Deb switched on the light and the pool was illuminated. It was magical, the bright colored fish hung in the water as if suspended in midair.
“Wow,” Alix said as he sat down and put on her brakes.
“Yeah, I love it here.” She let her fingers fall into the cold water and marveled as the fish swum over. They were huge creatures and each one had a name. Her uncle spent hours out here feeding them by hand and cleaning out the filters that kept the water so pure. It was the only household task he did, apart from occasionally cooking.
“They are so tame,” Alix said.
Deb turned at the sound of his voice and looked around. She was a girl again and excited at the prospect of the date and what would happen later. Her stomach fluttered and she held her breath. One of the fish sucked on her finger. Shocked at the sudden contact, she pulled her arm back and scraped it across the stone. Blood oozed to the surface and she grabbed it with her other hand. Pulling away, she stared down at the blood on her fingers.
She heard a groan from Alix and turned. “What?” Hungry eyes drank in the blood. They were the dark yellow of a tiger's coat but as cold as the river bottom and they stared at her from beneath a thickened brow and his mouth… Two pointed teeth designed for tearing flesh sat on either side of his mouth. His neck had veins which rose under the skin and swelled like pulsing rivers. He turned away and Deb laughed, she must be seeing things, but goose bumps rose on her arms and her heart fluttered against her chest like that of a rabbit stalked by the fox.
“Let me get something for that,” Alix said. He turned and ran back into the building.
Deb held her arm and her mind clouded with confusion. What did I just see? She shook her head. It must have been a trick of the light, the water reflecting off the Koi making his eyes look yellow. Like a tiger’s eyes. No, it wasn’t possible and the changes to his face and his teeth? It must have been the shadows. This is Rookby. Apart from the damned psycho killer, nothing ever happened here.
“Are you okay?” Alix asked as he placed a damp cloth on her arm and gently rubbed away the blood.
“I’m fine,” Deb said as her eyes bored into his. Watching for any change, any possibility that he was not what he seemed.
“You’re staring,” he said. “As much as I’m pleased, it is getting a little creepy.”
Deb dropped her head and let out a short bark of a laugh. “I’m sorry. Before… you looked… well, I thought you changed when I… well, you know, when I cut my arm I thought I saw… fangs.” That was mortifying, had she really just said that to the only decent man who had looked at her since the accident? He would think she was some blithering idiot or had had one too many. Yet, he kept his head down as if he were thinking.
“So, my secret’s out,” he said as he wrapped a bandage around her arm, fixing it gently with tape. Looking up into her eyes, he smiled. “You got me, I’m a vampire.”
A giggle started deep inside Deb and bubbled and burbled its way out. She was shaking with laughter so much that her side hurt and she rocked in the chair. “Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t believe I actually said that.”
Alix laughed and sat down with her. “You are an amazing girl. Now tell me all about yourself about your dreams for the future.”
My dreams? How could she explain that her dreams were gone? Left in the coupe along with her spinal fluid and her parents lives. Sea blue eyes bore into her and seemed to free something inside. “Investigative journalism, that was… is my dream. I want to right wrongs, undo injustices and fight for good. I guess I want to make the world a better place.” Of course, her first attempt since she had changed had been less than successful. The giggles returned and she smiled up at him feeling like an inane idiot.
“Don’t laugh, that is a noble goal and I can see you have it in you.”
“Sure I just roll up to the gangsters and say -- hey why not confess.”
Alix dropped his head as if these words caused him pain. Maybe she had embarrassed him and the thought that he would think less of her, caused a catch in her chest. “I’m sorry, I never meant to be so daft. I guess I’m just a little giddy with the wine and everything.”
“Never apologize,” He said. “I was just thinking of all the potential I see in you.
A scream pierced the quiet night and echoed from tree to tree before fading as it neared the house. Alix was on alert and leaped in front of Deb. She could see him poised like that tiger, ready to jump into action.
“Wait here,” he said and moved away so quickly.
Hanna ran from the woods. It was obvious, even from a distance that she was drunk and crying as Nick darted out of the trees after her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and spun her round. For a second, it looked as if they would fight and Alix seemed to shrink down ready to launch. Then she jumped into Nick’s arms and all was well in the world once again.
“Let’s go inside,” Deb said. “It’s getting cold out here.”
Chapter Ten
Deb laughed lightly and then stopped herself. Was it right to be having fun, after all her parents were dead? She sat alone with Alix in the little snug room at the back of the house. It was quiet in here almost intimate with the walls lined with books and just a small sofa and two chairs facing the fireplace. Above it was a television, and she had switched it on for noise, yet neither of them had even glanced in its direction.
“Are you alright?” Alix asked as he reached across and took her hand.
“I’m fine. But you are so cold.”
“The Sakharov’s have cold blood, sorry about that.” He pulled his hands away and rubbed them together.
“I’ve had a really nice night,” Deb said and for the first time in a long while she meant it. The words hung between them and the first bit of doubt clouded her mind, he had just felt sorry for her. As if he read her thoughts he stared into her eyes and Deb felt that she could be washed away by their warmth.
