Every instinct howled at him to push her away. Not to protect her, but to leave her, so he could hunt and kill. It was the demon inside him, taking control.
But he struggled to quell it. He got to his knees beside her, his changing body wracked with pain. He pressed his wrist to her lips.
Nothing happened. Her lips didn’t move. She didn’t suck. She didn’t try to take his blood.
Dear God, don’t let me kill her. Let her live.
The miracle happened then. Slowly, Vivienne started to drink.
He cradled her against his chest as she did. His unwieldy hands, now tipped with claws, struggled to push the damp hair from her face.
Before his eyes, the claws began to recede. His hands twitched and throbbed as the sharp talons shrank back inside, but he kept his wrist to Vivienne’s lips. She needed enough to heal. Far more than he’d given Sarah. It would be enough to change her, transform her into a vampire, but she would be safe and she would live forever.
His back twisted with a jolt so sharp, he almost let Vivi go. But he refused to release her; he refused to hurt her. His spine buckled, then began to shrink.
Was he really changing back from demon to vampire? He couldn’t let himself dare hope it was true.… No, the hell with it, he
was
going to hope all he wanted. Hope she would survive. Hope for their safety. Hope for a future with Vivienne and Sarah.
“Ow.” Vivi moaned softly. “I feel odd….” Her eyes blinked open and the two most beautiful, most sapphire blue, most sparkling eyes stared up at him. “Heavens, I
feel
. I’m
alive, and you are, and you’re not a demon. And that is the most important thing of all.”
He gathered her into his arms, resting his chin lightly on top of her tangled hair. She smelled of sweat, of pleasure, of blood. And his smell was imprinted on her. It flowed through her veins now, marking her. Making her his. But once he told her what he’d done to save her, would he lose her forever? “Vivi, I have to admit something to you. I did something to save you that I had no right to do without asking….”
She had been horrified to discover she was a succubus, and now he had made her into a vampire. He’d condemned her to an existence where she had to do much worse than have sex to steal a soul. Now, she would crave blood as he did. And she would either hunt mortals, or have to endure the endless struggle against her new nature.
He’d saved her without thinking of the consequences, because he loved her so damn much.
He held her, knowing it would be the last time. He kissed her cheek, her lips, the tip of her nose, her forehead, taking every kiss he could, storing them away in his heart.
“Heath, what is wrong? Are you still changing? You look like you are sick with fear—”
“I gave you my blood,” he said abruptly. “When you offered me your blood, I took it. It stopped my transformation, but I took too much….” For eternity, she would hate him for what he’d done. “Vivi, I almost killed you. Dear God—”
“But you stopped. You controlled yourself. Heath, it means you did not become a demon.” She squared her shoulders. “You never let the curse take control of you. Even as your body changed, in your heart you were still the honorable gentleman I love.”
Her words hit his heart like blades. “I had to give you my blood to save you, Vivi. I am so damn sorry, but it was the only way. You would have died otherwise.”
She stared at him so innocently, he wanted to tear his own heart out. She didn’t understand.
He cupped her cheeks. Gruffly, he said, “It means I’ve turned you. I’ve made you into a vampire.”
She nodded. Her large blue eyes held his, still filled with love. “I knew I risked dying when I gave you my blood, Heath, but you didn’t kill me. You saved me.”
Christ
. “Vivi, you don’t understand. I’ve made you into a vampire like I am. You will have cravings for blood, and you will either have to spend eternity fighting them or you have to feed from people. And I know you would never want to do that. You can never go out into the sun again.”
She would never stroll with Sarah in the sunshine again. Never take her daughter shopping, or to Gunter’s for flavored ices, or even to Brighton to see the sea. In his mind, he pictured Meredith running to him across a lawn drenched in summer sun. That was the most beautiful memory of his life, and he’d ached for a decade because he would never experience those feelings again: the caress of the warm light, the smell of flowers and afternoon breezes, the way his daughter looked when sunlight sparkled in her eyes. Now he had stolen Vivienne’s chance to fill her life with moments like those.
