9781936653027BorntobeWildArsuaga (24 page)

“Alex, have you been
working us since Virginia? Who are you exactly?” Gregori asked.

She looked at Stefan’s
knowing grin.

“Gregori, you know who I
am. I’m Alex Carlton, Carlton Bounty Hunters, Inc. and part-time undercover FBI
Special Agent.” A wide Cheshire cat grin materialized across her face.

Stefan covered his mouth
to stifle a laugh.

Gregori’s brow wrinkled.
“A bounty hunter?
I hate hunters…but, I’ll make an exception
for you because I know Stefan can vouch for you.”

More than that.

I heard you.
Stefan said back to her in her mind.

Glancing at Stefan, their
eyes locked,
I wanted you to.
The
ends of her mouth turned up slightly. He returned the expression and laughed to
himself.

“Can we get back to the
business at hand? We have a renegade vampire ready to turn the world upside
down with a deadly virus and powerful addictive blood drug, who cares if Miss
Carlton is a bounty hunter and works for us?” Chief Martin asked.

“I agree. Thank you
Martin,” Gregori said. “What are your thoughts on how to handle this
situation?”

“We have the full support
of the President to contain this situation. Whatever it takes, he wants it to
go away with the least amount of fanfare, so as not to alert the public. We
don’t want to complicate the problem with panic in the streets, riots, unwanted
attacks against the vamp community, another blood bath like we had before the
laws were enacted. If that happens, Dragos will have won by proxy.”

“Agreed, that is why we
like taking care of our own and not involve humans. So, what do you have in
mind?”

“I’ll alert the
military,” Chief Martin said. When a few dozen heads with glowing red eyes
turned to him with alarm, he lifted his hands. “Don’t worry. It won’t be heavy
artillery, tanks, and stealth bombers. I’ll keep it light, maybe a few armored
vehicles, helicopter gunships, and fifty thousand men instead of a hundred
thousand.”

There was dead silence in
the room.

“Chief I don’t think your
sense of humor is going over too well,” Johnson said softly.

“You think?” Alex
remarked.

“Okay, okay. Lighten up.
I was kidding. The tension in this room is a little heavy. You boys need to get
a life. Oh, that’s right, you don’t have a life. You’re dead.”

“Good one Chief,” Palmer
said, snorting a few times.

Gregori stood to leave,
saying, “Perhaps it would be better if we seek separate solutions.”

Alex stood, pushing the
chair back with force, knocking it over. “Okay, that’s enough. I’m not going to
sit here and listen to this pissing contest between high-level testosterone
males. We have a maniacal, evil vampire who threatens the world. It will take
all of us working together to bring him down without causing panic or
bloodshed. Wake up! Work together. You have the same purpose, the same cause.
Find a way to put aside your dislike for each other and capture Dragos, or
we’re all in trouble.”

Silence fell on the room
again. All eyes focused on the little red-head.

“Well boys, how does it
feel to be schooled?” Stefan asked. One corner of his mouth curled up.

“She’s right. I
apologize. Gregori,” Martin said. “Alex is right. An alliance with you is in
the best interest of all Americans, and the world for that matter, both living
and undead.” He extended his hand.

Gregori hesitated, his
eyes narrowed. Finally, prodded by Alex’s unwavering stare, his demeanor
relaxed, “Agreed and thank you, Martin.” He settled back into his chair,
followed by the other vampires. “Let’s get started, then. One of our top
priorities is to destroy the production of the drug and the virus. It is
imperative the virus is contained. None of it can escape. Does anyone know
where it is stored in the factory?”

“I do,” Johnson said.

“I do too,” Alex said.

“Okay, we’ll need
instructions on how to get into those areas.
The same with
this blue drug.”

“We have that covered too,”
Johnson said.

“Good. Another top
priority is rounding up all the remaining vampires under Dragos’ family outside
the SGM compound. Since you know the area best, we’ll have to rely on the FBI
to guide us.” Gregori nodded to Chief Martin. “You have the floor, if you want
to speak.”

“Thank you.” Chief Martin
appeared doubtful. “We have to cover dozens of lairs and hideouts. Those are
the ones we know. I am sure others will turn up. To do this right, I will need
to pull in fifteen hundred agents and military, no lie. It’ll take a week to
round up and organize that many.”

