Courted by the Vampire

by Sandra Sookoo

  Her gut clenched when she recognized the gray-haired woman in the picture. Around her neck, she wore the same pendant that now rested around Hannah’s. “Yes.” Cold sweat trickled down her back.

  “The family resemblance is unmistakable. She once commanded the same power that you do, which spurred her protectiveness. It is commendable on her part; however, even she knows destiny will always find its way.” He pocketed the slim volume. “No further information is needed. We must go.”

  “No.” Hannah shook her head, her common sense finally kicking in. She sprang from the chair to pace the room. Her stomach churned. “I don’t have this Gift. You’re mistaken. Things like that oftentimes skip a generation. Possibly, even two generations, who can say?” Her laugh was tight and forced. “Genetics are a funny thing.”

  She needed to get away from him. Obviously, he was dangerous. People like him just didn’t break into houses and raise kittens on the side. Fear clogged her throat until she thought she’d choke. She couldn’t be associated with the paranormal world. Not again.

  His sigh was barely audible. “You cannot deny that which is within you, Hannah.”

  As he approached, the energy in the air hummed between them. “I don’t have a special talent or anything else for that matter, so you can just leave.” Closing her eyes, she bit the inside of her lip and wished he would go away. She hoped he was a gorgeous bad dream.

  He wasn’t. He was still there when she opened her eyes.

  “You do. It is for that reason I needed to find you. I do not know why you deny the truth.”

  Hannah shook her head then attempted to skirt around the enigmatic man. He laid a strong hand on her arm that stopped her cold. “Fine. I might have some powers,” she conceded, reluctant to meet his gaze. “I don’t understand them, and I don’t want to. My Gramma tried to train me to strengthen them, but my mom freaked out and we moved away.” She jerked her arm from his grip and scuttled to the far side of the room. “When I was brave enough to mess around with my ability, someone got hurt. Almost killed, in fact. I will not put another person in jeopardy.”

  “You must learn how to use your power properly. It is not a toy or parlor entertainment. If you consent to join me, I will teach you how to harness yourself as an enhancement conductor and when necessary, meld those powers with my own.” He crossed the cozy room then drew her to the sofa and sat beside her. “My great-grandfather was a vampire with recessed tendencies. He possessed a soul and fangs but ultimately he was only a gene carrier. He would, on occasion, drink blood and become sensitive to sunlight. Most popular fiction is untrue. Vampires do mix freely through society, and they hold normal, mundane jobs.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “And?” She scooted down the length of the sofa, glad to get away from his warmth. “Is there more?” There was always more.

  Edwin sighed. “As my family progressed, more and more human genetics mixed into the bloodline. The family hoped those dark genes would remain dormant.” The grin he turned on her almost knocked her over with its sheer brilliance. What would it feel like to bask in a smile with the full wattage? “As you can probably surmise, some of those genes have surfaced in me.”

  By that time, one sofa cushion separated them. “I’m sorry for your bad luck, but you still haven’t told me why you’re here.”

  He ran a hand over his face in apparent exhaustion then scratched his stubble-covered cheek with elegant fingers. “I am contracted to track a rogue vampire named Duncan. For whatever reason, he has killed several people and will require prosecution. I need your help to find him. If, for some reason, he is beyond rehabilitation, he will have to be dispatched.”

  Hannah’s hand shook as she raked her fingers through her hair. “Dispatched as in killed?”

  “Yes. However, recently, I have been aware of other, more powerful disturbances through the paranormal world and cannot ascertain whom or what is responsible. This troubles me.”

  “What does? The fact you haven’t found the source or that you can’t?” Anxiety roiled in her stomach, and doubled in intensity as he stared at her, unblinking. Ranking at the top of her class in college hadn’t prepared her for banter with paranormal beings. “If you’re a hunter, don’t you already possess the skills to track this Duncan person?” Nervousness skittered through her chest. “Why do you need me?”

