I inch closer trying to see his face. “Did you say lake? There isn’t one.”
“Turn around, Princess.”
Oooh. Nope. I hate that word. Just because I’m young, blonde, and cute doesn’t mean I deserve the moniker of Princess. Plus, I walk through this chunk of woods daily and I know there is not a body of water in it. “Ugh,” I groan, “Don’t call me—”
“Turn. Around,” he demands through a menacing growl.
I spin on the ball of my foot, determined to prove him wrong. “There see no…” My words tank as I look at the moon highway trailing across a murky easy-moving surface. Tufts of water push at the shore, crackling and snapping.
How did I not hear it and more importantly, what the hell?
“This wasn’t. I mean isn’t,” I can’t find my words. While I can see across the expanse, it’s still large and not easily missed. My feet never strayed from the worn path on my way to class, but I would’ve noticed a pond at some point in the past twenty-eight days.
“It’s Silver Lake,” stranger man offers, his cool breath dusting my neck.
I nearly jump out of my skin because a second ago, several feet separated us. “Jesus,” I jolt, angling to look at him. “Of course it is. Care to share why I’ve never seen it?” The moon shifts, almost as though it’s drawn to him.
Crazy, I know. Even nuttier is the sight of the bright orb through the constant cloud cover around the campus.
The yellow-hued silvery light caresses his skin, sticking to each curving handsome plane. He’s not the good, sweet boy next door I’m attracted to, but damn he’s stunning.
Yes, you’ve heard it time and again, but this man—and I do mean man—is breathtaking. A smidge taller than my six feet, dressed in darkness. Maybe blue, maybe black, I’m not sure. The ensemble hugs his frame like a second skin. He’s a perfect X with a head. Feet spread wide; pants glued to his thoroughbred thighs, cutting in on a trim waist, highlighted by a tight tucked tee stretched over strong shoulders. Flaxen light traces the line of his cut smooth jaw and plays on his plump mouth.
He smells of fresh cut grass. A new to me scent I’ve discovered I crave. Growing up in Vegas, we didn’t have a lawn to mow and the air smelled of hot dry earth. My first inhale of life and growth invigorated me and became my favorite. It wafts off him. I want more.
Icy fingers on my bare arms snap me out of my head. I’m pressed against his neck, lips inches from tasting his skin. Thanks to my height, my face fits next to his like a long-lost puzzle piece. He’s still and frigid as a block of ice. No breath moves his chest and with my closeness, I see his jaw grinding.
“Crap, sorry,” I mumble, but can’t find the power to step away from his addicting aroma. He uses his grip to hold me in place while he separates us. If he grits his teeth any harder, he’ll turn his molars to dust. Lulled and enamored, I gravitate toward him, unable to resist smelling him again.
“Stop,” he barks and I stumble, dropping to my knees because I was leaning to close the space between us. “You’re gonna have to fight the charm. I can’t turn it off, nor do I have the power to keep from taking what your offering.”
His words strike through my brain, gobbling up the he’s-all-that fog. “Excuse me, but I offered nothing, buddy,” I lie. I was so ready to jump his bones. “If you’re hanging out here waiting for an unsuspecting drunk chick to attack, I’ve got a stiletto with your name on it.”
“How when you don’t know my name?”
“Ass-faced Dicknoodle works for all you creepo attacker types.”
“Then you won’t mind if I do this,” he lunges, quicker than humanly possible, surrounding me with his fresh temptation, and crowding me with his size. Overwhelmed my head sags, dropping my ear to my shoulder. Hands at his sides, his nose traces the column of my neck. I hear his sharp intake of breath. “You need to try harder, Nicole Nodens.” The flat of his tongue tastes where my pulse throbs, before his lips meet my skin.
My brain screams, Whoa, but my body slumps like a boiled noodle. As my legs give up the good fight, a sharp poke pricks my neck. “Ow,” I squawk, hitting the ground. Gravel digs into my knees and my neck burns, both pains are enough to right my head.
“Jerk, you bit me,” I snap, rubbing my fingers over where he nibbled finding a slight drop of blood. “Dude, what the actual fuck? What did you do to me?”
“Proved my point. Nothing is what you think.” He extends a hand. “Get up, I’ll walk you home.”
