by Brenda Trim
I’m about to rein in my need for her when her thoughts shift yet again. Regardless of anything else, she wants one more night with me before she walks away. My heart twists. I don’t want her walking away. But those are worries for another time.
Pushing her shirt up, I trace her spine. She goes to her knees and allows me to remove the fabric. I have her bra off and use it to wrap around her wrists. Ava lifts her head and watches me with wide eyes.
“There’s nowhere to tie me out here.”
I run one finger over her collarbone and up the side of her neck. “Bend over, and don’t move your hands.”
Her mouth opens then closes before she scans the area. Extending my senses, I note the animals not far from our position. They won’t come any closer. Most creatures sense the danger I pose to them and keep their distance. Humans, not taking into account vampire hunters, are the exception to that rule. Shifters, too, but for a different reason altogether.
Humans are drawn to my kind by the pheromones we exude. It’s nature’s way of luring victims to us, so we can feed. The biological mechanisms at play are fascinating, and have driven most of the research I’ve done into my existence. I haven’t studied vampires as much as Desmond has, but I know enough to know there are magical forces at play, as well.
Shifters, on the other hand, generally loathe us. Obviously Selene doesn’t fall into that category, given that she mated with Lucius. Then again, she’s half vampire. Garrett, the local shifter pack leader, tolerates us. He has an agreement of sorts with the Vampire King. Garrett doesn’t interfere with vampires as long as we don’t kill and bring attention to our existence. If Garrett gets wind of this killer, he will likely be pissed as hell.
When Ava complies and places her hands back on the dirt, I reward her with a smile. My finger runs through her slit before I spank her again. She’s panting now. I wish I’d known she’d give in to me so I could have brought a butt plug or dildo to fuck her with while I pinken her flesh. Her back arches and her moans are proof enough that she wants more.
Once her skin is red and throbbing, I lean over and kiss the line of her spine. When I rise, she’s watching me over her shoulder with hooded eyes. I caress her ass and dip my fingers between her legs while I continue to the corner of her mouth.
My tongue teases her lips while my hand works her slick slit. Her juices drip over my fingers, and her body is rigid with tension. She’s aching with the need to come. I push two digits inside.
A breath of air gusts from between her supple lips. Her ass is red from my touch and her pussy weeps for me, but her mouth is far too lonely. I press my lips to hers and lick along the seam, seeking entry.
Ava’s eyes close and her head is thrashing from side to side. She’s gorgeous when she’s lost to the desire raging like an inferno between us. Her tongue licks my lower lip then darts into my mouth, where it strokes mine and mimics what I want to do to her body.
I pour every ounce of the desire I feel for her into our kiss. I’ve never wanted another being like I do Ava. My mind is reduced to base emotions. I can’t think beyond the fact that I want more of her and that she’s mine. She inspires more than that, but my mind is blank at the moment.
Inserting another finger into her core, I slowly finger-fuck her. Every wet glide in and out of her body tortures me a little bit more. Ava is now panting and leaning back against me as her body curls with pleasure.
My free hand goes to her breasts, and I pinch and flick her nipples. The sounds of the desert melt away, and all I can hear are her mewls and moans against my mouth. Breaking the kiss, I run my lips across her cheek and suck on her neck.
She shudders when my fangs scrape over her flesh. “More.”
Does she want me to bite her?
I breathe her into my lungs. “I’ll give you everything you need.” Shaking my head, I glance at her eyes. They’re glazed with the lust fogging her mind, and I know she needs an orgasm.
My hand moves from her breast to her hair, and I wrap the strands around my fist. I plunge my fingers in and out of her. Twisting my position, I’m able to press my thumb against her clit with every thrust. She flutters around my digits and when she tightens around them, I stop thrusting and crook them inside to hit her G-spot while still rubbing her clit.
Her head goes back, and she cries out as her climax tears through her. On all fours, with the moonlight bathing her skin in its glow, she is a stunning creature. My cock throbs as insistently as my fangs.
