Loved by the Vampires

by ERIN BEDFORD

  "Hold up, Huss. The boss wants him alive to question him. If you kill him now, we lose any chance of finding the others."

  "Don't you think I know that?" Huss, I assumed, snarled. The room dimmed, my eyes too swollen to see clearly. "It's immortal. It won't die from a little beating." Huss paused and then asked in a low voice, "Or would you rather take its place?"

  The man swallowed thickly, and stuttered out, "N-No. No, sir."

  "Then why don't you go fuck off, I have work to do." Several of the men laughed at Huss's words before he turned back to me.

  The man who'd stopped him didn't speak again as Huss and the others kicked and punched me. Spouting insults and literally spitting on me. Some part of me, the part that still thought he was a knight of God's army believed I deserved this. I was a monster. A creature of darkness and death. This was God's punishment for letting myself go astray. I deserved everything they gave me and more.

  Please. Kill me. End this eternity and keep Piper safe.

  I had no doubt that she wouldn't leave me here to die. She would do everything in her power to save me, and I couldn't let her. I wouldn't snuff her light out to save my cursed one. She deserved more than that.

  They'd unchained me to get better access to my softer body parts. By the time they were done with me, I was a quivering, aching mass of flesh. I couldn't even lift my head to antagonize them to finish the job.

  Huss dropped down to my level, his fingers digging into my skin as he grabbed me by the back of the neck. "Not so tough now, huh? Stick around," he breathed in my face, "we're just getting started." He released me without warning and my face smacked against the concrete beneath me. The sound of their booted feet leaving lulled me into the darkness where I hoped to stay.

  I didn't dream. I was too beaten and starved to have the energy to conjure up any kind of subconscious thought. Though, I thought I was dreaming when I heard the door at the top of the stairs open and a soft set of steps came down to stop before me.

  "Oh, Marcus." Piper's soft voice filled my ears and I tried to force myself awake.

  No. No. She couldn't be here. She needed to go. To leave before they caught her.

  Soft hands touched my face, making me wince. "Oh, I'm sorry, but I need to clean you up," Piper explained, as she pushed me over onto my back. "I don't have a lot of time. The others went to some big speaking event with the president. Can you believe they treat this guy like he's the actual leader of the country rather than their little world?" she scoffed and shook her head.

  "G-Go." I coughed out the word, trying to get her to leave. If they caught her here, they'd do worse to her than to me.

  Piper, the stubborn woman, huffed and pulled a plastic container out. A wrapper crinkled as she messed with it before something cold and stinging touched the bloody split in my lip. She wiped gently over my face. Every place she touched burned, but just her presence was a balm on my soul which was far more damaged than my body.

  "They really beat the crap out of you, huh?" Piper murmured, more to herself than to me. I sagged on the ground, letting her do what she willed, regardless of it being pointless. I'd die at the end of all this, and I just wanted to do so without killing her or my brothers in the process.

  She leaned back on her heels and sighed. "This isn't working. You've lost too much blood and I can't imagine they're feeding you." Piper shifted around, muttering to herself. When her weight settled on my hips, my eyes widened. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm not going to ravish you in this state." My lips twitched, but it hurt too much to smile. "You need blood. I'm going to give it to you."

  I shook my head, or tried to. While my body wanted to push her away, my fangs pulsated at the thought of sinking into Piper's tender flesh. She was right. I needed blood, but the problem was I wasn't sure once I started, I'd be able to stop.

  Piper, sensing my distress, stared down at me with a soft smile as she pulled her blonde hair to the side. "Don't worry. I trust you. I'll make you stop."

  With strength I didn't think she had, Piper dipped her arm under me and lifted my torso up to meet her. She pressed my face to her neck. I wished I could say I had the strength to pull away, to tell her no and die in peace, but if I had proven anything in my long, immortal life, it was that I didn't have the strength to deny anyone anything. Least of all her.

