Forever Mine Page 9

  “You’ll all pay for this.” Hector roared with anger as he pulled the broken stick from his chest.

  Kendra, desperate not to let her plan fail, flung herself at Hector. She wrapped her arms around his and squeezed as tightly as she could manage.

  “Get the sword! Now!” she screamed.

  She heard the rumble and scrape of the men clamoring to gain hold of the sword.

  Hector jerked wildly in her grip. He flung his head backwards, slamming into hers.

  Pain shot through her body; her head felt as if it would split open. Stars danced in her vision. Her grip loosened, and she slumped down his body.

  “Please. Now… hurry,” she moaned.

  Hector roared again.

  Kendra looked up. Light glinted off a blade as Marcus swung through the air.

  It wasn’t as clean or pretty as she had hoped it would be, but after a few wild swings, Hector’s head hung from his neck, connected by a few bits of sinew. He slumped to the floor, twitching as final death slowly began to take hold.

  Kendra looked from Hector to Marcus and back. Hector’s life slipping away as the seconds ticked by but Marcus was in limbo; not a vampire, but no longer human either. She’d have to turn him eventually. Her freedom had finally come, but Marcus was doomed to become her slave.She wondered if using Hector’s blood for the final transfusion would break their bond. Marcus would still be a vampire, but would no longer be tied to her. It had never been attempted before, but it was worth a shot; but she only had moments to spare to try it.

  “Marcus, come here. Now.” Kendra said in a tone that brooked no arguments. “The rest of you,” she glared at Troy, Chad, and Mike, “Stay back.”

  Kendra grabbed ahold of Hector’s arms and sliced it with her nail. “Drink this,” she commanded, hoping there was enough blood left in his body to make it work; most of it was pooling around them on the floor.

  Marcus looked as if he wanted to argue but thought better of it. He put the bleeding wrist to his mouth and drank.

  Kendra grabbed Marcus’s free hand and bit into it, flooding her mouth with his blood. Together they drank until the life left Hector’s body. The moment he expired was pure ecstasy.

  Freedom was something she had not known for ten years. Hector had always been there like a shadow in her mind, weighing her down like a leaden cloak. Now she felt as free and light as if she could float right up to the sky.

  Kendra became aware of the guys circling around her as Marcus slumped over, convulsing as Hector’s blood coursed through his body. She looked up meeting Gary’s shocked eyes.

  “Someone want to tell me what the heck happened here?” Gary asked, appalled. “There’s blood everywhere. Is that a dead body?”

  “Take it easy, Gary,” Troy said calmly. “Come take a walk with me outside.”

  Mike knelt down to Kendra. Gone was the hateful expression he had normally fixed at her. His face was filled with pure concern. “He gonna be alright?”

  She looked down at Marcus, watching him tremble and hyperventilate, feeling oddly detached that she no longer felt his pain. “He’s changing. It couldn’t be avoided. He’ll be like me.” She pulled him into her lap. “But he’ll live.”

  Marcus moaned in agony. Kendra could see his incisors lengthening in his mouth. He was definitely transforming. Her experiment had worked.

  “Can we do anything to help him?” Chad asked.

  “Not right now. We need to be alone. Just go explain things to Gary. This is going to take a while.”

  Mike stood, and he and Chad walked out of the bus to join Troy and Gary.

  She held Marcus close and rocked with him as he twitched and jerked. “Just breathe. I’m here with you now. I’m not leaving. You’re going to be fine.”

  As she said the words, she realized how true they were. Now that she was free of Hector and the blood bond, she could stay with him. As vampires, they could be together forever. She focused on that as she continued to hold Marcus and rock him through the pain of transformation.

  CHAPTER 12

  NEW DESTINY

  The bus ambled down a long stretch of Route 66 with Gary at the wheel. His books on tape weren’t loud enough to drown out the arguing going on at the back of the bus.

  “We’re still not calling it ‘Creative Mysticism.’ I don’t care if you do threaten to bite me.” Troy bellowed.

  “Well, I’m not singing anything called ‘Diabolism’ or anything else with a demonic name. That’s racist,” Marcus countered.

