Helaine
I bit my lip as I stood, savoring the odd metallic taste of him that still lingered as I watched him fiddle with the old record player—it looked antique, but kept in great condition.
He seemed almost frozen when the music started to play, and my heart ached. “We can listen to something else,” I offered.
I didn’t know how close he’d been with the band—he couldn’t have been much older than me, so they would have already gone missing well before he was born, but it really seemed to affect him nonetheless.
“No,” he sighed, running his hands through his hair as he took a moment to catch his breath, before turning back to face me. “No, I need to hear it.”
Before I could say anything else, he closed the distance between us, and pulled me close so he could kiss me again, weaving a hand into my hair.
I clung to him, trying to keep up, damn near breathless by the time he finally let me go.
I wanted more.
“I want you to strip,” he breathed against my lips, still holding my head in his hands. “Can you do that for me?”
I nodded—clothes felt restrictive at this point anyway.
I watched him walk to the couch, where he sat comfortably, his thighs spread wide as he relaxed.
My teeth sank into my bottom lip—I didn’t know why I was feeling shy right now, after all, he was the one who wanted to fuck me so bad he offered to pay me for it, and he was eyeing me so eagerly he may as well have been a starving dog staring down a juicy steak.
My chest fluttered with desire, and I tried to lose myself in the music as my hips swayed and my shirt came up over my head, but something about the familiar music only made me focus on him more.
I knew I needed to keep some professionalism about this, if there even was a professional way to show a man my whole pussy and then some—the last thing I needed was to catch feelings for a guy who had already told me point blank that he was emotionally unavailable, not to mention the kind of guy who pays for sex.
Pays me for sex.
I didn’t feel quite sexy as I struggled to kick my boots off, but he didn’t seem to mind, his hungry eyes never leaving me.
I recovered my confidence though by slowly pushing my ripped up jeans down my hips—I’d worn the black lace today—it was the only matching underwear set that I had, and he seemed to appreciate it when I stood in nothing but my bra and panties.
“You look good in lace.” His voice was just shy of a growl at this point, and I felt equal parts proud and dirty as he palmed himself through his jeans at the sight of me. “It’d be a shame to have to rip it off of you.”
I could take a hint.
He groaned when I unhooked my bra, and I took the liberty to tease him as I slowly slid it down my shoulders, before finally dropping it to the floor.
He let out a dark chuckle. “Just like that.” He grinned. “I like that.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked, cupping my breasts in my hands and biting my lip as I squeezed them.
“Yeah,” he hissed.
“Good.” I grinned at him, before turning my back to him.
I swayed my hips to the music before bending over, giving him a good show of my ass as I slid my panties down my thighs, letting them drop to the floor.
Before I even had a chance to stand fully, Evan was behind me, and I could feel his erection through his pants when he pressed his hips to mine.
I let out a whimper as his hand wove into my hair, and he pulled me up so that my back was flush against his chest, his lips at my ear.
“What are you going to do to me?” I asked, wriggling my ass against him.
I gasped as his teeth scraped against my earlobe, and I could feel him grinning against my skin. “Be a good girl, and find out.”
I could have cried when he walked away from me.
I was ready to be fucked, and I was ready to be fucked now, but by the way he talked about lasting the whole night, I had my suspicions that he wasn’t in any rush.
He didn’t go far, returning with a length of red rope. “It’s silk,” he told me, ghosting his fingertips along my wrists. “It’s softer against your skin.”
“How considerate.” I smirked at him.
He winked. “I try.”
It took all of my willpower to hold still as he wound the rope around my skin—I’d never been tied up before, but it was obvious that Evan knew exactly what he was doing.
“Is this comfortable?” He asked, kneeling in front of me as he tightened the rope around my ribs.
“Yes,” I lied.
It was too tight, and I felt constricted, but I was high on this, and I was eager to get to the main event.
He stood, taking my jaw in his hand and giving me a stern look. “Are you lying to me?” He inhaled sharply through his nose, before nodding my head for me. “Yes, you are, I can tell.”
