Whisper to Me (Borne Vampires Book 1) (3 page)

“How is this possible?”

Her dogs started barking.

Hurrying to open the door, she saw a long shadow
crossed the porch. A man, dressed in a hip-length, black leather jacket, black t-shirt,
faded jeans, and boots, blocked out everything except him.

God, he was tall!

Tipping her head back, so she could see his face
better, she was astounded at how gorgeous he was. Not effeminate in any shape
or form, he was pure male dominance, ruthless and strong. Eyes of the profoundest
black accentuated thick lashes of the same hue. Silky black hair, disheveled in
a sexy way, was shorn a finger’s length above his broad shoulders.

Strength and grace wrapped in one helluva stunning
man!

“Good evening,” he paused, dropped his gaze to
check her bare ring finger. When his gaze met hers, he said with considerable
heat in his eyes, “Miss Jordan.”

Last night came crashing back when she recognized
his voice. “Rathe Romulas, you bit me!”
 

Chapter Two

“You remember last night?”

“How the hell could I forget this?” She jabbed a
finger at her neck where the bite marks were.

Wincing when he lightly touched the tender bruises,
he lifted his eyes to hers. “Last night … I am ashamed to tell you I had briefly
lost control. I am sorry you were injured. ”

“You really drank my blood, didn’t you?” When he
dropped his hand to his side, she saw he wore a silver ring on his thumb, a wide
one that had three black crosses etched into it. They looked like the one on
her necklace.

“We struck a bargain, remember?”

The kiss! Her lips tingled as she stared at his sculptured
mouth as it relaxed into a knowing, half-smile. Remembering how she had thrown
herself at him, her face went hot with embarrassment. “Uh, well, you look like
you’ve fully recovered. Thank you for keeping your end of our bargain.” Frowning,
she asked, “Why are you here? I thought for sure you would have left after what
happened to you last night with the hunters.”

“I have unfinished business needs attending.”

“Unfinished business?”

He glanced away briefly. “I could not leave
without making certain you suffered no ill effects from our exchange.” Rathe
shifted uncomfortably as she narrowed her eyes, growing suspicious why he really
was there.

“Exchange?” She gulped hard when he nervously stuffed
his hands into his coat pockets. “Oh, my God, did I drink your blood?” He
reddened. “Am I a vampire, too?” She didn’t wait for him to answer. “No, I can
stand in the sunlight. Are you here to finish turning me? Oh, Hell no! You can
just turn around, buddy, and leave. I
will
not
become one of those gaudy-looking sluts, who go about doing her
master’s bidding and finding other victims to suck on!” She glared at him,
trying her damnedest not to flinch when he fixed a savage scowl right back at
her.

“Woman,” he demanded, “how could you think me so
evil? Have I given cause for you to fear me?”
 
Giving him an arched glare, he growled, “I already apologized for
hurting you. And I have no interest in turning you. In fact, I’m here to make
sure you
haven’t
suffered any
complications!

“How am I supposed to know? I’ve never met a
vampire before and quite honestly, I’m not enjoying the experience!” Trembling,
it sunk in what he said. “Complications? What
kind
of complications?”

“Giving a human our blood has been known to have
gone … wrong.” He stepped closer to her, stopping short of crossing the door’s
threshold. “I’m glad you have not turned. It pained me to think I would have had
to kill you.”

“Kill me? You kill your own kind?”

“If you had turned wrong, you would feed and
murder, destroying what you love most to appease the demon arisen inside you.
You would be Damned.”

Damned? Why did that sound familiar? Mariah
noticed his skin had an olive tint. Weren't vampires supposed to have white
skin with blue veins sticking out and look well, uh … dead?

“You
are
a vampire, right?”

“I am, but not in the way legends and myths told
throughout the centuries. Yes, I need blood to survive and cannot withstand sunlight,
but I am different from those who are Damned.”

“How can I tell the difference between you and the
Damned?”

“Most humans can’t, not without the standard tests.
The Damned can glamor themselves into beautiful creatures, but their bodies
cannot sustain the demon and slowly dies. It is why they continuously hunger
and must feed often. For me and my kind, we can smell their dying flesh because
our sense of smell is more sensitive than yours.”

Her stomach heaved, and she felt faint.
Could the man in my dreams be one of the Damned?

“Have you ever made someone into a … a monster?
Damned as you called it? Is that why you are concerned about me?”

Tensing, he averted his gaze. “It’s forbidden to
exchange blood with humans. You are my first and unquestionably my last.”

“If it's forbidden, why did you save me?”

He relaxed as he smiled at her. “I could not allow
you to die. Not after you had risked so much to save me.”

