21 Shades of Night, page 78
His wince cut through the haze and with my teeth still embedded in his wrist, I turned, meeting his frantic gaze. My eyes locked with his and the razor incisors in my mouth retracted but I kept my grip, drinking with greedy slurps.
With each drop came an image and I saw the world as it was when he was human.
I saw him vibrant and alive and I saw the reasons for the vengeance in his blood.
My betrayal paled in comparison to his loss.
He watched his lover, Athena, torn to pieces at the hands of a demon, all because she refused to disclose where she hid her daughter.
Damian knew where Zoe hid, but kept silent. He had sworn allegiance to the girl, taking the place of her dead father and loving her like she was his own child. Nothing the demons did would loosen his tongue.
The little girl was an innocent, a child of light descendant and the demon wanted to feast on her life force even more than he wanted Athena’s. It was a coveted delicacy and Damian stood in the demon’s path.
When his lover lay in pieces at his feet, her blood smeared across the demon’s lips and her heart an empty husk on the ground, Damian swore he would dedicate his life to destroying the demon.
That’s when Lucifer threw him into the pit with a hoard of hungry vampires.
He yanked his wrist from me and covered it with his hand, standing and taking an unsteady step backwards. Damian’s jumbled thoughts flowed over me like a blanket, suffocating me and I gasped, my hunger forgotten.
He had walked the earth for over two thousand years protecting Zoe’s bloodline.
Until his fangs sank into my neck.
Chapter 4
Damian
THIS IS WHAT happens when a light child becomes a shadow.
Her strength outmatched mine and I had no idea how I subdued her. The moment she sensed human life above, her teeth had flared to sharp weapons of destruction and she had moved like lightning, finding the hidden entrance to the stairwell with ease.
I stared at her, holding my aching wrist and reeling from the mind-union we held as she feasted on my blood. That was an entirely new and unwelcomed experience.
“I, uh, I can’t let you go up there,” I said, unsure of whether my blood had tempered her thirst. If not, she was screwed. The minute she stepped from our daytime sanctuary, the sunshine would torch her delicate skin, leaving her nothing but a pile of ash.
Naomi wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her gaze landed on my wrist and then traveled back to my face. Her eyes carried confusion and she stepped toward me, pulling my injured wrist toward her.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. Her trembling fingers traced the wounds and she closed her eyes, inhaling and bringing my wrist to her lips.
Instead of latching on again, as I expected, she pressed her lips to my skin. A warm sensation flooded through me and her eyes opened, her gaze shooting right to my heart. Naomi melted the frost that had built over millenniums and I stifled the urge to take her to my bedroom and do things I hadn’t done since the days I spent with Athena.
The light burned in her eyes, too, and she stepped close, crowding me.
“You don’t kill humans, do you?” she asked, the lilt in her voice made the phrase more of a statement than a question.
“No. Not usually.” I led her out of the stairwell, closing the door and getting my bearings. “I’ve made exceptions over the years and death is usually warranted, but lately, I’ve let my hatred get the best of me.” I turned back to her. “If I had taken the time to really see you instead of just stalking you for revenge, I would have known why Lucifer wanted you. I would have known you were off limits.”
“Off limits?”
“A child of light is off limits,” I said and a crinkle of confusion appeared on her forehead. “A child of light is a descendant of the Archangel Michael,” I explained. “You’re in one of the lines I lost track of.” I dropped my gaze to the floor and the heat of my failure filled my cheeks.
“Is that why you looked so scared on the rooftop?”
My gaze snapped to hers and I shrugged.
It was bad enough having Lucifer as an enemy, but pissing off Michael, that was an automatic death sentence. The righteous were infinitely more brutal than the demons when crossed.
“I’m still here, but that could change at any moment.”
Chapter 5
Naomi
MY LEGS WOBBLED and he stepped forward, putting his uninjured arm around my waist and led me back to the couch. His touch was gentle and I found myself wondering just what he would be like in bed.
A different type of hunger accosted me and I pounced, pushing him down on the cushions and his eyes widened, following the line of my neck to the open V of my bathrobe. He blinked and then snapped his gaze from my exposed breasts back to my face, all hesitation in his expression morphed to a desire deeper than mine.
He pulled me to his lips, the first kiss soft; as if he was afraid I would run. When his hands threaded into my hair, the kiss became more insistent, his tongue explored my mouth and a low groan escaped him like I was the most precious thing he had ever encountered.
His body responded and I yanked away at both the jolt of his erection and the shock skittering over my flesh. I blinked down at him and his slow easy smile made me forget what he was. Nimble fingers unthreaded the tie holding the rest of the bathrobe closed and the coolness of the air slapped me back into control.
Before his shaking hands touched my skin, I hopped off him and pulled the soft material back in place.
“I’m sorry,” I said and took a few paces in the opposite direction.
Damian stared at the ceiling with his fists clenched. The muscles in his jaw twitched and I could tell he was grinding his teeth together, fighting for control. When his gaze moved from the ceiling to me, I knew he lost the battle but I didn’t react fast enough.
