Primal Call (10 page)

“And our souls are becoming entwined. As soon as we taste each other—start sharing blood—we’ll be together as long as we live. Aging at the same rate,” he added. “In fact, you’re likely to age backwards a bit—not that you aren’t perfect to me right now—but sharing my blood will do away with any toxins and diseases that affect you now.”

Thena heard all James had to say, but her attention stayed focused on one thing. “You’re really eighty-three?”

“Consider my age this way—think of all the time I’ve had to learn how to master making love.” He chuckled, and gently squeezed her fingers. “I love how your skin heats when you blush.”

I need to taste you, Athena.

###

James swore, in an ancient language he hadn’t used in so long he was surprised he remembered it—but these were the only words in which it was possible to express his frustration.

Athena turned from him and went to the door. He fought hard to remain in his mortal form and followed her, standing close behind her as she opened the door. He put his hand on her shoulder when he registered her surprise and annoyance at who was standing on the back porch.

“Damn it, Finn! Get off my property!”

Can I hurt him for you?
James asked.

To James’s senses alcohol rose off the man like a heat haze. His thoughts were dominated by dark, self-destructive anger. He suspected it was a permanent feature of this Finn’s being.

“That horse—” Finn began.

“Belongs to your daughter!” Thena cut him off. “She can barely stand you as it is. Take that horse away from her and you’ve lost her. Don’t you get that?”

“My wife—”

“Left you because you’re a drunken jerk. Take your truck and get off my property.”

James knew he wouldn’t have argued with Thena’s stern voice and expression. But it was apparent this Finn wasn’t a very bright guy.

James gently moved Athena aside. “Let me take care of this, sweetheart.”

“But—”

James took Finn by the arm and led him away from the house. Finn tried to break out of James’s grip, but that wasn’t going to happen. He led the man around to the truck parked in the front of the house. He saw Thena already standing on the front porch by the time he and Finn got there. Her concern for Finn’s welfare was touching, considering how annoyed she still was at the man.

###

Don’t hurt him, James,
Thena thought worriedly.
Please don’t bite Mike Finn. He’s not worth it and he’ll taste bad and you could get drunk from the blood alcohol level and I don’t want to have to call the sheriff on you because you’re really into the notion that you’re a vampire and—

She stopped thinking, and watched as James took the keys from the truck’s ignition. He dropped them into Finn’s hand, and then the two of them stood very still, looking into each other’s eyes for a while.

Thena was caught up in the energy that sizzled around James and Finn. She held her breath, and closed her eyes.

When she opened her eyes on a gasp, Finn was turning the truck and horse trailer into the long drive.

James watched until the truck turned onto the county road, then, dusting his hands together and looking insufferably smug, he walked back to her. “He won’t bother you any more.”
No biting necessary,
he added in her head.

“You don’t go around biting just anybody do you?” she asked.

“Certainly not. I’m one of the good guys.” He bounded up the porch stairs and took her in his arms. “I need your blood, my love. I
so
need yours.”

Thena turned them around and headed them back into the house. When they were in the living room where she was sure no one could see or hear them, she said. “Until a few minutes ago, I couldn’t completely believe it.”

“Happy to stay naked for as long as you like.” He pulled her tee-shirt over her head. She did the same with his shirt. “What changed your mind?” he asked again.

“I—heard you—felt you—was with you when you were in Finn’s head. It was real. I’ve never experienced any thoughts, feelings, anything so real as touching minds like that. Every time we’ve talked to each other before I could tell myself it was only my imagination.”

“Vivid though your imagination is, it wasn’t.”

She kissed him. While she was kissing him, she thought,
I loved how gentle you were with Finn. I love that you suggested he get some help for his problems. You used your power for good.

I try.

I love you so much for that.

James slowly lifted his lips from hers. Their gazes met. There was a golden glow deep in his dark eyes. “May I?”

She turned her head, exposed her naked throat. “I don’t know if this is cliché or if you really bite like—”

The pain was sudden, sharp, erotic as hell. Heat went to her head, her heart, deep into her belly. She came. A quick, hard, burning orgasm. Then another. She turned into bright lightning entwined with bright lightning.

They were together, she and James, inside a hurricane, making the hurricane. Being each other, themselves, one.

“Wow!” was all she could whisper when an outside world existed for her once more. She looked up into James’s face. He leaned over her, looking at her with more love than she’d thought existed in the world. “Wow,” she whispered again.

He raised his wrist to his mouth and sank his fangs into his skin. Beads of blood formed on each puncture wound. Desire rushed through her at the sight of
his
blood. She ached for it. For him and no one else, ever.

James held his wrist to her eager lips. “Take me, love, and it will be like this between us forever.”

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Other books in the VAMPIRE PRIMES paranormal romance series include:

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Here is an excerpt of the next Vampire Primes book, PRIMAL CRAVINGS, which will soon be available as an ebook.

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No fear,
Piper’s voice said in Dee’s head.
It attracts the sharks.

It was the shark in her head that disturbed her the most. She had shielding, good shielding. His catching her surface thoughts was one thing, but his thoughts penetrating so deeply inside her—

Calm down. It’s the blood. It will wear off.

Oh. All right. That made sense. She supposed.

Talk to me.

Why is it so dark? There were lights showing from outside.

We’re not in the front room.

Wait a minute! I don’t remember coming in.

Witches set psychic wards. Tribe Primes have their own protections. The bouncer at the door is a very good telepath. He put a
blank
on you.

What?

Call it a perception filter. They like to keep any mortals allowed in confused, scared. Fear adds a kick to the taste of blood.

There was another vampire in my head?!

No other way to get you in.

YOU LET ANOTHER VAMPIRE IN MY HEAD?!

Calm down. You’re drawing attention to yourself. Everybody’s going to want a bite of the energy you’re putting out.

Dee had totally lost track of the world outside the conversation going on inside her and Piper’s heads. It was an abrupt jolt to suddenly be looking out of her eyes, to register all her external senses. Being alone with Piper had been so—intimate.

“It’s like having sex without having sex, isn’t it?” he whispered in her ear. The warmth of his breath teasing her skin and the press of his cheek against her hair was very real.

Take it off,
she thought at him.

Piper’s fingers brushed across her shoulder, tugged at the top of her blouse.

I meant take off the perception filter, you—

Laughter sounded in her head. Piper could laugh?

I’ll see what I can do, witch. Close your eyes.

What do you mean close my eyes? Inside my head.

The eyes in your face, not the inner ones.

Dee was already nearly blind as she stood in the midst of a room full of Tribe vampires and who knew what other sorts of bad guys. It took a huge effort to trust Piper enough to do what he said. She had to think about it, too, taking a moment to orient her mind and body to do what she told each to do.

The world didn’t seem to get any darker when she lowered her eyelids.

It took her a moment to understand that the finger touch leaving trails of light and fire all over her was inside her mind even as her body reacted with to the psychic sensations with a rush of physical lust.

By the time Piper thought,
You can look now
Dee had almost forgotten what she’d asked him to do. She worked hard to get her senses under her own control.

Must everything be about sex with you guys?
she demanded after the lust had tuned down to a manageable ache.

Everything is about sex with everyone,
Piper answered.
Isn’t it?