"Let me go. Please," she whimpered.

He swept away the dust from her forehead and then brushed his thumb over her full bottom lip-delicious, pink, supple, and meant for kissing. Just like her golden smooth-as-satin skin radiating with life.

"I cannot do that," he said.

Slowly she rose from the ground, still trembling. Her eyes nervously flashed to his swollen manhood, which would only prolong its present state. It aroused him beyond belief when she looked at him with such lust.

"Why not?" she asked with a nervous whisper.

Because I haven't bedded you yet. Would not want to deprive you of such a luxury.

"Apparently," he said, "I have waited three hundred years for you. So I have no intention of letting you go."

He cupped her face and leaned to kiss her.

Chapter 3.

Helena's tense body swooned when the force of his lips met hers. He pulled her greedily into to his hard frame and moved his strong hands to grip her waist. It felt like he had claimed her as his personal prize. It felt euphoric. Owned by a sex god!

Wait! What the hell am I doing? She broke the kiss and pushed him away again. "This is insane. I don't know who you are or how I got here, but you have to let me go. You have the wrong person."

He smiled devilishly. "Afraid not, my dear Helena. Fate has united us."

Helena raised her brow in question.

"However, you are correct, bella. This is insanity. And as much as I would like to show you the depths of my lunacy-and the things it is asking me to do to your succulent body at this very moment-we must go. Before they come for me."

That sounded ominous. "Who are 'they?'" Wait. Did she want to know?

"It is forbidden to speak of such things to a human, but I vow the day will come when there will be no secrets between us." The naked warrior held out his hand. "Come, mio cuore."

Helena shivered. Something about that explanation left her feeling substantially more terrified. Why couldn't humans know? And what exactly was he? If the scientist in her had no answers, then better not stick around to find out.

Helena nodded. She took his hand-it was cool to the touch, yet heated her skin at the same time-and followed him through the chamber toward the doorway. As they reached the passage, Helena nonchalantly dipped down and grabbed a golden statue. It reminded her of an Oscar. In fact, she could swear there was an inscription on its base.

Sally Fields? Too dark to know for certain.

She quickly jumped and struck Niccolo in the back of his head with all her strength. He stumbled to the side. She squeezed past him down the passage.

The moment she burst from the temple into the night, the stupidity of her plan hit home. How far could she get?

At least he was barefoot, bare everything-sigh-and she still had on her low tops. That might give her the advantage. Question was, would she find her way back to civilization? She had to try.

Helena's hands pushed frantically through rough branches and vines. They lashed at her face and scratched her arms and legs. She ran straight into a tree trunk.

She cupped her nose. Ow! That hurt!

Thankfully, it wasn't broken.

She slid around the enormous tree, panting and sweating. She continued on with her hands extended, wondering if running through the jungle, unable to see a goddamned thing, was actually more dangerous than trying her luck with that man. Were there any cliffs around here?

Helena tripped and landed on her knees, reopening the cut. "Son of a-" She cupped her hands over her mouth. She quickly picked herself up and slammed right into something hard again. Another tree? Her hesitant hands probed. Nope. Not a tree.

"Well, well...What have we here?" said a deep, unfamiliar voice.

Helena screamed.

Two steel hands grasped her shoulders. "Hush, hush, now..." The voice was low and menacing.

She couldn't see so much as an outline of a body or face. "Who the hell are you?"

"I go by Rodrigo. You may call me 'Lucky.' It's been eons since I've dined on such a pure Forbidden, and your fresh blood smells..." he paused and inhaled deeply, "divine."

Yes. Running away had been a bad choice. Helena kicked and fought, but whatever held her was a thousand times stronger. She suddenly felt his hot tongue run down her neck, and then, "Ummm. Delicious."

He tasted her? Holy shit! "Let me go!" Helena shrieked. The man wrapped his unyielding arms around her waist and crushed her into his body.

"Release her, Rodrigo," Niccolo's deep voice sliced through the night like a welcome knife. "Or I will rip out your entrails and force you to swallow them. Repeatedly."

Rodrigo froze but did not loosen his painful grip on her body. Like a caveman trying to hold on to a drumstick, she thought.

"So, the anonymous tip was right," Rodrigo's voice was filled with arrogance. "You're just the vampire we've been looking for."

Vampire? Did he just say "vampire?" Helena's frazzled body took what little energy it had left to resist fainting. She shook her head.

"And, let me compliment your fashionable attire, my friend. Is naked the new black?" said Rodrigo.

Apparently, the two men could see each other. That figures; all monsters can see in dark.

"I am uncertain of what happened to the old black while I have been indisposed," Niccolo replied flatly. "But I have no interest in indulging your urges to discuss my legendary body. I do, however, want you to let my woman go."

My woman?

Slowly, the man eased his grip. Helena felt Niccolo reach out and sweep her behind him. She tried not to think about how she was pressed against his bare, perfect bottom.

"Oh, I see," said Rodrigo. "She is your meal. I'm shocked. First, abandoning our queen for three centuries, and now, hunting a Forbidden. And this one is about as forbidden as they come. So innocent." He sniffed loudly. "Just why is that, Niccolo? Perhaps you are unable to perform? Or, perhaps, she has rejected you, and you are too honorable to take her anyway."

"What the hell?" Helena objected. "And would someone please flick a Bic or rub two sticks together? I want to die knowing exactly what killed me."

Niccolo ignored her. "What I do with my woman is my business, you dishonorable pile of merda. But, I am not like you. Nor shall I ever be."

Rodrigo clicked his tongue. "Nobody's perfect."

