Eternal Hearts (A Darkness Within)

by Jennifer Turner

  Was he just not seeing it in Toni? Was she too young for thoughts of selfishness and world domination? Would it eventually show as they spent more time together? Or was there a chance she might be different?

  Only time will tell. Drake ditched the serious thoughts when he heard water rush to life in the bathroom. An ear to ear grin stretched across his face as an image of a wet, naked Toni flashed in his mind. While he couldn’t say she wouldn’t eventually deceive him – he was willing to bet a lot of money that she looked really good in bubbles.

  Toni slid deep into the whirlpool tub and let out a long sigh. The warm water felt spectacular against her tired body and the pulsing jets went a long way towards relaxing her aching muscles.

  How she wished someone would make a hot bath for the mind.

  She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, preparing to down the bottle of blood. She cleared her mind and tipped the bottle up, allowing the rich, sweet flavor to overtake her.

  Unfortunately, much like when her emotions swung too far out of her grasp, whenever she fed the beast took complete control of her mind. All she could focus on was the hot liquid sliding down her throat, filling her undead veins with the fuel she needed to live. The ecstasy of feeding wrapped tight around her, pulling her into a dark place where nothing existed aside from her own instincts fueled by hunger, passion and lust.

  When the blood finally ran out, Toni quickly tossed the empty bottle into the trashcan then gave her true feelings a few moments to return. She inhaled a series of deep breaths, slowly blowing each one out as if to make room for her thoughts to come back. And when they finally did, she was surprised by the order.

  Drake took first place. Usually it was her family, followed by the tragedy, then Oktober and Stryker. How odd that Drake would win out so soon…

  She shrugged the thought away. As much as she knew she didn’t deserve the reprieve, he made her feel good, and right now she was more than willing to accept whatever distractions he offered. She only hoped she could do the same for him, considering the sadness and pain still clouded his eyes, even though it seemed to disappear at times.

  Part of her wanted to call him into the bathroom and offer him a spot underneath her in the tub, but the other part wanted to personally thank whoever invented the doorbell for interrupting something that could have easily gotten out of control.

  Something she might have regretted later.

  Would I have regretted it? She frowned. She’d never been the kind of woman who engaged in intimate activities with someone she barely knew, especially someone she’d only met hours before.

  She’d known Alexander for almost a full year before anything serious happened between them. He’d been the first and only man she’d ever gone to bed with, and aside from her father and brothers, the only man she’d ever loved. She hadn’t pursued a relationship or even thought about another man since she’d learned of his death over a year ago.

  And now, even when she fed her interactions with the male species were always short and to the point. There was never any kissing, and the only sex involved was oral. She’d find a man who smelled free of disease and looked as though he took care of himself, buy him a couple drinks, and then take him to a secluded spot where she’d perform orally. He’d get off, she’d get blood, and that was that.

  Having never developed the ability to control minds or emotions, she had little choice in ways to feed. And because being bitten by a vampire was better than the best orgasm, most men didn’t even notice when she bit down. They just thought she gave really good head.

  But Drake…

  Toni smiled as she recalled the warm sensation of his strong arm circling her waist, of being pressed against his hard body, of his hot tongue sliding between her lips. She had no idea a little bit of blood and a few kisses could make her feel that way.

  Then again, she’d never met him before.

  She sighed as she rested her feet against the massage jets. Now she just needed to get to know him. Physically speaking, the man was pretty much a walking fantasy. But if there was one lesson she’d learned since becoming a vampire, it was that walking male fantasies, human or other, could easily become nightmares when the doors closed.

  He’s not a nightmare. I could never love a nightmare. The thought alone shocked her. So much so, that she jumped, breaking the seal her skin had created against the porcelain. After sitting up, she coughed hard and tried to clear the water from her mouth and nose.

  Had she really just thought that? And had it really almost drowned her?

  But as she wiped the water from her eyes, reality forced her to be honest with herself. The truth was, even though she barely knew him, and even though it sounded absolutely ridiculous, something about Drake made the odd thought a possibility.

  Unwilling to consider the subject any further, Toni shoved the ill timed love thoughts aside and gave herself a stern reminder that she wasn’t a love struck teenager anymore, so she needed to stop acting like one. But then a very girly giggle escaped her lips. Or, maybe she really needed to act like a love struck teenager. Since she didn’t know him yet, there wasn’t any harm in just thinking about his body. Was there?

  Nope, she didn’t think so, either.

  Toni tipped her head back against the edge of the tub and let out a low growl as she pictured Drake, shirtless, smeared with grease, bending over a muscle car in his tight leather pants.

  “Now that’s good stuff,” she laughed out loud.

  However, she quickly learned that fantasizing about Drake while in a bathtub full of hot water and massage jets wasn’t a good idea. The already aroused state of her body, combined with her current thoughts and knowing she could probably make them a reality just by calling for him, well, minus the car and grease – did her absolutely no good.

  She finished bathing like the hot water would run out any moment, then jumped out of the tub and dried off. After brushing her teeth, she pulled a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a white tank top out of her bag and slid them on.

