Moonlight Calls (Demon's Call Series Book 1) (24 page)

“Most of us are
messed up,” Ailis had confided bitterly, confirming my suspicions.  “Very few
vampires enter this world gently.”  I saw the look on her face before she
hurried to cover it and wondered what pain lay in her past.

“We need Dominic
on our side,” she continued.  “He is very powerful and he’ll make a strong
ally.  Plus he has knowledge about humans with special abilities.  It’s
something that he has spent centuries researching.”

I sighed.  “Are
you
sure
we can trust this guy?”  I asked.  After all, she had just
lectured me about how dangerous he was.

Ailis looked
surprised that I should even ask.  “Of course,” she said without hesitation. 
“I would trust him with my life.”

I raised an
eyebrow in concern.  She sounded almost fanatical.

*****

As the day
progressed I grew more and more nervous.  I was so on edge that I jumped at
every noise and when I finally heard a car pull into our driveway I practically
knocked my chair over as I stood.  Ailis was beside me in an instant.

Putting a hand
lightly on my shoulder she tried to comfort me.  “You will be completely safe. 
I trust Dominic, and I will be right here if you need me.”  I nodded, feeling
ill.

Regaining my
composure I straightened my t-shirt with a jerk and went out the back door,
leaving Ailis to greet our guest.  I headed for the area that we had set up out
in the yard, well away from the house.  The afternoon was slowly darkening into
a glorious sunset and I went about lighting the tikki torches that Ailis and I
had placed around the picnic table and outdoor chairs.  It looked like a nice
little picnic area.  In actuality it was my way of keeping the strange vampire
out of my house.  We would work outside, but Ailis would always be within easy
reach.

I turned
suddenly when I heard soft footsteps approaching from the front yard.  My eyes
lit on the approaching figure with surprise.  He had been at Argenou’s side
during our little meeting in the woods.  The man was tall and broad shouldered,
but slender.  He was dressed impeccably in a gray suit and tie.  I let out a
mental curse.  Of course he was beautiful.  Why were they all so beautiful? 

I held my breath
as he drew up in front of me, noting that he was even more attractive up
close.  His build was lithe and delicately made.  His graceful form was saved
from femininity by his broad shoulders, and the sharp angles of his square
jaw.  He paused to brush a mass of golden curls out of his blue eyes before
holding out a hand to me.

“So this is the
infamous sensitive,” he said in a soft baritone.  His silky voice touched my
ears like a caress.  “I’m Dominic.”  I reluctantly took his hand in mine,
intending an impersonal handshake, but he stepped closer and pressed my fingers
to his lips formally, his eyes never leaving mine.  I stared into those
beautiful pools of crystalline blue, unable to look away.  Finally his long,
unusually dark lashes swept downward breaking our gaze and I stepped back hastily.

I felt
suffocated by his aura.  His dark power was radiating over my skin like a
physical thing, making me shiver in pleasure.  He was powerful- more powerful
than Argenou- and I was puzzled.  Ailis had said that Dominic served the master
vampire.  He stepped closer, still speaking in that rich silky baritone and I
tucked that little bit of knowledge away for future reference.  Apparently,
Argenou wasn’t the most powerful monster on the playground- he just thought he
was. 

I stood rooted
to the spot, unable to look away even though I knew I should.  He withdrew his
hand from mine moving like lightning, crossing behind me to grasp both my arms
and pull them behind my back.  I felt his lithe body pressed to my back as he
leaned in to nip at my neck.  I froze in sudden panic.  He was trying to pull
me under- hell, I was already halfway there.  I could feel his dark aura
lapping around us.  He grazed his teeth over my exposed neck, not breaking the
skin and I moaned as the sensation sent desire coursing through my veins.

“That’s right,”
he said, his silky voice taking on a rough mocking tone.  “I will make you
beg.  You will come crawling to me on your hands and knees.  Then I will bleed
you dry, just as master Argenou has instructed.”

I shook my head
in confusion.  His aura was all around me, making it hard to think.  Argenou
had sent him?  I had to get out of there.  I had to get to Ailis.  Not that I
thought she could help me. 
My God he was strong
.

