Tap. Tap…tap.
“Who’s there?” Elaina spun around. “I know you’re there. I can smell you. Come out, before I come to you,” she warned.
A female laughed and then fully materialized by the wall. “Vicq did say you were brazen.”
Elaina rose at the mention of Vicq’s name. “Who are you?”
The woman flashed her fangs and then ran her fingers through her bone straight chin-length red hair. “Does it matter?”
“How do you know Vicq?”
“I run with him. He’s the leader of my coven,” she said.
“Do you know where he was taken?” Elaina urged. “I need to find him.”
The female shook her head. “No, you won’t find him. We got word that he was taken in to face Russo. I wouldn’t advise you to even try. You don’t know what you’re up against.”
Elaina frowned. “There’s only one way to find out.”
“He betrayed the Court and that’s why he was taken in. You’re better off leaving him alone. You carry a tracker’s mark. The mark of that filthy organization. Another reason why you shouldn’t go after him. They’d rip you to shreds…after draining you, of course.”
“They’d have to catch me first.”
“Don’t be a stupid woman. All you humans are, thinking you can defy the odds. Do you think you have a chance against hundreds of Russo’s Soldiers? Vicq didn’t…and surely you don’t. It’s gotten to the point where those in my coven who were made by him can’t even detect his blood presence anymore. Protect yourself. Was his saving you in vain? Do you want to die?”
“I’m not afraid of dying.”
“Tell me what happened when he was taken in,” she demanded.
Elaina opened her mouth to speak, but regret rose in her throat. She shook her head. “I…”
“Give me your wrist.”
She eyed the vampiress incredulously, but felt guilt for what happened to Vicq when he risked everything to save her. She extended her arm, wrist up, and closed her eyes.
The vampiress didn’t hesitate as she grabbed her hand and sunk her fangs through the thickest vein. She fed for a few minutes and then pushed Elaina’s arm aside. She had a sour expression on her face before she said, “We could have saved Vicq, but instead, he got caught while he was with you. Trying to save you after those people you aligned yourself with shot you. You caused this. Now, because of you, he will die.”
Elaina grimaced, trying to bottle up her agony.
“I honored Vicq,” the red head continued. “I could kill you for this. The only reason I have second thoughts is because of what I saw through your blood. He cared deeply for you.”
“I cared for him too,” Elaina replied.
“I was once like you,” she said. “Wanting to take on the world and seek revenge against those who wronged me and my family. And now I’m no longer human.”
“No longer human, but at least you can still take revenge.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “I urge you not to try anything stupid. There’s no other vampire you should trust after this. Not even me. I came to kill you. My coven members never trusted you, but Vicq did. I see it now in your blood. We warned him to stay away from you. Why do you think he never brought you near us, huh?”
Those words hurt Elaina, and she swallowed down her pride. It confirmed her fate. Even though she could technically bond with Vicq, it would have never worked. She was marked as an enemy. He was leader of his coven. How could he lead his followers if he bonded with an ex-District 5 member?
“Ah…those human emotions will surface every time,” the vampiress teased. “You worry about him, don’t you? Don’t feel bad. Good things never last. Suck it up and get on with your life, huh?”
Elaina slid the tip of her tongue against her top row of teeth. Hunger gnawed at her gut. The aftertaste of Vicq’s blood still filled her memories. “Maybe I will.”
“You should…its all a matter of life or death,” were the vampiress’ last words before she disappeared.
Elaina decided to heed the warning this time.
By the next morning, she was already on a train headed west. Exactly where she would end up, only time would tell.
Epilogue
The prison guard’s keys rattled as he made a pit stop next to Vicq’s cell.
Vicq didn’t even bother to lift his head. Even if he tried, he doubted he could. He had no strength and not much blood left within him. Most of his skin had been burned away until only raw flesh remained. He didn’t even know what day it was or how many days had passed since he met the sun. Two days? Five days? A week? Fuck, it felt like he’d been burning in this cell forever.
“Are you dead yet?” the guard asked.
“Fuck you,” Vicq grumbled.
“You’re the one who’s fucked now.” The guard chuckled. “You got a little break yesterday. Today’s luminous power is expected to be much higher. Tell me, traitor, are you ready for more sunshine?”
Death by sunshine. Who would have known that this was how his fate would unfold? He had no regrets. He’d do it again to protect Elaina—mi sol, mi amor.
Donor
Preface
Love comforteth like sunshine after rain.”
William Shakespeare
Chapter 1
Four months later…
Without her Glock 43, Elaina was no match for a bloodthirsty vampire.
Her tracker intuition told her she was being followed by one. The vampire made no attempt to mask its presence. Dark shadows loomed over the pavement around her as it hastily shifted from one area to the next, but it never fully materialized. Revealing their true form to a human wasn’t something vampires were known for...unless they planned to kill said human.