  She had no idea how long the human functions Drake had managed to turn back on would last, but if they had some kind of time limit, she wanted to be asleep when it ran out. Losing her heartbeat the first time around had been difficult enough, and she wasn’t sure how she’d react this time, especially now that her beast was fully developed.

  She’d bitten Drake enough for one day. The last thing the poor guy needed was a raging Thug on his hands. And considering what had happened the last time she lost herself to the beast…

  Toni took a deep breath and shook her head. No, she wasn’t going there. She refused to end her first night back in Chicago, her first night home, on a bad note. She’d left on one, and the whole point of coming back was to face her demons. To finally put everything to rest and move on with whatever life she could make for herself.

  She waited until she had complete control of her emotions before she opened the bathroom door. And when she did, all she could do was smile. Drake had both of his very manly arms tucked behind his very gorgeous head and his feet up on the coffee table – sleeping.

  She tiptoed across the room and pulled one of the thick cashmere blankets from the back of the recliners then carefully tucked it around him. Even while sleeping he maintained his human functions perfectly, down to the tiny detail of lightly snoring with each exhale. She brushed the back of her hand down his cheek and smiled when he nuzzled into it.

  Could he be any cuter? She honestly didn’t see how.

  Cupping his scratchy cheeks with both hands, she pressed a kiss to his forehead then quietly headed for the light switch near the door. But before she flipped that switch, she turned and took one last look at Drake’s handsome face.

  So far, he’d been the best part of coming home.

  When tears heated and stung the rims of her eyes, Toni flipped off the lights, waited for the dark room to come back into view, then snatched up all the renegade pillows and jumped on the bed again. After situating herself, s
he snuggled under the heavy comforter and sighed.

  All she could smell in the air was Drake’s spicy scent.

  She’d just began to wonder if him being so close might help her relax a little better when a warm tingle spread through her body, and before she knew it – sleep found her.

  Drake opened his eyes and fought to pull oxygen into his deflated lungs. His heart pounded so hard against his ribs that it almost hurt, and if he didn’t know better, he’d have sworn he was having some kind of attack.

  No woman had ever taken the time to tuck him in. Not once.

  Not even his own mother.

  And when he’d felt Toni’s soft lips touch his forehead, it’d taken everything he had not to wrap his arms around her and pull her against him. Her gesture had been so simple, so genuine…

  He tipped his head back and looked over at the bed. He could barely see her under the mountain of pillows, but he knew she was finally asleep because he’d helped her get there. He just hoped she didn’t realize what he’d done. Not knowing her well enough yet, he wasn’t sure how she’d react if she found out.

  Most vampires didn’t appreciate having natural magic used on them.

  Turning on the couch so he could stretch out his legs, Drake closed his eyes and marveled at the comfort he found in the sound of Toni’s steady breathing. Usually that noise was a bad sign for him…

  If they were breathing – they were still alive.

  Chapter 6

  Drake jumped to his feet when his peaceful slumber was violently interrupted by the shrill sound of Toni screaming. He glared around the dark room, scanning for anything out of place, but not a single scent or heat signature registered as foreign.

  Well, except for the fact that Toni’s body practically blended with the cooler blue tones of the bed, meaning she’d lost what life he’d been able to restore before they were so rudely interrupted. But she was still very much there, and that was the most important detail.

  He sucked in a deep calming breath then pressed the heels of his palms against his temples. His heart was in overdrive yet again, hammering in his ears, which made his eyes feel like they were about to burst because of the power he’d just forced behind them.

  Apparently, much like the ocean was for even veteran sailors, sleep was now his cruel mistress.

  He grinned at the thought, but his smile quickly faded as Toni let loose with another wail that sent chills racing across his shoulders before they shot down his spine. Without giving it a second thought, he rushed to the side of the bed to check on her. Laying face down, cold sweat beaded her skin as she thrashed and clawed at the mattress. The comforter was half wrapped around her legs and half on the floor, right next to the rest of the discarded satin sheets and toppled mound of pillows.

  He looked up at the clock and shook his head. It was only a little after Noon. No wonder the woman’s emotions were all over the place. Aside from being hungry all the time, if this was even a semi-regular occurrence, it was amazing she even found the strength to function, let alone maintain control of her beast.

  When she jerked and flipped over, her face contorted with agony, an overwhelming but very unfamiliar desire to comfort her welled up inside him. He watched, unsure what to do as tears streamed down her face.

  Was some Ancient using her dreams against her? Is that why he’d been contracted to protect her?

  Don’t do it. He knew he shouldn’t, but he needed to know who or what was haunting her. Because if indeed it was an Ancient vampire directing her nightmares, they could very well kill her. And he wasn’t about to let that happen.

  Not on his watch.

  Drake closed his eyes and concentrated on Toni. He relaxed as a shimmer of magic coursed through his body and the darkness slowly mottled, changing to a hazy view of the Chicago skyline. But when the mystical fog cleared, he was confused by what he saw…

  He stood in the middle of the street in front of The Rivers Building, not a single other soul in sight. The night air felt slightly warm against his skin, telling him it was late spring or early fall. And if pressed to make a guess, based solely on the decided lack of noise and traffic in the Business District, it had to be a Friday or a Saturday night. Yet nothing appeared out of place, there was nothing that explained why, if this scene truly was what Toni dreamed about, it upset her so much. There was also no hint of any powerful presence other than his.

