"Wait! Don't go. I know who you are, and I need you. Please, come inside quickly." The Gypsy motioned eagerly for him to follow her into the shop. Curious, Devin followed her inside, and she locked the door behind him. Then she reached out and grabbed both of his strong arms, which caused a definite look of surprise on his face. "I saw you in the crystal ball; you are in love with the woman who just left here. You are a vampire."
Devin was stunned. No one had ever approached him before while knowing what he is. "Why would you want me in here all alone with you?" he asked in an amused tone.
"Because, I want your help," she replied in a very serious tone. She looked nervous, yet she appeared utterly determined about something.
"With what? What could a vampire help you with?"
"I am old, clearly," she shrugged her shoulders and started wringing her hands. She looked deep into his mysterious eyes, pleading with her own, "and I am done. I don't want to wait for the ending I have foreseen. I want you to end it for me." She winked at him and tried to muster up a pleasing smile. "I can't think of a more pleasurable way to go than in the arms and mouth," she giggled, "of a gorgeous and sexy vampire like yourself." She cocked her head exposing her neck for him. "Please, be gentle and quick."
Devin was bewildered; no one had ever asked to be bitten before. He brushed her cheek gently, "You have years left, my lady, so why would you ask this of me?"
"I am a fortuneteller; I can see glimpses of my future too. As I said, I don't want to go in the way I have foreseen; alone and in pain. I've also seen the love in your heart and your desire to become mortal for her. Please, do this for me while you still can. I beg you." She had a couple of tears rolling down now from her wrinkled eyes.
Devin felt compassion for the woman who was trying to bring Salena to him. "Okay," he relented.
Madame Marietta once again exposed her neck.
Devin, however, gently scooped her into his arms, hugged her, and gave her a soft kiss on the lips before biting—as quickly but gently as possible—into her neck. She moaned softly, but then smiled as he quickly suckled her life's blood—then, it was over. Devin gently laid her lifeless body on the small sofa she had in the back of the shop. Feeling remorseful for the woman, he flipped her closed sign over and left, locking the door behind himself.
It was time to find Salena, so he shape-shifted into a black crow and hurried to catch up to her and Rob—who had no idea what was about to come down on him. He decided to first see if she was at her house, all the while keeping an eye out for Gabriel.
Gabriel appeased his next meal by letting her lead him down the sidewalk, holding his hand, and giving a smirk to all the girls staring at her.
Tina loved seeing her preppy classmates, who always judged her, so envious. None of their jock boyfriends looked this good. Just to grind it in further, she stopped, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him long and hard—tracing his fangs with the tip of her tongue.
The girl's forwardness amused Gabriel, but he obliged her. He even started to get aroused. In fact, he was sure she could feel his erection pressed against her abdomen, because it made her kiss him deeper and harder.
Tina grabbed his hand again and hurried him around the block and into the rundown apartment she lived in with her stepmom and half-brother. They would be gone for at least another hour, which was plenty of time.
Gabriel, thinking this was too easy, told her "Okay, I guess we're going to your place."
She locked the door behind him and immediately grabbed his growing erection with one hand while running the other up his flat abs to reach around his neck. She pulled herself up for another long kiss and began to nibble on his lips and tongue.
He almost choked at her aggressiveness and pulled away chuckling. "So, you like to bite, huh?"
"Yes," came her breathless reply as she started to bite his neck—gently at first, then harder.
Gabriel, getting hungrier and harder, opened her jeans and yanked them down; he wasn't surprised that she had on a black thong, which he ripped off in one swift movement. She'd already opened his black pants and was stroking him hard and fast. He moved her hand away asking, "Hey, what's your name, Hot Rod?"
While hiking up her right leg and moving the head of his throbbing turgid girth to her aching and wet cavity, she said, "Tina, why?"
Thrusting hard inside her, he replied in a menacing growl, "Because I want to know who I'm going to bite," then he ripped into her throat with five days worth of thirst.
