Hyde, Book Three of the Devil's Roses

by Tara Brown

  He hated asking it of her, "You're taking one for the team?"

  She laughed bitterly, "Yeah. Lets go before I change my mind."

  He was about to ruin her night. He knew Marcus believed he loved her and would behave himself. He still hadn’t won her over.

  He took her hand softly in his and walked her out to the garden. She pulled herself into him.

  He looked down at her, feeling the pull coming off her. His mouth ignored his brain. He bent his face and pressed his lips into her. He lifted her slightly, feeling the full weight of her against him.

  Instantly they were outside the castle. He placed her back on the ground. She looked drunk off the kiss. He felt drunk off it.

  "Why does that happen when we kiss?" She asked trying to gain her composure.

  He laughed, "I don’t know. Something about you makes me crazy."

  She laughed, "I'm attracted to you but I don’t know you and I don’t really feel like I want to be with you. I didn’t want you to kiss me but I just couldn’t stop myself."

  He nodded, "Exactly how I feel."

  She smiled and walked up to the castle door where Henry stood smiling at her.

  His skin crawled as he saw Henry.

  "I will have Aimee text you as soon as possible with the answers you're looking for."

  Hanna looked back and stopped, "I don’t want to be here."

  His charms had worn off her completely somehow. He ran up to her side, "You do." He felt sick as he looked her in the eyes and compelled her completely, "You want to help Giselle." He gulped, "You love Marcus."

  She nodded weakly, "Okay."

  He walked her directly to Henry who smiled with his lips, but threatened Aleks with his eyes. As Henry took her arm, Aleks stepped back gingerly.

  "I'll see you soon Hanna."

  She nodded, "I love Marcus."

  He was gone before Henry could get his greasy hands on him. He was back at Lydia's standing beside Giselle's bed. He was happy she was asleep.

  "Hey."

  He turned to see Aimee, he noticed his heart still didn’t hurt seeing her. He smiled and pulled the paper from his jeans pocket, "Here Hanna needs you to find out what this all means."

  Aimee took it and nodded, "Wow this is advanced. Where is she?"

  He looked down, he was ashamed of himself, "I traded her."

  Aimee took a step back, she looked horrified, "What?"

  He nodded, "Marcus would save Giselle if Hanna would come back to him."

  "Did she want to go back?"

  He licked his lips shaking his head, "No."

  Aimee closed her eyes, "You made her go back to him? Did you know Sam is madly in love with her?"

  "I didn’t know, I suspected. She mentioned something about him but I thought it was the Nephilim thing."

  Aimee sighed, "No madly in love. He's known her forever. Loved her forever."

  He looked back at Giselle and nodded "This is all my fault. She wouldn’t be dying if it weren’t for me. I had to do something. We will get Hanna back after the deal."

  "What if he hurts Hanna?"

  Aleks shook his head, "He believes he loves her. I could tell. He wont hurt her. I've known him a long time." He couldn’t help feel a sickening guilt inside of himself.

  Aimee cringed, "Dracula has never been known for loving his women nicely. You've sent her back to him knowing he believes he loves her. He always loves everyone to death. How do you think he ended up the way he did?"

  Aleks felt his anger rising, "Aimee I was there, I know what he did. He was my friend back then. I made a choice, it was the right choice. It was the only choice. I gave Giselle my friend Mike's blood the other day, she didn’t even wake up. The blood of a regular vampire isn’t healing her. She will never survive the change without Marcus's blood."

  Aimee looked hostile, "You better pray Hanna lives through this, and not just survives but comes out of it unharmed in anyway."

  "Don’t threaten me Aimee. I'm doing my best."

  She snorted, "Your best has always been a little lacking."

  He seethed, "Fuck you Aimee."

  Chapter Twenty-Four: Beauty and the Beast

  Hanna

  The warm air took her happiness with it. She looked up instantly seeing the castle entryway and Henry.

