Pretend With Me (Midnight Society #1)

by Jemma Grey

  “No no no,” I shook my head, completely breathless and tortured. “None of that. Right now, I just want you,” I breathed out, my head spinning and my thoughts so out of control I couldn't focus on anything but him. I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth, biting down hard, completely forgetting that I now had fangs and once again blood pooled in my mouth and ran down my chin.

  “I see your single-mindedness hasn't left...” he trailed off as he slowly rose in front of me. “I like that,” Eric whispered, his breath washing over my face, and as his scent wrapped around me it drove me wilder. His eyes captured and held mine, boring into my soul as his fingertips trailed up my sides and then wrapped around the back of my neck pulling me towards him. He then leaned towards me, his lips kissing my chin as his tongue licked away the blood that had spilled over from my lip, and captured my mouth in his again.

  Not being able to wait any longer my hands began unbuttoning his jeans. It was time he got naked too, and just as I'd gotten it loose he flipped us and suddenly, literally in less time it took me to blink I was pinned against the opposite wall, his lips still on mine, and his hands holding my hands over my head against the wall.

  “Eric,” I pleaded, breaking the kiss, my voice breathy. “Please....”

  “So impatient,” he chuckled and in the time it took him to laugh I suddenly found myself sitting on the countertop, my legs wrapped around his waist tightly, pulling him to me. It was like we were one; moving not as two separate bodies but as one person that thought the same things and shared the same actions. I raised my legs, my eyes locked onto his as I stuck my toes into the waist of his jeans, pushing the material down his legs.

  Eric then pulled me to edge of the counter, and staring at me with dark eyes that were like looking at blue fire, he pushed in, filling me with indescribable pleasure. Every part of me was like a live wire, so keyed up that it felt as if I was about to come apart completely and utterly. Pleasure coursed through my entire body, building, and building until I thought that it couldn't get any better and I couldn't get any higher than I already was.

  My fangs shoved out further from my gum and acting on instinct, or maybe I was crazed with lust and pleasure overload, my fingers grabbed onto Eric's neck as I closed my eyes and sank my fangs into the hollow spot, just above his collar bone, where his neck and shoulder met.

  The taste of blood was amazing. It wasn’t like blood at all; instead it was something else that I could not describe. The different flavors danced on my tongue sending m y taste buds wild and crazy. There were two completely different flavors. The first was potent and strong. It was the most powerful thing that I had ever tasted or felt. I could feel its raw strength and vitality pulsing through my body filling me.

  The second lingered just beneath the first. This one was so faint that if it wasn’t so different it would have gotten lost in the first. It was the sweetest, most delicious thing I ever tasted. The lavish flavor called to me. It washed over my tongue like a lover’s name whispered from lips at just the perfect moment. I could taste his desire for me; his lust and his overwhelming love.

  That moment, in complete and utter stillness was easily the most intense and heated moment we had ever shared. It was something otherworldly, so powerful, and raw that it was both supernatural and natural at the same time. I was him and he was me. We were a part of each other, and one without the other, would only leave us incomplete and fractional.

  21

  “That was....” I trailed off, not having adequate words to describe what had just happened. It was amazing, strange, and just otherworldly... My mind was blown. “You were holding back on me before,” I grinned turning my head to face him. I didn't have the strength to move my entire body and it seemed Eric didn't either, because he too just turned to me, grinning all boyish and smug at the same time. We were both lying on the floor, still tangled and wrapped around each other.

  “Well, I didn't want to break you...” he paused, shooting me that smug grin again as though he was the master of the universe. “I think you may have broken me though,” he said, turning his head to the ceiling, giving me a view of his neck and the four pinkish red holes at the base of it. Tentatively, I reached out and gently ran my fingertips along the marks. They made a perfect crescent shape and were soft and smooth, though they weren't healed yet.

