Born to Darkness Book 1 in the Immortal Destiny Series: Vampire Romance Paranormal (3 page)

All was quiet. The others were out hunting and enjoying the taste of New Orleans.

Alec pulled a blood bag from the small refrigerator in the corner of the room. It was too cold for his taste, but a minute in the microwave would take care of that.

He always kept a small supply of blood on hand, incase of emergencies - like the one he was experiencing now. If he hadn’t walked away when he did, there was no telling what would have happened. Alec would have been in a much better position to control it, if she’d come after he’d fed.

The timer went off. He quickly grabbed the bag from the microwave. Lifting it above his head, he let the warm blood drain into his mouth. It wasn’t preferable by any means, but it would help him to control his hunger while he talked to the woman.

He would have to send her away again - maybe more forcefully this time.

* * *

Nicole stood beneath the light of the neon sign. The spiked heels she wore killed her feet, but she couldn’t stop herself from pacing back and forth every few minutes. She still didn’t know if she believed the whole vampire thing or not, but for a moment there, she was certain Alec had been ready to turn on her.

She’d let Ethan talk her into another visit to the Dark Wind, but her real reason for coming had been to get another look at Alec.

No, it was more than that. She had to find out if this place of light was real.

What if it was real?

What if it could offer her a way to connect with Jay?

If there could be vampires, why couldn’t there be a way to reach beyond death to reach her baby brother?

Of course Ethan hadn’t said Alec could do this. He’d only said Alec could help provide a way for her to do this.

“You seem agitated.” The voice came from the murky shadows beyond the reach of the neon light.

He’d snuck up on her again.

Damn! She sure did wish he’d quit doing that.

Instead of coming out of the front - like she’d expected, he’d come from the side of the building. Nicole assumed there must be another exit in the back.

“Well it isn’t every night a girl stands around in the dark … waiting to meet a vampire,” Nicole burst out nervously.

Alec’s laugh was deep - somehow menacing. “I suppose not.”

“Alec … will you please reconsider? Ethan really needs your help on this.”

“The Light Seekers are wasting their time.” Alec’s voice was full of contempt. “They are looking for something that doesn’t exist.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I searched for these answers for years … and found nothing. I’m sure I would have come across some evidence of this secret … this place of light,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “But if Ethan wants to continue wasting his time … well it’s not like he is short of that?” Alec gave her a dark smile.

Nicole smiled in return, and it was just as cold and menacing as his. “Well I tried,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Alec was trying to pull her in with his eyes, but she looked away.

“Nicole,” he whispered her name. “What a beautiful name.”

‘Thanks.”

“Well Nicole … let’s go for a ride.” Alec motioned toward a blue Mustang car parked near the building.

She hesitated.

“Nicole … if I were going to kill you, I could easily have done so already,” he told her.

His words were meant to reassure her, but she could still hear the laughter in his voice.

He found her amusing.

That he was amused was even more irritating that his bold behavior.

Alec walked to the car and opened the passenger side door for her.

Still she hesitated.

It would be crazy to get in that car with him!

But it would give her the chance to do some more talking.

Letting out a loud sigh, Nicole slipped into the leather seat and let him close the door behind her. He then walked around the car and got in beside her.

Looking at him, he seemed as normal as any other guy. Sure, he was probably the most charismatic and gorgeous man she’d ever met, but still just a man.

The longer she was in his company - the more she wished he were just a regular guy.

But he wasn’t.

Deep down, she knew Ethan was telling the truth.

“Where are we going?”

“My place,” he told her.

“But are the others there?” she asked.

Being with Alec was risky enough. No way did she want to deal with a whole heard of vampires.

“They’re hunting. We’ll have the place to ourselves.”

“Hunting?” Nicole unconsciously brought a hand up to her throat.

Again Alec laughed. He seemed to enjoy toying with her.

It was a short drive to the Garden District. Nicole rarely got to this area of the city - the Garden District was a little out of her league. 

Alec slowed when they came to a large - white house, easing his car onto the long circular driveway.

It was beautiful, and probably one of the most exotic houses she’d seen in the District. The garden surrounding the house looked as if it would be gorgeous during the day. Not far from the front porch, a cherub poured water into a small fountain.

As soon as she got out of the car, she picked up the scent of jasmine and mint.

“This is nice,” she told Alec.

“Yes, I like it. It just says New Orleans … doesn’t it? No other city is quite so interesting.”

Nicole grew increasingly nervous as she followed him to the door. 

What if the others were here?

What if he did kill her?

Although fear raged within her, she couldn’t keep her eyes or thoughts off Alec Norwood. He was weaving his spell around her. Though she was aware of it, there didn’t seem to be anything she could do to stop it.

Inside was even more stunning than the outside. The house was furnished in 19th century pieces that were absolutely dazzling. The couches were covered with red and black velvet. From the ceiling, a crystal chandelier glittered with light.

