Sweeter than Wine

CHAPTER 1

«Christy was brought in to Emergency a few hours ago.» It was clear that even Jena-a doctor used to dealing with this kind of situation-was struggling to retain emotional control. «The trauma team did their best, but it's just not possible to repair all the damage in time. Her organs are beginning to fail one by one. She probably won't live through the night.»

Her soft voice didn't carry beyond the small circle of friends gathered in the hospital waiting room. The old study group from college was reunited in their worry, with some additions. Lissa and Kelly had recently married, so their husbands, Atticus and Marc, were there. As was Sebastian.

He was the odd man out – a single, unattached male – but he was a close associate of both Marc and Atticus, and had a personal interest in Christina, though none of the others realized it. Sebastian had kept quiet about his attraction to Christina. She was still married and Sebastian was old-fashioned enough to want her to be free before making a move on the beautiful young woman.

«What happened to her?» Atticus asked, his arm around his wife, offering comfort.

The women shared knowing looks and Sebastian's senses went on alert.

«She told me a week ago that her husband had been violent with her on a few occasions recently. They've been having problems for a while now and I'm pretty sure she told Jeff she wanted a divorce.» Jena's eyes welled with tears. «I heard from the team that brought her in that he'd been arrested.»

«Her husband beat her?» Marc spoke in outrage for all the men.

Jena nodded, gulping. «I think he just snapped. He's never been the most stable personality. Even in college, he was a little weird.»

Sebastian had heard enough. He moved closer to the women, drawing their attention. «Take me to her.»

Lissa and Kelly gave him curious looks while Jena seemed puzzled. He would have repeated his demand but Marc stepped smoothly forward, projecting calm.

«Perhaps if we could see her now?»

Jena nodded, rising. «Yes, of course.»

Marc shot him a quelling look as they all started down the hall, but Sebastian ignored it. Christina was dying. That was all that mattered. If he had to disobey a direct order from the Master, he'd do it. For her. To save her.

Sebastian thought he was calm, but when he saw her pale, bruised body lying broken amid the white sheets and bundles of tubes, he cursed.

«And they call us monsters.» His breath hissed out between his teeth and his eyes glowed red.

«We can save her, can't we?» Lissa looked up at her husband with hopeful eyes.

Atticus nodded thoughtfully. «We can, but it should be Sebastian, I think.»

«Sebastian?» Kelly stepped forward and Sebastian chafed at the delay.

Thankfully, Marc agreed. «If he will agree to take on the responsibility.»

«I will.» Sebastian didn't have to think twice. This is what he wanted more than anything. Relief filled him at the idea he wouldn't have to fight any of them over who would be her maker. He knew in his soul he was meant to do this. He was meant to bring over this sad, broken, beautiful mortal woman to their world. He would save her, then he would cherish her, for as long as she'd let him.

«What are you people talking about?» Jena planted herself in front of Sebastian, forcing him to look at her rather than stare at Christina as he had since entering the small room. He didn't have the patience to deal with this. His fangs grew as his anger and frustration built. His eyes glowed and the doctor gasped.

«We can save her, Jena.» Lissa intervened, much to Sebastian's relief. «We've been keeping a big secret from you since Atticus found me.» She looked over at her husband for support.

«What Lissa's trying to tell you-« Kelly stepped forward to Jena's other side, «-is that we were both close to death and our husbands saved us. They made us like them and now we'll never die. At least not by normal means.»

«What the hell are you talking about?» Jena repeated, standing her ground, braver than Sebastian would have credited.

He let the tips of his fangs show. «We're not human. We've been changed.»

«Are you trying to tell me you're vampires or something?»

Sebastian grinned, showing off his pointy, pearly whites. «Or something. Now, if you want your friend to live, I suggest you stand aside.» Sebastian pushed at her surprisingly strong mind, but she would not be swayed.

«I don't believe this,» Jena whispered, looking around at her friends as if seeking confirmation that this was some kind of joke. But serious expressions met her gaze.

«Believe it.» Sebastian made to move past her, but the doctor grabbed his arm. He could have easily pulled free of course, but her action so surprised him, he paused.

«You think you can save her?» Jena's expression was hopeful, yet leery.

«I know I can,» Sebastian answered.

