by Terry Spear
Atreides went to have a drink with his friends.
"You're really going to date her?" Renault asked. "It's one thing to take care of her, to protect her after she did the same for our kind, but to date her? Leave her to us to date."
"No, she only danced with me." Atreides took a sip of his brandy.
"He's not giving her up. Don't you remember the way he chased after us when we were trying to talk to the huntress in the parking lot at the club, and he was in vampire rage mode? I've never seen him act that way over any woman he has ever dated. And he wasn't even dating her," Colt said.
"I worried you were hassling her."
"You were worried she would take one of us up on an offer of a dance," Colt said.
"She would not have danced with you, just like she wouldn't with Basil." Atreides was sure of it. Something about him had drawn the huntress to him, just as he had been drawn to her. No way did she want to be with any of the other vampires. Even when she'd been injured, she'd come to the club asking for him, seeking him out, wanting his help.
"Will you join the huntress in bed tonight?" Renault asked.
Atreides smiled. He couldn't help himself. But he would not join her unless she invited him into her bed, just as he had told her. Though the notion was tempting. More than tempting. He wanted to hold her tight, kiss her until tomorrow, and make love to the vixen. Yet, he would hold back the inclination to show her how much he wanted her—this early on—when she was so newly turned.
He heard the shower shut off down the hall, imagined her wearing just a towel, her hair dripping wet, and water droplets trailing down her cheeks and throat, begging him to kiss her there. He wanted to join her in the worst way when Colt cleared his throat and Atreides glanced at his friends.
All of them were smiling at him.
Colt said, "Like I said, I can just imagine where your mind has wandered to."
"He'll end up in bed with her," Renault said.
"I agree. If only I could be there instead, but I will dream of it," Basil said.
"Iconia will be rabid," Colt said.
"Sweet dreams," Atreides said to Selena, channeling the telepathic words just to her.
Colt shook his head. "He's speaking to her."
"You think? I would be too if she would listen to me," Renault said.
Atreides glanced at Renault. "Don't even try."
Colt laughed. "I bet Iconia had a word or two to say to her once she heard you thought Selena had been turned."
"Yeah, no dating the huntress turned," Renault said.
Atreides poured everyone another sniffer of brandy. "You know I will do as I please."
"Oh, for sure. What will Daemon and Tezra say?" Colt asked.
"Under the circumstances, I believe they will be accepting. What else can we do about it? And the League has to respect that we are taking care of their huntress when their own kind would most likely reject her." Atreides finally sat on one of the chairs. He couldn't get his mind off her, but he needed to. "I believe the one who bit her had a mate or someone he cared about, and the hunters killed her. We need to learn more about the vampiresses who died. We need to make sure all of them are accounted for."
"Some live at the fringes of our society. They don't really follow Daemon's rules, or partake in our social functions," Basil said.
"I agree. I suspect it might be someone like that. And the vampire who hurt Selena was one also. A nonconformist." They weren't rogues, per se, in that they didn't kill people for the fun of it. They followed some rules, but they wouldn't bow down to Daemon's rules, and when Atreides was in charge, his rules. Daemon’s vampires allowed the fringe vampires to exist, but they didn't support them either. If the vampires played by the prince's rules—he was a good leader and well-thought of by most—he would back them in any way he could. If vampires wanted to live by their own rules, they could move out of the territory, and that's what some did. It was a dangerous thing to do because they didn't have backup should hunters wrongly target them.
Atreides had reached out to them on a regular basis, one of his jobs under Daemon, as a sub-leader, but none of them had shown any interest in becoming part of the "establishment" as they called the prince's reign.
It did worry Atreides and his brother, because there was always the chance that the fringe vampires would gather under an emergent leader and try to force the current leadership out. There could be chaos, a civil war between vampire clans. They needed to stay strong, to ensure that they weren't persecuted by the hunters, and work together.
But there were always those who couldn't abide by rules. And it was like that before the Black Death had turned them. He'd heard there was some dissent in the way the League of Hunters operated also, and that they had a fringe group of hunters too. Atreides wondered if they ever got the upper hand, would it be better or worse for the vampires?
Order came at a price, but chaos, a bigger one and he knew if either of the fringe groups were to gain a decisive foothold into the ruling powers, chaos would ensue.
Right now, they had peace between the hunters and vampires—of a sort—and they tried to keep it that way.
"Who's volunteering to check out the fringe groups?" Atreides asked.
None of his friends volunteered.
Atreides shook his head.
"Hey, I had a fight on my hands, the one time I went there to speak with some of them on your behalf," Renault said. "I didn't think I would come out of that alive."
"Your brother counts on you to deal with them because you have such a magnetic power about you," Colt said to Atreides.
"You ought to go and take Selena with you," Basil said.
"You don't think they would see her as a threat?" Though Atreides had another thought. What if she could identify the vampire who stalked her? He would have to be a wolf, but maybe she could smell his scent, or maybe he would act nervous if she turned up. Maybe he told others what he had done and one of them would out him.
"I think she might figure out who he is," Basil said.
