Calder Witch Boxset (Paranormal Vampire Romance): Books 1-4

by Martha Woods

  “Will you let me heal you?” he asked again.

  She nodded in agreement. Putting her glass down, she laid down on her stomach. He opened the drawer of his bedside table and took out a knife. She heard him sigh as he drew the blade against his own skin. In a few moments, she was aware of blood dripping onto her back. It felt oddly cool, but grew warm against her skin; there was a moment of discomfort as she felt her flesh tighten and shift.

  “Come have a look,” he said.

  They got up and went into the bathroom. Kristian wiped away the remainder of the blood from Tessa’s skin with a towel. She stared at her reflection. Something shifted inside of her.

  “Thank you,” she said, tears threatening to fall.

  He lifted her chin with the tip of his finger. “It’s nothing,” he said.

  Tessa was the one to move first. She wrapped an arm around the back of his neck, rising on tiptoes to meet his lips. His kiss was ravenous, his fingers digging into her hips as he pulled her closer. This close, she could feel the length of his manhood as it grew in excitement. It pressed against her lower stomach, starting a fire in her core.

  Kristian lifted her from the floor and she wrapped her legs around his waist. As he walked them toward the bed, his teeth nipped at the skin of her neck, never quite hard enough to break the skin. Unable to contain himself any longer, he dropped Tessa onto his bed. His eyes devoured her from head to toe, her skin tingling beneath her gaze.

  He crawled atop her, his mouth devouring hers. She returned his kiss greedily, a clashing of teeth and tongue. Rolling over, she straddled his lap. He ripped through her tank top and bra as if they were made of paper. His cold, hard hands grasped her breasts, and she sucked in a sharp breath at the sensation, but then his warm mouth closed over her nipple, and she melted into the pleasure of his expert sucking and nibbling. She let her fingers grip his earth-toned hair, and she arched her back so she could rock against the erection beneath his jeans. He growled in response before tearing away the last bit of her clothing. Tessa reveled in the feel of his cold fingers across her skin, traveling south.

  Kristian flipped them over, straddling her naked form. She reached for his belt, but he growled and pinned her hands above her head.

  “Don’t move,” he instructed with a tone she had to obey.

  She bit her lip, struggling against her desire to undress him and see him and feel him. He watched her, clearly enjoying the control. He pulled back and stood for a delicious moment, admiring her petite body. Then he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his pale torso, toned and lean and narrow. Tessa wanted to push it off his shoulders, to run her hands down his chest. He unzipped his pants but did not remove them. Instead, he knelt in front of the bed and pulled her toward his parted lips. She felt anticipation tighten her.

  “Oh god,” she said.

  “No gods here. Now stop talking,” he ordered, then silenced her with his tongue.

  Her back arched immediately, rising from the pleasure. He flicked and sucked and then, to her great pleasure, slipped two cold fingers inside of her. This sent her crashing into an orgasm so fierce, she failed to remain quiet. She cried out in pleasure, and he let her.

  Damn anyone who overheard their lovemaking.

  Then he was on top of her, completely and suddenly nude, and she could not help but break the rules and move her hands over him, exploring and pulling him closer. He very deliberately stilled her hands and forcibly moved them to their place above her head once again. Then, ever so slowly, he bent his head to her neck. Fear rippled through her body, teasing her pleasure immeasurably. But she heard very clearly in his mind, Trust me.

  He kissed the flesh above her collarbone and then moved to the peak of her shoulder. She felt the tiniest sharp pain, as if he had pricked her with a needle. He drew back and watched the blood from his small bite pool and dribble toward her breast. Before it could hit the white comforter, he used his tongue to follow the trail back up her shoulder. He closed his lips around the tiny opening in her flesh. He sucked, but with the utmost control. She let him taste, barely allowing herself to breathe.

  And then she felt just the tip of him. She groaned. He slowly entered her, but not all the way. She shuddered.

  “Beg me,” he said.