“It’s a little tight,” I confessed, sucking my bottom lip between my teeth.
I loved the way he touched me, like I was his to do with as he pleased—bought and paid for.
He loosened the rope a little, and smiled when I took an easy breath. “I need you comfortable in these ropes,” he explained, leaning in like he was going to kiss me, but stopping short just as I began to part my lips, whispering, “so I can have my fun.”
He laughed when I whimpered, but I just couldn’t help myself.
Every touch was like fire, and I was fairly sure that I’d never wanted anything the way I wanted him, especially the way he made me feel so gorgeous with nothing but a length of pretty red rope.
“Come here,” he ordered, hooking a finger under the rope that accentuated my breasts as he led me toward the coffin. “Lay down on your stomach, if you please.”
I struggled to move a bit in the ropes, so he helped me down. The wood was cool against my skin, and he laughed when I gasped.
“Good girl.” I didn’t need to see him to know that he was grinning. “Relax your body, I’m going to tie your arms and legs behind your back.”
“Yes, sir,” I purred.
I had meant to mock him, to make a joke about the BDSM scene we were preparing, but I found that I liked the words a whole lot more than I would have expected.
I never really saw myself as the submissive type, but here, as he bound me in rope, I felt like I was exactly where I needed to be.
“I’ll ask you again.” He tugged at the knot he’d made above my back, and I hummed at the subtle pull of the ropes. “Are you comfortable?”
“Very.” This time it was the truth, and by the way he hummed, he seemed to approve.
“Good.”
I wasn’t sure what he was doing as he paced around the coffin. I could only see so far, lying face down and unable to move.
I shivered when cold metal brushed against my skin as he slid it under the ropes, and I was confused until suddenly I gasped as I was hoisted off of the coffin.
I could see more the higher I was raised, and I saw him cranking a lever, locking it when I was about eye level with his waist.
“You look confused,” he mused, openly drinking in the sight of me, bound and naked, suspended from the ceiling.
He took me by the chin, and gently turned me so that I could get a glimpse of the rig anchored into the ceiling. “I didn’t notice that before.”
“You do remember that you have a safeword, don’t you.” His face was only inches from mine.
I wanted him to kiss me, but I was powerless to reach him, instead I licked my lips. “I remember.”
He stepped just a little closer, but not quite close enough. “Do you want to use it?”
“Fuck no.”
HelaineHe held my jaw in his hand as he pulled me into a deep and hungry kiss that made me whine as he pulled away.His husky laughter resonated through my ears, and I could tell by the tension in his voice that he was every bit as turned on as I was in this moment.He stalked out of my line of sight, and I was left staring down at the coffin. From my vantage point, I could see all of the gorgeous details carved into the black stained wood—hundreds if not thousands of small skulls and bats were hidden among the intricate brambles of roses.Evan had said he worked in many different mediums, and I wondered if he’d carved it himself.My line of thinking was cut off by the sudden
HelaineI let out a pathetic little whimper when I felt the sting of the first cut, but I also heard the sharp rasp to his breath. It was like he was struggling to control himself, and however much the blade stung, it was worth it to hear him so thoroughly wrecked.I didn’t hold back my cries as he continued to slice my skin in what felt as though he was probably cutting intricate patterns into my flesh, and it seemed to spur him on.I had gone dumb with pleasure—more than anything physical, I was getting off on the fact that he had made me his canvas.I let out a loud wail when I came, my pussy clenching helplessly around nothing, and soon after I was startled by the metallic clatter of the knife hitting
Helaine“I don’t know, I think the villain’s motivations were a little passé.”“Passé? Come on, it was a vampire flick from the 80s. What motivation does he need beyond ‘Mmm lemme at that blood’?”“Helaine, you’re into gothic lit, right? Help me out here.”“Hmm, what?” I startled, looking dazed as my friends waited for an answer. “Sorry, I was . . . I was focused on the movie.”Lie.It was a total, complete, bald faced lie.Ever since my friends and I pooled our money together for a projector, movie night in the abandoned underpass had been my absolute favorite thing to do, especially in October, where we met once a week for a horror movie on Saturday as opposed to once a month like the rest of the year.It helped to make up for the fact that outdoor movie nights tended to be a no-go through most of winter.By all accounts, I should have been absolutely engrossed in this cheesy old vampire movie, but it was hard to focus when Evan spent the entire time sitting across the underpass sta
