Well, she knew the answer to that, because she was pig-headed and stubborn and her determination to be turned had overruled common sense. No one told Claire Treemont 'no'. It only served to piss her off and was just the catalyst she needed to do the exact opposite of what she was told was good for her.
Now though, she had an advantage. She knew what to expect, although she wasn't sure if that was a good thing. Goosebumps traveled up the length of her arms at the thought of death being the end result here. Never seeing Zach again... Her heart twisted in her chest.
As she drifted off to sleep again, she thought it was time to figure out who the hell wanted her dead, and kill the psycho off...
* * * *
Zach woke lethargic, and hard as a rock. Claire snored softly beside him. He ran his hands over the smooth planes of her body, loving the silky soft skin, the gentle curve of her breast. His knuckles caressed her nipples. He watched as they tightened into hard beads. He had to take her somewhere safe and keep her under lock and key. The emptiness in his gut gnawed at him. He didn't want to leave her for a second, but he had to if he was going to find out who wanted her dead. His hand clenched into a tight fist. He'd involved everyone and their brother with this fate thing. He could only hope it wouldn't affect them.
Claire sighed in her sleep, rolling toward him. Her small hand lay possessively on his chest. Heat shot to his cock, hard and needy, lying heavily against his thigh. He cupped her breasts with both hands, thumbing the rigid swell of nipple. Claire stretched upward, unconsciously offering them to him in her sleep. Sliding down beside her, he held her breasts in his hands and laved each nipple with slow strokes. Claire thrust her lower body at him, pressing his tongue to her flesh.
Swirling the tight buds, he massaged the firm globes, savoring the breathy sigh he heard from above. He felt her hands tunnel in his hair. Her nails lightly grazed his scalp as she pulled him tighter to her and wrapped her thighs around his leg. As he suckled first one nipple then the other, she rode his thigh, her slick cunt raking over his flesh. He moved his hands to her waist and used her for leverage to slide down her body. Her scent made him wild and hungry to ram into her flesh.
The pink lips of her cunt glistened temptingly, creamy with her need. Zach's cock throbbed hungrily as he licked at the swollen outer flesh. He growled as his tongue had its first taste of her tangy sweetness. His head swam with the musky scent between her legs.
Claire's legs bracketed his body as she bucked forward and her slender body arched upward, trembling. She ran a finger over his lips as he moved in to press them firmly against her. She let her fingers delve into the slick folds as his tongue collided with her fingertips. He licked the wet slit over and over with a flat tongue, stopping briefly to suckle her clit. Her hands moved to his shoulders, gripping him tightly, as she raised her hips to meet the long stroke of his tongue. He devoured her wet flesh, burying his face between her thighs. He felt her body tense and shudder as her creamy wetness dribbled onto his hungry tongue. Claire sobbed his name as he lapped at her, riding the climax, savoring the taste of her body, so wet and hungry for his.
Zach's cock was on fire now, hard and desperate to sink into her slick flesh. He untangled himself from her. Sliding off the edge of the bed he pulled her toward him and stood between her dangling thighs. Claire's eyes were closed and her arms above her head, tempting him to suckle her beaded nipples one last time. Spreading her legs wide, Zach groaned at the sight of her ready cunt.
She lowered her arms and tugged impatiently at his cock, slipping it into her soft folds, moistening it with the cream of her pussy. He reached under her hips, grabbed the soft globes of her ass and impaled her with his throbbing staff. He hissed her name through clenched teeth. His hands tightened, clutching her as he felt his balls slap her ass from the impact. She was so tight and wet... His knees buckled as he stroked her, and his cock tightened impossibly when he watched her reach down to fondle her clit.
He was driven to fuck her, ramming into her mindlessly with each forceful stroke. His cock bucked inside her tight walls as she milked him, raising her hips high, matching his need. Zach watched as his thick cock slid in and out of her body, the folds of her flesh wet and open to his gaze. Blood pumped to his cock in spurts of heat as he sank into her time and again. His legs buckled from the impact when he came, slamming against the bed with force. Claire's scream came from deep within her throat; it was hoarse and raw as her body shuddered with climax.
