Order of Terminus

by Olivia Starke

  Margaret made a sound in her throat, and Valerie’s eyes darted up to her Contact. It was Margaret’s job to keep an ear out and put Valerie on the trail of Dissenter activity. They’d worked together for over a decade, and they had great faith in each other’s skill. Margaret had an odd look on her face, and a muscle in her jaw worked.

  “I have information that this male’s name is Remann, and he’s trying to gain power here using Dissenters.”

  Valerie nodded. As in human culture, vampires had mobs. Their mobs, though, would put the Sopranos to shame.

  “Valerie, watch this one. From what I hear, he’s clever. Don’t get yourself hurt.”

  Valerie let out a hard sigh. “You know you can count on me. He’ll be disposed of.”

  * * * *

  Valerie neared the address Margaret had given her, and she could just see Remann’s home sitting at the end of a long, private drive. Butterflies erupted in the pit of her stomach as dread washed through her.

  He was just an assignment, she told herself. He was a soulless Dissenter, one of the same bastards who’d attacked Valerie and her husband as they’d left a restaurant in Dallas one night. As she’d lain dying in an alley, she could only watch as her husband choked to death on his own blood.

  A vampiress had found them, taking pity on Valerie. Though it was too late for Mike, the vampiress had passed her own blood to Valerie’s lips, changing her.

  Valerie turned down the drive.

  Remann was home—somehow, she just knew it. Her throat constricted as she parked out front of the modest ranch-style home. She cut the loud engine of her truck and waited. She wasn’t sure what for, but she continued to sit, staring at the front door.

  It opened, and Valerie sucked in a breath. Remann stood in the doorway in a pair of black silk lounge pants. His bare chest looked glorious in the dying light of the late evening. He smiled broadly, his white teeth flashing, and he placed his hands on his narrow hips. Valerie steeled herself against the tumble of emotions that left her trembling.

  In life, as in blood, there was no mercy.

  She hopped out of her truck, using it as cover as she slipped her spike down the back waistband of her jeans. She shoved the titanium handcuffs into her back pocket before she pulled her t-shirt down. She flipped her braid back over her shoulder.

  Remann was a large, strong male, and she’d have to use care with how she approached him. Valerie would do something she’d never done before while on a hunt—she’d have to seduce her kill.

  “Hello, my beautiful Valerie. This is a wonderful surprise.”

  Remann stood aside and waved her into his home. She nodded and stepped inside, where his scent enveloped her and made her already rapid heartbeat quicken. Valerie wiped her clammy hands down her jeans as she turned to face Remann.

  His mismatched eyes studied her curiously. “I am honored you’ve decided to pay me a visit. How did you manage to find me?”

  Valerie shrugged. Her face felt like it was on fire. “I’m a Hunter, remember?”

  “Ah, yes, of course,” he said, guiding her to take a seat on the couch.

  The home was definitely a bachelor pad with its strong masculine design. Dark wood accents and leather furniture with sharp, geometric lines gave the home a contemporary feel.

  “May I offer you a drink? I have some high-end vodka.”

  She nodded. “Sounds great, thanks.”

  The clink of a glass had her flinching as Remann got her drink. He returned and handed her the vodka. He stood before her, and Valerie’s gaze fixed on the way the silk material draped the bulge of his crotch. She knew all too well what lay beneath. She took a shaky breath and pulled her gaze away. Remann sat next to her, and the heat from his body burned her side. She downed the drink, barely tasting the expensive liquid.

  “Are you on another hunt tonight?”

  Valerie jerked as if slapped. Her gaze flew to his face. His eyes widened before his dark brows knit together.

  “Valerie, are you all right? You’re upset.”

  He shifted to face her, his hand resting lightly on her knee. Her heartbeat rang louder in her ears.

  Unable to meet his eyes, Valerie rested her gaze on Remann’s sensual mouth. His spicy, musky scent was making her head swim, and she felt like she was drowning. She gulped for air. Remann cupped her cheek, and his thumb stroked the curve of her cheekbone.

  What was she doing? Valerie tried to rehearse the hunt in her head as Remann’s eyes searched her face.

