Текст книги "Wicked Surrender"
Автор книги: T. A. Grey
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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 9 страниц)
Jacks cut her an angry glare. “Do you hear yourself woman? Are fucking crazy or just stupid? Sure you’re strong, so maybe you’d have a fighting chance, but I got one off on your brother when I was drunk. He didn’t let me hit him, I was that fast. If I can get him, then I can sure as fuck hit you. And what is wrong with you? You want to sign up to be my girl and test out if I’d fucking blow my shit and hit you?
“I do drink on occasion, a beer here or there. What happens when I finally lose control and go on a bender? Then I come home to you and I get mad at you because you not sitting straight enough or you didn’t laugh at my joke. What will you do then, Vera?
Will you leave me or will you just stay with me year after year as it gets worse and worse.” He was close to shouting in the car, his words ringing off the windows. Vera cried silently, shaking like a leaf in the wind, trying to get warmth back into her body.
“You’re not your father, and I’m not your mother.” Her teeth were chattering hard. It took focus, but she calmed it enough to speak. “You would never hit me, Jackson. You’re not like your father, and I am not your mother. You wouldn’t hit me for not laughing like your dad did to her. I can’t explain it, but I know in my heart it’s true. I’m just so, so sorry you can’t see it.”
She turned away and dried her tears on her shoulder. He said her name softly, but she didn’t turn to look at him. She obviously couldn’t help him to solve his demons—only he could do that.
Vera rested her sweaty temple against the cold pane of the window, watching as rain started pouring down. She almost sighed at the sound of it beating hard against the car. The silence was killing her, but this gave her something to focus on.
A yellow blur came out from the tree line. Jackson cursed and slammed on his breaks as the car barreled into something hard. The crunch and bend of metal was piercing in the night air.
The car lurched forward, then whipped around hard in a circle. They spun once more then landed off the shoulder of the highway. Vera had only a moment to see the deep ditch below her window, and then they were plummeting towards it.
Chapter Eleven
Vera opened her eyes just so the incessant voice nagging her would shut up.
“Fuck off,” she said and settled deeper into her seat.
“God dammit, I said get up now!” Vera’s eyes popped open one by one at the urgency in her mate’s voice. She looked left and right but then the world spun hard. Her head felt like a small explosion had gone off in there and her face felt scratchy. She saw the white air bag exploded in front of her and sent a silent prayer up to heaven.
Suddenly she sat up in her seat, quickly removed the belt, and leaned over to Jacks who was grimacing as he tried to undo his seatbelt. Blood was on his forehead and his bottom lip.
“Baby, oh my God, what happened?” She crawled towards him and the car screeched and dropped another foot. Vera yelled and clung to her seat.
“It’s fine. Are you okay?”
“Mmhmm,” she said, nodding a little too fast.
“Listen, we’re at the bottom of the ditch. We can climb up no problem. And we won’t drop any further, what you just heard was the car settling in to the divot. Look at me baby, look at me, Vera.”
Vera’s panicked eyes swept to the rain pounding on the windows, then to their headlights shining off into the trees, and finally settled on his.
“I already tried to open the door and it won’t open. So I’m going to go out the window, and you’re going to follow me on my side, okay? I don’t want to take any chances of you slipping over there and the car moving on top of you.” He gave her a quick kiss then started to roll down the windows.
Vera said a silent thank you that the windows were manual. He turned back to her looking every bit in charge. Vera trusted him completely. He would get her out of here and everything would be okay. He rolled down the window, then anchored his hands on the edge.
Two hands latched on to Jacks’ shoulders and pulled him from the car like a sack of potatoes. Vera cried out and reached for him when suddenly her door was torn off the edges with a nasty metallic sound. She had only a moment to see the Ariss when she was grabbed and ripped out from the car.
Vera was flying through the air, and then landed hard on her stomach in the middle of the street. The front of her dress was soaked with dirty water and her knees and hands skidded hard on the black road.
Her beast rose to the surface and broke free. She hopped to her feet and scanned the area. Jacks was fighting Ariss’ guardian only twenty feet away. She started to run to him; he could never defeat a vampire, but Ariss appeared in front her. Ariss spun and landed a hard kick to Vera’s stomach, knocking the air out of her and sending her flying far down the street.
Vera landed and was already standing back on her feet when Ariss came flying at her again. Vera was quicker this time, her lykaen strength guiding her. She grabbed Ariss’ flying leg by the ankle, turned, and threw her down to the ground. Her face hit the ground with a hard crack, but just as quickly she was back on her feet. The side of her face wet and blooded.
