The Craving

by Jenika Snow

  “I find it hard to believe that you,” I emphasized my meaning by running my eyes up and down his body, “could be caught by anyone.” He was a massive man and it was hard to imagine someone being able to subdue him. His laugh was soft yet deep.

  “Well, when your captor is your brother that knows your every strength and weakness it isn’t very hard, believe me.”

  “I thought you said you had to go look for your brothers once you healed? One of them had you prisoner?”

  He nodded. “Yes. I have three brothers. The eldest, Ellon, has been holding me, Ayden, and my youngest brother, Zacharia prisoner all these years.”

  “Why?”

  He shrugged and leaned back in the chair. “There is no logic to his reason for doing so. Ellon hasn’t been right in the mind since he was turned. He believes that by consuming the blood of his brothers he will in turn absorb our strengths.” I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “Yes, I know, his logic isn’t rational.”

  I held in the shiver of disgust. Drinking from your family had to be incest of some kind. “If you've been prisoner for all these years how were you able to escape?”

  “Ellon may have been able to capture all of us, but at times his intelligence is lacking.”

  I brought my knees to my chest and rested my head on them. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”

  “All those years it never occurred to him to change the locks on our restraints. The chains had strength, but after time they became weak, so weak I was able to free myself and my brothers.”

  “I don’t understand how he was able to keep three fully grown vampires prisoner.”

  “He fed from us daily, keeping our strength so low that we could do nothing but submit to his cruel punishment. Of course he had to give us nourishment of some kind but it was always the bare minimum, only enough to keep our hearts beating.”

  I eyed his body again, wondering exactly how big he truly was. If he had been starved for all these years and still looked this powerful he had to be enormous when fully healed.

  “He would also wound us, therefore draining what little blood we did have.” He shifted in his seat slightly, as if remembering his past also pained him. “My brothers and I separated, hoping to mask our scent when Ellon realized we had escaped.”

  I licked my suddenly dry lips. “And so you stumbled upon my home?”

  “Yes. I was able to run across a rabbit while I fled, and the little blood it offered helped my injuries somewhat.”

  My eyes grew wide as I thought about his injuries being worse. I remembered the blood that stained his mouth and it all made sense now. Fear also started to take hold of me. “What if your brother tracks you here? We aren’t safe.” I started to hyperventilate, knowing that letting a vampire into my home had been a horrible mistake.

  “Please, stay calm. The storm will confuse his senses. We have a while before he picks up on my trail, that is, if he picks up on it. The snow will cover my tracks and mask my scent. Ellon will not attack you, and if he tried, I promise you he will not succeed.” His voice dropped lower and I shivered from the intensity of it. “He hides from the general population. He has grown very paranoid with age.”

  I couldn’t leave, not with how the weather currently was. I just had to wait out the storm and pray the weatherman was correct in saying it would only last three days.

  Chapter Five

  Four days had passed and the storm still ran rampant. I paced in front of the window and stared out through the frosted pane at the darkened sky. Snow and ice pelted the glass and I could feel the cold radiate toward me. I glanced over my shoulder at Kristofer who sat on the couch, a book in his lap. The blood I was able to get off the steaks helped him and he was slowly healing, but I made sure to store some away, knowing I only had so much. I turned and walked into the living room and sat in front of the fire.

  Although I didn’t want to think about what was happening and the situation I was in, it was too hard to avoid it. I couldn’t not think about Krisofer. I looked over at him through the veil of my hair. He was immersed in his readings and I took that time to study him. He seemed so concentrated, as if whatever he was reading had him so engrossed the outside world wasn’t even reality. His coal colored hair hung freely across his forehead but not long enough to obscure his vision. More and more frequently I was finding myself wondering how that obsidian colored hair would feel running across my fingers, or more lewdly, how it would feel against my inner thighs.

