Undone (The Amoveo Legend) (19 page)

Pete groaned, and his eyelids fluttered open as he said something incoherent, and his body twitched.

“Pete… please.” Marianna leaned close and brushed tender kisses along his forehead.
Pete,
she whispered his name as she touched his mind with hers.
Please
don’t leave me.

“If I do this—” Olivia whispered intently. “If I turn him, then he is vampire, and his allegiance will always be to the Presidium. Mate or no mate.” She kept her narrowed eyes fixed on Marianna. “Having a vampire for your mate will be no less complicated than being mated to him as a human—probably more.”

Olivia turned her attention to Pete. “Are you up for this, Mr. Hottie? Actually, you’re not that hot right now.” Her lips curved. “It’s more like Mr. Oh-Shit-I-Got-My-Ass-Kicked.”

He struggled to speak, and his body shook with effort as two simple words rushed from his lips. “Bite me.”

“The Presidium will have a fucking field day with this one,” Olivia said wearily.

Marianna watched as Olivia bared her white fangs and sank them into the vein on the inside of Pete’s elbow. Her long, pale fingers gripped his arm like a vice as she drank deeply. Her body shuddered as she took one long last pull before coming up for air.

Marianna noticed that for the first time, Olivia’s cheeks were pink, and her green eyes sparkled brilliantly.

“Son of a bitch, that tastes great.” She gave Marianna an apologetic look. “Sorry. I don’t have live feeds often, and I’ve never tasted anything like this before. If he tastes this good as only half demon, I think that the pure demon blood would send me into a fucking pleasure coma.”

Marianna reached out and grabbed her friend, who wavered on her knees and looked like she might pass out herself. Olivia shook her head and sucked in a few steadying breaths.

“I’m fine. Just a little blood drunk, but it should pass in a minute. Damn.” She let out a whistle and gave Marianna a sidelong glance. “You two had quite the fun month at that cabin… I’ll never look at a snowmobile the same way again.”

Marianna’s face heated with embarrassment as she kept her gaze fixed firmly on Pete.

“Not trying to be a Peeping Olivia, but I can’t help it. Blood memories, sorry.” Olivia grinned as she sliced her own wrist with razor-sharp fangs. She placed the bleeding wound over Pete’s mouth and lifted his head as she let the dark, ancient blood flow into his mouth.

Olivia looked to see what Asmodeus thought, but he said nothing. Tramp trotted to the couch, jumped up, laid over Pete’s legs, and let out a low whine.

“There’s a dog on my sofa.” Olivia shook her head. “The only thing harder to get out than bloodstains… is dog stink.”

Tramp growled, and his eyes burned red.

“Excuse me.” Olivia sighed and rolled her eyes. “Hellhound stink.”

Olivia removed her wrist from Pete’s mouth, and Marianna watched as the wound closed completely seconds after. The ivory skin of her wrist looked fresh and unmarred. Olivia stood wearily and sat on the edge of the coffee table as she pulled Pete’s sleeve back down.

“Now,” she said on a sigh, “we wait. He’d already lost a lot of blood before our blood exchange so… we have to wait and see. She turned to Asmodeus. “So what’s your story?”

“Thank you for helping my son,
vampire
.”

“It’s Olivia.” She zipped around Asmodeus and came up behind him in a barely visible flash. He didn’t move, but stood motionless with his muscular arms crossed over his broad chest, as he allowed her to inspect him. Olivia grabbed his head and tilted it to one side as she took a long sniff of the skin along his neck. Fangs burst into her mouth, and her eyes fluttered closed as she breathed in his exotic aroma.

“Holy shit.” Olivia sighed as she released his head and stepped away in an almost drunken stupor. A smile curved her full pink lips. “You smell like the best fuck I ever had… and then some.”

“Yes,” he mused. He lifted his muscular shoulders and watched as she moved around him slowly this time. “That sounds about right.”

“You are the Demon of Lust,” she said through a shuddering breath. “Sweet Jesus, what do the others smell like? I almost had an orgasm from one whiff.”

“Belphegor, the Demon of Sloth, smells like shit, so I doubt you’d be getting any orgasms from him.” The smile that played on Asmodeus’s lips faltered, and his eye glowed bright red as he lost his patience. “I’d be happy to school you further on the rest of the brotherhood at another time, but it’s time for me to take my leave.”

