Smoldering Nights (4 page)

“I had left a small group back at the village to protect it. Some attackers snuck in and overpowered them. They killed the men and raped and murdered some of the women. My sister was one of them. So was Ricard’s wife. He blames me for her death and vowed revenge. That’s why he wants to kill me. He wants to avenge her death.”

He didn’t continue so I asked, “Why? You were attacked. How could you have prevented it?”

“He thinks we should have left more men back to protect the village.”

“Do you think he’s right?”

“That’s a question I’ve been debating in my mind for two hundred years. I’ve been racked with guilt and devastated by our losses. My sister—she was so young, so kind.”

He spoke so softly when he spoke of his sister that I barely heard him.

“What was her name?”

“Danielle.”

He shook his head as if shaking off a memory. “Overall I think it was the right decision. The battle was so close. If we had any fewer men, we might not have held them off.”

“Did you explain that to him?”

“Yes. He disagrees. And vowed vengeance.”

My head was swimming. “Wait. So you were both human, right?”

“Yes.”

“And now you’re not?”

He answered, “No.”

I shook my head as if trying to clear the cobwebs. “Why not?” We reached the interstate and I veered onto the ramp heading north.

“After the attack, we remained positioned at our camp before the village to fend off any additional advances. Richard and I were on watch. One night a woman approached us. She had dark hair, pale skin, and wore a black flowing dress.

“‘Who are you?’ I asked. ‘What do you want?’ She didn’t reply. I could feel her captivating me, lulling me into a relaxed state. In a movement quicker than my eyes could process, she was upon me. She bit my neck and drank blood. I tried to call out to Ricard, but couldn’t, as if I was entranced.

“What happened after that, I don’t know. Later, maybe days later, I awoke in the woods near our camp. And I was different—changed. Ricard wasn’t there. I felt an instinct, almost consuming—a thirst for blood. I couldn’t understand it. I felt an urge to go back to the camp and attack the men I had been tasked to protect.

“It took all my will to overcome the urge. But I attacked any animal that passed my way, biting them and drinking their blood. Anything to get rid of the thirst. I spent weeks this way, living in the woods and drinking the blood of animals. Occasionally when a human drifted into the woods alone and I was filled with thirst, I was unable to resist the urge.”

“Did you kill them?”

“I don’t know. After I fed, I felt so ashamed I ran off.”

I shook my head to clear away the image. “And Ricard?” I asked.

“He must have been changed as well. I ran into him in the woods weeks later. He said, ‘It’s your fault they’re dead.’ I tried to explain as I told you. He attacked and we fought. No longer as two men, but two beasts. In the middle of the fight, we heard laughter. The dark-haired woman had reappeared.

“‘How ridiculous’, she said. ‘I give you both the gift of immortality and you try to destroy each other.’

“‘Who are you?” I asked. “‘What have you done to us?’

“‘My name isn’t important. I’m a nightwalker. I live off the blood of mortals. I’d seen you two in battle. The bravest of your lot. And I wanted your blood. When I drank, I could sense an infection in you’, she told me. ‘An infected wound maybe. You were dying. You just didn’t know it yet. I gave you some of my blood and saved you.’

“‘Saved? Is that what you call this?’ I replied. ‘I’ve left my people and stalk animals in the woods!’

“‘And me?’” Ricard asked. “‘Why did you change me?’

“‘I drank too much of your blood. I couldn’t help myself. I could leave you there to die or change you. I decided you were too strong to let go and would be better off as one of us.’

“‘Who’s us?’ I asked. ‘There are others?’

“‘Yes, of course. Nightwalkers are everywhere. But we usually live alone or in packs of two or three. We don’t do well in groups.’

“She waved her hand. ‘Enough talking. I’m separating the two of you, like two little children.’ She threw a ball of light at us and I felt a pull in my gut. I was thrown through the air and landed near a stream miles away.

