by Unknown
Hate drove him on, hate that he was one of them. Weak. Mortal. He’d taken lives before, and never felt empathy for those he sent to Hell or Heaven. He wouldn’t join them. He wouldn’t.
He crawled into the bushes, and with bleeding palms felt over his hips for the cell phone still clinging to his belt as if by a miracle. He couldn’t hold it still as he punched in the digits with trembling fingers.
The voice that answered was cool, clipped and exotic. “You lost her.”
“Yeah. I crashed. I’m fine but --”
“You’re bleeding. I can hear it.”
“I’ll get her to you, but first I need --”
“You’re weak and human. I should have known you would be drained rather than gain strength.”
The coolness of his gut burned off to panic. “I told you, I will get her.”
“You’ve proved weak. I have no need for weak. Die well.”
A click and silence. Church was gone. Nonnenberg crushed the phone in a shaking fist, considering simply sitting here until death. He wouldn’t. Strength had been promised to him, strength, immortality, and power. He would die getting it, so he could live forever. That prick Ukranian with his slavish lust for flesh owed him. Nonnenberg intended to collect.
He used his hands and knees to crawl toward the lights. He would be strong. He’d be immortal.
* * *
Cain wasn’t sure he believed what he saw. With tears drying on her face, his Vampyre bled from the wrist into the kitchen sink. “You wanna tell me what the fuck?” He made himself stay a few feet from her, didn’t trust himself not to walk closer and shake her until her teeth would rattle.
“It’s fine. I need to do this.”
“You’re fucking crazy.”
She flexed her wrist again. Cain didn’t know when he approached her, lifting her arm up, tearing the wadded paper out of her hand and applying pressure to her wrist. She fought him, silent, crying, then she gave up, her muscles going lax under his hands as she was pushed against a counter.
She used her hands against his chest to hold him off. “Stay away from me.” It was a whisper, hot and hoarse. “Or I will finish what I started earlier.”
He wasn’t in the mood for cryptic. “Sounds like a threat.” His cock once again strained against the zipper. Christ help them both. Her blood was on him.
“I can’t control it.” She yanked her wrist out of his hand. “If you don’t let me do this, I’ll be all over you.”
He was on her before she could finish, grabbing her wrist again to keep the pressure on, putting his mouth on her. She didn’t fight him, yet she held her body taut, steeling herself against his touch even as her lips parted for him. Fleetingly Cain thought of Hunters, of their need to drain their blood or ki to get rid of the excess energy that drove them. Seemed like his vamp was doing the same, though Christ knew why. “There’s a better way of doing it,” he muttered, pressing hot nipping kisses on her lips.
Her voice was a defeated sigh. “I don’t want pity.”
Keeping the pressure on her wrist, he brought her palm to rest over his cock. The happy bastard jumped under her touch. “That feel like pity to you?” Silent save for a gasp, she shook her head. “Good. We’ll use the bed this time. But first --” He rummaged through the tiny kitchen drawer and came up with tape and scissors. With clumsy fingers he taped up her wrist, then pressed a small kiss over the wound. Then fell on her just like a starving teenager.
He wasn’t sure how he managed to drag her out of the kitchen and into bed. Her body sweet and hot, she strained into his kisses, matching him in a fevered rush for skin. He tore her clothing, didn’t allow her time to do the same to him, nearly came right then when she pressed her lips over his chest, his shoulders.
The skin he bared was smooth, pale and perfect, the round globes of her breasts with the hardened berries of her nipples called for him to taste. He did, wedging himself against her, dry humping like a virgin teenager. Her fingers trailed hot magic as they dug and scratched over his back, as she arched into every caress, as she fought him for control to get her mouth on him.
Hot stinging kisses, dueling tongues, hot palms over sweat-dampened skin. He drew the hardened nipple into his mouth, loving each moan that tore from her lips. Her hips ground up against him, and he slid to the side to find her cunt, swollen, slick and waiting. With a hard groan he sank his fingers into her, felt her wet heat surrounding him and barely had the time to watch her face as she shuddered and with a thin splintering gasp, climaxed.