  “I bit you,” I said my voice wondering as I frowned at the marks. Was it normal for purebloods to bite each other? I mean didn't he say that blood sharing was frowned upon... He'd also said that pureblood couples fed from each other so I guess since Eric and I was going to get married, we could feed from each other all we wanted. Feeding from Eric had to be one of the most amazing things in the world. It was like sex but better. There wasn't a right way to describe it, it was just unearthly and that was putting the experience lightly. “Why isn't it healed?” I wondered.

  “When purebloods bite each other, it doesn't heal like other wounds... and a bite from you will take even longer to heal than a bite from another pureblood,” he sighed closing his eyes.

  I raised myself up, propping the heel of my hand on my cheek and my elbow on the floor so I could see him better. “Why is that?”

  “I don't know,” he shrugged. “That's just the way it is... the way it’s always been.”

  “Does it hurt?”

  “No... it actually feels good,” he sighed.

  “It’s my claim on you, isn't it?” I asked, only knowing the truth behind my words after they'd left my mouth. “So other purebloods will know that you're mine – that you're married... well claimed by me, isn't it?”

  “How'd you figure that out?” he asked, opening one of his eyes just slightly to peek at me.

  I didn't answer his question; instead all I did was shrug. The truth was, I didn't know how I knew, I just did. In fact I hadn't known until the words as had left my mouth. “So why haven't you marked me then?” I frowned, wondering.

  At my question Eric opened both eyes and turned to face me, his expression cautious and calculating as his eyes bored into mine. He was silent for a long moment and the seconds slowly ticked by, but I didn't say anything, I waited. “Do you want me to?” he whispered, his voice so low that it almost seemed to blend in with the stillness of the room. “Now?”

  “Umm...” I trailed off, not knowing what I wanted. A giant part of me did want Eric’s mark on me – it must be thrilling and heady to have something so sacred and personal… yet at the same time all I could think about was the amount of love I felt flowing from him when I'd bit him. What if Eric was to bite me and he felt all the pain I had still inside me, what if he felt the love and loss I felt for Daren? “No…” I finally whispered, “not right now… Are you disappointed?”

  He thought about that for a while and then sighed at me. “Yes… but I also knew you weren’t ready to seal our bond in that way yet... so I understand.”

  “Thank you,” I said effortlessly and in response Eric only shrugged at me carelessly. “But…” my frown deepened as something I’d never thought of until now occurred to me. The thought was literally like walking into a brick wall. I mean Eric had to feed on someone. It’d been months since I found out about him, purebloods, and our impending marriage; there was no way he couldn’t be feeding. That just wasn’t possible. “Umm…” I started awkwardly, not sure if I wanted to know the answer to the question I was about to ask. “So… if you don’t umm… feed on me… who do you feed on..?”

  “Do you want an honest answer or should I lie to you?” he asked.

  I took a deep breath, mustered up my courage, and then whispered, “Tell me the truth,” as I turned away from him, staring up at the ceiling.

  “I have human donors.”

  Having him confirm my suspicion hurt but I wasn’t going to tell him; instead I shrugged and said, “Well, I guess that makes sense.”

  Before he could respond something happened inside me. Another thought was suddenly at the forefront of my mind, demanding to be noticed. Katal
in: she was just minutes away from appearing at the Wilson’s mansion. Again I didn’t know how I knew this, or even why, but I did with a certainty that I could bet my life on.

  “What?” Eric said and I turned to find him frowning at me. I knew – in the same way I knew about Katalin – that he was reading me and asking about what had changed. It was so strange, both of us. I had no proof that Katalin was really coming, nothing to even hint at her arrival yet I knew, and Eric had picked up on it – not exactly what, but he’d picked up on something when I hadn’t given a smidge of a hint. It was crazy how in tune we were and how much more I could sense now.

  “Katalin is about to show up…” I trailed off.

