I concentrated on making my blood flow faster. Kerr eased my body to the floor and brought my wrist to his mouth. He knew how stubborn I was and he knew that he had to save not only himself now, but me too. I felt his mouth close over my open cut.

He sucked gently at first and then grew progressively bolder, taking deeper swigs from me. He was not only gaining my power from the blood, but Lucha's as well. I hadn't fed off anyone but him for days.

I brought my other hand up and ran it through Kerr's long hair. I tried to touch him longer, just be sure that he was safe, but I was too weak to keep my arm up. It dropped lazily to the floor and I closed my eyes, letting Kerr take me to the brink of death-or whatever it was that was past my current existence.

Chapter 25.

I swam in a sea of blood, a tiny red headed boy moved past me in the water. I tried to reach him, but I couldn't. His eyes opened and they were turquoise, like mine. I lunged for him and darkness swallowed me. I could hear Kerr calling for me and I wanted nothing more than to reach him.

My eyes flickered open and I found myself sitting in the bathtub, seated in Kerr's lap. I tried to pick my head up, but it felt too heavy to move. Kerr touched me lightly.

"Just rest, I've got you.'"

I glanced down at my arms and saw that they were healed. I pulled Kerr's hand up and looked at his smooth white skin. He was healed as well. He wrapped his arms around me and I smiled as he held me close to him. I couldn't remember a time that he and I had both been naked and this close together. He always kept such a distance from me that I didn't think I'd ever see the day come when we shared a bath together. It wasn't s.e.xual-so much as it was comforting. Kerr felt like home to me.

"You kicked awake. Were you having a bad dream?" Kerr asked moving my hair to the side and snuggling his chin in the crook of my neck.

"Yes," I said snuggling back against him. He was warm and I guessed that the combination of the warm bath water and Lucha's blood did that for him.

"Care to tell me about it?"

"It was odd ... there was a small child, a boy, and we were swimming in a river of ... blood ... my eyes ... red hair, I heard your voice, and...."

His arms tightened around me. "Ah, Linnea, you're trying to come back to me too soon. It will come in time...."

The door to the bathroom burst open. I looked up to find Valentino standing there with his hand on his hip. His red attire made him look even more capable of causing harm than he normally did. His brown hair was pulled back tight from his face, and his eyes were narrow slits, focused on me.

"Where in the h.e.l.l have you been? Kerr nearly perished looking for you, and I.... "He stopped speaking and looked at the two of us in the tub. Kerr's arms wrapped around me tight, shielding my body from Valentino, which seemed silly since he'd seen me walking around naked many time before.

From the look on his face, Valentino hadn't seen Kerr and I naked together before, nor had he been expecting it now. His mouth dropped open and I committed the moment to memory. A little part of me enjoyed teasing Valentino. He was so sure of himself, and knew he was a ladies man that it felt nice to be able to refuse him and mean it. It wasn't hard to do, he was s.e.xy, but he did nothing for me.

He looked at Kerr. "I need you to attend a charity event with Folco this evening. I thought that I would have to go, but now that you are healed, you can."

Kerr protested, but I touched his arm lightly. We didn't need to provoke Valentino any more than we already had. His temper was known to run high and I didn't want him going after Lucha to punish me, and that was a very Valentino thing to do. Kerr stroked my arm and put his mouth next to my ear. "I'll do this for you, I can sense yer concern for the mortal, and I will do all I can do to protect yer secret."

I turned to look back at him, but he held my body tight, not allowing me to turn around. After all these years with Kerr, I still wondered how he could know my every thought and how he was able to see into the future. I didn't posses those gifts, and I'd taken his blood twice now.

Valentino stormed out of the room and I turned to Kerr. "Why is it that when I take the blood of another I gain his or her powers, but when I take yours, I don't?"

He shook his head. "I do not know, la.s.s, but I believe that also has somethin' to do with why you can't remember the time before you were reborn as a vampire. The rest of us can remember our lives as a human with ease, you canna."

I stood, but he pulled me back to him. "Kerr, for a man who doesn't want to ever make love to me, you sure do know how to send mixed signals."