  "I don’t want to be here." She remembered Aleks telling her she loved Marcus. He had made her mind fuzzy. The feelings were gone and in their place her dislike for Marcus returned.

  "My love you came back." She saw Marcus walking toward her.

  She shivered at the sight of him with his open arms. She imagined what the girl looked like who had been in his arms before. She felt her skin start to crawl and twitch.

  She looked at Henry standing beside the door, guarding it. She knew she couldn't make a run for it without serious injuries. He wore a bowler hat, he was trouble. He'd throw it at her and cut her in half just like on James Bond.

  She looked at Marcus then walked around him. She could smell him as she passed by him, she could feel her body react to his smell. She ignored it and walked away.

  "Hanna, love it. Please lets talk."

  "I'll be in my room. Unless of course it's not my room anymore because you’ve started moving your harem in."

  He chuckled, "Hanna. Be reasonable. I have to eat."

  "I don’t want to hear you dirty stories Marcus. Keep them to yourself." She felt her body trying to change, but she was too tired to change. She fought it, thinking how peaceful it would be to cry in her pillow instead. Aleks had betrayed her and Marcus had lied to her. She shook her head, he hadn’t even lied. He never told her he was hers, he never made it seem as if they were together. He had said she was his. It wasn’t a relationship but rather an ownership. She hated him. He played with her like she was there for his entertainment. She knew exactly what she meant to him, she was no different than any other girl.

  The more she thought the angrier she got. Her feet made angry sounds on the floor.

  She could hear him pursuing her. He called after her, not getting too close, "Hanna, please just let me explain. I didn’t do anything I swear. I was just feeding. I removed my shirt so I wouldn’t ruin it. Sometimes people bleed more than you're prepared for and it's hard to get those stains out."

  She walked into her room and slammed the door shut.

  She lay on her bed and cried. She made certain she was extra loud. She hated him. She hated the castle and Henry. Well maybe not Henry and the castle but she refused to be reasonable.

  ****

  She woke to darkness filling the room. She could smell him, he'd been in the room. She looked down at her clothes, seeing fuzzy fleece pajamas.

  She growled. He had changed her clothes while she had slept.

  She walked to the massive window. The night was beautiful. The garden seemed magical under the moonlight. She could see the small plants and trees swaying softly in the late fall breeze. Winter would be there soon. She wondered if he would let her go home for Christmas. The thought stopped in her mind, home. She wondered how the Tudor looked at Christmas. She thought about Roland there all alone. Tears trickled down her cheeks.

  She never should have left, her father had been right. Roland was the only person who cared for her. She knew going back to the Tudor meant dealing with her father's death and Rebecca's. She had let her new life swallow her whole instead of dealing with the old problems. She knew eventually they would need to be dealt with. Her heart felt like it was missing something.

  "Please stop crying. I can't take it. Your broken heart is killing me." He was at her door.

  She turned to see him standing in the entrance. The muted light of the rooms down the hall gave him an eerie shadow on her floor.

  He took up the entire entryway, leaning against the frame with only his silhouette to be seen.

  "Get out." She spoke softly, but her anger was more than evident.

  "Hanna I swear to you nothing happened."

  "Why would I c
are if it did? You're a monster. Get out of my room or let me go home."

  He reached in closing the door, leaving her alone in the blackness of the night.

  She turned her back to the door, looking out the window again.

  Suddenly she felt his breath on her neck, "I know you care." He whispered onto the nape of her neck.

  His hands wrapped around her, encompassing her. His words became kisses sending shivers down her. She wanted to fight him but again, as if against her own will, she felt her body relax and melt into him. He picked her up and carried her to her bed. Once in his arms, his face met hers. His lips caressed her softly, as if checking the temperature of her kiss. Her brain panicked, it didn’t want what her body wanted. Her body won the argument.

  Slowly his kisses went deeper, his tongue caressing her lips, parting them. She felt her arms wrap around his neck.

