Blood Captive: A Paranormal Vampire Romance (Vampire Huntress Chronicles Book 2)

by Jessica Wayne

  Rainey sits up, grabbing the back of my neck and forcing me to her mouth. I devour her, fucking her with my tongue like I intend on fucking her with my cock.

  I want to own every inch of this woman—every glorious part of her.

  “Now,” she orders.

  I tear away the lace of her underwear and pull her to the edge of the counter, feeling her velvet heat surrounding me as I slam into her. She arches back, grabbing my hand and guiding it to her breast.

  With each thrust, the beast inside of me rattles his cage, urging to be freed so he can devour her. He wants her as badly as I do. But while I want her body, her heart, he craves her blood.

  This thing Rainey and I share—it’s primal. Rough. Intense. And it’s fucking perfect. She shatters around me, crying out as we come together, shaking my body with the force of my orgasm.

  I’ve never been one to believe in fairy tales. Love at first sight? Doesn’t exist. But right now, buried inside Rainey, I’ve never felt more complete. And this moment, this brief blip of happiness, we’re invisible to everything outside these walls.

  Armed with Rainey’s clothes, weapons, the box, and a few disguises she refused to leave without, we walk in the front door of my safe haven. She’s the only person—other than Tarnley—who’s stepped foot in this house.

  I keep it hidden from everyone else, my solitude in a world of enemies.

  “This is amazing,” she says as I guide her toward the living room.

  I spent years decorating it, using pieces I gathered from all over the world. Tables from Ireland, sconces from France, even a few vases I picked up in Prague. It’s the only one of my homes decorated because it’s the place I’ve always felt the most comfortable.

  I wonder now if it’s because I was always meant to be here in Billings—with her.

  “Thank you.”

  I set Rainey’s suitcase down and carry the bag holding the box down the hall to my study. She follows, not speaking until we step into the room filled with old tomes and journals of my relatives.

  “Holy shit, Elijah. This is—intense. No wonder you weren’t as obsessed with the books back in Salem. You have your own library here.”

  I chuckle. “I don’t have ancient hunter texts, though. So you still have me beat.”

  “What are all of these?”

  “Some are journals, detailed histories of my bloodline. Some are human journals I’ve gathered, and the rest are either history or fiction.”

  “Human journals?” She lifts an eyebrow, the ghost of a smile tugging at her lips.

  I shrug. “Their lifespans are fleeting, so in a way, they live a hell of a lot better than we do.”

  “Because they don’t have as much time.”

  “Exactly.”

  She nods knowingly. “I’ve considered not hunting anymore, letting my time run out. But I’m not entirely sure that’s even possible given my day job.”

  “You believe being a detective will impact your abilities even if you aren’t hunting supernaturals?”

  “Don’t you?”

  I consider. “If you’re still experiencing the surge of adrenaline, then I would say it’s a probability.”

  “What about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “Are you still hoping for a cure?” she asks, moving past me and further into my study.

  I watch her run the tips of her fingers over the leather spines of an aged encyclopedia collection. “Honestly, this is the first time in over three centuries I would consider not taking one,” I reply seriously.

  She turns, her dark gaze meeting mine. “Why?”

  “Because what I feel for you is making me want to be selfish.”

  “Selfish?”

  “With my time, with you. I want to spend as long as I can with you, Rainey.” Her breath hitches, her pupils dilating at my admission.

  I have a moment of panic. What if she doesn’t feel the same? What if my words frighten her?

  But then she smiles. “I guess I’m selfish too, then. Because the thought of you living a normal life while I’m stuck here without you—I can’t say I care much for it.”

  Warmth spreads through my chest despite the dark cloud shrouding us from being able to feel true joy. I know that until we eliminate these threats, Rainey and I are still on the chopping block. Today only proved that fact. But does that truly mean we can’t enjoy moments of peace when they come? “Would you be open to going out with me tonight?”

  “Like, on a date?”

