Dalakis Passion 3 - Stefan's Salvation (2 page)

alone, she had very little to do with the nearby townspeople. The limited contact suited
both sides.
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to relax. The wind was little more than a
light breeze, so it was quiet other than the usual creaks and groans the old house made
as it cooled and settled for the night.
Unfurling all her senses, she waited and listened. The animals seemed fine, going
about their nightly business. That was good. They would alert her to any danger. She'd
always been able to "talk" with the animals--yet another talent that set her apart from
others. And that was fine with her. Animals were much more trustworthy than people.
Whatever was coming, it wouldn't be good. She could sense that much, but nothing
more. Laurel Rose settled back against the side of the window seat and waited.
Something was coming.
Stefan cocked his head to the side and listened. He could sense something on the
air. A calling. A searching. Something. It was there for a moment, no more than a
whisper on the wind, and then it was gone.
A feeling of urgency swelled inside him. He had to hurry, but to where? To whom?
Shrugging it off, he concentrated on the here and now. The door to the bar opened and
he could hear the giggles of the two blondes as they hurried toward him.
Stepping out into the dim glow of one of the few remaining lights in the parking lot,
he smiled. "Ladies," he greeted them. He bowed slightly and swept his hand back,
inviting them into the darkness.
They giggled and tittered as they hurried forward on the uneven ground in their
high-heeled shoes. One of them stumbled slightly and Stefan grabbed her arm,
steadying her. She looked up at him, her smile slowly fading the longer she watched
him. It was as if some gut instinct had kicked in, warning her of the danger he
presented. "Maybe I should just go back inside."
Stefan could hear the anxiety in her voice. Cupping her pale cheek in his hand, he
rubbed her red-stained lips with his thumb. "If that is what you wish, I will not stop
you. But I will not hurt you." He reinforced his words with a small mental push of
encouragement. Her friend was already eagerly waiting, watching him and licking her
lush lips in anticipation.
Her frown instantly disappeared. It was replaced by a sultry smile filled with
sexual promise. But Stefan was no longer interested in sexual release. The women who
had appealed to him only minutes before now left him cold. All he could think about
was the woman called Laurel Rose.
But he played the game. After all, they deserved some fun for what they would
provide for him. Putting his arm around her, he guided her into the sheltering darkness
of the building.
Pushing her back against the wall, he lowered his mouth and kissed her. Her lips
were soft and sweet and she was so very eager to please him. Her tongue swept into his
mouth as she opened her own wider, offering him everything.
Stefan tugged at the front of her blouse, flicking at the buttons one by one until it
fell open. He could see the long line of her pale belly and the generous breasts encased
in a lacy bra. He stroked a finger down her neck, across her cleavage and over her
stomach until he reached her bellybutton.
Her friend tittered, her high-pitched voice grating against his nerves. He turned to
her and pinned her with a stare. When he crooked his finger to her, she all but fell over
herself in her haste to reach his side. Pushing her back against the wall next to her
friend, he leaned over and kissed her. She was slightly shorter than her friend, but just
as voluptuous. He searched her mind. Her name was Karen and she thought he was
hot.
Stefan usually respected people's right to privacy and didn't trespass into their
minds. Only when he or his family were threatened or when he needed to feed did he
do so, and then he kept it at a minimum. It was as much for himself as for them. There
were things floating around in people's minds that he just didn't want to know. He
usually got the information he needed and got out. But it was a useful skill and one he
kept well honed, as he did with all his powers. Only very rarely could a person block
his questing mind.
He ended his kiss with Karen and returned his attention to the other delectable
morsel in front of him. He skimmed his finger back up her torso, dipping into the deep
valley of her breasts. A quick twist of his fingers opened the front clasp of her bra, and
the fabric pulled away as her generous breasts tumbled out.
Cupping the pale, white mounds in his hands, he rubbed his thumbs over her
distended nipples. She moaned and arched her hips against him, searching for his hard
cock. The only problem was that his dick was no longer hard. The only yearning
burning within him now was the need to feed.
