It was the only offer he could"ve made that would"ve piqued her interest. Jaden allowed herself a small smile. Studying Rick"s handsome face, she nodded. "All right, Mr. Fletcher."
A boyish grin spread over his face. His eyes sparkled with mischievous intent and hope. Jaden turned from him, her smile fading when he could no longer see. She saw the look in his eyes and was sorry for it.
Once she was alone in her room, the door safely latched behind her, she allowed herself to breathe. Her head hit against the frame of the door with a heavy thud. She thought of Rick downstairs in the den watching television on her uncle"s couch. He really wasn"t a bad guy. He was generous and kind, athletic and smart. He was a gentleman. And in bed, if memory served, he was quite the inventive lover. Why was she fighting him so hard? Sure, she didn"t love him, but why fight animal nature? And it would seem she had enough pent up animal nature inside of her to fuel the most indecent of vampiric fantasies.
If she made her intent clear to Rick in the beginning, why shouldn"t they resume their affair? And maybe if she released some of the tightly wound tension Tyr created in her body, she would be better apt to face the irritating vampire. It wasn"t the first time she thought about resuming her meaningless affair with Rick, but it was the first time she considered it.
Jaden lifted her head to stare at the door. Her fingers trembled slightly as she reached for the lock. A nervous flutter came to her stomach. It had been a long time since she allowed herself to get close to someone. Two years, nine months and twelve days to be exact. Life had just gotten too complicated to make time for men. And being with Rick tonight would beat being alone.
Her decision made, she unlocked the door. The latch slid easily beneath her fingers. Pulling on the k.n.o.b, the door didn"t move.
Jaden frowned. She looked at the lock. It was still undone.
"What...?" she began. A puzzled frown edged her face.
"Do you really think he can make you happy?"Jaden froze. She heard a match strike behind her and the slow puffing of a cigar. She dropped her hand from the k.n.o.b. Slowly, she turned around. The lock slid into place as she moved, untouched by human hands. The red glow of a cigar tip floated eerily in the darkness as her eyes adjusted to the low light.
"He"ll never understand you," the voice continued uniformly. Tyr sat in her chair by the vanity as if he"d been waiting for her all evening. His coat lay over the side of her bed, draping over the edge with an odd possessiveness. His legs drew forward from his body, clad in tight black leather, as he rested. Sitting, composed and at ease, he dominated the room, made it his own. She felt like a stranger in her own home. His arced lips drew over the tip of the cigar in a slow caress as he tasted it with leisurely enjoyment. Jaden s.h.i.+vered at the deliberately idle action. She recognized the cigar"s smell as one of her uncle"s.
"I should have known you"d be here," she grumbled sharply. She glowered succinctly at him. His brow raised on his face reminding her of the still creature she"d met with in the alleyway. What a fool she had been that night, so off her game. Any imbecile could see him for what he was--a strong, willful vampire. As if to prove her point, his fangs peeked out from beneath his lips. Swallowing, she forced her attention away from his sensually kissable mouth.
Jaden walked over to her bed, sitting as she pulled off her boots. She threw them haphazardly onto the floor. Smelling the smoke crossing her face, she coughed and waved her hand through the air. "That thing will probably kill me. Could you put it out?"
"Isn"t that what you wanted?" he asked with a tilt of his head. His lungs didn"t move, never needing air. He waited as she studied him. His middle finger smoothed over the chair"s arm, the fingernails moving in undulating circles that reminded her of a naughty caress.
Jaden felt a fire in her limbs, stirring in her belly to weaken her will. She kept her gaze trained on his hand, letting her eyes travel up the breadth of his pale arm when his fingers ceased in their movements. She took in the gladiator girth of his chest constructed of steel and flesh. His s.h.i.+rt collar curved around his neck like a crimson colored noose. The sinewy lines of it held in timeless motion like the contours of an ancient statue. After a long moment of silence, he let the smoke escape his parted lips.
Jaden watched in a curious state of awe as the smoke left his firm mouth, riveting around his fangs as it pa.s.sed by in curls. Even the elements of that simple action seemed controlled by the vampire who allowed it to be. When the last of the smoke dissipated above his head, he finally moved. Taking his dry fingers to the end of the cigar, he smote the burning tobacco without a flinch.
