Raven's Desires (Night Hunters)
Author: Reily, Aminta
Date: 2012-12-01
Keywords: Erotic Romance; Paranormal; interracial
Description: Night Hunters 2 Mates are driven together by fate, ripped apart by hate, but will survive from love. Demons always pay for their crimes. Aracdia has a place for anyone who feeds on humans and kills them, but what happens when a vampire does not commit that crime and is sentenced anyhow? Kristian Blackburn never thought the moment he met his ebony queen Raven Nowles that she would set him up and he would end up spending ten years trying to make her remember. The moment Kristian met Raven, he knew they were meant to be—the first vampire and slayer ever paired. Shortly afterwards, a vampire named
Publisher: eXtasy Books

Mates are driven together by fate, ripped apart by hate, but will survive from love.

Demons always pay for their crimes. Aracdia has a place for anyone who feeds on humans and kills them, but what happens when a vampire does not commit that crime and is sentenced anyhow? Kristian Blackburn never thought the moment he met his ebony queen Raven Nowles that she would set him up and he would end up spending ten years trying to make her remember.

The moment Kristian met Raven, he knew they were meant to be—the first vampire and slayer ever paired. Shortly afterwards, a vampire named Alec creates an injection that takes over Raven’s mind. His plan is to use Raven to open up the gates of hell to release a very dangerous demon.

Will Alec’s plan to bring forth one of the most dangerous demons to the world destroy the first vampire slayer mate?

The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Raven’s Desire

Copyright © 2012 Aminta Reily

ISBN: 978-1-77111-372-4

Cover art by Angela Waters

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by eXtasy Books

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Raven’s Desire

Night Hunters 2

By

Aminta Reily

To Tracy, without you giving me the inspiration, I would have not written again. I love you.

Chapter 1

Kristian Blackburn wiped the sweat from his forehead as it trickled down the sides of his face. He shifted into a sitting position, hissing as his body protested his movements. He groaned when a burning sensation started from the middle of his back and traveled through his entire body, touching every starving cell.

Kristian held in a scream as the muscles in his body felt as if they were on fire. The pain was everywhere. His head, arms, eyes, fingers—every place were pain could hurt, did.

Once the pain became more bearable, Kristian sighed. It didn’t matter which way he moved or how carefully he kept his movements, he would feel pain. Beside the ache his body endured daily, his mind taunted him, teased him, destroying any hope he might have that the ache would end anytime soon. Not only did he have to live in pain every day, his body was dying quickly. He needed blood. Every pore of his body craved the sweet taste of human blood. The mere thought of blood made his stomach rumble from the emptiness. Kristian didn’t just crave human blood now—any blood would sustain him. This was no ordinary hunger but a gut-wrenching necessity. He was starving. To try to get his mind off the hunger, Kristian thought of how this all came to be.

How could his life go from being able to do anything he wanted to being trapped in a prison where he had no choice in anything he did? They told him when to eat, when to sleep, who he could talk to and how long they could talk. Everything had a limit on it and he could do nothing to change it. In all his life he never felt as pathetic and helpless as he did right now. He was helpless to himself and helpless to those who didn’t know they needed help. One particular person who needed him the most was the love of his life. She needed him to rescue her even though she didn’t know she needed rescuing.

Closing his eyes, Kristian sent another mental call to his mate, reaching for her, hoping that one day he could connect to her—at the same time, praying she would remember him. He knew the walls of Arcadia had mental force fields around them but if once, only once, he could get a mental call to his mate, she could come and rescue him. She would remember him and be able to clear his name and he would be free from this hell hole. Free to live his life with his mate as he was meant to be. Happy. Joyful. Loved. Most importantly, together with her.

Why had he been betrayed like this? No one would come for him. No one would listen to him.

Kristian placed a hand over his stomach. Tears flooded his eyes. He doubled over in pain as it felt like someone had stabbed him in the abdomen with a sharp object. He breathed in and out trying to relax his body, trying to get his mind off the hunger. The pain surged through him again like energy, touching every cell in him, causing more destruction to his already fragile body. The ache continued with no signs that it would end anytime soon. He could never get used to the feel of his stomach being on fire. The feel of his head pounding. The feel of his body dying with each breath he took. This was his hell—day in and day out of nothing but agony and loneliness. Nothing he did would get him the freedom that he deserved.

Justice be damned in his case. Justice did not prevail when it was needed. No, the only thing justice did for him was get him trapped in a place where a person would rather kill themselves before serving their time. Human criminals in jail lived the high life compared to the demons in Arcadia. Here was where you knew that you had reached the end of your life.

Kristian cringed again at the pain that radiated through his body when the sun’s rays touched his feet. He tucked his legs under his chin in an effort to escape the sun.

The guards had awakened him with a blast of the sun’s ray and like a creature of the night he fled from his cot and hid in the corner hoping that the sun did not shift before they decided to shut the shutters. Tiny beads of sweat coated his body as the temperature in the room rose. The heat from the cells was murder when they opened the windows during the day. The cell was mostly made of metal and steel, so once exposed to the sun for long periods of time, it could become very uncomfortable for anyone living inside.

Tremors wracked his body as he looked down at his right arm. The tattoo of the lightning bolt that should keep him safe from the sun did nothing under the powers of Arcadia. Its powers were useless now and there was nothing he could do but accept that he was no longer a daywalker.

A scream of agony from across the hall penetrated his sensitive ears. Kristian raised his head, trying to look across the hallway while staying out of the sun’s rays. The scream came a second time, louder than before. It echoed through the prison, sending a sickening chill up his spine. Then just as quickly as the scream started it ceased.

“Someone get him up! He didn’t move,” the voice of a guard broke the silence.

Footsteps ran along the hallway as they rushed to whoever was screaming.

“God it hurts! Don’t move me! Don’t move me damn it!”

Was that Shane?

Kristian hoped and prayed that his friend had not given up on life and decided to sleep through the pain. No one deserved to die by the sun unless they had no choice. In this case, they did. If they opened the window, you moved. Simple. But Kristian knew Shane was stubborn as a mule. He did not like taking orders or following directions. Kristian knew Shane would not give up on life—but after so many years in here, he might have. He could not lose Shane. No matter what happened while in Arcadia he couldn’t lose his friend, not now. Shane meant the world to him. Without Shane’s influence he would have never left Rasa Beach in Rio de Janerio and traveled to California to experience a new life. He would have never met his mate and love of his life. Without Shane in his life he would be marr…Kristian shook his head not wanting to think of his past life and what ifs. He needed to think of here and now and getting the hell out of Arcadia.

Again, screams filled the prison. The screams grew louder and louder until it was the only thing he could concentrate on. He could hear the suffering this person was enduring. The only time he’d heard suffering like that was when a vampire died by the sun.

Once the screaming stopped again Kristian laced his fingers together over his head and closed his eyes when his head pounded. Harder and harder it pounded. His head throbbed with each beat of his weakened heartbeat. He dropped his head onto his knees, breathing in and out, willing his pain to subside. His heart beat harder against his chest with each struggling breath that kept him alive. His heart needed more blood to strengthen him, but he knew that would never happen as long as he was here. They wanted them all weak in this demon prison.

The sound of movements made him look up. His sensitive ears caught the movements of a mouse behind the wall. A small nose peeked out from the hole in the wall, sniffing before ducking back inside. The mouse stopped moving for a moment. Seconds later it slowly walked from its hole on the other side of the room. So close but so far Kristian thought. The mouse moved into the bright sunlight that showed in the room—the very light that kept him crouched in the corner of the room like the beast he was.

Sharp fangs descended from his gums. He needed blood and at this point in his life, he didn’t care if it was human or animal. Any blood would take away the pain.

Most vampires could go a day or two without blood, but almost two weeks would drain their energy and soon they would die. He didn’t worry about dying in this hell hole. They didn’t want him dead. If they did, he would be. No, not dead—they wanted him to suffer every moment he was here.

The window’s shade slid down, blocking the sun’s harmful rays. The moment it did, the mouse scurried back into its hole before Kristian even thought about moving. Every damn day the mouse would do that, like he knew his life was in danger. He came out when the sun was high in the room then ran back into the wall the moment darkness came.

Kristian’s fangs retracted. He sighed in relief as the harmful rays and heat faded from his room. He still didn’t move from his position, too weak from the lack of nourishment to even craw back onto the bed. Then he thought about it, he didn’t want to move from the corner. He never knew when the guards would decide to open up the shutters again.

Kristian didn’t know how long he sat in the corner. Maybe five minutes. Maybe five hours. Finally, he couldn’t take being awake any longer. His body needed rest. Vampires naturally didn’t stay awake the entire day. Some could stay awake all day and night with rings and other devices that helped their bodies adapt to the sun. In his situation, his body wanted rest. No, his body needed rest. His eyelids began to drop, and his breathing became more shallow with each breath. He inhaled deeply and sat up straight to try to stay awake. He knew the consequences for falling asleep during the day. He knew but his body didn’t care. It wanted one thing, sleep. His battered body immediately relaxed, too weak to fight to stay awake.

Kristian knew he should not fall asleep. Not now. Not while the sun shined high. He would endure more pain if he fell asleep and a guard caught him. Not able to stay awake any longer, his eyes shut on their own. The moment Kristian closed his eyes he knew he had sealed his fate.

Wake up, Kristian. Damn it wake up!

It was too late, his heart slowed more. His brain shut down. He only needed a few minutes of sleep. That was what he craved at this moment.

“Don’t fall asleep, vampire.” The dreamwalker’s voice startled him.

Kristian growled, forced his eyes to open and stared at the dreamwalker standing on the other side of the bars. Just looking at this dreamwalker you would think that it was an ordinary human. He stood about six feet tall with dark black eyes that watched him closely through the loose strands of his black hair. He wore blue jeans with a white t-shirt tucked inside his jeans to make himself look, well, normal. It resembled a human but Kristian knew that out of the two of them, at this moment, the dreamwalker was more dangerous than himself and half of the creatures locked up in this prison.

Dreamwalkers did not need sleep. They did not need food. Some lived a regular life as a human, eating, sleeping and aging to the human eyes while staying young forever. They never aged and as far as he knew could not be killed. Dreamwalkers were the perfect specimen for a prison guard. There had to be over a thousand demons in this prison and maybe only twenty dreamwalker guards. Many dreamwalkers had no life. Working in this prison all day and night was their life.

They did not go out and socialize with anyone because there were not as many dreamwalkers on this earth as there used to be. Rumor was that most of the dreamwalker population went back to their dimension because the rising of Anarisan was near. Anarisan was one of the most dangerous creatures of this universe. It didn’t matter what the dreamwalkers were doing or why—all Arcadia’s managers cared about was that the few that were here controlled the other demons.

“I’m not sleeping,” Kristian hissed dangerously.

“You had better not be. I would gladly open the shutters again. Your buddy Shane was scorched the last time we opened it.”

Kristian used what little energy he had, jumped up from his seated position and charged the bars.

His fangs emerged again. His fingers gripped the bars tightly—he wished his fingers were around this dreamwalker’s neck instead.

“What the hell did you do to him?”

The dreamwalker tilted his head and the sides of his mouth curled into a creepy smile. His eyes turned a dark red color. Kristian blinked his eyes, his second mistake of the night besides charging the dreamwalker when he knew he was too weak to fight. When he focused his eyes again the dreamwalker was no longer in front of him. Kristian felt his body being turned around. Strong fingers caught him in a deadly grip around his throat as his body was slammed against the bars, knocking the breath from his body.

“Don’t ever charge me, vampire. I could snap your neck like a twig. Your friend fell asleep and did not move when the shutters opened. You know the rules. No vampires are allowed to sleep during the day.”

The dreamwalker smiled again. “You wanna know something vampire? His flesh looked like charcoal when I last saw him. Just like you are going to look one day. Deep fried.”

The dreamwalker tightened his grip around Kristian’s throat. Kristian didn’t have enough energy to fight. He only wished for a quick death. He didn’t need to breathe as often as humans but he knew that if the dreamwalker kept applying pressure his neck would snap soon.

“Etan, let him go,” Jasmine, his angel of light, ordered.

Etan gazed past Kristian but did not let go of Kristian’s throat.

“Now, Etan, it’s an order.”

“He charged me.”

“I don’t care. He could not do any harm to you. This vampire is too weak to do anything but bare his fangs. Now don’t make me say it again.”

Etan growled before releasing him. Kristian’s legs collapsed under him and he went down to the ground hard.

“You are babying them all too much, Jasmine. They are here because they are hard core killers. They murdered humans. The worst crime that any creature could commit. Don’t let them think they deserve better.”

“That’s why I’m here to rehabilitate them—to have them know right from wrong, so they will go out in the world and not kill again.”

“Vampires will never learn, and you are crazy to believe that they will never kill again. They are animals! They only know about blood. They don’t care if they kill humans to get it. In fact, I heard that some say they enjoy killing the humans because the last drop of blood is the best.”

“Shut up, Etan! Why would you say that in front of him?”

“Why should I be quiet? If you are rehabilitating them, then they should be able to hear about killing and blood without going crazy with need. You are helping them remember. If you are so good at helping, then this vampire should be able to handle a little blood talk. Don’t you think?”

A wind passed through Kristian, making him shiver. He opened his eyes to see Jasmine push Etan in the chest. He went flying back through the air. To anyone it would seem it took little or no effort for her to push him. In reality it didn’t. Jasmine was more powerful and stronger than Etan. She was older by at least two thousand years giving her leadership over Etan in the dreamwalker’s laws and here at the prison.

Etan smiled. His body faded before going through the wall.

“Damn it, he knows I hate when he does that.”

Jasmine swept her golden hair away from her face then turned to Kristian. She sighed at him. He had not moved from his spot on the floor. He looked at her, then down to himself. His once blue inmate’s uniform was torn and tattered. Dirt and grime lined every inch of it. Jasmine, on the other hand, stood there with a white t-shirt on and a pair of jeans looking like she did every day. Beautiful.

Kristian could handle the showering whenever the guards felt like letting him shower. He could handle the minor torture of letting them have blood once every two weeks. But stopping vampires from sleeping during the day was the worse punishment of all. Sleep was how they recovered. They healed quicker when they slept. What could take two months for a bruised eye on a human could take a couple of hours of sleep with a vampire. But if you deprived sleep when vampires naturally slept, then the healing process took longer than usual.

The reason why no sleeping was a rule was to keep them tired so when night came, they slept. Which worked in the long run. It kept down the escape ratio. Arcadia had a magical force field around it that was supposed to keep all inmates in unless they had been freed. But sometimes the barrier got weak. He noticed it—everyone did. It got weak mostly on his side of the prison around two in the morning and that’s when he felt that someone could escape.

“Sorry vampire, I did not mean to be gone for so long. I sense that you are very weak,” Jasmine whispered before walking up to him, grasping his arm and lifting him as if he weighed next to nothing.

They faded through the bars as she moved. This dreamwalker looked to be a nineteen year old female that couldn’t lift a twenty pound weight. And here she just lifted him and was carrying him with one arm down the hallway as if he weighed lighter than a feather.

As he passed by the cells, he observed many of the vampires and other demons. Most were in corners hiding from the sun. Others paced back and forward talking and growling to themselves. Pain went through him knowing that his brothers were suffering like this, but most of them deserved it. They killed humans for fun. They did not live by the Council’s law. Those who were killers he didn’t feel pain for, only those who were trapped in here and innocent like him.

The need for sleep hit Kristian hard and he could not keep his eyes open. He knew he could sleep now and would be safe with Jasmine. He needed to try again to open up his mate’s mind, to make her know who he was. If he could then he knew that his days in this prison would end.

* * * *

Kristian opened his eyes, and the first thing he noticed was he was standing in front of Raven. She sat in a chair, her eyes closed, her body relaxed.

He moved closer to her, his heart pounding with excitement. It had been so long since he had seen her. Standing directly in front of her, inhaling her scent, he realized how much he truly missed her.

Kristian didn’t know if it was a dream but he did not care. He stood over her and reached out, touching her hand. Raven’s body jerked but she did not wake.

He looked around the room, noticing that he stood in darkness. It was just him and his mate here. A thought came to him that he had to be sleeping, but it felt so real. When he touched her, he could feel her body jerking. He could hear her breathing. It couldn’t be a dream, could it? His soul must have traveled to find her and he had.

Now that he had found Raven, touched her, he had to get her to remember him and the love they shared. He wanted to have her in his life again.

“You have to remember, my love,” Kristian spoke softly, his hand cupping the right side of her face.

Raven’s hand covered his and he sucked in a breath from her touch. She smiled in her sleep before her hand fell away from his.

Kristian knew entering her mind could make her forget him but he had to take that chance. He could not lose her now that he had connected with her after so long. They’d become one and he would be able to unlock the part of her brain that had been locked about him.

Remember me, Raven.

Remember me.

Remember me.

* * * *

Raven Nowles jumped into a seated position in the chair. Her hand immediately touched the side of her face she felt someone touching. Her eyes widened with fear. She looked around the room, sensing that someone was there, someone had touched her. But how could she sense anyone here when it was only her in the room?

She sighed, then lay back in the chair, trying to relax. Today she felt edgy and she didn’t know why. All day she did things to keep her mind busy. First thing this morning, she went to the gym and worked out for hours. After the workout, she decided to go into work early and get some paperwork done for the bookstore. Nothing seemed to work to keep her mind occupied.

After hours of getting nothing accomplished, she thought about her life over the past years. She remembered walking into this book store ten years ago, confused about why she wanted to work in this particular bookstore.

Alec had taken one look at her and hired her on the spot, saying she had the potential he was looking for. For months she worked her ass off, coming in early, staying late. In no time, she went from stock girl up to manager. She enjoyed going to work every day and putting in the hours. The customers who came into the store were so nice and friendly. Yes, half of them were in their sixties but they were so sweet. The communication and the fun she had in the bookstore made her enjoy working.

Alec had been like family ever since…since she could remember. She did not remember much of her childhood lately. Maybe it was not a good one. Maybe as a child, something bad happened to her and she locked it away in her mind. She did remember little things every now and then. Like her as a young child sitting in front of a cake blowing out candles, while other young children cheered around her. She remembered turning around watching a couple kissing in a booth behind her at some café. She was older then, but the image was blurred. She wondered about that image a lot. The one with her in the booth smiling. For some reason she felt more attached to that time than any other image she imagined. Sadly, whenever she turned around to talk to whomever sat in front of her in the booth, the image was dark to a point she would stop thinking about it.

Raven felt that something had happened at that time in her life. Good or bad, she still wanted to know who it was she spoke with and why watching that couple made her smile.

Raven let out a long sigh. Sadness overtook her as it did every time she thought about the person in the booth. Damn it! This was what she was trying to prevent all day. She didn’t want to be sad. She wanted to be happy. Raven tried to think of things that made her happy. Like Alec. Even though she could not remember much about her past, Alec kept her happy in the present. He made her happy even if he had this uptight look about him. First thing she noticed was he only wore dark colored clothes. She never saw Alec in anything colorful. Nothing light colored like browns, greens or any color that a man could wear and still look manly. No, Alec only wore dark, blood red, and black clothes.

Along with his strange taste in clothes, he didn’t smile that much. He did smirk if you told him a funny joke. He did give a creepy smile when he greeted people, but to Raven it seemed fake. Oh, and he always did that disappearing thing that freaked her out sometimes. One moment he stood in front of her and if she blinked, he would be gone without a trace. Out of all the unusual things about Alec, the most was that she only saw him at nightfall. She was really tempted to ask him if he was a vampire or something. Not that she believed in those things. Raven thought it would get him to smile if she did, but the moment she thought about asking she would shake the thought from her mind. She knew if she asked Alec about him being a night walker he would probably fire her on the spot—or worse, admit her to some psycho ward where they would dope her up on meds all day and night until she stopped thinking that creatures of the nights were real.

All in all, Alec did make her smile all the time. They did have very intelligent conversations. He said things that would make her smile and he seemed to know exactly when to do it. Like now, if he were around he would tell her something funny to lift her spirits. Alec had more good parts about him than bad. Not that the clothes he picked were considered bad—the fact that he did not want to change his image just a little made it bad. How many black suits could one person own? With Alec, it had to be a lot. More than he needed that is for sure.

Raven sat back in her chair, closed her eyes and concentrated on relaxing her mind. She’d learned that deep meditation helped her to relieve stress a lot. For hours she would sit here and think of herself on some far away island with no one around. The thought of lying on the beach, watching the waves rush onto the shores, rolling onto the sandy beaches would ease the first of her stress. The birds chirped happily in the skies as they flew by. Raven would be on a beach lounger looking out over the ocean as the sun descended over the horizon. It was a beautiful thought, just beautiful.

Raven took several deep breaths, inhaling through her nose and exhaling from her mouth. Again, she inhaled, then exhaled. Raven frowned as the trees began to sway back and forth in the breeze. The clear skies turned dark in a matter of seconds. Her now clear and sunny day was turning into a storm. That was not right, she controlled her thoughts and today was not a rainy day thought.

Raven tried to open her eyes but she could not—she was stuck inside her mind where her dream getaway was turning into the horror from hell.

A loud boom sounding like lightning striking exploded in her mind. Raven jumped and her fingers dug into the cushion of the sofa. Her heart leaped and it beat at an unusual speed. Her breaths came in short pants. The lightning struck again, this time louder than before. Raven tried to force her eyes open again but couldn’t. She groaned when the lights flashed brightly behind her eyelids. One after another. Each one came faster and louder than the next. The sound of ocean waves roared in her mind. Raven reached out for anything to anchor herself to. She didn’t feel that she was in control of her body any longer.

What the hell was happening to her? Raven felt warmth spreading through her body. Starting from her head where it burned brightly before traveling down her neck to her heart, it beat triple time before the feeling moved down to her legs. By the time the feeling reached her feet she had no control of her body. She could not move at all.

Raven managed to pry open her eyes some time later after everything went quiet again. She looked around to see darkness. She no longer lay on her beach but floated in midair in nothing but darkness. The only light was the dim light surrounding her. A small eruption exploded making Raven close her eyes from fear. If she was going to die, she didn’t want to see what was going to happen.

When she reopened her eyes again she was floating in midair surrounded by stars. Raven looked down and concentrated on moving her fingers. She stretched her hands in front of her, glad that she could move again.

Her heart was still beating quickly. Her body still shook from the feeling. Her gaze traveled around where she floated. It was so beautiful. She reached out trying to touch a star. When her finger touched the star it shimmered like what would happen if you touched stilled water.

“Raven,” the voice that she had heard many nights called to her in the wind. “You have to remember. You have to remember.”

Raven turned to only see more stars. No one was there with her. Not a single soul.

“Remember the love that we had.”

“What love? Who are you?” Raven never answered the voice before, but tonight she felt impelled to.

No response. Nothing.

“Who are you?” she repeated.

“Your soul mate.”

“I don’t have a soul mate. Who are you?”

Raven screamed as her body jerked and she moved through the space faster than she had ever moved. She was being pulled through the stars by an invisible force.

They zoomed by faster and faster. Flashes of light shot through her body and when they touched her she could feel her body absorbing them. Memory after memory of her past life flooded her mind. She remembered now, herself as a child blowing out the candles. It was her tenth birthday. Her friends were all around her cheering her on as she tried to blow out the magic candles. She remembered her mother and father standing in front of her laughing as she tried her hardest to get those candles out. She also remembered the café and who sat in front of her. She knew the couple kissing in the booth behind her. That night at the café was the night that changed her life. She remembered everything.

She knew who and what she was. Oh god, she knew what Alec had done to her. Even worse, she knew what she had done to people along the way.

Raven remembered her soul mate Kristian. She remembered him. Tears flowed down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around her body as she remembered him. She remembered how much she loved him.

More flashes of light came, this time followed by images of her and Kristian together. Images of them kissing. Laughing. Playing. Kristian—the voice that spoke to her was him. The love of her life.

Raven wanted to scream as one memory came back to her. Alec had tricked her from the moment he came into her life at the school. He wanted her. He wanted to control her. She remembered it all.

The injection.

The plot.

Kristian being in prison.

Everything.

Raven opened her eyes to see Kristian floating in front of her. She opened her mouth a few times trying to find the words but nothing came out.

Kristian lifted his hand and she followed his movements. Their hands touched, making her shiver.

“Kristian,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. I…I…”

“Don’t say a word, my love. Just come and get me. Let them know what happened.”

More tears rolled down Raven’s face.

“I will. I promise you, I will.”

Raven’s head pounded until it felt like it would explode. She groaned and held her head.

“What’s wrong, Raven?” She heard Kristian’s voice, but the pain came ten folds.

“My head. Ahhhhh! It hurts.”

“No, you stay with me, Raven. Don’t go back.”

“Help me, Kristian. Please, make it stop.”

Raven felt his strong fingers laced with hers.

“I’m here with you. I will not let you go. Never. Stay with me, Raven.”

Raven could feel herself being pulled away from Kristian. Their fingers unlaced and she knew that she was waking up.

“Kristian!” she screamed and opened her eyes.

Tears flowed down her face as she looked around the room. She blinked a couple of times trying to remember what had happened. The last thing she remembered was sitting on the couch. How did she get on her bed? She moved her arms but couldn’t move them much. Her arms and legs were strapped to the bed.

“I almost didn’t get to you in time,” Alec said from the side of the bed.

Raven turned her head quickly to see Alec standing there, his black eyes staring down at her. He wore his usual clothing. Black shirt and pants, neat and clean. The bastard was a vampire! He pretended to be a close friend to her. He was no friend. He tricked her.

“Alec, you son of a bitch. Let me go!”

Alec chuckled at her.

“In a moment, dear. Just one moment and this will all be over with. I hope you had fun remembering Kristian. I don’t know how he got to you this time but I guess I will have to give you a double dose. I knew when you started to remember little things about vampires I should have injected you then. Last night after you started to talk about things I know you shouldn’t have remembered, I knew it was time to inject you again.” Alec growled. “If this happens again, next time I will not wait.”

“No,” Raven begged and struggled to get free.

“You can try to get out of that restraint, little slayer but it is no use.”

Alec unzipped a bag and took out a needle.

“Alec, please, no. I don’t want to forget. I need him.”

“You do not need him. You have been without him for ten years now.”

Raven screamed and struggled to get free from the straps.

“Help me!”

“No one can hear you scream.”

Alec flicked the needle with his finger.

“When you wake, my ebony beauty, you will be right back in your hometown. Meadville, Pennsylvania, here we come.”

“No!” Raven pulled at the strap but to no avail.

Alec pushed down with one hand on her arm.

“Say goodbye to him, Raven. Now and forever.”

“Alec, please don’t.”

Raven screamed as he injected the liquid into her arm.

Her veins quickly spread the solution through her body. Moments later her eyes felt heavy. She frowned as she looked at Alec as he stood there with a smile on his face.

“I will kill you,” she whispered before closing her eyes.

The sound of Alec’s voice spoke to her, calming her, reprogramming her.

Chapter 2

“No!” Kristian screamed, coming awake.

He sat up, his heart pounding furiously against his chest. He breathed in and out, trying to calm his overacting heart. He looked around the darkened room searching for his mate. At long last, after so many endless tries and failures to communicate with Raven, she finally remembered him. She remembered the love they shared. She wanted him again. Her promise brought tears to his eyes and strengthened his heart to know that he had gotten through to her.

Kristian knew that if he’d broken through whatever Alec had done to her, he would be able to do it again. He didn’t care if it took another ten years. He wanted his mate and he would fight each and every day of his life until she was in his arms again.

It took him several moments to realize that he sat on the couch in Jasmine’s office and not in Raven’s mind with her. He sighed. Once again, he was alone—alone in this prison, where he would probably rot for the next hundred and ninety years.

The sounds of approaching footsteps made Kristian tense and jump up from the couch.

“Careful.” Jasmine said softly as she walked into the room.

Kristian breathed out a sigh of relief before looking down at his hands. He had them balled tightly, ready to strike at any moment. Slowly he opened his hands, extending his fingers to see his nails were long. The nails had actually carved small half-moons into his palms from the pressure. He was sure that his eyes were red with anger and he’d probably even growled at Jasmine unintentionally. Instead of attacking him as any dreamwalker would have, she only spoke one softly uttered word.

Careful.

Kristian knew that careful from Jasmine wasn’t for him hurting her, but the other way around. He couldn’t do any harm to Jasmine in his current weakened condition.

After several long breaths he calmed himself and flopped down on the couch.

“My apologies,” Kristian said before leaning back on the couch.

“It is fine, Kristian.”

“How long was I sleeping?”

Jasmine looked up at the clock. “Around twenty hours. Why?”

“I had a dream about Raven. She remembered me and the love we shared. She promised me she would come get me. Then, she woke up and I felt her fear. She was afraid of something or someone. All of a sudden everything went dark again and I could not connect with her. I guess her memory got wiped again.”

“Could be.”

Jasmine handed him a mug. The scent of blood assaulted his senses and he gulped down the liquid in one swallow.

“Careful there, at least taste it first.”

Kristian’s body quickly absorbed the blood. His starving cells needed more. A lot more. One cup could have sustained him a while back but now it only quenched a little of his thirst.

“Thank you.”

He wanted to ask for more, needed more, but he would not overstep any boundaries with Jasmine. She helped him when no one else would, but Kristian knew he still stood alone in this world.

Jasmine leaned against her desk. “You know, Kristian, every time I bring you to my office I’m violating every rule in the book. Freeing you from the sun. Letting you sleep. Feeding you. I don’t know why I’m taking such a big risk with you.”

“You know I’m innocent—”

“Do I?” Jasmine cut in. “So many beings here claimed to be innocent. But you, you are different. For some reason I do not feel that you killed anyone.”

Jasmine pushed herself off the desk and grabbed the cup from his hand.

“I never killed a human. I was framed. Alec Sullivan is not who he seems. He is not a changed vampire. He has something up his sleeves and I know it involves my mate.”

“If what you say is true, Kristian, why doesn’t he just kill her like he has so many others? Why did he keep you alive when he had a chance to kill you? This all does not make sense to me, Kristian.”

“Why wouldn’t a vampire, hyped up on slayer’s blood, want a slayer as a pet? Free blood sounds like a good idea to me. Especially if the blood you are getting is much stronger and powerful than any that you have ever tasted. I do not know why he has not killed her, but I’m sure it’s something about Raven or even her blood. She’s different.”

Jasmine frowned at him. “What do you mean different?”

Kristian shrugged not really knowing how to explain it to Jasmine.

“I have had slayer’s blood before. Not fresh, but I know what it tastes like. Raven is not only human and slayer but something more powerful and stronger than I have ever tasted before. I never in my life tasted anything like it before.”

“Did you tell her or anyone about this?”

Kristian shook his head. “You are the first person I’m telling this to. I did not know if I wanted to tell her, since she was so new to learning the world, or just keep it to myself. I did not want other vampires trying to sink their teeth in my mate to see what she tastes like. I know that whatever she is, it’s very powerful, and I’m afraid that’s why Alec keeps her alive.” Kristian sighed at the thought of Alec actually taking Raven’s blood and finding out what was in her blood. “As far as him killing me, I don’t know why he didn’t kill me that night. Maybe he wants me to suffer knowing that my mate is alive and does not remember me. He knew that would torture me more than being locked up for a crime I didn’t commit.”

Jasmine did not answer him, only poured another cup of blood from her thermos. His nose flared at the smell of the blood.

“I don’t know if I should give you any more. I can’t have you strong enough that Etan can detect it. Or you trying to beat him up after today.”

Kristian nodded while drinking the cup just as quickly as the first one. He needed that so much. It was not like Jasmine gave him blood daily. Once a week she brought him here, let him sleep for a day or so, then fed him. She mostly did it on days Etan wasn’t working. The other guards didn’t work on his floor and didn’t notice he was missing. Other inmates were too tired and tortured to notice that he is gone for long periods.

He was actually surprised to see her today. She had been on vacation for a month and he had not gotten the blood like he was used to getting when she was here. He knew that she wouldn’t make any special trips to Arcadia just to bring him blood because that would raise suspicion among everyone.

“I will not try to attack Etan. No matter how much I am pushed to. That would give him another reason to try to torture me. I don’t understand why he’s so interested in me and Shane.”

“You think that he has an interest in you two?”

“I don’t know. He gets a kick out of teasing me about Raven. Which gets to me, since so many think that she’s dead or never existed. But with Etan, it’s like he knows she’s alive and what she’s doing.”

“Even if he knew something about Raven, the Council decided that you were not fit to be in the world, and since you are here you have to deal with assholes like Etan. And now I have to convince the world that you will not go out and kill again.”

Kristian looked up when he heard Jasmine gasp at what she had just said. Even though Jasmine helped him through these hard times, she still believed that he killed those girls. Jasmine was no better than the rest of them.

“I never killed an innocent human. Never,” he spoke softly.

Kristian didn’t know how he could make her understand that he did not kill anyone. He was an innocent being. He had protected humans with his life and still would. It was his kind he didn’t trust anymore. He would probably never trust anyone as much as he used to.

Jasmine sat beside him, which made him think that her level of trust must be high with him. A dreamwalker never trusted many people, especially anyone outside of their race. To think about it, none were as friendly as Jasmine. He wondered why she trusted him so much.

“I trust you so much because I know who you really are, Kristian. Since you want to keep that part of your life such a secret, I will allow it. Anyhow, I got something to tell you.” Jasmine sighed.

“What is it?”

“I had some people to try to find Alec while I was on vacation and they did. Not only did they find Alec, they found Raven.”

“What!? Really?”

“Yes. For years, I thought this slayer was dead. They lied about Raven’s death, didn’t they? All this time the Council made it seem as if this slayer was dead and at your hands.”

“I told you I didn’t kill those girls or Raven. Alec injected Raven with something and she does not remember me. She is doing whatever sick thing Alec wants her to do, but she doesn’t know it’s wrong.”

“I know, Kristian. You just said that you spoke with her. That lets me know that this Alec, the slayer killer, can’t be trusted.”

“I know. Do you know where they have been?”

“One of my overseas informants spotted Raven and Alec getting on a plane from Paris to the states. Raven looks different from her pictures but he told me that he knows a slayer when he sees one.” Jasmine took a pad off the desk. “Alec reactivated the water and lights at your old home using his credit card yesterday and that’s how I was able to track where he is going. I am surprised that he did. Lately, I think he’s been using cash or using another name.”

“That’s strange that he would use my home again. Raven could remember some things if he took her there.”

“Maybe he wants that, Kristian. Maybe he wants her to see if his memory loss solution still works. If he perfects that, then there is no telling what he can do with it. He could reprogram minds of anyone to do his will.”

“If you are correct, that makes him a very dangerous man.”

“Indeed.”

“Jasmine, you have to tell the Council about this.”

“About what?”

“Raven being alive.”

“Kristian, I can’t do that and you know why. I would be in more trouble once they find out that I had people spying on Alec to try to find him. I would get the death sentence from my own people if they found out that I have helped you this much. I cannot risk it, Kristian. I did not know what information I would come up with, but I had to find out the truth. Now that I know the truth I hate that I do since I can’t do anything with the information.”

“If you don’t want to do it for me, do it for Raven. She’s trapped in a world where she thinks Alec is good and would do no wrong when he’s hurting her more each day.”

“I’m sorry but I can’t do that, Kristian. I just can’t.”

Kristian sat the cup down, feeling two hundred percent better than yesterday. The blood brought back a lot of his strength but now his heart hurt with each beat knowing that someone knew the truth but could not do anything with the information. He understood their laws and since Jasmine would not help by telling the Council then he needed to tell them himself. Not just tell them. He needed to take Raven in for them to see for themselves.

“Jasmine, I need a favor.”

Jasmine lifted an eyebrow. “More than what I’m doing now?”

Kristian nodded. “Since I’m in jail, my Night Hunter’s pay was put on hold. I need two things. I need to get out of here and lots of cash. I promise to pay you back every penny plus interest.”

Jasmine stood. “Are you asking me to break you out of Arcadia? Are you mad! I can lose my job and be trapped in one of those eight-by-eight cells they put dreamwalkers in. You know we don’t need sleep or food to survive. However, to be trapped in a cell that small with nothing but my mind to communicate with would make me go mad.”

“You will not get caught Jasmine.”

Jasmine shook her head. “I will not do it, Kristian. No.”

Kristian felt his entire world crash when she said no. He knew that he could not get out of here without help from Jasmine. She was the only person who could help him get out. The other guards would rather watch him die before helping him show the world the truth. Raven was alive, he always knew that, but now Jasmine knew it for herself. She knew that his mate lived with a slayer killer and he would do anything to get her away from Alec. Anything.

“I’m sorry, Kristian, but what you ask of me I cannot provide. I give you food. I give you the sleep you need. I can even give you updates on your mate now that I know that she is alive. The one thing I cannot give you is your freedom.”

“What about a trial? You know I’m innocent.”

“I know nothing of that. I cannot place myself in a situation where I stand up for you. They would think that we had some type of relationship and I, no disrespect, would never tarnish my race by sleeping with anyone beside a dreamwalker. We do not date outside our race as many of you do.”

“None taken, but I really wish you would reconsider it, Jasmine. Raven is my mate and to know she has been alive for all these years when no one believed me was torture enough. To now have to live with you knowing that she is alive and knowing that you could probably get me out of here is worse than torture.”

“I get nothing for letting you out of here, Kristian. Nothing. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I could get life in prison for helping you escape but that’s about it and that’s a deal I’m not ready to work for.”

Kristian stood and walked up to her. Not close enough to be in her space, just close enough so he could look into her eyes.

“You get the joy of knowing that an innocent person doesn’t have to spend two hundred years of his life in prison. You will bring together two mates. All you have to do is lower the shield on the left hand side just a little. Enough that I will not pass out if I run through it.”

Jasmine closed her eyes briefly and he thought that she would agree. “I can’t do it, Kristian. I understand your need to be with Raven. She is your mate. First, think about this, Kristian. Raven does not remember you. She does not remember the love you two shared. She will think of you as a threat to her and the moment you go near her, she will try to kill you. She’s a slayer and that’s what she does. If Alec has reprogrammed her brain, I’m sure he has made her believe that you are a major threat to her and to kill you on sight. I can’t live with that or with the fact that you may be lying to me about everything. The injections. All of it. Raven is a slayer and I never knew of anyone being partnered with a slayer.”

Kristian walked away from her. “Jasmine, times change. Yes, Raven is the first slayer to be mated with a vampire. I feel that slayers are going to have long living mates because they are immortal. Think about it, how many slayers live past the age of one hundred? I think they give up on life because they have no one in it. They can date humans but have to leave them after a few years because they never age and can’t have anyone noticing that they don’t. Raven is my soul mate and there is nothing anyone can do to change that. She was made for me. Only me. I need to be with her like humans need air. I need to get out of here, Jasmine. I need to be with Raven. I know that I can make her remember me. I just did it and I know I can again.”

Jasmine raised an eyebrow at him. “I didn’t think of this before, but how did you get her to remember you when the force field around Arcadia prevents any type of mental communication?”

Kristian stared at Jasmine for a moment before answering. “Jasmine, what we vampires have is a blood bond which is much stronger than any mental connection. We are tied by blood. Her blood is mine and vice versa. No magical force field could take that away.” Kristian began to pace. “The love we share is unconditional. Being single you cannot understand, but you do know what love is. With a vampire and their mate, it’s magnified times ten. I sit here day in and day out trying to connect to my mate who does not remember who I am. When we sleep it is when I feel the link is open with her and that is how I was able to get inside. I love Raven and would do anything and I mean anything to be with her again. Raven is my heart, my soul, the reason why I live now. I don’t care what Alec did to her—I know I can reverse it.”

Kristian watched as Jasmine’s eyes softened. He did not know how his words had affected her, but he hoped it was enough for her to lower that force field and help him escape. If Raven and Alec had moved back to her hometown, he had to get to her before they left again. If he could get Raven away from Alec, the Council should be able to help him find out what Alec has done to Raven. Everything was reversible and he would not give up on the only person he had ever loved. Raven was his heart and his soul. He needed Raven in his life again.

“As much as I want that for you, Kristian, I can’t give you what you ask of me. You will stay here and live out your sentence. End of discussion.”

Tears stung his eyes at the thought of not being able to see Raven anytime soon. Jasmine did not understand how much mates need each other. If one mate died, the other one would surely take their own life just to be with them in the afterworld. Dreamwalkers did not have mates—they made partnerships as vampires had done for so long. Vampires found a person in their lives and hoped that they would make it until the end of time. It mostly worked out and the two end up together for a very long time. Then, there were times where the two didn’t get along and broke up. What had developed in their world was something no one could explain. Mates were now being born to each other. Now, you didn’t have to worry that your partner and you would make it to the end of time because the magical pull you both felt made certain of that. Raven would live for a very long time and once he got out he could go to her, but what if she got lonely and decided to take her life? He could not live without her. He had for ten years now and each day he wanted to take his own life but the will power and the thought of being with Raven again kept him alive.

For years, Kristian walked around this world unhappy with women. He did not love anyone because he never felt a connection. With Raven, that all changed and he needed her in his life again to feel connected. Just one touch from her brought back so many memories. They were together for a short time before being torn apart. He had many years to make up for with Raven, but he also had many years to be with her. If Jasmine did not let him out of here soon, God forbid, he’d have to make his own way out. If he had to go that route then he would do things that would definitely get him a life sentence in prison.