“How many can you put
hands on right now?” Stefan asked.

Chief Martin rubbed his
chin. “Five
hundred,
give or take.”

“I can match that number
with vampires,” Gregori announced. “Their abilities make them equal to at least
two human agents. That should be sufficient.”

Alex got to her feet.
“Chief, I’ll talk to my dad. He can have two hundred bounty hunters here by
tomorrow. The Bounty Network has information on lairs and hideouts the FBI only
dreams of. I’m sure one phone call by Jordy and we’ll have the entire area’s
vampires’ haunts in lockdown,” Alex said.

Again, an uneasy silence
pervaded the room with all eyes upon her.

“What?” She shook her
head.

Martin sighed. “Well,
what do you think Gregori? Let the bounty hunters lock down the lairs and
hideouts while we concentrate on the club and factory?”

“I won’t need all the
bounty hunters for the lockdown,” Alex said.

Gregori and a few of the
other vamps grinned in admiration. “I’m certain Chief Martin will agree that as
long as the lairs are covered you can send your extra people to us. There will
certainly be plenty for all to do.”

“Hell must be freezing
over,” Alex muttered, then raised her voice. “There’s agreement between humans
and vamps. God save us.”

Gregori raised his head, rolling
eyes at Stefan.
You will have your hands
full with that little one.

The FBI Chief stood and
gazed about the room. “I’ll contact the army as soon as our meeting is over.
They’ll provide the equipment, and the necessary personnel. We don’t know what
fire power the SGM faction has, so we’ll bring the biggest guns we have so as
not to take any chances.”

“How are you explaining
this to the general public without scaring them? If fifteen hundred soldiers,
vamps and bounty hunters swarm over the streets of Miami Beach, I think that
will draw attention, don’t you?” Gregori asked.

“This is a night-time
evolution. I hope we can pull it off without much notice by curious
on-lookers,” Martin replied.

“Well, we’re grateful for
your help, Chief Martin, but we need to talk strategy. Once we get in the
building and gain control, we want the honor of taking care of Dragos. He is
ours.”

Martin snorted. “You boys
have your own way of dealing with the vamp, eh?”

“Yes.”

“Agreed.”

“I have dibs on
Ecaterina. Don’t forget about her. I have a personal grudge against her. I want
her for myself,” Alex demanded.

“No,
prinţesa
.
You cannot be
involved. She is too dangerous. I’ll handle her. I have my own axe to grind
with her as well,” Stefan said.

A flicker of annoyance
shone in Alex’s eyes. Alex cleared her throat. “Stefan I appreciate your
concern for my welfare. But when it comes to killing that psycho bitch, I’d
rather do it my way, the bounty way.”

Stefan stiffened. “The
subject is closed, Alex.”

“Excuse me? I’m not
missing any of this action. You can’t tell me what I can and can’t do.” Seeking
support, she turned to Chief Martin.

“Don’t look at me. I’m
not getting in the middle of this lover’s spat.”

Johnson clenched his
hands into fists underneath the table.

Sensing his subordinate’s
growing discomfort, Martin whispered in Johnson’s ear, “Don’t get involved.
Remember what I told you about her mother and me? You’ll only get your heart
ripped apart.”

“Can we get back on track
and decide what time the operation begins?” Gregori asked.

“Let’s commence at 2000
hours tomorrow. Does that work for you boys?” Martin asked.

“Works
for us.
We’ll meet here tomorrow night forty-five minutes before to
set-up then?” Gregori added.

“Sure, sounds like a plan.
I’ll make all the arrangements and have everything in place.” Martin turned to
Alex. “You’ll coordinate with the local Bounty Chapter?”

“Yes, I’ll call Jordan
and Dad as soon as we’re finished here.”

“Great. Then I’d say
we’re finished. It has been a pleasure Gregori.” Martin extended his hand.

Gregori accepted his hand
and shook it, “My pleasure as well.”

The meeting accomplished
what it had to. Unfortunately taking Dragos down wouldn’t be an easy task. He
had surrounded himself with a fortress of concrete as well as strong and loyal
vampires. Finding the point at which to penetrate his armor was Stefan’s task
while Gregori and Sorin worked the forces from the outside supported by Chief
Martin’s force of military and the FBI.

