Devlin laughed out loud, throwing back his head.
Madison's eyes widened at the sight of his fangs. She couldn't move. Fear had her trapped, frozen underneath him.
His eyes met hers again. Maddie saw a flash of red, swirling in the deep sea green. "It doesn't matter what your mind is telling you, Madison," he said, his voice a deep lulling melody. "Your body will submit to me." To prove his point, Devlin slid his hand from her neck and ran it underneath her sweatshirt, cupping one of her breasts through her bra. Maddie gasped and bit her lip as her back involuntarily arched toward his touch. "See? Your body craves the touch of the monster."
Maddie closed her eyes, ashamed at her body's reaction to his caresses . Then Devlin's hands were on her, lifting her sweatshirt over her head.. "So nice," he said huskily. Maddie whimpered. She felt a tugging at the center of her bra and watched almost dreamily as Devlin with his razor-sharp fingernail, slit it open with one swipe. Her breasts sprang free as the bra separated. Devlin grinned, licking his lips.
A surge of adrenaline swept through Maddie. Raven, where are you she thought, her mind crying out. She needed him now more than ever. Devlin was using his power to take over her body and she couldn't fight him.
Her breasts exposed, her nipples were tight, awaiting his touch, Devlin lowered his mouth to her.
His tongue was cold to the touch, the shock of it making Maddie gasp, as he swirled it around her left nipple. Her breast was taught, straining toward that dangerous mouth, her body quivering in anticipation as her mind wailed against what her body's heat.
Devlin's tongue was rough, like a cat's. He drew it slowly over her tender nipple, licking, tasting. Maddie thought she would go crazy if he kept it up for much longer. No matter what her mind told her, her body wanted to come. Heat coiled inside her, waiting to burst free, denying what her heart and her mind told her. That Devlin was a monster. That Raven was the one she loved.
Devlin took her hardened nipple into the icy mouth and wrapped his tongue around it.
Tears fell from Maddie's eyes as her body strained up, pushing against that evil mouth, wanting Devlin to take more of her inside.
Devlin moaned, his tongue working. His eyes met hers, trapping her gaze. With one hand, he squeezed her breast, taking more of it into his mouth. The other hand, he slid behind her head, raising it, forcing her to watch. With one hard pull at her nipple, he released it. It popped out of his mouth, the sound loud in the bedroom.
"You like this. You want more of my rough tongue," he murmured.
Maddie licked her lips. She wanted to scream 'No' but she couldn't. The most that she could do was whimper.
Devlin flicked his tongue over her breast again.
She jerked, gasping.
Devlin squeezed, forcing her breast to come to its fullest. "This," he said, eyeing her nipple, "is where I shall taste."
Maddie's mind whirled. What was he talking about? Oh God, please let Raven come, she thought. Couldn't Devlin see if she was a real vampire hunter, she wouldn't be lying here like this, letting him run his tongue all over her body? Maddie was horrified at the sensations coursing through her. Devlin was sending her closer to orgasm with every lick of his icy tongue. She didn't want to come, not this way. She only wanted Raven. Even though her mind was straining against it, her body would not listen. Devlin had full control, the full control of a vampire.
Suddenly, Devlin's eyes glowed full red. He gripped the back of her head, his eyes meeting hers. Maddie trembled, every muscle in her body straining but still she could not move.
Devlin slowly licked his tongue over his lips. He moved down her body, his eyes locked on hers, then ever so tenderly, he sank his fangs into her breast directly over her nipple.
Maddie's body convulsed with the wave of an instant orgasm as he pulled back, watching her face. His hand on her breast squeezed, milking the blood from the wound. Maddie panted, watching as the blood, her blood, trickled down her breast. "Feels wonderful, doesn't it, Madison," Devlin said. She met his eyes. They were burning with a cold flame. "Have you ever had an unending orgasm?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Then he laughed, giving her breast another squeeze. The blood continued to ooze from the puncture wounds. Maddie watched, mesmerized. "Enjoy," Devlin said.
