Eliza March's Blog, page 35

Go Ahead, Read My WIP DEFEAT THE DARKNESS by Eliza March?

DEFEAT THE DARKNESS continued from last week. Find previous chapters on The Hearts of Darkness page.~~~~ Return Shelby rubbed her eyes. The movement of the car coming to a stop woke her out of a dreamless sleep. She glanced at Max, and tried to remember where she was and when the memories came flooding back she shut them down.Outside the window, she could make out the familiar streetlights on old fashioned lamp posts, but no street signs. “Where are we?”“My place.” Max glanced at her and turned the corner onto the street where he lived. “I didn’t think you’d want to go home yet.”“Right. Good thinking.”Her Max, always one step ahead. The man was sensitive even if he hid it well. She hadn’t thought any of this through, but he’d realized there were too many memories and too much of Kyle back at her place.What would she do with his stuff?Nothing. Not now. She refused to think about him.“I’ve got food…and wine.”Her stomach clenched at the mention of food. Waves of perspiration washed over her. Nausea. She wasn’t sure if it was from revulsion over her memories or hunger, but she’d have to eat sometime.“Perfect.” The thought of the wine made her smile. At least that would relax her, and enough would ensure a dreamless sleep. “Sounds like exactly what I need. By the way, what was the final score?”“Score? Oh.” He grinned broadly with the old twinkle in his eyes. “Braves won 4-2 in the ninth inning.”“Good.” She hazarded her own weak smile and meant it. He pressed the remote to open the garage as they pulled into his driveway, drove in when the door opened, and came to a stop. After the garage door closed behind them, he turned off the engine and, with his arm on the back of her seat, turned to her.  “Shelby?” He started to ask a question. She shook her head. She wasn’t ready to answer. “Max, you know what I’m in the mood for? Beignets and chocolate accompanied by a rich, dark red wine. Maybe we should go--” “That’s my girl.” Max flashed that smile again, reached around to the backseat, and held up a bag from Du Monde. He dangled it in front of her nose and the smell of sugar filled the air. “I stopped on the way. You snored right through the French Quarter."  “I don't snore.”  Here's a glimpse
of another
inspiration for Max “Do I know you or don’t I, Shelby Dillon?” She snatched the bag and high-fived his empty hand. “Oh, Max, you are my hero!” She ran into his house, shouting back over her shoulder, “Will you bring in my bag? I’m going to take a quick shower while you open the wine. See you in ten.” Max followed her inside, heading straight to the kitchen. He popped the cork on their favorite Cabernet and put the bottle in the ice bucket. The emptiness in her eyes made his chest ache.“Damn you, Kyle Lachlan,” he cursed. What did you do my Shelby?His first impulse, after Shelby called him for help, were to find painful ways to dissect the man who’d been his best friend for over four years. Later, when Kyle called him to make sure he was making arrangements for her, Max got the opportunity he wanted. He asked him directly about what happened and went crazy when Kyle told him about the other woman. What the hell had he been thinking? When Max took the opportunity to voice his internal threats aloud, Kyle didn’t even try to defend himself—didn’t deny his duplicity or attempt to explain his actions, either. The wine glass Max held shattered against the counter when he slammed it down with a little too much force. As he picked up the broken pieces and dropped them into the garbage, he thought about the short conversation they’d had. Kyle admitted what had happened, and he didn’t believe him at first. Claimed he’d gotten drunk and woken up in the tent they shared with another woman in his bed. Shelby was gone. When Max thought of her dealing with that, he’d wanted to climb through the phone and wring his friend’s neck. There hadn’t been time to discuss details on the phone, but when she arrived, the ring wasn’t on her finger, the light was gone from her eyes, and...she’d fuckin’ sobbed! What the hell was wrong with Kyle? What had happened to change him so drastically in so few months? That wasn’t the Kyle he knew, but from the way she looked, it was obvious that Shelby had seen him with the other woman. Damn him. Kyle had shattered his Shelby girl and Max vowed he was going to hurt Kyle for that, someday. When he glanced down, he noticed blood smeared all over the counter. A few drops fell and pooled around the bottle. The anger dulled his feelings to everything. He hadn’t even realized he’d cut himself and the cut was pretty deep. It needed cleaning and a bandage. He ran the faucet and cleaned up the counter while he applied pressure to the wound. The only thing around to wrap it in were paper towels or the dish rag. He sniffed the rag. “Paper towels it is.” Looking through drawers for a band-aid, he cursed when he found one empty wrapper and nothing else. The rest were in the first aid kit in the spare bathroom. The shower was still running. The gash was slowly bleeding, just enough to be annoying, not enough to need stitches. He applied more pressure, trying to pour wine and elevate the hand at the same time. Not bad. He smiled. He’d managed to clean up and fill two glasses without incident. After checking his hand again, he found it was still steadily bleeding. He paused outside the bathroom door and decided to knock. No answer. Maybe he could slip into the bathroom and get the first aid kit without disturbing Shelby. He twisted the doorknob and opened it. The steam turned the air in the room into a foggy haze. The shower continued to run hot while Max quietly opened the cabinet. He reached in and pulled out the first aid kit just as Shelby gasped. He jumped and banged his head on the cabinet door. The first aid kit hit the floor and when he looked up, holding his hand and rubbing his head, the shower enclosure was open. Shelby was naked clutching a small bath towel in front of her. The rest of his blood pooled in his groin and forced him to sink down to sit on the toilet seat cover. The towel didn’t conceal the curve of her hips or the long lines of her legs. Max remembered too well the feel of her satin soft skin and the way she screamed when she climaxed. “What did you do?” Shelby wrapped the towel around her and for a brief moment flashed Max the full-Monty before she dropped to her knees in front of him, concern etched on her face. “You’re bleeding.” Max was busy rubbing his head while his other hand bled onto the floor. “It’s nothing. I broke a glass and cut myself. The damn thing won’t stop bleeding, and I thought—” “Band-aid?”She glanced at the one in his hand. “You need a butterfly on that to close it. It’s deep and in a bad spot. Here, let me.” She picked up the contents of the kit that had scattered and put them on the counter. While he inhaled her flowery scent, visualized her skin beneath the towel, and imagined licking the rivulets of water dripping down her chest off her, she practiced what she did best. Doctoring. “How’s your head?” she asked with a stupid grin on her face. “Uh, fine. You know it’s hard.” “That I do.” She moved his hand to examine his head. “Ow!” “Baby.” She rubbed it with her hand the way a mother rubs out pain. “Got a little knot. Nothing for a hard headed guy like you.” Yeah it hurt, but having her hands on him caring, soothed him. When the kit clicked shut, he said, “Now it’s my turn.” “For what?” Shelby’s eyes opened wide. He ran his fingers over her welts. She shivered under his touch. “Mosquito bites. You have a million of them.” He opened another cabinet, rummaged around until he found the calamine lotion, and held it up to show her. “Ah, here it is. Calamine lotion!” She gave him a half grin. “You have no idea how much I appreciate it. They’re driving me nuts. The flight attendant had some on the plane but I used it all.” “Come on. Lay down on the bed and I’ll do your back, then you can finish up, get dressed, and meet me in the kitchen. Your bag is in the hallway when you’re ready.” Shelby sat down on the bed and rolled to her belly. “Mmm, just what the doctor ordered.”Max wondered why he offered to do this. What kind of masochist was he? Touching her was pure torture. He hadn’t even put his hands on her yet and his cock was straining behind his jeans. He pulled his shirt out before he sat down and started at her neck. By the time he reached her towel, he knew he’d have to remove it to reach some of her worst bites. Sweat beaded on his upper lip. “These are bad, Shelby. Didn’t you use any insect repellant?” “Believe it or not—repeatedly. And I had on long sleeves and full length pants.” “The little buggers must have been ravenous. I think you’re going to have to take an antihistamine. Some of these are swollen and inflamed. Wait here. I’ll get you one and a glass of water.” He heard her mumbling with her face in the pillow when he returned. “Probably some sort of fly bite. God only knows. I’ve never seen so many bugs.” “Take this and then I’ll finish the backside of you.” “You know it would be easier if I just took off the towel. It’s not like you haven’t seen me naked before.” Max swallowed hard. “Sure. If you’re okay with it. After all, we are both doctors.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her and made her laugh. “Don’t think that ‘playing doctor’ routine will work on me. I’ve heard you use it on all those Barbie’s and Bambi’s I’ve seen you with over the last few years.” He coughed, cleared his voice, and tried to sound serious, but it was difficult holding back the laugh. “You know, I don’t believe I’ve ever dated anyone by either of those names.” “You get names?” Shelby always could go head to head with him. She never missed a thing. “Ha! You run through them so fast I’m surprised you remember one tall, buxom, leggy model from another. Hard to tell all that beauty apart.”Max did laugh then. “You’re bad. You know I don’t have time to develop a relationship with my work.” “We all say that, and we all still manage to find time to screw up our lives.” Shelby pulled the towel off and resumed the position while he tried not to swallow his tongue. God, he remembered how it felt to kiss her ass. How she liked him to take her from behind. When she wiggled into place, he dragged his fingers over her hips before he realized he didn’t have any calamine lotion on them. “You’re killing me here,” he said and slapped her ass to cover up his mistake. “Stay still.” He finished and tapped her thigh lightly. “My work here is done. The rest are all yours. I’m going to fix us something to eat. Join me when you’re ready.” Max stood up and left, without looking back, before she rolled over. There’d been a time when they’d been good for each other. Would he be enough for her, now? Could he be what she needed again? And what did she need? Time? Space? Nurturing? Although he couldn’t stand the thought of her hurting or being in pain because of Kyle’s stupidity,  at least he was around to pick up the pieces and if she gave him a second chance, he’d try to put those pieces back together.
~~~~ EscapeGuatemala      “I understand why I can’t leave yet, but I don’t like it.” Kyle paced. “I did the agreed upon time as her puppet, Victor.” Keeping the cat within him contained grew more difficult when he was angry and thinking about how Amyra kept manipulating him made him furious. Better to not think of her. “Despite our agreement, she’ll never let me go without a struggle, and even though I’m strong, I’m not strong enough to stand up to her.” The scruffy Kyle
with attitude
inspired by
Ian Somerhalder“No, not now, but soon.”“How long before I reach my full potential?”Victor laughed. “We have no idea what your full potential might be. Never mind. You may not have to worry about any of this. Amyra went to Mexico searching for an amulet to supplement the power she tapped from you. Teotihuacan is believed to predate the Egyptian pyramids and many suspect it houses scrolls within the bowels of the lower fortress that contain the oldest written documentation of the original vampires.” Victor frowned and tapped his desk.“What good will they do her?” Kyle asked and pointed at Victor. “She’s up to something.”“Always,” Victor agreed.“Do you know how long she’ll be gone?”“Long enough for us to help you escape.”“When I finally do, won’t she always be able to track me down?”“Yes, if she is in close proximity. But she will have no real influence over you. Her hold on you will never be that of a true sire bond.”There was so much to learn, Kyle wasn’t sure where to start. “Why? Because when she sired me, she did it through force?” “Yes. She forced you and that mistake weakened her bond with you.”“How am I going to manage all this and function? I’m still totally ignorant when it comes to my jaguar abilities.”“Julian’s father will teach you all you need to know about being a jaguar. You’ve mastered the shift with your added strength. Today, you must go to them in the jungle and finish your training.” “I know all this is difficult to understand, but when you are newly transformed—and remembered you have undergone two such changes—you need more sustenance than you will once you adjust. You are filling out and you need blood to fill out your muscles now that your skin no longer hangs off your frame.”“Filling out? All my clothes started tearing at the seams.”“Then, I’m going to need some clothes. I switched out my scrubs for a larger size but I’ll need more than scrubs in the jungle.” My inspiration for
Victor Salazar was
Antonio Banderas “I will arrange for that. The people in camp don’t need to see you like this. If Amyra returns early, the image of you in their minds will give us away. You look too good—too healthy.” Salazar raised a brow. “That would be good reason to worry. If she reads any of the humans’ thoughts, she’ll know I’ve been drinking more than bagged blood and wonder who’s helping me.” Kyle understood the concern. If he looked healthy, she’d know he’d been drinking human blood from the vein. “But there are still times when I feel too weak to contemplate fighting her.”“True. But I’m not concerned for myself.” Salazar snorted. “When Amyra returns from her little expedition, she will begin recruiting more rogues, and I fear she will discover what you and I have been up to. You must be gone by then.”“I thought I was going to stop her, here—” “Not now. The villagers will be in danger. She will know what we were up to.” He emphasized. “All of us.”“Right.” They’d all be in danger when she discovered they’d been feeding him.“It is best if you leave.”Hell, Victor was risking a lot. “Won’t she suspect your part in my escape?”“Once you are gone, there will be no evidence. You must reach my friend in New Orleans so he can hide you before she returns.”“I can’t go back to New Orleans. Risk being near humans. What would I do? I need to stay out of the mainstream—”“Kyle, I told you I would contact my friend. He will meet you at the airport and find a safe place for you. My friends will train you in the ways of the vampire while you are in seclusion. St. Loupe, the Parish where he lives is remote, out past the bayous, close to the swamp.”“Never heard of it.”“And is that not perfect for the time being?” Victorsaid and patted him on the back. “Then when you are ready to resume your career, my friend, he will smooth the way for you.”“Sounds too good to be true.” Kyle smiled and picked up his bag. He stopped in mid stride and cursed beneath his breath.. How had he forgotten about his greatest fear, the reason he'd given up Shelby without a fight and convinced Max he was okay with the idea of them? “What about the damn demon blood?”“You worry too much.” Victor smiled. “I will tell Nicolai of your concern. He knows what to do. In the thousands of years he has survived, he has dealt with far worse.”“Thousands of years?” And what could be worse? The endlessness wasn’t something Kyle was looking forward to. The span of years that he would face lonely regret without Shelby stretched out ahead of him like the night sky, and all he could think about was revenge.Immortal revenge.One positive thing about thousands of years of existence was it would give him plenty of time to get even with the bitch who ruined his life.Revenge...the ultimate pleasure.


Read the previous chapters of Defeat The Darkness here at the Hearts of Darkness pageTo Be Continued Next Week....All rights reserved. No part of this may be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the author. Copyright 2012, Eliza March 

More DEFEAT THE DARKNESS by Eliza March

My inspiration for Kyle


~~~~Leaving
The sun hadn’t even cracked the dawn when Shelby
left the tent--not that it would have made a difference in the perpetually dreary
jungle. In her hurry to escape, she’d forgotten the flashlight.






The far end of camp slowly filled with activity.




When she stumbled her way to the dock using only the
perimeter camp lights, she found Dr.
Salazar already waiting for the boat
and the incoming patients. By the time she arrived, her aching muscles had
loosened up from the paralytic drug, but the flashbacks from the previous night’s
events continued haunting her.




“It is still early.” He patted the spot beside him
on  a large boulder. “Won’t you sit?”




“Won’t the boat be here soon?”




Salazar looked at his
watch. “Yes, any minute now.” “Then I think I’ll just stand, thank you. I’ll
stiffen up on the trip.”




 “But where is
Dr. Lachlan?
Won’t he be seeing you off?”




The words brought back the painful visions, and they
ripped at her heart as if they’d been the sharp claws she’d envisioned as Amyra’s
hands. The recollection made her wince and when she glanced into Dr. Salazar’s
eyes, for some unknown reason, Shelby thought the man
already knew the answer to his own question. Dared she trust anyone under these
bizarre circumstances? The jungle compound felt like a living nightmare. Could
a brain explode from overload? Her head pounded. The pressure made her teeth
ache and her eyes hurt.




Pride won out over
heartbreak. If he wanted a reaction, he was going to be disappointed.




“No,” she said and paused. Meeting his questioning
stare, she shrugged. “He had a long night. There’s no need.” Her casual
attitude was all the indifference she could muster.




Victor’s
eyes opened a bit wider before his attention moved to her left hand. She’d been
fidgeting with the empty spot where the ring had been.




He knows,
dammit. It didn’t matter. She refused to break. She wouldn’t crumble into a
fit of despair in front of this strange man who seemed to get inside her head
and read her emotions like USA Today.




Fortunately, the sound of the horn blared, and the boat
rounded the bend at that exact moment. People began bustling about, saving her
from Salazar’s scrutiny.




He stood, extending his hand and said, “Here is the
boat now.” He took her hand and walked her in the direction of the gangway. “Have
you made arrangements beyond the next village? If not, I could call ahead.”




