by Wendi Zwaduk
She rolled her eyes at herself. With a little blood? Attractive? Who was she kidding? He could kill her and she was trying to figure out how to save him. She should finish him off and spare him the rest of a lingering death—except she wasn’t a bloodthirsty pleasure killer like her partner.
Argh. She scooped the vampire into her arms, shocked by how little he weighed and carried him through the woods to her vehicle. She kept an ear out for the sounds of other Hunters or Ben. When she reached the Jeep, she growled. Where in the hell was she going to put him in the two-seater? If she had him up front, someone would definitely see him. Headlights in the distance grabbed her attention. Shit, shit, shit.
Emily dropped him onto the ground and opened the gate of the Jeep. He’d have to suck it up in the cramped space. Once she stuffed him into the small alcove behind the seats, she shoved the gate door shut.
The light shone on her, temporarily blinding her. Thank God, she’d closed the door. She noticed the shape of the vehicle. Ben’s truck. Damn it. He’d come back for her. He slowed beside her and rolled the window down.
“Hey? What’s taking so long? I doubled back past your cottage to make sure you’d gotten home, but you weren’t there.” He leaned on the window frame. “Huh?”
“What do you mean?” She tugged the elastic from her hair and re-gathered the ponytail. “I just took my time. I thought I heard something and had to hide. The noise left and I was about to follow.”
Ben frowned. “Em, you’re not being yourself. You’re always the first one in and the first one out. No straggling. You’re being very secretive. What’s wrong?”
Besides he’d come on too strong? She appreciated him acting human rather than like a jerk, but she still wanted him to get the hell away from her. “I’m just tired and moving slower.”
“Are you pregnant?”
She slumped against the side of her Jeep. “Pregnant,” she blurted. “How in the hell did you come to that conclusion? Slowing down one time automatically means I’m pregnant?”
“When Cassadee had her baby, she was so slow on everything and it made her useless as a Hunter.”
Emily sighed. She remembered her friend well. Cassadee’s hesitation during a hunt had cost her life and left her daughter without a mother. Emily wished she’d been there to help.
“I’m not pregnant. Not even a spark with someone nor am I thinking about hooking up. Thanks for your concern. I’m leaving right now. Follow me if you want.” She slid behind the wheel of her vehicle. “Ready?”
“There are vampires in these woods. I would hate for you to get hurt. I’m on you like glue.” He nodded and kept right up behind her.
Emily pulled onto the paved road and gripped the steering wheel tight. If Ben only knew what she had in the back of the Jeep. He’d flip out. Good thing she’d installed heavy tinting on the windows. Good thing, indeed.
Chapter Two
A jumbo jet thundered down an imaginary runway in his head and blinking his eyes open only added to the pounding. He’d had his share of rough nights filled with too many drinks and mornings punctuated with nasty hangovers, but none of those instances compared to nearly being burned to a crisp. He could use a stiff drink or a pint of blood right about now.
In the darkness, his body recharged a bit. He thanked the Goddess for a second chance. The Sources never did tell him if he’d helped Ava escape or if she was even alive. He wished they’d given him some sort of clue.
Music filtered around him. He’d heard the same voices before. Where was he? He tried to shift his legs to change position, but his legs were jammed tight to his chest. Whoever was singing had a sweet voice. She kept up harmony with the radio quite well and lulled him.
He surveyed his surroundings. He was in a car. No, a Jeep. He could see above the back door, but only a little bit of the outside world. Everything was dark. No streetlights or anything.
The vehicle lurched to the side before the lights inside the cabin went out. The singing stopped. Great. His human had brought him somewhere to die. The door of the Jeep slammed and he heard more footsteps—one set, if he was certain. A face appeared in the window of the back door.
If he’d had a heart, it would’ve stopped. The woman was beautiful. Her long blond hair pulled back in a ponytail and some of the locks slipped over her shoulder. Her green eyes blazed and pink tinged her cheeks.
