Fire eyes slowly turned on her, but the Dresdan didn’t let her up. He lifted his hand and brushed sweat-dampened hair from her forehead.
Elaina shrank back, confused at this stranger’s actions.
He stroked his fingers through her strands as if he admired her and had known her before their encounter. “Elaina.” Her name rolled off his tongue like magic.
She gasped. She knew this voice. It couldn’t be. No. Wasn’t he dead? Executed by his own kind?
Glowing ruby eyes disappeared and turned to a deep hazel. She knew that gaze.
She had to be dreaming. This could not be possible, but past memories of those eyes matched this one.
“Vicq.” She’d missed him.
“Mi amor.” He bent his head as she slipped her fingers around the nape of his neck. His hair was longer now and the soft strands caressed the back of her hand.
Delicately at first, he settled his mouth onto hers. Her fingers tangled in his hair and his firm lips molded desperately to hers. She parted her lips, inviting his tongue to tangle with her own. The taste of him was not forgotten. Delicious. Sweet. Comforting. It had been so long since she’d been embraced like this.
The dormant spark awakened in her torso and loins. It consumed all of her. Her body temperature escalated as he shoved his hand under her skirt and smoothed it down her thigh. His fingers gripped her flesh, kneading the tension away.
Their lips fused, and tongues flirted together while her memories flooded back to the day when Vicq had lured her into his bed. Because of him, she’d failed her mission. Because of him, she was no longer the hunter, but the hunted. Even now, he captivated her and made her forget why she had left him in the first place.
Elaina backed away from the kiss to gaze into his eyes again. Just to make sure that this was real...that she wasn’t dreaming.
Vicq pressed a kiss into her forehead. “You’ve been thinking about me? You kept your memories all this time, mi amor.”
He’d delved into her thoughts. For the strongest Dresdan, blood wasn’t the only thing they used to know an ally or an enemy. The essence from a kiss, fear, and arousal had been used by Vicq to enter her mind many times before.
Her palms molded to a firm, solid chest and confirmed that he was real. There was just enough light to admire his smooth olive complexion, and she ran a few fingers against the side of his face.
“Vicq, I thought you were dead. Your Master sentenced you to death.” The words rushed out of her on a breathless whisper.
“No, not dead. I live for you, remember?”
“But where have you been?”
“I have protected you from the shadows too long, Elaina.” He licked his lips, the way he always used to do when he’d craved her blood. “They’re getting closer and closer to finding you. Your life is in danger. More now, than ever before. You’re coming with me.”
Chapter 3
“So, you didn’t die?” Elaina exclaimed, as Vicq helped her up off the floor of the SUV. She sat down, making sure to keep away from the windows, and leaned her back against the frame.
“I died decades ago, Elaina.”
He’d grown his jet black hair much longer than she’d remembered it four months ago. He was also much slimmer and leaner. In human years, he was ninety-two, but he didn’t look a day over thirty. He still had the young, vibrant aura of a man in his prime.
“You know what I meant,” she said.
“I have a lot of explaining to do,” Vicq said. “But now is not the time. We have to move out before they circle back around.”
“We?” She frowned. “We aren’t going anywhere until you explain to me why you had me thinking you’ve been dead for the past four months.”
“It was safer for you.” Vicq pulled himself up on his knees and then offered her his palm. He nodded towards the driver’s seat. “Let’s head out.”
Elaina crossed her arms over her chest. “I could have taken care of those men.”
“You could have—,” he raised an eyebrow, “—if you knew they were coming. You didn’t even know I was there.”
Without the monthly supply of the District 5 drug that sustained her ability to detect and track Dresdan, she was absolutely useless. The truth was, she never would have known Vicq was present if he hadn’t revealed himself. Apparently, she was getting rusty. She’d been so distracted, that she’d hardly noticed that two District 5 trackers were following her.
“So, you admit that you’ve been stalking me?”
“I have been with you for quite some time, Elaina.”
“With me?” She exclaimed.
“Let’s save this small talk and discussion for later.” He gestured again with a nod of his head toward the front seat. “Can you drive?
She narrowed her eyes. “Where do you think you’re taking me?”
“A safe place.”
“Where?” She demanded.
“My coven.”
“Last I checked, your followers thought I was a traitor.”
“They understand you better now.”
Vicq held out his hand again and she took it, allowing him to help her into the front of the SUV. Instead of taking his seat like a normal person would, he used teleportation.
“I can see you haven’t lost that touch.”
He leaned over slightly, shocking her by lifting his palm to stroke her cheek. The skin was cold but soft against her. His breath was warm against her lips. “I lost a lot of things, Elaina, but you...I won’t lose again.”
Elaina shifted her gaze away from him. “How can I trust you? It was so hard...” She swallowed.
“I came to you every day at the same time. It took everything in me not to reveal myself. Bringing you into my world once again when we were constantly hunted because of what we stand against was too risky.” He lifted her chin with his fingertips so that their eyes were level again. “Your plan was perfect. The new identity. Moving far away from your District base. Cutting off all ties to past connections. I didn’t want to ruin it.”