Marianna stroked Pete’s hair as she gave Asmodeus a weary smile. “Thank you.”

Asmodeus bowed his head and vanished in a cloud of smoke.

The sweet and familiar scent of peaches and vanilla filled Pete’s head as he emerged from the deepest sleep of his life. As the fog lifted, he heard the distinct rhythm of three heartbeats.

“Pete?” Marianna’s melodic voice surrounded him. “Can you hear me?”

Pete’s eyes flew open as the bloody memories of his encounter with Artimus swamped him. Images flashed through his mind. Marianna trapped beneath Hayden as he attacked her. A massive bear claw slashing him to pieces. Artimus’s head being blown to smithereens. Marianna passed out on the bed.

Then… darkness.

“Marianna,” he shouted as he sat up in the bed and reached for her instinctively.

Well, he’d meant to sit up in bed, but instead, he found himself clinging to the ceiling above an unfamiliar bedroom.

“What the fuck?” Pete looked frantically around the room beneath him. Another memory crept in—he had told Olivia to bite him. Apparently, she did.

“I guess it worked.” Olivia elbowed a concerned Marianna and waved to Pete. “Come on down from there, and have something to eat.”

Bewildered and more than a little embarrassed, Pete let go of the ceiling and landed silently on two feet, as sure as a cat. Wearing only sweatpants, he slowly stood to his full height, keeping his gaze intent on Marianna, who looked at him through wide brown eyes.

“What happened?” He didn’t move, unsure of exactly what was going on.

“Drink this,” Olivia said as she held out a coffee mug.

Pete didn’t take it at first because he was too busy filtering out the array of sounds and smells. The ticking of the clock on the other side of the bedroom sounded like it was inside his head instead of twenty feet away. He could hear Tramp’s panting from the living room, and the three heartbeats he heard were coming from Marianna and the babies in her womb.

The world was brighter, sharper, and louder than it had ever been before. He didn’t think it would be possible, but Marianna was more beautiful. His body hummed with power—and he was starving.

Whatever was in that mug smelled like bacon, eggs, and French toast all rolled into one. Pete snatched the mug from Olivia’s hand and sucked back the warm liquid like his life depended on it. Warmth rushed through his veins, and power surged.

He swiped at his mouth and held it to Olivia. “More.”

“I’m your maker, not your mother.” Olivia smirked and walked to the door of the bedroom. “There’s a full pitcher of blood on the dresser, and if you need to warm it up, the microwave is in the kitchen.”

“Olivia?” Marianna looked nervously from Olivia to Pete. “That’s it? Don’t you need to do vampire training or something?”

“Not right now.” Olivia smiled, baring her fangs. “He’ll have to be trained for the first year of his new life. As his maker, he’s my responsibility, but you two need time to get reacquainted. He didn’t try to rip your throat out when he woke up, so he’s not suffering from a bad turn.”

Pete’s eyes widened. “I’d never hurt her.”

“I didn’t think you would, but until the change is complete, we never know.” She lifted a shoulder. “Usually, when someone is changed, they’re the same person they were before. If you were an asshole as a human, you’re an asshole as a vampire. A good guy is a good vampire… usually.”

“Right.” Pete swallowed and flicked his gaze to Marianna. She stared at him wide-eyed with her hands on her belly. Clad in a simple tank top and yoga pants, she looked more gorgeous than ever, but the look on her face brought him pause. Was she afraid? Of what he’d become? The truth was that he didn’t really know what he was. “I’m not exactly the usual vampire though. Am I?”

“Nope. Actually, it’ll be interesting to see what effects your demon blood has on you as a vampire.” A grin cracked her face. “Okay, kids. He’s got a full supply of blood and should be fine for right now. Besides, it’s daytime, and I’m fucking exhausted. By the way, don’t be surprised if you can’t sleep. You’ve been asleep for two days while the change took place, so it’ll take you some time to get used to your new system.”

“Thank you,” Pete murmured.

The women watched as he took the pitcher from the dresser and drank greedily, directly from it. He never dreamed that blood would taste good—hell—good didn’t cover it. It was fan-fucking-tastic. He drained the pitcher dry and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I should’ve known,” Olivia said through a laugh. “You’re that guy who drank milk right out of the carton when nobody was watching, weren’t you?”

