The Trouble With Vampires

by Trina M. Lee

  We reached the third floor and my closed bedroom door. Shoving it open, I stepped inside. Ghost sat on the couch by the fireplace with an unlit cigarette tucked between his lips. Once Rayne saw the vampire, relaxed and waiting, he nodded in understanding.

  Rayne closed the door and flipped the lock. “You never have to ask. The answer is always yes.”

  That made me whimper in need. The twinge in my stomach and the dampness in my underwear demanded attention from the men. Feeling like a cat in heat, I had half a mind to get on all fours and see who got behind me first.

  My cheeks grew hot at the thought. Nova’s power was dangerous no doubt. If it already had this effect on me, how much worse would it be if he’d stayed? I shouldn’t have wanted to find out, but some twisted, dark, depraved part of me fantasized about being taken by him.

  “Rules?” Ghost’s libido-stroking rasp drew both our gazes to him. Twirling the cigarette between his fingers, he eyed us each in turn.

  Rayne peeled his shirt off and tossed it onto the dresser. “I’m all about the ladies, so it’s all about her for me sexually. As for bloodletting, I’m cool with either of you taking a nip but only a nip. Don’t get carried away. Blaze?”

  I tried to remember if I had any boundaries. Nova’s influence made it feel like boundaries were for cowards, and I wanted it all. But that wasn’t really me. Was it?

  I knew I was staring at Rayne’s tattooed physique, but I couldn’t stop myself. “Um, I don’t know. It’s hard to think clearly at the moment. I can take some pain with my pleasure. No backdoor entry. Otherwise, I’m here for the taking.”

  Where did that come from? Not at all shy about my sexual desires, I wasn’t quite such a wanton sex goddess about it either. Damn you, Nova.

  When it was Ghost’s turn, he tossed the unlit smoke onto the coffee table and dimmed the tall lamp next to the couch, so it bathed the room in soft light. “I’m here for you, baby girl. Whatever you want.”

  Such an easy-going response from Ghost didn’t surprise me. Yet I didn’t expect him to grab me by the waist and push me toward Rayne while pressing against me from behind. My hands splayed on Rayne’s bare chest, and I peered up at him in excited wonder.

  Ghost gathered my hair in a hand and twisted it around a fist, tugging it aside. A prickle of anticipation caused me to suck in a breath when he kissed the back of my neck. My eyes widened, and Rayne laughed softly before claiming my lips with his.

  The sensation of being trapped between the two of them had my arousal running on overdrive. I’d tear a strip out of anyone who dared to interrupt now. I kissed Rayne with unspoken demand, needing to appease the ache between my legs. Ghost pressed his erection against my ass, and I wriggled against him.

  Rayne paused from plundering my mouth to tug my shirt off over my head. That’s when I remembered the talisman Nova had given me. I slipped it from my bra and set it on the dresser. Neither of them commented on the item.

  While Rayne released the clasps of my bra, Ghost slid my pants and underwear down my legs. They had me naked in no time. Ghost turned me to face him, a hand curving around the back of my neck as he jerked me close, crushing his mouth to mine. From behind Rayne’s hands grasped my hips.

  The men steered me over to the bed and laid me in the center of the large mattress. The scent of fresh laundry puffed up around me.

  “One more rule,” I said, watching them finish stripping down next to the bed. “No stopping due to interruptions of any kind. Unless the house is on fire. And even then I might not make an exception.”

  Ghost grabbed my foot, raising it up so he could lean in and kiss the inside of my ankle. That subtle sensation managed to be insanely erotic. “Don’t worry, doll. We’ll take good care of you.”

  He slowly kissed his way up the inside of my leg, stealing my voice when I felt the tip of his tongue glide over the curve of my knee. The mattress dipped as Rayne got onto the bed beside me. Already rock hard, he cupped one of my breasts before sucking my nipple into his mouth.

  As the heat of Ghost’s mouth reached my inner thigh, a small gasp escaped me. When he nudged my legs apart to expose my needy pussy, I trembled in impatient anticipation. Knowing how bad I wanted it, Ghost took his time kissing his way up each thigh. Only when I was ready to burst out of my skin from the exquisite anguish did he stop with the tease.

