Special shoutout to Joodee and Gabby for the Gems!!!
I sat on the front steps of Moe’s house and waited impatiently for Lukas to arrive.While I waited, I thought back to when I first met Jace. It was days after I had brought Michael Umbridge into the police precinct. Had he orchestrated that I bump into him to force a meeting between us? I then thought about when I went to Jace for help after the group of men came to get me at the lookout and how he seemed uncomfortable at the sight of my wound. Had it been because he was hungry? Again, when Mrs. Dunkan said it appeared already healed by the smell of my injury, did that also mean she was a vampire?“Oh, fuck me,” I said as I buried my face in my hands.I was stupid.I heard the familiar sound of Lukas’s bike and picked up my feet. I ran to the curb of the street, and when he saw me, he hurriedly parked the motorcycle and removed his helmet. I sank into his arms and inhaled his cologne, which brought me a little calm.“What’s the matter? Are you feeling ill? You’re whiter than usual,” he
Jace POVI stood outside on a porch roof near a window and peered into the darkened room. My huntress was fast asleep.Max still had my blood in her system, and because of this, I could find her wherever she went. But I doubted I’d have that ability for much longer. I could feel her slipping away with each passing day as my blood slowly disappeared from her body.I wanted to haul her back to my house for protection, but I knew she’d never forgive me for doing that. Max seemed to value her freedom, so watching her from afar would be enough for now.God. I looked like a fucking stalker.I rubbed my face viciously and stretched the skin under my eyes. Without her, Max was making me go crazy.I should have known better than to leave her as I did. I should have told her the truth and why she needed to stay with me. But, just like her, I didn’t like people telling me what I needed to do. I didn’t like not having control, and I certainly didn’t enjoy having someone calling my bullshit to my f
That morning, I awakened from a steamy dream about Jace. To my surprise, my panties were wet, and I was ashamed to have had such thoughts of him—he was a vampire, after all.Raw and exposed, that was how I felt after the recent ordeal. My emotions were a mess, and everything that used to make sense was muddled in a thick fog in my mind. I couldn’t believe I had let myself become so vulnerable, and I hated that feeling.When I drove down Hawthorn’s street, my heart pounded in my chest. Lukas had picked me up earlier from Moe’s house and we had returned to his so I could get my popsicle-blue VW Beetle. We had agreed that there was no point in trying to hide and that I should carry on with my daily routine. But it was hard to shake the feeling of fear and uncertainty.Jace was on my mind, too. I didn’t know what to think of him. He had grown on me in the brief time we had spent together, but I was still wary of him. I couldn’t trust him completely, especially with everything that had happ
Lukas POVI found myself impatiently glancing at my watch again, only to discover that a mere two minutes had passed since my last check. Time seemed to stand still, and my frustration grew with every moment. Despite my concerns about Max’s plan, I agreed to let her proceed on her own terms. However, as the minutes ticked by, I worried about the potential risks involved. I just hoped Max knew what she was doing and wasn’t getting in over her head.Part of me wished that Max’s suspicions about the detective were unfounded, and that she would soon return from her meeting with him, having paid the detective for his help without incident. But as time wore on, my hopes dwindled. It was entirely possible that Max was in danger, and I wouldn’t know until it was too late.“Damn it, Max,” I muttered to myself, running a hand through my dishevelled hair in frustration. I stepped away from my bike and leaned against the wall, watching the stairwell door intently.My fingers brushed against the in
I heard a faint whistling sound, like when you hit your skull so hard and heard a high-pitched ringing inside your ears. The muscles in my body ached and made me want to scream, but I couldn’t since I was gagged and bound.I understood I had been drugged, so I kept still with my eyes closed, listening to my surroundings to understand where I was and who was with me.I heard two people talking in hushed tones a little further away. I decided it was best to pretend I was still out and maybe listen to their conversation. While I waited for them to say something worthwhile, I tested the rope over my wrists and frowned when I couldn’t loosen it. Whoever had tied the knot had done a commendable job, which slightly annoyed me. My feet were also bound at the ankles on each chair leg.Was this all necessary? It seemed excessive for someone like me.I continued working on the ropes and stopped when I heard the two men approaching. They didn’t discuss anything of interest to me, but as they drew
I froze.I re-inspected the picture, and the familiarity became surreal. I looked just like the woman in the photograph.Arthur stepped forward and extended his arm.“Give me the gun, Maxime. There’s no need for that anymore.”I almost gave it to him, but I suddenly remembered how I was brought here like a criminal or an unstable person who needed to be sedated and strapped down so as not to hurt others or themselves.I lifted the weapon and looked the man straight in the eyes.“Then why all the secrecy and team of men to drag me here? Wouldn’t it have been easier to tell me the truth from the start? Didn’t I deserve that?”Arthur scoffed. “Did my daughter deserve to be snatched from her family and forced to serve a vampire? To become his pet and…” Arthur swallowed hard, forcing his bile down. “Mate with him? Of course not, but it happened anyway.”He closed his eyes as though he were in agony, and when he opened them, his emotions disappeared, and a blank expression surfaced on his fa
