Kali Willows BUNDLE (Shadowed Desires Series) (19 page)

He listened, and what he heard carried urgency, as though he was standing on the edge of a fifty-story building and about to jump, not as a vampire—but as a mortal who faced the end of his life.

The soft thumping began to fade.

“Now, Desmond, dammit, or so help me.” Aldon leaned over her, brushing a few strands of limp hair away from her neck.

An overwhelming rush of fear and possessiveness erupted and Desmond shoved his maker aside. The agony of his breaking heart grew with every inch he drew closer to her throat. Either way, turning her or letting her die, he faced losing her again.

“What if I can’t stop?” His voice shook. “I didn’t feed, Aldon, the frenzy—”

“I will stop you if I have to. I swear it.”

The thuds became sporadic and her chest heaved as she gasped for air.

“Now dammit, do it now,” Aldon hissed.

Desmond knelt down beside her and kissed her forehead. The sweet scent of her skin had faded, but it was still intoxicating all the same. Pangs of thirst ran rampant through him and he tensed with bloodlust. He pushed away from her; his feeding instinct had been triggered. Fighting down the fear, he slid his arm behind her frail back and tugged her limp body across his lap, cradling her in his arms. With iron will, he clung to the last semblance of self-control he had to keep from ravaging her defenseless neck. Her chest had stopped moving, her heartbeat a faint vibration.

“Desmond, time’s up.”

The bitter venom began to seep from his fangs as he lowered his mouth to her tepid skin. After a second of hesitation, he gathered his courage and sank his teeth into her delectable flesh. The warmth of her blood spewing into his mouth sent a spasm of bliss through his body. His thirst took hold and he sucked harder, digging his fangs deeper into her lean tissue.

The sour flavor of cancer was only a minor distraction in his indulgence of her essence. This exquisite moment of creating an eternal bond with the woman of his dreams filled him with rapture.

“That’s enough.” Aldon’s words barely registered, as his crazed hunger engulfed the last of his restraint.

Enough
! Aldon’s superior strength pulled him back as her warm juices spilled down his chin. “Pull yourself together. There isn’t much time.” Aldon held up one razor sharp nail-tipped finger. “Now, before it’s too late.”

Her blood was coursing through his veins, but his sense soon overtook Desmond’s feeding delirium. He nodded and pulled back his shirtsleeve, exposing his wrist. Pain shot through his arm when Aldon sliced his flesh open, leaving a gaping wound. As his blood began to spill, he held his wrist over her mouth, letting the fluid drip onto her slightly parted, pale lips. He watched as the blood seeped into her mouth, but nothing happened. She didn’t move, didn’t flinch or respond.

“It’s not working.” Terror consumed him.

“Don’t stop, just keep trying. Let the change happen.”

Suddenly, Ambrosia’s head shifted a little, her lips and mouth started to move. Her tongue eased out, slowly collecting the crimson liquid, and she began to moan. Her hands gripped his arm and pulled it closer to her open mouth. She drank his blood savagely. With her eyes still closed, she began to overpower Desmond, savagely sucking his life.

After a few moments, Aldon reached over, placed a finger under her jaw, and pressed upward. Her head dropped, as she sank into unconsciousness again.

“Desmond, are you all right?”

“I—yes, I didn’t expect her to take so much, so quickly.”

Aldon patted his shoulder. “Are you weakened? Did she drain you?”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Then what?”

Desmond stared at her, lying in his arms, watching the change begin. “I’ve never turned anyone before.” He held her tight, but his body went numb with shock.

“Yes, it is a most difficult task, one that comes with regret, relief, and much confusion. It will ease over time.”

“We’ll see when she awakes. It may not ease at all.” Guilt washed over him as the taste of her blood lingered in his tingling mouth.

***

For the first time in a long time, Ambrosia didn’t awake paralyzed or fearful, she didn’t feel cold, and she wasn’t in pain. Was she dead? Was she astral projecting—she didn’t remember trying this time.

The silky material pulled up to her chin was soft and luxurious. She stretched her stiff neck side to side then extended her arms over her head before she opened her eyes.

“You’re awake.” A deep voice reverberated, sending shimmers of bliss through her body.

“Desmond?”

