Introducing...

Fantasy-Tales of a Dreamkind

  When Kiandra awoke this time, it took only a few moments for everything to come falling into place, even as she found herself laid in a wide, silk-laid bed in a room filled with flowers, mirrors and large windows which opened up to an outside filled with no sky, but an elemental force that seemed to billow about them like a perpetual wind. She remembered the sound from the day she’d been walking on that quiet street, which felt like so long ago…

She looked up when a door opened and three girls came in. she could tell they were maids of some sort from their simple attire of long cotton shift and unclad feet, and their face and hair, though similar to that of the Peata woman, seemed less refined and formed. Kiandra shrunk back instinctively into the sheets which covered what she suddenly realized was her naked frame.

   They did not look at her, but went about their task of setting a table with the trays of food they had brought. Kiandra could only watch with suspicion, which heightened when they soon left and Peata appeared in their wake. This time she was dressed in a light, though exquisitely patterned dress that was cut in half down the front almost to her navel, revealing the soft curves of her green-like breasts. She smiled gently at the staring Kiandra.

  “You like my dress,” she stated, coming to sit at the edge of the bed. “There’s one like it for you in the wardrobe, once you are ready to put something on. But now, you must be hungry. You haven’t eaten in almost a week.”

  At her words, Kiandra felt the sudden realization that she was famished, had only never become conscious of the fact till Peata had mentioned it. As if the woman had some power over her mind and urges. This thought scared her some more. She did not move.

  “Go on, eat,” Peata said, indicating the well-spread table close by. “There’s water and wine, and the meat was prepared specially for you. We know how much you humans love your bloodfood.” This she said with a slight, pretty grimace as if in distaste, as she rose fluidly to her feet. She looked down at Kiandra, who glared back silently.

  “You’ll have to see me as your friend and ally, Kiandra. I have been assigned to bide with you through this. It is my duty to care for you, to help you. I will leave you to eat now, but I will be back.” And without another word, she left the room, closing the door with a soft click that followed with the sound of locking.

  No escape there, thought Kiandra, whose first action was to jump out of the bed and head for the wardrobe in the corner, which held one single dress as Peata had promised. It looked much like hers as well, but in a different, even more alluring color of pink mixed with shades of green and yellow. She rushed to put it on not out of admiration but of a necessity to clothe herself. No way she was going to be lying about naked around here, especially as she would be thinking of how to escape. But now she was almost weak with hunger. Once dressed, she dashed to the loaded table, grabbed up the cutlery lying by, and dug into the food. The meat was wonderfully flavored and cooked in stew, like nothing she had ever tasted, and she had a bit of everything else that had been prepared, all foreign and strange to her but no less delicious. But then her enjoyment fled when she thought of Leon and the meal he had been preparing for her that last day. Would she ever see him again? She wondered as a single tear burst from her eyes and fell into the laden plate beneath. Would she ever see her home, her world again?

  You can never go home.

  Those words came to her then, and she pushed the food aside, rising and going to the open window as she looked out at the strangeness afar. Where was this place, she marvelled, and how could she be free from it?

  Suddenly, the door was unlocked again and Peata returned. Kiandra was glad now that she had thought to clothe herself first, especially when she realized that Peata had not come alone.

  Inside the room with them stood the strangest man Kiandra had ever seen. He was tall, almost devilishly handsome with piercing dark eyes and arresting face. His body was well-built and perfectly formed down to his boot-clad feet. He was dressed like some sort of warrior, or maybe it was just the way he stood, like someone who got things done. He had the same kind of otherwordly skin like Peata, but less pale and soft. He ran his eyes over her half-exposed form, as due to being more heavily endowed than Peata, she had more on display in the slashed-front dress she wore, and she tried in vain to pull the gaping bodice closed.

  “My name is Fen,” he told her, and she shivered at the odd sound of his tongue. She marvelled that she could understand them, that they spoke the same language although it was obvious they were not part of her world. They couldn’t be.

  “It was I who brought you here, Kiandra,” he continued, and her name seemed so strange when he said it; it was almost like a caress, from which she instantly recoiled. She felt some kind of force between them she could not understand, and felt anger to know he was responsible for her being in this place.

  “How was it possible? How could you just…abduct me? Was I drugged?” she demanded to know. She saw them both share a silent look, before Peata chose to answer.

  “We function, Kiandra, in ways you can not begin to understand now. This is why your people have never known of us, although we know all about you. Destructive, greedy humans, you have exploited this earth from the beginning of time. It has been our duty to keep the whole world from disintegrating, to keep it alive and well as it was intended when it was Created.”