  He dragged his tongue along my wet slit, and I almost hit the roof. The sensations were stronger and more intense than usual. Ghost’s tongue flicked over my clit, and I almost came instantaneously. What the flying crap had Nova done to me?

  Rayne’s mouth was on mine. Gently kneading my breasts and pinching my nipples into taut points, he kissed me with a demanding fervor. I could feel the wolf within him lurking so very close beneath his skin. It shone in his eyes when he pulled back to gaze down at me. Those gleaming gold wolf eyes raged with desire. And something more. Emotion. Affection.

  Afraid to see anything deeper, I touched his cheek, drawing his mouth back to mine. Nova had already asked something of me that I couldn’t give. I didn’t want that to happen with Rayne too. So I buried myself in the sensations of him, his scent of man and wolf, the possessive way he kissed me, and shoved all higher thought aside.

  Ghost’s oral attention grew in intensity. From gentle and delicate to demanding and carnal, he licked me with an aggression I could feel in my bones. When he slid two fingers into me, I couldn’t have held back if I wanted to. I came with a loud moan that Rayne muffled with another kiss.

  But Ghost wasn’t content to stop there. Hands on my hips, he got me up onto all fours. Kneeling behind me on the bed, he held my ass with one hand while licking me again. His tongue flicked my now too sensitive clit, and I jerked away, flushing with heat when he chuckled wickedly.

  Facing Rayne, I wrapped my hand around his hard shaft, stroking it with familiarity. I knew how he liked to be touched. And I knew how much he loved watching me suck the entire length of his cock into my mouth. Holding his gaze, I ran my tongue around the head teasingly before devouring all of it. Rayne’s groan of pleasure trailed into a growl that made me eager for more.

  Behind me Ghost adjusted his position. The velvet soft head of his cock rubbed against me, and a trill of excited adrenaline hit my veins. Both hands holding tight to my ass, he slid inside me.

  I was pretty sure nothing I’d ever experienced in my life so far had felt this fucking amazing. With Ghost fucking me from behind and Rayne gently thrusting into my mouth, I was overwhelmed with the way my senses fired, overloaded by the two of them.

  Rayne slid a hand into my tresses, holding my hair aside so it wouldn’t obstruct his view. He stroked a finger down the side of my face in a gentle caress, and I leaned into the familiar comfort of his touch.

  Every thrust that buried Ghost to his balls had me moaning around Rayne’s swollen cock. Though my connection to the two of them right then was physical, I felt it deeper than that. These two men had come through for me in my time at Mayhem House. They’d proven themselves to be worthy of the one thing Nova asked for, the one thing he had not yet earned: trust.

  I trusted the two of them to have me between them, at their mercy, taking what they gave me. That alone was a revelation. In an eye-opening moment I saw clearly how truly free I was, even within the walls of The Circle’s prison.

  Not only did I trust the two men staking claim to my body, I’d started to fall for Rayne. Feelings had bloomed despite my best efforts to starve the seeds and crush the leaves that sprouted. Did he know that I felt something I didn’t know how to feel?

  Ghost withdrew, allowing Rayne to change up our position. The werewolf chose to turn me, rolling me onto my back so my head was now by Ghost. Shoving my legs apart, Rayne knelt between them and thrust inside me, his thumb rubbing lazy circles on my clit.

  Sitting above me, Ghost propped my head on his lap before running his hands through my hair and down over my breasts. My back arched up into his sensual massaging touch. I reached above
my head to grasp his straining hard on, pumping it with a hand.

  The sound of Rayne’s steady heartbeat reverberated in my ears, louder as his pace quickened. Through his myriad aromas of male pheromones, sex, and sweat, I could still pick out the powerful tease of werewolf blood.

  I wanted to taste him while he was inside me. With one hand above me I stroked Ghost closer to orgasm. The other I used to grab hold of Rayne’s wrist, pulling him closer so I could run my tongue over the throbbing pulse there. His pace momentarily faltered.

  The press of my fangs against his skin brought the beast out. Not only were Rayne’s eyes wolf, he boasted fangs bigger and scarier than mine. Claws tipped the fingers of his hands. Although he was careful, a slight sting between my legs only enhanced my pleasure. Ghost’s dark, watchful stare rested heavily upon us both.