Jaden feigned a look of proper awe and bowed over her feet.
The sultry sound of his low chuckle rode over on the air, twirling and twisting like a cartooned storm from her childhood. The voice it held was old and familiar, begging her acceptance with each blithe note. The creature called forth her most primal of desires, her most blatantly disobedient needs--the kind of need that didn"t seek permission or logic, only a reason to be. And Tyr exploited it. He used her human weakness of the flesh, causing her to s.h.i.+ver and tremble like a virgin maid set before her would- be impaler.
"I"m not going with you." Jaden tugged off her socks before moving across to her vanity barefoot. She didn"t like coming so close to him, especially after her wayward thoughts. Her mind reeled to think of what all his power would be capable of if put to a more pa.s.sionate aim. It was said vampires made excellent lovers. They had years of experience and the bodies to back it up. They could make a human woman believe anything. Jaden was no fool. She knew that for the vampire it was an illusion, another way to stir the blood before tasting it.
She refused to let him see her apprehension. Glancing at the table, she took up a brush. Then, allowing time to sneer at him, she straightened defiantly.
"That b.u.t.ton won"t work," he said easily. Jaden hated the amiable light in his eyes, the bored set to his jaw as he watched her.
For all the care he seemed to exude, she could"ve been a pile of pig droppings sitting in the middle of a gra.s.sy field--a small annoyance that must be considered for only a pa.s.sing moment before being stepped over or swept away. She wondered which fate he would chose for her. Would she be released from him, left behind as he went onto ageless centuries? Or would she be snuffed out, swept away beneath the heel of his boot, forced into the stirring of his whims? As he spoke, she instinctively knew her answer. "You cannot call for help this time. I promise to kill any who answer. Besides, I disabled your little b.u.t.ton. I should hate for another rude interruption."
"Why are you here, Tyr?" she sighed in frustration. She stood proudly before him, watching him carefully through the slit of her eyes. Like most vampires, he hadn"t changed his clothes since before the alley. Vampires didn"t sweat. The burgundy sleeves were pushed up to his elbows. Jaden saw the markings of a scar on his right forearm. Her eyes narrowed, delicately trying to make out the branded symbol. Tyr rotated his arm down, hiding it from her view.
"We weren"t finished talking," he said easily. Drawing forward, he placed his elbows to his knees. His head came dangerously close to her side. Jaden looked down, meeting his eyes peeking out from beneath the top of his silky lashes. With a small sound of derision, she strode to the bed.
"I have nothing to say to you," she countered. She could feel his gaze following her, reading her movements. She sat quickly to hide the shaking of her legs. Her heart pounded in excitement, the kind of excitement brought forth from extreme terror. "I was finished. So why don"t you leave."
"Doesn"t anyone say please anymore?" he grumbled. His brows furrowed in concentration. "I do confess politeness must be an antiquated custom, but surely the world has not lost it completely."
"Please leave," she muttered with a heavenward roll to her eyes. She pulled her hair free and ran the brush through it. She ignored the fervent pounding in her chest as she did her best to be nonchalant towards him.
"No," he answered with a half smile, full of charm. He leaned back in easy repose.
Jaden s.h.i.+vered at the change in him. He seemed almost nice. Not one to mince words, she said, "Stop being ... pleasant. I much preferred your indifferent disdain. Niceties don"t suit your kind, vampire."
That stopped him. The smile faded from his features. "You are a harsh judge, m"lady."
"Yes, I am. And quit calling me m"lady. It gives away your age, bloodsucker." Jaden purposefully batted her eyelashes coquettishly at him in mocking. He sat up straighter in the chair. Slowly, he came to his feet. The effort took no strain as if he floated more than stood.
Tyr did not like the scornful tone to her voice or the displeasure in her face as she stared at him. He knew she was afraid of him, could feel it easily though she hid it well. Her dark reddish-brown hair spilled prettily over her shoulders, cupping around her bruised jaw. He eyed the wound, surprised to see it healing so quickly. There was a lot of power in this woman. It was a wonder she wasn"t mad with it.
Parting his lips so she could see his fangs, he whispered, "I have ways of quieting your foolish mortal tongue and taking the information I seek from you by force. I do not need this aggravation. I can control you."
