by Kira Nyte
“Being useful to someone who needs it.” He twisted the throttle on the handlebar. The bike roared and rumbled more. He reached back and grabbed her hip in a gentle, but firm grip. With a sharp tug, she was pressed flush to his back. His hand trailed down her leg to rest on her knee. “Better. Stay close. I don’t bite.”
“I believe that’s the first lie you’ve spoken to me,” she teased.
“I don’t bite while driving.” Draven flashed her a quick smile in the mirror, fangs and all. “Are you ready?”
Vivian tightened her arms around his chest, her legs hugging close to his. She pressed her body to his back, absorbing the strength in his lean muscles and hard frame. The moon remained hidden behind a thick swell of clouds, and she hoped they would dissipate soon. She had waited all day for this moment. The moment when Draven arrived. When she would learn the truth about them.
She nodded, the bulky helmet making her feel like her head would fall off. She giggled, her heart light and her spirit soaring. Whatever nightmares awaited her, she refused to let them have a place in her thoughts when she was with Draven.
And it seemed to work. Her willpower. Or maybe it was something else entirely. The blackness remained at bay.
He gave her knee a squeeze. Warmth flowed through her leg and settled in her belly.
“Remember, just lean with me.”
“Be one with the charmer. Got it.”
Something dark and carnal flashed through his eyes. “That could be misinterpreted, love.”
She didn’t doubt that. The heat that flushed through her at his implication was as potent as the sparks that flamed to life when he touched her.
Draven twisted the throttle and the engine roared. He kicked up the stand and they were off.
At first, Vivian pressed herself hard to Draven, ducking her head as a sickening mixture of fear and exhilaration threatened to make her lose her supper. As the minutes passed, Vivian’s muscles unfurled from the grip of tension. She dared to lift her head off Draven’s back.
When she did, when she was able to feel the wind on her face and inhale the crisp night air, sheer pleasure encompassed her. The freedom of the road on the back of his motorcycle. The hum of the powerful engine beneath her. The sight of the pavement as they flew over it. The sounds of the night.
She lifted her head, her face, and watched the night sky above the blur of tree branches as they headed out of Nocturne Falls along the two-lane road flanked by thick forest. The thick haze of clouds began to thin as Draven guided the bike with precision, expertise, and a thrilling grace. Her arms loosened and lowered to his stomach, a plane of steely muscle she felt through his thick sweater. She caught his gaze in the mirrors, along with a heart-skipping, handsome grin.
The toe of his boot kicked up on the shifter with a click. The engine rumbled. The bike lurched forward faster than ever.
Vivian laughed.
Gods, the freedom!
She would have never considered herself the risky type. She preferred the safety and security of the known, not the unreliability of the unknown.
But tonight?
I want this forever.
She lost track of how long they rode. Between the shield of Draven’s body and the leather pants that covered her legs and the jacket her arms, the night chill couldn’t touch her. They slowed only for turns. She leaned into each one with him, anxious for the next one, loving the sense of danger with each deep tip of the bike. He must have sensed her excitement, and fed her want for more. He dared to go into the turns a little faster, making the dips a little steeper. When they hit patches of dirt, he made the bike fishtail and controlled the machine like an expert horseman kept rein on an unruly horse.
At last, they crested a hill to roll into a makeshift parking lot. Beyond the dirt and gravel, grass and a few trees perched on the overlook. A handful of worn benches were scattered across the ledge.
Below, she could see the dazzling glow of lights and tall buildings, hear the distant sound of music and horns and life.
Vivian pulled off her helmet when Draven set the bike on the kickstand and shut off the engine. He raked a hand through wind-blow hair that made him look utterly delectable before dropping his palms to his thighs and twisting to look back at her.
The moment her gaze leveled with his, her heart near stopped.
She had been so absorbed by the thrill of the ride, the nearness of Draven, and the view of the city below that she hadn’t realized the moon had escaped the confines of the clouds.
