Summit at Sunset (Sunset Vampire Series, Book 3) (29 page)

The major started to speak up, but Dori interrupted him, “We just brought the last good video streams online. The lobby camera showed them heading towards the main elevator. Then the feeds all went offline.”

“Institute a room-by-room search immediately,” Alton ordered.

The major’s eyes narrowed. “Mr. Rutherford, I’m afraid I must object. That seems quite an overreaction. I think that it’s in everyone’s best interests to consult the hotel manager first.”

Alton’s eyes flashed bright hazel, and his steely gaze locked onto the major’s.

The office door abruptly opened to reveal a bleary-eyed, middle-aged man wearing casual slacks and a slightly wrinkled dress shirt. Katrina immediately recognized him from a photo on the information board in the lobby as Stanislav Vlaeva, the hotel manager. He had the look of someone who wasn’t happy to be up at such a late hour.

“What’s going on?” Vlaeva asked.

“Merely a video surveillance failure,” the major offered. “I’m sorry you were disturbed over –”

“Yes, yes,” Alton irritably interjected. “Captain Turner and Mr. Caleb Taylor have also gone missing, which seems to coincide with the time of the surveillance failure. I just instructed the major to begin a room-by-room search.”

“I respectfully object,” Pietari blurted.

Vlaeva briefly eyed Alton and then focused on Major Pietari. “Do it,” he flatly ordered.

The major appeared visibly taken aback by the manager’s sudden deference to Alton.

“As you wish,” he curtly acknowledged. He turned and walked over to a small radio unit nearby to issue the order.

Katrina’s impatience was nearly uncontrollable as her mind raced to consider multiple variables at once. Alton motioned to Dori with a nod of his head and tapped his hand in the small of Katrina’s back to get her attention. He led the two women out into the main hallway.

“What happened?” he asked Dori upon ensuring that the hallway was relatively clear of bystanders.

“I went to find Caleb with some new information that I acquired,” Dori explained. “He wasn’t in his suite, which seemed strange at such a late hour.”

“You entered our suite?” Katrina interjected.

Dori adopted a meek expression. “He didn’t answer the phone, so I stopped by to knock at the door. Given everything that’s happened, I was afraid that something might be wrong, and since Alton had a master key…”

Katrina wasn’t entirely pleased with that revelation, but let it slide for the moment.

“And?” Alton gently prompted while tentatively glancing at Katrina.

“He wasn’t there, so I went to consult with Paige,” Dori continued. “I learned that she was off-duty, but nobody could reach her by cell phone or radio. That also concerned me, and that’s when I found out from the officer on duty that there was also a system wide surveillance outage. It all seemed too coincidental.”

“Good instincts,” Katrina complimented, despite her misgivings about the master key.

“Thanks,” Dori gracefully accepted before refocusing her attention on Alton. “Thus far, the guards are all searching inside the hotel, but primarily in the publically accessible areas.”

“What about the grounds?” Alton asked.

Dori shrugged.

“I’ll run a circuit outside,” Katrina offered. “Maybe I can still catch a scent or other clue.” She was happy to do anything besides sit and wait.

“Fine, but make sure that you’re cell’s online, or better yet, take a radio. It will be easier to monitor the situation,” Alton said.

Katrina entered the security office to acquire a radio. She realized that Paige was more than capable of handling herself, but she worried over what the two of them may have run into.

*    *    *    *

Caleb was jarred slightly from the midst of a weird dream about wandering aimlessly in the dark. He illuminated his watch and lamented that nearly two and a half hours had already passed. Then he observed Paige’s blue eyes shining like two orbs in the darkness. It seemed that they were brighter than before his brief nap.

“Paige?” he softly asked. “How are you doing?”

“Much hungrier, unfortunately,” she said in a tight voice.

He swallowed, realizing that he was also feeling a little thirsty, although his thirst didn’t involve attacking his nearest friend.

Then inspiration struck; an idea that seemed logical, albeit somewhat unorthodox.

“Hey,” he ventured, “what if you just feed on me now, while you can still control your urges? Just a little, enough to keep your hunger under control.”

