“I wanna make you come, Rachel,” she whispered.
“No,” I said, flipping her onto her back and positioning myself between her legs. “You first.”
She laughed, a low throaty laugh this time. “What the hell did I do to deserve this? Wow talk about getting lucky.”
I slowly removed her panties, the last of her clothing, and slid them down her long beautiful legs. “Oh, you’re about to get very lucky.”
She smiled wide. “Fuck, I’m so turned on.”
I took her to my mouth, her soft wetness, warm and silky on my tongue, and worked her most delicate spot until she was moaning and bucking up against my tongue, crying out with pleasure. “Oh god,” she moaned as the sensation crested and then died away. “Do that again.”
“I will,” I said. “Just be good and you’ll get everything you want…and so will I.”
She sighed as I pressed my tongue up against her inner thigh. “Don’t tease me,” she begged. I continued to stroke her soft, milky flesh, licking her and feeling the steady throb of her femoral artery.
The blood hunger surged in me as the pulse radiated through my body, my fangs releasing on instinct. Luckily my face was hidden from her in the mostly dark room. I bit down ever so gently, just a pinprick, and sucked lightly. She gasped feeling my teeth on her thigh. “You bit me,” she laughed.
I chuckled as I sucked at the tiny wound. She tasted sublime but the blood wasn’t running fast enough for me anymore. I felt my primal urge to feed spring forth, and like an unchained animal I bit down as hard as I could the next time.
“Oh, ouch! That’s a little too rough.” Hearing her cry out I backed off a little, but continued to suck. A few moments passed and she had stopped moving around so much. I must have taken at least a quart very fast. “Rachel? I don’t feel so good.”
Kira reached down for my head but I swatted her hand away. I wanted all of her now. I wanted to drain her. My rational thought shattered as I approached the state where I was pure vampire. Unadulterated blood obsessed animal. I knew that no matter what happened now I wasn’t going to stop. Kira was going to die, and I was past the point of caring.
Moments before that could happen she lifted her head off the pillow and in a small weak voice said, “Oh my god, there’s a bird in here.”
My head snapped up, the blood running down my chin, to see a crow sitting on the desk. A familiar humming noise filled the room as Gavin shifted from animal to man.
“What the fuck?” Kira screamed. I turned my head to look at her and she saw me in all that I was. Eyes black and fangs protruding, her blood still half filling my mouth. She panicked, crying weakly, her voice trying and failing to form a full on scream.
Gavin flew at me, speaking sternly. “Get away from her,” he said. He grabbed my arm and threw me off the girl with such force that I hit the wall across the room and lay splayed out on the floor, stunned temporarily. Gavin got on top of a horrified Kira, and forced her head to his. After a few more moments of primal panic she settled down, becoming quiet and still. “Get dressed and go back to your car. You went straight home after work. You have no memory of being here.”
In a trance, Kira did what she was told and I stayed put on the floor, Gavin standing guard between us. When she finally left he turned to me, extending his hand. “Are you alright?”
I took it and stood, putting on the bathrobe which hung from a nearby hook. I nodded. Gavin opened the motel door and looked around carefully before grabbing his clothes from outside and pulling them on. The curtain billowed on the breeze as he did and I realized he must have gotten in through the slightly opened window. He certainly hadn’t come in through the door or I’d have heard him. “What are you doing here?”
“You were going to kill that girl,” he said, gritting his teeth in frustration. “Rachel, you need to come home with me. You’re going to end up doing something you can’t undo. I can’t always be around to protect you.”
“I’ve already done things I can’t undo,” I said, raising my voice to him. “Are you following me?”
“Not as much as I’d like to. I have obligations at home, but yes, I do what I can. Rachel, there’s really nothing you need to be forgiven for. I’ve thought about it, and yes, I was upset but it was the only thing you felt you could do at the time. I know that. I still love you, nothing’s changed.”
