Everlasting Embrace

by Amanda Ashley

  She lifted her head, eyes blazing red, and then she sank her fangs deep into his shoulder and bit down. The pain was exquisite. Startled, he jerked away. She had no sooner vanished from sight that Rhys appeared beside him.

  He had no sooner resumed his own shape when Rhys appeared. “Where is she?”

  “Gone. Damn vampire! I think you scared her away. She took a bite out of me! Hurts like hell. I’ve got to go check on Rylee.”

  “She’s okay. She’s at the club.”

  Alex stared at his sire. He had expected Rylee to bolt for home.

  “Are you sure you’re all right?” Rhys examined Alex’s shoulder. “I sensed something was wrong right before Rylee showed up. Damn, Magdalena took a chunk of meat out of you.”

  Alex probed the wound, which was about two inches wide and maybe three inches deep. “Shit. Will it heal?”

  Rhys nodded. “You should be fine by tomorrow.”

  “I hope so,” Alex muttered.

  “I can give you a little of my blood, if you want. It’ll speed things up.”

  When Alex hesitated, Rhys said, “It’ll boost your strength, too.”

  “Fine.”

  With a wry grin, Rhys held out his arm. “Not too much now.”

  Alex scowled as he took hold of Costain’s wrist and bit down. The blood was hot and thick and ancient and it burned through him like liquid fire. Hard to believe he had once found this repulsive. He would gladly have drained his sire dry.

  “Enough!”

  With a low growl, Alex lifted his head.

  “Enough,” Rhys said again, his voice filled with understanding. “Come on, Rylee’s probably worried sick about you.”

  Rylee huddled in a booth in the back of the room. Never in all her life had she seen a place like this. She couldn’t help gawking at the beautiful men and women who wandered through the club, smiling and flirting, or going into the numbered rooms that lined one wall. She could only imagine what transpired behind those closed doors. Not that she really cared. She was too worried about Alex. Was he all right? Had Rhys made it there in time to help? Or arrived too late? Why had she run away like a scared rabbit? And yet, it would have been foolish to stay. She had neither the strength nor the know-how to dispatch a vampire.

  The bartender brought her another drink. Rylee hadn’t asked for the first one, but she’d downed it in one swallow and been grateful to have it. Now, she sipped the second as she glanced at the front door again. And yet again. Where was he?

  She felt his presence before he materialized in the booth beside her. “Alex!” She threw her arms around him, drew back when he winced. Her gaze ran over him, her eyes growing wide when she saw the dried blood on his cheek and neck, the hideous wound in his shoulder visible through the ragged tear in his shirt.

  “I’m fine,” he assured her. “I would have changed clothes first, but I wanted to make sure you were all right.” He glanced at his shoulder. “Rhys said it’ll heal up overnight.”

  “Is she…did you…?”

  “No, dammit. She got away. Again.”

  Rylee couldn’t sleep that night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the vampire, Magdalena, eyes red as hellfire. Had Rhys once been like that? A monster who killed without a qualm? Was Alex capable of such violence? Turning on her side, she clutched her pillow to her chest and wondered if this nightmare would ever end.

  She swallowed hard when her bedroom door opened. It’s Alex, she assured herself. With all the wards, cameras, and outside lights Alex had installed, surely no one else could get into the house.

  “Rylee?” he called from the hallway. “Is it okay if I come in?”

  “Please do.” She sighed as he stretched out beside her.

  He hesitated a moment, then wrapped her in his arms.

  She snuggled closer, grateful for his nearness.

  “It’ll be all right,” he murmured, lightly stroking her back. “I love you, Rylee. I won’t let anything happen to you. And if anything happens to me…”

  She covered his mouth with her hand. “Don’t say that. Don’t even think it.”

  He ran his tongue over her palm. She felt the heat of it in the core of her being. Removing her hand, he kissed her, long and slow.

  Rylee clung to him as he deepened the kiss, wanting to be closer, closer. She slid her hands under his tee shirt, then trailed her fingertips up and down his back. His skin was cool, yet touching him ignited a flame deep within her and she pressed herself against him.