He pinched her swollen nipples before releasing her breasts and tearing open the
fastenings of her tight jeans. Thrusting his hand down the front of her skimpy bikini
panties, he found her pussy, hot and wet.
Turning back to Karen, he leaned down and nipped at her earlobe before
whispering in her ear. "Open your blouse and bra." He licked at the whorls of her ear.
"Then open your jeans and push them down so I can finger-fuck you and your friend at
the same time." He skimmed his tongue over her neck and bit the top of her shoulder
lightly before releasing her.
While he told Karen what he wanted, he'd kept his fingers busy on her friend,
burying two of them deep inside her. Her cream slipped from her pussy, coating his
hand as she moaned and rocked her hips.
Clothing rustled next to them and within seconds Karen had ripped off her blouse
and bra and thrown them to the ground. She fumbled with the opening of her jeans and
then both jeans and panties were down around her knees.
Stefan immediately fondled her breasts, arousing the tips to hard peaks before
sliding his hand lower. Karen was just as wet and ready as her friend and he sank his
fingers into her.
Leaning back against the building with their clothing mostly gone, both women
made an incredibly erotic picture. But still, Stefan felt no stirring of desire.
Anger flared to life within him. He'd been looking forward to some sexual release,
but this unknown woman had robbed him of it and he didn't even know who she was.
That gave her power over him and Stefan didn't like that one bit.
The moans of the women in front of him grew louder and he chastised himself for
not paying attention. The last thing he wanted was for someone to hear them and come
to investigate.
Leaning closer to them, he spoke softly, ordering them to be quiet. Immediately, the
groans of pleasure went silent but they continued to pump their hips hard, both of them
reaching for release.
They really were quite lovely with their breasts bobbing as they thrust forward and
backward, pleasuring themselves on his hands. Their skin was soft and their pussies hot
and wet. Beyond the heavy makeup and brittle laughter, he could see the beauty in
them both. He could sense their desperation with their lives and how they both longed
for more than they had in this small town.
It was time.
Easily slipping into their minds, he took control of their thoughts, purposely
blurring them. It was easy. They were both so open and relaxed by the beer they'd
drunk and the potent desire pulsing through their veins. They would never even know
what he was doing. All they would feel was the pleasure.
Leaning forward, he nuzzled Karen's neck and licked the salt from her flesh. She
silently tilted her head, giving herself to him. And he took what she offered. His fangs
lengthened and he sank them into her soft skin. Her blood gushed forward, filling his
mouth immediately. It was warm and fresh and he savored every drop as he drank
deep. It slipped down his throat and hit his belly with a warmth that made him moan.
Mindful not to take too much, he carefully withdrew his teeth and licked the
wound closed. It would disappear within minutes. Thrusting his fingers deep one final
time, he brushed her clit with his thumb. Karen came quickly, her release gushing over
his hand and down her inner thighs.
When she was finished, he withdrew his hand and eased her down until she was
sitting against the building. Then he turned all his attention to her friend. This woman
was slightly bigger and he could afford to take more of her blood. Her neck arched, but
her large breasts drew him. Cupping a pale mound in his hand, he nuzzled his way to
the side before sinking his teeth in deep.
Stefan felt lightheaded, almost drunk as he continued to feed. Like Karen, her blood
was rich and pure.
Cousins.
The thought flashed across his mind. These women were
cousins. It would be easy to get lost in the erotic images that filled her thoughts, but
Stefan forced himself to pay attention. When she'd given all he sensed she could, he
withdrew his teeth and closed the wound.
Again, he pushed his fingers hard into her pussy, driving her desire higher. One
brush of his thumb against her clit and her orgasm hit her. Her hips jerked as spasms
shook her. When she was done, Stefan withdrew his hand and lowered her until she
was seated next to Karen.
Licking his lips, he savored the flavor of the blood they'd both given him. Fresh
blood was much more potent than that stored in a blood bank. Power surged through
his veins as the life-giving liquid pumped through his body. Strength and vitality
rippled though every bone, every muscle--indeed, every fiber of his body.
