneels in front of me giving me a wonderful eyeful, picks me up and carries me into the bathroom, kisses me, and places me gently on the toilet before leaving and closing the door securely behind him.
I sit staring at the closed door for a couple of minutes, my fingers tracing my lips where I can still feel our final kiss. A goofy smile spreads over my mouth. Would I ever have enough of him? In shock I realize no, I wouldn’t, as long as he wants me I’ll stay and embrace our time together. I release my magical wisp of a condom and pee, wash my hands, hurry back into my bedroom, and straight into Victor’s waiting embrace.
“I was just coming to get you. I wasn’t sure if you would need assistance in returning to me,” Victor says so quietly I have to strain to catch his words, as he strokes my body and leads me back to bed, where we climb in and I curl my body around his.
I just close my eyes to go to sleep when I feel Victor wrap his arms around me, anchoring me to his side, and to my shock he admits, “I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want you. When I was human, I was more interested in adventure and satisfying my needs than in any relationships with women. After all, I was a young man and had my whole life ahead of me.
“When I was turned, my entire family was murdered, and I never allowed myself to become emotionally attached to anyone, be they vampire or human. I didn’t associate with other supernaturals. It just wasn’t heard of. But with you…” Shaking his head, Victor drags his fingers through his hair in obvious frustration and perplexity while sorting out his thoughts.
If this was anyone else I’d probably laugh, brushing aside what he’s telling me as some kind of joke, but the moment he started talking my eyes popped open, and I witnessed every emotion flickering across his face.
My eyes lock with Victor’s. The intensity in his eyes and the tautness in his body, informs me he’s being deadly serious. I stay as still as possible, just in case he changes his mind and stops talking, but I maintain eye contact, letting him know I’m listening.
“You’re in my blood,” he grinds out between clenched teeth, “and not because I drank your blood either. I can’t stop thinking about you, wanting you, needing you. I need you more than I’ve ever needed anyone else. More than I need blood. And since I need blood to survive, that frightens the shit out of me. But I can’t and won’t deny it anymore.”
He kisses me fiercely, literally taking my breath away. Turning me on my back, he spreads my legs and thrusts himself inside me, pumping hard and fast as if trying to drive out memories and emotions until finally we both come. My orgasm rockets through me so fast and with such intensity I see stars. All I can manage is a gentle kiss before sleep claims me. My last waking memory is the feel of his lips kissing the top of my head as he wraps his arms around me.
Chapter 20
I wake up with my legs tangled with Victor’s, and our arms holding each other tight. Even though I only had about five hours’ worth of sleep, I feel so alive, relaxed, and happy. I untangle myself from my wonderful lover’s embrace, and slowly climb over his sleeping body.
Gathering up my dirty clothes from yesterday, I put them in the laundry basket. I collect my running gear and head into the bathroom. Once dressed, I quietly head downstairs to meet Jasmine for our run. We exit through the back door and go straight into the woods.
Without a word we start off at a jog and run toward the cliffs. The morning sounds of the dawn chorus start up slowly as the birds awake. The rising sun infiltrates the denseness of the trees lighting our path, as a gentle breeze whispers hello, kissing our faces as it brushes past us, lifting the leaves and branches on the trees in a dance of happiness.
As we reach the cliffs, the morning sun embraces us warming our sweat-slicked skin. I take out my camera, and snap photos of the sun reflecting on the rippling water, of the cliffs, and woods. Of birds in flight as they search for food, and of Jasmine, as she stands at the cliff’s edge, her hair lifted by the wind, the sun shining on her making her look ethereal in the morning light.
“Do you fancy going to your house?” I ask breaking the silence.
Jasmine turns to me, surprise flitting across her beautiful features. “My house? You mean you were serious when you said…?”
“Of course I was serious,” I interrupt her. With a squeal of delight she launches herself at me, thankfully I’m closer to the woods than the cliffs, or we would have both gone over the edge! Instead, I topple backwards and land on the ground with her on top of me. With a laugh I push her off, and scramble to my feet, reaching down, I grasp her hand and pull her up.
Putting away my camera, I give her a big smile as she dances a happy jig in front of me. “So shall we go and see your house?”
“Yes, yes, yes,” she squeals excitedly, dancing about.
“Come on then,” I laugh, we run back into the woods toward the old ruins. The wind whispers and dances around us, sunbeams flicker in and out of the tree branches, until we arrive in the clearing of the old house.
