Before I could question it, something was pressed against my mouth, something that smelt intoxicatingly delicious. Parting my lips, my taste buds sizzled as soon as a droplet touched my tongue.
Blood.
Rich, thick, powerful blood. It was the elixir to what ailed me and I didn’t hesitate. I bit down hard and drank.
“There you go, love. Take what you need,” Devlin spoke, his other hand stroking my hair. I barely felt it as I gloried in the way each mouthful drove away the agony and replaced it with potent strength. The idea of feeding should’ve repulsed me. It had before—in my previous life—the life where I was simply Darcy.
But I was more, now. I had become more.
Thoughts whirled through me—dark, twisted, aggressive impressions came as rapidly as they went. I danced dangerously close to insanity with each draw from Devlin’s vein. I couldn’t keep up; finally tearing myself away from him, his flesh tearing from my newfound fangs.
I was hungry, but couldn’t bear to take another drop. Blood trickled down my chin and I shuddered to think what I looked like.
“Darcy?” I’d surprised him.
Opening my eyes, I glared. “You did this. You turned me into a monster. I should rip your throat out and bathe in your gore,” I roared, as anger infused me. It was like a switch had been thrown inside me and I was helpless to resist it. My hands curled into claws, the need to release the violence overriding my constant hunger. “What have you done?” I flew up from the bed where I’d been lying, intent on destroying him.
He caught me and pulled me against him, encircling me with arms that felt like steel. “Stop. This is just the vampire in you fighting to dominate. You need to drink more.”
“No, what I need is to make you suffer!” I cried, struggling to get free.
“I promise this will pass.”
“I trusted you! I believed you. And look at me!” I bent over, trying to get enough leverage to attack him. There was no reasoning with me. Bit by bit, I felt myself being reduced to an animal. Growling, I kicked and twisted, but he didn’t relent. I may have held the strength of a newly created vampire, but Devlin was stronger. Even with his blood coursing through my veins, I couldn’t defeat him.
“Stop fighting me. You’ll only make it worse,” he commanded, the calmness in his voice battering against my savagery. “I wouldn’t have agreed to this if I wasn’t convinced it was the only thing that would keep you alive. If you don’t believe me, accept that Mason does. We all do. Now, drink.” He shoved his wrist back over my mouth.
I snarled. “I hate you. I hate him. This isn’t love. You should’ve let me die. Both of you.”
I felt his sigh escape. I knew my words hurt him. I’d meant for them to. Part of me said to control my tongue and remember this wasn’t me. But I didn’t care. I hurt; and damn it, I wanted to spread that agony around.
He pressed harder, forcing my lips to clench around his arm. “So help me, Darcy, do what you are told.”
I took an obedient draw from his vein; and the moment he relaxed, expecting me to continue feeding, I elbowed him in the stomach and was rewarded with enough wiggle room to spit his blood out. “I won’t. I don’t want anything from you.” I wanted to say more, but something broke deep within me and I doubled over. Clasping my middle, there was nothing I could do to stop the torrent that erupted from me as I vomited, over and over, bright red liquid spilling from me to the floor.
Devlin cursed. Grabbing me tightly, he whirled me around and clutched my chin. He squeezed hard and my eyes opened to stare deeply into his. “Sleep.”
And then the pain was over.
****
Hushed whispers woke me up. Devlin and my mother were talking. But before I could distinguish what they were saying, the door opened and closed. I was alone, again, with my torturer.
In the back of my mind, I knew it wasn’t fair to label Devlin that. I remember him not being thrilled with this plan and how cautious he’d been. I’d asked him to do this, to help give me more time with Mason. He was simply following through with my wishes, unable to refuse, because he loved me. It was wrong to blame him for the hell I’d just endured, but it was what it was.
This would pass and the memories of the past hours would fade. If surviving meant I could return to normal, then one day I’d thank him for being brave enough to see me through this.
Just not today.
Right now I was angry, confused, and the blasted hunger continued driving my every thought.