  “So, what are you guys?” Kiandra asked derisively, “Protectors of the Universe? Mother Nature’s avenging angels?”  This time, the other two shared amused smiles, and she felt annoyed. “Something like that,” Peata murmured.

  Kiandra stomped her feet. “I don’t give a f-ck what you are!” she cried hoarsely. “I want no part of you, of your world, or your master plan!” She remembered every word Peata had spoken to her earlier, especially those last words that seemed more and more ominous when she thought of them. “And I will go home. I demand to be returned home.”

  This time, Fen thought it fit to reply. “It’s just not possible, I thought my cousin, Peata told you that. Once you cross the realm, you can not go back. For you, there can be no return. To try to would mean your death.”

  “Then I would rather die!” she said hysterically, and lunged for the window, not knowing what she intended as she threw a foot over the ledge, perhaps to jump into the crazy nothingness beyond. But the sudden feel of Fen’s arms about her waist, dragging her back into the room, stopped her. She fought against his formidable frame, but he held her strongly and tightly. Then she looked up, up into the dark pools of his eyes and stilled as if mesmerized.

  “You belong to our world now, Kiandra. It was meant from the day you were born. It took us some time to find you, but we did. Now you must be part of us. Accept it.”

“No, I won’t,” she half whispered, her hands pressing against his chest so that she soon had a sense of the pound of his heart against her skin. Part of her was terrified of his power, another part was drawn to him physically in no way that was humanly possible. She felt the manly length of him against her, and realized in some ways at least, he was indeed like man. He had a beating heart, and his body responded to hers like a man would. Just by holding her close like this, she could tell, with her deep-set female intuition, that he wanted her.

  As if reading her mind, he let her go abruptly, and she had to reach out and grab a nearby chair so as not to lose her balance. He made for the door, brushing past the watching Peata.

  “Prepare her, cousin. Soon, Marsh would request her presence. She must be ready,” he said in passing, and without a backward glance, left the room.

  “Yes, Fen,” Peata replied, but he was already gone. She faced the standing, trembling Kiandra, her expression annoyed. “You will do well no to infuriate Fen. Nor Marsh. It wouldn’t help your matter in the slightest. Just like your world, and even more so, the men rule here. They are our lords and masters, to be obeyed and esteemed.”

  Kiandra could assimilate only one word. It was the second time it had been mentioned, and she felt pricked by curiosity and even more fear. “Who… is Marsh?”

  Peata’s chin rose a fraction, as if in pride. “My brother. The thirtieth leader of Emeraldom, the source of harmony and the essence of our very realm. He is to be your husband.”

  “My… what?”  Kiandra breathed, as for once she had an inkling of what was to be her use in this hateful place.

  The other woman shrugged. “You were brought here to be his bride, to bear his sons, or at least, the next Marsh. It has been presaged long ago that our kind would be forced to merge with yours in order for the balance of our world – and essentially yours, to be maintained. We would not have wished it, but,” again she shrugged. “We have no choice. We have resisted it for so long. But now, our males outnumber us females almost two hundred to one. It has been generations since one family has had more than one girl child, if at all. But that is not the only reason we have chosen you. I am the last of the child-bearing female ruling class, and as you can imagine, I cannot mate with my brother – and neither can he mate with any other than one of high blood. You have been shown to fit the bill well enough, as somehow, I don’t know, your essence is entwined with ours. Perhaps when you meet my brother, he will explain better.” She looked upon Kiandra’s horror-filled face with surprise and the first show of anger.

  “What is the matter with you? You should be honored to be so chosen. The first girl we picked was even glad, and she welcomed her role. She loved  Marsh. But it was not her lot to bear his heir.”

  Kiandra gulped at the thought that perhaps, another woman had been a victim of their crazed scheme. “What happened to her? She..died?” She was almost afraid to ask.

 Peata waved an elegant hand. “Worse. The offspring did not live. Her blood was not strong enough to carry Marsh’s seed through to term.”

 Kiandra wanted to ask more questions, but was forestalled by the fact that Peata now turned her back to her and headed for the door. “I advise you take plenty of rest. I can assure you, there’s a tough task ahead of you as we prepare you for your bridal role. Our way.” She added that with a portentous look over her shoulder, before exiting the room and locking the door carefully behind her.

Paranormal - The Choosing

Even the long, cold shower couldn't help.

