Unbound (20 page)

Relief swamped Dani. He knew it all and he didn’t care. He had seen every memory. She’d shared it all and he felt blessed to be the man she trusted. He was making love to a vampire and he still wanted her.

“I want to give you whatever you need. Please take what you need from me.” Without disengaging, he rolled to sit up against the headboard, carrying her along on his lap. The moan she released vibrated through his bones. She was so beautiful he couldn’t stand to look away and whether or not she could make him any promises he knew he wanted her. He knew there were others in her life, but she had given him this gift and shared all her secrets with him. She trusted him above all others. He would love her more truly than they ever could because he understood her now. He knew what it meant to be human and she had shown him what the need for blood felt like. She was starving and too afraid to drink, too afraid to hurt anyone or ask for help.

Danielle’s legs were wrapped around Charlie’s hips and he was slowly raising and lowering her onto him. When she got her footing and took over the movement, his answering hiss of ecstasy let her know she was doing it right.

“Take what you need from me, Danielle. I want you to have it. I want to give it to you.” And he turned his head to expose his neck. The sense of déjà vu hit her, making her crave what her body knew was waiting just below his skin. Unable to hold off any longer with him buried inside of her, baring his neck to her, she sank her teeth into his flesh. He stiffened and bucked at first but when she removed her teeth and began to suck and lap at the hot sweet liquid, he growled and writhed under her in pleasure. She drank him in until his thrusts became so fevered and eager she began to climax and she dragged him over with her. Velvet waves of euphoria enfolded them, and they clung to each other and rode out the storm. Instinctively Danielle brushed her tongue over the wounds on his neck and they began to close. They sat like that for long moments while their breathing returned to normal and he caressed her back and shoulders. She moved her lips back and forth across his jaw line, enjoying the feel of his emerging stubble.

She couldn’t believe how wonderful making love to him had been. It hurt at first but he was gentle, and he helped her through that part. “I should probably move. I can smell my own blood,” she told him, a little embarrassed again.

He lay back on the bed and pulled her down with him. “I don’t care. I’m not ready to let go yet. Just let me hold you a while longer.” So they cuddled with tangled legs and arm
s until he was snoring softly. It was a
contented, peaceful sound
that
made Danielle’s heart swell. This was what she had been searching for, total acceptance.

Hours later, she slowly slipped out of bed, not wanting to wake Charlie. Danielle ran herself a bath. Her body ached from the combination of bruises and lovemaking. She soaked and recalled the dream she’d had the night they went to the club that first time. Charlie had come to her and told her to take what she needed from him. He wanted her to have it. It was a premonition. She knew back then that Charlie would be there for her. By the time she left the bathroom, people were stirring in the hall. Charlie was still sleeping and she didn’t want to get him in trouble for having a girl in the dorm. She borrowed a university sweat suit that was excessively big, and pulled the hood over her still wet head. She crept barefoot into the hall, and quickly exited the boy’s dorm. She found crossing campus barefoot that early in the morning on a fall day to be an experience she would like to have missed. It was too early to go into her room without waking Olivia and Lindsay, so Danielle turned on a TV in the common room and promptly dozed off. All the things she should be thinking about could wait. For now, she just wanted to bask in the glow of a night she would never regret.

NINE~

The rogue looked out over the park beneath the window of his downtown penthouse. He watched the humans milling about from store to store, moving about their lives with no idea of the powerful and dangerous breed of predators moving among them. His people had become cowards, hiding in plain sight from the humans. He was sick and tired of the
Council
’s rules. He was getting closer to the power needed to breach their ranks and live his life as it was meant to be, without fear of retribution from that panel of weaklings and power junkies. He would rip them apart, turn them against each other and bring about a new era of leadership.

