Arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me back against a familiar chest. Jameson’s nose ran along the arch of my neck as he breathed me in.
“It feels strange leaving them behind. We’ve been through so much together,” I murmured quietly, while a shiver raced down my spine at his touch.
“It’s better for the both of them. We made the right choice supporting Nathan’s decision to stay behind with Nettie.”
“Nettie needs him now more than ever. I would know.” I clutched his arms to me, needing his strength.
“We’ll see them again, I have no doubt.”
I turned to face him, needing to see his eyes and the promise I knew I would find in them. His azure eyes twinkled at me, and I smiled as heat rose through my body in a steady trickle. He had been training so vigorously that we hadn’t had any alone time in several days, and I missed it. I missed having him all to myself. Call me selfish, but I felt this increasing need to be near him, to smell him, to touch him. It was nearly overwhelming at times but would dissipate the instant he was near.
His lips brushed mine in a tender kiss, and my eyes fluttered shut. I leaned in to the kiss, an overpowering need coming over me that I was helpless to fight. His need matched my own as he deepened the kiss, pushing me against the railing and pressing himself against me. I moaned low in my throat when his hands gripped my waist. Desire surged through me, and I gasped involuntarily while wrapping my arms around his neck to hold him to me.
The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs reached me, but I ignored them. Ever since I had come back from the brink of death, my hearing had sharpened. I wasn’t at Jameson’s level, but I could hear far more than I had before that. It seemed that with each attempt to turn me, I gained more abilities. This time, it had been my hearing, along with my emotions. I was as inexperienced as they came, but I craved Jameson’s touch as much as I needed my next breath of air.
A throat cleared behind us, and Jameson pulled back, only to be stopped by my arms keeping him pressed against me. He smiled against my lips, withdrawing before I could secure my hold on him.
“Lavinia.” He playfully nipped my lower lip, causing another wave of heat to flow through me that I was finding harder and harder to manage.
Rising to my tiptoes, I gave him one more chaste kiss. “Go do your job, before I lose even more of my control.”
He groaned at my words, taking a small step back. “Tonight,” he mouthed, his eyes smoldering as he peered at me intently.
“Tonight,” I agreed, watching him turn toward the crew member and get back to running a ship.
I passed time by helping Alice in the galley mostly. When I wasn’t doing that, I would go up on deck and get some fresh air. Though we had cleaned the ship as best we could, the wood seemed to have soaked up the pirate stench. It would take several weeks before the ship would lose its pungency. I was grateful that my hearing had advanced and not my smell. I didn’t know how Jameson could stand it.
He was kept increasingly busy. I would catch a glimpse of him periodically during the day, but he was always waylaid by crew members asking questions or needing something. Our only solace was the nights, and even then, things didn’t always go as planned.
If the weather held and we didn’t run into any pirate trouble, our trip to Port Baldaire was scheduled to take us just over three weeks to complete. Jameson had several men rotate shifts in the crow’s nest to keep an eye out for any threats. The ship was well-equipped with weapons to defend ourselves, but we had a small crew, which would make combat difficult in any case. We did our best to stay away from the well-traveled channels, to avoid trouble.
It had been a week since we set sail from Port Valor, and Jameson had done a tremendous job at being captain. He kept things running smoothly, with his natural leadership and problem-solving skills. I was proud of him, and also a little jealous. The crew spent more time with him than I did.
One night, I stayed awake, waiting for him to come to bed. A canteen of animal blood sat on the small table that served as the captain’s desk, beside a candle and scattered maps. I studied the maps but couldn’t make sense of most of them. I had only known the group of islands, but not anywhere else. The world seemed far bigger than what I had previously known.
The door opened, and I turned, watching as Jameson stepped into the room. He spotted me by the desk, wearing nothing but my nightgown, and a spark of fire lit in his tired eyes.
“I thought you’d be asleep by now,” he admitted, circling the table.
“Are you avoiding me?”
That made him pause, but he continued after a moment. “I haven’t been avoiding you.”
My lip trembled as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him. I didn’t realize how emotional I was until now.
“I miss you.”
“I’m right here.” He stroked my long hair while I wrapped my arms around his waist.
“You are now.” I sounded like a selfish child, but I couldn’t help it.
“I’m sorry I’ve been busy.”
“I know. It’s just…” I paused, not sure how to word what I was feeling.
“Just what?” he asked, leaning back so he could see my face.
“Ever since the last time I died,” I began but was interrupted by a growl that reverberated from his chest. It stopped after a moment, so I could continue. “It’s like my emotions are all over the place. One minute, I’m normal. Then next, it takes everything in me to keep from snapping, but all that goes away when you enter the room.”
“It’s the same for me,” he confirmed, drawing me closer. “I didn’t realize you were feeling this way.”
“I didn’t want to bother you.” I rested my head on his chest, feeling content for the first time in days.
“You are never a bother,” he sighed, resting his cheek on the top of my head. “I’m sorry.”
“You come to bed late, then are gone when I wake up. I know you’re busy, and the crew needs you, but don’t forget that I need you, too.”
