Chapter 9

A growl in his belly rumbled through the small space of the truck. In the glove compartment were stashed protein bars, but he stopped before retrieving one. Rachel had been hungry and waited for the blood bags. He cringed. A hot sensation raced down his throat. How heartless he’d been. Even though he refused to let her bite him, he could have tried other ways, instead of watching her starve.

Female laughter snagged his attention. A couple strolled along the pavement hand-in-hand, unconcerned with the world. If only life gifted him with the same carefree bliss. A breeze drifted through the open window. Ian inhaled just as he had every few minutes in hopes to catch a whiff of her out there somewhere. Her strong, earthly rainstorm scent—close enough to taste—greeted his senses with a tremor.

She was close. So close.

He slowed speed. Eyes peeled. One driver beeped from behind. Ian ignored the man’s rude comments when the driver overtook him.

In a park, a figure sprinted for the forest ahead. Ian jerked in the seat. Rachel. Out in daylight. “Shit.” He hit the gas and made a sharp turn. The truck bounced over the curb, onto thick grass. Not bothering to lock the vehicle, he charged after her. Her pace slowed. Could she be weak…or hurt? Why the hell was she out in daylight? The fact she ran called his natural instincts to take over. His body tingled with the need to chase. Hands clenched, he picked up speed, ate up the distance between them with his swift velocity.

Rachel passed a huddle of trees and sprinted out into the open light. The sky washed the ground with pink and orange. As he neared, she whimpered and stumbled to a stop, hands on lithe thighs, heaving for breath. No, not breathless, but sobbing. She knelt on the ground and wept. His heart clamped.

“Rachel.” He drew her into a secure embrace. She recoiled, but he held her close and used his wide frame to obstruct the last of the sun.

She used the inside of her wrists to push at his chest. “Let me go, you traitor.”

“Close your eyes,” he whispered into her hair. “Block out the light.”

Silence, followed by another sob. Tears seeped past fused lashes as she grasped the front of his shirt, her knuckles bone-white. This was the woman he called a monster earlier? This helpless creature who trembled in his arms? Throat tight, his heart raced so fast, he feared it would explode. Dread and the sense of hopelessness weighed inside him as though he empathised with Rachel on a deeper level. Never in his life had he felt this strongly toward another being. If he could shout out in that instant and turn the sky black, he’d do it in a heartbeat. All he could do, however, was shelter her with his body.

“I’ve got you.” He stroked her back with tender fingertips. “I won’t hurt you. I promise.”

Soft moans drifted from her throat. Determined not to return to the truck until sundown, he remained still.

“I’m a monster.”

“What?”

“The little girl who hid me in her basement, who helped me, clothed me…I ached to bite her.”

He swallowed, not sure if he wanted the answer. “And?”

Locks of dark auburn hair brushed across his chest. “I ran out of the house before I gave into the urge.”

A smile tugged at his mouth. Her courage, her unselfish heroism… She amazed him. When he’d hurt himself earlier, she’d been tempted by his blood, yet did not harm him. And now she admitted she didn’t attack her little friend.

She sobbed into his shirt. “A monster…”

His lips stretched into a grin. “No. Don’t you see? You ran before you acted, you were in control.”

“I felt far from in control.”

“But you didn’t hurt the girl. You sacrificed your own comfort, faced your fear to protect the child.”

She sniffled, wiped her nose with her wrist. “But my urges—”

“Baby, I know. Your cravings are strong. For that, I’m sorry, but I’m so proud of you. What you did was brave.”

She scoffed. “Me, a vampire, brave? You’re obviously unwell.” Her voice slurred with fatigue. Thanks to her, he finally saw things in a different light. And now that he found her, he let relief sink in. When the sun vanished, he stood and with gentle care lifted her. Her head lolled against his shoulder, eyes fluttered as though she fought to keep them open. Ian jogged to his truck, dropped her into the passenger seat and ran around to the driver side. Her hands wrapped around her waist, face pinched in pain, and she groaned. Something wasn’t right.

Sweat beaded her forehead. Her hands wrapped around her throat, gaze on the ceiling as she panted. As her eyes darted about the truck, she patted the interior, paused when landing on the doorhandle.

