Claiming the Evil Dead

by Mary Abshire

  "I'm glad to hear you're keeping busy with your part-time investigations," he said.

  "We have another one coming up in a few weeks."

  "You sound happy. Are you still dating Kyle?"

  Yellow caution signs were flashing in my head. "He's just a friend."

  "Oh, yes. I recall you saying that. Right. Anyone else in your life?"

  Did he sense something? I wondered since he rarely asked me about boyfriends or dating in general.

  "Well…I did meet someone new." A voice in my head told me I should tell him about Drake.

  "Oh?" His voice rose.

  I took a deep breath. "He's a vampire."

  "Excuse me? Did you say vampire?" Skepticism saturated his voice.

  "Yes, his name is Drake. His birth name was Adrian."

  "Jessie, most vampires don't change their names. They prefer to stay with their birth names. From what I've been told, they only change their names if they are trying to forget about their past. Did he say why he changed his name?"

  My curiosity piqued. Drake hadn’t mentioned forgetting anything in his past. Could he have lied to me?

  "He said he didn't think he would survive a century. When he did, he changed it."

  "And that is what he told you?"

  A knot formed in my stomach as I began to worry that something was wrong. "Yes, that's what he told me."

  "How old is he?" he asked in his fatherly voice.

  "Eight hundred and forty-two in vampire years."

  "And how long have you known him?"

  I sighed heavily. "A week."

  "What are you doing with him, Jessie?" The belittlement in his tone made me feel like a teenager all over again.

  I told him how Drake and I met, how he followed me from Louisiana, and offered me a job to help him. I went on to tell him about Alexander and the deaths of young children. Sean listened in silence, asking only a few questions here and there. I left out the part from a couple days ago when Alexander nearly killed me. Had I told him, he would've insisted on taking the next plane here. I didn't want to worry him.

  "Do you want me to come help you find this Alexander? I can put off a couple of items I'm working on and catch a plane."

  "No. Thank you. I appreciate your offer, but I think we're close to getting him. I have extra eyes helping me," I said, trying to detour him.

  "Extra eyes?" he questioned.

  Shit. I hadn't told him about Jeremy. I bit down on my lip. Our conversation began on such a positive note. The dive south continued and I didn't see an end in sight.

  "I ran into a demon at one of the nightclubs. He's a hockey player for the Blackhawks. He's helping us, well, me really."

  "Maybe I should be there for you. Demons are crafty."

  A chuckle almost escaped me, but I didn't let it. "No, I've got everything under control."

  "Are you sure about that?"

  Good question. Was I sure that I had everything under control? I nearly died, I fell head over heals for a vampire that used me to get to another vampire and possibly lied to me, and I had a demon fighting to get into my pants. Control? That was up for debate.

  "I'm fine. Really," I said with a steadfast tone.

  "Jessie…" There was a slight pause and I feared a big lecture was coming. "I'm concerned."

  I waited in silence for more. His long-winded speeches usually ended up with me giving into his suggestions. When nothing more came out from him, I thought something happened with the connection.

  "I understand," I said, wondering if he was still on the line.

  "You are not experienced in dealing with other supernatural creatures. Your mother—"

  "My mother isn't here," I brusquely said.

  "Be that as it may, she would not have wanted this for you."

  "You know I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine. I can handle this. And to appease your conscience, I will call you every two days to let you know that I am fine."

  He sighed. "If anything were to happen to you…"

  "Nothing will," I said with confidence, trying to assure him.

  "Is he there with you now?"

  "No, I expect him back in a little while." I checked the time on my cell. Drake had been gone an hour.

  "I want to talk to him sometime soon."

  I paused, not sure how to respond. "I'll let him know. Maybe next time."

  "I'd like that, Jessie. And if you need anything—"

  "I'll call you. I promise."

  "Take care of yourself," he said with a hint of concern in his voice.

  "You do the same."

