by C. L. Quinn
He lifted her up slowly, her legs wrapped around his body and they kissed again like their lives depended on it. When they pulled back, they stared into each other’s eyes and saw what they both suspected…they were meant to be together. No one else could fill them like this. He knew she was sexually innocent, he didn’t want to hurt her, but she nodded her head.
“I’ve waited for you all my life. I need to feel you…now, Bas, please…”
Ah, she didn’t need to ask. He was powerful and she was small, so it was no effort at all to support her as he lifted her body and slid into her. She gasped, her head thrown back, a moan competing with the sheets of water roaring in his ears.
“Bas…” she said on another moan. That was all it took and he started to move. Her arms shot out and pressed against the wet tile, lifting her own body against his. She rode him as he thrusted, the water drowning out everything else and when she came for the first time, it was more than she could have ever imagined. He released his own moan as his body filled hers, shot his seed into her. He wanted to taste her, more than her skin, more than her sex. But he didn’t know if she was ready for that yet.
She pulled her head up and looked at him through rivulets of water coursing down her face. With their connection, she knew what he needed. Her eyes met his and she smiled and dropped her head back, her smooth skin exposed, her neck waiting. He tried to tell her it was okay, she didn’t have to do it, but he couldn’t. Not now, not while he was inside her, not while she held him and waited. He bit, hard and fast, the bite not unfamiliar to her and not painful…it was bliss. She could feel him drawing her blood into his body, and with it, her sex twitching. Her body recognized him and the blood tie, that he was part of her and she needed him.
Bas drew the warm red fluid of her life into his and it was glorious. The combination of sex and blood…for a vampire there was nothing better. Except now with his feelings for her… He growled, it was so incredible. With the free flow into him, he felt like a god, like he owned the world, like he could slay dragons. Her blood was elixir, the fountain of youth, the holy grail. He had to make himself stop and seal her wounds. She collapsed against him, her small pale body wrapped tightly around his large dark one. He held her like that for another several minutes, and when she lifted her head and pushed her wet hair back, then slid her body slowly down his, wet skin sliding against wet skin, he felt his body twitch again. He had just orgasmed intensely and he already wanted her again.
They eventually made it to the bed…barely. He had taken his time drying her off…thoroughly, to the point of a very pretty blush.
“Bas…” she said, beginning a protest.
“What? Moisture can cause problems in these hidden places. I’m just protecting you.”
But it wasn’t the best idea. It made him hard again, and when they both looked at the result of his ministrations, he picked her up and carried her out of the bathroom and dropped her on the bed. Then immediately got on top of her. He didn’t feel like he needed to sleep, EVER again. Her blood made him invincible. And horny as hell. He’d just had the best orgasm of his life…and he needed more. How could he have imagined this the night he’d sat in the dark and wondered how the hell he could have chosen to bum a ride from the only human on earth who could deny him. She was the magic he’d been missing all of his life.
He’d brought himself to the edge again, with her swept right along beside him, an orgasm so intense he collapsed on top of her and could only move after she muffled a cry.
“I’m sorry! Oh, baby, are you alright?”
“I’m fine, Bas. I guess I’ll just have to get used to my vampire on top of me. I think I can handle it.” She was smiling widely, kissed him deeply, and ran naked to the bathroom to clean up. He did not avert his eyes. She was just going to have to get used to being naked in front of him. He planned that she would be a lot.
He didn’t realize until he slid off the bed and went over to pick up the discarded towel…he’d called her baby. What the hell. He never used those idiotic human endearments, not even when he was human. Yeah, already whipped. No matter what the investigation turned up, she would be staying. So he thought it was okay if she did whatever testing she wanted on his newbies…she would spend the rest of her life in his world. There was no conflict.
