Hearts of Warriors Ch. 11

Pietro burst out laughing. He was surprised at the genuine amusement he felt at the other man's words. He'd seriously thought it would a long time before he ever found anything funny again after what he'd just been through. "Most people don't remain on Demetri's shit list for very long," he chuckled quietly. "He's spent most of my life trying to work out how to put me on it. Guess I'm off for good now after this little fiasco."

Demetri growled and tried to look mean but he was so relieved at the teasing in his friend's voice he couldn't maintain his grumpy expression. "If you make me regret that you'll be sorry," he laughed back, his eyes meeting Joshua's in a silent thank you.

Joshua watched the two males head into the airport and then pulled out and made his way to one of the only two vampire bars in the area. It blended in so well the humans who patronised it had no idea they were part of the drinks on offer to some of the other patrons.

He'd given a lot of blood to Pietro and hadn't fed properly for a few weeks so his bloodlust was pretty high. After the bottled blood poisoning he was loath to feed that way. It crossed his mind that he'd need to partake from more than one woman to satisfy his hunger. That brought a smile to his face and a familiar throb to his body as he entered the bar and made his way to the back booth which had a reserved sign on it.

He slipped in smiling at the waitress who came over with a bottle of red wine and two glasses automatically. "Hey gorgeous, the place looks busy. Any particular vintages to my taste tonight?"

Mhairi gave him a sunny smile and a quick kiss on his lips. She nipped her fangs against his bottom lip and licked leisurely. It made his body harden further and his feral side rumble in appreciation. "You can have me later, lover, once you've eaten," she purred.

He'd spent time with the buxom blonde before and enjoyed her sultry nature. If he hadn't been so hungry he would have been tempted to indulge his other needs first. Instead he leisurely squeezed one plump breast as he bit her back and sucked on her bottom lip before releasing her. "I'll keep that in mind, gorgeous, but my hunger lies elsewhere at the moment."

She laughed and nodded her head towards the bar area. "There's a tipsy brunette who should catch your interest. She's alone and horny. I can't see her wanting to turn down a stud like you. There are two blondes in that large group by the door who came without partners. If you can separate them from their friends they'd most likely be willing too. Enjoy! And look me up before you head home."

Joshua was already sizing up the three women Mhairi had pointed out even as she walked away with an exaggerated wiggle of her hips. He was smiling as he became aware of a female scent approaching him. She was a vampire and a complete knockout.

His appreciation ratcheted higher as he watched the female glide towards him, silky black hair framing a face of light caramel temptation. Grey eyes searched his face with interest, lush red lips slightly pouty as they hinted at a smile. The woman screamed sex so loudly that for a moment he was ready to forget about feeding and just concentrate on sliding himself deep into her body.

"Someone looks hungry," she drawled, as she stopped beside the booth. Even her voice was low and sultry, whispering to his male senses of just how good they could be together.

"Someone looks tempting," he replied, running his eyes over the black dress hugging every curve like a second skin. His body was hard with need, his mouth starting to water at the prospect of bedding the beauty before him.

He uttered a groan when she straddled his hips and sank down onto his straining erection. His hands automatically cradled her hips and pulled her harder against his body as he jerked up to meet the hot dampness between her thighs.

"Tread lightly, honey," he growled against the side of her neck as he buried his head and licked against her pulse in a slow, sensual movement. "My control is weak tonight as I need to feed. Incite my needs too much and I'm likely to take you over this table and to hell with the consequences."

Her laughter danced across his skin making him shiver with anticipation and his feral side become more dominant. He was a hairsbreadth away from doing just as he'd warned her and his feral nature liked the thought of that. She pulled his head up and nipped at his mouth the way Mhairi had but her effect on him was completely different to the waitress's.

Joshua growled again and thrust his tongue deep into her mouth, licking hard and fast, thrusting his cock against her body. His kiss was hot and demanding, sweeping them both under in a fraction of a second. Her response was just as feral and he knew if he didn't get control right away they'd do something incredibly stupid.

It was an effort to rip his mouth from hers but he managed it somehow. Breathing heavily, he scented her neck once more and thrust against her for good measure before he reluctantly pushed her away. "I need to feed, honey. Come back and see me later and we can finish this."

The dark-skinned beauty pouted at him though her eyes flashed with amusement. "Don't take too long. A woman has needs and mine are great tonight. I'd hate to get bored waiting and miss this impressive body of yours."

Joshua's sexual lust was almost as high as his bloodlust as she turned away from him. He was already reaching out with his mind to the girl at the bar, slipping into her thoughts and urging her to look his way. As she started to come to him, he glanced around for the vampire.

"Whose name will I be screaming in ecstasy later, gorgeous?"

"Thereasa."

The brunette had weaved her way over to him and he gave her his full attention, smiling his usual charming smile and delighting in hearing her heart kick up a beat as she succumbed to him. His need to feed was everything now. He'd forgo having sex with the humans, they suddenly appeared insipid in comparison to Thereasa.

He reached for the fedora he'd thrown on the seat next to him and stiffened. The seat was empty. He was sure he'd picked the hat up from the front seat of the car where Demetri had left it at the airport. He had carried it into the bar, he was certain of it.

The fog of lust was clearing from his mind as realisation set in. "Fuck!" The word hissed out startling the human woman at his side and he instantly soothed her mind sending her into a light trance as he dug out his cell phone. Pietro's words kept resounding in his head, talking about the woman who was out there somewhere.

