by BJ Wane
“I’m sorry. Did he hurt you?” Abby would give anything to feel Damien’s bite, the one thing he had withheld from her when they were fucking.
“He said I’d like it, it would make the sex better, but, of course, it didn’t. And yes, it hurt then I felt nothing but disgust, and fear of becoming like him.”
“These marks mean we’re compatible to be mated to one of the brethren, good vampires for lack of a better definition,” she added. “They respond to the nearness of our mates by tingling with warmth, followed by our bodies reacting much the same.” When Grace blushed, Abby smiled knowingly. “I see you know what I’m talking about. You didn’t have that reaction with Mason, nor did he with you.”
Abby told Grace what she knew of Mason’s family and his grief over having to watch them age and die, hating him because they thought he had abandoned them then explained the difference between the brethren and rogues and related what she had narrowly escaped thanks to Damien coming to her rescue again.
“You want me to think Jacob, and the others here are good vampires and I’m in danger from bad vampires because I have this mark on my neck?” she asked incredulously. “I think they’ve brain washed you, made you their sex slave, or something,” Grace added derisively. There was no way she was going to believe there was anything good about any of them and as for her response to Jacob, well she’d just put that down to gratitude for rescuing her from Mason. She refused to even consider it was, or could be anything more. She was a twenty-nine year old librarian who had had one short term relationship that included mediocre sex and ended badly when the jerk left her for a skinny, five foot eight inch redhead. There was no way she would believe she was destined to become anyone’s soul mate or that a man, or vampire, would be driven by lust for her. Mason had been a sick psycho whose attention she had drawn because she happened to have a mark that matched the one on his palm. She was certainly under no delusions that he went psycho with lust at the sight of her.
“You need to give Jacob a chance to help you heal from Mason’s betrayal,” Abby said coolly as she stood. “As far as being their sex slave, it took me three years to get Damien, my mate, to fuck me, and now that I have I’ll gladly take on that role for him. Now, I have to shower and dress for work then I’ll take you to your place. Do you think you still have a job?”
“Yes. Mason made me contact my boss and arrange for family medical leave on the pretext of helping my aging grandmother, who, by the way, passed away two years ago. So, I’m really free to go, to return home?”
“Of course, but if you want to stay alive, you’ll wait for Jacob to pick you up this evening when he rises.” Abby hoped her veiled threat would give her something to think about today because from the look of denial on her face, Grace wasn’t even considering anything else she had told her.
Chapter Eight
Grace gave Abby no promises when she dropped her off at her apartment. She didn’t understand the other woman’s easy acceptance of these creatures, didn’t want to know how she could be so happy about fucking one of them. She had been around them for so long, under their spell for twenty years, Grace figured Abby was brainwashed. That could be the only explanation for her delusional belief that the vampires living on that plantation estate were any different from the one who had kidnapped and forced himself on her. Even though Mason had made an effort not to physically hurt her when he fucked her, just the fact she was unwilling had been enough trauma to deal with.
Her small apartment looked the same as when she last saw it except for the layer of dust that could be seen with the morning sun shining in from the one window in the living room. A neat freak, that telltale sign of her absence drove her nuts as she quickly showered and dressed before calling her boss and perpetrating her story by giving her a partial truth and telling her her grandmother passed away and she would be returning to work today. Her grandmother, who had raised her after her single mother’s death when she was just four, would be devastated if she knew the trouble that had befallen Grace, but Grace refused to dwell on what was and couldn’t be changed. There was no way she could go to the police with her story, so, as she searched the parking lot for her blue Fiat where Mason had told her he took it, she was determined to put the past two weeks behind her.
The stress and fear of her kidnapping had taken its toll on Grace as she discovered by the time she clocked out of the library at six o’clock. She felt both physically and emotionally drained when she walked out to her car in the deepening dusk with Clare, her boss. Her co-workers well wishes and condolences all day made her keep up the charade of why she had been gone, which wore on her nerves and left her feeling as if she was stretched as tautly as a bow string. She wanted nothing more than to go home and take a long soak in a hot bath then curl up with a good book, a simple but coveted pleasure she had been denied for what now seemed like months instead of just fourteen days.
“You look tired, Grace,” Clare remarked when they reached her car. “It’s a good thing we’re closed tomorrow. I think you need a little time to yourself. I know how difficult it is to be the sole caretaker of a loved one and then have to deal with their passing.”
“Thanks, Clare,” Grace replied as she unlocked her car door hoping her face didn’t reflect the guilt she felt at receiving such consideration for something she hadn’t done. Not only had her grandmother been gone for a few years, but she had maintained her health and independence until she passed away quietly in her sleep at the age of eighty-six. Truth was, what she had been going through was infinitely worse than taking care of an elderly relative, so maybe she shouldn’t feel guilty for accepting the nice solicitations from her friends even though they were given under false pretenses. “I am looking forward to spending Sunday pampering myself. See you Monday.”