Heaving, sweaty bodies collapsed together, gasping for air. Claire's cheeks were flushed and her eyes glazed. Her full lips pressed to his in a light kiss, as she stretched upward beneath him, her breasts scraping his chest, keeping him hard inside her. She smiled lazily. "Good morning vampire, what a way to wake up."
Zach smiled back. "It's the only way to wake up," he assured her as he withdrew from her body. Still hard, still wanting her, knowing he had to get her somewhere safe, and she wasn't going to like it.
He tugged on her hand, pulling her to him and kissing her lips. "C'mon beautiful, let's go take a shower, I'll show you what I can do with a bar of soap," he winked at her. Claire's mouth tilted upward in a slow seductive smile.
"Oh really, vampire? Well let's get busy, my back could use a good scrubbing." She chuckled as she headed off to the big bathroom. Zach swallowed hard at the sight of her lush ass as it wiggled, and figured telling her what he was going to do could wait just a little longer.
* * * *
"No!" She crossed her arms over her breasts and did her best not to behave like a spoiled child.
"Claire..."
Oh, there was that warning in his hot-chocolate tone.
"Don't you 'Claire' me, Zachariah Kowalski. I will not leave you, do you hear me?" She threatened right back. How could he possible ask her to give up what might be the only time they had left together? She felt hot tears well in her eyes and swiped at them with frustration.
"Claire, it's the only way I know you'll be safe. We have to do this, for our future," he roared at her. His jaw was set with determination and she knew there was no changing his mind.
"Wouldn't it be better if I stuck around? I mean I could be bait or something, you know, lure the evil killer into my web." She sniffed back at him--weakly, mind you...
"I will not allow you to lure anyone anywhere, Claire, it's too dangerous. Now that this is all out in the open and I've done the unthinkable by tempting fate, I can ask for help. Something I couldn't do before."
Zach was right, and she hated it. She couldn't bear to be without him, but she would if the end result left her breathing and with Zach. Now she was going to behave badly, she knew it and she didn't care. How was that for petulant?
She launched herself at Zach, clinging to his big frame. Zach held her close, his taut body riddled with tension. Claire went nose to nose with him. "You listen to me, blood sucker. Don't you get yourself hurt or I will come back from wherever the hell I go and haunt you for eternity!"
Chapter 6
Desi paced the long stretch of room with fury, snapping her well-worn flogger to release tension. Her long hair flew behind her, whipping about as she simmered, her naked form flush with anger. Zach had the bitch somewhere and she would find them if it was the last thing she did. How the hell had she escaped? She had always been able to coax the bitch into her trap. Let's see, in the nineteen hundreds it had been tea, wasn't it? She'd invited Claire on the sly for a little girl-to-girl thing, and bam, it was over. Why was Zach hiding her now? He must have told Claire... Desi almost laughed at that. Poor Claire, thinking fate had something to do with this. Where the hell were they?
A scream of frustration rose in her throat as she contemplated that whore finally having Zach for all of eternity. The full moon was only hours away and her fate would be sealed if Zach had his way.
She threw herself down on the bed in frustration. Why couldn't Zach just see that he was meant to be hers? Her hand clenched into a tight fist of rage as she cracked the flogg
er distractedly, dragging it over her body. Every sexual fantasy she'd ever had included Zach. His thick muscular body tied helplessly to her bed while she rode his hard cock. She smiled vaguely at the thought of flogging him; a shiver ran up her spine and her nipples tightened, envisioning his firm ass clenching with each blow. She would be gentle of course... At first. Her hand wandered absently to her needy cunt, pushing aside the tight nest of curls.
It should be Zach's fingers raking through her wet flesh, sliding his long fingers into her neglected passage. She groaned with the ache as she drew the flogger over her thighs. Her nipples tightened to sharp beads as she pictured Zach's dark head bent at them, nipping the hard points. Her back arched upward as the tails of the flogger brushed her clit, grazing the swollen nub. Spreading her folds of flesh apart, she raised her legs in eager anticipation. Centuries of desire narrowed to the apex of her thighs as she imagined Zach's tongue rasping over her flesh. She came swiftly, her slender body racked with shudders, her chest heaving.
