Chapter 9
Elaina glanced up from her plate for the tenth time. She and Vicq both had a clear view of the entrance, and each time the chime rang over the door of the quaint restaurant, her heart fluttered. She’d been running in fear, and she was tired of it. As a tracker, she’d learned to focus and keep her eyes peeled for threats, and it was in Vicq’s nature to observe.
“You have quite an appetite,” Vicq said. A glass of chilled water sweated on the placemat in front of him.
Elaina’s gaze trailed to her food. She’d ordered an assortment so she could choose which omelet she preferred, but she had succeeded in eating more than half of each one. None of them really satisfied her, but she needed the fuel. “I think you know why.”
Vicq fidgeted with the salt and pepper shakers. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken you so many times.”
“Don’t apologize.” She met his calm, hazel eyes. “I enjoyed it.” Numerous rough rounds of sex had been just what she’d needed to forget her plight, if only for a moment.
A glint of sharp fangs flashed against his lips and then disappeared. “I wish I had been there for you these past months. I just didn’t know how, without putting you in danger. Now I’m certain that I have a better chance of protecting you with you by my side. Once my coven members know you, you won’t have to worry about who has your back even when I’m not with you.”
Guilt rose up in her throat, along with the aftertaste of the last bite she’d taken. She lifted the cool glass to her lips and took a long sip. “You were never dangerous for me, Vicq. I’m the one who made you believe that.”
“But I am dangerous for you,” he said. “There’s already a price tag on my head. What right do I have to save you from one predicament only to bring you into another that is the fucked up democracy I’m ruled by right now?”
“But you’ve made it clear that you’ve separated yourself from Russo’s rule. Haven’t you?”
“That’s the problem. No vampire ever leaves Russo’s leadership and exists without being harassed or executed.”
“And he’s already sentenced you to death…” she offered.
He nodded. “And sentences are binding. Once word gets out that I still live, things will change. My coven has grown tremendously since my return. We’ve been trying to prevent this knowledge from getting out, but with so many trying to leave Russo’s leadership and seek a coven elsewhere, it’s difficult. In the meantime, you are my concern.”
She swallowed. “If there are more important things you need to handle—.”
“No,” he said firmly. “One of the reasons I no longer answer to Russo’s commands is because he encourages the destruction of the human race and rewards those who prey upon them. It gives us all a bad name, puts us unnecessarily in the spotlight, and threatens our existence. It gives organizations like District 5 their reasons for treating us like fucking animals.” His hands were crushed into fists on the table. “Russo chooses to enforce those rules that benefit his goals in the short-term.”
“I wish I had known all of this before I signed that one-sided contract. That there are others like you who respect humans.”
“You were young and you were brainwashed by District 5. You signed up for a mission with the purpose of ensuring human continuity. You had no idea what lengths this organization would go to in order to succeed, especially when their experiments didn’t unfold as quickly as they hoped. We can’t play God—we were never meant to. Many lives, human and others, have been thrown away in the name of bad scientific research. I’m not saying that there isn’t a way to ensure the human race lives on, but this is not one of them.”
Vicq was right. How could she have fallen for District 5 tactics? She should’ve known something was wrong when they’d prevented her contact with her parents during her training period.
“Unfortunately, the corruption at District 5 has reached the management level and beyond,” Elaina said. “They teach recruits and experienced trackers that the world would become overrun with vampires, and that it would eventually lead to human extinction. That makes it seem okay for them to kill and study what they capture. They believe Dresdan have no working brain and no real conscience.”
“So they assume we are only good for using as lab rats?”
“And when there are shortages of Dresdan, they resort to experiments on humans. They told us that the humans gave their lives or signed away their bodies in the event of death to be used for the cause.” She frowned. “It was a lie. I see that now. Some crazed people might have done it willingly, but the majority of them were taken by force.”
“What happens to the recruits or trackers who don’t believe or follow orders?” Vicq pushed the issue but already knew the answers.