“I’m sorry, Kristian,” Jasmine interrupted his thoughts. “I will help you as much as I can to keep you comfortable, but that’s all I can offer.”

Kristian nodded. “I understand and thank you so much for what you do for me.”

Kristian would not argue or beg anymore. He didn’t want what little she did do for him to stop. She might give up and help him in due time. It took her almost a year of talking to her daily before she brought him blood. He remembered how nervous she was the first day she fed him. She worried that he would tell or let others know what she had done. When he gained her trust she fed him more and even let him sleep. He had patience—and he would wait until she was ready to give in to her need to help him.

Jasmine smiled. “You are welcome, vampire. Now, drink up the last of this blood, no need for me to keep it. Then back to the cell you go. It’s almost lights out and you can finally get some sleep.”

Kristian laughed. “You know how hard it is for vampires to sleep at night.”

“Yes, but you will get used to it sooner or later.”

“Indeed.”

After he finished the last cup of blood, Jasmine took Kristian back to his cell. He lay on his cot thinking of his love, Raven. He knew his earlier dream of them together was real. Raven remembered him. Remembered their love. Everything.

Kristian sighed, and decided to send out a mental call to her, but the link they had formed had broken again. With all the powers of Arcadia it shocked him that he could send out a mental call. Well, he couldn’t send one to any of his friends but only his mate. Maybe, Arcadia’s power could not stop love. Kristian sighed again when he could not reach Raven and decided he would call out to her every waking moment like he had before. He would not give up on his mate. Raven loved him and he loved her.

He closed his eyes, reached out for his mate and drew in a deep breath when he touched her, felt her inside of his mind. Raven was still connected to him in some way. The connection to her was now open. Her memories were locked away, she did not remember him, but he could pull her inside of his thoughts.

Maybe if he could make her see the past, make her live the love they had over and over, then there was a chance that he could make her remember him.

Kristian concentrated, creating a deep connection to her, a path that he would be able to connect to her over and over.

Kristian smiled when he thought back to when he’d first met Raven Nowles, dragging her back to the past with him, making her relive each moment they shared together. His mind was hers. She would see what he saw, feel what he felt and vise versa.

He hoped that Alec would not detect that their minds were connected and break the spell. He had to get his mate back and this was the only way he could do it.

Reaching out for Raven, he fused their minds together.

Raven, I am here, remember me. Remember the day we met.

Chapter 3

Past…

Raven Nowles lifted her head from the café table at the sound of glass shattering as it crashed to the floor in the kitchen area.

She turned towards the sound of the crash, groaning as the sound echoed in her mind.

“God damn it Veronica, be careful!” Billy, the cook, screamed at the top of his voice.

Raven shook her head. Tonight would be a night of fighting between Veronica and Billy. When the place was not busy, they took up each other’s time by getting on each other’s nerves.

“Oh, shut the hell up will you, Billy. You were the one coming out of the door that clearly reads in. Why don’t you watch…” Veronica’s voice began to fade inside Raven’s mind as she concentrated on blocking out the sound of their voices. She was in no mood to listen to the constant bickering between them tonight. She had to admit that some of their arguments were very entertaining, but tonight Raven only wanted peace.

Raven’s shoulders relaxed as the sound in her mind faded. She tried to picture herself on an island, away from the noise of the café and the world. She could hear the soothing flow of the ocean waves washing up on the shore. As the water receded, her troubles washed away with the water, leaving her fresh and rejuvenated. Raven breathed out slowly, concentrating on getting rid of the throbbing in her head.

Raven thought back to when she was a child and she first learned she could block out certain sounds that made her head pound from pain. She remembered at the age of ten while she sat in the living room doing her homework she heard her father’s car pulling up in the driveway. Her mother had been on the phone yelling about how much her father drank. The moment her mother heard the car she slammed down the phone and met her father at the door. The two started to argue from the moment he stepped foot inside the room.

They yelled and screamed for so long, not paying attention to Raven or what the fighting in front of her did to her.

Raven got up and ran into her room, slamming the door as the bickering continued. No matter where she went or how hard she tried, she could still hear them yelling at each other. That night Raven could not take it anymore—she had planned to run away if they did not stop. However, something happened to her that night. She couldn’t explain exactly what happened but as she lay on the bed crying she must have fallen asleep, because when she opened her eyes a female with dark, black, beautiful hair and eyes sat on the bed next to her.

Raven could not explain her in just words. The woman wore all white. Her silky skin glowed brightly. Instead of running like any child would have, she stared at the woman. When the woman smiled at her she didn’t feel fear, she felt relieved that this stranger was there. She felt a connection with the woman.

The woman spoke softly but clearly to her. Raven listened as the woman explained to her how to block out sounds. Raven didn’t really understand how to do it but the woman assured her that she could. Raven was about to ask the woman her name but she woke and was in her room alone. The light from the woman remained on the edge of her bed a few moments before disappearing.

Raven didn’t understand what had just happened but she decided to try what this dream woman told her. Raven got out of her bed and stood at her door, concentrating on blocking out the sound like the woman explained to her. Surprisingly, the sounds of her parents’ voices faded. At first, Raven thought that maybe they had stopped arguing and went to bed.

She crept downstairs to see if they had indeed stopped arguing. Her parent’s bedroom door was open and she could see her mother standing in front of her father. Her father arms were waving wildly in the air. Her mother’s mouth opened, screaming at her father, but Raven could not hear their voices.

She could hear the crackling of the fire, the sound of the television, but not her parent’s voices. Raven smiled, thinking the dream woman silently for helping her.

Just as she smiled, Raven’s father turned to see her watching them. He walked up to the door and slammed it in her face.

Raven knew they tried to hide their fights, but when her father drank he could not control his anger and it would spiral out of control to a point where her mother had to put him in jail. Her parents never broke up as she thought they would. Her mother told her that with time and her father promising to stop drinking then everything would get better, and it did after the last big fight.

Raven had never told anyone about the dream woman and until now, she had not seen her again. She thought about her a lot. It was as if the woman left a part of herself with Raven. Raven also knew that not everyone could block out sounds like she could, since no one spoke of it. She thought that maybe she was a freak of some sort but decided that if she could block out sounds when she wanted and it was not hurting anyone she did not need to tell anyone. She did not want people to think that she was a freak and lock her away in some mental institution.

Veronica’s screaming blasted through the kitchen again, bringing Raven back to reality. She had been thinking about her past so much that she had stop blocking out the sound. Concentrating again, she turned down the sounds of the kitchen.

Raven let out a deep breath. Finally, silence again. The lights above her flickered and she groaned as her eyes stung from the sensitivity. She could make the sound go away but she could do nothing for her sensitive eyes or her ongoing headache.

Raven pressed her fingers to the temples on her forehead to try to ease the building pressure in her skull. Her brain felt as it was two sizes too big for her skull.

Her eyes slammed shut at the throbbing in her head that pulsed with each heartbeat. All of a sudden, her heart slowed to a dangerously slow rhythm. Sweat lined her body. Her t-shirt stuck to her body like a second skin. Bright lights flashed behind her eyes. She groaned again when her brain pulsed and pressed against her skull repeatedly.

Why wouldn’t the pain go away? For days now, her head felt as if it would explode at any moment. No pain reliever worked on the ache, not even the medicine her doctor prescribed for her. The medicine only made her sleepy but never took away the headaches. Each day Raven suffered through each agonizing moment of it. Sometimes the pain lasted for a few minutes. Sometimes, like now, it lasted for days.

Another flash of light behind her eyes made her eyes tear up as her concentration broke and she could hear the noise around the café again.

Make it go away. Please, God, whatever you do make it go away.

“No sleeping at the table, Raven, you know the rules.”

Raven snarled then removed her hands from her face to look up at the one who spoke. It took several moments before her eyes were able to focus on Veronica.

Veronica stared at her without a word. Raven looked away from her for a moment then stared into her eyes. Raven squirmed in her seat when Veronica’s penetrating stare got on her nerves.

“What?” Raven snapped after the long silence.

“Wow, you look awful,” Veronica spoke a little too loudly for Raven’s sensitive ears.

Raven sat back in the booth wanting to argue with Veronica, but how could she? She knew how she looked. Over the past couple of weeks, she had lost a few pounds from not eating properly. Her skin gave off a pale grayish appearance. She had bags under her eyes big enough to carry a month’s worth of groceries in them. Overall, she knew she looked awful, but she did not want to hear how awful she looked.

“Thanks,” she spat. “That’s just what I needed to hear. How awful I look today.”

The redhead sat down at the other booth across from her. “Well, I’m sorry Raven. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. You are my best friend and friends should stick together. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t care. You don’t look well. Your eyes are bloodshot, as if you haven’t gotten a descent night’s sleep in ages. What’s going on with you?”

Raven shut her eyes again when the lights above her flickered from the storm brewing outside. The television in the corner blinked out.

“Hey! The freaking TV is out again!” Billy’s voice blasted from behind the counter.

Raven looked back as Billy jumped on the counter and banged on the side of the TV a couple of times. Raven heard sizzling from the TV and she was sure it was going to catch on fire.

“I told you to buy a new one,” Veronica yelled. “That thing is as old as you, Billy!”

“I’m not old, just preserved,” Billy teased.

“Right. Well, you may be preserved but that TV is still old. They don’t even make VCRs anymore.”

Billy hit the television once again and the picture cleared.

“There.” Billy said, then hopped down off the counter. “And, if you want a newer model TV, go buy one, Veronica.”

Veronica snorted. “Not in this life time.”

Veronica turned her attention back to Raven. “Sorry, Raven, but what is going on with you? We are friends and you’ve been keeping something from me I just know it.”

“To tell you the truth, I don’t know, Veronica. I have these terrible headaches and nothing—and I mean nothing—is making them stop. It goes on and on and on.”

“Have you been to a doctor?”

“Yeah, my mom has taken me to the doctor twice. He claims it is stress, and once I stop being stressed over whatever is stressing me then it will go away.”

A low rumble came from the skies. Raven opened her eyes just in time to see a lightning bolt crash down right beside the window where she sat.

“Holy shit, did you see that?” Veronica said as she jumped up from the booth.

“Sadly, yes. That hurts worse than the lights you guys have on in here.”

As if God answered her prayers, the lights in the café went off. Raven let out a sigh of relief. While the darkness did not lessen the pain in her head, at least without the lights she could keep her eyes from tearing up.

“Raven, you need to go to the hospital. Tonight.”

Raven turned in the booth a little. “Why, so they can give me more pills that will not work and tell me to go take a nap?”

The generator finally kicked in and a few of the lights came back on. It wasn’t as bright as before. Thank god for small favors.

“No, because you are suffering and they have to…”

“Thanks for the advice but it’s not going to help,” Raven interrupted. “Just bring me more coffee and I will be alright.”

“Fine. But the fact that you are up at one in the morning lets me further know you are not going to be alright. You’ve been in here for the past couple of nights, which is not healthy at all.”

“I thought you enjoyed my company?”

“Yes, I do. But when my friends are sick I’m more concerned about making them feel better, and you sitting here downing coffee while in pain is not a good thing.”

Raven looked at Veronica and really wanted to turn her off. Her words were nagging and she was actually making her sicker by making her head pound more.

“Mommy, can I stay if I promise to go to the doctor tomorrow? Would that shut you up?”

Veronica snarled at her.

“You have jokes today, Raven?”

“Yep.”

Veronica took one more look at her before she trotted off in the direction of the kitchen.

“No sugar and a little cream,” Raven said as loudly as she could without causing another series of painful throbs in her head.

“I know how you like your damn coffee!” Veronica yelled from the kitchen area making Raven smile.

Veronica was right about the coffee. It would not help her get rid of the pain. Night after night she came here, sat and drowned her sorrow in coffee while trying to figure out what the hell was going on with her head. Tonight happened to be a good night at the café. There was no one here but her, Veronica and the cook Billy.

Raven was grateful for this quiet over the usual fill of her fellow classmates who usually kept this place alive on a Friday night. Tonight was different. Almost every student in Meadville High School had traveled to Las Vegas to see this new up and coming band named Broken Promises. This band had just come out the month before and it seemed to be a big hit with everyone, young and old.

They topped the charts with their hit single, Secret Cravings, already. The song sounded good, but Raven didn’t see why everyone made a big deal about it. All in all, she loved the peace and quiet tonight. She mentally thanked Broken Promises for entertaining her classmates.

“Here’s your coffee.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Veronica set the coffee down in front of her but did not walk away. Raven took the little crystal light sugar she had left over from her previous cup of coffee and poured it into her new cup. She took a spoon and mixed the coffee. As she did this she tried to forget about the feel of eyes on her. Raven set the spoon down then sat back on the booth.

“What now, Veronica?” she asked the waitress who stood at the end of the table since she placed the coffee down.

“You need to go get checked.”

Raven groaned. “Only thing I need is some peace and quiet and my friends not standing over me while I’m trying to have my morning coffee.”

“Whatever. You have been here since eleven and that’s not healthy at all.”

The door of the café opened. The simple sound of rain drops hitting the pavement outside almost drove Raven over the edge.

“Oh my,” Veronica said.

After the door closed and quietness once again filled the café, Raven asked, “What is it?”

“Look at the two men coming inside.”

Raven turned in the booth to look at the two men walking into the café. Both were soaked from the rain and they looked so pale. One had either light brown or black hair. The water had it lying on his head. He had on a long, black leather coat and black boots. The other guy, Raven couldn’t describe him with just words. Just like the teenager she was, her body jumped into overdrive just from looking at him. The one she couldn’t stop staring at had shoulder length, light blond hair. His hair was so long and thick that she wanted to run her fingers threw it. The length didn’t take away from his manliness. His skin was as pale as the other but it looked good on him. She couldn’t tell from the distance what color his eyes were but they were very light. Maybe a baby blue. He also had on a black jacket and black boots.

God he’s handsome.

Raven could not turn away from this man. Her body began to burn at the thought of the stranger’s hands touching her, which should freak her out, but it didn’t.

The stranger’s buddy sat in the booth next to the door facing away from them. The stranger was about to sit when his head shot up and his gaze locked with hers. Raven’s entire body tensed at the man’s stare.

Raven couldn’t blink or turn away. The stranger smiled and Raven knew that she had lost any fight she had. She did have a secret craving for white guys but she kept it a secret. But she knew, if he came over to her right now and asked her to go home with him she probably would go.

The stranger’s friend turned in the booth and looked at her then back to her admirer. He grabbed her admirer’s arm and pulled him into the booth.

“Raven,” Veronica called her name making her turn around.

Raven looked up at Veronica.

“What?”

“What was that all about?”

Raven glanced back towards the stranger then back to Veronica.

“I don’t know what just happened. I don’t usually act like that when I see a man.”

“Well I’m going to go take their orders. You stay here and try not to stare at them like a hungry, horny lion.”

“No promises,” Raven said with a smile.

Raven took the spoon and began to stir her coffee again. Her legs shook nervously as she tried to keep herself from looking back at the man. What was it about him that made her edgy? The friend of the admirer did nothing for her, only him.

Raven closed her eyes and concentrated on her headache instead of the man.

* * * *

Kristian took off his jacket and laid it on the chair in the booth.

“What’s up with you, man? I’ve never seen you react like that before. Is it because she has that smooth ebony colored skin?” Shane whispered to him.

Kristian frowned at his friend. “No. I don’t have a thing for her. You know I have a very unique taste in women, but I am not looking to be with anyone.”

His friend lifted an eyebrow at him. “I don’t know about you.”

“What about me?”

“I have had you away from your parents for two-hundred years and yet I haven’t seen you be the vampire you are meant to be.”

Kristian sighed then lifted the menu. “What am I to be, some whorish man like you are? Having sex with every female I come into contact with?”

Shane reached over and pulled the menu from his hand.

“Pretty much. You are—”

“May I take your order?”

Kristian looked at the red head as she stood over him. She was pretty to him. Nice skin tone. Long sexy legs in that waitress outfit. But, she just didn’t do it for him. Lately, no one really made him want to have sex with them. Not like his sex on a stick friend Shane.

“Oh yes, you can take more than just my order. I have an itch that is out of my reach that needs to be scratch. Care to help?”

The girl giggled and that was Kristian’s cue to let Shane work his charm on the young lady. That also meant that he would probably be walking home tonight.

“Really now? Just where would this itch be?”

“Why don’t you sit down and I’ll tell ya.”

Kristian grabbed his coat and slid out of the booth. As he walked over towards the young lady who caught his attention earlier, he felt this strange pull to her. When he smiled at her before, it was just a teasing smile and nothing more. But now that he stood closer to her, he felt a magnetic pull towards her.

Not only did he feel a pull, he felt something else. A level of pain he’d never experienced before in a human. Her body screamed of agony. There was so much around this young lady. Where had he witnessed that type of pain before? He had to find out. “You mind if I have a seat here?”

The young lady lifted her hand from her head. She looked up at him with her bloodshot eyes. He could see the agony in those eyes. He heard her heart pounding against her chest. With each beat he could feel her insides screaming for relief of the constant pressure in her head.

The young lady looked back at the waitress and Shane then back to him.

“If you think that I’m going to go home with you like my friend Veronica, you are wrong,” she growled at him.

Kristian had to stop himself from smiling. If he wanted to take her home with him, there was nothing she could do to stop him. He could easily will her to do as he wanted.

“That’s not why I asked to sit here but if you think that I’m that way, I could sit in one of the other booths. I only asked because you seemed a bit troubled.”

As Kristian turned to walk away, her hand grasped his wrist. Kristian didn’t have time to close his mind before he was quickly pulled into hers. This woman was in pain, so much pain that he did not know if he could stop it. Image after image of her crying, begging and pleading for the pain to go away assaulted him until he thought the pain would knock him onto his knees.

“I’m…I’m sorry. I’m not usually this way. I’ve had this headache for so long. You can have a seat, but I doubt I will be very good company.”

Kristian knew he had to try to ease the young lady’s pain.

“I studied the Chinese art of pain and stress massage. I could try to help ease the pain in your head. That’s if you don’t mind a complete stranger touching you.”

She looked at him and smiled. “Does it involve any touching below the waist?”

Kristian laughed, taking in her appearance. She was beautiful to him. Her light brown eyes were sparkling with mischief as she asked the question. Her smile could brighten anyone’s day. Anyone could easily fall in love with her. Even him…wait, he wasn’t in love, just caught up in the moment.

He gazed into her eyes. “It will not involve any touching below the neck. I promise.”

She shrugged. “I have tried everything. Why not try this?”

Kristian laid his coat on the booth.

“What is your name by the way? I would at least like to know the name of the stranger I’m letting touch me.”

“I’m Kristian Blackburn, and you are?”

“Raven Nowles.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Raven Nowles. Now that we have that out the way, just relax and let me take over. Close your eyes and count backwards from twenty.”

Once Raven closed her eyes, he placed his hands on each side of her head.

“Now, count for me.”

“Twenty, nineteen, eighteen…”

Kristian released a great force of energy from him to her. It started from her head then moved through her body. He focused on her pain, searching through her body. Kristian opened his eyes when he found the problem. Raven was a new slayer being transformed. It has been over a hundred years since he had even seen a slayer. Now to be here, touching one was like a miracle. Some slayers did not have any pain while transforming. In Raven’s case, she was having a hard time because her body was rejecting the change. She was becoming stronger, more powerful with each moment.

Kristian focused on that pain, taking it away from her to make her transformation more tolerable. Any vampire who was not a part of the Night Hunters would kill Raven on sight.

Kristian released her.

Raven’s eyes fluttered a couple of times before opening.

“God, I feel so much better now. What did you do?”

Kristian smiled. “I only eased your headache.”

“I haven’t felt this good in months. I would hug you, but that would be too strange for me.”

Kristian sat in the booth in front of her. “Hugging me would be strange? I just had my fingers on your forehead. I think we moved past strange and onto uncomfortable.”

Raven laughed.

It brought joy to his heart to hear her laughter. Sadly, this young woman would not be so happy if her destiny caught up with her.

There were not many Trainers anymore. Most had quit or just given up. If Raven was put out in the world without any training or not even knowing what she was, then she could die. For some reason, some strange reason, he didn’t want Raven to become a slayer—he wanted her, just her.

* * * *

Raven watched Kristian from across the booth. Whatever this man had done to her to ease her pain, she would be forever grateful for it. The pain had gone and she felt like her old self again. Maybe she could get a decent night’s sleep, for a change.

“Thank you so much, Kristian,” she told him.

“You are very welcome, Raven.”

Raven turned to see what Veronica and Kristian’s associate were up to when she didn’t hear Veronica giggling anymore. Veronica moved quickly—she was sitting in the booth with the guy and they were kissing. Not just a simple first kiss but a tongue down the throat, I wanna take you to bed type of kiss.

“I see that I will be walking home tonight.”

Raven turned back to Kristian. “Is your friend usually so outgoing?”

“Yea, why?”

“I know Veronica, and I just don’t want your friend to get hurt. Veronica breaks people’s hearts. I think she should have been a man.”

Why did she say that? This man makes me want to tell him everything. If she was like this from a simple touch from him, what would she be like if he kissed her?

“Why do you think that?”

“Because she doesn’t care who she sleeps with and she doesn’t want any commitment.”

“Really? Is that what you think a man is all about? Sex and no commitment?”

Raven frowned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any disrespect to men but does that…” Raven pointed back to Veronica, “look like a person who wants to take it slow?”

Kristian looked past her than back to her. His light blue eyes watched her closely.

“You are right, but trust me, Shane will be the perfect match for her.”

Raven smiled again. She could not stop smiling at him.

“So, Raven, why are you up so late at night?”

“I don’t know. Even before my headaches began, I was up late at night. It got later and later as I grew older. Now, I don’t need much sleep. What about you?”

“I’m a night hawk. I like the night life. It’s so much more interesting than day life.”

“What do you do for a living?”

Kristian was quiet for a moment and Raven thought that she had overstepped a boundary.

“I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that.”

“It’s not that, Raven. It’s more like I am a night time patrol officer. I scan the streets to make sure that nothing bad is out there.”

“Oh, so you are with the police department.”

Kristian shook his head. “More like freelance. My company is a very private company. I think you might be interested in visiting it sometime.”

Raven frowned at him. “Why would I be interested in visiting your private company? Wait! Are you being sexual because if you are I’m about to kick you?”

When Kristian laughed, Raven couldn’t help but notice the goodness in his laughter. It made her feel so good inside that she could make this man laugh.

Kristian looked down under the table. “I hope not. I may want kids one day.”

“Well, I’m sure your girlfriend or wife would be happy to provide them for you.”

Oh my god, why did I say that?

Kristian tilted his head and looked at her closely for a moment then sat back in the booth.

“Sadly, I don’t have either of those at the moment.”

Raven snorted. There was no way in hell she would believe that a man like Kristian would not have a female in his life. Just look at him. He was handsome as hell. The wet damage to his hair did nothing to ruin his features. The man was, in other words, flawless.

“You don’t have a girlfriend is like telling me you don’t need air.”

Kristian smiled. “I don’t, Raven. I have not been really looking for any companionship at the moment. It’s hard to find a woman that is as old fashioned as I am.”

“Old fashioned? Yeah, right.”

“I am, Raven. You women today are very hard to keep up with. I’m not use to the fast life as you are.”

Raven laughed. “You speak as if you are almost ninety years old. What are you, like twenty-five?”

“Around the age of twenty-six,” Kristian answered.

“Around the age? What does that mean?”

“That means that I am a lot older here,” Kristian said and pointed to his head. “Than my body.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Keys.” Shane said as he walked up to the table, almost startling her.

Raven looked up to see his arm around Veronica’s waist, and she was smiling more than a child on Christmas morning.

Kristian groaned. “Don’t wreck my car.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know the drill.”

“I will see ya later, Raven,” Veronica said.

“Uh, Veronica, does Billy know you are leaving?”

“Yep. I told him and he said he would lock up when you two leave.”

Shane picked up Veronica before she could get the words out of her mouth and put her on his shoulders.

“Don’t wait up,” Shane said then slapped Veronica on her butt.

“Hey!” Veronica protested.

“You know you like it.”

Shane turned and walked towards the door. Veronica waved as she was being carried.

Raven looked back at Kristian. “I guess I better get going also. It was nice meeting you, Kristian, and thank you so much for getting rid of my headache.”

“The pleasure was all mine.”

Kristian stood from the booth and extended his hand. “If you need any more help just look me up.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. It had his name and cell number on it. The top of the card read NH.

“NH—what’s that?”

“I can’t really tell you, but just know that I work undercover.”

“Nice. You must work for the C.I.A.”

“You can say that.”

Raven grabbed the cup of cold coffee.

“Nice to meet you again, Kristian. If that headache thing comes back I will make sure that you are the first I call.”

“I will be very happy to receive your call, Raven.”

Raven placed the cup and money on the counter. “I’m out, Billy.”

“Okay, Raven. Try to get some sleep.”

“I will.”

Raven walked out of the diner and to her car. The rain had lessened but it was still drizzling. She started the car then looked at the door of the cafe as Kristian walked out. Raven remembered that he had given the keys to his car to Shane. Maybe it would be all right to give him a ride home. She drove up to the door of the cafe.

“Do you want a ride home?”

Raven thought he would decline her offer when he looked away from her.

“Sure. I doubt that anyone would be out in this storm.”

Raven never invited a stranger into her car before but with Kristian he didn’t seem like a stranger to her. It seemed like she had known him all her life.

Chapter 4

Raven knew it was crazy having a complete stranger—well almost stranger—in her car at nearly two in the morning. The rational part of her brain seemed to shut down when Kristian had asked to ease her headache. She was glad he could do that and she hoped that if needed he could do it again. Now her brain had gone on vacation to some distant place and she seemed to be making all the wrong decisions tonight. Maybe having a clear mind was what was making her think unclearly. She didn’t know what was going on but the only thing she wanted now was a nice long bath and deep sleep.

She glanced at Kristian, who hadn’t said a word since he got into her car. Mr. Talkative had gone quiet.

“Are you alright?”

Kristian looked at her. “Yes, why do you ask?”

“I don’t know. You have gotten quiet. Thinking of something you might want to share?”

Kristian gave her that drop dead smile.

“Trust me, it’s nothing. I have a lot on my mind lately. My job is about to make a hell of a turn around.”

“What’s about to happen?”

“There is going to be a new worker. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s about to have a more important job than the president.”

“The president? How is that?”

Kristian looked at her for a moment then looked out the window.

“She will have to protect a lot of people by fighting evil and making dangerous decisions. She will not like it at first, but soon she will know this is what she is destined to do and will accept it. Hopefully.” Kristian pointed. “Make a right here.”

Raven turned down the street where Kristian directed her to go.

“Well, if it is so dangerous, why would anyone take that type of job? I understand you want to save the world, but why put yourself in a situation where you can die at any moment?”

“She will not really have a choice in the matter. The danger will follow her, and soon she will have to accept her job.”

Raven slammed on the breaks. “Are you trying to tell me something? Because you are freaking me out a little. You are talking about dangerous situations and other things as if I should be worried about having you in my car.”

Kristian chuckled at her, which made her think giving him a ride was a bad idea.

“Raven, I assure you that I am in no way putting you in danger. It’s hard sometimes for a person to just tell the newly born about what is going to happen to them. Trainers are very few and many don’t know what to expect in their lives. They live their lives in danger and if they don’t know what they are or who they are, then they are killed.”

“I don’t under—”

Kristian growled loudly, making Raven jump. The sound resembled an angry dog about to attack.

“Raven, drive now.”

Raven was taken aback by the tone in Kristian’s voice.

“What…”

“Don’t question me. Just go, now!”

“What the hell!” Raven screamed as the side window of her car broke and her body was pulled out of the window by a large hairy arm.

Raven clawed at the arm around her neck but doubted she was getting any results from it.

“Kristian!” Raven screamed and fell to the mucky ground.

Raven opened her eyes to see Kristian jumping over her car and towards whatever had grabbed her. Raven could see that Kristian’s eyes were now a dark, red color and he had long teeth in his mouth that looked like…like…fangs. What the hell was going on? What the fuck was Kristian?

A loud snarl erupted from behind her and the next thing she saw was Kristian’s lifeless body being tossed back across her car.

The hair on Raven’s head was jerked back and she reached up, grabbing her hair to keep it from being torn from her scalp. Whoever had her hair pulled her away from the car.

“Let me go! Let me go!”

A snarl came as a reply. Raven tried to fight the pull but she couldn’t. She was pulled up from the ground like a rag-doll and turned to face—what the fuck was it? A wolf? But she didn’t know of any wolves that stood up on two legs like this thing. She didn’t even knew wolves got this big.

It gripped her arms and held her off the ground. Raven stared into its golden eyes and did what any woman in her predicament would do.

She screamed.

The wolf howled the moment she started to scream and she stopped.

It leaned forward and sniffed her. Raven leaned back but could not make it release her.

“If you are thinking about eating me, I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

The wolf snarled at her and she took it as a sign to shut the hell up.

“Wolfy, play nice?” Raven could feel her entire body trembling from fear. She doubted she would be able to hold her bladder for much longer.

The wolf continued to sniff her then placed her over its shoulder and began to walk towards the wooded area. Raven saw Kristian lying on the ground beside her car. Was he dead? God, she hoped not.

“I don’t think going off in the woods with a wolf would be a nice thing.”

The wolf snarled quickly.

Well, isn’t this grand. This was the way Raven Nowles would die. By a mutated wolf.

Kristian began to move and she almost called his name but she didn’t want this thing to do any more harm to him.

Kristian’s red eyes lit up the night. One moment he was at her car, the next he had reached them. He kicked the wolf in the back and Raven went flying. She hit the ground hard.

“Raven, run,” Kristian screamed.

Raven jumped up and rushed to her car, not waiting to see what happens.

When she touched the door on her car she felt bad for leaving Kristian with that thing. She couldn’t let Kristian get killed. She opened the door and pressed the button for the trunk. She raced to the back of the car looking for anything that could help.

A loud howl came from the wooded area where she knew Kristian and the beast were.

“What to get! What to get!”

Raven tossed items around until she came across a crowbar.

“Not a good weapon, but it should help.”

Raven grabbed the crowbar then raced back towards Kristian and the wolf. Once she was close, everything seemed to go in slow motion. She saw Kristian standing behind the beast. Blood was splattered everywhere. Kristian grabbed the head of the wolf and twisted it. Raven heard a loud snapping sound that would haunt her until the end of time. The wolf stopped struggling and went to the ground hard.

Raven had never witnessed anything like this before in her life. Her gaze went to Kristian. She saw his chest rising and falling. His eyes were not red anymore, but she could clearly see his fangs in his mouth.

Raven dropped the crowbar, making Kristian growl and turn towards her.

“I’m going to leave now,” she whispered.

Raven closed her eyes. Her body swayed back and forth as what had to be pure fire traveled through her veins.

A slayer is born.

The voice was in her head. So deep, so dark. What did it mean, a slayer is born?

The world around her spun just before she lost consciousness.

* * * *

Kristian watched as Raven began to fall to the ground. He moved quickly, catching her before she touched it.

He scooped her up into his arms and he knew from that moment he would not let her go. Raven had fully transformed into a slayer. She was stronger, even more powerful than he was. She only had to accept her destiny now.

Kristian carried her back to her car. He would get someone to come dispose of the body.

Kristian placed Raven in the car and drove home quickly. Not only was Raven a slayer, but he felt something deep inside him boiling—something he’d never felt before in his life. He felt a connection with Raven, a connection he could never explain.

Raven slept the entire trip and Kristian was grateful. He didn’t want her jumping out of the car running and screaming. He knew she had seen his eyes and fangs. Even though she had, she did not leave him to fight the wolf alone. Raven had come back to help him and in that moment she had fulfilled her destiny. She let the Gods know that even in the face of danger, she would fight to protect anyone. With every fiber in his soul he knew that Raven would be one of the greatest slayers of all times.

After parking Raven’s car, he carried her inside. He would call for her car to be picked up soon and have it fixed.

Kristian carried her into the bathroom, sitting with her next to the tub. He turned on the water and quickly stripped Raven’s clothing from her. Trying not to look at her body, he quickly wiped off the dirt and grime. Afterwards, he stood and carried her into the bedroom, laying her on the bed. Glancing at her, Kristian felt his body responding to her nakedness. He quickly grabbed one of his shirts to cover her,then pulled the covers over her then went to wash up.

He sighed. The sun would be up soon and he needed to rest. He lay beside Raven and for the first time in his life felt completely relaxed as he went to sleep.

Kristian had only been asleep for a few moments before he heard Shane’s voice.

“Score one for my man, Kristian. Finally living up to his…”

“Shane, go away,” Kristian growled then snuggled closer to Raven.

Kristian heard Shane inhale deeply, then snarl at him.

“No. What the hell is the slayer doing here? Do you know she is a slayer? Are you willing to die while you are sleeping? You know she will do it once she finds out what we are. Once she knows we are vampires, we are dead.”

“Times have changed, Shane. The Council protects us now. The magical spell around us lets a slayer know we are good. Their radar doesn’t go all crazy when we are around.”

“Hell, I don’t trust that crap, and even if I did, that doesn’t explain why she is here.”

Since Shane wasn’t going to shut up, Kristian decided to get up and explain everything to him—even down to his feeling that Raven might be his mate.

Chapter 5

Raven opened her eyes, slowly awakening from what felt like the best sleep she’d ever had. Her body was relaxed, not tensed as it had been for the past months. Her head was not pounding against her skull causing her agonizing pain. She could not remember the last time she had awakened to such peace.

Her peaceful morning quickly reversed at the feel of someone’s arm draped across her waist. Her body immediately tensed knowing that no one should be in her bed. As if reality slapped her in the face, the room became clear and she could see that she was not home. Not in her own bed. If she was not home, where the heck was she?

Slowly, she tried to ease from under the arm around her waist, but it only tightened on her, holding her closer. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she turned her head, looking at who lay beside her.

Her tension eased from her body when she looked at the face of the man who had eased her pain. His face was sculptured to perfection. God had not forgotten any features when it came to making this man…er…whatever Kristian actually was. His pale skin glowed in the moonlight. She could not find one single flaw about Kristian. His hair was long, thick, needing to be touched.

Raven sighed, then looked away from Kristian. As much as she wanted to stay in his arms, she could not. Kristian had a lot of things to explain to her. Things she knew she would not be prepared to accept.

The arm around her waist tightened more, keeping her pinned when she tried to roll out of bed again.

“Where are you going?” His voice sent a chill up her spine, stopping her movements.

It was not a cold chill—more a burning flame that travelled through her. His voice had ignited a passion deep in the pit of her body, and she knew then she had to get away from Kristian before she did something stupid like have sex with him. She had only been with one guy, one time about a year ago, but the sex was so bad that they did not try it again.

“I um…I have to go to the restroom. You know, girly things.”

When he didn’t release her she rolled onto her back, getting a better look at him.

Kristian’s eyes opened and he watched her closely.

Raven knew she’d lost a war she didn’t know she’d been fighting. Kristian had captured her heart and she didn’t know anything about him, which made the situation worse. She didn’t fall in love with a man she didn’t know.

Kristian smiled at her, making her think he had read her thoughts. Which was crazy, because no one could read thoughts.

“What?” her voice squeaked a little as she spoke.

Kristian not only had her heart beating off the scales, but now she could not speak clearly.

“You lie.”

Raven snarled at him a little.

“How would you know if I’m lying? You are not me. You don’t know what I want or have to do!”

“Don’t I?”

Raven stared into his blue eyes, refusing to give up the fight so quickly. Kristian seemed to be the type of person who intimidated people to get his way. Especially, women. True or not, she would not let him get his way with her.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed past the lust and need, looked deeper into his eyes and lied. “No!”

In a blink of an eye, Kristian moved from his prone position to lying on top of her. Raven did not have time to scream at how fast he moved. All she could do was hold back a moan, which was very hard to do, as his body pressed her against the bed, pinning her to the mattress.

Raven bit her lip, hard. She knew she had bitten her lip too hard when she tasted her own blood.

She heard Kristian draw in a deep breath before lowering his head slowly and smiling just before she felt his warm tongue slide against her bottom lip. The act astonished her and surprisingly turned her on at the same time. Liquid heat pumped through her body as his tongue slid against her lip. Raven knew if just his tongue teasing her could start a fire in the pit of her stomach, a full kiss would probably burn her from the inside out.

Kristian lifted his head, staring at her. Raven was not as experienced with men as she was sure he was with women, but she was sure of what she saw in his eyes.

Lust.

Need.

And more need.

Instead of giving into her desire, as she so wanted to do, she gathered what strength she could manage and asked, “What do you think you are doing?”

“You do not know?” His words were soft and sweet to the point she wanted to pull him to her and kiss him.

“I know what you are doing,” she spat. “I want you to explain what happened last night, because I sure as hell don’t know.”

“Don’t act as if you did not notice anything last night, Raven. You know exactly what you saw. You know exactly what I am and you are beginning to know what you are.”

Of course she knew what Kristian was. Or what Hollywood called them. Vampires. How could vampires be real? They had to be real. Kristian was here, lying on top of her. He had fangs in his mouth. She remembered them as clearly as anything. She remembered those molten red eyes, the way they burned with hate as he looked at the beast that pulled her out of the car.

The hatred that had rolled off Kristian would stick with her forever. He wanted to kill that beast, and he had.

Gruesomely.

Violently.

Passionately.

He took passion in killing the beast that tried to harm her. In a way, she should be thrilled that Kristian would put his life in danger to save hers. Problem with the Romeo and Juliet theme was the fact that he had fangs. Not to forget, he was a vampire. Simply put.

Raven did not blink nor look away from him. She would not show Kristian any weakness.

“I still am not clear what you are trying to tell me, Kristian. Besides the fact that you want to have sex with me, which, I might add, is not going to happen.”

Kristian chuckled.

“Watch,” he said softly then opened his mouth.

All she saw was a perfect mouth of pretty, white teeth. Nothing unusual about that, besides the fact that they were all perfectly aligned. As she continued to look, she saw the two teeth at the top of his mouth growing longer. They looked sharper than the others did.

When Kristian showed Raven his fangs, she had a deep gut feeling that she should be scared, but for some unknown reason, which she would question later, she did not fear Kristian. Unlike last night when rage poured off him in waves, now she could feel only calmness with him, and it didn’t frighten her. How could she feel his emotions? What was happening to her to make her think she could feel emotion from anyone besides herself? Yes, she knew she had a special type of power to control the volume of sound in her mind, but nothing else besides that.

Taking her mind off her own thoughts for a moment, she looked closely at Kristian, examining his fangs closer. She took in every detail about this fascinating creature. His fangs. How they were set. Wondering what she could do if a vampire was to attack her with them. How could she escape if fangs ever bit her?

After taking in his fangs she remembered how he’d moved the night before, and a moment ago when he moved over her. She watched every breath he took. Studying him more, she took in his eyes. How they had darkened from earlier. The passion still behind them, but more concern in them now. Maybe he wondered if she would run from him now that he was exposing himself to her. The real him.

Kristian leaned closer to her, so close she felt the heat of his breath when he breathed out. She was startled for a moment, thinking he was going to kiss her.

“You are studying me,” he said with confusion in his voice.

“Yeah, what if I am?”

Raven did not know what had happened to her, but at this moment she knew that she had changed. The Raven Nowles that she had grown to love was no more. In her place was a woman who did not fear the unbelievable. She knew that she had a mission to fulfill—a mission that should put her teeth on edge but it didn’t.

Kristian watched her for a few moments before moving from over her body.

“Maybe the Gods were right for choosing you. You are so different from any other newly risen slayer I have met.”

Raven sat up in the bed as Kristian paced back and forth in front of the bed.

“Why do you think I am a slayer? What is a slayer, exactly?”

Kristian turned to face her.

“I know this because you know that I could have killed you right then, drained every drop of your blood, but you didn’t even flinch at the sight of my fangs. Instead, you studied me. Remembering every detail about me.” Kristian smiled. “You knew how to stop me if I would have attacked. Am I correct?”

Raven looked away from him for a moment and she knew that he was correct. “You are right. So, what happened to me last night?”

“I had your clothes cleaned. Go, have a bath and get dressed. We can talk about everything once you are dressed.”

Raven frowned at Kristian. He did not answer her question. Maybe he didn’t know how to answer it—or, maybe he didn’t want to answer it.

“What?” he asked after a long moment of silence.

“You are buying time aren’t you?”

Kristian stalked closer to her. For a brief moment, she felt like prey to a hungry predator. Shameless to say, she liked it. Kristian grasped her leg through the sheet pulling her down until she lay flat on the bed. He moved so quickly that she did not see him move, only felt his body pressed against hers, and this time she noticed one other thing about him. His very impressive erection pressed against her.

“I know you feel it, Raven, and I’m not one who usually takes no for an answer. If you had grown up as I have, then right now you would be naked and begging me to make love to you.”

Kristian had spoken the truth. She felt a strange and unusual pull with him. Not a normal I want to have sex with you feeling. It resembled more of a need for him, a connection that demanded to be fulfilled. This need for fulfillment was something she had never experienced in her life. She wanted to give the one thing she cherished to Kristian. Her love. However, she knew that Kristian was only waiting for her to give the go ahead. Her mouth went dry at the thought of making love to Kristian.

Raven ground her teeth. Not now, she couldn’t do it right now. Raven needed to fight the rising need and find out what was going on in her life before taking the next step with this man. She doubted this step would be put on the back burner for long.

