Roric dropped down beside her and wrapped his strong arms around her. He put his face right in front of hers and lifted her chin so she could see his eyes. They were the color of polished tiger’s eye stones, shades of brown streaked and flecked with gold. Gorgeous. They flared with irritation, but a current of compassion glimmered beneath that.
“Caroline, you’re not a monster. But, like it or not, you are a vampire, and you need blood to survive. Your cravings are only going to get worse until you drink, and since you’re newly-changed, they’re going to come back every few hours. You’re not going to be able to resist the need forever. If you don’t drink from a vampire, you’re liable to lose control and attack a human. I can’t let you do that, and I know you don’t want that, either.”
His words fell from his mouth like gentle raindrops, but the truth of them hammered into her like hail, stinging her skin and bruising her till every inch of her body ached. Was this her life now? Compelled by nothing but an inhuman lust for blood? Giant tears welled up in her eyes and dripped down her feverish cheeks, and her chest heaved as she started to cry uncontrollably.
Her body wracked with sobs as she wept for what felt like hours, mourning the loss of her life, her humanity. Roric stroked a hand along her hair and down her back, murmuring consolation. When her body finally calmed down, she lifted her head and whispered a desperate plea.
“Kill me.”
Roric flinched and frowned at her. She reached out and touched the stake strapped to his holster.
“Take this stake and shove it into my heart. That’s what it’s for, isn’t it? Killing vampires?”
Roric shook his head. “It immobilizes them, but it doesn’t kill them. Once you pull it out, they come back to life.”
“Then don’t pull it out. Bury me in the ground next to my parents and leave me there forever. Better to be buried alive than be a monster like you!”
She wrapped her hands around the stake, trying to pull it from the holster, but Roric shoved her hand away from it and jumped up out of reach.
His lips twisted in a sneer, and he started to pace, waving his hands around. “You humans are all the same! You think if someone is different from you they must be bad, dangerous, evil. You’d rather be dead than be a vampire? Then your life must be pretty damn terrible. But just so you know, most vampires consider our kind a step up from humans.”
Caroline gawked at him. “How can you think that when you kill humans for blood?”
He put his hands on his hips and scowled at her. “Vampires don’t kill humans! We drink from each other. The only vampires killing humans are the rogue vamps who used to be humans!”
Her mind flashed back to the vampire who attacked her. The scar on his lip told her he’d been turned because vampires healed too quickly to scar. The vampire who’d killed her parents had scars, too. Was it possible that natural-born vampires weren’t like that, only the turned?
“If that’s true, does that mean I’m likely to go crazy and kill someone?”
He dropped to one knee in front of her with a sigh. The scent of his blood bloomed around her, making her mouth water and her head feel dizzy. “If you don’t feed regularly then, yes, that’s a big risk. But I’m not going to let that happen to you. If you come with me, I’ll feed you and keep you from hurting anyone. Your life doesn’t have to end, it’s just going to change a little.”
Despite the horror she’d lived through when her parents were killed and the struggle she’d endured trying to live without them, life was good. Most days she was happy, even living in a crappy apartment and working at a bar. She wasn’t ready to die, and dying now would be an offense to the parents who sacrificed themselves so she could live. Could she live as a vampire without hating herself?
She nodded, mesmerized by the thought of tasting his blood again. One drink, that’s all she needed. She’d slake her thirst, let the blood heal her body, then she’d be okay. She wouldn’t go crazy and slaughter the whole town.
Roric’s pained face lifted in a relieved smile, and he held out a hand. She took it, letting him pull her to her feet. She didn’t even take a step, though, before the blood rushed from her head to her feet, and her legs went out from under her. Roric threw his arms out to catch her.
Chapter 8
Taven couldn’t stop himself from screaming like a little girl when his body flailed through the air and landed twenty feet away. The world spun around him as his head cracked on the pavement, gushing blood. He couldn’t see the vamp climb in his car and take off, but the engine roared in his ear, inches from crushing his head. Then all he could hear was the frantic pounding of his heartbeat. He lay on the cold, wet tarmac for a long moment, gasping, waiting for his vision to return.
