by Alice Brown
As she walked in the classroom, she noticed Kevin watching for her. It was unusual for her to run late.
The second she strolled through the door, Kevin felt like he had been sucker punched in the gut. The cold, black fury that threatened to overpower him forced him to suck in a deep breath and count to fifty before releasing. Erica spotted an empty seat next to him, and attempted to smile brightly as she headed his way.
“Good morning,” she greeted him in a forced cheeriness, and then sucked in a silent, deep breath against the pain as she slid into the empty seat next to him.
He sent her a look that instantly told her he wasn’t fooled by her cheeriness. “Morning,” he grumbled in reply.
* * * *
One look at her face assured him she was in pain. As the professor addressed the class and started his lecture, Kevin called upon his extra keen senses to assess her injuries. He had observed her wrapping an arm around her ribs as she took her seat. Yes, there was definite damage to her ribs, he quickly noted to himself. That fact alone made his temper threaten to explode, and he took a moment to wrestle it back down. As his nostrils flared on a deep inhale, the scent of fresh blood hit him hard. Another deep inhale confirmed it was coming from two different sources. The first was from her arm, and just the thought of what the cause could have been had him seething. Had the bastard cut her? The other location seemed to stem from her monthly, and he quickly cast that information aside. She was a human female, after all.
He closed his eyes, praying for an excuse just to touch her. With one touch, he could be in her thoughts in a heartbeat, easily accessing all feelings, thoughts, memories, and emotions. Unfortunately, he had to be touching a person in order for this process to work. After what he suspected she’d had to endure last night, the last thing she would want was someone touching her, no matter how casually. He sat back in his seat and crossed his legs at the ankles as he concentrated on attempting to read her emotions anyway. It was a long shot, more like a total impossibility, but it wasn’t like he had anything else better to do. He didn’t need to be empathic to feel the pain radiating off of her, it seemed to be coming from almost everywhere on her body. What in the hell had this woman endured last night? One way or another, he vowed to come up with an excuse after class to make skin contact, knowing then all would be revealed.
His mind quickly fell into a familiar fantasy. Erica was kneeling on the bed in front of him, naked, her hands resting on the top of her thighs. Her head was bowed, her long auburn hair cascading down her shoulders and back.
He walked over to her and gently ran his hand down her bare arm. “You are truly beautiful, Erica,” he whispered in awe as he took in her body from head to toe.
She looked up at him, and the ethereal beauty radiating from her took his breath away. A more beautiful sight he had never seen. Her breasts, while sitting high upon her chest, stood straight at attention, her nipples begging for his attention. He reached over and gently caressed one, as he leaned forward to capture her mouth. He sipped her lips gently at first, enjoying her taste. But that only lasted a moment and he had to have more. He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, requesting entry. She opened immediately, but before he’d had time to act, she bit down on his lower lip. He pulled back in surprise to see her grinning playfully at him. So that is how she wants to play.
“Be careful my darling, I might want to retaliate.” He wrapped his free arm around her waist and brought her up tightly against his body, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. He enjoyed the feel of her hard nipples poking at his chest. He could smell her arousal and couldn’t wait until he could dip his tongue in her juices.
The tone of the professor’s voice changed slightly, bringing Kevin out of his musings. Class was almost over. Good, maybe Kevin could get the answers he needed.
He glanced over to the seat next to him and frowned. Erica was currently doing her very best to pay attention to the professor and ignore him. He just barely withheld a chuckle. Once class was dismissed, he planned to have all of her attention, one way or another. He wasn’t leaving until he had the answers he needed. He knew without invading her thoughts that the monster she was married to was responsible for her state. He knew the monster was slowly destroying the body he loved so very much. Oh, Erica was unaware of his feelings. He had done a great job of keeping her in the dark in regards to his personal feelings for her. He continued being her rock of support, all the while desperately trying to persuade her to get away from that monster she was married to. That monster who was destroying the woman Kevin would gladly give up his own life for. It was a bizarre enough situation that she was married to a vampire. Oh yes, Kevin knew what he was. He had done his own investigating. The reason he knew Shawn was a vampire was, well, because Kevin himself was a vampire. However, he never for one minute considered himself the monster that Shawn was. Kevin would never, ever harm any woman, let alone one that was as sweet and nice as she was. And that body, whoa! Kevin had dreamed of all the things he would love to do with her body. He had dreamed of how she would shutter and scream out as her orgasm took over her body. He had dreamed of how good her cream would taste on his tongue as he brought her to climax with his mouth. Yes, it was easy to envision all of the things he would love to do with her body, and he guaranteed she would find each of them pleasurable.
