Noose (Road Kill MC #1) (36 page)

CHAPTER 7

I slid into the clothes that had been provided and they were nothing like what Eve had been wearing. For one thing, there were no tags. I slid on a thinly made, silk skirt with a hidden zipper in the back and low-heeled sandals, it was winter but the place was kept quite warm so my legs were left bare. Finally, a deep royal blue sleeveless shirt finished the ensemble. Eve had given me lingerie that seemed contrary to the plain yet elegant clothing I'd been given; crimson lace boy panties and bra set. The bra hugged my breasts like lace skin, molding and pushing them up to what felt like my neck level. Once the blouse was on, my breasts floated at the top of the blue like creamy flesh balloons.

I'd keep the bra when I got out of here
I thought with a smirk.

I found my cell after Eve left with a suspicious glance over her shoulder and I heard the bolt slide into place from the outside. I would have to leave this room first, then scope out possible portals of escape.

The hopelessness of my situation did not escape me. I was with a bunch of predators, bent on having me and keeping me... virtually forever. But I wasn't one to give up.

I snapped up my cell and the bar for service was at one.

And so was my charge.

Quickly I speed-texted Michelle, thinking...
respond, respond, respond
.

The envelope lit up on my cell and I punched the screen and Michelle's text appeared.

Where the hell are you? You dumbass, the cops have been crawling all over your apartment looking for you! And! They found the bodies of the guys that attacked me...

I sent back this message:

I've been taken by the freak-vampires and am trying to figure out an escape plan.

I glanced around. Went to the window, looked outside. I had no idea where I was. Wherever it was, the woods didn't narrow things down.

Somewhere rural
I thought, despairing.

Well... I am doing cat-sitting right now. Do you know where you're at? Are you okay?

Yeah, I'm okay. Are you... alright? Has the cop been arrested?
I texted.

Why? What cop?
Michelle texted back.

She didn't know? I thought.

The one that was busy raping you in the interrogation room..
.

I think you're confused, Rach. I mean, the two jerks at Spinners were the ones that raped me. The cop is the one that ordered the rape kit and drove me home.

Scrubbed.

The vampires had erased her memory. As far as Michelle knew, the rapists were dead and in the ground now. Never to do a repeat performance.

The bolt slid back and Nathan and Cole strode in the room, Cole's eyes honed in on the cell open and lit in my hand.

He was upon me in an instant, the cell swept against the wall and shattered before I knew my hand was empty.

Nathan held both my wrists together in a grip that was achingly tight, just shy of crushing and I moaned against my will, it hurt that much.

Cole turned and said, “Release her fool, she is fragile.”

Nathan did, smiling and Cole frowned at him.

I fought the urge to rub my wrists as Nathan's eyes roved over my body. “Mouthwatering,” he said. “Her scent permeates the air.”

Cole nodded. “It does,” he said, his breath quickening.

They approached me slowly and I backed up into the corner of the room, thinking that was becoming a familiar theme for me.

My body responded to their closeness and my knees grew weak as Cole leaned into my neck, his fangs punching out with a snapping, meaty sound and I shuddered, my desire and fear mingling in exquisite torture.

Nathan moved in on the other side, wrapping his muscular arm around my waist and holding me against him. Cole began to kiss my neck and simultaneously graze those fangs along my jawline. Nathan wrapped a hand in my hair and exposed my neck in a long, clean line and my breath came in ragged gulps, my core getting wet for invasion, thoughts of my escape dimming as my desire for the vampires overcame my sense.

“I will taste you now, Witch. And you will let me,” Cole said, his hot breath warming my slender throat, the pulse beating wildly beneath his mouth.

Something fundamental inside me screamed
no
even as
my arms drew him into my body and he struck, his fangs sinking into my throat, latching on.

It was the worst pain of my life. I began to struggle and Nathan held me still, my body bucking as Cole drank my blood, his arousal against my belly while his fangs pierced my flesh.

As my head became light, Cole pulled back, licking the wounds at my throat and I slid down the front of Nathan's body, dizzy.

Cole caught me easily, carrying me to the bed where they lay me on it.

“She is pure. Both parents, Druid,” Cole said as I stared up at him dreamily.

“She will not fight us now,” Nathan said, his eyes on my legs, breasts, all of me.

“Alexander will punish us for having her before the ceremony.”

Cole looked at Nathan. “He need not know.”

A silent glance passed between the two vampires and I felt the weight of their stare like licking heat on my body.