"Joshua," Caleb answered his call after barely two rings. "I trust everything went okay? Mara called and said Pietro was recovering."

"They should be on their way home by now or just ready to leave," he answered. "That's not the problem, Caleb. Pietro talked about a female vampire who he thinks somehow managed to get inside his head. She got away and he was very concerned about that. I think she's just fucked with my mind."

"Explain."

Joshua sighed, furious with himself for being so stupid. He was too old to be caught napping like this. "I haven't fed so my defences are weak at the moment. Demetri gave me his hat because I took a liking to it. A female vamp just came onto me all guns blazing and I fell for it. When she left I noticed the hat was missing. It's covered in Demetri's scent."

Caleb didn't answer him though he could hear him talking to someone in the background. It was probably Annie. He came back on the phone a moment later. "Does this vampire have a name? She appears very resourceful and someone to watch if she can mess with vampire minds."

"She said her name was Thereasa but she could have been lying. She's got caramel coloured skin, grey eyes and black, shoulder-length hair. She's around five feet six inches tall and very attractive. I'm sure if you check with Pietro she'll match his description of the woman who was part of his abduction. I'm sorry, Caleb."

Caleb breathed deeply and let it out slowly. "Don't worry about it. I'm reliably informed by my woman that this is to be expected and everything is playing out as it should. I hate it when she does her 'seer' act and can only tell me little cryptic things. Annie's not sure exactly how this is all going to play out she just knows it's meant to happen. Though what the fuck 'she has to save three souls' means I have no idea."

There was the sound of feminine laughter in the background and then Rhianna came on the phone. "Don't listen to him, Josh. He gets grumpy when he's not the one knowing everything. We're expecting our guest's arrival and will plan for it. Thanks for alerting us that it will be happening so soon. I wasn't expecting this one to play out for a few months."

Joshua was relieved at her light tone and the feeling of total confidence radiating from Rhianna. She was paranoid in her need to protect those she loved so if she wasn't concerned about Thereasa's imminent arrival then he didn't feel so bad about it.

"Glad I didn't fuck up too badly," he smiled, though his hunger was starting to take a stronger grip. He really did need to feed. He was about to say goodbye when something else occurred to him. "Oh, she probably thinks she's following Mac's scent. I don't believe Demetri disabused anyone of thinking he was Mac who they were expecting."

"Which will throw off her search for a while once she hits stateside," Caleb answered having liberated the phone from his mate. "Thanks for all your help on this, Joshua. I don't think it would have turned out so well without you."

"Anytime, Caleb. I think I still have three more favours to repay. I'm looking forward to the day when you actually owe me one. I think that will be even better than Demetri owing me."

Joshua laughed and said goodbye, turning to the woman waiting patiently for his attention. She was rather pretty and it wasn't just her blood which was tempting him. "Come on, honey. Let's go somewhere private so we can both enjoy ourselves."

As he wasn't about to indulge his sexual lust with Thereasa after all, he might just as well make his feeding a night to remember for the pretty brunette tucked under his arm.

*****

Reasa clutched her prize tightly, already on her way to the airport which thankfully was close to where she'd waylaid Joshua. Luck had been on her side tonight. First she had waited at the airport for hours, sure that if Mac could save Pietro they would eventually end up there. Her persistence had paid off.

She'd been relieved to see the dark-haired vampire looking so much better after his ordeal. The fact that this Mac person had managed to save him from the Amort overdose only added to her interest in him.

Louis valued their friendship enough to halt any further action against the Vârcolac and now Mac was miraculously saving the dead. She'd never truly believed Pietro could've been brought back from the brink, despite wishing it so.

Her second stroke of luck had been Joshua. She'd followed him on impulse sensing his weak mental barriers because he needed to feed. At full strength, he'd have been aware if she'd tried to get inside his mind but it had turned out to be easy as he was distracted by the waitress.

The fedora was a gift from God. Mac's scent was all over it and it hadn't taken much to boost Joshua's already heightened lust to allow her to get close enough to steal it. She'd gotten a little carried away because of Joshua's charms. He was a very sexy male and she was as sexual in nature as any other vampire.

For a moment she'd been tempted to spend a few hours with him, but he was stronger than she'd first thought. He'd managed to slip her compulsion long enough to escape her wiles which was probably a good thing. Once he'd fed he would have been too much on his guard and she didn't have the strength to manipulate a very strong mind at the moment. She was still too drained from having to break through Pietro's mental barriers.

Still, regretful as it was that she couldn't have a little fun with Joshua, she had what she really needed, a way to track Mac once she got stateside. She knew the flight plan of the only private plane waiting to depart and also knew that there was a hold up on take-off. There was no doubt in her mind that this private charter was the one her quarry would be on.

It would only take a little judicious work on her part but she could steal a ticket from a human who was due to fly on an earlier flight arriving at the same airport. Human mind manipulation was so much easier than vampires. It wouldn't tax her strength too much to divert any suspicions from the flight attendants or boarding personnel.

She would be lying in wait when the private plane touched down and then the hunt would begin in earnest. Mac would lead her to the abominations and once she'd worked out how to get close to them, she would ensure they were removed from the world.

It might take her a while to get inside their guardians' minds and turn them from seeing her as an enemy into seeing her as a friend, but she had faith she could do it. All she had to do was stay hidden from Louis and the Vârcolac's elite guard long enough. It was only a matter of time before she would complete her task.

To be continued...