by Aubrey Ross
“Did you and your fiancé often work the same cases?”
“No. This guy had every branch of law enforcement in three states ready to do anything to stop him. He had eighteen victims that we know of, seven whom didn’t survive his brutality.”
“And others were assisting him during the shootout?”
“I told you it didn’t make sense.”
He stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “Where did you go when you left Baltimore?”
“Colorado. I’m a private investigator.”
“What do you investigate?”
She smiled. Her present occupation was worlds away from working homicide. “I take on a variety of cases, but most of my clients are suspicious of their soon-to-be-former lovers.”
“You catch people cheating on their significant others?”
“Yep. Where there’s smoke there’s usually fire. I guess that makes me a firefighter.” She tightened her legs around his hips and pressed her breasts against his chest. “Can we talk about something else now?”
“I have a better suggestion.”
“What did you have in mind?”
He met her gaze, his eyes taking on a faint golden glow. Vivid images rolled through her mind. She saw herself kneeling beside the bed, sucking his cock with greedy enthusiasm. Then, he stood beside the bed and she knelt upon it. He thrust fast and deep between her thighs.
“I see,” she whispered as his mouth covered hers.
* * * * *
Jessie awoke several hours later and carefully disentangled herself from Rafe’s warm embrace. Everything was happening so quickly. She felt off balance and overwhelmed. He would likely sleep until sunset and she welcomed a short period of solitude.
Tiptoeing into the bathroom, she found a stack of neatly folded towels and draped one over the warming rack as she waited for the shower to heat. The blood bonding had been unlike anything she’d experienced before. She’d had some pretty decent orgasms with Jeff. Still, nothing compared to the absolute intimacy of joining, body, mind and spirit.
Blood bonding… She’d allowed a vampire to drink her blood. She turned to the wide mirror above the double sinks and gathered her hair away from her neck. The wound was hardly noticeable, two small puncture marks, but the significance left her shaken. Vampires were real and she was caught in the middle of a centuries-old rivalry. Out of all the women in the world, Etoro had singled her out, led her to Rafe with a string of dead bodies scattered like breadcrumbs upon the ground. There had to be a reason. None of this was random. But what? She wasn’t the only human with psychic abilities and she hadn’t known Rafe before tonight.
“I can see he drank from you,” a female spoke from directly behind Jessie, “but did you drink from him?”
Jessie snatched the towel from the warming rack as she turned around. Before Jessie could do more than gasp, golden light flashed in the woman’s eyes. An invisible fist closed around Jessie’s throat. Her mouth gaped and she clutched her neck.
“Don’t make a sound.”
The pressure lessened, allowing her to breathe. Torn between shock and fury, Jessie searched for a weapon, a heavy object, a plunger, anything she could use to defend herself. Her throat ached, her larynx paralyzed. Her attacker had incapacitated her with a glance. How was a plunger going to help?
“Did he feed you his blood?” Her tone snapped with impatience.
Jessie studied the intruder, memorizing her features and the unique cadence of her voice. Petite, almost waiflike, vivid blue eyes dominated her heart-shaped face. “Who are you?” Her bruised throat burned with each word.
“Who I am is unimportant. Answer my question and I’ll leave.”
Rafe said the house was shielded. How had this person gotten past his security? Jessie clutched the towel to her chest, exasperated by her helplessness.
“Are you daft or just annoying? Did you drink his blood?”
Jessie shook her head.
“How much does your tall, blond friend mean to you?” She smiled, a cold, cruel bowing of her lips. “Don’t try to answer, just listen carefully. You must convince Rafe to transform you or Dalton dies.”
Threats never sat well with Jessie. She lunged forward, abandoning modesty in favor of action. The woman disappeared before Jessie could touch her. Laughter echoed in the room.
“Is that the best you can do?” Jessie spun around and found the woman behind her. “I thought you were a bad-ass ex-cop.”
