Dark Hunger (A Sable Hart Vampire Slayer Novel Book 2)

by Megan Hawke

Originally, I thought my Ninja would leave them all in the dust. No problemo. I was wrong. Those wolf boys didn't believe in six cylinder engines. They were all hopped up, and keeping up nicely. New tactics were called for.

  We were racing down a wide boulevard. Four lanes, two in each direction, with a grassy strip separating them. Small live oaks, crape myrtles, and other decorative trees were planted in the grassy medium. It was a residential area, so houses lined both sides.

  The pack was slowly gaining on me. I eased up on the gas just a tad, luring them in closer. When the closest vehicle, a blue Dodge Ram pickup, moved to within ten feet behind me, I veered left and streaked across the boulevard and down a side street. That messed them all up. I left a tangle of ripped metal and screeching tires. I think one of them actually left the road and slammed into a tree.

  "Oopsy," I said, grinning. Then I noticed two more vehicles turn down the road behind me. "Tenacious bastards. I guess they never heard the tragic fate of the LaFere Twins."

  Though technically, the twins came after me one at a time. But they also wouldn't give up the chase, and died tragic deaths at my hands. Well, tragic for them anyway.

  Turning down another residential street, I ran straight up into someone's front yard and laid the bike down. A second after I killed the engine I was flying out of my collapsing clothes. Ah, it felt great to be a bat sometimes.

  I flew straight back the way I came, and right at the first truck pursuing me. Two werewolves were inside, and they couldn't see me. They weren't even looking for a bat. Aiming for the center of the windshield, I morphed back to human a second before contact, and slammed my foot through the windshield between them. A second later I was a bat and flying over them as they went over the curb and crashed into a house.

  The jeep behind them just saw their pack mates inexplicably swerve and crash into a house. The driver hit the brakes, and I swooped down into the jeep. There was no top, and four big werewolves were inside. I morphed to human a few feet above them, and screamed bloody murder.

  "Aaaeeeiii!" I cried, and landed on the back of the only one standing. He was a passenger in back, and looking at the wreck before them. I immediately sank my fangs into his thick neck. He screamed, and I ripped his throat out with my fangs, then reached around and ripped out his windpipe. "Stupid werewolves!"

  Blood spewed everywhere. That werewolf just stood there spurting blood and not screaming. Can't scream without a windpipe. I didn't waste time gawking, like his pack mates. I yanked the werewolf sitting beside him out of his seat and threw him atop the closest house.

  The first werewolf swooned, and fell out of the jeep. I wasn't sure if he would die. Unlike vampires, werewolves did have to breathe. But they could heal from some truly horrific wounds and injuries, too.

  The front passenger turned and snarled at me. He was halfway through morphing into a wolf. Not a wolfman, so he wasn't an alpha. I kicked his head through the windshield, and that left him unconscious. The driver abandoned his jeep at that point. The jeep started moving forward, jerking because it was too slow for the gear he left it in, so I reached down and ripped off the steering wheel and threw it far away into the darkness.

  Morphing into a bat, I flew back to my Ninja and clothes. Very quickly, I stuffed my clothes into the pack, and left. Riding naked on a motorcycle is an interesting experience. I kinda liked it. The cop I passed shortly after that didn't like it. He hit his brakes as I passed going in the opposite direction, but he was already on a call, red and blue lights flashing, siren wailing, so he must've decided naked motorcycle riding wasn't so bad.

  He had a radio, so I didn't stay on that road long. Finding a nice, quiet side street I stopped and dressed in the dark. My clothes, for once, were holding up remarkable well.

  Once dressed, I paused to listen and catch my mental breath. There were more sirens off at the two crash sites. The second set didn't sound like police, so was probably fire or ambulance. Werewolves didn't usually need ambulances or hospitals any more than vampires. But the police might not realize they are dealing with werewolves. Won't they be surprised.

  Then I remembered the torn out windpipe. Maybe he needed medical help.

  I still had lots of questions. The werewolves just wanted to pull my limbs off one by one. The vampires just wanted what they wanted, and didn't particularly like too many hard questions. There was only one person I knew who would tell me the truth, as he saw it anyway.

