B004SOYUR8 EBOK Page 10

  “I cannot rest with the knowledge that you are close,” he whispered in her ear.

  “I can’t sleep either,” she told him.

  “Then we better make love so that we can both get some rest.” Alec was already kissing her neck, his hands exploring the most intimate parts of her body.

  “Yes … that is a good idea,” she breathed.

  “Promise me that if I hurt you at all, you will stop me. Don’t let me get out of control.”

  “I love it when you lose control,” she said, her hand squeezing his hard shaft.

  Alec groaned, and kissed her hungrily as he tore her nightclothes away from her body. Nicole did not care what he did with her clothes, as long as they were out of the way. Caught up in her hunger, Nicole rolled Alec onto his back and mounted him so quickly that it was almost painful.

  Alec growled loudly. Her impatience to join with him escalated his own desire. Nicole began to ride him, her rhythm picking up as her lust erupted. At that moment, she cared nothing about the dangers. She was running on pure instinct, and her need to put out the fire that burned within her.

  Alec’s hands were stroking her breasts, squeezing her taut nipples until they tingled and burned. He lifted his hips to get into her deeper as she rotated on him, savoring every inch of him.

  Nicole’s moans turned to screams as she felt her flesh tighten around him, milking him as her world shattered into a million points of fiery pleasure. In the midst of orgasm, Alec threw his head back and she could feel his release throbbing inside her. Taking a deep breath, Nicole collapsed on his chest. His hand came up and he ran his fingers through her hair.

  “Do you think we were tame enough?” she asked, still gasping for air.

  “Hmm … tamer anyway.”

  Nicole lifted her head and placed a kiss on his lips. She wanted so badly to say the words, to profess her love for him, but she was afraid that he would withdraw from her, like he had last time. Instead, she slid off of him and let him wrap his arm around her waist. The last thing that she was aware of was Alec’s kiss, and then she was asleep.

  * * * *

  Nicole squinted her eyes against the glare of the overhead light. She sat up, making sure to cover herself with the sheet. Her father stood in the doorway, glowering at them.

  “I see that you have not taken my warning to heart,” he reprimanded.

  Alec sat up and stared at her father, but said nothing.

  Nicole wasn’t sure how to respond. If what Alec and her father told her were true, then having sex with a vampire was extremely risky. But how could she tell her father that she would rather die, than be away from Alec. That she was in love with a vampire.

  “We’ll be out in a minute,” she told him.

  Donavan left, shutting the door behind him.

  “Well he took that better than I thought he would,” Alec commented.

  “Really! I thought he seemed a little upset.”

  “Like I said … better than I thought he would. I’m surprised that he didn’t tear me to pieces,” Alec chuckled.

  “I’ll talk with him about it,” Nicole told him.

  Alec arched one brow. “Do you think that will work?”

  Nicole shrugged. It didn’t really matter. She would not let anyone stand in her way of being with Alec.

  * * * *

  When they came out of the bedroom, they saw Dash sitting in one of the chairs. He looked at them and lifted his hands in a gesture of helplessness. Donavan stood in the middle of the room, daggers flying from his cold - dark eyes.

  “Nicole … will you wait in the room while Alec and I talk?” he asked.

  “Father …” she started to protest, but he cut her off.

  “Only for a moment Nicole, and then you are welcome to return and plead your case for your vampire lover.”

  With a sigh, Nicole left the room. She was surprised by her father’s anger. After all, she was old enough to take a lover if she wanted to, even a vampire lover. Closing the door, Nicole tried to hear what was being said, but the door was heavy and she could only make out murmurs. Giving up, she sat on the bed and waited for them to finish.

  * * * *

  Donavan’s black eyes bore a hole through Alec, and though he’d never feared anyone - vampire or mortal, he found it made him edgy. Alec had lost his mortal daughter to the blade of a Scot. He knew what it was to want to protect a child, and the fury that you could feel against someone that had harmed that child.

