Embrace the Night Read online

  “Thank the Goddess.”

  The sound of boots on the pavement, coming from the direction of the street, forced Hannah to lift her gaze. A light shined in her face and a scowling policeman stared down at her. “Well, this is a fine mess, Hannah. We’ve got plenty of people who don’t like their kind in our town. And now this, a bloody air battle. You’re not helping your reputation by sheltering these assholes.”

  Hannah had gone to school with this idiot who now shined his light at Jude’s head. She let go of Jude’s hand and rose to her feet. “You know what, Brett,” she said, keeping her voice low. “If you don’t cut the attitude, I’ll tell everyone what you did in your patrol car. Remember?”

  His forehead pulled back and his lips formed a thin, tight line, but he didn’t say anything else. He shifted his gaze out into the Sound. “Well I can see that Mastyr Jude has a crew coming in. Just make sure they get rid of the bodies. I don’t want to have to take any of this slime to my morgue.”

  He didn’t wait for her to respond but turned on his heel and started barking orders at his partner and rounding up the civilians, sending them on their way.

  She dropped down beside Jude again. He wore a half-smile and said, “Blackmail. I like it.”

  “That’s all his kind deserves.”

  “What is it you hold over him?” He hissed after getting this sentence out.

  “He has a thing for the pros. I was headed home one night, and he’d parked on my street, getting it on in the back seat with a working girl. I may not know all the city rules but I’m pretty sure that was against the law on more than one level.”

  Jude started to laugh, then groaned.

  She shifted her gaze to the dock. The boat was still a ways off, but coming in fast. “Your crew is about half-a-minute away.”

  “Good.”

  She glanced at the dying vampire and realized that he’d moved. She lifted up, and saw that his hand, with a red glow in the center of his palm, was aimed in her direction. Oh, God, no!

  Without thinking, she threw herself on top of Jude. At the same time, she felt a wave of heat flowing through her that seemed to come from deep within her own body, but had to have come from Jude. She tingled all over as the wave left her. She heard the vampire shout, but she didn’t feel any pain. Had his hand-blast struck her in a way that she couldn’t feel the damage?

  She sat up, aware that she’d just caused Jude a mountain of pain by landing on him. He couldn’t seem to catch his breath, and he’d arched his neck. Maybe the vampire had hit his lower extremities with his blast.

  She checked Jude, but his legs and boots were fine. So that was good. Glancing back at the vampire, she saw that he looked really strange now and writhed, flipping back and forth, moaning. She rose to her shaky feet and crossed to him. When she drew near, his eyes rolled in his head and his body fell still. Half his clothes were burned off and anywhere his skin showed, she saw ugly blisters. He wouldn’t be hurting anyone ever again, but what had caused the burns?

  When she returned to Jude, his eyes were closed and his lips compressed.

  She heard orders shouted from a small launch that had tied up at the pier. Four trolls leaped onto the dock and started running in her direction.

  Trolls had no problem with sunlight and were perfect for rescue missions at dawn or at any time during the day. From the patrol craft, a second boat hit the water shortly after, then a third.

  She leaned close to Jude. “Your troops have arrived.”

  He nodded, just enough, but his eyes were still closed.

  “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

  At that, he turned toward her and squinted up at her. She could tell he wanted to ask her something, but suddenly, the trolls were there. They moved fast on their feet.

  “Mastyr, we’re here to help.”

  Jude grunted and tried to move, but she pressed on his shoulder with her hand. She knew he wouldn’t like showing weakness of any kind.

  “Patience, Hercules,” she said, as the trolls got busy with a stretcher. “Even half-gods like you need time to heal when they’ve gotten a blast wound stretching all the way across the abdomen. And yes, I know how much you hate being laid out like this.”

  “You got that right.” The words were followed with another pained hiss, but she kept her hand on his shoulder, offering resistance the second he tried to move.

  “Just concentrate on healing and let these men do their work.”

