Dragon's Choice

by Juniper Hart

  He wanted her; more than that, he needed her. The burning desire inside him was growing to an inferno as he kissed her again, and she relaxed against the wall. Reaching down, he gripped hold of her wrists and pulled her hands high above her head, holding her there as his lips possessed hers. She wriggled against him as though she couldn’t quite get close enough.

  When he pulled her robe off, he found soft lace panties beneath, and the animal inside him howled with need. His fangs pressed against his bottom lip, desperate to sink into her soft flesh, but he would not let them. He could not bring himself to hurt her.

  Cupping her firm buttocks, he pulled her up into his arms. She squealed in delight as he zipped over to the bed, instantly throwing her down onto the delicate satin sheets. She lay there in nothing but her panties, her pale skin gleaming in comparison to the black sheets he’d ordered the housekeepers to use. She was a vision of beauty, and the fresh, sweet scent of her skin sang to him as he pulled off his shirt.

  13

  Lucy

  Erik was a man like no other. His upper body was ripped beyond belief, and Lucy could almost imagine that he was a god with his taught muscles, thick glossy hair, and piercing blue eyes. The low, artificial light reflected off his two gleaming white fangs. She could still taste his blood, even as he stood at the foot of the bed and gazed down at her. His eyes travelled over her body from head to toe, and she quivered at his ravenous look.

  Still, she wasn’t afraid. She felt oddly safe, oddly beautiful beneath the eyes of such a majestic creature. She watched, mesmerized, as he reached for the button of his jeans and popped it open. Her heart skipped a beat as he pushed them down, and his enormous, throbbing erection sprung into view. He was more than ready for her, yet now she was not so sure that she was ready for him.

  All doubt faded as he came down on top of her. His body melded against hers, and she felt herself being pressed down into the mattress. He held himself up on his elbows and knees as though he thought he might squash her if he didn’t. As he ran his fingers along her hair line, smoothing away a rebel strand that came down over her face, he gazed into her eyes and said, “I promise I’ll be gentle.”

  Lucy breathed a sigh of relief as he slipped his hand between their bodies and brought it up between her thighs to cup the soft mound that quivered there. Erik rubbed her through the lace. “You are wet for me already,” he whispered in her ear as her desire for him grew. There was no turning back now.

  He hooked his finger into her panties and stripped her of them. She watched as they fluttered to the ground. Her attention was pulled back to Erik as she felt his finger slip deep inside her. She groaned with pleasure as he began to work her body expertly.

  Her back arched as she pushed herself down on his hand. He kissed her again, and his tongue stroked over her lips until she parted them. She tasted him as he pulled his finger from her clit, replacing it with his hardened cock. She gasped as he entered her and began to groan as he picked up a steady rhythm.

  Her hands came up to his back, her fingernails digging into his flesh until he growled in both pain and pleasure. His face came up from hers, and her gaze was drawn to his fangs. She quickly inhaled when she saw the hunger in his eyes and felt a felt a pang of fear. But instead of letting the fear take hold, she embraced his desires. She turned her head to the side, tilting it upward to expose the soft flesh of her neck.

  “Bite me,” she told him.

  He froze.

  Lucy looked up at and saw the hesitation on his face. “Do it,” she encouraged.

  He couldn’t refuse. Erik began to move again, grinding inside her with such vigor that she screamed aloud. His mouth came down to her neck, and for a few brief seconds, all she felt was searing pain. His fangs pierced her skin, stinging like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Then pain dissolved, with pleasure taking its place. Her entire body quivered as she climaxed with him, pleasure undulating through her core.

  14

  Erik

  Sated, Erik fell back against the bed and pulled Lucy into his arms. She sighed in a lusty haze as she placed her cheek against his chest and closed her eyes. Erik closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her warm body pressed against his. The soft beating of her heart was like music to his ears. For the first time in more than a century, he’d managed to stop himself from killing during a feed—something he hadn’t been able to do since the death of his first love.

