by Kim Faulks
I waited for the light to catch my eyes. Ready to rip and tear to keep Nova safe, until the sweet scent of flowers filled my nose and Angelique’s growl echoed in my ear. “I’ve got this. Go.”
I scrambled forward, finding a path as behind me the officer cried out in alarm. The immortal’s threat was low, almost indistinct, but it worked. The clattering of rocks and the whirr of a camera filled the space as an officer processed the scene.
Twenty mortals in a warehouse with two blood-sickened, pissed-off vampires—I’d rather take my chances with another bomb.
Cops walked back and forth along the hallway between the warehouse and the garage. I timed my exit, rolling my feet and walking past the oblivious team. The night closed in, wrapping us under the cover of darkness as we slipped out of the opening and into the crowded street.
Nova raised her head. Her voice was low and thick. “Put me down, Kol. I can walk.”
She slid from my hold and wavered before finding her feet.
“We need to get you somewhere safe. We need to get you home.”
Her pale skin shimmered in the dark. Sheer panties and a bra set my nerve on edge. I swallowed hard and reached for my blood-splattered shirt and worked the buttons.
“I’m not cold,” she whispered.
I peeled the fabric from my skin and turned toward her. “Don’t fight me, not tonight. Let me take care of you. That’s all I want to do.”
Her trembling hand slipped through the sleeve. Her fragile words were an icy shard piercing my heart. “I don’t feel anything at all. Kol? Why don’t I feel anything?”
I lifted her hand and kissed her skin. She would feel something—it was only a matter of time. Sex, blood, hunger, and panic. Those demons waited patiently for her.
The sound of frantic heartbeats called me back into the garage. I would slake her thirst in an instant if I knew it would help. But Nova was different. She would hunt and consume, she’d fill that hollow need with a river of red—but then when the desire for blood was sated she’d be left with remorse.
I knew her—knew her better than I knew myself.
The sound of heartbeats was a background track to the night. Strong pulses, fast pulses, slower ones, and sluggish ones. I narrowed in on the sound. If I could hear them, then she could as well.
“I’m here. I’m never going anywhere again,” I whispered, tugging the shirt and finding the buttons. “I’m going to feed you, bathe you, and make love to you. That’s all I want to do right now.”
She dropped her head, watching my hands. “Isaiah…is he dead? Are they all dead?”
My fingers stilled, skimming her stomach. Visions of red danced in my eyes, and my voice turned guttural. “Yes. They won’t hurt you anymore.”
She lifted her head, her brown eyes found me in the dark. “Good.”
Her fingers still trembled in my hand. I wanted to hold her and feel her safe against me. “Can you run for a while?”
I had to let her stand on her own.
“Yes.”
My chest bloomed with pride. I clenched her hand tight. “Let’s see if you can keep up, shall we?”
She jerked her head up, cocoa eyes glinted with a wicked edge. “Bring it.” Her voice sounded strange. Her happiness forced.
The night breeze wrapped around me as I charged. She kept her pace, and then shot forward. My long legs couldn’t match the speed of hers—not as a newborn vampire. She broke our hold and left me with the deep, throaty sound of laughter.
She was a blur of white against the night. A growl slipped from my lips. Desire surged faster than this newborn could match. My thighs burned, every muscle screamed in my body. I dug deep, kicking up stones in my wake and closed the gap.
My shirt that she was wearing flapped like a white flag of surrender and the thrill of the hunt consumed me. I reached for her and the tail end of the garment slapped my fingers. “You can’t escape me, Nova. Not as a human—” I gave one final burst of speed and wrapped my arms around her waist, lifting her from the ground. “And not as a vampire.”
I slowed my pace and grabbed her legs, pulling her against me. She thrashed playfully in my arms. Her eyes were bright with the thrill. Her parted lips held me transfixed as she murmured, “I thought you’d never catch me.”
“You could never run far enough. I’d search for you to the ends of this earth, and beyond.”
