Eric stood also. He reached for Dirk's hand. "I'll see you in two nights," he said, shaking Dirk's hand.
Dirk glanced at Lydia. "Nice to meet you."
Lydia nodded, still amazed at the striking color of Dirk's eyes. "Nice to meet you, too."
Dirk turned and disappeared into the shadows. Lydia didn't hear a sound. It was as if he hadn't even been there.
"How does he move so silently?" Lydia asked, rising to stand beside Eric.
"He has a talent for it," Eric said, still weighing the gun in his hand.
Lydia shivered. "I'd find that spooky. A man able to move around with no sound. Make it easy for him to sneak up on you. Scare you half to death."
Eric looked at her, smiling. "I think you are a little intrigued by my baby brother."
Lydia slapped at him. "Cut it out." She turned and started walking back the way they had come. Eric followed behind her. "Did you tell Dirk that you would see him in two nights?" she asked over her shoulder.
"Uh-huh. Why? He said that was the plan."
Lydia held a branch out of her way, and stepped over an exposed root. She could barely see in the darkness. "Well, I thought he said two days. You're not going to attack these vampires at night are you? I would think seeking them out during the day would be safer."
"I think attacking them at night, when they are more than likely to be in their wolf form, would be better. True, they're more powerful ... but they also won't be expecting it."
Lydia's heart skipped a beat. She stopped and turned toward Eric. He came to a stumbling stop in front of her. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Lydia slid her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her face. "I don't want to lose you, Eric." Her lips found his. She kissed him softly, slowly.
When Eric pulled away, he met her gaze with a determined look. "You're never going to lose me. I'll not let you out of my sight once this is over." He reached up and tweaked her nose. "You'll probably get tired of me before too long."
Lydia let out a soft laugh. "Like hell. I'll never tire of you, my dear personal vampire." She kissed him again, loving the feel of his lips against hers, knowing that sharp fangs were concealed in his sensuous mouth. Although Eric had told her that he was not a vampire, his appearance was going to inspire many, many wonderful fantasies. Lydia wondered if he would be inclined to act out a few. The thought of it made her blood race through her veins. She broke off the kiss, almost breathless. "Stay with me. Stay with me until it's time to fight," she whispered.
Eric shook his head. "I can't. They would get suspicious. I have to be with them during the day, during the sleep." He brushed a strand of her hair back from her eyes. "When this is over, I guarantee you won't be able to get rid of me."
Lydia smiled. "Promises, promises," she said.
* * * *
Barack took his time draining the deer. He drank as if the deer was a seven-course meal and he wanted to enjoy every last taste. He had shifted back into human form after bringing the animal down. At the moment he sat on the ground, his back leaning against a large tree trunk with the deer's head in the crook of his arm. To a casual observer who stood at a distance in the darkened woods, Barack and the deer could have been mistaken for lovers. The deer's head was drawn back, exposing its lithe neck to Barack's hungry mouth. As he drank from the vein, feeling the warmth of the lifeblood begin to move through him, Barack caressed the deer's hide, letting the strong hair of its pelt tickle against his palm. It was always a revelation to him when he fed. The way everything--touch, taste, smell--focused and was heightened. The lifeblood gave him back a semblance of being human. But his senses were heightened to the extreme. Humans could never achieve this level of being, this connection with the world.
Barack liked being what he was.
A vampire.
The deer's heart thumped its last just as Barack raised his head from his meal. He licked his lips, the taste of the deer wild in his mouth, and shoved the now very dead deer away.
One swift movement and he was on his feet, stretching his arms above, testing his body. He felt good. No. He felt better than good. Barack was empowered with lifeblood and ready to take on the woman.
Lydia.
Just the thought of her made him hard with lust.
The way she had moved in front of the fire at her camp had incited a hunger in Barack that no amount of blood could fill. He had to have her.
Barack started to move through the pines, letting their branches brush against him. The pine scent would help rid him of the odor of deer. He didn't want Lydia to shy away from him before he could get close enough to touch her. Barack had not yet decided whether to control her mind or let her come to him on her own. He had a feeling he was going to have to give her a little "push" to get her started. Barack had watched the way she'd succumbed to Eric, allowing him to mount her in front of the fire. She had enjoyed it, Barack knew. He smiled as he continued to make his way toward her camp.
Lydia had a lot more enjoyment in store. Barack would treat her to sexual delicacies that she had never dreamed existed. He would whet her appetite and then stand back and watch her beg for more.
And of course, he would satisfy her hunger.
She would not be frustrated for one second of her life.
Barack lengthened his stride, moving more swiftly toward his goal.
Suddenly, the two females crossed his path.
Barack came to a halt and waited for them to reappear from out of the shadows.
It didn't take long.
Whimpering and still in their wolf form, Susanna and Alison approached. Their heads were down, muzzles bloodied with their latest excursion. Their bodies shook in anticipation of his touch. They crept toward him, crouching low and whining deep in their throats.
"Stop," Barack commanded.
Both stopped, almost tumbling over each other.
Barack eyed them. He didn't want them intruding on what he had planned for himself and Lydia. He needed to busy them with something else. He knew they were jealous of the human woman. But they also knew they had better keep their distance or suffer Barack's wrath.
