Nightshifters

by Tamelia Tumlin

  “Let’s check out that Mexican place.” Rana grabbed her purse from behind the counter and followed him to the door. With a wave of his hand, the door unlocked and opened.

  Alexandru watched Rana dip a chip into the spicy salsa. He swallowed a grin. There was once a time when he could have given her run for her money on eating chips and salsa. Their love of rich, flavorful foods had been one of the many things they’d had in common. They had met in college and fallen in love almost instantly. Within a few months, he had learned everything there was to know about her, including the fact she was a Dhampir. He also knew how much she despised her father and how she had trained to hunt and kill the vampires running amuck on the streets of New Orleans. He had even helped her track them on several occasions. Now, he realized sadly, they had very little in common. Except their aversion to vampires. He wondered how much of that night she remembered. He hoped nothing, for if she ever knew what else had happened the night he had crossed over she couldn’t live with herself. And she would hate him even more for not protecting her.

  “Where do you live now?” Rana scooped a large glob of salsa on her chip and popped it into her mouth.

  The corner of Alexandru’s mouth lifted. “A vampire never reveals his lair. It’s not safe.”

  “Oh, of course. I just meant…”

  “I could take you there. Discreetly of course.”

  Rana’s eyes widened. “Said the spider to the fly,” she muttered. “Maybe some other time.”

  Alexandru laughed softly. “You are safe with me, Rana. I could never hurt you.”

  Rana’s cheeks reddened, and she dropped her eyes.

  Ah, the sentiment is not returned.

  Alexandru picked up on her hesitation. So, Rana did intend to destroy him. He just wished he knew why. Why him and why now?

  “Has it been awful for you?” Rana lifted her eyes and looked at him. True empathy flickered in the stormy depths of her eyes. The first sincere emotion he detected in her since their reunion.

  “As I said, I’ve adapted.” He reached across the table and took her hands in his. “The worst part ― the unbearable part ― is not being with you.”

  Rana swallowed and pulled her hands away. “I just couldn’t bear the thought of you being like … like…”

  “Your father?”

  Rana nodded miserably. “It was too much.”

  “And now?”

  She dropped her eyes again. “I think I could try to get past it.”

  Another lie.

  Alexandru inhaled sharply. She must really want him dead to go through all of this. The question was, why?

  “It’s getting late. I should get home.” Rana reached for the check. Alexandru covered her hand with his.

  “Allow me.” He motioned for the waitress. Alexandru paid the bill and walked Rana to her car. The sultry night air smelled of grilled meats and barbeque wafting from the various restaurants along the street, blooming magnolias in the boulevard and a reeking odor that turned Alexandru’s blood to ice.

  Vladmir Gustovez.

  Chapter 4

  Alexandru stiffened beside her. The hot Louisiana night air instantly chilled.

  “What’s wrong?” She touched his arm. Spirals of fear danced along her nerves.

  “It’s not safe here. Come with me.”

  “Go with you?” Rana’s heart plummeted. No. She couldn’t. She wasn’t prepared. She didn’t have her holy water, her wooden stake, her revolver with silver bullets or, well … anything. Not that she was even sure she could even use them on him anymore.

  Alexandru rested his hands on her shoulders and pierced her with a hypnotic stare. “I need you to trust me, Rana.”

  Trust him? A vampire? It had to be a trick. She shook her head. “I’ve got to get home.” She did. Damien might need her. She checked the cell phone attached to her belt loop. No calls. The babysitter would call if Damien worsened. Still, she wanted to check on him herself. Rana took a step toward her car. His hands tightened on her shoulders, and he pulled her against him. She felt his warm breath on her cheek. Could hear his heart beating wildly in his chest. Or was it hers?

  “Trust me, cara. I would never harm you. We have to go. Now.”

  “Where?” Rana gulped at his urgency.

  Said the spider to the fly, a little voice mocked in her mind again. Rana’s knees quivered as her nerves skittered along her spine. Her brain screamed for her to run. Her heart told her to stay.

