“What is it?” she demanded. “A dog?”
“Of sorts.”
What the hell did that mean? Frantic, Mary Ellen searched the shadowy space, looking for something… anything that might serve as a weapon. There was nothing.
“We’ve often wondered, debated even,” their esteemed host spoke from behind the windows above, his voice echoing against the stone walls, “Who would win between these two beasts, and now we’ll know. To entice them further, we’ve thrown in a fair maiden. Gentlemen, place your bets.”
The crowd murmured their approval and Mary Ellen realized that there was only one maiden here. She tightened her grip on Aidan’s hand, but he wouldn’t look at her, his face turned away, focused on those windows. “What’s happening? What does he mean?”
“It’s my fault,” he whispered. “Mine.”
“No, don’t say that.”
“You don’t understand.” He dropped his gaze to the ground. “I’m not what you think I am, Mary Ellen.”
Frustrated and confused, she cupped the sides of his cold face. “Then what are you?”
He lifted his gaze. Those beautiful blue eyes glowed with an eerie light, the likes of which she’d never seen before. “I’m a vampire.”
****
She didn’t scream. That was good. It was what they were expecting, what they wanted. But Mary Ellen was stronger than she looked. He’d known that about her almost immediately and it was part of the reason why she intrigued him so.
She did pale, her body swaying as if she might faint. Perhaps that would be better. She wouldn’t witness the horror that was about to unfold. A nightmare she couldn’t even began to imagine.
“You can’t be serious,” Mary Ellen whispered. She didn’t laugh, or scoff, she didn’t even get angry. Instead she merely stared at him in bewildered confusion because she knew, deep down, she knew there was something different about him.
“I’m quite serious.” He jerked again on his chains. If he had fed even a week ago, he’d be strong enough to break the bonds. Damn his pride. They’d known all along what he was, and they’d reinforced the chains, doubling their strength.
“I…I don’t even know what that means!” Mary Ellen cried.
Instead of fearing him, like most sane women would, she latched onto the front of his shirtsleeves, her beautiful face a mere breath away from his. Oddly, he felt very much like tasting her lips at that moment, kissing her with so much passion the world around them would fade.
With a groan, she gave him a little shake, as if knowing the way of his thoughts. “What are you?”
How could he explain what he was? Most people thought of him as an animal. But not Mary Ellen, no, because at the moment she understood there were worse things than he… such as the humans in those windows.
A bell rang from above. Suddenly the chains holding him captive loosened. They fell to the ground with a clank, his arms finally freed. Aidan clenched his fists, bringing life back to his hands as he searched the darkness for the beast that was to come.
“What’s happening?” Mary Ellen spun around, studying the dark shadows where the torchlight couldn’t reach. Shadows from which low growls erupted. The dog was coming.
Aidan stepped in front of Mary Ellen. “A werewolf.”
Even if he hadn’t seen the man transforming, even if he hadn’t heard the growls, he knew the scent. The scent fed the beast within him, anger simmering below the surface. He’d fought a werewolf before and come out the victor, but he hadn’t been this weak.
He slid his gaze upward toward the windows; five women, ten men, all watching eagerly while drinking… his nostrils flared… red wine. Their excitement was almost palpable. There had been rumors circulating of games, but nothing had been confirmed. Disgusted, Aidan turned his attention toward the werewolf. The beast hadn’t completely transformed.
“Dear God,” Mary Ellen whispered, following his line of vision. “Is that a man or a wolf?”
“Both.”
She held up her hands. “No, absolutely not. Vampires and now… now… this? I refuse to believe such nonsense.” She spun around and slammed her fists against the metal door. “Hello? Excuse me, but there’s been a mistake, if you could just open the door…”
The shout of laughter was audible even to human ears. Mary Ellen turned, her face flushed with horror and embarrassment. She was providing the entertainment they desired and expected. He wanted to kill them all merely for laughing at her. And he would. But first… he had a werewolf to destroy.
