Once Bitten Read online

  “And what might that be?” I stared straight ahead, anything to avoid eye contact, and silently pleaded for the light to turn green.

  “That you don’t blame me any more than I blame you. That it takes two to tango and all that jazz.” I saw his casual shrug in my peripheral vision.

  Green, finally! I hit the gas pedal, and the Hemi roared. I left a tail-gaiter behind me in the dust. Shoulder checking, I moved over two lanes of traffic as we merged on to the highway.

  “Does it mean so much to you? That I believe you didn’t manipulate me into bed because you’re a power hungry player who doesn’t know when to stop.”

  “Yes,” he said, “It does. I think you greatly underestimate the respect that I have for you.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that. I took a deep breath and focused on the warm summer air as it whipped my hair around my face. The air smelled faintly of rain, and I expected a shower before the night was through.

  After five minutes of strained silence, Arys leaned forward and popped open the glove box. My mind raced a mile a minute; I didn’t think I’d stashed anything personal in there.

  “Arys,” I said sharply and swatted his arm. “Get out of there. I don’t come to your house and rummage through the drawers.”

  “Be my guest,” he replied and held up a portion of a joint. “I didn’t know you were into the mellow stuff. I didn’t taste it in your blood.”

  My eyes widened in surprise at his find. “I’m not. I haven’t smoked the stuff since I was sixteen. That’s got to be Shaz’. Make sure there isn’t any more, will you?”

  I noticed a small, European sports car racing up behind me, and I maneuvered over to allow him free rein of the fast lane. Regardless of my night vision, I’d prefer not to bite it in a car crash.

  When the little European model had sped by, I glanced over at Arys. My jaw dropped in horror. In his hand, illuminated by the glove box light, was a spare tampon that I had tossed in there in case of emergency.

  “For those not so fresh days, huh Alexa?”

  “Would you put that back?” I sputtered, grateful the dim interior hid my embarrassed blush.

  He gave me a wink and a grin that I felt to the soles of my feet. By the time we reached Lena’s condo, I was in a hurry to escape the close proximity of the car.

  Even as he followed me dutifully into the lobby, I could feel the weight of his hunger like a target on my back. She buzzed us in. The elevator felt too confined, and I practically leapt out when we reached the fourth floor. He merely smiled and gestured for me to lead the way.

  Lena greeted me, as I knew she would, with open arms and a warm, friendly environment. “Alexa!” She pulled me into a tight squeeze. “It’s nice to have you over.”

  “Thank you so much for seeing us on such short notice. I can’t tell you how bad I feel for intruding on your evening.”

  “It’s no intrusion at all, my dear.” She waved us inside; the gold bracelets on her wrist jangled loudly. “I’m more than happy to help you as much as I possibly can.”

  Lena wore her characteristic braid down her back and more jewelry than I could ever wear at once. A long denim skirt and a tie dye t-shirt reminiscent of the 60s completed her vintage flower child look.

  The small condo apartment was cozy and meticulously clean. The air had a false but refreshing pine scent. She led us into the living room where we sat on an old sofa with a patchwork quilt laid over the back.

  After rushing back and forth to the kitchen and refusing my help, Lena had laid out an elaborate tray of tea, coffee and baked goods.

  With an apologetic smile, she turned to Arys. “I’m afraid I must apologize, dear; I have nothing to offer that would feed your appetite.”

  “Think nothing of it. I appreciate your desire to make me feel welcome.” With an aged grace that I both envied and despised, Arys captured Lena’s small hand within his own and raised it to his lips in a grand gesture. I fought hard not to sigh in exasperation and roll my eyes.

  “Oh my,” Lena giggled and turned to me with a smile. “Now what exactly can I do for you?”

  I recounted everything for her; well, I edited the details of David’s murder but included the rest. She nodded as I spoke but said nothing. When I finished, she drew in a long breath and looked carefully at each of us in turn. When her eyes landed on Arys, my heart rate began to climb.