Vera growled a feral deadly warning from a predator. Ariss hissed and moved in with a flurry of punches and elbows. Vera dodged and blocked them. She didn’t have anywhere near the speed that Ariss had but she did have strength and she used that to her advantage. She swiped Ariss’ fist away then slammed her own into Ariss’ face. She heard the crack of bones and felt a thrill rush through her.
She heard the grunts and pained sounds coming from Jacks and Ariss’ guardian but couldn’t afford to take her eyes off the Ariss.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Consider this a declaration of war from my Master. He’s going to get your land one way or another.”
Vera slammed into Ariss and took her hard to the ground, anything to keep her from using her speed. Her wet hair plastered to her cheeks and her bangs dipped low over her eyes blocking her vision. She was never going to wear bangs again, she vowed.
The power struggle shifted until they were both struggling to choke each other out. Vera gasped as her air was pinched from her throat by a hard, tight grip. Her vision was blacking out and she tightened her neck muscles and sucked in air through her nose. Ariss struggled beneath her, her eyes bulging, legs kicking as she kept her pinned to the wet ground.
She was stronger though and squeezed her hands tighter around Ariss’ throat. It wouldn’t kill her, but it would knock her out. Her arms shook, the muscles burned from her wrists to her biceps with the effort. Blood pooled in her hands making them feel like they were on fire.
Then finally Ariss’ legs stopped kicking. One by one, her hands dropped from her throat and slid boneless to the ground.
Vera stood and wobbled away from her, sucking in huge gasps of air. A bright light flooded the street and Vera turned towards it, palpable relief overwhelming her as a car came towards them, slowing down steadily.
Jacks.
Vera turned and all the blood left her face. Jacks was on the ground, and the guardian was drinking greedily from his neck. Vera launched herself at him, but he sped away too quickly for her to see. Vera cried out and knelt by Jacks, his eyes were closed, his face pale. She looked down the road and watched the Ariss' guardian pick her up and sprint into the woods.
She faintly heard the car pool up and someone rushed at her asking questions. She couldn’t make out what the man said though. She put her fingers against Jacks’ throat but her fingers kept slipping against his skin because of the rain and something red and thick.
The side of his throat was bloody and raw with pieces of skin torn up and chewed on. Vera swallowed back the bile that rose in her throat and put her head to his chest. Tears slid down her face alongside the rain. She choked back a sob when she heard the boom boom of his heart. Her hands curled into his shirt. His heart sounded so faint. Not like before. He was dying.
The thought sent her into a mode she’d never felt before. The human next to her was busy talking excitedly into his cell phone, waving his arm at their car in the ditch and Jacks.
Vera curled her arms under Jackson’s back and waist. A terrifying growl left her throat, and then she was lifting with all her strength as she stood.
She walked to the man’s car carrying her lumara in her arms. She didn’t feel his weight at all. Felt only a slight pressure in her arms. The wide-eyed human came and opened the back door and then she gently placed him inside.
She still couldn’t hear the words he was saying into the phone. She turned towards him and murmured a thank you, and then she got into the driver’s seat and gunned the engine.
The car whipped around in a tight U-turn, and then she was driving fast.
# # #
The drive back to the mansion took half as long to get there than it should have. Vera had no idea how fast she went and didn’t give a shit.
She slammed on the breaks as she pulled up to the mansion. She ran out of the car screaming at the top of her lungs.
“Dmetri! Dmetri, please!”
Her hands shook so bad it took her four tries to open the back door. She laid her hand over Jacks’ heart and felt the dull thud against her palm. It was so faint. Fainter than before. She didn’t have much time.
“Dmetri!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. The rain was pouring hard, drowning out the sound and she wanted to drop to her knees and cry. But something stopped her from doing so, recognized that every second was precious.
A whoosh of movement alerted her. She spun around expecting to find Ariss or her guardian, but it was Dmetri. He was wearing only a silk pair of pants and his hair was a mess like he’d been sleeping. Tears started again down her face and she started blubbering to him.
“He’s hurt. Help him please. Ariss attacked us and her g-guardian bit him. Help me.”
Dmetri’s eyes went alert. He reached into the car and pulled Jacks onto the ground. He inspected the wound at his neck and laid a hand over his heart. When he looked back up at her, his expression said so much more than words. Vera’s knees shook until she dropped down hard to the ground. She was rocking and shaking and couldn’t stop her hands from roaming everywhere.
