After Sundown: Redemption (26 page)

* * * * *

The sound of Alyssa stirring brought Christian’s thoughts back to the present.

What was it about her that touched him so? Why her? Alyssa brought out thoughts and feelings inside him that had been buried for over two hundred years. Why now? He hadn’t cared about someone like this since Elena.

Elena.

Her name brought her image instantly to mind. They had met as children when both of their families still lived in Spain. His father and hers were good friends. They decided early on that Elena and he would marry. It had all been arranged.

When they were children, they didn’t know of such things. They met and became fast friends. But even back then, Christian had felt a certain protectiveness towards Elena. She had been so little, so soft and quiet. He had been many years older, bigger, stronger and smarter, according to her. She always listened when he told her what to do. And she asked for his advice whenever she wasn’t sure about something.

The two of them spent many childhood days giggling, running and playing together. They always pretended that he was the noble hero and she the lady in distress. She would call for help and he would come to her rescue.

And when he rescued her, Elena would stare up at Christian with adoration and say, “I knew you would save me. I knew you would come.”

Those words would forever haunt him. In the end he hadn’t saved his Elena. He had actually caused her death. He was to blame for giving in to temptation, for arrogantly tossing Elena aside and for pursuing Bazhena like a dog in heat. Granted she was a vampire and had seduced him with her powers, but his love for Elena should have been stronger.

He should have been stronger.

But he hadn’t been. He had been weak. And Elena had been viciously murdered because of that weakness, because he had been unable to control himself.

Never again.

Christian had made a vow to himself after he and Vlad met. He would never let himself get out of control again. He would be the master of his own fate. He would decide when and where. No one else. Only him. And he would control the monster inside him with everything he had. Never again would he lose himself to the power of his emotions.

Christian’s thoughts came crashing back to the present again when Alyssa’s eyes fluttered open. He stared into her crystal blue gaze and was lost. All his vows and promises drifted away like a soft breeze on a warm summer night. Whatever it was that made him feel this way, it was done. Choice was nonexistent. She was his now, whether she realized it or not. And no one was going to take her away from him. Ever.

* * * * *

Alyssa woke to find herself staring into Christian’s beautiful eyes. The look on his face took her breath away. It was hot with desire and intense with possession. She lost herself in the power of his gaze. Her body tingled with awareness, her heartbeat sped out of control and her breath grew short. She tried to breathe deeply to calm herself, but the sexy, dangerous scent of him drifted seductively in the air, enflaming her further.

Then another odor intruded. It was strong and overwhelming. Blood. She smelled blood. Her memory came crashing back. Nausea swept over her. Her stomach rolled in protest as images filled her head.

Tom.

Bazhena.

Alyssa bolted upright. Until her face was inches from Christian’s. She grabbed his shoulders. Frantically she looked around the room.

“Tom? Where’s Tom? We have to get some help. Bazhena attacked him. He’s bleeding and I—”

Christian’s face darkened with anger, but he laid a finger gently against Alyssa’s lips to quiet her.

“He’s fine,” he assured her through clenched teeth.

Alyssa wasn’t convinced. She saw the way Tom had looked before she passed out.

“Are you sure?” Tom had been in grave danger from too much blood loss. She needed to know he would be okay, that his fate would not be the same as her mother’s.

“He’s lost a lot of blood, Christian. I think he needs to go to a hospital.”

Alyssa noticed Christian’s face grow tight and tense.

“Tom will be fine, Alyssa. I have taken care of his wound and his lost blood has been replenished.”

Alyssa let go of Christian’s shoulders and then sagged with relief. Tom was fine. He would be okay. His blood loss had been taken care of. Replenished. Alyssa felt tense again. Exactly what had Christian done to Tom?

“Replenished? What do you mean replenished? How did you—?”

Christian’s face exploded with emotion. The anger in his eyes made her shrink back against the couch. She had never seen him this way. So furious, his feelings emanated in waves from him. Each one struck her like a blow. Battering her emotionally rather than physically.

“Enough! I don’t want to talk about your lover right now.” Christian growled deep in his throat and his eyes began to glow. Alyssa’s eyes widened in fear as she saw his sharp teeth elongate before her eyes.

“I want to talk about the danger you’re in. You will come with me now. I need to keep you safe until I find out what’s going on with Bazhena. She wants you for some reason. Until I discover why, you need to be kept under my tight protection. And don’t worry about your boyfriend. He’ll be okay. He’ll wake up in the morning on his couch, thinking he fell asleep at the office.”

Alyssa shook her head slowly. Anger was starting to replace the fear his transformation had caused. She would not be treated like a child. She was an adult. Christian needed to understand that.

“No.”

“No?” His voice was deadly. Quiet, but more threatening than if he had screamed at the top of his lungs.

Alyssa refused to be intimidated.

“I’m not going anywhere until I know that Tom is okay and you tell me what’s going on.” She folded her arms across her chest and waited.

Christian’s expression hardened until his face became so emotionless it looked like it was etched in stone. Yet his gaze burned with fury so strong it shot daggers straight at her. She struggled to hang on to her own anger, but common sense and self-preservation were screaming for her attention. Unfortunately, she might have realized it too late.

