Angels and Hunters (Stoker Sisters 2) Read online

  “For an eternity I’ve waited to share such splendor with you.”

  His hand was gentle, yet hungry as it lured Sadie to the bed. A single white rose lay on a black pillow and Sadie had to smile. “So you brought in a feminine touch after all.”

  Picking up the rose, Ashwin brought the scented flower to his nose before handing it to Sadie. “While I have a great love of the arts and all that is beautiful, I needed to have a space that left no room for lace, satin or ruffles. The only femininity I need in here is the one you possess.”

  He scooped her up into his arms and laid her down, his nose diving into the crux of her neck, into the web of her hair. “But the moment I make you mine, you can have free reign over this room or any other for that matter.”

  A sense of giddy anticipation overtook her, bringing a tingling sensation all the way down to her toes. Her life with him, here. It was more than she’d ever dreamed of. Her eyes locked on his and reveled in the love she saw reflected in them. Smiling, sure and confident, he was every bit the man she’d fallen in love with so long ago.

  When he brought his lips to hers, she instantly knew what it was like to be a woman in love; a woman who was loved. All the words her sister was so apt to call out came to her suddenly; prude, prim, chaste. Alexis had never understood Sadie’s need to maintain her innocence with regards to men.

  Admittedly, there had been moments when Sadie had question that need herself. Sex was everywhere, prevalent and so easy to obtain. She often felt she was the only virgin left in the world. But now, with Ashwin’s lips warming hers, with his arms wrapping her with love, with his body close, so close… she knew her decision had been the right one. The wait and the wonder had been worth it.

  “You're the most ravishing and enticing creature I’ve ever known,” Ashwin said. He’d pulled away from her and was propped up on his elbow, looking down at her with awe and admiration.

  “Were you aware that Mama and Papa wanted us betrothed? From the moment they saw you…” Her heart skipped a beat as she looked into his eyes. Her hands roamed up the length of his arms and over his shoulders. “I had never seen my parents so charmed. Before long everyone was scheming to get us together. Can you imagine? You, the grand Lord, and me, the Lady.”

  “I can imagine it all too easily. Truth be told, I understood the perfect match we made the very first time I spoke to you. There was a light in your eye, a love of life that instantly captured me. The life of a Lord isn’t always fun and games. It can be dreary and stifling. You brought laughter into my life, and a fresh and innocent way of looking at the world around me. I never forgot that.”

  His gaze dipped to her lips and down to the opening of her shirt. With a feather touch, he brought the back of his hand to her cheek and brushed it lightly over her jaw and down to where his gaze had paused.

  Her breath caught in her throat. “Oh, how I loved you then, Lord Ashwin.” She heard her roots in her voice, the sound of Dorset, the English accent she worked so hard to hide since arriving in America. “It was impossible for me to act upon it, being the proper young lady of modest standing that I was. Why, simply being alone in the same room with you was scandalous.”

  She could feel the slow and mischievous smile make its way to her lips. Proper young lady… if her mother could see her now.

  “You were my Mr. Darcy, even after I learned what you truly were, a vampire, I couldn’t stop loving you.”

  “Then don’t stop loving me, my dearest Sadie.” His grin was wicked, his eyes pure passion. “Love me all you wish.” He leaned closer and whispered, “I’m all yours.”

  She reached up to touch his lips with her own. The need to devour him, to have him was suddenly overwhelming. Her body ached for him.

  For a moment he held back, keeping his weight off her. The challenge excited her all the more and her lips grew hungrier over his. Her hands snaked around his neck and she pulled him closer.

  “Ashwin,” she whispered in a strange rasp that startled her. “Don’t play with me. I’m here, now, and I want you.”

  “Lord help me,” he grunted before allowing his full weight to bear down on her.

  Her body’s response was instantaneous. Every fiber of her being yearned for more contact with his skin. Thrills shot through her as Ashwin made quick work of her clothes. Heated and sweaty, her skin crushed against his.

  “You’re delicious, my angel,” Ashwin whispered as he lavished her with tiny kisses.

  In the distance, she heard a knocking. It couldn’t be. Perhaps it was simply the erratic beating of her heart.