Like an animal, Devlin closed his mouth around her nipple and the wound and began to feed, suckling her as she breastfed him her blood.
Instantly, her body convulsed, bucking on the bed, wave after wave of pleasure assaulting her as Devlin drank his fill. After a while, Maddie didn't know what world she was in anymore. She moaned, her body giving in, straining toward his hungry mouth. With every pull of his lips, she felt hot flame lash through her, wetting her completely, sending her to the edge over and over again.
Then she felt a change. Devlin released his hold on her head, his hand joining the other at her breast as he milked her, groaning with his satisfaction.
Madison was lost in a haze of sexual abandon. She looked down at Devlin, suckling at her breast.
But it wasn't Devlin.
It was Raven.
Madison blinked. A new hunger raged through her. It hadn't been Devlin after all. It had been Raven. That's what her eyes were telling her now. Madison let out a strangled laugh.
Devlin, who now looked like Raven, glanced up at her.
* * * *
Devlin grinned around Madison's breast. It had worked. He had planted the vision of Raven in her mind and now she thought it was her lover who was suckling her. Now Devlin not only had her body, but also her mind.
He raised his head from her hot breast, the warmth of her blood filling him. With a flick of his tongue, he closed the wound, releasing her breast. Though he had drank from her, he had kept the flow at a minimum. He didn't want to take too much. And, he wasn't finished with her yet.
Madison's face was flushed from her orgasms.
Devlin smiled as she reached her hands toward his face, capturing his head in her hands. "Do you feel good, Madison?" he asked, using Raven's voice.
"More," she said, pulling him toward her other breast.
Devlin smiled. He licked the bud of her other nipple. She shuddered and pulled his mouth to her. Devlin obliged. He sank his fangs into the hot mound of flesh, listening to her scream out her passion as he drank, sucking slowly, leisurely, letting her feed him.
* * * *
Madison awoke with a jerk. As tried to sit up in bed, pain slashed across her chest. Placing a hand on her breast, she lay back down. Her head was woozy. "Mmm," she moaned, wondering how she had gotten into the bedroom to begin with.
A flash of memory stirred. Raven. Here. A twinge of memory, down low in her belly. Maddie started to smile, remembering why her breasts were sore.
Then horror struck her. It wasn't Raven. Maddie gasped and sat up in the bed, ignoring the pain. It hadn't been Raven. It had been Devlin.
She touched herself. Her sweatshirt was gone, thrown on the floor. Her bra, torn in two, dangling. Her jeans, wet with her own cum.
Her breasts, swollen, sore, thumping with pain.
She slapped her hands over her mouth, remembering how she had come, over and over again with Devlin's mouth on her. How she had believed him to be Raven. Bile rose in her throat. What had she done?
A laugh came from the corner of her room.
Madison screamed, her body tensing. Her hands flew to cover her aching breasts that were still exposed.
Devlin stepped forward from out of the darkness. His face was flushed, his eyes sparkling green in the dim light. "What a lovely dinner, Madison. You are a very sweet treat. I thank you." A smile spread across his full lips. "Tell me, now that I have marked you, do you think Raven will be upset? Hmm?"
Chapter Eight
Raven drove slowly through the streets of River Bend, searching. He had placed the suitcase with all of his tools in the car and now, in the dark of night, was scenting a vampire's lair.
Devlin and the clutch had to be somewhere in this town. Some
unoccupied house. Somewhere close.
Raven turned a corner and started down a street bordering the edge of town. If he could reach out and find Eric, he could find the clutch. It didn't do any good to search for a vampire's mind. That was like touching something black and slimy, a complete void. They were hard to sniff out and touching their mind could make you lose your own sanity. If he could find Eric, if Eric wasn't blocking his own mind so the Clutch couldn't tell he was actually human, Raven would have a chance to eradicate them.