The night stilled. The world faded from view. I lowered my head. Panic-ridden thoughts tried to force their way in. She’s not ready, she’s been hurt, she doesn’t need this. I shoved them aside and lowered my head.
My lips brushed hers. The tremble from her mouth raced. I took her love, stealing tender kisses across the edge of her lips as I worked my way toward the corners. This was nothing, just a taste of what would come—but in this moment, this kiss meant everything. My body spoke a language my words couldn’t.
Never going to leave you again.
Your place is by my side.
I would spend eternity mapping the contours of your mouth.
Headlights washed over us. The white light slowly dulled the magic of her lips, pulling me away inch by agonizing inch. Tires skidded, the growl of an engine wrenched my gaze from her face.
I turned as the car slowed to a stop and the whirr of a window followed. A male voice tore free. “Hey, you guys okay?”
“Don’t hurt him,” murmured Nova. “Please, Kol…don’t.”
I pulled her tight against me and walked to the driver’s side. “Our car broke down, and my wife here seems to have lost her clothes.”
The middle-aged guy took one look at Nova as she giggled and buried her head into my chest. “Newly married, huh?”
I dragged air through my fangs and murmured. “You have no idea.”
His gaze narrowed on the blood-splattered shirt Nova wore. “You alright, Ma’am? You injured?”
I lowered my head, peeking through the driver’s window. He turned his head toward me, eyes widened for a second before I spoke in soft words. “It’s just a shirt, there’s nothing unusual about it at all. Just a plain white shirt.”
There was a second while my words filtered through his mind, and I thought I’d lost my touch. Then the human nodded. His smile turned radiant. “Hop in then. I can take you as far as South End, if that’ll get you to where you need to go?”
I nodded and reached for the handle of the back door. “That’ll be fine, thank you.”
The inside of the car smelled like whisky and wine. Bottles clinked, rattling together as I slid Nova across the backseat and climbed in after her. “Had yourself a party?”
“Nah, it’s the son’s car. Mine broke down last week, so I understand your frustration. Right. South End it is.”
Nova curled her legs up under her body as I closed the door behind me. The driver was quiet and diligent, working his way through the backstreets. I didn’t mind the slow drive. It gave me time to think.
I retraced the night. Part of me had expected her to be gifted, like I’d been when I woke—but sunlight affected her like any other of our kind.
Vampire lore stated that one’s abilities stem from the very thing you craved at the time of your death. For me this was my health and to walk in the sun—how many of us had craved the exact same thing and ended up with nothing? More than those who received power that was for sure.
I turned my head to stare at her in the glow of the dashboard lights. What raged through her the moment her heart stopped?
Me?
The corners of my mouth twitched. The smile filled my mind. That wasn’t it, that was the one thing this woman already had. Maybe she was born with no powers—it didn’t matter—not to me. I grasped her fingers, staring as she turned from the window to find me.
It didn’t matter at all. All I needed was her.
“Will this do ya?”
I scanned the darkened neighborhood as the car slowed. “This is perfect, thank you.”
“Sure, no problem.” He nodded, turni
ng as I shoved open the door. “You two newlyweds have fun now. But you might want to invest in a spare set of clothes, Ma’am.”
“Yes, thank you,” she murmured.
I slid out, and watched the bottom of my shirt ride high as she scooted after me.
She slammed the door and waited for the car to pull out and drive off before she spoke. “Thank you.”
My chest puffed out. I nodded as a smile took hold. The movement stilled—and grew cold. One word from this woman and my will yielded to her needs. Where was the monster? Where was the killer?
She reached for me. Her pale skin shimmered in the night. I stared at the tips of her fingers and searched for the man I used to be—the one my kind was afraid of. I scratched the surface, remembering the hate and the dark need that fueled me only hours ago.
Fragments crowded my mind in a wash of blood. The Holland brothers lay dead at my feet. I walked a fine line and its name was retribution.
Who knew how far this road stretched—Nova turned and gave me a sad smile—it didn’t matter. Next time I’d be ready—next time the monster in me wouldn’t come to play—he’d make this skin his home.