“Devlin?” I croaked.
Footsteps approached the bed and I felt him tentatively take a seat beside me. “How are you feeling?”
“Remind me to kick your ass when this is over.”
His chuckle might have seemed lighthearted, even relieved, but he understood what I meant. “Okay. Once you’re better and back to your old self, give it your best shot.”
“I’m never going to be myself. Ever,” I retorted bitterly.
He was quiet for a moment. “I know; and I’m sorry for that. Truly.”
“How the hell do you stand it?” I blurted out, unable to ignore the constant wearing on my nerves.
“Stand what?”
“The incessant hunger. Is this what drives people mad? Because I’m within an inch of wanting to stake myself!” Sitting up, I wrapped my arms around my knees, barely noticing the slight rocking back and forth. I couldn’t keep still, my body feeling constantly restless. The movement caused a flaring ache through me, but I could handle it. It was the craving that messed with my head.
“You’ll learn to control it. At first it feels like it’s all you can focus on. That’s why you need to keep drinking. Once the initial blood lust is satiated, it will settle. We’ve all gone through it.” Not touching me, Devlin rose and walked back over to the door. That’s when I noticed the ice cooler Mason and I used on our picnics. Something told me Devlin wouldn’t be pulling out cold cut sandwiches and orange juice. The mere thought of food right now curdled my stomach.
Flipping the lid open, he removed a blood bag and my mouth instantly watered. All questions about whether I’d ever be able to eat again vanished at the sight of it. My gaze stalked his every step as he approached, twisting open the top and handing it to me.
“Here you go. This will help.”
I didn’t thank him as I snatched it from his hand and began to greedily guzzle. The effect was instantaneous—practically miraculous. It was as if after years of having a persistent itch, I’d been allowed to scratch. My nerves soothed and I slowly stopped rocking. A quiet stillness enveloped me and, for those blessed minutes, I was able to breathe.
We sat in silence, each mouthful of blood calming me. With it came a semblance of normalcy. I drained the bag and Devlin gave me a second.
This couldn’t be my life, now. I’d lived as a werewolf and understood the way my animal nature sometimes dictated my life. I’d learned to balance the needs of being both wolf and human; but this . . . this was something else. In just the short time I’d been a vampire, I realized this part of me would override everything else. I knew how to control the wildness of my wolf, but I had no idea how to control the savagery and blood lust now inside me.
Clearly any assumption I’d had about this process had been proven wrong. I would have to learn a whole new set of coping skills, and the learning curve was obviously going to be more than I’d anticipated.
Tossing the second empty bag to the side, I rested my head back against the wall and closed my eyes. “Tell me I can do this, Devlin,” I whispered, sounding like me for the first time.
“I promise. You’re strong and you’re not alone. Ever.”
“I’m scared,” I admitted, able to tap into my own sense of self, now that the hunger had subsided.
“Me, too. Remember, I’ve been where you are. It’s not easy changing, but it will get better. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”
“What was it like? I mean, when you were converted?” We’d always
danced around the topic, Devlin keeping most of his past to himself.
I didn’t think he was going to answer—disappointed that even now, he couldn’t trust me enough to open up. “It was hell; and even then, I don’t think that’s adequate to describe it. I didn’t have someone to watch over me, to guide me through the transition.”
I peered over at him. He was finally going to tell me. After all this time, he was going to give me a glimpse into his history.
“You didn’t?” I think that shocked me the most. I’d always assumed he’d come through it fine.
“Nope, I was alone in a dirty cellar, with rats for companions.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to accuse him of lying—surely it hadn’t been like that—when I caught the scent of something that instantly revved my hunger up to extreme. My fangs punched down out of my gums and I was up off the bed before either Devlin or I realized it.
Mason.
He was here. And it wasn’t his body I wanted.
The door opened and he slipped inside, his concern filling the air.