Jaden s.h.i.+vered. All thoughts of Rick faded from her as her primeval l.u.s.t transferred itself easily from the man to the vampire. Her eyes dipped to his mouth as he loomed closer. She could see the firm set of his mouth, a hardness that would only go away when he smiled. His were lips that would move with tantalizing expertise if he let them. His whole body had the gift of time when it came to control. Tyr knew himself, knew his power and wore it comfortably.
Unbidden, her head c.o.c.ked to the side. She stepped close. The brush slipped from her grasp, falling forgotten to the floor. The thin sliver of air between them heated with the sparks of their bodies. Electricity flowed, joining their chests with gossamer strands that attracted the two together with the driving force of high powered magnets. She resisted the pull, refusing to sway into the last breadth of their separation. Jaden wavered on her legs. The two wounds on her lip throbbed. Raising her hands, she hesitated slightly before reaching to touch his cheek.
His face was smooth and cool. A jolt ran down her fingers. Panting breathlessly, her stomach trembled. Her fingertips grazed over the length of his eyebrow, stopping gently to tremble at the arch before moving on. The ice melted from his gaze, capturing her with the beauty of it. Regarding him through the veil of her heavy lashes, Jaden tried to urge him forward with the tips of her fingers.
Tyr didn"t move, didn"t touch her. Jaden didn"t care. Lifting up on her toes, she breathed in the intoxicating scent of him. It was so unlike the contrived smell of cologne. It was natural, fresh, earthy. Her eyes stayed trained on his face, studying him for a response, feeling him for emotion where there was none. Her head fell to the side. Her body brushed lightly next to him. She could detect the beginning press of hardened muscle to her sensitive skin.
Closing her eyes, her lips drew forward. Her nose angled next to his. Her lips brushed lightly along the natural path carved in his skin. She felt breath echoing in harsh pants from his mouth. For all his cold stillness, he could"ve been a sculpture.
Her mouth ventured forward, parting wider as her lips slid and molded around his bottom lip to suck gently. Her insides shook with insecurity. She knew what she wanted from him. Wasn"t her own existence proof that he could answer her request? That he was fully shaped as a man should be? She didn"t want a child by the vampire. She didn"t want to curse another with her existence.
Besides, Jaden knew she would never be fit as a mother. However, the nervous shaking in her limbs told her she wanted something from him.
She felt him smile as she held him firmly in place. A breathless suspension of time coc.o.o.ned her. She waited for the response that had to come--that must come. She waited for his mouth to part, to lay claim as it surely ought to. She waited for the feel of his tongue, wondering how it would taste, how it would feel, how precisely it could move under his command. And his strong hands, how they must know the inner working of the female body. Jaden"s fingers curled, dipping into the overlong streaks of blonde hair. And then he spoke. The spell was broken.
"I told you I could control you, m"lady," he whispered in aggravating confidence. The low sound of his voice was tortured, as he whispered, "I can make you love me."
The words didn"t come out as Tyr intended. He wondered why they would"ve slipped in such a way. Still, he did not take them back. They were said and would remain so.
Jaden"s jaw dropped open in a gasp of agonizing pain. His words slapped her, the ultimate rejection to her vulnerable state.
Never had she opened herself up in such a way. Normally, she knew the man wanted her before she tried. She could lie and make them believe what she wanted them to believe. But Tyr was different. He could feel inside of her, could control her. And, yes, he could make her love him if she allowed him access to the last bit of her control and defenses. The love would be a lie, a ruse brought forth from the brainwas.h.i.+ng power of his mind, but she would be convinced of it nonetheless. And a lie, when believed, became the truth.
Jaden pulled away from him on trembling limbs. Her eyes burned to release a dam of moisture she held at bay. Rejection. The word echoed harshly in her brain. The desire within her wasn"t completely of his doing. He only pushed her over the edge to make her react to it. His gaze was cold, unfeeling.
This creature could never truly return the pa.s.sion she felt building within her at his nearness. She threw his face away with a hard push. His head snapped to the side, but his body didn"t move. Tyr closed his eyes to her anger, not allowing himself to react to it.
