Caressed by Night (43 page)

“Will you see him?” Gannon asked. “He's in the office.”

“I must tend to Kerstyn,” Dimitri answered.

Gannon nodded and said nothing more as Dimitri turned and went down the hall.

Dimitri’s steps paused as he passed the office door. Gabriel’s thoughts invaded his mind. The vampire’s soul wept with disgrace, self-hate, and regret as he chanted one phrase again and again:
I’m
sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

Dimitri closed off his mind, reinforcing the barriers he kept on his power. He could not handle his own warring emotions, Gabriel’s thoughts, and Kerstyn’s pain. Shutting down his senses, he forced the demon back in its cage.

The beast had served him well against Ven, but now the man within him needed to take over. His eyes flickered back to their normal state, his claws retracted, and his fangs vanished, leaving behind no trace of their existence. He was thankful his body had healed, though his skin was still stained with blood. He prayed Kerstyn would not be frightened by his appearance.

He came to a stop before the bedroom door. Dragging his hands roughly through his tangled hair, he took in a deep breath. His fingers gripped the knob as he steeled his mind, preparing himself for what he knew he would find.

The room was illuminated by the full moon, its silver rays beaming through the windows. Kerstyn was prostrate on the bed, her
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body knotted in the mass of sheets. Her head rolled back and forth as spasms shook her. He could feel the heat that radiated from her body.

“Kerstyn.” Her name escaped his lips on a pain-filled whisper as he lowered himself onto the edge of the bed. He wanted to touch her, to smooth her wet, tangled hair from her face. He wanted to take her in his arms and simply hold her. But, he knew his touch would be like ice against her fevered flesh, a shock and pain she did not need. God, how he wished he could ease her suffering, take the pain from her, but, in this, he was powerless.

“It is strange to feel useless, is it not?”

Dimitri’s head snapped to the side. Silvie stood beside him. He had not noticed her presence. His eyes narrowed as he sparely eyed the witch. “You knew this was going to happen.” It was not a question, but a statement of fact.

Silvie nodded as she pushed back the hood of her crimson robe.

“Why did you not say anything?” he demanded, rising to his feet.

“This was my final test,” she answered, her voice gentle.

“Test?”

“Yes. As you know, my training was put on hold so that I could watch over Kerstyn until your arrival. Once she was in your care, I was free to return to my people and finish my lessons,” she explained.

“Why is it that I did not know this was to happen?” Anger hardened his words.

“You were not meant to know. Besides, Gabriel’s decision was last minute.”

Dimitri was about to demand more information, but Kerstyn's scream made him snap his mouth shut. She arched off the bed. He could hear the tissues of her organs rip and tear as her body mutated.

Her strangled cries were like daggers to his heart and they sliced at his soul. Helplessness settled like a rock in his gut. He could do nothing, but watch over her as her body convulsed and contorted.

“God, I hate this,” Silvie whispered. “What is the use of having all this power and not being able to help? I am supposed to be able to help.” She covered her face with trembling hands.

Dimitri turned his gaze back to Silvie, “What did you mean by

'final test'?”

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She stifled a sob, straightened her spine, and dropped her hands. “You know I am to become a priestess,” she stated, “but my uncle…has other plans.” She swallowed hard and turned her back to him. “He shared his visions with me.”

Dimitri’s entire body went numb, the tiny hairs on his neck stood at attention.

“He wanted to see if I could be trusted with knowledge of the future. Knowing Kerstyn and I have developed a close relationship…” she shook her head, unable to finish. “For weeks I have had this pressing on me. Hell, this has been pure hell. Knowing Kerstyn would experience this torture.” Her voice cracked and she took in a deep breath. “I succeeded. I passed my uncle’s test. Now you and Kerstyn must pay.”

Silvie could not bring herself to look at her friend, who twisted and writhed on the bed as her body morphed. The vampire’s poison invaded her cells, rewriting her DNA as a demon took root, fighting her soul for control of her body. She could only hope Kerstyn was strong enough to resist, that her soul would hold strong and not shatter under the tremendous stress.