Within a blink, he had me against the wall. His iron grip held my wrists against the cool fabric covering the concrete beneath. He stared at me, his chest rising and falling with the lust sparkling in his eyes.
“You shouldn’t tease me like that.”
His voice fanned over me like a delicate shower and instead of struggling I kept his gaze biting my lip to keep my voice in check. Awareness of how close he was made my heart bang in my chest and the knowledge that it still pumped blood through my body took my attention away from his intense eyes.
“My heart…” I whispered.
His grip loosened but he didn’t let go. “It still beats. So does mine,” he said, answering my unasked question.
“I thought…”
He laughed and dropped my hands, taking a step back. “You thought vampires were dead and cold and soulless.”
I raised a shoulder in response.
“We’re ageless whether we feed on humans or not and we are alive. I’ll admit the degree of alive varies, but we are alive and not the walking dead you’re imagining.”
“Un-dead,” I said.
He smiled and shrugged. “Until your luck runs out, then you’re just as dead as the next cadaver.”
“Why?”
“The virus crystallizes our cells, freezing them in time, but they still require oxygen, so we breathe. Blood moves the oxygen through the body, so our hearts continue to beat. There hasn’t been an ounce of decomposition in my system since I turned. The ability to heal is accelerated as well and I haven’t quite figured out why.”
His explanation intrigued me. “If that’s the case, why can’t vampires go out in the sun?”
“The crystallization reacts badly with ultraviolet rays,” he said, understating the dangers.
I skirted around him and wandered through the room, digesting his words and examining my surroundings. The tapestries hanging over the concrete provided a lively and warm feel to the space and I reached out, running my fingers over the silky vibrant fabric. His gaze followed me, heating a spot on my back and I flexed my shoulders, trying to dislodge the burn.
“I’ve never known vampires to shape shift,” I finally said, stopping in front of a mural of a castle with a pair of hawks flying overhead.
His huff took my attention away from the wall and I turned, meeting his gaze.
“What, exactly, do you know about vampires?”
“You have super human speed and strength, you heal like that,” I snapped my fingers. “And you survive by drinking blood. The perfect monster.” Sarcasm wrapped its hands around each of my words and he rolled his eyes.
He crossed his arms and waited for me to continue.
“I used to think a silver blade to the heart would kill them.”
His smile surfaced. “Silver will leave a nasty welt, but it’s not strong enough to pierce through our skin. However, any blade made from a derivative of platinum, especially when thrust through the heart, kills.”
“Why platinum?”
“There’s something about the purity of the metal that allows it to pierce our skin, but the blade doesn’t have to be forged from pure platinum, it can be forged of steel and dipped in platinum.”
“You never answered my question about shape shifting.”
He sighed and his gaze lifted to the tapestry. “I didn’t think it was a question.”
“Well, is that normal?”
He shook his head and his less than cursory glance in my direction made my skin flush.
“So, what? You’re special?”
His chuckle caught me off guard and he shrugged. “I never thought of it that way.”
Chapter 6
Damian
CURSED IS MORE like it, I thought and met her stare. I could tell she had a boatload of questions pinging around behind those beautiful eyes, but I wasn’t in the mood for speculating about why I could morph into a mammoth predatory bird at will. Whether it was a divine gift or a demonic curse, I wasn’t sure, but that unique gift saved my ass a time or two.
“Well?” Her hands found their way to her waist and her head cocked to the side.
Her stance allowed the V in the bathrobe to widen, giving me just enough of a glimpse of her breasts to jump-start my overactive libido. I forced my gaze back to her face and shoved my hands into my back pockets. Even though it had been centuries since I had a houseguest, I hadn’t totally lost sight of my manners.
“I’m sorry, Naomi, but I don’t have an answer for you.”
Her perfect pout surfaced and I turned, stalking out of the room before I acted on the overwhelming urges wracking my form. Instead, I busied myself with the laundry, pulling the soaking garments from the spiffy new front-loader I had purchased recently, and throwing them into the dryer.
I’d have to take her shopping tonight because there was no way I would be able to resist another day of her lounging in that bathrobe.
I turned away from the machine and stopped. Naomi stood in the doorway, her hands gripping the frame, all her earlier curiosity gone. Her face transformed into a mask of lust-filled hunger.
“I should get you something to drink,” I whispered, reacting to her close proximity and the knowledge that she could drain me dry if she wanted to.
She didn’t budge and I stepped back in the small space, my back finding another concrete wall.
“I’m hungry,” she said in a feral growl that revealed her sharp fangs. Her hands dropped to her sides and she stepped into the room, blocking my exit.
Memory of how sweet her blood had been bubbled my own thirst to the surface and I licked my lips, my gaze falling to the slow pulse visible in her neck. God, I wanted to drink from her again, but I knew how wrong it would be.
“Naomi,” I started, keeping my voice low and reasonable. “You don’t want to do what you’re thinking.”