  Alex groaned softly. She was soft and warm and he yearned to bury himself deep within her, to make her his in every way. He ran his tongue along the side of her neck, wishing he dared taste her, but he wasn’t sure now was the time. Magdalena had given Rylee a hell of a scare. This probably wasn’t the time to remind her that she had a vampire in her bed.

  He stilled as her hands explored his chest, slid down, down, to his belly, only to stop when they reached the waistband of his sweatpants.

  He covered her hand with his. “We’d better stop,” he said, his voice thick with longing.

  “What if I don’t want to?”

  “Rylee, you’d better be sure this is what you want, because once I make you mine, I’ll never let you go.”

  Alex heard the change in her breathing, sensed her sudden apprehension as she realized what he was saying. Lifting her hand, he kissed her palm. “I love you, but I want you to be sure before things go too far.”

  Even though the room was dark, he saw the tears glistening in her eyes. “It’s all right, love.” When he started to rise, she clung to him.

  “Please, stay with me,” she whispered.

  “Everything okay?” he asked, wiping away her tears with his fingertips.

  “I guess so. Are you…are you mad at me?”

  “Why would I be mad? I wouldn’t blame you if you changed your mind about spending the rest of your life with me. It isn’t a decision to be made lightly. We’ve really only known each other a short time and most of that hasn’t been pleasant. I’m surprised you’re still here.”

  “I don’t want you to think I don’t love you, but…”

  “I understand, love. Go to sleep now. I’ll keep the monsters at bay,” he murmured, and then grinned into the darkness, thinking he was one of them.

  CHAPTER 31

  Alex woke with a frown. Since becoming a vampire, he had known immediately on waking where he was and what time it was. He usually roused an hour or so before sundown, which at this time of the year was around seven-thirty. But his interior clock told him it was a few minutes after five.

  Sitting up, he checked the wound in his shoulder. The ragged hole was gone, leaving his skin smooth and unblemished. Was waking earlier the result of drinking from Costain last night?

  He showered and dressed, then went in search of Rylee. He found her in her office, reading her Facebook page. Murmuring, “Hey, beautiful,” he brushed a kiss across the top of her head.

  Rylee smiled as she glanced over her shoulder, and then frowned. “Wow, you’re up even earlier than you were the other day.”

  “Are you complaining?”

  “Of course not.”

  He shrugged. “It’s gotta be a perk from the blood Rhys gave me last night.”

  “Amazing.” Who would have guessed that vampire blood could heal such a dreadful wound? What else could it do?

  Alex frowned. “Are you doing all right?”

  “As well as can be expected, I guess.” And then, remembering what had almost happened last night, she felt a blush warm her cheeks. If Alex hadn’t put the brakes on, they likely would have made love. In a way, she was disappointed that they hadn’t. She knew somehow that he would be a wonderful lover. But once done, it couldn’t be undone and would only lead to more complications in an already complicated relationship.

  Alex hadn’t meant to read her mind, but her thoughts were so strong, it was hard to resist. Nuzzling her neck, he whispered, “There’s always tonight.”

 
; Mortified, Rylee stared up at him, her cheeks on fire.

  He shrugged. “I just wanted you to know I’m willing if you’ve changed your mind.”

  “How…?” She swallowed hard. “How did you know what I was thinking?” she asked, and felt her cheeks grow even hotter.

  “I…uh…” He cleared his throat. “The truth is, I can read your mind.”

  “That’s impossible!” she exclaimed, even though she had proof that it wasn’t. “How can you do that?” And then she frowned. There had been times when he’d answered questions she hadn’t asked, when he’d seemed to know her thoughts before she expressed them.

  “I always could. I try not to read your thoughts because I don’t want to intrude, but sometimes they come through loud and clear and…” Shit! He cleared his throat again. “I’m sorry, Rylee.”

  “Sorry?” she sputtered. “You’re sorry for violating my privacy?”