Before I give her time to recover, I yank my fly open and free my erection. A racing heartbeat later, I am balls deep in her fluttering pussy. “Fuck, you feel good.” A climax almost tears through me from that single movement.
Her body moves back and forth, trying to force me to move. I hold her waist for a second, keeping her still while the urge recedes enough until I’m out of danger. “You’re going to kill me with orgasms,” she says.
I yank her head back and growl in her ear. “You’re not going to die. I won’t ever let anything hurt you.” I didn’t mean to make such a bold statement, and thankfully she seems too lost in our building pleasure to have noticed my vow to protect her. If she had, she’d be informing me she is perfectly capable of keeping herself safe.
I untangle my hand from her silky, black hair and return it to her hip. When she tries to speed up again, I spank the side of her ass. Her flesh ripples and her core clenches around my shaft.
“Mmmm,” she moans incoherently. Her elbows wiggle and she tries to get free of her binds. When she isn’t able to free her hands, she presses her cheek to the ground, and makes me shout as her bound hands land on my balls.
I allow her to tease my testicles and perineum for several seconds before I yank on her shoulders and lift her off the ground. Now she’s positioned in front of me, and my thrusts turn shallow with our bodies pressing against each other.
Wrapping my hand around her throat, I let her know who’s in charge with gentle pressure. I don’t cut off her ability to breathe, or cause injury. She leans forward, cutting off her own air for a second as she pushes back against my body. I groan at her way of showing her defiance.
To my surprise, she lays her head on my shoulder and goes limp in my grip. For a single heartbeat, I worry I used too much force and she’s passed out. Her mewls continue, and she wiggles her hips. I feel like I won the fucking lottery.
She’s given in to me. I want to ask her why she gave in, but don’t dare disrupt the passion. Reaching around her body, I run my finger over the base of my shaft and coat it with her arousal then glide it up to her clit. My hand stays over her throat while I tease her bundle of nerves and make her jerk and writhe in my arms.
The trust she shows me only makes the connection I feel to her flare to life. I swear, when I stop focusing on anything but her, I can see the bond pulsing red between the two of us. The warm breeze hits our overheated skin and makes the air shimmer around us.
Lifting her off my shaft, I turn her around and slam her back down on my erection. I sit back on my feet and she bounces on my cock. Her arms go behind my head and I sweep her hair from the side of her neck.
My tongue travels over her skin and she whimpers in response. I thrust up into her body, drawing her attention from my mouth, and get lost in the way she rides me. My balls draw up tight and my spine tingles.
One of my hands holds her head to the side while the other grips her hip. I open my mouth and bite down. Her sweet blood gushes onto my tongue and down my throat. I swallow her life force, and quicken my pace.
Ava moves her arms and she grabs a handful of my hair. Her pussy clenches around my shaft, and I have to lift my mouth when my climax explodes out of me like a volcano.
I throw my head back as my seed pulses in hot, creamy streams from my cock into her womb. She’s whimpering in my arms as her orgasm accompanies mine. After several seconds, my climax wanes and my thrusts have become shallow.
Ava’s head lowers to her chest. The rich, coppery scent reminds
me I need to close the wounds. With long, thorough licks, I clean the blood from her flesh then prick the end of my tongue on a fang and run the blood from my wound over the bite marks.
Part of me likes the thought that even if her wound is healed, she will always bear my bites. Okay, all of me likes that I’ve marked her. Pressing a kiss to the spot, I lift my head and smile at the look of satisfaction on her face.
Her eyes close. “That was unexpected.”
I nip her earlobe. “I hope you learned to never tease a vampire mid-flight.”
She snorts and lifts herself off my still-hard cock. I want to take her again and contemplate doing just that, but I don’t. It hits me like a sledgehammer when she retreats and puts up a wall between us. I hate it and want to tear it down, but honestly, it’s for the best.