“It obviously wasn’t so perfect if they found me.”
“Just last week, you called your parents’ home.”
Elaina’s mouth fell open in shock. “But it was from a pay phone. Miles away from my house or job.” She couldn’t stand the loneliness anymore, and had only wanted to hear their voices. She had to know that they were okay. All she had gotten was an answering machine, but that had been good enough.
“They traced the call. There’s a possibility that they have a bug on your parents’ line.”
She shook her head. “How did you know?”
“After you left the phone booth, I had Logan trace the last number dialed.”
“Damn.” She dug her fingernails into her palms. “I knew it was a bad idea.”
“I’m sorry, Elaina. I’m sorry I had to leave you alone.”
She frowned and pulled away from him. He’d been watching her all this time and knew she was unhappy. Hiding. Running for her life.
“We have to go.” He unfolded his hand and produced her keys on his palm.
“I need to grab some belongings from my house.”
“No. Your location has been compromised.”
“What do you mean, no?” She turned to face him. “There’s something I need to get. It’s very important.”
“Fine. We’ll stop to get what you need and move out immediately. It won’t be long before District 5 finds those dead trackers.”
“You’re right.” Elaina slipped the key in the ignition and started the SUV.
She wondered what would have become of her had Vicq not been around. Had those trackers really come to take her in? It was odd. Why not just kill her now? But if District 5 had really wanted her dead, they could have easily sent a sniper.
Glancing over at Vicq, she realized now that the vibrancy in his skin tone was likely due to feeding on one of the trackers who’d pursued her. He needed blood to sustain him. Dresdan had a healthy appetite. Just like most hu
mans have a favorite food, the normal Dresdan have a preferred blood type.
According to the Dresdan, blood types went beyond the four main ones and were further expanded into subtypes. Each subgroup had a different flavor and scent. It just so happened that Vicq preferred her subtype to all others.
Five months ago, Elaina was sent to execute Vicq. He was one of the most powerful Dresdan and notorious for getting in the way of District 5’s missions. Instead of killing him, she fell under his spell and became his Donor.
Chapter 4
Elaina stashed her keys in her handbag and maneuvered around the parked rows of cars in the gravel parking lot leading to her home. Vicq followed closely but silently behind her, his boots barely grazing the ground.
Wind blew across her face and she briefly caught the scent of fresh lake water under her nose. Each day, coming home to her small houseboat in a tight-knit community that pretty much kept to themselves was comforting. No one asked questions here. The landlord had accepted her cash every month without a word. She’d become a loner in such a short time, relocating from the East Coast to the West Coast, traveling thousands of miles across the country to make a new name for herself. Evidently, District 5 had caught up with her. If Vicq was right about how they’d found her, it had taken them about a week after the phone call to her parents’ house to send out trackers for her.
Vicq fell in step beside her. “Remember when you told me you were eighteen before you could swim?” He chuckled under his breath. “I never thought you would choose to live on a houseboat.”
What a sheltered teen she had been. Her parents had never allowed her luxuries and freedom like her counterparts. She was homeschooled by her mother and had successfully completed her K through 12 studies by the age of 16. When she was old enough to move out, she’d made the drastic decision that had put her in this predicament. Her parents had always taught her that her upbringing as a child would mold her into the adult she’d become in the future. They were right. However, this future wasn’t what they’d had in mind.
She grinned. “Becoming part of District 5 is like joining the Marines. They push your ass in the deep end of the pool. If you want to live, you learn to swim—immediately.”
“You’ve managed quite well on your own. When I first started coming to you, I had to keep in mind that I needed to keep a sizable distance between us since you were once a tracker. You had a great nose, even before they started injecting you with their drugs.”
“I always had a feeling I was being watched.”
How didn’t she know the man she loved was only yards away from her? Had she been that reliant on the District drugs to detect a Dresdan?
The full moon reflected off the river, creating an eerie silver gleam. As they neared the dock leading to the row of houseboats, short bursts of wind brushed the water, causing ripples to form at the surface. As always, no one greeted her when she crossed the threshold into her home. Aside from the maintenance crew that came to do repairs when needed, no one else had ever been invited inside.
Elaina had always leaned toward cozy, small living spaces rather than large mansions. Many of her ex-colleagues at District 5 had earned their stripes in no time and moved on to live extravagantly and without worries by day. At night, when they were given their assignments, they took on a different persona. Being alive the next day was never promised, so most of them splurged and spent their healthy earnings. She had chosen to live well below her means. A rented room on the highest floor of a condominium had been her sanctuary before she went AWOL. A glamorous lifestyle had never been something she’d envisioned for herself anyway.
The houseboat she now called home was smaller than most efficiency apartments. She didn’t require much, only a place to sleep, eat, and wash up. This place allowed her to do all of that. Now she would have to leave it.
Vicq picked up a leather bound book, held it in his palm, and thumbed through it. His gaze roamed over the interior of her living space. “I can see that you still hoard books.”
“I don’t hoard them.” She only kept the good ones so she could read them again.
