The Feeder (16 page)

Eve

Thayne pulled me in for a drugging kiss, our tongues dancing furiously. The events of the past week had gotten to him just as much as they had me. Our separation had been partly my fault – my refusal to open up and tell him the truth pushing us apart – but now that we were back together it felt like we had an awful lot of catching up to do.

“I’ve missed you so much,” I gasped against his lips, my hands fisted in his hair, refusing to let him go. I didn’t want to be apart from him ever again, not even by a few inches.

Standing, my legs wrapped around his waist, his hard length pressing against my centre, he walked across the room until my back was pressed up against the hard brick wall of the cellar. It only took a matter of seconds for him to rid me of my cotton panties and find my moist core with his pleasure giving fingers. “As I’ve miss you. I think it’s time we got reacquainted, don’t you?”

Kissing the corner of my mouth he ran his lips along my jaw and down my neck as he pressed a digit deep into me. As he had before, he paused briefly at my pulse point before continuing down my chest, inciting a shiver to run down my spine. For once it wasn’t a shiver of fear or dread, far from it. No, it was want, longing. I actually wanted to feel his fangs in my neck, to feel him drawing my blood into his body. The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I held them back.

What was wrong with me? All my life I had been forced to feed vampire after vampire, never given a choice. Now here I was, with a vampire lover, one that did not even attempt to talk me into giving up my blood to him, and I wanted to? Now that was a scary thought. 

“What is it? What’s a matter?” he asked, lifting from my breast and abandoning the nipple he had been kissing and sucking into a swollen red peak, his fingers stilling.

He could feel my emotions - I had to remember that - but I still kept my lips closed. The ideas and images that had been running through my head scared me, and I wasn’t ready to openly talk about them yet. Maybe one day I would be ready for it, ready to give up my neck to Thayne, but that day was not today. “Nothing,” I whispered, shaking my head to rid myself of the distracting thoughts.

“Are you sure?” he asked, looking deep into my eyes. Nodding, I smiled and drew his head back down to my breast. “Well, if you’re sure,” he grinned, circling his tongue around one nipple and then the other before taking it into his hot mouth, his fingers resuming their teasing. And suddenly, all thoughts of blood and fangs vanished from my mind. The only thing I wanted right at that very moment was Thayne in me as deep as he could go. And I didn’t need to wait long.

With a quick tug at the waistband, Thayne’s large cock sprang free, and he thrust up, his hardness filling me completely. “Oh God,” I cried.

“Not God, just me,” he teased, making me laugh and him to groan as my body shook.

When he began to move, his thrusts deep and forceful, my laughter dried up as pleasure filled me. In this position, he seemed to reach that much further, seemed so much bigger, thicker.

He plunged faster, his mouth continuing its torture of my breasts. I couldn’t hold on much longer. I just needed something, something to push me over that edge and into total mind-blowing bliss.

Removing one hand from my hip, he worked his way between our bodies, finding and rubbing my pulsing clit. As he pinched the sensitive nub my world blasted apart and I came hard, a scream working its way up my throat that would have alerted my guards to my escape. Luckily Thayne – while lost in his own release – seemed to have retained some common-sense as he claimed my mouth, capturing my screams before I could give myself away.

Carrying me across the room, Thayne laid me down on the bed. “Almost gave us away then,” he teased.

“That I did. Sorry.”

“It’s okay, but they do say practice makes perfect.” That they did, and we spent the rest of the day getting in as much practice as possible.

Thayne

“I'm not going to say it again, Eve. You’re to stay down here, where it is safe. Reese and Trent are going to be watching the ground floor, and Dean will be behind the bar making sure that no one comes down here apart from me, and him when needs be. I can’t risk Gideon finding you and gaining more strength. You know that.”

“I know,” she sighed. “But I don’t have to like it. What am I meant to do down here all night by myself? That is my club up there. Gideon’s name may be the one by the door, but I’m the one that’s kept this place going, taken care of it.”

That she had, and I wouldn’t let anything harm the home and business she cared so much about. “The club will survive without you for a few nights.” I smiled. “And there is something you can do.” It wasn’t necessary, but it would help her to feel as if she was contributing and keep her mind at ease. “I have cameras set up in Gideon’s office.”

“What?”

Smiling, I reached under the bed for my laptop and set it down beside her, booting up the program for the camera footage. “I set these up shortly after my arrival. You can keep an eye on Gideon for me and let me know of anything suspicious. I installed microphones just the other night so you can hear everything,” I explained, grabbing a burner phone out of my bag and programming the number to my personal mobile into it. “Call me if you see or hear anything, but do not leave this room, promise me.”

Her eyes softened, and she cupped my cheek with her warm palm, her scent washing over me. “I promise,” she whispered before pressing her lips to mine. The soft caress was all too brief before she pulled away and attempted to shove me out of the door.

