Deceptive Changes: Kat LaMond Book 1 (43 page)

“Now that you’ve had Thorn, how about trying what I wanted earlier?” 

I groaned softly and said, “I don’t think I can, Sven.”

“Oh, you can,” he said confidently. 

I smiled at him and shook my head.  “Not yet.  Let me get cleaned up first.” 

He groaned softly and nodded.  “We can do what we’ve wanted to do in the shower just as well as here in the bed.”  It was my turn to groan.

Trace, Erick, and Todd were smiling.  I couldn’t tell if they were just happy or the very idea of taking a shower and continuing our activities was what made them smile.  Thorn rolled off the bed and looked down at me.  I stifled a sigh and moved slowly off the bed.  I was a bit sore and my body protested the movement.  I whimpered softly as I stood up. 

Thorn helped me into the bathroom, biting his wrist as we walked.  He pressed his wrist to my mouth and when I moved away he became insistent.  “It’ll help.  Besides, what we want to do to you…you’ll need the vampire blood.”  My stomach flopped around.  He placed his wrist against my mouth again and this time I took his blood in.  I took in his blood until I could hear heartbeats.  I pulled my mouth from his wrist and clenched my muscles tight. 

“It’ll pass,” Thorn whispered.  I nodded.  Like I didn’t know that already.  Sven came into the room.  I could smell him.  I hissed out a growl.  Thorn smiled and moved a strand of hair from my face to behind my ear. 

I turned on him and let a purr slip through my lips.  He sighed happily as I pushed into him hard enough to make him stumble back.  He held my waist tightly as I kissed him, running my hands along his body, clawing at him.  He moaned loudly as my hands ran over his butt, leaving scratches on his skin.  I felt Sven move up behind me and run his hands along my body.

I could feel the blood making my body cooler.  I’d never felt it happen before and it felt strange.  Like being in a pool that was too cold or the shower turning cold without much warning.  The room was much warmer than I had thought as my skin cooled.  I could hear Todd, Trace, and Erick speaking softly in the bedroom.  They were debating whether they should come in here or not.  I almost said to come in but I wanted to do some damage before they came in.

I pushed off Thorn and turned into Sven.  He blinked in surprise and wrapped his arms around me.  I kissed him and bit his lip.  He whispered a breath and ate at my mouth.  I scratched my hands down his back to the top of his butt and back up.  I growled at him when he pulled me back.  I struggled against his grasp.  I looked into his shining eyes and quieted down. 

“How did you do that, Sven?” Thorn whispered.

“I know her, Thorn.”  He smiled softly and let me go. 

I stayed where I was for a moment and then heard a different heartbeat.  One that I’d not heard before.  “Who’s that?”  I looked at them.  They shrugged.  I guess they didn’t know either.  I tightened the robe around my body and went to investigate. 

I walked out of the bedroom with Sven and Thorn on my heels.  The heartbeat was in the kitchen.  I walked quietly to the door and peaked in.  Beatrice.  What the heck was she doing here?  I held out my hand to the two vampires and made a ‘wait here’ motion and walked into the kitchen.

“What are you doing here, Beatrice?” 

She whirled around on me and stumbled over an answer.  She stopped and looked at me.  “You’ve taken blood,” she said accusingly.  I nodded.  “Why?”

“Why does it matter?”  My voice was soft.  I didn’t want to fight her, especially with vampire blood running through my veins.

“It doesn’t.  I was just grabbing a few things for the guest house.  I thought you’d be asleep and I didn’t want to wake you.”  She grabbed some beers from the counter and walked out.  I could hear her heart beating faster. 

I started after her but Sven and Thorn were in front of me.  “No, Katja.”  Sven bit his wrist and held it in front of my face.  I sniffed and grabbed his wrist.

I sucked on his blood for a couple minutes before he took it away.  I followed his movement until his hand pressed against my chest.  “That’s enough, Katja.  Now.  Let’s get you cleaned up.”  I nodded and we walked back into the bedroom. 

Todd, Trace, and Erick were cuddled next to each other.  “Who was out there?” Todd asked.

“Beatrice.”  Todd started to sit up but I waved him back.  “She’s gone.  She grabbed some beer and left.”

I watched the blood flow under their skin and forgot about the shower.  I stalked up to the bed and climbed in.  Trace was the closest to me.  I pulled him to me and kissed him.  He struggled against me and then wrapped his arms around me.  I tasted his blood as I kissed him and moaned softly as I leaned into him. 

