Bleed For Me (5 page)

“Good.” The sooner she got back to the safety of her
place, the better. “Let’s go.”

He scrambled to obey.

She couldn’t stop the wild smile that lifted her
lips. Her compulsion had actually worked!

* * *

Two hours later, Terese stepped into her one bedroom
studio apartment and slammed the door shut behind her. Finally,
finally,
she was—

“Hello, my love.” A man’s voice, silken and dark with
menace, called to her from the shadows.

She froze as ice-cold, numbing fear filled her.
No, no, it couldn’t be—

He reached over, turned on a nearby lamp, and the
glowing yellow light illuminated his face. His glowing green eyes.
His glistening fangs. “I’ve been waiting for you to come home.”

“Eric.” Her heart raced and the furious pounding
filled her ears. How had he found her?She’d tried to be so careful.
She’d run far from him, leaving Baton Rouge and traveling southeast
until she’d literally hit the ocean—the ocean, and the small,
unassuming town of New Olympus, Florida, that graced the beach.

Eric stepped toward her and she instinctively
flinched back, moving a good foot.

But he just smiled. “I’ve got your blood in me, love.
That means
you
are in me. And I’m in you. We’re linked.
Bound by the blood.”

She didn’t want to be linked with him. Didn’t want to
have a damned thing to do with him.

“Our bond links us. It gives me your scent. It lets
me track you. And I
can
track you—wherever you go, I can
find you.” Another slow, gliding step toward her. His tall, sleekly
muscled body moved with dangerous grace. “There’s nowhere that you
can hide from me.
Nowhere
.”

With that, he shot forward and grabbed her. His long
nails dug into her hair as he hauled her against him. “You’ve been
a very, very bad girl, Terese. You shouldn’t have left me, not
after all I did for you.” His breath blew across her face and sent
a shudder of revulsion through her.

All he’d done for her?
“You turned me into a
monster,” she grated. “You took my blood and forced me to
become…like you.” The memory of that night—of the burning pain, of
that first, desperate taste of blood—filled her.

When the compulsion faded, when she realized what he
was doing, she’d fought him. But Eric had been too strong, and he’d
just held her down. He’d shoved her onto the floor as he drove his
fangs deep into her throat. And though she’d struggled, she hadn’t
been able to break free. As the minutes trickled by, she’d become
weaker, weaker…and cold, so very cold. She’d drawn a last, gasping
breath—

And then he’d shoved his wrist over her mouth and
dripped his thick, hot blood past her lips. Her body had convulsed
at the sickly sweet taste. Pain lashed through her. Agonizing.
Wrenching. She’d blacked out, screaming—

And awoken as a vampire.

“I chose you,” he muttered, gazing down at her with
his fangs bared. “I could’ve had anyone, but I chose
you
.”

And the sick psycho thought she should be honored. He
hadn’t understood when she wasn’t thrilled by her new life. “I
didn’t want this,” she whispered, not looking into his eyes. She
didn’t want to look into those eyes again. Because when she did, it
chilled her to the bone.

“If you’d given me time, I could have made you want
this life, made you want
me
.” He lowered his head, and his
breath tickled her throat. “I played the gentleman. I tried to give
you time to accept your new world, time to accept me—”

Her hands came up and rammed into his chest.
Grunting, he slipped back a step.

“Oh, yeah. You played the damn gentleman,” Terese
snapped. “You just transformed me into a vampire
without my
permission!
But, since you didn’t rape me, I guess you
thought—”

His hands tightened into fists. “It wouldn’t have
been rape. You would have enjoyed every moment of my touch.”

Yeah, right.
She would have enjoyed it…as
she gagged. “Only if you’d put me under compulsion, asshole. And
even then, I would have been screaming on the inside.” She tried to
lunge around him, but he grabbed her and shoved her back against
the wall so hard that her head rapped against the wood.

“You’ll enjoy it. I’ll have you begging before I’m
done.” His nostrils flared as he leaned closer, “I’ll show you how
much—” Eric broke off, stiffening. “I can smell another man on
you.” His hands dug into her skin, bruising, as he held her
immobile.

Vampire senses.
She tried to bullshit her
way out of this hell. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking
about. Now,
let me go
!”

His head lowered toward her, and he inhaled deeply.
“His scent is on you. On every inch of you.”

