Born in the Shadows (In the Shadows Series Book 1)

by Courtney McPhail

  Demetri finished checking over her shoulder and seemed nonplussed by the damage. It really said something about the things that he had seen if her shoulder that closely resembled ground chuck didn’t bother him.

  “You should be okay. Once you feed everything should heal up fine,” Demetri said, taking off his jacket and draping it over her shoulders. She welcomed the warmth, not realizing how cold she had been even in the warm summer night. Oh right, the massive blood loss.

  “Speaking of feeding, you better go mark your friend before someone else decides to throw down a challenge for him,” Mary said, nodding to where Gabe was standing between Katerina and Zeke. “We don’t get too many fights like this so they are going to think there is something real special about him.”

  Mary and Demetri held her elbows as they walked over to the others and Cordelia was grateful for their support. Her knees were a bit wobbly, mostly from the pain that radiated from her shoulder. If she had to make the walk herself, she would have fallen down for sure.

  “The moment you bite him, whatever control Armand had over him is going to disappear,” Mary told her. “As soon as his blood is in you, you’re the only one who will have control over him. He might react badly and if he does, you are going to have to calm him down. Don’t get squirmy about digging through his head.”

  Cordelia nodded her understanding but she wasn’t quite in agreement. Despite her practice on Marcus and Olivia under Nicky’s tutelage, she still didn’t feel comfortable with the mind reading. No matter what Nicky said, she still felt as if she was committing a personal violation.

  Katerina bowed her head and smiled when the trio stood in front of her. “You fought well, Cordelia, second daughter of Zopyros. You have won the right to this human. You may mark him as your own.”

  She reached out and grabbed Gabe’s hand, pulling him towards her. He came forward, that vacant look still in his eyes. He did not seem to understand a single thing that had happened around him. The mind mojo had done miracles and she wondered how he would be acting if he was in his right mind.

  “I’m really sorry about this,” Cordelia whispered.

  She placed her hands on the sides of his face, tilting his head to the side. She had to make this quick. One suck and then they were out of here. She didn’t need all these people watching her. She may have come to terms with the whole feeding on blood thing but it still felt like something that should be done in privacy.

  She struck quickly, his body tensing beneath her hands as she pierced his skin. She took a tentative draw, ready to get this over with and get out of here.

  At least that had been her plan until his blood spilled across her tongue, warm, luscious and achingly delicious. Marcus and Olivia hadn’t tasted like this. They had tasted sweet where Gabe was all sorts of spicy on her tongue. It was heavenly.

  She groaned and latched down tighter on his neck, pulling again and again, relishing the heady taste of him. It was as if his blood was a straight up jolt of electricity, every inch of her skin tingling as he filled her. His blood fuelled the healing in her body and she felt her shoulder stitch itself back together, the mobility in her arm restored.

  She wrapped her arms around him; the hard lines of his body flush against her soft curves. Heat bloomed between her legs when she noticed the hard length of his erection pushing into her belly. Desire had her holding him tighter, drinking from him in longer draws. She wanted him, more than she had ever wanted any man in her life and she was going to take him. He began to tremble and she dug her fingers into his shoulders, trying to keep him in place. She didn’t want to stop. She would never get enough of this.

  The growl that came from her when someone grabbed her shoulders and hauled her away from Gabe was inhuman. She fought the hands, while trying to keep a hold on Gabe, her teeth snapping and snarling. She needed more of him. He was hers. She could take as much as she wanted.

  The hands refused to give and she was held until she was able to focus on Gabe’s face.

  His face was ghostly pale and his knees wobbled uncontrollably. Zeke was still at Gabe’s side and his grip was the only thing keeping Gabe upright. Jesus, she had taken way too much blood from him. He looked half-dead.

  “May I suggest a quick exit? This sort of thing gets our kind riled up. Best take your boy and go,” Demetri whispered in her ear.

  His steady voice calmed the last of the fight inside of her and she was able to think clearly. Caught up in the bloodlust, she had forgotten where they were and what had gotten her here. Demetri was right.

  “Take the car and drive the both of you back to the manor. Mary and I will stay here to make sure everything is kosher with the Aldric clan.”

  Demetri’s authoritative commands were a relief. She needed a simple task to focus on right now. Things were happening way too fast for her to process, something nice and easy like drive a car from point A to point B would be a welcomed break.

  She grabbed the keys from Demetri. “No complaints from me.”

  Demetri pointed to the opposite end of the alley. “If you go down that way and then turn right, the parking lot is two blocks up on the left.”

  She watched Demetri and Mary slip back inside the club before turning to face Gabe. He was staring at her, his face now a clear window to his emotions. He was scared. More specifically, he was scared of her.

  She cursed as she realized she had forgotten that he had his faculties back under his control. And here she was standing in front of him in blood-soaked clothes, fangs still bared and covered with his blood.

  She really didn’t want to do it but his terrified eyes were killing her. Relax, it’s not as if you are doing this to read his thoughts. You just want to calm him down. Hell, if you don’t do it, he’s probably going to have a heart attack or something.

