Counting Midnight Read online

  “Sir, I didn’t know you were there!” Vasile arched a brow at him. “I mean, I, I…”

  “Mr. Soames, if you would complete your work and pay attention to your own department, you would not have time to ask inane questions. Perhaps you are unhappy in your job…”

  “No, Sir! I’m sorry, Mr. Velicescu, I’m really sorry.”

  Vasile was bored with his groveling. He snarled at the man, watching him nearly faint. He turned and stalked away.

  Vasile was talking to Ryan and Bill in the hallway near the EU Investments offices when he heard Nina.

  “Vasile?” she was very hesitant.

  “My Nina!” he couldn’t keep the joy from his thoughts. He hadn’t expected her to contact him this way. He had never even suggested that it was possible.

  “I guess this does work, huh?”

  “It works very well, meu dragoste. I am glad you decided to try it. It is not always possible before the change. But you called to me when you were in the accident…”

  “Can I ask you some more questions, Vasile?” She sounded worried, as if he would deny her. Silly woman. Did she not realize that he could deny her nothing?

  He answered her as he ended his conversation and returned to his office.

  “Please, I want you to ask. I am eager to answer all questions to your satisfaction.”

  “Okay. You have to find people and drink their blood, right?”

  “Yes, that is how it works.”

  “How do you know how much to drink without hurting them?”

  “It is learned. It takes time.”

  “Do you drink just anyone’s blood?”

  “I avoid those using drugs and alcohol when possible. Also, I have not tasted any woman’s blood besides yours since before I met you. I only drink from men.”

  “I would-I would have to learn how much to drink? I would have to drink some man’s blood?”

  The image of Nina pressing her lips to another man’s neck sent him spinning into a black fury. He struggled to regain control.

  “Vasile? Did I…”

  “No, little Nina, all is well. It is only that I do not like the idea of you drinking from another, especially not another man.” He felt her smile.

  “So you will provide for me, hmmm? You are a true hunter and gatherer, aren’t you?”

  Vasile threw back his head and laughed. He was sure she could hear him.

  “If I decided not to change, Vasile, would you… What would happen?”

  “I would live my life with you, meu inimã, and end my life when yours ended. This happens when couples love each other.”

  “Oh!”

  She said nothing for a time. Vasile began to worry he’d said the wrong thing somehow.

  “Nina?”

  “I’ll be back to you soon, Vasile. I’m only four or five bl… OH! VASILE! HELP!”

  “NINA!” he bellowed both out loud and in his head.

  “I love you…” he heard her fading voice call.

  * * * *

  Vasile headed for the fire stairs and out of the building. He found her immediately. Two men were kicking her, stabbing her and trying to tear her clothes off. Scanning their minds, he knew they wanted sex and they wanted her ring.

  As the two men were stabbing Nina, he simply compelled them to stab each other. One look at her and he knew that she was very near death. He wrapped himself around her and sped toward his home.

  With his supernatural speed, they arrived there in minutes. He ripped her clothing off and did his best to close the wounds that he could with his tongue. He focused his mind on the places she’d been stabbed and tried to repair them mentally. It had been many years since he’d healed anyone in this fashion.

  When he’d cared for all the wounds he could find, he slit open the vein on his wrist and pressed it to her mouth. She was too weak to swallow on her own so he massaged her throat, making her take in the blood. When he began to feel weak himself, he closed the wound.

  He hoped that he’d given her enough blood. He commanded her to sleep, hoping the blood would begin to heal her along with what he’d done so far.

  Vasile cleaned Nina’s battered body and laid her upon the bed they had yet to make love in. He didn’t bother to clothe her. Kissing her cool lips, he went out to feed so that he could sustain the two of them.

  He found a couple parked in a camper truck pursuing an adulterous affair. Neither used drugs or alcohol so he drank deeply from both. He implanted the idea that their lies and guilt were making both of them sick.

  When he’d fed from the man and the woman, the first besides Nina in many years, Vasile hurriedly made his way home again. He’d taken more than he needed so that he could give her life sustaining blood as well.

