Calder Witch Boxset (Paranormal Vampire Romance): Books 1-4

by Martha Woods

  If her cheeks could redden, they would have right then. Kristian held her up and steady as he found his rhythm. He groaned into her neck, his hold on her tightening. Tessa’s sex was far more sensitive, making every movement feel ten times better than it ever did before. Kristian could tell, her sex tightening around him in the most titillating ways. In a swift movement, Kristian picked up her other leg and used his torso to keep her up straight. His member pressed deeper inside of her, Tessa biting down on her lip to keep from crying out in pleasure. Her hands knotted in his wet, chestnut locks, tugging at the short strands in brief moments of overwhelming ecstasy.

  Kristian’s mouth hovered over hers, breathing into her parted lips as he quickened his speed. It was starting to become impossible for Tessa to hold back her noises, moans and gasps passing her lips here and there as she became lost in his movements. She swore it was like her body would never grow tired of his. With just a few, fast and hard thrusts, however, her body betrayed her own desire and began to rapidly approach climax. Kristian’s mouth dominated hers in a feverish kiss as he slammed his member deep inside of her. Tessa’s body tensed completely as she peaked, his mouth managing to muffle her loud moans. He kept himself deep inside of her as he too climaxed. He held her to the wall, giving them each some time to recover.

  Before he could place her on the ground, Tessa was kissing at his neck, sucking at sensitive places along the base of his neck. Kristian chuckled, “Already ready for more?”

  “Uh-huh,” was all Tessa replied as she slowly started to sink to her knees, kissing down his chest.

  “I can definitely get used to this,” Kristian purred, a sheepish grin on his face.

  * * *

  After a week of hunting, and running the other vampires off with their loud and passionate love-making, Kristian and Tessa were ready to head back to the city. As they waited in the living room with their bags at their feet, waiting for the sun to set completely so that they could leave, Tessa suddenly perked up. “I want to try something,” she stated as she stood.

  “Try what? We’ll be leaving in like ten minutes,” Kristian said, checking the time.

  “It’ll only take a second,” Tessa explained, though didn’t give away what exactly it was that she was doing. She walked over to the front door and opened it. Kristian’s thoughts were immediately seized by panic. He didn’t have a scientific mind at all, did he? Always a worry wart, never a risk taker. Taking a slow and calming breath, Tessa stepped out of the safety of the shadows and into the golden sunlight. Instantly, a smile grew on her face. The couple of times that Tessa had seen a vampire come into contact with sunlight, without Firehaven blood, they would instantly shy away from it. Kristian had described the initial sensation like a nasty sunburn that only got worse.

  There was nothing, though. Kristian and the others had worried before the battle that since she was half Calder, her blood wouldn’t be potent enough to help the vampires go into sunlight. She felt pretty bad that they hadn’t even thought to try her blood, and had nearly drained Calla to give the vampires enough blood to get through the fight. Apparently, though, it was enough to let her into the sunlight. Did this mean she could spend all day in the sun, or maybe just a few hours? Tessa looked back into the house, spotting Kristian watching her from the shadows with wide eyes. What exactly would this mean for them? Tessa wasn’t sure whether to be happy, or weary. Would it make her even more of a target? She assumed so.

  Trying not to get too ahead of herself, Tessa laid down in the grass and enjoyed the sunlight. After a while, the sun completely set over the horizon and she could hear footsteps next to her. Opening her eyes, she looked up to Kristian with a pout, “I feel so bad about Calla now.”

  “Don’t. More than likely your blood wouldn’t have been potent enough since you’re only half Firehaven. We’ve been over that,” Kristian insisted. “It is… interesting, though. I hadn’t anticipated this.”

  He then extended a hand to her to help her to her feet. As Tessa let him pull her up, she spoke, “How could you have? You’ve never seen a witch turn into a vampire, have you?”

  “Definitely not,” Kristian muttered, picking their bags up off the ground and walking over to his SUV.