“Would you like something to drink? Maybe some brandy?” he asked.

“Sure.” Nicole figured she didn’t really have anything to lose. He hardly needed to drug her to make her defenseless. His eyes did a good enough job of that.

“Please sit,” he told her, handing her a glass.

“Thanks.”

Nicole sat on the couch, but at the very edge - ready to flee at the first sign of aggression.

“You should relax. I already told you that you’re safe with me.”

“Thanks,” she said again.

Alec sat on the couch next to her - a little too close for comfort.

“You know … I had planned to scare you so that you wouldn’t come looking for me again, but I find you interesting.”

“I guess that’s fortunate,” she smiled.

“Have you ever had sex with a vampire?” he asked, as casually as if he were asking her if she’d ever walked in the rain.

Nicole cleared her throat. “Um no … I couldn’t … and I wouldn’t.” A blush spread across her cheeks, while at the same time, the thought brought on a delightful tingling sensation.

“What a shame. I could show you such wicked delights,” he told her, his voice low and sensuous. His eyes moved from her face to the contour of her neck, before coming to rest on cleavage visible above her dress.

Damn! She knew she shouldn’t have worn this dress.

Ethan had picked it out for her, specifically for the purpose of catching Alec’s attention. Maybe that hadn’t been such a good idea?

Nicole swallowed hard.

What was wrong with her?

It wasn’t as if she were a virgin. She was acting like a teenage girl on her first date. He must really think she was naïve.

“What about this Omar?” Nicole asked, changing the subject.

“Even if what Ethan says is true, Omar is not someone to go up against.” Alec scowled.

“But wouldn’t it be worth it … if you could find this secret?” Nicole asked before taking a drink of the brandy.

Alec was silent - watching her intently.

His scrutiny made her uncomfortable. It was like he could see right through her.

“Let’s dance,” he told her. Picking up a remote from a side table, he switched on the stereo.

“Oh I don’t know.” Nicole shook her head.

Her attraction to him was undeniable. It was a struggle just to keep her eyes off his broad chest and sensuous lips.

She already knew those hands could make magic come out of a guitar, and couldn’t help but wonder what they would feel like if they were caressing her skin. Most of all, she was drawn to his eyes - his vampire eyes.

But Ethan had warned her about getting involved with him. Would she become his feeder?

“Please … I insist,” he said, holding out his hand to take hers.

Reluctantly, Nicole placed her hand in his. His touch was cool, but the sensation of his skin next to hers was wildly erotic.

Alec pulled her from the couch and into his arms. They began to sway to the slow melody drifting through the room. She felt his hands glide down her back to her behind - and even lower, until he could have easily slipped them beneath her dress.

“Alec,” she whispered.

He smiled. “My appetites are insatiable, including my appetite for pleasure.”

She felt his lips on her neck, kissing her lightly. Her hands instinctively went to his hair. How she wanted to run her fingers through that silky mane of hair.

Suddenly his hands were cradling her face and his lips came down on hers. She opened wide to receive his tongue - drowning in the feeling of him exploring her mouth.

Then she was somewhere else - in a bed of black satin. The sheets tangled around her as he entered her so slowly - the anticipation of fulfillment was agonizing. Another body slid into bed beside them - another man. He was dark, like Alec, and just as breathtaking. He was kissing her face and softly stroking her breast.

Nicole gasped.

She couldn’t wrap her mind around the pure ecstasy flooding through her in that instant.

When she opened her eyes, she was back in Alec’s living room - his arms around her waist to keep her from collapsing. Nicole blinked, unsure of what had just happened.

Had she been daydreaming?

“Did you like that?” he asked.

“Yes,” she breathed.

“I could do that for you … and so much more,” he whispered in her ear.

“I would have to be your feeder. Ethan told me.”

Alec blinked, as if he were coming out of a daze. “That isn’t always true. Sometimes I just make love to a woman because I want to.”

“How did you do that?” she asked.

“I can send images to your mind,” he told her in a low - hoarse voice.

Nicole could feel the power of his desire, and it was overwhelming. His lust surrounded her like a blanket of heat. It was a struggle to break free of it.

“Why were there two of you?” she asked.

Alec’s eyes turned cold. Abruptly, he stepped away from her and scanned the room. His nostrils flared, as if he were picking up a scent that she couldn’t detect.

Suddenly the front window exploded in a spray of glass. Nicole was lucky enough that as soon as she heard the shatter, she covered her face to protect it from the flying shards.

He stood there - his eyes glowing red - his lips pulled back in a snarl, exposing his fangs. It was the one that had been in her head - touching her so intimately.

Alec was in a defensive stance - ready to spring on the intruder. “How dare you come in here?” Alec roared.

“I just wanted some of what you were having. She looks delicious,” the vampire growled and lunged at Nicole.

