Urban Vampire: The bookset 1-3

  She did the equivalent of smacking Alexis’ hand. She crushed his internal organs. Though curled on the floor and writhing in agony, Alexis would not end the killing blow to Malarias.

  Alexis’ sire crushed him from the inside out and Malarias folded to the floor unconscious. The pale woman glided to Alexis and knelt beside him on the floor. She kissed him on the cheek even as he writhed in agony.

  Even though I was still in Alexis’ memories, I hated that woman for Alexis’ pain, even though I realized she was saving his life by preventing him from killing an Elder.

  Alexis’ punishment for contempt was one hundred years’ exile in Epic Cu cut off from any human or Vampire. For his attempt to murder Malarias, he was suspended from the Elder Council for two hundred and fifty years. However, when Alexis awakened here, he could have left since there were no guards to keep him imprisoned.

  The beautiful woman came to him.

  Alexis shut down the memory.

  I looked at him. “What kept you here? What kept you from coming to me?”

  Alexis didn’t answer, but now I could see past his coldness and control. His need was so raw that it was all he could do to keep it contained. A portion of what was breaking his control was my memories.

  I watched Alexis turn away. What did he know that I didn’t?

  “Please talk to me!”

  Alexis sucked in a long breath. He turned to me, and I saw that his eyes were flooded in gold. I gasped and felt my heart beat. Warmth engulfed me, and I felt a tingling deep in the pit of my soul. I knew that Alexis was seeing the gold in my eyes, too.

  Whatever control he had slipped clean away.

  He rushed me, and I met him with open arms.

  His mouth seemed to touch me before any other part of his body. His lips were on mine, and I cried out in need. Then his hands grasped my face, his fingers burying painfully into my hair.

  We kissed with dropped teeth, bleeding each other and ignoring the stings. I wrapped my arms and then my legs around him. He supported me with a gasp and then lowered us to the floor.

  “Oh, Alexis, I missed you. I missed you so much!”

  He pulled back to look at me. “My love, my beautiful, beautiful love.”

  He kissed me and stroked my tongue with his until I thought I’d faint. Alexis, who had not touched another human for four hundred years until me, was now running his fingers up my arms. His touch caused me to shiver uncontrollably. He was allowing himself to warm up, and I could feel the heat radiating off his fingertips.

  He made his heart beat, and I could feel his breath hot against my lips. I felt his tongue again, this time gentler as it teased my lips and healed the little scrapes.

  I reached up and ran my fingers through his silky curls.

  “I missed you,” he whispered. “I love you.”

  My eyes stung.

  “It’s not your fault,” he whispered. “I see that you feel guilty because you turned to Tony. Kim, I don’t begrudge your love.” He put the tip of his finger on my chin. “A long time ago I told you that you are not any one man’s. You are your own. I did not lie. Your three loves are still in your head.”

  I shook my head.

  He cradled my face and held me still. “Listen to me,” he whispered. “You can have your loves. I want you to live and love and laugh the way I see in your memories.” His eyes changed from gold to red. “But hear me well. In one hundred years I will leave this place. And I will come for you. In one hundred years all of your loves had better be ended. In one hundred years you will be all mine.”

  I sat up. “In one hundred years? In one hundred years, Alexis? I can be all yours now-”

  His eyes changed from red to black. “No.”

  I fought to keep the anger and sadness from my eyes.

  “We’re forbidden to be together until I leave here,” he said.

  I shook my head. “What didn’t you show me from your memories?”

  “I don’t want you to live this memory of mine.” He stroked my face. “Athena came to me the first night I awoke here.”

  “Athena. Your sire.”

  “Yes.”

  “She did not like that I loved you more than any other … more than her. She is powerful, much stronger than me. She knew that what I had with her was nothing close to what I’ve shared with you. I saw her follow my link to you and knew that she would kill you. She could kill you with a thought.”

  Kill me because he loved me more?