“So have I… Unfortunately, my life is complicated. I want to see you again, but I’m not sure if I can…”
There was a sadness about him that made her think he had an old and ancient soul, full of all the worries of the world. However, she would not let him see that she understood the real reasons for his reticence, she did not need his pity. “That’s okay, I’m pretty busy anyway.”
On the television, a newscaster spoke about The Slasher and Deb’s eyes and ears were drawn away from Alix. Part of her breathed a sigh of relief, they had spoken about this though she had not mentioned her earlier excursion. He knew it was important to her so she flicked up the volume and used the story to regain her composure.
Deb’s jaw almost hit her knees as the reporter continued. The voice narrated over a picture of James Markoff. “The billionaire CEO of Markoff Mines handed himself over to the police earlier this evening… After a search of his property, evidence was found that links him to several of the current spate of murders… We have just heard that he has confessed to a total of twenty-two murders…”
“My God,” Deb said. The room spun slightly and suddenly she was so cold her hands started to shake and her teeth chattered.
Alix jumped from his chair and knelt beside her. “Deb, what’s wrong?”
The words would not come. How could she explain to him that she had shouted at the man to confess and that on that same night he had done so? Was it guilt? Had she hit a nerve and made him see the error of his ways? The problem was she had not been on form and had handled the whole interview poorly. No, something else must have happened.
“I understand. You just realized what danger you were in, but don’t worry you’re safe now.”
The tone of his voice acted like a slap in the face. She was not a whimpering little woman prone to vapors, she could handle herself and she did not need him to… what? To care? If he knew the truth he would laugh at her, maybe even think she was crazy, yet she had the urge to tell him. It had been a crazy time and she felt different, almost as if he had to do what she said. Yeah, when you got over
peeing your pants from fear. Without even thinking, the words were out. “It was so strange. I got angry with him, told him he must confess and now five hours later he has done just that.” Deb dropped her head; she could not bear the way his eyes bore into her. As she stared at the ground, he walked away. His fists were clenched by his side and he swung at the wall as if he would punch it. The blow stopped millimeters from the paintwork and he turned and stalked back to her.
“Is this true?”
The words were shot at her like bullets and she flinched back at each one, her back digging into the frame of her chair. Should she lie, make light of it? No, damn the man, it happened and she wanted to share this with someone, even if only to hope that she was never so stupid again. “Yes. He threatened me, called me weak and silly and I just got mad. I think it probably saved my life, maybe I shamed him.” A chill settled over her as she realized just how close to death she had come.
Alix sat back down, his head in his hands and she could almost see the cogs turning as he mulled over what she had said. Was he worried about her safety or her sanity? She wanted to roll out of the room, to shout at him, to shake him till he looked at her, but most of all she wanted him to be alright with this. It had to be okay, tonight was her first escape back to her old life and it would destroy her if he treated her like a freak. “Say something.”
Slowly he raised his head and looked at her, but it was not the contempt she expected, instead there was fear in his eyes. “What you did is very dangerous. The last thing you need is to bring attention to yourself because if you do, I can’t protect you.” He stepped off the sofa and knelt before her, his hands went to her knees and he looked up into her eyes. “What you saw, what happened, we need to talk about but not tonight, tonight I need to think.” With that, he stood and was gone.
Deb relaxed in her chair, why didn’t they understand she couldn’t feel anything on her knees. Yes but you did, didn’t you? Tingles ran up her arms as she noticed the cold that had seeped into her knees where he had touched her… What did it mean?
***
Deb raced across the grass toward the back of the house. The flimsy material of her white dress fluttered behind her. ‘Chase me’ it seemed to say as it twisted in the breeze just tantalizingly out of reach. Excitement made her gasp, but she was breathless with something else… desire. A glance behind and she saw the man, Vincent. The smile on his face was predatory, but it filled her with warmth and she surged ahead as his hand reached out and skimmed across her arm. A warm tingle of electricity flowed from the cold of his touch. It warmed across her breast and hardened her nipples before settling as a glow in her stomach. Never before had she felt such lust, such pure animal need to be with this man, yet she ran from him knowing that the chase would enhance the pleasure.
Ducking left, she slipped on the damp grass and her arm brushed against some night flowering jasmine. It filled the air with its heady perfume and she stopped, closing her eyes to experience its sweet and sultry notes. Even the very air oozed desire and her body felt like it would explode if she did not have him in her arms, did not have him inside her. A blush warmed her cheeks. Did she even know this man? Yes, you do. He was the soul you have been missing, the promise you need and the one who completes you. As the thoughts left her head, she laughed. Where had that come from and what was she doing here on her feet racing around the garden of her uncle’s house in the dark?
“I have you at last,” Vincent said reaching out and taking her arm.
The doubts were gone as he spun her around and pulled her to him. Her eyes flew open just as she was crushed against his chest. He smelled of musk, the forest and of blood. No, that could not be right. Haunting gray eyes held her in their gaze and like a rabbit caught by the poacher’s lamp, she froze. Yet her heart continued to race and she felt that it would burst from her chest and scamper around the gardens without her. A cold finger traced across her collar bone, leaving icicles of pleasure as it traveled up her neck and across her lips. They parted and it entered finding the moistness that waited before withdrawing and leaving a slither of dampness across her skin. Demanding lips claimed hers and she fell against him, her body on fire as it touched the ice of his skin beneath the silk of his shirt.