Alec pushed her out of the way before leaping toward her attacker - knocking him to the ground.

The two of them flew through the air, before hitting the floor with a loud thud. The intruder began laughing hysterically. “Really Alec … you are out of shape.”

Alec stood up, scowling at the laughing vampire. “Victor, you should be hung out to dry in the sun.”

Victor stood up, and Nicole got a good look at him for the first time. He was striking, just like Alec. She was beginning to think looks and charisma were just vampire traits. He had eyes as black as the night, and dark hair that curled softly around his neck. Victor was definitely into Goth - he was clothed entirely in black leather, adorned with silver spikes.

“I see you have a new feeder. You should be careful with this one and keep her around awhile.” Victor laughed at the sullen look on Alec’s face.

“She’s not a feeder.” Alec spoke through clenched teeth.

“Okay … I just thought …” Victor’s voice trailed off when he saw the fury on Alec’s face.

“I know what you thought.” Alec lowered his voice, but his anger was still evident. “What are you doing here Victor?”

The amusement was now gone from Victor’s face. “You’ll probably want to know that Omar has your friend … that Light Seeker freak, Ethan.”

Nicole gasped.

“How do you know this?” Alec asked, his composure returning.

“I saw some of Omar’s clan take him. He was in the parking lot at Dark Wind,” Victor explained, as he was brushing some imaginary dust from his jacket.

“He broke the code of silence.” Victor gave Nicole a malicious smile. “If he were going to tell her … he should have taken her life or made her his feeder.”

Alec looked toward Nicole. “Daylight is coming. You will have to get back to the Dark Wind without me. You can take my car and leave it in the lot. Don’t let anyone approach you until daylight,” he warned.

“But what about Ethan?” Nicole objected.

“I will deal with that later. Daylight is coming … you need to go. The keys are in the car,” he told her.

Nicole started backing toward the door, still not too sure about turning her back on them.

Alec smiled and blew her a kiss. “It’s been sweet.”

* * *

Trying to pry her eyes open was much harder this morning. She managed to get them open to slits, but blinked against the brightness of the sun.

Nicole willed herself to roll out of bed. She hadn’t arrived home until almost dawn, and was so exhausted, she’d only had strength enough to fall into her bed. Everything was a blank until the moment she’d tried to open her eyes to the light. She felt drained - almost like she didn’t even have enough strength to walk.

A thought occurred to her.

Had she been bitten?

Forcing her legs to move, she stumbled to her small - windowless bathroom. It was really more like a closet, than an actual bathroom.

Flipping on the bathroom light, she winced at the pain that made its way from her eyes to the middle of her brain.

The florescent light was worse than the sun.

When she could finally open her eyes, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Right away, Nicole wanted to close her eyes again.

She was in a frightful state. Her hair was a tangled mess, and the black dress she’d slept in was a mass of wrinkles.

Doing her best to ignore the fact that she could easily pass for a zombie, Nicole examined her neck carefully - looking for any puncture wounds.

Nope … nothing.

Well necks weren’t the only place a vampire could bite you. In light of this little fact, Nicole figured she better look over her arms and shoulders too.

There wasn’t a vampire bite anywhere.

Stripping off her clothing, she jumped into the shower. After adjusting the water until it was just the right temperature, she stood beneath the spray - letting it wash away the tension in her muscles.

Not only did a hot shower always make her feel better, it gave her a chance to gather her thoughts.

She’d danced with a vampire!

That was just really weird.

If someone had told her a week ago that she’d be dancing with a vampire, she’d have laughed herself silly.

But vampires were real creatures, and she had danced with one!

Still, she couldn’t quite make herself look at Ethan or Alec as creatures.

They did feed on blood, and they were predators, as sure as the gators in the swamps.

Getting out of the shower, she grabbed the towel she’d hung on the rod next to the tub.  Drying off quickly, she wrapped the thick terrycloth around her and started running a brush through her hair.

She still looked a mess, but at least she felt better.

Rushing from the bathroom, she rummaged through her closet until she found an old pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

Once she was dressed, Nicole grabbed the phone from her nightstand and dialed Ethan’s number.

She wanted to see for herself if he was there or not, but then she remembered that he had never once answered the phone before dusk.

It was hard to believe she’d missed so many clues that would have pointed to something being off kilter with her boss. She’d always assumed he was simply a night person.

He was that all right, but for different reasons than what she would have thought a couple days ago.

Nicole wasn’t sure what she should do next. She couldn’t call Ethan or talk with Alec until after dark. For now, the only thing to do was go to work. Grabbing her car keys from the kitchen counter, she headed out the door, making double sure she locked it behind her.

She got behind the wheel of her black Tacoma and headed toward the Quarter. Ethan kept his offices in the French Quarter, claiming he liked the atmosphere better there. It was easier to think.

Nicole just thought he liked to be different, and he was that.