Born to Darkness Book 1 in the Immortal Destiny Series: Vampire Romance Paranormal (9 page)

He squeezed Nicole’s hand. “I’m sorry.”

Just then, a gust of wind nearly knocked her from her feet. Thunder shook the earth beneath them and the sky opened up - sending down a torrent of rain. With Alec in the lead - the two of them ran through the cemetery until they came to the tomb. Not the most preferable source of shelter, but it was much closer than her car.

Alec pulled open the heavy door and slipped inside. “Come in … we’ll stay here until the rain stops.”

Nicole stepped inside, shivering from the cold rain and the chill of the crypt. She heard Alec moving around, and then the strike of a match. In the corner - there was a small - stone altar with candles. One by one, Alec lit the candles until the inside of the tomb was aglow with light.

“Who does this tomb belong to anyway?” Nicole asked, feeling as if she were intruding on someone’s eternal rest.

“Me. I had it built around the turn of the 20th century. Then I was known as Alexander Moreau.”

“You changed your name?”

He smiled. “It wouldn’t be good if those who know me … saw that I stayed the same, though they grew old.”

“I guess not,” she admitted.

“We must disappear and become someone else every few decades.”

“It must be a lonely existence,” Nicole voiced the thought out loud.

Alec stepped near her and gently caressed her cheek. “It is.”

Nicole reached up and covered his hand with hers.

“What happened to your brother?” he asked.

Nicole felt the familiar lump in her throat and she turned away - the darkness descending on her heart.

Whenever she let herself think about it - she relived the horror of that day all over again. “It happened a few years ago, when I was seventeen and still living at home. My mom left me to tend Jay while she was at work. He was home sick.” Again the tears came and Alec gently brushed them away.

“You don’t have to talk about it if it’s too hard for you,” he spoke softly - kissing her forehead.

Nicole shook her head. “No … I need to talk about it, I think.”

“Okay.” He gave her an encouraging smile.

Nicole took a deep breath before continuing. “Jay was sick … I had him in a bath of cool water. The phone rang … I left him to answer it. I was only gone for a minute. I mean … he was five years old and the water … it wasn’t deep at all.” Her last words came out with a sob.

Taking a deep breath, she struggled to bring her emotions under control. “When I came back, he was facedown in the water. I tried to save him. I tried to bring him back,” Nicole cried. “But it didn’t work.”

Alec wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “You don’t have to say more.”

“They said he’d tried to get out of the tub and had a seizure … because of the fever.”

“You couldn’t have known.”

“I should have known! I should have been more responsible than that! The phone could have waited!” Nicole’s self hatred came through in every word.

“And now you seek death so that you can rectify this wrong … so that you can pay?” Alec asked.

Nicole nodded. “I should be the one dead, not Jay. He was just a little boy. He was as innocent as a soul can be.”

Clasping his hands on both sides of her face, he tilted her head so that she was looking into his eyes. “I know your pain.”

He lowered his mouth to hers - kissing her gently. Nicole eagerly opened her lips to his probing tongue - letting him draw her into his crushing embrace. Outside, the storm raged, while in this place of death - she was finding the strength to endure life.

She felt his hand slip beneath her shirt and caress her back - making his way to the clasp of her bra. He easily freed her of it. Then his hand was at the front of her blouse, where he unbuttoned it so that he could caress her breasts. At first he was gentle - squeezing and softly stroking her flesh, but then he began to squeeze harder - sending a sensation through her body that was pure pleasure.

His lips moved from her mouth to her jaw. Along with his soft kisses, she could feel his fangs nipping at her skin.

She quivered - her need mounting until she was nearly beyond reason. “I want you Alec,” she gasped.

“Are you sure?”

“Oh yes, I’m sure.”

Alec lifted her up - cradling her in his arms. He then carried her to the crypt and laid her down. “Even if I have to make love to you here?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

Alec reached down and opened her blouse completely - his eyes drinking in the sight of her bare breasts. He then slipped her pants off so that she was lying there - exposed to his eager eyes.

His clothes came off even more quickly than hers had.

Nicole inhaled sharply. He was glorious - his body a tribute to all that a man could ever be. She felt him spread her legs and his tongue darted teasingly at the moist heat of her woman’s flesh. Nicole arched her hips to meet his tongue - shivering as he brought her such wicked pleasure.