I opened my eyes and saw his were closed.  He was running his hands up and down my back.  I pulled back from him.  He opened his eyes, they were glassy.  He absentmindedly wiped at the blood that was running from his mouth.  “Mmm, that was good, Kat.”  He kissed me lightly on the cheek and slid away, leaning against Todd.

Erick was running a lazy hand across Todd’s chest.  Sven was leaning against Erick, running his hand along Erick’s smooth chest, and Thorn was leaning against Sven, running his hand along Sven’s thigh.  I cuddled next to Trace and mirrored Thorn.  As Thorn’s hand ran up to Sven’s groin, I ran my hand to Trace’s. 

Thorn moved his hand up Sven’s leg to his chest and wrapped his arm around his waist, leaning into him and biting his neck.  Sven arched against Erick as Thorn’s fangs slid into his skin.  Moments went by and Sven was bucking against Erick.  Thorn pulled back and smiled a lazy smile. 

Sven was still convulsing against Erick as Thorn ran his hand along Sven’s ribs causing him to buck and cry out.  “That’s my boy,” Thorn whispered softly into Sven’s ear.  Sven smiled and continued to shiver against Erick and Thorn.

I still had my hand on Trace’s leg.  I kissed him softly on the cheek and adjusted so I was lying against his chest with his arm around me.  The vampire blood was fading from my system.  I started to shiver from the cold and cuddled closer to Trace.  He nudged under my hip and pulled me over his body to lie between him and Todd.

Todd ran his hand along my stomach and cuddled me closer to him.  I kissed his neck and laid my head on his chest.  I watched Sven and Thorn.  Sven was feeding on Erick who was pressed against Todd.  I could see Erick’s arousal and reached a hand out.  Todd stopped me and kissed my cheek before grabbing Erick in his hand and stroking him.  I let out a breath that I’d been holding and moaned softly as I watched.

I could feel Trace harden against me.  He pressed his lips against my neck before laying his head on mine.  We watched as Todd played with Erick.  Sven tightened his hold on Erick as Thorn bit him again.  Erick was essentially feeding both Sven and Thorn even though Thorn wasn’t feeding directly from him.

Erick threw his head back and cried out as he orgasmed.  Todd stroked him once more and Erick thrashed a bit against Sven’s arms.  Thorn wrapped his body more fully around Sven and brought him screaming, bucking, and clawing his pleasure which set Erick spasming and gasping against Todd. 

When they were both calm, they lay back against the pillows and smiled dreamily.  “Holy crap, Thorn,” I said. 

He looked over at me with a satisfied smile on his face and ran his hand along Sven’s chest and neck.  “This is only a snippet of what I’m capable of.”  Heat flashed through me at the thought of what else he was capable of.  “I can show you, if you like.”  His smile widened as I felt the blush pool in my cheeks.  I didn’t know if it was better to leave the ideas in my head or actually see what else he was capable of. 

“I don’t know, Thorn.  I think Sven’s sated.” 

Sven laughed softly.  “If you only knew what he was capable of, Katja.”  He turned into Thorn and gave him a big kiss on the lips and then turned back to me.  “He’s only brought us with his bite.  He’s even better combining his body and his bite.”  I couldn’t help the sigh that escaped my lips.  “We’ve made love for hours with just his body and bite.”  We sucked in a breath loud enough for the two vampires to laugh.

Thorn leaned in against Sven and said, “Thank you for the compliment, love, but it’s not necessary.  They’ll find out soon enough.”

Trace moved off the bed and closed the curtains.  The sun was coming up and, like me, didn’t much care for direct sunlight.  He climbed into bed and turned me on my back.  I looked up at him.  His blue-y grey eyes had darkened with excitement. 

Todd helped disrobe me and the both of them ran their hands over my body.  I turned my head and looked into Erick’s green eyes.  He was completely satisfied and dreamy-eyed.  I turned back to Trace and Todd. 

Todd held my left arm above my head and Trace mirrored him with my right arm.  Todd kissed me slowly, using his left hand to play along my nipple.  I gasped into Todd’s mouth as I felt Trace slide inside me.  I struggled against their hands.  I turned my head and found Todd had moved his body closer to my mouth. 

Trace nibbled my neck causing me to whimper in pleasure.  I moved my lips but Todd was just out of reach.  I made a little grunting sound as I tried to capture him in my mouth.  He laughed and moved closer.  I took him in my mouth as Trace slid in and out of me and nibbled my neck.  Todd moved his hips, helping to slide in and out of my mouth.

