Dark Stranger Revealed

by I. T. Lucas

  Holding her eyes in the mirror, he grabbed her long hair and tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck as he bared his fangs. With a snakelike hiss, he struck, sinking them deep into her smooth, creamy neck.

  Pumping her full of his venom, he was all animal, the tremendous relief of it triggering his other long overdue release.

  Spent, he sagged boneless against her back, and bracing his hands on the mirrored wall, closed his eyes. Now that it was all over, he was mortified by his behavior; afraid to look at Syssi in the mirror and see the horror and disgust on her face.

  CHAPTER 40: SYSSI

  Oh, my God! What is he?

  Syssi had a moment of pure terror as Kian flashed a pair of monstrous fangs and sank them into her neck. The sharp burning pain of the twin penetrations had lasted no more than a few seconds before a euphoric pleasure swept through her, wiping away everything but its own mind-blowing effect.

  Yes! Don't stop!

  Her knees buckling, Kian's bruising grip on her hips was the only thing holding her up.

  Dimly aware of Kian's fangs still embedded in her neck and his lips forming a tight seal on her skin, the pain failed to register.

  She couldn't think. Just feel pleasure.

  So good…

  That too didn't last long, as a wave of powerful lust washed over her content haze, contracting and focusing all of it into her sex.

  Her already wet nipples tightened into two stone-hard aching points, and her channel spasmed, creaming, begging to be filled.

  Please…

  She was about to do exactly that—beg Kian to impale her from behind—when the mere image of him doing so triggered an orgasm so powerful, her whole body shook with its aftershocks.

  She blacked out.

  The intense pleasure coming on the heels of such a terrifying experience must've been more than her body could take.

  A moment later, as Kian's fangs retracted and his grip on her loosened, Syssi came to.

  What had just happened?

  Though still drugged and euphoric, she managed to crack her lids open and look at Kian's terrifying reflection. His intense blue eyes were glowing. The light wasn't coming from some outside source; the illumination came from inside. And those fangs, those monstrous long fangs of his, were tinted red from her blood. "What are you? What have you done to me?" she whispered.

  Kian licked his fangs clean, his expressions changing as they slowly shrank to an almost normal size. With guilt written all over his handsome face, he let go of her and took a step back.

  Without him to hold her up, Syssi's knees buckled and she crumpled down to the elevator's floor.

  CHAPTER 41: KIAN

  I'm despicable. Kian cursed as he picked Syssi up and carried her inside. I should get whipped for what I've just done. What was I thinking?

  He wasn't… Succumbing to an instinct like a fucking animal…

  Getting a thrill out of terrifying her? Coming in his pants? Where was all that self-control he prided himself on?

  Shot to shit; that's where.

  With Syssi, he was starting to think he had none.

  Laying her gently on his bed, he was about to rectify the situation and thrall the memory away when her lids fluttered open.

  Syssi looked at him and smiled seductively, her expression languid and satisfied from the euphoric effect of the venom. "You didn't answer me," she said with a purr, sounding as if she was talking about something carnal.

  "I'm still Kian, the ass who momentarily lost his mind but is going to fix it right now." Kian focused on her eyes, attempting the thrall again.

  Shifting her eyes away, she leveled them at the wet spot on his pants and giggled, breaking his concentration.

  "Did I do this to you?" Shifting back to his face, she sighed contently. "Holy shit, that was amazing. I never knew I could actually black out from an orgasm." She giggled again. "But what kind of a vampire are you? Aren't you supposed to suck my blood out or something? Not pump me with some aphrodisiac… Oh, God, I still feel so loopy… But soooo gooood…"

  She must be still high on the venom, that's why she is not panicking. Yet…

  It was so tempting to just tell her the truth. What was the point of repeatedly thralling her anyway? He could always do it at the end of it; if and when she turned out not to be compatible. The best time to tell her was now when she was too hazy to freak out.

  "I'm not a vampire." He sighed. "Vampires don't exist. At least as far as I know, although the stories about them most likely originated with my kind."

  "Your kind?" Syssi's eyes seemed to get a bit clearer and more focused as she studied him closely.

  "We are immortals—a more accurate definition would be near-immortals. We age extremely slow, we don't get sick, and we heal very quickly if injured. But we can still be killed, it's just harder to do." Kian observed her reaction, waiting for either disbelief or alarm, but there was none.

  Instead, she frowned. "What about the fangs, the biting, what's the story with that? Not that I'm complaining, mind you…" She fluttered her long-lashed eyelids.

  Kian smiled and sat down on the bed beside her, then hesitated for a moment before taking her hand—afraid she'll pull away.

  Amazingly, she tightened the grip reassuringly as if sensing his apprehension.

  "The males of my kind produce venom when aroused sexually or provoked to aggression by other males. During sex, it's a powerful aphrodisiac for the female, as you have experienced yourself, and a euphoric. In a violent struggle, it serves to incapacitate an opponent, the drugging effect weakening his ability and resolve to fight, paralyzing him. In large dosage, the venom can be lethal, stopping the heart."

