Awakened (Vampire Awakenings) (7 page)

“I know that Mike, but I can’t let her go. I don’t know why, I just can’t. Not now anyway.”

“It will only get harder.”

Liam sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. He was still completely staggered by the realization he had just come to. Love, he had never expected to love anyone, especially not now. Hell, the only people he had cared about as a human were these three, David, and his family. How was it possible that now, when he was a monster, when he was no longer human that he could fall in love?

“You have to let her go,” Doug said gently.

It would be the hardest thing he’d ever have to do, but the most decent thing that he had ever done, human or not. “I know,” he reluctantly admitted.

“Then...”

“All right!” he snapped. “I will. I’ll end it tonight.”

The thought tore through his heart and sent a fiery rage coursing through his veins. “It’s for the best,” Mike said softly.

“Shut up Mike!” he hissed.

He stood silently as they stared at him for a moment longer. “The girl is across the hall,” Doug informed him.

Liam’s jaw clenched tighter and a muscle twitched in his cheek. “Get rid of her.”

“But...”

“I said get rid of her!”

“You need to feed Liam,” Jack said.

“I’ll kill her if I do.”

He spun away from them and flung the door open so hard that he heard the plaster in his wall crack. He didn’t care as he stormed down the hall and back toward the party. His breath was coming in rapid, angry pants by the time he reached the ground floor. He paused to gather his control before he walked back into the party. The last thing he wanted was for Sera to see him like this. He would scare the hell out of her.

Harnessing his will power he slowly regained control of his rapidly swaying emotions. Taking a deep breath he forced himself to move out of the stairwell and back down the hall. There seemed to be even more people than before and the smell of alcohol and sweat permeated the air. People bounced into him as he shoved his way forward, heedless of their cries of protest. He had left Sera by the dance floor, but she was no longer there.

He turned around and started shoving his way back through the crowd. He found Kathleen and Danielle at the doorway of the kitchen. “Where’s Sera?” he yelled above the noise.

“She went to get another drink!” Danielle shouted.

Liam glanced at the keg by the front door but she wasn’t there. He turned and headed toward the back rooms. There were at least three kegs there. He stepped through the double doors and spotted her talking to a tall guy with dark brown hair. She was smiling softly, but she looked more than a little uncomfortable as she nodded, said something, and turned to leave. The guys hand shot out, grasping her arm to halt her. Sera stiffened, and he could see the tremor that rocked her as she turned back to him.

For a moment, Liam saw nothing but red. Then, he was moving rapidly across the floor. “I have to go,” Sera said softly.

“Can I get your number?”

“I have a boyfriend.”

“So?”

Sera blinked in surprise, unsure of how to respond to that. “So that means back off.”

Liam seized hold of the guys arm and squeezed. The guy turned to Liam in surprise, his mouth compressed. “No one asked you pal,” he said coldly.

“Let her go!” Liam hissed.

Sera gaped in astonishment, unable to believe what was going on. The guys hand fell from her arm, but anger radiated from every inch of him. However, it was nothing compared to the fury that seemed to blaze from Liam. For a moment, she was truly frightened as she gazed at his hard face, and dark, fiery eyes. He looked like he was about ready to kill the guy.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

Sera let out a sigh of relief as Mike appeared at Liam’s side with Doug and Jack behind him. “Nothing,” Liam grated.

“I was just talking to the girl,” the guy said coldly. “If you have a problem with that, then we can solve it.”

“Yes we can,” Liam growled.

“I don’t think so,” Mike interjected, shooting a pointed look at Liam before stepping between them. “There will be no fighting, right Liam?”

Liam’s gaze was still locked upon the guy before him. His whole body was rigid with anger, and he knew that he was close to snapping, close to a place that he had never been before. But seeing the guy touch Sera, and hearing what he’d said had unleashed something inside of him that he hadn’t even known existed.