And for the first time, every hope and dream, every secret prayer and whimsical wish, came true as she stared at the one inescapable sign shining in his eyes.
The universe, studded with millions of stars and galaxy spirals and nebulas. Clear as the moonlight shining down on them.
Vivian reached up and traced his brow before leaning forward and pressing her lips to his. The sizzle of their skin touching unleashed a basic and furious hunger that had been locked away inside her.
She slipped her tongue between his lips, leading the way into a kiss that she craved until he took control with a slant of his mouth and a possessive plunder.
His arm snaked around her waist. Her boot slipped from the peg as he pulled her around his body and over his lap, her bottom landing on the hump of the gas tank. A fierce groan rumbled from his chest and resonated through each and every bone in her body.
Oh, the sensations that pummeled her were so alien, yet so delicious and right. They heightened and intensified with every sweep of his tongue, every barely controlled caress of his hands over her back and arms and legs. He encompassed her with his touch, claimed her with his kiss, and unleashed the magic inside her spirit.
She shifted on the gas tank, untangling her legs from the side of the bike to straddle Draven in a far more comfortable position. It took less than a second for her to realize how provocative the position she had settled on was when his hands gripped her waist tightly and he pulled her closer, pressing her back until she lay caged between the tank and the handlebars.
Oh my.
Draven’s kiss deepened. Vivian sank her hands into his soft hair, keeping him close.
Not that it took much.
Draven began to forge a sensual trail of kisses and nips down her neck. She closed her eyes and sighed beneath the delight, the pleasure, the tingling in her throat and her gums.
His teeth, those fierce fangs, scraped her skin and she moaned, arching into him.
“Sweet hell,” he growled, releasing a sharp breath. His hands slipped up her sides beneath her leather jacket until they curled around her shoulders and brought them even closer. “Vivian, what have you done to me?”
The strain in his voice caught her by surprise. He sounded as though the feelings washing over them pained him.
It almost shattered her euphoria—until he lifted his head from placing a kiss in the hollow of her neck and pressed his forehead to hers.
A tender, meaningful motion.
His eyes were so dark, his pupils swallowed up the blue. His face held a faint shade of rose. His nostrils flared as he breathed. Sharp, shallow breaths.
“I don’t know what you’ve done me, but I never want you to stop. I never want us to stop. You haunt me every minute of every day. This…this need drives me crazy.” He caught her bottom lip between his own. “Vivian…”
“Say you’ll be mine,” she whispered, a soft plea that echoed in her heart.
Draven leaned back and stared down at her for an extended moment. He sat up straight and pulled her up, cupping her face in his hands.
“I’m supposed to ask that of you.” His thumb traced her upper lip. The corner of his mouth twitched and his lips parted to show the tips of his fangs. Vivian tore her gaze from his mouth, wanting more of his powerful kiss, and stared into the star-studded evidence in his eyes. “Be mine. From now until forever.”
She nodded. “You were meant for me.”
His hands slipped back into her hair, his fingers curling gently ag
ainst her scalp. Somehow, her braids had fallen loose without her noticing. He pulled her closer until their noses brushed.
“I hope that’s true.”
“It is. It’s in your eyes. The proof.”
Said eyes narrowed.
Vivian tried to smile, but the emotions crashing through her weakened her. The air between them thrummed with heat and electricity too strong to break with a smile. She slipped her fingers around the back of his neck.
“The moon is full and I see every hope and dream, every promise of the future in your eyes. The stars and the universe.”
“Something from your fae roots?”
“Yes.”
“Like soul mates?”
Vivian finally managed a trembling smile. “That’s my understanding. We see the universe in the eyes of the one we’re meant for. That’s what happened between Kalen and Fawn.”
“I don’t see it in yours, but your eyes are hypnotic tonight.” He drew a finger along the tip of her pointed ear and slowly trailed that same finger down her face. “Your skin is almost ghostly, but you are…” He gave his head a slight shake. “Beautiful is too weak a word. I have no words to describe you, or what you do to me.”
