Bloodseeker - Colin's Conquest Part 14

Examining his face as he filled her ears with his lyrical timbre, she noticed a slight difference in his usual stony expression. It had to be something in those deep, dark eyes. Maybe, they had lost a degree of their previous coldness or perhaps an added spark flared somewhere in their depths.

She studied his handsome face so intently, she didn't realize he had ceased talking and began ogling her, staring at her nipples, visible through the thin sheet. Crossing her arms in front of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, she scowled but then changed her mind and smiled lifting one brow.

"Wanna bite, Colin?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to swallow them ... take them back. His face changed from human to vampire before her eyes. His lashes fluttered against his pallid cheeks and then the lids lifted to reveal angry glowing eyes.

The sounds of his ragged breathing filled the room. Aside from her own thundering heartbeat it was the only thing she heard. His pale lips peeled back unsheathing the gleaming pointed canines that he normally kept retracted. She couldn't tear her eyes away from those dangerous teeth.

"Is this such a joking matter to you? I find nothing amusing about the struggle for life and death! Do you not understand that within minutes I could leave you limp and bloodless?" His voice remained low but so menacing in his restraint.

"But..."

"No! No buts. Never joke about what I am. Do you understand, Joanna?" She nodded her head. She felt so ashamed, so utterly stupid. And his mean words cut her to the bone when she meant nothing by her ignorant comment, nothing more than seduction.

Tears welled up and ran down her cheeks in heart breaking rivulets. Colin's fingertips grazed her wet cheek then he vanished ... the brief stirring of the air around her the only evidence that he'd been there at all. d.a.m.n him.

Colin stood just outside the door, his hand on the doork.n.o.b, listening to her soft sobbing. For the first time he had hurt her feelings and this pain, her pain and his also, he could scarcely tolerate! All the other things he did to her, the capture, the punishment, the physical pain, none of it hurt her like this. Oh but he could not do this to her! He would not.

Staring down at the teardrop-speckled sheet she paid no attention to her surroundings. Patches jumped up on the bed with her and purred, rubbing her head on Joanna's elbow. After settling herself in her favorite human's lap the feline nudged her hand until she began to stroke the cat's soft fur.

In a sudden moment of clarity, it dawned on her that Patches was in the room with her. That must mean Colin left the door open!

Yes, it stood ajar. Colin must be losing his mind as well as driving her right out of hers. One minute he is yelling about punishment and the next minute he leaves the door unlocked. She knew he did it on purpose because he never did anything accidentally, or did he?

Ben sat observing his creator from across the room, noticing he'd read the same page of his book for half an hour.

"Is that a good book, Colin?"

He didn't answer, didn't blink an eye, he appeared inert.

"Did you know that your human has left your room, Colin?"

He exploded from the chair, dropping the book. For one terrifying instant Ben thought he came for him, but Colin stomped over to the fireplace, running his fingers through his hair with his head back, staring at the ceiling.

"I left the door open for her." His strained words little more than a whisper, not uncommon for Colin's speech, but still Ben knew that something was amiss.

"What is..."

"I have decided to keep her captive no longer."

Ben had been about to leave his chair when Colin's statement knocked him off his feet and he fell back into the recliner with a thud.

So shocked that he couldn't make his gaping mouth form words, he sat there like an idiot watching his creator pace the floor.

"I am setting her free. I refuse to keep her imprisoned like an animal."

Ben managed to make his tongue functional once again and he spoke up, albeit with trepidation. "I seriously doubt that you will have a problem keeping her here now, Creator."

"No. She must return to her home."

"Convert her then!"

"I cannot. I will not. I refuse to extinguish the fire that is her very human essence. I care for her and I will not be this selfish." Colin's voice trailed off as he gazed toward the bedrooms.

His heart heavy, Ben rose to face his beloved creator and touched his arm.

