Taste of Torment (10 page)

“One of my vampires came home with a huge bite,” said Quentin. “He said that he was attacked by another vampire in a town that was miles away from our own. His opinion was that his attacker had been a newborn vampire who was a little undernourished; he’d felt guilty for killing him. We didn’t think it was anything odd as many newborns are kept isolated and weak by their Sires while they get their bloodlust and gift under control.”

He was right about that. It had happened to Sam. “So you just figured that it had been a newborn who escaped his nest?”

“Yes,” replied Quentin. “But my friend’s bite wouldn’t heal. It just kept getting worse. I didn’t know enough about The Call to realise that it was a symptom. It wasn’t until he and some of the others started vomiting that I realised what was happening. By then, it was too late. He’d fed from many vampires within the nest, and they’d fed from others, who’d fed from others, and so and so on – the taint had already spread amongst the nest.” His eyes took on a faraway quality. I knew his mind was back in those tunnels.

“That was when you left?” Sam gently prodded when he failed to continue.

Quentin’s gaze met hers, once again focused. “Yes, the few of us who hadn’t fed from any of the tainted vampires then left and sealed them inside, hoping to find a cure to bring back to them.”

Ava stepped forward. “Did three Sventés escape the tunnels with you?” Salem reached out and tugged her back to his side in a protective move.

Quentin shook his head. “No, I’m sorry.”

She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and bowed her head. Salem began rubbing her back at the same time that Cristiano curled an arm around her shoulders. The two males then took to scowling at each other. It was something they did a lot since, according to Sam, Cristiano was very protective of his sister and had never liked other guys being around her.

Returning my attention to Quentin, I said, “It would have been helpful if you had alerted people that The Call had surfaced.”

“I couldn’t risk it. I was worried that people would come and destroy my nest before I’d had a chance to search for some way to save them. Yes, I know history says that there’s no way to fight The Call, but I didn’t want to accept that. I
couldn’t
.”

That was something I understood all too well. I was still pissed that he hadn’t told anyone, but I could admit to myself that I might have done the same in his position. “This vampire who was the first to become tainted…Did he tell you the exact place that the supposed ‘newborn’ attacked him?”

“If you’re wondering if there are more tainted vampires out there, the answer is yes. I’ve had some people hunting for them in that area, but they haven’t been easy to find.”

Sam frowned. “How can they be difficult to find? I mean, they’re not exactly inconspicuous. Surely the taint should be widespread in that area by now if some are loose in society.”

“Not if the bitten vampires realise they’re tainted in the early stages and then isolate or kill themselves. It is what many tainted vampires have done throughout history to prevent The Call from doing too much damage to the population – and, of course, because they feared attacking those they cared for. My people have found the occasional lone one roaming in that area, but there haven’t been many. Each one they found has been destroyed.”

Well that was good news…Just not the good news that I’d wanted.

His astute gaze landed on me. “Some from The Hollow are tainted,” he guessed. “Antonio?”

I shook my head. “No, he’s fine. But I can’t say the same for my twin brother or some of my squad.”

Quentin’s face softened. “I’m sorry. I understand your pain. My sister was tainted. Trust me when I say that if there was a cure out there, I would have found it. If I were you, I’d end their suffering now.”

“I can’t,” I choked out.

“You’re not prepared to give up. It does you credit. But there really isn’t anything you can do to save them.”

“You cannot fight The Call.” Collins’ voice had me gritting my teeth again.

Butch’s lopsided grin slowly surfaced as he again glared at the prick. “You’d be surprised what we can do.” Such simple words, and yet they carried a dark threat that made Collins audibly gulp and Eloise back away slightly. Yeah, Butch unnerved everyone.

“Give us the exact location where the tainted vampires are loose,” Sam said to Quentin. “We can have a squad from the legion help your people hunt them down.”

He nodded. “I would appreciate the extra help.”

“If you need a place to stay for
a
”

Quentin shook his head. “Thank you. Really. But I won’t rest until The Call is dormant once more.”

Because that was the only form of revenge for him, I understood. It was the same reason that Ava and Dickhead had stuck around. I knew that if Evan was ever to be killed by anyone or anything, no revenge would ever be good enough for me.

“Do you have the authority to make such a decision, Commander Parker?” Eloise perched a hand on her hip. “You’re a commander” –
for now
, she didn’t say but it was clear in her voice – “but you do not command the entire legion. Surely such a decision should be for Antonio, and Antonio alone, to make.” I knew that Eloise truly wasn’t concerned about that; she simply wanted to slap down Sam in front of everyone, undermine her authority and embarrass her.

