“The sun did not harm you yesterday,” he murmured in a low voice. “Can you go out in it at any time?”
The tiny bat peeked out between his fingers. A soft chuckle escaped him when it looked like it tried to roll its eyes at him. This bat wasn’t like any bat he had ever seen before. Her dark brown fur was soft, her eyes large and filled with emotion, and her mouth, while filled with sharp, tiny teeth, was puckered into an adorable, little pout.
“I assume that means ‘no’,” Simon chuckled. “If I release you, will you not try to escape again?”
It took a moment before he saw the little head move up and down. Drawing in a deep breath, he slowly opened his hands. A reassuring smile curved his lips when he felt the slight tremble of the creature in his hand before it turned and jumped off his outstretched palms.
He watched in fascination as Tory’s soft, curvy figure formed a few feet away from him. He frowned when he noticed that when she transformed, his dressing gown was on her. When he transformed to the beast, he had to remove his clothing and redress otherwise it was destroyed.
“I… The sun doesn’t bother me,” Tory nervously replied, pushing a strand of wayward hair behind her ear as she glanced toward the window. “I like the sun.”
“What are you?” Simon asked in a quiet voice.
Tory laughed nervously. “Duh! I’m a Vampire,” she replied with a roll of her eyes. “Haven’t you ever met one before?”
“No,” Simon whispered as he stared at her in fascination. “Are there others? How can you go out into the sun? Why aren’t you cold? How… What the hell happened last night and does it happen every time you...?”
Simon sighed when Tory blushed again and bowed her head. She shook her head frantically back and forth before she replied. Simon stepped forward and tilted her chin up so that she was forced to look at him.
“No, there are not others? No, what happened last night doesn’t happen with anyone else?” He asked in frustration.
“Yes, there are others. There are lots of us, well, not lots and lots, but a whole town full of everybody,” she whispered, staring up at him. “No, I’ve never had that happen before. I don’t normally suck on people’s necks, it’s rude. But the few times I have, I’ve never experienced that before.” Her voice faded and her eyes dilated when he leaned down to brush a kiss over her upturned lips.
“Good,” he replied against her lips before kissing her again.
A low groan escaped him when she shyly returned his kiss. The feel of her soft, plump lips against his sent a shaft of need through him. The beast, having had a taste of what could happen, wanted it just as much as the man did. His hands slid down her body and gripped her hips.
It took a considerable amount of self-discipline to pull back. He watched as her eyelids fluttered open. Her gaze was dazed and the sight of her slightly parted lips pulled another groan from him. He needed answers, but if she continued to look at him like she was doing right now, the answers would come later, much, much later.
“Tell me about… everything,” he finally demanded after he drew in several, long, deep breaths. “You said there is a whole town of Vampires?”
Tory giggled and shook her head. “Not just Vampires,” she replied, tilting her head to the side. “There’s trolls and shifters and witches and, oh, we have a Genie, now! I bought him a couple weeks ago on ebay! There’s also my best friend, Maverick. He’s a Werewolf, too. Then, there’s Kevin. He’s a Garden Troll, but he hates dirt. He’s almost as bad as I am being a Vampire with a blood disorder! Who would’ve thought that could happen? Then, there’s…”
Simon’s hands tightened on Tory’s hips as she continued to talk. Werewolves, there were more of them! The beast inside him rose up in fury. There were others of his kind and they were close to Tory.
“Ouch,” Tory muttered, sliding her hands down to cover his.
“I’m sorry,” Simon said, releasing her and stepping back. “How can all of these creatures live together?”
“Why shouldn’t we? I mean, Magic is our home,” Tory replied, puzzled by his sudden closed expression. “Haven’t you ever met others like us?”
“No.”
“Oh,” Tory whispered, gazing up at him in uncertainty. “We are just like everybody else. We have families that we love, go to school, and watch television.”
“What about all the rumors about Vampires?” Simon asked, looking over Tory’s flushed face. “You are warm, you go out into the sun, and you eat. I saw you coming out of a restaurant last night.”
