* * * *
He had hurt her. He would do anything to take it back. He couldn’t. So maybe he could just make it right. It had taken him more nights that he never wanted to spend alone again to think of a way to fix it. Each night he’d burned, smoldered with his need to be with her, but he hadn’t trusted himself. He feared he would forget his own promise as high as his desires were raging for this woman. He’d stayed away as long as he physically could. Tonight, his resistance had shattered finding her at the top of the stairs and feeling her pain. Yet more pain he was causing.
He curled his fingers through her hair, letting her look up now that he was where he wanted to be. He hadn’t wanted to frighten her with the distance they had come. He’d hazed the journey for her.
“Where are we?” she asked, looking around.
“In town. You told me you haven’t been.” He wanted to show her the world, give her wonderful memories that would eventually bury the pain of her past if he couldn’t completely obliterate them.
She shrank into his body, cowering in the shadows where they stood, too shaken to lift from his embrace where she tried to make herself smaller. “I want to go home.” The terrified whisper in her voice made him ache to comfort her. Her fear was instant, a thick and tangible wall between them.
Her face filled his palm as he cupped her chin. He felt the way she shivered and held her closer. “Lily. You are safe. No one will see you.”
“There could be people here, looking for us. David is still missing,” she hissed. The anxious tremor in her voice almost made him change his mind, but he shook his head.
“No. Listen to what I’m telling you. No one will see you.” He wrapped his arms around her, not moving from the alley where he had landed. He wouldn’t push her, but he believed she could do this. He knew she wanted to. “Do you understand? No one will see you, or me.”
She lifted her face to search his, her cheeks pale. She stared at him with burnished gold eyes. “Wha-What do you mean?”
The stark terror in her eyes tore him apart. Somewhere in those eyes was the brave woman he knew she was, yet here she stood, trembling and terrified to walk down the street with him.
“You know I am not human,” he said, swallowing when his voice was laden with emotions. “I can protect you, Lily.” Lashes hid his view of her beauty when looking into those same golden-brown eyes became impossible. The things he wanted from this woman… The ways he wanted to touch her made his entire body ache with a rushing need he’d long ago forgotten. Five nights had dulled nothing.
“I trust you, Joaquin.” Four whispered words, spoken in true honesty. His heart rose with a swift punch into his throat. He’d feared she never would again. She nuzzled deeper into his embrace, her cheek pressed against his chest. His arms tightened automatically. He breathed in the essence that wove through her hair. After a moment fighting his own reactions, he nodded.
“Just relax.” He tipped her face up and brushed a sweet, molten kiss to her lips. Everywhere she pressed against him, everywhere she touched him, left him on fire. He slid his arms from around the feminine curves of her body and clasped a hand in his, threading their fingers together, taking a single deep breath to ground his thoughts. It was an odd habit for a vampire, one that stuck, especially when he breathed by choice, not out of need, but at that moment, he needed to center himself somehow. His thoughts were in a chaotic turmoil and he needed to control them for her sake. For both their sakes.
He took a step and she followed, albeit with a low shiver he could feel through the interlocking skin of their fingers. He lifted them and kissed her knuckles.
She stayed close once they cleared the corner of the alley, both strolling in an unhurried way. Gradually, the clutched rigidity of her hand in his relaxed. He caught her gaze and offered a smile. Streetlamps spilled light across the sidewalk as they passed by storefronts and she began to look around with interest, peering into windows, or watching as people flowed around them like water over rocks in a stream without even a glance in their direction.
“They can’t see us, can they?” she whispered, leaning close to be heard.
He shook his head. “They can’t hear us either.”
“Incredible.” She calmed in increments next to him, the ease of her grip in his giving her away. Pedestrians were few, but the occasional passerby or car on the street still made her pause. The sudden sound of her breath catching, or the weight of her anticipating discovery at every turn, soon faded. He let her stop and investigate to her heart’s content at whatever struck her fancy—window dressings, posters of movies, anything at all. Even the stuffed animals in the window of a children’s store.
The simple pleasures of her joy filled him. Soon her lips were curved into an engaging smile and her eyes sparkled with her newfound freedom. Time wasn’t marked, but most of the stores were closed and locked for the night.
“This was wonderful,” she quietly remarked with absolute fascination when they reached the end of another block. Street lights brightened the night with their changing colors. Cars drove by without a single hesitation to wonder about the couple walking after dark. They were invisible to the passing world. The thing that broke his heart was the way she refused to look at any reflection of herself, or at any clothes. Tonight, as always, she wore a plain sweatshirt and jeans, covering any part of her that would otherwise be visible.
His fingers tightened for a heartbeat. To him, she was beautiful, from the golden earth color of her eyes to the burnished sunset and cinnamon of her hair. The texture of her skin, the taste of her on his lips, burned into him. The feel of her lush body called to him, stronger than ever. Absence had done nothing to cool this fire she alone created. The desire raging through him was unlike any he’d ever experienced. A dragged breath shot a liquid shudder through his body as he lived with that forbidden pleasure, just for a moment, in his own mind.
