by Edith Warner
He was beautiful and terrifying. Tall, dark, and handsome took on a whole new meaning when it came to Warren. He embodied all three traits, especially the dark part. He was dark to the core.
His blue eyes seemed to glow in the darkness as he made his way toward her. She felt the weight and the warmth of his body press against hers, and she was helpless against it. He began rubbing her nipples and kissing her neck.
She moaned when he began sucking and sliding his tongue across her delicate skin. His fangs brushed against her, and he leaned up with a menacing expression.
Oh shit! He’s going to bite me. She knew it was coming. His eyes taunted her with the threat, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Wetness surged to her pussy, and he slid his cock inside. It went in easily since she was already so wet from being spanked. He began thrusting and knew exactly where to angle himself to drive her crazy. She bit her lip and bucked her hips to meet him as he built a rhythm of thrusting and stimulating her nipples.
A wave of ecstasy overtook her; she lay there and stared at the ceiling as he began pounding her hard.
The sound of her moans built to cries as she thought about him filling her. He leaned over and began sucking her neck again. Her heart began to pound so hard she thought it would explode in her chest. She braced herself for the pain as his teeth pressed against her neck. But when it came, she let out a squeal of delight. He sucked the very essence from her as she came so hard her vision went blurry.
“You taste so fucking good.” His voice was gruff in her ear as he released the warmth of his load inside her.
She let out another moan when he returned to draining her neck. He caressed the sensitive wound with his tongue and began sucking hard, sending a wave of pleasure down her spine. He was drinking a lot of her blood now. She felt pressure beginning to build in her forehead.
“Please.”
He reached his hand down and began massaging her clit with his fingers as he continued to suck. She felt herself getting light headed, but it pushed her over the edge. She came again like never before, and he tore himself from her.
His eyes were dark. He stared at her like he wanted to devour her very soul.
If there is a God, he must be taking revenge on me for the things I’ve done. I’ll live in a perpetual hell with you as my tormentor, and it will be my greatest delight.
~
Selene woke the next afternoon to an empty bed. She heard Warren pacing the floor in the sitting room and quickly made her way toward him.
“What’s wrong?”
She realized she was still naked from the previous night when his eyes lit up at her appearance, but his face remained set in a hard expression that made it obvious he was distraught.
“I just got a call from Clyde’s sister, Samantha. She hasn’t seen him for several days and doesn’t know where he is.”
The phone began vibrating on the table; Selene shot Warren a worried look before he picked it up. He listened intently as his face filled with rage. “I’ll be there in a minute.” He lowered his voice before continuing, “But keep in mind that she shouldn’t be trusted.”
“What?” Selene asked, when he hung up.
“That was her again. You need to get dressed. Christina is at Samantha’s place. She says she knows where Clyde is, and I suspect she’s the reason why he’s missing.”
“Christina?” Selene was shocked.
“Yes, Christina,” Warren spoke through clenched teeth.
Selene eyed him, wondering why he was so hostile. Christina had been nothing but kind to her.
Warren began pacing the floor again. He was clearly nervous, but did he really think Christina was that horrible? What had she done to him?
Selene threw the lilac dress on from the night before. When they got in the car, Warren stared out the windshield in silence. He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel with an expression that said he was contemplating all the ways he could murder Christina.
“Why do you hate her so much?” Selene rubbed Warren’s shoulder, hoping the question wouldn’t arouse more anger.
“Because she’s the biggest manipulator I’ve ever known.”
“But do you think she’d do something to get Clyde hurt?”
Warren squinted before finally making eye contact. “I wouldn’t put it past her.”
Selene recalled her memories of Christina as they approached Samantha’s house. She couldn’t put her finger on anything that she’d done wrong, but she trusted Warren’s judgment.
When they pulled through the gate to an immaculate mansion, the hairs on Selene’s arms began to rise. Nothing looked out of place. The environment was beautiful, peaceful even, but something seemed off. Warren drove around a large tiered fountain before stopping the car in front of stone steps.
Christina’s Mercedes was parked directly in front of them. Warren snarled at it while going through the motions of being a gentleman by opening Selene’s door.
“Thanks.” Selene wrapped her arm around his.
When he rang the doorbell, a gorgeous woman with curly red hair answered the door. She had a very petite frame and was wearing dress pants with a white sleeveless collared shirt.
“This is my fiancé, Selene.” Warren made a quick introduction.
“Nice to meet you.” Samantha gave Selene a closed-lipped smile, but like Warren, she seemed to be going through the motions.
Samantha led them to a large sitting room. Selene could see the back of Christina’s head resting on a leather couch. When she heard them entering the room, she quickly sprang to her feet and faced them.
Christina’s eyes widened. That was the last thing Selene saw before a pillowcase covered her head. Everything went dark. She heard Christina scream before unyielding hands dragged her backward.
“Let go of me,” Selene yelled.
“Selene!” She heard Warren’s voice in the distance. It sounded strained, and she knew he was trying to fight.
