“The vampire of my nightmares just abducted my best friend. I was named one of the strongest knights on the force. And yet, I could do nothing but watch as the fanged demon scooped her up into his arms and disappeared.”
Antares (Book 2) the Cross Knight Chronicles
The Cross Knight Chronicles
A cyberpunk, dystopian series about friendship, love, betrayal and the survival of mankind.
Creatures only believed to exist in fantasy novels and horror movies crawled up from their graves and declared in one powerful roar that they were the supreme species.
Today is release day for my first steampunk fairytale, CRIMSON MEMORIES! Yey!
To celebrate, here’s a steamy excerpt for your reading pleasure.
Enjoy!
“Wait, Petra! Don’t go!” I dashed through the gathering of tall evergreens, slapping branches out of my way.
Her mass of wild hair swayed from left to right as she raced through the forest. She ran fast, so fast it was difficult to catch up. Soon, I lost the visual of her. She had disappeared.
“Petra!” I continued to move forward, hoping and praying she would come back to me. “Petra!”
“Yes, Argon?” purred a woman’s voice from the shadows.
I stumbled to a halt and glanced around my foreign surroundings.
She sauntered from behind a large oak, no longer a young lass, but a striking woman with bodacious curves that could shake the world. An impish smile curved her plush lips. Everything about her appearance was hypnotizing.
I couldn’t look away, even if I wanted to.
She was stunningly beautiful.Her slightly flattened nose, high cheekbones, and kissable lips were works of art.And her body… She swayed when she walked. Voluptuous breasts protruded from her chest in glorious splendor. Haloed at the tips were perfectly round areolas and hardened nipples. The chain she’d worn as a girl still resided around her waist, sparkling like diamonds against her swarthy skin and clinging lovingly to her wide hips. A triangular patch of dark curly hair covered her mons. She approached me with the lethal grace of a predator.
Panting helplessly, I reached out for her.
She skipped backwards and began to circle me, sashaying on her toes.She moved so fluidly, I thought she would twirl into a ballet at any moment. “Are you hunting me, Argon Quinn?” Her voice was a breath of silk, brushing over me like a soothing wind.
“I am,” I admitted with no shame. “You captivate me.” Like her, I had changed. My timbre had deepened greatly, my body had stretched. I was now a man, suffering the primal longing for the elusive siren before me. “Are you going to continue to make me chase you?”
“I think I will.” She ended her roundabout, tilted her head playfully, and then darted behind another tree.
Husky laughter shook my chest as I went in pursuit. “Such a teasing temptress.” I rounded the evergreen, and she wasn’t there.
She appeared from behind the adjacent tree. “You like to be teased and I like it when you chase me. It makes me feel wanted.”
I dared a few steps forward. “And want you, I do. Would you like to know what I plan to do once I get my hands on you?”
The question sent a visual shudder down her form. Her lips parted, eyes widened.
Taking one lengthy step, I lunged for her.
Determined to keep the space between us, she leapt backwards.“I would encourage you to enlighten me, but I’d rather you save it.” Leaving her girlish laughter echoing across the forest, she vanished behind another tree, only to reappear behind me. “You can surprise me…” Her breathy whisper feathered the shell of my ear. “That is, if you have the will to catch me.”
Crimson Memories is now available at your favorite ebook vendor!
My new novel, CRIMSON MEMORIES is available for pre-order on Amazon for only $0.99. It releases on May 6th! This is my first steampunk tale, and I’m sure it won’t be my last. Very excited about this one! Please purchase to support my journey into a new genre.
Thank you! ^_^
Crimson Memories is a dystopian retelling of the classic fairytale, Little Red Riding Hood. Only this tale is not for children. Step into a world shrouded in dragon flames, where the passion is as hot as the fire.
“We are kindred spirits, forever bonded together by our desire to fight for the love we will never have.” ~ Petra
Argon Quinn, a prestigious dragon hunter, takes a short break from the battlefield to visit his grandfather Ian—a brave man who lost his leg to a blood-thirsty demon wolf many years ago. Because of this, Argon carries a deep and abiding hatred for all supernatural creatures.
His hatred has fueled his illustrious career as a captain with the Dark Hunters Legion. However, recent memories are testing his resolve.
As a young boy, Argon met a forest nymph named Petra. She left a lasting impression on his heart. Now years later, she is the elusive woman who haunts his dreams. He realizes she’s more than human, but what will he do when he finds out she’s the very thing he despises most?
Crimson Memories is a dystopian retelling of the classic fairytale, Little Red Riding Hood. Only this tale is not for children. Step into a world shrouded in dragon flames, where the desire is as hot as the fire. 😉
(Paranormal Romance/ Steampunk)
“We are kindred spirits, forever bonded together by our desire to fight for the love we will never have.” ~ Petra
Argon Quinn, a prestigious dragon hunter, takes a short break from the battlefield to visit his grandfather Ian—a brave man who lost his leg to a blood-thirsty demon wolf many years ago. Because of this, Argon carries a deep and abiding hatred for all supernatural creatures.
His hatred has fueled his illustrious career as a captain with the Dark Hunters Legion. However, recent memories are testing his resolve.
As a young boy, Argon met a forest nymph named Petra. She left a lasting impression on his heart. Now years later, she is the elusive woman who haunts his dreams. He realizes she’s more than human, but what will he do when he finds out she’s the very thing he despises most?
Since October is officially over, this will be the last post for the free Halloween read, Crimson Days. However, the story is not over. This is one of those tales that seems to write itself. It was supposed to be no longer than 6 chapters and you see how that worked out. 😀
To those of you who are enjoying the story and desire to see it continue, don’t fret. I’m going to finish it and make it available on various ebook vendors for FREE—Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.
Now onto CHAPTER 8 of Crimson Days. 🙂
As you know, this story is being developed and written as I post it. It has not been edited or doctored up.
Comments are welcomed!
Enjoy!
Before reading CHAPTER 8, make sure to read the first 7 chapters. Links are below.
**WARNING: Not suitable for the faint of heart, prudes or those easily bothered by strong and vulgar language, graphic descriptions, urban dialect, blood-lusting hotties, kickass female warriors, sword-wielding bad asses, dark smutty sex and extreme violence.**
CRIMSON DAYS
**dystopian sci-fi, paranormal, erotic and interracial romance**
Chapter 8
“Why God?” I murmured, staring at the security screen. Another green dot popped up on the barracks’ aerial diagram. “Why would you bring him back into my life as a vampire? Why couldn’t you drop him in my lap as a… cute kitty are something?”
“‘Cause yeah, I would totally make an adorable kitty,” Roy called from the bedroom’s closet.
Titling my head back, I huffed out a groan. “Shadduuup.”
“No alerts to report from sector one hundred and forty-nine, Officer Winsort,” the com-screen informed.
I took a sip of wine. “Check sector one-fifty.”
“You’re wasting your time,” Roy sung in laughter. “I’m telling you, I was moving too fast. There’s no way the drones could’ve caught me.”
“Hush, vampire boy. I’m trying to concentrate.” The green dots on the screen started to blend together. Soon, they would be nothing but a big green blob. Maybe Roy wasn’t just being cocky. He may have actually evaded them all. Regardless, I’d never been the type of person to rely on maybes.
“Lexi, you should be trying to get some sleep instead of scanning drones. And stop drinking that wine on an empty stomach. That can’t be good for you in your condition.”
Clucking my tongue, I fixed my glare on the closet door at the far side my bedroom. “And what do you know about my condition?”
“I know this war is destroying you mentally, messing with your emotions, and as a result, you’re letting your health deteriorate. You should’ve left this madness years ago.”
I should have, but I didn’t. I wanted to counter his statement with something snippy, but I nibbled on my lower lip instead. He knew me all too well. That was one of the things I used to hate about him.
“No alerts to report from sector one hundred and fifty, Officer Winsort.”
I huffed out a sigh. “Check sector one fifty-one. Hell, check all seven hundred and fifty sectors, including the ones outside the barrier. Don’t report to me until you find an alert.” I linked the pending scan to my wristband then strapped it on my wrist. “Have you healed yet?”
There was a moment of silence before he uttered, “More or less.”
I entered my bedroom, disrobed and searched out a fresh jumpsuit from my dresser drawer. “I need you to be sure, Roy. Lord knows I can’t bear to
ALEXIS
see you all burned up with your skin hanging off again. It’s gross, and damaging to my unbalanced mental state.” Even though I tried, I couldn’t keep a straight face while saying that.
“Don’t worry. I’m pretty sure I’m past the gross stage. But then there’s the thirst…”
Aw shit, this was about to get bad. “Don’t tell me that. I thought the blood from a master vampire replenishes quickly, no matter how much he loses.”
“It does, but that doesn’t mean the thirst subsides.”
“Ugh… dammit! How long can you hold out before you need to feed?”
“A day. Two at the most.”
“Okay-okay. Give me a minute to figure out how I’m gonna get you fed, and more importantly, get you the hell outta here.” I sat on the edge of the bed and slipped the legs of the suit over my ankles and calves. Standing, I pulled the micro-fiber material up my thighs, hips and torso. Once I tugged the zipper up from my crotch to my neck, the inner layer of the suit molded to my body and clung to me like a second skin. The small panel directly under my name badge lit up, indicating it was now ready to monitor my physical status, which of course would be sent to headquarters.
I would love to wear some regular clothing. Something stylish and not so violating. I left my personal wardrobe behind years ago, when I joined the regiment, so I guess I’m stuck with these stupid jumpsuits.
“Don’t bother getting all worked up over this. I’m not in a hurry to go anywhere.”
Releasing an airy giggle, I shook my head. “You should be.” The steps I needed to take to get Roy safely away from the barracks flipped through my mind. I couldn’t try to get him out right away. It would take time. Only, I’m not sure how much time we had. Nevertheless, I had to plan his escape just right, but first thing’s first…
He needed a bath. Badly.
It wasn’t so much the burned skin scent, it was vampy odor that lingered on him. Ugh… Thank God, he wasn’t as nearly as stinky compared to the other demons. At least I could breathe around him without gagging.
