The Vampire's Submissive (5 page)

“This is your
turf, Jackson. I’m simply here to assist.”

“There are
five now,” Katy said. “I don’t know how many I could take out. My powers are
still rather untried.”

“No kidding,”
Jackson exclaimed. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I just can’t lose you, Katy.”

“You won’t,”
she assured him, tucking her hand in his. “If only there was a way to get
behind them without alerting them to our movements.”

“There is a
way,” Jackson said, blowing out a frustrated breath. “There’s an old tunnel
which runs from the basement to the middle of the forest. We could attack them
from behind. Alexander can move without sound. I’m pretty decent at it, but
you, Katy, what if they hear you?”

“Simple. I’ll
ride on your back. Or Alexander’s, if you think that’s better.”

“Don’t mess
with my head, little girl, or your pretty ass will pay when this is over.”

She smiled.
“Oh, Jackson, you’re so cute when you’re frustrated.”

He slammed his
palm on the table. “Be serious, Katy. This. Is. Serious. It’s life or death,
and you need to quit messing around.”

She shook her
head, beginning to feel frustrated herself. “I do take this seriously, Jackson,
but if these are the last two hours of my life, I’d rather spend them smiling
than fretting.”

“You’re right.
I’m sorry. I just wish I could tuck you away safe and sound until we deal with
this mess.”

Sighing, she
reached out and ruffled his messy brown hair. “I’ll be careful, Jackson. I
promise.”

Alexander
reached for his phone and tapped the screen before holding it to his ear.
“Peter? How far are you from Sweetwater? Tupelo? Good. Get your ass to
Jackson’s place. We’ve got five demons camped out in his woods plotting to
roast us like marshmallows.”

“There’s more
I could tell you, but I don’t want to talk over the phone. When can you be
here? Forty-five? Good. See you then.” He disconnected the call. “Peter Ambrose
is in Tupelo. Well, by now, he’s probably halfway to Amory. He’ll be here soon.
No one else is close enough. Four against five. Not the best odds…”

“I could call
William. He’s always moving around though. No telling where he is.”

“Try,”
Alexander said.

Jackson went
to find his phone, and Katy stood and put her dishes in the sink. She tossed
Alexander’s empty blood bags in the trash. “How do demons fight?”

“Excellent
question. Fire balls for the most part. And hand to hand.”

She worried
her bottom lip with her teeth. “How does an energy ball stand up to a fire
ball?”

“Stands up
just fine. They destroy each other.”

“Wow, okay, so
this is either the most complex, surreal dream I’ve ever had, or my life is
never going to be the same.” She hoped it was the latter.

“You’ll be
fine. You’re a tough cookie.”

“Jackson
doesn’t think so,” she said.

“He’s just
scared, Katy. He doesn’t want to lose you.”

“But he
doesn’t do relationships, so if he lost me, it wouldn’t be like when he lost
his wife.”

“I saw the way
he looks at you, Katy.”

She shook her head,
disbelieving. “It’s okay. It’s not like we’re in love or anything.” She’d love
to make a life with him here, but he’d been forthright…that wasn’t in the
cards.

“Sure, you
tell yourself that if it helps you sleep at night, little girl.”

She felt the fogginess
creep in again, same as before when she’d had the vision of the demons setting
fire to Jackson’s beautiful home. “They’re arguing. Two want to move now. The
other three want to wait. Oh, that was not pretty. One’s dead.”

“Four against
four. I like it.” Alexander rubbed his hands together.

“Make that
five against four. William is on his way. He was in Oxford visiting an old
friend of his.”

“Excellent,”
Alexander said, applauding. Jackson joined in, clapping his hands and trying to
smile.

Katy shook her
head.
Boys
.

Shaking her
head at the silliness of centuries’ old men, she said, “I’m going upstairs to
change clothes. I don’t want to risk ruining my skirt.” She nodded to Alexander
and blew Jackson a kiss then bounded up the stairs. What did one wear to a
battle with demons? The black T would work just fine. Maybe short or jeans?
Jeans. In her room, she found a pair of her jeans in the closet. Slipping the
skirt down her legs, she didn’t hear Jackson walk in the door.

“You don’t
have to do this.”

She jumped,
startled, and pressed a hand to her heart. “Jackson, don’t sneak up on me like
that!”

“Sorry,” he
mumbled.

She moved to
stand before him, wearing only her black T and black lace boy shorts. “I’ll be
okay, Jackson. It’s not like I’m doing it alone.”

He slammed the
door shut behind them. “Panties off. Now.”

She backed up
a step, then another. “Jackson, I have to get ready. In less than two hours…”

“Now.” His
voice had changed, taking on a stern, yet dangerous, tone. “O-kay,” she whispered.
Slowly, so as to drive him mad, she dragged the panties down her legs and
tossed them on the bed. “Anything else, sir?”

“No, that will
suffice.” He grabbed her upper arms, spun her around, and pressed her up
against the door. Shoving two fingers into her pussy, he groaned. She was wet.
Very, very wet. “Does all this talk of fighting demons make you horny, lover?”

