Creature of Habit (Book 3) (15 page)

Chapter 25

Amelia

"I knew you could run fast, Grant, but that had to be some kind of record," I teased in the house.

"I've just never had the right motivation before.” He carried me into the bedroom on his back but stopped abruptly as he crossed the threshold. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”

Olivia and I had redecorated the room, bringing in a large mahogany sleigh bed that took up the majority of the space. Crisp, gray bedding covered the mattress, and everything was exactly in place.  Grant spun and dropped me off his back, bouncing me onto the bed. The headboard banged hard against the wall.

I pushed back on my elbows, kicking off my boots. They dropped noisily to the floor, echoing in my ears. I bent my knees before me and said, "I was motivated, too.”

Grant crawled on his knees and placed his hands onto the top of mine. He licked his lips. I looked at him kneeling over me, gorgeous and happy. His wild hair bringing out urges that shouldn't exist. And his jaw. God, I loved his jaw. Angular perfection. I had fantasies about that jaw and the unmentionable things it made me want to do.

Olivia was right. There was no need to hold back. I was in love. Loved. And immortal.

Oh, and my mate was the most beautiful vampire in the world.

Why shouldn’t I screw his brains out when no one would get hurt or scared or bitten or damaged in anyway?

Even so, I was scared. My body wanted him too much. His touch alone made me shudder and squirm. It was strange and new and I didn't know how to control it. How to control myself.

The conflicting emotions were overwhelming.

Grant must have seen the struggle in my eyes because he cupped my face with his hands and said, "We only have to do what you're comfortable with."

I sighed under his touch, wanting more, but feeling already like it was more than I could handle. "That's the problem. I have no idea what I am comfortable with. My skin is so hard I feel almost nothing but then again—“

“It’s incredibly sensitive,” he said, knowingly.

He ran his fingers down my neck to the collar of my shirt. I fought the urge to flee from his contact. Grant never removed his eyes from mine. They were cautious but clear, focused intently on mine. “Give into it, love. To the want. It won’t kill you.”

I stared into his violet eyes and absorbed what he said. Push harder. Further. Past the discomfort and sensitivity. I reached for his hand and clamped down. Surprisingly, the pressure was almost comforting. Instantly, I realized I didn't need the fluttery kisses of before or the tender touches he'd bestowed on me when I was fragile.

"Harder," I whispered.

He smiled conspiratorially and pressed his fingers, harder this time, back down my neck. "Like that?"

I nodded. “More. To my limits.”

He tightened his grip, moving past intrusive to intense feeling. The want spread like wildfire from the pit of my stomach, lower, igniting a fury that had been building for months.

"I love you," I said, gripping his shoulders abruptly. I pulled his body over mine, forcing my nails into his unwieldy flesh.

“Can I—“ he started, but I interrupted with a growl.

"Don't ask Grant—take."

The smile I received was worth its weight in gold, and his hands pushed my knees roughly to the side as he crept up the center of my body.

"God, I love you so much," he said, returning my affection. He latched his lips to my own, parting them forcefully. “Your body. Your mind.”

Grant's lips tasted like the best candy in the world. Sweet and slippery. His breath was intoxicating, more so than before, and his hands, God, his hands… they worked quickly and feverishly. They would have been rough and harsh on my human skin, but now, in this body they were perfect.

“This is what I’ve needed.” I arched my back.

He used his teeth to remove the button clean off my pants before sucking and licking at my stomach. I lifted my hips, allowing him to push them down before using his feet to slide them off my body.

I marveled at the speed of my own hands as I unfastened his buttons and tried not to get distracted by the way his buckle reflected the light off the lamp by the bed. It was shiny and silver with red in the middle. Grant must have noticed my eyes glaze over, and he yanked the belt from my hands and tossed it over his shoulder. He gripped my neck and dipped his forehead to mine so my eyes were focused on his. "Right here, Amelia. Stay with me."