  “I tried not to. I swear it. But, dammit, girl…” He made a vague gesture with his hand. And then he lifted her out of the chair and into his arms. “Hell, I’m not sorry,” he said, and slanted his mouth over hers.

  Rylee sighed as she felt herself being swept away by his kisses, the welcome invasion of his tongue, the press of his hard-muscled body against hers, the very real evidence of his desire.

  She moaned in protest when he lifted his head.

  “I love you, Rylee,” he said, his voice low and intense. “And I want you more than you can imagine. But I’m an old-fashioned guy, and I want you to be mine, legally and lawfully wed, before we make love.”

  “Is that a marriage proposal, Mr. O’Donnell?”

  “What would you say if it was?” he asked with a crooked grin.

  “I’d say yes,” she murmured, and new, in that moment, that for better or worse, she had given her heart to Alex and in so doing, had tied her future to his.

  Feeling like he was on Cloud Nine, Alex called Rhys to tell him the good news.

  “Married?” Rhys winked at Megan, who was sitting beside him on the sofa. “I’ll be damned.”

  “Probably,” Alex agreed. “I just wanted you to be the first to know.”

  Taking the phone from Rhys, Megan said, “Well, I think it’s wonderful.”

  “Thanks. Although I think maybe I just caught her in a weak moment. I’m afraid if she stops to think about it, she might change her mind, and I wouldn’t blame her.”

  “Well, there’s no rush,” Megan said. “When do I get to meet her?”

  “How about tonight? Say, in an hour?”

  “They’re coming here?” Rylee exclaimed. “Tonight?” She glanced around the living room, glad she had dusted and picked up the place earlier in the day. She didn’t have anything in the way of dessert to offer a guest, but then, with vampires, it really wasn’t necessary.

  “You got a problem with meeting Megan?”

  “Yes…no…I don’t know. I just wish you’d given me a little more time to get used to the idea.” “Well,” Alex said, grinning, “you’ve got about twenty minutes.”

  Rylee was a nervous wreck when the doorbell rang. She had been worried about meeting Daisy’s sister, but that had gone all right. Still, Megan was Rhys Costain’s wife. Was she as scary as the Master of the City?

  She pasted a smile on her face when Alex introduced her to Megan. Like Daisy, Costain’s wife was lovely, radiant, with dark-red hair and sparkling brown eyes.

  “I’m so happy to meet you,” Megan said, smiling. “Rhys has told me so much about you.”

  Rylee glanced at Costain, wondering what he’d said. Nodding, she murmured, “Please, sit down.”

  It was interesting, watching Rhys. It was blatantly obvious from the way he looked at Megan, the way he held her hand in his, that he was madly, deeply, in love with her. His voice was softer when he spoke to her.

  And Megan was just as in love with him.

  It reminded Rylee of the way Daisy had looked at Erik, the way he had looked at her. What was there about vampire men, she wondered. She glanced at Alex. Like Rhys and Erik, he exuded strength and power and charisma. It was an intoxicating combination but a lot of men possessed the same attributes. And yet, there was something about the men in this room, something extraordinary. Was it just that they were vampires? Or was it more than that?

  The evening flew by. Her guests tried to include her in the conversation, but time and again, she simply sat back and listened while Alex and Rhys reminisced about the past, before they were vampires. Megan, too, seemed fascinated. Costain’s life was especially interesting. He’d had such a long life, seen so much of the world, so many changes in countries and kingdoms, so many inventions that she took for granted. Would Alex live as long? It was a sobering thought. He could live for two, three, four hundred years or more.

  It was a thought that haunted her after Rhys and Megan left for home.

  “What is it?” Alex asked. “Why so glum? Didn’t you have a good time?”

  “What? Oh, yes. Megan’s very nice.”

  “Were you uncomfortable, having them here?”

  “No. Rhys is a different man when he’s with her, isn’t he? Far less intimidating.”