Fighting for air, shaking, Val slid back to earth to find him watching her. She would’ve thrown her arm over her face but his hand laced with hers prevented it.
“You know what they say in LA, don’t you?”
He wanted to talk? “What?”
He slid down until his head was level with her stomach. That wicked smile had the need flaring to life again. “Take two.” He tore her pants down her legs, ripping her panties off as he pressed a bite into her inner thigh. His shoulders pushed her legs apart as he wedged himself between them and dipped his head.
She froze in anticipation, not moving a muscle, not breathing. Propping on her elbows she watched his eyes close as he inhaled, taking her essence into his lungs -- and dove in.
She didn’t want slow, didn’t need seduction. Thankfully he went for neither, ravaging her flesh with firm, fast strokes of his wicked tongue, circling her clit, closing his lips around it to nibble with just enough pressure to have her writhing under him. His heavy arm was on her pelvis, holding her shaking body firmly in place for his lips to feast on.
A small scrape of his teeth against her pussy lips had her moaning. A stab of tongue inside her cunt had her screaming his name. Again. More. Faster. His tongue was back to tormenting her clit, a long, hard finger teasing the clenching opening inside her. When she dragged her eyes open to see him, she met his dark, intense gaze.
The trembling that gripped her body wouldn’t stop. He worked her toward a climax with his mouth, then backed off to tease her by plunging his fingers inside the wet channel of her cunt, spiraling arousal tighter with each stroke, with each firm lick. So close, she was close. Breathing through clenching teeth, Val tried to raise her hips, wanting to grind herself against his mouth to release that coiling lava in her belly.
Another lick, another teasing plunge, and then… nothing. He stopped. Got up onto his knees and loomed over her. She willed herself not to beg him to move faster as he shrugged out of his pants -- she hadn’t really seen his cock before and now it jutted thickly toward her. She couldn’t see the color of it since it was dark but she knew it was long and curving upward, with veins intricately circling its length.
Val reared up toward it, then held back, looking at him with a mix of fear and lust. Would he push her away? Would he not trust her to give him the same pleasure he just gave her?
“You want it?”
Licking her lips, she nodded. He held out his hand. She clasped it, letting his strength pull her onto her knees. With clumsy fingers she caressed his cock, amazed that one so thick could fit inside her. Nick’s groan was hoarse and loud, and his fingers tangled in her hair as she knelt in front of him. She teased the bulbous head with soft and lengthy licks, making his cock twitch and dance before she opened her mouth and took him inside her, cupping his balls, stroking his length, amazed that he would trust her.
“Baby, you keep this up, I’m gonna come.” The low guttural voice made her inner walls clench again. Opening her mouth wide, she slid over him, taking him as deep as she could handle. Another groan before his hands briefly tightened in her hair, the sharp prick of pain only heightening arousal.
Hands were on her shoulders, pushing her back, pushing her away from him. “Now.” She was laid onto the bed, her legs spread once more. A moan escaped her lips as he fitted himself between her thighs, took that thick cock into his hand and teased her cunt, spreading her moisture over her nether lips. She wondered if he would turn her over, if he
would take her from behind since, as he’d said, she wouldn’t be able to use her teeth that way. But then he pushed inside her and all thought fled.
He seared her from the inside, so full, so perfect she whimpered with the pleasure of it, and linked her ankles around him to get him closer, to press against him. He leaned forward, lowered his weight onto his elbows. Moving inside her, he rolled his hips in a slow torturous grind. She raised her head, searching for his lips.
“Look at me.” She forced her eyes to open, lifting her hands to loop around his neck, to bring him closer. “Look at me, Doc.”
He didn’t kiss her, just rode her in easy rolling thrusts, his chest heaving over hers, his arms taut. “Faster. Please, faster.” She barely could breathe as she clenched her thighs, her arms, her cunt around him -- she couldn’t get enough. His scent was on her; she inhaled deep and strong, took more of him inside her.
