Charleston Past Midnight (18 page)

The older of the two asks, “Ma’am, are you Miss Calla Hart?”

I try hard to steady my voice, to speak clearly, “Yes, yes I am. Please, is this about Brant?”

They glance at each other and slowly close the space between us. Gently the uniformed man speaks again, softer this time. “Miss Hart, is there somewhere we can speak in private?”

My lips tremble as I blurt out, “T-tell me. Tell me now. Is he still alive?”

His eyes soften and his large hand reaches out to gently clasp my fingers in his. His voice is raw with emotion as he begins, “The Humvee that Sergeant Brant Hart was riding in yesterday sustained a direct hit from an IED. Two of the five soldiers who were inside were still alive and flown by life flight to a burn unit in Germany. Unfortunately Brant’s burns were so severe that his internal organs began to shut down. He passed away this morning. I’m so sorry, ma’am. We both are.”

I can’t see them anymore because the tears are welling up faster than they can fall down my face.
He was my life, my protector, and now he’s dead ….

* * *

The wetness on my cheeks wakes me up. I open my eyes to see Severin sound asleep beside me. His long arm is draped across my bare waist. The sadness of losing Brant is always present, and in some ways I’m grateful, petrified of losing even one single memory we shared together.

Suddenly lush eyes open to stare at me. His fingers close on my waist. I watch him frown and ask in a cautious whisper, “What is it? Are you upset about being turned? Tell me.”

“No, it’s my brother. He died not long ago and he’s always in my thoughts.”

He moves closer and covers my cheeks with slow kisses, taking his time before saying, “I’m so sorry, Calla. I know how difficult loss can be, truly.”

“Thank you, Severin.” I rest my forehead against his smooth chest and feel him whisper against my hair, “Are you hungry,
ma belle fleur
?”

Actually, I am. Very ….

Lifting my head, he watches my eyes closely, and before I can utter a word, he gives me a knowing look. “That’s what I thought. Tonight I’ll teach you to feed on your own. You could use a distraction. Come, Calla, it’s early evening and we need to begin your training if you hope to survive as one of us. Are you ready?”

I brush a light kiss across his lips and whisper, “I could use a distraction. I hope that I’m ready for what you have to teach me.”

“Excellent. Let’s get dressed and head downtown, my love.”

“Are we driving?”

“Not at all. You, my lovely one, are going to learn how to trace tonight.”

Excellent.

“Come, I’ll explain it to you on the back lawn.”

Some of my clothing is still here from when he brought my bag over from my apartment. I hope he discarded that bloody dress from last night because I don’t want to be reminded of the grizzly event. I pull on a pair of Hudson brand skinny jeans and pick up my black silky spaghetti strap top. I picture the seductive black leather pants Alina wears so well and make a mental note to add the wicked material to my wardrobe ASAP. I pause for a second, surprised that I can feel the threads of the material as they glide across my body. I still find it difficult to fully understand my new abilities, but I’m eager to learn everything about this new life. Knowledge is power, regardless of your species, and if I hope to avoid Valdon and his thugs, I’ll have to pay close attention to every subtle nuance of what I’m taught.

“Ready?”

“Yes, let’s go. I want to experience the outdoors in my new body.”

His eyes flare and grow heated at my words. “Mmm, my beauty, I just want to
experience
your gorgeous body … over and over again. But first, my girl needs to feed. Let’s go.”

He always senses my needs. I’m so accustomed to fending for myself. Can I ever let go and give myself over to him in every way possible, or is being in control too ingrained in my psyche?

The bedroom door swings wide and I shake the concern away as I follow Severin down the hallway toward the waiting elevator. We ride up to the main floor in silence as I ponder what new events will await me this evening. I know, of course, that Severin will explain anything that catches me off guard. I relax and step off the elevator, eager to experience my nocturnal future firsthand.

Outside, the first two things that ensnare my rapt attention are the copious sounds along with my ability to see with such crystalline clarity, it’s as if I’m snorkeling in a turquoise sea with a perfectly clear mask on my face. For my human eyes, the night was always heavily shadowed and primarily shades of blacks and grays. Now, the vibrancy is startling. The sage green of the Spanish moss that sways gently from the trees is notably ‘soft’ in both color and texture.