  * * * *

  When he returned, Vasile went immediately to Nina. When he searched her mind he found a faint whisper.

  Vasile…

  It was enough. Nina, I am coming to you. I must change you. I cannot lose you, Nina.

  He hoped she heard him. He stripped off his clothes and climbed into the bed beside her. He lowered his mouth to her breast and took it into his mouth. While her face showed no expression, the nipple hardened. He moved to the other one and it tightened immediately.

  He felt himself harden. He’d worried that his fear for her would keep him from being able to make love with her now. He plumped and teased at her breasts and lowered his hand to her thigh.

  Nina? I am giving my love to you, Nina.

  He kissed her lips and slid his hand between her legs. He felt her cream dripping over her swollen labia. Moving two fingers into her channel, he found her engorged clit with his thumb. As his thumb massaged her, he felt a flood of feminine juices spill over his fingers. Her body wanted him.

  He positioned himself at her entrance until the tip of his cock pressed her dripping lips. He began to push himself inside of her, feeling her stretch and open for him.

  When he was all the way in, he slid in and out of her a few times, marveling at how good she felt to him even now. He reached up and sliced into the artery above his heart and pressed her mouth to the wound. Mentally, he compelled her to drink.

  Vasile felt himself harden even more when he felt her lips on his flesh. His fangs burst into his mouth. He knew she was drinking. He lowered his mouth to her throat and plunged his teeth into the artery. The taste of her blood on his tongue sent him spinning into ecstasy.

  Mindlessly, he began to plunge. He thrust into her again and again, feeling her tighten around him. As he felt her sheath clench, he felt a light sucking at his chest. He plunged forward in one last powerful thrust and poured his seed into her.

  With his tongue, he closed the tiny puncture wounds on her neck. He closed the cut on his chest using his own saliva.

  He didn’t know what would happen next or even if claiming her as his mate would work. She was so close to death. The sun would be up soon.

  Vasile had done all that he could so he pulled her cool body into his and allowed himself to sleep.

  * * * *

  When he awoke twelve hours later, Nina was laying cold and rigid in his arms. Vasile couldn’t breathe. I have lost her. I have lost her a second time.

  Grief slammed into him in an agonizing wave. He grabbed Nina’s icy cold body and roared, shaking her like a rag doll.

  “How could you leave me again, my Nina?” Bloody tears dripped from his eyes. “I allowed myself to love you and now I am alone without you! I cannot live in this world without you, meu inimã!” he raged.

  Vasile surged to his feet and buried his hands in his hair. With a roar, he strode to the dresser and began grabbing things and throwing them against the wall. First went an antique silver brush, followed by its matching hand held mirror. He snatched up a perfume spritzer and then a decorative porcelain pillbox. One after another, the projectiles burst, shattered, or embedded themselves into the wall.

  “You’re going to scare the cat, Vasile. And I’m not cleaning that mess
up, just so you know.”

  Vasile froze in the middle of his throw. The Faberge’ Egg he was holding dropped harmlessly to the carpet. He turned slowly, stepping on the priceless rarity, and crushing it.

  He stared blankly at her. She lay still and pale against the bedding. Had he imagined hearing her voice? Had he finally gone mad?

  “Nina? Speak to me, Nina!” he rushed to the bed and dropped to his knees beside it.

  When she didn’t respond, he buried his face in the bedding at her hip. For a moment, he thought he was imagining things when he felt something stirring in his hair. Afraid to move, he opened his eyes.

  He saw her wrist and arm move over him. Very carefully, he turned his head. Her forearm was in front of his nose and mouth now. He reached out and gently captured her wrist, dragging it to his face. It was warm.

  He kissed her wrist and then her palm. He held her open palm to his cheek.

  “Vasile? Did you get something in your eye? It’s bleeding.” She struggled to sit up. “I think you rattled my teeth when you shook me, Vasile” she sighed.

