To Crave Darkly: Trials Of A Morta: Book One

by Bailey Grayson

  I reached my hand out and cupped his cheek. It was rough and warm beneath my fingers. If I didn’t know I was dreaming, I would have thought this exchange real.

  He leaned into my hand until surprise flared in his expression. He pulled away from me, covering his movement with a nervous cough. He looked out towards the ocean for a moment and I had the opportunity to look at the rest of him. He was laid out on the lounger next to me, so I had no idea how tall he was, but his frame looked solid and his legs looked long. He was dressed casually in slacks and a shirt that was open, displaying a rather toned physique. As my eyes drifted up his frame and back to his face, he folded his arms behind his head and allowed me to drink him in. He was clearly toying with me, putting himself on display for me to gawk at like a kid in a candy shop.

  “Enjoying the view?” he muttered. He knew I was. This man was perfect. From what I could see he bore no flaws, his skin was perfect; Hell, every inch of him was perfect. He could have been sculpted by an Italian master. I would have to be blind not to enjoy the view.

  “I’ve seen better,” I snorted. I wasn’t going to let this guy know how he affected me.

  He turned to me, sniffed the air and then licked his lips. A moan escaped his mouth. Heat settled between my thighs. Nothing should sound that delicious.

  “Lie to me again, Lori. Yours taste exquisite.”

  Fire danced in his eyes. Did he just eat my lie? What was he? He definitely wasn’t human, and even though I’d really only met one vampire, I knew he wasn’t one of those. One thing I did know for certain was that he was one of the scariest beings I’d encountered, human or otherwise, and I just happened to be clad in a skimpy bikini. Could this get any more surreal?

  “How did I get here?” I asked.

  A dark smile tugged the corners of his mouth. “You’re dying.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t worry, you won’t actually die. I am sure the vampire will save you.” His voice held a trace of bitterness, but I couldn’t understand why. How odd. To be sat on a phantom beach whilst my body gave out in the real world. Laughter bubbled up my throat at the absurdity of it all, which in itself was laughable. I should be panic-stricken, or screaming, but I was soaking up the sun drinking Mai Tais with a handsome stranger. I suppose if this was the end, it was a nice way to go. I wouldn’t mind this version of an afterlife.

  I looked back out to the beach that stretched before me. It felt so real. I could taste the salt of the sea in the air, feel the tendrils of my hair against my skin as they got caught in the gentle breeze. This wasn’t just a dream. There was a purpose to this place. I could feel it.

  “Seriously, what is this place?”

  He pursed his lips in thought. “It’s like a waiting room. It’s different for everyone, when you’re caught in that moment between life and death your soul lingers here, waiting to be claimed. Then you move on to wherever you have been deemed worthy to spend your eternity.”

  “Have you come to claim me?”

  “No. It’s not your turn.”

  That sounded ominous. At least I knew it wasn’t my time to die. That was comforting, I guess.

  “And besides,” he continued, “it’s not my responsibility to claim souls. That task is beneath me.”

  That remark suggested he was rather full of himself, but also important in whatever hierarchy existed here. The more he spoke, the more I was interested in him. He was nothing like I had ever met before, and I was curious about him.

  “What is your responsibility then, if collecting souls is not worth your effort?”

  He chuckled. “Now that is for me to know and you to find out.”

  My companion flashed me a lopsided grin. It added to the darkly attractive air that surrounded him. His smile seemed to promise secret joys and carnal pleasures and I couldn’t help but be tempted to ask what his secrets were. There was something dangerous about him, something wicked lurking beneath the veneer of his smile. He was… intriguing.

  “What are you?”

  “That is a very good question. You will find out in time.”

  I groaned in frustration. He was as bad as Jasper… Oh, Jasper. I hoped he was ok, but I suppose if I was here waiting to die, I must have saved him. Sorrow washed over me in a sudden wave. It seemed some part of me missed the overbearing oaf. I chuckled. It seemed I had liked him after all.

