Authors: Aline Hunter
VampireMine (26 page)
He’d found her and imprinted on her, claiming her even if
she didn’t know it yet.
His gaze ventured from the wrist he held to her face. She
had felt the same thing but he was sure she didn’t comprehend its meaning. Not
yet. The color had drained from her face, her pupils had completely dilated. A
tremor shot through her, her skin going cold. He needed to get her away from
this place, the sooner the better.
Before he could phase she yanked her arm away, standing
upright. “Y-you n-need to l-leave,” she stammered, horror and revulsion evident
by her tone.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Not without you.
He searched the minds in the area. There couldn’t be a
scene. If he wanted he could use black magic, creating an illusion. Fortunately
that wouldn’t be necessary. There was more than one way to skin a cat. Olivia
needed to exit the establishment without causing a fuss. He followed mental
pathways until he located the person he needed to influence.
Her boss. The cook.
In a second it was done.
Placing a thought into the man’s head was as easy as lifting
a newborn.
“Livvie!” the mortal yelled from the kitchen. “I need you!”
Her terror returned, uncertainty wafting from her. “I’ll be
right there,” she called in response but didn’t move.
Beautiful and clever female.
“Go. Do as he instructs then return to me.”
After tonight she’d never work again. The transition needed
to be smooth. He’d let everyone around them think he was a normal customer
coming to eat a meal. They wouldn’t notice a thing. He’d wait, get her alone
and phase them out. Questions might be asked but without any clear answer
Olivia would be safe.
With a final, petrified look at him she rushed away. He
watched her go, resting in the booth. Once he’d taken her from this wretched
place she’d be his to command. He couldn’t wait to uncover her body, exploring
every soft curve.
No more wishful thinking. Tonight he’d have the reality.
Finally he’d see her on her knees.
Waiting for instruction at his feet.
Holy shit. Why is he here?
She willed her heart to stop pounding. If anyone noticed how
shaken she was, they’d ask questions. She couldn’t risk that. Cancer might be
taking her life but she had a little bit of time left. She didn’t want her
heart to stop beating in an instant because she couldn’t keep a secret.
Entering the kitchen, she asked calmly, “What do you need?”
Harry—the owner and cook—shot her a look. He seemed almost
dazed. “You need to clock out and go home.”
“What?” She was the only waitress on the floor. There was no
way she could leave.
“You need to clock out,” he repeated like he was in a
trance. “Go home.”
Then she knew. Her blood ran cold, terror returning with
full force.
The vampire was responsible. He’d gotten inside Harry’s
head. But why? Why would he show up here? He’d only seen her once and that had
been months ago.
Have The Fallen come for me? Are they going to force me
to go back?
If so she’d tell the entire world about them. She’d rather
die immediately than return to that hell. The things they did to men and women
sickened her. The only reason she’d agreed to exist there with Conrad was due
to the bargain they’d struck. She wasn’t like the rest, used as a receptacle of
lust. The things she’d seen had made her nauseous. She shivered as she pictured
some of the acts, hating to recall that she’d sat there and watched.
Sex, blood, torture.
She considered asking Harry who’d work the floor but thought
better of it. Under a compulsion he wouldn’t have an answer. Until she left
he’d be oblivious to what he’d done. He’d certainly question why he’d sent her
away, but eventually he’d figure out a reason that made some kind of sense to
him. Human minds tried to repair themselves in strange ways after they’d been
manipulated.
Her gaze swept to the back door. She could run but she
didn’t think she’d make it far. The vampire could track her scent. If he wanted
her badly enough to come here—for reasons she wasn’t sure she wanted to know—he
wasn’t going to let her slide from his grasp easily. The strange sensation
she’d experienced when he’d grabbed her wrist warned her things were not as
they seemed.
She felt a migraine coming on, likely the tumor in her head
preparing to burst.
Wouldn’t that be fitting?
Defeated, she untied her apron and strode from the kitchen.
The blond vampire had wanted her the night he’d appeared at
the palace. She’d seen the glimmer of lust in his eyes, noticed with disgust
that his light-blue irises had started to change in the centers, becoming red.
To her mortification she’d felt a trickle of awareness stir to life. For the
first time in years her body reacted to a male.
To a vampire.
Her breasts had tingled, her nipples growing hard. A gush of
wetness coated her panties and her clit had started to pulse. She couldn’t tear
her eyes away from him. He wasn’t dressed like the others, fully clothed in
rich materials without a hint of leather in sight. His long coat had fit his
broad shoulders perfectly, his thick blond hair falling past his shoulders.
Stop it!
It didn’t matter if she was attracted to the man or not.
There wasn’t enough sexual gratification in the world to be what he’d expect.
