Damek's Redemption

Chapter Fifteen

Sonia lay in bed and waited to see if her stomach would rebel. She was grateful it stayed settled and she gave a sigh of relief. Damek had explained that she’d most likely be able to eat food again once her system settled down. They didn’t need food to survive, but could enjoy it on occasion, just not too often. She could live with that. As long as she didn’t have to give up cookie-dough ice cream and chocolate she was good.

“You’re awake.” Damek coalesced from the shadows and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Yeah.” She’d slept a lot, but whenever she’d woken, Damek was with her and sometimes a member of her family was too. She’d seen them all the past few days and was glad to have them nearby. This was the first time she’d woken with some semblance of control over her new powers. Whenever she was lucid, Damek helped her learn to deal with her preternatural senses. At first, it had been extremely overwhelming. Every sound was magnified, every sight was sharper, her sense of smell was off the charts and her skin was sensitive to touch.

It had taken her some trial and error and lots of effort, but she mainly had them under control now. It would take practice for it not to require a conscious effort but, given enough time, she was confident she could do it. It had only been a few days since her conversion and Damek seemed pleased with her progress.

Maybe she’d been able to manage the changes in her body better than most because she already possessed some paranormal blood. Maybe it was simply because she’d already had heightened senses and this was only taking them up a notch. Okay, quite a few notches, but the idea was the same. She was used to dealing with her enhanced senses already, unlike someone who was fully human.

Her body temperature was something else she needed to regulate. Her skin was cool now and she often found herself shivering before she realized all she had to do was imagine herself warm and a shift in body temperature would miraculously happen.

She hadn’t looked in a mirror yet, but assumed she hadn’t changed, except maybe to be a bit paler like Damek. That was another myth that some believed—that vampires couldn’t see themselves in a mirror. Thankfully, it was untrue. She didn’t know what she’d do with her unruly hair if she couldn’t see to style it.

She was still trying to wrap her head around the idea that she was a vampire and everything that entailed. Damek had saved her life, but did he want to be a part of it? Eternity was a long, long time. And what about her parents and family? They would age and die and she would still look exactly as she did now. She shuddered and tried not to think about it.

“What happened to the hunters?” She’d spent what little time she’d been awake trying to get a handle on her extreme senses that she hadn’t asked.

Damek reached out and eased a lock of hair off her face, tucking it behind her ear. “They are no longer a problem.”

She shivered at the deadly tone in his voice but she had to know. Her memory of what happened at the end was fuzzy. She guessed that was normal considering she’d been dying at the time. “Tell me.”

Damek sighed, took her hand and brought it to his mouth for a brief kiss. “They are all dead. When you are well enough, I plan to take a visit to Luther’s home and check his records to make sure there is no trail leading to us.”

“The bodies…” How in the name of God would they have gotten rid of the bodies?

A half-smile crossed his face. “I could have disposed of them myself but I didn’t want to leave you. I called in a favor from the Haven pack. Those werewolves are very good at disposing of unwanted bodies. They helped clean up the place and put everything to rights while I was with you.” He paused and shook his head. “They seemed to get along very well with your family, especially your grandparents.”

Sonia licked her dry lips. She was thirsty and hungry at the same time. “Can I have some water?” Maybe that would help. Her stomach was growling. No, that wasn’t quite right either. There was a gnawing in her belly, an emptiness that went far beyond mere hunger.

He shook his head, his eyes filled with sadness. “You can have a few sips, but water won’t help.” He rubbed her hand over his face, placing a kiss in the center of her palm. “You are a vampire now, Sonia. That means you need blood to survive.”

Her stomach roiled and she swallowed hard, fighting down her natural aversion to such a thing. It was normal now, she told herself as sharp fangs punched down from her gums, making her mouth ache. It felt strange to have teeth that long and sharp and would make it awkward to talk. Something else she needed to learn to control.

“I’m sorry for that.” Damek hung his head, never releasing her hand.

“Hey.” She waited until he was looking at her again. “It’s better than being dead.” She spoke carefully with only a tiny lisp.

It amazed her to find her stomach wound healed with only a reddish, puckered scar remaining. The blow should have killed her, had killed her, but now she was lying awake in Damek’s big bed with him beside her. Maybe the idea of drinking blood to survive left her feeling queasy, but she’d get over it. She had to.

“I can help you.” Damek released her hand and brought his own to his mouth. His fangs flashed as he punctured the skin and blood rolled down his wrist. He brought it to her lips. “Drink.”

Sonia could feel the compulsion behind that one word, and for once it didn’t piss her off that he was using his powers to manipulate her. The sweet scent of his blood filled her nostrils and she took another deep breath. It was divine, better than the finest perfume.

