‘Whatever you want, darling,’ she murmured.
And then we were locked back into each other’s embrace.
I knew it was fast approaching the time when I would have to leave Christine’s car. The time between us was not nearly adequate for all the things I needed from her. But those thoughts were pushed aside as I nibbled and sucked at the moist split between her legs. They were completely banished when Christine took me to orgasm after orgasm.
I reflected briefly on her mention of Carlos’s control. I wondered if he really did have a hold over me now that his mark sullied my thigh. The idea would have struck me as insane and irrational before I became a vampire but now, knowing about the undead and believing in the powers of seers and other mystical forces, I did not dismiss it so easily. Throughout the day I had felt as though I was being bent to Carlos’s will – ready to beg him, simply because he wanted that – and I wondered if the power of the tattoo had been an influence. The idea seemed far from crazy and I tried not to let my arousal be spoilt by the fear that I had made a terrible and dangerous mistake.
Christine pushed her tongue deep into my sex.
She caught my clit between her lips and sucked firmly on the bead of hard, pulsing flesh. The sensation was exactly what my body craved and the explosion of a final orgasm resounded through my body. I was buffeted by the eruption and left weak, drained and satiated. Exhausted, I rolled from Christine’s gorgeous body and began to go through her pockets in search of a cigar. I found two and handed one to her as I searched for a lighter. It was only when we were both smoking that I realised I still needed to ask her an important question.
‘How did you know that I needed cuffs for Alan?’
‘I consulted one of the council’s seers,’ she said calmly. The answer came so quick I had the feeling she had been expecting the question. ‘Technically, only the council and their authorised officiates are permitted to employ the seers but, because I’m currently working for the council…’
‘You mean you’re doing community service?’ I broke in.
Christine spoke over me, as though that distinction was unimportant. ‘…I took the liberty of finding out what you’d need for the night.’
I considered the danger of what she had done. If Christine had landed in trouble because she had turned a seer into a vampire I imagined it would be dangerous for her to use the seers without explicit permission from the council she so clearly feared. The thought that she had consulted with them on my behalf made me realise the woman was prepared to do many things to win my favour.
Cynically, I wondered if I could use that weakness to my advantage.
‘Have you seen these seers since we last spoke?’
Christine regarded me with an icy stare, as though the question was offensive. ‘Do you think I’m some sort of recidivist criminal, darling? Why on earth would I keep visiting seers? Do you think your affairs are so important to me that I repeatedly go back to them asking to learn about the next instalment in the life of Tessa the Vampire?’
I drew on my cigar and asked, ‘What did they say?’
She pressed a button and the window of the limousine slid open. Tossing her cigar out into the night she said, ‘The seers aren’t as accurate as everyone makes out. Not everything they see comes true. They never predict more than five lottery numbers in any given week, so I don’t know why the council put so much faith in them.’
‘What did they say?’ I pressed. Apprehension clutched my stomach. My arousal was now gone, satisfied and behind me. In its place was a dread that Christine had bad news. ‘What did the seers tell you about me?’
She was suddenly solemn. ‘They said you have no idea what you’re dealing with. And they said tonight’s escapade will end in death.’ Speaking quickly, clearly anxious, she clutched my hand and said, ‘Forget trying to rescue your friend. Stay with me and we can…’
I pulled myself from her grip and stepped out of the car. ‘I have to go and rescue Mel. Will you help?’
She sighed. ‘You’ll see me again before the night is over.’
And then the door was closed and I was left alone to return to Carlos.
Chapter Twenty-one
It didn’t come as a great surprise to find the blondes dressed as stereotypical vampires. After seeing the way they got into costume for every other occasion – from poolside parties to serving themselves as dinner in the dining room – I was not surprised to see them kitted out as though they were auditioning for a part in some seedy and possibly pornographic horror movie. They wore long flowing gowns, decorated with spider’s web lace and dripping with luxuriant dark purples, reds and blues. The satin fabrics glistened prettily beneath the austere lights of Carlos’s home, making the women look as though they were swaying and dancing even when they stood motionless. Their corsets were tight, accentuating their full breasts and offering prestigious views of their plump mounds and plunging cleavages. As always, it was impossible to tell one blonde from the other but I was beyond believing that was a problem.
‘Carlos has gone…’
‘…he said he was the first wave of the rescue…’
‘…but he insisted that you have to follow.’
I digested this with a blink. Annoyed that Carlos had started the rescue without me, angry that he had taken control without even asking, I made my plans quickly. ‘I need clothes.’
They were clearly prepared for my request.
One of them held up a slinky black dress – short and tight – identical to the one they had removed at their poolside party. I grinned, pleased to be presented with my vampire costume of choice. Although I had never had a chance to see how the outfit looked in a mirror, I was fairly sure I looked like a diva.
The second blonde held out a pair of fishnet stockings and black heels.
The third offered me a pair of Rayban Predators.
I considered the clothes and knew they were the exact ones I would have picked if I had been given an extensive wardrobe from which to choose. The look had worked well throughout the previous day and I thought it gave me a sexual allure without overstating the whole dark/satanic/vampire theme.