A sharp rap at the door startled her. Jumping up, grabbing her robe as she went, tying it at her waist. Opening the door a crack, she eyed Dumb, with Dumber following at a close second.
"Well, did you find them?" She growled. "The answer better be yes, or I'll see you in hell, you idiots." Dumb grinned foolishly at her while he licked his lips, eyeing her breasts.
"Yup, we found her, she's all holed up somewhere in the woods with a bunch of Zach's clan. Want us to go get her?" Dumber asked. Desi's eyes flashed venom. Saints save her from the fools of the world.
"No, you idiots, I want you to let her mate with Zach," she spat. Dumb and Dumber gave each other confused looks. "Of course I want you to get her, you dipshits," she screamed as she poked Dumb in the chest with a red-tipped talon. "The question is, do you have enough brains to get past the other clan members?"
"Oh yeah, boss, we got it all under control. Don't worry about a thing, she'll be yours before midnight tonight." Dumb assured her, and Dumber followed up with a rapid nod of his head.
"You'd better, or I'll see to it that your heads roll..." Desi snarled as she slammed the door in their faces. She shook off the remnants of rage, and gathering her wits, prepared for the evening's events. Tonight she would own Zach, body, if not soul, and she intended to become his Life Mate while the moon was full and Claire was dead.
* * * *
Claire sat quietly waiting on the bed in Jarrod's apartment. She didn't know what she was waiting for, but she waited anyway. She ached for Zach. It had been five days since he'd brought her here and left her under constant watch. Jarrod and too many men to count watched and waited too. None of them seemed afraid that now, they too, were involved in tampering with fate. They followed Zach's orders without question. From the hushed conversations she heard behind closed doors, they weren't any closer to finding out who wanted her dead. So far fate hadn't knocked her for a loop, at least not yet. Fate seemed less and less like the conclusion to this mess.
The full moon was tonight. Shit. Her stomach clenched with fear and anxiety rippled up her spine. What if Zach didn't get to whomever it was in time? What if she never saw him again? Her heart ached with the need to see Zach one last time. She ran a tired hand over her eyes, trying to think. Who hated her enough to want to see her dead? Or maybe the question was who didn't want her with Zach? Claire closed her eyes and ran a frustrated hand through her hair.
Zach was due to take over his clan when his father stepped down, and Claire joining him as his Life Mate was essential according to Zach. He couldn't take over unless he had a Life Mate by his side. So that left someone who didn't like the idea of Claire as Zach's Life Mate? Someone who wanted Zach and someone who needed... Claire broke out into a sweat. Her hands gripped the quilt on the bed.
Hell's Bells, men were so damn stupid sometimes! When this was over she was going to slap Zach just for breathing.
All right... Now she knew what she had to do. Problem was, how was she going to get past every Polish vampire in the universe? Claire dug through her purse, locating her cell phone and prayed the battery hadn't died on her. She pressed the on button and the phone lit up. Yes! she wanted to cheer!
She poked her head out the bedroom door to find them all watching football. She almost snorted. Vampire, human, it didn't make a difference. Give a man a remote control, some beer and a bag of chips and you could prance naked right underneath their unsuspecting noses.
"Hey Jarrod..." Claire stuck her fingers in her mouth and whistled to get his attention over the noise they were making. A row of vampire heads turned. "I'm going to bed, I'm beat." Jarrod waved a distracted hand in her direction.
"Okay, Claire, g'night," he mumbled. Claire closed the door and headed for the bathroom; she turned the taps on full blast and dialed the phone.
* * * *
Well wasn't this just grand? Who needed Dumb and Dumber when Claire was stupid enough for the both of them put together? Desi pressed a button, opening the window to let the cool October air filter into the car. Looking up through the skylight she caught a glimpse of the moon, full and seductive. A perfect night to mate.
