by Ainsley Cole
“You bitch! You ruined his dreams! His legacy!” she screamed, shoving her again and Marley felt her back crack, her body aching. She stared down at her once treasured sister.
“You were dragged into his delusional plans Linda, he only ever wanted to get back at Absinthe, have him broken. He never cared what happened to you, you were just a side step, a tool to get what he wanted me.” Her throat constricted as Linda squeezed tighter. “He didn’t love you. He used you. His obsession was with me and he used you to get to me.”
Linda’s eyes flared, and she leaned in, “I don’t care. What Johann and I had was true and right. You have nothing left now. He told me you would come looking for me, seek me out, thinking I was still human. But I’m not. I am more powerful now.”
Her stomach lurched at her sister’s cold words and she stared into her copper eyes, hoping against hope there was still a part of the giggling sixteen-year-old there, “Linda.”
“Linda’s dead,” She hissed, leaning closer, her nose touching her throat. Marley kicked out, trying to get her to let go, but she couldn’t—the vampire had become a solid rock of determination. “I will finish Johann’s work. I will make sure they suffer. It was one thing to have you walk away. I wonder what they would feel, if you were gone all together?”
Marley’s eyes flew wide in pain as Linda’s fangs sank into the muscle of her neck, ripping at the flesh and she screamed as the vampire dropped her to the ground.
Her hand went to the side of her throat. There was a jagged hole there and she pressed her hand against it. Her gaze went to Linda as her sister crouched, spitting out the blood onto the floor.
She lifted her finger, slicing it with her fang, blood springing forth forcefully and she pressed it against the ragged wound on Marley’s neck and smiled.
“A present for the Raynes.”
****
Rhayden was sitting in the library; his feet perched on the table, his arms crossed over his chest. Absinthe walked over to him, touching his shoulder, “Have you fed?”
“On what?” Rhayden huffed. “Everything tastes like acid now. I can’t do it.”
“I know what you mean.”
Every single drop of blood he had consumed since Marley had ran tasted like acid, or vinegar, but had had forced himself to drink.
He still had to have energy. He had a Coven to run and he couldn’t do it, if Rhayden wasn’t by his side either. His brother had to feed, “You must feed Rhayden, she wouldn’t want you dying.”
“How would you know?” he spat, glaring at him and Abe leaned back, knowing his brother’s temper was going to be short for a while. “I don’t think she gives a fuck. She just left. Picked up her shit and went. You know, she left nothing here, right? Nothing at all.”
He nodded, and his brother frowned, sinking further into the plush chair, “She’s not coming back Abe, ever, and I’m not feeding, if it’s not from her.”
Absinthe rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, wanting to say something nasty… but in the end, he didn’t. He knew what his brother felt; there was nothing and no one who was ever going to replace Marley.
The buzzer on the intercom broke their somber mood and Abe leaned forward, “Yes?”
“Sir, it’s Frank. Uh, Miss Brennan is at the gate.”
Abe looked at Rhayden, “What?”
“Miss Brennan, she’s at the gate. You’d better get down here, she’s not too good.”
They both scrambled to the door, running down the stairs and out into the night. Heading toward the gate, they saw Marley leaning against it, her body sagging as Frank tried to keep her standing, “Marley!”
She lifted her head and looked at them, her mouth turning in a grimace. Her hand was at her throat. She stepped away from the guard and Abe slowed, seeing the blood gushing from the wound.
Rhayden grabbed her, holding her steady and she looked at his brother, before moving her gaze to him, “I-I found Linda.”
Her eyes rolled in her head and she sagged against Rhayden. Abe stalked up to them as his brother lifted the woman to his chest. His fingers went to her throat, moving away the mangled mess of blood-soaked hair and he hissed.
“Fuck.”
Her throat had been ripped open, it had missed her vein, but she had still lost a lot of blood, “Take her to my room. I’ll bring the IV’s.”