It was completely dark by the time she arrived at her apartment complex. Getting out of her car, she crossed the lot and just happened to glance up at her second floor apartment and noticed the curtain fluttering in the window followed by the distinct shape of someone moving around. Shadows seemed to lengthen ominously as she fearfully glanced back around at the dark, deserted parking lot, her heart rate accelerating as pulse pounding dread consumed her. Turning to flee back to her car, she was brought up short as a man seemed to float down from her balcony and land effortlessly in front of her. She took a step back from the putrid smelling creature smiling grotesquely at her. She broke out into a cold sweat and started to shake when he smiled lewdly, revealing sharp fangs, his red tinted eyes holding a vacant look that was scarier than Mason’s look of desperate hunger.
“Hello, pretty lady,” he drawled, his eyes gleaming with malice as they looked her over lewdly.
She tried to ward him off by holding out her hand palm up. Bile filled her throat and threatened to make her gag as she whispered shakily, “Leave me alone.” Turning, she made to run, but was brought up short by a second ghoulish figure dropping down in front of her. These must be the rogues Abby warned her about, a warning she was wishing now she had heeded. These vampires resembled those depicted in movies and were nothing like the men who had come to her rescue last night. Their slow shuffle as they moved toward her was downright creepy, the spittle flying from their leering mouths disgusting and their dead eyes chilling her more than anything Mason had subjected her to.
Trapped as the two slowly backed her toward the side of the building, panic was starting to set in, a scream rising from her throat as they both reached out to grab her, but the sudden appearance of Jacob in front of her stifled her cry and stopped those hands from reaching her.
Jacob’s anger and worry at discovering Grace had left the library alone erupted into mindless fury as he interceded the two rogues reaching for her, malicious intent written all over their faces. He tried to rein in his anger, but when the one on his right lunged at him with a snarl, he lost control and with one back handed swipe, knocked him to the ground, leaving him in a stunned heap as the other one came at him with a knife.
The rogue went nuts, punching at him with one hand, jabbing him with the knife with the other. Knowing he needed to get as much information from him as possible, he tried to deflect the blows without killing the son of a bitch but all that got him was a stinging slice across his forearm. Jacob’s fangs sprang from his gums as he smelled the metallic odor of his own blood. Not being able to claim the mate he had waited so long to find topped his list of why that small injury sent his rage flying out of control and with a snarl of fury, he grabbed the rogue by the back of his head. With a violent twist of his arm, he snapped his neck, killing him instantly then pierced his dead heart with his own blade, his body nothing but a pile of ashes before he hit the ground.
A cry from Grace behind him had him lunging after the other rogue who had roused enough to attempt to get to her. Wrestling him to the ground, he fought the mindless demon hand to hand, managed to avoid getting cut again by his blade before pinning him with an arm across his neck. “Who sent you?” he rasped, tightening his arm a fraction before easing enough to let him talk.
“Fuck you,” the foul smelling being managed before reaching out and grabbing his knife from where it had fallen from his hand and plunging it into the side of his own neck.
Jacob had no doubt he had acted on orders from his maker and had no choice but to gore his heart, smoking him to ashes without getting any answers. Rising, he turned to Grace who was staring wide eyed at him, a mixture of relief and fear on her pale face. As he took a step toward her, she cringed back, a move that only added fuel to the firestorm of rage still consuming him.
“Don’t,” he bit out. “Don’t cower from me as if I’m no better than they were. I can understand why you couldn’t take my word for it that I mean you no harm, but I don’t understand why you didn’t listen to Abby.” The abject terror on her face wasn’t enough to quell his anger even though he realized he was her worst nightmare relived. He needed a way to get through to her simply because without her cooperation, he couldn’t keep her safe. He knew his anger was fueled by knowing what would have happened to her had he arrived just a few minutes later
“I’m sorry. I saw, I see you’re not like them…” Grace stammered to a halt, not sure how to explain it was the whole situation she feared, not just him. Gone was the remorseful rescuer she had faced last night and in his stead was a man whose huge body was practically vibrating with rage, a man with glowing red eyes and lethal looking fangs much like those of the creatures he had just killed, yet she didn’t fear him nearly as she had the other two. Unbelievably, her body was having the same response to his nearness as it had earlier despite the fact she had just come close to being dinner for two very evil monsters, which did nothing but confuse her further. If the hard bulge straining against his black leather pants was any indication, Jacob’s reaction mirrored her own and she had to reluctantly admit that the shiver that went through her at that thought wasn’t because of fear.
“I don’t think you do,” Jacob interrupted her, fighting his own body’s response to his mate. His cock was hard enough to pound nails, his palm itching with a heated pulse that was distracting at best. Ruthlessly shoving aside his need to simply take what was his, to take her against the wall with the remnants of death surrounding them; he pulled her next to him and glared down into her wary blue eyes, her small, curvy body igniting his simmering lust to the point of pain. Cursing, he snarled, “But I know a sure way to show you what they’re capable of. Hold on.”
Shimmering, Jacob took her to the morgue, hoping he wasn’t irrevocably losing any chance he had to see if they could make anything of their connection. They landed in the darkened morgue, Grace’s gasp and rigid body telling him she knew where they were. Using his preternatural vision, he located the drawer where Marie’s body still lay and opened it up.
