Reluctant Storm (10 page)

After everything that happened, I brought Claire to my room for her safety and locked her in. Walking towards my father’s office, I’m filled with uneasiness at having to go to Griffin, but then I think I’m Riley fucking Dumont! I don’t do scared. I was trained by the most sadistic vampire there is.

I reach the door and put my hand on the cold knob, and just as I’m about to turn it, I hear my father talking to someone. I lean closer to the door and zero in on his voice, trying to figure out what’s going on. The words I hear are a game changer. Listening to them murmur, I catch the phrases, ‘The King’s dead’ and ‘the girl needs to die tonight’. ‘The kingdom will be mine!’ I hear him roar along with glass breaking. Backing up, I race towards my room, slamming the door so hard it cracks it in half.

“Claire,” I call to her. I glance around in eagerness and breathe a sigh of relief as she walks out in a towel after showering. “We need to go, and we need to go now. Get dressed.” Kneeling down, I open the cabinets and grab a storage container and the blood bags out of the fridge. “And once you’re done, pack the blood bags with some ice. There’s a storage container on the sink. Do it now!” I look at her sharply and my face softens as I see I’ve scared the shit out of her. I walk toward her and put my hand behind her neck, sighing I lay my lips on her forehead and say softly, “It’s a matter of life or death, particularly yours.” I see her eyes grow large, and she starts to shake. As I grab her shoulders, I can feel her fear course through me. “I know how you’re feeling but we don’t have time for a breakdown right now. Please do what I asked so we can get out of here.” I noted that she didn’t question me after that and ran into the bathroom to get dressed.

Staring at the closed door, I take action and start running through my apartments, grabbing the travel bags from the closet. Slamming them down on the bed, I throw clothes in, filling it and not bothering to fold them. Heading back to the walk in closet, I kneel down to the gun safe and put my thumb on the scanner. It opens with a click, and I empty the safe of cash, passports, several guns, and my special silver stakes. I run my fingers over the silver tip and pull back quickly as it burns me. I then grab a shirt off a hanger and wrap them up in it and head towards the bags, throwing it all in. I zip the bags up so fast you can’t even see the gesture and grab the straps, putting them on my shoulder and taking one last look around. I spin around and almost walk straight into Claire
who’s holding the storage container of blood and looking like she’s about to be sick. She’s actually holding up better than I thought she would. I knew for sure she would have had a breakdown by now or get sick at the sight of me.

Catching hold of her cold fingers, I look at the brown haired girl who I’m giving up my life for and have no regrets at all. The next part, getting out of the house, is going to be the hard part, not for me, but for Claire.

“Okay Claire, I need you to follow my directions, no matter what happens.” I’m relieved when she doesn’t put up a fight. “I’m going to get you out of this house, but in order for me to do that, I’m going to say and do things to you that I want you to know are only for your protection. Do you understand? You’re my bond mate, but the guards don’t know that. They still think you’re my prisoner. I’m going to let them think that I’m taking you out to torture you and then kill you.” I watch her swallow and give a small shake of her head acknowledging what I’m going to have to do to her.

“This is going to have to be the best acting you’ve ever done, Claire.” Leaning down, I place a kiss on her worried lips. “When we get out of this alive, I’m not letting you out of bed for a week.” Blushing, she averts her eyes and shivers. “Make that two weeks.”

I take a deep breath and pull the door open. I then motion for Claire to follow me. She quietly walks up to my side, shutting the door very slowly, as not to make a sound. I look over at her and give her a thumbs-up sign to show her that she’s doing a good job and keep going. We make our way down the many halls. When I hear boots coming towards us, I grab Claire by the hair, reverting to torturer, and all my training kicks in as I wrap her hair around my hand like a rope. When she cries out, I feel sick to my stomach. The guard rounds the corner, it's George, and he looks at the two of us. I quickly yank on her hair, forcing another scream from her.

“
Whatcha got there, Riley, a new toy?” George asks, and for the first time I’m extremely grateful George isn’t mentally all there.

“Oh this? I’m just taking the trash out to the shed,” I say, grinning.

He knowingly winks at me. “Have fun, and let me know if you need any help.” He continues down the hall, whistling.

“You can play with her when I’m done. That is, if she’s not dead on her feet from me using her,” I say cockily. “Hey, George,” I call to him, “Don’t tell my father, okay? I want to have a little fun before he interrupts.”