Oh, shit.
Eric had been a vampire for over
two hundred years, and she knew he had gained the enhanced sensory
perception that came with age.

He can really smell Apollo on me.
This scene
wasn’t going to end well. At all.

A sharp sting pierced her left arm, and Terese felt
the warm well of her blood. Glancing down, she saw that his claws
had pierced her flesh. “I-I had to feed.” That was the truth.
Another night, and the hunger would have killed her.

The claws dug deeper as they cut into her muscles.
“But you didn’t have to fuck!”

No, that part had been pure bonus, though now might
not be the best time to mention that fact. “Eric…”

His teeth snapped together. “You’re mine, Terese.
Mine.
I made you, and I’ll be damned if I let you go to
another.”

Too late. I already did. “
Then I guess
you’re just—”

“
Terese
!” Apollo’s voice roared from the
hallway.

Eric’s eyes narrowed. “He comes for you,” he
whispered, “but he’ll get me.”

The front door shook as Apollo’s fist pounded against
the wood. “I know you’re in there, so let me in! We need to
talk.”

At the sound of his deep voice, Terese didn’t know if
she should be relieved or absolutely terrified.

“Shall I make his death slow…or fast?” Eric
whispered.

And she knew how she should feel—absolutely
terrified. “Please,” she whispered, and it wasn’t the first time
she’d begged him. “Don’t hurt him.”

“It matters to you?”

Yes
.

He must have seen the answer on her face because he
smiled and said, “Then I’ll make sure I take my time with him.”

Just as Apollo lifted his hand, preparing to pound on
Terese’s door one final time before space jumping into her
apartment, the door was wrenched open. A man stood in the doorway,
smiling at him.

“Who the fuck are you?” Apollo snarled. He didn’t
like the look of this guy. Didn’t like his too perfect dark hair.
Didn’t like those eerie green eyes or the guy’s pale, sickly
skin.

“I’m Terese’s mate, Eric Montraine.” The smile
stretched to reveal razor sharp fangs. “And I’m the man who’s going
to kill you.”

Terese’s mate
. Hot fury knifed through him.
“Funny, Terese didn’t mention you, but then, we were kind of busy
fucking.”

The jerk’s eyes narrowed.

“And as far as killing me…” Apollo put his hand on
the asshole’s chest and shoved him back into the apartment. “That’s
really not going to happen.”

“Apollo!” Terese stared at him with relief and fear
coating her expression.

His gaze darted over her, and he instantly saw the
blood that trickled down her arm. “What happened to you?”

Her right hand lifted and covered the wound. “I-it’s
nothing.”

He glanced back at the asshole. “You did that to
her.” Not a question.

The guy held up his hand and flashed deadly claws.
Not human.
“Terese has been bad, so she needed to be
punished,” he said as that freaky-ass smile slipped over his face
again. “And so do you…”

“No!” Terese ran forward and put her body between
them. “Don’t do anything to Apollo. He-he was just prey. I was
hungry, so hungry, and I had—”

The smile disappeared. “You’re protecting him.”

Yeah, she was, Apollo realized. And it was rather
humiliating for a god to be protected by anyone else. Hadn’t he
told her that he was all-powerful? Immortal? Unstoppable? He was
sure he’d mentioned those facts once or twice. He didn’t need—

“Don’t hurt him, Eric,” she whispered. “Please.”

“Ah…begging already, my dear?”

Oh, that was it.
Apollo caught Terese’s arms
and pushed her behind him. The vamp would pay. “I think I’m gonna
have to kick your ass, Drac.”

Eric’s eyes shined brighter. “Kneel before me,” he
ordered.

Apollo quirked a brow. “You’re kidding me,
right?”

Behind him, Terese inhaled sharply. “Don’t look into
his eyes, Apollo, don’t—”

“
Kneel
!” Eric screamed, veins bulging in his
forehead. “Kneel and bare your throat
so that I can rip it
out.
”

The guy was a fucking nut job. “Um, no thanks. But
how about we do this?” And Apollo drove his fist into the guy’s
mouth, aiming straight for those white fangs.

Eric fell back. A cry of pain and surprise broke from
behind his now bloody lips.

