Stolen Love (YA Paranormal Novella)

by Cooper, Jodie B

  I squealed and tried scrambling backward, but didn't go anywhere. The twisted sheets held me in place.

  Like a giant redwood, he toppled, smashing me under him.

  “Trina,” he said urgently, shoving his body up he looked down in my face.

  My giggles stopped his frantic bid to get off me. I couldn't help it. I had my mate, an absolutely gorgeous hunk, lying on top of me. Who hadn't dreamed of something like that?

  “Wretched body, I can't even walk without tripping.” He propped himself on an elbow, but to my delight remained above me. His face hovered less than a foot from mine. His eyes searched mine then he very slowly trailed a single finger down the side of my face. His hand shook.

  My stomach flipped.

  He cupped my cheek in his hand, throwing my body into a whirl of satisfied delight. I shivered, leaning into his touch, absorbing the contact of my mate's flesh touching mine like a sea sponge dropped in water. His hard, lean body pushed me deeper into the mattress.

  “I screwed-up, Trina,” he said, his voice growing husky as he continued. “I didn't mean to hurt you, not ever. And I know you're gonna think I'm crazy because this is so sudden, but you're not just my best friend. I love you, Trina. God, I love you so much it kills me to think of you hurting.”

  As if I was made from the thinnest of spun glass, his lips feathered across my cheek. At the edge of my mouth he stopped, hovering above my lips, not touching me simply caressing me with the warmth of his darkly seductive scent, his breath tickled my face. “If you want me, I'm yours.”

  I swallowed, trying to clear my brain. I didn't know how a clear throat would help, but my poor brain was having a hard time catching up with his crazy about-face, not that I was complaining. I was thrilled, but I couldn't figure him out.

  Instinct, one of my seven Sídhí senses, said his synth hadn't sung for me, which totally confused me. Why was his blood buzzing, but not singing for me? Maybe it was stuck or something.

  I nervously licked my lips and he swayed toward me like a magnet to a metal pipe. “What about Clarisse?” I asked, taking the bull by horns. “Are you still buzzing?”

  He grunted, making his whole body shift against mine. Tingles of pleasure raced across my skin. “It's a constant hum. It has been since the theater. Then I touch you and my whole body starts up like a buzz saw muffled behind a rock wall. It's driving me nuts, but I plan to fix that.”

  “Fix?” I thumped his chest, hurting all over again as the pain of his refusal shot through me. “Meaning what? You think it's your synth singing for Clarisse and the only way to fix that is to bond with her. Didn't you just tell me you loved me and you're mine?”

  His thumb slipped over my lips, pressing them shut. “Do you want me?”

  “Yes,” I whispered under the light pressure.

  "Thank God. I was ready to beg if you didn't." Kissing my cheek, he nuzzled his way to my ear, inhaling my scent. “I'll never get enough of simply smelling you.” He looked into my eyes and groaned. “You've always smelled good, but the last few days it's like I'm craving you."

  "Well, you have me." I couldn't help my smile of satisfaction, feeling like a cat dropped in a container of cream. Later I would curse myself for not insisting he explain exactly how he planned to fix his problem.

  He chuckled, nuzzling the throbbing vein in my neck. "I've never wanted to taste blood, but it's like yours keeps calling to me."

  He pulled back, looking at me; concern crinkled his forehead. "Does that sound crazy?”

  I tried, - really, I did - but I couldn't hold back my grin of pure joy. Craving someone's blood until you felt crazed was either a sign of blood lust or finding your mate or insanity. I knew he wasn't insane nor was he feeling the signs of blood lust.

  I didn't know what was stunting the synth in his body, but at least something was working right. Blood was a key factor for a vampire. Hmm, now that idea had possibilities. With a perfectly placed nudge, I might manage to trigger his synth to sing for me.

  A perfect nudge called drinking the blood of his mate. Sharing a drink of blood between future mates had been known to jumpstart the Song of the Sídhí, forcing the synth to sing. Now that he'd gone through his growth spurt, I was more than willing to give biting a try.

  “Then bite me,” I said, tilting my neck to the side.

  He gazed into my eyes, weighing how serious I was by my expression. I tried hiding my eagerness. I doubt if it worked.