  My fangs pierced the werewolf’s vein, and a spurt of blood rushed to fill my mouth. Rayne’s thrusts grew harder and faster as I sucked at the bite. Holding his primal gaze, I pulled back and offered his bleeding wrist to Ghost.

  The two of them shared a look as Ghost silently asked permission despite having already received it. When Rayne made no move to stop him, the vampire swirled his tongue over the punctures.

  With a wolfish groan, Rayne came almost immediately. His frenzied thrusts pushed me over the edge, and I found myself twitching around his cock, a cry on my lips. Ensuring Ghost wasn’t left out, I pumped him faster, bringing him along with us. He angled himself to come on my chest, avoiding my face and spattering my breasts instead, a move I appreciated.

  After sauntering back from the bathroom with a damp washcloth, Ghost gently cleaned me up before grabbing his pants from the floor. Leaning down to kiss me where I still lay sprawled on the bed beside Rayne, he asked in his low smoky tone, “Feel any better?”

  I considered the question. The ramped up supercharged sex drive Nova had left me with had been satiated for the most part. But this little craving niggled below the surface, although I suspected only Nova himself would satisfy that.

  “You have no idea.” A relaxed smile stole across my face. I didn’t think I’d ever felt so perfectly content.

  “Good. Always here for you, doll.” Slipping his pants back on, Ghost retrieved his cigarette from the coffee table and tucked it behind an ear. He returned to me, leaning down to press a kiss to my lips that tasted of Rayne’s blood. “You two look like you want to get into cuddle mode, so I’ll leave you to it. Until next time.” Ghost winked and ambled toward the door.

  So he wasn’t a cuddler. Interesting. Or maybe he was under the right circumstances? The mysterious vampire left me more curious about him every time we interacted.

  “Want to hit the shower or stay here a while?” Rayne asked when I snuggled in against him.

  With my head on his chest, I listened to the thundering beat of his heart, letting it lull me into a pleasant state of calm. Knowing such moments were short lived, I said, “Let’s just stay here.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  NOVA

  Hands clenching the railing, I stood on the balcony of my other side penthouse apartment, staring at the deep purple sky. Far in the distance a winged creature flew toward one of the two moons, a dragon most likely, though it was too far away to make out.

  Since leaving Blaze in a puddle of desire back in the library of Mayhem House, I’d been trying to talk myself out of wanting her. I’d come straight home for a cold shower that had done nothing to quench the burning need I had for that woman. Why couldn’t I get her out of my head?

  It had been an incredibly long time since I’d felt anything for anyone. Emotions had no place in an incubus’s life. Too complicated and messy, turning what should be nothing more than a quickie orgasm in the garage into a moment I couldn’t stop replaying in my mind.

  Blaze’s sexy fucking moans rang in my ears. I could still feel the way her pussy clenched around my fingers. Fuck me, why should she be any different than anyone else? I didn’t do feelings, and I sure as fuck didn’t do love. What I felt for Blaze wasn’t love, but it was a shit ton more than I was used to.

  I hated every fucking second of this.

  “Get off the railing, Nika,” I snapped at the black furry, winged creature walking the thin rail without care. “Your pitiful wings would barely slow your descent if you took a fall. I’d rather not have to scrape your carcass off the ground.”

  The fuzzy little shit resembled a hybrid between a cat and a dragon. The species name didn’t have an English translation but pretty much meant little dragon. They were pains in the ass that some of us on this side of the veil allowed to hang around. I supposed Nika could be considered a pet, but I saw her as more of a careless roommate that never contributed or cleaned.

  She eyed me curiously for a moment, tilting her furry dragon head, twitching long ears that tapered into points. The tail that swished about behind her was striped with purple and green scales, the tip a puff of black fur. Feathered wings helped her leap gracefully to the balcony floor. About as big as a medium sized dog, Nika wasn’t a strong flyer, more of a glider.

  Winding around my legs, she let out a croaky bark that didn’t sound quite like any animal earth side. Absently I bent to scratch her behind an ear before following her back into the apartment.

