Branded by Sin

by Alyssa Breck

  Christy wrapped her fingers around the bars and looked at Sean. Tears welled up in her eyes. “You’re here because last night you killed three people…and if it weren’t for me, none of this would have happened.”

  Sean backed away, shaking his head. “I’m not a killer. There’s some mistake. Let me out of here! I want a lawyer.”

  The tears spilled down her pale cheeks. “It’s not that simple, Sean. This is a different world. You don’t need a lawyer. Justice has been handed down already. I’m going to die.”

  He felt sick again, as though he might vomit. “Wait! No. If I did something wrong, I’ll take my consequences. I’m not going to let you go down for me.”

  “Come closer.” She put her hand through the bars and beckoned him.

  He obeyed.

  She touched his cheek. “I’m a monster. And now you are too.” She swallowed a sob. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Look. We can sort this out. It can’t be that bad.”

  The glint of a blade flashed as the man jerked her head back and slashed a knife across her throat.

  Blood sprayed, hitting Sean in the face.

  He stumbled back and fell on his ass. All the air left his lungs as he whispered, “No.”

  Christy’s body hit the concrete floor with a thud. Her eyes turned black and the once perfect skin of her face wrinkled like that of a mummy.

  Sean scooted away from the horrific scene and the blood now running into his cell, inching closer to his feet. “I swear to God I will never touch another line of coke.”

  “No. No, you won’t. Vampires haven’t a need for synthetic stimulation. Welcome to your new home, Sean. Welcome to the Bad Blood Empire.”

  Chapter One

  Los Angeles, Present Day

  A red tint clouded his field of vision. Sean blinked his eyes to try to clear the haze. His need to bite competed with his need to come as he slammed his dick into her faster, harder, easily bottoming out.

  Lila writhed and whimpered, dragging her nails over his back. Her pussy tightened, squeezing his cock in a pulsating rhythm. She arched her back, exposing her neck and unknowingly provoking him. The sweet bouquet of her blood wafted in the air and mingled with the scent of her sex, a mix of milk and honey.

  The delicate flesh of her throat bruised easily and he closed his hand just tight enough around it to keep her in place. Blood rushed faster through her carotid artery as she came. Her heartbeat echoed in his head. His instincts piqued, responding to the sounds she made and to the friction of his cock sliding in and out of her, pushing him closer to orgasm. Saliva pooled in his mouth and his fangs dropped, aching for a taste.

  Sean licked over her pulse, the salt on her skin serving as an appetizer. He sank his canines deep into her neck. Spicy, hot blood filled his mouth. Pleasure endorphins added sweetness, like dipping an apple in caramel—delicious, addicting.

  He came while still drinking from her. His eyes refocused and his senses jolted to attention. Drinking blood was sort of akin to sex. If he didn’t control the feed, his fangs would release venom, much like ejaculating. A fucking fang-gasm. But once that happened, it was too late, like failing to pull out before coming and—surprise!—positive pregnancy test.

  Only the result was way worse. An incurable disease.

  He pulled away from her throat, gasping. Blood dripped from his lips and trickled from the twin wounds he’d opened in her neck. He quickly licked them to close the holes and stop the bleeding before it hit the pillow beneath her head.

  The pulsing inside her slowed, as did her heartbeat. She sighed and smiled. Her eyelashes fluttered as she opened her eyes, her brow knitting. “Are you okay, baby?”

  The soft touch of her hand on his cheek helped calm him, but Sean still struggled to keep his composure. His body urged him to bite again, to take more, to finish. He kissed her and rolled to her side. “Yeah, I’m good. You all right?” He always worried he’d hurt her and not realize it.

  “Mhm.” Lila cuddled up against him. “I’m just really tired.”

  And probably anemic. He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. “Love you.”

  She yawned with a squeak like a little mouse. “Love you more.”

  Most of the time, feeding from Lila was enough to keep the bloodlust at bay, but not that night. Sean looked at her sleeping peacefully beside him. The slight bruising on her neck, just under her jaw, starkly reminded him what he was. As much as he loved her, he loved blood more. Vampires were junkies. It wasn’t a choice, just his personal fucked-up reality.

