Once Forbidden (7 page)

Devlin
sighed and leaned back on his heels, watching her. “You were dying, Sarah. I
changed you. You’re a vampire now,” he said quietly.

Sarah
closed her eyes. “I see.”

Devlin
could feel her close herself off from him. Damn it, he knew exactly how she
felt—that was the problem. He’d felt the exact same way when Carina had changed
him all those years ago. “I had no choice, Sarah. You would have died.”

“I
know,” she said simply, refusing to look at him. “Can I get out of here now,
please?”

Devlin
nodded and stood. He held out his hand to her. He bit his tongue to keep silent
when she hesitated before allowing him to help her from the tub. She was
obviously still weak, and would be until she had sustenance. “I’ll get you a
robe. Wait here,” he said flatly.

Sarah
let the tears fall down her cheeks now. She understood why he’d changed her. In
his mind—there had been no choice.

In
hers, there was—he could have simply allowed her to die.

Could
she live like this? Did she want to live as a vampire? That thought made her
laugh a little hysterically. No, she wasn’t alive anymore. She put her hand to
her breast, and of course, there was no heartbeat.

She
touched her face. She’d never again see her face. Was not seeing it preferable
to seeing the scars every day? She just didn’t know.

But
she loved Devlin—she did know that much. She just hadn’t been sure that she had
been ready to give up her life as a human to be a vampire. Now, the choice had
been taken from her. She looked up when the door opened. “Thank you,” she said
formally, taking the offered robe.

Her
hands were shaking. What happened to the super strength vampires were supposed
to have? She felt as weak as a newborn kitten. “Why am I so weak?” she asked
after she’d tied the robe tightly at her waist.

“You
need to drink,” he said calmly, crossing his arms against his broad chest. He
leaned against the door and watched her.

She
shivered. “I have to drink blood?”

“Of
course,” he said.

“Oh
God, you’ve turned me into a monster,” she said, her voice breaking.

Devlin’s
eyes darkened and narrowed. “No, Sarah, I gave you a chance to live,” he
snapped angrily. In a blink he was gone.

Sarah
sagged against the floor and sobbed. This wasn’t what she wanted. Did she have
the nerve to kill herself? How would she even survive on her own?

Unfortunately,
the only one with the answers had disappeared.

She
suddenly realized that he wasn’t gone, though. He was just in the other room. He’d
gone back to the bedroom. Obviously enhanced hearing was a perk. She tried to
stand up, and realized she was simply too weak. “Devlin?”

Devlin
was kneeling next to her in the next instant. “I’m sorry, love. I shouldn’t
have gotten angry. Let me help you.” He lifted her easily into his arms and
carried her back to his room.

He’d
removed the bloody clothes and comforter, and he placed her on the cool sheets.
“I’m sorry, but you have to drink,” he said quietly.

“I
know,” she said. She watched as he poured the blood from the donor bag into the
wine glass. With shaking hands, she took the glass. “Is it terrible?”

Devlin
shook his head. “No, love. You’ll like it, actually.”

She
doubted that, but took a tentative sip of the warm liquid. Instantly, she felt
her incisors grow and her hunger grew. The blood was marvelous!  It wasn’t at
all coppery as she’d remembered. This was actually sweet—delicious. She drained
the glass and almost immediately felt better. “I feel better.”

“Yes,”
he agreed. “I’d imagine you do.”

“So
what happens now?” Why was he looking at her like that? His eyes were dark and
his breathing had quickened. “What is it?”

“I
want you,” he said huskily. “But now isn’t the time.”

Sarah
shivered. She touched his cheek. “I’m—not sure I want to make love.”

His
smile was sad. “No, I don’t imagine you do. Tell me about the attack, Sarah. Who
hurt you?”

Sarah
sat up and leaned back against the headboard. “I don’t know who it was. He just
said it was a warning for you.”

“For
me particularly?” he asked quickly.

Sarah
nodded. “He said ‘Tell Devlin, if you see him that is, that vampires are not to
mix with humans.’”

“Sarah,
did you tell anyone about me?” he demanded. “How did anyone even know I’d been
with you?”

“I
don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m sorry, that was all he said before he stabbed
me.”

Devlin
shook his head. “That makes no sense, Sarah. How would the Hunters know about
you? Are you a Hunter?”

She
shook her head. “Of course not!  I don’t even know what exactly a Hunter is!”

“They
kill our kind. Then how could he possibly have known about us? About me? I
don’t exactly make a habit of consorting with humans, you know.”

Sarah
clenched her fists. “I said I don’t know.”

“And
I’m not buying it!” he snapped. “No one knew about us—except us!”

Chapter Nine

Sarah
felt an unaccustomed surge of rage. She pounded on him with her fists. “I said
I don’t know!  Who would I tell?” she shrieked. “Who would have believed me?”

Devlin
sighed. She was right. He’d barely left her alone since he’d gone to her. Had it
really only been the night before? Devlin grabbed her pounding fists and kissed
each one. “I am sorry, love. I almost lost you,” he said, mildly amused at the
fire shooting from her eyes. This was the first time he’d seen her angry, and
damned if it didn’t turn him on. Her blue eyes were narrowed and she was
glaring at him.

But
it was the pain that caused all thoughts of amusement to fade. “Forgive me,
Sarah. I have to figure this out—or I can’t protect you,” he explained. Sarah
had finally stopped struggling and trying to pummel him, so he released her
hands after kissing them again. “There is much I need to teach you, love.”

Sarah
was still glaring. “But you believe me?”

“I
believe you.”

She
nodded once jerkily. “So, what now, Devlin? What happens with me?”

