BittenandDefiant

by Anonymous Author

  “I asked for your help.”

  “In other ways. I can’t do that.”

  “You won’t. But I don’t want to argue.” She paused. “What were you thinking of?”

  “I could take care of his dealers. The low-level, street-corner ones.”

  “Take care of how? I know they contribute to the problem but without him they wouldn’t have anything to sell.”

  Kellen chuckled. “I won’t hurt them. Just scare them into finding another line of work.”

  He waited while Frankie considered it. Finally she said, “He’d hate that.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Okay. I mean, if you want to.”

  “Frankie.” Kellen grinned. “At this age I no longer do anything I don’t want to do. The days of proving myself are long gone. I am who I am. I help my friends. And you are definitely a friend. Aren’t you?”

  She nodded hesitantly.

  “Good. In fact you’re more than a friend. So much more.”

  “Am I?”

  “Hell yes! I don’t make a habit of inviting women to move in. Never have before.”

  She appeared surprised. “Never?”

  “No. Never. What time did you get here? Three forty? I sensed it. I felt that you were close. It made me crazy, needing to wait until dusk to come down here.”

  “You could have yelled. I would have come up.”

  “I considered it. But you seemed to be in turmoil. I thought maybe you could use some time to yourself. Or some time to unwind.”

  “You’re right. Thank you.” She sighed sadly.

  Reacting without thinking, Kellen scooped her out of the chair and took her place, positioning her on his lap. He hugged her, holding her against his chest. When Frankie began to sob, his undead heart broke. He could picture her in happier times and it hurt, knowing there was really very little he could do for her. Oh sure, he could turn her as she requested. He could help her with her crusade, frightening off the street dealers and watching her back as she took on the big guy. He could and would do everything to ensure that she succeeded. But still it wouldn’t restore what she’d had with her family.

  As he held her Kellen let his mind drift. If only her life weren’t in such turmoil. If only she wasn’t so convinced her life was over. He knew he could never replace what she’d lost. But they could have a life together, a good life. Eternity.

  He tensed slightly. Fortunately Frankie was still too lost in her grief to notice. He realized he was thinking in terms of forever. As in making plans for after she accomplished her goal of ruining the man who had provided the means that destroyed her family. He’d been so positive that making her a vamp was entirely out of the question yet here he was considering the future as if it were a done deal.

  Others had told him how it was when they’d found their mates, but he hadn’t fully comprehended what they meant. Now after meeting Frankie he did. They’d said it was powerful, intense but those words didn’t begin to describe it. There was no doubt in his mind that she was the woman he was meant to spend forever with. If he had been alive it would have taken his breath away. As it was he had to force himself not to tighten his grip and crush her to him.

  Frankie’s tears subsided. For a moment she rested silently against him as if absorbing comfort from his presence. When she finally raised her head to look at him, her eyes were huge.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  “For what?”

  “Falling apart as I did.”

  “Stop. No need to apologize. We’re friends, lovers. I’m more than willing to hold you any time you need a good cry. You’ve been through so much. And now with what you’ve started it’s not unexpected your nerves would be a little raw.”

  “Um.”

  “What is it?”

  “That’s the first time I cried. Since all this happened.”

  Kellen pulled her tight against him. She obviously had no idea what that meant. She trusted him. She had to or she wouldn’t have let her pain show as she had. And if she trusted him then there was hope for them. Perhaps she would reconsider and stay with him once her need for revenge was satisfied.

  “Aw, Frankie. I wish I’d been here for you all along. You can’t hold it in.”

  “I know but…”

  “But?”

  “There wasn’t anyone…” She let the thought hang, unfinished.

  “No one to hold you? No one to comfort you? No one by your side no matter what was going on?”

  “No. No one. Not after Kate died. And I had to be strong for her with Amber.”

  “Well there is now. I’m with you. And I’ll stay with you. Forever if you’ll have me.”

  Frankie looked startled. With her emotions running so high it was as if she couldn’t decide what he meant. After a second, hope bloomed on her features. “Do you mean?”

  “Maybe.” Kellen nodded slowly.

  “Kellen!” she squealed.

  “Now wait. I said maybe. We need to talk first.”

  “Okay,” she agreed. “Be right back. I need more tea. Can I get you anything?”

  He chuckled. Yes, her emotions were rampant, with how changeable she was. “No thank you.”

  “Oh.” She stopped in the doorway. “Right. Unnecessary.”

  “It is but that doesn’t mean I too don’t enjoy the occasional cup of tea. And Frankie, it is still only maybe. There is a lot to discuss.”

  “I heard you. I understand. But maybe is so much better than flat-out no.” She smiled and even though her face was still red from crying she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

  Frankie took her time making the tea. So much had happened the past few days. Her mind was a whirlwind. If she was completely honest with herself she had to admit Kellen was more than a mere solution. She’d been drawn to him even before they’d spoken. Learning more about him made him fascinating. Add in the sexual chemistry between them and it had her thinking things she had no right to even consider. Not with the horrible way her entire family had died.