“I gave you survival, but I’ve cost you so much—”
Vivi pressed her hand over his mouth. “Heath, I was
already
a demon. You haven’t taken things from me, you’ve
given
me so much. You’ve given me love. You saved my life.” Her gaze slowly caressed him, setting his skin aflame in its path. “Thank heavens, your body has returned to normal. You look … well, like you.”
“Is that a good thing, love?”
“You are the most wonderful sight I have ever seen—next to Sarah when she was born.”
His heart swelled large enough to burst in his chest. “You broke the curse, Vivienne.”
“We
broke the curse. Don’t you understand? We have found love, something I thought I would never have. You have given me a treasure I could never have dreamed of having.”
He lifted her, though his legs wobbled, his bones ached, and his muscles felt as though they’d been stretched like rubber and snapped back. He rested his forehead against hers. His eyes burned, tears gathering at the corners. He remembered Sarah’s teasing words that vampires were not supposed to cry. But a soft tear rolled down Vivienne’s cheek, and it dripped to her smiling lips. And he had to blink one from his eyes. Apparently, vampires could cry—for happiness.
He took an unsteady step toward the bed, intending to place Vivi there so she could rest, when the window of the room flew up with such force, the glass shattered. The drapes snapped back and four black shapes flew in.
The council was finally here.
Vivienne screamed as winged creatures landed on the carpet in the bedchamber. At once, Heath set her down behind him. He moved with his amazing speed, draped her robe over her shoulders, and stood in front of her once more.
Her throat dry, she saw the figures that now stood in the shadows. Not more of the batlike demons, but the men of the council themselves. She would not cower behind Heath. She stepped forward to stand at his side. They were partners in this. Heath wrapped his arm around her at once and clamped her securely against his left side. She could hear the slow, heavy beat of his heart.
One of the tall men pushed back the hood that hid his face. Vivienne’s heart lurched in terror. It was Adder, the vampire lord who had tied her to the altar, who had intended to rape her, then drink her blood. She had to fight not to shrink back as he prowled forward. His gaze was locked on Heath, but Adder held out his hand toward her.
“All right, Blackmoor,” he growled. “We’ve come as you requested. If you want to protect Miss Dare from Nikolai, you must give her to us.”
She froze. Heath had brought the council here? She stared up at him in horror.
Heath stood naked, his arm tight around her. Yet he did not look cowed or afraid. “Nikolai has offered us protection from you. I am not just going to give you Vivienne. You have to give me a reason to betray Nikolai.”
“Betray him?” Adder scoffed. “He intends to invoke your curse and use you as a tool of destruction. You are such a damnably soft-hearted idiot you won’t want that to happ—” Adder broke off, peered at her, at Heath, then at their tumbled bed. “You were lovers once already, and you have done it again. You damn fool, Blackmoor. The curse—”
“Is broken. It’s gone. I did not change into a demon. Vivienne helped me break it.”
“You made love and you did not change?” The vampire’s face contorted into a startled, blank look of horror.
“As I said, we broke the curse. I no longer need to be destroyed, Adder. There is no need to kill me to protect mortals and vampires.”
Adder sneered. “It means you are of no use to Nikolai. He’ll stake you and turn you to dust. And use your brother instead.”
“So I expect,” Heath answered coolly without a trace of fear. “So I have to destroy Nikolai. Yet I know if I help you by killing him, you will repay me by taking Vivienne from me. I won’t let that happen.”
Adder waved his hand impatiently. “You wish to bargain? There is to be no negotiation. You have found Nikolai for us and brought us into his house. I can destroy him myself right now. With a snap of my fingers, I can summon my demons. How many minions does Nikolai have in this house, a few dozen? I can fight him and win.”
Vivienne looked from one fierce, stubborn vampire to the other. Heavens, they’d been plunged into a vampire war. And she had no idea where Sarah was. Sarah would be in danger. Why had Heath done this? She could see the anticipation in Adder’s eyes. The man would attack. He was gloating at Heath. Adder believed he could kill Heath, then do with her whatever he wished.
What did he
want
from her? Nikolai had told her she had been specially created to tempt men, to be the first of an army of succubi. But why would a vampire want to destroy humans, when he needed their blood?