Raven swallowed in an effort to not moan when he pressed against her. God, how could a man give off so much sexual need? His touch sent every fiber in her body surging with life. She closed her eyes for a moment to try to get her body to settle down. She had to find the rational part of her brain to make him get off her so she could go shower. Damn it, where is the rational part of my brain when I need it? Each section of her brain was fogged with lust and need for Kristian.

Raven took a deep breath and opened her eyes. First mistake. Kristian’s eyes were dark with a hazy need. He looked like he wanted to devour her whole and she was on the brink of letting him do just that. Damn the marriage before sex rule her parents had drilled into her over the past years. Yes, she had sex once but then she planned on only having sex with the man she married. Kristian had shattered that plan in less than a day of knowing him and she didn’t really know him. She didn’t know anything about Kristian besides him having long fangs, a very impressive desire pressed against her at the moment, and a sexual prerequisite that could overload any woman’s rational thought and he knew how to use it and when.

“Kristian…ummmm…I know what you feel and I do also…but can you let me find out what is going on before ravishing my body?”

Kristian laughed.

“So you accept the fact that I will be ravishing you?”

What a cocky bastard he was. If he wanted to be that way then she could play hard to get.

“No, I’m not impressed at all by this. So, you can just move so I can go shower and wash your touch off my body. I can’t go around having you on me all day now can I?”

“Ouch, that hurts.” Kristian stared into her eyes. “I know you are lying because I can feel your body calling out for me.”

Kristian traced a heated path from the side of her neck down the front of the v-neck t-shirt to the valley between her breasts with his fingers. Raven couldn’t stop the shiver that wracked her body. It took every effort to keep her back from arching off the bed and pressing her body closer to his fingers so she could feel them on her heated skin.

Raven wanted to kick him for playing games with her. She wanted to win him over, not the other way around. He knew exactly what to do to make her want to beg him, but she wouldn’t. No, Kristian would have to work harder at it.

Raven took a deep breath and got some control over her body.

“Are you done with your attempt to win me over?”

“After feeling you shiver, I can say, yes. Have fun in the shower.”

Kristian moved from over her. He continued to dress as she sat on the edge of the bed still in shock from what had just happened.

“Once you are dressed, you can come downstairs to dinner.”

“Alright.”

Kristian gave her one look-over before leaving the room. Then and only then was she able to wrangle up the strength to move. Her legs wobbled as she stood.

“Damn Kristian and his ability to make me weak. I will not fall.”

Raven grabbed her clothes from the edge of the bed before heading to the bathroom. She needed a nice, long, cold shower to try to erase some of the tension rising inside her.

* * * *

Kristian made his way to the dining room. He spotted Shane sitting at the counter next to Veronica having dinner.

“Evening,” he said, but they never answered. They were giggling and talking so much they hadn’t noticed he had entered the room.

Once he opened the refrigerator they finally knew that he stood in the room.

“Finally woke up, sleepy head?” Shane asked.

“Look who finally sees me,” he said.

“Awwwww…Raven turned you down?” Shane teased.

Kristian grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge. “Now why would you ask that?”

“Well, I can feel the sexual tension there, Kristian.”

“Screw you.”

“Nope, Veronica has taken care of that for me. Many times. I think I found a person who enjoys sex as much as I do.”

“Ever heard of TMI? If not, that was way more information than I needed to know.” Kristian took a swig of his water.

“Where is Raven?” Veronica asked.

“She’s taking a shower and should be down in a few.”

“Well, tell her I’m sorry, but I have to go to work soon. I need to get back to the café to get my car and go home to get ready.”

Shane stood from the table. “I will drive you to get your car.”

“It was nice meeting you, Kristian.”

“Nice to meet you also, Veronica. Have a nice night.”

“You do the same.”

After Shane and Veronica left, Elisabeth, his house keeper for the past sixty years came into the kitchen area to clean up the plates.

The ninety-eight year old shadow demon did not look a day over twenty. Kristian had helped Elisabeth sixty years before, when she was being attacked by a werewolf. Ever since that day she had asked to be his house keeper. He denied many times but she would not accept no for an answer. When he left home and came to Meadville, Elisabeth tagged along with him. Over the years, she had become family to him. She came in every day to clean and cook dinner for them. Not that she had to, but she did. He paid her well over what any maid should be paid.

A shadow demon who did not work under the Council did not get paid as he did as a hunter. Most demons, such as Elisabeth, had to work for a living. Most who had to work did something to upset the Council and were banned either for a short period of time or eternity. Kristian never tried to figure out what happened to Elisabeth to get her kicked from the Council. It had to be bad, but since she never brought it up or told him about it, he figured it was something that she didn’t want to discuss. He accepted her privacy. Most of the time the Council would make very harsh decisions over small things, and some people were treated unfairly. Most, like Elisabeth, moved on to make a normal life for themselves, working and living as a human.

“Good evening, Mr. Blackburn.”

“Hello, Elisabeth. How are you this lovely evening?”

Elisabeth placed the plates in the dishwasher. “Everything is well this evening. What about with you, sir?”

“Could be better, but I can’t complain.”

“Aye. You know bad days can only get better.”

Kristian sat at the counter table. He didn’t know why but they rarely used the dining room.

“That is very true, Elisabeth.”

“Do you want me to fix your dinner?”

“Yes, also make an extra plate, I have company.”

“Aye, Mr. Blackburn found himself a little play toy?”

Kristian laughed.

“No. Actually I found a new slayer who is also my mate.”

Elisabeth turned to Kristian. Her eyebrow lifted. “Really? How is this to be? You are to be ma…”

“Do not remind me of my future with my family, Elisabeth.”

“But what are you going to do, sir? Your mate is something you cannot change. You have prior arrangements back in Rio de Janerio with your parents.”

“I know, and I will handle that when the time comes. For now, I need to get this young lady to understand what she is, what we are and what will happen if she does not choose her path.”

“There is nothing she can do but pick the path that has been laid out for her. This woman is the first of her kind. To be paired with a Night Hunter, a race that is dying quickly and needs all the help that the spirits will give them.”

Kristian was always amazed with the way Elisabeth spoke sometimes. She had a different way of looking at life.

“You are right, Elisabeth.”

“Relax, sir, I’m sure that everything will be fine. Now, I’ll fix you and your mate’s dinner, then go clean up as quickly as possible and give you two the privacy you need.”

“Thank you, Elisabeth. You are so helpful to me. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“You wouldn’t be able to get along without me.”

Kristian couldn’t contain the laughter inside him. There weren’t many things that made him smile, but tonight he had his mate in his life and everything seemed to be going right.

Kristian looked up when Raven made her way down the stairs.

Elisabeth placed a plate of food in front of him and one beside him before walking out of the kitchen. He looked down at the roasted chicken, baked potato, and green beans. He never enjoyed food that much but Elisabeth kept cooking for him day in and out, helping him to feel as human as possible—which was funny, since he had never been a human a day in his life.

Unlike a lot of vampires he knew, he was of the purest of breeds. Back to his great-great-great grandparents. They were all full-blooded vampires. There weren’t many of his kind anymore. So many people were falling for humans that they turned to mating outside the race. Over the centuries, hybrids where born and the bloodlines died out.

Not that full blooded female vampires were a big thing with him. His parents, now that was a different story. They didn’t even want him to have sex with a human without protection. It wasn’t like a vampire could knock up any random human. It took something special with that human for her to be able to get pregnant. No one could tell his parents that. They would never accept having a hybrid grandchild. His parents were so…so…he didn’t know any other word but racist towards humans, the very humans they fed on to keep them strong. He wondered how they would feel about him having a slayer, half-human, African American mate. Oh boy, this was going to be fun.

“Earth to Kristian.” Raven’s lovely voice brought him back to reality.

“I’m sorry. I spaced out there for a moment.”

“Yes, you did.”

“Here.” Kristian pointed to the seat next to him. “Have a seat.”

Raven swept her black hair behind her ear before sitting down.

“My maid made dinner. I hope you like it.”

Raven looked down at the plate then back to him.

“It looks delicious. But I’m not really that hungry.”

Kristian smiled at her. She was hungry, just a little shy about eating in front of him.

“Awww, if you don’t eat it, it will hurt Elisabeth’s feelings. She’s so sensitive about her cooking.”

Raven sighed then opened the napkin to retrieve her utensils. Kristian followed suit and decided that they would eat first and talk later.

* * * *

Raven finished off the food, which she had to say was perfect. Man, Elisabeth was an awesome cook. She would have to thank her the moment she saw her.

The silent dinner was somewhat awkward. She and Kristian had played a very dangerous sexual game upstairs and now they were acting as if it hadn’t happened. After her shower, she told herself that she would make it harder for him. She could not deny the sexual need that had built between them. There was something about Kristian that made her believe they would end up together.

Again, the rational part of her brain had shut down and the part where it did not make any sense spoke up. The bad part of this was, she did not feel weird about it. She knew she should be asking herself why she felt this way about a complete stranger or why she didn’t walk away from this feeling, because it really didn’t make any sense. Her mind said get the hell out of here, but her heart, —her heart beat with a different rhythm now. Her heart knew that things in her life were falling into place. The headaches, Kristian, and now all she needed was to find out about the voice in her head that said a slayer is born. What was a slayer, and what did that have to do with her?”

“Now it is you who is staring off into space.”

Kristian’s voice made her look at him and smile. “Geez, can a girl have time to herself?”

“Not really. How about we move to the living area? I don’t think the kitchen area is a great place to speak about what we have to talk about.”

Raven lifted an eyebrow. “Oh, so now you want to talk after such a quiet dinner?”

“I’m sorry. I was gathering my thoughts about this conversation.” Kristian rose from his chair and she followed him. “It’s not like it’s something you can just blurt out to a hum—I mean you. Some people may take this information and think I am some crazy man and try to lock me up for a very long time.”

Raven heard him speak but her eyes were on his backside. Nice broad shoulders. Long silky hair that hung to his shoulders. She had never been into men with longer hair than hers, but Kristian had that beach boy look and it looked damn good. All she had to do was reach out and touch.

“Are you paying attention to what I’m saying or just thinking about touching my hair?” Kristian turned around to stare at her with those baby blue eyes.

“I was paying attention.”

“Oh really? And what was the last thing I said?”

Raven thought for a moment then giggled. “You said that you wanted me to suck your—”

“Don’t finish that statement unless you are prepared to do just that,” Kristian jumped in.

“In your dreams, buddy. You will never know what it feels like to have me.”

Raven rolled her eyes and walked past him. She yelped when a hard smack came across her butt.

“Did you just spank me?” Raven turned to face him while rubbing her butt. She hoped to sound just a bit annoyed, but she knew he could feel the heat that was boiling inside her. All he did was spank her, and she was acting like a horny teenager. Wait! She was a horny teenager. She was nineteen, but that did not make her any less horny than the rest of her classmates.

It wasn’t like she didn’t try to find a boyfriend to have sex with, even with her parents not approving, but no boy ever really did it for her. They were just that, boys. Maybe it took someone like Kristian to give her what she needed. Sadly, she had challenged him, but she could never give herself up to him so freely.

It took a moment for Kristian to speak. “I did spank you, and to tell you the truth you deserved it.”

Raven saw Kristian go to a bookshelf on the far side of the room. The room was beautiful. The floor was lined with a patterned dark brown carpet. Two small tables, each with a lamp, sat on either side of a brown leather couch and a small coffee table. A picture of a boat hung on the wall behind the couch. The room was somewhat small compared to the rest of the house but in all it looked so homey.

“And why would I deserve to be spanked?”

Kristian pulled a book off the shelf, flipped through a few pages then placed it back. He did that for several books.

“Not going there with you, little girl. I know what you want and if you want to play this little cat and mouse game, we can. Just remember that this tom cat always catches the mouse.” Kristian pulled another book off the shelf. “Ah, this is it.”

“Over confident are we?”

Kristian shook his head. “Not one bit. The fact that you enjoy being chased is the amusing part to me. Just know that if I want to make love to you right now, there is nothing stopping me.”

Kristian sat on the couch beside her.

Raven rolled her eyes at him again. If he wants to think that way, so be it.

A knock came on the door.

“I’ll get it!” Raven heard a female’s voice yell.

“Are you expecting someone?” Raven asked as Kristian still flipped through the old book that he held in his hands.

“Yes,” he said while still not looking at her.

“Mr. Blackburn—Councilman and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Solomon,” Elisabeth announced from the door.

Kristian grasped her wrist, pulling her to her feet as he stood. Elisabeth moved from the doorway and Raven would never forget the feeling that curled up inside her when the man and woman appeared in the room. The man was tall, very tall with skin that looked as if he had not seen daylight in many years. His short black hair looked good against his transparent skin. He had on black pants and a black silk shirt. He moved with grace as they walked up to them.

The female. Thatwas a different story. Her skin wasn’t as pale as the man’s, but they both projected the same thing. Danger. The female had long, very long red hair. The color seemed to glow under the lights. Her green eyes seemed to penetrate Raven’s soul. She had on a green silk dress that touched the floor. The color brought out her eyes more. Her hair was up in some type of bonnet style that she’d never seen before. Around it were different types of hair accessories. Never had she seen something so beautiful.

“Welcome to my home, Councilman Arthas and Mrs. Solomon.”

“It’s a pleasure to be here,” Arthas said.

Raven could not help but shiver at the sound of his voice. It echoed as if they stood in a very large room. She’d never heard anyone’s voice so deep and dangerous sounding before.

Kristian let go of her hand to take the woman’s hand. In some way that made Raven jealous, but she held down the jealousy.

“And you, the lovely Jana. So very good to see you again.”

“Yes…” the woman’s voice floated into the air just as the man’s voice had. “It’s been a long time since I have seen you, my dear Kristian.”

Kristian kissed her hand then released her.

“Are you going to introduce us to this…” the female licked her…her…well to Raven, they looked like fangs, similar to Kristian’s. But unlike Kristian, looking at this woman’s fangs made her a bit edgy. “Beautiful female?”

Kristian laced his fingers with Raven’s. She was sure that if he had any type of powers he could feel just how uncomfortable she was right now. The woman kept staring at her as if she wanted to eat her. Literally. Raven eased closer to Kristian in an effort to get away from the freaks in front of her.

“Yes. This is Raven Nowles, my mate.” The way Kristian said mate, whatever the hell that meant, must have meant something. The female sighed and looked away. “Raven, this is Councilman Arthas and Jana Solomon. He is what we could call the president over the eastern coast.”

“Nice—nice to meet you,” Raven said then extended her right hand.

Arthas took it first and she shivered at his touch. He reeked of danger and death. She resisted the urge to wipe her hand on her pants when he let go. The woman then took her hand and even though the woman seemed dangerous, Raven did not see any dangerous signs. No, this woman wanted—ewwwww—she wanted her! No…no…no! Not going to happen. Raven snatched her hand away from woman.

“Awwwww, Kristian, your little mate doesn’t want to play with me.” The woman’s voice sounded sad, but Raven was not buying that crap.

“Well, you know you are here to try to explain to her what’s going on, Jana, not to seduce her into your bed.”

Raven looked up at Kristian. No matter what they had to say, she did not swing that way, and if anything they were going to say involved her between another chick’s thighs, that was not something she wanted to experience.

All three of them laughed and Raven knew that they had read her mind.

“Could you not be inside my mind? That’s kinda rude.”

“Well, dear, you were projecting so loudly we couldn’t help but sneak a peek of what you were thinking. Also…” The woman moved closer to her. “Don’t knock it until you try it. I could do things to you that no man would ever dream of doing.”

Like what? What could another woman do to her that a man couldn’t do? As interesting as that sounded, she never wanted to find out.

“Have a seat,” Kristian said, while sitting down on the couch with her.

Jana and Arthas sat on the other smaller sofa next to the bookcase.

Raven knew it was rude to stare, but she could not take her eyes off of them. Deep down she knew they were vampires, but the rational part of her brain would not let her believe it.

“So, what’s everyone here to talk to me about?” Raven broke the long silence.

“Raven, dear, you already know what we are. Don’t you?” Arthas spoke first.

Raven looked at Kristian for a moment then back to Arthas and Jana. Yes, she kinda had a guess on what they were, but would they think she had lost her mind if she came right out and said it? Maybe she had imagined the fangs. She always liked scary movies and watched them frequently. Maybe they manifested themselves inside her mind to make her think she saw fangs. Or the werewolf that Kristian killed. Raven took one more look at the three staring at her and shook her head. She could deny it all she wanted. but she knew that there were four people in this room and only one of them was human. Her.

“Not to sound crazy, but you are vampires.”

Arthas sat up in his chair.

“Very good. We are vampires, but we like to be referred to as Night Hunters. Vampires are so last century.”

“Night Hunters? Vampires? What’s the difference?”

Arthas snarled at her and she saw the woman place her hand over his.

“We, Night Hunters, are more civilized than regular vampires and other demons. Our race of hunters is more than just vampires. We are made up of werewolves, demon seekers, shadow demons, and many many other non-human beings in this world. What makes us different is that we set out to destroy those who want to destroy humans. There are many demons who want to take over the world and destroy humans. It seems like a great thing, but what would this world become if it was run by demons?” Arthas stopped talking to watch her for a moment. “No guesses? Well, my dear, it would be a hell dimension. We have many hell dimensions already and I doubt that we need more.”

“So in other words, you are the good guys?”

“Yes, we are. Not only us, but there are gods that are higher power than we are—”

“Wait, can I ask the typical vampire question before you continue?”

Arthas frowned at her but nodded.

“Can you go into the sun? Do you ever age? See yourself in mirrors? Garlic…fact or fiction? Would that kill you?”

Arthas sat back in his seat and Raven knew she might have annoyed him a little.

“I’m sorry to ask, but if I’m to understand what’s going on I have to start off with the usual questions.”

Kristian grabbed her hand, holding it in his. She looked at him for a brief moment before turning back to the couple.

“I’m over nineteen hundred years old. Nineteen hundred and seventy six, to be precise. I know you want to know, but those questions do tend to get old after a century or so.” Arthas sighed. “But to answer your questions. Yes, we can go into the sun with special made jewelry. Some of us have tattoos made from ancient Indians so that we do not fear losing or having the jewelry stolen from us. We never age unless we want to.”

“Want to?” Raven questioned.

“Yes. Let’s say that one of our demon brothers or sisters want to live a human life with a human partner. They can project to every one of them aging and even dying. Some actually die to follow their human loves, some go back to being young and start over. We can see ourselves in mirrors. We are not evil creations. Some of us, such as myself, Jana, and Kristian, are full blooded. Some are hybrids—half-human, half-demons, but still able to see themselves. I love garlic and if you really think about it, if you put a stake through a human heart, wouldn’t they die also?”

Raven thought about it for a moment and what he said about the stake and the sun was true. The other vampire myths such as garlic and mirrors were what they were, myths.

“Does that answer all your vampiric questions?”

Raven nodded her head.

“Good, then I can continue. As I said, I am Councilman Solomon, and we run this part of the state. I’m like a judge to be more precise. If anything happens, it is brought to me so I can pass judgment.”

Raven watched as Jana looked at Arthas and he nodded.

“Now, dear,” Jana began speaking. “I don’t want my husband to bore you with endless talk about vampires and what happens if they kill humans and all that other bull that will not mean anything to you until you learn what you are.”

Raven lifted an eyebrow at her.

“What am I?”

“Kristian called us because there is so much more to the council than you would ever know. We fight against evil all the time, but then there are times where we cannot protect all the humans, and our gods give us a helping hand. They invented what we call you. A slayer. A super human, if you want a better word.”

“Me? A slayer?” Raven asked with a smirk. “Like Buffy the Vampire Slayer type of slayer?”

Jana sighed and rolled her eyes. “Please. Get all of the movie mumbo jumbo out of your head, Raven. You will not be staking out graves at night. You will not go out patrolling to find evil. Trust me, evil will find you. What our job is now is to train you to defend yourself.”

“Defend myself,” Raven repeated.

“Yes. When evil comes to you, we want you to think smart and be able to protect yourself. There is a lot of evil in this world, Raven, and it’s going to come for you, which makes this a very dangerous job for you.”

“Job? You say that is if I will get paid.”

“You will,” Arthas spoke again. “Being a slayer will be a job of its own. You will make way over the salary of a regular worker.”

Raven was kinda interested in finding out about the pay, but was it worth her life? Would being this so called slayer they wanted her to become be worth her life?

“Raven,” Arthas interrupted her thoughts. “You cannot stop what you are to become. You cannot call in to your boss and say you quit and it is over. You are a slayer, and it is your blood that makes you what you are. The upside to being a slayer is, this is how you will look, now and forever. You will never age, never change, never grow old and die. Another thing, you will never have to work a day in your life. It is hard to understand but the gods provide us with enough money to pay everyone under the Council. Your pay will be around a million a year.”

Raven coughed. “What—wait—how much?”

“It’s only a starting amount. I know it’s low…”

“Low! Are you kidding me? Some people don’t make that in their life time.”

Arthas smiled at her.

“That’s what makes you different. As the years progress you can request more money a year. Sometimes we give a bonus here or there. I think a million a year is enough to take care of a lot of things. If there is a need for more, you only have to request it from the Council. If we have you going on trips and so forth, we pay for everything.”

Raven sat back on the couch, then something he said had her stopping short, as if running into a brick wall.

“What the hell? Did you say I will be this way forever?”

Arthas and Jana laughed.

“She doesn’t listen well does she, hun?” Jana said to Arthas.

Arthas reached over and touched his wife’s face, caressing her with his hand.

“It’s a lot to take in at once. I was prepared to tackle her if she made a run for the door.”

Jana’s head went back as she let out a loud laugh.

“You just wanted to touch her, Arthas.”

“Oh, like you didn’t think the same thing. You would love to have a new pet, but you can’t pet a slayer. You know that.”

Jana pouted. “I know, but she’s just so…so tasty. I don’t know how Kristian is able to restrain himself from just having a taste of her. My fangs ached the moment I saw her.”

“Okay, can we not have this conversation while I’m in the room? It’s kinda freaking me out. If anyone is going to have a taste it will be Kristian and him only.”

The couple looked at her.

“Raven is a dedicated mate. Even if she doesn’t know the full advantage of having a freelance relationship. Kristian has a lot to teach Raven and I’m sure once it gets to a point, they will have an open relationship and you will get to play with her, Jana.”

These two were really getting on Raven’s nerves—talking about her as if she wasn’t in the room. She’d only had sex that once, and if she planned on doing it again, Kristian would be the one. She doubted that she wanted to share him with other females. The thought of it pissed her off a little. She didn’t want Kristian touching any females but her.

Kristian squeezed her hand to make her look at him. He shook his head at her then motioned for her to look back at Jana and Arthas.

“Raven,” Arthas continued and reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out a business size envelope. Raven let go of Kristian’s hand then went over to take the packet. She returned to her seat before opening it. “There is a credit card inside with your first year in advance, plus a nice starting raise. I hope starting off with two million is a good enough pay for you. All your banking account information is here. You also have a new cell phone. Make sure that no one gets hold if it. It has the Council’s direct number, address, and all the other good stuff. The cell phone is a little different. It has a pass code on it. To get into the Demon Hunter’s information, the pass code is set to three-zero-one-one and the pass code to add your personal numbers is zero-zero-zero-zero. That should get you on your way with everything.”

Raven watched as they stood. Not that their visit wasn’t informational, but she still didn’t feel that she knew enough about everything.

“That’s because it takes time to learn everything. My lovely wife begged me not to overwhelm you tonight with my long ceremonial speech about the Night Hunters. In time everything will fall into place and you will be like family. You will know right off the back who is dangerous and who is not. You will learn more about your race, our race, and your life with Kristian. That is one of the things I cannot teach you. Again, if you have any questions, call the Council and we will be happy to talk to you about anything. Kristian is a very lucky guy to have you, the very first slayer as a mate. This may be the beginning to a new revolution. Now, I will leave you two to talk. Nice to meet you, Raven, and welcome aboard.”

“Thanks,” Raven answered while staring at the package.

“I hope to hear from you soon, dear. I would love to have a girl’s day with you.”

Arthas and Jana left the room and moments later she heard the door close. Finally, her body relaxed. That was a lot to try to learn in a short period of time.

“Are they gone?” Shane’s voice made her look up.

Kristian laughed. “What? You don’t wanna play with Jana anymore, Shane?”

Shane walked into the room and sat on the couch Jana and Arthas occupied earlier.

“Hell no. Last time I was with Jana, that crazy bitch tried to cut off my dick because I said I wasn’t satisfied.”

Raven coughed to hold in a laugh.

“Well, you don’t need to be honest about everything. You don’t tell a woman you just spent the last hour fucking that you were not satisfied. You deserve to get it cut off.”

Shane sucked his teeth. “Yeah, right. I don’t think Arthas has gotten over that his wife is not that good in bed thing from me. I think the first chance he gets, he’s going to have me killed.”

“It’s been fifty years. I think they are over it by now.”

“So, Raven, learn anything new tonight?” Raven knew that Shane was trying to shift the conversation. “Jana could teach you a lot of tricks you can show me.”

Raven looked at Shane and rolled her eyes. The bastard was just as cocky as Kristian. They were the perfect match for friends. Instead of answering, she gave him the middle finger.

“I would love to, but I don’t think your man Kristian would enjoy me getting to the goodies before he has.”

“Screw you! You are nothing more than a sexist pig.” Raven tried to sound serious but the laughter was bubbling inside her.

Maybe she needed to laugh so she didn’t think she had lost her mind.

“I have been telling him that for years,” Kristian added.

“Bite me, Kristian!”

“What have I told you about inviting me to a good time, Shane? One of these times I’m going to accept it.”

Raven was now laughing. She couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“See, now she’s all giggly thinking of your manly fangs in my neck, Kristian.”

“Ewwwwww, that’s not a picture I needed to imagine,” Raven said between giggles.

“Well, I’m out of here. I suppose you two have much to talk about. I doubt that Mr. Sensitivity will try to get into your panties tonight so I’m guessing it’s okay to return in an hour?”

Raven only saw the book that Kristian had taken off the shelf land in the now empty seat that Shane had sat in. Shane had moved so quickly that her eyes did not even see him.

“Why did I have to befriend such a pest?”

Raven set the package down on the coffee table.

“I don’t know. He’s funny, though.”

“That’s what I needed, someone to make me laugh for all eternity.”

Raven had so many questions to ask, but she didn’t know where to start. She just been told that she was a slayer with everlasting life. She’d just received a banking account with over two million dollars in it. It was like hitting the lotto, but the slayer part was like giving back all of it in taxes.

Kristian touched her shoulder to get her attention. She gave him a nervous smile.

“So, is there anything you want to ask me?”

Raven looked away from him for a moment then back to him. A smile crossed her face as she sat back on the couch.

“I have a lot to ask you, but I’m sure that if I ask I will still be left without a clue into what’s going on in my life right now.” Raven slid further in the chair. “I was just told I was a slayer. I will live forever unless I’m killed, I’m assuming. I have more money than I will ever need in my lifetime and now I’m supposed to ask you…what does being your mate mean? That question will only open up more questions and more confusion in my life.”

“Raven, if you don’t want to ask about it tonight you don’t have to. I would never pressure you into anything you are not ready for. I care for you right now more than you will ever know and I would give my life for yours.”

Kristian’s eyes became a lighter shade of blue.

“Does your eye color change like that all the time?” She had to ask.

Kristian blinked a couple of times and the brightness faded away.

“Yes. I know they turn red when I’m upset. Lighter blue when I feel certain emotions and yellow sometimes when I’m confused.”

“That’s so neat,” Raven said with a smile on her face. “You know, tonight I have learned more than I thought any human could possibly learn. I just want to soak it all in. I don’t want you to feel bad, but I want to think about this at home. I want to go to school tomorrow and just have a normal day and think.”

“Raven,” his voice cracked. “You will never have a normal life, as you shall see. I will never deny you anything. If you want to go, take my car. When you are ready to return you will.”

“Take your car? I can’t do that.”

“Your car was wrecked last night, and I will have it sent to the shop tomorrow. With the amount of money you have, you can buy yourself a brand new one if you want to.” Kristian winked at her, reached into his pocket and handed her the keys.

“But, what about you? How will you get around?”

“I don’t flash my money by buying million dollar cars and other crap each year, and that’s what I like about Shane. He has money and he’s still too cheap to buy a car. I can always get around, and as I said, when you are ready to return to me, you will. The car will get you to me faster.”

Raven watched him for a few moments before standing. “Your purse is in my car, I took it out of yours last night.”

“Thanks. I will return your car as soon as mine is fixed.”

“No hurry.”

Raven walked towards the door. Each step she took, her heart told her to stop and go back. Her brain told her to run and try to get all this together.

As she touched the door knob Kristian called her name. She turned to see him standing close to her. The man made her mouth dry.

“Ye-yes?”

“You forgot your package.”

Raven took the package from him, their fingers grazing each other in the transition. That one touch was like a light being lit inside her and it spread throughout her body.

She looked up into Kristian’s eyes and melted from the need she witnessed there. She knew that he didn’t want her to leave, but h’de said he wouldn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to. Her gaze moved down to his mouth. His lips were so full. She would do anything to be able to kiss him without ending up naked under him. Not yet, at least.

“Thanks again.”

Raven turned to leave the room before she did something she wouldn’t be able to stop. Kristian’s hand closed the door, jerking the door knob from her hand. He turned her to face him and before any words escaped her lips his lips crashed down on hers. Raven didn’t know what had hit her. She released the package and it went crashing to the floor. Her hands went up to his shoulders in an attempt to push him away but she didn’t—she couldn’t. Their bodies touched and she moaned, giving him the opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth.

The world under them seemed to shake and open up, swallowing them into this world of ecstasy. Raven held on to Kristian like a lifeline as his tongue caressed hers. Each touch ignited something inside her that she’d never known was there. Kristian’s hands went to her waist, pulling her closer to his hard body. There was no missing the evidence of his desire pressed against her.

The kiss went on for what felt like hours until her head felt light and she was sure she would pass out. That was when Kristian released her lips. Raven thought that since the kiss had ended he would let go of her, but he didn’t. Kristian’s mouth went to her neck and moments later a hot sensation burned where his lips touched. There was only a moment of pain followed by a sensation that every woman should experience at least once in her life.

Raven’s body filled with lust. Every fiber of her body screamed to be touched, screamed to be pleasured. Her hands went to his hair and she let out a loud moan. Her back pressed up against the door as Kristian stayed latched on her neck. When the world seemed to spin and she knew that she would catch fire if he continued, Kristian stopped. Raven took in deep breaths, her body convulsing with each one she let out.

If she had not believed that Kristian was a true vampire, she did now. Blood coated his lips and teeth. His eyes were so bright they glowed a silver white color, brighter than earlier. Before she could say anything, Kristian turned away from her.

“Kristian, don’t,” Raven grabbed his hand when he backed away from her.

“I’m so sorry,” Kristian’s voice was low and lined with pain. “I only wanted to give you the kiss that you and I wanted and then let you go. I had no intentions of taking your blood.”

Raven could feel his need to be with her and the need to get away. She could tell at this moment Kristian felt like he was an animal—an animal that he never wanted to be. Raven pulled him back to her and grabbed his face with both her hands. She went up on her tiptoes and kissed his lips. He had cleaned the blood, but she could still taste just a hint of it and she didn’t feel sick thinking about it. Raven pulled back, not letting the kiss go as far as it had before.

“You are not an animal,” she said slowly. “You reacted to something natural between us. I know I’m not making this easy. I can feel things I never have before, and I know how much you want me and it’s the same for me. I only need time to try to process all this data. You. Me. Us. The whole slayer thing takes time.”

Kristian closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them. “I will give you only a little time. You are my mate, and there is so much that you need to know about that, about my past life and about our future. It will not be easy at first, but I assure you that no harm will come to you from me.”

Kristian kneeled to pick up her package and handed it to her.

“You must go now before I am not able to let you go.”

Raven took it from his hand.

“Kris…” before she could get the words out, Kristian was gone.

Raven leaned back on the door just thinking about how much his bite turned her on. Never in her life would she have thought that a vampire’s bite would be so sensual. She reached up to her neck feeling for the marks. She shivered at the sensitive area. Her fingers were covered with blood when she looked at them.

Raven quickly pushed herself off the door and rushed out of the house. If she stayed there she knew she wouldn’t have time to think of anything but being with him.

* * * *

The sound of clapping came as Shane walked around the corner.

“Your first kiss. How wickedly sweet,” Shane teased.

Kristian turned to look at Shane once he heard his car start and drive off.

“What do you want, Shane?”

“I want you to be a vampire, Kristian. Do you know if anyone saw you like this, the Blackburn family would lose a lot of its reputation?”

Kristian’s hand began to shake from the blood traveling through him. He’d had human blood here and there, but never the taste of slayer’s blood. Now he knew why the vampires who killed slayers drained them. It was like human blood times ten, plus a speed rush. God, he would never get used to it.

“Kristian, are you all right?”

“Yeah, yeah. I took her blood and it’s like nothing I’ve experienced before in my life.”

“Yeah, I heard slayer’s blood is to die for.”

Kristian sat down at the table.

“Yes, it is. It’s like my entire body is on fire with it. I feel so renewed.”

“Renewed enough to go out and get your mate?”

Kristian growled at him. “Why are you so stuck on me having sex? You do it enough for both of us.”

Shane opened the refrigerator, took out two beers and passed one to Kristian.

“It’s not that I want you to just go out and have sex now, I want you to go out and have sex with your mate. You are the first vampire to be mated with a slayer. You will make history. You are one of the few full bloods running around here, now this—good grief man don’t you know when you have it made?”

Kristian could hear Shane talking, but he wasn’t listening. All he could think about was Raven and her leaving him. He knew she hadn’t left him, but she had left at least for the night. Now he wondered whether he should go to her tonight, or let her come back to him. Should he woo her like the vampire he was and mate with her and make her his now and forever? He didn’t care if she didn’t have sex with him tonight—at this moment he wanted her by his side. Why had he let her leave him like this? He wanted her and needed her as much as humans needed air.

“Are you listening to me, Blackburn?”

“No,” Kristian snapped.

“Well,” Shane said and grabbed his beer from the counter. “I don’t have to stand here and not be listened to. I can get ignored anytime. I’m going to go watch television then. It’s raining and there’s nothing out and about tonight.”

“Good night.”

“Nite.”

Kristian drank the rest of his beer before standing from his seat. He had sat for an hour just contemplating what to do. The sun would be up soon, but his tattoo on the underside of his wrist would keep him safe. To others it looked like a lightning bolt. It was very small, but still detectable. He’d it done as a child, as his parents told him. They wanted him to grow up as normal as he could. As normal as he could, being the prince. Not that many lived by the rules of his parents anymore. He hoped that one day his parents would live in the twenty-first century.

Kristian concentrated on Raven to make sure she had made it home safely. With her blood running through him, their connection was much stronger than before. Sensing that she was home, Kristian decided to go watch some television. He had promised her space and he would give it to her.

Chapter 6

The taunting of laughter was what woke Raven out of her sleep. She jumped into a sitting position, looking around her room. The laughter got louder and louder but she didn’t recognize it.

“Free me!” the dark voice echoed in her ears.

Raven reached over and turned on her light. Her room lit up and she breathed in deeply when she did not see anyone in her room. Maybe it was just a dream.

“Not a dream, Slayer! Free me!”

Raven looked around the room for anyone to be there but no one was there but her.

“Now!” the sound vibrated around her.

The paint on her walls melted, running in long trails of goo. The temperature in her room rose higher until Raven could feel the sweat coating her body. She wanted to move but didn’t think it was a good idea.

A loud boom erupted in her room and Raven screamed as the walls fell away.

“Come to me, little girl. Come to me!”

Fire spread around her. Her room was a torch of flames. The only safe place was on her bed.

“This is a dream. This is a dream. This is a dream,” Raven began to chant.

It had to be a dream because there was no way in hell she was in hell. She had been a good girl. She never stole anything. She went to church. Sometimes. Well, she knew she didn’t deserve to be here.

“No way out,” the voice screamed at her.

A hand of fire touched the edge of her bed. Raven pushed back against the headboard of her bed. Another hand and another and another touched the edge of her bed.

“Raven,” another voice sang her name. “Let my master out.”

“No. If your master is here then he deserves to be here!”

“Let my master out!” A man jumped up on her bed. It resembled a man, but he was covered in nothing but flames.

To her he should be screaming but he wasn’t.

“No,” the man spoke. “No! No one tells my master no!”

The man leaped toward her. The moment his burning body landed on top of her she screamed from the fire overtaking her. She fought to get the man off her but he only laughed at her as her flesh tore away from her body.

“Stop!” Raven screamed over and over. She fought with the man to get him off.

“Raven!” her mother’s voice scared her as she fought with the now invisible man on top of her.

“Raven, honey, calm down. It’s only a nightmare.”

It took Raven a few moments for her eyes to focus on her mother standing over her bed.

“Are you alright?”

Raven looked around the room. She looked to the left then right, not fully awake yet.

“Raven?”

It took several long deep breaths before she was able to calm herself.

“Honey?” Her mother’s voiced with concern now.

Raven shook her head to clear the dream. “Yes, I’m fine. I…I just had a bad dream.”

Her mother’s brown eyes watched her closely. “Well, it must have been some dream. You’re soaking wet from sweating.”

Raven looked down, and her pajamas were stuck to her body like a second skin. She didn’t believe for one moment her sweating came from the dream. She believed that she had really been pulled into hell. She remembered that Arthas had said that there were many different hell dimensions.

“Are you going to be able to go to school? You seem very hot.” Talia touched her forehead. “You are hot.”

Raven shied away from her mother’s touch. “I’ll be fine mom. I will go take a shower and be good to go.”

Talia stared at her for a few more moments. “If you say you will be all right.”

“I will.”

Her mother began walking out the door then stopped. “Your father came home last night from work and told me that a stranger’s car was in the driveway. Whose car is it?”

Raven’s eyes widened. “Oh it’s ummmm…a friend’s car. The window in my car got broken from some debris during last night’s storms. He let me borrow his until my car is fixed.”

“That must be some friend, then.”

“Why do you say that mom?”

“Because your dad knows cars and he said it’s an Aston Martin DBS.”

“So?”

Raven didn’t know much about cars, so the name didn’t mean anything to her.

“So? Your friend loaned you his two-hundred and eighty thousand dollar car.”

“Th—what? You saying that car is worth that much?”

“Yes, and I’m surprised that this friend let a teenager hold such an expensive car. Take it back and get a rental, because if you wreck that car there is no way I’m going to be able to afford to replace it.”

Raven looked over to the package sitting on her dresser. If only her mother knew what type of money she had come into.

“I will tell him about it, and make sure to give it back to him. But he’s so stubborn he will not take it back.”

Her mother smiled at her. “It sounds like my daughter is lying to me. Don’t tell me you are dating some old man, Raven, but I doubt any high school boy can afford that type of car.”

Wow, her mother could read her like a book. Kristian was…wait…she’d never asked Kristian how old he really was. He said around twenty-six and now she knew he had to be older.

“Well, Mother, I am dating this guy and he’s kinda older.”

Her mother moved back to the bed.

“How much?”

Raven looked away.

“How much older, Raven? God, tell me he’s not in his sixties or seventies.”

“Ewwwww, not even.”

Talia took a deep breath of relief.

“He’s twenty-six.”

Her mother watched her closely. “Is he the one who loaned you the car?”

“Yes, and he does have a lot of money, but that’s not why I’m dating him. I didn’t know about the money until last night when I left his home.”

“So you lied about your car’s window?”

“No, I didn’t and he said he would get it fixed for me. When he gave me the keys to his car, he never said it was expensive.”

“You know I cannot approve of this. He’s almost ten years older than you.”

“Only seven.” Plus whatever his real age was, she thought to herself.

“Is he married? Have kids? What do you know about him?”

“He’s not married, no kids and I know a lot about him. I didn’t know he was that old when I met him. He looks around twenty.”

“Well, how long have you known him?”

“About five months.”

Lies!

“Why am I just hearing about him now?”

Raven took a deep breath. “Because I knew neither Dad nor you would approve, but I really like him.”

“Is that why you have been sneaking out night after night?”

“What do you mean?”

“I have come into your room for the past couple of nights and you have not been here. I thought maybe you were out because of your headaches. Were you with him?”

“Yes,” she lied again. “But I’m not doing anything with him, Mom, I promise!”

Talia snorted at her. “You’re telling me that my nineteen year old daughter is sneaking out of the house all times of the night to go to a twenty-six year old’s home and she’s not doing anything? How dumb do you think I am?”

“I know it sounds like a lie but I have no reason to lie to you. I’m not having sex with him and he hasn’t pressured me into being with him.” Yeah, another lie. “He is okay with just having me around.”

“I don’t believe that, but if you say so then I have to go by it. But if you decide that you have to have sex, just remember protection is a must. You just turned nineteen last week and I know you feel grown, but you are still my daughter and until you graduate in a few weeks you are still my responsibility. I don’t want you to have any children yet nor get any diseases.”

“I know, Mother, and I’m not doing anything so you don’t have to worry.”

Talia gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Get ready for school. You only have an hour.”

“Okay.”

“And when Mr. Patience decides that he wants to meet us, let us know so that I can hide all the guns in the house from your father.”

Raven and her mother laughed.

