Crave (Blood & Breed Book 1) Read online

  The smell of mildew was gone. There were no holes in the walls letting in the cold air. There were no drips from the ceiling or rodents scattering about.

  It was a home.

  Expensive furnishings and paintings filled the room. The room smelled sweet, and it was warm—oh so warm.

  Upon waking, I actually considered going back to sleep and enjoying that moment, and then I remembered the vampire.

  I remembered his shocking red eyes and gorgeous face, and I also remembered he had captured me. I shouldn’t have woken up at all with a hungry vampire in my presence, much less in a place of ease, but this was where he had taken me. This wonderful place of comfort; a grand home that was clean.

  After enjoying a few moments of comfort, I decided I should get out of there as soon as possible. I wasn’t sure what the odd vampire was up to, but I wasn’t going to stick around to find out.

  Very slowly, I folded my body and sat up, making sure not to make any noise. The vampire wasn’t around, but it was really dark in the room, and I knew they were sneaky bastards.

  My toes tingled when I buried them in the deep carpet. Once I stood, my knees began to shake, and I felt off balance. Dizziness swept through me, but I pushed through. Once I stood at my full height, my eyes met his in the darkness.

  How the fuck do they do that?

  After a quick discussion, I was taking a hot shower after having drank my fill of fresh cold water. I couldn’t remember a time when I had felt so good. Although I should have been scared shitless, I couldn’t seem to find any fear.

  Seriously, what was the point?

  I wasn’t getting away from him anytime soon. I might as well drink my fill and clean myself before preparing an escape or accepting my fate, which was sure to be death if I stayed. I considered the shower my final request.

  I rubbed the shampoo hard into my thick hair for the second time and then watched the dirty water go down the drain as I rinsed it. The soap smelled exquisite. I felt like a queen.

  After washing myself three times and then standing in hot water for another ten minutes, I turned the water off and dried myself. I held up the clothing he gave me to wear; a white button-up shirt and what looked like men’s underpants. I slipped the freshly laundered clothing onto my clean body. Closing my eyes, I imagined for a moment that this was my life.

  My mother used to tell me stories about a time when the humans lived richly, and I was getting a small taste of that life. It helped me to understand why she cried nightly over the past.

  I stood at the bathroom door, listening carefully for the vampire. I didn’t hear anything and figured I couldn’t spend the rest of my life trapped in the bathroom.

  The lock on the door sounded too loud. Steam spilled from the bathroom into the air in the dark hallway when I opened it. I stepped through the clean smelling clouds of steam and started down the hallway.

  I kept my back to the wall as I made my way toward light. He was standing in the richly furnished room that I had woken up in, waiting for me. He didn’t move, but in a second, he was standing in front of me instead of across the room.

  He either moved calmly and slowly or so fast I couldn’t see him. Either way, all his movements were artistic. It was like he was molded from pure beauty and to watch as the beauty transformed into skilled movements was amazing.

  “Feel better?” he asked.

  His rich voice vibrated against my skin. No matter what he said, he sounded seductive.

  I had once heard stories about how vampires used to seduce women before feeding and killing them. I could remember thinking how disgusting that was, but standing here staring back at him, I was beginning to understand how something like that could have happened.

  “Yes.” I pushed the sound out of my hydrated throat.

  I wasn’t going to thank him. No matter how wonderful the shower had been, and no matter how badly I needed a fresh drink of water, I would never thank him for stealing me and keeping me prisoner in his place.

  We stood there face to face. There was no sound, and there was no movement, but upon further inspection, his calm exterior seemed to crumple, and nervousness seeped into his expression. Just as quickly as his nerves appeared, they disappeared, and he was once again a granite figure standing in front of me.

  He brought his hand up toward my face, and my natural reaction was to flinch. I stood there as he stared at me and ran his fingertips over my cheek and across the bridge of my nose. The more he touched me, the angrier I got.

  Who the hell does he think he is?

  But when I was about to yell and demand he remove his hands from me, my eyes locked with his, and I was stuck.

  I couldn’t move.

  I couldn’t think.

  It was as if his eyes had paralyzed me, and I stood there as he very carefully and very slowly ran his fingers across my lips, down my chin, and then down my neck.

  In my mind, I knew that was it. He was going to sink his fangs into my neck to finally take me out of the world. I guessed maybe I was too dirty to eat earlier.

  When I thought for sure he was about to kill me, he surprised me again by lifting his hand to my hair and bringing it to his face. He continued to stare into my eyes as he brought my hair to his nose and sniffed.

  Finally, his eyes closed, and I was no longer caught by his gaze. He was still sniffing my hair when my haze broke completely. I smacked his hand away from my hair and quickly pulled away. He seemed to realize himself at that moment as well.

  “Beg your pardon,” he said. “It’s been many years since I’ve been this close to a human.”

  “I bet I smell delicious,” I snapped.

  His attempt to smile didn’t go unnoticed.

  “What’s your name?” he asked.

  My name?

  Seriously?

  He had no use for my name.

  What kind of vampire trap had I landed in?

  What kind of sick, sadistic creature had his claws in me?