Helaine“Evan,” I whimpered against his lips, but he only kissed me again, holding me tight against him.His teeth scraped across my bottom lip, and I could feel his fangs, darkly sensual as he bit me ever so gently, careful not to draw blood.Not yet.Once the blood was flowing, it would become an exercise of restraint for Evan, and we both knew that wouldn’t be wise in public. Some how, that lurking danger only made it all the sweeter.I loved it. My whole body—my whole being cried out for more.But I couldn’t shake the lingering fear that someone would see us, as out in the open as we were.What would my friends think?Del and Roman didn’t seem too fazed by the way Evan put his arm around me back under the bridge, but there’s a pretty big difference between some harmless flirting and the naked truth that he’s paying me for sex.More than sex, he was an undead creature paying to drink my blood.I wanted to relax and enjoy the emotional foreplay of the long walk back to his apartment
HelaineWhipping around to look behind me, my lips parted in surprise at the large wheel, padded with gorgeously detailed leather.My fingers ran over the intricate patterns embossed into it, skulls and roses similar to the details on Evan’s coffin rendered in detail that must have taken years to achieve on a scale this large. Deep in concentration, my tongue slid along the seam of my lips in appreciation.“Do you like it?” His hands trailed up my hips, his touch feather-light, as he pressed himself against me, telling me that he’s been just as eager for this day to come as I have. “I didn’t build the wheel, but the leatherwork is all mine.”“You made this?” Craning my neck to look back at him, I couldn’t hide how impressed I was. “It must have taken—”“Years, yeah.” He chuckled, his breath tickling the back of my neck. “Time isn’t an issue for me.”The chill of his hand grazing my skin as his fingers carded into the back of my hair made me gasp. He turned my head toward the center of
EvanI could feel Helaine’s eyes linger on me as I moved toward the makeshift kitchen, where I’d already prepared her snack. Leaning against the fridge, I took in a deep breath, regaining my composure.My willpower and self-control was something I took pride in, a skill I’d honed over decades of living with my condition. I needed to always be in control of myself, or I could lose everything all over again.Helaine was just a human, but something about her drew me in from the first time I saw her, four years ago when she started taking classes at the art college where I spend my time.I made a deal with myself that I wouldn’t interfere with her life unless she came to me first, but she never did. When she said that she was in danger of losing her apartment, I knew that if I didn’t do something to stop it, there was a chance she’d have to leave the city, and then she’d be out of my life for good.It probably would have been better for her in the long run, but I couldn’t stop myself. I d
HelaineThe look in Evan’s eyes as he knelt between my thighs burned through me. There was a hunger in him that went deeper than his hunger for blood. His lips pressed against the soft skin of my inner thigh, trailing higher as he leaned in.“Look at you,” he sighed, ghosting his nose along my flesh, sending a shiver through me. “You’re incredible like this.”His breath was like a cool breeze, not warmed by natural life like a normal man. The not-yet-familiar sensations caused me to gasp and squirm, and he grabbed my thighs in response, holding me in place as he dragged his tongue through my pussy, tasting me.He hummed as he dipped his tongue inside of me, coaxing out a whimper of pleasure as I buried my fingers in his hair.“Evan,” I moaned, bucking my hips up against his face when his nose brushed against my clit.He didn’t answer me, his tongue too busy moving to flick my sensitive bud as he squeezed my thighs harder.Hard enough to bruise, I hoped. I almost mourned the subtle sli
