A Mate for Gideon (2 page)

His
expression softened. “Let’s get you into bed. You rest up. You’ll be as good as
new in a few days.”

Yeah
right
. Jenna nodded. “Thank you.” Bile tasted bitter on
her tongue. “I need to sleep. I’m really tired.”

It
would probably take weeks for her to heal. He might just ruin everything for
her.

Jenna
had to clench her teeth to stop herself from crying out when he lifted her. She
buried her face in his shirt so that he wouldn’t hear her panting. Sweat beaded
on her forehead. Shit, Liam had really hurt her this time.

****

Three
days later…

Moving
quickly, she grabbed her underwear before moving to the closet next. Her
suitcase was big but not nearly big enough. It was important that she chose
well because there would be no coming back. Her measly savings wouldn’t allow
for any major purchases. Right now, a pair of shoes would be considered major.

For
months now, Jenna had been skimming money off the household cash Liam gave her.
Ten dollars here and twenty dollars there. There was enough of it stashed to
get her by for a little while. At least until the start of the Breeding
Program…Dating Program. The vampires had changed the name during the last few
advertizing campaigns. She wasn’t sure what to call it anymore. It didn’t
matter to her anyway. The whole program promised opportunities to meet and
date, real live vampires in the hopes that the encounters would result in
human/vampire unions. It was the one thing she’d been dreaming about and she could
scarcely believe that it was actually going to be a reality.

Excitement
coursed through her.

The
happy feelings didn’t last for long though. She wasn’t safe as long as she was
still here. If Liam found her…she sighed loudly. If her sick, fucked up excuse
for a boyfriend ever found her, she was dead. There was no doubt in her mind
that he would kill her. They would never find the body. Even if, by some
miracle, they did, the cops in Sweetwater stuck up for each other. Evidence got
lost or buried on occasion. At least according to Liam, who made sure that she was
well aware of the fact. He and his cop buddies were in a brotherhood. Badge
before blood was their motto. Point being, she would be murdered and Liam would
get away with it.

Her
heart raced and her palms felt sweaty. It wasn’t from the exertion.
Lord
help her, please
. Jenna raced to the bathroom and quickly packed a toiletry
kit, loading in all the basics. She threw that into the bag and zipped it
closed. Her back protested, big time, when she picked the suitcase up.

She
had noticed blood in her urine the last time she had used the restroom. Liam
had kicked her so damned hard that he had definitely caused some damage to her
kidneys. Her only hope was that it would get better on its own in time, and that
her face would heal up quickly as well. She had a plan, one that she had been
working on for a while now. Getting into the new vampire program was merely a
stroke of luck. A way to make her hopes and dreams a reality. This had to work.
It just had to.

Jenna
had to put the bag down every few strides. Not only did her back hurt but her
ribs and abdomen didn’t fare much better. Sweat beaded on her brow and she
sucked in deep breaths. The only thing that kept her moving was the thought
that Liam might catch her. He liked to drop in on her sometimes during the day.
He texted her all the time, wanting to know her whereabouts and exactly what
she was doing. Heaven help her if she was slow to respond, or if she didn’t
disclose her movements in minute detail.

Hopefully
her cab would be waiting outside. She prayed to god that Liam wouldn’t be able
to find her. Because he was a cop she knew that he could find anyone…anywhere…if
they weren’t careful. Well, not this time. Jenna planned on being extra
careful. She took her phone out of her purse and left it on the table. It was
traceable so it wouldn’t be coming with her. She had a small list of hand
written contacts in her bag and would purchase a burner phone once she was
safely settled elsewhere.

She
had so much riding on this. What if Gideon had moved on? What if he already had
someone else in his life?

No!

She
couldn’t think like that.
Refused to.
Miracles happened, they really did.
She only prayed that one would happen to a nobody like her. Even if she didn’t
deserve happiness. She squeezed her eyes shut for a few precious seconds and
then willed her beat up body to keep moving.

One and a half
years ago…

Jenna
wasn’t much of a drinker. After three pink cocktails, that tasted too much like
a cold drink and not enough of like alcohol and a couple of shots, she was
pretty well oiled.

Although
she wasn’t slurring or stumbling, she also wasn’t thinking completely straight
anymore and was giggling way too much. By then, her lips were even pretty numb.
There was an old jukebox in the corner. The bar smelled of cigarettes and beer.
Her work friend, Tracy, had her arms around some guy. They were slow dancing to
a fast beat. Jenna found that she didn’t care, she carried on dancing all by
herself.

The
guys in the bar, had long since stopped offering her drinks and trying to make
moves on her. She was a hundred and fifty percent on the rebound and wasn’t
about to tumble headfirst into another relationship. Her and Rob were
technically still married anyway. She even still wore her wedding band, showing
it to any guy who approached. Using it to ward them off like a shield.

Worked
every time.

She
giggled to herself, continuing to move to the beat. Jenna had always loved
dancing but couldn’t remember the last time she had been out like this.

Her
whole body felt warm, the edges of her mouth hurt from smiling. That last drink
had done it. She felt overly warm and a little slow. No more for her.