“I spent the next twenty years learning self-control over my thirst so I could inhabit society once again. I drank from stray animals in the street. Sometimes I slipped and attacked humans.”

When I turned to look at him, he said, “It’s been at least half a century. I’ve gotten better.” He flashed a smile that sent a ripple of excitement down through my core.

“I moved into Paris and met others of my kind. They explained our nature and showed me how to live in the human world. They introduced me to an underground network where you could connect with humans who were willing to let you drink from them for the right price. With safety measures in place, so you didn’t drink too much and kill them.”

Wondering what types of safety measures could be implemented, I hadn’t paid attention to the exits. Were we in New Hampshire yet? I scanned the signs; it looked like the tolls were ahead.

“I don’t even know what to think about what you’ve just told me,” I said. “If I hadn’t seen what I saw tonight, I wouldn’t believe you. But I did.”

“It’s not something to lie about.”

“I agree,” I said, peeking over at him. Damn, he was striking. And he wasn’t human. But I had to think about driving, not admiring his brilliant features. “Can I just focus on driving for a little bit while I try to process what you just told me?”

“Of course, chérie, I understand. Take all the time you need.”

“I’m going to put some music on, okay? It will help me.”

“Want me to put something on for you?”

“Sure. Can you plug in my iPod?”

After he connected the iPod, the car was filled with Fiona Apple appealing to her lover while singing
On the Bound
.
Oh, how I loved this song. But something about the intense feelings a woman sang to her lover made me feel uncomfortable with Michel so close.

My iPod shuffled through songs that weren’t so intense about passionate love, which removed that discomfort, leaving me to focus on recent events. We listened to music as we drove up to to the New Hampshire tolls. I veered toward the EZ Pass lane, thankful the traffic wasn’t backed up at this time of night.

Michel’s story played again in my head as I tried to make sense of it. I hadn’t noticed we had passed over the bridge into Maine until Michel interrupted. “Take the next exit.”

“Okay.” I moved into the right line to exit on the off ramp. “Where are we going?”

“Stay on this road for a while.”

I slowed down to the speed limit, which I often found difficult after driving on the highway for a while. We drove in silence for several more minutes.

“How did you end up here?” I asked.

“In New England?”

“Yes.”

“I traveled around the world. The tranquility of a New England coastal town appealed to me.”

“And donors?”

“Salem is full of them.”

“Isn’t it called the Witch City?”

“All kinds of characters are attracted to Salem. Supernatural elements everywhere.”

Other parts of his story came back to me.

“What about the other uh,
thing
,
with Ricard?” I asked, not sure what to call the freaky little beast that tried to attack us.

“I don’t know. They must have met up at some point after we parted ways. Or maybe Ricard changed him.”

After several minutes, Michel said, “Turn left at that unmarked road ahead.”

I drove down the road and noticed the farther we drove, the farther apart houses were from each other. Eventually, the street lights disappeared where it was sparsely populated and I put on my high beams.

“Is this the first time you’ve run into him since seeing the woman who changed you?”

“No.”

I waited for an explanation. When none came, I prodded. “And?”

“He’s been tracking me down for years. London, Budapest, Barcelona, Montreal.”

“What happens? Do you fight?”

“Not usually. I slip away when I see an opportunity.”

“Is he trying to kill you?”

“Yes.”

“And me?”

He hesitated. “I think so.”

“Why don’t you fight him? End it for once?” I asked.

“Because.” His face contorted into a tormented look. “He was my friend. My brother. He thinks he’s avenging the death of his wife.”

How someone could feel sympathy for that monster surprised me. “Michel,” I said carefully. “It’s been over two hundred years. Enough for several human lifetimes. He needs to let go of his anger and you need to let go of the guilt.”

“Those are human emotions. We aren’t human any longer. Can I ask you something now?”

“Sure.”

“What happened at Vamps?”

The images from the fire came back to me. What a shitty night.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling, I summarized the events into an abridged version.

“After you jumped out the building, I went downstairs. Fire from the blast quickly spread through the club.”

