Whisper to Me (Borne Vampires Book 1) (11 page)

Simon grinned. “Well, ladies, shall we try the
rollercoaster first?”

Giggling, the girls nodded.

When they were out of earshot, she faced Rathe. “I
can leave now and draw the Damned away from your family.”

“No, it’s not necessary. I’m tired of running, too.
If they come, we’ll take care of them as we have for centuries. Mina has
endured enough. She deserves to have some fun.” He took his hands out of his
pockets and indicted the direction the others went. “Let’s take a walk on the
beach and talk.”

“No, I’d like to check out the Boardwalk, too. If
that’s okay with you?”

“Whatever you’d like.” If he was hurt or confused,
he showed neither as he started walking alongside her.

On the stage erected near the roller coaster, a band
played. The crowds cheered and hollered. The noise was deafening. Blinded by
the lights flashing in time with the music, she bit her lip from throwing up. Rathe
kept giving her sidelong glances. Near the bathrooms, she hastily made an
excuse and ducked inside. Hurrying into a bathroom stall, she barely made it to
the toilet and threw up her Slurpee.

When there was nothing left to puke, she
straightened and placed a shaky hand on her forehead. “I can’t keep on like
this.” Collecting herself, she opened the stall door and met Mina. “Hi. I-I
thought you were riding the roller coaster?”

“I made an excuse so they could go on together.
Simon likes Lydia.” Concerned, Mina offered her the bottle of water in her
hand. “Besides, I had a feeling you needed help.”

“Thanks for the water. I’m parched.” Guzzling it
half down, she twisted the top back on. “I, uh, I ate my dinner too fast and it
got even with me.”

Mina whispered, “Um, your eyes have changed.
They’re lighter.”

“Shit!” She went to the mirror and looked at herself.
Same shade as Aidan’s. Turning to lean back against the sink, her shoulders
slumped in defeat.

She had to be his daughter!

Putting her hand on her shoulder, Mina said with an
understanding smile, “I think it’s the lights. Don’t you?”

Wanting to cry, she nodded. “Yes, the lights.” To
her surprise and gratitude, Mina hugged her.

“It will be alright, Mariah. It’s not so bad being
what we are. Actually, it can be quite fun at times.”

Laughing, she hugged the girl tight before
releasing her. “You are such a wonderful person, do you know that?”

Shrugging, Mina smiled shyly at her. “I try.”

“You and my daughter are much alike. I can’t wait
to introduce you to Kai. We have a lake house in Coeur d’ Alene. In Idaho. You
could come see us.”

Her smile fell. “Unlikely I’ll have the chance to
meet her. Rathe says you have to go away, and we cannot see you ever again.”

God, it hurt when Mina said it that way. Could Rathe
really just let her go and not have any regrets?

“But I don’t care what Rathe’s ordered. You are my
friend and I will not let them make me forget you,” Mina said with such fierce determination
that Mariah knew she meant it.

“They can’t make me forget you, either. Rathe has
tried to make me on several occasions. It wouldn’t take. I always remember.”

“Awesome! It’s about time someone was stronger
than him.”

“I don’t know about that. Currently, I feel pretty
crappy.”

A group of girls entered the bathroom. When they
saw Mina, they went quiet. Their apparent leader sized up Mina, sneering at
her, despite the fact she was dressed just like they were, cut off shorts and
t-shirts. To her credit, Mina ignored them, which seemed to piss the girl off.

“Hey, I’ve seen you around. Why don’t you attend
school like us?”

“I’m homeschooled.”

“Oh. Can’t handle regular school, huh?” The girl
gave her friends’ a knowing smirk.

“Actually,” Anya said as she sauntered in the bathroom,
“public school is perfect for average children such as you. Mina is far
superior to your simple minds.”

Since Anya stood six feet tall in heels, dressed
in black leather, and looked like an assassin, the girls quietly left the
bathroom. Mina balled up her fists, glaring at her aunt.

“I’ll never make friends now! Thanks a lot.” She
stormed out of the bathroom.

Confused, Anya held up her hands. “What did I do
wrong?”

“It’s a teen thing. Vampire child or human, they
are all the same. They want us to support them, but not to interfere unless
we’re asked to.”

Anya gave her a once over. “You’re too far into
the Change to return to human. I’m sorry, Mariah. You need to feed on blood and
soon.”

There it was. Earlier, she thought she could
accept it, if she was turning, but now…. Never be human again? To never feel
the warmth of the sun without burning to death? She would live forever, and
someday she would see her daughter die of old age. The reality hit her, and she
wanted to cry.