Trace moved steadily.   His breath whispered in my ear making me shiver and feel the beginnings of the orgasm.  Todd was moving steadily inside my mouth.  They made pleasure sounds as they moved in and out of me.  The orgasm spilled over me.  I cried out around Todd’s body.  They moved quicker and cried out.  I swallowed the liquid down, trying not to choke because of the angle.

Todd pulled back unsteadily on his knees and collapsed on the bed.  Trace fell on top of me and gave me a small kiss.  He moved off me and closed my robe.  He laid his head on my chest and sighed happily.  Todd leaned his head against mine and kissed my temple.  My eyes slid shut.  I could hear Todd and Trace’s breathing slow as they fell asleep.  Erick was snoring softly.  I opened my eyes and looked at Sven and Thorn.  They were watching us.  Their eyes moved over our faces.

“Aren’t you tired?” I asked.  They shook their heads.  “I am,” I said and let my eyes fall shut.

I woke up to hands brushing my face.  I opened my eyes and looked at Todd.  He was smiling down on me as he brushed my hair away from my face.  “Hey, sleepyhead.”  I smiled back at him and immediately closed my mouth.  Ugh, morning breath. 

I moved and Trace groaned softly.  I looked around and found that only Todd and I were awake.  Even Sven and Thorn were asleep.  “I need to use the bathroom,” I whispered, putting a hand in front of my mouth.  Todd nodded and moved off the bed, giving me room to wiggle out from under Trace.  Todd held out his hand to me and helped me into the bathroom.

I brushed my teeth and looked at Todd.  He was still in the bathroom.  “Uh…” I rolled my eyes in the direction of the toilet.

Todd chuckled and said, “Oh.”  He left, closing the door behind him. 

I used the toilet and started the shower.  Todd came back into the bathroom and closed the door.  “They’re all asleep still,” he explained as he walked up to me.  He kissed me deeply and when he pulled back he said, “Mmm, minty fresh.”  I stepped into the shower and Todd followed.

We made love slowly, quietly, and then washed up.  We stepped out of the shower just as Sven and Thorn walked in.  I sucked in a breath as I looked into each of their eyes.  They had a plan.  I bumped into Todd.  He wrapped his arms around me and looked at the vampires.  They smiled, showing fangs.  Oh, boy.

Sven approached us, leaving Thorn by the door.  “We’d like to feed but we don’t want to just feed from you.”  Todd tensed behind me. 

“I don’t know if we should.  I’ll feed you but I don’t know if I’m up to having more sex,” I said.

Sven lifted an eyebrow and said, “We heard you in here with Todd.  We figured you’d like a little variety.” 

“It’s up to Todd.”  I turned my head and looked up at him.  He sighed and nodded. 

“You won’t even have to let her go, Todd, just lift her up.”  Todd did what Sven asked.  Thorn walked up behind Sven and wrapped his arms around him.  Sven moaned softly and arched into me but I was too high for his groin to press into me which meant that he was touching Todd. 

Todd slid me down his body and onto Sven’s.  I sighed softly as Sven moved in and out of me.  He bent forward and bit my neck, taking long swallows of blood.  He filled me more completely as my blood flowed through his body.  Thorn bit Sven’s neck and started to feed.  He moved against Sven which pushed Sven in and out of me.  Todd pressed against me and bit the other side of my neck, his hands capturing my breasts.

We each cried out softly, even Todd, as we orgasmed.  Sven and Thorn pulled back from us and stepped into the shower.  Todd let me down slowly but kept me against him, his muscles shaking from the orgasm.  “How did he do that?” Todd whispered in my ear.  I shrugged.  How would I know?  I heard Thorn chuckle.

Todd and I stepped into the shower with Sven and Thorn.  “It’s another of my specialties, Todd.”  He turned from us and soaped Sven’s body.  He ran the body puff slowly up Sven’s legs to his groin, staying there a moment, and then up his chest, neck, and then down his shoulders to his hands.  He walked around Sven and started his way down. 

Sven’s head was back and his eyes were closed as Thorn washed him.  “There you are, love, clean as ever,” Thorn whispered and kissed Sven, playing with him. 

Sven leaned against Thorn’s body and whimpered softly.  “Don’t stop, please,” Sven whispered against Thorn’s neck.  Thorn removed his hand from Sven’s dick and kneeled before him. 

I blinked and inhaled sharply as Thorn’s mouth met Sven’s dick.  Sven wound his fingers through Thorn’s hair and held him.  They were both extremely strong but Thorn wasn’t able to move his head from Sven’s body.  Sven cried Thorn’s name, throwing his head back and arching into him.  Thorn moved his head back and flicked his tongue out causing Sven to shiver and gasp out a breath.