«I don't want her in any pain.» Jena stared at his teeth with fascination. Sebastian could almost see the moment when she accepted that this was for real and not a hoax of some kind. Her gaze narrowed. «Will it hurt?»

Sebastian actually grinned at that. «Our kind can make the bite inordinately pleasurable. Would you like a demonstration?» His mocking tone dared her. «I haven't fed and I could use the strength if I'm going to give Christina a good portion of my blood.» He stepped toward her in a threatening manner and all four of the other vampires in the room moved to defend her. Sebastian was growing even more impatient. He had to save Christina. Didn't they understand?

«Okay.» Jena bared her neck.

«What?» Both Kelly and Lissa objected.

But the doctor squared her shoulders. «I want to know he's not going to hurt her and if his being at full strength is important for her recovery, then I want to help.» Sebastian also sensed the good doctor wanted confirmation that they were for real. She was the type who needed proof.

Kelly shook her head with a delicate snort of amusement. «Our very own Florence Nightingale, willing to sacrifice anything for her patients.»

«You prove to me this won't hurt her more, and I'll stand aside and let you do what you've got to do to save her. I don't want to see her die any more than you do.» She stared at her friends with a hurt expression. «I can't believe you didn't tell me.»

Lissa flushed and shrugged. «We thought it was best to keep this a secret.»

«What, you didn't want me to know you go around biting people and drinking their blood? Gee, I wonder why not?»

«Sarcasm is unbecoming in a doctor.» Kelly chastised her friend in a teasing tone. «Besides, we only bite our husbands. We nourish each other.» Marc stood beside her and pulled his young wife close, the love between them obvious.

Jena shrugged. «I still want to make sure this will work. You're not married, right?» she asked Sebastian point blank.

«Not yet.»

«Good. Then bite me. Have a snack and prove to me you won't hurt her.»

She stepped forward and placed herself only inches away from him. She smelled clean and good, and he was hungry. It wouldn't do to attempt the conversion of a grievously injured mortal without proper sustenance. The process would go better for Christina if he was at full strength when he turned her.

Without further ado, he caught the good doctor in his arms and clamped down on her speeding pulse, biting deep. He allowed her only a minimal awareness of the pain and focused on the pleasure awakening deep inside her body. She began to pant, her blood rising, her passion heating the warm syrup as it bathed his tongue. He pulled her closer to his hard frame, sliding one muscular thigh between her legs and grinding her against him, bringing her to an explosive orgasm as her blood and lust fueled his hungry being.

She looked flushed and downright shocked as he put her away from him with a slight bow of thanks. She turned crimson as she realized her friends and their husbands had just watched her achieve a fast, explosive orgasm.

«Thank you, Doctor. Now I will attend your patient.» With another curt bow, Sebastian lifted her and placed her down behind him in the small room. He hovered over Christina's pale form for a moment, touching her cheek with his fingertips. Her eyelashes fluttered, but she didn't wake. He looked at the mass of tubes running here and there, and started to disconnect the I.V. There would be nothing going into her body but his rich blood, and not through an I.V.

Jena came up on the other side of the small bed and turned off some of the monitors, helping him disentangle Christina from the tubes.

«If you hadn't just bitten me, I'd wonder if I was going insane.» She was shaking her head, obviously bemused by the rapid and startling flow of events, but still game to try and save her friend.

«Don't worry, I'll take good care of her.»

«Do it now, Sebastian.» Marc stepped forward. Sebastian looked up to see the last remaining monitors begin to flash alarmingly. «Doctor, if you would watch the door to keep any of your colleagues from entering?»

Jena went to the door and Sebastian sat at Christina's side. He let one hand trail down her cheek as he moved closer, savoring her soft skin and delicate scent. She was almost gone. He could feel it.

Using one long finger, partially transformed into a sharp claw, he slit his wrist and held it to her mouth. He had to massage her throat to help her swallow. For long minutes he watched her drink from him, the color slowly returning to her cheeks, but he knew she was not out of the woods yet. The conversion would take all night and she would need more time to heal as well, with such extensive injuries. Even vampires could not heal so quickly from such deep wounds.

«I've adjusted the paperwork and removed any evidence from her file.» Jena's familiar voice comforted Christy as she drifted up out of the darkness of unconsciousness. Her mind was muzzy with sleep, or maybe it was drugs. She recognized the smell of the hospital.

