Beyond The Veil: A Paranormal & Magical Romance Boxed Set

by Multiple Authors

  Panic set in, sending Kendra’s normally slow heart racing. “No, really, he’ll be fine. I didn’t give him anything.” She hadn’t intended to involve the entire band in this evening’s mishap. She’d never intended to involve Marcus either—but fate, it seemed, had made other plans. Now all she wanted to do was get away without anyone knowing what had happened. She stumbled over her words. “There was a little accident, but nothing’s broken. He’s just a little… lethargic. He had a lot to drink, I guess, and he hit his head or something.”

  Troy extracted the listless body from her hands.

  Marcus groaned and limped with Troy to the couch.

  “C’mon buddy, let’s get you settled.” Troy stopped and reached up to Marcus’s collar. He turned and shot a cold glare at Kendra. “Hey, there’s blood all over his shirt. What kind of accident was this? Where did this blood come from?”

  Okay, enough talking, time for plan B.

  She’d have to wipe their memories of her visit this evening. Kendra hated to have to use her supernatural gifts because she knew from experience that being on the receiving end of it was no fun. Hector had abused his power over her so many times that she had months of blank memories and nightmares from it. She hated herself for even considering it, but what else could she do?

  Kendra stepped into the suite, shutting the door behind her. Calling forth all of her energy, she sent a wave of calm into the room.

  Focusing on each man individually, she met the dark brown eyes of Troy, then the black of Chad, and finally the green of Mike. Reinforcing her request with a strong mental push, she calmly spoke. “Please, everyone, sit down and I will explain everything.”

  She pointed to the couch adjacent to the one where Marcus was lying.

  Mike set down the phone in his hand, Chad wavered where he stood, and Troy’s suspicious gaze softened. The band members one-by-one did as she asked, sitting down on the black leather couch in the center of the common room.

  Kendra strode over to the ottoman in front of them and sat down.

  Focusing on her inner strength, she continued sending the wave of calm, pulsing it out at the men in front of her.

  “Everything is fine,” she said in a peaceful, almost sing-song voice.

  Her captive audience sat ready for her. Their shoulders drooped and each man slumped back into the cushions of the couch. Their eyes glazed over, pupils dilated, each face blank of all emotions.

  “Marcus had too much to drink,” She said slowly, shifting focus from one set of eyes to the next, keeping them all enthralled. Kendra delved deeply into the dark reaches of their minds for the brief moment she connected with each man—locking on to their subconscious to plant her words. “He hit his head and stumbled here drunk.”

  They each nodded slowly, like mindless puppets being pulled by strings.

  Kendra took a deep breath. Focusing on three different targets was a draining process and her body was still a little weak from the accident. That weakness reared its ugly head again as she tried desperately to maintain control. It threatened to take over as the mental drain caused an aching pulse in her temples. She was still young— as vampires go— and her powers were limited, especially when injured. Pushing herself too hard was bound to have very negative repercussions. If she wasn’t careful, she could fall into a fit of bloodlust. She needed to finish this quickly and get as far away from these guys as she could.

  Marcus moaned and twitched next to her. Kendra blinked, dropping her focus for a moment to look at him. His eyes cracked open. Beneath his heavy lids she saw a hint of fear. She knew she would have to wipe his memory as well. Already feeling the effects of her spent mental energy, she groaned inwardly at the thought of pushing herself more.

  Turning back to the three men, she continued, her head aching as she strained to concentrate.

  Kendra sent another mental push. “You all need rest. When I leave, you will sleep and have no memory of my visit.”

  They nodded again in response as she made eye contact with each one.

  Weakness settled into her limbs, spreading the ache from her head to her bones. Kendra lost focus. She barely registered the movement next to her. She brought her hand to her head and massaged her pounding temples.

  She needed blood and rest. This had been such a draining evening.

  Kendra tried to focus again on the three men, and failed to notice Marcus slowly sitting up next to her. By the time she had registered his movements, Marcus flung himself at her.