Stefan knew all this
would sort out and the plan would work. His problem was Alexandra’s
stubbornness and insistence on playing a part in the final operation. He
wouldn’t allow her to put her life in jeopardy. He almost lost her once and
he’d be damned if he would do it again. He knew her career was important to
her, but not when it threatened her very existence. No, she was not going to
participate in the final showdown. He’d see to it, somehow, someway.

Chapter 22

Within minutes after the
meeting dispersed, Stefan took Alex’s hand and whisked her away from the group.
The heat that had been simmering inside her all night exploded into a wildfire,
waiting to be quenched in ways only he knew how to do. Her thong, already damp,
immediately became soaked.

“Come with me, anywhere, I
don’t care. We have a few hours before the sun rises. I want to spend every
minute I can with you,” Stefan said, his voice soft, yet forceful.

“I like the way you think
Mister Marin. I want to be with you too. My car is at Johnson’s apartment
though. Let me get him. He can drop us off and we can go back to my hotel
room.”

“Do you have any idea how
hot you look woman? Every vamp in the room was lusting after you and it wasn’t
for your blood
prinţesa mea
. It
took a lot of self-control to keep from taking you from that room an hour ago.”
His body pressed against hers, hard and demanding. She felt the hardness of his
cock against her belly. “Hurry back, I don’t know if I can wait much longer.”

“Yes,” Alex murmured, and
her breath caught in her throat as the warm approval in his eyes shaded into
something darker—almost feral. “Yes, I will.” Holding her gaze, he bent down
and claimed her lips in a hungry kiss. When his tongue, resolute in its target,
pushed its way into her mouth, Alex moaned.

Trying to save the moment
for the privacy of the hotel room, she drew back. His hands clamped on her
arms, pulling her up to him, turning her so her back was against the wall.

As he dropped his head to
nuzzle her neck, she whispered, “No. Stefan.” It didn’t matter that her entire
body was trembling with desire. Or, that her pussy was essentially begging to
have him inside her. “C’mon baby, let me get Johnson so we can do this
privately.”

Raising his head, Stefan
grinned like a hungry wolf. He lowered his head and kissed her again, plunging
his tongue deep into her warm, wet mouth. He rocked his hips forward, grinding
his erection against the wetness between her legs, right against the spot that
cried for his attention. She wobbled on her stilettos, her head reeling. Her entire
body teetered on the verge of orgasm.

“Hey, why don’t you guys
get a room?” Johnson remarked, as he stepped out of the conference room.

Stefan and Alex popped
open their eyes. Drawing herself upright, she firmly pushed Stefan away.

“We would, but we have no
way to get to one. I was just about to go get you, but this big guy cornered
me. Are you ready to go? We’d like to go get my car,” Alex said.

“Let’s go before this
place goes up in flames,” Johnson said.

Within the hour, Alex and
Stefan stepped across the threshold of her hotel room. A nightlight provided
illumination. A full moon brightened the sky and thin beams of white sliced
through the window.

In three strides she
crossed the room, stopping in front of the window. Turning on her heel to face
Stefan, she bit her bottom lip, took a deep breath, and let the air escape in a
soft sigh.

“Stefan, I’ve had a lot
of time to think about us. I have a deep connection with you, more than
anything I have ever shared with any man. I have to be honest. Loving a vampire
wasn’t my first choice. But, I weighed the risks to be with you and decided to
go with what my heart said. I don’t want regrets in my life.”

Stefan drew closer.
“The same with me,
prinţesa
.
I’ve had so many regrets in my life. Too many, I lost count centuries ago.”

Alex removed the clip
from her dark auburn mane and tossed it on the nearby table. Her unruly hair
tumbled around her shoulders. Fingertips massaged her scalp, releasing the day’s
tension and the move jutted her breasts forward. “I’ve made up my mind. I want
to be with you Stefan. If my decision blows up in my face, at least I know I
went for it. No regrets.”

Her feet screamed to be
set free from the four-inch heels as well. At first wanting to keep them on to
model for him, she decided to slip them off for comfort and save sexy for
another night.

With ease she unzipped
and removed the jeans, sliding them down her hips and legs, kicking them aside
and giving him her best wicked grin.