“He’s dying, Vera. His heart is going to stop any moment now. Why did you bring him here?”
“T-to help him. He’s my mate. I don’t want him to die.”
“Vera, do you want me to turn him?” She nodded quickly, her wet hair slapping against her cheeks.
“What will you do when he wakes up and is angry about this? What if this isn’t something he wants?”
Vera blinked, wide eyed. “Then I’ll kill him myself. Do it, Dmetri.”
Dmetri cursed so loudly, that Vera knew Jacks’ heart had stopped.
Vera watched what happened next as if from outside her own body. She flinched as Dmetri tore his teeth into his wrist. He wasn’t gentle about it, but moved in jerky movements. He held Jacks’ mouth opened with his thumb and let his blood flow heavily down his throat.
“Vera, look at me.” She heard the words vaguely. He said it again before she looked at him. He kept moving side to side, but she knew that was just her own shaking body doing that. “Are you listening to me, Vera?” She nodded jerkily.
“He might not make it, Vera. His heart has already stopped, this might not work. I need you to prepare yourself for that, okay?” Vera sobbed and choked as her heart protested the idea. Jacks’ hand was limp in hers and she wildly wondered how the hell one prepared themselves to lose a loved one? It was impossible. There was no way.
Dmetri pulled his wrist away after several minutes and laid his hand back over Jacks’ heart. Vera watched and waited for a miracle.
Only minutes passed but it felt like hours. Bum. Vera sucked in a breath and squeezed her eyes shut, not sure if what she heard was thunder or...
Bum. Bum. Bum.
Gasping, her eyes shot open to search Jacks’ face. Dmetri looked at her and gave a short nod and suddenly she had the urge to cry all over again. Jacks’ lips twitched, his eyes fluttered beneath his closed lids, then his entire body was shaking in a seizure.
“This is normal, Vera. Don’t panic. He’s going to be okay. Well okay as a man can be when he wakes up to find out what happened.”
Vera helped Dmetri hold him down. The seizure didn’t last long. When it stopped, his entire body went so still she looked to Dmetri in question. He gave her a reassuring smile that bordered on a grimace and nodded towards Jacks’ neck.
Vera’s eyes widened as she watched the torn skin heal and repair itself. She’d known vampires could heal rapidly but she’d never actually seen it. The skin wove itself back together like little stitches and when it was done, his skin was only covered in blood that the rain washed off. Underneath the blood his skin was pink and new. It looked thinner than normal skin.
Jacks’ eyes fluttered then shot open wide and panicked. His eyes found hers and then he was sitting up and taking her hard into his arms. Nothing had ever felt so good in her life.
Vera cried out in relief and held him as if she’d let go he’d fade away and never come back. His hands passed over her hair, her back, and her arms.
He pulled back and looked around as if assessing for threats. He spotted Dmetri and Vera watched as confusion settled in.
“What happened?” His voice was gruff and sounded in desperate need of water.
Vera opened her mouth to tell him, then closed it. How did she tell him that he died and was turned into a vampire by her former lover?
She started to open her mouth but Dmetri saved her. “You were attacked by Ariss and her guardian. Vera brought you here.” Dmetri looked at her pointedly and she took a deep breath of courage.
“I stole some man’s car and drove you here, and then your heart stopped. So, um, so I had Dmetri turn you into a vampire.” She said the last on a squeak. She’d never had to deliver news like this.
Jacks threw back his head and laughed. Well that wasn’t quite the response she was expecting.
“Yeah right,” he said, then he pulled her close and kissed her. Feeling his mouth alive against hers made her wild. She kissed him harder like she was trying to get into his mouth. When he pulled back, he looked at her curiously. Then he slid a look to Dmetri and touched a finger to his neck.
“I remember the accident, then fighting with that strong son of a bitch. I’ve never seen anyone move that fast. Not even Rome. I felt so useless and angry...I couldn’t protect you and I wanted to scream.” He looked into her eyes and kissed her again. Vera kissed him back with every ounce of love in her body.
“We need to talk about this,” Dmetri said calmly.
Jacks jerked his head towards him. “About what?”
A blond eyebrow arched high. “About you being a vampire now.”
An unsure laugh. “You’re serious about that?”
“How else do you explain how you died and I brought you back. My blood brought you back, actually. Vera asked me to. I owe her that much,” he said softly.