  “Please,” she whispered. And that was enough. He thrust hard into her. She moved to touch him, and when he did not instruct her to stop, she let her nails claw greedily over his back, pulling him closer still. He thrust into her again, and again, and again. His rhythm was so precise that she could feel herself build immediately. She shuddered and curled further around him. She came so hard, she could not even draw breath. He withdrew himself and forcibly turned her over so that her belly rested on the bed and her ass was in the air. He entered her from behind with no respite, but she did not want one. She would let this creature love her for eternity.

  Once behind her, he thrust into her once, twice, three times before coming, producing a guttural growl of pleasure that reminded her of an animal. But he had claimed to be no such thing.

  Tessa curled into his lean body, happiness filling her for the first time in a long while as she drifted back to sleep. She dreamed of a silver-haired woman with a red book, with pages that filled themselves with lines of familiar curving script.

  * * *

  “What’s the plan? I understand you already worked around improving house security, but are we expected to stay inside for the time being?” Kristian asked.

  Tessa was gathered with Kristian, his sister, and the four guards in the kitchen. The ocean could be seen from this vantage point. Bright sunlight drifted into the windows, making the atmosphere seem light and peaceful, despite the dark reasons their gathering. It was easy for Tessa to forget they were under such careful watch when she and Kristian were downstairs in the basement apartment. Seeing all of these powerful vampires together brought home to her the seriousness of the threat they were under. The Calder were literally the thing that monsters feared.

  Morgan was the first to speak up.

  “No, we’re not suggesting you stay home all day. In fact, you are probably less of a target on the street because the witches won’t want to be seen in public, much less do anything to hurt you. We’re not taking any chances though. If you want to leave the house, one of us will shadow you. One guard will remain here at the house at all times, watching in shifts.”

  “How long are we supposed to keep this up?” Veronica asked. “All of you living here?”

  All the eyes in the room turned to her. It was obvious to Tessa her real problem was how long she was going to have to subsist under the same roof with her ex-lover. Veronica’s mind churned between thoughts of anger and lust, all of which was directed at Morgan.

  “As long as it takes,” Morgan replied. “Until Ally gives us the call saying the threat has been averted.”

  “Great,” Veronica hissed.

  “If it helps, ma’am, we’ll be as nonintrusive as possible,” Ryan said. It was the first-time Tessa heard him speak in more than monosyllables. She was surprised by his lilting southern accent. “The goal is not to disrupt your life. Just make sure you continue to have one.”

  “You guys are going to have to forgive me for asking, but I am new to all this. Exactly what kind of powers do these witches have?” Tessa asked.

  Jared, the vampire with cocoa brown skin, brushed his goatee thoughtfully. “They can do many things. They can produce controlled bursts of fire through their palms. It’s how they killed the older couple you find yesterday.”

  “They did that with their…?” Tessa couldn’t imagine. She had assumed Melissa and Jim were killed with some sort of magical implement. An image of a black-eyed woman popped into her mind—one of Jared’s memories. In the vision, the head rolled across the floor with a thump that made bile rise in his throat.

  “You beheaded one?” Tessa asked. The face seemed oddly familiar to her.

  “It’s the fastest and most effective way to kill them,” Jar
ed replied. “Bloodletting will do the trick, as well as drowning, but both of those methods require greater risk because it means getting close to them. They practice all kinds of blood magic. We have the house warded against it, but with the Calder, one can’t make assumptions about what they are able to do. They’re constantly studying higher realms and different forms of magic, and so are we. Bullets won’t kill them, but it will slow them down. Anything which can make them hurt is good because their magic requires a certain amount of concentration. Break that, and you can buy yourself some time in a confrontation.”

  “Good to know,” Tessa said, crossing her arms.

  “I have things to do,” Veronica said. “I’m not staying home today.”

  “Trevor will accompany you,” Morgan said quickly. He turned to Kristian. “You and Tessa are going out?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll drive you,” Morgan said. “I won’t let you out of my line of sight.”