"Let's retire then to bed." The day was going to be stormy tomorrow and Atreides figured they could be out and about during the day. Though he would sleep some midday and go out again at night when the rogue hunters might be on the prowl. He wanted to know who was on the hunters' terminal lists also, and he thought to ask either Rosa or her brother to see if they knew. He wasn't sure if Selena would know that or not.
Everyone went to their respective bedrooms and he want to his suite. After showering, he climbed into bed and telepathically communicated to Selena in a whispered voice, just in case she was sound asleep, "I'm taking you to the fringe groups in the morning, if you are up to it."
She didn't respond. He assumed she was asleep.
"Fringe vampires?" she finally asked, her voice sleepy.
He knew it. She was one of his kind! That was the first time she'd actually communicated telepathically with them. He was over the moon. He smiled, closed his eyes, and said, "Yeah. Vampires."
She sighed and then he left her alone so she and he could sleep. They would have a busy morning and evening tomorrow so he needed some sleep tonight.
He was just drifting off when she appeared in his bedroom, touching his shoulder, stirring him awake.
"You think the vampire who bit me was a fringe vampire?"
"Possibly." He pulled her into his bed with him. "And the vampiress he might have been talking about could have been a fringe vampire also. We don't have very good records of who they all are. I try to, but they move around so much, it's hard to know who and where they are at all times."
"I never would have thought that. What if the hunters who killed the vampiresses were on the fringe also?"
"Hell. Well, if that's the case, it exonerates the rule-abiding hunters and vampires."
"Except for Cliff and his brother and their friends. They worked directly for the League," she said.
"He just had a hidden agenda. The vampiress was carrying Cliff’s brother�
�s child and he had to hide the fact, probably using the other murderer's technique so that the League and the vampire clan would believe it was the work of another group of hunters. If that is the case."
"Fringe. I never think of them because the hunters that are on the fringe really never cause any trouble. They might not live by League rules, but that doesn’t mean they’re rogues. Now I wonder though.”
All he cared about was that the huntress had joined him in bed.
Chapter 13
Selena didn't believe she would be staying with Atreides in his bed tonight, but when he'd spoken to her and she realized he wasn't in the bed with her as close as he seemed, she went looking for him. And found him in his own room, nearly asleep. That was when she realized he had communicated with her telepathically and she'd heard him! No way could she do that unless she had become one of them. She still didn't seem to have any other symptoms of being a vampire except for the telepathic communication. Which was pretty cool, really. She could listen in on vampires talking to each other and for a while, they might not know that she could.
She thought the moving from place to place like they did could be a neat way to deal with rogue vampires and hunters also. She realized she would be able to do a lot of things that she couldn't do before. Good things. So it wasn't all bad. And from what she knew of Tezra's new condition, she wasn't limited to moving around in daylight only on cloudy days. Which worked for her. She wasn't a night owl normally, though taking down rogue vampires did often mean doing some night work.
She sighed as she planned to stay on the other side of the bed, but Atreides seemed to want her close and after they had danced so close, she was feeling the same way about him. She couldn't figure out why she felt a connection with the vampire, when she had figured her genetics would preclude it. But she was really glad to be working with him.
And learning from him how to deal with all the changes she would be experiencing. She really didn't want to drink blood, but she suspected once it came to that she would feel differently.
She snuggled against him, loving the feel of his hot body and muscular form. She knew he got it from all the sword fighting they did. Not against rogues all the time, but she knew they practiced sword fighting with each other, just like the hunters did so when they took on the vampires, they would be in shape to win against their enemy.
"Sleep," Atreides said. "Tomorrow will come soon enough." His voice was soothing, and she closed her eyes.
But her mind wouldn't shut down. She kept wondering if she could transport somewhere, how would she make it happen? She thought of being in the kitchen and getting a glass of water. And then she was in the kitchen, standing beside the sink, amazed. Was she dreaming?
Suddenly, Atreides was standing next to her and she blinked at him.
"Did you need something," he asked.
"Water. But I wanted to see if I could really…I can't believe I can…or that I'm…one of you."
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lightly on the lips. "It will all come as a surprise to you, all your new abilities, I'm sure. I would have a celebration, welcoming you to our clan, but I need to wait until Daemon returns. Even though I'm in charge while he's away, it still would only be right if I do this when he's here."
She sighed and kissed him back. "I guess now I really won't be welcome in hunter clubs. And I'm still not sure about vampire clubs."
"The vampire clubs will welcome you. I won't lie and tell you all vampires will welcome you to the clan. There will always be those who want to keep with the old ways and aren't happy about change. And there will be those who will be jealous of your abilities to be a daylight vampire. I think if we could have that ability, we would all want that." He released her then and got her a glass of water. "Ice?"
"Yeah, thanks."
Then he handed her the iced water and she sipped from the glass. He wrapped his arm around her waist and carried her to his room. "This doesn't bother you? The transporting business? Some who are newly turned find it hard to stomach."
"No, I feel fine. Thanks. I'm…I'm just glad I can do it."