“Everything’s changed!” I cried, dropping down onto the bed. “You need to go home, Gavin. Just forget about me. I’m going to leave here soon and I don’t know where I’m going after that.”
“Leave here? No! You’re not even fully transformed yet and Holly said the pregnancy would slow it down. You need to be with me. I’m your maker, I’m responsible for you.”
“I’m an adult and I can take care of myself.”
Gavin threw his hands up and went to the closet, tearing every piece of clothing off the hangers. “Ok, enough of this,” he said, throwing them at me. “Get dressed and get in the truck. We’re driving back right now. I’ve told you to come home and you will. I’ll take you by force if I have to.”
I flew at him in a rage not wanting to listen. My defensive instinct emerged. I felt threatened and charged at him. He didn’t attempt to move out of the way or defend himself. He simply caught me and held me to him, pinning my arms to my sides as he wrapped himself around me. His eyes softened. “Let’s go,” he said, stroking my hair and kissing my forehead.
“Gavin,” I whispered. “You don’t understand. I can’t go home with you. I can’t be your wife anymore.”
He looked like he’d been punched in the stomach upon hearing those words. “You don’t love me anymore? That can’t be true.”
“I do love you, but after what I did…”
“I told you, I don’t care about Aries. That will take care of itself.”
I continued to scream. “It’s not Aries! It’s Ian!”
“Ian?”
“Gavin…Ian and I…”
I didn’t have to say it out loud. He let go and I backed up, watching him lean against the wall trying to process what he’d just found out. His jaw clenched and he turned his head away, swallowing hard. “Do you love him?”
“…I don’t know.”
He nodded slowly and then walked to the door, leaving without another word. I stood there for a moment before bolting across the room, throwing it open. I began to say his name, to call for him. I had burdened him with the knowledge of what I’d done and wished already I could take it back. I should have kept my mouth shut and lived with the agony alone, but now he’d have to live with it too and that made me feel perhaps more guilty than I had about things before. Looking down in front of the door I saw his clothes there in a pile. I carefully gathered them up and took them inside as I would have done at home. He always shifted and flew when he was hurting. He was hurting now because of me and I wanted nothing more than to stop the pain.
I needed to see him. I wanted a chance to talk, to explain. Sitting on the bed and attempting to open the mental connection we had once shared proved fruitless. Unlike other times when I wasn’t sure if it was working or not, this time I knew he was intentionally blocking me, I could feel it. If there was ever a time I should have run back to Soldiers Cove this was it. If I had been smart I would have kept my mouth shut and just got in the truck. The truth was out now however, and both of us were stuck facing it, no matter how ugly it was.
I took his shirt to my chest and lay down, closing my eyes and taking in his scent. It was in that moment my confusion over Ian evaporated. I loved Gavin, I needed him. I had feelings for Ian, yes, but they were nowhere near the same. Gavin was everything to me and now I may have lost him for good. The thought of that was too much to bear. Needing to escape I closed my eyes and fell into a long, deep, willed sleep.
Chapter Thirteen
My thoughts were clearer upon waking up the next evening and I packed what little belongings I had, threw them in the truck and checked out of the motel. I hadn’
t decided where I was going but it would be in the opposite direction of home. I needed to disappear. I was sure Gavin was too disgusted with me to follow me anywhere right about now and so it would be the perfect time to pull up stakes and leave.
Before leaving I remembered Zale’s offer and headed toward Point Pleasant Park in the darkness, feeling like I at least owed him a goodbye. I parked and made my way back to the same spot I’d attempted to hide in the night before. There was no sign of the herd at first, but breathing in heavily and taking in the night air to track I could smell them. They all smelled the same. An intoxicating and unmistakable aroma born directly from nature itself. Grass and clean air were the mark of the beasts I sought, and in a matter of minutes I found them.