  He assumed an air of a parent explaining a relatively simple concept to a child for the third time. “As I explained before, my vampire genes are too diluted. If a vampire or other being’s bloodline is true, they can elude me quite easily. I can sense when they are in the general vicinity. I am able to use telepathic power to subdue them. I have the ability to neutralize a weakened vampire or any other being I track. You have a specific Gift and you possess certain other paranormal skills that are useful to me.”

  “That doesn’t help me.” Paranormal skills. She curled her fingers into fists until her nails bit into her palms. “I refuse to open myself up to that again.”

  “Let me put it in the simplest terms I can. Pretend someone is an electronic device that runs on batteries. That device can only do so much on its limited power. Now, imagine that you happen to walk by that person and suddenly, the small power they harness is multiplied a hundredfold because you enhanced it, much as if they plugged themselves into you as an electrical outlet. Do you understand now?”

  Oh my God. It was worse than she thought. “Yes.” The urge to run grew strong. She made a move to leave, but he trained his icy blue eyes on her and she paused.

  “It took me two years to find the one mentioned in my grandfather’s prophecy. I will not give up because that woman is afraid of exploring her full potential.”

  Hannah shivered and tamped down the hysteria in her brain. Words like power, prophecy, or even vampire caused fear to choke her throat. “I’m going to have to disappoint you, Mr. Mason. Whether or not I have this Gift is none of your concern. I certainly don’t command any sort of power.” She stood on shaky feet and hoped he couldn’t read her churning thoughts. “I would like to say it’s been a pleasure but that would be an outright lie. Good luck with your quest.” She moved to the door and worked the locks. The task seemed to take forever. “Good luck.”

  “What are you afraid of?” Edwin stood, his very presence filled her apartment with strength, power, and raw masculinity. “Your name has been woven into the tapestry of Fate. That tapestry must be finished. Your grandmother told you this long ago.”

  Surprise filtered through her confusion. “My grandmother is… different.” She paused over the word and found there could be no other way to describe Gramma Eileen. She couldn’t, would not, get involved in this issue. I refuse to be responsible for another disaster. She refused to open her mind to the unspeakable force that had traumatized her life five years ago.

  “Hannah.”

  Her thoughts tumbled to a halt by the authority that coated his silky voice. Her gaze lingered on the broad sweep of his shoulders and the unmistakable way his jeans clung to the curve of his rear. Damn. Why did he hunt vampires when he could be doing a handful of other things, specifically wooing the world’s most beautiful women? “Please leave.” She heard the hysterical edge to her own voice and wished she were brave. “I can’t go back to that world again.”

  “Quiet.” Edwin cocked his head to one side, a finger to his lips. His movement swift, he extinguished the lamps. As he twitched the curtain aside to stare down into the street, a frown marred the exquisite line of his lips. “We must leave this place immediately.”

  “I told you—no! I have to be at work tomorrow.” Hannah stood firm, her hands planted on her hips, and glared. “You’re seriously deluded if you think otherwise. I’m calling the police.” She scrabbled for the house phone, but it fell off the table and onto the floor with a dull thud. “Get out.”

  “Get away from the door.” He grabbed her arm, pulling her to him. “If you do not move now, I will be forced to manipulate you until you obey.”

&nb
sp; “No.” As she looked into his face, her breath caught at the fury reflected in his icy eyes. “There’s nothing you can do to convince me otherwise.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

  “As you wish.” The bounty hunter brought his mouth crashing down on hers.

  Stunned, she stopped her struggles. Was that what he meant by manipulation?

  Two seconds later, her blood sizzled through her veins as he moved his lips over hers. He grasped the curve of her hips, and he held her against his body as he stroked his tongue on hers with delicious accuracy. In an effort to remain upright, Hannah clutched his shoulders then sucked on his bottom lip, purely for the pleasure of it. Fear was temporarily lost as warmth flowed into her body at the frenzied contact. As he grazed the underside of her breasts with his fingers, tiny flames ignited under her skin. Just when she would have given him an all-access pass, he weakened his hold.

