by Bree Younger
He felt the contractions in her pussy as she began to climax, and he let those squeezes set off his own orgasm. He fell forward, jerking with the powerful spurts, until he was drained. She pulled his head over and kissed the side of his throat. “That was simply divine, Hawk, my sweet savage.” Then he felt a sharp pain in his neck as she bit him. Shocked, he tried to draw back, but she had him locked to her. He’d thought she was strong before, but it was nothing compared to the power in those arms and legs as they clung to him and held him helpless.
He sensed movement around him, saw shadows from the corners of his eyes. Then he felt another bite on his shoulder. He jerked in pain and, in dazed amazement, felt his cock begin to grow hard again inside the bitch’s body. Even as he struggled, his arm was lifted and sharp teeth sank into his wrist. He was powerless against them. He tried to cry out for help, but he had no voice left. His body began to move on its own, beginning to fuck the woman again. He had no control. He shook his head in denial. He heard a feminine chuckle in his ear.
“Oh, yes, my savage Hawk. Fuck me hard. Hard as you can.”
“Oh, Madeleine, he’s simply delicious.” Another voice came from his left.
“Absolutely. You chose well, sister.” This time the voice was masculine.
Hawk felt his body reach another climax, but it was a distant thing. He felt as though he were observing the scene in the loft rather than participating in it. The creatures that had him captive were not human, he dimly realized. Half-forgotten tales told over campfires when he was a boy came back to him. Tales that he and his friends had scoffed at as superstition and lies. Spearfinger. The blood drinker. The eater of lives. “Utlunta,” he managed to whisper weakly.
Darkness began to fill his vision as he felt himself becoming weaker and weaker. His consciousness was fading, and there was no one who could help free him from these monsters. They were sucking the lifeblood out of him. With one last spurt of defiance, he tried to struggle, to throw off the ones who held him down and hurt him, but he couldn’t do it. He was helpless. They were killing him, and there wasn’t a single thing he could do to stop them.
Chapter One
Biloxi, Mississippi
Present day
Claire pulled her car into the employee parking lot of the Midnight Moon Casino and Resort. The parking garage was dark and gloomy, a welcome respite to her sensitive vampire skin after the short drive from her apartment. As a newly turned vampire, she was still quite vulnerable to the effects of even the lightest of the sun’s rays. It was not very smart of her to leave the safety of her home before full dark had settled, which was why the casino had its employees change shifts only after sundown and before dawn. Unfortunately, she had had no choice. Knowing the chance she was taking, she’d made sure she had some bottled blood on hand to repair any skin damage. Shakily she lifted her hand to her painfully burned cheeks. She grimaced. It wasn’t much worse than a really bad sunburn. However, it would certainly draw unwanted attention to her, so she twisted the top off the bottle and took a long swallow.
Claire hated being a vampire. When she’d first been turned, it had taken everything in her to drink blood from a live donor. She was not aggressive or predatory. She was squeamish and introverted, shy and quiet. In other words, she was absolutely everything that a vampire was not. If it weren’t so pathetic, it would be funny.
She took another drink of the bottled blood. She could feel the healing effects as her cells absorbed the precious liquid. Even after almost a year, she was still amazed at the restorative abilities of her new body. Sometimes she just felt so lost, like a stranger to herself. If it weren’t for her mission, she probably would have taken her own life right after she was turned. But she couldn’t. Not yet. Hell, who was she kidding? Probably not ever. She didn’t have the guts to do herself in. With disgust at her own ineptitude, she quickly downed the rest of the bottle before putting the cap back on it and setting it aside. Well, she might be incompetent as a vampire, but she would not let that stop her from doing what she had to do. It was all she’d thought about, all she’d lived for in the months since her life had spun crazily out of control.