  “My lair. It’s the only safe place.” With a sweep of his arms they began to rise. Higher and higher until her bookstore below became only a speck, and the street lights looked more like a runway for airplanes. Rana gripped his arms and held on for dear life, though there was no need. Alexandru was in complete control. They floated with ease across the suburb toward the belly of New Orleans. Rana squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to look down. Alexandru slipped his arm around her and chuckled softly against her hair. “Relax, cara. I’ve got you.” He lifted her chin with his thumb. “Look. You’re missing a fabulous view of the city.”

  Rana clenched her eyelids and shook her head vehemently. “Heights and I? Not the best of friends.”

  “Pity. The view is beautiful from here.” Alexandru’s murmur rustled a curl at her temple. “Just beautiful.” His words warmed her skin like a blanket of sunlight and her body tingled. She had the feeling he wasn’t just referring to the landscape. Within minutes, she felt her body descend. She didn’t open her eyes until her feet touched the soft earth underneath.

  “Welcome to my lair.”

  Rana opened her eyes. A large, aging plantation home loomed before them. Lush green ivy snaked up the walls. Two large white columns held up the balcony of the second story. Rana noticed no lights. Anywhere. And all the windows were boarded.

  Alexandru waved his arm. The front door sprang open. He took her hand and led her across the lawn and up the wooden porch steps. The wood creaked beneath their feet like the moans of lost souls. Alexandru stepped through the doorway into the darkness. Rana hesitated on the porch. Entering a vampire’s lair of her own free will was not the best idea. Especially without her kit.

  “Come.” He swept his hand in the air. Two sets of candelabras — eight candlesticks each — resting on the mantel immediately lit the room. Rana peered inside. Through flickering candlelight she could make out a sofa, a coffee table and a fireplace. There were no decorations of any kind on the walls. No bric-a-brac on the table or upon any shelf. Nothing. The room offered no down-home appeal. No hospitality. Just a cold drafty space. “What do you think?”

  “It could use a women’s touch,” she said, crossing the hardwood floor to the sofa. Or at least a human one.

  Alexandru’s laugh echoed off the walls as he sat down beside her. “Are you applying for the position?”

  “Of course not.” Heat scorched her cheeks. Images of them picking out fine china and linens popped into her mind. Alexandru grinned. The flickering candlelight softened his hard features.

  “Eggshell white with mauve roses.”

  Damn! He’d done it again. Gotten inside her head. Nostalgia tumbled over her. Eggshell white with mauve roses was the pattern they had picked out before…

  “Stop doing that!” Rana gritted her teeth. She must stay focused. Going down memory lane wouldn’t help her or Damien. Alexandru was a vampire. An abomination. Just like her father. And it would do her well to remember it. This — this thing was not her fiancé. Alexandru was dead.

  “What?” His took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “This?” Rana’s pulse quickened. “Or this?” He rained soft deliberate kisses up her arm. Tingles of electricity shot through her veins.

  Stop!

  He’s a vampire. A… Her mind fuzzed over. She couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe.

  “Or maybe this?” Alexandru leaned over and slanted his mouth over hers. He parted her lips with his tongue and tenderly explored hers. He’s a vampire. An abomination! A…

  D
amn! Rana sighed inwardly and her brain turned to mush. She had no idea what it was she wanted him to stop doing anymore, but it certainly wasn’t this. His kiss deepened, demanding nothing, yet promising everything. Rana moaned with pleasure. Though he demanded nothing, she soon realized she was willing to give him everything. Her body ignited beneath his touch. His hands, large and gentle, caressed her arms and her back, drawing her closer until she nearly exploded with desire. “Is this what I need to stop?” he whispered against her lips.

  She knew what he asked. Knew what he was. Knew he wouldn’t take her without her consent. And yet, God help her, she consented. “N—no. Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”

  Alexandru’s eyes darkened with passion; a soft glow haloed around them. He growled and gently pushed her back on the couch. He lifted the hem of her T-shirt and pulled it over her head. His eyes strayed to her two mounds secured in the white lace bra. With a quick, deft movement, her bra disappeared. He lowered his head and buried his face in the valley between her creamy, taut breasts. His lips climbed each peak before settling on a nipple. He suckled feverishly, never pricking her skin with his teeth. Quivers of pleasure shot through her. Rana arched her back and moaned. Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer. “Cara, I have missed you.”