Sam cocked her head. “
This
makes you happy? Really?” She shook her head, like she pitied Eloise. Her posture almost regal, Sam gave the bitch her back. “Thanks for being so forthcoming, Quentin.” After all, he could have given us the silent treatment for destroying his nest and his home. “Help will be with you soon.” The dismissal of Eloise’s ‘concern’ had the woman turning an amusing shade of purple.

When we returned to The Hollow, Sam and I found Antonio and Luther in one of the parlour rooms, where we recounted the night’s events. They didn’t seem surprised that we hadn’t obtained a lot of helpful information, but they were saddened by it. At Sam’s suggestion, Antonio agreed to arrange for one of the squads to aid Quentin in locating any loose tainted vampires – rolling his eyes at our tale of Eloise’s behaviour.

“No doubt she and Collins will come to see me soon enough to complain about it.” Then he revealed something that neither Sam nor I wanted to hear. “According to the vampires I spoke to from the Prelature, the complaint made about you, Sam, is in fact authentic. I still do not believe that it was made by anyone from your squad. But someone made it. No doubt Collins is enjoying the idea of hurting you, Jared, by upsetting your mate. But he truly believes that the complaint was made by someone from the squad.”

“What about Eloise?” Sam asked from her seat on the sofa facing theirs. “I mean, I know all she and Jared did was bonk on one occasion” – Luther stifled a chuckle – “but it wouldn’t be the first time that someone got a little jealous about my relationship with him.”

Sprawled beside her, I ran a hand through her hair. “If I wasn’t the Heir, they wouldn’t give a shit, baby.”

How many times do I have to tell you that you underestimate your own
worth?

I didn’t respond. She’d said this to me over and over, and had also told me that I was wrong in thinking that women had always thought I had no more than a high position and a pretty face to offer. It didn’t matter anyway, because the only person I cared about having anything to offer was Sam. If she was under the illusion that I was all those things, that could only be good.

“But it’s obvious that Eloise would like to put me on a drip of bleach,” continued Sam. “And she’s clearly enjoying all of this. Could she be behind it somehow? Surely she could have made it look like an authentic complaint.”

Antonio pursed his lips. “It’s possible. But I have the feeling that there is more to this.” He paused and exhaled a heavy breath. “On another note, Alora has been in touch.”

Sam and I both looked at each other and groaned. We didn’t need more complications.

“She wishes to come here. She heard from Bran what has happened to Evan, and she wants to see him.”

“You can’t let her.” I shook my head. “Evan made us promise not to let her see him the way he is now.”

“I thought as much, but I was not sure.” After a pause, Antonio added, “She was a mess when I spoke to her by teleconference.”

Luther nodded. “Distraught.”

I wasn’t feeling particularly sympathetic toward her right then. “Yeah, well, she had her chance to be with him and she fucked it up. Maybe if she hadn’t, he wouldn’t have insisted on going on the assignment and he wouldn’t be dying.”

Sam gave me a pointed look. “Jared, no one’s to blame for what happened to him. Not Alora, not Evan, not you – no one.”

Antonio sighed. “What occurred between Alora and Evan…As she told me in confidence, I cannot repeat the details. But I will say that she had good reason to hold back from him. I would not have entertained her request to see him if that was not true. I care for Evan, and I do not want people around him who would wish to hurt him emotionally or physically. You know that.”

“She simply wants the chance to help find a way to save him,” Luther said carefully, obviously very much aware I wasn’t in the best mood.

Oh hell, no. “Don’t even suggest bringing her in on this. Evan made us promise.”

“He made you promise not to let her
see
him.” Antonio held up his index finger. “But he did not make you promise not to let her help you.”

Sam tilted her head slightly. “That’s true.”

I twisted to face her, demanding, “Tell me you’re
not
considering this.”

“I know if it was the other way around and I was he
r
”

“You would never have let me down the way she let Evan down.” For a second, Sam looked surprised by my confidence in her. She even looked touched by it. But that didn’t stop her from continuing to put forward her case, just as I’d known it wouldn’t. Sam never gave up on anything. I admired it even as it annoyed the shit out of me.

“People make mistakes.” Her voice was soft, low. “We’ve both made our fair share. We’ve hurt each other. But we’ve always fixed those mistakes. She wants to fix hers; she wants to help.”