“No, thank you. That won’t be necessary. I have a
friend who will take care of my travel plans when I call him.”




Salazar’s brow creased slightly
at the reference to “him.” Her decision was made. She didn’t need help from anyone
else. At the next inland town she would call and ask Max
to charter a flight home for her. He would take care of the details.




“Give me his name and a phone number. While you are
traveling upriver, I will call and tell your friend to start making arrangements
for you. When you get to Senebrez, call him for the details and everything will
be already under way.”




The plan had merit. The less time she spent waiting
around down here in this environment, the better. “Thank you. That’s an
excellent idea. The preparations will be quicker and simpler that way.”




She wrote down Max’s
information and handed it to him. As she did, she accidently touched Victor’s hand. A vibration traveled through her body
making her feel a little stronger. Shelby inhaled the damp
moist air and sensed the ache in her heart fade--not completely, but enough so
that breathing was not so difficult and her thoughts were less scattered. Even
the pain was more bearable.  




After they formally shook hands, he helped her
onboard and did that cute old fashioned bob with his head. She had quickly
become fond of the curt bow and Victor,
despite the circumstances.




Once again he gave her that all knowing smile and winked.
“Have a safe trip, Ms.
Dillon.”




“Thank you, Vict...Dr. Salazar.
Good-bye.” The time for familiarity was done.




Once on board, she didn’t look back, determined to
stay strong for now. Time enough to shatter once she returned home.

 ~~~~Denial

Kyle lifted his hand to his head where the throbbing jack
hammer pounded out the loud thuds in his head. It felt like a hangover, only
worse. Actually, the worst hangover ever. He could barely move from the after
effects of whatever drug Amyra had slipped into the aperitif last night. The  action of the drug reminded him of a combination
of Rohypnol and Viagra, street named roofiagra by some, or was some jungle equivalent of the aphrodisiac.
Viagra to get him up and Rohypnol to lower his inhibitions. Every muscle in his
body ached, and the pain brought back disgusting images of the night before.




He
lifted his face from the mattress, waiting to confront Shelby’s
accusing eyes. When he returned, he’d imagined he’d been with her in his own
bed, but later, when he’d been able to focus, he’d seen her watching him, with
eyes wide open, from the far corner cot for the rest of the night. He was
confused. Images of Shelby naked beneath him
morphed into visions of Amyra and he immediately knew what she’d done.




The
memories came back slowly, and with each memory Kyle
saw the pain and embarrassment Shelby felt etched on her
face. How would anyone deal with that kind of betrayal? He’d performed for
Amyra like a battery operated sex toy while Shelby watched--every
single disgusting thing.




Another
vision formed.


My vision of Amyra





His
fangs—Amyra’s—the blood exchange—and worse. The drugs caused him to lose
control and his cat had surfaced within him. He’d actually given the bitch what
she’d wanted all along. He’d fucked her. And he’d done it with the woman he
loved watching his weakness.




He
was naked, still erect, and covered with blood. Kyle
rolled over, allowing his feet to hang over the side of the bed as he looked
around. Neither woman was here now. Shelby would be well on her
way away from here. The jungle light meant Amyra already went to ground, and it
was well past time for Shelby’s boat to have departed.
The clock on the table read nine-thirty.




She
would be gone, and the idea had a piece of him breathing a sigh of relief. Amyra
was sleeping and Shelby
was safe because, by the very actions that destroyed their relationship last
night, those same actions saved her life. He proved to Amyra that Shelby
meant nothing to him.




The
love they shared was dead. He killed it. Witnessing his faithlessness with her
own eyes was definitely the final thrust through her heart. One last regret
burrowed within him—he wouldn’t ever get the chance to explain.




Who
was he kidding? After what she witnessed, she was better off believing she’d
hallucinated most of it. She’d seen the vampire feed from him and watched as he
fed from her, too. He cursed.




It
wasn’t as if there was a plausible explanation. Hardly. No sane person would
accept. What did it matter? This was the only way to protect her from Amyra. By
holding Shelby
at arm’s length, he was  protecting her. If
the vampire imagined he still cared, the bitch would use his feelings against
him, and that would keep Shelby in mortal danger or
worse.




He
never intended to involve her in this life. Leaving things as they were was the
best way to end it. She’d have no misgivings about his honor. And...he’d make
sure Max would be there to help. Kyle knew his friend still loved Shelby,
and he’d pick up the pieces and make it stick this time.




“Doctor,” Julian’s
voice whispered outside the back of his tent and Kyle
jumped.




He
stood up and pulled on his shorts, whipping outside and around the tent. “Julian, where the hell have you been? Get in here
before someone sees you.” He dragged the boy around the side of the canvas,
flipped open the flap, and shoved him inside. “That bitch will read their minds
and discover you’re here.”




“No
one saw me. Doctor Victor
says I must tell you that he saw the woman with the fire hair safely on board
the boat this morning. She is on her way home and you are not to worry. He sent
a man to watch over her. He says I am to take you to the men who have offered
to feed you.”




How
long ago had it been since the day the boy had tried to warn him about Amyra? Forever
and not as long as it felt.




“Julian, Amyra captured your brother and mother.” He
felt the need to explain. After all, the boy had warned him. “I had to—”




“I
know.”




“Julian, I’m sorry but there was no other way. I had
to give in to her.”




The
boy lowered his eyes and shook his head. “No one can resist the dark one. We
owe you a great debt. My family is safely out of here.”




“How?”




 “I found my father and the pack. For your
great sacrifice, the villagers and my jaguar people have vowed to help you return
home. You will escape the dark one, but we must avoid the rogues. You grow very
weak again. Get dressed, and I will take you to the human villagers. We will
hide you and feed you until you are strong enough to leave.”




Kyle exhaled the
breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding and pulled on his t-shirt. As he packed,
he realized he could access the power of the vampire and the ability to shift
as the jaguar if only he had more human blood. The villagers’ offer was exactly
what he needed for strength.




“Show
me the way, then return and tell Dr.
Salazar I need some advice.”




He’d
held up his part of the bargain. Now it was Amyra’s turn to let him go.

~~~~Return 

The bug bites on Shelby’s
arms attested to the ineffectiveness of DEET and long sleeves against ravenous
Guatemalan mosquitoes. They were the result of the early morning boat trip into
the next village, followed by a two hour bus trip—open windows naturally, no
AC—to the closest city with an airstrip. That’s where Max
had arranged for her to board the private plane for the return trip.




She’d had exactly twenty minutes to clean up after
the bus, before she boarded and they took off. After peering into the aged
mirror and shocked by her appearance, she knew she’d need everyone of those
minutes and more to get close to resembling a human.




Her eyes had been swollen—still were. She could
barely see out of them, and they felt like she’d taken a few punches. As usual,
her hair was wild, but she didn’t have access to a brush.




It’s a wonder people hadn’t avoided her on the bus.
Then she remembered that the lady with the chicken had moved to the back.




Great.
She even scared chicken toting passengers.




The hangover from the drug that bitch used on her
pounded through her skull in spite of the pain meds she’d taken.




God help that woman, if she ever saw her again...




Shelby worried her lip. A
person sworn to heal shouldn’t be as capable of killing as she felt when she
thought about Amyra.




The small plane was due to land at a private airport
outside New Orleans
in the late afternoon. She had to hand it to Max,
he knew how to manage the shakers and movers in order to get her home. He
didn’t even sound surprised to receive her desperate collect phone call from a
hostel in that small town. He gave her instructions and made the arrangements
as if he were making a dinner date.




The single flight attendant on the four-seater must
have thought she was a mess, in mourning or something, because she hovered over
her the entire trip. She used a low whisper when she addressed 

Shelby.
Thank God. Re: the pain in her head.




The woman brought her a cool cloth for her swollen
eyes, and it also helped the pain in her head. 

Somewhat. But when Shelby
asked, the angel of mercy also found calamine lotion packets in a first aid kit
for her bites, and then she topped off the flight with a sparkling wine.




Shelby would have hugged the
woman if she’d been wearing clean enough clothes.




Shortly before the plane landed, Shelby
finally felt capable of cleaning up in the miniscule bathroom. And by the time
they were ready to land, she was feeling better—not quite human, but almost.
The headache behind her eyes turned into mild pressure, and makeup hid some of
her flaws. All she could expect to achieve was presentable. Her hair, always wild in the best circumstances, was
still a rat’s nest. She’d misplaced her rubber bands, so all she could do was
brush it and hope for the best.






What I think Shelby looks like


The touchdown onto US soil was smooth. Shelby
waited for the plane to roll to a stop then stood, gathered her belongings, and
smiled when flight attendant wished her a nice stay. The woman steadied her
when she wobbled a bit on the way down the steps.




Shelby squinted at the
brightness of the sun, noted the small building ahead of her,  and  hurried
inside.




Max waited
at the end of the custom’s counter when they finally waved her through. One
look told her everything she needed to know. He met her tear swollen eyes with cold
steel gray ones and then shifted his gaze over every inch of her, looking possessive
and angry.




Shelby would have to hold
him off. It wouldn’t take Max a minute to figure out what was wrong. Maybe he’d
let her get away without rehashing the details, but not for long—only for now.
He’d be tactful and patient, but his curiosity was what drove him
professionally and personally. He’d eventually drag the gory details from her,
take that anger she saw simmering behind his eyes, and threaten to kill Kyle.




She smiled. It was nice to have an advocate, a hero
who was ready to fight for her honor even if it wouldn’t amount to much.
Nothing helped her crushed heart.




The tears burned her eyes. When she reached the
turnstile and passed through, Max
scooped her into his arms, moving her off to the side of the small room for
privacy. The moment she buried herself in his comfortable scent, she couldn’t
hold back the tears.




 “You’re
crying?” Surprise tinged his words. Max
spit out a few choice curses, and growled beneath his breath.




He was wide and tall, so his embrace engulfed all of
her as if he could protect her from the outside world. His voice was low and
tense when he muttered, “Shit, Shelby. Am I gonna’ have to
kill someone?”




She hiccupped and more sobs wracked her body as she
blubbered all over his chest like the heartbroken fool she was. So much for her
makeup.




“Remember
when you broke your leg falling out of the peach tree?”




Crying wasn’t the greeting she intended to give him.
Hell, she hardly ever cried. In fact, it pissed her off. Max,
of all people, knew how bad things were to be to bring her to this low.




She nodded against his chest. It had been after one
of his taunts when they were young teens.




“You didn’t cry then even when they set it. For the
longest time I didn’t think you ever cried.”




He was right, but this was more than she could
stand. She just couldn’t seem to stop, and while she unburdened herself, he
murmured and stroked her back. The words were nothing she could understand, but
his touch and his tone were consoling.


My first vision of Max





“I cried when I found out you were sleeping with Amelia Devereaux.”

Max rolled
his eyes to heaven and groaned. “I thought we put that all behind us? You have
no idea how bad I feel to know I hurt you back then.”




Yes, she did. At the time, he hadn’t realized how
deeply she felt for him. And she had to be cautious with him, now. Even though
she still loved him, she wouldn’t play with his feelings when she knew how he
felt about her.




As he held her without words of admonition, not
moving or saying anything, just being, she suddenly realized Max was everything she needed.




And then she sobbed again, remembering she gave Max up when he’d asked for a second chance. Maybe she
was the one who turned away from their relationship even before she met Kyle. Never-the-less she knew Max’s
feeling for her changed, deepened. He wanted commitment when it was too late--when
she was already infatuated with his friend and afraid of her feelings. Instead,
she ignored Max’s claims of
forever—once bitten and all—then pursued her own needs.




She’d chosen his best friend, the man who tossed her
aside for some dark bitch in a jungle over a thousand miles away. How could she
have been such a poor judge of character? How had Kyle
fooled her for so long? She sniffled.




“You ready to get out of here?” Max’s voice sounded angry.




When she looked at him it matched his expression. His
body was hard and tense as she moved back a small distance to get a better look
at him. Shelby
nodded and sniffled, wiping her face with the back of her hand. He, being Max, handed her a handkerchief and picked up her bag.


A friggin’ cloth handkerchief? Embroidered
initials and all. The gesture made her smile and want to cry all over again.
Some things never changed. Thank God.




Without thinking she followed his lead as he moved
her forward. Placing his big hand on the small of her back, she blew her nose
and wiped her face while he escorted her from the building.




The hot humid air slapped her in the face, reminding
her of the jungle she just escaped. For a moment she tensed. Then she smelled Max’s familiar scent behind her and let out the
breath she’d been holding.

Good southern gent that he was, he held the car door
for her, fastened her seatbelt, and tossed her bag into the backseat. She
relaxed into the passenger seat of his Lexus as he turned the key. The AC
blasted ice cold air and the radio was tuned to a ballgame.




“You mind? I was listening to the Braves on my way
over here.”




“No, of course not. What’s the score and who’re they
playing?”




“Yankees and they were up two when I got here.”




Good, she could relax. No sappy, “someone done somebody
wrong” songs to wrench her broken heart.

She closed her eyes, and let Max
take care of her. “Thank you,” she mumbled.




“No thanks necessary between us, sweetheart.”




Shelby choked back the
tightness in her throat and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

MARCH MADNESS: Hunger and Betrayal - Double Chapters

Today I'm Posting Two Chapters from DEFEAT THE DARKNESS the first in my upcoming series HEARTS  OF DARKNESS
(Unedited)
Hunger







Kyle hoped Victor had answers. 

He needed to convince Shelby to go back to safety—to return to her career and to Max. He wanted her to live a full rich life and have the children he could never give her. Now he had nothing to offer her except a life with a monster. The only thing important to him was getting her on that next boat out of there and keeping her safe no matter what.

“Dr. Lachlan, you seem preoccupied.” Victor Salazar’s voice brought Kyle back to the present. 

Without realizing, he’d walked straight into Victor’s office without knocking on the makeshift door. Kyle had more than one reason to see Salazar. The man might offer a quick solution for getting Shelby out fast.

“I have plenty on my mind right now. Sorry if I’ve been distracted lately.”

“Let us walk where there is privacy.” Salazar said, and fell into step beside him. “Doctor, if you don’t mind me saying so, you look like hell.”

Usually always so polite and correct, Victor's blunt statement shocked him.Kyle stopped walking and grinned, entertained by the frank statement. “No offense taken. I guess I do look pretty ratty. My fiancée didn’t recognize me at first” He ran a hand through the hair he’d tried cutting. By daybreak it had grown back to his shoulders. “I probably should tie this stuff back.” He ran a hand across his chin. “And shave.”

Salazar laughed. “So your Shelby has arrived? I’m sorry I frightened her when I called, but she was your emergency contact. I thought she should know you were missing.”

Kyle liked Victor, the man who ran the makeshift hospital. The other doctor’s voice was deep and rich. He exuded confidence, passing it on to everyone else. Even during the worst of situations he had a way if keeping everyone calm.

“Yes, but… She shouldn’t have come.”

“For now, I’ll leave you with this unsolicited bit of information. Not every jaguar in the jungle is believed to be a shifter. Some jaguars are just what they appear, and as sad as it is to have to kill one...” 

Instead of saying anything, Kyle waited for Salazar to finish. He thought the approach was a strange way of fishing for information, besides what would he tell him? His story was preposterous.

 “...it’s not the same as killing a human, or is it, Dr. Lachlan?”

He shook his head, not trusting his voice to answer. If only that had been the case.

“In any case, self defense is a necessary action against any deadly predator,” Salazar finished.

“I understand what you mean. But what are you really saying? Do you know more about the shifter story than I’ve been told?" Kyle couldn't do this alone. If someone had information, he'd find a way to get it. "Because I need to know and...I have more to add." 

Salazar's poker face gave away only a small tell, so Kyle dropped the bomb. "The jaguar that attacked me was a rogue shifter and it bit me. Julian helped me survive and then again when I went through the shift.”

If he expected the other man to be surprised, Kyle didn't see it in Victor's expression or body language. 

The man stared at him a long moment as if inspecting him before he said, “I have been around a long time. If there are any questions I can answer for you I will be willing to try.”

Really? Kyle had a million questions. For one, Victor’s scent was too similar to Amyra’s for him not to question the coincidence. "What do you know of the directress?"

"Amyra? I see.” Salazar’s eyes opened wide, the poker face gone now.

“No. I don’t think you do? Amyra captured me. Do you believe in any of this?”

“Yes, Kyle. I do.” 

