Rowan took the key from her and unlocked the scratched and dented red door to their room. It swung open, letting out a draft of cool, stale air. Rowan flicked the light switch as they walked inside the dim room, revealing a queen bed with a nauseatingly busy bedspread and stained, brown carpet.
She wrinkled her nose, wondering what kind of stains they were, and decided to keep her shoes on while she was there. She glanced at Rowan’s bare feet and cringed. Dusty drapes that matched the bed drooped from a rod over the window, and she quickly closed them.
Rowan turned and looked at her, his face frozen. “You only got one bed?”
She bit her lip and glanced awkwardly around the small space. “Uh, he didn’t ask. But we’re not going to be sleeping, anyway. We’re going to leave as soon as the sun sets, right?”
He nodded, relaxing some. “Right. I guess it doesn’t matter.”
Although, suddenly, all she could think about was lying next to him.
“How much did it cost?” He sat down on the edge of the bed, looking weary, his dark hair windblown. He had to be tired after all that running. She felt exhausted, and she’d hardly done anything.
She sat next to him, even though the bedspread grossed her out a little. “Forty-eight dollars. It took most of my cash, but I have more in my bank account. Maybe I should go withdraw some.”
“Listen, Zoë. I’m a wealthy man, and I have money in lots of accounts, places the police won’t know to look. I won’t be able to access it immediately, but I meant it when I said I would take care of you. You’ll never have to stay in a place like this again.” He reached out and stroked her cheek the same way he did when the bars of his cell separated them. But now that he’d held her in his arms, she craved more than that.
She scooted closer and dared to lay a hand on leg. He sucked in a breath, tensed, and gazed at her, his dark eyes blazing. She felt her blood pulsing from her heart, down her arm, and through her fingers. Could he feel it, too, throbbing against him?
“I’ll take care of you, too, Rowan.”
His eyes pinched, and he raised an eyebrow.
She resisted the urge to drop her eyes and instead stared back at him. If she was brave enough to do it, she was brave enough to look at him when she said it. “I’ll… feed you.”
His eyes widened, and his hand pressed over hers, his fingers digging into his thighs. “Zoë, what you did was… so brave and selfless. But we can’t do that again.”
“Why not? You need it. How else will you get blood?” Didn’t he want to drink from her? The way he acted, she thought he enjoyed it. She sure did. She’d never had a more intense experience. She’d thought that it would be gruesome, but it wasn’t. It was… erotic. Her cheeks warmed at the memory.
“Zoë, it’s not safe. You’re a human, not a vampire. Besides the fact that it’s officially illegal now, it’s dangerous.”
She rolled her eyes. “We’re running from the police; I didn’t think we were worried about breaking the law anymore. And what’s so dangerous about it? You drank from me earlier, and it was fine.”
Fine didn’t begin to describe it, and his eyes swirled with emotions like he was thinking the same thing. He jumped up and started pacing. “I was consumed with bloodlust. If Jenson hadn’t pulled you away from me, I’m not sure I would’ve stopped. I could’ve killed you.”
“But that was because you were starving. You wouldn’t need so much if you drank regularly.” The thought of that sent a bolt of desire straight to her center. She clenched her thighs and swallowed.
He knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his. “No, Zoë. I’m not going to take that risk. Vampires are meant to drink from vampires, not humans. The blood you gave me will get me through till we get to Modesa. Then the others there should be able to help me get access to a blood supply.”
She dropped her head, too embarrassed to look at him, but she had to know the answer. “Will you mate with another vampire?”
He stayed quiet for a long time, and she kept her eyes on her lap, hiding the tears that were welling up. She’d given up everything for him, and he was going to leave her for someone else as soon as he found another vampire.
“I don’t know, Zoë. After Anna died, I never thought I could love anyone again. I never thought anyone else could love me. Then I met you, and…” He lifted her chin so he could look in her eyes. She sniffed and wiped a hand across them.
“I love you, Zoë. And I dare to hope that all you’ve done for me means you love me, too. But we’re a different species. We don’t belong together. I don’t know how it could possibly work.”
She ignored everything after the first thing he said. Nothing else mattered. Not their age difference, their vastly different backgrounds, or even the fact that he was what the world considered a monster. He loved her, and she loved him, and that was enough to propel them over every hurdle. She pulled back her hair and tilted her head, exposing her neck.
“So make me a vampire.”
Chapter 16
Rowan stared at Zoë, unblinking, trying to process what she’d just said. He’d heard the words. They were simple, no room for misunderstanding. But he couldn’t wrap his head around them. Why would she offer that? He shook his head and stood up, turning away from her to stare at the corner of the small motel room. Her closeness was distracting him.
“You don’t want that, Zoë.”
He could hear the scowl in her sweet voice, like a growling kitten. “Yes, I do.”
He whipped back around. She didn’t understand; he had to make her see the truth. “Why? You’ve seen how I’m a prisoner to the night, how my bloodlust rules me, how the world feels about me. They think I’m a monster, and they’re right! Why would you ever want that?”
