by Sam Destiny
Set In Flames
A Morningstar Novel
By Sam Destiny
Set In Flames
By Sam Destiny
Amazon Edition
Copyright © 2014 Sam Destiny
Cover Copyright © Airicka’s Mystical Creations
Formatting © Airicka’s Mystical Creations
www.AirickaPhoenix.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be copied or reproduced without written consent of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, places or people, living or dead, is coincidental.
Dedication
Someone needed to meet my boys.
That someone is you.
Prologue
Some fourteen months earlier…
Maya James looked around the MSP. It was a club and its full name was Morning Star Playground. Morningstar wasn’t really something she had a full definition of, so she simply called the guys and girls there suckers. Little did she know that in the future she would realize that the club’s name was taunting the real MSP – Morning Star Police – nor did she know that there was a difference between them in the sense of some being good and some bad.
That evening she didn’t come close to imagining that one, or better a group of those guys, could and would change her entire world.
That evening Maya stood behind the bar, watching all the promiscuous people and the naughty things they were doing.
She had to admit that she didn’t feel safe at all, but a bar/sex-club would be the last place her mother would look for her.
Maya would feel a lot better if all the sexual acts would happen behind closed doors, but instead all sofas were covered in either half or fully delirious people and vampires sucking on about every part of the human body. She despised those humans that gave themselves away so easily.
There was no discrimination here: You found black and white mixed, gay and straight, groups and couples. Whatever you needed, you got it here.
That included any kind of sex, drug or person imaginable.
Maya was cleaning glasses when one scene caught her eye. There was a guy, his jeans half way down his legs while a woman kneeled in front of him. He was leaning back against the wall and had a hard-on from here to Texas. The woman wrapped her hand around the erection, slowly moving it up and down while looking at him. He bit his lip; a lip Maya had to admit she would have loved to bite as well.
Working in that club didn’t really do her any good. It had been too long since she had given in to a guy; too long since she had felt safe enough to spend a night somewhere that wasn’t her very own apartment. And she’d never ever take anyone there.
The stranger nodded at the woman and she moved in, but instead of starting to suck she bit him. He instantly groaned out, burying his right hand in her hair, holding her in place while wrapping his left hand around hers still working his length.
It didn’t take long and he came, spilling himself right down her shoulder and into her hair before pulling her up and pressing her against the wall.
He was quick and strong, no doubt about it; and when he struck her shoulder while taking her against the wall, Maya knew he was one of them, too.
She shook her head, being disgusted about the fact that he was like her mother; yet she couldn’t help the thrill that went through her body at the thought of someone being just that bit rougher in the bedroom with her.
She wasn’t into pain, and she sure as hell didn’t want to be fucked against a club wall, but she couldn’t help but wish that her life would be less exciting outside and more action-packed inside her own four walls.
She sighed and then followed the plea of a colleague to go and grab some straws from the storage room. When she turned around the corner she couldn’t have known that this would be the night she’d finally leave that bar, running from everyone who appeared remotely crazy.
She didn’t see the shadow coming at her until she had a hand pressed over her mouth, proving that her attacker was so much stronger than her.
“Don’t worry, all your clothes will stay intact,” she heard. It was one of her regulars, a guy who always sat in the corner, watching either girl-on-girl or group-action. She never had doubted that women attracted him, but she hadn’t been able to picture any of them letting him close.
“I’m just gonna take your blood…” Her eyes got wide in panic, but she simply couldn’t move as he struck her carotid artery.
Just a second later he jumped back, smelling of burned meat, cursing like a sailor.
“You damn Origin bitch!”
She turned, looking at him, but she couldn’t see much except for angry bubbles surrounding his lips. Her blood had burned him like acid.
Origin? What was that?
She didn’t see the beating coming until she found herself down on the floor, sporting a few broken rips and a hole in her head. She needed to get going. The blood would draw more of those suckers and she couldn’t afford to lose anything more tonight. Her dignity and her safety were already gone after all.
Chapter One
Jaden strode down the roads of Helpston, wishing he was anywhere but there, bored. He knew he shouldn’t have discussed with Colbin last night, but something about him and Lara irked Jaden to no end. He felt as if the love those two shared was the most annoying thing ever.
Jaden had asked them to stop kissing and acting like love-drunken teens when they had been a couple for over three hundred years already. Their love didn’t seem to get any less, causing the couple to halfway make out whenever they met. Or maybe that was just how it felt to Jaden since no one else at the Morningstar base seemed to mind.
Now he was patrolling Upper Helpston, the finest part of town – the reason why he had no action at all. Hellraise never bothered with these streets because no one would be walking around there at this time of night. The rich kids were either out to party until the morning light announced a new day, or they were having the parties at home; meaning most of them would end up sleeping on whatever surface they found. Their parents and all older couples would be sitting in front of a homey fireplace, enjoying old cognac and a black-and-white movie.