  A sharp, stabbing pain snapped Kendra from her concentration. The force of the blow and the dead weight of Marcus’s body as it crashed into her sent them both tumbling to the floor.

  Kendra recovered quickly. Standing up, she winced as she pulled the small knife from her side. Marcus flopped around clumsily, still weak, struggling to get up.

  “That was not wise,” Kendra growled, the beast within her, unable to be held back any longer, resurfaced and had one target in mind for its vengeance.

  Marcus’s words came out in a shouted slur, “I won’t let you kill us.”

  Pain radiated from her wound, cool blood staining her tee-shirt. “I brought you here to heal, not to kill you. If I wanted you dead I’d have already done it.” Kendra clutched her side. Anger flared inside of her. In her already weakened state, the scent of blood in the air inflamed her hunger. She locked onto Marcus with a feral gaze.

  He sat back on his knees, wobbling as he tried to balance. “You’re gonna kill me now, aren’t you?”

  She held up the knife, and then looked to the wound at her side. Blood would help heal it, and she longed for another taste of him. Kendra sucked in a deep breath in an attempt to calm her inner beast, but it was no use. The beast demanded satisfaction, and she had no strength left to fight it.

  In a blur, she lunged at him. Her teeth found the soft flesh of his neck. She sank them in deep, and was rewarded with a flood of his quenching blood. It ran down her throat, instantly revitalizing her. Kendra’s body pulsed with energy, matching the rhythm of his beating heart. She savored the rush, but a tiny voice in the back of her head begged her to stop. As much as the beast within her demanded blood, her affection for this man demanded he live.

  With all the strength she could muster, Kendra tore herself from the fountain of his neck.

  Marcus fell limply to the floor, his eyes rolled back into his head.

  She heard the terrible wavering rhythm of his heart and the shallow gasps as he struggled for air. A sickening feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. Guilt. It washed through her.

  Kendra knew she had gone too far. Twice now she had drunk from him, and taken more than she should have. If she didn’t do something, he would die.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  Kendra pierced her tongue with her fang, wincing with the pain, and then bent her head. She captured his lips, parting them and dipped her tongue into his hot mouth, bathing it in her blood.

  At first, there was no reaction. Kendra feared the worst. She bit her tongue again, wincing as her teeth cut deeply into the velvety muscle, and allowed more blood to pour into his mouth. She massaged his throat with her hand, hoping to stimulate his swallow reflex. He needed to take her blood, or he would die.

  After a few moments, Marcus’s body jerked and he sprang to life. His mouth locked onto hers. He swallowed hard and sucked hungrily at her tongue. She allowed him a few good gulps before pulling away from the kiss.

  Kendra wiped her mouth and breathed a sigh of relief. She sat down on the ottoman to watch his reaction.

  Just as she expected, he twitched involuntarily and shivered as if humming with energy. Muscles all over him tightened. Marcus gripped at the carpet, fingernails digging into the soft fibers. He growled and moaned making feral sounds that she herself had made once before. His chest rose and fell heavily as he sucked in deep breaths. She witnessed the outline of his cock, tenting his pants like an inflating balloon. It stretched the material taut across his waist. />
  Kendra smiled wickedly. Blood rushed to her face, heating her cheeks as she remembered what that first time had been like. For her it was like the feeling of the strongest orgasm … amplified by ten. The shear ecstasy of it was so addicting, she had to have more.

  She knew she should look away to give him a moment of privacy, but curiosity got the better of her.

  Marcus moaned, “Oh God,” through clenched teeth. His face contorted, eyes squeezing shut, jaw tightening, lips stretching into an almost insane, joker-like smile.

  Then, after he found release, his body relaxed and he returned to lying listlessly on the ground, only now, a goofy grin spread wide across his face.

  Another wave of guilt crashed into Kendra. She should not have done that. Death might have been preferable to the curse she’d just bestowed on him. She knew the first taste was something no one ever forgot. She hadn’t forgotten that blissfully cursed feeling. It was the same one that had ensnared her ten years prior.

  Marcus’s exhaled a deep breath. He lay like a lump on the floor, no doubt feeling the aftershocks of his climax.