Salena pulled up in front of The Edgar Degas House at seven thirty-five p.m. She immediately spotted Rob, who was waiting in his car, but she didn't notice the black crow that was also waiting.
If Devin had gotten there a little sooner, Rob wouldn't have still been there waiting for her.
Rob got out of his car and opened the passenger door for Salena. "Hi Salena, it's good to see you tonight. Thanks for not standing me up."
"Hi Rob; sorry I'm late." In truth, she wished she'd had the guts to cancel the date; Rob just wasn't her type; no one was lately. She thought wistfully of Eric and the other day with him.
"It's okay, I'm just glad you showed up. What do you feel like eating?"
She hesitated, "How about Chinese? I haven't had that lately."
"Sure, I can go for that." He drove toward the Moon Wok.
Enjoy her company while you still can. Devin grinned sadistically and followed them to the restaurant.
Rob and Salena were seated right away next to a huge fish tank, and Salena wondered if any of the fish were intended to be someone's dinner. She decided to order pork.
"So, are you feeling better?" Rob gave her an uneasy smile. "I know how upset you are about Jane. She talked about you all the time, so I figured you guys were close."
With all that had happened after the funeral today, Salena hadn't thought about Jane in a while. She didn't want to talk about her best friend with a stranger, though, and fresh tears sprung into her eyes. "Sorry, it's been a terrible day. I just hope they catch the guy responsible." She left it at that. She wasn't about to tell him about the other crazy things going on. The waitress had dropped off their drinks and two fortune cookies before taking their order. Salena was glad for the interruption to the uncomfortable conversation. Again, she wished she hadn't accepted his invite.
"Yeah, me too. Shall we see what our fortunes are?" Rob looked at her with childlike enthusiasm.
Salena mumbled, mostly to herself, "I've already seen it and it sucks."
"What?" Rob raised his eyebrows.
She shrugged, "Nothing." Nevertheless, she opened her cookie—it read, "Keep your eyes open to all possibilities." She crumpled it up and put it with her straw wrapper.
Rob didn't look too happy about his either; he read it to her. "Trouble is heading your way." He shrugged it off, "Whatever."
"Mine was dumb too," Salena agreed. She looked around the restaurant, trying to avoid conversation and eye contact. Why did she agree to go out with him? And, more importantly, how could she get out of it early? Just as she was thinking of a headache excuse, she saw their food coming—it figured she would pick a restaurant with fast service.
Devin, hidden among the other patrons, heard Rob's fortune and couldn't agree more; trouble was definitely heading the man's way. He was glad to see that Salena wasn't having a good time on her date, and he wished he could help her end it early. She should be there with him, not this character.
"So, how long have you known Jane?"
Salena put her fingertips to her temples, "I can't talk about her, Rob. It's just been too soon, and I'm not ready. It's just too hard to talk about. Can we go? I'm sorry, but I'm getting a migraine."
"Oh, sorry. Let me get the check," Rob stood up to find their waitress. There was an obvious look of disappointment on his face.
Salena felt bad for hurting his feelings; she could tell he was interested in her. She decided to tell him tonight that she just wanted to be friends. Then she wondered briefly, if he might be the one getting into
her house. But that's absurd; Rob isn't a vampire. Is he? Could Rob be a vampire? He isn't big enough, or attractive enough for that matter, to be the man from the phone booth. The thought made her feel confused, terrified, and utterly helpless. So did believing in vampires. Who is the mysterious vampire, and how can she have both love and a vampire in her future? It is definitely an oxymoron.
Rob returned to the table and pulled her chair out for her. He'd brought her a container to wrap up her uneaten food, and while she put her leftovers away, he pulled a white daisy out of his pocket. "Sorry I meant to give this to you earlier," he told her sheepishly. I heard you like daisies.
"Thank you," she told him while grabbing her leftovers. "I think I have a new pet, a cat, who will like these leftovers." She didn't dare tell him about her new boyfriend.
