Dead Shifter Walking (20 page)

Easing myself on Blake’s other side, I turned to
Tate. “Get him inside,” he growled.

Mal and I made quick work of that task, setting
Blake down in the living room on the overstuffed dark blue
oversized couch. Pulling back, I sat on the coffee table in front
of him, holding his hand as his eyes rolled into his head.

Tate sat next to me, cutting deeply into his
wrist before pressing it into Blake’s mouth. Aged vampire blood
would speed the healing process, but it would do nothing for the
pain.

Blake drank deeply, his eyes, once open, never
left my own and his bloodstained hand cradled gently in my own as I
gave him a small smile. His eyes dropped heavily, his body taking
over the healing process from the control freak.

Tate stood, flexing his healed wrist.

“You will watch him,” Tate said.

“I don’t take orders,” I growled.

He turned, his eyes full amber, fangs descended.
“You will watch him,” he repeated as I snarled, bunching my
muscles, ready to leap.

Mal stood between us. “Tate, Olie, back down.
We’ve all had a very stressful night. Olie will stay here. Tate,
let’s go figure out who the hell leaked Blake’s home address and
supplied those fuckers with the heavy artillery.”

Easing down from my crouch, I shifted to adjust
the sharp tilt of Blake’s neck and removed his blood-covered shoes
before resting his feet also on the couch.

Mal sent an exhausted look at me before leaving.
“Lock up, Olie.”

I nodded when I wanted to snarl. Moving the
coffee table away, I lay next to the couch for a few hours of
shut-eye.

Chapter 13

My hip hurt, my stomach was on fire, and my left
arm was throbbing dully in rhythm with the gigantic ache in my
head. Groaning, I turned on my back, staring up at the pristine
ceiling. A cellphone was ringing annoyingly and repetitively as I
dug around on the sofa.

Squinting up, I was glad to see Blake was
sleeping through this.

“What?” I growled when I finally found Blake’s
annoying phone.

“Olivia,” Tate hissed at me.

“Yes, Tate,” I said wearily as Blake roused.
Dropping the phone to my shoulder, I settled on my knees, smiling
down at him. “Hey,” I said softly as his bright blue eyes focused
on me, and he touched my cheek gently.

He groaned, reaching out for his phone. “What?”
he growled, possibly as annoyed as I was.

Getting back up, I sat down on the coffee table,
rubbing my shoulder to ease the tension.

“When?” Blake asked. “Who?” He looked up at me,
rubbing his jaw. “I will ask.” Ending the call, he pushed to his
feet.

“Can I interest you in a shower?” he asked,
extending a hand. “And a visit to the compound?”

Smiling, I forced the wince back down as I took
his hand and we hobbled our way to his bedroom. We moved slowly
with a few grunts and groans as we shared a few hesitant
smiles.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, impressed with
the cleaning crew as we entered his room.

He shrugged, heading straight for the bathroom.
“About as well as can be expected, given I’ve been de-fanged.”
Rubbing his jaw slowly, he added, “Can’t say I ever would have
thought about that before tonight.”

I smiled, leaning against the large expanse of
counter as he turned on the warm water. “The best forms of torture
are one you can experience for yourself,” I informed him.

He nodded, looking back at me, his eyes
searching my own. A close call with death was never easy. No matter
how many I had, there was still that exhilaration of escaping to
live another day. Torture, now that bred a whole new list of
problems.

Blake smiled closed-lipped before chucking his
shirt into the trash, followed by his shoes and pants. He didn’t
spare me a backwards glance as he stepped into the steaming shower,
naked. Following suit, I pulled off Mal’s ruined dress and
undergarments, the cool air chilling my skin.

Blake still hadn’t turned around as I placed my
hand on the shower door, pulling the glass back almost timidly. Sex
wasn’t a new thing for me, but this felt different.

As I closed the door softly, he turned to look
at me with the forlorn face of a haunted, damaged vampire. I
smiled, laying my hand against his chest and shivered when the warm
water trickled over my fingers. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around
my shoulders pulling me into the spray of the water with him.
Tilting my head up, I searched those blue depths, trying to
understand why sex with Blake felt different, why I felt almost
vulnerable.