  “Why won’t you tell me your name?” I asked.

  “I want to. I really want to.” He caught his lips between his teeth, and a giddiness emanated from him as he held back the secret. I was getting sick of secrets.

  “Why can’t you tell me?”

  “Oh, Lori, it isn’t time yet.”

  I had the feeling that this man, whoever he was, liked to play games. I knew there was something sinister about him and I bet I was only scratching the surface.

  I looked back at the man sat next to me. He must have some purpose here, but what that was, I didn’t know. I really should call him something. It was annoying to have to think of the man as “him” or “he” all the time.

  “Fine. Since you won’t tell me your name, I will have to make one up for you.”

  He smiled gleefully at me and cocked his head to one side. “No one has ever done that before. Usually people run screaming the other way.”

  That wasn’t difficult to imagine. There was something crackling in the air around him that spoke of dark yearning and it settled uneasily on my skin. I glanced around and wondered if I could escape this place, but as soon as I had the thought, I knew it to be impossible. I didn’t know how I knew that. It was like the rule was branded into my mind, and it was forbidden to even think of breaking it.

  I glanced down at the Mai Tai in my hand, forgotten since I woke. Was it even real? I took a sip and the flavours burst along my tongue.

  “God, that’s good,” I murmured and took another sip. My skin prickled as I delighted in the drink. He was watching me. I turned to him again and gasped at the hunger I saw in his gaze. His lips curled and the fire burned brighter in his eyes. A sensation of dread set my heart racing, like my mind knew I was staring into the face of my own destruction.

  Then in a flash it was gone. His face returned to that mischievous grin and the fear I had felt vanished. It was unsettling how quickly his expressions changed.

  I thought back to the task I had given myself: what to name him? He was too unusual for something ordinary like Roger or John, and he certainly wasn’t a Jimmy or Bobby. No, those names were far too boyish for him. He needed something that suited him. I had known him for all of five minutes and I knew he was larger than life. In a crowd of people, he would stand out and all eyes would be drawn to him. There was a magnetism about him that was irresistible. Like the stars in the sky that burned brightly just because they could, he sat beside me with all the power and beauty of one of the brightest constellations.

  “Orion.” As soon as I said it out loud, I knew it was perfect for him.

  A genuine smile broke out across his beautiful face, but a flash of surprise ghosted across his eyes, almost like he couldn’t believe he was really smiling. It was sad to think that he could be so tormented that joy wasn’t a natural state for him. It tugged at my heartstrings and I felt sorry for him. No one should feel like that.

  “It’s perfect, almost better than my real name. Orion. I love it.” His warm grin morphed into something more threatening. “Oh, Lori. Beautiful, sweet, naïve Lori. You have no idea what you’ve just done.”

  My stomach dropped. “What do you mean?”

  “There is power in a name. And you have named me as yours.”

  A tugging sensation burrowed deep in my chest and I gasped at the sudden pain. Something was gripping my heart. I clutched my chest and watched as Orion mirrored my actions. Oh, God. What had I done?

  “Undo it. Whatever I have done, undo it. Now.”

  Orion just laughed but it sounded manic. The harsh sound was twisted with the same pain that burned through me. �
��I can’t. This is old magic and much older than me. I do not have the power to stop it. And even if I could, there is no way in Hell that I would.”

  He was talking in fucking riddles. Tears sprang to my eyes. I thought this place wasn’t real. How could I feel so much pain? The fire of a thousand needles stung my chest, branding me with a pain that was linked to the man in front of me. Too much. Black spots danced around my vision. I was going to die. Wait, could I die? If I was already dying somewhere else, was my soul dying?

  Just as the pain became too much to bear, it stopped. As suddenly as it had started, it was gone. A warm heat swirled in my chest, cocooning my heart in its warm glow.

  “Do you feel it?” Orion’s voice was elated and breathy. His hand was over his heart as he spoke the words and I instantly knew that whatever I had done by giving him a name meant we were now bonded. Heart to heart.

