by Sia Wales
Icy Breath on Her Neck
Stella opened her eyes, saw the pick-up slanted across both lanes, blocking the road, and turned her head slightly. She could make out J. standing with his back to her. He was trying to calm his instincts, talking to Aaron. Then she saw Vuk approach from down the road.
“Oh my God, he’s back! Vuk’s here!” she cried in terror, struggling to prop herself up in the seat. But Vuk instantly slunk into the forest to conceal himself among the dark, shadowy vegetation.
“Where is he?” Aaron asked, cautiously looking around.
“Right behind you, a second ago,” she replied uneasily, feeling the blood from the cut on her head meander thickly down her face.
Aaron turned to Stella to ask her if she was still good to drive.
“Sure,” she said, showing no hesitation at all.
“Okay, then get going and we’ll follow you from the woods. You won’t see us but we’ll be there. If we stay off the road we can protect you better.”
“You’re not alone, Stella, and never will be, I promise you,” Jason added. Stella started the pickup and off she went.
Aaron stepped in front of his friend to block her view of him and watched the girl drive away. Then, they blended into the thick trees not far away from the vehicle.
Stella stopped the truck a few miles down the road thinking she’d been deserted by her two guardian angels. Peering into the dark wall of trees where nothing moved, not even a leaf, the only thing she could hear was the cry of a nocturnal bird of prey and the leaves whispering, rustled by the cool breeze that fanned her hair and made her shiver.
From the cover of the trees, Jason caught a glimpse of despair in her eyes. Moving from tree to tree, he rested his hand on each to peer curiously at her and shuffle the leaves below his feet in an attempt to send her a reassuring sign of his presence. He skimmed a stone across the road. Only then did he see her slowly turn in his direction. After a couple of seconds, she looked back firmly to the road ahead and started driving again, a hint of a smile curving her lips.
She didn’t get very far before Vuk dashed into the road, looming in the truck’s headlights. In a flash, J. broke his cover and intercepted him. Stella wrenched the steering wheel to avoid hitting both and swerved onto the shoulder before wrenching the vehicle back onto the tarmac and speeding off. A few moments later, she heard another pebble hit the hood and almost collapsed with relief at the knowledge that J. was still out there guarding her.
But the werewolf was relentless and danced tauntingly back in front of her again a few hundred yards ahead. Stella mashed the accelerator to drive him away but knew it was hopeless and deftly switched lanes, she really didn’t want to hurt him. He’d be back to his charming, loving self tomorrow, she just had to buy time. Seeing him replicate her maneuver, she returned to her lane and eased her foot off the pedal, wondering what the hell to do now.
Jason, running alongside the truck, hooked his elbow over the edge of the open back window as it rolled past and hauled himself in, landing on the seat behind her, startling Stella half to death. Her head jerked round and he immediately clasped her temples to hold her still and stop her from seeing him.
“Don’t turn around, watch where you’re going,” he cautioned, his voice low, his breath icy on her neck. He was straining to disguise his voice from her, since he had taken off his helmet.
“It’s you, J. …” she murmured, her breath catching as she set her eyes firmly on the dark road ahead of her, feeling her body tremble uncontrollably.
“Yes… Scared?” he asked, grabbing her arm and feeling an icy shiver run through her, one that ran the length of her body, right to the very core of her most private parts.
“When, now or before?” She tried to make her voice sound lazily casual.
“Why, there’s a difference?” he asked her in a silky voice, a tiny smile curving his lips.
“No, I guess not,” she exhaled and then held her breath deep in her lungs, her hands clenching the steering wheel as she felt his icy breath flutter across her cheek. Stella brushed her lips against his arm and felt him tremor, as if she were driving him crazy.
“Why did you slow down?” he asked, moving his hand further down and feeling her jump with fright. Her body tensed as his hands moved down to her nipple. His thumb rubbed her nipple and he felt it harden under his touch. Stella withheld a moan of pleasure and arched her neck as his hand continued its journey down her body.