I noticed him bristle once again.

“What is it?”

“Fire.”

“What about it?”

“I don’t like it.”

“Oh. A vampire thing?”

He didn’t answer. “And you’re okay?” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him scanning my body.

“Looking for wounds?” I asked. “Don’t worry. I’m fine.”

“How about the others? Did anyone get hurt?”

“My friend Maya and I think we got everyone out. A few people were unconscious, but we didn’t see any fatalities.”

“Good,” he said. When I looked at him, he had a finger on his chin and was staring straight ahead as if deep in thought.

After a few more minutes, he said, “Pull into the driveway on the right.”

I took the right and followed a dirt driveway down away from the road. It led to a tiny Tudor facing the Atlantic.

“We’re here.”

Chapter Four

Michel held my hand as he led me up a stone walkway to an old cottage that would have fit perfectly into a Thomas Kinkade painting.

I hesitated on the doorstep.

When he realized, he said, “I won’t hurt you. I promise.”

I looked into those bright-blue eyes. Eyes that weren’t human. Was that why they were so entrancing? And could I trust him?
Should
I trust him?

“Please, Nike. Come in. All I want to do right now is protect you from harm. Not be the cause of it.”

He looked so sincere and I wanted to believe him. Did he truly care about me? Or was he just luring me in? “I’m a fool to go into a house with someone who admitted thirst for human blood. But I suppose I don’t stand much more chance out here either.”

“I confided in you, Nike. That’s not something I would do unless I had feelings for you.”

The cynical part inside of me said
it’s easy to confess when you know you’ll silence the listener.
But a much bigger part of me wanted nothing more than to be alone with him in this cottage.

He opened the door to a welcoming living room with a basket of afghans next to a sofa and another one in between two Victorian chairs. Equipped for a cool night on the New England coast.

“I’d light a fire to keep you warm, but under the circumstances…” His voice trailed off.

I forced a smile. “Enough fire for one night.” And I nodded in his direction. “And you’re clearly not a fan. Can it harm—you know—people, um—those like you?”

Michel smiled, but didn’t answer. “How about a hot cocoa?”

I didn’t blame him. If fire could harm him, why would he tell me, a human, how to hurt him? “That would be great. Thanks.”

I peeled off the stiletto boots, feeling the relief of having them off my sore feet. Then I curled up on the sofa under a crocheted afghan as best I could in the tight leather dress.

Michel grabbed a mug and a package of some gourmet hot cocoa. I had admired his broad back and shoulders at the gym many times when I thought he wasn’t looking. Now I watched him unabashedly as he filled the kettle, my mind reeling with the tale he had just told. We were here together in a secluded house overlooking the Atlantic. How much had changed in only a few hours.

When he handed me the steaming mug, I asked, “So now what do we do?”

Michel took a moment to answer. “Lay low,” he said. “And get to know each other better.”

I swallowed as he sat down next to me.

“Don’t be afraid of me,” he said. “I would never hurt you.”

The worries about being with a nightwalker rose to the surface. “How can I be sure?” I asked. “You’re not even human.”

“I was once. And tonight I felt more human than I had in a hundred years.”

“When? Why?”

“When I was with you upstairs. When I thought something would happen to you. I haven’t felt emotions like that in a long time.”

I took a sip of the hot cocoa to try to control my racing heartbeat. Michel ran a finger softly across my cheek and lower lip, making me slightly tremble. I looked into his eyes, only inches away from mine. Those eyes that always captivated me. Was it all just part of his charm? My breath quickened.

No, I had to focus. Think about my safety and not my libido. Too many thoughts were racing through my head.

“I need some air.”

I walked to the back door and opened it to a breathtaking view of the Atlantic. The winds had kicked up, causing the waves to battle against the rocks below. I tried to concentrate, to focus on rational thought.

I peeled off the thigh-high stockings that had made my legs look sexy as hell in those stiletto boots, yet now were torn so badly I looked like an utter mess. I walked barefoot on the sand on the beach away from the house. The stupid dress was constricting, which made it difficult to pick up the pace.