  What the fuck was I supposed to do with that?

  “Oh, Lori, you are more than I could ever have hoped for.”

  “What does that mean?” I yelled but he just laughed back at me. I jumped to my feet and started to walk away. I wanted to get as far away from him as I could.

  “You can’t escape,” he called after me, his laughter echoing on the breeze. He was right. The further I walked away from him, the hotter the link between us burned. It wasn’t going anywhere. Whether I liked it or not, Orion was now tied to me. And it was my own fucking fault.

  My feet stopped and my shoulders slumped. I just wanted to go back to my life before I knew vampires were real. I was happy then; my life wasn’t much but it was mine.

  A sob broke from my lips as my knees crumpled beneath me. I wiped the tears away in frustration. I knew I was being stupid and feeling sorry for myself, but I thought the current situation was a suitable reason to shed a few fucking tears. I’d never felt so helpless.

  I heard Orion approach, but I didn’t need my ears to know he was near. The link pulsed in my chest, like it was calling to its other half. This was going to take some getting used to.

  Orion knelt down in the sand with me and his hands framed my face. He gently tipped my head up and forced me to look at him. I thought I would see glee or triumph at what he had made me do, but all I saw was sorrow and guilt. He was such an enigma, and I didn’t have the first clue as to where to even begin to unravel him. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to, but as I looked deep into his eyes, I felt a longing that had me yearning to reach out to him. I didn’t know if it was something to do with this new bond, but I felt like I knew him. I was just being stupid. I’d never met him before in my life, surely I would remember someone so intense.

  “I’m… sorry.” The words sounded awkward in his mouth. “I have waited for you for so long and I am not a patient creature.” His words seemed so sincere, and I longed to believe him but despite this connection we shared I didn’t know if I could trust him.

  “You took advantage of me. I don’t want this.”

  A flash of anger crossed his expression, but he suppressed it. That fleeting glimpse of it was enough to make me tremble though.

  “Lori,” he breathed resting his forehead against mine, “please believe me, this wasn’t how I planned this at all. I…”

  A bang sounded in the distance. It sounded like an explosion but when I looked over Orion’s shoulder all I saw was the peaceful sandy beach. Odd.

  “Lori, look at me,” Orion demanded.

  I obeyed without hesitation.

  “Good girl,” he whispered. “We don’t have much time.” He looked upward to the sky and frowned. I followed the line of his gaze and watched as the sun disappeared behind a large grey cloud. It looked like a storm was heading this way and I was still in the bikini. Great.

  “What’s going on, Orion?”

  He smiled. “I do really love that name, Lori. It’s a gift I never thought you’d give me.” A crack of lightning lit the sky, adding an ominous touch to his words. This was all starting to feel overly dramatic.

  “I don’t understand. Who are you?”

  The wind started to howl around us. It pulled at his hair, twisting the locks into disarray. How had I not noticed how blonde it was? How angelic?

  “I am your destiny and you are mine. Our time has run out here, but I will always find you, Lori. You won’t be able to hide from me.” His fingers traced the spot on my chest above my heart and I felt the caress all the way to my soul. I didn’t doubt his words. I might not understand what I had done but I knew we were irrevocably linked and there would be nowhere I could go that Orion wouldn’t find me. I didn’t know whether to be thrilled or terrified at the thought.

  Another crack of lightning filled the sky. This storm seemed to have an uncanny way of adding a sinister weight to his words. Panic started to creep in; that lightning was getting too close for comfort and the wind was turning ferocious.

  “You’re not making any sense!” I shouted over the noise of the storm. “What’s happening?”

  Orion got up to leave and started to walk away from me. I ran after him. Nothing made sense and I needed answers. Lightning struck again as I reached him. It seemed to be within a few feet of me now; the next one would hit me for sure. The chaos of the storm seemed to reflect the raging confusion within me and I didn’t want to be left alone, all adrift in the sea waiting to be drowned. Not when I had so many questions.