The grip he had on her thighs was painful, but the pain only enhanced the bliss. His tongue moved to her thighs - slowly he made his way up to her stomach to her breasts - tasting her as he did. His mouth found her erect peaks and he began suckling on them softly - but soon she felt his teeth piercing her skin.

Nicole groaned - her hunger exploding when she felt his stiff erection against her thigh. She yearned for him to possess her.

Wiggling beneath him - she urged him to penetrate her throbbing core. She was now crazy with lust and could think of nothing but the moment he would take her completely.

“Hmm … Alec, I need you now!” she breathed.

Growling, he moved his mouth to her throat. She could feel his teeth, but was beyond caring what he did to her - as long as he sated her hunger.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his deep voice taking on the rough quality she’d come to recognize as a sign of the vampire’s hunger. “I could hurt you.”

“I’m sure … that I will melt if you don’t.” Her words came out in little gasps.

Plunging his shaft deep inside her - he thrust wildly, rocking against her.

Nicole screamed.

The pain went hand in hand with pure erotic sensation. She propelled her hips to meet his, as he slammed into her swollen - hot flesh.  Wrapping her legs around his hips, she pulled him in deeper.

Again Nicole screamed as she felt the fire within her grow into an uncontrollable inferno, but then it erupted - spreading its flames through her body. Her release was as complete as her passion had been.

“Nicole,” he growled.”

The exotic look of his eyes, as his own need surged - sent her into another orgasm. Again she reached that explosive point when she felt his hard flesh pulsate within her, as he soared to his peak.

For a long time they lay still, their limbs still entwined - their bodies as one. Nicole began to shiver with chill. Making love to Alec was better than she could have ever imagined, but he lacked body heat.

Alec separated from her - leaning over to kiss her softly. “That was incredible,” he whispered.

“Thank you Alec,” she told him, lifting her head to kiss him again.

He chuckled. “You’re kidding, right? It is I that should be thanking you.”

“It was the most unbelievable experience,” she told him. Sitting up - she took the blouse he was holding out to her.

In the aftermath of their passion, Nicole finally remembered what her mother had told her. “Do you know of a vampire that calls himself Donavan Ashe?”

Alec’s brows came together, and he asked, “Why?”

“He’s my father,” Nicole told him.

The expression on his face shifted from a look of contentment - to alarm.  “No wonder Omar wants you.”

Turning away, he told her, “This cannot happen again,”

Surprised by his behavior, Nicole reached out and touched his arm. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“It’s too dangerous. Not just because of who your father is, but because you share the DNA of a very ancient vampire. Just a trace of the vampire poison would probably turn you.”

“But I am fine. Nothing happened.”

He looked back at her, smiling sadly. “We were lucky this time. I can barely control my urges when I am making love to you. It would be too easy to poison you through a wound. If my blood gets into your system …”

“Who is Donavan?” Nicole asked.

“He is Omar’s brother. This is why he wants me to bring you to him. He wouldn’t want to risk getting Donavan’s attention. If you go to him on your own … what could Donavan do?  But he will take the risk … if I don’t bring you to him soon,” he added.

Nicole was silent.

Alec continued, “He offered to tell me what I want to know about the Place of Light if I did. I told him I would consider it, but that was only to buy some time.”

“But if you brought me to him, it would not be of my own will,” she pointed out.

“But Donavan wouldn’t know that. If you went with me, it would appear as if you did. Your father probably has Watchers.”

Nicole was relieved. Finally she felt as if she could truly trust Alec. His heart was not cold. She knew that now. “Where can I find my father?” she asked.

“I don’t know. It’s been years since he’s been in New Orleans. He disappeared, but like I said … I am sure that he has followers watching you.”

“If he was so concerned … why did he leave?” Nicole asked, her bitterness evident.

“He probably didn’t want Omar to know about you,” Alec told her as he was getting into his clothes. “If Omar can turn you and become your maker … you would be a powerful ally. Many of us that oppose Omar have suspected he was up to something, but didn’t know what.”

“So his intention has never been to kill me, but to turn me?” She was trying to wrap her mind around this bizarre twist.

“That is now what I suspect.”

“How did he find out?”

“You likely came to his notice because you were working with Ethan. It wouldn’t take much to put it together … considering you use Donavan’s surname.”

Nicole stepped closer to Alec. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed his lips lightly. “Alec … I don’t want this to be all we have.”