  “How do you know?” he frowned. “Usually no one can tell these things about her because of her shield.” My only answer was a shrug. “Well, it’s time to get dressed then,” he sighed, still frowning as he untangled himself from me and stood up. He held out his hand and grudgingly I took it, hating that we had to leave out little bubble to go out into the real world. “Shower and meet me downstairs,” he ordered as he pressed a soft kiss on my forehead and walked out of my bathroom butt naked, leaving me to stare at him as another dose of lust, raw and insatiable attacked me.

  Resisting the urge to follow him, I brushed my teeth and took the longest shower I could, stretching it out for as long as possible. Katalin may have saved my life more times than I could count, but I wasn’t in any rush to know why she was here. I was grateful for all she did, but there was something unsettling about her.

  When I couldn’t stall myself any longer, I shuffled out of the bedroom and down the stairs, just in time to meet Eric at the bottom of the staircase. I bit down on my lip, blushing as I realized my first pureblood act was to have sex with him. I sighed, standing at his side. Not having sex with Eric was going to be hard, even harder than before.

  Just moments later Katalin literally materialized in front of us. She was wearing blue jeans and a black v-neck tee, both brand new and expensive from its look and smell. Before Eric or I could say anything she sighed, turning to Eric. “I need you to help me send the rest Dean’s pack back to Thirdworld.”

  “You’re sending them back, why?” Eric frowned.

  “The threat has been eliminated and clearly Jenifer can protect herself now. There’s no need for them-”

  “Meaning Dean needs his pack,” Eric cut her off, his voice hiding anger. “And I’m to sneak them back, right?”

  Katalin was silent for a second, her face deep in thought as she stared back at Eric’s glaring face. “Oh shut up Eric, like you haven’t done worse things before,” she snapped at him, walking off towards the living room and I realized that they had an entire secret conversation in the seconds that had just passed.

  I turned to Eric, giving him the chance to tell me if he wanted to. He didn’t, instead he said, “I’ll be back as soon as I can though this may take a while.”

  Without responding, I went up on my toes, giving him a soft quick kiss and then followed Katalin into the living room. She was lying on the couch. Her eyes were closed; her breathing was even and she looked completely at peace. In that moment she seemed like just another teen, without a care in the world, almost normal. “I can feel your questions hanging awkwardly in the air, Jenifer,” she sighed, proving just how abnormal she really was. “Ask.”

  I didn’t say anything right away; instead I walked over to the couch opposite hers and sat down, pulling my feet up under me. “What do people think happened last night?” I wondered. All the students and teachers who woke up God knows where, with no memory of how they got there had to be asking questions. Then there was the building. How did Katalin explain that to the public?

  “Faulty construction.”

  “How’s Dean?”

  “Alive,” she muttered without opening her eyes.

  “Will you thank him for me… for everything he did,” I swallowed, playing with the end of my t-shirt.

  “Sure.”

  “Why can’t you send his pack back to Thirdworld?” I wondered. She was the strongest person I knew, why did she need Eric?

  “Apparently being fed on by an incubus drains you…” she trailed off, and I realized just how tired she was. Her body didn’t show her exhaustion, but I could sense it. I heard it in her voice and saw it in the way she moved. Looking at her now, it was hard to believe she was the same girl that killed all those men last night; and as the silence dragged on I found myself wondering how she did it because people couldn’t just drop dead at her will.

  “You can never be more wrong, Jenifer,” she murmured so silent that at first I thought I’d made it up, but then she opened her eyes turning to me.

  “What?” I said confused.

  “That is exactly what happened; they died because I wished it.” My frowned deepened. I didn’t know how to react to this. “What really killed them though was a shield… It’s actually really simple. I can bend the shield to my will and placing it inside their bodies, killing them from inside was all too easy... So easy it happens with only a single thought,” she explained blankly.

  “Katalin...” I hesitated staring at her, “you’re not as blank and heartless as you make everyone think...”

  An amused smile pierced her lips at once. “Really now... what makes you say that?”