Rhayden nodded and they both ran back to the mansion. Rhayden took Marley up to his room, while he went to the basement, grabbing the storage bags of blood.
O+
It was Marley’s blood type and he grabbed IV lines and needles, before racing to his room. Rhayden had laid her on the bed and was gently cleaning the wound with a cloth.
“Is she still breathing?”
“Yes, just. She’s lost a fucking lot of blood Abe.” He replied, taking one of the blood bags and he lifted it, latching it on to the small hook on the headboard of Abe’s bed. He took an IV line and they both worked quickly, hooking it all up, piercing the needles in Marley’s arms.
“She said she found Linda. Do you think she did this?”
“I know she did this. Johann turned her.”
“What?”
Abe looked at his brother and then back to Marley, “He said he had a surprise for her. I knew it wasn’t just the fact she was alive. There was no way in hell a sixteen-year-old girl would have survived his attack. He turned her.”
“Shit.”
“Yes, Linda did this,” Absinthe said, his anger seething. “I just fear for what else she might have done.”
****
Her neck ached like hell, her stomach lurching and Marley sat up, dry retching, “Mars!”
Rhayden was at her side in an instant, picking her up and he raced her to the bathroom. He put her in front of the toilet, and she vomited, bringing up every single ounce of food and beverage she had in her stomach.
She groaned, leaning against the toilet, her hand lifting to the pain in her neck and she hissed.
“Hey.” Absinthe’s voice floated to her and she looked up at him, smiling. He leaned down, gripping her arm gently and lifted her, helping her stand. Marley’s stomach contracted, and she felt her body cramp.
Abe let go of her and she collapsed to the ground, curling up in a ball, groaning.
****
“Mars!” Rhayden touched her arm and she screamed, making him jump back.
“It hurts! Oh God! Why does it all hurt!”
Abe leaned down, lifting her, ignoring her cries of pain and took her to the bed. Gently laying her down, he watched as she curled into a ball, her body cramping. Turning to Rhayden, he frowned, “Get Tony.”
“What?”
“Just do it.”
Rhayden nodded and left the room, soon returning with the man and Tony looked at Absinthe, then to Marley, “Is she okay?”
“I don’t know Tony. She’s complaining her body aches. Every single part of it. We can’t touch her, when we do, she screams like a banshee.”
Tony walked over to her, gently gripping her face, ignoring the cries of pain coming from the woman and turned it, pushing back one of her eyelids, “She’s turning.”
“What?” Rhayden and Abe asked in shocked unison.
They had never seen someone turn. It was a situation between Syre and Fledgling. They had been born, purebloods, they didn’t know what they were dealing with.
Tony stood, looking back to them, “She’s gotten vampire blood into her system, but not enough to turn quickly and easily. Her body is fighting it and it’s killing her.”
The pair looked at her convulsing, their hearts in turmoil.
“You need to make a decision.”
“What?” Rhayden whispered and Tony looked at her, then back to them.
“Either let her die, in which she might do it tomorrow—or the next day, or a week from now; in complete agony—or finish the job.”
****
“Marley, did you hear what I said?”
Absinthe’s v
oice was loud, pounding into her ears and she groaned, trying to close it out, “Go away…”
“Mars, you have to listen. You’re turning. Linda must have put some of her blood into your neck wound.”
Rhayden was trying to speak gently, but her head hurt, making it seem as if he was yelling. She covered her ears, not wanting to listen. She didn’t want to believe this was happening. Her own sister, making her into what she was.
“No, I can’t—”
“Marley, you’re going to die, if you don’t let us help you,” Abe added, his voice tight with emotion. “We can’t watch you die.”
“I—I don’t want to be like her—” she mewled, her voice straining with pain and Absinthe’s hand touched her skin, cooling her temperature. It was if she was melting, her body cooking from the inside.
“You won’t Marley, we promise you won’t. You will have us. Rhayden and I will make sure you don’t become like her.”
She groaned, rolling to her back, gritting her teeth and she looked at the pained expressions on their faces, “I want to kill her. She’s not my sister any more.”