  I clung to Orion in desperation and begged him not to leave me. I still didn’t know who he was, he still scared the shit out of me, but he was the only other thing I knew to be real in this place.

  “My sweet Lori, my Queen. I do not belong here, but I will find you and I will make you mine. Thanks for the trip to the beach.” He placed a brief hard kiss against my lips that burned me to the core. It felt like he branded me as his and it was a kiss that promised fire and sin and a whole host of wicked things.

  He strolled to the water’s edge like he didn’t have a care in the world, like he belonged in a place surrounded by carnage. He continued to walk into the sea, peeling his shirt off as he went further into the crashing waves. I got a clear view of his back before he disappeared into the water. Something glimmered along his upper back in the light of the storm. His skin wasn’t perfect there but before I could get a closer look I got struck by lightning. Pain radiated through my body and I screamed as I felt thousands of tiny knives shred my soul to pieces. I was being ripped from wherever this place was. As the world faded to black, I just hoped that I would make it back to the land of the living.

  Chapter 12

  LORI

  Again, the world came into focus with blinding clarity, but from the way my body ached, I knew I wasn’t dead this time. I groaned. Everything hurt. My chest felt like it was under a ton of bricks and electricity tingled through my veins as I came back to the land of the living. Had I actually died?

  The fuzziness of my vision cleared, and I began to take in my surroundings. Everything was white with a decidedly clinical-feel, but it wasn’t a hospital. There was no oppressive sense of suffering clinging to the air. Glass surrounded me on all sides and the monitors measuring my vitals beeped comfortingly behind me. At least I was definitely alive.

  “Lori?” I followed the sound of the voice and Jasper’s face filled my vision. Tears filled my eyes as an overwhelming sense of relief flooded through me. I’d never really feared death before, but up until now I had never come quite so close to it. That was definitely not a trip I wanted to take any time soon. It could preferably wait until I was old and wrinkly and had a mass of grandbabies.

  A set of black eyes flashed in my mind and a shudder ran up my spine. They were familiar, but I couldn’t place them. As I tried to recall them, the memory of them slipped further away. I knew they were important, that they belonged to someone important. Someone gripped my hand and when I looked down, Jasper had his large hand wrapped around my smaller one. His rough fingers curled around mine comfortingly and I became aware of the worry marring his brow. Seemed he cared more than
he wanted to admit.

  “Hi,” I said weakly. I swallowed, trying to lubricate my throat. Saying it felt like sandpaper was an understatement.

  “Hello,” Jasper replied, smiling. God, I wished I had a camera. Mr. Grumpy Pants was actually smiling.

  “How long have I been out?” I croaked.

  “Only a few hours,” he replied.

  “What happened?”

  Jasper’s gaze found the floor. I could see that he felt shame for what he had done.

  “Jasper, I am not angry with you. I knew the risk.”

  He whipped his head back up with anger flashing in his eyes. “And you did it anyway?”

  “Yes.”

  He stood up and walked away from me. He found a steady rhythm pacing at the end of the bed, his head bowed and hands firmly on his hips. He looked pissed.

  “Jasper, it’s ok, I...”

  He whirled round to face me. “No, it’s not ok. I could have killed you!”

  “But you didn’t. Look, I’m fine. I’m still here, still alive.” I gestured to my body, pointing out the evidence of my still beating heart clearly displayed beeping away on the monitor behind me.

  “But you almost died.” His cool mask slipped, and I saw all the pain and guilt he felt. For a fleeting moment, I saw everything as clear as day written upon his face and my heart constricted painfully.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “You were just trying to protect me, and I couldn’t watch you die.”

  “I was just doing my job.” His tone was harsh and his words were cruel. The realisation that I was nothing more than a job to him stung. “Dammit, Lori, I didn’t mean…”

  “It’s fine,” I snapped, interrupting him before he could apologise. “I get it. You were just following orders.” Tears threatened to make an appearance, but I held them back. I was too fucking angry to cry. This whole situation sucked ass.