Shiver (Night Roamers) (27 page)

“Hey,” said Ethan, walking
through the door, holding a cup.

“
Ethan, oh thank God,” I whispered, my voice hoarse.

“Get back into bed,” he said. “You’re
much too weak to be on your feet.”

“What’s happened?” I asked, sitting back down
on the edge of the bed.

He put his cup
down on the nightstand and sat down next to me. “You don’t remember anything?” he asked, grabbing my hand.

I shook my head.

He sighed. “You’ve been in and out of consciousness for a few days.”

“Wha
t? Where are we?”

“In the mountains of Montana,” he said. “This place was deserted when I brought you here.”

I licked my lips. “What’s happened to my family?”

He stared into the fire
. “I’m not really sure. The only thing on my mind has been you.”

“
Ethan, we have to go find them,” I said, trying to stand on two very shaky legs.

“Wait,
” he said, pulling me towards his lap. “You need to rest longer. You’re too weak to do anything right now.”

“Then find me something to eat
, so we can leave,” I pleaded, feeling my stomach growl in agreement. “Please.”

He pursed his lips
. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

I scowled.
“About Faye?”

“
No, about you.”

I stared into his eyes. “What?”

He touched my stomach. “You were shot.”

I looked down
where his hand was. “Shot?”

He traced a circle near my belly and I grabbed his hand. “Stop, that tickles.”

“You weren’t going to make it,” he said, pulling me closer.

I shivered as his lips brushed
the hollow of my neck. “That’s ridiculous. I wasn’t shot.”

“Nikki,” he said
, lifting his face to stare into my eyes. “You were dying and I had to save you.”

I narrowed my eyes.
“What are you trying to say?”

He
lifted me up, carried me over to a large, full-length mirror and set me down.

“What?” I asked, staring at my reflection in the mirror.
I was very surprised to see his refection next to mine, since he was supposed to be some kind of vampire. Obviously, that was another misguided notion. A vampire in Shore Lake does cast a reflection.

He stood behind me and raised my chin so
that my neck was exposed.

“What
in the heck is that?” I whispered, shaking his hand away. I walked closer to the mirror and examined the scar.

“I had to,” he murmured. “You were dying.”

“You bit me?”

“We…bonded.”

I turned to him. “You turned me into one of you?” I cried.

He touched my cheek. “I had no oth
er choice. You lost too much blood.”

My eyes widened. “Three times? We had sex when I was unconscious, three times?”

He smiled. “Believe me; you weren’t unconscious when we made love.”

“But, I don’t remember. I…oh
, my God,” I choked. “I’m not human anymore?”

He took me into his arms. “You’re alive. That’s all that matters.”

I stared up at him in horror. “But, do I have to drink human blood to survive now?”

He nodded
. “You have to, but I guarantee, it will be much more enjoyable than you think.”

I stepped away from him and shook my head. “No, I can’t. There’s no way I can do that.”

He sighed. “You have to, or you’ll die.”

I started to cry. “No…”

“Nikki, it’s not that bad. Once you feed, you’ll be stronger and feel more alive than you’ve ever felt in your life. I swear to you.”

“There is no way,” I cried
, “that I’m going to drink someone’s blood.”

He looked at me incredulously.
“Would you rather die?”

“Maybe,” I sobbed.

He frowned and pulled me into his arms. “I won’t ever let that happen. I love you.”

I tried to pull away but he held me firm.

“Please,” I begged. “Just leave me alone.”

“
Never,” he said huskily, tightening his hold.

“Ethan,” I pleaded
, trying to pull away. I couldn’t deal with this news now. It was bad enough that my brother and mom were missing. “Ethan, please leave me alone.”

He ignored me and sought out my mouth instead. As h
is lips captured mine, I moaned in protest. “Stop,” I breathed, as his mouth moved towards my neck. “Please.”

“You’ll be
so much stronger,” he whispered. “You can help save your family. We’ll do it together.”

My heart ached
as images of my mother flashed through my head, along with Faye’s cold, cruel stare. I closed my eyes as my body began to betray me and eventually, I gave in and met his kisses with my own.

“Ethan,” I breathed against his lips, pulling him closer to me. I just wanted to forget everything but
the taste and smell of his mouth and tongue mixing with mine. Quickly my kisses became more demanding, almost savage, surprising the both of us.

He
groaned against my mouth and then pulled his lips away to stare into my eyes.

“Please,” I whimpered, p
ulling him back towards me. He’d started a fire so hot I just couldn’t seem to get enough of him. Every cell in my body screamed for his touch.