  “Then it's unfamiliar waters. I don’t think we should really have any sort of expectations about this,” Tessa stated, lifting her arms to look at herself. Even though she still had some olive undertones, Tessa was definitely paler. Some things were following the norm, but she had this feeling in her gut, telling her that the sunlight aspect was not going to be the only difference. She had no idea what, though.

  “I suppose you’re right about that,” Kristian nodded, loading the bags and then opening her door for her.

  “You’re always such the gentleman,” Tessa commented as she stepped into the car.

  Kristian leaned his head inside and stole a kiss from her lips. “Of course. I couldn’t treat you any other way,” he grinned, before giving her forehead a peck and moving from her door. Tessa bit her lip to keep from smiling like an idiot. Kristian always somehow knew how to bring out a side of Tessa that she didn’t even know.

  He climbed into the SUV and started the drive back to town. Even though they had only been there for two weeks, to Tessa it felt like they had been in that farmhouse for a lifetime. It had been some strange sort of purgatory for her, a place between life and the life of the living dead. Honestly, she hoped to never have to see that damn house again. All it was to her was a museum of the pain and mistakes, and all of which she yearned to forget. In the spirit of that, Tessa tried to turn off her own thoughts and just focus on the present. Reaching over, she held Kristian’s hand in hers, to which he smiled faintly to himself. Then, she turned on the radio to try and help tune out her thoughts. She hummed along to the songs she knew and watched the trees go by.

  When they entered city limits, suddenly Tessa’s body stiffened. Kristian’s grip tightened on her hand and rubbed his thumb against the back of it. “It’s going to be hard to be in cities for a while,” he sighed. “It’s like going to a buffet while starving, and not being able to eat anything. I figure, though, since we will have to move around and the best place to hide is in plain sight, we need to go ahead and get you used to it. If you can get through these first few days, then you can get through any temptation.”

  All Tessa could do was nod, gritting her teeth hard. It was the same smell from the forest, but much richer and sweeter—and never faded. The entire city reeked of it. It was almost impossible to think with how overwhelming the smell was. She held her pashmina to her mouth, taking slow and deep breaths. Think of something else, Tessa. Anything else. But her mind couldn’t move around that intoxicating smell. Even though she wasn’t even hungry, her body craved to find out how their blood tasted. She thought even a drop would cure her burning curiosity and desire. Kristian warned, though, that once you drank fresh human blood, it was hard to stop. Tessa had actually gotten a bit used to the animal blood and was already dreading trying cold blood, but hoped it would at least taste alright.

  They pulled into the parking garage at the apartment, and Tessa let out a breathy sigh. She was glad to be in a place that felt somewhat like home, especially if she was going to have to acclimate to such intense and constant cravings. Stepping out of the SUV, they walked hand-in-hand to the elevator. Kristian’s thumb methodically rubbed circles into the back of Tessa’s hand. The long ride up to their floor was painstaking. With each floor they passed it was like a new wave of smells would hit her, tempting her to pry open those metal doors and go find exactly where the smell was coming from. Tessa closed her eyes tightly to try and ignore it. She could hear Kristian’s troublesome thoughts, fearing already that he had made the wrong call and that they should have stayed in the countryside. “If I never get exposed to it, I’ll never get used to it,” Tessa stated in response to his thoughts.

  “I know,” Kristian murmured. “I just hope we didn’t act too quickly.”

 
“Me too,” Tessa sighed.

  Her eyes popped open when the elevator came to a stop. Walking off the elevator, Tessa smelled a new scent. It was milder than the aroma she had been smelling the entire time, but also had a sweet heat to it. Like cinnamon or something. What was it? As they approached the apartment door, Tessa’s mind was bombarded with indecent thoughts about Calla. Her eyes widened and looked to Kristian as he went to unlock the door. Tessa quickly grabbed his hand to stop him, earning a cocked brow from Kristian. She then knocked on the door, hearing Jared’s thoughts scramble at the sound. Slowly, she took her hand off of Kristian’s. “What was that about?” Kristian asked.