  Though Donavan’s eyes were a storm of anger, when he spoke he was calm and cool. “Do you realize whose daughter you’ve just taken as a lover? I thought I detected something like this when I first saw her look at you,” Donavan told him. “But I had hoped that I was wrong.”

  “We were already lovers,” Alec told him.

  “But you did not turn her … and you did not intend to make her your feeder?”

  Alec shook his head. “Never my Lord.”

  “Why!” Donavan hissed. “Because you care about her and not the pleasure she can give you … or the yearning you have to feed on her? You are a killer Alec! Make no mistake about it!”

  “I would never harm Nicole,” Alec vowed. “I love her,” he added softly.

  Donavan’s eyes seemed to soften slightly. “If you truly love my daughter, I think you know what you must do.”

  “Yes,” Alec replied in a low voice.

  “Her destiny does not include you. It is something much larger than any of us.”

  Alec nodded. He would have let Nicole go, even if Donavan had blessed their union. She deserved so much more than what he could give her.

  * * * *

  Her father accompanied them back to New Orleans to help rescue Ethan from Omar’s grasp. When her father had summonsed her from the room, she’d tried to speak to him about Alec, but he had waved her concerns away, telling her that all was settled. This made her nervous, along with how distant Alec had been since Donavan had discovered their relationship.

  Donavan had promised to visit her mother after he’d dealt with Omar, but for now she was to keep his presence in the city a secret. Nicole was dying to tell her mother about him, but she realized that it could be dangerous, especially for Ethan.

  Nicole sat in the garden of Alec’s home, savoring the feeling of the sun on her skin. She had been in the dark so much lately that she’d almost forgotten how good the sun felt. It was late afternoon, and as the day cooled, the aroma of flowers grew strong. Nicole inhaled deeply. She loved the scent of flowers, especially the jasmine.

  The others were sleeping, Alec, along with her father. Dash was also with them. It had been decided that until their business was done, it was best if they all stayed together. Nicole was slightly amused at how these vampires really seemed like regular people a lot of the time. Of course, not so much when they fed or slept.

  Alec had one room completely sealed off so that light could not get in during the day. This is where he kept his coffin. The thought of sleeping in a coffin gave her the creeps. Now she could see why some preferred to go underground. At least there they could sleep in beds.

  Nicole kept running the events of the last few days through her mind, trying to digest everything. Connecting with her brother had been heartbreaking, but uplifting at the same time. After she’d had time to think about it, Nicole began to wonder if she had imagined the whole thing. Could she have really talked with Jay, or was it an illusion created by her father’s powerful mind?

  The only way she would ever know for sure was to find this Place of Light. This thought led to her sisters. Having sisters seemed exciting, that was until she remembered that they were sired by a vampire, the same as she. What would they be like?

  The swimming pool she was sitting next to beaconed her, and just as she was considering another swim, her phone beeped with a text message. Nicole grabbed it from the side table next to her chair and looked at the screen. It was from her mother. Nicole read the message.

  I am on Rampart and my
car won’t start. Can you give me a ride home?

  Nicole looked up at the sky. It would be dark soon. Did she dare go out? Mulling the problem over in her mind, she sighed and got up from the lounge chair. She didn’t have a lot of choice; she couldn’t leave her mother stranded.

  Nicole sent a text back, telling her mother that she would be there soon. She decided to throw a sundress over her swimsuit instead of getting dressed. It would save time. Nicole searched around in the kitchen for a piece of paper and a pencil. She wanted to leave Alec a note, telling him where she went, but couldn’t find a pen. The kitchen appeared as if it hadn’t been used at all, and it probably hadn’t.

  Nicole considered not leaving a note. Alec seemed to be able to find her whenever he wanted, but she thought better of it. She didn’t want him out looking for her when he had more important things to do. Finally she found a piece of paper and a pen in her purse. She quickly scribbled a note and left it on the kitchen table for him to find.