“A little quick to get rid of me, aren’t you?” I laughed as she pushed me to move quicker up the stairs.

“The way I choose to see it, the sooner you leave, the sooner you will be back. And please, hurry back.”

“Definitely,” I promised, chancing one last look at her before rushing up the stairs. For her, I would do anything… even die.

Eve

I had to do something. Gideon was going to kill Thayne… tonight! He had it all planned out, had arranged for all the high-ups in the area to be there so that no one would doubt his place as Master ever again. He was too strong, he had only been without a feed for 24 hours, and that's after having fed on me every night for days. This was bad.

“Where's Thayne?” I asked Reese as I ran past him at the top of the stairs and darted behind the bar.

“Balcony,” he said instantly. “Hold on, aren't you meant to stay downstairs?”

I was, but there was no way I could stay down there now.

Racing up the stairs to the balcony, I scanned the place for Thayne, panic filling me to the brim. I spotted him standing by the bar talking to a vampire that I had never seen before. I approached with caution.

“Is she doing any better?” Thayne asked the stranger. Obviously, this wasn’t a stranger to him then.

“She has her good nights and her bad nights, but Gabriel has a good handle on her.”

As I moved closer, the strange vampire turned, his eyes landing on me, causing me to freeze midstride. They were red. His eyes were blood red. I had met many vampires in my life but never had I seen one with red eyes. And the amount of power radiating from him was immense. “You must be Eve.”

And he knew my name.

“Eve, what are you doing up here? It’s not safe,” Thayne said, pulling me into his arms and using his body to shield me from the room.

“I overheard Gideon talking in his office.”

“I told you to call me if you heard anything. I do not want you up here where he may see you.”

He had, but in my panic, I’d forgotten all about the phone he had left behind, the conversation I had overheard while watching the camera feed still running through my head. “He's coming for you, Thayne. He's coming for you tonight.” At my words his eyes shot up to the vampire beside us, his face almost void of any emotion but for the anger blazing in his eyes. “It's because he couldn't find me. It’s my fault, Thayne.”

Bringing his attention back to me, he sighed, his hold tightening. “No, he would be coming after me anyway.” The sadness in his eyes broke something within me. He knew he wasn't strong enough to take Gideon on and win, but he would do it, for me.

Risking a peek at the guy beside him, I found myself caught once again in his red gaze. “Let me introduce you to a friend of mine,” Thayne said noticing what had stolen my attention. “This is Master Sebastian. Sebastian this is Eve.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Eve. I have heard many great things about you.”

He had? I wasn't sure if that was such a good thing.

“Many fascinating things,” he whispered, flashing his fangs.

My heart stuttered in my chest, my breath coming out in gasps. Had I been wrong? Had telling Thayne the true about me been a bad idea?

“Hey, calm sweetheart, there is nothing to fear. Sebastian knows because he was the one who recognised the blood sample I sent to be tested.”

Okay, but that still didn’t exactly put my mind at ease.

“I mean you no harm, Eve. I promise your secret is safe with me. I have no need for your blood. As you can probably tell, I have enough power as it is.”

That he did, the amount of energy coming from him was startling. Was it all his own or did he steal if from others somehow?

“Sebastian came from a family of powerful witches,” Thayne whispered in my ear, answering my internal question as if I had voiced it.

So he was powerful in his own right. He had no need of a Feeder. Good to know.

“But while I have no need for it,” Sebastian continued,” I think there maybe someone that does.” His eyes cut to Thayne.

“Wait, what?” Thayne stuttered when he heard and understood his friend’s words.

He was right. Sebastian had no need for my blood, never would, but Thayne needed all the help he could get if he were going to survive a fight with Gideon while he was still hopped up on my blood. There was only one thing to do, only one sure way Thayne would stand a chance against him. I had to give Thayne my blood.

“Thayne!” An angry roar came from down below, taking us all by surprise. “Thayne, I call you to stand before me and take full punishment for your crimes.”

“Crimes? What is he talking about?”

The bellowing continued. “You are a traitor, and I will see you gutted for it.” 

“What is he talking about, Thayne?”

Shaking his head, he looked away from the balcony edge and back down to me. “He's fishing, looking for an excuse or reason in which to justify his attack. Technically the deal you made with him makes you property of the Master, and my keeping you from him would consider me a traitor.”

“I am no one’s property.” The deal I had made with Gideon was meant to set me free, give me the freedom I had always longed for, not make me his to own.

“I order you to appear before me,” Gideon snarled again, his rage building.

Oh god! Oh hell! I could feel the power and rage rolling off him from all the way up here. Thayne couldn't possibly take him on, not on such an uneven footing. I needed to do something about that and quickly.