That
was when he walked in. Dark hair with equally dark eyes to match. She would
soon learn that there were golden flecks in those dark depths. He was tall,
ridiculously so, filling the door and the room with his presence. His hair was
tussled, four o’clock shadow on his jaw.

His
eyes scanned the room before coming to rest on her. The door automatically shut
behind him as he strode towards her. Directly to her, and not to the bar, as
she had expected. She was standing perfectly still in the middle of the dance
floor.

Some
other love song played in the background. She licked her lips as he came to
stand in front of her, having to crane her neck to maintain eye contact.

His
nostrils flared and his jaw tensed. He leaned forward, speaking directly into
her ear so that she could hear him over the music. “Sugar and spice and all
things nice.”

It
was the strangest thing anyone had ever said to her. His deep voice sent
shivers down her spine. “Pardon? What?” Her tongue felt thick and her mouth
dry. Why the hell had she consumed so much alcohol?

He
threw her a devastating smile that made her heart race and her panties turn
just a little damp. Then he leaned in, his breath hot on her neck. She was sure
she was mistaken because he seemed to sniff at her. No way. It couldn’t be.
Yet, he did it again.

Goose
flesh rose up on her arms and her breath quickened.

“Sugar…and
spice”—he sniffed—“and all things nice. It’s how you smell to me.” He pulled
back a little. Damn but he was handsome. Ridiculously so. It made her knees
weak.

Then
she remembered the drinks she had knocked back. One after the other. And a
thought occurred to her that made her frown. It also made the most sense. “Wait
just a minute. Wait just one little minute. You’re seriously hot.” She said,
swaying a little on her feet.

He
reached out and clasped her waist, holding her steady. “You’ve had a little too
much to drink. You scent heavily of alcohol.”

She
felt her cheeks heat. She must smell pretty bad if he could tell she had been
drinking. She put a hand over her mouth, feigning shock when she was actually
trying to smell her breath. Didn’t smell bad to her. Then again, what did she
know? She was drunk.

“You
humans are greatly affected by alcohol.” He grinned. “Would you like me to
carry you?”

Would
she ever?

She
felt herself frown. She had probably heard him wrong. Humans? Why would he
refer to her as a human? Jenna giggled. She really was never drinking again.

Not
ever.

His
hand still clasped her waist. Her skin felt warm there. Her whole body prickled
with awareness and anticipation. “You’re really gorgeous. You do know that,
don’t you?” Her tongue felt thick as she spoke. His eyes were so damned
beautiful. As was the masculine line of his jaw…all of him.

“You’ve
been drinking and are not thinking clearly or rationally.”

Jenna
licked her lips and sighed. “You’re not really as good-looking as this, are
you? You can’t be. I’d go to bed with a ten and wake up with a one. No…” She
wagged a finger at him. “There will be noooo sex tonight. Besides, rules are
rules.”

The
gorgeous man in front of her, that wasn’t really gorgeous, smiled accentuating
the slight cleft in his jaw. She was probably just imagining that too. It made
him all the more handsome. His smile turned quizzical as a deep frown appeared
on his forehead. “I’m not sure what you mean by the numbers or the rules. As to
the way that I look…” He shrugged. “What you see is what you get.” He removed
his hands from her waist, hooking them into his jean pockets. “The no sex part
is a crying shame.”

She
followed the movement, noticing how his shirt pulled snugly around some serious
muscles, his hips were as narrow as his thighs were thick. There was a bulge…

Jenna
looked up so quickly that she almost gave herself whiplash. “Oh, so I can have
what I see?” She giggled at her silly joke, stopping when he remained
completely serious. Jenna cleared her throat. “The numbers.” She took a deep
breath, trying to think straight. Maybe she should’ve had some dinner before
drinking. “It’s a rating system. One being butt ugly and ten being burn-up-the-sheets
hot.”

He
grinned. “You gave me a ten.”

Jenna
shook her head, which made her feel a bit woozy. She swallowed thickly. “I said
that you look like a ten but are probably a one.”

He
lifted his amazing eyes in thought for a second or two before locking his gaze
back with hers. “Butt ugly…” He shrugged before leaning in really close. It was
as if he was looking over her shoulder at something. He made a low growling
noise which she was too drunk to find weird. The sound made her panties soaking
wet. She caught a whiff of his very manly scent. It made her toes curl and her
blood rush.

“It
would depend on the ass in question. Yours just happens to be”—he moved in
really close—“damned sexy. In which case, a one isn’t so bad after all.”

Then
her stomach gave a lurch. She sucked in a deep breath and looked down, trying
to get the queasiness under control. Damned alcohol. What had she been
thinking? She needed to eat something. Like right now. The thought made her
stomach clench. Waves of nausea rolled through her.

Oh
shit!

Jenna
grabbed ahold of his shirt. “I need to go outside.” Maybe some fresh air would
help. Oh Lord! Before he could reply, she vomited all over both of them. It
left her with such force that she gave new meaning to the word projectile.

The
last thing she remembered feeling was embarrassment so complete that she was
sure she would never be able to move past it and then her world went black.

