Fury Calls

by Caridad Piñeiro

  He intended to break through that reserve. To find a way past the barriers she had put up around her heart.

  With greater caution he moved upward, past the tender flesh of her inner thighs and to the center of her. The musky smell of her arousal called to the demon who wanted a taste as well, but Blake drove him back. The demon had already had his fill of Meghan on more than one occasion.

  This time the human wanted his share.

  He nudged the curls at her center with his nose before finding the nub beneath with the tip of his tongue.

  She bucked up then, clearly surprised by the feel of his mouth there, but then he deepened his caress, kissing that swollen nub, licking until she surged off the lounger again.

  “Easy, Meghan,” he urged. “I won’t leave you wanting.”

  He tugged at her again with his mouth before bringing his thumb to the nub and applying gentle pressure. While he did so, he dipped his head a fraction lower, licked along her nether lips, moist with desire and blushed with the sweet blood that the demon wanted to sample, but which he ignored.

  Easing his tongue into her, he mimicked how he intended to love her and then brought his mouth back to her nub while he drew her to the edge with his fingers.

  Meghan moved her hips upward, straining, her body awake to every caress. To every movement he made, only she needed more from him. She wanted to feel all of him and share the pleasure he was bringing her with the wonderful touch of his mouth and hands.

  Grabbing hold of his shoulders, she sat up and he took advantage of that short break in their connection to rip off the black T-shirt he had been wearing.

  When he stepped back within the vee of her legs, his sculpted midsection was directly in front of her face and she laid her lips along the ridges of muscle there. As she worked on freeing him of his jeans, she trailed her mouth down to his navel and licked it, causing a shiver to dance across his body.

  She chuckled wantonly and he groaned, bent and tossed away his jeans, leaving him naked before her.

  Her insides clenched at the sight of him, magnificent as he was with all the hard muscle and the long, thick length of him that would fill her fully while he caressed her with his able hands and brought a smile to her face with his sinful charm.

  As she met his gaze, he seemed to realize she didn’t want another second to go by before his possession, and so she made the final invitation.

  Lying down, she inched her hips along the lounger until he was poised at her entrance. He lingered there, the head of his penis just barely making contact, and her body responded, growing wet and vibrating with demand for his entry.

  He forced a smile. She could see he was near the end of his control, but somehow he managed some semblance of restraint and entered her slowly until he was completely sheathed within her. Contractions she couldn’t control milked him, but he surprised her by remaining immobile, gritting his teeth as if his control was paining him.

  “Blake?” she asked, and wrapped her legs around his hips, almost fearing that he would leave her now when they had finally made the first step in this dance.

  He sucked in a shaky breath and grasped her hands with his to keep her from any motion. “I’ve no need for heaven now, Meghan. I’ve found it here with you.”

  The burden of such a confession was almost too great for her to bear until she met his gaze and realized that maybe she had found a part of heaven here as well. She placed her hands over his and gently urged them from her waist and to her breasts.

  “Make me believe heaven is possible for us, Blake.”

  Whatever fragile control Blake had mustered disappeared like dew beneath the morning sun.

  He caressed her breasts, tweaking the taut tips with his fingers before soothing them with his mouth. All the while, however, he remained immobile inside of her, savoring the motion of her muscles and the slickness surrounding him. Only when she arched into him, demanding a fulfillment that he couldn’t refuse, did he finally allow himself to move. He shifted in and out of her slowly at first, but then lost any and all restraint as her soft cries and the clutch of her hands on his shoulders drove him on.

  She came loudly, calling his name in a soft scream. He followed her, murmuring her name and dropping down onto her, his body depleted of strength.

  Somehow he shifted them upward on the lounger while remaining inside of her long after pleasure had sated them and the holding and joining had become about more.

  As he cuddled her close, still buried deep within, she slowly relaxed and eventually fell asleep.