When it finally did, he raised a shaky hand to the gouge in his skull and prodded gingerly, assessing the damage. It wasn’t as bad on the outside as it seemed from the inside. His brain felt scrambled, and based on the size of the puddle around him, it looked like he’d lost a gallon of blood. But the gash was only a few inches long, so it should close up before the end of the night, and his head was getting clearer with each passing minute. He carefully pushed himself up into a sitting position then waited another moment for his head to stop spinning.
What the hell? He’d never lost a fight to another vampire before, especially not a skinny-ass pimp like this dude. He should’ve been able to take him, no problem. That was downright embarrassing. Was he losing his edge? The guy must’ve been seriously amped up on blood and adrenaline for him to be able to toss him like a freakin’ throw pillow. He should’ve used his gun to bring down the rogue instead of tackling him, but he was a hands-on kind of guy, and he never expected the dude to be that strong.
Taven pulled himself to his feet with a groan. God, he was a mess. He needed a shower, a change of clothes, and about ten hours of sleep. And all he wanted to do was crawl in a hole and pretend none of this had happened. But he’d lost a ton of blood, and his body was demanding a refill. Ivy was waiting for him back at Benders. If he could haul his weak ass over there, she’d be happy to let him tap a vein.
He didn’t have the strength to run, but he managed to stumble the mile or so back to his favorite hangout. Thank God for fast healing. A human would probably be down for a week after that kind of blow to the head.
He went in through the back door and headed to the bathroom to clean himself up so he wouldn’t scare off the clientele with a bloody head wound. Taven cringed at the dude in the mirror. He looked whipped. Dark circles under his eyes, road rash on his cheek, his brown hair dark and sticky with congealing blood. At least his dark clothes hid the blood stains.
His head wouldn’t fit under the tap, so he yanked a handful of stiff, brown paper towels from the dispenser and wet them then leaned over and scrubbed the worst of the blood from his face and head. He used another handful to rub himself dry, cringing every time he scraped the wound. He ran his fingers through his damp hair and managed to cover up the gash. He was tall enough most people couldn’t see the top of his head, anyway.
He still felt like shit, but now that he looked halfway normal again, he headed down the hall and pushed his way through the mass of bodies, scanning the crowd for Ivy. The pulsing lights and pounding rock music gave him an instant headache. It got worse when his blood pressure skyrocketed at the sight of Ivy cozying up to some other vampire.
He stomped up behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her to his body, claiming her. He gave the other dude a scowl that told him to back the hell off as he ran his nose up the side of her neck, savoring the sweet, sultry scent of her pulse. “Miss me?”
Ivy moaned and leaned into his embrace, sliding her hands up his neck and into his slick hair. Taven quickly pulled her arms back down before she found the gash in his head, capturing them across her chest with his own. He licked a trail along her neck, desperate for a taste of her. Just feeling her soft, sexy body pressed against him made him hard and hungry.
&nb
sp; “You wanna get out of here?” His voice was a rumbly growl as he ran his hands up and down her curves.
Ivy slid around in his arms to face him with a sly smile. “Where do you want to go?”
“How about my place?” He flinched as the words left his lips. So far, his trysts with Ivy had all been quick sucks in the alley behind the bar, but he wanted more tonight.
Ivy’s dark eyes popped wide. “Really?”
Taven stroked the silky curtain of black hair that fell down her back. “Yeah, why don’t you spend the night.”
Ivy’s lips curled, and her hands slid up his chest. Then she scraped her nails down it. “I’d like that.”
He grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the front door. The guy who’d been hitting her up could cover any tab she’d racked up while Taven was gone. The dude should be grateful that was the only price he had to pay for invading someone else's territory.
Taven growled as soon as he stepped outside. Shit, his car was still at the cemetery. He didn’t have the energy to go get it. As it was, he was barely standing. If he didn’t feed soon, he’d be on the ground.