  I lowered the phone and sat in silence, pondering over his explanation for vampires changing their names. Could Drake have lied to me? Why would he? Sean wouldn't deceive me, not ever. If anyone would, it had to be Drake. Was I blinded my own lust?

  My stomach tightened. Drake had used me tonight. He said he wouldn't, but he had. He'd set me up as bait to lure Veronica. Maybe my mother had been right.

  Nausea stirred within me while my blood began to boil. I'd let him use me. I couldn't let him get away with it. I rose and decided I had to take action. Drake would be back at any minute. I quickly towel dried my hair, dressed, then ran into the kitchen.

  I opened the first drawer and searched for a knife or some kind of weapon. The drawer was empty. I slid open the next one. Nothing. One after another, I pulled out the drawers. Empty-empty-empty. I slammed the last drawer and stood outraged while I pondered what to do.

  His strength outmatched mine. I couldn't strangle him. I couldn't do anything to impair him without a weapon. Lightbulb flash. I had scissors. Dani packed them for me. I ran back to my room.

  I pulled out my suitcase, then dug into the outside compartment. When my hand touched the cold, metal scissors, my eyes lit up. I held up my six-inch weapon and almost deflated like a balloon. They looked so small. Then I reminded myself all I needed to do was drag it across his neck so he'd bleed out. I could do it. Couldn't I?

  My hands shook while I considered slitting his throat. The other option was to ask him about why he changed his name. What was he hiding? Because he was hiding something. My heart raced under the pressure. I didn't know what to do.

  I considered calling Jeremy. He'd help me. I picked up the phone and searched for his number from my list of incoming calls. When I found his number, I hovered my thumb over the call button. Then the front door clicked.

  Adrenaline surged through me. I set the phone down and turned toward the door. I had to do this on my own.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  I hid in the dark closet while I listened for footsteps. One of the bi-fold doors was open. I stood behind the closed one and watched from between the slits. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of my face. My heart raced. I was so nervous I wanted to puke.

  "Jessie?" Drake called out.

  I held my breath and waited. He'd hear my heart. He'd know where to find me. I held the scissors tight in my shaking hand. I was ready to leap from the open door and attack.

  He walked into the bedroom and passed by the closet. I sprang onto his back. Taken by surprise, he stumbled forward. Scissors in hand, I pressed the pointy tip to his throat. But he was too quick for me. He grabbed my arms, bent, and tossed me over his shoulders and onto the bed. I landed on my back and bounced.

  The mid-air somersault had disoriented me. Before I could sit up, Drake snatched the scissors from my hand. He threw them across the room. They clanked against the window. I twisted around, then got on my knees to face him. His face was tight with tension.

  "You lied to me!" I rose from the bed, then quickly threw a punch at him.

  He caught my wrist. "Jessie, stop."

  I swung my other balled fist and he captured it, too.

  "Stop this!"

  He forced me back to the bed and I fell on it. At the same time, I wiggled and fought to free myself from his grasp. "Let go of me."

  He climbed on top of me and pinned my wrists down. With his body ove
r mine, I could barely move. All my efforts were wearing me out.

  "Stop!" he shouted.

  This time, I obeyed. My breaths came fast while my heart thudded. He had a thin red line of blood on his neck, but the cut had already healed and was gone.

  "You lied to me," I growled.

  "Lied? I have never lied to you."

  I wriggled my body and attempted to lift my arms again. My strength didn't compete with his. Still, I wasn't giving up.

  "You said you changed your name because you didn't think you'd survive a century. Admit it—it was a lie."

  He lowered his face over mine and stared deep into my eyes. "I didn't lie."

  "Tell me about your past, Drake. Come on, tell me," I demanded in a harsh tone.

  He lifted his head, but kept his gaze on me. "Who have you spoken with?"

  "The one and only person I can trust in this world," I snarled, still trying to pull my wrists free.

  Verbal punch number one hit him harder than if I'd physically touched him. He sat up slowly and lessened the pressure on my wrists.