"Go back to the lair and wait. When Eric arrives, keep him busy." Barack pursed his full lips. "Don't let him leave the lair."
Both females circled each other, muscles twitching, teeth bared.
"Go. Now." Barack pointed in the direction of the lair.
Heads down, they disappeared into the trees.
Barack turned back to his own trek. He wanted to get to the camp before Lydia returned.
He knew she and Eric had left the camp but he wasn't sure where they had went. That was one thing that continued to bother Barack. His inability to read Eric. Barack sensed they were on their way back to Lydia's camp, because he could touch her mind. He had better get moving to reach it before they did.
Barack became a blur of movement, blending in with the night.
* * * *
Eric followed behind Lydia, glad she had a sense of direction of her own. He knew the way back to her camp but it was good she wasn't helpless in the woods. That sense might come in handy.
Eric really didn't want to go back to the lair tonight but he had no choice. They were so close to disposing of Barack's Clutch that his absence from the lair could be enough to make Barack suspicious. Eric felt Barack was already watching him closely. Ever since Lydia had arrived on the scene. And of course, Eric had confronted Barack and the females, more or less declaring Lydia was off limits and his property. Barack was probably wondering why Eric hadn't fed on Lydia. Or turned her.
Eric had almost been turned himself on their last assignment.
All the Raven family had taken a vow. If any of them were turned by a vampire, other family members would destroy them. It was their mission to rid the world of vampires and they didn't want any Raven family member to add to the vampire population.
Eric pulled his thoughts back from the past. He could see Lydia's camp through the tree. They were almost there. He
reached out and took her arm, stopping her.
Lydia turned toward him. She raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"
Eric looked over her shoulder, eyeing the camp. Nothing seemed amiss. He looked back down at her. "Stay here for a moment. I want to check things out."
Lydia opened her mouth, then closed it. She held his eyes for a moment. "Okay. But don't be long."
"I won't," he said.
Lydia stepped to the side and let Eric pass. Eric moved from tree to tree, keeping himself partially hidden until he reached the edge of the woods where the clearing began. He glanced back at Lydia.
She stood leaning against a tree, her arms crossed just beneath her breasts. She gave him a smile and a wiggle of her fingers.
Eric shook his head. No fear, he thought. She's dealing with vampires and she has no fear.
He stepped out into the clearing.
* * * *
Lydia watched Eric as he walked across the clearing. His stride was without hesitation, his back straight. She leaned against the tree and drew in a deep breath. The scent of the woods filled her. Pine and sap. Damp earth. Animals and wildness. She didn't want to leave it.
Lydia hoped Eric and his brother Dirk could finish their job and destroy what they said were vampires. Though Lydia had yet to actually see a vampire, she had seen the evidence of the blood-drained moose. And she had Eric's word. She believed him. Though at first he had tried to let her believe that he himself was a vampire, he had come clean and told her the truth.
She watched as he cautiously approached her tent. He ducked inside, out of her sight. Lydia sighed.
Things could hardly get any stranger than they were right now.
She was supposed to be doing a research project and was now embroiled in a battle between vampires and vampires hunters. She slapped a hand over her mouth to hold in the insane giggle that threatened to spill out of her mouth.
Eric emerged from her tent, waved, then beckoned to her.
Lydia shook herself and headed for the tent. She already had a plan in mind. When Eric left her tonight, she was going to follow.
Then she would know where the vampires were holed up.
As she got closer to Eric, Lydia tried to clear her mind. She knew he could read her mind and she didn't want him to catch on that she was going to follow him.
She looked at the dying fire and thought about their latest tryst. With a smile on her face, she stopped in front of Eric.
He wore a sideways grin on his face. "I know what you're thinking," he said, pulling her to him.
"Got time?" she asked.
Eric groaned. "How in the world am I ever going to keep you satisfied?" He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her powerfully. Then he straightened. "I have to go," he said, looking toward the sky. "It's only about an hour until dawn and I have to make sure that I'm back at the lair before daybreak."
Lydia took a deep breath. "If you say so. But you owe me."
"You got it." Eric brushed her lips with another quick kiss then turned toward the woods. "I'll see you tonight," he said, waving.
Lydia waved, then wrapped her arms around herself.
She bit her lip. How long should she wait before she followed? He quickly disappeared into the woods. She wanted to make sure she would be out of sight from him, but covering her thoughts was going to be another problem. Lydia tapped her toe on the ground and looked up at the stars.
"You can think about what I'm doing to you," a voice said from behind her.
A shock of surprise shattered her thoughts as she turned to face the man. "Barack," she said.
Lydia watched him as he moved toward her. His eyes held her gaze. They were so striking. Yellow, flecked with brown, his eyes seemed to hold secrets. Lydia felt herself being drawn in.
Barack stopped directly in front of Lydia. "Why do you waste your time on Eric Raven?" he asked, a smile playing on his full lips.
Lydia felt her heart quicken. This man was unique. A mix of revulsion and intrigue warred within her. "I love Eric," she said, taking a step back.
