HerVampireLover (6 page)

“There’s a difference between sex and passion, Cat. What we have is passion. It throbs in our blood for one another. It robs us of our sanity. It makes all our thoughts disappear except for the need to unify our bodies into one soul.”

“Here I thought I was just crazy about you.”

“That’s a start. The love will come.”

What woman wouldn’t fall in love with him? “Tobias?”

“Hmmm?”

“You told me earlier, making love to a vampire can make a barren woman pregnant.” She swallowed hard. “Did…did you just make me pregnant?”

“I can feel my life force awakening your body, flowing through your womb, breathing life into your veins.”

A part of her wanted so desperately to believe him. Had he ultimately given her the miracle of life? She closed her eyes, listening to the soothing sound of the fire, feeling the comforting warmth of his body.

“I can imagine what you’ve been going through since you met me. All this wild information you’ve had to accept,” he said quietly. “Cat, I wouldn’t deceive you about this. You
are
pregnant.”

“I want to believe you.”

He held her closer. “In time, you will.”

Cat tensed. In time? He still thought she would stay with him. “Tobias, I can’t move to New York with you. I have a life in Maine. A home, a job.” His expression was tense.

“Is there anyone special waiting for you?”

“No.”

“Family?”

“No. I was orphaned at ten and lived with my grandmother. She died when I was twenty-one. I’ve been on my own ever since.”

“You miss her.”

She shrugged self-consciously. Her grandmother was someone she didn’t like talking about. “Things weren’t perfect when I lived with her. She wasn’t your average warm, loving grandmother.”

“I see.”

“I can’t complain. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have buried myself in books to get away from reality. When all the other kids were playing, reading and writing were my favorite pastimes. I entered a short story contest when I was seventeen and won. Soon after that, I wrote my first full length novel, got published, and the rest is history. Cat Luster was born. My real name is Catherine Lancaster.”

He gave her a quizzical look. “What was your short story about?”

She couldn’t look him in the eye. “A vampire love story.”

“I see.”

Cat tensed. “I may not read minds, but I know you think my subconscious with my past life made me write it.”

His look was innocent enough, but Cat wasn’t buying it. “I never suggested it.”

“No, but you thought it.”

He sighed wearily. “Cat, at some point, you need to entertain the thought that there is some truth to what I believe.” There was a heavy pause. “Never mind. I found you after all this time. I can wait a bit longer for you to believe me.”

Her laugh was strained. “You may have to wait forever.”

“I’ll wait,” he replied, his tone firm. “At least come to my home for a visit. We can leave tomorrow morning. We’ll take your car and you can stay with me for a few days.”

“I have to finish my book. My deadline’s next week.”

“I have state of the art technology at home, an office overlooking Manhattan, and privacy. I’ll give you the time to work.”

New York. Cat was tempted. She’d lived in Maine all her life and always wanted to visit the
Big Apple
. “I don’t know.”

“Think of it as research. New York is filled with so much culture, people from all walks of life, and entertainment—you may find your inspiration for your next book.”

Cat was more than tempted. She’d planned to stay at Mel’s cabin another week to complete her book. Why not complete it in New York? “I might take you up on that offer.”

“It’s done, then. We leave in the morning.”

“I said I
might
. I didn’t say,
yes
.”

He rose, taking her hand as he helped her up. “Your heart is already set. I can feel it. Come, let’s go to bed. We’ll wake up at sunrise and leave. Besides, the Grangers will not let up and I need to be around you to protect you.

Her light mood dimmed. “Thanks for reminding me.”

He shot her a concerned look as he led her into the bedroom. “I’m sorry, Cat, but I cannot express enough how dangerous their clan is. They’ll think nothing of killing you while you’re a defenseless mortal.”

She slipped into bed beside him and he gathered her into his arms. Her mind took another turn as she caught a glimpse of the full moon through the sheer drapes. “Your sleep schedule is all shot since you met me. You haven’t slept once during the day.”

There was a glimmer of a smile on his lips. “I’ll fix that when I get home. At least the weather’s been overcast and the sun hasn’t affected me.”

“Is it really that bad?”

