Deny Me If You Can (11 page)

“The hunt is over. I lost and so did my sister.”

Megan tried not to feel too much. The feelings wanted to rush over her and devour her. She wanted to scream, cry and act out her desperation. It had all been for nothing. Her try to save her sister had brought her nothing but pain.

“No,” Jaromir said. “Unfortunately the hunt ended in a way none of us expected it to. We had ... an uninvited guest. So in my eyes it doesn't count.
In my eyes the game is still on.”

Megan stared at him and couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was she really going to get another chance to save her sister? “What?”

Jaromir pulled out something from his pocket. When Megan saw what it was her eyes grew big. It was the vial with his blood. Without another word, he handed the vial over to her. Megan wondered if she should pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She was holding the one thing that could save her sister.

“This is for you,” he said.

She met his gaze. Suspicion filled her. “Just like that?”

He shook his head and Megan sighed. Of course he would want something in exchange for the blood. Nothing was for free after all.

“If you give this to your sister, you agree that the hunt goes on.”

“Why do you want it to go on? Didn't you get enough after what happened?”

He suddenly grinned and a wicked look crossed his face. It made Megan jump. Somehow, she knew what was coming.

“Jillian is immobilized,” he said.

Megan swallowed. “Is she dead?”

“No, but she won't bother us anymore. She is
on her way to our prison and she will stay there until I decide what to do with her.” He looked at the vial. “Give the blood to your sister. Save her, but once my blood flows through her veins, I will come back for you, and this time it won't be a game. It will be serious. This time you will run to save
your
life.”

That didn't sound good.
She almost didn't want to ask the question she had on her mind. “What do you mean?”

Jaromir placed his hand underneath her chin and looked her deep in
the eyes. “If I catch you, your life as a mortal will end. You will become a vampire and my queen.”

His words sent chills through her body, but she didn't feel fear. Honestly, she didn't want to run. She wanted him to go ahead and do it. She wanted him to turn her into a vampire, to make her his queen. The affection between them was strong, she felt it, but the bond had everything to do with it. It wasn't real, but in a way it didn't matter. Jaromir needed this. He wasn't satisfied and therefore the hunt had to go on. She would run, but would she
put some effort into it? She knew she wouldn't. She wanted him to catch her.

“Why?”
Megan asked. “Why do you want me when the feelings aren't real?”

Surprise filled his eyes. “Not real?”

“The bond and all the feelings you threw at me when you touched me. You used your powers at me. It was not real.”

Hearing herself saying those words made her feel sad. She really wanted every feeling and every touch to be real.

Jaromir stood quiet for a while. “Is that what you think?” His gaze darkened. “I can assure you that I never used my powers on you once you left my office. It was all you.”

Megan blinked. “But ... I thought ...”

“Trust me, Megan. It was all you. Every feeling you had during our intimate moments where all your own doing. I didn't even have a single thought about using my powers on you. I was too much into you to even consider it, and by the way, it would have been unnecessary, don't you think? You did a great job on your own.” 

Megan blushed. She sure had been all over him from the start. She had found
him attractive the same moment their gazes had met.

“What about the bond?” she asked. “Jillian said
that the bond made me feel and experience this wild and protective feelings over you, that the feelings weren't really mine. They were created by the bond.”

“Jillian said that?”

“Yes.”

“And do you
think she wanted what was best for you?”

Megan blinked again. “It was a lie?”

“Very much so.”

“Then why did I feel like that? I mean, it was almost nuts. I have never been so possessive over anyone or anything before.”

Megan saw that her words made him grin. She blushed even more and realized she had just given him a huge compliment.

“You felt it because you are born to be a vampire.”

Megan gasped. “What?”

Jaromir's grin widened. “When your blood mixed with mine your vampire traits awakened
, and as you have noticed, we vampires are a protective and possessive bunch. But it will all fade away within a short time if we don't set the bond.” He grabbed her hands. “Megan, it's all real. Every single feeling you felt, and I know what you felt thanks to the bond. We felt each other because we are made for each other. The bond only enhances what has always been there. You felt attracted to me from the start, didn't you?”

Megan's cheeks were almost burning from all the blushing. “Well ... yes ...”

“Then there you have your answer. If the bond fades, we will still feel attracted to each other, just like we did before we bonded. That, I can promise you.”

She could only nod.

“So the hunt goes on,” he said with an excited glimpse in his eyes.

“W
hat are the rules?”

“If you win
, you will have the choice to choose if you want to spend eternity with me or not. If I win, you will give in to me without a fuss.”

“And what if I choose to walk away?”

Megan felt a sharp but short pain in her chest. She knew that it had come from him. Her words had hurt him and she regretted the question, but she needed to know. The rules had to be clear.

“Then I will let you go,” he said, but his words didn't come easy
, and Megan suspected that he would have a hard time letting her go.

Megan studied him. She knew that he was telling the truth, about everything. She blamed herself for ever listening to Jillian. She should have understood that Jillian had only been
out to hurt her. It was obvious now that Jillian had tried to turn her away from Jaromir. After all, she had wanted him for herself, but not because she loved him, but because of selfish reasons. Jillian had said so herself. At least, she was out of the way now. She wouldn't bother them anymore, and they could finish the hunt. It didn't feel as frightening as the last time, she actually looked forward to the hunt and she would do everything to win. She wanted to have the possibility to choose, even if she already knew that she would choose him. But at the same time, she wanted him to work for his prize. This time she was really going to make him work for it, and it would be fun. Megan grinned to herself.