Fear lit a spark
somewhere inside me and I felt my will struggling to rise to the surface
again.  It was almost painful to fight against the pleasure, but I managed to
do it, inch by agonizing inch.

I couldn’t
struggle against him for fear of dislocating my shoulders, and the position
made my full breasts jut out enticingly.  He held me with one hand as the other
fondled me roughly, finding one engorged nipple and pinching it sharply.  He
seemed to be
trying
to piss me off.  My breath came out in a pant and I
struggled to find my anger.

“No.”  My voice
came out weak and shaky.  Taking a deep breath, I gathered all the strength I
had and wretched away from his grasp.  I cried out in pain as my shoulders were
stretched beyond comfort.  I closed my eyes, waiting for the pop of
dislocation, but it never came.  He let go, and I hit the ground with a jolt,
landing on my hands and knees.  I pushed myself into a kneeling position, too
weak to stand.

Dominic circled
me swiftly and I flinched backward, tying to pull away as he grasped my wrist. 
“Stop now, Mya,” his voice had lost its rough edge, and the silk had returned. 
I glanced at him in surprise as he drew me to my feet.  His blue eyes were
still lost in silver, but he seemed less vicious somehow.  It took me a moment
to realize that his aura had changed.  I glared at him and he smiled, showing
his impressive fangs.  They were a hell of a lot bigger than Ailis’. “I was
simply testing you.  I won’t hurt you.”  He shook his head in disbelief.
“You…said no.”

I stared at him,
anger slowly turning to wonder.  He had tried to put me under… and I had gotten
free.  Granted, if he had really intended to kill me, I would definitely be
dead by now.  It had taken me too long to break free.  But still…

His power was
still lapping at my skin and I shivered in pleasure.  He stepped forward,
drawing me close, and I looked up at him in wonder.  What the hell?  I didn’t
know what was going on, and my mind was spinning, still reeling from adrenaline
and shock.  The logical part of my brain was telling me to run, even as an
older, more primal part was wondering what sharing blood with a vampire as
strong as Dominic would feel like.

 He slipped an
arm around my waist, turning me so that he was cradling me and I realized that
he was still in vampire mode.  His power was lapping about me in tingling
waves.  He brushed my riotous hair away from my neck with his other hand as his
warm breath caressed my ear.  “Now I see the reason Ailis goes to such lengths
to keep you safe.”  He paused, drawing me closer against him as he scented my
neck.  “I can smell the power in your blood even as it rushes through your
veins.  My God, just the scent...”  His voice was practically a purr. 

He bent his head
to plant a kiss on my neck, briefly flicking his tongue over my skin. I could
feel the length of him pressing against me.  He wasn’t testing me this time. 
He was serious.  I struggled against him briefly, but his arm was like a steel
vise.  Dark ripples of pleasure were lapping over my skin and I felt my resolve
slipping away.  I wanted him to take me right now.  I wanted to turn and run my
fingers through those thick golden curls, wanted to feel those chiseled lips on
my skin.  I wanted him with every fiber of my being.  My breath slipped from me
in a sigh, and I pressed back against him.

I felt his body tense,
and he was still for a moment.  Everything inside me was crying out for him to
sink his teeth into me and my body was pulsating with desire.  If he didn’t
bite me or fuck me, I was going to explode.  His voice lapped over me, making
me tingle with need.

“Mya…”   He
swallowed audibly.  “Whatever it is you are doing, you need to stop.  You need
to fight me.”  He still hadn’t moved.  He was holding himself rigid, and I
heard the strain in his voice.  He was almost pleading with me.  “Mya,” his
voice was starting to sound panicked, “I am trying to let you go, but I can’t. 
Please stop… whatever it is you are doing to me.”  I shivered in sudden fear as
I realized that he was battling with his instincts.  He spoke again, his
beautiful voice showing strained control.  “Go now.  Get away.”