“Warren!” She yelled, right before someone put their hand over her mouth. She was restrained by two people and carried to a room in the basement before being handcuffed to a metal pole.
“Warren!” She screamed again, but there was no answer, only the sound of another woman’s voice, whimpering.
“Abby is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
Selene realized the voice came from directly behind her. She reached her arms back and rubbed Abby’s hand.
“Are the others here?”
“We’re all here.” Another voice, who Selene recognized as Makayla, answered from the corner.
“Amber, Kristen, and Eva, too?” Selene asked.
“I have your whole fucking coven here, you little bitch,” an unfamiliar voice said. The pillowcase was lifted, and Selene stared straight into the eyes of Annabelle’s murderer.
“I assume you know who I am, but just in case you don’t, the name’s Trisha Colburn. That won’t matter in just a few minutes, though, because I might as well be God when I’m done playing with you.” Trisha leaned up and pranced across the floor in heeled boots. She had a pixie haircut that was dyed bright purple and dark winged eyeliner.
Selene locked eyes with Mila, who stood behind Trisha, and saw a trace of sympathy. A long white scar marked her arm, and her nose hung crooked from the beating Warren had given her.
“Isn’t she pretty?” Trisha stepped forward. “I hope you think so because you’re about to look a lot worse.”
CHAPTER 8
~
WARREN’S HEAD THROBBED FROM HEAD-BUTTING one of the males. If he could just get his hands free from the damn rope…There, much better. Now he could pull his pistol from his waistband.
They didn’t even think to search me. Those dumb fucks!
He snatched the pillowcase from his head and surveyed the room. Christina was against the wall in front of him, tied to a chair.
“You got us into this, didn’t you?” Wren pulled back the slide on hi
s pistol and held it against her head.
“No, Warren! I swear. I didn’t know anything about this.” It was satisfying to hear her voice break.
“I’ll be back for you as soon as I know Selene is safe.”
Two large figures in black suits rounded the corner. Wren didn’t even think about it. He shot both of the males in the chest before they were able to get any closer.
He had to pass over them to get through the hall and noticed one had a busted nose.
After taking a deep breath to steady himself, he started clearing the rooms around him, from back to front. He knew he didn’t have long, as they surely had heard the gunshots.
~
Selene lay against the pole, wincing in pain. Trisha had kicked her in the face several times before going to check out the noise. Tears began running down Selene’s cheeks. She just knew that Warren was dead.
But then she heard two more gunshots, followed by screaming, just outside the door.
“Drop the gun!” She heard a male voice yell.
Warren?
Another bang, followed by an agonizing scream.
“I’m not letting you die that easy. Drop the gun!”
It’s him. He’s alive!
“Just kill me!” Trisha’s voice answered. It was almost unrecognizable. Selene had never heard someone in so much agony.
Another pop and it was over. Warren entered the room, looking completely unscathed and shocked by what he found.
“Is everyone okay? Answer me, girls.”
One by one, the girl’s answered, “Yes,“ and Warren’s eyes focused on Selene.
“What did she do to you? That damn bitch!” He stomped the ground before kneeling down and caressing Selene’s face.
There were no words to describe what she felt at that moment. Her entire world was so close to being shattered, but he was okay. She longed so desperately to hold him close and never let him go again.
“I’ll be right back,” Warren whispered.
He returned with the handcuff keys and set Selene free. She helped him release the others, and everyone exchanged hugs. They felt so lucky to have all made it out alive.
Selene clung to Warren as he gave everyone a grim look. “Now it’s time to take care of Christina. I know she’s a coven member, but she has betrayed us all.”
“What do you mean?” Makayla asked. “Samantha was the one who told them to bring us down here.”
“She what?” Warren’s voice became sharp, and his muscles tensed. Selene could see the wheels turning in his head. “Has anyone talked to Clyde?”
“After we heard he was missing, Kristen called his number, but he didn’t answer.”
“I see.” Warren looked at the ground and nodded. He whipped his phone out and dialed Clyde’s number. When he didn’t answer, Warren left a message explaining the situation, followed by, “I swear to God if you had anything to do with this…I’ll kill you.”
Selene and the others followed him toward the room where Christina was still bound. They passed by the bodies of Mila and Trisha on the way, confirming Selene’s suspicion that he’d killed them both.
“So what’s your story?” Warren slipped the pillowcase from Christina’s head.
“I got a call from Samantha around lunchtime. She said that Clyde was missing and wanted to know if I could come over. I talked to him a couple of days ago, and he was heading to a music festival. I tried to tell her that, but she didn’t seem to believe it. I thought she was blowing things way out of proportion. I planned to tell you when you got here, but these males came out of nowhere and snatched us all. That’s all I know. I swear, Warren.” Christina looked up at him with a pleading expression.
Selene believed her story wholeheartedly, but she wasn’t sure if Warren would. It was evident that Christina wanted his forgiveness, and Selene felt sorry for her.
Warren took a look around the room as everyone came to the same conclusion. Then he gave the order, “Everyone look for Samantha, but stay in groups. There could be more of them still in here, so search the bodies for weapons and take them with you.”