Still, the idea of drinking blood still bothered her, so she closed her eyes and opened her mouth, her teeth scraping his skin. Something warm and sweet hit her tongue and she groaned. This was better than chocolate and cookie-dough ice cream put together. She gripped his wrist and began to suck harder.

“Yes,” he moaned, shifting closer to her. “Take what you need from me.”

She could feel Damek in her mind, monitoring her acceptance of what was happening. The extent of his power was truly amazing. She tasted his brutal strength, smelled his unique masculine scent. Her body responded, coming to life as lust poured through her. She wanted him.

He jerked and his breathing quickened and she knew he’d heard that thought. Gently, he brushed her hair from her face. “Enough, Sonia. If you take too much you’ll make yourself ill.”

She took another swallow, not wanting to give up such a delectable treat.

He brushed her hair again. “Sonia.” This time there was a minor compulsion in his voice.

As much as she hated to, she released his wrist. All she wanted to do was keep sucking and sucking, and that frightened her. It would be so easy to lose herself in bloodlust. She suddenly understood how easily it could happen to new vampires who didn’t know what was happening to them. She fully comprehended what it meant to be a vampire and it was still incredibly difficult for her. She wasn’t sure she would have stopped on her own and was grateful for Damek’s presence and care. Blood still seeped from the puncture wounds, so she lapped at his skin and watched as the holes closed and finally disappeared. Cool.

Damek stretched out on the bed beside her, pulling her into his arms. He was totally dressed, lying on top of the covers, while she was naked beneath them. She wanted them to be flesh to flesh, wanted her breasts rubbing against his smooth chest, his erection snuggled against her.

“Sonia,” he groaned, “you must not broadcast your thoughts to me so loudly. Your family is still here. Your parents are out in the living room and you’re not as strong as you think you are. Give yourself some time.

As if Damek had summoned them, a knock came on the door and her mother pushed it open and walked in. Her father, brothers and grandparents followed. Sonia struggled to sit and Damek stood and helped her, settling her against the pillows with the thick down-filled comforter tucked beneath her arms.

Tears flooded her eyes as they moved closer. Her family. She could always depend on them no matter what. Damek started to ease away, but she grabbed his hand, anchoring him to her. He didn’t understand family, but by the time her family was done with him he would. He was a part of it now, whether he wanted to be or not. He’d saved her life and that meant her family would always be in debt to him.

“Mama.” She held out her hand and her mother strode to the bed, climbed up the two steps and dropped down on the mattress beside her.

Celia Agostino’s gaze was filled with worry but she managed to smile. “How are you feeling, baby?”

“Better.” Damek’s blood was still zinging through her veins and it was better than a pot of coffee and twice as potent. She felt as though she could leap tall buildings in a single bound. She’d have to ask him about that. Maybe she could. Probably not, but it was fun to speculate. She was determined to focus on the positive aspects of this change in her life. She was alive and healthy and that was all that mattered.

Her father loomed behind her mother, his large hand on her shoulder. He looked impossibly sad. “Papa?”

He shook his head, his shaggy black hair swaying. He rubbed his beard, his eyes solemn. “Much has changed in your life. You have many decisions to make.”

Her stomach cramped and she nodded. She had no idea what would happen with her job. Obviously she’d have to leave it, at least for a while until she figured out exactly what being a vampire meant for her.

She, better than most, understood how fragile she was right now. Bloodlust affected all newly made vampires differently. Many gave into it, killing indiscriminately and gorging on blood. She didn’t want that. The mere thought sickened her.

She felt fine now, but she was in a contained environment, surrounded by people who understood what she was going through. What would it be like to be out among a large group of people? Already she could hear the heartbeats of everyone in the room. The sound pulsed through her veins, calling to her. It frightened her how the craving for blood washed over her.

She glanced up at Damek for reassurance and he offered her a tight smile. “You have time. You will make your decisions when you are ready.” He shot her father a dark look. “You do not need to decide anything right now.”

Vincenzo straightened and stared Damek down. “You are not exactly right, vampire. Sonia has to decide if she is staying here with you or coming home to New York with her family.”

Stefano and Milo both stood behind their parents, presenting a united force. Only her grandparents hung back near the doorway, letting the scene before them play out without interference.

“You should come home so we can take care of you.” Stefano crossed his arms over his chest after making his pronouncement.

“Stefano and Papa are right.” Milo took a step closer to the bed but stopped when Damek glared at him.

“I take it you’ve met my brothers Stefano and Milo.” Sonia’s tone was dry. “They do like to tell me what to do.”

