Unknown - Scorched

Sliding down his body, Connie sought his mouth, drawing in his tongue, teasing his lips with her teeth. She’s changed, he thought. More than her physical form had altered. Inhibitions had been stripped away, the ability to find and give pleasure brought to the fore.

Of course, that was how a vampire hunted. It ran in the blood Caravelli had fed her, part of the necessary DNA of the species. That was fine with Mac. No complaints on his end. Until she bit him, fangs sinking deep into the heavy muscle of his neck.

The white-hot sensation ripped through his body. He felt his own hot blood guttering in the hollow of his collarbone, the pressure as she bit even deeper, her fangs slicing into flesh.

Shit!

He was about to throw her off when he felt the cold tingle of venom, spreading like an ice cloud through his veins. Oh, Lord. The freezing sensation numbed him for a moment, extinguished the pain, then turned to a balmy warmth as it reached his belly.

“You’re hot and spicy,” she said, her pupils dilated to pools of black. “You make me warm inside.”

She licked his chest, dragging her tongue over the swell of muscle, circling his nipple with butterfly flicks of her tongue.

He was lost. Euphoria rose like a tide, sexual desire flooding him with life-and-death urgency. Connie’s hands were all over him, his all over her, clothes disappearing, his only objective to bury himself inside her.

Mac was harder than he’d ever been in his life. On fire. He thrust inside her, spearing her flesh as she had his. Her hips rose to meet him, a moan of pleasure escaping her. She was more than ready, slick and welcoming. Her legs hooked around him, holding him tight.

Mac’s head swam, the conscious part of his brain buried in animal sensation. The venom drove him, burning through his demon-hot veins like whisky. He pushed harder and harder, plunging and withdrawing, sparing nothing. He was created for only one thing: the here and now. Possession.

Connie came first, the orgasm tearing a throaty cry from her. Her body clenched, pulsing around him, milking him. Her nails shredded his back, writing her claim into his skin. He hissed through his teeth. The feel of her digging in wound through him, a bloody thread piercing his wild desire. The sting of it brought him, a hard, convulsive explosion. Hot and wet, he poured into her, spending himself until he was nothing but a mindless shell.

He collapsed on his side, as exhausted as if his battery pack had suddenly been ripped out. Connie curled against him, hooking a leg over his hip. He was aware of her there, but he was somewhere outside of his body, perhaps a stunned dust mote in the Milky Way.

Wow.

The venom rambled through his body, turning what was left of his mind to boiled spaghetti. Or maybe that was his limbs.

“Mac?” Connie whispered.

Why do women always want to talk after sex?

“Mm?”

He felt her hand, cool and soft, on his cheek. “I didn’t take much blood. It’s not really food for me. But it was exciting.”

This was a conversation he needed to be awake for. He forced his eyes open and took a deep breath. It forced back the venom haze a notch.

“I didn’t know demons could be rolled by a vampire bite.” He sounded drunk.

“It won’t last,” she said, her voice thick with apology. “It won’t addict you. Alessandro said so.”

You were discussing our sex life with him? Great.

“Forgive me.”

“Hey, that was pretty fine,” he managed a crooked smile. “It’s all right?”

“Oh, yeah.”

She blinked hard, her eyes filling with pinkish tears. “I can’t help myself. Something takes over...”

“Hey. Hey.” Mac raised himself on one elbow, drawing her to him. “You couldn’t help it. You’re just a newbie. Every vampire has to learn control. That’s just the way it is.”

“I could hurt someone when I bite. I did hurt someone, and yet I still want it so much. I didn’t think it would be like this. So out of control.”

He kissed her, remembering the terror of his own first days with Geneva. The memory made him hug Connie tighter. “Hey, with me, just let yourself go and enjoy it. We’re consenting adults, demon and vamp. You can’t really hurt me. No harm, no foul.”

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Even if this happened to me unintentionally, I have to be honest—I wanted the power of the Undead. I wanted so much to be able to fight at least some of my own battles. But I had little idea of the price.”

“You don’t think it’s worth it?”

She sank back onto her pillow, looking up at him. “You became a demon. You tell me.”

He wanted to sugarcoat the answer, but he stopped himself. She needed the truth. “The first time I Turned, it was awful. This time wasn’t so bad. I’m learning to live with it.”

“Really?”

“I don’t have a choice. I don’t know how to go back to being human.”

Connie stroked his arm, her fingers running over the curve of his biceps. “What about your people? Your friends? How did they take it?”

Mac hesitated. Another tough question.

“My letters came back unopened.”

Connie put her hand to his cheek. “That’s sad.”

“Their loss. I’m still the same guy.”

She was pensive. “Is that really true?”

He captured her hand, kissed her palm. “I’ve changed, but not as much as they think.”

He angled his body to face her, putting all his reassurance into a kiss. Her lips were cool, soft, and sweet, but she seemed suddenly shy. He didn’t push.

“What is it?”

“Mac, I...” She trailed off, looking away. He was only half listening, fascinated by the long line of her throat.

“I can see your world is beautiful. There’s so much to love in it, but I...”

He brought himself back to the conversation. “What?”

She covered her face with her hands. “Too much has changed too fast. I need something I know. I want to go home.”

“It’s dangerous in the Castle. I’d rather you and Sylvius and, yeah, Viktor, Were out here.”

“Give us some time.”

“Why put yourselves in danger?”

“Oh, Mac, in there I won’t feel like a monster. Here, I’m hungry all the time. Starving.”

“You’ll gain more control.”

“But right now it’s like a thousand voices shouting in my head, demanding and demanding. I’m not sure where I am inside myself. I feel like a bystander and all these appetites are ruling my soul. I gained strength in some ways, but I’m weaker in others. I bit you. Just now. And I liked it so much.”

Mac felt for her, as if his heart spiraled into an abyss. “I know, sweetheart. I’ve been where you are. You get control by facing your hungers. You can’t hide forever.”

Her silver-blue eyes were sad. “I know. Please, please understand that after being frozen for so many years, I just need to take all this slowly. Come to me. Come to me often, but give me some time.”

Sweetheart, I wish I could.

She squeezed his hand. “I have to do this, Mac. Don’t rush me.”

She gave him a stubborn look. He loved it, because he could see the steel underneath all her doubts. She was having a rough ride, but she was giving herself what she needed.

Too bad it wasn’t in the cards. Mac had wanted to wait, to spare her what he knew, but his options had just run out. “Connie, I need to tell you what I found out about the Castle. And Sylvius.”

He leaned over her, wrapping her fingers in his, and told her about Atreus, the Avatar, and the guardsmen’s plan to murder her son.

October 9, 10:00 p.m. 101.5 FM