I was lying on a seat and enjoyed the vibrating sensation of movement. My head felt light, as if I were in a dream, but my body was feverish, so I fumbled with my fingers to remove my clothes. I slowly stripped, pushing down my pants and doing my best to clear my vest so I could cool off.“What are you doing?” a deep, baritone voice asked.I half-opened my eyes and smiled when I saw Lukas peering at me through the front rear mirror. If Lukas was in my dream, it was one I never wanted to wake from.“I’m hot,” I whined, continuing to undress.Lukas stepped on the brakes and brought the car to a stop on the side of the road. He exited and opened the back passenger door to put my clothes back on. When he touched my arm, a bolt of electricity shot between us, and he quickly removed his hand and looked at it with a perplexed expression.“What the…”“I’m burning up,” I repeated, tugging at my T-shirt. I let it fall on the car floor and watched Lukas’s expression rapidly change.I was wearing
Dust moats floated in the streaming light that filled the room.I quickly sat up, not recognizing my surroundings. I was in a small double bed with a flowery quilt over me. A floral tapestry covered the entire wall, and some old-fashioned cushions were neatly placed throughout the room. I wondered if an old lady lived here.Where was I?I saw my backpack lying close to the door. I jumped out of bed and looked inside it to see if anything was missing. I dragged my gaze down to look at myself and noticed I was just wearing a T-shirt and underwear. The shirt was too big to have been mine, so I figured it must have been Lukas’s, and it smelled just like him. I blushed, wondering if he had undressed me.I thought I had dreamed of Lukas driving me somewhere, but I couldn’t quite remember whether it was real or not. My head was still muddled by whatever Noctua had used to sedate me before I could escape.I fished out a sports bra, slid it under my T-shirt, and slipped a pair of skinny jeans o
I was high from meeting the director at the children’s home. My discussion with the director yielded interesting facts about the home and its desperate need for funds. The government provided what it could, but the man running the establishment informed me it wasn’t enough. It didn't surprise me. More and more children came into their custody, and they had difficulty finding foster homes. I elatedly accepted the director's promise to inform the board members and send me the paperwork in the coming weeks after discussing my plans to donate money and what I would like to help them with. My interest in funding couldn’t have come at a better time. I barely saw the car ride pass; I was already pulling up the small dirt road leading to Lukas’s cabin in the woods. Lexie stayed there for the moment while Lukas crashed either at his house or at my place. We had taken the habit of coming over there for dinner every two or three days to keep Lex company and to unwind. I was the first to arri
6 months laterMy finger pressed the intercom button of the police precinct.“Yes?” The robotic-sounding voice asked.“It’s Max. I have a Talulah Townsend for processing.”“Someone will be down shortly.”Talulah had broken parole and hadn’t attended her mandatory drug test. She had been my easiest catch of the week. I only had to drive down the drug strip to find her with a needle stabbed in her arm, half passed out from the shot. She was younger than me, and it broke my heart to see her like this.Oh, the joys of getting back into the trenches. After a long break, I did my best to return to my everyday life.The back door of the station opened, and Officer Dan and a colleague walked out to take the skip. When the woman was in custody, Dan removed her cuffs and returned them to me.“I heard you were back on the job. Christ, Max. You scared the shit out of me when you stopped showing up here! They told me you probably took a vacation, but I know you. Your job’s your life,” Dan said with
The wait was killing me. My leg impatiently shook when I sat on the chair. The lobby under the justice court building was brightly lit and warm. I had never been in that section before. If I didn’t have Moe guiding me through the separate hallway that brought us here, in the basement, I would have never suspected there was a place specifically designed for vampire laws.The fact that I was meeting the congregation was the least of my problems. My mind was on Lukas, whom I hadn’t seen since the fight with Ventura four days before. Jace didn’t want me to see him and had given me very few updates on his health, but the one news that kept bothering me was that the broken ribs were more important than we initially thought. Some had pierced his lungs and had caused damages that Jace feared Lukas would have issues healing correctly. There was also a matter about the drug Ventura and Mike had given Lukas to sedate him, which seemed to cause abnormal delays in his healing.I felt terrible becau