"We must kill her then, right? I'll do it for you if you want." Ben released his arm like it was hot coals when he felt the terrible trembling begin in Colin's body. Teeth clenched, Colin glared at him.

"No! No! No! It is my wish that she be free and you will follow my wishes, will you not, my neophyte?"

In a rush of anxious words, Ben strove to rea.s.sure his creator of his loyalty, but at the same time voice his doubts.

"Yes, of course, Creator, I always do as you ask, but aren't you worried that she might expose us?" To his surprise, Colin stopped his pacing, his face blank, and then he laughed."You are forever underestimating me, Ben. Joanna should be the least of your worries. She will not disclose our ident.i.ties to anyone, besides, even if she did tell someone, do you honestly think they would believe her?" He smiled, but like the earlier laugh, it was forced and did not reach his eyes.

"As always, you are right. I didn't even believe you myself until your fangs were in my vein." Ben sighed, the weight of the truth on his shoulders. "We are taught from infancy that there are no such things as ghosts or witches or vampires, so our parents can get a good night's sleep. Yeah, you're right. No one will believe her, but of course, you're always right."

"No, that is not true, Ben. I have been wrong about one thing..."

"What's that?"

They both turned at the sound of her voice. Then, they stared at each other in amazement, for neither one of them heard Joanna's approach.

"Why are you staring at me like that?.... What is it?"

They glanced back at her and then back at each other again, as if they could converse with their eyes. Colin broke away and spoke after what seemed an eternity to her.

"It is nothing, Joanna. Are you hungry? Ben prepared a platter of cold cuts and cheese for you last night, but you were otherwise engaged." He grinned ... a knowing little smile just for her.

She smirked, mouthed "smart a.s.s" at him, and turned on her heel to go to the kitchen, but he was too quick for her. Bowing like the most gallant of gentlemen, he extended his arm to her to escort her into the dining area.

"Why thank you ... kind sir" Despite her dripping sarcasm, she took his offered arm.

As soon as they left the room, he leaned down to her ear .

"You did not have to change, you were beautiful in what you had on." When she didn't respond more than a sidelong glance at him, he went on.

"I apologize for snapping at you earlier. Am I forgiven?"

"Yeah, sure."

Frowning at her abruptness, he had a hard time believing she had forgiven him and he wondered what she had on her mind.

"Thank you so much for your forgiveness, Joanna." His sarcasm fell on deaf ears, for Joanna busied herself in the refrigerator retrieving the platter of cheese. Leaning against the counter, she fixed herself several mini-sandwiches with the ham, cheese and saltine crackers. Although she didn't want him to know, she watched Colin with close interest, out of the corner of her eye. At the moment he stood with the refrigerator door ajar, his back to her as he poured something into a gla.s.s.

Without warning he stood up and caught her looking at him, and she swallowed an un-chewed bite of her cracker. It scratched her throat all the way down. In pain, she reached for the gla.s.s that Colin just sat on the counter and downed its contents. Setting the empty gla.s.s back down she coughed a couple of times and glanced at Colin to see if she made him angry with the theft of his beverage.

So amusing to see what her expression must always look like on his face! His chocolate brown eyes were round and large and his mouth hung open like a pair of long johns with the b.u.t.tons missing in the seat. She almost laughed as his gaze s.h.i.+fted from her mouth to the empty gla.s.s and back again, that astonished look still on his face.

"Uh.... Joanna.... uh""I didn't know you stuttered, Colin. What is it?"

"That was my gla.s.s you drank from. Did..."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest and interrupted him.

"Yeah, So?"

"Did you not notice what you were drinking?" She didn't want to look back at the gla.s.s, but she had to and there she saw the remnants of the red fluid in the bottom of the gla.s.s. Her face a blank mask, she looked back at Colin.

"It was blood, Jo. You drank a gla.s.s of blood ... cold blood."

