His Ruthless Bite | Historical Paranormal Romance: Vampires (Scandals With Bite Book 4) (31 page)

Shaking off the macabre thought, she forced herself to let out the breath she held and breathe in slowly. The scent of strange vampires hung thickly in the chamber, along with the odor of a recently doused fire. Reluctantly, she took her hand from Gavin’s back, allowing him to explore the area further… or fight if necessary.

Elena remained by her side, and for once, she did not mind being looked after. Memories of another underground chamber, where she’d been shackled and gagged and violated by a gang of hulking rogues, assaulted her mind. She wished she would have remained in the Gathering Hall and never considered coming down here.

“They must have left fairly recently,” Benson’s voice made her jump. “The wood is still warm, despite being wet.”

“Something made them douse it quickly and flee.” Gavin struck a match and lit a piece of wood that looked like a broken chair leg in a makeshift torch. “Likely the Gathering. Though I wonder when they decided to hide here… and why. Surely they could smell that this place is oft’ frequented.”

Lenore’s shoulders relaxed at the assurance that the rogues were gone.

Elena made a clucking sound with her tongue. “Or maybe they know when it’s usually frequented. We meet here monthly. Usually around the same time. Either they’ve been watching, or if Justus truly is part of this group, he already knows.”

“And he would know where else he could hide,” Benson added. “I know you don’t want to consider that it could be him, but…”

“I didn’t,” Gavin said in a strange tone before he bent down and picked up something from the dusty stone floor. The object gleamed a dull silver in the light of his makeshift torch. “But now I have no choice but to face the fact that my former friend has indeed returned.”

Benson strode over to him as Gavin held the object up to the light. “I remember when he started wearing that.” He shook his head, eyes wide in awe. “So he never took it off in all this time.”

Lenore saw that it was a locket and was curious to know what was inside. Apparently she wasn’t the only one.

“How do you know it’s his?” Elena asked. “Shouldn’t you open it?”

“I
know
it’s his, and I know what’s inside,” Gavin said quietly, and slipped the locket in his pocket before anyone could press him further.

Benson gave him a knowing look. “It’s a miniature of
he
r, isn’t it? That mortal girl who caused his downfall.”

“He caused his own downfall,” Gavin countered, voice rough with anger. “If he’d handled things in a reasonable matter, he could have had her and remained with us. But yes, the locket holds her portrait and a lock of her hair. Justus showed it to me when he pleaded for me to allow him to Change her.”

Elena’s features softened with pity. “The things people will do when they’re in love. I wonder where she is?”

“Shortly after the debacle, her parents packed her off to Manchester. I’d assumed Justus had tracked her down and Changed her.” Gavin sighed and looked at the ground. “Now I am not so certain.”

Benson stroked his chin with a pensive frown. “If that trinket is all he had of her, he will be missing it.”

“Perhaps he can come and claim it from me,” Gavin said coldly. “I will be glad to return it to him before I kill him.”

“So you’ll do it then?” Elena’s voice was almost a whisper. “Execute your best friend?”

“If he’s responsible for Cecil’s death, he gives me no choice.” Gavin kept his gaze to the floor for an interminable moment before he raised his head. “At any rate, we’ve identified one of our rogues. Let us leave this place and turn our attention on deducing where he is hiding.”

“And the Hunter,” Benson said with a scowl. “We must find him, or her, as well.”

Gavin nodded. “Start with inquiries in the village. Find out what people know about strangers in town.”

“Yes, my lord,” Elena and Benson chorused.

They made their way out of the tunnel, Gavin reaching behind to clasp Lenore’s hand. How did he know that she was still uneasy? She smiled. It didn’t matter. She was only grateful that he gave her comfort.

Once they left the ruins, Benson departed for the village with Elena at his side. She had plans to round up some of the oldest vampires in Rochester and search out Justus’s previous haunts.

As Gavin reached for Lenore’s hand in preparation for their run, she wrapped her arms around him. “What are you going to do next?”

“I’m going to take you home. You were unsettled in that chamber.” He held her tighter. “So we shall relax for a spell and then I will write letters to the neighboring Lord Vampires and warn them about the Hunter, as well as the rogues.”

Tension Lenore didn’t know she had drained from her at the news that he would remain with her tonight.

Once they were settled in the library with a hot fire and cups of steaming tea, Gavin set his cup aside and rubbed Lenore’s taut shoulders.

She leaned into his grip with a sigh and tried to hold onto her thoughts. “Tell me about Justus.”

Gavin sighed. “He was my second in command and my greatest of friends. He was a tall chap, with hair of the darkest red I’ve ever seen and even longer than mine.” His fingers worked a knot at the base of her neck. “He was extremely clever, and had the most uncanny way of prying information from the vaguest sources, and was the very best at hunting rogues.” A bark of laughter startled her. “Which explains why he’s been able to evade me for so long.”

He fell silent, massaging her until she thought she’d melt in her chair, if it weren’t for her rampant curiosity about the vampire who had been close to Gavin and was now his enemy.

“What happened to make you exile him?” She’d gathered that it was because of a woman. Had Gavin loved her too, and exiled Justus over jealousy? A sharp pang speared her heart at the thought. Or perhaps there was something more sinister? Not that she’d wish for that either.

Gavin withdrew his hands from her shoulders and walked around to sit in a chair next to hers. “Eight years ago, Justus met a young miss at the Ellingsworth ball and immediately became besotted. While that is not always a bad thing, and is the most common reason to Change someone, this case was dangerous for many reasons. Firstly, because she was the daughter of a prominent politician. We are forbidden to Change public figures for obvious reasons. Secondly, she hadn’t even reached her age of majority. Though she was not a child, she was still a minor, and that is forbidden as well. Thirdly, she was already betrothed to another.”