She shook her
head. “No, but you acting all possessive in front of Alexander certainly does
the job.”

With a feral
growl, he tipped up her chin before covering her mouth in a bruising kiss. Her
eyes drifted shut. She could hear the zipper of his pants descending. Oh, dear
god, he would take her. This really wasn’t the proper time, she wanted to tell
him, but found she couldn’t speak. All she could do was surrender to his
mouth’s brutal assault, opening her lips so his tongue could slip through. He
gripped her hips, his fingers bruising her flesh, and lifted her up against the
door. “Wrap your legs around my waist, baby.” A heartbeat later, he rammed his
big rod into her slit.

“Ahhh!” she
screamed, surprised by the sudden, violent invasion.

He fucked her,
pounding into her with passion and anger and something that felt very much like
fear. Brushing her hair out of the way, she bared her neck for him. “Please,”
she murmured against this mouth.

The stark
hunger in his eyes terrified and aroused her. He bit her. Hard. She screamed,
the mix of pain and pleasure too much for her to stand. As he fed on her, he
fucked her, thrusting deeper and deeper, driving her to the edge of her
release. When she came, his mouth still sucking her neck, she felt herself
crumble into a million little pieces. If he hadn’t been holding her, she would
have fallen to the floor.

“Oh, god,
Jackson!” He pumped into her one last time, filling her with his hot cum, and
she wondered as it spurted inside her, how he would taste. Would they live long
enough for her to find out? Or would this be the last time they made love?

Placing his
hands under her arms, he lifted her free from his cock and set her gently on
the ground. Cupping her face in his hands, he whispered, “Please be careful,
Katy girl.”

She nodded.
“You, too.”

He nodded
briskly and walked to the door connecting his room to hers. “See you
downstairs.”

She went to the
bed and fell onto it, landing on her back, her legs hanging off the side of the
bed. How on earth was she supposed to keep her head while she was fighting
demons when all she could think about was Jackson fucking her and feeding at
her neck? She gave herself a few minutes to rest then she stood and dressed,
pulling on jeans, socks, and tennis shoes. Moments later, she hurried
downstairs and found them all in the parlor.

Brown-haired
Jackson and blond Alexander had been joined by two black-haired men. The one
chatting with Alexander was of average stature but his silver eyes warned he
wasn’t to be messed with. Must be Peter. William, who looked to be a full six
feet, six inches, stood talking with Jackson. When she walked in the room, all
mouths shut and all eyes went to her. Wow, being a Star had its bonuses. She
chuckled lightly to herself, and strode over to William, holding out her small
hand which he took in his and kissed.

What the
hell?

“My lady, it’s
an honor to make your acquaintance.”

O-kay, she
could get used to this.

Peter came to
stand beside William and offered his own hand, which she took. He pressed a
rather long kiss on her palm. Wow, these guys were dangerous.

“My lady. ‘Tis
an  honor.”

“Thank you
both. My name is Katy Foster.”

They nodded,
and William spoke. “You’re our Star.”

“My. Star.”
Jackson interrupted.

She tucked her
arm through his which seemed to calm him. “Are we ready to move?”

Alexander
nodded. “Lead the way, Jackson.”

“Fine.” A
swirl of emotions passed across his face, and Katy was left to wonder what he
was thinking.

She walked
with Jackson down into the basement. Cold and damp, the air made her shiver. At
the base of the stairs, Jackson lifted a trap door. Descending into the tunnel,
Katy couldn’t help but wonder if she’d lost her mind. Her traveling companions
were three vampires and a demon. If she survived this, she should have her head
checked.

The tunnel was
dark but her friends had no trouble maneuvering. She on the other hand tripped
and fell twice. Jackson lifted her from the ground. “Are you sure you want to
do this? You can wait here. We’ll come get you when it’s over.”

“No, Jackson,
I may not be two hundred years old, but I know a few things, and I’m pretty
sure running from one’s destiny is considered bad form.”

The other men
chuckled lightly. “Told you she was something else,” Alexander said.

On their way
once more, they soon stopped. Jackson climbed a ladder and pushed up hard on
another trap door, this one covered with moss and leaves. His friends followed
him out and she was last up the ladder. For a moment, Jackson looked like he
wanted to slam the door closed, but instead he reached out a hand, helping her
out into the fading daylight.

“They’ve
cleaned themselves up,” Katy said, as the fogginess descended for a third time.
They’re wearing jeans and white T-shirts. Two of them are wearing jackets.
They’re gathering their supplies. Oh, god, they have gasoline. Maybe you guys
shouldn’t…”

“What the
hell, Katy?” Jackson whispered angrily. “Are you going to take them on
yourself?”

“You’re not
the only one who gets to worry, Jackson Wainwright,” she whispered back. “Okay,
so I’m going to take the guy holding the gasoline. You guys take the others.”
Katy began to walk south, not quite sure how she knew this was the right way to
go. Why weren’t the leaves crunching? She peered down at her feet and nearly
fell backward on her ass when she realized she was moving about three inches
above the ground. She turned to the men and grinned. “Well, now, that’s a handy
little trick.”