A soft sigh escaped Tory. “My rare steak that I paid thirty-two dollars for is ruined,” she moaned in regret. “Why shouldn’t I be warm? I mean, I can control my body temperature for the most part, but I hate being cold. That’s just… yucky.”
“Yucky?” Simon repeated with a shake of his head. “What happened last night? You were in pain. I could feel it, and yet when you bit me…. Damn it.” He broke off when he felt his body react to the memory of her biting him.
“You saved my life,” she admitted in a quiet voice. “I bit the other man to stop him. I have a slight blood disorder,” she blushed again and looked down at her hands that were folded together in front of her. “If I drink the wrong blood type, it can kill me.”
“Is that why you asked Youssef what his blood type was?” Simon asked in a deadly calm voice. “Is that why you wanted him to go out with you?”
Tory peeked up at him. “I love ‘A’ positive blood. It is a human’s equivalent to chocolate to me. He smelled good, but you smelled… delicious,” she admitted, looking away. “I couldn’t let you know I was a Vampire. I promised everyone back home. Youssef would have been safe. I wouldn’t have hurt him and I could make him forget if I did have a tiny sip.”
Simon’s eyes darkened with desire. If she was going to bite someone, it was damn well going to be him. He’d kill any other man.
“How often do you need to feed?” He asked in a husky voice.
“What? Feed?” She whispered as he slid his hands around her waist and pulled her closer. “I… What are you doing?”
“Offering you a meal,” Simon replied, lowering his head and tilting it just enough to tease her. “Are you hungry?”
“This is so not playing fair,” she protested in a soft, tortured voice as the scent of his blood made her mouth water. “Simon, please.”
“Say yes, Tory,” Simon encouraged, leaning closer. “Bite me, Tory.”
A low moan escaped her, but Simon knew he had won when he felt the scrape of her teeth along his flesh. Goosebumps rose along his skin as she brushed her teeth across his thundering vein. His hands tightened on her waist, encouraging her.
Pleasure and excitement burst through him when he felt the brief, sharp pain followed by ecstasy as she sank her fangs deep into his vein. His hands ripped the material of the dressing gown in half.
He cupped the back of her head when she started. He refused to let her stop. He wanted her. He needed her. This time, he was determined to have her on his terms.
He kept her mouth pressed against his neck with one hand, while he used the other to push off the trousers he had pulled on, but not fastened. Once he was able to kick them aside, he gathered her in his arms and strode back to the bed. His body was throbbing in time with the movement of her lips.
“Yes, Tory,” he groaned as he laid her back down on the silky, royal blue sheets of his bed. “Yes, drink.”
Her whimpers were all he needed to know that she was locked in the same haze of desire as he. He ran his hands up and down along her sides. On the third pass, he reached between them and threaded his fingers through the soft, dark curls covering her mound.
“Simon!” Tory gasped as her legs fell apart as he skimmed his fingers between them.
Simon quickly smothered her cry with his lips, tasting his blood on her lips as he did. His body had already healed the puncture marks from her teeth. Need rushed through him in a torrentia
l flood of burning fire. Satisfaction coursed through him when he felt the slickness of her body as his fingers slipped into her vaginal canal. The muscles along her vagina squeezed him as he pushed deeper and deeper until he came to the barrier he was searching for.
The beast inside him howled in triumph. She was theirs to conquer, to tame, and to totally possess. He would keep her away from the other Werewolves and strange creatures. He would be her alpha.
“Say my name again, Tory,” Simon demanded hoarsely as he pulled back. His hands moved back up and threaded through her thick, curly brown waves. “Say it. Say you want me.”