The answer wasn’t in his eyes or in the dark
locks plastered to his forehead. Pressing up on my tiptoes, I
gently touched my lips to his, unsure how painful that would be for
him. His hand snaked up to tangle in my wet locks pressing me
firmly against him.

My instincts took the lead as my defenses
dropped, running the pads of my fingers over his hardened body. His
lips were firm yet gentle and neither of us dared a tongue, given
his raw mouth. Cradling my face, he pulled away to look down at me
as I looked up at my beautiful damaged vampire.

“I want more than sex,” he stated, now searching
my eyes.

I blinked blearily, not understanding, so he
continued. “I don’t want sex to know I’m alive. I want to sleep
with you because we have a relationship.”

Tilting my head slightly, I found my voice. “I
don’t know how to have those,” I answered softly.

Stroking my cheek, he leaned down to kiss me
tenderly again, moving from my lips to my jawbone and finally, my
ear.

“No other,” he said, pulling back to watch my
expression.

“Exclusive?” I said, almost doubting.

He nodded. Shoving my finger against his chest,
I informed him, “Break your word, and I’ll break your neck.”

He smiled, pushing my finger easily off his
chest. “Same goes for you,” he whispered, running his warm lips
over my ear. My body involuntarily shuddered as my hands flexed on
his biceps. Enjoying my reaction, he held me tightly while he
worked on my other ear.

Panting, I tipped my head up, closing my eyes
and allowing Blake to caress my neck with his very talented tongue.
My guards slipped further, and it should have worried me, but what
he then did to my breasts had my brain shutting down
completely.

His warm mouth mingled with the water, but it
was the sucking and nibbling that had me coming undone as he
maneuvered me back against the tiled shower wall.

Pinning me with his rapidly warming body, he
pushed my legs apart with one of his own, groaning as he pressed
his fingers gently into me.

“You smell divine, Olivia,” he whispered against
my ear, pushing more aggressively into me as a yelp escaped my
lips.

Nuzzling my neck, he pulled out of me as a
demanding growl left my lips. Speech was beyond me, but he was
riding my emotions and would understand the urgency and need. His
eyes widened; he grabbed my ass and pulled me up as I wrapped my
arms securely around his neck and locked my legs on the small of
his back. With a swift, well-practiced movement, he had himself
deep within me. I growled with pleasure, letting my eyes close
blissfully.

Slowly Blake pulled out, moving only to push me
back down again. Arching my back, I tilted my hips until he pressed
me painfully against the tiles. Growling again, I tightened my grip
on his backside until he moved again.

“Fuck, Olivia,” he whispered, pushing forcefully
into me, “you should have warned me.” He panted, his eyes full
amber.

I smiled, a gasp escaping me as his pace
increased. “Less talking,” I gasped, crying out as he increased his
pace even more.

My arms locked around his neck, leaning my head
against his shoulder as my body shook with the needed orgasm
releasing inside of me.

“Come on, baby,” he whispered into my ear, the
speed and heat pushing me over the edge as I screamed. Blake
followed me into bliss, biting deeply into my neck and pulling much
needed blood out. It hurt more than usual with no fangs to inject
the blissful toxins into me. I held on as my vision blackened and I
went limp in his arms.

It felt like hours later when I groggily awoke
curled next to Blake, who was gently stroking my dry locks.
Groaning, I snuggled down into him. “Hey, beautiful,” he said,
kissing the top of my head.

I again ignored speech as my contentment coated
us both. “I should have warned you,” I eventually whispered
sleepily.

Being a succubus meant my powers lie in
influencing emotions, sex is a recharge of my abilities, giving me
greater control and depth. So why don’t I shag everyone I’ve ever
been attracted to? You’ll see.

“Yeah, I think you just ruined me for other
women,” he said, chuckling as he nuzzled me.

Tipping my head back, I tasted my blood on his
lips, licking gently. “There is that,” I said smiling, teasing him
back, pushing into a seated position so I could see him better.

“My shielding will no longer block out my
emotions from you,” I said, watching his eyes warily. This is why I
don’t take random lovers. Willing unions resulted in my shields not
working. For many, this was too much to handle; for other, they
viewed it as an annoyance.

“You are worried,” he said, smiling.

