Whisper to Me (Borne Vampires Book 1)

by Petzler, W. M.

  To Relle, he ordered, “Use my medallion to seal the protection spell. Put the spell on her. Then take her to them. They have agreed to raise her.”

  “Yes, Master.” Relle carried her away.

  Crying, Mariah held her hand out to him, but he stayed, watching them leave. Tears streamed down his face.

  She forced the dirt off her and leapt out of the grave. Shaken by what she’d seen, she felt Rathe beside her. He waved a hand and the dirt on their clothes vanished.

  “Mariah?” His concern and worry gave her the strength to force a smile.

  “I’m fine. Just disoriented is all.”

  The others began to rise out of their graves.

  “Rathe, I’m gonna head inside.”

  He grabbed her hand. “You need to feed.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”

  “I’ve got to head into town. Will you be alright here?”

  “Yes.”

  Anya offered, “If you want me to stay, I will.”

  “No. We’ll be fine. Really. Go on and feed.”

  “I’ll feed you when I return.” Rathe asked Simon and Mina, “You want to come with us?”

  Mina shook her head, standing next to her. Kai and Lydia exited the cabin.

  “Lydia, want to go into town with us?” Simon asked her.

  “Yeah, we need to get our clothes out of the car. The vampires parked it a block from the club when they kidnapped us.”

  Rathe looked relieved. “We can return it and the SUV back to the rental agencies.” He warned Mina and Kai, “If you decide to explore, be careful. There are wolves out here, and they’re not like Salish. They’re very dangerous and will attack you.”

  “Watch your backs,” Mina said quietly. “We didn’t kill all the vampires last night.”

  Rathe and his brothers sobered at her warning. Mariah asked him, “Can you bring my clothes back from the house. I’m getting tired of wearing leather pants and silk shirts.”

  Warm black eyes met hers before he whispered in her ear, “I’ll never grow tired of seeing your cute ass wrapped in leather.”

  Blushing, she pushed at his chest. “Thanks but I’d like to wear something warmer please.”

  “Will do.” He winked at her.

  She and the girls watched them fly away. Sighing, she said to them, “Well, let’s head inside.”

  Rebuilding the fire, she went into the kitchen and made Kai a couple of sandwiches. The girls decided they wanted to go outside. Searching for coats they could wear, she found several hanging in the foyer closet. Bundled against the cold, they went out the door.

  “Remember to watch out for wolves,” she warned them before she went into the kitchen.

  ✝✝✝

  On the outside, Kai acted as if she were calm. Inside, she was a mess. Seeing Tereza rise as one of the Damned was awful, but to watch Mina kill her own mother had went beyond the gore and bloodshed earlier. Lost and scared, confused and angry that Rathe hadn’t done what Tereza had asked; she couldn’t process it when Mina’s anger assaulted her mind.

  Mina wasn’t just mad — she was terrified she would become one of the Damned, too. If Mina was a human, she might have known what to say to calm her down, but a vampire’s emotions were a hundred times amplified, and she was drowning in Mina’s helpless rage.

  Mina stopped, glaring at the moon above. “I killed two people. Why do I still have my soul? My father’s teachings … I don’t understand!”

  “Mina, you did not kill because you like it. You did it to save us. Candy would have gone after my mother, if you hadn’t stopped her. Tereza … she knew she was turning. You stopped the demon rising and saved her soul. You did what a Slayer would have done. Heck, if we want to, we can become Slayers, too. We will hunt evil and destroy it, like your brothers do. Like Anya. Like your mother had.”

  “You are not a vampire. You will grow old, and I will watch you die, as I have watched so many others in my short lifespan.” Her shoulders slumped as she fell silent.

  Trying to find the right words, Kai heard a branch snap. Searching with her mind, she found no humans — no vampires. Peering into the gloom shrouding the dark forest, she saw yellow eyes watching them. Glancing back at the cabin, she couldn’t see it.

  “Mina, we’re not alone!” Howls pierced the quiet, deafening, as the wolves spoke to each other.

  “Run!” Mina shoved her in the direction they’d walked from.

