I wish I were a human and had a fragile mortal life to live.
I wish I could watch every sunrise and sunset with Declan.
The sun must be beautiful. I’ve never seen it in reality—I sleep during the day and live during the night. The sun’s rays are deadly to me.
Declan tears the glass away from my hand and slams it on the table. He stands in front of me and gazes at me like he wants to hurt me. The hairs on my back rise, but my tummy fills with heat. My core pulses.
He’s so tall compared to me, so massive. So beautifully built. My eyes trace the perfect muscles of his arms and the strength of those under the fabric of his plain grey t-shirt.
His hand travels to the back of my neck and he grips it as he leans towards me. He sinks his face into my hair. I gasp as his hot mouth touches my neck. He plants hot kisses up to my ear.
So this is what it’s all about.
I move away from him. “I have to go.”
“What?” He shakes his head as though he’s trying to shake a haze off his head.
“It was nice to meet you, but I have to go.”
“You fucking came into my hotel room. I thought everything was clear.” He reaches down to his crotch and adjusts his jeans.
I shudder. “I’m really sorry. I don’t socialise and this is my mistake. You said we’d drink wine, so I drank wine with you, but now, I have to go.”
“You are in my hotel room. People fuck in hotel rooms.” He looks like he’s insane.
“I’m really sorry. This misunderstanding is entirely my fault. I wish you happiness, Declan. You are a really nice person.”
His eyebrows raise a notch as a low chuckle escapes his mouth.
I step back and see fury explode in his eyes.
“Wait,” he growls.
I can’t wait.
I want to fall into his arms and stay in his embrace for eternity, but he does only one-night stands. And he is a human.
I turn around and run out of the room.
I’m not angry with him—he’s only a human. Humans flirt, have sex, have one-night stands. Moras don’t. He doesn’t know what I am, so I can’t blame him.
I run faster. A sense of loneliness fills me. I wish he were my mate. I wish he could love me.
My heart feels like it’s crumbling into pieces.
I’m so fucking lonely. I’ve been lonely for so long. Too long.
Chapter 2
Declan
I run out of my hotel room and see her disappear into the elevator. The door closes, cutting me off from her. Rage boils inside of me.
Right. She’s not easy. More than that. She’s not like all the others before her. They were easy, clingy, and very eager. A few of them had something called dignity and didn’t beg after we’d fucked.
Zorica is unique and irresistible. Off limits.
Fuck. That hasn’t happened to me yet. It’s pissing me off. My rage turns into a predatory instinct that pushes me to hunt that little fawn down and wreck her.
I jerk my body forward, urged to capture my prey, but I kill off that urge. I huff out and return to my room. The bartender working downstairs can entertain me tonight. She has nice tits and a round ass. She can suck off a dick expertly. I checked her out two days ago. She will do.
I pull back and forth and then I grab the bottle of wine.
No, I just changed my mind.
I will get drunk in my own company tonight.
I drop into the chair as my eyes travel to her boots and then flick over her jacket. An invisible thorn jabs my heart and I feel like I’ve lost something important to me. I grab her jacket and inhale it. It smells of her—forest and blueberries hinted with pristine wildness.
Something squeezes my heart as though a piece of rope has wrapped around it, and I rest my elbows against my thighs.
I don’t have time to waste it on her.
She’s a good girl, and I’m a bad man. I’m my club’s investigator and also enforcer from time to time. My life is how it is—filthy, dangerous, and unpredictable.
I don’t waste time on chicks like her. I don’t buy flowers. I don’t date. I don’t do relationships.
I can be really rude, but the bitches I’ve had so far didn’t mind. I fuck them fast and hard and they’re happy to be my whores for an hour or two.
I rise to my feet, turn on the TV, and stretch my body out on the bed. A movie plays and the actors’ monotonous voices fill the room. I sip my wine straight from the bottle. Five weeks ago, I killed one dick who owned a winery—a clean, nice job. Now, the Restless Spades MC has enough wine to drink it for a hundred years.
