Blood Bond (New Breed Book 2)

by Melody Raven

  He was so close she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. She should be scared. She knew more than most what would happen if she got too close to this predator. But it wasn’t fear that raced through her body right now. The memory of the dream was so fresh in her mind, and all she could do was remember those sensations. If that was how good a dream was, how much better would reality be?

  “That’s interesting...” he said carefully. “You think you like being with me in a dream, but you wouldn’t like it in truth?” She had no idea what to say to that so she just stayed quiet. “I believe that’s what your scientists call the hypothesis. If we were to follow the scientific method, we should test that theory.”

  His nose touched her cheekbone and then trailed down one side of her neck. It sent goose bumps racing down her spine, and she clenched her free fist at her side to keep from grabbing at his shoulders. “This is ridiculous. We shouldn’t be testing anything right now, and I know I told you I’m a nerd, but it’s not fair that you’re trying to seduce me with the scientific method.”

  He removed his face from her neck and she immediately missed the warmth. “It won’t be hard.” He looked down at her. One hand moved up to cup the back of her neck, and she wasn’t sure whether it was solely there to hold her in place for him or also to keep her from running. “One kiss. You let me touch my lips to yours, and if you feel nothing, I’ll accept it. If you want me to shove you against that counter, rip off your pants, and fuck you like I never got to in the dream, then we’ll go from there.”

  “If you think I’m going to kiss you, you’re crazy.” Though she was the crazy one, standing in his embrace, looking up at him as her heart beat frantically in anticipation for the kiss she was telling him would never happen.

  “You don’t want to kiss me because you know I’m right. You know that you want me as badly as I want you.”

  For the love of— Alyssa pushed herself up on her tiptoes and crushed her mouth against his. She didn’t want to be soft or romantic. She wanted to be methodical. Touching her mouth to his. Just like he said. Then she’d pull away and prove once and for all that she was immune to this so-called bond.

  Dante didn’t kiss mechanically. He didn’t kiss methodically. His hands closed around her face and he kissed her. He kissed her as if he needed her. He kissed her as if it were the only kiss he was ever going to have. He kissed her as if she were some delicate, precious object that he was cherishing.

  His lips parted slowly, his fangs ever so lightly brushing her lips before he tilted his head for better access and kissed her slowly, fully and deeply. Before she knew it, her hands gripped his biceps. She didn’t remember when or how; they just did.

  She supposed she needed to hold onto something. The kiss made her knees weak and body hot. It was a mixture of seduction and stupid ideas. It was such a potent combination that she was helpless to resist. Even though she knew she’d lost whatever bet they’d made, it was hard to care. It was as if she were right back in the dream. On the bed, the need for Dante so overwhelming that she was ready and willing to give him whatever he wanted. He pushed her to the counter just like he’d promised, but as soon as her back hit the edge, Dante ripped away from her. Her mouth was open in mid-kiss and her hands were gripping empty air as she stared at his back. She gasped for air as she tried to get her bearings straight. Then she realized that they weren’t alone any longer.

  Dante cursed the arrival of the agents, but it was hard to be upset. He’d made good progress with Alyssa. He got her to admit that she wanted him, and he was confident that he would be able to finish their bonding tonight. Assuming, of course, these men continued to keep him from trying to get to Cora. His head was starting to ache with the need to complete the bond, and his skin was becoming sensitive to the slightest touch. All signs that it stretched too long. He knew Alyssa didn’t understand their connection yet, but how the hell was he supposed to tell her? He hadn’t done this on purpose. He hadn’t tried to trap her. But nonetheless, they were both stuck together. And damn it, he was going to make the best out of it. And hopefully allow her to make the best out of it. Multiple times. She couldn’t run away from him. She’d be so tired from orgasms that she couldn’t walk.

  There was a slight knock on the door before the two men walked in. Dante stood tall, trying to keep Alyssa as hidden from view as possible.

