Chapter Ten

At the motel Poppy twitched the curtain aside, gazing out into the night. They were staying on the outskirts of some American town. The place in between had shoved them out into a foreign land, though not so foreign to her. When Adam had marvelled at his surroundings and she’d learnt he’d never been outside of England, she’d decided to let him stay a short while. The man was over three hundred years old and still hadn’t visited the world. Poppy tried not to think about last night, the first time she’d been completely naked in front of a man. The first time she’d touched a man and been touched in return.

What did it all mean?

Shaking her head she tried to focus on everything she had to do and not the pounding in her chest or the ache at the thought that she could never have him. A necromancer and a vampire could never work. Jason and his fears had been spot on. She didn’t want Adam to fear her as she posed no threat to him. Not intentionally at least. The unfairness of her situation was coming at her from all sides. No matter what she tried to do she couldn’t escape the loneliness of her calling or existence.

“Such sombre sounds from a pretty person,” Adam whispered in her ear coming up behind her. Shivers of delight ran through her body having him close. Closing her eyes, she leant back into his warmth and accepted him.

The past two days being with him even on the mission had been the best of her life. For the first time in years she didn’t wear the cloak and she wasn’t conscious of the scars marring her face.

“Just wondering what is happening in Beyer West. So much paranormal stuff is happening right now and I feel we are only a small part in the scheme of things.” Poppy had felt the energy rising for some time. The prickles across her skin were a warning of an enemy near or a battle about to begin.

“It doesn’t seem all that frightening right now. The night is still and we’re alive,” he joked. His arms encircled her waist and the warmth spread through her.

Poppy moulded to his body. She loved his touch and didn’t want to leave the comfort of his arms.

“For now we’re safe, but something is coming. There is something far more dangerous than any of us.” Poppy glanced at the clear black sky. Night-time was always the best time to look into the sky. It was clear and beautiful to her.

Poppy felt Adam move her hair away from her neck and begin to kiss along her exposed flesh.

She moaned and tilted her head to the side. His touch spiked her blood with heat. Her pussy growing wet, her nipples budding. All she wanted to do was turn around and deepen the kiss. Poppy wanted to initiate the first sexual contact. The heavy petting felt great, but her body was becoming tired of always being left wanting.

She cried out as a sharp point dug into her neck. Pulling away, she ripped the flesh of her neck open getting away from his teeth. “What the hell are you doing?” she screamed at him. Her fingers went to her neck and came away with blood.

“I don’t understand why you’re so tetchy. It’s just a little blood.”

“It’s my blood, you stupid vampire,” she growled.

“Stupid? Is it me or have I been reading the signs wrong?” He moved closer and Poppy took a step back.

“What the fuck is this?” he asked.

“I said stop!” Poppy yelled. Adam stopped and didn’t move a muscle.

“What the fuck?”

Poppy ran to the bathroom and checked in the mirror. A nick, a harsh nick, but he hadn’t taken any of her blood. He would be safe. After grabbing a towel from the rail, she came back to see him stood in the same place.

You fucked up, Poppy.

“Why can’t I move?” he demanded to know.

Closing her eyes, the younger brother’s warning came back to haunt her.

“You can’t move because I told you to stop.”

Silence met her response.

“I thought you told me you didn’t have any power over me?”

“I lied.”

“You fucking bitch.”

Poppy ran to the bathroom. She didn’t want to see his face. The small glimpse of shock and hatred was enough to keep her away from him for a while.

“You can move now,” she said.

“Come out here, Poppy. I’m not going to hurt you.” She heard him on the other side of the door. She imagined him standing there with a hand against the wood.

“I can’t.”

“Poppy. I’m sorry for biting you, but please come out and talk to me.”

She touched the wood and her heart broke. Why couldn’t she be different? Like a vampire? Sobbing, she whispered, “I can’t.”

“If you can’t come out then I’m fucking leaving.” Poppy heard him slam his fist against the wall then the door opened and closed with a vicious bang.

After a few minutes she opened the door to see her reflection in the window.

What are you doing? The one man willing to have anything to do with you has just stormed out after finding out you lied. Get your ass out there and find him.

On a sob, Poppy grabbed her cloak and chased after the man who already owned her heart.

A necromancer shall know no true love and accept it. The words of her curse struck at her heart.

 

* * * *

 

Adam was fuming. Jason had been right all along. No one could trust a necromancer. The rumours and old superstitious legends were true. He made his way down a street he didn’t recognise in a town he couldn’t even recall.

Poppy had lied to him.

The fact that she could control him didn’t upset him. He’d never had a problem with a woman taking the reins. He was upset and hurt that she’d lied to him.

Face it, man, you like her way more than you’ve ever liked a woman before.

Adam wished he could run from his own thoughts. Being close to Poppy brought out a protective instinct within him and even now, walking away from the motel room, he wanted to turn back and make sure she was safe.