  “What the hell did you do to him?” Troy yelled, finally snapping out of the trance Kendra had put him in.

  “He’ll be fine.” She’d almost forgotten that the three men were still sitting there. “So much for plan B,” she groaned. Again she felt as if the universe had been conspiring against her. Each time she tried to correct the mistakes of the evening, they became worse.

  “What… the hell… was that?” Marcus stammered, still breathless, his face still holding a satisfied, crooked grin. His eyes were glassy, pupils dilated. They would remain that way until the effects of her blood wore off.

  Marcus wiped his face, rubbing away a trace bit of her blood left on the corner of his mouth. Looking down at the blood on his hand in confusion, he appeared to be piecing the bits of tonight’s adventure together.

  Kendra waited like a hungry lioness, needing to see his reaction.

  One taste was all it had taken for her. She hadn’t been strong enough to say no. She’d allowed herself to give into the ecstasy. She’d begged for more like a child wanting candy.

  Would Marcus do the same?

  “Is this blood?” he asked. His eyes had not left his finger, still examining the smudge of crimson there.

  “Yes,” she whispered the response.

  “Your blood?”

  “Yes.”

  “Will I get some kind of disease now?”

  “No,” she laughed. “There is no disease that could possibly live in my blood. Go on, enjoy it.”

  Seconds ticked by as she waited. Part of her wanted him to turn away.

  The other part of her knew the draw and the terrible feeling of want that had to be running through his mind. Like a horrible street drug, vampire blood was powerful and quick. Addiction could take over even after such a small taste. And one small taste was all it took to create the bond that they would now share.

  His finger found his mouth sucking greedily at the last little drop. His eyes rolled into his head and he hummed a small moan.

  She watched, licking her own lips in response. Pleasure radiated in waves from him. She felt it as if it were her own. The bond had started.

  “What the hell are you?” Chad said, getting up from his seat.

  Kendra called forth all the strength she possessed and send a hard mental command to the three men on the couch. Stay where you are.

  “What the hell?!” The men said in unison as they were slammed back in to their seats.

  Kendra turned back to Marcus. “Can you get up?” She asked.

  “What did you do to him?” Mike demanded, struggling against an invisible barrier.

  “He was trying to hurt me, so I did what was necessary to protect myself. Don’t worry, he’ll live.”

  Marcus rolled over to his stomach. He inched his hands along the floor and pushed himself to his knees. “I … I’m sorry,” he stuttered.

  “You bit him and gave him blood,” Troy said. “You’re a… you made him a fucking vampire!”

  “No, he’s still human. The small amount of blood I gave him will only bond him to me, it won’t transform him.” She turned to Marcus. “What it will do is ensure he won’t attack me again,” she responded in a low, monotone voice.

  “Why?” Troy asked.

  “I think you’ve already figured that out.”

  Marcus sat on his knees, still panting, still smiling.

  “We are bonded by our blood now, Marcus.” Kendra said, lowering herself down, eye-level with him. “You’ll feel everything I feel and vice versa. Pleasure, pain, and all emotions will now be shared between us both, so please don’t try and harm me, you will only harm yourself.”

  “I want more,” he whispered.

  Kendra sighed and shook her head.

  He’s hooked already.

  “Now is not the time.” She patted his head gently. “Come, join us on the couch.”

  Kendra stood up, extending her hand to Marcus, and walked him to the couch before seating herself on the ottoman.

  “I mean none of you any harm. Troy, you seem to have things figured out. Yes, I’m a vampire, but I’m not here to hurt anyone. I’m sorry things got out of hand tonight. If you’ll all promise to hear me out, I give you my word that nothing bad will happen.”

  Kendra focused on them again, sending another wave of calm.

  The men collectively nodded in agreement.

  “Now, please understand I’m not your enemy and I’m not here to hurt any of you. I had no intention to harm Marcus.”

  “Then why’d you attack him?” Troy asked.

  “Instinct,” she said sharply. “He hit me with his car. I was injured. I needed blood to heal.”

