Masters of the Hunt: Fated and Forbidden

by Sarra Cannon

  Vicq nodded. "And other Dresdan. There is a taste for human blood, but for them, it is no longer needed to survive. Do you remember how I told you that I grew up on a farm?"

  She nodded. He'd been a migrant worker with no family or friends after the premature death of his parents, trying to feed himself with whatever he earned that day. He had labored as a crop harvester until he'd befriended a vampire who had inducted him into the Dresdan lifestyle. Turned out the vampire had led the Dresdan for hundreds of years as their Master. He was later slain by one of his most trusted Superiors, Russo—who then became Dresdan Master.

  "There is a saying...you make do with what you have because you are completely satisfied with it, and you never long for anything else. Contentment. Leo describes his feeling as not only love, but contentment," Vicq said.

  "Who's Leo?"

  Vicq smiled. "The human male from the Dresdan prison I mentioned earlier. After helping each other escape, I brought him to my sanctuary. He found a friend in Leila, one of the few females at our sanctuary. He was literally halfway through the transformation upon arriving. It was Leila's bite and their blood exchange that ultimately changed him."

  "Halfway...? Like me?"

  "Yes, like you, Elaina." Vicq rubbed the back of his hand gently against her face.

  "In that case, there must be something in Leo's blood like mine that allows the vampire agent to remain in a state of stasis."

  Vicq nodded. "Like a host..."

  The perfect host was exactly what District 5 was after. Being a host was not fun. It was torture. Wanting and craving but not knowing why. Never satisfied because the human anatomy wanted something completely different than the vampire side.

  "Is it still a struggle to resist feeding from humans even when you share?" she asked.

  "The will to resist is what sets us apart from the other breeds of vampires." He locked his gaze on her. "And, of course, we sometimes take it upon ourselves to rid your streets of murderers, abusers, and the like."

  Biting her lip, Elaina glanced at him. "Was that your other option? You think we can share a bond like Leo and Leila."

  "We share a bond now, Elaina."

  "What if I stay this way? In-between." The frustration in her voice alarmed her. "What if the Dresdan drugs that I've been given stay in my system forever, preventing my change? Will you leave me? Would you give up on me then?

  "Elaina, I love you." He cupped her chin with his palm. "I first loved you as a human, and I will continue to love you no matter what you are or become."

  "I love you, too. I just want to be strong for you. You'll only want more and more of my blood, and eventually, I will be too weak to supply it. If I can't give you as much as you need, I'm no use to you and can only get in your way. Isn't that what a Donor is to the Dresdan? A blood slave only until the vampire finds a new treat?"

  "Absolutely not. Not for me. You are what I need." He kissed her. "Let me show you how much I need you."

  Vicq grabbed her waist with both hands as she leaned in to kiss him. He devoured her lips hungrily, pulling her closer into his embrace. Her center grew heated on his lap and she gasped when he slid his fingers down into her jeans.

  "Vicq?"

  He continued to nibble softly at her lips.

  "We both need a shower.” She pushed gently at his shoulders. “There's blood all over us."

  They both looked down at each other's clothes.

  He grinned. "You're right."

  Before she could move, he lifted her and placed her on her feet. He lured her to the bathroom, pressing his lips to hers, forcing her to walk backward. His legs moved forward and she moved backward. His breaths were rushed and she could almost smell the bloodlust surrounding them. It always happened this way. Nothing was more sought after by the male Dresdan than a female whose blood ran wild with sexual lust. Even though he'd denied it last night, he needed her blood.

  In the bathroom, he yanked her from her feet, pressed her back against the wall, and pushed his pelvis against hers. He ground his cock into her and her sex clenched, wanting something more. Fumbling with her button and zipper, he peeled her pants open. He slipped his hands down against her stomach and abs. His fingers flirted with the curls covering the center of arousal. She bit her lip, closed her eyes, and lolled her head back on the wall.

