Rebirth

  Thrust for thrust, his completion approached. She clawed at his chest and called out his name as her nails dug into him. She begged him not to stop. Her words amplified his need—he wanted to make her come again and again so she’d always remember it was he who had given her ultimate pleasure.

  He roared and his fangs dropped from his mouth. It didn’t matter. He’d sworn he would not bite her and it wouldn’t happen.

  She opened her eyes and noticed his teeth. Her gaze, heated to molten desire, cooled. Utter dread filled his soul. He would lose her. He hadn’t been able to control his vampire and she would never wish to see him again.

  He thrust one more time, knowing it would likely be the last.

  Then a small smile crossed her face. “Bite me.”

  Had he misheard? “What?”

  “Please bite me. I want it so badly.”

  Chapter Three

  Carly’s pussy wept with her desire to have Gus’s fangs pierce her skin. Funny, she’d never thought of herself as a masochist, but his bite was all she wanted in the world. Yet, he seemed confused by her request. Without a doubt, if she contemplated the thought too long, she’d probably change her mind.

  “Please. Bite me.” She stretched her neck back, her cunt throbbing, pulsating around his strong erection.

  He said a word in a language she didn’t understand, bent down and licked her neck. Her pulse went wild as if her heart might explode.

  Without another word, he pierced her skin. Pain passed through her for a brief second then all was lost. She seized with pleasure. She’d experienced orgasms in the past—Gus had given her one only moments earlier—but nothing like that.

  There weren’t words to describe the sensations sweeping through her. She hadn’t known she had the ability to experience so much pleasure. He sucked and she convulsed. She yelled his name then lost consciousness momentarily, before a sweeping light brought her back to reality. She yelled his name.

  She hugged his chest tight to hers and as he found his own pleasure, she came around him once more.

  ***

  Carly came to slowly. When did I pass out? She rubbed her eyes and found she lay sprawled over Gus’s chest.

  She touched the side of her neck. Not even a bump remained where he’d bitten and taken her blood. Nothing to remind her but her own memory that she’d begged him to take it.

  “There won’t be any indication on your skin that it happened. My tongue secretes a chemical that heals it. It’s how we can exist in the shadows with no one remembering that we ever fed off them.”

  His voice swayed like velvet over her skin. She sighed. “Except when you kill someone, right? That’s why you’re in legends. Creatures of the night and all that.”

  “Yes.” He threaded her hair through his hands and she shivered from the rightness of it. “But that only happens to newly-transformed vampires. Older vampires never make that mistake.”

  “Oh, surely there must be some sicko vampires who get off on it or something.”

  He groaned. “Some of your modern language confuses me. I think I only followed about half of what you just said.”

  “Sorry. Surely, there must be psychotic vampires who like the killing.”

  “In all honesty….” He stretched his free arm over his head. “I’ve never met any. I don’t think those vampires make it very long.”

  “They get caught in the sun?” His hand trailed up and down her back. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d relaxed so much.

  “And other things.”

  She rolled onto her side to see him, though it was difficult in the dimly lit room. Had he turned down the lights?

  “And those other things didn’t happen to you?”

  He regarded her but she couldn’t find any emotion in his eyes. Her heart rate picked up. Had he already tired of her?

  “I had something to hold on for.”

  “Yes?” She sat up, tugging the sheet over her breasts. The expression on his face had killed her jovial mood. All that remained was the uncomfortable sensation of being exposed. “What were those things?”

  “Before I answer that—and I will—I need to know what is wrong with you?”

  She swallowed. He knows. But how? She didn’t appear ill. Not yet. Stalling for time, she asked, “What do you mean?”

  “Beautiful lady, why not just answer the question?”

  She closed her eyes. Well, this will be the end of the evening. Steeling herself, she opened her lids. “I’m dying.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  Standing up, she pulled the sheet with her. “And now what? You’re regretting spending time with me?”

  Where the hell were her clothes?

  “No.”

  “You clearly already know. Why make me say it? I’m dying. Tonight gave me my last hoorah before I either give up or take a lot of medicine that may make me even sicker.”

  His eyes flared. “Carly, I’m holding on by a very thin rope. Knowing that you are unwell…I want to howl to the heavens and destroy this entire place from top to bottom.”

  Well, that she hadn’t expected. She sat back down on the edge of the bed, fiddling with the sheet around her body. “I suppose you’ve watched a lot of people die.”

  “Yes. But that is neither here nor there in this situation. I will not be watching you die.”

  “I know. All we have is one night.”

  Gus bolted off the bed to land in front of her. “You deliberately misunderstand me.”

  “What?”

  He stroked her cheeks and repeated, “I will not watch you die because you will not be dying.”

  Dread settled in her stomach. Why does this have to be so hard? “That’s very optimistic of you. There might be a chance that I could—”

  He interrupted. “No. Understand me. I will not allow you to die. Not again.”

  He’d completely lost her. “I’ve died before?”

