Along For The Ride (Vamp Tales (A Short Story Series) Book 1) Page 2

  “Will I ever be able to come back here?” I gazed at my front door, memorizing the details, recalling all the times I’d opened it and yelled for my parents.

  My chest ached at the memory of my lost family, their faces floating through my mind, their loving voices faintly echoing in my ears. The scent of my mother’s rosebushes wafted through the air, calling forth an image of her waving to me with her garden gloves on, a spade in her hand, and a bright smile as I rode my pink bicycle up and down the sidewalk.

  “I don’t know. Maybe…” Kat whispered, her body inches behind me. “I can’t tell you what will happen. The hunters have us on the run, no place is safe for us to stay for long.”

  Tears burned behind my eyes. I hope I don’t lose the house while I’m gone. Maybe I can figure out a way to keep paying the taxes and find someone to keep an eye on the place.

  Turning to face the street, I braced myself to leave my cozy little Seattle suburb. My attention snapped to Kat when she grabbed my hand, sending an electrical shockwave through my body. Little zaps played along my nerve-endings, pooling in intimate places.

  “Whoa! Is that normal?”

  “It’s part of the connection,” she said, grimacing as her arm jerked. “That’s why I wouldn’t have chosen to bond with you.”

  “Well, it’s not like I chose you, or had any choice whatsoever.” I turned away, blushing as my blood started to boil.

  “No,” Kat said with a sigh, “I mean, I’m sorry. The sire bond is a deep connection, usually only created between close friends or lovers. I’m not attracted to women, so this could become a bit complicated.”

  “Oh, I see,” I said, looking away to hide the hurt on my face that I didn’t quite understand. “Well, I’m not into women either.”

  “We’ll figure things out as we go. The bond is strongest in the beginning, and will lessen as our bond ages.”

  “How long will that take?”

  “Hm, let’s see.” Kat touched her slim finger to her lips, her eyebrows drawing together in thought. “My bond with my sire is over a hundred years old, and the connection’s still attractive, so at least that long, I suppose.”

  “Oh, joy.” I turned to face her, my head flinging back as my body lurched forward, my hand clutching Kat’s slender fingers.

  I forced my head back up, but it snapped forward as Kat brought us to a halt, several blocks away from my house. Glancing around, I could see the houses clear as day, everything within sight appearing in sharp relief. I gaped at Kat who grinned at me, her white teeth gleaming in the dark night, violet eyes glowing.

  “Whoa, that was amazing!”

  “It was, wasn’t it?” she asked, her ivory breasts puffing up with pride.

  “How do you not get insanely dizzy?”

  “You get used to it.”

  A cat raced across the street two blocks away. “Do I have night vision?” I gasped, looking around my surroundings. “Why didn’t I notice it in the house?”

  “Your eyes will adapt as needed, especially in the dark when you’re searching for prey. Now, hold on, we have a ways to go.”

  Gripping her hand tight, I held on for a long, dizzying trip, only needing to stop twice to vomit from all the stop-and-go lurching. That’s one hell of a carnival ride.

  Chapter 4

  I’d been unable to keep a clear track of our route as Kat flung us in a long, winding circuit around the outer edges of the city. My head spun from trying to see through the blur as we darted around at outrageous speeds. We finally stopped in front of a dark warehouse, somewhere in the industrial district of downtown Seattle.

  Kat panted delicately from exhaustion while I swallowed huge gulps of air, bent over after heaving bile from my empty stomach. My vision started flashing red again, and I jerked up to look at Kat.

  “My strength is weakening,” she said, as her breasts rose and fell with her heavy breathing, drawing my shaky focus. “I won’t be able to control your hunger for much longer. We need to get inside quickly.”

  She grabbed my hand again, the initial buzz lessening after being connected to her for nearly two hours. The pitch-black entry swallowed us as Kat pulled me inside, skirting the large, metal doors hanging askew. My new vamp vision picked up details I’d never have been able to see with my human sight during the daytime.

  My new sire dragged me down a long, grungy hallway. A large steel door blocked the passage, a dull sound of music beat against it, vibrations radiating through the soles of my boots. A young guy with chrome sunglasses and slicked-back hair, wearing a purple pinstriped zoot suit, leaned against the dirty wall next to the door. I snorted, slapping my hand over my mouth.