****

Present Day…

The
entrance to the club was humming. The exclusive vampire haunt hadn’t been this
chaotic since Brant first opened the place.

It
was damned crazy. Didn’t these humans realize that their endeavors were wasted?
Vampires were not permitted to mate with humans. Even this whole breeding
program was strictly controlled, from who was allowed to participate and the
initial introduction, to the dates that would follow. The human females had
signed contracts, they had been in extensive training. So had the vampire males
for that matter. The females would also be required to sign a mating contract
should they decide to settle down with one of the males.

Strict
controls. Every step of the way.

Gideon
shook his head. A group of females became excited when they caught him looking
at them. The one female even lifted her top. As if showing him her mammary
glands would make him defy the rules. It wasn’t happening. That particular path
brought only heartache and regret.

Crippling
amounts of the stuff.

An
SUV approached, slowing down as it neared the club. Gideon gestured to three of
the guards to standby. The females would need to be held at bay. There were
also a couple of males in the group, either with their human females or as a
part of the crowd looking to land a vampire.

“I
want to date a vampire!” An elderly female screamed, cupping her hands around
her freshly painted lips.

“Me
too!” Someone towards the back shouted.

Gideon
ignored them, watching instead as the vehicle pulled into one of the reserved
spots.

“About
damned time.” Gideon growled as he watched York exit the vehicle.

The
male sucked in a breath as if he wanted to say something and then seemed to
change his mind. After a beat or two, York locked eyes with Gideon. “Have all
the best females been taken?” He gave a half smile that looked tired rather
than happy.

Gideon
smiled. “Glad to see that you are doing better. How’s the back?” The male
didn’t look his casual self. Gone was his normal air of confidence coupled with
a cocky smile. York had developed feelings for one of the human females and in
an act of defiance had rutted her, knowing full well that a shit-storm would
rain down on him. The whole little exercise had earned the male thirty lashes
with a silver tipped whip.

York
shrugged. “No big deal. It healed quickly enough.”

No
big deal his ass. York’s back had resembled a tenderized steak when Brant was
finished with him. Yet, being the badass leader of the elite team that York
was, he shouldn’t have made a single sound during the beating. Thing was, York
had.

Gideon
hadn’t seen York for a few days and chuckled. “By the way you howled like a
baby, I would’ve thought you’d be down a lot longer.” He was just giving the
male shit. Gideon knew full well that York hadn’t cried out because of what was
happening to his back but rather because his female was leaving. Cassidy had
been expelled from the trial phase of the program. Brant didn’t tolerate such
blatant disregard for the rules.

York
clenched his teeth, his eyes took on a faraway look for a time.

The
male actually looked…sad. His eyes were clouded and his shoulders sagged.
Gideon felt for him. He had an idea of what the male was going through. Knew
only too well how hard this was on him. He slapped York on the shoulder. “I’m
only joking around. I know your whining had nothing to do with receiving those
lashes.”

York
scowled at him. His jaw looked tense, hell, his whole frame radiated tension.

Gideon
felt bad for giving him shit. “I was with the human when she left. It wasn’t
lost on me how you didn’t make another sound after she was gone.” Gideon shook
his head, it would do no good to remind him of the female he couldn’t have.
That door was closed. York had to move on, just as he had been forced to move
on over a year ago. “The humans inside are stunning, or so I have heard, you
need to give it a chance. Maybe you will meet the right one.”

“You
haven’t seen them yet?” York asked, a deep frown marred his forehead.

Gideon
shook his head. “It’s been hectic out here since early evening. Somehow,
information about tonight must have leaked despite the heavy confidentiality clauses.
I have my hands full.” He shrugged. “Besides, it’s not like any of them are
here for me, so what’s the point?”

They
arrived at the large double doors of the club. “Why didn’t you try out for the
program?” York asked. “You could easily have made the top ten.”

Gideon
shrugged again.
Like fuck
! There was only one human female he had any
interest in and since she was not available, he wasn’t interested…
period
.
“I’m not the settling down type. I don’t particularly want a mate or children
for that matter.” He felt everything in himself tighten. If only…he quickly
moved away from the thought. It fucking killed him to think about her.

York
raised his eyebrows, looking at him like he was the biggest idiot that walked
the planet. “I can’t say I understand, but whatever makes you happy.”

Gideon
glanced over his shoulder at the growing crowd. “I need to get back to work.”
He clenched his teeth. “If this gets any worse, I’m going to have to call for
backup. The kings insisted that this whole thing take place at Aorta, they felt
the human females would feel more comfortable in a relaxed setting. Fucking
crazy if you ask me.” It made his life infinitely more difficult.

York
nodded. “Especially with the recent attack on Zane’s life.” His chopper had
been shot down by a group of fascist humans with a vendetta against the
vampires. Particularly the kings. The group was not thrilled at the prospect of
human women being taken as mates by vampire males. They had managed to capture
one of the members that had shot Zane, but in a fit of rage, Brant had killed
the male before he could give up much information. It left them in the dark as
to how many of them there were? How organized and skilled they were? More
importantly, as to who they were and what their future plans were.