«Thank you, Doctor.»

The second voice was deep and richly masculine. Christy didn't quite understand her reaction to it. Hearing that particular male voice felt like a caress in her mind. In a split second of recognition, she knew to whom it belonged.

But why would he be here? And where was Jeff? A shiver of alarm coursed down her spine when she thought about her volatile husband, but this man's presence made her feel somehow safer, though she had no plausible reason for it.

Her heart thrilled at the idea of seeing him again. Tall, dark and mysterious, he'd been in her mind since she'd first seen him at Lissa's wedding. They'd shared a single dance at that meeting, and one other at Kelly's wedding a few months later. He'd swept her around both ballrooms like a dream. He'd fired her imagination for months afterward, though she knew those dances were moments out of time, never to be repeated.

«She wakes.» The bed at her side dipped as someone sat down. Christy struggled to open her eyes though they seemed almost glued shut. As her blurry vision cleared, she saw his face.

Sebastian.

He looked so good, his mere presence comforted her starved senses. Had she conjured him from a dream? In reality, they'd only met twice and had barely spoken. Christy had been uncomfortably aware of her husband, Jeff, watching every move she made for later commentary. Even then, their marriage had been falling apart, and soon after, Jeff had taught her to fear his unpredictable moods. But this all made no sense. Sebastian had no reason to be at her bedside with such a heart-stopping expression on his handsome face.

«Am I dreaming?» Her weak voice sounded thin, but overall she felt better than she'd expected physically, though mentally she was still fuzzy.

«Does this feel like a dream?» Sebastian grasped her hand and squeezed with gentle pressure, but she didn't have the strength to squeeze back and her entire body hurt.

«Do you remember what happened?» Jena asked from her other side. Christy looked over at her friend, noting the circles under Jena's kind eyes and the lines of worry on her face. That look brought it all back in a rush. The anger, the fear…the pain. Christy gulped, suppressing a shiver.

«I remember. At least until I blacked out. Where's Jeff?» Anguish blocked her throat as she remembered the last time she'd seen her husband. She hated the debilitating fear he'd instilled in her. The mere thought of what he'd done-and what he could still do to her-made her quake with apprehension.

«Jeff's in jail, where he belongs,» Jena was quick to reassure her.

That made sense to her foggy brain, and went a long way toward soothing some of her immediate anxiety, though the fear lived on in her soul. «I saw him being handcuffed and then I remember seeing the grass zooming up at me. I guess I fainted.»

Jena clutched her other hand. «You passed out. The ambulance brought you here and one of the emergency room staff called me.» Tears gathered in Jena's eyes. It struck Christy because Jena was always so strong. She never showed this much emotion. «Christy, you nearly died.»

«I did?» She took quick stock of her body. She was sore all over, but the initial ache was fading. «I feel okay. Just bruised.» She remembered the wrenching pain in her side when Jeff had kicked her. «He broke ribs, didn't he?»

Jena nodded. «And punctured a lung.»

«Then you must have me doped up pretty good. I don't feel it.» She tried to smile at her friend, but Jena's eyes clouded.

«Uh, Christy, there's something you should know.»

«Thank you, Doctor. She is my responsibility now.» Sebastian's voice was filled with quiet authority, respectful but firm.

«But she should hear this from one of her friends.»

«She will, in due time, but it's enough for her to know that you support her, regardless of her state. You have done that already and I thank you.»

«What's going on?» Christy grew concerned over the obvious battle of wills between Sebastian and Jena. If she was any judge, even Jena couldn't win such a fight with this formidable man.

«It's all right, Christina. Jena was part of what we did to save your life, though she does not fully understand it.» Sebastian's fingers stroked her hand with reassuring pressure.

«We? Who's we?»

«Christy, you need to know that Lissa and Kelly were present when the decision was made. They're like you are now.»

«That's enough, Doctor. I'll take it from here.»

«But she needs to know-«

«She will, soon enough.» He motioned toward the door. It was a clear command. «Thank you for your assistance.»

