Everlasting Hunger (The Hunger Mate Series) (16 page)

              Feeling a familiar ripple through her mind, Ellie opens herself up to Jasper’s thoughts and feels the honest emotion behind his touch.  Humbled that she could mean so much to the man in her arms, she returns his kisses with all the feeling that she has.  Trailing her lips down his throat, she rakes her teeth down the vein in his neck and sucks it between her teeth.  The urge to bite is so great that she draws back to strike.

             
“Ellie, wait.”  Jasper pulls back from her and she hesitates. 

“Did I do something wrong, Jasper?” 

Watching as Jasper gets up and walks across the room, doubts flood her mind. 

“No, love.  I’m just acting as your drink tonight and I need to boost my production levels or we both will be out on the street like a couple of drug addicts begging for a hit.” 

Ellie smiles at the picture that he sends her and waits as he tosses back a shot and brings her one.  Accepting the libation he passes to her, she sits up to partake. 

“Turn about is fair play, gorgeous, and I might want a
taste in a bit.”

             
Finishing the drink, she sets the glass to the side and looks into his eyes.  Opening her arms to the man looking at her with such a powerful emotion on his face, she knows that destiny has sent her into the arms that she was meant for. 

              Ellie looks at the beautiful dress that Natalie and Ian had picked out for her.  It was one of the most elegant dresses she had ever owned.  Floor length with a train at the back, the dress is designed in a vintage style with a tight bodice and a straight fit.  Beautifully simple and sexy at the same time she is awed that they believe it’s perfect for her.  Tossing the mask that matches onto the table, she heads to the bathroom to finish her makeup and hair for the ball.

             
Several days had passed since the transformation and she’s been learning as much about her new lifestyle from Jasper as she can.  She had learned how to drink without hurting the donor, how to compel a person, and several other little handy tricks she knew nothing about prior to becoming a vampire. 

The bond with Jasper is strong and amazing.  Ellie is amazed at the connection between them.  Smiling at the thought that he is on his way home, she rushes to finish her preparations for the ball in a couple of hours.  Walking back into the bedroom, she slips off her robe.  Stepping into the lace thong, matching bra, and garter belt, she feels as sexy as Greta Garbo or Marilyn Monroe.  Rolling the stockings up her thighs and attaching them, makes her wish that Jasper was home.  Projecting a picture of her legs in the stockings to him, she giggles at his reaction.

Lover, I will be home in a few minutes.  Why don’t you stop putting clothes on and I will show you how much fun it is to take them off?

             
I don’t want to be late for Annabelle’s party, handsome. 

Stepping carefully into the vintage style dress, Ellie eases it over her hips and up her arms.  Tossing her curls over her shoulder she wiggles to straighten out the dress and moves to stand in front of the floor length mirror.  Stunned at the beautiful woman in the mirror, she finds it hard to believe that it’s her. 

“I told you that you were gorgeous, Ellie.  It has nothing to do with that dress though,” Jasper replies as he slips into the room.

             
A slow moving warmth grows in the pit of her stomach, Ellie licks her lips at the temptation staring back at her in a custom made tuxedo by Tom Ford.  Seeing the look of passion on her face, Jasper is convinced they will not be at the ball long or they will be borrowing one of Annabelle’s spare rooms.  Pulling a box out of his coat he walks to the vision in red. 

“I ran to the bank since I needed to pick out a little something to go with your dress.” 

Opening the box he shows her the vintage diamond necklace with matching bracelet and earrings. 

“I can’t wear those, Jasper!  They have to be worth a small fortune.” 

Laughing at the genuine horror in her voice at the thought of wearing the jewelry, he tries to set her mind at ease.  “Honey, I’ve been buying jewelry for centuries.  The stones can always be used for bartering or currency and the metal could always be used to make bullets or swords.  I’m a creature of habit in some areas and I like to collect jewels.” 

             
“Are you telling me that you have a bunch of jewelry in a bank somewhere?”

With a smirk upon his face,
he projects a picture to her.  “You could wear a different piece every night and never wear the same thing twice for decades.” 