The blood loss had made me feel drunk, but the feeding at my throat had awakened something primal in me. I felt desire for Cole spread like a flower opening deep inside my body.

He must have sensed something because he looked down at me.

“I cannot, it is akin to rape. She is in blood-languor. She would have sex with any one of us. And,” Cole said, stroking the flat of his palm over one of my nipples until it hardened, “Alexander would find what vampire would be the most fertile with her.”

Nathan said, “Fine, but we must see if we can give her something for the gift of her blood.”

A slow smile spread over Cole's face and I lay there as they discussed having sex with me and found I couldn't work up to a point of indignation. What was wrong with me? My throat throbbed and my core moistened in anticipation for their attention.

Slowly, Cole put his large hands at the hem of the skirt and raised it inch by slow inch until it was exposing the beautiful crimson panties. His blunt fingertip slowly teased the inside of the lace edge against my vulnerable opening, not reaching inside, just stroking the side of the panty. I moaned and my legs began to part of their own volition. I was deeply embarrassed, but too aroused to care.

Cole gave a masculine chuckle and inserted the one finger that had ridden the edge of the lace into me and was greeted by my slickness and he groaned. “She is so ready,” he murmured.

His hand began to work a rhythm and my hips squirmed to meet it. Nathan had unbuttoned my blouse and was rolling my nipples in between his fingers as Cole moved a finger in and out of me in a slow and delicious pull.

I looked up at his glacial eyes, watching him down the long line of my body as my skirt sat bunched around my waist and his hand was busy inside me.

I was building toward a shattering orgasm when he surprised me out of my languid stupor by pressing his mouth against my clit, flicking it once, twice, three times. But it was the cool press of the fangs against my opening that jerked my hips up into his seeking mouth, my orgasm ripping from my mouth in a scream that Nathan caught in a kiss.

Cole gently pressed his forearm against my lower stomach and shot his tongue into my core, spearing it as he lightly bit along my labia... and another orgasm shattered me as he speared his tongue in and out of me over and over, finishing me by lapping at my entrance, slick with my orgasms and his attentions.

Nathan released my mouth reluctantly and Cole sat up and away from me. I lay there with my legs spread before a stranger, a vampire. Who had just given me the best sex of my life without using his cock. He bent over me once more and kissed my most private part and I shivered, my hips moving of their own accord. He worked his way up my body, my hand rising to press against his head and his hips lay cradled between my open legs and I could feel his arousal between them.

“Why didn't you take me?” I asked. Mad, frightened and sexually frustrated all in one confused mess.

“You are not yourself right now. I would not have our first time like this, when blood-languor is upon you. It will be your choice who you mate with, and Alexander's.” A cloud of some dark emotion crossed his face at the mention of the leader's name.

With a tender finger along my jaw he said, “You taste perfect,
you are perfect
.” He kissed me. I could taste myself on his mouth and it made me moan underneath him and he shuddered.

“You undo me. I must go.” Nathan was above me and looked longingly at what Cole had just done.

Cole straightened my panties and skirt. “You must be hungry.”

Not anymore
, I thought dreamily. My core throbbed for something other than food.

Nathan shook his head. “Let us take her to the Gathering Room.”

I was very woozy after the blood loss and the sex. Each man helped me to my feet, one on either side. My eyes found the shattered cell phone and I pulled out of Cole's grip, my senses beginning to right themselves.

“I texted my friend.” I snatched my hand out of his, backing away from both of them, the aftereffects of the bloodletting slipping away in a rush. “You know... the one you let the cop rape.”

Cole's expression darkened and my gaze went to his mouth, thinking about where it had been but minutes before. A flush rose to my face. I was trapped with these two men. I had allowed one of them to do things to me and I was instantly angry. How could I have let him? Them?

I stomped to the door, catching myself from falling against the jamb. Cole was instantly there, supporting my elbow. “You are not at your full strength. You need to eat. We could do nothing for your friend.”

“Yeah, I know... cattle,” I said, tearing my arm away from him and glaring at Nathan. They stared back at me, Nathan reaching forward and opening the door.

I walked in the hallway and immediately felt unsure of myself but my residual anger from being bled, manipulated and essentially used sexually while I was physically vulnerable fueled me onward. I swung around, still dizzy and leaned against the wall, my vision dimming, my anger and frustration at my circumstance burning hot tears in my eyes that refused to fall.

Cole got real close to me and whispered in my ear, “You are not well, let me carry you.”

I shook my head and my vision swam in streamers of color. He was definitely not going to touch me again. I ground my teeth together as I began to slide down the wall, my palm dragging against the cold stone.