  I nod.

  Rainey grins. “You’ve already seen me naked, Elijah Hawthorne. You really don’t have to work that hard.”

  “I want to go out as though we’re—normal,” the word rolls off my tongue, completely alien, given our lives.

  “Is that such a good idea? With everything going on? We could have died today.”

  “Can we truly afford not to live each moment as though it’s our last?” I voice my very reasoning.

  Red floods her cheeks. “When you put it that way.”

  “Besides, the block should keep either of us from being sensed. As long as we go somewhere no one will expect.”

  “Have someplace in mind?”

  “It just so happens that I do. And, she might be able to prove useful in answering a few of our questions.”

  “So, it would be like a business dinner. Which would make it almost wasteful not to go.”

  I grin, hearing the hunter trying to convince the cop that the risk is worth it. “Is that a yes, then?”

  Rainey laughs, the happy sound filling my heart and making my soul soar. “That’s a hell yes.”

  “Perfect.” With a grin, I move toward the safe hidden within the wall. After pressing on the panel, it slides open, and I type in the code before depositing the box.

  “Do you think Delaney is the one trying to pull me through the veil?”

  I turn around as the panel closes, surprised to see Rainey’s attention has shifted from the encyclopedia set to my father’s leather-bound journal. “Do you?”

  “Part of me wonders if I shouldn’t just let it happen so I can see if it is her.”

  I blur toward her and reach forward, running my thumb over her cheek. “You can’t do that. We don’t know for sure if it is Delaney.”

  Rainey nods. I know she aches for the woman she always knew as her sister. Hell, I miss Delaney, but not enough to risk losing Rainey to the other side.

  “I just want to see her again.”

  Nodding, I pull her against me, holding her as I listen to the sound of her steady heart. We may not have known each other long, but I know two things to be true about Rainey Astor.

  One, she doesn’t trust easily, but when she does, it’s with her entire heart. And two? She’ll fight till the death for what she believes.

  I don’t deserve her, but as I’ve mentioned before, I’m no hero. I’m a selfish bastard, so there’s no way in hell I’ll give her up.

  Even if it kills us both.

  10

  Rainey

  I rarely wear dresses. It’s nearly impossible to fight in one, and you have to get creative when arming yourself.

  For example, in this short, red one currently covering my body, I’ve managed to sneak two blades—one strapped to each of my thighs. They’re there, which is nice, but if I have to pull one—or both—out, someone’s getting an eyeful.

  Elijah’s beside me, dressed to impress in a three-piece dark suit that makes his eyes appear even more electrified than normal. His hair is loose, falling to his shoulders in thick waves I can’t wait to bury my fingers in later.

  He grins over at me. “What are you thinking about?”

  “Skittles,” I reply with a smile of my own.

  Elijah’s laughter fills the interior of the jet-black 67’ Mustang he had hidden in the garage of his haven. As irritated as I am that he kept it from me, I’m also damned glad it didn’t end up getting blown sky high like the silver sedan did in Jack’s parking garage
.

  That would have pissed me off even more than nearly dying.

  “I’m happy to stop and get you enough to fill the bathtub after dinner.”

  “Only if you swim in them with me.”

  He chuckles again, knowing full and damn well I’d climb into a bathtub full of the fruity balls if given a chance.

  Moments like this are rare between us. Since I met Elijah, it’s been one life-threatening situation after another, so getting a chance to see the man beneath the vampire is a rarity I plan on exploiting.

  At least until later when I’d rather free the beast.

  He swings into the parking lot of a black building with tinted windows. Cars not even my family’s fortune could afford line the lot. If not for them and the security guards posted outside, I would have thought the place was abandoned.

  After pulling into a spot near the back, Elijah climbs out and blurs around his car to pull open my door. “Not worried about humans spotting you?”

  He shakes his head. “The place is covered with glamour. No one without supernatural blood can see anything but a broken-down shack and junk cars.”