“And you can, once we help you. You will be strong, like us. You will be with us.” Rhayden replied, as another cramp flooded through her.
“Will the pain stop?” she shuddered, groaning in pain.
“Yes.”
She opened her eyes and looked at them, “Okay.”
Rhayden visibly relaxed and looked at Abe, “You do it.”
“No,” She said, reaching out to them. “I can’t have one of you more dominant over me than the other. Either you both turn me, or I die alone.”
****
Silence stretched between them, before Absinthe nodded, “Okay, fine.”
“What?” Rhayden asked, staring at him and Abe knew he thought he was crazy. But she had the right to ask, she wanted them both.
Earlier, Tony had given him a quick rundown of what had to happen, for it to be successful. She had to have more blood injected into her, then she had to feed, or her fangs wouldn’t descend, and she would die.
“Abe, no one’s ever had two Syre’s.”
“It’s never been tried Rhayden.”
“It’s never been tried, because it doesn’t fucking work.” He spat, lowering his voice.
Abe stared at his brother, his lips thinning, “Go and get a syringe.”
Rhayden pouted, but walked over to the bedside table, picking up an empty syringe, while Abe rolled back his sleeve. He handed it to him, and Abe looked over to Marley.
There was pain in her eyes, and it was enough to almost break him.
What they were trying to do, might not work, but he had to show her they were trying.
He slid the needle into his flesh, drawing out half the vial and handed it to Rhayden, “Now you.”
He nodded, sliding the needle into his arm and he pulled the rest of the vial full of blood and gave it back. Abe looked at Marley, making sure she was watching, and he gently shook the syringe, mixing the blood together.
“There, see,” She nodded, and he leaned forward. “This is just to kick start the process Marley. Once this takes hold, you will have to feed properly; your body will crave it. But it won’t matter if you take it from me, or Rhayden, as long as you feed.”
He pushed the needle into the side of her neck and pushed down on the plunger, emptying the contents into her.
Marley hissed, she could feel the blood coursing through her, every single fiber in her body tingling. She closed her eyes, panting, heart palpitating and her hand came to her chest, “Abe…”
“It’s fine Marley, just go with it. It’s going to hurt, then there will be no more pain.”
His hands were chilled on her as he moved her, his hand on her chest. Rhayden lay beside her too, his hand on her stomach. Her eyes rolled back in her head, her breathing becoming shallow, her heart slowing—thudding painfully.
Would just be like this? Never-ending thudding…?
Rhayden’s lips pressed against hers and a tear drop hitting her skin—Then her heart stopped.
Seven
The world seemed louder. The smells more intense and Marley opened her eyes.
The normally dull lighting in Abe’s room was now bright.
Now she knew why they had it so dull.
A band of soft pressure was over her chest, another over her stomach and she turned her head.
Rhayden was on one side, Absinthe on the other, their eyes closed, hibernating.
She was awake before them—and her stomach cramped.
She groaned, bringing her legs up, trying to stop it, but it wouldn’t pass. She lifted her gaze to Abe, seeing the vein on the side of his neck, the dark blood sitting right below the surface. Lifting her finger, she traced along the dark line, feeling his skin under her touch.
Soft, chilled and her gaze lifted as his eyes opened.
What she thought were just a pale, moss green; were now bright and intense. Flecks of gold interspacing bright green, soft blues and she lifted her hand, tracing the side of his face, her fingertips caressing his bottom lip, “Hi.”
He smiled, his mouth coming to hers, kissing her softly. She moaned, gripping his head to her as his tongue dueled softly with hers.
She felt Rhayden move, his lips coming to her neck, the tops of her breasts and she felt her desire kick in as his hand gripped her hip. Absinthe pulled away, looking down at her and she smiled.
“You need to feed Marley, before your body rejects it.” She nodded, and her hand went to the back of his neck, dragging it down to her mouth. She opened it, biting down on his skin, her blunt teeth braking through Abe’s flesh.