“Are you okay now?”

Perfect white teeth flashed as he grinned. “Thanks
to your generous gift, I am.”

Rathe glanced over his
shoulder before he asked her, “May I come inside?”

Crossing her arms, she shook her head. “No way! If
memory serves, a vampire cannot enter a home without invitation by the owner.
Sorry, can’t risk it, not after you said you might have to kill me.”

His eyes narrowed. “How do you think I was able to
enter your cabin when I put you in your bed earlier?”

“How did you enter my cabin?”

“Because I am not Damned, that’s why!”

“Oh, crap, you’d better come in before you burst
into flames.”

“What?” He looked confused.

“You’re smoldering there.” She indicated to the
back of his head, where the faint rays of the setting sun touched him. Smoke was
rising off him.

She moved aside so he could enter her cabin. Rathe
smoothed a hand over his hair, and the smoke vanished. Her dogs ran in, and she
closed the door behind them.

“So, how can you enter my cabin and the Damned
can’t without my invitation?”

“I had no evil intent toward you. The Damned do.”
He added, “Houses, apartments are safe, but public places like motels and
vacation rentals are not since the owner cannot withhold invitation to the
demon vamp.”

“Oh. Good thing I’m leaving soon, because this
cabin’s a rental.” She went to her suitcase and zipped it shut. “Sorry about
the sparse furnishing. I wasn’t planning on having guests here.”

A wicked grin curved his sculptured lips as he sat
on the bed, propping his back against the headboard. “Oh, I don't know. You do
have
the
most important piece
of furniture required. Come, sit beside me.” With a sexy, half-smile, he patted
the empty space beside him. Her lower region went wet and throbbing at the open
invitation in those dark, sultry eyes of his.

Steeling herself against the compulsion to do as
he bid, and the demands of her traitorous body wanting to touch him, she managed
to shake her head. “Uh-uh. There’s been no one around for you to feed on, and I
gave you quite enough blood last time.”

“Mariah, sit beside me,” the powerful influence of
his deep, sensual voice almost had her walking toward him.

 
“No, I’m
good here.”

“Come here.” Determination in those darks eyes
slammed her will to resist him.

Seeing he was determined to win, she compromised
by sitting at the foot of the bed. “Fine. Happy now?”

Amusement brightened his dark eyes. “Strong-minded
little wench, aren’t you?” He tilted his head slightly as he stared at her.
“Violet. I should have known a redhead would have such pretty eyes.”

Blushing, she stuttered, “
Th
-thank
you.”

He stretched out his long legs, brushing her bare
ones. Fire shot through her at the innocent contact. She wondered if he had
felt it, too.

“Yes, I feel what you feel. We are one.”

Jumping off the bed, she faced him. “Whoa! How did
you do that?”

“When we exchanged blood, it gives us a telepathic
link.”

“But I heard you before we met.”

Frowning, he leaned forward. “You heard me
before
we exchanged blood?”

“Yes. You had said ‘Forgive me’. What did you need
to be forgiven for?”

“Are you able to hear others?”

Dropping her gaze to her bare feet, she shrugged. “Not
words exactly. I-I can feel when someone is lying, or sense their emotions.
It’s like I can read their body language, but nothing like reading their
thoughts. Not like I heard you last night.”

He leaned back. “You are sensitive.”

“Like in the Shining?”

Chuckling, he gave her a nod. “Sort of. It’s a
talent that helps writers create some of the best stories.”

“How did you know I was a writer?”

He tipped his head toward the table. “I hope you
don’t mind, but I read the page open on your laptop.”

“Oh.” Cheeks hot, she went to her laptop and
unplugged it, putting it and the charger into the leather computer satchel she
used to carry it in. Setting it beside her suitcase, she could feel his eyes
following her.

She faced him. “Why were you in the woods?”

“I was leading the hunters away from my family,
giving them the opportunity to escape.”

“Did they escape?”

“Yes.”

“Umm, you aren’t wanted by the law, are you?”

“No. Why?

“I had visitors earlier. A Sheriff Willard and an
FBI agent named Murphy.”

“Son-of-a-bitch!” He pushed off the bed and stood
before her. “Did they ask questions about me?”

“They were searching for an escaped prisoner.
Murphy made a big deal about my neck. Really creepy guy. Smelt weird, too.”

“Gather up your things. I’ve got to get you out of
here.”

“Why?” Grabbing her computer satchel, she slipped
the strap over her shoulder and put on her shoes. “Will Murphy be coming back
here?” she asked when he went to the window and looked outside.