Elaina averted her gaze to the door where the bell rang as a couple walked out. “District 5 never tolerates weak links.”
“What happens to the weak links?”
She swallowed. “The District employment contract is lifelong. The weakest links work in the labs...and they’re experimented on, as well.”
“That’s why I chose not to make contact with you. As long as the District left you alone, I forced myself to do likewise. I won’t let them have you. Not to use like that.”
Why couldn’t he have left that decision up to her? Why leave her to feel as if she were alone in the world?
Elaina swallowed down the hurt and outburst she would not allow herself to make in public. She dropped her fork and then stood. “I think we’d better leave.”
The place had become too crowded for her. She needed to get away. Without waiting for his reply, she made a beeline for the door.
Raindrops curtained her as she hurried across the parking lot. Only one of the street lamps worked. The glass that should’ve covered the light bulbs was cracked, as if someone had intentionally thrown rocks at them. The scent of the rain was one of salt and acid, and the clouds were dark gray against the evening sky. Music from the club behind her invaded the night.
Elaina maneuvered her way through the parked cars until she reached their borrowed Trailblazer. She ignored Vicq, who now leaned on the SUV, and opened the door.
“What is the reason for your attitude?” He wrapped his fingers loosely around her waist, forcing her to turn and look at him.
“You’re here for me now, Vicq, but we can never be content. I am on the run, and so are you.”
He lifted a finger and pushed wet hairs from her face and lips. “I am content now that you are with me. We can’t let our past run our lives.”
He was right. That was exactly what she was doing. Had Vicq not come for her, where would she be? Sitting in her houseboat with little connection to the real world? How long would she have to run and hide? Until she was old and gray? Until she was dead?
She met Vicq’s gaze. “How long do I have to run because we know too much? How long will you hide because you have too many enemies?”
“I don’t know, Elaina. As long as we have to.” He leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers. “I can protect you, but don’t run from me. Trust me.”
She lifted her lips to meet his. They were soft and inviting, and before long, they were wrapped in each other’s passion. The rain drenched their clothes and plastered their hair against their faces. Her body meshed with his and she gripped his arm as ripples ran up her spine.
The past year had been a roller coaster ride for her. Afraid she’d be stripped from those she loved again, she never trusted anyone. She withdrew from friends who wanted to become too close. She had practically labeled everyone an enemy until proven otherwise.
Vicq lifted her onto the seat, and she moved closer, pulling him between her thighs. His rod, already hardened from his excitement, nudged her heated center and he groaned. She arched her back and her pebbled nipples scraped against her damp shirt. He dipped lower and pressed his warm lips to her neck. Her fingers became tangled in his matted hair as she accepted his roving tongue. The hot trails were like sil
k against her skin. Her body didn’t shiver from the cold and rain, it vibrated from being consumed by lust.
“Don’t ever make me leave you again, Vicq.”
He stepped back to look at her. “I do what I can to protect you. I promised you that.”
His meaning was clear. He would protect her, no matter the cost. Chills raced across her skin and she hooked her fingers into the waist of his jeans, pulling him closer. She unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, and his cock strained against the inside of his briefs. He didn’t protest when she stroked him, but let his body respond in acceptance.
“Take me again,” she whispered. “Now.”
Vicq glanced over his shoulder, then back at her questioningly.
“Yes, right here.” Elaina wiggled her feet and allowed her heels to drop to the asphalt at his feet. The parking lot was empty, only rows and rows of cars blocked them from being seen by others.
He leaned in and kissed her, fidgeting with the buttons on her jeans. She lifted to help him as he peeled them from her hips and down her legs.
Pressing his ear to her chest just over her heart, he breathed in deeply. “Your heart is racing. Is it from the anticipation of feeling me inside of you, loving you deeply? Is it because you fear we will get caught out here with your legs wrapped around my back as I plunge into you with dick and fangs?” He chuckled and lifted his head to trace the outline of her chin with his lips. “Do you love it when I take you in two places at once? When I feed from you, does it give you as much pleasure as it does me?”