  “What era is this kid from?”

  “Rudy,” Kat said, nodding at the short man. “I had a little trouble finding the place. How long has it been here?”

  “Not long, sweet cheeks.” He lowered his glasses to the end of his nose and winked, giving her a crooked grin before looking me up and down. His voice reminded me of the old gangster films my gramps used to watch. “Who’s yer friend here? You know Bull don’t let just anybody in.”

  “Rudy, Mercy,” she said, waving her hand between us. “Mercy, Rudy. She’s my fledgling…”

  “No kidding?” He raised his eyebrows and slid his sunglasses down to the end of his long nose, as red eyes to match his suit studied my face. “What’s your story, kitten?”

  “Uh… what?” I scrunched my nose, turning to Kat for help.

  “Rudy, baby, we’re in a bit of a hurry. Need to get Mercy her first donor.”

  “Oh! Pardon me, doll,” he said, shoving his glasses back up his nose and grinning so wide his bright white fangs glinted, although from what light, I couldn’t say. “Go on in.”

  Kat thrust open the solid steel door as if it were made of paper. A blast of bass-heavy music and chatter blew my long, black hair back in a gust. My nose twitched at the overwhelming smell of sweat, liquor, grease, and something deliciously sweet, a scent that made my mouth water. I swallowed hard, barely stopping myself from drooling like a mad woman.

  “What is this place?”

  Kat looked over at me with a lopsided grin and said, “Welcome to the Den of Iniquity. Here we’ll find the best, sweetest blood in Seattle.”

  “Is that what I smell?” I gaped at her. “It’s like the most exquisite bakery in here, well, besides the smell of sweaty bodies and booze. I can drink booze?”

  “Not yet, I’m sorry. You have to get the hunger under control before you can introduce other liquids into your diet.”

  “Liquid diets.” I giggled. “Wouldn’t be my first. At least this one smells yummy.” Perking up, I realized another benefit. “Oh, I can hear you over the blaring music. Another vamp power?”

  “Not a power, per se, but an innate ability. All your senses will be enhanced in one way or another. Some will be better than others, as well.”

  “Lovely.” I smirked. “Remind me to stay out of stinky alleys.”

  “Come, now,” she said, an annoyed grimace on her face. “Let’s find you a donor.”

  Kat took off into the mass of gyrating bodies, my anxiety rearing its ugly head for a moment as she disappeared. With a deep breath, I braced myself against the fear. The weight on my chest melted away as I felt a distinct tug on my core, like the tingling sensation that happened when Kat first touched me.

  Following the connection, I worked my way through the writhing mass, glowing eyes piercing my soul as I bumped along like a pinball. A red, hazy light emanated from the rear of the stage, illuminating the bouncing faces and raised arms. Harsh, gritty voices screaming jarring lyrics pounded against my hypersensitive eardrums.

  Pushing through the press of flesh, my feet tangled under me as I tumbled forward, hands snatching my arms, lifting me back up and disappearing before I could twist around to thank the Good Samaritan. Walking backward, I stumbled into a server, almost knocking a tray from her hands, glasses full of crimson fluid clinking together.

/>   “Excuse me, I’m so sorry!”

  “No worries, hon,” she said, deftly rebalancing the tray on one hand before walking off.

  The connection tugged on my core, pulling me forward to find Kat waiting at a dingy bar. She leaned over the bar, whispering in the ear of the bartender, a big burly man with long, blond hair and a goatee. Tattoos covered him from the neck down, disappearing under a tight black T-shirt, the sleeves stretching over huge biceps. He glanced up at me as I approached them, a knowing smile gracing his lips.

  “Mercy, this is Bull. He’s going to take care of us.” Kat purred as her hand grazed Bull’s forearm, sending an unwelcome twinge of jealousy into my gut, which I quickly shook away.

  “Hey, Bull. Nice to meet you.” I stuck my shaky hand out for him to engulf with his enormous paw.

  “You too, little lady,” Bull said in a gruff voice, grinning. “I’ve got a special room, just for you.”