First, he needed to feed. Maybe a good fuck would rid his mind and body of the plague of Poppy. Since he’d seen her, he hadn’t been able to think of anyone else. When they were apart, he couldn’t think properly until they were together again.

‘What are you going to do? Mate with her?’ Jason had sneered.

‘If I did, you’d show her some goddamn respect,’ Adam had retorted.

Adam remembered the words his brother had tried to scare him with. There was no fear inside him. His heart jumped with joy at the prospect of being with her for life.

She’s a necromancer and they don’t have any business with a vampire.

But I want her.

Tough.

“Hey, cutie pie. Are you looking for a good time?”

Adam pulled out of his struggle and gazed at the human woman in front of him. She swayed on her feet and the scent of drugs, booze and decay was overpowering to him.

“What will it cost me?”

“Depends on what my little sugar wants.” She touched his cheek. Adam grabbed her hand and spun her so her back pressed against his front.

“You want a little kinky hanky-panky?” She chuckled.

Without saying a word he pulled her into the darkened alleyway. No one was around. He could take what he wanted and be on his way in moments.

“I just want a little taste.”

“With a voice like yours you can have anything you want,” she said, already lost.

He pulled her hair back and gazed down at the pulse beating an odd rhythm in her throat.

“Adam!” He heard Poppy calling to him.

He licked his lips. The woman in his arms smelt repulsive, but his thirst for blood was too overpowering.

“Adam?”

Shit. She’s here.

Drop the woman. You don’t want her.

How can you protect your woman if you’re only at half strength?

“What are you doing, Adam?” she asked. His heart broke hearing the hiccup in her voice. He gazed at her face. She wore the cloak, and in it, he saw the woman he loved.

Holy shit. The woman you love.

“What does it look like?” His own revelation was making him go on the attack.

“You don’t want this.” She came farther into the alley.

He wanted to see her beautiful black hair and the eyes that shone a glorious red when her power overcame her. She truly was a magnificent sight.

“Don’t I? You rejected me, Poppy. How else am I supposed to feed?”

“Not this way.”

“I think this way would be the best.”

“Adam, don’t,” she begged. He didn’t listen and sunk his teeth into the whore’s neck. The bitter, acrid taste was vile on his tongue but the nourishment of the blood overrode his distaste. He imagined it was like a hungry meat-eater being forced to eat tofu. He rolled his eyes up to stare at Poppy. Her shoulders were slumped in dejection and tears spilled from her eyes.

As soon as he was full and his body pulsed with life he let the woman go. He paid her some money, sealed the wound and she was off hunting for another punter or drug fix.

“See? I’m fine now.” He stepped closer with cockiness in his step.

Poppy lowered her hood and looked at him.

“I would gladly feed you my blood every day and night but being a necromancer is a true curse. You’re the living dead. My blood would kill you—that’s why I didn’t let you feed. I didn’t reject you because of my own insecurities. I rejected you because my blood can and will kill you.”

You selfish, insensitive, scum-rotting jerk.

Her palm came up and slapped him round the face followed by a punch in the solar plexus. “And that’s for replacing my diseased blood with hers,” she screamed seconds before she stormed off in the direction of the motel.

Adam lay on his ass gazing at the sky, the bitterness making him want to vomit.

“I would gladly feed you my blood every day and night…”

“Baby, I’d rather feed from you.”

Slowly, he got to his feet and made his way back to the motel. Poppy lay on the bed. The curtains were drawn. Adam closed the door.

“I’ll wake you up before sunrise and we’ll transport out of here and go and find his grave.” She didn’t turn over. There would be no touching or feeling this night.

“Poppy, I—”

“Don’t say anything. Just don’t talk to me.”

Adam shed his clothes and joined her in the bed. She lay so far over on the other side he feared she’d fall off. He scented her tears and he felt like the worst kind of man. Staring at the ceiling, he knew she wasn’t asleep. Her small sobs made the bed shake. The bitter aftertaste of the whore’s blood did nothing to appease his pain. He’d needed the blood but in searching for a source, he’d caused Poppy heartache.

“I’m sorry,” he said, turning over and looking at her back.

“Please, don’t talk,” she begged.

Adam reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. She flinched from his touch and he felt like the worst kind of scum in the world.

“I never intended to hurt you,” he said, pleading with her, trying to fight the twist in his gut.

“You failed. Let’s just talk to the mate, find the alpha and go our separate ways. I want this to be done.”

“I don’t want this to be over,” he said, clear and firm. There was a tear in his eye.

“There is nothing going on, Adam. There never could be. You should have listened to your brother. He seems to understand how repulsive my kind is.”

“Don’t say that,” he said.

She shrugged away from him. Adam let her go. He felt a cramping in his gut. He loved Poppy. He knew it as clearly as he knew he would never walk in the sun. The love may never be returned but it didn’t stop how he felt. When had it happened? Adam guessed from the first moment she’d followed him to warn their family. Never had a woman been so striking to him.

No matter what happened, he had to win her back.