Salazar seldom used his first name. What did the sudden familiarity between them imply? The whole situation was worrisome. The jungle beyond the perimeter of the camp held secrets the outside world didn't know about. Even after witnessing his own experience, he was in denial. If Salazar took all this in stride, Kyle would be forced to to face reality and believe the unbelievable. The way to uncover the truth was to face it. 

“There’s more to my story.” 

Kyle filled Salazar in about Amyra as they walked across the compound toward the surgery. The older man remained quiet until Kyje said, “Dr. Salazar, you smell like her.”

“Yes, I suppose I do. Amyra is also my maker.” Salazar stopped walking and met Kyle eye to eye. Victor’s pupils turned into swirling pools of molten silver. “Although I sense a bit of her scent in your blood, at the moment the jaguar is stronger.” 

“Then tell me. Does this mean I'm rogue?”

“Rogue? You? No. You must be a born jaguar shifter to go rogue. The vampire bite disagrees with their blood and infects them. But I see how all this does complicate things for you. Are you going to tell your fiancée?”

“Where would I start.” Kyle shook his head.

“She cares about you a great deal. Start from the beginning.”

“That simply? I don't know. Tell me your story. How did she change you?” 

“I was a doctor of sorts in ancient Spain where she found me. I had been arrested for heresy, and the race to see if I would burn at the stake or die of the plague in the rat infested prison was closing in on me quickly. Amyra claimed she had need of my gifts for healing. At the time, I was considered something of a mystic. Among others, I had the gift of sight. I read thoughts. She wanted my powers.”

“How did you survive the transmutation without becoming the demon she is?”

 “I didn’t—not entirely. I harbor demon characteristics in my blood. When I feel the demon rise from time to time, I temper it. I keep myself satisfied with donor blood, and my old gifts serve me well. Amyra is basically evil and was from the beginning. The demon controls her. Did she tell you how she achieved immortality?”

The bitch was a deadly viper to anyone who didn't serve her evil purposes. “No, but I gathered she killed the King, her husband, to attain it.”

“Yes, him and thousands of others over the long years. Hers is a very long story.” Victor spit the words out, full of venom and distaste.

“She’ll be coming for me at sundown to feed. I haven’t been able to shift since that first night. I believe it’s because she’s kept me too weak.”

“You are correct.”

“I’m worried. If I can’t keep her out of my head, how can I protect Shelby?”

“Slow down. Do not worry about the young woman. I will make sure she is safely out of here on the first boat in the morning. You can watch over her during the night. After she is gone, I will find donors to feed you without Amyra knowing. You must drink from the vein to gather your strength. Bagged blood won’t work to strengthen you enough to fight her.”

Kyle's insides turned. The idea of drinking blood no longer disgusted him, but the ramifications of what he'd become suddenly hit him like a lightning bolt. His life as he knew it was over. “Victor, I don’t think I can handle all this.”

“You can with training and my assistance. But for your safety and mine, you must not think about our plan or reveal what we do when you are with anyone else.”

“I know how to handle blocking Amyra from my thoughts if I concentrate. I just worry about anyone else being able to do the same.”

“Trust me. I’ve learned what to divulge to Amyra and what to hold back. What about your Shelby?”

“I’ve convinced her that I don’t want her anymore. If Amyra reads her mind, she’ll only see what I’ve managed to plant in Shelby’s thoughts today. It’s killing me to hurt her like this.”

“Sad, but necessary. Then she will be safe. Excellent.”

“Safe, but broken. The pain on her face when she looks at me twists my soul. I’ve hurt and disappointed her. There’s no hope for us with me like this and her... Well, she wants children and a normal life. What can I offer her now?”

“Perhaps later, you will tell her the truth and allow her to decide.” Salazar held up one finger. “But not yet. For her own safety you were right to make her believe you are finished with her.”

“I hate this!"  Kyle ran a hand through his hair. "I can't allow anything to happen to her.”

There was so much he wanted to tell Shelby, but Victor was right, the only hope he had of protecting her would be by keeping her out of it. Her safety wasn’t a fair trade for her feelings.

“Heart break is nothing compared to the pain and suffering of Amyra’s torture techniques—as I believe you may well know, my dear friend.” Victor squeezed his shoulder.

“Tonight Amyra will come and expect me to feed from her. She’ll take my blood, too.” He covered his face with both hands and shook his head. “I don’t want Shelby to see that.”

He didn’t expect Shelby to stay by his side, not now that he was this monster and out of control, but if there was a remote possibility for hope in the future, that chance would end the minute she saw him with Amyra. No woman would ever understand or forget what appeared to be an erotic sexual encounter fueled by blood.

Added to the sensual nature of feeding from one another, he wasn’t sure he could control the new monster within him the way Victor could. He needed time and training.

“What is it Amyra really wants from me?”

“That is obvious. She wants your power. As she ages, she seeks unusual humans to share her blood with in order to strengthen her own. You are a jaguar shifter now, and she wants that power. Before she can assimilate the jaguar's essence, you must be vampire. She had to turn you. Even though she drank from you before, she wasn’t able to take on your true nature. Once you turned vampire, your blood provided her with what she needed to attain the jaguar gift.”

“So the blood she’s been taking since I transmuted to vampire five days ago, is strengthening her?”

“Yes. She is taking on the catlike qualities.”

 “And yet she only lets me drink small amounts from her.”

“You need human blood to feed the jaguar. She’s starving you with her blood in order to keep you weak on purpose. I wonder why?”

“Because I struck a bargain with her. When I agreed to drink from her, she vowed to release me from her control at the end of one month. The way she gets me to drink from her is by making me believe only her blood can provide the strength I need to survive.”

Salazar’s laugh sounded sardonic. “The woman is devious. Her blood is useless. It weakens your jaguar and the jaguar is what you need for strength. The only thing capable of fueling the jaguar is human blood. The cat can hold back the demon in you.” Salazar tapped Kyle’s chest. “Always remember you are first of all human, and human blood will keep the demon from gaining power over you.”

Victor put a large hand on his shoulder. “Come with me. I have friends who will help if it means there’s hope of stopping the dark one.”

“What do you mean?” Kyle asked as he followed Victor into the jungle along an invisible path through dense underbrush and hanging vines.

“She weakens as she ages.” They paused along the path, and Victor listened to the voices up ahead. “We will find you a human host, and I will guide you through your first feeding.”

“I don’t know.” Kyle gripped Victor’s arm. “What if I can’t hold back?”

“You forget. I am at full power. I can stop you, boy.” Victor grinned and cocked a brow in the direction of the voices. “Hear the heart beats? Smell that? Pure human blood. You will still be weak after one feeding. I will be able to control you and so will Amyra. But it will be enough to keep the demon at bay and each time you feed, you will become stronger.”

“Why are you doing this—helping me?”

“There is only so much I can do against my maker. I believe when you are at full force you may hold the power to control her. At least you may prevent her from taking more of your power, and she will weaken.”

“Ha! I doubt it. I’d have to be as ruthless as she is to defeat her, and I haven’t fallen that low, yet.”

“We will see, doctor. Over the long years, I have seen what men will do out of necessity to save themselves or ones they love. Don’t underestimate yourself or your abilities. You are smart and quick. And good is always stronger than evil.”

Kyle let the moment of hope fill him. There was a bit of light filtering through his darkness. If he could access the power of a vampire and the ability to shift as the jaguar with the aid of human blood, maybe Victor was right. “She must have weaknesses. Isn’t that why she needs me?”

“Yes, and I will tell you what they are.” Victor clapped Kyle on the back and said, “Our volunteers are just up ahead.”

Hola, amigos, he shouted, and then Victor went on, gesturing between the men and Kyle. He spoke in the native dialect. Kyle couldn’t make out more than a word or two here or there, but it wasn’t necessary since he already knew where the conversation was headed.

One heavily muscled man said something and waved him forward. Victor explained, “He wants us to follow him. He is the one who will allow you to drink from his vein.”

As they entered a closed hut, Kyle asked, “A man?”

“The man’s blood is stronger, and he is more resilient. He will build up his blood supply again more readily than a female. And he will not risk his women to one who is newly turned.”

“He’s afraid I’ll hurt them.” Kyle made the statement and nodded. He understood the man’s concern.

Kyle had his own.

After experiencing the unbridled arousal that feeding caused, he was wary of taking blood from a man. He wondered whether he’d be sexually aroused by drinking the man’s blood, and if he was, where that would lead.

“You will drink from his wrist. If you are worried about the act being sexual, as you’ve only experienced with Amyra, there are other pleasurable experiences you can substitute. The satisfaction of a job well done, a good turn, a delicious meal. Send your thoughts to your host and share a different type of pleasure.”

Kyle nodded and smiled his appreciation to the man who would be his host. “Gracias, mi amigo, ” he said, and asked Victor, “How do we proceed?”

 “Have the man sit in the chair. You can do it with a mental command. He is relaxed because I’ve assured him I will watch over you, and he is easily susceptible to your suggestions. Go ahead.”

Kyle did as he was told, imagining the chair and seeing the man sitting in it, completely relaxed. Then before he knew it, the man was doing exactly what he had envisioned.

“Well done,” Victor said. “Now go down on one knee and keep the relaxed mental link open between you. You don’t want to frighten him. Lower your head when you extend your teeth and puncture his wrist. I will tap your shoulder when I think you have taken enough. Remember to close his wound with your tongue and keep pleasurable thoughts in his mind.”

“What do these people value?” Kyle asked. He wanted to give his man something mentally that he could relate to.

Victor chuckled and asked the man a question in that strange dialect. The man laughed and answered. Victor translated. “He says, he’d like to see Miami. Have you been there?”

“Yes.” Kyle smiled. “I’ll do my best to show him Miami through my eyes.” He knelt and bowed his head over the man’s wrist before he paused. “What’s his name?”

“Enrico Chavez. He is a welder.”

“Explains the muscles.” Kyle said, “Gracias, Enrico.”

He followed Victor’s directions, keeping the pain from entering the man’s mind, all the while thinking of the day he went out sailing on Biscayne Bay in Miami with a group of friends. The sun was warm and the beer quenched his thirst. The breeze moved the boat at an easy pace. A sailfish broke the water and the group “ahhed” over the sheer size of the fin. Later, the grouper nuggets were spicy and melted like butter when he popped them in his mouth. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky as they headed back into harbor…

The tap on his shoulder pulled Kyle from his memories and back to the chore at hand. He kept calm and licked the wound closed, then lifted his face to Victor who was grinning.

“Don’t forget to release him and erase this memory for your sake. By the way, nice memories.”

“How could you know?”

“I have tasted Enrico’s blood. I share his mental link and so would Amyra if you didn’t wipe it.”

“Oh! Thanks for thinking of that. I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

“You will learn. Let us hope it will not be the hard way.” Victor grinned again and handed Enrico money. “I always pay him. Let him believe he allowed me to feed from him today.”

“But we spoke to him before and—”

Victor waved his hand. “And he will now just think you were along to learn.”

“Thanks, Victor.” Kyle gripped the man’s shoulders. “I owe you big time.”

The vampire held Kyle’s arms in return.

“If you become strong enough to handle Amyra, I will be forever in your debt. I’m tired of fighting her alone, and I refuse to do her bidding anymore. In my heart, I am a healer not a killer. Come let’s walk back. Your Shelby will be looking for you, and the day grows short.”

Kyle hesitated. “Does it get lonely?”

“This life? Yes. You lose friends you love over time. You move on. We can not stay in one place too long or people grow suspicious wondering how you stay so young. Yes, this is a lonely life. Perhaps it is the very reason we prefer to stay with our own kind. Perhaps it is why I stayed with her so long after I realized the extent of her evil ways. I am unable to control her, but she is the only constant in my life.”

“I’m concerned. There are no others like me. The jaguar shifter people won’t accept me and the rogues don’t trust me. I think they’re jealous because they thought they would be the ones turned as I was.”

“So my young friend, where will you go?”

“I’d like to stay here and learn from you, but I won’t stay with Amyra. When I’m strong enough, this parasitic relationship will end.”

“I may have a solution. An old friend of mine lives outside New Orleans. He could help. He is older and more powerful than Amyra. But Nicolai is not evil. He was born a vampire who sired a living child—a hybrid—but one of the last born with true vampire DNA. He spends his time looking for a solution to our sterility.”

“Why is it that we can stand the light and Amyra must sleep during the day? She can rise only at night.”

“It is the reason she needs your blood. Your human blood allows you to walk in the sun, like mine. The elixir that gave her immortality did not allow for that. She constantly must renew her strength. For that, she needs a vampire with a human nature.”

“Why doesn’t she just change one who wants to be a vampire? Why force me?”

“You watch too many Hollywood films. Not every human can be changed—only certain humans with supernatural chromosomes in their DNA strands.”

“I’m supernatural?”

 “You never sensed it? Somewhere in your ancestral tree, a family member was supernatural. Perhaps, Dr. Lachlan, there was a Scottish werewolf in your past?”

A sarcastic sounding laugh escaped from Kyle when he said, “Great, my internal shifters will be fighting like cats and dogs.” 

Victor joined him, chuckling. For a brief moment, Kyle almost found humor in his hopeless predicament. At least he had a friend. He wasn't alone in the dark anymore.








Betrayal
Shelby gazed at the ring on her finger. Max told her she shouldn’t wear it to Guatemala. The danger of being robbed and all that. He was probably right, but  considering the circumstances, if Kyle was dumping her, she could return the ring to him immediately and move on. Based on the last time they were together, this hadn’t been the welcome she expected from the man who asked her to marry him—the man who claimed he wanted to be with her forever.

“No,” she thought and blinked back the tear. “This was what being dumped felt like.”

Resisting the rest of the tears that choked her, Shelby unpacked a few things. She needed to clean up if she was going to meet the surgical team and the world renowned, Dr. Salazar.

She was just about finished when there was a rustling outside and Kyle called to her.

“I’m back. Mind if I come in?” 

She looked at her watch, he’d been gone over an hour. “Of course not. Come on in.”

When he left on the chartered flight with the other doctors from New Orleans, he was robust and carefree. He looked nothing like the strong man he’d once been. Now he look sick.

No. Not sick. Strung out.

Years in New Orleans with the voodoo queens and the druggies had her thinking something else when she looked into his eyes.

Possessed.

He seemed to be under some kind of spell.

Stop it, Shelby. You’re a medical doctor not a witch doctor. She shook off her misgivings as fancy.

“You feeling okay?” she asked.

“A little better. I need to clean up before dinner, and then I’ll introduce you to some of the others.”

Kyle’s coloring looked a little better, and he wasn’t as thin as she’d imagined when she first saw him—definitely not as sallow and drawn. But when he removed his shirt to change, her insides gripped with the old desire to touch him.

Why couldn’t she? They were engaged. She slowly extended her hand and lifted her chin.

“Kyle?”

Her hand skimmed his chest, he gasped like he’d been burned, and he turned his back to her.

“Shelby, don’t. I can put in my time here because I don’t hope for more. I’ll never be able to stay if I touch you. I have to get my head straight before I come home. I’m weak and strung out from lack of sleep.”

“What is it? I wish you’d let me—”

“Not now. There’s nothing you can do. Dr. Salazar  offered to help me when you leave. You’ll meet him at dinner.”

“I can’t wait. His medical reputation is impressive, and he’s no slouch in the humanitarian department, either.”

Kyle’s symptoms could be depression, but more likely she suspected drugs. He seemed better at the moment. Maybe he’d taken whatever he needed to plateau out before he returned to the tent. He wouldn’t be the first doctor to succumb to working under pressure in sub-standard surroundings and losing people every day. The strenuous routine could have him taking something to stay awake, then something to go to sleep, and finally something else to chase the ghosts. Knowing his type of dedication, he’d pass on food to save a life. That would explain his weight loss, and depression could explain his disinterest in her.

Was she reaching for reasons, excuses for his behavior, or was he just over her? Not a kiss or embrace in greeting. Her stomach sank.

“If you’re ready, we’ll head over to the surgery and I’ll show you around. Afterwards, Victor said he’d meet us at the mess tent for dinner.”

Now he had her confused. Why was he being nice? Shelby decided she’d just go along with him and see where this all led.

After running through the rain shower across the compound for a tour of the surgery and several of the other medical facilities, Kyle checked his watch. “We should head over to meet up with Victor.” He pulled his rain jacket over his head. “Ready?”

“Doesn’t this get old.”

“What?”

“The canopy. The rainforest? It’s hard to tell what time it is in the perpetual shadows.” Shelby pulled up her own rain gear and ran. Breathless, she shouted, “And I thought it rained a lot in New Orleans.”