"Will you stay a bit more with me?" he asked.

"I'd stay with you forever. You have only but to ask."

Chapter 26.

"Where are you planning on going this evening?" Valentino asked as he entered my room.

"I really wish you would knock," I said snidely.

"And, I wish you would stop sneaking around like a wh.o.r.e in heat. I have told you before that I am here for you, and I will not leave you needing anyone else-unlike Kerr." He moved closer to me and put his hands on my shoulders.

I cringed under his touch and turned my head from him. "You smell like young blood, it makes my stomach turn. Have you been sucking the life out of innocent school teachers again? Or have you moved straight to the pupils?"

Valentino put his hands in the air, signifying that he didn't know what I was talking about. I knew better. He'd been feeding off the innocent again and he reeked of it. I was tired of arguing with him about it. I could feel the sun setting, and I'd promised Lucha that I'd met him at sunset. We'd been seeing each other in secret for the past two months now and I loved it. Kerr knew, of course, but he hadn't said a word to Valentino, in fact it had been his suggestion that I keep Lucha a secret to start with.

I was still debating on telling Kerr about Corbin and his men. They had already made three attempts to turn Lucha since I'd known him. The last one had been the worst. They had attacked while we were making love. I was left to fend them off, naked and alone. I'd even had to resort to flying, which took a lot out of me. I killed several of Corbin's men and kept Lucha safe, but the fight seemed more personal lately.

I stood slowly and Valentino pushed his body against mine. His eyes rolled back in his head and he licked his lips. "I can smell your moist c.u.n.t.... "I put my hand to his lips and cut him off.

"I'm going now. I won't be back until dawn, do not wait for me, and tell Kerr that I will see him later."

I hated leaving a message with Valentino, but Kerr had been taking over affairs and had been spending the last few nights out in the city making plans and overseeing the needs of the old ones. I wasn't allowed to go. He dealt with mortals, and the majority of them didn't believe that a woman had any business out of the kitchen.I walked past Valentino and he grabbed my arm tightly. "Ouch, you're hurting me."

His eyes blazed to black and he pressed his mouth onto mine. I pushed on his face to get him off of me, but he was too strong.

His tongue pressed into my mouth and I bit down on it. Valentino jerked his face back from me and smiled. The blood ran down his chin and he wiped it with his fingers. He pressed his fingers into my mouth and forced me to accept his blood. I bit down again and he yanked away from me. I moved backwards and tried to avoid his reach, but I wasn't fast enough. He struck out with his power and knocked me into the wall. My head hit first and then my shoulders and back. Pain shot through my body as my vision blurred temporarily.

He charged at me again and I struck out at his face. His head jerked to the side, but when he looked back at me he smiled. I'd forgotten what a s.a.d.i.s.tic b.a.s.t.a.r.d Valentino could be and now I was only exciting him. He grabbed my chin and squeezed it tight, while he pressed his body against mine. I could feel him loosening his trousers. He wouldn't be foolish enough to kiss me again, but he didn't need my mouth for what he had in mind.

He grabbed a handful of my dress and ripped it open. My breast fell out and he grabbed hold of it hard. I cried out as his fangs struck it, digging deep into my tender flesh. I kicked out at him and clawed at his face, but I was no match for him, he'd fed off the blood of innocent youths tonight, and that made him powerful.

Valentino pinned my body back as he sucked blood from my breast. His hands moved down and he started to pull my dress up. I thought of Kerr, and screamed out for him. Valentino laughed as he pulled his face away from me. "I sent him away tonight, because I wanted a piece of you for myself. You are mine, Linnea. I created you and I have rights to you. It is the way it has always been and it is time that you paid your dues to your master-me."

I lashed out at him with all the power I had and it pushed his body away from mine long enough for me to run for the door. I threw it open and found Lucha standing there smiling. "Linnea, I wanted to surprise you. I thought that I would.... "His eyes darted down at my torn dress and bleeding breast.

He reached out and touched my chin. I winced in pain. Valentino had squeezed so hard that I was already starting to bruise. I heard Valentino call my name and turned to see him staring at Lucha. I pushed Lucha back and yelled at him to go. I slammed the door closed and pressed my body against them.

