Rachel described the man she’d come upon. Talked about his teeth, the blood, and green glowing eyes. She knew she sounded insane. The whole situation was insane. She gave a blow-by-blow account of how she’d struck her attacker and broke his nose, then how something had spooked him. She still didn’t know what had caused him to run away and she hadn’t stuck around to see. She’d been too focused on retrieving her necklace.
When she was done, Rachel felt as if she’d been put through an industrial tumble dryer. She hadn’t talked about Paul and the shooting since it had happened. She still couldn’t believe she’d told Gabriel everything, but there was no denying the relief coursing through her. An invisible weight had been lifted off her chest. And it was all thanks to the man sitting across from her.
“Thank you for listening,” she said. “I didn’t mean to dump all that on you.”
“Anytime.” Gabriel reached for her hand, but drew back before he touched her. “How are you feeling now that you’ve had some food?”
She shrugged. “The same.”
*
Dread filled him. “I’m sure you’ll be better by tomorrow.” Gabriel forced a grin. She wouldn’t be better. Not tomorrow. Not ever.
He’d listened to Rachel pour her heart out. She’d been carrying so much pain, so much guilt. It wasn’t fair. She didn’t deserve to have this forced upon her. No one did. If he’d had doubts about the symptoms before, they were gone now. Rachel had caused a blood exchange with the vamp that had attacked her, when she’d broken his nose.
She was infected. No longer human, but also not Sanguis. Rachel was now a Revenant. Soon she would be crawling back to the grave. Like most viruses, the Sanguis infection would take a few days to fully incubate. Once it did, if Rachel didn’t receive more blood from her sire, she’d die.
Anger engulfed him as he glanced at the vibrant, brave woman seated across from him. How dare a stray take the life of one so noble? It wouldn’t mean anything to her in the end, but Gabriel vowed to himself to avenge her. In the meantime, he’d make Rachel as comfortable as possible in the coming days.
“What he has taken from you is unforgivable, but you must move on. Enjoy your time. There is no getting your…” he paused, “old life back.”
“St. Michael medal back,” Rachel said at the same time.
For a moment their words hung in the air, a jumble of sentences not meant to be strewn together. Then her brows slowly drew down over her brown eyes.
“What did you just say?” she asked. “Better yet, what do you mean?”
Gabriel didn’t know what to say. Shocked as much by her statement as she’d been by his. How could she still be worrying about such a trivial item when her life—life as she knew it was over?
“He bit you,” he said slowly.
“Ah huh, and I told you I’ve been bitten before,” Rachel said as if she were speaking to a child.
Gabriel took a sip of wine. “You don’t understand.” He put his glass down.
“You said he didn’t have rabies.” Rachel glanced at her bandaged arm.
Most women in Rachel’s position would be in hysterics by now. “No, not rabies.”
“Was he HIV positive?”
“No.” He shook his head. “Something far worse.” Gabriel stared at her, taking in the arch of her brow, the soft curve of her neck, the gentle rise of her breasts. So beautiful and full of life. He wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms. Hold her tight and never let her go. He had to say something. Explain what had happened, but…
How do you tell someone you are beginning to care about that they’ll be dead by the weekend?
*
Gabriel had been a farmer before his change. He knew nothing about fighting, nothing about war, but he knew a lot about survival. He’d been eking out a living from the harsh land for years. Some seasons he and his family had nearly starved to death, but somehow they’d managed to survive. They were out tending the fields the day the Romans arrived.
The soldiers had taken one look at him and decided he needed to accompany them. When Gabriel had politely refused, they’d beaten him and chained him to a row of other men. Afterwards, they’d slaughtered his parents and burned the fields. The soldiers had found his wife hiding near the well. She’d tried to fling herself into the water, but they’d captured her before she succeeded. They took turns raping her. He’d strained against the chains, but they wouldn’t budge. He hadn’t been able to help her, when she’d needed him most. She’d died calling his name. Gabriel could still hear her screams in his head. Over the years they’d quieted, but they never went away completely.