  When the lead officer drew close, Jude issued his orders through clenched teeth. He made it clear he was staying at the Gold Rush through the day and that he wanted the coast guard to remain on patrol near the access point until further notice. “Keep Longeness and his crew informed of your movements.” He winced as he spoke.

  The commander, wearing a stern expression, responded tersely, “Yes, Mastyr.” He then turned on a sharp heel and issued orders about the disposal of the wraith-pair, afterward directing eight strong trolls to move Jude carefully onto the stretcher.

  And it would take all eight. Trolls were shorter in stature than either the vampire or fae species and then, of course, Jude was … Jude.

  He didn’t make a sound as they moved him, but blood oozed from his wound, and he’d closed his eyes again, his lips turning white from the pressure once more.

  Finally situated on the stretcher, the trolls started moving him swiftly toward the bar. Hannah hurried to the front door and propped it open.

  Jude had his arm over his eyes as the trolls carried him inside the building. She was shocked to see that the skin on his cheeks and arms had already started to blister.

  So dawn was right on his heels.

  As they set him on the floor, she hurried to lower the external steel shutters on the outside of the building. Once down, no light would reach the interior of the space, so that as soon as they were in place, Jude finally relaxed.

  He’d started telling the trolls to just leave him there, but Hannah stepped in. “He’ll be better off in the bunkroom.”

  The trolls waited for Jude to nod his acquiescence, then picked up the stretcher once more, moving swiftly toward the rooms at the alley end of the building. Seconds later, Jude lay prone on a broad lower bunk. All the bunks were reinforced with steel to bear the usual Guardsman weight and because the ceiling was open to the duct-work, she’d had the bunks built with a five foot head clearance on the lower bunk.

  The commander squatted next to him and Jude spoke in a low tone, thanking him for his crew’s quick response and for taking care of the wraith-pair.

  Within the next few minutes, the troll unit left by way of the front door. Hannah followed after them, asking the lead troll what precautions would be taken to protect Port Townsend from another attack. The commander assured her that he would have his ship patrolling the stretch of water that linked Port Townsend with the Kellcasse access point throughout the day.

  “We’ll keep in contact with the Kellcasse Communication Center at all times, but you’re not to worry about any of this. We’ll keep tabs on the realm-folk who travel today to Port Townsend.”

  She thanked him for everything. And after taking one last look at the stretchers now hauling away the dead Invictus pair, she locked the front door and returned back to the bunkroom.

  Pulling up a low stool, she joined Jude at his bedside. He lay very still, eyes closed.

  She remained quiet, waiting. Every once in a while, she’d glance at his abdomen, fascinated to watch the skin knitting together so swiftly. He radiated heat from the energy he spent healing himself, but despite his efforts it seemed to her that he grew paler by the second.

  Eventually, his abdomen filled in completely without even a scar remaining to show that he’d been wounded in battle.

  He breathed a deep sigh of relief, then sat up, his head easily clearing the bottom of the upper bunk. When Hannah had decided on bunks to save space, she’d had them specially made to accommodate the average size of the Vampire Guard.

  He shifted h
is legs over the side of the bed. Breathing heavily, he leaned forward, his hands clasped loosely between his knees. She could see he was still suffering.

  “Do you want me to help you get this shirt off?”

  He glanced at her, but his eyes were pinched and bloodshot. “Yes, I’d really like that. The smell—”

  “I know.”

  She moved close, bending over him and lifting his arms carefully to remove the tattered, woven shirt. She threw it in the dust bin.

  She’d finally gotten her wish and was now looking at Jude without a shirt on, but she was too troubled to really enjoy the view. She didn’t understand why he wasn’t doing better.

  Healing had definitely used up his resources, but he shouldn’t be so pale.

  Then she remembered that even if his wounds had disappeared, he still suffered from the chronic pain and cramping from the blood-starvation that all mastyrs endured. From what she understood from the women on the loop, if the mastyrs went too long between feedings they could die.