“I love you,” she whispered.
I forced a smile. But not with this woman—with her I was a watered down version of myself—with her I was weak. “I love you too.”
We made our way through the streets, and climbed the steep familiar terrain home. The hinges squealed as I pushed through the small gate. Nova focused on the soft steps behind me. I bent and rummaged under a broken brick before climbing.
“Ah, so that’s where it is,” she growled behind me. “Now that I know where you keep your spare, you’ll never get rid of me.”
I turned my head and tossed the key over my shoulder. “It was yours anyway.”
Silence. A smile of satisfaction bloomed as I hit the hallway lights.
“Ah, okay. Not what I expected.”
Her words lingered. I liked the sound of her surprise. The thud of the front door filled the house. I strode into the lounge room and knelt at the fireplace. She didn’t need the warmth, not anymore, but the flames would be comforting and for now that was all that mattered.
“I’m going to have a shower.”
I moved, lunging toward her, coming up on her so fast she still stared at the hearth. “No, not yet. Let me…let me take care of you.”
Her eyes widened, dark pupils slow to react, widening ever so slightly.
“Please, Nova. Just…” I tried to keep the edge from my tone. “I have to do this. Let me…let me do this.”
I watched my words sink in. Her brow narrowed. Fine lines creased her perfect face. She gave me a slow nod. “Okay, so I’ll wait.”
I took a step backwards, keeping her in my gaze and my panic slowed. “Just…can’t be away from you. Not yet, not after…”
I didn’t want to say the words. I didn’t want to see her remember their filthy hands on her body, or their words inside her head. But this was my woman—mine to love—mine to protect, and I’d not be away from her, not for a second.
So I’d make her wait for me.
I’d smother her with my fussing. Just for a while. Maybe the next hundred years or so.
My fingers trembled as I stacked wood and added a starter. My stomach clenched with the spark of fire, then the tiny flame took hold. Tiny wisps of white smoke took flight, followed by faint sparks. The yellow licks of a flame grew steadily. I shoved up from the ground and stared at the fire.
“We can lay down here later if you want and listen to the fire.
Her nod was slow. Her gaze was to the ground.
“Nova?”
The room crackled. The air warmed. I turned to look over my shoulder. The tiny flames couldn’t reach this far, not yet. I suppressed a shudder. Fear crawled like ants over my arms and along my spine, raising the hair on the nape of my neck.
“Sweetheart, is everything okay?”
She wrenched her gaze upwards. Brown eyes sparkled, tinged with rubies. “I feel…” Her voice was deep and strange, her tongue snaked out skirting her lower lip before disappearing. “Hungry. I feel hungry.”
She hadn’t fed. But she should have time—time to slip this mortal sheath—time to become an undead. Words failed me. Jesus, the way she looked at me. My body came alive. Desire shifted under my skin, but it was my gut that shoved aside the need to peel my shirt from her body. A warning bloomed.
I’d seen my fair share of newborns—but never one that looked like this.
And never one that looked at me this way.
“We need to get you showered and then I’ll teach you how to feed, okay?”
Her nod was slow, as though that wasn’t what she had in mind at all. She blinked and shook her head and suddenly the energy in the room ebbed. Her eyes widened, the red was gone and she was Nova once more.
I held out my hand. “It’s okay. It’s just the transition. You’ll feel better soon.”
She nodded. But the icy grip around my stomach never eased, and that warning kept whispering that something wasn’t quite right. She moved to the side, allowing me to lead her up the stairs and into our bedroom.
Underwear, dresses, and jeans were strewn across the floor in some frenzied fashion attack. I released her hand and moved to the bathroom. Pale luminescence spilled through the doorway and into the bedroom. The blood on my shirt stuck to her skin and the low light hugged every curve.
I opened the buttons and cast the ruined fabric aside, revealing a dusty pink bra.
Comfort her, you sonofabitch.
I raised my gaze, catching hers. My words were clipped as my fangs grew long. “Do you want me to get the shower ready?”
Red shards shimmered like icy daggers in her eyes.