“Think about it,” he whispered, biding time while the beast inside him took control. “Your brother-in-law—”
“What about Grayson?”
His blood began to simmer in his veins as he slowly released the demon within. “He’s pale, tends to avoid daylight.” He kept his gaze pinned to the wolf as the monster inside him crawled and clawed its way to the surface.
“You’re saying…you’re saying Grayson is a vampire?”
He nodded, feeling his teeth lengthen. He wanted to scream, to give completely over, but he held tight to what little humanity remained within.
“I don’t believe you.”
“Will you believe this?” He lifted his lips into a snarl, his canine teeth long and pointed.
Mary Ellen swallowed hard, staring at his mouth. “Meg—”
“Knows,” he hissed.
She jumped, startled by the sound of his voice. Yet, still Mary Ellen shook her head in denial. “She doesn’t! She wouldn’t marry him!”
Anger fought with control. “She knows, and it doesn’t matter to her. Some people believe in love, not money and connections.”
He was being cruel and couldn’t care. She had to understand, must believe him if they were to survive. Hell, he didn’t give a shite about his own life but he would not see her tortured, killed, torn to shreds by some demon mongrel.
She flushed, her lower lip trembling. “Are you really discussing my ideas on marriage now, of all times?”
“No, merely making an absurd comment so you wouldn’t notice the werewolf stalking us.”
“How dare…” Her eyes went from narrowed with fury to wide with shock. “The what?”
Aidan pushed Mary Ellen to the side and burst forward. They met in the middle of the dungeon. He slammed into the wolf, his fingers curling into the thick, gray fur. They hit the ground with a thump that would have killed a human. The man had transformed completely into a dog. He was gone, and the beast wouldn’t be able to control himself. The battle would be a fight to the death.
The wolf twisted in his arms, his muzzle snapping at Aidan’s throat. Lord, the animal was strong, or he was weak. Shite, this wasn’t going to be easy. Sweat broke out on Aidan’s forehead.
“I know your human form is in there,” Aidan tried, gripping the beast around his thick neck. “Fight it, damn you. We don’t have to kill each other.”
A sharp sting ripped across his thigh, claws tearing through is trousers and flesh. Aidan hissed in a breath, the pain turning to a throbbing ache. It would heal soon enough, he had to remind himself.
Above, he could hear cheers from the crowd, urging them onward. They’d placed bets on who would win. He wasn’t about to lose. Losing would mean Mary Ellen’s death, or worse, she’d be turned into a werewolf.
Aidan shoved his feet into the animal’s belly and pushed away. They rolled apart, time to recoup and study the situation, time to regain their breaths. Aidan stumbled, barely able to put pressure on his injured leg. Damn it all, why hadn’t he fed? Why hadn’t he listened to Grayson and accepted who he was? The wolf leaned back on his haunches, watching him through yellow eyes, drool slipping from his muzzle and pooling onto the stone floor. He was preparing to attack, preparing to feed.
He didn’t give a damn about himself. He had to keep the beast away from Mary Ellen. He might not change with a bite from the wolf, for vampires were immune, but she wasn’t. They burst toward each other at the same time, once again slammi
ng together in the middle of the dungeon. Aidan kicked at the beast’s foreleg and heard the distinct sound of a bone cracking. A yelp of pain that told him he’d hit his mark. The beast was lame. Aidan flipped the animal over. He felt a moment’s remorse as he stared into the animal’s snarling muzzle, then reached toward it’s thick neck. With his remaining strength, he turned the large head until he heard the snap of bones.
The wolf stilled, the large body slumping onto the ground. Soon, it would turn back into the man he’d once been. He couldn’t let Mary Ellen see. The group upstairs grew quiet, then suddenly burst into raucous clapping. Aidan ignored them all. He didn’t care. Only one person held his interest. Slowly, he turned. Mary Ellen stood against the far wall, her eyes huge and luminous with shock and fear. He had to make her understand, she must trust him once more.