His lips crushed mine again before he pushed me back, with a groan, towards the headboard, slamming it against the wall hard enough to make a framed picture clatter to the ground.

"I'm here," I promised, nodding into his chest and almost melted on the spot when I felt the iron hardness of his body push over mine. His fingers grasped my hips, his thumbs taking hold as they had before. I put my hands on his and pushed down, forcing his thumbs to dig deep in my skin. I couldn't bruise and I wouldn't break.

"More," I begged into his mouth, craving more of the pressure and weight. I reached for him myself, taking his length in my hands. I wanted him to claim me in this life as he had in the past.

Grant obliged, wasting no time, pushing himself in firmly, swiftly, burying himself in my body. I reveled in my new found strength, my heightened senses, feeling every tiny movement in my body, every single whisper from his mouth as it rumbled over my skin.

"More,” I cried, unable to get enough of him after waiting so long. I saw his eyebrow quirk and a smirk appear on his lips.

“You asked for it.”

Before I could respond the bed was gone and he had me pinned against the wall, my legs wrapped around his waist. He used the leverage of the hard surface to grind into me with abandon. The walls shook. His chest heaved. My body clung desperately to his, feeling every movement—every reckoning.

I moaned, relishing the sensations coursing through my body. Building, growing, feeling. His mouth clamped around my breast and my mind blanked before my body exploded, holding onto him like life itself.

“Grant,” I breathed, trying to ground myself, but I blinked and caught his eye, darkened and lustful. He continued to move inside at a speed that would’ve decimated my old body. I met his pace, running my tongue down his jaw until I found his lips and greedily began tugging on them with my teeth. Encouraged by my roughness, Grant hissed, pounding me forcefully into the wall.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he breathed, before he jerked violently, releasing hard.

Pinned to the wall, swollen and battered, I felt everything. I felt him. For the first time since I fell to the ground with a snapped, broken neck, my body felt whole.

Frozen in place, he held me up with the weight of his body and we stared at one another, quite astonished at the person we faced. He licked my lips when I complained bitterly as he removed himself, but he cradled me to the floor where he folded us into a heaping mass of flesh and stone. My lips found his neck, the spot right under his ear that drove me wild, and I said, "That was uh…"

"Incredible?" he asked with one of those pesky locks of hair dipping into his eyes.

I laughed into the crook of his neck and nodded in agreement. "I felt like an animal."

Grant pushed my hair back over my shoulders and ghosted his hand over my even tempered skin. "Well, yeah. I think that's about right." He kissed my lips, sucking gently on the bottom one, and said, "Welcome to vampire sex."

I considered this, only getting lost in the minutia of his features for a moment. "Is it always like that?"

He grinned. "Only if you want it. But Amelia, we have an eternity to do that any way you want to."

We sat for a while, two pieces nestled into one another, easing our bodies into familiarity. The sun passed over us from the window on its way to dusk while I rested peacefully for the first time in months. I turned and ran my finger over the jagged mark on his bicep.

"We both left that battle with scars," he said, tipping my chin to look at the wound he’d given me.

"It was worth it," I responded, meaning it. Every sacrifice, every scar was worth a lifetime with Grant.

I pushed my back into his chest and closed my eyes, resting my head on his shoulder. Grant's fingers grazed down the side of my body, tracing my curves before settling low on my stomach.

"Amelia?" Grant whispered, speaking quiet and soft in my ear.

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you something?" His tone was innocent, but the way his hands spread out across my belly wasn't.

“Of course.”

He moved in a flash, kneeled before me. Naked and disarmed, he held out a thin platinum ring with a square diamond. “It was my mothers,” he said.

“It’s beautiful.”

“I’ve been saving it, all these years.” He stumbled over his words and looked very much, in that moment, the twenty year-old man he once was.

“You said you wanted to ask me something?” I prompted.

“In the vampire world we’re already bound. This type of formality means nothing. But keeping my humanity means a lot to me. It’s what makes me better.” He took a deep breath. “There is nothing more human to me than asking you to be my wife. Will you marry me?”

