by Unknown
Urban Legend
Fiona Jayde
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2007 Fiona Jayde
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ISBN: 978-1-59596-825-8
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Urban Legend
Fiona Jayde
The Council Of Vampyre refuses to believe one of their kind would willingly turn humans into monsters. They will not update the vaccine that can prevent this turning, nor will they allow humans to access the raw components so they can modify the chemical bonds themselves.
Nick Cain has pushed his body to superhuman strength ever since he was attacked and nearly drained by an amorous female vampire. When he is tasked to physically hack into a lab in San Francisco, he doesn’t expect to rescue the lushly built Vampyre keeper of the vaccine, nor does he expect his sharp attraction to her while they race across the state.
Vampyre Valentina Ash has not been raised to trust a human. The man who rescues her floods her senses -- and with her yearly need rising, it’s hard to focus on the fact he is still human, cannot be trusted, and is the enemy. As he saves her from death and blood dust, the hunger that envelops them both may lead them to the ultimate destruction.
Prologue
From: The Desk of Senator Wipstrom
To: Alliance of Human Protection Services/Jakob Grey
Occurrences of humans with Vampyre blood appear to be larger than anticipated. The mixing of the races has taken place despite the fear and distrust on both sides. The offspring of these unions are usually regular humans with the potential to be turned into blood-consuming nightmares. The vaccine that should have protected them from turning does not appear to take effect on the mixed race.
The Vampyre Council does not accept the possibility of someone willingly turning humans into Vampyre. The act is deemed unnatural, distasteful. They do not wish to see the sire marks carved into the bodies of the drained or on the faces of the newly-turned who terrorize the streets.
We must take action into our own hands. As they are responsible for the distribution of the vaccine -- and refuse to hear our call for updates -- we will take on this project without their input. To start, we must understand the raw components that make up the whole -- a task which will require delicacy as this information is heavily guarded by the Council.
I trust you will proceed with caution.
With respect,
Bill Wipstrom, Senator
Chapter One
The proximity breach occurred at precisely twelve-thirty. Val struggled to stay calm, to slow the pulse thundering in her throat and ears. Her fingers -- usually so sure and nimble -- clumsily pounded on the emergency shutdown keys.
About a minute until full breach. She knew exactly where the man was, could see him on the security cam -- black-clothed and huge. Human most likely -- a Vampyre wouldn’t have a need to be here.
Orders were simple, and so was pride. She’d rather dust and join her father than give humans access to the vaccine.
The monitors blinked blue now, ready to short if someone even breathed on them too hard. There were no papers -- all was digital. She stumbled over an opened drawer, painfully scraping her knee on something sharp and cold as she swiped flash drives off the workstations, sticking her forefinger into data CDs. She thought deliriously that only she would be the one stupid enough to get killed here on Friday since everyone else was partying it up. Had she not been here, all data would have been locked up and inaccessible.
They either wanted her or just her data. Either way, they’d get dust.
She banged her other knee into that same drawer, a sharp edge ripped through her jeans and into skin. Ignoring the pain, she ran into the kitchenette to reach the microwave, sticking the CDs in there and setting it on high. Fridge magnets and flash drives were best friends.
She waited for the man to blow the inner door and curled her hands over the knife always carried on her lunch walk. It wasn’t ladylike, but neither was this business. There was movement behind her; she scented human -- male, musk, muscle. The knife was in her palm, the handle hot and smooth as she turn around to face the human -- huge, thick muscles under a beat-up leather jacket, his clenched jaw grim in the bright and cheerful kitchen light.
“There’s two of them. They ain’t as nice as me.” His voice sounded intimate -- a soft seductive whisper. Then he was on her, his body hard and heavy, his palm over the knife handle, the other on her waist.
Act, damn it!
Val allowed herself to wait a precious second before pivoting, circling his motion round, down -- his crash onto the floor just a muffled thud. The flash of victory was short and sweet -- he rolled onto his feet smoothly, uncommonly graceful for a man that big. She brought her fists up and wondered where he’d stashed his guns. He didn’t look like the man she’d seen on camera, but that didn’t mean shit.
“Impressive.” He barreled into her, crashing her face down on the floor, her knife pried out of her fingers. She closed her eyes and waited to be dust. Instead she felt his lips next to her ear. “They either want you dead or the vaccine. Your odds’re better with me.”
She barely could breathe with his weight on her. And, gods help her, it was… interesting. His scent was potent human male, fused with adrenaline and yet not threatening. “And you want what?”
His weight was off, a large, rough palm wrapped over her upper arm and dragged her upward. She took this chance to look at him -- dark blond hair cropped close to his scull, dark stubble over a face too brutal to be considered handsome -- too striking to be anything but. His eyes were gray and cold as he returned her stare. “Just the vaccine.”
