“Did he love her?” Damian asked.
Samuel met the other man’s gaze and understood the crux of Damian’s problem. His need for love. “He did.”
“Well, ain’t that some shit,” Hilo said. “In order to find redemption we have to be able to have emotion. But oh…wait. We can’t feel, only what we steal.”
Damian shook his head, agreeing with his friend. “Well, Samuel, I don’t know how the hell your father or any others did it. I’ve gorged myself on the love of good women for eons, feeling the emotion from others. All I do is drain my humans of it. But the stolen emotion only lasts for so long, then I’m ravenous again, unable to love any of them back on my own. Why the fuck should I help you all do a damn thing? I’m already damned.”
“Maybe it’s the opportunity to redeem yourself?” Samuel offered. “I don’t have all the answers for you. All I know is there’s some bad shit coming down and it has to do with the soulless getting restless.”
“Damian,” Hilo said.
Damian turned to look at his business partner. There seemed to be some sort of silent communication between the two before Damian nodded his head.
“Okay, fine. As long as we clear Hilo and I have nothing to do with what’s happening. Also I want guarantees this club will continue to not exist for the hunters.” He waited for Samuel to agree before continuing.
“As long as no deaths are involved,” Samuel said. “And you’re dealing with consenting adults.”
“Always,” Damian agreed, and leaned forward. “In this business, you overhear things. People brag. There’s supposed to be a gathering going on tomorrow night with some olden dude. He came over from Russia a few months ago. He’s been making his way around and lots of soulless are listening to him. This guy must be strong. He’s showing folks the power and benefits to be had when soulless work together. He’s acquired quite a few followers. Now, I’ve never met the guy but I can understand the appeal for some. It’s why Hilo and I hooked up. Our needs complement the other.”
“You break ‘em and he what? Heals ‘em?” Samuel asked.
Hilo grinned. “Something like that.”
“Look, the emotion this set of soulless suck on is not for us,” Damian admitted. “Have we taken blood? Hell yes, a few times. Love filled blood is the sweetest nectar around, if done while making love. But we don’t need it to be fulfilled and we certainly do not kill our providers.”
“Do you know where the meeting is?” Samuel asked.
“Yeah. A warehouse down by the water.” He told them the address. “But if you plan on crashing it, you’re gonna need more than my girl, Thalya, here,” Damian advised. “As powerful as she is, she’d be taking on another olden like herself as well as a room full of soulless. And no, Samuel, even you would not be enough.”
“Are you offering assistance?”
“Hell no. Not for this, maybe not ever. But I will give you some advice. Go in armed and go in with many. If you two survive, stop by after, drinks on the house.” In sync, he and Hilo stood up. “Laters.” In matching dark brown and black suede jackets, the two men looked like opposite but equally striking bookends as they walked away and disappeared down a darkened corridor his vision couldn’t penetrate.
“Do you think we can trust those two?”
“Yes.” Thalya turned to glance in the duos direction before turning back to him. “I may not approve of their substance of preference and hate how they acquire it but they’re not evil. They do what they must to survive. It is what we all do.”
“Yes, but you manage to do it without harm to anyone.”
“True,” she agreed.
Samuel leaned forward. “So, the way you feed is a choice?”
“Yes and no,” she shrugged. “For me, from the beginning I was drawn to depression. I coveted it. And I don’t know if by taking it, if I’d hurt the person, I’d be able to stop.”
“Yet, there are others who also feed off depression, but they take theirs in through blood.”
“Such has never appealed to or attracted me,” Thalya stated. “I’ve told you this before.”
He studied her in the dark, her element. Like a lover’s arms, it surrounded her, making him very aware of her femininity and wonder what the light would reveal. She never looked more beautiful. Each moment in her presence drew him to her more. Damn it, even away from her, he thought about her. Like right now. He wanted to hold her in his arms when he should be calling Ray to have him gather as many hunters as they could to break up the little party happening tomorrow night.
