by Folsom, Tina
She fell face forward into the soil. Knowing he was right behind her, she rolled to the side, avoiding him by a hair’s breadth. From the corner of her eye, she saw Gabriel run toward them. Maya pulled herself up, trying to steady her feet, but slipped in the muddy soil.
A hand grabbed for her, and the shiver running over her skin alerted her that it was Ricky. He twisted her arm back and pulled her toward him.
An instant later, she saw Gabriel stop short, his face horrified. She didn’t understand why he wasn’t approaching. Only when she took a deep breath and expanded her lungs did she realize why: Ricky pressed a wooden stake against her chest.
“One step further, and she’s dust.”
Maya swallowed. Gabriel’s eyes flooded with agony. She could see his mind clicking, going through every possible scenario of how to get her out of this situation, but she realized that Ricky held all the cards, and Gabriel would never risk her life.
“You’re so predictable, Gabriel. I guess that comes from thinking with your dick,” Ricky spat.
“Let her go.”
“She should have been mine. I saw her first. If you hadn’t interfered, she would have been mine.”
Maya felt bile rise in her gut. “Never.”
Ricky pulled her tighter, twisting her arm higher. She ignored the pain and concentrated on her disgust for him instead. “Don’t kid yourself, my sweet. You will still be mine. Once we’re gone from here and it’s just you and me, you’ll have no choice.”
“I will hunt you down,” Gabriel warned.
Ricky laughed as he walked backwards, talking her with him. Like a shield, she was plastered against him, and there was no way Gabriel would be able to attack him without risking hurting her. She knew instinctively that it would be up to her to free herself. But Ricky was strong. She knew exactly how strong from their encounter at Samson’s house. At least there she had been able to use her skill to defeat him.
She could do so again.
Maya’s eyes darted around the dark hall, trying to find something she could use to free herself. She came up empty. Except for some water buckets, nothing was in her vicinity that would make an adequate weapon.
They reached the back of the hall, and she could feel how Ricky opened the door behind him to advance into the next part of the structure. She gave Gabriel a last look, locking eyes with him, telling him she loved him, before the door shut and she was alone with Ricky.
He didn’t remove the stake from her heart. Clearly, he’d learned from their earlier encounter. “What are you trying to gain by this? You know he’ll kill you when he catches up with you.”
“Yes, but by that time, I will have had you, and you’ll be damaged goods. I’ll have used your body so often and so violently that even he won’t want you back.”
Maya’s blood froze at the venom in his voice. She tried to shake off the feeling of despair that hit her. No, even if Ricky managed to do to her what he threatened, Gabriel would still love her.
Her ears perked up. In the distance she heard glass shattering. Was it Gabriel?
Ricky had heard it too. “Time to go.”
He pushed her ahead of him, the wooden stake now pointing at her back. Which probably meant that he could kill her from that angle too –
he wouldn’t have to plunge it into her chest, because the back would do too.
Maya took in her surroundings and noticed a shovel lying on the ground near one of the plant beds. Somebody had forgotten to put away their tools after their work was done. She honed in on the item as they passed the spot. She concentrated and visualized the shovel rising from the ground, hovering in the air.
A clang against a metal surface broke her concentration. She felt Ricky swivel, then pull hard on her arms. “Bitch!”
She twisted her head and saw that the shovel had hit a railing she hadn’t seen.
“You try that again, I’ll stake you right here.”
She somehow doubted his claim. He’d wanted her for so long, she didn’t believe that he would kill her now when he hadn’t even forced himself on her yet. She figured he’d at least try to rape her. The sick bastard would surely not forgo that perverted pleasure.
Ricky shoved her through the next door. A movement to her left caught her eye and stopped her in her tracks. Ricky bumped into her, and the wooden stake bounced against her back. Instantly she pulled forward, the contact with the wooden implement having sent her heart rate spiking.
She used the momentum to pull against Ricky’s restraining arms.
One of her wrists came free and she twisted herself in a half circle.
Another silent shadow entered her peripheral vision, the figure too small to be Gabriel. Maybe it was just a hallucination.
Her feet suddenly lost tracking and she fell to her side. A shadow leaped over her in the same instant. Somebody had grabbed her feet and made her lose her balance. And it hadn’t been Ricky.
As she found herself once again face down, she rolled quickly.
Grunts behind her alerted her to a fight. She focused her eyes on the two figures. Yvette’s lithe body stood out against Ricky’s muscled one, but what she didn’t match in body mass, she made up for in agility. She dodged every one of his blows and twisted like only a circus performer could.
“Gabriel!” she shouted, trying to alert him to her location.
Hasty footsteps came her way. First, she recognized Zane. She’d never been so relieved in her life to see the bald vampire run toward her.
Behind him another figure emerged: Amaury, and finally Gabriel ran toward her from a path to her left.
As Zane and Amaury launched themselves into the fight with Ricky, Maya jumped up and threw herself into Gabriel’s arms.
“Oh, God, baby, I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you.” His arms tightened around her.