A few minutes later, Sven was able to stand upright without assistance from Thorn.  He pulled Thorn to him and hugged him tightly. 

Sven washed Thorn slowly, erotically, and ended with his mouth on Thorn’s dick, sucking, biting, and caressing him with his lips and tongue.

Thorn held Sven’s head but didn’t restrict movement.  Sven stopped moving.  Thorn hissed a breath and moaned.  Sven must have bit him. 

A moment or two later, Thorn was bucking his hips against Sven’s mouth and crying his name.  Sven pulled back and chuckled softly as he made his way up Thorn’s body.  They embraced and then looked at us.  I took an involuntary step back.  Their eyes were glowing with animal shine.  I gulped my heart back into my chest.

“Don’t look so scared, Katja.”  Sven chuckled.  “It’s up to you but the fear will draw us just the same as arousal.” 

I hid behind Todd for a moment and then stepped back around when I was sure I could face them without fear or arousal, which wasn’t easy since they were buck naked and water was running down their pale bodies.  Todd kept his arm around my shoulders and held me against him.

We washed up, again, and stepped out of the shower.  I was pruney from the water.  I wrapped a towel around my body and walked out into the bedroom.  Trace and Erick were cuddled next to each other and still asleep.  I grabbed pj’s from the closet and went back into the bathroom, handing them pj bottoms and t-shirts.

I dropped the towel and slipped into the pj’s and walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen.  I grabbed a sandwich and looked at the time.  It was past four in the afternoon.  I groaned. I slept the day away. 

Todd walked into the room and grabbed a sandwich and a couple beers.  He opened them and set one in front of me.  He sat down across from me and started eating.  “Todd?” He looked up.  “If we kill Cyril, will Sven and Thorn die?” 

He thought about it for a moment and looked at me with sadness.  “Yes.”

My heart felt like it had been ripped from my chest.  “How can we avoid killing them?”

“They’d have to bind themselves to a stronger vampire.  Someone stronger than Cyril,” he said and drank some beer. 

“Neither you nor I can bind them to us, right?”

“They’re bound to us already but we can’t keep them alive.  I may know someone who’s strong enough to take them before we kill Cyril.”

“Who?”

“His name’s Haven.  He’s one of the strongest vampires that I know of.  Probably stronger than Cyril.  I’ll ask if he’s willing to do this.”  He refused to speak further and finished his sandwich and beer.  He kissed the top of my head before leaving the kitchen.

Sven and Thorn walked into the kitchen a couple minutes later.  They came up beside me and kneeled down.  “Don’t worry, Katja.  We’ll survive if you have to kill Cyril.”  Sven’s assurances weren’t that reassuring.  I nodded and finished my meal.

“Please don’t be sad, Katja-love,” Thorn whispered against my shoulder.  I couldn’t help the sadness because I didn’t know if we’d save them.  My heart was breaking in my chest at the very thought.

“I’ll try not to, Thorn,” I whispered back. 

He kissed my cheek and stood up.  Sven kissed my other cheek and walked out of the room arm in arm with Thorn.  I smiled at them, they were so happy and I had to ruin everything with my dumb thoughts. 

Beatrice walked into the house and sat across from me at the table.  “I wanted to apologize for my behavior.  Can you forgive me?”

I nodded and said, “Don’t do it again.”  She nodded and started to say something but Thorn walked in.  She dipped her head at me and walked out of the kitchen, and out of the house. 

Thorn sat beside me and draped an arm across my shoulders.  “What did she want?”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t hear her apology.”  I looked into his brown-gold eyes. 

“I didn’t.  I was in the room talking with the guys and I sort of got sidetracked with Sven, again.”  A smile spread across his lips as the memories flowed through his eyes.  

“I really am sorry that I kept you from him.” 

“Don’t think of that, Katja-love.  We’re together now, that’s all that matters.”  I turned from his eyes and stared at the wall. 

“So, Thorn, what’s your story?  I know you’re ninety years old or so but I don’t know much else.”

“You want to know my life?” he asked, surprise peppering his voice. 

“Yes, I do.  Why wouldn’t I want to know?”