  Syssi took a moment to mull over what he had told her, then sounding more curious than worried, she asked, "How do you make sure you don't accidentally overdose your partner… You know, get carried away in the throes of passion and all that…"

  "It cannot happen unintentionally. I'm not sure if it's biology controlling the amount and the potency of the venom produced, or if it's driven by intent. I've never heard of any male harming a female this way. But I'm not qualified to say if it's physically impossible or not. Although it makes sense that different emotions trigger the production of different hormones, which in turn determine the appropriate quantity and composition of the venom required for the particular situation. In any case, you're safe with me. Despite what just happened in the elevator, and I'm so sorry for losing it and frightening you, I'd never harm you… you must know that." He caressed her cheek, flabbergasted by how calmly she was accepting all of this.

  Turning her face into the caress, she kissed the inside of his palm, the sweetness of the gesture sending a wave of tenderness through him.

  "I know," she said. And yet she didn't sound as if she truly believed that.

  "At first, when I saw your fangs, I was terrified. And when you bit me, it hurt like hell, but only for a few seconds, and then the pain got washed away by what I assume was the aphrodisiac in the venom. What I felt after that… is just indescribable… A girl could get addicted to that." She smiled sheepishly.

  You have no idea… It was eerie the way her random shots hit home.

  "Was it the first time you bit me?" She frowned, her tone suggesting she suspected it wasn't.

  "It was the second time; last night was the first,” he admitted, feeling like a scumbag. Second bite, third thrall. But he wouldn't mention it if she didn't ask.

  "How come I don't remember it? And how come there are no marks on my neck? I can't feel anything different there." She touched the smooth skin where he'd bitten her, running her fingertips over the area and searching for the puncture holes that should have been there.

  "You won't find anything. My saliva carries healing properties. The wounds close in a matter of seconds." He hoped she'd be satisfied at that and let go of the other part of her question.

  "And the memory?"

  No such luck.

  Kian sighed. "I thra
lled you to forget it. I'm sorry. I know it's unconscionable, but I had no choice. We can't allow the knowledge of our existence to leak to the world. And to answer your next question, refraining from biting is like trying to hold back ejaculation. Eventually, the need becomes impossible to suppress."

  Syssi frowned. "What a strange biology… I wonder what the evolutionary benefits were for it to evolve this way." Lifting her arm with marked effort, she caressed his cheek as if to let him know it was okay, and she wasn't mad. But she couldn't hold it up for long and let it plop back down. "I feel so woozy… Am I still drugged?"

  "It takes time for the effect of the venom to dissipate, not to mention that it's past two in the morning and you had a long and eventful day. Go to sleep, sweet girl. I'll answer the rest of your questions tomorrow." He brushed back her tangled hair and kissed her forehead.

  Syssi struggled to keep her eyes open. "I have so many questions swirling in my head…" But exhaustion and wooziness from the venom were winning. "Promise you will not make me forget…" she whispered.

  "I promise." Kian squeezed her hand.

  Satisfied, she sighed and let her lids drop.

  Kian held on to her hand as he watched her sleep, absentmindedly caressing her palm with his thumb.

  Strange biology indeed, he grimaced. And he hadn't gotten to the punchline yet—that there was a chance she was a Dormant carrier of the same biology, or that she was right about the venom being addictive, and she might get hooked and come to crave it like any other junkie their drug of choice…

  He had always suspected that their kind was not the product of evolution but the work of genetic manipulation. Some brilliantly deranged ancestor of theirs must have sought to bind their precious females to their mates, counterbalancing the females' stronghold on the race's unique genetics.

  Or maybe he had thought to create an antidote to infidelity. Except, if that had been his goal, he had failed miserably. His people had found a way to circumvent it by methodically doing exactly the thing he had been trying to prevent.

  Served the loon right, to witness what a joke his tampering with nature had turned out to be.

  CHAPTER 42: KRI

  Kri was doing her best to ignore the sounds coming from the backseat of the SUV. Sitting up front with Onidu, she gazed out the window and tried to keep her focus on the deserted streets they were passing by on their way home from the club.

  Amanda had decided that one more round was in order and took her dessert to go; snaring another schlump to take home with her and starting on the fun in the car.

  Hell, Kian wouldn't be happy with his sister bringing the guy up to her place and ignoring the SOP that no one but clan members was allowed on the top floors.

  Never mind that he'd broken the rules himself with Syssi. But then again, the girl was a potential Dormant, and it looked like Kian had claimed her for himself. So in her case an exemption made sense.

  But the same could not have been said about the random dude Amanda had picked up. However, trying to persuade Amanda to take her guy to one of the timeshare apartments on the lower level would probably be a waste of energy.

  Kri sighed and began braiding her hair.

  It was her duty to at least give it a try, and once they got to the building, she would. But at the same time, she knew from experience it would be impossible to reason with the stubborn woman.

  Let Kian deal with his obstinate sister.

  And good luck with that.

  Smirking, Kri snapped the elastic on the bottom of her completed braid.

  Man, she could just imagine the tantrum he'd throw finding out. But whatever, it wasn't her problem. She had no authority over the princess. Being a Guardian didn't mean she could just slap handcuffs on Annani's daughter and drag her to a holding cell in the basement.