Helpston was located in New England, making for cold winters and pretty summers. Not that Jaden cared much for the sun, but the area was beautiful nonetheless. They had tourists in the summer, but not as many as the seaside hotspots did. This pretty place was a small town or a big village, depending on whom you asked. Fifteen thousand inhabitants gave enough room to have the middle class people caring for their tiny yards and the rich living out on their big estates. Sure, Helpston had its dark corners and even darker secrets, but Upper Helpston was close to dead.
All in all nothing to prey on for the monsters Jaden was hunting. And Colbin had known it would be a punishment for him because he was aching for something to do.
Additionally he felt out of place. If anyone would see him, they’d most likely call the police because they considered him a burglar. With his torn jeans and his black leather jacket he looked nothing like the spoiled people living there.
“Just a tiny bloodsucker, please,” he whispered, feeling for the daggers that were hidden beneath his beloved gear.
He stopped his babbling as steps came towards him. By the quiet slap of feet against the pavement Jaden could tell it was a woman and she was running. To his surprise she still barely made any sound at all. If not for the blood rushing in her veins like crazy, he would have said she was like him: a vampire.
Just a few seconds later, she almost ran into him, coming out of an alley to his right.
Her hands fell against his chest without any pressure at all, making it clear that her reflexes were almost too good to be human.
He held his breath as he realized that her skin glowed violet wherever it touched his bare chest. She jumped back in surprise.
“Freak! Who in the world runs around without a shirt?” she asked, looking over her shoulder as if she was waiting for whomever she was running from. Jaden listened for a second, but besides her rapid breathing and the killer beating of her heart, there was nothing.
Even in her panic she sounded like someone’s favorite song and smelled like the freshest raspberry-vanilla-cupcake anyone could imagine. It made him wonder why he even noticed.
Jaden had a long history with women, but in recent years they just didn’t do squat for him anymore. He used them to get his fair share of blood, but that was all he really enjoyed about them any longer.
Little Cupcake though raised his interest.
“Blood is complicated to get out of shirts, so I try to avoid wearing them. Who are you?” His tone was rough and her eyes flew back to him. Better she knew he probably wasn’t much nicer than the people following her. She turned and he reached out, wanting to stop her when he noticed how she inched closer to him while trying to get an eye on her pursuers. He had no idea who they were, but seemingly they were a hell lot more scary than a guy announcing he never got blood out of his clothes.
Whatever he thought her reaction to his declaration would be, that wasn’t it. Her anxiousness was making him itchy.
“True, but if you put it in cold water right away, most of it will wash out,” she stated matter-of-factly, turning back to him. “So, it’s your lucky night and I’m your quick fuck. Let’s move to your apartment and get at it,” she announced, suddenly grabbing his leather-clad arm with more strength than he had expected in her. Had she really just said what he had heard?
“And what makes you think I’d take you with me?” he wanted to know, wondering what in the world she was running from that she’d just throw herself at a stranger like that. And why did it feel as if her tiny hand on his arm was burning a hole through the material, heating his whole body?
“Your feet are moving,” she remarked and indeed, when he looked down, he realized he had fallen in step next to her.
“So, we go back to my place, do it and then what? You can’t hide there forever,” he challenged and she stopped in the halo of a street lamp, dropping her hand from his arm. She closed her eyes, taking a deep, shaky breath. It was clear that the tough exterior was just an act.
He took the moment to do a quick once-over: She was too short, a little too normal and a little too boring for his taste. He liked his women tall and boney. At least that was what he tried to tell himself even while fighting the urge to cup her cheek so she’d look at him again. If he’d pull her against him now, she could be neatly tucked under his chin.
However, one thing was clear: She was too much trouble.
Why did her hands glow upon skin-contact? They hadn’t done that when she had grabbed his jacket. Checking out her face he was glad that his vision worked as well at night as it would during daylight hours. She was pale and looked ready to drop. The traces of exhaustion were there, right in the shadows showing under her eyes and in the slight trembling of her lower lip. She had pretty lips, Jaden realized. They were full and pink despite her general paleness.
Her eyes, when she opened them, were almost black. But then again, at two in the morning all eyes seemed black.
“I keep going,” she whispered eventually, straightening her shoulders. She obviously didn’t want him to see her as weak. Cupcake moved in, pressing her hands against his chest, ignoring the purple glow this time while going onto her tiptoes as if she was ready to kiss him. Against his better judgment Jaden hoped she’d just follow through.
“Get me off the streets for tonight and the moment the sun rises I’ll be out of your hair. Forever,” she promised.
So she really was human.
“You can see that, right?” he asked, pointing at the faint glow between them. She pushed away from him then, exhaling in exasperation.