The blondes watched me dress, smiling with approval as I slid the hold-ups to the tops of my thighs. The black band of the stocking tops sat tight around the crude tattoo.
I glanced at the three women and realised they were all staring at my pussy. The inner lips had receded after Christine’s kisses. The smooth flesh of my sex was a split, broken only by the line of my outer labia.
I grinned at their approving glances.
‘Didn’t any of you think I might want underwear?’ I asked coolly.
‘We didn’t think you wore…’
‘…you’ve never worn any while you’ve been here and…’
‘…we didn’t think you had any use for underwear.’
It seemed like a reasonable response and, as I donned the Raybans and readied myself to leave Carlos’s house, I thought it was good that my new friends understood me so well.
‘There’s one more thing we need before we leave,’ I told them.
They exchanged puzzled glances and looked genuinely worried that they might have made an oversight. Their eagerness to please was warming and I would have laughed if I didn’t think the sound would have come out sounding offensive.
‘Vodka!’ I announced.
One blonde went to fetch glasses.
A second went to find a bottle.
The third remained with me, smiling coquettishly and thrilling me with the simple nearness of her presence. We could have kissed while the others were gone. There was time enough for us to enjoy a quiet embrace and an intimate caress that spurred us both to a pleasant buzz of arousal. But it was satisfying enough to grin at each other and know those pleasures were ours for the taking whenever we wanted.
The others returned, filled four glasses, and we toasted the triumph of our impending success. Clinking the crystal together I remembered Mel clunking a mug of vod
ka against mine and crying, ‘Here’s to becoming lesbians, sweetie!’ I could have turned the toast around and called, ‘Here’s to saving my sweetie, lesbians!’ Instead, I said, ‘Here’s to our success.’
They repeated the words and we each drained our glasses.
Isn’t vodka brilliant?
And then we went to save my best friend.
Outside I discovered that Christine’s car was gone from the driveway but I figured a walk through the night would help sharpen my senses for the ensuing confrontation. My agenda for the night was clear and I was determined that nothing was going to spoil my three-stage plan for success.
First: I had to rescue Mel.
Second: I had to disassociate myself from Carlos and organise the removal of the tattoo.
Third: and finally, I would have to find something to eat.
Aside from one Big Mac, I’d been running on reserves of Kevorkian vodka and pure adrenaline for the previous two days and I was aware that my physical resources were becoming severely depleted. Smiling at my companions, confident I should be able to achieve my goals, I asked, ‘Where are we going, ladies?’
As one they said, ‘St Germain’s.’
I stiffened, not sure I liked the idea that this was all going to end at the same place where it had begun. This would be my third trip to the church and neither of the previous times had been successful. On my first visit I had seen my best friend kidnapped by the legion of vampire hunters and Mel’s boyfriend had impaled me with a stake.
On my second visit I had discovered that I was wrong about Alan’s love for Mel and learnt he was a member of the cruel and sadistic legion of vampire hunters. Admittedly, it had been a giggle stripping him, torturing him and tasting his cock. But I imagined Mel would not be best pleased about that particular incident should she ever hear any of the specifics.
Because those first two excursions had gone so badly, I did not want to speculate what catastrophes could befall a third visit to the church. But I knew I had no choice except to find out. Quickly, and with the three blondes matching my pace every step of the way, I marched purposefully toward St Germain’s.
Our walk took us through the graveyard surrounding the church. I was amazed at how different this trip was to my first night as a vampire. Although I was walking down the same pathway, and headed for the same destination, my mood was severely changed.
Then I had been smiling benignly at the mysteries that my vampire state revealed to me. The words of the owls and the patterns of the stars had been miraculous glimpses of a new and unimagined world. The sight of moonlight on a grave, and the smell of age-old decay, made me think I knew those secrets that man has always longed to learn. But now I knew the only secret that mattered and I was there to prove its absolute and undying truth: Tessa Cameron helps her friends.
The church was lit like a beacon.
The stained glass windows were a riot of dancing colour, illuminated from within by a flutter of blazing flames. Apprehension clutched tight at my chest as we approached the main doors and I realised there was a guard outside.
A man stood on either side of the main entrance.
Their features were hidden within the shadows of hooded sackcloth robes but their bulks were large, broad and formidable. I noticed the LVH logos over their breasts and knew without doubt I was dealing with members of the legion of vampire hunters.
Determined not to appear flustered or unsettled I strode confidently toward the hooded figures. When I opened my mouth to speak I made myself sound as though I had every right to be at St Germain’s in the dark of the night and demanding access to a guarded church.
‘We’re here to see Alan.’
It was a spur-of-the-moment lie but I figured it would be strong enough to get me inside the church. As one of the priests at the church – even if he was only a trainee priest – I reasoned that Alan’s name would carry sufficient weight to guarantee a backstage pass.
‘We?’ The guard frowned. ‘Why did you say “we”?’ He peered into the shadows behind me and said, ‘There’s only one of you, isn’t there?’