As soon as class was dismissed, he glanced over to her still sitting in her seat. With calmness he wouldn’t have believed possible, he asked her, “Would you like to join me in the garden? You look like you could use a soda.” He flashed a smile her way, and was rewarded with a blush as he heard her heart beat pick up speed. She wouldn’t say no. The garden he referred to was actually a picnic area outside the student lounge, amid beautiful trails of flowerbeds along both sides. With birds chirping and squirrels coming right up to you looking for a morsel of food, it was a very peaceful setting to go and forget about current problems, even if it was temporary. Erica found the gardens to be peaceful and relaxing, making it one of her favorite spots. When they sat down at the picnic tables, it was as if the world stood still, and they were completely alone.
“Sure,” she replied as she inhaled sharply rising from her seat.
They walked silently down the hall. Kevin stopped and grabbed a Coke from the soda machine, and had caught back up to her before she even realized he had stopped. As they slipped outside, Erica led the way to an unoccupied picnic table under a tree. Kevin waited until she was seated, opened her soda, and then handed it to her. After watching her all morning, knowing she was in pain, he found his otherwise easy disposition to be unsettled. His mind had worked nonstop during class coming up with all sorts of scenarios as to what had happened to her last night.
He took a seat across from her, and without even thinking first, he snarled, “What the hell happened to you?” He winced as he instantly regretted his choice in words, the harshness coming through loud and clear.
Erica glared over to him and scowled. “And here I thought I’d put myself together fairly well, considering all things.” She instantly threw him a look that clearly stated, “I am not in the mood for a lecture!”
Kevin sucked in a deep breath and prayed for patience as he reached over to gently place his hand on top of hers, hoping she wouldn’t pull away. The second their skin touched, he immediately jumped into her mind. Five seconds later he heard his own sharp intake of breath, as Erica’s memories of last night’s events were now his memories, also. Pulling from some unknown reservoir of inner strength, he calmly stated, “I apologize for being so harsh. Are you okay? You look to be in pain.” It was quite easy to show real concern for her after what he just witnessed from her memories, she was lucky to be moving at all today.
“Bad night,” Erica replied.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked gently, allowing his thumb to gently rub over the backside of her hand. He seriously doubted she would tell him everything, but wanted to give her the opportunity.
“Not reall
y, I just need you to be a friend right now,” she responded as her eyes glazed over. She turned her hands over and clasped onto his tightly. “Can you do that for me?” The request came at barely the slightest of whispers. Kevin felt a sharp pain in his chest as he watched her eyes well up with tears.
“You know you are in a situation that will only get worse over time. Why in the world don’t you leave him?” Kevin asked her pointedly.
“If only it was that easy,” she stated dejectedly with a faraway look in her eyes. She had been trying to figure out a way out of things almost since she said those fated words, “I do.” Locking eyes with Kevin, she felt compelled to pour her heart out to him. He was the only person in the world that she felt comfortable enough to tell any of her problems to. Since Kevin knew Shawn was an alcoholic, she felt free to tell him about the flashbacks that occurred when he was drunk. The bruises were proof that Erica was on the wrong end of the deal most of the time. However, there was only so much that she did feel comfortable in telling him. Kevin had no idea just how far Shawn would go on his really bad nights. She just couldn’t bring herself to tell anyone how she allowed her husband to treat her like a whore, forcing himself on her no matter how much she pleaded or begged him not to. And then there was the feeding thing…
“Erica, if you will only give me a chance, I can help you. I can protect you from him.” Kevin’s voice broke into her train of thoughts.
There was the problem in a nutshell. Erica knew Kevin meant every word he stated. She knew deep down inside Kevin felt he could handle her husband, should Shawn come looking for her. But how in the world was she supposed to tell him that she was married to a monster?
And then there was the other problem. Erica had the distinct feeling Kevin would love nothing more than for this relationship to be more than friends. No, she couldn’t bring herself to think about that now. Not when she was living a life of pure hell, just praying she would wake up alive every morning. Thank goodness Kevin had never done anything to try to push the issue. He had merely been a friend, her rock to cling to when the tide was high. Of course, she giggled to herself, if she told him her current husband was a vampire, he would probably think she was nuts, and lose interest quickly!
Kevin took out a piece of paper and quickly jotted down his address, home phone and cell phone number. “If you ever need help, I’m only a phone call away,” he stated for the umpteenth time, as he placed the slip of paper in her hand. His fingers gently brushed over her skin before pulling back. He had steadily been trying to convince her to leave Shawn for several months now.
Heat infused her face, and he knew she was affected by his touch as much as he was. Clearing her throat, she looked up at him. “Thanks, Kevin. You are truly a good friend. I know I’ve got to figure a way out of this, I’m just not sure how. My biggest fear is Shawn chasing me. I truly believe he would kill me if he found me after I left him.”
“Just know that you are not alone. It is your decision, Erica.” He reached over and gave her hand a reassuring gentle squeeze. “Just please don’t wait until it is too late.”