I snorted. “Her gift is to communicate with animals – that’s not going to help us fight The Call.”

“No,” agreed Luther. “But you understand the
need
to feel as though you are helping, even though it is possible that you cannot.”

“Alora can do that without coming here.”

Sam shook her head at me. “You are so bloody stubborn.”

Was she kidding? “Baby, three words: pot, kettle, black.”

“I’m not stubborn, I’m tenacious – it’s a gift and a curse.”

“It’s a pain in my ass,
that’s
what it is. Like earlier when I sai
d
”

“Why are you bringing up old shit? You’re always doing it. Like a plunger.”

I scrubbed a hand over my face. “I can’t have this conversation.”

“Thinking has never been your strong point, has it?” She looked at Antonio then. “The pressure gets to him every time.”

You’ll pay for this.
I had to battle a smile. She didn’t bother to hide hers.

If you mean you’re going to tie me to the bed again and make me come over and over until I can’t think straight…come and give it to me.

I did. You swallowed it, remember?

Ooh, good one.

Antonio rose from his seat. “I must go now to arrange for a squad to join Quentin Foy’s hunting party. Think on the Alora matter a little more.”

Not interested in having that conversation again, I simply took Sam’s hand in mine and teleported us…to the bottom of the pool – for maybe the third time this week. The subsequent bitch slap wasn’t a surprise.

Chapter Seven

(Sam)

It was the sound of a moan that woke me the next evening. A moan filled with desperation, need, and bliss. I quickly realised that it had come from me. A talented tongue lashed my clit, making another moan slip out. Without opening my eyes, I reached down and threaded my fingers through Jared’s hair, tugging hard. He growled and began what could only be described as a sensual assault – flicking my clit with the tip of his tongue, fluttering that tongue through my folds, swirling it inside me, and stabbing me over and over with it. Then he was licking, nibbling, suckling, and sipping. God, he was good.

Soon enough, I came hard. But he didn’t stop. He continued his assault until he’d pushed me into another orgasm. Still, though, he didn’t stop. I tried to wriggle away. “No, I want you inside me.”

“
Give me one more,” he demanded.
I hadn’t thought it was possible to come again, but when he zapped my clit with his thumb I was gone. “Good girl.”

While I lay there being racked by aftershocks, he trailed the tip of his tongue up my body, tracing the dips and hollows. Then his mouth latched onto a taut nipple. Nope, he wasn’t done teasing me yet – typical. I wasn’t sure whether I was pleased or annoyed…Maybe a bit of both.

He sucked hard and raked my nipple with his teeth the way I liked it. He gave the other breast the same attention, not stopping until I was squirming and moaning once more. “Jare
d
” I gasped as I was roughly flipped onto my stomach. Looking back at him over my shoulder, I scowled. “Oi!”

He just smiled, licking along my spine. I knew that impish look – it meant that the teasing still wasn’t over. Just as he had to my front, he traced the dips and hollows of my back with his tongue, occasionally pausing to deliver a sharp nip.

“The downside to you healing instantly is that I can’t mark you.” He licked the curve of my shoulder. “I want you all marked up.” His teeth sank into my shoulder just as two fingers plunged inside me. Swallow. Thrust. Swallow. Thrust – the rhythm was driving me insane. Just when I was ready to start cursing him, he withdrew his finger and his teeth, and flipped me onto my back. He loomed over me, his face a mask of utter resolve. One hand scrunched in my hair while the other gripped my hip.

I smiled into piercing hazel eyes that were huge pools of need. “Good evening.”

Jared’s sensual mouth curved. “Happy birthday, baby.” Then he slammed home, wrenching a gasp out of me; I was so wet that he was balls-deep in just one thrust. We both groaned as my muscles clamped around him. He didn’t give me a moment to adjust, and I hadn’t wanted him to. Instead, he tightened his grip on my hip and began ruthlessly pounding into me. “You feel so fucking good, Sam.”

Locking my limbs around him, I scratched at his back and arched to meet his thrusts. Each one was hard, fast, and powerful; making me feel totally and utterly taken. His pace was relentless and frantic, building the friction inside me. But I wanted more of him.

Reading my body well, he hooked my legs over his shoulders and shifted his angle, going even deeper. “I need your mouth,” he growled, curling over me.

I reached up to meet his kiss. It was as dominant and possessive and drugging as always. I drew his tongue into my mouth and sucked on it, smiling at the throaty groan that escaped him.

“Bite me.”

