SEDUCTIVE SUPERNATURALS: 12 Tales of Shapeshifters, Vampires & Sexy Spirits (43 page)

He snagged the glass off the counter, tossed it back, and grimaced. “Christ, Foley. It's still fucking warm.”

“Only the best for my friends. Paid a fortune so the lady would make the donation,” he said and then poured himself a shot which he savored more slowly. “Delicious, but I suspect you have something much more tasty waiting at home for you.”

He should probably be pissed that the club owner was still Jonesing after his wife, but he knew Foley would risk his life for her and Charlie. “You know, Daniel,” he said, using the given name that only true friends knew and were allowed to mention. “One of these days I may finally get sick of you having a hard on for my wife.”

Foley just laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I get it. I need to find myself a girl, but the kind that comes in here is not the kind you'd bring home to mom.”

“You need to get out more,” Ryder said and motioned for another pour.

“Vampire, remember? But enough about me. I can tell you've got a load on your mind.” He prepared another round of shots for them and after they both drank them down, relaxed against the counter to listen.

He stared hard at Foley, wondering how much to say. At one time, Daniel had been kind of a selfish hard-ass, but in the last few years, he'd redeemed himself and had demonstrated his friendship and loyalty on more than one occasion. Because of that, he faced the other vampire, leaned forward and unloaded, spilling his guts about what he thought was happening and his run-in with Richard.

“Slayer prick,” Foley said and poured yet another round.

Ryder hesitated, but then picked up the shot glass. Without knowing if slayer blood was causing any changes and with slayer blood running through his wife's veins, he was going to have to practice a little abstinence.

“Abstinence?” Foley said with a hoot of laughter. “You've got that delicious treat in your bed and – ”

Ryder socked him hard, rocking Foley’s head back from the force of the blow. If he hadn't been a vampire, he'd likely have knocked him out, but Foley only smiled and flashed a hint of fang past the welt growing on his lip.

“I warned you,” he said.

“Yeah, you did. It's actually nice to see a little bit of spirit. You've been kind of mopey since the whole Connall thing.”

He should have been pissed. Should have maybe punched him again, but unfortunately Foley was right just as Diana was right about how he was behaving. Maybe it was well past time that he became a big enough man to admit it.

Reaching into his pocket, he tossed a few bills on the counter to pay for the drinks, but Foley waved him off.

“No need, Ryder. I owe you and Diana way more than that. Say hello for me. Give her a wet kiss – ”

Ryder socked him again, but Foley only smiled and said, “Now that's the way a vamp should behave. All fight and fang.”

Ryder shook his head and laughed. “I’ll try to keep that in mind, Daniel.”

Vampire Reborn
: Chapter Six

After Ryder had split off to head to the Blood Bank, Benjamin had hesitated for a long time before finally going to Michaela's. Especially since she hadn't answered his original text message and it had taken a second one plus a phone call for her to respond.

She'd sounded a bit distracted and he had wondered why, but as she opened the door to the condo where she was now living with her FBI lover, he finally understood that he'd come at a bad time.

A very bad time.

Michaela was in a silky maroon robe that draped her lithe body. The very feminine garment surprised him since she was normally a jeans and black leather kind of girl. Her face was pleasantly flushed, her hair sexily tousled. The fine fabric of the robe emphasized every curve and was so short, it exposed lots and lots of the creamy skin on her smoothly muscled legs.

She looked absolutely fabulous.

Not a good thought to have as her hulking lover came to stand directly behind her, bare-chested and clearly pissed off at the intrusion.

He held his hands up in surrender. “I'm sorry. I can tell this isn't a good time for a visit.”

“Can you say awkward much?” Michaela said with a roll of her eyes, but waved her arm to invite him in.

He eyeballed the other man, who shrugged and possessively wrapped an arm around Michaela's waist as they stepped aside to let him enter.

He walked in, but didn't take a seat. He was clearly interrupting something and it was best he get it over with, but Michaela beat him to the punch.

