Vampire King of New York (6 page)

“That’s horrible.” She leaned against him.

“But when he became a vampire, the allies gained a fierce fighter.”

What’s wet?
Evelyn lifted her hand into the pale light streaming from the streetlight above the car.
Blood!
“Max, you’re bleeding.”

He clenched his jaw. “Yes. The vampire hunter got me after all.”

“Lights. Driver, we need light back here.” The light came on. An arrow was buried in his side. “We should go inside the society and get you help.”

“No. Vincent, drive to David’s.”

“Yes, sir.” The limo pulled into the street.

Evelyn took off her sweater and pressed it against the wound.

“You’re very sweet, but it’s not necessary to ruin your cashmere sweater this way. I will stop bleeding.”

“Apparently not with that arrow stuck in you. Why didn’t you say something earlier?”

“I didn’t want to worry anyone.”

“And that’s why you didn’t go into the Arnhem Society.”

“That’s what I admire about you, Evelyn. You’re a brilliant woman with eyes like stars.”

She pressed harder against the wound. “I think you’re enjoying me fussing over you.”

“I am.”

The car jerked to a stop. The door flew open and David reached in to help them.

“I need the kit,” he whispered to David, who helped him inside.

“Here.” Evelyn opened the door to her bedroom, and Max reclined on her bed, lying carefully on one side. Laura rushed in carrying a black bag, and David took off Max’s jacket and shirt.

“Evie, it’s better that you don’t see this.” David pulled out a pair of pointed forceps. “There’s going to be a lot of blood.”

She laughed. “Are you kidding! I live in a house filled with blood. Do what you have to do.”

Max braced himself, while David thrust the forceps into the wound past the feathered shaft of the arrow. He gripped the base and yanked. Even though he didn’t yell, there was an unmistakable look of pain on Max’s face.

David examined the short arrow. “These damned things have been causing a lot of trouble for our kind. They’re hard to get out.”

As Evelyn watched, the wound close up. Max lay back and closed his eyes.

“Where did you get attacked?” David asked.

“About a half a block south of the Regal. I was able to capture the slayer with the help of Hatcher.”

“Oh, Hatcher’s in town?” David dropped the arrow into a bowl.

“Just got in. He’s taken residence at the Arnhem Society.” Max flung his arm over his eyes.

David and Laura left the room, and Max took the opportunity to doze. He felt drained of energy, which usually happens when anyone loses blood. The tantalizing taste of it teased his senses. Several minutes later, he realized someone had walked into the dark room with a glass of blood.

“Max, maybe this would help.”

He hadn’t imagined that Evelyn would ever be the one to bring him blood. Easing himself to a sitting position, he had to admit that he still hadn’t healed completely. This was taking more time than usual.

“Here, let me help you.” She sat on the bed and he leaned against her while he drank from the glass. The cool almost citric tang lingered on his tongue. The strength of it flowed into every part of him. It should have restored him quickly, but something was wrong.

“Yiiiiiii!”

David and Laura ran into the room.

Max gasped, “That arrow was poisoned.”

“What are your symptoms?” Laura asked.

“Burning. Losing feeling in my extrem … ities.” He moaned and reached out to Evelyn, taking her hand. “Please.” Laura ran out of the room and came back with a large alligator skin covered book. She rifled through pages. “Here it is. Gogi Weed. The poison releases over time. It has no scent even to our kind. It’s been used among the jungle tribes of Africa.”

“Antidote?” David yelled, rifling through the black bag.

“Dandelion wine and vinegar,” she said.

He came up with a small sealed bottle of dandelion wine. “No vinegar. I’m running out to get some.” David was gone in a flash.

“Well, it says here that you have to take the dandelion wine first. No mixing. Max, open up.” She broke the seal on the bottle, opened it, and poured it slowly into his mouth. He shuddered. “Now there’s a taste.”

“If I gave him my blood, would that improve his chances?” Evelyn asked.

“No!” They both said.

Max shivered and Evelyn hugged him. “You’re burning up like a furnace,”

Laura frowned and put her hand on his brow. “No, he’s cold as always.”