  Bursting out of the bushes, a huge gray wolf jumped on Kai. Screaming, she fought to curl into fetal position, but the wolf had his weight on her chest. Using her arms, she tried to protect her face and throat as the wolf’s powerful jaws ripped into her, tearing into the heavy winter coat she wore.

  The wolf yelped.

  Unable to hold her arms up any longer, she dropped them, resigned to die. In her line of vision, the greenest pair of eyes she’d ever seen met hers. Handsome didn’t remotely hit how gorgeous the man was. He snarled at the wolf, his fangs long. The wolf tucked tail and ran into the woods. Looking back at the vampire, Kai found him gone. Searching for him, she saw Mina lying on her back, ten feet away from her.

  Mina scrambled to her side. Faint, Kai realized the warm liquid she felt soaking into her clothes was her own blood. She was dying. Saw it in Mina’s bleak expression.

  “Kai, stay with me!”

  “Sorry. I-I am so stupid.” Crying, she whispered, “My mom. Take care of her. Tell her I love her.”

  “No, we’ll take care of her!” Mina's fangs lengthened and she ripped her wrist. Before Kai knew what she was doing, she pressed her bleeding wound to her mouth. Swallowing the hot liquid, she found she wanted to drink it.

  Faintly she heard Mina. “Stay with me, Kai. Please! Without you, I will be Damned.”

  ✝✝✝

  “Mom!”

  Her daughter's scream exploded inside her mind, Kai’s fear… her pain as she tried to fend off the wolf’s teeth. Jerking open the kitchen door, it flew off its hinges, bits of wood flying everywhere. Running down the path, tracking the girls’ footprints, she saw Kai lying on the ground, Mina holding her hand. Snow around them was stained red with blood.

  “Mama's here, baby! Just hold on.” Dropping to her knees, she forced the fear back and accessed the damage done to Kai. Shaking, she wiped the blood from her daughter's ashen features with the hem of her shirt. Kai's eyes were closed, her breathing shallow. The lacerations on her arms were deep, some clear to the bone.

  She needed a doctor!

  Carefully, she lifted her daughter into his arms. “Mina, what happened?” The girl didn’t respond. She said louder, sharper, “Mina?”

  She blinked. “Wolf. Wolf attacked us.”

  “Rathe, Kai's been attacked by a wolf!”

  “Can you get her back to the house?”

  “I-I can.”

  “I’m on my way. Make her as comfortable as you can.”

  “Hurry!” Mariah urged Mina to help her lift Kai to her feet. “Let’s get Kai back to the house.” Picking up her daughter, they sped back to the cabin.

  In Kai’s room, Mina hurried to pull back the comforter so she could set her on the bed. Gently, they were able to take the torn jacket off Kai. Mina gasped and ran out of the room, returning moments later with towels and a bowl of warm water. Mariah dipped the cloth in the water and began washing the blood away, receiving a major shock. Awful gouges just moments earlier, were scratches now.

  She heard Rathe barreling up the stairs. His eyes went wide as he, too, saw the extraordinary happenings. They turned to Mina, whose pale features went white.

  “Mina, what happened?”

  Mina's voice trembled, “I-I couldn’t let her die, Rathe.”

  Mariah and Rathe shared a long, steady look, turning back to Kai, who was now completely healed. He grinned. “I think we just got one problem solved tonight.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked him, confused.

  “We don’t have to worry about Kai
left unprotected while we sleep during the day. She’s one of us now.”

  Not comprehending what he’d meant, she looked at Mina, then her daughter. It sunk in. “Vampire. Kai’s a vampire now.”

  “Mom?” Kai looked around, confused. “Where did he go?”

  “I'm here, baby. How are you feeling?”

  “I wanted to thank him for pulling the wolf off me.”

  “Who are you talking about?”

  “The man in the woods.”

  “Mina?” Rathe asked.

  She shook her head. “I was knocked out of the way when the wolf attacked Kai. I didn’t see anyone.”

  Kai’s brow wrinkled as she frowned. “I know I saw him. Oh, well.” She grinned at Mina. “I guess its fate. How else were we going to be a real family?”

  “Honey, I love you so much. I’m just so happy you are alright.”

  Was he still watching over them? Had Alexander saved her daughter?

  Mina sat on the other side of the bed, beside Kai. “Rathe, does Kai need another blood transfusion to complete the Change?”

