“Yeah, maybe not. But guess what? Now you do. I’m your other option. You won’t be rid of us both but you can choose which bows down before the other.”
Shaking his head in violent denial, North clenched his fists around the chain and lifted it to strike again. As he reared back, a shrill alarm pierced his ears and water erupted from the ceiling. The shower reminded him of the way Molly had tasted in the rain. He dropped the shackles and sank to his knees on the carpet of shattered glass.
Both the vampire and the wolf spotted his weakness and struck. As the alarm continued to shriek, they battered him from both sides. Throwing back his head, he let out a roar that shook him down to his bones. It kept going, burning his throat and seizing his lungs as the halves he’d fought tore him apart and put him back together in a shape he didn’t recognize.
The water on the floor ran pink with blood as he ground glass in his fists and raked the shards down his chest. He’d cut the fuckers out, he’d destroy the vessel and then they—
“North. Ian.” Molly came out of nowhere.
He thought he was hallucinating until she covered his bloody fists with her smaller hands, instantly stilling his savagery. Breathing hard, he stared at her hands as blood welled between her fingers only to be washed away by the sprinkler system still pouring from above.
Unwilling to hurt her, he buried the glass shards against his palms and dug his fists into the torn muscles of his thighs. “Get out,” he said roughly, not lifting his head.
“No.” She slid her hands up his forearms. A whimper left her. “Don’t do this anymore. You have to stop. You’re…”
“Destroying myself,” he ground out. “Leave me to do what I have to do.”
“I can’t.” She took her hands away only to place them on his face and force him to look at her. “I can’t leave you to what you think you have to do because I don’t believe it’s the right thing. You hate yourself…the self you are now, who isn’t the man you’d planned to be. But maybe your plans were flawed.”
North pulled her hands from his face and looked around the destroyed chamber. The plans he’d made for his life had never included an end like this, bloody and tortured by his own hands. He inhaled deeply, closed his eyes, and opened them again. This time, he only looked at Molly.
“After I bit you, after you came for me, there was an instant of wholeness. Peace. I was in control.”
“Then do it again,” she said.
He eyed her neck and lower. She still wore the filthy clothes she’d had on when he grabbed her from her house. They were wet all over again. Somewhere she’d lost her bra and her nipples stood out, hard and tight against the thin material of her shirt. The thought of her pliable giving to his hands, his mouth. As he recalled her flavor, the pain in his gut lessened. The wolf and vampire stopped fighting. And Molly, she gave him a faint smile that melted into a frown.
“I set a fire,” she said. “We should probably get out of here. The sprinklers have put it out, I’m sure, but this was supposed to be our escape diversion and we’re losing our window of opportunity.”
With a tight nod, North stood. Molly started after him but he swept her high against his chest. “You’ll cut yourself to ribbons on the glass,” he said, but the other half of the truth was, he needed to feel her against his skin. She grounded him.
Tamed him.
Gave him the first spark of hope he’d felt in longer than he could remember, and damned if he was letting her go now.
The End
About Emma Storm
Emma Storm started and deleted all kinds of stuff before finding inspiration in beautiful, curvy women and the strong, virile men (who become werewolves, vampires and more when the situation demands) who love them. She and her own little pack of monsters run wild along the U.S. Mid-Atlantic.
www.emma-storm.com
Preacher by Patricia A. Rasey
Preacher by Patricia A. Rasey
Sons of Sangue
Foster child, ex-minister, MC member… Vampire. How the hell had his life gotten so jacked up?
His life irrevocably changed when he’s made a creature of the night, Preacher leaves behind his vampire MC brethren, the Sons of Sangue, hoping to shield the woman he desires most from discovering what he’s become. Problem is Tena isn’t about to let him walk out of her life. To protect her heart, Preacher can’t stay. To protect her life, he has no choice but to keep her close.