  The realization of it allowed him to relax, to close his eyes and sleep for the first time in years. The woman beside him slept soundly, all nightmares of her previous sleep gone.

  It wasn’t until he woke from the blood-fueled sleep that he realized his mistake. He sat upright, and Lucy stirred beside him, stretching out like a feline who’d been dowsing in the sun.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, as though she sensed the tension in his body. He stopped himself from reaching out for the nearest thing and slamming it against the wall. How could he have been so stupid?

  “The sun has almost gone down!” he spoke, as he threw himself off the bed and grabbed his jeans from where he’d left them. When he glanced at Lucy, he could see the fear in her eyes. “I’ll get you some clothes, and then we have to leave.”

  “Where on earth are you going to find clothes?” she asked. Her arguments stopped, as though she had resigned herself to doing whatever he deemed necessary.

  “There’s a woman just down the hall who looks about your size,” he told her as he pulled on his shirt and slipped his feet into his shoes. “I’ll be back shortly.”

  He zipped out of the door before she had a chance to argue with him, and within seconds, he stood in front of the next door. Knocking, he waited, bouncing impatiently on the balls of his feet as he waited for the woman to open the door.

  As soon as she did so, he began to work his glamour with no time to waste, “I need to borrow some of your clothes.” He told her.

  She smiled warmly as she nodded. “Of course.” She grinned to him, “Please wait here.” And with that she turned and headed back into her room. The slowness of the human made him angry, but he forced himself to stand patiently.

  When she returned, she handed him a pair of jeans, a rose-colored blouse, a set of matching undergarments, and a pair of black flat shoes, he thanked her and raced back to the hotel room, listening all the time for any danger that might be near.

  He found Lucy still perched on the bed holding the sheets to her chest to keep her modesty covered. He frowned as he saw the bloody marks on her neck. Placing the clothes on the end of the bed, he slipped onto it beside her and brought forth his fangs.

  “You aren’t hungry again, are you?” she frowned at him as she saw the fangs. Erik shook his head and sighed.

  “Allow me to heal you,” he said as he lifted his index finger and pricked the end with his fang. Lucy watched in amazement as he rubbed the wound over each of the fang marks on her neck. He watched the wounds heal, and as she reached up to feel the soft, unwounded flesh, her eyes widened.

  “That’s amazing,” she told him, and he couldn’t help but smile back at her.

  “What’s amazing is that you’re still here with me, unafraid,” he told her as he pushed himself up off the bed and pointed to the clothes. “Put those on, and we will get out of here.”

  As she began to move off the bed, Erik heard the loud rumbling of her stomach. He groaned in frustration as he realized that he had completely forgotten she was human.

  “You’re hungry,” he said, angry at himself as he walked over to the cupboard where the mini fridge was hidden. Finding a granola bar and a bottle of water, he turned and showed it to her, “This is all I have.”

  “I’ll take it.” She smiled at him and he brought the refreshments to her. She ripped open the packaging and devoured the bar in a few mouthfuls. She downed the bottle of water with a few big gulps. Again, Erik felt frustration at how stupid he’d been. Not only had he starved her for the past twelve hours, but he had also fed fr
om her. The sweet taste of her blood still lingered on his tongue.

  “We’ll get you something more substantial once we’re clear of the city,” he promised her as she began to pull on the clothes he’d just taken from his neighbor.

  15

  Lucy

  As soon as she was dressed, Erik reached for her hand and pulled her close to him. “I’m sorry I brought you into all of this,” he whispered to her as he reached up and stroked her cheek. She shivered at the coldness of his hand, though it was not unpleasant.

  “If it wasn’t me, it would be someone else,” Lucy sighed, and she saw a look of hurt sweep across his gaze.

  He pulled her towards the door, before he paused and said, “No, there wouldn’t be someone else. You’re the first woman I’ve cared about in more than a century. I wish that you weren’t in danger, but just know that to me, you’re important, and I am going to do everything in my power to keep you safe.”