“Liam.” Sera’s soft voice, and her small hand on his arm helped to pull him from the fiery haze that was encompassing his vision. He glanced down at her. She was staring at him with wide, pleading, frightened eyes. Her lower lip trembled as she looked quickly over at the guy and then back at Liam. “Please don’t.”

He stared at her for a moment longer, his jaw clenched as he released the guys arm. “I think you’d better go,” Mike told the guy.

The guy looked at Mike and then at Liam as his eyes narrowed angrily. “Assholes,” he muttered as he walked away.

Liam’s jaw clenched, but he managed to refrain from going after him and beating him into a bloody pulp. He sighed wearily as his shoulders slumped and he turned to look at Sera. “You okay?” he asked quietly.

Her eyes rapidly scanned his face. She could still see the anger that clenched his jaw, which caused the muscle in his cheek to twitch. His eyes were still dark with fury, but it was beginning to ease as the warmth that she was familiar with started to seep into them. She hadn’t seen anyone look as wild as he had, not since Jacob, and for a moment he had terrified her. It had been a new side of him, a side that she didn’t like.

  “I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me. He was just talking,” she said softly.

  He reached out to stroke her cheek. She flinched involuntarily. “Sera...” She shook her head as tears welled in her eyes. “Will you come upstairs with me?” She bit into her bottom lip as she wrapped her arms around herself in a desperate attempt to stop the shaking that was suddenly rocking her body. He took a step closer to her and she tilted her head to look at him. “I’m not going to hurt you Sera. I won’t ever hurt you. I promise. Now will you please come upstairs with me so that we can talk?”

She stared warily at him for a moment before nodding. No matter what she had just seen, Liam had never hurt her, and she truly believed that he never would.

She didn’t flinch from him, something that he was extremely grateful for as he slid his arm around her waist. He turned back around to find Jack and Doug studying him with mixed expressions of surprise and fear. Mike was staring at Sera in surprise, frowning slightly, an eyebrow cocked questioningly.

Liam stopped at Mike’s side. “It’s not going to happen,” he said quietly so that Sera couldn’t hear him.

Mike stared at him in surprise for a moment, before looking back at Sera. “Liam...”

“No Mike, it’s not going to happen.”

His jaw clenched as he nodded slowly. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“I don’t,” he admitted before turning and leading her out of the room.

He knew that he couldn’t let her go right now, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to let her go. The thought of her with anyone else was enough to make him want to kill. He loved her, and he intended to be with her for as long as he possibly could.

Tonight he had stood on a precipice that he’d never reached before. His love for her, his fierce desire to keep her safe had pushed him to it, but she had somehow managed to reach through his desire to kill, and pull him back before he plummeted over. He knew now that if he lost her, he would go over the edge. She was the only thing that could keep him from the darkness, and keep him in the light. He couldn’t let that light, that goodness go, especially when his existence was so dark.

He opened the door to his room and led her inside. Flicking the switch on, he turned to look at her. “You scared me,” she whispered.

Liam winced. He hadn’t meant to scare her. It was the last thing that he ever wanted to do. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

She nodded slowly, but there was still fear in her gaze. He pulled her slowly forward, enveloping her in his arms. Sighing contentedly he slipped his hand into her thick hair and held her tightly against him. She stood stiffly for a moment before wrapping her arms around his waist and burying herself against him.

He held her for a long time, savoring her warmth, and comfort. Savoring the way that she eased the pain in his dark soul. He pulled slowly away, bent down, and picked her up. She gasped in surprise as her hands instinctively clutched his shoulders. He flicked the switch off and carried her to the bed.

“Liam...”

“It’s all right,” he said softly. “I just want to hold you Sera.”