Lenore realized she didn’t know any of the rules about Changing mortals, except that it was best for a vampire not to attempt it until he or she was at least a century old. She leaned forward with fascination… and a measure of dread as she knew this love story would not end well.

“I told him to avoid her,” Gavin continued. “And when he wouldn’t listen, I told him to be careful. And for a while, I thought he was at least doing that. After all, he did not Mark her, and from his scent, I do not think he went so far as to take her maidenhood.” Self recrimination tightened his features. “But I was wrong. One night he came to me and begged me to allow him to Change her. I refused. I was going to have him moved to another Lord Vampire’s territory for his own protection, but it was too late. Cecil informed me that Justus had told the girl what he was… even worse, she’d told her parents.”

Lenore gasped. That was the most foolish, most forbidden thing one of their kind could do.

“The penalty for revealing ourselves to mortals is death,” Gavin said, as if she did not know. “But I could not do it. I couldn’t even report him to the Elders. Instead, I exiled him. Something, I rarely do, as I don’t wish to create more rogues. Yet even that was preferable to slaying my dearest friend.”

He covered his face with his hands, radiating painful grief. “This is all my fault. The rogues, the Hunter. Because of my weakness in giving Justus mercy, I got Cecil killed! And even still, I do not want to kill Justus.”

Lenore rose from her seat and wrapped her arms around him, cradling his head to her breast. “Your mercy is not a weakness. You acted nobly, and wisely. You’ve done your best to keep your friend from breaking the law, your best to save his life. The fault is
his
for not accepting all you’d done for him. The fault is
his
that you will have to kill him.” She paused as a thought struck her. “Do you think he went mad? I hear some of the old ones do and have to be put down.”

“Perhaps. Though he is younger than me by fifty years, some do succumb early.” A measure of anguish faded from his eyes at her words, whether her assertion that he was not to blame for Cecil’s death, or the inherent justification in her speculation about his friend going mad, she could not say.

“Perhaps I am going mad as well,” he murmured, kissing her neck. “I’m certainly mad about you.”

He yanked her onto his lap, and for a brief time, their troubles faded into the ether.

Gavin awoke the next evening, feeling unfathomably content despite all the turmoil unleashed upon him. Something about Lenore’s heartfelt offer of comfort, her quiet faith in him to do what was right bolstered his confidence and compelled him to believe that all would work out in the end.

After climbing out of bed, he gazed at her in awe and hunger, remembering how she’d straddled him in that chair and ridden him until they were both mindless with pleasure. He longed for a repeat performance, but sadly acknowledged that there would be little time.

As if sensing his urgency, Lenore awoke with a languid stretch and blinked at him sleepily. “What is tonight’s strategy?”

“We’ll visit the Medway Inn, a favored establishment of indolent lordlings, and inquire if any of them have recognized Justus or seen a stranger in the area who could be the Hunter. He often played cards there and gathered information.” Not only was it a ludicrously obvious idea that he should have thought of sooner, it also meant that Lenore could remain with him. With all that had transpired in the past three nights, he did not want to let her out of his sight.

Something in her eyes lightened, as if pleased to spend more time with him.

Lenore pushed the covers away, revealing her glorious naked body. Gavin’s mouth went dry as he hardened immediately.

“First, there’s something I’ve been wanting to do,” she purred and reached out to grasp his length. When she leaned forward and flicked her tongue across the swollen length of his shaft, Gavin lost all ability to argue.

He threw his head back and groaned as her lips wrapped around his cock, sucking him deep into her mouth.

Gently, he threaded his fingers through her tousled hair, unable to stop from moving his hips in tandem with her erotic ministrations. Hungry bliss flowed through his body as she wrought magic with her lips and tongue. When he looked down at her, drinking in the sight of her sucking him, she peered up at him beneath her long lashes and he nearly climaxed right then.

“Enough,” he growled and reluctantly, he drew back. “Lie down.”

With a seductive smile, Lenore complied.

Remaining standing, Gavin seized her legs and pulled her closer. Positioning his shaft at her entrance, he was awed at how hot and wet she felt. Cautioning gentleness, he slowly slid inside her tight heat, listening to her moan.

In a slow, teasing rhythm, he withdrew nearly all the way before thrusting back in all the way to the hilt. Cradling one of her legs, he released the other to reach down and stroke her hard pink little bud in undulating circles.

Lenore cried out and ground her hips against him. Her free leg hooked behind his waist, pulling him deeper inside her.

Sweat beaded on his brow as he fought not to pound into her in a mad frenzy. Instead, he closed his eyes and let the pleasure of this tempo flow through him. With this slow pace, he could feel every last bit of her, savor her heat, and even experience each instant that she tightened around him.

A low moan tore through Lenore as her fists bunched in the sheets and she undulated against him. “Faster,” she panted.

Still trying to be careful, he quickened his thrusts only slightly.

“Faster!” she cried out, meeting his thrusts.

With a growl, Gavin threw away caution and once more seized her hips, pounding into her with the fervor of one possessed. He felt her spasm around him just as her moans turned into cries of ecstasy. Lightning seemed to jolt through him with his own release and he continued his thrusts, riding the climax until he collapsed atop her, panting with exhaustion.

“I do not want to leave this bed,” he grumbled.

“Then don’t,” she whispered and licked his ear.

His dejected sigh reverberated through their bedchamber. “We have to, if there’s to be time to hunt and do our investigating before I have to meet with Benson.”

And just like that, the reality of their danger returned like a plague.

Quickly, they dressed and rang for the carriage.

The ride was quiet, as if Lenore knew the depth of his turmoil at the prospect of the inevitable confrontation. As they arrived at the Medway, a large cobblestone structure that somehow gave the impression of a homey cottage, his wife squeezed his hand in support. He may have lost his best friend, but at least he had gained another.