  She swallowed hard. She’d never fed a vampire and it was one of her rules that she never would.

  She tried a different tack. “What can I do, Jude? Would you like a sandwich or something? I’m sure I can dig around in the kitchen. Would that help?”

  He opened his eyes and met her gaze, his nostrils flaring. He squeezed his eyes shut. “Maybe a beer.”

  She frowned. Was she really going to have to donate? “I could use one myself. I’ll be right back.” Could beer hold him off? Of course, she could always call one of her friends who frequently donated to Guardsmen, but again, her fingers started curling up into ugly little balls.

  The bar had a number of brews on tap, but she thought a couple of chilled bottles from the fridge would answer better. She went into the storeroom where a few cases were kept in a large refrigerated unit. She pulled out two Tamerland Brown Porters, popped the tops, and headed back to Jude.

  His eyes were still closed. And as she dropped down beside him and put a beer in his hand, she’d never seen his skin look so white.

  “Sorry,” he murmured. “Have to keep my eyes closed for a few more minutes.”

  She swore she could feel his pain, that though his abdomen was perfectly healed, his stomach was cramping hard.

  She looked away from him. She knew what needed to be done and she also knew he’d never ask. But she had the worst feeling that if she gave it up for him, she’d be opening a door that she could never close again.

  On the other hand, Jude had just saved her life and had taken a painful hit in the process.

  Sitting back down on the stool, she took a long swig of the beer. “Jude, I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  A smiled flickered at the side of his mouth. “Me, too.” He tipped the bottle and drank several swallows in a row. “Love this porter.”

  When he gritted his teeth for about the tenth time, clearly struggling through more hard cramping despite the beer, she resigned herself to what needed to be done.

  “Jude, can you open your eyes now?”

  He blinked several times. “My vision is better.” He turned toward her, but the whites of his eyes were still red, and he squinted. “You okay, Hannah? Because I can’t imagine what this was like for you. I’m used to wraiths and battling, but I never wanted you to have to see it.”

  She thought that the fact he asked her how she was, when he was in so much pain, probably defined Jude’s finest quality: He was always thinking of others first.

  If she hadn’t already made the decision, his concern for her would have pushed her over the edge.

  She’d seen humans donate before at the Gold Rush, though Jude had prohibited neck-feeding at the bar. But many vampires took what they needed from the wrist, usually from willing, human females. She also knew that there was a sexual component that couldn’t be helped.

  Taking a deep breath, she held out her arm and said, “I want to donate.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Jude stared down at Hannah’s very white wrist and shuddered with need. The blue veins beneath a thin layer of skin called to him like nothing he’d experienced in a long time. His mouth filled with saliva, and his stomach cramped all over again.

  Still, he hesitated.

  This was Hannah, essentially one of his employees as well as a friend, and he didn’t want his relationship disrupted by a blood-feeding. But he hadn’t been hurt this bad in a long time.

  He’d almost bought it when he turned his battle energy toward the wraith going after Hannah. And when his attention shifted, in that split-second, the wraith’s vampire-mate let loose with a powerful strike that had caught him in the gut and opened him up.

  But it was seeing Hannah standing there, fully aware she was about to die, that was the real horror. Jude was pretty sure he’d live with that terrifying image in his head for a long time.

  And right now, he really didn’t like that she was seeing him in a weakened, hungry state. He had a stable of doneuses who offered up their blood on a daily basis. He’d chosen these women with great care to make certain that he never developed an attachment or inadvertently created feelings he couldn’t return by tapping into a vein. Most of the women were married with families, so their loyalties lay elsewhere.

  Donating always carried a certain level of sexual heat, and for that reason he never drank from the throat, which kept that heat at a low, acceptable level. And he never drank from the women he dated. He held to his commitment to remain unattached until the Invictus no longer plagued the Nine Realms.

  The trouble was every molecule in his body craved Hannah, from her blood, to her lips, her breasts, her hips. He wanted to bury his cock deep between her legs, to do what he’d been lusting after for months.