  “You do not understand,” Alexis said. “When you are that old, you no longer think with a human mind. You think like someone who cares for nothing but what immediately makes you feel. Athena felt jealous. To rid herself of that emotion meant to rid herself of you.”

  “How did you keep her from killing me?” I asked.

  “She awoke you. That almost killed you.”

  I blinked. “She awoke me? You mean this all happened while we were at the beach house?”

  “Yes. I was there and I was here.”

  My head swam with the idea of it.

  “She awoke you and meant to crush you from the inside.”

  I took a deep breath. “How did you stop her?”

  “You always love the ones who sire you, but you always love the ones who you sire,” Alexis said. “I convinced her I still loved her more. I made love to her the way you showed me, the way I had forgotten, as a human loves. And that convinced her that I loved her more. She did something that I would have died to do hundreds of years before—she bound herself with me.”

  Stupid as it was I was jealous, more than jealous, if that’s possible.

  “Athena and I are linked the way you and I are.”

  “You married someone else …”

  “As did you,” he reminded me. “You bonded with Tony. My bond with Athena was only to protect you. You cannot say the same.”

  But I had created a bond with Tony when I was at my most vulnerable! “You said you didn’t care if I loved—“

  “I did not say I didn’t care,” Alexis interrupted. “That word cannot ever describe what I feel. I know that you love me. And in the end, you will be with me. What happens in between matters little.” His eyes hooded coolly. “Had I left this place I would have forfeited my punishment and yours. It could mean death for me as well as you. Athena’s link to me was only to monitor my actions, to confirm that I didn’t seek you. It pleased her when you called and I didn’t answer. That was the amazing evening when you surprised me by linking with me even in this fortress. It shows strength. I shouldn’t be surprised because my strength is in you.”

  “You didn’t have much trouble ignoring my call.”

  “That is correct,” Alexis said. “I didn’t have trouble ignoring you. If I had done otherwise you would be dead.”

  “All that holds us from each other is this … Athena?”

  “And my exile.”

  “One hundred years …”

  He smiled. “It’s but a blink of the eye. Well, maybe two blinks.”

  I sighed. “You have jokes.”

  His eyes softened. “We don’t have much time. Athena has not detected you because this is day and Athena cannot wake during the day. When she awakens, she may detect you. I will have to do much to cover your presence.“

  “Oh no! You’re not telling me that she gets to come here with you.”

  “No! She’s been here only once. She’s in me.”

  “And you are in her.”

  “This hurts you. It shouldn’t. You should know that she’s not the one I want to be inside of …”

  His double entendre made me tighten between my thighs.

  Alexis’ eyes closed.

  “I could come back,” I whispered, “when the sun rises again.”

  Alexis’ heart hammered his chest. His hand came up to cover my breast. With closed eyes he sought out my mouth and kissed me hungrily. I let my hand glide down until I felt him hard and straining against his loose linen pants. I pulled on the drawstring
, his pants fell to his feet, and I uncovered his erection. He was steel pipe covered in warm satin, so hard I barely believed he was flesh. He spasmed and froze for a moment at my touch before his hands slipped under my blouse and stroked my tight nipples with gentle fingers.

  His stroking left me weak, and I groaned. I pushed Alexis roughly to the hard floor and onto his back, his eyes hooded and golden. I slipped off my shirt and in one motion pulled off my pants and panties.

  Alexis’ drank me in. He didn’t see the remaining scars. He only saw me.

  I lowered myself carefully onto his otherworldly penis.

  Alexis threw his head back and groaned loudly as I plunged lower onto him. At the beach house this had been Alexis’ favorite position, we hadn’t been Vampires then. Here it was my Vampire flesh melding with his. It seemed impossible that our skins had never touched this way before. Though as familiar as the back of my hand, this was truly our first time making love.

