by B. J. McCall
She grabbed her shoes and stuffed her feet in them.
“Don’t leave me, Harper.” He had to convince her to stay until she was stronger. Maybe she’d give up this foolish notion.
“You’ll consider my plan?”
He nodded. “Yes, and I have chocolates.”
“Pull off my boots. I’m staying.”
Chapter Ten
Harper awoke before sundown. She reached out and touched Egan’s chest. He was lying on his back next to her. She ran her fingers over his cool skin, down to his belly and back again, but he didn’t awaken from his vampire sleep.
She’d slept lying on her stomach. Carefully, she rose from the bed. Her back was sore and her wrist throbbed.
After a quick bathroom visit, Harper headed for the kitchen. She made a cup of coffee and reviewed her options. If she went home, Danik would discover her new bites. Nothing would convince him that Egan wasn’t responsible for the attack. If she reported for work, she’d never pass the physical. If she took Egan up on his offer, she’d have to leave the city and build a new life.
For years she’d wanted to leave Blight and find a place where cool winds blew, and people weren’t crowded into buildings like ants. Egan was giving her that chance, but she’d be alone.
Harper had spent her whole life alone. No one had loved her. Not the woman who bore her or the father who raised her. Not any of the boys or men she’d shared her body with. Even Danik had preferred friendship. Only Egan loved her.
Maybe it was time to remind him.
She finished her coffee and walked back into the bathroom. She removed the bandage on her wrist and picked at the wounds until they bled. After replacing the bandage, Harper turned her attention to the cut on her lip.
Egan was still sleeping, but soon the sun would set and he would rise from his slumber. Harper turned on the bedside lamp and climbed into bed. She straddled Egan’s thighs and waited for sunset.
Egan’s eyes opened. He looked at her and smiled. “How are you feeling?”
“Better.” Harper wriggled her butt. “Lots better.”
“You should save your energy.”
Harper grinned. His cock had jerked to attention. “I’ll ride. You can do all the work.”
He ran his fingertips along her bare thighs. “Promise?”
She fisted his cock and rose to her knees. “Promise.”
Then she sank down on him, relishing each hard inch. She rocked back, slowly taking him all the way in. “Fuck me.”
He gripped her ass and lifted his hips, thrusting up.
Harper moaned. She loved the way they fit together, hungered for the amazing sensations they shared.
He moaned. “You feel so good.”
Harper rolled her hips, sliding back and forth along his length, her soreness and pain long forgotten as the pleasure built to a magnificent crescendo. She leaned forward. Egan’s eyes were closed and he was on the verge of climax. Now was the moment to strike. She bit down on her lip and pressed her lips to his.
He sucked her lower lip into his mouth and suckled.
Then his body jerked and he pushed her away, breaking the kiss. “No!”
She ripped the bandage off her wrist and smeared blood on his chest. “Make me yours, forever.”
His nostrils quivered, the scent of her blood enthralling.
Harper tried to kiss him, but Egan grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head back. Blood beaded on her lip and dropped on his face. He licked the blood from the edge of his mouth, the drop a taste of heaven. Thirst, intense and compelling, extended his fangs.
Harper smiled and raised her hand. Blood ran down her arm, bright red against her fair skin. “Don’t waste it. Lick it off.”
Egan understood her game, but he was too thirsty to turn away. He’d missed his government ration, and the fresh blood running down Harper’s arm was more than he could resist. Ravenous, he licked. The sweet tang of her blood hit his tongue and his cock stretched.
Harper jerked her hips. “Fuck me.”
The sex changed from a slow, cautious rhythm to a wild bucking of hips.
She shoved her wrist against his lips. “Suck me.”
Egan sank his fangs into her flesh and sucked the blood from her veins, the combination of fucking and feeding pure erotic ecstasy. Harper cried out, her sensual wail penetrating Egan’s frenzied brain.
He opened his eyes, and terror replaced pleasure. He’d given in and lost control. Harper was too weak to feed him.
Harper’s eyes fluttered. She licked her lips. “Take it, take it all.”
Egan pulled out his fangs. “You don’t know what you’re asking of me.”
She looked at him, her hips stilling. “I know what I want. I want you. I want this, forever.”
“You don’t know what you’re giving up.”
“For the first time in my life, someone loves me and I love them. I don’t want to lose that.”
The tangy taste of her blood was still on his tongue. She was playing with fire, tempting him.
“You’ll move on with your life. In a few years I’ll be a memory, nothing more.”
“You see life as precious and wonderful. For me, it’s filled with a lot of pain.” She pressed her lips together and fisted her hands. Then she looked at him, pain written on her face and burning in her eyes. “I don’t want to be alone anymore. I love you, Egan, and I won’t give up until we’re together.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks, falling hot and damp on his chest. Seeing her kick-ass attitude dissolve and her shoulders shaking was Egan’s undoing. “We’d have to leave the city.”
“I’ll go anywhere,” she whispered. “As long as we’re together.”
“I know a place, a vampire community called the Sarcophagus.” Old friends had wanted Egan to join them at the Sarcophagus, but until now he hadn’t been willing to give up the Carmichael and his beautiful penthouse. “You’ll have to change your look.”
