Burn the Dark

by Nicola Rose

  Had Zac and I ever laughed? Like, really, tears-streaming, belly-aching laughed?

  It felt incredible. My spirits soared. Everything felt lighter and more bearable.

  Then it felt hideous. Because Zac was out there, doing fuck knew what, lost to the Beast, and I was there laughing it up with his evil twin. It was shameful.

  A snarl of anger broke free from deep within my chest, aimed directly at Alex.

  I hated him.

  I kind of loved him.

  Left foot forward, right foot to the rear. Guard up. I readied myself into a fighting stance and gave him everything I had.

  It turned out that ‘everything I had’ was nowhere near enough to take down a vampire. Big surprise. But I couldn’t deny that it had been fun trying.

  Fun.

  For those few hours my heart had lifted. I forgot about everything and allowed myself to live only in that moment. Thrilled and exhilarated by his strength, and by my own power which seemed to thrum in approval the more violent I became. It jolted to life inside me, demanding to be released. If only I knew how to actually do that.

  Alex had offered me a fresh drink in his house, once I was heaving with exertion and couldn’t take any more.

  Yes, my heart had said.

  No, my head had replied.

  And so I’d found myself in a lively bar in downtown Dallas, flirting with guys, dancing, and heroically not drinking. It reminded me of South Padre – the heaving mass of party-goers, the wild abandon of those out for a good time. I kept expecting to glance through the crowd and find Zac watching me. Brooding. Sombre. He was always there, always studying me with that animal intensity.

  Not anymore.

  I still felt like I was being watched, though. I couldn’t shake the feeling. At one point I could have sworn I saw Anna walking through the crowd, but when I got there, it was just another random girl. I missed her so much.

  Once the bar closed and kicked me out, I ambled through the streets and found myself glancing down a darkened alley. I knew it was a shortcut; I’d been down it the other day on a mission to find tacos (my swanky hotel desk clerk had looked at me with confusion and then disgust when I’d asked if the restaurant served tacos.)

  This time the alley was dark and deserted, and a little alarm rang in my mind about what happened to lone women who walked down alleys at night. The thought sent a prickle of adrenalin skittering under my skin. If I got into a fight I’d feel alive. Maybe some magic would surface.

  Something pulled me along, like a little current of foreboding energy. I marched into the gloom and had gone about halfway through when scuffling noises caught my attention from another alley that ran off to one side. Grunting followed, with the unmistakable slapping sound of hardcore doggy-style pounding. This time it wasn’t a vampire punching a bag, this time it was definitely sexual. I continued on my way, feeling a little jealous, when a female shriek stopped me.

  Without thinking I ran toward the noise and was soon confronted by the sight of two cops forcefully spit-roasting a woman. I went to yell, or grab my phone, help… but something about the scene made me pause.

  She looked like she was protesting, but I’m experienced enough in the area of consensual non-consent and edgeplay to know that she was acting. She made the noises and motions of protest, but then a little groan would escape, or her hips would rock back, eager for more. And the way she sucked greedily at that cock…

  It was like watching my own private porno, and it was fucking hot. I had to resist the urge to put a hand between my legs. I glanced around quickly, just to check that there really weren’t any cameras recording it for some rough sex porn channel. Nope. Just us.

  I wondered why on earth all women didn’t like it this way? How you could not want a big, alpha beast ravaging you whilst you feigned distress. After all, it was so much more fun when you squealed in mock horror and they tightened their hands around your throat… or spanked your ass…

  Her glassy eyes caught mine. Were those real tears? Damn, he must have been choking her good.

  The cop taking her rear turned his head and found me standing there like some dirty little voyeur. He grinned, but the other cop noticed me, and he wasn’t impressed.

  “Fuck, Carter, deal with her!” he grunted, pulling his cock free and hoisting up his pants. The woman took a starved gasp of air and collapsed to her knees. Before she could get another breath, one of them wrapped a gag around her mouth.

  Then both cops stalked towards me, leaving her on her knees. Were they vampires? No, they didn’t move with that grace, but they were still predators, trained on me.