Shaking with indignation, she said, "I could never love a creature like you, vampire. You couldn"t even know the feeling. A creature like you would never be able to touch my heart, not with all the tricks in your book." Her words dropped to a mere, cruel whisper, "I loathe you. I hate you. I despise your very existence."
Tyr felt a piece of himself crumble. His jaw tightened but his expression otherwise stayed intact. Jaden flung herself away from him and stormed over to the bed. Sitting down, she glared at him with a huff.
Tyr forced a cold, crackling laugh at her tantrum. When he turned to look at her, his smile faded. Back was the cold employment of his visit.
"Get on with it then," she whispered. Her words carried a sinister purpose. "I"ll waste no more of my time on you. I have a real man waiting for me. A man of flesh and blood, a man of fire and heat--" "It"s getting late," he interrupted gently, pretending as if her declaration didn"t sting. His thumb ran absentmindedly over the coolness of his own hand. Only after eating did he feel warm. "Maybe we should go."
"I"m not going with you," she resolved through gritted teeth. Tilting her chin up n.o.bly, she sighed, "Tell me what it is you want from me."
"What were you doing tonight?" he asked. He thought of Rick. A wave of displeasure crossed over his face. Was that the lover she spoke of? He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He didn"t like his brain muddled. The long years had taught him that everything works itself out given enough time, and some things would always be the way that fate wishes them to be.
Jaden wondered at the curious frown. Carefully, she said, "You should know. You were there."
"Ah," he mused silently, remembering why he was sent for her. "Then you are a part of it."
"A part of what?" she snapped in scathing aggravation. "Tell me what it is you think is going on."
"I know what is going on," he murmured. "I just want to know your part in it."
Jaden s.h.i.+vered. His eyes were no longer kind or placid. They swirled violently as he stared at her. Shakily, though she wasn"t sure she would like the answer, she questioned, "What happened in the park tonight? Do you know where they took that vampire?"
"Did you ask your uncle about it?" he wondered aloud.
"He"s gone," she admitted. Jaden forgot her anger as she studied him. Biting her lips meditatively, she ordered, "You tell me."
Tyr ignored the command. Thoughtfully, he turned from her. He paced to the window to look out over the city. His fingers threaded behind his back. Jaden started to move forward, her hand reaching to touch him from the distance. Catching herself, she pulled back. Her hands balled into fists.
He isn"t your friend! She reminded herself. You hate him.
"How long will Mack be gone?" he asked. Jaden heard the words clearly in her head. She wondered if he spoke or merely directed his thoughts at her. She had heard that some of the old had very powerful gifts, though she herself had never experienced such things as mental telepathy. It was said that all vampires could converse amongst themselves by such means, but only some of them with humans. The problem with the facts she had been given was that she never knew when they would be exaggerated as a means to frighten her and others like her.
"Can"t you tell, o mighty one?" she jibed. Tyr glanced over his shoulder, shooting her an unamused grimace. With a sigh, she answered in dejection, "Three days."
"Fine. You have three days to find out what you don"t know or to try and hide what you do. But remember, Miss MacNaughton, the vampire council does not need evidence of the deed, only my word in the matter." Tyr came around to study her face. With swift precision, he was by her side, holding her face tenderly in his large hands. His eyes glistened and pulled. "I could be your best friend or your worst enemy. I could bring them your heart and they wouldn"t question it."
"Am I on trial?" she asked in a whisper.
"You have been on trial since before our first meeting in the alley," he said softly down to her. "You have been on trial your whole life. And do not think you can escape me. The world is too small to hide you and my reach too long. I"ll find you wherever you are."
"And if I kill myself before then?" she asked in low tones. She hid her pa.s.sionate jade gaze beneath her lashes. "Not even you can find me in death."
"If you were going to do the deed yourself, you would"ve done so before now," he answered logically. His thumb stroked over her cheek. "Do not be in such a hurry to die. You life is short enough as it is."
"Release me," she beseeched him. Tyr knew what she was asking. Still, he wasn"t sure of why.
"I cannot."
"End me," she continued her plea. "Give me peace. Tell your council what you will about me. I don"t care. If you do it, it will make your job easier."
"Why do you wish it so?" he asked, unable to stop the question. His eyes fell to her lips, watching the birth of her answer. Her eyes clouded briefly.