  There was a code amongst his kind, which was mostly self-serving. They trained themselves to take enough to stave off the hunger then move on to the next meal. Leaving bloodless bodies lying around would draw unwanted attention to their underground world. They called it The Thin Red Line. Once they crossed that line, it was hard to get back what was left of their humanity. Bloodlust was one thing. Fostering the instinct to kill was quite another.

  There was a time when he wouldn’t have given a second thought to ending a life, but he wasn’t that guy anymore and he didn’t relish the cleanup and disposing of corpses. For lack of a better term, the Bad Blood Empire was relatively civilized. They didn’t kill unless necessary and practiced safe feeding to avoid creating a population explosion. Because, really, the number of vampires already roaming the earth was too high.

  The Bad Blood Empire was made up of mostly vampires, with a few shifters scattered in for variety. When vamps went rogue, leaving trails of bodies, they popped up on the Empire’s radar. The members of the BBE captured the rogues, determined if they were worthy of rehabilitation. At that point, they would be integrated into the BBE or terminated.

  Sean had been deemed worthy of rehabilitating but it had cost his sire her life.

  He untangled Lila’s limbs from his and slid out of bed. The clock read one fifteen in bright red numbers. In about an hour, the parking lots of local bars would be teeming with potential dinner candidates. He could move in, get what he needed and be back well before Lila woke up and before his mortal enemy lit up the sky. He and sunlight had a history of not getting along and he had no desire to end up a pile of smoking ash in the driver’s seat of the 442.

  ~ * ~

  The last row of parking stalls sat well away from the bright lights of the front entrance to the bar. Sean backed into a spot in the corner and rolled his window down. He lit a cigarette and settled in to scout out his prey.

  Luring women was never a problem thanks to the gifts of his curse. He flashed a smile, turned on the charm and they were putty in his hands.

  Part of what he loved about his arrangement with Lila was she didn’t demand anything. She had this philosophy that tomorrow might not come, so she lived for the day. They fulfilled a need in each other but no promises were made. They were both free to do as they pleased, which worked well for him since feeding and sex almost always got mixed up. If his dick was hard, his fangs came out to play.

  A tall redhead walked toward his car. He watched her for a minute before deciding to pass. He needed a primal attraction to get started and it wasn’t there. The natural ginger-colored redheads with pretty copper locks appealed to him, but not the fake-looking ones like her. Ammonia, cigarettes and cheap booze wafted through the air as she approached her car a few stalls over from where he was parked. He wagered she’d taste like shit—bitter and stale, like the smoke on her jacket. Yes, he was a hypocrite as a smoker himself. But at least he cracked a window when he lit up so he didn’t smell like he’d just survived a house fire.

  Sean took a drag off his cigarette and exhaled out said window. A rowdy group of college-age guys climbed into a BMW and burned rubber out of the lot. Sean shook his head. He remembered being that young and that stupid.

  A minute later, two women, laughing and walking arm in arm, caught his eye. The blonde had legs for days and he imagined her lanky thighs wrapped around his head. He laughed to himself. That one would definitely be a good time.
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  But it was the smaller brunette with the burgundy streak in her hair who gave him pause. Maybe she reminded him a little bit of Lila. The scent of blood carried on the wind and Sean’s nostrils flared in response.

  He watched the two women exchange a few words, hug each other and get into separate cars. The blonde drove away, waving at the other girl. Sean closed his eyes and focused his energy. It had taken years of practice and self-discipline to master the skill and now it was like breathing, almost automatic.

  The ignition of the woman’s car whined but didn’t come to life. His power of persuasion didn’t just work on his prey, but on inanimate objects too. He stepped out of the 442 and dropped his cigarette on the ground. The feeding foreplay started now.

  She opened her car door and looked at him.

  Sean was blessed with his dad’s height and athletic build, and his mom’s light-brown hair and hazel eyes. Even before he’d possessed the thrall of a vampire, women hadn’t been a problem. Well, getting them in bed hadn’t been. His only long-term relationship had been with a nice girl back home during high school.

