I followed my instincts. As I pressed my lips to his, Dante's wide, human eyes studied me. I'd become used to their fiery glow, but now they made me relax and melt under their gaze. I darted my tongue between his cold, cracked lips, drinking in his familiar taste. The scent of blood was long gone from his breath, but the raw pa.s.sion was still there.

He shivered as I traced my fingers down his bare skin and under the waistband of his jeans. A moan came from his lips. I found his rigid length and wrapped my fist around it.

d.a.m.n, he was so smooth and warm. I licked my lips in antic.i.p.ation of his salty skin.

Dante cloaked me in his arms and quickly rolled me over onto my back. I huffed in protest, but his lips found mine again, silencing me almost instantly. He'd never let me have control over him.

His lips cooled my heated skin as he kissed down my neck. He pressed his knees against my thighs, trapping me beneath him. I closed my eyes and angled my head, offering that column of flesh for his sharp fangs to sc.r.a.pe and punish.

His c.o.c.k swelled inside his jeans and, in response, I thrust against him. Instantly, his fangs pierced my skin, sending tremors through my limbs. Pressing his lips hard into my flesh, he sucked deep and drew in my blood greedily. I'd known he needed to feed, but I hadn't thought it was that bad.

My heart accelerated from its usually slow, mellow drone into a shattering thump that rattled my brain. The sound of being emptied, the rush of blood leaving my body, all made the headache worse.

"What's wrong? Stop this!"

Why wasn't he paying attention to my thoughts?

After minutes of feeling drained beyond death, I noticed he'd lifted his head and was hovering over me. I lay silent and still under him, everything a cloud of grey. The ceiling above spun in a whirlwind of speckled white and black. What the f.u.c.k had he done?

"Malachi." He shrugged out of his T-shirt. "You need to see your past."

The only true colour now came from above his nipple, where he'd punctured his own flesh. Delectable blood ran down his pale chest and dripped from his fingers.

There was a lurid burn inside my body. I focused on that single line of blood trickling from his wound. A tickle caught in my throat. My limbs felt alive from their once numbing stillness. I needed him.*

43.

I sprung up and grabbed his waist, pulling him closer. The scent of blood drifted to me and I sought his skin, lapping at the crimson streak, then travelling to the wound itself. I sucked at the cut, digging my tongue-then my fangs-deeper into the wound to prevent it from healing.

"Yes." Dante caressed the back of my head. "Remember that night." He drew in a long breath and a sudden memory flashed through my mind.

I lay on the hard, cold concrete, looking up into the red eyes of my attacker. Or was it? He knelt above me. A single tear trickled down his cheek. "No. You must stay alive, Merrick." The creature pulled me close to his body. His warmth was unreal on my cold, dying skin. Like a furnace.

In his arms, the world pa.s.sed by in a flash. Then, I lay still, a blood soaked wrist pressed to my mouth. Drops of blood landed on my tongue. Something told me to let it slide down my throat.

I'd been lying on the hard, cold concrete, alone in a barren room. Alone to dwell in my thoughts, to wonder why I couldn't remember anything-who I was, where I came from, why I was there. I'd been trapped in that room for days until I'd gone insane. I'd beat at the door. Screamed. Pouted. Until a container of blood had been slid under the door and I'd ravished the offering. Then, the door had been opened. I'd walked out into the cold outside world. Forsaken.

s.h.i.t, he wasn't lying.

Quickly, I pulled away from Dante, swallowing the small bit of his offering. The memory slowly faded. "Why didn't you take me with you?"

Dante swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. "Raphael wouldn't have allowed it."

"Then why not just let me die?"

He froze in the midst of retrieving his shirt from the floor. Probably because I'd told him I wanted to thank my creator and that this life was better than any I'd known when I was human, my sudden question made Dante's eyes widen.

"Your grandmother. She would always talk of someone special, someone unique. It was you. Merrick." He knelt back on the bed, leaving his T-shirt on the floor. "She asked me to protect you. To watch over you." He curved his fingers around my chin and brought me closer to him. "But it grows harder and harder every day."*

44.

I could smell my blood on his breath. Gooseb.u.mps rose on my arms. d.a.m.n, he'd almost killed me, hadn't he? My eyes watered with a raging heat. I shook it off and tried to concentrate on the moment.

"You left me alone to wither away-"

Dante pressed his lips to mine, stealing the words from my tongue. A numbing sensation drew up my spine before he pulled away. "Do not defy me. I did what I had to, love."

I struggled out of his grasp and hopped off the opposite side of the bed. "Love? What do you know? You let me go. You left me alone to figure out this s.h.i.t by myself. This isn't love, this is blasphemy!"

On his knees, he slowly slid closer. I stepped back until I hit the chilly brick wall.

"Stay the f.u.c.k away!"

He stopped with his head tilted. "So, after everything I've done for you." He stepped down off the mattress. "This where we stand?"

I nodded. "h.e.l.l yeah, this is it. I can take care of myself."