  “What the hell?”

  His lips parted in a smile. “Now that you are in a more docile frame of mind, get away from the door. I will not repeat the action.”

  She yanked her arm out of his grasp, angry with herself because he made her forget the urgency of the situation with one simple kiss. “Bastard!”

  The door to her apartment burst apart with such force that bits of the white painted wood were flung all over the room. She barely had time to think before Edwin shoved her to the floor with his body over hers in a protective stance.

  Chapter Two

  Edwin kept his head tucked against hers for a second longer than was necessary. The woman smelled good. He inhaled again in order to properly identify the scent—violets and jasmine. The combination was at once Old World and contemporary. He approved. She beat a hand against his chest, bringing him back to reality.

  “Mr. Mason?” She paused and when he didn’t answer, said, “Edwin? Let me up.”

  “You are unharmed?” His senses on high alert, he stared at the being that lingered in the broken doorframe as wooden splinters floated in the air around them. Short, squat, and extremely smelly, the goblin toddled hesitantly into the room to kick at various bits of rubble. Slobber oozed down its chin, pooling on the floor by its three toed feet.

  “Of course I’m unharmed, but look at my apartment!” She scrambled to her feet then teetered on a broken photo frame. “There goes my security deposit.”

  “I think that is the least of your problems.” He stood then glanced around the woefully inadequate living space. He did not understand how the woman had existed on so minimal square footage. “The goblin is a scout. Somehow they followed me here.”

  The high-strung female emitted a snort. “That’s all well and good, but what do we do about him right now?”

  “We will try not to antagonize it.” The goblin waded its ponderous way through the living room in an apparent attempt to seek them out. Its hairy green hide trailed stink and slobber behind its misshapen body. He hated goblins.

  “Can’t it see us?” Hannah clutched at his arm, digging her nails into his forearm.

  “Their eyesight and hearing isn’t very keen. They have tremendous upper arm strength and are very hard to kill.” Edwin extricated himself from her grip. How much did she know about the paranormal world? She was not sufficiently terrified enough to warrant a first time meeting. “Generally, only an explosion can expel a goblin. That is the reason they are sent in first. They are like a two-footed plague.”

  “It’ll destroy my apartment.” Her whine grated on his nerves.

  “That would be the logical conclusion.” He grabbed her arm then skirted around the goblin as it proceeded to bite into a wooden bookshelf. He shuddered. Goblins were foul creatures. “We must go. Time is of the essence.”

  She dug her heels into the carpet. “Where? I do have obligations here, you know. I just can’t go gallivanting around the country. I have a job, rent to pay.”

  Frustration coursed through his veins. Perhaps the prophecy was wrong.

  “…the one who wields the power of the Light will challenge the Dark and defeat it even beyond Death…”

  No matter how many times he had tried to puzzle out the meaning of the words, he simply could not understand. “The things on the periphery of your life do not concern me. My job depends on you, and whether you cooperate with me is a moot point. I will bring you with me one way or the other.”

  “If I refuse, you’ll kiss me again? Ooh, I’m scared.”

  Another crash from the goblin signified the being had destroyed the entertainment center. The television shattered and was followed by a wisp of smoke.

  “Oh my God! Not the TV!”

  Edwin’s gaze strayed from the destruction to the woman. He did not understand her angst over a simple appliance. With a grunt of satisfaction, he yanked her into the hallway of the generic brown warren of walls she called home.

  “Wait! I need my bag.” He loosened his grip long enough for her to duck back inside the doorway and snag the strap of the shapeless monstrosity. “I never go anywhere without it.”

  “No more delays.” Edwin cleared his throat, wishing to set her mind at ease but not accustomed to dealing with recalcitrant females. “I apologize for my behavior. You vexed me with your inability to follow orders. I will not repeat the actions.” As his mind lingered on the impromptu embrace, he frowned. That had not been his best work. “Come.”