“I’m going to make breakfast.”

Raven got up from the bed and made her way to the bathroom. She flicked on the lights and stared at herself in the mirror. At first she just looked normal, but then she noticed a little difference in her skin tone. She looked paler—her skin resembled a greyish color.

Turning her head she examined the two small marks on her neck where Kristian had bitten her. Surprisingly there were only two small red marks where his fangs had penetrated. She touched the marks, trembling at the sensation inside her. How could his bite marks do such a thing to her?

Raven looked back to the mirror and screamed at the flaming man standing behind her. She turned around backing up to the sink to try to get away from the man but no one was there.

After taking a couple of deep breaths she finally calmed herself.

“God, I’m losing my mind,” she whispered.

After calming herself enough to move again she slowly looked into the mirror, and then turned around to make sure that no one stood behind her. After looking into the mirror once again she let out a deep breath. If this was a slayer’s normal life she didn’t want it. Day after day, week after endless week of being stalked by demons was not something she looked forward to. She might not be ready for it, but she knew she had to embrace this new thing and be ready for anything that evil threw at her.

Raven decided not to think about the man in the mirror any longer. She had only a month left in school, and she was ready to graduate and start a new life—a life she knew would involve Kristian. No matter how much she denied it, she knew Kristian would be a great part of her life.

After a quick shower, Raven dressed and had some of her mother’s famous pancakes and coffee. She felt new and rejuvenated and ready for class.

* * * *

“Wow, that looks expensive,” Maxwell Conway, Raven’s classmate said as she got out of the car. “Whose car?”

Raven closed the door and immediately noticed the stares from the surrounding students. She’d never paid the car any attention but she was sure that a lot of them must know what type of vehicle it was.

“It’s a friend’s car, Conway.”

Maxwell walked beside her, giggling like always. Maxwell always liked being around her, ever since elementary school, when he used to pester her like a fly, always pulling her hair or pinching her. She finally got fed up with it in middle school and kicked his butt all over the gym. Ever since then he’d stop pulling her hair and pinching her, but then he started to just be around all the time. Like now, it was like he was waiting for her to show up. It didn’t bother her as much as it did a couple years ago. Lately, she even looked forward to her morning walks into the school with him.

A lot of people whispered about her and Max being a couple but it could never be. For one, he was about a foot shorter than she, making him about five-feet-six-inches. She didn’t like short men at all. Also, Max wasn’t a drop-dead handsome guy like Kristian. Hell, she doubted anyone was as handsome as Kristian, but Max was cute in his own way. Just not a man for her. She loved her men tall, handsome, blue eyes and blond hair. Now that was her type of man.

“That must be some friend, then.”

Raven placed her bag on her shoulder. “Why do you say that?”

Maxwell stopped beside her, turned then pointed at the car. “It’s not like we run into a lot of Aston Martins on the road, Raven. That car is a classic, a rich person’s car. Now, who is this friend of yours?”

Raven shrugged. “Just a friend.”

“Raven!” Cynthia Bradshaw, a friend—well kind of a friend, walked up to her.

Cynthia was like Maxwell. They’d sort of befriended her without her knowledge. She never made them go away because they were nice and friendly.

Raven put on her best I am glad to see you smile as the blonde walked up to her.

“Where were you? The school trip was awesome! The band Broken Promises left no broken promises. The guitar lead, Dylan, is a hunk! Oh my god, I just wanted to eat him up.” Cynthia finally looked at Maxwell. “Oh hiya, Max.”

Max didn’t speak but waved at Cynthia. Raven frowned at the way he always shied away or got quiet when Cynthia was around. Maybe her little Max had a major crush on Cynthia. With a little makeover she was sure Max could pull off being a stud.

“I heard the band is great. I even heard a couple of their songs. It didn’t really do it for me.”

“Are you nuts? That band is great! You need to give them another try.”

Raven shrugged her shoulders, not really caring about the band.

“Oh, you gotta hickey!” Cynthia’s voice almost startled her.

This chick had such a high pitch voice that it could put anyone on edge.

“What?” Raven said, but she already knew Cynthia meant the bite mark on her neck.

When she looked in the mirror and saw the faded bite mark she didn’t think anything of it. She did expect to see two tiny holes there, but there was no trace of skin breakage—just a spot where it appeared that someone gave her a major hickey.

“Here, silly,” Cynthia said as she touched Raven’s neck making her stomach cringe.

It didn’t hurt, but more like an electrical shock that went through her body, starting where Kristian had bitten her.

Raven slapped her hand away.

“I know I have a hickey,” Raven said while pulling her collar on her shirt up.

“Must be the same man who let you borrow his car,” Maxwell’s voice crackled with hurt as he spoke.

Raven looked at them both. She didn’t need to lie about it and maybe it would get Max off her back about dating.

“Okay, I can’t lie. I met this man and we have been dating for a while. I haven’t really talked about him much because I don’t know where this relationship is going.”

“Man?” Max repeated.

“Yes, Max, he is a man. He’s twenty-six and has a great job as a detective.”

“Oh, so that’s why you didn’t come on our trip? You claimed to have headaches but instead you were with this man?”

Raven sighed at the hurt in his voice.

“No, I was really sick that night. Kristian helped me through my pain.”

“I bet he did,” Max interrupted.

“Shut up, Max. Raven can date whoever she wants. You don’t have any dibs on her.”

“Yea whatever,” he said before storming off.

“Max, wait!”

Max didn’t stop walking away. He just kept going until he was out of her sight.

“I’m sorry, Raven, but Max needs to know that you are not his girlfriend and he can’t get upset every time a guy wants to talk to you.”

Raven heard Cynthia but she kept looking in the direction Max had stormed off. She didn’t want to hurt him like this.

“It’s all right, Cin. He will get over it.”

“Yea. So is this guy you are dating handsome?” She quickly changed the conversation.

Raven started walking again. Kristian was very handsome. She’d only known him for a few hours but she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since she left him. The kiss of all kisses had her on edge. The romance novels and romance books she had read had never described what she felt when she kissed him. The heaven and earth moved when Kristian touched her and she was sure that it would keep moving for her each and every time he touched her.

“He is—”

The sound of the bell made Raven sigh in relief. She really didn’t want to talk about Kristian. It’s not like she knew a lot about him and if anyone asked too many deep personal questions, she was afraid that she would have to lie to some of her friends. That’s not something she wanted to do.

“I’ll have to tell you later.”

“Ok. I’ll see you later, Raven.”

Cynthia walked off, her blonde ponytail bopping up and down as she moved.

Raven turned to look at Kristian’s car once again. The only thing she wanted right now was to jump in it and go back to him. She wondered what he was doing at this moment. Was he sleeping? Thinking about her? If not, what? Thought after thought flew through her mind.

After a few moments of debating, she decided that school was more important. She had only a short period to go and she would be able to make any decisions after she walked across that stage.

* * * *

“Kristian, are you going to sit here and stare out the window all day?” Shane spoke from behind him.

“And if I am, of what concern is it to you?”

Shane moved to stand beside him.

“Are you doing all right? Does this human have your mind in some distant, bastard land?”

Kristian rolled his eyes. Why must his friend be such a pest all the time? Yes, he was standing here hoping and wishing Raven would come back to him. Shane didn’t have to acknowledge it.

“Me a bastard?”

“Yes, you. And frankly I don’t like this way on you, Kris.”

Kristian turned to him. “Why not?”

“Like you don’t know it. Being an asshole is my role in this friendship. If you become one, then we are left without someone of reason to go to. That will doom us both.”

Kristian laughed.

“Are you telling me that you are jealous and think I’m going to take your spot?”

“Damn right I am! Now go back to sweet push over Blackburn before I have to step it up a notch and become a narcissistic asshole.”

“That’s different from being a regular asshole?”

Shane nodded. “Yes, a step above you.”

Kristian never got a chance to answer him before his and Shane’s cell phones went off. Opening his phone he saw a message from the council.

“We have to go.”

* * * *

Raven placed the backpack in her locker then froze when she got a strange feeling creeping up her spine. She turned quickly to see a guy wearing all black, which was a school dress code violation, making his way towards her. Raven studied him closely. He was tall, the same height as Kristian. He had short black hair and very dark eyes. His skin was pale, not so much he looked dead, just noticeable.

The man made his way up to her. Raven didn’t feel any danger from him, but she knew he was not human. The last bell rang for class and the last of the students scattered to get to their homeroom. Raven had not moved from her spot. Time seem to slow down as this guy walked towards her. Raven closed her locker when the guy was only a few feet from her.

He smiled, his teeth pure white. She couldn’t miss the two sharp looking ones in the top.

“You know what I am and know what you are. I just arrived back in the area last night and I wanted to give it another go at being a teenager.”

“Another go?”

“My sweet slayer.”

Raven froze in her spot. He knew exactly what she was and she was sure that this man was not a man at all.

“What are you?”

The guy looked her over once then he tilted his head.

“You know what I am. You bear the mark of a vampire. Hmmmm…I’m driven by this. You let a vampire bite you, or do you not know what you are?”

“Don’t get into my business. Who and what are you? I don’t have time for these games.”

“All a slayer has is time.” His gaze caught hers. “I am Alec Sullivan. I’m a six hundred year old vampire. And I wonder when slayers start letting vampires bite them willingly.”

Raven slapped his hand away when he tried to touch the mark on her neck.

“Go to class!” Raven turned to see Mr. Washington come from the other hallway.

Alec raised his hand and Mr. Washington stopped in his tracks and fell to the ground.

“What did you do to him?”

Raven turned to walk away to go check on her principal when an invisible force field stopped her in her tracks.

Feeling trapped, Raven felt an energy surge through her body. She took a step back and lifted her hands ready to defend herself if she had to. She had not had any training and she was sure that this six hundred year old vampire could kill her but she would go out with a fight.

“Wait, young slayer, I come in peace.” Alec raised his hands.

“What did you do to him? And what’s this thing?”

Raven touched the shield and it shimmered.

“I merely put him to sleep. He will wake up feeling like a million bucks. And this thing is only a protective barrier. We can see out but no one can see in. I don’t want to be interrupted again.”

“What do you want?”

“I know you don’t have much training but I know you know the difference between dangerous and non-dangerous feelings. You should not feel any danger with me because I have not come to harm you or anyone at this school.”

“And?” Raven pushed for more information.

“I knew what you were the first time I saw you and you know what I am. If you have not even been told what you are I’m sure I could have passed you and you wouldn’t have known what I was. But I thought that it would appropriate to introduce myself to a slayer, and again I say, who lets a vampire feed on her willingly?”

Raven didn’t know where this would end but she needed to find out what this vampire really wanted.

“How do you know it’s willingly?”

Alec laughed. A deep, dark laughter that sent chills up her spine. He reached for her but she slapped his hand away again.

“Don’t touch me.”

“Feisty, I like that. But the reason I know it’s willingly is because an angry vampire would have tried to tear your throat out and your marks wouldn’t be healing so nicely. I’m sure that you would have a scar or two if you had been attacked. Also, a vampire out to kill wouldn’t bite you in an intimate spot there.” He pointed at her neck. “He would be going more for here, right under your chin. Just like a dog trying to kill someone.”

“So what if it is willingly?”

“Then that only means one thing. It’s true.”

Raven frowned.

“What’s true?”

“That there is a slayer with a vampire mate.” Alec inhaled deeply. “He bit you, but you and your, to not sound disrespectful, mate have not had sex yet. Is your vampire lover going through the whole take your time road? If he is, I really hate to admit being a vampire.”

“No, he’s not. I just told him I’m not ready and he respected that.”

Alec rolled his eyes. “Must be some half-breed.” He shrugged. “Well I’m here in peace and I don’t tend to do anything but enjoy these last weeks of school. Maybe find a few virgins to deflower myself. That’s always tasty.”

Raven frowned at him again.

“What?” he questioned.

“I can’t just let you go around biting people. Aren’t we supposed to fight or something?”

Alec let out a deep chuckle.

“I know you are untrained, little slayer, and I do not wish to cause any confusion. If you would like I will go to the council and get my renewal.”

“Why haven’t you gotten that before now?”

“Let’s say I was in a deep sleep for the pass hundred years or so.”

“Deep sleep?”

“Yes. Vampires who want to pass a century or two can go into a deep sleep. We don’t need to feed, just rest.”

“And you decided to sleep for a hundred years?”

“Give or take. I woke to this new world. Very vibrant and exciting. I just want to have a normal life again. Find out what this new world is all about.”

Raven took in Alec’s appearance. He could pass for an eighteen year old kid. Maybe his deep voice and the way he carried himself would give him away, but besides that he shouldn’t have any problems fitting in.

“How do I know I can trust you?”

“You don’t. But you have to understand that your gut feeling is what you have to go on now. I promise you no harm will come to these delightful teenagers. And if it makes you happy I will not bite them, just deflower. Is that something you can agree with?”

“No. Because I really don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing here.”

“Slayer, I assure you if I wanted you dead or anyone in this school, I could have done it before you knew what happened. I will not cause any trouble.” Alec reached into his pocket. “If you need to contact me, here’s my card with my cell number on it. I read up overnight that many people are crazy about these little portable devices. Once I learn to work this smart phone I think I will become one who loves them also.”

Raven looked at the card. She really didn’t trust this guy, but what could she do? She didn’t believe for one moment that she would be able to take him down.

“Okay. I will let them know about this.”

“Them?” Alec asked.

“You know, the Council.”

“Very well. I will be in contact. Until then, have fun with your mate. I bet he’s going to love the ground you walk on.”

Raven placed her hands on her hips.

“And how would you know that?”

Alec smiled again.

“Do you know how tasty slayer’s blood is? It can drive even a sane vampire insane if he gets just a drop. Not insane in a bad way, just crazy in love with the slayer and they would do anything and I mean anything to have another taste.”

“You act as if you have had slayer’s blood before.”

Alec stalked closer to her until he was only millimeters away. Raven had the urge to back up but she knew the force field would stop her.

“I was once a very dangerous vampire and I killed many slayers over the years. Not that I’m happy about those victories now. I tasted blood made of liquid fire. All slayer’s blood is different and once I had just one taste I couldn’t get enough. I drained my slayers because I couldn’t stop. I went crazy when I couldn’t find another slayer. That’s why I went to sleep for so many years. I had to detox myself. I will never touch that stuff again.”

Raven heard the sound of moaning. Mr. Washington slowly pushed himself off the floor. He grabbed his head, looking around the hallway. He shook his head again and walked off.

“I bet he’s feeling like he never felt before,” Alec told her.

“I thought you said it was only a sleeping spell?”

“It is, but my sleeping spells are so much more relaxing. He just feels that he’s floating on air. Now, little slayer, I’m off to this chemistry class that is supposed to work my mind.”

Alec waved his hand and the barrier disappeared.

“Wait.”

Raven grabbed his arm as he turned to walk away. She tensed waiting on him to snarl or growl at her for touching him. Instead, he smiled at her and politely waited for her to say what she had to say.

“Yes, slayer?”

“Why are you here?”

“I told you before.”

“I know about you wanting to go back to school but to me that sounds a little more like bullshit than the truth.”

“Slayer, if you were sleeping for over a hundred years then you would understand my reason for wanting to see everything. I’m not going to stay around and pretend to be a teenager forever. I have many things I have to attend to. Many businesses I’m willing to run. The money I have in the vampire’s bank is not actually enough to keep me living good for very long. If I can’t get my renewal from the Council then I will have to make my own money. Remember, I killed before, and the Council tends to frown on that type of activity. I spent my time in prison for it, but before I decided to sleep I had not been able to get the Council back on my side. Now, little slayer, can I go to class, or are we going to talk about this all day?”

Raven knew that if Alec had any other plans besides coming to Meadville High to be a student she wouldn’t get it out of him this way. The only thing she could do was sit and wait for him to fuck up—then, she would be able to take action. In the mean time she had to learn what to do in these types of situations. She needed to go work out or something.

“Fine. You know I don’t really trust you right now, and I will keep an eye on you.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, my little slayer.”

Raven waited until he walked off before pulling out her cell. God damn it! She didn’t have Kristian’s number to call him. She might have gotten it if she had not been trying to get away from him so quickly last night.

She pressed in the code to get to the Council. She might not be able to get to Kristian but she knew that someone should know about this vampire who claimed to have been sleeping for the past hundred years.

* * * *

Kristian walked into the main room of the Council. It reminded him of a small arena. There were rows after rows of seats in a circle. The middle area had a long wooden table that could seat about twenty people.

The right door opened to the top part of the arena and people started to pour inside. They were talking amongst themselves as males and female vampires, werewolves, shadow demons and other mystical creatures sat in the empty seats.

“Man, it must be big for them to call everyone in the area,” Shane said, then patted him on the shoulder.

“Must be.”

“You going up?”

“Yeah.”

Kristian followed Shane up the stairs into the upper part of the arena. When they reached the empty seats, Arthas and Jana walked into the room.

The talk ceased immediately once they took their seats at the table.

“Thank you all for coming so quickly. Last night we had a tear into our world from a Karlem’s hell dimension.

“What!” The word flew from half of the room.

“Did any of them get out?” Jason, a shadow demon who was second in command of the area, asked.

“We have workers at the open site now examining it. So far, no trace of any Karlem demons entering this world.”

“You know that if any one of those demons escape it will be hell to pay,” Jason spoke.

Everyone in the room began to speak at once, some agreeing with what Jason had said.

“It’s been over fifty years since a Karlem demon has walked this earth,” Arthas reminded everyone. “We will make sure that none escape while this portal is still open.”

“Still open!” Shane jumped up. “How?”

“We have no idea, young Shane. It seems that they tore a hole in the timeline itself.”

“Are they attempting to close it? When will it be closed?” Jason questioned.

“They have our best warlock on the case now. Everyone knows Calvin Nolan. He’s there and we hope to have this closed soon. I don’t think…”

The room began to protest at the thought that this portal was still open. Arthas tried several times to speak.

“Silence!” Arthas’s voice boomed in the area.

The room quieted.

“As I was saying, I don’t think any of the Karlem demons where trying to escape. Maybe it was torn from the outside. I don’t know but we will find out later how it happened. Right now, our only concern is closing it.”

“Where is this hole? I would like to go and make sure that none of them will escape,” Jason offered his services.

“It was opened right behind the homes on Samville’s Drive. It is close to Raven’s Nowles’s home,” Arthas said.

“What!” Kristian jumped up. “Is she all right?”

Kristian wanted to know where Raven was right now. He didn’t have any contact information for her. He could detect her but didn’t know where or what she was doing at the moment. The blood connection between them would only connect once Raven took some of his blood.”

Arthas raised his hands and silently asked Kristian to sit.

“Your slayer is safe, Kristian.”

“What? A slayer?” Jason asked. “Why wasn’t I notified of this? Is that why the portal opened?”

“We are not sure why it opened. It could be because a new slayer was born. It could be that something was trying to get out. We don’t have time to figure out why it happened. First we need to control the situation, then figure out why. I want you all to patrol the area tonight, see if you can detect any signs of a Karlem demon in the area. You know their scent. If one has escaped we have to contain it and get it back to hell at once.”

Kristian had to get to Raven. If a Karlem demon had escaped he would want Raven. Slayer’s blood could heal someone faster than killing a hundred humans. Since the portal was opened, he didn’t want Raven anywhere near it until they were able to close it. Raven being there could draw unwanted attention from the demons inside the portal. They would try to claw their way through that portal and then this world would be in trouble.

Karlem demons weren’t exactly tameable. They were ugly creatures with leathery looking skins, horns on their foreheads and a tail that could penetrate steel. They were evil bastards who had two goals in life, to consume and destroy the planet they were on. Many universes had fallen to destruction because of Karlem demons. Once they were at full strength there was no stopping them.

Over the centuries many Karlem demons had attempted to consume earth. Luckily, there were stronger and more powerful witches and warlocks to send them to a hell dimension prison that a warlock created many years before. It kept them there where they could suffer, then die. Some tried to get out, some lived there until they perished. If one of them ever thought about coming to the good side, there was no telling the evil they could let loose on this planet with just one Karlem demon.

There had been many attempts to convert one to good, but it didn’t go the way they planned. The Karlem demon only pretended to be good in order to consume the planet. They had to subdue it, then send it to hell.

“Kristian.” Arthas brought him back to reality. “Your mate is in great danger there. Find her and bring her back to your home. I don’t want to give any of those demons a reason to come to the surface.”

“She’s not going to want to,” Kristian said, making everyone look at him.

“I know you are trying to give her a chance to make up her own mind.” Arthas stood from his seat. “Here is a quick explanation to everyone. The prophecy about our kind mating with a slayer is true. Kristian Blackburn will be the first to mark a slayer as his mate. This will keep our slayers alive and wanting to live longer.

This slayer is very young, only nineteen, but I know that she is ready to help out in this world. We all are a dying race and I feel that our gods are looking down upon us and will give us a chance to live. We cannot let evil wipe us from this planet. We will get rid of them! Now, I don’t care how or what you tell Raven, but do not let her go back to that house. If you have to subdue her, then so be it. She will forgive you later. With her family, go there and wipe their minds, program them to whatever you want. I don’t want any missions coming back to me as failed. I know this slayer is a lot stronger than she knows and if needed, she will strike. You have to be stronger, Kristian. Do you think you can do this, or do I need to send someone else?”

Kristian could feel everyone in the room staring at him. He’d be damned if he let anyone go after his mate and take her away from her home. His kind didn’t take no for an answer, and if Raven fought, his Demon Hunter brothers or sisters would try to will her to come. He had heard that the will of a slayer couldn’t be bent, but with Raven being newly born and still clinging to her human side, he doubted that she could fight it.

“I will be able to do it.”

“Good, don’t disappoint us.”

Kristian had to refrain from growling in anger. He had been under this regional section bullshit for far too long. He trusted Arthas and his wife because many people really didn’t know who he was. Not a lot of people know that when he was a baby, his parents willed the mind of humans to take him on as their child. Luckily, their family had the same last name—or maybe his parents willed them to change it—he would never know. That transition kept a lot of talk down. A lot of people always wondered about the Blackburn child but not many knew if it was a girl or a boy.

As a child he hated his parents for what they did, but now he understood. As a prince, he would have lived in great danger. His parents protected him, and for that he would always be grateful. One day he would have to go back and claim his empire. He had money coming in from the Council, who knew who he was, but his mother and father had more riches than he could imagine. What bothered him was that one day he would run the Council. He would run everything. His father made any decisions that went out through the Council. It all sounded good, but he really didn’t want to run anything. He wanted to have a normal life like he had for the past hundred or so years.

Now that he had found his mate he did not want to do anything but make her happy. That could complicate things more if he went home. His family would not agree to him mating with a human no matter if she was a slayer or not.

Kristian decided not to think of the future right at this moment. The thing was, Arthas didn’t know that he could snap his fingers and have him out on his ass.

“I will not disappoint you,” Kristian said through clenched teeth.

Shane prodded him with his elbow. “What’s on your mind?”

Kristian looked at him. “Nothing. Why?”

“Well, you spaced out for a moment. And I could tell that you got a little irritated. What’s up with that? Are we finally witnessing sexual frustration?”

“I would say bite me, Shane, but I know you would do it. No I’m not sexually frustrated—just thinking about keeping Raven safe.”

Shane nodded.

Arthas clapped. “Okay people, let’s get moving. There’s a time hole open and some Karlem demons waiting to get out. Let’s go, go, go.”

Kristian stood.

“Where are you going?” Shane asked.

“I guess I’m going to see if Raven went to school.”

“Please tell me you have her cell number?”

Kristian shook his head. He hadn’t asked for it last night but he was sure Arthas would give it to him.

“Geez, man. I have to show you how it goes. You always get the name, number and sexual preference. Not in that order.”

“You are such a pervert.”

Kristian went to meet with Arthas to get Raven’s number. He hoped she’d taken the phone with her.

* * * *

Raven’s phone vibrated while in study hall.

“I can hear that and you know Ms. Coleman can also,” Maxwell whispered.

Raven looked over to her friend. Max was upset with her this morning but after some apologizing, which she still didn’t know why she had to, he forgave her and sat with her during study hall.

“I know,” Raven took the cell out of her pocket.

After her encounter with Alec she spoke to some receptionist at the Council who took down the information she gave and told her she would relay the information to Arthas. It was probably the Council calling back but she couldn’t answer them in class.

It vibrated again after a few moments.

“Who is that?” Raven could hear the anger in Max’s voice.

“I don’t know. It’s an unknown number.”

“Quiet back there!” Ms. Coleman said from her usual place behind the counter in the library.

“Sorry,” both Raven and Maxwell sang.

Raven looked at the phone this time and saw a text message. She opened it up and smiled as she read it. Come outside. I’m by the car. Kristian.

Raven raised her hand.

“Yes, Ms. Nowles?”

“May I go to the restroom?”

“Yes.”

Raven grabbed her purse and backpack then headed out the library. As she made her way to the side of the building where she’d parked the car, Raven’s heart pounded, beating against her chest. All day her mind had drifted back to Kristian and the kiss of all kisses. She thought if the kiss had rocked her world, the sex with him might just kill her.

When she turned the corner, she saw him leaning against his car. His long golden hair was swept back in a ponytail, giving her full view of his face. He wore black slacks and a white collared shirt. God, his clothes fitted him perfectly, showing off his broad shoulder and powerful body.

“Hello, beautiful.”

“Hiya. What brings you out—wait, how can you be in the sun?”

Kristian stared at her then rolled up his sleeve. “This mark is a powerful one. Unlike so many who have rings and necklaces, this protects me from the sun. A voodoo tattoo artist did this when I was born.”

Kristian rolled down his sleeve.

“What? Your parents did this to a baby?”

“I doubt I felt, it but it’s worth it. I don’t have to worry about someone stealing it or me losing it. And not many people know about this type of sun protection.”

“It still seems a bit cruel for a child to get that, but I guess it’s a good thing. Maybe you can tell me more about it later?”

“Sure. But for now the reason why I’m here.”

“To get your car? I was very careful with it. Especially, after my mom told me how much it was worth.” Raven smacked him on his arm.

“Hey, what’s that for?”

“That’s for giving me a car worth more than a house. Are you crazy?”

Kristian grabbed her hand and pulled her to him until her body pressed against his. He kissed the back of the hand that smacked him then his light blue eyes locked with her eyes.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think so much about the car. Can you forgive me?”

“I don’t know. That’s pretty careless of you. I think you should be punished for that.”

Kristian lifted an eyebrow at her. “Are you suggesting some type of sexual punishment that in reality I would truly enjoy?”

Raven couldn’t do anything but laugh.

Kristian pulled her to him and gave her a brief kiss on the lips.

“I have forgiven you. Now what are you here for?”

Kristian let her go.

“I don’t know how you are going to take this, but you can’t go home right now.”

Raven moved back from him. “What do you mean I can’t go home?”

“Last night a Karlem demon hell portal opened very close to your home. As you may or may not know yet, slayers have the fastest healing and most powerful blood of any kind of being. If you are around that open portal a Karlem demon might detect it and try to escape, which could be a very bad thing.”

“For me?”

“Yes, but more for the world. He would probably kill you, and then he would try to consume all Earth’s resources until the planet dies and everything on it.”

Raven shivered at the thought of this happening.

“Kristian, I can’t just not go home. I know I have a duty to fulfill and I plan on fulfilling it, but I am still living with my parents and I have to go home before they worry.”

“Let’s go.”

Raven frowned at Kristian’s reaction to what she had just said.

“What? Why?”

“I think it’s because of me,” Alec spoke from behind her.

Kristian moved so quickly that she didn’t see him until he stood in between her and Alec.

“So this is the vampire who waits for you, Raven? I know him, don’t I, Kristian?”

Kristian didn’t look back at her as he spoke.

“You know him?”

“Sort of. I ran into him in the hallway this morning.”

Alec moved closer and Kristian growled at him.

“Easy there, lover boy,” Alec said then raised his hand. “I come in peace.”

“Peace my ass. Who are you? And what do you have to be out in the sun like this?”

Raven tried to move but Kristian kept her behind his body.

“Easy, young pup. I’m Alec Sullivan. You may have heard of me?”

“The slayer killer? Yeah, I remember you. What the fuck are you doing here? I thought you were dead.”

Alec took out a cigarette and lit it.

“No, I wasn’t killed. I went to rest for about a hundred years. I met your young slayer in the hallway and we had a long talk. She’s feisty, though. I think she wanted to take off my head.”

“And that would have been a bad thing?”

“Kristian?” Raven whispered his name. His voice had gotten deep and deadly sounding. She felt he would strike at Alec at any moment.

“Not now, Raven,” his harsh words cut her like a knife.

Damn it! She was supposed to be the slayer, and here he was shielding her like a child.

“Easy there. I told you I come in peace. My slayer killing days are over. I even phoned the Council on this neat little device. Cell phones are such a great invention.”

“Yes, they are.”

“If it makes it any easier, you can phone the Council yourself and see if I’m on the appointment book for today.”

Alec took several puffs of the cigarette then blew out the smoke.

“No smoking on camp…”

“No!” Raven screamed when Alec raised his hand and Mr. Washington once again fell to the ground hard.

“You can’t keep doing that to him!” Raven yelled. “People are going to see him pass out one of these times!”

Raven moved past Kristian.

“Wake him up, now,” Raven ordered, looking at Alec.

Raven could feel Kristian’s disapproval of her moving from behind him, but she didn’t care.

“I can’t. It’s not like a light switch, something I can turn on and off at will. He will wake when it wears off.”

Raven stalked up to Alec.

“Listen, if you want to be a student here fine. If you want to fuck a virgin I don’t give a fuck. But you will not come to my town and keep making people pass out. Now, if I catch you doing that again I will kick your ass myself. Do…you…understand?”

Alec took a long drag of his cigarette before flicking it to the ground.

“I’m going to like her, she’s such a split fire.”

Kristian grabbed her hand. “You will stay away from Raven. Go to the Council, and if they disapprove of you being alive I promise you I will be the one who takes your life. Got it?”

“Wow, the prince has balls.” Alec gave Kristian a look that she couldn’t understand. “Very well, I will keep my hands off the slayer. My need for slayer blood is no more. I’m clean. As for my ability to walk in the sun, a little ring always does the job.”

Raven blinked and Alec was gone.

“Let’s go,” Kristian’s voice was still dark and dangerous sounding.

Chapter 7

Kristian drove back to his home, not saying anything to Raven. What was Raven thinking, saying those things to Alec? Alec could have snapped her neck before she got the sentence out. Not that he would have really gotten a chance to with him around—but still, she wasn’t ready yet.

Alec, as he heard, was one of the most dangerous slayer killers of his time. He had murdered many powerful slayers around the world for years. The Council had ordered life in prison for him but somehow they let him go for good behaviour. After that, no slayers were killed, but they said Alec had been killed by a Karlem demon while trying to protect a slayer. Then he’d heard that Alec had been killed by a slayer.

Many rumours flew around about Alec, but none about him being killed were true. If so, then Alec wouldn’t have been standing there in the flesh. Unlike a lot of demons, vampires were not allowed a second chance at life. Once you were dead you were dead. If Alec was hanging around Meadville, then Kristian had to make sure to keep a closer eye on Raven. He didn’t know if this vampire had really given up on slayer blood or if he was out to get Raven.

It didn’t make sense. If he did drink slayer’s blood, why would Alec make himself known to him? Alec had always kept his slayer blood addiction a secret. It only came to light when he got messy and a Night Hunter watched him snap the neck of a slayer, then drain her. That was when Alec confessed. Maybe Alec had changed—if he slept for a hundred years to get over his addiction, maybe he had really given up slayer blood.

All Kristian wanted to do was protect Raven.

As he pulled up in his driveway Raven spoke. “Kristian, are you upset?”

Raven’s voice sounded so sweet when she spoke.

Kristian glanced at his nervous mate. He could feel that he had frightened her at demanding she stay quiet. It wasn’t that he didn’t want her to defend herself—his need to protect her had grew tenfolds He didn’t want Alec to get anywhere near her.

“No, I’m not mad.”

Kristian leaned over and opened the door. He was out and on her side before her feet touched the ground. He grasped her hand when she got out of the car.

“But you sounded angry.”

“I was when I saw Alec coming toward you. Alec is—was—is a very dangerous vampire. I don’t know what he has on his mind, but I will not sacrifice you to find out.”

“I know, and even though I am happy that you want to protect me, you will not be able to all the time, Kristian.”

Kristian led her to his room where they could talk in private. The house was built with double padded walls—great for nights when Shane brought his company over and they were having sex all night. He didn’t want Shane to hear them talking at the moment.

Kristian let go of her hand when they were in his room.

“I know I can’t always protect you, Raven, and that scares the hell out of me. You are a slayer. You are physically and mentally stronger than many beings on this earth—Sad to admit, even me.”

Raven laughed but quickly quieted as he paced back and forth in front of her.

“I know that makes you scared, but if this is what I’m to become, you have to let me be.”

Kristian stopped pacing and looked at her.

“Less than twelve hours ago, you didn’t want this, now you are telling me that you embrace being a slayer?”

Raven shrugged. “Do I really have a choice, Kristian?”

“What do you mean?”

“I may be only nineteen, but I feel way older than I am at this moment. I found out that vampires and other creatures of the night walk this earth less than twenty-four hours ago. I found out I’m a slayer and my work now is to protect humans, which I figure I’m not human anymore, since I will never age.” Raven looked down at her feet and whispered, “I found out that my forever love is a vampire—someone who I already care for more than anything, and have only shared one kiss. How can I say I don’t accept what’s happening to me?”

Raven lifted her head, and her eyes were filled with tears.

“Don’t cry, Raven,” Kristian said then he moved to stand in front of her.

He wrapped his arms around her.

“There’s nothing I can do to change what I am. I’m a slayer. I will fight evil and evil will find me even in my sleep. So yes, I accept everything that is going to happen in my life.”

Kristian pulled away from her. “What do you mean in your sleep?”

Raven wiped the tears away.

“Last night as I slept, I dreamed that I was in this hell. My room caught on fire and this voice kept taunting, asking me to let him out. Then this guy surrounded by fire climbed on my bed and jumped on me. I felt the fire on my skin burning me. As this guy held me down he kept saying let my master out. When I woke I was soaked with sweat and I knew that it wasn’t a dream.”

Kristian slid his hands up and down her arms.

“It was a dream, but not fully.”

“What does that mean?”

Kristian took Raven’s hand and pulled her to his bed. “The portal that opened was near your home. You were like a vessel for it. Maybe it was the fact that you were newly born that opened it, I can’t say for sure. This portal leads to a hell world for Karlem demons, very dangerous creatures, as I said before. As we researched, we found that no one has escaped from it.”

“So you’re saying that this hole is my fault?”

“No—no, that’s not what I’m saying. It could be, but I doubt it. Maybe something knew what you were, and with the magic around you they could more easily open it. I’m thinking it’s more of an inside thing, since you said that this burning demon asked you to let his master out.”

“Was it a Karlem demon that tried to burn me alive?”

Kristian shook his head. “No, I’m sure it wasn’t. The reason is that Karlem demons are very lazy when they are weak. There were many sacrifices done over the years and they were sent to that hell as well. I’m sure that burning person was nothing more than a slave who has been promised freedom from hell if he got the Karlem demon out.”

Kristian put his arms around Raven. She had started to tremble and he could smell the fear. He ran his hands up and down her arms when she laid her head on his shoulder.

“Could one of those sacrifices get out?”

“Not without us knowing it. We have Calvin Nolan working on closing it. He’s a very old and powerful warlock.”

“Warlock?”

“Yes, they live long past the human age. I have known some to be around two-hundred, but that’s it. They don’t age quickly, so they can keep up their appearance.”

Raven lifted her head. “Wow, I’m learning a lot today.”

“So while this portal is open I would like for you to stay here.”

“I can’t,” Raven quickly answered.

“Why not? If you think I’m going to try to make love to you I will not.”

Raven snorted. “Lies, but that’s not why not. I can’t just stay away from home for god knows how long. My mom already thinks I’m dating some old rich guy.”

“She does?”

“Yes. My dad saw the car and knew the price. Remember, I smacked you for that earlier.”

“How could I forget?” He rubbed his arm.

“Well, I told her that I’ve known you for a few months now and the window on my car is broken and my boyfriend who she has never met loaned me his very expensive car.”

“Well, I can always meet your parents if you like, just not now. As for you being out, we have people going to your home and retrieving some of your belongings. If you need anything special you have to let me know so I can tell them what it is. Your mother and father will be, in simple words, reprogrammed to think you are merely on a trip with friends.”

“And my parents are going to go for that?”

“They have no choice.”

“Can you do that mind thingy on me?”

Kristian shook his head. “It’s very hard to bend the will of a slayer. It has been tested, and you will not have to worry about someone willing you to kill yourself.”

“Cool. That’s good to know.”

“Now is there anything you want to do? You are a rich woman now, and can go buy anything your heart desires. You don’t want to go put some miles on that credit card of yours?”

Raven laughed. “This coming from a man who has God knows how much money and only one car?”

“I have the need to splurge a little. I have this wonderful woman in my life now. That’s all I will ever need.”

“No, I’m good with just being here with you. I can’t really wrap my brain around having so much money just yet.”

“So a dinner and a movie at home then? Sounds like something you would enjoy? What about anything from your home?”

“Yes it would be nice to just relax. I’m sure if they don’t get anything I need, which I find uneasy for me to have them in my underwear drawer, I guess we can go out and buy.”

“Sounds like a fun night then. Just the two of us.”

“Yes, it will be.”

Kristian tilted her head up to his. He leaned forward, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. Just touching her lips made his body come to life. His hand went to her head, holding her to him. When she gasped he slid his tongue inside her mouth, tasting her. She tasted so sweet, like nothing he’d ever tasted before. The need that rose inside him tripled the moment she responded to his kiss. Her hands went to his head as she returned the kiss with passion that he’d never experienced before. He needed her, needed to mate with her to make her his for all eternity.

They kissed for what seemed like hours before he pulled away from her. Raven’s lips were swollen and her breathing harsh. He ran his fingers down the side of her face to her neck. All the while she kept her eyes closed.

I need you.

Kristian could not ignore Raven’s voice in his mind. He doubted she knew she’d spoken to him that way, but he would explain that part of their relationship later.

Kristian needed to touch her more, kiss her until their minds were fogged with nothing but need of each other. He sat back further on the bed, pulling her until she sat on top of him.

Raven opened her eyes when he made sure she could feel the evidence of his desire pressed against her. He pulled her to him, kissing her deeply again, this time pouring all his feelings for her into it.

Raven gasped and released him. Her body pressed closer to him, causing him to moan from the delicious friction.

“The feelings are overwhelming, I don’t feel anything but your need,” Raven whispered. “I need you.”

“Only if you are sure that you want me, Raven. I would give you anything. My world.”

“Yes. I want you, Kristian. Make love to me.”

Kristian experienced the same thing as Raven was at this moment. The bond they shared had opened up a link between them—his feelings where hers and vice versa. Each other’s passions fuelled the others until now nothing mattered but being together. The mating process had begun, and he would make sure that Raven enjoyed being with him.

Kristian grabbed her t-shirt and pulled it over her head. Her dark skin looked so delicious next to the white bra she had on. Kristian couldn’t stop himself as he leaned forward and placed a kiss between her breasts. It excited him more when she moaned just from his kiss. She craved more, wanting him to go faster, but he knew that she needed to go slow to understand what was about to happen to them.

Kristian pulled the bra straps down over her shoulders, giving him full access to her. He didn’t hesitate, he latched onto her right nipple, sucking it into his mouth. She rewarded him with a loud moan and pressed down on him. As he built her pleasure, he reached around, unhooking her bra with his hand.

“Oh God. You two are going to have sex aren’t you?”

Raven screamed at the sound of Shane’s voice. She moved from over Kristian, shielding herself as she ran into the bathroom.

To keep from choking his close friend, Kristian lay on the bed looking at the ceiling for a moment, then looked at Shane.

“Not anymore.” Kristian growled. “Ever heard of knocking? Or even feeling projections?”

Shane leaned against the door frame. “I did and I am very proud of you, but Arthas is downstairs.”

“And he couldn’t have waited?”

“I don’t know. How’s your stamina lately? Would he have to wait five minutes or five hours?”

“I need better friends.”

“No one is better than me.”

Kristian sat up on the bed, grabbed Raven’s shirt and walked to the bathroom. He tapped on the door.

“What?”

“I’m sorry, and here’s your shirt. Shane will apologize for his rudeness.”

Shane snatched the shirt out of Kristian’s hand. “Yes, here’s your shirt. Come out and I will give it to you.”

Raven opened the door and her arm shot out. “Give me my shirt.”

Shane teased her by letting her touch the shirt but drawing it away before she grasped it.

“Stop playing with her, Shane,” Kristian snapped.

“I’m not. She has to come out and get it.”

“No. Give me my damn shirt.”

“Oh, come on, Raven. I’ve seen people in bras before. I’m sure that Kristian wouldn’t mind me just peeking at you. Would you, Kristian?”

Kristian shook his head but smiled. Shane thought that his good looks would get him anywhere and he didn’t mind Raven showing off to Shane. Raven would be the one woman he wouldn’t share.

“Kristian, tell him to give me my damn shirt.”

“It’s not that easy, my lovely Raven. Shane is a pig and likes to play games. You can come out and get it and show him what he will never be able to touch.”

“You are as bad as him but fine.”