  My heart raced. My fingertips tingled.

  “I think you took a wrong turn, sweetheart.” The one called Carter casually re-arranged himself into his boxers as he strode my way.

  “I don’t think so. I came to play with the big boys,” I smiled, toying with my hair.

  They glanced at each other.

  “You did, huh?” Cop number one crooned. “You been a naughty girl, Miss? Maybe it’s a good job me and Carter here are experts at crime and punishment. We’ll soon set you right.” He reached me and tested the water by circling a finger over the fabric of my top, around my nipple. His uniform spoke of authority and business; shirt sleeves rolled up, top buttons undone.

  Hot damn. Having these two rough me up would be all kinds of delicious sin. I clenched my thighs against the throbbing between them.

  Focus, Jess. That’s not you anymore. And these guys are most likely complete assholes. Find a different outlet.

  Carter moved behind and lifted my vest, his hand roaming over my stomach and hips. Cop One lowered his head to bite my nipple, hard. I whimpered and looked over at the woman, wondering when she was going to come and join in. They seemed to have forgotten about her, but I hadn’t… I was anticipating my tongue between her legs while Carter rammed into me…

  She scrambled to her feet, as if on cue, but she didn’t move towards us. She stood there looking at me in sheer horror and confusion. Worry instantly gnawed at my guts. The panic and fury in her eyes suddenly didn’t seem like acting.

  Yanking at the gag with trembling hands, she couldn’t stop staring at me. Confusion, hatred, fear—

  I’d monumentally misjudged this situation. Completely fucked up. Was I so desperate for a buzz that I could filter out reality and bend it to my will? They weren’t playing with her. They were raping her.

  Carter had joined Cop One - each taking a nipple in their mouths and grabbing me roughly. I looked over to the woman and mouthed the word ‘Run’. She didn’t hesitate. She grabbed her ripped clothing from the ground and disappeared. The cops were so engrossed in my body that they didn’t even notice. Or perhaps they were just so comfortable with being untouchable that they didn’t care if she ran. Would she tell anyone, or had they scared her enough that she never would?

  Carter gave up sucking and biting my top half since Cop One was taking over, and instead he drove his hand down into my pants.

  “Is this the best you’ve got? I thought you were punishing me, not touching me up like some sweet virgin pussy,” I huffed, just as I brought a knee up, straight into Cop One’s balls.

  “Fucking bitch,” he yelled, doubling over in pain.

  I smirked as Carter clicked his teeth and pulled out his handcuffs.

  “Apologies, Miss, won’t make that mistake again.” He whacked the cuffs onto my wrists and slapped a backhand around my face for good measure. I tasted blood and couldn’t help grinning, even as he kicked my ankles and pressed me down to my knees.

  Better! This is the outlet to seek. Feel alive. Fight.

  I had zero fear. Only a buzzing thrill that made me feel invincible.

  Cop One regained enough composure that he was already taking his dick out and aiming it at my face. It was disappointingly flaccid, but I guess a knee into the nuts would do that. “Open up,” he groaned.

  Taking hold of my jaw, he thrust himself unceremoniously down my
throat. With my hands cuffed behind me I couldn’t find my balance and toppled forward, causing him to fill me so deep that I couldn’t breathe. He took my hair in a fist and pulled me away, enough to grab a breath, before continuing to drive into me.

  Carter was pumping his own cock with his hand as he watched us. He was gorgeous, just how you’d expect a bad cop to look when you fantasize about them – all muscle, swagger and alpha-attitude. They were both fucking hot. Ohhh… I suddenly realised they might not even be real cops, probably strippers, or just plain rapists that got the fake gear to lure in victims.

  I tried to forget about how good Cop One’s giant cock tasted, mixed with the blood in my mouth. Tried to forget about how horny Carter looked, eyeing me up, waiting his turn on me.

  This was wrong. So wrong.

  I felt for the power in my fingers and searched for the place inside me where it grew. These fuckers were not fantasy material, they’d hurt that woman.