One of them groaned, drawing his attention. Karen slumped forward, holding her
head in her hands. Stefan felt a stirring in his chest and was surprised by the
compassion he felt for both women.
Crouching down in front of them, he helped them both get dressed. When they
were both fully clothed, he tugged them to their feet, steadying them until they could
stand on their own. They looked so young and bewildered that they made him feel old
and jaded. He made up his mind that they would come into a small inheritance from a
distant aunt they didn't know. He'd make sure it was enough money for them to go
away and start a new life if they chose.
That decision made, he leaned down and kissed them each on the forehead before
escorting them back to the corner of the building. There he cupped their faces one at a
time and, staring deep into their eyes, he reinforced the memory he'd already
implanted. They would not remember him at all. They would not remember anything
except leaving the bar and driving home. They would sleep deeply tonight and wake
refreshed in the morning.
He watched from the shadows as they got into their car and drove away. They
would be safely home in their beds within the half-hour. As their headlights faded in
the distance, Stefan reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Hitting
one of the numbers on speed dial, he waited patiently while it rang. Before he'd sent the
women home, he'd delved into their minds to get the information he needed.
A sleepy voice answered the phone. "Yeah?"
"This is Stefan Dalakis." He could here the shuffling of covers as the man scrambled
up in bed.
"Yes, sir, Mr. Dalakis. What can I do for you?"
Stefan gave the man his instructions. Within twenty-four hours, Karen and her
cousin would be the beneficiaries of a distant aunt who didn't really exist. When he was
finished, he ended the call, confident everything would be handled exactly as he'd
requested. The Dalakis family was this law firm's biggest client and they did everything
possible to keep them happy. Stefan smiled cynically. Money did have its uses.
He hesitated for a brief moment before hitting another number on speed dial. "It's
about damn time," the voice on the other end snapped.
Stefan held the phone away and smiled before slowly putting it back to his ear. "I
miss you too," he told his brother.
Lucian snorted. "Delight's been worried about you."
Stefan sobered immediately. He knew that it was Lucian who'd worried more. His
brother understood just how precariously Stefan's life was balanced at the moment.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset her, but I just couldn't talk."
His brother sighed. "I know." Stefan could almost picture his sophisticated, urbane
brother shoving his fingers through his long hair in exasperation. "Where are you?"
"Transylvania. Well, not to far from there. I'm not exactly sure where I am at the
moment."
"You went home to see Cris and Johanna?" Stefan could hear the surprise and just a
tinge of disappointment in his brother's voice.
"No. Transylvania, North Carolina." He leaned back against the wall and sighed.
"With a name like that, I just had to stop and see it. I'm still on the road," he added
softly. "I'd come home and see you before I did anything else."
Lucian was quiet on the other end, although Stefan could hear him breathing.
Stefan knew that his brother understood the implication. "Just remember that we are
here for you. Always. We can get through anything together. We are Dalakis."
His brother's understanding and willingness to do anything for him moved Stefan
deeply. "We are Dalakis," he echoed softly. Straightening away from the wall, he
briskly continued. "I've moved on, but I'm still in North Carolina. I'm going to be here a
while. Do some more exploring."
"Just check in now and again." Lucian's sardonic voice was loud, his meaning clear.
"I will," Stefan promised. "Just because I know Delight worries about me."
Lucian snorted and hung up. Stefan listened to the dial tone before snapping his
phone closed. It felt good to reconnect with his brother. He'd gone too long without it. It
had been several weeks since his last call home. That was inexcusable. He would not let
that happen again.
Tucking the phone back in his pocket, he walked to his truck and climbed into the
cab. Settling back, he waited. An hour later, he was rewarded when Aaron and Clem
walked out of the bar and hurried toward a dirty blue pickup truck. There seemed to be
more rust than paint on the vehicle and Stefan figured that it was the caked on mud that
was really holding it together.
There was a sense of purpose and urgency about them and Stefan knew that they
were heading to Laurel Rose. And when they found her, so would he.