Prologue
Razor-sharp fangs punched through his gums and nicked his lower lip. The metallic flavor of his blood furthered his desire to feed. His face throbbed and his jaw ached. Hunger needled his gut. He could think of little more than sinking his teeth into the carotid artery scant inches away and appeasing the beast. Brushing back the short bob of blonde hair, the scent of human blood seized him in an iron-clad grip, one the muscles he had honed over the years had no hope of loosening.
His hot gaze settled on the pulsing flesh.
Denying the craving wasn’t going to be an option.
Though feeding was a necessity in keeping him alive, the jury was still out on whether it was all worth it. He had yet to come to terms with what he had become, or the immortality gifted him. His sire may have thought he was doing him a favor by saving his sorry ass, but he was no fan of the tightrope he teetered between heaven and hell.
Living this life forever was never supposed to be.
Dying was.
Embracing the cold fact that wasn’t going to happen, at least not today, he sank his canines into the soft flesh of the tasty blonde and savored the warm blood filling his mouth and warming him from the inside.
Fuck!
He didn’t want to like it, but he did, like the finest of whiskeys. So much so, his vampire blood shot south and hardened his cock, calling up an entirely different type of hunger.
A temptation he had no intention of satisfying.
He already had enough to answer for. Not to mention the cute little blonde in his grip wasn’t the one keeping him up at night, or the one he envisioned when he took his cock in hand. She knew her place, knew her reason for accompanying him to the east coast. And although he brought her occasionally to orgasm, a normal reaction caused by the act of feeding, he wasn’t who she dreamed of either.
Their relationship was platonic.
One of mutual respect.
He had never been one to look for friendly companionship in the opposite sex but found he quite enjoyed her company, thankful he hadn’t been left alone with his dark thoughts. Releasing his fangs and licking the puncture wounds closed, he sat back and ran a hand down his long beard, one hunger fully satisfied. She stood, offered him a knowing smile, then grabbed her bathing suit wrap and headed for the beach, giving him the solitude to appease the other itch plaguing him. He watched the sassy sway of her hips through the screen as she stepped off the deck. His groin tightened. His balls ached.
Slipping a hand down to the front of his too-fucking-tight jeans, he undid the zipper and pulled his cock free. Only one woman came to mind. The one woman who had somehow gotten entangled in his desires. He ran his fist from root to tip, wondering just what the fuck was he going to do about her. He’d need an answer to that question, long before he ever returned to Oregon.
Chapter 1
“What the fuck are you doing here, Tena?”
Bobby “Preacher” Bourassa, recently turned vampire and honorary Sons of Sangue MC member, did not know who he expected to be standing on his stoop when the doorbell rang, but Tena Holt certainly wasn’t it. He had left behind Oregon and his new MC brothers to come to terms with what he had become.
A damn vampire.
What the fuck?
A month ago, he thought vampires were nothing more than fictional characters, products of someone’s overactive imagination. Now, here he stood, wanting to tap an artery.
“Well, that’s certainly no way to greet someone you haven’t seen in over a month, especially one as tasty as me,” she added with a
tilt of her head, inadvertently offering up that artery.
Tena looked tasty all right. His mouth salivated at the sight of her carotid, beating just beneath her thin skin. If her blood tasted half as good as it smelled, he was certain he’d enjoy every ounce he took.
“Why don’t you and your friend get back in your car and head west … way west, like back to Oregon.”
Her friend and coworker, Chad, stood close behind Tena, giving Bobby the stink eye. A good wind could blow the boy over. Nonetheless, Bobby was pleased to see the young man had accompanied her. It didn’t sit well with him that Tena had made the 2,800-mile trek across the country just to see his surly ass.
The truth of it, he wasn’t good company for anyone, leastwise someone he found himself extremely attracted to. Bobby needed to convince her the short time they had spent together on the west coast was nothing more than a way to pass the time. Thankfully, he had kept his dick in his pants all those weeks ago, which would’ve only served to further complicate matters now.
“Maybe I’ve developed a better liking for the east coast? What made you settle on Ogunquit Beach, Maine anyway? Quaint little town.”