  “Yeah. He said she changed his life. I guess it’s true.” Pulling Rylee into his arms, he said, “The love of a good woman changed my life, too. And I thank you for that. Now, are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

  Tugging on his hand, she sat down on the sofa and snuggled against him when he put his arm around her. “I was just thinking about Rhys and how long he’s lived.”

  “And?”

  “I guess I just realized that you could live that long, too.”

  Alex frowned, and then he knew what was bothering her.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t get married,” she said slowly. “It wouldn’t be fair, expecting you to stay with me when I’m…when I’m old and you aren’t. You’ll feel responsible for me and probably grow to hate having to care for an old woman, and…”

  “Rylee, hush. I’m not just in love with your looks, which are spectacular. I’m in love with you, with your sweetness and compassion, the way being with you makes me feel human. It has nothing to do with age. It’s you. Your…your spirit.”

  She sighed, touched by his words. Yet a little voice inside insisted that the day would come when he would think of her as nothing but a burden.

  Rylee woke with the same niggling worry on her mind. In the kitchen, she poured herself a cup of coffee, then sat at the table, her mind replaying everything that had happened since she met Alex—the good—and the bad.

  And then she thought about Daisy and Megan and how happy they both seemed to be. If she had met them under other circumstances, she never would have guessed they were vampires. Neither one seemed to regret being changed. They both appeared to be perfectly content with living at night and dining on blood. Both were obviously head-over-heels in love with their husbands and apparently very happy with life in general.

  What if she asked Alex to turn her? Would he be glad? Would she regret it once it was done? It wasn’t like buying a pair of shoes and deciding they didn’t fit. Once turned, there was no going back.

  She mulled it over all day. Unable to think of anything else, she decided to do a little more online research on vampires. The number of web sites dedicated to the Undead still amazed her. She found information on how to detect one and how to destroy one, but the most intriguing was the mythology of how to become one. Most were ludicrous. According to myth, being bitten wasn’t the only way to become a vampire. Other ways were to commit suicide, to be excommunicated from the church, dying without being baptized, having your parents curse you, having a cat or some other animal jump over your body before you were buried, being the offspring of a human and a demon…the list went on and on.

  Needing a break, she made a turkey and swiss cheese sandwich for lunch and carried it into the living room, along with a soda.

  Did she want to give up eating? She loved bread and pasta and lemon me
ringue pie. She loved jogging on the beach in the morning, watching the sun set. And children. She had always hoped to have five or six. All that would be lost if she let Alex change her. Was she willing to give up everything she knew and loved to be with him? To never have children and grandchildren? Maybe even great-grandchildren?

  She considered what he called the perks—living for a very long time. Never being sick. Never growing old or wrinkled or having to worry about gaining weight. Being incredibly strong and able to do amazing things, like dissolving into mist or crossing great distances with little more than a thought.

  Rylee was still sitting on the sofa—undecided—when Alex woke up two hours later.

  “Hey,” he said, “what’s got you looking so serious?”

  She shrugged. “Nothing.”

  “Nothing?”

  “I was just wondering what it would be like to be what you are.”

  Alex stared at her, dumbfounded.

  “Would you like me better if I was a…a vampire?”

  “No. Why would you think that?” he asked, taking a place beside her.

  She shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t know. It just seems like a decision I’ll have to make sooner or later if I stay with you.”

  “Dammit, Rylee, I would never ask you do that! I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.”

  “I’m confused. Megan and Daisy made it sound wonderful. Rhys certainly seems to love it.”

  Alex raked his fingers through his hair. What could he say to her? He hated what he was and yet, in a relatively short time, he’d grown to love the supernatural powers it gave him, the strength that coursed through him. Hell, he even loved the blood. How could he explain that in terms she would understand?

  She regarded him through narrowed eyes. “So, do you hate what you are?”

  “Yes. And no.”

  Rylee frowned, more confused than ever.

  “Being a vampire is kind of like being addicted to a drug. From the outside, it looks horrible, disgusting. It’s totally against human nature. And yet, once it’s done…I don’t know how to describe it.”