"Don"t ask that. You have no right." Jaden pulled away from him. He let her go. Her stomach tightened.
"I am your master, dhampir. I have every right to you." Tyr"s words dropped and Jaden couldn"t mistake what he meant by every right. His claim on her body burned brightly in his eyes. He was only biding his time until he would obtain her completely.
Turning her back, she said boldly, "Judge me then, Dark Knight, and be done with it. Don"t wait for your answers. Decide now."
"Three days," he whispered. His lids fell listlessly over his eyes. When they again opened he was no longer looking at her. Jaden didn"t notice.
Jaden felt him leave before she had a chance to protest. The devilishly strange sensations he aroused went with him, leaving her to a bitter ache of despair. She said nothing to stop him. On the verge of tears, she touched her bottom lip. Her fingers slid onto his mark. She wondered if they would leave a scar. It would be only a small one in her long history of collecting. She didn"t care.
Their maker wounded her more purposefully than a small physical sc.r.a.pe.
She waited until she was sure he was gone. Jaden shook her head, her lips letting loose a trembling sigh. Her body ached, wanting desperately to be held in a tender embrace, to be protected. But she wasn"t the protected kind. She was the warrior, the brave soldier who needed no one.
Jaden quivered. When would someone finally discover her shameful lie? That she wasn"t as strong as she pretended to be. She choked back a stray tear that threatened to fall from her eye. Tyr was right. Rick would never understand and didn"t deserve to be involved in her disastrous life--not even to be used for physical pleasure. Quietly, she crawled into bed alone. The end was near, she could feel it. All she could do was wait for it to come.
Chapter Five.
The sun streamed in through a crack in Jaden"s curtain. She held still, her eyes closed as she pretended to sleep. The nightmares of her dreams faded into reality. She waited. Her lungs filled with soft falls of air, her body alert as she listened for another sound.
All around her was perfect silence.
Without warning her skin felt alive with fire. Jaden kicked viciously at the covers, rolling over as a blade swished past her ear.
Feathers flew up from the pillow floating gently around the bed in the sunlight. Untangling her feet, she jumped onto the floor. Her breath came hard as her eyes focused on her attacker. She had little time to think as a sword flew through the air at her head.
Lifting her hand, Jaden swung to the side, missing the point and catching the handle. The action spun her about until she completed a circle.
"You"re a little sluggish this morning," Rick teased. He tossed his matching blade from one hand to the other. "I thought you said we could practice."
Jaden snarled. Suppressing a yawn, she slowly made her way around the bed frame. She jutted her chin in greeting, all the time cursing him for his rude awakening. The steel glinted sharply as it pa.s.sed the stream of light. She pointed it daringly at Rick"s chest.
"You slept in your clothes," he noticed. His eyes swept over her disheveled hair, her wrinkled attire. She was sensational. She made him want to grab her up into his arms and cart her away--at least as far as her bed. His blade didn"t move to defend. His hand fell to the side, his chest open and trusting. Her jade eyes were brilliantly alive and on fire. "Would you like time to change?"
"Coffee," she growled viciously. With the deadly accuracy of a snake, she flung her wrist, sending the blade flying through the air to stick into the wood of the door. Rick gasped, jumping out of the way. The metal vibrated loudly before settling into its new home.
Rick chuckled as he stood. Lowering his sword arm, he bowed gallantly. "Yes, Jade, coffee."
"Now," she hissed, unamused. Spinning on her heels, she strode over to her dresser. She began yanking out her workout shorts and T-s.h.i.+rts and flinging them violently onto the bed.
Rick watched her and gave a humored laugh. As he opened her door, his eyes fell on the blade. It was embedded all the way through the thick wood. Sheepishly, he said, "I"ll just leave this here for you."
He was rewarded with a growl followed by a curse. Shutting her in with her anger, he smiled gleefully at a maid as she pa.s.sed by.
The woman"s mouth fell open as she witnessed the deadly weapon"s tip protruding from Jaden"s door.
"Coffee for two in the dining room, please," Rick ordered, as he moved to the stairs. His hand struck out to pluck a fresh flower thoughtfully from a vase as he pa.s.sed. "Miss MacNaughton will be down in a moment. And I would stay out of her way if I were you. She"s a little testy this morning."