  The pulse in her neck teased and taunted me, making my fangs push at the back of my lips. My mouth opened on its own accord, and before I could give her any warning of the pain that would come with the action, my fangs sank into her. Sweet, sweet nectar of life spilled into my mouth. Piper cried out slightly but didn't pull back from me. Not that I would have let her anyway. Just that single drop of blood was enough for my body to go into survival mode. One arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to me as the other held onto her head. Piper no longer needed to hold me up, my strength returning and my wounds healing with each sip of her glorious life force.

  Her body pressed to mine, the soft curves of her form pushing up against my chest and hips. It was no wonder my body woke up enough to harden my cock beneath her. A small moan came from her throat and her thighs squeezed my hips, startling me enough to pull back from her neck, staring down at her enraptured expression.

  Piper's eyes were closed, her head thrown back, and her mouth gaping in an O shape. It almost seemed like she enjoyed my bite. Which was ridiculous. I was near starved to death and I couldn't have been gentle with her, but when I scented the air it was there, the telltale hint of arousal mixed in with her normal scent.

  "Why'd you stop?" Piper's almond-colored eyes blinked up at me. "Did you get enough?"

  I swallowed and grunted, nodding stiffly. "Yes. Thank you." After a long awkward moment, I added, "You should get out of here."

  "Yeah, give me a second." Piper licked her lips and shifted in my lap. I forced myself not to react to the brush of her heat against my length. It had been so long since I'd found myself aroused by anyone. Least of all in a situation like this one. Piper had surprised me in more than one way in the time I'd known her. That my body wanted her even now shouldn't really shock me.

  Her hands went to her neck and it came away red, blood still trickling from the bite wound. "Do you think you could...you know?" She angled her head to the side, giving me a clear view of where I'd bitten her. I'd really gone to town on her neck and my asshole of a self didn't even heal her properly.

  "Of course." I ducked my head and my tongue dipped out, sliding over her skin as I lapped up the escaping blood. Piper's fingers curled into my shirt at the sides, and her hips jerked against mine. I licked and lapped at her neck until it was completely healed, but didn't move away just yet. Having sated the hunger in my stomach, another hunger came alive. My hands sank to her hips, pulling her against me with a grunt as I continued to press my tongue to her skin.

  Piper's hips swirled on top of me, but then she seemed to catch herself, pulling away from me. "I think it's healed now. Thank you."

  Reluctantly, I lifted my head from her neck. Our faces hovered close to one another, the minty scent of her breath meeting my nose, making me self-conscious of the blood that no doubt covered my face and saturated my breath. I shifted to pull away, but a hand touched the back of my head and my brows rose in question.

  Piper stared at my lips, a curious expression on her face. "Can I just...try something?"

  My head jerked in agreement, but I didn't move as she leaned forward. Her mouth captured my bottom lip, suckling the taste of herself from my skin. My cock jumped in my pants as I fought for control. Piper's tongue, wet and warm, slid over my lips and then burrowed into my mouth.

  This wasn't the time or place for this. The hunters could be coming down here at any moment to question me, and they'd see Piper had healed me and it would put her in further danger. However, the feel of her mouth on mine was too much to ignore.

  I flipped us so she was beneath me on the ground and took control of the kiss. My hips thrust against her core and a
startled moan slid from her throat. I swallowed it down as my tongue searched every crevice of her mouth, tasting her, memorizing every inch of her. If I was going to die soon, I wanted to die with the taste of her in my mouth and a smile on my face.

  Piper pulled back to breathe, but it only caused me to drop my mouth to the exposed skin of the low neckline she wore. I grazed my fangs against one mound, making Piper hiss as I broke then skin and then lapped it up.

  "Marcus," she groaned, her hands tangled in my hair. "We can't. We're gonna get caught."

  I paused long enough to cock my head to the side, listening to the sounds from above. "There's no one in the house. At least not inside." I turned a wicked grin back on her, pushing my hips against her core. "We can." I hesitated for a moment, a thought coming to me. "I mean, if you want to."

  Piper blinked up at me. "I do...I do...it's just you're still healing, and these leather pants weren't the easiest to get on."

