Erin. God, Erin!
I closed my eyes as Dante hovered above me, thrusting in and out of me, the sweat from his brow dripping onto my face.
Thrust. Thrust. Thrust.
“Dante!” I screamed. “Oh my God. Dante!”
The orgasm ripped through me with the force of a hurricane, and still he thrust into me, harder and harder.
Taking me. Branding me. Making me his.
Until the contractions slowed, and I opened my eyes. And I stopped the in-and-out motion—the motion of my own hand.
It had been good. No denying that.
But even with my vivid imagination, it hadn’t equaled Dante. Not Dante’s lips. Not Dante’s cock.
It hadn’t given me the pure release I craved.
And I hadn’t heard music.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Dante
I rushed into Bill’s house. “Where are you? What’s wrong? Is Em okay?”
River came out from the kitchen, carrying two glasses of blood. He handed me one. “Em’s fine.”
“Then what’s the big emergency?”
“No emergency. I just said it was important.”
I drained the glass of blood. It sated my immediate thirst, but not the lust for Erin’s blood. “I was in the middle of something important, Riv.”
“Oh. Sorry. But this really is important.”
My muddled mind couldn’t imagine what might be more important than finally making love with Erin. “Fine. What is it?”
“First, I want you to know that I’m here for you. I’ll help you in any way I can.”
“Yeah. Great. Thanks. That couldn’t have waited?”
“That’s not why we need you here. Bill found something that might explain what’s going on with you. Why your sense of smell isn’t working correctly.”
“Can we do anything about that?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t tell me much yet. Said he was waiting for you.”
“I’m willing to try anything. I need my nose, Riv.” More than ever, now that I had to protect Erin.
“I know you do.” He looked at his watch. “It’s getting close to dinnertime, and I have a date tonight, so—”
“A date? With whom?”
“That nurse from the bar. Lucy Cyrus. Man, is she hot.”
“Erin’s friend,” I said more to myself than to Dante.
“Yeah.” He sniffed. “You’ve been with Erin, haven’t you?”
I nodded, stiffening. That River could scent Erin still bothered me more than a little. I suppressed the urge to punch him in the nose.
“No wonder you didn’t want to be dragged away. Let’s go see Bill. He’ll explain this better than I can.”
We wandered into Bill’s office. He sat behind his desk, as usual.
“Dante, good. Thanks for coming so quickly.”
I sat down. “I thought something might be wrong with Em.”
“No, no. Emilia’s at home, as far as I know. She’s doing fine. She’ll have the best medical care available. There’s a vampire doctor on the outskirts of town, an old family friend. He’s gotten many women through pregnancy and childbirth.”
“That’s good,” I said. “What did you find?”
“It’s complicated. Something that hasn’t been documented in over a thousand years, and even then it was extremely rare. Most scholars assumed the trait had died out, and it hasn’t been part of our teaching in centuries. I had to really dig for it.”
“Wait. What? What trait?”
“I’ll get to that. As you both know, in the beginning, as far as we know, humans and vampires lived in peace together, the latter feeding on the former. No one knew exactly how or why the feeding took place, but I found a theory.”
“What’s this got to do with me?”
“Hear me out.” He cleared his throat. “As I understand it, millennia ago, humans developed a physiological need, one that isn’t completely understood. Human males were drawn to female vampires, and human females to male vampires. These vampires fed from their human counterparts, getting their required sustenance, but that’s not what originated the bond.”
“What do you mean?” River asked.
“The human needed to let him feed. Needed to nourish this particular vampire.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” I said. “Humans have no need for us.”
“No, they don’t. Not anymore. But at one time, they did.” Bill closed his eyes.
“So each vamp had a particular human that fed him?” River said.
“Yes. The human developed a physical need to feed a certain vampire, and you can see where this led.”
“No, I’m afraid I don’t see,” I said, rubbing my temples against an impending headache.
“The need forced vampires to procreate with humans. The humans needed the vampires to feed from them, and the vampires in response needed that particular human’s blood. A bond was created. A bond that overcame all other bonds. It created a destiny for the vampire and the human.”
“So that’s how the interbreeding started?”
“Apparently. It was a necessity on the human’s part, and it led to our demise because we stopped breeding with our own.”
“I thought it was our lack of fertility that led to that.”
“That didn’t help our cause. But if the humans hadn’t created the bond, hadn’t developed the need to feed us, we would most likely have continued to breed within our own species, and more of us would have survived. It’s very unlikely for one species to breed with a different species in the wild. It almost never happens. We would have never been as plentiful as humans, since they’re so much more fertile, but we would have continued to thrive.”
“So you’re saying…”
“I’m saying that this bond on the part of humanity, that caused vampires during that time to lose their smell and thus their ability to protect themselves, and kept them from breeding with their own, contributed to our decreasing numbers.”
“Humans have helped destroy us.” River took a seat next to me.
