by S. E. Smith
“But, don’t let him run over you, dear,” Fortune added. “Werewolves can be very possessive.”
“We love you, dear. If you need us, just let us know,” Destiny said as she began to disappear.
“Love you, too,” Tory whispered just as the door opened and a very pregnant woman stepped inside. She stared at her reflection in the mirror for several long seconds. “Well, at least I know there were no consequences to last night besides me being an emotional basket case and a horny Vampire. Perhaps this is the Fates’ way of telling me to quit while I’m ahead.”
***
Simon reached out an arm for Tory. He was horny again. The pull of the full moon was on him now and the beast would not rest again until after it was over. Until then, he would be insatiable.
His head jerked up when his hand came up empty this time. A low, menacing growl escaped him as his eyes darted to the open bathroom door. He rolled out of the bed and strode over to it. Empty.
His eyes darted to where her dress and boots had been tossed. They were gone. He turned, feeling the change come over him.
Lowering his head, he sniffed out the path she had taken. He nosed open the balcony door and stepped outside. Rising up on his back legs, he curled his front paws onto the railing where her scent suddenly disappeared. A long, loud howl escaped him as rage washed through him.
Simon lowered himself back down. Returning to the bedroom, he shifted again. He swiftly dressed. A knock on the door told him that Youssef had recognized his fury. Opening the door, he ran a hand through his hair as he glared at Youssef.
“She’s gone,” he snarled.
“I’ll have a team dispatched to Carson’s apartment at once,” Youssef replied. “Should you…”
“No,” Simon snapped. He knew that Youssef wanted to know if he should be incarcerated in the lower chambers he had built in the basement of the house. “No, I will get her back.”
Youssef gave a sharp nod. “Did you find out what she was?” He asked hesitantly.
“Yes,” Simon replied in a short voice, descending the stairs to the lower level where his office was located. “She is a Vampire.”
“How? She was in the sun,” Youssef forced out in a strained voice.
“It would appear that many of the myths are incorrect,” Simon answered as he stepped into his office. “And, Youssef. She is not the only one.”
“There are more?” Youssef replied in dismay. “Where?”
“We can assume that Alexandru Carson is one,” Simon replied with a glance at his friend while turning on his computer. “She also said there are other Werewolves.”
“Other Werewolves!” Youssef’s face paled. “Should I gather a team together?”
“Not yet,” Simon ordered. “I want to know more about the place she came from. In the meantime, find her, and Youssef, make sure she doesn’t disappear.”
“I will oversee this myself,” Youssef replied in a quiet voice. “You are sure that she is a Vampire?” He asked in a hesitant voice from where he stood by the door.
Simon looked up and grinned. It was not a smile of amusement. He saw the shudder that went through Youssef’s tall frame. The beast must be closer to the surface than he realized.
“Yes,” he said before turning his attention to the computer in front of him.
Chapter Ten
Simon’s mind was swirling with confusion. Youssef had called him twenty minutes before to say he had a visual on Tory. She was in Alexandru Carson’s apartment.
He glanced out the back window of the SUV as the driver made the turn onto the narrow street and pulled up next to where Youssef was standing in the shadows of a building. His thoughts were churning with all the information he had learned about the small town of Magic, New Mexico.
Hell, everything about the town screamed tourist trap. The odd names of the businesses there were enough to attract anyone with a love of fantasy. There were a dozen restaurants with names like The Witches Brew, The Krazy Kettles, The Giant’s Beanstalk, and more.
If that wasn’t enough, even the two grocery store advertisements were a marketer’s delight. He had never seen ads for Blisterwart cream, fresh made Blood Pudding made with different blood types, Fresh Saltwater Eel, delightfully seasoned for sure to meet any Griffin’s delight. There was even a Dwarf Construction Company, guaranteeing all construction projects for the first five hundred years.
Information on the town stated there was a population of a little over two thousand full time residents. It was founded in the late seventeen hundreds before the actual acquisition of the New Mexico territory. What was very strange was the fact the founding family still resided in Magic. The address led him to the local cemetery.
He opened the door to the Black SUV as it came to a complete stop across the street from the apartment. Stepping out into the waning light of the early evening, he glanced up at the dark third floor window of Carson’s temporary residence. His mouth tightened as the beast inside him reacted to being so close to Tory.
“She is still there?” Simon asked Youssef.
“As far as I can tell,” Youssef replied, leaning against the side of the building. “I saw her sitting at the table five minutes ago. Do you wish for a security detail to remain?”
“Yes,” Simon replied in a distracted voice as he stared up at the third floor window. “I will return with her shortly.”
“Be careful, my friend,” Youssef replied. “You don’t have much time before the moon rises. You know once the full moon is upon you, the beast will take control.”
“Do you think I’m not aware of that,” Simon snapped impatiently. “The beast inside me wants to mate with her as it is. Once the moon rises, I won’t be able to stop it from doing so. She will be mine… forever, Youssef.”
