by Dahlia Rose
"Yes, sire. It shall be done at once.” The manservant bowed low once again. “Shall I bring you someone to feed on?"
"Bring me one male and one female. The younger ones—they are much sweeter. Soon I will be able to walk in the sunlight and drink my fill, and my children of the dark will have free reign of the earth."
The manservant bowed low and went to do his master's bidding, low laughter followed him out the door. Carthos sat back in his chair and smiled. His time for hiding in the shadows was coming to an end.
* * * *
The flight was made in silence. The only sound was the hum of the engines as the jet cut through the sky. The night had turned to day, but it didn't sting or burn them in the cabin. The shades were pulled down on the windows and thick blinds covered them, so not a sliver of light could peek through.
Gideon had buried himself in the pages of a magazine. He felt Sola's stares every now and again and pretended not to notice. She wanted this to be business, so that was how it was going to be. When she had woken up and he tried to comfort her, she'd pushed him away as if he meant nothing. It stung, and he began to wonder if being a vampire not only took your heartbeat but your emotions as well. He kept silent, continuing to flip through the pages. When the sleek cars in the magazines ceased to keep him entertained, he leaned his seat back and closed his eyes. He slanted a glance at Sola and saw her look at him and sigh in frustration. She shifted in her seat and jabbed the earphones to her iPod in her ears, then turned it up full blast. It was so loud he could hear a faint beat from where he sat. He smiled briefly and closed his eyes once again, this time letting a light sleep claim him. It was good to know he wasn't the only one suffering.
"So you have decided never to speak to me again?"
Her voice and question made him open his eyes. She stood over him. “I figured I would speak when I had something to say.” He closed his eyes and reopened them when she kicked his foot.
"What now?” he asked coldly.
"I'm sorry,” Sola muttered.
"What?"
"You heard me. I said I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you away when I woke up."
"Yes, you did,” he countered, staring at her directly.
She sighed. “Okay, yes, I did. But I'm accustomed to depending on myself, Gideon. You being there with your arms around me just made me want things I can't have."
"Like what, for instance?"
"You're not going to make this easy, are you?"
Gideon laced his fingers together. “Nope."
"You made me want to hold on to you! To close my eyes and let you take care of everything! Is that what you want to hear? And what if I did? Then you get dusted? Then what? I'd be back to depending on myself!"
He reached up and caught her hand quickly, pulling her down into his lap. “You know what? You think too much,” he murmured before kissing her. It was the first kiss they had shared since she changed him. She tasted just as intoxicating as she did the first time, and Gideon didn't think he could ever get enough of her.
"You ... are ... insufferable.” She punctuated each word with a kiss.
"I'm not going anywhere, Sola. You have to believe I will have your back."
"Stop talking."
Their lips met hungrily as they tasted each other once again. He could take her from anger to a molten heat with just one touch. His hands cupped her breasts through the material of her sweater, and she arched into his touch, purring like a hungry kitten.
"God, Sola, if we don't stop now, I won't be able to,” he whispered against her ear. “I want you under me, writhing when I slide my cock into you."
"Bedroom in the rear of the cabin.” She nipped at his neck. Her fangs were down and she broke the skin, causing a drop of blood to pearl on his flesh. She licked it softly, taking the tiny drop and healing his flesh.
Gideon stood up, lifting her as he moved. He strode only a few feet to the back of the cabin and opened the door that led to the bedroom. The surroundings impressed him: a neatly made bed with champagne-colored sheets and a silk comforter to match. The bedside table displayed an antique gold and pearl telephone. His attention went back to Sola as he let her slide slowly down him until her feet touched the floor.
He moved away from her and sat on the edge of the bed. “Undress for me and unbraid your hair."
He was surprised when she followed his command, stripping off her sweater and her dark slacks. She stood in front of him in only a pair of black panties, then slowly shed them. She raised her hands and let her long hair loose. The dark curls flowed around her body, past the curve of her ass. Gideon noticed her body tighten. She made such a picture of strength standing proud, her chin tilted upward. She reminded him of a warrior woman in those gothic books he'd read as a teenager. He held out his hand to her, and she willingly placed hers in his. She sat on the bed next to him, and he kissed her gently.
