Ashes

by Erica Stevens

  There was no one to help her now, no one to stop Devon if he snapped completely. Devon took a step closer to Mark, pulling his arm against his chest. Terror tore through Cassie. He was going to kill Mark.

  Abandoning all caution, she threw herself forward, instinctively knowing that Devon would not hurt her. Shoving her way in between them, she stood on tiptoe to grasp hold of Devon’s cheeks and swiftly bring his mouth down to hers. Shock slammed into him, stiffening him against her. She stood awkwardly, her lips pressed against his compressed, hard mouth as she waited breathlessly to see what he would do. His body remained unmoving for a moment more, and then everything changed.

  Cassie had only wanted to divert his attention from Mark, to keep Devon from hurting him. She had not expected that all of the frenzy he had been feeling toward Mark would be diverted to her. His hardness melted away, he released Mark as his arms clamped tightly around her. He lifted her off the ground, pressing her flush against him.

  Fear trickled briefly through her; she had never felt him this wild, this savage. He clenched the back of her head, his fingers threaded through the bottom of the loose twist in her hair. His mouth was firm against hers, desperate, fierce. Though she was certain that he would never hurt her, she also realized that he was highly unstable right now, barely in control of himself. His mouth opened against hers, his tongue plummeted in.

  A small moan escaped Cassie. She forgot all her doubts and concerns as she melted against him. Heat suffused her, pooling through her entire being, warming her everywhere. Her heart hammered in her chest, she fit perfectly against him. Her hands clenched tight at his neck, she wanted to bury herself in the security and bliss that he provided her. The entire world, and the awful events of the day, disappeared as she became completely focused on him.

  He was her everything, he was the one thing that could make her whole, complete. He worked the knot out of her hair, letting it free to flow down her back. His tongue stroked over her mouth, tasting her, savoring her. He was hard against her, the muscles in his arms rigid, yet she could feel a small tremor working through him as his kiss deepened, becoming almost bruising in its intensity. She did not utter a complaint, did not make a sound. She knew that he needed this, that he needed her.

  She just hadn’t realized how much.

  A shiver of fear raced through her as his teeth hardened and lengthened. She could feel them against her bottom lip, fierce, needy. Deadly. Though she was scared, and more than a little over her head, she could not stop the thrill of excitement that raced through her.

  Curiosity, and an overwhelming urge that she could not deny, took hold of her. Gently, lightly, she flicked her tongue over the tips of his engorged teeth. Devon shuddered; his hands clenched tighter upon her, his kiss became harsher. She was lost to him, lost to everything that he was, and the wonderful sensations that he made her feel. Never in her life had she experienced anything as breathtaking as this, and she wanted more.

  She wanted all of him.

  Devon broke away suddenly, releasing her as he took a swift step back. Cassie took a stumbling step back, shocked by his abrupt release of her. It took her a moment before she could get her wobbly legs firmly beneath her again. She stared breathlessly up at him, shaken, and unfulfilled. His emerald eyes were dark, tortured, wounded. Horror tore through her at the sight of his anguish, his unraveling control, his desperate need. For the first time it hit her just how hard it was for him to be around her, how hard it was for him to control himself, and keep her safe.

  Tears sprang to her eyes, hating the torment that radiated from him. Torment that she had caused him. Her hand flew to her swollen lips; a choked sound of dismay escaped her as the tears burned her eyes. The last thing in the world she wanted was to hurt him, to upset him in anyway, and yet that was exactly what she was doing to him. She was torturing him.

  “Devon,” she whispered, her voice choked with horror and sorrow.

  His darkened gaze turned to Chris, small tremors ran through his fisted hands. “Mark?”

  Chris cleared his throat, obviously surprised and uncomfortable with what he had just witnessed. “Ran off the first chance he got.”

  Devon nodded briskly. “Get her out of here. I don’t want her around these people anymore. I have to go, but I’m leaving her in your hands.”

  Cassie blinked away her tears as his gaze turned back to her. She wanted to reach out to him, to comfort him, but she instinctively knew that she should not. He was close to completely unraveling and her touch might just push him over the edge. Though his eyes were tormented, love also shone from them and that would have to be enough for now.

  With a shaking hand, he reached out and briefly caressed her cheek before turning on his heel and disappearing into the gaping crowd. Cassie blinked rapidly, startled to realize that they were still in the middle of the crowded, oddly silent cafeteria. Questioning, condemning stares were focused intently upon her. Chris stepped forward, still looking slightly shell shocked as he slid his arm through hers.

  “Come on Cassie,” he said gently.

  She stared helplessly up at him, wishing that he could offer her answers to the questions and confusion enveloping her. For so long Chris had been her rock, the one person that she could turn to when she needed solace. Right now he was just as lost as she was. He led her swiftly through the crowd as it began to come alive again; the comments were no longer whispered as accusations were hurled at her. She barely heard any of them through the haze that surrounded her.

  They reached the cafeteria doors as Melissa came strolling around the corner, her books held tight against her chest. Her eyebrows rose in surprise when she saw them, her mouth parted slightly. Her gaze darted behind them, narrowing as the buzz in the cafeteria increased. “What happened?” she demanded fiercely.