“Not that you ever listen,” Stefano muttered under his breath.

Damek nodded but said nothing. She could sense him withdrawing emotionally from her. He was standing next to her but might as well have been miles away. The intimacy of moments before, the sharing of his blood, might never have happened. Sonia swallowed hard. Maybe he wanted her gone.

Her grandparents stepped forward, her large grandfather standing behind her much smaller grandmother. Nicola Agostino might have streaks of gray in her hair but her skin was unlined and there was a timelessness in her eyes that spoke of power and knowledge. “We will leave,” she said.

Sonia’s father started to speak but closed his mouth when Nicola shot him a dark look. “We will go out for dinner, yes? That will give Sonia and her vampire time to talk. I want pasta and baklava and you will take me.”

Sonia sent her a grateful look and her grandmother smiled, a knowing gleam in her eyes. Good lord, did she know what Sonia planned to do while they were gone? The smile edging up the corners of her grandmother’s mouth would suggest so.

“Come,” Nicola ordered.

Her mother leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “Don’t rush any decisions. No matter what your papa says, you have time.”

Her father leaned down and kissed her forehead before ruffling her hair. “I want you home with us, but it is your decision.” No guilt there, Sonia thought.

Her brother Stefano echoed her father’s sentiments when he kissed her, while Milo whispered for her to be happy.

Her grandmother smiled and followed her family, leaving them alone with her papou. Damek released her hand and faced the half-breed werewolf. Roberto Agostino put his hands on his hips and scowled. He was a formidable sight with his dark shaggy hair graying at the temples, black eyes, huge shoulders and massive biceps. He was larger than Damek, but Sonia knew he wasn’t nearly as powerful.

“Ignore them.” He jerked his head toward the door. “You saved my Sonia, and for that we will always be in debt.”

“There is no debt.” Damek’s voice was cold and unforgiving.

Roberto inclined his head in acknowledgement. “Be warned that our Sonia is precious to us. Make her unhappy and I will kill you myself.”

“Grandfather,” she gasped, using the more formal name for him instead of the beloved papou so he would know just how angry she was at him.

He shook his head. “This must be said. I am the head of this family and he must understand the consequences of his actions.”

Damek didn’t know whether he should curse or laugh. Sonia’s family had completely taken over his home and his life. Byron had taken over the running of the club but that couldn’t last much longer. Damek had to take command of his life once again.

But it wasn’t easy with all these Agostinos running around, giving him orders. There was no debt to him, and he found it insulting they would even think such a thing. And Roberto’s threat was laughable. There was no way for the half-breed werewolf to kill him. If anything, Damek could dispose of him with ease, but that would only upset Sonia. He’d seen firsthand how close the family was.

And there lay the seed of his discontent. Sonia was close to her family. Would she want to go back to New York with them? He didn’t want her to stay because she felt she owed him or because she was afraid of what she had become. He wanted her to stay because she loved him.

She’d said she loved him, but she’d been dying at the time and so he couldn’t take it as truth. People said many things when there were really no consequences.

“Roberto.” Nicola poked her head into the room. “Come, the wolves are getting restless and hungry,” she added. Her grandfather growled but left the room. Moments later, the door to the apartment shut with a bang, leaving them alone for the first time in days.

“I’m sorry about that,” she began. “My family can be overbearing at times, but they mean well.”

“They love you.” He loved her too, but they’d loved her longer. “You should rest.” Now that they were alone he wished her family were still here. As long as there was a buffer between them they didn’t need to decide their future.

Sonia sat, letting the covers fall to her waist. Her bare nipples pebbled in the cool air and Damek had to force his gaze away from them. Her eyes were warm and filled with mischief as she patted the bed beside her. “Come here and we’ll talk.”

Damek didn’t know what to make of her. Newly made vampires usually had little control over their bloodlust and took a much longer time to learn to handle their new preternatural senses. Maybe his blood had something to do with it. He was very old and his blood was very potent. Maybe it was because she’d already possessed some preternatural blood. Maybe it was the combination of the two. Or it might simply be Sonia herself. He’d always known she was unique. Whatever the reason, he was more than grateful.

She was pure temptation and he was no saint. Damek wanted to yank back all the covers, mount her and fuck her until neither one of them could think any longer. He’d never had sex with another vampire and wondered what it would be like to feel her body undulating beneath his as he drove into her hot sheath, to taste her blood on his tongue as they both came, to share his blood with her as her orgasm took her.

His temples pounded and his fangs extended to their full length even as she patted the mattress again. “That is not a good idea.”