Raven opened the door and Kristian couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her jeans were low cut and hung on her waist. He had a perfect view of her toned stomach and abs. She really had nothing to hide. She was beautiful.

“Oh, nice,” Shane said.

Raven scowled. “May I have my shirt now, you pervert?”

“Not just yet. Spin around for me.”

Raven sighed and raised her hands, palms facing Shane. “See these hands?”

“Yes I do, going to slap me now? Hell, I have been slapped by many women.”

Raven kicked out and landed a very hard blow to Shane’s balls. Kristian could feel the painful blow for Shane. Even as a vampire, he knew that would hurt.

Shane groaned then went down to the floor without a word. As he fell, Raven grabbed her shirt.

“Bastard.”

Kristian let out a long laugh when Shane turned on his side on the floor when Raven walked over him. She walked up to Kristian and gave him a quick kiss before standing beside him.

“When I get the feeling back in my nuts I’m gonna kill you!”

Kristian held back the laughter bubbling inside him. Raven had projected doing that to Shane and he saw it way before she opened the door.

“You should have given me back my shirt. I don’t like being walked in on while I’m half naked.”

“Fuck…you…” Shane rolled onto his other side as he spoke.

“Not you.”

Shane snarled then jumped from the floor at Raven. Kristian knew that Shane was hurt, but he would not do anything to harm Raven, even with her kicking him in the balls, but he did want to scare her.

Raven moved away from Shane before he made contact, letting him run into the dresser. Instead of screaming, she took her elbow and jammed it into Shane’s back. Shane growled and turned over. He at lunged Raven again, this time connecting. They both went to the ground hard. Kristian decided this would be a fun thing to watch. If Shane got too rough with Raven, then he would intervene.

“Careful, Shane, she might beat your ass,” Kristian taunted.

Shane sat on top of Raven, holding her down with one arm. “If Raven beats me you can slap me and call me Susan.”

Raven lifted her legs, tossing Shane over her shoulders and onto his back. She pushed up and the moment his back touched the ground she sat on his chest.

“Holy shit!” Shane said as Raven leaned down and grabbed his shirt.

Raven smiled.

“All right, Susan.” Raven slapped Shane hard. “Next time you come into a room, you need to knock!”

Kristian laughed so hard that he couldn’t think straight.

“Enough,” Arthas said from the doorway.

Raven snarled at Shane before standing and releasing his shirt and standing.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Arthas asked.

“Nothing serious,” Shane said as he stood.

Arthas lifted an eyebrow. “Nothing? The slayer had you pinned to the floor and was slapping you while calling you Susan and you say nothing?”

“Maybe he deserved it, dear,” Jana said from behind Arthas.

“No, I said nothing serious.”

“Raven?” Arthas questioned.

“It wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.”

“Ah, the slayer is becoming as she must. I’m impressed that you took down an eight hundred year old vampire.”

Shane snorted. “I was only playing with her.”

Yes, he was playing with her, but Kristian knew that Shane was surprised when Raven got the upper hand on him. That made him proud to see her in action on her own.

“Very well. I will let you three get back to your unusual play. I was in the area and instead of calling I decided to stop by to make sure the slayer was safe.”

“I assured you that I would keep her safe and I have,” Kristian told him.

“I had no doubts. My next concern is that an hour ago, two of my men found two freshly-dead bodies in the woods here.”

“Really? How fresh?” Kristian asked.

“Maybe two hours or less.”

“Alec?” Raven said.

“Alec Sullivan? Is that who you are referring to?” Arthas questioned.

“Yeah. I met him today and left a message for you at the Council.”

“Oh yes, I read your message and I sent for him the moment I did. They say he was leaving Meadville High School when they spotted him. He did not resist and came in.”

“So he’s been there all this time?”

“Yes, I called the Council the moment the bodies were discovered and they said that he had been there for a while.”

“So it couldn’t have been him,” Kristian pointed out.

“Get her trained and I want you to go out tonight and see if you can find any leads to who did this. There is a vampire in this town who I dare to show his face for killing.”

“Yes, sir,” Kristian said.

“Have a good day and, slayer, don’t beat up on Shane too much. He does not know when to stop.”

Raven looked at Shane then back to Arthas.

“I do promise not to kill him, but I don’t promise that I won’t break a rib or two in the process.”

“Oh, I like that. Slayers are so powerful once they have accepted their fate,” Arthas said before leaving.

Kristian took Raven’s hand to make her look at him. His little slayer was not so little anymore. With each passing moment Raven’s mind, body and soul were changing. Her fears would be a thing of the past. Her body would become stronger than his. Her soul would be, as they said, no more. She would be the same person, but fearless, one who thought nothing could take her down.

“Kristian, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. We have about six hours until dark—care to go watch a movie or do you want to beat up on Shane some more?”

“The part of beating up Shane is tempting, but I would have more fun with you.”

“Screw you both. As soon as I get the feeling back in my balls, it’s on, Raven.”

“Promises, Promises.”

Raven proceeded out the door. Kristian wanted to suggest they stay in here, lock the door this time, and make love, but he had a lifetime to make love to his mate. Now, he had to try to get her to control the changes in her body.

* * * *

Raven snuggled closer to Kristian on the couch. He lay on his back with her on her stomach, half on him and half on the couch. As the movie went on, Kristian would caress her arm or back with his hand, and frankly it drove her mad. She had hoped that he would ask her to stay in the bedroom but he hadn’t. She knew that Kristian wanted to take it slow but this was moving backwards. Something had begun to boil inside her and she didn’t want it to stop.

The whole thing with Shane kept replaying over and over in her mind. The old Raven was dying and this new and improved Raven was coming to life. She felt that she could take him out, and she had.

“Kristian?”

“Yes?”

“Tell me about you. We were about to have sex after not even forty-eight hours of knowing each other, and I don’t know much about you.”

Kristian sighed. “There’s not much to tell you about me. I’m a four-hundred and twenty-six year old vampire with a very boring lifestyle.”

“Why don’t I believe that your life is boring? What aren’t you telling me, Mr. Blackburn?”

Kristian laughed, his body vibrating as he did. It felt so good to be lying next to him. To her, nothing could get better than this.

“I’m not lying to you.”

“What about your parents? Would they accept you dating a younger female? A black female at that?”

“Yes and no.”

“No?”

“That’s something difficult to explain, and I really don’t want to get into it right now. Just know that as long as I accept you, that’s all that matters.”

Raven sat up on her arms, looking up at him.

“Are you saying that they will not accept me?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying, Raven.”

“Then what? I know there is something between us that I have no idea about, but I need to know who I have to defend myself from.”

“Defend? Wait, Raven, you are misunderstanding me. My family’s bloodline is very rare, and my parents have this expectation of our family. No half breeds or humans have ever had the name Blackburn. Yes, it’s going to be difficult for them to accept, but they will have to. One day I hope to have children of my own and I will accept their mates no matter whom or what species they are.”

“Children? Are you telling me that vampires are able to have children?”

“Yes. We have working, functioning bodies. Our hearts beat and push the blood through our bodies just like a normal human. We can eat, which really doesn’t do much for our health, and our bodies break down every drop of food for very little energy. Blood sustains us and keeps us alive.”

“Why does the sun bother you? All the other myths I heard about vampires are false. You know the mirror trick and garlic, but why is the part about the sun true?”

Raven lay back on his chest when he pulled her to him. The closeness made her feel calm again.

“You know, Raven, after many centuries, we have not figured that out yet. Vampire’s blood is different from humans. If it is exposed to natural sunlight, it boils. Whoever made the very first vampire had to know what he or she was doing. He wanted a creature like me to not be able to live a normal human life.”

“That’s interesting. I’m glad I know about you being able to have children.”

“Why?”

“I’m not interested in having any kids right now. I am just living—and to get pregnant, what would that be like with you? I’m a slayer and you are a vampire.”

“There are hybrids as I told you. A vampire can get a human pregnant. Not very common, but there are a few running around.”

“Is Shane a hybrid?”

“Yes, Shane was turned by a female a long time ago. She left him once Shane could not show that he was able to keep his sexual need for other women under control.”

Raven laughed.

“Can you?”

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know, control you sexual need?”

“I’m not interested in other women and now that I have you, I may never want to be with anyone but you. My worry is that I don’t want you to get bored with me. I would be extremely jealous if a man so much as touched you or if you were interested in another. But one day if it comes that you want to leave—and I hope it’s many centuries from now—know that I will always care for you.”

Kristian’s words made her want to cry. This man who had changed her in just a few hours made her feel like she could have it all. But right now, all she wanted in her life was Kristian.

“And all I want is you,” he said.

Raven breathed in then settled closer to him.

“I don’t know,” she whispered.

“About?”

“My mom may not like the thought of me dating an older man. When she thought you were sixty she freaked. What would she do if I told her your real age?”

“Maybe try to put you away for a very long time in a crazy house. You do know that you can’t go around talking about what you are or what we are?”

“Yes, I know. I thought about it, but then it came to me that not everyone would take this as I have. Scientists would give their right arm to examine something like us to find out what gives us everlasting life.”

Raven closed her eyes when he stroked her hair.

“You are right.”

“This feels so relaxing, being here with you.”

“Yes it does.” Kristian breathed out.

Raven watched television, and the feel of Kristian’s arms around her made her feel so safe. Soon her eyes fluttered close and she drifted into a light sleep.

Chapter 8

“Oh my God, I can’t believe you did that!” The sound of Veronica’s voice woke Raven from her sleep.

“You dared me and I did,” Shane answered.

Raven groaned and opened her eyes to see Shane and Veronica walking by the living room area. She smiled when Kristian’s arm tightened around her waist.

“How long was I sleeping?”

“About an hour.”

“Why didn’t you wake me? We were supposed to be watching a movie and talking.”

“You were tired and needed to sleep.”

Raven stretched. “I guess so.”

“Looky what we have here,” Veronica’s voice made Raven look up. “A vampire and his whore.”

Raven shook her head. What had Veronica just said? She couldn’t have heard her right.

“You heard me, bitch. Now stop fucking around and let me out of this fucking place!”

“What?”

Raven pushed herself off Kristian, who hadn’t said a word about what Veronica had said. She looked back at Kristian but jumped up when she noticed she lay on the man of flames. He laughed.

“What’s wrong honey, I’m too hot for you?”

Veronica and the guy of flames both began to laugh. The walls and the floor fell away from Raven leaving only a tiny space for her to stand on. Walls of fire blazed up around her. She could hear people screaming down below her. When she looked down she saw nothing but fire.

“I will see you soon!”

Raven looked up to see a large creature with gray skin and silver eyes looking down at her. His eyes changed from silver to red.

“I am going to eat you alive, slayer!”

“Fuck you!”

The demon laughed at her outburst. “I don’t do that with outsiders, but if you need to be fucked I have many willing slaves that would fuck you daily while you are here with me.”

“I will never be here!”

A wind built around her, swirling faster and faster until she knew it would knock her off the small piece of floor she stood on.

“Come on, slayer, my time has come. I will live again!”

He threw his head back and laughed, the sound vibrating all around her. The wind grew to the point she couldn’t hold on any longer.

Raven screamed as she fell into the pit of fire. Her flesh started to burn. Blisters formed as her skin fell away from her body.

* * * *

Raven sat up and screamed, her hands running over her body, trying to put out the fire.

“Raven.” Kristian’s voice made her open her eyes.

Before she could protest, he gathered her up in his arms, holding her.

“You are all right,” he murmured to her.

Raven breathed in and out. Her heart pounded against her chest, and sweat coated her body. It took a long moment before she realized that she sat on the couch in Kristian’s home.

“It was a dream?” she whispered.

“Yes, it was.”

“Raven, are you okay?” Veronica’s voice made her look up to see her and Shane standing in the doorway.

“She’s fine, just a bad dream.” Kristian answered for her.

Raven held on tighter when Kristian tried to pull away. She didn’t want him to leave her and end up back in that place.

“Give us a moment,” Kristian told Veronica and Shane.

“Raven, love, I’m not going to let go, but you have to tell me about your dream.”

“I went back to that place, Kristian. Hell! But it was here this time. The fire was all around and the guy of flames was still there.”

“Did he say anything?”

“Yes, he made a joke. What got to me was the other thing there.”

“Other?”

Raven shook her head. “Yeah. He had silver eyes, gray looking skin with tiny horns on its head.”

“You saw this?”

Did Kristian sound nervous?

“Yes. Here.”

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I have to let go just for a moment. I need to have them look around for any open portals.”

Raven let him go.

“So it’s me then?”

Kristian put his cell up to his ear then looked back at her. He shook his head at her.

Well if it wasn’t her then who was it? There had been two open near her since she had become a slayer.

“Let me speak to Arthas?”

Kristian smiled at her, then turned back to his conversation.

“Arthas, I believe that either there’s another hole open somewhere near my home or a Karlem demon has gotten his claws on a fucking Dreammer, and if he has I’m pissed off.”

Kristian listened for a couple of moments.

“He’s hunting her in her dreams, and if he is then that means someone is helping him.”

Kristian hung up his phone after listening again for a few moments.

“What’s going on with me? Why am I having these dreams?”

Kristian sat on the couch with her. He held her close to him, stroking her hair.

“Well, it’s hard to say if a Dreammer got to you—meaning that some little shit is taunting you in your sleep, and if he is I’m going to kill the little bastard. Or, this Karlem demon is closer to the surface. Or…”

“Damn, that’s a lot of ors.”

Kristian chuckled. “Yes, and or something has escaped the Karlem dimension. I’m hoping it’s that one over the other two.”

“Why is that?”

“With a Dreammer, it’s hard to find them because they are very small and very sneaky. They somehow get inside you and they feed off your fears and your dreams. The dreams can actually kill you in real life. I have never heard of someone actually getting rid of a Dreammer before death. The second option is that if the Karlem demon is at the surface we have a problem if that portal is still open. Now, if one of his little minions has gotten out, then he’s easy to catch. Not like you can miss a burning flame walking around.”

“That’s true. But you think I have a Dreammer in me? What would I feel like?”

“I don’t really know. It could all just be something in your mind and you had a regular nightmare. I just don’t want to take any chances. I want you to go to the Council and get a scan. I heard they have scanners to detect a Dreammer. We can work on it one at a time.”

“But I’m a slayer—how could he just waltz up to me and enter my body?”

Kristian caressed her face. “You are very new to this, and you don’t know how to fight off things mentally. Once you understand everything and are able to defend yourself, you will have all types of invaders who want you.”

Raven stood from the couch.

“I don’t know if I made a good decision.”

“About what?”

“About accepting my destiny as a slayer. It’s been nothing but hell since this happened to me. The only good thing that came out of this is you. I found you and I would never want to change that. This other shit that’s happening, I just want it gone. I don’t think I can do this, Kristian. I want to be able to go to sleep and not have nightmares about a damn fire demon. And not have to worry about things entering my body. I—”

Raven jumped when the front door burst open. A blast of wind blew into the room.

Kristian had laced his fingers with hers to keep her from moving.

“Way to make an entrance Calvin,” Kristian said.

Raven looked at the man at the door and she knew that he was not fully human. He stood about six feet tall with black hair and very dark eyes. He had on a pair of brown slacks and a light colored brown shirt.

“May I?” the man asked.

“Yes, come in.”

The man moved inside with grace. The door closed on its on behind him. Once he made it up close to her he inhaled deeply.

“Could you not sniff me until we’ve been introduced?”

The man cocked his head and examined her, then Kristian.

“I thought I would never see this day. A vampire and a slayer together like this.”

“Calvin, this is my mate Raven. Raven this is—”

“Calvin Nolan at your service,” the man interrupted.

“What do I owe the pleasure?”

The man reached out then turned his hand over. A black candle fully lit sat on his palm. He placed it on the coffee table.

“Your mate here is infected.”

“Infected?” both she and Kristian said at the same time. What else could happen to her?

“Easy, nothing too serious. I came here once I closed the portal but there is some, as we would say, portal residue on her.”

Calvin walked around her, a little too closely for her liking.

“Tell me, slayer, have you been having awful dreams?”

“Yes, just a moment ago. Kristian thinks it’s some Dreammer thing.”

Calvin laughed. “There hasn’t been a Dreammer spotted in many years. What you have is just a little residue on your soul. When the portal opened, it did so right in your room. We thought it was out back, which it was, but it was a back door one. The main entrance opened right into your room. When it did, you got infected by whatever Karlem demon has his eyes on you. The sneaky bastard was going to torment you to death in your dreams.”

Raven shook her head not wanting to think that she would never sleep again.

“Give me your hand, dear,” Calvin said, then held out his hand.

Raven looked up to Kristian who nodded. She extended her hand to the man. In a blink of an eye Calvin’s hand came across hers, slicing the palm of her hand.

“What the fuck?”

Raven pulled back but Calvin held on to her hand. He began to mumble under his breath. Her blood dripped from the cut. A cold chill ran up her spine as he began to chant louder. Her blood stopped. It stopped dripping right in mid-air. The pictures on the wall started to vibrate. The couch she and Kristian had lain on earlier shook. The blood that had left her body began to draw back into her. It looked so neat, the way it moved back into her body. The cut on her hand sealed and the pain stopped. The moment her hand looked as if nothing happened to it, Calvin stopped chanting.

“There now, all clean. If I could get my hand on that Karlem demon I would show him what torture is.”

“Thank you so much,” Kristian finally spoke.

“My pleasure. Now take care of this lovely young slayer. Train her well, vampire.”

Raven examined her hand. When she looked back up Calvin was gone.

“Wow, where did he go?”

“I have no idea. He’s a big show off sometimes.”

Raven heard what had to be Calvin’s laughter.

“What was he?”

“One of the most powerful warlocks I have ever met.”

“And he took away what was happening to me?”

“I’m a hundred percent sure he did. I’m just glad that it wasn’t any of my suggestions.”

Raven looked around the room. “Where are Veronica and Shane?”

Kristian pointed upstairs. “They are, well you know, having sex.”

Raven rolled her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Raven said.

“For?”

“We have had only a little time together and I know you want to be with me like that. I’m sorry for making you wait.”

Kristian moved in front of her so she could look into his blue eyes.

“Raven, I would wait a life time to be with you. It’s not as important to have sex with you as it is being with you.”

“You say the sweetest things.”

“I try to.”

Kristian kissed her briefly on the lips before pulling her with him.

“Where are we going?”

“Down to the basement.”

“To the basement? Why?”

“You will see. First go change into some workout clothes then we start.”

“Wait, I don’t have any of my clothes here.”

“You should, they brought your clothes here while you were sleeping. It was a lot, so I’m sure you have something there that you can put on.”

“Okay, I’ll go look.”

* * * *

Kristian changed clothes and was waiting downstairs for Raven. Things had been crazy lately and now they needed to relax before they moved forward with their relationship. He needed to teach Raven to open up and accept her abilities and then she would understand that physical training was not necessary.

“Wow, this place is big,” Raven said as she stepped down into the basement.

Kristian turned to his mate, admiring her from afar. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her thick black hair was back in a ponytail. She had on a white t-shirt and a pair of loose fitting jogging pants. Raven differed from many women he had come into contact with. It wasn’t that she was over the top beautiful, like one would see in a model. No, Raven had more muscle mass than a model, which in model terms would be considered fat. He always liked trying the different races of women, black being his preference, but he didn’t care which Raven was, he wanted her.

“What are you looking at?” Raven asked with a smile.

“My lovely mate.”

Raven’s face began to flush. After all they had been through, she was still shy.

“Oh yea, I wanted to ask you about this mate thing.” Raven moved toward him.

“We can talk about it while working out.”

Raven smirked. “I don’t think I will be able to do both.”

Kristian stood straight on the mat facing her.

“Here is what it all boils down to, Raven. Being a slayer and protecting is not being the strongest. Shane is a lot stronger than you by all means, but you were still able to overpower him earlier.”

Kristian grabbed her shoulders making sure she stood where he wanted before releasing her.

“Relax your shoulders. You are too tense. Don’t think about what’s going to happen. Clear your mind and think with your soul.”

“Soul?”

“Yes. You already know how to fight. You learned it like a computer uploading data the night you were converted. You know all the different types of fighting. Now, you just need to know when to use what technique.”

Kristian did not give her a warning; he swung at Raven, not hard but just to get her attention.

Raven fell to the ground, escaping the blow. Kristian reached down them pulled her up.

“Think with this,” Kristian said as he placed his hand over her heart. “Not this.” He touched her head.

“Yeah, but you just swung at me.”

“Do you think the enemy is going to give you time to come up with a strategy plan on how to take them down? No, they will not. They will come at you fast and hard. Their main objective is to take down their larger threat, which is you. Now I want you to concentrate, try to think of what I’m going to do before I do it.”

Kristian stepped back a couple of steps then without warning again swung at Raven. She ducked the first swing then the second. He stepped back and repeated, this time adding a kick with his leg. Raven blocked his leg, then she stepped back looking at him. Kristian swore he saw fire in her eyes. He stepped forward, using his vampire speed to attack. Raven block, parried, then caught him in the gut with her elbow as she ducked one of his punches. Kristian went down to the mat.

“Oh God, I’m sorry.” Raven had her hand over her mouth as she spoke.

Kristian did a back flip off the ground.

“Sorry for what?”

“I hit you.”

“You didn’t hit me hard. I saw the gleam in your eyes and even though your slayer instinct had kicked in, you still know that I’m not here to hurt you.”

“What kicked in?”

“Did you think when I was attacking you?”

Raven shook her head.

“No, I concentrated on you and I felt what move you were going to make before you did it and I was able to avoid your punches. But how? I’ve never fought a day in my life. How could I get over on you?”

“I did let my guard down, and you were able to land a punch much easier than I thought. And as far as how you know this, I told you, it’s like you have been reprogrammed. Now, let’s keep going.”

Kristian made sure to watch her this time. As he attacked Raven, he watched his mate move with grace. Every move he made, he knew she had picked up on it before he did it, giving her an opportunity to move out of his way.

Kristian let the happiness of having Raven in his life consume him. His mind drifted to him and her and how happy they would be ten even twenty years in the future. Nothing could take away his joy.

Raven caught him with a roundhouse kick, sending him flying. He heard her giggle as he lay on the ground.

“Are you laughing at me?” he asked as he jumped up.

“Maybe.”

Raven caught the towel he tossed to her, wiping the sweat from her body.

“Slayers, so over confident.”

“Well, your butt has met that mat more than mine in the past hour.”

“I let you knock me down,” Kristian snarled at her.

Raven snorted. “Sure you did.”

“Ready for more?”

“Yes, but first,” Raven sat on the bench, “tell me about us.”

Kristian sat beside her.

“What do you want to know?”

Raven fumbled with the towel some. “What’s this mate thing all about? I know I feel something every time I’m near you. Sometimes it’s this overwhelming joy that makes me want to scream to the world at how happy I am. Then…”

Kristian looked at Raven.

“Then what?”

“Nothing bad. It’s that my body is telling me that what we are doing now is not what we should be doing.”

“Are you saying that we should be having sex?”

“Well, yeah. As a human, I know that three days of knowing someone and sleeping with them makes you a whore. But I can’t stop the feeling that just keeps rising inside of me. I don’t want to stop it.”

Kristian touched her chin, turning her to face him.

“It’s a feeling that will never stop, Raven. I never want it to stop either, and I feel the same pull that you do. It seems fate is making this a game for us, always putting up distractions to keep us from being together. But it will happen soon, and when it does I will make sure you will remember it for all times.”

“I’m sure you will.”

Kristian sat back on the bench, not wanting to try to do just that now. They were both sweaty, and making love to her in the workout room wasn’t the romantic setting he wanted for her.

“About mates is more difficult to explain than I thought it would be. Mates were non-existent until about a century ago. It’s not really known to my kind why God gave us this gift, but we are glad to have it.” Kristian looked into Raven’s brown eyes. “That night at the café, I didn’t know what you were to me. I felt the pull the moment I walked through the door, but I didn’t act on it. I realized after the fight with the wolf that you were my mate. I felt connected to you in ways I have never felt with any other woman in my life.”

“So all of this is new to vampires?”

“Yes. And you and I are especially different.”

“Why is that?”

“You are a slayer, sent out to destroy the evil in this world. I am considered evil. We were not supposed to be matched in any way. I learned over the years many slayers gave up on their lives after being lonely for so long. They dated humans, but soon had to leave and let go of that love. I have never heard of a slayer dating any other being besides humans.”

“Wow, so this, what is going on between us, is like the start of something new?”

Kristian nodded.

“We vampires pick a partner and mate with them, hoping that we have long lasting relationships. It usually doesn’t turn out that way. We usually get bored and break up—or so I’ve heard. I know with you I would never get bored. I feel that my love for you will only grow.”

He watched as Raven looked away when tears stung her eyes.

“Raven, don’t cry—tell me what’s wrong?”

When she turned to him, he felt his heart break at the look in her eyes. Did she not want to be mated with him? Did it hurt her to know that her life partner was a vampire?

“It’s well…I don’t know if you want to be with me forever.”

“What? Why would you say that?”

“I have only been with one other sexually. Jana and Arthas speak as if our relationship should be open. I have these deep feelings for you and now I have to learn to accept sharing?”

Kristian held her to him, holding her in his arms.

“God, Raven, I’m so sorry. It’s natural in some relationships, and that keeps things interesting but not complicating things.”

“What do you mean?” Raven laid her head on his shoulder.

“Meaning, that if the man or female sleeps with another, it would not jeopardize their relationship. They love each other so much that sex with another is only a physical release, not mental.” When Raven didn’t speak he continued. “Raven, love, I’m in no way interested in any other woman right now. I haven’t been interested in sleeping with anyone in a very long time now. Shane never said it, but he was beginning to worry about my sexuality.”

Raven pulled away from him, a frown on her face.

“Why?”

“You want to know the truth?”

“Yes I do.”

“I haven’t had sex with anyone in over two years.”

“Really? Why not?”

“You will find out sooner than later that all vampires have a strong appetite for sex. Some are very strong willed and can control it like I can. Then there are some who can somewhat control it then there are some like Shane who is like sex on a stick. Shane has to have sex constantly, almost hourly if he possibly could.”

“I see. But what about you? Why can you control it?”

“I was brought up to control a lot of things, and sex was one of them. I suppose you can say that I am to have high standards of who I’m with. I learned to control it.”

“Your parents taught you?”

“My adopted parents taught me that.”

“Adopted? Why were you given away?”

Kristian didn’t want this conversation to lead this way but he would keep as much about his past out of it as he could without actually lying to Raven.

“They wanted to keep me safe. Remember I told you that I got the mark when I was a baby?”

“Yes.”

“Well my adopted parents were humans. They wanted me to have a normal life.”

“But didn’t they wonder about who would be cruel enough to give a baby a tattoo?”

“Sure, they did, but the damage had been done and my adopted parents brought me up as their own. Thank God they had the same last name as my real parents.”

“That makes it easy. Do you know your real parents now?”

“Yeah, but I stay away from them for many reasons.”

“Oh, okay. So your adopted parents taught you to be selective of your females?”

“Pretty much. I will say that I’m glad that they did.”

“Why is that?”

“Because, my lovely mate, I feel that all the patience of being with a woman is about to fail. The first time we make love I feel I will not be able to control myself. I think that my sexual need will grow ten-fold.”

“Really, you think that you will grow to become a sex addict?”

“I feel that way. It’s something about mates, I heard that they can’t get enough of each other.”

Raven giggled.

“What’s so funny?”

“I don’t think that’s such a bad thing.”

“You don’t, do you?”

“No, having a handsome man wanting to ravish me at all times could be fun.”

“Fun? Don’t tease me, Raven, or you can end up tied up to some bed for my pleasure at any time.”

“Oh, sounds kinky.”

Kristian pressed his lips against hers, kissing away her smirk. He pressed his tongue into her mouth, tasting his mate. She moaned and pressed at his chest, pushing him away from her.

“No you don’t,” she said with a smile on her face.

“What?”

“You take my mind off things and then we end up naked in a bed somewhere.”

“And that’s a bad thing, why?”

“Why, because I’m not done talking to you yet. When this day has ended I want to have asked all my questions.”

Kristian took a deep breath hoping that her questions were not any deeper into his family.

“Okay, ask away.”

“I don’t know why I’m taking this all in so calmly instead of running away and screaming, but I believe if I do run away it’s not going to go away. So, my next question is, blood.”

“What about it?”

“I know you drink blood—you have mine—but what about me? Do I have to drink yours? Would I crave it?”

Kristian didn’t know how to explain something he didn’t know about slayers.

“The mates I’ve met have been vampire and vampire, or vampire and human. It has been known that humans require a taste of their vampire mate’s blood every now and then. They don’t consume a lot to complete a transfer just enough to stay connected. With you, I’m sure it will be the same need as a regular human.”

“Will I become a vampire?”

“I don’t have a need to change you, Raven. Your life span is just like mine, forever. You will never grow old or change. I really don’t know that trying to convert you would work.”

“So no one has ever tried to convert a slayer before?”

“I think that it has been thought about and put into place but like Alec, a slayer’s blood is like drugs times a hundred. Once you taste it, it’s hard to stop, and that’s why all the slayers died at the hands of a vampire. They couldn’t stop drinking.”

Raven eyes widened and her hands shot up to her neck.

“What about you? You stopped when you drank mine.”

Kristian grabbed her hand. “I stopped because I have control. Maybe it’s that you are my mate that I stopped. Maybe I have this will that I never thought I would possess. Do I want to taste you again? Yes, but while making love to you. I don’t just want to feed off you. I would never do anything to hurt you. Always remember that.”

“I will.”

Kristian looked up when Shane came down stairs.

“Kristian, we have to go. Bring your slayer.”

“What’s going on?”

“I spotted a pack of werewolves around the area.”

“Where is Veronica?” Kristian asked.

Shane pointed upstairs. “She’s sleeping well. She will not wake until we get back.”

Kristian took Raven’s hand and pulled her out the door.

Chapter 9

Raven walked outside the house.

“Stay close,” Kristian told her.

“Hell, she’s a fucking slayer, Kristian, let the girl do her work. Let’s find these bastards and push them off our property.”

Raven heard Kristian sigh in regret, admitting that Shane was right.

“Okay, I’m going this way—Kristian, take the middle, and Raven, you take the west side of the house. If you see a wolf don’t attack it, draw it back here where we can handle it together.”

“How would you know that I found one?”

“You have a link to Kristian, so use it.”

Shane disappeared into the woods after he told her about the link. It wasn’t dark but with all the trees and debris, it made it look darker than it really was.

“You be careful and if you need help use the link between us. Do you understand?”

Raven nodded. Kristian kissed her on the lips before taking off in the direction that Shane told him to.

Raven stood there for a moment wondering if leaving her was a good idea. The situation here was she was a not-so-trained slayer on the hunt for werewolves. She didn’t have any weapons, so she assumed that she had to fight with her hands.

“Man this is nothing like Buffy,” Raven whispered as she walked off.

The deeper she entered the woods the more cautious of her surroundings she became. A tree branch broke and she turned, ready to strike. She relaxed when she spotted a mouse running across the ground.

“Damn mouse.”

Raven noticed something red on the tree in front of her. She walked over to inspect closer.

“Blood?”

There was blood smeared all over the bottom of the tree. She looked around carefully, trying not to miss anything.

Raven jumped when something hit her on the head. She placed her hand on top of her head and felt wetness. She calmed herself by telling herself it had to be water. When Raven took her hand down, her eyes widened as she looked at her fingers covered in blood. She looked up to see a guy hanging from the tree by his feet. His throat had been torn out. Raven moved back as the eyes of the dead men seem to follow her. His body swung lightly in the breeze. His mouth was open, his eyes wide in fear. This man had seen his killer—she was sure of it.

“Looky what we have here,” a dark voice made Raven turn around. “A lost slayer.”

Raven trembled a little as the man walked towards her. The man was tall like Kristian. His green eyes stared at her. He had dark red hair and very light skin tone. She didn’t know what he was, but she felt that he was not there to chit chat with her.

“I’m not lost,” Raven said then sent out a mental call to Kristian.

“Tsk tsk. Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“You know what I’m talking about. Sending a mental call to your boyfriend. He’s distracted at the moment.”

“Distracted?”

“Yes. He has a couple of my pack to deal with. They were the distraction so I could come to you.”

“What do you want?” Raven asked, hoping to delay whatever he was going to do. She doubted that Kristian received the call from her.

“No time for talk, slayer. You have a meeting with my boss.”

“Wha…”

Raven didn’t get the words out before the man growled. He leaped and in mid-air transformed from human to a light brown werewolf. Raven waited until the last moment then moved to her right. The wolf’s claw bit into her arm cutting her.

“Shit.”

Raven grabbed her arm and ran back towards Kristian’s home. As she ran she heard the snarl of the wolf, felt him right behind her, his large body pounding the ground, closer and closer it got to her. Raven knew she wouldn’t be able to out run him. Turning quickly she backhanded the wolf, its teeth cutting into her hand.

“Fuck me!”

Raven watched the beast fly back and land on a tree hard. It whimpered like a dog before turning back into a naked man. Raven held her hand, hoping to stop the bleeding. The man groaned and licked the blood from his mouth.

“Careful, slayer,” he said as he stood. “You don’t want me to get addicted to you.

The man charged again transforming back to the wolf. This time Raven would not run. She caught the wolf by the paws and slung him around, tossing him into another tree.

“Come on you bastard, that’s all you have?”

The wolf stood, shaking the daze from his head. His green eyes glowed brightly as he snarled. He held his head up and howled to the skies.

Raven walked in a circle with the wolf, waiting for him to jump at her. This time she planned on snapping his god damn neck. He had hurt her hand and her arm—that was all he would get out of her.

“What the fuck are you waiting on?”

Raven turned around when the sound of breaking limbs and footsteps made it to her. Three more wolfs made their way up to her. Their eyes glowed deadly.

“Oh, that’s what you were waiting on. Fucking coward.”

The one wolf that had been chasing her snarled.

“Just know I’m not in the mood tonight.”

Raven walked backwards until her back pressed up against a tree. The wolf snarled and the others around her did also. As a black one leaped towards her, Raven jumped, grasping the tree limb over her head. The wolf connected head first with the tree. It slid to the ground, out cold.

“One down.”

Raven dropped to the ground. She stood straight as the other two leaped at her. She ducked the first one’s strike as it swung at her. The second wolf she grabbed by the neck mid-air and with unknown force she snapped its neck. The wolf cried out as she dropped it to the ground.

The impact on her back made Raven go flying to the ground. She groaned as she rolled from her stomach onto her back. When her eyes opened she saw a wolf in air getting ready to land on her. She rolled over. The wolf hit the ground beside her, but its teeth snapped too close to her face, making her roll over again and again.

Maneuvering herself, she was able to turn and catch the wolf’s neck between her legs, snapping its neck from the force.

“Enough.”

The first wolf’s voice made her stand quickly. Raven had just a moment to look at the two naked bodies before staring back at the man. The first one she’d killed was a female with black hair, and the one that lay beside her was a man with long light brown hair.

The third wolf stood. It wobbled a little before moving over towards the other guy.

“You killed two of my family. There will be a debt to pay.”

The guy snarled and quickly transformed. He turned away from her and ran off in another direction. The other wolf followed suit.

Raven didn’t know why the guy had run off until Shane and Kristian stopped beside her.

“Cowards,” Shane said.

Raven looked at both men covered in blood, their clothes torn.

“Are you guys okay?”

Raven looked down at herself and saw she didn’t look nearly as bad as they did.

“Yea, are you?” Kristian asked.

“Yeah, I killed two of them.”

“What?” both men said in unison.

“You both sound surprised.”

“We are. It’s not an everyday thing to hear someone killed a werewolf in a pack. Damn, Kristian, this girl is good.”

“Yes she is.” He lifted her hand. “You are hurt. Did he bite you?”

“No. I backhanded him and his teeth cut me.”

Kristian looked over to Shane who was turning over the wolves.

“That could be bad,” Kristian said, then turned back to her. “He has tasted your blood now. I hope he has will power—if not, we will have to kill him.”

“Oh, shit,” Shane said.

“What?” Kristian asked, releasing her hand.

“You know who this is?” Shane asked.

Raven walked up to the dead female.

“This is Ian’s Sanders sister, Cheryl. You are telling me that Raven took out an eighty-nine year old wolf without breaking a sweat?”

“Looks that way,” Kristian said.

“Well she was attacking me along with her other friends.”

“We know, Raven,” Kristian said then turned to her. “Problem is, some of the wolves in this town and other beings are in truce mode. Once Ian finds out that his sister is dead and by the hands of a slayer, this could be very bad.”

“Very, very bad,” Shane elaborated

“Let’s go” Kristian said.

“Wait,” Raven interrupted. “There’s a man somewhere hanging upside down. He’s dead. I saw the blood on the tree and then I spotted the man. We have to find out who he is.”

“We will, but we need to go get cleaned up. Your job is to protect. We have people who clean up.”

“What about what the man said to me?”

“Means nothing right at this moment. You keep it in mind and we will talk about it later.”

Raven was going to protest but let Kristian pull her away from the scene.

* * * *

Raven took the latex glove from her hand. Kristian suggested she shower with it to keep her bandage dry. She wiped the fog from the mirror and looked at herself. She didn’t have any marks on her face, but her hand and armwas another story. Raven looked at her hand as she moved it. It didn’t hurt as bad as she thought it would. The cut was deep enough to make anyone run to the hospital. She’d suggested it to Kristian but he told her that she wouldn’t need to go to one.

She made sure to secure her towel around her firmly before picking at the bandage on her hand. She needed to change it since the glove didn’t keep out the water like she’d hoped. She unravelled it slowly. Raven expected to see an open wound, but surprisingly there was just a red mark on the back of it. She turned her hand over then back again.

“Wow. That’s healed super quick.”

She pulled the bandage away from her arm. The same thing on her arm, just a red line where the claw marks were.

Raven tossed the bandages in the trash and decided to go get dressed. She went over to the bed to look for her suitcase. She knew she had left it here when she went to go workout with Kristian. She was going to put her things up when she came back.

Raven jumped when the door opened and Kristian walked inside wearing a robe.

“Hi…um…where are my clothes?”

“Oh, Elisabeth put them up. She put most in the first drawers here and the rest are hung up in the closet.”

“Oh man, I could have done that. I didn’t mean to leave them here. I—”

“Don’t worry Raven. It’s no problem at all.”

Raven sat down on the bed. “I just don’t want to be a pest, is all.”

“You are not a pest.”

Raven opened and closed her hand.

“I see the wound healed already.”

Raven looked up into his eyes. They were the nice golden color instead of his natural baby blue.

“Yeah, I was going to change it, but when I saw it had healed I didn’t see a need to.”

Kristian sat on the bed beside her.

“What’s wrong? I feel you’re stressing about something.”

“I never…never killed anyone before, and it’s eating me up inside. Looking down at those bodies keeps replaying in my mind.”

Kristian touched her face, turning her to look at him. His warm hand made her shiver.

“You did not kill a human—those were werewolves set out to kill you.”

“I know but they looked so…so human.”

“That’s where your slayer part has to come in. You can’t look at any being and think because they look human they are. Some beings were never human. Some just take the shape of one. So never think about that. You are a slayer. You can close it up in your mind.”

Raven stood from the bed to lean against the dresser. “I can’t just turn it off. It’s there in my mind, flashing over and over again.”

Kristian stood from the bed, went over to the door, and locked. He turned to her again.

“You have to think of a box, place the pictures in that box and lock them there forever. Never to be seen again.” Kristian walked towards her. “Now close your eyes.”

Raven did.

“Now picture a box in your mind. Now take the images of those bodies, place them in that box, turn the key and throw it away. Now you have that box, what to do with it? Think of your hand circling the box, holding it. Now picture yourself throwing it away, far away from you. The box, the emotions, everything is now gone.”

Raven pictured everything Kristian was saying. It took several moments for her to open her eyes to see Kristian standing in front of her.

“Feel better?”

“Yes,” she breathed out.

Kristian had a look in his eyes that she couldn’t describe at that moment. His eyes were blue again, shining brightly. They were mesmerizing to look into. She seemed to be drowning in his eyes.

Kristian moved until his body touched hers, one hand around her waist, the other one in her hair. He pulled her to him until their lips touched. Kristian pressed his lips to hers, kissing her softly, gently. All the while the hand in her hair massaged her scalp. He bit her lip, making her jump before pressing his lips back to hers. Kristian wasn’t demanding like before, he was teasing her.

Raven moaned when he pressed his hard body against hers. He seemed so big next to her, so strong. When she moaned he slid his tongue inside her mouth. His taste exploded on her tongue. She never thought that kissing anyone could be so amazing. Every cell in her body came to life just from his kiss. Kristian kissed her deeply, pressing deeper into her mouth with his tongue. The earth around them seemed to stand still. Nothing mattered at this moment, nothing but her and Kristian. Raven wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding on to the tidal wave of emotions pouring into her.

Kristian broke off the kiss. He kissed her lips again before leaving a hot trail down the side of her face to the bite mark on her neck.

“I want you to bear my mark for all eternity. I want everyone to know you belong to me.”

His words made her stomach clench. When his fangs penetrated his mark again, Raven’s body stiffened. Her brain shut down. Nothing could feel this good as having Kristian’s fangs in her. When he withdrew them, she groaned at the loss.

“Careful, love, I don’t want to take too much. I want you strong for me.”

