Craving: The Willow Creek Vampires Series

by Stephanie Summers

  “I’ve been keeping my distance, partly so he would think I backed off but mostly because I doubted my instincts. After you and Bastian were both so adamant that he could be trusted, I discredited myself. This was the first time I was any real distance away from you. Bastian and I were taking care of a group of vampires sniffing around the other side of town down by the creek. I ran as fast as I could. I couldn’t risk too much of my strength by teleporting.”

  “How did you know to come?” She reached up and brushed a strand of hair from his face.

  “I heard you scream. I would not normally be able to hear you as far away as I was, but a scream like that carries in the air.” Rage flashed across his face briefly, and disappeared. “You must have been terrified I would not be able to save you from him.”

  “I didn’t think you would come at first, but, when you showed up…I believed you when you told me to trust you…and that you loved me.” She bit her lip and looked down.

  He furrowed his brow. “What are you talking about?” He grabbed her chin and tilted her face up to look at him.

  “I heard you…in my head when he had me. You told me you would save me. You told me you love me.”

  He shook his head. “That did not happen. I was focused on him and how to get you away. I never told you I loved you…It must have been the injury to your head.”

  She laughed nervously. “It must’ve been pretty bad if I made something like that up. But why did you look like you were going to fuck me when you just came in here if you don’t feel anything at all for me?”

  His hand dropped away from her face. He walked to the chest of drawers and grabbed a stack of clothes from the top. “I grabbed you some clothes and those dreadful Chucks of yours. You can take a shower. There should be clean towels in there. I’ll take you home when you’re ready.”

  “You didn’t answer me.”

  “I had a moment of weakness because of all the blood on you, if you must know. I wanted to eat you, not fuck you.”

  “Don’t bother. I’ll drive myself.”

  She went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her and turned the water on. The clothes peeled off her skin and clung to her in places so much that she had to rip the fabric away from her body. She whimpered as the fabric pulled at her flesh. A trash can sat beside the sink. It seemed as good a place as any for the stained and tattered clothes. No matter how she tried to clean them, they’d never be wearable again. Her heart ached when she thought of how much she now hated the simple black sling-backs with the red soles she once loved. No way could she ever wear them again, even if she could clean them up. By the time she got undressed, the water was hot - almost too hot - but she didn’t care. Let it scald away the memories of Josh touching her and of the times they’d kissed for hours. At least I didn’t sleep with him. It felt good to wash everything away.

  The door opened and Remy stepped into the bathroom with her. She knew he was there, even though he entered the room quietly.

  “What do you want?”

  “I was putting those clothes in here for you, and I wanted to see if you’re hungry. I can have some food ready for you when you are finished.”

  “No. I just want to get Lana and go home.” Her lip trembled. Tears poured down her face.

  The shower door opened unexpectedly, and he stepped in behind her. The urge to cover herself came and went quickly. She knew he’d seen her before but she could still tell him to leave. “Get out. I’m not finished and I don’t want you leering at me.”

  He said nothing and stepped into one of the streams of water. The shower was large and had three different shower heads. She kept her back to him as he rinsed his hair. He picked up a bottle of shampoo, pouring some in his hand, and moved closer to her. His hands touched her hair gently, and began to work the blood out. Careful not to pull her hair too much, he turned her around to face him, and he worked on the front of her hair. When he was satisfied her hair was lathered enough, he tilted her head back so the water could rinse everything out.

  She closed her eyes, although she wanted to keep them open and look at him more than anything. She wanted to touch him…she envisioned herself touching him: his body, his lips, his hair, his face, his cock…

  The water was deep crimson as it rushed down the drain, gradually turning clearer as the blood washed away. He turned her away from him and washed her back thoroughly. He fought the urge to kiss her wet flesh and used all of his power to keep his fangs from extending. The last thing she needed was to fear him biting her after all she’d been through that day.

  She swallowed deeply and spoke breathlessly. “Why, Remy? Why do you do this to me?”

  “I’m sorry.” His hands moved away from her body and he stepped out. He was gone before she could follow.

  *

  “Are you okay?” Sabine sat next to Lana and stroked her hair.

  “I am now. I was beyond terrified. I thought I was dead and in hell.”

  “I’m so sorry I got you into this.”

  “It isn’t your fault, Sabine. That guy was a psychopath.”

  “No…he was a vampire.”

  “I don’t blame anyone but him.”

  “How long did he have you?”

  “A few weeks, give or take, maybe a month. I was supposed to go with my parents, right? Well, he got to them first and told them to go without me, and they did. I just don’t understand why they would leave me like that.” Lana’s eyes misted over as she fought the urge to cry.

  “He influenced them. They didn’t do it of their own free will. They were forced.”

  “He made me call you so you wouldn’t suspect anything. I wanted so badly to tell you, but I was so scared. He threatened to rip me apart and drink every last drop of my blood if I didn’t do as he said.” She broke down, laying her head on Sabine’s shoulder. “I’m never going to be okay, am I? He ruined me.” Her body jerked as she sobbed uncontrollably. Sabine hugged Lana tightly.

  “I think I might be able to help you with that. If you could forget, would you?”