  “So supernaturals are hunting us, and you bring me to a place crawling with them?” I lift an eyebrow as he reaches down and takes my hand, helping me out of the car.

  “This place is neutral ground. Anyone who comes for you here will have to face the wrath of the woman who runs it. And trust me, she’s not a creature you want to piss off.”

  “Speaking from personal experience?”

  He grins. “Not my own, nor the personal experience of anyone who survived after she’d had her way.”

  Fingers threaded through mine, Elijah guides me through the lot and up to the door. Two large men flank each side of the place, their stoic expressions and stiff statures would rival that of even the Buckingham Palace Guards.

  Except, unlike the latter, these two burly men shift their gazes to us as we approach, watching every single movement with the intensity of a python ready to strike. “Sir Hawthorne,” one of the men boasting a large feather on the side of his neck tilts his head toward us.

  “Evening Barin,” Elijah greets. “Berk,” he says to the other one, who pulls the door open and steps to the side.

  It’s dark, pitch black, and I can’t hear a single thing inside. Must be more glamour. My heart flutters, my stomach twisting as we step inside.

  “Easy,” Elijah murmurs and continues pulling me down a narrow hall. Or at least, it feels narrow. I can’t see a fucking thing. “The place is meant to block our powers. It keeps things neutral.”

  His assurance does nothing to ease my panic, and just as I’m about to request we turn the hell around, music blasts me from all corners, and Elijah’s hand tightens on mine.

  Then, with one more step, we’re no longer alone. Supernaturals dance around us, their smooth movements transformed by the strobe lights flashing above. I can sense shifters, vampires, witches, and a hell of a lot of other creatures I can’t place.

  I turn to Elijah, surprised to see him watching me with a curious stare. Then, he leans down and kisses me softly before pulling me through the crowd and toward a hallway just ahead. As we leave the dance floor, the music disappears completely, casting us in silence.

  Fascinated, I turn back. I can still see the dancers moving, but it’s as though they’re trapped in their own world and us in ours.

  “Well, well, well, look what the bat drug in.” A woman’s melodious voice carries over toward us. I turn to Elijah, who’s grinning at the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Seriously, I’ve never been self-conscious, but she makes me feel like a troll.

  Cloaked in a pale blue dress the color of ice, she stands before us on heels that might as well have been stilts. Pale eyes watch Elijah with curiosity and—to my irritation—lust. Her white hair falls all the way down to her knees in perfect waves.

  Cheekbones that could cut glass are dusted with pink, and her plump lips are painted a pale lavender to match her eyeshadow. The differences between us do not escape me.

  She might as well be ice while in my dark hair and red dress, I’m more akin to fire.

  “Eira,” he greets.

  She turns her attention to me. “And who are you, my beautiful pet?” Remember how I said she was watching Elijah with lust? Yeah, pretty sure she just turned it on me too. What the hell is it with him and beautiful women that make me feel like a troll?

  “I’m no one’s pet,” I say softly. “But my name is Rainey.”

  Her eyes widen, and she turns back to my date. “As in Rainey Astor? The hunter everyone wants dead?”

  Elijah’s grip tightens on mine. “Is that going to be a problem?”

  Eira scoffs. “It’s as if you don’t know me at all. Come, you two. Eira will take care of you and see to it you are not disturbed.”

  Her reference to herself in the third person does nothing to make me feel any more comfortable. But Elijah seems relaxed, so I follow his lead and let her guide us down a long hall. The temperature shifts to something more chilling as she pushes through a door and into a room that’s cloaked in shadow. Four stages sit, one in each corner of the room, each with a woman dancing on the top. None of them are dressed in much, the sheer bikinis they wear leaving nothing to the imagination.

  Glancing up at Elijah, I’m impressed to see he’s paying them zero attention. Instead, his focus is still on me.

  After walking through yet another door, Eira leads us into a restaurant. Patrons dine, wrapped in each other, at tables scattered throughout the space. She takes us to a roped-off booth in the corner and stands to the side as we slide in.

