He watched with amusement. “Yes. We clear up the bodies you leave behind. We both feed without aggravating each other. That entails the truce. I thought you vampires knew this.”
“We aren’t told about you in the Guidelines.”
“Of course. Your Council doesn’t want to admit how they truly feel. They’re jealous. We’re in control of our primal instincts, and you aren’t. We can be human and since we feed from the dead, no guilty conscience.”
“Can you remember everything you do as a…werewolf?”
“Sure. We transform, we feed and we mate. Then after a few moons, it’s back to a normal life.”
“How nice.”
Madison studied him in the dark. He was attractive and looked to be in his mid-twenties. If they passed each other on the street, she never would’ve guessed the secret he hid. She couldn’t sense he was any different.
He seemed to take pity. “It’s a shame you aren’t able to bask in the sun. How long has it been for you?”
She wanted to reveal their possibility of existing in the sun to gain his opinion, but thought better. “A month.”
He smirked, shaking his head. “Anyway, I need to mate. Unless you want it?”
“Excuse me?”
“We have no business with vampires other than mating. But you don’t seem interested. What brought you out here?”
“Loneliness.” Not that she wanted to look too eager to meet a werewolf.
He hesitated. “It comes with what we are. I’d offer my company...”
If she took him up on that, Liam wouldn’t be pleased. There was a reason he hadn’t told her about werewolves, and she had a feeling he barely tolerated them.
“No, I was just curious about your kind. That’s all.”
He smiled widely. “Curiosity killed the cat. Nice talking to you.”
The next day, Madison followed Liam into daylight. Keeping the meeting with the werewolf a secret was uncomfortable. She didn’t want to hide anything, not after her mistake with Ava, but it’d been a harmless conversation, nothing more. Nothing that Liam would care to know about.
They wandered down a street lined with shops. She’d never been a fan of crowds, but as she realized last night, being away from others had led to a deep loneliness that couldn’t heal. Today, she welcomed those around them; people with their everyday lives, forever unaware of the darkness pervading the city.
Her gaze was drawn to a young woman who looked like a blonde, older version of Sandra. The resemblance made her steps falter, and she watched her slip between two abandoned buildings.
“She can’t be,” Liam muttered. Madison glanced at him, noticing he’d been watching the woman as well. A flicker of jealousy consumed her.
“What is it?”
“She’s heading to a safe haven. We have multiple safe havens throughout the city, places for vampires to seek shelter during the day. The Council originally started them up for their members, but since then, other vampires have made their own.”
She stared at him in surprise. A safe haven? Anger burned through her, along with an unshakeable pain. She wanted to trust Liam so badly, but he’d given a reason not to. Concealing the meeting with the werewolf felt more justified now.
“Why wasn’t it in the Guidelines? How could you not mention this?”
“It’s a sire’s duty to reveal it. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything, but it slipped my mind. Many havens risk harboring rebellious vamps, not the type we need to associate with. They cause unjustified division between us.”
She drew in a breath, relaxing. “Anything else I should know?”
“The graffiti on the outside of the Brooklyn Council was a symbol that showed it was a safe haven. See how it’s on this building?” He pointed it out as they stopped in front of it. “She recognized it and knows there are vampires inside.”
“Didn’t the Council think hunters would make that connection?”
“Of course. But you know how superior we are to humans. No hunter has dared to attack a safe haven, even as a group. It’d be suicide. The only chance they have is against a lone vampire.”
“Sandra attacked the Council. Alone.”
“Or so she said. We’ll never know the truth.” Liam looked away. “The Brooklyn Council became careless. When you become complacent, it’s a simple mistake to make.”
There was a distant look in his eyes and she gently touched his shoulder, wishing that he’d unwind. He still acted like a Council member, even going so far as to follow a hunter as if he couldn’t leave the past behind. She wanted to leave it behind.
The woman stepped into view directly beside the haven. She held a cross in one hand and stared at their approach without fear. She must’ve been waiting, hiding while listening to their conversation.
“I know what you are,” she said. “And I know your friends are in there. I’ll open the door and let them burn unless you behave.”
Madison stood motionless and Liam made no attempt to answer. In the alleyway, they were in the safety of shadows yet their resistance to sunlight couldn’t be revealed.
The woman stepped closer. “You’re cornered. Anyone who comes to help won’t make it.”
She’d humor her. “Okay. What do you want?”
“You. Dead. I knew I’d find you, Madison, but not this fast.”
She knew her name yet was unfamiliar. Again, she was struck by how similar she looked to Sandra and the thought provoked another wave of guilt. Sandra had a family, but she didn’t believe someone would throw their life away to hunt her down. Sure, her hatred was justified, but if she understood they battled a part of them that stole their empathy…
Madison inclined her head. “Who are you?”
“Olivia. I don’t want to fight here, it’s too easy. I mean, look at all the sun! I’ll find you later. It’s obviously set in fate that we’ll meet again.”
Olivia stepped into sunlight, following the alley in the other direction. Madison hesitated, watching her leave. Not only did she have the Council to be concerned about, but Sandra’s sister. Or cousin, she wasn’t sure.