I raked my teeth over his shoulder and then bit down, drinking deep and loving the masculine, spicy taste of his blood. He upped his speed as the effects of my Sventé saliva fed the tension building in him – I could actually
feel
his orgasm approaching, and it was speeding along my own.

“Come with me,” he breathed. Then he
groaned as he buried his face in the crook of my neck and bit down hard. With each gulp of blood that he swallowed, my body wound that much tighter until after only mere seconds I exploded around him with a scream. His teeth sank deeper as my body milked him, shoving him into his own climax.

Finally his teeth released my neck and he delivered a sensual lick to the swiftly healing bite. “I don’t know how it is that you make me come so hard, but I’m not complaining.”

I chuckled. “Right back at you, Michaels.”

He let my legs fall from his shoulders and nipped my bottom lip. “As you already found your gifts, I don’t have any birthday surprises for you,” he grumbled.

“That’s okay. I don’t like surprises. So, um, did you teleport the gifts back here?” I asked casually. He wasn’t fooled.

Shaking his head, he sighed. “You can’t wait to get back to that game, can you?”

“It’s addictive!”

“I thought you might like it…since it features lots of violence, gore, and combat.”

“My character has more depth than that, you know,” I snapped playfully.

“Hmm. I guess I should let you get back to your game before you seriously hurt me.”

I clapped a little. “Yay!” I literally shoved him off me as I jumped out of bed and dashed into the bathroom. A few minutes later, clean and feeling refreshed, I rushed into the living area. His throaty laugh followed me. As I’d expected, the PlayStation 6 was waiting there nicely, along with a stack of Stephen King books and the box that I knew contained a gorgeous pair of diamond earrings. But there was something else, too: it was small-ish, rectangular, and gift-wrapped. Sensing Jared behind me, I turned and arched a questioning brow. He just smiled mischievously and lounged on the sofa.

Well
. I normally detested surprises, but I was strangely excited as I retrieved the gift from the table. It was roughly the size of a DVD…or a video game, I quickly realised. I tore off the wrapping paper. Then I could only gawk. No, this seriously couldn’t be what it seemed. It just wasn’t possible. The gift was in fact a video game, but it wasn’t one I’d ever seen before. It was called ‘The Hollow’…and it was actually a game based on The Hollow. Fascinated and stunned, I gave Jared a ‘what the fuck?’ look.

His smile widened. “I wanted to get you something that you would never have guessed in a million years; something unique. I had a team of people working on this, including vampires whose gift is technology-based. As you can see, you have the option of playing as different people within The Hollow – including me, you, and members of the squad. They each have the gifts, strengths, and weaknesses in the game that they do in real life. Even Dexter’s in it. There are lots of potential assignments and mysteries. The special effects are absolutely amazing. You could even think of this game as a method of training i
n
” He grunted as I suddenly dived on him. “Does this mean you like it?”

Straddling him, I kissed him hard. “I bloody love it. I noticed that one of the ‘baddies’ in the game is Magda. This means I get to kill her over and over again, doesn’t it?” At his nod, I was so touched I almost cried. “This is the sweetest, most thoughtful thing that anyone has ever given me.” He laughed, and I wrapped my arms around him. “Thank you.”

When I finally pulled back, he slid a hand under my hair and squeezed my nape as he tugged my face to his. He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth, coaxing a contented sigh from me. Then his tongue boldly swept inside, stroking mine, as his hands slid down my back to cup my arse. Releasing my mouth, he just stared at me…like he was drinking me in, like it was perfectly normal and acceptable to stare at someone. And it always annoyed me.

“Stop it or I’ll let Dexter spit venom in your eyes and temporarily blind you.”

He smiled, running his fingers through my hair. “No you won’t. Is it really so bad that I like to look at you? Like to look at you knowing you’re mine and that I’ve tasted every single inch of you?”

“Yes, it is. Now, can we play this game or what?”

“I’m not going to be able to pull you away from it without a fight, am I?”

“Nope.”

He just rolled his eyes. “Antonio has a birthday meal planned for you later. That means you can play the game until then. I have a feeling that the squad will want to play it too.”

Jared had been right. When the squad – along with Jude – came to wish me a happy birthday and each gave me a present, they joined me in playing the game. It was so well thought out. The first level was the try-outs. The second level featured a number of training sessions in the arena. Then each level thereafter was an assignment with a different ‘baddy’ each time. And of course things got harder and harder as the game went on. It even had bonus levels such as paintballing and swimming in the bat pool.