144
Chapter Twelve
Zach’s body was fighting the change. It had been two days and he was sicker than before. His color had changed to ashen gray and he couldn’t digest the vampire blood. Dez stayed with him, trying everything she could. Bas stood watching her feeding him, holding him like he was a sick kitten. He kept spitting it out, his precious chance at life dribbling down the side of his mouth. She was losing him. She looked up at Bas while she cradled the barely conscious cadaver-like Zach in her arms, her eyes haunted.
“Nothing works,” she said.
Bas shook his head. “Sometimes they can’t tolerate the change. It’s not unusual to lose one sometimes. Dez, it isn’t your fault.”
“Yeah, I know. But he was so strong. Did you see his body? He was in superb shape before this. Damn’t, Bas, he should have made it.”
“I’m sorry, Dez. I didn’t realize you’d get so attached to him in this short time. Do you want me to put someone else in here so you don’t have to watch this?”
Her eyes glittered. “No, I want to stay with him. I think he needs me. I’ll see him through to the end. I just wish…” she trailed off. Bas noticed her smoothing his hair repeatedly. Wow. Dez never let anything or anyone get to her. And she detested the “lame weak” humans. To watch her humbled by a dying man…Bas would have expected never to see the day.
“Well, if you need me…anything…just call. Are you sure?
She was caressing his arm now. “I’m sure. I won’t leave him.”
“Okay, I’ll see you.” He turned to go when Park came through the door on a run.
“I came to see how Bernie was doing and Vaz told me Zach isn’t going to make it. Is that true?”
Bas nodded. “I was on my way to tell you. Dez has stayed with him, but his body is rejecting the virus. There’s no more we can do.”
“Bullshit. Do you remember when you first gave Bernie some blood and were surprised at how well she was accepting it?”
He had forgotten, but now that she reminded him, he did.
“Well, I think we can use my blood to help him accept Dez’s. We have to try.”
“Wait a minute, that would mean you would have to let Dez feed.”
“Yeah. So? Dez, come over here.”
“No, Park. You don’t understand the implication…”
“I don’t care about the implication. The result is all I want.”
Dez was on her feet. “You think this will work?” she asked Park. They were both ignoring Bas now.
“I do. I’m willing to try. Are you?”
“Fuck, yeah. Let’s do it.”
Park turned to Bas. “I have to do this, you know that.”
He nodded. “I’m staying.”
Park smiled. “I knew you would. Dez, over here.” She went to a bench near the back of the room and took her shirt off. She was wearing one of the bras he’d had Cherise secure for her. What there was of it, and there wasn’t much, barely covered her nipples, the full breasts rising dangerously above the skimpy lace.
Bas set his jaw. Why did it disturb him that Dez saw her nearly naked. She preferred males. Mostly. But this was such an intimate act for him, and especially with the woman who would now exchange her blood with another. It was too intimate to share with someone else. There was nothing he could do about it now.
Dez dropped down beside her and Park laid her head back, the long column of her neck exposed. She was taking deep breaths… he could see she was worried. You had to really trust someone to open up your throat to them like that when you knew they loved blood. Dez hesitated and glanced up at Bas, then moved closer to Park. Bas could see the air from Dez’s breath move Parks hair as she
hovered and then struck, piercing Parks throat quickly. Bas surged forward but forced himself to stop. His hands were clenched at his sides while Dez drank, and deeply, from the woman he loved. He knew how intoxicating Parks blood was. His job now was to be sure she took enough, but not too much.
That moment came about three minutes after the feeding began when Dez groaned and moved closer, wrapped her arms around Park and began caressing her breasts. Bas knew she needed to be stopped now before she went too far. He grabbed her and powered her away, shoving her with all his strength. It was barely enough, but he got her off of Park. They squared off for about a second, both baring their fangs at each other and growling.
Bas managed to speak. “Stand down, Dez. No more. Go feed your boy.”
He could see his words were sinking in. She staggered back and began to come back to herself. The blood thrall had taken over…she was blood drunk. When that happened, the vessel usually died, drained because the vampire couldn’t stop. This rarely happened to an old vampire, their control usually attained long before. Dez looked confused, blinked a few times and looked around her. When she spoke it was slurred.