Bill nodded. “Through no fault of their own, of course, at least not that we know of. They didn’t ask for this bond. It evolved well before humans and vampires became self-aware.”
“Then Erin…” My mind raced. Could this be possible? After all these years? It was happening now? “Did this happen to every vamp—”
“It’s not something that happens to us,” Bill said. “If I’m understanding correctly, the bond begins with the human.”
“How?”
“No one knows, but the theory is that it originated as a defense mechanism. Vampires are physically stronger than humans, and their senses are much more acute. Humans needed a way to survive, to ensure that vampires wouldn’t eventually conquer them. What better way than to take away their sense of smell, force a need for human blood onto them, and then interbreed until vampires eventually died out?”
“But what causes…” I sat down, my head going fuzzy.
“It hasn’t worked,” River said. “We’re still here.”
“Yes, we are. But there are precious few of us.” Bill rubbed his head.
“Then it’s probably not happening with me,” I said.
“I’m not so sure,” Bill said. “You said you and Erin heard music that wasn’t there, right?”
I nodded.
“That’s the mark of a blood bond.”
“Music?” River said. “Music didn’t even exist when all of this was allegedly happening. If we weren’t self-aware, we certainly didn’t recognize music, other than beating bones against skins or whatever.” He rolled his eyes.
“Enhanced auditory stimulation between the bonded is how the theory puts it,” Bill said. “If what I suspect is true, Erin has formed a blood bond with you. The pull you feel isn’t coming from you. It’s coming from her.”
I grasped the arm of my chair, trying to wrap my mind around what Bill was telling me. “No. I feel the pull. I…need her. I want
her. I can’t stay away from her. I leave this house with the intention of going somewhere else, and I end up going to her.”
“You feel her pulling you. She’s developed a physiological need to feed you. And once you feed from her, that need will transfer to you. You will require her blood for survival.” Bill paused.
After a few moments of silence, River spoke. “We were always taught that fated mates didn’t exist among vampires or humans.”
“This isn’t a case of fated mates,” Bill said. “Fated mates in the were kingdoms are bound by intense physical attraction and drive that evolves into more, but they can live without each other. Many never meet their intended mate. What I’m talking about goes beyond that. It’s a bond of the blood, which evolves into a physical need and desire to fornicate and…”
Our bond will never be severed.
No, can’t go there. Get out of my head!
“What?” I swallowed the lump that had lodged in my throat and willed away the unwanted thoughts.
“You’ve been through so much, Dante, and now…”
“I’ll just stay away from her.” Even as the words left my mouth, I knew I couldn’t. The magnetic pull was too great. “If I leave her alone—”
“You can’t,” Bill said, sighing. “Not unless you’re willing to truly let her go. Now that Erin has initiated a bond with you, she needs to feed you. If you don’t complete the bond and let her give you her blood…she will die.”
Epilogue
The Queen
I do miss you, Dante, but I am keeping good company. I have a new source of nourishment, one that is feeding me well until I bring you back. Though he is satisfying, his blood is not quite as potent as what I’ve become used to.
My blood cries for your blood. It always will.
I have much work to do, work to assure a place for us in the future, dear Dante. I dream of the day we are reunited, the day I can once again sink my fangs into your flesh and become one with you, body and blood.
You are, and always will be, mine.
Our bond will never be severed.
Prologue
Dante
“I’m saying that this bond on the part of humanity, that caused vampires during that time to lose their smell and thus their ability to protect themselves, and kept them from breeding with their own, contributed to our decreasing numbers.”
“Humans have helped destroy us.” River took a seat next to me.
Bill nodded. “Through no fault of their own, of course, at least not that we know of. They didn’t ask for this bond. It evolved well before humans and vampires became self-aware.”
“Then Erin…” My mind raced. Could this be possible? After all these years? It was happening now? “Did this happen to every vamp—”
“It’s not something that happens to us,” Bill said. “If I’m understanding correctly, the bond begins with the human.”
“How?”
“No one knows, but the theory is that it originated as a defense mechanism. Vampires are physically stronger than humans, and their senses are much more acute. Humans needed a way to survive, to ensure that vampires wouldn’t eventually conquer them. What better way than to take away their sense of smell, force a need for human blood onto them, and then interbreed until vampires eventually died out?”
“But what causes…” I sat down, my head going fuzzy.
“It hasn’t worked,” River said. “We’re still here.”
“Yes, we are. But there are precious few of us.” Bill rubbed his head.
“Then it’s probably not happening with me,” I said.
“I’m not so sure,” Bill said. “You said you and Erin heard music that wasn’t there, right?”
I nodded.
“That’s the mark of a blood bond.”
“Music?” River said. “Music didn’t even exist when all of this was allegedly happening. If we weren’t self-aware, we certainly didn’t recognize music, other than beating bones against skins or whatever.” He rolled his eyes.