Christian grasped her shoulders and pulled her forward. Her face was inches from his. Their eyes met and clashed. They held each other’s gaze, both refusing to look away. Alyssa thought she saw admiration kindle in Christian’s eyes, but then he moved and she wasn’t sure. Turning his head sideways, he pressed his cheek against hers and whispered in her ear.

“Do you know what you’re doing to me,
palomita
? Do you understand the consequences of your actions? I am not in a state to be played with right now. I would not play nice, I promise you that. The smell of blood is everywhere, filling my senses, tempting me. The odor of another man is on you, stirring up my anger and my beast. Your seductive scent is also calling to me, drawing me closer.” Christian punctuated his words by running his tongue first down, then up her neck. When he reached her ear again, he gave the lobe a little nip with his teeth and sucked on it gently. The pain-pleasure of his mouth caused shivers to run through her and the breath to hitch in her throat.

“My beast is close at hand. Ready to take over, ready to take you if I let it. And it would not be a gentle joining. Don’t push me right now. Just trust me and do as I say.” Christian’s last words sounded deep and hoarse.

He slid his mouth down and grazed his teeth over her neck. Then he sucked on the spot where his teeth had been. She was going to have one hell of a hickey tomorrow morning. The strong pull of his mouth started an ache between her legs that made her knees weak. He stiffened, squeezed her shoulders almost to the point of pain, then shuddered. Slowly, she felt his body relax until finally he released her.

He was having trouble controlling himself. Alyssa had kept her body completely still until he released her. Somehow she sensed that if she moved too much, his restraint would be unleashed. He moved away and she sighed in relief. Okay. Now was definitely not the time to challenge him. She would just have to trust him.

Trust him. Hmm.

That was a tough one.

Definitely not her strong point. Especially when it came to this man. One who was strong and controlling, like her father. One who had an emotional hold on her.

She admitted it. There was something more than physical attraction between them. Strong feelings were involved. But she didn’t want to deal with them right now. One thing at a time. They would have to reach a compromise.

Alyssa waited until Christian composed himself and turned back to her. His face still looked tight, but his eyes were calmer. No longer glowing. His fists unclenched and he held them loosely by his side as he stood up.

“We need to go now, Alyssa.” Christian held out his hand to her. His eyes remained shuttered as he gazed down at her, showing no emotion. But she could feel the tension in him as he waited.

She didn’t take his hand.

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

She spoke quickly.

“I’ll go with you, but only on one condition.”

He began clenching his jaw.

“What?” The word came out little more than a growl.

“Please let me see Tom, so that I know he’s okay. I won’t ask for any more answers and I’ll go with you without a fight.”

Christian looked like he was about to deny her.

“Please, Christian. I need to see for myself that Tom will live. It’s very important to me.”

He nodded.

“Okay. He’s in his office. Come with me. We don’t have much time.”

He held his hand out to her again. This time she took it. His hold was gentle as he led her to Tom’s office. She gasped when she saw the cracks and hole in the hallway wall.

“What happened?”

Christian continued walking as he explained.

“Bazhena. She got a little irritated when I tried to show her the door.” Christian’s mocking tone was not lost on Alyssa, but she could also sense an underlying concern in his voice. She was surprised and a little frightened that someone as powerful as Christian was troubled.

She stopped short when they entered Tom’s office and she saw him lying on the couch in his underwear.

“Why is he in his underwear?”

Christian shrugged negligently.

“I had to clean the blood off his clothes. One of the services I perform in this line of work is eliminating the evidence. We can’t leave proof of our paranormal activities around for the world to see. That would be pushing our luck,” Christian explained as he pointed to the clothes draped over the nearby chair. “His clothes will be dry by morning.”

“I see.”

Alyssa dragged her gaze to Tom’s neck. She remembered the bloody tear from earlier and didn’t relish seeing it again. Her mouth formed a perfect “O” when she saw that the bleeding gash now looked like little more than a deep cut that had already started to close.

His recovery was amazing. She felt the pulse at his wrist and was pleased that it beat steady and strong. He was going to be okay. The tightness Alyssa felt in her chest slowly released.

“How?” she asked as she studied Tom.

Christian knew just what she was asking.

“Vampires have a healing compound in their saliva. His cut will be gone by morning. And don’t worry. Your lover won’t remember a thing about this night, other than the fact that he worked late and fell asleep on his couch.”

“Well, let me at least cover him with a blanket,” Alyssa said, opening a cabinet and pulling out a lightweight blanket. She laid it over Tom, then froze as something finally clicked in her mind. She turned back to Christian.

“Why do you keep calling Tom my boyfriend? What makes you think we’re lovers?”

Christian’s eyes ignited with fury once more. He stalked towards her. Towering over her, he glared down at her. A growl rumbled low in his throat. Alyssa’s eyes widened in fear as she craned her neck up to look at him.

“You told me no more questions. You didn’t keep your word, Alyssa. I’ve wasted enough time here. We’re leaving. Now.”

Alyssa bristled at his domination.

“Wait just a minute. I’m not—”

“Sleep.”

Christian interrupted her with only one word. It was spoken softly, but the moment Alyssa heard it, everything grew fuzzy. She tried to fight it, tried to keep her eyes open, but her eyelids felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. She struggled to hold on to her thoughts but they scattered into a thousand pieces as Christian spoke again.