The players were so life-like that it was almost freaky. The structure of The Hollow was picture perfect – even the surrounding rainforest was amazingly identical to the one here. The squad took turns at playing as other people, boasting that they had better control of that person’s gift than they did. That caused some arguments.

Even Antonio and Luther had a turn when they came to pay me a visit. I would never have guessed that they were so competitive if I hadn’t seen it for myself. Some of the curses that flew from their mouths had even my eyes widening. Fletcher and Norm also had a turn – Fletcher played me, delighted to be able to use an energy whip.

Of course they all asked if Jared could have one made for them, even Antonio and Luther. But Jared refused, telling them that he wanted me to have something that nobody else had. Fletcher and Norm thought that was extremely sweet. Everybody else whined about it. I couldn’t blame them – it was even more addictive than ‘Vampire Nation’. So addictive that I played it until my eyes hurt, and I actually moaned when I realised that it was time to attend the birthday meal that Antonio had organised.

Forcing myself not to be an ungrateful bitch, I came away from the game, and changed into a little black dress that Fletcher had given me as a birthday gift. “Ready to go?” I asked Jared as I exited the en-suite bathroom.

His hands landed on my hips as his gaze explored every inch of me. “If it wasn’t your birthday meal, I’d say skip it so I could roll this dress up and bury myself inside you.” He nuzzled my neck, inhaling deeply.

I smiled, skimming my hands down his chest, and wishing the shirt wasn’t in the way. “You can do that later.”

“You can bet your sweet little ass I will.” He dropped a kiss on my mouth. “Come on, everyone will be waiting.” To my surprise, Jared didn’t teleport us to Antonio’s huge parlour room. Instead, he took us to…the beach. A strangely empty beach.

I frowned. “Where i
s
” He twirled me around, and I gasped at the sight ahead of us.

“You look amazing,” Jared whispered into my ear as he started to lead me across the sand. No, what I could see ahead of us was ‘amazing’. Several tables were set up on the sand, all with white table cloths, lanterns, champagne glasses, and flowery centre pieces. I loved the beach at night, loved the way the moonlight played off the water. That was clearly why they had done this for me. God, I was spoiled rotten by these people and I probably didn’t deserve it.

With the exception of one table, all the others were seated with guests. On the first table sat Antonio, Lucy, Luther, and –
groan
– Collins and Eloise. On the second were Fletcher, Norm, Ava, and Cristiano. The third seated Butch, Salem, David, and Denny, while the fourth seated Chico, Jude, Harvey, Damien, and Reuben. My heart squeezed as I thought of the three people who couldn’t be here.

Everybody stood, smiling, as Jared and I went to the empty table in the centre. “Oh my God,” I said a little breathlessly. “I can’t believe you all did this.”

Fletcher looked at me like I was daft. “Of course we did this; we love you.”

“We wanted to make your evening special.” Antonio smiled. “I hope we manage to do so.”

I found myself wishing I was better at receiving things because I wasn’t sure what to say. “Thanks…It’s really amazing.” That seemed to satisfy everyone, because they all grinned and sat down.

Most likely sensing my relief, Jared laughed silently as he sat opposite me and laced his fingers through mine. “Neither of us is good at the whole expressing gratitude thing, are we?”

I shook my head. “Luckily they like us in spite of it.”

“You’re wearing your earrings,” he observed, leaning forward to gently finger one.

“Once again, thank you for them.” See, I could do gratitude sometimes.

“You’re welcome. I’m just relieved you like them. You’re not really a jewellery person. In fact, you’re pretty hard to buy for. And you’re even harder to surprise, since you insist on hunting your gifts down – I swear you’ve got a nose like a bloodhound.”

I chuckled, feeling ridiculously happy. A twinge of guilt immediately followed the feeling – here I was celebrating when Evan, Max, and Stuart were stuck in a cell, dying.

Jared squeezed my hand. “Hey,” he said gently. Of course he’d known where my thoughts had taken me. “They’d want you to celebrate your birthday.”

He was right, they would. That was exactly what I needed to hear. I was about to flash Jared a smile of thanks, but then his face morphed into a scowl as his eyes focused on something over my shoulder. Confused, I turned to track his gaze. Ah…Ava and Cristiano were approaching us.

Wearing her usual cheery smile, she bent and planted a kiss on my cheek. Being courteous for a change, I stood and awkwardly accepted the hug she gave me. I wondered if I’d ever be much good at physical displays of affection…Probably not.