“I can’t
believe my girlfriend is leading us into a fight!” Jackson muttered to his
friends. Katy’s heart leapt. Since when did he consider her his girlfriend?
She’d have to ask him about that later.

About thirty
yards out, she spotted the four demons in a clearing. No sneaking up on them
now. One was sure to turn and see them plain as day. She tucked her hands
behind her back and visualized an energy ball. She placed it in her left hand
and visualized another in her right. “You guys hang back, so they can’t see
you. I want to take them off guard.”

“Oh, hell no!”
Jackson muttered.

“Jackson, you
and your friends can move fast as lightning. As soon as I get things started,
you can move on top of them.”

“Damn, your
girlfriend is H-O-T. Hot,” William murmured appreciatively.

“Stay.” She
instructed the four, dumbstruck men.

Exiting the
somewhat safe confines of the forest, she lowered herself to the ground and
walked normally. “Excuse me!” she called to the demons. “I’m lost. Could you tell
me how to get to the nearest road?” By now, she was several yards from the four
men, none of whom she would have taken for a demon two days ago.

“Sure thing,
sweetheart,” said demon number one. Demon number two tried and failed to hide
the gasoline can behind his back.

“Aww, y’all
are so sweet!” she crooned before bringing her arms from behind her back and
hurling the balls at demons one and two. Their friends screamed in anger as
their compatriots burst into ash.

“What are you,
you crazy bitch?” Demon number three demanded, a fireball already glowing in
his palm.

She grew
another energy ball in her hand, preparing to hurl it any second. “Just your
average Southern belle,” she told them in a pretty tone, even going so far as
to present them with a curtsey.

“You mocking
us, bitch?” Demon number four growled.

“’Course not.
Just being ladylike seeing as I’m in the presence of gentlemen.” Where were
Jackson and his friends? Then, in her mind’s eye, she saw them. Well, damn. A
second group of demons had set upon them and the cries coming from the woods
did not bode well for anyone. The noise distracted demon four but demon three
kept his fireball at the ready. “You’re dead, bitch.”

“You know,
that’s what your other friend called me the night he attacked me. He smelled
like dead fish.”

“Murray? You
killed Murray?” He reached back and hurled the ball towards her head at the
same time that she released the pretty white ball. She visualized the two balls
colliding and seconds later, they did.
See it to see it
. Nice trick.

Demon three
stalked toward her and she hurled herself upward, flipping in midair and
forming a fresh ball at the same time. She dropped it on his head and watched
him
poof
into nothingness.

“I’m gonna get
you, bitch!” Demon number four declared and set about hurling a score of small
fireballs into the air. She dodged them. Barely.

She heard
Jackson scream, “Katy!” He came running at demon number four. The fireball was
out of the demon’s hand in a millisecond, hurtling toward Jackson. Borrowing
the demon’s maneuver, she pelted the air with energy balls before considering
whether an energy ball could kill a vampire. Jackson dodged them. The demon did
not. Gold dust and ash littered the grassy field. She lowered herself to the
ground and brushed her hands on her shirt.

“Well, that
was easy,” she said with a smile.

Paler than any
healthy vampire should be, Jackson looked like he might faint.

“Please tell
me your friends are okay,” she said.

He nodded.
“Yeah, fine. There were only three, so I didn’t even get to kill one.”

“Poor baby,”
she murmured and dropped a kiss on his lips. She made to pull away and he drew
her close, kissing her with a ferocity which stole her breath and made her
knees go weak.

Pulling away,
he brushed a lock of hair from her face. “I got here as quickly as I could, but
you were a blur!”

“I was? It
felt like I was moving in slow motion.”

He shook his
head. “Baby, those guys didn’t stand a chance. I’m so sorry I doubted you.”

“Hmm, well
I’ll have to think of a way for you to make it up to me, then.” She smiled,
delighted he and his friends were safe.

Hand in hand,
they walked back to the house, his friends trailing behind them, whispering who
knew what. She tuned in and heard William say, “She killed four! Four fucking
demons and that little Southern belle obliterated them. Damn, Jackson gets all
the luck.”

Peter laughed.
“Yeah, until they get into their first fight and she hurls an energy ball at
his head.”

She spun
around. “I’ll have you know I do have self-control. I
would
throw an
iron at his head. Or a frying pan, maybe.” Spinning daintily on her toes, she
walked quickly toward the house, hovering inches above the ground, moving like
an ethereal specter.

“William’s
right, old man,” Alexander said. “You are one lucky son of a bitch.”

“Damn right,”
Jackson agreed, nodding his head and joining his friends in a replay of her
best moves. “Did you see the way she flew up in the air and flipped, forming a
ball mid-flight?”

“Oh, hell to
the yeah,” William said.

“Sexy,” Peter
said, whistling.

Hearing every
word—though she didn’t know how—Katy laughed. Four gorgeous men talking about
her like most men talked about quarterbacks. Tomorrow better prepare itself.
Today was going to be hard to top.