  “Yes.” He closed his eyes as though in pain. “I believe you will not like what I have to say.”

  “Must you say it then?” Really, the whole night has gotten so far off course. I’d rather make love again because I don’t think I want to hear this.

  He opened his eyes and laughed. “Absolutely.”

  “Okay.” Her heart kicked back up again.

  “I was made a vampire two hundred years ago in what you would now call Hungary. My family held a high station, but we were poor. I fell in love with a girl. Her name was Dorika. I adored her and she adored me. We both knew we’d been born for each other.”

  He didn’t give many details, and the story was bare bones, but she envisioned it well anyway. Gus appeared exactly as he looked now except dressed differently. His eyes had been different then. After a moment picturing him in her mind, she saw they were less burdened. Light, jovial.

  Her imagination didn’t allow her to see the woman he talked about but she sensed her, which bothered her more than being able to view Gus. Somehow she had the ability to feel what the woman had felt. The woman, Dorika, experienced true joy when she regarded Gus.

  “I thought her parents were fine with her marrying me. She believed the same thing. But, it turned out not to be the truth. While they pretended to be on our side, they handed me over to a vampire. He kept me prisoner for weeks before he transformed me. He did things to me I won’t speak of. Ever.”

  Gus rubbed his chin and she remembered the comment she’d made earlier about him not having any stubble on his face. Had that been part of what he’d experienced? She wanted to ask, but didn’t get the chance.

  “Dorika searched for me. Eventually, she found me.”

  The house where Gus was held prisoner was so dark. Carly blinked away the thought. She would do just about anything not to have to witness where he and his ladylove had been kept prisoner.

  “He drained her of nearly all her blood, left her alive enough for me to see her suffer. All vampires are given some gifts in their change and I have an ability to be
able to see what you would call an aura. I refer to it as a soul. I saw hers. For a few brief moments, I saw how beautiful she remained even though she’d been hurt so badly.” He sighed. “She swore to me she would return to me. I have been waiting.”

  Carly swallowed away the tears threatening to choke her. “And you’ve searched for her ever since.”

  “That’s correct. But I haven’t been faithful. It’s been so long.” He stalked over to the window.

  She rose and crossed to him then wrapped her sheet to encompass both of them. “I’m sure she didn’t expect that. It’s not like she could actually control whether or not she returned to you.”

  “Ah.” He tucked Carly under his arm. “But it appears that she did.”

  “What?” She jolted back. “Then what the hell are you doing here with me?” Even as she asked him the question, she knew. “Gus, what does my soul look like?”

  “Exactly like hers.”

  The room spun. She dropped her covering and ran to the bed. “You think I’m your lost love.”

  “You are.” He hunted silently toward her. “Well, you have the same soul. I know you are not Dorika in this life, but you are her. I know you are you and her.”

  “I don’t know about any of this.” She closed her eyes. “Because I am not a two hundred-year old woman you wanted to marry.”

  “You’re not. You’re different. But you are also the same.” He kneeled down. “I did not expect to find you here. And yet….”

  She concentrated on breathing, trying not to hyperventilate.

  “Look at me.”

  His words were insane, but she did as he asked. How could she not? She couldn’t be the reincarnation—or whatever—of his lost love. But hadn’t everything in her life become weird? Hadn’t it been odd since Joe had awoken in a hospital room in Las Vegas, suddenly able to become a wolf when the moon turned full? I made love to a vampire. How was that more unbelievable?

  Not to mention it seemed like she’d known Gus from the second she’d stepped into the room. She’d begged him to bite her. She trusted him when she had no reason to do so.

  “Did you know I had the same soul when you signed up for this?”

  “No. I give myself one night every once in a while. One night with one human and then I travel on. This seemed like a good chance for that. A one-night stand. But then you came.”

  She stroked his face. “I don’t have her memories. Not really. When you spoke earlier, I could see…something. But I really am not her.”

  He nodded, his face solemn. “I want you just as you are. But make no mistake, I want you.”

  “Well, you can have me.” Joy sparked in her soul. “For as long as I have left.”

  “I’ve told you that you will not die. I will not allow it.”

  For a two-hundred-year old guy, he could behave in a pretty modern fashion. But when he told her he wouldn’t allow her to die, he’d sounded remarkably old-fashioned.

  “You can control that? You’re capable of determining who lives and who dies?”

  He raised an eyebrow. She’d seen that expression before in the eyes of opposing counsel. The man had an argument to make. She leaned back slightly to regard him more clearly. If he had some suggestion on how she could get out of her current dire circumstances, she’d gladly listen.

  “Do you wish to die? Because if that is what you want then I will die, too. I have no desire to walk this earth one more day without you. The world is unbearable without you in it.”

  Her hands shook. “I don’t want to die. Not at all. But you can’t put that on me. I’m sick. If I’m lucky, the doctors can give me some extra time. I can’t go on to whatever comes next, if anything, knowing I have your death on my conscience.”

  “Any decisions that are made are mine alone.”