  “A lot,” Chris muttered. “We’re leaving.”

  Her gaze darted to Cassie, who was still too numb and shocked to even begin to explain. Melissa didn’t question them further as she fell into step beside them, her narrowed gaze darting back to the cruel crowd still gathered within the cafeteria walls. Cassie made it all the way to Chris’s car, and was even settled into the backseat, before she started to cry.

  CHAPTER 6

  Cassie paced her room restlessly, her gaze darting continuously to the darkened night. Devon should be here shortly, if he came at all. The thought froze her briefly in midstride, before she continued on. He had to come. She couldn’t allow herself to think that he wouldn’t. If she did, she would start crying again, and it had only been a couple of hours since she had completely regained control of herself.

  It had taken another hour to convince Chris and Melissa that she was fine, and to go home. They had been reluctant to leave, but she didn’t want them here when Devon arrived. She needed to speak with him alone. Turning on her heel, she paced restlessly back to the other side of the room. She felt as wound up as a yo-yo.

  She glanced at the clock on her nightstand, dismayed to realize that it was almost ten o’clock. Where was he? What would she do if he didn’t come tonight? Terror tore through her at the thought. Her chest constricted, making it difficult for her to breathe.

  It had happened so swiftly, her love for him had been rapid and all consuming. She wanted to be frightened by it; she should be frightened by it, but she wasn’t. To be this dependent on someone else was something that she had never wanted. Loving someone this much left her vulnerable to all of the hurt and cruelty that she knew resided everywhere in the world. But it was too late, she was helplessly in love with him, lost to him, and she could not lose him. She would do anything to keep that from happening.

  All of her pent up, nervous energy, deflated from her as fear consumed her. She slid limply to the floor, dragging her legs up against her chest and hugging them tight as she dropped her chin on top of them.

  ***

  Devon released the last fox he’d caught. He watched it stagger away, trying to regain its balance from the loss of blood it
had sustained. Though he tried to keep the animals alive when he fed from them, the first two foxes, three rabbits, and one coyote he had captured had not survived. He had been too unstable, and full of bloodlust, when he had seized hold of them. He barely even remembered draining them dry, but he clearly recalled their limp bodies left brokenly on the forest floor.

  And he was ashamed.

  Though it was far better that it was animals, and not Cassie he was draining dry because he had been that close today. A shudder ran through him as he recalled exactly how close he had been to ravishing her in every way, and not caring who watched. He could not allow that to happen again. He could not be that unstable around her again. It would not end well.

  But when she had run her tongue across his teeth, showing no fear of him as her excitement blazed forth, he had nearly unraveled completely. He shuddered, the memory rousing his bloodlust and desire once more. She was far too innocent to know what she was doing to him, but she was going to be his undoing.

  Their relationship had come to a crossroads much faster than he had expected. Rising slowly, he wiped the dirt from his jeans, watching as the fox disappeared. He had glutted himself tonight, stuffing himself to the point of near bursting in the hopes that it would keep him from desiring her blood as fiercely. He didn’t think it would work.

  His head fell back as he stared up at the thick canopies of oaks and maples. Dropping his head back down, he used all of his senses to search the dark night. He could feel nothing out there except for a deer, and a pack of coyotes. Julian was being quiet, staying low.

  It was very uncharacteristic. Once Julian made his presence known, he liked to keep it known. The fact that he was staying quiet was more than a little unsettling. He was planning something, and Devon didn’t like it. He had to find him, and soon. As long as Julian was out there, Cassie was in danger.

  Turning away, he blended swiftly into the woods, bracing himself for what was about to come. He raced to Cassie’s house, moving swiftly through the thick forest, easily dodging any obstacles in his way. Reaching her house, he stopped at the edge of the forest to study the graceful Cape house before him. The weathered grey shingles, and light blue shutters, were bright in the light of the full moon.

  Cassie’s room was dark, but the TV was flashing in the window pane. He knew that she was still awake; he could feel her up there, lost, worried; confused. He hated himself even more for putting her through this, for leaving her to stew while he gorged himself on blood.

  Climbing swiftly up the tree, he paused at the edge of her window, taking her in. She sat upon the bed; her long legs were drawn up to her chest, her golden hair cascaded around her shoulders in thick waves. The delicate beauty of her features was highlighted within the flickering light of the TV. His chest constricted as he studied her, he was amazed and charmed by the effect she had over him. An effect that only increased as time went by.

  She turned toward him, her startling eyes widened, her rosebud mouth parted. Relief filled her as she leapt gracefully to her feet. “Devon.”

  Her soft whisper washed over him, as did her vast relief and aching hurt. She came slowly toward him as if afraid she would scare him away. Hoping to ease some of her fears, he slid gracefully through the window. Tears bloomed in her eyes, but she bat them rapidly back as she watched him, her uncertainty palpable.

  “Are you ok?” He could only manage a brisk nod, finding it difficult to think in her presence. “I’m sorry.” She shook her head, looking lost. “I didn’t know what else to do; I thought you were going to kill him.”