This had to be Natalie, unless Rafe had more skeletons in his closet. “What do you want?” She mouthed the words more than spoke them, little sound escaped her throat.
“I told you. Convince Rafe to transform you.” Her eyes glowed menacingly. “If you tell him about our conversation, I’ll torture your friend before I kill him. Do you understand?”
Livid, Jessie bent down and picked up the towel. How does she benefit if Rafe transforms me?
“Just see that it’s done,” she snapped.
Was she transmitting her thoughts, or did the blood bond make her mind accessible to any vampire? “How do I know you won’t kill Dalton anyway?”
Natalie smirked. “You don’t.”
She faded from sight and Jessie flew for the door, wrapping the towel around her as she went. She made it to the bed before Natalie’s threat stopped her. If Natalie could appear inside the house it was likely she could see and hear what went on.
Fuck! What the hell am I supposed to do?
Rafe stirred, rolling onto his back. “What’s wrong?” He rubbed his face and blinked repeatedly. “Why are you shouting?”
Tormented by indecision, Jessie paced beside the bed. One wrong move and Dalton died. If Natalie was telling the truth! Jessie hurried around the bed and grabbed the phone off the nightstand, frantically punching in the number for Dalton’s cell phone.
Rafe sat and reached for her hand. She kept her eyes averted.
“Who are you calling?”
The call went straight to voice mail. Shit! She tossed the cordless receiver in the general direction of the nightstand and turned to Rafe.
“What’s going on? You’re white as a sheet.”
If Natalie knew what went on inside the house, she would have known whether or not Rafe transformed her. That lying bitch! “She said they have Dalton.” Her throat protested every word.
He pulled her between his legs and gently touched her neck. “What happened?” She opened her mouth to explain and he laid his fingers across her lips. “Send your thoughts to me. How did you get these bruises on your throat?”
Natalie. I thought you said she couldn’t get past your shield.
“Natalie tried to strangle you?” He circled her neck with his hands and soothing heat sank deep into the bruised tissue. “Did she actually touch you?” Jessie shook her head. “She projected an illusion. She was never really there.” He reinforced the reassurance with another wave of healing warmth.
“The illusion was real enough to strangle me.” Her tone was tentative and thin. He moved his hands to her shoulders and she blew out a shuddering breath. It still stung to speak, but at least she could form words. “She threatened to kill Dalton if I don’t convince you to transform me. Italy will have to wait. We need to find out if she really has him.”
He nodded. “Go take your shower. I’ll make some calls.”
Jessie hesitated. During the course of her life, Jessie had faced criminals armed with a variety of weapons. She had no defense against a person who could kill with a thought.
“Do you want me to come with you?”
She shook her head. If Natalie wanted her dead, she’d be dead already. Their only weapon was information. They had to unravel the enemy’s motivation then outmaneuver them. “Go find Dalton.”
Chapter Five
After a perfunctory knock, Rafe entered his bedroom. Jessie stood at the French doors, staring out into the twilight. “I found you something else to wear.” Tossing the bundle onto the bed, he waited for her
to turn around. She didn’t. “I think you look charming in my bathrobe, but—”
“Does she have him or not?” She still didn’t turn around.
“All indications support her claim. Dalton wasn’t in his hotel room and the rental car is still in the parking lot where we left it. Phillip has some friends who’ve agreed to help us. No one can track like the Unseleighe Sidhe.”
“The unseely what?” She met his gaze in the glass.
“Dark Elves.” He put his hands on her shoulders and pressed in close against her back. “Phillip spent most of the sixteenth century in the Unseleighe realm. Several of the elves have remained friends with him even though it makes them unpopular back home.”
“Phillip is a vampire.” It wasn’t a question. She finally turned around, dislodging his hands in the process. “Of course he is. They all are, aren’t they? How long has Pyrite really been together?”
“We’ve known each other for centuries.”