  But he was awake long after. As he finally softened and slipped from her body, he worried that it might be just as easy to slip from her life again unless he made good on his promise to be a better man.

  As he lay next to her, their bodies close, Blake worried and planned for what he would do next. For what it would take to fully recapture the trust he had lost the night he had turned her.

  He worried about whether when the time came, he could be the man she needed. If he failed her this time, he suspected that her fury would return with even greater vigor and drive him from her life forever.

  Forever without Meghan would be an existence he didn’t want to contemplate.

  Meghan didn’t know how she came to be the one brokering a meeting between two scary women—Stacia and Diana.

  She suspected that it was because none of the men wanted to risk the wrath of either of the two and hoped Meghan would be a calming influence.

  Not that she was feeling calm. She was feeling dazed ever since her interlude with Blake days ago. And confused because she had found comfort in his arms. Not to mention jealous when faced with the prospect of talking to Stacia.

  She didn’t want to be jealous because that implied she cared for Blake. He had asked her to believe in possibilities, only she wasn’t ready to consider that possibility right now.

  Diana was the first to arrive. Even in jeans instead of her requisite suit, she was all business. She stepped into the apartment and scoped out the room, clearly expecting to encounter the vampire elder.

  “She’s not here yet.”

  Diana chuckled. “She has to make her appearance.”

  Holding out her hand, Meghan invited Diana into the living room, where she had laid out some wine and glasses. She hoped to keep things friendly, and Diana must have picked up on that, since she said, “Worried that Stacia and I won’t play nice?”

  “Actually, I’m not sure how I’ll handle being with her.”

  Diana chuckled once again and shook her head. “So the rumor about Stacia and Blake is true?”

  She shrugged. “Heard you and Stacia have some history as well.”

  “Much the same history that you have with her. I don’t like anyone messing with my man.” Anger finally colored the other woman’s words as she took a spot on the sofa.

  Meghan understood. “Blake and I…I’m not quite certain he’s…That we’re…” She tossed her hands up, fumbling for the words.

  “Being in love with a vampire…” Diana shrugged, apparently also at a loss. “It’s confusing, and Stacia’s involvement with the men—all of them, it seems—just complicates things. Let’s hope she’ll be able to provide some information tonight to make up for it.”

  A harsh laugh escaped Meghan. “Maybe the supernatural slut will have something worthwhile to spill.”

  A knock came, but not at the door.

  Meghan rose and approached the window where another impatient rap sounded sharply against the glass.

  Perched on the ledge, Stacia was a dark silhouette against the night sky.

  Meghan opened the window and Stacia seemed to float into the apartment. A sheer black wrap, which covered a wealth of black leather, billowed behind her with an unseen wind. As she drifted by, Stacia patted her cheek the way a maiden aunt might a child’s and smiled indulgently.

  “So nice to see you again, little one.”

  Hostility rose up in her at Stacia’s dismissal and the vampire
elder must have sensed it since she shot Meghan a vexed look.

  “Getting bold, are we?” Stacia asked, her gaze darkening, but then Diana rose from the sofa. Stacia’s features filled with yearning, and inside of Meghan came the pull of need that Stacia’s elder power was casting off.

  Meghan shook off the sensation and walked to where Stacia and Diana stood, staring at each other across the coffee table. Diana stood with her arms crossed, legs braced about a foot apart, as if she might need to spring into action at any second. A harsh glare had settled onto her features, leaving no doubt about her feelings toward the vampire elder.

  Stacia seemed to have copied Diana’s pose, but a bemused smile tempered the earlier ferocity of her look, masking her yearning as well. As Meghan approached them, Stacia addressed Diana.

  “Mia amica. It’s been too long since we’ve been together.”

  Been together? Meghan wondered at the odd choice of words.

  “In your dreams, Stacia,” Diana rejoined.

  Stacia laughed huskily and, as she gracefully settled herself in a nearby chair, she said, “And in yours, Diana. Do you not realize it is only a matter of time before you come to me?”