Bella emerged from her bedroom, retying the sash of her robe as she finger-combed her newly washed hair. She sighed deeply for the hundredth time since Jason left an hour ago. Every second he'd been gone, she questioned her actions, and how she could possibly have let him leave, thinking as he did. That she didn't want him. Because he was wrong, so wrong.

She had wanted him - all of him. Dammit her body was still buzzing from the touch of his fingers and lips, the taste of his tongue dancing hotly against hers. Her breasts still ached, heavy with the need to be caressed and suckled. He'd only been inside her home for barely half an hour, but every minute had held a heated promise that she knew he would have easily fulfilled, again and again. She could still remember the feel of the turgid, throbbing ridge of his cock outlined against her naked thigh, searing her skin even through his pants leg. And she groaned out loud in regret.

She figured she wasn't getting any sleep that night. It was a punishment she deserved for throwing away what could easily be her only chance with Jason. She wished now that he'd given her the opportunity to explain; they could have found a way to work things out. Well, maybe now she'd never know...

The sound of knocking startled her, making her jump.

Jason...was her first hopeful thought, as she turned eagerly from the window she'd been gazing out of. Placing down her mug of hot cocoa, she rubbed  her suddenly wet palms on her robe. He'd come back, she thought, her heart singing. He had left in sort of a huff, and she wondered if he'd returned so they could talk - or continue from where they left off. She wasn't sure how easily she'd be able to resist him this time if he tried to change her mind...

Taking a deep breath, she decided she needed to at least hear what he had to say. Her heart was pounding dully as she threw the door open, a hesitant smile on her face.

The smile vanished and her heart stopped beating entirely when she found the dark, tall figure leaning against her doorjamb.

"Marcus," she gasped, hand instantly moving to her chest in shock and not a little bit of fear. What was he doing here?

He lifted his head to look at her, saw her expression. "You look like you've seen a ghost," he murmured, straightening and shoving his hands into his coat. There was a half-smile across his lips, though his eyes blazed as they roved all over her with her face and body flushed from her recent shower. She instinctively wrapped protective arms about herself.

He noticed her action, and his smile thinned. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Bella bit on her lip, stepping back at once. "Sure," she said, and then he brushed past her into her flat, and suddenly everything seemed dwarfed by his huge frame.

She backed the door shut, standing there as she watched him look around curiously, walking to that table or that shelf to glance at a frame or knick-knack. It was almost impossible to believe he was actually there, in her home.

"How did you know where I live?" she blurted out, now that her heartbeat had returned to normal - almost. She wasn't truly afraid of him, but she was surprised to see him, and had been caught off guard. She'd never have dreamed he'd show up that night of all nights.

"You're my secretary," he drawled, taking up a picture of her and the members of her family in a group portrait. "There's not much I don't know about you. I know your birthday is next week; that your parents live less than an hour away, that you have a sister and a brother - and oh, that your cat, Olsen, died several months ago."

"Oh," she said, pushing away from the door to march up to him. "Do you take that much interest in all your employees? Or is it just me?"

"No, Bella, it's not just you," he half-mocked, placing down the frame and facing her. "I actually stalk every one who works for me. Following them around almost every night, watching out for them when they go for a late-night visit to the gym, or for that quick stop at the local library for a book. I generally hang around their flat when ever they bring back a friend or two home for coffee at night, and wait till those friends leave and the lights finally go out in the flat - all except one which is always left on in the kitchen."

As he wound to a stop she stared up at him in bewilderment. "Marcus," she gasped. "All those things..are you saying you've been watching me?"

A self-mocking little smile lifted one corner of his lips. "Someone had to look out for you," he murmured with a slight touch of humor, which disappeared from his tone as he lifted a hand to her cheek, running the tip of his fingers along the slopey curve. "I never felt any peace till I was sure you were okay. That when you weren't at work, you were still safe. And tonight..."

He shook off what seemed to be an angry thought, yet his touch was gentle as he threaded his fingers through her damp hair, his large hand cupping the back of her head. Bella was just too dazed by his words to speak, or move. Her eyes darted and he felt the way she stiffened as he drew her closer.

Sighing heavily, he withdrew, walking over to the window she'd only just been looking out from before he'd arrived. "Don't worry, Bella. Your boss is not some psycho killer staking you out. There are just some...things you don't know about me, things I was going to tell you, in time. But believe me, I'd never hurt you. And I know I never let you see this, but I care about you, deeply. That's why when you.."

Once more he broke off, turning around to face her again. "What happened, Bella? With Jason? I know you two went out to dinner and he came back with you..I also know he left an hour ago."