“Yes, and he won’t be alone. He’ll bring the
hunters with him.”

“What the hell does an FBI agent want with you?”

“He’s not an agent. Murphy’s a ghoul.”

“A ghoul?” She emptied her dogs’ water bowls and
collected their food dishes, stuffing them into the plastic tub she kept their
food in.

“A day guardian for the Damned. Ghouls live a half-life.
Not vampires, but aren’t human either. They give off a distinct foul odor and have
dead eyes, yet they can still withstand daylight.”

“Yeah, you just described Murphy all right.”
Remembering how odd he acted, she asked, “If ghouls can withstand sunlight, why
was Murphy sweating so badly when he was here?”

“Don’t look at me, I was asleep.” His eyes
narrowed when he approached her. “Did you want him gone?”

“Of course I did. Why?”

“Nothing. It doesn’t matter. In a few days, my
blood will be out of your system, and you’ll return to normal.”

“Wait! Are you saying
I
caused him pain because I drank your blood?”

Rathe brushed her cheek with the back of his
knuckles. “You were only defending yourself. You didn’t cause him permanent
harm.”

She held her breath, praying he would kiss her
again. His nearness sent yearning and anticipation rippling through her. Unexpectedly,
the dogs jumped to their feet and growled at the door.

“Shit!” He pushed her to the floor when bullets
sprayed the cabin. Shattered glass and broken wood showered her and him. Rathe
jumped on top of her, protecting her with his body. A bullet hit the lamp,
casting the cabin into total darkness.

He shouted to the dogs, “Lie down!” They obeyed.

The shooting stopped. “Hey, vampire, get yer ass
out here and die like a man, or whatever you used to be.” The man laughed at
his own joke. Others laughed with him.

A young man demanded, “What about the woman? I didn't
sign on to murder innocent people. I only kill vampires!”

Murphy replied, “I've seen Miss Jordan and
witnessed the bite marks on her neck. Her soul can only be saved now by killing
her.”

“Sir, you want me to torch it?” She heard an
audible click of a gun readied.

Rathe snarled, “They’ve got a damn rocket launcher!”

“What?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Trust you? Why? What are you going to do?” Gazing
into his eyes, she watched them change from blackest of black to white-hot.

“Hold on to me.”

 
✝✝✝

Concentrating, he summoned the storm. Brilliant
white flashed outside the cabin, an ear-splitting crack of thunder shook the
ground beneath them. Almost smiling when he heard the humans shouting as he
sent the rain dumping down on the pricks.

Murphy screamed wildly, “Shoot the damn thing! Burn
the cabin down and those bloodsuckers with it!”

A high-pitched whistle screeched as the rocket
came through the broken window. Rathe shielded her as it hit the far wall,
destroying it. A way for them to escape, he jumped to his feet and pulled Mariah
into his arms, running, her dogs on his heels. Hearing another click, the hiss
of its launching, he made for the trees. Behind them, the entire cabin
exploded. The blast wave sent him hurtling forward onto his knees. Quick back onto
his feet, he kept running. Mariah buried her face into his neck and her arms
tightened around his neck in a death-grip, nearly choking him while the rain made
it hard to keep his footing.

Another ‘boom’ shattered the air. Sliding to a
stop, he turned to see her car sailing through the air in a fiery ball of twisting
metal and shattering glass.

“My car!” she exclaimed, “They blew up my brand
new car!” Swiping water and her wet hair out of her way, glaring at him, she
charged, “This is your fault!”

“You have insurance, yes?”

“Oh, sure, can’t wait to tell the insurance
adjuster, ‘sorry some psychos hunting down a vampire mistook me as one and used
a freakin rocket launcher to destroy the cabin I’d rented and my new car’!”

Grimacing at her sarcastic tone, he heard her
teeth chattering, concerned when she started shaking. He set her down on her
feet. Shrugging out of his coat, he started to slip it around her shoulders and
stopped, captivated how her t-shirt clung to her breasts, nipples hard and erect
from the cold. She glanced down at where he stared.

“Freakin unbelievable.” Stomping away, she yanked his
coat on, the sleeves falling past her hands, the hem to her knees. When he tried
to lift her into his arms, she shoved him away.

“Are you mad at me?”

Her dogs, wet and scared, leaned against her bare legs.
“I'm not mad — I'm pissed! Since I've met you, I've been bitten, drained of my
blood, had to drink yours because you took too much, and what happens next? My
cabin and my brand new car are blown up by vampire hunters using a freakin rocket
launcher, that’s what!” Her bottom lip quivered as she struggled not to cry. “I
worked very hard to buy my car.”