“Yes, I’m here.” She blinked, amazed to find him standing in front of a vivid aquatic display that filled the wall…all the walls…and the ceiling. “Are we under water?” Tossing the sheets away, Ambrosia went to his side and stared in amazed enchantment at the active display of marine life. “Has this been here all along?”

“Yes, but you were too sick to notice. I knew right away that was a bad sign.” Desmond remained at the window, his profile like a stone statue.

“Ah—my stomach.” She grimaced at the stabbing pains and leaned over, gripping her abdomen. “What happened?”

“You—you were ill. You’re feeling better, I trust?” His voice seemed filled with unhappiness; maybe guilt?
But why
?

“Now that you mention it, I feel wonderful. I could run a marathon. I’m so hungry, so thirsty…. I haven’t had an appetite for weeks.” Amazed, she patted down her chest and legs, reveling in the surge of strength and wellness that streamed through her veins.

“I guess that medicine—”Ambrosia paused, scanning her memory. “I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see—”A lingering copper-like flavor surprised her. “Did I eat something? I have a strange taste in my mouth.”

“You—drank something.” He held his hand over his wrist—bandaged—had it been injured before?

“Did I do something to hurt you? Did I have a seizure and bite you?” Her cheeks burned with humiliation at the thought. But the fresh, white gauze appeared brand new…what other explanation could there be. In her extremity, any kind of physical reaction was possible.

He continued to view their watery surroundings, but barked a short laugh at her comment. “Not exactly.”

“Hold on, Desmond, everything is still fuzzy, can you please tell me what happened? Are you angry with me or something? Why won’t you look at me?” She gripped his arm and his sleeve tore like paper.

“Oh—I’m sorry.” Confusion grew as she looked at her hand. What she remembered as her sunken-in skin and boney fingers looked plump and healthy now.

“What the hell?” She patted her body down again, pausing at round, shapely breasts. She bolted to the bathroom, flicked on the light switch, and glared into the mirror in shock.

“What happened to me? I—was dying.” She caressed her supple skin and examined her curvy figure and thick, long locks of strawberry blonde hair. Ambrosia stepped even closer to investigate the brilliance of her emerald eyes, that seemed to almost glow. “I’m gorgeous?” Had she looked like this before she got ill? She didn’t think she had. No…she knew she hadn’t. She’d been okay, maybe even pretty, but the creature who stared at her from the mirror was nothing short of stunning. “How…?”

“You were dying, Ambrosia.” He stepped behind her, his reflection next to hers.

“And?”

“I—saved you.”

“How? The doctors said there was no hope. I am—was going to die in a matter of days. And you say that’s changed? That you
saved me
?”

“After finally finding you, I couldn’t bear the thought of letting you die. I didn’t want to lose you again.” His image shrugged, the gesture echoed by the broad chest pressed against her back.

“How?” she hissed.

“I didn’t get the chance to tell you everything about me before—can you please face me? I will show you everything.”

“Show me?” She turned around, a welter of emotions fluttering inside her.

“Please, allow me.” A shimmer of tears overtook the tender expression in his eyes. “I almost lost you.” He cupped her cheeks with his palms and moved in, giving a gentle, slow-building kiss that sent a jolt of longing through her. Like a reflex, she welcomed him, her lips slowly parted, and their tongues curled and intertwined.

The same metallic flavor was in his mouth, too—then a flood of memories came rushing back. As if a curtain had lifted, she witnessed their blissful interludes just as they had happened, the many nights of dreamscaping to her lover, the tender kisses, and the taste, the memory of feeding from him shot a lightning bolt of desire through her chest.

“Desmond?” She reeled back. “I understand now. It
was
you, I remember. You saved me.”

“Yes, but I didn’t have the chance to explain first. I should have given you a choice.”

She searched her memory further. “The metallic taste. Oh my God, the gypsy.”

“Gypsy?”

“She talked about a copper-like taste, unconventional healing. She said we would meet, we would love, and I would live a different existence.”

“Yes, it will be a very different existence, an eternal one.” He reached for her and she coiled away from him.

“Eternal…copper…did you feed me blood?” Nausea made her swallow fast, to keep it down…. “I’m…what am I? What are you?

“I had no choice, please.”

“You’re a vampire?” Her eyes grew wide with horror.