He doesn’t even bother turning around, just gives me a thumbs-up. I wait until he turns the corner, and I abruptly release Claire’s hair. Taking a deep breath, I hurry her along towards the front door. I stop her abruptly when I notice another group of guards in the entryway. What the hell is going on with all the guards out here today? Looking in a different direction, I decide to go a different route. I grab her hand and we head to the kitchen. We are greeting by Chef Raven who pays no attention to us. I look back, making sure no one is following us, as I open the side door. Pushing it open into the bright sunlight, we leave the house. Shit, I didn’t think about my car. I was so busy getting her out of there. I open the door and lift her up, setting her in the van.

“Get on the floor and stay there until I say it’s safe to move.” Throwing my bags in with her, I grab an old blanket in the back of the van and throw it on top of her, covering her in case we get stopped. “Stay there and don’t make a sound. Lots of guards are out today for some reason, and if we get caught, we’re dead.” I open the kitchen door and grab the van keys and run back toward it, jumping in and starting the engine. “Let’s get the hell out of dodge, Claire.”

Fear flows through me as Riley slams the door of the van and quickly drives away from the compound. I feel every single bump he hits, and with nothing to hold on to, I end up sliding back and forth in the van. I blow out a loud exhale and find it hard to believe I’m in this type of situation. I mean, these things don’t happen to girls like me. This feels like some crazy dream I’m having, and I keep expecting to wake up back in my dorm room. Even though I’m free, Riley is still ordering me around, so essentially I’m still a prisoner. I wonder if he realizes
that?

The van goes over another rut, which causes me to bounce down hard on my side. The pain brings tears to my eyes. Swiping at them, I get angry at myself.
Claire, you don’t have time for tears
. I have to play the game no matter what to stay alive. Feeling the crazy way he’s driving, I think about how scary my first meeting with him was. I never would have imagined that the man who charged in set on torturing, hurting, and possibly killing me would throw me against the wall, kiss me, and take me out of that evil place. I can’t help but feel sick to my stomach over the things that happened there. Holding my shaking hands together, I wince as the van takes yet another sharp turn. I’m not even sure how long I was held in that awful place, but I know my life will never be the same again. Something strange is going on as well. One minute I would do anything for Riley, and the next minute I’m terrified of him. Feelings don’t turn on and off like a light switch that fast. I want to go home and back to normal, instead of this constant unknown that fills my every being.

My body is starting to change, and feeling what’s happening is unbelievable and feels unreal. My skin is becoming clear and lighter, and as I lift my arm up, turning it, I seeing that even small scars I had from when I was a kid are gone. My vision is so sharp that I see everything in minute detail now. Lifting my hand, I wave it in front of my face and my mouth drops at how fast it moves. I can even see tiny details that I never knew existed. I peer at the blanket covering me and can see every thread and fiber in sharp detail. My gums are very tender as I run my tongue over my newly elongated fangs, or teeth? I’m not sure what vampires call them. I was fully prepared to go out all Bella Swan style, but no this changeover is pretty boring, except for the urge to taste blood.

Riley told me to let him know when I started craving blood, but with everything happening I couldn’t find a good time to tell him.

We drive for what feels like hours, and the blood craving is getting worse. The further we go, the harder it’s getting to control it. Finally, he stops at a gas station and hops out and walks
over, opening the van door. For the first time since I’ve been captured, I have the chance to breathe in fresh air. I lift my head towards the sun, which is another thing Hollywood lied about; I didn’t burst into flames or anything.

“Stay by the van,” Riley orders.

I can’t tell you how sick I am of being ordered around. Hopping out of the van once he walks away, I watch as he steps around the van, inhaling the sweet smell of grass. Suddenly, it hits me hard as I cover my nose and breathe through my mouth: the gasoline smell is so strong, and with my new senses it almost overwhelms me. He looks past me, scanning the area and quickly shuts the door behind me. Riley walks around the other side to fill up the tank.

I’m not sure if I should run into the store and tell them I was abducted or—and then another smell hits me like a ton of bricks, a sweet, sweet smell. I have no idea what it is, but I know I must find it. Lifting my face back towards the breeze, I catch the scent again.