Her pulse raced and her nipples tightened. Soon Claire would be dead and she would mate with Zach. At least Dumb and Dumber were good for something, they had managed to locate Zach. When this was all over she would have Zach. This time when she consoled him over poor Claire's death, she wouldn't take no for an answer. She would have his thick cock, if it was the last thing she did, and her rightful place as his mate. Oh, the endless possibilities offered to her as Zach's mate. She gripped the steering wheel of the sports car tighter, she just had to get to Claire before Dumb and Dumber did. Flipping open her cell phone, she punched in numbers with rapid fingers.
* * * *
"You're kidding?" Zach barked at Jarrod through the phone. "How the hell can one woman get into so much damn trouble? You were supposed to watch her for me!" Zach hung up the phone in frustration and redialed.
Nobody knew where Claire was and they only had another freaking forty-five minutes to figure it out, before midnight. When... If he got his hands on her, he would kill her himself. Zach raked a hand through his hair; he would not lose this woman again. Not again, damn it.
* * * *
Claire paced the curb in front of the diner, waiting. What the hell had she been thinking? She was a mortal about to confront a vampire who could open up a can of whoopass on her like nobody's business. But this vampire in question wanted Zach and she was willing to kill Claire to have him. Bullshit, Claire thought, I'll be damned if she'll have him, not before I do. Okay, she thought, trying to piece together a half-assed plan ... a stake through the heart? Holy water?
The inky black night surrounded her. A cool breeze sent leaves skittering across the deserted street. Deserted being the operative word here.
Maybe she might want to rethink this plan. She flipped open her cell to call Zach, only to find her battery dead. Damn! This was getting reminiscent of a B-grade horror flick. Claire damned her impulsive decision. She should have called Zach. Not that he would have believed her accusation anyway. Stupid head, she chastised Zach mentally. Claire's heart raced in her chest when she saw the sleek line of the sports car turn the corner and come to a screeching halt alongside the curb in front of her.
Desi rolled down the passenger window and peeked out at Claire. Her smile was bright, too bright; her white teeth glowed in the black interior of the car.
"Claire darling, I'm so glad you called, it's about time we got to know each other. Men can be such a bore sometimes, can't they? Let's go have some girl time and forget all about that nasty bunch of football-loving fools." Desi popped the lock and leaned over to open the door.
Yeah, right, like I'm getting in the car with you.
"You know, Desi I was thinking maybe we could just have coffee right here." Claire suggested as she pointed to the neon sign's eerie glow from above the diner. Desi shrugged her shoulders.
"Okay, coffee it is t
hen. Let me park." Desi rolled the window up and pulled into a slot by the back of the diner. As Claire crossed the street, she tried her cell phone again. Damn. Claire was digging through her purse to be sure she had her wallet when Desi blindsided her.
She grabbed Claire by the throat and slammed her body up against the side of the diner's brick wall so hard her teeth clattered. Claire heard her bones crack like dried twigs and felt the flash of pain run from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Her feet dangled helplessly as she tried to wrap them around Desi's waist to gain some leverage, but Desi pressed her body hard to Claire's. Desi clutched Claire's throat, digging her nails into the tender flesh and smiled at Claire, her green eyes glowing with venom.
"You know, Claire, you're a real pain in the ass. I tried to be patient, but you make it damn hard when you show up time and again. Zach belongs to me," she spat in Claire's face.
Claire shook her head as Desi's spit ran down the side of her face, and croaked the word "No" in futile defiance. Desi tightened her grip, her long nails sinking into Claire's flesh.
"This time when you die, I fully intend to have him. Oh, yeah, and you know what else? When I mate with him tonight, it really will be all over for you. No more lives for Claire, because once Zach mates with me, the cycle is broken, and you, my dear, are finito." Desi finished with a satisfied grin.
Claire could feel the need for air burn her lungs as she struggled to take a breath. She reached up to get hold of Desi's hair and grab a handful of it. Desi darted out of the way, but not before Claire scratched a hunk of her porcelain smooth skin from her cheek. Desi's eyes narrowed and Claire's widened in disbelief as the wound healed right before her eyes. Oh shit, she was more than a little fucked here, and running out of air at a frighteningly rapid pace.
It's A Vampire Thing Page 8