Alec closed his eyes. “We can’t chance it.”

“But I think I’m falling in love with you,” she told him - her voice low and soft.

Alec’s eyes opened suddenly, and he peered down at her with something akin to anger. “Don’t love me Nicole. I am a vampire … you are a mortal. We cannot have forever.”

“I don’t care,” she was adamant.

“Nicole, I am a creature … a monster. Don’t you get it? I am not your Prince Charming.”

“Maybe I want a prince of darkness,” she told him hotly.

Again Alec closed his eyes, as if he couldn’t tolerate looking at her. “Let’s go Nicole.”

“Can you help me find my father, Alec?” Nicole’s tone of voice had changed. It was now all business. Turning off her emotions was the only way she knew to soothe her aching heart.

“That would be our next step,” he told her.

* * *

He was late. The skyline in the east was already turning pink with the dawn of a new day. Alec could feel his skin getting hot. He slid into the coffin he kept in his home. It was not as preferable as a bed, but a necessity to protect his skin from the sun’s UV rays.

Only in places beneath the earth’s surface, could the vampire enjoy the luxuries of a bed. It was a lot more comfortable, but these places didn’t offer the beauty of the night you could experience above ground.

Could Donavan have descended into one of the underground cities of the Immortals?

He’d once heard that’s where Donovan had gone. Most of the oldest vampires migrated to one underground city.

Maybe it was time he paid a visit to this City of the Dead?

Though Alec rarely felt tired, tonight he did. His fatigue was more emotional that physical.

But vampires don’t have emotions.

Alec had learned a long time ago this was not true. They may not experience the same range of emotions they did while human, but they were still there. When the emotion was something as powerful as love or hate - a vampire could sometimes feel it even more deeply than he had as a mortal.

Was he falling in love with Nicole?

She had a powerful hold over him, but was it love? He was disturbed by her feelings for him, but even more troubled by his feelings for her. Every moment he was with Nicole, he could feel himself falling deeper and deeper. If he didn’t get out soon, he would never want to let her go. That would be disastrous for her.

If there was such a place as the Place of Light, Nicole carried its essence within her. Loving an Immortal would extinguish that light, and that was something he could not let happen. That internal light was one of the reasons she held such power over his emotions.

He would see that she was safe, and then sleep. Alec Norwood would disappear from the mortal world for a few decades. When he returned, Nicole would be a distant memory to him, and the rest of the world.

Alec closed his eyes, seeking the only haven known to the Immortal - sleep. Instead of finding the comfort of oblivion - he kept seeing her beautiful dark eyes, and her luscious red lips. 

Leaving her would be by far - the hardest thing he’d ever done in his long existence.

* * *

After packing a duffle bag with a few clothes and necessities, Nicole sat on her front porch waiting for the night, and for Alec. Only a few more minutes until the sun went down - then he would come.

All that Nicole knew was that they might be gone for a few days, and when they returned - they would confront Omar and get Ethan back.

Could she be in Alec’s company that long, and not want to be with him again?

Somehow Nicole seriously doubted she would be that strong. Being away from him was torture. Yet she knew, the more time she spent with him - the more she fed her addiction. She was addicted to Alec Norwood. He was her drug - her comfort, and her escape from the horrors of life.

Nicole contemplated what life was going to be like without Alec. She was sure that sooner or later, he would leave her - just like her father had left her mother. It would be dark - as bleak as the darkness she was born to.

Alec drove up, but before he had a chance to get out of the car, Nicole was already getting in. When she was settled in her seat, she looked over to Alec. “So where are we going?”

“Well … greetings to you too,” he said with a smile.

“Sorry, I’m just a little nervous by all of this.”

Alec pulled onto the road. “We are going to get your friend, and then we need to go to New York.”

“How are we going to do that?”

“The same as anyone else … we are going to fly.”

* * *

Though the flight was short, Nicole was glad when it was over. She was getting accustomed to staying up all-night and sleeping more during the day, but she was still tired. Throughout the whole flight, Dash complained about the business he was losing out on by taking this trip.

As they were exiting the airport, he told them, “I just don’t understand. Wyoming is way out west from here. What are we doing in New York?”

Nicole shrugged. The fact was, Alec hadn’t been very informative about why exactly they were going to New York. He’d told them only that there was something he had to take care of, before they tried to find the place in Wyoming where Dash had seen the man on the side of the road.