  “Dude’s a vampire for a whole day, and he’s already trying to play the race card.” Troy laughed.

  “Dead dudes don’t get votes,” Mike said.

  “What the hell, man, you liked that ‘Mysticism’ name,” Marcus said.

  Business as usual. Kendra laughed and stretched out on the couch along the wall.

  Chad sat opposite her with his bass, bobbing his head, playing along with a tune only he could hear.

  She was glad to see everyone taking the change so well. There was still a lot more they’d have to adjust to, but at least for now, everything was back to normal… as normal as it could be, anyway.

  “Honey, how do you do that nifty mind control thing?” Marcus asked playfully as he came to join her on the couch. “I might need to adjust a few attitudes back there.”

  She reached up and pulled him down on top of her. “Play nice,” she said with a wink. “Or I won’t teach you any fun vampire tricks.” She captured his mouth in a rough kiss that demanded more. She’d waited for so long to be able to share a moment like this, without worry, without regret, and she was going to enjoy it.

  Marcus settled on top of her, and buried his hands into her hair, matching the need and intensity of her kiss with his own.

  She raked her nails down his back and moaned when he ground his hips into her.

  “I think it’s best for me to bow out now,” she heard Chad say.

  Marcus looked up. “Sorry, man, forgot you were there.”

  Kendra giggled and gazed up lovingly at Marcus. His eyes, no longer the hazel she had loved, still had captivating beauty. She admired them for a moment and reached out with her mind finding empty space between them. The connection that made them share every feeling and emotion was gone. His mind was as closed to her as it would have been if they were both human. They were equals again, and able to explore their relationship with eternity as their only limit. The universe or fate, whatever supernatural force was at work, had righted itself. Or maybe this had been their karmic destiny all along.

  Sample Mated

  by Katie Salidas

  ROZLYN SPARKS is the not-so-secret (adult-only) Pen Name of author KATIE SALIDAS

  An insistent knock on the door of Brady’s room came like an answer to his prayer.

  Pinned against the mattress under the weight of his recent conquest, his arm had begun to tingle with the loss of blood flow, and his fingers were asleep. He fought with exactly how he’d dislodge himself without causing a scene.

  Another loud bang bang bang against the door roused the woman from her slumber, and in those first few moments of hazy consciousness, she rolled over and released Brady’s arm.

  Goodbyes sucked. Life was easier when his one-nighters shimmied out of the room before sunrise or ducked out while he showered.

  The ones that wanted to cuddle and talk about how much fun they had – the clingy types – forced him to be a jerk to get them to take a hike.

  Confirmed bachelor.

  Serial womanizer.

  Sex god.

  He wore those titles like a badge of honor.

  Boyfriend or – a word that should never be spoken – mate...

  No. Way. In. Hell.

  He’d never let a woman tie him down… like that.

  The knocker – Fallon, to judge by the smell he caught from the other side of the door – was exactly the kind of distraction he needed to get Shirley, no, Cynthia – that had to be her name – out of his bed and on her
merry way sooner rather than later.

  “Come in,” Brady shouted, earning a shriek of embarrassment from Cynthia as she scrambled for clothes.

  Nakedness wasn’t a new thing for him or his kind, but Cynthia looked as if she’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. The poor girl moved so fast she nearly shredded her shirt as she pulled it over her head.

  He couldn’t help but laugh as he stretched on the bed and watched the show.

  Fallon opened the door. More pixie than wolf, his sister-in-law had almost no shifter traits to her tiny human form, but that didn’t suppress her ability to look intimidating. She crossed her arms, staring with full judgment at Brady while the frantic girl tried to shimmy past, still clutching her underwear in her hands.

  “Is it your intention to screw every girl in New England?” Fallon mocked.

  Brady sat up proudly. “Challenge accepted.” He winked, knowing it would earn him a smack. Of all the girls in the Olde Town pack, Fallon had been immune to his charms, so he had to content himself with poking the bear every chance he had.

  “You’re such an ass.” Fallon rolled her eyes. “Thank goodness for Aiden. At least one Whelan boy has a head on his shoulders.”

  “Whereas mine is…” Brady pointed lower and gave her another playful look.

