Broken Heart 05 Over My Dead Body (26 page)
Read Broken Heart 05 Over My Dead Body Online
Authors: Michele Bardsley
Tags: #Vampires, #Horror, #Fiction, #General, #Romance, #Paranormal, #Occult & Supernatural, #Oklahoma, #Single Mothers, #Love Stories, #Divorced Mothers
I stepped close to him and gripped his member, sliding my fingers over the velvety skin. My whole body went on alert, heat pouring through me like a four-alarm fire.
Brady took my hand and led me to the bed. I scooted onto it, and he did, too. He lay next to me, his fingers dancing on my bare skin.
He skimmed the underside of my breasts, and I gasped. He teased my areolas with delicious strokes. Then he leaned down and suckled one nipple.
Sensations rocketed through me.
He paid homage to the other breast. I wiggled against him, my hands reaching again for his manhood. I gripped it and stroked.
Brady liked it. He responded in kind by cupping my breasts and licking, sucking, tormenting.
Lust liquefied me. I released his shaft, then stroked up his rib cage, my fingers running through hair on his chest. Then I found his nipples. I lightly twisted.
Brady lifted his head. “You drive me crazy,” he murmured, “but in a good way.”
I grinned.
Brady cupped my sex and caressed my outer lips. He pierced me with one finger, then two, and curled those fingers upward.
And stroked.
Pleasure spun out a web that crept from my sex to my womb to every nerve ending.
He stroked in and out in a rhythm that made me gulp and gasp and moan. My whole body tightened and I spun away and up and reached for that rapture he promised.
He kissed me, his tongue mimicking those wicked fingers, the crisp curls on his chest rubbing on my nipples, and then . . . oh, then . . . I fell over the edge.
And as I rode that wave of bliss, Brady lifted away from my body, kneeling between my legs and pushing them up until my feet rested on his chest.
He angled his shaft to my entrance, and slowly, while I still pulsated with that incredible orgasm, he pushed inside.
I gripped the covers as he created a rhythm that pressed that wonderful spot again.
“Touch yourself,” he demanded, his voice hoarse. His greedy gaze was on my breasts.
Feeling oh, so naughty, I cupped my breasts and tweaked my nipples. Razor-sharp pleasure zapped me, and Brady’s eyes went dark and his rhythm went wild, and he groaned and I groaned and then . . .
He shuddered. Stilled. Then he was groaning. Spilling his seed inside me, his hands clutching my calves.
I went over the edge again, this time with him, my hands clawing at the bedspread as I arched, trying to take him deeper.
A minute later, he collapsed next to me. “What do you say to the person who gave you the best orgasm of your life?”
“Thank you, Keanu?”
Brady barked a laugh, then tapped my nose. “Try again.”
I cupped his face and said, “How about I love you forever?”
He smiled. “I love you forever.”
Well, then. There’s just not much more to say, is there?
ABANDONED TOWN DESTROYED BY GAS LEAK
By Susan Rickerson, Tulsa Tribune
One of the oldest cities in Oklahoma, which had been abandoned by the last of its residents more than a year ago, was destroyed by a major gas leak.
Officials are unsure what the ignition source was; however, they confirmed that nearly everything in the small town was demolished.
“There’s not even a road,” said Fire Investigator Samuel Waters. “The highway is being rerouted to go around the damaged area. We don’t recommend that anyone approach the city limits. It’s dangerous.”
Waters also insisted that the explosion was not related to the arson fires that plagued Tulsa in February of this year. The last fire attributed to the still-at-large arsonist was at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
The new section of the freeway will be built at least ten miles around the town.
There are no plans to rebuild Broken Heart.
(In order of creation)
Ruadan: (Ireland ) He flies and uses fairy magic.
Koschei: (Russia ) He is the master of glamour and mind control. He was banned to the world between worlds.
Hua Mu Lan: (China ) She is a great warrior who creates and controls fire. She was killed during her attack on Queen Patricia.
Durga: (India ) She calls forth, controls, and expels demons. She was banned to the world between worlds.