He grabbed the dishtowel off the counter in preparation for her vomiting, but he was in for a surprise. She just stood there, gazing without expression for a moment, then she shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'so what' and left the kitchen by way of the back door. Colin was flabbergasted. The towel still in his hand, he remained standing stock still. She had not even gagged! As soon as Joanna stepped out the door and slammed it shut behind her, she gagged. Her stomach lurched into her throat, and she spit out all the moisture in her mouth again and again in an attempt to remove the lingering taste from her tongue. It didn't help at all.

At least she hid her revulsion from Colin. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that she screwed up. Let him think she did it on purpose! Frantic now to get the taste of the blood out of her mouth, she ripped some leaves off the vines growing near the house. Stuffing them into her mouth she chewed with gusto to saturate her taste buds with their flavor. The leaves tasted awful, worse than biting into an aspirin and her tongue begun to burn. She spat them out on the ground and glanced back at the vine she pulled the leaves from. Oh No! Poison ivy!

Joanna ran around the cabin looking for a hose bib. Surely Colin installed a water hose somewhere. On the side of the house, she found the valve for the water, but no hose. Making a mad dash for the valve, she turned it on and fell to her knees to put her mouth directly in the water spray. Water sprayed her face, her s.h.i.+rt, her hair and she didn't care as long as she put out the fire burning on her tongue.

After he overcame his shock, Colin followed Joanna outside. His chest filled with tender feelings when he saw her sitting on the stump near the corner of his cabin, gazing out into the woods. The strongest human he had ever encountered, his Joanna! She showed not a bit of concern over drinking blood from his gla.s.s.

He walked up to her side. "The woods are beautiful, are they not?" When Joanna turned his way, he saw the tears in her reddened eyes, her damp face and hair. "What is it, Jo? Why do you weep?"

He thought she was crying! Men are such gullible fools at times! Her first attempt at answering him started a coughing attack as she tried to expand her still clenched throat to speak.

At once he came to her aid, slapping her on the back and asking if she needed something to drink. Remembering what she drank before from his gla.s.s, she declined his offer with a shake of her head and got the coughing under control herself.

"I'm fine now, really, Colin. I just wanted to wash my face and I didn't realize the water would spray out all over me." She prayed that he couldn't hear the lie in her voice. He didn't suspect any untruths because he nodded his head in agreement and sat down beside her, taking her hand in his. Good thing she washed her hands in the water too! With his other hand, he pulled up a weed and stuck it in the corner of his mouth, like a farmer with a stick of hay.

"You know, you should watch what you put in your mouth out here."

He removed the weed and examined it. Then he tossed it on the ground. "I suppose you are correct."

"You suppose?"

He stood and pulled her to her feet, escorting her to the soft gra.s.s near the back door. He encircled her with his arms and hugged her, caressing her back like he couldn't keep his hands off her. When he realized that she couldn't breathe, he released her with a small laugh.

"Yes, little one, I do suppose."

Enthralled by his dancing eyes, she wondered what she did to turn him on this way where before he seemed so cold! He looked so human!

"Colin, why haven't you been going out lately?"

He traced the shape of her lips with his index finger as he spoke, his eyes blazing in their intensity.

"I do not need to."

"Why?"

Why. The simple word that fills the world with questions and explanations, and one of Joanna's favorites.

"We do not have to hunt every night. Only the nights during the full moon does the thirst send us out ... the relentless drive to feed."

"So you are a normal man the rest of the time then?" Joanna giggled at her own question and when he lifted one eyebrow, looking down at her with his 'superior man look' she giggled harder.

"Okay, I take it back, you are anything but normal." She slipped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his firm chest, loving the exotic smell of his body.

"I can't imagine anyone stronger than you." For the first time Joanna heard his pulse quicken as she touched him! Bending her head back to tell him that she could hear his heart, his lips covered hers, cutting off any further words. Then she forgot all about saying anything as he stretched her out on the ground beneath him.

