Authors: Paige Cuccaro
“Death wasn’t near punishment enough for you. You deserved to suffer. An eternity of lonely suffering is still not enough punishment for turning her against me, for what you made me do.”
“What, Octavius?” Alex took a steady careful step forward, his grip readjusting around the hilt of his sword. “What did I make you do?”
“For making me…making me take her from this world.”
Alex flinched with a small shake of his head as though he couldn’t believe what he’d heard. “You? No. You wouldn’t. Elizabeth was staked through the heart. You—”
“He was there, Alex. He told me so. He did come find the two of you after she cut him,” I said before Todd clamped a hand over my mouth.
“I did,” Octavius said. “I saw the two of you, the life you made. The way you took comfort in her, in your pathetic fledglings. What right did you have to comfort when I suffered so?”
“Markus, Anthony and Richard weren’t fledglings. They were friends.” Alex took another measured step closer to Octavius. “They would’ve died on the battlefield if I hadn’t turned them. Instead they returned to me of their own accord fifteen years after they were weaned, as friends, only to die at the hand of an arsonist as they slept. I thought…I believed their death was the work of slayers.”
“No.” A crazed smile tugged the corner of his mouth. “You fool. I only allowed you to think that.
I
took them from you, Alexander. I took all of them from you, everything in this world that gave you comfort, joy or love. Just as you did to me.”
“You drove her to madness,” Alex said. “I didn’t take her from you. I saved her from ending her life.”
“No.” Octavius leapt backwards onto the bar, then reached for the decorative swords crisscrossed on the wall behind it. Sharp metal zinged from the sheath as he pulled. “Bess and I were perfect before you came. You confused her. Turned her head, corrupted her just as you did this one.” He swung the point of the sword toward me in gesture.
Three heavy heartbeats passed, each of us clicking through the logic to what comes next. Octavius shifted his gaze to Todd, still holding my back against his chest, his hand clamped over my mouth. He pulled the ring off his finger and tossed it to Todd.
“Drain her. Then mark her like the others,” he said, then launched himself at Alex.
Todd jerked my head back, so I could only hear the clash of metal against metal. I heard tables overturning, the crash of dishes, the rush of footsteps and grunts of effort. From the corner of my eye, I caught Todd’s rapt expression, dazed by the two powerful vampires in battle.
“You had me worried, Alexander.” Octavius’s words came unsteady and clipped between the clangs and clatter of their sword fight. “I watched you for years after I found you again in the Americas. I thought you’d truly gone mad, drinking animal blood, indulging in a meaningless poke now and again without the blood lust. You twisted masochistic fuck. What’s the point? Did you think that would work? You think I would fall for that?”
“I don’t give a damn,” Alex said before a loud clash of metal and a sharp squealing retreat from Octavius.
“I knew you couldn’t deny yourself forever. I knew you’d abandon your self-imposed punishment like it was nothing—meant nothing. You couldn’t stop yourself from seeking comfort and love from another woman eventually. You didn’t love Bess enough. And I was right.” He paused then said loudly in our direction. “Kill her damn it. Now.”
Todd flinched at Octavius’s yelled command, and stretched my head back, lowering his mouth to my neck. Before he could make contact I clamped my teeth down on the inside of his palm.
“Ouch. You bit me,” he said, shaking the sting from his hand.
“You were going to bite me.”
“Still am, bitch.” He grabbed for my head again but I called my power fast. The flood of energy gave him a jolt, like static electricity, when his hand came too close to the back of my neck. He jerked his hand away.
“Hey,” Todd whined.
“Why don’t you go stake yourself?”
Todd blinked, shook his head as though he was trying to clear his thoughts, turned and walked around to the other side of the bar. He disappeared for a second as he bent for something underneath, then came back up with an ice pick. I didn’t have time to think, let alone say anything, before he plunged the stupid thing right into his heart, all the way to the hilt.
Apparently this was yet another area where the media has gone astray in vampire lore. Doesn’t matter who you are or what it’s made of, if you jam something into your heart, destroying the organ…you’re gonna die.