Apollo drew back his fist once more. “Here’s a
warning, asshole. For future reference, don’t ever fucking touch
her again.” He drove his fist forward, ready to feel the satisfying
crunch of bone—

Eric caught his fist and held it immobile five inches
from his face. Blood slipped down Eric’s chin and splattered onto
his white shirt. “
What
are you?”

Apollo smiled back at him. “I already told you, I’m
the guy who’s gonna kick your ass.”

Eric growled and slashed out with claws. The swipe
drew a well of blood from Apollo’s side. “Think again, mortal,”
Eric snarled.

Mortal.
He’d never been called that one
before. Ignoring the pain in his side, Apollo rammed his booted
foot into Eric’s stomach.

The guy barely flinched. But Eric did charge at him
with fangs bared and claws extended.

“Stop!” Terese threw a lamp at Eric. Her aim was
dead-on as the lamp slammed into the side of the vampire’s head. “I
told you to leave him alone!”

Both men froze.

Apollo glanced back at her. Her pale face was set in
determined lines…and she had another lamp in her hand.

“You would choose him?” Eric gritted as he swiped at
the blood on his chin. “After what I did for you?”

“You
killed
me, Eric! You. Killed. Me. How
many times do I have to tell you? I didn’t want to become like
this! I. Didn’t. Want. This!” She was shaking, violent shudders
that wracked her entire body.

“You’re mine, Terese.” Eric’s shining gaze locked on
her and seemed to brighten. “I’m not going to let you go.”

“You never had me.” Her knuckles were white as her
fingers clenched around the base of the lamp. “Now get the hell out
and don’t ever come near me again.”

Eric glared at her.

“Do what she says,” Apollo ordered, his fists ready
at his sides. He was tempted, so very tempted, to call on the power
of the sun…and burn the vampire to ashes.

But if he did that, Terese would be hurt. She was too
close to him, too close to Eric, she’d never be able to withstand
the blast of the sun’s power.

The anger slowly drained from Eric’s face. “This
isn’t over, Terese,” he said, his voice almost…sad?

Her jaw locked. “Yes, it is.”

Eric stalked toward her.

Apollo stiffened. “Don’t even think about touching
her.”

“Oh, I’ll touch her,” now that freaky smile was back,
“and I
will
see you dead.”

“Promises, promises…” Apollo taunted.

The vampire growled, then vanished.

* * *

“Oh, shit!” Real terror rocked through Terese when
she saw Eric teleport right before her eyes. “He’s an elder!” No
wonder Eric had been able to control her so easily, to convert her
and—

“What,” Apollo began carefully as he closed in on
her, “is an elder?”

“An ancient vampire.” She dropped the lamp and
realized that her knees were shaking. Being a vampire hadn’t made
her immune to human weakness like fear. She was so scared then that
she was shaking. “One who has lived for centuries and has the power
to prove it.” A vampire who could teleport, just as Eric had done
when he’d disappeared from her apartment.

Well, at least that explained how he’d managed to get
inside
her locked home.

And, unfortunately, it also presented her with a
whole new slew of problems. Because if Eric could teleport, there
would be no safe place for her to hide from him.

She didn’t doubt that he’d be back for her. Eric
wouldn’t just walk away. Things would never be that easy.

He’d be back, and he’d make her pay for her perceived
betrayal.

“You’re not his mate.” Apollo gazed down at her with
blazing eyes.

“No.”
Hell, no
.

His fingers circled her injured arm. Warmed the
flesh.

“You don’t have to—” She began but the dull ache
immediately eased as the skin closed. Terese swallowed. “I told you
before, I can heal myself. Vampires heal while they sleep.”

His hand dropped away, and she missed the warmth of
his touch. “Eric’s the one who made you into a vampire.”

Even though it wasn’t a question, she nodded.

“Was he your lover?” Quiet, emotionless words.

“We-we were dating. We’d just been seeing each other
for a few weeks. I didn’t know what he was.” It wasn’t like she’d
expected her boyfriend to be a vampire.

“
Were you lovers?”
Not quite so emotionless
now. There was anger humming in his voice. Anger or jealousy?

Terese shook her head. “We weren’t. Not even after he
changed me.” She’d thought he would rape her after that first
terrible night, but he hadn’t. Eric had been waiting, confident
that she would turn to him, that she would seek out his
lovemaking.