The little rental he acquired had been costly, meaning he wouldn’t be able to stay more than a month or two. Thank goodness he had known the owner from his ministry days or he probably wouldn’t have been able to afford it at all. Bobby hadn’t been able to pass up the ocean front property. It provided him the solitude and isolation he needed to come to terms with his vampirism.
His mistake had been telling Tena his whereabouts, thinking it might help soothe her wounded pride for him having left Oregon without so much as a good-bye. How the hell was he to know she’d head east?
“Cut the bullshit, Tena. You came here thinking I would embrace the fact you followed me clear across the country. You were wrong. Now get back in your car and head out while I’m still in an amicable mood.”
“You do realize how long it took me to get here, not to mention the time off work I had to take?”
She placed her hands on her hips. His gaze took in her long slender fingers and imagined them wrapping his cock. Good Lord! Along with his genetics change and his desire to slurp her blood, his sexual desire had flown off the charts. He was doing all right on his own, that is until he opened the door and found the object of his fantasies within reach. Now, all he could think about was ditching Chad for a few hours and burying his cock deeply inside her.
“I’m betting there won’t be a single room for rent in this town. You certainly can’t expect us to sleep in the car.”
Letting her through the door. Not. A. Good. Idea.
Damn, but she is cute, his devil side posed the argument. Not that he could disagree. He found the woman downright gorgeous. One of the things he really liked about her was the fact she wasn’t model thin, nor did she look like she spent hours in front of the mirror. A wide, black headband, adorned with a copper flower, pulled her short, white-blond hair back from her forehead, leaving a fringe of bangs. Kohl and mascara rimmed cocoa-brown eyes while a sheer gloss complemented pale pink lips, the extent of her makeup. Bobby didn’t think she could look any more adorable or tasty.
“Well?” she asked with a tap of her flip-flop, drawing his gaze to her sexy pink-painted toenails.
He groaned. Was there no part of her he didn’t find adorable? Even her sassiness was a turn-on, for crying out loud. “Well, what?”
Tena’s brow creased. He supposed he should’ve been following the conversation rather than openly ogling the cute little pixie. “Are you kicking us to the curb? Or are you, at least, going to let us hang our heads here for a few hours before we turn the car around and head back to Oregon?”
Bobby considered denying her, sending them both on their way. Because no way in hell letting her through that door was going to turn out to be a good thing. His penis was becoming far too engrossed on the decision he had yet to make. Much more and everyone else would note his blatant interest as well.
He rubbed the tension from his neck and grimaced. “I don’t suppose there would be any harm in letting you come in for a bit. One night, Tena. Then you and your scrawny bodyguard are back on the road? Agreed?”
He didn’t miss the smile that crept up on her lips. Round one went to Tena. But he’d have to be a complete ass to send them back on the highway without a lick of sleep. Bobby stood back and allowed them both to enter the small cottage, which garnered them not much more than seven-hundred square feet of space. The little house had two bedrooms and one bath. The four of them would surely be tripping over each other. Damn good thing he had fed earlier from Ivy, the donor he had brought with him from Oregon to satisfy his feeding needs, or no way would Tena be safe anywhere near him.
Hell of a way for her to find out he was a vampire.
He’d be keeping his immortality to himself.
Her scent had his nostrils flaring as she breezed by him and flopped onto the cushioned wicker chair near the bay window, facing the beach. Chad made himself at home on the matching adjacent sofa. The casual style of furniture certainly wasn’t made for his two-hundred-and-fifty plus pounds. He might obliterate the matching rattan set. Bobby spent most of his time out on the deck anyways, watching the waves lap at the sand.
Turned out, real vampires were nothing like the fictional characters found in novels or on the big screen. While ingesting blood kept him alive and gave him immortality, the sun, garlic, and crosses had no effect on him. Nor was he dead. In time, his strength would increase along with his senses. He’d heal quicker than a human, and other than a direct shot to the heart or separating his head from his shoulders, other wounds would not be life threatening. Hunger, desire, and anger caused the shift from human to bloodsucker. He’d sport razor-sharp fangs and eyes black as coal with the rise of emotion and the need to feed. There would be no hiding the prominent brow and high cheekbones turning him into a freak of nature from his newly arrived guests.