  “Pig.” Fallon slapped him across the leg.

  “Hardly. Pigs are prey. I’m the big bad wolf, baby!” The moment those words left his lips he flinched, knowing he’d gone too far.

  Fallon’s hand lifted again to strike. “Aiden might argue with that.” She didn’t land the hit, letting her words make blunt impact.

  Jealousy wasn’t in his nature, but there were times he felt curiosity about the girl who’d stolen his wingman’s heart. Aiden had been his partner in crime before she’d come along. Her charms had ensnared him so completely that from the moment they’d met, Aiden could look at no other. “Yep. And I concede to his position as Alpha. Or you’d be next on my hit list.”

  “You couldn’t handle this,” Fallon smirked, while highlighting her features with a wave of her hand and a shimmy of her hips. She might have been small in stature, but she more than made up for that in curve appeal.

  No doubt about it, that woman had charms. But despite the lust she could stir, honor forbade action. “Right. I’ve seen what you did to my brother. Terrible. Just terrible.” Brady snickered, remembering how even before she’d been turned wolf, she’d had Aiden by the balls. “I’ll never let a woman get her claws into me like that.”

  “Never say never,” Fallon laughed, as she scooped up his shirt from the floor and tossed it at his face. “But for now, I’ve been sent to haul you up to the office. Aiden wants to talk about the Yule celebrations.”

  “I know. I’ve been dreading it.” Brady pulled his shirt on and stood looking for his boxers. He gave a quick glance over to the mirror and ran his hands through his shaggy mop of hair, making a mental note to get a trim soon. “Shelly… er… Cynthia was helping me get pumped for the meeting.”

  Fallon turned away, but not before he caught her disgusted sneer. “Animal.”

  “All predator, baby.” The worst part of being a second son was having to attend the councils. Strength. Virility. Power. Those were his gifts. But in times of peace, he was little more than a statue sitting through his brother’s endless meetings. Who knew being an Alpha meant so much paperwork? When they were growing up, their father had pushed them in all things physical, instilling in both brothers the impression that an Alpha was only as good as he was strong.

  Once his brother ascended to the position, it was the strength of words that held most of the power. Thankfully, as second son, Brady could put his skills to use as an enforcer.

  This evening, however, promised to be especially boring and completely devoid of any action: party planning.

  “Whatever. Finish putting your damn clothes on and get to Aiden’s office, now! Small council is already waiting,” Fallon said, as she left the room.

  She might not be his, but that didn’t stop him from admiring the wiggle of her ass as she stepped confidently away from him.

  Women were the only excitement in his existence. Alluring in their movements, mysterious in their nature, and wild underneath him as he devoured them in bed.

  “Challenge accepted,” he murmured to himself, remembering her offhand comment that he should attempt to bed the entire eastern coast.

  Why not?

  It would be a hell of a lot more amusing than attending meetings about place settings and whose ass should be kissed.

  Read more MATED by Katie Salidas

  Find her at http://www.katiesalidas.com

  Sample One Night With A Vampire

  by Rozlyn Sparks

  ROZLYN SPARKS is the not-so-secret (adult-only) Pen Name of author KATIE SALIDAS

  Daphne

  Her face burning as red as the shopping bag she was clutching tightly to her chest, Daphne ducked out of the lingerie shop, praying no one she knew would spot her. Never before had she even considered doing something so brazen, but Jaclyn had insisted, so she had decided to bite the bullet.

  “Sexy lingerie, an afternoon off from work, and a bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge. Derrick will have quite the surprise waiting for him when he gets home. Just the thing to rekindle your relationship,” Jaclyn practically shouted after Daphne, chasing behind her.

  “Do you have to say that so loud?” Daphne’s face turned even redder.

  Jaclyn excelled at embarrassment, and she was bringing her A game today, that was for sure. Daphne ducked around the corner of another store, hoping no one had heard her friend broadcasting her sex life. Or lack thereof.

  “Slow down, missy, and I won’t have to shout after you.” Jaclyn clip-clopped behind her in a pair of way-too-high heels. How that woman could walk, or run for that matter, in those things was beyond Daphne.