  "Guess it's time to kiss and make up with Bone Daddy," I said, pulling the cell out. I froze. There wouldn't be any more calls with that cell. "How did that get smashed?"

  Not good. That meant a face-to-face meeting. I looked up, using my vampiric senses to determine the time. Okay, I didn't have to look up to do that. I just did. One of my charming quirks.

  "Wow, it's still early," I muttered. Maybe eleven o'clock. Sunset was seven, so I'd done all that in four hours. Seemed like a lifetime to me. Looking back in the direction of the Harvest Moon, I frowned. "I have a while before Roger can kill himself at Victory Square. Hell, he's probably flying around up there looking for me right now."

  That wasn't a fun prospect. So I climbed back on the Ninja and headed for Boney's stomping grounds. Or was that his Pimping grounds? Either way, it was Harry Hines in northwest Dallas. I rode with the lights off. Didn't want to make it too easy for Roger to spot me.

  Staying off the main thoroughfares, it took longer than it should to reach Harry Hines. I wasn't real confident in finding Boney there. It was always iffy before midnight. He wasn't an early evening person.

  The first obvious hooker I spotted was one of Boney's girls. Her name was Jill Hepburn, but everyone called her Boots. She had a penchant for boots, and wore nothing but boots year round. Boots was twenty, but looked fifteen if you didn't look too hard into her brown eyes. With her face scrubbed clean she was only average, but she was one of those girls who just popped with makeup on.

  Boots was walking down a particularly dark stretch of Harry Hines. Not a safe place, and Boney would have a fit if he knew she was there. Her dark hair was teased up big, and she wore a shiny gold top, blue latex micro mini, fishnets and gold thigh boots to match the top. Yeah, no mistaken what she did for a living.

  "Need a lift, Boots?" I said, pulling up beside her.

  "Sable! Long time no see, babe," she said. She looked me over. "Nice boots. Me likey."

  "Knew you would approve," I said, grinning. "Where's Boney? Is he working tonight?"

  Boots shrugged. "He was parked in front of Crazy Girls last I saw. His usual place, you know?"

  "No, I didn't know it was his usual place. Good to know, though," I said, and patted the seat behind me. "Hop on and I'll take you to him, or somewhere with a lot more light."

  "Lordie," she said, rolling her eyes. Then she stepped up real close to me, and her nose nuzzled my right cheek. "Everyone worries about me way too much." She kissed my cheek and I felt the coolness of her lip print. "When's the last time you fed?"

  My mouth started to water and my throat tightened. I was suddenly starving. Minions knew how to fire up a vampire's appetite. I'd never been with Boots for blood or sex. I knew she was hot for me. Vampires can tell such things.

  "This is not a good idea. I shouldn't be poaching on Boney's girls," I said hoarsely.

  I was that far gone, and rather startled by it. She was just oozing sex and need and desire, offering herself up on a silver platter. She brushed her lips across mine, then turned her face aside. This wasn't why I stopped, but she was working me like a pro. My hands were trembling as I put them on her hips.

  "He doesn't own me," Boots said. She smiled wickedly, then threw her leg over the bike and sat on the gas tank. Sliding down the tank, she pushed me back on the seat a bit. Boots cupped my face in both hands, and looked deep into my eyes. "Take me."

  I couldn't help myself. A second later she was mesmerized. She let out a tiny little noise, full of wicked pleasure and submission. My hands slide up her sides, to her brea
sts and then around to her back. Her arms encircled me and pulled me in tight. Then my left hand rose up into her hair and jerked her head back a bit. Just enough to let her know I was in control. Her glossy red lips parted as she sighed, and I kissed her long and deep.

  "Mmmm," we groaned in unison.

  We kissed a couple minutes. I don't know how long. Not long enough, and too long. But the siren call of her surging, hot blood was soon too much to resist. I released her warm lips, and kissed my way along her jaw line. Boots groaned wantonly, then laughed. She so wanted to be bitten.

  Part of me was screaming NO. All the rest of me was charging forward. I didn't want to be a vampire that fed on people. I wanted to be a good vampire that only drank animal blood. But Boots knew what she was about, and I was lost. She couldn't even stop me now.

