Awaken (Vampire Nights Book 1)

by Sharon Stevenson

  Within an hour she was being asked to dance, and being bought drinks by good looking guys she wasn’t sure she was interested in yet. She hadn’t forgotten about Brody, but she didn’t see him again until her blood-alcohol level was ‘hammered’.

  He smiled at her, his hand catching hers on the dance floor. “Let me buy you a drink.”

  She should have said no, but her resistance had thoroughly worn away. Following him to the bar, she waited to be asked what she wanted. He turned and passed her a drink that looked like a chocolate milkshake.

  She frowned at him. “Is this a joke?”

  “It’s a Mud Slide. Haven’s specialty. Try it.” He didn’t need to do much to sound convincing. His voice was like honey. His smile warming, as if the sun was beating down on her skin.

  “Well, okay then,” she said, taking a sip. It was amazingly good, but this close to being pass-out drunk meant her sense of taste was not to be entirely relied upon. It went down easy as she drained the glass empty.

  He watched her in amusement. “Another?”

  She shrugged as she passed the glass back to him. “Depends.”

  “Depends?” His lips quirked at the corners. “On what?”

  She leaned in, and whispered in his ear, “On how soon you want to leave this place.”

  Saying it out loud only confirmed her own suspicions that she’d had more than enough to drink for one night. His slow smile made her wonder if this was it. If they were about to leave together she should find Anna and let her know. Or she could text her, if her phone even had any battery left.

  He turned to the bar and she frowned. Talk about mixed signals. He placed another drink in her hand and she sipped at it, trying to figure out her next tactic. He didn’t seem shy, but her uninhibited brain had probably jumped a step or two. Dragging him home without giving him the chance to chat her up properly first was probably kind of slutty, and she wasn’t even sure if he was a one night stand kind of guy. Presumptuous much, Skye? She rolled her eyes as she drank. When she was done, she passed him the glass back and grabbed his hand. The surprised expression he gave her made her smile. She pulled him towards the dance floor and the music pounded through her. They moved together slowly and just when she was sure he was going to kiss her, something else happened.

  He said something before the room got brighter. “Theo’s going to love you.”

  She fought to keep hold of the memory, to see more, but it faded too quickly. Brody had never kissed her. He’d brought her here for another reason, and she was starting to wonder if that reason was as awful as she’d first assumed.

  The room was dark, her gaze still trying to adjust as she reached out across the bed. Theo wasn’t next to her. She sat up, suddenly wary. Why was it so dark? She bit at her lip, remembering a lamp near the bed and reaching out to try and switch it on. Her clumsy fingers fumbled with the bedside table, knocking over the phone in her haste. The noise made her wince.

  “The bulb blew,” Theo’s voice pierced the silence and made her draw in a sharp breath.

  “Shit!” She swore, trying to pull herself together. She needed to think. Her hangover had finally cleared. The haze had lifted and everything that had happened hit her full force. She’d been kidnapped. Whatever the reason, that was one truth she could cling to. As for the other…

  She swallowed as she tried to remember where the broken glass from the mirror had been dropped. She could feel little pains on her soles when she flexed her feet. The shards had gotten everywhere. She’d cut her feet up when she’d walked back through to shower while her head was still fuzzy.

  “You’re a vampire,” she said, feeling around the surface of the bedside table. There hadn’t been a weapon there before and one hadn’t magically appeared, no matter how hard she wished for it to. Her heart started to pound rapidly as she realized she was trapped in the dark with someone she’d been cherry picked to be given to, if her memory was to be relied on.

  “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  She laughed. “You already bit me so it’s too late to start lying about that.”

  “That wasn’t…” he stopped and she could hear him curse lightly under his breath before he cleared his throat and tried again, “I don’t want to hurt you. I won’t. You just need to listen to me.”

  What kind of game was he playing? She pushed the covers off of her legs and got ready to move. Her shitty week was not about to be capped off by being murdered.

  “Listening,” she said, her sight beginning to adjust to the dark.

  “I wanted to be left alone. I haven’t been feeding lately. It’s why I couldn’t control myself when you got close.”

  Her panic spiked. He sounded distressed and that made it a million times worse. Game or not, she was freaking out right now.

  “I want out.”

  “They won’t let you out.”

  She slid across the bed, feeling for the sliver of glass she’d threatened him with before he’d disarmed her.

  “Oh, yeah? Who’s they?” Like she gave a damn. But keeping him talking was better than the alternative. When the conversation ended, who knew how long she’d survive?

  He sighed, making her spine straighten. He was closer now. Why the hell was it so damned dark in here? She found the edge of the bed and wondered about swinging her legs over. If only imaginary monsters underneath were all she had to worry about. If only she’d known the creatures she’d feared as a child weren’t so far from the truth.

  “My friends. They mean well, but they don’t understand.”

  “Nice friends.” She laughed bitterly as she got up from the bed. The creak of the mattress made her wince.

  “It would be better if you stayed on the bed.”

  She froze in place. It sounded like he was right next to her. Her hand itched to reach out and touch that cold, hard body. Without a weapon it would be foolish. She refrained, but she couldn’t quite convince herself to move away.

