“Blood Bound”

2012 Copyright All Rights Reserved

Chapter 24

     Shelby couldn’t believe what she was doing.  She squeezed her eyes closed, waited a long minute and then opened them again.  She wasn’t sure exactly what she hoped would happen by closing her eyes, it just seemed like a really good thing to do at the time, considering the alternative.  The big problem remained though, when she opened her eyes, she still felt it.  On the one hand, her mind rebelled against what she was seeing.  But on the other, her body was getting crazy turned on and she didn’t think that was such a good thing.  

     “This is insane,” she mumbled to herself, watching Leo feed from some drunken man that unfortunately made the mistake of shouting out several crude remarks to her when they passed by. It took Leo all of about ten whole seconds to put him under his mind control, walk him to the alley and sink his fangs into the pulse point of his neck.

     The gurgling sound that Leo made as he dined on the man’s life essence made her stomach churn, round and round.  It also made her own gums ache for need and her breast ache from want. She tried to force herself to look away but she couldn’t.  Her gaze was so focused on Leo and his prey that she couldn’t even bat an eyelash.  Instead, she found herself anticipating his next move.

     “Focus on me, my sweet.  Focus on what you’re feeling, what your body is telling you.  Take those feelings and let the beast come out.  I’m keeping my promise, although I don’t really think he deserves it.  This one will not die by my hand on this night.”

     Leo’s words whispered through her mind  She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath, forced her mind to zero in on Leo and then turned that same intense focus to everything that she was feeling inside of her.  The building need, the heightening want.  She tried really hard to keep her mind there but in the background, she heard another gag-worthy slurp and bile crept up her throat.  This wasn’t working.  

     “No!” Leo all but yelled out in her mind.  “Me, Shelby.  Come back to me, feel the hunger that burns inside of you.”

     She gasped at the sudden demand.  She was trying- really, really trying, but she just couldn’t get around the fact that he was killing another so he could live.  It wasn’t right in her mind.

     She felt fingers grab a hold of her chin.  Hard fingers with a gentle touch.  “Look at me Shelby.  Open your eyes and see me.”

     She swallowed hard, her throat burning with the hunger that simmered inside of her.  She opened up those eyes and peered into the bottomless pits of Leo’s gaze.  “He’s not dead.  I kept my promise, now I need you to keep yours.”

    Leo ripped open his shirt, and slashed his talon like fingernail across his chest.  “Feed,” he said, pulling her closer to him.  Take what you need and let my life essence sustain you.”

    Shelby’s gaze locked onto the red river that was snaking down the length of his chest.  Bright red crimson, tempting her in a sinuous glide as it moved further and further down his body.  Her gums throbbed as her fangs elongated, her tongue thickened with a thirst that begged to be quenched. The fight inside of her was over before it ever truly began.

    Her head lowered, bent and she caught the tail end of the liquid trail with her mouth, licking it all the way up to the small incision where it first began.  Looking up at Leo, underneath her fringed lashes, she opened her mouth and sank her fangs into the fleshy part of his skin.  Keeping eye contact with him, she started to drink in big pulls, taking what he so freely offered to her.

     Leo groaned, feeling himself prepare for her.  His groin swelled in size, as the kiss of fire licked all over him.  Feeling his bride take from him was one hell of a turn on but watching her, there was no sight that he could imagine being sexier.  “That’s it,” he encouraged her, wrapping his arms around his bride and pulling her flush up against him.  “Drink and feel.  Feel what it is that you do to me.” He pushed his center up against her belly and caught a hint of her sexy smile.

     Oh yeah, she knew.  Shelby pushed back, rubbing her chest up against his, giving back just as good as she got.  She knew exactly what she was doing to him and if that little flicker in her eye meant anything, she was ready, able and more than willing.

     Leo glanced around the alley that there were shrouded in.  The drunk was unconscious- breathing but definitely unconscious.  There were no signs that anyone else was around.  “You ready for the honeymoon, my sweet?”

     This time, there was no hiding her smile.  She pulled her fangs out of his chest and still keeping her eyes locked with his, she used that pink little tongue of hers to swipe over her marks.  

     “Damn,” Leo cursed, imaging that succulent little tongue in other places.  “I’m more than ready.”  Keeping one hand wound possessively around his bride, he lifted the other one and waved it around them.  

     The air shimmered and the earth tilted slightly underneath Shelby.  She blinked and when she opened her eyes, they were in a cabana with nothing but the moonlight to guide them.  The sounds of waves, gently crashing on the shore was their music and the air scented of salt and sea.  She turned her head and looked around her, taken aback by the sheer beauty of the location.  Bringing her hand to her mouth, she fought the tears that stung her eyes.

     “What?”  Leo asked, pressing his hands on his bride's shoulders.  “What’s wrong my love?”  

      When she turned around, she saw nothing but sincere concern in his eyes.  How could she have ever doubted this man.  This wonderful, handsome and way too sweet of a man.  She turned back around in the circle of his arms and looped her hands around his neck.  “It’s perfect,” she whispered, standing on her toes and lightly kissing his chin.  “Absolutely perfect.”

     “Are you sure?”  In that one question, Leo showed her first sign of uncertainty.  He wanted this to be perfect for her.  He wanted this honeymoon to be one that she would always remember.