Velthur: (Italy ) He controls all forms of liquid.
Amahté: (Egypt ) He talks to spirits, raises the dead, creates zombies, and reinserts souls into dead bodies.
Zela: (Nubia ) She manipulates all metallic substances.
1 Jessica Matthews: Widow (first husband, Richard). Mother to fourteen-year-old Bryan and nine-year-old Jenny. Stay-at-home mom. Vampire of Family Ruadan.
Charlene Mason: Mistress of Richard Matthews. Mother to one-year-old Rich Jr. Receptionist for insurance company. Vampire of Family Ruadan.
Linda Beauchamp: Divorced (first husband, Earl). Mother to eighteen-year-old MaryBeth. Nail technician. Vampire of Family Koschei.
MaryBeth Beauchamp: Single. Waitress at the Old Sass Café. Vampire of Family Ruadan.
1 Evangeline Louise LeRoy: Single. Mother to fifteen-year-old Tamara LeRoy. Owns and operates the town library. Vampire of Family Koschei.
Patricia “Patsy” Donovan: Divorced (first husband, Sean). Mother to sixteen-year-old Wilson. Beautician who owns and operates Hair Today, Curl Tomorrow. Vampire of Family Amahté.
Ralph Genessa: Widowed (first wife, Teresa). Father to toddler twins Michael and Stephen. Fry cook at the Old Sass Café. Vampire of Family Hua Mu Lan.
Simone Sweet: Widowed (first husband, Jacob). Mother to six-year-old Glory. Broken Heart’s mechanic. Vampire of Family Velthur.
1 Phoebe Allen: Single. Mother to two-year-old Daniel. Waitress at the Old Sass Café. Vampire of Family Durga.
1 Darlene Clark: Divorced (first husband, Jason). Mother to seven-year-old Marissa. Stay-at-home mother. Operates Internet scrapbooking business. Vampire of Family Durga.
1 Elizabeth Bretton née Silverstone: Separated (first husband, Carlton ). Mother of seventeen-year-old Venice, who lives with her father in Los Angeles. Socialite. Vampire of Family Zela.
1 Direct descendents of the first five families to found Broken Heart: the McCrees, the LeRoys, the Silverstones, the Allens, and the Clarks.
In 1556, brothers Padriag and Lorcan (now known as Patrick and Lorcan O’Halloran) created the Consortium to facilitate education, communication, and support among parakind. They used their wealth and contacts to aid research in medicine, technology, and the arts.
At the time Padriag and Lorcan created the Consortium, most humans were aware of paranormal creatures, though any discovered living among them were cast out at best, or hunted and killed at worst. Part of the Consortium’s mission became to protect nonhumans.
Largely because of their efforts, many otherworldly creatures and humanoids learned to survive by camouflaging their true natures or by hiding in areas without human populations. The Consortium was instrumental in creating myths, legends, and cryptozoology to reinforce their efforts to protect parakind from human discovery.
The Consortium’s first meeting commenced in France at Clos Lucé—the home of Leonardo da Vinci (his human death was recorded in 1519). Though da Vinci was instrumental in creating the moral codes, member guidelines, and innovative direction of Padriag and Lorcan’s vision, he declined to be named part of the ruling board. (No one knows where da Vinci is now, or even if he still walks the Earth.)
Although Padriag and Lorcan, as founders of the Consortium, are permanent members of its ruling board, a new chair is named every hundred years. Only the thirteen members of the ruling board can offer nominations for a new chair. While the nominated chair is not required to be part of the current board, he or she must be an active, full member of the Consortium with at least one hundred years of service. The ruling board then votes on the new chair. Board members must serve at least one hundred years and can be reelected for a second term. The only permanent members of the board are Lorcan and Padriag. All full members of the Consortium can nominate and vote in a new board.
The Consortium stayed in France until 1788. That year, on-staff psychics began predicting the French Revolution. So the Consortium moved its offices, libraries, and council members to Ireland. In 1849, after working four years to halt the An Gorta Mór (the Great Hunger), the Consortium’s headquarters were discovered by a group of vampires known as the Wraiths.
