I picked up the phone and called Viktor. Thankfully, he answered on the third ring. I hated leaving messages. “Hello, old friend.”
“What do you want?” Viktor snarled into the phone.
Obviously, I’d caught him at a bad time, so I went right into the issue. “We have a rogue gargoyle on the loose in Colorado. I need your help reaching out to any existing factions that are still active.” Viktor was one of the few vampires that held no allegiances, and was friends with all kinds of supernatural groups. If anyone was going to help me find a gargoyle clan, it would be him.
“I’ll reach out to my only contact in that group and get back to you.” He hung up the phone. I’d take offense to Viktor’s bluntness if I hadn’t known him for so long.
I sighed heavily and closed my eyes. I could feel the pull of morning. It was like a pair of hands were gently tugging me toward the blissful abyss of sleep. I decided to lie down on the leather couch in the office. I needed real sleep tonight, not chair sleep at Piper’s bedside. It was agonizing watching her curled up in my sheets. All I wanted to do was wrap my arms around her warmth and hold her tight. The desire to taste her blood and body was overwhelming. She smelled so delicious. Her skin begged to be licked and bitten. Her eyes were so full of hope when she looked at me.
For now, while she was in danger, while it was my job to protect her, I would have to stick with the fantasy of making her mine, sexually and otherwise. Visions of her naked body in my arms comforted me as sleep took control.
*****
Piper
I felt the sting of claws scrape against my skin before my eyes were even open. Visions of being skinned alive took over my peaceful dreams, and left me frightened. I tried to reach a conscious level, but something held me back, like a magnet, pulling me deeper into the realm of sleep. Pain vibrated through my body in waves, but I was paralyzed to do anything about it. A lullaby entered the darkness, one I was unfamiliar with, a voice that was just out of reach from grasping who it belonged to. The only real thing I knew was the fear that snaked up my spine and wrapped around each vertebra, cutting off my ability to move. The desire to run filled me, but I was frozen in terror.
A scream erupted from my lips, but no sound touched my ears.
Something dark inside me came to life forcing the will to survive into every fiber of my being. Movement started slowly. First a finger, then a toe. The paralysis started to lose its hold on my body and I began to get control back. I couldn’t open my eyes. I could barely move, but the need to survive vibrated through my veins, raising my body temperature and bringing me closer to the surface of consciousness.
You are in danger. Wake up!
*****
Sebastian
“What the hell are you doing?” I growled as I came upon the gory scene of my sister skinning Piper alive. I snatched Chloe up by the throat and slammed her against the wall. I didn’t care that I was cutting off her air. She’d survive my assault. She needed to be taught a lesson. Piper was off limits.
It was the sweetness of Piper’s blood on my sister’s lips that drove me over the edge of sanity. Chloe clawed at my hand. Blood trickled from the scratches, but I couldn’t stop the rage from taking over.
“Stop!” Piper’s shaky voice cut through my angry haze. “Please, stop. No more. No more death.” Her voice sounded so small, like a tiny child on the verge of a breakdown. It was enough to keep me from ripping into Chloe. I loosened my grip and my sister fell to the ground in a heap.
I rushed over to Piper and slit my wrist. “Drink!” It was a command I knew she couldn’t resist. Now that she had my blood in her veins, she wouldn’t be able to resist me when I gave orders. I silently promised not to misuse my power over her, only in circumstances where her life was in jeopardy.
She wiped the tears from her pretty, innocent eyes and obeyed. I pushed down the guilt. I wouldn’t let her drink enough to become one of us. That meant forcing her to drink would simply allow her to heal faster. I was doing this for her own good. Had I not gotten her to drink before, she’d be dead when I woke up. I wouldn’t have heard her scream or felt her terror. If Chloe had killed her, I don’t know what I’d do.
“She is a danger to this family.” Chloe insisted with a scratchy voice.
“Leave! Now, Chloe!” I told her through gritted teeth. “Leave before I hurt you,” I warned.
“You would choose this… human over your own sister?”
“I said leave. Don’t come back until I’ve calmed down.” To Piper, I spoke with a gentle voice. “That is enough. You should heal quickly now.”
“You will regret this!” Chloe slithered out of my room and left the two of us alone.
“I’m sorry for my sister’s behavior.”
“And what about yours?” She snatched the blanket tight against her neck and swallowed hard.
“What do you mean?” I frowned in confusion. What the hell was she talking about?
“Don’t you think there has been enough death around here?”
I stared at Piper while I tried to process the words that were coming out of her mouth. “She tried to kill you. I had to teach her that you’re under my protection.”
“How exactly? Killing your sister?” She gave me a dark raised eyebrow.
“I wasn’t going to kill her, but I needed to make my point.” My eyes traveled the length of Piper’s body. Missing strips of skin were healing on her arms. Thank the powers that be that my blood had a mild sedative effect on her otherwise she’d be in excruciating pain.
The more I got to know her, the more I appreciated her bravery and resilience.
“Why?” She asked after a long awkward silence stretched between us.
“Why what?”