“Wait,” he whispered, pulling back. When he bit
his thumb and blood began to flow, I stared at it in wonder, unable to pull my gaze away.

“
Drink from me,” he whispered. “Live.”

As I watched the red stream begin to slowly trickle down his hand, it seemed to call out to me, like an old friend.
I licked my lips in anticipation of catching it on my tongue.

He kissed me again, but this time,
all I could concentrate on was the smell of his blood. It was intoxicating and sweet.

“Butterscotch,” I whispered
as he pulled away and raised his hand to my lips.

“Don’t be afraid,” he said.

“Ethan,” I moaned, feeling the heat build between my legs as the smell of his blood consumed me.

H
e rubbed his finger over my lips and sucked in his breath as I took it into my mouth. 

“Oh…” I breathed, reveling in the sweet coppery taste.
My legs began to tremble and the hunger inside of the pit of my stomach screamed for more.

“That’s it,” smiled Ethan
as I began to suck greedily on his thumb. But it wasn’t nearly enough and he knew it. The next thing I knew he held me down on the bed and placed his wrist over my mouth. “Do it,” he demanded. “Break the skin. I’ll be fine.”

I closed my eyes and gave in to the
ravenous hunger he’d created. Opening my mouth, I sunk my teeth into his skin until the blood began to spill, covering my lips and tongue. I lapped at the warm fluid and felt it go down my throat. I moaned against his wrist as a new kind of heat began to spread, from my face all the way down to the tips of my toes. With it grew a pleasure so intense, I wrapped my legs around him and pressed into his lap, this time wanting more than just blood.

“Nikki,” he groaned, removin
g his wrist. He then tore my shirt away, exposing my naked body. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, staring down at my nudity.

“Your wrist,” I whispered
, as he began to lower his mouth to my breasts. “It’s flowing much too freely.”

He
reached over and tore off a piece of the abandoned shirt and then wrapped it around the wound, stopping the blood.

“
Now, it’s your turn to be devoured,” he said, his eyes full of flames.

I licked my lips, trace
s of his blood still lingering there. I wanted more, God did I want more of his blood, but I also wanted to feel his mouth all over my body again, like the other night.

As if he could read my thoughts, he began to touch me everywhere.

“Yes,” I whimpered, as he cupped my breasts and began licking my nipples with his tongue, making me squirm.

“Say my name,” he whispered
, moving his fingers between my legs.

“Ethan…”

Soon, both of his hands and mouth were moving across my body, caressing and teasing my most sensitive spots, until I shuddered in ecstasy. Then he removed his own clothing and grasped my hand. “Touch me,” he whispered, placing my hand on his chest.

His
entire body was hard and muscular. When I reached down below and touched between his legs, he let out a strangled growl.

“What’s wrong?” I asked
as he pushed me away.

He shook his head and then
spread my legs open. “I have to have you… right now,” he said, pushing inside of me.

I wrapped my hips around his and moaned a
s he took me over the edge once more.

“May I?” he asked as he kissed the junction just above my shoulder.

“Yes,” I whispered.

He op
ened his mouth and sunk his teeth into my neck, but there was no pain. For some reason, it only added to the ecstasy of his lovemaking, and soon he was unable to hold back.

“Nikki,” he groaned, shuddering in pleasure inside of me. “God, I love you.”

I stared up into his smoldering eyes and smiled. “I love you, too.”

Jus
t then, the bedroom door burst open and I heard a loud blast. Before I knew what was happening, Ethan’s body slumped on top of me, pinning me underneath.

“Ethan!” I screamed,
overwhelmed by the smell of blood and the fact he wasn’t moving. Not at all.

“Got one of them,” cackled an old man holding a shot gun.
“Teach ‘em for breaking in and sinning in our house.”

I
n a flash, I shot out of bed and held the stranger up in the air by his throat. “What have you done?” I growled in rage.

The old man stared at me in horror, his watery brown eyes bulgi
ng out of his head as I began to squeeze the arteries in his neck.

“Let him go!”
Hollered another man, standing in the doorway, his eyes full of shock. “Or I’ll shoot!”

I glared at the guy
, who looked like a younger version of the one I was choking. “I don’t think so.”

“Bitch, leave him be.”

Something inside of me snapped as my eyes jumped back to Ethan’s body. I wanted both men to pay.

“Killers,” I
choked, flinging the old man at his son. They both fell backwards to the floor and I advanced towards them.

“Shoot her,”
hollered the old man, trying to scramble away.

Before they could
even blink, I had both of their guns and they were staring at me in horror.