Kerstyn whimpered and curled into a tight ball. Blasts of heat filled the room as sweat broke out on her brow and soaked the sheets.

Dimitri’s jaw clenched as he gritted his teeth. He did not know how much more he could take. He heard Kerstyn’s heart slam against her rib cage as her breathing began to grow faster. She was nearing the end.

Soon her human body would die and he prayed that her soul would survive.

Raking his hands through his hair, he sank back onto the bed.

Fear unlike any he had ever known gripped his heart, turning his blood to ice in his veins.

Kerstyn’s pulse spiked as her heart hammered and her breathing spiraled out of control. A scream of pure, raw agony ripped from her throat. Her eyes flew open and tears of pain slipped down her face in a steady stream. For a moment, their gazes met. She reached out to him with a shaking hand and he gripped her fingers. Her nails dug into his flesh as another cry escaped her lips. His name. She screamed his name as her body seized. Then…silence. A mind-numbing, bone-crushing, terrifying silence.

Dimitri held his breath, stilling his heart, his blood. His eyes locked on Kerstyn’s face; his energy completely focused on his mate.

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He was unaware Silvie had disappeared. He sat, unmoving, unflinching like an ancient statue.

“Kerstyn,” he whispered. With trembling fingers, he caressed her cheek. Her flesh burned. “Kerstyn.” He cupped her chin as he leaned over her, his palm flat on the mattress beside her shoulder.

Her eyes were open, staring unseeing at the ceiling. There was no life in their sapphire depths and his soul cringed as he gazed into their emptiness.

“No,” he snarled, the beast within him rising, “no, you cannot die.” He pulled her to his chest. The fever that had gripped her was slowly fading, leaving her skin cool and clammy.

He cradled Kerstyn against him.

“Come back to me, Kerstyn. Fight,” he snapped.

He sent a silent prayer up to the heavens as he held her to him, her chest flat against his. He kissed her brow, whispering pleas of mercy for her soul should she never return to him.

Dimitri could not hold back the dark laughter that escaped his lips. This was a sure and fitting punishment for his sins. How could he ever let himself believe Fate would grant him happiness? After thousands of years of loneliness, he should have known being with Kerstyn would not last. Nothing good in his world of darkness ever lasted. Only pain, misery, and sorrow were permitted to live.

Tears cascaded unnoticed down his face to rain upon Kerstyn’s cheeks.

He felt her lungs expand against his chest as her heart beat a slow rhythm.

“Dimitri,” her voice was soft, low and it was the most amazing sound in the world.

Pulling back, he looked down and a jolt of lust shocked his system. Her eyes were the deepest of blacks, her fangs were long, sharply pointed, and she looked devilishly…gorgeous.

“I’m hungry.” Her pink tongue swept over her lower lip, her gaze focused on the line of blood at his throat.

In a flash, she was on top of him, pressing him back into the rumpled pillows. She leaned over him and groaned as her body slid against his. Her tongue teasingly caressed his bare chest drawing hot circles of torturous pleasure down his torso. She nipped each of his
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hipbones. His muscles clenched and he closed his eyes, desperately trying to shut out the demands of his body. Her fingers followed her lips, her nails lightly scratching down his sides. She sat back on her knees once she reached the waistband of his ruined white pants.

Flashing a coy sensual smile, her fingers sought the evidence of his arousal. He shifted, trying to ease the tension of the tightly stretched fabric containing his throbbing member.

Not able to withstand her play any longer and knowing she needed to feed, Dimitri grabbed her shoulders and drew her up his body. Kerstyn settled over him, her thighs straddling his hips as his

hardness pressed tightly against her core. She gently rocked back and forth and smiled when he groaned. She leaned down, her tongue tasting his flesh, skipping over his pulse. Dimitri wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, holding her tightly to him.

“Take from me what you need.”

Her fangs were hot and sharp in her mouth. Her body pulsed with life as her cravings grew. Fire scorched her throat. She was hungry. No. She was starving.