Another thought crossed his mind as he deftly drove the low-slung car through the night. If Claire had fed from Eric, he wondered if she tasted the difference. Legend told if a vampire fed from another vampire, the human taste of the blood would still linger, but it would have a taint to it from the vampire's veins. If Claire could tell the difference, Eric was in more danger than he thought. Raven hoped Claire was young enough so she hadn't fully acquired the sensitive taste buds of a full vampire. As far as Raven knew, Claire had been turned only a year ago. She was still an infant in the vampire scheme of things, just cutting her fangs.
Raven lit a cigarette and shifted impatiently in his seat. Time was wasting and he hadn't felt Eric at all. Not even an inkling. The chill of the October night had most townsfolk inside. As Raven drove along, he caught snatches of their thoughts. It only served to make him feel more alone.
He turned another corner and started on the last street before the city limits. His headlights cut through the darkness as the car crept along. If he could at least pinpoint where they were, he could format a plan.
Tomorrow night, he could attack.
He focused his thoughts, seeing Eric's face in his mind.
Eric looked very much like Raven, although slightly smaller, his build more compact. Their hair was the same dark, blue-black except Eric's had a natural wave to it and he kept it shorter, shoulder length. Their eyes were identical, speaking of their father's dark brooding looks. Raven missed Eric. They were usually inseparable in their hunts and this was the first time they had actually had to separate before the Clutch was destroyed. Raven didn't like it. Didn't like it one bit. It left them exposed, with no one to watch their back.
That, Raven reasoned, was how Eric had managed to succumb to Claire's seductive wiles. It was hard to stave off a vampire, especially if you were a 'normal' human. But the Unkindness had had lots of practice staving off vampires. They had guarded themselves all of their lives and now there were five left. Raven was not going to let Eric fall prey to a fledgling vampire.
Suddenly, Raven hit the brakes. The car stopped. Raven closed his eyes and lowered his head, concentrating.
A wisp of a memory floated in his mind. A memory that pictured himself. The thought emanated from the house right next to him. Raven smiled, opening his eyes, fully studying the dark, two-story house.
Eric was there. In that house.
Raven drove slowly forward, not wanting to raise any suspicions. But Eric was there, no question about it. Only Eric would remember when he, Raven and Dirk, had tried to build a tree house when they were kids. They had only succeeded in almost killing each other when they fought over who would hammer all of the nails. That was the snippet of thought that Raven had picked up as he had drove along.
Raven turned at the next corner and parked. He got out of the car, stretching his body tension making him tight. He locked the car, headlights flashing twice as he triggered the mechanism with his remote and began to make his way back toward the house.
Raven flexed his hands, his father's armored ring clicking in the silence of the night. Cutting through the lawns of the darkened houses, Raven moved carefully. He didn't want to set off any dogs. It wouldn't be good to let the vampires know that he was coming.
The grass was damp, the air chilled. Raven breathed in the wet smell as he rounded the corner of a house across the street from his target. He merged with the shadows, watching the house. A For Sale sign was on the front lawn. It was a two-story structure, nothing special. No lights were on.
But he knew Eric was there. And so was Claire.
He needed to get closer. He had to know if the others were there with them and to get the layout of the house.
Raven crept out of the shadow and dashed across the street, thankful that this close to the edge of town, there were no streetlights to give him away.
Raven paused at the corner of the house and placed his hands against the siding, feeling the chill of the night settling on the aluminum. He closed his eyes, using his mind.
Eric was there. Low in the house. Basement. Thoughts jumbled. Raven frowned. Eric was fighting Claire's pull. She was with Eric in the basement. Raven could sense her lack of essence, like a darkened void.
Raven closed his eyes, concentrating. There were others. Two. That meant one was missing. Probably Devlin. He was probably already out feeding. Raven would have to find him later. The others were most likely waiting until deep night to catch their prey without fear of being discovered. Right now, Raven wanted to get all the information that he could about the house where Eric was being held.
