B006P1R39O EBOK (20 page)

“Good,” she whispered.

He wrapped his arms around her and drew her tight against him. Like a feather floating on air, they rose into the night sky.

“Where are we going,” she asked, though she really didn’t care where they went, as long as she was with him.

“Someplace where I can give you what you crave,” he said in a low voice before claiming her lips again.

A scorching heat spread from the core of her being to consume her entire body. Kathrina was sure that she would burn up right then and there. Closing her eyes, she let herself indulge in the sheer eroticism of the moment.

When they came down, they were near the guesthouse at the back of her father’s home. “What are we doing here?”

“This is where I’ve been staying.”

Kathrina was stunned. All that time that she’d been searching for him, he had literally been in her own backyard.

“Your father is aware that I’m here.”

“Really? Why would he let you stay here?” She wasn’t so sure that she believed him.

“We both have the same goal … to keep you safe.”

“I don’t know if he would agree that you were keeping me safe. He might find us here.” Kathrina was having second thoughts, but only because she didn’t want to see the two of them fighting. She cared about both of them.

Luciano shook his head. “He’ll never know,” he told her with a mischievous grin before pulling her inside the guesthouse.

When Luciano shut the door, Kathrina found herself in complete darkness. She couldn’t even see her hand when she held it in front of her face. Then she felt his touch on her shoulders as he slid her coat off.

“I can’t see anything,” she told him.

The sound of his low - throaty laughter was almost as tantalizing as feeling his hands caressing her skin.

“Are you sure you want to?” he asked as he brushed the hair away from the back of her neck and began running his sharp fangs against her flesh. “Remember … I am a monster.”

Again his touch made her shiver and she had to gasp for breath. “Yes … I’m sure I want to see,” she whispered.

He left her side and a second later the room was filled with the soft light from an antique Victorian hurricane lamp that sat on a dark mahogany nesting table. Kathrina looked around the room, suddenly feeling very nervous.

The windows had been covered so that no light from outside would make it into the room.

The guesthouse was small. There was only the room they were in, and a bathroom. It was furnished with a bed, nightstands, a chair, and a TV. Set aside from the sleeping area, was a small table and a microwave. The setup was not a lot different than what you’d find in just about any motel room.

But it wasn’t a motel room, it was her father’s guesthouse and he might catch them. Then what?

She watched him as he took off the black leather jacket that he was wearing and flung it over the back of a nearby chair. Next he peeled off his shirt and it was tossed onto the floor.

Kathrina’s eyes strayed to his black pants. They were tight and revealed that he was well endowed, as well as very aroused.

When he turned to look at her with those smoldering dark eyes, it was like being hit by lightning - every nerve in her body came alive, but yet she could not move a muscle.

Luciano lifted his finger and motioned for her to come to him. Kathrina began taking little steps toward the bed, but it was by no will of her own. She was already lost in the spell he was weaving. It felt as if she were completely surrounded by his presence - a presence so powerfully erotic that it took her breath away.

Drawing her into his arms, he devoured her lips with his, exploring her mouth until she felt her knees grow weak. Her need for him was agonizingly painful. She knew that at that moment, if he should choose to take her life, she would willingly give it to him.

Though mesmerized by his kiss, she could still feel him removing her clothes. There was something extremely provocative about the sensation of his hands gliding the clothing from her body.

His mouth was on her throat now. Trembling, she waited for the pain of his fangs as they pierced her artery, but all she felt were his lips leaving a hot trail from her throat to her breasts. His teeth nibbled on her taut peaks, causing her just enough pain to magnify the heat between her legs.

Luciano lifted her in his arms and placed her on the bed. He stood there, looking down at her with a passion so intense that his eyes were glowing with the light of the vampire. He was about to feast on her, but in a much different way than what he was accustomed to.

She heard the snap of a button and he removed his pants. Kathrina’s mouth fell open when she saw just how well endowed he was. His nails scraped against the tender flesh of her inner thighs as he spread her legs.

His fingers sought the silkiness of her moist folds as he prepared her to accept him. Kathrina shuddered when she felt him probing her most intimate place. The heat was so intense that she had to gasp to get air into her lungs.

When he leaned over her, his long hair brushed against her breasts. Luciano was staring into her eyes, drawing her into his being. It was as if their souls were joining - becoming one. Then she felt that first touch of his stiff flesh against the soft lips between her legs.

Kathrina had always imagined that if he were to ever make love to her, there would be words between them, but there didn’t appear to be a need for words. His eyes seemed to speak to her, warning her that she could never again be the same woman once he had taken her.

He kissed her lips gently as he slowly entered her. There was just a moment of pain as her flesh spread to accept him. She could feel every inch of him as he moved within her, taking her to the verge of that shattering peak, but then slowing so that she never quite reached it.

She moaned, withering beneath him. “I can’t take this anymore!” she gasped.

Kathrina heard his dark laughter, and knew that when he finally allowed her to reach that moment of release, she would be forever changed.

“My sweet angel,” he whispered in her ear. “She so longs to be filled with that darkness that is her lover.”

“Yes!”

Luciano began rocking against her so hard that the bed shook, slamming against the wall. He was no longer gentle, his own need for her consuming him.

Then it happened. She experienced that first taste of sweet - explosive release. Kathrina screamed, but he quickly quieted her with a kiss. With one last thrust, he surged within her and the sensation made her tingle as she climaxed a second time.

