Her brother texted. Are you out of your mind? The second you walked through the door of the hospital they had you on security cameras. Get out of there.
She darted to her feet. Devin worked as a tech guy, and she had no idea how he knew the things he did, but right then she had no intention of doubting him. She looked left and right, deciding quickly that what she needed to do required getting out of the ER and escaping through the hospital cafeteria. Maybe she could blend in with the workers. Grab some clothes. Hitchhike out of town.
Trudy tore around the building keeping her head down and avoiding eye contact. Regret proved to be a hard partner to carry with her. Would she ever know what happened to the girl she’d rescued?
Maybe there would be a way to find out later. She couldn’t worry about it. Her breath came out in huffs and puffs. She rounded the building and headed for the cafeteria. What if there wasn’t an exit in there?
Other hospitals she’d been in had been built that way, but if this place had an unusual exit situation, then she’d be seriously screwed. She busted through the door nearly knocking someone holding coffee over. He cursed, and she couldn’t even stop to apologize, another thing to feel bad about later.
There wasn’t time for apologies.
Trudy jumped over the counter toward the back, staff-only portion of the place. She knocked over a display of chips. Several people called after her in various languages. She cringed. This was way too much attention. The Wolves would be able to track her easily.
Her fear constituted the real problem. The thought jarred her, and she quit running, her heart racing, but not from the exertion.
When had that happened?
“Hey lady.” Security called after her and she took off again but this time to get away from the guards. The Wolves could be damned.
She wasn’t supposed to be afraid. Even when she and Devin had split up and gone into hiding, the point had been to regroup, to get a handle on what to do since the Werewolf Hunters had disavowed them. She’d not been terrified.
Her father had raised them to be strong. Their family had been battling the rogue creatures for three generations. Her favorite gift from her tenth birthday had been a machete her own size.
When had she become such a coward?
She made it outside, setting off the alarm to the building when she opened up the fire door. More attention she couldn’t afford, but at this point it all seemed just ridiculous.
Devin wanted her to high tail it out of there then she would do as he said. She’d fly right back to Hedy, Texas. No one would expect her to go back to some place she’d been. Maybe it was actually good strategy. George would be back there eventually if he wasn’t already, and then she had to have a talk with the Council about all the Vampire killings go on. They either didn’t know or didn’t care that so many of their kind had gone rogue.
If the former proved true, they needed to be told. The latter meant something had to be done about the Council.
She ran down the block. Her fingers tingled. The Werewolves could start running from her again. Trudy had never been fearful. She wouldn’t let another day pass with unneeded emotions weighing her down.
Screw that.
****
Hedy hadn’t changed since she’d left. The only difference was when she’d taken off in the middle of the night there had been somewhere for her to live. Now she’d officially be the only homeless person in the place.
She drove up to George’s house without thinking about it too much. If she let herself over analyze why his house, where she had been exactly once, turned out to be the only place in town she wanted to be, she might freak out a little, and she had no time for such emotions.
Trudy parked the car and stared up at the house. The same porch light that had lit the place before still illuminated it. Had he come back or had someone been monitoring the house for him?
She sat back in her seat. If she had his number, she’d just give him a call. Two in the morning was exactly the right time to reach a Vampire. Instead, she dialed her brother. He picked up on the first ring.
“Tru?” He sounded frantic. It had been years since they’d communicated other than through text, never wanting to put the other at risk by actually speaking where they might be overheard.
“Devin.” She smiled. Even crazed, Devin sounded like such a boon to her lonely ears. “How are you?”
“I’m fine.” His tone denied his words, but she wouldn’t argue. He could be stressed without having to discuss it. “If you’re calling me, you’re not okay, though.”
“I’m not running away anymore.” He stayed silent, so she kept talking. “I’m sick to death of it, and I won’t do it anymore. After all of these years, they aren’t less interested in us, and Dad raised us to fight not to run. I’ve gone back to Hedy.”
“Tru….”
She interrupted him. “I’ll never give you up, Devin. I’d die first. But if they’re coming for me than so be it.”
“I think I’ve finally been able to make a dent in their communication systems. Then we can stay one step ahead of them….”
“Devin.” She hated having to interrupt him so much; she liked hearing the sound of his voice. But he needed to understand what she meant. “Do whatever you need to do. I’ll never stop fighting them. But I have to go back to doing that. I’m not a victim. I won’t be anymore.”
He hitched in his breath. “I get it. I do. Please be careful.”
“I love you.”
Devin laughed. “Wow, you must be thinking you’re about to die. I love you too, little sister.”
She disconnected the phone and got out of the car. The night air chilled her arms, and, for the millionth time, she wondered why she never bothered to get herself a coat. Someday, there had to be the time to just go shopping in some consignment store and come out with a coat. Even in Texas, it got cold at night.
Trying to keep her steps light, she walked up the stairs. Her years of training seemed to rush back all at once. Even though she had no reason to suspect danger, she wouldn’t announce her arrival for the world to know about before she knew whom she’d find inside. She peaked in the window to the side of the door but with the curtains closed she couldn’t see anything.
