Dark Dichotomy

by Aubrey Ross

She slammed into something solid, the velocity jarring her entire body. The back of her head smacked her captor’s chest and lights danced before her eyes. Searing pain reignited in her shoulder as her captor shoved her away. She staggered then fell to her knees.

  “Your guest has arrived,” he announced in a lazy drawl.

  At first glance the room appeared unremarkable, a living room like any other. Then Nicole noticed the manacles hanging from the ceiling in one corner and a decorative rack displaying a variety of whips.

  “Why did you bite her?” A woman stepped out of the shadows on the far side of the room. She’d pulled her dark hair straight back from her face, making her features appear harsh and angular. Displeasure shone from her light blue eyes. “That wasn’t part of the deal.”

  Someone bit her? The pain in her shoulder…

  She turned her head to look at the man and dread pushed through her fear.

  “I might be able to teleport at will, but taking someone with me is far more taxing.” He licked blood from his lips then flashed a sardonic smile. “I wouldn’t mind having more. Her blood has a unique flavor.”

  “She’s soul bonded to a Dichotomy. Can’t you smell it on her? She positively reeks of our energy.”

  Our energy? Was this woman a Dichotomy?

  She didn’t bother with questions, focusing instead on a plan of action.

  “What does soul bonded mean?” Interest gleamed in the man’s eyes, sending chills down her spine.

  “I don’t have time for this now. I’ll answer your questions later.”

  He crossed the room in three long strides, his dark gaze softly glowing. “Then offer me your throat.”

  Nicole shuddered. Long ago her grandmother told her many “mythical” creatures were real. It wasn’t until she saw her uncle transform that Nicole took her seriously.

  “Help me secure her first.”

  He pivoted toward Nicole and her heart sank into the pit of her stomach. Refusing to give in without a fight, she scrambled to her feet. A slow, menacing smile bowed his lips.

  “Go on. Resist. I want you to.”

  She bumped against the wall before she realized she was backing away. The woman watched in silent amusement, her arms folded over her chest. The vampire grasped Nicole’s wrist and she instinctively tugged against him.

  “Is that the best you can do, human?”

  With one violent jerk, she freed her wrist and aimed a punch at his nose. He caught her arm and yanked her forward. “Very impressive.” Irritated by his smirk, she brought her knee up between his legs. He twisted to the side and absorbed the force with his thigh.

  “Enough,” the woman snapped. “My window of opportunity is closing.”

  “She’s feisty. I want to play with her.”

  “Her blood or mine. You can’t have both.”

  “I can have anything I want, if I’m willing to risk war with the Dichotomy.”

  Nicole kicked and struggled. He picked her up and deposited her in the corner with the manacles. Caging her with his body allowed him to wrestle her wrists into the metal cuffs.

  “Just stand there like a good girl and you won’t get hurt.”

  She glared at the woman, but understood the wisdom of her suggestion. The manacles were cold and smooth against her skin, but the edges bit into her flesh whenever she tugged against the restriction.

  “No more excuses.” Before the woman could argue, the vampire grabbed her by the hair and jerked her head back. With a soft growl, he sank his fangs into her throat. His jaw flexed and his arms tightened, pressing her against his body.

  The woman clasped his shirt and moaned; the sound low and…sexual. Her legs parted and she rubbed against his thigh, her back gently undulating.

  Dragging her gaze away from the spectacle, Nicole studied the room.

  Are you hurt? Where did he take you? Daniel’s thoughts were infused with an artificial calm. He was trying to shield her from the terror twisting through him, but the strength of his feelings couldn’t be disguised.

  He didn’t hurt me, but I’m not sure where I am. The vampire is just the delivery boy. A dark-haired woman is behind the abduction. I think she’s a Dichotomy.

  That fucking bitch! Leos flared. It has to be Brook. No one else would involve a vampire.

  She wasn’t sure what led him to that conclusion, but she wasn’t about to argue the point. They needed a clue, some way to find her, or at least begin the search. There’s no kitchen! I think this is a hotel room not an apartment.