  * * * *

  It was dark by the time she got to Rampart. She drove up the street, but didn’t see her mother’s car. Finally she pulled over to the side of the road and sent another text to her mother, asking her location. After a few moments she hadn’t received a reply so she dialed Vicky’s number. It rang several times and then the voice mail picked up.

  “Mom, where are you? I’m here but I don’t see your car.” Nicole left the message, though she didn’t really believe that her mother would get it. This was just too odd. Mom’s cars always ran good. She’d never had a problem before with her car breaking down. Had they gotten to her mom?

  Nicole felt ice-cold fear grip her heart. She had lost her brother, and did not want to lose her mom too. A scream tore from her throat when she heard something crash into the roof of the car. She quickly hit the lock button for the doors to make sure whatever was out there, wouldn’t get in. It had been a trap!

  They had used her mom’s phone to lure her away from the others. Now she was alone and defenseless.

  The back window shattered and she saw one of the creatures crawling in after her. His eyes were red, and his face seemed twisted and deformed. She quickly unlocked the door and scrambled out of the car. When she turned to run, she was confronted by a woman with long black hair and eyes as red as the blood she consumed. Before she had a chance to react, something was placed over her face. She had only time enough for her brain to register the scent of chloroform before blacking out.

  Chapter Eleven

  The room was spinning. No matter how she tried, she could not make her eyes focus on any one thing. The dizziness was nauseating. She was sure she would lose her stomach and vomit at any moment. The pain in her head made her feel as if her brain was ready to explode.

  “She is waking up.” The female voice sounded as if it were coming from the end of a long tunnel.

  Nicole opened her eyes, forcing the pain to the back of her mind with sheer will power. Her wrists were bound and chained to the ceiling. While she’d been out, her entire weight had hung from her arms and now they ached. She pushed onto her tiptoes in an effort to take some of the pressure off of her arms.

  The woman with the long black hair was standing near her, and then there was a man. He was a large man, and like Dash, he had no hair. Unlike the others she’d seen, this vampire wore ceremonial robes instead of street clothing.

  “Welcome back Nicole,” he said. A malicious smile spread across his face and he leaned in closer to her. “You have been a difficult girl to get a hold of.”

  Nicole stared at him, but said nothing. She didn’t need to ask why they had taken her, she knew. He seemed to be waiting for some type of response.

  “What have you done with my mother?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “Nothing … they just took her phone. But that could change if you are going to be difficult.”

  Nicole swallowed. It was obvious he was going to go to any lengths to achieve his goal.

  “Do you know who your father is Nicole?”

  “No, who is he?” She decided it might be best if she did not let on to what she knew, just yet.

  “Well he is my brother … and you child … are a born vampire.”

  “I don’t believe you,” she spit out.

  “Do you know what’s wrong with a born vampire?” he asked, ignoring her outburst.

  Nicole glared at him, remaining silent.

  “They are forbidden!” Omar’s voice thundered through the room.

  “Why?” she asked, not just to show insolence, but because she wanted to hear the reason why they were forbidden.

  “Because they are freaks of nature,” he told her.

  “Well aren’t vampires that anyway?”

  Fury leaped into his eyes. “You are a sassy little girl aren’t you?”

  “You haven’t seen anything yet,” she said with a wicked smile.

  “Where is your father?” he asked loudly, his voice actually vibrating off of the walls.

  “I do not know, dear uncle.”

  He stepped forward and raised his hand to strike her. Nicole did not let her gaze waver from his face.

  “He will destroy you,” she told him.

  Omar laughed. “Your father is weak. He chooses to mate with humans and hide like a rodent.”

  Nicole gave him a scathing look. “I would not be too confident.”

  Omar walked to a small - ornamental table. He then picked up a gold chalice and a knife. Slicing his hand, he let the blood drip into the chalice. When he had filled it with a small amount of his blood, he pulled his hand away. As Nicole watched, the wound seemed to heal in a matter of seconds.