  Lucy smiled, feeling cared about for the first time in years. She felt warmth, among her current mixed emotions of anxiety, panic, and passion.

  “We need to go now,” he explained as he reached for the door and pulled it open. Fear gripped Lucy as he froze on the spot.

  “Going somewhere?” the cold voice came from the hallway, and she instantly knew the owner. Her blood ran cold as Erik stepped backwards, forcing her back in turn. The sound of footsteps coming closer alerted Lucy that Stephen had entered the room. The door slammed behind him as Erik pushed her back behind him, shielding her from the other vampire.

  “Well, brother, you’ve had your time.” Stephen’s voice was filled with laughter. “I’m here for what’s owed me.”

  Lucy felt confusion cloud her mind as one word stuck out from his sentence. “Brother?” she asked, and she felt Erik tense against her, his whole back going rock hard at the word.

  “Oh my,” Stephen sounded as though he was having way more fun than he ever anticipated. “Didn’t you give her your life story? Didn’t you tell her how you killed your brother’s future wife?”

  Lucy felt her stomach churn at the words. Her heart sank as she pulled away from Erik. “What’s he talking about?” she asked.

  “Oh Erik,” Stephen sighed and shook his head. He looked at Lucy and she saw the coldness in his eye.

  “Hasn’t he told you about our connection?”

  “Whether we are brothers or not has nothing to do with the fact you want to kill her!” Erik snapped at the other man. Erik reached out for Lucy’s hand again, and said, “Don’t listen to him. He’s trying to twist the story.”

  “I don’t care what she thinks,” Stephen laughed so loudly that it made Lucy cringe. “I’m here to kill her.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Erik said calmly as he shook his head and squeezed Lucy’s hand in an action of comfort.

  Stephen seemed to ignore him as he looked at Lucy. “Did he tell you how he turned me into a vampire and the blood lust caused me to kill my own fiancée?”

  “For the last time, you begged me to turn you,” Erik protested. “It’s not my fault that you tried to turn Amelia and her body rejected it!”

  Their conversation was indicative that they’d had this argument many times over, and it seemed far from coming to an end.

  “You took my life and my love from me, and now you’re going to feel the same pain I felt!” Stephen promised. A sudden rush of air touched her skin before Lucy felt a hand around her throat.

  “Stephen! Stop this!” Erik snapped as Stephen pinned her to the wall. His fingers were tight around her throat, cutting off her airways as she struggled against him, “Amelia wouldn’t want any of this!”

  Stephen’s body tensed, but he refused to look at his brother. Instead, he glared at Lucy. His dark eyes blazed as he stared into hers. “Did he tell you about Rachel? His last lover?” He continued, “Did he tell you how I ripped her heart out and threw it in the fire?”

  “Don’t you say her name!” Erik roared, and Lucy suddenly dropped as Stephen’s hand was gone from her throat. Erik grabbed Stephen by the neck and pulled him away from her. He slammed his brother back against the wall, and Stephen snarled, baring his fangs.

  “She was a pitiful, weak human!” Stephen snapped, and Lucy saw the anger in Erik’s demeanor as he grabbed hold of his brother’s throat once again.

  With Stephen already restrained against the hard surface, Erik pushed upwards as Stephen’s back slid up the wall.

  Stephen continued his taunting, “Just like this one! Another pitiful, weak human.” With that, he slammed his arm down over Erik’s, causing him to let go. In the moment of confusion that followed, Stephen managed to slip past him again.

  Lucy screamed as she felt Stephen’s cold fingers take hold of her again. He wasn’t going to waste any more time. She could see his determination in the cool deadness in his eyes. It was over.

  “Sweet dreams, sweetheart,” he laughed, and then he snapped her neck.

  16

  Erik

  No!” he screamed as he watched Lucy’s lifeless body crumple to the ground. Stephen stood over her, a triumphant grin on his face.

  “Like I said, pitiful and weak.” He kicked her leg with the tip of his boot.