Outside the airport, Alec hailed a cab. The three of them slid into the backseat.

“Can you take us to the Cortlandt Station?” Alec asked.

The cabby peered at them through his rearview mirror - a strange look on his face. “What the hell ya want to go there for? The place is abandoned … and it’s a shambles.”

“Personal business,” Alec smiled coldly.

The cabby shrugged his shoulders. “Well, ya get all kinds these days,” he muttered to himself.

Nicole gave Alec a curious look, but he betrayed nothing.

A short time later, Alec pointed to a dark street corner. “Let us off here.”

The cabby pulled over without comment. He drove off as soon as Alec paid him.

“What are we doing here?” Nicole asked.

“Follow me,” he told them.

He led them into a dark alley where they found a steep staircase leading underground.

“This is the back way in,” he told them.

“To where?” Nicole wanted to know.

Dash laughed. “He is taking us to the City of the Dead. It’s an underground city, built in the abandoned tunnels under New York.”

“Oh.” Nicole really didn’t know what else to say. Over the last few days, she’d grown accustomed to the strange and unexpected.

They entered a dark walkway. Nicole couldn’t see a thing once the door to the outside closed behind them. She grabbed hold of Alec’s shirt so he could guide her through the darkness.

“You know, I wish you would remember that I can’t see in the dark like you guys can.” Nicole’s voice echoed through the empty corridor.

They came to more stairs and descended further under the city. Nicole held tightly to the rails, taking the steps slowly. The staircase seemed to go on forever, but finally they came to a door. Alec pulled the door open and they stepped out into a tunnel.

It was dimly lit with emergency lighting that seemed to flicker every few seconds. A rat scurried across her foot and Nicole yelped.

Both of her companions laughed at the same time. Apparently amused that a mere rodent would frighten her.

“Not much further,” Alec promised.

“I hope not,” Nicole told him. The last thing she thought she’d be doing tonight was walking through abandoned subway tunnels under New York.

At last they came to a small break in a cement wall. Alec slipped through it. From the other side - she could see him motioning for her to follow. Nicole eyed the opening skeptically. She was puzzled by the fact that Alec had managed to squeeze through it.

Finally she took a deep breath and held it so she could slip through the opening. Dash was close behind her.

Nicole’s eyes adjusted to the brighter light, but what she saw led to more questions. They seemed to be in some type of underground city. There were actually structures built from cement and bricks.

“What is this place?”

“This is where vampires go that don’t want to deal with the hazards of the sun … and vampire hunters?” he told her.

“How do they feed?”

“Like the rest of us. They go out to hunt at night, or they bring a feeder down here,” Alec informed her.

Dash was staring at the city, as if he was seeing it for the first time.

“Have you ever been here Dash?” Alec asked him.

He shook his head. “I’ve heard of it, but never really had the desire to go underground. I’m a Light Seeker at heart.”

“You would think someone would have found this place,” Nicole said, to no one in particular.

“The people that have worked in the subways for a long time, know about these underground nests, but they keep quiet … and they stay alive. The vampires hunt elsewhere,” Alec said.

With only a couple of hours until dawn, it appeared as if the inhabitants were winding down. Nicole could detect little movement around the maze of small - apartment like buildings.

“You sound as if you are familiar with this place,” Nicole commented.

“I’ve spent some time here,” he said, giving her no more detail.

“Well … I’ve seen enough,” Dash told them. “Can we get on with what we’re here for?”

Alec led them into the city. They walked down a narrow sidewalk with structures on both sides.

Nicole jumped when a head popped out from a door to her side. The vampire immediately recognized Nicole for human. He began hissing and looked as if he were ready to leap on her. Nicole moved closer to Alec.

Stopping in his tracks, Alec stared at the vampire - his eyes glowing with fury. “Do not accost someone in my company,” Alec warned.

The vampire withdrew - immediately becoming non aggressive.

“So few of our kind are civilized these days … wouldn’t you say?” Dash directed his question to Alec.

“Yes,” Alec answered. “I would say that.”

Alec turned his attention back to the makeshift building where the vampire was still watching them. “I am searching for Donavan Ashe. Is he here?”

Again the vampire stuck his head out the door, this time he appeared normal. Nicole thought that he looked more like a school janitor, than a vampire. His hair was short and gray, and he had a bald spot on top. He was even a little overweight. Not exactly what you’d picture a vampire to look like.