  “It’s not so different from the blood bond forged between vampires when one creates another. You’ve allowed your passion to draw you into a true sharing of power.” Lena’s features were pinched in thought. “Like I told you before Alexa, sometimes this is the natural order of things, as hard as it might be to believe, it’s meant to happen. A bond like this lasts to the death.”

  Negative energy swirled around us, and I noticed Arys suddenly stiffen. I tried to shake off the unease that filled me.

  “So a one time fling is a life long hassle?” I almost choked on the words as they spilled out.

  Lena rounded on me with a look that had me backing up in my seat. “Hearing those words from you is like a slap in my face. I taught you better than that. You know not to take your powers lightly; I know you do.”

  My face burned, and I couldn’t look at either of them. I noted the four different shades of brown in the carpet as I stared at the floor. I did know better than that.

  “In Alexa’s defense, madam, the power that results from an encounter between the two of us is extremely potent. It’s unlike anything I’ve known in my three hundred and twenty-eight years.” Arys spoke up, taking my hand in his and banishing my insecurities.

  Lena blinked at him, unconvinced. “I’m sorry, dear, but after centuries of sampling the wares, I wouldn’t expect you to resist Alexa. However, after years of working with me, I did expect her to resist you.”

  Her comment both inflated and deflated my ego. “You’re totally right, Lena.” I stared into my tea. “I was drawn in by the lure of power, and I didn’t look back.”

  “It’s in your nature, dear.” She leaned forward and patted my hand affectionately.

  “Those with innate powers often long for more. It’s as much a part of you as the very air that you breathe. However, like any bonding, there can be repercussions. Selecting the wrong partner can change your life.”

  I’d been an idiot to throw caution out the window. Immune to physical risks, I had arrogantly ignored the other potential dangers.

  Arys said, “Alright, so we live with it. But, how do we deal with the weakness and urges we’ve picked up from one another?” I gave him a warning look. Ignoring me, he looked directly at the friendly witch.

  Taking a long sip of her tea, she gave a little shake of her head. “That is something I’m not quite familiar with, my dear. Many similar stories end with somebody losing their mind, often committing suicide.” Worry creased her brow when she fixed me with eyes full of concern. “Promise me that you’ll be careful.”

  “I promise.” I flashed back to the bloody scene on the bike path. Arys looked at me sharply, and I wondered if he had shared my vision.

  “My only suggestion is to learn all that you can about each other’s personal strengths and weaknesses. Power must be controlled; otherwise, it controls you. I’m afraid I can’t help more in that regard. I’ll do what I can to dig up more information for you,” Lena promised with an encouraging smile.

  Bound to Arys until death; how was Shaz going to understand this? How in the hell was I going to live with a bloodlust that chose to strike me at random? And, Arys suffered with the agony of the wolf’s need to break free. We were so screwed.

  “On the bright side,” Lena added thoughtfully. “I would imagine that if you were able to control the power, you kids would be a mighty force to reckon with.”

  I couldn’t help but chuckle when she referred to us as kids. Despite Arys being centuries older than her, he looked young, and so she treated him that way just like Kale.

  “Oh,” I said, jumping up to reach into
my pocket. “Maybe you can tell us a little about this.” I produced Cat’s red star amulet. It lay cold and inactive in my palm.

  I passed it to her, expecting some kind of scrutiny but she merely glanced at it. “It’s just a run of the mill charm. I’d say it was spelled to boost the wearer’s power supply.”

  “It certainly did that. The wearer was a vampire. She’s dust now,” I said.

  “Then it can be charmed again for another purpose. It’s quite simple really.”

  “By all means, it’s yours,” I said. I still had the charm she’d given me last week and had little use for more.

  She smiled broadly. “I can always use another charm.” The phone rang from the kitchen, and she excused herself to take the call.

  I forced myself to down the rest of the tea. The cogs and pulleys in my brain worked overtime, as I tried to piece together how I’d live with a constant tie to Arys.

  “Did you catch the bottom line? She said this could make us a power house.” Arys winked at me, his voice low. Go figure that would mean more to him than anything else.

  “Is that all you think about?” I hissed. I could hear Lena in the other room talking in low tones.