“It can be. The rash, the blisters, the peeling…it won’t kill me, but it can scar me for life. In my case, forever. Vampires cannot heal the effects of the sun.”

She felt a rush of concern thinking about the sun disfiguring his beautiful face. “Maybe we should leave at sunset.”

“Your BMW has tinted windows. I’ll be fine.”

Cat knew if he wasn’t concerned, she shouldn’t be. Tobias struck her as the kind of man who didn’t leave any stones unturned, who was in control of his destiny, who didn’t leave anything to chance.

He kissed the top of her head where it lay on his chest. “Sleep now. We have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow.”

She felt the steady rise and fall of his chest and closed her eyes. She was going to New York. To his home.

 Cat couldn’t deny the excitement she had at the prospect seeing where and how Tobias lived. The thought left her feeling curiously pleased and slowly she drifted off into sleep.

Chapter Seven

The next morning arrived with a dim sky and more snow. While Cat made her breakfast, Tobias went out into the woods to feed. She buttered her toast, mulling over what he’d told her after they woke up.

There were others like him where he lived and they all lived in a tight knit community where they rose and fell as one. They looked after each other. They protected each other. Vampires, the good ones, had an unwritten code unto themselves. They protected humans. Tobias had also explained how they all kept low profiles and contributed to society with normal jobs—policemen, waitresses, lawyers, doctors, cashiers. No profession was without a vampire in its midst.

Cat had listened with fascination. Had she ever come across a vampire on a cloudy day and not realized it?

She also learned Tobias was very wealthy. Four centuries was quite a long time to acquire a fortune. He spoke six languages, owned a yacht called
The Seraphina,
and played the piano, violin, and guitar. He painted in his spare time and liked to listen to classical music.

The more she discovered about him, the more she wanted to know.

Could she do it? Could she leave the life she knew behind her and be with her vampire lover, and live forever? If the last couple of days were any indication, she knew boredom was never going to be an issue.

Cat touched her stomach. He’d told her she was pregnant, but she didn’t feel any different. She sighed wearily and wondered if believing him was going to set her up for a huge disappointment.

In the midst of her whirling thoughts, a deafening sound came from the living room, making her jump. She sped to the other room and screamed. The front door was blown off its hinges and she smelled gunfire in the air.

Her heart pounded as she watched two men enter, dragging Tobias over the threshold. They let him drop to the floor and she gasped as she stared at the blood pouring from his shoulder. His face was ashen, his beautiful eyes lackluster as he looked up at her with a mixture of grief and rage.

“Run, Cat,” he said hoarsely. “Get the Hell out of here.”

The younger man pointed a gun at her. “This bitch isn’t going anywhere, animal. I have her right where I want her.”

“Tobias!” She ran to him and dropped at his side, putting her hands up to his cheeks. Her eyes brimmed with tears. One tear slipped and fell. “No,” she whispered brokenly.

The older man swore under his breath. “Kill them. Now!” he yelled at the younger man.

Cat was numb. She knew there was a gun pointed at them, but she didn’t care. Every fiber of her being was focused on Tobias. “What happened?” she asked him with a tremor in her voice.

“He was about to feed,” the younger man spat disgustedly, “smiling like some sick, evil bastard. I shot him before he could bring the fox up to his mouth.”

Cat ignored him, keeping her gaze fastened on Tobias.

“I was thinking about you the whole time,” he said, his deep voice breaking. “I wasn’t paying attention to the sounds around me because I was thinking of you and how happy I was.”

He swallowed convulsively and Cat stifled a heart-wrenching sob. She saw the light dim from his eyes and knew he was dying. Panic made her faint with fear. She had to do something. She couldn’t just watch him die. A strange sounding whimper rose in her throat,

“I’m sorry, Cat,” Tobias said. “I failed you as I failed Seraphina.”

The older man yanked her by the hair, making her scream. Her scalp burned as she sprawled backward on the floor. Tobias bellowed his fury as he struggled to stand, but failed. Her heart wrenched itself from her soul as she realized with despair he was weakening.

“Don’t touch her, you bastard. I’ll kill you,” he roared.

“Tobias!” Cat scrambled to her knees. She knew what she had to do and the thought scared the Hell out of her. She looked up at the two men, her tone pleading. “Please, let me hug him one last time. Please, before…before you kill us.”