“Shit,” he muttered, and smacked the auto-lock. “Sit still.”

They entered the highway, black forest surrounded them. Home was another three-hour drive.

“So…hungry,” she whispered in a slur.

That explained her restlessness. She needed to feed. “What happened to the cooler box? Did you drink every bag?” The supply should have lasted a few days at least. If all the bags had been devoured, then Amber might be right. Rachel could be an addict.

“Lost bags. Fell. In. Canal.” Her head sloped forward, silky strands slid over her face like a burgundy curtain.

No hospitals or blood banks anywhere near them. Ian groaned. He refused to keep driving, knowing she starved. The sudden lump in his throat threatened to choke him. Could he do it? This wouldn’t be like all those years ago with those three attackers…this was Rachel. She needed him. He veered to the side, yanked the handbrake and shifted in the seat. With the inside of his wrist placed beneath her chin, she winced at the mere touch. Sweat dotted his brow, and he ignored his own trembles.

Her nostrils flared. “What are you doing?”

“You said you were hungry.”

Dark pupils dilated, engulfing her hazel pools. Two fanged teeth caught her bottom lip. The idea of feeding had to have entranced her. He yanked the lever and his seat swung back. With her arms secured in his grip, he lifted and had her straddle his lap. Where did her clothes come from? Black skin-tight pants and a lace top that left no room for the imagination. What had she been up to in the last several hours?

A slight whimper echoed from her throat as her hands flattened over his chest. “No. Not you. You hate me.”

Hate her? He cupped the back of her neck and stared deep into her eyes. “I do not hate you.”

Her pink tongue danced across her lips as her wide gaze studied him. “Vampires. You hate vampires. I won’t drink from you.”

Even in her hungry, weakened state, she tilted her chin away. How had he ever considered this woman a monster? He’d been wrong. Not the first time too. Chayton and Amber had told him more than once, not all vampires were the same, that some wanted peace with the species. Rachel was unique. Yes, she had attacked on the night they met, but she’d been hungry. Could he blame her for following natural instincts?

She put the needs of others before herself. Not many humans possessed such a capability, let alone a vampire with an irrefutable urge for blood. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, wanting to repeat the action, sample more of her softness. “Rachel. Take from me.” Who’d have thought he’d insist a vampire drink from him? The irony. With her head angled close to his neck, nose pressed into his heated skin, her breath tickled him. Yet, she didn’t nip or bite. Stubborn woman. “Don’t make me tell you again.” With firm but gentle fingers, he massaged her nape in encouragement.

Her resistance eased. Pointed teeth sank into his skin. Ian stilled as a soft sigh escaped his lips. She took initiative and drank. Never had he imagined it would feel this good. The intensity of the bite sent him over the brink. Pain and bliss lanced through him. With a moan, he clutched her shoulders, determined to keep her there. He stilled when she lowered into his crotch, supple thighs squeezed his hips.

Sticky blood dribbled down his neck, followed by the sweeping motion of her tongue. The teasing act had him hard in an instant, throbbing against her core. He enjoyed this. Unbelievable. Either his hardness or blood fuelled her with the energy to grind as she drank. Throaty groans erupted from him. He dug his fingers into the flesh of her leather-clad ass, gritted his teeth, and assisted with the slow, delicious rocking.

Chayton’s revelation smacked Ian in that instant. For him to want her this much, she had to share his mark. No wonder the bite aroused instead of repelled. A strong need to strip her free and kiss that precious mark overcame him. And he would not deny himself a minute longer.

****

His blood…oh, his blood. No words could describe the complete pleasure each gulp of pure life essence delivered. The utter relief as potent as if she’d been in a desert for months and received a droplet of water. Satisfaction never tasted sweeter. The sounds he made motivated her, fuelled a liquid heat that pulsated through her core. Might his blood be the trigger for such a powerful aphrodisiacal response? Either way, she enjoyed the coppery offer.

Air skimmed her bare stomach as he raised the lace blouse. Rachel lifted her arms. He removed the top and threw the lace material to the passenger seat. Callous hands stroked and palmed her naked skin, warmed her flesh, discovered her body. He lowered to her full breasts, kissing one, then trailed the tip of his tongue across the other. Head swirling, she strained into his erection, savoring the feel.

