Chapter 7
JASPER
Shit. What the fuck was I doing? Not only did I nearly kiss her, I nearly fed off her. It wasn’t even that long since I’d fed; I’d gone a week without feeding before and never lost control like I just did. What must she think of me? No wonder she wanted to run away from me. I ran out of the house and breathed the cold night air deep into my lungs. Over and over I gulped down the air, letting the cool sensation burn through my veins. I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration.
How could I be so stupid?
I started pacing up and down in front of the house and I had to fight the urge to run away and put as much distance between us as possible. She scared the living daylights out of me. The way she could just get under my skin and pull the beast to the surface was fucking terrifying. It seemed every part of me wanted her; even the dark, twisted parts of me wanted a taste.
Fuck. I needed to calm down. Everything about me was erratic and I felt on edge, like I needed to punch something. I groaned. Probably myself for being such an asshole.
I needed to go back and apologise. I needed to make sure she was ok or at least make sure she hadn’t run off again. Although I wouldn’t blame her if she had. I went back into the house and up the stairs, halting outside the bathroom door. I rested my head against the door and just listened.
I could hear her breathing steadily. She sounded ok, but to make sure, I reached out with my mind to see what she was thinking. Vampires had great powers when it came to the mind. We had compulsion to make people do what we wanted, but we could also join our minds with someone else to see what they were thinking. It worked better on some people than others. Sometimes you just got a sense of emotion, but the best connections gave you images and sounds. I wasn’t holding out much hope for my connection with Lori since she was able to resist compulsion but I just wanted to make sure she was alright. I knew it worked because I’d been able to calm her down a few times, but I just didn’t know how receptive she’d be to me poking around in her thoughts.
I closed my eyes and focused on Lori. I listened to her breathe and reached out to her. She pulled me into her thoughts without much effort at all. I caught flashes of her journey here, the fear she felt and the uncertainty over what would happen to her. Then an image of my lips against hers flashed in her mind so unexpectedly and with such vividness and clarity that it disorientated me. Her arousal was so intense it forced me out of the connection to her mind.
I stumbled backwards, breathing heavily and trying to understand what I’d just seen. I’d never had such a strong connection to anyone before, never been able to see images with such definition or accompanied by such strong emotions. Was it because she was not entirely human that everything about her was so intense? Or was it just her reaction to me? I couldn't figure it out, couldn't make sense of any of it, I didn't even really know what ‘it’ was.
Fuck. This was starting to spiral out of control.
I just needed to keep a distance, keep everything professional and avoid touching her at all costs. Yes, that was what I needed to do, just steer clear of all forms of interaction and I'm sure we'd both survive. I needed to get her back to the Conclave in one piece and we would arrive tomorrow by sundown. The Conclave was a safe haven for vampires and other creatures but it wasn’t easy to get to unless you knew where it was. It was called a conclave, but it was really set out like a small village. There were numerous buildings there, including Blackstone Castle where the Circle lived and the base that the Elite operated out of. It was a self-sufficient world hidden from prying eyes by dark magic and, for better or worse, it was my home. It was also the only place that Lori would be safe. My orders were to get her back to the Conclave alive and hand her over to the Circle. Before I started the mission, it seemed easy enough, but Lori seemed to have an uncanny way of complicating things drastically.
What was she? I hadn’t been told much about her other than the fact that she was supposedly part of the trio from the prophecy and that she wasn’t entirely human. Judging by her constant questioning, she had no idea who she really was or the destiny that had been forged for her. It wasn’t my place to tell her; I was going to leave that up to De Santis. I had a sneaking suspicion that there was more to his involvement in this than met the eye. I wondered if he was her father. It was rare for vampires to sire children with other species but it wasn’t unheard of.
I snarled at the thought. De Santis was the least fatherly person I knew. He was cold, reserved and ruthless; great qualities for a vampire, not so much for a parent.
I looked at the closed door in front of me again and suddenly felt sorry for the girl. She had been thrust into a world she had no understanding of, and I knew that it was only going to get worse for her.
I needed to get away from her. I was starting to care, and it wasn’t my place to care.
With one last look at the door, I returned downstairs and threw myself headlong into ensuring the next stage of the journey would go as planned. I pulled out the map and memorized various routes to the Conclave. I wanted to be prepared in case we had to avoid something or someone. Whilst there wasn’t much ground left to cover, I did worry that we were going to meet with trouble on the way. She had already been attacked once and I had every suspicion that much worse would be coming our way.
I picked up my phone and decided to check in with my team. I wanted to see if they had any intelligence on the groups trying to get Lori. Any new information might push me to a particular route, and I needed an update on which safe houses were stocked in case I needed to stop and feed. I had never before lost my grip on my hunger like I had with Lori in the bathroom earlier. It concerned me that something about her reduced me to my basic primal functions. Even thinking about her now sent bloodlust firing through my system and the beast in me growled with desire as I thought about the delicious scent of her blood I smelt earlier.
She’s just upstairs. You could just go and feed from her.