  “No, not tonight.” He spoke to Kai, “I believe it best if I put you in a deep sleep, to help you accept Mina's blood. Will you allow it?”

  “Mom?” Kai wasn’t the only one apprehensive.

  Forcing herself to smile, she soothed her daughter’s fear. “It won’t hurt. Sleep helped me when I went through the Change.”

  “Okay, if you think it’d be good for me.”

  “May I stay with Kai while she sleeps?” Mina asked them.

  “I think that would be a fine idea,” Mariah replied. “Let’s get you both changed first.”

  Rathe stepped out while the girls changed out of their bloodied clothes and into clean ones they’d found in the dresser. Mariah was tucking the girls in when Rathe returned. He whispered to Kai, compelling her to sleep.

  When Kai was out, Mariah told Mina, “We will be downstairs, if you need us.” Mina nodded and lay back against the pillow, holding Kai’s hand as she slept.

  Rathe lead her out her daughter's room, and they went down to the spacious living room. Collapsing on the couch, she watched him as he tossed several logs onto the fire, building it to make the cabin warmer.

  “Well, the fun never ends, does it?” she ruefully commented, winning a tired laugh from him.

  The front door flung open. An anxious Anya and Faeroes rushed inside. Faeroes asked, “Are the girls hurt?”

  “Kai was attacked by a wolf and well, Mina saved her life by giving her blood. So my kid’s a vampire now.”

  Faeroes exchanged a surprised glance with Anya, who said, “Wow. I don’t know what to say.”

  “I think Kai would have eventually made the decision to convert, just wished the circumstances had been different.” Queasy, she sat forward. The sight of her daughter’s flesh ripped … the blood, made her want to throw up.

  “Mariah, why don't you go with Rathe and feed?” Faeroes advised, “It is not good for you to go so long without nourishment.” She made to protest, but he held his hand out. “Kai will be safe in our care. Rathe?”

  “Mariah, Faeroes is right. You must feed, to be strong for Kai.”

  Glancing worriedly at the stairs, remembering the pain she had endured. “Rathe, are you positive Kai will not suffer the Change?”

  “If things were to go wrong, they would have done so by now. Mina is linked with her. If there should be a problem, she will let us know.”

  “Anya, Faeroes, do you mind?” Rising from the couch, she needed more than blood — she needed to feel Rathe around her, inside her, to drive away the horror of seeing her daughter almost die tonight.

  Anya waved her off, her knowing smile made her blush. “Go on. Take some time to unwind. We’ll hold down the fort.”

  Gathering their coats, Rathe helped her put hers on. Taking her hand in his, he led her outside. When the door shut behind him, he asked, “Shall we fly or shape-shift?”

  Need pressed into a realm of hot fire, her breathing short, rapid. “I don't care. I just need you. Please, take me somewhere we can just forget about death and pain for little while.”

  Scooping her into his arms, he flew upward. In no time, they were at her guest house. Opening the door for her, he followed her in.

  “I believe a fire is needed.” He clapped his hands, and the wood in the fireplace ignited, engulfed in reddish-orange flames. Tossing on several logs, the room quickly warmed.

  Taking off her coat, she laid it on the chair. Kicking off her shoes, coal-black eyes glowed with heat and hunger as he watched her. He made to disrobe, but she stopped him.

  “I want to undress you,” she said huskily.

  Sliding her hands under his coat, feeling the hard muscles of his chest under her palms as she pushed the garment off his broad shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. She took the hem of his t-shirt and lifted it off him. Pressing her lips against the hard muscles of his stomach, she licked and kissed her way toward his heavenly mouth.

  God, he felt so hot and delicious to touch, loving the way his breath hitched in his chest as she caressed him, tasted him. Staring into his dark eyes, she watched him as he did her as she unbuttoned his jeans. Pulling them down and off, she went down on her knees. Taking him in her hand, she licked the length of him before she drew him into her mouth. He tangled his fingers in her long hair, urging her to take him deeper into her mouth. When she did, he moaned, letting his head fall back, closing his eyes as she made love to him with her mouth.