  “So, your answer to the problem—finding your friend, not kissing me again—is to kidnap me?”

  He shrugged, and his lips twitched as he marched her down the long hallway so quickly she trotted in order to keep up with him. “It matters little to me how you label the situation.” He pushed open the outside door and dragged the woman behind him, his fingers easily encircling her wrist. “They will watch the airports so we will drive. I believe your car is this way.”

  “Who are they, and where’s your car? Didn’t you drive here?”

  He glanced behind him to catch her outraged expression then he flicked his gaze to the building. The goblin did not pursue them, only a plume of smoke as orange tongues of flames seeped from Hannah’s bedroom window. “I arrived by taxi.” He sent her a firm glance. “No more questions.”

  “How did you know which car is mine?” When he refused to answer the question, Hannah rooted around in her bag and procured a keychain then dangled it from her forefinger. “Fine, Mr. High and Mighty, you drive since you seem to know where we’re going.” She jiggled the key ring and then frowned when he didn’t take it. “Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts? My apartment’s trashed and destroyed. I can’t stay here. Are you going to be responsible for the damages? I’ll be sued for sure.”

  He stared at her, saw uncertainty reflected in her vivid green eyes. Unaccustomed need slammed into him as he looked her from head to toe. She was shapely. He remembered the healthy swell of her hips, the fit of her soft curves against his body. Edwin stifled a groan and willed his body not to respond. “I never have second thoughts.”

  The complex was quiet, not even a barking dog broke the stillness. When she touched a finger to her full lower lip, he scrambled to find something else to occupy his mind, glad when his gaze landed on her nondescript four-door compact. “I need to be able to navigate. You will drive.”

  She shrugged. “Suit yourself.” As she slipped behind the wheel, she slung her bag onto the floor of the backseat where it hit with a muffled thud against his. She frowned and squinted as if attempting to see through the shadows.

  Any moment now she would question him. He looked forward to it. “Come, Hannah. We must leave.” Glad for the small bit of action, Edwin dropped into the passenger seat and closed the door. As the engine purred to life, he buckled his seat belt. “You may proceed.”

  “Some kidnapper you are. I have to do all the work.” She navigated out of the parking lot and into the street.

  “I did not kidnap you.” Though reproach coated his voice, tiny threads of doubt snaked through his mind. He had barely skimmed the surface of why he
needed her on this trip. If he told her the full truth now, he feared that knowledge would make her retreat further inside herself and in order for his plan to succeed, he needed her to embrace her powers. When she was ready, he would know. “You are simply a necessary part of this operation.”

  She huffed. “Where are we going?”

  “North.”

  “Are you sure? Won’t we need to traipse through the wilds of rural Europe, the greenery of Ireland or even lurk about a crumbling castle or two in order to find your errant friend? Isn’t that how the stories go?”

  He admired her tough attitude as well as her courage. Yes, his original decision to seek out the one mentioned in the prophecy was sound. Hannah would do well. “Our destination lies in the North. I will know it when we get close.” A tiny smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “Do you have an atlas in your car?”

  Her forehead wrinkled with disbelief. “No, why should I? I don’t travel, especially since I’ve become the resident freak show.” Dark shadows marred the ivory skin beneath her eyes. “I’ll have to move again.”

  “You would not need to keep moving if you would just learn to harness your gifts. You must practice your skills in order to succeed with them.” Uncertainty swept into his mind again. How did he convince the woman she needed to start using her power if she denied she even had them?

  “And you wouldn’t need to kidnap people if you would just learn to stand up to your family and tell them you don’t want to hunt vampires or various sundry other beings.” She shot a victorious glance at him. “It’s true, isn’t it? You don’t like what you do for a living, but you’re afraid to tell anybody.”

  Edwin swore his sigh came from his toes. “No, I do not enjoy it. It is a means to an end. At this point in my life I cannot undo what has been put into place by Fate.”