Chapter Eight
I crab crawl backward, uncaring if my skirt is inching to my waist. After Caleb, no way will another man control me. Yes, for a handful of minutes I felt all lusty and pliable, lost in his overpowering mojo. I will not succumb again. Or so my brain says. The rest of me wants to invite him to snack on another piece of my anatomy.
I’ve never felt such desire or urge to beg. I don’t know this man from Adam, but damn, I’d like to spread him on a cracker. Or better yet, let him spread me.
“W-w-who are you? What are you doing to me?” He advances as I scramble.
“I won’t hurt you,” he says, his voice—running like syrup through my ears—calms my fear.
“Says the man who took a chunk outta my neck,” I murmur under my breath.
“Just a taste,” he says.
No way did he hear me. I spoke so low, only my lips moved.
My eyes locked on him, I don’t pay attention to where I’m going.
“Nicole, please don’t move. Let me explain some things first.” He dives toward me, as I arch shoving off my feet to jump away.
I feel the wet, hear the splash, but it’s blocked by a shock electrifying my body. The sky turns bright as the sun, sending him recoiling into the cover of trees. Before the shadows hide him, I see his face morph from handsome to terrifying. In the dark, I can still make out his red glowing eyes.
But his change is taking a back seat to the all-encompassing I don’t know what racing through my veins. The water rises, hooding my head and wrapping itself around me in an embrace, but it’s not wet or cold.
Call me nutso but it’s comforting. Soothing and warm like I pictured a hug from Mom would be. Sweet strawberry melon fills my nose and Windy’s jingle rings loud as church bells morphing into a high lilting voice, urging me to trust the man in the woods. I never knew my mother, but something familiar engulfs me in a cocoon of safety. The light sky fades to black with lightning cutting across the dark. Within my chrysalis wave, my muscles tighten and fire heats my blood.
Under me the curl builds, carrying me to land where it stands me on my feet. My mind screams, ‘Don’t go,’ but as it recedes her essence goes with it. Tears blur my vision. “Mommy!” I shout, but she’s gone.
Behind me, breaking twigs reel me back to the now. Without thinking my body twists, leg flinging out I issue a roundhouse kick to the center of his chest. It sends him flailing through the air, his body stopped by the thick trunk of a tree. Before he recovers, I’m on him. Fist knotted in his shirt, I drag him off his feet.
Holy shit. This is crazy AF. My mind races, watching him dangle from my hold. Before I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face, now it all shines as though I’ve turned on the sun. His nostrils flare and a muttered curse leaves his lips.
I watch his eyes shift from burgundy to ice blue, leaving behind a ring of red circling the iris. As I stare into their depths, the air around us crackles and tiny lines of light sizzle in his orbs. Behind his lips, elongated fangs vanish. The line of rough bumps between his eyebrows and the thick ledge of his brows returns to smooth skin. With my fresh eyes, I see him fully for the first time.
My earlier assessment of his sinfulness was grossly understated. He’s heavenly perfect and looks a whole lot like Ed Westwick from Gossip Girl. Ya know, if ole Ed were a vampire.
“Shit, fuck, damn,” I curse, “You’re an actual living, breathing vampire?”
“Not living or breathing,” he says, strained from where I’m using his shirt to choke him, �
��but a vampire, yes. Name’s Elon Ford.”
Shock releases my grip, stumbling me backward as a ring of warmth zips inside my chest. “I’m dreaming. Yep. I’m still at the party passed out, getting fondled by frat bros. You’re a spectacular figment of my imagination. And daaaammmnnn am I good. Though I could’ve done a bit better with your name, ‘cause come on, what’s your middle name Chevy or Dodge? I mean, how cruel would parents be to name you after two car geniuses. And the whole lake thing is kinda out there with the mommy issues but,” I give him a thumbs-up, “I rocked it on your sexiness. And yeah, okay, so I may have Twi-ed a little too hard with the vamp fantasy. I was Team Edward in the book but Team Jacob for the movie ‘cause Pattinson can suck it—”
“Nicole,” he grabs my shoulders, “breathe.” My teeth sink into my bottom lip and I heave in a deep inhale, shivering from the press of my wet clothes. “First, I’d rip any man to shreds who molested you while you were passed out, and no part of your mind should be okay with that assumption. Second, I wasn’t named after Henry Ford. He’s a relative who listened when I whispered ideas in his ear. And I met Elon Musk’s parents, which is how we share a name, but I in no way influenced his genius. My middle name is not another car company. I don’t have one. You’re not dreaming, but you are freezing, so let’s continue this conversation in your dorm.”