She conceded the logic of his idea. “Nice, but what’s rule number three, kiddo?”

He thought back to the rules that Katrina had made him swear to obey and recited from memory, “I must never willingly give or submit myself to another vampire.”

“Exactly,” she said with a note of finality.

Then her eyes narrowed, and she turned to stare back at Caleb with surprise.

“What?” he asked.

“You were right about feeding before the urge gets too strong. But you can’t offer me your blood, according to Katrina’s rules.”

He remained silent, not really seeing how that helped matters.

“But if I take your blood instead of you giving it, then you’re not at fault,” she carefully explained. “You won’t get punished, and I won’t go into a feeding frenzy. It’s a win-win solution for everybody.”

“Wait a minute. Why does it even matter? It’s just us. Who’ll know the difference?” he challenged.

“Already thought about that, kiddo,” she offered. “Listen, we’re both gonna get interrogated by Katrina once this is over, and she’s going to tell in a second that you’re lying. You’re her mate, Caleb. Don’t ever lie to her…ever.”

He shivered slightly at the tone of her voice.

“Rule number seven. Repeat it,” she ordered in an uncustomary stern voice.

“Never lie in matters concerning any of the aforementioned rules,” he said with exasperation. “Okay, so it would’ve been a mistake, wouldn’t it?”

“Big mistake,” she soberly agreed.

Particularly given how strict Red is about these things.

Silence reigned for what seemed like an eternity.

Finally, Paige quietly asked, “Listen. Turn away from me for a second, would you please?”

He frowned.
Strange request.

Then he shrugged and scooted on the floor until he was turned away from her. In the span of a second, he felt Paige’s soft arm slither underneath his arms from behind, placing him in an effective arm bar. Using only one arm, she immediately applied enough pressure to immobilize his arms behind him. Fortunately for him, while her efforts had surprised him, it had caused no unbearable pain.

“Hey!” he exclaimed. “What the hell’s this all about?”

“I care about you too much to let you break the rules,” she replied with concern. “I’m going to feed from you now.”

“Fine, I’m not trying to fight you,” he retorted, deliberately relaxing his body while in her grasp. “This was my idea, remember? So, start nibbling.”

“Right, but you need to struggle a little bit here or you won’t have an alibi. You
can’t
offer your blood to me.”

“This is stupid. Forget it,” he refused.

She irritably growled. “Listen to me, tiger, and listen closely.”

His body tensed, unsettled by her dark tone.

“I’m counting to three, and then you better try like hell to get away from me,” she ordered. “Or I’m going to bite you in the neck, but
without
the nice numbing effect that you’re used to. Remember how it felt when Katrina tore into your shoulder last year?”

A chill went down his spine as he recalled the time when Katrina had a post-traumatic experience in the form of a nightmare as she slept next to him. She had abruptly attacked him; brutally tearing into his shoulder. He had experienced pain and trauma unlike any other.

“Paige, don’t do this,” he pleaded.

“One,” she counted in a flat tone.

“Please, don’t,” he begged.

“Two,” she continued unabated.

His muscles tightened, and he came to an immediate decision, despite his reservations.

“Three,” she whispered harshly into his ear.

Her hot breath felt like the first belch of an erupting volcano. But he struggled to remain calm, even while steeling himself for the pain that was sure to follow.

“Fine. Do it. But I love you, and I refuse to resist when I have the ability to give you what you need,” he boldly declared. “Your very own blood saved my life after Chimalma nearly killed me. The least I can do is offer mine to you. I give it freely and without reservations. To hell with the consequences.”

She held his arms in a tight vise-like grip, knowing full well his shoulders probably ached. But then she abruptly released him from the arm bar.

Damn him!

She struggled to dissipate her frustration and reclaim a sense of calm.

“Lean your body back against me,” she finally relented in a subdued tone.

He scooted backwards until her outstretched legs were flanking him and leaned back against her warm body.