  Vicq's teeth scraped against the vein in her neck. His dick grew rock-hard against the front of his jeans. Her heart pulsed erratically against her breastbone, threatening to pounce from her chest. Her blood raced in arousal. It felt like she was on more than just a sexual high because a mix of emotions ran rampant through her body. He slipped a finger between her heated folds. Her breath hitched as he teased her silky wetness, stroking upward to tease her aching clit.

  "Vicq, I need it. Now." Spending months without him, thinking he was gone forever had been tough on her.

  He carried her, placing her next to the shower, and turned on the water. The jets of water from the showerhead pounded against the floor of the stall and it took only moments for hot steam to rise up.

  They started with her shirt, raising it over her head. His tongue ran along his bottom lip, and then he bit one corner of it as his gaze swept her body. She reached behind her back and unclipped her bra. The fabric stayed molded to her breasts, but he slowly peeled the material away, revealing her to his inspection. Her nipples thrummed with pleasure under the sensitive touch of the pads of his fingers.

  "Me encantes," he whispered, leaning forward to cover her nipple with his lips.

  Elaina felt as though her legs would melt beneath her and she grabbed on to the back of his head as he stroked her lovingly with his tongue. He sucked and molded her nipples until they were firm to the touch. She needed to feel him in her grasp, without the clothes covering him. She pushed him against the nearest wall just outside the shower and peeled his pants down his legs. His cock was erect and ready, throbbing and pulsing with arousal. On the way back up, she stroked the length of him in her palm. The veins trailing along the length of him plumped with his excitement. She wanted him to bury his rod deep within her and take away the emptiness.

  Elaina dropped to her knees and took the taut head into her mouth, rolling her tongue in the salty sweetness of him. He groaned out loud and brought his hand to her head to lead her into a rhythm. His balls tightened and constricted against her fingertips as he pumped within her mouth, inches from the back of her throat. She pulled away to remove the last article of clothing he wore, leaving him panting, his back still against the wall.

  Stepping into the shower, she beckoned him to join her. The warm water cascaded through her hair and down her back. She lifted her face to the stream and ran her hands through her tresses, gliding her palms across her cheeks and down her neck. The water did nothing to cool her heated core, and she opened her eyes to find him enjoying the show from outside the stall.

  The moment she turned her lips up into a teasing smile, he joined her under the stream. As the water beat down on their bodies, he took her lips once more in a kiss. "It's been so long..."

  I know. Elaina turned around in the shower, facing away from him, and swiped her hair away from her neck.

  He grazed the top of her shoulders with his nose and lips, breathing deeply. His fingers splayed against her stomach from behind, and he pulled her gently against his hardened groin. He licked her neck as if preparing it for what she so desperately wanted. Feeding had become a part of sex for them before they were separated. Now that she understood his plan, all the options led to one path—remain his Donor or complete the blood bond. A choice given to her months ago. It was hers to make, and she knew what had to be done.

  Vicq bent down, showering kisses along her spine. He glided his palms over the curves of her ass, molding and massaging. Her position didn't allow for her to view the show, but she did share in his anticipation. His lips and tongue felt hot against her curves and she grabbed at the slippery tiles in front of her, pressing her forehead against the p
orcelain. He kissed the bottom of her spine, just above the rounded globes of her ass—where he knew he would find a weak spot.

  Her body shivered in arousal. "Vicq, please take me."

  He rose, brushing his rod against her. "As you wish..."

  Elaina readied herself, bracing her forehead against the stall. Small droplets of water collected on her skin, but they did nothing to calm her rising desire. His hand gripped her waist to prop her up for his entry. Fingers played with her clit and his cock slid against the folds of her sex. She shivered uncontrollably as he teased her and sent hot breaths to the back of her neck. A hand came around to press next to hers on the tiles.

  "Please—”

  He pushed up into her pussy with one deep stroke.

  She gasped out loud, and then pressed her lips together to hold back a scream. He was outrageously hot and large, just like she craved.

