To Crave Darkly: Trials Of A Morta: Book One

by Bailey Grayson

  I brought my hands away from the table edge and tangled them in his hair. I traced his lips with my tongue wanting to deepen the kiss between us. He growled as he relented to me and let me enter, meeting my tongue with his. It was a bruising kiss, all lips and teeth. His mouth was hot and wet, and I could feel every stroke of his tongue throughout my whole body. I wrapped my legs around his waist pulling him closer towards me and his desire pressed against the apex of my thighs. A stinging sensation slid across one side of my tongue as I caught it against one of Jasper’s fangs. A ragged moan rumbled from deep in his chest and I felt it reverberate deliciously all the way up my spine. My body clenched with need.

  He trailed his lips along my jaw as he pushed me down onto the table and pinned me to the surface with his weight. He captured my wrists in one of his large hands, restraining them above my head. His lips caressed my neck. The burn of them against my skin caused goose bumps to rise over my flesh and heat to pool between my thighs.

  Jasper captured my jaw in his free hand and forced me to look at him.

  “You taste like nothing I’ve ever had before.” His voice was gravelly, harsher than I had heard before, but it was still sinful and made my body crave him desperately. “One drop just isn’t going to be enough.”

  Wait, what?

  Jasper snapped my head to the side and licked his tongue up the column of my neck. I had to fight the shiver of desire as I realized I had surrendered myself to him. I was completely pinned beneath him, unable to move my arms or legs.

  I was utterly at his mercy.

  The icy hands of fear clawed their way through me, removing all traces of desire and leaving my limbs heavy with dread. I had pushed him too far and now I was going to pay the price. Now, he was going to drain me dry.

  Jasper placed an open-mouthed kiss on the side of my neck, a tear escaped from my eyes as I felt the tips of his fangs scrape along the delicate skin.

  Come on, Lori! Do something! I shouted at myself. I couldn’t let myself die here, on a kitchen table that was miles away from home, beneath a vampire who had been a pain in my ass since day one. That was no way to end a life.

  With a renewed determination, I started to buck against him. If I could just get my knees to his chest, I could push him away. I wriggled and tried to pull my neck away from him. I could hear him growl as he tried to subdue me, but I wasn’t giving up. Fear and adrenaline gave me the strength I needed to try and break free. I channelled it into my actions, and I became aware of a low hum buzzing in the air around me.

  The hairs on my arms stood on end as I felt static electricity crackle in the air around me. Oh God. It was happening again. Everything was churning through me, rumbling through my veins like an explosion waiting to happen. The buzzing grew louder and louder and all the fear, desire, rage and determination mixed chaotically through my system.

  Until… I exploded.

  A scream was wrenched from me with such force that my back arched from the table. Power like I’d never felt before surged through my body. I burned from the inside out. The buzzing intensified and the sound of lightbulbs popping filled the room.

  Then there was nothing but silence and darkness.

  What. The. Actual. Fuck.

  Gingerly, I sat up rubbing my wrists and neck, checking for injuries. Automatically, my eyes looked for Jasper. Was he ok? Had I hurt him? My eyes adapted to the darkness quickly and I located Jasper. He was on the opposite side of the room with his back flush against the wall, like he was trying to put as much distance between us as possible. I could tell his eyes were focused on me, even though it was pitch black. I could feel his stare on me like a lead weight baring me down. It was uncomfortable.

  “Jasper?” I whispered.

  I watched as he tried to get control of himself, his hands clenching and unclenching. I could tell the moment his eyes went from solid black back to the piercing blue. The blue seemed to shimmer with an unnatural light in the darkness. It was ethereal and reminded me how far from human he was. I realized I'd just witnessed his darker side being put back in its cage. It was captivating and terrifying and magnificent all at once.

  He stood there, emanating so much raw power and energy that the air was full of it. I didn’t know how long we stood there, our gazes locked, both of us stilled by the other. Both of us waiting for the other to speak. I couldn't stand the silence or the tension.

  “Jasper, I...” I whispered, just barely breaking the silent void that lingered between us.