  Lana leaned back with question in her eyes. “Yes.” She wiped the tears from her eyes. “But I don’t understand how you can help with that.”

  “I can’t, but Remy can. He could make you forget. Would you want me to see if he will do that for you?”

  Lana hesitated for a second while she thought of the possible consequences of allowing him or not allowing him. “Please?”

  “I’ll ask him. I haven’t seen him since early this morning before we left, but I will ask him as soon as I do.”

  “Can I stay here with you until then? I don’t want to go home by myself.”

  “Of course you can.”

  Several hours went by, and there was no sign of Remy. They decided to go out and enjoy the sunshine. It was a bright, warm day, and they were both thankful to be alive. They set up two lounge chairs in Sabine’s back yard and tried not to think about much. They’d agreed the topic of Josh and his house of horror was off limits. Neither of them wanted to relive the experience, and Lana was anxious to forget it all together.

  Gretchen approached them from nowhere. “How is my little patient?” She looked at Lana and gave her a genuine smile.

  “I’m as good as I can be. Thank you for helping me.”

  Gretchen nodded and turned her gaze to Sabine. “And you?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Good. Bastian sent me to check on you and to see if there is anything you need. He wanted me to tell you he was sorry he did not send Josh away and feels at fault. If there is anything you might want or need, now would be the time to ask. He doesn’t feel remorse very often. He and Remy had a very heated discussion earlier that I believe has made Bastian recognize his own part in the situation.”

  “I don’t blame him. Please tell him that. I don’t blame anyone but Josh, but…Why didn’t Remy come instead of you? Not trying to sound rude, I’m just curious.”

  “Remy has…Well, he left several hours ago and has
n’t been back. He did not say where he was going.”

  Sabine pondered Gretchen’s answer. “Okay. We do need something. Maybe you can help.”

  “I shall try.”

  “Lana wants to forget all that horrible bullshit that’s happened to her over the past few weeks. Can you make that happen?”

  Gretchen nodded and crouched in front of Lana. Her gaze met Lana’s and she held her there for a few seconds before speaking, telling her to forget all the horrors and to forget Josh ever existed. She told Lana that she had been hanging out at home and living a normal life from the time just before Josh kidnapped her.

  Lana blinked and looked up at Gretchen. “Who is your friend, Sabine? I don’t think we’ve met.”

  *

  A squirrel scurried up the tree Remy propped himself against, not really paying any mind to Remy at all. It would’ve been an easy meal had he been in the mood. He sat on the forest floor with his head in his hands.

  How did she hear me? I didn’t try to project my thoughts to her, and, even if I had tried, I have never been successful before. How could she possibly have heard? What the hell is wrong with me? I’m not supposed to have feelings for her, and I am not supposed to fall in love with her. She doesn’t even like me, let alone be able to return the love that I have reluctantly built for her. I haven’t given her much reason to love me. I’ve been an arse to her since the day I met her.

  She was wrong. The look I had when I saw her was not one of lust. I didn’t want to fuck her. I didn’t even want to feed on her. I wanted to make love to her. More than anything, I wanted to lay her down and do everything in my power to pleasure her and take away the emotional pain she was feeling. I wanted to taste her; not just her blood, but her body. I wanted to taste her flesh. I wanted to feel every part of her body. I wanted to be inside of her and feel something again.

  I have to keep my distance from these feelings if I have any hope of surviving her. If I let my guard down to be with her, it will only be a matter of time before someone kills me or her. I almost lost her this time. I foolishly left her alone with him, knowing he would try something at some point. The blood spilled was on my hands. Her blood was on my hands. I should have killed him as soon as I suspected him of being a threat.

  I might have to push my feelings aside, but I can give her some of the things she wants. I have the means to take her anywhere in the world she wants to go. Bastian will allow it if I swear on my blood that we will return by her birthday. I don’t want her to miss out on the things she wants to do because of me or because of Bastian. It isn’t fair to her. She deserves the chance to explore the world.

  He stood up quickly, and ran, not stopping until he got back to Willow Creek.

  Chapter 16

  “I want to take her away, Bastian. I want to give her the chance to see the world before she is trapped here to rot for the rest of her life.”

  “Remy, Remy…Always the dramatic one. It is not so bad here. She will not rot until she dies.”

  “It’s not horrible, but there are things she wants to see. She mourns the loss of the opportunities and choices she once had. I want to give this back to her.”

  “Are you in love with her? Truthfully. I will know if you are lying.”

  “Yes.”

  “This pleases me. Does she return your love?”

  “I do not know, My Lord. I can only hope she will after I offer her this, though I don’t expect her to.”

  “It is done. Take her soon. I trust you will return by her birthday to complete the ceremony. Do not make me regret this.”

  For the first time in as long as he could remember, he was a bundle of nerves. He moved quickly as to not waste any further time. He packed a bag of a few necessities he always traveled with. Most things he needed, he picked up along the way.

  He summoned one of the humans who worked for Bastian to drive them to the airport. After he loaded his bag into the trunk of his car, he raced to her house, leaving the car and the human driver behind. He wanted a few minutes to convince her to go before the car arrived to pick them up.