The other men—there were five more, swathed in black cloaks—moved swiftly into a circle, so all six surrounded her and Heath. She met Heath’s eyes. Silvery-green, they still appeared calm.
Trust me
, he said in her head.
Trust you! They are going to attack you. And we have nothing with which to fight them. I would have to jump over Adder to reach the fireplace poker.
You saved me by giving me hope and love. Keep your hope now.
“You can’t win against Nikolai,” he said softly.
Adder’s sharp laugh rang out. “I will. You have nothing to bargain with.”
But Heath had her—and if she agreed to go, she could save Heath. Perhaps today she
was
destined to die, and leave him and Sarah forever….
Her thoughts died away as she saw Heath’s eyes suddenly widen and the silver-green depths brighten. She knew that look. It was hope. “But you don’t want her anymore, Adder.” Heath added, “She cannot give you want you want.”
“W—what do you mean?” Her voice sounded strange, falling into the sudden silence.
Heath spoke to her, but never shifted his gaze from Adder. “When you helped me to break the curse, it freed you. It makes sense, since Nikolai created you as a … a temptation to ignite
his curse. You did your job, but by beating the curse, I believe you are freed from your servitude to Nikolai. We destroyed his magic. Which means you are no longer a succubus.”
His words astonished her. Heath and Adder locked gazes, like animals pacing, waiting for the moment to attack.
Could it be true? Or was it a bluff? She remembered the rich tang of Heath’s blood on her lips. Dimly, she remembered trying to resist, then giving in. It had been so intimate. He had drunk from her and she from him. She felt bonded to Heath now.
Did that mean she would not go to other men in their dreams, or in reality, and seduce them?
But Adder roared. He spun, slammed his fist into the plaster wall, drilling a six-inch hole. “That is impossible, Blackmoor,” he snapped. “And impossible to prove.”
“You know it is the truth,” Heath countered. “She is a vampire now. And she is mine.”
Heath’s possessiveness shot through Vivienne with the force of a bolt of lightning. She ran her tongue over her teeth. She didn’t have fangs. But sunlight slanted through the windows, spilling on the floor in front of her. She jerked back instinctively, pulling Heath with her.
Adder gave a sickening smile. “I will need to take her to ensure this is the truth. If it is, then she will be freed, I assure you. And if it is true, you have brought about her destruction. Remember Nikolai holds your brother Raine. Miss Dare was useful to Nikolai if she could ignite the demon in either you or your brother. Now that she is bonded to you, she could have sex with Raine and set off the demon, but she would not give your brother the power Nikolai needs him to have. Out of anger and for revenge on you, Nikolai will destroy her. Let her come with me and I will keep her safe.”
The other vampires stepped forward, hands outstretched.
There was no way in Hades she would go with Adder. But how were they to stop six powerful vampires?
Heath wrapped both arms around Vivienne’s waist. “Adder, don’t be a bloody fool. Nikolai doesn’t know Miss Dare is freed from his service. He won’t expect it, so we can use it to distract him. If you want to destroy him, that will be your chance. That was why you wanted Vivienne all along, wasn’t it? To take her power—and stop Nikolai?”
Heath had no idea if it was the truth. But the way Adder recoiled told him he had guessed right. Adder had needed to destroy Nikolai before the super demon was unleashed. No doubt Nikolai intended to use his demon to destroy the council.
Vivi was Nikolai’s child. She was of his blood. If Adder took her blood into his body, her power could give Adder the strength to defeat her father.
Heath’s mind stopped in its tracks. There had to be more. Adder could have easily stopped Nikolai’s plan long ago by destroying the two cursed vampires, he and his brother.
He grasped at an idea. Vivi’s father had been one of the oldest vampires, created by a fallen angel.… He quickly posed a question in Vivi’s head.
You told me about your mother, Vivi. What made her special to you?
Vivi looked at him as though he were mad. But her thoughts flowed into his head.
Her name was Rose. She was strong and courageous, and she would look after every woman in the flashhouse. She used to make up stories for me, of how one day I would marry a prince….
He saw Vivi swallow hard, her beautiful throat moving.
I know that mustn’t be what you want to know. But it is all I know. She was an ordinary woman.
She can’t have been, he said softly. She must have been special—different in some way.