“What’s wrong with my look?”
“The vampire episode of Lawmen airs tonight. The whole nation is going to see the two of us, including every vampire community that has a satellite dish.”
“I was wearing a helmet.”
“During all the filming?”
She shook her head. “They interviewed me at the station. I wasn’t very complimentary toward vampires.”
“Red or blonde?”
Her face lit up. “Blonde with red streaks. I’ve always wanted to go blonde, but couldn’t afford it.”
Egan thought she’d look great as a blonde. “My friend who runs the bar downstairs will get me the necessary products. What’s your dress and shoe size?”
She rattled off the numbers. “Why do I need a dress?”
“We’re going to the Sarcophagus unannounced and asking for sanctuary. You can’t look like a vampire-killing cop.”
“Good point.”
“You’ll need a new wardrobe. We’ll make a list. My friend will take care of the shopping.”
“When do we leave?”
“Tomorrow night. I’ll need you to drive the first leg so we can get through the UV sensors at the tollgates. Even using the superhighway, the journey will take us most of the night.”
She touched her throat. “I can’t enter a vampire community alive.”
“I’ll take care of that. When we enter you’ll be unconscious.” Egan caught a flash of fear in her eyes. She’d be in a transforming stupor, but why frighten her with the details? “You’ll wake up inside.”
“I’ll wake up like you?”
He drew her close and hugged her. “I’ll take care of you, Harper. I’ll take care of you forever.”
* * *
Harper walked out of the bathroom, excited to display her new look.
Egan stood in the bedroom, wearing a black suit, black shirt and tie. His dark hair was combed back and his eyes were like silver pools. Only his pale skin and pointed nails gave him away. “You look rich.”
He smiled.
“You look beautiful.”
Harper made a slow turn. Instead of dark and spiky, her straight blonde hair fell softly over her ears. The red streaks framing her face complemented her green eyes.
Her red dress was sleeveless with a flirty skirt that almost touched her knees and shiny red slingbacks completed the outfit. She looked nothing like the old Harper.
“So beautiful… but something’s missing.”
Harper liked her new look. What was missing?
Egan took her hand and led her to the dresser. “Turn around.”
Harper turned her back to him. He placed a necklace around her neck. She reached up and touched the metal.
“Close your eyes and turn around.” He fastened earrings on her lobes and handed her a small mirror. “Now you can look.”
Harper opened her eyes and looked into the handheld mirror. The necklace was gold and formed a wide vee. A large diamond rested right above the center point. The earrings with smaller matching stones dangled from her ears.
Harper fingered the necklace and touched the earrings. “They look so real.”
“They are real.”
Harper gasped. “Real gold? Real diamonds?”
“They belonged to my mother,” he said, plucking the mirror from her hand and placing it face down on the dresser. “She wore them on her wedding day.”
“They’re beautiful, but I can’t wear these.”
Egan dropped to one knee and carefully took her hand. “I love you, Harper. We’ll never have a traditional ceremony or a consecrated union, but I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and devotion,” he said, slipping a large diamond onto her finger. “Will you accept my ring and be my wife?”
Overwhelmed, Harper started sniveling. “Yes. Yes.” She wiped her nose on the bandage on her wrist. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. Enjoy the tears while you can.”
“I don’t have anything for you.”
Egan stood and pulled a small black box out of his jacket pocket. He flipped the box open, revealing a gold band. “My father’s ring.”
Harper picked up the ring and took Egan’s hand. “Will you wear this ring to symbolize our love and commitment?” Thinking her proposal sounded pretty good, she looked into Egan’s eyes.
“Yes.”
She slipped the band onto his finger and gave him a peck on the lips. “Forever together.”
“Forever together.”
Harper thought about the night ahead and the unknown that awaited her at the Sarcophagus. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.”
Egan grasped her hands. “Are you up for the drive?”
She gripped his fingers and stared at the rings on their entwined fingers. Joy overriding trepidation, Harper looked Egan in the eye. “I’m ready. Let’s do this.”
Chapter Eleven
Harper drove until they were past the tollgates bright with the UV lights. Egan tossed off the UV shield and sat up. He’d spent the last three hours hiding on the floor in the back and was ready to take the wheel.
The exchange took seconds, and Egan pressed the accelerator. The engine purred at the high speed allowed on the superhighway. How long had it been since he felt such freedom? More than two decades. The installation of the UV lights along every major highway prevented vampires from traveling.
He and Harper were breaking several laws, and if they were caught they would be executed.
They climbed into the mountains. On the other side, the terrain gave way to rolling hills. Egan slowed the vehicle and turned onto an unpaved but well maintained road.
“I don’t see any buildings. Where is this place?”
“Not far from here.”
“How did you know where to go? Do vampires have some sixth sense?”
“I helped fund the project with a group of friends. We deliberately bought land far from human habitation and before the economic collapse. The Sarcophagus is underground. Cattle and horses graze on the hills and provide the residents with nourishment.”
“We’re going to live underground?”