“I do want you, Simon,” she whispered in confusion. “I do…”
Simon didn’t let her finish her sentence. His lips captured hers again as he slid his body firmly over hers. Aligning his throbbing cock with her slick entrance. He pressed forward. A shudder shook him as the bulbous head of his cock slipped inside her. Fire and her desire wrapped around him as he claimed her. He rocked his hips back and forth. Each move pressed him deeper and deeper. When he felt her stiffen in surprise, he pressed forward. He caught her startled gasp as he drove as far as he could into her.
“Yes, Tory,” Simon groaned as he felt her body squeezing him. “Take me.”
“Simon,” Tory whimpered as her fingers curled into the skin of his shoulders as she stared up at him. “I… this isn’t… Oh, that feels so good.”
Simon had begun moving back and forth while he pressed hot kisses against her neck. He nipped at the tender skin of her neck and shoulder. He liked when she jerked in response. The beast inside him pushed against him. It wanted him to bite her and to mark her as his.
“Yes,” he growled in a rough voice. “Take me. Take all of me, Tory.”
Simon strained to keep a handle on his control. When Tory’s legs rose and wrapped around his waist, he came close to losing it. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he buried his face in the pillow next to her to keep from mating with her.
This was the first time he had ever wanted to claim a woman like this. Biting the pillow, he pumped into her faster and harder with each stroke as the desire to bite built inside him until he thought he would go mad. He felt her harsh breath against his neck again right before she sank her teeth into him again.
This time, his control snapped. He sank his own teeth into the pillow as he came deep inside her. The pulsing jets triggered her own orgasm. Her legs tightened around his waist, holding him to her as he spilled his seed deep into her womb.
Releasing the pillow, Simon let out a hoarse cry when her hand slid down along his side to grip his left ass cheek as she pressed against him. The feel of the tug on his neck, combined with the slight raking of her nails over his ass, pulled another orgasm from him.
“Tory,” Simon shouted out. “Yes!”
A shuddered ran through his body when she finally released his neck and ran her tongue over the two puncture wounds. He leaned down when she turned her face away from him and pressed a kiss to her shoulder.
He would never get enough of her. By the time the full moon was over in a few days, there would be no question that she belonged exclusively to him.
“Simon,” Tory’s whispered voice echoed in the room. “I think now is a bad time to tell you I’m not on birth control.”
Simon’s eyes widened at her softly spoken words. He leaned up so he could look down into her worried eyes. His mouth opened and he drew in a low, hissing breath.
“Vampires can get pregnant?” He asked faintly.
Simon watched as Tory’s eyes filled and she burst into tears. For a moment, he didn’t know what to think. He hadn’t realized that Vampires could cry either. Wrapping his arms back around her, he rolled so that she was lying across his chest.
This is turning out to be a little more complicated than I expected, he thought silently as he ran his hands up and down her back.
Chapter Nine
Tory glanced at Simon’s relaxed face as he slept. It was a good thing Vampire’s heal quickly, otherwise it would have been impossible for her to move without waking him. Hell, it would have been impossible to move at all after the number of times he had made love to her last night.
Sliding out of the bed, she picked up her discarded dress off the back of the chair. Dressing, she ran her fingers through her tousled hair. The good thing about curly hair was it always looked a bit wild and messy.
Walking silently over to the French doors leading out onto the balcony that wound around the corner Master bedroom, she glanced one last time toward the huge bed. A shiver of need coursed through her. She didn’t understand what it was about Simon, but she couldn’t seem to get enough of him. It was more than just his blood. There seemed to be some kind of connection between them that she had never felt before with any of the guys back home. Sure, her dad had put a spell on her. But really, if it had been that big a problem, she could have always gone to her Nonny or Aunt Topper for a cure.
She turned back and opened the door leading out onto the balcony. Transforming into a sleek Raven, she took off heading back to Alexandru’s apartment. She needed time to think about what happened.
As if I could forget! She thought in resignation as she soared through the cool morning air.
Simon had held her tightly while she cried. Of course, all that cuddling and stroking had turned to something else. The fact that he had remained locked to her also hadn’t hurt.