He turned to Ivy. “Did you drive?”
She gave him a weird look but didn’t question him. “Yeah, the black Civic is mine.”
Taven curled his lip in a snarl but stalked over to the passenger door of the tiny coupe. He’d rather drive, but with the blow to his head and his massive need for blood it was probably better if he let Ivy. Plus, it’d be hard to steer with his knees up to his ears.
When he opened the door, Ivy’s scent hit him like a smoke bomb. He closed his eyes and forced down the bloodlust then squeezed his large body into the small space. Rhianna belted from the radio when Ivy started the ignition. Taven scowled and turned down the volume.
Ivy peeked over at him. “Hey, are you okay? You seem…”
Angry, humiliated, in pain? All of the above? He scrubbed a hand over his face in case any of that was showing. “I’m fine, I just need to drink.”
She smiled at that and backed out of her parking spot. Ivy was always happy to satisfy that need. “Did you catch your vamp?”
His fingers dug into his kneecaps. “No. Lost the trail when he got in a car.” It was the truth, even if it didn’t take into account his own failure.
Ivy open her mouth to respond. Knowing her, it would be something intended to flatter him like, “Oh, I’m sure you’ll get him next time.” But the truth was, he’d failed, and the vamp was free to gloat in his victory and roam the streets till the VEA managed to get another tip. They’d reached the parking lot exit, so Taven interrupted her before she got the words out.
“Go west till you get to Beauchamp, then turn left. It’s the house with the gate on the right.”
She gawked at him. “You live in the Beauchamp Mansion?”
Taven shrugged. “Yeah, it’s been in my family for generations.”
Ivy stared at him like he’d lifted the cover to a deep well, and Taven cringed at the questions she was bound to start asking. “So, is everyone in your family a…”
Taven’s muscles clenched. “My mom was born human.”
“But she was turned?”
Taven gritted his teeth and nodded. It was a short drive, so thankfully they pulled up in front of the mansion before Ivy had a chance to ask any more questions. That wasn’t a topic for a night like tonight.
The tall, brick columns flanking the wrought iron gate made it easy to spot the mansion in the dark, even though thick bushes hid most of the wall surrounding it. A place that big and foreboding shouldn’t inspire feelings of warmth and comfort, but it was home, and his tension started to ease at the sight of it.
Taven climbed out of the sardine can and keyed the code into the keypad, and the gate swung open. He held out an arm and pointed to the covered parking area. “Park back there.”
Taven hurried behind her on foot as Ivy drove around to the back of the house. As soon as she got out of the car, he grabbed her hand and dragged her in through the back door and up the stairs to his wing of the house, the promise of a hot meal and a warm bed giving him a boost of energy. Thankfully, she didn’t bother to ask for a tour of the place.
As soon as he pushed open the door to his suite, he unclipped his holster and let it fall to the floor with a heavy thunk then shoved her body against the velvet-flocked wall and pressed his mouth to her neck. Her pulse throbbed against his tongue, taunting him. He pushed a knee between her legs, pressing into the heat, while his hands groped her ass and her breasts. She made little mewling sounds that went straight to his groin.
“Oh God, Ivy. You smell incredible. I have to taste you,” he mumbled into her neck, but she understood him.
“What are you waiting for?” He felt the purr of her words in her throat.
That was all he needed. He pulled back his lips and let his fangs descend then lunged for her vein. Blood squirted from her neck, coating his tongue with the hot, thick, coppery liquid. He sucked hard, gulping it down, too impatient to wait for it to fill his mouth. His body roared to life, soaking up the life-giving nutrients. Lust exploded through his veins, making him crazed with desire for more of her.
Ivy moaned and thrashed beneath him like it was just as good for her as it was for him. That was hard to imagine, but the way she writhed and clawed at him, maybe it was true. Why else would humans be willing to let vampires suck from them?
When his bloodlust had been tamed some, his other cravings took over. Taven grabbed her shoulders and turned her around, pushing her towards the king-size bed. When her knees hit the edge of the mattress, he picked her up and tossed her into the center of it. Her body squirmed on the rumpled, black satin duvet. She gasped when he threw his heavy body on top of her, but her hands wrapped around his back, pulling him tighter.