"Jason...," Bella echoed, trying to gather her scattered wits as she tried to make sense of everything Marcus was telling - and not telling - her. Her heart thrilled to know that he did feel something for her, but she wondered if she shouldn't be a little frightened. Who was Marcus, really?

"Jason...had to go," she said at last. "But, Marcus..."

"Ssh," he said gently, and this time he had a warm smile, relieved and somewhat triumphant. He pulled her to him, hands on her waist keeping her from trying to pull away even if she wanted to. Not that she did. This was Marcus, the man she'd hungered and pined for, dreamed of for all these months. She'd fallen for him that first day and it still hadn't ebbed, only deepened. There were still some things about him that had become a mystery to her, but all of it didn't matter now. He was here, holding her close, waiting to kiss her. That, for now, was all that counted.

His head was slanted, lips hovering over hers. A deep sigh escaped him when she didn't push away, but instead lifted her arms to wrap around his neck. His grip on her waist tightened for a moment, before he eased up and commanded softly, "Kiss me."

It didn't occur to her to protest, or hesitate. Bella lifted her chin the few inches it took to mould her lips to his. And in that instant, it all felt so..right.

Marcus began to take, the moment she gave into him. There was no gentle build-up or awakening. He dived in and snatched her along for the ride. He ground his mouth against hers in a kiss that was moist and hard and deep, pushing his silky tongue hungrily through to taste all her waiting secrets.

Bella wasn't sure how her sash had come undone, but now the robe hung open, and the feel of his hands pushing past its folds to touch her brought a shudder through her now exposed frame. Half-distracted by his kiss, she moaned as he instantly cupped her breasts in his hands. He squeezed and stroked them with maddening expertise, making her gasp, open-mouthed, against his lips.

"Marcus," she half-sighed, half-moaned, when he pulled away to run his lips along the slope of her jaw and neck. Suddenly, he scooped her into his arms.

"The bedroom," was all he said.

"That way," she managed to reply, pointing. Moments later he was laying her down across her sheets.

His coat was chucked off, then his shirt and shoes. His hand hesitated at his belt buckle, and Bella made a disappointed pout when he stopped. There was no mistaking the enormous bulge pointing out between his legs, but for now, he seemed content to keep that part of his anatomy a mystery. Which Bella felt was such a shame...she’d thoroughly enjoyed watching him strip from where she lay on the bed, her own robe half on but spread open so her naked body was bared to his heated gaze. Her gleaming eyes roved over his hard-packed torso, and she licked her lips in delicious anticipation. She couldn’t wait to run her tongue over every rippling sinew, right before she’d pull out his cock and pop it into her mouth. Damn, she could hardly wait...

He joined her on the bed, kissing the tip of her nose."Beautiful," he whispered, then planted a kiss on her mouth, saying again, "Beautiful..." And then his lips followed a molten path to her breasts, and he sighed out one more time, "So...fucking...beautiful," before capturing the thrust-out nub in his mouth. He rolled it over and over in his tongue while his hand stroked and teased her other breast almost roughly. Bella couldn’t seem to stop moaning, as the moisture between her thighs pooled and dripped. Fucking hell, she thought, almost dazed with pleasure.

And it got even better, as after torturing her breasts with his mouth for several minutes, he finally trailed a hot path down her belly to her parted thighs, where her pussy lips glistened and quivered with lust. She heard him rumble with delight right before he laid his tongue flat against her pinkish folds, lapping his way over and up to tongue her pulsing clit.

Bella groaned out loud as if in pain, her fingers raking through his hair. She couldn't help it. It's been what, almost half a year since she'd waited for this. She'd been totally celibate, never wanting anyone else but him. And Jason...

Her eyes flew open as her ecstatic haze cleared long enough for her to register the thought, Jason.

She'd wanted him too, for just as long, and just as much. Earlier that night he'd kissed and touched in ways that had convinced her that their passion was pure, and powerful. As it was right now, with Marcus.

Marcus’ mouth, hot and hungry, suckled and tongue-fucked her, sending shockwaves of pleasure spreading from her pussy to the rest of her body. It made her throb with a deep need that longed to be filled, truly filled. His thumb stroked her clit button with a sure yet tender touch, tearing his name from her lips within a string of belly-deep moans.

She fought to think, telling herself that if she stopped him now it would be like suicide. His fingers were now thrusting deep into her pussy, three at a time. It felt like she was ready to erupt with the way he shoved roughly in and out of her while his tongue never let up on its torment of her outer folds.