Turning her body, she braces her bound hands on my shoulder. Her legs wobble when she stands up. Her head tilts and she twists her arms, searching for a way to untie her bra.
“Here. Let me,” I say.
Once free, she puts her arms though the bra and fastens it, then bends to pull up her pants. My seed drips down her legs and she winces before tugging the fabric into place. “I really need to clean myself off.”
I’ve just opened my mouth to respond when a noise catches my attention. Cold seeps over my skin and I jump to my feet. There are several coyotes approaching us from the south. “You’re going to have to deal with that later.”
I feel her body press up against my back and notice how badly she’s trembling. “What is it?” Her voice is barely above a whisper, but every animal will hear it easily. I don’t want them knowing how frightened she is at the moment. I weigh our situation before making a move.
The animals are close enough for me to scent, and there’s no missing the intelligence in their gazes. These aren’t wild animals out hunting for food. These are members of the local coyote shifter pack.
“We’re being watched,” I explain. “We need to leave. Grab your top.”
Her chuckle hits my ear then she steps up to my side, shaking her head. “You’re a vampire and you’re scared of some wild coyotes? You have super strength and shit. You’re not a weak human like me.”
“Those aren’t normal animals.”
Growls and yips echo across the desert. The sound is chilling. I expect Ava to grab her gun and aim at the newcomers, but she does the opposite. The color drains from her face and her shaking intensifies.
She takes a deep breath and pulls her shirt on. “What? What do you mean, not normal? Are they vampiric creatures or something?” Her voice is now flat. She’s gone from afraid to terrified, and she’s hidden all outward signs she’s anything but confident. This woman has a spot on instinct for survival.
“These are shifters.” I fasten my pants and wrap my arms around her waist.
She yelps when we take off into the air before the shifters can attack. I’m clearly in their territory, and have no desire to push them any further. “By shifter, you mean what exactly?” she demands as I take us through the air.
“People who turn into animals. There are wolves and coyotes in the area, and we were in their territory.”
During our first flight, she clung to me and shook with fear, but now she throws her head back and laughs. The sound is slightly hysterical, making me worry for her state of mind. “Of course they are. Why wouldn’t there be people who can turn into wild freaking animals? Where are the stairs leading out of the rabbit hole?”
“You’re one of only a few humans with knowledge of the existence of supernatural creatures. That is a blessing and a curse. You can’t tell anyone what you saw tonight. You are in danger from the shifters now, too.” I hate the way she stiffens in my arms and clenches her jaw. I know the admonition is going to bite me in the ass later, but I can’t keep quiet about it. Shifters aren’t limited by the sun during the day. If she doesn’t keep her mouth shut, I won’t be able to help her half of the time.
She clenches her jaw so tight, I see the muscle jump. “Don’t worry. I will never say anything to anyone. No one will believe me anyway. The last thing I want is to be seen as crazy. I’d be locked up in an institution.”
There is nothing I can say in response. She’s right. Humans refuse to believe what is right in front of them most of the time, and will see her as schizophrenic at best. I hold her as tightly as I can and offer the only thing I can. “You have the coordinates of the crime scene. I won’t be able to help during the day, but I will be available as soon as the sun sets.”
I take solace in the fact that she won’t be able to find the culprit until after nightfall. After seeing the scene, I am convinced a vampire is responsible for the murders. No one else would leave so little blood behind.
“I don’t need your help anymore. Thank you for finding the location, but I’ve got it from here.” Her denial stings, but that isn’t what wrapped around my heart like a vice.
There is so much hidden behind her words. Fatigue is obvious, along with what I sense as revulsion. She’s overwhelmed and pulling away from me. I should take her to my house and lock her up. No one rejects me.
She doesn’t want to see me again. That breaks something in me. I have been telling myself she isn’t the one for me, and denying every instinct to claim her. None of it worked. I’ve fallen for Ava.