Ventura’s fingers tightened around my neck, and I struggled to breathe.“There goes that defiant hiss again. You’re becoming quite the little vampire. You sound just like one,” he said with a growing hatred. “Do you know how much trouble you’ve been giving me? You killed my small human army of hunters who would do my future bidding. I had a chance at a surprise attack on the Harringtons, but you blew it! You were unsuccessful at making more of yourself and serving me. Why shouldn’t I just snap your pretty neck and be done with it? All my troubles would die along with you.”My hands instinctively circled his forearm to remove some of the pressure. When I saw black spots everywhere, my grip on him lessened. I couldn’t break free, and I thought this was the end. Surprisingly, Ventura let go and grabbed the front of my vest, dragging me on my back to where Lukas and Jace were.“Pathetic girl,” Ventura spat as he dropped me beside my mates. “It doesn’t matter. Everything I need to start my
I stopped my car in front of an old abandoned warehouse on 9th Street. Many were in the sector, but just as the letter said, I knew exactly which one it was. The run-down name of the company was barely visible, but the logo of an owl still showed, reminding me of the Noctua sigil. I could be wrong, but this building seemed the right one.I walked to the warehouse, looking for an entrance. The previous owner had barricaded all the entries with pieces of wood and chains. I groaned and trudged along the exterior to find another way to gain access. When I was about to retrace my steps and search another building, I spotted a broken window on the second floor.“Great,” I mumbled exasperatingly. “As if I do parkour in my spare time.”There was a ledge on the lower window, and I noticed a gutter installed on the wall close to it. I pulled up my leather jacket sleeves and lightly ran for a jump to get a high start. I climbed the downspout until I was at level with the ledge, and I swung my bod
I strolled down the street, taking in the city’s nightly smells. After some time, I stopped and took a deep breath. The neighbourhood was silent, and only the distant sound of car horns honking reminded me that life went on while I was away.The last time I stood in front of my apartment complex, I was drugged in a cab and kidnapped.I hurried along the entrance and pushed the glass doors open. The trek up the stairs was quick, and I walked to my door to unlock it. In the two weeks I was gone, nothing had changed. My apartment had been left untouched, and the little possessions I had left were still in their place. I was surprised. I thought the vampires would have ransacked my home to find any information on me.I opened my mini-fridge and pulled out the last remaining beer bottle.I reflected on Jace, Lukas, Moe and Bea’s plan as I sat. They wanted to draw out Ventura from wherever he was hiding, and the only thing they thought would succeed was to resume my life. Ventura would try t
Jace POVI watched Max from afar. She was a small thing compared to the tall vampire she called Moe. She had been with those two since their return to the cabin, and it slightly irritated me to have to share Max with two other vampires—one werewolf was already enough.“You’re doing that thing again. Stop it,” Lukas called from behind.I turned around and smugly slouched. “What exactly am I doing?”“I’ve known you for years, Jace. I know all your telltale signs. You know something that you haven’t told anyone. Spill.”My friend’s amber eyes darkened menacingly. I sighed and pressed a hand over my face. Lukas was an annoying dog but had good intentions.“I knew the congregation had released Ventura before coming here.”Lukas watched me from a distance. His face was becoming red, but I ignored it. Why was Lukas getting angry with me?“When were you planning on telling us?”I shrugged and crossed my arms. “This morning, but I didn’t think it was important.”“You should have told us the min
Lukas and Jace’s kisses lingered on my skin before I stepped under the water. It washed away their scent on my body, and I sighed.My fingers trailed the length of my neck and hovered over my swollen lips. They still tingled from Lukas and Jace’s bites.My face heated at the memory of Jace telling me to go on top of Lukas. I had never had sex with two men at the same time, and when Lukas filled my dripping wet pussy, and Jace stretched my ass with his dick, I almost forgot how to breathe. The feeling I had in the pit of my stomach was dreadful, yet exciting.The sensation had been odd and pleasing. My skin shivered with need and all the dirty things I wanted the three of us to do. I had both of them in me, and each thrust and withdrawal had me wanting, no, almost begging for more. I couldn’t seem to get enough of them. Their cocks filled each cavity perfectly, and their rhythms were in delightful unison. It was even more thrilling when Lukas and Jace gave me the reins, and I could choo
Lukas POVThe smell of Max’s arousal woke me. I had been lightly asleep but was now fully awake, and my dick painfully swelled inside my boxers in response.I didn’t want to act on her scent because I didn’t know if she was excited for me or for Jace, who was inconveniently sleeping on Max’s other side.I needed to change my mind. Anything was better than thinking of everything I wanted to do to Max.I thought back to what had happened before I went to sleep. After furiously running in wolf form, I returned to the cabin and found Jace waiting beside Max’s sleeping shape on the bed. He had gotten here much faster than I wanted, and I despised every second of him brushing his light fingers against the pale white skin of her bare legs.No amount of yelling and violent disagreements could remove Jace’s bond with Max. She was as much his as she was mine. Jace and I both made our claims, and the rest was history. We would be there for her, but Jace and I would need to have a more profound di