  Meghan had obviously stepped into something that went well beyond Stacia’s dalliances with most of the male vampires in Manhattan. At the thought of Stacia and Blake together, confusion and outrage reemerged. As she neared to pour them some wine, her feelings drew Stacia’s attention once more.

  “Jealous, little one? Do you want a taste of my passion for yourself?”

  She almost purred as she stroked Meghan’s cheek.

  “Get over yourself. I’ve no interest in sloppy seconds.” Meghan needed to deny her interest in Blake as a matter of self-preservation against the vampire elder. She knew Stacia would gladly jump on any sign of weakness.

  “Nor am I,” Diana said. To Meghan’s relief, Stacia seemed amused by their comments. She merely shook her head with mirth while Diana resumed her seat on the opposite side of the coffee table.

  Meghan poured the wine and offered each of the women a glass. She filled her own to the brim, suspecting she would need the additional fortification before the night was out.

  When they were seated, Diana skipped the preliminaries and went straight to the core of their problem. “Heard tell that you know about this drug that seems to be responsible for what’s been going on at Otro Mundo.”

  Stacia shrugged and shifted in her chair, eased one leg over the arm. The pose was both casual and sensual, making Meghan think of her lying on a settee while she waited to be served. “A thousand years ago, sanguinarium became all the rage in more ways than one.”

  “The drug makes a vampire’s bloodlust uncontrollable?” Diana asked.

  With a husky laugh, Stacia said, “It was never about the bloodlust, mia amica. That was just a nasty side effect.”

  Diana leaned forward, her elbows braced on her knees as she loosely held the glass of wine in her hands. “So what was it about the drug that made it so popular?”

  “The desire,” Stacia immediately answered. “Think of it as Viagra for vamps. Just a few drops and a vampire’s body would be sexually supercharged. Filled with immense need.”

  “And intense satisfaction,” Diana said.

  Stacia slowly slung her leg over the edge of the chair and rose. The air in the room seemed to grow thick, and within her, Meghan suddenly felt a deep throb that grew in intensity in achingly slow moments. She sucked in a breath, battling the urge and heard Diana’s sharp gasp.

  “Imagine this, cara,” Stacia said, clearly in control of both her and Diana. “Imagine this feeling for hours on end. Imagine that every touch, every caress, brings infinite satisfaction. Release beyond anything you can imagine.”

  With those words and a careless flick of her hand, the vampire elder released them from her control.

  Diana immediately shot up from her seat, her body shaking with anger. “Don’t ever use your vamp energy on me again, Stacia.”

  “Or what, cara? You’ll cuff me? That might be fun,” Stacia said with a wicked laugh as she curled back into her seat like a pleased cat.

  Diana hesitated, clearly battling with herself before she finally said, “Pray that you never push me that far.”

  Stacia waved her hand dismissively and took a sip of her wine. “Do you need to know anything else?”

  Diana handled Stacia blowing her off more gracefully than Meghan had expected. Maybe it was because the agent was used to uncooperative suspects. With a bracing breath, Diana continued her questioning. “So if none of the men knew about the drug—”

  “All of the men are too young. Sanguinarium was outlawed hundreds of years before they were turned,” Stacia said.

  “So only the elders would know about it. But where would someone get their hands on it?” Meghan asked, needing to do more than just sit there.

  Stacia quirked a brow at her. “When the drug was outlawed, any stashes of it were destroyed. Anyone caught selling or using the drug was put to death.”

  “Death seems like a pretty extreme punishment.”

  “You’ve seen what it can do, little one. The bloodlust that comes with the passion is nearly impossible to control, and if the lust isn’t sated, the vamp may expire from the want. Dead vampires and humans started turning up everywhere, their bodies ravaged as the sanguinarium user tried to satisfy their hunger.”

  “And too many bodies around is never good, is it, amiga?” Diana offered as explanation.