  The Circle of the Veil had spared no expense. My apartment was a luxury penthouse in the top of a highly sought location. Not that I got to spend much time in it. But when I did have a few minutes to myself, it was nice to have them in a place like this.

  I followed Nika to the fireplace. She stared blankly at it until I snapped my fingers, igniting the flames. Then without so much as a nod of thanks, the ungrateful shit curled up on the blanket in front of the hearth and nodded off.

  “Must be nice not to have a care in the world,” I muttered, considering another cold shower.

  Since I’d left the library and Blaze within in, I’d kicked myself endlessly. Not just for leaving her there yearning with a hunger I’d forced upon her but for letting any of it happen in the first place.

  Of all the women, it had to be one under my authority. I was forbidden to touch her. Which might very well explain why I wanted to touch her so fucking much. I’d been with thousands of women. Hundreds of thousands. I’d never counted since, as an incubus, such a feat would have been futile.

  My fall into darkness had come with a price. There was always a price, and thus was mine: to fuel my power from the sexual desire of my lovers while leaving them hopelessly and helplessly addicted. It proved a great way to ensure I had a steady stream of lust-charged women to meet my every need.

  Every need except one. Though whether or not love was a need for my kind was arguable. How could anyone love someone who enslaved them with lust? Addicted they only craved me more with every touch.

  I didn’t know shit about love, but I knew that wasn’t it. Turning Blaze into a lust-smitten incubus junkie would ruin everything that made her so damn tempting. And if I thought she resented me now, she would downright hate me with every fiber of her being if I let things get any worse.

  Rayne had probably stepped in and fucked her raw, giving her everything I so badly wished I could. The very thought had me throwing a fist at my bedroom wall as I stormed in and slammed the door shut.

  The spacious room felt like a vast and barren landscape, lacking the draw it once had. I strode past the giant bed covered in puffy black feather-filled blankets and into the attached bathroom. Cranking the water on cold, I disrobed and stepped beneath the icy spray.

  A cold shower to relieve my burning desire had to be just about the stupidest fucking thing I’d ever heard. Leave it to humans to convince themselves that freezing your nether regions would quell a hunger that burned from the inside out.

  Because I wasn’t a fucking insipid human, I turned the tap back toward hot and fisted my cock. For the third time since I’d come home, I jerked off to Blaze. Her upper lip curved softly, and she gnawed at it when she grew frustrated. W
hen she sassed me and knew she’d get away with it, she laughed so brightly. But mostly, I just thought about the way she’d looked at me before I left: blue eyes rife with anguish and desire, pleading for me to take her the way I wanted.

  I’d never maintained a relationship with any lover long enough to grow attached. I didn’t want any emotional link to someone who wanted me for my incubus touch. Blaze wasn’t even my lover, and I still couldn’t get her out of my head. As long as we were both at Mayhem House, there was no walking away from her. I couldn’t keep my distance to cut us both off.

  Why did I care about the feisty redhead who was so quick to call me on my bullshit? How the hell had she managed to get so close without me noticing? And there I was, begging her to let me get even closer like a raging idiot.

  She was right not to trust me.

  Getting too close would only hurt her, in more ways than one. But if I didn’t find out what it felt like to be inside her pretty damn soon, I might just lose my fucking mind.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  I’d never been to The Cat’s Claw, but Tavi insisted that it was the only place in the city worth drinking at. Needing to surround myself with estrogen after the previous night’s debauchery, I’d jumped on Dalyn’s idea to go out for a girls’ night. Tavi hadn’t been quite as enthusiastic, but she grumbled something about coming along only if she could choose where we went. So here we were, listening to the raucous music from a local band called Sacred Stone and drinking in a bar that occupied the end unit of a strip mall.

  Well, Dalyn and Tavi were drinking; I busied myself with taking stock of our fellow patrons. Most were early twenty-somethings drinking as much as their human bodies could consume before they vomited and blacked out. No fanged or furred types among the crowd, aside from us.

  Nobody looked like a Fed either, although someone undercover wouldn’t be obvious. Maybe I was paranoid. This Mayhem Task Force shit had gotten inside my head. I’d been here a month, and already I could barely recall my life before.