“You said you had something important to discuss,” she said.

“I'm going to call for a meeting of the Council and I need you to back me up,” he blurted out.

“And this couldn't wait because?” she asked as she and Jesus sat next to each other on the couch.

“It involves Ryder and Diana. They're your friends, right?”

Michaela and Jesus shared an uneasy glance. “Yes, they are. Good friends and they've been through a lot lately,” Jesus replied.

“We need information and the Council may have it. I went to Richard, but he refused to help.”

Michaela made a face. “He's usually the most reasonable.”

“But he wasn't this time. So will you back me up?”

She nodded without hesitation. “Of course.”

He shifted from foot to foot, well aware that his reason for coming here was done and yet not all that anxious to leave. The studio Ryder had loaned him had every creature comfort known to man except one: Someone to share it with, but as he glanced between Michaela and Jesus, he understood she could no longer be the one. He'd be overstaying his welcome if he lingered. “I guess I should go.”

His two friends shot to their feet, but Michaela laid a hand on Jesus's bare chest and said, “Could you give us a moment?”

Jesus shot him a warning glare, but then acquiesced. “I'll be waiting.” As if to drive the point home, he bent and kissed her hard before heading out of the room.

Michaela faced him, tightened the belt on her robe, and then wrapped her arms around herself defensively. “You know I'll always have your back, Ben.”

Oh, Lord. The Friend Zone speech was fast approaching
. “I know, Mikey, and I understand it's over between us.”

“I'm not saying that you're not welcome, I just need a little more warning, unless the apocalypse is here. If it is, feel free to message me.”

He chuckled as she had intended. Mikey had always been able to make him laugh. Mikey had always been able to make him feel as if the battle was worth it, which made him wonder why it was that they'd drifted apart.

“Don't, Ben. Don't wonder. It wasn't meant to be,” she said, clearly aware of where his brain had gone.

“Are you happy?” he asked and cringed at the cliché.

She smiled indulgently, slipped her arm through his, and walked him to the door. She paused there, cradled his cheek, and said, “Never happier. It's time for you to find someone who makes you happy, too.”

After a quick and slightly awkward embrace, he stepped out. As the door closed, he leaned against the wall outside the apartment and thought,
I already did
.

* * *

It had been a long and tiring night
, Richard thought as he let himself into his apartment in the 9
th
Avenue highrise. Besides the unsettling meeting with Benjamin and his new vampire friend, the hospital ER had been swamped.
Considering how many assault and shooting victims had been wheeled through the door, it had to be a full moon
, he thought as he walked toward the dry bar just off the foyer.

As he did so, he noticed the bright beams of light coming in through the wall of windows and illuminating one half of the room while casting the other part in deep darkness.

Definitely a full moon
, he thought as he poured himself a bourbon, and glanced across the water to the lights of New Jersey and the Palisades. But as he did so, he finally sensed another presence in the dark.

He whirled and peered toward the far side of the room. Someone stood there, just beyond the light, features hidden by the gloom, but it was a familiar silhouette.

“What are you doing here?”

“You have something I want.”

Richard shook his head. “I don't think there's anything for us to discuss. How did you get in?”

Sparks flared and a second later, pain erupted in his chest as the barbs dug in and electricity pumped throughout him.

His body failed him for a moment, the drink falling from his useless hand, but then he recovered and with an uncoordinated swipe, ripped the Taser's barbs from his chest. He sucked in a breath to gather his strength, but had barely recovered when another Taser round hit him. A second later hard hands grabbed hold of his arms and delivered an even more punishing charge of energy that forced him to his knees.

He would have fallen if those hands hadn't kept him upright.

His heartbeat stuttered as those hands dug in and pulled at his life energy, yanking it from him the way a knitter pulled string from a ball of yarn. Each little tug taking more and more away from the skein of his life force.