Shaking her head at him, she turns so he can hook the necklace.  Lowering her hair and touching the diamonds with the tips of her fingers, she looks up at him.

“Thank you, Jasper.  You have been so wonderful to me through all of this.”  Kissing her on the forehead, he clasps the bracelet and hands her the earrings. 

             
“My pleasure, my love.  Are you about ready?  The limo is already out front and I set up the camera in the study so we can get some pictures.” 

Smiling at how much action his camera has seen lately, he watches as she slips into delicate heels. 

“I’m as ready as I ever will be.  Do you have your mask?” 

“Relax, sweetheart.  I have my mask and everything is fine.” 

Sensing the worry that she is unable to block, he takes her in his arms. 

“What is the problem, love?”

              Not knowing how to accurately express what she is feeling she projects to Jasper and he squeezes her. 

“Ian is not mad about us, love.  He understands better than most how these things go.  He is fine, gorgeous.  I promise and you can ask him yourself when you see him.”

              Loving the fact that he can soothe her distress, Ellie tilts her head back and kisses his chin.  She releases him, walks over to the bed and grabs the matching wrap and elbow length gloves to her dress. 

“Let’s go, handsome.  I’m ready to walk the red carpet.” 

Slipping her arm through his, he escorts her downstairs so Dudley can take their picture and Jasper can have another memory for his book. 

             
Ellie feels like she is going to her senior prom and giggles at the thought of her date for that disaster.  Shooting a picture of the computer club president that took her to the dance at Jasper, she laughs out loud at the incredible look on his face. 

“You really went to the dance with the president of the computer club?” 

“Yes, I did.  He was a nice guy and we had been friends for years.”

             
Slipping into the limo after Ellie, Jasper tugs her toward him. 

“Have I told you how much I adore you, my love?  You have come so far in the last few days, and I’m amazed at your generous heart and spirit.” 

Blushing at the heartfelt words, Ellie kisses him lightly on the lips. 

             
Jasper pulls back. “You are so worried about Ian being upset with you, but honestly, Ellie, I think he’s expecting you to rip his head off and shove it down his throat.  Don’t be surprised if you find you have an emotional reaction to actually seeing him in person.  Vampires are sensitive and emotional creatures, and no one would think anything of it as long as it wasn’t in front of the cameras,” he says with a smirk.

             
Pulling into the line of vehicles that are waiting to unload passengers at Annabelle’s mansion, Jasper leans forward to look out the front window.

“Sweetheart, sit here a moment.  I’m going to run up to the valet stand and see if we can head around to the back lot since we are family.” 

Kissing her as he climbs out of the vehicle, he heads to the front of the house.

             
Feeling a strange feeling of trouble brewing as Jasper walks away, Ellie rubs her gloved hands together. 

“I was not sure how I was going to get you away from him but this was easier than I ever anticipated,” says the voice from her darkest nightmares. 

Raising her eyes she meets the evil glare of Adam Thornton from the front seat of the limo and knows that she needs to remain calm and focused. 

             
“Hello, Adam.  How have you been?” 

Ellie hopes that a calm conversation will keep him from getting angry. 

              “How have I been?  You are one stupid bitch aren’t you?  Your lover and his boss had me fired from Lochlan Medical.  I’ve been black balled all over the cities and it’s your fault.  If you would have kept your mouth and legs shut, no one would have known that I like to teach women how to behave.” 

He turns
back to the wheel, puts the car in drive and edges out of the queue. 

             
“Where do you think you can take me that I won’t be found?” 

Adam glances
at her in the mirror and answers, “The better question is what shape will you be in if you are found.” 

A
pop and sting in her shoulder, causes her to look down. Ellie watches the world go dim as she pulls the tranquilizer out of her arm and manages a single thought in her head.

Jasper!

             
Jasper goes back to the car after making sure it was okay to head to the back parking lot with the valet.  Shocked at the sudden scream for help in his head coming from Ellie, he takes off at a vampire run only to see the car turning out of the driveway and accelerating rapidly. 

             
Grabbing his cell phone, he dials Ian.  “I need you now.” He rushes out as soon as Ian picks up. 

“Where?” 

