by Jodi Vaughn
“Good bird,” I said and walked to the driver’s side. I slid in and shut the door. I peeled out of the country club’s lot and headed home.
By the time I pulled into my garage, my cell phone had thirty missed calls. The majority of them were from Miles, but some were from Gina and Liz. I knew by tomorrow, everyone in our little town of Charming, Mississippi would have found out about tonight, and I would have triple the amount of calls.
I forced myself to get out of the car and go inside. I made it three feet into the house before the pain in my stomach increased. I doubled over and cried out.
I went to my knees and tried to catch my breath that the pain had stolen away. Thank God, the girls were spending the night at Maggie’s house. I wasn’t sure what I would have done if they had seen me like this. The pain itself was too much to bear. It felt like it might kill me; there was no way I could survive this. I had to get out. I had to try to find some blood.
I kicked off my heels and crawled to the living room, my dress scratching my legs as I went. I was probably ruining the gown, but I didn’t care. I made it to the living room couch before another hard wave of pain hit me. I collapsed on my side and clutched my stomach, screaming and praying that the pain would go away. White stars danced in front of my eyes, and I knew I would likely pass out from the pain.
“You’re an idiot,” Khalan’s voice drifted over in the dark.
I didn’t even jump when I heard his voice. His breaking and entering seemed normal to me now.
“I know. I trusted him. I believed his lies. You’re right. I’m an idiot and a fool.” Khalan was somewhere in the house, but I couldn’t see him. He was probably waiting for me to die so he could be rid of me. It seemed to be a running theme with the men in my life.
He snorted. “That’s not what I’m talking about. You glamoured two humans and the two swans tonight. Not to mention the guilt you feel about that dead body that your neighbor was glamoured into forgetting about. Doing that kind of thing when you haven’t had blood in days is deadly to your system.”
I swallowed. My mouth was like sand. “But I drank…”
“Sucking the cold blood from steaks is not a meal replacement.” I could tell by the tone in his voice that he was upset with me.
“You’re right. Make it stop. Just make the pain stop.” Tears streamed down my face, and my voice cracked. I was as vulnerable now as the night he’d met me. This time, he really might kill me.
A heavy sigh followed by footsteps echoed in the silent house. His face came into focus as he knelt beside me.
He slid his arm under my head and held me in a seated position.
“I don’t care who the donor is. Just give me something and make the pain stop.”
He cocked his head. “You’ll start listening to me?”
I couldn’t lie. “Probably not.”
A ghost of a smile crossed his full lips. His eyes locked on mine.
“Please.”
His smiled disappeared. “Don’t beg. You and I don’t ever beg. Not anymore.”
I nodded. He held up his arm, and I realized he wasn’t wearing his long, ratty-looking coat. He bent his head to his arm and tugged up the sleeve of his black, long sleeve T-shirt. After he’d worked the sleeve up to his forearm, he looked at me and opened his mouth. Two sharp fangs extended down. He held his wrist to his mouth and bit down. When he pulled his mouth away, I saw two punctured wounds on his wrist and two resulting streams of blood. He held his wrist to my mouth. “Drink.”
The scent of his blood shot through my body. I latched on to his wrist and sucked hard. The sweet taste of roses and chocolate spilled onto my tongue, and I moaned. I closed my eyes and held his arm against my mouth as I feasted. His blood was better than anything I had ever tasted. The more I drank, the more I craved. His blood had chased away my pain with the first mouthful. Strengthened me as I sat up and continued to drink.
A craving of a different kind warmed my stomach. This one sexual. My body hummed and warmed and, suddenly, all I could think about was sex. Khalan rested his back against the sofa while I drank his blood. I looked up at him from under my lashes to find him watching me. A deep groan erupted from the back of his throat. The sound made my nipples hard. I swiped my tongue across the puncture wounds on his wrists as I sucked.
He cupped my face with his free hand and looked at me, hard.
“If you don’t want to do something that you will likely regret in the morning, then you should really stop licking me like that.” His gaze hardened—not with hatred but with lust.
An image of us naked and having sex on the living room floor filled my head. It shocked me. I hardly knew him, and I was married. It was completely unlike me to entertain such an idea. I forced myself to pull his wrist away from my mouth.
I sat back on my heels. “The pain in my stomach is gone. But the pain in my heart is still there,” I said.
“I know.”
“Do you know that Miles has been fucking around on me for a year?” I dropped my gaze to my lap. The moonlight splattered its light on my blue gown.
“Do you know that I was stupid enough to believe him when he told me he’d only cheated on me one time?”