My head turns sharply as I let my senses figure out where the smell is coming from. I inhale the air again and slowly step away from the van. I’m doing well until I hear the one thing that is my undoing, playing like a symphony in my ears and music to my soul. It’s a simple little thing, the giver of lives, the heartbeat.

Gasping, I feel my fangs start to pulse, and I raise my hand, covering my mouth. The urge to rush to the heartbeat overrides my need to stay hidden. Slowly picking one foot up after the other, I make my way stealthily over to the other side of the van. I lean over and take a peek at Riley and see him leaning against the van with his arms crossed, bored, as he watches the numbers move up on the gas meter. My adrenaline races as I look behind my shoulder and zero in on a flash of pink that is moving out of my view. I follow the young woman with her little Yorkie on the grass, towards the back of the gas station. As I walk on the brown grass, I pretend to be interested in the puppy as I reach down to pet it.

“What kind of puppy is that?” I ask her, pretending to be fully engrossed in petting the puppy.

The girl turns around, and I can tell I startled her. “Oh gosh, you scared me. I thought I was alone, and I about jumped out of my skin when I heard your voice!”

She picks up the puppy and lifts it towards me. “This is a
Yorkiepoo. It’s part Yorkie and part Poodle.”

Nodding while feigning interest in the dog, I continue petting her. She squirms in my arms as I let her soft fur run through my fingers before setting her gently onto the ground. The need for blood is so overwhelming. Just listening to the girl’s heartbeat makes
me imagine the ways I could get her blood, only I’ve never actually bitten anyone before. I have seen movies, and I imagine it can’t be that hard. I stand up and look toward the girl who stupidly has her back to me, and in a flash I’m behind her holding her head in my hands and tilting it. I can see her heartbeat through her skin. It beckons to me as I watch it race against her skin.

“What are you doing?” the girl asks terrified.

What am I doing? That’s a really good question. I am horrified at my actions, and yet I can’t seem to stop. Still staring at her neck, I’m fighting an inner battle with myself. The craving for blood is strong, and it’s literally right under my nose. Then there is the Claire who would never even hurt a fly, unfortunately for this girl, that Claire’s been turned into a hunter. When a breeze brushes her scent into my nose, I give up the fight and bite into her neck, allowing her blood to flow warmly into my mouth. It’s like nectar of the gods and chocolate all rolled into one. I feel my body practically humming as it continues to flood my mouth. My senses are so over stimulated that I fail to hear Riley race up behind me and pull me away from the girl until I’m lying on the grass with my mouth covered in blood.

“What happened to you staying near the van?” he bursts out, running his hands through his hair before moving over to where the girl fell. I watch as he puts his fingers to her neck and lifts his wrist, biting into it and puts his wrist to her mouth. This makes me feel something I haven’t ever really had to deal with, jealously. Noticing the way her lips cover his wrist is almost more than I can bear. I’m struggling with my inner being not to jump up and attack her and simply snap her neck.

This is Riley were talking about, the one keeping me prisoner. You have got to stop having these feelings for him, it’s not right
, I think, having an inner fight with my hormones. I keep my eyes on Riley and watch as he wipes her neck and lays her on the grass. He stares into her eyes, telling her she was walking her dog and her dog got loose, causing her to trip and fall, and that she needs to get back in her car and drive to where ever she is going. He releases her gaze, and I watch her stand up and brush her clothes off, looking around in confusion. She gives us another quick odd look and grabs her puppy and runs to her car, slamming the door shut and peeling out of the gas station.

I glance at the car as it quickly drives away and fail to see Riley as he walks towards me, hauling me up over his shoulder and carrying me into the van and tossing me in the back.

“You stay here and don’t get out again until I tell you to.” He walks around the van to get in. He slams the door and jams his key into the ignition, and then he starts going off on me.

“What the hell were you thinking, Claire? You can’t just go feeding on someone whenever you get the urge. I told you to tell me when you started craving blood. I have what you need, but no, you had to go do your own thing,” he scolded me in the same tone he used when I was in the cell.

“I wasn’t thinking!” I exclaim, throwing my hands in the air as I move to the front seat of the van. I heard the heartbeat and craved what I knew I would find. Okay? I’m human; I make mistakes…oh wait. You made me into a vampire, so technically I’m not a human anymore, so don’t go all high and mighty on me, like you’ve never drank blood from a human before!”

