by Myers, J. L.
We pulled from the water and Ty stepped forward, grasping my hand. The sight of beaded water running down his scarred and muscled chest raised my pulse. He turned with a wink and pulled me after him through an entrance I had only just caught sight of. It was in the side of the island and camouflaged by green ferns.
Inside, the cave was lit by the licking flames of kerosene torches that sent moving shadows of our bodies skulking across the rocky walls. Thick humidity hung in the air. As we rounded the corner, I realized it was due to an oversized hot tub, steaming with bubbling water.
Without even a second’s warning, Ty spun on the spot. His body was so close. Too close. His skin was almost touching mine. His intoxicating scent whirled around me, its potency spiked from the claustrophobic heat. His audible heartbeat raced in time with mine.
Too freaking close! My mind screamed, over and over.
But I couldn’t move. My body was paralyzed by fear. Fear that I would lose control.
Ty’s hands moved, blurring with speed to connect with my hips. I gasped as he forced me hard-up against his smoldering body. His hot lips, slightly parted and scorching, connected with mine.
I tried to pull away.
But his grip on my hips tightened. His lips trapped mine, deepening the kiss. Breath evaded my lungs.
And every inch of me melted. All the fight in me to pull away and run was gone. A deeper yearning had taken over, a primal need for every part of him. His touch. His mouth. But predominately his blood.
Our lips moved in rhythmic motion, tongues—fire and ice—dancing in our mouths. My arms flung around Ty’s neck, preventing him from escape.
Encouraged, his hands clutched my thighs. They lifted my weight with ease and my legs curled around his back, tight and trapping. Ty took a rushed step, lowering our entwined bodies into the hot tub’s scorching water. Steam rose from the surface. Its coiling tendrils set my skin alight, and strengthened the scent of his blood. The reckless abandon of our kissing deepened, getting hotter and harder.
A familiar tingle rippled across my gums. But I didn’t care. Thoughts of stopping evaporated.
Instead, my body pressed harder against his. I clung viciously to his neck, nails breaking flesh.
Ty seemed not to notice, pressing hands gliding down my back. The electric touch forced my fangs to split from my gums.
Releasing his lower lip, my mouth trailed down his face and neck with nipping kisses. A fleeting memory of my victim back in the alley, flashed through my mind. The look of Joel’s terrified expression as the monster within me took over was unforgettable.
It’s happening again.
But the crippling fear was quashed as Ty’s pulse hammered beneath my wet, cold lips. It raced faster with each frenzied kiss. Faster than I thought was humanly possible.
“It’s okay. Do it,” Ty whispered, voice gravelly through hard breath. “I want you to.”
Saliva flooded my mouth, and a merciless desire to taste him seized me.
I couldn’t stop.
The terrifying thought only encouraged my inner monster. All thought was suddenly abandoned and my body took over. My tongue traced the pulsing vein along his neck, tasting, toying. Then unable to hold back for another second, I bit down hard.
The skin punctured with more effort than I had anticipated. A dissipating concern as his sweet, fiery blood spilled into my mouth. It was unlike anything I had ever tasted, better than animal blood, better than Joel’s. If heaven had a taste, this would be it.
I was hypnotized.
Ty groaned with pleasure—a venom-induced reaction to the bite of a vampire. His hands glided intimately over every inch of my tingling skin. I clutched him tighter. I couldn’t stop.
“I knew what you were,” Ty exhaled, barely audible. “From the very first moment I laid eyes on you.”
His words cut through the bloodlust with an electric jolt. I jerked away in one swift movement, feeling as though I’d been electrocuted. My body cowered against the far end of the hot tub. Oh my God. What had I done?
With my face turned, I struggled for breath. My heart hammered. I couldn’t stand for Ty to see me, the monster I really was, what such a horrific creature really looked like. I knew what I must look like right now: there would be bloodstains covering my fanged mouth and my eyes would be red rimmed with startlingly silver irises. It was the face of a living, breathing monster.
As I crouched frozen in shock, Ty cautiously moved closer. His hot hand rested against my shoulder in a clear effort to turn me toward him. I resisted, hands shooting up to cover my horrific features. But Ty was stronger, and managed to twist me to face him. “Amelia, don’t.” His tone was level and strong but held a twinge of desperation. “Don’t hide from me.”