Kyle actually snickered, sounding a bit like his old self. “I think I’m growing mold.”

Under the overhang at the mess tent, Shelby focused on shaking off the rain and ran into him. He had to catch her to balance her.

“Sorry,” she said, and for a split second she thought she saw that light she loved flicker in Kyle’s eyes. Then, it was gone.

“Dr. Lachlan, is this your Shelby?”

This was the world famous Victor Salazar. She’d seen enough pictures of him and read enough articles about the man who ran charitable medical facilities all over the world. He was in Guatemala heading up Kyle’s recovery team. And was every bit as handsome as his pictures. If she had to describe him, she’d say he could pass for Antonio Banderas in his best years.

Kyle made the informal introductions and even managed to smile at Dr. Salazar when he said, “I had them set up a table in the back. Follow me.”

“Thank you, Dr.—”

“Please call me Victor. Dr. Salazar makes me sound so old and decrepit.”

Hardly, she thought and smiled as she realized he was even better looking in person. Flesh and blood and all that charismatic Spanish charm made it impossible to tell how old the man was. He was extremely fit and didn’t look a day over thirty-five but because of all he’d accomplished, his reputation, and his many years of service, she estimated that he had to be at least ten or fifteen years older. When she stared at him, he smiled at her as if he read her thoughts. There must be some reasonable explanation.

Victor held the chair for her with the elegance of an old world gentleman. “Thank you…Victor.”

He lowered his head in a neat bow and smiled politely. “You are welcome. May I pour the wine?”

“Yes, please. I think I need a nice rich wine to relax me. It’s been an eventful trip and a very long day.”

She didn’t miss the way Kyle sat across from her facing the entrance and nervously watched as if waiting for someone. Thank goodness Victor carried on a normal conversation through the appetizers, and the wine did help her relax.

He was just pouring her a second glass when she heard Kyle muffle a gasp. Victor stopped pouring and looked up, staring behind her. The men’s expressions froze on their faces.

Victor resumed pouring and, without expression, said, “Ah, it’s the directress, Amyra de la Santiago.”

Kyle’s eyes went flat black at the mention of the name. What in the hell was wrong with him? Shelby turned to see the woman who had struck the men dumb gliding toward their table with a benign expression on her breathtakingly beautiful face. That ivory face was surrounded by waist length, wavy, raven black hair. Her coal black silk dress clung to her perfect body, draping to emphasize every womanly curve. All that black should have been too much, but her red lips against her paleness and enough creamy skin at her voluptuous breast seemed to balance the lack of color in her clothing. No wonder the men couldn’t speak when she approached.

“Doctors, won’t you introduce me to our guest?” Amyra asked. There was a heavy accent, not all Spanish—something more exotic. Egyptian?

Dr. Salazar did the introductions while Kyle kept his head down. He looked beaten.

Shelby’s sixth sense kicked in. This woman was the reason he wanted Shelby gone. A woman knew such things. This siren was the cause of Kyle’s withdrawal from her. But what had she done to destroy the man he’d been? And why?

“I hope you do not mind an interruption, Kyle. One of the triage techs asked if you would mind looking at a patient before you start your dinner.”

Had Kyle shuddered when she said his name?

“I’d be happy to take a look.”

“Allow me to show you which patient.” The woman possessively wrapped her arm in Kyle’s. “If you will excuse us for a moment, I will only keep him a few minutes. We will return shortly.”

She escorted him to the door, but Shelby didn’t miss how he grabbed the plastic rain gear and wrapped it over her and himself on the way out. The scene looked too comfortable, too intimate, and too casual. They were used to being wrapped up together, and Shelby’s heart cracked a little more.

When Shelby looked down at the table, and picked up her glass of wine, she knew Victor was staring at her.

“Kyle has missed you. It is good that you have come for him.”

The man’s rich voice had a relaxing quality to it.

“He isn’t returning with me. I’m going back on the morning boat. He says it isn’t safe here. Why is that?”

“This is a dangerous area. The mud slides continue, and the wild animals are breaching our perimeter.”

Shelby looked back where Amyra and Kyle had slipped into the rain and added, “I’m not sure that’s the whole story.” She put her glass down and asked, “Do I look like a fool, Victor?”

He chuckled. “No, Shelby. You are no one’s fool. But sometimes we see the obvious and believe what is a false image without seeing the truth below the surface. Trust me. What you think you see is not the true picture.”

“Okay, then I’ll trust your impression. But something is very wrong.”

“Here try a pasteles. The cook is a local magician in the kitchen.” Victor held the fork to her lips and stared in her eyes.

Shelby took a bite and rolled her eyes to heaven. “Mmm. This melts in your mouth. It’s delicious. Do you think I can have the recipe? I don’t think I can come back here every time I want another one. Ahh. Ohh.” She licked her lips and caught Victor watching her tongue whip over her mouth.

He laughed. The sound stirred something in Shelby’s gut. He was sexy as hell and letting her thoughts wander down that side trip embarrassed her. Her face flushed with the heat he caused, and she wondered why she was reacting to him. He wasn’t coming on to her, and she certainly had no interest after the long day and the fiasco with Kyle. Never-the-less, there was no denying Victor exuded sex, and damn if he wasn’t looking at her as if he knew her every thought. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair and felt her cheeks heat.

“Perhaps another glass of wine?” he asked.

She held up her hand. “I think I need to eat something before I have another glass. It must be stronger than I’m used to,” Shelby said with a smile. “Or I’m more tired than I thought.”

“Kyle shouldn’t be long,” he said and stood up. “Ah, what did I tell you? Here they are now.”

Victor pulled up another chair for the directress, holding it with the same impeccable manners as he had for her earlier. Just then a young man brought out several dishes filled with piping hot food. Shelby didn’t recognize any of the dishes, but the combination of spices smelled delicious.

“Kyle, you are just in time for the main course. Shelby was enjoying Alma’s pasteles.” Victor offered to serve. “May I?” he asked the directress.

“I couldn’t eat a thing, Victor,” Amyra said and glanced at Kyle. “I ate recently, but I’d love to share an aperitif with all of you, in honor of Kyle’s guest.”

 “Are you feeling all right, Kyle?” Shelby asked. Kyle looked weak and sick again when he returned. The nagging worry made Shelby wish she knew what was wrong with him.

“Fine. Just a little tired.”

“Excellent. While you eat, I’ll find my favorite bottle. It will perk you right up. Excuse me.” Amyra stood and glided to the back room.

Shelby had never been uncoordinated, but she wished she could move with that same kind of grace. Next to this woman, she felt like a clumsy frump.

The three of them ate dinner quickly, even with her and Victor carrying on the major part of the conversation. By the time the table was cleared Amyra returned with a tray full of small fluid filled glasses. She placed a glass in front of each one of them and made a toast for Shelby’s safe return home the following day.

Perhaps the daggers the woman kept shooting at her when no one else watched was why Shelby didn’t think her words were genuine?

What in the world could make this woman jealous? She was exotic and glamorous. Everything about her made Shelby feel inelegant. Not only inelegant but inadequate.

The aperitif suddenly had her head spinning. She usually wasn’t a big drinker, but she’d always been able to handle wine.

“You’ll have to excuse me. I’m sorry. I’m feeling quite dizzy. Too much travel.” Hell, Shelby felt like a light weight.

“It is the altitude.” Victor reminded her. “Drink plenty of water. Bottled water.” He smiled that half grin at her.

“I didn’t forget about the water, or about brushing my teeth with it, too. All the mud around here is a constant reminder of the living conditions. But thanks for the explanation about the altitude. I’d forgotten about the difference. I’m used to New Orleans, which is below sea level.” Shelby forced a smile.

Kyle stood up and offered her his arm. “I’ll see you back to the tent. Then I have late rounds. Don’t wait up for me.”

Feeling as she did, she couldn’t have if she wanted to. By the time she changed and dropped down on the bed, her body felt like lead. Funny, her mind was still active and racing with all sorts of thoughts. Like who the hell was that woman? And what was she to Kyle?

Twenty minutes later she heard Kyle come in, whispering. He wasn’t alone. Amyra was with him. 

“The woman is asleep. I gave her a sleeping draught so we could be together.”

I am not asleep! Nothing came out. She could speak, couldn’t move.

Amyra kissed Kyle as she unbuttoned his shirt, going down to her knees in front of him. Shelby couldn’t help noticing he was erect.

She wanted to shout. She wanted to throw something at them. God she wanted to run. At least close her eyes. But she was paralyzed. Really paralyzed. She couldn’t do more than blink while her fiancée was being seduced right in front of her. She hadn’t been given a sleeping draught  the bitch had given her a paralytic drug.

To make matters worse, Kyle wasn’t pushing the woman away. He didn’t act like he was put out by having the woman’s hands on his chest then her tongue licking down his belly.

What did he do?

Nothing. He stood still while she unzipped his pants and slid them down over his hips. His erection bobbed high against his abdomen, and Shelby remembered the way it felt to wrap her hands around it when Amyra did just that.

Kyle groaned as the woman licked up the length of him. He ran his hands into her hair and held her against him, pumping into her mouth as she took him down her throat.

She had done this on purpose. The bitch had actually drugged her so she was forced to watch them together. She'd seduced Kyle while she watched so there'd be no doubt which woman he wanted.

Kyle threw back his head and growled. Fangs popped over his incisors. He lifted Amyra to her feet, picked her up, and tossed her on the bed. She glanced at Shelby and smiled, her mouth full of fangs too.

Shelby screamed and screamed, but no sound escaped from her paralyzed throat.

Kyle stripped Amyra down to her glowing skin and sank his teeth into her groin. She moaned with an expression of ecstasy on her face while his hands squeezed her breasts. Lifting his face, he licked blood from his lips, and then rose above her, straddling her hips, he offered her his neck. Sitting up she  spread her thighs so he could enter her, and sank her fangs into his chest.

Kyle pumped into her, taking her over and over again like a man possessed.

Please God, this has to be the drug. Don’t let this be real.

Amyra encouraged him to take her from every position, and he became a puppet to her needs all night long.

Shelby’s eyes were locked open and her insides churned—she was devastated. It was one thing to know the man you loved wanted someone else—it was something else altogether for him make love to someone while you were forced to watch, trapped in the room listening to his groans as someone else pleasured him. This was pure torture.

Kyle came and sighed, again and again, wrapping Amyra close within his embrace, and Shelby’s mind shattered as her heart broke. Soon the dark took her in a semi-conscious, fitful sleep.







Read the previous chapters of Defeat The Darkness here at the Hearts of Darkness page



To Be Continued Next Week....

All rights reserved. No part of this may be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the author. Copyright 2012, Eliza March 

What Research Did For My Writing...

This cartoon is politically incorrect

 at a time when the gun control issue

 is a serious controversy.

So apply your sense of humor

...that's right

...I knew you had one

 and move on to the meat

 of this article. Are you smiling, yet?

I am.

The best and worst advice I ever got was ‘write what you know.’ 



The part about writing I like the most is the research. If I already know my subject, where’s the fun? Where’s the challenge? Where’s the learning curve? And, I take it for granted. I use what I know in my character development, in location, and relationships. Plots I get to play with.





The downside to research is that it can inspire the most creative thoughts or stop progress in its tracks. 




Here’s the process: 




An original idea forms. During the initial research the idea develops, takes form and substance from your information gathering. That’s when I can’t wait to further research the details and put them down on paper (or napkins or into my smart phone or the computer). If I have to go back and do more research...yeah! Well, let’s just say I have to stay focused and in control. 




I have to approach the research with specific questions in mind. What am I researching and why? Knowing the answer to those questions is imperative to finding the material and then moving on. Surfing through endless data on the net will only put your ideas into overload mode. Deal with one problem or idea at a time. Set other concepts aside to use later or in other books, but stay true to your original task. Periodically, even during editing,  inspiration hits me. I have to add a new detail then follow up to make sure I’ve covered all the finer points, before and after, to include it. 




Some story lines don’t required much research. The ‘fun’ ones entail a lot of exploration into a subject that fascinates me. What about you? Right? Islands in the Pacific, the weight of a body on Mars, the type of vehicle with the most security, and on and on. The Pacific island research can lead to weather, or the history of the south Pacific or ... You get my point.




Among everything I research, and I mean that literally (everything interests me), I’ve become fascinated with researching ‘the art of writing’, which can be dangerous for the creative process in one way and good in another. Improving the manuscript is always a plus. Studying and improving your craft should be every professional’s goal. But beware!




Overwriting potentially destroys the author’s voice (you know--that special something that has readers looking for all your other books when they finish this one). Do not use this as an excuse to be sloppy or lazy about your writing. I’m not saying to ignore the craft. I’m saying brush up ‘before’ you start to write the book and make a few notes about what points you’d like to concentrate on for this particular project. It would be nice to get it perfect every time, but for now, work on the finer points. 




For instance: Maybe you write great dialogue and often forget to describe the setting or what the characters are doing during their conversations. Focus on adding these elements to your work.




Another example could be to apply previous critique suggestions to your current WIP. Do you have a problem with POV or lack of deep POV? Check your scenes for this or focus on it as you write.




Make a bullet list of issues you recognize about your own writing style from the past and check it often during your process to confirm you’re dealing with your major problems. Before you start to write the scene, visualize it. Your mind is the camera and your words are the film. Plan how you will show the scene to the reader, step by step. What does the POV character see first, feel first, hear or do first? Then, what next?




Balance. My personal favorite. Know your characters. I mean know them down to the mole on their backside and the scar on their knee from when they fell off their bike at five years old. Don’t tell the reader all the details, but know them. Some will be important for the reader to know, some will be important for the author to write the character’s reactions and actions. The past defines who we are and how we react.




Great dialogue without description belongs in a screenplay so the director can develop the story the way he wants. In your novel, you are the author. You are the director. Write the details but don’t overdo it. Be careful. Those details should move the story forward not slow down the pace.




What happens when you have the opening, a great middle and the end, but somewhere between the middle and the end (that special place where you must tie up all the loose ends to get your characters to that ending) you aren’t sure what is going to happen? (I’m here in three books right now.) The ending is loosely written, but you’re at the fork in the road. To write this scene properly,  you have to commit to the ending first. What I’m discovering is if you have to, take both forks. Write the ending both ways and see what suits you best. Doing the extra work will save precious time and mental anguish in the long run, instead of chewing your nails over writer’s block. You’re not blocked. You’re uncommitted. Make a decision and move forward. I’m going to.




These are just a few thoughts I had for today. Do you have anything to add? Any words of encouragement for struggling authors or thoughts about researching and the writing process?



I'm forcing my MUSE to work by committing to adding a chapter a week to this blog. The character sketches and the story, from the beginning, unedited, can be accessed here DEFEAT THE DARKNESS

A new chapter begins each Saturday. I welcome feed back. You are my advanced readers after all. *GRIN* Thanks for reading! ~~~ Eliza

Encounter - Defeat The Darkness

Encounter 


Guatemala




Kyle. Shelby’s heart lifted in her chest, then dropped.

Being cramped with the surgical
supplies and food stuffs left her knees stiff and shaky when she climbed
to the dock. As he walked from the surgical tent toward the spot where her feet
seemed glued in place, she held her breath. No matter how bad he looked, she
recognized Kyle by his stride.

Her lips moved to greet him, but
nothing escaped—not his name, not the breath she was holding, not the scream
she felt building as she waited. Nothing escaped except the fleeting sense of
relief she’d experienced when she learned he was alive. The breath and the
relief gushed out of her as she watched him approach.

Four hours after receiving the message
from Victor Salazar telling her Kyle
was safe, she found herself staring at the man she loved, thinking this man was
a stranger. Something was very wrong. His coal black hair hung about his
shoulders, and his beard was a dark scruff. The shirt he wore looked a size too
large, and a rope held up his pants. His once full face was thin and drawn over
his broad cheekbones and jaw, and the usual sparkle in his eyes—the one that
always made her insides melt—was missing.

The dock was busy with people coming
and going yet all she could focus on were his eyes. When she finally forced her
legs to move, she had to skirt around the influx of bodies trying to off load
the supplies from the boat, in order to reach him.

She understood his weight loss in this
heat, especially after his experience in the jungle. What she didn’t anticipate
was his angry glare. He was furious—his expression thunderous as he approached.

He paused in front of her and didn’t
even try to touch her. His lack of a welcoming embrace or greeting certainly
didn’t invite hers. She bit her tongue and kept quiet. All she could do was
stare and wait.

“You shouldn’t have come,” he
whispered.

He’s right.