  Alexandru lifted his head, fangs shimmering in the candlelight and tugged on her jeans. He rolled off her and as if by magic, her clothes and his vanished. She watched unashamed as he stood au naturale in the candlelight, pure male with an aura of supernatural power, his desire for her evident in his pulsating manhood. His body, hard and taut, settled over hers. She welcomed him with warmth and moisture as he glided into her effortlessly. She quivered as he filled her. Electricity charged the air around them. Her eyes locked with his. Rana gasped inwardly. No longer was Alexandru just a creature of the night. He was her Alexandru. The man she loved. Rana tightened around him, basking in the throbbing sensation inside her. She pulled him closer, her fingernails scraping his back. He groaned and began the mating dance. With each rhythmical thrust, she matched his passion as he unleashed his primal urges bringing them both to the edge of insanity.

  Alexandru lay spent beside Rana on the couch, his arm slung casually around her shoulders while her head rested against his chest. Burnished-gold hair fanned out around her. He sighed inwardly, his hunger finally quenched. For now. He eyed the woman lying in his arms and his body hardened. Heat surged through him like an electrical current. He wouldn’t be satiated for long. Guilt drop-kicked him in the stomach. Rana deserved better than this. Better than him. How could he have taken her so selfishly? Knowing he didn’t deserve her. His jaw tightened. She would hate him even more if she ever realized that he didn’t…

  Rana shifted, leaned over and reached for her pile of clothes on the floor.

  “Don’t.” He trailed his finger down her back. “Not yet.”

  He wasn’t ready for her to go. He knew she would never be back.

  “Alexandru, I must get home. It’s getting late.”

  “Not yet.”

  “Why did you bring me here tonight?”

  Alexandru’s hand stilled on her back. Did she already regret their lovemaking? Or did she remember? His stomach clenched. “To protect you.”

  “From what?” Rana arched a brow suspiciously.

  Alexandru paused. Then, “From another vampire.”

  “I don’t follow.”

  “When we were on the sidewalk outside your bookstore I sensed another presence.”

  “Who?” Rana sat up and slid into the thin wisp of her white lace thong. She pulled on her jeans, zipped them up and snapped them.

  “It’s not important.”

  Rana jerked her head around and glared at him. “It was important enough to whisk me off to your…” She looked around the room and wrinkled her nose. “Your lair. Now, tell me who, Alexandru.”

  He blew a long breath between his lips and sat up beside her. “Vladmir Gustovez.”

  Rana’s hand flew to her throat. “No!”

  “He’s been following you. Watching you. I picked up his scent when we were at your car tonight and when—”

  “When what?” Rana yanked her shirt over her head, pulled it down and narrowed her eyes.

  “When I escorted you home.”

  “Escorted me home?” She knitted her brow; then as if realizing what he meant, she tightened her chin. “It was you. In my car. Outside my window.”

  Alexandru winced at the accusation. “Yes. I had to make sure you arrived home safely.”

  Rana’s shoulders deflated. “What does Vladmir want this time?”

  Another long pause. Then, “You.”

  “H-how do you know that?”

  “I just know. Let’s leave it at that.” Alexandru dressed, then sat back down on the couch.

  “He must have seen me in The Voodoo Den.” She lifted her chin. “Well, I’m not available.”

  “No. You’re not.” It sounded more like a command rather than an agreement.

  Rana’s eyes widened. “Please take me home. I can take care of myself.”

  Alexandru swallowed a grin. Always Miss Independent. He’d take her home, but he’d also keep an eye on her. Just in case. He nodded and reached for her hand.

  A worried look passed over her. “Uh — we — uh, didn’t use anything.”

  A muscle throbbed in his chin. “What do you mean?”

