by Kim Faulks
Devlin reached out, caressing my breast as I jerked and shuddered. Air and pain consumed me. I closed my eyes. A pinch of my breast dragged a ragged moan free. Ice slipped over my stomach and pressed. My eyes flew open, a scream ripped free bloody and brutal, filling my mouth with the sharp taste of blood.
The vampire’s eyes widened. His lips parted. He wouldn’t look away. A tortured cry wrenched from my chest as he skimmed my abdomen and cupped my mound. My hot flesh turned cold, frigid fingers skirted the elastic of my panties and slipped under.
His head snapped backwards. I followed the movement until I could no longer see his head at all.
Screams filled the cabin, but they weren’t my own.
The honed sound severed the air, until there was only silence.
Devlin Holland dropped like a weighted sack and hit the floor, wrenching his fingers from my body. He had no head. He had nothing.
Out of the darkness and the horror came death. He moved like no other. I barely heard his soft, careful steps. But I saw him. He was everything and nothing. The dull light in the cabin caressed one side of his face as he turned toward me.
“I’m getting you out of here.”
One slow blink was all I had left. He dragged his hand high above his head. The pointed wooden shard glinted before the downward swing. I closed my eyes to the sickening squelch, seconds later the room was filled with smoke.
The bitter scent crawled into my nose to fill my throat. Something pressed against my lips. I opened my eyes to see Kol blur and sharpen.
“Drink.”
He pressed his arm harder against my mouth. Icy liquid turned warm in my mouth.
“Drink.”
I swallowed at his command. My stomach clenched, the taste of blood rode the shudder as I gagged.
“Drink it. It will heal you.”
Blond curls sparkled. I lifted my hand. My fingers trembled. Pain flared as I brushed a curl at the edge of his forehead. Panic brightened the ocean of his gaze. Sparks of lightning brewed like a summer’s storm as he moved close. His words turned slow and dull. I was moving through the water as the blue sparkled, slow, so slow. My arm hit the floor as I closed my eyes.
Kol was the last thing I heard and the last thing I saw.
“You’re safe now, Nova. You’re with me and you’re safe.”
Kol
I threw the lighter and the cabin erupted into flames. The fire licked my shirt and seared my flesh. The smell of burning meat filled the space and drenched my lungs, and yet, I wanted more. Burn… burn it all.
Jared stumbled into the lick of fire. His scream filled the cabin as he scurried away. The bastard had been beaten bloody. His face had taken most of the blows, but there was only one end for this low-life piece of shit. He raised a hand warding me away and whispered. “Please.”
The word barely reached my ears before I moved. My hands fell into the rhythm, reaching for his neck, doing the exact thing I should’ve done when I had the chance before, snapping, tearing with one quick movement. His head lolled to the side, then tore free with a jerk. He was nothing more than flesh and bones… pooling on the floor. I’d wanted to take my time and ease the burning need for revenge—but Nova needed me more.
I stepped between the flames and slid my arm under her shoulders and the other under the crook of her knees. She was weightless, just a ghost against the orange hue. Her long hair cascaded over my arm. I pulled her close and cradled her against my chest, hiding her perfect face from the heat.
I turned my head taking one last look at the man who had it all, for he had her—for a while at least. One arm dangled over the table, palm up in a perpetual high-five. His head had rolled somewhere, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t care. He wouldn’t remain here for long. I wanted him to know pain once more. I wanted him to experience all I had to offer—his death was too quick—too final.
Ash coated the tops of my boots, caught by the breeze through the open door. There was nothing left of the vampire, nothing left of the fingers that touched her—nothing left of the monster that wanted what he couldn’t have.
She was mine.
My chest echoed with my steps as I strode through the open door. Never again. This was my fault. My stupid fucking vampire fault. I had left her.
Insanity lingered at the back of my mind, ready to tear my own thoughts into shreds. I’d left her to… this. I was the cause of everything. Why didn’t I get to her sooner? Why did I let her leave the damn club? I could’ve protected her… even against her will I could’ve protected her.