  He thrust upward again, burying himself to the hilt. She bit her bottom lip and grabbed on to nothing but slippery tiles. A shudder ran through her core as he rocked his pelvis, adjusting her to his size. Liquid warmth flowed over his cock and the beginnings of an orgasm stirred within her.

  He pounded into her without warning, gradually increasing the speed and strength. Jolts of pleasure ran from the top of her spine to her clit and back again. Promiscuous hands traced along the front of her body—nipples, stomach, mounds, clit. She couldn't hold back any longer. This type of release was long overdue. He’d conquered her body and soul. In that moment, she forgot about the predicament they were in.

  "Elaina. Amor verdadero."

  She felt his control burst apart, and his hands tightened around her hips. Cold fangs connected with the flesh on her back. So near. Her climax danced just beyond the entrance to ecstasy.

  "Do it!" she commanded him.

  He groaned out loud, his rhythm now agitated but fierce. His groin slapped against her wet ass as he rode her from behind.

  Fangs pierced deep into her neck, and she cried out in pleasure-pain. She shuddered in release and joined him in climax. He siphoned her blood and sucked the tension out of her. His thick rod pumped hot seed inside of her. He gave and took, shivering in pleasure against her back. The wrenching orgasm flowed through every nerve ending in her body. Her toes curled under her as the euphoria from his feeding began to wear off.

  Vicq extracted his fangs slowly and gasped like a runner after a sprint. He rested his forehead against the back of her neck. It took a long while for them to regain their strength. The shower stream, once steaming hot, was now chilly. As she expected, his dick pulsed to life again against the folds of her sex.

  It had been this way since day one with him. He was only just getting started.

  With round one complete, most times he gave her a chance to recuperate before taking her again. He could go on and on until one of them tapped out.

  Chapter 9

  Elaina glanced up from her plate for the tenth time. She and Vicq both had a clear view of the entrance, and each time the chime rang over the door of the quaint restaurant, her heart fluttered. She’d been running in fear, and she was tired of it. As a tracker, she'd learned to focus and keep her eyes peeled for threats, and it was in Vicq's nature to observe.

  "You have quite an appetite," Vicq said. A glass of chilled water sweated on the placemat in front of him.

  Elaina's gaze trailed to her food. She'd ordered an assortment so she could choose which omelet she preferred, but she had succeeded in eating more than half of each one. None of them really satisfied her, but she needed the fuel. "I think you know why."

  Vicq fidgeted with the salt and pepper shakers. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken you so many times."

  "Don't apologize." She met his calm, hazel eyes. "I enjoyed it." Numerous rough rounds of sex had been just what she’d needed to forget her plight, if only for a moment.

  A glint of sharp fangs flashed against his lips and then disappeared. "I wish I had been there for you these past months. I just didn't know how, without putting you in danger. Now I'm certain that I have a better chance of protecting you with you by my side. Once my coven members know you, you won't have to worry about who has your back even when I'm not with you."

  Guilt rose up in her throat, along with the aftertaste of the last bite she’d taken. She lifted the cool glass to her lips and took a long sip. "You were never dangerous for me, Vicq. I'm the one who made you believe that."

  "But I am dangerous for you," he said. "There's already a price tag on my head. What right do I have to save you from one predicament only to bring into another that is the fucked up democracy I'm ruled by right now?"

  "But you've made it clear that you've separated yourself from Russo's rule. Haven't you?"

  "That is the problem. No vampire ever leaves Russo's leadership and exists without being harassed or executed."

  "And he's already sentenced you to death…" she offered.

  He nodded. "And sentences are binding. Once word gets out that I still live, things will change. My coven has grown tremendously since my return. We've been trying to prevent this knowledge from getting out, but with so many trying to leave Russo's leadership and seek a coven elsewhere, it's difficult. In the meantime, you are my concern."

  She swallowed. "If there are more important things you need to handle—."

