The Alfa’s V8 engine was purring, and I was finally used to Rhayden’s erratic driving. He sped past every car, racing who he could, with a glee only shared with himself. He'd chuckle every now and then at people's attempts to race the Alfa, making me roll my eyes. My knuckles were no longer white, and my heart rate was finally at a comfortable level, but I couldn't watch the scenery though… he was driving too damned fast.“Another ten minutes of driving, then I’m going to have to find shelter.”I looked over to him as his gaze slipped past me, and I turned my head, seeing the pale tinge to the horizon. It will be sunrise soon.Most of what people knew of vampires was bullshit.Garlic was just a nauseating smell to them, and religious crosses did squat.Silver had a sedative effect on them, if it was in a large enough quantity and pure. But the one major thing which did affect them was the sun.It was one of the best ways to kill a vampire. But if they were safe from its rays, it sent
Holding the phone to my ear, I listened to my brother droning on the other end. My eyes rolled as he went on and on and on, about how important this mission was; for the hundredth time. Like I didn't already know that, by the fact we'd lost twenty members of our fucking coven. men and women I had practically grown up with. “I know, Abe. I am not stupid.”There was a pause, then a chuckle. “That’s—”“Don’t fucking say it.” I growled. I had always been considered the brawn of the two of us. More muscle than brains, but I was not some dickhead killing machine. I could outthink Absinthe if I wanted to, and if the idiot had listened to me in the first place, we wouldn't have twenty dead vampires, and I wouldn't be here, babysitting Marley.A waft of scent and I turned, watching my brother's hunter as she paced the room beyond the one, I was in. I had been harsh to her earlier. It was not fair the way I was treating her. I knew she could not do anything about her relationship with Abe.He
I had forgotten to grab underwear.In my haste to get away from Rhayden, and to wash the scent of his brother off me, to keep him happy I had managed to forget one of the most vital pieces of clothing. Something which would, in my mind, protect me from the creature I travelled with.Padding through the house, I kept my eye out for the vampire. I did not want him to know I was panty-less. I'd seen the way he looked at me, when I was fully clothed. Going to my bag, I rummaged through it, trying to keep my long night-shirt covering my backside. “Where the fuck are they?”I had packed at least three pairs and they all seemed to be missing...“Looking for these?”My stomach contracted as I turned. Rhayden was leaning against the doorjamb, one of my lace thongs hooked over his index finger, the other two pairs of panties, gripped in his hand. I blinked and stared at him. “Did you seriously go through my bag?”His grin widened. “Just wanted to see what kind of underwear you preferred. Wou
The scrap of lace she called panties fell to the ground with the others, as I launched myself at her. My hands gripped her face, my mouth crushing against hers and I kissed Marley deeply.Her taste was sweet, her hands scrambling for my hips, and I growled as her fingernails dug into my flesh. A soft mewl escaped her lips as my tongue drove into her mouth and her knees weakened.I laid her softly on the cold floor, my body next to hers as I buried my head against the side of her neck, her breath ragged to my ears. Marley’s back arched as my lips travelled along her neck to her ear and I moaned against her skin. “Beautiful, mortal woman…”My mouth moved down her neck, laying wet, cold kisses to her skin and her heart hammered loudly in her chest, igniting a fire within me I'd never felt before. Down over her night shirt, I teased her nipples through the fabric with my teeth, resisting the urge to unleash my fangs on her soft skin.To mark her, would be to place a target on both mine a
“Fucking cock sucking asshole!” I paced the courtyard, resisting the urge to kick Rhayden’s car as I walked past it.Fuck kicking it, I would take to it with a baseball bat if I had a chance.“Fucking prick.”It was supposed to be a kiss. Instead, the vampire had eaten me out in what I could only describe as one of the best fucking experiences of my life.My voice was coarse from yelling at the rising sun for the last hour, while Rhayden was deep within the bowels of the safe house, knocked out cold, in hibernate. All I wanted to do was go in there, drag his sorry ass outside and dance a jig while he burned in the sun.Sighing, I twisted and sank to the pavement, my legs folded underneath me. My head went to my hands, tears threatening to break through and drown me. Why was this happening to me? Surely, I could have found the killer and dealt with them on my own.I should not have been teamed up with the one vampire I could not resist. I wanted to call Abe and confess to what had hap