Without even thinking about it, my hearing zoned in on her heartbeat. The dull thud called to me. I listened to the melody of her heart, slow and soft beats pumping all that blood around her body. How I longed to taste her, to feel her writhing beneath me as I sank my fangs into the soft flesh of her neck, to hear her moans as she…
“Jasper, everything ok?” Alec’s voice coming through the phone snapped me out of my trance, and I stared at the door to Lori’s room. I had walked to the top of the stairs and not even noticed I’d moved. This was bad.
Really fucking bad.
“Not like you to ring in when you're on a job.” Alec sounded concerned. I never usually made contact with the team unless something disastrous occurred. I quickly made my way back downstairs and tried to remember why I had called in the first place.
“Normally I wouldn't ring in, but I wanted to see if there was any further intelligence on the people trying to capture Miss Monroe. Have you heard anything?” I asked whilst firmly shutting the door behind me and barricading myself in the room. I wasn’t about to lose myself to bloodlust again.
“No, nothing new to pass on, I’m afraid. Cassian is still trying to get information out of the Circle’s staff, but we haven’t uncovered anything yet. We’ve been tracking the financials of the three thugs who attacked Miss Monroe but not been able to find the source of the money yet. Whoever this guy is, he’s good.”
Cassian was the best at getting information out of anyone. It made my stomach churn at some of the methods he used, but if he was failing to find anything out, whoever wanted Lori was hiding really fucking well.
“Dammit,” I snapped.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Alec asked. “You sound a bit grumpy there, Farrow.”
“I’m fine,” I ground out, “but I think I might have to make an unscheduled stop.”
“Why? What's happened?” he asked, clearly anxious. I paused, not quite sure how to tell him what was going on with me without sounding like a complete idiot.
“Jasper,” Alec prompted. I rubbed my hand over my face. I had best get it over with.
“I might need to stop and feed,” I felt embarrassed. I never usually had to stop, and Alec knew this. He would know instantly that something was wrong.
“What do you mean? Are you injured?”
“No, nothing like that. It's Lori, I mean, Miss Monroe. There's something about her that is making things...” I faltered, trying to think of the right way to say how much trouble I was in, “difficult for me.”
Alec chuckled on the other end of the line which made me scowl.
“It's no laughing matter, Alec.”
“I don't mean to laugh, but I don't think I have ever heard of you actually liking someone. Hell, I don't think you even really like me.” I could hear the mirth laced through Alec's voice. I don't know how he found all this amusing. I certainly didn't.
I snarled at him down the phone. “I don't like her; she is annoying and stubborn and wants to run away all the time.”
Alec laughed at me again, “You're an idiot. I think you have been closed off for so long you've forgotten what it's like to actually want something other than death.”
I rolled my eyes; Alec was always trying to talk me out of seeking the True Death. It was like a game between us now. He’d think of a reason for me to keep living and I’d tell him to fuck off.
“Look Alec, I only called in to say I might be delayed, not to get psychoanalysed by you,” I snapped at him.
“Fine, I'll tell the team. And Jasper, I say this as a true friend, be nice to her and don't be a dick.”
I merely grunted in response and hung up the phone. I resisted the urge to throw the phone across the room. Who does he think he is? He doesn't know me or how I think. Dammit, I cursed the day I met Lori Monroe. She seemed to be more trouble than she was worth.
Chapter 8
LORI
Sleep wouldn't come to me. I tossed and turned but I couldn't get comfy. I was in a strange place, a strange bed and just surrounded by strange goings-on. But that wasn't even the worst of it. No, the worst thing was the sheer loneliness that sat heavily in my stomach. Everything I thought I knew about the world was wrong and I had no one to turn to apart from a standoffish arrogant asshole who refused to even speak to me.
He was such a jackass. He was overbearing, far too demanding, and yet I still wanted to see what he tasted like. Still wanted to see what was hiding under his shirt. He’d felt so firm beneath me when he carried me back to the cottage earlier. And when he’d pulled me against the length of him in the bathroom, I had yearned to touch every inch of him.
I had never been so affected by a man like this before. Don't get me wrong, I'd dated a few guys but never really found anything serious apart from one guy who turned out to be a total douchebag. His name was Simon and I caught him with his dick in a hooker when I came home early from work. I sure surprised him alright, what a prick.
But Jasper, he made all those guys I'd dated seem inconsequential, insignificant. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was that kept pulling me to him. It was like I had no control over any of my actions. When I'm in front of him and he's looking at me with those wickedly beautiful blue eyes every single fibre of my being just screams out for him and the intensity of it makes my knees weak and my heart flutter. Was it that feeling of dangerous curiosity that incited me to act like an idiot around him? That continuously made me want to piss him off just to see how far I could push him? Perhaps I was drawn to the danger of him; I liked the idea of being held captive by him.
I rolled over and punched my pillow in frustration. Why was I even lusting after a vampire? I should be trying to escape at every opportunity, not imagining how his rock-hard abs would feel beneath my fingertips. Shit. Was I developing Stockholm Syndrome?