I empty the bottle and my eyes grow heavy. The bartender doesn’t seem exciting to me at all, and I allow myself to fall asleep.
Zorica
I’m running deeper and deeper into the woods. The devastated abandoned house I chose for my temporary shelter a few months ago rises in front of me. One flank is half-burned, but the roof above the kitchen and bedroom is intact. Covered with patches of green moss. I walk inside it through the rotten door, cross the tiny hall and enter the kitchen. I start a fire in the metal fireplace, and then boil some water for my bath. I don’t want to eat tonight. The thought of biting into an animal’s flesh fills me with repulsion for some mysterious reason.
I eat because I have to eat. I’d be very lethargic without animal blood and starvation could put me into a coma. Animal blood is my means of survival, not something I could call a pleasant activity. My mate’s blood would be a feast though. This is… was the fate of every Mora vampire. Why were we created like this? I don’t know. I’m sure there must have been a reason.
I want to feed on Declan and that elemental hunger makes me angry, then I’m just sad. I take a few deep breaths. Declan is not my mate although I wish he were. I have to forget about him.
I sing and dance and then make myself ready for my day rest. Old newspapers and magazines obscure the windows so the sun’s rays don’t filter into the bedroom. I’m safe in here, but so lonely.
I miss him. I shouldn’t, but I do.
Declan. What a beautiful name. He’s a beautiful man after all—he should have a beautiful name.
I lie down on my bed and bury myself under the blankets. They’re old and scratchy, full of holes. I found them in someone’s rubbish bin two weeks ago. I washed them, but the smell of lavender still lingers on them.
I sing her favourite song and it lulls me to sleep.
I wake up as the last sun’s rays die. My being senses the dusk layering the world around my house. It’s quiet for a moment like the world has stopped. Day passes Night—they glance at each other, but never touch—like two beings loving each other but condemned to be apart.
The night’s life slowly awakes and starts humming outside my shelter, so I get up.
My evening routine is simple—I brush my teeth, wash myself using a piece of cloth and a bar of cheap soap, put fresh clothes on and go to the library.
I do my laundry twice a week. I read a lot in the meantime.
It’s 5.30 p.m. so I need to hurry. They close at 8.30 p.m.
My vampire sight is perfect in the dark—it’s as though there’s a source of artificial light.
If I switched it on, I’d see intense rich colours—the emerald shine of leaves, the glassy depth of tree trunks, the frosty blackness of the sky. Everything would be soaked in crystalline perfection. The aura resembling polar lights would waver in the background. Yes, it’s beautiful in an eerie way. It’s my heritage, but it brings too much pain to my heart.
That’s why I prefer to live like humans and I use my vampire sight only when it’s absolutely necessary.
An hour later, I sit down at the desk in the library and read a book on the local folklore. My mind drifts off somewhere else though. My mind is with Declan to be precise. Did he sleep well? Did he eat a nice meal? Did he think of me?
Did he miss me?
He didn’t. He must have spent last night with a beautiful human wom
an.
I sigh. I can’t even afford to be jealous. Declan has his world and I have mine. It’s as though we’re living in two different dimensions.
I wrinkle my forehead. I can’t focus on my research, so maybe I could steal some new clothes. I’m not proud of myself when I’m stealing things, but I need new clothes and other things from time to time. Now I have only one pair of trainers, two pairs of jeans, two t-shirts, one hoody and an old coat. And three sets of ugly underwear.
I rise to my feet, return the book and exit the library.
“Zorica,” Declan says behind me.
I freeze then turn around as my eyes roam over his form. I see my boots swinging in his hand. My parka is thrown over his shoulder.
“Declan.” It comes out in a screech.
“I thought you’d need your stuff back.”
“Thank you.” I take my boots and jacket away from his hands.
He scratches his head. “Listen, maybe we could have a drink in a restaurant?”
“I can’t.”
“We could eat something nice—“
“I can’t.”
“And go for a walk.”
Excitement rushes through my veins. “A walk?”
“After we eat something.”
I don’t eat human food. I tolerate alcohol, but their food makes me sick.