I glance toward his hands, and nervousness fills me as I see how strongly they are gripping the steering wheel; they grip it so tightly that I’m unsure as to how he hasn’t broken it in two. I’m starting to feel fearful of what he’s going to do to me once we stop. All of a sudden, he turns the wheel sharply, pulling the van onto an old dirt road that looks like it hasn’t been used in years. He slams on the breaks so hard that if I hadn’t grabbed the dashboard I’d have gone straight through the window. I feel the anger radiating from him and know the mean Riley’s back in action as he silently seethes in the driver’s seat.

He shuts the van off and opens the door forcefully. He jumps out and slams it so hard that I jump. He walks over to my side, and before I even have time to contemplate what he’s doing, he yanks the door open and pulls me out. Pushing me against the white side of the vehicle, he slams his mouth down on mine, instantly filling me with his taste and turning my mind to mush. His hands are on both sides of my head, pressing against me and pushing me closer to the van. He lifts his head from mine, and we are both breathing heavily. He slams his fist into the van and claims my mouth again. His hands move to my waist, lifting my shirt over my head as his mouth moves to my breasts. He pulls my bra down and tugs one of my nipples into his warm mouth while he palms the other one tweaking it back and forth. Moving back up to my mouth, he presses himself against me. I feel the rock hardness of him through his jeans and pressing against my stomach. A giddy feeling moves throughout my body. I smile inwardly knowing the nice Riley is back.

I feel my panties getting damp as his mouth continues its assault on mine. I move my hands to the front of his jeans and work the button and zipper down, pulling out his warm shaft into my waiting hands. Gripping him, I trace his length and hear him let out a sigh of relief. As he continues to kiss me and nip at my neck, I continue to mold him in my hands, playing with the wetness that’s on the tip of him. Hearing Riley groan makes me wetter knowing I’m the reason he’s making these noises.

In a flash, he has me standing in front of him. He is taking off his shirt and pulling the rest of my clothes down in one smooth move. Kneeling down, he presses his nose against me and inhales softly. He pushes me back against the van again, which seems to be his favorite thing to do. He lifts one leg allowing it to rest on his shoulder so I am open to him. He gazes into my eyes and keeps them locked on me as I watch him place his mouth on me. I feel his tongue tasting me. He licks me over and over, and just when I don’t think I can take anymore, he slips his finger into me causing sparks to explode in front of my eyes. I would have collapsed if not for Riley holding me against the van. He lets me go once he’s sure I can stand.

I drop down in front of him and pull his pants off, placing my hands on his erection again. I can’t seem to help myself. I look at it and eagerly place my right hand at the base and circle the crown with my tongue, tasting the salty liquid on the top. Hungrily, I take him fully in my mouth and feel him pushing further into me, grabbing my hair as he does. Letting my tongue flick the head, the salty sweet taste invades my mouth. I lick the liquid that beads on the tip before circling the head and take him in deeper letting him almost hit the back of my throat. As I really start to get into having him fully in my mouth, he pulls away from me.

“I don’t want to come in your mouth; I want inside of you. Now,” he says in that commanding tone of his. The way he says it sends shivers down my body as he turns me so my back is to him.

He pushes himself in, giving me only seconds to adjust before he is slamming into me again. It feels euphoric each time he does it, and I feel myself clenching around him, trying to keep him inside me.

Leaning his head down, he tilts my neck, licking the base of it. He grabs my breast, twisting my nipple as he bites down, drawing blood that he greedily inhales. Seconds later, he licks my puncture wounds and has us switch positions with him against the van and I am now riding him. I tilt his head to the side and glance at the blood running down his mouth. I lean over and lick the blood off. My instincts go into overdrive and take over, causing me to sink my teeth into his neck. This pushes me over the edge as he continues to slam into me until I feel myself at the hilt of another orgasm. Still enjoying the sweet taste of his blood, he reaches down for my wrist and pulls it to his mouth, biting down hard as he starts pushing madly against me. His own orgasm goes off inside of me. Panting hotly in my ear, he drops my wrist and leans his head against mine.

Once my legs feel like they’ve stopped shaking, I push away from him and he lets me go, pulling out of me. He’s still breathing heavily as he zips up his pants before bending over and grabbing his shirt off the ground. He opens the door to the van pulling out a towel and kneels down cleaning me up. I shift away in embarrassment.

“Claire, there is no part of you I haven’t seen. Don’t be embarrassed.”