  He rose to the bed and crushed her against him. Realizing that he held her too tightly, he loosened his grip on her.

  She reached up and traced the tracks of his bloody tears. Her eyes began to fill.

  “No, meu Nina, do not cry for me. You are here, alive.” He was stunned. She had been dead in his arms… unless… He felt like a fool but how was he to know? He’d never tried to change anyone before.

  “You thought I was dead, Vasile?” she asked, a tear dripping down.

  He leaned over and licked it away, erasing it and the track it had made.

  “Yes, Nina, I did everything I knew to do and still I awoke with your cold and stiff body in my arms.” He kissed her now warm mouth passionately.

  “I was in there, Vasile. I felt you shake me,” she snuggled into his arms.

  “I am so sorry that I handled you so roughly.” He curved his body around her.

  Nina leaned up and licked the bloody tear tracks from his cheek. Rising to her knees, she turned and licked his other cheek.

  “I felt you make love to me, Vasile.” she whispered. “I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t even think. I could only feel and react.”

  “I do not want you to hate me for changing you, Nina, but I could not allow you to die. I could not!”

  He pulled her to his lap and crushed her against him. She was still and silent in his embrace for many long minutes.

  “Vasile?” she said finally.

  He pulled his head back and looked down at her. “Yes, Nina?”

  “I think—I think I’m hungry, Vasile.” She gave him a small grin of embarrassment.

  “Is that so?” he murmured, growing hard against her.

  “Um, hmm.” she answered. “How do I do this? Will you show me? Will you let me?”

  “It will be my very great pleasure, meu dragoste.” he assured her with a hungry smile.

  He gently caught the nape of her neck and pulled her head to his chest.

  “You will find the pulse with your tongue and puncture the artery with your teeth. When you have had enough, you will close the wounds with your tongue. Your saliva contains a healing agent.” His voice sounded hoarse.

  She nuzzled his chest and her lips found the artery there. Tentatively, she traced it with her tongue, sending fire racing through his blood. She tested her new sharp teeth, scraping his chest experimentally. When, at last, her teeth pierced his flesh, he succumbed to the burning ecstasy of it.

  His body was hard and she moved against him, wordlessly entreating him to take her and join with her while she fed. Any tiny shred of control left him as he plunged his teeth and his thick staff into her at the same time.

  He stretched her channel, pumping into her over and over in long, deep strokes, harder and faster. His body took hers with aggression, claiming her, dominating her.

  Around his hard length, her sheath began to tighten, clenching and rippling until he could do nothing else but follow her into ecstasy. Their bodies exploded as one, with a soul shattering depth he would remember always.

  Carefully, he closed the pinpricks on her neck as he felt her tongue sweep the heavy muscles of his chest. The two lay wrapped in each other’s arms for long minutes, saying nothing.

  “I can tell we’ll be sharing plenty intimate dinners from now on.” she sighed contentedly.

  “Yes, meu dragoste, I think mealtimes will always be especially cozy and private between us.”

  He kissed her forehead and cuddled her close. With her in his arms, Vasile knew he could endure another nine hundred and twenty seven years.

  The End

  About the Author:

  J.J. Massa began writing when she was laid off from her job. What seemed like an unhappy event became another blessing in disguise. She especially loves meeting deadlines in her Corona Light nightshirt and cow slippers.

  Currently a Jersey Shore resident, J.J. lives with her patient husband, long-suffering teenage daughter and very curious stepchildren. Her favorite writing partner is her yellow lab, although the visiting cats try to help her with the occasional plot twist. While she’s lived all over the world and met a million people, the most unpredictable are the ones that show up in her books. Her favorite part about writing is finding out about these people and seeing what they decide to do.

  She loves reading and writing paranormal stories because of the endless possibilities they present. Most of her books include suspense because she believes that every romance includes a conflict to be resolved. That’s what keeps life interesting.

  Meet LSB authors at http://lsbooks.net

  We invite you to visit Liquid Silver Books

  http://lsbooks.com

  for other exciting literary erotica romances.

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