“Sorry.” Pete gave them a sheepish grin and placed the mug and pitcher on the dresser. His face grew serious, and his dark eyebrows furrowed. “Thank you again, for saving my life.”

“Yeah.” Olivia sighed. “Well, I didn’t save your life… I changed it. You and Marianna will stay with me over the next few weeks while you get used to our world. You’ll register with the Presidium records keeper and be introduced to the members at their next meeting. If I had to make a bet, I’d say that they’re going to want to recruit you as a Sentry.”

“One of their soldiers?” Marianna asked. “Aren’t they executioners?”

“Sometimes,” Olivia said casually. The concerned look on Pete’s face caught her attention. “Relax, big guy. They aren’t a kill squad or anything. They’re basically vampire cops.” She rubbed her neck and closed her eyes wearily. “We’ve got ground to cover, and you’ve got a lot to learn, but right now, I’m going to my room.”

The door clicked shut as Olivia left Pete alone with Marianna. An intense hunger gnawed at him, and it kicked into high gear as Marianna’s familiar scent filled his nostrils. He closed his eyes as he took in the distinct aroma, and suddenly, a pair of fangs burst into his mouth. He ran his tongue along the smooth surface, but winced as he drew blood when he touched the sharp points.

Marianna gasped. “Are—are you still hungry?” she asked in husky whisper as her heart rate picked up a notch. The seductive beat filled his head and made every single inch of him hard as stone. “I could get more from the kitchen, if you’d like.”

“I’m most definitely hungry,” he murmured. “But not for food.”

A split second later, in a blur of flesh, he was across the room and had effortlessly scooped Marianna into his arms. Her brown eyes shifted into the dark, glowing eyes of her clan, and her lips parted on a sigh as she linked her arms around his neck.

“What did you have in mind?” She arched one dark eyebrow, and her lips curled into a sexy grin.

“Something like this,” he murmured.

In a rush of wind, he laid her out on the bed and stripped the sweatpants from his heated body. Pete settled his body over her and kept himself raised with his hands pinned on either side of her head. He stayed there for a few moments, taking in every curve, every gorgeous inch of his mate.

Pete linked his pinky finger beneath the strap of her top and pulled it down, baring her neck and the beautiful curve of her shoulder. He trailed butterfly kisses along the smooth skin as he pulled the other strap down and tugged the top to her waist. He cursed softly as he took in the sight of her bare breasts.

Marianna threaded her fingers through his short hair as he brought one caramel-colored nipple into his mouth and suckled. She moaned and held him as he lavished attention on her sensitive breasts.

He moved further down, but lifted his head when he reached her belly, and placed a sweet kiss there before dragging her pants from her body. The knowledge that his children were growing in her womb made him love her more than he thought possible.

Marianna lay naked and wanting, looking at him through hooded eyes as he kissed his way over the curve of her hip, wanting to taste her. The bruises and swelling from Hayden’s attack had faded from sight, but Pete wanted to make sure he washed that day from her memory.

She sighed contentedly as he licked and kissed his way up her body and finally settled over her again. Her skin felt like warm silk beneath his lips, and the sound of her heartbeat surrounded him. He captured her mouth with his and tangled his fingers in her long, dark hair.

He lay there, kissing her and reveling in the touch of her tongue along his.
I
love
you, Pete.
Her voice touched his mind and heightened his pleasure. There was something wildly erotic about joining her body
and
her mind.

He broke the kiss and gave her a wicked grin
. I want you on top.

A moment later, he was on his back, Marianna was straddling him, and he was buried deep inside. She gasped with surprise as his fingers gripped her hips and urged her to move. Marianna closed her eyes and threw her head back as she started to ride him.

Slowly at first, she rotated her hips as he held her, and let out tiny gasps of pleasure. She lifted her arms over her head and arched her back, which only accentuated those spectacular breasts. Pete sat up and wrapped his arms around her as she rode him faster and took him deeper into the warmth of her body.

Heat flickered over his skin, and his eyes burned as he grabbed her breast and took it into his mouth. Marianna reached behind her and took his balls in her hand as she feverishly writhed in his arms. Pleasure flared through him, and as the orgasm crested, Pete’s fangs burst into his mouth.