"S. You should know," Niccolo jabbed. "After all, you are a shame to both species you have claimed as your own throughout your existence. The queen should never have turned you after I so nearly ended your pathetic human life."

Rodrigo hissed. "I have not forgotten the circumstances of my demise, and you should not forget my vow to make you pay. I've waited a very long time for this opportunity. I don't care what that whore of a queen says, you'll not be brought back alive."

Niccolo nudged Helena back a few more inches with his hand.

Was he going to fight Rodrigo? What if Niccolo lost? What would happen to her? And wasn't fighting naked sort of dangerous? Not to mention inappropriate? The whole situation was scary. And wrong. What should she do?

"Am I supposed to run?" she whispered to Niccolo.

Niccolo snickered. "Trust me, you are in no danger."

Sure the hell feels like it.

Suddenly, a whoosh of air whipped in front of her. There were grunts and growls and the sounds of tearing flesh and crunching bones.

"Oh, crap!" Helena turned away, unsure who was winning or why she was suddenly asking God to make sure Niccolo, the man she'd been running from only moments earlier, proved victorious. Maybe because the other man wanted to snack on her?

Helena once again found herself charging into the black night, tears of horror streaming down her face. Where was she even going? Helena abruptly stopped, cursing herself for deciding to go on this stupid trip to the ruins. If only she'd stayed at the hotel with her friends, none of this would've happened. Now her life was basically over; she'd end up dinner or a prisoner of some deranged nudist vampire.

Holy hounds of hell! Vampires are real? Impossible! Why haven't any scientists discovered evidence?

Maybe the vampires ate them.

The air kicked up around her. Her heart paused and then slammed into overdrive.

"It is done, my Helena. You are secure now," Niccolo said in a stark voice, then pulled her into his body.

Oh, lucky day. Prisoner of mad nudist vampire it is!

"Who are you people?" she asked.

"We do not have time to discuss this now, mio cuore. More are probably coming." He grabbed her hand and then yanked her along.

Fab. U. Lous. Can this day possibly get any- A melody rang out through the darkness, and she felt Niccolo jump. A bright light illuminated the palm of his hand. It was a cell phone playing the Mexican Hat Dance. In any other situation, that might be funny.

"Tell me, what is this device?" he demanded, shoving the phone at her.

The glow of the tiny screen sliced through the night, allowing Helena to see him once again. His handsome face was dirty, and he bore a deep scratch down his rock-hard chest. He was now wearing a pair of low-slung jeans. He must have borrowed them from the lovely psycho he'd just offed. Dammit. Despite the pilfered pants and bleeding wounds, he still looked scrumptious.

"Helena, please! We do not have much time," he urged impatiently. "Is it a weapon? What is the meaning of the song?"

Got a sombrero?

"Tell me where you're taking me, and then I'll show you," she replied.

He winced.

She then noticed another deep slice through his side. Blood was running freely. "You're hurt," she commented.

And I care? Okay. It's official. I'm my own species now: pathetic-deathwish-osaurus...I sooo hear extinction calling me.

He made a deliberate motion across the back of his head to remind her that only five minutes earlier she'd hit him. Hard. "Kind of you to suddenly concern yourself," he said.

"I know. Weird. Right?"

He growled with pain. "I will be fine once I feed. Been," he ground out the words, "far too long."

Helena stepped back and covered her neck.

"Not you." He frowned.

"What? Wrong flavor?" She mentally slapped herself. Why was her first reaction to feel rejected? Silly. Although, now that she happened to be on the topic, why didn't he want to kill her? The other crazy vampire had called her "Forbidden." Could be something to do with that. Or, maybe, he was one of those vegetarian vampires like she'd seen in the movies?

With cell phone still illuminating his face, she could make out his hungry gaze fixed on her neck.

No. Not a vegetarian.

Helena's enticing scent was driving him toward madness. It was the most heavenly thing he had ever smelled, and he wasn't certain how much longer he could hold out. He needed to hunt. Unfortunately, leaving her alone in the jungle was not an option. More vampires could be en route, and he knew not if they would be law abiding.

He looked at Helena and wondered what to do with her. He needed to put her somewhere safe; however, sifting was out of the question. Not only was he too weak, but mortals were not permitted to know their secrets. It was against the Pact. Yes, she now knew he was a vampire, thanks to Rodrigo, but he would have to transport her somewhere safe by whatever means were used in these times.

He would reunite with her once he had gathered the necessary means to ensure her safety. And comfort.

Right. First things first. He needed to find a weapon. He shoved the phone at her again. "What does this do?"

Hand shaking, she took it from him. "Um. It's called a Smartphone. You can talk to people or send messages. It's got Internet too." She pointed to a collection of funny looking symbols on the glossy surface.

Inter-net. Is that used for some sort of fishing? And why is the phone called smart? Were prior ones stupid?

"Tell me why this communication device is playing that melody," he commanded.

She looked at the phone. "There's a message." She held it up. It read, Confirm u have him. Then bring him 2 me ASAP. Hz army waits.

The phone made another beep. A new message rolled across the device's surface. If he resists, kill him. Back up is on the way.

Niccolo felt his stomach knot. Inferno! More were indeed coming. He was in no shape to fight. On the other hand, the message said he still had an army. Very confusing. "Buon. Tell me, who sent this?"

She slid her index finger vertically across the screen to show him the name of the sender. "It says 'Reyna.'"

Inferno. He was not ready to deal with this predicament just yet. But he must. And oddly enough, the queen's message did not sound as though she was committed to his demise. Why not?

He shoved the phone at Helena. "Operate the device. I must converse with her immediately."

"If I do, you have to let me go," Helena said flatly.