"Is that who you have been going to every night since we arrived?" Valentino threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, Linnea, I would have thought you would have grown tired of a mortal by now. You never kept any others around longer than a few f.u.c.ks.

What makes this one so special?"

He lunged at me, his feet never touched the floor as his body hit mine and we broke through the door. He yanked my skirt up and I kicked my legs wildly to keep him from entering me. He yanked my hair back and forced my face up to him. "f.u.c.k me or I will kill your human."

I stopped moving and lay still. I couldn't let him hurt Lucha. I nodded as the tears fell down my face. An icy blast of wind hit me. I felt Lucha's power as he drove the razor sharp magic out at Valentino-the same magic he'd used on Corbin. I screamed at him to stop, but he wouldn't. I wanted him to run far away. Valentino would see him dead for this. He wasn't one to forgive or forget.

Lucha moved to me and kicked Valentino off me. He yanked me to my feet and I fought to break his hold on me. He looked down at me, his brown eyes full of confusion. "He'll kill you, Lucha! Go, go far away from here!"

Lucha smiled and lifted his arms into the air. "I will kill him and put an end to this."

Valentino got to his knees and laughed. "Tell him what will happen if he kills me, Linnea."

I closed my eyes and let my head fall. "Lucha, if you kill him then I may die as well. He is my sire, and I am only ten years dead."

Lucha's arms dropped to his sides. He looked at Valentino and then me. "No, Linnea, this cannot be. He cannot be allowed to hurt you.""Go, Lucha! He won't kill me, but he'll kill you without a second thought."

"You would give this man your body to protect me?" Lucha asked, sounding hurt. He had a hard time understanding my reasoning for this, and he wasn't the only one. The thought of having Lucha turned into one of us not only turned my stomach, it terrified me.

I felt like I'd been through losing someone like this before and I couldn't do it again.

I looked up at him. "I have fallen in love with you, Lucha, and I can't allow you to be hurt. Now, go, please!"

I looked at Valentino and saw something dark-evil move across his face. He didn't think that I loved Lucha and hearing me say it had infuriated him. Lucha would die before the night was over, unless I distracted Valentino. I rushed towards him and stopped in front of him. I looked into his dark eyes and held my head up high.

"I am yours for the taking. You are my sire, my master, and I was wrong to deny you what you have a right to-my body."

Lucha gasped and Valentino looked down at me and smiled. "Oh, I will f.u.c.k you soon enough, but not until I kill him."

I put my hands up and touched his face. I felt the tears streaming down my cheeks now and tried to stop them. "Please, Valentino, I beg you to leave Lucha out of this. He will go and I will not see him again, I swear to you, just let him live."

Valentino's face twisted into a sinister smile. He looked over my shoulder at Lucha and laughed softly. "I will let him leave here tonight and live, but he must stay and watch me pleasure myself with your body, first."

"You will not touch her!" Lucha shouted.

Valentino lifted his hand and I heard Lucha cry out. I knew that Valentino had just cut him open, but I couldn't run to him, it would cost him his life. I stood on my tiptoes and pressed my mouth to Valentino's. I caught him off guard and he staggered backwards at first, before steadying himself. I moved in closer to him and put my arms around him. "I am yours. All I ask is that you leave Lucha alone."

"What about Kerr?" he asked.

"Kerr?"

"Yes, Linnea, I want you to tell Kerr to leave. He will listen to you. Submit to my demands and I shall allow your young lover to live a long and healthy life."

I thought about what he asked. I couldn't send Kerr away, but I wouldn't let Lucha die either. I turned quickly to Lucha and screamed at him to run. He didn't move. Valentino sent a wave of power crashing through me that knocked me to the floor. I tried to breathe, but it hurt. I pushed up in an attempt to stand and felt Valentino's boot ram into my side.

Lucha came running at Valentino and tried to knock him away from me. Valentino sent him flying into the wall with ease, and then dropped down next to me. I looked at Lucha and saw that there was a trail of blood behind him on the wall. The impact had split his head open. I reached out for him, and Valentino twisted my arm back behind me. I felt it snap a second before I felt the pain shooting through it.