I rushed to the bathroom, drained the water I had bathed in earlier, and begin to fill the tub with fresh water. I gathered every bottle of bath oil and scented bubble liquid I could find, and then emptied them all into the tub. Bubbles spilled over the edge and trickled down onto the floor. In no time, my pad smelled like flowers and sunshine.
Armed with my G-four gat, I stood next to the tub. “If you’ve regenerated enough to move, meet me in the bathroom.”
The sound of the closet door sliding open reached my ears. A split second later, Roy whooshed into the bathroom like a spirit. He stood before me, completely rejuvenated into the man I used to know—tall and toned—a porcelain version of his perfect self. Only he was a tad bit beefier than I remembered. Those crystal blue eyes glimmered, his fangs peeked from beneath his parted lips.
My breath hitched. Even as a demon, he was eerily gorgeous.
We stared at each other for the longest, without saying a word. Honestly, I couldn’t speak even if I wanted to. He always stilled my tongue with a mere gaze.
What was left of his clothing dangled from his beautifully masculine physique. Teasing glimpses of his chest, abs and legs enticed me in the most wicked way.
“You’re undressing me with your eyes, Lexi,” he crooned, his voice a breathy whisper flowing over my enflamed nerves. “If you want me naked, just say so.” He took a step towards me.
Still leery of him, I stumbled backwards and nearly fell into the tub.
With a blurred preternatural motion, he grabbed me by the shoulders and pinned me against the wall.
My reaction was swift.
He shot a glance to the left, at my glock’s barrel pointed at his cranium. “You’re clearly not afraid of me, so why do you run?” He leaned in closer. His lips were less than an inch from mine. “Why do you always run?”
The Roy I used to know would never come at me like this. It showed the demon inside ruled his actions, made him impulsive and unpredictable.
“You need to control yourself, Roy,” I said in the steadiest voice I could conjure. “And keep in mind, I have a twitchy trigger finger.” I swallowed the lump in my throat and lifted the black bag gripped in my right hand. “I need what’s left of your clothes to go in this bag, and then I need you to get your ass into that tub.”
“Ahh…” He pulled back with a smirk sliding across his face. “So you do want me naked.”
I sucked my teeth and snorted in annoyance. “Into the water, now.”
“Maybe in about an hour.”
“What?”
“That water is too hot.”
“Oh please! You haven’t even tested it.”
“I don’t need to. I can feel the lava-like heat from here.”
“Stop playing, Roy.”
He folded his arms over his chest and shook his head. “I just got my skin back and you’re trying to sear it off again?”
“You stink, like… like a vamp!”
“You know there ain’t shit you can do about that, right? You can’t boil the vampirism off me. Just admit it, you’re trying to make vampire soup in that tub?”
“Boooy, if you don’t get your silly ass in that water…”
“You forget I have balls. Big balls, if I must say so myself. Me being a vampire doesn’t make them any less sensitive to hot water. I’d prefer an ice cold bath, if you don’t mind.”
Gritting my teeth, I leveled my gun at him. “I know you can’t help yourself but be a crazy fool. That trait apparently trickled down into your vampire life, which is why I haven’t pulled the trigger, yet. You have two choices here. You can either strip out of those filthy clothes and get in that tub, or, you catch a bullet from this gun. Doesn’t matter to me. I’ll stand here and watch the ultraviolent liquid eat you from the inside out.”
ROY
An almost sadistic smile curled at the corners of his lush lips. “You are sexy as fuck when talk like that.” He ripped the shredded clothes from his muscled torso and tossed it at my feet. With unnatural speed, he discarded his boots, belt and scarf. Sliding his thumbs beneath the waistband of his pants, he cut his seductive gaze at me and whispered, “Watch closely now.” Slowly, very slowly, he pushed the pants down his hips, revealing more of the sexy dip below his belly, which led to his manhood. A curly nest of pubic hair was revealed.
My hands shook, but I kept my gun aimed at him. A wave of heat washed through me. My heartbeat quicken as I watched him intently.
Finally, the shredded fabric dropped to his feet, exposing his nude body.
“Dayum, Roy,” I gasped, doing my best to withstand the quivering in my belly.
I had never laid eyes on his penis before. However, I had a good idea a mighty python hid beneath the crotch of his clothing. But I had no idea he was hiding such a beauty. It was large, no doubt, hanging there between his thighs like a masterpiece.
My mouth watered. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. As I gaped at his member, it grew stiffer and longer. The dark veins bulged under my scrutiny. Have mercy… I licked my lips, wondering what his shaft would feel like gliding over my tongue.
“As you can see, he’s not shy. You shouldn’t be either.”
I lifted my gaze to his face, expecting to see a smug grin, but that wasn’t the expression he presented.
His face was drawn tight in need and sexual tension. “I sense your longing, Lexi. Life is too short to run from your desires. If you want something, don’t be afraid to claim it.”
I almost lost myself. “Dammit, man…” I quickly collected his clothes and shoved them into the bag, trembling as I did so. “Get your ass in that tub,” I grumbled, storming out of the bathroom. I grabbed the empty back sack hanging from the side wall. “I expect you to be clean when I get back.”
“Wait. Where are you going?”
“To get a few things,” I replied without turning to face him. “I won’t be gone long.”
I heard the first foot dip into the water. His scream in bloody murder came swiftly afterwards. “Aw fuck! How the shit do you women take baths in water this fucking hot? Ahhh, motherfucker…!”
I tried not to laugh as I rushed out of my quarters. Being around him was torture, nevertheless sweet torture. In this short span of time, he’d shown me so much of his old self that it was difficult believe he was a vampire. The enemy. However, when he pinned me to the wall with such force, I was quickly reminded of what I was dealing with.
I shook my head in an attempt to clear the image of his stunning naked body and his saluting cock from my mind. It didn’t work. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It’s not fair, God! It’s not fair for him to be that freaking fine. This must be a test, a test of faith. If I give in to the wicked desires stirring inside me, I’ll be surrendering my soul to the dark side.
I hurried to the maze of basements under the compound, where the incinerator was located. Standing in front of the fire breathing furnace, I fumbled through the clothing in the bag. They were filthy, covered in mud, blood and some other crap I couldn’t make out. It all smelled horrible. Throughout all the soot and damage, I noticed something interesting. These were no cheap threads. They were heavy, made from an expensive material. Even the scarf was woven from the finest silk. Well, what was left of it. There was a symbol stitched onto the sleeve of the jacket, which had been partially burned. I’d seen the symbol before, but I couldn’t remember where or when.
The clack of someone’s approaching footfalls jarred me. I tossed the bag into the mouth of the furnace and quickly left the building. I didn’t want to leave Roy alone too long, but I needed to find him some clothes. Couldn’t put him in a jumpsuit. As soon as the tiny sensors within the suit picked up on his extremely low body temperature and his lack of a pulse, we’d be in trouble.
My thoughts ran on Steve’s secret clothing stash. He never wore them, being that we were all instructed to wear our jumpsuits when we weren’t in uniform.
The sector he lived in was a little over six blocks away. I started to sprint in that direction. I used to jog to his place with no problem, but tonight, it was hard. It felt like my lungs were about to explode. Avoiding the main streets, which were cluttered with fellow knights and droids, I made the journey along the back alleyways. That made the trip longer. When I arrived at Steve’s compound, I leaned against the wall at the rear of the building, gasping for breath.
A few drones zipped over my head then paused briefly to scan me. Didn’t really matter at this point if they caught me on radar. Its better I get scanned outside of Steve’s place, rather than Sanjay’s since the council already knew Steve and I were friends. Though, there was the probation problem… I wasn’t supposed to leave my quarters this late. I’d deal with the repercussions of that later.
The rapid knocking against my chest wouldn’t slow down. I felt hot and woozy. Suddenly, I was covered in sweat. My suit’s read-out panel started to beep and buzz. I tapped it to silence the alarm and then I quietly slipped into the building. I took the short ride on the mobile platform up to the fifth level. By that time, my heart rate had returned to normal. Yet, I still sweated like a pig.
Standing outside Steve’s pad, I could hear the slow jams blaring through the door. I hoped the music would be loud enough to mask the sound of security system announcing my arrival.
I penned in his code.
“Door opening,” the system announced.
I slipped inside and waited to see if Steve would emerge from his room with his gun cocked. A few minutes went by and no one appeared, so I headed deeper into his living quarters. I moved closer to his room.
Moans and groans sailed beneath the music and resonated through the bedroom’s closed door.
Smiling, I snorted. No wonder he didn’t hear me come in. Tony had him thoroughly distracted with sex play. Should’ve known.
I crept into Steve’s pantry and pulled the loose panel from the wall. Behind it was a suitcase. Within that suitcase was a collection of stylish men’s clothing. Yes! I shoved some slacks and shirts, along with a couple of jackets into my back sack.
Hopefully, Steve wouldn’t miss a few articles of worldly clothing.
Once I had my sack filled to capacity, I returned the suitcase to its rightful hiding place. As stealthily as I could, I vacated the premises and made my way back home. Instead of jogging like before, I took a brisk walk. It was all I could muster.
I returned to my quarters and damn near passed out. The enervating heat enveloped me again. Sweat continued to gush from my pores. My head whirled, my breathing escalated. For the first time in a long time, I wanted to dive into my bed and give into slumber, but I had that vampire problem to deal with. “Roy?”
Hanging onto the wall, I made my way to the bathroom. The tub was filled with bubbles, just the way I left it, but there was no Roy.
“Goddammit!” Where the hell is he? If he left, oh my God, they would kill him.
Visions of his brutal death bounced around my mind, sending me into a bout of hyperventilation. My heart raced. I was about to leave the bathroom to scramble through my quarters, hoping to find him hiding somewhere, when out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the bubbles move.
Cautiously, I retrieved my gat from the countertop and approached the tub. “Roy?” I reached in.
A hand shot from the pool of bubbles and latched onto my arm.