She wanted this very, very much. For Marcus to claim her completely. And it would happen soon enough. And yet she asked herself, why settle for less than what she wanted, and truly deserved?

So for the second time that night, she said "no" to only the second man she'd ever wanted so bad it made her pussy melt just by thinking of him. He drew away in a look of amazement that was becoming very familiar. Jason had had much the same look not too long ago.

"I don't understand," he said with a slight frown as he watched her fold herself into her robe, tying it securely. "You sent Jason away...that's why I assumed it was...well, me you chose."

"That's just it, Marcus; I can't choose," she cried, shaking her head in self deprecation.

"You're going to have to, Bella," he said patiently. "Or you'll end up having neither of us."

"But...what if I want to have you both?" she asked softly, raising her head to look at him. The look on his face was hard to describe. Like he couldn't credit his hearing.

"Us both as in...?"

"As in you, me and Jason. That's all I've ever wanted, Marcus. And that's the only option I'll be willing to take..."

Tyran's Pearl - The Truth

Cade was at his desk when his brother suddenly burst into the huge office.

"Tyran!" He exclaimed, swiping a certain item off the top of his desk and shoving it into his breast pocket as Tyran stalked forward. "You're back!" He surreptitiously rubbed some powdery substance off his nose.

"You son of a bitch!" Tyran roared, grabbing Cade by the front of his shirt and shoving him up on his feet.

"What's wrong, Tyran? Didn't you find the slaves?" Cade asked in alarm. He was just as tall and large as his brother, though Tyran was definitely broader in shoulder, and tough as a street fighter. Cade never really liked crossing him. So what was this about?

"Oh, I found them alright," Tyran said through furiously clenched teeth. "I found a barely-legal trio of runaways, innocent victims and not the escaped hoodlums you had me believe I was after!"

Cade's hands went over Tyran's choking fists. He looked genuinely confused. "What do you mean? Linfold was the one who gave me the info, that three dangerous slaves had escaped. They'd even killed the guard who tried to stop them..."

"Linfold is a lying piece of dung," Tyran spat, his face so close to Cade's the tips of their noses were almost touching. "Just how do you figure in all this, Cade? Trading in kids, turning them into whores and slaves? Is that your thing now?"

Cade's eyes widened in disbelief, and he shook his head firmly. "I swear to you, Ty, that I have nothing to do with any of that. It's true that I hold some business interests with Linfold, but I'd never deal in innocent kids. I have my eternal soul to worry about, you know."

"Oh, sure," Tyran sneered, letting his brother in go abruptly. He noticed something fell from Cade's pocket to the floor, and saw Cade reach quickly for it - but Tyran was quicker.

He snatched the tiny nylon sac from the floor, opening his fist to see the small wrapped bag of reddish powder.

Tyran looked up into Cade's guilty expression, saw the tell-tale spaced-out pupils he'd never seemed to notice before. And suddenly, realisation dawned.

"Drugs, Cade?" He asked softly, subdued fury in every syllable. "That's why you need the money you get from your slaving "business" with Linfold, huh? You're a fucking addict!"

He threw the bag at his brother in disgust, and it thudded against Cade's chest and fell to the floor.

"I can explain, Tyran ..."

"Oh sure, sure," Tyran muttered, turning away because he couldn't bear to look at Cade, so furious he couldn't be responsible for his actions. The anger he'd carried all the way from that scene in the motel room had intensified to dangerous porportions...

"I understand perfectly, Cade. You can't help being the spoiled selfish son of Gelder the Apex, can you? I mean, with you being a vampire by birth; next in the bloodline to head the Brookside clan.... Yeah, I can see how much you've suffered all your life - "

"Not everyone can be like you, Tyran!" Cade cut through, coming forward to grip his brother's coated arm, his own tone angry now. "And I never was as strong..not in willpower, at least. Unlike you, I have my weaknesses just as everyone else."

"You really believe that?" Tyran growled, resisting the urge to throw off Cade's hand. "You really think I don't have my own inner battles?"

"If you do, you never get to show them," Cade replied, somewhat bitterly. "You, who've kept yourself clean all these years...you don't let the redlust get to you. Sometimes I wonder how much of you really turned - if you truly have the vampire curse - "

Tyran laughed harshly, without humour, as he finally turned away from Cade, going to stare out the window at the spread of the city below. Daytime, the sun out but harmless in the temperate region they'd taken root in.

"You know better than that, Cade," was all Tyran said, shoving his hands into his coat.