“Faster?” His weight was fully on her, his arms went under hers to grab her shoulders, to cradle her head, to lift her toward him. “This way?” The roll of his hips was rougher, the strokes of his cock short and deep, rasping against the slickness of her entrance at each push forward, at each sensuous glide back.
His head dipped, his lips found hers. He held her head as he dropped quick burning kisses on her cheeks, her eyes, her lips, probing into her mouth with the same deep rhythm as he probed inside her cunt. “Come for me, baby.” Cain’s voice was hoarse between kisses. “I wanna hear you come.”
Release was close and yet in this position there was no contact with her clit. “I can’t like this.” Breathless, Val struggled for the words, clawing for a climax that was just out of reach.
“You can’t?” He hammered into her, drawing a scream from her ravaged throat.
“I can’t,” she panted, tearing her lips from his, “it doesn’t work like that.” He pushed her down into the mattress, got a death grip on her ass. Thrust hard inside her. Rolled. She was on top, lying over his chest, feeling his heartbeat thunder in her palm. “What are you doing?”
“This way you can.” His hands worked her to show her how to move and the delicious fullness inside her set sparks of fire over her damp skin.
She heard her own wetness with each slap of their bodies. Bracing her hands onto his chest she rode, and rolled her hips, kissed him and felt her muscles tighten, the base of his cock pressed into just the perfect spot. Her climax bloomed with short sputtering waves of piercing pleasure and she rode each wave, clenched her pussy around him, buried her face in his neck and screamed and screamed.
Chapter Seven
He came so hard Cain could’ve sworn he felt his brain cells frying.
His Vampyre lay over his chest, dead limp and sated, her long hair like silk over his skin. He needed to get up, to clean them both. Christ, he just didn’t want to move.
It was an effort to push her hair aside so he could see her face. Her eyes were closed, but even in the shadows he saw the hint of a smile. He pushed her gently to the side, and got up to use the bathroom. A quick glance back showed her snuggling into the pillow, her ass deliciously round in the shadows. His cock twitched again but this time simply sighed with the promise of more later. Damned happy bastard.
She didn’t stir when he came back and snuck his hand between her thighs to clean her. “So spill it, Doc. What were you doing?”
She didn’t turn around but he could see those muscles tensing. It was as if he touched a stranger. “My name is Valentina.”
He rolled his eyes. “Next time just jump me.” He didn’t know where that came from and was as surprised as she looked.
She turned now, lush and naked. “I won’t depend on humans.”
That tone -- bewildered and disgusted -- put him immediately back on edge. “You drink our blood, don’t you?”
Her glare was dark and bitter. “You could say I’m a vegetarian.”
“What, you prefer your own? Or animal? I heard only a human gives you that rush.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“So’s life.” There was one bed and he’d be damned if his ass was sleeping on the floor. He lay back down, though he didn’t touch her. Wouldn’t -- he promised himself. Not anymore. This need for her was strange but it was manageable. He’d turn her over to Jakob and get back to fucking women who were human.
* * *
Val wasn’t sure how she’d managed to sleep through the day, his body warm and strong beside her. At some point, they’d shifted and she’d woken sprawled over his chest again, his hand over her breast.
And when he woke, he’d gotten up without saying a word.
Back in the van, she watched the lights go by and wondered what would happen in LA. Would he dump her on someone and never see her again? She couldn’t blame him. And yet the thought made her want to weep. You’re an idiot.
She glanced at the chiseled features of his face while he barked into his cell, that low voice grim, long fingers clenched over the wheel. “They hacked into the fucking network. I just feel it.” A murmur from the phone had him erupting into a string of curses. “You can’t seriously tell me -- Oh.” He fell silent, shot a glance at her, listened intently to the phone. “Fine. Yeah.” He flipped it closed. “Your Council is pissed.” His voice was coolly empty.
She felt cold inside. “Excuse me?”