  Drake frowned as he looked around again. Maybe he’d done something wrong. He wasn’t practiced enough with the ability to actually meld his consciousness with hers, but he should at least be able to watch her dream unfold as an invisible spectator.

  He closed his eyes and was just about to extract himself from the nightmare that wasn’t, when he caught the faint click of heels falling fast against the pavement. He opened his eyes, listening as the sound grew louder until a tall platinum blonde burst around the corner roughly a hundred yards in front of him. Garbed in a black vinyl cat suit and spiked heels, she easily pushed the bounds of the Veil, moving faster than any human had a right to as she raced towards him.

  He studied her for a moment. If he wasn’t mistaken, that was Natasha something-or-other, a fifty some year old Tech who had a reputation for playing with people well above her pay grade. From what he’d heard, she’d put her boney ass directly in the fire a number of times, but for some strange reason she always managed to pull herself out.

  She cut to the right just a few feet before she would have collided with him, and then dashed towards the doors leading into The Rivers Building. “Don’t let her in,” she shrieked as a small group of security guards poured from the doors with their weapons drawn. She frantically pointed at something across the street. “If you let her follow me, I swear to God I’ll have your children for dinner!”

  Drake turned his head and peered down the shadowed alley he’d used to race Toni to the hotel, just in time to see a dark figure duck behind a sedan parked near the end of it. Not more than a few seconds passed before gunfire erupted all around him. A wave of bullets zipped through his ghostly body; drilling into the car and making it bounce.

  It wasn’t until the figure rounded the front of the car with a Glock 23 clenched tightly in each hand that Drake realized why he was here. Why this scene had been conjured by the nightmares of the very woman he’d been contracted to protect.

  The dark figure leveling a pair of semi-automatic weapons at the six human guards standing in front of The Rivers Building…was Toni.

  With her fangs clearly visible and her eyes glazed by the beast, gone were the sweet and innocent qualities he’d come to admire. Hatred and rage were all that marked her face as she opened fire, peppering the group of men along with the entire front of the building. The thunder from her gunshots was deafening. The lobby’s frontage popped and shattered, raining glass down on everything and everyone below. The planters on either side of the doors exploded, sending chunks of dirt and shards of broken concrete everywhere.

  But Toni didn’t move at all. She stood there, rooted to the pavement, even while five rounds chewed through her long sleeved t-shirt and into her torso. Five rounds, which created five very familiar scars that still marred her tanned skin years later.

  Drake couldn’t do anything but watch as concentration flashed behind her dark eyes and slowly, one by one, the bullets pushed themselves from her flesh, falling against the street like heavy raindrops.

  What could make someone like her…do something like this?

  The thought had no more than crawled across his mind when the unmistakable scent of gasoline touched his nose. He stared straight into Toni’s vacant eyes, but he couldn’t tell her what was about to happen, couldn’t warn her.

  He couldn’t do anything to change what had already happened.

  When the sedan ignited, the force of the explosion threw Toni towards the lobby. She crashed into the sidewalk and let out a bloodcurdling wail as metal, glass and concrete cut deep into her skin, but she didn’t stay down for long. She
scrambled to her feet and stared at the ground in utter horror, her eyes moving over each mutilated body as if she were committing their face to memory.

  But just when Drake thought she might be coming back, that the real woman had finally broken the animal’s hold, she let loose with a primal roar that said she wasn’t even close to being finished.

  He followed close behind as she barreled into the lobby, straight towards the elevators as glass crunched beneath her boots. She stared up at the glowing marker that displayed the number 15 before she slammed the heel of her palm against the up button, shattering the plastic casing.

  “Damn it!” Her angry scream echoed through the lobby.

  Toni’s head whipped from left to right as her eyes searched for something, but then she burst into a full out run and ripped the door to the stairs off its hinges. At that point, she became nothing more than a dark blur as she disappeared up the staircase.

  Drake tapped into his own blood powers and made it to the top floor just before she did. She coughed and sputtered as she came to a stop, her chest heaving as she struggled to breathe.

  He frowned when she froze and began sniffing the air around her. Head tipped back like a wild animal, she followed the stench of some disgusting perfume to yet another door. She reached down and squeezed the handle, but let out a growl when it wouldn’t turn.

  Of course, a simple locked door had never been known to stop a beast crazed Warrior before, so why should it now?

  Toni crashed right through the damn thing, sending splinters of wood everywhere as she raced up yet another flight of stairs at a speed far surpassing anything human.

  This time, Drake broke the plane of the roof in exact time with her. She stopped dead and stared out across the desolate rooftop, her eyes narrowed to thin slits. He could only assume she was looking for Natasha, but the gangly blonde was nowhere to be seen.

  At least, he couldn’t see her, until Toni spun to her right and Natasha suddenly appeared in plain sight. How she’d done it, he didn’t know, but somehow Toni had managed to pierce the mystical shield the Tech had used to make herself invisible. The very same shield that had kept the nasty smelling bitch hidden from even his powerful eyes.