Cade stared at his brother's implacable back. "I do know that in your heart you believe you're better than us. That you're...above it all: the Drinking, the Eternity. It means nothing to you."

"And it means everything," Tyran snarled, swirling to face Cade once more. "I suffer far more than you, brother, trust me. I feel the thirst like a black poison in my veins. Some days I can barely see straight for hunger... And sometimes, just being yards away from humans makes me fit to go insane with the desire to tear into their flesh and drink straight from their open veins... I've barely made it, Cade, living on wild blood as I have all these years. It's a thin survival, but I survive nonetheless."

"Well, this helps me survive too, Tyran," Cade said simply, crouching to pick up the fallen pouch. "Keeps me from remembering or even thinking, sometimes. Helps me...forget."

He saw Tyran's quizzical frown, and smiled hollowly. "You always wondered, didn't you, what happened two years ago? The reason why I could never again face a cross the way you still can?"

Despite himself, Tyran perked with interest as he looked Cade's way. It was true; Tyran had always been curious about that. When they'd been much younger, they'd sworn to eachother that they would be clean vampires, would stick only to wildblood, not human's. And then something had gone wrong two years ago. Cade had come home one night, soaked in fresh human blood, and wild-eyed. It had taken days for him to return to normal, but he'd never confided in Tyran about how he had finally given in.

"It was just that once...," Cade began, his voice studiously neutral, devoid of emotion.

"He was so beautiful, Tyran. And so innocent. Golden hazel eyes and dark, glowing skin. I loved him so much...and yet I killed him."

Tyran frowned. "Who, Cade? Who was it?"

Cade shook his head, waving his hand in the air. "It..doesn't matter. I met him one night, at a club on Vyse strip. He was with some girl, and I also had a date along. But by the end of the night we'd ditched both our chicks and left the club together.

"I took him back to a hotel. I don't think I've ever wanted someone as badly or as deeply as I wanted him..wanted him completely. And he trusted me so much. He knew what I was, but he wasn't scared. He was so sure I would never hurt him. And I swear, Tyran, it was never what I intended. But somehow...I snapped."

Cade sighed raggedly, shoving shaky fingers through his hair. "He gave himself totally to me..time and time again. And it was the most perfect thing, Tyran. For the first time in my life, I felt I could love someone as much as myself. When I was one with him, it felt so natural, like we'd been matched since the time of Eden."

His eyes were faraway now, unfocused. Tyran listened, not interruting as Cade went on,

"It was close to midnight...and once again, I had reached for him. As ever, he was willing, open to my every passionate demand. The pleasure was indescribable. And then...things started to go horribly wrong."

Cade grimaced, as if it actual physical pain. "Till today, I can't explain what made things take a turn. Maybe..maybe I wasn't ready; too young to understand and control the intensity of the many different emotions I was going through all at once. For a moment, his throat was bared innocently to me - so I bit him. It was meant to be just a pinch. I told myself I simply wanted to "mark" him as mine. But then...I couldn't stop. That first taste...gosh."

He put his hand over his face for a moment. Tyran knew exactly what he meant, but continued to listen silently, not contributing to Cade's tortured narrative.

"I drank, and I drank... And you know, Tyran, he never struggled. Maybe if he had, I'd have been able to help myself. If he had fought or even protested... But he didn't. Perhaps his trust, his love was so complete in believing I would withdraw at the point of danger. Needless to say, I didn't."

His hand fell from his face as he sought out Tyran's gaze. "I must have blacked out at some point, because I woke up to find him dead beside me. Torn to pieces by my own hands, which were covered in his blood. My whole body was covered in it! I felt almost dizzy with the intoxication that still roiled within me from all that blood. And yet, I was sick to my stomach. How could I have done it? Killed the one thing in the world I'd ever cherished?"

He sighed raggedly. "I didn't know what to do. Then I remembered who owned the hotel - Linfold, one of our biggest Top Brass. I called him, and it was he who saw to it that everything was cleaned up. I managed to get back here without doing something to stupid to myself - though I wished I had. And for days all I could see was him,could still taste his fresh hot blood deep in my throat everytime I swallowed or even breathed...I went half-crazy with the nightmares, seeing him ripped apart by my own teeth and claws.

"And then, I realized that now I had crossed over, I had a choice. I could be the vampire I was meant to be; kill and drink of humans as I willed. Or, I could hold on to the last shred of my sanity, and win back my soul from hell.