She didn’t like pain. The others had accepted it but the thought of being bound
to objects and lashed with whips terrified her. She also didn’t want to be
shared, given to anyone with a passing interest. At the very least she’d been
spared that. She’d never taken part in the bloody orgies or been forced to
endure the shame of being fucked by strangers.
Conrad
. She thought of him fondly, even now.
Why
did you have to die?
Theirs had been an unlikely union but it had worked.
Now she was left to face the future without him.
Maybe the blond vampire only wanted to take her to his bed.
That wouldn’t be so bad. One night and she could pretend she was a normal girl.
A sliver of hope surfaced. If he allowed her to drink from him she’d also be
given more time. Depending on his age her cancer would either go into remission
or would recede all together. Conrad hadn’t been old enough to stop and reverse
her malady but maybe this vampire could.
She walked back into the dining room and the iron will she’d
tried to create crumbled around her. He was still there, studying her with
those all-seeing blue eyes. He didn’t merely look, his gaze almost seemed to
devour her. She felt like a deer caught in headlights, unable to turn away as
she walked to him. There wasn’t enough distance between them, not nearly enough
time to consider what she was doing.
“Are you ready?” he asked, rising from the booth.
So he had done what she’d thought, making Harry send her
home. “Ready for what?” she whispered, hoping he wasn’t cruel. Many of the
vampires she’d seen enjoyed tormenting their slaves, feasting on misery. “What
do you want from me?”
Something crackled in the air, encasing their bodies. Her
gaze darted around the small space. Had they been seen? Everyone continued with
business as usual, as though she and the vampire weren’t even there.
Magic.
Dear God, help me.
He was much older than Conrad. Only the oldest of vampires
could cast spells.
“Shh,
luvena,
” he murmured, reaching out, placing his
hands on her waist. He drew her to his body, standing so tall she had to crane
her neck to see his face. “Close your eyes.”
She did as he said, screwing them shut.
The air sizzled, burning her skin. Then the ground felt as
though it disappeared, her body tumbling into nothing. Emptiness swirled all
around her, the world vanishing into thin air. But she wasn’t alone, captured
in his arms.
Everything returned with a jolt.
She opened her eyes, finding her equilibrium off balance.
They weren’t in the diner anymore. He’d taken her to another
place.
A fire roared a few feet away, the furnishings were
expensive and old.
She started to pull free of his embrace when he lifted her
from the ground, her feet dangling inches from the floor. His lips found hers,
the touch not painful but tender. She tensed, waiting for his violence to
appear. Vampires loved to deceive. It was like a game to them. The instant she
relaxed, he’d strike. But she also knew not to fight. That’s what vampires
loved—to destroy things and see them fall to pieces.
To her shock he pulled away, his ice-blue eyes full of
wonder.
She didn’t understand it. Nothing made sense. He wasn’t
acting like any vampire she’d ever met. Was it an act? A way to gain her trust
so he could turn around and break it? He seemed so sincere. It couldn’t
possibly be all for show.
“Welcome home, Olivia.”
Welcome home?
She gasped, thinking he’d lost his
mind.
What does that mean?
He dipped his head, kissing her again, drawing her close.
Her traitorous body responded, heating from the inside. She tried to hold back,
telling herself it wasn’t safe to give in. Then his tongue slid past her lips,
delving into her mouth. She lifted her hands and clutched his shoulders,
holding on tight.
It had been years since she’d felt like this.
Swept into a maelstrom of desire and need.
Stupid as it was, she gave herself over, meeting the soft
strokes of his tongue. He groaned, thrusting his hips against her, his thick
erection hard and long against her belly. She’d never made love to a vampire
before but she had a feeling that was about to change. Just when she thought
she was going to die—right as her body had started to fall apart and stop
working—she remembered why she desperately wanted to live.
Surrendering to a vampire—an immortal.
Something she’d sworn she’d never do.
Damn it to hell.
She writhed against him, wanting to ease the ache between
her legs.
She’d just gotten herself into a lot of trouble.
The End
Aline Hunter is the alias of multi-published author J.A.
Saare, who has written stories featured in horror magazines, zombie romance
anthologies and flash fiction contests. Her work has a notable dark undertone,
which she credits to her love of old eighties horror films, tastes in music and
choices in reading, and has been described as “full of sensual promise,”
“gritty and sexy” and “a breath of fresh air.”
Currently she is penning multiple projects within the urban
fantasy, erotic and contemporary, and paranormal romance categories.
Aline welcomes comments from readers. You can find her
website and email addresses on her
author
bio page
at
www.ellorascave.com
.
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Aline
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Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Vampire Mine
ISBN 9781419938603
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Vampire Mine Copyright © 2013 Aline Hunter
Edited by Ann Leveille
Cover design and photography by Syneca
Model: David
Electronic book publication August 2013
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