He hissed, his hand reaching for her breast, pinching her nipple. She arched her back, feeling Rhayden’s lips on her stomach, his hand slipping lower—
She drew on Abe’s neck, the cold slide of his blood down her throat making her moan and she felt his brother’s fingers slip inside her panties, playing across her clit and he moved them further, curling them into her.
She couldn’t believe this—not only was she now a vampire, but she was Syred by the pair of vampire brother’s she had already been lovers with.
She moaned, taking her mouth from Abe’s throat, watching the ragged marks slowly stop bleeding, healing themselves. A look of pure pleasure hit his eyes as he opened them and looked down at her.
“Open your mouth,” She did, and Absinthe put his thumb into it, feeling her top gum. “Your fangs haven’t descended yet.”
He looked at his brother, “Rhayden, I think it worked. Come here, she need’s your blood.”
Rhayden’s fingers left her core, and he lifted himself, leaning over her, “Hi Mars.”
She grinned, and he held back his hair as she reached for his throat, biting down on it and he moaned.
Absinthe’s hand went her face, caressing her cheek as she drew on his brother’s blood, fingertips touching the side of her mouth and she slowly drew away, her mouth itching.
“Abe.”
“Open.” She did, and he pushed back her lip, smiling as something slid from her gums, sharp and pointy. Absinthe smiled, leaning in close, whispering— “Welcome to my Coven, Marlene Brennan.”
****
Marley showered.
Not because she felt dirty, but because she seemed to still hold onto something human. It had been a few hours since she had been turned.
Her belly full of blood, Rhayden and Absinthe had left her to relax and shower. The door of the room opened, their voices carrying to her easily, “So, we’re going to have to work out who gets first dibs now Abe.”
“Shut it idiot. She’s only just turned. All you ever think about is your cock.”
“It’s a nice cock, she likes it. Plus, come on. Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about fucking her. She’s a vampire now, she’s got energy for days, we don’t have to stop, because she’s too tired, or sore.”
Marley giggled under the water and turned her head slightly, seeing t
hem sitting on the bed, side by side, their attention now on her. The bathroom door having been left wide open—on purpose.
She turned, pretending not to notice them and picked up the soap, rubbing it over her stomach, down her thighs and legs, bending over, showing off her ass to them.
“Holy fuck.” Abe whispered, and she smirked.
“I’m game if you are.” She heard Rhayden mutter, his voice thick.
“Both of us at the same time?” Abe asked, and her stomach flipped.
“Yep, still ok with sharing?”
“Yep.”
“Good.”
Footsteps and the door of the shower opened, Rhayden stepped in, his body still clothed, and he gripped her, pulling her to him, “Right you, out.”
She giggled as he shut off the water, her body still dripping, and he kissed her, walking her back to the bed. He pushed her gently, making her fall back onto the mattress.
Abe’s hands gripped her under the arms, bringing her back against his chest. His hands went to her breasts, palming them as he kissed her neck, knees either side of her. His cock was hard against her back and she reached up, gripping his head to her skin, his lips coming to her ear, “I’m going to watch you come undone with my brother.”
His fingers pinched her nipples and she closed her eyes, arching her body.
Opening her eyes, she stared at his pale brother, watching as he slowly lifted his shirt, dropping the wet fabric to the floor. Unzipping his pants, he stepped out of them, kneeling on the bed and gripped her knees, pushing her legs apart.
Her back arched as his tongue worked her, flicking over her clit. Her senses were heightened, and she moaned, gripping Abe’s head as Rhayden’s mouth sent her insane.
“Oh God—”
“God doesn’t help creatures like you Marley,” Abe whispered, his voice rough, his hand slipping to her neck, holding her back against him. “You’re ours now.”
Her orgasm crashed around her as Absinthe sank his fangs into her neck, drawing on her blood. Rhayden’s fingers slipped into her, his teeth biting gently on her clit as she came, and she shuddered, her body tingling.