"But I couldn't do it alone," he added with a helpless shrug. "I mean I tried, but it was no use. So I started to use a little...something. It was always only meant to get me through the day, and then keep me asleep at night so I wasn't even awake when the hunger struck. But in time even those pills didn't work. So then I sought other ways...till Linfold started to get me the new drug..."
"The Mimick," Tyran put in, his lips slightly curled in distaste. He knew all about the narcotic, a drug developed by human scientists in their own little attempt at self-preservation, and the conservation of their kind. It was the vampire cocaine, so to speak. Only, it gave the same kind of sensation as feeding on human blood; it "mimicked" the taste and helped sate the hunger by replacing it with a heart-pumping high. Tyran had never felt the urge to mess with it. He distrusted anything that didn't let him have full control at all times. A narcotic was a narcotic, whether it was for a good cause or not.
"You can stop turning your nose up at me," Cade said bitterly, choosing his own interpretation of Tyran's expression. He held the little envelope up. "This thing has virtually kept me alive, Tyran; kept me sane. And I can kick the habit when I want to. That's the best part."
Tyran huffed, disbelief written all over his face. Cade scowled, smarting. "I don't need to explain myself to you, anyway. I'm going to be the next in line, not you. So your opinion doesn't really count."
Tyran smiled a little twisted, humorless smile. "Yeah, I figured out that bit at the part where you chose to go to Linfold instead of coming to me for help. But I'm to blame for that too, I guess, like I am for everything else. I'm the bad guy."
"Tyran, hey..."
"Forget it," Tyran snapped, recoiling from Cade's remorseful tone. Tyran was out the door moments later.
He couldn't believe how angry he was, how almost powerless it felt. He walked quickly and almost blindly through the city streets, covering miles of road before he realised how far he strayed.
He paused in front of a coffee shop. It was the up-scale kind, with trendy decor and classy facilities. He hesitated for a moment, then walked in. He loved the smell of coffee; it soothed him, though he couldn't taste it. He'd just nurse a cup for a half hour, he decided, while he tried to figure out his next plan of action. He knew that soon, the time would come to take some sort of stand.

A Taste of Beyond - Sleeping In Our Bed Series

A Taste Of Beyond

Book Two of "Sleeping In Our Bed" Series

She was here. I could feel it.

So many times her presence had touched me like a soft breeze teasing the hairs on my bare arm. Or a scent of wildflowers so faint it felt like part of a dream. Why, why would she choose to invade my senses so cruelly, like a beautiful doll in a glass you could see but not touch? I think I hated her.

So I decided to ignore her. Acted like it didn’t matter. I went to my bedroom, and stripped off quickly. Stepping in the shower, I turned it on icy cold. I needed that to still the fires burning in my blood, to keep me sane. Just knowing she was close, got that fever raging in me again. She knew the strength of my werewolf powers, knew I could tell from a mile that she was near me. The torment was almost unbearable.

I want you, Dane.

Damnit! Now she was inside my mind, her voice a low, breathy whisper. Witch, she would drive me insane if she could. Resisting the urge to smash my fist into the tiled wall, I strove for calm, inhaling deep and hard. For months, she’d stayed away. Not even a flicker of her essence had I traced. And now she had returned, perhaps for just another tantalizing dance around in my head – and in my bed - then it’ll be over.

“Go away, Malyssa. Just..go,” I said out loud, shutting my eyes as the spray of water fell, the steam fairly hissing as the cool water touched my heated skin. I pushed away the wet hair from my face, head thrown back. I tried to listen for any retort, but my mind was a blank. A sigh escaped me, yet I wasn’t sure if it was in relief, or regret. If she’d left, then she’d never meant to stay. My words would have made no difference.

I snatched a towel from the rack and dried myself off quickly. I was reaching for my silk robe to slip into, when her voice stopped me.

“No.”

I whipped around, and there she lay, draped along my bed. Her skin glowed like burnished toffee against the white of the sheets. She too was naked, all of her bared to my devouring, disbelieving gaze. Her dark, curly hair pooled around her beautiful face, the tendrils reaching down to partly cover her high, rounded breasts with their chocolate nubs pointed and inviting. One knee was bent, half shielding the triangle nest between her long, shapely thighs. I couldn’t tear my gaze from the beauty of her, no more than I could stop my own body from reacting with such a force it almost made me tremble. I would have ripped her to pieces in my ardour, if I was unwise enough to fly to her then.

But no, I stood back, waited for the fever in my blood to recede, let the human element in me have the time to catch up and take control. She saw how much I struggled, and stayed quite still. I knew she could disappear in an instant if she sensed she could be in any danger. For that reason, at least, I was glad for her teleporting abilities.