Crimson tears blurred my vision, turning everything to a rose-colored haze. I struggled to hold them back and blinked up at Ty. His expression appeared gentle under a mask of vulnerability. He’s not scared of me?
“It’s okay,” Ty said, voice as soft as velvet. He released my shoulder to curl his fingers around my wrists. With a strong tug, he forced my barricading hands down.
“I’m sorry!” I screamed. Blood-tainted tears were streaming down my face.
Ty didn’t leap away from me in horrified disgust, or scream about how vile I was. Instead, he reached up, resting a gentle hand against my bloodied jaw. His thumb brushed away a stream of tears. “Amelia, I know what you are, and I don’t care.”
My eyes squeezed shut. Part of me needed so badly to believe his words. But I couldn’t. No one would ever truly accept me. Anger spiked like venom in my veins and my eyes flung open. I belted Ty’s hand away, and with clawed fingers frantically tried to scratch his blood from my face. “How can you say that?” I snapped. “What I just did to you… I’m a fucking monster!”
“Then so am I.” A shock wave rippled through me like an earthquake, freezing me as still as a statue. Ty smiled and collected my hands. “Amelia, don’t you know how much you mean to me?”
My voice caught, feeling like a dagger had pierced my windpipe. I tried to swallow. “Mean to you?”
Ty looked away, catching the flicker of torch flames against his neck. Their light highlighted the puncture wounds I had inflicted. The blood-flow, which had forged a thick, red torrent down his neck and over his collarbone, had almost stopped. The skin was closing over right before my eyes. How was that possible? My brow knitted in confusion, eyes lifting to study Ty. “What—are—you?”
Ty’s lips parted. Then a piercing scream cut through the air.
CHAPTER NINE
We leaped from the hot tub simultaneously, and raced back through the shadowy cave toward the source of the screaming. To my surprise as I ran—not restraining my vampire speed—Ty kept pace. We sprung from the cave’s entrance. My eyes darted across the now empty pool, finding the cause of the commotion. I sucked in my breath.
Dorian stood head to head with Troy, who towered over him. The same intoxicated girl who had clearly known Ty, cried, “It didn’t mean anything!”
The leather cubes around the cane table had been vacated. Being barely six feet from the challenging guys, it was no surprise. The drunken group now took up refuge behind the bar, all watching wide-eyed and pale-faced. It was clear none of them wanted to break up this volatile standoff. Body-jarring music no longer pumped from the dance floor across the courtyard. All that remained was a deafeningly silent array of flashing lights. The dance crowd was still, edging forward with mirrored gape-jawed stares.
Waves of tension rolled from Dorian and Troy as they stood locked in a death stare. It was so thick I had to force back the urge to gag in horror. Damn Dorian! What the hell was going on?
Troy’s face burned red as he broke the stare, clenching his fists. “You were taking a body shot from my girlfriend’s cleavage!” He rushed forward to shove Dorian with unrestrained force.
Dorian staggered back. His hands shot up in defense. His eyes narrowed as he hissed through gritted t
eeth. “I didn’t know she was anyone’s girlfriend.”
Troy remained still, nostrils flared and chest rising with fuming breath. Dorian shrugged and began to turn away. Troy instantly launched forward, hands wrapping around my brother’s neck. “BULLSHIT!”
Gasps escaped the lips of onlookers, including my own.
Looking scared out of being drunk, the girl jumped at Troy, clutching his shoulder. “Stop, please stop!”
Troy flung her off and she stumbled back, slamming into the bar. The force would have floored most people. Yet somehow she remained standing.
With the second’s distraction, Dorian pushed against Troy’s chest, breaking the vice-grip hold around his neck. Angry welts were left painted across his skin. “Back off!”
Dorian turned to leave again, but Troy kicked out at his ankles. Astonishment contorted my brother’s face. He fell, barely catching himself before his face collected the pavement. He rolled instantly, but Troy was already lunging. In a split second he had my brother pinned to the ground. Dorian thrashed under Troy’s weight, unable to free himself.