He stumbled toward her, grimacing every time his lame leg hit the stone floor. He’d seen it before… that utter look of terror. He’d sworn he’d never see that look again, but history did have a habit of repeating itself. She knew the truth now. “Mary Ellen—”
“Two beasts then!” the man above shouted.
Aidan froze, jerking his gaze toward those windows. No. He hadn’t the strength for two werewolves.
“Aidan!” Mary Ellen rushed toward him. She didn’t stop until she hurled her warm body into his arms. Relief was bitterly sweet. He gripped her tight, breathing in her sweet scent. She had seen what he was and she didn’t care. For this one moment he would soak in her essence and pretend all was well. For one brief moment she would be his.
“You’re hurt!” She pushed back and cupped the sides of his face, the fear was replaced with worry. Actual tears trembled on her lower lashes. He’d thought if he could ignore what he was, the beast would go away. But it was a part of him…a part she accepted.
Dear God, she cared. The human within him swelled with hope but the beast had known all along that she belonged to him. “I…I’ll be well enough in an hour or so.”
Those eyes, those beautiful cornflower blue eyes watched him with what could only be called affection. How long had it been since anyone had cared? “Truly?”
He nodded, unable to say more for a lump of emotion clogged his throat. How ironic that his life had merely just begun within in the dingy walls of a dungeon. But he suddenly felt whole, there was a reason to live and by God, he would see that they did.
She glanced up at the windows, heedless to the effect she had on him. “Then, I do believe it’s time to escape.”
Aidan laughed. “Yes.”
But how to escape? The two doors were bolted from the outside. The windows a good twenty feet above. If he jumped and made it, could he break the bars? But he knew the answer to his problems even before the beast inside him whispered the word, blood.
Aidan swallowed hard and lowered his gaze to the pulse thumping in Mary Ellen’s neck. That smooth, pale throat. Her sweet scent. The beast inside him roared to life. It was the only way.
“What is it?” she asked.
Their gazes clashed and he saw something shift in her eyes…a knowing. She accepted what he was, but would she go so far as to accept what he needed? “There’s only one way out of this.”
She didn’t speak for one long moment. “Tell me.”
“I have to feed.”
Fear and resignation mixed in her gaze. “On what?”
“You.”
Chapter 6
She gave a nervous laugh and took a step back. “You’re jesting.”
How he wished he was. How he wished this was a joke, or nightmare. Sadly, it was his life. “They’re bringing in two more werewolves. I don’t have the energy to fight and kill them. I haven’t fed in weeks.”
“Fed?” her voice squeaked.
He took a step closer, she took a step back. “I’m injured.”
She swallowed hard and looked at him exactly as he’d expected…like he was a monster. He didn’t have time for her human sensibilities. “Damn it, Mary Ellen, either I feed from you, or we both die.”
She narrowed her eyes, annoyance flashing in those heavenly blues. “Well, when you say it that way.” She was furious and for some odd reason he found her dramatic nature amusing. “You’ve…you’ve ruined any chance I might have at a decent marriage with Worthing.”
“I saved you!”
“Oh yes, saved! Because this is so much better than being chased by a ridiculous man in a garden.” She brushed her hair over her left shoulder. “You’ve ruined my gown.”
His gaze found the pale column of her throat and his heart slammed wildly in his chest. He knew how she would taste…like the finest of brandies. “How, exactly, did I do that?”
“You’re at least responsible! Don’t try to deny it.” She tilted her head back, closing her eyes like some virgin about to be sacrificed. “And now you want to drink my blood.” She sighed long and loud. “Well, fine. Do it. But you better not kill me.”
Aidan wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or shake her. Instead he gripped her shoulders and jerked her forward. She squeaked, closing her eyes more tightly. Lord, she smelled wonderful, like cinnamon and apples.
He lowered his head to her neck, breathed deeply and savored the moment. The murmured conversation above was barely noticeable over the rapid thump of her heart. They were curious there, above, wondering what he was planning. They’d know soon enough. Aidan flicked his tongue over his pointed teeth, testing their sharpness. Taking in a deep breath, he lowered his head to her neck. His teeth pierced the flesh easily.