  His cheeks were cool when she placed her hands on them. Her heart broke when he flinched at her touch but she kept going. She recalled Nicky’s instructions as she practiced on Marcus earlier in week. She stared deep into Gabe’s eyes, watching as his pupils dilated until all she saw was a field of blackness. She let the darkness flow over her until she was a part of it.

  …This is fucking insane…that guy is dead…his blood was everywhere…the teeth, the blood…Christ, it can’t be, it can’t fucking be…vampires…fuck, I’m gonna end up dead…

  Shit, she hadn’t meant to hear his thoughts. It was probably going to take a lot more practice to get control over this new ability. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to put in the time required. It was a strange feeling to share your head with someone else and there was the underlying terror that at any moment you could float away, lost in the darkness.

  ...Gabe, you aren’t going to end up dead…Everything is going to be okay…I need you to come with me and get in my car…Take my hand…As long as you have my hand, you are safe…

  ...Cordelia, what happened to you...

  The deep pain in his voice shook Cordelia and she quickly pulled herself back into her own head. His pupils were still dilated and his eyes were glossy and unfocused. She could see the trembling in his broad shoulders and she took his hand.

  The second she threaded her fingers through his, the trembling stopped and he let out the breath he had been holding. Looked like her mind mojo had worked.

  She led him down the alley, pausing at the end and peeking around the corner before going out on the street. She was still running high on adrenaline from the fight and her paranoia was maxed out.

  They didn’t run into any problems, the street practically deserted but even still, Cordelia did not breathe until they had slid into the leather seats of Demetri’s Bentley a few minutes later.

  She looked over at Gabe to give him a reassuring smile but it faltered when she got a look of him.

  He sat there, just staring straight ahead, his face impassive. He didn’t look like the Gabe she knew. His face was always bright with emotions, whether he was having a laugh or pissed off at something or someone. She didn’t like
seeing him like this. She didn’t like the idea that she was doing this to him.

  She turned his head towards her, making eye contact with him so she could sever the remaining ties to his psyche. He didn’t deserve to be imprisoned in a fog of confusion, no matter the crazy events going on around him.

  His body jumped the moment he came under his own power and he looked around the inside of the car in bewilderment. His focus came back to her and he blinked a few times, as if clearing his vision would help him recognize her.

  “Cordelia?”

  “Hey,” she said quietly, not sure of what else to say.

  “Where the hell are we?”

  “My car. Actually, it’s really my friend’s car but that’s not important. I’ve got to get you back to the place I’m staying at.”

  “Why?”

  “Safety reasons.”

  She started the car and gunned the engine as she left the parking lot, heading in the direction of the manor.

  “Cordelia?”

  She took her eyes off the road for a moment to look at him. “Yeah?”

  “This is one really fucked up dream.”

  ***

  It was the only explanation Gabe could come up with. All of this was a dream. He was really at home, passed out in bed with a couple empty bottles around him and a bitch of a hangover waiting for him when he woke up.

  Not that he ever wanted to wake up. He liked this dream. Cordelia was alive here. And she was looking damn hot and she was driving him back to her place in a sweet ride. Yeah, this dream was way better than reality.

  The whole vampire thing was a little weird though. He had always been into horror movies but it rarely translated into his dreams and when it did, it was usually dreaming about some homicidal slasher maniac. Vampires were something new but he didn’t mind. God knew they looked a hell of a lot better than Jason or Freddy.

  And that fight had been amazing to watch. Sure, there had been a ton of blood spilled but watching glamazon Cordelia kick that guy’s ass had been brilliant. Which was a bit strange because normally in his dreams he was the conquering hero. He was the one who fought to protect the damsel in distress, not the other way around.

  He could definitely get used to the role reversal if it meant she bit him again. Jesus that was the most erotic thing he had ever experienced. One moment he felt nothing and the next, it was like every one of his nerve endings flared to life at the same time. A wave of sensations had crashed into him and, as he was swept under it, one feeling stood out above them all. Bone melting pleasure. It had been better than any sex he had in his life.

  “Are you going to bite me again?” he asked her and he saw her wince as she stared out the windshield.

  “No, I promise I won’t. I’m sorry I had to do that but it was the only way to keep you safe.”

  “It’s okay. You can do it again. I liked it.”

  She glanced over at him. “You liked it?”

  “Fuck yeah. Just thinking about it gets me hard all over again.” He squeezed his shaft to relieve the throbbing and she looked over again, her wide eyes on his lap.

  He stroked his hand up and down his erection, her eyes watching his movements. A horn blared and she jerked her attention back to the road, swerving the car back into their lane. What did the road matter? It wasn’t as if they would get hurt if they got in an accident.

  He noticed that as they cruised over the uneven roads, the lapels of the jacket she wore had fallen apart, revealing her cleavage. The plump flesh was hypnotizing and he reached out to place his palm on the swell of her breast. He squeezed gently and she gasped.

  “Gabe, what are you doing?”

  “I always wondered what your tits would feel like. Warm and soft, just like I thought.”

  “Wait, I’m driving, you have to stop that.”

  “Forget about the driving and come here.” He reached across the gearshift and tried to pull her over to his seat but she pushed him away.

  “Damn it Gabe, you are going to get us killed!”