She pushed at him, but couldn’t dislodge the hand over her biceps. Were there more of them? Was he distracting her while someone was beating their way into the network? “At least tell me your name.”
“Nick Cain, Alliance of Human Protection Services.”
The title didn’t mean much to her.
He dragged her toward the window. Val fought, stalling, and nearly threw him again. He was too big, that muscled body just too heavy. She cursed the non-aggressive choice of Aikido and wished she’d studied something deadly, something that would have given her enough skill to punch his lights out.
“Let go, damn you.” She wanted to scream, instead she whispered furiously. He cursed an answer just as Val saw a green speck of light over her bare arm. And then a thud, a crush, a breathless stun as he just threw her on the floor, his body damp and hot over hers. Time stretched, seconds were hours. Glass shards rained like teardrops onto the tiled floor as she struggled for breath under this human male.
She dragged air in as soon as he rolled off her. She raised her head to find him on his knees in front of her, a wide shouldered Rambo with a gun in each hand, his back to her as he rolled onto his feet and yelled for her to find cover.
A loud shot, a g
roan… and then silence. The blood ash of a dead Vampyre drifted over her face like cherry blossoms. She simply couldn’t move. “Stop flipping, Doc, a second earlier it’d have been you.” His voice was rough and low. Sheer will had her clawing her way onto unsteady feet. His palm felt warm around her wrist. “Move it.”
She smelled his blood. “You’re hurt.”
“That’s what I get for playing hero.” That gruff voice would be sexy any other time. Now it was terrifying.
He dragged her toward that same window, the broken glass letting in wind and night. Was there someone waiting outside? She struggled again, but didn’t shriek simply because she didn’t have the breath. Her hair fell over her face; she felt rather than saw when he burst through the window taking her with him.
He kept in shadow, using the wall for cover. Hunched behind him, Val prayed her knees wouldn’t turn to jelly while her thighs trembled. She stumbled; the man dragged her up and forward, out to the street. She was shoved into the back of a large van, the door slammed after her. She shut her eyes and expected the roar of a motor and a shove of acceleration to fling her back as they tore out of here. Instead she heard both of them breathing in the silence.
She let her stomach slide back down from her throat. “Shouldn’t we get out of here?” He didn’t answer. Val took a risk and opened one eye, then the other. The blue glow of monitors nearly seared her pupils off, and she squinted in defense, blinking at tears. Shock and nerves kept ruining her focus as she tried to kick start her brain into some semblance of action. He hadn’t killed her. Nevertheless, she wouldn’t trust a human even if this one had saved her life.
Chapter Two
Her voice drove him insane, curling around him and sliding into his crotch with the sweet intensity of cool, dark silk. Gone were the business suit and prim and proper blouses he had seen her wearing the past few days while attempting to hack into her closed-door network. Her jeans hugged curves designed to inspire lust, her sweater revealing cleavage that was an answer to male prayers. All that black wavy hair was coiled into a tail that begged him to take it into his fist, to pull her head back while he fucked her from behind. That voice -- pure kinked sex.
Ignoring it and her, Cain kept a close eye on the monitors displaying both sides of the street as he raced through the surveillance vid to see if anyone approached. He couldn’t risk peeling out now, not with the possibility of someone rigging up a nice explosive parting gift while he’d been gone.
“What are you doing?” There was a hint of suppressed panic in her tone.
“Hang on, Doc.” He watched the cams, ran diagnostics. Sweat dripped into his eyes. They couldn’t stay, and yet they could be blown to bits once he gunned the engine.
“We need to go!”
There was nothing on the cams. Cain figured he would risk it. He grabbed her by the waist, pulled her against him, fitted his mouth over hers. Nipped just a little, just for luck. “Let’s go then.” Pushing the divider down to give him access, he climbed into the driver’s seat, pulling her after him. Grasping her wrist tightly, he gunned the engine.
Nothing. They were both still here, her skin smooth and soft under his.
Still holding her wrist, he sped the van through San Francisco -- tall, mirrored buildings crowding the streets -- and as the tension eased, he started thinking.
He’d kissed a fucking Vampyre. He didn’t know what in sweet hell he’d been thinking. Sexy or not, she was a Vampyre and he’d just… Fuck. He felt as horny as a teenager at first grope. At least she’d finally gone silent. He couldn’t handle that siren voice now, not when the adrenaline still spiked his nerves and his body wanted to play with those lush curves.
Damn, but her eyes went wide when he put his lips on her. She was so tall she matched him evenly in height, her eyes level with his when he brought her against him. Her skin was pale and white over high cheekbones, her mouth lush and wide and perfect. He thought about watching it stretch over his cock and felt himself harden. He dropped her wrist as if it had scalded him.
Christ, he was a case.
The Vampyre shifted next to him, that carnal mouth parting as she exhaled. She’d freaked minutes ago and now sat so still it was as if ice had coated her. Cain didn’t care if it was shock or discipline. There was only one urge -- to take her down and feast as soon as they were safe.