David flew in with a brown paper shopping bag. “I didn’t know which kind of vinegar.” He dumped several bottles on the bed. Laura read the labels and broke the seal on the red vinegar. “Sorry, Max, open up again.”

He complied.
Ew
,
now that’s a wicked taste.

“Should he drink more blood?” David asked.

Laura consulted the book. “No. He has to wait at least an hour.”

They picked up everything off the bed. Max lay back down and closed his eyes. He hadn’t relinquished Evelyn’s hand. In the flurry of activity, it wasn’t lost on him that Evelyn had said he was burning up like a furnace. With the exception of lingering pain, he felt fantastic. The heat she felt by touching him was a telltale sign that they were lifemates. It was her after all. His gut feelings had been right, and she in her innocence just confirmed it.

“Max, we’ll be back when you can have more blood.” Laura turned off the light and left with David.

Evelyn was still there and that was all that mattered to him. Holding his hand was awkward, so she lay on the bed beside him.

“Are you awake still?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“I didn’t mean to make you angry when I offered my blood.” Her voice was soft and soothing.

“I know that. It’s just that I wouldn’t ever take your blood, not if my life depended on it.”

“Why?”

“You’re important to me, Evelyn. Are you going to sleep beside me?”

“Yes, I’m guarding you.”

He held in the chuckle at the idea of someone so delicate guarding him. The feeling was soon washed away by a subtle reverence for her kind, but determined nature. Evelyn might not have any Telkhine powers, but she did have power over him.

“Max, are you laughing at me?”

He was certain he hadn’t made a noise. “No, Evelyn, I am in awe of you.”

Even in the dark, he could see her lovely crimson blush.

“There is one thing that you could do that would help,” he whispered.

“What is that?” He could hear the eagerness in her voice.

“Kiss me, Evelyn.”

He hadn’t said it like a command. She had offered to help. Heat rushed through her veins. At this rate, she’d be blushing all night. “How exactly is my kiss supposed to help you?”

“It will make me happy, and I haven’t been happy for a very long time.”

By the way he expressed himself, she was sure he couldn’t have read her thoughts, but his feelings had mirrored her own. Laying together in the dark, she could only estimate where his face was, but every single part of her wanted to try. Evelyn leaned on one elbow and then lowered her face to where she imagined his was. He assisted by exhaling. She was in complete control here. It was her choice. She pressed her lips to his and instantly floated out of her body to some dream world. Evelyn was like a lotus of flame on the water, opening up to the heat of the sun. The water became a tide washing her ashore to a strange land of night. Spirals of green light danced across the sky.

Evelyn was back to the kiss in a flash. She was still kissing Max, enjoying the growing heat between them, the welcoming of his mouth on hers. More had evolved in her otherworld absence. Her arms were flung around him, and he responded in kind. Every part of her lay on top of every part of him.
Oh, I feel dizzy. Max is intense.

Gently she pushed up with her arms and their lips parted.

“Is there something wrong?” He pushed the curl out of her eyes.

“No. Did my kiss help?” She smirked at him. Evelyn was joking with him on one level, but on another she really wanted to know.

“Tremendously. You’ve given me something amazing to look forward to.”

In a blur, he was on top of her. His mouth took possession of hers, and his entire body was involved in the passion. Evelyn lost herself again in a world of dancing light before she could focus on what was happening. Oh, God, how she loved his mouth with his tender tastes and hot, lingering pressures and nibbles. His tongue broke through her closed lipped defense with coaxing and teasing, until she parted for him in a gesture of surrender. Never had a kiss been so promising. He stroked the inside of her mouth. Tears streamed down her face.

“Why do you weep?” he asked, his voice like a balmy breeze caressing her face.

“Because I’m happy.”

He possessed her mouth, his tongue parrying with hers in jest. She burst out laughing at the play. He laughed and that’s when she discovered his hands had been busy too. Her blouse was almost undone. He fondled her hip and moved forward and down.

“Max, please.”

“Anything you wish, Evelyn.”

“Stop.”

Everything stopped, but he remained on top of her. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything between us is happening too fast. In a matter of days, I’ve grown to care deeply about you. This isn’t like a casual date or friendship, Max. Damn it. I don’t have the words I’m trying to say. Can you read my mind? That would be helpful.”