“Yes.” Her core twisted in both pleasure and agony of waiting and wanting.
“Si,” he whispered. “Esto me agrada demasiado.”
This pleases me too. Elaina’s Spanish was still a little rusty, but over the last few months she’d made it a point to learn some of the language. She had missed Vicq so much.
His fingertips snuck up her shirt and grazed her belly until he cupped both breasts. He kneaded them, igniting a flame deep within her core. Moans escaped her lips, and the rain became heavier on the hood of the car. Much of it splashed against her legs and his arms as he held her in his grasp.
Elaina gasped when his fingers smoothed against her skin. Her clit throbbed as he slid past it to reach her moist warmth. He held her gaze, and his irises swirled with red-hot intensity. Her hips moved of their own accord, encouraging his wicked fingers to dip in and out of her. He added another finger and stroked at her clit with his thumb, nearly taking her over the edge. His digits were slippery with her juices and drops of rain slid down his fingers onto her.
He bent his head and took her with his mouth. Laving at her softly with his tongue and then sucking her firmly between his lips. Her back arched up off the seat and she gripped the leather beneath her. At the same time lightning cracked and rocked the truck on the ground, he plunged his tongue within her and started fucking her slowly. His fingers grabbed her ass, holding her open.
Thunder rumbled above them, and her heart pulsed erratically as pending release danced throughout her loins. He feasted until she came, and a river of emotions washed through her.
“Vicq,” she panted, as he continued to love her with his lips. “Enough. I need you now.”
Ready for him, she lifted herself and released his cock from the confines of his briefs. She admired the hard, leathery contrast against her smooth, toned skin. Licking her lips, she reminisced how the thick head of his rod felt inside her.
Vicq hardened even more in her palm. “Open for me again.”
Without hesitation, she leaned back on the seat, spreading her legs for him.
He gripped her thighs and pulled her closer so that his dick was poised near the entrance of her pussy. With her ass up to the edge of the seat, he guided himself inside of her. Her muscles clenched around him, adjusting to his width. Dropping kisses to her lips, he rocked his pelvis back and forth. Her body burned with pleasure, and before she knew it, she’d fallen back onto the seat.
Elaina screamed in ecstasy when his cock plunged deeper. He grabbed her waist and pumped into her long and hard. His gaze never roamed from her face. He loved watching her as he took her into a climax. Even now, he paid keen attention to her body’s responses to him. His expression that of man on the brink of ecstasy.
He lifted his hands to grab the roof of the SUV and drove into her intensely. She clawed at the hard seat cushions and held her heels to his back as another orgasm rushed through her. Her body shuddered, and pleasure coursed inside her, causing blood to rush feverishly through her veins. She cried out, unable to hold anything inside.
Vicq’s fangs ripped from his gums, but he didn’t bend to feed from her. It would have been too much, even she knew that. So he gave. He slowed his pace, prolonging his erection. Her clit continued to pulse as the remnants of her climax stayed with her. Gripping the undersides of her knees, he opened her wider, thrusting deeply. The Trailblazer rocked, the metal frame squeaking to the rhythm. Rain pounded furiously around them. The sound of flesh hitting flesh filled the interior. Their breaths were synchronized and their pulses were reaching a crescendo.
He tilted his head upward and groaned. His cum seared her insides on contact, taking her over the ledge once more. She arched her back off the seat and joined him in his receding cadence, milking him. Taking all of him, until there was no more to give.
They panted until their breathing returned to normal. Ironically, at the same time, the rain began to subside into a mere sprinkle.
Elaina had not fully regained her strength when Vicq helped her into her jeans and slipped on her heels. Without saying a word, he carried her to the passenger side and set her on the seat. There was no doubt now that she belonged with him. Damn the consequences. She’d never had an easy life and she didn’t expect it to get any easier.
