by Ann Lory
With a last look at the door leading to the house, he climbed into the back of the vehicle. It was a tight fit, but they had no choice. Tossing the blanket over the top of him, Alyssa dropped her things, ran back through the door, and ripped down some dark curtains, then sped back. She hurriedly tucked the material over Damian and around his body; then she slammed the trunk lid shut. Grabbing her bags and precious photo, she rushed to the driver’s door, tossed her things into the passenger seat, and clambered in.
She started the engine, automatically adjusting the seat and mirrors, and snapped the seatbelt in place. The car roared to life. Shifting into gear, she put the pedal to the floor, and drove through the garage door and down the driveway to the road.
This is a $100,000 dollar car! Damian yelled in her head. She grimaced.
Sorry.
Alyssa looked in the rearview mirror as they pulled out of the drive, stopping for a moment to glance back at the house that was almost completely consumed by flames. Who could D’Angel have found that would’ve done such a thing? She tried to see if anyone was about, but there was no one.
Italian cars should be handled with a little more care than you’ve just displayed.
Damian! The house is burning to the ground, and we needed to get out of there.
You mean you couldn’t have pressed the little button above your head?
Alyssa looked up and winced when she saw the garage control on the visor. Oops.
She drove, exiting the private road that led back to Damian’s. Turning onto the highway, she hadn’t driven but a few minutes when fire engines, an ambulance, and police cars sped by on the opposite side. One of the neighbors up the beach must have seen the smoke and called for help.
Damian sighed, and she could feel him beginning to slip into his deep slumber. Be safe, little one. Stop only to get gas when you need it. There’s a credit card in the glove compartment if you need it.
Then he was gone. Alyssa felt a deep void and loneliness but settled back in the seat and mentally prepared for the long haul to South Carolina.
Chapter Fifteen
Alyssa pulled up in front of the huge plantation house just as the sun was setting in the distance. She’d taken some rest stops and gotten pulled over once, but by some miracle the officer had had a change of heart and let her go without ticketing her for going twenty miles over the speed limit. She grinned, knowing full well that Damian had taken care of it.
She climbed out of the car and yawned, stretching, before walking to the back of the vehicle and leaning against the trunk, admiring the immaculate lawn and the weeping willows across the estate. She thought she even saw a gazebo in the distance. It wouldn’t be long before Damian could come out.
Now that they were safe, she sighed and allowed herself to think of him. She felt her cheeks begin to burn as images of the previous night filled her mind. They’d made love time and again. It had been everything she’d ever hoped for and more. She’d given herself wholly to a vampire, and the worst or best thing about it was that it had felt so right.
She traced a finger over the top of the trunk. He’d been tender, gentle; he’d been aggressive, dominating. It was hard to imagine one man could be all those things rolled into one.
She glanced back at the picture she couldn’t see, but which was still on the passenger seat. He’d known she’d have been devastated to lose it. Damian was a decent man. He couldn’t help what had been forced upon him, and he was good to her. Right for her.
There was a tap on the trunk. Alyssa jumped and released the lid. “You scared the hell out of me.”
Damian grimaced, slowly stepped out from the trunk. His burns didn’t look as bad as they had that morning. He only had red marks now. She hugged him.
Damian slipped his fingers through hers and led her up to the entrance of the house, where Christian greeted them. “We meet again, and so soon. Twice in a week, much less a year.”
Damian inclined his head.
Christian smiled at Alyssa. “Alyssa.” He bowed over her hand, lightly kissing its back.
“Hello, Christian.”
He looped her arm through his, leaving Damian to follow, an annoyed expression on his face.
“We appreciate you opening your home to us again. We can return to none of mine at the moment,” Damian said, coming up beside Alyssa as they made their way across the foyer and into the front room.
Alyssa glanced at him. “You have more than one home?”
“I have several all over the world.”
“I’ve been all over the country, but I’ve never had time to really see anything.”
“We’ll have to rectify that.”
Alyssa didn’t say anything. That comment brought up too many thoughts of a future with Damian, and she didn’t know if she was ready to think about that yet. The idea sent a thrill through her, but at the same time, it terrified her.
Moving into the room, the men waited for her to sit before they did. It was still weird for her when they did that, but she appreciated the courtesy all the same.
Damian turned to Christian. “D’Angel doesn’t know where we are at this time, but it won’t take her too long to figure it out. I can feel her occasionally testing the strength of my mind block.”
“You’re both welcome to stay for as long as you like, of course.”
Damian nodded. “Thank you, but I have another favor to ask of you.”
“Yes?”
“As you know, I can’t travel in time, although D’Angel has the ability, just as you do. She’s hiding in the past where she knows I can’t follow. She’s always done this, slipping through time here and there. In the beginning, she used to take me with her. And then I grew strong enough that I could refuse to go with her.”
Damian paused. Alyssa waited with great interest, news of time traveling astonishing her. “Why can’t you go through time, Damian?” She looked at Christian. “And you can?”
Damian said, “Some of us receive this gift and others don’t. No one knows the why or how.” He looked back at Christian once more. “Can you take me back to D’Angel? I believe I know where and when she’ll be.”