The steel plank barely shifted as I crossed onto the jetty. A boom rocked the belly of the boat, slamming it against the dock. My shirt blew from the blast to fall from my shoulders to hang from my wrists.
The sweet smell of rain soothed the sting of my back. Muscles knit together, skin smoothed. The ripple of nerves sent a shiver along my spine. I strode toward my car parked at the edge of the marina as the sky opened up. The downpour followed with thunder so loud it rocked the concrete under my feet. And for a second it masked the hollow, aching boom inside my chest. My mind tormented me, replaying the moment I stepped through the door.
His fingers were inside her. Blood spilled from the corners of her mouth. Her chest was barely moving… I’d skimmed her body. The swelling had to be broken ribs. They’d done that to her—those fucking animals had done that to her… and his fingers… his fingers.
I closed my eyes and inhaled. In that moment I was the storm. I was the lightning. I was violence spearing through the sky. Killing them had been too easy, too final. I wanted torture. I wanted pain.
Nova whimpered. The heat of her breath danced along my skin. The brush of her lips made my steps falter. I glanced to her face, her closed eyes were squeezed tight, hard lines gouged the edges. She was sleeping, dreaming… and when she woke she’d see me for what I was… a monster—for we were all the same.
I gripped her shoulders and wrenched open the passenger’s door. For a second I couldn’t let her go. Her head rolled to the side, even under the dense light I saw the outline of a hand. The ruddy demarcation looked swollen. I slid my hand out from under her and touched the heat. Give her more blood, she’ll heal faster.
The more blood, the higher the risk of turning her.
Would she want that? To be turned into the demon I’d become?
My heart thundered with the thought and overhead lighting cleaved the night sky. The boom was deafening, sparks caught on a metal pole in the distance filling the night with a dangerous charge—one I felt at my core.
Turn her… save her… or walk away and never look back.
I shook my head and stepped away, closing the door with a thud. Desires blurred. Battle lines had been drawn. Turn her, or leave her. My heart and my head were at war, and this human stood in the middle.
I ripped the torn shirt from my waist and rounded the front of the car. Get her out of here—get her home.
I wrenched open the driver’s door, listening to the bubbling and hiss from the human—her ribs looked punctured, the shards most likely through her lungs. She would’ve died before they’d finished with her—drowned in her own blood, discarded like she never mattered.
The engine growled, tires squealed. I peeled away from dock and headed home. She mattered… she mattered to me.
Shadows moved. The scent of fear and lust mingled into an intoxicating perfume. I punched the button and the window rolled down. Rain fell sideways like sleet to coat the inside of the door. But it was the bestial hum in the air I craved. I swung the wheel and pressed the accelerator harder.
The back tires skidded, traction control bit and corrected the sway. Nova cried out in the seat next to me. I reached out caressing her warm skin and held her in place. Lights pulsed, passing by me at a blur.
Get her home, before she wakes.
I followed the train of thought. A human woman, barely clothed. She’d remember. She’d know what I’d done.
I caught her face in the darknes
s. Linear shadows covered half her mouth and fell across her cheek. I wanted to pull her close to hold her against me and stare into her eyes.
The bright city streets fell behind me, still I pushed the car harder, plunging into the built up traffic. Cars crammed the highway. I fought to hold on to the wheel one-handed as I wove in and out of the congested expressway. The driver’s seat hugged my body, casting it from one side to another. I couldn’t drag my hand away from her stomach. I couldn’t leave her warmth.
I wrenched the wheel and tapped the brakes and shot down the off-ramp. Trees and lamp posts replaced asphalt and jarring lights. The sickly sweet scent of jasmine replaced sweat, sex and blood. Streets branched off. Silhouettes moved behind curtains inside brightly lit houses.
A child’s blue bicycle lay overturned on a glossy green lawn. One tiny shoe discarded next to it… as though he was rushed… dinner ready on the table, Mom calling… hurry… hurry.