She didn’t make another protest as he sat on the bed and pulled her down. She laid her head on his shoulder; her mouth lightly brushed against his neck, her breath was soft and warm on his throat. Her small fingers curled into his shirt as she nestled closer. He kissed her head softly. She lifted her head, her delicate mouth parted as she gazed at him with wide eyes. Easing her head down, he kissed her gently, his tongue slowly entwining with hers as she opened her mouth to his. Instantly, he began to harden and throb. He shifted slightly so that she wouldn’t feel his obvious desire for her. Winding his hands tightly into her hair he leisurely imitated with his tongue what he longed to do to her body in long, slow, easy thrusts. She tasted so sweet and delicious that he knew he would never be able to get enough of her.

He gently stroked her breasts as she melted against him, her body limp and trembling against his as her arms wound around his neck. She moaned softly as his hand slid up her shirt to cup her full, luscious breast. Her nipple hardened instantly as he slowly rubbed his fingers around it. He rolled her to the side, leveling himself beside her as his hands gently stroked her satiny skin, and his mouth continued to tease her. She was unbelievably soft and delicate, so enticing as her body moved against his and little erotic gasps escaped her.

It was some time later before he forced himself to pull away from her. She stared silently up at him, her eyes clouded with passion, and her lips tantalizingly swollen from his kisses. He ran his finger lightly along her full bottom lip as she smiled softly. He wanted her so bad that it damn near killed him to pull away from her.

He pulled her back down so that her head was nestled securely in his shoulder. “Why did you stop?” she asked quietly.

He lightly stroked her hair as she cuddled closer to him, her small fingers resting on his chest. “Because you’re not ready yet, are you?”

She was silent for a moment. “No, but you didn’t have to stop.”

He smiled softly. She had absolutely no idea what she did to him. He was so hard and throbbing right now that it hurt. He didn’t want to take the chance of scaring her if they kept on going, and he knew there was a risk that he would. She was beginning to truly trust him, and he had already scared her once tonight.

“Yes, I did.”

She lifted her head to look questioningly down at him. “Why?”

He chuckled softly and lightly pushed back her tussled hair. “Because you drive me crazy.”

The frown, and the questioning look in her eyes, was enough to let him know that she didn’t understand. He took hold of her hand, his eyes intent upon hers as he slowly lowered it to his crotch. Her eyes widened as his hard shaft jumped through his jeans beneath her fingers.

Slowly, her fingers undid the button of his jeans and slid the zipper down. His breath froze as her warm hand slid inside; she pushed aside his underwear as she lightly began to stroke him. His shaft jumped beneath her shy, hesitant touch as he sucked in a deep breath. “Sera you don’t have to do this,” he managed to choke out.

She smiled enticingly as her hand wrapped around him. He bit back a groan. “I want to,” she whispered. “I just don’t...” her words trailed off as a fierce blush crept up her face and her long lashes lowered to shadow her eyes.

A jolt of shock rocked through him as he understood what she had been trying to say. To his surprise, and extreme joy, he realized that she was even more innocent than he had thought. He reached down and gently seized hold of her hand. Her eyes flew back to his, wide and enchanting. Slowly, he began to show her what to do, how to please him, where to stroke, and touch, and squeeze.

He watched with intense rapture the myriad of emotions that played across her face. At first there was a hint of fear, then wonder, and finally amazement. Desire clouded her eyes as she watched him. He gently eased his hand away and allowed her to touch and explore him on her own as he rolled her back to her side. She looked up at him; her eyes were wide as her hand continued to stroke and fondle him. He had to fight against the urge to spill himself as pleasure coursed through his body, but he wanted to wait, he wanted to bring her over with him.

Placing his hand on her soft, delicate thigh, he ran it languidly up to the edge of her skirt and slid beneath. He watched her face for any sign that she wanted him to stop, but there was no fear in her gaze, only awe. He slowly pushed her underwear down, his gaze intent on her as he slid his hand over her soft curls.

She bit into her bottom lip, fear flashed through her eyes as her legs clamped tightly together. “It’s all right,” he whispered. “I won’t hurt you. If you don’t like it, tell me to stop.”