“It’s boring.  But if you really want to know…”   I nodded.  “Okay.  I died at the ripe old age of twenty-three.  I met Sven before I became a vampire and fell in love with him.  Those weren’t times you displayed that you were ‘gay’ or ‘bisexual’.  This age is so much better now that people of all lifestyles are out and about.  Anyway, Sven courted me for a couple of years.  We saw silent films,” he chuckled at my expression.  “We didn’t have audio in our movies at the time, love.  We went out to dinner which was for my benefit only since Sven was a one hundred and something year old vampire at the time.” I could tell that he knew exactly how old Sven was but didn’t want to say.  “I didn’t have a whole lot of money when I met Sven.  I was working odd jobs and living in a shack with three other people.  Sven moved me out of that shack and into his palatial house. 

“To me a house with running water and indoor plumbing was a luxury that I never thought I’d know.  We spent our time together.  He refused to let me work.  I can remember him saying, ‘I have money, my Thorn, and you will live in every luxury I can provide.’  And true to his word, I never worked and I never wanted for anything.

“A couple of years after we courted, I proposed to be turned into a vampire.  He fought me on that.  I’d never had someone insistent on keeping me human.  He told me, ‘I love taking your blood and feeling you inside me.  If you became a vampire, I’d never be able to taste your sweet blood again’.  So I held off until one night.  We had just finished watching a small house play and were on our way to dinner when a group of vampires came at us.  I was injured, knocked unconscious, so I don’t know what actually happened.  When I came to, I was lying on his lounger with his arms around me.  He told me that he fought them off and gave me his blood to heal my many wounds. 

“I waited a couple weeks after the incident to approach him on making me a vampire.  This time he consented but said he wasn’t strong enough to turn me.  A week later he brought me before Cyril.  Sven wasn’t happy about having his maker turn me.  Cyril was cruel to Sven.  He granted Sven his request but wouldn’t let Sven near me for a year after I changed.  I pressed the issue until finally Cyril became tired of me. 

“Cyril finally let me go to Sven but it was with conditions and rules.  I broke three of the twenty rules in the first minute I was with Sven and Sven got the bad end of the deal.  There is nothing, to this day, to make up for what happened to him.”  He shut his eyes against the flow of memories. 

Sven walked into the room and came up to us.  “You didn’t know what would happen, Thorn.”  He ran his hands through Thorn’s hair.  Sven bit his lip as he looked at me. 

“What happened?  Uh, if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine too.”  I should have kept my dumb mouth shut.

“I’ll tell you what happened,” Sven said and sat down beside Thorn, still cradling him in his arms.  “I was beaten three times a day for three years.  The number of times Thorn broke the rules.  Torture was too kind a word for what Cyril did to me.  I was starved of blood for so long that I’d be nearly a mummy every time he let me feed and then I’d kill the human that I fed on just to sustain my body for the torture.  I didn’t like to kill the humans but I had no choice.  I needed to live, if only to see Thorn again.”  He paused and kissed Thorn’s forehead.  “Cyril would bring in humans to feed on when I was at my lowest point.  He once offered that if I stayed away from Thorn for the rest of my unnatural life he’d let me feed from the human.  I am sad to say that I was tempted by the offer but every time he mentioned Thorn’s name I would find the strength to refuse.”

Tears seeped from my eyes.  I closed my eyes and wiped the tears away.  “Don’t be sad, Katja.  I’m telling you so you know what you’re up against.”

“Oh, I know Cyril.  Not as well as you do but I know him and he’s a sadistic bastard.” 

Sven laughed harshly and said, “You have no idea, Katja.”  The look in his eyes said that I really didn’t want to know but I asked anyway.  “If you want to know, I’ll tell you all about him but right now, I want to hear about Thorn’s time away from me.”  Sven looked at Thorn’s bowed head and said, “He’s told me only once but I still want to hear it.”  Thorn lifted his head and kissed Sven’s hand.

“When I found out that Sven was to be punished,” he spit out the word ‘punished’.  “I tried everything to keep Cyril from hurting Sven.  I even bargained my own life in place of his but Cyril wouldn’t allow it.  Though, he did say that if I wanted to keep Sven alive, I would have to be Cyril’s whipping boy.  In those days, you didn’t want to be a whipping boy for a cruel master.  I found out later that every time Sven refused one thing or another I was given his secondary punishment.”  He turned from my eyes and buried his head into Sven’s chest.

“I’m sorry, Thorn, Sven.  I’m sorry for bringing it up.” 

“Don’t be, Katja-love,” Thorn said as he looked at me from the safety of Sven’s arms.  “You should know.  Especially if we are to live with you and love you the way we’re supposed to.”  I nodded but didn’t say anything.  I already hated Cyril but it was a red-hot fury that burned through me now.