“You will survive this. You are stronger than you believe.” His deep voice echoed and washed over me.
I looked up at him. I placed my hands on either side of his hips and leaned closer until I was only inches away from his face. I finally realized that he didn’t stink anymore. He actually smelled like green grass and pine cones. He frowned when I leaned closer but didn’t move.
“Why do men cheat?”
“Not all men cheat.” He cocked his head. “But that’s not the question you really wanted to ask. What you really want to know is why your husband cheated on you.”
He was right. I couldn’t speak, but I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes again. I simply nodded.
“Your husband cheated on you, not because of who you are, but because of who he is. He’s a selfish asshole who puts his own needs above anything else. He thinks he can do anything he wants because he deserves it.” He grinned. “And, deep down inside, you know that’s who he is. Who he always was. You know it here,”—he placed his finger on my temple and then moved it to my chest—“and here.”
My heart sped up. Khalan was right.
I took a deep breath and let Khalan help me to my feet.
“I looked like a fool tonight.” I spread my hands and looked down at my gown. “I walked in there like the perfect wife, blissfully unaware of the extent of my husband’s deceit.”
“And you walked out the perfect vampire,” Khalan countered. “Stronger than ever and ready to handle your shit.” I looked up at him and blinked.
Khalan had saved me.
“Khalan, thank you for giving me your blood.”
He didn’t say anything but strolled to the dining room and pulled his coat off the back of my dining room chair.
“You actually don’t smell like skunk anymore.” Had he cleaned up for me?
“I don’t normally do. I was caring for a liter of baby skunks who were orphaned when I met you that night.”
“You did?”
“Yes. They would have died if left out alone. They are not used to sudden snow storms.”
“Neither am I.” For such a big guy he sure did have a heart for animals.
He walked over to the back door that led out to the backyard. I joined him and grabbed the doorknob.
“Wait. I have something for you.” I ran to the closet and pulled out the freshly dry cleaned quilt. I handed it to him wrapped in plastic. “I had it cleaned.”
He took the quilt and his expression softened for a fraction of a second.
I reached for the door., Khalan cradled my cheek. My heart jumped in my chest, and longing swept over me.
He leaned in, and my lips parted. “In case someone didn’t tell you, you look beautiful tonight.”
I swallowed and held my breath, waiting for
him to kiss me.
“Oh, and you really should wipe your mouth after you eat.” His words were teasing, but the look in his eyes was anything but.
He bent his head and gently licked the outer corner of my mouth. When he was done, my body was on fire.
I stepped back and reached for the door. “When will I see you again?”
“Soon.” He let his eyes drift over my body before he stepped out into the night.
I stood at the door, watching him disappear into the night.
My pain was great but something inside me was ready to fight and not lie down.
Maybe I would never figure men out. Perhaps I was meant to be alone. Maybe the world had other plans for me. All I knew was that in order to survive, I would have to accept what I was and be the best mother, friend, and vampire I could be.
After tonight, there was no turning back.
* * *
The End…for now
Also by Jodi Vaughn
The Vampire Housewife Series
LIPSTICK AND LIES AND DEADLY GOODBYES (Book 1)
MERLOT AND DIVORCE AND DEADLY REMORSE (Book 2)
BULLETS AND BOOZE AND DEAD SUEDE SHOES (Book 3)
* * *
BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON (Book 1)
BENEATH A BLOOD LUST MOON (Book 2)
DESIRES OF A FULL MOON (Book 3)
DARKSIDE OF THE MOON (Book 4)
SHADOWS OF A WOLF MOON (Book 5)
SECRETS OF A WOLF MOON (Book 6)
FALL OF A BLOOD MOON (Book 7)
RISE OF AN ALPHA MOON Volume 1 (Book 8)
RISE OF AN ALPHA MOON Volume 2 (Book 9)
RISE OF AN ALPHA MOON Volume 3 (Book 10)
* * *
VEILED (RISE OF THE FAE) Series
VEILED SECRETS (Book 1)
VEILED ENCHANTMENT (Book 2)
* * *
Contemporary Romance Series
* * *
CLOVERTON Series
CANDY CORN KISSES AND CANDY CANES AND TRACTOR CHAINS (Holiday short stories)
CHRISTMAS IN CLOVERTON (Novella)
LOST WITHOUT YOU (Book 1)
LOST ALL CONTROL (Book 2)
* * *
SOMEWHERE TEXAS SERIES
SADDLE UP (Book 1)
TROUBLE IN TEXAS (Book 2)
BAD MEDICINE (Book 3)
SOMEWHERE IN PARADISE (Book 4)