The Romans marched him for miles without rest. His bare feet cracked and bled, but still they forged on. They’d told him that he was fortunate to have labored for a living. His body could handle the stress. Others they’d acquired hadn’t been so lucky and perished on the journey.
Heartbroken and enslaved, Gabriel had thought things couldn’t get worse, then they’d tossed him into the arena. There he’d learned the true meaning of pain and misery. Under the watchful eyes of a roaring crowd, he became a murderer for the first time. He could still see the man’s eyes staring up at him. Gabriel had dropped to his knees beside the fallen and thrown up. He’d begged the dead man for forgiveness, until they hauled him away.
The spectacle had earned Gabriel another beating, but by then he didn’t care. He knew what was expected of him. So he learned how to fight. He learned how to kill. And on one fateful evening while he was sleeping in his chamber, Gabriel learned how to die.
When the man bit him, the pain had been excruciating. Gabriel thought it would never end. The man had squeezed his jaw until it opened and forced him to swallow some of his vile blood in return. By the time the end neared, Gabriel welcomed death, but death wouldn’t have him. He’d been walking the earth ever since, having long ago accepted his fate.
“I don’t feel so good.” Her declaration dragged him out of the past.
*
Rachel clutched her stomach. The pain felt like someone was stabbing her in the abdomen.
“We need to get you back to the hotel,” he said.
She swayed. “Not until you explain what’s happening to me.”
Gabriel sighed. “I will, but this is not the place. What I need to tell you requires privacy.”
“Fine, but you’re not leaving until you do,” she said, daring him to argue.
“You’re not going to like what I have to say.”
Rachel stood as Gabriel threw money down on the table. “I’ve got news for you, there’s nothing you can say that will be worse than the day I learned my partner had been removed from life support.”
Gabriel’s expression was grave when he finally answered. “Remember you said that after we talk.”
With every second that passed, the more nervous Rachel became. Although she had just met Gabriel, she knew he was the kind of man who didn’t pull punches. Blunt and to the point, that’s what she expected from him, and for whatever reason, she couldn’t push away the impending sense of doom.
Rachel’s feet dragged over the sidewalk. They still had a block or so to go before they reached the luxurious Luxembourg Parc boutique hotel. She felt worse now that she’d eaten, and the dread of the upcoming conversation wasn’t helping her digestion any.
What could Gabriel possibly say that was worse than Paul’s death? She couldn’t think of a single thing that would hurt more. And what had he meant by the attack costing her life? She glanced his way. He kept pace with her, but remained focused on the sidewalk, lost in thought.
Her head spun and the world tipped to the left in front of her. Rachel reached out to steady herself on a lamppost. Her hand missed and she fell. Strong arms swept her up before she hit the pavement.
“Put me down.” Rachel fidgeted and looked around to see if anyone was watching. “This is embarrassing.”
“Not as embarrassing as falling on your face on the sidewalk.” His blue gaze arre
sted her, stopping her struggles. “You are in no condition to argue.”
She’d never admit it, but Gabriel was right. She couldn’t walk any further. Her feet felt like someone had poured concrete into her boots. “Maybe just this one time,” she said.
Gabriel grinned. “We’re almost there.” He carried her as if she weighed nothing, cradling her close to his chest like she was something precious.
Another thing Rachel would never admit was how much she enjoyed being in his strong arms. It felt good. He felt good. Despite the circumstances that brought them together, this felt right. She just wished she were well enough to enjoy the moment. Each step Gabriel took lulled her, until Rachel eventually nodded off.
*
Gabriel carried Rachel into her hotel and fished her key out of her pocket. It took but a moment to find her room and settle her into bed. She never awoke, not even when he stripped her coat and boots off. He stared at her jeans and shirt. After a brief mental debate with himself, he removed them, too.