A groan similar to a growl emitted from him. Swift hands raced to unbutton her pants. “I need to see you. Every inch of you,” he whispered, then nipped her earlobe before soft kisses brushed along her jawline.

She moaned in response, her sensitive nub throbbing, silently begging for his touch. Her body shivered with excitement. She never wanted it to end. But the pleasure soon replaced with an aching headache, like every other time.

What the hell was she doing? Ian planned to take her straight to her killer. She should run, not drink his blood. Definitely not grind against him. As his lips descended on her mouth, she shoved at his chest, flicked the lock and jumped out of the truck.

She gasped at the frigid air. Her already peaked nipples numbed. Unconcerned with her nudity, she ran across the road, into the forest. Twigs snapped beneath her boots, an owl cried high above. Moonlight bathed the snow-dusted forest. A cluster of trees shadowed in the dark promised protection. She hid behind the thickest one.

“Rachel?” Ian called out in the distance.

The thrum in her brain fuzzed her sight. Rachel braced herself as the strobe-light of iridescence forced her eyes shut.

Rachel inhaled as she surfaced the emerald water. Spicy cinnamon and lilac from the Dodecatheons perfumed the air. She squirmed in the water at the memory of their kiss. What she’d give to have that moment back. Her gaze flickered over to the lit candles and her diary of incantations on a nearby rock.

The spells performed in the last few days benefited her, especially the one which ended Jeff and Delta’s relationship. Warts, from head to toe. The hex would only last two weeks, but Delta didn’t know that. Rumors spread, the mortified girl had packed her things and left within the hour. That wasn’t the only thing Rachel had up her sleeve. She made Eddy fall ill with a fever, which allowed for the private witch-hunt meetings to be just her and Jeff.

The family spell-book mentioned werewolves dream-shared with their destined mates. So she’d tossed in a few fantasies too. Rachel knew the exact scenario planted in the dream…so if Jeff mentioned something, she could act surprised and give details about their shared encounter. He hadn’t mentioned any dreams yet, but he had been watching her more intently. A few times, when they met up for their one-on-one meeting, he’d flirt a lot more. In the last few nights, she’d performed several spells to make him believe they were meant for each other. Perhaps the incantations weren’t strong enough to overpower his bond…since he hadn’t made a claim for her yet.

Did she feel guilty? Deep down, yes. He considered her a friend, aiding to help find the elusive witch on their campground. Little did he know said witch sneaked out here to the waterhole to perform love spells on the daily. Not that she had a choice. The campground was no longer safe to do magic. At least here, she washed off the scent after every incantation.

Soon enough, Jeff would desire her without the need of magical influence. She bit her lip at the prospect. Jeff…wanting her, caring for her, perhaps even in love with her. A giggle echoed, and she smothered the sound with the back of her hand.

A gust of wind burst overhead, rippled the water and blew out the candles.

Her towel which had hung over a branch, flew above the trees, sailing away with the burst of wind. “Oh, great.” She swam to the edge, flattened her hands on the smooth surface and surged out. The cool breeze blanketed her bare skin. With a breakage of goosebumps covering her body, she hurried over the different sized rocks toward the tree where her clothing lay.

“Argh.” A knife-like sharpness lanced through her ankle as she slipped over the last rock covered in algae and fell on her bottom. Tears stung her eyes. Careful this time, she eased to her feet. She blanched at the screaming pain, and hopped to the closest tree, leaned against its thick trunk for support.

“Rachel? Are you here?”

She bit into her lip. Please, no.

She had to stop him from coming closer. Ahead, lay the candles and diary, smoke still curled from the burnt-out wicks. If Jeff saw them, it would all be over. “Don’t come any closer,” she called out, sinking deeper into the tree. Too bad she couldn’t crawl and hide inside it.

“I heard you scream. Are you all right?”

She glanced at her foot, pink and already swelling. “I twisted my ankle.”

Twigs snapped with quick speed, the sound grew closer. “Then let me help—”

“No. Stop.”

“What the hell is going on?”

Not keen on confessing her current state, but if doing so made him leave, then so be it. “I’m…I’m naked.”

“I still don’t see the problem.” Humor laced his tone.