Devlin
stood and moved away from her. He had to; otherwise, he’d not get more
accomplished other than making love to her. “I need to teach you how to protect
yourself, Sarah. You’re obviously a target—I’m sorry for that. I still don’t
know how the Hunters found out about you.” He sighed and ran his hand through
his dark hair. “But I promise you, I will find them. I will find the man
responsible for hurting you.”

“So,
how long will it be until I’m safe on my own?”

His
head snapped up. “On your own?”

“Of
course. I have some semblance of a life to get back to, Devlin. I have a
business to run. Bills to pay—the normal things,” she explained patiently. “Once
the danger has passed, of course.”

So
she wasn’t going to forgive him for changing her. Once she was safe, she was
going to leave him. He felt a wave of pain that nearly staggered him.
No!
He wasn’t going to let her go that easily. “It will take a while,” he said
carefully, watching her. “I won’t leave you alone until I’m sure you’re safe
and that you know all you need to know.”

Sarah
stood and walked over to him. She put her hand on his chest. “I do understand,
Devlin. I might have done the same thing in the same circumstances,” she said
quietly. “I just need time to figure out how to deal with this. With what I am.
Then, I promise, I’ll be out of your life.”

Perhaps
when hell froze over,
he thought grimly. “I came to you, remember? Who says
I want you out of my life, Sarah? Did I even once suggest such a thing to you? I
can understand if you do not wish to be with me after what I did—but do not
fool yourself into believing that I no longer want you,” he snapped. “Perhaps a
reminder.” He shoved aside the worry and concern. She needed to remember what
was between them—that was important. Her well-being
and
his might depend
on her knowing her worth.

In
a movement so fast it had her head spinning, he lifted her effortlessly in his
arms and put her on her back in his bed. Where she belonged, damn it!  He
opened the knot in the robe and looked at her—seeing her totally without scars
for the first time since the fire. He’d thought she’d been beautiful
before—now, he knew she was that and more. Her skin was exquisite. He ran his
fingers from her neck down to her breast.

Sarah
moaned. “We shouldn’t do this,” she said.

His
eyes were green fire. “We should.” He lowered his head and kissed her, driving
his tongue into her mouth and literally taking possession. This wasn’t the time
for hesitant explorations, that time had passed. It was time for Devlin to
stake his claim on her.
Leave him? Not bloody likely!
 

Devlin
wrapped his hands now into her long hair, threading his fingers through the
silky mass. He held her head still and drank his fill of her sweetness. In only
a moment, she responded. Soft hands wrapped around his back and he groaned. He
lifted his lips from hers a fraction to speak “That’s right, Sarah. Touch me,”
he groaned.

Sarah’s
senses were overwhelmed. Just one kiss and she was lost. She tore at his shirt,
wanting to feel his skin against her. Finally, she just reached beneath the
shirt and held him to her.

When
Devlin lifted his head, his breathing was hard. “You’re mine, Sarah.” The feel
of her small hands holding him to her made him smile. “Tell me.”

Sarah
froze, her hands stilled on his back. The air was literally filled with
emotion, and she was unable to separate them. She loved him. But he spoke in
words of possession and need. Finally, after a long tense moment, she met his
gaze. “Love me, Devlin,” she whispered, her voice aching. If his passion was
all she could have, she’d take it. Maybe it would be enough, though the thought
of him not loving her hurt so much she wasn’t sure she could bear it.

It
hit Devlin suddenly. It was there clearly in her eyes. Mixed with the passion
was the uncertainty.

 My
God, she was afraid he didn’t love her? How could she not know? He lowered his
head so their foreheads were touching. Need was riding him hard, but it was
important too for him to let her know how he felt about her. “You’re my soul mate,
Sarah,” Devlin explained, brushing his fingers down her cheek now. “I love you
more than life itself.” He’d only needed to see her so near death to realize
that he loved her. How could he have even wondered for a moment? She was his,
just as he belonged to her.

Sarah’s
eyes filled with tears. “You love me?”

Devlin
reached his hand between them and freed himself from his slacks. He spread her
thighs and flexed his hips, pausing just at her entrance. Ever muscle in his
body was tight, and the urge to drive deep inside her was strong. But he held
there, just poised at her soft folds, the heat of her enveloped him, but he
didn’t enter. “I love you.”

Now,
he flexed his hips, entering her gently. Her soft inner muscles clenched around
him instantly and he groaned. Once seated to the hilt, he paused again. “Tell
me you’re mine,” he repeated. He needed the words.

Sarah
smiled through her tears. There were still many questions to be answered,
problems to be solved—but all of that could come later—now that she knew he
loved her. “I’m yours,” she whispered. He was long and hard inside her. It
still amazed her a little how well they fit together. Her eyes closed and she
arched her hips. She was rewarded by the quiver of him inside her.

“What
are you waiting for?” she asked.

Devlin
smiled. “For you.”

Sarah
moved her hands to his head and pulled his head down. She smiled against his
lips and kissed him. She moved quickly then, testing her new strength as she
flipped so he was beneath her.

Devlin
grinned. “Taking charge?”

Sarah
nodded and began to move, lifting her hips by excruciatingly slow increments,
and then lowering them again. Her plan had been to tease him, but she was
teasing herself instead. She groaned as she continued to move over him, faster
now. Her hands splayed across the wide expanse of his chest.

Devlin
felt the bite of her nails, and was lost. He gripped her hips in his hands and
moved, arching his hips on each of her downward strokes, taking her deeper. “Yes,”
he groaned.

Part
of him wanted to move her beneath him again and simply drive them both to
climax, but he was enjoying this too much. Even now, he could tell by the look
on her beautiful face that this was again something new for her. It pleased him
more than he could say.

“Help
me,” she said after several long moments.

Devlin
switched their positions once more, not moving from inside her. “Put your legs
around my arms,” he ordered.