BittenandDefiant

by Anonymous Author

  It was not a sensation he was at all familiar with but this wasn’t the time to analyze it. Not when Frankie was still gloriously naked before him. Not when he could scent her rising desire. Gods, the smell of her excitement alone was enough to make him wild. The things he wanted to do to her, with her, were limitless and racing through his mind so fast he couldn’t decide where to begin.

  Pulling Frankie’s hands from his legs, Kellen yanked her to her feet. His overwhelming need had him nearly feral. He wanted her more than anything he’d ever wanted in his six-hundred-plus years. He wanted to devour her, but knew he had to hold back. She might come across as tough but he’d already determined that was mostly bravado brought on by the circumstances of her life. The reality was that Frankie was a delicate woman, a human, whom he could harm so easily.

  Kellen kissed her, growling at the taste of himself on Frankie’s tongue. His growl caused her to moan. The sound went straight through him. In a flash he had pinned her to the bed. She was so tempting. Every fiber of his being pleaded for a taste of her blood. As he kissed his way down her body Kellen resisted her neck. Instinctively he knew that biting her there was not a good idea. If he sampled her throat he’d never stop.

  When he reached her luscious chest he scraped her nipple with his fang. Frankie gasped and arched her back as if in offering. He didn’t refuse and sucked her stiffened peaks, tugging and pulling much harder than intended. The more he did, the tighter she held his head to her chest. Kellen could finally sense her thoughts and the excitement radiating through her mind was close to overwhelming. He reflected it back to her, wanting to provide her with as much pleasure as he possibly could.

  After lavishing none-too-gentle attention on her breasts, he moved lower. Her scent made him insane. Over and over Kellen plunged his tongue into her soaked core, lapping up her sweet cream. Frankie was writhing against his mouth, pressing her pussy to his face, seeking more, so Kellen replaced his tongue with his fingers and found her clit with his mouth. The jolt of sensation he felt when he nipped at it the same instant his fingers stroked her sweet spot went straight to his cock. He shared his desire within her mind, heightening her pleasure until she screamed in ecstasy.

  When Frankie came Kellen lost his resolve and sank his fangs into her mound just above her clit so he could continue to spear her with his tongue. Frankie’s hands tangled in his hair and for a moment Kellen wasn’t sure if she was trying to yank him away or hold him to her. For an instant he didn’t care. The combined taste of her cum and tangy blood was almost too much for him. All he wanted was to keep her coming so he could have more.

  Somewhere deep inside his mind what he was doing registered. Kellen realized she was begging for him to never stop. But he had to. If he took too much of her blood he’d kill her. Then he’d have no choice but to change her and that was something he was still unwilling to do. Drawing his fangs from Frankie’s warm and willing body was the most difficult thing Kellen had ever done, but he forced himself to do it. He had to. He cared too much to allow himself to do otherwise, no matter how much he wanted to continue feasting on her. When Frankie figured out that he was withdrawing she fought to hold him to her.

  “Frankie, no.” Kellen trapped her in place as he licked the punctures to seal them. “I won’t do that to you.”

  “But Kellen—” she protested.

  “No.” Not giving her a chance to argue he shifted over her, positioning his body between her thighs and kissed her.

  At first Frankie was conflicted but soon Kellen felt her give in to sensation once again. Raising his head, he waited for her to meet his eyes. When she did he thrust his cock into her slick pussy. Holding his groin against her mound, he watched her expression. He already sensed her building desire but he needed to see it too. Before, they’d fucked, totally out of control. This time he wanted more. He demanded more.

  Kellen began to move, slowly at first, sliding his cock the full length of her sheath, withdrawing almost completely before burying himself to the hilt and grinding against her, adding stimulation to her sensitized clit. Her breathing became labored. Her pussy clenched his cock even tighter than her hands gripped his arms. She wrapped her legs around his, using his body to force them even closer together.

  Time was suspended when Frankie came. Kellen paused, absorbing her pleasure, sharing it back with her. As soon as it started to ebb he resumed, increasing the pace, piercing her with his rod harder and harder until he was ramming it into her needy pussy with all he had.

  He told himself he would have stopped at any time had she shown any resistance but Frankie was meeting him with equal force. She wanted this just as much as he did. Never in all his experience had Kellen encountered a human who fucked as she did. It heightened his arousal and strengthened his resolve to keep her with him.

  By the time Kellen felt his body tensing Frankie was coming nonstop. The entire time, she’d held his gaze. It nearly unnerved him, the way she seemed to see inside him. He was no longer projecting to her yet still he believed she could sense everything he was feeling. His cock was on fire as she scorched him with her pleasure. Her scent was burned forever into his memory.

  “Kellen, please. Come. I need you.”

  Her plea sent Kellen over the edge. Grunting, growling, he came harder than he had in all his years. This tiny, fierce human woman made him feel more than anyone he’d ever experienced. It overwhelmed him so much he momentarily collapsed on top of her, hiding his face against her neck, her pussy still throbbing around his spent cock. As soon as his mind began to function again he shifted, rolling to his side while holding on tightly to maintain as much contact as possible.