“In front of Annabelle’s in the driveway.  It’s Ellie, she’s been kidnapped.” 

Seconds later, Ian is at his side.

“What happened, Jasper?”

             
“I got out of the car because I wanted to ok it with the valet to head around back to the private lot.  I was on my way back when she screamed for me.  The car was heading toward the interstate by the time I got here.”

             
A two-door sports car pulls up in front of the pair and Miguel hops out.  Jumping into the vehicle Ian and Jasper head off in the direction that Ellie was taken. 

“I can’t hear her, Ian.  Our connection is strong but I can’t sense her at all.” 

              “Relax, brother.  I know that she’s fine.  I’m thinking that Adam Thornton took her.  We have received a few threats from him in the last few days and I think he blames Ellie for the loss of his job.”

             
“Do you think he knows that she’s a vampire, Ian?” 

Shaking his head, he attempts to soothe his friend. 

“I think he just wants to scare her, but he has no way of knowing she is different.  Until tonight she has been with you at your place and she hasn’t talked to anyone, has she?”

             
“No, she wasn’t sure how her friends would take it, and we decided not to say anything unless directly asked.”

             
“Good, then she has that to keep her alive till we get to her.  I put my money on Ellie, but I haven’t seen how she’s been in her training.”

             
Smiling at the surprise that will be waiting on Adam when he takes on his lover, Jasper replies,” Did you know she was a black belt?  She started taking self-defense classes when she was younger and after Adam she stepped it up.” 

             
Laughing, Ian punches him on the shoulder. “We should just wait for her to come back then, he won’t stand a chance.” 

Knowing that Ian is probably right but at the same time knowing that he can’t stand by why she is in trouble, Jasper closes his eyes and tries to figure out where Adam would take her.

              Ellie comes to slowly and realizes she is being carried in a man’s arms.  Opening her eyes slightly, she realizes that he has brought her to her own home, that she’s gagged, and her hands are bound together.  He unlocks the door with a key he had made prior to Ellie taking hers back.  He nudges the door open and pushes through. 

“I know you’re awake, Ellie.  You never were a very good actress.”  

Shoving her out of his arms, she falls against a table and lands on the floor. 

             
“I hope you know that I’m going to make you pay for all the trouble you have caused me, bitch.  It’s your fault that I lost my job and I’m going to love teaching you that your place is on your knees.”

Grabbing her hair, he begins to drag her toward the bedroom.  Realizing his intent to rape her, she starts kicking and trying to scream.  He kicks her and screams, “Shut up or I will cut your tongue out of your mouth.  Don’t make me do that Ellie.  I know how talented that mouth and tongue are when you are sucking cock.  I have missed your blowjobs.” 

Picking her up by the elbows, he tosses her onto the bed and starts shoving her dress up her thighs.

             
“I have to admit that I have missed those supple thighs wrapped around my hips as I screw you until you begged for more.”

             
Feeling terror in her throat at the thought of this man violating her in such a way, for a moment Ellie forgets that she knows something that Adam doesn’t.

Ellie, can you hear me? 

             
Oh, God.  Jasper!  Help me.  He has me tied up and gagged.  He’s about to rape me and I don’t know what to do.  I’m so scared. 

             
Ellie, baby, you need to calm down.  Sweetheart, you are a vampire.  Seduce him into taking the gag off.  Plan your moment and then strike.  Ian and I are on our way, love.  Where are you? 

             
He brought me to my house.  He has a key, so I don’t know how long he has been coming in here.

             
Cutting off the communication when she realizes that Adam is cutting her panties off her with a knife that she hadn’t seen, she motions that she wants to speak to him.

             
“You want to say something to me, Ellie?  I told you I have better things for you to do with that mouth.  Are you interested?”

             
Taking a deep breath because she know this is her chance to save her own life, she shakes her head yes.  He smiles broadly and reaches up and cuts the gag off her, slicing her cheek in the process.

             
Ellie gasps at the sting of the knife and puts her hand up to stop the bleeding. 

Adam stands up next to the bed and unbuttons his pants, shoving them down; he grasps his semi-hard penis and starts stroking it.

              “Get over her and suck my cock, Ellie, or I will finish this myself.” 