  Tessa shrugged, “Just a courtesy knock.”

  He studied her for a moment before opening the door. They walked into the apartment, finding Jared and Calla sat on one of the couches together. Calla’s face was flushed and her fiery curls a little disheveled. Jared sat with his legs crossed and his shirt half unbuttoned, the same mind-numbing chant he always did around witches sounding in his mind. Their awkward coverup was no longer on her mind—but the smell permeating from Calla was. She was the source of the new smell. How much different did witch blood taste from human blood? Tessa’s mind was tortured by the question, unable to take her eyes off Calla. She could hear Calla’s heart beating rapidly, no doubt from the encounter Kristian and Tessa had just interrupted.

  “Sorry I didn’t call beforehand, I was preoccupied,” Kristian said as he guided Tessa over to their usual spot on one of the couches.

  “It’s alright,” Jared called over.

  Kristian’s arm wrapped around Tessa as he relaxed into the couch, “How are things here? Any word on the Calder?”

  “There’s not been much of anything since the fight. Veronica and Morgan think the Calder might be regrouping to plan something bigger. But so far, there’s been silence and no movement that we know of,” Jared informed him.

  The two men continued talking about it, but it blurred into the background to Tessa. Her eyes were locked onto Calla’s neck, the thumping of her pulse completely distracting Tessa. It was like there was someone else inside of Tessa’s head with her, egging her on to just try the witch’s blood. She didn’t want to, not willingly. It was extremely distracting, though. Then, Calla was moved, Jared pulling her closer to his side. Tessa looked at the dark skinned man, noticing him glaring at her. Tessa looked away, clearing her throat. Calla’s heartbeat still sounded in Tessa’s ears, reverberating through her head like a record player.

  Kristian spoke again, “Well, I know it will take some time for everyone to adjust and get acclimated, but it’s good to be back home. Tessa needs to continue her training, anyways.”

  Jared’s brow knitted together, “Are you sure that’s the best idea, given Tessa’s condition?”

  “It’ll be fine as long as we’re watching them, which we always are. Tessa is well aware of the repercussions of doing something so reckless,” Kristian assured him.

  Jared opened his mouth to say something, but Tessa spoke first. “Don’t worry, Jared. I know you won’t hesitate to put me through one of these walls if I attack her,” she said, smiling weakly at him. “It’s not like I want to hurt her.”

  “Doesn’t matter if you want to. It’s a matter of if you will,” he corrected Tessa in a pointed tone. “You’re already staring at her like she’s a steak dinner.” Tessa nibbled on her lip, looking away in embarrassment. “Perhaps it’s better if Calla and I get an apartment of our own.”

  “Perhaps… Let’s just try our usual arrangement first, though. Tessa does need the training. If Veronica and Morgan are right, we’ll need to be even more prepared than last time,” Kristian countered.

  “Calla can’t train her if she can’t get close to Tessa, Kristian...” Jared replied meekly.

  “I said let’s try,” Kristian immediately rebutted. “I know this situation isn’t the best and that it is dangerous. We’re both here with them, though. We have to get Tessa exposed to the temptations while keeping her in a safe environment.”

  “Seems like Calla is the only one taking risks, yet again,” Jared fired back.

  A silence fell over the room then. Guilt gnawed at Tessa. She hadn’t even thought about it like that. Living there all together really was solely benefitting Tessa, and Calla was some sort of guinea pig to see if Tessa could resist attacking her. Was it really fair of them to ask Calla to risk her life like that, especially all they had just put her through? “I think because you’re sleeping with her, you forget that she isn’t our equal,” Kristian stated, a bitter bite to his voice. His eyes slid to Calla, “I appreciate all you’ve done and I do trust you now. However, you still serve Tessa. So when it comes to her, whatever utilizes you in her best interest is what you’re going to do. Both of you need to understand that.”