  "Let me explain—"

  "You lied!" I shouted.

  "No!" His shout topped mine and stung my ears. "I didn't lie. Let me explain," he begged in a softer tone.

  Rage still burned inside of me and I wanted to inflict injury. I had to be patient. "Fine. Explain," I said from my clenched teeth.

  "Before I became a vampire, I spent most of my adult life fighting in battles…killing people. I did it for so long that it seemed natural to me. Then when Thomas found me and changed me, I thought it was God's way of punishing me. I had expected when I died that my soul would go…somewhere. When I became immortal, I thought I was damned forever. I fell into a world of despair and Thomas offered little in the way of mentoring. He was a young and inexperienced vampire. He wanted a friend to keep him company and I filled that need.

  "We spent many years roaming and pillaging. Thomas was content, but I never felt the same way he did. Guilt from my human life and the one I was leading with Thomas weighed heavily on my conscience. I stayed with him because I didn't believe I had a choice. But as the years passed and I became educated with my new world, I realized I did have a choice. I didn't want to be a creature that stole the lives of the living. When I survived a century, I made a pledge to myself and to God. I changed my name and vowed never to kill another innocent life. I went a step further and decided to search for those that enjoyed killing, knowing that if I could stop them, I could save lives. It was a new beginning for me, a chance at redemption. Maybe I should have explained myself better to you, but I assure you, I did not lie to you, Jessie. I would never lie to you."

  I stared at him, stunned and speechless. He removed his grasp of me and enclosed my face with his soothing hands. Compassion spilled from his eyes as he gazed into mine.

  "I care about you more than you know. When I saw you in the swamps, I knew I had to meet you. I knew you were special, and you are. You are very special to me."

  I swallowed all my anger. He hadn't lied. He merely hadn't told me all the details. Maybe I should've sat down and asked instead of fighting and cutting his throat.

  He leaned forward to kiss me. I wanted to forgive him and forget this whole mess, but I couldn't. Not yet. I turned my head to the side.

  "You may not have lied to me, but you hid important details that you should have told me. And you used me to get Veronica."

  He tangled his fingers into my hair and turned my head until I faced him. "I knew the only way she would give me any information or even walk out with me was if I enticed her."

  "And I was the juicy bait?" I asked harshly.

  "I would never let any harm come to you."

  "That I believe. But why me? Why not some other delicious morsel from the crowd?"

  "I considered it, but I didn't want to endanger anyone else's life. And your blood was a better draw."

  I scrunched my eyes. "A better draw?"

  "Demon blood…" he began, and then stopped. "It is what you would consider a fine wine. Demon blood is warmer than human blood and the components of it…" He paused and bit down on his lip. "It is very fueling, powerful, exhilarating."

  Oh. My. God. I was one big energy drink. Vampires, are you feeling low on energy? Go for the demons. Their blood will provide all the strength you need. Now I understood why vampires and demons didn't get along.

  "The night Alexander tore into my arm, you healed it. You tasted my blood."

  "Yes, and it was extremely difficult to stop."

  "And now…"

  "Now I try not to think about it."

  "But the temptation is there. Isn't it?"

  He looked away from me. "Yes."

  I sighed. This threw a huge kink into our relationship.

  He returned his attention to me. "I won't hurt you. I can control it." His firm tone supported his words.

  "I believe you. I just don't think it's fair for you if I'm always a temptation."

  A smile crept across his face. "Jessie, your blood is not the only temptation I struggle with. Being this close to you now, touching you, smelling you…" He closed his eyes and grazed his nose over my cheek. "I want you."

  Those three familiar words sparked a flame in me. Could I deny him? He didn't deny me when I said the same words to him.

  Little kisses, cool to the touch, tickled my ear. I didn't want those kisses to stop. Ever.

  "Kiss me," I whispered.

  He hovered his head above mine and looked deep into my eyes.