She’d also seen his speed, his strength, his enhanced senses, his ability to heal in moments. And she knew he could live for hundreds of years as long as he fed regularly and avoided sunlight. All of those things could be very tempting for a weak, mortal human. He didn’t want to believe that was why she was asking him to change her, but his mind couldn’t accept the other possibility.
She stood up and walked towards him, wrapping her soft hand around his and looking at him with those ocean blue eyes that threatened to drown him. “Because I want to be with you.”
Her words hit him like a tsunami, threatening to drag him out to sea. But just like a rogue wave, they were unexplainable.
“Why, Zoë?”
She threaded her fingers through his. “Because you’re all I can think about. And whenever I’m around you, you make me feel things I’ve never felt before. You make me feel valued and special. You see me, and I see you.”
She lifted her free hand to his face, cradling his cheek the same way he usually held hers. “I don’t see a monster when I look at you. I don’t even see a vampire. I see a kind, caring, beautiful soul, and all I want is to be with you.”
Her words were like a warm bath, immersing him in her love. His heart burned with it, radiating heat through his whole body. He closed his eyes for a moment, soaking it in.
It still didn’t make sense for her to love him, but she did. And she was offering to give up her life to be with him. She already had, by helping him escape. He couldn’t deny her this if she wanted it, especially when he wanted it so badly himself. He’d done it for Anna; was it so hard to believe that someone would do it for him?
“But maybe you don’t want to be with me.” She loosened her fingers and pulled her hand away, setting him adrift in the sea of his emotions.
His eyes jerked open, and he grabbed for her hand. “No, Zoë. That’s not it. You are valuable and special and a million other things that add up to this beautiful creature I’ve been fascinated with since the first day I saw you. I want you, more than anything. I just want to make sure you understand what you’re asking for. There’s no going back.”
Her eyes darkened some, like a shadow passing over them. “Do you regret becoming a vampire?”
> He couldn’t lie to her, not when she stood on this precipice, about to jump, her life hanging in the balance. “Sometimes.”
“When?”
He let go of her hand and paced around the dreary room, taking a long moment to consider before answering her. There’d been several times when he regretted what he was — when Anna died, when he had no reason for living anymore, when he thought he’d spend the rest of his life locked in a prison cell, when his bloodlust compelled him to drink from Zoë, running the risk of scaring her away. He realized they all had one thing in common. He moved back to her side, missing the warmth of her nearness.
“When I’m alone.”
Her lips curled in a soft, sad smile, and she took his hand again. “I won’t be alone, and you don’t have to be, either.”
Then she leaned in and kissed him, a small, timid kiss, but when she pulled away, her eyes burned with a desire for so much more. He could feel the same fire in his own eyes, and he couldn’t resist her any longer.
He locked his hands around her hips and pulled her into him then claimed her lips with his. She ran her fingers up his chest and around his neck, clasping them behind his head, and leaned her body into his, letting him support her. He held her tight against him with one arm and stroked her body with the other — her lithe back, her small waist, the curve of her hip. He felt her quiver as his hands explored every inch within his reach.
His lips devoured hers, nipping at her plump, bottom lip, sucking gently on her smaller upper lip. Then he plundered her mouth, eager to taste her. He stroked her teeth, tickled her palate with the tip of his tongue, then swirled his tongue around hers. She moaned into his mouth and dug her fingers into his hair, massaging his scalp.
His hands slipped under her tee shirt, desperate to feel her skin. It seared his fingertips. He held her so close, the heat built up between their bodies till he was sure they were on fire. When the flame ignited in his groin, he tore himself away from her with an anguished cry.
The sudden move startled her, and she blinked rapidly, her breath coming in heavy gasps that made her breasts heave. She put a hand to her chest to settle it and looked at him with fear, not of him but of his rejection.
“Zoë, I want you so bad, but I have to do this right. I want us to go to Modesa, see if we can make a home there. Maybe live together for a while so you can see if this is what you really want. If it is, I’ll turn you. I promise. But I want you to be sure. Even if you change your mind, I’ll still provide for you.”
She shook her head, wiping the moisture from her lips, drawing his attention to them and tempting him again. Her skin was a warm pink now. “I don’t want your money, Rowan. I just want you. But I’ll do whatever I have to do to prove it to you.”
He moved to the bed and sat down, weariness overtaking him. He’d glutted himself on her blood, almost draining her dry, but he’d used up the energy it gave him healing his body, breaking out of his cell, and racing around. He could use another drink, but it would be several days before Zoë’s body had recovered enough for him to take from her.
Plus, he’d promised himself he wouldn’t do that again. At least, not until she was a vampire. The thought of that sent his mind whirling in a forbidden fantasy that could soon be a reality. It was up to him. He just had to decide if he could live with himself if he did it.
He stretched out on the bed and patted the space next to him, feeling alone in his mind even though she was in the same room with him. She smiled and laid down next to him on her side, propping her head up with her arm.
“Tell me about yourself, Zoë.” He felt like he knew her heart so well, but he realized, after seeing her home today, that he knew very little about her life. What had shaped her into the kind, compassionate, brave person that she was?
They talked for hours while they waited for the sun to set. She told him about how her father had left when she was little and her mother had never grown up, relying on Zoë and her sister to take care of her and fend for themselves most of the time. About the days when there was no food and how the kids at school used to look down on her. Her story brought tears to his eyes. He didn’t understand why the world didn’t see what a treasure she was.