She checked her appearance in the rearview mirror, wiping away a small drop of red from her bottom lip. After popping a breath mint in her mouth, she exited the car and made her way to the short tunnel that would take her into the building, admiring once again the planning that had gone into the building’s layout. The Midnight Moon Casino and Resort was very protective of its vampire employees, mainly because it was owned by the Buchanans, a pair of wealthy vampire brothers. Everything was geared toward making it easier for paranormals to blend into the human world. The brothers had a reputation for doing everything they could to assist any paranormals in the area, especially the newly made vampires, going so far as helping them find jobs at one of their own properties if necessary. That was one of the reasons why she felt so damn bad about what she was doing. But she had no choice. She pushed the twinge of guilt aside and, sighing, turned down the corridor where the employees’ break room was located. After stashing her purse in her locker, she clocked in and then walked toward the area that contained the tech department for the casino.
“Hey, Claire.” A hand on her arm caused her to jump nervously. “Whoa. Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Flustered, Claire looked over and met the eyes of one of her fellow workers. The casino had at least one programmer and several techs on duty at all times. Considering the number of computers that ran everything from security systems to the electronic games, it was vital that all computer problems be taken care of as soon as possible. She forced herself to smile naturally at her coworker. “No worries, Leanne. It was my own fault. My mind was a million miles away.”
The young werewolf grinned. “Yeah. I know that feeling. Sometimes I just zone off to a dark, moonlit beach or a hopping nightclub with wall-to-wall hotties. Hell, anywhere but work, right?”
Claire offered a weak smile in agreement.
“You just coming on duty?”
“Oh, ah, yes. I am.”
She’d never been very good at making casual conversation, even back in her human life, but it was necessary that she at least make an effort to fit in with her fellow employees. The last thing she needed was to stand out in any way. That was why she dressed so conservatively, usually in dark slacks and a simple blouse. With her long, blonde hair pulled back into a severe bun and her dark-rimmed glasses perched on her nose, she thought she fit the perfect image of the geek computer programmer—which is exactly what she was, or used to be anyway. She was certain no one would pay the least attention to her. Ironic that she was also a bloodsucking monster. Sometimes she wanted to laugh hysterically at the ridiculous turn her life had taken.
“Are you going off duty?” She already knew the answer to that question, but at least it gave her something to say into the somewhat awkward silence that had fallen. Nervously she glanced at her watch, wishing she could just be rude and walk away. She had timed her arrival to give herself maximum time in the computer room with the fewest number of people around. That way there would be less chance of being caught. Any delay would shorten her computer time, and that could mean she wouldn’t find the right files.
“Yep. You’re here early.”
Claire shrugged, already having an excuse ready. “I had a few things I didn’t get finished with last night, so I thought I’d get a head start tonight and catch up.”
“Anything I can help you with?” The girl looked at her own watch. “It’s still a few minutes before I’m supposed to leave. I could give you a hand if you need it.”
“No. I’ve got it under control. You go on.” She saw Leanne hesitate and urged her on. “I thought I saw Dean in the break room.” She knew that Leanne had a thing for the male werewolf. Just as she’d hoped, the girl’s eyes darted down the hallway, a flicker of excitement in their dark depths. “He was alone.”
“Oh, well, if you’re sure…”
&
nbsp; “Go.” She gave the girl a last smile and watched for a few moments as Leanne moved eagerly down the hallway. She felt a little envious of the young werewolf. She was so outgoing and naturally friendly. In fact, Leanne had been one of the first people to speak to her when she’d come to work at the casino, which was a little odd since vampires and werewolves were natural enemies. But the Buchanans had worked hard to improve relations between the two species, and so far things were going very well. Leanne had even helped her find the apartment she was now staying in.
Claire couldn’t help but wish that her circumstances were different. That she could really relax and make friends and forget about the dark path her life had taken. But it was impossible. She shook off the twinge of jealousy that had overtaken her and pulled her mind back to what she was doing. She didn’t have time to stand around wishing for something that would never happen.