“I want Shane by my side this time,” she demanded.
“And this time the whole city will be our playground.”

“The whole city?”

The bond told her that he hadn't expected her demands, but he liked it. He liked a challenge, and a challenge he would get. Megan would make sure of it, and he better got used to her making demands. She wasn't the kind of woman who just agreed to everything. She would never dance around his little finger. She knew that she would piss him off many times during their eternity together, but she would also love him, cherish him and always show him what he meant to her.

“The whole city,” she confirmed.

“Fine. I will give you today to visit your sister, but when the night comes
, I will come for you. You won't need any rest before the hunt continues. My blood has restored you well.”

“Yes, it has,” she said. She had never felt this good.
The first time she had drunk his blood was nothing compared to how good she felt now.

Jaromir
licked his lips while hunger and lust radiated from his eyes. “You will be mine, Megan.”

Megan grinned. “
You have to catch me first.”

Jaromir stood in the pub inside his now empty club. Morning was coming within an hour and all vampires who had been here during the night had headed home to sleep. Vampires usually slept during the day, but not because they had to avoid the sun. That was another myth he laughed at when someone mentioned it to him, that vampires turned into ashes when they got hit by the sun. Sure, vampires weren't as resistant toward the sun as humans, but that had to do with the fact that they were night creatures and would get burned easily. Most of the time, sunglasses and shirts with long sleeves were all that
was needed.

Jaromir sat down by the bar and took the drink Shane had made for him. Piña Colada. He had always liked that drink and enjoyed having one after a long night at the club. He lived here too. The entire building was his, and many vampires enjoyed spending time here. Many rented the apartments on the floors above, others worked for him or just came by to enjoy themselves. Going to the club that was owned by the Vampire King was special. It had never happened before that a Vampire King had owned a club. All the Vampire Kings before him had made sure to show the vampires who ruled over them. Jaromir, on the other hand, preferred to be one of the people. He wanted all vampires to know that he was their ruler, but he also wanted to be their friend. If so
meone did something wrong, he judged them according to the vampire laws, but if someone needed help, then he gave it. This was why so many liked him, and that was something he was proud over.

“Not only do you do a good job guarding the club, but you make great drinks too,” Jaromir said to Shane who sat down on a chair next to him.

Some vampires were still moving around inside the club. They were cleaning, closing down and preparing for the following night.

Shane grinned. “I'm full of surprises.”

Jaromir laughed.

“So the hunt is still on?” Shane asked while taking a gulp of his beer.

“Yes, and this time it will be as it was meant to be.”

“No Jillian.”

“Exactly, no Jillian.” Jaromir said “I never thought she would go that far.”

“Me neither, but her jealousy had crossed the line.”

Jaromir sipped his drink. Jillian's betrayal hurt. They had been friends for many years, but she had also changed more and more over the years. She had become more negative and angry, and he understood why now. He would always miss her. He would always remember their history together, but he had Megan now. He had found his true match, the one who was meant for him, and he loved her with all his heart. Not even someone who he once considered a friend could hurt Megan without consequences. Jillian would now pay for the rest of her eternity for what she had done to Megan.

“Do the same rules apply to this next hunt?” Shane asked.

“Almost, this time the hunt takes place in the whole city, and you, my friend, will be with her the whole time.”

Shane almost choked on his beer. “What?”

“She demanded it.”

Shane's eyes
grew big. “And you agreed to it?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” He dried up the beer that he had spilled on the table.

“Because she is my future queen and I have to show her that I trust her.”

Shane snorted. “It must have hurt like hell to hear that your woman wanted another man by her side during the hunt.”

Jaromir exhaled heavily. “You have no idea, but it's a good idea. She will need the protection. The hunt can't go on if she is on her own in the city during the night. I will never forgive myself if something happens to her. I'm sure every vampire has heard of her by now.”

“News spreads fast among us, especially if they have something to do with you.”

“Exactly.” Jaromir shot his gaze at Shane. “I trust you, Shane. You have been my friend for many years, but if you touch her you will end up missing a head.”

“Hey,” Shane raised his hands in surrender. “You have nothing to worry about. Your woman doesn't interest me.”

“Good. So when ...”

A loud bang came from the entrance to the club. It had been loud enough for everyone to hear and freeze in place. Shane and Jaromir winced. They got quickly up on their feet.

“What was that?” Shane asked.

Jaromir tensed. “I have no idea.”

Jaromir was a strong man. Megan knew that.
He always got what he wanted, but this time he would have to fight for it. The city was big and maybe he wouldn't even find her in time. They had agreed to the same rules that they had before. If she lasted until five a.m., she would win and their fate would lay in her hands. Megan knew that Jaromir was worried; she felt it too. He worried that she would decide to walk away, but she knew that he felt her feelings for him. They brought him some peace of mind, but the bond was becoming weaker. It wasn't easy for neither of them to be sure of what the other felt anymore. It became more and more difficult. Soon the bond would almost be gone, and Jaromir would not be able to predict her answer anymore.