Jacks sent a wild look to Vera. She quickly said, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what to do. I love you so much and I couldn’t bear it if you died. I asked him to. I would have asked you what you wanted but...” she shrugged and looked helplessly at him. “Dmetri offered to kill you again if you don’t want to stay alive,” she added quickly, giving him a bright smile. Dmetri cut her a quick glare.
Suddenly Jacks doubled over, holding his stomach, gasping in wretched breaths.
“He’s going to be very hungry,” Dmetri said matter of factly.
# # #
Jacks and fingered the sore spots in his mouth. He knew what the soreness in his gums was before he even touched it. Yet that didn’t make finding the two hard points any easier. He winced as he touched them even as he felt a wave of pleasure sear through him. Dmetri was right. His stomach growled, and his mouth tasted dirt dry.
His gaze fell over to Vera’s neck. He licked his lips and felt his fangs throb. He was moving before he even realized it. He grabbed her head in both hands and tipped her head to the side, her short hair parting easily, baring her rain-soaked neck.
He licked his lips, feeling drugged and woozy. Then Dmetri was beside him, his arm around his shoulders. For some reason he didn’t mind the touch. Vera was looking at him with such love and trust in her eyes.
He listened to Dmetri’s soft words of guidance. Then he licked a path of Vera’s neck, nuzzling her soft skin with his lips. She panted and he could hear everything gasp she took, even the quick beat of her heart. Hell, he could smell her arousal. She wanted this.
He followed Dmetri’s order and bit gently into her neck. She twitched against him and let out a soft, sexy cry. Christ his cock was so hard she could stroke him and he’d come.
Her skin broke beneath his teeth, no fangs, and then her blood pooled warm and delicious in his mouth. He sucked and licked at it, feeling the most dizzying sensation rush through his body. She was in his body. With each pull from her body, he felt her essence enter his.
He was claiming her, suck by suck. He listened as her heart quickened, her breath catching again and again. He knew she was wet in her panties. He sucked on her neck one last time and then she was sucking in air, gripping his back hard as she came.
Jacks had never felt anything so good. He heard Dmetri’s words, but ignored them and continued to suck and pull. He wanted all of her inside him. To never be separated from her again. He heard her heart stutter in her chest, and then he was ripping himself away from her with wide, wild eyes.
Holy fuck he almost killed her. Even now she slumped back against the car, her eyes hooded, a lazy smile on her face. His mark was on her neck—a dark bruise with two holes inside. Shame followed by anger filled him, had him standing over her.
She popped her eyes open and smiled big at him. A real, beautiful smile that was all Vera. It tugged at his chest, but he ignored it.
“I don’t ever want to see you again. Do you understand me, Vera? Never.” Vera’s smile died, she rushed to her feet reaching for him, but he stepped away.
“But I don’t understand. Why? You just– I thought—” she fumbled for words as pure agony fired through her heart. She knew he was going to leave her anyways, someday, but not now. She wasn’t ready for it now. Not after what they’d been through.
“Don’t worry I’ll make it easy on you. I won’t be coming on Kategan land again. Ever.” He turned from her and started towards the mansion.
“But I love you.” Her whisper barely made it over the sound of the rain. She expected him to turn back and say something, even something cruel, but he didn’t. He kept walking—and that was worse of all.
Dmetri was there though, pulling her into his arms. “I am so sorry, moya labyuff.” The old Russian endearment, my love, used to be something he called her when he knew she was in pain. Now it did nothing for her. “He is just upset right now, confused. His life has just made a huge change and he isn’t accepting it well. Don’t worry Vera, I will guide him into the new ways, and then he’ll be back for you.”
She shook her head against his chest. “No he won’t.” Shallow words so at odds to the heavy weight in her chest.
“Trust me, Vera.”
She laughed a nasty, awful sound. “The last time I did that, I got my heartbroken.” He frowned down at her looking as if he wanted to say something, but then he only nodded.
“Take my car and go home. I’ll call you with any news. I’ll send my guard with you. I won’t leave you unprotected now that we know what Ariss is up to. You won’t be safe until we capture her.”
Vera didn’t recall getting into the car, nor of pulling away from the mansion for the second time that night. She drove with robotic movements, her mind completely numb. A vampire guard sat in her back seat and a car of more guards followed her.
She drove for a solid twenty minutes before she finally pulled over to the side of the road. She was thankful when the guard in the car didn’t say anything.
Choked sobs left her raw throat, but no tears would come. She stared out at the night, at the rain. She was dried out on the inside.
Still it rained outside, the night crying for her.