  So has Zac. So has Alex…

  “No,” I garbled through a mouthful of dick. I didn’t have any hands to push away with, so I tried rocking back on my heels, but he still had my hair in a vice grip.

  “Is that the best you’ve got?” Cop One threw back at me with a smirk. “You’re gonna have to beg harder than that, you little whore.”

  Could I bite his cock? The thought seemed so horrible, I wasn’t sure I could. I mean, that would be some twisted shit. It wasn’t as if I was really scared or not enjoying it. I put myself there.

  But that woman didn’t. And I had a feeling this shit was going to get really nasty unless I retreated.

  I tried to say no again but it came out as nothing more than a choked sob, which only made Cop One go at it harder.

  Well, here goes nothing…

  I bit down hard. I wasn’t sure if the blood I tasted was from my own split lip, or whether I’d actually mangled his pride and joy. The scream that left him and ripped through the alley told me that it was most likely the latter. He fell onto his ass and I got to my feet, as quickly as I could manage without any hands.

  Carter looked down at his partner with horror and drew a gun from his holster. Fuck. That answered whether they were real cops.

  “What the fuck did you do?” he spat. Cop One was writhing around and wailing, blood coating the hands pressed to his groin. Carter’s eyes widened.

  I spun on my heels and ran, stumbling through the darkness, knowing that any second I would lose my balance and fall. Carter’s footsteps immediately echoed behind me.

  I hated being chased.

  Don’t chase me, please don’t chase me.

  I was back there, back at home, with my father barrelling after me, the fear and confusion blinding me.

  He was closing in. The footsteps louder. I knocked against a trashcan and stumbled into a wall, scraping my cheek against the rough bricks.

  I can’t be caught. He’ll kill me. Like he killed her.

  My father will kill me, just like my mother.

  A blinding flash of memory swept through me. He killed her. My father killed my mother. How had I not known that before?

  The revelation stole any remaining breath from my lungs.

  Carter’s footsteps were too loud. He caught my shoulder and yanked me back into a tight hold.

  “I love the ones that fight back,” he mumbled against my neck. “I think I might keep you.”

  I struggled. He gripped tighter, dragging me backwards from where we’d come.

  Every part of me had awoken. My skin sung, its melody that of magic and adrenalin. I was strong. I was aroused, and happy, and angry, and every damned emotion…

  Grabbing a breath, I snapped my head back and the force of impact cracked his nose. His grip loosened enough that I could wriggle free. When I turned to face him my fingers were on fire, literally. Except there was no pain, I could just feel the heat and the burning power behind my back as my rage exploded in a wave of energy.

  I smirked at the cop, who was panting, bleeding, and wide-eyed. One second he was standing there, contemplating his next move, and the next he was a blazing ball of flame. Combusted on the spot. Quite literally, up in smoke.

  There’d been a flash of fire, bright light, surging heat… his shocked cry, and then nothing. Just a blackened form lying on the cobblestones, wisps of smoke rising upwards. Utterly dead.

  Holy fucking shit.

  “Need some help?” A seductive voice purred from the shadows behind me and Alex stepped out into a patch of moonlight, hands in his pockets.

  “Do I look like I do?” I nodded to the charred mess of Carter, and Alex grinned. Fucking grinned! This was not amusing. Reality set in pretty damned quick and the euphoria that had passed through me just a moment before had already disappeared.

  I killed a cop and bit the cock off another. I was going to jail. Especially given my family history, the explosion of my family home… how was I supposed to get away with another inexplicable burnt body?

  “No, it looks like you’re handling them just fine,” he said. “But I was referring to the clean-up operation you’re going to need now.”

  “Shit! I’m going to jail.” I paced the cobbles.

  Alex slouched against a wall, looking entirely like this was no big deal. “In which reality do you think I’d ever sit by and let you go to jail?”

  I paused, and my shoulders collapsed. “This is just bloody perfect, isn’t it? What payment are you hoping to get from me for this help?”