He scanned the camp like a hunter,
never making direct eye contact, searching the area for what? Danger?

This wasn’t the welcome she expected.
The moment was more than awkward. Her chest tightened with apprehension. Not
understanding his behavior, she still felt indignant. She was justified. “Really?
You went missing for almost two weeks. I was concerned.”

He merely shrugged as if her concern
meant nothing to him.

“Can you at least tell me what
happened to you?”

“It was over blown,” he said.

“Over blown? I doubt that. Look at
you.”

“I was a fool. I got lost.”

If she believed this was just about
him feeling foolish, she’d let it go. But there was more. Convinced there was
still something he was hiding, she reached for him and her chest tightened a
bit more when he recoiled. Stepping back, he shook her off as if her touch
repulsed  him. The cold reaction forced her to drop her hand. 

“I’m fine, Shelby.
This trip was a waste of your time. I’m in the process of training a new
surgeon, so I can return next month.”

 “Kyle,
I needed to see for myself that you were all right.”

“Then you've seen for yourself I’m
okay. A phone call would have been sufficient.” His words hardened his already
icy greeting. 

Perhaps his distant response was
because of the people bustling around she thought before an even more uncomfortable
possibility squeezed her heart. While she’d been worried sick, his feelings for
her changed.

He was over her.

No matter how she played out that
scenario, she couldn’t wrap her head around it. Visions of their last few days
together battled with what she was experiencing . The only thing that made any
sense was that he’d already found someone else, but that wasn't something she
would ever suspect of Kyle.

Straightening her back and swallowing
hard, she gathered her reserve. More resolute than ever, she vowed she wasn’t
going home or letting him dump her, if that was his intention, without a better
explanation.

 “You’re fifteen pounds leaner
and you look exhausted.”

“Of course! I’ve been lost in the
jungle for two weeks and working my ass off day and night when I’ve been
here." His voice sounded shrill then he caught himself. "But that’s
not your concern.”

“O-oh. Okay.” Not her concern? The painful rejection  confirmed her fear. If
he wasn’t her concern then they were finished. In spite of her medical training,
she discovered a heart could break. As all her hope dissolved in her stomach,
she wondered if this would destroy her.  How would she face the future,
her plans—their plans, if this relationship was over?

He ran a hand down his face. “The boy
I went looking for still hasn’t been found.”

That explained a lot. She could
understand his  concern for the boy, but the words he snapped out still
felt like a slap.

“I’m sorry about the boy." She
waited for Kylw to say or do something. "They said they found blood all
over your backpack and medical bag—”

“I told them it was the jaguar’s
blood, not mine. I had to stab it.”

Suddenly, the air was too thick to
breathe, the heat too repressive. She struggled to take her next breath. As she
stood facing him with her knees wobbling, he continued to look everywhere
except at her. She wanted to reach out and shake him. “My God, you could have
been killed.”

After a long silence he said, “It’s
more dangerous here than we thought.” His shoulders drooped and his posture
sagged.

The idea of Kyle killing anything, surviving in the jungle, or living in a rough camp
like this would have seemed preposterous if she hadn’t seen it with her own
eyes. But here he stood, paying penance for the lifestyle of his family.

“You don’t have to do this, Kyle,” she whispered,  finally touching his arm.
This time he didn’t flinch. He tensed.

“Do what?” he asked and finally looked
up at her. A light flickered as if he saw her for the first time, and hope
arrowed through her heart. Then his brows drew together into a dark scowl. The
light faded and her hope died.

“You know what I’m talking about.” She
didn’t understand why she persisted except that they'd shared too much for her
to be blown off in a muddy tent city without a good explanation. “There’s no
need for you to die proving that you’re the one member of your family, at
least, who isn’t a leach sucking the life blood from the underclass.”

Kyle inhaled sharply in surprise. His skin
went even paler than it had been, and he looked as if her words  gutted
him. His entire presence vibrated beside her. His jaw clenched, his eyes went
dark, and for a moment Shelby thought he would run. Then he straightened his shoulders and without an
ounce of expression spoke so softly she almost wasn't certain she heard him
correctly. “No. I was mistaken. I’m not different from the rest.”

“What are you talking about?”

“People do what it takes to fulfill
their needs. I discovered I am one of them after all.”

“You’re here, aren’t you?” she asked.
“You’re doing good and helping—“

“Look, you should get back on that
boat and get out of here.” He gripped her shoulders and turned her in the
direction of the river. “This place isn’t set up for a visit.” His voice was
sharp and his words clipped.

In the three years she’d known him, Shelby had never met this Kyle. This
wasn’t the man she’d fallen in love with. She searched his face looking for
some semblance of the man he’d been a few months earlier, but his gaze darted
back and forth. Still, he wouldn’t make eye contact.

“It’s not safe. There are animals,
looters, danger.” His hands shook when he tried to steer her toward the boat.
Despite his appearance he was curiously strong, but she dug in and held her
ground.

“Stop.” She shrugged his hands off her
shoulders. “I can’t leave before morning. They don’t have room.”

He gripped her arm. “They can make
room.”

“Don’t.” She put her hand on his arm
again, and this time it seemed to calm him. “Kyle?
It would mean one less needy patient gets transported to the hospital.”

Desperation flashed in his eyes when
his attention drifted to the local men loading the injured on stretchers into
the boat. A child waved at him. Another smiled. The desperation on Kyle’s face changed—softened. The strain lessened. His
expression grew less paranoid.

One injured man thanked him as they
carried him by. For a moment Kyle appeared more like the doctor she
remembered, more like himself, but only for that brief moment before he turned
his back on her.

“You have to go...but you’re right. Not now. There
are too many injured today.”

Shelby huffed and squared her shoulders. “Surely, you can put with me until
morning. I think I can stay out of trouble for a few hours.”

He merely grunted and refused to look
at her. He started to take her arm then stopped himself. “Stay here. Don’t
move. I’ll be right back. I want to be sure they make room for you tomorrow
morning.”

“Okay. Then do you think you can show
me around the facility?”

“Not much point. You’ll never be back
here again.”

“I might be back. You don’t know what
my plans are.”

He shrugged. His rudeness left her
stunned as he walked away.

The men gestured when they spoke to Kyle as he made arrangements for her. He returned, still scanning the area
like he was looking for someone or something.

“Max never should have let you come here.” He shook his head, and she could
swear he let out a low growl.

“Let me? Max doesn’t say what I can or cannot do.” She poked him in his chest. “And
neither do you. Is there someplace where I can put this bag?

“In my tent.”

“Where will I stay tonight?”

“With me. There’s no other safe
place.”

She wasn’t thrilled by the prospect
after his cold greeting, but maybe it would give her time to find out what was
wrong.

“Here, let me take that.” He offered
to take her bag as if he’d suddenly remembered his manners. Picking up the bag
like it weighed nothing, Kyle walked off in the direction of several
smaller tents on the perimeter of the camp. “You coming?” he asked over his
shoulder but didn’t speak again as they kept up a quick pace all the way to the
far edge. Kyle acted as if he couldn’t wait to get to shelter. At least he didn’t seem
as weak as he looked.

“Make yourself at home.” He held the
flap open for her and followed her inside. She thought he sighed when the flap
closed behind him.

“You have your own tent?”

“I work odd hours. It’s better this
way. I don’t disturb anyone coming or going.”

“Speaking of coming and going, exactly
when are you scheduled to come home?”

“As soon as the new surgeon can take
over. As far as I’m concerned, the sooner the better.”

“Really? I thought you were doing what
you dreamed of here.”

“If dreams are nightmares,” he
mumbled.

She wondered what he meant by that.
"Has it been so bad?”

“Forget I said anything. I’m
physically and mentally drained. Once I get back on my feet, I’ll be okay.”

“Kyle,
maybe you should come home with me.”

“I can’t. Not yet. There's too much
unfinished business.”

“What’s so important that you’d risk
your health?”

“Don’t ask—” he warned, holding up a
hand to stop the onslaught of questions, and glanced around the tent. “Believe
me, it’s very important.”

“Okay, then—”

“Look, why don’t you clean up?” He
pointed to a wash basin and towels. “I have to check in with Dr. Salazar anyway right now. You’ll meet him later.”

“I’d like that.”

He approached her and tilted her chin
up so she had to look at him. His eyes went dark and his voice sounded like
black velvet. “Shelby,
don’t leave the tent without me.”

An uncomfortable compulsion forced her
to consider doing as he asked, but she managed to break through her thoughts to
question him anyway. “What’s out there?”

He shook his head at her with a wry crooked
smile. “It’s dangerous. Trust me. Just don’t leave. We’ll talk when I return.
Deal?”

Shelby nodded. 

“D-deal,” she said, and her response
sounded as shaky to Kyle as the hand
she extended. 

He took it and cringed at the feel of
her warm skin against his. Turning away, he closed the flap behind him as he
left her. He hoped his compulsion effected his strong-willed Shelby.
For her own safety, she had to heed his warning. 

Hurting her this way was the hardest
thing he’d ever done. And there was no doubt he had hurt her. Even
without his new found powers, her body language was clear evidence of
her disappointment. When he’d
finally had the guts to face her, he saw the ultimate pain in her eyes. 

The
late afternoon sun hid in the shadows of the canopy, but the effects were
lessening. Even he felt more energized. Amyra would awaken soon and want to
feed from him, and then she would hear about the red-headed woman who came to
the camp looking for him. She’d wonder who Shelby was to him and when she found
out—and she would find out—she’d use his love for Shelby to
destroy him. There would be no stopping her.

The
fangs in his mouth extended with his anger. He took a few cleansing breaths to
get himself under control before showing up on Victor's
doorstep.

Kyle swore
beneath his breath. He hurt Shelby to protect
her. At first his greatest fear was that Amyra would destroy everything he
and Shelby had
together. 

"Too
late," he hissed beneath his breath. She’d already accomplished that by
turning him into a demon like herself. With Shelby here in camp, his new fear was
that she'd use Shelby
to get to him. He wouldn’t allow Amyra to use Shelby
as a pawn. It was already too late for him

Shelby didn’t
suspect how he felt, how hard it had been for him not to touch her. It had been
almost impossible to act cold and uncaring. His hands still itched to touch
her, to run his fingers through her hair, clasp her close, and kiss her sweet
lips.

He
lifted his fingers and sniffed. Yes, her scent lingered on his fingers from
where he’d touched her chin. Delicious. If he stayed he was afraid the
scent of her blood would drive him mad.  The damn fragrance of her
skin was bad enough to make him forget himself. Almost.

Then
he recalled her trusting eyes and knew he'd never let harm come to her. Never. 






Read the previous chapters of Defeat The Darkness here at the Hearts of Darkness page



To Be Continued Next Week....

All rights reserved. No part of this may be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the author. Copyright 2012, Eliza March 

The Turning - Read this next chapter from Defeat The Darkness

DEFEAT THE DARKNESS by Eliza March

Continued from February 16th...



The Turning




 Kyle’s stomach
twisted within his belly, and his tongue felt thick inside his dry mouth. Over
the past three days, Amyra had managed to slowly deplete Kyle’s blood yet kept
him alive,  drained and chained, claiming
the time of his transmutation drew ever closer.




Tonight.
He felt it. He would be forever changed.

From
the actions of the guards, he suspected she planned to finish the job. He hadn’t
been able to stomach much to eat in several days, even though his stomach felt
like a hollow gourd. He’d eaten nothing all day, and hadn’t been offered anything
to drink by the guards. When he asked for water, they  shook their heads and said nothing.

Later,
one of the female guards offered some whispered advice. “You will fare better
without anything in your stomach. Take as much blood at first as you can manage
to build up your strength, because the dark one will withhold it from you
later.”

Perhaps
they were correct. In any case, he’d find out soon enough. The largest male
shifter, the one who never completely resumed his human form, growled when he
entered the room. Tonight his facial features were those of the jaguar. He glanced
at Kyle, then at his clothes on the
bed. “Prepare yourself. Dusk approaches,” he said and turned away.   

Kyle sensed the guard
was jealous, resentful that he wasn’t the one who could fulfill Amyra’s needs. Kyle would have been cheering the guy on if it meant
being out of her grasp. Good luck with her and good riddance would have been
his final wishes for the shifter and the twisted demon woman.

With
shaking hands, he managed to dress in the loose black silk pants the female
guard had laid out, understanding he would be taken to Amyra soon. He ignored
the shirt, too lightheaded to bother with anything more. There was no point
going to all the trouble, since if all went as usual, she’d want to feed
immediately and have him stripped for easy access.

The
very thought of drinking Amyra’s blood turned his stomach, but to his disgust,
his mouth salivated. He was afraid in his weakened state there was no way he
would survive if she took more of his blood without replenishing it. No food,
no water, drained of blood—every cell in his body screamed for nourishment, and
the jaguar roared for sexual satisfaction.

The
male guard returned shortly to deliver Kyle
to Amyra. This time as he entered, Kyle
could barely walk on his own as he stumbled across the threshold. The guard
held him upright, and then he sniffed. The most delicious scent filled his
senses. His stomach growled.

He
was surprised at how Amyra held herself back. When she approached him, her
fangs extended but she didn’t give the order to have him tied to the bed as she
usually did. Amyra tilted her head at the door, silently ordering the guards
out. Once they closed the enormous wooden door behind them, she bit her full
lower lip and approached him.

He
stared at the deep crimson drop, hunger radiating through him. The dark droplet
slid over her plump lip and contrasted against her pallid skin. His gaze traced
the path of the rich blood as it slowly dribbled down to her chin.

The
scent drew him closer. The delicious smell was her blood. Sniffing the air and moving
ever closer, he ran his tongue across his lips. All his vision narrowed to that
spot when another drop oozed to the surface of the tiny wound and spilled over.
This time he was close enough to catch it with his tongue. He closed his eyes
and savored the flavor. As she bent in and kissed him, every cell in his body
begged for more.

Kyle wouldn’t,
couldn’t refuse this time. He’d bargained with the devil and lost. Even that
tiny taste made him feel stronger. What would more do?

Her
fang pierced his tongue and she gently sucked, mingling their blood in his
mouth. Without backing up, he allowed her to rub her glorious body against his.
She stroked his tongue with hers and more blood flooded his mouth. The ravenous
need within him was being satisfied and he didn’t want it to end. Suddenly, the
touch of her nipples brushing back and forth across his chest felt tempting,
good, and right.

He
swept his tongue over the spot on her sweet lower lip that still bled, relishing
the flavor. The delicious taste of her blood in his mouth surprised him. It
wasn’t distasteful, not at all what he expected. In fact it had a rather sweet
essence, something that made him want more—need more—demand more. 

When
she lowered her head and sank her teeth into his chest, feeding lightly from
him, he cupped her head and her hips. The sensual pull of her lips at his
breast made him hunger for something, anything, everything. He tossed his head
back, his eyes rolled closed, and he groaned in pleasure as he licked the blood
still on his lips.

Kyle clutched her
body firmly against his own and reluctantly acknowledged a sudden magnetic
attraction. The need for Amyra grew, first in his head and then in his groin.
Her thoughts began to seep into his mind. The minute she turned her gaze up at
him, he believed he was starving for her—his mind and his body hungered for her.
A low, guttural growl leached from his parched throat. The jaguar wanted her
blood and her body. He didn’t have the strength to fight the cat over both.

He
bent, lifting Amyra into his arms, and carried her to the bed. All her dark
hair tumbled about her shoulders and over her breasts. One delicate nipple
peeked through. Oh, how he wanted to taste her blood and suckle from that
temptation at the same time. His voice sound ragged  when he climbed on the bed beside her. “Feed
me.”

The
satisfied smile turned the corners of her beautiful lips when he rose over her
and leaned in to brush his lips over that tempting petal soft nipple. As much
as he wanted to block her suggestions, they kept overwhelming him. He kissed
her again and licked the wound on her lip, sucking and hoping to find a trace
left of her blood, that sweet essence that fed his hunger.

“We
have all night and the transition will be easier on you if we take this slowly.”
She undid his pants then trailed her hair over his waist and across his groin
as she lowered her mouth to his erect cock. He winced waiting for the pain.

Because
he  repeatedly refused to fuck her, she
always took blood painfully from his groin. Kyle
recognized that his refusal was self defeating, but it was his only way of
maintaining control. The pain was her way of getting even with him for rejecting
her, but it was almost worth it, watching her frustration with him.

This
time, he braced himself, prepared for the tearing at his sensitive flesh. But when
her teeth sank into him, there was no pain just unbearable pleasure.