  His heart raced. Leaning down, he kissed my neck, licking the pulsing vein. Slowly, once, twice.

  By the third lick, my body was simmering with need. With each slow lick, my body shuddered under the onslaught of my mate's touch. When lifeMates drank from the other, the glands that normally produced venom manufactured a sexual stimulant instead. His synth might not be acting normal, but parts of his body certainly knew I was his mate.

  My core heated from a simmer to a slow burn. I squirmed under the length of his body, feeling him grow hard in response to my movements. I slid my hands across the hard surface of his chest, relishing in the feel of his satiny skin.

  A deep purr softly rumbled from my chest.

  He kissed my neck gently, repeatedly until I thought I'd go insane.

  I curled my hands around him, urging him to bite me. The burn had become an inferno of desire as the stimulant raced through my body. I was so desperate for him I wanted to scream.

  He licked me one more time.

  I moaned. I was beyond ready to beg him as more stimulate burned through my overheated body. "Please, Eric."

  Ever so slowly, he sank his teeth into me and a burning fire of pleasure burst through my veins, pushing me past thinking. Each draw of blood made my body jerk as it exploded with greater and greater release.

  He curled his hand around my hip sliding his fingers downward he cupped my butt, pulling me closer to his rigid manhood.

  My body exploded, bucking hard against him. The pleasure was too intense for a single mind. I cried out and my world went black.

  Death

  Eric curled his body around Trina's, spooning her smaller frame against his own. He rubbed her back, willing her to wake. Why couldn't his telepathy work for once? He could have woken her, maybe.

  When he drank her blood, he'd never known such intense pleasure or intense terror. Both emotions slammed through him all in the span of a single heartbeat.

  He cradled her delicate body closer to his own. He still remembered his terror. He had thought he'd killed her.

  His entire body, from head to toe, shuddered with the memory, remembering the overwhelming joy as he drew his last drink of her rich blood. The hot liquid seemed to scorch his throat increasing his desire. He had been so tight and hard, he thought he'd explode when he pulled her against his crotch. Another few seconds and he would have found his release.

  That's when she cried out and went limp in his arms.

  He groaned. No, that was not a memory he ever wanted to remember, much less relive.

  Sídhí didn't get sick and unless they were severely injured, they didn't faint. The only time he'd ever heard of a Sídhí fainting like that was between mates who hadn't bonded. The mate whose synth had sung would faint because his or her body couldn't withstand the drug-induced pleasure without the lifeBond to share it.

  He growled, furious at his own traitorous body.

  If Trina had been his mate, it wouldn't have been a problem, but since she wasn't his 'synth chosen' mate, her fainting was a major sucker punch. His dammed synth had attacked her, making her feel pleasure while trying to kill her.

  Instead of his glands producing a stimulant for a mate, they had produced a poison to kill Clarisse's competition.

  It was the only logical deduction.

  He shuddered, trying to figure out a way to bypass the monster roadblock dumped in front of him. He certainly wouldn't bite her again, not ever.

  He sighed, knowing he only had a single option. He refused to hurt Trina. Now, he was afraid to k
iss her. What if his synth attacked her again?

  Truth be told, he'd made his decision the moment Trina accepted him.

  He accepted his drastic solution without a backward glance. No way would he ever put her in that kind of danger again. His arms automatically tightened around her beloved body, wishing he hadn't hurt her before he came to his senses. He'd been so blind.

  She wiggled closer and he smiled.

  His stomach picked that moment to growl.

  She chuckled. “Hungry, my growing pre-pub?”

  He laughed with her, kissing her neck; very carefully giving her the slightest brush of his lips along her pulsing vein. “Starved, but I'll fix it. You aren't moving.”

  She twisted around until she faced him. The tips of her fingers lightly tracing his wide jaw, she leaned forward and softly kissed him. “I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to pull your head out of the sand.”

  Turning his head, he kissed her wrist, lightly nipping the sensitive skin in the process. Not hard enough to break the skin, but hard enough she jumped. “I needed the right incentive.”

  “Oh, really? So did getting stuck in the middle of nowhere do it, or was it your growth spurt?” She asked, snuggling closer.