Who the hell is this guy? Troy’s strength and speed seemed to outdo Dorian’s. What in this world could be as strong and as fast as a vampire? I knew the answer. I had known it all along…Ty. Now Dorian would, too. I couldn’t explain away what was happening. I couldn’t excuse it with rational-sounding lies. Everything was about to come crashing down. Still pinning Dorian to the ground with his knees, Troy delivered a viscous blow to the face. A crack sounded and a spray of scarlet spurted from Dorian’s lip.
“Stop!” the hysterical girl screamed. “You’ll kill him!”
Dorian spat red, face hardening with fury. “You are beginning to piss-me-off.” With a grunt he forced his back off the pavement, swinging a violent blow to Troy’s face. Shock sealed the other guy’s features as Dorian threw another punch before kicking him off. Both guys scrambled to their feet, facing each other in ready stances.
“This has gone on long enough,” Ty murmured. The fight was already way out of hand. There were too many spectators, witnesses. This needed to be dealt with, and fast.
With a nod of agreement, Ty and I dove into the pool. Aware that he was swimming as fast as humanly acceptable, I kept pace. My eyes jumped from Ty and back to the guys as we neared. Troy lunged forward again, landing a left to Dorian’s cheek. Then he countered instantly with a right to his stomach.
The movement had been so fast it had almost blurred. Caught off guard, Dorian doubled over, wincing as he stumbled to the ground. His eyes blazed as though suddenly alive with flames. Plump drops of fresh blood dripped from his lip. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
A threatening smile split his lips, revealing extended fangs. Panic rose from my gut. His back faced the crowd by the bar, but it would only take a slight turn of his head for the still gap-jawed kids to catch sight. Shit!
Dorian then leaped from the pavement and the two collided, while the panic-stricken girl—who seemed oblivious to Dorian’s fangs with tear-filled eyes—screamed for them to stop. Her desperate pleas fell on deaf ears while sledgehammer punches continued to fly.
Finally out of the water, I flew at Dorian as Ty closed in on Troy. I knew I was only wearing my bikini before an entire audience, which horrified me. But I had no choice. In this second, the two had broken from their struggle. Troy stepped forward to deliver another pain-inflicting punch. Just before they connected, Ty intervened. He grasped Troy’s arm with brutal force and wrenched it down behind Troy’s back. Ty’s free arm slammed tight over the other guy’s chest.
Dorian went to move forward, ready to continue the onslaught. I leaped in front of him, shoving him hard. “Retract your freaking fangs,” I hissed.
Dorian’s mouth dropped open. “I didn’t mean to. I…”
Agitation had built up inside of me and was preparing to explode. I shoved him back and kept on shoving, pausing just long enough to swipe my clothes from the pavement before I pushed him through a door marked as a bathroom in the side of the house.
A quick glance over my shoulder showed Ty forcing Troy back. With his face hard up against Troy’s, it was hidden from the still gaping crowd. But I could see him clearly. His jaw was set, lips curling back with ferocity and eyes blazing. A flash of sharpened canines appeared just as he snarled into Troy’s ear, “Back down, Beta.”
Troy’s expression remained hardened, but his resisting arms dropped, face cocking sideways and chin elevating slightly. His body, although physically taller than Ty’s, slouched, making him appear smaller. A submissive gesture… Confusion narrowed my eyes. In our solitary months at the cabin, I had witnessed similar displays of superiority when stalking packs of gray wolves. They’re… Apprehension tightened my chest. No, it’s not possible.
I slammed the door behind me and turned the lock. The square room illuminated, wall-mounted lights gleaming against glossy tiles and porcelain fixtures. I blinked away the glare. Then with Ty’s hot blood coursing through my veins, I fought the temptation to physically belt some sense into Dorian. “Are you epically retarded!”
Dorian shrugged while I pulled my clothes on over my wet bikini then tugged on my boots. Even in front of him I still felt exposed and way too naked. His breath turned from ragged to level with a sigh. He dropped onto the wooden bench between a glass-framed shower and granite vanity. A raised pink line surrounded by smudged and drying blood was all that was left of his split lip. His black polo shirt and cargo pants hung ripped and stained with his blood.