I was yanked off my feet and into the tub. I flailed like a fish for a spilt second, then I caught myself. I braced my knees on the floor of the tub, wrapped my hand around his throat and contemplated jamming my glock up his nose. “Goddamn you, Roy!” I bit out on a growl. “You better stop doing that crazy vamp shit. You’re gonna mess around and get your ass shot!”
His hand slipped around to the small of my back. He moved up the tub, pulling me with him. I hadn’t realized I was straddling him until that moment. The length of his erect shaft pressed hard against my pussy, making me shudder.
His head emerged from a clearing in the bubbles. Darkened by the water, his hair clung to his head and dangling over his brow. His eyes were gleaming, fangs exposed. “Do you know what the worst part about being a vampire is?” He swiped a few dreads from over my temple. “Everything is intensified. Everything. Your senses, your emotions… When you’re stabbed, you feel it in your soul. When you’re sad, it feels like your whole world is crumbling around you. And when you’re secretly in love someone, you can’t hide it. No matter how hard you try.”
Spoken both out loud and telepathically, his words sailed along my mind as an echo. His voice wooed me, his body aroused me. It was difficult to withstand the pleasurable sensation of his beefy member pressing against my slit. The fabric separating our genitals did nothing to calm the fire raging within me. A heady wooziness accompanied that fiery desire.
His fingers trailed over the base of my neck and shoulder. “It was the scent of your blood that drew me from the grave three years ago. How sweet it was.” He pulled the gun from my grip and tossed it on the bathroom floor.
I allowed him to disarm me, without the least bit of resistance.
“I’d trapped myself within the deepest crypt in Paris to keep the demon inside from hurting you, from wanting you. You weren’t supposed to see me like this, but once I sensed your blood, I couldn’t stay away.” He licked his lips as he pulled the zipper tab of my jumpsuit down.
My breasts popped out from the opening, eager to greet him.
“I don’t know how to separate it—my physical need to be with you and the demonic bloodlust I’m damned with.” His fangs lengthened, his eyes darkened. “How? Tell me how to do it, Lexi.”
Squeezing his neck, I leaned in closer to him. “Can’t help you there. Maybe you should’ve tried harder to stay away.” Helplessly, I grinded my crotch against his deliciously erect cock. Quivers cascaded through me.
A wicked smile crossed his face. “So you do want me to take you.”
“I’ve always wanted you to,” I confessed on a drawl. “I felt wrong for wanting you the way I do. I still feel wrong, but I can’t help it anymore. Why?” My vision became hazy. It was hard to breathe, hard to keep my eyes open. “Are you… are you using dark magic on me?”
“Manipulate your emotions?” His brow furrowed. “You think I would do that to you? You think I would need to do that to you?”
“Cooockyyy,” I slurred on a breathless giggle.
“Lexi, if I take you now, I won’t be able to stop. I will consume every bit of you in monstrous passion; your body, your mind and your soul. I would absorb the very essence of you and I would hate myself afterwards.” He slipped hand around the nape of my neck and froze. His eyes grew large as the vampiric gleam died. “Holy shit, Lexi! This is not just heated lust, you’re burning the hell up. You have a dangerously high fever.”
“Totally your fault.” Stripped of my energy, I slumped against him. Our lips met as his arms encased me.
“Lexi baby, if I don’t help you, this fever is going to kill you.” Panic replaced the sexy croon in his voice.
“Better a fever… than a war. Better you… than anyone else.”
“Shut up, girl. You really know how to ruin the mood.”
My body rose from the water. Cool air washed over me.
“There’s gonna be a night when you will throw yourself at me and I’ll gladly take you, but not like this. I need you healthy if you are to be my queen. Now, sleep.”
Darkness flooded my mind and washed my vision away as I willingly surrendered to the black void.
**WARNING: Not suitable for the faint of heart, prudes or those easily bothered by strong and vulgar language, graphic descriptions, urban dialect, blood-lusting hotties, kickass female warriors, sword-wielding bad asses, dark smutty sex and extreme violence.**
CRIMSON DAYS
**dystopian sci-fi, paranormal, erotic and interracial romance**
Chapter 7
My whirling emotions overwhelmed me. I didn’t know how to feel, or what to do.
Is this creature actually my loveable Roy?
As the question entered my mind, I started to wonder… What if this vampire was toying with me? What if he was using my inner fear and memories to confuse me? I’d never experienced the compelling influence of a master vampire, but I’d heard much about it, mainly from victims who were lucky enough to survive the encounter.
“You’re not Roy! Get the hell off me, demon,” I hissed.
Without another word, he slid back from me and disappeared into the shadows. Though, I could still feel his presence.
Pulling the lapels of my robe together, I sat up and scooted back until my back met the door. It took a few seconds for my breathing to steady and my frantic heartbeat to normalize. At last, my eyes adjusted to the darkness shrouding the small closet. I couldn’t completely see him, but I did see the outline of his figure.
He reached for the hilt sticking out of his neck. He sighed then released a throaty groan as he pulled on the grip. The sound of my blade sliding from his flesh assaulted my ears. The dagger clanked on the concrete when he tossed it to the floor. “Ahh, that feels much better.”
I heard the continuous click of UV bomb popping off light every five seconds on the other side of the door. It was going to continue the sequence until I turned it off. My hands felt empty. I needed to have a weapon in my possession.
My dagger was somewhere on the ground next to him. It’d be too risky to make a go for it. I wanted to grab another weapon from the box to my left, but I couldn’t move. My thoughts were all over the place.
What if this creature is really Roy?
“How do I know you’re not using your vampy powers to play some sick game with me?”
“Well for one thing, I haven’t eaten you yet.” There was laughter in the reply that drifted across my mind.
That only added to my aggravation. “You are delusional as hell if you think you’re in a position to joke with me. I can still kill you if I want to.” One of the most important techniques Steve taught me during my training was how to kill a vampire without the use of a weapon. It took a lot strength and quick thinking.
“After seeing you in action, I have no doubt about that.”
“Stop using telepathy on me and speak words out loud…” I snapped, leveling my finger at his dark figure. “Yooou filthy demon, who’s pretending to be my friend!”
“It hurts to talk. It’s taking a little longer for my vocal chords to heal, so please grant me this liberty, to communicate with you, without speaking.”
Hearing his voice in my head was tearing me to pieces. Holding back the need to scream, I fisted my dreads. “Of all the people you could torture me with, why would you take his image? You are so fucking cruel.”
He titled his head. For a long moment, he said nothing. “How could I prove it to you? That I’m still the man you befriended fifteen years ago? What can I say?” Sounded more like inner thoughts than actual questions directed at me. “Should I mention that I used to live right across the hall from you in our old apartment building in New York? How about mentioning your phobia for dogs, because a pit bull attacked you when you were nine. Or maybe I should mention at the age of seven you watched a malfunctioning android rip your mother apart, and it still hurts you ‘til this day.”
By the time he stopped stirring my emotions with his words, I was crying so hard, I couldn’t breathe. My eyes stung, my heart hurt. There were only a few people in my life that knew about the android incident; Amber—my old best friend, Steve and Roy.
Jesus Christ, it really is him!
“I’m so sorry, Lexi. I had to mention things from your past to prove I hadn’t simply read your thoughts.”
Hugging my legs to my chest, I sat there bawling like a baby, trembling and shaking, wishing he had chosen somewhere else to hide.
“I wanna hold you, sweetheart. I wanna hold you so badly, but I can’t. Not while I’m like this.”
“Stop! Stop it,” I whimpered on a sob. “Give me a moment to take this all in. Give me a moment to mourn your death. My God, I can’t believe this. You’re dead! And worst off, you’re goddamn vampire!”
“Oh, Lexi…”
I wallowed in the dark silence without restraining my sorrow. The minutes ticked by like hours. Finally, the tears stopped. I wiped at my eyes with
ALEXIS
the heels of my hands. “Okay, Roy…” I huffed out a deep breath and steadied my composure. “Why’d you come here?”
He didn’t answer. Yeah, it was Roy alright. The man never answered a question he thought you should already know the answer to.
“How long have you been hiding in here?”
His reply came out on a growl. “Long enough to know you’re still attracted to assholes.”
Heat soared to my face as a bout of embarrassment washed over me. He’d been here that long? Dammit. That meant he’d heard me when I lured
Sanjay into a bout of angry sex. Ugh… It was probably torturous for Roy to listen to that.
“Not as tortuous as you think,” he offered without me asking. “I enjoyed hearing you moan.” A lustful meaning lingered behind his words, but that’s not what sent me reeling.
“You better cut that shit out right now, Roy. No reading my mind. That is an invasion of privacy. It’s bad enough you’re using telepathy.”
“Well you’re the one screaming thoughts at me. Why don’t you think quieter?”
I wanted to laugh. I hadn’t moved past the shock of him being here and we had already fallen into our silly banter. “How did you get past the security—”
“By moving really fucking fast.”
“But the security drones…”
“Didn’t catch me.”
“How can you be so sure? Hell, I caught you with several stakes and you were moving pretty damn fast then.”
“Maybe you caught me because I wanted you to.”
My body quivered, my heart fluttered. “Roy…”
“Truthfully, I almost didn’t make it here. Those two UV domes are a pain in the ass. It’s a little excessive on the defense, don’t you think?”
“Apparently not excessive enough, considering you’re here. Speaking of which, how’d you get in here?”
“Believe it or not, it’s not that difficult to rewrite the security codes for this place. I just had to convince your system that I was you, then shut down the special vampire alarms to the building.”
I could totally believe that. The compound’s security was lax, since we figured a vampire would never make it this far. “Still a hacker at heart, I see,” I muttered, staring into the darkness.
ROY
Visions of his beautiful face entered my mind. Of course, it was how I remembered him, before vampirism took over. I wondered if his features changed much since the last time I saw him. When we were tussling, all I could see was a shadowy figure.
Suddenly, I needed to look at him, to see the man who I’d wish I could have once upon a time.
“Please don’t, Lexi. It’s not a pretty sight,” he cautioned.
Ignoring him, I called out. “Lights on.”