“Fine, don’t help me,” she mumbled, pushing out what little cleavage she had. “And here I thought that with free sex you could get every man to do what you want,” she snorted, starting to walk around him. He couldn’t help but grin as he imagined how she’d squirm when he’d attempt to take her to bed. Somehow the thought of having her there actually made him feel hot and it surprised him. He hadn’t been tempted in years.
“That might be true, but maybe you just aren’t pretty enough,” he gave back, making her steps falter.
“I wish others would think that, too,” she said, more talking to herself than to him. He knew she was trying to manipulate him and, funnily enough, the side of him that wanted to help her out was slowly taking over. He was a protector after all, and even without that pathetic line he would have taken her back to his place. The weird shiny hands alone were enough to make him curious for her story.
Plus, he wanted to see how far she’d go for a safe place to stay; even if he’d never force her to go through with her promise.
“My car is three corners away, babe,” he drawled, starting to lead the way.
“Call me ‘babe’ again and you won’t have to worry about getting laid for weeks,” she threatened, her matter-of-fact tone causing body parts to come alive that usually needed hands on to do his bidding at all. A fact his twin Kaden never let him forget. For decades they had been out, winning women for the night together, but now no matter how little they were dressed, they just couldn’t get Jaden aroused.
It made him wonder even more how that little girl there could stir something within him at all.
“You’re not even my type,” he mumbled, so low that no human possibly could hear it. Naturally she picked up on it.
“Good, I guess we can avoid the awkward sex then,” she said coolly and he coughed in disbelief, his hand freezing on the door handle of his car.
“Maybe I’m amazing in bed?” he asked, not being able to hide his hurt ego. She gave his body a slow glance, starting at the bottom of his feet and ending at the top of his head. He actually swallowed because that appraising look was hot as hell.
Her lips turned into a teasing little smile. “Maybe,” she conceded and he actually liked that curl of her lips a lot, telling himself to get a grip right the next second.
She got into the car, not even taking a minute to be impressed by his ’74 Impala. The car was his everything and the only lady that truly stayed in his life. He’d even call it his only love.
Jaden’s house wasn’t that far away, making him wonder how many streets he needed to take until she wouldn’t find her way back there. No matter what her story was, he certainly didn’t want her on his doorstep, asking for more charity than he was ready to give.
Not even two minutes into the drive he noticed her even breathing. Her exhaustion seemingly had caught up with her and for whatever reason, he was glad she trusted him enough to fall asleep next to him. He wanted her to trust him. Frankly, that was a thought he was not ready to investigate further. Women had no space in his life. He was a Morningstar warrior after all and she was raspberry-vanilla-prey.
Ruling out a detour, he quickly reached the forest surrounding his home, parking his car just outside of Helpston on a little back road, deciding to run the rest of the way. And it wasn’t because he wanted to hold her tiny body close, not at all. It was just safer if she didn’t… Ah hell, he had no one to lie to but himself and he decided it wasn’t worth the effort. He wanted to carry her so he could see what else he was feeling when she was close.
She barely stirred when he picked her up, proving how badly she needed sleep. She weighed next to nothing. It bothered him because it meant that while being on the run she forgot to build up her strength. It just made her an easier target for whoever was following her.
Reaching his home, he willed the door open with his mi
nd - one of the few tricks every vampire possessed - heading straight for his bedroom. He laid her down on the black satin sheets, realizing that she looked completely out of place. It probably was better that way since she didn’t belong there.
The shower in Kaden’s room turned off and Jaden slipped out into the hallway, finding his brother near his own bed; wearing nothing but a towel.
He knew everything about his twin’s body; from the toned muscles down to the strong arms and feet, always ready to jump and run when necessary, but even more capable of delivering deadly blows and painful injuries. The warriors trained together and they almost looked alike: dark blond hair, dark brown eyes, straight features and lips that were promising sin whenever they curled into a smile. Kaden’s hair was much longer than his own. Women loved the tousled look and it had always worked for the twins. Now Jaden wore it like that because he was used to it.
The transformation had been good to them, as it was with every other vampire, no matter what kind. In his case, the Morningstar version of vampires; they were what one might consider to be the good guys. They needed blood to survive, but in contrary to common belief it didn’t have to be human. Jaden has had more than his fair share of animal blood, too. Humans just provided for much better nutrition and a lot better taste.
They didn’t hunt every night. They needed blood only a few times in as many months, and the older the Morningstar vampire, the less blood he needed. Mated vampires didn’t go out at all, having their mate to feed them while guys like the twins usually took from willing donors.
The only time they needed more blood was when they were injured. Grave injuries didn’t come as often anymore as they used to. In the last months things had quieted down and Jaden couldn’t remember when he last did have blood.
The Morningstars weren’t what created the vampire myth among the humans. It was the second group of vampires existing on earth: the Hellraise.