  “Don't,” he replied, holding his hand up to silence me and keep me away. “Just don't.”

  “But...”

  “Get out!” he yelled, rage twisting his beautiful face into something that would haunt me forever. “Get away from me!”

  I pushed away from the table and walked over to him. I didn’t understand what I had just done. I didn’t understand what that power was or what it meant. I knew the only person I could ask about it was Jasper, but as I looked at him and saw the shame and disappointment carved into the lines of his face, I knew the only thing I wanted to do was comfort him. Which was an odd feeling, to say the least. Why I wanted to do that after he’d just very nearly ripped me apart, I had no idea. But I’d think about that later. Right now something within me yearned to help him.

  “Jasper, look at me.”

  “I can't,” he said quietly.

  “Why not?” I demanded softly.

  Jasper sighed deeply. “Because I still want to devour you.” Jasper closed his eyes and I could see the anguish on his face, see the torment and conflict in the grim set of his mouth.

  “I'm sorry,” I said before running as fast as my legs would take me. I ran all the way to my room and locked the door behind me. I knew it wouldn’t stop him if he decided to break it down but it sure as hell made me feel a bit safer.

  I sank to the floor in a heap. Holy shit, what was that about? One minute we were enjoying a mouth-wateringly good kiss and the next he was trying to kill me. And then there was the buzzing and then I’d glowed. I’d fucking glowed like a Christmas tree.

  Oh God. What was happening to me?

  My heart pounded a frantic rhythm in my chest. I took some deep breaths but I couldn’t seem to gain control over my own body.

  My hands were shaking as I felt the spot on my neck where Jasper had tried to bite me. It was barely a scratch, but it could have been a whole lot worse. I traced my lips where they still felt electrified from Jasper's kiss and my eyes brimmed over with tears. Tears for myself, my fear and overwhelming sense of helplessness, but for some reason I was shedding tears for Jasper. I couldn’t shake that image of his face contorted in pain and anguish. It made him look lonely, lost and vulnerable.

  I hauled my self-pitying ass into bed and curled up under the covers, feeling too small for this humongous bed. Sleep eventually claimed me after I cried some more tears, but my sleep was fitful and my dreams sought to torment me, haunting me with a particular set of intense blue eyes.

  Chapter 9

  JASPER

  Rage ran deeply through me. An inferno of anger seared me from the inside out. How could I let myself lose control like that? I haven’t surrendered to bloodlust like that since I was reborn a vampire. A guttural howl burst from my chest as I threw the table across the room.

  Fuck. I needed to calm down. Otherwise the beast was going to run free, and heaven help Lori now that he saw her as a more than prey. She was a potential threat now and I didn’t know whether to be pissed or turned on by that.

  I needed to call this in. It was my responsibility to protect her and I couldn’t do that if the mere thought of tasting her sent me off into a spiral of uncontrollable rage. I would have to find out what this was. I couldn’t run the risk of this happening again. I would have to tell them that she released a burst of aurora. She was definitely part something and most likely a mage judging by the power of that burst. Fuck, this was getting more complicated every second. Another thing that was probably my fucking fault.
Maybe that was part of the reason she tasted amazing. I had never tasted a mage before. It was forbidden by Dark Law. They literally had magic running through their veins and, for us vampires, that could be dangerously addictive. We could end up draining a mage dry chasing the high that came with drinking magic-infused blood and all in a matter of seconds.

  I kept myself on a strict menu of human blood. I didn’t want or need anything else. I’d tried Alec’s once when we were in a tough spot and it was like drinking animal blood, fucking rank. Hell Hound blood, shifter blood, even demon blood did nothing for me. I’d stick to willing human partners, thank you very much. Especially if it was accompanied with sex; the aphrodisiac just added so much extra flavour. It made the difference between eating a plain dry steak and eating a succulent, juicy, thick rump of steak, coated in the most mouth-watering sauce and accompanied by rich, soft… fuck. I needed to stop. I was getting hungry.