The ceiling light above flickered to life. The instant I laid eyes on Roy, I wished I would’ve remained in the dark.
Patches of blackened skin clung to his face. In other areas, his skin was missing completely, exposing his opened, raw flesh. He was literally burned from his head to his feet. The clothes he wore were in shreds, some parts stuck to his seared tissue.
He looked horrific.
Those familiar eyes were the only thing about him I recognized. Ten years ago, they were a deep cobalt blue, but now they were an icy artic blue, the color stripped by the effects of vampirism.
One leg was bent, the other was stretched out. Three of my stakes protruded from various parts of his body—his left thigh, the right side of his torso, and his shoulder.
I slapped both hands over my mouth to muffle my gasp. “Oh God, I did this,” I whimpered as more tears fell. “I did this to you.”
Smirking, he grabbed the stake sticking from his shoulder and yanked it out. A ribbon of crimson blood spiraled from the sharp tip. “More or less.”
I shot to my feet, covered my eyes and turned my back to him. “Lights out, lights out, LIGHTS OUT!” The bulb couldn’t shut off soon enough. I truly hated seeing him like that, as a grotesque image of the gorgeous man I used to know.
“Told you it I wasn’t a pretty sight.”
“Jesus, I almost killed you.” The realization hit me hard. When I attacked him, I had every intention of taking him out, and I most certainly could have.
He chuckled. The wet sound of another stake leaving his flesh made me cringe “It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re not the first knight who’s tried to kill me, and I’m sure you won’t be the last.”
“Don’t laugh, it’s not funny. Roy!” I whirled around to glare at him. “Look at where you are! You have put me in an impossible position by coming here. Sure, you were crafty enough to get in, but there is no way in hell you’re getting out without facing a league of angry knights.”
“I had to come and see you,” he said on a whisper, no longer using telepathy. “If these are to be my last days, I can think of no better way to spend them than trying to get to the sun.”
Emotions I’d kept hidden surged to the forefront. I wanted to throw myself into his arms. I had to get out of this goddamn closet and put some distance between us. Not only to escape the nightmare I’d been tossed into, but to get away from my dark longing to have him.
Roy had always been that guy… the guy I shouldn’t have lusted for, the guy I shouldn’t have let get close to me, the guy who used to date my roommate and best friend back in the day. God! I’m a horrible human being. Even now, I felt the strong affection for him.
“Dammit, Roy!” I bit out on a growl. “I can’t believe you’re doing this to me. Why now?”
His fangy smile shimmered through the black void. “Because you need me, and I need you.”
“Yeah, you’re right about that,” I grumbled under my breath. “I need you NOT to be here.” I waited two seconds after the click of the bomb sounded on the other side of the door, signifying a break between its burst of light. I slammed my hand into the exit button. As soon as the panel slid open, I lunged into the bedroom and disarmed the grenade.
The door slid shut behind me. I leaned against it, struggling to catch my breath, struggling to find my composure. “How long does it take you to heal?”
“Well, considering my injuries… Maybe an hour or two,” he answered gruffly. “Minutes, if I feed.”
A tide of heat plummeted through me and soared around my throbbing core. The image of him sinking his fangs into my neck entered my mind, pulling a breathy gasp out of me. I felt his presence near me, even though there was a door separating us. I imagined the pressure on my jugular, his body pressed against mine… The quivering between my thighs increased. “Oh hell no! You’re living on another side of crazy if you think I’m gonna let you feed from me. Not gonna happen, bruh!”
His husky laughter sailed through the panel. “There’s my girl.”
Holding back the smile that threatened to cross my face, I stepped away from the closet. A haze flooded my mind, making me lightheaded. I felt a migraine creeping in. Should be used to those by now. “Don’t come out of there, Roy.”
“I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. Hurts to move anyway.”
He said the healing process would take an hour or two. Good. While he was healing, I would use the time to thoroughly check the security footage. Just because he moved at the speed of sound doesn’t mean he could dodge a drone’s radar.
I giggled deliriously as I approached my com-screen. “This is not going to end well,” I muttered to myself. “They’re gonna kill us both.”
When the council found out I was harboring a master vampire, and there was no doubt in my mind they would, a battalion of knights would knock down my front door with orders to destroy him.
As a result, I would fight in blind rage and then they would be forced to kill me too.
**WARNING: Not suitable for the faint of heart, prudes or those easily bothered by strong and vulgar language, graphic descriptions, urban dialect, blood-lusting hotties, kickass female warriors, sword-wielding bad asses, dark smutty sex and extreme violence.**
CRIMSON DAYS
**dystopian sci-fi, paranormal, erotic and interracial romance**
Chapter 6
Fifteen minutes later, I sat in the tub filled with hot water and rose-scented bubbles. It was soothing, but it wasn’t nearly enough to stop my tears from falling. I had moved onto my second glass of wine and I wasn’t the least bit tipsy. I stared at the crimson liquid pooled at the bottom of the glass, wondering if I just should’ve brought the bottle into the bathroom with me.
Soft soulful music wafted through the air. It blocked out the sounds of the hovercrafts whirring above my building.
Slouched in the tub, I rested my head on the edge and closed my eyes. I tried to think of anything but the recent events. Despite my efforts, the last ten hours shuffled through my mind like broken film strips. There was no escaping it.
Tilting my head back, I quaffed the rest of the wine.
A chime sounded from the unseen speaker above, indicating a video call.
“Ignore,” I groaned.
The chiming stopped for a few seconds, then started up again.
“Ignore!”
Like before, it stopped, only to start up again. It almost sounded like it was getting louder.
I gritted out a scream. “For God’s sake, who is it?”
“Officer Steve Rial desires to speak with you,” the disembodied voice informed.
“Oh hell no.” After he betrayed me, he had the nerve to call? I didn’t want to speak to him, I didn’t even want to see his face, but I found myself taking the call anyway. “Answer,” I grumbled.
A large screen emerged from the back wall. Seconds later, I was staring at Steve’s grinning face.
“The fuck you want, Steve?” I sunk deeper into the water, making sure the bubbles covered my full breasts. Not that I needed to. I’m sure Steve wasn’t aroused by any of my womanly assets, being that he preferred to gawk at male anatomy.
He chuckled. “Come on, Alex. Don’t be like that.”
“Don’t be like that?” I cocked my head. “You sold me out to the council! I have every reason to be like that! I shouldn’t have even answered your call.”
Inner pain softened his eyes. “I didn’t have a choice in the matter. I was under oath…”
“Oh please bruh, don’t give me that crap. You always have a choice!”
STEVE
“They know we’re friends, Alex. So they linked me to the Bellrum before they started questioning me. I couldn’t twist the truth even if I wanted to while hooked up to that thing.”
I fell silent. No one could beat the Bellrum. It wasn’t an average truth machine. It not only monitored your heart rate during questioning, but your brain waves as well. If you even tried to think of a lie, the machine would pick up on it.
“I’m sorry, Steve,” I breathed out. “This whole ordeal got me all fucked up and angry.”
Guilt spread across his face. “No, I’m the one who should be apologizing. Because of me, they issued you a droid. I know how you feel about those things. I wanted to warn the council about it, but I had already put my foot in my mouth more times than I care to mention, so I remained quiet on the issue. I knew as soon as you saw that thing, you were gonna freak out.”
Freak out was a huge understatement. “Don’t worry about it. None of this is your fault. I’m the one who went rogue without warning.”
“Oh, you gave warnings alright. We just weren’t paying attention to them until now.” His brow suddenly furrowed with worry.
“What’s wrong?”
“I need to ask you something. Earlier, on site, when you said you heard someone say your name and touch you…”
The mention of it made me stiffen. Why would he bring that up? “I’m pretty sure I was imaging things,” I offered nervously.
Steve shook his head. “I’m not so sure about that, Alex.”
I jerked upright in the tub, sloshing water onto the floor. My heartbeat quickened out of anxiousness. “Why do you say that?”
He opened his mouth to speak then shook his head. “Naw, don’t worry about it. It’s classified stuff.”
“No-no-noo, you don’t get to say classified to me after mentioning that. What’s going on?”
He heaved out a sigh as he settled back in his seat. “The drones picked up some odd readings on site. I thought maybe it was a malfunction because there were so many vampires congregated in one area. That happens sometimes, but the readings… I don’t know what to think of this.”
“Well you’re thinking something, and I need to know what that something is.”
“Have you heard it?”
“Heard what?”
“The voice again?”
I didn’t answer. I just stared at the screen, baffled and frightened at what Steve’s questions meant. “Are you asking this to report back to the council, or…?”
“I’m asking because I need to know. You know what though? You don’t have to say anything. The look on your face says it all.” He leaned in closer to the screen. “I have to come and see you. We need to talk.”
An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. “Now?”
Steve suddenly pulled back and looked to his right. “Hey, what’s up, Tony.”
“Who’re you talking to, honey?” Steve’s lover walked into the view of the screen. He crouched down and waved at me. “Oh heeey, Alex!” His light grey eyes shimmered in mannish appraisal. “Ooo girl, those tit-teys are looking YUMMY.”
Whereas Steve was not lured by womanly assets, his boyfriend on the other hand, ogled me every chance he got.
ALEXIS
Heat soared to my face. I slapped my hands over my breasts and sunk back into the bubbly water. “Hey, Tony,” I murmured.
Steve shoved Tony out of the way and pinned him with a silent death glare.
Tony threw his hands up and laughed. “Don’t get mad at me. If the boobies are out, I’m gonna look.”
“Get out of here,” Steve grumbled. When the room was clear, he turned his attention back to me. “I can’t leave while Tony’s here, so look for me tomorrow. I’ll come by after your appointment with Dr. Chambers.”
The prickles running down my spine increased. “Wait, Steve. Are you going to at least give me a hint on what’s going on? I’ve never been this freaking nervous in my life.”
He slid his fingers across the screen. “I’m sending you some files on an incident that happened six years ago.” A document popped up on the screen’s right hand side. “Read them over carefully, then tomorrow we’ll talk.” He disconnected, and his face vanished leaving nothing but the file in view.