The music around them changed to a soulful melody. He got up and stood in front of her, offering her his hand. “Dance with me.”
Thalya hesitated. Her gaze roamed over his face.
Samuel felt unsure what she saw there or what he wanted her to see, but ever so slowly, she rose placing her palm in his. Hand-in-hand, he led her to the dance floor. Turning, he wrapped one arm around her slender waist. The hand still holding hers, he raised to hold against his heart. Gently, slowly he pulled her close to him. She placed her face in the cradle of his neck and his chin rubbed against the silkiness of her hair. He’d had his doubts about her origins, but no more. Once he felt her body lean into him, he knew the truth. He held an angel in his arms. One he would fight heaven and hell to keep by his side.
And it just might come to that.
Chapter Thirteen
A mistake. Thalya should have never danced with him. She knew even before she rose from her seat. But she couldn’t stop wanting to be held in his arms again. Once she experienced heat—his heat, she wanted it—needed it again.
He curved his hard solid body around her. She didn’t need to look into his eyes to know he desired her. His emotions beat at her. With every sway of their bodies and brush of his thigh against hers, her hunger for him rose to a painful level. But not an ounce of depression resided in him. How could that be? Lust had never been one of the emotions she craved. Yet, with everything in her, she craved his and the other underlying thread she sensed beneath the lust.
Abruptly, she broke away from him. “I think we’d better go. We have a lot of things to do to prepare for tomorrow.”
He released her from his hold, his arms falling to his sides. “We?”
“Yes, we. I’m going with you. Don’t even think about excluding me.”
They continued to stare at each other until another couple stepped onto the dance floor, breaking them out of their trance.
“Fine,” he finally said. “But you play by my rules. Understood?”
“Perfectly.” She turned and headed out.
Samuel followed closely on her heels. When they walked out of the club, he took her arm and guided her down the street to the parking garage he’d found. Not letting go of her until he’d opened the car door and she got in.
They drove in silence for a few minutes. She glanced at the buildings, realizing they headed away from her condo. “Where are we going?”
“My place.”
Her gaze swung to him. “Why?”
He kept his eyes on the road but answered her. “I’m going to call Ray and have him see if he could find Devlin and meet us there. Come up with some sort of plan. Then try to gather up as much manpower as we can between now and tomorrow night to take down the soulless.”
“Where do you live, anyway?”
“Brooklyn,” he said.
“Okay. Sounds good.” And it did. All very reasonable.
Except she knew he didn’t need her with him for that and he didn’t call Ray until they’d crossed over the Brooklyn Bridge. She noticed he’d told Ray to bring Devlin and meet them at his place in an hour. Perhaps he wanted to spend some alone time with her. She remained quiet, but then so did he. Light jazz music streamed out of the speakers in the car. They both seemed to prefer the music rather than conversation. While comfort flowed between them, underneath it all hummed an awareness of each other.
He pulled down a wide tree-lined, well-lighted street
of historic elegant brownstones. Permit parking only signs were posted every few feet. Some spots were reserved. They pulled into one such spot in front of one of the houses. These were wider homes than the ones in Manhattan.
“Where do you keep your bike?” she asked, curious if he kept it in the house.
“There’s a garage around back. A short alley runs behind the houses.” Samuel turned the car off and got out.
Thalya didn’t wait for him to come around and open her door. By the time he’d gotten around the car, she already exited and closed her door. He took her by the elbow and led her up the steps. She didn’t need his help but she still craved his touch and she shouldn’t. Iron railing ran alongside the stone steps. She lightly touched it in an attempt to distance herself from him.
They stopped on the landing at the top. Samuel pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the door, all without releasing her. As soon as the door opened, a beeping sound started. Samuel stepped inside and faced the wall, disarming his alarm system. “Welcome to my home.” He waved his hand for her to come inside, finally releasing her.