Yes, she was soaring far above the clouds, the world, the stars, realizing that there was at least a small promise of security with Draven. And with the fervor in his next kiss, a potent measure of desperation and possession, she knew deep down he felt that same security and assurance.
One of his hands began to ease beneath her sweater when the crunch of gravel beneath tires pulled them apart. Vivian struggled to catch her breath as they looked toward the narrow road. Headlights grew brighter as a car drew closer to the overlook.
Draven chuckled ruefully, grabbed her waist and lifted her from him and the bike in one easy motion. She smoothed out her hair, fixing it to hide the points of her ears. Showing them off in Nocturne Falls was one thing. Beyond the town limits, her disguise had to go into place.
When she caught the strange way her hand left an ethereal path as it fell from her hair, she quickly stopped Draven from climbing off the bike. He must’ve seen the worry in her expression, because his brows came together. His lips, red and swollen from their kisses, pulled down at the corners.
He molded a palm against her cheek. “What is it, love?”
Vivian slowly waved her hand in front of him, showing him the ghostly trail of light. “I can’t stay here. Not around humans. I can hide my ears, but not this.”
He dipped his head slightly. The expression on his face, one of understanding and determination, made the base of her throat tingle. Draven said she was beautiful. He was just as gorgeous.
“Do you want to stay?” he asked.
Vivian cast the path down the mountain a glance. The car was coming closer. “I can’t.”
“You didn’t answer my question. Do you want to?”
She pressed her lips together and gazed out over the stunning scene below. It was a sight unlike anything she’d experienced and she certainly had hoped to enjoy more of it.
She gave a small nod.
Draven dragged his thumb down her lips. He climbed off the bike, snagging her bottom lip between his teeth in a quick, playful nip before stretching up to his full, enticing height. Without a word, he shrugged off his jacket and placed it around Vivian’s shoulders, turning the collar up.
“Come on. Chances are whoever’s coming up here is going to become too busy to notice anything. And I plan on having you tucked against me as we enjoy the view.”
Chapter Fourteen
“You were meant for me.”
Draven barely took the view in, despite the dazzling lights and the liveliness he could hear all the way up the mountainside. He was too enthralled by Vivian’s small frame tucked perfectly against his side, beneath his arm. Each slow beat of her heart managed to somehow thrum in his chest. Each calm breath fed his own lungs air he didn’t require. His fingers drew lazy circles over her arm and shoulder as he burned from the touch.
He’d nearly lost himself earlier, and couldn’t be more thankful for the car that was parked a few yards from his bike. Although he had called it—the couple inside had already done a fine job fogging up the windows—their presence cooled his body temperature enough to regain control over the intoxicating effects of the woman beside him.
“I’ve never seen anything so breathtaking in real life,” Vivian murmured. It was the first thing she had said since they took a seat on one of the benches that opened a door into her past. Despite their enjoyable meal the night before, she remained unforthcoming about her past, and what she had shared had been vague and obscure.
“I’ll show you anything your heart can dream,” he said, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. The implied vow behind his words struck him. He spoke as he had so many times to his sister. Promises he made sure to keep, whatever the cost.
“You’ve shown me more. You’ve shown me hope.”
Draven shifted to block any sight of Vivian from the car and met her eyes. Those eyes that stole the breathlessness from his lungs.
Stole his heart.
“Why would you say that? Surely you know hope.”
A sad almost-smile touched her mouth. “Yes and no. My brother was always my well of hope until something went wrong. Then Fawn and our friends in Nocturne Falls became a new ray of hope. Until recently.”
“I don’t understand.” Something dark and ominous pinched the back of his memory. He narrowed his gaze, curling a lock of her silken hair around his fingers. “The doctor your brother mentioned. And a…lab. Is that what you’re talking about?” When her gaze dropped and she sidled closer, tucking her head into his chest, he knew he’d hit the bull’s-eye. “Will you tell me about it? Were you sick?”