“Bas. I’m…sorry. I didn’t hurt her, did I?”
He was already holding Park, who was conscious but weak. And true Park, she was smiling.
“Did she get it? Did she get enough?” Park asked, also slurred.
Bas nodded and pulled her shirt back around her. The wound was still open, just seeping now, but he closed it. He nodded to Dez, who hadn’t moved. “Go see if this will work, Dez.”
She nodded and went straight to Zach. Once he started feeding, he latched on tightly, drawing the sticky stuff as quickly as he could. Dez stayed with him, didn’t stop him as he grabbed her wrist and held on.
Bas rolled his eyes. Fuck, he hoped this was the last of Parks friends to show up sliced and diced. He sat her back and touched her face. “Stay here. I have to go save another woman from being bled out.”
This time it was Zach who he powered back, shoving him against the wall when he protested. He was surprisingly strong for someone who was close to death a few minutes earlier. He pulled Dez back and helped her seal her wounds. “Come wait back here, Dez. I don’t want to risk him getting hold of you again. You’re still kind of blood drunk, so you need to recover, too.”
She nodded and they moved back to sit beside Park, who had slid her shirt back on and buttoned it. Dez dropped beside her and turned her head toward Park.
“I’m sorry, little human. But fuck, you taste good. Bas, I don’t know what she has in her veins, but you better not let any other vampires get a taste of her. They’ll drain her dry or take her from you. That shits incredible.”
He brushed his hand across her hair. “I know. That’s why I need to find out what she is. It’s the only way I’ll be able to protect her.”
Dez caught his eyes. “I’ll help you. Anything you need.”
It was the best thing she could have said. He bowed his thank you.
Park listened to them talking, but her attention was on Zach. He was standing, his color perceptibly changing from ash gray to rosy beige. His eyes were red rimmed and almost electric blue. They were darting from Bas to Park to Dez. When they landed on Dez, he pulled forward on his chains. Dez stood and started forward, her eyes roaming over every inch of the tall man who seemed almost recovered. She turned back to Park.
“I would never have believed this. Bas, keep that girl around. We need her. Welcome to the world of vampires, little human.”
Dez moved to Zach and let her hands move across him, caressing every curve of his muscled arms, moving down his sides, lower and lower.
“Welcome back. Looks like you’re going to make it.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her either.
Bas led Park out of the room before the exploration got more intimate. If she was going to be looking at a naked male body, there was only one he would allow. Zach could stay, but his relationship with Park, romantically, was over.
144
Chapter Thirteen
He was so pissed. That word was not big enough for how he felt. But none was. So it was the word that kept resurfacing in his mind. His level of anger had only grown with time. That he was now ready to administer justice allowed him, finally, some satisfaction. The vampire race would pay for their choice. All of them. And especially Sebastian. He did not know Sebastian’s surname, many of them did not bother with them. The old ones, who had been around for centuries, had long lost ties to their pasts. But this man, he remembered. It seemed an ultimate offense that he was sure Sebastian would not remember him. Or her. He would make sure, before he died, before he killed anyone Sebastian cared for in front of him first, that he knew their names again.
His army was growing. He’d built it on one of Sebastian’s own blood-bonds. He smiled. That had been brilliant. And Shanks had turned out to be an excellent first lieutenant. He had a gift for bloodshed and torture and an appetite for pain. That wasn’t the goal, and it didn’t appeal to him, but if it drove the point home for the vampires, he allowed his young ones freedom to do whatever they enjoyed. Why not? He planned to kill them all as soon as his mission was accomplished.
For now, he finished off an elaborate meal in a charming little bed and breakfast outside of Vancouver. He’d gotten rid of the two other guests, compelled the owners to his will, and commandeered the nine room b and b for his local headquarters. The food was excellent and he told the sweet older woman who cooked for them how good she was.
“Fine fare, Alice. Fine fare. Best home cooking I’ve had since I was human. Do you know how long that is?”