She felt his eyes on her
body, begging to touch every inch. And then he did.

Her body had a mind of
its own, reacting automatically to his gaze. Moisture soaked her thong and
seeped from between the delicate folds of her femininity onto her thighs. Her
heart slammed hard in her chest and her pulse raced. Nipples puckered into
delectable peaks beneath the lacy corset. Breasts rose and fell with each
ragged breath passing in and out of her lungs.

Watching him with
fascination, Stefan slowly peeled off his shirt, almost as if he decided to
perform a slow striptease for her personal enjoyment. The moonlight shimmered
off the hard planes of his well-defined chest. His sexy smile spoke to her,
telling of all the delights the remaining hours of the night would bring.
Making eye contact with him, she held it just long enough to see the heated
desire in the depths of his smoldering dark brown eyes. A shudder raced through
her.

The anticipation of
another night of hot, mind-blowing sex with Stefan made her almost climax at
the thought. The tip of her tongue traced her bottom lip, sucking it in as her
gaze dropped to his crotch. The noticeable bulge that promised passion beyond
her wildest expectations brought a grin to his face.
He has to be reading my mind.

Stefan’s hand was on her
shoulder. The intensity of her desire for him overwhelmed. Leaning forward, she
pulled him tight to her voluptuous breast. Her arms coiled around his neck. Her
lips came down hard on his with ardent need.

Without reservation, he
captured her mouth back to him, drawing her tighter to his hard, taut chest. He
teased with his tongue, no soft exploration, no gentle probing, and only raw
male lust devouring her mouth. His hands fisted in her hair and she opened her
mind and body to him. She needed to feel alive in the midst of the death and
evil encountered over the past several weeks. Her lips parted and welcomed the
heat of his tongue. It tangled and danced with hers, teasing and tasting. He
released her and showered her with small kisses on her cheek, her neck and
teased the shell of her ear.

“Alexandra, I love you,”
Stefan whispered. “I want you, your heart, your soul,
your
...”
His lips wandered back over her face, kissing her lids and her nose, trailing
fire down her neck.

The sensation of fangs
scraping across the tender flesh of her throat sent sparks of desire straight
to her pussy. Despite what he might believe of her, the anger couldn’t keep her
heart from wanting this man. “Stefan, I’m yours. Make love to me. No games. No
domination, only me tonight.”

The world spun and
shifted as he lifted her into his arms and covered her mouth with his. Dizzy
with need, she had no idea where he’d take her until their bodies shifted.
After placing her on the soft mattress, he came down heavy on top of her.
Reveling in the sensation of his hands, her eyes remained closed. The essence
of him permeated the air. The pillows around her head filled with the thick
male scent of him, citrus and coconuts. She wanted to drown in its tropical,
heady aroma.

Their hands were
everywhere at once, tugging at their remaining clothes, ripping them away. The
desperate need to have flesh scraping flesh was all that drove them until they
lay naked and gasping for breath in each other’s arms. Their lips, teeth, and
hands moved in frantic hunger to taste and touch. She couldn’t get enough of
him.

Alex’s palms slid down
the hard muscles on each side of his spine, pressing into the well of his low
back before curving up the rounded arch of his taut ass and digging her nails
in deep. Air hissed through Stefan’s teeth, a low moan vibrating through the
heat of his mouth at her neck. His teeth dragged down her throat. His lips
replaced his hand at her breast. He suckled and bit first one aching nipple
then the other. The sharp thrill of pain shot straight to her core, clenching
her muscles. The liquid heat leaked onto her thighs. No man had ever made her
feel such intense pleasure. The need built to an intolerable level.

“I want you inside me. I
want to feel you all around me.”

“Not yet
my love.”

He continued to suck her
nipples. Working his way down her ribs, kissing and nibbling, and then to her
belly. Kissing and rolling his tongue around her navel ring, he continued with
light nibbles to her inner thighs. As he moved upward toward the juncture of
her passion, she opened wider. Impatience grew for the application of his touch
to her most sensitive nub. Pausing, he stared at her dark auburn curls, his
hands stroking her inner thigh. She moaned.
Oh,
Stefan, another slow burn. You…

Finally, he leaned
forward and his tongue touched her slit, evoking a loud gasp.
Yes!
His fingers slid along her wet
opening, as he licked the entire length of her folds. Emitting little squeaks
as his tongue pressed against her clit, her hips thrust wildly, up and down and
back again. He nibbled and sucked harder and faster. Clutching his head tightly
against her pussy, her hands ran through his hair, crinkling the strands
between her fingers. The molten heat, already so intense inside her, seemed to
explode. She wailed as the orgasm had its way with her.