After
a few pulls from her lips, Amyra retracted her fangs and began licking his cock
as he gripped her hair in his hands and held her head between his thighs.

She
lifted her face, her lips a half smile. “You see how much pleasure you’ve been
missing by being so stubborn? If you had accepted my offer sooner, I could have
blocked your pain as I’m doing now and given you all this pleasure.”

Really? Suddenly, she
was concerned for his well being after nights of torturing him? He didn’t
believe it for a minute, but he couldn’t stop the need driving him, either.

“Please,
I need another taste of you.” Had he just begged for her blood? He was losing
his mind and the battle to stay in control. The jaguar needed to be fed and
both he and Amyra knew it.

“Before
I allow you to drink from me, I must take precautions. Your jaguar may become dangerous.
I can’t risk having the cat overpower me when I am in a weakened state. As a
precaution, I will chain you and feed you a little at a time. First, I will
take from you, then I will return what I have taken. Eventually, you will have
enough of my blood to survive the transmutation.”

He
remembered the guard’s words, but was too desperately hungry to argue. He
reached for the manacle and clamped his own wrist, then she smiled and locked
the other.

The
room spun as she reopened his groin, sending sexual pleasure to every trigger
point in his body. He was on fire and as she drank from him, his hunger deepened.


He
heard a growl and Amyra’s laughter as she rose above him. “So impatient my sexy
cat.” She sliced a fine line above her left nipple and bent close to his mouth.
The minute the blood came to the surface, the scent enticed him.  Kyle
dove for her, lapping at her breast, and suckled like a babe as long as she
allowed. He was voracious, like a man dying of thirst in the dessert, parched,
allowed to take only drops of water to sustain himself.

The
process of draining him and feeding him carried on. Each slice of her nail was
strategically placed—her breast, her labia, and her clit—all for her maximum
satisfaction. Amyra took pleasure in forcing Kyle
to take blood from places where she would derive her own utmost sexual
pleasure.

He,
still disgusted by the thought of satisfying her in any way, drank liberally, quickly
sucking in as much blood as possible before she was forced to stop him.

“Slow
down and savor the taste and the experience,” she said, insisting when the
gentle suggestion entered his mind.

He
wouldn’t. Kyle fought her suggestions
with everything in him. She continued to take more blood from him than she
returned. Even with her ancient
blood, Kyle wasn’t regaining his full
strength. If nothing else, he could, at least, have his sexual revenge. Preventing
her from climaxing, yet taking as much blood and strength as possible, was his
ultimate goal. She shouldn’t have kept him so starved. The cat wouldn’t slow
down to her satisfaction, and she had to halt the feeding before he took too
much of her blood. He felt better knowing she had to stop him each time, leaving
her unfulfilled.

How
much more of his blood could she take before he lost control of his mind and
his actions?

Not
much more, he speculated.

“When
will the transmutation begin? I am still so weak.”

 “The weakness is normal. I will allow you to
drink from me one last time before the dawn while you transform. I will take
you with me into my sarcophagus and send you into a deep sleep to minimize your
suffering.”

He
raised a silent prayer for that.

“When
you awake the next evening, I will feed you, then drink from your newly changed
blood and our ‘deal’ will be complete.”

“Except
you want to feed from me several more times before you release me. Isn’t that
right?”

“I
will release you to Dr.
Salazar so you may do your work.
When I come for you, you will feed me as we agreed. Now sleep.”

An
image of Salazar flashed through Kyle’s mind. The man was dressed in medieval clothing
and rode a giant horse. Kyle shook off
the vision and succumbed to Amyra’s strong suggestion.

Despite
what Amyra did to help, Kyle suffered
the agony of the transmutation—the nausea, the aching pain, freezing cold, and
burning flames that ravaged his body.

But
in the end he survived, and when he awoke, his teeth hurt. Not his teeth. He
swirled his tongue in his dry mouth and winced as he bumped against a razor
sharp fang. His own blood had him realizing how hungry he was. Ravenous.

The
sarcophagus was black but he could see as Amyra’s naked body she stirred beside
him. He smelled her. Hungered for her.

Her
eyes popped open and she allowed her gaze to travel the length of his body,
pausing at the erection at his groin. Before allowing her gaze to rise to his,
she smiled, those deceptively innocent dimples forming in her cheeks.

“Come
to me,” she ordered him.

As
promised, she  fed him, but  only enough to cut the pain wreaking havoc on
his senses.

“Now
let us see if your blood is the answer I have been seeking.” She tasted him, drinking
lightly of his newly changed blood and then sighed. The broad smile on her lips
indicated she was satisfied with their deal. “Ah, it is everything I hoped
for.”

“How
long will this pain last?” Kyle
doubled over and groaned. “Every cell in my body is on fire with hunger.”

“I
have given you my blood,” she replied coyly.

He
raised his face with his fangs fully extended, a growl from the beast within
rumbling through his chest. “Feed me as we agreed.”

 “If you want more of my blood, perhaps we
could arrange another ‘deal’?”

Kyle crawled on
his hands and knees, groveling at Amyra’s feet. His new fangs ached. “What kind
of deal?”

“We
will share blood...and more. You will grow to enjoy it. All of it if you stop
fighting me. Trust me, Kyle.” She
lifted him to his feet.

He
shuddered at her use of his given name. The familiarity was worse than her
physical touch, worse than their mind touch, or exchanging blood.

She
placed his hand on her breast and moved closer. Brushing her long hair back,
she exposed her neck to him for the first time. His focus narrowed and his
fangs extended and as he leaned in to bite, he barely felt her hands caressing
him all over.

After
allowing him a miserly taste of her blood, she stopped him from feeding, but
continued her exploration of his body. Still aching but relieved from the
excruciating pain he’d suffered upon waking, he wasn’t going to allow her this
advantage. “I need more,” he said and gripped her wrist.

She
eyed him ruefully when he removed her hand from his cock.

“Later,
perhaps. Go freshen up. I will have you brought to me when I am ready.”

Kyle returned to
his room and showered, his hunger 
building mere moments before she called for him again.

When
he entered the room he knew he was going to have to negotiate with a
professional. This time she was dressed for seduction.

Hopefully
he knew her intentions well enough to fight her. Yes, she could enter his mind,
but by sharing her blood with him, he’d been privy to some of the thoughts she hadn’t
been able to block quickly enough.

The
one thing he still maintained control over were his own orgasms. He wouldn’t
let her get off on him, and she couldn’t influence him enough to fuck her. Since
the damn cat within him had other ideas, Kyle
was constantly on his guard against her nature. What he did discover, was that
by taking his blood she weakened the jaguar. That gave him some power over the
cat.

He’d
resigned himself to the fact that in order to feed, he would be her slave in all
things—all things but sex. While biding time, until the day he could escape
from her evil clutches and find another food source, he’d block her from his
mind as much as possible. It wasn’t going to be an easy task. She was an
ancient, and smart but he was no fool. He knew the game they played. She knew
just how to keep him strong enough to play with but too weak to leave her. He
knew just how fast to take her blood and maximize the take before she climaxed.

She
was frustrated, and that made him happy. The favorite male guard gave him a
knowing glare and sneered at him every time he escorted him back to his room. Kyle figured Amyra took her frustrations out on her
guard after every feeding.

He
still needed help and information. But who did he dare risk looking to for
help? She’d mentioned Victor. He
remembered that strange image he had of Salazar.  Was there more going on that Kyle didn’t know about? Maybe...






Read the previous chapters of Defeat The Darkness here at the Hearts of Darkness page



To Be Continued Next Week....

All rights reserved. No part of this may be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the author. Copyright 2012, Eliza March 

Are you ready for the next chapter of DEFEAT THE DARKNESS?

...continued from February 9th




~~~~ Release

Kyle opened his eyes to Amyra's, wondering what she expected.

She
lifted her face from his chest and wiped his blood from her lips. Her demon had
faded, and the vision of the painfully beautiful woman he’d first seen in the
compound returned. Aroused by her demands, his blood stirred, need overwhelming him.

“Will
you accept my blood, now?” she asked. The
silver in her eyes still swirled with the demon bloodlust, not fooling Kyle. Too weak to speak, he slowly moved his head
from side to side denying her what she wanted.

The
demon still resided within her.

He
flinched at her high pitched scream.

Furious
at his refusal, she spit out orders to her surprised female guard. “Take him
and punish him.” They remained in a terrifying state, half shifted—part
female—part jaguar as Amyra spun on her heels and disappeared through the far
door.

Punish? There was
more?

The
first guard with the partial facial features of a jaguar, had fully assumed her
human form. She whipped her finger over the blood on Kyle’s
body and sucked his blood from her fingers.

“Taste
his power,” she said, her voice sounded like nothing more than a garbled growl as
she spoke to the other guard in the local dialect.

The
other shook her head. “He is weak from the bloodletting. The blood will be thin,
not worth the risk.” She looked down at him then at the door where Amyra had
exited. The guard’s face and body was almost entirely human again.

“It
is not thin.” The first guard bent down and licked him. “He is part shifter
now. He smells delicious, and his blood has the properties of both  human and shifter. She keeps him drained on
purpose. Until he drinks pure human blood, he will remain weak and under her
control.”

The
information registered as Kyle cringed
from the shifter’s tongue. His skin was sensitive and the coarse tongue was
enough to take the skin from him.

“Be
careful with him. Do not injure him further.”

“I
have no intention of damaging him. I intend to follow orders and torture him
with pleasure as she instructed.”

The
shifter spent time teasing him with her hands and tongue. The forced
attentions, though degrading, were both pleasurable and painful. Still
stimulated from Amyra’s seduction, Kyle
couldn’t help responding. He arced against the shifter’s hands, hating her for
arousing him and himself for wanting just a single touch. His damn erection
wouldn’t subside no matter how he tried to ignore it.

“I
should help.” The second Jaguar shifter joined the first and ran her tongue
over an open wound eliciting a groan from Kyle.
“You are right. Even weakened as he is, his blood is rich.”

They
swirled their tongues over every inch of his skin and occasionally nipped him
with their sharp teeth, drawing more blood before licking him clean. Careful
not to take too much, they also managed to arouse him. For the sole reason of
keeping him from coming, they skirted the one spot on his body that needed just
a single touch for his relief.

Torture.

Kyle’s whole body
was hot, tense, and vibrated with desperation. For a split second, he
remembered the way Shelby’s mouth felt
devouring his length and sucking him…

This
was sick. He cleared his mind of her. He didn’t want to think about her while
he was here being sexually tortured by two other women—half jaguar, half shifter.
His feelings for Shelby
were pure. This was filthy. Making love to her was more than a physical act or animal
instinct. Not this, this perverted arousal—a sick reaction to pure physical
stimuli.

The
pain made him weak, and he needed his strength to survive. Although he couldn’t
stand the way his body betrayed him, he knew she’d understand. Not just
understand. She’d be furious that he’d been subjected to this treatment.

He
smiled knowing Shelby
would fight like a she-devil for him.

As
a tongue whipped ever closer to his cock, he groaned and arched into the air.
Thoughts of Shelby
would help him come without their touch. Memories of her took him away from
this place and would soon relieve the pain. He imagined her eyes and her full
generous lips—how she licked them like a cat covered in cream when she stared
at his cock.

The
image made him ache.

She
would bend over and take one or two long swipes with her soft tongue and then
nuzzle his groin. Finally, she’d kiss her way up his shaft, teasing it with her
tongue until she reached the head...

Kyle screamed as
he ejaculated into the air, spilling himself all over his chest and abdomen
while the jaguar guards screamed at him to stop.

Females!
What did they know about a man’s need? He wanted to laugh. Stop? As if he could at that point.

He
continued erupting like an over-active volcano, and when he thought he couldn’t
possibly produce any more, the creamy liquid jettisoned again until his cock
pumped itself dry. Finally.

He
closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

“No,
no! You were not to bring yourself to completion.” The one guard shouted and
struck him hard in the head.

“The
queen will be furious.” The other guard removed Kyle’s
shackles from the bed and dragged him out of Amyra’s, room shouting orders back
to the other guard. “You clean up in here. I will take him to his room and
throw him in the shower to get rid of any evidence. She must never know.”

~~~~

Kyle must have
passed out because he didn’t remember the trip to his room, and when he came to
the shifter guard was in her full human form, naked, holding Kyle up against the wall. To his disgust, the guard
tried licking the cum off his chest.

“Ewe.
Stop that,” he said, weakly pushing the female aside. He had to escape the
madness.

“To
us jaguars, your essence is said to be more powerful than your blood.” She
backed away as if thinking better of what they were doing. “But you shouldn’t
have come. The mistress will be furious if she finds out. We must remove all
trace of your release.”

“Try
the soap and water technique. It’s worked for me for years.”

He
moved under the warm shower stream and the guard soaped up Kyle’s body. While he weakly hung on to the towel bar
to keep upright, the guard massaged the soreness from his shoulders. Kyle relaxed his bunched muscles. This was nice a
change from the constant torture, especially since they usually dumped him on
the floor in his suite.

If
he could think straighter, he’s figure out what this was all about. This good
guy, bad guy approach was different and...weird.

There
was no denying it felt wonderful to get Amyra’s cardamom and sex smell off him,
and the heat from the shower seeped into his soul pulling the tension from his
muscles. He closed his eyes, ready to relax just when he felt the woman’s soapy
hands on his groin and her mouth covered his. For a moment, Kyle was tempted to just give in and go with it. Then
his eyes popped open and he shoved the guard away with more strength than he
knew he had.

“But
you are still hard,” the female argued.

Kyle looked down
at himself. The swollen member between his legs was still erect despite pumping
out a larger load than ever before.

“We
will relieve each other and she needn’t know.” The jaguar woman smiled and tried
to place his hand between her legs.

Kyle groaned.
“Leave me. I’ll take care of this myself.”

The
woman ran a hand over Kyle’s chest.
“You are an exceptional human. Your blood and your essence has much flavor.”
Her fingers traced Kyle’s nipples
while Kyle batted them away. The guard
licked her lips as she stared at him. “I wish to take your length in my mouth
and swallow your essence.”

“No,
sorry. Not gonna happen. My essence will go down the drain. Thank you anyway.” He
opened the shower door and pointed.

Reluctantly,
the guard stepped out and toweled off, but Kyle
noticed she didn’t bother with her clothes. She paused and posed with her sleek,
beautiful body aroused for him. “Perhaps another time?”

“Thanks,
but no thanks.”

She
tilted her head to the side and shrugged.

Thank
God, she left without argument. He was seriously too weak to fight the woman
off. He slumped against the tile and waited, tension simmering through his
nerves. When he heard the lock click in the outside door he relaxed.