She took a few steps into a wide foyer with dark hardwood floors and stopped. The sound of the door lock clicking echoed behind her.
Without turning to look at him, she asked the question on her mind for the last few minutes, “Why did you tell Ray to wait an hour before they came?”
He moved to stand at her rear. Heat radiated off him, stroking at her back. Hell, all over. If she relaxed her stance and leaned back, even a centimeter, they would touch. She steeled herself not to relax. Lot a good that did—he moved.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, unbelted her jacket and rested both palms on her shirt against her flat stomach. The bottom of his finger rested a hairbreadth from beneath her breast.
She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move.
He pulled her back against him, lifted her hair aside and kissed her neck.
Lost in his touch, she tilted her head to the side to give him better access. Just for a moment, she promised herself. Just for a moment, she wanted to revel in his warmth. She’d felt nothing for as long as she’d known existence and now she felt heat, cold, warmth. Desire.
Samuel.
She also feared. An unfamiliar and unwanted emotion, but she recognized it.
So, she stepped out of his embrace and walked further into his domain. They’d entered a small but wide foyer leading right into a living room.
Immediately, she noticed the interior style of the house was a complete opposite to the exterior. While the house had been around for a long time, the interior and furnishings were all modern. Everything had sharp masculine lines, with various shades of green and gray. A few expensive pieces of artwork lined some of the walls and some interesting sculptures were placed here and there. Nice, but unimaginative. A showcase house rather than a home and a male one at that. It contained not a sign of a feminine touch, at least none she could see. She would bet the rest of the house gave off the same uber masculine vibe.
She paused before his coal colored leather sofa then turned to face him. “Nice place.”
“It’s functional.” He crossed over to her but stopped within touching distance. “I want you.”
She met his lust glazed eyes. “I know.”
“I think you want me too.”
She shrugged. “No emotion. Remember?”
“I didn’t say I could explain it. But I know it,” he stated with conviction.
“Maybe.”
“You can have me.” Each word came out soft.
Her heart damned near jumped out of her chest. When he leaned forward, she held out her hand to stop him. “Remember when you said this was not a good idea? You were right. You were right to fear my touch.”
He frowned. “But you feed on depression. Lady, I’m anything but depressed when I’m around you.”
“I know. I can feel your emotions.”
He raised one arm and using the back of his hand, gently caressed the side of her face. “Then you know it damn sure isn’t depression or despair.”
“No.” She tilted her head toward his touch. “But lust is still an emotion and it would seem it is one I can hunger for.”
His frown turned into a grin. “Makes two of us.”
“No, you don’t understand. My hunger is rising. I—I want to feed.”
His fingers moved to brush across her lips. “On me.”
She opened her mouth, rubbing her lips against his fingers. “Yes. I’m finding your desire delicious.”
He moved his thumb into her mouth. “Mmm, so you fear if I kiss you or we make love, you’d drain me?”
His touch, his emotions were so strong, she found him hard to resist. But resist him she must. “Yes,” she groaned and stepped away.
Reluctantly, he lowered his hand. “And not in a good way.”
She shook her head. “I can’t take the chance. I’m going to go feed, then be back by the time the hunters arrive.” She moved around him in the direction of the front door, but she didn’t get very far. His hand snaked out and captured her arm. Even through the leather jacket she wore, she could feel his heat. His emotions called to her.
“Wait…What if I’m not sure I want you feeding on anyone else?”
She gazed at him and smiled. “I’m going to go look for depression, not desire.”
He lowered his gaze momentarily to the floor then raised his head. Looking her straight in the eyes he said, “What—what would happen if I let you feed from me?”
His words seemed to shock them both.
“I don’t really know. I’ve never fed off desire before. I suppose it could kill the mood.”
He smiled. “As long as it doesn’t kill me. But would it satisfy your need?”
“I—I don’t know. Possibly.”
“Then don’t go.” His breathing came hard and fast.