How is any of this possible?

My eyes turn to him in question.

“It’s normal to feel overwhelmed at first. Just be patient with yourself,
ma belle fleur
, and try to comprehend that every single one of your magnified attributes is specifically designed to keep our species from being eradicated. Now, your first lesson will be tracing. It’s important that you understand that this is a skill that you will develop over the years, Calla. You must not become discouraged if it doesn’t go smoothly the first few times. Remember, this is all foreign for you, all right?”

“Understood. I’m ready. Show me.” I face him and square my shoulders, eager to learn the method of transport that brought me here that very first night.

“Excellent. Now, I want you to close your eyes and calm your mind.”

I allow my eyelids to slide closed, but the sounds of the scurrying creatures in the woods along with the rustle of leaves are proving to be annoying. I squeeze my lids tighter and do my best to streamline my thoughts.

“Calla, I want you to imagine yourself standing in the spot near the edge of the tree line where I brought you when you first came onto this property. Can you try to do that for me?”

Focusing, I whisper, “Yes.”

From memory I recall the area where I first opened my eyes, where I first saw him. I wait.
Nothing.

I open my eyes and stare at him, wondering if I’m flunking already?
Shit!

He smiles encouraging and says evenly, “It’s all right. Let’s try again. But before you close your eyes, I want you to look across the lawn, directly at the area. Then try, okay?”

Nodding, I cast my gaze down the vast lawn to the area. Once I have it locked in my mind I shut my eyes and concentrate … hard. I shut out the sounds, the feel of the breeze sifting across the delicate hairs on my arms, the sway of the branches overhead. Nice and calm ….

Damn! Nothing again.

I open my eyes, beyond frustrated and gasp. I’m now standing directly in the intended spot. He calls out from several hundred yards away in an encouraging voice, “Nicely done.”

How could I possibly have heard him from that distance? Oh my God.

“Now come back to me.”

Seriously? All right.

Going in reverse seems easier because the waiting reward is my Severin. I plant my feet, lift my chin and try it this time with my eyes open, locked directly onto the spot where I stood one minute ago.

“Oh!”

I cry out, stunned that I’m now six inches from him. I stare up in wonder as his lips lower to taste mine. His sexy rumble mingles with the other sounds in the dewy night air, “Note, beauty, very exquisite reward earned for you later this evening.”

Hell. Yes.

Encouraged, I ask, “What’s next?”

There is far too much to cover even in the first few weeks, Calla, so we are sticking with essentials, only the basics tonight. Now I’m going to teach you the tools you will need to learn to properly feed.”

“Um, aren’t they basically the pointy things in my mouth?” I ask teasingly.

“Witty, my love, but no. Not if you wish to remain anonymous, and trust me, you do.”

“Sorry. I’m listening.”

“Good. Now, once you choose a human, we are able to persuade them easily to allow us to drink. I’m about to show you how that’s done. We call it ‘glamouring.’ ”

Without another word, I watch his eyes drop seductively as he takes the final step into my personal space. Immediately I’m ensnared in his hypnotic stare, deeply wanting to pleasure him, to behave. My head is dizzy with lust, and I only vaguely comprehend that his head is dropping lower. His left palm clasps down onto the back of my bare neck. I feel his lips caress my pulse point as I revel in his masculine scent. His slick tongue slides intimately up my skin before he slowly pulls away once again.

Rational thought filters back in as I struggle to find the right words, “That … that was surreal. How did you do that? I couldn’t have said ‘no’ if the forest caught on fire.”

His lips turn up at the corners as he explains, “And to a human the experience would be tenfold compared to what you just felt. Your resistance is stronger now, Calla, so imagine how alluring we would be to them.”

“Wait.”

His head tilts, “Yes?”

“I’m not sure that I want you … doing
this
with some random, beautiful woman, Severin.”

“Ah, I do love you being a bit jealous, my lovely one. And know that I’ll undoubtedly feel the same way the first few times you drink from a human male. But you must understand that it’s for survival, nothing else. Glamouring humans allows for the mutual enjoyment of both participants without destructive repercussions.”