“Why am I under your protection?”
I didn’t know how to answer her question. I couldn’t figure that out myself. Chloe was right. She was dangerous to us. She was a problem that we didn’t need to take care of, but there was something about her that I couldn’t walk away from. Something about her that made her irresistible.
I ran a hand through my dark hair. “I’m working with the local authorities to uncover the creature that is attacking vampires and protecting you.” It was the only answer I could give in a pinch.
“So, I’m bait.” She nodded.
“No.” Her eyes narrowed and I knew she didn’t trust me. “Maybe.”
“And if I am okay with being the bait, you’ll protect me from the monster?”
“I don’t believe you need protecting.”
“Really? Why is that?”
“The creature had plenty of opportunities to kill you and you survived each of them. I’m guessing the bar wasn’t the first time either.” I gave her a knowing look.
She glanced away, confirming my suspicions.
“When did this start?”
She hesitated, and then said, “A few months ago, I was on a case.”
“A case?”
“I am a Private Investigator.”
“Okay, so you’re not a courtesan?”
“I became a courtesan because I hoped to gain favor with the vampires and maybe find a protector.”
“That is very presumptuous of you.
She loosened her white-knuckled grip on the blanket and relaxed. “It is. I won’t deny it, but I was desperate. This monster has been haunting me for months, and the vampires were the only creatures I could think of strong enough to offer refuge.”
“And you didn’t notice all the vampires dropping like flies around you?”
She bit her lower lip, and I resisted the urge to claim her lips and take my own bite. “Up until Roderick, I didn’t know about any other vampires.”
“The bar?”
“I was chasing a perp to deliver a subpoena. I didn’t expect to be walking into a trap.”
“And how many other people have been killed around you?”
She swallowed hard and looked away. “Too many.”
The moisture welling
up in her eyes stopped me from pushing harder. She’d reveal more when she could. “I need to sleep and so do you.”
She pulled the blanket closer to her involuntarily.
“I won’t sleep in here,” I said to put her mind at ease.
“I don’t mind if you do.” She scooted over to the far side of the bed.
“I can sense if you’re in trouble. It is what pulled me from my sleep earlier,” I reassured her.
“I’d prefer it if you stayed.”
I nodded. “Okay.” I carefully climbed into bed and miraculously avoided touching her.
“So it is true that vampires sleep during the day?” She asked as she lay next to me stiff as a board.
“Some do and others don’t.” I turned to examine her profile. “Do you mind if I hold you?”
A look of fear crossed her features for a brief second.
“I promise, no hanky panky tonight.” I offered a little humor to put her at ease.
It worked. She relaxed. “Okay.”
I pulled her body against mine, and felt a moment of peace I had never experienced in all my years. “We all have different gifts.”
“What is yours?”
“Psychometry.” I kissed the top of her head and reveled in the sweet scent of strawberries.
“What is that?”
“Sometimes an inanimate object can hold strong emotional and psychic energy. I have the ability to tap into that energy. It gives me glimpses of the past. It is how I knew you were there during the first attack.”
“You were able to see it?”
“Fragments of what happened during highly charged moments. Imprints left on the object. Yes.”
She turned in my arms and examined me closely. I could get lost in the deep blue pools of her eyes. Sadness, shame, and hopefulness swirled around inside them. I squeezed her tightly, knowing all too well those emotions, and the question she was going to ask.
“So you saw the monster, the thing that is chasing me, the beast that killed your brother? How can you ever forgive me?”
“Because you were not the one that did those things.”
She relaxed in my arms, and for the first time in centuries, I finally felt like I was home. I knew in that moment I would protect her with my life.
“I feel so cursed,” was the last thing she whispered into my chest before she fell asleep.
I understand all too well what being cursed feels like, my sweet.
Chapter Eight
Piper
Strong arms held me tight as I woke up from a dreamless sleep. So much had happened in the last few months, but nothing was more profound than finding this man who held me with such protectiveness, looked at me with so much adoration, and promised to help me with my curse. He was truly an amazing vampire. I didn’t know how I was going to repay him. His grip loosened and allowed me to look up at him, to really examine him with fresh eyes.
He was extraordinarily attractive. Then again, many vampires were. There was something about youth that was appealing, and most vampires were remade when they were in their early twenties. Sebastian looked no older than mid to late twenties, at least until he gazed at you with his stormy grey eyes. There were years hidden in those ashen irises. Centuries, from what he had eluded too.
His strength came from supernatural and physical prowess. He was long and lean with muscles under his tan skin. His face was chiseled to perfection, and his dark hair made him look far more innocent than I supposed he was. He was a stark contrast to his brother Roderick. The memory of the vampire made me feel guilty. What happened to him was a heinous crime.
“If you keep looking at me with those hungry eyes I may have to take back my promise of no hanky panky.” Sebastian spoke in a sleepy voice. His eyes, veiled by long lashes, were slightly opened.
“You promised no fun last night, or this morning, whatever, but now is a different time.” I told him playfully.