  My stomach chose that moment to growl rather loudly and my hearing instinctively found the rapid, lurching rhythm of Lori’s heart. It sang such a beautiful melody. It echoed around my mind ferociously and I knew the beast was itching to sink its claws deep into her. And now that he knew there was magic running through her veins, I worried I wasn’t going to be able to keep control.

  I dialled Alec. He picked up on the second ring.

  “Jasper? Twice in one night. Aren’t I the lucky one.”

  “Alec, this isn’t the time.” I gave an exasperated sigh. One day that carefree charm was going to get that boy in a whole heap of trouble. “Lori is definitely not human.”

  “How’d you figure that out?” Alec asked seriously, his voice losing that carefree charm.

  “She glowed.”

  “Damn.” He drew the word out; I think he was starting to understand how serious this whole situation was.

  “It was a reaction to me. I put her in danger, and I couldn’t control myself. If it wasn’t for the aurora burst… well, I dread to think what would have happened.” The guilt sank like lead in my stomach. I was trying to stay calm and focused, but I knew my control was slipping through my fingers. If I didn’t get a grip on whatever was happening, then I was not going to be in any fit state to protect Lori. That made me feel like a failure.

  “Shit. I’ll update the team. Maybe Fenris will be of help.”

  Fenris was a highly skilled mage, but he’d honed those skills since he was a child and it worried me what might happen to Lori if she had only just started to show these powers. “Perhaps. Have him look at late manifestations in mages and let me know if there are any concerns to be had. I don’t want Miss Monroe going off like a loose cannon.”

  “Will do, and if you need to stop and feed, do it. You need to get Miss Monroe here in one piece and we can’t risk you feeding off a mage. See you tomorrow.” Alec hung up and I was left alone with my thoughts.

  I took a deep breath, hoping it would calm me, but my emotions were still all over the place. I needed to hunt, to feed, to fuck. I needed to give into those primal urges, but I had to do it away from Lori. Heaven knows what she did to me. I couldn’t risk being around her when I was hungry. I took another deep breath. Slowly, I was starting to relax but after that outburst with Lori, I couldn’t afford to let the leash loosen on the beast within me even for a moment. All I had to do now was keep away from her. I would be the epitome of the professional mercenary. I would be cold, distant and unpleasant. I had to keep her away from me because I would never forgive myself if something happened to her on my watch. I had orders to follow and she was going to the Conclave whether she liked it or not. I mean, how hard could it be?

  ***

  Nearly there. We were nearly at the Conclave. I just had to get through the forest and then I could hand her over and she would no longer be my problem. I thought back to last night. I yearned to taste her again. My cock twitched at the thought and it took all my willpower to keep my hands on the wheel. The predator in me could feel the gravitational pull of her arousal; the smell of it creeping into my senses bewitching me. The beast within me was curious about her and he wanted to rise to the surface to play. He knew something was unusual about Lori and he was itching to find out what. My knuckles whitened as my grip on the steering wheel tightened further and I had to concentrate on taking deep breaths to keep hold of my sanity.

  Fuck.

  This was harder than I thought it was going to be. She was luring me, tempting me to just let go and have my way with her. I took a quick glance at her, but she didn’t even notice. She was facing away from me, staring out the window. Fragile was the word that came to mind when I looked at her, but I knew there was a feistiness buried in there too. That contradiction captivated me. I just had to look at her and I was enthralled, ready to fall into those big brown eyes and lose myself forever.

  I let out a groan and Lori looked at me.

  “Are you alright?” she asked, concerned.

  “Yes,” I growled.

  Fuck. I was not alright. I was ready to pull this car over, throw her over my knee and bring my hand down on her pert little ass for all her god-damn defiance.

  Thankfully, she turned back to the window and I was safe from her gaze again. I shouldn't have let her kiss me last night. Now all I can think about is the taste of her sweet mouth and the feel of those soft curves beneath me. She had demanded my attention and I gave it to her, pinning her to the table so she couldn't do anything but focus on me. I had meant to scare her, not turn her on. The last thing I expected was for her to kiss me. Then she had to go and catch her tongue on my fangs and let me taste the sweet, sweet flavour of her blood. Jesus Christ, I'd never tasted anything so pure, so blissful, so... euphoric.