  My head tilted as I wondered what he meant by ‘special.’ That could mean just about anything in a place like this.

  “Let’s go, Mercy,” Kat said, as she wrapped her arm around my shoulders and led me to a door at the end of the bar. I glanced back at Bull and he winked at me before turning to chat with another patron, sliding a glass of red liquid into waiting hands.

  On the other side, a long, dim hallway waited, with red velvet-lined walls and scarlet sconces between each of the many numbered doors. Kat led me to a gold door at the end of the hall, a large, black X embossed on it, just below a peephole.

  “Don’t be frightened. This room was made for new vamps. You’ll be safe, the donor will be safe, and I’ll be right there with you.”

  “Okay, Kat, it’s not as if I have a choice in any of this.” I snapped at her, cringing as her eyes flashed with anger.

  “You’re stuck with me for a very long time, Mercy. You might want to hold your tongue, or I can make your eternity miserable.”

  “Let’s get this over with, please.” My shoulders drooped as I resigned myself to this unknown future where I had little control.

  Kat opened the door, giving me a little push as she followed right behind, shutting us in a room that looked like what I imagined a room in an asylum would look like. At about eight by ten feet, the space held a small bench enveloped in white cushioning, like the walls and ceiling. Thick leather straps lay across the seat with some hanging from the wall about a foot up.

  “Have a seat,” Kat said, her delicate brow furrowed. “I’m going to strap you in so you have limited movement. That way the donor will have more control and can get away if you lose it. I’m going to slowly let go of your hunger, and you have to try to maintain enough control to keep your bite clean. You might feel an instinctive desire to use coercion on your donor, which is a good thing because it helps to make it more pleasurable for them, but the first few times will be wild as your inner demon tries to dominate the victim. Do you understand?”

  “Uh, yes, sure, I think so,” I said, sure my face reflected my insecurity as Kat buckled my wrists and ankles into the leather straps, wrapping one around my torso, snugging me against the wall.

  “You’ll have enough range of motion to reach your donor without being able to trap them in your hold.”

  “Okay.” I squirmed in my seat as much as the straps allowed, testing the limits as Kat pushed a red button by the door.

  Within seconds, a pale young man, wearing only a pair of tight shorts, came into the room. He kneeled in front of me, eyes down. A thin smile graced his lips as he peeked at me before turning away. He looked like a slave, but… a happy slave? Another aspect of my weird new life.

  “Here,” Kat said, pointing at the pulsating artery in the man’s neck. “Just pierce the skin and your instincts will know where the artery is. Make sure you get a good seal around the area with your mouth, or the blood will drip all over and make a mess. Are you ready?”

  “I…I think so,” I murmured, shuddering with anxiety and anticipation as my hunger nibbled at my stomach, crimson tingeing the periphery of my vision.

  “I’m going to gradually let go, so be prepared for the raging hunger.”

  I nodded absently, my eyes zeroing in on the bouncing pulse. The rich, decadent aroma of this man’s life essence called to me, drawing me forward as I strained against the leather straps. The crimson haze seeped inwards until only a pinpoint of clear vision targeted that pulsing artery, saliva coating my lips, threatening to drip onto the young man’s milky skin.

  What was left of my conscience held me back, but a wave of lusty, ravenous hunger blasted through my mind, propelling me forward. Teeth lengthened in my mouth as a painful thirst joined my hunger. As I bit into tender skin, something in my skull reached out to the person in front of me as my mouth suctioned to his neck.

  A quiet moan echoed in the little room. Lazy pulses rolled between our minds, flooding me with gentle waves of rapture. Sweet, silky liquid flowed over my tongue, coating the back of my throat as I swallowed. Blissful warmth spread from my stomach, along my skin, filling me with giddy exhilaration.

  My eyes fluttered closed as I sank into the moment, my raging hunger gorging on the donor’s blood, and euphoria overwhelming me with near-orgasmic sensations. Kat spoke in my ear. Her voice sounded as if she were speaking through a long, thin tube filled with cotton, her words distorted and indecipherable. The body before me began to slump a little, and I moved with it, my mind sinking as my fangs held us together in the most intimate embrace, until nothing but beautiful crimson filled my mind and soul.