  These were probably the agents Joshua Park had sent, but Dante wasn’t about to take his chances. One was tall and fit, with lighter brown hair and just a hint of a beard. The other was even taller, with jet-black hair and a clean-shaven jaw. Neither wore a uniform to signal they were associated with the government. “Who are you?” he demanded.

  The guys didn’t seem surprised to find him there and eyed him warily. Without a doubt they already knew what he was. Which meant they probably were Park’s men, but Dante waited for confirmation.

  “I’m Ian,” said the lighter one, “and this is my partner Carter. We were sent to get a debriefing from you.”

  “We were told you were supposed to have a girl with you.” Carter looked accusingly at Dante. Obviously the Carter guy was ready to be the “bad cop.”

  “The girl is here,” said Alyssa from behind Dante. “Just a little bit smothered.” She pushed at Dante’s shoulder and he decided there was no immediate threat. He stepped aside so she could at least be visible.

  “I don’t know if you know what we’re doing here.” Dante folded his arms in front of himself, allowing his muscles to flex just a little bit extra. “I should be out looking for my daughter and instead I’m here helping you two. So why don’t we get this over with so I can get back to doing what I need to do.”

  “Hey, you’re a guy who likes to get shit done. I can appreciate that,” said Carter. “I like to get shit done too, so I’m going to cut right to the chase. After the army got a hold of Seattle, your kind scattered. Our unit has been formed to take care of the stragglers. I think there’s a nest huddled up about a mile away from here. Our original plan was to go in with guns blazing, but since Park said that we can use you as a resource, it seems smarter to get your assessment of the situation. Like a consultant.”

  “A consultant?” said Alyssa skeptically. “Exactly how hands-on do you want this consultant to be?”

  Carter’s mouth hooked up. “We want him as hands-on as he can get. Hands, fangs, weapons. We want everything on.”

  “All right,” said Dante quickly. “I’ll help you. Let’s go.”

  “Wait, what?” said Alyssa. “Just like that?”

  “I help them, I help Cora, right?”

  “I... yeah. Okay. Let’s go hunt some Vopura then.”

  “We’re not going anywhere. I’ll go with them and you keep working on our project we discussed on the drive.” He could see Alyssa working through all the ways she could get out of that in her mind. He had no doubt that she wanted to help him find Cora, but it was obvious that she didn’t like being pushed out, even if it was for her own good.

  But thankfully he could see the defeat in her eyes as she realized how unrealistic it would be for her to come on a Vopura hunting party.

  However, that didn’t mean she was going to be quiet. “So what’s the plan? You’re going to go out with stakes and crucifixes and do some slaying?”

  Ian laughed but Carter didn’t seem amused. “Your boyfriend will be okay,” said Carter. “We’re going to drive him by the nest. If he verifies our concerns, then we’ll make a plan to move in. But that probably wouldn’t be tonight.”

  “Probably?”

  “Probably,” repeated Carter.

  Dante realized she didn’t correct Carter when he’d called him her boyfriend. What an odd word. He wasn’t a boy and he sure as hell didn’t want to be her friend. Yet a sense of pride filled him at the thought of being her boyfriend. It was still much too tame of a word to describe what they were, but he’d take it. “I’ll be back before sunrise,” he promised her.

  Alyssa hated staying in the c
ar. She hated it when Dante had asked her to when he was checking out the building. Now she sat in this dark, dingy, abandoned apartment and did nothing. What she hated about it even more was that she knew it was the right call. It wasn’t as if she could blame the patriarchy for having her sit this one out. She was a liability. She wouldn’t be able to defend herself and would be a distraction if she stuck around Dante.

  Although she agreed with the reasoning they had for leaving her behind, the idea of Dante being alone with those two guys.... She still wasn’t sure how much she trusted Joshua. She was really hoping this wasn’t some sort of setup.

  So she did the only thing she could do. She helped.

  The apartment building might be abandoned, but it still had power. She was finally able to plug in her laptop, and she used her phone as a hotspot to get Wi-Fi.