  “So little faith in my morality, Jess. It pains me—”

  “I’m serious! Name your terms before we go any further. I might just prefer jail.”

  His face lit up. “If you want dumping in a cell and roughing up by a bad cop, I can do it much better than they can—”

  “Fuck. You.”

  He cocked his head, as if listening. “Your other plaything is scrambling away – back to his car where he’ll radio you in. You better hurry and decide how this is playing out.”

  Cop One. Shit! What was I supposed to do about him? I mean, he surely wouldn’t come after me? It would implicate himself when I spewed the details of what had gone down. How else would I have managed to get my teeth around his cock, unless he was engaged in extremely inappropriate behaviour?

  But he’d have to say something when he found his partner dead. Would he give my description?

  “Sorry to interrupt your thoughts, darlin’, but you don’t seem to be hurrying.”

  “Well, what am I supposed to do about him? I can’t do anything! I just have to hope he didn’t pay too much attention to my face. It looks different with a mouthful of dick, right?”

  He snorted in delight. “Right… if you want to take that chance.”

  The handcuffs were biting into my skin. I looked at the charred remains of Carter. I did not fancy rummaging around in that mess to find the key.

  No sooner had I thought that, Alex shrugged away from the wall and grabbed the metal, pulling it apart on each wrist without so much as a heavy breath. They might as well have been made from tissue paper. “As much as I like seeing you bound…” he murmured, trailing off.

  I rubbed my wrists. He stood – waiting, watching, expectantly. “Jesus, Alex. I thought you were Mr. Alpha Asshole? Take control of this situation. Why are you trying to make me ask?”

  His smile dropped. “I thought we agreed you were done with being told what to do?”

  “That cop is a rapist, at least, maybe worse. Carter insinuated that he was going to keep me. Who knows if they’re killers, abusing their position of authority? He fits Zac’s criteria, he’d take him out.”

  “I don’t have criteria. I take out the ones I want, when I want. And I’ll happily take him out for you, once you stop struggling with your own desire to see him dead. Open the door and say the words. Admit you want it… and he’s gone. But choose quickly, because he’s about to force my hand and then you no longer get a say.”

  “Put your hands in the air, now!” Cop One appeared
, gun aimed at us, hands still bloody. He was hunched forward, clearly in pain.

  I gaped at Alex. Mute. I couldn’t voice what I was thinking. It wasn’t right. I wasn’t judge and jury. I should hand myself over and make this guy pay through my confession. If I went down, so did he.

  “You think the courts will believe a word you say?” Alex asked me.

  “Hands up! I will fucking shoot you,” Cop One yelled again, taking another step toward us. “Where’s Carter?”

  Alex turned slowly to face him. I moved to stand beside him, unable to keep my eyes from the blackened remains of Carter.

  “Fuck me—” Cop One’s ashen face filled with horror. Alex clicked his neck and started whistling as he moved forward, hands back in his pockets.

  The cop fired and I jumped a mile at the deafening report from the shot.

  Alex didn’t break his stride. The cop fired again, and again. Still, Alex kept strolling onwards, whistling, and merely shaking his head at the annoyance of being target practice. When he reached him, Alex simply took the cop’s wrist and snapped it. The man wailed and dropped the gun.

  Alex reached down and dug around into his own chest with the nonchalance of someone who had better things to be doing. His bloodied fingers reappeared a moment later with a bullet pincered between them. He tutted and flicked it away, skittering over the cobbles into the darkness.

  Cop One opened his mouth, but only a groan of pain came out.

  Alex turned to face me then, the question written all over his face. What now?

  I shook my head. I couldn’t ask him to kill someone. If he chose to, that was on him, but if I said it, I’d have crossed a line.

  You already killed one of them yourself.

  In the next breath Alex had his fangs buried into the guy’s throat.

  “No!” I yelled. “I didn’t say that. Stop. Don’t kill him.”

  Surprisingly, he withdrew his bite and stared at me, licking blood from his lips. Cop One tried to move and Alex snarled so aggressively that even I lifted my hands in defence.