Lure of the Blood

by Doris O'Connor

  The loud knock on her window made Marnie jump in horror. What the hell was the biggest, meanest bouncer of Ion’s club doing, grinning at her half-naked? As she watched, six more musclebound, heavily tattooed, wet-dream-inducing males melted out of the tree line, their bodies slick with perspiration. Despite her inner turmoil every female cell in her body feasted on the view, even as the rational side of her brain rolled its eyes at the display of testosterone in front of her.

  “Hey, Miss Marnie, you’re a long way from home. Let us get you out of this hole, shall we?”

  Jenkins’s grin was infectious and put her at ease, even as her eyes rounded in astonishment as the six muscles surrounded the truck and with one swift heave righted it back on its four wheels. Seriously? How was that even possible?

  In the blink of an eye it took Jenkins to walk around the truck and jump behind the wheel, the little group of eat-your-heart-out Chippendales had melted back into the shadows as quickly as they had arrived, leaving Marnie to once again wonder at her sanity.

  “Let’s get you back to the house. The boss left strict instructions.”

  “Oh, did he now? And when did he do that exactly?” Marnie’s shrill voice made the big man next to her flinch and throw her a worried look. “The only place I want to go is home, so turn this thing around and do that, will you, Jenkins?”

  “No can do, Miss Marnie. You’ll have to take it up with the boss. Only, I’d let him cool off first, he’s pretty wired right now. Now just relax and I’ll have you at the big house in no time.” And with that, he shifted the truck into gear and they were once again hurtling down the dirt lane. Marnie had to hold on to stop her poor ribs from bruising further. Jenkins’ driving skills were definitely not on the same par as Ion’s and she cursed the infuriating male once more. First, he all but kidnapped her, scared her witless, took her to the middle of nowhere and then abandoned her. He was wired, was he? Well, so was she, and he would learn a thing or two, when he finally showed his face again. Male chauvinist pigs, the lot of them.

  Her exasperated growl caused a deep rumble of amusement to bubble from the mountain next to her.

  “Now don’t go giving me any trouble, Miss Marnie. Look, we’re here.”

  The smart retort bubbling on her tongue died an instant death at the huge house suddenly in front of them. Just like the men earlier it melted out of the woods, old and majestic and completely and utterly secluded. The tendril of fear, her anger had chased away, returned like an icy fist. God, she had watched too many horror movies. Surely that was the only reason the one thought she had at the sight of the house, whose many mullioned windows reflected the setting sun, was not how romantic the setting was, but how no one would hear her screams.

  “Out you come, Miss Marnie. Louisa’s got some food for you and I’ve got myself some hunting to do, before they have all the fun without me.”

  Marnie was grabbed by the waist and carried to the front door at lightning speed. It opened just as they got there and she looked up at none other than Louisa from the club. She almost didn’t recognise her, had it not been for those unmistakable feline eyes. Dressed in jeans and a simple t-shirt, the fabric straining to hold in her ample cleavage, she had not a scrap of make-up on her face and looked much younger as a result.

  “Dear me, sugar, what happened to you? These men don’t have an ounce of common sense. Trust him to drag you all the way out here. What was he thinking? Well, clearly he wasn’t thinking, at least not with his brain.”

  Heat rose in Marnie’s cheeks, but before she could protest the delicious smell of food assaulted her senses and her stomach rumbled in response.

  “Hungry, are we? Let me guess, he hasn’t fed you either. Sometimes I do wonder, boss or no boss. Right upstairs with you, soothe those aches away and I’ll bring you up a platter to nibble on and then it’s bed for you, to sleep I hasten to add.”

  “But,” Marnie’s half- hearted attempt at interrupting Louisa’s chatter was cut off with a firm shake of her head and an even firmer hand on the small of her back, steering her up the curved staircase and through a heavy oak door into an opulent bathroom, where a huge bath beckoned, filled to the brim with the fragrant bubbles.

  “But how?” Again Louisa just waved her question away.