His lack of concern caused bubbling frustration to rise within me. I threw my hands in the air. “What you did was beyond stupid. Everyone was watching.” Although my voice emerged harsh and shrill, Dorian didn’t even flinch. He simply crossed his arms over his chest while cocking one eyebrow. “And your freaking fangs… Were you planning to rip Troy to shreds in plain sight?”
Dorian’s jaw tightened and he shot to his feet. “Look,” he said, meeting my prosecuting gaze with a scowl that could kill. “Troy started it. And somehow he held his own. I mean, he was incredibly strong. That last hit really freaking hurt!”
“Well,” I said, matching his scowl with one of my own. “From the sound of things, you deserved every blow. Body shots off his girlfriend?”
“It wasn’t like that,” Dorian said, his tone back to being level and controlled. Then his eyes flickered with sudden realization, brows lifting. “But that’s not the real issue. Is it?”
A jolt ran through my body. I couldn’t control the guilt that rippled across my face.
Dorian’s eyes widened with realization. “You lied to me?” His voice was filled with disbelief. “You knew all along.” He stepped forward, coiling tense fingers around my biceps. “Tell me what the hell they are.”
My eyes averted, head dropping in regret. “Dorian, I’m sorry. I downplayed the incidents with Ty. I was certain something was different about him. But…” I hesitated. My suspicions on Ty were strong, but I couldn’t believe them. There had to be another explanation. “I’m not sure what they are.”
Dorian looked as though I had literally punched him in the gut. My heart ached while his grip on my arms tightened. “Why?” he asked on a breath of a whisper. “Why did you keep this from me?”
“I…I…”
A pitying smile thinned his healing lip. “You’re falling for him.”
With a jolt I stepped backward, freeing my arms and hitting the door. “No,” I whispered shaking my head. The taste of Ty’s blood spiked the back of my throat. “I hardly know him. I couldn’t possibly.”
I met Dorian’s watching eyes. His expression had shifted to determination. “So, you know what we have to do now?”
I swallowed, trying to clear the acidic blood from my mouth. “I know.” My likeness reflected in the floor-length mirror behind Dorian. At least Ty’s blood no longer stained my face. Having to explain what I had done to Ty in the hot tub? No thanks. Confronting him was enough to deal with. “Okay. Let’s
get some answers.”
As we crossed the courtyard, I scanned around in search of Ty. The bar was a-buzz again with drunken teens, already past the excitement of the fight and throwing back a line of shots. Vanessa sat amongst them. She caught my eye with a disapproving frown. Then her gaze shifted purposefully to a set of glass-sliding doors that led into the house. Just beyond the glass and standing in darkness, were Troy and the girl responsible for the fight. From the tense expressions on both their faces, it was clear the incident was far from resolved. I focused past the chatting group at the bar and the pumping music radiating from the dance floor. My hearing turned sharp, zeroing in on their intense argument.
“I don’t like this,” Troy was saying.
The girl propped her hands on her hips. “You think I do?” She laughed. “You know I would rather set my own skin on fire. But this is the only way, and you know it.”
With a frown, my eyes glided up. There was a large picture frame taking up the wall behind them. Three people made up the portrait, a middle-aged man and woman with black hair and tan complexions. The third person sitting between the two was a boy who looked more like a man. He had oversized bulging muscles, the same tan skin, black hair and mirroring hazel eyes. Ty’s reluctance to reveal whose party we were attending suddenly made perfect sense. This was Troy’s house. Unsettled, I shuddered. We were on his turf.
“Are you coming?” Dorian’s voice almost startled me.
Turning my head from the couple, I pushed back the unease within me. Then I sniffed the air. Ty was here, somewhere. I could scent him. “He’s over there.”
Dorian followed my lead to the dance floor. We waded through clusters of sweaty teens gyrating to the music under a blinding array of multicolored lights. When we broke free on the other side, we found yet another bar. This one was longer than the first and entirely made of thick, frosted glass.
Ty sat at the end, throwing back a shot of bourbon. His expression was apprehensive. In the cool autumn-night air, steam lifted from his dripping-wet board shorts, though I noticed his bare chest and arms appeared completely dry.