Youssef’s swiftly inhaled breath told Simon that had not been the response his friend was expecting. Hell, from the way the beast was acting, he would have thought the full moon was already here.
His eyes rose to the third window again when a light came on. It was time to show Tory what happened when she upset her alpha. His lips tightened in determination.
Upset, hell, he thought as he crossed the street. I’ll chain her ass up if she ever tries to run from me again.
***
Tory picked at the rare steak on her plate before she finally just picked the whole thing up and dumped it in the trash can in the kitchen. She washed her hands before walking back into the living room. Bending, she turned on the lamp next to the sofa before she twisted and fell onto it and leaned her head back.
Tears of frustration filled her eyes as she thought of Simon Drayton. How did things get out of hand so quickly? She brushed an impatient hand over her cheek.
“I should have known better than to get close to a Werewolf. If I had stuck with a nice, ordinary human this wouldn’t be such a disaster. But Werewolves…” Tory blew out a deep breath.
Werewolves could get very possessive. That was one reason she had always made sure that she and Maverick remained friends. They were very loyal to their friends, but if they thought there was anything else it could turn nasty. She had seen what happened when one of Maverick’s older brothers fell for a human girl while at college a couple years ago. He had gone nuts for a little while.
“What am I going to do?” She whispered out loud.
A loud knock on the door startled her. She knew immediately who it was… Simon. She had hoped he would take the hint that she needed distance, space to think, when she left before he woke this morning.
She jumped when the knock sounded again followed by a deep voice demanding she open the door. Tory rose off the couch. A wry smile curved her lips as she smoothed her trembling palms down her thighs. It was a good thing she was a Vampire or she would have been scared stupid by the threat in his demand.
Taking a deep breath, she remembered what Fortune told her about not allowing him to run over her. No way that was going to happen
. She had been lucky last night, especially when she thought of how many times they had made love.
She was not about to let that happen again. She wasn’t about to tempt the Fates. They loved a challenge and they always won! She had learned that the hard way growing up. Never challenge a Fate to Truth or Dare!
Pausing to run a hand through her hair, she unlocked the door when it vibrated violently this time. Jerking it toward her, she opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind about banging so loudly and rudely.
The words never left her mouth. They couldn’t because the moment the door opened, he pushed inside, grabbed her around the waist, pressed her against the wall, and covered her mouth with his. She vaguely heard the door slam followed by the sound of ripping cloth.
Her lips opened in shock as he roughly nipped at her bottom lip. The cooler air of the room caressed her suddenly heated flesh as he swept his tongue into her mouth. He used his body to hold her up against the wall while his hands worked at shredding her clothing.
A gasp escaped her when he broke the kiss and pressed his lips down along her jaw. His hands cupped her bare breasts, pinching her nipples hard enough to draw a cry from her. She shivered at the suppressed violence in his body as his left hand came up to tangle in her hair.
“Simon,” she whispered. “Simon, you have to… to stop.”
“No,” he growled in a rough voice. “You left me.”
“I… Yes, I did, but it was for a good reason,” she moaned as he ran his tongue along her neck.
Simon pulled back to gaze into her eyes. A primitive fire burned in them. She could see the Werewolf close to the surface. It took a moment for her to realize that tonight was the first night of the full moon. A shiver escaped her as his teeth lengthened.
“You are mine now,” he snarled in a guttural voice. “Mine, Tory.”
“Simon, no!” Tory cried out realizing that the beast had taken control. “Fight it. You don’t realize what this will mean.”
Her voice died as his hand tightened in her hair, exposing her slender neck to him. She released a smothered scream as his teeth sank into her. She felt her feet being slowly lowered to the floor. Her hands clung to his shoulders as he held her captive between the wall and his large body.
Her traitorous body responded to his bite. She had never been bitten before and found it very arousing. She couldn’t turn her head, but she could feel him fumbling with his fastening of his jeans.
Just once more can’t hurt, she thought desperately as her hands moved between their bodies to help him.
A low moan escaped her as his pants slid down his legs. He released her neck, tenderly licking at the wound even as his hands moved to grip her around her ass. Her legs opened to wrap around his waist as he guided her high enough to align his throbbing cock with her.
“I want you,” he muttered, gazing at her with dark, blazing eyes. “You want me.”
“Yes, I want you, too,” Tory whispered, staring back at him.
“Yes,” Simon howled, rocking his hips forward and impaling Tory.
***
Simon was almost mindless with need by the time he reached the door to the apartment. What little control he had disappeared when Tory opened the door. The sight of her tousled hair, beautiful curves, and delectable scent snapped the last of it.
The beast howled with triumph as he marked his female. The taste of her blood was embedded in him now. She would forever be his. Now, it was time to mark her with his scent.
Sexual desire burned like a lava flow through him. He was in a haze of the sexual madness that held him in its grip. For the next two days, he would fuck her over and over. By the third day, the edge would lessen slightly as the moon slipped into its next phase, but he knew deep down he would never get enough of Tory.