  “You can’t die in a dream.”

  “Shit, I knew we shouldn’t have screwed with your brain. Listen Gabe, this isn’t a dream. This is real. The club, the fighting, the blood, the fangs…it all happened.”

  “No it didn’t. My subconscious is just trying to deal with you dying. The grief has been slowly killing me.”

  She stared at him silently, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly agape. A car horn blared again and her eyes shot back to the road, where the lights of an oncoming truck were right in front of them. She cursed and cranked on the wheel, the tires squealing as she brought the car back into the proper lane. The truck’s horn continued to blare as it passed them harmlessly but she still slammed on the brakes, the car screeching to a halt on the side of the road.

  Her breath was coming in quick pants and she dropped her forehead to the steering wheel, her eyes closed tight. Her knuckles were white as she clung to the wheel and her shoulders were trembling. She was scared and he longed to reassure her.

  He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. He could feel the warmth of her skin radiating from beneath the suit jacket and he closed his eyes to relish the sensation. It could be his last chance to touch her, knowing that he could wake up at any moment.

  His palm moved in small circles and he could feel the trembling in her body ease up. She took several deep breaths to calm herself and finally her head rose from the wheel and she gave him a weak smile.

  “Sorry about that, the truck just scared the hell out of me.”

  “You don’t need to be scared, it’s just a dream,” he said, moving his hand from her shoulder to her neck, his thumb softly stroking her pulse point. He stared at her intently, memorizing every detail about her, from the way her eyes darkened as he touched her to the way the tip of her tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip.

  His hand moved to cup her cheek and he ran the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. He wanted to kiss her, take her mouth with his own and finally find out what she tasted like, even if it was just a dream version of her.

  “Gabe, there’s something you need to understand,” she said, breaking the spell and he dropped his hand from her cheek.

  She cleared her throat, her eyes darting away from him while she licked those lips of hers again. Before he could get distracted again, she spoke.

  “I’m not dead. I’m a Shadow Walker, all those people back there, they were Shadow Walkers too. Everything that happened tonight was real. This isn’t a dream.”

  “Sure it is but I don’t mind. I’ve missed you so much.”

  She smiled and once again, he saw those fangs. “I’m sorry that you’ve had to go through all this. I’m sorry that it’s not over yet. And I’m sorry that you can’t keep thinking this is all a dream.”

  She hauled back and punched him hard in the upper arm. He groaned, his hand going to rub the sore spot. Damn, she had a hell of a right hook. He was pretty sure that he would end up with a bruise the next day.

  Except this was a dream and you didn’t get bruises from dreams. As a matter of fact, you didn’t feel any pain in dreams. Yet he was feeling a very real ache in his arm.

  Holy fuck.

  “This isn’t a dream,” he stated, as if he needed to hear the words from his own mouth.

  “No, it’s not. I would like to tell you more but right now, we have to get back to the manor. Once we are there, I’ll tell you everything, I promise.”

  He nodded dumbly and she shifted the car into gear and headed back on the road. The purring engine of the luxury car had a calming effect on him and for that, he was grateful.

  He felt as if all the circuits in his brain were jammed and he had no idea how to get things back on track. All he could focus on was that Cordelia was really alive. If he could hold on to that, maybe he wouldn’t lose his mind.

  Chapter 7

  Cordelia was worried about Gabe. He had not said a single word since he had realized this wasn’t a dream. He had ju
st stared out the window of the car, silent and unmoving. When they arrived at the manor, he had followed her inside at her request but said nothing as she led the way to the lounge.

  She was pretty sure he was in shock and she didn’t want to have this conversation with him while they were perched on the antique and uncomfortable chaises in the front salon surrounded by dark oil paintings and expensive statues. The leather couches, track lighting and state of the art entertainment system in the lounge would be a more comforting sight.

  She watched Gabe carefully as he took in the room, eyeing the pool table and the pinball machine in the corner before walking around to check out the gaming consoles hooked up to the television. He took notice of some games that Demetri had left out on the coffee table, the catatonic gaze disappearing as he studied the plastic cases with interest. Looks like she had made the right call about the room.

  Though his eyes had some life in them now, his coloring was still quite pale. She was sure that the blood loss was not helping with the shock and vice versa. She grabbed up one of the house phones and buzzed Giovanni in the kitchen, requesting a bowl of the broth that he made for Olivia and Marcus. Giovanni had told her that it was his own special recipe, designed to help restore strength and energy after blood loss.

  Within a few minutes, Olivia was knocking on the door carrying a tray with a large bowl on it. When Cordelia walked over to take it, Olivia nearly dropped the tray in shock when she saw her blood soaked clothing.

  “What happened to you?” she cried out, placing the tray on a nearby side table. She began to cluck over Cordelia like a mother hen, pulling open her jacket and examining her for any injuries.

  “I’m fine, really. I fed right after it happened so I’m all healed up.” Cordelia wanted to reassure Olivia, not because she wanted her to stop fussing over her, but because she didn’t want the woman to worry. She actually welcomed the motherly attention.

  “You swear you are okay?”

  Cordelia held up her hand, palm out. “I swear it.”