Fractured (Vampire Awakenings, Book 6)

by Brenda K. Davies

  “Maybe it’s time you start relying on someone else again. Someone who will still be here for you tomorrow and the next day. Someone you can trust.”

  “And I can trust you?” she demanded.

  His head turned toward her, his electric blue eyes burning into hers for a second before he focused on the road once more. “Yes.”

  Mia didn’t know what to say. She believed him; how could she not? He’d never done anything to hurt her, never lied to her. He went out of his way to protect her and not touch her. She knew it drove him crazy not to be able to hold her, but he’d never complained about it, or made her feel bad about it.

  Then why was she so frightened there would be no tomorrow for them?

  Because she knew how fast it could all go up in flames. She’d been there, had witnessed how rapidly a life could be ripped away from someone.

  She knew she could be happy with David. He already made her far happier than she’d been since her parents’ deaths. He made her body feel things no other man had, made her feel cared for in a way she hadn’t felt in seven years. And it scared the hell out of her.

  She inhaled a steadying breath before deciding to change the subject. “Your friends are nice.”

  “They are.”

  “They’re very loving, even Jack.”

  He chuckled as he turned into the parking area outside of the Bangor Mall. “Yes, but he would never agree with that assessment.”

  Mia grimaced as she stared at the enormous building and the numerous people flowing in and out of it. A Santa stood outside the door, ringing his bell. She could already hear the Christmas music drifting out from within. At one time, Christmas had been her favorite holiday, but she’d paid little attention to it since the fire.

  Now watching as the breaths plumed out of the people scurrying back and forth between their cars and the building, she felt a stirring of excitement for the holiday. If all continued to go well, she’d have someone to celebrate Christmas with this year.

  “I haven’t been in a mall since I was sixteen,” she said.

  David put the vehicle in Park at the far end of the crammed lot and turned it off. “That makes two of us.”

  Mia climbed out of his SUV. Mike had returned the rental car for them that morning, and they had brought David’s Range Rover to the mall. Mia shoved her hands into her pockets and hunched her shoulders against the cold. Inside the inner pocket of the winter coat Sera had lent her, she felt the comforting weight of the stake against her right breast as they made their way toward the mall.

  The rapid heartbeats of the numerous humans surrounding her when they walked through the glass doors caused Mia to step closer to David. She inhaled his scent as she sought to tune out the rush of blood and the sensation of being trapped within these close confines.

  You can walk out at any time, she reminded herself. It didn’t help to ease her escalating fear as much as she had hoped.

  “Are you going to be okay with this?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she said and took another deep breath. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to browse or try things on.”

  “Whatever you want.” A sexy smile curved his mouth. A few of the women walking by them tripped over their own feet when they turned to look back toward him. Mia glared at them until they noticed her, ducked their heads, and sped away.

  “You might want to rethink that offer. I may want to kill a few humans by the time this is over,” she muttered.

  “That will make two of us,” he replied.

  She didn’t get a chance to ask him what he meant before he lightly touched her elbow and jerked his head toward the right. His hand fell away, but he remained close by her side as he walked unerringly through the crowd beside her. He somehow managed to move his body in such a way that he didn’t touch her, but he also kept others from touching her too.

  Though people were drawn to them both due to their inherent vampire lure, they also got out of David’s way. Mia often found it interesting to watch a human’s reaction to a vampire. The human’s instincts said they should stay away, but they found themselves inexorably pulled toward the danger. It didn’t help that David was drop-dead gorgeous, and almost every woman turned to watch him pass.

  They moved swiftly down the hall toward one of the stores. Mia blinked against the glare of the lights and tried to ignore the heat of the bodies near hers as sweat beaded her forehead. Did she really need clothes bad enough to put herself through this?

  Yes, she did. She couldn’t deny that. She was tired of washing the same three pairs of underwear, and the one bra they’d had at the training facility that fit her. Sera had offered her more clothes, but they would all have to be rolled up and cinched in order to fit her. Sera had mentioned something about Emma being smaller too, which only made David insist that Mia have her own things.

  She couldn’t deny the trickle of anticipation that went through her at finally having some clothes of her own again. Even if David had to buy them for her.

  She’d walked into the mall with every intention of bolting back out as soon as possible, but as they moved from store to store, she found herself relaxing. If she looked at something twice, David pulled it off the racks for her. When she realized the sheer amount of clothing he planned to buy her, she changed her mind and decided to try some of it on. She refused to waste his money by buying something that might not fit her.

  “I should get something a little bigger,” she told him when she opened the door and stepped out of what felt like her hundredth dressing room of the day.

  “Why?” David asked as he surveyed her.

  The blue sweater she wore hugged her small frame, emphasizing the swell of her breasts. Her figure was filling out as she gained weight, revealing curves that hadn’t been there before. Curves that he had yet to be able to touch but knew every inch of. Curves drawing far too much attention for his liking from the nearby men who stopped to watch her as she turned before one of the mirrors. Mia remained oblivious to their attention as she carefully inspected the outfit. He did not.