“Do not dress, Dane,” she murmured, continuing her last sentence like those dangerous last few moments hadn’t just passed. My nostrils flared as her fresh hot scent, potent and feminine, tugged at me. Her voice, musical and with that foreign clipped lilt I loved so much to hear, told me she was all real, not some mere shadow. She was really there, in my bed, waiting for me...

“You know I like to look at you,” she added, a corner of her lips lifting as she saw how turgid my traitorous cock had become, the hands at my sides fairly twitching as if longing to cup something: her swaying breasts which danced so temptingly before me, or the soft, curving swell of her hips and ass.

In fact, my whole body throbbed and ached and tightened for her; the balls of my sac felt heavy with the seed I longed to pour deep within her once I was done. And yet – my heart felt chilled. Because I knew this was less than what I wanted. A toss with her in my bed – sweet yet temporal, was not going to be enough. Not anymore.

“I think you’ve looked quite enough, haven’t you?” I replied, as I calmly took up my robe, shrugged into it, and belted it tightly, pointedly. I saw her dark brown eyes flash in irritation, her first show of anger. I went on, “Just how many times have you sneaked in here, spying on me?”

Swinging her feet off the bed, she arose, tall and proud, with her pinched-in waist and beautiful breasts, the tiny vee of curls between her curvy thighs hiding nothing of her secrets from me. She came to stand in front of me, almost chin to chin, her expression far from pleased. “You know I’d never do that, spy on you,” she snapped, then when I huffed, she added with a shrug, “Okay, so maybe I looked in once in a while when you are sleeping.” 

Her eyelashes were cast down, shielding her beneath their black curtains. “I couldn’t help it. Sometimes, when I miss you, more than usual, I find I must come to you. And watching you sleep...it calms me. And then other times, even though I’m not here physically, I..I’m with you through my thoughts and dreams. I always knew that you heard me, and felt me, too.”

“All the time,” I murmured in agreement, forgetting to be mad at her after her confession, and I allowed myself to lift a hand to her soft hair, running through it to hold her in place while I bent to kiss her. It was the first stupid thing I did. The moment our lips touched, there was a surge within me so forceful I all but crushed her soft, firm, willing body to mine. 

I probed her hot sweetness, relishing in the thrilling flavour that was distinctly hers, groaning as she kissed me back just as passionately, her arms circling my shoulders. It seemed a boundless eternity before we drew apart, and I could hear her heart pounding, almost as hard as mine, both beats blending as one in my ears.

And then I did the next dumb thing. I said, “Stay with me, Malyssa. Be mine, and not just for tonight. I will protect you ...”

She was already shaking her head, even while her fingers slowly began to undo the knot at my waist. “It is forbidden, Dane...you and I... Even now, I risk everything, just being here. But I need you so much.”

This she said with lips pressed to the pulsing cord at my throat, her tongue lapping at the beads of moisture there, tearing a moan from me as her hand slipped past the folds of my robe to span the rearing thickness of my cock. I felt branded by her, almost like with every touch she left a mark that I would carry with me everywhere, and everyone would know that I was hers, taken by her witchery. Lord knows I was already well under her spell...

My hand seized her wrist, my grip not unkind, yet a small wince crossed her beautifully delicate features. I made myself remember my own strength, reminded myself that every moment I lost control was dangerous to both of us. I’d never forgive myself if I ever got careless and caused her harm.

“How can you need me,” I rasped, barely able to grit out the words, “And yet not want me? Because I know that if you wanted to, you could be mine completely – as I am yours!”

An impatient sigh hissed from her lips; she tugged out of my hold. “You never seem to understand, Dane,” she said angrily, half turning from me. And yet, there was such serenity in her profile, in the striking arch of her cheekbones, her nose proud, pretty, her lips enticing me with their fullness.

“I am bound by my vows; you know this. If anyone even found out what I feel, I would be turned from my people, my powers stripped from me. Is that what you want?” she asked, facing me again, her eyes holding mine with piercing directness. I cared not that she was making sense; I saw no logic in her reasoning, not with the need that felt like it would crush me beneath its weight.

“What I want...,” I echoed, my hands falling from her. There was an emptiness inside, like something vital had been carved out of me. If things went on this way, I would become but an empty shell. I knew I had the capacity to love, and deeply too. I needed to pour it all out to Malyssa, for she had drawn up this well of feeling within me from the time we had met. But maybe it was time I sought another object for my affections...