“I think it’s a wonderful idea. The perfect one in fact.” Hesitation crossed her face. “Unless you don’t want me anymore.”

Not want her. Not want her. Was she out of her mind? He couldn’t think for wanting her.

Sonia turned her head away, pulling the covers around her and Damek broke. Lust roared through him more forceful than any bloodlust ever had. To hell with all of them. All that mattered was Sonia, and she wanted him. He ripped at his clothing, removing it in record time. He had to be naked, had to feel her flesh next to his. He yanked back the covers, exposing her totally to his heated gaze. Her eyes widened and then half-closed, giving her a sexy, slumberous appearance.

“Don’t ever think I don’t want you.” He climbed onto the bed and covered her with his body. The scar on her belly would haunt him forever even though the wound beneath it was healed. He’d come so close to losing her.

He settled between her legs, letting his erection settle against her mound, her breasts against his chest. He cupped her face between his hands. “I’ll always want you, Sonia.” He kissed her then, kissed her with all the fear and frustration he’d felt these past few days. She made him vulnerable, was a weakness. He who had lived without fear for centuries, still felt the remnants of sheer panic echoing in his blood. He’d almost lost her.

Until Sonia knew what her strengths were she would be vulnerable. Even after that she would be at risk. She was so young and would need many years to come into her own as a vampire. But he would protect her and keep her safe no matter what.

If she wanted to go back to New York then they would go there. He owned property in the city and would relocate, maybe even open another club. Byron could take care of Inhibitions for him.

But he was getting ahead of himself. Maybe she wouldn’t want him to go with her. He ignored the shaft of pain that jolted through him and his resolve hardened along with his cock. She needed him whether she knew it or not, and he would not abandon her even if it meant he had to watch out for her from afar.

Her fingers tangled in his hair and her tongue met his, stroking, touching, twining until they were both breathless. Her eyes were glowing when he pulled back. “I can’t wait. I need you.” He had to get inside her, had to feel her alive and moving beneath him.

“Then don’t.” Her softly spoken words pierced his lust. Sonia would give him whatever he wanted, whatever he needed, when it should be the other way around.

Damek shifted, rolling onto his back and pulling her on top of him. “Take what you need, what you want, my sweet. I am yours.” He cupped her breasts, letting them fill his palms as his thumbs circled her nipples.

She flung her head back and gasped, bringing her mound in closer contact with his erection. She rubbed her pussy over his cock, slowly, so slowly, until they were both near madness.

“Put me inside you,” he commanded. He needed to be inside her, to have her hot, warm heat bathe his shaft. Only then would he feel complete.

She circled him with her hands, stroking from base to tip several times. His balls drew up tight to his body, a warning that time was running out. “Sonia.”

She smiled a bewitching smile as she maneuvered herself over him and pressed the tip of his cock to her opening. Balancing herself with her hands on his chest, she slowly lowered herself. One slow inch at a time, she took him in and he savored the sensation even as it pushed him closer to madness.

His hands cupped her hips and he urged her downward until all of him was buried in her hot core. They stared at each other and Damek did something he’d never done in his more than one thousand years of living—he opened his mind to another.

He let Sonia feel what he was experiencing—the heat, the clawing need, the desperation. He held nothing back.

She gasped and her pussy spasmed around his cock, wringing a groan from him. He wanted to fuck her long and hard, to take her slow and easy, spending hours lingering on every inch of her body. But now was not the time for either. Sonia was still recovering and he wanted her too badly.

“Oh, Damek,” she sighed. “I need you too.”

He sat up, driving his cock even deeper. This was indeed heaven. Nothing had ever felt this good, this right, in his life. She wrapped her legs around his hips and began to rock. The motion rubbed her distended nipples against his chest and she cried out.

He caught her head in his hands. “You know what I want.” The image was as clear as day in his head. He wanted to drink from her as she drank from him and he wanted to do it as they both orgasmed.

“Yes.” She tilted her throat back, offering it to him. “God, yes.”

He growled and knew he would kill anyone who tried to stop him, tried to take her from him. They moved as one, their bodies rocking, pushing toward release. Her skin glowed and he could smell her arousal, sweet and potent. Her low cries of pleasure, the sensual slide of their skin, only served to push his lust to greater heights.

Damek caught a hank of her wild curls in his hand and eased her head to one side. Her pale skin called to him and he leaned down and raked his fangs over it, tasting the salty heat. “Yes!” she cried. “Harder.” She ground her pelvis against his and he could wait no longer.

Sharp fangs pierced her skin and blood filled his mouth. Sonia cried out, twisted her head slightly and then he felt the hard punch of her fangs against his neck. She sucked hard, taking his blood into her.