He looked away to try to control his thoughts, but try as he might, the feel of her succumbing to his desire drove into him like a spike of lightning. The craving for her was impossible to ignore. And with his craving was a deeper one yet, a hunger he’d ignored, fought and denied since meeting this woman. Craving the flavor of life that only she would have.
He hungered for her. Completely.
“Joaquin?”
He snapped around to look at her. Wide eyes caught his stare, worry dimming their sparkle. Want. Desire. He couldn’t deny it any longer. When he thought he’d be able to walk away when the time was right, he conceded there would be no leaving her behind. Admitting it made everything a lot more complicated. He couldn’t have her, yet he would never let her go either.
He forced the argument to cease. There was no other way. He had no idea how to be with her and not make her his prisoner. She was human. She would age. She deserved a life. Feeling like a selfish bastard wasn’t helping him find a solution or leading him on the right path to take, but at the moment, it was all he had. She was all he had.
He paused on the sidewalk as a blankness permeated the air, oozed toward them like a sludge on the wind, interrupting his inner turmoil very effectively. They were invisible, but others of his kind would know he was there. Energy pulses could be felt in the surrounding wind. It was taking energy to shield them from human eyes. He scanned, surprised another of the Brethren would be in the area. They were not lying thick on the ground, as he’d heard some say, or to even find another this close to Diego’s territory. Only rarely had he found his own kind. Now it was too late to try to leave. If he fled, he would draw this unnamed Brethren to the house, endangering those living there. Here, he could protect himself and Lily.
“What’s the matter?” she asked, automatically leaning toward him, searching him and the surrounding street. It was mostly quiet now.
“Nothing.” He deliberately pulled her closer, away from the lights into the shadows of the closest alley. He searched the sky, and listened for the newcomer. The unknown vampire was either being cautious, or wasn’t any
more interested in meeting than he was.
That soon proved to be wrong.
“She’s a hot one. Let’s share,” crowed a crass voice as a form appeared on the street before them. Joaquin didn’t care for the way he eyed Lily at his arrival, like a trophy. Lily was no one’s prey.
“Be quiet!” It was an order, and he had no chance to explain either. He pushed her behind him, facing the owner of the voice. It was worse than he’d thought. He was sure he was facing an imbecile.
Putrid odors reeked from where the other stood only a few feet away. Lily buried her nose into his shirt. This one apparently liked the environs of the local dump as his hiding place and hadn’t learned or didn’t care that he could erase the stench.
“I am sorry, lovely. Running would have lured him into a chase. Here, it is only he and I. Do you trust me?”
“Kind of not the time to ask that now, don’t you think?”
“I believe I will take that as a vote of confidence.”
He heard her impertinent mental groan loud and clear, but showed no sign of it on his face.
“Come on,” demanded the other vampire, waving a hand to make Joaquin move. “Pass her up. I’m hungry.” He rubbed his hands together, as if waiting for a lavish feast.
Joaquin made sure to block their immediate surroundings from any who could become interested in the men talking in the shadows, keeping all three invisible to any idle curiosity. The later hour and absence of business patrons helped considerably without him spending a lot of energy on the effort. “We can be gentlemen about this. It’s rude to discuss this on the street.”
That seemed to make the other vampire pause, standing straight and eyeing Joaquin with confusion. Then, he grinned. “Oh, you’re one of them fancy talking ones, ain’t ya? Where’re you from?”
Lily coughed into her hand to not gurgle her laughter. Joaquin doubted the other vampire had a clue she was laughing at him. “That isn’t really important, is it?”
“When I tell you to, take two steps back from me.”
He felt her nod against him. “You and I both know what we really want, right?”
“You ain’t kidding! I haven’t had a good, hot one like her in weeks. All a bunch o’ hags. All that seems to be out at night anymore.” Dark blue eyes began to blaze at the thought of what he was about to indulge in, and with whom.
Joaquin clicked his tongue as if in sympathy for the uncouth and unwashed creature daring to continue to stare at Lily like a prize catch. “I can see how that can be such a disappointment to one such as yourself.” Joaquin couldn’t understand how this one had been turned. He was not aged, and by his manners, it appeared he may have been half-witted as well. It was like Tani had said, there was no rhyme or reason to those who were chosen by their creators. This was proof someone in the Brethren was not being at all conscientious about his chosen ‘children’.
“I know!” he agreed with a robust grin. He scratched his crotch, apparently so recently turned he still retained many of his human expressions and gestures.
“I will make you a deal,” Joaquin lied. “She is special to me. I will share.” He raised a hand to pause the other’s advance. “However, you will do the proper thing and take her into the shadows. Agreed?”
“Oh shit, yeah! Man, I’m gonna have me a time with her.”
“I bet you are,” Joaquin muttered under his breath. He gestured to the alley a few feet behind them. “Shall we?”