Helaine“Good girl,” Evan purred, running his fangs along my sensitive skin before pressing a sensuous kiss to the back of my neck.His kisses trailed further down my spine as he crawled off of me, and when he stood, he almost seemed like a gentleman when he offered me his hand.My legs felt like jelly when I tried to stand, but he held me while I swayed on my feet.“Careful now.” The corner of his lips tugged into a smug smirk as he pulled me against him, my body flush with his. “We wouldn’t want you getting hurt before we reach the main event now, would we?”Shaking my head, I clung to him, regaining control over my legs. “No.”“No, what?” His thumb and forefinger captured my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes, bathing in their soft red glow.“No, Sir,” I affirmed, and he rewarded me by drawing me into a kiss.His lips moved skillfully against mine, his free hand carding through the back of my hair to hold me closer.Evan kissed me like he needed me, like he was a starving man,
HelaineThe world felt different, up in the sky.Over the past few days I’d been doing what Valek said—training. I learned to use the wings that erupted from my back, learned to feel them and control them just the same as my arms and legs.But it wasn’t enough.How could it be?“You’re getting better at that,” Valek called from the ground, her cold black eyes following me as my wings beat the air. “It’s an amazing freedom, isn’t it?”“I did what you said.” My lips curved into a grimace as I landed in front of her. Logically, I knew I should still be afraid of her, but the more time I was forced to spend with this ancient monster the harder it was not to see her as a person. “I connected with my wings, but I still can’t hide them.”She let out a laugh, her eyes falling shut as she shook her head. “Your wings, yes. But you’re still fighting where they came from.” Her fingertips hovered over my heart as she leaned in, too close, but I was quickly learning that social boundaries weren’t s
EvanOne more fucking night of not finding Helaine.Snarling, I threw open the el camino’s bed cover, squinting under the light of the full moon. It was the closest I could get to the sun without burning to a crisp, and it was still a little too bright for my sensitive eyes.But it was just one more reason to be pissed off tonight.When I looked around, I could see that we were on a very rural stretch of the highway, moving west according to the rusty old road signs. There wasn’t another car around for miles as far as I could hear. Not even the kind of old truck I’d expect to hear out in these parts.Helaine wasn’t here either.My boots crunched against the abandoned gas station parking lot’s gravel as I stalked toward the driver’s side door, I slammed my hand down on the hood in a fit of frustration as Frank stepped out of my ride, lighting up a cigarette.I snatched it from his fingers, taking a long drag, hoping it would do something to take off the edge . . . but it didn’t. One of
HelaineSitting naked on the wooden chair felt awkward, and I wrapped my wings around my body as I shivered in the air’s chill.Valek had no such issue, confidently striding naked through the room to stir the cauldron that emanated a delicious aroma that reminded me just how hungry I was. I couldn’t help feeling exposed, but there was something about the way that Valek wore her own skin that gave away just how ancient she was.Unbound by societal convention for the simple fact that she predated it. By a long shot.Her body was gorgeous, as though she was a work of art carved from pure snow, but I didn’t get the feeling that she was in any way trying to seduce me. Being naked was just natural to her—the leather scraps she wore as clothes before hastily thrown together almost as an afterthought.It probably helped that she was an undead creature, and most likely didn’t feel the chill in the air.The whole atmosphere held an eerie air of domesticity as she ladled stew into a wooden bowl
EvanThe moon was beginning to descend, and that meant that soon the sun would rise. Too soon for my liking as I followed Frank through the cemetery.“The Knights really had a cache here?” My brow arched in doubt, but he didn’t so much as look back as he blazed on ahead. “In a public cemetery?”“A mausoleum,” he specified. “Knights coming and going would’ve just seemed like family members of the departed, and no one but those with authorization would have access. Seemed pretty perfect at the time.”He gestured ahead, and sure enough there was an old mausoleum, overgrown with vines and half covered in moss.“So why do you think they abandoned it, if it was so perfect?” I watched him warily as he pulled a key from the chain around his neck and used it to unlock the tomb.It seemed . . . convenient, and I had to wonder if it was really abandoned, or if the Knights of Testament had their suspicions that Frank was hiding nearby, and they hoped they could draw him out.They had apparently t