  * * *

  For the past, several days, Tessa felt like a refugee—a well-cared for refugee in an immaculate beach house, but she felt odd because she still didn’t have any of her own things. She fled the city with Kristian and Veronica without getting a chance to pack a bag. All of her things had been destroyed. Tessa had gotten by with washing her jeans and wearing Kristian’s shirts.

  “I’m sorry that we did not think to do this for you earlier. Things have been quite crazy with the Calder closing in upon us,” Kristian said.

  They were walking together in the local mall. Kristian’s neatly tailored suit, probably high end designer, looked out of place. He draped an arm around her as they walked. Morgan was somewhere close by, but never within view.

  “I might have been okay with borrowing some of Veronica’s old clothes,” Tessa rolled her eyes. “I could if she actually liked me.”

  “She likes you. She’s overly protective of her big brother.”

  “Maybe,” Tessa replied softly. “What if I am really the cause of the problem here, or they are just using me to get to you?”

  “If that’s so, we face the threat together, as we’re doing now. Speaking of your things. I could hire someone to bring your car and trailer up, if you’d like. Once this is all over we may be able to salvage what was left of it.”

  Tessa wasn’t sure. There hadn’t been very much in the trailer—a single place setting of dishes, a blanket, a few old books, and her clothes. She was wearing her favorite pashmina and sneakers on the day she left. The really precious things: her “crystal” ball, tarot cards, and old photographs of her parents were in her purse.

  “It sounds like a big cost to have someone drive it across state for the sake of a few possessions.”

  “Think about it,” Kristian said. “And let me know what you decide. The money is not an issue, and if you’re worried about me hiring anyone, think of it as giving someone a job for the day. I also want you to remember you can get whatever you like.”

  They stopped at a lingerie store first. At first, Tessa felt strange with him hovering behind her, but slowly she relaxed. She led him over to a particularly scandalous bra. It was made of a soft, sheer material, with opaque hearts over where the nipple would be.

  She could feel Kristian’s thoughts behind her. His attraction was overwhelming, a warmth suddenly blooming at her core. She smiled, and in an act of daring, added it to her basket. Of course, she had to find the matching panties, bending to search the rack so that her ass was in the air.

  Images so clear she could almost feel them greeted her. He thought of grabbing onto her hips and pushing himself deep inside her. She wiggled her hips as she pulled out the right size panties. As she straightened, she turned to find his gaze devouring her. He smiled, knowing full well that she could see what was going through his mind.

  Her face warmed. Was she doing this? Was she openly flirting with a vampire?

  Yes.

  And she was enjoying it.

  “Do you plan on trying those on?” Kristian asked.

  “Maybe later,” Tessa threw over her shoulder as she moved on. “When we’re back at the beach house.”

  This time he fed her an image of...herself, wearing nothing more than the lingerie she had just picked out. She laid across the black, velvet blanket that lay across his bed. Words like want and need filled her.

  It was hard to catch her breath. Her own desire was stronger than she’d ever felt before. Tessa looked over her shoulder at the vampire man she’d spent so much time with. She would disintegrate beneath the fire of his emerald gaze. Would sex be as fiery?

  Was she brave enough to find out? Tessa added a floral bra and panty set to her basket before adding the harness style bra. It was edgy and reminded her of something Ally might wear.

  From there they went to two different clothes stores; the first one was to supply her with basics—jeans, tanks, sweaters and the like. The second store was more trendy, specializing in dresses, jackets, and blouses with flowing, romantic lines. She even found a handmade poncho similar to her favorite pashmina. Tessa looked at the prices and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. She couldn’t remember ever spending so much money on clothes.

  Tessa was ready to take her new prized possessions and go home. As they passed one of the last few stores, she looked up and spotted a beautiful dress in a shop window; it was white with a red rose print, a V-neckline, and a hem just above the knee. It was backless.

  “Do you like that?” Kristian asked.

  “I’m good, I don’t need anything else.”