Cain shrugged. “They’d rather I didn’t have the raw component list.”
She felt her belly freeze, her mouth turned to ash. “You don’t have them.”
“I will.”
Bitterness flooded her mouth even as bile rose. “Was fucking me part of your plan to get them?” Val never used to say that word before. It came much easier now.
He spared her an icy glance. “Fucking you was just a bonus.” She turned her back to him; wouldn’t let him see the tears. The short drive to LA was tense and silent.
He swerved off 101, roared the van toward a metal fencing with more security than probably the Pentagon. A punch of code, a thumb scan and they were past the gate, tearing through a field toward a smattering of buildings. He stopped at the largest one and killed the engine. “Come on.”
Val had just stepped out when a woman wrapped in black erupted from the house followed by a large man with a… hat? His coat looked like black leather and billowed around his legs as he grabbed the woman by the arm, turning her only to be met with a raised fist.
The woman’s voice was clipped. “Ever since I was a cop he was my snitch. I won’t have your ass spooking him.”
“He won’t see me.” The answering growl was low and threatening. The woman didn’t seem impressed, although she did put the fist down. “Because you’re so small and light on those gigantic feet?”
“We agreed.”
“We sure as hell did not. I won’t lose him because you’re an overprotective --”
The man dragged her toward him, covering her mouth in a surprisingly sweet kiss. He murmured something -- Val didn’t quite hear him but it ended in a “please.”
“Fine, fuck it, let’s go.”
Cain stepped out of the van. “Get a damned room.”
The woman smiled at him, a warm and shiny smile that had Val wanting to tear into her. “Where’s your Vampyre?”
“Hiding from you.”
Her face flaming, Val stepped out from behind the van, and met the woman’s gaze. Hunter, she realized and squashed the urge to run. Instead she stood still as the woman studied her with cool, amber eyes. “You’ve got guts, Vampyre. You’ll need ‘em.”
Yes, she would need those guts when the Vampyre Council would dust her even if she didn’t give these humans what they wanted. Deal with it later when you can think straight. Val took the offered hand, felt the strong grip. “Valentina. Val.”
The woman nodded. “Suits you. I’m Tai.”
The man in leather stepped up closer. “I’m Slade.” She felt his touch inside her mind. Vampyre -- sympath. Chills roughened her skin, and she shrank away from him, only to stumble into
Cain’s broad chest. The Vampyre stared at her, the Hunter raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t fuck with her.” Cain dragged her in the house before either of them could say another word. She passed through numerous scans and beeps, his hand warm and impersonal over her arm. Inside a large room lit up by more monitors than she could count, he let her go. “Home fucking home. Now get her where she needs to be.”
There was a movement to her left; a chair with a tall, thick back swiveled around until it faced her. The man in it was dark-haired and scarred. “Doctor Ash.” His voice wasn’t strong, and yet she felt intensity in it. He was Vampyre and yet he worked with humans. “I’m Jakob Grey.”
She wondered what she was supposed to do now. Offer her hand like she did earlier? Politeness was one thing, but being kidnapped and shot at and nearly run over by a bus was another. Val remained silent, simply nodded. He’d get to his main point soon enough.
He didn’t preamble. “We need the raw components, Doctor Ash. You will be safe as --”
“As long as I’m useful?” She stared at him dead-on, challenging him. His eyes were flat, the scar over his chin dark against blue-tinted skin.
Behind her, Cain was both a comfort and a thorn. “Why don’t you settle her somewhere before you rip into the questions.” His muttered voice sounded irritated. His scent… Val simply closed her eyes against it. His scent was like a spiced silk weapon, burying itself inside her. The need flared to life again.
The man -- Jakob -- got up. “You haven’t been raised to trust humans.” He moved closer to her in a movement somehow stalking. He should have frightened her, but with Cain behind her, he simply annoyed her. Nevertheless, she wished she had her knife. “Your Council does not believe us,” he continued, “and yet we keep finding and killing newly-turned.”