  He picked her up again and carried her to the door to her room.

  "Where are we going?" She asked still kissing him.

  "My room, the bed is bigger."

  "Not unless your intention is wrecking the mood. That bed is getting burnt tomorrow."

  He chuckled turning around and carrying her back to her bed. He laid her down softly sitting next to her.

  She reached with both hands grabbing his face, she climbed into his lap. Straddling him, she looked up into his eyes. She lifted her face pressing her lips into his. His hands reacted wrapping around her, pulling her into him. Her legs circled him. Her hands ran through his hair, caressing him as her lips passionately sucked his. She couldn’t stop herself, everything about him was tantalizing.

  He slid his face along her neck breathing in her in. She moaned reaching down pulling her shirt off. He kissed her throat making the hunger grow inside of her. Her thick hair was freed from the ponytail with one quick pull. He slid a hand up into the mass of locks and gripped it. He pulled her head back making her moan harder. He kissed along her jaw line tracing it with his tongue. He slid his other hand up cupping her pert breast.

  She cried out grabbing his face, kissing him feverishly. Her hands roamed his chest, reaching down and ripping open his dress shirt. Buttons sprayed across the floor, making small noises everywhere. He moaned as her warm skin met his. He held her tight to him, she liked feeling her breasts squeezed against his chest. His palms burned against her skin as he caressed her back. He stood up lifting her with him.

  He carried her to the top of the bed and laid her down. She gasped seeing the sheer size of him looming over her. His hands caressed her arms, trailing his fingers along her hands to her waist. He brushed them against her as if he were making an effort to pay homage to every inch of her. His fingers trailed along her ribs to her breasts. Her skin was ablaze waiting for him to touch her chest.

  Slowly, painfully slowly, he slid his hands up her breasts. He bent taking her nipple in his mouth. He massaged her other breast. She began to move against him, pulling him down onto her. He reached down grabbing at her pajama pants sliding them down her long legs. She helped kicking them off. He never took his mouth from her nipple, flicking and licking it with his tongue. He was driving her insane.

  She sat up reaching with her hands, unbuttoning his pants. She thought he would burst through his pants, he was pressed hard against his button and zipper. As she got the button undone his zipper fell open against the pressure. His dress pants dropped down to his knees leaving only his boxers on. He slid his mouth up her neck, licking her skin, sending her into fits. Her long fingers clutched the waistband of his boxers, toying with them. He pulled back from her smiling a seductive smile. She slid her hand into his boxers and pulled them off completely.

  He stood back looking at her lying there expectantly. He stroked her flat belly, sliding his hands down her waist and below. She ached for him to be inside of her. She had never felt the excitement she was feeling. She could see his dark blue eyes filled with burning desire, as he laid himself between her legs. He paused dangling over her with a grin. She could feel the heat emanating from him. He kissed her softly again, as if toying with her. His tongue sliding in and out of her mouth lazily, caressing her. He pressed himself against her.

  She gasped tensing.

  "Shhh, relax."

  She nodded taking a deep breath. He slid into her leisurely, letting her envelop him slowly. He moaned into her mouth, rocking her back and forth softly.

  "Oh my god Hanna." His words were whispered against her cheek.

  Her legs wrapped around him pressing her against him. She felt her body respond to his, as his chest rubbed against her. She gripped tightly as he cried out into her neck thrusting violently. She didn’t feel the sheets or the bed, just the man taking control of her. Suddenly everything came in highs and lows like waves. Her body began to build upon the waves. Rapidly and unexpectedly the waves grew in intensity. As it climaxed she felt a release. His body jerked against her as hers tensed around him. He moaned her name as if chanting it.

  She couldn’t help but smile as she panted feeling the world come back to her.

  He collapsed on top of her unable to hold himself up. Her breath was ragged in its desperate attempt to breath under the weight of him. He lifted himself slightly smiling at her.

  She loved him…Her body loved him…Something loved him.