  Disgusting thoughts of the things I had seen flashed through my mind. The brutally slaughtered bodies of my sweet mother and father, the death of my little brother, Evan; it all flashed before my eyes. It didn’t take long for my hatred to peak again.

  “You don’t need to know my name.” I glared. “What are you going to do with me?” I asked again.

  His game was going to come to an end soon as far as I was concerned.

  “Either kill me or release me—please.” I kept my voice strong, but it angered me when my voice shook a bit.

  I was instantly annoyed with myself for showing weakness. It wasn’t that I was afraid, but I was trapped, and we both knew that. I didn’t want him to think I was giving in.

  “Well, my name is James,” he said as if I hadn’t spoken. “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  I looked at him as if he had lost his mind because surely, he had. Instead of killing me and sucking me dry, he brought me to his—okay, I’ll admit it—wonderful home and gave me water, a hot shower, and was now offering me food.

  Things were beyond weird.

  The hunger pains in my stomach became stronger at the mention of food, and the loud rumble it made seemed to answer for me.

  “Starving,” I stated the obvious.

  “Follow me.” He turned and walked away.

  I kept distance between us as I followed him down the long dark hallway and through another door. The room was dimly lit, but I could see what it was filled with. I couldn’t believe my own eyes.

  The large room was filled with things—things I had heard of but never seen. There were items perfectly placed everywhere around the room like an old museum. Mannequins wearing gorgeous dresses and expensive jewels were positioned around the room. Old paintings of different families and strange, beautiful sceneries I had never seen hung on the walls.

  An old car was even in the middle of the room. It was red and in pristine condition. Vampires had no use for cars, and honestly, I hadn’t seen one in this condition in my entire
life. Passing a broken down truck or an old rusty car on the side of an overgrown road was normal, but this car shined as if it was just manufactured.

  Next to the car was a gleaming black motorcycle. I had seen broken parts of motorcycle but never one put together so beautifully. My dad had a fondness for motorcycles, ones he called Harley Davidsons, hence my name. I felt a tugging in my heart. What I wouldn’t give to have my father here with me to see what I was seeing.

  Without asking, I went straight to the motorcycle and ran my hands over the cold black steel. The name jumped out at me, and I gasped.

  Harley Davidson.

  Just as my dad had always said.

  I ran my fingers over my name—Harley. I hadn’t heard anyone say my name in so long. Sometimes I was afraid that I might forget it one day. There were days when I would repeat my name in my mind.

  Harley Davis.

  Harley Davis.

  Harley Davis.

  “You have a fondness for motorcycles?” I felt his cold breath on the back of my neck.

  “No. This is the first time I’ve ever seen one like this. My father... ” I stopped and took a breath. “My father talked vividly about them, this kind in particular.”

  I ran my fingers over the name once again.

  “Harley,” the granite creature behind me whispered.

  I spun around quickly at the sound of my name.

  Surely, vampires couldn’t read minds as well?

  “What did you say?” I asked in a panic.

  “I said it’s a Harley.” His eyes locked with mine again. “Is that your name?” he asked quietly.

  I didn’t respond.

  There was no way in the world I was telling him my name, but it was nice to hear it spoken out loud, even if he was talking about the motorcycle behind me.

  Something in my expression must have given me away, and he attempted another small smile.

  “Harley is a beautiful name,” he said.

  I quickly turned without answering and started to walk around the room and look at the different items.

  “What is this room?” I asked.

  “It’s my collection, I guess you could say. I find things I haven’t seen in many years, and I restore them, at least to the best of my ability. I used to find things that were still in good condition, but now the places outside of the main city have been ransacked so badly that I very rarely find treasures like these anymore.” He ran his finger over a painting of a sunrise, and for a brief second, I saw the sadness in his eyes.

  My stomach rumbled again, and he seemed to recall himself.

  “Yes, well, let’s find you something to eat.” He turned quickly and started toward a big white cabinet in the corner. “I’m not sure about expiration dates, but these are some things I found a while back that you might find worthy.”

  He opened the cabinet, and there was food on the shelves.

  Canned vegetables and fruits.

  Cans of different beans.

  Bottles of soda.

  I felt my legs go weak beneath me. It had been forever since I had eaten anything like it. I reached up and grabbed a can of peaches and a bottle of soda and held them close to my heart.

  As long as the peaches didn’t come out of the can putrid or moldy, I was eating them. He would literally have to pry the bottle and can out of my cold dead fingers before he got them back.

  I followed him to his empty kitchen. Obviously, vampires had no need for a kitchen, but it was also obvious I wasn’t dealing with a normal vampire. This one, who went by the name of James, seemed to hold on to all things human. The shrine in his back room gave that away.

  He even lived a lot like a human. Not that I knew anything about the way vampires lived, but I remembered how my mother explained the way humans used to live. Back before the wars and the takeover. His home and the way my mother explained things weren’t much different.

  And then it hit me like a wrecking ball.

  He had once been human. His name was James, and he was once a human nineteen-year-old boy before someone stepped in and turned him into the monster before me.