  We’ll find you. Leos’s thoughts rang with finality.

  She said she wouldn’t hurt me. I think I’m bait.

  The vampire maneuvered the woman back and pressed her against the wall. Blood trailed down her neck from the puncture wounds he’d created. His hands moved boldly and his mouth hovered over hers. Was he going to kiss her or bite her again?

  “Not now.” The woman shook away the sensual haze and pushed him back. “I don’t have time for this now!”

  “There is always time for this.” He reached for her breast, but she slapped his hand away.

  “My debt is paid. Go. The rest doesn’t concern you.”

  He snarled, his chest heaved, and he turned toward Nicole.

  “No!” The woman grabbed his arm. “I want Leos to watch her die.”

  So much for her not being hurt.

  What’s wrong? Your fear just spiked. Leos sent a calming pulse along with the question.

  It’s a trap. She wants you.

  Chapter Seven

  Leos spun around and punched the wall. Not again! This couldn’t be happening again.

  “Save it for Brook.” Daniel placed his hand on Leos’s shoulder and pulled him away from the wall.

  “I can’t just stand here. We have to do something.”

  As if responding to his frustration, the phone rang. He glanced at the display on the phone’s base, but the caller was unknown. “Fuck it,” he muttered and picked up the receiver. “Hello.”

  “She’s already told you enough to find me. Come before you transition or we won’t be here.”

  “Wait!” The line went dead. “God damn it!” He slammed the receiver into its holder and raked his hair with both hands.

  “Was that Brook?”

  “How could you tell?”

  “What did she say?”

  “They’re in a hotel, but which hotel? She said that was enough to find her.”

  “She’s not hiding. Brook owns a motel and I know where it is. Her girls use it when their clients have unusual requests.”

  Leos headed for the front door, but he let Daniel drive. “Hurry! If you transition, she’ll move Nicole.”

  “She knows we’re practically powerless while we’re separated.” He switched lanes and floored the accelerator. “Fighting an enemy who knows all your secrets really sucks.”

  “She doesn’t know all our secrets.”

  Daniel reached out for Nicole, careful to shield his anxiety. You hanging in there?

  Her mental chuckle surprised him. Literally. The vampire left. Brook is one cocky bitch.

  Does she realize you’re telekinetic?

  I didn’t want to tip my hand too soon. My ability is still unpredictable and I didn’t like the odds.

  We’re almost there. What’s she doing?

  Pacing. I think she’s more anxious than I am.

  Is she armed?

  If she has a gun, I haven’t seen it.

  Daniel pulled into the small parking lot. There was only one other car, so he parked beside it and paused to rub his temples. “We’re almost out of time.”

  “Fight it off as long as you can so you transition fast.”

  With a stiff nod, Daniel got out of the car. Leos followed him toward the long, narrow building. The door in front of them was ajar.

  Brook stood in the far corner, steadying a gun with both hands.

  “I guess she does have a gun,” Nicole said.

  After assuring himself th
at she was unharmed, Leos focused on Brook. “Let her go. She has nothing to do with this.”

  “I originally planned for you to walk in and find her body hanging there. Then I decided it would be more fun for you to watch her die.” She swung the gun toward Nicole and time stood still.

  Leos dove for Brook and Daniel lunged toward Nicole.

  “No!” Leos shouted.

  Brook pulled the trigger and the shot exploded, but her arm jerked up violently. Confusion registered in her eyes a second before Leos’s fingers closed around her throat. He jerked the gun out of her hand before she could fire again.

  “I won’t go back.” She forced the words out despite her constricted larynx.

  “Don’t tempt me,” he sneered.

  Chains rattled as Daniel released Nicole and still Leos kept his eyes on Brook.

  “What will happen to her now?” Nicole sounded remarkably composed.

  “That’s up to the council.”

  Brook laughed. “The Burtons are and have always been the council. Why pretend?”

  Ignoring the provocation, he released her throat and motioned toward the corner with her gun. “Lock her up. I’ll call a retrieval team.”