Rob put his arm around her waist to escort her from the restaurant, and he was sure he heard a low growl from somewhere close by. Looking over his shoulder, he didn't see anyone suspicious though.
They headed out to the parking lot, and Salena shifted away from his hold.
Rob had the feeling that they were being followed, but when he looked around, he neither saw anyone leaving the restaurant nor going into it. As they walked toward his car, he told her, "Wow, it's really nice out tonight. Would you like to take a short walk?"
Salena thought about that, the fresh air might actually do her some good. "Sure."
Once again, Rob put his arm around her waist. And, once again, she pulled away. Now he was getting angry; she should not be so distant to him. He reached for her hand and took a firm hold on it. It felt cold and clammy, which he chalked up to nerves about the good night kiss. Again, he thought he heard a low growl somewhere close by. In fact, he was certain of it, and he couldn't stop from shuddering. Salena must've heard it too because she looked around them.
Salena wished he would stop trying to make contact with her. She didn't want to lead him on, and she didn't want to date him. She also wished whatever she heard growl would head in a different direction. Spotting a bench nearby, she decided this was a good time to break the news. She pointed it out, and he agreed to go sit with her.
Salena sat down first, and then he sat so close to her, she had to scoot away; this appeared to make him mad. She began, "Rob, I think you expect more from me than I am willing to give. I have too much going on in my life to think about a relationship right now." Then, after seeing a hopeful look still lingering on his face, she added, "Or to even think about dating right now. I would like to be friends, though."
"Oh, I see. I really like you though." He started to reach for her hand one more time, as a last effort, but she quickly pulled away, and then he was sure he heard a deep and terrifying growl from somewhere behind them. Once again, he looked around, but didn't see anyone or anything. Nevertheless, it was definitely time to leave. "Um, are you ready to go now, Salena?"
She nodded, and he led the way back to his car at a fast pace that she found difficult to keep up with.
Salena assumed his hurry was just from his embarrassment at her rejection, so she didn't say anything. She was ready to get far away from that growling noise anyway.
They reached his car in record time, and he was quiet all the way back to hers. She was glad to avoid uncomfortable conversation, but the silence was awkward too. She wondered how angry he was with her, and, at her car, she got her answer; Rob turned into a different person—one she didn't expect and one she didn't like.
"Look, why did you agree to go out with me if you didn't want to date me?" he demanded. Yes, he was definitely upset with her.
Startled, she jumped back a little. "I'm sorry, Rob, I didn't mean to hurt you."
"You led me on!" then, shocking her even further, he grabbed her and pressed his mouth to hers with painful force while grabbing her breasts with even more gusto.
"Stop it!" Salena struggled and tried to scream, but the sound was lost in his disgusting mouth. She could hear her top ripping, and her flesh was burning from his roaming, squeezing hands.
"You even dressed like a slut for me tonight; I know you want me."
"You're crazy!" she screamed just as he was forcing her jeans open against her struggling hands and her attempts to punch him. For a slender man, he was surprisingly strong. He slapped her and tried to climb on top of her in the small seat. She could feel her nose bleeding, and she could feel his erection pressing against her, which brought on a wave of nausea.
Just as he was undoing his pants, there was a loud sound of steel grinding against metal and a rush of air, then, the weight of Rob was suddenly gone. Not caring how, Salena clutched her torn top up over her exposed breasts, grabbed her purse, and fled. Once in her car, she sped down Esplanade Avenue like her life depended on it—and she was fairly certain it did.
Rob had no idea what was happening to him. One minute he was showing that tease, Salena, he had every intention of being more than her "friend," and the next minute, he feels like a train is running him over. He heard the crunching of steel, too, and then felt his limbs being ripped out of socket as he was flying through the air. He had no time to respond to the searing, fiery pain torturing his body as, over the sound of vicious growling and snarling, his bones were crushed, ligaments were torn, flesh was ripped, and his blood was spilling out. He couldn't see who or what was attacking him through his tear soaked eyes; he only knew his life was over, but he had no idea why. Finally, with one more torrid laceration, the torment ended and brought about the peaceful blackness of death.