     She lightly bit into her bottom lip and gave a woeful sigh.  “There is one thing missing though.”

     “Really love,” he perked up, ready to give her the world.  "And what would that one thing be?”

     A seductress's smile lighted up her lips.  She pulled herself closer to him so that they were chest to chest.  “You my husband, have yet to make love to me.”

     “Well,” he let out a husky chuckle and picked her up at the same time.  Spinning around, he headed for the large king size bed that was set up in the center of the cabana.  “Shame on me, I think it’s time that I rectified that.”

     He laid her down and with a simple motion of his wrist, stripped the both of them.  She giggled, obviously still getting use to some of the perks of vampirism.  “I say, rectify away.  There is nothing standing between us but air and opportunity.”

     He crawled in the bed beside of her, letting his hand run up the length of her leg, delighted with the little shudders she gave him from his touch alone.  From her leg, his light touch moved along the silky curve of her hip bone, up her side and underneath the swell of her breast.  A red flush, heated her cheeks, filling her face with new color.  

     “You are so beautiful,” he whispered against the skin at the crook of her neck.  Maneuvering himself around, he lifted his head and pushed his body up so that he was above her.  “So absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful.  I waited so long for you my love, but now that I finally have you, I can definitely say that the wait was well worth it.  You are mine as I am yours.”

     Shelby shyly smiled up at him.  This connection that they had between them was nothing like she ever felt before.  It was strong and unyielding.  When she breathed, he breathed.  When her heart beat, his beat too.  They were two parts of one brought together out of tragedy and bound by blood.  “I am yours as you are mine,” she breathed out, repeating his words from earlier.

     Leaning over, he caught her mouth up in a passionate kiss and set out to take them across waters that had yet to be charted.

                           ***********************************************************************

     “Where is my son?”  Isabella demanded after stomping her way into Leo’s office.

     Ric looked up from where he just hung up the phone and frowned.  “His honeymoon,” he told her dryly.

     “No.” She placed her delicate hands on her hips.  “No, I refuse to believe that he took that mongrel on a.. a … honeymoon.”

     Ric looked up at her with a wry expression.  “Believe it or not honey, he did and that’s not even the worse of it.”

     Isabella stared back at Ric, her eyes narrowing in on him.  “What do you mean that’s not the worse of it?  How much worse can it get?  He’s bonded with a filthy human and  I can’t make him see reason.  His father would roll over in his grave if he knew about this.”

     “You're right, Mr. Risso would have none of this.  He would have gone straight to the root of the problem and exterminated it.”

     Isabella looked thoughtful.  “You know, you're right.  But when I tried that, Leo was there.  I don’t know what else to do.”

     “There is always the Council,” Ric pointed out.  “You know how they feel about humans and you know about the movement that Mr. Risso started to put them back where they belong.”

      She waved her hand in a gesture of dismissal.  “Yes, but they won’t bother themselves with one stupid human.  They would probably look down on us because we couldn’t get rid her of her ourselves.  This is something that we need to deal with- and the sooner it's handled, the better.”

     Ric sat forward, his elbows leaning on the desk.  “What if she’s part of the prophecy?”

     “She’s not part of the prophecy,” Isabella started and then stopped, turning to Ric.  “Oh my God, you don’t think she is, do you?”

     A smile curled up at the edge of his lips.  “Madam, I don’t think- I know.  She wears the witch’s consecration locket.”

     This was too much for Isabella to take in.  “I need to sit down.”  She walked over to the chair in the front of the desk and pristinely took a seat.  Bringing her fisted hand to her mouth, she glanced back at Ric.  “You know what this means.  We have to go to the Council.  She can’t be allowed to live.”

     Ric smiled again.  “Yes madame, I know this.  Will you take this before the Council?”

     Isabella abruptly stood up from her chair, her skirt swaying with the effort.  “Hell yes, I will.  Now, it’s not just my son who's at risk, but it’s our whole world.  I would be a traitor to our own society if I didn’t do something about this.”  She pivoted and headed for the door, only stopping when she put her hand on the knob.  “Ric?”

     “Yes madame.”

      “You do know where they are honeymooning at, right?”  Her nose lifted in disgust at the mere thought of her pure bred son consorting with a turned.

     “Of course madame.”  His own smile growing by the second.

     “Good,” she said.  “Don’t say anything to anyone until I get back, do you understand me Ric?”

     He obediently nodded his head.  “Yes madame.  My lips are sealed.”

     “I always did favor you Ric.  You were always so true to my husband.  I'm sure that he would be so happy with you, knowing all that you are doing for our kind.”

     “Thank you madame, that is great praise.”

     She let out a nostalgic breath and turned back around.  “Alright, that's enough,” she said haughtily.  “I’ve got a Council to call.  I’ll be back soon.”

     Ric watched as the decadent Mrs. Isabella Risso disappeared in a cloud of dust.  He should have thought of going to her in the first place.  Some of those Council members were being asses about the deal, worried about messing up the balance of fate.  Mrs. Risso knew how to gain attention.  She would make sure that what needed to be done, was handled.  He sat back in the chair and propped his legs up on the table.  There was nothing like a Vampiress on a mission and hell hath no fury on anyone who decides to get in her way.