After fighting off the attackers, Consortium members moved to New York City, in the United States of America. Later, the Consortium found out that the Wraiths had facilitated the potato famine to increase its access to food (Wraiths often drain humans to death) and to create drones, minions, and Turn-bloods. It is still unknown how many of the Irish really died and how many are, even today, Turned by the Wraiths.
The Consortium still has a headquarters in New York City, but constant discovery and attacks by the Wraiths and other enemies have forced the board and active members to keep subsequent locations secret. To protect its ongoing projects, the Consortium keeps its information, scientists, and key staff split into several locations around the world.
Currently, the Consortium has two major projects:
Searching for information (including ancient spells and incantations) and magical artifacts from archaeological sites in the Sudan.Creating the first community for parakind in the small, secluded town of Broken Heart, Oklahoma.
There are a few parakind villages throughout Europe, but most of these towns have not been created or endorsed by the Consortium. It is the Consortium’s hope that Broken Heart will one day be the prototype for humankind and parakind to live together in peace and prosperity.
The Consortium is a five hundred-year-old, not-for-profit organization created to facilitate relations between humans and nonhumans. It is run by a council of duly elected officers who serve on the board for one-hundred-year terms.The Consortium’s primary purpose is the betterment of all Earth’s creatures through advances in science, technology, and medicine. Its secondary purpose is to build bridges between parakind and mankind so that one day, all sentient beings can live together in peace and prosperity. Our “bridge-building” is accomplished in many ways, and includes financing archaeological and historical research, creating safety zones for parakind, and donating funds to charitable causes.Paranormal individuals interested in supporting the Consortium’s goals and submitting a financial donation of $100,000 or more may apply for full membership. All full members, once accepted, must also take a blood oath to uphold the Consortium’s code.Humans may apply for associate membership if they will take an oath to keep the Consortium a secret, to never reveal the true nature of any paranormal creature among nonenlightened humans, and to protect the identities of the ruling council. Humans are not required to pay an annual fee.The Consortium can revoke the membership of any full or associate member if the member violates the code, betrays other members, discloses the meeting places or identities of the ruling board, or fails to pay annual dues.The Consortium agrees to house, protect, and offer compensation to humans Turned by members of the Consortium, whether or not the Turning was sanctioned.Any Consortium member who murders, tortures, or perpetuates vile crimes on humankind or parakind will be sentenced by the ruling board. Such sentences can include imprisonment, banning, or death.Lycans are the paid guardians of Consortium board members. Every member on the board will be assigned at least one guardian. Consortium members can also contract the services of a guardian or, if necessary, the ruling board can pay for the guardian protection of any of its full or associate members.The Consortium has the right and the responsibility to protect the organization, its members—parakind and mankind—in any and all ways it sees fit. As long as the ruling board and the voting membership agree on its policies and procedures, the Consortium may employ any and all tactics necessary to preserve its mission and its members.Padriag and Lorcan O’Halloran, as the founders of the Consortium, will have permanent places on the ruling council. However, just like all Consortium members, they are bound by the code and these guidelines.
Note: The current chairman of the Consortium council is Ivan Taganov of the Family Koschei.
Ancient: Refers to one of the original seven vampires. The very first vampire was Ruadan, who is the biological father of Patrick and Lorcan. Several centuries ago, Ruadan and his sons took on the last name of O’Halloran, which means “stranger from overseas.”
Banning: (see: World Between Worlds) Any vampire can be sent into limbo, but the spell must be cast by an Ancient or, in a few cases, their offspring. A vampire cannot be released from banning until he feels true remorse for his evil acts. This happens rarely, which means banning is not done lightly.
The Binding: When vampires have consummation (with any living person or creature), they’re bound together for a hundred years. This was the Ancients’ solution to keep vamps from sexual intercourse while blood-taking. No one has ever broken a binding.2
The Consortium: More than five hundred years ago, Patrick and Lorcan O’Halloran created the Consortium to figure out ways that parakind could make the world a better place for all beings. Many sudden leaps in human medicine and technology are because of the Consortium’s work.