Her fingers tickled his sides as she pushed his tee shirt up. He tore himself away from her long enough to sit up and yank the shirt over his head. Her eyes lit up, and she rubbed her hands up and down the ripples of his abs then swirled her fingers over his pecs. The look on her face was all the motivation he needed to spend hours at the gym. He threw his head back and groaned then reached down to push her shirt up till he could see the lacy, black bra encasing her perfect breasts.
She dug her palms into the mattress and pushed herself up then pulled her shirt off and unhooked her bra. It fell to her lap, exposing the lush mounds he was dying to suck. Taven bent down and latched his mouth around one of her taut, red nipples, pushing her back down to the bed.
He slowly sunk his fangs into the soft flesh, and she screamed out and grabbed his head. But she didn’t push him away, so he sucked gently like he was a baby and she was the Holy Mother. When he lifted his head, blood trickled from the wounds, curving around her aureola. He lapped it up like dripping ice cream.
She unbuttoned her jeans and pushed at the waistband, trying to wriggle them over her hips. Taven grabbed the fabric and yanked it down her legs. Then he shoved his own pants to the ground.
“Oh God, Taven.” She ogled him and reached up to grab his dick.
He quickly sheathed himself then climbed between her legs and sank into her before latching on to her neck again. He groaned loudly at the sensation, his body shuddering in ecstasy as her wet heat filled him and surrounded him.
Ivy moaned, too, and wrapped her arms and legs around him, pulling him deeper into her. He stroked and sucked, drawing in her lifeblood and burying himself in her, matching the rhythm till it felt like a heartbeat pulsing between them.
The pain, the anger, the blow to his ego, the never-ending competition against his brother, every one of his losses, all of it disappeared as he lost himself in Ivy. Having her here, in his home, his bed, scenting his sheets with the musky, tangy smell of her blood mixed with a touch of something spicy like incense — this made him feel complete. It’d been so long since he’d had a woman in his bed, he’d forgotten what it felt like, how good it could be.
This was what he wanted, what
he needed. Her, here with him, like this. Forever. She was his.
Mine. The word pushed from his lips as it pulsed through his mind.
“Yes, yes! I’m yours, Taven.” She stuck her lips to his neck and nipped, her teeth grazing the skin like she wanted to bite him. Then she dug her nails into his back, sharp pinpricks that mimicked the feel of fangs.
It would feel so good if she could drink from him. The rush of euphoria from a vampire’s bite was the most incredible feeling in the world. He’d felt it many times with many women, but it’d been so long since it had meant anything more than just mutual pleasure. With Ivy, could it be something more? He knew she was totally into him, and in that moment, she was the only girl in the world.
Venom swelled in his gums, burning, demanding release, the swirl of desire blurring the line between the biological urge and his craving for intimacy.
When Ivy clamped her teeth against his neck, Taven lost it. Venom burst from the glands around his fangs. He stopped sucking just long enough for it to soak into her wounds. It was obvious the moment the venom absorbed into her bloodstream.
Ivy stiffened then screamed as it blazed through her veins like a bolt of electricity, instantly searing them. Then the need hit, a craving for his blood so intense that most humans went manic, desperate to get what they needed to survive. Ivy clawed at him, scraping her sharp nails along his back and arms. Her teeth lunged for his neck as her body thrashed under his. She managed to nick his skin with her blunt teeth and started sucking frantically from the tiny wound.
The trickle of blood flowing from his body to hers taunted him with a spark of pleasure that only made him need more. Taven turned his head and dug his fangs into his own shoulder, gouging the flesh. He gripped the back of Ivy’s neck and tore her away from his. Her spine stiffened, and she snarled and hissed at him like a rabid animal as he guided her head to his bleeding shoulder, instead.
Compelled by the Vampire: Vampire Enforcement Agency Series Book 1 Page 5