He growled, and without further hesitation, claimed my lips. Once the shock of his aggressive movement wore off, I melted into his arms. The explosion of desire and need took hold of me, and our hands began roaming each other’s bodies in response. His kiss stole my breath. I was no stranger to passion, and this man was intense.
With a growl, he flipped me on my back and examined my face. “Are you sure?”
I bit my lower lip and smiled. “Yes.”
With super speed he snatched my hands and pulled them above my head, holding both of my wrists in one large palm as the other hand cupped my face, then moved slowly down my neck, and through the valley between my breasts before coming to rest on my hip. His mouth nibbled on my neck.
“There is something alluring about you, Piper Mason.” His breath was hot on my neck, sending shivers down my spine. “You smell like a tantalizing sweet treat. My desire to feed on you is more intense than any woman I can remember. How is it you can enchant me so?”
My voice failed me. I couldn’t speak so I simply shook my head. We’d just met. There was no reason for this powerful attraction between us. That didn’t change my craving for him. I wanted to explore these feelings, to escape reality for a moment, turn away from the nightmare that was my life, and he offered a provocative distraction.
*****
Sebastian
I couldn’t shake the need that drove my actions as I teased her neck and lips. My teeth lengthened and desired a simple taste, but the image of her running in fear from Roderick played in my mind. We needed to take things slowly. She’d been through far too much trauma for me to take advantage. If things continued to progress as I hoped, we’d have more than enough time to bathe in a deeper connection. My teeth replaced hers, nibbling her lower lip, careful not to break the skin, despite my need to taste her. Willpower in sex and blood was weak, but with her, I’d manage to overcome my needs and wait until the time was right.
The knock on the door filtered through the passionate haze that grew between us. “Who is it?” I snarled as I reluctantly broke the lip lock.
Joshua entered the room. “You have a visitor.”
“I’m not expecting anyone.” I couldn’t take my eyes off of Piper, but I released her wrists.
“Viktor and a man named Bryant are here to meet with you.” He bowed his lanky form. “I’ll tell them you’re indisposed.”
I tossed the blanket away. “No, I do want to talk to them. Please show them to the office.”
Joshua bowed again and left them alone.
“What’s going on, Sebastian?” Piper sat up, bringing her lips inches from mine. I closed my eyes to the temptation. We had time.
I went to the closet and started changing my clothes. Truth, I didn’t want to tell her, not yet. I wanted to keep her in my sanctuary bubble for a little longer, but I promised to keep her safe, and being honest with her seemed like the best way to do that. She needed to know about the things that were impacting her. “I called Viktor yesterday and asked him to help me get in touch with a gargoyle leader so we could find out what is happening to you.”
She joined me in the closet, half dressed, her eyes drunk with pleasure. My shirt rode up her slender thigh, teasing me with the promise of a peek of what treasures were hidden by cloth that frequently touched my skin. “Do you have a smaller shirt I can borrow?”
My eyes took in her bountiful mounds. Somehow, my button up shirt had been opened revealing more skin than was necessary. She was testing my resolve to take things slow. I could feel my teeth grow. Yearning welled up to take a sip of her blood. It wasn’t until my canine cut my lip and I tasted my own blood that I could regain my senses. “You’re not coming to this meeting.”
“Like hell I’m not.” She entered the closet and pulled a black cashmere, turtle neck sweater from a hanger and slipped it on over her head, covering up her bouncy offerings. The beast inside me refused to be quelled. He wanted more. Her refusal to listen only fueled the monster’s need.
I pulled her body against mine, her soft back to my hardened front and
hissed in her ear. “I said you’re not coming to this meeting.”
She turned in my arms, pressing her supple body against mine in all the right places. Her fingers walked up my chest before wrapping around my neck. The woman was weaving a masterful spell around me. “You said you were going to help me.”
“I said I would protect you. Gargoyles are a nasty breed, even the tamest of them is unpredictable.” And they hated vampires.
Her bow-shaped lips took on the slightest of pouts. I wanted nothing more than to nibble on that full lower lip.
“I don’t know if you know this about me, but I am a big girl, tough too. I can hold my own.”
I raised my chin in denial. “If that was the case you wouldn’t have come to us for help.”
“For help, not to be imprisoned.” She gave me a playful smile. “I need to know what these monsters want with me. Besides, the gargoyle that is following me doesn’t want to see me hurt, apparently. It has had many opportunities to kill me and yet I am still alive. If this Bryant guy is the monster that has left all these bodies, he won’t hurt me, but he might hurt you.”
That thought hadn’t occurred to me. I’d always thought I was indestructible, as human or demon, but the vampire gave me a false sense of security. The simple reality that my brother was killed by one of these beasts meant I was in more danger than I wanted to believe. “All the more reason to stay here where it is safe.”
“If you don’t let me go, I’ll sneak down anyway. You’re wasting your time if you think you can keep me here.”
That I believed. She was wearing me down. I didn’t know if I liked the power this woman had over me. “You’re not a prisoner, I’d just like to see that you’re safe and staying here is how that is going to happen.”
Cursed: A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance Page 5