"You are so strong all the time, Sola. So proud,” he whispered against her lips. “Lie back, close your eyes, and just feel."
His words lulled her. She lay back against the firm bed. His hands caressed her body, roaming over her neck and breasts, down her stomach, and between her thighs. She was already moist when his finger slipped between the folds of her pussy. Her body bucked when he grazed her clit. Gideon looked at her. Her eyes were closed, and her lips parted. A low moan escaped her when he pushed his finger inside her. He loved watching her eyes grow heavy with desire as he slowly inserted another finger. She was so wet now. It coated his fingers each time he moved them deeper. He used his thumb to caress her sensitive clit. She pushed against his hand—he could sense her trying to get more, to feel more—but he kept his slow, deliberate pace to tease her. Sola's legs parted and her hands clenched in the sheets. Gideon leaned over and took one of her pert nipples into his mouth. She came apart under him as she climaxed around his buried fingers.
He got up and took off his clothes. Sola moved farther up into the bed. She parted her legs and let her fingers graze over her mound. When she dipped her own finger inside herself, it was more than Gideon could take. With a low growl, he covered her with his body and sank his cock into her waiting warmth. They needed no words as he moved inside her. Their lips met in frantic kisses. Her hand scratched at his back and dug into his hair, tightening as her passion grew. Gideon moved slowly, letting his cock glide in and out of her inch by inch, torturing them both. Her pleas for completion filled his ears. His words of excitement seemed to fuel her even more. He felt her teeth graze his neck and then her bite as she drank from him. Gideon bared his fangs and bit her neck as well. The taste of blood mixed with passion and lust drove them to orgasm. Their moans turned to cries of pleasure as they broke that plane together.
Later, they lay curled around each other. The bite marks had been healed by each other's tongues. His fingers twirled around the thick curls that lay still unbraided across her breasts.
"I saw you die,” she whispered.
She said it so softly that if his hearing wasn't heightened by the vampire in him, he wouldn't have caught the words. “You saw me die?"
"In my vision when you first touched me. I saw you die. On a riverbank. The snow was drenched in blood, and you turned to ash in my arms."
Her words echoed in his ears. “Is that why you pulled away from me? Because you think I'm going to die?"
"If I get close to you and call you my mate and you die, I ... I...” The words caught in her throat.
Gideon understood. Without her words, he understood. “I won't die. You have me for eternity."
"But in my vision you died, Gideon."
He turned her face to look in her eyes. “We make our own destiny. I'm not going to die. Do you understand? I swear to you, I'm not going to die."
She nodded and turned her face away. Gideon wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. He felt a tear fall against his arms as they fell asleep.
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Chapter Seven
When they said Alaska was cold, they weren't kidding. Sola and Gideon had to wait until the sun set before they could leave the jet for the SUV parked outside its door. From the time Sola stepped out of the cabin door, the crisp wind snapped at her face. Even though she was undead and the elements didn't bother her as they would humans, the cold Alaskan wind sent a chill to her bones. But she did not complain. It was better than the sunlight melting her flesh and turning her bones to ash.
Gideon followed her off the jet and stowed their luggage in the back seat of the black SUV. It would take a few hours for them to travel to the chalet where they would be staying. Sola felt her thirst building. She longed to sink her fangs into the warm, pulsing flesh of a human. They were going to be right outside a small town called Totem, which had only fifteen hundred citizens. They would have to drink from packages of blood. Any bodies would be missed and questions would be asked. Sola hoped they would come across a stray tourist up on the mountain. She hated to drink packaged blood.
The mountain was called Pioneer Peak, and their home until the amulet was found sat between the town and the mountain. Eagle River lay close by. Sola dreaded the name and the place because all her thoughts went to the vision of Gideon dying on its snowy banks. How could he promise her he wouldn't die? Destiny had taken her parents before she or her sisters could ever know them. Destiny had caused her and her sisters, the only family she ever knew, to be chased across this damn world from continent to continent until they learned how to defend themselves. Destiny had set them on this cursed mission. She didn't dare believe that Destiny could be changed; how could she, when Destiny had taken so much from her and it was going to take Gideon as well? She would face immortality alone.
