“Sorin?”
He took a step toward her, his face blank and his eyes still fixed on her neck. Her heart hammered a warning and panic spiked inside her. There were no polite words assuring her he was in control—no look of reason in his face. He watched her with the look of a lion approaching its prey—intent, determined, and very hungry.
She took a long slow breath, trying to calm herself. We have a deal. I offered him blood for protection. He’s probably just coming for a little blood, he’s not going to hurt me. There’s nothing to be afraid of. She eased up onto her knees, opening her mouth to set some ground rules for bloodletting.
He twitched and her calm shattered. She leapt off the bed, trying to dart around him toward the door. He barreled into her side, driving the breath from her body. She grunted as his weight carried them down, throwing her right hand out to catch herself as the left shot up in front of her to hold him off. The world spun and for a moment all she could do was concentrate on sucking oxygen back into her lungs. When she could breathe again, she blinked and stared at the weight pressing against her hand. Terror crystallized in her lungs as she found herself face to face with the wild eyes of a blood-crazed vampire.
Chapter 3
Gia swallowed hard as panic swelled in her chest. Sorin’s body pressed against her hand, his pectorals a solid wall under her palm. One of his hands gripped her right shoulder while the other closed like an iron band around her left wrist. Tension sang in his body as his grip tightened. If he wanted to tear her throat out, her hand on his chest wouldn’t stop him. He could snap her arm like a matchstick. Bitter fear coated her tongue and she fought to control her pulse. She had no leverage and despite her considerable strength, in this position she was no match for the vampire.
“Don’t . . . run,” he choked.
“Okay,” she whispered, her heart threatening to explode. She took a deep slow breath. “Let’s both just calm down.”
His gaze darted to her neck and his pupils dilated. She swallowed a scream as he swayed forward, his weight pressing her back toward the floor. Every fiber of his shirt etched itself into her hand, the sound of rustling fabric crackling in her ears, screaming at her to run from the danger leaning closer and closer.
Her beast tensed inside her, the peril of the situation driving it to fight or flee. Its golden eyes flashed white in terror as it howled inside her. Her bones and muscles groaned as the wolf tried to break free—tried to escape the danger.
Pain lanced through her body as she fought the change. She would never complete the shift in time—Sorin would sink his fangs into her before the wolf could emerge. Her only hope was to stay human and think of a way out.
“Sorin,” she gasped.
Their eyes locked and her breath froze, pressing painfully against her lungs. There was nothing she could reason with in his face, no sense of anyone home. His hunger had reduced him to a primal predator—and her pack wasn’t here to help her. The acrid scent of dried blood assaulted her nostrils, reminding her of its lingering traces on her lip and finger. Each molecule seduced the vampire closer—advertising the sustenance to be had underneath her skin.
Cold sweat broke over her body, soaking her in fear. An image of his fangs shredding her veins and muscles as he dug for her pulse turned her blood to ice. His fingers abraded her wrist as he shifted, his flesh burning as it rubbed against hers. He dove forward, reaching for her head, and a desperate idea flashed into her mind.
Gia grabbed the top of his pants as she fell backwards, ripping them open as he flowed between her legs. The sound of rending material echoed unnaturally loud in her ears, and the whole world seemed to slow down as she shoved her hand past the torn material to grab the flesh underneath.
The second her hand caressed his flesh, his body froze. Arousal perfumed the air with the thick musky scent that was pure male. Before she could carry through with her cruel intention, the smell of his desire invaded her senses, reaching deep inside her to her inner wolf.
The beast’s nose twitched. The adrenaline that had flooded her system with the strength to fight turned to an urge to mate so strong she moaned. Her intention to cause him excruciating pain vanished on the heels of a new urge.
Flames of erotic desire burned away her fear, scorching her bones. Gia whimpered as a need seized her body, so powerful it nearly brought more tears to her eyes.
Her fingers closed around Sorin’s cock, giving the solid length of him a firm, but tender, squeeze. She could almost taste his arousal on her tongue, roll it around her mouth like a rich dessert. She hissed as her pussy spasmed, already slick with anticipation. The scent of her own arousal joined his, tickling her senses as she stroked him once, twice.
A surprised growl trickled from his throat. His hips rocked with her hand as his eyes drifted closed. She caressed the velvety soft skin, running her palm over the sensitive head before dragging her fist down to the base. She eased forward to get a better grip.
The hard edges of bloodlust vanished from his face, softening to the slack pleasure of arousal. He pumped his cock in and out of her fist, using her to build his own pleasure. Her skin itched to be touched. Her pussy wept with need. Images of what the engorged flesh in her hand would feel like pounding into her soaking depths filled her mind.
A sense of desperation crawled over her and she stroked him in time with the images in her head. Her hand moved harder and faster, increasing the pressure so she could feel every vein in his cock, every pulse of blood. Aroused almost beyond the point of sanity, her hips continued to rock in tandem with his until it was as though their bodies were already locked in coitus. Her thighs tingled with the urge to spread herself wider—but she didn’t.