The brain fog which usually accompanied waking from hibernate, was not there when my eyes opened. The only thing there was... the taste of Marley on my lips. Pure ambrosia.I licked them, a fresh tingle racing through me. I had never tasted blood as sweet as hers.The one smear I had had the night before had been nothing to the gullet full I had now. I was sated. I would not need to feed tonight or even tomorrow night. Now I knew why Absinthe kept her around.Stretching, I eased myself off the hard bed in the corner of the darkened room. My night vision kicked in, the colors we vampires saw in the dark, flashing as I looked around and froze.Just outside, there was a steady thumping rhythm of a heartbeat. Deep in slumber, the heart could belong to Marley. No one else would be game enough to come down into the basement.I moved to the door and spun the wheel, opening it and stepped out into the dark. Turning my head, Marley was slumped against the wall next to the door, curled up in
A phone rang shrilly in the library, and I blinked, turning to the delegates who were being introduced by Tony. I looked back at the library doors, before turning back to my guests. These were the heads of other covens, there was important things to be discussed... but that phone kept ringing, and I developed a sinking feeling in my stomach. Being as polite as possible, I bowed to the other leaders, “I’m sorry, if you’d excuse me for one moment…”I walked into the library and closed the doors. Usually, when entertaining such important guests, I’d let a phone ring out or I’d allow someone else to answer it, but it was my cell. Only two people had the number and they only called it in an emergency.I picked up the device, seeing Marley’s name flash across the screen and held it to my ear. “Marley?”“Abe!” There was fright in her voice, and I sank to my chair, my stomach rebelling against the pack of blood I’d consumed half an hour earlier; because while the human's blood could sate me
I stared at the racks of guns and stacks of ammo.Rhayden travelled the lines of cages and grinned, punching in a code. The doors sprung open, and he gripped the semi-automatic handgun, turning back to me, shoving the weapon into the back of his jeans. “My favorite room, no matter where we are.”“You’re an ass.” I turned from him, looking at the door we had come through. They lycan would be able to break through in a matter of seconds. Rhayden had put us in a god-damned kill box.As if he had read my mind, Rhayden replied from behind me. “Relax Mars, they are not getting in. Wolfsbane.”Wolfsbane only stopped a lycan for so long. It was near fatal to them in werewolf form, but the human side of them, it was merely an irritant.I rolled my eyes and turned back to Rhayden as he held up a knife. Infused with silver, he grinned and stepped forward. “Your favorite weapon.”He crouched, his hand gripping the back of my calf and he slipped the dagger into the side of my boot. His head lifted
My hands were on Mars again, grazing over soft flesh, raising goosepimples along her skin. Marley tipped her head back as my lips trailed up her neck, nipping at her skin with my fangs, drawing tiny drops of blood which tasted sublime. “Mars.”She wrapped her arms around my neck, letting me plunder her mouth with my tongue. I didn’t know why the simple act of kissing this woman sent me crazy. Maybe it was the difference in temperature. My cold tongue against her hot mouth, the sensation was phenomenal.My hands gripped her buttocks, squeezing them and she sighed against me, pulling away and looked up at me, raising an eyebrow. “You know he’s in the other room, right?”“So?” I asked, smirking, kissing along her jaw.“You’re going to fuck me, with your brother in the next room?”“Yep.”I turned Marley around, pushing her against the cold tiles, bringing her hips back
He looked younger in the picture than when I’d spoken to him two weeks prior. But that smug look… was still there.I let my hand off the page, letting Rhayden flip to the next one. He turned the book, turning it toward me.Looking down at the picture, my eyebrows furrowed. “He looks like… Hang on.”I reached out and grabbed my phone, and held it to the book, looking between photos. “It’s… It’s him. The one in the alley.”“It might not be.” Absinthe muttered, pulling the book toward him and I stared at him.“I’m not fucking stupid Absinthe; I know it’s him. It’s the tattoo on his neck.” I said, turning the phone and stood, putting it next to the picture of the man. “See, there.”Rhayden leaned in, looking at it. “She’s right you know.”“You shut it.” Absinthe said, looking at me and he pushe
All I wanted to do was break down the doors of the library and go to Mars. But I waited patiently behind my brother, as the doors opened, and we calmly walked through them.Marley stood as we walked over to the table and at any other time, she would she poked her tongue out or said something snarky. But not this time. Her gaze dropped to the table and she sat down as Absinthe and I took our seats.She looked tired.Beyond tired. She looked drained and… sad.“Marely, are you okay?”My head turned to Absinthe as he asked her what I’d been wanting to and I looked back to her in time for her to nod. “I’m fine. Lord Othello and I have been talking.”“About?” I asked.What had they been discussing for the last few hours. For that was how long we’d been pacing and waiting.Mars’ gaze went to Othello, who nodded. “Go on, you can tell them.”S
