Page 3 of Vampire Sins
“There’s no way Sonya is going to become a bloodsucking vampire,” Luke snarled.
I winced at the insult. “Am I so different?” I asked, my voice a weak whisper. “I drain life just as a vampire does.”
Luke took my hand and the power of his blue gaze drew me in with such desperation that I couldn’t look away. “No, Sonya. You’re so much more than that.” His touch threaded my fingers. “You’re mine.”
Xavier appeared beside us without warning, his vampire speed taking us both off guard. His red eyes glowed with wisps of power that bounced off the harsh arches of his cheekbones. “Do you hate what you are?” he asked me, seeming to be able to read my mind.
My first reaction was to slap him for getting all up in my face, but there was a deeper emotion in the backs of his eyes that made me go still. “Yes,” I admitted. Only Nate had been able to get me to open up, to feel understood. But where Nate had given me solace, Xavier whispered of a kindred pain that shared my own.
He placed his hand on my shoulder and I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of comfort being between these two strong men that made my runes awaken with heat and hunger. Luke, my tormented angel, found ways to bring out my humanity and suppress my succubus impulses. But this vampire, there was another promise he offered in the cool strength of his grip. There was an understanding there that no one else could offer. “Perhaps,” he whispered, “if you became a hybrid, like my master, you wouldn’t be a slave to your impulses. It’s why he became what he is.”
My eyes went wide. “Let’s say, just for kicks, I was up for this. How does one become a vampire?”
“Sonya,” Luke began, but I held up a hand.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m not doing anything rash. I just want to hear what he has to say.”
Xavier grinned, his tongue flashing seductive promises across his lips. “The secret of how to turn a female is one of the best kept mysteries of the supernatural community.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Males are easy to turn?”
He grinned. “Wouldn’t call it easy, but it’s no secret. It’s long, painful, and good luck getting the kind of blood necessary for the turn.” His grin turned wicked. “Females, however, are not often turned, and for good reason.”
“But you’re going to tell me?” I asked.
He stood and crossed his arms. “Perhaps, but I’m afraid the angel can’t be here for this conversation.” We both startled at how seamlessly he guessed what Luke was—and hownotsurprised he was that Luke was a celestial being. Xavier pointed to the hall. “Your room is three corridors down. There’s enough insulation in the walls to keep our conversation private and out of earshot, even for a supernatural. Should Sonya wish, she’ll join you after we’ve had our little chat.” His eyes blazed with power. “If she chooses to accept my proposal, however, you’re not to interfere.”
Luke eyed me warily. I couldn’t miss the pain in his eyes. He’d watched me choose other men so many times before, and once again, he feared he was going to lose me to another. It wasn’t monogamy he desired, it was the assurance that I’d always come back. I wanted to tell him that he had a piece of my heart. He always would.
He took my hand. “Don’t look at me like that,” he said and gave me a weak smile. “Don’t look so guilty. I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you again, I understand what you are. I understand to be with you means to share you. I love you enough to do that.” He gave Xavier a dubious glance. “Not that I could comprehend anything this fang-face has to propose could be remotely enticing.”
Laughing, I pushed him away. “Go on. I’ll see you soon.”
Xavier looked far too pleased with himself as Luke sauntered down the hall.
“Great,” he said when Luke had disappeared from sight. “Let’s talk secrets.”
Vampire Secrets
Sonya
My body induceduncontrollable shivers with the conflicting urge to run after Luke… and to stay and see what this pulsing, undeniable connection with Xavier meant. That is, assuming I wasn’t on the dinner menu. The way he leered at me as he ran his tongue over his fangs wasn’t at all encouraging. I wasn’t afraid of the powerful supernatural. Xavier might be a vampire, but I didn’t doubt my own strength. Should he try to eat me, I could fend him off—probably.
Xavier circled me like a lion stalking his prey. He took each step with deliberate focus, not once taking his red gaze off of me. “Do you feel it?” he asked after I’d been watching him with fascination. The way he moved betrayed he wasn’t human at all.
I wrapped my fingers around my elbows and straightened. My breasts spilled over the curve of my arms and Xavier’s gaze dipped, his eyes unashamed as they filled with hunger. The way he looked at me was the desperate need of a man who hadn’t had a woman in a long time—which seemed impossible. He exuded sex and desire. No woman would be able to resist him for five seconds.
“Feel what?” I asked, even though my body was already betraying me and my rune had turned hot with an aching need. His tongue flashed across his lips as he took a step closer, making my heart skip.
It didn’t matter that I was a succubus. This creature was one of lust and allure just as much as any incubus. If I let my guard down, he’d wind me right around his little finger.
He came close enough to touch me and deliberately ran a cool finger over my arm, sending the tiny hairs to stand on end. “Your body responds to me,” he said with a pleased grin.
I tried not to dip my gaze to the opening of his sleek shirt that revealed a curve of abs that disappeared into a tight waistband. “You’re supposed to be telling me vampire secrets,” I reminded him.
He grinned. “Such secrets are not given for free.”
I glowered. “And the price?”