  But the persistent sound came again, louder and insistent.

  “Damn,” Ashwin spat as he shot up and stepped over to a small console by the door.

  The sound of fist meeting wood sounded again, beyond insistent, it was now furious.

  “No one knows I’m here,” Ashwin muttered. Anger sizzling down to his fingertips, he clicked on the monitor.

  Sitting up, Sadie glimpsed over his shoulder, trying to see who the intruder could be. A variety of screens lit up, many showing one empty room after another, and even more peering out into the darkened grounds outside. Finally she came upon the screen that displayed the main front entrance. A chill ran up to the base of neck. The screen was virtually blotted out by the backside of a large bulky man.

  “Is that a Strigoi?” Sadie ventured.

  Ashwin simply nodded in disgust as his fingers moved to verify other surveillance cameras.

  “How do they know you’re here?”

  “I have no idea,” he grunted. Stepping away from the wall of screens he turned to Sadie. “We have to go.”

  “Is he one of Skars’ men?” Hearing the urgency in his voice, Sadie reached for her clothes and threw everything on as quickly as she could.

  “I wouldn’t be surprised, but we can’t stick around to confirm.” Though lacking the slick polish of his usually pristine appearance, Ashwin pulled his clothes on, all while keeping his eyes on the screens.

  The man on the main screen turned to face the camera.

  “Ruthless.”

  “What?” Sadie said as she struggled with her sandals.

  “Mikael Ruthless, one of Skars’ best.”

  “I’m assuming he wears his name well.”

  “Too well.” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the door.

  With only one sandal secured to her foot, Sadie hobbled behind him.

  At the door he stopped suddenly. On guard and tense, he listened through the door.

  His tension was quickly transmitted to Sadie. Her body shook. The heat of moments ago was replaced with a deadly chill. Skars’ men were already here. How long before they actually got their hands on her?

  Satisfied with the silence from outside the room, Ashwin opened the door and led her down the hall.

  “We can’t go out by the garage. That’s exactly what he’ll expect. We’ll have to walk out the back.”

  At the end of the hall he pushed open a short, thin door the led to a narrow stairwell.

  Choosing to leave the stairwell in the dark, Ashwin made quick work of each step, but with only one sandal on, no knowledge of the twist and turns of the stairwell and losing her hold of Ashwin’s hand, Sadie stumbled her way through.

  “Ashwin,” she called out.

  His steps were silent.

  “Ashwin,” she called again.

  Her hands as her guide, she felt the wall turn sharply in front of her then make another sharp turn. A thin, dim line of light appeared far below her. Quickening her pace, she headed for the light that was streaming in from under a door on the main floor.

  “What’s keeping you?” Ashwin opened the door and appeared suddenly in a yellowish glow.

  “Sorry, I’m trying to keep up.”

  “No,” he said remorsefully, taking a firm hold of her hand. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have let go of you.” He squeezed her hand. “I won’t let you fall behind again.”

  Fol
lowing the hazy glow, he meandered past a table, some chairs and around a wall, finally coming to a glass door.

  “Ready,” he said, his hand poised on the doorknob.

  Balancing on one foot, Sadie reached for her one sandal and pulled it off, letting it fall gently to the floor. “Okay.”

  Ashwin turned the doorknob and inched his way out. Sadie stayed close, her heart thundering so loud, she felt certain it would lead Skars’ henchman directly to them.

  Only a few feet out of the house and her premonition proved too accurate. The huge bulk that had taken up the whole monitor moments earlier now turned the corner. His monstrous features were made downright demonic by the snarl and sneer that accompanied him.

  Before Sadie even had a chance to consider letting out a scream of horror, Ashwin shoved her aside, sending her flying into the nearby bushes before the beast could spot her.

  Eager to be out of the monster’s reach, she hid among the branches, her eyes riveted to every move Ashwin made.

  The beast, his face pockmarked and oozing with puss, put on a jovial grin. “Ashwin,” he said in a voice filled with gravel. “I wanted to stop by for a visit. We’ve been wondering what you’ve been up to. We haven’t seen you around for a while. Skars is starting to ask questions, you know?”