“Name’s Kurt, by the way.”
Joaquin rolled his eyes. Didn’t anyone tell this one the Brethren didn’t get along?
“Joaquin, there’s something false about him.”
He followed the approaching vampire with an untrusting gaze. “What do you mean?”
“I mean he’s not an idiot! Look out!”
The warning saved his life. He may have been large, and inordinately insufferable, but Kurt was not a moron. The entire discussion had been a ruse to allow Kurt the chance to get close enough to make a lethal attack, something Joaquin would have never allowed if he’d been alone and not protecting Lily.
The attack was swift as a huge, meaty fist swung around, forming into a large claw at contact, knocking Joaquin away from Lily’s side with an unexpected strength and dagger sharp claws that curled into rending hooks as they tore into his shoulder. Apparently, Kurt was not really in the mind to share. The act had been nothing less than a distraction from his intent. She was vulnerable and completely exposed.
Joaquin released a hiss of fury. Large, raw punctures bloodied the shoulder of his shirt.
“That was the wrong thing to do, my friend,” Joaquin growled, every word coated in menace. Anger made his voice thick. Putting on speed from where he’d spun from the force of Kurt’s attack, he wedged himself between the blood lusting vampire and Lily. He’d never had any intention of letting him near her. Joaquin’s only goal had been to avoid witnesses to the coming death that would be a swift and enjoyable punishment for threatening her.
Lily evaded one grasping hand as Kurt reached beyond Joaquin for her hair, uncaring of the wall of Joaquin’s body in the way. Kurt continued to work around him as if he didn’t exist.
“I’ll give her back when I’m done,” Kurt drawled without concern. “Come here, honey. I’m hungry.”
Joaquin watched in horror as Lily froze. It was something he had not counted on, not against Lily. Kurt was manipulating her, invading her private thoughts to do his bidding in thrall, but completely aware of what was happening to her to terrorize her further. That meant Kurt wasn’t paying attention to Joaquin. It only took a short-lived second in time for him to reach Lily. Then, Kurt had his hand on her, pulling her toward him, his long teeth dripping with a ravenous hunger Joaquin had tasted and had managed to step away from.
Joaquin’s vision became a field of red.
He launched himself against Kurt, tearing Lily free of his repugnant hold. He pushed out to her, cocooning her to soften her landing on the hard pavement of the alley at the same time he found flesh with a rammed shoulder. The impact met Kurt’s rather large body mass. It made finding a place to strike difficult. He must have fed often and frequently to maintain it. Overweight issues weren’t usually problems for the Brethren.
Snarls filled the alley like a pack of ravenous dogs had been set loose. Kurt dug into Joaquin’s wounded shoulder while they grappled on the ground, both looking for the upper hand. “That’s for reneging!” Large claws widened the wounds, and Joaquin’s jaw clamped shut, ignoring the blistering pain that radiated to fill his upper body. With a vicious kick, Kurt tossed Joaquin off and lunged for Lily, watching them both in dazed horror from where she lay crumpled, unmoving on the ground.
Joaquin only had one choice and would have to face the consequences after. He wouldn’t be able to end this one by strategy alone. He changed his form, embracing a large wolf’s shape as he lunged once more, hearing her scream behind him as he did so. He didn’t want to hold anything back from her. He was what he was, and right then, he had no choice but to protect her the only way he knew how. He was not a skilled fighter. He relied on the creatures that were. He lunged up the other vampire’s body with powerful legs to dig his teeth into the flesh at his neck, snapping his spine between powerful jaws.
Kurt collapsed in a mushy bag of bones, roaring in pain on the ground. He flopped like a huge, banked fish, trying to take a shape to repel the next attack, with no time to heal such a major injury. Joaquin never gave him the chance. While he held him pinned to the ground, a single claw grew saber sharp. With a deadly motion, Joaquin sliced his head clean from his body. He saw Lily wince and turn away, and regretted with every breath he took for showing her this part of his world. It was the ugly reality she didn’t need to know. Not yet, not ever.
It didn’t take long before the body disintegrated, skin, flesh and clothes turning to dust. Joaquin concentrated once, more commanding sharp winds into the alley and shot the ashes upward to be carried in all directions by the s
urface breezes over the buildings.
Silence permeated the air, the faint sound of life beyond the alley filtering in now with the battle over. Exhausted and weary from the fight, he was even more leery of the coming moments, facing Lily’s disgust and horror over what it was that made Joaquin a vampire. The hunger, the bloodlust that was a fine line before him every single night he opened his eyes. The violence that, even at the best of times, couldn’t be helped. He’d never wanted to expose her to any of it. Tonight had gone horribly wrong on so many levels. When he’d wanted to prove to her how special she was to him, that she was safe, that he could protect her to give her room to heal, he’d failed.
When every trace of Kurt’s existence was gone, and unable to find a way to procrastinate any longer, he walked to where Lily sat huddled on the ground and sank down next to her.
His Redeemer's Kiss Page 16