  “Baby, you know that’s not all I think about.” His smoldering gaze swept over me;

  my breath caught. “In fact, you’ve already got me thinking along other lines.”

  I blew a stray hair out of my face and flashed him a dirty look. “You are so inappropriate.”

  He considered me with a self-satisfied smile. “And, yet you love it. I’d be willing to bet that you’re ready for me right now.” He raised an eyebrow and shot me a look that oozed sexuality. A heat swept through my body that nearly knocked me breathless.

  If I hadn’t been done with my tea, I would have gagged on it. The energy rose between us, and I knew, if we touched, I would lose control.

  I hungered in more ways than I’d ever known before that night with Arys. I could smell his blood rushing hot beneath the surface of his skin, and I longed to taste it.

  When Lena hung up the phone with a small clatter, I realized I’d been leaning toward Arys as if I would have crawled out of my skin to get to him.

  “Sorry about that.” Lena returned to the living room; she noted my empty cup immediately. “Would you care for more tea, dear?”

  “No, thank you. I probably have more caffeine in my veins than anything else.”

  I helped her clean up the dessert trays, but the time grew late. “We’ll get out of your hair now. I’m sure you’d much rather be in bed.” Arys took my lead and ambled to the doorway.

  I drew Lena into a quick hug, but I could smell the blood in her veins. Hunger soared ravenously, and I sent a panicked look over her shoulder to Arys.

  “Thank you, again, for all of your help,” he called from the entryway. The heady swoon of bloodlust shattered, and I stepped away from her before it hit me again.

  “I don’t know how much help I was, but I’ll do some digging and see what I can come up with.”

  I slipped into my shoes and thanked her again; we turned to go. I’d been holding my breath. The hallway was empty and unnaturally quiet. I stumbled and fell against the wall, but Arys steadied me.

  “Are you alright?” His gaze searched me.

  I had to think about my words. The bloodlust picked away at me, but I shoved away from him to hit the elevator down button. When I heard the mechanics engage, I turned to face him. A light sheen of perspiration broke out on my brow, and I wiped it away with the back of my hand.

  “I am not alright. Why didn’t you feed tonight?” I gulped the stale hallway air and longed for the fresh outdoor breeze.

  “I didn’t think I needed to.” He eyed me carefully as I slumped against the wall.

  I held tightly to my stomach as it cramped and growled. The hunger was intense;

  much like it had been the previous night when I’d lost control. A mix of emotions stormed my system.

  I smiled wickedly and crooked my finger in invitation. The elevator arrived with a ding, and the doors slid open. Arys grabbed my hand and pulled me in after him. He eyed me carefully, as if I were the unpredictable one.

  “I wonder if feeding would have kept this from happening to you,” he said thoughtfully.

  “And me shifting will alleviate your need.” I giggled and felt giddy, as if I’d drank too much wine.

  “Possibly.” He appeared thoughtful but was easily distracted when I licked my lips in obvious invitation. “You’re a dangerous woman, Alexa. I don’t think you know how powerful your allure is.”

  “Well, it’s not my allure that has me itching to feel you.”

  I reached for him, the contact of our skin producing an electric tingle throughout my body. A gasp escaped me when a jolt filled me with pleasure. He sighed; all resistance left him as he grabbed me tightly in a bruising kiss.

  The elevator slammed to a stop, and I startled until I realized he had stopped it. I wasn’t keen on the locale, but with the silky softness of Arys’ skin beneath my fingers, I could make do.

  Where our skin made contact, the sparks burned. My fingers pushed under his t-shirt, and ten steady streams of energy hummed against his bare skin.

  The warmth of his mouth found what remained of the previous bite wound above my collarbone. My pulse beat hard beneath the surface. He lingered there, and I froze. I remembered what his fangs felt like buried in my flesh. The matching scar on my left breast throbbed in time with the other. Pressed tight against him, I still didn’t feel close enough.

  His hands were low on my hips. They brushed the sensitive patch of skin just below my bellybutton. If I were a werecat, I would’ve purred right then.