  “Save your questions till the morning, sugar. Have a soak and relax. Your bedroom is through that door. I’ll put the food in there, and you just chill out. If you need anything, just holler, I’ll hear you.”

  The soft thud of the door closing on Louisa’s retreating back was too loud in the quiet, steam filled room. Ok then, get a grip, girl, you can do this. She was too tired and sore to wonder anymore at what the hell had happened to her ordered life. Her muscles ached and she swore at her complete inability to pull her top over her head. Damn it all to hell! The cool hands on her neck, coupled with a familiar heavily accented voice breathing in her ear, sent her poor heart into overdrive again.

  “Sshhh, mon chere…easy, let me help you with that.”

  Chapter Five

  Marnie’s shriek of terror was muffled by a large hand, clamping over her mouth at lightning speed. She bit down as hard as she could, her legs desperately trying to kick the stone wall behind her, but an arm like granite around her waist lifted her clean off the floor. She gagged on the trickle of thick blood in her mouth the bite into her assailant’s hand had caused.

  The low groan in her ear and the unmistakable erection pressing into her backside brought with it a fresh wave of terror, as did the whispered words in her ear.

  “Drink it, Chere, you will feel better. Trust me.”

  No, no, no, no. What desperate nightmare was this?

  Tears of frustration welled up as she had no choice but to swallow the thick goo, gagging anew, and the iron hold on her waist gentled. With the hand lifted off her face she filled her lungs with big desperate gasps of much-needed air, and tried to back away. She hadn’t taken more than two steps before he was on top of her, crowding her against the wall, his cool hands framing her face. Marnie was forced to look into compelling moss-green eyes, which stirred a faint memory.

  “Don’t fight it, let the blood work, mon chere. You‘ll feel better soon.”

  One hand trailed down to her bruised throat, the fingers gently massaging the abused flesh, and Marnie closed her eyes at the sensations assaulting her. A curious warmth spread through her veins, her blood tingling with awareness and something else she couldn’t decipher and really didn’t want to at that moment. What the hell was happening to her? She couldn’t stop the moan escaping when his hands slid lower, finding their way under her top. The coolness of his skin, seeping into her bruised ribs, left them on fire from the inside out. The rational, barely functioning side of her brain did wonder how that was possible, before the sudden ache took her breath away. The fire inside her spread down her belly, over her hips and down her legs, which would have buckled had his body not held her up against the wall. Heat engulfed her and turned her inside out, her core melting in sudden awareness, tingles spreading all over her as her orgasm hit her out of nowhere. She sagged against him, limp from the most intense and bizarre experience of her life. He had barely touched her, for pity’s sake, and she had just… Oh my god!

  ****

  Lucas held the trembling woman in his arms, waiting for her breathing to slow down, protectiveness warring with his own fierce arousal at her responsiveness. He had known she would, had sensed it from the minute he had watched her sinful curves wrapped around that pole at the wolf’s club. He had been drawn to watch her night after night like a moth to the flame, hiding in the shadows, waiting, testing, fighting his growing attraction and need to brand her and make her his. He hadn’t felt such a pull to a human in years, not since Zoe. He didn’t do tender feelings, damn it. He took, he conquered, he quenched his thirst and left in the morning, leaving nothing but a shadowy memory behind and that was just fine with him. Feelings just reminded you of what it felt like to be human, to care for someone,
to give them the power to hurt you, to leave you strung out with nowhere to go. He barely suppressed the groan, mindful to not scare Marnie further, as memories swamped him, the feelings of betrayal, terror and ultimate helplessness and grief, which had sent him on a ruthless cleansing spree. He had emerged stronger than ever, his name alone invoking terror and respect in equal measure in the shadowy world he lived in. So why the fuck was he risking it all, encroaching on pack territory, breaking the uneasy truth that existed between vamps and shifters for this little bundle of curves in his arms?

