Brian ran a hand through his hair as he stared at the closed door. She’d been unable to hide her despair when he’d told her there would be no children. He’d known she would want children, but she had no idea what it was like to lose one, and being born a vampire was no guarantee their children couldn’t be killed.
He’d barely survived it before; he wouldn’t survive it again if he lost another child. His gaze fell to the hand Beatrice had held as she’d regaled him with her day. She’d been so trusting, so young, and he’d been her hero until he’d become her biggest disappointment.
No, there would be no more children for him. Abby would come to see it was for the best, just as she would come to understand leaving here now was the best for her as well. She would get over her anger at him eventually; she had far too many years ahead of her to carry a grudge for long.
Like you’ve gotten over your anger and moved on from the loss of your family?
They were entirely different situations. He told himself she would get over it, but what if she never did and her resentment toward him only grew as the years went by? Did he want to take the chance she might hate him for eternity?
If it meant keeping her alive, it was a risk he was willing to take.
CHAPTER 18
Abby was back to not speaking to him as she stood by his side with her hands folded demurely before her. The only sign of her inner storm was the fire that blazed to life in her eyes the minute she’d emerged from the bathroom, and he’d informed her he’d called Stefan to let him know what was going on. She had clamped her mouth shut when he’d told her some of her family would be arriving soon.
The words he’d left unspoken had hung heavily in the air between them. And at least one of them will be taking you home.
He hated the idea of being apart from her and despised making her unhappy, but this was for the best. She had no idea how horrific the nefarious side of the vampire world could be. She’d gotten a glimpse of it in Karina’s club and in that drug house they’d been in, but she hadn’t even touched the tip of the iceberg.
She’ll forgive me. She has to. Although, deep down, he knew she didn’t have to forgive him and might not. Being mated to someone didn’t guarantee happiness, and he’d driven two rather large wedges between them by first declaring no children, and then seeing to her removal from this situation.
Now she stood, her eyes back to their emerald color though he could see a hint of red in them as she stared at the elevator doors. He wouldn’t have brought her into public right now, but they both had to feed. He could have called for room service, but he never would have been able to tolerate the idea of her feeding from another in front of him. Right now, he didn’t think she’d be willing to accept the idea of feeding from him, so he’d had no choice but to bring her with him to secure blood from the nearest hospital.
The elevator doors opened with a ding and she stepped out. She held herself so stiffly, he half-believed she’d break apart as she strode forward. He went to take hold of her elbow, but she sidestepped him with ease. “Abby!” he hissed.
“Screw you.”
Abby didn’t look at him when he huffed out an irritated breath and dropped his hand back to his side. She’d been planning to call her family last night to get their help, but she’d intended to stay here when they arrived. Now, she had no doubt they’d be trying to drag her away from the city. They would see no reason for her to stay any longer. Brian could fill them in on everything and get them more leads.
Before, she probably could have convinced them she would be needed to help find Vicky. At the very least, she would have convinced them that she may be the only one who could get Vicky to leave willingly if she wanted to stay, but she had no hope of that now. They would be infuriated she hadn’t been the one to call them; they would drag her away from here kicking and screaming if necessary, and they would do the same to Vicky, if and when they found her.
They may never forgive her for keeping this from them, and she may never forgive Brian for not giving her the chance to speak with them first. He’d gone behind her back to force her to do his bidding. She’d had plenty of overprotective alpha men in her life. She didn’t need or want another one.
“You’ll forgive me,” he insisted when they stepped outside and onto the busy sidewalk as dusk descended on the city.
“You keep telling yourself that, see how far it gets you.”
When he went to grab her arm again, she moved four more steps to the side, allowing the crush of people to flow between them. She contemplated fleeing down the city streets, but he would find her before she made it to the nearest subway station. He’d taken away her freedom, her choices; she’d never been so angry in her life.
She was also hungry; she didn’t think she’d ever been this hungry before. She never should have come out in public feeling like she did, but she couldn’t remain in the hotel room. He surprisingly hadn’t argued with her when she’d put on her coat and low-heeled boots to join him.
She kept the people between them, but she found her gaze going more and more toward the pulse in their necks. Unwittingly, she licked her lips as one man brushed entirely too close to her. The man had been trying to get a cheap feel; he nearly got her fangs in his throat.
Brian was suddenly beside her. Taking hold of her elbow, he steered her toward an alley lit only by the lights they’d left behind on the sidewalk. “Stop it!” she protested.
“It’s either you feed from me or on one of the passersby, right now,” he replied. “You’re staring at them like they’re meals on legs.”
“They are meals on legs,” she muttered, then shook her head in annoyance at herself. She was hungrier than she’d realized if that was her attitude about humans at the moment. “I didn’t mean that.”
“When was the last time you fed?”
“I don’t know, a few days ago. I was going to call for room service last night, but you interrupted me before I could.”
A jolt went through Brian at her words. “You will not be feeding directly from humans any more. It will either be blood bags or me.”