Ancient words from a dark art filled the night as his assailant murmured a ritual forbidden long ago. The words wrapped around him, tightening and strengthening the bond. Allowing his attacker to reach deeper and deeper into his life energies and continue his feeding until there was almost nothing left.

Richard’s gaze wavered as he tried to focus it on the familiar face. A face now contorted by evil and hate. He hissed one final word, “Why?”

As the hands released him and he fell to his knees, nearly dead, he heard, “Because I can.”

He mouthed a “No” only a moment before something sharp ripped apart his throat and spilled his last bit of life.

Vampire Reborn
: Chapter Seven

Fight and fang, Foley had said and the words echoed through Ryder's brain along with Richard's condemnation.

Foul. Isolation. Pain.

As Ryder dropped from the rooftop onto First Avenue, each step he took toward home pounded those words into his brain. Stoked both fear and anger inside of him as he thought of his family and what he wouldn't do to protect them.

He'd do anything, much as Diana had worried. If that made him a monster, then so be it. For too long he had denied the demon that lived inside of him and maybe now it was time to embrace it and the power that it brought.

Funny thing really
, he thought as he passed by a shop window and the barest hint of reflection taunted him. Just when he was ready to embrace his vampire, humanity had decided to call. But he'd fight it with fist and fang and every ounce of heart he had inside of him for his wife and child.

At the condo building, he nodded in greeting to Jason, who opened the door for him.

He was tempted to race up the stairs in vamp mode, eager to be with her again, but he held back as he noticed several humans by the elevator bank. Containing his restlessness, he waited with them, got on the elevator, and endured the multiple stops until he was at his floor. Then there was no holding back his rush home.

Through their connection, he sensed the peace within her and in a burst of speed, he raced to their bedroom.

Charlotte was in the bassinet, fast asleep. The sound of running water came from the master bathroom and he reined in his impatience and sauntered to the door. He stood there, leaning against the jamb as he watched her in the shower.

She had her hands braced against the wall and water sluiced down her body as steam billowed from the top edge of the glass stall. As she stood there, she turned her head and smiled sexily.

What are you waiting for?
she said in his head and he needed no additional invite.

With each step he took across the room he whipped off another piece of clothing until he was at the door to the shower, totally nude and totally ready to make love with her again.

She turned and held her arms out to him and he stepped into the warmth of her embrace, made even warmer by the heat of the water shooting at them from all the shower jets.

“I missed you,” she said and eagerly answered his kiss, opening her mouth to him. Giving as good as she got until they were both shaking and needed more.

He bent his head and nipped at her breasts, sucking and licking them as she encircled him with a soapy hand and stroked him. Cupped him with her other hand and caressed his balls.

“Oh, God,” he said, his breath exploding from his body at the feel of her hands on him.

“My turn,” she said and pushed him toward the shower wall.

He leaned back and the water spilled down his body, washing away the soap which was just as well since she kneeled and took him into her mouth. Sucked him hard and then teased the sensitive edge of his dick while she worked his balls until they were tight with his need.

He cradled her breasts and caressed her, wanting her to have pleasure as well. Her soft gasp of pleasure against his cock as he tweaked her nipples nearly undid him, but he held back and watched her. His body shook from the sight of her going down on him and feel of her mouth and hands, striving to please him.

But he wanted to come inside her. Wanted to be one with her when she came.

“Diana,” he said and she rose slowly, pressing every inch of her body to his.

“I want, too, Ryder,” she said and stroked him again.

He groaned and gently took hold of her hips. Shifted until he was behind her and her hands were braced on the shower wall, waiting for his penetration. He dipped down and guided himself to her center. Drove in slowly, savoring the friction of her body against every inch of him. When he was buried to the hilt, he waited, prolonging the pleasure of her and their union. Feeling her contract around him and grow warmer. Wet from desire.

“Ryder,” she pleaded and ground her hips against him.

He moved then, pulling out and then driving back in. Reaching up and around her to caress her breasts as he took up a rhythm, his thrusts growing ever faster and more erratic as they neared the edge of release.