HelaineA groan of protest left my body before my eyes deigned to flutter open. My head was pounding, and my mouth felt impossibly dry.A black spider with spindly legs skittered across my field of vision, but I was too exhausted to scramble away from it like I might’ve otherwise done if I were coherent enough to be afraid.My body felt unreasonably heavy when I tried to adjust myself into a sitting position, and it became clear exactly why when I looked over my shoulder to see the whitish feathers, sticky and flecked red, matted together with dried blood.Choking out a ragged sigh, I rolled my head back as I tried to rub the pain out of my aching throat. If the wings were real, then everything that happened to me last night was real.And Evan . . . well, I had no idea where he was, which meant that he probably had no idea where I was.Hell, I didn’t even know where I was.Getting to my feet was a struggle with the added weight of the extra limbs now protruding from my back, but it wa
Evan“I’m coming Helaine,” I whispered as I made my way down the porch steps. “I promise I’ll find you.”It was a promise I intended to keep. Valek didn’t strike me as one to keep a low profile—there’d probably be a trail of corpses once I got close enough to whatever den of horrors she was calling home these days.Only . . . I didn’t have a clue where to start looking, and there wasn’t time for me to go chasing my tail without any direction trying to find her.Whatever was happening to Helaine after she used her powers, it was obviously some kind of transformation. I didn’t know what I was going to find when I did finally catch up with her.But she was out there somewhere. I could feel it in what remained of my soul that she was still alive, but with her in Valek’s custody it was impossible to say for certain what to expect.What I didn’t expect was for Frank’s door to open behind me, creaking in protest when he followed me outside. “Kid,” he called after me, a desperate edge to his
HelaineWind whipped my face as Valek flew through the air, but I could hardly feel it.I hardly even remembered being taken from my childhood home. Everything after my body had erupted with that dark blast of energy felt unreal, like everything around me melted away in the inferno of the pain that racked my body.But in whatever conscious part of my mind that still struggled to hold on, I knew that Evan was still at my father’s house, left so far behind that there was no way he’d ever find me.What would he do? What would Frank do?Valek had frozen Evan and cast him off as easily as if she were flicking away an ant that had crawled onto her deathly pale skin. The only thin assurance I had that he was even alive was that in some strange way, I could feel him.Maybe it was like Lilith said—his damned soul was bound to me. I would feel it if he’d been killed.I hoped.There was precious little I could feel in this moment other than the searing torture my body was enduring.But he had to
Evan“Helaine . . . ” I could hardly hear my own voice in this moment, like my head was in a fish bowl, and my mouth had gone impossibly dry. I pawed weakly at Helaine, trying to pull her toward the door. “We need to leave. Now.”My whole body felt like there was ice in my veins when I saw her—Valek, the Mistress of Blood, with her cold, black eyes fixed squarely on the woman I loved.“Helaine,” I urged.She yanked her arm out of my grip, looking back at me with desperate eyes, still clouded with inky black tears as she protested, “I can’t let her kill my dad!”“He tried to kill you!” I pleaded, reaching for her again, but it was useless.Evan after all he’d put her through, Helaine still saw the man as her father. She was like a scared little girl right now, and I couldn’t blame her.She wasn’t the only one who felt small—helpless.It was impossible not to feel that way when an ancient horror beyond mortal comprehension made herself known.Frank Fairgrieve made a pathetic effort to p
HelaineFrank’s brow furrowed as he openly stared at me, the shotgun clattering to the gravel below as it fell from his hand. No doubt, I was the last person he expected to see rolling up to his house tonight.“Helaine . . . ” His voice was barely above a whisper as his head shook slowly, side to side, like he knew this wasn’t just a social call.Like he knew all his lies would catch up to him eventually.Evan followed, climbing out of the driver’s seat and eyeing my father dangerously over the el camino’s hood.“Who’s he?” Dad asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously as he gestured toward Evan.“Never mind who I am,” Evan spat without an ounce of hesitation, his eyes never leaving my dad as though if he stared hard enough his gaze would pierce through him. “Your business is with her, not me.”In some cases, I supposed that Evan’s gaze could do just that to a person’s mind, but he wasn’t using his ability now. He wouldn’t meddle like that when he knew how badly I needed this.“I think yo