  I nuzzled her perfumed neck. Cheap perfume, applied liberally. She was a streetwalker, after all. It was strong enough I couldn't ignore it, but the lure of her tasty blood kept me focused. I licked and nibbled and nuzzled her slender neck from jaw to shoulder for a long minute, then picked my place and sank my fangs into her soft flesh.

  "Uuuggghhh, yes!" Boots cried, and climaxed. Okay, part of my power was to make being fed upon a very pleasant experience. At least half that climax was from me, but she was so ready and eager, she took it the rest of the way. Some minions, like my Desiree, didn't need any vampiric powers to push them over the top when being bitten. "Drink, Sable, drink all you want."

  Oh, I was. Human blood was just too good. As her hot blood flowed into my mouth, as I gulped it down hungrily, I felt that wonderful buzz start up. Only human blood did that. The buzz was the best. I felt reborn and more than alive.

  Once my appetite was sated, I healed her twin wounds and pulled away. Boots fell back over the gas tank and writhed, a big smile on her face. I could see and feel her belly quivering from the climax, and it had my libido all fired up.

  "There's a motel up the road," Boots said. "Take me there, and I'll give you as much pleasure as you just gave me. All night long."

  "I really want to, but I can't," I said, remembering Roger. "Another time. I promise."

  "Oh, poo," she said, with the prettiest little pout.

  "Did Desiree teach you to do that?"

  "Maybe," she said, and laughed. "Desiree was my first girl, and she taught me a lot. A whole lot."

  "Hmm, she does have her talents," I said, missing Desiree. It had only been a few days since I last saw her, but still. I was used to her being there, and now she was in hiding across town. "I have to go. Can I give you a ride somewhere first?"

  "Drop me off at the motel," she said.

  A short time later she was sitting behind me on the bike and we were racing down the street. I was feeling much better than before. Thanks to Boots' blood. When I dropped her off at the motel she hooked up with a john before I left the parking lot. I was amazed.

  Continuing south down Harry Hines, I came to the strip mall with Crazy Girls titty bar. Excuse me, Gentlemen's club. Boney was leaning against his Mercedes, decked out in a dark gray Armani suit and talking to Vicki and Tessa.

  Vicki van de Veer was a twenty-three year old redheaded beauty with a strong dislike of me. Actually, I think she was jealous of Boney's deep affection for me, and of all the time he spent with me in his coffin. She was just as tall as me, but just a bit curvier and heavier breasted. She looked spectacular in her little black dress, with diamond earrings, choker, and bracelet.

  Tessa Gutierrez was five inches shorter, but even curvier with really impressive natural breasts. Her body looked like it was drawn by a horny comic book artist. That spectacular, and without implants. Her long hair was very dark brown, wavy and silky. Her eyes were even darker than her hair, but not quite black. She was twenty-six, but looked early thirties due to the harshness of her face. Don't get me wrong, she was a beauty, but she had that hooker's hard edge. Tessa was dressed for work, in a snug hot pink mini dress and matching pumps.

  Boney's face lit up when I rolled to a stop next to them. Vicki looked stricken, while Tessa just looked me up and down.

  "Where did you get that outfit?" Tessa said.

  "Kinky Corner in Deep Ellum," I said.

  "Oh, I like that place."

  "It has its charms," I said. I looked up at Boney. "Hiya, lover. Remember me?"

  "Sable!" he said, full of joy.

  He took a step towards me, arms wide to engulf me in a fierce hug. I held my hand up, forestalling that. Then I glanced at Tessa, then Vicki.

  "Some privacy please?"

  "We're on a date," Vicki said petulantly. Her brilliant green eyes narrowed and she curled her lip.

  "I won't keep him," I said. When she didn't budge, "Beat it, or I'll bite you in a place you won't enjoy."

  Tessa barked a laugh, and sauntered off toward the strip club. There were a bunch of men filing out. Horny men. Boney asked Vicki to give us a little time, then he would make it up to her. She took her purse from the car and headed for the strip club, too, claiming she had to fix her face.

  Boney made to hug me again, but I slipped off the other side of the Ninja and eyed him narrowly. His arms and face dropped miserably.

  "It wasn't my fault!"

  "You betrayed me," I said.

  "You know the power Antoinette has over me," he pleaded. "Yuri had the same power over you."