Darkness shrouded Liam’s face. She looked at him. “How do the Council deal with hunters?”
“Their methods involve killing every member of their family to silence them. It forces them into fear and submission. With their family’s lives at stake, they don’t risk hunting. If it was their own life in jeopardy, they don’t care as much.”
“And how’s that effective?”
He smiled. “Because the Council finds it more fun that way.”
“Riiight…And you said vampires have humanity.”
He laughed, his smile a brief flash of perfectly white teeth. “Oh, there are many facets to being a vampire. Not every principle is driven by morality.”
She flinched. “I want to be.”
He met her eyes, his smile fading. “There are things you can never control or change.”
Like our situation. She pushed that aside. “I wonder how long she’s been searching, going to every safe haven hoping to run into me.”
Liam pulled her close. “Don’t worry. If she tries to harm you, she dies.”
Chapter Twelve
As soon as they returned home, Madison gave herself to him completely. Despite their issues, the stress of the situation pressing down on them, she was still his. And right now, Liam had her beneath him, pummeling her with his thick cock.
She gasped, stretching out against the bed as Liam filled her with every thrust. They’d opted for no base, just the mattress on the floor. No risk of anything breaking.
She clung to his broad shoulders, feeling him slide deep inside her until his balls slapped against her ass. The bed shuddered. He withdrew, taking her again until he was slick with her wetness. She relished the sensation as he fucked her, hard and fast, no restraints.
Until he stopped, reaching over to grab a torn up shirt. He held up the fabric, his muscles bulging, the hardness of his chest pressing against her.
“Figured we could change things up. Let me bind you. You’ll be helpless as I pleasure you.”
She bit her lip, smiling. This was new, and incredibly hot.
“Want to fulfill your fantasy of having your way with me while I was chained?” she joked.
“It did turn me on seeing you that way. I love the thought of you being unable to stop me making you come.”
She drew in a breath. “I haven’t done something like this before. And I trust you won’t hurt me.”
“Never.” He kissed down her neck, his fangs – a sign of arousal – grazing her skin.
“Then I want you…” she gasped as his head of his cock teased her. “Tie me up.”
He nodded, satisfaction illuminating his eyes. Here she was, giving herself to him, being completely submissive. She was opening up in a way she’d never been before and instead of evoking fear, it made her tingle in all the right places.
She faced him. Liam looped the fabric around her hands, binding them together and raising them above her head. It felt odd not to be able to touch him or maneuver around, and she wiggled a little.
“You have to behave.” He grinned.
“For now.”
He kissed down her body, leaving wetness as he consumed a nipple with his mouth. She hardened beneath his teeth, feeling him suckle and tease her until she tilted her hips, needing him again.
“I consider this torture…”
He laughed, lowering until he kissed either side of her inner thigh. The brush of his lips so close made her cry out.
“Please, damn it, Liam. Take me.”
He stopped, raising a heavy brow. “I made you beg after all.”
“You got me. Now fuck me before I break free and slam you inside me.”
“Feisty.”
His lips found hers and they kissed deeply, his tongue slipping into her mouth to caress hers in a tangled dance of desire. He’d filled her mouth, now she wanted him to fill her pussy.
He didn’t hesitate. He groaned as he touched her entrance and slowly parted her lips with his thick, deliciously solid cock. He was impressive. His silky hardness slid deeper as she stretched, taking every inch. Finally, she had all of him and cried out in satisfaction.
Liam began to thrust hard. She wanted to touch him, grasp his firm body as he claimed her, but her hands were bound. She had no control…
But it no longer mattered, not when he was fucking her this good.
He slammed into her and she was getting wetter as he withdrew, then filled her again. Her pleasure was rising, building to a point. He groaned roughly, his cock throbbing inside her. He was so close.
She tightened around him until the inevitable crash hit her. She was swept away as his relentless pace made her pussy convulse around him, each unbelievable spasm of pleasure making her clamp down. She couldn’t stop this immense explosion from the feeling of his cock pounding her, and her body weakened, a moan escaping from her.
“Oh, yeah, come for me Madison. I can feel all your wetness coating my cock. So fucking tight.”
He soon groaned his release, his cum exploding in thick jets as she milked him of every drop. He grunted in satisfaction, kissing her lips before untying her and drawing her close. His cock was still buried within her, throbbing with the aftermath of his orgasm. Each pulse elicited another shudder of wetness from her.
This is us. Raw, undiluted. Stripped of the very essence that made them human, yet surrendering to the most basic human need, the most primal. They were lost in each other, in this newfound world together and reality proved insignificant.
And if the Awakening happened, it could prove deadly.
“Shit. Loved having you tied up at my mercy,” Liam breathed.
He slowly withdrew and moved aside, lying next to her. After some time, he spooned her, and his chest was rock hard. She closed her eyes in contentment. “Have you…done this before?”
“No. The way you innocently bite your lip, look at me with those fuck-me eyes, I had to bind you, have my way with you.”