Othello had walked me to a bathroom, leaving me to do my business and then back to the library, where a plate of food was waiting. “Eat, I will be back in a few moments.”I stared at the food, my stomach rumbling with hunger, but also churning with sickness.Othello was nothing like the monster others had told me he was. He’d been sweet and kind, listening to me speak about my sister. He had questioned me about my working relationship with the Raynes and what had me agreeing to the contract I’d signed with Absinthe.I’d even told him of my doubts about my lover, about him keeping information about Johan from me. Which had been rebuked.“Absinthe wouldn’t do that.” “Which part?”“All of it.” Othello had replied. “I was present when he was born, with Absinthe being the heir to the Raynes’ coven, it was my duty as Lord of the Vampires to oversee the birth. Strapping, healthy young vampire he was, his hair as dark as night. So, I know Absinthe and what he is like, he would not tarnish th
If I could have been in the cell with Marley. I would already be there.Not being allowed to be anywhere near her, while she was going through this was breaking my heart and my spirit. And not to mention what it was doing to Rhayden.My brother had always told me he would never sully himself with a human, that because he was a born vampire, sleeping with a human was beneath him… Until he set eyes on Marlene Brennan.I had to admit, even I was quite surprised with how visceral my attraction to her had been when we first met.Now I sat here, in an empty parlor, watching my brother pace and brood. “I don’t give a fuck who he is, if Othello touches a single hair on Mars’ head I will skin him.”That threw up images of my pale haired, alabaster skinned brother, covered in black blood, while he carved Othello’s skin from him… and honestly, it painted quite a pretty—“Are you listening to me?”Rolling my eyes, I looked at my brother. “Of course I’m not.”“Asshole.” Rhayden spat, continuing hi
There was someone in the room with me…“I will get you a better bed.”My body stilled as the voice spoke and chills sped across my skin. Slowly, I opened my eyes and rolled over. There was a man standing at the door, barely taking up the doorway, but the authority he threw off, told me he was important.I climbed to my feet and stepped back, pressing myself against the wall, as he stepped inside the room and the door closed with a heavy thud behind him.The man… no creature in front of me was old. There was a blue tinge to his pale skin. Head bald, mottled with dark spots, he wore a dark suit, which hung off his thin frame. But there was not even a hint of danger coming from this man.Finally, I found my voice. “W-who are you?”There was a moment’s silence, “I am Othello, human hunter.”Oh shit.This was The Lord of the Vampires. The one every coven in the United
I paced the room, aware of Absinthe watching me from his comfy chair. My mind was on the woman in the room, near the armory.It had broken my undead heart, pushing Mars into that room and closing the door.“Rhayden, you’re making me dizzy.”Rolling my eyes, I glared at Abe and kept pacing.How the fuck had everything gone so fucking wrong? And Mathias…“I’m going to gut him.”“Othello wouldn’t approve of you slaying one of the vampire Lords, little brother. No matter how much of an asshole he is.”And by god, Mathias was one of the most assholey of all assholes. He had a mean streak to him, which came to the surface with his superiority complex. He thought he was better than everyone else, just because of his bloodline, because he was a vampire lord.Yeah, well that didn’t excuse his behaviors. Especially in our mansion.“Rhayden.”&ldq
“So, this is the murderess of my Coven member?”Barely had I stepped out of the elevator, when I was overcome with the scent of spoiled blood. Great… he was one of those vampires.Looking past Rhayden, who had stopped in the middle of the corridor, I looked at the vampire before us; his skintight on his bones, his eyes copper with anger, claws descended.In seconds, Absinthe had stepped past me, and was standing shoulder to shoulder with his brother, blocking the volatile vampire from reaching me.“You are in my mansion Mathias, remember that. If you even lay a finger on her, I will rip your head off and use it for a soccer ball.” Abe’s tone was blunt, to the point and my fear kicked into overdrive. What would happen if the vampire didn’t heed Abe’s warning? Would I become a casualty of a fight between them?Mathias leaned forward, looking past the vampires protecting her, lee
The five hours it took to drive back to my mansion, was the longest five hours of my life.Marley and I didn’t speak much, and I was glad, because I knew if we did, the inevitable talk of Johan would arise and we would argue.Seeing the gates of the mansion loom ahead of us though… my stomach churned. And when I drove up the drive, to see more than twenty cars lined up in front of the building, the churning became worse. I knew those cars and why they were there. I turned my head a little, looking across to Marley, as her gaze took in the vehicles, as we drove past and toward the back of the mansion to the garage. “I am not going to be able to speak with you much, once we get inside. Othello will want to speak with you alone.”“Awesome.” Marley muttered and I could hear not only the emotion in her voice, but the way her heart fluttered quicker, the closer we came to the garage. “If you knew that I was in danger, why com