  “Wow,” Frankie whispered when her breathing returned close enough to normal that she was able to speak.

  Her reaction was the understatement of the millennium. Kellen couldn’t help himself. He laughed.

  “What?” Frankie asked even though she’d started chuckling with him.

  “You’re priceless. Wow? After all that all you can come up with is wow?”

  “Well, yeah. My mind is fried. You’re lucky I managed to say anything at all.”

  He laughed even harder. “Gods, you’re beautiful.”

  “So are you.” After another fit of giggles Frankie fought to suppress a yawn. “I should go.”

  “Stay. Please? Sleep here tonight. We still have a lot to talk about.”

  “Okay, Kellen. But I have to go in the morning. There’s something I have to do whether we’re done discussing things or not.”

  Kellen studied her for a moment. The seriousness had returned to her expression, and her mind was once again closed to him. “All right, Frankie. I won’t press you to stay when you say you have to go.” He considered asking what it was she intended but the look on her face stopped him. For now he would take her agreeing to sleep in his bed as a sign of budding trust and do what he could to add to it.

  “Thank you,” she murmured tiredly.

  Kellen kissed her gently and loosened his hold a bit. She looked exhausted, part of which he knew came from their recent activities and part of which he guessed was stress. It made him wonder if she ever shut down enough to sleep soundly. He watched as she drifted off. She seemed comfortable for the moment, something else he decided was good. Hopefully she’d get a peaceful night’s rest before she returned to her crusade in the morning.

  Frankie had told him the only help she wanted from him was to change her into a vampire. It was still out of the question in his mind but there had to be other things he could do. It was something for him to ponder while she slept. He settled in, not at all tired himself, but more than willing to lie there and hold her for however long she’d allow.

  Chapter Four

  Frankie sat at a table in the upscale restaurant, picking at the breakfast she couldn’t afford. She’d had to order something though. It was not the sort of place one could linger without doing so.

  Over the past few months Frankie had made a habit of coming the
re and being chatty with the staff. She showed up every Sunday morning just before the hypocrite and his mother arrived after attending services at a nearby church. The nerve of him, pretending to be so holy, all the while supplying half the city with illegal poison.

  For a minute Frankie felt slightly bad about what she was about to do. The scum’s mother was elderly. If she didn’t already have at least some inkling of her son’s true profession this would surely be a shock.

  Frankie’s remorse lasted only a moment. How could the woman be entirely clueless as to where the money came from? After all, he wasn’t all that secretive about his activities. She had to have suspicions. She probably knew but didn’t permit herself to dwell on it. In Frankie’s mind that made her a coconspirator and therefore partly responsible for Kate and Amber’s deaths.

  The waitress left the check, telling Frankie not to rush through her meal. Once the girl moved on to the next table she placed enough cash to cover both the bill and a handsome tip in the folder as she did every other week when presented with her tab. Then she pulled the photos of Amber’s pale, lifeless, naked body lying in the ditch from the envelope she carried. Waiting until the men who always accompanied the pair were preoccupied, Frankie rose and headed for their table.

  “Excuse me, Mrs. Valdez?”

  The woman smiled at Frankie’s approach and again she felt a twinge of guilt but it was too late to back down.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt your meal but I wanted you to see the kind of man your son is.” She handed over the photos. “This is what his drugs did to my beautiful niece. And my sister since she couldn’t continue to live after her daughter was found that way, thrown out the same as trash by your son after he let her die while he was entertaining.”

  Before any of them could react Frankie rushed past the men and escaped through the door. She ran around the corner and weaved her way along her predetermined route, hoping to elude them, not stopping to see if they followed until she was far from the restaurant. When she finally allowed herself to look she was relieved to discover that there was no one behind her.

  The element of surprise was in her favor this one time and she knew she would not have a second opportunity to approach him face-to-face in public. Unless Kellen changed his mind it was honestly time to be prepared to die.

  Throughout the day Frankie paced her apartment, sure some of his men would suddenly appear to kill her even though it was much too soon for them to have determined where she lived. Over and over her mind returned to what Kellen had said. Saying she didn’t live in the best area of town was an understatement. If anyone heard them breaking down her door it was highly unlikely they would come to her rescue. They may not even call the police once she started to scream. If she even had the opportunity for that.

  By three o’clock she couldn’t stand it anymore. She had to get out of there and the only place she could think to go was Kellen’s. Knowing once she was there she’d be spending the night, she quickly threw some things in her backpack. Not that she was moving in or anything. She’d just take along a few essentials to be more comfortable in the morning.

  Before she left she peered out the window for several minutes. Once she was sure there was no one outside waiting she crept downstairs. Again waiting and watching she took a long time before exiting the building. She didn’t mean to but her feet had a mind of their own and took her in the direction of the dealer’s home instead of Kellen’s.

  She stood lurking in the alley across the street, observing the men on guard. There was one more than usual and less conversation than in the past. Good. She was affecting him. Oh, not significantly she was certain but enough that he was at least minimally aware of her presence. He had to have realized that she had no intention of fading away now that she’d made herself known.