I nodded and pulled him into a hug. Whispering into his ear I said, “Yes, I will marry you. There’s nothing I want more, either.”

He slipped the ring on my finger, already fitted to my size. Grant knew I would say yes. He knew I wanted an eternity with him. It was why he changed me. It was why he waited for me. It was why every day of the rest of our lives would be devoted to one another.

He was my mate.

Part 3

Chapter 26

Amelia

We took our time traveling back to Asheville. Grant wanted to make my reentry to the ’real world’ slow and what better way than a road trip? Or so he said, as we packed up our belongings and sent them ahead to the family home. According to him, the three months I spent in Montana coming to terms with my transformation were on the short side, but nothing about my change would be considered normal. Carrying Laurel’s heart and what it did to me, made everyone, including Miles think I may be ready sooner than later.

And Sebastian needed us now.

That was Grant’s first ulterior motive. Using back roads and a system of off-the-grid vampires scattered across the country for intel. I didn’t mind. Working gave my mind something to focus on other than the hum of the truck or the way Grant’s jaw looked from the passenger seat.

Spoiler alert: It looked fantastic.

“So exactly where are we headed?” I asked. Daylight was fading and I figured we’d get off the road soon, but from what I could tell we were pretty much in the middle of green rolling hills in Kentucky.

“There’s a boarding house Miles told me to check out. He knows someone in a coven out here.”

“A boarding house?” I blinked. “A vampire hotel?”

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Miles said they’re friendly and, well, people need a place to stay. Even the dead.”

The boarding house looked more like a farm. The building was settled a good distance from the road but clearly visible. Lights blazed in the windows, dotting the sides of both stories. A long wall of fence separated the road from the property and the entrance had a decorative metal arch announcing Nevermore Ranch.

How poetic.

We were stopped at the gate by a thin man. Grant rolled down the window and said, “I’m here to see Abraham. My name is Grant Palmer. He should be expecting me.”

The guard peered past Grant at me but only nodded, waving us past the gate.

“What kind of hotel has a guard?” I asked, looking out the window at the rolling hills. My night vision was perfect and I could see the nice-sized pond nestled by the trees. Hoof prints lined the bank. A large, rustic barn sat some distance away. In the distance I saw a handful of workers in the middle of various tasks.

“Miles implied they were a little unconventional—but peaceful.”

I sniffed the air. “They actually keep animals here? Do they eat them?”

He shook his head. “I’m not sure what their eating habits are, but I agree, the whole thing is peculiar. Although I’m not sure I’m one to judge alternative lifestyles.”

We pulled up to the large house, white clapboard with a huge porch. The building must have been nearly a hundred years old, but the paint was fresh, the slight odor clung to the air. Pots of flowers hung over the railing.

“Stay close,” Grant instructed, as though things hadn’t changed. As though
I
hadn’t changed since the last time we worked together. But to make him feel easier I followed directions. Tonight wasn’t the time to get in a power struggle.

The front door opened before we got to the first step. Grant’s hand wrapped protectively in mine. I felt him stiffen. He was a man that liked to know what he was facing. Abraham was an unknown. I still wasn’t sure why we were here.

“Abraham?” Grant asked, looking to the tall, thick man. He was middle-aged with a salt and pepper beard. Older than most of the vampires I’d encountered so far—which, for the record, wasn’t many.

“You must be Grant,” he said with a smooth southern accent. He glanced my way and narrowed his eyes. “And who are you?”

“I’m Amelia.” Grant’s hand squeezed mine.

Again, Abraham studied me. It took me a minute before I understood. The heartbeat. My heartbeat. I tried to suppress it, like we’d practiced.

“She’s a fledgling,” Grant replied. “Under my care.”

Abraham nodded although the lines by his eyes implied he was not completely convinced. “Come in and tell me what this visit is all about.”