  “I won’t go back!”

  She slapped and twisted, avoiding Daniel’s attempts to subdue her. He finally wrapped both arms around her and lifted her against his chest. With Nicole’s help he closed the manacles around Brook’s wrists and jumped back to avoid her flailing feet.

  Brook yanked against the chains, panic clear in her eyes.

  “Stand there like a good girl and you won’t get hurt.”

  Nicole’s patronizing tone made Leos glance her way. It wasn’t like her to rub salt in the wounds.

  Brook closed her eyes, shaking visibly. “I can’t…”

  A man flashed into view beside Brook. Leos repositioned the gun, but the intruder was much faster. He grabbed Brook’s head with both hands and effortlessly snapped her neck.

  “You’re welcome,” he said with an enigmatic smile and disappeared.

  “What the hell just happened?” Daniel scrubbed his hand over his eyes, clearly confused. His expression abruptly changed. He groaned and transitioned, slamming into Leos with enough force to knock him off his feet.

  Nicole yelped and rushed to his side. “Are you all right?”

  He blew out a shaky breath and nodded. “I’m fine.” She helped him to his feet and he held her at arm’s length while he looked her over. “You’re bleeding. I thought the bullet missed you.”

  “It did. The vampire had to bite me to teleport with me.”

  Carefully lifting the edge of her shirt, he looked at the wound. “I don’t know much about vampires, but I’ll sure as hell find out.” He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. “This was one bizarre night. Was that the same vampire who kidnapped you?”

  “The very same.” Her voice was muffled against his chest, but she didn’t pull away. “Was he talking to us or to her when he said ‘you’re welcome’?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe both. She obviously preferred death to incarceration and we no longer have to worry about her.” He kissed her brow and led her toward the door. “I’ll call in a cleaner then we’ll wait in the car.”

  “That’s not necessary. I’ve seen dead bodies before.”

  “When?”

  She smiled. “Do movies count?”

  “I don’t particularly want to sit here and stare at her either, so do it for me.”

  “I’ll do anything for you.”

  He paused for a tender kiss before making the necessary calls. In the end they waited by the car, enjoying the cool evening air and the simple comfort of being in each other’s arms.

  Epilogue

  Lips brushed against Nicole’s collarbone and fingers stroked through her hair. Leos pressed against her back while Daniel adored her front. Nothing was sweeter than waking up between her mates, except maybe falling asleep after one of their raucous bouts of lovemaking.

  “What caused that dreamy smile?” Daniel kissed his way from her collarbone to her breast as he waited for her answer.

  “Weren’t we doing this last night?”

  “No, I was in front last night.” Leos cupped her breast, leaving the nipple bare for Daniel.

  She pushed her fingers into Daniel’s hair, holding him close while he gently sucked. Leos eased his knee between her legs and pulled her more tightly against him. His cock pressed against her back, hard and demanding.

  Her body roused, sensations cascading through her, encouraged by their fingers and their mouths. Leos left Daniel to enjoy her breasts while he moved on, caressing her belly and thighs.

  Heat surrounded them, creating an intimate reality where only they existed. She urged Daniel up, needing his kisses more than his tender caresses. Their mouths pressed and clung, their tongues gently dueling.

  Leos guided her leg up and back, hooking her foot over his knee. “Oh yes.” He moved his hand between her thighs and absorbed the heat of her pussy. “I’ll never get tired of touching you.” His fingers lightly rubbed her folds, accentuating the pressure already building inside her.

  She squirmed, trapped between his teasing fingers and the equally evocative hardness of his cock. She tore her mouth away from Daniel’s and said, “Please.”

  “Please what?” Leos nipped her ear.

  “Please, fuck me. I need you inside me.”

  Leos pulled back and adjusted the angle of his hips. As always, his entry was slow and deliberate. Her inner muscles parted, stretching to accommodate his full length.

  “Better?” he whispered.

  “Oh yes.”