  I didn’t remember the last time I felt this savage. It was like I was fighting myself for control over my own actions. My head wanted to stay professional but the beast within was trying to claw its way to the surface, trying to break free from its cage and run wild. I was hoping that when I fed later I could rid myself of this scorching ache in my chest that burned my throat. But the more I thought about feeding from someone other than Lori, the more the ache in my chest burned. It was like the beast couldn’t bear to think about feeding from someone else. I heard the quickened thump thump of her heartbeat calling to me. It was hypnotic in its persistence.

  Thump, thump.

  My fangs lengthened. Shit. Focus, Jasper. I turned my thoughts back to the assignment, hoping that the strategic thinking would stop me from ripping Lori’s throat out.

  I didn’t even register the SUV until it hit us. The sound of the metal crumpling cut through the silence and the car swerved to the right before the SUV collided with us again. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts I hadn’t even seen them following us.

  “Jasper!” Lori shouted.

  “Hang on!” I called to her as I tried to manoeuvre the car away from the SUV. I caught sight of it charging towards us again and I pushed the accelerator to the floor of the car, revving the engine into action. I just managed to avoid being hit but the SUV was still chasing us. I got a glimpse in the mirror of the driver.

  Marcus Quinn. Shit. He was one of the best mercenaries for hire out there. Lethal with every weapon and god knows how many confirmed kills. Whoever was after Lori had some serious money to bank roll those particular skills.

  I pulled out to overtake the car in front of me, swerving into the oncoming traffic. A car horn wailed as I narrowly missed someone and heard the screech of brakes as I caused havoc on the road behind me. Quinn was still following me. I sped up, hearing the engine groan in protest. My eyes darted from left to right, trying to find somewhere to draw Quinn out. I needed to get off this road.

  Up ahead, I spotted a turning buried between some trees and drove the car into the forest. Relying on instinct, I grabbed the handbrake and the car jolted to the left as I drifted it round that tight corner. Lori screamed at the unexpected movement and I threw a quick glance her way, checking she was ok. Her hands gripped the seatbelt as she clung to
it, holding on for dear life.

  The unmistakable pop of a gun sounded over the noise of the car. The rear window smashed and glass sprayed everywhere. Quinn rammed the back of the car and we lurched forward. He pulled back and did it again catching the corner of the car. It swerved toward the trees. I tried to correct the direction of the car but he charged again. This time I lost control of the car. It smashed straight into a tree and the airbags deployed with a loud bang.

  The pounding in my ears coupled with sharp hiss of the engine disorientated me. I looked over at Lori, but she wasn’t moving.

  “Lori!” I called out. Relief flooded through me when I heard her groan in response.

  “Jasper,” Quinn shouted, “you dead?”

  “You can’t get rid of me that easily, Quinn,” I replied stepping out of the mangled remains of the car.

  “Good, it’s been a while since I’ve had a worthy adversary.”

  I let out a sharp laugh and looked him over. His whole persona screamed military; buzz cut, solid stance, combat pants and plain black top. I wasn’t the nicest guy out there but Quinn made me look like fucking rainbows and sunshine by comparison. That guy was evil.

  “Who hired you?” I asked, knowing full well he wouldn’t give me an answer, but you never know, today might be my lucky day.

  “Come on, you know I can’t tell you that,” he replied. “You ready to die, old friend?”

  “Are you?” I goaded.

  He smirked at me before running towards me with his fist aimed at my face. I managed to dodge his attack but I was still groggy from crashing into the tree so I didn’t see his second swing as it connected with my ribs. I countered with a right hook to his jaw and he stumbled backwards, laughing. He lunged for me again but this time I was ready. I blocked his attack and brought my knee to his groin. He stepped backwards before thrusting his hand upwards, connecting the heel of his palm with my nose. The bone snapped and blood dripped down my chin.