The inside of his home had a quaint, folksy feel. Abraham had nailed the country-living thing. Odors from the many house guests assaulted my nose. When met with too many at once, my senses got overwhelmed. That was why, when the three vampire women appeared from the back of the house, each dressed in identical long, old-fashioned looking dresses, I was taken aback.

“Hello,” I said, absorbing the way their long hair twisted behind their head in tidy braids. Amish style. Or Quaker maybe.

“Rebecca, fetch these two a refreshment.”

“Yes, Papa,” one replied and disappeared quickly.

“Sit, please,” Abraham said, pointing to a small couch in the front room. “Miles contacted me and said you were looking for some information. I don’t get off the farm much these days but I’ll help if I can.”

He sat across from us, his long legs extended in front of the antique rocking chair. I had little doubt the items in the house were even older than the ones Grant had collected over the years. How old was Abraham?

Grant cleared his throat and said, “We’re looking for a vampire that was known to travel the country in the early 1930s, specifically making a stop at the James Jones Exhibition Show, in upper New York.”

Abraham rubbed his beard. “That information is a bit vague.”

“I don’t have much to go on, other than the fact he liked to exploit and torture humans—women in particular. He freely transitioned and abandoned his fledglings to adjust on their own.”

Rebecca reentered the room carrying a tray with a white porcelain pitcher and three clear glasses. She placed the tray on the coffee table. The coppery tinge of blood hit my senses and I nearly lunged from my seat. Grant’s hand clasped around my arm holding me steady. I swallowed as Rebecca poured thick, dark blood into the glasses and handed one to each of us.

Grant sniffed the glass and said quietly, “Cow.”

“Yes, I keep a herd,” Abraham declared. “Slaughtered fresh. I don’t usually have animal drinkers around but I know Miles has been a teetotaler for life. I’m happy to oblige.”

“Thank you,” I said, attempting not to make a pig out of myself. My hand shook like an alcoholic waiting for a drink. The first sip beat back a little of the ever-present hunger. I quickly consumed the rest.

Rebecca stepped forward and refilled my glass before I had a chance to set it back on the table.

“Uh, thank you,” I said.

“You’re welcome, dear,” she said, giving me a sly wink.

Huh.

“The young are always hungry.” Abraham laughed. “So are the rest of us, I guess.”

“So this vampire,” Grant said, prodding him back on track. “Any one like that ever board here?”

Abraham leaned back his seat, thinking. “Back in the day things weren’t so civilized, as you well know.  Before television and the internet, kills were easier to hide. I’ve had my share of wayward vamps cross through here over the years. Most just lonely—looking for company. Occasionally a particularly twisted one will come in.”

He paused and the room fell silent, allowing me to hear the sounds of the house. A creak on the stairs, the coil of a spring. Running water. There were guests upstairs even now. I closed my eyes and inhaled.

Sweat and something sharper tickled my tongue. The light thunder of a pulse. Humans?

There were humans in this hotel. I looked to Grant, but he was absorbed with his conversation.

“Had one fellow come through here a couple decades back and rough up one of my girls badly. Killed two ranch hands on the way out. That’s when we put the guard at the gate.” He looked toward the women.  “Amy, dear, show them.”

Amy, a small blonde who looked no older than fifteen, walked into the room. She moved to Abraham and leaned over.  With a gentle hand he lowered the high collar on her neck to reveal and deep, jagged scar.

“Oh,” I gasped. It looked horrible. And familiar. The image of Sebastian’s disfigurement settled to the front of my mind.

Grant exhaled softly. “From the transient?”

Abraham nodded and the girl spoke. “Yes, sir. I worked upstairs back then. He cornered me in the middle of the night, slipping into my room without permission. He, uh, took advantage and slit my throat.”

“You were a human,” Grant stated.

“Yes. Abraham found me in time.”

“I had a choice. Save Amy or go after the bastard.” He smoothed the collar back in place and adjusted it carefully. “She was one of my best workers. I wasn’t ready to let her go. I sent the boys out instead.”