She folded her arms under her breasts, her shoulders squared, her expression determined. “What’s our next move? Do you have any idea where they took Dalton? Why is Natalie so interested in my transformation?”
“Phillip and the elves are searching for Dalton. There isn’t much we can do to help them.” He paused. She had accepted so much already. Any option he could offer her now would draw her deeper into the vampire realm.
“I want you to transform me.”
The statement caught him like a sucker punch in the jaw. “What?”
“I refuse to be helpless.” Her tone brooked no argument. She had apparently made up her mind. “Natalie could have killed me and we weren’t even in the same room. I have no resources, no way to defend myself. All that changes if you transform me.”
She had no idea what she was suggesting. He’d only mentioned the advantages of being a vampire, not the dangers and challenges. A year-long waiting period was part of the guidelines for transformation detailed in the Covenant.
“Natalie has had centuries to amass her skills and build her power. Transforming you wouldn’t—”
“Would I be less helpless than I am now?”
“I can protect you.”
“No.” She stepped beyond him, defiance flashing through her gaze. “I welcome your assistance, but I won’t be left powerless.”
“We need to know why she wants you transformed. This isn’t something you can turn off and on.”
“You said we’re protected within the shields. How will you get me to Italy without exposing me to risk?”
Jessie was right. As soon as they passed beyond the shield, Natalie would link with Jessie’s mind. Faelon was strong enough to sever the link once they reached Italy, but Natalie would know everything Jessie knew in the blink of an eye.
“I’ll make you an ally, but we have to understand her motivation before we even consider transformation.”
“What’s the difference?”
He paused for a long moment. Could he use Natalie’s telepathic sensitivity against her? It was risky as hell and Jessie would believe him a beast until it was safe to release the illusion. If he could use her anger to save her life, it would be well worth enduring her temper.
“There might be another way, but you’ll have to trust me.”
“I’m listening.”
“Natalie’s mental abilities are second only to Faelon’s. If she sensed my essence inside you, she might presume I’ve begun the transformation process.”
“Your essence is already inside me.” She blushed and glanced away.
They didn’t have time for subtleties. “I didn’t come in your mouth last night because a vampire’s cum has a stronger effect on humans when it’s ingested.”
“So, I swallow your cum and Natalie will think you’re transforming me?”
“I’ll have to implant a mental suggestion to make you believe it as well or she’ll see through the ploy.”
She raked her hair out of her eyes and her lips pressed together. “I have no problem with the blowjob, but this doesn’t really help me. I’ll still be powerless.”
“No, you won’t. You’ll take on characteristics of a vampire for as long as it takes your body to metabolize—”
“Your essence?”
“Exactly.” He motioned toward the bed. “I didn’t sleep as long as I’d hoped to. If you’ll let me feed while you feed, it will strengthen me for the journey.” Without a word, she unfastened the bathrobe and let it slip from her shoulders. He pulled her into his arms before she could crawl onto the bed. “I want so much more for us than this. I will make love to you as you deserve as soon as this crisis is over.”
She kissed his mouth, communicating her determination across their mental bond. He found it ironic that she was reassuring him. It should have been the other way around.
Stretching out on her back, she waited while he shed his jeans. She looked at his erection with resignation and Rafe paused. Damn it! He wanted to caress her and bring her to slow, breath-stealing orgasms. He wanted to spend days discovering all of her erogenous zones.
“Come on.” She held out her hand and managed a smile. “I enjoyed having you in my mouth last night.”
She didn’t really understand what he intended. The only other choice was a true transformation. This was a much better option. Joining her on the bed, he guided his cock toward her mouth and she did the rest. Her tongue swirled then her lips formed a snug circle. She sucked him slowly, drawing him deeper and deeper into her mouth. He covered her mound with his mouth and traced her slit with the tip of his tongue. She was already slick and hot, amazingly responsive. Her taste intoxicated him. He inhaled her scent and licked her folds. She groaned and worked his cock in earnest.