She opened the door to the vehicle, then the window.
“Your eyes are open. You must be in there somewhere.” She offered her hand to him.
How romantic…not really, but he liked her forthright approach.
When he didn’t reach for her, she rested her hands on her hips. “Are you going to kill me or just lay there?”
“I can’t kill you.” He didn’t have the strength to move, much less suck her dry.
“Good,” she said. “I’d hate to lop off your head, now that I’ve brought you this far.” She narrowed her eyes. “What were you doing in the woods?”
“Take me inside and I’ll tell you everything,” he managed.
“Uh-huh. I’m tying you up. You may look weak, but I don’t trust you.”
“Do what you feel is necessary. I won’t fight you.” He couldn’t do much more than talk. He hadn’t fed in so long. His throat hurt and he trembled. Damn it. He needed to feed. She whipped out a set of handcuffs and attached them to his wrists. He might have fought her, if at his full strength, but not now. Besides, he rather liked a woman who took charge and bound him. His cock stirred in his dirt-encrusted pants. Go figure. He got a hard-on at the mention of bondage. Yes, he’d like to have sex with her. Goddess, he wanted to hear her call his name while he filled her to the hilt.
“What I feel is necessary? Right.” She pulled another set of handcuffs from a bag by his feet. The second sets of cuffs clicked in place above the first set. “Double cuffs. I don’t trust anyone.”
She’d probably kill him, but he liked her.
“Can you walk? You’re pretty well burned.” She offered her hand again. “Let me help you.”
“I can’t stand up very well. I haven’t fed in weeks,” he mumbled. He should’ve gotten sustenance from Ava before she left, but no. He’d been a gentleman and given her space.
“Figures,” she said. “Give it your best shot. I’ll hold you up.”
If he knew he could hack getting onto his feet, he’d have waved her off, but with the lack of blood…he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stay upright long enough to stagger around. He managed to get vertical. When she touched him, bare hand on his skin, his arm tingled. From her touch? But Ava was supposed to be his mate. Well, she was supposed to be his human—not the beautiful blond creature helping him into her home. He should eat her and bleed her dry. That might have worked, except his vengeance wasn’t so strong. He didn’t want to hurt her. What the hell was wrong with him? He was a creature of the night. A vampire. Take no prisoners and leave no one untouched. Maybe this was the good intentions that could turn bad the Sources warned him about…or he liked her.
Yeah…he’d grown a heart or something because he’d definitely grown to like her.
She walked him into the dwelling and plunked him on the couch. The cuffs jangled as he plopped onto the soft cushions. Compared to the hard ground, the sofa was perfect.
In the better light of the home, he noticed his captor in stronger detail. The fabric of her T-shirt strained to keep her breasts contained. The shirt showed smears of dirt and a leaf stuck to the sleeve. He didn’t care. He liked the earthy look. A stripe of mud bisected her throat and ended along her collarbone.
Part of him wanted to clean her off and investigate every inch of her delectable body. He wanted to know her better. The rest of him knew better than to get involved with her. She hadn’t brought him home for fun and games. She’d kill him in private and savor the act.
“Who are you?” She sat on the coffee table opposite and folded her arms.
The move strained the cotton of her shirt even m
ore. He noticed the shape of her bra under the garment and the outline of her nipples. He bit back a groan. He liked a woman with bountiful breasts. A big chest meant plenty of room to lick, suck and nuzzle…and to rub with his cock. Holy hell.
“Yo?” She waved her hand in front of his face. “Are you in there?”
“You want a dying man to help you. I haven’t fed and you’re showing off your tits. I’m not going to last much longer. Either let me die in peace, or move your arms.”
“Oh.” She glanced down at her chest and unfolded her arms. She gripped the edge of the coffee table. “Right. You need to feed. I don’t have any blood.”