“What if I don’t feed, what happens then?”

“Your body will take your choice away, and you’ll
hurt someone. If you kill, you have a fifty-fifty chance of losing your soul,
and you could become one of the Damned.”

“Anya, thank you for being honest with me, I appreciate
it.”

“You-you are welcome. I wish it could have been different
for you. With a child, a human child, you have difficult decisions ahead of
you.”

“Actually, I think I’m right on course. Someone
changed my life when I was little, hid me so the real monsters couldn’t find
me. Now that the monster has found me, I must embrace what I am to fight him. To
protect my child, I must
become
stronger
than the monster.”

“If you should need help, do not hesitate to call
on me. I’ll fight by your side anytime.”

Seeing the vampiress meant it, she hugged the tall
woman, surprising Anya. Returning the gesture, Anya stepped back and put her
arm around her shoulders. “Let’s head back to the men. You need to have a chat
with Rathe. He’s worried about you.”

Blowing out a sigh, she agreed. “Boy, this should
be fun.”

Worried was a minor statement. He looked
absolutely haggard. When he saw her, relief flooded his tense features. He rushed
to her. “Mariah, are you alright?”

Exchanging a quick glance with Anya, she said, “We
need to talk.”

Staring at her, the defeat in his dark eyes was
replaced with acceptance. “I understand.” Taking her hand in his, he said to
his brother, “Faeroes, can you and Anya watch over everyone while we talk?”

“We will, big brother. Take your time.” Faeroes
winked at Mariah when he took his wife’s hand. “Mother is with Simon and Lydia.
Mina is, too. House is all yours!” They walked away.

A blind man couldn’t have missed Faeroe’s
obviousness. “Rathe, since everyone’s here, why don’t we head back to the
house?”

“Let’s walk down the beach a ways before we fly.”
He threaded his long fingers through hers.

When they were alone, he brought her around to
face him. “Mariah?”

Slipping her arms around his neck, she leaned up
on her toes and kissed him. At first, he resisted. Teasing him with nibbles and
nips, he warmed to her play and brought her hard against him. Deep in the pit
of her stomach, she felt the pull of his power as they flew upward. He broke
off the kiss and concentrated on flying back to the mansion. Landing, he
released her and placed a few feet between them.

“Rathe?”

“Mariah, you are at a crossroad. Have you
considered where your choices could lead you?”

Clenching her fists, she said, “There no longer is
a choice for me. Anya told me I need blood to heal my body. To be strong enough
to face my enemy, I need to feed.”

His broad shoulders slumped. “Have you dropped
your fangs yet?”

“No. When I feel … hungry, it’s as if there’s a
barrier holding them in.”

“The spell is still strong and is suppressing the
Change.”

“So, if I don’t feed I’m stuck living a half-life?
Not a dhampir, not a vampire, but something abnormal?” Panic rose, frightening
her at having to live like she was, always hungry, never able to feel whole
again.

Closing the distance between them, Rathe slid his
hands along her neck, cupping her face between his palms. “You can detox.
Return to normal. As long as we do not exchange blood again.”

“Are you positive? Because I don’t
feel
human anymore. I can read people’s
minds and manipulate them. Sunlight is painful. Can that be reversed?”

Pained, as if what he was about to say was
terrible to him, “Possibly.”

Slipping her arms around his waist, she asked, “Would
it be so bad if I became vampire?”

Pressing his forehead to hers, he closed his eyes
briefly. “Mariah, I have never converted a human before. What you ask is
against my code of honor as a Slayer. If you turned wrong, I will have to kill you.
Your daughter would be an orphan. Can you live with that? I can’t.” He took her
hands and removed them. Gently, he pushed her back. “I need to feed. Please,
return to the house and lock the doors.”

“Rathe—” Before she could protest, he disappeared.

“Aw, crap.”

Kicking at a clump of dirt, no money or car, she
was stuck. Without his blood, she couldn’t even try to break the spell on her!

“What was I thinking? Me, a vampire? Sheesh, I can
be such an idiot sometimes. No, I am a dhampir. One who will detox and become
full human again. Normal.”

What about tomorrow night, at the book signing? He
would be there. Could she protect herself with her limited powers against the
leader of the Damned?

“I guess I’ll find out tomorrow when I meet him.”

Walking back to the mansion, she opened the door
and let her dogs out. “Well, I’m not tired. You both look like you could use a
walk. Let’s follow the trail I saw earlier.” The night was clear, and the moon
was almost full. “We’ve plenty of light to see by.”