Finally,
he was alone.

~~~~

The next time Kyle woke up, he was on
his stomach in his bed. He barely recalled how he’d managed his way there, but
he did remember elements of a dream and Julian’s
words from the day he’d shifted for the first time.

The
boy said if he tried focusing on the jaguar he could shift. If only he could
manage to assume the body of the jaguar inside him, his wounds would heal, and
he could regain some of his strength.

He
couldn’t deal with much more of this. Every chance he had, he practiced
shifting, focusing on the jaguar. The difference between days and nights were
subtle, only possible to determine by the routine because of the perpetual half
light in the underground maze where Amyra resided. Time in the dark jungle and
below ground was deceiving. How long had he been held captive—six maybe seven
days?

At
times, Kyle presumed while she slept,
he was kept in the locked suite, free to roam the three rooms, but too weak to
do much more. Each morning, one of the villagers brought him food, but there
was always a jaguar guard with him, usually one of the large males.

If
only he could figure out how to shift. At least he’d be stronger if the jaguar
within him had to take on the guards, or perhaps he could escape with one of
the villagers.

Later
that night, he was brought to Amyra’s rooms and bound to her bed. They went
through the same routine as they had since he was first brought to this place.
She asked him the same question. “Are you ready for your transmutation?”

He
replied the same way each time she asked. “No.”

Every
time, she started out patient and seductive. It was too late to seduce him,
he’d already seen what her true nature. No matter what he was or what had
happened to him, he couldn’t imagine becoming that kind of monster. So tonight,
like every night, he would deny her again.

A
noise at his door drew his attention. Today the villager was alone.

“Where
is the guard?” Kyle asked in Spanish.

The
young man answered quickly in the local native dialect, “He is just down the
hall, signore.”

“Do
you know why I am being kept here?”

“Ci, the dark
one needs you for her strength. She grows older and needs more power.” The
young man glanced around the room, his attention on the door.

“Why
me?”

He shrugged. “You are the human who survived the jaguar
shift. You are different. She believes you are strong enough to also survive
the change to vampire,” he whispered under his breath. The man didn’t look at Kyle while he picked up the baskets and trays from
the previous day.

Kyle kept his eye
on the door, waiting for the guard to arrive. “Do you know why she asks my permission?”

The
young man turned and stared at him, then smiled. “Because you are now a jaguar
shifter. You cannot be turned without your cooperation. You must submit
willingly.”

“One
last question before the guard shows up. The boy, Julian,
is he safe?”

“Cí, Cí. The queen is very angry. He has
disappeared into the jungle.”

Kyle breathed a
long sigh of relief.

The
door opened and the large male jaguar-shifter, Amyra’s favorite rogue, stepped
into the room. “What’s going on?” He shoved the young man out the door. “I
heard voices.”

“I
was just asking him if he could bring more bread tomorrow.”

“If
you need anything, you should ask the queen.” He snarled and sneered, knowing
the likelihood of her doing Kyle any
favors after he kept refusing her was slim to none.

“Salir
de aquí.” The guard ordered the villager out, and the man scurried away with
yesterday’s waste and dishes.

A
short while later, when Kyle was
brought to Amyra’s room later, he was left standing, unbound for a change. She
entered looking more exquisite than ever and began pacing.

Kyle had a bad
feeling about all this.

“I
heard you were talking to the village servant, today,” Amyra said.

“It
was nothing. I just wondered if I could have more bread tomorrow.”

“That’s
not true.” She turned and sneered at him. “Even when I sleep I can hear you.”

Kyle’s insides
twisted, and he knew not to lie again. He may as well tell the truth. Even if
he managed to block his own thoughts, he’d forgotten about the villager’s. “I
asked after Julian.”

“Ah,
a truth.” She smiled that hateful all knowing smile Kyle
had come to dread.

“I
wondered why you ask my permission to take your blood when you could very well
force me.”

“And
did the young servant answer your question?”

“You
already know that answer.”

“Yes.
Yes I do. And I know you considered escape when you didn’t see the guard.”

Apparently
he hadn’t learned how to guard his thoughts as well as he thought he had.

Amyra
clapped her hands and two more male guards appeared. The females from the other
encounter had been conspicuously missing since the night he’d ejaculated. Amyra
probably read their minds too.

“Please
bring in my surprise for Dr.
Lachlan.”

The
guards left and returned within moments escorting Julian’s
mother, Antonia, and his little
brother. When little Tomas smiled at him, Kyle’s
heart dropped.

“You
said we had a deal,” he said.

“Yes,
we had a deal, as you put it. But you
broke our agreement when you considered escape.” Her smile was benign as she
considered the lovely little boy, petting him, wrapping his soft, dark curly
hair around her fingers. “So anything that happens to this child will be your
doing.”

Rocking
and keening, Julian’s mother suddenly
looked up frantic, first beseeching Kyle
then Amyra who merely shrugged. He hated knowing he was the cause of Antonia’s predicament, hated seeing the fear and
worry on her face.

“You
win.” He said to Amyra in English. He wouldn’t stand by and let anything happen
to the boy and the woman when he saw the trust in the little one’s eyes. “Let
them go and I will take your blood.”

“Do
we have a ‘new’ bargain, doctor?” Amyra asked.

“Yes,
if you agree to a few stipulations. Free them now and vow to leave Julian and his family alone in the future. And... I
want to continue my life’s work when I have completed the change. ”

“I
will need your presence for a few weeks after that, and then you will be free
to go. Does that meet with your approval, doctor?”

Kyle nodded.
“Release them, now.”

“Guards,
set the woman free.” She was breathless with anticipation. Her voice sounded
giddy at the prospect.

Antonia Ramirez sobbed, clutching her youngest son
as he wailed. “Gracias, doctor. Gracias,” she whispered. “I am so
sorry.”

“So
am I, for bringing you into all this.”

"It is no fault of yours," Antonia whispered before she turned and left with the one guard.

His
insides churned at the idea of cooperating with Amyra, but he grew weaker every
day and knew he wouldn’t be able to help the jaguar people if he was dead.

“Leave
us,” Amyra commanded to the remainder of her guards and turned to Kyle with a curt nod. “I believe we have a ‘deal’.”

“Say
the words. Take the vow.” For some reason Kyle
had come to believe she couldn’t go back on her word once she’d spoken the
words aloud.

“I
have already freed the woman and child. I will leave Julian
and his family alone in the future. And when you complete the change, after one
full moon, I will release you to continue your life’s work. All this for a
month of blood exchanges. You and I will drink from one another once you have
been turned.” She grinned at him as if she’d just finished reciting a lesson.
“Is that to your satisfaction?”

Kyle nodded and
collapsed onto the nearby chair. For some unknown reason he believed there was
more to this bargain than he realized.

“How
does this work?”

 “The guards will prepare you for tomorrow
night. When you are brought to me, we will exchange blood three times. Be
prepared to stay with me in my rooms where I will care for you during your
transition. The transition should take no more than a week while I provide you
with all the sustenance you will need until later.”

“And
later?” Kyle noted how tired Amyra
looked. The sun must be getting high in
the sky. Pale shadows fell across the outside entrance when the jaguar
guard came in to escort him back to his rooms. The usual darkness became the
green-gray haze of muted daylight below the dense jungle canopy, and he
suspected Amyra would be ready to go to ground.

Her
voice sounded weak when she finally answered. “Later, if you wish, you will be
free to see to your own tastes.”








Read the previous chapters here Hearts of Darkness page



To Be Continued Next Week....

All rights reserved. No part of this may be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the author. Copyright 2012, Eliza March 

Defeat The Darkness by Eliza March...continued

...continued from last week 

Chapter - Seduced

~~~~~~

“So
my sleepy lover. You’ve rested enough.” When Amyra roused him he’d been
dreaming of Mardi Gras in New Orleans
.

He
had no idea how long he’d been sleeping this time, but it seemed like he’d just
closed his eyes moments before. His arms were as heavy as weights and although he
tried, he couldn’t move his legs.

Still
weak from the jaguar attack, and from the amount of blood had taken at first,
there was nothing Kyle could do. He
couldn’t even move his head to look away when she kissed him.

She
continued to take small amounts of his blood almost every hour since she’d brought
him to this place—each time from his neck, his chest, and finally his groin. At
this rate, he wouldn’t last long.

Amyra
tasted him like an entrée sampler, meeting his angry gaze with her flat black
stare. As she drank from him, those cold black eyes turned into swirling pools
of silver, sucking him into her thoughts and seducing him. Unwittingly, he
reacted to the feelings she shared with him, the pleasure
she gave him through their mental link.

The
pressure behind his balls told him he was ready to orgasm even though he resisted
her each time. The jaguar within him would test his boundaries, but was too
weak to break through. Recognizing the growing signs of his weakness, he tried
to fight back against the images she planted in his head, but she relentlessly continued
her mental and physical seduction.

Amyra
probed his thoughts and filled his mind, enticing him with tempting images of Shelby
while she took even more of his blood. Again and again, she stimulated him, using
his personal memories against him until his balls ached and burned with his desperate
need to release.

During
the last few days, Kyle wondered how
often had she brought him to the physical brink and held him there—controlling
him, torturing him with his sexual arousal. He was almost too disgusted with
his body’s betrayal to care. Hard as he tried not to react, every muscle in his
body vibrated with his need to ejaculate.

Amyra
removed her mouth from his groin and straddled him. He felt her wet, naked
folds and smelled her arousal mixed with the scent of his own blood as it dripped
on his chest. She smeared the coppery smelling blood onto his nipples and
sucked each one, moaning with pleasure.

Plucking
at his nipples, she watched as they tightened, and then she slid slowly down
his abdomen until the slick opening his cock craved was millimeters away from
enfolding him.

Kyle arched up and
moaned.

“You
are very responsive.” She continued to tease his body, careful not to touch the
one spot that would have him erupting like Vesuvius. “You should be flattered to
be chosen as my consort.”

“Consort?”
He shook his head. “Not me. I’m not consort material.”

“You
will suit me, jaguar man.”

 “Why not one of the others? The jaguar people
can shift.”

“They
are jaguar shifters, not human enough to survive the transmutation and remain
mentally intact.”

Maybe
she was right about their differences. The jaguar people had slightly different
DNA from what he’d noted from his
tests. They weren’t entirely human, but then, what the hell was he?

“Not
human enough?” He laughed weakly. “Neither am I anymore.”

“You
are mistaken. You are still human enough for my needs.”

“What
needs would that be?”

“I
told you, I need a consort—a human, a jaguar, and a being with other
capabilities.”

Other capabilities? What was she
talking about?  “What capabilities?”

“The
capability to survive the transmutation from what you are, to become one such
as I.”

“What
exactly are you? Who are you?”

“Think,
doctor. I believe you know ‘what’ I am.” She shrugged. “Who am I? These days
they write books and make movies about me. I’m sometimes called Queen of the
Damned. Flattering but not entirely true. That title belongs to another.” She
twisted his hair in her hands and pulled his head off the bed so he had to look
directly at her.

“I’ve
been known by many different names throughout the long years of my existence,
but the name I was born with first was Aya, Queen of Thebes. My first husband
ruled during the thirteenth dynasty.”

She
released him and turned away.

“It
was then I discovered the power over death and became immortal. It has been
many centuries since I have considered a partner, but recently I find myself in
need of a new consort—one who is powerful and capable of walking in the dark
and the light. You will quench my needs soon enough and become that consort.”

“Never.”
He’d rather die than help this evil bitch achieve what she wanted.

He
moaned in pain when she began his seduction all over again. His inner jaguar
was beyond frustrated and ready to fuck thin air to reach orgasm. The damned
cat would keep responding to her until he was sexually satisfied. If that
didn’t happen soon, Kyle was afraid
his human side would crack, and God help him if the beast raging inside him
broke loose.

Amyra
sat back on her knees and stared at him.

“Doctor,
why do you fight this? It is useless. Do you not understand all that I can
share with you? I am an ancient, very old and very powerful.”

Again,
he wondered why she didn’t just force him. If she hadn’t, he was certain there
must be a reason. One he needed to discover if he wanted to escape. Until then,
he would hold out as long as the jaguar within him didn’t break through.

“I
don’t need your power.”

“No?
You think not?” Her smile was pure evil, filled with the confidence of eons of years
of knowledge he couldn’t fathom. “I will bring the boy here,” she hissed a high
threatening sound. She came too close to his bound hand as she leaned over him.


A
mistake.

Kyle gripped her
wrist with strength he didn’t know he possessed. “You won’t.” She looked
surprised when he growled. “We have a deal, and every time you take my blood I
am fulfilling my part.”

“I
could ride your erection and take those foolish ideals of love from your
memories. That woman you are so fond of—all memories of her will be gone and I
can replace her with memories of me. Corazón mío, we would be
so good together.”

He
bit his lip, drawing blood when she stroked his cock and brought it to full
staff. She licked the blood from his lips and laughed, straddling his legs, her
curls damp with desire as she opened herself over his shaft.

Damn,
the need was killing him. If only she would lower herself onto him and sink down,
swallowing him in her cold wet grip, he could come.

And
then what?

Thoughts
of hurting Shelby
swallowed his need.

“Now,
my virile paramour, here is my final offer. I will allow you to spend yourself
if you are ready to accept my blood.”

“No.”
If he allowed it, she would take more, and while his mind was his own, he would
never give in, never betray Shelby.

He
refused to arch his hips up to claim her no matter how badly his body demanded
it. “You will stick to our bargain, bitch. I’ll keep my memories, and you may
not ride me without my permission.”

She
slapped him, drawing more blood—this time from his nose.

“You
do not command me just because you are the first super human to survive the
shift!” Amyra screamed.

The
woman had finally run out of patience, and in her fury she’d divulged a very
important answer to one of his many questions. Kyle
would have smiled if his face didn’t hurt so badly. So, he was super human, the only one who had
survived the jaguar bite, and successfully shifted with his mental capacity
intact. Now, if only he could figure out why she needed him.

“I
will ask you again. Will you accept my blood?”

A
shiver ran through him at the thought, and when he refused once more, her
features began to change. The demon within her took over and she took on her
true, even more frightening form. Her eyes glowed red, her facial features
changed—her jaw and forehead broadened, her nails curled into claws, and her
fangs elongated two-fold. Then she attacked him. This creature was more than
the mythical vampire—this was demonic—a spawn of the devil. This Amyra had
little control.

Kyle closed his
eyes and endured the burning pain. He withstood her assault, wondering what
else she’d shared blood with to take on this power.

And
to think, she planned to make him like her. Never!


While
she wreaked havoc on his body, Kyle
swore he would never allow himself to become what she was. Despite the painful
tearing at his flesh, she forced him to remain conscious.

The
room grew darker all around him as she took more and more of his blood,
draining him until he was close to death. His heartbeat slowed and he wondered
if this was how it would happen, how she would drain him and feed him her own
tainted blood. The blood loss made him so weak and thirsty, the idea of
drinking from her had merit. But the consequences reminded him why he should
die first.

“Now,
doctor?”











Read the previous chapters here Hearts of Darkness page



To Be Continued Next Week....

All rights reserved. No part of this may be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the author. Copyright 2012, Eliza March 

DEFEAT THE DARKNESS by Eliza March Sunday Installment

To  begin reading this story from the beginning  CLICK HERE




...Continuation from HEARTS OF DARKNESS page:





Chapter - Missing

New Orleans

Desperation
made Shelby
risk the call. Wasn’t it bad enough Max
had taken on the role of babysitter since Kyle
left? Between his work and caring for her, his own social life had come to a
grinding halt.

Was
it fair dragging Max into all this? Or
was it right? He and Kyle had been
close these last few years—Max would
want to be involved and she needed someone she trusted implicitly. Other than Kyle, Max
was that person.

Besides,
Mr. Hamilton,
his father had all the right contacts.

With
her cell phone glued to her ear, she paced the bedroom picking up discarded
clothes, organizing a stack to take with her, and chewing her fingernails, she
waited for him to answer.

Thankfully,
Max picked up on the fourth ring. Any
more waiting and she’d have chewed off one of her fingers.

“Hey,
Shelby
girl, did you change your mind about that Yankee and decide to settle down with
your good ole boy.” His charm poured through her, relaxing the tension a bit.
She trusted him. He’d help. He’d make this better.

“Max, something’s wrong in Guatemala. Dr. Salazar
just called and told me Kyle is
missing.”

“What?
What the hell happened?”

“Apparently
Kyle joined a search party looking for
a teen he befriended who went off into the jungle. Salazar
said something about jaguars attacking the local villagers in the area. Neither
Kyle nor the boy have been seen—”

“Calm
down, baby. How long?”

“Three-four
days, now.” She ended the statement with a sob.

“Do
you want me to call down there and see what I can find out?”

“Yes,
sure. But what can you do about getting me into the country ASAP?”

“I
can’t get away today and I don’t want you going there alone.”

“I
can’t wait. I’m getting the run around from all the agencies, state and
federal, and stonewalled by the local Guatemalan authorities. I need answers. I
want to be there, now. Now, dammit.”

“Hold
your horses, darlin’. Let me call my dad and do a little diggin’ around. I’ll
get right back to you.”

He
always had been able to settle her, calming her down when she went off on a
tangent.

“Shelby?
You hear me? Take it easy, hon. You remember your Yankee’s a big boy. He took
all those survival courses. He’s tough. I’m sure he can hold his own under the
worst of circumstances.”

“Thanks,
oh God, thank you, Max.”

“I
haven’t done anything yet, sweetheart. You stay put, and I’ll call you right
back. We’ll find that boy of yours. Luv ya, doll face.”

“I
love you, too.” She started to tap “off” but thought of something. “Max, wait.” She still loved Max—loved spending time
with him, and had even loved making love to him at one time between lovers. Who
wouldn’t want him as a BFWB? The man was sensitive, hot as hell, and charming.
On top of everything else, she had to admit he was great in the sack.

“Yeah?”


“You
know how much I do...you know...love you? Don’t you?” The damn tears burned her
eyes. She meant it. She’d loved Max
for as long as she could remember—not exactly the way she loved Kyle but just as deeply. He was her rock.

There
was a long pause before she heard Max clear
his throat and say, “I know.” His words were spoken softly, followed with a
sigh.

“You
have that special way of making cockiness an art form new level, taking conceit
to a whole new level, but sometimes I miss it like a toothache.”