The car followed the rise, leaving the buzzing human streets behind. Higher and higher, I followed the gentle slope of the mountain. Up here trees dominated the space pitted with sparkling lights.
A thud tore through the car as I turned down a narrow lane. Gravel pinged the underside of the car. I slowed to a crawl, catching the glint of steel in the distance. A tiny red light flashed on the dashboard as I pulled into the drive.
Bright headlights captured movement as the steel gate slid open. I dragged my foot from the brake and eased the car forward.
Dark, brooding, this beast of a house waited for me. I swept my eyes over the glistening black windows and couldn’t help but feel the connection. I’d traced my brother to this old, stone place—it suited him well.
Generations kept it as well as they could until the depression came. I was too late for them. Too late to help, too late to care, until I realized I’d been forgotten.
I was a picture, locked away in a vault. Maybe a scrawl with my name and the date on the back of a curled black and white image.
I shoved the door, the quiet ding echoed in the night until the soft slam ended the sound. She was a shadow in my car, just a whisper. But the heavy thud in my chest said she was more.
She was someone… she was a chance—my only chance—to be not a monster, but a savior.
After tonight, I hoped she remembered me. Her long auburn hair shone red in the silver moonlight. I cracked open the door and slid my hand inside, capturing the fall.
Her chest rose and fell like a well-oiled machine. There were no jerks, no gasps, or whimpers. My blood was forcing hers to fight and survive—it was forcing her to heal.
I slid my arm under her knees and cradled her. My cold skin missed the warmth of hers. I kicked the passenger’s door closed and turned toward the house.
Her eyes opened at the thud. The whites dragged my focus, dark pupils blending in with the night. “It’s okay, you’re safe with me.”
Her lids drooped, ending the sight. Her lips twitched at the corners… she was trying to smile.
She tried to smile at me.
“I knew you’d come.”
I waited for more, needing more—but that was enough.
That haunting muscle in my chest swelled. The pulse wracked my body as I climbed the front steps. I trembled with the beat, my feet fell in rhythm, lingering long enough for me to punch in the code and open the door.
“Where are we?”
The timing slipped, my heel scraped the wooden floorboards at the sound of her voice and I answered. “Home.”
“Cold,” she whispered and shuddered.
I eased her against the leather sofa. Her teeth gnashed and chattered. The tiny sounds were deafening. She curled like a child, drawing her knees to her chest. I glanced around the darkened room to the arm chair.
An old tartan blanket wouldn’t do… but it was all I had to offer. Everything in my world was cold and empty. I draped the wool over her bare thighs and dragged the end to her shoulders. “I’ll start a fire.”
I hurried, casting fragments of ash into the air as I knelt at the massive hearth. Timber piled at the edge would catch the tiny flames. I grabbed a starter block and struck. The flame leapt and was caught by the kindling. Tiny orange wisps gave birth to a steady lick. The cold air retreated slowly as the crackle grew.
I turned to see her watching me. Orange flames danced and leapt in her glassy gaze. Laden by stone I could barely move. She never made a sound, not so much as a harsh draw of breath as I climbed to my feet.
Seeing her huddled against the black leather and draped in my throw stilled my steps. So human. So fragile. Even without making a sound I could hear her heart racing.
I took a step. Her eyes widened.
The drag of air through her lips sent a shudder along my spine. She watched me as a prey watches a predator, but also as a woman watches a man. My feet scraped the boards like boulders, one slow step at a time.
This human wrestled the darker part of my nature.
Do I frighten you? I don’t want you to be afraid of me… I want….
The voice in my head softened to a murmur, and then a whisper, as though I was afraid of my thoughts, and the thoughts behind those thoughts.
I was afraid of that hollow thud inside my chest and the ache that seemed to come from her. My fangs sliced the soft flesh of my lip. The sharp tang of old pennies filled my mouth. I dragged her air into my lifeless lungs, letting them expand with the scent of her.
This mortal woman terrified me.
This mortal woman consumed me.
And I wanted more.