I made an attempt to read it, but I couldn’t focus on the words. I couldn’t focus on anything except the troubled expression Steve wore when he asked me had I heard the voice again.
What the hell does it all mean? Why is it happening to me? And why is he making me wait until tomorrow?
I settled against the tub’s back rest when a sound from my bedroom jolted me—a scraping noise, the sound of metal meeting metal.
Grabbing the stake-shooter I had resting at the foot of the tub, I lunged out of the water. I snatched my bathrobe from the side hook and quickly slipped it over my body. A wet trail was left in my wake as I crept into my bedroom.
I paused and listened.
Seconds later, the scraping noise sounded again. It came from my closet. It was the sound the hanger’s metal hook made when it was sliding across the metal rod. A deep masculine groan accompanied it.
What the hell…? Who’s hiding in my closet?
My mind raced. It couldn’t be Sanjay. I watched him walk out of here. Then suddenly I remembered a report I read earlier this week, about a group of male Cross knights sexually assaulting female soldiers.
Anger washed my panic away. I figured there wasn’t a knight stupid enough to try me like that. Maybe I was wrong. Nevertheless, he was about to get more than he bargained for.
Cocking my shooter upright, I moved closer to the closet door. I penned in the desired code for entrance, but the door wouldn’t budge. Dammit! Had the council restricted me access to my closet? Really? What’s the point in that?
Assholes!
A red light blinked at the top right corner of the door. I pressed it and the panel became transparent, displaying the dark space behind it. The infrared kicked in and exposed something that made my heart shudder to a stop.
Crouched in the corner of my closet was a figure. The infrared outline the form. In normal conditions, the figure would present a red glow, indicating the presence of a human being. But to my horror, this form was highlighted in bright blue, signifying the walking dead.
For a long moment, I stared in shock.
How the hell is this possible? A vampire shouldn’t have made it past the first layer of defense. Furthermore, the alarms should be ringing out of control.
My first thought was to alert Sanjay and Steve of a security breach and request their assistance. But I thought better of it. This vampire broke into my pad, which meant he was my responsibility, and my prey.
He was about to be one dead vampire.
My building was on the outskirts of the barracks, miles from the entrance. If he got past the effects of UV dome and still made it this far, then he had to be pretty damn strong.
First order of business; get the vampire out of my closet. To do that, I needed more than a stake-shooter.
I rushed to my cache. The second I stepped in front of the retina scanner, I knew it would deny me access. But I tried anyway. When the panel refused to open, I kicked the bottom of it in anger, and then I hurried to the kitchen. I dropped to my knees and pulled the box of backup weapons from the bottom of the pantry.
Thankfully, I wasn’t one of those knights who kept all of their weapons in the same place.
After I strapped my stake-shooter over my shoulder, I grabbed a UV bomb. I marched back into my bedroom on kill mode. I knew if I put in my code, the closet wouldn’t open, but if I penned in Sanjay’s code…
The keypad next to the door beeped, signifying access. As soon as the door slid to the right and I had an inch of an opening, I tossed in the live UV bomb. A burst of ultraviolent light emerged from the dark space.
A throaty howl followed.
Gotcha, demon! Once the door had completely disappeared into the wall, I stepped into the entrance and launched two stakes.
Pop, pop.
Both strikes hit him. Couldn’t mistake the sound of the pointed tips piercing flesh. Where they struck him was a mystery to me.
Even though he was wounded, he kept moving. He was but a mere blur, whipping around my closet like a hurricane. The bomb continued to release bursts of light in rapid sequences. His skin sizzled under the deadly rays, leaving wisps of smoke trailing behind him.
My closest soon became a vapor filled space.
Stake shooter leveled, I tracked him with my eyes, waiting for a clear shot to his heart, or his head.
He seemed to be keeping his distance from me. Clearly, he wasn’t really trying to flee. Though fleeing was out of the question, considering I was blocking his path out. Sure, he could shove me out of the way and make a run for it, but not without suffering a stake to the heart.
When his movement slowed, I popped off another shot. Moving supernaturally fast, he caught the stake in midair, and then just as swiftly, he kicked the UV device out of the closet.
I ducked, allowing the bomb to fly over my head, then launched a fourth stake at him.
The strike pierced his shoulder as he barreled toward me head on.
I fell back.
He lunged on top of me and knocked the shooter from my hands.
I brought my elbow up and clipped him in the jaw. While swinging at him, I reached for my weapon with my free hand. The shooter was inches from my fingers.
He leapt back, grabbed my ankles and dragged me into the closet before I could slip my hand around the grip of the shooter.
The door slid shut, blocking out the bomb’s flashing UV light. All too soon, darkness consumed the space.
Even though I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face, I knew where everything was located. I scrambled over to the box hidden under my shoe rack and extracted my short blade. The metal cried out with a sharp ching when I snatched it from its sheath. I got in position to attack with one knee to the ground, prepared to take his head. Patiently, I waited for the smallest sound from the creature I was trapped in the closet with.
My heavy panting, along with the rapid pounding beneath my chest, mingled with the stillness around me.
The vampire was smart to remain silent, since sound was my only way to locate him. Tricky bastard. He could be right next to me and I wouldn’t know until he attacked, but that wouldn’t hinder my resolve. I would kill him, or die trying.
A pair of glowing blue eyes emerged from the darkness. A chesty chuckle followed. “Lexi…”
I sprung forward toward the voice. My wrist was caught in mid-swung, but my blade tasted vampire flesh. I was shoved onto my back.
A weight fell on top of me. Strong thighs straddled my hips.
I punched him in his jaw with my free hand.
He grabbed my other wrist as I struck him and then pinned both my hands above my head. “Whooo girl, I knew you were a fighter back in the day…” His familiar husky timbre drifted over me, chilling my face. “But I had no idea you were a bonafide badass.”
That voice… Oh my God! Tears welled in my eyes as I began to sob. I knew it! I knew it was him earlier on site when he said my name, but I didn’t want to admit it to myself. I silently prayed that I was delusional, that the man of my past dreams was not contacting me like a master vampire would.
“Roy!” I cried out. “God, no. Nooo…”
“You missed me that badly, ay?” His fangy smile gleamed through the darkness. “Yeah, well, I missed you too, Lexi.”
Like I stated in the other posts, this story is being developed and written as I post it. It has not been edited or doctored up. What you see here is a rough draft of my thoughts. I hope you like it.
Comments are welcomed!
Enjoy!
Before reading CHAPTER 5, make sure to read the first 4 chapters. Links are below.
**WARNING: Not suitable for the faint of heart, prudes or those easily bothered by strong and vulgar language, graphic descriptions, urban dialect, blood-lusting hotties, kickass female warriors, sword-wielding bad asses, dark smutty sex and extreme violence.**
CRIMSON DAYS
**dystopian sci-fi, paranormal, erotic and interracial romance**
Chapter 5
I only had a few moments to gather my wits before Sanjay would come barging in here, seething in anger. I could almost imagine him pacing in the corridor, punching the palm of his hand, as he thought of the best way to scold me. It would most likely be with rough sex.
I tossed the oil soaked bat on the floor, quickly retrieved my glass of wine and headed for the bathroom.
All of a sudden, that odd sensation hit me again—the same sensation that came over me on the battlefield. Standing in the middle of the bathroom, staring at my reflection, I froze.
The air thickened. A mist seeped in from the walls, as well as the ceiling, and surrounded me. That unearthly vampiric scent reached my senses, but it was nowhere near to being as rank as the stench on the battlefield.
A strong presence manifested behind me.
Goosebumps bubbled up on the surface of my skin. I closed my eyes and stood perfectly still, afraid to breathe, afraid to move.
This presence… It couldn’t be a vampire. There were two thick UV domes protecting the barracks. There was no way in hell a vampire would be able get in here. And if one did, the alarms would be going berserk right about now.
So what is it?
A hand slipped into mine, fingers intertwined. An arm looped around my waist as a ghostly body pressed against my back. The entity’s icy breath teased the nape of my neck, sending tremors down my body. “Lexi.”
I opened my eyes. In the mirror, I saw the reflection of a figure forming in the mist, standing right behind me. “Why are you haunting me?”
“Isn’t it obvious,” it responded on a whisper. “I hate to see you unhappy.”
My lips quivered, my hands shook. I knew this sweet whisper, because I’d heard it many times before in the past. I shook my head. “No, noo. You’re playing games with my mind. Who are you?”
It chuckled. “As if you don’t know.”
“Alexis! What the fuck…?” Sanjay boomed.
I spun around.
The haze separated and dissipated as Sanjay stormed into the bathroom, ripping the armor from his chest. The metal padding hit the concrete floor with a loud echoic clack.
I scuttled backwards away from him until my backside met the edge of the counter.
He closed the distance between us and grasped the sides of my face with his large hands. Our noses were a mere inch apart. “Why the hell did you do that?”
My eyes danced, my nerves quivered. I couldn’t think, couldn’t speak. The presence had vanished, but the uneasiness flittering in my belly lingered. Violent shudders ripped through me as my breathing escalated.
I couldn’t mention the presence to Sanjay. He wouldn’t understand. It would only confirm his suspicion that I indeed suffered from a mental imbalance.
“Alexis, look at me. Why? Why’d you do that, in front of high ranking officials of all people?”
My momentary panic drifted away. His question irritated me. Most people who were personally affiliated with me knew I didn’t do anything that radical without a major purpose behind it. I expected the man who’d spent so much time with me during the last three years would be the first to know.
Maybe I expected too much.
I glared into his dark eyes. “Why ask a crazy person such a rational question?”
He rested his forehead on mine. “Babe, you’re not crazy, I know that. But it’s hard to convince the council you’re sane when you’re beating the shit out of androids with spiked metal bats.”
“It was either you or the droid.”
ALEXIS
Chuckling, he pressed his muscled body against mine. He fisted my hair and pulled my head back. “Goddammit, woman. You make my job so fucking hard.”
Consumed by anger and lust, I wrapped my legs around his waist and bucked my hips against him. “That’s not the only thing I make hard.”