“You’re here now.”
Turning her head, she saw Amaury and Zane restraining Ricky. In front of him stood Yvette, her feet planted wide, her arms by her side. In one hand she held a stake.
“I should do to you what you tried to have me suffer.” Yvette spat into his face, and Ricky tried to shake her spit off him, to no avail. It ran down his chin unimpeded.
Then Yvette turned her head toward her and Gabriel. “He tied me to the fireplace at that dead nurse’s house and had me wait for the sun.”
Maya felt a shudder go through her at the thought of Ricky’s cruelty.
“Do I have your permission?” Yvette lifted her hand that held the stake so Gabriel could see it.
“Make it quick,” Gabriel answered and turned away, taking Maya with him so she couldn’t see what was happening.
“You’ll be safe now,” he whispered and kissed her.
Thirty-five
The cemetery lay in the dark. Only torches illuminated the area around the grave that had been dug. The coffin that held no body was suspended over it, covered with white calla lilies.
Maya looked at the small assembly. The night before, Samson and Delilah had returned, and she had met them for the first time. She had taken an instant liking to Delilah, the sweet wife of the most powerful vampire in San Francisco. She and Samson had extended their hospitality and asked her and Gabriel to stay until they had decided where to live. She couldn’t have imagined a warmer welcome.
Oliver, Samson’s daytime assistant, a human, stood next to them, his eyes on the ground. He’d lost a good friend in Carl.
Maya glanced at Amaury and the beautiful blonde woman by his side. They made a striking couple, and it seemed in Nina’s presence Amaury was more relaxed and docile than when alone. Despite the fact that Nina was a tall woman, her blood-bonded mate dwarfed her, and she appeared fragile, even though Nina was anything but. The stories the other vampires had told her suggested that she was quite a handful to deal with – and that Amaury enjoyed every second of it.
Maya now also understood the connection between Nina and Eddie.
&nb
sp; She was surprised to find out that Eddie was her brother. The family resemblance was certainly evident, but she had not expected one sibling to be a vampire and the other to be human. But when Thomas told her the story of Eddie’s turning, she understood.
Even Dr. Drake and the witch, Francine, were amongst the mourners. There had been a commotion at first when word had reached them that Francine wanted to attend Carl’s funeral, but after Gabriel had explained how instrumental she’d been in Maya’s own survival, the vampires had voted to allow a witch amongst their midst. It was a first to be sure.
Zane and Yvette stood with a group of vampires Maya didn’t recognize. Colleagues from Scanguards she assumed. When she caught Yvette’s eye, she was surprised to see her smile at her and Gabriel, who held Maya’s hand. Maya smiled back and felt her heart swell. These people were her family now. They had all accepted her and fought for her so she could live. Carl had given his life protecting her.
Maya turned her attention back to Samson, whose speech came to an end.
“My friend, wherever you are now, I will never forget the years we had together.”
Two vampires lowered the coffin into the hole. Nobody moved until it had disappeared completely, then Samson took the shovel and tossed the earth after it. But he didn’t stop at the customary shovel-full of earth.
He continued.
Maya looked to her side, and Gabriel lowered his head to her. “He sired Carl. It is his duty to see he rests in peace. He dug the grave, he’ll fill it,” he whispered.
A single tear rolled down Maya’s cheek as she understood the meaning of Samson’s actions.
When the last grain of dirt had filled the grave, Samson put the shovel aside and spoke. “Good night, my friend.”
Then he walked away from the group. Delilah stayed back, making no attempt to follow him. When she approached Maya, she simply said, “He needs to be alone now. He’ll meet us at home.”
“You seem to understand him without many words,” Maya answered.
Delilah smiled and hooked her arm under Maya’s. “Gabriel, you don’t mind if I steal Maya for a few minutes, do you?” But she didn’t wait for his reply and pulled her away.
“Do you mind if we walk through the cemetery for a bit?” Delilah asked.
“Not at all.” Maya fell into step with her new friend.
For a moment, Delilah was silent. But then she came out with what she wanted to say. “I know it’s not your specialty, but I was hoping you’d consider continuing with medicine in a different field.”
Maya raised a surprised eyebrow. “What did you have in mind?”
“OB-GYN,” Delilah confessed. “It’s not like I can go to a human doctor anymore. Once they do tests on the fetus, they’ll realize that it’s not entirely human. And this won’t be our only child. We plan on having many. And then there’s Nina, of course.”
“Is she pregnant too?” Maya asked.
“Amaury wishes.” She rolled her eyes and laughed. “They haven’t quite fought this one out yet.”
“Nina and Amaury fight?”
“All the time.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I thought they looked good together.”
Delilah laughed again. “They wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s what Amaury needs, a woman who doesn’t let him get away with anything. Besides, their make-up sex must be spectacular.”
Now Maya had to chuckle. “So you think she will finally give in and have children with him?”
“I don’t know. Only those two know. Either way, whatever they decide, it’ll work for them.”
“I hear talk about children,” a voice came from behind them.