Nova
My nails punctured the threadbare rug. His feet barely made a sound as he stalked through the living room. The crackle of the fire did little to warm the icy chill that seemed to flow from this man.
My nipples puckered, snagging strands from the rug as the warmth was snatched from my body. My toes curled, digging into the frigid leather.
“It seems saving you needs to be a full-time occupation.”
Heat rushed to my face. “I never asked you to. I never wanted this. My life is one big mistake lately. Jared, you, everything. I think I need to go.”
I swung my legs over the side and climbed to my feet. The room seemed to sway. The cold air was biting, but deep down I was numb. I didn’t care I was naked. I didn’t care about anything at all.
“You want to know what I'll do to the next creature who touches you, human or otherwise, then be my guest, walk out that door. I'll tell you this much, there'll be blood… lots and lots of blood. I'll paint the damn town in your name.”
His cold tone stilled me. “You’re right. You didn’t ask for this, and you sure as hell deserve more. But you can’t leave.” His words rebounded inside the room. “Not now and not ever.”
I sank back down to the couch.
Who was I kidding?
I couldn’t fight.
I didn’t want to fight.
Not this man.
Ever.
A dull throb covered my ribs from my collarbone to my spine, but the pain was nothing compared to the stabbing terror in the boat. I dragged my hand through the air and pressed my fingers to the bone and winced.
“I have been running away. But not anymore, Nova. Not anymore.”
Goosebumps raced along my arms. I waited for him to finish.
Oceans sparkled, blending to brown as the orange fire captured his gaze. I was seized by the perfect slope of his rosebud lips, so dainty for a man, so perfectly cruel.
Desire fractured a wall inside me, one that kept me from feeling, one that kept me from wanting and out of the darkness… something carnal slipped out.
The fire lapped parts of me it couldn’t reach, under the gaze of this vampire I was more than naked… I was exposed.
He smiled, and then in a second the smile was gone, leaving only darkness behind. “There's something about you, Nova. Something so untainted. I want….”
“Yes,” I whispered.
Sparks collided in his eyes. “I
want you to lay down. I want to watch your body. I want to consume this moment, and every moment I'm with you. I want to re-live the delicious torture of wanting you, of needing you every second for eternity.”
The ice inside turned to a puddle. He circled like a ravenous beast, moving closer to brush my leg with his hand. The slight pressure shoved my knees apart.
My thin panties strained. The elastic crept higher to my center. Quakes rippled through my stomach as he dropped his gaze. He played with me, like an animal toyed with its meal.
I’d never wanted to be a meal more than I did in this moment.
“Do you want to be something different? Someone changed. Do you want a stain on your soul—to be bought and used like a man uses a woman.”
His words were torture. I opened my mouth to answer, but this was no question.
“Did you not think there was another way?”
I flinched as he knelt. His shoulders forced my legs apart as he dragged his body through my thighs. “You should’ve come to me, Nova. You should’ve come to me.”
My body obeyed a new master. I tensed my ass, my thighs strained lifting my body higher to meet the slide of his skin. White fangs glistened so bright in the darkness. They were a beacon, a warning.
“Why would you help me? You don’t even know me.”
He stilled, mere inches from my lips. Something dark welled at the edge of those perfect plump lips. The dark drop hovered at the edge, and then fell. Blood carved a river between my breasts to veer right and fall away.
The glint in his gaze was a razored edge. My body trembled, my mind screamed. I couldn’t move, frozen with fear and desire I stared into the eyes of the devil and begged. “Kiss me.”
His voice animalistic and husky as he whispered. “You have no idea how good you look wearing my blood.”
He crushed the leather cushions lowering his body. The icy air from his lips brushed mine. I dragged in his breath and hovered on the edge of madness. Golden curls shone as he dropped his hands to my waist.
The edge of my panties snagged and rolled with a tug. I was bare before I realized. One shove and my legs spread. He stilled, staring at my body, until his fingers skirted my stomach and fell along the crease of my thigh.