“Enhanced auditory stimulation between the bonded is how the theory puts it,” Bill said. “If what I suspect is true, Erin has formed a blood bond with you. The pull you feel isn’t coming from you. It’s coming from her.”
I grasped the arm of my chair, trying to wrap my mind around what Bill was telling me. “No. I feel the pull. I…need her. I want her. I can’t stay away from her. I leave this house with the intention of going somewhere else, and I end up going to her.”
“You feel her pulling you. She’s developed a physiological need to feed you. And once you feed from her, that need will transfer to you. You will require her blood for survival.” Bill paused.
After a few moments of silence, River spoke. “We were always taught that fated mates didn’t exist among vampires or humans.”
“This isn’t a case of fated mates,” Bill said. “Fated mates in the were kingdoms are bound by intense physical attraction and drive that evolves into more, but they can live without each other. Many never meet their intended mate. What I’m talking about goes beyond that. It’s a bond of the blood, which evolves into a physical need and desire to fornicate and…”
Our bond will never be severed.
No, can’t go there. Get out of my head!
“What?” I swallowed the lump that had lodged in my throat and willed away the unwanted thoughts.
“You’ve been through so much, Dante, and now…”
“I’ll just stay away from her.” Even as the words left my mouth, I knew I couldn’t. The magnetic pull was too great. “If I leave her alone—”
“You can’t,” Bill said, sighing. “Not unless you’re willing to truly let her go. Now that Erin has initiated a bond with you, she needs to feed you. If you don’t complete the bond and let her give you her blood…she will die.”
Chapter One
Erin
I purposely got into work early the next evening so I could do some research on Mrs. Moore, the ninety-year-old patient who had succumbed to influenza. Her first name was, in fact, Irene, but her next of kin was not her first son but her husband, Clay Moore, an eighty-year-old man living in hospice care with advanced lung cancer. I couldn’t help a slight smile. Mrs. Moore had been ninety—and a cougar. But then my heart broke a little. Mr. Moore might not even be aware his wife had died.
If I wanted to talk to him, I’d have to work quickly.
No mention anywhere of a son…
Wait! Her death certificate. Someone had to report the information to the state, and it was usually a relative. If Mr. Moore was in hospice, he wouldn’t have done the reporting. The death cert wouldn’t have been filed yet, but I could access the information. Up it popped.
Name of informant: Juan Mendez, Jr.
Relationship to deceased: Son
Yes! The Carlos Mendez in the news article I’d found was indeed Mrs. Moore’s son.
I picked up the phone to dial the number listed for Juan Mendez but stopped just as quickly. I couldn’t call the man at ten thirty in the evening. He was probably in his sixties, and he’d be in bed. I’d have to wait until I got off work.
Just as well, because in the distance, the sirens shrieked.
I wasn’t officially on the clock yet, but I was here. I hurried out to the ER.
The first two gurneys were already coming in.
Chapter Two
Dante
“What?”
I hadn’t heard Bill correctly. That was the only explanation.
“The bond has to be completed, Dante. Or she will die. You need each other now.”
“I don’t get it. This sure sounds like a fated mate thing to me.”
“It’s quite different. First, fated mates originate with the male. It’s a bond of the heart and the soul, and though it’s driven by the body, it’s not a bond of the body. They can live without each other.”
“I’m not understanding the difference.”
“With a blood bond, the human, whether male or f
emale, initiates the bond.”
“Why would the prey create the bond with the predator?” River asked. “Not that we’re predators in the true sense of the word, but we do require blood to live. They don’t need anything from us.”
“Instinct. Survival,” Bill said. “They were weaker with less acute senses, so they instinctively exploited our need for them.”
“You’re positive this is coming from her,” I said. “From Erin.”
“Positive is a strong word for something that hasn’t been documented in over a thousand years. But in theory, yes, that’s what’s happening.”
I shook my head. “I don’t believe it.”
“How can you not believe it, Dante?” River asked. “You’ve been trying like hell to convince me this thing with Erin was something more than just your reaction to an amazing-smelling human. Bill is telling you that you’re right. It is something more.”
I sat down, dazed.
“I owe you a big apology,” River continued. “I’m sorry I was so obtuse that I couldn’t see what was really happening.”
“Don’t blame yourself, River,” Bill said. “This hasn’t been documented in ages. It’s not even being taught in vampire history anymore. I’m lucky I found it.”
“It still doesn’t make sense,” I said.
“No, not to us. But what other explanation is there for you losing your ability to scent anyone but Erin?”
“I don’t know. Even now, I ache for her. I want to go to her, be with her.” Sink my dick into her while I bite into her jugular and suck her delicious blood.
“Are you in love with her?” River asked.
“I have no idea, Riv. I don’t know the first thing about love. I wasn’t around to experience it. Have you ever been in love?”
“Once or twice.” He smiled.
Unchained: Blood Bond Saga: Volume One Page 18