“I’ll drive. I want you to rest.”
Elaina grabbed his hand before he could close the door. “Promise me one more thing.”
“What is it, mi amor?” His brows creased together as he gave her his undivided attention.
“The other option you were talking about...I want that. District 5 has regulated so much of my life and my decisions, but I want to make this choice for myself. I want it to happen in peace, not while we’re on the run.”
Vicq squeezed her hand. “I will get you to the sanctuary as soon as I can. You will know peace one day, no matter what your choice.”
Chapter 10
Vicq maneuvered off the interstate and onto a main highway. The roads were getting longer, and their surroundings had become sparse as they’d traveled from state border to state border. A normal trip from the West Coast to the East Coast would have taken Vicq a matter of minutes. With them taking turns driving and stopping for rest and food, he’d estimated earlier that it would take about a week to reach their destination. He was thankful that they were halfway there already.
The intimacy they shared, as well as the blood that she’d allowed him to consume, caused her more harm than good. His seed wasn’t as potent as his blood, but it would infect her in the same way.
How many more times could he take from her before she grew too weak? She was still partly human, and could only stand to give a little at a time. How many times could he give to her before she crossed over as Dresdan? Although she’d confided in him that that was what she wanted, he felt that he regulated her choices just as the District did. Damn, but he needed her in every way possible.
Elaina snored lightly in her sleep with her cheek pressed into the travel pillow, her face turned toward him. She had perfect, rosy lips that had been the highlight of his dreams whenever she starred in them. Her neck was graceful and long, and the jugular pulsed with the life she thought about trading to keep her sanity. Smooth brown hair framed her delicate round face. She was just as he’d remembered her months ago, and it seemed that she hadn’t aged a day. He couldn’t get enough of her and yearned to touch her honey-kissed skin even now. Every time he sunk his fangs or cock into her sweet flesh,
he lost all control.
Vicq tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He wanted her badly, but how could he ask her to sign her life away again? She’d essentially be repeating the same path she had before. Although this time, she wouldn’t be pledged to hunt the Dresdan...she’d be Dresdan. Fully turned, the District would have no use for her. They would kill her if she were caught, just like they did all of his kind.
When he’d been with her, he’d sensed the hunger pounding in her gut and the anticipation in her veins. It must’ve been easy for her to mistake her blood hunger for sex hunger or food cravings, but Vicq knew a deprived soul when he saw one. She had the vampire agent in her veins and still resisted the urge to consume blood. Perhaps the human part of her anatomy balanced Elaina’s cravings somewhat. However, it was only a matter of time before she would not be able to withstand the hunger any longer.
Right now, she was the closest thing to the hybrid District 5 was trying to create. Elaina was exactly what her organization wanted as a result of their experiments. Taking human recruits daily in the hopes of finding a candidate whose immune system could withstand the vampire agent without a complete change. From his understanding, none of it had worked. Not for long, anyway. Sooner or later, the humans either died or changed. Only when he’d met Elaina had he discovered that District 5 had successfully created a drug that postponed the change when the candidates failed to maintain the stasis phase.
As part of her employment contract and District 5’s plan to maintain their tracker population, Elaina had been taking the drugs. Many trackers had been infected before while under Dresdan attack, and the drugs were one way of ensuring that they never crossed over. It had taken him weeks to convince Elaina that the drugs were bad. It had taken him even longer to gain her trust.
Ultimately, Elaina had escaped the District to be with him. She’d nearly lost her life because of it. To live, she’d taken his blood. He’d given just enough to save her, but not enough to change her. Through their frequent sexual encounters, they’d discovered that the more she took from him, whether by his seed or blood, the more it reactivated the vampire agent within her. During those times, she lusted after the blood of her enemies and craved more and more of him.
The Dresdan Coven Trilogy Page 13