Flashing pictures of where Jasper is filter in to Ellie’s mind and she realizes that he will not be able to make it in time. 

              “Adam, can you untie my wrists?  I need them in order to give a great blowjob.” 

Adam leans forward and cuts her wrists free. 

“Attempt anything other than sucking me off and I will slice your throat where you sit, understand?”

             
“Yes, Adam.  I understand exactly what you are saying.” 

Rising to her knees in front of him, she runs her hands up her dress and caresses her breasts as he watches her.  Realizing that his stroking has increased and that his attention is off, Ellie grasps him and tosses him on to the bed.  In a flash, she knocks the knife away and plunges her fangs into the vein at his throat. 

              Hearing a strangled scream from him, Ellie begins to drink while she keeps him pinned to the bed.

Jasper and Ian pull up into Ellie’s driveway and jump out of the car.  Racing to the front steps
, they are surprised to see her friend, Sheila walking out the door.

             
“I’m sorry, gentlemen.  I’m on my way out for the day.  You will have to come back another time.” she says.

             
Not understanding why the woman was in Ellie’s house and trying to sneak out, Jasper shoves her back into the house.  Leaving her for Ian to deal with while he heads toward the bedroom to help Ellie.

Walking into the room, he realizes that he is seeing Ellie in the midst of her first kill. 

“Ellie?  I need you to listen to me.  You are killing him, gorgeous.  If you continue to drink him, you will drain him dry.  Now I don’t care personally.” Jasper can see the fear in the man’s eyes as he realizes that he wasn’t going to help him. “And I know Ian will help us dispose of the body, but do you want to have his death on your conscience?”

             
Ellie starts to slow down when she hears the words from Jasper.  Sliding her teeth out of Adam, she looks up at the man she has come to love.

“Jasper, he was going to violate and kill me.  Why should I show him a shred of kindness?”

              “That’s your right, sweetheart, but maybe we should talk to your friend that was sneaking out when we got here.  Ian!  Bring her in here.”

             
Ian walks in dragging a crying Sheila with him.

“Damn, little one!  Did you leave anything for the rest of us?  Playing white knight leaves a man thirsty,” he says with a smile of understanding at her. 

              “Sheila, what are you doing here?”  Ellie looks at her best friend in confusion.

Ellie realizes that her friend is hysterical and that she isn’t going to get a coherent response from her.  She takes Sheila by the hand and looks into her eyes and compels her to calm down and explain what she was doing at Ellie’s house.

“Adam called me to come over and watch what he did to you.  He wanted to teach me a lesson,” Sheila states in a monotone.

“Why would Adam call you, Sheila?”

“Because I disposed of the whore’s body and he wanted me to get rid of you when he was done with his revenge.”

Ellie looks at her in astonishment.  She could believe that her friend slept with her boyfriend but she finds it off the wall strange that she would hide a body for him. 

“You knew he had killed someone and you were going to let him kill me as well? You bitch!”  Ellie lunges at Sheila and pins her to the wall as she sinks her teeth in to her throat, ripping it open. 

             
In her rage, Ellie can sense the emotion coming from Ian and Jasper.  Ian is expressing pride and Jasper is worried that she will regret killing Adam and Sheila.  She knows he is right and with deep regret, she releases her fangs from Sheila.

Ellie steps back as Ian steps forward and crouches down in order to compel the woman.
“Listen to me carefully, Sheila.  You were here with Adam and he was going to hurt Ellie.  He attacked you and you stabbed him in the throat with a barbeque fork.  You will tell the police where the girl he killed is buried, you will disappear from my cities, and you will not return.  Ellie will kill you the next time and I will help her bury your body.  You have messed with my family and I don’t give second chances.”

             
Ellie turns to Jasper and buries her face in his chest.  Inhaling the scent of him soothes her inner beast. 

Gorgeous, are you okay?

              What did I do, Jasper?  What kind of monster have I turned into?  Did I kill him?

             
Pulling her tighter to him, he answers truthfully, “Yes, Ellie, you did.  It was something that needed to be done and you reacted out of instinct.  You are not to blame here.”