Kristian removed his hands from her hair and waist. As he kissed down her neck, his hands worked on the knot she had in the towel. It only took seconds before the cold wind touched her body. Kristian lifted her and set her on the dresser, on the towel.

His hand covered her breast, grasping to her nipple, causing her to cry out in pleasure. His mouth latched on to her breast. He attacked her body, causing her blood to boil for him.

She reached out to him, holding him, needing something to anchor her to her body. Kristian was driving her insane and he had barely touched her yet.

Kristian released her nipple from his mouth, switching to the other one, teasing her. Her body jerked as his warm mouth touched her again. His hand went to her thighs, pushing them apart. When his finger slid against her sensitive core she moaned in pleasure.

So ready for me.

Raven’s body shook when he pressed a finger inside her. Then the thought about not being able to satisfy him touched her mind. Sure, he said he hadn’t been with a woman for two years but what about before then? She had only been with one—how did she know she would please him?

Kristian lifted his head and looked into her eyes as he pressed his fingers deeper. All the thoughts of her not being able to please him flew out the window.

“Never think you will not please me. Just touching you is enough pleasure for me. Now shut off that part of your brain and just feel.”

Kristian withdrew his fingers and lifted Raven from the dresser. She thought he would have taken her right there, but she guessed he had other plans.

He laid her in the middle of his bed, looking down at her.

“You are so beautiful to me.”

Raven smiled.

He untied his robe and Raven’s mouth opened. It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen a man naked before—yeah, lots of times on TV and on the Internet—but seeing Kristian in person was different. Kristian didn’t have an ounce of fat on his body, from what she could see. Nice, firm arms and legs. Not skinny like some men she had seen. His chest was sculptured to perfection. God made one beautiful man when he made Kristian. Not only his body caught her eye, it was the other part of him that made her second guess having sex with Kristian. Just like the rest of his body, his erection was hard, firm and looked too long and wide to fit in any woman. The men she had seen on TV had nothing on Kristian.

“Having second thoughts?” Kristian before moving over her body. He pressed his legs between her, opening her body for his.

“Yes.”

Kristian supported himself on his arms and looked at her.

“Why is that?”

“Well,” she swallowed. “Not that I know what normal is for a man but you seemed to be well over normal. I don’t think you will fit inside me.”

Kristian laughed.

“You are my mate, made for me. I promise you that you will be able to take me. Now, again, shut off that part of your brain and kiss me.”

Raven did. She didn’t care what might happen tomorrow, or next week. She only cared about right here, right now. Kristian kissed her until her mind fogged with lust. She couldn’t think straight.

Raven gasped when she felt the head of his length press against her wet folds. She tensed waiting on the pain she knew would come from him taking her but it never came. The only thing she felt was pure pleasure with every inch of him.

Raven lifted her body, trying to take him inside her faster. This slow movement was killing her.

Kristian gripped her waist.

“Easy, love. I don’t want to hurt you. You feel too good, and I’m fighting to be careful.”

It took all her might to speak. “I know, but I want to feel you inside me. All of you.”

The moment they were connected as one, Raven wanted to scream to the heavens at how good he felt. Nothing in this world could be this good and he wasn’t even moving yet. She felt that the moment he did move, she would shatter into a million pieces.

“Are you okay?”

Raven nodded.

He kissed her on the lips, dropped down to his elbows and moved inside her. Raven’s eyes closed as he moved. Her hands went to his waist, holding on for dear life because she knew that she would die from the pleasure.

When he pressed deeper, she gasped, pulling away from his mouth. A low moan escaped them both. She moved her hips, lifting to meet his thrust. Her fingers dug into his waist and she heard him growl.

“Raven, don’t!”

His voice shocked her but did not pull her away from her pleasure. She didn’t care what happened as long as he didn’t stop. Her nails bit into his skin.

He pressed harder into her. One stroke actually made her see a flash of light behind her eyes. The pain didn’t even faze her. She wanted this, wanted him to be him.

“Don’t hold back, Kristian, please don’t.”

His movements sped up. Raven felt the wave of pleasure rising inside her.

You don’t know what you ask of me.

Yes I do. Don’t hold back.

Kristian raised his hands causing Raven to remove her nails from his waist. She thought he was going to stop until he moved again. This time harder, faster, not holding back. Raven gripped the sheets, needing something to hold onto as she rode the storm of pleasure. It started where their bodies connected and moved through her. The mounting pleasure rose more and more, jfaster, until she could not contain what Kristian was building inside of her. Raven screamed as her body throbbed with pleasure, releasing around Kristian. He dropped down and bit his mark, never losing his rhythm. As her body began to calm, Kristian thrust once more, harder than he had before.

Raven held him as he shook above her. He released her neck.

“Raven, take what I offer you.”

Raven’s head was spinning. His voice echoed all around. She hadn’t opened her eyes yet, couldn’t just yet. She didn’t fight when she felt something being pressed to her mouth. She opened at first thinking it was his lips until liquid touched her tongue. Raven almost spit it out knowing that it had to be Kristian’s blood. But she didn’t—she swallowed it, her body coming to life again from the taste. She thought it would be nasty and metallic. How wrong she was.

She whimpered when he stopped her, but moaned again when his lips pressed to hers. He kissed her for a moment before pulling his head away. She tensed a little when he moved from her body.

“I’m sorry,” he said as he moved from the bed.

She opened her eyes to look at him.

“It’s fine—you didn’t hurt me.”

Raven lay in the bed thinking about what had just happened. That was really what they called a fairy-tale love making. She could put that on no scale whatsoever.

She sighed when she felt a warm towel pressing against her. She opened her eyes to see Kristian.

“What are you doing?”

“Cleaning you.”

Raven shot up but his hand pressed on her chest, laying her back down.

“Don’t move.”

Raven lay back on the bed and let him finish.

* * * *

Kristian had never been with a woman and felt anything like what he’d just experienced with Raven. Raven showed him love that no other could ever compare to. He hoped she had experienced what he had. He was surprised he’d been able to prevent any pain with Raven. Not that he took over her mind, he just made sure to block any pain she might have felt. He made sure she was ready to take him, and she had been, but still with her being almost a virgin and him being the size he was, she would have felt some pain

He finished cleaning her, and took the towel back into the bathroom. When he came back out into the room, Raven lay on top of the covers. Her body so beautiful to him. His body instantly awakened. He had been through many women and different situations where he had to have a lot of stamina but he always had to concentrate hard to keep going after round one. With Raven his body reacted naturally. Maybe he really was like Shane—it only took the right woman to bring it out of him.

Kristian decided to fight the need, just this once. Just long enough for her body to heal so she could take him without any pain.

He lay beside her, pulling her to his side so his chest rested against her back. He kissed her neck slowly.

“Careful, don’t want to start things up again.”

“Too late, I’m in need again. But I will wait until your body has rested. For now, I’m content with just having you in my arms.”

They lay there for the longest time, both of them not talking, just enjoying being together. He heard her breathing become shallow and knew she had fallen asleep. Kristian felt himself drifting into sleep when his cell phone rang. He growled and turned over to grab it. Once he saw his father’s name on the little screen he instantly shut the phone off. He didn’t want to talk to his parents, not now. He lay with his mate, finally happy, and he would never let her go.

Chapter 10

Raven woke to her body burning inside. Not a bad burn, but the one when you are so close to releasing. She cried out, reaching for anything to hold onto.

A warm mouth closed around her clit and she nearly jumped from the bed. The sensations were taking over to a point she would lose all control. Her legs were pressed open further and she felt his tongue dive into her, feasting on her.

Raven’s head went from side to side as the first wave washed over her, then she screamed to the heavens when her body released. It took several moments before she caught her breath, but that didn’t last long. Warm lips crashed onto her as a hard body pressed against hers. It didn’t take long before she was filled to the limit.

Her body stretched to accommodate him. His hands went under her back and Raven was pulled up until she sat up. The kiss never broke as they moved together as one. They were one. She didn’t know where Kristian’s passions ended and hers began.

Kristian moved with her, their bodies in sync. She tilted her head back as the second wave of passion crashed into her. Teeth sank down into her breast, heightening her pleasure.

As soon as that waved ended he removed his fangs. She rocked with him as he thrust harder into her, faster and faster until she was close to the edge yet again. If she didn’t stop him he would drain her of her sanity. It took all her might to open her eyes and look at her lover. His eyes were shining brightly in the sunlight. It was her Kristian. but she saw the need in his eyes—the same need that travelled through her.

He slowed his movements, just feeling her, letting her catch her breath. She doubted that he would stop any time soon. Then she felt it—Kristian inside her mind. The connection that they already had, so strong, she couldn’t believe it could be that strong.

“Kristian,” she whispered to him. Kristian closed his eyes briefly, his hands tightening on her waist.

“What is it my love?” his voice sounded so harsh. “If you wish for me to stop I can’t.”

Stop? Is he crazy! She never wanted him to stop. Raven wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping her balance. Kristian had her on his lap and he was moving her— she didn’t control her movements, even being slightly on top.

“Don’t ever stop, please don’t.”

Kristian’s fangs emerged again. His eyes were glowing so brightly now, she almost had to turn away from them.

“Never.”

Kristian pulled her down and she crashed and burned right there. Right when he wanted her to. Kristian controlled everything at this moment—her, her body and her needs.

“I love you, Kristian.” The words flew from her mouth before she thought about it.

A warm sensation came, just as before when Kristian bit her. It took her several moments to calm her body. She noticed that now she lay on her back, and Kristian was licking her neck.

Kristian lifted his head and looked at her with tears in his eyes. Raven lifted her hand, wiping away his tears.

“I love you, Raven.”

Kristian kissed her deeply, as if he were a starving man and she fed his hunger.

“I could not control myself,” Kristian said as he lay beside her. “I woke and all I could think about was having you.”

“What a wakeup call. I thought you were going to kill me with orgasms.”

Kristian gathered her in his arms and laughed.

“I was, until you said I love you. I lost control and could not help myself.”

Raven moved from his arms to turn to look at him.

“Kristian?”

He frowned at her change in mood.

“Yes?”

“Didn’t you say that I could get pregnant? I know we should have thought about it before, but shouldn’t we use protection?”

Kristian seemed to sigh in relief. He lay on his back, pulling her to lie on his shoulder.

“Yes, you can but I highly doubt that you will get pregnant any time soon. And I would never use protection with you. I don’t want anything between us. And if you do get pregnant, it would not be such a bad thing—your child would be loved for all eternity.”

“I’m guessing you are right.”

Kristian growled when a knock came at the door.

“What?”

“Bloody hell, are you two going to have sex all day? Remember, the slayer still has to eat food,” Shane said from the other side of the door.

“You know he’s like a five year old sometimes,” Kristian told her through clenched teeth.

“I heard that!”

“You were meant to.”

Raven laughed.

“Anyhow, Veronica wanted to see Raven before I take her home. You think you can spare her for about ten minutes, Kristian? I’m sure it will still be up unless you are having problems.”

“God, when I get out there I’m going to kick his ass.”

Kristian moved to get up but Raven stopped him with a kiss. Kristian turned his attention to Raven quickly. The kiss intensified so quickly, Raven hadn’t thought Kristian would be ready to take her again.

This time Kristian took her hard and fast. Letting go of everything and just being with her. He brought them both to a quick release before letting her up to take a shower.

* * * *

“Holy shit!”

Kristian ran downstairs when he heard Veronica screaming. Shane ran up to Veronica, grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back inside the door.

Kristian stopped when he saw two female bodies lying at his door.

“Who the hell would do something like that?” Veronica screamed.

Raven ran down the stairs. Her hand flew over her mouth when she saw the bodies.

“Raven, take Veronica in the other room,” Kristian told his mate.

She immediately grabbed Veronica who was still screaming at the top of her voice into the other room.

“You know, Kristian,” Shane said as he pulled out his cell phone. “Someone is really pissing me off. Killing these females and leaving them right at our door. What did they expect, the police to see this?”

Kristian did not touch the bodies, only inspected them. He spotted a bite mark on one of the girl’s neck. A vampire bite.

“Well, I know it’s a vampire. I can’t pick up on any scent so it has to be some type of spell around them.”

“I need a clean-up. Two females, unknown. Drained of blood.” Shane listened for a moment. “I don’t know who did it. I think someone was trying to frame us or something. Just get here and get them up.”

Shane reached down and grasped the girl’s arms.

“What are you doing?”

Shane pulled them enough that he could close the door.

“Council said they have another clean up of two men dead at the Corner Café. They advised me to pull them inside so that no one would see them.”

Kristian walked over to the couch, taking the blanket that he and Raven had lain under, and placed it on top of the bodies.

“Let’s hope they get here soon. I don’t what those just lying around while Raven and Veronica are here.”

“Yeah, let’s go check on them.”

Kristian grabbed Shane’s arm stopping him.

“What?”

“Is this thing with Veronica serious?”

Shane frowned at him. Kristian knew that Shane didn’t know what a serious relationship meant. But he’d never seen him with the same woman so many nights in a row. Maybe every couple of months, but never the same week.

Shane snarled and snatched away. “Hell no. She’s just good in bed, is all. I will be attached to no one.”

Kristian smirked.

“What? I’m telling you the truth. I have no interest in Veronica besides getting pussy. Now, if you’re finished with the twenty questions, can we go make sure we correct this?”

“Sure you are not?”

“No I’m not. I haven’t bitten her anywhere near her neck. I’m not getting intimate with her. Just having fun.”

* * * *

Raven rocked with Veronica. She held her in her arms as Veronica cried.

“Raven, what’s going on here? It seems that Shane and Kristian are not normal. I mean, Shane told me they are some type of private detectives, and now dead bodies are showing up.” Veronica pulled back. “You know I have this mark on top of my breast that Shane says is a hickey, but I don’t think it is. It looks like a bite mark.”

Raven wondered what brought on this reaction from Veronica. Shane couldn’t have been that careless to let Veronica see or hear what she shouldn’t.

“Why do you think that?”

“Last night, I woke him up with some special attention. He made this growling noise and pounced on me while in his sleep. Even in the dark I swore his eyes glowed and he had what looked like fangs. I woke later and he said that I must have been dreaming, but I know I wasn’t.”

“Ladies,” Shane said then walked into the kitchen.

“Shane, what the hell is going on here?” Veronica went up to him.

“Come to me and let me tell you.”

Raven watched as Shane’s eyes flashed bright white before returning to their normal light brown. Veronica stopped walking and stared at Shane.

Raven looked at Kristian then back to Shane before speaking. “What…”

Kristian quickly placed a hand over Raven’s mouth stopping her sentence. When she looked at him he shook his head.

Do not speak, or you can interrupt what he’s doing.

What is he doing to her, Kristian?

Erasing a lot of things from her mind. The bodies, along with other mistakes that he has let her see. Shane is older than me, a lot older, but he still makes mistakes. He says he will erase her mind of any unusual things before taking her home.

Is that bad, will it mess up her mind?

No, not at all. It’s very safe.

Raven looked back at Shane, who had not moved nor said a word, but she had a feeling he was doing it by mind. She looked back at Kristian.

You can take your hand from my mouth. I’m not going to say anything.

Nah, I like this, so peaceful now.

Raven opened her mouth and bit down on the palm of his hand. Not hard enough to tear skin but hard enough that he would feel it. He removed his hand, looking at her teeth marks.

Kristian gave her a sinful smile.

Careful, I like being bit.

I’m sure you do.

“Okay, I’m going to call a cab to come pick her up. I don’t want to leave and they come to clean up,” Shane broke the silence.

“No,” Raven stopped. “I will drive her home. You two can stay here and clean up.”

Raven walked up to Veronica who still had not moved or spoken. Raven waved a hand in front of her face.

“Is she going to be okay?”

“Yeah,” Shane said then snapped his fingers.

Veronica breathed out then smiled. “So, I guess I got to go. I have work soon.”

Veronica looked around the kitchen at them all. She shrugged.

“That’s fine. Let me get my coat.”

“Raven is going to drive you home,” Shane said.

“Your car was returned this morning, Raven. I forgot to tell you,” Shane said.

“Oh, great.”

“Whoa.” Shane grabbed Veronica’s arm when she tried to go into the living room to retrieve her jacket. “I’ll get it. We are, you know, waxing the floors.”

“Thanks,” Veronica told him.

Shane made a mad dash for the living room.

“Get her keys off the hook,” Kristian yelled to Shane.

Kristian walked up to Raven. “You be careful. Drop her off and come right back.”

“Oh, Raven is going to spend the night. Nice.” Veronica teased. “We have something to talk about on the ride.”

Raven laughed.

“I will be right back. I promise.”

Kristian leaned towards her, pressing his lips to hers. Oh God, just kissing Kristian made her feel like the earth moved. His touch sent chills down her spine. He pressed his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss. Shane clearing his throat could not break the kiss. Finally, Kristian pulled back. He pressed his forehead to hers, his eyes were closed.

“I love you,” Kristian whispered.

“I love you, too.”

Raven didn’t know that loving a man could be this wonderful. Kristian meant the world to her and she would do anything to live these moments over and over again.

“Awwwww. That’s so sweet,” Veronica said, making them pull away from each other. “All Shane says to me is harder or faster.”

Raven gagged. “TMI.”

“I agree,” Kristian added.

“You two are not saints. It’s not like you don’t know what sex is. Hence, what you two have been doing since last night,” Shane teased.

Kristian jumped at Shane but Raven grabbed his arm.

“Just let me kick his ass, baby. It’s been about a month since I have.”

“No, Kristian. We can do this fairly down in the workout room where you won’t break anything.” She pulled Kristian to her. “Once I get back and once you win, I can reward you.”

Shane snorted. “If he wins. What do I get if I win?”

“My foot in your ass,” Raven said.

“Oh she has been around you for too long, Kristian. Already picking up on your bad habits.”

Raven ignored Shane and gave Kristian a quick kiss. The faster she dropped off Veronica the faster she could come back and be with her love.

“Hurry back,” Kristian said again.

“I will.”

Shane handed her the keys and puckered up for a kiss from Raven.

“Veronica can take care of that,” Raven said then elbowed him in the gut as she walked by.

“Nah. I don’t kiss.”

* * * *

“I can’t believe that Billy closed for the night. I still need my key to get into my apartment,” he heard the other female talking as she opened the door. “I’m sorry this is taking you out of your way, Raven.”

“It’s fine. Kristian and Shane are probably fighting to the death now.”

Veronica laughed.

“They are so different, Shane and Kristian. I’m sure they’ve been friends a long time.”

They walked into the café talking among each other.

“Yeah they are.”

“How…” Veronica stopped talking and fell to the ground.

“Veronica!” Raven raced to her side.

“No need to worry, sweet slayer. This time I needed to do it.”

Raven jumped back, putting distance between her and Alec. “What the fuck did I tell you about doing that shit to my friends?”

Alec waved his hand again and a force field surrounded them.

“I know, but I only want you.”

Raven backed up until her back touched the field around them. She concentrated and the field around them expanded twice before blowing up into pieces.

“Oh, she has gotten stronger overnight. This may take a moment.”

“Alec, what the hell do you want?”

“I told you before. I want you. My master wants out!”

Raven froze at what he said.

“Master?”

“Yes, my sweet slayer, we only met a short time ago, but now it’s time to say goodbye to so many memories.”

Raven did not move.

“You do know that mind control thingy doesn’t work on me.”

“Indeed. That’s why I came up with this.”

Alec pulled out a needle with bright red liquid from his pocket. He pulled the top off of it and squirted some of the liquid out.

“I’m not letting you inject me with that.”

Alec growled at her, his fangs emerging from his gums.

“You have no choice.”

Alec charged her with the needle. Raven fell to her back, her right foot catching Alec in the stomach, her left hand knocking the needle out of the way while her right hand held onto his shirt. He went over her, flying into the wall, knocking plaster and pictures down.

“Fucking bitch.”

Raven jumped up from the floor, running over to Alec as he stood. She roundhouse kicked him in the face, knocking him to the ground again.

“Don’t call me a bitch.”

Raven lifted her leg, ready to kick him in the face. Alec caught her right leg, tugging at it to make her fall flat on her back. She cried out when she hit the ground hard.

Alec was over her before she had a chance to move, pressing down on her chest with his weight. He drew back and landed a punch to her face. Again, another punch, splitting her lip.

Raven bucked up, sending him over her shoulders. She followed him, landing on top of his chest. She struck him once, twice, then a third time. Blood gushed from his mouth. Alec swu,ng connecting with her face, hitting her so hard she flew back, hitting the wall. Raven crumbled to the ground, the air knocked from her lungs. She spit out blood as she stood.

Raven blinked a couple of times. She spotted Alec standing behind Veronica, the needle pressed to her neck.

“Let her go, you bastard.”

“Don’t move, slayer. If you do I will press this in her neck. This is very powerful and if a human is injected with it, they will die. Do you want that? To be the cause of your friend’s death?”

Raven looked around the room for anything to hit him with. Not seeing anything, she looked at her unconscious friend. She could not let him kill her. The other deaths were enough to drive her insane, but to have Veronica killed on her account would be torture.

“Okay. Let her go, I will do anything.”

“See that needle under the table beside you? Get it. Now.”

Raven looked on the floor to see the glowing needle.

Kristian help.

“Don’t send any more signals out. Now get the damn needle.”

Raven picked up the needle.

“Now inject yourself.”

“What? No. I don’t know what this is.”

Veronica moaned as he pressed the needle into her neck more.

“No. No. No. Don’t!”

“Do as I say, slayer, I don’t have time.”

Raven prayed that whatever this stuff was going to do to her, Kristian would be able to save her.

“Do it now!”

Raven pressed the needle into a vein in her arm. She prayed again as she injected the liquid into her arm.

Raven pulled the needle out then tossed it to the side.

“There. Now let her…” Raven shook her head as the room began to spin. “Let her…go.”

The last thing she remembered was blackness.

* * * *

“Raven!” Kristian reached out for her when he felt her leave his mind.

“What is it?” Shane asked from the passenger seat.

“I don’t know. I can’t feel her anymore. It’s like she’s gone.”

Kristian pressed the gas, racing towards the café. When he got there he jumped out of the car. Veronica was sitting on the bench, confused.

“Veronica. Where is Raven?”

Veronica blinked. “I don’t know. I walked into the café and then I was out. I woke a moment ago and Raven was gone. Looks like she was taken.”

Veronica pointed to the wall.

“Where is the security footage?” Shane asked.

“In Billy’s office.”

“Stay here.”

Kristian followed Shane to the back room. Shane broke the door handle with one pull, and opened the door.

“Back that up,” Kristian ordered when he saw the camera equipment.

Shane sat down and worked the controllers, going back until the diner lights were off.”

“Stop, now go forward some.”

Shane screened slowly until Veronica and Raven walked into the café.

They watched closely.

“There,” Kristian pointed at the screen when Alec walked into the room. “I knew that bastard was up to something.”

“I’m going to have to kill him this time,” Shane said as they watched the video.

Kristian’s heart felt as if it dropped when he saw his mate press a syringe into her arm. He knew why she had done it, Alec had another needle pressed to Veronica’s neck.

“What the fuck is that?” Shane stopped the camera when Alec carried Raven out of the door.

“Back it up.”

Shane backed it up to the point where Raven injected herself.

“Stop. Look, she threw it under the booth. Get that tape, let’s go.”

Raven, why would you do that? Where are you my love?

When no answer came he kept looking for the needle Raven had tossed under the booth.

“What are you looking for and where is Raven?”

“Veronica, can you remember anything?” Shane asked.

Veronica shook her head.

“I got it,” Kristian said.

“What the hell is that?”

“That’s what we have to find out. For now, Veronica, look at me,” Shane spoke.

Kristian let Shane do his mind trick on Veronica while he jumped in his car to drive to the Council.

* * * *

Raven woke to notice that she was not in her bed. Where the hell was she?

“Raven, you are awake.”

The dark voice made her jump into a sitting position. The lights in the room came on. A tall man stood at the door dressed in a white shirt and black slacks.

“Who are you?”

Raven moved closer to the headboard.

“And where am I?”

“You are in Meadville, where you have been all your life. I am your father’s best friend, Alec Sullivan. I came the moment I heard your parents were killed in a house fire.”

“What! When did this happen? I have to go to them!”

“Easy, Raven.”

Alec walked into the room.

“Fire rescue found you right outside the door of your home. They say you were passed out.”

Raven frowned.

“Why don’t I remember you?”

“I used to come over to your home all the time. The doctor at the hospital told me that you may have had a slight concussion and will have a hard time remembering things.”

“How long was I out?”

“A couple of days.”

“I want to go to see my home. I want to see my parent’s bodies.”

“Sorry, Raven. Your parents left instructions to cremate them and spread their ashes in the lake.”

“What? I never knew of this? So you are telling me that I missed my own parent’s funeral?”

Raven grabbed her head, feeling it pound.

“What’s going on? I feel so sick, so dizzy.”

“Calm, my slayer. Let the mixture work. You remember everything I’m telling you. You accept this and move on. In a few days we will leave this town, just for a while.”

Raven heard his words, fighting him, but still accepting what he said.

Chapter 11

Kristian burst into the Council’s laboratory.

“Vampire, you can’t be down here,” Dominick, a young demon seeker spoke as he walked inside.

Others around the lab stopped and waited to see what Kristian would do to Dominick.

“I don’t have time for your games—find out what this is and tell me quickly.”

Kristian placed the needle into his hand.

“Where…where did you get that?”

“My mate was forced to inject herself with whatever is in this needle. Now hurry up, shadow demon.”

“Wait,” Dominick said as Kristian began to walk off.

“What?” Kristian growled, his eyes glowing red in the room.

“It’s just that, this needle, the engraved signature on the side of it lets me know right away that whatever is in this was created by a Dreamwalker.”

Kristian grabbed Dominick’s shirt hauling him up in the air. “I don’t care who or what invented it, find out what it does.”

Kristian turned to see Shane coming down the stairs.

“Let him down, Kristian.”

Kristian snarled at Shane, his nails growing long and sharp. The demon he had in the air shook uncontrollably. Shane took a step back from Kristian.

“If you kill him, then we can’t find out what is in the needle.”

Kristian had to control the anger flowing through him. He wanted his mate back and he wanted her now. His mate was gone and he didn’t know if she had killed herself or what.

Kristian snarled, but then released the guy, who fell to the ground.

“You have ten minutes.”

Kristian stalked upstairs without another word.

* * * *

Do as I say. Don’t ask any questions. Do as I say. Don’t ask any questions.

Raven groaned coming awake to see Alec standing over her.

“Is this how I’m going to wake always, with you hovering over me?”

Alec let out a low chuckle.

“No. But I need you to get dressed. We have to go out and do something before leaving.”

“Oh. That’s right, we are leaving town. Where are we going to move to?”

“I don’t know. What do you think of New York?”

“Never been there. What’s going on?”

“Raven, you know what you are don’t you? You kept it a secret.”

Raven thought back. She remembered something about her being a fighter. She was here to do things for Alec. He would protect her now that her parents were dead.

“Yes, I remember what I am.”

“So you know of your talents?”

Raven nodded.

“Good. This is going to be fun.”

* * * *

Kristian looked at his phone when it beeped. He jumped up from the chair, running out the door.

“Where are you going?” he heard Shane asked from behind.

Kristian drove his car wildly th,rough the streets, not caring for anything. Elisabeth sent him a message saying Raven was home.

“Raven!” he yelled her name as he walked into the living room.

His beloved mate stood from the couch. Her eyes were glossy.

“Are you alright?”

He ran up to her, hugging her.

Raven shied away from his touch.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember you.”

Kristian’s heart felt as if it fell to the floor at those words.

“How…why did you come here?”

“I don’t know. Some strange force pulled me to this area. Who are you?”

“Raven, I’m your mate, Kristian. Your partner for life.”

It came to him that Raven had to inject herself with a forgetting solution. But why had Alec released her?

“I’m sorry. I don’t remember you.”

Kristian looked up to Elisabeth as she walked up to him.

“She was wondering around the grounds when I pulled up. She didn’t remember me so I sent you a message. I will leave you be. Call me if you need me.”

Kristian nodded then turned his attention back to Raven.

“So you don’t remember the fight with Alec? Him making you inject yourself with something?”

Raven shook her head. “I don’t feel anything inside. I feel so empty. I have nothing. I remember nothing.”

Raven fell to her knees crying.

Kristian picked her up and carried her upstairs, laying her on the bed.

He lay beside her, holding her as she cried.

“Don’t cry, love. We will figure out how to get your memories back, then I’m going to kill that bastard when I see him.”

Kristian stroked her hair, holding her close. He thought he had lost her. In a way he still had. She didn’t remember him, but at least she allowed him to comfort her. When she pulled away earlier his heart broke at the thought of her not wanting him to touch her.

Raven stopped crying and lay there for several minutes not talking.

“Raven?” he called her name making sure she hadn’t falling asleep.

Raven lifted her head from his chest, her brown eyes staring at him.

“Are you okay?”

Raven watched him for a few moments then pressed her lips to his. At first, Kristian wanted to pull back but the thought of them showing emotions might trigger something in her mind. Raven deepened the kiss, pushing him to his back, then moving over him.

Raven pulled back, staring at him again.

“I don’t know why, but I feel this pull to you. I want you to be inside me.”

Kristian shook his head.

“You don’t want me?”

“God knows I want you, Raven but I don’t think it is right to take you now, when you don’t remember what we shared. The love we had.”

Raven tugged at the sundress she had on, tossing it to the floor of the room. Kristian growled at seeing her sitting on top of him with nothing but a bra on.

“Make me remember, Kristian.” She moaned as she unclasped her bra.

Kristian could not deny his mate a release, even if she didn’t remember him. He sat up, kissing her deeply. Raven fumbled with his pants while they kissed. She reached inside, wrapping her hand around him, releasing him from his pants. She stroked him, sending pleasure to every nerve in his body. Raven didn’t wait for him to undress—she raised up and, before he could protest, ease her body onto his. They both moaned into each other’s mouth, never breaking the kiss.

They moved together as one, the passion growing inside them both. Kristian didn’t take Raven fast as he wanted. He made love to her, hoping that something would trigger a memory.

Raven made love to him all that night and into the morning hours until he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer.

Kristian woke from a sharp pain shooting through his leg. He tried to sit up but chains held him in place.

Raven stood at the edge of the bed, fully dressed and staring down at him with a snarl on her face.

“Good girl,” Alec said as he walked into the room.

Kristian tugged at the chains when the vampire moved up to his mate and touched her face. Fury went through him.

“Easy, vampire, don’t hurt yourself,” Alec taunted.

“Did I do well?”

“Yes, you did, my young slayer.”

“Thank you. I don’t have to pretend to want him anymore do I?”

Kristian stopped moving. She had pretended to want him? This was all some plot.

Kristian blinked a couple of times staring at her, his heart feeling as if it would break.

“Look at her one last time, Kristian,” Alec said, touching Raven as he did. “You will never see her again. Enjoy your time in prison.

Kristian let the darkness take over him. He couldn’t fight it knowing that his love did not love him anymore.

* * * *

“Kristian man, tell me that you did not do this,” Shane voice woke him from his sleep.

Kristian opened his eyes to see his room was full of people. He made sure he could move before sitting up in the bed.

“Do what?”

“Look around? You drained these girls!”

Kristian looked in his bed, there were two naked girl’s body next to him.

“What? Shane, you know I didn’t do this!”

Arthas walked into the room, his lovely wife following in his footsteps.

“Take him away, trial begins at sunset.”

“What are you talking about? You know damn well I didn’t kill these girls.”

Three vampires surrounded him, gripping him.

“Don’t fight it, Kristian,” Jana said.

Kristian let them men pull him down the stairs and stuff him in a black car with tinted windows.

He looked out as Shane walked onto the porch staring at him as the car drove off.

* * * *

Hours later they had put him in a cell with no windows. He had fallen asleep not believing that this was happening.

The sound of keys in the keyhole woke Kristian from his restless sleep. All night, he dreamed of Raven, his Blood Mate, his life, deceiving him for Alec. A slayer killer. Now, he had nothing to live for. He lost Raven and he knew that he would never get her back. Kristian knew that even his father couldn’t get him out of this now, not that he would bring his family’s power into play. Yes, they were strong and controlled most of the Council but nothing could be done when you were convicted of committing murder, especially human.

“Let’s go Blackburn,” Jasmine Hayes said from the cage door.

Kristian stood from the cot and followed the Dreamwalker out the door.

Jasmine stood at the door that she wanted Kristian to go into. Kristian walked inside the room. Every chair in the room was filled with all types of beings. Some he seen before, some he’d never met. Shane sat in the front row of the guest seat. Arthas walked into the room the moment he made it to the table.

Arthas fumbled through stacks of papers, looking through them carefully.

“Kristian Blackburn, you are brought here today to be sentenced for killing humans…”

“I didn’t kill any humans!” Kristian interrupted. “That fuck, Alec, framed me!”

Arthas looked up from his paperwork.

“Don’t interrupt me again, Blackburn.”

Blackburn? Did he just called him out as if he meant nothing to the Council? All the shit he did for him!

“Now, looking at your paperwork. We will put a hold on your accounts. Myself and the Council will not sentence you to death, but you will spend two-hundred years in Acadia. After that you will return to the Council and try to renew your membership.”

“What the fuck!” Shane jumped up from his seat. “I know Kristian didn’t kill those people, and you know it also.”

“Sit down, Santiago,” Arthas ordered.

“No. No. It’s not right. I know he was upset for losing his mate to Alec but think about it, you know who Raven is. Where is she? Why isn’t she here to protect her mate? You tell me, Arthas.”

Everyone in the room gasped at Shane calling Arthas by his name.

“Say one more word and you will be in a cell with your friend, Santiago.”

Kristian turned around and shook his head at Shane.

“One…More…Word,” Shane said.

“Detain Santiago—he will join his friend Kristian in Arcadia for two-hundred years.”

“Fuck you! You know this isn’t right,” Shane screamed.

“Get him out of here. Now!”

Two Dreamwalkers materialized next to Shane. They touched his shoulder and the three of them disappeared into thin-air. Kristian turned back to Arthas, not saying a word. Two hundred years for something he didn’t do was long but if he said a word it could turn into four or even the death penalty.

“Now, thank your friend when you get there, Blackburn. As for Raven, she died last night in a fire at her parent’s home. There were three skeletons found but they were burned so badly they couldn’t be identified.”

Kristian shook his head. He knew that either Arthas was lying or that Alec set the whole plot up, making everyone think that Raven was dead.

“I am sorry for the loss of your mate, but that does not give you the right to kill innocent people. Your sentence has been set. Guards, take him out of here and make sure that Shane knows that when I say quiet I meant it.”

Kristian opened his eyes and looked at Arthas, knowing that he had to connect with Alec or anyone that his mate Raven was connected to. He had to get to his mate, he had to have her in his life. Without her he was nothing.

From this point on, he would have to spend his life connecting to Raven, and he would, no matter what. He would not give up on his love.

Chapter 12

Present…

Alec dropped the suitcase to the dusty floor. Ten years ago today he stood in this very room waiting for his lovely slayer to finish fucking her mate so they could frame him. It had been so lovely—Raven had done any and everything to please him since then.

His master spoke to him a week ago and told him to bring her back here. After her episode last night, he had to see if the solution worked as well as before. Kristian had somehow broken through to her. It could be a good thing that he could sense her again. When she died at the hands of his master, Kristian would feel everything.

Now, he only had to get Raven to befriend this witch and warlock. Calvin Norton’s children. They said that Calvin cast a spell to close up a hell dimension five years before and hadn’t been seen since. Calvin’s kids didn’t really know who they were, but he would get them to help him out.

“Why did you bring me back here, Alec?” Raven placed her bag on the dusty table. “It’s all dusty and the vampire smell is still here.”

Alec smiled and framed Raven’s face. She looked the same as she did years ago. No scars on her beautiful face or body, just one mark, the one he wished he could erase, the bite mark on her neck from Kristian. Not very noticeable until you looked closely at her neck. That mark was like a curse. When he even got close to biting her to place his mark there, he would get this sickly feeling over him and could never do it. She never asked or wondered why he shied away from that side of her neck. It wasn’t like he was going to tell her the truth anyhow.

“Don’t worry, my lovely, we have Elisabeth here to clean up.”

Alec looked up as Elisabeth walked into the room. This Shadow Demon had been very helpful, especially the day that they framed Kristian. Her mind was very easy to take over. He’d made her send the text message to Kristian. She followed the plan and had been pleasing him ever since.

“Oh, this place is a mess. I will clean it immediately.”

“Good, good.” Alec turned back to his slayer. “I have a job for you, my lovely.”

Raven gave him a wicked smile, the smile he loved seeing on her.

“What would that be?”

“I need for you to go back to school.”

Raven’s smile melted away from her face. “You need me to go back where?”

“To school.”

“Oh, come on!”

Raven paced in front of him. “Send me to kill something or to beat someone up. Anything but going back to school. I’m damn near thirty years old. Back to school? Seriously?”

Alec wrapped his arm around his whining slayer’s waist. “For me? Just for a while. We have to get our master out of hell. It’s been over fifty years since he last walked on this earth and he’s getting a bit restless.”

Raven took a deep breath and he knew she would agree.

“And once we let him out will you take me back to Paris?”

Alec stared at her.

“You just want to go back to that Paris boy, don’t you?”

Raven purred. “Young and entertaining.”

“Entertaining? You never had sex with him at all.”

Raven shrugged. “No but I enjoyed his company. He kept me from being bored when you were out sleeping with all the Paris sluts.”

“I wasn’t sleeping, I was feeding.”

Alec knew that agreeing to take her back to Paris was a lie. Once Anarisan was brought back to this world, he would use her blood to restore himself.

“I promise. Now get our things up to the room, then go on and get registered in school. Everything you will need is in the bag. I’m going out scouting for the warlock’s and witch’s home.”

Raven pouted.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to go back to that place.”

Alec smiled at her.

“This is the last thing you have to do before getting him out. We need that witch and warlock to help us. Now go.”

“Alright, I will go.”

“Good, my slayer. If you have to pretend to, well, you know, be a little promiscuous, then you have to.”

“You owe me big time.”

Raven looked at Alec then picked up her bags and headed upstairs to dress for class.

* * * *

Jessica looked up from her books as a female walked into the room. The teacher stopped talking and gawked—yes, Mr. Sears was gawking at the new girl. Who could blame him? She had long very thick black hair. She had on a t-shirt that touched the top of her low rise jeans. She looked very toned. Her skin was the perfect coca color. Smooth looking, soft skin that she would love to touch. Her light brown eyes sparkled mischievously. The woman was beautiful to her.

“Who do we have here?” Mr. Sears read the paper. “Class, this is Raven Nowles.”

Raven. Like the dark bird. That was the perfect name for her.

“And where are you coming from, Ms. Nowles?”

“I just moved from Paris.”

“Oh, so you are from Paris, very nice.”

“Not originally. I lived in Meadville for a while then my…ummmm…a friend took me in once my parents died.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that.”

Raven shrugged. “Hey, it was a while ago. So, where do I sit?”

“Take any empty seat.”

Jessica’s brother leaned over to her as she watched Raven sit in the far right corner of the room. “You can’t have that one, sis. Hell, let the men have a go at some of the nice looking women.”

Jessica laughed. Yes it was true that she enjoyed females as much as males, and she did get more females than her own brother but what could she say, she know what a woman wanted.

“I don’t know. This one looks tasty.”

Raven turned around and looked directly at her. She licked her lips and Jessica swore that her body had caught on fire. Raven then turned around to pay attention to Mr. Sears.

“Looks like she plays in your court.”

“Good. Then I don’t have to try so hard.”

The bell rang only moments after Raven entered the class. Jessica quickly left and came down into the middle courtyard to stop from going after Raven. She didn’t want to seem too desperate and then, she didn’t know if Raven liked females.

Jessica could not stop staring at Raven in class, nor could half of the class. Raven had a presence around her that could draw anyone to her.

Jessica flipped through the book she’d found in her father’s things. It was a diary, so to speak. It had all types of things in it about her father. If she knew right, her father was a powerful warlock. Not just powerful, but very old and from his pictures dated back forty years ago with her mother, she doubted that he was in his nineties then. More like teens, if she had to say.

There were so many things she learned from reading her father’s books. From there being creatures in this world that humans didn’t know about. Vampires, werewolves, demons of all shapes and sizes. This interested Jessica so much. Her brother Joseph never took their father’s books seriously, saying it was just a story he’d been writing, but Jessica didn’t believe that. It had things about their mother inside.

As her father stated, their mother was human, but their father loved her so much that he could not let her go. A miracle happened when their mother got pregnant. Their father shouldn’t have been able to produce a child with anyone other than a witch, but god gave him a special gift. The last chapters of the book stated hunters were after her and her brother. They wanted to find them and find out why they had been born to a human. The last thing her father wrote was he was opening a portal and sending anyone who would harm his family into it. It was dangerous because the portals would open up all over the world and could kill everyone on earth. She knew her father would do anything to protect them.

Her mother, Mary Anne, told them that their father had been killed by some bad people. Jessica didn’t feel that someone killed her father. From the dreams she had, she felt that her father’s portals got out of control and he had to sacrifice himself in order to close them. It was him or the entire world. Jessica sighed at the thought of never meeting her father—if this magical mumbo jumbo was true. From the little things she could do, she believed that some of what was in the book was true. She could move objects with her mind, start fires when she got mad, and even create little unknown creatures, like minions or something. They always disappeared once her concentration broke. Joseph had experienced the same things as she had and they practiced a lot until about a year ago. He suddenly stopped believing in magic and start thinking about sex. Every time she would bring up anything dealing with her father or magic, he blew her off and would not talk about it.