  “Why would it be better?”

  Another sigh. “You’re too much of a temptation.”

  She gasped as the glow of inhuman amber eyes lit his pale, angular face. He was right beside her, closer now as he moved to face her. He leaned in and inhaled at her shoulder.

  “I’ve been starved,” he told her. “And I already know how good you taste.”

  She shivered. His voice was so low and infused with need that her body started to react to him even as she told it to stop. “Well back up, because I’m not ready to die and I won’t let it happen like this.” She raised her hand as if to slap him, but hooked her fingers and clawed harshly at his face with her nails instead.

  He didn’t blink. She didn’t even break his skin. He just kept right on staring at her.

  “I’m not going to kill you.”

  Hope filled her for a moment before it fled. Of course he would say that. She already knew this was some kind of game. Staying sharp might be a problem, but she was damn well going to win.

  “Then what are you going to do?” She let a little bit of her anger out in her tone, unable to stay calm under the circumstances.

  “I’m going to put you back to sleep,” he said, his hand touching her face.

  Her instinct was to move into his touch, not to pull away. His cool fingers were gentle with her. His glowing gaze pulled her in.

  “I don’t want to go to sleep.” Her voice trembled at the thought of it. He had complete control over her. He’d forced her to sleep before. What else could he force her to do?

  He hesitated, the glow fading slightly. “You don’t?”

  She shook her head. “Can’t we do something else?”

  She did have one secret weapon. It wasn’t one she’d used before, but the moment it occurred to her she knew she’d be a fool not to. Disarming a man through sex was manipulative, but this was a vampire and she was severely limited in how much she could harm him. She seriously doubted she could match him for strength.

  Her hand moved over his arm and down his che
st, heat sparking in her at the uncompromising contours of his body. He was built. If this was meeting a guy under any other circumstance…

  “You’re still under my thrall,” he murmured, catching her hand and placing it back against her own chest.

  She frowned as he withdrew. Her chance was flying away. She had to grab it.

  Taking a step forward, she moved swiftly to plant her lips on his. He stiffened under her touch. His cool skin felt tingly against her warmth. His lips parted quickly as her arms wound around his neck. His cold hands pulled her in close. He relaxed into her embrace quickly, she felt it happen as his tongue slipped into her mouth. Now was her chance. Options cycled slowly through her muddled brain as his touch cooled her skin and enflamed her body at the same time. It felt too good to consider ruining with an attempt to kill him. She so had to get her head straight. Now she knew why she’d never used sex as a weapon before.

  The growing bulge in his trousers rubbed against her stomach as his ravenous kiss stole her breath. This was how her night should have ended, not with abduction, but with a hot new guy she could spend hours in bed with. She knew she should thrust her knee into his crotch, or pull away to bite a chunk out of his throat. She could make herself do neither. Desire swelled through her as she allowed herself to be pulled deeper into the embrace. Her hands began to wander, to explore his incredible body. A thrill shot through her as he did the same.

  She moved back slightly to catch her breath and his head dipped to her neck. She stiffened, unable to relax as his lips trailed kisses down over her collarbone to her shoulder.

  He noticed her tension and backed off, his eyes no longer glowing. She could see him well enough now without that illumination. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness. He was attractive in a brooding kind of way, definitely sexy, even if he didn’t also have the body of a god.

  “Are you okay?”

  She nodded, not quite able to trust herself to speak. What she was doing right now was completely crazy and she didn’t think she could justify it if she did too much thinking. What if this was all part of his plan? What if she was making it easier for him to kill her?

  The thoughts rushed through her head as his lips moved back to hers. The feeling killed her doubts. She wanted this. She needed to feel wanted again and he was making her feel that way, lie or not. It had been so long she didn’t care what this was. She’d worry about escaping later. He broke the kiss with a sigh.

  “We shouldn’t be doing this,” he said, suddenly, not making any move to let her go. “You’re still under my thrall.”

  “Your thrall?”

  “The euphoria you went through since I bit you…”

  She shook her head, remembering that feeling after the bite. It was kind of foggy, she couldn’t remember much besides the intense feeling of euphoria. It made something click in her brain, finally. She’d been vulnerable after the bite. He hadn’t taken advantage of that. He’d put her to sleep because she’d come on to him.

  “I woke up without that.”

  He stared at her. “You mean you’re doing this because you want to?”

  “Don’t make it sound weird,” she told him off, feeling her skin warm and for once glad of the darkness around them. “Like you don’t know you’re attractive. Anyway, I was just trying to get your guard down at first.”

  His expression was hard to read in the dark, but he seemed to be brooding over something. She wondered what was going on inside his head, then she told herself off for caring. He wasn’t a potential boyfriend. He was dangerous and she’d damn well better remember that if she wanted to avoid taking a dirt nap anytime soon.

  What the hell was she doing? She backed up and he let her go. Crazy ideas usually weren’t good ones. Desperate times, she told herself, trying to forget the feeling of his body against hers. Taking a few deep breaths, she inched back towards the bed. “I think you’re right. I should stay over here.”