  “I thought vampires were supposed to be super strong or something,” Troy remarked.

  “Sure, the older we are the stronger we get, I’m still young. I was turned only ten years ago. As far as my kind goes, I’m a baby.”

  “There are more of you out there? How come we don’t know about you?” Mike asked. He fidgeted nervously in his seat, leaning on the arm of the couch to support his weight.

  “Most vampires are secretive. We don’t want you knowing about us. We’re content to live in our own world and limit our interaction with humans.”

  Mike’s green eyes narrowed on her. “You mean, when you kill humans?”

  “Most of us don’t kill.” Kendra matched his cold stare. “We’re content to take sips, a pint here and a pint there. That’s the equivalent of donating blood and hardly deadly. If need be, we wipe our donor’s memory and that covers our tracks.” She cringed inwardly, thinking of all the blank holes in her own memory from Hector.

  “So why didn’t you do that to Marcus?”

  Kendra looked over to Marcus. Still glassy-eyed, he stared off into space as if in a daze.

  “I was planning on it … until I ran into all of you.” She let out a sigh and reached out to stroke Marcus’s arm. “To be honest, I’m a big fan of your music and I have been for a very long time.”

  Marcus turned to Kendra and smiled serenely. “You want an autograph?” he whispered.

  Kendra coughed to stifle a giggle and looked back toward Troy.

  “I watched you guys play at Enigma. I was your biggest fan back then. I went to all your local shows.”

  Troy sat forward, propping his elbows on his knees. His long dreadlocks swung forward, surrounding his face like a cloak. “You were there? That was—”

  “Ten years ago. I know. I was turned shortly after that.”

  “But you don’t look old enough—”

  Kendra arched her eyebrow and cocked her head to the side.

  “Right, immortal.” Color rose to Troy’s cheeks. “So you’ve been the same age for the last ten years?”

  “Yeah. I’ll look this way forever.”

  “I think you’re beautiful,” Marcus whispered in a sing-song voice.

  “You do lo
ok vaguely familiar,” Chad said. His eyes roamed Kendra’s face. He stroked his long beard as he regarded her for a few quiet moments. “You read poetry at that café back in Vegas, didn’t you? What was it called… Enigma?”

  “That was ages ago, but yes.”

  “Wait a second.” Chad smiled. “I think I remember you doing poetry readings before one of our gigs.”

  A hot flush rose to Kendra’s face. “Yes, and I use to coordinate the Friday evening open mic night at Enigma, before …”

  “Is he gonna be all right?” Mike asked.

  She turned to look at Marcus who eyed her hungrily, like a predator stalking it’s prey.

  “He’s acting like your fucking groupie,” Mike said with a scoff.

  “He’ll be back to normal by tomorrow. It’s just the euphoric effect of my blood at work. It works kind of like a drug on humans.” Kendra smiled, trying to look as innocent as possible, knowing the raw desire he was feeling. She shared that feeling now that they were bonded. “He’s probably going to feel a bit …” she bit into her lower lip, trying to fight down the urges she was feeling. “Um … amorous, for the next few days. It’s a small side effect.” Her eyes trailed down his body, lying flat on the couch. His pants were tented at the waist. Well, maybe not that small. The blood bond was hard at work. As if it was her own sex throbbing between her legs, she felt his need—the silent yearning to be touched. Images played in her mind like a video: two bodies writhing together among the sheets, exploring, touching, kissing… No!

  She inhaled a deep breath, trying to shut out Marcus’s thoughts. She knew that as much as she enjoyed this and the ability to spend time with him, she couldn’t stay. This momentary closeness was bittersweet.

  “When I leave you, he’ll be a bit out of sorts for a while. The closer he is to me, the stronger the bond is. Once we’re separated, he’ll feel a little empty. It’s only temporary, but it will affect his mood.”

  “What do you mean ‘affect his mood’?” Troy had picked up on that bit quick enough. “We still have some major gigs left on this tour.”

  “He’ll be depressed for a bit,” Kendra said sheepishly, knowing she was severely understating the facts.