“No. Not before the lab.”
He now understood the sensation of one’s gut plummeting. The sickening feeling in his stomach threatened to put a damper on the evening. But he’d learn about Vivian’s past. Learn it well so she would never have to worry about it again.
She let out a long breath. “I was two, Kalen five, when we were taken. Our parents were killed. I never met our father, and barely remember our mother. We were the product of a crazy man’s desire to make a day-walking vampire. Our parents were captives who escaped. Kalen and I were born while they were in hiding. Jackson’s uncle helped them escape, then years later helped us escape. He worked for Dr. Hamstead, but he protected us best he could. He taught us about the outside world through books and movies and magazines. He taught us to read and write, math and the basic elements to survive. To live beyond the walls of the lab and our rooms. Our cells.”
Draven’s muscles stiffened until his neck ached. He flexed his fingers from her shoulders before his nails tore through the leather and into her skin from the threatening anger.
He had expected secrets. Not a damn nightmare.
There was nothing to indicate she was lying or exaggerating, not that he could imagine her doing so, but…a lab?
And now the old bones want her dead.
“Experiments?”
Even as the word rolled from his tongue, it left painful punctures along its path.
She shuddered. “So much worse. The tests they performed were nothing shy of horrendous. My skin has healed, but the places they would biopsy and peel and puncture…I still feel every poke and prod.”
“Did anyone ever…” His throat tightened as his rage swelled. “Did anyone dare…”
Against his chest, he felt her head move. A shake.
Thank the heavens.
But at the same moment, he realized the innocence he’d always seen in her was true innocence. Her life must have taught her horrors and provided wisdom someone of her age should never comprehend, but she had yet to learn or experience the joys, right down to intimacy.
“Kalen made his threats and Nicholas, Jackson’s uncle, wouldn’t allow anyone to do anything to compromise me.” A ripple of nervousness rolled off
her. “I hope you’re not disappointed.”
He swallowed back his shame. To think he’d been about to ravage her on his bike. Nope. Not happening. She deserved a bed of rose petals and candlelight and tenderness. Not the hungry beast clawing inside him to get out.
“I am certainly not disappointed. How could I be?”
She shrugged. “Kalen doesn’t know the extent of the tests they performed on me.”
She lifted her head, her eyes sad and her face drawn. Gods, she looked like an angel. A sad angel. It tore into his heart.
“Please don’t tell him. If he ever found out how horrendous the tests were, he’d never forgive himself. He’s dedicated his life to me and keeping me safe.”
“I won’t discuss this with him. It’s between us.” He could only imagine how he’d feel if Sophia confided in another and swore him to secrecy. It would kill him inside. The bond between Vivian and Kalen, he believed, ran deeper than his and Sophia’s. Then again, their bond was something a nightmare forged to keep hope alive. No amount of antiquity, whether it be rules or a way of life, could compare to what he only imagined Vivian suffered. “There’s something else. Something I’ve sensed bothering you. The reason you hid from me yesterday?”
There was a long, tumultuous silence. He could almost feel the storm of her thoughts pounding inside his own head.
“Dr. Hamstead’s last experiment. He injected me with what Jackson has deemed a virus that created a monster. It slowly ate away at my conscience, the fae in me. It called to the vampire, but the beast of a vampire. Nothing like you or the others I’ve met. The doctor ordered my termination because his experiment went wrong. That’s when Nicholas helped us escape the lab. He was murdered while on the run, but instructed us to come to Nocturne Falls and to his nephew for a cure.”
She reached for his hand, and only then did he realize his fingers had curled so tight she had to pry him off her. Her touch, as gentle as it was, soothed the fury seething beneath his skin. The touch of her lips against his fingertips eased the muscles along his back.
“He found one, I’m guessing. I’ve yet to see a monster in you.”