“You know I can only go back to the year I was made. If it’s beyond the 1770s, then I won’t be able to take you.”
“I know, but what if I combine my powers with yours at the same time?”
Christian shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never heard of it being done.”
“I think it’s worth the chance, if you’re willing to try.”
Christian gazed at Alyssa. She grew uncomfortable under his intense stare and looked away, wondering what he was thinking. When she felt his attention return to Damian, she was relieved. He sighed, then stood. “All right. Let me know when you’re ready to try it, and I’ll help you in whatever way I can.”
Damian rose and shook his hand. “I can’t ever fully repay you, but you know I’ll be there should you have need of me.”
Christian nodded. “I’m going out for a bit, but I’ll see you two tomorrow night. The room you used before is ready for you.” Then he left them, the sound of the front door closing behind him reaching them.
“He seems sad sometimes. Pleasant one moment; then it’s as if he disappears in his own thoughts the next.”
“He’s been through a great deal.”
Alyssa eyed Damian. “Are you really going to face her, Damian? Your sister?”
“Yes. I knew this day would come. I never doubted that.”
“Do you know where she is?”
“Not exactly, no. I know her favorite years and which homes she likes to frequent during certain seasons. We’ll just have to keep jumping from year to year, place to place until we find her.”
Alyssa rose and went into his arms, hoping to bring him some comfort. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, tenderly caressing his jaw. “I’m sorry I’ve brought this on to you.”
He smiled sadly. “You didn’t. It’s always been there. Only now I am fina
lly acting on it.”
She buried her face against his chest, squeaking when he moved her toward and up the stairs, his mouth slowly and tenderly claiming hers all the while.
He kicked the door shut to their room, then fell on the bed with her. She groaned as she felt him tug at her clothes, pulling them from her body. She did the same with his, needing to feel his naked flesh against hers.
Damian lay behind her and pulled her back against his chest, lifting her top leg. Cool air touched her briefly; then she sighed as he slipped inside her. She was wet, so wet. His fingers moved between the slick folds while his cock rapidly slid in and out of her.
He found her clit with his thumb and forefinger, applying sweet pressure, stroked and plucked the sensitive bud. She felt so open, so wanton under his hands as her inner walls spasmed and convulsed with her climax. She knew she could be or do anything she wanted with him and never have to feel ashamed. She moaned now at the erotic sensations coursing through her; her head fell back on to his shoulder. He leaned slightly over her and swooped down to ravage her mouth as he continued to thrust into her below.
Suddenly, with a swift move, he rolled her onto her belly, and still buried in her, began to ride her faster and harder. She moved her hands, but he caught them in one of his, holding her wrists beneath her belly as he continued to pound into her, over and over, surging in and out. His other hand tugged at her nipples, tweaking and pinching at them in turn.
She buried her face in the mattress when she came again, her feminine walls contracting around him, her body writhing. Her cry was lost in folds of the sheets.
He was close to coming, too. She could feel it, wanted it desperately.
She turned her head and looked over her shoulder at him. His face was intense with determination, lust and passion glowing in his eyes.
“Come for me, Damian. I need you to come, to bury yourself so deep inside of me that your cock is imprinted on my pussy.”
Her words had the desired effect. He moaned and covered her body with his, pinning her to the bed as his hips pumped frantically even as his fangs buried themselves at the nape of her neck, holding her like a panther would his mate.
Alyssa screamed as another climax blasted through her.
* * * * *
Christian entered his home and shut the door softly behind him. He glanced up the stairs, hearing his guests’ moans and cries of delight. Something in his chest constricted, and he hurried through the house to his chambers.
He stripped out of his clothes, entered the bathroom, and started the shower. He shielded himself from the sounds in the other part of the house and shoved his head under the stream.
He stood there for a long moment, letting the water sluice down his body. Still, the brief instant of bliss he’d heard served to incite his memory. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t get her out of his mind. Not Carrie, who had been so cruelly taken from him. No. It was Alynn, Dimitri’s new sister-in-law. If his mentor-turned-friend knew how often Christian thought of the young woman, Christian had no doubt Dimitri would put him out of his misery. Permanently.
Ever since meeting Alynn at his friend Jacques’s wedding nearly a year ago, Christian had been plagued with a guilty desire. He took a deep breath as he thought about his last conversation with Dimitri, who’d been finalizing the details for a trip from San Francisco to the Midwest with his wife.
Dimitri hated to visit his in-laws, though he didn’t dare tell his wife. It wasn’t because he disliked them ‑‑ on the contrary. He hated the need to keep the family from discovering that their oldest child and her husband were vampires.
Well, Dimitri might be reluctant, but Christian wanted to be there. To watch Alynn as she got ready to step out into the world. She was about to graduate high school and was preparing for college.
Somehow he’d managed to remain neutral during the conversation, giving no indication of his true and conflicted feelings about Alynn, even when he’d heard she had a boyfriend. He hated the idea of another man touching her, kissing her, caressing her body. And those thoughts always brought back the forbidden desires he had. It should be his hands on her body, kissing her, bringing her to pleasure.
