Alexander reached for my hand and twisted our fingers together as we drove the last few minutes to his boss’s house. He parked illegally in front of the building, ignoring my disapproving looks as he turned the ignition and pocketed the keys.
“Ready?” he said.
The excitement was instantly flowing through my veins. “Ready.”
He kissed my hand before exiting the truck and hurrying around to open my door. His hand wrapped around mine as he pulled me into the apartment building. We rode the elevator in silence, our smiles wide as we traveled up to the highest floor of the building.
Alexander led me to a door and raised his hand to knock, but before his knuckles could make contact, it swung open.
Nicholas Talbot, and my old roommate, Adrienne Wilkinson, were standing on the other side, suitcases in hand and matching looks of surprise on their faces.
“Alexander, I was going to call you once I got in the car,” Nicholas said.
“Are you going somewhere?”
Nicholas cast a wary glance at Adrienne before turning back. “Actually, yeah. We’re headed up to the training facility.”
Alexander looked at Adrienne before turning back to Nicholas. “I thought she was trained by now.”
“She is. We’re going up there to bond.”
Alexander glanced at me before running a hand through his hair. “You’re leaving? We were hoping we could stay with you here for a couple days while she goes through the change.”
“What’s wrong with your place?”
Alexander’s words were nothing more than a growl. “It’s been compromised.”
Nicholas sighed and took a step away from the door. “Why don’t you come inside, and we can talk really quick.”
Alexander pulled me into the apartment behind him and led me into a large open living room with a yellow couch centered in the middle. We took a seat on the bright sofa and watched as Nicholas and Adrienne entered the room, their faces held matching looks of concern. My old roommate spoke first.
“Are you okay?” she asked, looking directly at me.
I shrugged. “I am now. Couldn’t say the same this morning.”
Adrienne frowned at me, probably waiting for more information, but I found I couldn’t answer. I couldn’t form the words or push them from my mouth. It was scary to even think that I’d been that close to death, I didn’t want to also admit that out loud.
Alexander wrapped his fingers around mine and squeezed. “She was attacked again this morning. This time by her father. It was just past dawn, so I was asleep for the day.” He stopped talking, his jaw tight before pushing the next words through his clenched teeth. “He broke her fucking spine, and I almost wasn’t in time to save her.”
Adrienne gasped as the expression on Nicholas’ face fell. “Why would her father do that to her?”
I grimaced. “We’ve never been close.” And that was all the explanation I was willing to give.
My father was now firmly and permanently in my past. I never wanted to talk or think about him again. He was dead and he couldn’t hurt me anymore.
Those words brought such a sense of comfort, it was overwhelming.
“Anyway, we’ve learned he’d been bankrolled by someone else to rob my apartment. Her father took it a step further, and he paid for that mistake with his life.” Alexander’s words were so harsh they sent a tiny thrill of fear through me. “Now I don’t know who else might come knocking, looking for the riches her idiot father promised them. I can’t change her there knowing she’s not safe.”
“Of course not,” Nicholas said as he rose to his feet. “You can change her here while we’re gone.”
“Or you could come with us,” Adrienne piped up.
Alexander paused before turning to me, his brow furrowed. “Do you want to stay here and do your change? Or go upstate and do it?”
I shrugged. “What do you think?”
His eyes searched mine for a long moment before he answered. “I don’t care. Either way, I’m making you a vampire tonight.”
Excitement raced through my veins, tingling in my fingertips and making my heart race. “Okay, let’s go upstate. I think it might be nice to get away from the city for a couple nights.”
Alexander snorted and pulled me closer. “It’s three nights, and you won’t know or care where you are.”
I shrugged again. “I still want to go.”
Adrienne clapped loudly, her face bright with excitement. “Oh my God, this is going to be so much fun! Me and Nicholas get to bond, and you get to become a vampire like us! This weekend is going to be perfect!”
She wrapped her hands around Nicholas’ arm and leaned against his bicep. “And you’re going to love it upstate at the training facility. Everyone’s so nice and it’s so quiet and peaceful up there.”
“Is she talking about the same training facility I had the misfortune of being forced to go to once?” Alexander asked.
Nicholas chuckled. “She’s only been there in the off-season.”
My vampire nodded. “Makes sense.”
Nicholas grabbed Adrienne’s hand and jerked his chin toward the exit. “If you guys are ready, I’d like to get on the street.”
“It’s get on the road,” Adrienne said with a laugh.
Nicholas smiled at her indulgently and shook his head.
“We’ll follow you in my truck,” Alexander said as he pulled me to my feet.
Nicholas nodded. “Sounds good. Let’s go.”
I never imagined what a road trip with a vampire would be like, but even if I had, it wouldn’t have been this.
Alexander was singing the greatest hits of Motown at the top of his lungs and tapping his hands on the steering wheel to the old beats. He tried repeatedly to get me to duet with him, but I refused. Only my loofa got to hear me sing.