  “Get away from her!” Erik screamed. He couldn’t stand to see his brother near her, nor see the way her neck was twisted at an awkward angle.

  “It’s a little late for that,” said Stephen, with a disturbing grin. Hot fury burned throughout Erik’s body. He charged as the red mist came down over his vision. All he could see was his target as he grabbed hold of his brother’s shoulders and slammed him back against the metal shutters that covered the window. The metal shook sickeningly, looking as though it would only take one more push for Stephen to break through the shutters and the glass behind it.

  “You say you loved Amelia, but if you loved her, you never would have begged me to turn you!” he snapped at his brother. “You would have wanted to live out your human life with her by your side, giving her children, a family, and a happy life.”

  “We would have been immortal!” Stephen protested. “But instead, she died. We would have lived forever by each other’s sides. You took her from me!”

  “Stop saying that. This is your fault. I gave you what you wanted! You are responsible for Amelia’s death. All of this is your fault!” Erik felt frustration simmer like a slow-burning fire in the pit of his stomach, as he finally let go of all the guilt that he’d been holding back. Too many innocent women had lost their lives to Stephen’s anger. It was time for it to end.

  “I loved you, brother, and I wanted to give you everything. You chose to risk her life! You were the one who turned her! You fed her your blood, and then you snapped her neck and killed her! All of your pain is your own doing.”

  Tears brimmed behind Stephen’s eyelashes. Erik saw his brother’s bottom lip quiver as he struggled to hold back the pain. Finally, the tears spilled over, slipping down his cheeks as his fangs bared all over again, “You caused it,” he whispered, though he was not so sure about his words as he had been before.

  Erik released his grip, and Stephen didn’t fight back. Instead, Stephen looked over at the dead woman on the floor. Remorse seemed to wash over him. “What have I done? Forgive me, brother,” begged Stephen.

  “Just leave, before I rip your heart out,” Erik boomed. He could not bring himself to harm his brother, yet he knew if he was with him for one more second, he would not be able to control himself.

  As soon as Erik let go of his brother, Stephen was gone. All that remained was the rush of wind caused by his swift exit.

  Feeling defeated, Erik dropped down onto his knees. He felt his own tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as he pulled Lucy’s body up onto his lap. He held her there as the scent of her lavender shampoo drifted into his nostrils. Tears rolled down from his eyes and into her hair. He held her tightly against his chest remembering the last woman his brother had killed, a woman so much like the one h
e held in his hands. Erik had been watching Lucy for more than a year. His feelings for her had grown into love. Lucy had no idea how many times he had saved her and protected her. Her smile was burned in his memory. Now she was gone.

  When he felt the breath against his cheek, he couldn’t allow himself to believe it. He couldn’t allow himself to believe that the snapped neck hadn’t killed her. Then he felt her stir, and remembered when she’d bitten him. He remembered the taste of his own blood. The realization hit him: he couldn’t have been the only one to taste it.

  Turning his head, he looked down at her and stroked her hair. He saw nothing but the beautiful lines of her face, and the way her lips parted gently. Then he saw the way her dark lashes fluttered against her cheekbones, and he allowed himself to hope.

  Lucy’s eyes flew open and she gasped as her body flew into life again. Relief overwhelmed him. Stephen’s plan had failed. Lucy’s defiance had saved her life when she’d bitten his lip only a few hours before.

  “Wha…what happened?” she asked, and when her eyes flashed around the room, Erik knew she was looking for her attacker. “Where is Stephen?”

  “He’s gone. He won’t try to hurt you again,” Erik told her gently as he ran his fingers down her face, convincing himself that she was alive. Well, alive in the sense that she could move, speak, and breathe. She had still died, but she had a new type of life ahead of her.

  “I…I died…oh my god! I died!” she gasped as she pulled away from him, her entire body shaking as she remembered what had happened. Fear overwhelmed her, “I felt him snap my neck.”

  “It’s all right now.” Erik reached for her and pulled her into his chest again. “You’re all right. I’ve got you. I’m going to take care of you.”