She shook her head, and although she was compelled, she was still confused about the vampire thing. “No sir. Aren’t you human?”
“No, no. I would have actually died over fifty years ago if I were.” He sighed. “It’s been a long fifty years, Alice. A long fucking fifty years.” He sighed again and looked so sad, she almost came forward and put her hand on his shoulder in sympathy. But then he had a sudden shift in his manner, and clapped his hands together and stood up.
Even from her compelled state, she thought to herself, that man is not right. Lucky for her he couldn’t read her thoughts. She still followed his every command though. She had no choice.
“Well, onto the evening!” he proclaimed. “Alice, you keep the kitchen ready. We’ll be back in a few hours and I daresay we will all be quite hungry.” She nodded without control, and went back into the small kitchen to plan a large meal for the strange little man and his people. She wondered when she would be able to go home again.
Shanks was at a computer in the main living space on the first floor. As he entered, Shanks looked up.
“Oh, Sire, you’re up. Good, I have some strategy points to run past you.”
“I’ve asked you to call me Alvin, Shanks. I don’t like that moniker sire.”
“I forget. Of course. Alvin. That’s just such a…it makes me think of the chipmunk song every time I say it. I hate that song.”
“Get over it. So, fill me in.”
“I’ve got all six of the new vampires out and working on the blood-bonds. We’ve gotten four more since Saturday. The vampires are wholly pissed. Oh, and we got that man who was attached to Sebastian’s new girlfriend.”
“You’re sure she’s really his girlfriend? I’ve never seen him hook up with a woman through thirty years.”
“Oh, she’s with him, Sire. Alvin. I felt his connection to her when Burke shot her. He went ballistic. I was near him at the hospital and he was worried. I think he’s in love.”
Alvin felt his heart skip a beat. Could it be true? Could he be that lucky? “Shanks, don’t kill her. Bring her to me. I would like to slit her throat while he watches.” He looked past Shanks, his mind elsewhere. “Why yes, I do like that. I guess I’d like to meet the little human who won the heart of such a heartless bastard.”
“I’ll make it happen…S…Alvin. And, uh, you wanted us to make some more, ri
ght?”
“I want a strong army. I don’t want this to fail. I told you, new vamps are at most a quarter of the strength as an old one. Usually much less. So we will have to have our strength in numbers. I won’t be ready to move on a stronghold like Sebastian’s until I have at least thirty. I don’t believe even Sebastian and his small security force could take that many. Shanks, what is the current number?”
“We’ve recruited sixteen. Two are still in transition, one didn’t make it.”
“Um. Well, let’s step it up. Have each of the current vamps sire one more this week. Only those older than a month, remember, otherwise it’ll fail. That will get me closer. I’ll take one too. Oh, and we need to double the blood-bond forces as well. Let’s only have you and the two Michaels do that. The others are still too young to be effective.” Shanks had been sired six months ago, the two Michaels a month later, simultaneously. Shanks had taken care of him while he brought them over; siring one was a challenge, two at a time weakened even an older vampire like Alvin significantly. Between the four of them, they would be able to create a good hundred blood-bonds to round out his army. He knew Sebastian. He would hesitate to kill the “innocent.” That was not a handicap for Alvin.
So, Sebastian may be in love. Delicious. There could be no better revenge than for Alvin to have him watch her die. Like Lucille, his Lucille, who he had to watch die in his arms. Who was his raison d’etre, the whole reason he wanted the entire vampire race eliminated. But Sebastian first.
Alvin grabbed one of his first blood-bonds, a small blonde cheerleader who was only sixteen when he took her. She still looked sixteen, as he’d kept her on a steady diet of his blood. She satisfied him, as much as he could be satisfied…and he bit into her harshly, drawing hard. She cried out, but he didn’t care. Sebastian would be first! He tore through her neck in excitement. Serious wounds, even for a blood-bond. Ah. Well, his blood may keep her alive. If not, there were plenty more human females around.