Her laugh filled the small space and she lunged, pinning me to the wall. I tilted my chin to my chest so she didn’t have a clear bite and stared at her.
“Killing me won’t change you back,” I whispered.
She snapped her teeth together in a growl and then her crazed grin faltered. She blinked, and her sharp incisors retracted. “Who says I want to kill you?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
I raised a questioning eyebrow.
She let go and stepped back. “I don’t know what came over me…”
“You’re a newborn. It happens,” I said, dismissing the danger and stepping around her. “Your clothes will be dry in a little while, then you can get out of that bathrobe.” I started walking away.
The ruffle of fabric made me turn and she stood in the entry way again, but this time it wasn’t bloodlust in her gaze. The bathrobe lay crumpled around her feet and I stumbled, almost falling on my ass at the shock.
She was divine and I followed her curves before returning my gaze to hers.
“What are you doing?” It took everything in my power not to move to her, to take her in my arms. This need singeing my blood was foreign and unwelcomed. It was far greater than any need the blood-hunt created and I didn’t understand why.
I stepped backwards, putting more distance between me and this goddess.
She spread her arms out. “You don’t want me?”
The hysterical laughter that spouted from my mouth was so out of character and it offended Naomi, setting her into action. She snatched the bathrobe from the ground, wrapping it around her before she stormed off.
I didn’t follow until a door slammed and momentary panic filled my bones. I bolted to the stairwell and yanked the door open. The stairs were empty and the upper door still latched from the inside. Relief swept through me and I closed the access door, leaning against it with my eyes closed.
I focused, training my ear to locate her heartbeat and followed the sound to my bedroom. Tentatively, I turned the knob and opened the door.
Naomi lay face down on the king size bed, her face buried in my pillows and the distinct shake in her shoulders told me she was crying.
What the hell is the etiquette for this? I cleared my throat.
“Go away,” she said, her voice muffled by the pillow.
“Um…this is my bedroom.”
The glare she leveled at me made me second-guess the living arrangements.
“How long till sunset?”
I waved toward the clock. “It’s not even noon yet.”
She turned away and I hung my head, debating on whether I should leave her alone or not. History and my instincts told me not to leave her unattended, but I didn’t want to set her off. Dealing with a newborn was as volatile as dealing with a bomb, one wrong move and you’ll find yourself in pieces.
I looked up, meeting her stark stare.
“What?”
I bit the snide comment that surfaced at her snotty tone, opting to stare her down instead.
“Are you just going to stand there?”
“Maybe,” I offered with a snideness of my own.
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“I beg to differ.”
“Screw you,” she snarled and turned away again.
The venom in her voice set me into action and I moved across the room, flipping her over on the bed and slammed her wrists over her head before I could blink. I straddled her, staring down into her wide dark eyes.
“You have no idea how much I want you, so cut the crap.”
She struggled and I squeezed my thighs into her hips, keeping her still beneath me. Naomi twisted her wrists, trying to break my hold and I clamped harder.
“Why?” she screamed in my face, the fury was back and I could deal with this much better than the hungry seductress.
“Why what?” I snarled down at her.
“Why don’t you just kill me?” she roared, her struggles continued and she screamed a long lonely wail before she lay still, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
“Killing you is the last thing on my mind,” I whispered and her exhausted gaze flicked to mine.
A sheen of tears covered her eyes and I sighed, letting go of her wrists. I sat back on my heels, running my fingers into my hair, holding the back of my head to get control of the torrent flooding my senses.
“But you laughed,” she whispered.
I met her gaze, dropping my hands to my thighs. “I laughed because your question was ludicrous.” Hurt flashed in her eyes. “Stop doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Assuming the worst.”
Her lips pressed together and she blinked away the sheen.
“You’re not running on all cylinders right now,” I said. “You haven’t finished the transition and while you’re in this state…” I trailed off not knowing how to tell her that she might feel differently once everything clicks into place. Instead, I climbed off her and stretched out next to her on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
“So, you’re trying not to take advantage of me?” she asked and I smiled, nodding without looking her way.
“Well, doesn’t that just beat all?” Naomi sat up. “A chivalrous blood sucker.”
“Would you prefer I just fuck you?” I asked, sending a glare in her direction, although just saying it sent tendrils of heated anticipation through my body.
I guess the question turned her on as well because she met my gaze and offered a come-hither smile. She shifted, swinging her thigh over me and straddled my lap like I had done to her moments ago. A wicked gleam filled her eyes and she took my hands, placing them on her bare thighs.
“I’d like that very much,” she purred and circled her hips on my groin.
The feel of her silky skin under my fingertips just about did me in.
“Naomi,” I whispered, my voice raspy with want.
“Damian,” she whispered back and leaned forward, her lips breezed over mine and trailed down my jaw to my neck.
A trail of butterfly kisses lined my throat and a low grumble started in my chest until the sharp stab of her incisors pierced my skin. Her bite burned and without thinking, I sank my fangs into her exposed throat. Her blood still tasted like summer rain and I groaned under the pulse of it.