“I have your word?” Thayne asked, glancing at Sebastian as he shrugged off his jacket and handed it over to the powerful Master vampire.

“Of course. Do not threat, my friend. I will see that your wishes are achieved.”

Wishes? Thayne saw the question upon my face as he turned and his eyes softened, a small, sad smile playing on his lips. “That you be taken care of, protected, kept from Gideon’s reach for good.”

Pulling me into his embrace, his head in the curve of my neck, he breathed in my scent. For a moment I stiffened, but not out of fear. No, for once the presence of a vampire’s lips near the vulnerable arch of my neck left me weak at the knees, a desperate longing to feel his fangs piercing my flesh. 

“Sebastian will take care of you. He’ll take you somewhere safe, somewhere where Gideon can never find you.”

Sebastian would? But what of Thayne? If he meant for someone else to look after me, keep me safe, then that meant that he didn't think he would be there to do the job.

No, he was the one that was supposed to do that. He was the only one I felt safe around, the only one whose embrace had a calming effect on me. Thayne knew that he was not going to survive. He wasn't strong enough to defeat Gideon, but instead of asking for blood, knowing that it gave me great pain, he was going to fight anyway, and die doing so while his friend secreted me away.

Like hell!

Thayne

“Last warning, scum! Show yourself or I'll drag you down here by your entrails.”

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, doing my best to block out the bastard calling for my death, before opening them to gaze down upon the beauty that had stolen my heart in such a short amount of time. The sadness and panic that had been there before were distant now, being pushed away by a strong determination… but to do what?

“No. You will keep me safe, Thayne, because you’re going to win this fight.”

No, I wasn't. I was a strong vampire, a good fighter, but even I wasn't strong enough to win against Gideon, not with all Eve’s powerful blood in his system. I’d hoped for longer, a few more nights in which to keep him from feeding, but he wasn’t going to allow that to happen, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Grabbing my hand, she tried to pull me away from the bar, back towards the darkness of the club. “What are you doing?” I asked, allowing her to drag me so far before grounding my feet. If I was going to die, then I wanted it to be on my terms and die with my head held high, not being humiliated and made out to be afraid. I needed to answer Gideon’s call.

“You have to come with me, now.”

“Why?” Searching her wide eyes for answers but finding none.

“Because I will not allow you to face him on uneven footing,” she whispered, fire burning in her eyes and a firm determination blazing in their depths. “Let's even the playing field.”

She let go of my hand, her fingers fumbling with the fastenings of the shirt I had dressed her in before coming up to the club, undoing the top few buttons to reveal her creamy white flesh. Taking a step back further into the darkness, away from prying eyes, she brushed her hair over her shoulder and arched her neck temptingly.

She didn't… She didn’t mean for me to feed on her, surely?

“It’s okay, Thayne.”

“No. You don't want this. I know you don't. I promised.”

“You promised never to bite without permission, and you have it. I want this, Thayne. I want your fangs in me. I want my blood upon your tongue. Don't you want that too?”

I did. I wanted it so badly, had done since the first moment we had met, but not like this, not because of him.

Suddenly I remembered the look in her eyes early, the words I had sensed upon her lips while we made love, the ones that she had swallowed when her fear had spiked. She had wanted me to bite her earlier, wanted me to sink my fangs into that beautiful neck before but hadn’t been strong enough to push away the fear to do so. And now here she was, conquering her fear, for me?”

“Please, Thayne?” she begged. And then she whispered words that only I could hear, and I was a goner.  “I need you.”

Hidden in the shadows, I’d never felt more nervous, but at the same time excited. The thought of sinking my fangs into Eve’s soft, supple flesh had haunted my dreams for weeks, but the thought that it might cause her pain worried me. Every time she had fed before she had fought it, battled against the pleasure that the bite could invoke. Would it be the same now with me?

Taking her face in my hands, I asked her once more if she was sure that this is what she wanted to do.

“I can’t lose you, Thayne. And if that means giving you my blood, then I'm going to do it. Now please, hurry. Gideon will not wait much longer.”

She was right about that. I could feel the anger and impatience rolling off him from up here.

“Okay,” I sighed, taking a step closer, bringing her body flush with my own. “Don’t fight it. I couldn’t bear it if I hurt you.”

Arching her neck, she bared her throat to me, the sight taking away all of my reluctance. She was willing… I was taking.

Lowering my lips to her neck, I did my best to rain in my control. Her body was tense, her nerves getting the better of her. If she didn’t relax, the chance of the bite feeling good, pleasurable, was slim to none. As I kissed and licked her tempting flesh, the tension in her body began to ease until she became boneless in my arms. The small moan of pleasure that escaped her lips was just the sign I needed to strike.

The moment my fangs pierced her precious neck, and the first drop of her blood burst upon my tongue, I was on fire. The power. The rush. I had never felt anything like it.