He had already run from her once, her beast wasn’t going to offer herself up to him just yet. Proof was needed now, proof that he was strong enough to deserve her. Despite Gia’s desire for a mate that couldn’t dominate her, her wolf wanted something else. Strength. Power.
Her lips pulled back in a snarl and she released her hold on his manhood. He cried out, his eyes shooting open as if seeking the reason for her withdrawal. His pupils had bled out until the irises almost disappeared. The black orbs held an unmistakable heat that both excited and scared her. For just a split second it seemed he’d gone back to the bloodlust. A tiny bit of terror gave her arousal a razor sharp edge as she shoved herself backwards along the floor.
The vampire between her legs now was not the same vampire who had released her earlier at her command. The hand still holding her wrist tightened refusing to let her pull away. He didn’t say a word, didn’t make a sound. His cock swayed heavily between his legs as he released her wrist only to close his hands like iron bands around her boots. She gasped as he yanked them off and then snatched her pant legs.
She growled and snapped her teeth. Her legs kicked out at him and she tried to tear herself from his grip. Her struggles only succeeded in pulling her body free from her jeans and a fresh wave of anticipation sang up her spine as he jerked the denim the rest of the way off. The violence in the motion jerked her lower body forward and she lost her balance. Her back hit the floor.
He snarled, his lips pulling back to flash his fangs as he grabbed her ankles and dragged her hips into his lap. She bucked and squirmed to get away but he grabbed her hips with bruising force. A delicious shiver of anticipation raced over her nerves at his show of strength. Still determined to test him, she tensed in preparation for another attempt to free herself. Her gaze rose to his face. She froze.
Sorin’s hair framed a face gone wild with passion. The dark tendrils swayed as he centered her body in his lap, his gaze scorching her flesh and sending electricity humming over her nerves. His cravat was gone, torn off before he even got to her room. His crisp white shirt was disheveled, sitting crookedly on his shoulders and adding to the image of a man gone mad. His ruined grey dress pants framed his manhood, standing straight and proud. His skin was so pale it made the dark blush in his cock all the more obvious and
she couldn’t take her eyes off it.
Her pussy wept hot tears as if she’d already had hours of foreplay. Her arousal permeated the air and her heart raced as his nostrils flared. The switch from seeking blood to seeking flesh didn’t seem to have stolen one iota of his determination or intensity. He reached down and grabbed her arms, pulling her upper body off the floor. His body radiated strength and power and her beast thrilled at the unyielding grip of his hands as he shifted to settle her in his lap.
He released one arm to take hold of his cock and position it at her entrance. All thoughts of escape had abandoned her, burnt to ashes by the heat of the desire burning along her flesh. She had just enough time to draw a breath before he plunged inside her.
Her body spasmed as waves of pleasure broke over her. His hands anchored on her hips and he jerked her down to meet his thrust. The effortless way he lifted her body sent a thrill down her spine. So strong. She cried out as he fucked her, her hands threading through his cold silky hair. Every stroke both satisfied and teased her, driving her to new heights of arousal until she writhed in his lap.
He growled, increasing his pace until her body shook with the force of it. Over and over again he forced himself inside her as far as he could go until her body hummed with it. Her pussy tightened around him, holding him in a velvety embrace so that every movement sent a fresh wave of pleasure over her nerves.
Adrift in the sensations, she fell forward and buried her face in his neck. She relished the feel of his cool skin against her flushed cheek, rubbing herself against him like a cat. He nuzzled her in return, his lips grazing the delicate skin of her throat.
A brief flash of fear singed her nerves as the tip of a fang pressed into her flesh. The sexual rush flowing through her body slowed against the rush of fear. She tried to pull away, but his hands banded around her, holding her to him.
Panic ripped through her and she froze, her desire-addled brain struggling to switch gears. He stroked her hair, his hips still surging up to keep his cock steadily stroking in and out of her body. The glide of his palm over her jagged locks soothed her and the steady thrusting of his body stoked the fire of her passion, slowly melting her fear.
He kissed the slope of her throat and another tingle of alarm raced down her spine despite his assuring gestures. Before she could renew her fight, his fangs pierced her neck.
The sensation straightened her spine and made her dig her fingernails into his shoulders. It was unlike anything she’d ever felt before, pleasure with an edge of violence. Pleasure delivered on the tip of a sword, ecstasy riding the sharp edge of pain. Her blood heated until it scorched her veins, scalding her on its way to the waiting mouth of the vampire locked onto her neck. He suckled at the wound in her neck and her mouth fell open as ripples of pleasure sang over her nerves. Her body swayed in time with the pull from his mouth, urging her to join the dance of her blood on his tongue.
She rode him harder, her hips grinding down as she rocked in his lap. His arms held her to him, keeping her from tearing herself open on his fangs as the orgasm crashed over her body. Every pull from his mouth brought another wave of pleasure and he matched each one with a long sure stroke deep into her weeping pussy. Together they became a circle of continuous pleasure, his stroke inside her causing a rush of passion that erupted into his mouth on a hot wave of blood.