They were in their natural form, sharing a drink out of a beautiful old goblet. The small group of five turned, surprised to see that I had snuck up on them. Zale smiled wide as I made my way over. “It is good to see you again mother, we were just offering prayers of protection for our mothers, and here you are. Sent by the gods you must be” he said, taking my hand and kissing it gently. “I had hoped, however, you would be far away from here by now. Is there any way in which I can help you?”
“Actually, I just came to say goodbye. I’m leaving.”
The creature chuffed with relief. “I’m gladdened to hear it. Going back to where you can be protected by your people is your best option.”
“I’m not exactly going home.”
His relief was quickly replaced with a look of alarm. “What? You need to think of your boy. He needs to be close to his father to live through the transformation and be strong. The closer you are to him the healthier the boy will be.”
“I’ll get him back to Soldiers Cove in time for that. I have fifteen years don’t I?”
“Well…technically yes, but your son will be his strongest if he can grow where he was sired. He stands a better chance that way. I can’t tell you what to do, mother. If you feel that strongly about it you must have your reasons, but please, don’t stay away too long. Go back as soon as you can.”
I planned to do the opposite. I planned to stay away as long as I could, but letting Zale know that wouldn’t do any good. “Thank you for your kindness,” I said. “I just wanted to apologize again for last night and let you know I was leaving. Are there more of you? I’d like to meet all of you before I go.”
“It’s just us for now. But we have many who will join the herd in a few years. We will grow our numbers in this place and have a good strong brotherhood someday. I myself have at least twenty sons that will join. It would have been more but…” His voice broke at the thought of all they’d lost. “You must come back and see us again when we have grown.”
“I will,” I said. “Good luck to you all. I have to get going.”
The rest of them rose and came to embrace me tenderly, each planting a gentle kiss on the cheek before backing away. Zale took a cord from round his neck that contained a small charm. A tiny horn that looked like it had been carved out of wood. He put the chord around my neck and softly brushed my hair aside so that the charm sat just below my sanctuary pendant. “For your son. It will protect him, and you as well.”
“What is it?”
“It is the pendant of Vagitanus. The god that sees to the newly born. It would honor me, and all of us, if you would keep it close.”
It obviously meant a great deal to Zale. I was both moved and humbled to receive it. “I will, I promise. And someday I will come back and see you all.”
“Take care of yourself mother. Be vigilant in your safety.” He hugged me close once more before I turned to go.
A chill was in the air and my breath rose in tendrils as I made my way back to the truck, thinking of the things the satyr had said and placing my hand around the charm he had just given me. Getting behind the wheel I sat for a few moments, contemplating my next move. I decided that getting out of the province, and perhaps even the country might be what was best. I could drive through New Brunswick and make my way to Maine. Or drive all the way to Quebec and head into New York. I was gassed up and was ready to drive as far as I could go before filling up again. If I hadn’t been pregnant I probably could have driven for days, but having to stop for sleep and food was going to slow me down.
I got on the road and was just about to exit the city on a lonely deserted highway when a dark form appeared about a hundred meters ahead. Jamming on the breaks I tried to avoid whoever was dumb enough to be standing in front of my truck as it barreled toward them, but it was too late. Tires squealing and shredding themselves on the pavement, I was jerked forward, gripping the steering wheel as hard as I could.
The form wasn’t thrown by the impact of the truck and instead the hood popped open, metal bending and twisting in a loud crash as it did, sending me directly through the windshield. Thrown from the truck I lay there, stunned on the asphalt as the dark figure stalked toward me. The last thing I remember was being seized by the throat and turned outward from the stranger’s body so as not so meet their face. The unknown assailant twisted my head violently causing a deafening crack. It was the last sound I heard before the world slipped away into darkness.
Chapter Fourteen
The pain had me reeling before even opening my eyes. I felt like each and every bone in my body had been broken and was now in the process of shifting back into place. Sensing I wasn’t alone I stifled my urge to cry out and lay there as quietly as I could, slowly and carefully opening my eyes. I needed to get a good look at my surroundings so I could defend myself if need be, but honestly, I was really in no shape to do so.