  The smell of the wolf on her set his teeth on edge and his jaw hurt with the sheer effort it took to not let his fangs descend and taste the blood calling him. What the hell had Ion been thinking, bringing her here; scaring her witless and then just leaving her? He should damn well know better, after last time. Clearly the wolf’s motives were not as altruistic as he made them out to be, and whilst they’d had no problems sharing women in the past, Zoe had cured them of that particular sexual preference. Besides, the mere thought of that wolf’s paws on Marnie had him wanting to shred his friend to bite-size morsels and feed them to the dogs. She was his, damn it; had been from the first moment her eyes had sought his in the shadows, the connection between them as strong and instantaneous as though he had sunk his fangs into the soft neck, calling him now more strongly than ever. He noticed the bruises fading in front of his eyes with a certain amount of smugness. This was the one thing Ion would never be able to do for her. He should have done this in the first place and consequences-be-damned.

  Marnie shifted in his arms and he stepped back to give her some space. Her heartbeat had finally returned to normal, her breathing shallow and he had to smile at the embarrassment coming off her in waves. Eyes the colour of dark molten chocolate gave her unwilling arousal away as clearly as her increased scent and the renewed rapid flutter of her heart, when she raised her eyes to his, a fierce blush staining her delicate skin.

  “I…I…don’t…who are you?”

  ****

  Marnie wished for the ground to swallow her up. Anything had to be better than to have to look up into those incredible eyes and see that superior smile after what he had just witnessed. The unmistakable heat in his gaze did little to reassure her, causing renewed awareness of the man in front of her and with it the sudden knowledge of who he was. This was the mystery man in the club, the one who had haunted her dreams for weeks. Heaven help her, what on earth was he doing here? And what was he? What had he done to her, and why was she not screaming her head off right now? Cause you’re in the middle of nowhere, girl, remember––and there is only Louisa in the house.

  The mere thought of being responsible for anyone else to get hurt turned her stomach in disgust and renewed terror at what had brought her to this place was like an ice cold shower to her libido.

  “You can’t be here, he’ll kill you too. How did you even get in? You have to leave, oh god, just leave, this is all just a nightmare… it has to be…”

  She screwed her eyes shut anew, wishing with every fibre of her being that she would just wake up, back in her tiny bedsit, the only worry on her mind whether she had studied enough for her next assignment. This strange world she now found herself in was too much; it couldn’t be real, it just couldn’t.

  The butterfly kisses to her closed eyelids, delivered by cool, full lips brought her back to the here and now. With them came bone deep awareness of the man holding her, whilst murmuring French endearments in that to-die-for deep, gravelly voice, which skittered across her skin like fireflies dancing in the moonlight.

  At least she thought he was a man. Her eyes fluttered open, as his lips travelled along her jaw line and she held her breath when she felt the scrape of teeth along her neck and his grip on her tightened, before he released her with a muttered curse. Her startled eyes flew to his face and the barely controlled need she saw, his jaws grinding together caused a rush of excitement deep in her core. Her body responded in age old fashion, moisture pooling between her thighs and the world narrowed to just the two of them locked head to toe, their breaths mingling, their bodies meshing together as she stepped forward, letting her hands roam over the hard muscles in his chest, clearly outlined by the sheer fabric of his shirt.

  “You keep doing that, chere, and I won’t be held responsible for what happens next.”

  She felt the rumble of his voice all the way down to her toes, the vibrations settling in her sex and causing her to press her heated flesh closer to his cool skin.

  “Maybe I don’t want you to be responsible…Maybe I just need you to …”

  “Marnie,” the low warning just excited her more and her hands found themselves under his shirt, tracing the hair down to his waistband, where his obvious arousal stopped her, suddenly unsure. What was she doing?

  Before she could pull back, Lucas crushed her to him with another muttered curse and his mouth found hers. He kissed her with an urgency and passion that left her clinging onto him for support until the soft click, coupled with the sting of teeth against her lips made her gasp and he pulled back, turning his back on her, his shoulders heaving.