“I finally have the crew running smoothly. I promise, I won’t be as busy the rest of the trip,” he added softly.
“Do you still need me?” I asked the question that had been gnawing at me since my death and resurrection. He used to need me to calm the monster inside him, and I worried that wasn’t the case anymore, seeing as how we had been spending so much time apart.
“I’ll always need you.” His grip on me tightened. “Why would you think that?”
Tears came to my eyes unbidden, and I tried to blink them away, but they were insistent. “I don’t know.”
“I need you, Lavinia. Nothing has changed. You keep me calm. Just the sight of you makes the bloodlust evaporate. I need you now more than ever.” He wiped the tears from my face before leaning in and pressing his lips to mine.
I kissed him back, reigniting a fire inside me that quickly became a raging inferno. My hands slipped under his shirt, exploring the taut muscles of his chest. Jameson’s breathing became erratic at my touch while his hands roamed over me, and I pressed closer to him, needing more.
His hands found my waist and squeezed lightly before he picked me up and set me on the table. He stepped closer, my knees on either side of him, as he continued to kiss me urgently. I managed to unbutton his shirt, and he slipped his arms from the material. My hands ran up his arms to his shoulders, marveling at the feel of his skin against mine.
In a slow trail, I moved my lips from his mouth to his jaw, and I could feel his hands bunch the material of my nightgown at my knees. He caressed my calves before moving them up to my thighs. I moaned as his hands gripped me, then pulled me closer, so I was flush against him. My head fell back when his lips kissed the column of my throat, his teeth scraping the tender skin.
When he reached my collarbone, he stopped, his hands gripping my thighs. His body trembled against me, and I knew he was fighting for control. We had kissed and touched before, but he always stopped when we got to this point. I was gra
teful that he had the forethought to stop, because I didn’t. If it was up to my new heightened emotions, I’d let him continue, but the sensible part of me was grateful. My heart swelled inside my chest as we calmed down.
“Don’t ever doubt my need for you,” he whispered, pressing his forehead to mine.
I shook my head, unable to speak around the emotions clogging my throat. I had never felt so desired in my life. Things had changed so drastically in the month since Jameson saved me from Dom; it felt like it had been an eternity. We had a rough start, but he had become something so precious to me that I was unwilling to ever let go.
“What happens now?” I asked, stroking the skin of his chest.
“We go to Baldaire and try to track down Solomon.” He tucked my hair behind my ears.
“And after that?” I pressed.
“I don’t know.” His fingers danced across my back, causing me to shiver. “We’ll have to see what happens.”
With a heavy sigh, my heart dropped slightly in my chest. I wasn’t sure what I was hoping he’d say, but I was disappointed in the uncertainty of our future.
“Lavinia,” his low voice drew my gaze to his face. “If vampires hadn’t ruined our lives, I would have shown up to your farm and asked to see you. We’d sit in the parlor with your aunt and uncle and get to know each other. I’d meet you in town and walk with you along the beach until the fading night forced us to return. Eventually, I’d ask your uncle for your hand, provided that I could care for you and our future.”
He cupped my face in his hands, staring into my eyes.
“Things would be different if that was our path, but it’s not anymore. I don’t know what the future holds for any of us, but the one thing that I’m sure of is that I’ll never let you go.”
Tears of happiness pricked my eyes, and I didn’t try to push them away. I had needed to hear his sweet words. They calmed something in me that I hadn’t realized until that moment needed to be soothed. The way he gazed at me, as if I was the most precious thing in the world to him, made my heart soar.
“I can handle whatever comes our way, as long as it’s with you.” I watched as a small smile spread across his face. I grabbed his hand and placed it on my chest, pressing it against my beating heart.
We shared several more tender moments before the late hour finally got to me. I yawned and rested my head on Jameson’s bare chest, tired from the day. Picking me up, he strolled toward the bed and laid me down gently before climbing in beside me. His arms wrapped around me and pulled me against him. He usually wore a shirt to bed, but I found I liked the feel of his skin and would insist he never wear one again.
The warmth of his body and his steady breaths lulled me to sleep.
My eyes fluttered open and the darkness of night pressed against them. The candle on the table had burned itself out by then. My more advanced hearing picked up the creaking sounds of the ship, and the lapping of seawater against the hull. My back was pressed against Jameson’s front, his arm wrapped around my waist, holding me against him.
I took a deep breath, smelling the familiar scent of Jameson and the sea. I snuggled back under the blanket, loving how his arm tightened around me with my slight movement. Sleep pressed against me, and I was moments away from falling back into the abyss of sleep when a breeze fluttered through the cabin, tugging at my hair and bringing with it the smell of old leather and death. I shivered at the cool breeze on my face.
The floorboards groaned, and I opened my eyes a crack, but it was too dark for me to see. Jameson’s arm was still around me, so I knew that he hadn’t gotten up yet. All was still and silent for several heartbeats, so I ignored the feeling that was nagging at me and settled down once more.
Suddenly, the blanket covering us was thrown off, and with a grunt, Jameson was yanked away. I screamed as the sounds of a scuffle ensued, followed by growling and hissing. I clutched the blanket to my chest, trying to make sense of what was happening, but unable to in the darkness.