“Because I don’t see him anymore,” she said, her voice raw, her breathing splintered. Jason slid his hands around her hips, his thumbs digging into her buttocks, and pulled her sharply back against the seat just above her butt.
“Don’t slow down, keep your speed steady”. She gripped the steering wheel.
“But I could end up killing him if this carries on,” Stella cried, now beside herself. She opened her legs slightly, and he took this as a sensual invitation.
“Highly improbable, believe me,” he said in a voice threaded with irony, letting his hands wander towards her intimate parts, which he cupped passionately. But Jason could go no further. A quiver ran down her legs and she let a sign escape her lips.
“I don’t care, I won’t risk hurting him,” she replied. She snapped her thighs shut, blocking Jason’s hands. Her shivers excited Jason’s even more, but he withdrew his hands, feeling her resistance.
At that very moment, Vuk dashed into the middle of the road just ahead of them, and a smile unfurled on Jason’s lips. He glanced at Aaron, who was riding in the wood alongside them, then turned back to Stella.
“Let’s play a little game, shall we? It’s called ‘Who trusts who’. It’s fun, ever played?” his silky golden voice whispered in her ear. Stella felt a tingle run deliciously up her spine.
“So now you want to play games with me?” she asked teasingly, trying to stay focused on her driving and not lose sight of Vuk.
“Looks that way…” he murmured seductively, seeing her cheekbones rise even higher in a smile. He wanted her so much, he thought he would go crazy.
“I don’t even know your full name and you want me to play with you?” she challenged him unnerved, trying to peek at him in the rearview mirror.
“The game rules don’t specify name giving, angel. If I asked you to accelerate so as to hit Vuk, would you do it?” Jason asked darkly, enveloping her once more in his frosty embrace. “He’s getting closer, he’s right ahead of us! Decision time, Stella, trust me.”
Her foot crushed the pedal instantly. Jason watched Aaron’s perfect timing as he leapt into action and shoved Vuk beyond the edge of the road into the trees. Jason knew that Aaron would have been listening to him telling Stella to accelerate from outside in the woods.
“So you decided to trust me, why?” he asked her curiously, watching her reflection in the rearview mirror as he shielded his face behind the headrest.
“Your voice, your touch, your smell, even your breath, everything about you…” she said, feeling his seductive gaze on her, the constant caress of his eyes.
“As well as the sensations that I send rippling through your body?” he teased, brushing his lips across her ear, feeling her cheeks plump into a sweet smile.
“Those especially… And the way you’re always trying to protect me. It really turns me on,” she admitted.
“You turn me on, too, you’ve no idea how much,” he exhaled icily. The blood coursing through her veins aroused his thirst. He longed to drink that sweetest of nectars, her blood. Suddenly, Stella felt his lips part on her jugular vein. But he maintained control, kissing her neck with passion.
“My God, what are you doing J.?” she gasped in alarm.
“Nervous?” he asked, seeing her shrink from him.
“Obviously, it’s hard to pretend otherwise,” she said uncomfortably.
“I’d know anyhow,” he replied, suddenly troubled, almost sullen. Jason abruptly turned surly, trying with all his might to fight the thirst he felt inside. Stella agai
n tried to make out his features in the rearview mirror.
“I do feel I can trust you sometimes,” she said, feeling the shivering tingle of his icy breath on her neck.
“But not this time, right?” he asked, angling his head toward her mouth.
“No, not this time,” she replied tensely.
“I can sense your fear,” he said flatly, reading her mind.
“What do you want?” she asked, floundering in the dark.
“If a stranger were to whisper his wishes in your ear, would you believe them?” he asked, his breath a frosty caress on her neck.
“If the stranger was you, yes,” she replied firmly.
“So it would only be the sound of my voice that persuades you?” he asked in a voice so silky sweet it veered on the angelic.
“No, even though I find your voice irresistible, I’d believe you simply because I saw you risk your life for me,” she said, overcome at the thought of what he’d done for her but trying to mask the fact that she was attracted to him.
“I don’t think that’s true for a minute…” he replied sarcastically, his mouth twisting into a tight, bitter smile.