I turned back to the battle still waging in the main dining floor and my foot kicked something. I glanced down and saw the ring. I grabbed it, staring at the closed “X” symbol, like a flattened infinity sign, just like the one on the dead girl’s necks. I pushed it onto my thumb and swung my gaze to Alex just in time to see the bloodied blade of his sword connect with Octavius’s neck.
I’d never seen anyone decapitated before. And with such a quick clean cut. Octavius didn’t fall right away. He stood there staring in the same direction he’d been looking when Alex cut him. He was staring at me.
He blinked twice then said, “He’ll never love you enough to kill you.”
Octavius’s knees buckled and he slumped to the floor like a deflated balloon. His head rolled under a chair when it hit the floor, the eyes still open.
Eewww…creepy on toast.
Alex was at my side before Octavius’s nose stopped the roll, hooked on the chair leg. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m good. I’m fine.” I smiled at his worry, almost laughed, but I think it was more like one of those hysterical laughter urges than a flash of humor. This was sooo not funny.
“You’re too pale.” He wasn’t smiling. He jerked my head to the side to see my neck. “That mark’s too dark. How do you feel?”
“Uh…I’m not thirsty. That’s good, right?”
Alex flicked his gaze to mine, some of his hard-edged warrior persona softening. “Yeah. That’s good. I’m going to take you to the hospital though. You might need a transfusion.”
“What’ll we tell them?”
He shrugged. “The truth. The ER doctor is a…friend. You’re going to need a few weeks rest, lots of vitamins.”
“What about all this?” I nodded toward the head by the kitchen door and Octavius’s body on the other side of the room. “Too bad they don’t go poof like they do in the movies.”
“We have means for this sort of thing. People at the coroner’s office, some in the police department as well as a few politicians. Worse comes to worse, I know a grave digger.”
“Oh. Well. That’s not at all disturbing.” I forced a smile, swallowing the creepy-crawly feeling tickling up my spine.
Alex’s shoulders jumped with his quiet laugh, his smile full bloom across his lips. “C’mon. Let’s get you home. You, at least, can still leave this all behind like a bad dream.”
“Right.” Like that would happen.
I wrote the story—about the four dead girls with the matching tattoos and macabre poses. It wasn’t the story I thought I’d write. It wasn’t the story I ended up with when it was all over. This one was a lot like the fluff pieces I used to write, the story people wanted to hear—the story that let them sleep at night. It was all just a bunch of crap.
Prominent local businessman commits suicide after being connected to the murder of four women. Police linked the man to the killings by a ring found in his personal safe which he used to tattoo the victims. The women died peacefully, after being drugged while their bodies were drained of blood through a small incision on their inner thigh, previously overlooked by authorities.
No one questioned the story’s validity. The day after it ran some jerk-off shot five people at a mall and Micky assigned me the story. Alex’s ring is now officially evidence and packed away in some basement filing system, never to see the light of day again.
I heard from him that same day. He’d read the story about Octavius. Said it sounded very believable. Funny, since no one would’ve believed the truth. We haven’t seen each other in a few weeks, but we’ve become tight phone buddies. We talked about what happened and about how a person can’t avoid the pitfalls of life without missing out on the good things that’ll see him through it.
Like I said, my middle name’s Ann, not Subtle.
The mark on my neck was finally gone this morning. I plan on showing Alex some of those good things we talked about tonight. Yeah. I’m addicted. I can admit it. But now I know I’m addicted to the man.
The Viagra venom’s just a bonus.
About the Author
Writing was never a foregone conclusion for Paige Cuccaro. She once had dreams of being a psychologist, a pediatrician, a school teacher, a photojournalist, a bartender, and/or an EMT. And then she met her husband and her world came into focus. Being wife and mother are her highest priorities and greatest joy. But escaping to the fanciful, sexy worlds twirling through her mind is an absolute necessity. Putting those worlds, and the cornucopia of characters that people them, on paper is just plain fun.
Paige lives in Ohio, with her husband, three daughters, three dogs, three cats, a parakeet and a bearded dragon named Rexy, in an ever-shrinking house. When she’s not writing, she can be found doing the mom thing with a book in one hand and a notepad and pen in the other. Ideas come without warning and the best way to stimulate your imagination is to enjoy the imagination of someone else.