Just the thought of his rough palms sliding over her skin sent a shiver through her. He had started out caressing her breasts, then licking her nipples, before he pulled each one into his mouth as he slowly moved in and out of her.
A loud squawk escaped her as she almost face-planted into a tree branch. Swerving, she flew higher. If she wasn’t careful, she’d lose focus, transform, and fall to the ground!
Half an hour later, she released a sigh as she glided down to the alley behind her building. Making sure the coast was clear, she transformed just a few feet off the ground. She stepped quickly around the corner, smoothing her dress and tucking a wild strand of hair behind her ear as she opened the wrought iron gate to the entrance of the building.
Jogging up the narrow steps, she punched in the security code and opened the heavy wooden door. A breath of relief escaped her as it closed behind her. She glanced at the elevator before deciding to take the stairs.
Her hand ran along the banister of the old wooden staircase. The smooth, worn wood made her think of all those that had climbed the steps before her. She wondered how many were now living in the cemetery where she had been only two nights before. Two nights! Her life had changed so much in such a short time.
Twenty-four years of being protected and two days on her own and she had royally screwed up her life! She wiped angrily at a tear that escaped. Maybe her dad had been right. Maybe she was too young to be out on her own. After all, Vampires didn’t age at the same rate as a human.
Her hand slid to her stomach. Even after she had warned Simon that she wasn’t on birth control, he had made love to her over and over as if he couldn’t get enough of her either. Maybe it wasn’t as easy for a Vampire to get pregnant.
She bit her bottom lip as she stepped onto the third floor landing. Walking down the narrow hallway, she stopped in front of the door to the apartment. Pressing in the code, she opened the door and stepped inside. Locking the door behind her, she crossed the living room, heading for her bedroom.
The first thing she would do is take a long, hot bath. The second thing she would do is contact her mom. She needed to know if…
“No, not mom,” she whispered, touching her stomach again. “I’ll contact the Fates. If anyone would know, they would.”
***
An hour later, Tory fingered her hair nervously while she sat in front of the mirrored vanity waiting for one of her Godmothers to pick up her call. She tried to school her features when Destiny’s smiling face shimmered for a moment before it cleared. Behind her, T
ory could see a line of toilet stalls with different names on them.
“Hi love,” Destiny answered. “How are things going?”
Tory rolled her eyes. “Like you don’t already know,” Tory muttered. “Destiny, I need to know if I’m… if I’m…” Tears filled Tory’s eyes as Destiny’s expression softened with concern. “I’m so confused.”
“Things will work out, Tory. You just have to believe that,” Destiny responded.
“I met someone. He’s a Werewolf,” Tory blurted out. “We… He… Am I pregnant?”
Destiny chuckled. She turned as the door opened. Fortune and Aura came inside. Both were dressed up. Fortune had a long, sparkling red dress while Aura wore a 1920’s gold Flapper dress.
“No, love,” Fortune answered. “You are not pregnant.”
“Thank you!” Tory breathed out in relief. “What’s going to happen? Why do I feel so confused when I’m around Simon? What should I do?”
“Only you can answer that, sweetheart,” Aura said. “The future is never set in stone. Well, most of it.”
“I know,” Tory whispered miserably. “I just wanted to have some fun. All I wanted was to see a little bit of the world that Benjamin and Alexandru talked about. Now, now I think I would have been better just staying in Magic.”
“Where it was safe?” Aura asked.
“Where it was boring?” Fortune asked.
“Where you would never have met Simon Drayton?” Destiny added.
“Yes,” Tory muttered, leaning forward on her elbows and resting her chin on her palms.
“Why?” All three of her godmothers asked at the same time.
“Before he fell asleep…” Tory blushed a bright red, but didn’t look away. “Before he fell asleep, he said he would never let me go. That I was his.”
“And that scared you,” Destiny replied in a gentle voice.
“Yes,” Tory nodded.
Aura turned with a grumble. “We have to go. One of the patron’s is about to have a baby in here. Trust in the future, Tory.”