  Jared’s jaw clenched and his eyes averted as he tried to compose himself. Finally, his icy eyes returned to Kristian, “Fine, but I won’t standby if anyone tries to hurt to her. We will leave if it becomes a problem.”

  Kristian stared back at Jared, waiting a few moments before simply responding, “Understood. Let’s just take it easy tonight, and tomorrow evening, you guys can start training again,” he said, putting an arm around Tessa.

  Tessa gave a gentle nod. Her foot began to tap as she tried to ignore the incessant sound of Calla’s heart beating.

  * * *

  Even though distance had always been the one way Tessa could block out thoughts, the sound of Calla’s heart beating traveled down the hall of the apartment. Even with a pillow over her head, she could still hear every little patter of Calla’s heart. She told herself repeatedly to just ignore it, or treat it like a metronome to fall asleep to. But that other part of her, a new and animalistic part, wouldn’t let her shake it. Going against her own wishes, Tessa found herself laying there, contemplating how to get Calla’s blood—voluntarily and by force. Jared was a serious problem either way, even if she could manage to do it under Kristian’s nose. He was stronger than any other vampire she had seen, and knew she would be in for a world of hurt if she crossed any kind of boundary. He had made that clear in his little speech earlier.

  She even thought of acting ill and hoping that they would think of using her blood to heal her. That was just an evil thing to do.Why in the hell couldn’t she get it off her mind, even for a minute? Was it always going to be like this, and the other vampires had just learned to cope with it? Tessa didn’t think she could. These insane cravings had to go away. She didn’t want to hurt anyone. Thankfully, Tessa found some relief when she finally passed out from exhaustion. Her dreams, however, only amplified the desire. Fantasies of drinking human blood played like strange, gothic films. The dreams were silent other than the sounds of the people’s hearts.

  Tessa awoke when she felt the weight on the bed shift. Her eyes fluttered open to see Kristian pulling on his clothes next to the bed. He glanced over his shoulder at her with a smirk on his tired face. Moving over to her, he hovered over her and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Good evening,” he greeted as he pulled back, brushing a few loose strands from her face.

  “Evening,” Tessa replied, rubbing her sleepy eyes before glancing sight of the clock. At least she had managed to get a few hours of sleep.

  “Feeling any better today?” he asked, buttoning his shirt the rest of the way.

  Tessa buried her face in the pillow, “I don’t think so.” Calla’s heartbeat still sounded in the distance.

  Kristian rubbed her back. “It’s going to get easier, I promise. Just take it one day at a time.”

  She groaned and sat up, “I just want it to be over already. I can’t take these constant cravings and urges.”

  He brought her hip to his, “I can take some of those urges,” he grinned, wiggling his brow playfully.

  Tessa rolled her eyes and stood from the bed, “Of course you will. So far that and the whole ‘not dying’ thing seem to be the only perks.”

  “And what wonder
ful perks they are,” Kristian chuckled, standing as well.

  She pulled on a pair of skinny jeans and a thin white hoodie before quickly braiding her hair. They started toward the door and Tessa eased knowing that she was going to be trying the bagged blood. Maybe that would ease the desire, at least enough to be able to be around Calla. As they entered the living room, Tessa stopped breathing. It was like being in an ocean of her blood when in such close proximity of her. Her eyes flickered over to the couch to see Calla dozing in Jared’s lap as he played with her hair and talked on the phone. Jared and Calla had fallen into a relationship head first, hadn’t they? It was familiar to Tessa, knowing all too well what such an unpredictable and dangerous lifestyle could do to your sensibilities. She had been fortunate enough to have something real come from the stage of extreme infatuation. Tessa couldn’t help but wonder if anything would come of Calla and Jared. They seemed to go together well and were protective of one another, but anything could happen. He seemed emotionless, and she was a witch. It wasn’t exactly a match made in heaven.

  Stop that, Tessa demanded herself. She didn’t want to think so poorly of the people who had given so much to protect her. It was the cravings talking. “You’re staring,” Kristian whispered to her, his gentle hand pressing to the small of her back.