Unnerving silence took over. Dante dropped his head and stared at the floor. Heaviness built up in my chest. What had I said? I could feel the numbness taking over. It wasn't fervent hunger this time, though. It was grief.

"We're still bound to serve Aurora," he whispered, and a shiver ran down my spine.

"I know."

"And you are still comfortable being in the same room?"

I shook my head. "I'll ask for a different one."

"You're dangerous, Malachi," he whispered. "I've fallen so deeply for you, but you reject me." He gently took a step forward. "You break my heart."

"You have no heart, Dante," I chided, unable to stop the words from falling from my lips.

He stiffened immediately. "Fine. Have it your way." He turned and made his exit. The door closed with a slam, echoing in the empty room. It felt colder than ever without him.

f.u.c.k! What have I done?*

45.

Chapter Six.

The New World I believed the day had pa.s.sed because when I awoke, my body felt as if it was buzzing.

Maybe it was just from being drained to the point of death last night? I hadn't taken nearly enough from Dante to recover, so my stomach churned, my heart thumped and there was a throbbing in my temples. I snapped up from the mattress with an eerie burn in the back of my eyes.

I need to feed.

It took me a moment to figure out which way to go once I stepped onto the main floor.

The scent of blood lingered throughout the hall, mixed in with the bitter aroma of alcohol and fresh baked bread. I followed the distinct scent, thinking it must be coming from the kitchen, but noticed on my way that a meeting was taking place in the dining room.

Several vampires were scattered around a long, vintage table with Aurora at the centre, giving a speech. I wandered by and spotted Dante at the edge of the group.

His eyes glinted with the familiar crimson glow. I blinked and looked at the strange vampire behind him, hugging Dante tight. Dante gave me a knowing smile, then settled into his partner's embrace.

I guess I won't be missed too much.

"Malachi." Aurora's voice made me freeze. "Just in time. We were about to discuss where to put our new seekers."

"May I ask when we get to feed?"

A rumble of laughter spilled throughout the group.

"Certainly. There are pouches in the kitchen," Aurora answered, trying her best to stifle a chuckle. "Dante? Show him, please."

Dante lowered his brows and stepped away from his partner.

"I can take care of it myself." I walked past him into the small but usable kitchen.

Pouches, huh? I opened the fridge and was welcomed by a chilly blast of air.

"They're in the warmer," Dante whispered.*

46.

He wrapped his fingers around my shoulder. His aura was numb, still fresh from our conflict. He wasn't his usual self. What had once been hot and inviting was now freezing. I jerked away and b.u.mped into him.

"Here." Dante held a crystal wine goblet to my lips.

The smell hit my nose, immediately sending shivers through my entire body. I grabbed the gla.s.s from him and drained it.

"Can you take care of it all by yourself, Malachi?" Dante whispered.

I set the gla.s.s down on the counter and it shattered into tiny pieces. The noise attracted the attention of the other vampires.

Even though he had a way of p.i.s.sing me off to no end, I was still drawn to him.

Whether he was making my blood boil or making me hard as rock in an instant, I wanted to be with him.

Dante walked out of the kitchen, leaving me alone and without answers. It seemed as if that was what he loved to do. The sound of his boots faded along the hard tiled floor as he went back to the table.

"f.u.c.k you. Can you hear me, a.s.shole?"

I went back to the meeting as well. I found the opposite side of the table, away from Dante and his partner.

"Glad you finally joined us, Malachi." Aurora paused to welcome me. "Now, seekers, we have a new member in the squad. Can we show him a little peace while he's getting used to his new home?"

Grumbles and moans filled the room, sounding something like "yes, ma'am." I looked around the table, memorising each and every one of them. They'd all donned casual clothing, jeans and T-shirts and dyed hair. They were certainly an interesting bunch, looking like a gang of punks. With Aurora dressed in a long, trailing black gown and tight corset, I wondered what I'd got into.

"Let me explain how this works." Aurora turned to me with a photograph in her hand.

"This is your objective for the night. Marco Englund." I took the picture and studied the bald man with a print T-shirt, the sleeves ripped off and a silver piercing in his lip. "He hangs out at 42nd Avenue."

A gay bar. Of course.

"Where do you find them?" My eyebrow twitched.*

47.

"Internet. There are tons of sites out there-forums, chat rooms." Aurora smiled wickedly. "It's your job to find this guy and secure him."

"Secure him?"

"Flirt with him, enchant him, whatever you must. Make him think he is going to have the time of his life, then bring him to us. This one should be easy enough for your first try.

He's been provoking us for months."

"Thought I couldn't touch."

Aurora nodded. "You cannot drink from him. You can touch all you like. h.e.l.l, suck his d.i.c.k if time allows. But do not dirty him too much." She twisted away, focusing her attention on the rest of the group. "Now, considering your little squabble with Dante, I think..." She paused and waved her finger in the air. "Terrell. You can accompany Malachi this evening."

Dante remained poised in the arms of his new lover. He crooked his head, observing everything.