Think clearly.

It was insane to think about getting involved with someone who wasn’t even human. Yes, I knew this. I was a practical girl, not a romantic one. Relationships were difficult as it was, let alone whatever kind of relationship you could try to form with someone who didn’t even age. Very impractical. If it was Maya in this situation, I’d tell her she was acting like a stupid, lovesick teenager.

That would be after I didn’t believe whatever nonsense she was spewing about nocturnal creatures. They don’t exist, I’d tell her. Hell, I wouldn’t believe such beings existed until I saw three of them tonight, two of whom were trying to kill me.

I was being hunted. Because I was with Michel. Maybe if I got away from him, I’d be safe. I quickened my pace until I got into a makeshift run the best I could. Running away from him. Running to safety.

I’d find a phone and call Maya. Maya would find a way to get to me and we’d figure out what to do together.

Michel

I hated waiting. Hiding out here waiting for something to happen.

And waiting in here. Waiting for her.

I began pacing in front of the fireplace. Why did Ricard have to come tonight after all these decades, just as I connected with a woman who had made me feel more than I have in decades? Fate was mocking me. She was a twisted force with a warped sense of humor.

I almost had Nike. I finally broke through the silent veneer she enclosed herself in when it all went to hell. The look of passion that burned in her eyes earlier when we were upstairs had been replaced by a different one, as if she was debating herself in an internal monologue. I would have told her about myself eventually, I thought, just not right away. It would scare her. I had to break it slowly, gently. But Ricard had to screw it up.

I grabbed a trinket from the side table and crushed it in my hand, and then watched as the ceramic pieces fell through my fingers. How easily it was destroyed. I barely even thought about it. Fragile. Almost as fragile as a human.

Like Nike.

Her being with me was dangerous. Although we had only connected a short while ago, an urge in me grew to protect her. I couldn’t explain it; I’d never felt a compulsion like this before. There had been women in the past, many women, but what I felt for Nike was overpowering.

I wouldn’t let anyone hurt her. I’d kill anyone who tried to hurt her.

If I cared about her, I should let her go, send her someplace safe. Ricard would hunt us down eventually. We could only hide for so long.

I broke the larger ceramic pieces into a pile of dust. How tragic it was to have to let her go so soon. We had just had our first kiss. Our first and last.

But I had to let her go.

Nike

My lungs started to burn from the quickened pace and the sharp cool air of the Atlantic. I slowed to a walk again.

What was I doing?

The man I’d wanted for so long was waiting inside for me. The scenario was far more exhilarating and fantastic than any fantasy I had concocted on my own. I’d be a fool to run away. I was just scared. I pictured Maya raising an eyebrow and saying, “What are you, nuts? Get back in there and stop being so bloody stubborn!”

Time to toughen up and go after what I wanted.

I breathed in the saltwater air. Life was short. It could’ve ended for me tonight if Michel hadn’t intervened.

Then again, I wouldn’t have been in danger if I wasn’t with him. But it was too late now to debate the cause and effect. What happened had happened. Those things could probably figure out who I was and where I was with their supernatural powers. I mean, they smelled me in the air. Gross.

Could they trace my scent? They would kill me to exact revenge. I was better off with Michel, facing this together. Plus, it’s where my core, my being, was taking me. Back to him.

Enough! I don’t want to think anymore.

I turned back toward the house.

Michel

I played with the remains of the ceramic pieces on the end table, brooding over how I would lose her all too soon. The sound of the French door opening distracted me. When she entered, I forgot my inner torment and stood. She was back.

“
Ca va
?” I said, slipping into my native language. “Are you all right?”

“Yes,” she said almost breathlessly, walking toward me with a vigorous stride.

Within moments, she was before me. She put her hand behind my head and pushed up to her tiptoes, leaning forward. She paused for a second, looking into my eyes, and then at my lips.