How was this funny?

“Seriously, Rach. Let me help you. You’re hurt.”

Either step out from behind the tree or he’d search for her and might stumble upon the little set-up. She cringed, lips pursed together. Palm against the bark, she hobbled into view. He spun in her direction, dark eyes wide in their sockets. Cheeks on fire, her arms tingled to cover her nakedness. The only consolation; her nude state distracted him. Jeff’s mouth parted as his gaze travelled her body, eyes possessive. Her heart skittered into overdrive. He wanted her.

“Rachel,” his voice grew hoarse. From this distance, his chest rose and fell with swift exhales. “You’re mine.”

She wanted to cry, scream, to shoot into the sky and fly amongst the clouds. The two words she’d give anything to hear left his mouth. Did one of the incantations made him believe they were destined mates? He lurched forward and took her into his arms. She gasped at the warmth of his embrace. Face nuzzled into his shoulder, she clutched his back, never wanting to let go.

He eased out of the hug, stripped off his shirt and unbuckled his pants.

She swallowed.

The corner of his mouth quirked. When he clasped her hand, she flinched and almost lost balance. A secure hold of her hip helped steady her, but she winced when stabilising herself on the swollen foot.

“Sorry,” he whispered, a crease appeared between his brows. “I forgot about your injury.”

“Why are you undressing?”

He guided her fingers over warm, smooth skin to settle on his hipbone. She could touch him forever.

“I have so much to tell you about who and what I am, but first, look.”

Dark boxers peeked out from the lowered pants, but on his hipbone lay a U-shaped birthmark. She glimpsed at her own hip, at the exact U on her skin. Every muscle in her body grew rigid. Incredible. With a gentle fingertip, she traced the swirl. Tears blurred her vision, and she bit back a smile. She had to pretend she had no idea what this meant.

“My birthmark. We share the same birthmark,” she whispered, then leaned into his palms when he cupped her face.

“It means we’re bonded. You’re my mate.”

“Rachel. Rachel, snap out of it.”

The distant voice grew closer. With a cry, she opened her eyes, her vision fuzzed as she sorted reality from flashback. Moonbeams washed over a half-naked Jeff. He stood in front of her, and she eased further into the tree, hair tangling with the bark. They were bonded. An explosion of something bright and tender overflowed in her chest when she’d seen the mark. Her birthmark. The man before her was hers. No, not Jeff, but a shirtless Ian…who might as well be Jeff’s long-lost twin. Maybe they were brothers.

She blinked at the gray bundle under her nose. That explained his current lack of clothes. With the material held to her face, he helped with the nosebleed. Again, this considerate side was so foreign, yet so right. It gave her a sense of belonging, of feeling wanted, cherished.

He eased the shirt away. “It stopped.”

She couldn’t take this any more. Jeff, Ian. There had to be a reason they shared the same face. Did her past mess with the present and replace Jeff’s real features with Ian? “Do you have a brother?”

His brow cocked at the random question.

“No, just my sisters.”

Okay, so no brothers. Only one other way to confirm his identity. She backed him against the tree and ignored his wide-eyed stare. Even now his blood still pounded in her system like a marching army, restoring her strength. How would she ever revert back to those plastic bags after tasting healthy werewolf blood? Leather belt in her grip, she unbuckled it and tugged down his jeans.

“Rachel,” he uttered, but didn’t protest or try to stop her. Poor guy assumed she had other intentions. The dark u-shape stood out on his skin, as it had in the memory. She staggered back. It had to be true. He was Jeff…and they shared the same mark. They were bonded.

Ian stood shirtless against the tree, pants below the hips. Desire stirred in dark, hungry, half-cast eyes. Even with a good space between them, it was as though his skin strained against hers. The heat, the sweat, the delicious closeness and firmness of strong muscles. Strange, how tuned in she was when they weren’t even touching. She had to have craved him so badly she imagined their bodies uniting.

“You’re mine?” His question sounded more like a statement, better yet, a declaration.

The familiar stir from earlier swarmed through her chest and stomach. As if years of buried emotions and passion busted free. She licked her lips and Ian groaned. Before she could blink, he closed the space between them, long fingers threaded through her hair. His kiss devoured, and she relished in the sensation, meeting every brush of lips and tongue with her own ardent response.