I saw that I was alone in a cell, lit by something that must have been designed to mimic sunlight because I was struck with even more pain and closed my eyes as fast as I could. Unable to stand it my hand automatically shielded them as the burning intensified.
“She’s awake,” I heard a man’s voice say.
The clicking of high heels came closer and I felt a hand on my shoulder. “Turn those goddamn things off. They aren’t necessary.” Darkness flooded the room and I looked around once more. Though my vision was still blurry it was impossible not to know Christina. She looked at me with all the love and care of a concerned parent reaching out to stroke my cheek. “Easy now,” she said. “You’ve had a rough day.”
I moaned trying to sit up and felt a pain around my abdomen. My hands clutched my belly in a sudden panic for my unborn child. “Don’t worry, your baby is fine.”
“How do you know?” I said, gasping in agony as I continued to heal.
“Open your ears and check for yourself. Can’t you hear its little heart beating?”
I listened and realized she was right. I felt a relief so great that even though my body was screaming from the inside out made me want to cry with happiness. “Besides,” she continued on, “vampires can’t miscarry. I could throw you over Niagara Falls and that little one would be as safe as a church in there.”
“What am I doing here?”
“You were in an accident.”
I hissed in pain and resentment. “It was no accident. Someone stood in front of my truck on purpose. Someone who wasn’t a human because I hit them and they didn’t die. Instead they picked me up and snapped my neck. What’s going on here?”
“I’m terribly sorry about that. Joshua has a flair for the dramatic I’m afraid. I just told him to bring you to me, but I guess I should have specified how.”
“Sorry,” I heard a voice from behind me say. Joshua was standing there looking slightly guilty.
Christina glared at him. “We put you in the ground for a reason.”
Joshua opened his mouth to protest. “I just thought…”
“Oh spare me. Help me get her into the living room.”
Joshua on one side and Christina on the other they lifted me, gently, and escorted me out of the cell type room in Christina’s upper class apartment sitting me on the sofa I’d seen Christina perched on the night before.
&
nbsp; I steadied my voice and tried to sound stronger than I felt. “Why did you want to see me?”
Christina took a seat next to me on the couch, cupping her hand over mine. “Rachel, I want you to know that I’m aware of your situation.”
“You are?”
“Yes. I know now how such a young vampire conceived a child.” I froze. “I know you’re carrying the son of one of those creatures.” The way she said the word ‘creatures’ came out sounding like it tasted vile in her mouth. “No wonder you were so alarmed when we first met. I’m sure the whole situation has thrown your life into disarray. I can’t even imagine what you’ve been through.”
“Are you going to kill me like the others?”
It seemed I had offended her. “Rachel! No, you’re one of us. We would not harm you.”
“What about my baby?”
“Your baby will not come to any harm with us. He doesn’t have to fulfil his destiny.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we could turn him before then. We’d need several vampires to do the draining so as no one ingests enough to die, but he only needs one maker to restore his blood. If you’d stay here with us we’d help you do that.”
“I thought turning children was forbidden all around.”
“Maybe in the little backwater place you come from, no offense, but here I am in charge and I do what I want. As long as the boy is not too wild we can make him one of us. Think about it Rachel. You’ll lose him for sure if you don’t. Yes you may get him to his father and he may live a long time but eventually he’ll die, and in the meantime he’ll have lost his memory of you completely. This way you can be with him forever. No mother should have to lose a child. I’m offering you the chance to forgo the pain it would cause you. And we could really use you as well. Someone of your talent would certainly be a great addition to our group. I would really like it if you’d join us here for good. I offer my hand in friendship.”
The arguments she made had not even occurred to me. Turning my child hadn’t occurred to me either. I had been told it was against the rules, but she was right. This wasn’t home and these vampires didn’t follow the same edicts as the Soldiers Cove clan. “What about all the rest of the children? What will you do with them?”
The Vampires of Soldiers Cove: The Unborn Page 7