Jena left with a doubtful expression. Christy was still out of it, but she instinctively trusted Sebastian. There was no real reason why he could claim so much of her trust, but she knew on some intrinsic level that he was okay. More than okay, actually. He was nothing at all like Jeff. Where Jeff's size intimidated, Sebastian's even broader shoulders comforted. Where Jeff's hands brought pain, Sebastian's brought a gentleness that almost made her weep. And where Jeff's words cut to the bone, Sebastian's whispered across her delicate psyche in gentle waves that made her want to bask in their glow forever.

Sebastian turned his gorgeous eyes back to her after Jena closed the door. Christy felt his penetrating stare as he lifted her hand to his lips in an old-world gesture of respect that touched her heart.

«You will no doubt be surprised by much of what I have to tell you, but it must be said and you must believe.» His gaze caught hers, and held. «You wouldn't have lived through the night had we not intervened. Your friends, Kelly and Lissa, petitioned for your conversion and their mates agreed. I claimed the right and responsibility of turning you and I want you to know I'll live up to the duty I assumed when I gave you my blood.»

«You donated blood?»

His sexy lips quirked in a semblance of a smile. «You're probably thinking of transfusions and other medical intervention when what I did was much more primitive. No, dear Christina, you drank my blood and now you are as I am. Immortal.»

After a moment, she laughed into the tense silence. «You've got to be kidding.»

«I'm afraid not.» Sebastian shook his head slowly. «Lissa and Kelly have also undergone conversion by their mates and now your friend Jena knows of our existence. She'll no doubt be watched from now on to preserve our secret. Our survival depends on the secrecy of our existence.»

«What are you?» She remembered Jena's serious tone. It was obvious Jena believed this odd tale and Jena was the smartest of all her friends. If Jena believed it, it was probably true, incredible as it may seem.

«Some call our kind vampire, though I'm not particularly fond of that term myself.»

«You prefer 'undead', perhaps?» She made a stab at a joke, though it wasn't much of one.

Sebastian grimaced. «I don't like that word either. Makes me sound like a reanimated corpse.»

«Isn't that what I am? You said I would've died without your intervention.» The horror of that was still sinking in.

«No, my dear. You did not die. And now, you will not. At least not by normal means. Certain things can kill us, but it's rare. In all my years, only one of my acquaintances lost his life through accident.»

«And just how old are you?» Dread gathered in her gut.

«I was converted in the year 1702, on the road near Bristol.» He shrugged.

«Connecticut?»

He chuckled and shook his head. «England. I was on my way home, traveling from London, when my coach was attacked by highwaymen. We fought back but were outnumbered and I was left to die in the forest. A woman found me that night and turned me to save my life but she was also on the run. She left me to fend for myself and I learned through bitter trial and error what I could and couldn't do with my new abilities. My life as I'd known it was over and eventually I traveled to the Americas to make my way in a new land that was a bit more primitive. I met Marc LaTour in Boston and he took me under his wing, so to speak. That was well before the American Revolution. We've been friends ever since.»

«Wow.» She was simply stunned.

«I tell you all this to impress upon you how important it is that you learn from me. I took on the responsibility of being your maker. I know, more than any of the others, how important it is to have a maker that will devote time to teaching you the ropes when you are newly turned. Your friends have their mates to look after them, but you have no one. I'll watch over you, Christina. I'll teach you what you need to know to survive and thrive in your new life.» His gaze was intent. «It would be my deepest honor.»

Christy's mind raced. Jena wouldn't have left her alone with this man if he were an escaped lunatic, would she? No, but that meant the incredible tale he was spinning had to be true. It was shocking. Unbelievable. Scarily true.

«I feel different.» She flexed her fingers, noting a strength in her grip that had never been there before.

Sebastian nodded. «You'll be stronger now than you were, able to see clearly in the dark. You won't be able to walk in the sun, though I've heard after a few centuries, some of our kind can take the early morning or late evening sunlight without too much pain. You'll be lethargic during the day, unable to fend for yourself until you get a few decades under your belt, so it's imperative you plan ahead and have a safe place to stay during the hours of daylight. I think your friends will want to help you there, but for now, I'll take you home with me.» He stood from her bedside and began rummaging through the closet for what was left of her clothes. «You'll find I take my responsibility for your training very seriously. I'll see to your education and to your needs for the time being.»

«But why? You barely know me.»

He turned back to the bed and pressed her bedraggled robe into her hands. His gaze held her immobile, his expression unreadable, but very intense.