He latched onto my lips with a heated kiss and eagerly shoved his tongue into my mouth. Tangling my fingers in his hair, I returned his aggressive affection.
Even though I was majorly pissed at him, I needed this kiss. It infected my mind with thoughts of rough, uninhibited sex. I preferred the erotic mindlessness. It chased away the visions of the recent events and the unexplained phenomenon earlier.
He gripped my panties at the hip and snatched them off me with one hard yank.
I gasped and giggled in pleasure. In response, I ripped his uniform shirt open and sent the buttons flying in every direction.
He slipped his hand beneath my sheer top and grasped my breast. His thumb and forefinger tugged and tweaked my nipple.
I moaned and arched against him, loving the feel of his rough touch. Turned on to the point of insanity, I pushed my hand between our bodies and palmed his erection. “Gimme this dick, boy.”
Releasing a breathy groan, he shuddered. “Damn, babe.”
When I pulled the zipper tab down, his hardened cock emerged from the pants’ opening. I wrapped my fingers around it and squeezed, causing his hips to jerk. I began to stroke his shaft, caressing it from the base to the tip.
Without breaking the kiss, he pushed me further back on the counter. The cold surface chilled the back of my thighs and my ass. He looped his arm under my right leg and hugged it against his chest. His bulbous cockhead found my wet opening and surged deep inside of me with a punishing force.
Our groins met hard and fast.
Restraining a scream, I bit down his bottom lip, damn near drawing blood.
He slowly pulled his hips back and then slammed forward again, grinding our pelvises together.
Pain and pleasure washed over me, and I liked it.
Sanjay fed me his soft moans as he rocked my body into a back-straining love-making session. I moved with him in a see-sawing motion, rolling my hips on every inward plunge.
Our pace quickened as we climbed toward that sweet plateau together. Sweat coated our bodies. Our kissing became downright animalistic—biting, sucking and licking.
Swirling pressure rose in my core and sent electrical pulses spiraling toward my clit and nipples. Releasing breathy moans, I looped my arms around his neck and grounded our bodies together.
The orgasm hit like a thrashing storm. I gasped and arched against him as the warmth tunneled through me.
Letting out a teeth-gritting cry, Sanjay gripped my thighs so hard it hurt. “Alexis!” Trembling, he slumped against me, pressing my back into the mirror, and buried his face in the crook of my neck.
We stayed in that position, breathing heavily, for several long moments. It took a while for us to come down from the erotic high.
Still lodged deeply inside of me, his manhood throbbed. It had lost some of its stiffness. Though, I’m sure all I had to do was wiggle a little and he would be ready to go again.
Smashed against the mirror with his heavy body resting on me like this was anything but comfortable. Nevertheless, I cherished the physical contact. When we were together like this, it was the only time I could feel him. I mean really feel him—his heartbeat, the warmth of his body, the core of his emotions…
I lost my fingers in his dark hair and massaged his scalp. “Sanjay?”
“Yeah, babe,” he mumbled, his breath hot and steamy on my neck.
“Take me away from here.”
He lifted his head to look at me. His eyes were glazy but focused. “Alright then.” He slipped his hands under my butt. “To the bedroom we go.”
“No, that’s not what I meant.” I palmed the sides of his face and kissed him tenderly. “Take me to a place where you and I can be together freely, where we can make love when the feeling strikes without worrying about others finding out, where there’s no blood and war, where there’s no federation to dictate our lives… Just take me anywhere but here, Sanjay. Please, baby.”
SANJAY
The faintest smile curved his lips. He gently grasped my wrists and pulled my hands down from his face. “The council isn’t going to turn a blind eye to this incident.” He stepped back slowly, allowing his shaft to pull out of my body. His length glistened in my essence.
My pussy muscles quivered, yearning to be filled again.
“I’ll do what I can to keep their leniency in your favor. I’ll also see if I can get them to drop the order for an android.” Chuckling, he shoved his penis back into the slit in his pants. “Seeing as how you destroyed the one they issued you today, that shouldn’t be a problem.”
Somewhat stunned, I glared at him. Did he just ignore me? And worst yet, did he block my heartfelt plea with comments about the council? “Are you fucking kidding me?” I shoved him in the chest, making him stumble backwards, and hopped off the counter. Suppressing tears, I snatched my torn panties up from the floor and tossed them in the trash. “I can’t believe you.”
“Babe, come here.” He tried to hug me.
I jerked away from him and laughed. “My God, I am so stupid. I actually thought you would at least consider choosing me over the federation. I would’ve settled for a I’ll think about it, babe. But I’m not even worth that, am I?”
“Alexis, please don’t do this.” He huffed out a sigh, like he was tired of my gripes, and then he had the nerve to reach out for me. “You are everything to me. You know that.”
With hot tears stinging my eyes, I smacked his hand away. “Let me ask you something. Did you fight for me? Did you even speak up for the woman you claim is everything to you? Or did you let them believe that I was just another random soldier who fucked up under your watch?”
He dragged his hand over his face and pushed out drawn out groan. “Alexis, that’s not how it is.” Pinching the bridge of his nose, he leaned against the bathroom wall. “I can’t just leave the federation when they need me. We are in the middle of a war. If I run away from that, I’ll never forgive myself.”
But what about me?What about US?
I opened my mouth to speak but shook my head instead. What’s the use in baring my soul when nothing I said had any effect on him? I turned my back to him and gathered my bath essentials. I had so much I wanted to say, but voicing my thoughts would be like beating a dead horse. His position was clear and it wouldn’t change.
Avoiding the need to look at him, I pushed the button on the side of the tub to cork the drain and then I turned on the water. I sniffed to hold back the tears, but they broke free and trickled down my face.
“Babe, please don’t cry.” I felt the heat of his body as he stood directly behind me. He placed his hands on my shoulders and rubbed them down my naked arms. “You know I love you.”
Those words used to turn me into mush, because at the time all I needed was for him to say it, but now I needed more. I needed something he wasn’t willing to give me.
“Love me?” I turned to face him, presenting a forced smile. “Let’s not fool each other, Sanjay. You don’t love me, the waitress you met at the diner. You love what I’ve become, you love what you’ve turned me into. A warrior, a knight for the cause… What you fail to realize is every time I’m on that battlefield, I lose a piece of myself. Hell, maybe you do know, you just don’t care.” I paused to swipe the tears from my face. “I can’t fight this war and fight for the life I deserve too. It’s too much. From here on out, I’m not gonna hope and pray for this relationship to go any further than this. I’m done.” He opened his mouth to speak and I put my hand up for silence. “Don’t… you’ve said enough. And so have I. I want you to leave.”
“Alexis…”
I leveled a finger toward the exit. “Get out.”
A shocked expression crossed his face. I’d never kicked him out before. Arguments like this always led to more sex. But not tonight. I wasn’t just blowing words in the wind when I said I’m done. I meant it. I hope he realized that.
He quietly gathered himself, zipped his pants and straightened his uniform the best he could, given his shirt’s buttons were missing. Before he stepped out of the bathroom, he grabbed his armor. For a long moment, he stood at the door with his back to me. “They will most likely restrict your access to your cache. It’ll be a good idea to secure a few weapons before that happens.” With that said, he left.
An eerie sensation lingered in the air.
I knew the battle between us was far from over. I may not privy to every single thing there was to know about him, but I did know one thing for sure. Sanjay wasn’t going to let me walk away from him without a fight.
I have another chapter to add to Crimson Days for your reading pleasure. ^_^
As I’ve stated in the last three posts, this story is being developed and written as I post it. It has not been edited or doctored up. Yes, that means you are getting the story’s first rough draft.
Comments are welcomed!
Enjoy!
Before reading CHAPTER 4, make sure to read the first 3 chapters. Links are below.
**WARNING: Not suitable for the faint of heart, prudes or those easily bothered by strong and vulgar language, graphic descriptions, urban dialect, blood-lusting hotties, kickass female warriors, sword-wielding bad asses, dark smutty sex and extreme violence.**
CRIMSON DAYS
**dystopian sci-fi, paranormal, erotic and interracial romance**
Chapter 4
By the time I got back to my concrete quarters, I wanted to do nothing but get naked and soak my body in a tub filled with rose scented water—if only to rid myself of the ghastly stench lingering on my threads and armor.
In addition to that, I needed wine in the worse way. It was the only substance that would help clear my mind of the last nine hours.
Our mission ran well into nightfall. Unfortunately, that’s when the demons gained strength. The knights had eliminated most of the vampires by then, but the ones who remained put up a major fight. It got bad. Many soldiers died. However, in the end, we prevailed at exterminating every last vampire that’d taken refuge in the sewers.
All those, except for the ones I smuggled out of the area.
I had a feeling the massacre today would only make the death walker situation worse. As soon as the word got around to the larger, stronger covens that the Cross Knights were on a demon-exterminating hunt, the vampires were liable to strike back, and strike back big.
From here on out, sleepless nights were a guarantee.
I lumbered into my weapon cache, peeling out of my armor and uniform as I went. After I’d stripped down to my panties and
ALEXIS
sheer tank top, I set my daggers, glocks and rifles back on their rightful stands. Sometime tomorrow, I would make sure to give them a good cleaning, but until then… wine.
A knock at my front door jarred my attention. I stepped out of the room and stared at the panel blocking my sights from whoever stood outside my quarters. I glanced at the time. 11:57 PM. It was probably Sanjay, the last person I wanted to see at the moment. It took only a second to decide I wasn’t going to answer the door. I wasn’t in the mood for a booty call, or a cursing out about our disagreement today.
“Officer Winsort! Open the door,” Sanjay bellowed, thumping harder with each rap.
Oh hell, he called me officer with stern authority in his voice, which meant he wasn’t alone. Nine times out of ten, he hadn’t traveled with his original entourage, the knights who were privy to our twisted relationship.
I took a gander at the security screen. Four men stood behind Sanjay.
High ranking officials were with him tonight, and for good reason. I’d made some off-the-wall moves during our last mission. That meant a reprimand session was in order. I was supposed to report to the council two hours ago for that session. If I didn’t open the door, I could easily be court marshalled.