Egan reached out and took her hand. His fingertip rested against her uninjured wrist, the drumming of her pulse communicating her fear. “No sunlight. Don’t be scared. I’ll take care of you.”
Harper squeezed his hand. She had every right to be frightened.
Egan stopped the car and turned off the engine. He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. “It’s time, but you don’t have to go through with this. You can leave me here, take the car, the money and go.”
“I’m not going anywhere without my husband.”
Her words pleased him, but Egan had to give her one more chance to back out. “You’re sure? You’ll have enough money to build a new life.”
She lifted her chin, offering her neck. “Make me yours.”
“I think we should do this naked. Let’s get in the back. It’s more comfortable.”
They moved to the back seat. Egan stripped off his clothes while Harper removed her dress and underwear. Already hard as stone, Egan drew Harper onto his lap. Her heat and scent filled the confined space. Egan’s nostrils flared and his fangs extended. “Last chance to change your mind.”
“Last chance to make love with a human -- or anyone else -- for eternity.”
Egan caught the subtle challenge. “You are my eternity.”
She sank down on him, surrounding his cock with her hot, blood-engorged flesh.
After tonight, the sex would be different, body heat no longer a factor. But Harper had chosen to give him something far more precious than body heat. She’d given him love and revitalized his spirit. A hand to hold. A bond for eternity.
He made love to her, slowly, building the tension and expressing his love. She gasped and her pussy convulsed. Egan sank his fangs into her neck and drank. Rich and pure, her blood gave him strength and pleasure. He climaxed twice before she was drained.
Done, Egan dressed her and laid her out on the back seat. He put on his suit, straightened his tie and climbed behind the wheel. He drove the final ten miles through a winding valley. The night was brilliant with stars, and Egan didn’t need the headlights. Although he hadn’t visited the Sarcophagus in several decades, his memory of the terrain was as if he’d been here yesterday.
He pulled up to a keypad mounted on a pole, lowered the window and punched in a code.
“Who seeks sanctuary?”
He didn’t recognize the voice, but hoped his name alone would gain him entrance. “Egan Carmichael and wife.”
It felt good to use his last name. In the Cemetery only first names were allowed and he was simply known as Egan, as if he were spawned and without parents. He’d remained in touch with his parents until their death. Although they had died over two hundred years ago, he still mourned. He always would.
“You are welcome, Egan Carmichael. Proceed forward.”
He drove the last half a mile with a smile on his face. He and Harper would make a home here.
A rock face separated, revealing a steel door. The door rolled up, and Egan drove inside. He parked his vehicle in the empty slot at the end of a row of automobiles, all of them over fifty years old.
He picked up Harper and carried her toward another reinforced doorway. Two vampires stood waiting to greet him, his old friends, Clive and Marta Collins. Clive was a tall, slender man with black hair while his wife, Marta, was short, nicely rounded with long brown hair.
“It’s been a long time,” Marta said, touching Egan’s sleeve. “We’re so glad you came.”
Clive smiled. “You look well, Egan. We’ve missed you.”
“It’s good to see you.”
Marta looked at Harper. “Beautiful girl.”
“This is my wife, Harper.”
Marta’s gaze shifted from Harper to Egan. “Her wound is fresh.”
“I’ll need a room. She’s just begun her transformation.”
“Your personal suite is available. Nothing has changed, Egan. This is your home as much as it
is ours.”
Egan was struck by the depth of commitment Marta’s words conveyed. “Thank you.”
After several decades, the personal quarters he’d designed and furnished were still there. He and Harper were home.
* * *
Harper opened her eyes. Above her was a white ceiling, pristine and devoid of stains. She wasn’t in her apartment.
She blinked her eyes, turned her head and saw Egan. He was sitting in a comfortable chair, an open book on his lap. He wore a dark blue sweater, gray slacks and slippers.
He smiled, and Harper’s mind flooded with memories. The last thing she’d remembered was making love and the hot sensation of Egan’s fangs sinking into her neck. Ecstasy, then nothing. “We’re inside? Underground?”
“We’re safely in the Sarcophagus. How are you feeling?”
“Okay.” She felt different, strange, but not hurting in any way. She had no sensation of temperature. She touched her skin. Neutral. “How long have I been asleep?”
“Around forty-eight hours.”
Harper sat up. She was in a large bed with a high wooden headboard. Her gaze swept the large room. The lower half of the walls were painted deep blue and above the wainscoting a pale blue. The furniture was heavy and the rug from a bygone era. She’d seen a room similar to this in the city museum’s historical section.
“This is where we’re going to live?”
Egan closed the book and sat next to her on the bed. “This is our home now. Do you like it?”
“I’ve never lived in such luxury.”
“I hope you’ll like it here. You’ll meet my old friends, Clive and Marta, tomorrow night. They’re throwing a welcoming party for us. They’re wonderful people. You’ll like them.”
“What do I say when they ask about my old life?”
“We’ll tell them you worked in a diner. You were walking home one night and were attacked by street vampires. I saved you. We became friends, then lovers. It’s best to stay as close to the truth as possible. We’ll work out the details before the party. Are you thirsty?”