His phone rang, and he finally had to turn the volume down. Alexander glanced at the screen before answering. “Hey, Nicholas… okay yeah… we’ll meet you there then.” He hung up and threw the phone back in his cupholder. “They’re stopping to feed. They’ll be right behind us, though.”
I nodded, wondering what it would be like when I felt the thirst for blood like they all did. Would I be able to control myself? Or would I be a slave to my instincts, like Adrienne was that time she bit me?
We only drove for a few more minutes before Alexander pulled off the highway and navigated us through the dark, winding roads. When he pulled onto a gravel road, I sat forward in my seat so I could be the first one to see the training facility.
It was rustic and homey-looking, but also larger than any house I’d ever seen.
“Is this it?” I asked.
Alexander nodded. “Yeah, this is it.”
I looked back out the window. “Why are all the lights out?”
Alexander parked near the front door and turned the truck off before answering. “I don’t know. Sometimes vampires forget to turn on lights because we can see so well in the dark.”
I nodded, filing that piece of information away for now.
Alexander helped me out of the car before leading us up to the door. He turned the handle and gestured for me to enter ahead of him. “Ladies first.”
I put my hand over my heart and batted my eyelashes at him. “Such a gentleman.”
I turned around and walked into the training facility, but only made it a couple steps before I was knocked off my feet by a devastating blow to my head.
“Charlotte!”
Alexander’s voice rang through the silence, and I tried to answer him, but I was choking on the blood filling my mouth. Moments later, I heard the delicate chime of metal clinking against metal before Alexander roared.
I tried to pick my head up to search for him, but I didn’t even know which way was up. The whole world was spinning, and if I didn’t pass out soon, I knew I’d empty the meager contents of my stomach.
“Who the hell is this?” a man with a thick accent thundered from nearby.
There was a loud crash and a whimpering sound before the first man spoke again. “You’re fucking useless,” he spat. I heard the tinkling of metal again. “Now, rip the head off this stronzo so we can set the trap again.”
My heart plummeted to the pit of my stomach as I tried to scramble to my feet. “No,” I cried, my voice barely audible. I lost my balance and pitched forward, landing on my face, and causing the darkness on the edges of my vision to grow. “Alexander,” I whispered. “No.”
I turned and wrenched my eyes open just in time to watch a man I’d never seen before grab Alexander’s face and rip his head off his shoulders. The sound was horrific, the sight straight out of my nightmares, and there was nothing I could do about it.
The last thing I saw before the blackness took over was that same man dropping Alexander’s disembodied head onto the floor and kicking it aside.
Chapter 6
Nicholas
“Whitesnake?”
I didn’t have to look at Adrienne to know she’d be rolling her eyes. “Yes, Whitesnake, but I’m also playing some Queen this time. And I have control of the radio so you’re just going to have to suck it up.”
I sighed like I was put-out, but I actually enjoyed Queen very much. And besides, whatever made Adrienne happy, made me happy.
At that moment, with her by my side, singing loudly along with the radio and the moon’s glow reflected on her beautiful face, I knew I’d never been happier. I was about to bond with the most amazing person I’d ever met. And I knew exactly how lucky that made me.
I’d spent a lot of time alone in my life, but I’d never felt the need to fill those holes. Until Adrienne came along and changed everything. Now, I couldn’t remember what my life was like before she literally ran head-first into it.
Not that I wanted to.
We were nearing our exit and neither one of us had fed that night, too excited to get on the road to the training facility. I grabbed my phone to let Alexander know we’d be stopping and ignored all the missed calls I had from Parliament. After stuffing my phone back into my pocket, I navigated us to the bar we’d fed at the last time we were up here.
“This place looks familiar.”
I grinned at Adrienne. “Why mess with a good thing?”
I parked, and we exited the vehicle. I grabbed her hand as soon as I was close enough and was rewarded with her bright smile. We turned back to the bar, thankfully noticing a pair of men outside smoking cigarettes.
The noxious fumes were unappetizing, but the throbbing artery in their necks was all I was concerned with.
“Hello, gentleman,” I greeted them.
They both turned to me, equal expressions of distrust on their face. “What the hell do you want?” the older of the two men asked.
I leveled them with my powerful stare and felt the moment their minds were under my control. “What are your names?”
“Billie.”
“Jack.”
I turned back to Adrienne. “Take your pick.”
She frowned up at me. “How come you don’t need their names to glamour them?”
“When you get older, it’s easier. For now, you need the power of their name to capture their minds.”
She nodded slowly, a thoughtful look on her face as she walked up to the older man. I wouldn’t consider myself a jealous person, but I couldn’t deny the relief I felt when she didn’t automatically go for the better looking of the two.
I approached my meal for the night as I watched her take over the glamour with the other man. She was so graceful as she prowled toward him, her instincts guiding her. Adrienne spun them around, so her back was against the brick wall and the man she was about to feed from was in front of her. I recognized it as a move to hide what she was doing and was instantly impressed.
I cared much less about appearances, knowing I’d feed fast enough that no one would figure out what I was doing until I was done. That didn’t stop me from observing Adrienne’s every move as I sank my fangs into my dinner.