Elaina kept her gaze on the ground and quickened her pace. Although the parking garage wasn’t that far away, it seemed to take her an eternity to reach it. The worst thing she could do at this point was run. There was no escaping them, and no point in fleeing once you became a target. Death was the only outcome. Theirs or yours. One shot to the head or a clean slice through the neck proved to be the quickest way to destroy these creatures. But tonight was her unlucky night. Mid-day, she’d left all weapons in her SUV. The metal detectors at the Courthouse would have immediately exposed her if she hadn’t. As a tag and title clerk at the local government office, her position never required her to go beyond the onsite metal detectors. However, two of the clerks had called in sick in another department and she was chosen to cover for one of them. It was also the reason she was working late. She never stayed out past evening.
But here she was with nothing to defend herself with. Not even a damn razor blade.
Something told her the vampire would not allow her to make it to her SUV, but it was worth a try. Continuing toward the covered garage, she contemplated her limited options.
The tall wrought iron street lamps gleamed on the sidewalk, and her heels echoed into the night as they hit the asphalt. Gusty winds blew against her exposed face, lifting the hair off her shoulders. She caught the scent of two more presences directly behind her on the breeze, but these two weren’t vampires. One smelled of cheap aftershave and the other of pine-scented soap. They were human. Both were men. And they were the only ones between her and the vampire.
Customarily, vampires didn’t discriminate when it came to a feeding. Blood was blood. The nourishment that kept them alive. Maybe he or she was just hungry. Could the men be the decoys she needed to make a clean escape? Or would her plans backfire?
If this thing were one of the greedier, younger vampires, then more than likely he’d chase all three of them down and feed until their bodies were lifeless.
Resisting a vampire was like struggling to stay awake when fatigue had set in. Sooner or later, the body succumbed. There was no denying these creatures a feeding. Death came swiftly to those who opposed them.
Elaina had once been a vampire tracker until she had made one false move that had cost he
r the job. Now, she was being hunted by both the organization that had employed her and the very beings she’d been contracted to kill, but not for the same reasons.
Both sides would have to put up a good fight if they wanted her because she refused to become a research rat and would never welcome death.
Tonight was no different...
She stopped cold on the pavement...and so did everyone else. Elaina spun around. At that moment, she had confirmation that she was the one being tracked this time around. She stared directly at the barrel of the gun that was being pointed at her by one of the humans. The next events happened like flash animation in rapid succession right before her eyes.
The vampire caught the men who had been following her by surprise, rushing up behind them and grabbing them both by the throat. They were stunned and—like her—unprepared for the ravenous predator.
Just as she was about to make a break for it, a gun fell from one of the victims’ hands and skidded across the pavement. The other man gripped a rope. Had these two actually been pursuing her?
She scurried backward, nearly tripping over her own feet, yet her eyes would not leave the scene.
The vampire must have held them in a death grip. All she saw were the whites of their eyes and a large dark shadow behind them. The creature honed in and struck the first victim in the jugular, sucking the life right out of him. The second victim’s arms and legs began to shake and then he was completely still.
Damn. The Dresdan had drained one while choking the other.
It tossed their limp carcasses onto the grass along the sidewalk. From deep within the shadows, it eyed her—the main course. Deep crimson eyes burned bright like fire. The ends of the trench coat it wore fanned outward with the breeze. It was moving toward her.
Her legs finally obeyed and she fled, the wind whipping across her ankles as if urging her to hurry. She shrugged off her long pea coat in an attempt to run faster. Her heels clicked the pavement, echoing against the stone walls.
She parked on the same level every day, but tonight it seemed like she had to cross mountains to get to her SUV. Taking the elevator was not an option, of course. Standing still for even one second would be disastrous.
Elaina heard the familiar swooshing sound the vampire made just before they shifted from one place to the next. The sound was closer than before. He was gaining on her.
Her heart pumped frantically and her lungs burned from exertion. She picked up her pace, pushing herself to reach her destination. Her Tahoe sat in the corner. The last one on the right within what was now a desolate parking garage. If she died tonight at the hands of a vampire, it was likely that no one would find her body until morning when it was cold and rigid with death.
The moment she thought she’d reached her SUV successfully, the vampire unfolded in front of her, blocking her path. He was huge, and her eyes leveled with the lower portion of his chest.
Before she could raise her gaze higher to confirm that the killer had caught up to her, he reached for her. He grasped her by the waist and lifted her off the ground. She opened her mouth to scream, but a gloved hand clasped over her lips.
Elaina kicked her feet, connecting sharp-heeled pumps to her captor’s shins. She might as well have been fighting with a sumo wrestler. His grip was firm. Her cries were muffled by his grainy leather glove, and she focused on wriggling out of his grasp. There was no mistaking what type of vampire he was now. The ancient spicy aroma gave him away.
Dresdan, for sure.
There was only a handful of vampire species, but Dresdan were one of the most powerful, and the most ancient of the group.
Her captor lowered her heels to the pavement and his massive frame pushed her back into the metal pole behind her. The hard beam felt alien digging against her spine. Her eyes turned left and right, looking for a savior. Someone. Anyone. Still, he pressed his palm to her mouth, preventing her speech. The SUV was only a few feet away, but she’d failed to reach it.