“What’s my sis thinking about so hard?”

Jessica looked into her twin brother’s blue eyes. Everyone said that her and her brother looked so much alike. They both had long blonde hair with brown streaks and similar blue eyes that people said could look into someone’s soul.

“Just reading dad’s book.”

“I’m out,” Joseph said then turned to walk away.

Jessica grabbed his arm, pulling him back to the bench.

“All right, I’ll put the book up. Just stay and chat. We live in the same home but I feel that I haven’t talked to you in months.”

Joseph sighed then sat beside her.

“That’s because you always have your nose in this book.” Joseph pointed at the old book. “It was fun and all, sis, but I don’t think we should be playing with things like that. I want to live a normal life.”

“Normal? Do you think we can live a normal life? This power is growing inside us. I feel it and I know you do, too.”

Joseph shook his head. “I will not run myself crazy thinking that I have some special powers. I will not get myself killed over this. Our father was killed and I’m sure it had something to do with magic. It’s not normal for us to have this gift.”

“Why not? It’s a gift, as you said.”

Joseph frowned at her. “Because if we were intended to have it, then everyone in this world would, not just us…”

“Hello there.”

Raven’s voice stopped Joseph from talking.

Jessica jumped a little, not hearing her walk up to them. They were sitting in the middle of the eating area and with the heels Raven had on, she should have made some noise.

Joseph smiled as he stood from his seat.

“Hi,” Jessica said.

“Hi, I’m Joseph and this is my sister, Jessica.”

“Joseph and Jessica. I like those names.” Raven placed her hands in her pockets. “You mind if I sit?”

“Not at all, Please,” Joseph answered quickly, motioning towards the bench.

Raven sat down, the sun on her skin so bright, it glowed with perfection.

“I forgot how beautiful this place could be,” Raven said.

“When did you leave Meadville? You had to be very young, since I don’t remember you,” Joseph asked.

“I was three when my parents died. My friend took lots of pictures of this place for me, so I would never forget where I came from.”

“That’s sweet of him,” Jessica said.

Raven smiled. Beautiful.

“But I’m back and want to be as if I never left. I know I have to make new friends and get to know everyone, but I know if I take it one day at a time, it will be all right.”

“That’s true,” Joseph agreed.

“So, what do kids…we…do for fun here?”

“Not much to do besides going to the movies, skating rink or hanging out at the café. A good hang out for Friday nights.”

“Sounds fun. Are you two up to anything tonight? Maybe I can tag along.”

Raven tilted her head, looking into Jessica’s eyes. If she wasn’t going to go out today, she couldn’t say no to Raven.

“I was thinking about going to the Dark Corner Café and just hanging out.”

“Wow, it’s still named that?”

“Yeah, still have the same old benches in it and grill. The owner said that when he brought it years ago he had to fix it up, but it holds a lot of business.”

“Nice. How about I meet you guys there at eight?”

“Sure,” Jessica answered.

“That’s fine.”

“Raven,” a dark voice spoke from behind Jessica.

Jessica trembled at the feel of darkness surrounding them. She turned to look into the eyes of a tall man with black eyes and jet black hair.

“Oh hi, Alec,” Raven greeted.

“I wanted to see how your first day back in your hometown was going.” Alec gazed at her for a moment then to Joseph. “I see you are fitting in just fine here.”

“Yes.”

“Well, introduce me to your friends, kitten.”

“I have forgotten my manners.”

Jessica had a little spark of jealousy when Alec walked around and placed his hands on Raven’s shoulders. Not that she had any right to be jealous, it was that she was hoping maybe she and Raven could get to know each other better. If Raven had a boyfriend, then that could mean trouble and she didn’t want to cause trouble with any relationship.

“This is Joseph and Jessica Nolan. You guys this is my friend Alec Sullivan.”

“So nice to meet you both,” Alec said.

“Likewise,” Joseph said.

“It’s nice to meet you also.”

Alec released Raven.

“I will leave you three be, you don’t need an old man around.”

“Old man?” Jessica said. “You can’t be—what—twenty at the oldest.”

“You are so sweet. I will take that as a compliment. But I’m a lot older than that.”

“How much?” Joseph asked.

“I care not to say. I will take twenty because now I feel so much younger just thinking that someone thought I was twenty. I’m off. Raven, make sure you come home after class. We need to talk about some things.”

Raven was paying attention to her nails instead of Alec.

“Raven?”

“Yeah yeah, I heard you, old man. And FYI he’s in his thirties, guys.”

Jessica watched to see if Alec would get upset or not. Instead, he tapped her on the shoulder and walked off.

Raven watched him until he was out of sight.

“Boyfriend?” Joseph growled.

“Joseph? How rude!”

Jessica slapped her brother on the wrist. It wasn’t like she didn’t want to ask, but she would have worked the question in tonight while they were hanging out, the usual things you asked when you’d just met someone. What’s your age? Where are you from? What’s your parent’s name? Do you have a boy or girl friend? If not, would you like one?

Jessica smiled to herself at that thought.

“Well, he’s not my boyfriend.”

Joseph didn’t turn away from Raven. “Oh, he’s just a fuck partner.”

“Joseph! What the hell is wrong with you?”

Joseph turned to her and frowned.

“Nothing. I’m just trying to find out about Raven just as you are. I’m just more open with it.”

“That’s fucking rude, and you know it.”

Raven reached across the table and touched her hand. Jessica trembled at the sensation that traveled through her from the touch. Raven had so much power inside her that she could actually feed off that power.

“It’s all right, Jessica, Joseph is just curious.” Raven released her to trace Joseph’s face with her fingers. “If you want to know if I have fucked him, no I have not. Look at him, he’s extremely handsome, yes, but does he do it for me? Not one damn bit. He takes care of me and that’s it. Last guy I fucked was, well I’ll just say he ruined me for a lot of others.”

“I’m out,” Joseph said before standing.

Raven was behind Joseph before he made it to the door. Her brother must be already falling for Raven and didn’t know it. He’d never acted that way before. Raven must have put some type of spell on him. If she had, she’d put it on both of them, because she wanted Raven all to herself. She wanted to please her in more ways than one.

Jessica watched as Raven turned Joseph around. They were talking to each other. She could tell from the look on Joseph’s face that he was still upset. Raven said something to Joseph then leaned forward and placed a kiss on his lips.

Jessica’s eyes widened. It looked like Joseph got the girl before she did. Hell, it was still fair game until one of them got Raven naked.

Joseph smiled at Raven,, then walked away. Raven came back and sat down on the bench beside her.

“Looks like my brother is happy.”

Raven grabbed her hand, forcing her to turn to look at her. “I can make you both happy.” Raven brought her hand up to her mouth, kissing the back of it. “I know you like females also and so do I. It could make things difficult with brother and sister though. But I can swing it if you can. I think your brother will be fine with it. For now.”

Jessica looked into Raven’s eyes—her pupils seem to expand as she looked at her.

“I…I don’t know. It’s something about you, Raven. What are you?”

Raven frowned. “I’m Raven Nowles, and I would like to get to know you better. Wouldn’t you like that?”

Jessica nodded.

“Good. Now let’s get to class. Meet you at Dark Corner at eight. Right?”

“Sure. I will be there.”

“Can’t wait. It’s been a while, but I don’t think I would forget how to…entertain.”

Jessica trembled at the word entertain. She was sure that Raven did not mean their time at the club.

Raven released her hand and stood. “See you later.”

As Raven walked in the opposite direction of the entrance Jessica asked. “Where are you going?”

Raven stopped and turned to look at her. “Going to go get ready for tonight.”

Jessica looked at her watch. “But it’s only one. You have eight hours before we meet.”

Raven shrugged. “Let’s say I take a long time to get dressed. Anyhow, I’m not in the mood for school. I have other things on my mind at the moment.”

Raven winked and walked past the parking lot. Jessica didn’t move until Raven was out of sight.

* * * *

Kristian sat on the floor beside Shane in the cell. At the prison they gave them an hour of free time just like a normal jail. Most of the vampires were too weak to move when they got free time.

His friend still had burn marks all over his body. The right side of his face was burned the worst. Kristian bit down into his wrist then pressed it to Shane’s mouth. His blood wouldn’t sustain him like a human’s, but it would help him heal faster. And he could always beg Jasmine for more. Shane didn’t fight him and drank heavily. He only took about four gulps before pushing his wrist away from him.

“You need more.”

“It is enough,” Shane’s voice cracked when he spoke.

“Shane, don’t be brave. You know I can get more. Jasmine will be here all night.”

Shane drew his knees up and laid his head on them.

“We have been here for ten years and have learned that I don’t need as much blood as before.” Shane sighed. “I can’t believe I haven’t had pussy in over ten years.”

Kristian laughed at his friend. Shane was in pain and very weak, but he still kept his spirits up.

“I can’t believe that either.”

Shane snorted and lifted his head. “You were used to going without it. I need—well, thought I needed it like blood. I guess I was wrong.”

Etan walked by their cell, snarling as he looked at them.

“I guess Etan will never like you,” Shane told him.

“I have this gut feeling that he works for Alec. Oh, Jasmine just told me that Alec and Raven moved back into the house.”

“Really? Why would he do something like that?”

Kristian scratched his head. “I have no idea what Alec is up to. Maybe he has perfected that mind wiping drug. I got to Raven earlier. She spoke to me and just when I had her, Alec wiped her memory again. I guess that’s what happened, anyway.”

“We need to get out of here,” Shane stated.

“I know. I tried to get Jasmine to help out, but she would not help me out at all. I will escape here and get back to Raven.”

Shane stared at him. “You know that she will bring you back here probably. Then you will get double your time for escaping. If you succeed.”

“I know, but I have to take the chance to see her again. You know around two the field gets weaker. The control panel room is right next to Jasmine’s room. When she thinks I’m sleeping I’m going to sneak in there and lower one side of that force field. They will not notice I’m gone until the next morning’s roll call.”

“How are you going to get out of your cell?”

“You know this place is old and a lot of things don’t work properly. I will place steel in the latch of my door. When it closes, it will not click. They don’t usually lock the door to the courtyard because they assume that everyone is sleeping. After that, it’s clear sailing.”

“Yeah, until they pop you in the ass with a tranquilizer dart.”

“I’m willing to take that chance to at least see Raven one more time. I love her, Shane, and it will not go away. It just grows more and more every day.”

“She’s your mate and it will never fade.” Shane quieted for a moment. “I’m going with you.”

“What? No, I’m not putting your life in danger by trying to escape in your weakened state. I’m so angry with you for getting locked up with me.”

“Arthas is an asshole. I told you he hated me and now you see it. Two hundred years in prison because I said his wife is dead in bed. No pun intended. It’s crazy that people would let him get away with this.”

“Yes, it is.”

“I think it’s time to overthrow Arthas and get a new councilman.”

“Yes, we can think about that later—for now, we have to get to Raven and get her to remember me so we can get her to remember what Alec did.”

“Wait,” Shane said and stopped him from standing by grabbing his arm. “What if Raven killed someone? Will they put her away for that?”

Kristian shook his head. “Not when she was ordered to kill. If she was under her own influence then I would say yes. But since she wasn’t, then, no.”

“You are right.”

“Are you sure you will be able to do this with me?”

“When are you planning this?”

“Tomorrow night. I will get more blood from Jasmine and make sure you can feed without making me weak.”

Shane nodded.

The bell rang, meaning free time was over and it was time for them to go back to their cells. Kristian stood from the dirty floor.

“You know, I never said thank you. You are a true friend to spend two hundred years in prison for a crime you didn’t commit.”

Kristian turned to Shane to see a smile on his friend’s face.

“You get so sentimental at times. Just know that when or if we get out of here, you can’t kick my ass for being a pest for at least fifty years.”

“How about a month?”

“For going to jail for you? No deal. But you make sure I get lots of sex and I may overlook this.”

Kristian laughed. “Deal. I’ll toss you the wire when Jasmine comes to get me later.”

* * * *

Alec released the female’s neck who moved under him in pleasure when the front door opened, and a blast of bright like shot into the room.

“Pleae, please don’t stop,” the young girl begged as he looked at his slayer.

Raven closed the door and walked over to him. She looked at the girl under him. They were still fully clothed but he was getting around to taking her virginity—he just wanted to taste more of her blood first. Virgin’s blood could be as addictive to him as slayer’s. Different from before, he was now able to control his need for Raven’s blood. That,, and the fact that his Master would kill him where he stood if he mistakenly killed Raven.

“Kinda young isn’t she?” Raven’s voice was cold when she spoke.

Alec knew that Raven had been getting attached lately. She never showed him any sexual emotions, but he was sure that if he tried, he would be able to have her. He moved from over the girl, who grabbed at his hand, making him look down at her.

“Please, take me.”

Erica, if that was her name, reached down and touched herself through her pants. She moaned out, trying to entice him.

“Sleep,” Alec said, and Erica went limp, releasing him.

“Why aren’t you in school befriending that warlock and witch?”

Raven stalked him, pressing a finger to his chest.

“Why did you come around? I was doing just fine, playing miss innocent until you showed up.”

“I wanted to make sure that they saw me.”

Raven paced away from him. “Well yeah, that would have come later, but not now. They were already falling under my powers.”

Alec grabbed her shoulder. “You think you can get them to perform this spell for us?”

“I am sure I can. I think if I promise the brother pleasure, he would do anything for me.”

“Don’t get over confident—I heard that slayer’s pussy isn’t as great as the blood is.”

Raven placed her hands on her hips. “You are such a dick sometimes.”

Alec growled and charged her. His hands gripped her shoulders, holding her in place. Raven was much stronger than he even though he was over six hundred years older than she was. But this wasn’t about who was the strongest, it was about control. Raven had a domineering side to her and he refused to let her think that she could control anything between them. He would control her, and she would like it.

“Don’t push me, Raven. I let you have your little temper tantrums, but don’t take my kindness for weakness. I just don’t want you fucking this up. Those two are very special to this spell. Everything is set up and ready to go now. I just need to read the god damn spell and get Anarisan out!”

Raven took two deep breaths.

“Whatever. Look I’m going to go take a nap, has Elisabeth cleaned up there yet?”

Alec released her and she moved away from him.

“Yes, she has almost cleaned the entire top floor.”

“Good. I’ll let you get back to your little virgin, I have a date with a brother and sister at nine at the Dark Corner.”

“Good. Make sure to move this quickly and try to stay away from any vampires who were here before we left. I don’t think many know you by your face, since Kristian didn’t really introduce you to the world.”

“I know the drill. See you later.”

Alec looked around when Erica groaned before waking.

“Wow, what happened? Did I fall asleep on you?”

“Yeah, but you can make it up to me.”

Alec flashed his fangs at her knowing that it would scare her. This time he wanted a little fear in her blood to get his blood flowing.

Chapter 13

Jasmine got out of her car and looked over at Arcadia. She had been in this god forsaken place for almost five hundred years, five hundred, long, painful years. Being almost twenty eight hundred years old, she thought she would have found something or someone to entertain her. Nothing like that ever crossed her path. No mate to make her want to spend every waking moment with him.

Nothing.

That was why with Kristian, she felt hurt for the loss of his mate. At first, when she stood trial with Kristian, she took him for just another criminal.

For years she thought Raven was dead, never really knowing if Kristian lied about her being alive. It shocked her when she found out Kristian hadn’t been lying at all. No slayer would be with Alec unless he had some type of control over her.

“Jasmine?”

Jasmine turned around, drawing her gun from the holster at the sound of her name.

The guy lifted his hands in surrender. “I come in peace!”

Jasmine sniffed twice and knew that this was a shadow demon, not a real danger to her kind. Fighting a shadow demon would be like fighting a fly, not really a match. She stared into his black eyes for a moment, then took in the rest of his appearance. He was short, very short compared to her. He had black hair that seemed to be falling out, if the hair on his white shirt was anything to go by.

He seemed, disturbed—worried.

“What do you need, demon?” she asked as she placed the gun back into her belt.

“My name is Dominick.”

“Okay, what do you need, Dominick?”

The man took a deep breath and dropped his hands.

“Is Kristian Blackburn in there?” he asked, motioning to the building with his head.

“Why?”

“Is he?”

“I can’t disclose that sort of information to you, you know that. Now what do you want?”

The man handed her a bag. “I have had the solution for years now. I wasn’t going to give it to Kristian because I thought he killed those humans, now I know he didn’t.”

“How do you know?”

“Well, for one, Raven was taken by Alec. I have proof of it. I scoped out Blackburn’s house for years, hoping to come up with some clues. The maid was cleaning up and was outside dumping trash. She knew I was there and called for me to come to her. She told me that she watched this CD just before hiding it and she knew I worked for the council. Alec thinks the maid is still under his control. She’s only pretending so she could keep an eye on Raven and make sure she doesn’t get hurt.”

“What is on the CD?”

“It shows Alec making Raven inject herself with the solution.

“Okay, but you do know that this CD doesn’t mean that Kristian didn’t kill those humans.”

Dominick shook his head. “I examined the picture of those females Kristian was supposed to have killed over and over. I zoomed in on the bite mark on his mate’s neck when her and Alec fought. You can clearly see that Kristian’s bite is a lot smaller than the ones on those girls’ necks.”

“Why, why didn’t you go to the Council with this?”

“I did, but Arthas doesn’t have time for it. He didn’t even want to look at the CD. I told him and he said that it did not change the case. My findings of the bite marks meant nothing and in anger, Kristian could have bitten wider.”

“And you didn’t believe that?”

“No. No matter what, I know that the bites on the girls are not Kristian’s bite marks.”

“What’s in the bag?”

“The solution.”

“To?”

“I analysed the solution that Alec came up with. It took me almost years to find a way to reverse it. I did, and if Kristian injects himself with it and then has Raven take his blood, it will reverse what Alec did to her and restore her memories.”

“Why not just inject her?”

“It’s strong, really strong, and I don’t want to kill her. If Kristian injects himself, he would live. His blood would trigger her memories, unlocking that part of her brain Alec has blocked.”

Jasmine looked at Dominick.

“It’s nice and all, but Raven is dead and Kristian has a hundred and ninety more years to go.”

Jasmine couldn’t tell him that she knew Raven was alive. She didn’t know if she could really trust Dominick.

“I know she’s alive. Alec didn’t kill her because he had other plans for Raven, I know it. He wouldn’t go through having someone invent that mind control solution without a cause. I know you may not believe me, but Kristian is telling the truth. If Raven confesses he will be a free vampire. She will remember everything she has done now and before Alec erased her mind. The Council is not fair, you have to make it fair, Jasmine. Please.”

Before Jasmine could speak, the demon had disappeared into thin air, leaving her with the bag in her hand.

“What’s that?” Etan’s voice made her turn to look at him.

“Why?” Jasmine asked with a snarl on her face.

Maybe Dominick felt Etan’s presence and that was why he left.

“I saw the demon talking to you and I came out to make sure you were okay.”

Jasmine looked into Etan’s black eyes.

“Why are you lying to me? You do not care for my well-being. You can’t wait until I leave so you can run this place.”

Etan took a deep breath.

“No, it’s not that at all. I just want you to understand that these are criminals. Criminals! They didn’t get in here for doing good things. Most of them feed on humans and kill them. Just like your friend Kristian. He killed humans and yet you baby him like he only slaughtered a sheep.”

Jasmine grabbed his shirt, lifting him off the ground. She absorbed some of his power so he couldn’t just materialize and escape her grip.

“You listen to me. Blackburn is not my friend and if I catch you saying that again I will rip your throat out. I do not baby any of these demons and I will not be accused of doing so. I do my job and try to get information from them. If you have a problem with that, then tough. My job is to counsel them so I know they will be reformed before going back to the streets. I want to be sure that no more humans are killed.” Jasmine pulled him closer to her. “Do you have a problem with that, Miller?”

Jasmine called him by his last name, letting him know that she was not trying to be his friend so he would be sure to treat her with respect.

Etan stalled for a few moments before nodding.

“Yes or no.”

He ground his teeth before speaking. “Yes.”

Jasmine released him. “Don’t worry about what I’m doing. Just make sure you are back on time tomorrow night. I have something to do and I’ll be back in about one hour.”

“What do you have to do?”

“My shift starts in one hour. Until then you are not to question what I’m up to. I will be back.”

“But you said you would come in early to relieve me.”

“Yes I did, but now I have other things to do.”

Jasmine got into her car and drove off.

* * * *

Raven walked into the Dark Corner Café twenty minutes early. There were kids all over the place. Some were eating while others talking and laughing. Wow, they’d even extended the right side and built a small dance floor. Nice improvements. The metallic music streamed through many speakers set up around the building. Teenagers were jumping around on the dance floor having a great time.

A flash of light hit Raven hard enough that she had to close her eyes. Just for a brief moment she saw herself being tossed in the air, hitting the wall where the new dance floor was.

“Oh my god! Raven? Is that you?” A female’s voice yelled over the music.

This female with light red hair and dark green eyes ran up to her, wrapping her arms around her. Raven tensed, ready to push her off her but she waited to see if this female had her mixed up with someone else. Really, she couldn’t, because she called her by her name.

“I’m glad you are happy to see me, but I don’t know who you are.”

The lady released her then took a couple of steps back. She looked at her closely.

“It’s true, you really don’t remember me?”

Raven shook her head. “No. I’m sorry, but I don’t know who you are.”

“I’m Veronica, Veronica Anderson. We were like best friends years ago. How could you not remember me? What’s happened to you?”

Raven shook her head. “I don’t remember. I’m sorry, but maybe you have me mixed up with someone else.”

Raven turned to walk away from the female.

“Wait,” Veronica said then gripped her arm. “You are Raven Nowles aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“And Kristian is your mate?”

“Fuck no. That man will rot in hell.”

Veronica frowned at her. “This is crazy.”

“You said we were friends long ago, just how old are you?”

“Can we talk in private for a moment?”

Raven didn’t see any harm in it. She followed Veronica to the back of the café.

Veronica closed the door and offered her a seat on the couch in the office. She leaned against the desk staring at her for a moment.

“God, if you aren’t the Raven I know, you look just like her.”

“I don’t remember a lot of things before I met Alec. Things here and there, but not much about my baby years.”

“Don’t think I’m crazy for asking this but you are not human, are you?”

Raven inhaled, “What are you?” Raven asked, ignoring her question.

“You know, Raven. You tell me.”

Raven stood from the chair, and walked up to the woman.

“You were once human, very human, but now you are a Shadow Demon. How is that? What Shadow Demon would change a human?”

“Let’s just say that I have a great master who changed me.”

“Why would you become one?”

“Raven, have a seat.” She waited until Raven sat back down before continuing. “You were kidnapped years ago by someone, I don’t know who or what. They said that you died in your parent’s house fire. The police found three burned skeletons and that drove Kristian insane and he killed some humans. At the time I didn’t know what Kristian or Shane was—I found out later when this guy Simon came to me the night you disappeared. I didn’t believe him at first, but he showed me things I never thought possible. He told me he would give me eternal life if I promised to run some businesses for him. This is one of them. I come around every now and then to check in on the place.”

“I don’t know how true this about Kristian and I, but I never knew Kristian before I met Alec.”

“You really don’t remember? You were falling in love with Kristian. Shane and I couldn’t get you two out the bed that day before all hell broke loose.”

“I don’t believe what you are saying. and not to jump around a lot, but why did this Simon guy change you? Was he fully demon? Reason I ask is, you rarely run into a hybrid Shadow Demon. They didn’t even have sex outside their race.”

“Simon was lonely. Very lonely. The night I cried over you being dead he said he felt my pain from miles away and came to me. His intensions were to comfort me and make me forget him but things happened, we started seeing each other, and then we had the most incredible sex I ever had. I thought being with Shane was over the top—Simon showed me differently.

In the heat of passion Simon changed me. He wasn’t ashamed of changing, me but he knew his kind wouldn’t really accept me for a while. I accept that and he pays me well now to take care of his property. Just until his kind can accept me as one of them.”

“Is Simon around?”

“No. He’s here and there. If he wants me, he summons me. But besides that, we talk daily and I inform him on my whereabouts.”

“Nice. This is something new to me.”

“Yes it is. So, are you going to get Kristian out of jail now that you are back?”

“Why should I? He killed humans.”

Veronica watched her closely. “Raven, I know that something has happened to you, but you and I both know that Kristian did not kill those people…”

“Raven!” Alec’s voice made her jump. “Come out now!”

“Who is that?”

Raven didn’t answer—she walked to the door were Alec stood. He grasped her arm and pulled her out the café.

“What is it?”

Alec stopped when they were far away from the café.

“I don’t want you talking to that shadow demon. She’s an outcast and she can’t be trusted.”

“I figured that.”

“What did she tell you?”

“Something about knowing me and me being in love with Kristian.”

“Do you believe that you were ever in love with him?”

Raven didn’t know what to think anymore, but she knew that Alec has always been there for her and she loved him dearly. Yes, they’d framed Kristian, but he deserved it.

“I don’t know what she speaks of.”

Alec let out a deep breath then smiled. “Good.”

“How did you know she was talking to me?”

“I know everything about you, Raven. And you know I’m always around. But in this case, I had to drop Erica off here and I felt you here but didn’t see you. When I sensed that half breed I came looking for you.”

“Do you know her?”

Alec turned away from her and shook his head. Was Alec lying to her?

“Now, go back and find the witch and warlock and whatever you do, don’t listen to what that shadow demon says. She would have you thinking things that are not true.”

Raven nodded then made her way back to the café.

* * * *

Nikhil Blackburn, Kristian’s father, paced in front of his wife. Julie watched her mate in distress over their son. Nikhil swept his long, black hair behind his ear, still pacing.

Kristian was due to return home the month before, and he still had not. They had never kept close tabs on Kristian due to many not knowing that he was a prince, and that kept him safe. Kristian did send them his number a few years back, and he picked up when they called him, but now his cell had been disconnected and they didn’t know his whereabouts. Like her husband, she worried where he was.

“It’s been over a hundred years, where is he? I sent message for him many months ago. I want him back here, now!”

Nikhil’s black eyes turned red like molten lava. She knew that her mate was very upset. It was close to time for his coming out party where he would marry the lovely Serenity Zamora. She had been raised to love and honor their son and now her family was ready and here they were without a son to present to her.

A knock came from the door’s entrance. The two guards standing on each side of the double doors looked up to Nikhil. He stopped pacing and raised his hand, letting the guards know to open the door.

Julie drew in a breath as the air around them chilled when the shadow demon walked into the room. He was tall, very tall—he had to be at least six feet two. He had silver eyes that glowed in the darkness of the room. His long silver hair touched the middle of his back. This man was so pale that he looked like death—he was death, as so many called him.

“Donavan Levy,” Nihil spoke first.

Julie sat on her throne, watching, not speaking, as she had learned to do over the years.

“It’s a pleasure that you allow me in your presence, your majesty.”

Donavan knelt down when he reached to Nikhil.

“No need to kneel, Donavan.”

Donavan nodded, then stood.

“I bring you word of your son and the tragedy that’s taking place in the Eastern time zone.”

“What of my son?”

Donavan looked away just for a moment. “He is in Arcadia.”

Julie rose from her chair when she heard that her son was in a filthy prison.

“How long?” Julie asked.

Nikhil turned to her, fangs extended in dominance. Julie knew that when he conducted business she did not speak unless asked a direct question. But at this moment she didn’t care. She wanted to find out about her son. She exhaled and sat back in the chair.

Nikhil turned back to the man.

“What is he in there for, and how long has he been in for?”

“He has been there for ten years, sir. He was accused of killing several humans.”

“My son killing humans? I don’t think so. He would never do anything like that.”

Donavan shook his head. “No, sir, he wouldn’t. I think that Arthas Solomon and his wife were bribed to make Kristian fall.”

Nikhil snarled. “Are you sure of this allegation? Be sure, because I will kill him myself.”

“Yes. That part of the state is out of control. There have been reports that a hybrid Shadow Demon has been made.”

Nikhil shook his head. “Guards, arrange a flight to Meadville and have a meeting set up with Solomon the moment I get there. After that, I will go get my son out of jail. You will join me, Donavan.”

“Yes, sir.”

Donavan turned and walked out of the room.

“Are you sure it’s safe for you to go?” Julie asked her mate.

Nikhil had a lot of hits out on him, that was why he stayed in the comfort of their home. So many wanted power and they felt that if they had Nikhil kidnapped or even killed, they would get just that.

Julie stood when Nikhil walked up to her. “I’m sure. I will bring our son home. Safe and sound.”

Julie leaned in and kissed her husband. “Be safe. Please.”

“I promise you.”

* * * *

Jessica walked into the café to see Raven on the dance floor, dancing in a crowd of people. They were surrounding her, cheering her as she moved. She moved with grace. Each movement looked to be made for Raven’s body. Raven had on a very short black shirt that barely covered her stomach, along with dark blue jeans and a pair of black sandals.

She wondered where Joseph had run off to. He’d said he would meet her here, but he was nowhere in sight. Raven looked past the crowd and waved for her to come join her. Jessica smiled, then walked up to her.

Raven grabbed her hand, and spun her around as the music tempo slowed. Most of the group left the dance floor, leaving a few couples to dance. Raven pulled her close until their bodies touched. Jessica shivered when Raven placed her arms around her. Raven was toned. Looking at her, she seemed like a regular teenager with a regular body but touching her, Jessica could feel just how toned she was.

“Nice,” Raven spoke over the music.

“Yes, it is,” Jessica said as they moved to the music.

“You tell me you are fucking dike also,” Anthony Blake said from beside them.

Raven immediately released her and turned to Anthony.

“What did you just say?” Raven asked.

“I asked were you a pussy licker also?”

Raven looked at her for a moment as the music in the jukebox died.

“What if I am? What does that have to do with you?”

“It does, because this freak of nature here is always converting the fine ass females into fucking pussy lickers.”

“Hey,” Raven screamed and pressed her hand to his chest. “Don’t talk about Jessica that way or you will regret it.”

Jessica turned around, looking at the people as they stared at them.

“It’s okay, Raven. They don’t understand.”

Raven shook her head. “It’s not okay, Jessica. You can’t let this asshole walk over you. Now apologize to her.”

Anthony looked around, laughing with others who thought it was funny that Raven was protecting her.

“I guess she has got to you already. So you’re protecting your pussy.”

“Last time I’m going to ask. Say you are sorry.”

Anthony walked up to Raven. “Fuck you, dike.”

He turned and laughed again.

Raven chuckled. “See you at the dentist later.”

“Huh?” Anthony questioned.

Raven lifted an elbow, hitting Anthony in the mouth. Blood gushed from his mouth moments before he placed his hand over it.

“Raven, no!” The cook ran from behind the counter screaming.

Raven turned to the cook.

“You can’t do that to them, Raven.”

“I didn’t even hit him that hard.”

Jessica looked over to Anthony who was surrounded by his football buddies. They were inspecting his mouth.

“Geez man, that bitch knocked two of my teeth out,” Anthony yelled.

“Let’s get you to the hospital,” Veronica told them. “Raven, fighting is unacceptable in here. Do it again and you will get banned.”

Raven rolled her eyes and grasped Jessica’s arm. “Let’s get out of here.”

As they walked out the door, Joseph stopped them. “Hey what’s going on? Are you guys leaving?”

“Yeah, Raven sent Anthony to the emergency room.”

“Really, why? How, even? Anthony is not that small of a man.”

Raven patted Joseph on the cheek. “A lot of people don’t know this, but your elbow is the strongest part of your body. Use it right and it can cause some real damage. Anyhow, I wasn’t going to hurt him. He kept picking on Jessica and I hit him.”

“What did he say to you, sis?”

“You know, the usual. Dike, pussy licker, yada yada yada.”

“I’m sure you that that will be the last time he says it to you. Look, I know I ruined the night—how about a movie at my place?”

Jessica looked at Joseph and they both nodded.

“Cool. I’ll go get a movie and some popcorn—meet me at Shadow Oak Drive.”

“Wait—you moved into the Shadow Oak home?” Joseph asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“Many have tried to get that house. I heard it’s beautiful inside. It was said the owner was put in jail many years ago and the house now sits there, money being drawn out of the owners account every month.”

“Really? I guess he was a billionaire,” Raven said.

“Yeah. Has to be. It’s been over ten years.”

“Well, let’s say that I have connections. I’m going shopping and will meet you guys there in say, an hour?”

“An hour it is,” Jessica agreed.

“Great.”

* * * *

Kristian sat on the couch in Jasmine’s office. He had just gotten to sleep when she woke him and asked him to come with her.

“Kristian,” she said then stopped talking. She fumbled around with a black bag for a moment. “I’m getting you out of here.”

Kristian’s eyes widened. “You…you are what? Why have you decided to help me?”

“A shadow demon by the name of Dominick met me outside. He gave me this interesting story about the maid—your maid, Elisabeth—not being under Alec’s control anymore. She found the missing CD from the café and gave it to Dominick. Dominick said that the bite marks on the girls’ necks didn’t match yours on your mate.” Jasmine sighed. “I believed him.”

“Did he go to the Council?”

“Yes, he said that Arthas did not want to listen to him.”

“I felt that Arthas can’t control this region any longer. He doesn’t care for justice anymore.”

“Here.”

Jasmine handed him a bag. He unzipped it to find several syringes filled with a blue solution. “What’s this?”

“Dominick said that he had been working on a mind solution since you were placed in here. He said that if you inject this and then have Raven take your blood, she could remember. Everything.”

Kristian could not believe he held in his hand the very thing that could give him back his mate.

“How do I know it will work?”

Jasmine shrugged. “I don’t know. You have to go by what Dominick says. I know he’s one of the Council’s scientists, and I’m sure that he knows what he is doing.”

Kristian nodded and zipped up the bag. He would do anything to have Raven in his life again. To touch and hold her once again.

“How are you getting me out of here?”

“I’m not getting you out, you are escaping. If you get caught I had nothing to do with this, do you understand?”

“Clearly.”

“Now here’s the plan, and you will remember this word for word. You were here and getting counseled by me. I turned my back to get paper out of my cabinet and you took the monitor and hit me over the head with it. Then you went over to the box, lowered the powers and escaped. Do you understand?”

“Yes. Can I get my friend out of here?”

“No, you don’t have time.”

“But I promised him.”

“Look, you have about twenty minutes to get as far away from here as possible. That’s enough time to steal my car and get away. That’s all I’m giving you. So if you want to waste moments getting your friend out, that’s fine.” Jasmine gave him another bag. “Here are some clothes, blood and five hundred grand in cash. I want double payment back. You know that I’m not under the Council, so I have to make my own money.”

“I understand.”

“Now, one last thing.” Jasmine sat in her seat and turned away from him. “Hit me with the screen.”

“What?”

She turned to him. “You have to do it, or the story makes no sense. Now hit me before I change my damn mind.”

Jasmine turned away from him again. Kristian stood from his seat, and grabbed the twenty inch monitor.

“Thank you,” he said before hitting her over the head. Jasmine went down to the ground hard.

Kristian grabbed her keys off the desk then walked out of her office and went next door to the electrical room. He searched for a moment until he found the one for force fields. He snatched the right one out of the socket and he felt the energy lessen. He looked for a moment seeing cage door, cell block A. He kept looking until he found Cell block F. That was Shane’s cell. He cut the wire, hoping the door would open.

Kristian placed the bag on his shoulders and ran. As he ran by the cells, the other demons were too tired to notice anything. He went into Shane’s cell.

“Let’s go.”

Shane groaned not coming fully awake.

“No time for sleeping.”

Kristian didn’t know where he got the strength to lift Shane but he did. Maybe the thought of seeing Raven again fueled him.

He hauled Shane over his shoulders and ran. He pushed the front door with his foot. He could smell freedom. At the parking lot he pressed the button on the keychain. When the lights blinked on the black ford explorer he raced to it. He threw Shane in the passenger seat then jumped in the driver’s seat. He didn’t hesitate; he hit the gas and drove off, away from the hellhole.

Chapter 14

Dominick watched as the men barged into the office. He jumped out of his seat and leaned against the door, listening.

“If you don’t have an appointment, then leave,” Arthas said firmly, then looked up to see Nikhil standing there. “What a great honor to…”

“Save it, Arthas,” Nikhil ordered. “I have word that you put my son in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.”

Son? What son? All Dominick knew about the Blackburns was they had a daughter, not a son? It hit him like a ton of bricks. Kristian was the Blackburn’s son no one knew about.

“Kristian is your son?”

“Yes, he is and I heard that you put him there for two hundred years.”

Oh god, it was Kristian’s father! Dominick had to tell them. Taking a breath, hoping the guards would not kill him, he walked into the room. The guard on the right grabbed Dominick’s arm immediately.

“Such disrespect around here, Solomon. Do your people just come to you when they please?”

“I’m sorry, sir to just walk in but I have something to say.”

Arthas stood. “Shut up, you snake.”

Nikhil turned and hissed at Arthas. “Sit down and shut up.”

Arthas looked at Dominick then back to Nikhil before sitting down.

“Release him,” Nikhil ordered.

Dominick staggered over to Nikhil and knelt.

“I’m sorry to listen in on your conversation, but when I heard you were Kristian’s father, I had to speak up.”

“Speak,” Nikhil pushed.

“Kristian is innocent. He didn’t kill those humans. Someone else did.”

“How do you know this?”

“His mate bore his mark, and it didn’t match the other girls’ marks.”

“His mate? What do you mean?”

“Kristian has a mate. A slayer. Alec Sullivan made Raven inject herself and she forgot who Kristian is. But I know Kristian didn’t kill those girls.”

“Did you bring this to Solomon’s attention?”

Dominick looked at Arthas, then breathed out slowly.

“Yes.” Dominick nodded.

“You are such a liar!” Arthas yelled.

“I told you to shut up. Disrespect me again and you will find yourself hanging by your neck during the next sun rising.” Nikhil looked back at him. This man oozed of darkness and death. Just as much as the other shadow demon. “What did Solomon say once you brought this to his attention?”

“He didn’t have time, and Kristian would rot in jail.”

“You lying piece of shit! I will kill you.” Arthas leaped over his desk. Dominick stood ready to defend himself when Nikhil moved with a speed he didn’t know any being could. He caught Arthas just as he leaped over his desk and sliced his throat with his nails.

Arthas grabbed his throat and fell to the ground. Nikhil walked over the falling vampire and watched as Arthas tried to stop the blood flowing from his throat. He stood there watching until Arthas took his last breath.

“Dominick, you are dismissed. I will see you are rewarded for trying to help my son,” Nikhil told him.

Nikhil turned, “Donavan, come in here.”

Dominick turned to see a man with snow white hair walk into the room.

“Donavan will be your new Councilman. Make it known.”

“It will be an honor,” Donavan said as Dominick walked out of the office.

* * * *

Raven sat between Jessica and Joseph. They had watched a movie and now she needed to get into the magical part of them. Did kids still liked to play games? She hoped they did.

“So,” Raven said, then placed the book down on the table. “Let’s play truth or dare.”

“What?” Joseph said. “That’s a kid’s game.”

“Yes, but it’s going to be fun.”

“What’s that book?” Jessica asked.

“Nothing important. Let’s get started with the game and then I will explain the book.”

“Cool. Ask away.”

“Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” Jessica said.

“I dare you to kiss me,” Raven said. “Tongue and all.”

Jessica smiled them got on all fours, crawled over to Raven then pressed her lips to hers. Raven gasped as Jessica pushed her tongue into her mouth. They kissed for a few moments before sitting back.

“Your turn, Jessica.”

“Truth or dare, Joseph?”

“Truth,” he said.

“Is it true that you sleep with Veronica?”

Joseph looked around. “Well…”

“No lying. Did you or not?” Jessica teased.

“Yes, I did—but look at her, she’s hot.”

Jessica frowned.

“You are a whore,” she joked.

“So are you!”

“Okay. Let’s not fight,” Raven jumped in. “Joseph, your turn.”

“Okay, Raven, truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“Would you have sex with both Jessica and me?”

“Fuck yeah, I would!”

They all laughed for a while. They drank into the night, and finally it was time to move deeper.

“Jessica, truth or dare.”

“Dare.”

“I dare you to use your mind to hold this pencil in the air.”

Jessica looked at Joseph and then back to her.

“I can’t do that.”

“Yes you can, Jessica. I know you can.”

“No,” Joseph snapped.

“Oh come on, Joseph, let her do it for me. Please?”

Raven knew that seduction wasn’t really needed, but she had to get them to trust her.

“I will do it,” Jessica said.

“Great.”

Raven held up the pencil. “Now concentrate.”

Jessica stared at the pencil, Raven didn’t let it go because she didn’t feel any power in the room.

“Concentrate, Jessica. Concentrate.”

Jessica took a deep breath then concentrated on the pencil. Raven felt the power surging through the room and she released the pencil. As it wobbled in the air, Raven turned to Joseph.

“Help her, Joseph, for me.”

Joseph blew out a deep breath then concentrated on the pencil. It steadied then. Ah, so their powers were somewhat connected. Nice.

“How’s things going?” Alec broke the silence.

The pencil dropped from the air. Raven’s hand shot out, catching it before it hit the floor.