“Just pick her up!” Nathan said.

Cole did, easily scooping me up in his arms and I hit him in his chest with weak fists. “Put me down...” my head lolled against him and the first, hot tears stained his black shirt and I fainted where I lay, safely pressed against him.

CHAPTER 8

I stirred, waking in another room with Eve peering anxiously over me.

“They should have never bled you before you had taken food,” she said, patting my forehead with a damp cloth.

Hunger slammed into me when I smelled a bowl of something that made my taste buds come alive in a roaring inferno.

I sat up too quickly and dizziness assaulted me. Nausea kicked in and I said, “I think I'm going to be sick.” I slammed my feet down on the cold floor and ran to the bathroom, but my weakness caused me to stumble and I put my hands out to brace my fall and I was in his arm's again.

Cole's.

I was too weak to struggle and lay there, my stomach heaving from blood loss and lack of food.

“You fool! She can hardly walk... she is sick to her stomach! Could you have not waited?” Eve yelled at him and I lay still, listening for a heartbeat that wasn't there.

I watched Cole's eyes close, the iciness gone for a moment then he looked down at me. “Forgive me, I would not harm you purposely.”

I was too tired to be angry. I said nothing and he sighed but the urge to throw up had passed.

“Give me the soup. I will feed her.”

Eve pursed her lips and gave him the bowl. Cole carried me to where I had lain, using only one arm, the soup in the other hand.

He sat down and tenderly brought me to a sitting position and my stomach lurched. Instinctively I put a hand over my mouth.

He scooped up some of the fragrant broth and lifted it to my mouth and I parted my lips for him and a fine sweat appeared above his lip. It was then that I knew that he wanted me for himself. It didn't matter what their leader (Alexander) thought, this vampire would be as territorial as he needed to be.

I would use that as leverage and escape this place. It didn't matter that the sex was great. The fringe benefits weren't sounding too hot at the moment. I ate half a bowl and allowed my head to fall back against his chest again, playing the weak female card for all it was worth.

It wasn't that hard.

He clenched me tighter and stroked my hair.

Eve said, “Don't get attached to her. You know better. Alexander will make a match that is best for a breeding pair...”

“I know that better than most!” he spoke to her harshly and she cringed away from him.

“Have you stopped to think that the Druids should not be matched for biology solely, but for love?”

Eve shook her head. “You know that is not the way of it, Cole. Think with your head,” I watched her press a fingertip to her temple, “not your emotions. You have always been thus.”

“I am not ashamed that I wished to be mated to a Druid and not share her with others.”

“That will never happen,” Eve said. “At the very least, she will have two mates. It cannot be avoided, there are too few.”

Cole let out a frustrated breath and it moved my hair, his arms crushed me to him and I smiled.

Gotcha.

*

I had regained some strength and Eve managed to convince them all that I was ready to partake in the ceremony. Albeit after there was something solid in my stomach.

I approached the cavernous room, noise echoing and bouncing off the walls. There were many women (and some men) lined up at a huge banquet table piling food on plates.

Many of the women were pregnant.

Many looked alike.

Druids
, I thought. It was the first time I had ever felt a sense of belonging. Momentarily, I felt a comfort but the life I'd had came crashing down on me. This was some kidnap worship crap and I needed to stick to the plan. I needed to pretend, and get out of here. My eyes flitted around from one person to the next, finally landing on the huge vampire leader, Alexander.

He wasted no time, moving toward me in a rush, his actions a blur. I had a sense of vertigo as he approached and steadied myself against the wall I had stuck close to.

Another vampire, who looked vaguely familiar held a plate of food. Vegetables, roasted chicken and a small amount of fruit sat atop it and he handed it to me without a word, his eyes watching the pulse which beat in my throat as if mesmerized.

“Cole has told me what has happened.”

I blushed a fine, true red. Completely embarrassed about him knowing the intimate details of the sexual encounter that transpired between Cole and I and to a lesser degree, Nathan.

I put my chin down and refused to meet his eyes, he lifted it with a finger. “Let me introduce you, Pureblood.”

He didn't know
, I thought. I looked around for Cole and there he was in the shadows of the room, watching me covertly. His gaze was a weight on my body. I shivered at the look he sent me and tried to calm myself.

My body remembered how it felt to have that sultry attention, betraying me even as I angered. I looked away hurriedly, following Alexander out into the center of the room, my hand gripped in his.