With his s.h.i.+rt for a sheet, she lay staring up at the treetops, thankful that Ben had not come out the back door and seen her in all her glory. Although at the time, she could care less if he sat right beside them and stared. Colin had to be the best lover in the world!

No woman could possibly live through any more than he gave.

Turning on his side, he watched her with such an odd expression. She couldn't quite fathom it, but he looked so sad. Leaning over, he kissed her on the lips and then trailed his kisses down her throat. He moved lower pus.h.i.+ng her s.h.i.+rt aside to kiss the punctures above her heart, soothing the soreness away with his tongue, and tickling her breast with damp eyelashes.

Warm drops fell on her skin moments before he drove his sharp teeth into those same puncture wounds. The jabbing pain shot through her breast, but disappeared in an instant, replaced by that same wonderful euphoria. Wrapping her arms around his head she held him close and stroked his soft curls as he sucked on her flesh.

With a jolt, she realized that she loved him, even as he drew the blood from her veins ... she loved him with all her heart.

He drank longer than he ever had before. She weakened, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier until she could no longer hold them open. She felt thousands of tiny hooved animals trampling all over her body, their little hooves causing a tingling that gradually grew fainter, and fainter still until only a numbness was left. The faint heartbeat that she could still hear grew more distant until it was only a buzzing, and then nothing.

Colin felt like he had just died. He almost wished that he had rather than go on knowing she would no longer be at his side. Why had he done this to himself? Why had he done this to her? Filled with shame, he b.u.t.toned her s.h.i.+rt over her pale flesh and pulled her shorts back up and fastened them at her waist. Then he picked up her limp body and hugged her to him, clinging to her, not wanting to let her go ... but he must. All his years and all his strength could not prepare him for this terrible pain! He could not imagine ever having to do something so difficult in his life.

This was the best thing for her. Telling himself this over and over, he trudged through the thicket carrying his cherished chosen one. He regretted ever bringing her to his cabin, ever bringing her to him. What a grave error he made in thinking he could make her love him, but remain detached enough to bring her over into this life.

She watched with canine interest and something more as the un-natural made his slow way through the woods. He carried a human woman. Not good. Something wrong. Something very wrong. As the un-natural pa.s.sed close by her hiding place, her head ached, a spear between her eyes. Her feral instincts deserted her and the something more took hold. Time to leave this form, and soon.

Thirteen

Sunlight streamed in the open window of her cabin and a fan whirred overhead creating a comfortable breeze. Nothing seemed out of place, and yet somehow everything felt out of place. Patches sat on the foot of the bed, grooming the fur on her front legs with lazy abandon, and Pete buried his head in his food dish mumbling to himself as he munched on his safflower seeds.

On the kitchen table, beside the bird cage ... oh she had to get up and get to that table, and the bucket of icy slush with cold drinks soaking in it. Condensation ran down the sides of the frosted metal bucket and pooled around the edges. Her dry mouth contorted as she saw the half melted ice cubes and the floating colas. Joanna heaved her heavy body off the bed and tried to stand.

At first her unwilling body would not obey, her arms and legs anch.o.r.ed to the bed, but with her increasing thirst driving her to the table and the cold drinks there, she managed to get up. The frosty cola traced a cool course down her throat and into her stomach.

The entire drink disappeared in a matter of seconds. She could never remember being so thirsty before and the cola didn't even put a dent in her terrible thirst.

After resting for a moment, she reached with her left hand for another can. The sparkle of gold on her wrist caught her eye, and she stared in amazement at the watch she never saw before gleaming there. Why couldn't she remember her vacation? A black void filled her mind. Thinking maybe she'd had a head injury, she searched her skull with both hands for sore spots.

She confirmed her suspicions when she touched the area on her temple and pulled her fingers away as the light pressure caused considerable pain. That explained the emptiness in her mind anyway. She found no explanation for the hollow feeling in her heart.

The best thing to do would be to pack up and go home. The mysterious watch on her arm told her the date and that she had one day left before she must return to work.