  “You must become one of us Nicole,” he told her. “If you do not, I will be forced to destroy you.”

  “I have no intention of drinking your blood,” she informed him, betraying none of the fear or revulsion that she was feeling.

  “I am your uncle Nicole. I do not want to destroy you … but I must if you choose not to join us and embrace what you were born to be. Your very existence is forbidden.”

  He returned to her side and lifted the chalice to her mouth. Nicole clamped her lips down tight, hoping that he would not manage to get any into her mouth.

  “This won’t work Nicole,” he told her, shaking his head disapprovingly.

  Omar turned his attention to the woman. “Julia, bring Ethan in here.”

  The woman left the room and returned a moment later with Ethan. Nicole barely recognized him, and was repulsed by what she saw. He was bound in chains that he dragged with him as he walked. Ethan’s face was pale and sunken. He looked like a skeleton that was covered with a thin layer of skin. His eyes were yellow and lethal. When he saw her, he hissed and drew back his lips so that his fangs were visible.

  “He is starving Nicole. He has been deprived of blood for so long that he is a danger, even to us. Vampires that become blood deprived turn into true monsters … did you know that dear niece? If we let him loose, he will feed on the first human that he sees and I’m afraid in this case … you are the closest thing to human that he will have to feed on.”

  “You are deranged!”

  “I am the same as your father,” he mocked. “I am also just like your lover. You hate us so much, but you would take a vampire for a lover.”

  Nicole’s eyes widened with shock.

  “Oh yes … I know that Alec is your lover. If you do not care for Ethan’s sad fate … maybe you will care if I destroy Alec.”

  “You couldn’t!”

  His laugher was hideous. “I most definitely can and will, if you do not cooperate with me.”

  Stepping closer to her, he leaned down and whispered. “They are mere vampires. We are the Lords, and can do as we choose with them.”

  Nicole’s eyes sliced at him, her anger nearly overriding her common sense. “You are pathetic,” she told him in a voice full of scorn. “My father is noble. You are no better than the rest of these bloodsuckers.”

  Th
is time he did strike her. She felt her lip split and blood dripping down her chin. Both Ethan and Julia began growling. Julia lunged toward her, but Omar knocked her out of the way.

  “You see Nicole … right now it is only me that stands between you and a horrible death.” Omar took a tissue from a nearby box. He dabbed her lip and chin with it to clean her.

  “You are wrong Omar! It is also me that stands between her and death.” It was her father’s voice.

  Omar swung around. “Well if it isn’t my brother that decided to crawl from his hole in the ground.”

  “If you strike my daughter again, I will tear you apart and scattered your remains to the vultures.” Donavan spoke through clenched teeth.

  Omar flew at Donavan, but her father easily moved out of his way. Alec and Dash stepped forward to stand on each side of her father.

  “You dare to defy me!” Omar bellowed at Donavan’s companions.

  “I do,” Alec told Omar, looking him right in the eyes.

  “I am your lord and master,” he yelled at them.

  “You are not mine,” Dash said with a shrug.

  Julia sauntered up to Alec and ran her fingers through his hair. “My sweet Alec, it has been such a long time.”

  He did not respond.

  “I am your maker Alec. You should obey me.”

  Alec shoved her hand away. “You are the one that took me to hell. I owe you nothing.”

  “This insolence is unbelievable.” Omar shook his head.

  “Times are changing Omar. You will not control forever.” Donavan smiled.

  Before those present realized what was happening, Ethan had broken free of his chains and was lunging at Nicole. Screaming, she lifted her legs so that she was hanging by her arms, and kicked at Ethan to keep him away.

  In a flash, Alec attacked Ethan, bringing him to the ground.

  Omar went for Alec, but Donavan grabbed him by the throat and they both flew through the air, smashing against the wall. They hovered above the ground - their eyes alight with rage and bloodlust.

  “No Omar! You will step aside and leave my daughter be.”

  “Or what?” Omar asked sarcastically.