“Oh, you managed to go almost a half an hour without bossing me around. It must be a new record.”
“Abigail—”
“I bet it’s perfectly fine for you to continue to feast on humans though, and I’m sure you prefer females.”
He had no idea how it had all gone so bad so fast. Last night she’d been moaning and writhing beneath him; now she was pricklier than a cactus. He was beginning to realize it was only going to get worse if something wasn’t done to stop this downward, angry spiral between them.
“I will provide for you,” he told her.
“You won’t be providing shit for me.” The truth was she actually didn’t care for feeding from humans. She’d been scared she was going to hurt the human boy she’d fed from. It had been too stressful to be fulfilling, but Brian’s words had infuriated her all over again. “Not until you can treat me like an equal.”
She glowered at him before bowing her head to focus on the alley and her boots as she walked. She rubbed at her neck, hating the tension there. His hand slid up to replace hers; his strong fingers kneading her flesh eased the tightness in her muscles.
She melted beneath his touch before coming back to herself and slapping his hand away. “Stop that.”
She didn’t find his arrogant smile cute anymore. He pulled her to a stop and moved her backward to press her against the brick wall of a building. “What are you doing?” she demanded.
“You must feed. We have no choice but to go back into public before we reach the hospital. You have one alternative to grabbing a human and draining them dry, and that’s me.”
“I’ll starve, thank you.”
He blocked her when she tried to squeeze around him. “You won’t starve, you’ll snap.”
“I am perfectly capable of restraining myself, unlike you.”
His hand rested against her hip, drawing her up against the bulge
in his pants. She squirmed away from him, refusing to let him melt her in any way.
“I’m being very restrained right now, just as I was last night. But I won’t let my mate go hungry,” he stated.
“The bond is not complete. I am not your mate.”
He grabbed hold of her chin, forcing her to look at him. “It’s as good as sealed, Abigail. You may be pissed at me, but you better get that realization through your head.”
She rested her hands against his chest, looking to force him away from her, but her fingers curled into his shirt. She despised this need she had for him.
Her fangs slid free, pricking her bottom lip when he leaned closer to her and turned his head to expose more of his throat. She inhaled his enticing scent; it reminded her of pine trees and the forest around her home in Maine. She wanted his blood, nearly as badly as she wanted to feel him inside of her, but she couldn’t give into him.
“It’s not giving in, Abby. It’s simply fulfilling a need.”
He seemed to have read her mind by uttering those words. Words she tried to shake off, but he was right, wasn’t he? It didn’t matter, her head spun with thirst as his blood rushed through his veins in a mouthwatering rhythm; she felt her heart slowing to match. She was far weaker than she’d ever thought herself as she leaned into him, her fangs resting against his flesh.
“That’s it, dove,” he whispered.
She shivered at the endearment, something she’d never expected from him. His hand wrapped around the back of her head, keeping her locked in place. As the vein pulsed beneath her lips, saliva filled her mouth and a whimper escaped her. She was helpless to resist the lure of his blood.
His body jerked against hers when she sank her fangs into him. The hot wash of his blood in her mouth was the most delectable thing she’d ever tasted as it filled her in pulsing waves. His lust pounded against her as he grabbed hold of her ass and thrust her against him. What had been a bulge before, was now a full erection he ground against her in his growing frenzy.
“More,” he commanded.
Helpless to resist, she bit deeper. His hand smashed against the wall beside her head; she scarcely noticed the bits of debris and brick falling around them. Her body quivered as she became swept up in all of his tumultuous feelings for her and his gratification over what was happening between them now.
Wetness spread between her legs as she lifted them and wrapped them around his waist. She rode him up and down with reckless abandon. Through his blood, she could sense he was barely keeping himself restrained from tearing her jeans from her and sinking himself deep into her.
She was so far gone on the taste and power of his blood right now, she wouldn’t stop him from taking her virginity in an alley that smelled of things she tried not to think about. His hips thrust demandingly against her, causing her body to splinter apart as an orgasm ripped through her.
Her cry of pleasure was muffled by his throat; her nails raked down his back. His body gave a heaving shudder as his satisfaction and frustration flowed through his blood and into her as he found his release, but not inside of her.
“Will have you,” he whispered against her neck.
His fangs pressed against her, but he didn’t bite down. She wanted to scream at him to do it, but kept herself restrained.
Releasing her bite on his neck, she rested her head on his shoulder and turned to watch as the humans strolled up and down the busy city street with no awareness of what had just transpired fifty feet away from them. The humans were all so close, yet she’d never felt further removed from their world before. She was losing everything that had ever meant anything to her—her freedom, friends, dreams, and most importantly, her family.
Brian ran his hand over her hair. His fangs ached from their need to be buried within her, but he was far more concerned about seeing her fed than he was with leaving his mark on her. Her need for blood didn’t beat against him anymore as he cradled her closer. However, he could sense her euphoria fading away to be replaced with misery once more.