To learn more about Paige Cuccaro, please visit
www.paigecuccaro.com
. Send an email to Paige Cuccaro at
[email protected]
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Her survival depends on the man—and the erotic sex—of her dreams.
Blood Ties
© 2008 Cathryn Fox
A
Claimed
story.
Dari Blake has spent her life sheltered from the world, believing she has a rare, genetic blood disorder that prevents her from aging. Her overprotective guardians are her only company, except for the mysterious man who enters her nightmares, soothing them into erotic dreams. Only he seems to have the power to help her shut out the cacophony of voices in her head.
Alone in his English castle, Mikel Sare has one mission in life: to protect Dari, his soul mate. Unbeknownst to her, she isn’t suffering from a rare disorder, she is a rare creature herself. She, like Mikel, is a Nallie. Part human, part vampire, one of only two left in the world. Her womb, and her psychic ability, are more powerful—and more dangerous—than she could ever imagine.
Now the alien vampires who created their kind are back, killing everyone in their path as they seek to take control of her child-bearing body. To defeat them, Mikel and Dari must join together—mind, body, blood and soul—in a ritual that will exponentially increase their power.
Warning: This book contains explicit sex, graphic language, ménage a quatre, and a little bit of red-hot manlove. Reading this book without your partner, or a few toys nearby, may be hazardous to your health.
Enjoy the following excerpt for
Blood Ties:
He’d had sex before, of course. For the sake of sex. For physical relief only. With Dari it was different. Less physical, more emotional. She was his mate. The one and only meant for him. Unfortunately, with the threat against their lives, he could only make love to her in her dream world. And if he grew careless, prolonging their psychic connection, even that could prove dangerous.
She pulled back, breathless, and licked the moisture from her plump, kiss-swollen lips. Her flushed face was full of desire, her eyes darkly seductive. “Come see what I found.” She gathered his hand and tugged. Mikel’s fangs receded as he fell into step beside her. She guided him across a bed of freshly cut, crisp green summer grass. The dead flowers had once again sprung to life as happy thoughts filled her mind.
“Where are you taking me, Dari?”
A smile pulled at her lips as she extended her hands and tilted her head back to look at him. “Right here.” Arousal edged her voice and made his cock pulse.
He had to admit, she did have one hell of an imagination. Mikel took in the picturesque waterfall spilling over a cluster of rocks. The cool spray reached them on the grassy embankment, moistening their skin and clothes, but doing little to help ease the heat inside him.
Her provocative pout made him harder than he’d ever been before as she toyed with the top button on her dress. “Will you join me?” she murmured seductively.
He shot her a sidelong glance and cocked one brow. “Like you even had to ask.” He stepped closer. Her blue floral dress had changed in color, turning crimson red, indicating her mood, reflecting the passion inside her.
He grabbed her hands and anchored them to her sides. “Allow me.” His nimble fingers worked the row of buttons lining the front. Once finished he slowly pulled it open to reveal her gorgeous breasts. He quickly discarded the flimsy piece of material that had prohibited his gaze from caressing her naked flesh. He slipped it from her shoulders and let it fall to her feet. The bright red dress spilled across the grass like blood.
He stood back, drew a deep, steadying breath and panned the length of the sensuous woman before him. Her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she in turn appraised him. He registered every detail of her gorgeous curvy body as his gaze shifted to her breasts, to pert nipples that beckoned his mouth.
Who was he to deny them?
In one quick stride, he closed the short distance and removed the flower from behind her ear. He brought it to his nose and sniffed.
“This doesn’t smell nearly as sweet as you.” Dari tilted her head back and exhaled a sexy bedroom moan as he trailed the flower over her lips, her neck and lower until he skimmed her breasts. He brushed the tulip over her nipples, scenting her ethereal, porcelain-white flesh. The enticing combination of Dari mixed with the flora became his undoing.
Unable to deny his mouth the taste of her any longer, he lowered his head. Flicking his tongue out, he circled her pale mounds, drawing the blade of his tongue closer to the engorged peaks. Dari arched and tangled her fingers through his hair. He blew a heated breath on her wet nipples and watched them tighten in bliss.