Sire Bound: Part 2

by Edith Warner

  Selene fell back into his arms when he released her from the St. Andrews Cross. He cradled her on the floor and watched her shake. She’d gone into a euphoric shock from the release of adrenaline.

  He’d dished out a fair amount of discipline, and she’d done a good job receiving it. He grinned, knowing that he was the one who’d caused her to feel such immense pleasure. She lay there for minutes until she began to come back around. He’d literally beat her senseless.

  “You did wonderfully.” He kissed her forehead, giving her some assurance.

  “Thank you. That was…amazing.” She smiled and laid her head back in his arms. “Is this what being a vampire is like?” Her childlike wonder was mesmerizing. It had been a long time since he’d seen someone so excited by life. It was wrong of him to not have been enjoying his own.

  “It’s even better sometimes.” He brushed her cheek, thinking back on times past.

  “Wow.” She looked up into his eyes, seeming totally entranced. He wondered if she was already falling in love with him. He’d need to tell her about the sire bond before that happened. Elsewise, she might not fully understand her feelings.

  Better now than later.

  “Remember how I told you I was going to teach you a lesson?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Tell me what you learned.”

  “How rewarding it is to obey my sire’s commands.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he stroked her hair.

  “Good girl. You need to know that things feel more intense with me, because I’m your sire. There are a lot of things to experience in this life, and though I will always be your sire, you are free to do as you wish. You need to know that.”

  “I want to be with you.” The words came as a shock to Warren. Did she already want to be his mate? It was far too soon for her to make a decision like that. Hell, it was too soon for him. He knew how fast young love could dissipate. It would be all good while the roses were red. When they wilted, everything would go to hell. Most people can’t wait until they bud again. They’re not in it for the long haul. She hadn’t seen all of his demons yet.

  “You will be, little girl. I’ll always protect you as long as you’re a part of my coven.”

  “The other girls are a part of your coven, too, aren’t they?” She gave him a hurt look, and it killed him inside. He was open to committing himself to her, but it would be hard to break news like that to his girls. That wouldn’t be something that he’d take on lightly.

  If the day did come, they’d be jealous, but they’d survive. When Annabelle was around, they got used to it. There were plenty of males and females in the world to fuck, and they were free to go out on their own. Christina had. It wasn’t his fault if they chose to stay around, but he wasn’t going to run them off either. Some needed a strong vampire around to protect them.

  There are darker forces than me out there. A flashback of Annabelle’s face the last time he’d seen her came to his mind. He’d kill the bitch who ended her life one day, and her whole coven would go down with her if he ever found them.

  The tear that fell from Selene’s cheek jarred away the swirling thoughts in his head. She deserved to know the entire truth.

  “I know what you’re wondering. Yes. I have fucked those other females.”

  Selene’s head jerked back; a look of disgust wiped across her face.

  “That’s not what I meant. What I’m trying to say is…I used to have a mate. Her name was Annabelle…She was my entire world.” Wren began to feel his skin heat. His collar itched at his neck. “I’m still fucked up from her death, Selene. I don’t know if I’m the same man I used to be. She left demons behind that ate away at me. I’m not sure if I’m worth loving anymore, but if you think I am, we can try and make it work.” He looked down at her. Now she was just staring at him with eyes full of admiration.

  “Choosing a mate is a lifelong decision. I just don’t want you to confuse the sire bond with love. It causes you to feel things you wouldn’t usually feel. I mean think about it, why would you love me? I changed your entire life without your permission. You could’ve met a nice man in college, had children with him, and—”

  Selene covered his mouth with her hand. “I did meet a nice boy in college, but he didn’t do things to me like you just did.”

  Warren was speechless as she stood up and skipped over to the bureau mirror. She stood on her tip toes so she could see the marks he’d left on her flesh.

  “You’re more fucked up than I thought.” He stood and gave her an incredulous look. “But you’re right.” He slapped her hard on the ass. She screamed and leaped forward. He knew she would feel what he’d done to her every time she sat down for the next few days and that almost made him hard again.

  Her entire ass was a deep shade of red from his whipping. There were a couple of raised places on her left cheek. Apparently, he needed to work on his aim. Both sides should’ve been completely even. He had gotten rusty, but something told him he’d have plenty of opportunities to practice.

  “I think it’s time for dinner,” Wren said.

  Selene mimicked his wicked smile in the mirror, and he began to believe that they were truly destined to be mates.

  ~

  The post-midnight air was a little brisk as Warren led Selene by the hand. They were in Cloudland Canyon State Park, heading straight toward the entrance to a cave. She could hear the echo of male voices inside, even before it came into sight. One glance at Warren, and she knew he was thinking the same thing she was. His extended fangs spoke louder than words ever could.

  Selene’s throat was so scratchy and dry. She could’ve sworn that she had the worst kind of sickness, except the rest of her body felt great.