  I stared down at her for a long moment and then threw my head back and laughed. Leaning down, I murmured, "Then why don't we move this somewhere more...not here." Backing away from her, I stood up and offered her a hand. "How about it? Ready for a jailbreak?"

  Chapter 10

  Piper

  I worried the whole day about him and almost gave myself away several times with Tristan and numerous other hunters who thought it would be a good idea to get to know the new girl.

  When I heard they were going to interrogate the prisoner, I practically died in my seat. I didn't have to be there to know they were going to hurt him. However, if I was down there, I didn't trust myself not to throw myself between him and them. So, I sat upstairs while Tristan and his friend regaled me with their latest hunt, all while my stomach rolled and my mind whirled at what they could be doing to him.

  The group of hunters came back up shortly after. It had taken everything in me not to rush down to the basement and check on him. He must have been hurting, not to mention starving. I forced myself to sit there until Tristan and the others announced it was time to go see the president.

  When they headed for the front door and not to some other part of the manor, I frowned. "Where are we going?"

  "The president loves to have a crowd for his talks. He can't do that here in the manor since we have most of it full of weapons and other equipment." Tristan bent low, his hand touching my back. He'd gotten a little more handsy since we first went to see Marcus. I wasn't sure if he thought I was softer than I looked and now it was okay to come on to me, but I didn't like it.

  "So we're going outside?" My eyes narrowed on the dim light coming through the windows. It was almost dusk now, and I wanted to check on Marcus when it was fully dark. If I was going to get him out of here, I had to do it soon. I didn't have much of a plan after that, but I'd have to figure it out along the way.

  "We have an auditorium built in the back of the manor for this very reason." Tristan chuckled at my appalled expression. "I know, it seems like a lot for one guy, but what can you do? He's the boss."

  I hummed, keeping my opinion to myself.

  If they put this much effort into keeping their leader happy, I didn't know how they ever thought for themselves. The longer I stayed in the vampire hunters’ base, the more I felt like they were just one big hive with a single common goal—kill all vampires and anyone associated with vampires.

  It made me really happy they hadn't killed Gretchen. Though, now I was more worried about why they had spared her over if it was actually part of their rules. I needed to find time to read over that handbook before I got much further into this.

  Following the horde of hunters out of the manor, I began to concoct a plan. While they were busying bowing down or taking shots of his greatness, whatever the hunters did to get riled up, I'd go save Marcus. It'd be tricky, because if they caught me leaving with him, then not only would he be taken once more but my cover would be blown.

  There were far more hunters here than I thought before. Most of the hunters must have been out in the field because the auditorium area, which had to seat at least a hundred, was filled to the brim. I took a chair in the back with Tristan, content to watch the others than to be up close and personal with their president. Who knew if this guy could tell I wasn't the real deal or not?

  "Isn't this exciting? We're going to get to see him," a female hunter in the row in front of us squealed, her hands clasped together in front of her. It was really peculiar to hear a bloodthirsty vampire hunter fangirling so hard over their president. It wasn't like he was the real president or even anyone famous.

  Tristan snorted next to me. "They act like the man has a thrall of his own with the way the women carry on about President Vincent." He shook his head, but there was a sense of excitement coming off him that he couldn't hide from me.

  I grunted in agreement, sort of curious now to see what this President Vincent looked like. If they were this hyped up for him, then there had to be something extraordinary about him. However, while I wanted to see the man in question, I had to take this chance to get Marcus out. Since all the hunters were going to be enthralled, as Tristan said, with this Vincent person, this might be my one and only chance to get him out.

  "I'll be back," I murmured to Tristan. "I want to get a better look."

  Tristan sighed but didn't stop me as the crowd of hunters roared and someone stepped out of the side of the stage. While everyone's eyes were forward, I darted the opposite way of the platform and backtracked up the stairs and toward the manor.

  The clapping and screaming for President Vincent almost drowned out the pounding of my pulse in my ears. I couldn't waste this chance. I had to get Marcus out of here.