  “Your tears nearly ripped me to pieces,” he said, his serious eyes holding her immobile. “I knew I'd rather spend my life with you as my un-bonded mate than have Clarisse as my bonded mate.”

  “Oh.” Her eyes filled with tears and she sniffed.

  “Don't, please, Trina, those tiny little drops are like knives to my gut.” He gently wiped his thumb under her eyes, kissing away what he missed. “I know we won't have forever, but we can make what we do have perfect.”

  “Why not forever?” she demanded, pushing up until she glared into his face unconsciously thumping her fist against his chest in time with her next three words. “You are mine. I won't let you change your mind.”

  He took a deep breath, steadily inhaling her scent, knowing her as well as he did, he knew she'd argue. “One day your synth will sing for some guy and you'll forget all about me.”

  Her eyes widened and she shook her head, but he didn't stop. “You don't think so now, but it will happen. For whatever reason, my synth malfunctioned. Yours won't.”

  “You're not willing to fight for me?”

  "Hell, yeah," he bared his teeth in a growl, “to the death, but if I killed your pre-destined lifeMate you'd hate me.”

  She snorted, literally snorted her ridicule in his face. “You listen to me, you big lummox, I love you for now and forever. You're stuck with me.”

  He pulled her near, kissing her forehead, not letting her see the pain in his eyes.

  If the last few days had taught him anything, they'd taught him that life could change with the blink of an eye.

  ~ ~ ~

  I glanced through the kitchen window, wondering how much more it was going to snow. Some of the drifts had to be six feet deep and growing, still more snow came down. The entire front yard and parking area was a solid white carpet. I couldn't even see the hedge of roses.

  I pulled the biscuits out of the oven and tilted my head wondering where in the world Eric was. I knew from experience that he loved long showers, but this was extreme even for him. Instinct or worry nibbled at the edge of my mind, but I couldn't figure out which it was. I didn't like being separated from him, so that was probably my problem.

  Anyway, he'd warned me. At the time, I'd been in the basement recreation/store room searching the freezer for bacon or sausage. He had hollered down the steps that he was headed for a long hot shower and not to worry if he took a while.

  I hadn't thought anything of it.

  I missed him.

  The night before, we heated up pizza and moved to the theatre room. After we finished eating, during first few minutes of the sixth Harry Potter show, he scooped me up and settled me onto his lap, cuddling me against his chest.

  His synth hadn't sung for me, but he was certainly acting as if it had. He treated me with the adoring care that all lifeMates treated their mates with.

  Impatiently, I tapped my fingers against the counter wondering if I should check on him. His hunk-a-gorgeous body might look finished, but he was still in the middle of puberty. What if he fell and hit his head or something?

  I listened for the sound of water, but didn't hear any. After a second, I frowned because I didn't hear any movement either.

  Until we mated and he could feel my emotions, it would damage his male ego if he saw me checking on him, but I had to make sure he was okay. Trotting up the stairs it dawned on me I couldn't hear a whisper of sound from the upper level, not even a heartbeat.

  Surging forward, my heart raced as I checked every single room. Running at vampire speed, I sped downstairs, checking the first floor and the basement. Thirty seconds later, I halted beside the front door.

  It was unlocked.

  He left me a note on the entryway table.

  “Katrina, no worries, I'll be back soon. I know why you fainted. You refused to talk about it, but I won't let my synth poison you again. I'm going to fix the problem. Shouldn't take long. All my Love, Eric. P.S. Don't you dare get lost in this mess trying to find me! I'll be back.”

  I snarled, furious at myself for not hearing the front door. My mate was a certified idiot. What was he going to do, rip out his fangs? Hello? They'd just grow back.

  My hand was on the doorknob when I felt the call.

  A mental call, so pure, so sweet it sang in my head like a symphony of tiny bells and flutes, yet not sounding like either. The beauty and yearning held within the eerie call nearly took me to my knees.

  Oh God, no! I prayed, begging for another chance, but I knew it was too late for even prayer. Once opened, the lifeBud had a very short time to connect with its mate.

  Eric, in his attempt to protect me, had opened his end of the lifeBond. Opening the lifeBud nestled in his brain, attempting to kill it so it wouldn't attack me.