  The sound of beating hearts grew from a faint flutter to a strong beat as they entered the mouth of the cave. Her fangs ached to sink into something. The dark thoughts that had been popping into her head became more compelling. She started devising so many plans that she couldn’t keep track of them all. When the best one came to mind, she knew it instantly. If Warren would allow her to indulge herself, she knew exactly what she would do.

  “Can I try something?” she asked.

  “Of course. Your first hunt needs to be memorable.” Warren smiled, looking more like a killer with each passing second. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  That was all the assurance that Selene needed. She sauntered into the cave, well aware that the six men inside were about to meet fate.

  The dress Warren had provided wasn’t exactly her taste, but it would get the job done.

  Wonder which hussy this belongs to. Selene looked down at the lacy, low-cut fabric and snarled. Anger and hunger became indistinguishable, firing an emotion more malicious and fiery than hate.

  The smell of beer was overwhelming as she entered a large room. The men were completely unaware that their party was just about to get started. Bright lights flashed on the back wall in the distance. She would have them cornered.

  The sound of heavy rainfall assaulted Selene’s senses, but it was only a small amount of water dripping down onto the bumpy floor. She crossed the slick floor with ease and was almost close enough to touch the tallest man before one of the others turned and shined his flashlight on her.

  The blinding yellow light made her eyes strain. The worst headache she’d ever felt pierced through her head. It really hurt, not in a good way. She realized that she was still capable of feeling unpleasant pain, and she growled out loud.

  The fuse had been lit. She sabotaged her own plan to seduce the men in that quick instant. They yelled at each other and formed a defensive line, ready to attack. That pissed her off even more.

  Without another thought, she bolted forward. The pulsing of the young man’s heart thudded loudly from the side of his neck. Her fangs punctured his jugular with perfect accuracy. His heart pumped blood into her mouth, sending her into a frenzy. She began sucking down the savory liquid. The boy tried to jerk away; she only noticed b
ecause it made the flow of blood sporadic. The rhythm of his heart became weak and out of time as it ran out of blood to pump. She dropped his lifeless body on the ground and turned to capture her next victim.

  All of the men’s bodies were lying on the ground. Warren was crouched down with one of them, sucking it dry.

  You son of a bitch!

  Selene tromped over to him, slinging her clenched fist at the back of his head. Warren reached up and intercepted her attack.

  “Stop it!” he yelled, blood dripping from his mouth.

  Selene felt compelled to listen. A wave of sensibility rushed through her. Time seemed to slow down to a reasonable pace again.

  Warren gave her a dark look and returned to his meal. He didn’t get up until he finished drinking.

  “I was going to share, you little bitch. Those two over there are yours. These two are mine.” Warren pointed at the lifeless bodies on the floor. Blood covered his chest and face. Selene looked down at her matching clothes, stained with the blood of the innocent.

  A dreadful feeling of guilt began to rise. She dropped down onto the floor with her head in her hands. Panic ensued.

  “What did you make me do?”

  “Calm down!” His voice rumbled through the cave. “We can talk about this later. For now, you need to finish your dinner before someone else comes.”

  “But I don’t want to!” She couldn’t choke back the sobs.

  “Eat your dinner. Now!”

  The command bound her to obey. She crawled across the floor and began drinking the blood of the bodies. It was colder and more coagulated, just like her heart. She was crying so hard that it was a struggle to drink. Some of the blood went down the wrong pipe, and she had to cough it up. She felt like a gluttonous slug by the time she finished.

  Nasty, murderous, waste of life.

  “What are we going to do with the bodies?” The resentment she felt toward Warren was so strong, she couldn’t even look at him.

  “We are going to bury them.”

  “But what if someone finds them?”

  “I brought you here, because I know the chief of police in this area. I don’t abuse that privilege, but I was trying to treat you to a nice meal where you could let go and indulge your instincts. I can see now that was a mistake. You should be more grateful to someone who’s willing to share. Most sires would leave you on your own to get caught as a prisoner or test subject for the government. Vampires don’t have any legal rights. Think about that while you go and get the shovels. They’re in the trunk.” Warren tossed the keys in the air. Selene caught them with one hand and turned her back to him. Thoughts of going out on her own started to creep into her mind, until he said, “Hurry back.”

  Damn it!

  ~

  An awkward silence filled the car ride home. Selene had her body pointed at the farthest angle away from him possible. She stared out the window, seeming to hate him.

  Warren wasn’t sure why she felt so resentful, but newborn emotions are always impossible to logic. He decided it was time to give her the talk his sire had given him. She needed to learn her new place in the circle of life.

  But first, she needed to know that she could trust him. He had potentially saved her life in the cave, and she didn’t even seem to realize it.

  “I wasn’t trying to steal your food. I killed them all, because you got distracted. One of them was about to hit you with a flashlight. When you didn’t respond, I broke their necks for your safety.”

  “I know.” She turned toward him. Instead of the look of anger he was expecting, her eyes were filling with tears.

  “It’s okay. You’ll learn to control your hunger with time.” He tried to console her, but it only seemed to make things worse.

  “I’m not like you, Warren. I thought I was, because you made me feel things so strongly. But I’m starting to think that those feelings are wrong.”