  “Get in that bath and wash away his stench, before I lose what little control I have left and go and tear him limb from limb, right after I have fucked you every which way possible.”

  The words should have scared her witless, but that reckless part of her that couldn’t help goading Ion earlier, the part which had lain dormant for years, only to be awakened by her dancing, rejoiced at the danger she sensed. When had she become an adrenaline junkie? Where was the timid girl, who hid away her body, lest she was noticed, whose only aim it was to get her degree and make the world a better place somehow?

  “I need help getting this top off, my arms still don’t move too well and I’d call Louisa, but I don’t think she would be pleased to see you here, somehow.”

  Her voice was another surprise; throaty, breathy with barely disguised need. Good Lord, she sounded as though she ought to be in a porn movie. Heat crept into her cheeks at the thought and without thinking she pressed her burning face into his back. That felt so good, he was so cool and…

  The realisation of what he must be hit her at the same time as the eerie howling coming from the surrounding woods made her tremble. Oh good god, she was cuddling up to a vampire, surrounded by werewolves. If this wasn’t a dream then she was seriously fucked. Hell, even if this was a dream…who had dreams like this? She would have to check herself into a mental asylum; she was going nuts. The hysterical bubble of laughter that escaped before she could stop it had Lucas swing around. Seeing the fangs she had known would be there was just too much. But before she could give in to the darkness claiming her, he hauled her up to him again, his eyes green jewels boring into her.

  “Oh no, you don’t, not again. You will remember me this time. Me--Lucas, and you will be mine and forget all about that wolf.”

  With dizzying speed he wrestled her out of her clothes and into the bath and before she could even blink he was standing over her naked and proud, the moonlight glinting off his fangs as he joined her in the bath. With ease, speed and effortless strength that only served to remind her that this was no human man holding her, he lifted and turned her any which way he needed to. The sponge he used to clean her seemingly washed the bruises away as though they were mere smudges of dirt, until her body looked as though last night’s assault had never happened. His movements slowed at her sharp intake of breath and he abandoned the sponge, his hands cupping her breasts, just visible over the waterline, his voice a low murmur in her ear.

  “I told you, my blood would help, mon chere. I would never hurt you.”

  ****

  Lucas felt the change in her at his whispered words and he stopped pretending to breathe, when she turned round in front of him, her expressive eyes searching his face. One trembling hand reached up to his mouth, her fingers testing his fangs and she flinched when the sharp tip penetrated her soft skin, the spot of blood visible
as she withdrew increasing his need for her tenfold.

  Her eyes huge, her body trembled in fear as she waited for his reaction and he forced himself to be gentle, when every cell in his body screamed his need to taste her, to bury himself to the hilt in her soft flesh, whilst her blood soothed his parched throat.

  “Are..are you going to bite me?”

  “Non, mon chere, not unless you want me to, but I would taste you and see if you’re as sweet as I dreamt you’d be.” With infinite slowness, giving her ample time to pull away, he brought her finger to his mouth and swiped that single drop of blood away. He heard her sharp intake of breath, her heartbeat going into overdrive, when he took that finger and sucked, the tiny spurts of blood against his tongue making him groan his desire.

  “Why doesn’t it hurt?”

  “Because I don’t want it to, mon chere.” He smiled at the silent O her mouth formed and her eyes grew larger still, desire making them almost black. Encouraged by her response he ran his fangs lightly down her wrist and along her arm, before settling over the rosy tip of her impressive breasts and, biting, slightly sucked the nipple into his mouth, her incoherent moans spurring him on. His smile deepened when her hands went into his hair, tugging him closer, her hips moving in tune with every nip, suckle and stroke, his tastes of her blood threatening to crush his ironclad control.

  He chuckled at her moan of protest, when he released her.

  “Lucas, please…”

  “Oui mon chere? Qu'est ce que c'est? What do you need, this?” and he gave his attention to the other breast, her laboured breathing and erratic movements telling him how close she was once again.