He had almost done it all those years ago, but Leann Vaughn had ruined all his plans. David Deidrick died by his own hand to protect his family and his mate, Leann. It was a very valiant deed. David was to be the bait he used to lure his mate out into the open where she could be taken without the knowledge of her family or injury to the girl. The fact that the couple had been mated was a secret, and David’s capture alone hadn’t been enough to get Leann out in the open. Her family was doggedly protecting her and her ability. The rogue had been certain the news of David’s death would bring her out to attend his memorial, but instead it had crushed his plans entirely. It had been an unfortunate revelation at the time to hear that Leann Vaughn-Deidrick had ended her own life when she learned of David’s death. He’d been gathering power by absorbing the lifeblood of the local vampire youth and, along with it, their abilities. That was the unique talent handed down to him from his grandmother. She could see they shared the trait and taught him never to use his horrible gift. But he had grown sick of that restriction. His grandmother was weak and lacked the courage required to take a life. He didn’t believe he’d been given a talent by mistake, that should not be used.

He’d wanted the Vaughn girl’s precognitive abilities. She was a talented beauty with the sight. He hoped he could convince her to join him. Then he could keep her for himself and not have to kill her to take advantage of her sight. The problem was the unforeseen complication the bond between them caused.  It had been the undoing of his plan because the girl so loved her mate that she followed him to the grave as soon as she learned of his death.

“What a waste,” he scoffed. He retreated into the shadows and waited for an opportunity to present itself again. The memory of hiding, of being thwarted by a love-struck girl made his stomach turn. How romantic, how pathetic, that the bad guy’s evil plan had been foiled by true love.

Recently, he had acquired a handy tool in his search for the perfect abilities. The Davis boy’s talent would move things along. Instead of resorting to snatching kids off the street and testing them for extrasensory abilities, he could now discover their abilities with just a touch. He had planned to snatch every spoiled vamp brat he had to in search of power or information that would lead him to it. With the power he absorbed from the Davis boy, and the lucky find of the mystery girl at the club, he could put his plan into motion.

Smiling in anticipation, he stepped over the body he’d just drained. Sending the kids back alive had proven to be too big a risk. The
Council
had been drilling the Prince girl since she awoke from her drug-induced haze. It hadn’t done them any good, but he wouldn’t continue to take that chance. He still had one hostage. The son of a
Council
member, a wonderful bargaining chip, should not be wasted. He had no extraordinary power so there was nothing to be gained.  He would detain the kid until he was ready to cash in the chip.

* * *

Cayden sat in the lobby waiting for Chase to come down from his penthouse. Chase had discovered the convenience of having his ‘meals’ delivered to his home after he was forced to deal with it when Danielle was under his care. Now he was enjoying it, and currently finishing up with a sweet little redhead.  They were going to lunch with Griffin Vaughn today, so Chase needed to get a move on before the limo arrived. Mr. Vaughn needed all the information they could give regarding Danielle and her attacker. His mind began to wander over the events of that night, when Cayden was startled by a voice that sent chills down his spine. Her voice was like fingernails on a blackboard.

“Are you boys ready? Daddy is waiting in the car.” Samantha peered at him over her designer sunglasses. How could such an annoying creature come in such a pretty package?

“I didn’t realize you were coming, Sam. Chase hasn’t come down yet. I’ll call him again.” Cayden went for his cell.

“No, wait. I’m kind of glad to find you alone. I think we should talk. And could you please stop calling me Sam?” She put her hand on Cayden’s arm to stop him from retrieving his cell.

“What could you possibly want to talk to me about, Sam?” He enjoyed watching her grimace at the use of her childhood nickname. She tried so hard to be a grown up but she was just barely eighteen, and to him she was still the little girl that would run and cry to her mom because he and Chase wouldn’t play tea party with her. Some things never change. She was still pissed because they wouldn’t play her games, only now she wanted to play adult games.

“You see, Cayden, I believe we have a common interest. I am interested in keeping this new toy of Chase’s away from him. She’s all shiny and new to him now, so he’s obsessed and doesn’t want to play with anything else. He thinks he loves her, but he’ll grow tired of her, just like he does with the rest of his playthings.” Samantha waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, as if to wave her competition away.