“Yes.”

“When you saved—you turned me?” She stumbled backward, bumping into the marble counter.

“Yes.”

“I’m a vam—” She clasped her hands over her mouth.

“Ambrosia.”

She backed away from him, slamming her hip into the door.

“Wait, don’t go, please.”

She spun and fled, out of the bathroom, the strangely beautiful underwater hotel room…and his life.

Chapter Five

Awash with grief, Desmond stared at the endless water for hours. He couldn’t stand the thought of her hating him, for eternity, and he certainly couldn’t follow through with his plan, no matter how much he wanted to give up and die. He had a responsibility to Ambrosia now, whether she ever spoke to him again or not. It would be cowardice to commit suicide, leaving her to fend for herself with her new immortality. She was already alone, but to start out with nothing, with no one at her side when she had to face the world as a vampire, he couldn’t even consider this.

“Desmond, open the door.”
Aldon
. Desmond dragged himself across the room and let him in.

“I knew I was wrong. I didn’t have the right—”

“Everything is going to be okay now.” Aldon smiled.

“How could you say that? She hates me.” He walked back toward the ocean, wishing he could lose himself in its eternal depths.

“I wouldn’t exactly say that.”

He spun around in shock.

“Ambrosia?” Her figure cloaked by an overcoat, only her silky hair and stunning face were in view, but they were more than enough.

“Aldon explained everything.”

A flurry of mixed emotions swallowed him up; ecstasy at seeing her again, terror of what she might think, and gratitude Aldon had had the sense to seek her out.

“You two need some time to—talk. I hear there’s a fine lounge in this hotel. If you love birds will excuse me, there is a bottle of twenty-five year old bourbon calling to me. Yes, Ambrosia…you can still drink the occasional cocktail.”

Before Desmond could respond, the fading vision of Aldon’s back disappeared down the hall, followed by the sharp ding of the elevator and the sliding of the heavy metal doors closing. “Ambrosia, I’m so sorry—” He couldn’t meet her eyes.

“Shhh.” She came near and placed her finger on his lips to silence him. “It was a difficult thing for you to do. I realize that now.”

“You should have had a choice—I didn’t have the right—”

“Do you remember the last thing I said to you before I—before you had to save me?”

“Yes, I do.” Desmond stood with his hands in his pockets and watched her brilliant green eyes with awe.

“I said I wished I had more time, so when you think about it, I inadvertently asked you to turn me. There was no other way for you to grant my desire.”

“Well…I never explained….”

“You never told me, but you never denied being a vampire either.”

“You never asked.” He grimaced. Not that anyone ever would.

“Then we’re even.” She put her arms around his neck.

A flutter in his stomach was followed by a growing sense of relief and he slid his hands around her waist. “So, how did Aldon find you?”

“I suppose tracking down newborn vampires is a chore he has become accustomed to.” Ambrosia gave a sheepish grin as she stared up at him sliding her fingers along the corners of her mouth as though she were wiping it clean.

“He found you in the hotel kitchen, didn’t he?”

“Well, the meat locker, but I couldn’t find anything appealing there, except the smell of blood.”

“Right, no livestock.” He chuckled. “You must be famished.”

“Actually, we raided the medical clinic in town while we talked.”

“Very resourceful.” Desmond smiled.

“It was Aldon’s idea. He knew I wouldn’t be able to function if I didn’t get some nourishment.”

“I see.” Desmond brushed her luxurious strawberry strands back from her face and caressed her cheek.

“And can you please explain to me, what was that thing he did—when he figured out where I was?”

“Oh, you mean the telepathy?”

“Yeah, that.” She glowered.

“Annoying, isn’t it?”

“I would agree with that. I couldn’t hide from him because I heard his voice no matter how hard I tried to block out the sound.”

Ambrosia trailed her fingers down his cheek, his throat and along his chest. “So, Desmond, I need you to answer just one more question for me tonight.”

“What’s that?”

“Since this is technically supposed to be a one-night stand, don’t you think we should honor our arrangement?

“I believe that would be a big yes—and an unavoidable one at that.” Desmond gripped her hips pulling her tight against his growing hard on. She cupped her hand over his bulge, sending a shockwave of desire through his loins.