"I have killed your human, and now I will have my way with you, and kill you too," Valentino said as he tore my dress from my body. I tried to move, but he had me pinned to the floor and used his body as leverage against my broken arm. He moved his body over mine and raked his nails across my back. "That was for loving a human."

He forced my legs open and pushed harder on my broken arm. His elbow dug deep into my rib cage and I felt something snapping. Sharp pains went through my body and I felt blood rising up in my throat. I spit and knew that he'd punctured my lung.

"That is for loving Kerr, and this is for denying me all these years." He kicked my legs open wide.

There was a rush of wind and then Valentino's body's was peeled from my back. "Lucha," I said as I lifted my head. I had to blink twice to make out the tall slender figure before me. Long waves of yellow hair fell around me. When I saw the pale skin and amber eyes I knew it was Folco. He tried to cover me with what remained of my dress, and looked behind him.

"Valentino is gone, you are safe now."

"What the...?" I heard Kerr's deep voice, and turned my head to see him. He took one look at me and then at Folco. Something in his face changed and he charged at Folco.

"NO!" I screamed out, coughing and spitting up even more blood in the process.

Kerr stopped dead in his tracks and dropped down next to me. Folco finished covering me with my dress and backed away. He was old, and strong, but nowhere near as strong as Kerr when he was angry.

Kerr touched my back and his blue eyes found me. He looked towards Lucha and shook his head. "Did he take liberties with you?"

I shook my head. "No ... Lucha tried to stop him ... Valenti.... "It was hard for me to get the words out. My lungs were tight, and the pain was great.

Kerr's face turned red, and his jaw tightened. "Did Valentino," he exhaled, "force himself on you?"

"Almost ... Folco came, and stopped ... he's gone now." I looked at Lucha and saw his hand twitch. "Lucha's alive."

Kerr went to Lucha's side and closed his eyes. "Linnea, he will not survive the night. He may not survive the next few moments."

I heard Lucha stir. "Lin-nea...."

"She is safe, you can rest now," Kerr said softly to him.

"No," I cried out and tried to push myself up and off the floor. Kerr looked at me and shook his head. "No, Kerr, I will be next to Lucha when he dies ... help me, or I will crawl."

Kerr rushed to me and picked me up in his arms. I could feel my body starting to mend itself. I knew that the cuts on my back would heal first. They were the least harmful. Kerr moved his hand lightly over my twisted arm and I could see the rage behind his blue eyes. He would kill Valentino if he ever saw him again, I was sure of that. His fingers ran over my arm again. "Are you in great pain, Linnea?"

I tried to put on a happy face, but I didn't think he bought it. I gave up and told him the truth. "Yes, that ... Valentino did that because of my love for Lucha." Kerr's body stiffened as he sat down with me on the floor. He drew me into his lap. I touched his face and coughed up more blood. His large hand came to my mouth and he wiped it away.

"I think you have broken ribs, and a...."

I touched Kerr's hand. "I know."

"Why would he do this to you? Valentino worships you, and has always wanted you," Folco said softly from the other side of the room.

"I made him a deal to let Lucha live," I said, meeting Kerr's eyes. He knew with my one look what I had used as bargaining tool, and shook his head slightly. "He agreed, but then he told me to send Kerr away." His hand took mine and he started to rock me gently. "I couldn't do it. I could agree to never see Lucha again as long as I knew he was safe, but I couldn't have you out of my life, Kerr."

"Valentino knew that if she would not send you away then you would surely kill him for harming her. It was better for him to rape her and then kill her and he knew it," Folco said. His words. .h.i.t home, because they were true. Valentino would have raped me, then killed me.Lucha moved and I turned my body to him. Kerr eased me down next to him and I ran my fingers through his long black curls.

My hand came away covered in his blood and I started to cry. His brown eyes flickered open and looked at me.

"Don't die, Lucha, please.... "I begged. Kerr tightened his grip on me, and I cried harder. "Lucha, I can offer immortality. I can make you into what I am. Do you want this?"

Lucha swallowed hard and nodded his head slightly. "Yes."

Chapter 27.