I glanced around and discovered the blondes had left me alone to deal with the guards. If I had known they were going to leave me at this stage of the plan my panic would have gone into overdrive. I sighed sharply, not sure whether I was relieved that they hadn’t told me I would be on my own. Or if I was angry that the three had disappeared without a word. My true reaction was somewhere between those two states and I grinned, thankful to have learnt that I could suffer the familiar pull of two conflicting emotions.
I reflected that being a vampire might not be as bad as I had feared – save for the issue with mirrors and the worry of being killed by the legion of vampire hunters. I quietly promised myself, if I made it safely through the remainder of the night, I was going to enjoy the experience far more than I had been doing since Mel originally gave me the gift of immortality.
‘Are you expecting friends?’ the guard asked. His face remained hidden by the shadows of his cowl, but his body language suggested he was peering expectantly over my shoulder to see if any accomplices lurked in the gloom of the cemetery.
I shook my head. ‘Sorry,’ I mumbled. ‘It’s just me.’
They stepped aside, one of them opening the door to St Germain’s.
Nervously, I realised I was expected to enter their lair alone.
If I’d had a heartbeat, it would have been thumping fast as I walked into the claustrophobic atmosphere of the church.
Chapter Twenty-two
My relief at discovering Mel convinced me I had made the right decision. She was stretched out on the church’s altar, naked and tormented, beneath the plaster statue of a crucified Jesus. The Messiah stared down on her suffering with a blind solemnity that I found both obscene and enviable. I sincerely wished I could be so detached about her predicament but I was filled with a rush of conflicting emotions.
My first thought was that she looked extremely desirable.
Her bare body revealed a pale complexion that I had found attractive when she turned me into a vampire two nights earlier. The bondage was clearly causing her some distress because her eyes were wild with fury. Her overlong canines were bared as though she was anxious to bite anyone foolish enough to get in her way. The exertion of her muscles was another detail I noted. Every tendon stood taut so that she looked trim, athletic and incredibly sexy and up for it.
The sight made me shiver.
A hot flush rushed over my body as I sympathised with the sexual nature of Mel’s plight. I had spent two days learning about the dubious pleasures of bondage, denial and deliberate frustration and I imagined her situation was a glorious agony.
I grinned and felt my own vampire smile peel from beneath my lips. I tried to hide the expression as I realised I was being watched by the three hooded figures surrounding Mel.
They wore matching robes with LVH logos on the breast. The figures inside were less easy to differentiate and I assumed that the only reason they seemed familiar was because I had already encountered members of their cult in this same location. A stench of incense perfumed the air, making every breath a cloying wheeze and bringing the threat of tears to my eyes. Their mumbled chants were monotonously Latin and eerily indecipherable. The whole scene brought back memories of the time when I had been spread on the altar. I shuddered as I recalled the torment and the fear of that ordeal.
Nevertheless, knowing I had to intervene to help Mel, I strode boldly down the aisle.
‘Get out of here, Tessa.’
A hand clutched my arm. I was grabbed by a man who had been sitting in the pews. He came from shadows that hid him perfectly. Even with my acute vampire perception I hadn’t noticed him until he held me in his strong grip. Razor stubble dirtied his jaw and a deep frown furrowed his brow. The stiff white collar around his neck hung loose and looked untidy.
‘Get out of here now,’ he hissed.
‘Alan?’
‘You don’t wa
nt to be here tonight,’ he hissed.
His eyes had a wild expression, haunted and tormented. With a single glance I decided he hadn’t slept since we last met. Admittedly, I hadn’t had the chance to sleep in the last 48 hours, but that wasn’t such a big issue now I was a vampire. On Alan the effects made him look rugged and drained. A cruel part of me thought he deserved the tiredness but I dismissed that reaction as churlish.
‘I’ve turned up here tonight to make a special plea to the leader of the legion,’ he hissed. ‘I’m going to beg him to spare Mel. I’m going to promise to take personal care of her and make sure she doesn’t present a danger to society and…’
‘You love her, don’t you?’ I grinned cheerfully.
He rolled his eyes. ‘This isn’t the time or the place for that sort of talk.’
I could have argued that a church was supposedly the perfect place to talk about love but I figured Alan wasn’t in the mood for such pedantic remarks. I was delighted he had seen the error of his ways and struggled to contain my enthusiasm. If I had wanted to experience an omen that predicted things would work out properly, I don’t think I could have picked anything more appropriate. But I suppressed the urge to tell him all those rambling thoughts and simply nodded agreement.
‘Do you think the leader will listen to you?’
He looked set to reply when a commanding voice boomed from the chancel. ‘Get that priest out of here.’
Panicked, Alan glared at the hooded figure. ‘I’m a priest of this church,’ he declared. ‘And I’m a member of the legion of vampire hunters. I’ve come here to ask a special favour.’
The two guards from the doorway hurried down the aisle. They each grabbed an arm and dragged Alan unceremoniously outside. I watched in horror, appalled that they could treat a priest with such brutality. It was also mortifying to think they were monks and yet they had thwarted the path of true love.
Once Bitten Page 20