A light flared, and I watched as the dancing flame of a candle illuminated the room, revealing a man sitting at the desk, his predator eyes watching me, and Jameson was nowhere to be seen. A small smile lifted at the corner of his mouth, the action revealing several teeth that were pointed, but the long fangs drew my horrified attention the most.
Before I could move or even blink, the vampire’s sinfully smooth voice reached me.
“Hello, daughter.”
Pale Horizon
Chapter 1
As awareness finally returned, I wasn’t sure if what I was slowly remembering was true, or if Jameson was into a lifestyle I didn’t know about yet. Given my current state, neither option was great. Thick, abrasive ropes tied my hands to cold armrests, a silk blindfold covered my eyes, and heavy chains wrapped around my legs and chest, keeping me restrained against a metal chair.
The last thing I recalled was lying in bed with Jameson. We were safe. Pierce was dead. We were headed to find Solomon and get the answers we desperately needed. Then, in the blink of an eye, it had all changed.
Jameson had been yanked from our bed. It had happened so quickly, I didn’t even get a chance to process what had transpired before I had been hit in the head, rendering me unconscious. As I struggled to recall the memories and figure out where I might be, two words resurfaced.
“Hello, Daughter.”
A man had whispered those words to me seconds before I lost consciousness. I didn’t recognize the voice, and my father was dead, which made the statement impossible. His body had been lost to the sea along with my mother’s. He never would have laid a hand on me, so whoever had taken me was insane. They had to be. There was no other explanation.
My muscles strained against the manacles as I tried futilely to get out of my current predicament. I was careful not to overdo it, because I had no idea where I was and didn’t want to force my chair to topple over without knowing where I would land. The only thing I had successfully done was knock my blindfold loose.
With my feet planted firmly on the hard ground to keep me stationary, I focused on shaking my head until the silk fabric slid further down my face. The room was dark, and my eyes didn’t fully adjust to my surroundings until the covering fell to my chest. Whoever had tied it hadn’t done a good job, or it was part of the ploy in whatever was happening.
A desk and chair were set to my right, and a wall stood to my left. If I had fallen over, my head would have slammed into one of them, making me grateful for not losing my calm and ending up unconscious again. In front of me was a neatly made bed, a wardrobe, and another table situated between two doors.
The table held the only light in the room, but it was dim and didn’t quite reach me. There were windows, but it was dark outside, and the moon must have been too high in the sky to provide light through the small circular openings.
My heart slowed as I continued to focus on my surroundings. I closed my eyes, listening for sounds that would tell me where I was and, hopefully, where Jameson was. The ocean took precedence over any other noises as the waves crashed against the side of the ship. Somehow, I knew this wasn’t the ship I had been on when I fell asleep, and I feared whose it might be.
Muffled voices came from outside one of the doors, and I steeled myself for company. I wasn’t quite ready to face my captor, but I probably never would be, so it didn’t matter if they came in at that moment or two hours later. I mustered up all the strength I could, ready to face whatever was happening.
“I said later, Evander. My daughter is awake.”
“Aye, Captain. Let me know when you be ready for me.”
The door creaked open as the man responded and I missed what he said, though I was more focused on why he was calling me his daughter.
My fingers curled around the armrests, pressing into the cool metal, and I wished for the iron chains to be removed. My increased strength awoke when my heart began beating harder in my chest, but it wasn’t enough to get out of my predicament.
&
nbsp; The door closed with a thud as a man entered the room. He grabbed the oil lamp and made his way toward me. When the light shined on his face, my breath hitched as his red eyes met mine.
He was definitely a vampire. There was no denying that.
His face was flawless, yet it showed his age with a sort of nobility I hadn’t expected from a vampire. His jaw was square with thin lips that lifted into a smile at my inspection, showing off his pointed fangs. He wore his hair tied back, and I assumed it to be black in color, but it was hard to tell in the dim light.
“I’m glad you’re finally awake,” he cooed. “I’ve waited a long time for this day.”
I didn’t say anything. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I was pretty sure he was insane.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked, intrigued.
A few loose strands of hair swayed as I shook my head instead of speaking. I contemplated not answering him at all but decided to play nice for the moment to see how far that would get me.
“My name is Prime.”
I froze. Not breathing. Not blinking. Just staying completely still as I realized I had been captured by the most scandalous vampire known to anyone I had encountered in the last month, since being on the run. Prime, who was supposed to finally turn me into a full fledge vampire, instead of whatever I was currently. Prime, the father to all vampires in one way or another.
All hope dashed away when I recognized there would be no easy way to get away from my captor.
“From the sudden paleness in your face, I take it you’ve heard of me,” he added with a smirk. “That saves us some time, but no matter what you’ve heard, while likely true, it is not the whole story.”
He reached for the chair at the desk, its legs scraping the wood floor as he dragged it, before taking a seat directly in front of me. Leaning forward, he set the lamp down on the ground between us and placed both of his hands under his chin as he took me in.
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