“I’m not hungry,” I say. I realise I can’t go for a walk either. Declan makes me feel nervous and hungry. Makes me turn into a careless and irresponsible creature.
He nods. “Alright. Maybe after the walk.”
“Actually, I’m very busy tonight.”
“Like hell.”
I suck in a breath. “I—“
“You what? It’s just a fucking walk, Zorica.”
He tears my boots away from me and grabs my jacket, putting it under his arm. His other hand searches for mine, and he laces his fingers with mine. Heat radiates from his skin.
“Just a short walk,” he says. “I don’t bite, I promise.”
We pull forward. I’m dizzy and excited. Heat fills my veins and ignites my nerve endings.
Declan’s callused hand squeezing mine is the best thing that’s ever happened in my lonely life.
“I’ll show you around the park then,” I say. “It looks really beautiful at night.”
“Alright. Lead me to that park then.”
We walk along a narrow path—the palace’s façade stretches on one side and the pond with the wooden bridge thrown over the stream that feeds it lies on the other side. Tall trees that guard our way look like dark giants. I can hear the murmur of the water being sucked up their trunks by the tangle of roots. Insects move under the surface of grass and animals growl in the distance. I detach myself from those sounds. I want to be as a human tonight.
“The oak trees are very old,” I say as a cloud of vapour leaves my mouth.
“That’s cool.”
He isn’t interested. He’s forcing himself to walk with me. That’s okay. Not everyone is a fan of sightseeing.
We stop by a wooden bench with ornate metal armrests, and Declan puts my boots and jacket on it.
I bring his hand to my lips and plant a kiss on his rough knuckles. He chuckles as his eyes widen. My father kissed my mother’s knuckles like this when he was grateful, or happy. I am grateful for Declan’s effort and time.
“Thank you for that walk,” I say. “I really enjoyed it.”
I pull away from him. I’m in the dancing mood. Moras dance a lot—whether they’re happy or sad. My arms rise in an arc. I sweep them down to my hip as I spin.
“What are you doing, you crazy little thing?” Declan asks.
“I’m dancing.”
He strides over to me and grabs my wrist, pulling me to him. “This is odd, Zorica.”
“Sorry. I—“
“You can dance later, sweetheart.” He sinks his fingers into my hair, his breath heavy. Burning like a real fire.
“I have to go.”
“No way in hell.” There’s a hint of menace in his voice.
I feel his other hand slip under my coat and hoody, and he runs his fingers up and down my back.
“I’ll go mad, woman,” he rasps.
“I—“
“I can’t stop thinking about you.” His hot lips touch my forehead.
My body shivers, yearns for his. I’m burning. I need his touch. His love. I need all of him.
I’m so thirsty for his blood.
“I need you,” he says.
“I can’t, Declan.”
“I need your naked body beneath mine.”
“I can’t—“
“With my dick buried inside you, balls-deep.”
My pussy pulses, and I feel myself getting wet between my thighs. “I can’t.”
“Why the fuck not? I would make you feel good.”
“I can’t.”
“Are you sick?”
“Yes, I… am sick.”
“That’s not a problem.”
“I—“
“Kiss me, Zorica.”
“No.”
“I said kiss me.” There’s anger in his voice that threatens to explode and consume me.
“No.”
He kisses me on the top of my head. “I’ll buy you a bouquet of red roses tomorrow, I promise. I can behave, Zorica, you’ll see.”
Tomorrow. He means in the morning. My mind clears and detaches. That walk was a mistake. I have to get going.
I wiggle out of his embrace. “You’re a wonderful man. It was nice to meet you.”
“You’re not going anywhere.”
“I have to go, Declan.”
“I’m gonna fucking throw you over my shoulder now, Zorica.” He’s mortally serious. I step back at the gust of his dominance, but he grabs my hand. “You want me, you little fawn. You want me as badly as I want you.”
Emotions tumble in my chest, and my head feels like it will explode at any moment. Heat bubbles inside of me, pushes me towards the edge, pushes me over the edge.
“I can’t,” I yell.