Relief swept through him when he felt her hands frantically helping him undo the fastenings on his pants. He retained just enough control to tell her how much he wanted her. When she whispered her own desperate need, his mind clouded and he knew all rational thought was gone. He was locked in the haze of desire that drove his creation.
“Yes,” he groaned, rocking into her. “Yes!”
His seed exploded deep into her, washing her womb with his scent. The tingling along his spine grew as he pressed against her. He turned his face into her shoulder as a shudder escaped him.
“Simon,” Tory murmured, caressing his hair. “Simon.”
“Mine, Tory,” he muttered against her skin before he pulled back. “You have two minutes to get yourself covered .”
“What?!” Tory squeaked.
“I can’t take you the way I need to here. It isn’t secure enough,” he muttered. “One minute, now. In less than five minutes, I will be buried inside you again.”
***
Tory’s eyes widened as he pulled away from her in jerky moves. She remembered Maverick telling her and Kevin about what it was like during the full moon. She had blushed while Kevin had sighed and complained again about being born a Garden Troll.
“I’d love to have almost a week of mindless sex,” Kevin had grumbled, throwing his fork down. “What do I get? Garden parties! God, I hate being a Troll!”
Maverick had winked at Tory. “If you are ever interested, let me know, Tory,” he had teased. “I’d love a week exploring your curves!”
She had thrown the remains of her lunch at Maverick who had just laughed. Now, she half suspected he really meant it. She stumbled when she felt the decorative throw from the couch being wrapped around her before she was swept off her feet.
“Simon,” she protested.
“Time’s up,” he growled.
Simon opened the door with the hand holding her under her knees. Tory blushed when she saw Youssef standing outside the door with a dark scowl on his face. Simon jerked his head at the man.
“The neighbors have called the police to say there is a wild animal in the building,” Youssef said in a low voice. “I told them all to stay in their apartments until it was captured. The SUV is out back.”
“Move,” Simon demanded in a voice that sounded anything, but human. “The moon is rising.”
Chapter Eleven
Three days later, Simon sat on the edge of the bed looking down at Tory’s relaxed features. He picked up her limp hand, raising her pale, slender fingers to his lips. A sense of remorse swept through him at the dark circles under her eyes.
He had been ruthless, insatiable, the last three days. The only time he gave her to feed was during their lovemaking. His fingers tightened convulsively around hers as shock swept through him.
Lovemaking, he thought as he stared down at her pale features. I love her.
Panic swept through him as he realized that he loved Tory. A shaky smile curved his lips as his gaze eagerly caressed her face. He loved her sense of humor. During the short bouts of sanity, she had told him of her life back in Magic. If he ever met her father, he would have to remember to thank the man for casting the Blisterwart spell and hiding it in Tory’s hairbrush.
She had told him about her weekly visits to talk to the ghost down at the cemetery, her dreams of building her Graphic Design business, and about how she had almost died from a blood disorder when she was just a baby. He remembered her rolling her eyes when she told him about it.
***
“Whoever heard of a Vampire with a blood disorder?” She had asked him as she gazed down from where she was sprawled across his chest. “That would be like a Werewolf being allergic to… to… meat!”
“I’m just glad you are not allergic to mine,” he had replied as he drew her back down to him. “I love it when you bite me.”
“So do I,” she whispered.
***
A knock on the door pulled him out of his memories. He rose from the edge of the bed and walked across the room. Opening the door, he frowned when he saw Youssef standing outside the door with a worried expression on his face.
; “I have not killed her,” Simon assured his friend as he leaned against the door jam and folded his arms.
Youssef’s eyes flickered briefly toward the bed, but he couldn’t see anything between Simon’s tall figure and the half shut door. Instead, he turned his gaze back to Simon. He shifted as the cell phone in his pocket buzzed.
“We have a problem,” Youssef said in a short voice. “The alarms are going off all over the estate. Four of my men have not responded to calls to check in. I sent two men out. At least two of the men were unconscious.”
A low snarl escaped Simon. It wasn’t often that someone suspected what he was, but it did happen. Over the centuries, he’d had to fight Slayers who came for him. The beast inside him immediately reacted to the threat against his mate.
Simon stepped out into the hallway. The change was already coming over him. His eyes flickered back to the closed bedroom door.
“Protect her,” Simon ordered in a guttural voice.
“With my life, my friend,” Youssef promised.
Simon closed his eyes and let the beast take over. If there were intruders on the estate, it would find them. The large white and gray wolf glanced back at the door before it raised its head and howled. The hunt was on.
***
Alexandru landed on the balcony outside of Simon Drayton’s bedroom. Through the glass doors, he could see Tory’s still, pale features. Rage burned in his eyes as he noticed the dark circles under his baby sister’s eyes and the mark on her throat.
Only an immortal creature could leave its mark upon another. Fury welled inside him leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He flicked his wrist and the door opened. Striding over to the bed, he sat on the edge.
