Page 33 of Black Star

“I hid nothing from you, vampire. Anything you didn’t pick up is your own limitation.”

Damon held his breath. The strain on Viktor the last few months had been tremendous. The link he had established with the ship caught him completely by surprise. Combine that with the fact that he’d had to alter his survival methods drastically since taking on the assignment aboard theBlack Star, and he had pushed himself to the breaking point. No one would serve on a ship with a vampire who fed from anything other than synthetic blood, so it had been necessary, but very uncomfortable. Add a frustrating female into the mix and it was a wonder the vampire had lasted this long.

“Viktor, what do you need?”

“Youknowwhat I need! Find me a willing female and let me drain her while I fuck her senseless, and I might be sane for a few minutes.” He wasn’t lying. That was exactly what it would take. Unfortunately, there was no one outside of a woman from his own race who could tolerate what Viktor needed to dish out. Damonhadto find a way to get them to the vampire home world. Fast.

“You’re confined to quarters for the remainder of the journey. We’ll use best possible speed to get you home. Until then, you’ll understand if I place security fields on your residence.”

A moment of sanity returned to Viktor’s eyes. “I’m afraid it might be too late, Damon. Double and triple secure everything. I don’t want to hurt anyone. Please.”

It was a horrible thing to see a man Damon considered the most controlled person he’d ever met slipping into a madness of violence and lust. It was like watching the most gifted of minds degrade with the ravages of age, only much, much worse. The violence about to be unleashed could kill them all.

“I’ll see to it personally.” It pained Damon to watch as three guards escorted his friend away, but he didn’t have a choice. A vampire on the rampage was a horrifying prospect.

But not nearly as horrifying as the possibility of either learning Phoebe was a spy for the Hand of God, or losing her because he had treated her like the very people she was running from.

* * *

Phoebe was numb. She had come to terms with the possibility she’d lost her freedom. What she was having trouble with was why. There was no way she could have completely misjudged Damon. He simply wasn’t that type of person. So the question remained -- why?

Her tears dried soon after they fell, and she vowed she’d not waste them on a man who didn’t love her. She’d been strong her whole life. She’d fight her way through this, too. She hadn’t survived this long only to let a man strip her of her pride. If she was to be a captive the rest of her life, however short that might be, she’d meet the challenge as she had every other -- with her head held high.

Lying on the small cot -- the only furniture in her cell -- Phoebe faced the wall, pulled her knees to her chest, and tried to calm her mind enough to rest. The stars only knew what lay in store for her over the next few days. Or months. Or…

She cringed. She’d deal with that when the future was more certain.

She’d just about dozed off when the door to the holding area whooshed open. She didn’t have to look to know who it was.

“Leave us.” Damon’s gruff, husky voice held a deadly note of command. Phoebe sat up and took a deep breath. She didn’t want the guard there any more than Damon did, but she needed someone there to make her keep her resolve. Breaking down in front of anyone other than Damon wasn’t an option.

The guard, Chaz, stood at attention, but made no move to leave. “I’m sorry, Sir, but I can’t do that.”

Damon looked a little startled. “I beg your pardon?”

“The rumor ship-side is you and Viktor believe she’s responsible for the attacks against us andSword Breaker.” The young man swallowed. “We respectfully suggest that your logic is flawed in that line of thinking, Sir.” The poor man obviously didn’t like going against his captain.

Damon smiled. “Relax, Chaz. We’ve already seen the error of our ways.” Damon turned to Phoebe. “I still have some questions, but rest assured --” he turned back to Chaz, “-- she’s perfectly safe with me.”

Chaz -- bless his soul -- looked to Phoebe. “Miss?” It was obvious the young man didn’t take going against his superior’s orders lightly, but having done so, he wasn’t about to back down.

Phoebe stood. “I’ll be fine, Chaz. Thanks for your help. You and everyone.”

“We know what you did during the first battle, and the others told us how you got them back to theBlack Starduring the second one. That was the most creative and bravest thing any of us have ever heard of. We figure we owe you for that.” He grinned then. “Not to mention the food.”

Phoebe’s heart lifted. “Thanks for standing up for me.” She glanced at Damon, and bitterness filled her heart. She wanted to say so much. No one had ever had the courage to take her side in anything. No one had ever cared enough. No matter how much she’d done, no matter how many times she put her life on the line for others, no one had ever returned the favor. “You’ll never know how much it means.”

Neither Damon nor Phoebe said anything until Chaz got to the door. “I don’t want to be disturbed. See to it no one enters, no matter what anyone hears this time.” Apparently the entire ship had heard about Viktor and Ranier’s breach of Damon’s cabin door security, because Chaz snickered quietly as he exited.

They were alone. Phoebe drank in the sight of him. Even though she was hurt and angry, he still looked good enough to eat. His reference to the last time they’d made love took her breath as the memory washed over her. Nothing in her life had prepared her for the pleasure she had found in the arms of this man. She doubted if anything in the universe would ever give her as much pleasure ever again. He was everything she had ever wanted in a lover. He could be so gentle, yet his passion for her had matched hers for him. When he had experienced his own pleasure, he had held nothing back from her.

“You have every right to hate me, Phoebe.”

“What makes you think I don’t?” She couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t right that the perfect man for her had to be an asshole.

“The way you’re looking at me.” He started walking toward her, a predator stalking his prey. “The lust shining in your eyes tells me you still want me, and I don’t think you’re the type of woman to want a man you hate.”

Phoebe refused to retreat. Instead of backing up in the face of his advancement, she planted her feet and raised her chin to look him in the eye. “Just because I still want tofuckyou doesn’t mean I wantyou.”

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