The earth pitched on its axis, spinning her around until she had to hold onto Sorin or risk falling to the floor. Her hands scrabbled at his back trying to hold on, but her muscles didn’t seem to want to work. She lulled to the side, but his arms tightened around her before she fell.
He feels so warm. Gia’s cheek rested on his shoulder, feeling the warmth of his skin through the thin material of his shirt. Vampires are supposed to be cold. Her nose twitched and she sucked in a deep breath, drawing the scent of copper deep into her lungs. Blood. To humans it was a scent to fear—a sign that something had gone wrong. To Gia it usually meant food.
She struggled to open her eyes, not sure when she had closed them. As she tried to raise her head, a weight on her throat alerted her to the fact that Sorin’s fangs were still in her neck. Little ripples of pleasure shivered down from his mouth and she sighed. He must have been hungry, she mused.
A little more firmly this time, she pushed at his chest. He took the hint and pulled his canines free from her body, nuzzling her neck before raising his chin to rest on her head. Gia half-smiled, her eyes falling to where their bodies were pressed together.
Blood. Lots of blood.
She frowned as an alarm went off in her head. Something was wrong. She stared at their bodies. All she could see was red. They were covered in blood. Why was that bad?
A cold sweat broke out on her forehead as her own rapid breathing finally registered in her ears. Suddenly the warm skin under her cheek wasn’t comforting anymore. The world seemed chaotic and dangerous and she didn’t know why. She struggled to think through her confusion, but her brain swirled in lazy circles, refusing to land on solid ground.
“S . . . Sorin,” she whispered.
Chapter 4
Bliss. Pure, unadulterated bliss.
Sorin smiled against Gia’s hair as he reveled in the pleasure still coursing through his limbs. Never had he felt this alive. The scent of blood was all around him, teasing him with its rich decadent scent and reminding him of how delicious it had tasted swirling around his fangs and sliding down his throat. He’d been a fool to ever turn away from this—the only true form of sustenance.
Gia squirmed in his arms and the feel of their bodies sliding together with blood spilled between them sent a new rush of desire along his nerves. She was a temptress, a siren. Half-human and half-animal, she’d lured him into the forbidden and satisfied him like no other ever had. Even now the feel of her wet silken walls holding his cock deep inside her filled him with a primal sense of possession. He wanted to take everything she had to offer—body and blood.
“S . . . Sorin.”
Her voice feathered over his ears, pulling his head down to hear the sweet whisper. He smiled and nuzzled her neck, licking at the glistening trail of blood. He was so full, not a trace of hunger nibbled at his stomach. The power saturating her blood filled him with euphoria, so that he floated on warm waves of pleasure. His eyes traveled down her luscious body, covered in a sheen of red.
Horror cracked over him like the blow from a whip. Too much blood. He reared up and looked down at Gia’s body lying limp in his arms. Suddenly the whispery quality of her voice wasn’t sexual—it was weak. Terror crashed down on him as he realized what he’d done.
“Gia,” he gasped.
He leaned her back in his arms, his gaze roving over her face. The deathly pale pallor of her skin sent his heart into his throat. Her eyes were open, but unfocused, the golden depths having just enough life left in them to bore into his soul. Those eyes would haunt him forever if she . . .
“Grigore!”
Sorin pulled himself free from her body, easing her gently to the floor. The air against the wetness coating his cock only served to twist the knife in his spine, reminding him that he’d let passion steal his mind. He’d given up his humanity and followed his carnal instincts into iniquity. That weakness may have cost Gia her life.
He ripped the sheets from the bed, covering her naked lower half. The gesture seemed almost ridiculous given how close to death she was, but somehow it was important that he guard what dignity he could. Her eyes followed him, hazy, but still accusing. She knew what he’d done, knew what was happening to her. Covering her nudity with a sheet wouldn’t mean anything.
Images roared through his mind like demons of the Wild Hunt. A woman with long flowing blond hair lay before him, her face and golden locks bloodied from her victims. Her eyes stared up at him like balls of blue glass, condemning him to Hell. She lay like a broken doll, silent and staring.
“Not again,” Sorin whispered. “Dear Lord, not again.”
“Master?”
> Grigore’s voice held no accusation, no condemnation, and yet it pierced Sorin’s flesh like a dagger. He gestured at Gia’s body, letting the brownie see for himself what he’d done.
“Look at her. Look at what I’ve done!” Hysteria saturated his words, widening his eyes as he waved his hand at his latest victim. “I swore this would never happen again, Grigore. I swore.” He shook his head. “I’ve killed her.”
Grigore went to Gia and knelt beside her. He checked her pulse, pulled back her eyelids, and felt various points of her flesh. Sorin jumped as his back hit the wall, not realizing he’d been backing away from the carnage. Guilt fell like lead on his body and he collapsed to his knees on the floor.
When Grigore left the room, he nearly cried out for the other man to return. Gia had to be all right, there had to be something that could be done. He didn’t know what had happened, what had freed the demon inside him when he’d held it contained for so many years, but he would find out. He would lock it away again and never let it bring ruin upon another life.
Aphrodite's Hunt Page 4