  She nodded. Still, his words made her breath quicken. She’d always been lucky to have people she cared about in the world, who loved her as well. In all honesty, she didn’t think she had ever mattered to anyone as much as she apparently did to Agoston.

  “There is an option. You let me change you into a vampire and we live whatever eternity we have left together.”

  “Make me a vampire?”

  “Yes.”

  She followed the direction of his thoughts and her eyes widened. The idea should disgust her. But didn’t. The idea seemed somewhat…appealing.

  Well, why wouldn’t it when he appeared so completely delicious?

  “You’ve said you won’t let me die. Will you make me into one whether I say yes or no?” She had to hear the answer to her question. His response would determine everything, and her heart beat fast as she waited on his answer.

  “I wish I was the kind of man who would say without reservation that I would never turn you into a vampire against your will. You have told me you don’t wish to die. I have told you if you do, I will follow. But it is my absolute desire above all things to have you in my life for eternity. I love you. I have loved some version of you for two centuries and to meet you as you currently exist—you are beyond exquisite.”

  “Thank you.” He still hasn’t answered me.

  “I will do my best to respect your wishes in all things. I cannot promise that I am strong enough to do so.”

  She blew out the breath she’d been holding and then she threw her arms around his neck.

  He gasped. “My answer makes you happy?”

  “Yes.” She laughed. “You didn’t lie to me. I’d never spend eternity with a person who didn’t tell me the truth.”

  Gus stroked her face. “So you will do it?”

  “Will it hurt?”

  He nodded. “Most likely.”

  She grimaced. “I did tell you I wanted the truth.”

  “You did.” He nodded. “But then it will be over.”

  “Have you ever done this before?”

  “No.”

  That didn’t inspire a lot of confidence. “And you’re sure you know how?”

  “Completely. I have lived a long time. I’ve seen it done a number of times.”

  That accounted for something. “Will I want to drink blood and kill people?”

  “Drink blood, yes. I will not allow you to kill anyone.”

  She inhaled deeply, taking in his scent. How could he be warm when he had no blood of his own flowing through his veins? She supposed when she became undead she’d find out.

  “Thank you.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “You’re welcome.”

  “What will I do? I can’t go out in the sunlight, so how can I do my job?”

  “I’m afraid that is something you will have to give up. You will need to find shelter during the day to sleep. I have amassed a lot of money over the years. You will not want for anything while you figure out what you want to do next.”

  Her mind whirled. She loved being a lawyer, but she wouldn’t have continued being one anyway when her illness became too much to bear. “And my brother?”

  “If you think he can handle the truth, we will see him often.”

  She would see to it that he would find a way to handle it. Or she’d kick his furry behind. “Okay. I’ll spend eternity with you.”

  It should have been harder to say those words. She should have been nervous. Except none of those should-haves mattered. Not in any way. Peace descended on her. She’d thought her one-night stand would be just that: one night.

  She laughed aloud. She’d been given forever when she’d never been able to hope it possible. Gus, her vampire, had come for her just when she needed him.

  Had Madame Eve known this could happen?

  She had no more time for thoughts as his mouth descended on hers. There would be time for questions later. An eternity of glorious time.

  Epilogue

  Three months later…

  “See anything you like?” He came up behind her, wrapping his strong arms around her waist just the way she liked him to.

  “Now that you’re here, I see a lot that I l
ike.”

  “I meant furniture.” He bit lightly at her neck. “As you know.”

  She grinned. He’d just fed. His voice became lazy when he’d eaten, as though he required extra effort to make sounds form words. And he got randy as hell. Although he admitted that side effect had only started since he’d met her. She chose to believe him. However many women he’d had while he waited for her, she didn’t let herself think about. He belonged to her and, one way or another, he always had.

  Her ability to know when someone was coming turned on. Her own vampire gift proved useful. “The salesman is coming back. Behave yourself.”

  “You’re the one making dirty remarks, not me.” Still, he let go of her and took a step away.

  She giggled, unable to help herself.

  Being a vampire had proven remarkably simple, much more mundane and domestic than she would ever have believed. Or maybe Gus’s desire to give her a perfect life made things feel that way.

  They might live in darkness, but Gus had given her a brand new life as bright as the sun.

  Well, he and Madame Eve had.

  ~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~

  As a teenager, Rebecca Royce would hide in her room to read her favorite romance novels when she was supposed to be doing her homework. She hopes, these days, that her parents think it was well worth it.

  Rebecca is the mother of three adorable boys and is fortunate to be married to her best friend. They live in northern New Jersey and try not to freeze too badly during the winter months.

  She's in love with science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal and tries to use all of these elements in her writing. She's been told she's a little bloodthirsty so she hopes that when you read her work you'll enjoy the action packed ride that always ends in romance. Rebecca loves to write series because she loves to see characters develop over time and it always makes her happy to see her favorite characters make guest appearances in other books.

  In Rebecca Royce's world anything is possible, anything can happen, and you should suspect that it will.

  You can visit Rebecca at: