Vampire Lane (5 page)

"Fine," Natasha said unhappily. She wasn't quite sure why he was so obsessed with her being able to tolerate the daylight. For right now, she would go along with it.

Natasha walked beside Tanek. It was only a hint of daylight left, but it still made Natasha nervous and made her body shiver with an almost sickening feeling.

"I can’t do this, I feel sick."

Tanek put his arm around her and helped her to continue walking. "If I ever meet your sire, I will stake him to a tree and let hunger consume him for a century. If he had exposed you after turning, you wouldn’t be feeling so sick."

Natasha looked up at Tanek, and as sick as she felt, his protective arms around her felt good. He hugged her and whispered in her ear. "Look up, look up and watch the daylight turn into the night’s sky.”

She looked up at the sky. The sun was almost gone and the sky was colored with a palate of orange, red, and yellow.

"Thank you. I forgot how beautiful a sunset could be."

Tanek held her even after the sun had set and the sky was black with twinkling stars. The moon was bright and a soft glow illuminated his beautiful face.

"You are a beautiful man, Tanek"

“It’s just a face. A face that wants to kiss you," he whispered.

She came closer to his lips, almost touching his. "What's stopping you?"

"I am broken, Natasha. I could never love you."

"It's just a kiss, not a commitment."

Natasha decided he needed a little push, so she pressed her lips against his and kissed him. Her fangs descended as his did and she stroked his with her tongue. He moaned and that totally turned her on and she jumped right on him, taking them both crashing to the ground. She aggressively kissed him, straddled him, and then stopped abruptly and stood up.

“I am so sorry.”

Tanek stood up, brushing himself off. “I should be thanking you. I can’t remember ever being kissed like that.”

“I just jumped you on a public street. I’m sorry, I guess it’s been too long.”

Tanek took Natasha by the hand. “I enjoyed being
jumped.
”

Natasha laughed and gave him a playful slap on the shoulder. “We should get back. I’m starving, and Laya should be back with dinner by now.”

Natasha and Tanek walked back to the house in silence. She didn’t mind. It gave her time to think. She came to a strange conclusion; she liked Tanek and she wouldn’t give up on him. He said he couldn’t love her, but she had never been one just to give up on something she wanted. And at that moment, she wanted him and she wanted him bad.

***

San Francisco, California 1850

Natasha looked outside the wagon with awe of the new wonderful world they had arrived in. She was eighteen and all her friends were getting married back home, and some even had children already. Natasha did not want that so soon. Her parents heard about the American Dream. The California Gold Rush. They immediately sold everything for passage to the New World. Natasha could have gotten married to one of the men in town and stayed, but Russia had little to offer. The possibilities in the New World called to her.

They arrived on Main Street, a dirt road, and she could smell the stench of horse manure and garbage. They were dropped off with what few possessions they had to the hotel where they planned to stay. It would only be for a few days until they got settled and found something more permanent.

Natasha entered the hotel. It was a plain room with an unfinished wood floor. Her father approached the front desk while she waited with her mother. “Do you think Father will really find riches here? It doesn’t seem like anyone has found any wealth.”

“Those who find it leave for better places,” her mother replied.

Her mother looked very similar to Natasha; tall with dark hair and beautiful blue eyes. Her father always said when he met her, he thought he found the siren of the sea she was so beautiful. Natasha could tell they were deeply in love. That was why she refused to marry just anyone. She wanted what her parents had.

Father returned with one key and they followed him up the stairs. They were assigned room six, which only had one bed.

“Very good. I will take the floor, and you, my lovelies, can have the bed.”

Mother kissed him on the lips and began unpacking. It wasn’t luxury, but not much worse than the house they came from. Natasha was determined to stay optimistic no matter what. Father said they needed to be careful, because they were foreigners and did not speak the language very well.

They stayed in the room the rest of the day, which was dreadfully boring. Natasha read the book she brought with her—the last book she would ever read in Russian. The next day, she would find a school and see about learning English.

***

Present Day

Tanek sat at the table with Laya and Natasha, eating a pizza. He had never been one to eat much fast food, but he had to admit it was good.

“So you two are really quiet. Did I miss something?” Laya asked, finally breaking the silence.

“It was a nice walk,” Natasha said with a mischievous smile.

“I swear you two look like you got caught humping in the park.”

That statement was a little too close to the truth, causing Tanek to choke on his food. “I’m fine, just swallowed the wrong way,” he said hoarsely.

“Yeah, I see that.” Laya looked at them both, and then just smiled and dropped it.

“So I was thinking about the shower, and all the games online seemed stupid and childish. Why don’t we just treat this like a big party? Like the last time childless, and just have a big blowout."

Laya squealed. Natasha wasn't sure if that was a good or bad squeal. "I love it! We can call it the baby bash."

"What do you think, Tanek?" Natasha asked.

"I like it. What do you need me to do?" Tanek asked.

"Laya and I need to meet with Gretchen so we can decide what drinks and food she would like. I think it's safe to say your contribution is mostly financial."

"I'm more than okay with that. Tanek took another bite of pizza, and let Laya and Natasha continue throwing out ideas while he wrote them down. Once they all finished eating, they moved into the living room. Tanek and Natasha sat next to each other. She could feel his body heat, or maybe that was just her body's reaction to him being so close.

"I'm officially done. I can’t do one more baby shower related thing." Laya put up the foot rest, looking very relaxed.

"You can go home and sleep," Natasha pointed out.

"Na, we should go out together. We need to hang out and have fun.”

"Where would we go?" Natasha asked curiously.

Chapter 9

They found some crazy underground paranormal club. The sign outside only said
Dare
.
Strange name
, she thought. Inside there was a bouncer at the door. She had no clue what he was, but she guessed he was a Fae of some sort. He had bulging muscles and horns out of the top of his head. He spoke in the most proper British accent she had ever heard.

"Welcome to
Dare
, where you are free to be yourself." The man smiled.

Tanek only nodded and entered after the women. Natasha looked around and even she was getting giggly excited at this point. Every kind of paranormal she could imagine must have been partying up the club with the music thumping and bodies everywhere dancing and swaying to music.

"Thank you, Tanek, for bringing us here. How did you find this place?" Laya asked.

"I have lived in New Orleans since the city was first established and paranormals needed a secluded place away from human eyes. I own this place."

Both Natasha and Laya sandwiched him, planting a kiss on each cheek at the same time. "If you think this is great, wait until I show you the VIP lounge with anything you like complimentary. I like to roll in style."

Laya and Natasha couldn't help but bust out laughing. "Come on, big roller, show me the VIP treatment."

Natasha and Laya drank champagne from crystal glasses and were having a great time. Laya was having another glass when a handsome man walked up to the women, and he eyed Laya, obviously interested. He was dressed all in black with a fitted t-shirt and he had the most interesting eyes; they looked like grey storm clouds. He only looked at Laya, and she flew into his arms and she left to dance with him. Natasha was left alone with Tanek, and things got a little uncomfortable. She tried giving herself a little pep talk. Nothing was different, so what if they were alone now.

"Witches do things differently," Tanek said as a statement more than a question.

"Or maybe that’s just Laya," Natasha pointed out.

Tanek moved closer to Natasha. He picked up his glass of champagne and put his other arm around Natasha. She felt completely at ease with him and wanted him. He just wasn't sure if it would work. He was just so broken and damaged. "I think maybe you should kiss me," Natasha said, looking straight into his eyes.

"And what makes you think I would want to kiss you?"

Natasha laughed and got closer, practically in his lap. One thing she was good at was seducing men. Her sire taught her well and she never failed him. She realized what she was doing and stopped cold and back away.

"I'm so sorry, Tanek. I'm not like that anymore. I don't want to seduce you. I don’t know what I was thinking. Please don’t be mad.”

***

Tanek saw Natasha was upset, but he didn't think she did anything wrong. He liked it and didn’t want her to stop.

"What happened? I liked it. Feel free to hop back on,” he said optimistically.

“Tanek, it’s me. I’m horrible;, I almost tried seducing you into my bed."

Tanek gave her a sideways grin. He didn't see why that was so wrong; he rather liked the idea of being with her. It had been so long since the idea of any woman in his bed appealed to him. It was something for which she should not be sorry.

"I still don't understand why that is wrong. We like each other and would enjoy sex together. Wouldn’t that be a good thing?”

"Godfryd taught me to seduce both men and women for his personal purposes. I tried doing that to you to trick you into coming home with me."

"I see. We certainly couldn't have that. I mean, great mind blowing sex in your bed is just wrong. I mean, there is no way you or I would enjoy any part of that. Horrible just horrible.”

"I would enjoy it very much and so would you, but the way I got you there would be wrong. I want you to want to go home with me, to feel something other than lust and desire."

“I want you, Natasha, but I could never love you. That ability just isn't something I am capable of."

"I don't think we need to fall in love instantly, I just don’t want to take advantage of you.”

Tanek took Natasha into his arms and kissed her. He took control and tasted every inch of her mouth. He lifted her on his lap so she was straddling him.

He licked her neck then whispered in her ear. “Caring I can do, and a connection is definitely forming.”

“I will take that as a good sign, but tonight I will still be sleeping alone,” Natasha said, climbing off him and back onto the couch next to him.

“The dawn will be coming soon. We should get going. Has Laya come back?”

“I think she has her own ride home.”

“With the weird silent guy?” Tanek asked with a scowl. She deserves better than a man who can’t speak.

“To us, he’s weird. To her, he may be the one, you never know.”

“I have to disagree. I will help Laya find a suitable suitor.”

Natasha almost choked on her champagne as she started laughing hysterically. “What makes you a love expert?”

“I’m not, but I know of someone who has been putting together a dating website for paranormals. Right now, she just has a very large database of singles wanting mates.”

“Oh my god, that’s so cool.”

“I will send Laya over to her and I will pay for it.”

“I had no idea you were so sweet. It just makes me want you more.”

“Enough to take me to bed tonight?” he asked.

“No, but I promise when we do finally take that step, it will be an extra special night you will never forget.”

Chapter 10

Natasha waved to Tanek as he drove away. He wanted to walk her to the door, but she refused. She knew if he did, she would probably be taking him to bed, and she wanted to delay that a little bit longer. He talked a good game of wanting her, but she knew better. He was like a wounded bird and needed mending before he could finally fly and be free.

The door opened as she approached it, and she found a smiling Maureen there to greet her.

“You were gone so long. I was worried.”