  I cringed. Yuri ordered me to kill my boyfriend, and I actually tried to do it. But Dane was too good and escaped. Praise the Lord.

  "Do you know what Antoinette did to me?"

  "I was there."

  "Of course, a full participant in my use, abuse, and utter humiliation," I snarled. "God, I can't even think about what Angelique did to me, and how she forced me to submit to her. She is worse than Dominique."

  It was beyond humiliating. But I expected nothing less from that old French whore. What Boney did was worse.

  "You were the one person I could always count on," I said, eyes burning and throat tight. I felt the tears rolling. "I trusted you!"

  "I didn't want to do it," he said. He was crying, too. The absurdity of two vampires crying struck me as funny. Some Masters of the Night we were. "She wants that damned talisman."

  "She can't have it," I said.

  "You have it?"

  "What? No, don't be ridiculous. But council wants it, and I won't give it to her," I said. I brushed at the tears, strangely embarrassed for losing control and crying. I wasn't there to accuse him of high crimes and misdemeanors. "I don't trust her with it."

  "I don't trust any of them with it," Boney said.

  "I can't trust anyone now," I said. Okay, I dropped my guard and he was there, arms around me, holding me tight. It felt good. Too good. I didn't want to be mad at him. I wanted to trust him. I needed someone to trust without thought. "My life is falling apart."

  "If it is any consolation, you kind of freaked Antoinette out," Boney said. "Did you really kill Alfred?"

  "Who? I don't know any Alfred."

  "Bat Man," he said. "Alfred Sanger. Did you kill him? He was crazy, but a fierce fighter."

  "I didn't kill him," I said. "I shot him a few times, but I didn't kill him."

  "He didn't come back."

  I shrugged. "Not my problem. He creeped me out."

  "Me, too," Boney said. "Odd." He held me out at arm's length and looked me over critically. "Are you all right? You look fine, but you don't seem right."

  "Don't seem right? The council shanghaied my life to search for this damned Coeur de Sade, the Giorgi Girls robbed me blind, I have crazy werewolves coming out of my yah-zoo and trying to kill me, and to top it all off my best friend in the whole undead world works for the queen of bitches."

  "Actually, Tara is a much bigger bitch than Antoinette," he said, and grinned.

  I smiled. I could see that. But it was nice to hear a joke. Those crazy people were squashing my own sense of humor.

  "Tara's been nicer to me, but your warning is noted," I said. "
And you aren't off the hook yet, buster."

  Boney looked shame-faced.

  It could be an act. He'd played me before. Boney was a pimp, and thus a master manipulator. I know he could work me. But I kinda liked it. I know, sick.

  "Can you help me?" I said. "I mean, without Antoinette knowing?"

  "I can help you, but if she asks I can't deny her," he said. "So don't tell me anything you don't want her knowing."

  I looked him deep in the eyes. We remained like that a long moment, while I decided if I could and wanted to trust him. In the end, I had no choice. I did trust him, and there was nothing I could do to change that.

  "I'm in a bad way, Boney. In part due to you," I said.

  "What did I do?"

  "You cleaned out Desiree's house too fast," I said. "All my stuff is in storage. All I have is the clothes on my back. You even took away the battery charger for the phone council gave me."

  "Is that why you haven't called Jeff or Tara?"

  "In part," I said, pulled the pack off and pulled out the smashed cell phone. "It got broke. I don't have another, or their phone numbers." I cocked my head, studying him, and dread starting to grow for my next question. "Is my family safe?"

  He looked shaken. "No."

  "Fuck me! Fuck me!" I cried. "What do those bastards want? I'm trying my best!"

  "They don't care about how hard you try, only in your results," he said. He looked sickened and licked his lips. "If you don't get the talisman within the next day or so, they are going to let Antoinette have Sabrina."

  I went all cold. My mind almost shut down. Not my little sister. I might've dropped to my knees if Boney hadn't held me up.

  "Tell Antoinette, tell the council, that if any one of them touches any member of my family, they better pray I never get hold of that talisman," I said, each word more vicious than that last. I was seething. "I will use it to catch and stake every last member of council, and their godforsaken undead families."

  "Sable, I can't tell them that," he said.

  "Tell them!" I demanded, eyes flashing. "Touch my family, and die."

  Chapter 19