  A young man of about twenty-five stepped out of one of the other rooms and stopped to ogle her ass as she frowned at the mirror. David took a step closer to her, a low snarl rumbling up his throat when he caught the scent of the man’s lust.

  “I’d suggest moving on,” David growled at him.

  Mia turned at the anger in David’s voice. She frowned when she spotted the human glancing nervously between the two of them. The man’s gaze raked over her, causing David to move toward him. Mia hurried forward and rested her hand on his forearm before he could attack the young man. Despite the fact that David relaxed, the man paled visibly before swiftly retreating from the dressing area.

  “Fucking humans,” David muttered and tugged at the ends of his hair.

  “The women have been checking you out all day,” she pointed out as she released his arm.

  “I’ve only noticed all of the men who have been watching you,” he replied honestly.

  “Good.” She rose onto her toes to kiss his cheek. “But you can’t eat the humans for staring.”

  “I can scare the shit out of them though.”

  She laughed as she strolled back toward the mirror outside of the dressing room. “You succeeded.” She glanced around to make sure no one was near them before she spoke again. “I swear I’ve put on five pounds just from feeding on you these past three days. I’m almost back to the weight I was before the fire. These clothes may not fit me next month. I should get a bigger size just to make sure.”

  The hunger in David’s eyes when he surveyed her made her toes curl. The man only had to look at her and she was ready to climb on top of him.

  “Then we will buy you new clothes next month,” he murmured.

  “That’s a waste.”

  “Nothing for you is a waste.”

  Knowing that arguing with him was pointless, she retreated into the dressing room and closed the door. She was pulling the sweater over her head when s
he heard the door open behind her and David’s outdoorsy scent assailed her. Tugging the sweater the rest of the way off, she tossed it onto one of the chairs near the mirror taking up the entire back wall before turning to face him.

  “They’ll have us arrested if they find you in here,” she told him.

  “Like we can’t change a memory or two and fix that before they take us out of here,” he replied in a hoarse voice.

  His teeth flashed as he leaned back on his heels before her. She wore the simple white bra she’d been wearing since the training compound, and the black peasant skirt she’d been trying on with the sweater, but his ravenous gaze made her feel as if she wore the sexiest lingerie in the world.

  Everywhere his eyes ran over her, she felt as if his hands caressed her too. Her nipples puckered in anticipation, a wet heat pooling between her legs. She’d never considered having sex in a public place. With the risk of being caught, she’d been certain she wouldn’t want to do it. Now she found she craved it, with him. The more her body clamored for him, the redder his eyes became.

  David watched her walk toward him with an enticing sway of her hips. The irresistible scent of her arousal increased with every step she took until she stood before him.

  So beautiful, he thought as she tipped her head back to look up at him. Her skin had a healthy glow to it, and her eyes were vibrant. This woman who had survived things that would have broken others was his, and he found her exquisite.

  Mia rested her hands on his chest as rose onto her toes to kiss him. His fingers dug deeper into his palms until he felt blood welling within them, but he didn’t dare ease his grip. If he did, he’d grab her hips, spin her around, lift her skirt, and sink himself into her.

  With gentle hands, Mia guided him toward one of the chairs, undoing the button and zipper of his jeans as he walked. His breath hissed between his teeth when her hand wrapped around his swollen shaft and she pulled it free. The way she licked her lips as she gazed at his cock caused it to jump within her grasp.

  When she nudged him down, David sat in the chair and gripped the seat. Stepping back, Mia reached under the skirt, pulled her underwear off, and tossed it aside. Her eyes came back to his as she lifted the skirt and settled herself so that she straddled his lap.

  His fangs lengthened when the wet heat of her slid against him and her hips took up a teasing grind that had him on the verge of coming. Her eyes burned into his as he released the seat, clasped his hands behind his back and locked them around the chair.

  Mia couldn’t tear her eyes away from the hunger in his gaze as she reached between them, took hold of his shaft, and rubbed the head of it against her already aching center. David’s eyes flashed red. “Mia,” he growled.

  David was obviously not in the mood to be teased, and neither was she, so Mia guided him into her. She gasped at the sensation of him stretching and filling her, a sensation she knew she’d never get used to. Her hands played with the hair at his nape as she lifted herself off him before sliding down again.

  David jerked as her tight muscles drew him deeper into her. Not deep enough. He had to be deeper, but he couldn’t grab her and drive himself into her as he longed to do. He gripped his hands so forcefully together he thought he might break one.

  The movement of his hands in the mirror caught her attention and drew her eyes to the glass behind them. Her heart thudded as she watched herself lift off him before sliding down once more. In the mirror, her breasts bobbed and swayed in her bra, her eyes were heavy with passion, and her face flushed. David’s head tipped back, his gaze following hers to the glass.

  Leaning forward, he ran his tongue over her breastbone before scraping his fangs over one of her breasts. Mia’s hips bucked against him and she moaned when his eyes locked on hers in the mirror. “You enjoy watching us?” he inquired.