  Daniel kissed his way down her neck and kept right on going. He circled her navel with his tongue then parted her nether lips. “I don’t think she’s desperate enough. You gave in too easily.”

  Leos held her leg back while Daniel lowered his mouth to her sex. She relaxed against Leos, thrilled by their determination. They never allowed her to rest until she was utterly sated. The fullness inside her only added to the pleasure of Daniel’s tongue swirling over and around her clit.

  “Don’t hold back, love,” Leos encouraged. “I want to feel you come.”

  Tingling heat gathered low in her belly, centered beneath Daniel’s mouth. She squeezed Leos as hard as she could and canted her hips. Daniel closed his lips around her sensitive nub and carefully sucked. She cried out, back arched, as her orgasm burst within her.

  Leos drew out slowly and Daniel’s mouth prolonged her pleasure. Then Leos found her rear opening with his fingers and prepared her with cool lubricant. Daniel returned to her mouth, kissing her deeply while Leos carefully worked his cock into her back passage.

  Stark and savage, the unrelenting pressure made her wild and ravenous. Leos pushed into her mind, dark, dominant, possessive. She broke the kiss and threw her head back, crying out as her pleasure mounted. Daniel took her clit between his fingers and thumb, gently rolling as he watched her shatter.

  She screamed and came hard, shaking as another spasm rocked her.

  “Much better.” Daniel finally spread out on his side and brought his cock to her pussy. “Are you desperate for me now?”

  “Yes. Take me, please.”

  He teased her with the head of his erection. “Why does Leos get to fuck you, but I only get to ‘take’?”

  “Fuck me! Hard and fast, God damn it, fuck me now!”

  “How can I resist, when you ask so nicely?”

  Leos held her still while Daniel pushed into her tight wet pussy. Nothing felt as good as when they were both inside her, surrounding and filling her. Daniel’s presence burst into her mind, bright and consuming, embracing her with flames. She dug her fingernails into his shoulders, and whimpered, lost in the extravagant pleasure.

  Daniel dragged her hips forward, pulling her off Leos as he buried himself to the hilt. Without pause, Leos reversed the motion, driving deep while Daniel hovered just inside her.

&nb
sp; “Faster,” she cried.

  “Greedy little love.” Leos sucked on the side of her neck, marking her delicate skin.

  They passed her back and forth, the sensations building rapidly. She trembled between them, yielding completely to the intensity. Leos draped her leg over Daniel’s arm, giving them a better angle.

  Her head swam and her body burned. They blasted her mind with consuming passion, too far gone for gentler emotions. She opened willingly, accepting their ferocity without reservation.

  Higher and higher they climbed. Euphoria rolled through her and poured out of her in an endless cycle of bliss. Her inner muscles tightened with an impending orgasm. “Please!”

  “Yes.” Leos barely got the word out before the pleasure burst.

  Her body pulsed and rippled, demanding their surrender. Leos thrust in and released his seed. Daniel followed half a second behind. They held her close, both of them buried deep inside her.

  Sensory echoes ricocheted through their minds as they savored the ultimate embrace. Daniel brushed her hair back from her face and kissed her brow. “Good morning.”

  “Let’s wake her like this every morning,” Leos suggested.

  She laughed. “We’ve done some variation of this almost every morning.”

  “Almost will never be good enough.” His warm hand sneaked around her side and cupped her breast.

  “If we did this every morning, we’d never get out of bed,” Daniel pointed out.

  “And that’s a problem, why?” Leos countered.

  She ran her fingers through Daniel’s hair then reached back and squeezed Leos’s hip. “I’ll never get ‘Mischief’ finished and Pierre is already harassing me about another show.”

  “I think we accomplish enough mischief right here in bed.”

  Turning her head sharply to the side, she looked at Leos. “You sound jealous.”

  “It’s his nature to be jealous of everyone and anything that demands your time.” Daniel drew her head back around and smiled into her eyes. “Luckily for you, he’ll transition soon and you’ll be left with the reasonable side of this Dichotomy.”

  Leos’s only response was a soft growl as he buried his face in her hair.