She was relieved he felt this irresistible desire that sparked to life so easily. “Aren’t you concerned about the Awakening? I know I keep bringing it up…”
“It’s fine. Despite what happens with the prophecy, I want you at my side. To hold you close like this every night, having you satisfied from my cock. I wanna kiss you every morning. Play your favorite song and shower your bed with white rose petals. The Awakening can rain hell down on us for all I care, as long as I’m with you, it doesn’t matter.”
She was speechless from his admission. He had no regrets, no hesitations. He was unmistakably so confident. It warmed her dead heart that he was so perfect and she wanted to grasp this moment and make it a memory she’d never forget.
“My Madison, you surrendered to me. I won’t forget it.”
She couldn’t. She didn’t know if she could endure it again, being restrained while he fucked her. Hey, she craved touching him, what woman wouldn’t? Being helpless beneath each slow and heavy thrust had made her stomach flutter, sensations combining with an equal amount of lust and uncertainty.
“Did you love it?” he asked, noticing her hesitation.
“Our sex is never disappointing,” she said lightly. Now she narrowed down where this feeling was coming from. “But…I surrendered to your bite without a choice. I don’t like feeling that helpless.”
His arms tightened around her. “Then we don’t do it again. Every time I’m inside you, all I think of is pleasing you, making you come as much as possible. That’s all I intend.”
She shifted around to face him. “You’re so selfless. I love you.”
His eyes glittered. “Selfless? Honestly, I wasn’t like this years ago. When I was human, I was an ass. Hard on my father and myself, kept my distance from my brothers. The strong, silent type. I knew I was meant for something great and messed up many lives in the process of finding you. I look like an ordinary man, but I’ve killed people and feel no regret. And when I look into your gorgeous eyes, it reminds me I’m no innocent. Not like you. I brought you into this world.”
She pressed into him, her breasts crushed against his chest. “Liam, no. Deep in my heart, I would’ve surrendered. Please don’t blame yourself.”
He nodded slowly. “Don’t want you regretting anything. How I turned you.”
“I’ve worked out most of my frustration by now.”
Liam reached down and playfully slapped her ass. “Work out on me anytime.”
She laughed and snuggled into him. It didn’t take long for him to fall into a deep sleep. Sometimes he stiffened, his face contorting as if he were in the throes of a nightmare. He had a darkness inside him, a darkness she wanted to bring to light and heal with all of her heart.
Despite their unnatural quirks, they were a flawed couple like any other. Not many can claim their love will end an entire species, but like Liam confirmed, nothing could come between them.
Turning onto her back, she pondered their future. Would they get married, have children if it were even possible? Those concepts felt so human, so happy. Pain threatened to draw her to the brink. She longed for it until the point where it hurt, felt like bursting free from her chest. But this was the price to pay for eternal happiness. They had each other, but never completely.
She wondered if the werewolf was prowling nearby and felt guilty wanting to talk to him again, especially since Liam was unaware, but the werewolf was her only link to the world, a means of keeping tabs on this irrational situation.
Madison slid out of bed and changed into a pair of jeans and a cream pinstripe blouse. Liam lay motionless under the sheets and she left him, closing the front door as she stepped outside. She followed the route to where she met the werewolf last night.
As she reached the alleyway, a deep growling punctuated the silence. A large figure moved in the shadows then suddenly began to writhe in pain. She stumbled back and stared in horror as the werewolf began its transformation int
o a human. She could smell the metallic stench of blood, glimpse patches of fur and stark white bone, but it was too dark to see anything more.
God, the sounds and from what she’d seen…she was grateful to be a vampire at that moment.
Finally, he staggered toward her, looking extremely pale and exhausted. Having your body ripped inside and out does that to anyone.
“Here again? If you want to mate, I’m up for it.”
Madison rolled her eyes. His cocky arrogance was almost endearing. “We need to talk.”
He leaned against the dumpster. Blood streaked the side of it, and he followed her gaze, looking sheepish. He stepped away and leaned against the wall instead. “I hear that line often.”
“I bet.”
“You interrupted me while I was feeding. I’ve never had to change so quickly before. You have any idea how dangerous it is to approach me in my wolf form?”
She shrugged. “I can take the risk. Who’d win between a werewolf and a vampire?”
He smiled. “I have a bias on that. But I’ve fed. If I had an empty stomach, I wouldn’t be able to control myself.”
She swallowed. He was trying to intimidate her, she was sure of it. Being a vampire gave her the assurance to face a werewolf without fear, but his words comforted her. As much as his life sounded human, there was that risk of losing control and giving in to primal, uncontrollable instincts. Also, the transformation looked damn painful.
“Good. We should talk,” she prompted. “On amiable terms.”
“Our kinds rarely converse.”
“You initiated the conversation.”
A flicker of a smile showed briefly. She watched him carefully. His reluctance wasn’t misplaced.
“I’m Ethan.”
“Madison.”
Introductions seemed to smooth over his reservation. “Something’s changing. I smell fear. There are fewer vampires around the streets and it’s getting harder to find food. Almost like your Council are holding back from us, making us suffer.”
She frowned. The Council couldn’t be retaliating against their fear of the prophecy. “Have you heard of the Awakening?”
Ethan stared in surprise. “Everyone has. It won’t be fulfilled.”
Awakened by the Vampire Page 12