  I stopped before he was completely inside of me and leaned forward to plant my hands on each side of his head. He brought his hands up to stroke my sides and squeeze my breasts while I arched my pelvis forward forcing him to sink deeply into me. Arching my back, I allowed him to slip almost completely out of me then rocked my pelvis forward against him until he was completely inside of me again. His hands on my breasts tightened until I gasped half in pain and half in pleasure. I rolled my pelvis against him and then sat up enough so I could reach behind me to stroke his scrotum.

  Alexis gripped my hips and matched the motion of my rotating pelvis with his own. Oh, it was so good. He was so completely inside me that every spasm caused him to wince. I took control, grinding him into the floor. When I leaned over him, he captured my nipple in his mouth and used his tongue to roll over my tight flesh. My whimpers turned to moans, and before too long my throat grew hoarse. I bounced my ass on him, and Alexis released my nipple with a yell. I felt his hands gripping my hips, helping me to bounce until my ass slapped loudly against his scrotum and lap. The rhythmic slapping and the feel of his thick cock filling and stretching me brought me to an explosive climax. Every muscle in my lower body tightened and pulsed. I screamed as Alexis repeatedly thrust upward, smoothly at first and then more staccato. His cries mixed with mine, and I felt the splash of his hot ejaculation. I continued to ride him until I had squeezed every last drop of him into me.

  I collapsed on his chest while he was still full and buried inside of me. It had been fast and furious, but it could not have been more enjoyable.

  Alexis stroked my hair and traced his tongue along the outline of my ear and then down my neck.

  “I love you,” I murmured.

  His hand cupped my ass, and I could feel him stir inside of me. He manipulated my hips until I was riding him again, with my power but with his. I allowed him to move my hips as I buried my face into his neck.

  My hunger crept up on me. It was there. I wanted to feed. But I had only fed from him twice, and each time had meant something significant. I was afraid of what it would mean. Alexis released my ass and I could feel his head turn toward me. He stroked my hair, and I raised enough to look at him.

  “My love, I have one more gift for you,” he said. “I’m going to take your remaining scars.”

  I moved to rise off of him, but he wouldn’t allow it. He turned me on my side and pulled my leg over his hip, his penis still deep inside me. My desire flared up again.

  “What do you mean take them?” I asked. “What are you going to do with them?”

  His tousled hair was in his eyes. “I’m going to eat them.”

  I clenched down tight on his penis, rotating my pelvis against his. Alexis took control and rolled me gently onto my back. The floor was cold and hard against my back and ass, but I didn’t have to worry about it for long because he used that super strength to lift me as he sat back on his haunches. I wrapped my legs around him, and when he leaned back to plant his hands behind him against the floor, I mirrored the movement. We were each leaned back, connected only by his penis inside me. I had never done a move like this before, and it felt amazing! He controlled our movement, and my tits bounced all over the place.

  Alexis’ eyes stared down to where our pelvises met and watched how he went in and out of me. He stared at my bouncing breasts. He stared at the ecstasy on my face. He sat up and gripped my ass again, lifting me until I was on my back. With sudden frantic movements he pushed into me. I could feel the stone rubbing my back and his hardness impaling me. I cried out as I began to climax again. Alexis bit me on the neck, the brief discomfort of the bite caused me to clinch tightly, and he climaxed again.

  “Feed, my love.”

  Without a second thought of any consequences I sank my teeth into his neck and fed from him as he fed from me. We were connected in so many ways that when I thought of it, my orgasm became much more powerful. I could feel his blood coursing down my throat and through my veins just as I could feel the heat of his ejaculation coating my insides.

  His hips continued to pump into me as I took his blood and welcomed his semen. He released his teeth from my neck as I continued to feed. His tongue glided sensually against my neck, and I grunted as I drank him in, drank him and squeezed every drop of him into the deepest part of me.

  My skin crawled and my arms began to tingle with the power of his blood. His blood was like a drug—too much would make me drunk—yet he didn’t stop me. He stoked my side as I fed until I was full. With glazed eyes I removed my teeth from his neck and used my tongue to seal two neat little holes. His skin was so tender. The feel of it made me want to bite him again. I loved the feel of that tender new skin against my tongue.