Her lips parted and she groaned as he took her mouth. Nibbling and pulling, he sucked on her bottom lip and then traced his lips down her throat and across the top of her breasts. Deb arched toward him, her body finding the bulge at his groin. He was hard against her and his cock pulsed as she leaned into him.
In the distance, a scream broke the silence. It rose from shock to agony and reached a crescendo of terror before being cut silent and the night was no longer friendly.
Deb pulled away. “What was that?”
“Just a hunter, enjoying the kill,” Vincent said as his fingers undid the buttons on her dress. It fell to the floor and she was naked beneath it. Her white skin a stark contrast against the brown hair which hung over her shoulders almost covering her breasts.
“Maybe someone was hurt?” She asked as his mouth found her breasts teasing and sucking each nipple in turn. Her mind knew this was wrong and that she should stop him, but her body would not respond. It needed the touch of skin on skin. Needed to feel the way his lips glided across her nipples leaving them wet and pulling back to blow on the exposed bud. The sensation was exquisite and she was wet.
Yet a voice nagged at the back of her mind, someone needs help, what are you doing? What she was doing was having fun, there had been too much despair and despondency and it was time for love. No, not love it was time for lust, she wanted this man to take her and as if on cue he lifted her from the ground and pushed her against the wall.
Doubt crossed her mind as her back scratched across the brickwork but then the desire took over. His hands roved across her thighs and found her. With two fingers, he explored her body. “You are so wet; do you want me, my sweet Deborah?”
“Yes,” she gasped as she stared into the cold gray eyes. “Yes.”
He pulled out his fingers and slid into her. Every nerve in her body wanted this, wanted more and he eased out slowly taking her to the pinnacle before thrusting back in. They pushed and thrust together and then he raised her chin. She looked into his eyes, but it was not his usual gray ones staring back at her. Instead, she was met with yellow eyes and the set of his face was cruel. He slammed her against the wall scraping the skin from her back and then he opened his mouth. A pair of elongated canines protruded over his lips. The tips so sharp they glinted in the moonlight. Taking a second longer to drink in her terror, he paused before biting into her jugular. The intense pain filled her with fear and shame and she screamed and screamed. Fighting and pushing against him, but his body still crushed her and his teeth sucked out her very life blood. “Nooooooo,” she screamed and struck against the hand that shook her.
“Deb, you’re dreaming,” Mace shouted.
Deb opened her eyes and skittered back against the solid wood of the headboard as the lights chased away the terror. It was just a dream.
Chapter Eleven
Alix waited beneath that same old oak tree as the sun sank over the horizon. It was a dull night but the sky was cloudless and with his enhanced vision he could see clearly. The darkness was his friend and he felt his skin breathe a sigh of relief that it was no longer assaulted with ultra-violet rays. Anxiety created a knot in the stomach that had gone many years without the need of solid food and right now even the thought of rich, warm blood could not ease the pain.
It had been a full day since he had taken Deb to the dance. A day since they had talked until midnight and a day since he had told her he was a vampire. Of course, the confession had been in jest and she had not believed him, but it eased his conscience a little that he had spoken the truth. Like a teenage boy, he had wanted to call her, even send her a text but he knew that he must keep his distance if she was to survive. Now he waited for Dagmar and so far, he had not decided what he would say.
&nbs
p; There was something about Deb. It could have been her indomitable spirit. It could have been her beauty or even pity but knowing what he knew, he felt it was something more. There was a prophecy in which a supernatural would come. One who would not be of their realm and many believed this individual would destroy their race.
Alix knew if he told Dagmar about Deb compelling someone with her mind, then she would have to die. If only he had left a few minutes earlier, and had never seen the news broadcast. The problem was he knew in his bones that she was special. Other evidence was that her arm had healed by the time he returned and he was honor bound to report this.
A black limousine glided to a stop and the door opened. This was unusual to be invited in and the black hole that was the car’s interior filled him with dread. As he stepped into the dark, Alix wondered if he would ever leave.
“What did you find out?” Dagmar asked as he swirled a mix of expensive brandy and O positive around the cut crystal. He wore a look of superiority and always appeared amused at those beneath him.
The car smelled of leather and cologne, but Alix found it easy to distinguish the blood from the scent of cognac. It made it hard to concentrate and he felt his fangs pressing at the gum line, wanting to emerge. “Nothing conclusive.” How the lie came so quickly to his tongue. Would he regret it, and if so, when? “She is a remarkable young lady, well liked and successful despite the injury.” Now the words seemed to spill from him as if by their own accord and he wanted to scream at himself to shut up. “Her legs are useless and I don’t envisage a time when she will ever walk again. She knows nothing of our race, other than what she has read in romantic novels or seen from some movie. I cannot possibly see how she could pose a threat.”
Greenwood: Paranormal Vampire Romance (The Darker Side of Deb Book 1) Page 5