Something was wrong…
Nova’s lips curved as she growled. “No.”
My gut screamed in warning as she took a step closer.
A low snarl slipped from her lips and I was captivated.
By then it was too late to save myself—even if I wanted to.
Nova
“Nova? Love, are you okay?”
His voice was a distant memory. My name. My surroundings and this place slipped away. All that remained was ravenous hunger and this vampire standing in front of me.
I followed a trail of dried blood over his chest and down his stomach. My hands moved on their own. Soft, slow, seductive words belied the beast inside. “Yes, I’m fine.”
His brow creased, lips parted. Panic flashed in his gaze. “Then why are you talking like that?”
My lips curved as I reached around to unclasp my bra. “I’m just tired.”
The garment hit the floor with a soft thud. His focus followed my hands as I hooked my thumbs through the sides of my panties.
“This shouldn’t…this isn’t…”
He stuttered as the fabric slid lower and dropped at my feet. I stepped and kicked the underwear. A deep musky scent of desire slipped into the air.
He licked his lips and raised his head. “This isn’t normal, Nova.”
I timed my steps, keeping my voice low. “Don’t worry about normal. All you have to think of is me…Kol. You can do that, can’t you? Think about me. Think about my body. Think about sliding inside me.”
I followed the contours of his shoulders and the lean muscles of his arms. That husky scent was intoxicating, inciting my hunger closer to the surface. This body moved differently, now. My lungs worked. Air filled my nose and slipped down my throat. My stomach tightened as I dragged the scent deeper, drawing me closer, and deeper into him.
I dragged a finger along his belt as I circled him. His once silver slacks were filthy and ruined—but the fabric at the growing swell of his crotch wasn’t marred. An ache filled my mouth, spreading through my jaw.
His gaze darted around the room, following me, and there was a tremble in his voice. “We need to find you some food. That’s what you need…Nova?”
One small step and I skirted my h
and across the front of his trousers. My fingers parted over the bulge. A hiss slipped into the air as he hardened.
“Right now, this is all I’m feeling.” My growl filled the room. I reached for the buckle of his trousers. “Right now, this is all I need. You going to tell me no?”
He flinched and stared into my soul. One word rode the back of a hiss. “No.”
The trail along his body pulsed with an energy I couldn’t deny. The zipper parted, metal clasps clinked, then his clothes were gone. The metallic scent of old pennies mingled in the air. The ache in my jaw grew. I pushed the pain aside, sliding my hand across his stomach and over his chest.
His heart was silent. Nipples puckered. I lowered my head, sliding my tongue across his flesh. The nub hardened, rolling along my lips. I lifted my chin to stare at the hollow of his throat. My fist closed around his cock and his undead body came alive.
“Jesus, Nova,” he whimpered and pressed harder into my hand.
“He’s not going to help you,” I countered, tracing the sweet line along the length of his shaft. “Nothing will.”
The bones in my jaw cracked. Pain was a stake through my gums as fire burned in my belly.
A growl echoed along my throat as I sank to my knees.
I’d never hurt him.
Love shouldered its way to the front.
I’d never hurt him.
Careful.
I lapped the dried trail of blood, taking my first taste. The ache in my jaw turned brutal, charging my barriers, slamming into me, one blow after another.
I tried to hold on…tried to stop. My tongue snaked out once more, taking in the crusted edges. He was under there…Isaiah Holland, waiting like the monster in the dark.
He was inside my mouth, softening on my tongue. Hate and greed filled me. My stomach rolled with revulsion…but there was power…so much power. Heat raced through my body, synapses fired—but there was no human life left—only a cold dead unforgiving hunger. A hunger I couldn’t deny.
“Nova.”
I wrenched my head up at the sound. Kol’s eyes widened, fear crowded the edges. “Your grip.”
I glanced down. My left hand strangled his wrist, bones crunched as I released my hold. The fingers of my right followed the pulse, all the way to the tip and back again. I craved and burned with desire. I shifted my gaze to the blood on his chest. “The blood.”