  “Yes… yes,” she admitted breathlessly, unable to tear her gaze away from the two of them joined together in such an intimate way. Mia didn’t know where this wanton creature in the mirror had come from, but she relished this part of her.

  Turning his head, David licked over her skin again before nipping at her flesh. It was because of him that she found herself losing all sense of who she’d been and embracing the brazen woman he was turning her into. She wouldn’t have done this with any other, but with David, it was easy to be so uninhibited. She trusted him enough to push the boundaries of her comfort zone with him.

  David lifted his hips off the chair as he rose to meet her thrusting motions. Something about the sight of his body in the glass, moving in such a way and impaling her so deeply, drove her to ever higher heights as the coiling tension building within her spread out from her center to her belly. Mia nearly screamed aloud as the tension unraveled and waves of pleasure racked her body. She managed to stop herself from shouting her joy to the entire mall by sinking her fangs into his neck.

  “Fuck!” David snarled before the force of her orgasm wrenched his from him.

  The chair cracked as he jerked against it. Little pulses continued to contract the muscles of her sheath around him, drawing more from him until he didn’t think there was any more to give. Her fangs retracted, and she licked the blood away from his neck. Her breath warmed his throat as she ran her tongue over his skin.

  “Never in my life did I ever see myself doing something like that,” she whispered, her lips brushing his ear.

  “Neither did I,” he admitted, “but you liked it.”

  She leaned back to give him a smile that had him hardening within her once more.

  “Did I ever,” she breathed.

  The overwhelming compulsion to drag her against him and sink his fangs into her throat hit him. Not ready. She’s not ready!

  Right then, it didn’t matter. Not to the predator within him that knew she was his, and wanted everyone else to know it too.

  “David?” she asked tremulously.

  His teeth grated together as his clenched jaw worked back and forth. “Don’t move,” he said when she went to rise off him.

  Mia froze as she gazed down at him. She didn’t have to see his ruby eyes to know he was struggling not to unravel before her. She could feel it in every tensed muscle of his body.

  “You need to feed from me,” she whispered. “To complete the bond.”

  She had to admit there was no denying what they were to each other anymore. He was her mate. She thrilled at the idea of it as her fingers stroked his nape. Maybe she still had some issues to work through, but she was getting better every day, and he was helping her with that. One day, she’d be a woman he could hold close. Until then, she would be the woman who could ease his frustration and his need to be joined with her for eternity.

  “Not until you’re ready for it.”

  “David—”

  “No! Not until you’re ready, and not in the dressing room of a mall.”

  “I know what we are to each other. There is no denying it. I think I can handle it. This has to be done, for you.”

  “This has to be done for us. I won’t risk frightening you and possibly hurting you if you panic.”

  She studied the stubborn set of his jaw before releasing a sigh. “Soon.”

  He couldn’t look at her as he nodded. The last thing he wanted was to be a disappointment to her, to somehow break her trust in him by moving too fast or doing something before she was ready, but he didn’t know how much longer he could take not being connected to her completely. He’d been so certain he could hold out on binding them until she was certain she could handle it. Now he realized the choice may soon be taken from him.

  “I think we’re going to have to place mirrors all over the walls of our room at home,” he said to distract them both from the turmoil within him.

  “Our room?” she asked, trying to tease him back.

  His eyes flashed red, and she knew instantly he hadn’t been ready to be teased.

  “Yes, it is our room, Mia.”

  “Yes, it is,” she agreed.


  A throat cleared outside of the dressing room. “Both of you please come out of there,” a man commanded from the other side of the door.

  Her hand flew up to cover her mouth as the color drained from her face. David leaned forward to whisper in her ear, “Get dressed. I’ll take care of it.”

  “Are you… are you stable enough to do so?” she asked.

  “Yes.” He kept his hands locked behind the chair as she climbed off of his lap. Taking another minute to steady himself, he unlocked his hands, rose, and pulled his jeans up to button them. He opened the door and stepped out to face the security guard and two very unamused female employees.

  The two women’s eyebrows rose when they spotted him. The younger one licked her lips and giggled. The older one gave her a disapproving frown, but her eyes held an interested gleam when they came back to him. The male security guard remained anything but amused.

  “You’re going to have to come with me,” the man said crisply to him. “As is your companion.”

  “No,” David said in a low voice as he looked each one of them in the eye, drawing them in with his power. “Nothing happened here. You heard nothing and saw nothing.” A glassy sheen descended over their eyes when they became enthralled by his words. “Go back about your day as if it were any other. Now.”

  The three of them bowed their heads before turning and walking away. The door opened behind him and Mia poked her head out. He’d never seen her embarrassed, wasn’t sure he’d believed it possible, but her face was a fiery red hue. He could feel the heat radiating from her as she gazed between him and the door leading out of the dressing area.

  “They don’t remember a thing,” he assured her.

  Her mouth pursed as she stepped from the room with her old clothes back on, and nothing in hand.

  “Where are the clothes you selected?” he asked.

  “I think we’re better off just going,” she muttered. “Besides, you’ve already bought me more than enough.”

  “I’ll take the clothes to the counter and pay for them.”

  “David—”