«I pride myself on being a man of honor, Christina, but even though you're married, you've been on my mind since the moment I first saw you. As far as I'm concerned, by abusing you so badly, your husband has lost all right to you. That means you're free. And I'm free to pursue the attraction I can no longer deny.»

His eyes lowered to study her lips, gone dry all of a sudden, as if heated by his gaze. Her tongue peeked out to wet them and he groaned, leaning downward as if mesmerized. She knew he was going to kiss her and for the first time in a long time, she wanted a man's attentions. She wanted Sebastian's kiss. Not daring to move a muscle, she welcomed him as he lowered his head. Firm, masculine lips traced hers with a butterfly caress before grinding deep and hard.

His tongue demanded entrance and she complied, delighted by the taste of him and the ardor he couldn't hide. Her pulses leapt and her hunger grew. She encircled his neck with her hands, sinking them into his thick hair and dragging him closer. Oh, how she wanted him.

But Sebastian drew back, breathing hard. Flames of passion flickered in his eyes, but he appeared to be in perfect control. It both irritated her and made her feel secure. Of late, Jeff was never in control. He would scream at her as soon as kiss her and it was comforting to know for certain that Sebastian was the total opposite. Sebastian was a man in complete command of himself and those around him. A master. And she feared and hoped she could become his willing slave. At least sexually. She'd missed the active sex life she and Jeff had as newlyweds. They'd been sleeping in separate rooms for over a year, unable to get along in every way.

«We must go. There's little time before dawn.»

Ever the gentleman, he helped her into the stained robe. She'd been getting ready for bed when Jeff went berserk, and she had arrived at the hospital in her robe and little else. Sebastian lifted her in his arms as if she weighed nothing at all and strode into the corridor.

«Won't the hospital object?»

«They won't see us. I'm diverting the attention of the mortals, except for your friend Jena. Atticus and Marc have our escape vehicle ready at the exit.»

«You can do that? You can influence people's minds?»

Sebastian shrugged. «Though I'm young when compared to Marc and Atticus, I'm no fledgling. You'll gain many new skills, once you've matured a bit.»

«Wow.»

Jena met them in the corridor, her eyes worried. «Are you okay?»

Christy tried to find words to reassure her friend, but it was hard to concentrate in Sebastian's embrace. He made her feel so small, yet so protected.

«I'm good, Jena. Thank you for taking care of me.»

Jena leaned forward and kissed her cheek, emotion getting the best of her. «I've been so worried for you. Lissa and Kelly assured me that Jeff will never be able to hurt you again and for that, at least, I'm glad. I think Sebastian will take good care of you, and if he doesn't-« Jena's face turned upward with steely determination, «-he'll answer to me.» Sebastian nodded in acknowledgement but didn't speak. Jena returned her gaze to Christy. «For what it's worth, I think he's a good guy, and he won't hurt you. I've had a demonstration of what he can do.» Jena blushed inexplicably. «I think you're in safe hands.» She turned again to Sebastian. «I've fixed the records here at the hospital the way Marc requested, so you should have some time before Jeff figures out where she's gone.»

«Excellent.» Sebastian's voice dripped with molten steel at the mention of Jeff's name. «You're a very efficient woman, a skilled doctor, and a good friend. I thank you for the care you've given Christina and the assistance with her conversion. Part of you is part of us now. We'll always thank you for your sacrifice.»

«What are you two talking about?»

Christy's voice was small, tired and a little miffed. If these two had secrets, she wanted to be let in on them. And why was one of her best friends so chummy all of a sudden with Sebastian? If she didn't know better, she'd think she was jealous, but it seemed impossible to be jealous of a man she'd only met twice before. Christy knew something was odd about the way she felt, but was too tired to ponder it at the moment.

«I'll explain it all to you soon, little one. For now, we must away.»

She chuckled. «No one talks like that.»

«I do.» He smiled down at her, something shining in his eyes she didn't dare name. «There's something about having a damsel in distress in my arms that brings out memories of my former self. You must forgive me if I slip into the speech patterns to which I was born.»

He walked on, nodding to Marc as he held the door for them.

«There's nothing to forgive. What woman wouldn't be thrilled to be romanced by a real English lord?»