A vice tightens around my chest, making me wonder if I am experiencing heartbreak for the first time. The idea is preposterous. I’ve never loved anyone, and while I care, I don’t really know Ava.
I’ll go back to my lab and my life. A sharp pang steals the breath I need to reply and calls me a liar. I can make her want me. All it will take is one command. But is that how I want to have her with me?
Hell no, it’s not. Regardless of what I want or think, I will respect her desire to end whatever is between us. If I do anything else, it will smother her and what attracted me to her in the first place. But that doesn’t mean I plan on leaving her at risk of the vampire on a killing spree in the area. She will not be his next victim. I will make sure of that.
12
Ava
I jump in my car and hit the button to call in our discovery. But before I send anything, I pause. The night is quiet, while darkness shrouds me. I need to play this differently. No one will believe we stumbled across the scene in the middle of the night. Who goes for a walk in the wilderness at that time? No sane person, that’s for sure.
Common sense has escaped me. I blame it on falling off a cliff and waking to find myself in crazy town. Time to back up and go back to my world and leave the rest behind me. Vampires and shifters are real! For the millionth time, I wonder how I’ll manage that. It’s impossible to forget everything I’ve learned.
It’s far easier for me to believe vampires exist. I’ve seen their fangs and feeding. I’ve felt Corbyn drinking from me. Discovering that blood-sucking creatures of the night aren’t a myth, didn’t throw me for the loop de loop I am currently riding. That was something else entirely.
My stomach roils, punctuating how sick I feel. There are freaking people who turn into animals! That is simply too hard to believe. It’s not physically possible. Well, it shouldn’t be plausible. The body structures of humans and animals and the way each operates are completely different. Thinking about how much smaller coyotes are than the average man is enough for me to doubt what Corbyn told me.
It must be because I haven’t seen anyone shift forms. Anything is possible with magic! Vampires are proof it exists. Thinking in terms of something mystical being responsible helps me remove the mental stumbling blocks of picturing bones shrinking and rearranging with loud pops.
I nod. Assigning a supernatural reason and not trying to understand how a body could alter so drastically before sprouting fur takes the notion from utterly impossible to plausible. And then there is the fact that the animals radiated menace and were far bigger than normal coyotes. They really were shifters.
Exhaustion beats at every cell in my body. All I w
ant to do is crawl into bed and tug the covers over my head. It would be easier to pretend I never learned anything about the supernatural. I want to go about my life as if I’d never met Corbyn or any other vampire. The problem is, I have a vampire killing women, and it’s my job to stop them from hurting anyone else.
I may not want anything more to do with vampires or anything else supernatural, but I refuse to walk away before I find the asshole who’s responsible for the murders. A twinge flares in my chest. I’ve enjoyed my time with Corbyn. He’s shown me what it’s like to be desired and truly seen. Before, I never realized how few people actually look deeper than the surface.
Taking a deep breath, I fire off a text to Bria, saying I will be late because I am going for an early morning hike with Corbyn. I can practically hear her squeal as she reads my message. I pull out of the parking lot and am heading home before I get her response.
Pressing the button on my phone, I play her message while I drive. “I knew there was something going on between you and Mr. Sexy. I hope that means he’s staying what’s left of the night. It’s about time you got laid.”
I chuckle and shake my head. My car asks if I want to reply and I say yes. “No, he is not staying the night. After I told him I love hiking, he asked me to join him. Oh, and for the record, I don’t need to get laid.”
I send the message and have barely made it to the highway when Bria’s reply comes. Being able to stream my phone through my car has been one of the best technological advancements in the past decade. It makes communicating super easy and hands free, which is the only way I will use my phone while in the car.
“Is that because you already got laid?”
I ignore Bria’s question in my response to her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Bria texts me back, but I ignore the message this time. I’m too busy trying to figure out how I forgot my own vow and slept with Corbyn again. Vampires must have some kind of addictive mojo. I can’t get enough of him biting me. What should hurt like hell is positively orgasmic.