Adrenaline, he told himself. Nothing to do with her. No way in hell would he be hungry for a Vampyre. No matter how hot she was. He needed to figure out what to do with her. His task had been simply to hack into her network -- he didn’t usually play Rambo unless his team was with him.
Another stolen glance noted a small shiver that ran down her body. Without a word he attempted to shrug out of his jacket, clumsily tugging at the cuff until it finally came off. “Here.” He shoved the leather at her. Christ, had she just sniffed it? He could have sworn his cock let out a groan.
The Vampyre remained silent as he swung the van onto 101 and into San Mateo. He took the Main Street exit, weaved between cars and streets, and shot into the freeway back north to SF. Another turn, another exit. The cars and taillights were a blur, their roar like an echo.
The no-name motel he’d been staying at was seconds from the freeway -- allowing a quick getaway should it be ever needed. The parking lot was a mixture of cars and trucks, some old, some shiny. The streetlights spilled cones of even, yellow light over them.
“Let’s go.” Grabbing her wrist he pushed up the armrest separating the bench seat and pulled her out after him. He wasn’t sure who made that short and sweet intake of breath as their bodies touched. Regardless, Cain broke the contact before his cock could burst right through his zipper. He didn’t know what the hell was wrong with him, but he wouldn’t allow it to shatter his focus.
The alert sequence would have wiped out the files by now. So she was the only one with knowledge of the raw components. Until somebody took her off his hands, he’d have to keep her close.
The motel was old enough to need a key, which Cain produced from snaps and a section of his belt. Once inside, he walked toward the window, rotating his aching arm and shoulder while he watched the street from the darkened room.
“Now what?” Her voice sounded strong and firm and terrified.
“Now I figure out what to do with you.”
“You’re hurt.” Val was done here. This human had saved her life -- and yes she certainly was grateful for it -- but she was under no illusions. She wasn’t grateful enough to give up the vaccine components even if his scent sent her hormones into overdrive. She needed meds and soon.
“I’m fine.” He flipped open his phone to reveal a tiny lit up keyboard. His fingers large over the small keys, he pressed a series of buttons. She couldn’t see much of him, but all that potent male scent was slowly killing her.
The meds were wearing off, that was all. She needed to get back to the lab and take another dose. “Are you okay?” She lowered her voice, going for seductive, and took a step closer to all that rich spiced scent of an aroused male. Lady or not, she knew his weakness and intended to exploit it. Honor aside, she would not trust a human.
Val threw a fist right where arm met shoulder -- and didn’t have the time to scream as she was trapped against a wall with a hot, hard muscled body shoved against her, her wrists enslaved in both of his, his scent so potent she nearly moaned from it.
“I don’t fuck vamps,” he growled into her ear, his breath making her shiver as her pulse spiked. “Although I’ll reconsider if you beg pretty.”
The human’s mouth hovered over hers, teasing with its closeness, not giving her that final rough contact. She fought herself for one sharp moment before giving in, rearing toward him to feel his lips crush into her. Their tongues mingled and fought -- his taste hot and dark, his hands on her shoulders, digging in, pulling her into him.
He tore his mouth away even as his hips smashed against hers. She felt a bulge against her belly, an unmistakable erection of an excited male. Another
deep inhale -- musk and adrenaline and… human. Gods, again she’d kissed a human.
He crushed her to him with a groan of one in the throes of Hell, his arms banding around her, his mouth finding hers in a rough and hot caress. She fought against him this time, hating the coiling in her belly, the need that spiked her blood while her hormones sang. He tasted as good as he smelled, hot, sexy, potent, those firm lips feasting on hers as if he couldn’t get enough.
His tongue probed past her lips and slipped inside, touching her fangs. He froze. Her mind broke through the haze. She pushed at him and for added emphasis jerked her knee up, causing him to jump back and release her wrists.
Now. Val brought her arms around and down, used her shoulder as leverage. He was too stable to be thrown. Instead he turned her, pressed her face first into the wall, her arms pinned behind her so tightly she knew it would be painful the more she struggled. Fighting for breath, she cursed this rising need as nerves and just a tiny hint of fear pooled in her core.
“Do that again and I’ll kill you myself.” His whisper was scraped raw. Nerves locked her muscles even as her pussy clenched. His weight was off. Air rushed into her lungs. She didn’t move, couldn’t see him. “If you don’t move I’ll just give in and fuck you.”
She turned around. From the shadows she could feel him watching. “I thought you didn’t do Vampyres.” The heat of embarrassment infused her body -- shame at her own reaction, hating herself for being weak.
“Can’t use your teeth if I bend you from behind.” The image shot a stream of heat into her belly even as she flinched. “Might wanna use the restroom.” He said it so matter-of-factly she didn’t even think to blush. “You’ll leave in twenty.”