  I shifted uncomfortably due to where my thoughts were headed and turned to look at the fire once again. Over the past several days Kristofer and I had become more comfortable around each other. I no longer watched him in fear that he would rip out my throat. I was actually pleased with his company. He made me feel safe, as strange as that was to admit, I liked having him around. I still worried about his brother, but with each passing day Kristofer’s body continued to heal and grow stronger and I no longer worried that he wouldn’t be able to protect us if need be.

  “This storm is never ending.” I murmured absently, trying to get my mind off having sex with Kristofer.

  “This is good, though.” He set the book down and looked toward me. “The more snow we get, the better the chance of Ellon never finding the cabin.” He smiled and his fangs flashed momentarily. My heart started to pound at the sight and I looked away.

  “Why do you turn from me? Do I frighten you that badly?”

  “The sight of your…fangs reminds me of my mother’s death.” That was the nice thing about Kristofer—he didn’t pry. I told him what I wanted to and he got the hint, never pushing for more than I was willing to give. “If you wanted to kill me you would have done so already. Heaven knows you’ve had plenty of opportunities to do so.” He didn’t respond and so I listened to the crackle and pop of the fire in front of us.

  “Payton, look at me.” I was hesitant to do so, scared of what I might find in his pale blue eyes. My feelings for him were becoming fiercer with each passing moment, and I feared that I wouldn’t be able to ignore them for much longer. I knew what it was like to be with a man, but never had I felt the raw, primal feelings that Kristofer ignited inside of me. They were foreign, and coupled with the fact that he was a creature that I feared deeply, I didn’t know whether to run or embrace my emotions.

  I lifted my gaze and was immediately captured by his. He moved closer and I could smell his intoxicating scent. It was like nothing I had ever smelled before—a mixture between evergreen and pine, a purely masculine yet wild aroma that held me tightly. I breathed in deeply, knowing I needed to rein in my feelings. I tried to tell myself I felt this way because it had been so long since I had been with a man. Maybe I wanted the empty feeling inside of me filled. Or maybe it was the fact that we were stuck in this small, enclosed space for a length of time, but in the end I knew better. I wanted him, in the most elemental of ways.

  “Why do you turn away all the time? I would never hurt you. You saved my life and because of that I owe you my life.” He ushered me forward and I complied without hesitation. When I was leaning against the couch, so close to him I could hear him breath, he lifted his hand and grazed my cheek with the backs of his fingers. I didn’t shy away, not any longer, because I craved his touch.

  “Honestly?” I don’t know why the truth suddenly wanted to make an appearance, but it did. “I'm afraid of how I feel. Of how you make me feel.”

  “And how is that?” His voice was a mere whisper, his warm breath teasing tendrils of my hair as he leaned in closer.

  The urge to run my fingers across his hair was too strong to resist. I lifted my hand, tentatively to brush the wayward strands away. He closed his eyes when I touched him and I swallowed.

  “Your touch, it feels…wondrous.” He opened his eyes and our heads moved closer, as if on their own accords. Our lips were inches apart, our breath mingling together as we panted.

  I could hear my heart thundering in my chest, knew that I might live to regret what
was about to happen, but helpless to stop it. I moved in the last couple of inches and closed my eyes as our lips pressed together. Despite Kristofer’s brute size, his lips were soft and full. I slanted my head to deepen the kiss and felt him spear his hand through my hair, bringing me closer. I opened my mouth and accepted his warm tongue inside, moaning at the addicting taste of him.

  We both were breathing heavily as the kiss deepened, as our tongues slid along each other, and as our hands started caressing one another. He leaned forward and I felt his hands grip my waist, and he lifted me onto the couch. His bigger body covered mine and I spread my legs to accommodate him. Warm fluid seeped out of my pussy and my clit started to tingle. My body knew what it wanted, and what it wanted was Kristofer.

  Our mouths broke apart and he started to kiss the side of my face. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer. He started moving lower, his lips and tongue more demanding the closer he came to my neck. I snapped my eyes open, a moment of panic swelling within me.

  His mouth was suddenly by my ear, his voice low and gentle. “You know I wouldn’t hurt you. Tell me, Payton. Tell me you know this.”