  “I can imagine.”

  “Did you know that Keegan guy, the Hunter, escaped? Skars was a little upset, you know. I mean having him under his thumb was kinda important, you know.”

  “You stopped by for a visit?” Ashwin’s voice was steady and cool. “How did you even know where I lived?”

  The chuckle that rippled through Ruthless’ throat left Sadie feeling sick to her stomach. They were playing polite. How long before the calm conversation turned ugly and bloody?

  “You know how Skars is about knowing the whereabouts of his people. You're his people. He’s always known where you are, and always will. What he doesn’t know is what you're doing out here. Skars is assembling all of us. Strigois from Europe, Asia and Africa. The time has finally come, Ashwin. We’re going to exterminate human-loving vampires once and for all.”

  “You don’t say.”

  “Not only is he angry with you for the goof with the Hunter, but Delilah is giving him another headache.”

  “I’ve heard she has that effect on people.”

  “Yeah, well, she has some freakin’ ridiculous idea that’s supposed to save all humans from all vampires. They’re not going to need human blood anymore, at least not directly from the vein, you know what I mean.”

  “I’m not sure I do, but then again, I’ve never been able to understand you much.”

  That demonic chuckle rose into the air again as Ruthless leaned back and let his feigned amusement roar. “Well, understand this. That twit wants to save human beings. Save them for what? For later?” He roared with laughter.

  The laughter stopped just as abruptly as it had begun. Suddenly deadly serious, Ruthless looked suspiciously at Ashwin. “Weren’t you supposed to get the Dracule girl? Skars said he was waiting for you to return with her… to turn her.”

  “Yeah, I know. What can I say?” Ashwin took a step closer, his hands clapping his thighs. “The girl was a little more elusive than I’d planned for.”

  He set his hand on the tall beast’s shoulder, jovial and pleasant as he smiled up at the monster. “She certainly has Dracule’s blood running through her. She’s really smart. Smarter than I expected. Smarter than…”

  In a flash, he pulled out a stake and drove it deep into the tall man’s chest.

  Stunned, Sadie gripped the branches around her, reluctant to let out a sigh of relief. Was it over? Had Ashwin so easily saved her from the fate Skars had in mind for her?

  “Nice try, Ashwin,” Ruthless said, barely phased by Ashwin’s attempt. “But I don’t really take well to traitors, little man.” He grabbed Ashwin by the throat and lifted him off his feet.

  Snarling and now hungry for blood, long fangs, longer than Sadie had ever seen, emerged from the beast’s gums.

  Ashwin grunted and groan, momentarily at a loss. But the moment Ruthless pinned him to the wall, he had the leverage he needed to fight free. Both feet rose to push violently into Ruthless’ chest, leaving the hungry monster angrier still.

  Wide eyed, Sadie stared as Ashwin, the prim Lord, the fancy dandy, the bourgeois Bulgarian Prince transformed into his full vampire form…his fangs extended long as Ruthless’, his body became larger, taller until he was towering over Ruthless, and his eyes flashed red. He was no longer the gentleman vampire He was no longer the Georgian era Lord, but the largest vampire Sadie had ever seen. With a roar, Ashwin rushed into Ruthless, lifting him high over his head and tossing him to the ground. Ruthless, stunned for a few seconds, rose to his feet and rushed at Ashwin, baring his fangs. Ashwin sidestepped him and tripped Ruthless. Deftly keeping out of Ruthless’ grasp, he delivered a deadly blow.

  Ruthless staggered back, but found his balance and prepared to face Ashwin again. After a loud and annoyed groan, he bent over and rammed Ashwin, his head butting into Ashwin’s chest.

  Both men fell to the ground, rolling and groaning as they alternated in giving each other a wounding blow. Ashwin had grown larger, but Ruthless was formidable, too, slightly smaller than Ashwin’s full vampire form, and just as muscular, but that didn’t keep the Bulgarian prince from wrestling his opponent onto his back.

  Arms and legs flailed about as both struggled to have the upper hand. Ruthless delivered a punch worthy of his name. The blow struck Ashwin square in the face, but the only reaction Ashwin displayed was a slight annoyance. After a few more exchanges Ashwin pressed his elbow into the neck of the oversized Strigoi, the power struggle shifting.