I feel my fangs lengthen. My vampire stirs inside of me and emerges from the depths of my soul. I growl, aware that my eyes are as red as blood now.
Declan tightens the grip on my wrist. Our glances collide. His eyes shine like liquid silver.
Fuck.
He is not a human.
Fuck.
He is a hunter.
Declan
The moment I hesitate, she tears her hand away from my grip and starts running. I emit a sharp growl and run after her. My instincts urge me to catch her and kill her. She’s a vampire, and I’m a hunter. Hunters eliminate vampires—that’s how it works and always has.
I didn’t sense her until her eyes gleamed with red. Hunters can sense vampires from as far as thirty steps but I didn’t sense her at all.
I decapitate bitches like her. I burn them and throw the ashes in the wind.
That’s why I’m in this shithole—there’s a vampire here. Her apparently. She’s killed two men in this town.
My sight is perfect at night, and she’s not very fast. This is gonna be easy.
I jump over a fallen tree and then fling myself through the wall of vegetation. Her breath is as heavy as mine, but so full of dread—we’re a predator and its prey. She’s running only ten steps ahead of me, a little fawn. I can sense her primal fear. I can hear her rapid heartbeat.
Something is wrong, but my mind is focused on catching her.
Zorica
An arm slams into the side of my chest, and I fall to my knees. I smell Declan and hear his breath. His frame pins me down to the cold, humid ground. A layer of rotten leaves and moss buffers my body. A few insects die beneath me.
I know I’ll die soon.
“Please, just do this quickly,” I gasp.
He turns me over so I’m on my back and he’s on top of me. His hot breath puffs on my cheek. The rage burning in his eyes sends ice into my veins.
�
��You killed two men,” he says in a gravelly voice. “You’re a vampire. I fucking have to kill you now.”
“I know.”
I didn’t kill anyone, but me being a vampire is enough reasons for him to kill me.
He pins my hands over my head and growls. “You breathe and your heart beats. What the fuck are you?”
“Fuck off.” I want to die quickly. What’s the point in talking? We’re not going to chat like two friends. We’re not friends. We’re enemies and I’m the weaker one. “Just kill me.”
Declan growls again. “Answer me. What are you?”
“You don’t know what I am? That’s funny. You acquire the knowledge on my species during the training.”
“I don’t belong to the Order. I never did.”
“You’re not from the Order?” Our glances collide, and the grey storm of his eyes makes my heart crumble into a thousand pieces.
“No.”
“I’m a Mora, Declan.”
He loosens the grip on my wrists. “You’re lying. The Order killed them all three hundred years ago.”
My heart feels like it’s twisting and burning.
Declan just confirmed my suspicions, my darkest fears. I’m the last of my kind. I’m all alone.
“Just kill me,” I say.
I will never mate. I will never love. I want to join my kind in the afterlife then.
“Did you kill those two men?” Declan’s voice has a slight tremble.
“Moras don’t kill,” I sigh. “We feed on animals. I’m sure you know this.”
“But there’s a vampire here.”
“Was. She left five days ago. I couldn’t kill her. I was no match for her.” I chuckle. It’s probably from my fear. You can’t be in a good mood just before your death, right? “You do a good job, Declan. I mean it. And I don’t blame you. This is what you do. I forgive you.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. I feel so tired. So lonely.
So sad.
What’s the fucking point in living my pathetic life?
I just want this suffocating sadness to go away.
My hope just died. Everything just died inside me. My life is like some fucking malicious joke that must end.
I take a shaky breath.
Then I feel Declan’s lips on mine—hot and demanding. His frame is crushing mine. He deepens the kiss, making me feel breathless, but it’s a pleasant feeling. The kiss is wet. Oh so hot. His tongue thrusts in and touches mine. Explores and takes possession of my mouth. I can discern every taste—a sting of mint, a bite of tobacco, the richness of beer. I’m so stunned that I just open my mouth wide for him.
Zorica and Declan: Restless Spades MC (A Bad Boy Paranormal Vampire Romance) Page 2