Entering the forest, she inhaled the cool, clean
scent of the pine trees and ferns, letting the peacefulness of the forest ease
her tension. The dogs raced ahead of her, exploring, returning to check on her
before tearing off down the hard-packed trail. Hearing the gurgling of a creek,
she aimed for it. When the trail came to an edge, she saw a small waterfall to
her left. Below it, the waterfall fed a shimmering pool of dark-green water.

“Sweet!” The trail down to the pool was not steep.

Careful not to slip on the loose gravel and damp
dirt, she made her way down to the edge of the pool. A fine mist from the
waterfall was refreshing, but not enough to cool her off with the night
uncomfortably warm. The opportunity to go for a swim was just too good to pass
up. Confident her dogs would alert her if there were any danger; she shed her
clothes and waded into the cool water. Bear and Salish jumped in. Swimming around
her, they bolted out of the water, chasing each other around the trees and back
into the water.

Lying back in the cool water, she floated. Releasing
her pain, the worry, her fears, she closed her eyes and drifted away.

Chapter Eight

“Dammit.”

Not hungry anymore, Rathe sat on the beach, feeling
miserable and dejected. How could he have left her? He wanted her, she wanted him.
Simple.

No, not simple! She wanted him to turn her!

Why would she want to be vampire? What made her
want to break the spell binding her? God, didn’t she fathom the repercussions
if he did, for her? For him?

An unsettled feeling crawled up into his gut and
flashes of water and splashing startled him. Reaching out to her, he found
emptiness. Shoving to his feet, he pressed harder to reach her. Nothing.

“Mariah?”

When she didn’t answer him, fear took hold him.
Flying back to the house, he ran inside. Empty. Where in the hell was she? Had
the Damned taken her? Why did he leave her unprotected?

Sniffing the air, he didn’t catch scent of the
Damned, but he did Mariah's and her dogs. Tracking their scent, he found
footprints leading into the forest.

What was she doing in there?

To cover ground faster, he shifted. Course black
hair sprung out of his skin as his body merged with the wolf. When he stood on
four legs, he lunged forward, racing down the trail. Her scent suddenly ended
when the trail curved around a bend. Peering down the hill, he saw her swimming
in the green pool. She was naked!

Shrugging his glossy-black furred shoulders, he
shifted back into his human form. Mesmerized, he watched her as she kicked and
splashed water at her dogs. Her long limbs caressed in the moonlight. His hot
gaze swept over her perfect breasts, down to her narrow waist, and rounded
hips. As she floated in the water, her long, auburn hair flowed out and around
her, creating a dark fan.

God, she was beautiful.

The wolf lifted her long muzzle in the air. Issuing
a low growl, Salish warned Mariah that they were not alone. Searching the
direction Salish was looking, Mariah saw him. The welcoming smile froze on her
lips. Shedding his clothes, Rathe leaped off the edge of the embankment, diving
under the water’s glassy surface. Kicking upward, he erupted out of the water,
snatching her to him. She clung to him, her breasts felt heavenly pressed into
his skin. He kissed her hard, tasting her, ravishing her as she clung to him, using
him as an anchor in the sensual storm he created. Sweeping her along the
maelstrom, his mouth left hers, gliding down the soft muscles of her throat.
She shivered as he licked the wildly beating pulse beneath her right ear,
scraping her sensitive skin with his teeth. He threaded his fingers through her
hair and forced her to look at him.

Their gazes locked.

Mariah’s eyes gleamed, intense and fierce. Vampire.

And she was his.

Darin swept her into his arms and strode out of
the water, laying her upon the carpet of moss growing not far the pool. A slow,
wicked grin pulled her lush mouth to the side as she caressed his throat,
travelling her fingers lightly down his chest to his stomach. Running her
tongue along the strained lines of his neck, teasing him, he felt her other
hand grasp him, stroking him into a harder state. Closing his eyes at the sweet
torture, he knew if he didn’t stop her, their first time would end too quickly.

Determined to make their first time special, he
shifted to his side, breaking her hold on him. Laying his hand on her flat
stomach, he felt the muscles under her smooth skin tremble. Resting his head in
his other hand, he allowed his gaze to sweep down her lovely curves and
realized he was glad he’d broken his vow to stay away from her. Tracing his
fingertips around her breast, he leaned down and flicked his tongue around the
ripe, taunt bud, drawing it into his mouth, suckling her. He caressed her ribs,
gliding down to her hip and thigh. Scraping her tender skin with his teeth, he
felt his fangs lengthen as he envisioned tasting her blood.