For several minutes she could not even move. She had been drained of every ounce of energy she possessed. He was kissing her face and caressing her breasts, but it was impossible to respond.

“Was it everything that you imagined it would be?” he asked, his voice still soft with his sated desire.

Kathrina nodded.  “Yes … and I want it again.”

Luciano laughed. “As do I … but not yet.” He left her side and pulled on his pants.

“Why haven’t you killed me?” she asked.

Luciano was still. Finally he looked back at her. “You’re the first woman …” His words trailed off and he became silent.

“Go on,” she urged.

“Nothing … never mind,” he told her.

Kathrina wanted to question him further, but something held her back. She wasn’t sure if it was her reluctance to shatter the moment, or fear of what he might say, but she held her tongue.

She let out a heavy sigh and changed the subject. “That thing that I told you about when I was in the hospital. What can you tell me about it?”

He gave her a sad smile. “There’s a lot that you do not know about yourself, and a lot that you don’t know about me.”

“So why don’t you tell me then?”

Luciano reached into the drawer of the bedside table and took out a book. It was the Book of Anu.

“I thought Omar had this!”

“He did, but I took it back from him. In any case, it never contained the information that he believed it did,” Luciano explained. “I finished the translation for you and added a little more.”

“And you are just going to let me have it.”

He nodded. “Just in case I never get the opportunity to tell you the story myself. I wanted it to be in my own words, and not some lies that you might hear.”

“Why wouldn’t you get the opportunity to tell me?” Kathrina didn’t like what his words were implying.

“It’s all in there Kathrina … everything that you need to know.”

“Well why can’t you just tell me?”

“I have to go away from you. If I don’t … I will be risking your life and your soul.”

Kathrina shook her head. “You can’t go. I need you now more than ever. No one believes me … and my sisters are so set on following that slayer that they won’t even listen to reason anymore.”

Luciano reached over and laid his large hand over her small one. “In that book is everything that you need to know to conquer your enemies. You don’t need me Kathrina. You are stronger than I could ever hope to be,” he told her, forcing a smile.

“No!” Kathrina jumped from the bed and wrapped the blanket around her body. “Tell me why you have to go away.”

“There are forces at work that are more powerful than you or I. You were meant to be my savior. I have known about your coming for a long time. I was meant to take your life, and when I chose not to … I guess you could say that I basically reneged. That has upset the balance.”

“So what would happen if you didn’t leave?”

“I could not promise that it wouldn’t happen eventually. But there’s more to it than that.”

Kathirna was still confused, but she said nothing as she waited for him to continue.

Before he could say anything more they were interrupted by a shrill scream nearby. They both jumped up and went for the door. When Luciano threw the door open, Kathrina felt her stomach lurch into her throat. The house and yard were crawling with vampires.

They were both dressed within seconds, but he stopped her just as she was ready to follow him out the door.

“Stay here!” he commanded.

“Are you kidding? My family is in that house!” Kathrina followed him out the door.

They had no sooner stepped out into the gardens behind Donavan’s house and they were surrounded by vampires. Luciano’s eyes were on fire as he hit the vampires with everything he had. While some of them fell to the ground, squirming in pain, others kept coming.

Kathrina couldn’t even begin to count how many vampires were coming at them; she just knew that there were multitudes. There wasn’t much time to contemplate the numbers. The shattering of glass and the screeching of vampires filled the night, leaving her almost numb with fear.

She wasn’t ready for this … none of them were!

There was just no way that an attack of this size would go unnoticed by neighbors, they would call the police and put officers in danger. Everyone within several blocks was in danger. Kathrina felt the responsibility weighing heavy on her shoulders.

Two vampires came at her at the same time. Instinctively she swung her leg around and kicked one to the ground, while simultaneously biting the other. The vampire’s features twisted into a mask of disbelief, just before he began to warp into something unrecognizable.

It was over quickly. The grotesque form was now no more than a crumpled mass of blood and tissue against a blanket of emerald colored grass.

Kathrina sprinted for the house with Luciano not far behind her. He had managed to reduce their numbers, but the undead were still swarming in every direction. She was forced to confront several of the creatures before she managed to get to the back door of the house.

It was locked.

Open up! It’s Kathrina!” she cried out frantically as three more vampires came at her from behind.

Turning her back to the door, Kathrina braced herself for the attack, but it never came. Before they reached her, a beast came out of the dark and knocked them to the ground. It was a big cat, and though it appeared to be a jaguar, it was larger than any she had ever seen.

The cat’s claws were ripping at the vampires. She saw the jaguar’s jaws clamp onto the throat of one of the vampires and tear it out. In the darkness she saw wolves. There were nearly as many wolves as there were vampires, but only one jaguar.

Then she remembered that Summer’s shifting abilities were that of the jaguar. Summer had brought the wolves to help them.

In the midst of the wolves she saw Dash struggling with a mutant vampire. The creature had bat wings and was wrapping them around Dash. The monster would feed on her friend, despite the fact that he was a vampire. It was the very reason that a vampire became a mutant.

The door behind her opened, but she couldn’t go inside yet. She had to help Dash.

“Watch for me. I’ll be right back,” she shouted over her shoulder, not even sure who it was that she was talking to.

When Kathrina reached the mutant, she pulled at its wings with all of her strength until she managed to drag the thing away from Dash. The creature suddenly flipped around and pinned her to the ground.