  The first thing she did was check to see whether she had any messages from Domino. He might be overpriced, but he did work fast. He already had a few hits on General Wesley’s face with the recognition software he’d hacked, but none of them were recent.

  Satisfied the search was making progress, Alyssa got her phone out and called Joshua.

  He answered on the second ring. “This is Park.”

  “You’re not fucking with me, are you?”

  “Alyssa. You got to Portland okay?”

  “You know I did. Dante’s with your guys right now. Please tell me this isn’t some sort of trap.”

  “It’s not. I was honest with you when I said we’re trying to cultivate a partnership. You’ve seen what this guy can do. They’re not enemies we want.”

  “What you’re saying is logical and levelheaded, but I know the government isn’t filled with logical and levelheaded people. And if you think Dante will be logical and levelheaded if he doesn’t get his daughter back ASAP, you’re in for a very bloody awakening.”

  “I have good news on that front. If you see Dante, tell him to rest easy. We have a date and location to pick up his daughter. It’s set to go down at noon.”

  “When the sun is out and shining.”

  “Can you blame them?” he asked.

  Alyssa took the phone away from her face and stared at it in shock for a moment. “You’re kidding. Wesley is just going to hand over Cora?”

  “We convinced him that we’re on the same side. That we’re going to put the girl in containment and turn her over to the research department.” Well, that was the nicest way of saying “dissect and study” that she’d ever heard. “But as you know, our plan is to reunite father and daughter. A real happily ever after.”

  “And what’s gonna happen after he hands over Cora? Is he going to have a military trial or a civilian one?”

  “You know there aren’t any laws for vampire kidnapping.”

  “There are laws for kidnapping, though. I didn’t realize it had to be specific.”

  “Hey. I’m going to get you the girl back. We’ll go from there after that.”

  She wanted to tell him exactly how unacceptable that was, but held herself back. He had gone out on a limb to help them, considering he could still change his mind at any moment. It was still the time to play nice. “Okay. I appreciate the help. So what can you tell me about this Special Unit 4?”

  “You’re a civilian. As far as you’re concerned, there is no Special Unit 4.”

  “Yeah, but I’m kind of a special civilian, right?”

  “That’s one term for it.”

  “You’ll let me know if anything changes, right?”

  “I’ll let you know as soon as I am able to. If anything changes.”

  “I don’t like that qualification.”

  “It’s all I got, Lys. Take it or leave it.”

  She was about to apply a little bit more pressure to him when she heard motion on the stairs. “I have to let you go. I think Dante’s back and you’re not going to want to give him an update. Good luck getting Cora back. You’re gonna need it.” She hung up and headed for the door but stopped herself. Could be anyone out there. The building wasn’t locked. For all she knew, it was someone from the streets looking for a place to crash for the night. Portland was a progressive city and all, but they had their homeless problems just like any other big city.

  Damn it, why hadn’t she gotten Dante’s number? She could’ve made him text her updates so she wouldn’t have to sit here in ignorance.

  Though considering how little self-control she had when it came to him, she’d probably be sending nudes to him the whole time. She’d never been into any of those vampire romance novels or movies. She’d always considered it a fad that would blow over eventually. But now that she had a real-life vampire who was totally into her, she got it.

  Whoever was outside got closer, and she crossed her arms over her chest. She needed to look cool and collected when Dante walked in. Not as though she were imagining how sexy Dante was. In fact, she was so invested in playing it cool, it took her half a second to realize that the man who opened the door wasn’t Dante.

  It wasn’t Ian or Carter either. She straightened as a bolt of fear shot through her. “Who the hell are you?”

  The man was massive. He took up almost the entire doorway. Sharp cheekbones and short hair only added to his intimidating appearance.

  And he really didn’t need to be that intimidating because she had no weapons and no Dante to protect her. She didn’t like his motion of shoving her behind him, but she wouldn’t have minded it right now.

  “Don’t be scared,” said the man instantly. Great. He’d seen her for two seconds and immediately knew she was afraid. “I was sent here to meet some people. Ian Butler and Carter Blackburn. Are they here?”