More
like a comfortable old sweatshirt, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction
of gloating. The idea was almost enough to make her laugh because he wouldn’t
appreciate either analogy. Believing he was the epitome of a southern
gentleman, all dressed to perfection, and neat, he’d rage against the old sweatshirt
analogy.

“Be
nice. You are seeking my assistance,” he responded, polite to a fault.

“Call
me. I’m waiting.” She wasn’t in the mood to be polite. The last few months being
with Max, apart from Kyle, had taken a toll on her. If Kyle planned dropping out of the scene and throwing
her and Max back together as a test,
he was a fool to risk it. She’d never been immune to Max—not
his good looks, his charm, nor their chemistry. Every woman who met him
recognized he was one of the good guys, and he was, by far, one of the most
handsome men she’d ever seen.

Fortunately
for her, knowing him since pre-school put his good looks in perspective. She
remembered him when he was scrawny, without his front teeth, and then with
braces. Of course, that past was also something that warmed her heart. And, there
was no denying their attraction, just their timing.

Everything
about Max mirrored the epitome of the
South—well, everything except his large muscular frame and his overly long blond
hair. He wore it tied back. Neatly. Nevertheless, it was a big “fuck you” to the
country club conservatives.  It was one of
two rules Max excluded from his traditional
image. The other was his sexual appetite.

She
mostly relied on hearsay after their short teenage foray into sexual-research-gone-awry.
He didn’t think sexual monogamy was the same as emotional monogamy. Maybe he
was right, but convincing her broken teenage heart took awhile.

They
decided—she decided—they liked each other too much to risk ruining what they
had with sex. Max would have let sex
rule over his good sense back then, even when it came to risking what they had—mostly
because he was a teenage, horn dog. Maybe because it was her, he took the
highroad and agreed.

Besides,
he was light years ahead of her when it came to sex even when they’d tried
again once they were a little older.

He
probably still was.

Ewe,
she didn’t want to think about it.

Max made it
clear there wasn’t much he wouldn’t explore, or enjoy, in the name of sexual experimentation,
and she was all about finding her soul mate.

When
she graduated, her parents insisted she join him in New Orleans once she was accepted to Tulane
medical school. Later, she chose internal medicine and he went into biological research. 

While
she paced the apartment she’d shared with Kyle,
she waited for Dr. Salazar or Max
to call back with some news.

What
was taking so long? His father had retired from the state department and had
friends with connections. He’d know how to break through the red tape if anyone
did.

She
couldn’t help thinking about her parents and how they’d been good friends with Max’s parents forever. Being with Max since early childhood always seemed natural, and
made their connection almost too easy. Everyone, including Shelby herself, expected the two of them to end up
together someday.

And
would that have been so bad?

Yes.
There was Kyle now, and her feelings
for him to consider. Had she committed to Max,
the way everyone expected, there never would have been a Kyle
in her life...or it may have destroyed it.




Why
Kyle, she often wondered, and not Max.
One she’d loved all her life, versus the soul mate that swooped into her life,
captured her heart, and scared the living hell out of her.

He’d
brought her old world to a grinding halt—lighting it in colors she’d never
seen. He challenged her in ways she’d never dreamed possible, loved her so
thoroughly and completely there was no doubt she was his world and he was hers.
He emotionally satisfied her on every level, including a new level of sexual
desire, almost a desperate need that she felt with only him.

If
Max wasn’t the one, after all they’d
been through, then how could she feel so connected to Kyle
in such a short time? Would it last? Or, would it turn into something else,
too? Now Kyle’s disappearance had her questioning
her feelings about everything.

Max never rocked
her world—he stabilized it—brought balance to her being. They got along almost
too well, agreed on everything—even about Kyle.
He’d taken her attraction to Kyle in
stride the way he did everything else. Nothing ever rattled him. Instead, he continued
dating every hot woman he ran across in New
Orleans and yet was always still there when she needed
him.

She
knew nothing would ever interfere with their friendship. Anyone who expected to
be part of their lives would have to accept their connection. Kyle was her future, but Max
was her past and a part of her that she could never live without. He would
always be her other half—her best friend.

No
one was more surprised than she was that what they had wasn’t enough to keep them
together as a couple. It was as if fate conspired to keep them apart—as if
there was another purpose Shelby had to fulfill first.


She
looked at her watch and calculated the time difference between Atlanta
and New Orleans.
They had a few hours left before close of business, and she could still catch the
later flight out tonight if they pulled the right strings.

She
went to the refrigerator and took out a chilled bottle of Merlot, poured
herself a glass then emptied it down the drain and settled for a Coke. She had
to keep her wits about her. Max would
help her find Kyle because, one—it was
the courteous thing to do, and two—he was his friend too, and he really cared
about Kyle.

No
matter how many generations passed, southern towns liked to keep the status
quo, and though they all loved Kyle, she recalled how her own mother had given
her that raised brow and asked, “Now, Shelby, darlin’ why couldn’t you fall for
Max? After all, Kyle is a Yankee. What
do you know about his people?”

Shelby had laughed.
“His “people” are old money, social blue bloods from Boston. You’ll have to do quite a bit of pruning
our family tree to match up to his ancestry.”

His father would help despite the fact the families
considered Kyle a rival. No one
disapproved of Kyle. In fact, everyone
loved him. Right now, it didn’t matter if she and Max
weren’t together. All that counted was, thank the lord, Max
had the contacts and resources through his father’s agency to find the
underlying cause of his disappearance. And, to get her into Guatemala fast.




Chapter - Seduction

Guatemala

Kyle’s mind
stirred as he felt rough hands moving over his wrists and ankles. Opening his
eyes in the candlelit room, he noted the jaguar guards who’d been with Amyra
earlier were the same ones who brought him to this room trussed up like a
slaughtered lamb. Two female guards joined the men and helped situate him on
the mattress.

Kyle struggled as
they forced him onto the over-sized bed with blood red sheets, tying his wrists
and ankles to the four corner posts. When they finally stepped back, he was
spread--eagled naked before them.

Amyra
entered the room, also naked but for a jeweled golden torque, she wore around
her neck and a matching girdle at her hips. The contrast with her pale skin,
shimmering like diamonds in the candle light, took his breath away. She was
exquisite, with her ropes of her long black hair draped around her breasts. Her
beauty was frightening in its perfection.

But,
it didn’t fool Kyle.

Her
eyes were flat black, emotionless, drawing in her victim and seducing his mind.


Kyle was
confused. If a man was all she wanted, there were other men in camp and
villages. From the moment he saw her, the connection between them sizzled. He
couldn’t deny that she’d been able to force a reaction from him even when he
resisted her.

He
couldn’t help asking, “Why me?” The words tumbled out of his mouth sounding dry
as sand and rough as grit.   

“I
sensed you were different when I first saw you. Then, when you were bitten by
the jaguar and survived, I was certain. Now I know you are different—exactly what I need.”

“What?”
He struggled against the restraints, feeling exposed and vulnerable as she walked
slowly around the bed inspecting him.

“Only
humans from certain backgrounds are strong enough to survive the transmutation—the
species change.”

The
irony didn’t escape Kyle. He’d
survived the jaguar attack, only to end up as Amyra’s captive. God only knew
what she had in mind for him.

“That
doesn’t really answer my question. What do you need from me?”

She
flipped her long hair behind her back and ran a long, pale pink fingernail down
his chest and along the thick vein in his dick and paused. “You interest me.”

He
could do without her interest. “Sex? I’m not interested in having sex with
anyone.”

As
her nail grazed his skin, his erection rose and he shuddered.

“Really?”
Her laugh was a deep sensual sound that sent vibrations straight to his balls.
“If I want you to be interested in sex, I have ways of interesting you.”

Everything
about her both repulsed and intrigued him.

“The
pleasures derived from the sexual act and taking blood are closely related. Each
is so much more pleasurable when accompanied by the other. You will see.”

Amyra
sank her horrible teeth into him, and he couldn’t prevent the scream that
escaped.

He
somehow knew she could have prevented the pain. Instead, she allowed him to experience
the power of her jaws clamping down and  the
painful penetration of her long, razor sharp fangs sinking into his sensitive flesh.
She fed, sucking long and deep from the base of his thigh, finally permitting
the pain to subside. As it did, it turned into something else. Arousal. Desire.
Lust. Need. Especially when her scent reached, him and her body glided over his.


The
pressure mounted in his dick and behind his balls as her soft hair brushed his
groin, and she allowed him the sensual pleasure of having her mouth surround
his cock and lick him before she deep throated him. Her mouth felt strangely
cool and his body was raging, on fire with the jaguar trying to surface.

She
clamped down, this time holding back his pain, showing him she controlled him
in every way—the pleasure or the pain—it was his choice. He heard himself moan
in ecstasy as she drew at the blood supply in his groin.

Nothing
had ever felt so good. He was part of her pleasure, and his desire mounted to
unimaginable heights.

Just
as the need to ejaculate approached the point of no return, she broke the
mental contact and stopped feeding.

The
sudden withdrawal of her mouth and the release from her mind made him feel like
he’d run into a wall. Kyle’s mind
raged at the emptiness and his body ached for completion. She laughed inside
his head—pleased about breaking him so easily.

When
a low growl rumbled from his chest, Amyra smiled and walked away. “I told you,
you’d be interested. Now sleep.”

Even
as aroused as he’d been, her command affected him. He was exhausted and weak from
the blood loss. Hearing her words sent Kyle
into a light, fitful sleep.











To Be Continued Next Week....

All rights reserved. No part of this may be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the author. Copyright 2012, Eliza March 

Free Read: Installment - Defeat The Darkness by Eliza March

To  read this story from the beginning  CLICK HERE




Continuation from HEARTS OF DARKNESS page:








It wasn’t long after Julian went outside to collect water again that Kyle heard the low rumble of the jaguars’ growls coming from the bushes outside.

“Run!” he yelled, hoping Julian heard his warning in time. He tried to shift into his new cat body for protection, but couldn’t manage to visualize his cat fast enough.

Too late.

Three jaguar rogues surrounded him, snarling and swiping at him—drawing blood. Amyra emerged alongside another exceptionally large cat, her hand gripping Julian’s skinny arm like a vice. The cats quieted without any noticeable command on her part.

“The boy’s brother and mother are safe. For now. But, consider this. I can take them anytime I want. They will suffer if you two do not cooperate.”

In spite of her nasty threat, her voice was like a velvet seduction, mesmerizing him into compliance. Julian stopped struggling, and she pushed him into the circle of cats toward Kyle.

“You will allow me to feed from you, or I will drain the boy.”

“She will be able to enter your thoughts if she takes your blood, doctor.” Julian whispered, but she heard him anyway.

“He’s right. Listen to the smart lad. I will be able to better share my experience with you.”

Somehow he doubted that was her ulterior motive, but what could he do considering her threat? He was a doctor not a hunter, yet something about him had changed. Anger welled up inside him, aggression he’d never experienced before.

Trapped. Cornered.

He didn’t like it. A low growl rose in his throat. He wanted to tear through everyone and everything in sight. His eyesight was changing again, and he knew he had to bring himself back from the brink. He was ready to shift and he wasn’t sure he could control the beast within.

Floating toward him, not walking, Amyra’s movements mimicked the cat’s. Everything about her, from her coal black hair, to her pale shimmering skin, enticed. His aggression switched to lust, and he heard the growl rise again as she approached.

Despite his fresh wounds and his weakened state, what little blood he had left rushed to his groin in response to her seductive gaze. His heart would stop if his pressure dropped any lower.

“You will be fine, doctor.” She chuckled.

His body hardened for her in a flash. Part of him ached for her and another part of him recoiled from her gaze. Everything about her repulsed him and seduced him at the same time. He wanted to fuck her from behind, and the urge made him want to vomit. She smelled of cardamom and cinnamon, but beneath that scent, he smelled rancid blood and the dry smell of ancient death.

Her essence was like an evil thrall surrounding the entire group.

One glance into her eyes, and Kyle knew, not only could she kill the boy and his family and would if he didn’t do her bidding, but he suspected the price would be his soul. He glanced at Julian and thought about his sweet baby brother. They were worth his soul.

“Release the boy and you may feed from me.”

Amyra flicked her hand in Julian’s direction. “Go. I can find you when I need you.”

Julian hesitated than grabbed Kyle’s arms. “Doctor, do not accept her blood no matter what she threatens or promises.”

Amyra backhanded the boy and when Kyle reached to stop her, she held him back with one hand. “Go. You will not receive another reprieve.”

With that, Julian glanced at Kyle for affirmation.

He nodded and said, “Go. Be safe.” He wanted to say, “Find your father and get your family away from here.” However, the boy’s people had lived here since the dawn of time. It was Amyra who needed to be stopped and he had to find out how.

~~~~

Later, after the boy left, she ran her hand over Kyle’s naked chest, tracing his scratches, then fiddling with a nipple. She bent in and licked each wound, healing them instantly. She lifted her beautiful face, lowered her lashes, and circled her lips with her tongue, tasting him. Her lips parted, she pressed them to his, and kissed him. He refused to respond as he felt the sharp stab of pain when she bit his lip and sucked the pain away with her lips.

He refused to respond when her tongue entered his mouth and thrust inside, dueling with his.

Although she smelled sweet, enticing, and tasted like something he’d longed for forever, he knew her flavor wasn’t real. Everything about her was an illusion she created to seduce him.

He cringed when she pressed her breasts to his chest and her nipples pebbled and hardened, her arousal evident. She brushed them against his skin and ran her nails down his hips. He cursed beneath his breath.

Against his will, his cock rose lifting to his abdomen, and his will dropped.

He refused to respond when her hands clasp his hips and ground her mound against his cock. When he pulled away and reached for his groin to assuage the growing pressure, she stepped back to watch, smiling as his body reacted to her despite the battle he fought with himself.

Without a word from her, the male jaguar shifters left them alone. Amyra stepped back allowing the dress she wore to slip from her shoulders to the cave floor.

Kyle couldn’t look away. Her body was sexy and voluptuous when fully dressed, but she was every man’s wet dream when undressed.

She was completely naked beneath the black silk. The idea made him harder in spite of his defiance.

Standing before him naked, with her skin glowing in the dark, there was no denying her beauty—her breasts high and full with large areolas and distinct nipples, her waist so narrow he could span it with his hands, her hips so round and lush a man could sink between her thighs and ride her.

He imagined what it would be like to kiss those nipples drawing them deep into his mouth and suck  until they were long and sensitive—until she trembled beneath him.

Her hands moved to touch herself between her legs, and his gaze dropped to the tight dark curls covering her mound. She spread her legs a little wider so he could see how aroused she was. She was swollen and engorged. The pink nub was evident—wet and shiny, peaking through her folds. She was perfection in the form of a woman and she wanted something from his.

As if he’d been forced to look up, he lifted his eyes and met hers, unable to tear his gaze away. Could she read his thoughts? Did he dare anger her her?

His body obviously desired her, but she wasn’t Shelby. She wasn’t the woman he truly wanted and yet, he couldn’t stop his body’s reaction. What he could do was make sure this woman knew how much he cared for Shelby. He would do nothing of his own free will.

Amyra stepped forward until they were skin to skin. Her touch further weakened his resolve, forcing him in some way to succumb to her mighty power. He palmed one rounded breast, weighing it in his hand. He thumbed her nipple and watched the reaction. The sound she gasped seemed real enough and his body responded to the scent of her desire. Her lust smelled stronger and more enticing than he’d ever experienced before.

His jaguar senses must have enhanced his human senses. What other jaguar powers did he have? The one bombarding him at the moment was the jaguar’s lust.

She drew him in, touched his erection, and beguiled him. Then, as she laughed, she wrapped herself around him like a boa constrictor and took the vein at his throat.

Kyle entered the empty labyrinth of her mind, experiencing the horror he’d been fighting since his attack. He saw what was in store for him—what she would do to Julian and his family if he didn’t cooperate—what she would do to Shelby if he ever tried to escape.

She was determined he would survive, and then he would be hers—body and soul.

Suddenly, that concept was more frightening than death. He would die rather than exist that way. Then he thought of his family and Shelby. With greater conviction to find a way out of all this, he decided he couldn’t give up without even trying to fight her. 

Pain shot through him as if his heart had been twisted within his chest. She was reading his thoughts as she fed from him. He would have to be more cautious in the future. An anxious sense of doom replaced the blood he was losing, filling him with dread before he blacked out.






This is an unedited version. Return for the next installment next Sunday.


All rights reserved. No part of this may be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the author. Copyright 2012, Eliza March