  I knew he wasn’t going to bleed me right there, but damn, I wanted him to. The hunger swept through us like a hurricane, and I tugged at his shirt to feel more of him.

  His lips hovered over the healed bite; his tongue played lightly around it. As I neared the point of no return, he pulled back.

  “If you do this now, you’re going to regret it later.”

  For a moment, I was confused. My thoughts followed the wolf’s instincts rather than logic. Why would he stop now?

  I blinked at him. “What?” I asked in a sultry tone.

  “Think about it, Alexa. You don’t love me. You love the wolf pup. If we keep going down this path, you will lose everything with him.”

  He was pulling away because of Shaz? I fought to wrap my mind around my white wolf. He was in my heart, but my feelings for Shaz were drowning in a sea of power and hunger.

  “Since when do you care about Shaz?” I challenged him to have a damn good reason before he rejected me.

  “I don’t.” His tone was short and clipped. He moved away from me and pushed a button; the elevator resumed it’s descent. He added begrudgingly, “I care about you.”

  The genuine affection came as a big surprise, like a sudden slap in the face. He was in this for the high. The woman in me wanted to believe that he spoke the truth, but I knew better. My wolf, on the other hand, was outraged; I was an unclaimed female with needs and desires.

  The elevator reached the main floor, and the door slid open. Arys glanced at me and headed for the lobby.

  “You can’t just leave me like this,” I called after him. “You did this to me.”

  Outside, the rain fell in a steady rhythm. I caught up to him halfway to the car. I was pissed that he could just walk away from me. His hunger was bringing me to my knees, and I wanted to slap him or bite a nice chunk out of his thigh.

  “Come on, Alexa. This isn’t the time or the place. Get the keys out.” He walked a few steps ahead of me.

  The water was cold, but the air was warm, which made the rain bearable and even calming. Though, the coldest shower on the planet wasn’t about to cool me down.

  I pulled my keys from my purse, grinned mischievously, and said, “Is this what you want?” I dropped them lewdly into my lacy bra, and I heard myself say, “Come and
get it.”

  Arys crushed me against the front of the car, and I loved it. Laughter pealed out of me, tinged with the growl of a wolf. On tiptoes, I leaned up to taste him.

  He pulled back so that I only made contact with the soft indent beneath his lower lip.

  As I gently traced his bottom lip with my tongue, I felt him shudder. The power grew between us. He leaned into me again; I lay nearly flat against the hood.

  “Stop pushing me, wolf.” His eyes were intense as they bore into me, and he bared his inch long fangs, white in the darkness. “You know damn well how bad I want to give it to you right here. I know you can take what no human ever could. We make the most beautiful combination in every single way.”

  I held my breath as he inhaled my scent ever so slowly. Raindrops hit my face and soaked my clothes, but I didn’t care. The car keys spilled out of my top onto the hood. I grimaced inwardly and hoped they didn’t scratch the paint.

  I forgot the paint when his sharp fangs grazed the soft spot inside my elbow. He licked the sensitive skin, and tingles raced up my arm. When he broke the skin, a rush roared through me that echoed in my ears.

  “Oh, come on,” I pleaded, frustrated with the fire burning out of control inside me.

  “There’s one thing, Alexa, this mortal love you have; you need it.” His tongue slid across my skin, hot and wet, and I wondered why his words so greatly contrasted his actions. “In so many ways, you’re mine, but I feel your need for that pup. I won’t selfishly take that from you.”

  “Who are you trying to convince?” I asked. My throat was dry, and I licked my lips.

  The cold rain was doing nothing to cool the heat that continued to rise within me.

  “Ok, fine,” he said; he met my eyes. Drizzle plastered his hair to his forehead; I brushed it away from his eyes. “I know I’ll be the one you blame. The one you resent because you messed up too many times. I don’t want to see that happen.”

  “So even pushing me away now is selfish and based on what suits you best. So typically the vampire.”

  “That I am,” he growled even as he spread my legs and pressed his hard length against me. “Never forget it, or you’ll be mine forever.”