He set Christina free without making eye contact. She helped them with the search, but after making several rounds through the mansion, they didn’t find a living soul.
Warren asked for everyone to meet in the sitting room, where they started coming up with ideas of where she could’ve fled to. The room became eerily quiet when Warren’s cell phone rang. It was Clyde, and he was coming.
~
Warren kept his pistol within easy reach as Clyde approached the doorsteps. It was unnerving to think that his sire could’ve been involved with something that might’ve caused his demise.
He would’ve never admitted it, but if he had an Achilles heel, it was Clyde. Wren had always thought he was lucky to have such a logical sire. He would’ve done anything for him at one time, but now he wondered if he’d have the strength to kill him.
One look at Selene’s face, and he knew he could if he had to. Even if that meant overriding his basic instincts, he’d do it somehow. He stared through the glass door at the familiar face he’d always trusted, and for the first time that he could remember, he began to feel weak.
The doorbell rang like a church bell at a funeral. When Warren opened the door, Clyde greeted him with a command.
“Put your gun on the floor.”
Warren felt his face contort as he struggled against the order. Clyde was never one to be pushy. Why was he asking him to do this now, when he trusted him the least?
“I know you have it. Put it on the floor.” Clyde’s voice was more commanding now. Wren felt his hand slipping toward the gun, even though he was fighting it with all of his might.
“It’s okay, Warren. I’ll take care of this. You can put it down.” Selene stepped forward, gun in hand. She gave Warren a knowing look, before pointing it directly at Clyde’s chest.
To know that she had his back when he was weak…that was awe-inspiring. Warren put the gun down and watched as the woman who held his heart stood up for him.
“This is very comical you know.” Everyone stared in horror as Clyde chuckled to himself. He looked Warren straight in the eyes and said, “Tell her to put the gun down.”
They were playing a mind game of chess, except Clyde had just called checkmate. Warren swallowed and looked over at Selene. The decision was in her hands. She could shoot Clyde now or wait for the slim chance that he wasn’t going to betray them all. By the way things were going, she’d suffer from words dictated by Wren’s own mouth.
Warren couldn’t stand the thought of it, but there was nothing he could do. He delayed as long as he could, but time was up. “Put the gun down, Selene.”
She gazed into his eyes as she followed what might be the last command he’d ever give her. She didn’t appear to be bitter. That would’ve made things easier. Instead, her eyes were full of complete understanding, and it broke Wren’s heart.
The sound of movement caught Wren’s attention in the background. He turned to see Makayla holding a gun. She was completely focused on her target, contemplating something Warren would’ve once thought was unthinkable.
“For heaven’s sake, tell them I’m not to be harmed.” Clyde looked agitated now, but he was no fool. He watched Makayla very carefully until Warren gave the command, “Stand down. He isn’t to be harmed.”
Warren felt like he’d been punched in the stomach as he waited to see what Clyde would do next. They were all at his complete mercy now.
Christina separated herself from the pack. “Everyone’s just a little on edge. I hope you understand, but it’s so good to see you.” She gave Clyde a hug, which he half-heartily returned. They’d become good friends over the previous year, which Wren didn’t understand, but he was happy to see that she was trying to diminish the tension.
Everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as she led Clyde to one of the couches and he took a seat. But no one was ready to trust him yet.
“I
knew you would be upset, but to be greeted by guns…that’s a real first.” Clyde cocked his head toward Warren. “She was going to shoot me, you know.” He pointed toward Makayla who was still staring daggers at him.
“Well…what did you expect?” Warren threw his hands up.
“My mistake. Can we just sit down and talk like civilized beings now? Please, everyone, make yourselves comfortable.”
Warren took a seat beside Selene and proceeded to tell the story. The air was thick with tension while everyone waited to hear Clyde’s response.
“I know you’re all wondering why my sister would do something like this. I’m quite hurt by it myself, but I do know that she was good friends with Mila.”
“She was?” Warren cut him off. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I know you very well, Warren. You wouldn’t have left her alone, and it seemed harmless enough to me.”
“You know I’ve been searching for the Colburn’s for years!”
“Yes. I also know you have a problem with forgiveness. I was merely trying to stay out of the situation. I can see that was a mistake now, but please understand, I’m the type who results to violence as a last result.”
It was hard to hear those words, but Warren knew there was truth in them. Clyde was well over a century old, and his judgment could be trusted.
“I suppose my sister wanted vengeance for what you did to Mila. Perhaps the easiest way was to side with Trisha, but I don’t know why she involved your whole coven. There isn’t an apology big enough that I can give for that, but I do ask for your forgiveness. I know you probably want to retaliate, but please know that I will handle this situation very carefully. I am my sister’s sire, and I will give her orders to prevent her from causing you harm again. She will be banned from your presence, and for her protection, I ask you to pass the command on to your coven. Do you find that to be an acceptable solution?”
Warren struggled with that for a moment, but he knew it was beyond time to let go of the need for revenge. His true enemy was dead, and as long as his coven remained safe, that would be enough. “Yes.”