As horrifying as the tale was, details confused me. Humans and vampires coexisted here? Grant had implied our relationship was beyond abnormal. Suddenly I felt the urge for some air.

“Do you mind if I use your restroom?”

“Everything okay?” Grant asked, a worry line appearing between his eyes.

Rebecca stepped forward and said, “I’ll show you.”

“Yes,” I told him, while standing. “Just habit I think. Be back in a minute.”

I followed Rebecca out of the room and she led me down a long hall to a small bathroom. Inside I took a moment, splashing water on my face, trying to steady myself on the influx of sounds and smells. Even from the bathroom, my super new hearing amplified Grant’s voice as he vaguely explained what we were doing—that we were searching for a friend in trouble.

When I opened the door again, Rebecca was waiting for me. She smiled and asked, “You’re a fledgling?”

“Yes, a couple months now.”

“So this must all be very new for you.”

“Yes, sort of. I knew Grant before my transition so I had a concept of what to expect.”

She raised her eyebrows. “So you chose to become one of us?”

“I guess you can say I chose eternal life over immediate death. Those were my only two options,” I replied.

Laughter carried down from the second floor, and I looked toward the sound. Rebecca asked, “Would you like a tour of the house?”

Curiosity got the best of me. “Sure.”

I followed Rebecca up the stairs. The hem of her long dress brushed over each step. At the top she said, “Abraham runs the ranch, but I operate the boarding house.”

“How long have you been together?”

“We’ve lived on this land since we procured it from the natives.”

“That’s a long time.”

She smiled again, revealing her teeth. “We live a quiet life. Renting rooms to travelers. Providing companionship to the lonely.”

We passed a door and the same female laughter as before floated into the hall. A man’s voice responded and I touched the wall. “There’s a human in there.”

“Yes. Humans and vampires alike stay here.”

I listened again. I heard the ruffling of bed sheets, the sound of flesh against flesh. Only one heartbeat responded. “And they know?”

“It’s why they come. The humans work here, seeking a heightened experience. The vampires come for a human one.”

“They have sex. With humans.”

“Or drink.”

Suddenly my relationship with Grant didn’t seem so taboo. “And there are no accidents?” Because Grant had struggled to keep his composure with me and my blood. How can these people just drink for the pleasure and walk away. My stomach twisted with unease.

“Rarely. The story Abraham told earlier about the traveler harming Amy was unusual.”

“Wow.”

Rebecca walked down the hallway and knocked on a door, opening it before there was a reply. She gestured me to look inside. “Take a peek.”

I peered in the room, curious despite myself.  A brown-skinned woman straddled the hips of a man, handsome and muscular. She wore nothing but a black lace bra and panty set. None of that mattered to me though as I zeroed in on his throat, on the pulsing blood flowing through his veins. He was shirtless, spots of blood dotting his chest.  She’d been feeding on him. And from the look of things under the sheet, he liked it.

“This is Calvin,” Rebecca said, ignoring their compromised position. “Say hello to our visitor, Amelia.”

Calvin moved up to his elbows. “Hello, Amelia.”

I tried my hardest to hold eye contact. “Hi.”

God, things had gotten weird. The girl slipped off the bed, adjusted her top and disappeared into an adjoining room.

“Would you like a taste? I’m sure he wouldn’t mind,” Rebecca said. “Our treat.”

The thought gave me mixed feelings. Hunger ruled my emotions but nausea wasn’t far behind. The heartbeat—Laurel’s soul, kept me from succumbing to those needs. Plus, Grant waited for me downstairs. I had no need for other physical outlets.

“No thank you,” I replied, edging out the door.

I felt a soft touch on my neck.

“Tell me, how does it work? The heartbeat I hear coming from you.”

“I don’t know.”

“You would make for an interesting addition to Nevermore Ranch for both humans and vampire, alike.”

Addition. Like a novelty on display. “Thank you? I guess, but no. I already have a family and a job.”