  She returned to the study to find Kellen gazing outside. The atmosphere was heavy with anticipation. It made her wonder what exactly he was going to say. She’d assumed it would be that he would only change her on the condition that she stay with him afterward, something that wouldn’t be such a bad thing, but with his expression she was no longer sure.

  “Kellen?” she prompted when he didn’t begin.

  He turned and studied her so intently it was all Frankie could do not to squirm.

  “What you’ve probably heard about being turned into a vampire is more than likely an oversimplification. It’s not a quick and easy process.”

  He had her full attention.

  “It’s painful, Frankie. And doesn’t always work. It could end badly. Very badly.”

  “How so?”

  “Let me explain how it occurs first.” She nodded. “You’re correct in believing I would need to bite you. First I’d have to drain enough of your blood that you were all but dead. You’d need to drink mine to revive you. Over the next few days every cell in your body would transform. You’d be unconscious at first. At some point you’d come around and need to feed again.

  “While you’re out I’d probably leave to feed myself. Your hunger wouldn’t kill me but it could weaken me if I don’t. At that stage I’m the only one who could sustain you. Well, myself or another vamp, which as I’m sure you can guess is out of the question. If I turned you loose on humans you’d drain them dry and kill them without intending to.”

  Frankie gasped at the thought of it.

  “Yeah, it’s not a pleasant event, not as I’m sure you’ve read.”

  “So much is not as I’ve assumed.”

  “That’s not a bad thing. The mystique is there for a reason, Frankie. If we left the legends in place, let us be romanticized, it dissuades some who might otherwise hunt us. We’re difficult to kill but it’s not impossible. Now that I’ve aged enough to be comfortable within my skin
it’s not a bad thing, being a vamp, though I’m still not certain it’s an existence I would have chosen. No, I wasn’t given a choice. Someone turned me against my will and I’ve made the best of it. Now with the possibility of you sharing eternity with me it seems even better.”

  “So you would make that part of the deal, me staying with you.”

  “Yes and no. I’d ask you to stay long enough for you to be able to control your hunger. No way would I transform you and then let you out on your own until I was sure you could do that. It would be irresponsible and might destroy your mind after you randomly killed innocent people. I’d hope you’d give us a fair chance because I believe we would be amazing together once your need for revenge was fulfilled. It won’t be the same, but I think we could become a family of sorts. I have good friends within my community who I know would welcome you as my mate.

  “We could travel. Gods, there is so much out there I would love to show you, share with you. Believe it or not there are still places I haven’t seen. We could explore them together.”

  Frankie was enthralled by his expression. This man really did seem to want to spend forever with her. For months she’d given up all hope of a future and now he was offering her more than she’d ever imagined since her life was ruined. He’d even declared her his mate. Finding someone, being half of a couple, was something she’d looked forward to in the past before her family was destroyed. Well, not exactly. Marriage and all that it implied, yes, though not necessarily to a vampire.

  “Before you decide you need to hear all of it. I’m saying this because more than anything I’d hope the transformation would be successful.”

  “You mean it might not be?”

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. You might not be compatible. Your genetics might prevent you from changing and it would kill you outright. Or, even worse, you might only change partway, which would leave you a monster, out for as much blood as you could get, leaving a trail of bodies in your wake. That would leave me no choice but to destroy you myself. I love you, Frankie. Either scenario would destroy me, most especially the second.”

  She gaped. “Wh-what did you just say?”

  Kellen grinned. “I said I love you. I know it hasn’t been long and your life is a mess at the moment but I do love you. I think I have since the first night you stepped out of the shadows and spoke to me. When I heard your story I decided I wanted you with me always. In fact now that we’ve met I can’t imagine being without you.

  “With how I let you repeatedly watch me feed, looked forward to it, I must have known instinctively that you are meant to be my mate. If you decide to be that is. But that’s me and what I want, which is the least of what you need to consider.”

  She knew she was staring, open-mouthed, but could do nothing to stop herself. Kellen loved her? Kellen loved her. For the first time in forever Frankie’s heart felt something other than grief. It was so unexpected. However, he was correct. That was something to think about later. For now she had to focus on the rest of what he’d said. There were risks involved that she’d never imagined. Even if he was now willing to help her it didn’t mean it would necessarily work out as she pictured. What if she decided to proceed and it didn’t work? If he truly loved her as she was willing to accept he did then it would hurt him tremendously. Was she willing to take the chance?

  Perhaps she should rethink the entire thing. Maybe she should just ask him to help ruin the dealer and then spend time with him without becoming a vampire. But she’d age and die and leave him all alone again. He’d never invited anyone into his home before so that could hurt him just as much, if not even more so, as him needing to do away with her if things went wrong.

  “Do you miss daylight?” Frankie blurted out the first thought that popped into her mind.

  Kellen chuckled at her question. “I think I may have in the beginning, but you adjust.”

  “You said we’d travel.”

  “Yes. We could. As much as you want. Our tours, however, would be vastly different from the standard you’ve seen in brochures.”