  “Nonsense,” he said with a grin, and walked into the store. Tessa trailed behind him. He’d already reached the saleswoman, who was smiling at him and literally clutching her pearls. The store was empty of customers and she was obviously happy to assist a handsome, wealthy customer and his lady friend. Kristian could charm anyone with minimal effort. She wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t even bother to use his vampire mojo.

  “Would you like to try the dress on?” the saleswoman asked Tessa.

  “Might as well.”

  Tessa went back into the dressing room. There were four stalls. Choosing the stall nearest the outside door, she locked herself in and stripped down to her bra and panties. She took a moment to look at her back in the mirror. Her skin was smooth and unmarred by the thick scars she’d had at the small of her back since she was a teenager. Kristian might think healing her was a small gesture of affection but she doubted he understood how much it meant to her.

  She pulled the dress over her head. She twirled, looking at herself in the mirror, front and back. Smoothing the fabric over her hips, she turned her back to the mirror, reaching for her handbag.

  A woman was standing behind her.

  Tessa had no time to scream as a hand was clapped down over her mouth. With her other hand, the woman held a firm grip on her neck.

  A dark clad form took shape, the assailant’s face hidden beneath a dark hood. Tessa hit the woman’s arms with her fists, but she would not let go. The vice grip of her hand on Tessa’s throat only tightened. All she could see were the map of red veins in her attacker’s eyes.

  “Your little vampires can’t save you from us. Say night night, vamp slut.”

  “Why?” Tessa tried to say, but all that was expelled from her throat was a low hiss. Tessa eyed the boot sitting on the dressing room bench. If only she could reach it. Her tiny knife was in there. The edges of her vision were starting to darken. She let herself become a dead weight in her attacker’s arms, dropping a few inches. Tessa’s fingers brushed the edge of the boot. Finally, she had a grasp on the knife hilt.

  * * *

  The woman laughed, a soft little sound that pushed puffs of cold breath into Tessa’s face. “You’ll see soon.”

  Vision turning dark, she brought the knife up. It slashed across the attacker’s arms. Rearing back, her attacker barked in pain.

  The door of the dressing room was pulled open, and the pressure on Tessa’s neck was suddenly released. />
  “Oh, you think you’re funny,” Kristian said, pinning the hooded woman to the wall. Her feet dangled above the floor. “How about you play with someone your own size?” he growled.

  Tessa sank to the floor of the dressing room. There was dark blood on the blade of the small knife in her hand. Startled, she threw it to the floor. Mustering what strength, she had, she ran out of the dressing room. The store’s inside lights were turned off, but she barely noticed. She ran for the front door, only to find it locked.

  “Tessa,” Morgan said, pulling her behind him. “Are you okay?”

  Tears sprang to her eyes. She wanted to scream that nothing was okay, and that she wanted no more to do with vampires ever again. She needed to run. She needed to escape. Instead, she swallowed despite the burning pain in her throat. “Yeah.”

  From where they stood, she could see behind the sales counter. The young employees sat on a stool behind the register, eyes fixed and body still except for the gentle rise and fall of her chest.

  “Is she okay?”

  “Yes.” Morgan grinned. “Just a small bit of magic. She won’t even remember we were here.”

  Kristian came out of the dressing room, hauling the woman with him. He’d pulled back her hoodie. She strained against him but she was no match for Kristian’s strength. Tessa’s mouth dropped. What she saw didn’t match up with what she expected. Her attacker was a tall, blue-eyed blonde, her greasy hair hanging limp at the sides of her pimpled face. She didn’t look like much older than a kid.

  “Charley,” Morgan groaned. “We have to stop meeting like this, kid. Still working for the Calder these days?”

  “Whoever pays my fee,” she snarled.

  “That’s your problem?” Morgan said. “Your generation of demons has absolutely no scruples. Whatever happened to the days of fire and brimstone with you guys”

  “I’m part of the new generation. Capitalism is where it’s at… So, what are you going to do to me?”