Rachel was even more beautiful than he’d imagined. He stared down at her lithe form. Gabriel felt his body harden in response and quickly tucked her into bed. Now was not the time to think of what might have been. He glanced around the room and found what he was looking for. Gabriel picked the clothes up off the chair and placed them on a small table, then brought the chair to the side of the bed and took a seat.
Rachel brushed her arm and whimpered in her sleep.
Gabriel grabbed her hand. “Rest. I’ll watch over you.” His voice seemed to settle her.
He’d just turned on the television and began to flick through the channels, when his phone buzzed. Gabriel glanced at the number and swore. He rose and walked into the bathroom.
“Bonsoir mon ami,” Claude said.
“Good evening,” Gabriel replied.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” he said.
Gabriel stuck his head out the bathroom door and looked at Rachel. “Not at all.”
“Good,” Claude said. “Because another body has been reported. The cleanup must be done immediately.”
“Merde!”
“My thoughts exactly,” Claude said. “I had plans to attend a party tonight, but now…” He clucked his tongue dismissively.
“Where is she?” Gabriel asked.
“Inside Champ de Mars,” he said.
Gabriel swore again, this time louder. “The killer is getting brazen. He must really want the Trackers to catch him.”
The Sanguis Trackers weren’t known for bringing criminals in alive. Their job was simple: Eradicate the problem, then move onto the next.
“If you ask me,” Claude said, “the man is insane. Only a crazy man would continue on this rampage and not expect to have to answer for his crimes.”
Gabriel stared at Rachel. It shouldn’t take too long to clean up the scene. He could be back before she awoke. He looked at his watch. “I’ll be there in a few.”
“See you soon. Au revoir.”
Gabriel slipped his phone into his pocket, then quietly approached the bed. He leaned over Rachel and gently kissed her forehead. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
She murmured something unintelligible, but remained in a deep sleep.
*
The scene resembled all the others. The red-haired woman’s throat had been ripped out. The attacks were about more than just feeding. Feeding didn’t require this level of violence. Done correctly, humans wouldn’t know that a Sanguis had fed upon them at all.
The woman’s shirt had been pulled up and a black cap lay three feet from the body. She’d lost one of her shoes in the struggle. Gabriel picked up the sneaker near the bushes and placed it into an evidence bag. He stared at the deceased woman, but all he could see was Rachel’s face. She’d survived the initial attack, but she was still going to die. Bitterness welled inside of him.
“Did you hear me, mon ami?” Claude said.
Gabriel blinked. “What?”
“I said, can you help me roll her over?” he asked.
“Sorry, of course.” Gabriel grabbed the woman’s legs and tipped her onto her side. Her sweats crunched under her weight from all the dried blood.
Claude’s nose wrinkled in disgust. “Nasty business. I don’t see any defensive wounds. Looks like she was caught off guard by her attacker.”
Gabriel frowned. “I think we should leave the speculation to the investigators. Let’s just get this cleaned up before some human wanders by.” He needed to hurry back to Rachel. He wanted to be there when she woke up.
Claude looked up at him in surprise. “Am I keeping you from something?”
“No, why?” Gabriel asked.
“Because you seem distracted,” he said. “Is it anyone I know?”
Gabriel wrapped the woman in the plastic sheeting. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Have you seen your little American friend, since last night?” Claude asked, his gaze far too knowing for Gabriel’s liking.
He didn’t want to discuss Rachel. Every time Gabriel thought about her, his anger grew. Her life had been cut short for no reason. The Trackers needed to catch this sick butcher soon or Gabriel would take upon himself to find him.
“Let’s just get this done,” he said.
Claude grinned. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
*
FIVE
The dark-haired woman left the party, bidding her friends goodbye. She walked down the busy boulevard, then turned left onto a quiet street. The crowds faded in the distance as her long strides took her further away from safety.