  “I just don’t want anyone to…”

  “What? See that you shop at the mall?” Jaclyn said.

  “No… just the… uh…” Daphne wiggled the bag, but did not loosen her grip lest the name of the store be seen.

  “Please.” Jaclyn sighed. “No one cares if you shop for lingerie… Besides that, no one is here to see you buy it.” She waved her hand around the empty mall. “Just relax and stick to the plan, okay?”

  Of course, a lot of that plan involved Daphne being brave enough to don the lacy red negligee with faux-fur trim she’d just bought. And bravery was not in Daphne’s wheelhouse. Nor was wearing clothes that made her feel more exposed than actually being naked, but she figured she’d cross that bridge when she got there.

  “I’m just not comfortable…”

  “Listen, Daph, you have to stop stressing yourself out. He’s your man. He’s going to love whatever you put on—or take off—for him.”

  “But you don’t know Derrick like I do. He’s…”

  “A man. I don’t have to know any more than that. All men are visual creatures and, honey, you’ve got plenty to show him.”

  Daphne looked down at her hips and the slight pooch of her belly. Her shirt might have covered it, but she knew there was a bit more flab than had been there when she and Derrick had first gotten together. He’d surely noticed, if she had.

  “And I don’t mean you’re fat. I mean you have a smoking body, and he will love every inch of it.”

  “I hope you’re right.” Daphne sighed.

  “I am right. The lingerie is just pretty packaging for the real prize underneath. Trust me. He’ll be drooling all over himself when he sees you.”

  “Okay.” Daphne nodded, more for effect than anything else. Truth be told, she still wasn’t all that convinced, but Jaclyn wasn’t the type to drop things unless someone gave in and agreed with her.

  “Okay, I’ve got to get back to work. I want all the juicy details later tonight. Call me?” Jaclyn gave her a quick squeeze and headed off toward the north parking lot.

  Daphne had par
ked in the garage, in what now felt like the other side of the world. As she went down the escalator and out through the food court of the mall, Daphne could hear the Mission Impossible theme playing in her head. She’d self-destruct if anyone saw her walking around with the blazing red bag filled with such… intimate apparel.

  Despite what Jaclyn had suggested, she’d just die right there on the spot of embarrassment if anyone saw her. Thankfully, at mid-day, most people she knew were at work. The sensible ones would all be crunching numbers, just like she should be. A small pang of guilt tugged at her conscience. She should be working, not playing hooky to go have a nooner with her man. She did have bills to pay.

  Oh, but Derrick had been so distant lately, and their anniversary had come and gone with hardly any acknowledgement. Actually, to be honest, they were both pretty busy. That was Daphne’s justification. He had his business to consider and clients to entertain. He made some money, and she understood that all his hard work took its toll. Things would be easier when he started bringing in profits. Ten years from now, when they were wealthy and had more time for things like lavish vacations, they could enjoy a romantic getaway. For now, on Jaclyn’s recommendation, she’d give him a little naughty staycation to show him she still cared.

  Daphne picked up her phone as she entered the parking garage. She dialed Derrick. The phone rang once and then went straight to voice mail.

  Damn. What if he’s in a meeting! She imagined him talking to clients and shutting off his phone in aggravation. He’d warned her not to call him when he was busy. He was sure to be pissed when he got home. Damn it. I’m already screwing up the afternoon.

  She unlocked her car and, after taking a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching, tossed in the red bag. Hopefully after seeing her in that… outfit… he’d forget she’d interrupted his meeting.

  Jaclyn had instructed her to lie across the couch so when he came through the front door, she’d be all he could see. Easy enough…for Jaclyn. She had a beautiful body. Daphne tried to work out at least three times a week, but she could still see flab in places that should be toned. Her stomach puffed out a little below her navel. The negligee wasn’t going to hide any of that, like a good old sweater would. Of course, she didn’t really feel like a sweater would be any more enticing. She hoped Derrick would be happy. It had been so long since they’d been intimate. Well, really intimate. He was always up for a quickie in between TV shows or when she was showering up in the morning before work. Five minutes at best. Nothing like it had been early on in their relationship.