“This is Rachel Collins. She is the first pureblood Druid to enter our kiss in one hundred years.” There were murmurings all around. Apparently, it was big news. I stood there waiting.

Finally, Alexander gestured for me to sit and I did gratefully, taking small bites of my meal and realizing I was starving. I ate as quickly as I could.

The food stuck in my throat as five vampires came to stand before Alexander.

“Two of these vampires will be your mates. Maybe... more.”

I shook my head, my stomach lurching in a sickening way. “I didn't say I wanted them.”

Alexander frowned, I guess he wasn't used to a “no.” But I had to play along so I rushed on, explaining, “I want to have a choice.” I looked and saw Cole glower. He thought I'd be choosing someone else.

I was choosing to escape but that was for later, for now I would play along.

“Let us see who amongst these are a good breeding selection for you.”

I stood and walked to the vampires, my heart racing. They were all huge males,
vampires.
The eyes were the same, they watched me with anticipation and I approached them warily. What would this mean?

Nathan was among them and suddenly I felt cold. I repressed an almost insane urge to look for Cole. Why was he not amongst them?

They circled me. One came from behind and another came forward pinning my arms to my side and crushing his lips to mine. “Submit, Druid,” he said, his hand going right for my crotch. I squirmed against steel bands and struggled, hardly able to breathe. They weren't doing anything, they were no better than the men that Cole had saved me from.

“She has such spirit, look at how she tries to fight.” He tore at my panties and began to dig his way inside me and I threw my head forward into his and he stumbled back, his hand retreating while I was bodily picked up by the vampire behind me, swung around and pressed to the floor. My head was ringing and the vampire I'd hit was coming toward me again to join in some kind of gang-rape.

I screamed and Cole was there, his fangs bared and his arm shooting out. His hand wrapped the throat of the vampire that rode me, his knees spreading my legs.

Cole lifted him by his throat, heaving him into the stone wall and I scrambled backward on all fours until I was pressed against Cole's shins.

“Alexander, how can you allow this?” Cole yelled as Nathan held back the other three that would have rushed Cole.

“Calm down, Reaper. You know she must be used by all so that she may become pregnant right away. Can you not smell her, she is fertile.”

Cole said nothing and Alexander's eyes narrowed. “You do know. Have you been with her?”

Cole shook his head. I whimpered and pressed my face harder against him and he moved his legs apart so I fit more securely against them.

“Let them have her, Cole. She may choose a mate. Afterward.”

The one that Cole had thrown watched me at Cole's feet like a feral animal.

“Please, don't let them have me,” I pleaded up at him, and his eyes held mine and I had a stab of guilt, knowing my intent was to leave this place and use whatever emotional attachment he had for me against him.

“I will check her fertility,” Alexander said and Cole growled, his fangs tearing out of their encasement of flesh.

“You will step away from the Druid, Reaper.”

Cole relented with a grunt of disgust and I was left alone on the middle of the floor as Alexander approached me.

He wasted no time getting down on the floor, between my legs as a hundred people looked on he lifted my skirt and plunged a finger inside me, moving it back and forth. I tried to close my legs but he easily pressed them apart. His breathing came faster as he positioned himself between my legs using his other hand to pull down his pants.

Cole, from so much closer than I thought, said quietly, “You are not to have her either, Alexander.”

Alexander slid his hand out of the slickness of me and I swept my legs closed, knowing every vampire in the room had seen what Alexander had. The vampires had their eyes latched to me, pupils dilated.

Alexander stood, fastening his pants with shaking hands. “I forgot myself.”

All eyes turned to me and I kept my legs together and tried to look as appealing and vulnerable as I could, it was all the leverage that I had. Nathan was especially enthralled, licking his lips and waiting for his chance.

The other Druids looked on with horror as Cole came and lifted me to a standing position on shaky feet. I couldn't stop the naked accusation that filled my eyes. We had managed to stave off the inevitable only because Alexander himself lost control. As the leader, he was looking pretty bad right about now.

I could still feel his probing fingers inside me and couldn't contain an involuntary shudder.

All that talk about what a precious commodity Druid Breeders were was lost before his lust. The female vampires looked at me like something to squash underneath their heel.

Wonderful position I was in. Leaving sooner rather than later would be better.

“She has three days of fertility. You know the rites, Cole. She will have to submit to five Reapers. It is the way. After, she can be mated with two,” Alexander shrugged, his momentary faux pas, like a pink elephant in the room, forgotten.

Cole wasn't going to forget. I could sense it, tasting his reluctance to comply like a fine wine on my tongue.