If George were home, she didn’t want him finding her snooping around the outside of his house. He probably had questions as to where she’d been, and he deserved some answers. He should also get the chance to tell her whenever he wanted. Who knew how he felt since he’d fully changed?
She rang the doorbell and waited. No one answered; no one even stirred inside. Was he not home? Maybe he had found some kind of hot Vampire bar where he had hot sex with a Vampire woman. She ground her teeth together.
He couldn’t still be locked up? She tried the door handle. She had no call to break into his home or even, without the breaking part, entering his home without invitation. But she couldn’t spend the night on his porch, and maybe letting herself in would at least give her a clue where he’d gone so she could find him.
She didn’t want a chance to snoop around before he got there. Nope, that couldn’t possibly be the reason.
Fooling herself into believing what she wanted reality to be instead of the truth had never been one of her gifts. No, she wanted to go inside because she just did. Whether it was the wrong thing to do or not.
Why wasn’t George home?
She turned the handle, and it opened. Not a surprise. No one in Hedy locked their doors. Why should they when there was virtually no crime? Except, apparently, on account of her, since she’d just taken to a life of crime.
“Prettiest little thief I’ve ever seen.”
She gasped and swung around. George was leaning up against her car, watching her as she almost entered his house.
“George.” Her hands shook, and she shoved them in her pockets. “I just….” Her voice trailed off. How could she tell him what she had barely even planned on doing when she barely understood it herself?
“You were gone. I got out, and you weren’t here. It felt as if you’d never existed.” He walked forward. “Where did you go Trudy? Why were you gone? Did you suddenly not want a Vampire around?”
“No.” In a million years, she would never have thought he imagined that. “I had to run. The Wolves had found me. They chase; I run. Well, that’s what I did. I’m stopping the pattern. And the first person I wanted to see on the planet the second I did was you.”
Chapter Five
She was there.
George blinked away the tears in his eyes. No way should Trudy ever know how emotional he had become the second he had scented her. And that was what he had done. From across town. Her vanilla hue had called to him from inside Kaden’s house. He’d dropped everything and run.
“When I got out I assumed you had run because you didn’t want to see me again. A kiss-off note would have made the point the same way.”
She swallowed, her neck muscles clenching. “No. If anything, the thought of you brought me back.”
He walked toward her, determined to keep his control. The trick to keeping his Vampire nature under control involved thinking everything through before he acted. If he let his Beast loose, someone might get hurt. He would never allow harm to come to Trudy.
“I should be pissed at you, but I’m just so happy to see you I don’t give a shit about anything else.” And all of his plans to think everything out flew right out of this head. Why had he said something so cheesy? How much more lame could he be?
She rushed forward and launched herself at him. He caught her seconds before her mouth came down on top of his. He’d dreamed of kissing her. The entire time they’d been apart all he’d wanted was his mouth on hers. And now it was happening.
He crossed the porch fast and slammed the door to his house so hard he might have broken it. Whatever. He’d deal with it in the morning. Or the next night, when he could actually go near the outside again.
Her mouth fused to his, and she tugged at his clothes. At this rate, they’d never make it to a bedroom, and he didn’t mind. No one would be interrupting them this time. If anyone tried, he’d simply rip out their throats.
He tore her shirt, and it split it two. She laughed, the warm sound thrumming through him like his half-remembered heartbeat, and shed the tattered remains. “You’re so strong.”
“I won’t hurt you.” She needed to know.
“Still taking the garlic tabs.” Trudy winked.
“Won’t keep me from kissing your neck.” He took a deep breath. She might be taking garlic, but she didn’t smell of it. No, she always gave off the scent of vanilla. He’d noticed that even when he’d been a human. It would be impossible to miss such a lovely aroma, but there was no resemblance of the perfumy scent that made him want to sneeze. No, the vanilla seemed to drift from her cells.
He loved it.
“I can’t tear your clothes. Get them off.”
They stripped each other, this time he took better care to make sure he didn’t damage what was left of her clothing. The second she was naked; he pulled her against his body. The heat of her body bled into his.
He could hear her heartbeat, her lungs draw breath, and her blood flowing through her body. It spoke of her life, her precious existence that had, for reasons he’d never fathom, linked to his own. At least temporarily. The luxury of thinking about the future no longer belonged to him. His existence would be much longer than hers. Eternal, maybe.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Things far too deep.” He grinned and kissed her nose. “But I’m going to stop now.”
She practically climbed up his body, wrapping her legs around his waist. His cock jumped, and he knew it would be fast between them. He just had to make sure it felt good, too.
He laid her down beneath him, moving as quickly as he could. He pushed her legs apart and crawled between them until where he could taste her. It had only been months since he’d last been in this position, but it seemed years. He dove in, letting his tongue show her what he needed her to know. Whether he was a living human or an undead Vampire, he needed her, wanted nothing more than her pleasure, and to adore her for as long as she would let him.