After a tense, silent pause, Jason started to release her reluctantly from his arms, his eyes fixed on the black depths of the night.
“If Vuk turns up again, I’d like…” he said, not even finishing before Stella, no longer feeling the reassurance of his firm hands on her, interrupted him.
“Will you let me see your face after tonight’s heroic exploit is over?”
“You’re not calling me a hero, are you?” he asked, his face darkening in vexation. Then sensing her dismay at no longer feeling him close to her, he slid his arms reassuringly around her once more.
“Yes, I am,” she said, relieved to feel him one with her again.
“Wrong, I’m not, I’m usually described as something else entirely,” he exhaled in a rush of despair.
“You mean you’re the bad guy?” she asked, exhaling tensely, softly.
“Probably,” he whispered, running his fingers over her bare skin, under her t-shirt.
“You don’t sound like a bad guy to me,” she said, shaking her head incredulously.
“But I can be,” he continued darkly, increasing the pressure of his arms to pull her further into the seat and keep her close to him.
“I don’t believe you,” she argued, fascinated by this dark and mysterious side of him.
“Then why are you so tense?” Jason waited for her reply, but Stella just gripped the steering wheel and did not utter a word. He brushed her hair back behind her shoulder and whispered in her ear.
“Blood is what I live for now, the only reason you haven’t seen me for what I am is because I hold myself back… and I can’t tell you how fucking hard it is with you.” He brushed her jaw with his mouth to transmit his sensual desire, inhaling her scent.
“Are you craving my blood right now?” Stella was starting to feel anxious.
“I’m trying to control it.”
“How powerful is it?”
“Rapacious, ravaging, your blood is so sweetly appetizing.” He furrowed his brow, a mesmerizing gleam in his eyes as his soft lips tantalized her neck, seduced by the inner flow of her blood and her heady perfume.
High Voltage
Shit, he’s back,” Jason exclaimed, catching sight of a fleeting shadow among the trees that lined the road.
“Where?” Stella asked, spooked, her body tensing, almost forgetting to breathe.
“Look out!” cried Jason, seeing Vuk leap into the middle of the road. The vampire shot forward, his arms reaching for the steering wheel, his icy hands folding over hers to yank it first one way then the other to get back on the road again, only just missing the wolf.
“Jesus, that was scary,” she said, her knuckles turning white as she tensed her grip on the steering wheel, feeling the linger of his touch.
“Yeah…” he said, his breath quickening, his hand slowly moving up her arm, his fingers spreading lovingly around it.
“Why doesn’t he just let me go?” She felt Jason’s hand clasp her shoulder protectively.
“He can’t, his instincts won’t let him. I know exactly what he’s going through… Stella, listen, he’ll be back soon so I’m going to jump out of the car… Me and Aaron will overpower him. And you, your job is to be very, very, very careful.” His icy hands moved to her collarbone and circled the base of her neck.
“I’m sorry…” whispered the shadow at her side as he gently clasped her hand and brought it to his lips.
“What for?” she asked in puzzlement as she felt him close his mouth around her finger and suck its full length until she felt a sharp nip and his teeth rub gently along it.
“For this,” he said abruptly, suddenly piercing the tip of her finger with his canine, injecting a little of his poison into her. Then, frowning, he pushed his body hard against the back seat. Jason frowned and snatched his hand away, urging himself not to drink her blood. He was afraid that he would be unable to stop after just one taste.
“Oh God! J., you bit me!” Stella yanked her hand back instinctively, shocked and incredulous as she sucked the droplets of blood on her finger. Jason, who had almost lost control, averted his gaze and locked down his deepest, darkest impulses.
“I’m sorry, Stella. I can’t risk losing you, not again, I can’t lose you forever.” He wrapped his arms around her passionately, pressing lips now swollen with profound longing to the side of her face. This way, if she should meet her death that night, her life would continue as a vampire.
Vuk reappeared on the roadside. Jason threw open the car door and leaped out. With Aaron on the other side of the pickup, he ran alongside it. They veered to cut the werewolf off and ambush him. Enraged, his expression fierce and menacing, Vuk lashed out.