  Devon clearly recalled that scene in the cafeteria, the rage that had suffused him, the need to destroy the person hurting her. He also recalled her kiss, her taste, her sweetness. She was the only one that could have gotten through to him at that time. He didn’t like the way she had put herself in danger though, stepping between a vampire and its prey was even worse than stepping between a charging bull and its target. But she was right; he would have killed Mark if she hadn’t intervened.

  She had been lucky that he had not turned his rage on her. But then again, in a way he had. The uncontrollable rage had turned into uncontrollable passion instead. Devon shuddered to think about what he could have done to her, how he could have hurt her and not even realized it until he had been well sated on her.

  “I was.” She blinked in surprise at his flat words. “You stopped me from hurting him, but you can’t put yourself in danger like that again.”

  “Danger?” she asked in surprise.

  He nodded briskly. “Yes. Never step between a vampire and their prey. You could get hurt.”

  She frowned fiercely at him, her elegant eyebrows drawing sharply together. “No matter what you might think, I know that you would never hurt me Devon.”

  She had more faith in him than he did, but then again, she did not know the thoughts that ran through his mind. The things that he wanted to do to her. With her. If she knew any of it, she would not have so much faith in him; in fact she would probably run screaming in fear. Her faith was misplaced, she did not know that, but he did.

  She took a step closer, but he held up his hand, warding her off even though it killed him. All he wanted was her gentle, soothing touch. “Cassie, we need to talk.”

  Her frown deepened, terror flashed through her eyes.

  CHAPTER 7

  Cassie’s heart beat rapidly in her tight chest. It took everything she had to keep breathing. Devon studied her, his eyes yearning, yet distant. She shifted slightly, bracing herself for the worst, knowing that something bad was coming. He didn’t even want her to touch him. She could smell, and feel, the vast amounts of blood that he had consumed, the power that coursed through him now. He had drunk so much that she actually picked up on the metallic scent of it for the first time.

  And he had done it so that he could prepare himself to come and see her. That did not sit well with her, nor did it bode well. Anxiety clenched fiercely at her, her knees began to tremble slightly. She knew that she was not going to like what he had to say. She needed to sit before she fell down.

  Sliding limply down, she perched uneasily on the edge of her bed, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. “What is it?” she asked quietly, her voice strangled and tight.

  His emerald eyes were bright in the darkened room. He was half hidden in the shadows that seemed to caress and enshroud his hard, toned body. Though the night was a little chilly, he wore only a t-shirt that clung to his muscles, emphasizing his washboard abs and firm chest. Despite her fear, Cassie was still mesmerized and thrilled by him.

  Swallowing heavily she forced her mind away from her wandering thoughts. His eyes sparked, a bright gleam came into them as he seemed to pick up on the direction of her thoughts. Then he shook his head, clearly trying to bring himself back to their conversation.

  An owl hooted outside, its soft cry loud in the still night. The crickets had retreated, the loss of their soft chirrups leaving the night oddly empty. He shifted slightly, the shadows moving over him, caressing him. For the first time she realized how much he truly belonged to the night, and the darkness. For the first time she saw just how different they were.

  Tears burned the backs of her eyes again, but she refused to shed them. Not yet anyway. She still did not know where this was going.

  He moved slowly forward, his eyes intent upon her as he stopped just feet away. Though the distance between them was small, it suddenly felt like a vast chasm to her. There would be no breeching it with a simple word or touch. And she knew that it was her fault it existed at all.

  “I want you Cassie.” Her mouth went dry, her heart hammered so loudly she was certain that he could hear it. Excitement sprang forth, spreading rapidly through her whole body, burning through her veins. “But I can’t control myself around you.”

  She swallowed again, afraid she would choke on the lump that was lodged in her throat. “Yes you can,” she whispered.

  He sighed softly, leaning slightly back o
n his heels as his gaze darted briefly toward the ceiling. Shaking his head, his black hair fell forward across his sculpted face. “Yes, somewhat,” he admitted slowly. “But not enough, and everyday gets harder for me. Looking at you, smelling you, having tasted your blood, all of it is a fierce temptation that is getting harder and harder to resist. Every day, every second, I want more.”

  She was barely able to breathe, let alone find any words for him. She wanted to be with him, terribly, but she was not ready for that step yet. She knew that was crazy, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, but she wasn’t ready for what he wanted. Not yet anyway. And there was still so much she didn’t know about him, like just exactly how many women there had been over the past seven hundred years.

  On second thought, she wasn’t so sure she wanted to know that at all. It was far too intimidating and scary for her to think about. Not to mention there was already a lot on her plate without adding another heaping to it.

  “I’m not ready for that yet,” she whispered, feeling awkward and so very young and stupid as she issued the words. She was an idiot, so inexperienced compared to him. Heat crept through her cheeks as he stared at her; she hated the almost pitying look in his eyes. Clasping her hands tightly, her gaze darted to the window, unable to meet his stare any longer.

  “I know that Cassie,” he said gently. “And I will never push you into doing anything that you are not ready for, but it’s more than just sex. I want all of you.” Despite her intentions not to, her eyes darted back to him, her forehead furrowed in confusion. “I want your blood also. I want to taste you and feel you and have you fill me.”