He groaned, his cock standing upright now, straining toward his belly button. Still thinking of Alynn writhing beneath him, he squeezed soap into his hands, then gripped himself. He imagined her face, desire burning in her eyes as she took him into her body. His free hand hit the tiled wall for support as the other pumped his throbbing cock.
He could sense how she’d feel wrapped around him, her legs hugging him close so he could fill her completely, her voice begging him, urging him on. She’d be wild in her abandon.
His body convulsed as he came, hot seed spilling on his hand, washing away with the water as his entire body shuddered. Taking deep, gulping breaths, he wrung the last ounce of pleasure from his cock, then cleaned himself. Yeah, he was a sick bastard, but even thoughts of his lost mate couldn’t stop him from wanting Alynn.
Once again, his guilt assailed him. Carrie. Carrie was dead and long gone because of him, but it was Alynn who filled his head.
Christian sank to the shower floor and stayed there long after the hot water ran cold.
Chapter Sixteen
Damian blocked the blow and shoved Alyssa back. He grinned. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re improving.”
She returned his smile. “Why, thank you. There’s nothing I like more than kicking your ass.”
Laughing, he caught her as she lunged at him and spun her around, planting a kiss on her cheek. Her giggles sang to him, and he studied her in wonder. When else had he twirled around in a field under the moonlight? Only with her. Alyssa. He held her to him, her feet dangling off the ground. “I love you, Alyssa.”
The laughter died in her eyes, and a cloud replaced the joy. She wiggled in his arms. Her pulse accelerated, and fear rolled off her in waves. He set her down, and she moved away before lowering herself into a fighting stance. “Do you have any other moves you wanted to show me?”
Pain slashed his heart as she didn’t respond to his words. He’d told her more than once that he loved her, but though he hadn’t expected her to reciprocate his emotion initially, this time he’d been sure she felt the same.
She made love with him. Held him. Looked at him with love in her eyes. Then why couldn’t she say it? Perhaps he’d only thought he saw love whenever she gazed at him.
Damian tried to push away his anguish. He could deal with it as he’d dealt with other emotions for so long. Swallowing down the ache in his chest, he shook his head. “No, I think we’ve done enough for one night.” He pivoted and moved away from the house.
Her soft voice stopped him. “Damian?”
“Yes.” He didn’t turn to look at her. He couldn’t.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to fly for a bit; I’ll return later. Please go inside so I won’t worry over you.”
She remained silent for a long moment, before he heard her rise from her position, her heartbeat thrumming in his head. He could feel her indecision, but finally, she marched toward the house, up the steps, and disappeared inside, the door shutting firmly behind her.
Wasting no time, he ran across the field, letting the wind whip through his hair. He ran as fast as his body would allow him, then launched himself into the sky, his thoughts and emotions in turmoil.
He heard feminine laughter.
What’s wrong, Damian? Is that your heart I feel breaking?
It was, and Damian hated this weakness where Alyssa was concerned. She was the only person who could bring him to his knees.
You should’ve killed her. Look at what she’s done to my powerful Damian. You’ve become weak. Helpless. Before this pathetic mortal entered our lives, nothing could touch you. Nothing affected you. But now… She tsked. He was glad he was in the form of a hawk; otherwise, he knew he’d have ground his teeth.
Why, D’Angel? Why won’
t you leave me in peace?
You broke the rules. Just because you’re my brother doesn’t mean you’ll receive special treatment. You’ll pay like the others who have obstructed me, thwarted my wishes.
Damn you! I should’ve killed you when we were human.
She laughed, the sound high and shrill. Your sweet sister? I told you; you’re weak, Damian! You were weak when you were a pathetic mortal, and you’re weak now. I’ll destroy you both.
The hawk’s cry echoed through the night. Heart heavy, he landed in a tree and sat there for a long while. He’d had his chance to kill D’Angel long ago, but he’d not done it. He hadn’t been able to when she’d looked up at him with those eyes that were just like his mother’s. He was weak…
Her eyes widened with fear as he loomed over her. “What have you done, D’Angel?”
“What do you mean?” Her voice held trepidation and innocence.
“I saw you steal that loaf of bread. But you allowed Luisa to be blamed and beaten for it. I got there in time before she received the worst of your punishment, but the damage had already been done. Why do you steal when you can pay for what you want? How could you have sat back and watch that poor woman take the whipping you deserved?”
D’Angel broke into tears. “I don’t know,” she sobbed. Her eyes were imploring.
He looked away from her, disgusted. How many times had he watched her toy with people and take pleasure in their pain? His hands flashed out, surrounding her neck. He squeezed, tried to punish her as she deserved even as her terrified face and frantic hands filled his vision. “I should kill you now and save our parents all the heartache you’ll continue to cause them. They punish you and yet you still behave this way. You bring our family nothing but shame.”
Her face turned red, blotchy, and she gasped for air. He shook her a bit while he continued to choke her, trying to will himself to end her life, to end his parents’ torment, but his heart ached at the sight of her desperate struggles and he released her. Sickened, he turned his back to her. She coughed and wheezed a long while before she pleaded with him again.