“This is what would have happened to you had I arrived a few minutes later, only they probably would’ve raped you first. She was targeted simply because she was someone special to Damien. Imagine what they’d do to someone who was a potential mate.”
For the first time, Grace was grateful for Jacob’s tight hold on her as she stared down at the ravaged body of what was once a beautiful woman. Cuts and bruises marred her otherwise flawless skin, deep puncture marks from her neck down to her thighs made her shiver in horror. “Take me out of here. Please, Jacob.”
This time, Grace was prepared for the disorientation as they suddenly arrived inside her apartment and she took a moment to cling to Jacob’s much taller, much harder body before stepping away from him. She should have found his tight hold, the feel of his muscled strength against her repelling, but instead of the invading cold she experienced every time Mason came near her, Jacob’s closeness only generated body enveloping heat. The sight of her ransacked apartment took her mind off her confusing response and she looked around with a sinking feeling of despair.
“Why would they do this?” she asked him as she took in the knife gauging rips in her sofa, the smashed television and her destroyed computer.
“They have no conscience, Grace. My guess is they were criminals before they were turned and the enhanced pleasures of their vampiric state only made them worse, especially since there’s virtually no way they’ll get caught. Whoever made them, and we have an idea who that might be, made sure they were completely loyal to her and would do her bidding if caught.”
“How?” Grace watched him move around her small apartment, his eyes and teeth back to normal, his face not nearly as scary as it had been when he was fighting off her would-be attackers.
“Brainwashing, for lack of a better term. She gets them addicted to the bloodlust, taking blood during sex, and they soon exist for nothing else but the pleasure of pleasing her and getting their next fix. We need to leave in case any of your neighbors heard them and called the cops. Get what you need for now and we’ll clean this up later.”
“I’ll just grab a few changes of clothes and my toiletries. Give me a minute, please,” she said as he made to follow her down the short hall to her bedroom.
After viewing Marie’s ravaged body, Jacob didn’t expect her to argue about returning to the plantation with him, but her calm, resigned attitude surprised him. He didn’t want her cowed or afraid, he just wanted her safe. Nodding, he simply replied, “Hurry.”
“I am not ever going to get used to that,” Grace mumbled when they returned to the plantation house, suddenly appearing in the dramatic twenty-foot high entry foyer. As soon as her disorientation cleared, she stepped away from Jacob. The brief look of bleak resignation that crossed his face was quickly masked, but left her feeling guilty, as if she was solely responsible for it in the first place. “If you’re going to insist on hauling me around, can’t you do it like a normal person? Cars have been a great mode of transportation for quite some time now.”
Jacob smiled at her sarcasm, glad to see her spirit hadn’t been completely beaten down by the shocks of the past few hours. Her immediate rejection of him when they materialized had hurt, but he had to admit she was holding up well given all she had been through lately. “Next time I pick you up from work, I’ll do so in a more conventional manner.” Despite knowing she was still recuperating from all she had been through, it was becoming increasingly difficult to be so close to her without giving in to the urge to touch, to take what was his. If he wasn’t expected to join Jon on patrol tonight, he’d be tempted to stop in and spend an hour or two with Daisy and Mandy just to relieve the constant ache from the erection he had been sporting since rescuing Grace last night. They weren’t who he wanted, who his body was craving and practically demanding he fuck, but it was either that or stay away from Grace, and that simply wasn’t an option for him. With a stern order for his cock to behave, he said, “I have to go. Abby’s car is out front, so she and Damien are here. You can unpack your things in my room. I’ve relocated to another room,” he told her hoping to set her mind at ease on that score. “Can I trust you to stay here, where I know you’ll be safe?”
Relieved, Jacob took what he could get for now and her cooperation was the first step in gaining her trust. “I’ll see you in the morning then.”
Grace blinked rapidly as he shimmered out of sight. “Weird, just plain weird,” she muttered as she picked up the bag she had packed and started up the wide, majestic stair case with it. From what she had seen of both the exterior and interior of the pre-civil war era home, the house maintained all the grandeur of its past glory. The huge mansion was the epitome of luxury, space and graciousness, the rooms she had seen filled with well-preserved antiques strategically placed among more modern furnishings. The exterior was the very picture of Southern hospitality with its columned porch and galleries that looked like they extended around all four sides of the house. The brief glimpse she got as she left with Abby this morning was of tall French windows that swung open to allow the breeze to cool the interior while green wooden shutters filtered the southern sunlight.
Her bathroom and the brief look she got of the kitchen this morning when she grabbed a cup of coffee before leaving, held all the modern conveniences of the twenty-first century set within a backdrop of old world charm. Setting her bag on the bed, she pulled out her clothes and found room in Jacob’s closet to hang them. Looking at his clothes, she saw styles that dated back decades, making her wonder how old he was, how long he had lived here and where he was originally from. Not only was she still reeling from the difference in Jacob’s demeanor from concerned rescuer last night to enraged, avenging vampire tonight, she now found herself wondering about a man who had seen and done things she had only read about in history books.