  Elijah goes first, me second, and as much as I wish she hadn’t—Eira climbs in after me. I don’t know exactly what she is—but I can sense the danger lurking beneath the beauty.

  Trapped between two predators, I can’t help but feel like prey.

  “What will you have to drink?” she asks, snapping two perfect fingers, which has three waiters rushing over to help her.

  “Whiskey,” Elijah answers for the both of us, and I shoot him an appreciative look. I can practically hear nothing but my own blood as Eira sits beside me, her fingers toying with the ends of my hair.

  Why the hell am I letting her touch me? Even as the words pass through my mind, I can’t fathom the thought of her ever moving away from me. My heart pounds, my breathing ragged as I lean toward her…

  “Turn it off, Eira,” Elijah orders. “Now, please.”

  She pouts, and I glare at Elijah. When she snaps again, my body relaxes, my heart rate returns to normal, and my cheeks flush with embarrassment when I realize exactly what I’d wanted from the strange creature beside me. There’s no way in hell I’d ever refer to her as a woman again.

  “You always spoil my fun.”

  “Rainey is with me. I didn’t bring her here for you to toy with. And if you do it again, you’re going to piss her off, which is not something you want to do.”

  “What the fuck is going on?”

  Eira chuckles, the feminine sound drifting from her lungs like a melody. “She has a mouth on her. I like this one.”

  “Eira is a siren,” Elijah explains. “She puts off pheromones that sexually attract her prey.”

  “Seriously?” I’m not even mad anymore. Now, I’m impressed as hell. A siren? Never in a million years did I ever think I’d cross paths with one since they tend to stick to coastal towns and cities. That’s how the whole mermaid rumor got started. “You’re a siren?”

  “The only one in Billings, my love.”

  The waiters bring over two whiskeys and a martini, setting the drinks down in front of us, and I reach for mine, downing the amber liquid without hesitation. Eira watches me with complete amusement and plucks the crystal from my fingertips.

  “Get her another—a double this time.”

  “Yes, mistress.” He disappears, and Elijah pulls me toward him, tucking me against his side. After glancing up at him, I’m pretty
sure it’s more for him and less about concern for me.

  “So, my handsome vampire, of all the places you could have gone, you brought her here to me. Why?”

  “I knew you wouldn’t allow us to be targeted on your property.”

  “You wish to keep her safe, then?”

  Irritated that they’re talking about me like I’m not here, I clear my throat. “I’m right here, and in case anyone has forgotten, I’ve killed more than my fair share of supernatural bastards.”

  Eira throws her head back and laughs wildly. “Feisty too! Elijah, you better keep this one close, or I may have to steal her away.” She trails a finger down my bare arm.

  I grin. “As gorgeous as you are—you’re missing a very important appendage I find rather enjoyable.”

  She leans in, hand on my upper thigh, her eyes glittering with mischief. “Oh, love, when I’m done, you’ll realize you don’t need a cock. Even one as exceptional as I’m sure Elijah’s is.”

  Elijah growls, the sound low and deep. “If you want to keep your hand, I’d suggest removing it from Rainey’s thigh.”

  Eira raises both palms in the air. “There’s room for you too.”

  “In case you’re forgetting, I don’t share.”

  I get the impression that there’s a hell of a lot more history here than Elijah let on, and as curious as I am, I’m even more concerned he’s going to lose his shit and take out our hostess. An action that would be a shame since I’m currently rather enjoying her company.

  “Oh, my love, I haven’t forgotten.”

  “How long have you owned this place?” I ask.

  Eira leans back. “Quite some time. Though I originally crafted my nest off the beautiful coast of Ireland. It’s how Sir Elijah and I met.”

  I glance over at Elijah. “Why does everyone keep referring to you as Sir?”

  He grimaces. “I was hoping you wouldn’t catch that.”