  He quickly opened the can of peaches with a knife and handed it over to me. I didn’t spare any time sticking my clean hands into the can and pulling out a fresh and sweet slice of peach.

  The heavy sugary juice from inside of the can stuck to my fingers. I slipped the peach into my mouth, and my taste buds exploded.

  I groaned in pleasure.

  It was heaven, and I would gladly take a walk through heaven before all hell broke loose.

  7

  James

  Harley; a beautiful name for such a beautiful girl. I had to admit that for a moment when I first saw her fresh out of the shower with clean clothes on, I almost forgot about the fact that I wanted to suck her dry. I almost forgot about my severe hunger. I simply enjoyed her sparkling beauty.

  I was caught off guard by how badly I wanted to feel her warm, flushed skin. And when I reached out and felt her warmth against my cold fingertip, I lost myself. It wasn’t her blood I wanted at that moment; it was her heat.

  I had even compelled her with my eyes to remain still when I felt her sudden desire to run away. I didn’t want her to move. I wanted her to stand there in all her balmy softness.

  Her cheeks were delicate and pink. Her nose perky, and the air that came from that perky nose and her full lips that I couldn’t help but touch was humid and moist.

  When I delved my hand into her thick, wet hair, the fresh scent that met my senses jolted me.

  Sarah.

  My first and only love had a naturally beautiful scent just as the girl who stood before me. I sniffed her hair like a beast, and for that moment, I was back to my humanity. It was so overwhelming I forgot about compelling her and closed my eyes to take it in.

  Her smacking my hand away was the best thing that could have happened.

  I had forgotten myself.

  I had forgotten my task ahead.

  When nightfall came, I would have to turn the girl over to Rhys and a bunch of scientists to be poked and examined. And more than likely, she would be a huge part of the breeding process as well as the future of the vampire race.

  Her stomach rumbled at me, and I again sympathized with that hunger. I still wanted her. I wanted her more than I could possibly describe, but she had to remain alive. No matter what, she must live—at least for the moment.

  I took her into my room of precious human memories and allowed her to pick some food. It was a cruel twist of fate that she had chosen the peaches.

  My favorite thing to eat in my human life was a peach, and when I watched her slowly devour those velvety slices of joy, the yearning to remember their taste was unreal.

  I could faintly remember the tangy sensation I used to get on my tongue when I bit into a fresh peach, but now the desire for blood was so strong it was all I could smell. No matter how hard I imagined some kind of human food and what it used to taste like, blood was all I could taste.

  I needed sleep, and after watching her eat her peaches and drink her soda with so much gusto, I decided it was time for me to rest. Since she had eaten, her intoxicating scent had intensified. I could feel my control starting to slip.

  “Maybe you should try to get some more sleep on the couch, or if you’d like, you may have my bed.” I tried to play the calm gentleman I used to be even though my insides were on fire for her blood.

  “The couch is fine,” she whispered in defeat.

  It saddened me to watch her fiery spirit deflate a bit. The fact of the matter was she was as good as caught, and I could do with her what I pleased. Had I been any other vampire, she would have been dead hours ago.

  I watched her get comfortable on the couch. She covered herself with the blanket I had covered her with earlier that morning, and then I stepped away into the darkness until I heard her breathing even out into a deep slumber. When I finally crawled into my bed, it was three in the afternoon.

  I woke at ex
actly the same time every night. I reached for my cell to call Rhys before I even opened my eyes.

  “James, any news?” he answered right away.

  “I found a girl.”

  He gasped on the other end of the line.

  “You’re serious?”

  “Yes. She’s here with me now. I’ll bring her to the lab in about an hour. Make sure the way is clear. I would hate to have any problems. I know everyone is hungry, but we need this girl, and we need her alive.” I sat up in bed.

  “James, listen to me.” He sounded panicked. “Whatever you do, do not bring the girl here. Keep her there with you for a little while longer. I know this is a lot to ask, but the secret is out. We have guards out front trying to clear out the crowd, but some of the wilds have somehow found out about our plans. If you bring her here, there’s no way we can get her in alive. I’ll call you with further instructions when I have this all figured out. Keep her alive, James. We’re counting on you.”

  You’ve got to be kidding me.

  “You got it.” I hung up.

  I was angry.

  Beyond furious.

  The entire thing was madness.

  My body was taking a beating, and my mental state was declining. I was starving like everyone else. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep my hands off her.

  The couch squeaked, and then the carpet rustled beneath her feet. She was up and about, and I listened as she got off the couch and made her way through my place to the bathroom. The trickle of fluid echoed through my apartment and reminded me she was human and full of juices that could sustain me for months to come.

  My bedroom door was shut, but I could already smell her sweet, succulent blood. The pounding of her heart was chanting my name, and my venom had already begun to pool into my mouth, leaving my tongue burning for her flavor.

  What the hell was I supposed to do with the tasty morsel just outside my room while Rhys figured out our next move?

  If he took too long, I would have nothing to hand over. Nothing but a dead body—a sexy, sweetly scented body that had curves in all the right places and a heart that was strong and loud. At least for the moment, it was.