He told her bits about his own childhood, back so long ago he could barely remember it, and about all the places he’d been and the careers he’d had throughout the years. With an unlimited supply of time, he’d fulfilled every goal he’d ever had and thought there was nothing left to live for. Until now. With the prospect of a life with Zoë, a whole new dream emerged. Could they have a family?
He’d denied Anna that gift but regretted it later. Now that he knew there were other vampires out there and his children wouldn’t have to be alone, the thought of bringing one into the world didn’t sound like a cruel sentence. Would Zoë be willing to raise a child with him? It was too soon to ask her that question, but the fantasy took root in his mind and started growing.
By the time the line of sunlight that peeked around the edges of the curtain had gone gray, he was more in love with Zoë than ever, and, as hard as it was to believe, he suspected she felt the same way about him. He was sorely tempted to turn her now before she had a chance to change her mind about him.
But it was a huge decision, and he needed her to be sure about it. The last thing he wanted was for her to spend the next hundred years regretting it. So when the sky was dark, he sat up and took her hand, pulling her off the bed.
“Let’s go to Modesa.”
Chapter 17
Rowan sat on the knoll with Zoë next to him, impatiently dreading the sun’s slow rise above the horizon, counting down the last few moments of life as he knew it. When the sun rose, either she would go off into the light without him, leaving him in darkness, or stay with him and be the sun his world revolved around.
He was almost certain she would stay, but the tiny flicker of doubt kept him from making his move. He stared out at the lights of the city, trying to work up his nerve.
The hill overlooked the small town of Modesa, a Mecca for vampires. Generations of them lived there, almost like humans, forming a community that had welcomed him with open arms and provided sanctuary for him. Just like Zoë had.
Most of them seemed happy that, thanks to him, vampires were no longer a myth and were gradually being accepted by human society. There were still plenty of people who feared and hated them, but the council had done a good job convincing humans that vampires had lived peacefully amongst them for centuries. The humans just didn’t know it.
But Zoë knew exactly who and what he was, and yet she’d never flinched at being with him. Even when she knew nothing about him except that he drank blood and burned in the sun, she was still drawn to him. And they’d only grown closer since then.
Why did he doubt her now? It wasn’t her that he doubted, it was his own self-worth. But Zoë saw value in him even he didn’t recognize. It was time for him to accept what she’d offered him.
“The sun’s about to rise. Are you ready to go home?” He stood up and held out a hand to her. She looked up at him and gave a tentative smile then put her hand in his. He’d been quiet all night, and she probably wondered what he was thinking about. He smiled back reassuringly.
He helped her into the car then headed out. As he drove past the blood clinic, he turned to stare at it, wondering if he’d ever have to go there again. He hoped not, even though it had been a lifesaver. There, vampires could get blood bags in exchange for credits they earned by donating their own blood. He’d been feeding that way since they arrived.
Zoë noticed him staring. “Do you need to stop and get some blood?”
He smiled and shook his head then put a hand on her knee, hoping she didn’t notice how shaky it was. “No, I think I’m good.” If everything went the way he hoped, he’d be drinking from her tonight.
He kept driving to the large, brick house with the stately, white columns that she admired every time they rode past it. She looked at him strangely when he tu
rned into the entrance and followed the curving driveway up to the front of the house, parking next to the spraying fountain. Lights glowed in every window, welcoming them. He got out of the car, and she followed him up the steps onto the wide veranda.
“What are we doing here, Rowan? Do you know the people who live here?”
He couldn’t resist toying with her. “Yes, I do. The man who owns it is a notorious vampire with a beautiful, human girlfriend. He bought it, hoping he could bribe her into becoming his mate.”
Zoë tilted her head at him, a curious look in her eyes. The first rays of dawn peeked over the horizon and landed on her, making her hair shine, her eyes sparkle, and her fair skin glow with warm, pink and yellow light. Suddenly, the truth dawned on her, as well, and her eyes widened as her mouth fell open.
He dropped to one knee and pulled out a ring box, opening it to reveal a diamond almost as rare and brilliant as she was. What he was asking from her was so much more than her hand in marriage, but he wanted her to have this one special, human moment.
“Zoë, you stood by me when the rest of the world was against me. You saved me so many times. I know I don’t deserve you, but for some reason, you love me, anyway. And I love you. Will you be my mate?”
She nodded, sucking her lips into her mouth, too choked up to speak. Then she held out her hand to him. He slid the ring onto her finger then stood up and wrapped her in his arms, lifting her off her feet.
When he loosened his grip, she slid down, her body igniting a path of fire against his. He grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the door, yanking it open and dragging her inside.
He didn’t give her a chance to gaze at the high ceilings or the crystal chandelier hanging above the foyer, let alone the spacious, gilded rooms beyond that. Instead, he pulled her up the curved staircase towards the master bedroom.
She gasped and craned her head around to gawk at it. “This is so beautiful, Rowan.”
Captured by the Vampire: Vampire Enforcement Agency Series Prequel Page 9