“Actually I can’t. I can sense your feelings, but I can’t read your mind. I can usually read humans without any effort at all, but not you. Maybe I can fill in some of your words, by explaining how I feel.” He paused to regroup. “I care deeply for you too. What’s happening between us is natural. But it’s much more than that. I agree this isn’t a date or casual friendship. We are growing into something more lasting.”

She looked up at him, her eyes welling with tears. “That’s just it, Max. I don’t want to be a vampire.”

“You don’t have to be a vampire, Evelyn. I would never make you a vampire against your will.”

“I don’t know what to do?”

“I think we should continue to spend time with each other, go out, have fun, and …” He finished with such a lovely kiss; she almost lost it completely. Almost.

“Max.” She pushed him up or tried to. “Max, I can’t.”

“Are you physically unable?”

She laughed with her hand to her mouth. “No. I just mean I’m not ready for our relationship to go into this area. There’s a part of me that would love to have my way with you.” Evelyn giggled. “But another part of me says it’s too soon.”

Max gazed down into her eyes with those blue ice eyes of his, so arresting and hot. Evelyn felt her resolve melting. “I think the part of you that says it’s too soon should leave the room.” He kissed her and in that moment, Evelyn decided to take his suggestion.

The lights came on. David stood in the doorway with Laura peeking over his shoulder. Evelyn’s blouse was unbuttoned and her skirt was down to her knees. Max was on top of her wearing nothing but black silk briefs.

“I hate to interrupt, but all the Arnhem Knights are here.”

“Why?” Max growled.

“There’s been a death in the city. A human death by vampire.”

Max touched his lips to hers. “Please, wait for me.” He got up, hastily put on his clothes, and left.

Evelyn went into the bathroom and washed her face.
Yes, Max, I will wait for you. I always have.

Her thoughts were disturbed by a knock on the door. “Evie, honey,” Laura called, “please, come out. There’s something you need to see.”

Chapter 7

After dressing quickly, Evelyn followed Laura. Nearly a hundred men and women mulled around in the living room. Then as if on cue, they all knelt on one knee including Laura and bowed to Max. Evelyn leaned against the wall that separated the living room from the kitchen. She didn’t understand what she was seeing.

“Jake, report,” Max ordered.

A dark-haired police officer stepped forward and took a notepad from his pocket. He flipped it open. “Herbert David, age forty-six, was found dead in a dumpster behind the Chrysler Building. A preliminary report by the coroner indicated bruising by a struggle. There are two deep puncture wounds in the carotid artery and significant blood loss.”

“Where was our nearest team?”

Two other vampires stepped forward, a tall black man with an elegant mustache and a tall, slender redhead. “We were attacked by a vampire hunter,” said the vampiress. “He was from Jersey, an amateur, but toting professional weapons. We followed procedure, but found out later that the human was killed at the same time.”

Max turned to the cop. “How were you called to the scene?”

“An anonymous caller from a phone booth.”

“What can you tell me about the scene?”

“The vamp drank, but not to cause death. It was a messy crime scene. The victim bled to death all over the garbage.”

“Could you distinguish the vampire’s scent?”

“No, sir.” The cop flipped the notepad closed.

Max turned back to the team for that part of the city. “Did you scent a vampire on your human vampire slayer?”

The two looked at each other. The black man frowned. “It may be nothing.”

“Anything could be important.”

“Myrrh. I’m not sure but I thought I smelled myrrh on him.”

“You went through his memories?” Max asked.

“Yes. They were normal for an amateur hunter. I saw no vampires in them other than us.”

Evelyn reached for her sister’s thoughts.
I don’t understand. People are killed in New York City every day. Why is Max upset? I can feel his shaking anger. Why is this such a big deal?

Laura sighed.
There has not been a human killed by a vampire in New York City for over a hundred years. This is Max’s city and his peace that has been violated. If we let this rogue vampire go, there will be more deaths and the community of vampires here will be in danger. Vampire slayers will come. Not like the guy from Jersey.
She cast a quick glance at Evelyn.
Real slayers trained to kill our kind. They won’t care that I just drink animal blood. And they won’t care if you’re human. Only that you’re with vampires.