Best to keep his emotions in check, including the one plaguing the front of jeans at the moment. It was not the time for play. Which brought back to mind the sexy little thing lounging just feet away, looking mighty pleased with herself. Bobby couldn’t help but wonder how fast she’d hightail it back to Oregon if he allowed the monster to cut loose.
One night.
That’s all he had agreed to.
The queen-size bed in the master barely fit his oversized frame, making him wonder where everyone would hang their heads. Ivy had a twin bed in the room adjacent to the master. Tena and Chad would have to share the queen and Bobby could take the floor. He supposed he had slept in far worse conditions than on hardwood. Sleeping near Tena wasn’t the best of ideas, not when he didn’t fully trust his vampire DNA. He’d have to make sure she bolted the bedroom door. Not that he couldn’t easily break the lock, but Bobby hoped it would be enough of a deterrent.
Refraining from doing the horizontal tango the last few months wasn’t helping matters, self-gratification aside. Having Tena this close had him wanting to eat up the distance and haul her ass caveman-style to the bed waiting beyond the door, never mind the room looked as if a tornado had struck. Bobby, a self-professed bachelor most of his life, didn’t worry much about impressions. Had he known he was getting company, though, he might have bothered to clean up a bit.
Barefoot and dressed in a pair low-slung jeans and wife beater, Bobby supposed he came across as a bit of a slob. Not that he normally cared what anyone thought. At least, he had bothered to put on a shirt, what there was of it anyway. Probably more for Ivy’s sake.
Tena, on the other hand, looked damn fine. The white, silk slip-over she wore did little to hide the navy bra beneath. On the bottom, she wore a pair of dark jeans rolled at her ankles. The low-rise of them gave him a small glimpse of the smooth, pale flesh beneath. He salivated and his gums began to ache. His gaze heated, the beast lurking relatively close to the surface.
As if he needed a reminder to keep those emotions in check.
Chad cleared his throat, gaining Bobby’s attention. “Are there any coffee shops in this town?”
Bobby pointed to the left of the door. “Down the street to the corner. Turn left and there’s a little cafe in the middle of the block that makes great coffee.”
“Iced lattes?”
“If that’s your thing.”
“Anything good you might recommend?”
“I wouldn’t know. I like my coffee black.”
“You would.” Chad rolled his eyes, then turned to Tena. “You want anything, girlfriend?”
“A tall, iced caramel latte would be great.”
“I’ll be back in a jiffy,” he said as he jumped to his feet. The pip-squeak sent him another glare. Bobby supposed he deserved it. After all, the two had driven the length of the continent to see him. Trouble was, Bobby hadn’t asked them to. “Don’t think about laying a hand on her.”
Oh, he already thought about it, but it wasn’t Bobby’s hand Chad needed to worry about.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Chad walked out the door, the screen door slapping loudly behind him. Bobby had Tena completely to himself, since Ivy had left shortly following breakfast and had yet to return. Bobby opted for a wooden kitchen chair, keeping much-needed distance between them.
At this point, he wasn’t sure a cold shower would even do the trick.
Or a quick dip into the Atlantic.
Either way, he needed to do something fast before he lost his damn marbles and carried Tena to his unmade queen-size bed like his cock demanded. There would be no hiding his vampire self as desire took over common sense. Unfortunately, he hadn’t quite mastered the art of hypnotism, the vampires’ art of shadowing the memories of humans from having witnessed fangs and facial oddities. Allowing Tena to see said vampirism was against rules set in place by the Sons of Sangue to keep vampires safe from those who might otherwise wish to see them eliminated. Rules he’d now abide by, since he left the Devils MC to join up with the Sons.
Taming the Vampire: Over 25 All New Paranormal Alpha Male Tales of Contemporary, Military, Shifters, Billionaires, Werewolves, Magic, Fae, Witches, Dragons, Demons & More Page 107