That settled it. I was not lying there like a damsel in distress. I was going to get some answers whether Jasper liked it or not. I had every right to know why I was in a cottage in the middle of nowhere instead of in my own god-damn bed.
I stormed down the hallway and shouted for Jasper.
“What is it? Is something wrong?" I heard from downstairs. I followed the direction of his voice and found Jasper in the kitchen. I hadn’t been in the kitchen yet. It was small but functional, with everything there you would need. As far as safe houses went, this one seemed pretty good. Not that I was an expert in them or anything, but I just imagined them to be sparse and dingy but this one was cosy and felt almost like a home.
My eyes found the vampire and the room felt smaller still, his large frame filling the room as he hunched over the table studying some maps and papers. No doubt they were important, but dammit, I was important too.
“Yes, Jasper, something is wrong.” His head snapped up as he turned his body to face me, worry forcing his body into action. He took a step towards me but stopped abruptly. His eyes met mine and I watched as his gaze travelled down my body. Suddenly, I became all too aware of the fact that I was in a short lace nightie which left very little to the imagination. I would have put my pyjamas back on, but they were ruined from rolling around on the forest floor earlier and I didn’t pack my own bag. This seemed to be the only item of sleepwear that Mr Tall-Dark-and-Brooding packed.
“My eyes are up here buddy,” I said curtly.
“Forgive me, your négligée is very distracting,” he replied gruffly, folding his arms over his chest and leaning back against the table.
“Right, well... um...” I trailed off, momentarily forgetting what I came downstairs for. Instinctively, I pressed my thighs together as I felt my body start to hum under his gaze. I gave myself a mental shake and took back control of my body.
“I demand to know who is attacking me and why.” I said it as fast as I could, so I'd get the words out before I lost my nerve. Jasper just looked at me and raised his eyebrow. “I think I have a right to know,” I said with more confidence than I actually felt.
“I cannot tell you, Lori, so don't ask me.” He huffed out a breath in exasperation, but a hint of amusement played at the corner of his mouth. He was infuriating; how did he find this amusing? He made me want to stamp my feet like a child throwing a tantrum. I was letting him get under my skin and distract me from what I wanted to find out. I’d come down here with purpose and I needed to know something. Anything to just help me feel better about this whole situation.
“Can't or won't?”
“I don't care. Pick one,” he replied, turning away from me and looking back at the map on the kitchen table.
Who stuck that poker up his butt? I strode over to him and grabbed his arm, trying to manoeuvre him back to face me but he just brushed me off in annoyance.
“Go back to bed,” he said without even looking at me.
“Hey! You don't get to treat me like this.” I started to hit his arm, trying to get his attention, but he wouldn’t look at me. This was ridiculous. I pushed at him, slapped his arm, but he was solid as a rock. He wouldn’t budge and he wouldn’t take his eyes off the map in front of him. It was like I wasn’t even there.
I looked down at the map on the table and decided it needed to go. With a scream of frustration, I swept the paperwork off the table. It went flying across the room, crashing to the floor in a mess. After I gained control of my anger, it was only then that I became aware of the deadly silence behind me.
Jasper wasn’t making a single sound.
This time when I turned back to look at him, I felt the full force of his intense gaze. His arms were folded across his broad chest and if looks could kill, I would definitely be in an early grave. Yikes, maybe I had pushed him a step too far.
“Don't try my patience,” Jasper whispered menacingly.
Yep, I had definitely pushed him too far. Oops.
Standing right in front of me, he leaned down and placed one hand either side of my thighs, caging me in between his large frame and the table. I gripped the edge to support myself, my knuckles turning white as fear coursed through my veins.
He was so close to me. So very close. His hands and lips a mere whisper away from touching me. His breath was hot against my cheek and his eyes burned into mine with a stare that had my toes curling. I was suddenly aware that I was very much the prey in this situation. I had nowhere to run, not that I wanted to. Curiosity roared through me with the urge to just keep pushing him. I wanted to see what he would do when he finally snapped.
“I haven't fed, and I am so hungry. If you’re not careful, I might just decide to rip your pretty little throat out and feast on your blood as it runs down here.” Using his finger, he trailed a path from the base of my throat to the valley of my breasts. Jasper smiled at me, showing me his fangs in his predatory grin. He was letting me know he was ready to pounce, that he was merely toying with me for his own amusement. He started to lightly trace his finger over the tops of my breasts, and I felt that gentle touch everywhere. My heart pounded in my chest. Adrenaline rushed through me and that feeling of curiosity burned through my veins. I couldn’t resist its call. I was powerless to stop myself. A look of fear flashed across Jasper’s face, as if he saw something in me that scared even the monster.
I didn’t care. I wanted the monster. I wanted to taste it. I wanted to see Jasper lose his grip on his own control like I was. I could hear my heart beating in my ears like the sound of a thousand drums. It spurred me on, drove me closer to Jasper and without realizing it, I was leaning forward. Before he got a chance to pull away from me, I pressed my lips against his.
To Crave Darkly: Trials Of A Morta: Book One Page 5