Devin, still furious, shape-shifted into a black wolf and ran non-stop after Salena, who made it difficult for him to catch up. He was almost hoping Gabriel would show up tonight, too, so he could bring down his blazing wrath upon him as well—he almost got his chance.
Gabriel had finally found Salena again. He'd been amused to see she was dating a mortal instead of succumbing to his brother's charms; he must not be at the top of his game anymore. It was even more amusing when he watched the puny mortal man accost her. Then Devin had to show up and ruin it just as Gabriel was starting to have respect for that man.
He stayed to watch the punishment inflicted by Devin, which was unequivocally gruesome—just the way he, himself, liked it. He also watched Salena rush off. It was too bad, he thought, that the man didn't get to finish what he had started—maybe he should track her down and finish it himself—the wicked thought made Gabriel's lip curl up. Then again, a confrontation with Devin right now might not be wise. It would be in his best interest to try to surprise Devin when he isn't already enraged. Instead, he'd go scrounge up some entertainment and dinner. Sniffing the air, he found out he needn't travel far—he headed to a nearby park.
There was a young blonde sitting on the park bench, and she was playing around on her smart phone. "Good evening," he flashed her a smile.
Looking up at a gorgeous hunk of man, which were few and far between these days, the woman instantly smiled back. "Hi." Then she shyly looked away and went back to her phone.
Gabriel sat down next to her and made small talk before dining on her. He didn't have time for sex, even though she was an easy target for sure; he had to go check on Salena. She's, after all, the prize.
Salena ran up the stairs and unlocked the door with trembling hands. She couldn't help but keep looking over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't followed. What was into Rob and—though thankful he was gone—where did he go?
Inside the house, she locked the door and pushed a nearby chair in front of it. Her wrist was already hurting from fighting against Rob's attack, so moving furniture wasn't a big help for the pain, but whatever it takes to keep the maniac out. Of course, what about keeping a vampire out? How do you do that? Apparently, there wasn't a way; nonetheless, she ran through the house checking all of the windows and doors. Everything was locked except the upstairs basement door; she really needed to get that fixed, not that one more lock in an already locked home would keep him out. It suddenly occurred to her that perhaps
the vampire was getting in through the pet door. No, he was too large to be able to do that. Still, grabbing the largest kitchen knife she could find, she headed slowly and softly down the steps—really wishing they didn't creak. The single light she had flipped on at the top of the stairs only dimly lit the musty basement. Until the other day with Officer Marx, Salena hadn't gone down there since January, and that was just to put Christmas decorations away. She had always thought basements were creepy, which is why she insisted on a house with an upstairs laundry room. Now, as quickly as possible, she checked the locks on the patio door and windows, which were all intact, leaving only the pet door. She looked at the small door, still wondering, and then pushed a heavy crate in front of it, which would have to do until she could board it up. As she climbed back up the stairs, she had the eerie feeling of being watched. She looked behind her but couldn't see anyone outside the windows or door. Brushing it off as nerves, she stepped into the kitchen and grabbed a chair to prop up under the basement door handle. She wasn't taking any chances. Then, desperately needing to unwind, she made some chamomile tea and drew a candlelight bubble bath—it was the perfect way to relax.
She'd grabbed her phone to call the police about Rob, but then thought she'd wait a day. He did run off, after coming to his senses; maybe he was just grief stricken over Jane, and her rejection was more than he could handle. She'd wait to see if he apologized. But she would never go anywhere with him again, that's for sure.
Devin watched Salena nervously biting her nails and checking her locked doors and windows; he felt hurt over her trauma. He also felt hurt because he knew she was trying to keep him out as well.
He almost wished she'd seen the punishment inflicted on Rob, to put her at ease. She'll find out justice was done soon enough, but would she know he was the one who saved her, and that he did it out of love?
Bound Through Blood Page 10