Elaina strained to peer up at him, but the height of her captor prevented this. Only the black shirt stretched over his taut chest muscles could be seen from her line of sight. He bent down farther, so close that his chin touched her forehead, and then he inhaled deeply.
Oh, my God. She would die. But why tonight?
“When I let my hand up, you keep your trap shut,” her captor hissed into the side of her face.
She sucked in another breath and clasped her fingers onto the chilly metal behind her. Her heart drummed with the consistent cadence of a marching band. Dammit, she was stronger than this! Had she turned into a wimp after all this time?
“You got that?” It demanded when she didn’t answer.
She squeezed her eyes shut and nodded her head.
“You scream...we’ll both be executed.”
His harsh, warning tone frightened her, but she bounced her head in agreement once again.
Executed? Those were the only words that had registered.
He straightened his posture and slowly lifted his hand from her mouth. She parted her lips, taking a gulp of fresh air. It burned her lungs as she recovered from lack of oxygen.
Gradually, she lifted her chin, then her eyes to identify the brute. He wore a black leather hooded cloak. Sleek hair framed and covered most of his face. The blood from his last snack had leaked from one corner of his mouth, and some of it had settled on his chin. His fangs were exposed, and they were a good three inches long. Red glowing orbs glared down at her. The rest of him—a black shadow in the night.
On her next exhale, she released a belated scream.
Chapter 2
The high-pitched scream wrenched from Elaina’s throat and echoed through the atmosphere. The Dresdan’s palm clamped over her lips, this time with more force.
It was over for her. She had no chance of escape. Should she even try? Once a Dresdan got ahold of something, anyone could bet on destruction and death. Always in that order.
He’d discarded two grown men like a dissatisfying snack. There was no doubt that the Dresdan was ready for a meal. Female blood gave the male Dresdan an instant high. Many human females had been captured and carted away by the most ruthless of Dresdan. There was something about an excited, scared, or aroused female’s blood that appealed to them. An abundance of fear mixed with the adrenaline running through her system was sure to appeal to him.
The Dresdan was so close now. The smell of hungry anticipation was thick in the air. Her body went limp again against the pole. Her resistance undoubtedly excited him. Maybe if she fought less, he would grow uninterested and find some other chick to feed on.
He turned her quickly away from him and positioned her face to look in the window of a car. “Is this your vehicle?” His voice was a forced whisper.
The bastard! He planned to drain her blood in her own SUV.
Elaina looked through the window anyway. She glimpsed a newspaper and a stack of books on the passenger seat. Her Glock lay hidden on the driver’s side under the floor mat.
He shoved his hardened groin into her ass. “Is it?”
A jolt of pleasure swirled in her stomach. Confused by her body’s choice of sensation, she nodded. She could understand the fear of being caught, the excitement from finally reaching her weapon, but why the heck was she aroused? Fuck, she was so dead.
Her captor brought his free hand around, producing her keys. Somehow, he must have snatched them from her. She couldn’t remember it happening, just the struggle she put up to break free. Of course, it had all been in vain.
Opening the front door, he held her body against the SUV with his own. He used the controls on the inside frame to unlock the other doors, then led her to the back of the Tahoe.
So much for reaching the gun under the front seat.
A commotion came from the other side of the parking garage and both their heads whipped in the direction of the sound. Something was headed their way. Hope tingled in her belly. Thank God! Maybe someone would see her being attacked.
Would they help her? Would they see the vampire and run?
She took a deep breath and tried to build up enough courage to fight off her captor so she could get their attention.
Dark figures moved about, casting shadows against the concrete. Two of them.
“You hear that?” He hissed into the back of her hair. “Four were sent to take you in. Two are now dead. These two are looking for you. Do you want to spend the rest of your life in a research lab?”
This brute was crazy. If two men were trying to kill her and he knew it, then why the fuck would he hold her hostage?
When she didn’t answer, he continued, “Get in the damn vehicle. Don’t make a peep.”
There was no time to accept or reject his demands. Feet shuffles and the voices of two men approached. He shoved her onto the floor of the SUV behind the front seats and came down over her. Elaina had never felt more claustrophobic in her own space before.
Blazing red eyes bored into her. He pressed his pointer finger to his lips and shook his head.
Strange. His hard dick pressed into her stomach, and that was all she thought about. It once again awakened a sexual urge that she thought had dissipated.
Her captor’s head snapped up as footsteps pounded outside on the pavement. While her heartbeat quickened, he remained still and calm.
The men’s hushed voices echoed throughout the garage, just beyond the SUV.
“You sure she ran up to this level?”
“She could have circled back around to the front. Let’s hurry before we lose her. The District wants her turned in alive.”
Her heart skipped a beat. They were talking about her. After all this time, the District had found her location.
They spoke in harsh tones before moving on. After moments of complete silence, Elaina was certain they had moved to another area.
She exhaled and looked at her captor. He’d no doubt saved her from being taken in, but what for? “What do you want from me?”
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