He paused by the side of a waiting luxury car. «And how did you know I was noble born?»

«Oh, come on, Sebastian. You have aristocracy written all over you.»

He raised one eyebrow. «I must endeavor then, to fit better into my present circumstances.»

«No need to do so for me,» she said, yawning and settling her head against his shoulder. «I like you fine just the way you are.»

She thought she heard him growl as he handed her into the wide backseat of the waiting car, but she was too tired to take in much. She had a vague impression of Lissa seated in the front seat with her husband, Atticus, driving. In the darkness before dawn, Christy wanted to ask more questions, but she was too tired and too befuddled by all the amazing revelations of the past hour.

The last thing Christy saw before sleep claimed her was Sebastian's handsome face. She felt warmed by his regard and it lulled her into a deep, healing sleep.

While she slept, Sebastian kept busy, making decisions and arranging things. He placed a difficult call to his good friend Matt Redstone and checked in with Christina's friends to keep tabs on her soon-to-be ex-husband. He also placed a call to his lawyer and had her start looking into every facet of the couple's relationship.

There had to be something more as to why Jeff had snapped and attacked Christina so brutally. From all accounts, the relationship had been going south for a while now. He had to have known divorce was the next logical step. Which led Sebastian to believe there was something Jeff feared would come out as a result of the divorce. Fear of discovery could have set him off on his murderous rampage. Sebastian would bet that money was at the root of Jeff's unpredictable behavior, and Sebastian's lawyer, Morgan, would sniff out whatever it was Jeff was trying to hide.

Jeff was in jail now, but he probably wouldn't stay behind bars for long. The man was too slippery for that. Sebastian had never understood how someone like Christina could have married a snake like Jeff Kinsey in the first place. But knowing of the wealth she'd brought to the marriage from her family, Sebastian suspected Jeff was nothing more than a gold digger. Her friends said Jeff had been a handsome youth when he'd seduced Christina in college, but hadn't worked a day in his life since hooking up with her.

Still, from what he'd heard from her friends, the marriage started well enough. It was only after Christina's parents died, leaving her in control of a great deal of money, that Jeff had started acting like a real jerk. When he'd gone too far during an argument and knocked her down, Christina finally woke up and started talking about divorce-but only to her friends. Jeff had made her afraid of his reactions and it took a great deal of courage for her to speak of her desire for a divorce to him. Her anxieties had proven true when Jeff snapped and beat her within an inch of her life. The very thought of it set Sebastian's teeth on edge. He could still read the horror in her lovely eyes.

Jeff had taught her to fear. Sebastian would teach her the opposite. He'd show her nothing but care and compassion, and give her confidence in her new abilities. He'd strive to help her overcome her anxiety and banish it for all time.

He'd find a way to neutralize Jeff and repair the damage he'd done to Christina's self-esteem. She had a beautiful soul and it was a crime to see her so damaged-both physically and emotionally. It was up to Sebastian to help her. He was her maker. He had to both keep her safe and figure out how to salvage the situation. She was changed, but would she be strong enough to overcome her past and start a new future, stronger than before? It was Sebastian's job to make certain she was ready.

In a hotel room across town, Altor Custodis agent Benjamin Steel began filling out his latest series of reports. He'd been sent to check out Kelly LaTour's friends. As the new wife of the Master Vampire of this region, she was most certainly changed now, but she'd been mortal until a few months ago.

Steel's boss at the AC wanted her friends investigated to see if more than one conversion had taken place. This group of bloodletters was notoriously hard to trace. Marc LaTour was an old one, and therefore cagey as hell. It was a tribute to Steel's record that he'd been selected and sent on this particularly difficult mission, but he knew his skills and was comfortable with the idea he was the best investigator the AC had right now. Steel would accept no less from himself. He was a man driven to excel, and since he'd been violently awakened to the real nature of the world, he'd redirected his energies to scouting for the Altor Custodis.

It was a far cry from what he'd done in the SEAL Teams, but it was work. And keeping tabs on the freak show supernatural was as good a job as any for a retired spec ops warrior.

Only he hated the paperwork. Resigned to his fate, Steel dug out his notes and began to compile them into some sort of order. He wouldn't file the report until the mission was completed, but he might as well get started. The paperwork wouldn't do itself.