  It gave her some comfort that he knew the agents, but not a lot. “Who’s asking?”

  “John. I was sent to help. They’re meeting with an associate of mine. Dante.”

  Her brows shot up. “You’re an associate of Dante’s?”

  He nodded. “In a way. Are you here alone?”

  She definitely wasn’t going to answer that. “When you say you’re an associate of his, does that mean you’re a....”

  He narrowed his eyes, signaling that he understood exactly what she meant by that question. “I’m a close associate of his.”

  An equally cagey answer, but she got the idea. Great. Now she was alone with some random Vopura. The very thing Dante was out hunting right now. “Dante’s going to be back any minute now. Why don’t you try coming back later?”

  “If it’s not going to be long, I’ll wait. Let me grab Tela and I’ll be right back.”

  Great. She shot herself in the foot with that lie. Of course he wouldn’t leave. Dante was coming right back. But what was she supposed to say? Dante was going to be back. Who knew when? She didn’t need to make herself any more vulnerable with the bloodsucking Vopura.

  There was no reason to freak out, though. He knew who Carter and Ian were, and he said he’d worked with Dante. He must be one of the Vopura working with the government. Besides, he could’ve killed her already if he wanted to.

  Alyssa nervously took her phone off the charger and unlocked it. She then stared at the home screen. There wasn’t anyone she could call for assistance. Maybe Joshua? She shouldn’t have hung up the phone.

  The door opened again and the man, John, came back in, this time carrying a large duffel and with a woman at his side. The “Tela” he’d mentioned before.

  The woman was taller than Alyssa, like most people were, with dark hair and bright-blue eyes that scanned the room. “Well, this is... interesting.” Obviously this Tela didn’t approve of the digs.

  “I don’t think the government is looking for luxury,” offered Alyssa weakly.

  “Oh, it’s fine. I mean, you should see my old apartment. That place is tiny compared to this. I mean, I had more stuff in it for sure, but it was still tiny. And that stuff probably only made it seem smaller. I’m just not used to safe houses and whatnot. I guess I thought a safe house had to be... I don’t
know... safer. More metal bars on windows and locks on the door.”

  And she was a nervous talker. Somehow that made Alyssa a lot more comfortable. “Sometimes safe is relative. I’m Alyssa.”

  She held her hand out to Tela, who reached out and shook it. “I’m sorry for being weird. I’m just starving and I’m so excited to be getting out of Seattle.”

  “You were in Seattle for the siege then?”

  “Yep. It used to be my favorite place in the world, and now I might never go back.”

  “I think we’re both ready to start branching out,” said John as he set the duffel bag down on the table.

  Alyssa knew this wasn’t her place or anything, but she naturally wanted to offer some sort of food. “I just got here and I don’t think there’s anything in the pantries. There might be a granola bar in my bag if you’re interested, though.”

  Tela shook her head as she met John at the table. “Don’t worry about it.” She pulled open the zipper on the duffel bag. “We were smart enough to bring food. We think ahead. Did we think far enough ahead to keep the food with us in the car instead of locked in the trunk where I can’t reach it? No. We did not think that far ahead.” She pulled out a plastic water bottle, cracked it open and started drinking the contents. Not just drinking—guzzling. In just a few short seconds, the entire bottle was drained.

  Except it wasn’t crystal-clear water inside. Alyssa was familiar enough with the deep-red substance to recognize it. “Oh. You’re a....” Alyssa frowned. That couldn’t be right. “I thought there weren’t any women.”

  Tela gasped for air and set the now empty bottle down as she wiped her mouth off. John moved to stand protectively between Alyssa and Tela, obviously mistaking Alyssa’s confusion for judgment.

  “I’m sorry,” said Tela quickly. “I shouldn’t have done that in front of you. I was just so hungry, and I’m not used to this, and I knew the blood was right there and I couldn’t help myself. I hope that wasn’t too gross. If our situations were reversed, I would’ve thought that was disgusting.”