Dimitri arched his neck, pressing himself tightly against her mouth. Her lips parted and white-hot pleasure consumed them both. He tore at his pants and shoved her rain-dampened skirt up her hips. His hot and tangy blood slipped down her throat as he penetrated her.

The aroma of his powerful blood swirled together with the scent of their sex filling the room and chasing away the stench of death.

Her lips ravenously pulled at his pulse, her fangs deeply embedded in his vein. His blood was the most delicious nectar, thick and rich as she swallowed in hard gulps. Tiny sighs escaped her lips as he held her hips and thrust upward, heightening both their pleasures until a raging inferno swept them both over the edge.

Dimitri gripped her hair, pulling her free from his throat, stifling her disapproving groan with a kiss. His thrusts grew faster until ecstasy shattered their world. Dimitri released his hold on her hair and Kerstyn fell upon his chest, her body quivering with pleasurable spasms.

“My angel,” he breathed, kissing her temple.

Kerstyn tried to lift her head, but exhaustion made the simple movement impossible. Tucking her against him, Dimitri gently rolled her over. She gave him the best smile she could muster as sleep tugged at her.

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“Why am I so tired?” she asked, her voice rough, her throat raw from her bellows of pain.

“The transition,” he said, brushing his index finger over her jaw. “It is very taxing on the body. And you have fed. You need to rest now.”

“It was just like my dream,” she whispered, struggling to keep her eyes open.

“Hm?”

“I had a dream that I was a vampire and that I bit you, but I woke up before the really good part happened.”

Had she been granted a vision,
he thought.

Dimitri stood, untangled the sheets, and slid them up to her shoulder.

“Where are you going?”

“My battle with Ven and my duty of feeding you has left me feeling weak. I must replenish myself so that I may attend to you again.

Your hunger will be back with a vengeance in a few hours. Please, try to sleep.”

“I honestly don’t think sleep will be difficult.” Even now she struggled to keep her eyes open. “How are you going to…I mean where are you going to―”

“Gabriel owns a clinic and lives off donated blood,” he explained.

“Got it.”

Dimitri smiled before unzipping his travel bag, which lay on the floor at the foot of the bed. He needed a fresh set of clothes and a shower. He could feel Kerstyn’s gaze upon him as he pulled a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt from his bag. He could sense she wanted to say something.

Turning his eyes back up to her, he cocked his head to the side and asked, “What is it?”

“I…” Her lips trembled and uncertainty made her eyes sparkle,

“You aren’t angry, are you?”

He frowned, his eyebrows pulling together, “What have I to be angry about?”

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She rolled her eyes as the uncertainty was replaced with slight annoyance. “Seriously? Dimitri, did you not notice something different when we had sex? I was the one doing the biting and blood drinking, not you. Remember?”

“Of course,” he said, his frown disappearing, “I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Kerstyn blinked. She was absolutely dumbfounded. He was not angry that she was now a vampire. In fact, he seemed to like it. A lot.

“I’m completely confused. You didn't want me to become a vampire.”

His smile faltered a bit before returning to perfection. “No. I never wanted you to be a vampire. You were to be my bonded mate, but destiny had another plan for us.”

“And for Gabriel,” she said, her face turning down as she thought of how Gabriel must be feeling. “I can’t believe he…” Her eyes grew wide as she stared at Dimitri, a cold realization swept over her. “Please, don’t be mad at him. This was not his fault. I'm to blame.

If I just stayed―crap! Denise.”

“She is here.”

“What?”

“She is in a room down the hall. Silvie is with her,” he explained.

“How do you know this?” she asked.

“I can sense Silvie’s presence and smell Denise.”

“Sense Silvie,” Kerstyn said, slowly lifting her hands to her ear. “Is that what this strange buzzing is in my head?” Dimitri chuckled, “Yes.”

She shook her head and again denied sleep’s call. “This is all my fault. If I had just listened to you like I planned this would not have happened. Please, don’t blame Gabriel.”