A Dark and Deadly Lover Ch. 04

"I in turn begged him to let me release him, to flee with me, but he refused, telling me that because Anise had been the one to turn him, to claim him as her mate he could never be free of her, that no matter where he went, she could find him."

"I was still there when she returned and to further add to his degradation she drained my blood before his very eyes while he was chained to a wall. After that she released him and as I lay dying in his arms, his tears spilling onto my face, he gave my life back to me. He used his own blood to bring me back, and in the process turning me." She ended her heart wrenching tale, falling over Daray, her frail shoulders shaking as she sobbed openly and no one, not even the younger vamps that had brought Daray to the warehouse spoke as the sobs grew in volume.

Carla allowed the woman time to grieve, to hold and touch the precious son she had given her life for. As she waited, recollections of seeing the older woman arrive nearly the same time she had crawled to the surface. Did the woman know of the times that she and Daray had come together? Did she know of their connection?

When the graying head lifted, her eyes puffy and swollen from her tears, her gaze met Carla's, answering her questions without a single word. She knew.

"How... how long did you search for him?" Carla heard herself ask, thinking that back in their time his mother would not have been an elderly woman.

"Nearly fifty years." She answered; her gaze growing distant with memories then shook them off to once more gaze down upon the unconscious man.

"He needs blood." She whispered and promptly proceeded to jerk at the sleeve of her ragged shirt, exposing her forearm.

"Have you fed this evening?" Carla shot a hand out to wrap around the too small wrist, stopping her from lowering it to her son's mouth.

"No, but I will." The woman answered, tugging slightly at her held hand.

"Please, let me because I've fed considerably tonight and I can always go back out again before sunrise." Carla offered and the woman's eyes warmed in gratitude and she nodded, pulling free of the younger woman's hold.

There was no need for Carla to lift a sleeve, not with the type of clothing she wore. Lifting her exposed wrist to her mouth her fangs dropped and without another thought she bit down, straight into the vein.

Blood sprang like a geyser from the punctures and she quickly put her forearm to Daray's blue lips. Instinct alone had him opening his mouth, no need to inhale the scent. Carla's head snapped back, a tightening had her clenching her knees together to stop the flow of need. The feel of him sucking, swallowing, his tongue working against her flesh was shockingly erotic and Carla felt the grips of a climax just from his feeding.

His hands shot up, gripping her hand and near her elbow in what would have been a bone-crushing hold to a human, yet Carla simply gritted her teeth and fought the sensations working through her body.

"Enough, my love." His mother whispered, hand back on his forehead to push him away.

Slivers of dark eyes glittered from beneath lush black lashes, confusion brought down his brows as his shuttered gaze shifted from Carla to the older woman hovering at the opposite side.

"M... mother..." He forced the word out of his mouth, his lips still slightly blue.

"Oh, Daray, my sweet, sweet son..." The woman lapsed into another fit of sobs and once more draped over him, her small arms failing to wrap around those big set of shoulders.

His gaze shifted once more, back to Carla and she gave him a tentative smile. He still looked horrible although the most beautiful creature she could have ever imagined and the thickly lashed lids dropped once more. He had not the strength to remain awake, which for all of them, at the moment was a good thing.

"Grab hold of his arms, we've got to get him out of here." Someone ordered and blind fury hit Carla all at once.

She shot to her feet in a defensive posture, fangs dropping fully, and eyes wild in challenge.

"Touch him and die!" She growled in a feral tone.

"Carla, if he stays here..." One of her acquaintances stepped from the crowd, leaving her cautionary statement unfinished.

"For crying out loud, Carla, he's Anise's mate. She won't stop at anything to find him and take him back. You heard his mother's words just like the rest of us!" Another friend shouted, his voice cracking somewhat in fear.

"He's nothing to us. I say we just gather him up and take him as far away from here and dump him. Anise will find him eventually." Another shout rang out.

"Before the sun rises?" His mother snarled, also rising to her feet.

"Who cares if he fries, just one less mouth to feed?" One of the group that had originally brought him here shot back and the elder woman flashed across the distance that separated them, grabbing a handful of his shirt to jerk him to within a breath of her face, her rage clear.

"You... and your friends, answer me this..." She growled savagely, "You kill for sport not just for hunger. Suppose, just suppose it were your mother, your sister, brother, father that became food or a toy to someone like yourselves, how would you feel?" She demanded and some of the smugness in his face faltered.

"Daray does not kill, he never has. He takes only what he needs to survive and he has the ability to make his host forget if he chooses. Anise and you and your kind kill, destroy and mutilate. What if you are out one night and you come across a corpse and that corpse is what is left of one of YOUR family members?" She pushed her point and all of the smugness departed, his face paled, eyes dropped.

"But you said... you said she can track him." He managed to whine.

"She can track him ONLY if he is awake!" She raged and suddenly an idea came to Carla's mind, her sharp intake of breath drew their attention.

"I know I'm not the only one that hates Anise, all that she is, all that she does." She began even as her plan began to take shape in her mind.

Daray's mother released her hold upon the young man's shirt and turning, her eyes brightening and a smile playing across her lips.

"You have thought of a way to destroy the bitch." She stated in a hushed tone and Carla nodded absently, images playing out in her mind in full clarity.

She would kill Anise, hopefully, freeing Daray and perhaps, just perhaps, claim him for herself. Unlike his current mate, she would not punish him, inflict no harm or no pain, only spend the rest of eternity in his arms, in his bed.

A chilling yet very satisfied smile curled her lips at both corners and as the plans flash in her mind's eye, Carla began calling out instructions to the gathered group.

"Toby, you work at the morgue. We need blood for Daray to keep him alive." She shifted her gaze to another acquaintance.

"Olivia, you pull midnight shift at the local hospital. We need drugs, something that is strong enough to keep him unconscious until we need him awake." She continued and could literally feel the excitement growing around the massive room. This just might work.