Not wanting to rush the moment, he focused on his
hand as he slipped it between her open legs, through the nest of soft, dark
curls. Lifting his mouth to attend to her other breast, Rathe smiled when she
grasped his head, her fingers clutching him in her need. Parting her sensitive
folds, he stroked her, teasing the tiny pearl. She gasped, moving her hips
restlessly in rhythm to his manipulations. Soft little moans escaped her as he
pressed kisses along her stomach, building the tension in her. Using his broad
shoulders to spread her legs further apart, he rendered her defenseless as he
dipped his tongue inside her, licking and tasting her. Inhaling her musky
scent, it made him harder. He held her hips captive as he lengthened his
tongue, making love to her, he sought her sweet spot. A strangled moan issued
out of Mariah, and he knew he’d found it.

He played, tormented her until she cried out, “Rathe!”

Curling her fingers in his hair, she held him as she
writhed in his grip as he drank of her release. Easing above her, she wrapped
her long legs around his hips as he settled between her thighs. Trembling from
the tremendous effort not to thrust inside her, he gritted his teeth as he held
back. She grabbed his ass as she lifted her hips to take him inside her.
Arching his head back, Rathe thrust inside her at the same time he sank his
teeth deep into the tender flesh of her throat.

✝✝✝

Heaven.

Closing her eyes in the ecstasy of him holding her
prisoner as he flexed, driving himself deeper into her. She should have felt
pain as he fed on her, but it was pleasure driving her on. Crying out as she
climaxed, she barely felt herself return to earth. In the midst of her
euphoria, she realized he hadn’t found his release yet, and he hadn’t stopped
drinking her blood. Struggling to get free, he held her tighter. She grew
afraid.

The demon had him!

Unable to fight, unable to free herself, her
vision blurred. Her heart fluttered as it struggled to keep beating as she
neared losing consciousness. Cold and body numb, she barely felt Rathe’s teeth
leave her flesh.

“Mariah, open your eyes.”

When she could focus on him, she saw he watched
her with a mixture of sadness and fierce determination on his handsome face.
“Listen to me, Mariah. I have brought you to Death’s door.”

“Why?” she whispered past dry lips.

“To be reborn, you must die.”

Shocked at his words, replaying the near same
thing the man in her nightmares had said. Lifting his hand, she watched as his
fingernail changed into a claw and he drew it across his heart. Blood beaded
out of the wound. Rathe placed his hand under her head and lifted her.

“Mariah, drink and be one with me.”

Inhaling the rich, coppery scent of blood — his
blood, she leaned forward and ran the tip of her tongue along the cut.
Swallowing, she found she needed more, much more! Fastening her lips to his
wound, she suckled it, drinking in the ambrosia. Warm liquid flowed down her
throat, warming her cold body as life reignited in her, like a jumpstart from a
battery. As his blood merged with hers, the medallion began to heat up.
Screaming when it burned into her flesh, she shoved Rathe away.

“Mariah, focus on me!” He took her face in his
hands, forcing her to look into his eyes. “Take control of the Change and bend
it to your will. Control the rage!”

“It’s not rage, dammit! It’s my medallion! It’s
burning me!”

Pulling it off her skin, she watched in amazement
as it turned white-hot, nearly blinding her. Rathe jerked back, startled as she
was at the reaction the medallion had to her drinking his blood. Slowly, the
silver cooled and the medallion no longer looked tarnished with age, but had
the appearance as if it were brand new! Stranger yet, the wolves were black as
the cross, bold and deadly.

“Damn,” Rathe said with awe, “never in my life
have I seen anything like that before!” Careful, he took the medallion and
examined it. “I’ve seen these wolves before. But I cannot place where.”

“Maybe it’s a coat of arms?” Where did that come
from?

“Yes, they seem to belong to a coat of arms. Whose?”

“The one who had the spell cast on me. It’s his medallion.
His house.” Sinking to the ground, she was breathing hard, feeling stronger than
she had in the last few days. Yet, she didn’t feel different.

Slinging an arm across her eyes, she burst into
tears. “The spell isn’t broken. God, this nightmare will never end!”

He pulled her against his chest, stroking her
hair. “Honey, don’t cry. I’ll protect you. I promise.”

Pushing him away, she sat up. “Protect me? You
cannot stay with me forever. You have your family to protect. Not to forget the
Elders. If they catch wind you tried to turn me on purpose, you’ll be hunted by
them and put to death because of me. Just like I’ll be hunted by the Damned and
turned into a freaking demon vamp!”

“Mariah, I’ll see you safe.” In his eyes, she knew
he would not abandon her. Not for honor or family, not even death would deter
him his vow to protect her. How could she allow him to sacrifice so much for
her?