“Why do you keep so many?” He stalked across her room and peered out of the small window over the kitchen sink. “Seems that if you’ve read most of them, they wouldn’t be collecting dust in your home. Why not donate them to your library? You were always stingy, you know. With your blood...and other things.” He licked his lips.
“And you were always greedy.” Elaina lined up four empty duffle bags and began to unzip them one by one. “With your appetite and libido.”
Vicq’s breath swept the back of her ear and she tensed. He’d moved so quickly that she hadn’t even seen it. He nuzzled her, holding his moistened lips to her heated skin. “I needed you, mi amor. Back then and right now.”
Her body responded positively anytime he used his native language to woo her. Before he’d been turned, he worked in this country as a migrant. As a child he’d been separated from everyone he knew when his parents died in a house fire. He kept fond memories of his Fillipino father who had a kind heart and his Mexican mother who made all of his clothing.
“Mi reina…I missed touching you,” he whispered.
Her eyelids closed and she parted her lips. Vicq’s fingers gripped the expanse of her hips and he nudged his nose against her vein, inhaling deeply. The insides of her thighs grew warm from the heat of her arousal. Her pussy clenched at the thought of his cock, smooth like leather and hard as steel, thrusting into her wet sheath.
She bit her bottom lip, squeezed her eyelids tighter together, and tried to rid herself of the image. He slid a hand downward until his fingers slipped past the waistband of her jeans. He stroked her mound with hot, roving fingers, and she cursed silently. She couldn’t deny that she wanted this, wanted him, even if it killed her.
His fingers slid between her wet slit and found her bud of pleasure. Elaina moaned as he stroked and flicked gently over her clit. Fear and tension were replaced with lust as she arched her back and pressed her ass against his cock.
“You see, Elaina, I can give you whatever it is you need.” He smoothed his cheek against her hair. “I’m greedy, yes, for your body and for your blood, but would you deny yourself what I can offer in return?”
Spoken like the true predator he was…
This was why it was too lethal to be with him. District 5 research proved that Dresdan males could seduce any female, satisfying more than just their sexual needs. They could send anyone on an emotional high...whatever they desired at the time. His kind, especially the males, thrived because of this. They had no problems enticing a potential meal into a dark alley or abandoned building. In order to live, they feasted on the weak and helpless. Some overindulged and killed their prey by draining them of life.
It didn’t help Elaina that she’d given her blood to him before. Once she’d let him inside her mind through the blood, it was compromised forever. She’d become his Donor. Her blood, his addiction.
He teased her clit with his fingers until she craved an ending to the torture—her release. She wanted it so much...but at what price?
Her eyes flew open, and she pulled from his grasp. “I don’t need a quick fuck.”
He laughed under his breath. “You have me mistaken for someone else. I have always taken you long and hard.”
A sharp tingle raced up her spine and her knees grew weak. She couldn’t concentrate on this escape if she was thinking about what he could do to satisfy the sexual awakening throbbing throughout her body. Elaina shook the vision of sex with Vicq from her head.
“Make yourself useful.” She grabbed two duffle bags and started toward the tall, wicker chest on the other side of the room. “Help me dump my clothes into these bags.”
Vicq caught her forearm and pulled the duffle bags from her grip. “I said one bag. Pack five days’ worth of clothes—that is all.”
“That would be two bags.” Not surprised by his stubbornness, Elaina jerked away with her b
ags. “My shoes and other incidentals go in their own bag.”
He frowned. “Incidentals?”
“My weapons,” she said.
“Fine! Pack it in two and let’s be on our way.”
She glanced over her shoulder and rolled her eyes at him. “What makes you think I want to roll with you for five days? We’ll part ways once I reach safety or they ca—”
He moved behind her before she’d even gotten the complete sentence out. “What do you mean...part ways?”
“If they catch up to us, I want you to leave me.”
“What? I came to you for a reason. I’m not leaving you anywhere.”
His eyes changed to a deep red, a sign of his aggression and his nature as a killer. How could she even think of him in that way? He killed, yes...but not mercilessly like others she knew. Vicq wasn’t a bad guy, yet he was targeted by many.
Elaina couldn’t meet his gaze anymore, so she looked away. “They’ll kill you. They only want to study me.”
“You’d let them?”
“To save you, yes.” She sighed. “If I give them what they want, I’ll have a chance to live. I’ll have a chance to return and get the information I need to save others.”
“What do they want from you, exactly?”
“The blood in my veins, Vicq.” She turned and searched his swirling red eyes. “Part of District 5’s research is to create a human with superior abilities much like yours. They’ve tried mixing the blood before, but the results were futile. The agent in the Dresdan blood never lasted long enough in a human to complete the tests. It has lasted longer in me.”
“I haven’t feed from you in months, but I can sense something is different about you.”
Elaina bit her bottom lip. “I know, Vicq. I feel different.” She shook her head. “I can’t explain it.” She looked down at the patterns on the area rug. “That’s probably why they’re still looking for me.”
“You’ve not crossed over...” His eyes shifted quickly back and forth over her face.
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