  And now she was offering up her life-force for his to take.

  A big part of him didn’t want to. Hannah had become a vulnerability for him this past year, though he couldn’t exactly explain why. The encounter in the closet had cracked the door just a bit, but if he drank from her, he suspected he’d be throwing the door wide.

  But he needed blood desperately. He hadn’t said anything, but his stomach had been spasming for the last half hour so that he could hardly breathe.

  The difficult battle, coming at the tail end of a long night, had used up his reserves, as well as the energy required to heal himself and just stay alive. He was close to a point of no return so he couldn’t really turn down her offer even if he wanted to. He carried too much responsibility on his shoulders to risk his life on a point of discretion.

  But he knew in his gut he shouldn’t be doing this.

  He met her gaze. “I’m grateful, Hannah. And I accept your offer. I’ll never forget this.” He would at least try to restrain himself.

  She smiled and nodded, encouraging him. “I can feel that you’re reluctant and I know why. I know you don’t want to disrupt our working relationship. But this one time will be okay. You’ll see.”

  He didn’t say anything, but her statement had the feel of famous last words.

  Still, he followed suit. “And afterward I’ll do everything I can to make sure things stay on an even keel.”

  She dipped her chin once more, her gaze falling to his lips.

  He drew a deep breath, “But you’ll need to lie down beside me. I don’t have the strength to do this sitting up. Okay?”

  She looked a little panic-stricken, but she nodded. “Whatever you need is fine by me.” Her cheeks were flushed, and her scent that he loved floated in the air now, roses and the seashore.

  He lay back down on the bed and scooted toward the wall as she stretched out beside him.

  He took her left wrist gently in his right hand, which pulled her body closer to him so that she snuggled in tight. And damn him for loving it.

  His chin trembled now. Having made the decision, the scent of her blood reached him, and because he’d been lusting after her, his groin heated up, a reaction he wasn’t able to help. He’d been longing for her anyway, but taki
ng her blood sent him into over-drive. He just hoped she understood, because he couldn’t exactly hide his arousal.

  He hadn’t even bitten her arm and he was already hard.

  Hannah, he pathed, reaching for her telepathically. He’d communicated this way with her before, many times, usually when he wanted to tease her about something. But this time, he needed to be able to talk to her while he drank.

  I hear you, Jude. Her lips were parted and her eyes dilated. Her scent had thickened in the air. The desire was mutual.

  You’ve never been tapped before, right?

  She shook her head. Never.

  So this is a first time.

  She nodded, her eyes widening as her gaze settled on her wrist.

  Look at my mouth, Hannah. I don’t want you to be afraid. I want you to see the whole thing.

  She blinked several times, her gaze shifting to his lips.

  You might want to adjust your position just a little. He pulled her wrist up to his mouth, helping her to feel how the angle could become uncomfortable for her. She shifted upwards so that he could feel her breasts against his ribs, which did not help at all. She had beautiful, full breasts and she’d caught him having a good long look more than once. But feeling them in such an intimate situation supported the already solid bulge in his leathers.

  Feeding will take a few minutes. If you want to lean into me, feel free. My wounds are healed. You won’t hurt me.

  Okay.

  He wrapped his arm around her waist to support her. You ready?

  Yes.

  He lowered his fangs, and a soft groan left her throat. Oh, sweet Goddess, she was into this as much as he was. He understood then that he was in a mountain of trouble.

  He’d desired Hannah for months, now here she was, pressed up against his side, her scent wafting through his brain, teasing him, working him up.

  And he’d be feeding from her.

  ~ ~ ~

  Hannah saw Jude’s fangs emerge and the sight of them had the strangest effect as desire streaked through her abdomen and grabbed her deep between her legs. She didn’t understand why, but it didn’t matter. All these months of hungering for Jude seemed to coalesce as he arched his neck slightly. Then his fangs sank in a quick strike that she barely felt. Just as blood pooled, his lips formed a seal and he began to suck.