They both turned to Francine, who had followed them. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I hoped to catch you without Gabriel listening in.”
“I’ll leave you two then,” Delilah offered.
Francine held up her hand. “No, please don’t. It’s only Gabriel I don’t want to know yet, otherwise he might get his hopes up and dashed later.”
Curiosity rose in Maya. “What is this about?”
“I analyzed your blood, and it’s confirmed. You are satyr, not that we didn’t already know that. But it led me to something else. Satyr females are fertile. They go into heat, just like you did.”
Maya held her breath. Was it possible?
“I’m not one hundred percent certain, but I believe that because you continued to go into heat even after you’d turned vampire, you might still be fertile.”
“Do you think it’s possible?” Maya asked the witch, trying to wrap her brain around it.
Delilah nudged her gently in the side. “Only one way to find out.” A soft smile curled around her lips as she winked.
Francine’s mouth widened into a grin. “I agree.”
Maya grabbed the woman’s hand and squeezed it. Her heart was too full to say anything, but Francine’s eyes told her she understood. And Maya knew exactly what she wanted to do right now.
* * *
Gabriel looked around the crowd still assembled around the grave.
p. Small groups had formed as everybody was talking about Carl and the things that had happened over the last few days. Maya was nowhere to be seen.
He stopped Zane as he walked past him. “Have you seen Maya?”
“She was talking to Thomas earlier.”
Gabriel nodded and looked for Thomas. He saw him standing with Eddie. Gabriel strode to him. “Do you know where Maya went? I haven’t seen her the last half hour.”
Could Thomas hear the desperate tone in his voice? God, he was getting pathetic. Being separated from her for even a few minutes filled him with worry and longing. Only when she was near him, did he feel at peace.
Thomas gave him a knowing look. “If that isn’t the look of a man in love.”
“Well, do you know where she went?” he repeated his question.
“You can find her at my house.”
Surprise flooded him. “What is she doing at your house?”
“I’ve offered it to her for the next three days. Eddie and I are supposed to go to Seattle for a training exercise, so the house will be empty. Samson’s place is too crowded night now. I figured the two of you would want some privacy, but if you don’t -“
“No, of course,” Gabriel replied hastily. “We want privacy.” He’d already wondered where they would find a place to be alone for the bonding ceremony. Unlike a human wedding, a blood-bond was performed in private, with only the two partners bonding present.
Thomas produced a key and handed it to him. “Here. Enjoy.”
Gabriel smiled. He would tell Maya that he wanted to bond tonight.
There was no reason to wait any longer.
* * *
Gabriel closed the door behind him. Thomas’ house was quiet and for a moment he wondered if Maya was truly here, but then he inhaled and took in her scent. He followed the delectable scent to the private area of the house. When he pushed the door to the master bedroom open, the sight that greeting him was a dream come true.
The room glowed in the light of dozens of candles. The bed was covered with crisp white sheets, and on it lay Maya, dressed in a flowing blood-red negligee with a neckline plunging to her navel.
Gabriel soaked in the image and knew he was already hard beneath his black pants.
Maya had anticipated his thoughts. He knew instinctively what her display meant: she was ready to blood-bond with him.
“I was waiting for you.”
He let the door behind him snap in, before he crossed the distance to the bed.
“I was worried when you disappeared from the funeral.”
“I wanted to surprise you,” she answered and gave him a longing look from underneath her lashes.
Slowly, he opened the first button of this shirt. “You did.”
Maya sat up and moved toward him. “Let me help you with that.”
Gabriel tried to sw
allow back his eagerness. He didn’t want to rush this and end up fucking her as frantically as he had in Samson’s living room. But when Maya’s hand came up to ease the buttons of his shirt open and scraped his skin in the process, he let out a frustrated huff.
“Ah, fuck it!” He ripped his shirt off his body with one swipe of his claws and dropped it to the ground.
“Somebody’s impatient,” she cooed and licked her lips.
“Is that a problem?”
Her eyes followed his hands as he tugged at his pants, jerking them off his body just as quickly at his shirt, taking his boxers with it in the same move. The widening of her pupils told him that she was looking at his twin erections now. The scent of Maya’s arousal drifted into this nostrils.
“No, no problem,” she answered slowly, her breath catching in her throat. He liked the way she looked at him as he stood in front of her completely naked. He couldn’t remember ever having shed his clothes this quickly.
Gabriel filled his lungs with her scent. “Yeah, I didn’t think it would be.” He deliberately dropped his gaze to the triangle of dark curls he could see through the gauzy fabric.
When he reached for her, she met him half way. “It’s time,” was all he said as he looked into her eyes.
“Yes,” she replied before she offered her lips for a kiss. He took them, sinking his mouth onto hers, driving his tongue between her parted lips to taste her.
He lowered them onto the bed, covering her body with his. His hands pushed aside the fabric that barely covered her breasts, and he caressed her naked skin. He loved the way the red color contrasted against her dark skin and hair. With the white sheets underneath her, she looked like a beautiful tableau.