“I want more of you, all of you,” he purred between kisses.

She wanted to give him more.

He spun her around, stomach flat against the tree. The delicious friction abraded her nipples.

Two quick tugs forced the leather leggings to her knees. The icy air grazing her butt was soon forgotten when Ian caressed her behind. He nipped her ear, and her palms flattened over the rough bark for balance. As he sank behind her, his tongue followed suit in a trail along the line of her spine. He gripped her hips and tilted for a better view. She obeyed the silent command and flexed her back.

Soft kisses teased the underside of her backside, and she jolted from a muscle spasm when his mouth glided along the back of her thigh. The unusual encounter escaped her mind when his tongue plunged beneath her folds and deep inside. She went up in flames as he sought her moist flesh. Fingernails dug into the fresh wood. A long cry trembled past her lips. Swept into a tide of sensation, she rocked on her toes. Not relenting, his tongue swirled and curled with skill. Her body was no longer her own. He controlled it, and right now sent her over the brink. “Ian.”

As she came down from her high, he rose to his feet and pressed against her.

“More?” he asked, somehow knowing what she craved.

The coarse roughness of bark abraded her nipples, scratched her stomach. That, accompanied by the dominant heat and strength of this exquisite male at her back, pressing her into the hard tree, made her grow dizzy with pleasure.

Ian gripped her hip with one hand, his fingernails bit into her flesh. The head of his rigid length slid over her entrance. A shiver of anticipation trickled down her spine. She gasped as he plummeted inside. So thick, so long. More so than what she first imagined. He clutched her to his sweaty chest. The heat against her skin, the thundering of his heart along her back, his crisp, lemony scent…she took it in. All of it. Something warm and wet splashed her shoulder. A tear?

“I thought I’d lost you.” The whisper was a mix of heartbreak and relief.

He nudged her chin to the right, leaned over, and sealed their lips in a heart-stopping kiss. Fingers entwined, he pinned her hands against the bark in front of her.

Ian broke their kiss, his hot mouth covered her ear. The tingly sensation induced an eruption of goosebumps at the base of her neck and whipped down her spine.

His fingers tickled the back of her knee.

“Bend a little.”

She did, and he followed her movements from behind. She bit into her lip. So deep. So full. He rocked into her with slow, shallow thrusts.

Unable to think, only scream in pure ecstasy, she shut her eyes and enjoyed the erotic ride. Ian was music to her body. She rocked her hips to the fast sound of his heartbeat. Inner muscles gripped him deep as she melted like molten lava, filled to the brink. The scent of their lovemaking coated the air; a mix of sweat, spice and sweetness. Low in her belly another orgasm ripened. Greedy fingers dug into her hips as he mercilessly pounded.

Over and over, he continued until tears seeped past her lashes and she screamed. The burn in her lungs added to the pressure between her legs. A masculine grunt followed. With a hoarse cry, he spilled inside her. His half growl half sob reverberated over the back of her neck and down her spine. Dazed and limp, she clung to the tree. Behind her, Ian planted soft kisses along her naked shoulder and down her back. He took his time loving her tenderly before easing out of her.

Strong hands snagged her waist and guided her around to face him. All the while his hot kisses ran along the dimples in her lower back, over the dips of curves and down the prominent slope of her hipbone. Everything in that moment was perfect. The way her body hummed from their lovemaking, the connection to the man on his knees in front of her, and the rush that left a smile on her face.

The air grew cold, not due to the winter night, but from Ian’s sharp intake of breath. She frowned at him on his knees. What happened in the last few seconds that converted him from worshipping her body to staring at her with a slow shake of his head?

“No. How could I have been wrong?” His voice sounded weak, defeated. “I thought for sure…”

She followed his gaze and observed her naked hipbone. There had to be some mistake. No half U darkened her skin. In fact, there was no mark at all. Rachel swallowed. But the joy in the flashback? Had that not been genuine delight and relief? Oh no. She misread the memory. She hadn’t been excited about the mark they shared, she’d been thrilled that she managed to deceive him. Oh, my goodness. She pretended to be his mate. Bile rose. They were never bonded.