  Rana’s face reddened. “When we — uh — made love. We didn’t use protection.”

  Alexandru inhaled sharply. “You’re worried you might get pregnant?”

  She nodded. Her hand moistened in his. He could feel her nervousness.

  “You wouldn’t want my child?”

  Rana swallowed hard. “I-I don’t think it would be a good idea right now.”

  “I see.”

  “Surely, you understand. Considering―”

  Alexandru held up a hand. “Don’t worry. You won’t be inconvenienced with an unwanted child. I cannot have children.”

  Rana’s brows drew together. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m sterile. Have been since I contracted the mumps as a teenager. I thought you knew.”

  Rana paled. Her eyes grew wide and she let out a strangled cry. The sound jackknifed through Alexandru like a heart ripped from a chest. Alexandru caught her as she swayed. “What’s wrong? I would think you would be pleased, since the idea of having my baby repulses you.”

  Rana blinked. Horror flittered across her face. “That means you can’t be…” She turned ashen. “Omigod! You’re not Damien’s father.”

  Chapter 5

  Rana bolted upright and squinted into the darkness.

  Where am I?

  She patted the air beside her until her hands connected with … a satin comforter? She strained until her eyes adjusted to the dark. A sliver of moonlight streamed through the window. She could just make out her bookshelf against the wall. Her bedroom?

  I’m in my bedroom? How?

  Something rustled in the corner. Rana’s heart slammed against her chest, and she gripped the covers.

  I’m not alone!

  Alexandru stepped out the shadows into the moonlight. Rana swallowed. “Why are you here?”

  “You’re awake.”

  “How did I get here?”

  “I brought you home after you fainted. You’ve been out for several hours now.”

  “You’ve been here the whole time?” Alexandru nodded. Rana fell back against the headboard as the events of the night came back to her. The passion they’d shared. Pleasure beyond her imagination. Hands that caressed her until she…

  Then the realization that Alexandru wasn’t Damien’s father punched her in the stomach. She inhaled sharply. How could that be? It wasn’t possible. Alexandru was the only man she’d ever been with.

  Damien!

  Rana jackknifed upright again and swung her feet to the floor. She had to see her son. Make sure he was all right.

  “He�
�s fine for now.” Alexandru crossed the room and sat down beside her. The bedsprings creaked under his weight. Rana didn’t bother to block him from her mind this time. He already knew about Damien now, so what was the point?

  “But his fever?”

  “It’s been the same all night. No better. No worse. He’s resting now. You don’t want to wake him.”

  Rana glanced at the bedside clock. After three in the morning. No, she didn’t want to wake him, but she needed to see for herself that he was all right.

  Alexandru gently laid his hands over her eyes. Immediately, a vision of Damien’s small body asleep in his bed popped in her mind. “See? He’s fine. For now.”

  “How did you…”

  “A perk of the afterlife.” His words held a note of dryness. “Why didn’t you tell me about him?”

  Rana’s shoulders deflated. “I thought he was your son. When Vladmir turned you, I didn’t even know I was pregnant. Two months later when I realized I was it was too late. You were already a … a…”

  Alexandru’s lips curved into a rueful smile. His fangs glinted in the moonlit room. “A vampire.”

  Rana nodded miserably. “So you never planned to tell me about Damien. Even though you thought he was my son.” The words were clipped and raw with tightly controlled emotion.

  Rana shook her head. “I didn’t want him to grow up like I did. Knowing his father was an … an abomination,” she whispered dropping her head.

  “Is that what I am? An abomination?”

  Rana shuddered. “No — yes. I don’t know anymore.” She buried her face in her hands. Tears burned her eyes. “I thought you were, but now…”

  “Now…?”

  She jumped to her feet and paced the room. “I don’t know how I feel or what I think anymore. I loved you so much, Alexandru. It nearly killed me when Vladmir turned you. When I saw you lying there, morphing into a creature of the night, all I could see was my father and what he had done to my mother. She died a broken, frightened woman.”

  Rana whirled with gritted her teeth. “He did that to her. I hate him. Everything about him.”