  "Am I crushing you?"

  She nodded, "In a good way. If that makes sense."

  He nodded not moving. She never wanted to leave the bed again. He lifted himself off, but her legs wrapped around him tighter, holding him there.

  She had no idea what to say to him.

  "Hanna, what are you thinking about?"

  She smiled tilting her head, "Nothing and everything."

  "I'm thinking we should take a shower and then I would like to do that again."

  She laughed at how serious he was.

  Hanna slid out from under him and dragged a sheet with her wrapping herself in it. She felt his eyes watching her leave the room for the bathroom.

  She looked at her reddened face covered in sweat and murmured, "That was no Jimmy Stratton."

  She started the shower still clutching the sheet to her body, something felt different. The world had more color and the air dripped honey but deep inside of her she felt as if a switch had been turned on.

  She felt him press against her, "Why are you wearing the sheet? Are you taking it in the shower?"

  She laughed, "No. I don’t know. I've never been in a shower with a naked guy."

  She put a hand into the huge walk in shower. The water was searing hot. She stepped in dropping the sheet and letting the water burn her.

  She looked back at his naked body as he stepped into the hot water.

  He was perfect.

  "Jesus this is hot." He pulled back.

  She burst out laughing, "You can't take the heat?"

  He lifted her up holding her against the tiled wall, "I can take anything you dish out."

  She laughed kissing him as the hot water poured down over them.

  Chapter Twenty-Five: Blood debt

  Aleksander

  Aimee had sat in the same spot for hours.

  Aleks had tried to stay and be of any help he could but he soon realized he was out of his league. He was still angry with her but he knew she was right.

  Shane smirked at him, "Want to watch the game?"

  Aleks nodded, "Sure. I probably know less about sports than I do about chemistry and biology but it's got to be more entertaining."

  Shane laughed. They had tried to make a friendship, which had been hard in the beginning but as Aleks grew less fond of Aimee it had become possible.

  Knowing it was entirely his fault she had changed in so many ways didn’t make it less annoying.

  The only time he saw the old Aimee return was in the arms of her boyfriend.

  As painful as it had been in the beginning he knew it was the right choice.

  "Oh my god. Oh my god. You guys look at this." Aimee called to them.

&n
bsp; They both walked back into the room looking at the sheets of paper she had scribbled on, covering the small table. She looked like Old Aimee, her hair was messily in a bun and she wore lose fitting dark clothes. He would have laughed at it but her face was panicked.

  "Aimes what's wrong?"

  "They're using her blood to make a weapon. If you look here first, it was like they were trying to reverse something but then here it changes. Then it looks like they're taking their findings and using it to make something."

  "What is it?"

  She shook her head, "I don’t know. It doesn’t say what they're using it on. If they gave it to one of us it might make us like her. Make a beast but maybe a vampire beast or demon beast."

  Aleks felt ill, "Oh come on. Seriously. I sent her back to him and he's using her blood?"

  Aimee nodded looking at him, her eyes full of emotions.

  Shane frowned, "So they're taking blood from her, lying and telling her they're trying to fix her but really they just want to make something with it? Then what?"

  Aimee shrugged, "Not sure. The piece of paper wasn’t specific."

  Aleks felt his hands clench into fists.

  He pulled his phone out and dialed, trying desperately not to crush it in his hand.

  "Aleksander, why my favorite Viking. What could you possibly want beyond my blood?"

  He inhaled slowly to calm himself, "I want your end of the bargain. Now."

  "Tsk Tsk Tsk Aleksander. Demanding anything from me will never get you anywhere, you of all people should know that."

  "I will tell her what you're doing. I will tell her what her blood is being used for by the Dark Ones."

  "You will leave Hanna alone."

  "Did you like how she smelled when she got back? I can give you the details if you like. How her sweet lips tasted. How she moaned for me." He squeezed his eyes shut. He hated speaking of her that way, especially in front of Aimee.