  Slowly my fear started to dissipate and I thought rationally, telling myself over and over this wasn’t the past. Kristofer hadn’t hurt me, in fact, at every opportunity he had been gentle, caring and sweet. I felt this hands run along my hair, cupping my head so softly. My pussy ached and my clit throbbed. I wanted Kristofer so badly. “I know this.”

  He broke the kiss and whispered in my ear, “Good, that’s real good.” He kissed the shell of my ear before running the tip of his tongue over it. “I want to be inside of you, Payton.”

  I shivered at the eroticism I felt when he spoke. “I want you inside of me.” He pulled back and looked down at me. His breathing was just as accelerated as mine, and at that moment, when I saw his fangs, arousal the likes of which I had never felt washed through me. He dipped his head and went back to kissing me. His hips started to slowly push against mine and I could feel the rough material of his pants pressing against my clit, sending my desire higher. I braced my hands on his shoulders when I felt one of his hands move between our bodies and start to unbutton my jeans.

  I could hear my pulse thundering in my ears, knew that what I was about to do went against everything I had believed in since that fateful night. I pushed the memories to the back of my mind, knowing that I couldn’t let the past haunt me, not anymore. Our lips parted and I turned my head as he started sucking at my neck. I didn’t feel his fangs, only felt the soft, rhythmic pull of his lips and tongue on my flesh. His hand slipped beneath my panties and I arched up as his finger made contact with my sopping slit.

  He sucked harder at my throat as he removed his hand and tore my jeans down my legs. I lifted up and he took the panties with him. I could smell my wetness and felt my face heat with embarrassment. I had no doubts Kristofer could smell exactly how aroused I was.

  “Your pussy smells so sweet, Payton. It drives me wild.” He growled against my skin and the vibrations went straight to my nipples and clit. I felt them swell and harden further.

  His finger went between our bodies again and he started to rub my clit in slow, measured circles. I gasped at the intensity that small act caused and closed my eyes as pleasure coursed through me. I let myself absorb what I was feeling, let my body and mind become one and just feel. His finger continued moving down and teased circles around my opening. He pressed in slowly and I felt the burn from his thick finger as it stretched my pussy. If this was how his finger felt I was in for one hell of a ride when his cock replaced it. He started to finger fuck me, pushing the thick digit into my hole and then bringing it out quickly. The sound of sucking wetness filled my ears and made me hotter.

  “You feel so tight, Payton, so warm and hot.” He dragged his tongue up my neck and gently bit my earlobe. “I want you, so fucking bad.”

  His crass language was my breaking point. I tore my shirt over my head and he got off of the couch to remove his clothing. There were no words needed, I could see the scorching desire in his gaze and I’m sure mine was a reflection of his. I felt the loss of his body heat immediately. My nipples puckered into tight buds, so hard they ached. My legs were still splayed open and I could feel the warm liquid of my desire slip out of my pussy and down the crack of my ass.

  “You are so beautiful, so pink, so wet.” His gaze was riveted to my pussy and I felt a twinge of embarrassment at the thought of what he was staring at. No doubt it was glistening, swollen and red from my arousal.

  When he started to remove his clothes my mouth went dry and my eyes widened. His shirt was the first thing to go, and when it did my pulse picked up. Rippling muscle covered his chest, ropes of sinew and tendons running just beneath the alabaster skin. His wounds were healed on his chest, but even if they had still been there I knew it wouldn’t have taken away from the beauty of his body.

  His hands went to the button of his pants and he slowly removed them. He wore no underwear beneath them, and when they fell to the ground and I got a look at his fully erect shaft, my pussy clamped down tight. He had been impressive flaccid, but now, all hard and leaking pre-cum at the tip, he was monstrous. I was honestly frightened for a moment that he wouldn’t fit.

  My gaze skimmed to the gnashes in his leg and I was pleasantly surprised that all that remained were raised pink scars. With more time, those too would be gone. He moved closer and I could see a small limp in his step. It was clear there was still damage beneath the surface.