  Chapter 5

  An exquisite, sing-song voice breezed through my dark mind, gently drawing my intoxicated consciousness back to the present. The bright white walls of the padded room came back into focus, my arms aching as I strained against the thick, leather straps, a body crumpled at my feet.

  “Wake up, Mercy,” Kat snapped. “We need to get to our room, and you’ve been out of it far too long.” She stood over me with her arms crossed, an eyebrow arched with scorn.

  “What happened?” I asked, staring down at the man’s body, trying to clear my head.

  “The hunger took over when I released hold of it. I’m drained from all the fading and keeping you under control. I need to feed before we sleep.”

  “Are you going to leave me here while you feed?” My body shivered as I thought about staying in this small space, bound in leather.

  “No, of course not.” Kat rolled her eyes, reaching down to unbuckle my wrists. “I’m almost two centuries old. I can control the hunger and feed in the peace of our room.”

  “We have to share a room?” I rubbed my wrists, then reached down to unbuckle the rest of the straps as Kat pressed the red button again. “How long will you have to watch over me like a child?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Mercy, you’re not a child, but you’re going to be experiencing many changes. New vampires can’t always control their impulses. And, as I said earlier, our connection limits the distance we’re allowed to put between us.” Her lip twitched ever so slightly, a darkness clouding her eyes. “We’ll have to share a bed.”

  My cheeks heated, the warmth reminding me how cool my skin had been before I fed. “Uh, okay, then. That’s not awkward at all.”

  The door swung open, and Kat turned mechanically, facing away from me as I slumped in my seat. Great, I have a vampire mother, and she’s fucking fantastic. My head banged against the wall behind me, thankfully as padded as the rest of the room.

  “Your room is ready.” Bull’s deep voice rumbled from the hallway.

  “Let’s go, Mercy,” Kat said, looking over her shoulder at me, flicking her hand toward the door.

  “What about…?” I stood up, gesturing to the man on the floor.

  “Don’t you worry about that, little lady,” Bull said with a wink. “Someone will be along soon to take care of him.”

  “Did I hurt him?” The thought hit me in a flash, shame pooling in my chest for not thinking about the man’s welfar
e right away. “Will he be okay?”

  “He’s perfectly fine,” Kat said, sighing as she sauntered into the hall. “Your bite is like a drug. He’ll be flying high for hours.”

  “Oh, okay,” I mumbled, stepping gingerly over the crumpled form.

  As I moved toward the door, my head spun as my belly sloshed, and I nearly toppled forward, my body lighter than it had been in years. A giggle escaped my mouth as Bull reached out to catch me, his barrel arms encircling my waist. His face blurred, my vision doubling briefly as my head felt weightless and my skin tingled, heat building in my core, spreading throughout my body.

  “Delayed reaction, huh?” Bull grinned suggestively, waggling his eyebrows.

  “I guess so,” I said, blushing as I pulled out of his hold.

  “With me, Mercy,” Kat said, her voice trilling through the hallway.

  With a deep sigh, I shuffled after her. “I’m right behind you.” Eternity as a lap dog, oh joy.

  “You know, I can sense your emotions,” Kat said, glancing back at me, a hint of menace in her eyes.

  “Seriously?” I balked at her, balling my fists at my sides. “So, not only did you take away my life and freedom, but I don’t get any privacy in my own head either? Just fucking fantastic.”

  “Watch your tongue!” Kat spun around to glare at me, her hard gaze making me feel like a small animal cowering before a predator. “This isn’t ideal for either of us, but you will show me respect. Besides, the connection will fade over time, and in a hundred years or so, you’ll be able to keep me out of your head. It’s not as if I can read your thoughts, just your emotions, so keep yourself in check.”

  “I’ll do my fucking best, but I can’t promise anything.”

  Kat dropped her head, rubbing her temples with the fingers of one hand. “Just try to restrain your tongue if we encounter any elders. Please.” She stalked to the door, yanking it open.

  “How will I know who’s an elder and who isn’t?”

  “Oh, you’ll know, Mercy girl,” Bull whispered in my ear as he slipped past me. “You’ll feel it in your bones. Which reminds me… Kat, Queen Kovak is here tonight.”