  I jumped up. “No.” I stood naked above him. “You’re wearing my scars! You took them and now you have them!”

  I looked at my hands and arms and then reached up and felt my eyes. The lids were repaired! My skin was thicker and healed. I stroked the place on my breast where the sensitive knot of scars had caused me so much pleasure. Those scares were gone. The pain I hadn’t realized I’d been living with for all of these months had completely disappeared.

  I stared at Alexis in shock. His alabaster skin was now pink like a newborn’s. The skin on his hands was mottled and gnarled in a way my own hands had been. His eyelids were so scarred I could only see his beautiful eyes through slits.

  He stood as I watched him in horror. There were more scars on him than had been on me.

  He looked at his hands and smiled. “This, I can feel. Thank you, my love, for giving me so much to feel.”

  “But you have many more scars than I had.”

  “No, my love. You had many scars on the inside. I will heal these more quickly than you ever could.” He looked around. “The day is coming to an end, and she will awaken soon. You must go.”

  We got dressed.

  “I’m going to come back when the sun rises,” I said.

  “No. She will surely know if you do. I want you on the other side of the ocean before the next sunrise. I will keep myself blocked from her until then, but after that she will know. I will try to be selective with my memories, but it will be difficult. Don’t make it more difficult.”

  “But I can’t wait one hundred years before I can see you again.”

  “No, not one hundred years. Ninety-nine years before I can leave this place.”

  “Ninety-nine years …”

  “Is not one hundred.” He grabbed my hand and hurried me from the lower level and up a long flight of stairs until we were in a large room. I could see sun coming through stained glass windows. It was dusk, almost dark.

  I turned to him. “The sun burned me?”

  “Yes, but only because your skin was so new.” He led me to the door. “Please, my love, leave this place and don’t ever return.”

  “You’re afraid of her.”

  “I’m afraid that she will kill you, and then I will die because I will do everything I can to kill her,” he said. “And I’m not strong enough to
do such a thing.” He opened the door. “Know that I love you. I am happy that you came, but it might mean our lives. Still …” His eyes watered, and I knew it was mostly because of the sunlight—mostly. “I’m happy that I got to love you again. Live, love, and laugh freely. But understand, when I see you again, I won’t give you up to anyone. Anyone.”

  He nudged me out the door. Where the dusky light touched him, his arm colored and darkened rapidly like a bad sunburn. He seemed not to notice. I stared at him and tried to imprint his image into my brain.

  How could I have thought I was ugly because of my burns? When I looked at Alexis with his tight muscles and the loose pants hanging low on his hips, I didn’t see the scars. He was beautiful … and he had made me beautiful again.

  “Go back to the villa for she has awakened and even now she seeks me out.”

  I nodded but knew that my eyes glowed red with rage because he hesitated before closing the door.

  As the door closed, my rage overflowed, and like before I threw my head back and screamed a beastly inhuman scream.

  I turned and stalked into the forest where creatures like me should be.

  CHAPTER 7

  As soon as the door closed behind me, the link to Alexis was cut off. I had blocked my link to Tony, but the link that led back to Paul came to life--and it wasn’t me who reestablished it.

  I hesitated in my rage. Paul had never followed the link to me before. I didn’t think he even knew how since it was a Vampire’s link.

  Paul had been my first human donor. Together we learned what it was to be a Vampire. My impression of Paul before I came into his life was one of privilege. As an investment banker he had made his first million before the age of thirty. His surfer boy good looks gave him a cockiness that perfectly complimented the complete terror of my circumstances. Paul had taken my mind off my many troubles.

  Our mutual attraction for each other was based on more than the blood I took from him and he from me. I was falling for him as hard as he had already fallen for me, and it left me feeling guilty and confused because lust controlled me whenever I fed. I couldn’t determine my true feelings from those brought on by the succubae, but Paul told me I had no reason to be ashamed. It was only the blood—not me.