  “What is it, my beauty?”

  His concern was like a stab in her gut. He was a monster. She was there to gather what intelligence she could, then she’d finish the job. She’d drive her stake through his heart and dispose of his remains.

  “How can I help you?” he pressed.

  Valerie felt another shock of pain to her insides. She needed a distraction from her guilt. She brought her hand up, winding her fingers in his dark, silky hair, and pulled his mouth to hers. He offered no resistance.

  * * * *

  Valerie was hungry. She met his lips with a savage need that brought a groan of surprised pleasure from Remann’s throat. She pushed him back and straddled his hips. Her hands roamed over his chest as his hands found her ass. He pulled her tight against his cock.

  “Sorry, no handcuffs tonight,” he said against her mouth. He slipped them out of her back pocket and tossed them aside. They thudded against his hardwood floor.

  There was something else beneath the waistband of her jeans. As her tongue tangled with his own, he tugged it out. He pulled back and looked at the object. It was her hunting spike.

  “Unless this thing vibrates, it’s useless to us.” He pitched it to the end of the couch.

  His hand pushed up her dark blue t-shirt, and Valerie tugged it over her head. Remann eyed her breasts encased in a simple dark cotton bra, her necklace with its gold ring charms that gleamed against her pale skin. Her breasts were firm and full against his palms, and Valerie moaned as her head fell back. She rocked her hips against him. He growled and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight. He stood, carrying her to his bedroom.

  Remann laid her gently on the black silk comforter then he moved his body above her. His tongue traced Valerie’s earlobe before he placed gentle kisses down the soft skin of her neck. Her breaths were ragged, drowning out the rapid beat of his heart ringing in his ears. He let the tip of his tongue tease the hollow of her throat, and she moaned, arching into him.

  “We shouldn’t do this, Remann,” Valerie said. Remann growled in response and felt a shudder pass through her body.

  “My beauty, you’ve had your way, and now I wish to have mine.” He slipped his hands beneath her body, unclasping her bra. His lips found a pebbled nipple, and he drew it between his teeth and sucked it gently.

  Valerie whimpered, arching her body into him. Her hands roamed over his shoulders, kneading and stroking the muscles as he moved his attention to her other breast. His tongue stroked and teased her other nipple, leaving her writhing and panting beneath him.

  “Remann, this isn’t right,” she whispered as he undid her jeans.

  After he removed her shoes, he slid the denim off and quickly followed it with her modest, cotton panties. He pulled her to a sitting position on the side of the bed. Her soft brown eyes were wide and dark as they roamed over his face. Remann slipped the elastic from her hair and released her braid, fanning her light brown waves over her shoulders.

  “My God, you’re breathtaking, Valerie.”

  Her hand came to the chain around her neck, and she toyed with the two gold bands. Her gaze fell to the floor.

  Remann tilted her chin gently. “Look at me.”

  Her eyes darted to his before looking to the side. Remann sighed. He slipped the waistband of his lounge pants over his hips, letting them drop to the floor. She reached for him, wrapping her fingers around his cock.

  He sucked in a hard breath as her tight fingers stroked him, sending hot shiver
s through his body. Closing his eyes, he relished the sensations. He felt Valerie move, and when he opened his eyes, she was kneeling before him. She took his tip in her mouth, and her tongue stroked as her moist mouth moved over him. Her hand came up to toy with his balls.

  “Oh God, you’re too much, my beauty.”

  He pushed her back down on the bed. Wasting no time, he fell to his knees on the side of the bed and buried his face between her thighs.

  * * * *

  Valerie gasped as Remann’s tongue thrust within her walls. His hot, moist mouth covered her as his tongue slid in and out of her. She wound her fingers in his hair as she felt the waves of an orgasm already approaching. She pulled his face tight against her pussy, bracing her feet on his broad shoulders.

  A voice in the back of her mind reminded Valerie of her mission. She had planned to let Remann take control as a distraction, but now she was lost in the distraction as well. She shoved away the annoying voice and allowed herself to ride the waves of pleasure building within her.

  The tip of his tongue flicked rapidly over her clit, and she screamed with the mounting sweet agony, arching into him. She had never felt passion like this, not even with her gentle and adoring husband. Remann’s hot breath fanned over her folds, and his ragged gasps filled her ears.

  “I’m gonna come, Remann,” she said, feeling dizzy with lust.

  He continued to explore her slick nether lips with his tongue. She felt the orgasm building in her toes before it spread through her in a shock of ecstasy that sucked her breath away. Valerie screamed Remann’s name as her pussy pulsed against his mouth.

  Remann pulled back and flipped her over onto her knees. He thrust his cock into her, shoving hard and fast. The intense waves of her climax continued and began to build once more. He pounded furiously, his hands tight, almost bruising on her hips as he jerked her body into his pelvis. Her hands knotted in the silk comforter as she braced herself against the bed.

  “Ah, my beauty, you drive me mad,” Remann said, his voice harsh and low.

  It sent hot tingles down her spine as she felt another orgasm coming upon her. His strength and power was evident as he easily supported her weight in his hands.

  Valerie’s head spun, and she was unable to gain a full breath. Her pleasure peaked, and her world exploded in intense sensations that were almost painful. She gasped in shocked delight and collapsed against the comforter, her body trembling in the aftermath of the orgasm that literally rocked her world. Remann suddenly stopped, releasing her hips, his hand coming to rest on her back.

  Chapter 5

  Valerie was limp as Remann pulled her up to the pillows. His jaw was clenched as he let his gaze travel over her face. His nostrils flared.

  “I’m afraid I was a bit brutish,” he said as he stroked her hair gently from her forehead. “I shouldn’t have taken you like that.”

  Valerie looked at him curiously, her body still trembling. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips, so different from his manic passion earlier, and she held her breath. Laying side by side, his tongue traced her lips, teasing and tasting as he slid his hips between her thighs. She opened to him eagerly, her body stirring and needing more. His cock danced and circled just within her opening as his tongue mirrored the movement between her lips.

  She groaned, throwing her thigh over his hips, trying to pull him deeper. Finally, in one languid stroke he filled her, and she gasped. Remann was slow, steady, yet his movements had all the intensity of his rough sex from before. She tensed before her body began melting into him, moving instinctively to heighten their mutual pleasure.

  As another climax approached, something inside of her shifted. Her gaze flew to Remann’s face, and his eyes locked with hers. For the first time she found herself unable to break eye contact. Valerie searched the clear blue depths of one eye, then the dark brown depths of the other, and she felt fear wash through her. Something tightened in her chest as their shared pleasure caused her body to arch and his own body to thrust into her.

  As their cries of combined satisfaction filled the room, Valerie’s mind flashed to the last time she’d felt such a sensation in her heart. It had been the last beautiful night she’d made love to her husband.

  She was losing her heart to Remann. She was falling in love with a Dissenter.

  Valerie lay stunned as Remann’s body collapsed next to her. Her fingers massaged the muscle of his biceps. His face lay in the crook of her neck, his hot, moist breath caressing and dampening her flesh. Valerie’s heart fluttered, and the feeling quickly spread to her gut.

  She had to get out.

  She shifted, and he braced himself up. He smiled broadly, and Valerie watched as his long canines shrank back into his gums to a more human length. He brought up a finger and traced her slight scar lightly.

  “How did this happen?” he asked after a moment.

  Valerie felt the words bubbling from her chest before she could stop them. “My husband and I had just celebrated our fifth anniversary. We were leaving a restaurant when a…” She swallowed against the lump that was growing in her throat. “A Dissenter jumped us, pulled us into an alley. He tore us apart, ripped my face to shreds. I’m still amazed at our healing abilities.”

  “My God, I am so sorry, love.” Remann’s eyes filled with sorrow, and he rained light kisses down the scar, a scar that ran to her very core.

  “My gift to him, my husband, had been that I had just found out we were pregnant with our first child. Of course, after the change, my body destroyed our baby.”

  Remann sucked in a hard breath as Valerie pushed him away. Her legs were unsteady, and she grabbed the headboard as her knees gave out. The anger and pain of that night swamped her, bringing tears to her eyes. She rapidly blinked them away and massaged her throat, willing away its painful constriction.

  Fucking Dissenters. Her eyes narrowed on Remann as he pushed himself up.

  * * * *

  Remann’s heart pounded in his chest as he felt her grief pass through him. He watched as she backed away from the bed, her body rigid as she collected her clothes. For a wonderful, fleeting moment, he’d seen behind that hard façade to the woman beneath. Her face had softened as they’d made love, and for the first time she’d looked into his eyes, her beautiful, brown eyes searching his own.

  Valerie’s walls weren’t impenetrable after all. He had hope.

  He slipped his lounge pants on and found Valerie pulling her t-shirt over her head where it had been discarded in the living room. She walked over and picked up her handcuffs, stuffing them into her back pocket, and then retrieved her spike. Remann leaned against the wall across the room, watching her stiff movements.

  Valerie turned to him, twirling the spike nimbly in her fingers. She eyed him as she flipped it into the air. He watched as it did several somersaults before falling. Valerie easily caught it by the sharp tip without a glance.

  She was truly magic with those hands.

  Valerie looked lost in thought as her gaze traveled over him. She continued to toss the spike in the air, each time a little higher and a little more forcefully. Her body was square to him, and Remann suddenly had the dreaded notion that he was being sized up. In his mind’s eye, he saw the spike being flung from her practiced fingers and landing squarely in his heart, destroying it completely, as that was the cleanest and quickest way of dispensing of their kind.

  He shook off the silly thought, though he instinctively turned his body to the side to pose less of an open target.

  “I would hate for you to leave so soon, love. Why don’t you stay, share a meal with me? I have type AB in the cooler fresh from a donor agency.”

  Valerie remained silent, her tension thickening the air in the room. Her shoulders slumped, a look of utter defeat crossing her lovely face.

  Remann cocked his head. “Are you okay?”

  “Fine, I’m fine. I have to go.”

  Her long strides carried her rapidly to the front door, and Remann had to move quickly t
o catch her. His hand caught her shoulder as she turned the doorknob. He spun her around gently and brought a hand up to cup her chin. “Please, Valerie?” He wasn’t sure what he was asking as he tried in vain to hold her soft brown gaze. “Please.”

  Her posture was granite, and her brows were knitted together. For a brief moment her eyes at last met his and held. They widened. Then she was out the door, running to her truck. The loud engine stuttered obstinately before it rumbled to life. Remann massaged his forehead as the truck’s tires squealed on the pavement and it sped away.

  * * * *

  Valerie wiped at her cheeks as she pushed the truck to its breaking point. The engine roared and groaned as her foot pressed the gas pedal against the floorboard. Her body trembled, and her fingers found her necklace. Her husband had gotten the bands inscribed for their anniversary, and they hadn’t been ready before their celebration dinner. Now they were the only connection she had to Mike.

  She tried to pull his image into her mind, his red curly hair and sky blue eyes. His image was fuzzy, and, without a photograph in front of her, she could only remember him in bits and pieces now. His freckled skin, an eye tooth that was a little crooked. She couldn’t even recall the exact tone of his voice. He was fading, disappearing, and even the ache of his absence didn’t leave the same hollowness inside her.

  A pair of mismatched eyes found their way into her mind, as well as a dashing, ever-present smile. A deep timbered voice whispered in her ear, and shivers raced down her spine. Valerie shook her head of the hallucination and growled, the sound filling the cab of her truck.

  She’d been weak, unable to make a move against her Dissenter lover. Remann had looked at her with such…real adoration and not just male lust. Valerie snorted. He’d have to be disposed of, and soon. Valerie would set a trap and finish the job.

  * * * *

  As Remann watched Valerie’s truck race away from his house, his cellphone buzzed, causing him to flinch. He shut the front door and walked over to it. It was Aiden. He silenced it and picked up an ink pen, twirling it between his fingers. He eyed the stacks of business and real estate contracts he’d been reviewing prior to Valerie’s visit.