  Need raged inside her, she ached for him to touch her, to bring her to life as only he could. Wanting his so badly inside her, she broke away and stood. A low growl rumbled deep in his throat, sending shivers of delight down her spine. He made to grab her, but she backed away. He followed her, like a panther hunting its prey.

  Around the room, the candles’ wicks ignited, the warm glow from the flames cast his perfect body in gold and bronze. When her back touched the wall, his muscles bunched and rippled as he lunged, pinning her. His mouth swooped down to capture her willing lips, forcing them apart, his tongue plunging against hers, devouring her intake of breath. She felt his hands curved down her ass and he lifted her, bringing her legs around his hips. Grinding his erection into her, he made her feel what she did to him. She took off her shirt and threw it. His hot, greedy mouth curved to her neck, running his velvet-rough tongue over her skin. Pulling down her bra, he captured her nipple, suckling her hard, while kneading her breast. Crying out at the incredible feel of him, she buried her fingers in his hair holding him close. He stepped away the wall and carried her to the bed. Laying her down, he yanked off her leather pants. Exposed to his hungry gaze, she parted her thighs, inviting him in.

  Rathe sank to his knees and his hot mouth claimed her wet core. Licking her from back to front, he parted her as he slid his tongue inside her. Flicking the tip to her nub, she gasped as it sent electrical waves throughout her body. When he lengthened his tongue and touched her in ways she’d not thought possible for a man, she moaned. Needing rhythm, something more to scratch the itch she had, to bring relief to the tension building as he played her. She felt his hand cup her, using his thumb to rub her as he tortured her with his mouth and tongue. A lean finger added to her torment. She clutched his thick hair, urging him on until she shattered, held captive as he held her hips lapping her juices.

  Breathing hard, she felt him shift and rose above her, his thighs slid under hers, the hair of his legs made her shiver at the delicious feel. Positioning his throbbing, silk-encased tip to her wet, hot opening, Rathe inched inside her, grinning wickedly when she protested as he withdrew. Rocking his hips, he inched a little deeper with every stroke. When she tried to hurry him, he grinned and refused her. Fierce black, fathomless orbs glowed with raw energy as she squeezed her sheath around him, wanting to hold him inside her.

  When it failed, Mariah felt her fangs lengthened as the beast inside her roared to life. The call of his blood was as powerful as the ragin
g needs of her body. Sinking her teeth into his neck, sweet blood gushed in her mouth. Linked with Rathe, she felt him slip over the edge as he thrust inside her. When she felt his teeth pierce her shoulder as he drove deep into her, it sent her catapulting. She cried out as she climaxed. He threw back his head as he joined her.

  Breathing hard, Rathe gazed at her, tracing her jawline with his fingertip. “Hungry for something other than me?”

  “Sure, I have a craving for blood tonight,” she tried to joke, but was still haunted seeing her daughter’s blood. If Mina hadn’t acted quickly like she did, Kai would have died.

  “What do you mean?” Rathe forced her to look at him.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Why did you say what you did?”

  “Huh? What do you mean?” When he didn’t answer, she went into his mind and was shocked. He actually thought she’d been made hungry for blood when she’d seen her daughter’s injuries. “You sick bastard!” Shoving him off her, she leapt off the bed. “That is disgusting!”

  “But you said—”

  “I was freaking making light of the scare I got when I saw my child’s arms shredded, her blood gushing out of her wounds, soaking the snow around her!”

  He explained, as if he were reciting a rule … or a law, “We, the Borne, are always cautious. Our thoughts can let the demon loose inside us, if we are not vigilant.”

  Yanking on her clothes, she glared at him. “Oh, God, not again! You are obsessed with signs!”

  He was beside her in a flash, glaring at her. “You are newly turned. You have no idea what you speak of. The signs keep us safe.”

  Riling at his arrogant tone, she punched him square in the chest. “You are such a jerk!”

  Rathe stared at her in disbelief. “You hit me!”

  “You deserve to have your ass kicked, you son-of-a-bitch!”

  “Why because I worry you will become Damned?”

  “To hell with the signs! You should be teaching us how to control the demon, not obsessing what to look for! You and your Elders fears have cost too many lives in this stupid thinking! Has it ever occurred to you that maybe those turned Damned didn't have a choice when they were forced to become vampire?”