  In an attempt to catch her off guard, he rang the doorbell. A long few seconds later, she opened the door.

  “I have to say, I’m impressed. You actually used the door for once.”

  He stepped in and took her hands in his. “Go away with me, Sabine.” His eyes showed an enthusiasm and brightness she had never seen from him before.

  “Go where? Back to New York?”

  “No. Go away with me to wherever you want to go in the world.”

  She was speechless as she studied him. Is he for real, or does he need me for some weird mission he’s on again? “I don’t understand. Why? Won’t Bastian come after us?”

  “I want to make some of your wishes come true. I know you want to visit all the countries in Europe, and how you thought it was a silly dream, but I can give that to you.”

  “But, Bastian…Why would he ever let this happen?”

  “I promised to return before your birthday. We have almost a year to explore this planet, to see all the wonders of the world, whatever you want. Please? Come with me?”

  “If I go with you, I will lose the time I have to spend with my parents and my friends. I don’t know, Remy. I don’t know if it’s worth losing that.”

  “I will see to it that you are able to spend as much time with them as you want after you come to live with me. I have no desire to take you away from any of them.”

  “I don’t even have a passport.”

  “You don’t need one. I’ll take care of any issues that arise. I can be quite convincing.” He smiled slyly.

  “Where would we go?”

  “We can go to my place in London and then plan from there…I’ve been a jerk to you too many times, and I understand your hesitation. I was wrong to be such an arse, Beanie. Let me do this for you.”

  “I need a minute to think.”

  “What is there to think about? Fulfilling your dreams or staying here to wither away without ever truly living?”

  Her breath caught in her throat as she thought about her fate. “Yes!”

  He picked her up in his arms and swung her around excitedly. “Pack some things, and let’s go!”

  “Hold on a minute. There’s something I need to do.” She walked into the living room where her parents were. The look in their eyes told her they heard everything, and wanted her to go. They both stood up and hugged her tightly. Her mother said, “Go, Beanie. You deserve this. Just make sure you call me every day, and keep your heart guarded. He’s still a vampire…and a very attractive man.”

  She nodded and hugged them back tightly.

  He waited patiently for her outside while she packed. All kinds of thoughts ran through her head. Where would they go? What should she pack? Why was he really doing this?

  His car arrived a few minutes later, and he called up to her. “Our ride is here. Don’t worry about forgetting something. We can buy whatever we need once we arrive.”

  She rushed down the steps. Her parents hugged her once again, and told her they loved her. Shay reminded her to bring her back lots of souvenirs. She walked out the front door. Remy stood by the back passenger side door. He held it open for her, and motioned for her to get in. She expected him to sit up front since it was his car. When he climbed into the backseat after her, she was surprised. Not only did he sit in the back with her, but he sat next to her like they were a couple.

  His thigh brushed against hers. He turned to her and touched her cheek, pulling her face closer to his. “I want to make this time together everything you’ve ever wanted. Anything you want, you may have. All you need to do is tell me your desires.”

  She smiled at him and looked away. He held her hand as they traveled to the airport. Somewhere over the Atlantic, she dosed off, leaning against him with his arm around her. When she awoke, they were on the ground in London.

  *

  The time flew by as they explored Europe. They only stayed
in London a few days, but his place was every bit as immaculate as the one in New York City. A deeper connection between them began to take root and grow. Her feelings for him intensified, and she dreamt of him more and more. Each time they were in a different place, but every dream ended the same: him making love to her with a passion so strong she often wondered if she’d really been dreaming.

  It got significantly harder and harder to mask her feelings as he ushered her through the streets of Paris, where they spent the better part of the first month. They had no timeline, other than to be back by her 21st birthday, and no definitive plans. She didn’t care if they never left Paris. She loved being there, and she loved being there with him.

  They had gone to The Louvre the first day they were there. It was everything she dreamed it would be. They spent numerous nights at the Eiffel Tower, looking out over the city sparkling and twinkling below. Though he didn’t really prefer to go out in the daylight, he would whisk her away to museums, or to the French countryside to leave their nights open to explore the city. They killed more time by shopping at all the upscale designer boutiques. He lavished her with things she never could have imagined. He bought her so many beautiful things they had to start shipping the stuff back to Willow Creek so they could continue to travel without being encumbered, but what she cherished most was the times he would give her a simple rose or flower he picked for her from a garden.

  The last day they spent in Paris, he took her to the Christian Louboutin boutique, and told her to pick out anything she wanted. He remembered how much she loved those red-soled shoes that reminded him of blood. He knew how they had been ruined for her, not only physically but emotionally as well. She couldn’t bring herself to put them on again after the horror she experienced with Josh. He convinced her to wear her new pair when he took her out to dinner every night.

  Next, they traveled to Italy. They visited Venice, Tuscany, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pompeii, and then Rome, where they saw the Coliseum, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican. Over the next several months, they explored every country in Europe, from Norway to Ireland and Sweden to Spain and then on to Eastern Europe and Moscow in Russia. Some places they stayed for days, others they stayed only a few hours. He was determined to give her the world, or, at least, Europe for now.