Raven opened his eyes and hesitated, letting them adjust to the dark. When he could see, he moved around the house, searching for a vantage point. The basement had small windows set into the foundation, but all of them were blacked out. Of course, the vampires wouldn't allow any light in. This was their lair, where they slept. Still, Raven canvassed the house, looking for exits. There were two entrance doors, one in front, one in back and none leading down to the basement. Good, he thought, that would make it easier. If he could trap them in the basement, so much the better. He could burn the house down around them.
The trick would be to get Eric out first.
Then make sure all of the vampires were destroyed by the fire.
As Raven returned to his car, he wondered just how quickly the local fire department would respond to a call. He didn't want them to arrive too soon and put the fire out. That would not do.
He also didn't want to get caught. If he were caught, he could be sent to prison for arson, possibly murder--the authorities would find vampire bones in the ashes. How they would explain the fangs embedded in the jaw bones of the skulls was their little puzzle to solve. But it would still be considered murder.
And now that Raven had found Madison, the person who gave his life more meaning than just ridding the world of vampires, he didn't want to jeopardize it by ending up behind bars.
Raven reached his car without incident and climbed in, silently closing the door behind him. With a sigh, he lit a cigarette. He was tired. Tired in body and in spirit. Maybe it was time he got out of the hunt. He took a long drag off of the cigarette, savoring the flavor of the smoke.
Maybe it was time he took Dirk's place and retired to the control center.
Madison was making him feel this way; making him want some semblance of a life out of the imminent danger of hunting...
With a new determination, Raven started the car. That is exactly what he would do. He would take care of this clutch of vampires, then retire to the home office.
Raven put the car in gear and pulled away from the shadows.
* * * *
Maddie pulled the bedcovers up to her neck and hugged herself. Although still dressed in her sweatshirt and jeans, Maddie was shivering. It wasn't cold inside the house. It was cold inside her heart.
Devlin Morse had invaded her. He had taken her blood, marking her. Maddie felt as though she had been raped.
With a shudder, she remembered how Devlin had made her come again and again. Guilt crashed in on her for letting herself feel such pleasure as he had suckled her breast.
Her breasts throbbed now, no longer pleasurably, the wounds closed but painful. Maddie wondered if she was going to grow fangs now. Would she begin to crave blood? Was her life as she knew it over?
She curled up into a tight ball, the covers pulled tightly around her. Well, her life was definitely no longer normal, that was for sure. Maddie let
out a barking laugh. "Guess I'd better be careful what I wish for."
She closed her eyes and tried to stop the shaking.
Devlin had left not too long ago. Now she was alone, all except for Tinker. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen the cat at all since she had opened the front door to find Devlin standing there.
Why Devlin wanted to 'mark' her, she didn't know. Was it to taunt Raven? Devlin could have killed her if he had wanted. Why didn't he? And if Devlin actually thought she was a vampire hunter, why did he take the chance of coming to her house? All of these questions and more circled through her tired mind.
Suddenly she jumped, her eyes snapping open.
The front door had opened.
Maddie tensed, biting her lip to keep from whimpering. She prayed it wasn't Devlin coming back for a second course.
Silence.
Maddie held her breath, listening.
The house was dark, but a streetlamp shone through the bedroom window, illuminating her bed. Maddie tried to make herself smaller, curling tighter, pulling the covers completely over her head. She felt like a six-year-old, hiding from the monster in the closet. Only this monster wasn't make-believe. And he wasn't in the closet.
She heard someone move, close by.
She bit her lip even harder, trying not to scream.
When the covers were torn from her, she couldn't hold it in.
A scream ripped from her throat, her hands coming up like claws, scratching.
Her wrists were caught in a vise-like grip and her voice gave out. All she could do was croak.
"Madison!" Hands pulled her up from the bed and she found herself pinned against a hard muscled chest. a. "Madison, it's me. Raven."
His words sank in and relief flooded through her. As she collapsed against his chest, Raven released her wrists and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close.
Maddie felt tears, hot and shameful, course down her face. She was crying because Raven had finally come. She was also crying because of her guilt over how she had allowed Devlin to have his twisted way with her. "I ... I'm sorry," she croaked, her voice still strained from screaming.
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