“B-b-but you, you c-c-can’t be real,” my teeth chatter.
“Correct. Come on, let your dream man tuck you in bed.” He winks cocking a cheesy dimple, popping a commercial-worthy smile meant to soothe but it’s more terrifying than his resting bitch face.
I welcome the heat to my cheeks as his noticeably warmer arm circles my waist. My hypothermic temperature pushes me closer to his chest.
“Why aren’t you as cold?” My nose buried in his tee muffles my words. I admit I’m a total creeper right now, but damn he smells good.
The ghost of his lips on my forehead lessens my shaking. “You.”
Chapter Nine
Lex and Geri meet us at the end of the path. They don’t acknowledge Elon, or the get the hell away guttural sound from his chest when Lex tries to pull me from his hold. Ignoring Elon’s bolster, Lex slips his zip-up hoodie over my shoulders.
Elon gruffs about it muddling my scent.
Outside the dorm, my sister paces and Parker sits on the steps with his face buried in his phone. He jumps to his feet when we approach.
Ranissa’s eyes trail Elon from head to toe
If he’s what you find studying in the library, sign me up. Ranissa’s appreciation hums in my head.
After her jealousy-inducing eyeful, she notices my soaked outfit and bare feet.
Pure raging fire turns her blue eyes darker and a loud roar rips through my head.
Shit, I’ve never heard her make that sound before. Chill, Nissa, I had a mishap with a lake and he was nice enough to see me home. I’m not hurt, just frozen. Without hesitation, she shoves Elon away, replacing his hold with hers, and he allows it.
“Thank you for helping her home. We’ve got it from here,” Ranissa dismisses him.
“No, Sis, I have a dictionary of questions to ask. Come, Elon, we’re gonna have ourselves a nice long chat, right after I take a ridiculously hot shower.”
We all pile in the elevator, except for Elon who opts to take the stairs, claiming it’s safer.
The rise to our floor seems to take an eternity. When the doors open, I sidestep Elon—who stands waiting—and bolt down the hall to our room. As the rest of the gang enters, I’m sealing myself in the bathroom.
I spend an eternity under the scalding spray, thawing out before I wash, shampoo, and condition. When the scalding water fades, I shut it off. Toasty with a plush towel wrapped around me, I stand in the steam, swiping a hand through the fogged mirror. I blanch at my reflection.
Where my biceps were soft, now muscles tighten the skin. Not bodybuilder bulging, but pure sinew. My collarbone dips in, accentuating the definition of my neck. Curious, I release the towel. My large breasts sit higher, firmer, no longer fighting the good fight against gravity. These bad babies are large and in charge, no bra wearing, up to my chin perfect.
Oh, sweet Jesus, I have abs. Tiny, slim divot woman abs but ABS! They appear out of place on my pooching stomach, but pair nicely with the no longer jiggling cellulite on my thighs. I’m still the same size, but less fluffy and more Amazonian.
The lake really happened, which means Elon Ford is a freaking fangbanger.
Oy vey. I huff out a shoulder-curling sigh. I slip on leggings and a sweatshirt, towel the water out of my hair, before brushing and plaiting it into a braid. Fresh and defrosted, I step back in the room.
Elon is in my desk chair, positioned in the middle of the room. Hands clasped and head hanging, with his thighs manspread wide. A presumed guilty man centered before the jury. Ranissa eyes him from her chair. Geri and Lex lean against the wall atop my bed, while Parker and Kerrigan mirror their position on Ranissa’s.
His nostrils expand and a slight grin tugs at one side of his lips. In a blur of black and flesh he’s at my front, wrapping a blanket from the end of the bed around my shoulders.
“Whoa,” my sister’s awed gasp mingles with mutterings of ‘show-off’ and ‘undead bastard.’
Wriggling my nose in the soft fleece, I angle a curious brow toward my friends. Ranissa zombie shuffles to my side, eyes entranced and swirling with heat, she leans into Elon, inhaling deep breaths.
“Hmmm,” she hums. “He smells like antiquarian books and ink. It’s irresistible.” She sways on her feet, rocking closer and closer until she falls. He catches her, cradling her head. Chin lifted, she offers her neck.