Her ebony skin shimmered in the darkness. It flowed like the black fabric of her cocktail dress. The tap, tap, tap of her heels sounded obscenely loud in the stillness of the night. Rachel watched the pulse jump under the skin at her neck. It throbbed in time to her steps.
A coppery fragrance mingled with her flowery perfume. The aroma reached her. The scent was so enticing that Rachel had to find out where she was going. The woman turned suddenly, startled by something behind her. Instead of screaming, she smiled.
“Oh, it’s just you,” she said, then sauntered over. “I didn’t think you were going to make it.”
“I got held up.”
She stretched out her hand. “At least you’re here now. Want to come back to my place?”
“Are you sure?”
Her expression turned coy. “If you want to…” She bit the end of her nail.
Yes, come closer.
Rachel’s mouth was sand dry as she licked her lips. So thirsty. So hungry. So hot. She shifted, trying to get comfortable, but it was impossible. There was no escaping the hunger growing inside of her.
Fangs flashed and the woman’s smile faded. She didn’t get a chance to scream, before the sharp teeth tore at her tender throat.
“Why?” she gasped. Her hands tried to shove her assailant away.
“Why not?” came the response.
Blood bubbles escaped from her mouth as unnatural desires were fed.
*
Rachel cried out and bolted upright. Gabriel rose instantly from the chair he’d been seated in.
“What happened?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”
She blinked. “I saw him. I saw…she’s dead.”
“Who’s dead?” He pressed his hand to her forehead. She was burning up.
“The woman.” Rachel threw the covers off and jumped out of bed. She swayed and plopped back down. “How did I get here?” She glanced down at her underwear. “Where are my clothes?”
Gabriel guided her back until she was lying down again. “One question at a time. You fell asleep in my arms. I fished the key out of your pocket and put you to bed.”
“I remember being dressed,” she said.
He wasn’t about to repent for his actions. “You didn’t look comfortable.”
“Yeah, sure, whatever you say.” Rachel rubbed her hands down her thighs. “I’m so—I ache. What’s happening to m
e?”
A pained expression passed over Gabriel’s face. “Just ride it out. It’ll pass.” The lies kept coming. The feeling wouldn’t pass. It would only get worse.
The virus didn’t just make a victim hungry for blood. It made them hungry for everything. It turned the body against the mind, until eventually the victim’s humanity slipped away. When that happened, raw instinct would take over and the person would become insatiable.
Gabriel didn’t want to see that happen to Rachel, but the change was inevitable. “What I’m about to say is going to sound crazy.”
*
“Not any crazier than what I’m feeling right now.” Rachel writhed on the bed. She couldn’t seem to ease the need burning through her body. First sickness, now this. What the hell was happening to her? The whole thing was insane. A wave of desire struck and she cried out.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.
What was he sorry about? He hadn’t done this to her. Her body ached. She drove a hand between her thighs and pressed down hard, but that only seemed to make things worse. “Gabriel please…I need…” Rachel pulled her hand away and clutched the sheets. If she didn’t get relief soon, she was convinced she’d die. Another wave hit, this time harder. Her back bowed off the bed.
He held her down.
Gabriel’s touch ignited an inferno inside of her. Rachel bit her lip, hoping the pain would distract her. Blood welled in her mouth.
He instantly released her.
“No!” Rachel cried. She needed his touch. She needed him.
Gabriel’s gaze locked on her lips. The heat coming off him was approaching nuclear. His eyes devoured her. Everywhere his gaze touched ignited an answering flame inside of her.
Rachel mewed and writhed. “What are you doing to me?”
“Nothing, but I could ask you the same thing.” His nostrils flared and his muscles tensed. His growing arousal strained the front of his pants.
Rachel’s breath caught as a tidal wave of hunger struck. Everything about this was wrong, but she had no intention of stopping. She grabbed the waistband of his pants and pulled him to her.
Love's First Bite: Bad Boys and Alpha Vampires Boxed Set (6 book bundle) Page 81