He prowled over her and
captured her mouth, kissing passionately, slowly at first. When he tried to
draw away, she wrapped arms tightly around his neck and held him tight to her.
Keeping their mouths pressed together, her tongue dove fearlessly into the hot,
wet cavity of his mouth.
 
Their tongues
danced together in the dark as she arched her breast against his chest. His
cock, rock hard, long and heavy, rested against her belly. She reached for it
and stroked, loving the velvety soft feel of his steely-hard flesh in her hand.

He stroked her breasts,
shifting downward, capturing one of her nipples in his mouth. He tortured her
with intense pleasure as he sucked and licked first one, then the other.

He sat up, straddling
her. He shifted and pressed his cockhead to her slick, ready opening. Taking
his hands, she placed them on her breasts, and then thrust her hips up to press
his cock further into her passage. He pressed forward, entering her slowly. She
held her breath as he stretched her and moved deeper as his thick shaft
continued to fill her an inch at a time. He continued slowly, in and out, until
finally he impaled her fully in one full stroke, drawing a throaty groan from
her. He drew back slowly, easing forward again. Sensual waves of intense
feelings rippled throughout her body. Back and forward, in and out, his
rock-hard cock stroked her sensitive inner walls and she melted into him.
Clinging to his shoulders, she whimpered in pleasure as he began to thrust into
her with a hard rhythm. She tightened her inner muscles around his hardness.
Intense spasms of pleasure cascaded through her. He slid back, and then thrust
forward again.

“Oh, God, Stefan, I’m…”

He thrust deep and fast.

“Yes, fuck me harder,”
she groaned, gritting her teeth.

Stefan ran his thumb over
her clit, and nipped her neck, breaking the skin a scant, causing Alex to buck
and grind her hips uncontrollably. His nostrils flared, his eyes glowed red at
the sound of her blissful screams. Every nerve ending shimmered from the
sensation of her wailing orgasm as the adrenaline rush exploded and
mind-shattering joy rippled through her.

“That’s it
prinţesa
,” his velvety voice
coaxed. “Keep riding my cock, baby. Give it to me. Come for me, Alexandra. Love
me.”

“I do love you, Stefan.”

“Ahhh,” he growled as the
mind-numbing orgasm began rocking through his body. As his release approached,
he thrust deep within her one last time, his heavy balls twitching, and his
thick hot seed rushed into the slick sheath of her hot, pulsating cunt. His
incisors elongated and he thrust them deep within her throat. His body shook as
her life essence spilled into him, coursing through his veins like liquid fire,
making every nerve in his body awaken with life.

Alex let out a cry, a
combination of pain and pleasure as her fierce orgasm, his orgasm, and the
sensation of his fangs penetrated her fiery flesh. The incredible feeling
rocked her body, mind, and soul. With every thrust, Stefan sucked even harder,
causing her body to convulse. His hot seed rushed with impeding force against
her tight depths, causing her muscles to hold his cock as if in a vice grip,
sucking the life from him. An invisible force seemed to grab her body, tugging
her from this life and into another. The overwhelming desire to surrender to
the deep, dark wants of her vampire lover again, and again for all eternity,
covered her entire being like a black veil. The pull was so strong that she
almost succumbed to the approaching darkness and cursed as her body returned to
earth. The reality of what was happening hit her squarely in the face. The pain
inextricably entwined with the exquisite pleasure coursing through her body.

“No, Stefan, stop!”

Jarred back from the
chaos of a bloodlust dream, Stefan pulled out of Alex’s neck and off her body.

“Oh God, Alexandra, I’m
sorry,” he said. “I lost myself again. Please forgive me.” He dropped his head.

Caressing his face with
tender fingertips, she said, “I forgive you. I love you. You were incredible
you know. The ending, eh, we have to work on that part.”

“You’re being funny
right?” He saw her smile. “Do you feel okay, are you weak?”