  "Kiss me," I said impatiently.

  He didn't waste any time. He forced a kiss upon my lips and teased my tongue with his. Sharp zings of pleasure spread through my body. As the intensity of the kiss amplified, so did the need within me. I became a victim of lust, of his need and mine.

  One of his hands traveled south, pausing on my breast. My breaths quickened. The feel of his strong hand touching me, pinching my hard nipple and squeezing me, fueled the flame within me. I gripped his shirt and slid my hand underneath it, clawing my nails along his back, encouraging him to keep going. He took the hint and I gasped for air as his mouth replaced his hand over my breast. He teased my hard nipple between his teeth, sucking on it and then flicking it with his tongue. The red-hot flame within me magnified, as did a craving between my legs.

  "Now Drake," I said, unable to control myself.

  "Now?" He slid his hand down, then rubbed it between my legs. The thin layer of cotton underwear prevented him entering me. And oh, how I wanted him inside me.

  "Now," I grunted from behind my teeth.

  Clothes came off in record speed. With transfixed eyes, I stared at his strong body. The mere sight of his large cock fueled my desire. Complying with my demand, he thrust into me and I gasped loudly.

  "Are you all right?" He slowly pulled out of my hot folds.

  I locked my legs around him. "Again."

  He plunged into me and another strong gasp sprang out from me. He felt so cool and big inside of me. I bit down my lip when his hips rose and he slid from within my tight folds. Another thrust and I moaned in ecstasy. Pleasure outweighed pain as fire and need consumed me. His movements quickened and I relished each one.

  "Drake," I breathed. "Bite me."

  He slowed his movements and gave me a questioning look.

  "I trust you."

  If there was ever a time to test him, this was it. I was conscious and willing to offer my blood to him. Yes, I was putting my life on the line, but I had to know for sure if he could control himself.

  He pressed his lips to mine and ravaged me with a zealous kiss. His hips resumed rocking. I sank my nails into his back while my body rose to meet his. The road to heaven was quickly approaching. He kissed my ear, my neck, and then glided his tongue along my throat. Sharp teeth tickled my neck. My body tingled with energy and burned with need. My uphill ascent drew near the peak. Ecstasy, here I come.

  A violent throb erupted inside of me while air released from my
lungs. Sharp pain pricked my neck. The pulse between my legs intensified. In little time, I felt another vibrant beat. I moaned in pleasure as our orgasms pulsed in ecstasy. Energy flowed between us and intensified. With each draw of blood from me, the vibration inside of me strengthened. This was my heaven and I wanted to stay.

  The pleasure-filled wave began to fade. I started feeling lightheaded. The ceiling moved as my breaths weakened. My pounding heart slowed. The room swirled around me. I swallowed and closed my eyes. Sleep. I needed sleep.

  My body felt numb and I fell into a world of silence.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  My eyelids felt heavy as I forced them open. Once my vision cleared, I discovered I was lying on my stomach and an arm rested at my side. The limb wasn't mine. Something cool and heavy pressed against my back. I doubted it was a blanket. I lifted my head and knocked it into something hard.

  "Sorry." I assumed I'd hit Drake. I lowered my head and felt a damp spot on the bed.

  The blanket—er, Drake, shifted off me. Soft kisses touched my shoulders while cool hands glided over my lower back. Gentle, soothing, stimulating. My lips curled into a smile as I rolled onto my side.

  "What happened?" I tried to recall the events before darkness swallowed me.

  "You passed out."

  "Before or after?" I asked, testing him.

  He brought his face in front of mine and arched a brow. "You don't remember?"

  "Let me think…" I said, and he frowned. "Yes, I believe I blacked out after."

  Something between a grunt and a chuckle came out of him.

  "How do you feel?" he asked as he kissed my shoulder.

  The first word that came to mind was alive. Breathing, heart pumping, and mouth drooling alive. He’d done it. He’d controlled himself. He’d passed the test. Another reason to smile.