The sun shines on the ruins and for just a second transforms them into a stunning redbrick two-story house, with slate shingles and flowers on every window ledge. In the blink of an eye, the ruins are back before us. With a gasp I look at Jasmine, realizing this is what she saw the first time we’d come. “We’ll get the house signed over to you this morning if you like?”
Shaking her head in denial, she turns to look at me. “We can’t do anything until this case is solved. We have too much to do.” Sadness laces her voice as she looks at the ruins with longing.
With an understanding smile, I cross to her and give her a hug, and whisper, “I’ll call my solicitor, and they can get the paperwork started. We can carry on with the case, and my solicitor can let us know when to sign the papers. This is your house. I don’t see a need to postpone the signing, just because of a killer. Come on let’s head back. I’m starving.”
I turn and jog back to my home, with Jasmine beaming beside me. When we arrive back, we find Victor and Kheda waiting in the kitchen. Without thinking, I cross to Victor and kiss him good morning. He quickly wraps his arms around me pulling me flush against him deepening our kiss.
“Good morning to you, too.” Giving me a wicked smile, a look of relief flashes in his eyes, when our lips finally disengage.
Laughing in embarrassment at my wantonness, I wish him a good morning back. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”
“I hope you never can, because trust me, I like the way you say hello.”
With a shy smile, I disentangle myself as my stomach lets out a yowl of discontent at not having been fed yet. “I’d better get some breakfast, or my stomach will eat itself,” I laugh.
“We’d better go for our run as well,” adds Kheda as his eyes hungrily devour Jasmine. “Where can we safely run without the likeliness of running into anyone else?”
“If you go out the back door and head into the woods, you can follow a path of sorts toward the cliffs. Follow our scents to retrace our path. It’s a decent run and is part of my property. Also, you’ll see Jasmine’s house,” I inform them. I notice her beaming smile out of the corner of my eye.
Pouring myself a glass of milk, I drink it quickly. I pour a couple of glasses of orange juice for us as we prepare breakfast. Between us, we have it ready in no time. Crispy rashers, sausages, hash browns, eggs, tomatoes, toast, and a pot of coffee. Carefully removing the photos from the table, we put them in the sitting room. Setting the table, we finally fill our plates. We put Victor’s and Kheda’s plated food in the oven to keep warm. We’re hungrily eating ours when they return.
Getting up I remove their plates and put them on the table, then I carry on eating my food. After washing their hands, they join us at the table to demolish their breakfast. We eat in contented silence. With a laugh of surprise, I realize how at ease we are with each other. At their curious looks, I share my observations.
/> “You’re right, I don’t think I’ve ever been so at ease with anyone in such a short amount of time,” Kheda agrees in surprise.
“Especially considering the circumstances that brought us together, though I’m definitely pleased we met,” Victor agrees smiling at me. His smile grows bigger, as a pleased blush flushes over my cheekbones.
As a group we tidy up. Looking at the clock, I notice it’s ten past nine, so I phone my solicitor, instructing him to start the paperwork to gift the old ruins to Jasmine and the surrounding land from the road to the house, excluding the old grave yard. I inform him to contact me when the forms are ready, say goodbye, and hang up on the bewildered man.
Turning, I head into the sitting room, where everyone is waiting. With a sigh, I carefully lay out the photos, until the sitting room is filled with images of the cave’s entrance and the first three murder scenes. There’s not enough room for the final crime scene, and the cave with the stream.
****
Silently, we look at the grisly scene before us. The cold, damp, torch-lit caves illuminate the three victims. Staring at the scene, little things start jumping out at us. Hopefully enough things will add up to help identify the murderer. The faint outline of fingers can be seen on Mrs. Hayes’s beckoning arm, due to the pressure and position. Checking the other bodies, we realize each have the same bruising. The female werewolf also has slight bruising on her breasts, legs, and stomach from being kicked and punched.
We switch the photos to the last murder scene and back cave. The female vampire’s breasts have slight bruising from being roughly treated. The male vampire’s body clearly shows his had been pulled, pinched, and kneaded. The werewolf has the most bruising.
With a grimace of distaste, I notice Victor and Kheda turning slightly green.
“So we’re dealing with a psycho witch. These are her collections, which is why she lashed out at the female werewolf, and why she played freely with these three,” Kheda said swallowing a couple of times.
Double Magick in the Falls Page 16