Annie Nicholas - Bait

I felt my eyes bulge in their sockets. “I don’t want to be a vampire.” My voice so soft I could barely hear it.

He sighed with impatience. “There’s more to that than a little lick of blood. This will strengthen you and heal your blood loss.”

“But I’ll be bound to you.”

“Yes, you’ll be getting your life spark from me.”

“I don’t want—” He dripped a couple of drops into my mouth while I spoke. I tried to spit them out. Being eternally tied to Tane was worse than hell. I’d take my chances.

“I’ve had enough of these theatrics. End it.” Dragos laughed. “She doesn’t even want to be saved.”

Tane shoved the wound to my mouth and coaxed more blood into it. Metallic, salty flavor assaulted my tongue. I fought not to swallow it and tried to make eye contact with my lover.

Rurik stood behind Dragos. The broad sword braced in two hands he dragged it out of his chest. Sweat beaded on his forehead as the muscles on his neck corded with exertion. It glided out. Rurik took the hilt in his hands and brought the huge sharp blade over his shoulder. “Master.” As Dragos twisted at the sound of his title, Rurik beheaded him. The body fell at his feet and the head flew next to the door. It rolled until stopped by one of the bodies blocking the doorway.

Tane rubbed his thumb down my throat which caused me to swallow reflexively.

“Bastard.” Rurik shoved him from me and lifted my head to his chest wound. “Drink from me as well, baby. It might prevent the binding if you drink from both of us.”

Tane staggered away from us. “You don’t know that.”

I drank from Rurik’s heart wound. It tasted different from Tane’s, smoother with less metallic flavor.

“This ends any ties between us, Tane.”

“On the contrary, this shackles you to me.”

Night surrounded me and swallowed me whole. I floated away and waited for the light. The one you hear about on daytime talk shows but it didn’t show up. Someone came toward me and I extended my hand to him. “Rurik, my sweet-souled vampire, won’t you come and wash away my pain?”

He smiled. “Even unconscious you steal my heart. Follow me home, Rabbit. Back to consciousness, I won’t lose you now I’ve finally found you.”

My eyes fluttered open to find myself in his arms, where I belonged. “You did it. You killed Dragos and saved me.” I whispered.

“It’s about bloody time, too.” Tane stood over Dragos ’ body. “You were supposed to spare me this, Rurik.” His voice cracked with emotion. “He may have become mad but I still loved him.” Recent events still unprocessed I watched in shock as he pulled the serrated knife from his rolled up sleeve. He knelt by Dragos ’ body and tore his t-shirt open. With a confident grip on the dagger he made an incision below the breast bone. He reached inside, under the rib cage, and ripped out the heart. It still pumped, slow and steady, his organ as black as his soul.

I retched. My empty stomach heaved again as the smell reached me.

Tane regarded me. “Well done, Rabbit.”

I wiped the spit from my mouth. “Asshole.”

A scuffing at the door caught my attention. Eric waited until Tane acknowledged him with a nod. “The house is secure with his men’s assistance.” He pointed to Colby.

“Good, toss me the head.” The fireplace ignited with flames high enough to lick at the mantle.

I jumped at the sight and Rurik tightened his hold on me.

Eric tossed the head to Tane who waited by the fire with the heart. He dropped both in. The flames died down to just the small intense blue ones as if afraid to touch the flesh.

Tane growled and closed his eyes. “Don’t be so stubborn, Dragos. You’ve lost, your reign is over.” He spoke as if Dragos could hear. The flames returned with new vigor and a dark smoke leaked into the room.

Good riddance. We won, the thought sank in and I twisted to smile at Rurik. Somehow we prevailed against the dark god of old. Even though our relationship was only days old, we’d both been willing to risk our lives for each other, those acts spoke volumes. He never needed to tell me how much he loved me, he’d shown me.

We all watched fire. For what, I’m not sure. Maybe for Dragos ’ ghost to appear or his decapitated body to rise. Neither happened.

Instead, Red stomped into the room. “What the fuck is goin ’ on around here?” He glanced at my blood stained lips. “Colby, you lettin ’ her drink from that thing?” He loomed over everyone, a bandage on one arm and a machete in the other.

Rurik backed away from the two experienced slayers with me clasped in his arms.

Both of them followed.

“I want to stay with him. Red you promised me.” I pointedly looked in Tane’s direction. “You should go. Get the team out.”

“You’re part of that team.” Colby didn’t budge.

“Not anymore.” I slid my hand up Rurik’s healed chest. “I’ve been compromised.”

Colby’s eyes swam with sorrow. He understood. It was the biggest risk to being bait, to get caught. “Damn.”

I don’t mind the sun sometimes and watched the last of its rays dance on the horizon before the night tucked them in for bed. The sky darkened but the city’s golden lights held back my gloom. I loved Budapest.

A wall of overstuffed pillows surrounded me and I snuggled deeper into the blankets. I could sleep for a week. Some of the bedding accompanied Rurik to the bathroom with the dawn. Coffins made sense now that I tucked him into a tub twice since we’ve met. A bedroom with no windows would be nice but not common.

The bathroom door opened and the subject of my thoughts strutted across the room naked. Lean and graceful muscles moved below his pale skin. His black thick hair curled around his ears. The wounds were all healed, not even a scar. I could watch him all day.

He slid under the warm covers and wrapped me in his arms. “I can get use to this.”

“Sleeping in tubs?”

He gave a low, deep chuckle. “No, having a warm naked body to curl next to when I wake.” He nuzzled my earlobe and it shot sparks of desire straight to my core. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

His voice caressed something needy and hurt inside of me. “I’m glad I fed before the dawn. I don’t think I could have resisted you.”

“No feedings for awhile.” I cleared my throat and shifted in his arms. Dragos tainted that for me. The physical pains of my bite would fade with time but the emotional scars he reopened frightened me. It took so much energy to heal them the first time.

Rurik brushed his lips on my cheeks. “You’re not alone anymore. I’m here for you. No feeding, no mental touches until you’re ready.”

The concern in his voice soothed the raw tender bits of my soul. He really would wait and support me. Never leave me alone. I touched his chin and drew him close. “I love you.”

Those magical words brought beautiful warmth to his wintry eyes. “I love you too, my Rabbit.”

“Just your Rabbit. No one else can call me that. Not even that bastard Tane. If an eternity passes it will still be too soon for me to see him again.” I wanted to spend the night like this, just the two of us, no emergencies, fights, or Nosferatu.

“You rescued me from the darkness, after I lost consciousness. Where were we?”

“Close to your end, I think. I’ve never been before, I followed you there.” He touched his lips to mine and gave me slow, gentle kisses taking his time to savor each touch. “After only five nights, I found myself willing to battle death himself for you.” He raised himself on his elbow, concern pulled at the corners of his eyes. “You are staying with me?”