Too bad I don’t give a shit.
Rolling my eyes, I headed for the kitchen. I had a hankering for some vintage wine. I grabbed the big bottle at the back of the lower cabinet. Year 2054 screamed from the label in large script. “Perfect.”
As I rummaged through my drawer for the cork-popper, four beeps sounded in the living area, indicating my security code had been overwritten.
“Door opening,” the disembodied voice announced.
Sanjay’s approaching steps came down hard on the concrete floor. Accompanying steps followed his.
“The fact I didn’t answer the door means I don’t want to be bothered,” I murmured, pouring the scarlet liquid into a glass. “And by the way, I’m nowhere near decent, but I’m pretty sure you can see that.” With my wine in hand, I turned and offered a wry smile to the high ranking officials standing in my kitchen.
They were clad in their pristine uniforms with badges of honor pinned to their chests. The only one in armor was Sanjay.
Five sets of wide eyes roamed over my sparsely clothed body. By the way they gawked at me, one would think they’d never seen a half-naked woman before.
Sanjay’s face turned beet red as his jaw set hard.
I wondered what pissed him off more. The fact I didn’t open the door for him and his companions, or the fact his male colleagues were getting an eyeful of his girlfriend’s assets. The only fabric covering anything were my boy-cut panties. On the other hand, the sheer top did nothing to conceal my large breasts and hardened dark nipples.
“Well since you’re here…” I lowered into the seat at my small dining table and crossed my legs. “What can I do for you, officers?”
SANJAY
“I’m sorry, gentleman,” Sanjay gritted out through clenched teeth, glowering at me. “Would you please grant me a few minutes alone with Agent Winsort?” As soon as the knights were outside my quarters, out of earshot, he growled, “You wanna tell me what the fuck you’re doing.”
“Having a glass of wine. You want some? It’s vintage.”
He slammed his palm down on the table, making the glass hop and the wine slosh. “You know what I mean!”
“You came barging off into my spot, Sanjay. I’m in the comfort of my own quarters, so I can have on as little threads as I want. Is that what’s really bothering you?”
Pitching the bridge of his nose, he paced the perimeter of my small kitchen. “Goddammit, woman.” He grumbled a series of rapid curses under his breath in his native tongue, Arabic, before speaking again. “Why didn’t you report to your hearing?”
I quietly wiped the wine droplets off the table, leaving his question unanswered. You’d think they would at least give me a day to recuperate from today’s activities before harassing me about this mess.
Sanjay lowered to his knees. He removed his gloves and ran his calloused palms over the sides of my naked thighs. “Babe, you need to talk to me. The commanding officer’s son… his only son… is in a coma, due to the tranq dart you shot into his ass. And let’s not forget his jaw is broken in three places. What the hell happened out there?”
Silently, I stared at the swirling red wine as I stirred my finger the glass.
His grabbed my thighs in a biting grip, making me wince. “Alexis, please don’t do this to me. Tell me what happen.”
I took a sip of the wine and let the heavy silence weave between us a moment more before speaking. “Officer JR chased two hostiles into my zone. I cornered the area with laser cones to notify the other knights in the vicinity that I was sweeping those grounds. Once the vamps crossed those cones, they were mine to deal with. The other knights abided to my zone markers, but Officer JR clearly had other plans. Instead of returning to his post, he attacked me. I hit him in the jaw with the butt of my rifle. Twice. He wouldn’t stay down, so I popped him with a tranq. And that’s the end of my tale.”
Laughter hid behind Sanjay’s smiling lips. I knew there was a part of him that found this situation humorous. He was twisted like that. “You are so fucking crazy, woman. Did you have to shoot him in the ass?”
“He was on his hands and knees when I pulled the trigger, so his ass was the only thing I could see.”
Covering his mouth, his snickered. “Need I remind you those tranquilizers are specifically made to debilitate vampires, not humans? He may not wake up from that coma, or worse, he could die.”
I shrugged. “One less jerk face to deal with.”
Luckily for me, no one on the force liked JR. Sanjay hated his guts. The boy was a pompous son of a bitch, who thought he could be an outright asshole just because his daddy was the tribe’s chief. I’m sure no one’s complaining about his unconscious state. No one, but his father that is.
Sanjay pushed to his feet and clasped his hands behind his back. An austere expression wiped his smile away. “So now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, are you going to tell me why you were wielding a G-twelve tranquilizer rifle during a kill mission? Or, are you gonna just leave it up to me to piece it together?”
For a long moment I said nothing. I knew there was no hiding my actions any longer. Every kid who came into my zone got popped with a tranq. Most of them didn’t even try to run. Once they looked into my eyes, they completely submitted. It was like they knew I was there to save them.
I contacted the CRF before I started gathering vamp children. The CRF were quick to deploy pods to collect the live specimens. The military wasn’t in the habit of leaving anything alive for their research, so they were more than thrilled that I was willing to assist them. It wouldn’t be the first time, nor the last.
The pods were stealthy and fast, able to go undetected. Only problem was, they made a whizzing sound that was hard miss, which defeated the purpose of them being stealth vessels. Nevertheless, I’d hoped the battle kept my fellow knights occupied to buy me some time.
JR came along and almost ruined everything. When he caught me loading his prey into a pod, he came after me. I put him down before he could alert any of the other knights. Little good that did me. All the council had to do was watch the playback from the drones that patrolled the area and all my secret deeds would be exposed.
I knew that, but I didn’t care. Saving eighteen children was worth it. “I did what I thought was right. Not all of them are monsters, Sanjay. During their experiments, the CRF have proved—”
“Goddammit, Alexis… You just don’t get it, do you?” he growled. “You don’t work for the CRF! You work for the military! When your commanding officer gives you orders to exterminate with extreme prejudice then that’s what the fuck you do!” He fell silent, took a deep breath then cleared his throat. “As of now, you are on probation until the council decides otherwise.”
Probation? Didn’t sound too bad. “Great. I need a vacation from death dealing anyway.”
Sanjay shook his head and added, “You’ve also been put on permanent watch.” With that said, he spun around and left the kitchen.
“Wait… what?” I jumped up and raced after him. “What do you mean permanent watch?”
I entered my living room and scuttled to a halt when I came face to face with an android.
My heart thumped out of panic. “Oh hell no.”
A translucent gel-like substance coated its mechanical workings like flesh. The machine stood perfectly still, his hands by his sides, his creepy milky colored eyes locked on me. “Good evening, officer Winsort. How may I assist you?”
“As you can see, you’ve been issued an Assist Droid. You can thank Steve for that. He convinced the council you’ve been under a lot of stress due to this war. And your actions were out of character because of this. He also mentioned your declining health and that you’ve been hearing voices on the battlefield, which is why you’ve been granted leniency.”
Steve? Noo, not Steve. I would expect this betrayal from Sanjay, but not my homeboy.
I leveled a finger at the droid. “Get this thing out of here right now!”
Ignoring me, he continued. “You are scheduled to meet with Dr. Chambers every day at noon to assess your physical and mental health until the council deems you fit to return to service for the federation.”
Tears filled my eyes as my anger grew. “Sanjay, get this goddamn droid out of here!”
“I hate we have to do this, but you have to pay for the choices you’ve made. Look at this way, it could be much worse.” He held a signature pad out and said, “Place your hand here to show you understand and agree with these terms.”
“Fuck you!” I screamed, slapping the pad out of his hand. “That droid is not staying here.”
Sanjay stood there, staring at me in silence for a moment. I couldn’t read his expression. He seemed unmoved by the whole situation, but I knew this had to bother him just a little bit. The droid would monitor my every move, twenty-four seven. That meant no more alone time for us.
“You don’t have a choice, Officer Winsort. Neither do I,” he added with just a flash of sadness in his eyes. “I will be by periodically to check up on your unstable mental condition. That is all.”
“Sanjay…”
He stepped out of my quarters, leaving me staring after him. “Unstable mental condition? So you’ve labeled me crazy, huh?” I muttered to the closed door, seconds after he’d walked out. “Okay. I’ll show you crazy.” I hurried to my weapon cache. “Put me on probation, label me crazy, but leave me with room full of weapons? Yeah, that’s smart.” I grabbed my sword, but thought better of it when I caught sight of the spiked bat sitting on its stand at the back of the room. “Oh yeah, that’s better.” I slapped the sword back on its holder and then claimed the metal bat. I marched back into the living room. “Open the door,” I commanded.
Still standing where I left it, the droid asked. “How may I help you, Officer Winsort?”
“Here, you could take this bat.” As soon as the partition slid completely open, I swung the weapon, hitting the android in the stomach.
His artificial body folded over as he flew out the entrance. He hit the wall in the corridor with a booming thud, sending cracks branching out along the surface.
“How maaaayyy I…” the machine whirred, slumping to his knees.
Part ways down the hallway, Sanjay and the officials spun around.
The droid tried get back onto his feet. “Offic-officer Winsort…”
I pounced on him, wielding the weighty metal bat. Screaming out with every swung, I landed blow after blow until sparks were flying, and scarlet motor oil was spouting all over the place. After many more hits, the android was an unrecognizable heap.
With their faces stuck in a state of shock, Sanjay and the others gaped at me.
Breathing heavily, I swiped my dreads back from my face. “How’s that for unstable mental condition?” As I took in their stunned expressions, I harped out in laughter. “You may want to tell the council to send another droid. This one seems to be broken.” Dragging the bat on the ground, I sashayed back into my quarters.
Before the door slid shut, I heard Sanjay gruffly announce to the high raking company, “Gentleman, my apologies… I will meet you back at headquarters. Apparently, I need to have another word with Officer Winsort addressing her conduct.”
To reiterate the statement from my last post, this story is being developed and written as I post it, so it hasn’t been edited or doctored up. I’m literally giving it to you how it comes to me.
Comments are welcomed!
Enjoy!
Before reading CHAPTER 3, make sure to read CHAPTER 1 and CHAPTER 2. Links are below.