  “But how could we see things?” Frankie knew she was avoiding the main issues but she needed a few minutes to collect her thoughts regarding what he said. Kellen clearly understood since he allowed her ramble as she was.

  “I’m over six hundred years old. I know of safe locations for us to stay everywhere. As you already know I possess certain abilities that could get us in places after hours. With our enhanced eyesight we could see the scenery perfectly well outside at night. For instance botanical gardens in the light of a full moon are gorgeous. Trust me, Frankie. You’d love it.”

  When she looked at him Frankie could tell all the turmoil she was feeling was visible in her eyes. Kellen seemed almost stunned, which surprised her. He’d been around all those years and still she managed to affect him. That on top of all she’d been through overwhelmed her.

  “I do trust you, Kellen,” she whispered.

  “Thank you. Now come on. You need to consider things and I need to feed. And no, before you say it, not from you. I’m not sure I could stop once I had my fangs in you and as I said, you have to think about all I told you before we let that happen. We’ll go somewhere and you can see how I choose someone. You haven’t been around for that part yet.”

  Chapter Six

  Several hours later Frankie stood in the shadows, watching as Kellen chatted with one of boys who was dealing drugs on the street. Yes, boy was the correct term. He couldn’t have been more than sixteen. It broke Frankie’s heart to realize that it was more than likely the average age of those working the corners. Even worse it made sense, using children for such tasks. If arrested they stood the chance of being charged as juveniles and could be back on the street in no time. Sadly they were also readily available in such a depressed area. Finding legitimate jobs wasn’t always the easiest thing to do so working for him was easy money for them.

  Frankie shook her head when Kellen’s altered demeanor caused the boy to run. He was more than capable of helping interfere with that level of the organization. Quite effectively too.

  “What are you thinking?” Kellen asked when he returned to her side.

  “Just what a shame it is that these kids seem to have little alternative than to make money illegally.”

  “Yes, it is. Perhaps you could do something about that, should you opt to become a vampire.”

  “What do you mean?” Frankie was curious as they began to walk.

  “Well, I write. You could become a counselor or a social worker. Do something positive to help the situation if you wanted to.”

  “But it would have to be at night.”

  “So? Kids like unconventional. And what parent would object if it worked?”

  She found herself smiling. “That’s true.”

  “Wait. I’m not trying to influence you here.”

  “I know that,” she declared as they entered his house.

  Again Kellen seemed to be at a loss for words. It fascinated her since she’d just watched him tap into several different minds.

  “Kellen?”

  “Yes?”

  “Why can’t you tell what I’m thinking?”

  “I have no idea,” he stated. “It’s strange. I can when we’re connected physically but the rest of the time, nothing. Oh I can pick up your mood but that’s it. Perhaps it has to do with you being my potential mate. You know, to give us privacy.”

  “Hmm. Interesting.” She put her hand on his chest. “So you don’t know what I want right now?”

  Kellen laughed. “I have a pretty good idea even if I can’t determine the specifics. You’ve been turned-on since you watched me feed earlier.”

  “Is it wrong? That making me hot, I mean?”

  “Hell no!”

  “Good. Then you don’t think I’m using you…” She ran her hand over his distended cock through his jeans.

  “Go for it,” he encouraged, leaning against the door.

  “You make
me want things,” she said, freeing him.

  “What things?” He seemed enthralled.

  “Before,” she clamped her hand around his rod, “before you I was always afraid to try things, afraid that guys would think I was weird…” She dug her nails in and twisted. “And that I would hurt them.” Her other hand moved to his balls, squeezing and scratching relentlessly. His cock grew impossibly harder, which turned her on even more. She was tingling from finally being able to treat someone as she’d always dreamed of doing.

  “You want to be rough?”

  “Yes,” she admitted breathlessly, holding his gaze, which reflected the same intensity she was feeling.

  “You want rough in return.”

  It was a statement, not a question but she answered anyway. “Yes.”

  “Gods, do you have any idea what you do to me?”

  “Show me,” she demanded as she continued her harsh fondling.

  With her encouragement Kellen ripped the clothes from her. Before Frankie had time to do more than gasp he carried her to the kitchen and had her bent over the counter. The coolness of it contrasted with the heat radiating from him. His body pinned her in place, hands almost cruelly working her nipples as he pummeled her core from behind with his rock-hard cock. Every stroke sent waves of pleasure coursing through her pussy. The more punishing his thrusts became, the more she forced herself back against him, squeezing his shaft with her pussy the entire time.

  Kellen seemed to understand. Over and over he pounded into her wetness, pushing her higher and higher. The whole time he kept his fingers clamped on her stiff nipples, tormenting them as she just had done with his cock and balls. It wasn’t long before she was screaming out her first climax.

  “Fuck,” Kellen growled. “What I wouldn’t give to sink my teeth into your pretty little neck right now.”

  “Soon,” she panted. “But not yet. There’s still something I want to do in the daylight before you do that.”

  Kellen thrust even harder, moving his hands to her hips to gain more control. He seemed as insatiable as she felt. “You mean it? You want that even with what I told you, Frankie?”