  Now, as a vamp, he looked even better. By nature, vampires were attractive. He retained his natural appearance somewhat, but after the transition, he’d taken on a far more polished look. The difference was akin to a model’s before and after photos—one with makeup, one without. That change in appearance also helped to conceal his prior identity, from when he was still human. All vamps still avoided close friends and family because the risk was too great. Even though Sean looked subtly different, more handsome than before, he was certain his mother would know him.

  He pasted a friendly smile on his face. “Having some trouble?”

  The woman nodded and exhaled dramatically. She slapped the steering wheel. “My damn car won’t start.”

  “I can take a look if you’d like.”

  “Really? That would be great. I don’t want to have to call roadside assistance and sit here half the night.”

  “Pop the hood.” The clank of the release echoed in the nearly empty parking lot. He lifted the hood, knowing there was nothing wrong. In fact, if she cranked the key right now, the car would start. He caught a whiff of her flowery perfume as she moved in beside him.

  “You think I need a jump?” She blinked her brown eyes. “I didn’t leave my lights on or anything. I checked.” A dimple in her left cheek gave her an air of innocence that the smell of alcohol on her breath quickly dispelled.

  “Maybe.” The dryness in his throat pushed away any second thoughts and the ache in his fangs prodded him on like a devil perched on his shoulder, smiling and encouraging, poking him with a tiny pitchfork. He told himself she probably shouldn’t be driving anyway. He was doing her a favor by delaying her departure, if only for a few minutes. They’d be doing each other a service. The seduction began…

  She linked her fingers with his and squeezed his hand. “You’re cold. I could warm you up, you know.”

  “Oh yeah?” With his other hand he pulled on a wire here and a cap there, pretending to look for a problem.

  She raised one eyebrow. “Definitely.”

  The proposition she offered was clear. With a tug to her hand, she followed him back to his car. He opened the passenger door and she climbed inside.

  “Nice car.” She ran her hand over the dashboard.

  “Thanks. I like her quite a bit.” He’d dumped a shitload of money into restoring the Oldsmobile 442. The glossy black paint alone had cost more than the entire car when he’d first bought it.

  The woman turned in the seat and smiled. “How about me? Do you like me?” She seemed completely lucid at the moment but a little tipsy.

  He watched her eyes for clues. “Are you drunk?”

  She laughed. “No. I had a few drinks but I’m no lightweight, sugar.” Her pulse wasn’t slamming, adrenaline was pumping a bit but not from fear. Good signs.

  Fear intensified his predatory instincts and he preferred not to go down that road. It was risky. He leaned closer and pressed his lips to hers. “You smell delicious.”

  She tangled her fingers in his hair. “So do you.” Her tongue brushed against his and he pulled back, redirecting his mouth toward her neck.

  Since he’d just fucked the daylights out of Lila, a heavy petting session wasn’t on his agenda. He just needed a drink or two and then he’d send the chick on her way, safe and sound.

  But she had other ideas, as evidenced by the hand now gripping his cock through his jeans. Make that his hard cock. One thing that hadn’t changed when he became a bloodsucker was his dick’s response to the touch of an attractive woman.

  He closed his eyes and his fangs dropped. He bit into air, his teeth gnashing together because his snack now had her head in his lap and was pulling his pants open. A blowjob wasn’t what he’d had in mind, but…

  Her warm, wet mouth closed around his dick and she sucked him deep.

  “Fuck.” He pushed her hair away from her face. Biting her could wait for this.

  The two silver hearts on her bracelet clinked together as she moved her hand up and down his shaft in perfect rhythm with her mouth. The gear shifter rubbed against her shoulder as she levered her body into the task. She knew what she was doing, swirling her tongue around the head and sucking that spot on the underside.

  This wouldn’t take long. His cock swelled and the pressure increased in his sac.

  She reached inside his pants and cupped his balls, tugging gently.

  The red tint returned to his vision as his muscles tensed and all his energy pooled between his legs. He kept control and didn’t grab her head and shove his cock down her throat like he wanted to. Instead, he played with her locks of dark hair and caressed her cheek.