She positioned her back against the vault wall and wrapped her right arm around his chest from behind. Reaching up with her left hand, she soothingly ran her fingertips through his hair. She felt the tension in his muscles abate. Then she firmly grasped a handful of his hair in her fist and pulled his head to the left to expose the right side of his neck fully to her.

“Ow, ow, no hair pulling!” he complained as a stinging sensation shot through his scalp.

“Sorry, I’m really just trying to help with those ‘compliance issues’ when you have to recount this later,” she teased.

However, she also took a perverse pleasure in doing it to him, partly from the frustration over his defiance and partly from an innate desire to be assertive with him. She pulled his hair in a steady fashion until his head was tilted exactly where she wanted him. In the darkness, she could hear the throbbing of his heartbeat and the blood rushing through the arteries in his neck.

“Nicely done, kiddo,” she purred in a satisfied tone. “You’re complying really well.”

His head lay against her left shoulder as she craned her head around to reach his neck with her lips. Then she slowly, ever so lightly, kissed the exposed side of his soft neck once, twice, and a third time.

She relished that moment; the feeling of a prey’s submission was thrilling. Then she stopped, silently berating herself for thinking of him as prey. He was so much more than that to her.

Despite his anxiety, he appreciated her attentions. The effect was somewhat soothing and satisfying, but then she jerked his hair again, and he winced.

“Hey, what gives?” he demanded.

She giggled. “Can’t let you enjoy this too much, just for the record, you understand.”

He scoffed out loud, thinking that it was she who was enjoying this a little too much. Then he felt her soft lips form around a spot on his neck, followed by her silky moist tongue pressing against his skin. She lightly flicked her tongue back and forth, and it tickled. He wriggled slightly in her arms from the sensation.

“Everything okay?” she asked. Despite her earlier aggravation, she wanted to make the experience special for him.

“Your tongue. It tickles,” he whispered with the formation of a grin.

Kat never does this to me
, he noted.

She smiled against the skin of his soft neck and murmured, “I know. This is just for you, tiger.”

The entire experience took on a special significance for him. When Katrina and he shared this experience, it always felt like a communion. And though a feeding of necessity for Paige’s benefit, the significance of the moment felt so much more.

He felt the telltale numbing sensation forming around the area where she intended to bite him. The numbness was soothing, and he was suddenly very grateful for it.

“Thank you,” he appreciatively mumbled.

She playfully tugged at his hair again and whispered into his neck, “Oh, hush. Hold still.”

He froze in place and felt two light pinpricks against his numbed skin, followed by a slight increase in pressure in his neck. The handful of his hair that she held in her left hand ensured that he remained still as her mouth sealed against his skin. Within seconds, he heard little suckling and slurping noises as his blood effortlessly passed into her mouth.

He further relaxed his body, and she released her grip on his hair, instead soothingly massaging his scalp. Time seemed to stand still for him, and he closed his eyes, listening to her feed on him. It was similar to his experiences with Katrina, but somehow different, almost as if Paige had a different technique for the process. Despite an act of necessity, it somehow felt as if he and Paige were growing closer to each other, sharing something equally intimate between them. The realization surprised him.

After a period of time, she ceased drinking, and he felt increased numbness in his neck. She was healing the puncture marks that she had made, as well as reducing the soreness that he might have otherwise felt in the wound area, precisely as Katrina always did for him.

The seal of her lips against his neck ceased, and she affectionately kissed him on the cheek.

“I’m grateful to you for providing your blood to me,” she softly said. “You have no idea just how painful the hunger for blood can be when it becomes urgent.”

And you have no idea how utterly amazing your blood tastes
, she silently added.

He knew what it was to feel intense hunger, though the concept of a vampire’s blood urge was something totally foreign to him. In truth, he had no basis for comparison. He only knew what Katrina had told him about it.

I’m happy that I could help Paige. She means the world to me.

As if sensing his thoughts, she used her hand to tilt his face towards hers and lightly kissed him on the lips. Despite his surprise, he gently returned her kiss in kind.

A momentary surge, like an electric shock, ran through her, and her eyes widened with surprise.

“You’re a pretty good kisser, kiddo,” she complimented. “I see why Red likes smooching on you so much.”