  I hadn't expected to take things as far as we did. I knew he was going to need blood and was fully prepared to donate to the cause. I didn't know if it was because I was a human servant now or maybe my hormones were all out of whack still, something I'd have to ask Darren about later, but Marcus's fangs in my neck hadn't hurt as much as I’d expected. It actually felt sort of good. Then, there was the grinding and I didn’t know what exactly came over me, but for some reason kissing Marcus seemed like the logical thing to do.

  "How about it? Ready for a jailbreak?" The way Marcus looked at me made my toes curl and my panties liquefy. I never thought this stoic man could turn me on so much, but now that he had, it’s like something inside him had changed. Or maybe he was blood drunk and that made him less reserved with his words.

  "Hold up, back up now." I held my hands up and shook my head. "I'm all for getting out of here, but I still have a job to do."

  Marcus's brows furrowed. "You didn't come here to save me?"

  The disappointment on his face was so adorable, I really hated to burst his bubble.

  When I saw Marcus down here, I thought part of me would be relieved that it wasn't one of the other guys, but it tore me up inside so much that I almost said fuck it and tried to save him right then and there with Tristan beside me. However, I knew there were tons of hunters above at the moment, and I wouldn't make it out of the basement, let alone the whole manor.

  "Sorry, but no." I glanced toward the door and then back to Marcus. "I'm here on my own. I just found out they had caught one of you guys yesterday. You're lucky I was already in here to help you out or you'd be dust on the floor by now."

  Marcus frowned. "Does Antoine know you're here?"

  I arched a brow. "What do you think?"

  Shaking his head, he gave me one of his rare smiles. "He's going to kill you, and me for that matter. Come on, we got to get out of here." He grabbed my elbow, but I pulled away from him.

  "No. I can't leave." I pushed at Marcus. "You have to leave. If I leave, they'll think I had a hand in it and ruin the whole point of this."

  "If you come with us, then it won't matter if they know," he argued with a growl. His head tipped up toward the ceiling. "There's movement up above. We have to go. Now."

  I pulled my daggers free, leaning back into a fighting stance.
"I said, no. I'm going to do what I came here to do. You go. I'll think of something." I chewed on my lower lip for a second, and then without warning, I slashed out with my blade, slicing Marcus on the arm. "Bite me," I urged him when I, too, heard voices.

  "What? I don't think this is the time."

  "Ugh, I don't mean like that. Just bite and run. That way they think you attacked me. If they find me here unharmed and you gone, they'll know I did it." I leaned my head to the side and stepped up to him. "Hurry, now."

  Marcus gave me an unsure look. I was pretty sure he was regretting that kiss now, but he did as I asked. As quick as lightning, he struck my neck, biting me but not taking any more blood. With a brief caress of my cheek, he murmured, "Antoine really is going to kill me now," before he disappeared up the stairs.

  There was a startled sound above, but there must not have been many hunters up there because there wasn't much of a struggle. Ignoring what was going on upstairs, since Marcus could handle it from here, I used my daggers to tear the sleeve of my shirt and dug into the bite to make some of the blood trickle out. Throwing one dagger across the room, I dropped to my knees and eased down onto my front, chucking my other dagger a few feet away so it looked like I'd been trying for it.

  The door to the basement burst open and the pounding of feet made me close my eyes and relax onto the ground. I played dead like my life depended on it, which it did.

  "Fuck!" a growling voice yelled as they came down the last few steps to where I lay. "Vincent’s going to kick our asses."

  A hand touched my back and I groaned. "Hey, she's alive!" the person above me called to their companion. They rolled me over and looked me over. "Looks like he didn't take that much blood from her."

  "What was she doing down here?" the other voice asked with a hint of disbelief and annoyance.

  "Doesn't matter, we better get her to the infirmary before she bleeds out," the first guy said before arms slipped beneath me, picking me up. The person holding me smelled like salami and goat cheese, a toxic combination that made me hold my breath.