  The question was how to proceed. Attempting another stunt like that morning’s would surely get her killed sooner rather than later. Thinking on it, she decided little things would probably be best unless Kellen agreed to change her. Things that would annoy him and keep him alert. Things to distract him from his business. Interrupt his routine and hopefully instill some doubt as to his untouchability.

  Frankie didn’t know what possessed her. She wasn’t really thinking. Boldly she stepped from her hiding place and out onto the sidewalk where she would be easily seen. She stood for a moment, waiting to be noticed. When one of the men patrolling the front of the gate saw her, she smiled. With a little wave she turned and ambled down the street as if she didn’t have a care in the world. There was no way for them to know that her heart felt as if it were about to pound out of her chest.

  She couldn’t hear what the men were saying but knew she had to vanish as soon as possible. She held her saunter until she could turn the corner. Once she had she ran full-out. She ducked between two buildings and made it to the next alley before they could see where she’d gone. Once again weaving farther and farther away Frankie was grateful for all the nights she’d spent wandering the neighborhood, familiarizing herself with the area.

  By the time she reached Kellen’s door she was overwhelmed with her own audacity. Ha! She’d never considered herself to be meek or timid but throwing her presence in their faces so soon after her actions in the restaurant was more than she ever imagined herself capable of. Upon further thought Frankie realized it wasn’t courage. It was resolve. Her family was gone and she no longer cared about herself. She truly was ready to die.

  Frankie let herself in and stood by the door. She felt as if she were intruding. But Kellen had given her a key and the code to the alarm system. If he hadn’t wanted her to return he never would have done that. Slowly she explored the house. It really was an amazing place. And, for a man who didn’t require conventional food, the kitchen was fully stocked.

  Over a cup of tea she wondered what to do while she waited for him to emerge. Finally she decided to read. Her sister had read all his books but she hadn’t. She wasn’t sure why but she thought it might please him. Since she was going to be a guest in his home at least on occasion that was something she would like to do.

  She settled in to read, but paused before opening the book. Kellen filled her mind in so many ways. Yes, she’d approached him with the intent of asking for his assistance, but it had already gone beyond that. She wanted to know everything about him, where he came from, how he became a vampire, when he discovered he had the talent to write. But it was more than idle curiosity. In the short time since they’d met he’d reawakened her heart and was quickly becoming someone she wanted to hold within it.

  More than ever she wished for her sister’s guidance. Kate had always been a romantic. If anyone could help her with the concept of love at first sight it would be she. Frankie sighed. Once again she damned the man she deemed responsible for the loss of her family. If not for him she would have someone to confide in, to discuss all the feelings Kellen inspired since they’d met.

  The fact that she had sought him out to help in her quest wasn’t lost on her but she felt that even without that they still would have met somehow. Perhaps through his books. She grinned at the thought and opened the cover.

  Chapter Five

  Kellen stood in the doorway to his study. He smiled. Frankie was so engrossed in one of his novels that she failed to notice his presence. He could easily imagine spending eternity with her. But she hadn’t indicated she wanted anything from him other than for him to turn her into a vampire. Sure, she enjoyed him physically. And she had returned to his home as he’d asked her to. Neither meant she had any interest in living forever by his side.

  She’d asked him to turn her and then get rid of her once she accomplished her goal. He knew he’d never be able to do that. What if he changed her and then she resented him for not doing all she requested? Besides, he would be doing it for selfish reasons, not the ones she had in mind. No, it was out of the question. Definitely out of the question.

  “How’d it go this morning?” Kellen finally asked, startling Fran
kie into awareness.

  “Oh! Kellen. Hi.” She hugged his book and smiled. “This is wonderful.”

  “Thank you.”

  “How long have you been standing there?”

  “Not long. Did you go through with whatever you were planning?”

  “Yes.”

  By the time Frankie finished relating her tale, Kellen was impressed. It might be grief and desperation that drove her, but she still had more nerve than most humans he’d met over his lifespan. She’d be fearless as a vampire. The adventures they could have! If only she would want to.

  “So what’s next?”

  “I’m not sure.” Kellen frowned at the hurt in her voice. “I don’t really have a set plan. Obviously. Other than to let him know he’s not as high and mighty as he believes I haven’t really come up with anything concrete.”

  “I’d say you’ve already accomplished that. Want my opinion?”

  “Sure.”

  “Don’t develop a pattern. Keep him on his toes. Don’t let him know when to expect you. If you appear randomly he’ll have to devote time worrying about when you’ll show up next. It’ll bother him. I may be wrong but you walking down his street this afternoon was probably the last thing he’d expect even though he had an extra man outside. It was more likely a precaution than he considered you a real threat.”

  “Yes, I agree.” She laughed without humor. “I surprised myself with that one too.”

  “I’m sorry, Frankie. I know you don’t want to hear this but I think it was a little reckless, going by his place. But honestly so is your whole crusade.” He held up his hand to stop her protest. “I’m not saying I don’t understand your motivation. I do. But I care enough already to wish you wouldn’t be putting yourself in this position. I wish you’d let me help.”