  I took a breath, thinking. “You love Dean... Someone capable of loving another so much they’re willing to give up everything to save that person can never be heartless... If that doesn’t say anything... you also spared Brandon. You didn’t have to, yet you did...”

  “Well aren’t you learning quickly? Keep it up and you’ll be stronger than the last third eye.”

  My frowned deepened. “What are you talking about?”

  “Your inheritance Jenifer; you see things... pick up on what the rest of us can’t. Nothing is hidden from you anymore.”

  I tilted my head at her, more confused than before now. “What?”

  “Look at me,” she commanded even though I was already looking at her. “What do you see?”

  Was this a trick question? “I see you…” I mumbled not sure whether I should answer or not.

  “Now close your eyes and look through your mind’s eye. What do you see now?”

  I hesitated then closed my eyes not sure what I was supposed to be doing. I saw nothing but darkness, then gradually Katalin and the entire living room blurred into view. It was like my eyes were open, except they weren’t, and I was seeing things that I didn’t see before.

  My vision was much clearer and defined than it had been just moments ago. Katalin herself was different; there were dozens of small, baby hands that wrapped and hovered over her body protectively. It was like looking at clear glass, yet I could see the outline of each arm as if they were made of sparkling crystals.

  I frowned deeper staring at the arms, floating around her. “I see… your shield… It’s like tiny arms…” I blinked, only realizing I had opened my eyes when the tiny arms faded.

  “That’s the strongest shield to exist. No one can see it, not even I… Like I said Jenifer, nothing is hidden from you… but that’s not all you’ll be able to do.”

  “There’s more..?”

  “Normal purebloods can only have one inheritance, you’re different,” she said, sighing dramatically when my face pulled into an even more confused mask. Katalin closed her eyes, inhaled and a second later, she reopened her eyes staring at me.

  “You know about the seven pureblood families?” My only answer was a nod. “The third eye however,” she paused, her eyes searching my face, “has an ability associated with all seven, including the all-seeing eye. “You’re the thing that links all the bloodlines together and so rare that there can only be one existing at a time.

  “It’s going to put you in danger… There are those who will try to kill you, control you, and hunt you because of your inheritance… but it will also make you strong,” Katalin muttered, talking more to herself than to me now. Sh
e then let out a sigh and her eyes ran over me for a second stopping on my face. “From the moment you awakened, Jenifer, your life changed, and I suggest that you trust no one… not even Eric Wilson.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” I frowned at her. I was engaged to Eric by her doing. I would think that she’d want me to grow attached to him because that would ensure I went through with this wedding.

  Katalin didn’t answer right away. Instead, she only stared back at me, her face deep in thought. When I started to think that she was never going to answer she finally said, “Because I had to learn that lesson the hard way.”

  Silence covered us as I let that sink in. Katalin was like an onion, there were so many layers to her. She wasn’t just a cold hearted killer, she was a lot more, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to peel back any more layers, because who knew what I was going to find next.

  “I was supposed to get married to Eric before I awakened… but I’m already a pureblood so..?” I trailed off, changing the topic. I didn’t know why Katalin was answering my questions but now that she was, I was going to get as much answers as I possibly could.

  “I’m answering your questions because you’ll figure it out anyway, third eye and all… and yes… Even more so now.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re powerful, Jenifer… Purebloods such as yourself rarely comes along… and what good is power when it can’t be controlled or used?”

  I was silent as this sunk in. “Basically you’re saying… I’m a weapon now… to be used as you see fit…” I mumbled almost too low for her to hear.

  “Weren’t you always something to be used by Thirdworld? You’re marrying Eric Wilson because our Elders wants you to… Every aspect of your life has been controlled by them, your schooling, the decision to send you to Trinidad and Tobago… even your first boyfriend was Thirdworld Jenifer… certainly you can see now that nothing in your life has been left up to chance… absolutely nothing. You’re just a pawn to them, to be moved or sacrificed to better their goals…” she trailed off, her eyes burning with an intensity that puzzled me.