  All she could do was to flap her gums at the female. Uselessly.

  In contrast, Kri never broke the rules and never brought her partners home. Not that there had been anyone at that club she had felt like screwing tonight. At home or anywhere else…

  She grimaced, thinking about what had happened, or rather had not happened in the back room.

  It wasn't that the guy hadn't been good-looking enough or sexed up enough, it was just that she'd kept comparing him to Michael and he'd kept coming short.

  Weird, she'd never used to compare the ones she'd picked with Kian.

  Maybe being so high up on the pedestal she had erected for him, he'd been in a completely different category, making the comparison irrelevant.

  Not to mention the small detail of the taboo.

  But Michael, well…

  She kept seeing his smiling eyes admiring her in that sweet boyish way of his. He hadn't leered like some guys or tried to front some macho bullshit to impress her. The boy was man enough to admit that he really liked her. Straight out. No bull. And how sexy was that.

  In the end, she hadn't done anything with the guy in the club. Couldn't. After some heavy necking that had done nothing for her, she had thralled him and sent him on his way.

  Except now, sitting in the car, she debated the wisdom of that move. Still needy and antsy, the backseat activity not helping, she seriously contemplated waking Michael up.

  It was such a bad idea, though.

  Unless she had some feelings for the kid, it wouldn't be fair to him. He wasn't one of her kind, and with his mortal sensibilities about sex, she would in all likelihood crush his young, vulnerable ego.

  Oh, he would love to have her any way he could get her—of that she had no doubt. But how would he feel the morning after when he'd realize he was just a one-night stand? Still having to face her day after day?

  No, unless she planned on being exclusive with him, at least until it was determined that he wouldn't turn and they sent him away clueless, she couldn't do it to him.

  But wait… what if he really was a Dormant? If she had a relationship with him prior to his turning, then most likely he would remain hers to keep.

  Sweet.

  Smiling like the cat that ate the canary, Kri wondered how come it hadn't occurred to her before. She was in a unique position to call dibs on the first potential near-immortal male not of her clan.

  What a coup.

  And yet, as she had no frame of reference for a long-term relationship, she had a hard time imagining what it could be like having a man of her own.

  Feeling a little out of sorts, Kri leaned back in her seat and gazed out the window again. But passing the deserted streets of downtown LA, the familiar sight of the occasional homeless vagabond disturbed her for some reason tonight.

  Curled sleeping on a street bench, with a shopping cart containing all of his or her earthly belongings within reach, these homeless were completely alone in the world.

  With no roots and no one to take care of them in their time of need, they were adrift in a sea of indifferent humanity. Abandoned.

  If one died tonight, there would be no one to mourn the loss.

  Their misfortune made her feel both guilty and lucky for having a large family at her back. If she ever lost her mind and didn't know who or where she was, there would always be someone to make sure she was alright and take responsibility for her.

  Her kind wasn't susceptive to mortal diseases, but that immunity didn't extend to some afflictions of the mind, and there were a few cases of insanity among them.

  Some had been the result of post-traumatic stress disorder, others due to God knows what.

  Her own mother suffered from a mild case of obsessive compulsive disorder, compelled to keep everything in her house in precise groups of three.

  It wasn't a big deal to just go with it and oblige her, but the hysterics when someone forgot and moved things out of their groupings were trying.

  Yeah, it was good to be part of a clan; to belong to a community that gave a damn. But how much better would having a mate of her own be?

  Someone she could come back to at the end of the day, share her nights with, he
r thoughts, her memories.

  Well, putting it this way, a roommate could provide similar companionship. But the benefits of having one were not worth the compromises she'd have to make.

  And in any case, it wasn't the same as someone sharing her bed. Permanently.

  All of a sudden she craved it, which was strange because she'd never given it much thought before. But now she longed for a partner with surprising intensity.

  And the one she wanted, was Michael. With his cute smile and his big shoulders and sincere face.

  Except, he was so damn young.

  CHAPTER 43: SYSSI

  Syssi cracked one eye open, not sure what had woken her up. It was either the sound of running water coming from the adjacent bathroom or the sun rays filtering through the parted curtains and shining brightly on her face.

  Squinting against the glare, she looked around the unfamiliar bedroom, and it took her a moment until she remembered where she was. Or why…

  With the cobwebs of sleep clearing, what had happened last night still seemed like a surreal dream or a drug-induced hallucination.

  Yet, she knew it had been neither.

  As out of it as she'd been while the whole thing happened, the memory of that bite and the things Kian had told her were too vivid to be a dream. And he'd brought her here last night—to his bedroom.

  Well, at least he wasn't a mobster, she chuckled. And he claimed he wasn't a vampire… Though, considering the fangs and the biting, she still had her doubts,…

  Funny, that this was what was troubling her in light of the bigger picture she was starting to put together from all the bits and pieces he had told her.

  The tale was pretty fantastic, but it was hard to argue with the sharp, pointy evidence of Kian's fangs. Apparently, some kind of immortal beings were living hidden among mortals, secretly helping humanity and manipulating global affairs with no one any the wiser. Except, it seemed a faction of them wasn't on board for the humanitarian effort and posed a serious threat to Kian's family.