"Hey, what are you thinking?” Gideon asked. “We've been driving for an hour and you haven't said a word."
"In the time you've known me, have I struck you as a talkative person?” Sola smiled. “But since you asked, I'm thinking that someone had a heck of a sense of humor to hide the amulet in this cold place."
"I thought vampires don't feel the elements."
"Ha ha, funny man, remember, you're one too. Come on, you can't tell me you aren't cold."
"I'll find a way to warm you up when we get to the house."
His sexy grin and enticing invitation gave Sola a flash of heat. “I'll hold you to that. I just wish I had someone warm to drink."
"We might get lucky and find a stray tourist. But you'll have to share,” Gideon teased.
Great minds think alike, Sola thought with a smile. “Don't worry, Godspeed. I'll leave you a little."
Sola watched the night scenery as they drove past, trees darkened by shadows. She recalled thinking that leaves were black in color, until one night when she was five. Jarrod brought some in for her and her sisters to see by the lights of a lantern. She remembered there was nothing prettier than the green of a leaf. Willa loved the colors of flowers, vibrant reds and yellows and how the colors mixed and blended to make an absolutely new shade. Luna was always a lover of the night; she never longed to play in the daytime. When the moon was full, she'd sit for hours and watch it. She thrived in the night. But Sola always remembered the color of the green leaves, the feeling and the texture. She would never admit it, but it was the one thing she longed to see by the light of day.
The chalet came into view. It was designed to look like a log cabin, but Sola could see the contemporary elements to it as well. The deck wrapped around the entire structure, and the windows were high but small. They would keep the light to a minimum in the daytime. The wheels of the SUV crunched against the gravel as it stopped. The sounds of the wilderness were all around them. A wolf's howl came from the distance. Sola tilted her head to listen to the cry of the wolf once again. The stark, lonely sound struck a chord in her heart. She could relate to his loneliness. She'd felt it more than once in the centuries that she'd been alive.
Gideon came and stood beside her. In his arms, he carried their bags. “I think we have a little time to feed before the sun comes up. I smell a campfire off in the distance."
"I smell it too, but we have to be very careful about how we feed here. There aren't too many people in this area,” Sola reminded him.
"This is Alaska, babe. People get lost in these woods all the time. Trust me. As long as we don't eat the townsfolk, we should be fine. We'll be discreet, I promise. No one will ever know we're here."
Sola's fangs descended as she smiled. It didn't take long to convince her. The temptation of finding a human host to drink from was overwhelming. “Throw the bags in the house and let's go."
Her tongue touched the sharp point of his fangs as he pulled her in for a kiss. He stowed the bags by the front door and returned to her side in seconds. They hunted through the forest, silent, deadly, and at a pace not visible to the human eye. Their keen sense of smell led them to their prey.
* * * *
Two men sat around a campfire, one poking the wood with a stick to keep the flames going. The other had a smile on his face and a beer in his hand. The vampire pair watched them from the dark woods. With a nod to her mate, Sola moved forward and Gideon went around behind their camp. Both men looked up with startled expressions when they saw a beautiful woman walk out of the trees.
"Good evening, gentlemen. Room around the fire for me?” Sola spoke in a sexy purr. She glanced over to see Gideon grinning as he listened from the tree line.
"Uh, hey, what are you doing out in the words?” one man asked.
"What difference does it make? Hey, pretty, little thing.” His friend stared at her approvingly, his eyes fixed on the curve of her breasts.
"I was out for a walk from my cabin. I seem to have gotten a bit lost. Do you mind if I warm up before trying to find my way back?"
"Sure. Sit down!” The leering friend got up and let her sit in his chair. “Would you like a beer?"
"No, thank you.” Sola sat down and watched both men. “Well, are you from this area?"