**WARNING: Not suitable for the faint of heart, prudes or those easily bothered by strong and vulgar language, graphic descriptions, urban dialect, blood-lusting hotties, kickass female warriors, sword-wielding bad asses, dark smutty sex and extreme violence.**
CRIMSON DAYS
**dystopian sci-fi, paranormal, erotic and interracial romance**
Chapter 3
Piles of dead bodies covered the open field.
Stunned speechless, I watched my fellow knights systematically drag vampires from the sewer passageways and stake them to the ground, forcing them to suffer daylight. The trees in the area had been trimmed away so there would be nothing obstructing the sun’s deadly rays. There had to be more than a hundred dying demons spread out over the field, and more deceased ones heaped in piles along the perimeter.
As the sun baked their flesh, the seared skin peeled off, fluttered into the air and disintegrated into dust, creating the miasma that poisoned the atmosphere.
Some creatures clawed and fought to stay underground. Those who put up a fight swiftly met their end, by means of a silver blade or UV bullets. Men, women and children alike, festered away in screaming pain.
Several knights approached the demons with large mallets and machetes. Heads were severed or smashed into bloody messes.
Lifting his mallet in the air, a bulky knight stood over a young pale-faced boy.
The boy screamed at the top of his lungs. “No! Please…!” He looked my way and reached out for me. “Please, help me!”
The pain in his eyes tore at my heart. I’d never seen a child vamp before.
His fangs were small, though I’m sure they were no less lethal. Beneath an expression stricken with fear, his face was a picture of pure innocence. Drawn into the dark life against his will, he would never grow up, or have his first kiss. Where he lay, staked to the earth, was his death bed.
I took a step forward, just as the knight brought the mallet down on his face, crushing his skull, cutting his piercing cry short. I gasped and sucked back tears.
Without the least bit of remorse on his face, the soldier moved onto the next vampire, who unfortunately was also a child. It wasn’t bad enough they were frying them in the daylight sun, they had to bash their heads in too.
“Get a fire going!” one of the knights from the other squads hollered out. “The bodies are piling up. Let’s burn these sonsabitches.”
The sickening sensation in my belly grew, almost to the point where I wanted to vomit. “Who are the monsters here? Them or us?”
The knights near me whipped their eyes in my direction. My question also garnered the attention of the commanding officer, Commander Cannon.
He wore a permanent scowl, one that tarnished his otherwise handsome features. His bright golden eyes narrowed. “Are you opposed to this mission, Officer Winsort?”
Clive Owens as Commander Cannon
I didn’t answer. I just held his golden glare, doing my best not to let my razor tongue fly.
“Knights, your orders are clear,” he said in a demanding tone, directing his words to the whole squad. “There are hundreds of hostiles hiding out in those sewers. They have burrowed deep within. As you can see, the first squadrons called to the site are in the process of extracting the hostiles closer to the surface. Your job is to enter the underground maze, hunt them down and exterminate with extreme prejudice. Any target that makes it pass this squadron will meet the knights above and be taken care of. Those are your orders. They are to be carried out before nightfall.” With his directive lingering in the air, he pivoted on his heels in a robotic motion and marched over to where the other head officers convened.
I never liked that man. In his presence, I got the major hibbie jibbies. There’s something off about him, something not quite… human.
My fellow knights rushed off to fulfill their duty, but I couldn’t move. I was rooted to the patch of bloody dirt I stood on. Hunting vampires who attacked me was one thing, but going after them like this… women and children, people I know… “This isn’t right.”
At my side, Steve tugged on my hand. “Alex…?”
“I’m not doing this.”
“Alex, we have to follow orders.”
“This is a monstrous act, a massacre.” I snatched my hand away from him and shook my head. “I’m not doing this shit,” I voiced a little louder.
Sanjay was several feet from me, heading toward the sewers with the others, but when he heard me, he spun around. “What’d you say?” Before I knew it, he was in my face. “Tell me I did not just hear you refuse to carry out a direct order.”
“You heard right. I’m going back to the ship.” I turned to walk away.
Sanjay grabbed my arm in a biting grip. “Alexis…”
In a flash, I had my hand wrapped around my gat with the barrel pressed into his stomach.
A smirk curved his plush lips as his dark eyes glimmered in amusement. “You’re gonna shoot me, babe? Your superior officer?”
“If you don’t get your goddamn hand off of me, I just might.”
Seconds of fraught silence hovered between us before he said, “You know what? I don’t get you.”
“Really? What’s new?” I countered snidely.
“You kill vampires on a daily basis, skillfully, without batting an eyelash, but this is a problem for you.”
“This is not what I signed on for. I’m not about to start slaughtering children.”
“They’re not children, Alexis. They’re demons.”
“You’re the demon!” I shot back on a hiss. “And if I cross this line with you, I’ll be a demon too.”
The smirk drifted from his lips and gave way to a teeth clenching frown. “If you back out on this, you’ll have to answer to the commanding officer, and I won’t be able to protect you.”
I jerked my arm from his clutches. “You and the commanding officer can kiss my ass. I refuse to let you strip me of my humanity.”
For the first time, Sanjay glared down at me with hate-driven anger in his eyes. I’d only seen him offer vampires that look. “Then that’s going to pose a big fucking problem for you.”
“Uhhhmmm, let’s take a deep breath, guys, and try a different approach.” Facing Sanjay, Steve sidled in between us to push us apart. “I have a solution for this problem that you may want to hear. We can run a perimeter sweep.”
Eyes still locked on mine, Sanjay muttered, “What?”
“Some of the vamps are liable to pass this point. Like earlier. With me and Alex running the perimeter we can make sure none of them flee into nearby town to infect more people.” Steve shot a glance over his shoulder at me. “Good idea? Right, Alex?”
I clucked my tongue, whirled on my heels and stalked away from them. “Whateva.”
Still clutching my pistol, I trekked deeper into the forest, away from the carnage and the light. There were shadows all around me, cast by the large trees and their branches. The haze from the dead vamps loomed in the area and thickened around my feet, yet I continued to move forward.
Steve lumbered behind me, quietly.
I appreciated his silence, but it didn’t help calm the rage boiling within me. “Children, Steve… Children! What the hell have we become?”
“I know. It’s fucked up,” Steve said, keeping his distance. “Try to cool off, ma. You can’t have another run in like that with your superior officer, even if he’s your boyfriend.”
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t clear my mind of the horrific actions I’d witnessed. I saw the mallet slamming down onto the child’s head over and over again, like a motion picture on playback. His eyes bulged, his blood and brain matter splattered over the ground, his skull crushed…
My eyes stung, my chest tightened. It was a devastating vision, one I wouldn’t soon forget.
I stopped and lifted my head. Suddenly, I had that feeling again—the feeling like I was being watched, and it wasn’t by Steve. I heard soft breathing close to me, like someone was standing right beside me, but no one was there, aside from the looming darkness. The presence…
“Lexi,” whispered a haunting voice from the shadows.
An icy chill darted down my spine.
“Lexi, please don’t be sad.”
Something brushed across my cheek. Leveling my gat, I swung around.
Caught in my gun’s path, Steve jumped back and threw his hands in the air. “Hey-hey now! Take your anger out on the vamps and your man, but not me.”
“Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?” Brow quirked, Steve reached over his shoulder and grabbed his sword’s hilt. “I don’t sense anything.”
If the bloodhound didn’t pick up on a threat in the area, then I had to be spazzing out over nothing. Right? If so, why couldn’t I shake this feeling?
“Why am I the only one feeling this and hearing voices?” I grumbled frustratingly.
“Sure it’s not in your head?”
I cut a glare at him.
He shrugged. “Just sayin’, nothing gets past my senses. Nothing.”
Whipping my sights from the left to right, I eyed the roaming patches of darkness that seemed to gradually close in around me. “I could’ve sworn I heard someone call out to me, and… and touch my face.” I took a shuffling step backwards. “Earlier, there was this presence—” The ground suddenly fell out from under my feet.
Steve lunged forward and caught my hand before the earth could swallow me whole.
“What the hell…?” I regained my footing as I stared down at the fog covered crater in the ground. “What is this?” It was hard to make out.
“Looks like a hole. A big one. Let’s see how deep it is.” Steve plucked a radar sphere from his holster.
The device leapt from his palm, fell the short distance then hovered over the indention. It sprouted blue laser-like beams, making it look like a miniature disco ball. Once the rays were done whipping about, it let out three beeps.
He read the results registering across the screen on the forearm of his armor. “This hole is almost eight feet long and four feet deep with claw marks etched in the dirt. Looks we found ourselves a fresh grave.”
So not all the vampires sought refuge in the underground sewers. Smart move. “Not a surprise. This is the perfect spot, a lot of shading, very little light. Wonder how many more we’ll find out here.” I couldn’t stop myself from peering around cautiously. I wanted to believe I’d been hearing things earlier, but I had a gut feeling I wasn’t.
“Good thing I suggested a sweep, ay.” Steve slid his fingers across the screen on his forearm. “I’m deploying a few droids to assist us. I think we should move this sweep further out…”
“Lexi…” The ghostly whispers echoed across my mind like a sweet caress, blotting out Steve’s voice. “Leeexi.”
I shook my head and pulled my mask off. The tainted air immediately assaulted me, making me want to gag.
“Alex, you hear me?” Steve asked.
“Yeah—yeah, you said something about deploying droids,” I muttered absentmindedly. With my thoughts drifting a million miles away, I headed for the ship.
“Where are you going?”
“To get my tranq rifle. Any kid vamps come across this area, I’m putting them to sleep and then turning them over to the CRF.” At least the Cross Research Facility wouldn’t kill them, but study them instead. Rather that, than getting baked in the sun and getting their heads bashed in.
“Ahh hell, Alex,” he groaned. “You shouldn’t have told me that. Now I’m an accomplice to your treasonous plan.”
The phantom voice… He called me Lexi. Why Lexi? There was only one man who addressed me by that nickname, and he disappeared well over ten years ago.
“Please don’t let it be him,” I whispered as I moved deeper into the shadows.
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