“It cannot end like this,” Tobias said, his voice growing faint as he slumped back down to the ground. His expression filled with anguish as he raised his dark gaze to hers. “Run, dammit!”

She gave the younger man another pleading look. She wasn’t going to give up. “Please. Let…let me hug him.”

The young man spat on the floor. “Go ahead, bitch. Have your last embrace.”

“John, are you crazy?” the older man said roughly. “You know what the Elder said. Kill them swiftly and quickly. He wants no mistakes this time.”

The young man spat again. “I
will
kill them swiftly and quickly, and then we’ll haul their bodies onto the lake and let the ice break and their vile corpses will disappear forever.”

“You’ll pay for this,” Tobias ground out. “I swear, you’ll pay for this.”

While this verbal exchange was going, a powerful stab of emotion pierced Cat’s soul. She had to save him, her beautiful, sexy, vampire lover. He’d said he made her pregnant. Was there a baby growing inside her? She placed her faith in him and imagined an innocent, helpless life in her womb. A fire raged through her veins, giving her newfound courage and strength. She clenched her fist so tight, her nails drew blood.

Only one thing mattered, to save Tobias and their child.

First, she had to stay calm.

“Do it, now, bitch. I can’t wait forever,” the young man yelled.

Gritting her teeth, she slid back to Tobias and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She brought her mouth up to his ear and whispered, “Turn me.
Now!
”

He immediately stiffened. He drew back slowly and looked deep into her unwavering gaze. She sensed his indecision, his shock, his hope. Her resolve strengthened and she pursed her lips, willing him with her eyes to trust her. His eyes flickered and she knew in that moment he saw all the determination and certainty he needed to see. With one swift move, he turned his head into her neck and broke her skin.

The impact shocked her nerve endings, and she stifled the scream that rose in her throat. Pain and pleasure coursed through her veins. His life force bonded with hers and a blissful pain raced through her veins, her limbs, her bones. Her body was on fire. Her breathing quickened, her heart pounded, and power pulsed through every fiber of her being. Tobias slowly withdrew and Cat exhaled the breath she had been holding. It was done.

Courage replaced fear. Strength replaced weakness. Conviction replaced doubt. Her heightened senses made her feel something else as well, something that made her mind reel with mind-blowing awareness.

The baby, the seed of new life growing in her womb—the knowledge staggered her. Choking back a sob, she captured Tobias’s face in both her hands and stared deeply into his eyes.

“Thank you,” she whispered huskily, planting a firm kiss on his mouth.

In a flash, Cat sprang to her feet, turned to the men, and leapt in the air. With her newfound strength and speed, she disarmed them and tossed them against the wall. The older man let out a terrified scream while the young man crouched back in fear.

She stood before them, her hands on her waist. “Not so tough now are you?” she asked. “Trying to kill someone is against the law, or doesn’t the law apply to the Grangers?”

“Bitch,” muttered the young man under his breath. “We’ll get you. You’ll go back to Hell where you belong, Seraphina. The Elder won’t rest until you and your demon lover are dead.”

Cat had had enough. She sprang toward him and grabbed him by the collar, raising him a foot off the ground.

“My name is Cat!” She then hurled him across the room and turned to the older man.

“Cat, let them go,” Tobias said. “They’re not worth it. They can’t do anything to us now.”

She heard strength in his voice and spun around. His healthy glow was returning and a quick glance to his wound told her he’d also stopped bleeding. Cat almost sobbed her relief. “Tobias?”

“I’m fine, now. Your blood saved me.”

She motioned to the two men. “What do we do with them?”

“We let them go as we have been doing for centuries. We’re not the killers. We’re not the evil ones.
They
are.”

Cat nodded and looked at the two men. “You have one minute to get the Hell out of here, but remember one thing…I’m not as forgiving as Tobias, so I hope for your sake we never set eyes on you again.” Her voice grew hard. “I’m pregnant and I wouldn’t think twice about killing you if it means saving my child.”

The men scrambled to their feet and inched their way to the door. Cat balled her hand into a fist and the men nearly fell over themselves as they stumbled through the door.