  He didn’t say another word. She climbed onto the bed and wondered why the hell he wasn’t doing whatever it was he was supposed to with her. Not that she was complaining about not being murdered. Sighing, she lay down and tried to get comfortable about the vampire lurking in the dark.

  Chapter Ten

  Theo fought the impulse to move towards her. The throbbing in his trousers wanted him to finish what Skye had started with her lips, but he knew he couldn’t. To claim her in any way would be wrong. She didn’t belong to him. She had a life, somewhere out there, and he wouldn’t be the one to take her from that. Her kiss had surprised him, and everything they’d done had awakened a desire in him that wouldn’t die.

  He had to get her out of his room.

  His enhanced vision let him navigate the unlit room swiftly. His hand gripped the receiver of the phone as his gaze drifted over the woman on his bed. Bad move. He turned away from her as he placed the call. He just had to hold it together for a few more minutes. Stacy could send someone to take Skye home.

  He cleared his throat and the bed creaked behind him.

  “Who are you?” Skye asked as he waited for the brothel’s receptionist to pick up his call. “I mean, I know you’re vampire now. But I’m guessing you weren’t born that way, were you?”

  Stacy still wasn’t answering his calls. He didn’t know what the hell to do. Hanging up, he moved away from the bed and forced himself to concentrate on Skye’s question. Talking could work. He hoped. He sat down in front of the wardrobes.

  “I wasn’t always a vampire.” Though he hardly wanted to talk about that, it did manage to cool down his libido. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief once those urges took a hike. He was tired, worn out from the damage he’d inflicted on his body starving himself.

  “So what happened?”

  “I was turned by someone who wanted to torture me.”

  The mattress creaked and he glanced over to see her sit up, leaning against the headboard.

  “You were?” She sounded anxious. “Did they bring you here?”

  He laughed. “No. This isn’t a prison.”

  “Could have fooled me,” she said.

  “This place saved me.”

  “Hmm,” she murmured. “A likely story.”

  “It’s true. Brody saved me, to be more precise. He found me and he helped stop the men who turned me. I couldn’t do that alone. Much as I wanted to. My maker could control me. I couldn’t fight him.” His blood boiled just thinking about it.

  She was quiet for a minute before she spoke. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s ancient history.” He wished it felt that far in the past. A few years of struggling by hadn’t helped to dull the pain. Making a good friend and learning to feed without killing had kept him going, operating on the most basic levels while he waited for something to happen to make everything better again. He’d gotten past waiting. Too bad Brody hadn’t let him waste away.

  “Like last century kind of history, or it hasn’t been long enough?”

  He had to smile. “The second one.”

  “This has been one seriously weird day.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  The phone started to ring. He got up quickly and moved towards it.

  She reached for the receiver and caught it before he could. Her gaze locked with his as he stared down at her.

  “Hello?”

  “I need to speak to Theo.” Stacy sounded tense.

  Skye didn’t give up the phone. “I want out of here.”

  “Theo, please, now.”

  He didn’t make a move to take the phone from her. She frowned before she handed it over.

  “Tell her to let me out of here. And I do mean this whole entire place, not just your room.”

  Theo smiled tightly. “Stacy, you need to…”

  “Theo, you need to listen. Brody’s father just arrived and he’s on the rampage. As far as he’s concerned you’re not here. You both need to sit tight. Don’t make a lot of noise and don’t put the lights on, whatever you do.”

 
; “The bulb in the lamp blew earlier.” He glanced towards the bathroom. “I’ll turn off the bathroom light. Anything else?”

  “Hang tight. We can’t get you anything while he’s here. Sorry.” She hung up and he looked at Skye.

  “What was that about?”

  “That was very bad news.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Brody’s father was notoriously violent about his son’s shortcomings. It was one of the first things Theo learned when he came to work for the guy. Brody tried to keep things fair for everyone involved. His father didn’t give a shit about what was fair. He had his eyes on the bottom line, and Brody had to jump through his hoops to avoid punishment suffered through the death of his friends. Theo knew that. He was at risk.

  The irony made him smile. If it wasn’t for Skye’s safety, he’d welcome death at the hands of his friend’s arsehole father. Brody had picked a terrible time to pull this stunt with the girl. Collateral damage didn’t bother his father at all, so Theo was going to have to find a way to keep Skye safe from his murderous sight.

  “This is going to sound pretty fucked up,” he started, hands on his hips as he tried to figure out how to deal with the problem. He didn’t even know where to begin explaining this, and there wasn’t much time to do that, besides.

  “I heard the phone call. What did she mean?”

  He considered it long and hard before he leaned down and pulled her into his arms. “She meant we need to hide from someone who might kill us for just the hell of it.”

  Her gasp against his chest tickled his skin. She put her arms around his neck as he turned and started to move. He shifted her weight in his hands as he reached into the bathroom to turn out the light. The glittering shards of glass on the ground looked sharp. He was glad now that she hadn’t managed to kill him. Who knew what that might have meant for her?

  “Where are we going, exactly?” She was whispering, a hint of fear in her tone.