He drank from her as his orgasm shot straight from his balls out the tip of his cock, filling her. Sonia cried out, her inner muscles clutching at his shaft, milking it until there was nothing left. She shuddered and shook in his arms, but he held her tight, keeping her safe. He would always keep her safe.

There was so much he wanted to say to her but didn’t know where to begin. He felt vulnerable enough without pouring his heart out to her.

Sonia showed much more courage than him. She released him, closing the puncture wounds on his neck while he did the same with her. “I love you.” She captured his face in her hands and stared deep into his eyes, into his soul. “I don’t want you to feel responsible for me. I know you never planned to make this relationship permanent, but were forced into it by circumstance. I only ask that you let me stay long enough to learn what I need to learn.”

He nodded slowly and gently closed his mind to her, needing to get his balance again. I love you. He said the words in his mind but made sure his thoughts were shielded so she could not hear them. Cowardly, perhaps, but he didn’t like feeling vulnerable.

“I fear,” he began, and felt her withdrawal from him. But he would not allow it and banded his arms around her waist, keeping her close. “I fear it will take centuries for you to learn all you need to know.”

Sonia stopped trying to pull away and a smile played at the corners of her mouth. “Centuries?”

He solemnly nodded. “At the very least. Probably longer.”

Sonia longed to hear Damek say the words aloud, longed to hear him say he loved her. She thought she remembered him saying it to her when she was dying, but she couldn’t be sure. Maybe she’d imagined the words in her head. Her memories of that time were disjointed and fuzzy. Probably just as well. She wasn’t sure she wanted to remember dying. Damek’s actions were those of a man in love even if he hadn’t given her the words. For now, that was enough.

Her body was still pulsing from the most explosive orgasm she’d ever had. Every time she and Damek came together it just got better and better. She could still taste his sweet, potent blood on her tongue and savored the flavor. His cock still pulsed inside her body, a reminder of his blatant masculinity.

There was no one like Damek. He was unique and he was hers. She wasn’t letting him go and considering what he’d just said, she didn’t think he wanted her to let him go. “Then I guess I should stay with you.”

He buried his face in the curve of her neck and held her so tight she feared her ribs would crack. He was so lonely, her vampire, yet too proud to ask for what he needed. It was a good thing she wasn’t afraid to take what she wanted.

When he finally eased up on his crushing embrace, she leaned back slightly so she could see his handsome, beloved face. “I want to go home for a visit.” She thought about the logistics. “I’ll need to quit my job and pack up my things. I can leave the furniture there so we’ll have a place when we visit. My apartment is right next to my parents, right next to my brothers too. I told you we all had apartments in the same building, didn’t I?”

“You want us to stay with your parents?”

He sounded so appalled by the idea she laughed. “Not with them. I’ll keep my apartment, but I’ll pack my personal belongings and bring them here.” She glanced around the room. “I may need to make some changes.”

Damek rolled suddenly, taking her under him. He loomed above her, large and powerful and hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled when she felt his erection growing again. My guy has a fast recovery time.

He threw back his head and laughed and she realized he’d heard her thoughts. “I thought that too loudly, didn’t I? I’ve got to work on that,” she muttered.

Damek leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips and nose. “I hope not. I find your thoughts endlessly fascinating. And you can change anything you want. In fact, I think we should move, find another apartment and have it renovated to your specifications.”

She gasped and shook her head. “That would cost too much. This place will be fine with a few modifications. We might be vampires, but I refuse to live with all this black. I am Greek. I need color and plants and life.”

He grinned and shook his head at her. “Money is no object. I have more than you could ever spend.”

Sonia laughed. “Good to know, but I am frugal. Blame my upbringing. We work hard and we do not waste.”

Damek began to move his hips, pressing his erection inward before easing it almost all the way out. “Glad to hear you don’t believe in waste, because it would be a sin to waste this.” He powered inward, his hard cock filling her, leaving no doubt as to what this was.

“Waste not, want not. That’s my motto.”

He nuzzled her face and chuckled. “I’m glad to hear that.” He stroked in and out again and whispered in her ear. “You are mine, Sonia. Now and always.”

How she wanted to hear him whisper that he loved her. But she was patient and could wait. There was plenty of time for their relationship to grow and flourish. Her vampire was used to being alone, was not used to being able to depend on another. Although he would deny it, she knew trust was an issue with him. With time, he would learn what it meant to be loved and to love in return. She would teach him if it took her an eternity.

She clutched at his shoulders and lifted her hips to meet him. “I love you, Damek. Forever.”

There was no more talking as they found bliss once again.