“For fuck’s sake,” I grunt, dragging her from his hold. Her whine pisses me off, as I sit her down and roll her chair to the farthest corner of the room.
Elon moves to the opposite wall by the window. One look at my friends and I see—they too are affected by his scent but somehow—they fight it.
Parker and Lex do a better job resisting. Clenched fists and teeth-crumbling tight jaws match their ramrod straight postures. Geri and Kerrigan sit at the edge of the bed, faces flush, exultant eyes raking Elon from head to toe, and teeth chewing on their bottom lips. Sweat slicks their foreheads as they fight by holding their breaths and sitting on their hands.
“Are you kidding me?” I toss my hands up, frustrated. “Even the guys want to jump your dick. This room isn’t big enough.”
“Yum,” Kerrigan purrs, “warm chocolate chip cookies.” She gives up, allowing her chest to expand with deep, lung-filling breaths.
“No, it’s bacon. Crispy, greasy, salty. Baaaacccooon.” Geri’s eyes droop and a dreamy blissed-out euphoria paints her face.
“Popcorn, hotdogs, beer,” Lex hisses through gritted teeth, “First baseball game of the season good.”
“Pussy. Hot, wet, willing, wanton. FUCK!” Parker shouts bolting upright, hands held over the obvious bulge in his pants, he races out of the room.
“ELON!” I roar, “Can’t you turn that shit off? I get it, okay. This is how you lure us all to offer you our vein, but dammit.”
In a flash, he’s once again in front of me. Hands locked on my hips, he pulls me into him. I expect the onslaught of fresh-cut grass but it’s gone, replaced by heat waving off his body. I’m furious for the way my friends kowtow to his charm, but I can’t pinpoint why jealousy is twisting my insides. I just met him and know next to nothing about him, but something beyond his vampire abilities pulls at my heart.
“The only way to stop the compulsion is for my mate to claim me. A single kiss from the one meant to breathe life into our dead soul prevents us from ever tempting another human. We live for and on, our intended. They fill our cold with heat, bring pulse where none existed, and our heart beats for them until their last breath.”
His pupils grow until the black center consumes the ice blue, leaving only the red rim. He lifts my chin, exposing my neck. One finger traces where
my pulse pounds. My knees weaken and my breath quickens. The urge to taste his lips flutters along my mouth.
“M-m-me,” I whisper, warmth spreading through my body, “I’m your mate.” No question, no doubt. Just a supreme knowledge and rightness.
“It seems so, Daughter of Odin,” he answers, running his nose along my jugular, over my chin, until his mouth is hairsbreadth from mine.
“S-s-soon. Too soon,” I stutter, tasting his sweet breath on my lips. My heart thunders in my chest. God, I want to kiss him, own him, but it’s beyond logic.
His words filter through the foggy parts of my brain. “What did you call me?”
The heavy leer of my friends and sister drift the longer I stare into his eyes. Each panted breath rubs my breast against his solid chest. He’s all up in my personal space, yet not close enough. Wetness soaks my panties, foreign and filled with exigency. My thighs burn to hug the weight of him, and my core aches for the thick steel pressing on my stomach. Visceral longing I’ve never felt before. Spiraling into infinity outside of earth. It’s the craziest, most insanely spur of the moment, instant…what the hell is it? Can’t be love, right? I don’t even know him, yet it’s as if I’ve never not known him.
Over my shoulder, I sense them looming. These people I’m growing to adore and my sister, huddling around this man I’ve known for a shorter time than it takes coffee to get cold. Heads tilted, necks exposed, they shift and shuffle, waiting to please him.
I grab his hand, dragging him in the bathroom, away from the hopeful feedbags. With a small hop, I settle on the vanity. My thumb and forefinger pinch between my eyes, warding off the beginning press of a headache. “Are you sure you can’t at least tone it down so they’re not lined up like lambs for slaughter?”
“I’m a predator, Nicole. Do you understand what that means?” He steps between my thighs, searching my eyes for answers. “My face steals their attention. The things they smell draw them close so I can captivate them with my eyes. My breath relaxes their muscles, so when the monster takes my face they’re too far gone to care. Even if they freak out, I can erase it all after I take what I want. Everything about me is designed to hunt, feed, survive. Asking me to turn it off is like asking you to not be a twin.”
A Cursed All Hallows' Eve Page 83