As Erica stared down at the piece of paper in her hand, she contemplated her situation. God, how she wished there was someone she could just confide in, tell them every horrible detail of her life. But she didn’t dare. Sure, Kevin wanted to help her, but at what cost? If Shawn found Kevin with her after she left, or found out Kevin helped her escape in any way, she was sure Kevin’s life would be in just as much danger as hers. She had her hands full enough just trying to keep her own life out of peril. Was she willing to risk another’s? Could she live with herself if Shawn killed Kevin for trying to help her? He had family that he was close to. He was constantly talking about his parents and three sisters. Erica had no family and had been raised in the foster care system. In hindsight, she realized this was probably one of the reasons Shawn singled her out to begin with. With no family or friends, there was no one to care if she was around or not.
So, the question remained, was there anyone out there she could trust to help her? The prospect of going to the local police and informing them she needed their protection from her deranged vampire husband didn’t seem all that appealing. She glanced up and caught Kevin watching her. If only she didn’t have a conscience reminding her that if Kevin were hurt, it would be on her shoulders.
As Kevin continued watching Erica’s face, he contemplated the horrible situation she was in. He could read every bit of misery in her eyes. To make matters worse, she didn’t know the truth about him. After what Shawn had put her through, Kevin had his doubts she would ever be able to fully trust a man again. Let alone another vampire. The entire situation just sucked! He swore under his breath vehemently. It wasn’t fair. Erica was one of those rare, beautiful gems that deserved to be nurtured and loved every day of her life. As he continued watching the misery in her eyes, he made a silent vow to himself. Not if, but when, he got his hands on that bastard, alcoholic vampire husband of hers, Shawn Harper would pay for the torture he had inflicted upon her. Kevin knew that he would have no peace of mind until he was absolutely certain that Shawn Harper could never touch this beautiful woman sitting across from him again. He just had to convince Erica to allow him to help her get safely away, first.
He thought about telling her about himself. It was a risky thing, no matter what he decided. Normally, telling a human about vampires was forbidden, except for those few vampires who fell in love with a human. They still had to receive permission from the vampire judicial board before doing so. And if said love affair didn’t work out, all information about vampires was to be erased from the human’s mind immediately. They would reenter human society, with a false memory to take up the time span.
But with Erica, Kevin didn’t need to worry about that. She already knew about vampires. And, she was his mate. His soul cried out for her every time he said good-bye. Unfortunately, she had seen nothing but the worst of his kind, and he was quite sure if he were to tell her about himself and his family, she would run screaming in the opposite direction. No, he couldn’t afford to take that chance. He would need to woe her until he gained her trust completely, and then hope she would accept him for what he was. The animal in him growled in displeasure. It had waited long enough to claim her, it roared. But Kevin knew if he didn’t go slow and cautious with his mate, he may very well lose her before he ever claimed her.
Kevin kept Erica in the garden most of the afternoon. She had no ambition to return home anyhow. As it was, it was late afternoon when the two walked out to the parking lot. As he closed her door for her, he leaned down into the open window. “Remember, I am only a phone call away. Day or night, call me if you need help.”
“Thanks, I will,” she replied quietly, and he easily read the fear of returning home in her mind as he reached through the window and gave her a gentle hug.
As Erica pulled her car onto the main road, she was forced to deal with her fear. She felt as if she were a criminal, heading to her execution. What would tonight bring? How much longer was she going to continue watching her life spiral down to nothing? How much longer was she going to put up with the agonizing pain that followed almost every drinking binge Shawn went on? And was there a place on earth that was safe, once she did leave?
Pulling into her driveway, the first thing Erica noticed was Shawn’s car missing. Thank heavens! Of course, this probably meant he just started his drinking earlier today, which would mean more trouble tonight when he returned home. With the amount of pain she was still suffering from last night, she wondered if she could really go through another episode tonight.
But, if she was home alone, and hopefully would be for a few hours, why not take advantage of the situation? Did she have the courage to truly walk away and not look back? Or was she going to chicken out and wait at home like a good little lap dog for him to come home and abuse her? If she left within the next hour or so, she would have a chance to get away from him. She felt sure she could stay hidden for the nigh
t. Shawn would probably track her down at the college tomorrow, but there would be enough people around to keep him from doing too much damage.
Was that the key? To keep plenty of people around her at all times? Shawn would not dare to make a scene in front of an audience, would he? He hadn’t yet, and Erica was fairly confident he wouldn’t. As a vampire, secrecy was everything. Could she really use this to her advantage? This was probably her best chance of getting away from him, and living to tell about it. But where would she go?
She dug into her purse to find the slip of paper Kevin had given her earlier. He had told her he had a large house which he shared with his family. She really didn’t want to put anyone else at risk, but was smart enough to know that if she didn’t surround herself with people, she would never make it. “I wonder if he would mind a houseguest,” she mumbled as her fingers were already punching in his number.
* * * *
Kevin had let time slip away from him, not wanting to leave Erica, and it had almost caused him to be late for work. One look at his face, and Kevin’s second-in-command, Marshall, knew the boss was not in a good mood.
“Bad day at school today?” Marshall teased.