Stella saw Vuk fling Aaron to the side of the road then shove Jason practically under her tires. Swerving to miss him, the truck went into a screeching skid. Stella managed to bring it back into its lane, thanks to the help of Aaron, who flung himself onto the side of the vehicle, straightening it. Now free of his adversaries, Vuk slammed his shoulder into the truck and shattered the passenger seat window into a thousand pieces. Then, he gave the dashboard a mighty push and watched the car gather speed and narrowly miss a retaining wall at the edge of the road.
Stella fought desperately to regain control but it was useless. Her eyes turned the color of ice streaked with obscure gray shadows. She felt any hope of salvation desert her, and sensed the bleak, dark reflection of death
Then the inevitable happened.
The car hit the wall, reared up on its back wheels and fell back to the ground, landing on its flank and skidding along the tarmac until it smashed into one of the electricity poles on the far side of the road.
The front airbag inflated on impact to cushion the blow, the seat belt keeping her tightly locked into the seat, fragments of glass puncturing her like sharp, vicious needles.
Vuk loped after the car, calmly tracking the signs left by the devastating accident.
A sudden wrenching crack resounded through the air as the electricity pole broke in two, the top half falling with a loud clatter onto the hood of the pickup, crushing the bodywork and the engine, while also bringing down the electricity cables that linked it.
Jason sprang up from where he lay in the middle of the road and ran towards Stella. He felt a deep sense of guilt for having failed to protect Stella from Vuk. His knees almost gave way. Hearing no sound at all from inside the wreck, he shook his head in utter disbelief. He sensed Aaron approach.
“I did everything I could, Jason, I’m sorry,” he said, a mortified expression on his face as he turned to stare at Vuk closing in on the pickup.
“You deal with him, Aaron, I can’t be trusted not to kill him for this. I cannot be held responsible for my actions otherwise…” he said, his fury unleashing the threatening, relentless jaw-gnashing creature inside him.
“I’l
l take real good care of him now, you’ll see. One second and peace and silence will descend once more.” Aaron said with chilling certainty.
“What are you going to do?” Jason asked. Vuk stopped next to the pickup, with his ears flattened back, his nose wrinkled and his fangs unfurled.
“You’ll see… Centuries of experience truly hone one’s creativity.” Aaron looked at the broken poles in the middle of the road and gave a piercing yell to distract Vuk. He picked up a branch that had snapped off one of the trees. Grasping it with both hands like a baseball bat, she cooped up the end of a broken electrical cable and hurled it onto a startled Vuk. The werewolf dropped to his knees, his muscles contracting as the electricity coursed through his body, giving him an electric shock that sent him keeling onto the tarmac like a dead weight.
“If I’d known that’s all it needed, I could’ve saved myself a whole lot of trouble before,” Aaron said ironically, resting the branch on his shoulder, a satisfied smile on his face. He looked at Vuk lying unconscious on the ground and said to Jason, “Just a tiny shock, that’s all”.
“A tiny shock, Aaron? Are you crazy, man? You’ve killed him! The only reason I asked you to handle it was so that I didn’t end up killing him myself, but now you’ve burned him to a crisp!
“Anyway, I think he’s just passed out,” said Aaron, looking back at Vuk. Jason shook his head and climbed onto the door of the wrecked pickup and cautiously angled his head into the window, looking down at Stella’s inert body. The intense smell of blood immediately lured him in, but he backed away, confused by the pleasure he felt. Aaron turned to his friend, trying to push the scene he surveyed in the driver’s seat to the back of his mind.
“I’m going to drag Vuk to the side of the road in case a car comes by. I wouldn’t want someone to mistake him for Bigfoot! Shit, he weighs a ton!” Aaron complained, letting the wolf crumple into a heap at the foot of a tree.
Upside Down
"Stella!” Jason called to the bleeding, unconscious girl. There were no signs of life. Time ground to a halt. An icy silence enveloped him.