The three of them started to laugh.

“What? I have something on my face?” Alec asked with a smile.

“No. Just an inside joke,” Jessica said.

“Ah I see. I came down to let you know I am going out for a while. I take it my house will be intact when I get back?” Alec raised an eyebrow at Raven.

“No promises,” Raven said.

Alec turned away and walked out the door.

“Raven, he’s so cute,” Jessica said.

“I know. He’s just so uptight sometimes. Like he has a big stick up his ass.”

They laughed again.

“So, Raven, how did you know about us being able to do that?”

“Let me show you, Jessica.”

Raven reached over and grabbed the book off the desk. “This book has a history so deep that it talks of different beings walking on this earth. You two have a feeling that there are, but you just haven’t been trained. In this book…” Raven flipped through half the book. “Here, isn’t Calvin Nolan your father? It claims he was very old and powerful warlock of this time.”

They stared at the book, reading the part about their father.

“Fuck, Joseph, I told you this wasn’t a curse.”

“It feels like it.”

Raven touched Joseph’s shoulder. “Don’t feel like it’s a curse. You have been given something that a lot of us want. Power to control. Power to open.”

“To open?”

“I will get to that later. I have something to tell you both. Please don’t think I am crazy. I came back home because of you two. This earth is being overtaken by these monsters that you can’t imagine, and I need your help.”

“Us? To do what?” Jessica asked.

Raven slid the book over to Joseph so he could read it.

“We, as in Alec and I, need you to do a powerful spell for us. A blessing of the earth type of spell.”

“A blessing of the earth?” Joseph repeated.

“Yes, it’s a very simple but powerful spell.”

Joseph frowned at her. “Are you telling me that you only came to us because of that? You have no interest in us at all, you just want our help.”

“Oh, God no,” Raven sat close to Joseph. “I want you to do this for us, but I really do like you guys. I don’t show interest just for nothing. I wouldn’t have invited you to my home if I didn’t want to get to know you both better.”

“We don’t share,” Jessica explained to her.

“It’s a new century now. That two man relationship is no more. I like open relationships where we can go out and explore but still have a strong bond between us. I don’t want you to think I like one more than the other. I adore you both but you need to open up to this new experience. Have fun with your life. You two are going to have a very long life. But if we don’t stop the evil in this world, it will destroy us all.”

Raven let them ponder the idea for a moment.

“So you want us both?” Jessica asked.

“Is that such a bad thing? If you like, I can bring Alec to play with you, Jessica, and, Joseph, I’m sure you would love to meet my friend from Paris. She’s such a sweet thing. We can travel and explore the world.”

“But we have school,” Jessica told her.

“You don’t need school. You will be powerful very soon, and school will be nothing to you. Help me and Alec, and I promise you that you’ll never want for anything.”

Joseph and Jessica stared at each other for a moment. Raven thought they would both disagree until they nodded. She let out a sigh of relief. She hated lying about wanting them both. She had not told anyone, not even Alec that she had not found anyone sexually attractive since she was with Kristian ten years before—the last time she had sex.

“Okay, what do we have to do?” Jessica asked.

“You’re going to do it?” Raven asked, excitement in her voice.

“Why not?” Joseph jumped in. “You are offering us trips around the world, fun, sex and more sex. What teenager would turn that down?”

“You would have to be dumb to do that,” Jessica added.

“Great. We can even help you guys with your powers. Help you learn how to use them and when to use them.”

“It sounds too good to be true,” Jessica told her with concern in her voice.

“It will be okay, Jessie, trust me. We will set up tomorrow. The full moon is tomorrow night. We will bless those demons right out of here. Now come on, you two can use the guest rooms. The maid has them all cleaned up.”

Raven showed them to their rooms before going back to her room. Tonight she wanted to be alone. Alone with her memories.

After a quick shower she crashed on the bed. She closed her eyes and dreamed, but not just her usual dreams. She dreamed of Kristian Blackburn and him being her vampire lover.

* * * *

Jasmine groaned as the back of her head pounded. Fucking vampire hit her harder than she wanted to be hit. She tried to focus on the clock on her wall. She noticed she had been out for damn near an hour.

“Shit!” Jasmine rose from the floor and pressed the button on the side of her desk.

“This is a code red lock down. All beings return to your cells at once. I repeat, this is a code red lock down.”

The lights began to flash. Jasmine could hear the doors to cells slamming shut. Then there was silence. Complete silence.

“What the fuck happened.”

The door to her office opened and six men walked inside. She noticed Nikhil and went to her knees.

“Your majesty.”

“Rise, demon. Where’s my son?”

Jasmine felt the danger around this vampire. Darkness that she never experienced before.

“Kristian, he escaped about an hour ago.”

Nikhel frowned at her then raised his hand. The guards and everyone left the room, leaving only her and the dangerous vampire there. Would he kill her now? Yes, she was older by more than a thousand years but Nikhil had evolved into a vampire who had the strength of all beings and none of their weaknesses. His shoes made a sound as they walked over the concrete floor.

“Now tell me why did you let my son go?”

Jasmine shook her head.

“Don’t lie to me, demon.”

“I…I knew he was innocent and I let him escape.”

“You knew he was my son, why didn’t you inform me that my son was locked up?”

“I thought that you knew your son was here. Letting him live out his punishment.”

“Do you know where he’s going?”

“He should be on his way back to Meadville.”

“To this mate of his, correct?”

Jasmine nodded.

“Foolish. His mate is in Rasa Beach, waiting on his return. This is unacceptable. You will be rewarded for your help in my son’s escape.”

“Your majesty!” The guard ran into the room.

“What?”

“They attacked, Your Majesty. They blew up your home.”

“What!” Nikhil’s fangs emerged.

“It was an air attack. They can’t find your mate. She was in the house at that time.”

Nikhil turned to Jasmine and handed her a card from his pocket. “You contact me the moment you have a visual on my son. Here is my number.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Jasmine looked up when Etan walked into the room. Nikhil snarled and leapt towards Etan, implanting his claws deep in Etan’s chest. Nikhil lifted Etan off the ground and slammed him on his back.

“What the…?” Jasmine yelled but stopped herself from asking. She knew that Nikhil had a reason for doing what he was doing.

“You have a dirty mind, you teased him while he was here didn’t you? You created that fucking solution that started this. I would kill you now but that would be too easy for you. Leave this place, go to your new Councilman Dominick Levy and tell him of your disloyalty. If you don’t I will find you and kill you where you stand. Do you understand?”

Etan cried out when Nikhil twisted his hand.

“Stop crying and answer me!”

“Yes. God, yes I understand.”

Nikhil stood, his hand covered in Etan’s blood that washed away as if it was never there.

“Get me home to my wife,” Nikhil said and walked out of the room.

Jasmine looked at Etan lying on the floor, blood gushing around his hand.

“You asshole. You knew he was innocent, didn’t you? You helped with bringing down a prince. Oh man, you are going to rot in hell for this.”

“I had no choice,” Etan breathed out.

“Yes you did, and you chose the wrong path. If you didn’t know who Kristian really was, you should have learned your history. You fucked up big time, and you know you can’t hide anywhere because Blackburn will eventually find you. Good bye, Etan. I hope we never meet again.”

Jasmine walked over his body, not offering any help.

* * * *

Kristian passed Shane the last container of blood. He looked a lot better now than he had a couple of minutes ago.

“Thanks, man,” he said then gulped down the blood.

They were on the outstretch of the airport. It would be hard to get a ticket without any ID.

“No problem. Here, put this on.”

Kristian tossed him a pair of jeans, t-shirt and a pair of shoes from the bag. Jasmine had his size down. He was a little larger than Shane but now wasn’t the time to make a fashion statement.

“What’s the plan?” Shane asked as he took off the old jumpsuit and redressed quickly.

Kristian kept looking for signs of anyone coming after them but hadn’t seen anyone yet.

“Let’s go and get on a plane.”

“With a half of million in a bag and no IDs? Yeah that is prison time. Trust me, I don’t plan on spending any time back in jail.”

“I know. Just get back in and we will get on the plane somehow. Have you forgotten what we are?”

“No.”

“You wanted me to be a vampire, then let me show you the way.”

Kristian got back into the truck and drove off. He abandoned the car in the first terminal, and they walked inside the busy airport. Kristian looked for any flights going anywhere near Pennsylvania.

“There’s one. Let’s go.”

“Place your bags on the belt,” a dark skinned man spoke.

Kristian looked into his eyes, taking control of his mind.

“You’re clean,” the man said and let him through without checking his bag.

“Nice,” Shane said. “Thought you didn’t know how to do it.”

“I never said I didn’t know how. I said that I didn’t like doing it.”

They came up on a lady at the ticket booth.

“Tickets please.”

Again, Kristian looked into her mind, pushing deep in her thoughts. The woman reached up, grabbing the invisible ticket from their hands, tearing what should have been a stub and handing them back to them.

“Have a nice flight. Your flight leaves in ten minutes.”

“Thanks,” Kristian said.

Kristian stepped on board, relieved that the plane was half full. They went into first class and sat down.

“So, what’s the plan?” Shane asked.

“I have the solution to cure Raven. I will get my mate back.”

“I hope that shit works, because if not it’s going to be another two hundred years added to our time for escaping.”

“I know. I know.”

As the flight attendant started to talk Kristian concentrated on Raven.

* * * *

Raven wobbled a little, almost falling in the shower.

“What the hell was that?”

It felt like someone pushed inside her mind. She placed her hand on the wall when she felt a touch go down her spine. A soft touch was all it was. Comforting but extremely sexual. Raven grunted and went down to her knees when pictures flashed in her mind. Two naked bodies wrapped together. Her facing Kristian, lust surging through her, then words echoing in her mind. Kristian, I love you.

Raven shook her head, taking in a deep breath. “What the fuck is going on with me?”

Raven had seduced Kristian that night over and over but had never she said she loved him once that night. Kristian didn’t turn her on like that—or did he? The moisture between her thighs told her differently. She knew the difference between the water and her body.

Raven reached out in her mind but came up blank again. Suddenly, the feeling went away. Maybe Kristian really loved her. Not just some fake love like Alec showed her.

“No, Raven. It’s all lies, Alec would never lie to you. Stop thinking about that vampire.”

There had to be a reason for her thinking about Kristian, but it wasn’t because she wanted him. Nothing in history read that a slayer and a vampire were supposed to be together. Nowhere!

“Are you alright, kitten?” Alec’s voice brought her back to reality.

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

“You are taking a very long shower. You only do that when something is on your mind. Care to share?”

Raven looked at the shadow entering the bathroom.

“I’m okay. Just thinking that tonight will be the first time that a portal is opened from the outside. Anarisan will be grateful to finally be out of that hellhole.”

“Yes he will, my dear. I’m surprised you got them to agree so quickly. I thought it would take to the next full moon to have them eating out of the palm of your hand.”

Raven turned off the water and opened the curtain.

“Then after all these years you do not know me. You know my seduction is the most powerful thing I possess.”

“Yes, I know of it well.”

Alec watched her as she wrapped a towel around her body.

“Now, get dressed. We have to get the tomb ready for tonight.”

Raven nodded in response.

Chapter 15

Nikhil ran up to his burned home. The fire had been put out, but the smoke still lined his property. He should have never left his mate here. Not alone. But having her out in the world was more dangerous, so he thought.

One of his guards came up to him.

“They found her, your majesty. She’s being brought out now.”

“Is she alive?”

“Barely. She has burns on ninety percent of her body.”

“Take me to her. Now.”

The guard turned and he followed

Nikhil saw them putting his mate inside an ambulance. He ran up to her.

“Julie.”

The doors to the ambulance shut. His mate’s head turned towards him, and she hissed in pain.

“Nikhil,” she whispered. “They waited for you to leave to attack. Someone knew you were gone.”

She began to cough. When a vampire was burned, just like a human, they could die. It took a lot longer to heal with very deep burns, and if she did not heal fast enough, she could die.

“Don’t talk, you have to live for me.”

Nikhil rolled up his sleeve and bit into his wrist. He pressed his wrist to her mouth, forcing her to drink. The blood would help some, but she needed a lot more to survive.

The vehicle stopped and the back door opened. Two people pulled her body out and they pushed her inside the demon’s hospital.

Nikhil jumped out to see his guards already by his side.

“I want you to find out who did this and make sure you bring them to me,” Nikhil said to his guard. “They tried to kill my mate and for that, they will suffer a greater pain than death. They will suffer by my hands.”

“Yes, sir.”

* * * *

“What’s up with you, Kristian? You haven’t said a word since we landed.” Shane asked.

“I know. I had this fucked up dream. One moment I was teasing Raven’s mind, the next I could see Alec looking at her getting out of the shower. It pissed me off that he was looking at my mate.”

Shane touched his shoulders. “Don’t worry, you know it doesn’t mean anything. He has her mind under control.”

“I know, it’s just the thought of her letting that bastard touch her. It burns me up inside.”

Kristian and Shane walked down the terminal. They needed a car and fast. They couldn’t rent one without ID so that meant they had to steal one.

“There,” Shane said as a man walked up to his car.

“Sir,” Kristian said walking up to him.

The man turned around startled.

“Yes?”

Kristian pushed into his mind and the man handed him the keys.

“Get him inside. I will release him once we have…”

“Kristian Blackburn. Shane Santiago. You are under arrest.”

Kristian turned around, holding up his hands as two Demon Seekers approached them with guns.

“Fuck. So close,” Shane said.

“I’m not giving up.”

Kristian moved forward.

“Freeze. Don’t move.”

Kristian stopped walking again. “What’s the charge?”

“You are ordered back home by your father.”

Kristian flew forward, grabbing the one man’s head, snapping his neck at the thought of his father sending people to search for him. Shane went for the other man but he ducked and Shane went to the ground. Kristian punched him hard, knocking him to the ground. The man kicked up, and reached out to Kristian. Shane grabbed him from behind holding him.

“Tell my father I will return when I want to and not a moment before. Now take you friend here and leave me be.”

Kristian got into the car. He didn’t have time for this shit.

* * * *

Raven walked out of the store carrying all the items Alec said he needed for the ritual. She looked up and realized nightfall was near and she had to hurry.

While rushing through the parking lot she looked back only for a moment and felt a cold chill pass through her. Vampire, she thought. Still looking back, she ran into an unmovable object.

“My lovely Raven, what are you doing here?”

Raven lowered the bags to look into Simon Pearson’s black eyes. Raven smiled, placed the bags on the ground and punched Simon in the gut hard. The shadow demon went to the ground.

“What the fuck was that for?”

“You turned her? You are the one who turned that…that woman who claims to be a friend of mine. Why, Simon? Why did you?”

“Well she was a good fuck and I didn’t want to let her die off. Not often I find one.”

Raven growled at him.

“Find what? She was human, and you turned a human into a half shadow demon. She will not be accepted by anyone.”

“I did not turn her fully. I did not complete the transformation.”

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“I don’t know. Kinda hoping you would tell me. I got this strange pull to be here in this God forsaken town tonight.” Simon framed her face. “What are you doing here, sweet slayer? I thought you were going to stay in Paris when I last saw you.”

“Well, we have some work to do tonight, then we are leaving again.”

“Again? Where to?”

“Back to Paris, probably.”

“Do you know how hard it is to keep you a secret? So many think you are dead. Why did he bring you back here, and what were you doing around Veronica anyhow?”

“Hello. I can’t remember shit, as I’m beginning to believe. I don’t know her, but I know your scent. I can’t remember what happened before I met Alec. He said that I probably had something traumatic happen to me as a teen that I wanted to forget. I don’t know, but I don’t like people thinking they know me.”

Simon laughed.

“When are you going to let me have a go with you? I know you are in the mood.”

Raven frowned at the fact that he completely ignored what she had just said. She picked up her bags. “As soon as I don’t feel I want to hurl at that thought of seeing you naked.”

“Ouch. Well, you shouldn’t smell so tasty.”

“Whatever. Stay out of my way, I have work to do.”

Raven walked away from the demon.

* * * *

Kristian walked into the Dark Corner Café remembering it like it was yesterday.

“Kristian!” Veronica yelled. “Sha…”

Veronica stopped when Shane growled at her.

“What’s up his ass?”

Kristian looked at her. “What have you done to yourself?”

“I’m a shadow demon.”

“Yes, we get that but you are a half breed…”

“Yea, spare me the story, I know all about how I’m the outcast.”

Shane grabbed Veronica’s arm. “Are you crazy?”

Veronica snarled and pushed him away. “Don’t give me that shit. You fucked me for days and never told me once what you were. I had a chance at eternal life and I took it!”

“Calm, Shane. We can discuss this later. Have you seen Raven?”

“Yeah, I saw her earlier but I don’t know where she went. I think something is going to happen tonight. I got this strange pull inside me.”

“What type?” Kristian asked.

“I don’t know. I never felt it before.”

“Well, just stay inside. We are going to go to the house.”

“Wait, Kristian. She doesn’t remember you.”

“I know, but we will make her remember.”

Kristian rushed out of the diner.

* * * *

Raven made her way to the bonfire, where Jessica and Joseph were sitting next to each other. Alec came up the steps and onto their level.

Raven set down the supplies.

“I would have never guessed that was there. How are you two doing?” Raven asked.

“Scared,” Jessica said.

“Nervous.”

“Don’t be. It’s a simple spell. It will be over in an hour. Tops. Then we party.”

“You have the candles?” Alec asked.

“Yes, in the bag, and a bottle of holy water from the church.”

“Good. Let’s get started. Come with me.”

Raven motioned for Jessica and Joseph to follow Alec.

The passageway was dark but the light from the candles Alec lit brought the room to life. There was a giant pentagram drawn on the wall in front of them. All around them were symbols of all types.

“Wow,” Jessica said.

Alec placed an ancient looking knife on the stone in the middle of the room.

“What’s that for?” Joseph asked.

“It will be pushed into the ground to store the spirits of evil there for all time,” Alec told them.

Raven knew that was a lie. Alec was going to use their deaths to replenish Anarisan.

Alec clapped his hands together. “Let’s begin.”

“What…what do we need to do?” Joseph asked.

“I’m sure you both know Greek?”

“We can read it, but my mother never taught us what it meant.” Joseph explained.

“Good. Okay, here’s your book, Joseph, and one for Jessica.”

“Raven, stand here.”

Alec motioned for her to stand in front of them all.

“Jessica to the right, and Joseph to the left.” Alec waited until they got into place. “That’s good.”

Raven looked back at Alec.

“Ready, kitten?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I have been waiting for this blessing since I met you. Once you two start, don’t stop whatever you do.”

Alec poured the bottle of holy water over the stone.

“Holy water to cleanse the area. Okay, turn to page sixty and begin. Joseph, you read the warlock portion and Jessica the witch’s.”

The two opened the books and they began speaking the words to open the gates of hell.

“Louder,” Alec ordered.

They began chanting louder. A strange wind whipped through the cave. Several older lanterns around the room blew and lit up with fire.

“Yes!” Alec roared as the power surged through the room.

Raven shook her head as this buzzing noise started low in her head.

The entire room shook, causing Raven to fall to her knees.

Jessica stopped speaking and she began to move towards Raven. Alec rushed to Raven’s side and held up his hand to Jessica.

“Jessica, keep going, she’s fine. Trust me, I wouldn’t hurt my kitten.”

Raven heard Jessica speaking again. The world began to spin faster and faster. Their voices got louder and louder.

“Yes. Do it. Open!”

Raven looked up to see that Jessica and Joseph now floated up in the air. Their bodies stilled. Their mouths moved, chanting without needing the books. Their eyes were black as night.

Alec lifted her to her feet and walked over to the middle of the room.

“Now…” He walked back to Raven and touched her cheek. “Say goodbye forever, Raven.”

“What? Alec?”

* * * *

Kristian could feel Raven near to him. She was here in the back of the house.

“This way,” he told Shane.

There came a rush of air that knocked him to his knees. His head pounded.

“What the hell is this?” Shane yelled.

The earth under them shook. Kristian held his head and stood.

“I have to get to her.”

The pain throbbed through him with each step he took.

Kristian fell when he came to the camp site. He rolled down the flight of stairs.

“Kristian!” Raven yelled his name, making him look up.

Kristian saw the two people floating in the air. Alec stood behind Raven with a knife to her neck.

“Don’t move, Kristian, or I will slice her open,” Alec ordered. “Call to him, my children. Open the earth.”

Volts of lightning went through both of them. The earth shook again and this time Shane came running down the stairs.

“It’s time to watch your slayer die, Kristian.”

The room shook, throwing them around. A large hole opened behind them making Shane and Kristian run to the other side of the room.

“Raven,” Kristian called as she and Alec floated in the middle of the room.

The room filled with screams as fire shot from the portal.

“Here is your sacrifice,” Alec screamed.

“No!” Kristian watched as Alec stabbed Raven in the stomach.

Raven screamed as the blade slid into her body. The moment her blood touched the ground a large creature with horns emerged from the portal.

“Not today, big boy.” Simon stepped down in the tunnel.

He threw some type of vile green potion at the witch and warlock. They grabbed their faces and screamed. Once the chanting stopped, the portal began to get smaller.

“No,” the Karlem demon screamed. “You will die.”

Wind drew him back into the portal. His arm reached out for Raven. Kristian charged her the moment their bodies began to fall. The Karlem’s demon hand wrapped around Alec in mid-air.

“No. No. No!” Alec yelled.

Alec’s body began to burn. He howled for his life as he was pulled back into the portal.

Kristian looked down at his mate. He took the bag off his shoulder and took out a needle.

“What are you doing?” Simon asked.

“Making her remember.” He pressed it into his arm.

Then he bit into his wrist and pressed it against her mouth.

“What was that you threw on them?” Shane asked and walked over to the witch and warlock.

“It’s the same thing that you would use to put someone to sleep. Very powerful.”

“But how did you know?”

“I met Raven in Paris after she and Alec left town. I needed to gain your mate’s trust. While she was sleeping I went into her mind and I kept close tabs on them. When I found out they were back here I knew they were going to open that portal. Like any being, I don’t want any Karlem demon on this earth. That’s enough blood, vampire.”

Kristian stopped giving Raven blood when he felt light headed.

“So you were the only one who knew?”

“Yes. It’s been a long time of following them. Thank goodness we were able to close that before any of them escaped.”

Shane inhaled.

“You are the one who changed Veronica?”

“And you are the Shane she always talks about.” Simon said with a smile.

“Well, you tainted her with your demon blood.”

“Oh hell. Just turn her into a vampire if you like. It’s not like you can’t. Your blood will overpower mine. Veronica had enough of your blood in her to live several life times. As if you didn’t know.”

“Why did you turn her if you had no intentions of keeping her?”

“I do…did, but Veronica really likes you, Shane. I like Veronica, but if I take a half breed home I would be killed on sight. Now, take care of your slayer. I will clean these two up and they will not remember what happened tonight. They will not even remember Raven.”

Kristian moved Raven’s hand from her stomach and let out a sigh of relief when he saw the hole was closed. Her eyes fluttered open.

Raven lifted her hand to his face. “Kristian—it seems like a lifetime since I saw you.”

“Are you really Raven, or evil Raven playing tricks again?”

“What are you…”

Raven’s eyes rolled into the back of her head and she began to shake in his arms.

“Raven!”

Shane stood beside him, ready to aid him if needed. Once she stopped shaking, Kristian lifted her in his arms.

He walked her back up the steps. He was almost back to the front of the house when Raven pushed at his chest. She did it again this time hard enough for him to release her.

“Raven?” he asked as she stumbled backwards.

“How can you want me, Kristian? How can you even look at me! Do you know what I’ve done over the past years?”

“Raven, that wasn’t you.”

“I hurt so many, did evil things that I don’t even want to say.”

Lightning flashed over them and a light drizzle started.

“Raven. Calm down. I still love you.”

Raven shook her head. “I love you, but I can’t understand how you can forgive me for that. I killed people for fun.”

“Raven, let’s go inside and talk. It’s starting to rain.”

“No, I don’t want to talk. I want to get away from it all.”

Raven ran off in the opposite direction, going deeper into the forest. Kristian ran behind her, trying to keep up with her. Hell, she was fast now.

The storm was rolling in now. The wind picked up. Kristian grabbed Raven and pushed her against a tree. Tears of hurt rolled down her face.

“Let me go. Kill me now. I can’t live with this.”

“Raven, remember…”

“Let me go!” she screamed.

He shook her a little.

“Raven, remember the box?”

“What?”

“The box. Place that memory in there.”

“I can’t, Kristian. I can’t.”

“Yes, you can. For me. For us. I have been through hell and I will not give you up now.”

Raven screamed at the top of her voice. Thunder rolled in the sky and boomed loudly.

“Kill me, Kristian, please.”

“Would that make you happy?”

“Yes.”

“Leaving me would make you happy? Me killing myself to be with you in the afterlife. Is that what you want?” Kristian waited for her to speak. He shook her again. “Is it?”

“No, damn it.”

“Then close your eyes and put the last ten years in that box and throw it away. Now.”

* * * *

Raven closed her eyes and put everything in the box, all her memories of the people she’d hurt. Everything. She threw it away. Just like trash.

She opened her eyes again. She saw Kristian for the first time in a very long time. The water beat down on them but she didn’t care, she loved him with all her heart.

Raven pulled Kristian to her and kissed him deeply. He quickly responded to her kiss, deepening it.

He reached down and pulled up her dress, tearing her panties away from her body. She wanted him inside her, to know that this was real. She heard the sound of his zipper just before he pressed inside her.

Raven screamed to the heavens as the water poured down on them. Kristian filled her like nothing she’d ever felt before.

“Kristian,” she moaned.

Their bodies moved as one. There was nothing better than being with him.

This, what they were experiencing, was a gut wrenching need. No love, just hard core fucking. It didn’t take long before Raven’s body clenched around him and she screamed as she came. Kristian shuddered against her and bit her neck, in his spot.

Kristian stayed inside her for what felt like hours before he finally separated.

“Let’s go inside and rest,” he told her.

“I feel like I could sleep for years.”

“Well, you only have a few hours until sunrise and we have to go to the council first thing in the morning.”

“Why is that?”

“You are sleeping with an escaped convict, if you didn’t know.”

Kristian tucked himself back into his pants.

“You escaped?”

“Sort of. I had some help from a shadow demon who I have to remember to pay back for helping me.”

Kristian laced his fingers with hers.

“You think Alec is dead?”

“No, he’s back where he belongs. In hell.”

Raven followed Kristian back to the house. After drying off and finding some old clothes in the closet, they went to bed.

Chapter 16

Raven drew in a deep breath and reached for Kristian’s hand, lacing her fingers with his. They stood at the door to the council. Once they walked through this door and Kristian confessed, she did not know what would happen.

Would the council believe him? Would they sentence him back to Arcadia where she would not see him for almost two hundred years? The thought of losing him for that long caused an ache to travel through her heart.

Kristian tightened his grip, making her look at him.

“Don’t worry, my love. Everything will be fine.”

Her gaze met his and she sighed, wanting to believe him.

“How do you know?” she whispered.

“I don’t.”

His words hit her harder than a ton of bricks.

Kristian retained hold of her hand when they walked inside the room. He had wakened her this morning by making love to her, many times. Kristian told her he never wanted to stop but he knew he had to. Sooner or later they would come looking for him and he knew it would be better to turn himself in than them coming to find him.

Kristian stopped at the doorway, giving her a chance to scan the room. Her gaze started from the left of the room moving slowly to the middle then to the right. Her senses overloaded with the many creatures in the room. Some of the creatures she could recognize while others made her wonder. All vampires sent her the same vibes, just as shadow demons and werewolves. But there were a lot more in the room, some creatures she had never had the pleasure of meeting. Every one of them looked human. To a regular human, they would think they were in a room full of their own species, but how wrong they would be.

“Don’t be nervous,” Kristian whispered to her.

Raven turned her head, looking at the man she loved. She didn’t get a chance to really look at him last night, since they spent the better part of the night reuniting their love. Today, she could see some of the wear and tear on his body. That prison he’d told her about must have really been bad on him. His skin had paled a lot more than when she last remembered him. His hands were skinny, as if he hadn’t had enough blood. Yet, he still looked as handsome as ever to her.

“I’m not afraid,” she answered after awhile.

Kristian smiled at her, then turned his attention back to the commotion in the building. Everyone spoke mostly among themselves. Others sat quietly.

Shane walked into the room, standing beside them. He waved at her.

The door opened and a tall man with white hair and silver looking eyes walked into the room. The room quieted immediately. Everyone sat down in the seats around the room. Only a few stood along the walls.

The man sat behind the bench and fumbled through some paperwork.

“Kristian Blackburn.” The guy’s voice made Raven shiver. “Step forward.”

Kristian released her hand and motioned for her to stay where she was.

The man smiled at Kristian. “Blackburn, you escaped from Arcadia while hitting a guard in the process. You were sentenced to two hundred years, and you only served ten. Care to explain?”

Kristian looked down, then back up at the man speaking to him.

“I do,” Raven spoke out of turn.

Everyone turned to Raven, making her more nervous than ever.

“And you are?”

“Donavan Levy, sir.” Kristian called his name, interrupting Raven.

“Quiet, Blackburn. Let the young lady speak.” Donavan looked back at her. “Speak.”

“I’m Raven Nowles, and I’m a slayer. Which I’m sure you all know of. Years ago I met up with Alec Sullivan. He claimed to be here in peace when he had plans to kill me. Last night, he had this warlock and witch attempt to open a portal to a hell dimension and…and I helped him…”

“Raven…” Kristian broke in, but she shook her head.

“Let me finish, Kristian. I helped him, but he betrayed me and had plans on killing me in order to let the karlem demon out. But, years ago, Kristian didn’t kill those humans…” Raven quieted just a moment. She hadn’t killed those humans to set Kristian up, but she had killed while under Alec’s spell. “Alec killed them, then framed Kristian.”

Raven looked back at Donavan.

“And you did this of your own free will?” Donavan asked.

Raven shook her head. “No. I was under some type of mind control solution. I was just able to remember that Alec killed my parents, then placed a female corpse in the house to be burned to make it appear that I died also.”

“I’ve heard of the slayer passing, and you are saying that all of this is Alec’s doing?”

“Yes,I am.”

“Where is this warlock and witch now?”

“I don’t know. The last person they were with was Simon Pearson. He ensured that he would take care of them and protect them.”

“I see. I want them found and brought to me,” Donavan spoke to a guard who stood beside him taking notes.

“Yes, sir.”

“And Alec? What of him?” Donanvan asked Raven.

“I don’t know. The demon grabbed him and pulled him into the portal, before it closed again.”

“Where he should be.” Donavan looked at Kristian. “Due to the testimony I free you of all charges and you are now a free vampire.”

Raven saw the smile spread across Kristian’s face.

“But you have to return home,” Donavan quickly added.

“Wait, sir!” Kristian quickly broke in.

Let me explain to my mate what is expected of me. I promise to return home in one week.

You have one week. That’s it.

“Thank you,” Kristian said out loud this time.

“Now, Santiago, what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Well, Levy, I was placed in prison for two hundred years for saying something.”

Donavan lifted an eyebrow at him.

“What did you say?”

“One more word.”

“And you were placed in prison for that?”

“Yes, sir, Arthas abused his powers with me.”

“I see, no need to put you in prison so long for being disrespectful.”

“But I wasn’t…” Shane started speaking but quickly quieted when Donavan looked up from his papers.

“I know you were disrespectful that day, Shane, it’s written here, but two hundred years was a bit extreme. Maybe a month or two, but not that many years.” Donavan looked at Raven then back to Shane. “You are freed, Santiago, but do not underestimate my kindness and think you will do the same to me in the future.”

“I will not, sir.”

“Good. Then this case is now closed. Blackburn and Santiago are now free vampires. You can pick up your items at the front desk. Your cards and cells have been returned. That includes you, little slayer. Kristian, your time is limited, don’t disappoint me.”

“I will not.”

“Next on the agenda step forward.”

Kristian grabbed Raven’s hand, pulling her with him as he left the room. After picking up their packages they all walked outside.

Shane raised his hands as the sun’s ray beat down on him.

“Oh god, I forgot how good the sun feels.”

Kristian lifted a hand above his eyes.

“It feels good to be free.”

“Yes, it does.”

Raven looked at Shane’s hand where Kristian had his tattoo. “Shane?”

“Yes?”

“How are you in the sun? I don’t see a tattoo on your wrist.”

“I have one, see?” Shane showed her his hand. On his ring finger was a tattoo in the form of a ring.

“Neat,” she said.

“Yeah, I got this a long time ago. Much safer than those rings they have now a days.”

“I agree,” Kristian said.

“So where are we going?” Shane asked.

“We, as in Raven and I, need to go spend time together. Alone. You know, without my pain in the ass friend with us.”

“God, I get the hint. I’m going to go talk to Veronica I guess.”

“You do that, and don’t be mean to her,” Kristian told him.

“I will not. I will see you guys later.”

“Later,” Raven finally said.

While they stood in the parking lot Raven had to ask, “What was Donavan talking about with time, Kristian?”

Kristian let out a long sigh. “Nothing that I wish to talk about at this time, love. Let’s go and be happy. We can talk about it later.”

Raven knew Kristian hid something, but she didn’t know what it was. If he wanted to keep it a secret then she didn’t mind. As long as he told her eventually.

* * * *

Veronica grinded her teeth as she wiped down the table. Simon was a bastard. He had come to her last night saying that they would never be able to be together and his family would never approve of a half breed. Well, fuck his family, she didn’t need him in her life.

Simon did promise to keep paying her as long as she worked for him, but they wouldn’t be together again. He claimed he had to take the witch and warlock somewhere to help develop their powers.

The door to the café opened and she growled, pissed that she’d forgotten to lock it when she came inside.

“We are not open yet,” Veronica said.

“I know, I wanted to talk to you,” Shane said softly.

She took a deep breath and slammed the towel down on the table.

“What do you want to talk about? If you are here to yell at me more, I don’t want to hear it.”

Shane moved with vampire speed and stood close to her in a blink of an eye.

Veronica stared into those brown eyes, drowning in them.

“What if I told you…that I love you?” Shane’s voice cracked when he spoke.

Oh how she wanted to believe that he did, but she knew about vampires. They had mates and the moment that Shane found his, he wouldn’t love her anymore.

“I would think you were telling the truth but…I know you have mates now, and we could never be together.”

Shane shook his head.

“What?”

“I had a mate, Veronica. A long time ago.” Shane sighed then moved away from her.

“What do you mean?”

“I fucked up, okay?”

Shane paced back and forward as he spoke.

“You are not making sense, Shane.”

“I found my mate over five hundred years ago. She was only five at the time. A human female.”

“Please tell me you didn’t try to…” Veronica couldn’t finish her question.

Shane stopped pacing and frowned at her. “God, I’m a vampire, not a child molester or rapist.”

“Just wondering.”

“I met her and I was going to wait for her to come of age. I should have just taken her away from her parents.” Shane breathed deeply. “Her name was Tiffany Harris. She was so cute, with blue eyes, blonde hair and was very smart. I talked to her a couple times when her mother took her shopping.”

“Her mother let her talk to a stranger?”

“Well no, I had to do mind control on her mother. Tiffany’s first words to me were, I see you in my dreams all the time. That let me know she would be my future mate. Almost twenty years I had to wait and I was going to. I left town for ten years, coming back to visit her on her birthday and Christmas to give her gifts. Then on her sixteenth birthday, her father came home drunk and he shot Tiffany and her mother in the head while they slept, then killed himself.”

Veronica’s hand went to her mouth. “Oh god. Why?”

“No one knows why he did it. They claimed insanity, but he was sane, just evil. Tiffany died that night and I was never the same. I only lived because I didn’t want to forget her.”

Veronica dropped her hands then leaned against the table.

“What about when she was a teen, did she remember you?”

“Yeah, she remembered me all right. At fifteen she tried to get me to take her virginity. I told her that I would wait for her to be eighteen before taking her with me. She was hurt, but she understood. I should have taken her with me then but I didn’t. I was trying to be a good mate and wait.”

Veronica grabbed his hand. “You were, to wait for her as you did.”

“Yes and then fate took her away from me. I went into a deep depression and the few people who talked to me told me that maybe I lived because she would be re-incardinated one day.”

Veronica eyes widened.

“You think I’m your mate?”

Shane looked deep into her eyes. “I noticed something about you the day in the café when we met. I fought the feeling but I slowly fell in love with you. I was going to tell you about it that night when you got off from work, but I was put in prison. The need to mate was there, but I didn’t know if it can be possible that you are my mate. I knew Tiffany was and you…you smell exactly like her. Your voices are exactly the same. The way you giggle. Everything. Even your features are similar. Nose, mouth, body. Just the color of your hair and eyes makes you two different.”

Veronica didn’t know if he spoke the truth or not, but she only felt sexually satisfied when she was with Shane.

“What would have happened if Simon hadn’t turned me? I would have died and you would have lost me, too, after two hundred years.”

Shane framed her face with his fingers. “I tasted your blood and I gave you a lot of mine. Not for a full exchange but just enough to keep you alive for a very long time. Our blood slows down the aging process. A lot. You could have lived for a very very long time.”

Veronica shook her head. “I don’t remember that.”

“Don’t be mad at me, but I erased your memory of it. When I went to prison I knew you would wonder why everyone around you aged and you didn’t, but I knew you would survive.”

“But what about mind to mind? Couldn’t you have talked to me that way and told me what was going on? I wouldn’t have let Simon turn me.”

Shane shook his head. “I tried, but could not. They have a field set up that nothing can get in or out. Or it’s not supposed to—somehow Kristian got to Raven one night. I was waiting to be able to write to you. Unlike regular prisons, in Arcadia they let you write a letter after about fifty years. But I felt you were still alive. Each day I could feel you. I was waiting to send someone out to find you and let you know what happened.”

Tears stung her eyes.

“What happens now? I let Simon turn me into a half breed.”

“You have nothing to worry about. My blood was in you first and I can change you into my mate, if you would forgive me for all the mistakes I made.”

Tears rolled down Veronica’s cheek.

“Please don’t cry, Veronica,” Shane said, then reached up and pulled her to him, kissing her passionately.

Shane’s hands were everywhere, touching her, making her body flame, sending her to the point of no return.

It took all her effort to pull away from him when she felt her panties being ripped away from her body.

“Wait…wait…not here, Shane.”

Shane looked at her. His fangs were long in his mouth. He breathed heavy.

“Why not? No one is here but us.”

He leaned and placed a kiss on her neck. His teeth scraped her skin, raising goosebumps on her flesh.

“I know but there’s a camera and someone can walk in.”

Shane bit down on her neck, piercing her skin.

“Shane!” Veronica didn’t know if she was going to ask him to stop or continue.

Shane pushed her back until she sat on the table. When she was in position he fumbled with his pants. It was when she heard his zipper that she thought about anyone seeing them.

“Cameras…Shane.”

Shane lifted his head and raised his right hand. The shades on all the windows dropped and closed. The sounds of the locks sliding into place, making her look at the front door as the shade closed.

Her attention came back to Shane when he pushed deep in her. Shane brought pleasure to her like no other had ever come close to. It didn’t take long before Shane had both of them falling over the edge of pleasure. In the process he bit into his wrist and gave her his blood, changing her into his mate for all time.

“You are mine, forever,” Veronica heard Shane say before her eyes closed.

Epilogue

Raven walked out on the balcony and handed Kristian a glass filled with wine.

“Thanks, baby.”

“You’re welcome. I can’t believe we just took a private jet to Hawaii,” Raven said and sat on the lounger with him.

Kristian set the glass on the table beside them. He wanted to take Raven away from Meadville for a while. She said she had never been to Hawaii. He called the airport for a flight, but they didn’t have one, so he paid for a private jet to get them there quickly. All he wanted to do was relax and forget about what he had to deal with in the future.

“Raven, I have to ask you something,” Kristian said softly.

Raven looked into his eyes. “What is it?”

Kristian stood from the lounger and pulled her up to him. He reached into his pocket and gripped the small case. “I know this is not the way I want to do it, but I love you so much, Raven, and you have made me the happiest vampire ever. I would be honored if you would be my wife.”

Kristian opened the box, letting her see the ring.

Raven opened her mouth as tears flowed down her cheek.

Kristian thought she would say no until she took the ring, nodding her head.

“Yes, I will be your wife.”

Kristian took the ring out the box and slid it on her finger. He pulled Raven to him, kissing her deeply for a moment before pulling back.

“Will you tonight?”

“Tonight what?”

“Marry me.”

“Wha…I…so soon?”

“Yes, baby. I know that women love big weddings and we will have one, I promise you that. I just want you to be my wife, tonight and forever.”

Raven smiled, then nodded her head. “Yes, Kristian, I will marry you tonight.”

A sea of relief washed over him. He kissed her again, this time pouring all the love he had for her into the kiss.

Kristian’s phone rang interrupting their kiss.

“Let it ring,” Kristian said.

“It might be important. Someone is trying to contact you.”

“Oh all right.”

Kristian picked up his phone from the table looking at the number in the box. His father’s name appeared.

Kristian looked at Raven then back to the phone.

“Who is it?”

Kristian sighed.

“Raven, there something I need to tell you about my family.”

About The Author

I have been a writer all my life. As a young girl I remember reading books and writing my own short stories. I have an active imagination and over the years I learned to bring those emotions and pictures to life. I love all types of books, but my favorite books are paranormal romance.