"No, we're from Boston. We're taking in the Alaskan wilderness."
Perfect! Sola thought. She ran her hands down her thighs as if to warm them up.
"Still cold, honey? Maybe you should come over here and let me warm you up a little."
She let out a husky laugh. “My boyfriend wouldn't like that too much."
The other man joined in the banter. Sola could see the glint of anticipation in their eyes now. Any other young woman would be at their mercy, to be used in any fashion by these fools. “I don't see a boyfriend,” he said. “I'm sure he wouldn't mind sharing a little. I promise that we'll send you home no worse for wear."
"Well, maybe a little wear.” The off-key joke made both men laugh. Sola just watched them with a small smile on her face.
Their smiles faded when Gideon's hands shot out and held one of them around the neck. “Sorry, boys, I don't share."
"Hey, what the—"
Sola took hold of the other man. In seconds, his eyes widened, his surprise apparent at how quickly she moved. By now both men must realize this was more than they could handle, but it was already too late.
"Not laughing anymore, are you?” Sola murmured as she ran one long, tapered nail down his cheek. She licked the trail of blood left by the sharp nail. She closed her eyes, savoring the taste of his blood. She glanced over to where Gideon was already drinking thirstily from his victim. Sola's fangs descended from her gums. She bit into the man's jugular. The flavor of his blood flooded her mouth. She could taste the beer he had consumed and the fear as she drained his body. She let his empty corpse fall to the ground and turned to see Gideon staring at her. It was their first kill together. His eyes were tinted red and filled with hunger. Sola felt blood drip from her fangs to land on her lips. She licked them slowly, and Gideon had her in his arms, his lips on hers before she could move. The taste of their victims’ blood mingled as their tongues teased and danced. His hands went to the back of her head, holding her still while he ravished her mouth.
"The tas
te of his blood on your lips is intoxicating. I need you, Sola."
"I'm not refusing."
"Let's go back to the house, so I can have you naked under me,” Gideon said between kisses.
"We have to take care of ... them, but then we can play."
He sighed and leaned his forehead against her. “Fine."
They took apart the men's tent and dismantled the campsite. They doused the fire and covered it with dirt to make it look as old as possible. They buried the bodies far in the woods, digging deep into the cold, hard ground. They used one of their victim's camping shovels to bury their bodies, so no animal would be able to get them. By the time they were done, the first signs of sunrise tinted the edges of the sky.
"Sun's coming up,” Gideon commented as Sola stomped on the last of the freshly dug earth.
She looked over at the clouds that were just beginning to turn pink. “Sometimes I wish..."
"Wish what?"
"Sometimes I wish I could watch it rise and just feel its warmth against my skin."
He held her hand in his. “Why not use the amulet to walk in the sunlight?"
"Because of what it can do. Destroying it is more important than my need to see a sunrise."
"Come on. Let's go before we get made into burnt toast."
Sola laughed. “Such a pretty picture you conjure up, Gideon."
They held hands and hurried through the fading night, their footsteps no more than a flutter in the slight breeze. At the front door, Sola stood and took one last look at the sky before going inside.
The interior of the chalet was decorated in soft beiges and creams. The high windows were covered by thick, heavy drapes that allowed not a peek of sunlight in.
In the dimness of the room, Sola and Gideon undressed each other. The intensity of their earlier kiss had faded into a sensual haze. His hands traveled up her body and touched her, making her gasp in pleasure. She trailed kisses down his body as he stood there, ending up where his cock stood hard and proud. Her lips teased his length, licking and tasting before slowly taking it deep into her mouth. She heard his breath hiss out of his body. The muscles in his thighs flexed and bunched. Finally, when he couldn't take the sensations any longer, he pulled her up to him, lifting her to him at the same time. Sola's legs automatically wrapped around his waist, and his cock slipped inside her wetness in one fluid movement. They shifted together in a slow, intimate dance, bodies meeting until their passion burned out of control. The lovers collapsed against the soft cushions of the sofa, breathing hard from the passion they shared. Sola idly trailed her fingers along his arms, her legs still wrapped around his waist.