“Yours will do nicely.” Being on the edge of actual death made him bolder. Before his summons, he’d been more timid. He’d let Ava trail him around like a puppy. Apparently, being in the presence of the Sources and knowing he didn’t have long on the Earth gave him confidence.
“Share my blood with you?” She leaned back, putting space between them. “I don’t know you.”
Now she wanted to split hairs. “You brought me to your home. What else were you planning to do? Play cards? Charades? Come on.”
“You’re mean.” She frowned and jumped up from her seat. “I wanted to question you in private.”
“About what?” His limbs tingled, but the feeling had nothing to do with their earlier connection. Nope. Without blood to his extremities, they were shutting down.
“I thought you were dying.” She cocked her hip.
When she stood, he noticed the length of her legs. What would it feel like to have those long legs wrapped around him while he pounded into her? Or to feel her heels on his shoulders? Christ, he had to get sexual thoughts off his mind.
“Are you dying or not?” she asked.
“I am dying, but I’ll share my information.” He sighed. “My name is Hagan Dean. I came here with my girlfriend, Ava, to find fun. We were so young. I hadn’t been a vampire for long and she wanted a good time. Instead of finding a good time, we found Maslow. He enslaved us and I helped her escape. I don’t know where she is or if she’s even alive. Maslow could have her, but I’m not sure. He’s evil and using the Supers to kill off other Supers. I want him dead.”
Holy shit. All that talking yanked the life out of him. He slumped in his seat. Fuck.
“Oh.” The woman sat down opposite him again. She frowned and balled her fists on her lap.
“I take it that wasn’t the answer you were looking for?” He shouldn’t have been curt with her, but honestly, he didn’t care. The spring of the cushion accentuated the bounce of her breasts. Heat pooled low in his belly and settled in his dick. He wondered what she looked like without clothes.
“It wasn’t really what I expected to hear, no.” The lines between her eyebrows deepened. “So wait…that doesn’t make sense.”
“You’re going to kill me. I’ve given you the answers. Do it. Kill me.” He closed his eyes. He didn’t want to suffer for much longer. But with his eyes closed, a vision of her naked body came to mind. She stood before him with erect nipples and her fingers in her hair. Holy shit. He scooted down to relieve the pressure of his zipper against his erection.
“I couldn’t kill you before, but I could now.” Her voice trailed off. “But you’re almost dead.”
“Then do it,” he pleaded. At least kill him before she noticed he’d popped an erection and wanted to fuck her senseless.
“Just…” she sighed. “Bite me.”
“Really?” He opened his eyes. If she was being truthful, he couldn’t think of a better thing to do. If she was outsmarting him, she really needed spanked…after he made love to her.
“God, no.” She chuckled. “I’ll find something else. Give me some time.”
“For the love of the Sources. I don’t have some time.” Christ. His legs and arms all trembled. Shit. He was so close to dying. Why wasn’t she just putting him out of his misery? She wanted to kill him with a damn erection.
“I’m sure you’ll deal and find a way to survive a little longer.” She cracked her knuckles. “You’re shaking. You really are in bad shape.”
“Look, I’m dying and you don’t like me. Let me slip off quietly into oblivion and dust. I don’t want to hurt you. Thank you for getting me out of the woods, but if you’re going to kill me, then do it.”
She balled her fists again. “I don’t know you. God. I can kill you. You’re a Super. You’re supposed to be dead.” She tapped her fist on her thigh. “Killing you feels wrong. I don’t know if you’re crazy or dangerous. You ran away from Maslow, right?”
“Yes.” What part of what he’d said didn’t make sense?
She bit the corner of her mouth, and then pulled a pocketknife from her belt. She dragged the blade across her forearm. The moment the blood seeped from the wound, he smelled her. Sweet blood. His mouth watered and his cock throbbed. What was she going to do? Tease him?
“Drink you crazy vampire.” She placed her arm against his lips. Her breasts brushed against his chest. “Drink.”
He lapped at her blood. When he sank his teeth into her skin, she moaned. She crawled onto his lap and rubbed her body against the bulge in his pants.