  Stacia’s mood sombered. She turned in her seat and, with her eyes downcast, said, “Vampires used to live peacefully in Rome, and then the troubles started. We were rounded up. Destroyed by the hundreds. To survive, we had to go underground.”

  She raised her face then and no doubt remained about her anguish. “We managed to stay peacefully in our own underworld until the bodies began to show up again. People started hunting down all of our kind once more, threatening our existence.”

  Diana nodded. “I understand.”

  “There’s not an elder I know that would risk another slaughter like the many we’ve managed to survive,” Stacia said, slowly rising from her chair.

  Diana did the same, only this time there was something different in her stance, Meghan realized. Unexpectedly, Diana rounded the coffee table, walked up to Stacia and wrapped her arms around the vampire elder.

  Stacia was stiff in her arms for a moment before she freed her emotions and embraced the other woman.

  They were so alike, physically and spiritually, that it was almost like seeing double, Meghan realized, until the two women pulled apart and the moment of connection between them snapped.

  “If you hear anything about this—”

  “I’ll be sure to call,” Stacia said. With the same kind of theatrics she used to make her entrance, she made her exit, her sheer, black chiffon wrap trailing behind her, seemingly waving them goodbye as she leapt out the window.

  “That is one piece of work,” Meghan said.

  “One of a kind,” Diana agreed, shaking her head. She walked back to the sofa, picked up her glass and took a bracing sip of wine.

  Meghan fiddled with her glass, considering Stacia’s words. “So if none of the elders she knows would do this, who is it?”

  “It may be someone new in town. Anyone you can think of?”

  One person came to mind immediately. “That new vampire at the Blood Bank—Sun Tze Lee—the Kiang-shi. He’s nasty.”

  “Have you and Blake been able to get any more info on him?”

  She shook her head. “Not really. All I can tell you is that he creeps me out.”

  Diana chuckled. “It’s always good to go with your gut, Meghan. It never fails you.”

  “Unlike your heart,” Meghan surprised herself by saying.

  A melancholy cast slipped over Diana’s features. “Your heart can sometimes lead you places that can only bring you a world of hurt.”

  She met the other woman’s gaze. Sorro
w had taken hold there, darkening the brown of her eyes until they were almost black. “You regret what you have with Ryder?”

  A flicker of pain passed across Diana’s features. “I regret how little time I’ll have with him.”

  As Meghan considered her, she realized that Diana possibly wasn’t referring to the whole “I’ll grow old and die and you won’t” part of loving a vampire. Before she could say anything, Diana asked, “What’s up with you and Blake?”

  Meghan wished she could say what was up, but her feelings were too uncertain. “We’ve hooked up, only…it’s hard to forget the past. How he stole my life.”

  “Your mortal life. But now you’ve got another life—an eternal one that he’s already saved,” Diana said, reminding her of how Blake had helped her years earlier when she had been kidnapped.

  “Do you think that’s a fair trade? Losing my fairly happy humanity for an eternally lonely existence?”

  The FBI agent smiled, but the smile didn’t reach those now nearly fathomless eyes. Eyes that clearly had seen more than their share of anguish in the course of Diana’s relatively young life.

  “The rest of your undead life doesn’t have to be lonely. Look at Ryder and me,” she said, only Meghan recognized the lie in her words. Diana didn’t believe in happily-ever-after, and neither could she.

  With the kind of world both of them had been thrust into, nothing could ever end happily, she thought, which made her reconsider what she was doing with Blake.

  Whether she was only opening herself up to a whole new world of loss.

  Better she guard her heart once again because an eternal life of loneliness beat one filled with endless heartache.

  Chapter 16

  Two days later, time seemed to pass slowly in the Otro Mundo kitchen as Meghan worked. Anticipating the upcoming meeting with Ryder, Diana and Diego made every action seem long and drawn out. She hoped they’d been able to learn more than she had about the killings. And adding to her edginess was her reticence about Blake, which made every interaction with him awkward.