 I pulled
against his grasp experimentally, finding that I could move away, if I wanted
to.  God help me I didn’t want to.  He bent his head to my neck again with a
moan, his warm breath making me quiver.  Suddenly he stepped away, shoving me
from him with a surge of power.  I stumbled, grabbed a tree trunk and held on
for dear life.  I closed my eyes and pressed my forehead against the rough
bark, willing the pulsating heat to leave my body.  I had to get a grip on
myself.  And to think Ailis had said he didn’t like women. 
Very funny
.

 I took a deep
breath and lifted my head.  Glancing around, I found Dominic standing by the
table, one hand covering his nose and the other braced on the rough wood as he
fought for control.  Every line of his body radiated distress.  I noticed dully
that my hands were glowing, a soft gold color, where I gripped the rough tree
bark.  I pushed myself away from the tree, drawing myself upright.  At my
movement, all trace of tension left Dominic’s body.  He straightened and turned
to face me, flipping those delicious curls away from his eyes.

I saw that his
eyes were blue once again and the fear left my body.  I rubbed my temple
distractedly.  The adrenaline and fear and desire were fading, and I was
feeling the beginnings of one hell of a headache.  I really didn’t have the
energy for this crap.

The vampire
bowed to me formally, a smirk touching the corner of his delicate mouth.  “I
apologize, Mya.  I had intended to scare you.  To teach you a lesson in what
you are dealing with.  Apparently I was in need of a lesson as well.  You are
much more powerful than I had thought,” he said with a wry twist to his full
mouth.  I had thought Ailis was exaggerating about the effects of my blood. 
Apparently not.

I wrapped my
arms around chest, trying to steady myself.  “What the hell just happened?”  I
asked, acidly.

Dominic
laughed.  He pulled out one of the outdoor chairs and invited me to sit.  When
I declined, he took the seat himself and sat gazing up at me, looking a little
awed.  “I wanted to see if you could resist a strange vampire,” he said simply,
effortlessly ignoring the fact that the blood was still pounding in my cheeks
from the sudden wash of desire.  His features lost their humor and he shot me a
look of approval.

“You did fairly
well, by the way.  You have a strong will.  Once you learn to use that power of
yours, rather than letting it get you into trouble, you may actually be able to
defend yourself.”

I raised an
eyebrow in disbelief, but he continued.  “I hadn’t anticipated you to be so
strong, though.”  He looked at me questioningly, “How did you lure me?  Do you
know what you smell like?”  There was a note of longing in his voice that I
really didn’t trust, but I shrugged.

“Shampoo?”  I asked
sarcastically, but he ignored me.

“There is
something about your blood.”  He paused, a frown creasing his brows as if he
was trying to remember something, but he let it go.  “I hadn’t anticipated my
reaction to you,” he said simply.  “It’s been a very long time since I lost
control like that.”  He rose and came to me.

 It took all my
strength to keep myself from flinching away as he took my hand.  “It won’t
happen again, Mya.  I give you my word.”  Ailis had given me the impression
that one of the things this man was known for was his iron control and his icy
lack of emotion.  Apparently, I really had a knack for stirring up the
instincts of all the dangerous creatures around me.  And he thought I’d done it
on purpose?  Swell.  Still, if Ailis trusted him then I supposed I should give
it a try as well.  After all, I needed all the help I could get.

He dropped my
hand and moved away.  He gestured for me to join him at the table and this time
I complied.  I sank into the chair, resting my elbows on the wooden table.  He
sat back with his arms crossed sizing me up.

“Tell me what
you know about your power,” he said softly.  I sighed tiredly, resisting the
urge to say, “What power?”

“All I know is
what Ailis and Christian have told me- bits and pieces here and there about
supposed abilities that I have never seen any evidence of until just
recently.”  I shrugged my shoulders uncomfortably, rubbing my hands against my
jeans suddenly as I always did when I thought about that exploding vampire
incident.

“I killed those
two vampires in the woods.  I have no idea how.  It just happened.”

Dominic raised
an eyebrow.  “Tell me what happened.  That is, what
you
 think
happened.”

I explained the
incident as best I could.  “I just felt anger and rage.  I didn’t think about
anything.  All I saw was red.”  I looked at my hands in wonder before rubbing
them convulsively on my jeans again.  “I imagined that my hands were coated in
this red glow...”  I trailed off in confusion.