Convocation: Five neutral, immortal beings given the responsibility of keeping the balance between Light and Dark.
Donors: Mortals who serve as sustenance for vampires. The Consortium screens and hires humans to be food sources. Donors are paid well and given living quarters. Not all vampires follow the guidelines created by the Consortium for feeding. A mortal may have been a donor without ever realizing it.
Drone: Mortals who do the bidding of their vampire Masters. The most famous was Renfield—drone to Dracula. The Consortium’s Code of Ethics forbids the use of drones, but plenty of vampires still use them.
ETAC: The Ethics and Technology Assessment Commission is the public face of this covert government agency. In its program, soldier volunteers have undergone surgical procedures to implant nanobyte technology, which enhances strength, intelligence, sensory perception, and healing. Volunteers are trained in use of technological weapons and defense mechanisms so advanced, it’s rumored they come from a certain section of Area 51. Their mission is to remove, by any means necessary, targets named as domestic threats.
Family: Every vampire can be traced to one of the seven Ancients. The Ancients are divided into the Seven Sacred Sects, also known as the Families.
Gone to Ground: When vampires secure places where they can lie undisturbed for centuries, they go to ground. Usually they let someone know where they are located, but the resting locations of many vampires are unknown.
Invisi-shield: Using technology stolen from ETAC, the Consortium created a shield that not only makes the town invisible to outsiders, but also creates a force field. No one can get inside the town’s borders without knowing specific access points, all of which are guarded by armed security details.
Loup de Sang: Commonly refers to Gabriel Marchand, the only known vampire-werewolf born into the world. He is also known as “the outcast.” (see: Vedere Prophecy)
Lycanthropes: Also called lycans. Can shift from a human into a wolf at will. Lycans have been around a long time and originate in Germany . Their numbers are small because they don’t have many females, and most children born have a fifty percent chance of living to the age of one.
Master: Most Master vampires are hundreds of years old and have had many successful Turnings. Masters show Turn-bloods how to survive as vampires. A Turn-blood has the protection of the Family (see Family) to which their Master belongs.
PRIS: Paranormal Research and Investigation Services. Cofounded by Theodora and Elmore Monroe. Its primary mission is to document supernatural phenomena and conduct cryptozoological studies.
Roma: The Roma are cousins to full-blooded lycanthropes. They can change only on the night of the full moon. Just as full-blooded lycanthropes are raised to protect vampires, the Roma are raised to hunt vampires.
Seven Sacred Sects: The vampire tree has seven branches. Each branch is called a Family, and each Family is directly traced to one of the seven Ancients. A vampire’s powers are related to his Family.
Soul shifter: A supernatural being with the ability to absorb the souls of any mortal or immortal. The shifter has the ability to assume any of the forms she’s absorbed. Only one is known to exist, the woman known as Ash, who works as a “balance keeper” for the Convocation.
Taint: The Black Plague for vampires, which makes vampires insane as their bodies deteriorate. Consortium scientists have had limited success finding a true cure.
Turn-blood: A human who’s been recently Turned into a vampire. If a vampire is less than a century old, she’s a Turn-blood.
Turning: Vampires perpetuate the species by Turning humans. Unfortunately, only one in about ten humans actually makes the transition.
The Vedere Prophecy: Astria Vedere predicted that in the twenty-first century a vampire queen would rule both vampires and lycans, and would also end the ruling power of the Seven Ancients.
The prophecy reads: A vampire queen shall come forth from the place of broken hearts. The seven powers of the Ancients will be hers to command. She shall bind with the outcast, and with this union, she will save the dual-natured. With her consort, she will rule vampires and lycanthropes as one.
World Between Worlds: The place is between this plane and the next, where there is a void. Some people can slip back and forth between this “veil.” 2
Wraiths: Rogue vampires who banded together to dominate both vampires and humans. Since the defeat of the Ancient Koschei, they are believed to be defunct.