I drank deeply as Adrienne bit her human. Her eyes met mine, and the connection that was always so strong between us flared to life. It was like a physical presence it was so powerful.
Her eyes were lit with excitement, and I knew she felt what I was feeling. My pants tightened as I watched her delicate throat bob with her swallows and her slender hands effortlessly hold her meal still while she drank.
She was magnificent.
I finished feeding, sealed the wounds, and sent the man on his way before turning back to Adrienne. The yellow flecks in her bright eyes shined like gold as she pulled her mouth away from the man’s neck. She licked her lips and the straining in my pants becoming uncomfortable.
She finally broke eye contact and spun her human around. “Today you smoked your last cigarette. They’re bad for you. Now, go pay your tab and head home for the night.”
The man nodded. “Home for the night,” he repeated before shuffling away.
I crossed the distance between us in the blink of an eye. My body crowded Adrienne’s against the wall, my hands on either side of her head.
“Why do I find it so sexy when you feed?” I asked as I nuzzled her face.
“I don’t know, but I’m not complaining,” she whispered.
I dragged my lips up and down her neck, nipping and sucking as I went. Her little gasps and moans spurred me on until it felt like I could really take her against the wall.
I growled softly and pulled myself away from her. “Not here,” I said as I grabbed her hand and pulled her back to the SUV.
We got in on our respective sides, but the moment the doors were shut, Adrienne crawled over the center console and right onto my lap.
“I wasn’t done with you.”
I groaned and wrapped my hands around her waist, wishing there weren’t so many clothes between us. “Now that you have me, what are you going to do with me?” I whispered.
Her smile turned devious as she leaned down to trace her lips along my jaw. I closed my eyes as I let the overwhelming feelings Adrienne always elicited in me come to life.
My insides were chaotic. Excited and anticipatory as she started rotating her hips on my lap. “Adrienne,” I said, the warning clear in my tone.
I considered myself a disciplined man, but there was only so much I could take. And there were only a few more fragile strands of my self-control left.
“I want you,” she whispered in my ear as she slid her hands under my shirt and up my chest.
“We’re like ten minutes from the training facility,” I said between gritted teeth. My hands clenched and unclenched on her waist, begging to be let free to roam her sexy little body, but I held back.
“That’s way too long.”
I moaned when she slid her fangs into my neck and took a delicate sip. “You’re killing me,” I mumbled as my hands reached down to cup her firm ass.
It was amazing how far we’d come in just a short couple of months. Adrienne used to be shy and shield her perfect body from me, but not anymore. Now she was brazen, and wild, and so damn sexy she took my breath away.
Her gyrating only got more pronounced. More hypnotic. More irresistible.
“Then give in.”
I chuckled, but it was short-lived. The moment Adrienne unzipped my pants and wrapped her hand around my stiff length, I was done for. All thoughts of self-control out the window.
In a flash, I had her pants unfastened and pulled down to her knees. She gasped quietly as I pushed her panties aside and slid into her warm, wet entrance.
A long groan fell from my lips as I felt her open up to me. Felt her take all of me. Felt her wrap herself around me, so tight it would be a miracle if this didn’t end before it even really began.
“This won’t be long,” I warned her.
Adrienne’s hea
d was already tilted back as she started bouncing on my lap. “I don’t care. I just need you. Right now.”
I gripped her waist tight as I took over. Raising her in the air, I pumped in and out of her in short, powerful thrusts.
But it wasn’t enough.
I pulled down the neckline of her shirt and captured a pebbled nipple through her bra. She gasped, and it only spurred me on.
“Yes,” she hissed when I pinched the other hardened nub.
I knew I didn’t have much left in me. Even now, I could feel my orgasm surging to the surface. I slid my hand from her ass to her entrance and lightly pinched her clit.
That was all it took.
Adrienne gasped as she bucked wildly on top of me. It was more than enough to send me over the edge. I pinched harder and pulled her tighter against me as I emptied myself inside her. When she was spent, she leaned forward and rested her head against mine, her breaths coming in little pants.
“That was…” Adrienne panted.
“Good?”
She shook her head. “Mind blowing.”
I’d been around for a long time, and during those years, I’d been with my fair share of women. But none of them ever did to me what Adrienne did to me.
None of them filled me so full of hope and happiness that it felt like I would burst.
None of them made me feel so invincible. Like nothing could touch me.
None of them made me want to be better just so I felt like I deserved her.
She did all that and more, and it was like every day with her was better than the last.
Adrienne pulled away and looked me in the eyes, hers so warm, I felt it down to the depths of my soul. “I love you. I can’t wait to bond with you tonight.”
I pulled her close again, loving that we were still connected in every possible way. “I love you too. I’ve never been more excited in my life.”
And I’d never spoken truer words.
Adrienne had almost been taken from me once, and I’d vowed to never let that happen again. But my insecurities and doubts had gotten the better of me for a while. They’d become louder in my head than Adrienne’s voice, drowning out her wants and desires.
Blood Lust Page 5