Barack stepped with her, closing the distance between them immediately. He reached out a long finger and touched her cheek. "You could do so much better, don't you think?" he said.
Lydia felt a rush of heat at his touch, a dampness begin to pool down low. She immediately had feelings of guilt, telling herself it wasn't right to be attracted to another man. She was in love with Eric.
Barack's eyes bored into hers, pupils no more than pinpoints.
Visions began to flash in Lydia's mind. Of her, naked. Tanned skin of her arms and legs tangled with the cream-colored limbs of a man with black hair shot with gray. A man with yellow eyes. Fire-lit bodies, moving together in the darkness. Sighs of lust, pleasure.
Lydia swayed toward Barack, placing a hand on his chest to keep herself from colliding with him. She blinked, trying to purge her mind of these illicit thoughts concerning Barack and herself.
Barack took her chin in his hand and turned her head, bending her neck to the side. His hold was gentle but firm. Lydia didn't bother to question what he was looking for. She knew.
Confusion wavered in Barack's strange eyes. "He hasn't marked you." He released her chin, his hand dropping to her shoulder and resting there.
Lydia raised an eyebrow. She waited, keeping her mind centered on Barack. She didn't dare think about Eric.
"Has he fed from you?"
"Who?" she asked, feigning ignorance.
Barack's eyes narrowed. "Don't toy with me, Lydia. You know what I'm talking about. You're not a stupid woman."
Lydia took a deep breath and wished he would take his hand from her shoulder. His touch set off crackles of electricity in her body. She didn't fear him. What scared her was the reaction of her body to his touch. She wanted him. The dampness growing between her legs was indication enough she was walking on dangerous ground when it came to Barack. Her desire had nothing to do with personality or anything else human for that matter. Vampires were sexual beings that exuded passion. It was a white-hot passion that every woman immediately fell prey to. Lydia shook herself, getting her mind off the subject of sex. "No. He hasn't fed from me."
Now it was Barack's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Could it be love, I wonder?"
Lydia took the opportunity to step away from Barack. She moved behind her lawn chair, putting it in between them. "You need to leave," she said, her voice stronger that what she felt inside.
Barack clasped his hands in front of him and lowered his head. When he looked up, Lydia saw a flash of red in his eyes. It only lasted for a second, but it was enough to send a chill through her.
"I'm not finished with you," Barack said, his voice barely a whisper. "But I will not force myself upon you. You must accept me of your own free will. Then I will show you things you've never seen, touch you like you've never been touched." Barack straightened to his full height. "Until then, have your fun with Eric." Barack turned his back on her and started to walk toward the edge of the clearing.
Lydia held her breath, waiting.
"But you will come around, Lydia," Barack said over his shoulder. "The time is near."
Then he disappeared into the woods.
Lydia moved around the lawn chair and collapsed into it. Her hands were shaking and her heart thumped against her ribcage.
How could she have had those feelings toward Barack, knowing he was Eric's enemy? She was disgusted with herself. Guilty of lusting after Barack. Lydia ripped the ponytail holder from her hair and ran her hands through it.
She wished Eric were here. Just to hold her.
* * * *
Barack moved into the woods until he disappeared from Lydia's view. Then he immediately shifted into the wolf. He began to run, thinking about how she had smelled. Her hair smelled of herbal shampoo, her skin of a slight tang of sweat. She also carried the aroma of her sex. Barack panted as he ran, tongue lolling. He had wanted to taste her so badly. But he would not force her.
The
woods streamed by as he ran, trying to beat the rising sun. He had dawdled with Lydia longer than he had planned. No, he would have stayed longer if she would have been more responsive. He had just misjudged the time.
A mistake that could have been fatal.
Barack leapt over a fallen tree trunk. Almost there. His claws dug into the dirt. Barack burst into the lair and skidded to a stop.
He felt his hackles rise. A growl began deep in his throat but he tamped it down.
His rival, Eric, watched him from his place on the ledge at the back of the cave.
Barack shook himself and shifted back into human form. Immediately, the females were at him, stroking his legs, begging for him to satisfy their hunger for sex.
Barack eyed Eric, holding himself in check.
The time would come, he told himself.
Soon.
Chapter Eight
Eric had quickly made it back to the lair, Barrack returning not long after. Eric saw the way that Barack had looked at him when Barack had burst into the lair, panting with his effort of running. Eric had a bad feeling about this.
Eric lay on the hard ledge and watched as Alison and Susanna used every trick they knew to try and please Barack. But Barack's yellow eyes held a secret. Eric could see it every time the vampire glanced his way. Eric wished he had the ability to read a vampire's mind, but they were just blanks. Black holes where thoughts had once been, their souls lost to whatever devil had transformed them into the monsters they now were.
He tucked his hands behind his head, lying on his back. Eric didn't really feel like watching Barack get his rocks off. It was bad enough he had to listen to it. It wouldn't be much longer though. Eric had the feeling they were going to have to move the attack up one day, do it tonight.
Closing his eyes, Eric reached out with his mind, searching for Lydia. He smiled. She was still sleeping. He had pretty much drained her last night when they had made love in front of the fire, then went to meet Dirk.
Eric The Guardian - Book 2 of the Raven Series Page 10