  I yanked the door open, ripping the thick front door off its hinges; I didn't hear it smash into the far wall.

  I ran onto the front deck, my heart racing in terror. I refused to breakdown and sob, but I knew I was going to lose him, forever. Once he realized I was his destined mate he'd never recover, not from the grief of hurting me or the feeling that I'd betrayed him.

  The urge to bond grew stronger, pulling at me with a desperate plea. I shuddered and opened my end of the lifeBond. I felt it instantly snap open, tendrils of my essence surging outward seeking my lifeMate, seeking Eric.

  I knew within a single heartbeat he was too far away. I felt myself sway toward the lake, feeling the tugging sensation turn into a frightened shriek. Instinct told me Eric was trying to prematurely shut his end of the bond. He must have felt my end open and thought I was Clarisse.

  I stopped thinking and simply reacted, knowing I was about to sign my death certificate but not caring. I focused on the sound of his lifeBond as it called to me and tried to locate him. I didn't stand a chance. I simply hoped I didn't appear in the middle of a rock or tree.

  For the first time in my life, without a specific destination in mind, I ported blind. My mind rebelled, freaking out in a terror filled wail. I ignored it.

  An instant later, I appeared in the open air, dropping like a lead balloon into snowdrift.

  Tendrils of Eric's lifeBond slammed into me, wrapping around my lifeBud so tight I thought my head would pop off my neck.

  A furious roar sounded to my right.

  Snow covered me, choking off all air and light.

  Our lifeBond grew solid settling into me with a firm snap; nothing short of death could destroy the bond. My joy and my love for Eric burst through me. Our lifeBond was solid. I knew he felt my emotions surging through him.

  The snow choked my breath, but Eric's emotions choked my brain. I felt nothing but his fury and hatred pounding at me in waves of horror and disgust.

  “You filthy, demented witch! I'll kill
you!”

  The snow covering me muffled Eric's bellow of fury.

  I struggled toward him. Shouting, I managed to get a mouthful of snow while not uttering a peep.

  I felt, more than heard Eric jump into the snowdrift, but I wasn't relieved, not with his hate-filled anger pounding at me like a hammer on an anvil.

  The beautiful white stuff had become my enemy. I couldn't move.

  “Eric!” I mentally shouted, knowing that during puberty he might not hear my telepathic voice.

  Something slammed into my shoulder with the brute force of a charging grizzly, claws ripped through muscles shredding the flesh of my shoulder. The sharp tips raked against bone.

  I screamed, but very little sound left my mouth.

  “Spawn of hell, I'll kill you!” Eric bellowed; the agony he was feeling ripped through my chest.

  The snowdrift held me captive in its cold embrace. I renewed my struggles against it, knowing if he got near enough, he could easily rip off my head before realizing it was me and not Clarisse.

  Snow moved in front of my eyes and I saw the flashing tip of a claw. I shivered in fear and took another chance. Trapped in the snow, I was a sitting duck. Once again, I ported blind. This time, I wasn't so lucky.

  I materialized several feet away and smacked face-first into a thick branch.

  Beyond me, Eric standing knee deep in red speckled snow whirled. Not even looking at me, he attacked.

  I hit the ground, sinking into the snow just as Eric's body slammed into me.

  His claws sank into me, one ripping into my thigh, the other holding me down. His growl, deep and menacing echoed through the trees. He snarled, baring his deadly fangs. Wild eyes dropped to mine and he blinked. His mouth went slack, sucking a shocked snort of air through his nose instead of his mouth.

  His anger and hatred disappeared, vanishing as if it never existed. Love, terror, and self-hatred dumped into me like a toppled skyscraper.

  “Oh, hell! Trina!” He jerked his hands away, ripping his two-inch claws out of me. Blood gushed, drenching the snow crimson.

  I screamed and blacked out from the pain.

  I woke wrapped in his parka, cradled in his arms. Snow continued falling as he hurried, as fast as he could through the forest surrounding the lake. I knew he was hurrying, because the tree limbs above us changed faster than I could keep up with. Well, that, and the fact he cursed every time the snowdrifts forced him to slow down.