I had him pressed up against the wall before he could blink, my hand at his throat as I leaned in and took a lungful of his intoxicating scent. Arousal sucker punched me and I began to shake. Having him here in the room brought a level of serenity unparalleled to anything I’d experienced. He was my mate, my other half, the yin to my yang. For the first time, I felt like I could breathe.
But with each breath, he triggered something darker. Something beyond my sexual needs. Yes, I wanted to strip off our clothes and have him fill me. I wanted to kiss him, feel him moving inside me. But the sound of his heartbeat filled my ears, the way it pumped faster with his own lust and fear. All I could focus on was the blood pumping through his veins and how close his carotid artery was to my mouth.
Licking my lips, his skin was so warm, so close.
“Darcy,” he murmured, unsure of what to do. It was too much. I needed him. I needed all of him. Right now.
“Darcy!” Devlin shouted, but it was too late. Pressing myself against Mason’s hard body, my teeth grazed over his pulse, my tongue darting out, impatient for my teeth to slide through his skin. Just one more move and I’d be in heaven. I’d tasted Mason before, but I knew that experience would pale in comparison to what I was about to receive. Mason stiffened beneath my touch and it heightened my arousal. Time seemed to stop in the small room. Everything hinged on what would happen next.
My jaw clenched and my anticipation grew as I waited for that first drop to hit my system. I all but growled with satisfaction. It would always be me and him—now more than ever.
“Don’t,” Mason pleaded.
“I can’t help it,” I answered.
Suddenly I was airborne. Not from the euphoric feeling of feeding from my husband, but from Devlin grabbing the back of my shirt and ripping me away. I roared with frustration, hell bent on returning to Mason’s neck the moment I landed. That option was off the table, however, as Devlin’s weight pinned me to the ground, his own ferocity unleashed.
“Control yourself. You don’t want to do this!”
“Let me go. I need him!”
“Not like this!” he answered. I pushed against him, desperately. Slamming me hard into the ground again, Devlin thundered at Mason over his shoulder. “For heaven’s sake, leave. I won’t be held responsible if you ignore my orders. Now, go!”
I whimpered as I watched the source of my relief walk out the door, closing it behind him. I started to ask Devlin why he didn’t let me drink, why he couldn’t understand how badly I needed more, when the bastard compelled me, again.
“Sleep.”
And as his demand consumed me, I vowed the ass kicking he had coming would be brutal.
Chapter Three
Mason
What the hell just happened?
My mind couldn’t seem to wrap itself around the scene that just confronted me. That had been Darcy—my Darcy. But, it hadn’t been. What looked, sounded, and even smelt like her, had been far, far from it. Sagging against the wall, my heart raced as adrenaline pumped through my veins. I thought I’d seen it all, experienced it all.
Obviously I’d been wrong.
In the hours I’d spent in that cage, psyching myself up to see her, I’d never even imagined this. Newly converted vampires were notorious for being vicious, and that’s what my Darcy had been. If given the chance, she’d have drank her fill from me and left me for dead.
What have I done?
There was no rationalizing this. I closed my eyes tightly, as if squeezing them shut would protect me from the images reliving themselves inside my mind. She’d looked exactly the same. My body had responded to her like it always did. I’d foolishly believed that this would work. I hadn’t wanted to lose her and had clutched onto whatever solution available, but for what?
The truth was too heinous to acknowledge. Luckily, I didn’t have to, as the door quickly opened and closed.
“What part of ‘I’ll come for you’, didn’t you understand?” Devlin growled. I didn’t fight him as he grabbed my shirt and slammed me hard against the wall. “How the hell did you get out?”
I stared at him, frustration all but dripping off him. “Lynn. I was calm enough to come and see Darcy. I convinced her to open the cage.”
“Well, idiot, you might’ve been ready, but she wasn’t. She could’ve killed you.” Devlin stepped away, dragging his fingers through his hair as he tried to steady his own nerves. His muscles were bunched, fatigue displayed boldly across his face. “She could’ve killed you,” he repeated, with a little less anger.