His arousal seemed so potent she could taste it.
“Feed from me,” he urged. “Let me be your provider. Desire I got by the boat load.”
She couldn’t believe what he offered to do or that she would let him.
Without losing eye contact and without letting her go, he moved her backward guiding her to the sofa. Almost as though afraid if he let her go for a second she wouldn’t do what he seemed to need her to.
Or so she told herself.
When they reached the sofa, he took off both of their jackets, placing them over the back. He sat and drew her down to his side. Placing his hand around her neck, he coaxed her mouth to his.
Heat rushed to the center of her core, igniting a fire within. Her hunger rose, scorching every cell, desperate for fulfillment. Instinctively, she opened her mouth and covered his, inhaled and let her hunger be satiated.
White flame slammed into her with the force of a sixty-foot tsunami induced wave. Her body tumbled backward onto the cool leather cushions and his heat covered her. His knee parted her thighs and even their jeans proved no barrier. The hard ridge of his manhood ground into her mound. The orgasm hit her just as her brain acknowledged it, but she climaxed like never before. For the first time in her existence, the empty place where her soul should have been felt completely full.
They rolled off the sofa onto the plush rug on the floor. He ended up on the bottom. He broke the kiss long enough to tug his shirt over his head, dislodging the band holding his hair back. His shirt got tossed over his head as his hair fell forward, cascading around him.
Lord have mercy, the man had a gold ring pierced through a dark pink nipple, on a chest you could bend steel on. But she couldn’t admire him for long. He pulled her flush against his naked chest, the flimsy material of her t-shirt proving no hindrance to the circle of the ring pressing against the nipple of her breast. He fused their mouths together. Shifting, he lifted his hips to grind up into her as she bore down on him. Need flared even hotter. She sucked on his tongue and gorged.
Then something happened that never had before, at least to her. The unexpect
ed seemed to happen a lot around Samuel. Her gums throbbed like a pulse, her teeth ached. She pulled away from his mouth, trailing kisses to the side of his neck. She licked the skin just below his ear. God the taste. Sweet and salty. The craving to taste the desire of him overwhelmed her. The blood flowed sweet, hot, and heavy through his veins.
“No!” She leaped off him, backing clumsily away.
“Thalya.” He sat up. “What’s wrong? I’m fine, everything is fine.”
She shook her head. “No. No, it’s not.”
He stood, breathing hard, the bulge painfully evident against his jeans. “I still want you. Now, more than ever.”
She continued to shake her head. “You don’t understand.” Her body trembled. The unfamiliar sensation had her wrapping her arms around her stomach.
He held a hand out to her but she didn’t take it. “What’s wrong? What don’t I understand? I made you come. I felt the shudders in your body. You’re still trembling.” He took a step toward her but when she retreated a step, he stopped. “If I touch between your legs I’d fine you wet. Baby, you’re aching for me the same way I ache for you.”
“You fool.” She opened her mouth wider for him to see what she’d felt.
Her fangs had extended.
“Holy shit!” He took a step back. Away from her.
“Yes. Holy or unholy shit. This has never. I mean never happened to me before.”
“You’re a freaking bloodsucker!” He raked his hand through his loose hair.
His words stabbed her, the pain sitting in the empty pit of her being. The sadness caused by his horror was almost more than she could bear. “Apparently, I just needed the right emotion to trigger it. Who knew that would be desire?”
He paced back and forth in front of the sofa, raising his head ever so often to stare at her. Then he bent down and grabbed his shirt from the floor, putting it on. He took a deep breath, his chest expanding as air filled his lungs. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Give me a second.” He stopped but didn’t come near her. “Let’s think about this.” He finally looked at her.
“There’s nothing to think about. You don’t need to worry. I won’t take your blood. And in future, I will make sure to stay away from those who emit strong emotions of sexual desire.” Which meant she’d have to stay away from him. Everything within her cried out against it.
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