She liked the togetherness when here she never thought that would have happened. With a hunter, yes. Man, had her life been turned upside down.
"What will Iconia think of all this?"
"She won't like it, but she and I haven't really enjoyed each other’s company in a long time. And hopefully this will make her move on," Atreides said.
"My family's not going to like this."
"It's inevitable. You can't help that you were turned and unless a hunter is interested in a huntress turned vampire, you could be unmated for all eternity. But with me, that's not happening."
She laughed. "We just met. What if I don't care for you after I've gotten to know you for a while?"
"I'll take you back to the club and we can dance together again and prove just how good we are for each other. That wasn't in the least bit faked."
She sighed. "Yeah, that was good. Hot. Unbelievable. You rocked my world."
He smiled and kissed her temple.
"When we danced on the dance floor at the club, all I thought of was bringing you back to my house and making love to you." Atreides kissed her mouth and ran his hands over her bare shoulders.
"I had never seen dancing that was so erotic in my life. Hunters just don't get that wild at their clubs. And I really didn't think I could dance with you like the others were dancing. I was burning up. And knowing it was crazy, but I would have gone home with you—uh, just to talk, but if we'd danced like that somewhere more private, you never know."
He smiled down at her. "We would have been right here, just like we are now."
"But so much has changed. I've changed."
"And I'm ready to dance with you at the club again. I doubt you could make your dance moves any sexier, even as a huntress turned."
Then they kissed again, their tongues doing a duet, their bodies rubbing against each other’s in a way that said they were hot for each other. Their hearts were beating hard and she ran her hands all over his body.
He was trying to keep his teeth sheathed, but she was too sexy, too desirable and they extended right away. He wasn't going to bite her, her own teeth still small, though when he speared her mouth with his tongue, he felt they had extended like his had and were sharper and longer than before. She touched his long canines with her tongue, the change in their relationship evident.
As a huntress, would she have done so? Maybe. They seemed to have been attracted to each other from the first time they'd met. From the time he'd caught her eye and she had seen him. The challenge to him to join her had been in her gaze even then. At least to his way of thinking. She'd been an enigma, and now she was his. And he couldn't have been more thrilled.
Daemon would have to live with the way things were now, if he was at all disappointed in the outcome of Atreides’s relationship with Selena. She was everything he'd ever wanted in a mate and more. He couldn't believe how the stars had aligned to allow this to happen either.
She slid her hands down his back and cupped his buttocks, just like she'd done on the dance floor, sending his blood to lower regions, preparing him for the next phase of the seduction. His cock was full blown already, eager to join the huntress. She was rubbing her sweet body against it as if ensuring that he stayed rock hard before she made love to him.
He cupped her breasts and kissed her mouth again and she cupped his face, her lust-filled gaze on his. "Don't bite me," she said.
He smiled. "I wouldn't dream of it. If you ever want to, we can do it, but it's totally up to you." Then he kissed her reverently, and he swept her up and set her on the bed. "I will do whatever you want."
She smiled wickedly at him. He gave her an evil smile back. Maybe he was being a bit hasty.
"Make love to me. All the way."
"That I am glad to do." Then he was kissing her mouth pressing his body against her nakedness and moving his mouth to her throat. Her heart
was beating like crazy. He couldn't help the natural instinct a vampire had to follow the path to the neck and the need to bite for the sexual fulfillment it gave them both. He hoped someday she would agree to it. He heard the whoosh of her blood pounding wildly through her veins, just like he knew she could hear his. Did it give her the same draw now that she was a vampiress too?
A smile settled on her lips, but he didn't bite her, no matter how much he wanted to, no matter how much he thought she would enjoy it when they first tried it.
"Me first," she said, surprising him. Unless that wasn't what she had in mind.
She pushed him onto his back with a huntress's strength, or a vampiress's. And then she was straddling him, bearing her small vampire teeth that could certainly do the trick even though they weren't full size yet.
She licked his neck and his cock jumped.
Then she bit gently into his neck and his groin tightened with need. Her soft touch mixed with her tentative exploration nearly sent him over the edge. Then she sucked a little, licked the tiny wound, and sealed it. She smiled at him.
He ran his hands over her thighs, glad she wasn't revolted by the experience, though he hadn't thought she would be. Not when that was part of their nature. Then he flipped her over and tasted her neck, scraping his teeth against her skin in a tickling way, no injury, just the foreplay before the bite. He would do as she did, a soft bite, slow, suck a little so she could experience the pleasure, and then seal the wound. It would be healed before they finished making love. His was nearly healed.
He pressed his teeth against her skin, heard her pulse racing to the moon and back, heard the rapid beat of her heart, and wanted to tell her to relax, it would be good. Then he recalled what had happened the last time she was bitten. This wasn't the same, but he was afraid she was feeling déjà vu.
"Relax," he telepathically told her. "It won't hurt, and you can shove at me or scream at me, anything to get me to stop."
"Do it," she softly said back, her words showing she wanted to do it, but she couldn't help feeling apprehensive.