  I flicked my gaze to his, saw his eyes skim over my body. He stepped closer and ran the tips of his fingers over my arm and along the underside of my breasts. I would have never expected to see this kind of gentleness from a vampire, but then again, everything about Kristofer was like nothing I had ever known or thought possible. He teased my areola and I looked down to see the traitorous tissue tighten under his ministrations.

  “You are so responsive to me.” He glanced up at me and I couldn’t help but shiver.

  I grew bold, grew needy for him. I sat up, ran my hands up and down his thighs and then urged him closer. I stared at the thick, hard flesh in front of my face, saw the slit weep with clear fluid and leaned in. I ran my tongue across the head, tasting his strong, salty essence and wanting more. He groaned above me and I knew he liked what I was doing. I sucked the head in and ran my tongue along the underside of his cock. The thick vein that lay just under the skin pulsed beneath my tongue.

  “Oh fuck, Payton. Your mouth feels so good.” His hands went to my head at the same time his hips jerked forward ever so slightly.

  I hollowed out my mouth and tried to take as much of him in as I could. It was no easy feat and I could only get half of his cock into my mouth. I hummed in satisfaction when I tasted a spurt of his cum fill my mouth. Gripping the root of his shaft, I started to stroke what I couldn't suck. I ran my other hand up to his abdomen, felt the muscles of his six-pack flex and tighten under my palm, and sucked harder.

  “Wait,” he grunted, his thighs shaking, his orgasm close. Just when I thought he would explode in my mouth, he pulled away. I panted and looked up at him. I licked my lips, still able to taste him.

  He groaned. “When you do that I find it hard to control myself.”

  Kristofer pushed me back onto the couch and I spread my legs wide. He covered my body with his and I felt exactly how big and powerful he truly was compared to me. He latched his mouth onto my breast and started sucking my nipple. His hands were everywhere—my hips, my thighs, my face. Everywhere he touched seemed to tighten in response, in awareness. He moved to my other breast and I snapped my eyes open when I felt the sharp point of his fangs graze my skin. His teeth gently ran over my nipple before he sucked it in his mouth and began to roll it back and forth between his teeth. The reaction I was having made me feel slightly uncomfortable. His fangs on my flesh aroused me, immensely.

  He pulled back and looked at me, his fangs longer than they ha
d been. “I’m sorry, Payton, as hard as I try I can’t control myself around you. I promise I won’t hurt you.”

  I knew he wouldn’t, but those deadly teeth were still surreal to me. A shiver ran through me at the thought that slammed into my brain. Without thinking, I blurted it out. “Maybe I don’t want you to control yourself, Kristofer.” He stared at me with surprise flickering across his features. He moved up my body again and kissed me softly.

  “I don’t think you mean that.”

  I spread my legs wider and rubbed my pussy along his hardness. “No, I think I do.” Where had this part of me come from, I idly wondered.

  He panted against my mouth and murmured, “Touch me. I want to feel your hands on my cock again, Payton.”

  Oh lord, this was going to be one hell of a night.

  Chapter Six

  The feel of his massive pectorals beneath my palms excited me. I ran my fingers down his smooth flesh, across his rippling abdomen and finally reached the junction between his legs. I could feel the coarse hair surrounding that monster cock and then finally the smooth, thick flesh between his legs. He visibly shook as I gripped him and started to slowly stroke his erection. I couldn’t fit my fingers all the way around the girth, not even close. I panted with arousal and we stared into each other's eyes.

  “Put me inside of you.” He licked his lips and closed his eyes when I placed the tip of his shaft at my opening. He groaned roughly. “I can feel how warm and wet you are. I’ll go slow, I promise.”

  I felt him start to push inside of me and I braced my hands on his broad shoulders. At first the pain was indescribable. He slowly shoved all those thick inches into my body, his pelvis curling forward as his hand landed on my hip, holding me, steadying me. As his cock continued to tunnel its way into my pussy, I moved my hands down to his biceps and gripped the hard muscles tightly. My nails dug into his flesh. He hissed and I immediately let go, fearing I hurt him.