  She increased the speed of her strokes and sucked him deeper. Her mouth vibrated around his dick as she moaned.

  His balls tightened and pulled up close to his body. He groaned and watched her. When she clamped her lips tight around the base, he held her head and came in hot spurts down the back of her throat. So. Fucking. Good.

  Some chicks really enjoyed giving head, and he guessed she was one of them by the way she smiled and licked her lips.

  Now that he’d come, the hunger manifested and he couldn’t wait any longer. He pulled her closer and kissed her again, tasting himself on her tongue. Grazing his teeth over her jaw, he sank his fangs into her neck. A hot mix of cinnamon and whiskey laced her blood.

  She relaxed in his arms and sighed. “Mmm. What are you doing? That feels so…so good.”

  The monster lurking just below the surface of his pale skin whispered to his psyche. You don’t have to stop, keep drinking. Fuck The Thin Red Line. Take your fill. It’s been a long time since you’ve been truly satisfied.

  Her breathing accelerated, coming in fast huffs, and she trembled in his embrace. She squirmed and squeezed his biceps. The heat in the car fogged up the windows and he knew he needed to hurry.

  She clutched at his shoulders, moaning loudly. “I’m… God. I’m coming. Yes. Yes!”

  His skin prickled with predatory anticipation. It would be so easy to just drink until the want was gone. But he couldn’t. If he dropped venom in her, he’d have to kill her. So far, he had managed to not make any vampires and he had no intention of starting tonight.

  He licked her neck and released her. Vampire saliva contained some healing property that he didn’t entirely understand. But it only took a swipe of his tongue to close up the holes his fangs made. Monster evolution.

  She opened her eyes and stared at him before slowly lifting her hand to her neck. “You bit me. And…and it got me off. How’d you do that?”

  He smiled at her. “It’s a secret. I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you.”

  She laughed and slapped him on the arm. “You’re funny.” The clock on the dashboard read 3:20. She glanced at it and said, “We better check my car. I need to get home.”

  He opened the door for her and walked her back to h
er car, which started without a problem. “Looks like you’re good to go.”

  “Thanks a lot.” She scribbled her phone number on the back of a gas station receipt and pressed it into his palm. “Call me.”

  He lit another cigarette and watched her drive away. Her name was Maria and she’d drawn a happy face under her phone number. He crumpled the receipt and dropped it to the ground before getting back in his car. Aside from Lila, he didn’t often feed on the same chick twice.

  Chapter Two

  There’s nothing glamorous about the sight of a dead body, never mind the stench. Sean walked around the corpse lying supine in the grass, a young man, maybe early twenties, with no outward signs of trauma aside from the vicious bite wound to his throat. The kill was obviously the work of one of his kind.

  A completely drained body without a drop of blood spilled was odd though. Contrary to popular belief, one vampire couldn’t really drain a human dry in one sitting. That’s a lot of damn blood. Two or three liters would be the max realistically. That still left a liter or two to spill out. The neck had been torn open and the white bones of the vertebrae were visible. Either this guy was killed somewhere else and dumped here or they were looking for a gaggle of vampires.

  “Jesus. You guys are animals.” Tasha stood back and fanned her hand in front of her face. “How do humans smell so bad? He doesn’t even look decomposed yet.”

  Tasha was one of the shifters the Empire had taken in recently. Sean was charged with familiarizing her with their methods. Even though she’d come from another faction of the BBE, all the chapters operated independently and some were run very differently.

  He’d trained a lot of vampires but had never worked closely with a shifter. So, in a way, she was training him too. He wasn’t even sure she was really a woman. Shifters took the form of whatever they chose, kind of like that blue chick in X-Men. A couple days after she arrived, Tasha had transitioned into a cat. Having witnessed some weird shit in his day, Sean decided that topped the list. Her form had blurred and blinked before shrinking. Fur grew over her skin and her eyes turned yellow. She’d meowed at Sean and rubbed against his legs, making a figure eight in and around his ankles. Not his type of pussy. Then she’d strutted across the street and walked into a house through the doggy door.