She kissed me. Slowly at first, as if exploring and savoring me. And then she pressed her lips against mine more urgently, with a slow-releasing passion.

I responded instantly to the touch of those soft, full lips. Whatever torment I had over having to lose her disappeared at that moment. How could I think rationally when this stunning creature kissed me? How could I separate us right now when I’d wanted this for months?

I wrapped my arms around her lower back and arched down to meet her lips more fully.

She pulled away briefly. “I don’t care what you are. I’ve wanted you for so long.”

Her eyes were mostly kelly green now, lids slightly lowered, revealing her passion.

I savored her lips and neck as I moved her toward the bedroom. Then I pushed open the partially ajar door and led her to the canopied bed.

Laying her gently on her back, I leaned over her, put my hands on her cheeks and looked into her eyes. “Nike, I’ve been intrigued by you, but kept away for your sake. But tonight—tonight I couldn’t help myself. You were too close. You smelled so good. God help me, but I want you.”

“Yes. Please, now.”

Reluctant to leave those soft, pouty lips but eager to explore the rest of her, I kissed down the side of her slender neck. Her scent and the throbbing of her pulse under my lips was almost too much. My fangs emerged. I had to fight the urge to taste her blood right then; the temptation was too strong.

When she moaned a low, soft sigh, it almost pushed me over the edge. My fangs hovered over her veins and the desire for her blood rushed through me. Scraping teeth over her skin, all I had to do was pierce her skin and I could taste that sweet nectar, let it run down my throat—

No!
I had to regain control. I closed my eyes and forced myself to push away the desire for her blood. Then I was once again flooded with the desire to have her flesh, to bury myself deep within her.

I kissed her skin down from her enticing neck to the top of her breasts pushing up out of the black leather corset. Kissing her softly and gently licking her skin, I grew more excited as she writhed beneath my kisses.

I pulled the strings of the corset loose. Her breasts spilled out, as if relieved to be free of the constraints, sending a jolt of excitement right down to my cock. I grasped a pink nipple in my mouth and sucked gently, barely scraping my teeth along its sensitive peak.

“Oh God,” she said.

I kissed a path down her torso and around her navel. She breathed more rapidly as I eased the leather dress down around her hips and slid it off her.

When I saw her lying there with the tiniest of black lace panties on, I inhaled sharply.

“Mon dieu. You are utterly beautiful.”

Leaning down, I continued soft kisses past her navel. I ran a finger along the top seam of her lace panties and she squirmed beneath me. Inching a finger slowly inside the brocade lace string, I tugged it down.

“Yesss,” she hissed.

I pulled the panties down her legs and off her feet and tossed it aside. Seeing her fully naked filled me with an animalistic craving. The urge to bite her welled up again and I had to refocus on the other overwhelming desire I had to get inside her.

Oh, to do both would be—I almost couldn’t think of the sweet ecstasy.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Just regaining control,” I said through a clenched jaw. “You’re so hot I want to ravish you right now. But I also want to take my time and relish every inch of you.”

“Don’t wait too long,” she said. “I want you now. Right now.”

Nike sat up and kissed me fervently, pulling me down on top of her. She tugged at my tight black T-shirt, pulling it over my head. When she paused to stare at my chest, I knew she was pleased. She ran a finger down the center of my chest. Her touch, so soft and light dancing down toward my abs, made me tremble.

Kissing my shoulder and biting it gently made me moan. She moved her hands across my chest, following it with her soft lips, going down, down to the top of my jeans.

“Mon dieu. You don’t know what you’re doing to me.”

When I felt her hand on my cock, I thought I’d lose control. I watched as she ran her hand down over it. Then reaching for my buckle, she unfastened it and pulled down the zipper. My cock stiffened even more knowing her fingers were just inches away.

“Impressive,” she said as she tugged my pants down around my hips.

I pulled them the rest of the way down, quickly took off my shoes and socks until all that was left were my black boxer-briefs.