He didn’t know what to do to ease those feelings in her. She melted at his touch, but he couldn’t keep her in bed for the rest of their lives, no matter how inviting the prospect was. Besides, she would probably be leaving tomorrow, and he didn’t know when he’d get the chance to see her again. Her anger and resentment would only grow during their separation. When he finally did see her again, she wouldn’t run to him with open arms.
The scent of her arousal and climax drifted to him, causing him to become hard again. He’d ejaculated in his own pants; a feat he’d managed to avoid his entire life, but she managed to make all of his control and restraint become completely undone whenever he touched her. She made him forget about everything except for pleasing her. She made him forget what a monster he had been.
What a monster he still was, especially with her. He didn’t like upsetting her, but he wasn’t used to someone fighting him every step of the way. Well, not every step. She was fairly easy going until he decided she was going to do something she didn’t want to do.
An eternity of driving wedges between them would only equate to an eternity of unhappiness for them both. There would be no divorce, no until death do they part. No, there would only be unhappiness and arguments. He rested his lips against her temple. Her hands flattened against his chest to push him away as her legs unwrapped from his waist.
Their brief moment was over; they would soon return to fighting. They couldn’t do this forever. It would be best for her if she left here, but it would be worse for them in the long run, and truth be told, he didn’t want to part from her, not even for a day.
“You can stay,” he murmured against her hair. “I won’t force you to leave before we find Vicky.”
Abby’s hands jerked on his shirt. She tilted her head back to look at him, uncertain if she’d heard him right, but he didn’t appear to be joking. His blue eyes were a deeper, sea blue as he watched her with an unreadable expression.
“Really?” she asked.
“Yes, but you are to stay out of it, for the most part. If I tell you it’s too dangerous for you, you have to listen to me. Promise me you will do as I say, and I will keep your family from taking you home.”
“I promise!”
“I mean it, Abby. If you fight me on anything, I will personally drag you out of here, and that won’t do any good for Vicky.”
“I mean it,” she said. “I promise, but why did you change your mind?”
His thumbs rubbed over her cheekbones as he studied her beautiful emerald eyes. Because there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to make you happy. “I guess I’m getting soft in my old age,” he said, instead of the truth.
Her elated laughter filled the air as she flung her arms around his neck. She rained kisses across his cheeks and mouth. He would agree to almost anything, if it meant making her this happy again.
CHAPTER 19
“What were you thinking, Abby?” Ethan ran a hand through his black hair as he paced back and forth before her, shooting her disapproving looks every chance he got.
She folded her arms over her chest and glared back at her older brother. “I was thinking Vicky wouldn’t want you involved, and neither did I.”
“You could have gotten the both of you killed.”
“I’m as capable of defending myself as you are.”
“You’re a newly matured vampire. You’re not sure what you’re capable of yet.”
“And neither are you. I believed I could find her on my own.”
“But you called him!” Ethan exploded and thrust a finger at Brian.
“So did you when you needed help!”
Ethan stopped walking to scowl at her before resuming his pacing.
“What leads do you have?” Stefan asked. “Brian?”
Stefan’s prodding caused Brian to break away from following Ethan’s every move. He was seriously considering beating her brother if he didn’t watch what he said to her. His attention turned to Stefan,
the man he’d once considered his best friend. Time had torn them apart, but to this day, Stefan was the only man he’d ever counted on as much as himself. Stefan was one of the few who had understood his compulsion to avenge the death of his family and had helped him to do so.
Stefan’s onyx eyes burned into his as he waited for an answer. Behind Stefan, Abby’s adopted uncle, David sat sprawled out on the sofa, his long legs spread before him. Her brother, Ian leaned against the wall beside David. Ian’s sky-colored eyes flitted curiously between Brian and Abby as Brian remained standing protectively in front of her.
If Ethan was mad now, he was about to hit a whole new level of pissed off when Brian staked his claim on Abby. He didn’t care if he had to take all of them on at the same time. No one was going to take her from him.
“Not many leads so far,” he replied to Stefan’s question. “However, I found out this morning that a girl named Marissa, a Feeder I questioned last night, was killed shortly after we spoke. She knew more than she could tell me due to compulsion, but someone didn’t like her talking to me enough to kill her for it. She gave me the name of her ex, Garth, and some numbers. I planned to follow up on him tonight.”
“Fine,” Ethan said. “We’ll get in touch with this guy tonight. David has agreed to take Abby home.”
“I’m not leaving,” she said firmly.
Ethan spun to face her, looking as if he might grab her and shake her. A warning growl emanated from Brian as he nudged her back with his shoulder. He knew her brother wouldn’t hurt her, but he wouldn’t let him upset her any more either. The gesture caused eyebrows to shoot up all over the room.
“She’s not going anywhere,” Brian said firmly.
Ethan’s green eyes, so similar in color to Abby’s, narrowed on him. “She’s not staying here. Our parents are expecting her, and it’s too risky for her here. These vamps are killing off the people you’re talking to; they can’t know she’s connected in any way.”
Undone (Vampire Awakenings, Book 5) Page 17