Claire glanced surreptitiously around the almost-empty room as she pushed through the door. The technohub for the casino was usually a bustling place. Day or night, it didn’t matter. A casino was on the go twenty-four-seven. But it was barely dusk, and most of the vampire employees hadn’t yet arrived at work. The day shift, which consisted mostly of werewolves but a few humans also, was drifting out. She’d been desperate for a little unobserved time on the computer and had planned this attempt carefully after examining the ebb and flow during her normal work night over the last several weeks. This was the whole reason she was here. She was getting desperate to locate the file containing the information she needed. She had already been here two months. Two long months. The other times she’d tried hacking into the protected files she’d not had enough time. She could only allow herself a few more times to try getting in. And she had to succeed. She had to find the file. Or…God, it didn’t bear thinking about.
She waved to the lone tech still in the room, an older werewolf female who tended to keep to herself. Claire could tell that Isabelle was closing down her station and knew that she would be leaving shortly. When Claire reached her cubicle on the opposite side of the room, she sat down, took a deep breath, and logged on. Painstakingly, she began working her way through the computer network. She had a limited amount of time to accomplish what she needed to and get out before more of the night shift arrived. With so many people around, it was likely that someone would notice she was doing something she shouldn’t. She bit her lip and straightened her spine. Nothing was going to stop her.
Finally she reached the point she’d made it to the last time she had tried to hack in. She worked meticulously, moving past several security points and firewalls and searching for what she needed so badly.
At last she was in further than she’d ever made it. After several tense moments of scanning through the folders, she thought she might be close to finding the right file. A tingling ray of hope began making its way into her consciousness. Yes. She was almost there. Nearby movement and noise reminded her that she didn’t have much time. The other members of the night shift were arriving. She let out a breath and sat back for a moment. She couldn’t afford to get careless. No. Not yet. She was so close. She didn’t want to stop, but there was too much at risk. If someone caught her, all hope would be gone. Though she didn’t want to, she backed out of the program as quickly as she could. Next time, she promised herself. Next time she would have it.
* * * *
Hawk was sitting at his desk in the office of the private detective agency he’d started over ten years before and grown into a very successful business. But it wasn’t business that was on his mind tonight. In his left hand was a bracelet made of twisted copper wire. With a delicate touch, he rubbed his fingers over the strands in a continuous stroking motion, almost a caress. Next to his other hand rested a glass of a dark-red liquid and an unopened bottle of expensive scotch. It was a test of his willpower. He kept the bottle in his desk drawer just to prove to himself that he had overcome that one particular demon. Some days the desire to give in was almost overpowering, but still, somehow he managed to resist. Would this be the night he failed? He often wondered, and tonight was more trying than usual. His dark thoughts were weighing heavily on him these days. Maybe it had something to do with his friend’s recent wedding. Seeing Ty and his new wife and how happy they were together just emphasized the emptiness of his own life.
Shoving himself away from the desk, he stood and paced across the room. He reached out to part the curtains and looked blindly out at the bustling streets that lined this strip of coastal Mississippi. Usually, he didn’t let himself think about the past. It served no purpose. They’d been gone for so long now that even their bones were nothing more than dust. But tonight was one of the rare times he let those memories through, when he allowed himself to see their faces, to remember their smiles. Their dark, laughing eyes. Ahawi, his beautiful wife. Inola, his precious daughter. In his mind he could still see the deft hands of his wife as she wove the copper strands together, teaching their child the gentle skill. Inola’s pride when she presented the gift to her father had made his heart glow. He had sworn to wear it always. They had died around this same time of year, and it didn’t matter that more than two hundred years had passed. Whenever the leaves on the trees began to fall, he felt the same pain. That pain was still as real, as immediate, as it had ever been.
He turned and looked back at the bottle as it rested on his desk. Once before, long ago, he had succumbed to the sweet relief to be found in that glistening liquid. Firewater. Whiskey. That was years before he had been turned, in the dark weeks and months after the disease brought by the traders had swept through his village and taken his family and many of his friends from him. He had begged the Great Spirit to spare their lives and to take him in their place. He had prayed with a fervent desperation, even bargained with the Evil Ones. Nothing had saved them.