  He didn’t know how to respond to that. Maybe she was right. He felt no moral obligation toward ending human life, but that didn’t mean she had to share his belief. One thing he knew for sure, though. The things he’d done to her sure as hell weren’t wrong and neither were the feelings he had for her.

  “You’re free to make up your own mind about things. But the way I look at it, we’re just a part of the food chain like every other creature. No one looks at animals in the wild and thinks they are unjust for killing. They are just doing what nature compels them to do. We’re no different.”

  “But it just seems wrong. I always thought that people were different somehow.” She turned her body toward him again.

  “That’s because humans want to be eternal. They even teach each other that they are. In reality, we’re all just animals. Sure, we have our own morals within our species, and those should be upheld. But at the end of the day, every creature has the same end. We’re all going to cease being one day. Vampires just do it slower.”

  “Humans feel things so deeply, though. There has to be a way that we could get food without hurting them.”

  “There are ways to do it without killing them, if that’s what you mean. But hurt is an inevitable part of life. Did you know that even plants communicate? It’s been discovered that trees use fungal networks to share resources with one another. We don’t think of plants as being intelligent, because they don’t communicate in the way that we do. They certainly are, though. So is it wrong to kill them?” Wren glanced over at Selene, who wore a troubled look on her face.

  “It would be best if we didn’t,” she answered.

  “Sure. But all living things have to get energy from somewhere. The very universe is devouring us with every second that ticks by. It’s a cycle that we are forced to be a part of the very second we are born. We will never be able to escape it, so we might as well embrace it.

  Selene pondered his words. “I guess you kind of have a point. I just don’t know how I feel about it, especially since we have the intelligence to make things better.”

  “You don’t have to yet, little girl. You don’t have to.” Warren took her hand and raised it to his lips. They drove in silence for the rest of the trip.

  ~

  As soon as the vehicle came to a halt, Wren got out and started grabbing his things. Selene sat in the passenger seat with her arms crossed. When she didn’t begin following him toward their residence, he turned back and opened the car door.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I think I need some time on my own, Warren.” She focused on the tree line with a determined expression.

  “Of course. I have an open room for you. You can stay in there as long as you’d like and think about things.”

  “That’s not what I mean.” The expression on her face began to waver. “Please…just let me go.”

  Warren’s heart sank to his stomach. He looked at the ground, trying to hide his emotion. “I would never hold you here against your will.”

  “You wouldn’t?”

  The fact that she was surprised by that made him weak at the knees. “Of course I wouldn’t. You’re a part of my coven now. But please come inside and let me give you some fresh clothes and supplies first.”

  “I’m good.”

  “No, you’re not. There’s no way in hell I’m letting you go looking like that. You’ll get spotted in an instant. Now come inside.”

  She followed behind, dragging her feet at first, but as soon as he started packing things up, her demeanor changed. Maybe she could sense the danger she was about to put herself in. Wren certainly could; the thought of her wandering around on her own was eating at him. She needed this experience, but he’d have to do something to make sure she stayed safe. That’s the least he could offer.

  He handed her a backpack full of bank blood, clothes, and money. She didn’t know about the money, but he was sure she would need it. The world was harsh on vampires who had no means, especially females.

  “Keep your head down, trust no one, and cover your tracks if you kill. That’s the be
st advice I can give.” He looked her up and down and tried not to think about how fragile she appeared.

  “I hope you’ll return to your coven soon. You’re always welcome here.” He’d said similar words to several vampires before her, but this time, it was different.

  She hovered in the doorway, seeming unsure for a moment. He hoped so badly that she was going to change her mind, but he wasn’t going to wear his heart on his sleeve in front of her. If she didn’t want him, he’d just have to deal with it. But it was hard when she had him starting to believe she wanted him as her mate. He was so close to begging her to stay before she turned her back to him and walked through the door.

  “Take care of yourself, Selene.”

  His hands began to shake as he dialed a familiar number on his phone.

  “Darrell? I need you to do me a favor…”

  CHAPTER 5

  ~

  THE WOODS BEHIND WARREN’S PLACE went much farther than Selene had originally thought. Her body felt like it could go on forever without tiring, but she was surprised that she felt so cold. It was the only part of the trip that was hard to bear, besides leaving Warren.

  She had to go, though. He was a hypnotic force that would pull her toward him until it became impossible to slip away. She knew that his words must be having an effect on her mind. There’s no way she would’ve killed that man on her own.

  When her feet reached asphalt, she began to get nervous. The sun was rising, and her eyes were starting to strain. Would she be hurt by the rays of the sun? Surely Warren would’ve warned her about that.

  Just as she rounded the corner of a building, bright light assaulted her senses. She instantly felt like she’d been in the sun for hours. Sweat beaded up on her forehead, and her skin began to feel crisp. She grimaced, and a man looked worried as she passed him. She fought to keep a straight face after that. Her heart pounded so hard she could feel it in her chest. She had to find shelter quick.