“Yes,” I answered. “It will fade over time,” I
added softly.

“And if we keep doing this?” he asked, stroking
my hair.

“I don’t know,” I answered softly, shrugging and
breaking eye contact.

“Why are you sad?” he asked, tipping my chin
back up. Searching my eyes, he smiled. “I don’t mind it, Olie. In
fact,” he said, setting me against his side, “it made sex amazing,
and feeling your contentment is even better.”

I was silent. I didn’t know what to say; the
emotions in my chest were foreign. Anger, hate, frustration, guilt
were all emotions I knew well. What was happening inside me now, I
couldn’t name.

Chapter 14

Morgan gave Tate an annoyed look as Blake pulled
more of the healing blood from his wrist. Idly, I spun in Tate’s
office chair, watching the serious vampires in sporadic views. What
I really wanted was a few more hours of sleep. Feeding Blake twice
in a short amount of time had taken a lot out of me, even with the
recharge of mind-blowing sex.

Mal stopped my spinning with a hip, setting down
orange juice and a sugary sweet breakfast spread.

“Thanks,” I said, wolfing down the French
toast.

She didn’t answer me; instead, she became
occupied with the other vampires in the room. Shrugging, I filled
my stomach with the feast I was in desperate need of. Leaning back
in the overstuffed red leather chair, I surveyed the vampires and
their uncanny attention to Blake.

What was up with that?

I snuggled in the chair more comfortably, not
bothering to hide the yawn that forced its way past my lips. My
eyelids became leaden, and as the lethargy began to deaden my legs,
I snarled at Mal, warning, “This was a very bad idea,” before the
darkness fully claimed me.

A sedated dream state might truly be my worst
torture, my guards are down, my emotions run rampant, and I cannot
wake up from the nightmares, the hellish nightmares that define and
degrade me.

The silver cell was cold. It was always cold
against the metal, I thought idly, my brain still numb from the
terrors I has seen earlier. My body wanted to shut down, but I knew
the man coming through the door wouldn’t let me. It was his job to
make me strong, make me better than my pathetic heritage.

The door opened, outlining his jean-clad body
etched with muscle forged from the hard labor we endured here.

“Hi, beautiful,” he said softly, crouching down
in front of my body, curled into a fetal position that I had forced
it into after the beating I had suffered earlier.

I eyed him warily. He liked it when I was glad
to see him, when I was sad and cried. He didn’t like it when I
refused him. I wanted to refuse him, but letting him do what he
wanted meant more freedom, more freedom meant escape. I wasn’t
strong enough yet, but I would be.

“Hurt,” I said sadly, the bloody lip and bruised
face sending more shards of agony.

“I know, beautiful,” he whispered, trying to
tilt my head.

“Not beautiful,” I said, hiding my head
down.

“Hey, none of that,” he murmured, sitting next
to me against the freezing metal. He was warm and I couldn’t help
leaning into him.

“Good girl,” he murmured, gently stroking my
back softly.

Lifting my head, I let the tears trickle just
slightly. He shifted me to his lap, cradling me, as it seemed
natural for him to do so. He liked it when I sighed contentedly, so
I did.

“What do you want?” he asked gently.

I knew the right answer as my gaze betrayed me,
glancing to the hard metal bed. I managed to contain the disgusted
shake that wanted to break free. The last thing I wanted was his
body next to me inside of me. I hated it, and I wanted to rip his
throat out. I could. I was strong enough to do it, but I had to
wait, had to bide my time.

“Shower?” I asked hopefully, lifting my small
head to his dark brown eyes.

“There isn’t a shower here,” he reminded me, the
wrinkles on his face crinkling together as he smiled gently.

I had been to his place only once and it had
been for a kill of a trespasser. I’ll never forget her face as she
screamed she could help me. Fool, she had been caught; she couldn’t
even help herself.

Dropping my gaze, I nodded then added timidly,
lifting my eyes back to his. “Your shower?” I searched his gaze
slowly.

He leaned back against the metal studying me,
and fear gripped my insides colder than the metal I had just been
sitting on as I my heart rate accelerated. Had I played this wrong?
Did he know I was playing him, that the only emotion I could ever
feel for him was pure, undiluted hatred?