Cayden’s brow furrowed in annoyance, “What’s your point, Sam? This has nothing to do with me.”

“The point is that I hadn’t missed the way you looked at the half-naked tramp when we were in Chase’s room the other day. I also didn’t miss the lost puppy expression on that sweet face of yours when you came back in from chasing her down. Neither did I miss the dreamy way you described her collapsing sadly into your arms in the hall. I can’t believe Chase hasn’t seen it yet, but I see it clearly. You want that girl, too, don’t you Cayden?” Sam raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at Cayden. She was daring him to deny the truth. He kept looking at the elevator, hoping Chase would hurry. Cayden wanted nothing to do with Sam’s conniving ways.

“I don’t need an answer because it’s all over your face, Cayden. Why should Chase always get what he wants? He has tons of girls and he is going to be bonded in the near future. Why can’t you date her if he can’t be with her anyway? She walked out on him, right? I mean, who could blame the girl? He did lie to her to get her into bed.” Samantha was encouraging him to see things her way and planting the image of Chase in bed with a girl Cayden so clearly wanted. A muscle in Cayden’s jaw began to work and his eye’s flashed to black.

“He did not sleep with her! We were helping her. He was doing what Doc said, that’s all, Sam.” Cayden didn’t want to think of what Chase may have done with Dani if Sam hadn’t shown up. He’d never been so happy to see her as he was that day. She had busted up Chase’s little love nest right on time. Cayden was doing his best to pretend he had no interest in Dani until Chase lost interest. Chase always lost interest after a while. The night they met her Cayden had hopes it wouldn’t take too long due to the way Dani dissed Chase. He made the mistake of calling Chase the night he came across her drunk and in need of a hand at a party. He should have just moved in on her then, but he knew Chase would have caused trouble for him if he weren’t done pursuing her. Cayden always deferred to Chase’s wishes. It’s just how it had always been. Then Danielle told him he was beautiful. She thought this rough-edged, arrogant guy that did all he could do to put off angry vibes of aggression to keep others away, was beautiful. The words and the soft, honest expression on her face stunned him. He decided to take her home with him and let Chase sniff around in circles all night. Then Chase showed up and snatched Dani right out of his car. Damn it!

“Touchy much? Don’t get your shorts in a twist, big boy. I don’t blame you. I guess she is pretty in a freaky punk sort of way, if that’s what you like. You sure he hasn’t hit it yet? They looked awfully familiar with each other when we walked in to find him all wrapped around her in bed.” Samantha knew she had him and she was stoking the flames of jealously and encouraging Cayden’s imagination to run with that memory.

He turned to look at her, anger apparent in the set of his jaw, “Get to the damn point Sam! I’m not gonna stand around and listen to someone of your ‘experience’ tear her down, and her hair is natural by the way. I’d like to see you tell your father his hair is freaky.” He hesitated a moment, “You should really watch your step, Sam. She’s more talented than you can imagine.”

“Are you really that stupid? You want her and I want him. I don’t care what she can do. I just don’t want her sharing her ‘talents’ with Chase. You need to find a way to get closer to her while I keep him tied up with Daddy and
Council
business. I’m going to be co-chairing the gala committee with him, and that’ll mean a lot of time together in the next several weeks. Daddy will be talking to him about the schedule today. It’s expected that he will ask me to the gala. That would be the perfect time to let Chase see how she prefers you. That is, if you can convince her to attend the gala with you. You can be the one to introduce the new girl to our society. I bet if we play our cards right, you could be bonded before too long yourself.”

Samantha could now see the wheels turning in Cayden’s head as he paced the floor in front of her. This was easier than she expected, but just in case she may as well try to push him as far as she could.

“If you can’t handle it, let me know and I’ll find another male to distract her. I’m sure I can find another guy that would love to try her on for size, if you know what I mean.”