I’m not done with you yet.
He could’ve sworn he heard her talk, but he didn’t see her lips move. Something wasn’t right. Besides, what did she mean by she wasn’t done with him yet? He should’ve been worried, but the moment he tasted her blood, his will to die and fear disintegrated. Plus, too turned on to care, he continued to feed from her.
Hagan drank from her, only enough to bring himself back from the brink. Her blood slipped down his throat, sending power throughout his body. He moaned. He’d never tasted anything so sweet, delicious…and hard to live without. He pulled his mouth away from her arm and licked the wound closed. She couldn’t possibly be his ambrosia or even his Pasha—his mate. Good Goddess. His mate was running around possibly lost and alone or even dead. Ava was his Seer. She completed him, not the blonde bombshell giving him her blood.
Unless…he shook his head. Ava had to be his. They hadn’t heard the voice of the Goddess when they fucked, but it probably wasn’t the right time. Had to be the wrong time. Still, his cock hardened as he laved his tongue over the Hunter’s wound. Excitement raced through his veins. His control had splintered. If he hadn’t pulled away from her, he might have drained her. But even with the lust for her blood churning within him, he’d had the sense to stop before he took too much. The hunger overwhelmed him and yet, he’d stepped back from the edge. Only a Pasha could wield such power.
But she couldn’t be his.
The woman sagged against his side and rested her head on his shoulder. Her shallow breaths puffed down his arm. “Is it always like that?” she asked. “Like orgasmic without sex?”
“Orgasmic?” He’d certainly never heard Ava say anything like that when he’d fed from her. No, she claimed it was boring. He wanted to reassure the Hunter and smooth his fingers through her hair. She’d been so strong to save him and now seemed so fragile. She deserved better than to be stuck with a vampire consumed with someone else.
“I’ve never let a vampire drink from me before, but I could swear that felt like we had sex without actually having intercourse.” She balled her fist on his chest.
“Hmm.” Such things were supposed to happen when two mates found each other. But Ava…Nothing made sense. His mind functioned at a better speed, but still nothing computed quite right. He kept thinking of mates and forever with her, but in his heart, he’d thought Ava was his one.
“I know it’s vampire voodoo,” the Hunter said and stood. She sighed. “A mind trick or something.”
“No,” he replied. “That’s another animal, voodoo. I don’t do mind tricks and I’m too weak to bend your will.”
“You’d do that?”
“No, but I thought I’d throw that in.” He smiled. He wondered if her hair was as soft as it looked. He’d heard her speak through his mind. That wasn’
t possible…unless they were supposed to be together. “You can keep the cuffs on me, but at least tell me your name.”
“Because you’re a gentleman?”
“No. Because I want you to trust me.”
****
Trust him? She snorted, regaining a bit of her senses. Allowing him to drink from her vein hadn’t been smart, but she’d kept him from expiring. She rested her hands on her hips. She’d never heard of vampire magic, but so many things she hadn’t believed to exist ended up quite real. Faeries, shifters and Seers weren’t supposed to be actual people, but many of her friends were Supers. Still, she couldn’t completely ignore the fact that he’d done something to her.
“I’m going to get cleaned up. Stay there.” She wiped her palms on her pant legs and glanced at the scar. The silver line was almost gone, like he’d never drank from her. The line shouldn’t intrigue her, but it did. She shook her head. She needed to keep her wits. “Look, even if you can get out, don’t. Please?” He should’ve considered himself lucky. She never pleaded with anyone. Ever—until him.
“You’ve got the key to the cuffs. I’m alive and in your debt. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Even to sneak off and find this Ava woman? You’re functioning, so you can probably chase her.” She’d been mean. He hadn’t said anything about going after Ava, but still. She insisted on keeping her heart protected.
When he winced, she wished she hadn’t said anything.
“I’m staying put,” he said in a low tone. He didn’t look at her.