  With his elbow choking the breath out of Ruthless, Ashwin reached for his fallen stake.

  Sadie watched, itching to spring from the cover of her bush in order to help him. If she could just give the stake a little kick, a little shove.

  But Ashwin didn’t need her help. His fingers wrapped around the stake while his elbow dug in a little deeper. The eyes of the beast widened as breathing became more and more difficult. And when he saw the stake, high and strong above his chest, the look of horror almost left Sadie feeling sorry for him.

  Ashwin plunged the stake in, deep.

  If this didn’t kill him, nothing would, Sadie thought.

  With a smile of victory, Ashwin rose and gazed down upon his fallen enemy.

  Ruthless let out a death gurgle as blood oozed from the wound. As his life ebbed away, his remains dried, crumbled and accumulated into a large pile of grey dust.

  “Sadie,” Ashwin called, still in his angry full vampire warrior form.

  Her legs twitched, eager to run to him, but something stopped her, held her back.

  “Sadie!” His impatience was quickly evident.

  She inched back, unsure where she was to go, but knowing she couldn’t stay.

  Chapter 14

  Leaning back against the trunk of a huge elm, Sadie got her bearings. What had just happened? Her prince, so dashing, at times almost delicate, had fought like an experienced warrior, a ruthless and blood-thirsty warrior. How many brutal battles had he won throughout the Dark Ages?

  Had she not been with him just seconds before his ire took over, she may very well have thought she was dealing with two completely different men; the charming Bulgarian prince, the man who thoughtfully saved and held onto her Pride and Prejudice for her, and the deft fighter, bold, daring and able to bring down a Strigoi almost twice as large as Skars.

  She loved Ashwin, but the vampire warrior she had just seen frightened her somewhat. He was like a Strigoi…there was no denying it…his eyes flashed red, and he fought with such brute force, with no emotions or remorse for his opponent. With her hand to her heart she listened to her breathing a moment. It was finally resuming its normal rhythm. Sprinting away from Ashwin, she’d allow a dangerous degree of panic to guide her, and she now find herself lo
st in the immense grounds that surrounded Ashwin’s palatial home.

  “Sadie!”

  Her heart jumped and for a moment she felt the longing to be in his arms once again. Watching him fight had been a more exhilarating experience than she would have ever thought. His strength, power, confidence all made him dangerously enticing. Frightening, but enticing. He fought with deadly precision and that thrilled her.

  But his conversation with Ruthless left her frightened and unsure. Ashwin hadn’t argued when Ruthless had mentioned Skars’ plan to capture her and turn her. Though she’d hoped with all her heart that he would deny the plot, denounce the ploy and call Ruthless a fool for even thinking up such an absurdity, Ashwin had simply played the inept little prince incapable of getting his hands on the frail little Sadie.

  “Damn,” she spat as she set off on another sprint.

  Every step brought her more conviction. Keegan hadn’t trusted Ashwin. Surely his years of experience as a hunter was worth something. Keegan had yet to give Sadie any reason not to trust him.

  Sadie, get away from Ashwin!

  The wise feminine voice was faint and weak as it echoed at the back of her mind.

  Get away as fast as you can. He’s going to take you to Skars.

  Stronger and more urgent, Delilah’s voice was now recognizable as it came to the forefront. Sadie’s heart fell. Keegan and Delilah had warned her of Ashwin, but still her heart fought against their warning. The Ashwin they knew could not be the Ashwin she had just spent hours with finding out how much he loved her, for centuries, across continents.

  Reaching the edge of the expansive property, Sadie scaled the wall and headed for the lights glowing over the nearby road. Running on automatic, she followed the stretch of road until the ocean came into view.

  When her bare feet hit the softness of the sand, she slowed, certain she’d lost Ashwin.

  “But I don’t want to lose you,” she mumbled as tears blurred her vision.

  He’d proven beyond question that he was the man she wanted. She’d even had the audacity to imagine a future with him, the Lord she had originally been intended for, the nobleman whom her parents thought was well-matched for her..