Without thinking or realizing what he was doing, he gathered her hair in one hand and tilted her head as he sank his fangs into the tender flesh of her neck. The moment he pierced her skin, they climaxed together hard and fast. Marianna screamed as she raked her nails across his back, and he moaned as her sweet blood flowed into his mouth and splashed down his throat.

Lights flashed behind his eyes, and it felt as if every cell in his body buzzed with electricity. Marianna’s blood made that stuff in the pitcher seem paltry. She tasted like summertime and sex. She tasted like home.

He drank for only a moment before releasing her, but any pleasure he felt was swiftly replaced by guilt, as he saw the puncture wounds he’d made and the blood that trickled down her neck. However, to his amazement, the holes closed before his eyes and faded as if they’d never been there.

Marianna, her face buried in the hollow of his neck, was shaking and breathing like she’d run a marathon. Her body was limp, and for a second, he thought she’d passed out or he’d taken too much blood.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. God, he felt like a monster. “Marianna?”

“That-was-un-fucking-believable,” she said through hitching breaths. With his body locked inside hers, she sat up in his arms and looked at him through confused eyes. “What on earth are you sorry for?”

“I—I bit you.” He flopped back on the bed and threw one arm over his face. “I drank your blood, Marianna.”

“Yes, you did.” Marianna climbed off him and snuggled her naked, sweaty body against his. “I suppose that goes with the territory, but you didn’t hear me complaining, did you?”

“No.” He put his arm behind his head and forced himself to look her in the eye. To his great relief, the only thing he saw there was love and trust. “I could’ve hurt you or the babies.”

“You would never hurt me or our children.” She draped herself over his chest and ran her fingers through his dark chest hair. “Everything will be fine. Actually, better than fine.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re immortal now.” She flicked her gaze away and bit her lower lip.

“Your powers—” A smile cracked his face as he realized what she was talking about. “You shouldn’t age now either, right?”

“Yes. Well, at least I think so but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.” She flicked his nipple with her tongue and grinned mischievously. “Think of all the fun we can have along the way.” Marianna nuzzled his neck and pulled the covers over their naked bodies. “I’m surprised that you’re still so warm. Olivia’s skin feels much cooler.”

“Maybe that’s one of the side effects of having demon blood.”

“Maybe.” She kissed his cheek and whispered, “I’ll take you any way that I can get you.”

They lay in one another’s arms in silence as Pete listened to the sound of Marianna’s heartbeat and the two softer pulses of the babies. They were faint, but he could tell they were strong and healthy.

“It’s a boy and a girl,” he said quietly.

She lifted her head to look at him, and a smile curved her lips. “How do you know?”

“I just know.” He wrapped one long lock of hair around his finger and rubbed the smooth strands with his thumb. “What kind of father can I be to those children, Marianna? I can’t take them out to the playground on a sunny afternoon or take them to school. The whole bursting-into-flames-in-sunlight thing makes that problematic.”

“That will not be a problem for you.” Asmodeus’s thunderous voice burst through the room.

Pete flew from the bed, naked as a jaybird, and grabbed Asmodeus by the throat before realizing who he was. Marianna shrieked, clutched the covers over her naked body, and gaped at them.

“Don’t you believe in knocking?” Pete seethed as he dropped his hand from his father’s throat. He snagged his discarded sweatpants from the floor and dragged them over his hips.

“I don’t use doors.” Asmodeus sauntered to the oversized chair in the corner and made himself comfortable. “I don’t know what you’re upset about. I waited until you were finished,” he said with a wink at Marianna.

“What are you doing here?” Pete folded his arms over his chest and stared at his father. “And what do you mean… it won’t be a problem for me?”

“Sunlight.” Asmodeus sat in the chair and crossed his legs with his usual air of arrogance. “Your demon blood will allow you to be a Daywalker—to a point. You shouldn’t attempt to sunbathe, but you will tolerate a certain amount of direct sunlight.” He grinned, and his eyes burned red. “This will work to your advantage with the Presidium. There are only a handful of vampires who are Daywalkers, so this will make you quite a valuable commodity to them.”

“So these other… Daywalkers,” Pete began cautiously. “They’re like me. They’ve got demon blood?”

“No.” He ran one large hand over his dark beard. “They are vampires who found their blood mates—it’s extremely rare. At any rate, I wanted to make you aware, so you could use this information to your advantage when you meet members of the Presidium. If they give you a hard time, it will be a useful bargaining chip.”