  "No," he said firmly. "One of the reasons I no longer answer to Russo's commands is because he encourages the destruction of the human race and rewards those who prey upon them. It gives us all a bad name, puts us unnecessarily in the spotlight, and threatens our existence. It gives organizations like District 5 their reasons for treating us like fucking animals." His hands were crushed into fists on the table. "Russo chooses to enforce those rules that benefit his goals in the short-term."

  "I wish I had known all of this before I signed that one-sided contract. That there are others like you who respect humans."

  "You were young and you were brainwashed by District 5. You signed up for a mission with the purpose of ensuring human continuity. You had no idea what lengths this organization would go to in order to succeed, especially when their experiments didn't unfold as quickly as they hoped. We can't play God—we were never meant to. Many lives, human and others, have been thrown away in the name of bad scientific research. I'm not saying that there isn't a way to ensure the human race lives on, but this is not one of them."

  Vicq was right. How could she have fallen for District 5 tactics? She should've known something was wrong when they'd prevented her contact with her parents during her training period.

  "Unfortunately, the corruption at District 5 has reached the management level and beyond," Elaina said. "They teach recruits and experienced trackers that the world would become overrun with vampires, and that it would eventually lead to human extinction. That makes it seem okay for them to kill and study what they capture. They believe Dresdan have no working brain and no real conscience."

  "So they assume we are only good for using as lab rats?"

  "And when there are shortages of Dresdan, they resort to experiments on humans. They told us that the humans gave their lives or signed away their bodies in the event of death to be used for the cause." She frowned. "It was a lie. I see that now. Some crazed people might have done it willingly, but the majority of them were taken by force.”

  "What happens to the recruits or trackers who don't believe or follow orders?" Vicq pushed the issue but already knew the answers.

  Elaina averted her gaze to the door where the bell rang as a couple walked out. "District 5 never tolerates weak links."

  "What happens to the weak links?"

  She swallowed. "The District employment contract is lifelong. The weakest links work in the labs...and they're experimented on, as well."

  "That's why I chose not to make contact with you. As long as the District left you alone, I forced myself to do likewise. I won't let them have you. Not to use like that."

  Why couldn't he have left that decision
up to her? Why leave her to feel as if she were alone in the world?

  Elaina swallowed down the hurt and outburst she would not allow herself to make in public. She dropped her fork and then stood. "I think we'd better leave."

  The place had become too crowded for her. She needed to get away. Without waiting for his reply, she made a beeline for the door.

  Raindrops curtained her as she hurried across the parking lot. Only one of the street lamps worked. The glass that should've covered the light bulbs was cracked, as if someone had intentionally thrown rocks at them. The scent of the rain was one of salt and acid, and the clouds were dark gray against the evening sky. Music from the club behind her invaded the night.

  Elaina maneuvered her way through the parked cars until she reached their borrowed Trailblazer. She ignored Vicq, who now leaned on the SUV, and opened the door.

  "What is the reason for your attitude?" He wrapped his fingers loosely around her waist, forcing her to turn and look at him.

  "You're here for me now, Vicq, but we can never be content. I am on the run, and so are you."

  He lifted a finger and pushed wet hairs from her face and lips. "I am content now that you are with me. We can't let our past run our lives."

  He was right. That was exactly what she was doing. Had Vicq not come for her, where would she be? Sitting in her houseboat with little connection to the real world? How long would she have to run and hide? Until she was old and gray? Until she was dead?

  She met Vicq's gaze. "How long do I have to run because we know too much? How long will you hide because you have too many enemies?"

  "I don't know, Elaina. As long as we have to." He leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers. "I can protect you, but don't run from me. Trust me."

  She lifted her lips to meet his. They were soft and inviting, and before long, they were wrapped in each other's passion. The rain drenched their clothes and plastered their hair against their faces. Her body meshed with his and she gripped his arm as ripples ran up her spine.

  The past year had been a roller coaster ride for her. Afraid she'd be stripped from those she loved again, she never trusted anyone. She withdrew from friends who wanted to become too close. She had practically labeled everyone an enemy until proven otherwise.