“Besides, woman, you are not exactly helpless.”

“Huh?”

“The way you manipulated the cop, forcing your
will on him, was pretty impressive for a novice.”

Blushing, she shrugged. “I-I just did it. Don’t
know how I knew how to do it, I just did it.”

“Instinct, maybe. Whatever it is, you are strong.
Incredibly strong. Have you worked on entering people’s minds directly yet?”

Surprised he asked that, she shook her head. “No,
not deliberately. Just you.”

“Later, I will show you how.” Lying on his back,
he placed his hands under his head and stared at the sky.

Although the night was warm, she felt cold. Lying
down beside him, she curled against him as she rested her head in the curve of
his shoulder. Amazing a vampire could feel warm. Heck, he wasn’t warm … hot was
more accurate. He put his arm around her and held her closer to him.

Listening to the secret sounds of the forest,
sensing the wild creatures as never before, the world around her was alive in
ways she never thought possible. No longer was she afraid of the dark. Tonight,
she embraced it. Growing up in the Jordan family, they had always included her,
but she always felt like an outsider looking in. Around other people, she felt unbalanced
and awkward. Here in the forest, naked with a vampire, an extremely sexy and
virile one at that, she felt whole. It couldn’t last. To protect him and his
family, she had to leave and never look back.

Rathe sat up and pressed a kiss on her shoulder. Slowly,
he forced her back until he lay partially on top of her. He shifted, kissing
her long and slow. Seductive electricity arced between them as fire ignited wherever
their skin touched. Her world spun, caught in the erotic web he spun around her.
God, she wanted him again!

Running her hands down his hips, the taunt curves
of his chiseled ass, he closed his eyes as she touched him. She felt his tongue
lap her nipple, sending pleasure to spark in her nether region. Raking his
sharp teeth across her sensitive skin, he suckled and played until she arched
into him. He captured her other breast in his hand, lavishing the same care
upon it, making her ache with the tenderness of which he made love to her. He
captured her hands in his and drew them over her head, making it impossible for
her to move, squirm, or make him take her. Holding them with one hand, he used
his other to slide down her throat, across her stomach, down between her thighs.
Idly playing with her, he stroked her, building the pressure with such expertise
that she wanted to scream, but in a good way this time.

His silky hair brushed against her skin as he
pressed small kisses along her ribs, nibbling her skin. Frustrated beyond
rational thought, she tried to buck her hips to convey her desperation. Thrumming
with need, impatient to have him inside her, he rose above her and reached
between them and placed the rounded his tip to her wet opening. He leaned
forward, inching inside her. Tracing his tongue along her lips, he flexed his
hips and the action brought him deeper inside her. She opened her mouth to kiss
him, but he drew back, flicking his tongue lightly to hers. Moving inside her
just enough to excite her, but not enough to scratch the unbearable itch she
had.

Damn, there was no way at all to reverse the
tables! She was his to do with, whatever he wanted, and she had to wait upon
his pleasure. Head spinning, she bit her lip when he leaned forward, bringing
him further inside her. He grinned at her, his fangs long. Rearing his head
back, he thrust as he brought his teeth down and into the tender skin of her
breast. Crying out in joy at his invasion, she watched him suckle her as he
thrust slow and hard inside her. She could feel the tension coil in her. Unprepared
for it, the tension snapped, and she gasped, clutching her inner muscles,
gripping him as she rode the waves of her release. He arched his head back as
he buried himself deep in her. Blood dripped down the corner of his mouth. He
released her hands, and she pulled him down and licked it off, kissing him, tasting
her blood on his tongue.

Rathe withdrew and rolled off her to sit beside
her. “We’d best head back. The others will worry where we are.”

“Rathe, who is the leader of the Damned?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Why?”

His clothes flew to him and he jerked them on. Rathe
made to leave, stopping when she leapt in front of him. “What aren’t you
telling me?”

Baring his teeth, he took her by the shoulders,
forcing her to see the desperation — the fear in his eyes. “Mariah, do not ask
questions about him. The less you know the safer you are.”

Unsure how much she should share with him, she
told him, “He
knows I’m changing.”

“
How
does
he know?”

Trying not to cringe at coldness in his voice, she
cleared her throat. “He and I can speak to each other outside the nightmares
now. He can’t get a fix on my location yet. It’s like I have a force field
around me. The transmitter,” she tapped her head, “is on, but he can’t track
me. Not yet. Once the runes on my medallion are completely gone, I’ll be
exposed to him.”