It felt so damn good. He wanted to enjoy the pleasure of her hot, wet mouth then turn around and sink slowly into her passage. For the first few weeks after transformation, a newly made vampire had to be strictly controlled, dominated, or they often turned rogue. If he didn’t make the illusion realistic, Natalie would know it was a ruse.
Dreading what must be done he accessed her mind and constructed the illusion. He pinned her to the bed and thrust to the hilt inside her tight pussy. You’re mine. Now and forever. Accept my blood. He opened a wound on his wrist with the tip of his fang and pressed it to her lips. She resisted, afraid and repulsed by the metallic taste and the demand in his expression. He pulled nearly out then impaled her again and again. She cried out, each parting of her lips filling her mouth with blood. She shuddered and moaned, her inner muscles gripping him.
That’s right. Drink. Join me. Feel the power of my blood seeping into your body. Feel my cock claiming you. Submit. Surrender. You were born for this day.
Her mouth latched on to his wrist, sucking firmly, deeply. She was helpless to prevent her body’s response to the intoxicating nature of his blood. Without removing her mouth from his wrist, he turned her face to the side and sank his fangs into her throat, completing the circle of transformation. She screamed in release, arching and bucking beneath him.
Easing out of her mind, Rafe felt her body trembling. Utterly lost in the illusion, she would believe he had ravaged her, fucked her ruthlessly, and forced his blood down her throat. Transformations were always violent, even when the human begged for the change.
He forced aside his regret. This was a temporary change. She would have the opportunity to decide if this was really what she wanted once the crisis had passed. He sucked on her cunt as he fucked her mouth. There was nothing gentle in the act. Tenderness would weaken the illusion. He triggered orgasm after orgasm, feasting on her cream, strengthening himself for the journey. She whimpered, fear seeping through her desire. Unwilling to subject her to any more, he thrust into her throat and released his seed, infusing her as completely as he could.
* * * * *
Natalie sank to her knees as the vision left her. “I don’t believe it.”
“What did you see?” Etoro helped her back to her feet, his arm supporting
the small of her back.
“Rafe… I didn’t think he’d do it. He has never instigated a transformation in five hundred years, not even one.”
“What about Phillip Noir?”
Natalie glared at him. “My mistakes are few and far between. You’d do well not to remind me of them.”
“It’s difficult not to, my love, when you insist on repeating them.” He nodded toward the human lying motionless on the bed. “How is threatening Rafe with the cop different from what you tried to do back then?”
“The cop means nothing to Rafe.” She waved Etoro’s concern aside. “You know what you need to know and nothing more. Rafe refuses to transform others, he has always refused. That will be his undoing.”
“Women have always been Rafe’s undoing.”
“No, no, no!” She stomped her foot and shoved Etoro back a step. “If he figures out what we’re really after, it will ruin everything. I don’t intend to lose this time. Do you?”
“What do you suggest?” Etoro sounded bored and Natalie swung at him. He easily caught her wrist. His eyes narrowed and he bared his fangs. “Do we have time to play? It’s been a long time since we determined who’s stronger.”
He was right and they both knew it. Rafe hadn’t taken the bait. She curled her long nails into her palm until blood trickled down her wrist. Rafe might have won this round, but the fight had barely begun.
“Make sure the cop is bound and gagged,” she ordered. “We’re going to Italy.”
* * * * *
Rafe hadn’t been home in fifty-seven years. Ferrara wasn’t the city of his birth, but it was the home of his transformation. Jessie sagged against him as he landed on the wide front lawn of Faelon’s sprawling estate. Vampires surrounded the majestic building, only visible to blood allies.
Antonelli threw open the front door and ran down the sweeping stone stairs. “Rafael!” Ignoring Jessie’s wobbly form, she kissed Rafe on both cheeks and smiled up at him. “I could not believe it when Faelon told me you were coming. You’ve stayed away far too long.”