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Authors: Michelle Fox

BOOK: Blood Struck

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“Enough. Sleep.”

I whimpered in protest and fell asleep again.

“Myra, wake.” The deep voice rushed my ears and shivered through my body.

I woke fully this time and sat up. We were still in the car, racing down an unknown highway. It was dusk again or maybe still, I couldn’t tell. Outside, palm trees and ocean streamed by in a surreal vacation landscape.

I looked to the man who had spoken. He looked calm and composed as ever. “Kristos?” My voice was slurred. My mouth felt funny, like I’d had a dozen root canals back-to-back.

“Yes.” He pulled me against his chest as I began to slump, weak as a newborn kitten.

“What happened?”

“You died.” He kissed the top of my head. “And now you live again.”

I was silent for several long minutes. “You changed me.” The little flashes I’d seen in my dreams must have been memories then.

I felt his nod. “Yes.”

“Is it over now?” I tensed afraid he would say no.

“I think so. The council believes us both to be dead. No one is looking for us.”

“Madame Rouge? She’s probably furious with me.” I’d left her in the lurch and never really did my job like I was supposed to; the bullets kept getting in the way.

Kristos gave me a little shake. “You’re dead remember? She has the same information as the council does. You don’t need to worry about her.”

“What about my mom?” Panic flashed through me. How long had I been out? Was mom okay? Oh my God. Why hadn’t she been the first thing on my mind? Guilt burned through me although I knew I wasn’t myself. I wasn’t exactly thinking straight. I felt like I’d awakened after a long fight with the flu; sore and fuzzy around the edges.

“She’s home. Cancer free.” He held up a hand and said, “Before you ask, no she has no idea what’s happened. As far as she knows you’re still working at an internship.”

I smiled, pleased at the news. By some miracle we’d both survived. “Can I see her?” I held my breath. Could I see her again? Was that allowed? Oh the irony of losing her this way when I’d been so afraid it would be the cancer that would take her from me.

“After a time, yes.” He shifted in his seat, drawing me even closer to him.

His response made me frown. “I thought that I would have to leave her behind.” Especially now that no one could know I’d survived.

He sighed, patient with me yet suffering through all my questions. “This isn’t fiction, Myra. This is real vampire life. We don’t leave our loved ones behind unless we have to.”

“But what happens when they notice you don’t age or die?”

He tapped the side of his eye. “You’ll mesmerize her so she’ll only remember what you want her to. And when she dies, you step away to be forgotten. No one will look twice if you are careful.”

My eyes narrowed. “Hey, I thought you said the eye thing didn’t work like that.” I was newly risen from the dead, not afflicted with Alzheimer’s. He’d said he couldn’t make people do things. I remembered that conversation well because it had eased my mind a great deal.

He lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “I downplayed its power a bit.”

Despite the languid weakness in my limbs, I managed to smack his shoulder.

Kristos winced. “That reaction is precisely why I kept quiet. It’s not like I can turn it off and I really did try to tone it down. You have to admit there were times where it was a distinct asset.”

I rolled my eyes, but let it go because he was right. I’d enjoyed his gaze more than once. Of course if he set those baby blues on me going forward we would have some serious words and my smacks would get a whole lot stronger. “Where are we going now?” I gestured to the passing scenery.

“Someplace safe, someplace quiet.” The car slowed as he spoke, aiming for the upcoming exit.

“Will we always have to hide?” I rested my head on his shoulder, contemplating the palm trees outside.

He shrugged. “We will reinvent ourselves. After a century or so they will forget.”

The idea of a hundred years gave me pause. I would be twenty-five forever. I gave Kristos a sly look. “I’m the same flavor for eternity.”

He smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Yes, the one that reminded my heart what it was to feel again. That’s a pretty special flavor if you ask me. Besides, I have no doubt you’ll spice things up.”

Sudden concern flashed through me. I pressed a hand to my stomach. “What if...” I stopped, unable to say the words.

He took my hand and kissed it. “Your father was unique among vampires. You may take after him or not. We will be happy no matter what.”

The car lurched as it made sharp turn into a residential area, throwing me against him. I became aware of Kristos in a new way as a sudden heat throbbed in my core. I threaded my fingers in his hair and pulled him to my lips for a kiss.

He indulged me, tongue lashing mine and flicking over my new fangs which were sharp as a viper’s. I was a clumsy kisser now, unable to gauge where my fangs were. Afraid of nicking Kristos or myself, I held still and let him control our kiss. He sucked on my bottom lip until I moaned at the sensation. Then the car slowed to a stop and he pulled away saying, “We’re here.”

He opened the car door and stepped out into the humid night. I followed and learned that ‘here’ was a small palace by the sea. The bright moon hung overhead and the sound of waves breaking on the nearby beach welcomed us. My senses were sharper now. I could smell the salt in the air and heard what sounded like heart beats. Lots of little heart beats that strummed like hummingbirds.

I cocked my head and listened. “Do you hear that?”

Kristos smiled and, with a start, I realized I could see him in sharp relief despite the absence of direct light. Well, hello there vampire super powers.

“Yes. You’ll learn to ignore it eventually.”

Kristos grabbed my hand and tugged me after him into the stucco house. I had a second to notice the sweeping marbled entrance with its crystal chandelier. Once he shut the door though, he was on me, hungry lips on mine hands roaming my body and pulling off my clothes.

My body responded instantly to his touch and I gave a happy sigh. He fisted his hands in my hair and buried his face in my neck.

“Myra,” he whispered my name with longing.

“Is everything okay?” I pulled back to look at him.

His gaze was solemn as it met mine and for once I didn’t feel the pull of his vampire eyes. “I wasn’t sure you would change.”

“I thought I was dead too.” I gestured to my body. “But here I am. We make a pretty good team, don’t we?” I unbuttoned his shirt as I spoke revealing his always magnificent chest.

He sighed as I touched him, shuddering slightly when my palms grazed his nipples. “We are lucky to have survived.”

“Let’s find a bed and put that luck to work.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him after me up the stairs. I had a million questions now that I was a vampire. How would I feed? Would I take after my father? Or would I favor Kristos since he was my maker? What would I tell my mother? More importantly, how would I spend my time now that it wasn’t running out?

As pressing as the questions were, I had all the time in the world to find answers. Just then I wanted to press my body against Kristos’ and lose myself in his eyes. That seemed a fitting way to mark the day I rose from the dead. We could play twenty one questions later.

He seemed to agree as he took me into a bedroom and loved me until I could barely remember my name.

“Hey Kristos?” I said during a break we took between orgasms.

“Yes, love.” He toyed with my breasts, taunting my nipples until they went stiff in protest.

I sighed and arched up toward him. “I love you.” I’d had to die and rise again to realize it, but Kristos was my everything. If I had him, I was complete. Nothing else mattered.

Kristos smiled at me. “I love you too, Myra.”

“You do?” My jaw dropped. “I thought you didn’t like female vampires?”

“I thought I didn’t like a lot of things about relationships. You made me reconsider.”

“When did you know?” I smiled up at him and caressed the broad planes of his pecs.

“From the beginning.” He dipped his head down and sucked my mouth into a tender kiss.

“That explains a lot,” I mumbled against his lips thinking of his attentive loyalty and concern for my safety. “Here I thought you were a gentleman.”

“I’m no gentleman.” He covered my body with his and took me roughly to prove it. I shuddered under him and for once, there were no bullets, just blissful release.

-Fin-

T
hank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the story. If you love vampires, I do plan to write more in the future. Until then, get your erotic urban fantasy fix with my bestselling werewolf and demon stories. Details are below...

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