“I know,” I confessed.
“And everything she’s been through would’ve been for nothing. Do you get that? She did this for you, so she could stay with you. Don’t ever do something that stupid, again.”
His reprimand prickled a nerve. “I said, I know.” Pushing myself away from the wall, I straightened up and held his gaze. “I’m her mate, her husband.”
“Then quit putting her at risk.”
My fists clenched at my sides and I swore if he spoke one more word, I’d swing for him. My breath hitched and my wolf howled within me. Apparently I wasn’t as calm as I thought I was. “Can we put aside my mistake just now and talk about what happens next?”
Devlin must’ve seen the razor sharp line I was straddling and nodded. I knew I’d screwed up; but he also recognized that in my place, he would’ve done the same thing. If the roles had been reversed, and it was the love of his life in that room, he’d have torn the house down to get to her. The fact that I was able to simply stand here with no damage spoke volumes.
Zero collateral didn’t mean that I wouldn’t take it out on him if he didn’t lose the attitude, however. Judging from the calming breath Devlin took, I think he realized that, as well.
“She’s over the worst of it. From what I can tell, she’s come through most of the conversion and now we’re just waiting for her to balance out.”
“Balance out? That didn’t look like anything close to stable in there.” I touched my neck, distractedly.
“The vampire is in her and it’s anchored itself to the place her witch nature used to reside. Everything is raw inside her and I can only imagine that her wolf wants to raise hell and protect her. It’s difficult housing two predators within one vessel, that’s where the threat of insanity stems from. The wolf and the vampire need to come to some silent truce before she’s completely safe.” Devlin sounded so matter-of-fact.
“Is that what happened just now?”
“No, that was her hunger. She’s still dealing with her first blood lust and it’s different for every vampire. All we can do is wait for her to be fully satiated.”
“So, it’s a waiting game is what you’re saying? You’ve converted her but you have no clue when she’ll be herself again?” I stared at the door as if I could glimpse through the wood to the woman inside. My heart ached to be with her, to somehow help her shoulder this incredibl
e burden. I knew everyone was worried about how her mind withstood the process; but not being able to hold her, comfort her—every second apart felt like it was eroding my own sanity, piece by painful piece.
“I’ve called Zane to come and examine her. As King, he’ll be able to sense whether she’s completely out of the woods and can be further tested.”
“Like a lab rat?” I could feel my ire spiking, again. Taking another ragged breath, I struggled to rein in my temper. I knew that he was in the same position, worried for someone he loved; and despite the way my wolf linked him with the stopping of Darcy’s heart, Devlin wasn’t the enemy.
He clasped my shoulder, squeezing slightly. “Listen to me, Mason. I wasn’t lying when I said that most people don’t survive this. Darcy has, so far. We need to make sure that she’s safe—not just physically, but mentally, too. We need to tread carefully. I know you’re worried. Trust me. I don’t like this any more than you do. The sooner we can evaluate and make sure she’s her, the sooner we can move on with our lives.”
I nodded. “So, tests? What are we talking about? Blood tests? Some vampire mojo challenge?”
Devlin obviously thought my attempt at easing the tension between us funny. “Something like that. Zane will talk with her and use his gifts and powers to appraise the situation. Once he’s done, I’ll also have Vivien come in and see whether magic can uncover anything. If they both give the all clear and she’s no longer displaying signs of blood lust, we can safely declare this a success.”
“So give me a timeframe, please,” I asked.
“It all depends on Darcy. It could take anywhere from two or three days to a week.” When I growled with frustration, Devlin looked at me markedly. “This is for everyone’s benefit, mostly Darcy’s. When she pulls completely through this, imagine how she’d feel knowing she’d hurt someone because we were careless?”
Everything he was saying made sense. I just didn’t like it. Nothing about this was how I anticipated spending my life with my wife. “I know, I know. I get it. I just wish it hadn’t come to this.”
Savage Possession Page 3