I plant my hands on my hips and throw him a little sass, “You didn’t glamour me the first time you plunged into my neck with those pointy-ass fangs of yours.”

He bellows out a laugh that rings through the warm air. “No-no I didn’t, and I already told you why. For reasons still a mystery to me, you nearly shatter my control, Calla. That’s how strong the urge is with you. It will
always
be like that.”

“Mmmm … I like that.”

“It’s the truth. Now, back to your lesson, and try to behave and not be so unbelievably distracting so we can move forward and get you fed. Being so new, you will need blood on a daily basis to thrive. Now, show me how you would seduce me if I were a human.”

I push aside my initial awkwardness and get down to business. Tilting my head to the side I lift my eyes to his. Ever so slowly, I reach out and run a fingertip from the base of his bare throat, dragging it down over his shirt to rest at the very top of his beltline where I flatten my palm, just inches from his delicious sex. I add in a light sashay of my hips and step forward, threading my other hand through his raven hair. His eyes are ravenous as he stares down at me.
I more than like this power ….

I have to rise up on tiptoes to meet his neck. Just as my lips are about to touch him, a raw voice grates low, “Keep going.” He is as tense as an iron I-beam. He’s clearly fighting for control as I comply and press a kiss against his skin. My eyes slide shut, allowing his scent to envelop me.

“Enough.” He takes a long stride back from me and I stagger forward from the loss of his body.

“What? Was that wrong?”

He rakes his right hand roughly through his hair. “No, it was perfect. That’s just it. You’ll do fine.”

“Something’s the matter. Tell me, Severin.”

“The only issue, Calla, is that I want to fuck you into complete exhaustion right now, but unfortunately priorities come first.”

His blazing stare and hedonistic words makes my pussy shudder for him. I know that I’m toying with danger as I whisper in a tempting voice, “Then why don’t you?”

He goes completely motionless. Several heated seconds pass before he says, “No. It’s not safe. You need human blood and if I take you now your lust will drive your hunger farther. I can’t let you get to the point where you’re too hungry, because you could become too weak to feed or even worse, too desperate that you won’t be able to stop and you’ll end up killing your first time. Believe me, you don’t want that to occur.”

His concern for me is unwavering. Suddenly I feel slightly guilty for pushing his control to the limits.

“I see, and how many have you turned before me?”

I’m half-expecting him to give me some large tally, not really knowing if it’s something that happens frequently or not. I can’t deny the fact that I’d be upset if he has turned other women besides me. In all likelihood he has. He stays silent, watchful.

Just when I think that he’s not going to answer my question, he closes in on me, cups both hands beneath my jaw line, and lifts my face to meet his eyes. “Never, Calla. You’re the first and hopefully the last. I never thought it was right for me to choose this life for another person. I’ve never felt the desire to turn someone until you lay dying in my arms the other night. Then it hit me like a blow. I knew what had to be done. I didn’t hesitate.”

I bring my trembling hands up to cover his. “Thank you. Thank you for not giving up on me.”

His head lowers to touch mine. “I will never again let you fight alone.”

At that very moment I know precisely how vital he is to me. Regardless of the circumstances that drew us together, we are now united and I will fight with every last bit of life in my body to protect him.

“I have a lot to lean, we should get busy.”

The bridge of his nose is gently touching mine as he whispers, “We should.”

Chapter Twenty

Present Day, 1:54 a.m., Wentworth Street, Downtown Charleston

Never Tasted So Sweet

“Y
ou can see for miles up here.”

I follow her gaze and reply, “Yes. It’s a clear night.”

Moments earlier I wrapped my arms around her and traced us up to the rooftop of The Charleston Renaissance Hotel. From this vantage point we’ll undoubtedly have no problem finding the right prey for her first feeding. I do my best to remain detached, not wanting her to pick up on the fact that I’m not thrilled about her touching a human male, much less feeding from one. However, it’s a necessary evil. It is far easier for her to glamour a man, because of their innate attraction to her. Once she becomes more skilled she can easily glamour whoever she chooses. Until then, it’s best to err on the side of caution.