Mary Ellen gasped, stiffening in his arms.
Her warm, sweet blood flooded his mouth, danced across his tongue. Complete euphoria washed over him, through him, pulsing in his veins. He’d dreamt of her taste, he’d stayed up at night thinking about her, but never had he imagined this. Everything and everyone faded. He no longer heard the excited murmurs of the crowd above them. No longer cared that they were trapped in a dungeon. He only cared about Mary Ellen…having her completely and utterly. The loud thump of her heart, his heart… as one.
The beast inside him erupted. Took control of his body, his emotions and needs. He wanted more. Had to have more. Vaguely he was aware of Mary Ellen sinking into him, her body going limp. The human part of him knew he needed to stop… she couldn’t take much more blood loss. But he was hungry… so damn hungry.
Her blood rushed through his body, filling his form with warm life, giving him strength. And then she sighed… a soft sigh that pierced his cold heart. It was what he needed. Aidan jerked back. The tiny holes in her neck stood out in stark contrast to her pale skin. Guilt and relief struggled for dominance. The strength that rushed through him on a heated waved pulsed in time with his heartbeat…her heartbeat, he wasn’t sure who the pulse belonged to. Mary Ellen’s lashes fluttered up, her hazy gaze so completely trusting of him that the guilt he felt was almost unbearable.
Shite, he’d fed too long. “Easy now,” he said, his voice catching with an emotion he didn’t dare contemplate.
She nodded. “Did it work?”
“Yes.” He hated himself more at that moment than he ever had before. This woman hadn’t been disgusted by him, she hadn’t shied away. She’d been a warrior, offering herself for the greater good. And he’d practically taken her soul. Gently, he settled her against the stone wall. “You stay put.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I’ll just sit here.” She slid down the wall, landing in a heap of lavender silk. Seeing her small body huddled on the floor left him aching and desperate.
“Mary Ellen,” he whispered, kneeling. “I’m so—”
The door across the room screeched open. Aidan jumped to his feet and spun around. Through the black pit, two werewolves sauntered inside, their noses to the ground, scenting out their prey.
The door fell back into place with a thud that stirred the dust on the floor. As one they lifted their heads, finding Mary Ellen’s scent almost immediately. Their eerie yellow eyes locked on her. They
were prime, ready to mate and she was their target.
Aidan’s gaze narrowed. The man in charge who watched them from above like some god had made one stupid mistake. Two werewolves in their prime would kill each other for a mate. Aidan wouldn’t have to do a bloody thing but sit back and wait for the winner, who would no doubt be tired and injured.
The wolves turned on each other quicker than he’d expected, their snarls and cries of pain vibrating through the stone room. Not bothered by their fight, Aidan turned his attention to the windows above. The people were in clear focus now that he’d fed. His body no longer ached, the injury healed. They looked so utterly normal. Who knew they were a mad, blood thirsty lot? Not even the women in their fine silk clothes looked horrified by the violence. Their excitement was practically tangible.
Twenty feet above. The steel bars would be easy enough to break now that he’d fed. The jump… he narrowed his eyes… he should be able to make the distance.
He didn’t need to look back at Mary Ellen to check her welfare. He could sense her, feel her breath, hear her heartbeat…slow…so slow. Panic urged him into action.
Aidan ran directly at the far corner, so fast he knew he was a blur, and was for once thankful for his abilities. His foot hit the corner, about five feet up. Aidan pushed off and focused on those iron bars covering the windows.
He gripped the bars and looked directly into their pale English faces…each and every one. For a moment they were too shocked to make a sound. Quickly enough the women screamed, the small group of silk dresses and suits stumbling back in their haste to escape. The sound of shattering glass resonated through the cell as they dropped their flutes of wine.
“No need to retreat. Don’t worry.” The man in charge tried to calm their fears. “There is no possible way he can escape. The bars have been tested.”