Afterwards, his prayers had turned to curses. He had turned his back on the Ancient Ones, the spirits of his ancestors, and had crawled into the bottom of a whiskey bottle. It had been hard, but he had eventually pulled himself out again. Since then, he’d walled off his emotions and pushed his memories down to the deepest, darkest part of his soul. He had been sober ever since. But always there was the temptation to try just one sip. Just one.
He walked back toward the desk and stared again at the bottle. The light glinting off the liquid was beautiful, and he knew that the taste would be smooth going down. Like liquid sunshine, Ty Buchanan had once said. Not like the rotgut he’d drunk during his human life. But the effects would be the same. He craved that sweet forgetfulness. It was so tempting. He had just reached out toward the bottle when the ring of his cell phone broke the silence, and he jerked his hand back. He shook his head with a rueful grimace. “Saved by the bell.” He gave the bottle one last hard look before pulling his phone from his pocket. “Hello. Blackhawk here,” he answered in his usual clipped tone.
Quinn Buchanan’s voice greeted him. “Hey. You busy?”
“Quinn.” He reached again for the bottle, but this time it was to put it back into his bottom desk drawer, which he then shut with a firm push. “No. I’m not busy. What’s up?”
“I’ve got something I need to talk to you about. It’s pretty important. Do you think you could come over here and meet with me and Mick?”
Mick O’Neill was the resident computer guru who worked for Quinn at the casino. “Of course. Is there some kind of problem?”
“Yeah. I think so. I double-checked to make sure I had my facts straight before I decided to come to you with this.” Quinn’s voice carried a suppressed sense of urgency mixed with not a little anger, and Hawk knew that his friend was deeply disturbed by whatever had occurred. “Dammit, Hawk, someone’s trying to break into our protected files.”
“What?” Hawk was concerned but not really surprised. It wasn’t the first time someone had tried to access the casino’s files, and it wouldn’t be the last. It was a hazard of the gaming industry. Usually it was someone trying to find a way to rig the electr
onic games or embezzle money from one of the wealthy casinos. He had heard nothing to make Quinn as anxious as he seemed to be. “Why do you think that?”
“Mick’s been running some diagnostic checks after that last system update we did, and he found some suspicious activity.”
“And you need my help? Surely this is something your own staff can handle?”
“There’s possibly more to it than a simple hack,” Quinn told him. “I’d like to talk to you in person about it. Not over the phone.”
Hawk’s brows rose in surprise. It must be important if Quinn didn’t trust his secure phone line. “Sure.” Checking his watch, he saw that it was just a little after eight. “I’ve got nothing going on tonight that the others can’t handle on their own. When do you want me there?”
“Could you come now? I’ll treat you to some of your favorite blood. AB negative.”
Hawk smiled briefly into the receiver. “Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse. Give me about thirty minutes?”
“All right. Just come straight up to my office.”
“You got it.”
“Thanks, Hawk. I really appreciate this.”
“No problem.” Hawk hung up the phone, somewhat curious about what his friend had to say, but his Cherokee blood made him somewhat fatalistic in his attitude toward life. No use worrying over whatever the problem might be. Trouble would come soon enough. He slid the bracelet back onto his wrist before he pressed a button on his desk.
“Yeah, boss?”
“Could you come in here for a minute, Kirby?”
“Sure. Be right there.”
A moment later the door opened, and Kirby Hardy stuck her head in.
“What’s up, boss?” Kirby’s red hair was standing on end, a different look for her, which was nothing new. The young vampiress had a habit of changing her looks on a regular basis. In fact, her whole appearance was usually a bit wild, but tonight she seemed especially…bright. Hawk had heard her brag once that she did all her shopping at thrift stores. She definitely believed in marching to the beat of a different drummer. Tonight’s bright-orange top, patchwork skirt, and pink high-tops were a perfect example. Hawk should probably fire her. Her appearance didn’t exactly inspire confidence in their clients or present a very professional appearance. Except she was the best damn PA he’d ever had. And the woman knew her way around a computer almost as well as Mick O’Neill did.