George quickly found her small bundle of nerves. He licked and sucked, eventually biting down on it gently until she called out his name, coming hard against his tongue. He grinned. He wanted to make her come again and again. She’d just proven one of his fantasies correct. Trudy liked it a little bit rough.
Of course, in one of his imaginings, she liked it soft and smooth, too. He’d give it to her anyway she wanted. Over and over again.
She tasted of hot woman, and he drank her down knowing he’d never get enough of her. Her legs came together, and he pushed them back apart. He wasn’t done with her yet.
Trudy lifted her head to look at him. “Come inside of me.”
"In a minute." He still wanted to play.
She persisted. “I’m serious. I’ve been craving you inside of me. Please. Before something else happens and we get interrupted.”
He wanted to argue, but that would require telling her how he could tear out someone’s throat and the image of him as a monster might not be hot. Besides, he wanted to get inside of her. His cock throbbed to remind him of just how much he desired her.
Speech seemed out of the question. Not when his whole body flamed with wanting her. “Scoot back.” He braced her against the wall. Who knew about his own strength when it came down to it? He’d do his best, but she remained human and very much alive. If they’d drummed anything into him during his lock up, it was that living beings were fragile. He would not hurt her.
“You need to do something for me.” She reached for his cock, and he swatted her hand away playfully. “No.”
“What?” She laughed, her cheeks a beautiful shade of pink.
“We need a word. Something you’ll use if you don’t enjoy something I’m doing. If it hurts you. Something that will catch my attention even in haze.”
“George, I’m not worried….”
He held up a hand to silence her. “I’m concerned about it.”
“Okay. Let’s come up with a word. Something so far out there you can’t miss it because I’d never say it during sex for any reason in the world. Celery. Let’s say I’ll scream out the word ‘celery’ if you’re hurting me.” She raised a dark eyebrow. “Now get back to it, Vampire, or I’ll start to think you don’t want to do this.”
He growled, pressing down further on top of her. Didn’t want to do this? He’d show her he had not an ounce of reluctance except for concern about her safety. She was the hottest woman he’d ever known.
“Open up for me, sweetheart.” George pushed her knees apart making room for himself between her legs. He rubbed against her a few times to hear her small gasps before he plunged inside of her.
Trudy’s muscles clenched around him, welcoming him to what felt like home. The woman was all heat and wetness. He closed his eyes, looking for some kind of patience. No way would he push inside of her balls deep their first time together. Not until he’d gotten her nice and ready for him.
He reached between them and stroked her clit. She moaned and dug her fingers into his back. He loved the slight nip of pain. It fueled him forward, and he pressed in deeper.
“Fill me up.”
Her voice sounded husky, and he did as she instructed. Seconds felt akin to hours but eventually he pressed his cock all the way inside of her.
She sighed. “Yes, George, this is what I’ve wanted for so long.”
He knew exactly what she meant. Slowly—ever so slowly—he pushed inside of her and then withdrew. She lifted her hips to meet his thrusts. It took a few minutes, but they found their rhythm. He used her moans and sighs to know she liked something and followed her lead. This had to be heaven.
George had known it would be fast and it was. A few hard strokes, and Trudy fell apart in his arms. It was the most beautiful sight he’d ever behel
d.
His balls throbbed but he wanted to make sure he had wrung every last bit of pleasure from her before he came. His neck strained, and sweat pooled on his back, but finally he shattered inside of her.
He emptied himself deep within her core. She cried out again, and he felt sure he hadn’t hurt her because she hadn’t called out anything about vegetables. If his heart still beat, it would be racing. His ears rang. He still hadn’t completely figured out how this new version of his physiology worked.
The world felt right, as if all the pieces that had needed to come together finally had.
She smiled and closed her eyes. God, she was so beautiful.
And then he saw her pulse. It beat fast in her neck. Slower every second as she calmed down. His mouth watered.
With as much gentleness as he could manage, he pulled out of her and jumped up. He needed to put some distance between them right away. She’d been ingesting garlic, and the effects of exposure had been explained to him during his captivity, but the monster had to be fed regardless.
“Babe?”
He loved how she said that. “Stay there. I just need a minute. Nothing is wrong. Don’t take this as anything more than just a weird Vampire thing.”
Maybe he should apologize, but he wouldn’t. This need would always to be part of the deal. If he actually bit her, he’d apologize. This feeding happened for her protection.
He ran to the kitchen and grabbed a bag of blood. With two big swallows he’d consumed the A positive. The last few weeks had helped him to differentiate blood types. Everyone had a favorite, and he preferred the positive ones.
His trainers wouldn’t appreciate how quickly he lost control. This one constituted bag six for the day. More than he should have needed.
Maybe the fact that he’d just had sex with the girl of his dreams could constitute extenuating circumstances. Still, he would have to find and drain a cow because he’d gone through his morning bag too early, and he detested animal blood. It tasted so…sticky.
Bite Marks Page 5
