Tooth And Nailed Part 22

Chapter Sixteen.

Jack couldn't believe his ears. "What?"

"You know you have to."

"No." He shook his head, panic threatening to grab him by the throat. "No, it's not that bad. We can make it to the hospital and you'll be fine. You'll be fine."

"Jack."

"You'll be fine!"

"Jack." She turned her hand so her fingers gripped his. "Look at me, baby." He flicked his glance her way to find her staring at him with quiet surety. "You know I'm not going to make it to the hospital. You know it," she said again when he opened his mouth to speak. "We're in the middle of nowhere, the nearest hospital is probably at least an hour away. It's the only way."

Jack slowed the car, pulling to the side of the drive. He cut the engine and turned to face her, his throat closing with fear when he saw her face. She was ashen, her eyes dulled by pain and shock, and the blanket he'd tucked around her was already soaked with her blood.

"Baby." He reached out to cradle her face in his hand, a shudder going through him at the cold, waxlike feel of her skin. When he struggled to speak, she turned her lips to his palm.

"I know," she murmured, her lips brushing his skin. "It's okay. I want you to."

"Are you sure?" he choked out through the emotion clogging his throat. "You can't change your mind later, it's permanent. I don't want you to hate me for this."

Her eyes had drifted shut again, the fatigue dragging at her, but she smiled at his words. "I couldn't hate you for it," she chided. "I've been trying to figure out a way to ask you to do it without making you feel trapped."

"Trapped?" he said incredulously. "How could I feel trapped?"

"Well, it's forever," she said, prying her eyes open to look at him.

"Forever's what I want from you, Rowan." He leaned over, pressing his forehead to hers. "But I want you to think. If you're not sure that's what you want from mea""

"I'm sure," she interrupted. "Really, really, sure and not just because I'm dying." She licked her lips. "I just want to be with you."

"Okay, baby, then hang on." He slid back into his own seat and started the car.

"Where are we going?"

"There's a caretaker's cottage at the front of the estate. We can go there."

"Okay," she whispered, and he looked over to see her eyes had drifted closed again. "Just hurry."

Jack squeezed her hand in rea.s.surance then put both hands on the wheel and concentrated on driving.

They were at the cottage within two minutes. He ran ahead to the door, found it locked and with one swift kick broke it down. He came back to the pa.s.senger side of the car and carefully lifted her out. She didn't stir but he could see her chest move with her shallow breathing. "Hold on, baby, we're almost there."

He carried her in, kicking the ruined door closed behind him and headed to the back of the house. He found the bedroom, still with an old iron bedstead with a bare mattress on it and placed her gently on the bed. He unwrapped the blanket from around her, wincing when the blanket stuck to her wounds. He pulled it free as gently as he could but the fibers had become embedded in the dried blood that was caked on her skin and she moaned in pain as it pulled free.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, hating that he was causing her more pain.

"Let's justado this," she whispered, her eyes opening. She focused on his face with visible effort. "What's first?"

"I need to take a little bit of your blood," he said.

"Haven't I lostaenough?"

"It makes the transition easier for you," he explained. "Having some of your blood in my system makes it easier for you to accept mine. Don't worry, I'm not going to bite you."

She frowned in confusion. "Why not?"

"Because you've been through enough and you're already bleeding. I can just take from one of the woundsa""

"No!" She grabbed his hand, her grip trembling and weak. "No, I don't want you to do that."

"Why not, baby?" He gripped her hand and swept a lock of hair from her forehead. "If I bite you now I'll hurt you, and I'm afraid to tap into your mind to ease the pain. You're already so fragile, I just don't know what that would do to you."

She shook her head violently. "No, I don't want you to drink from where he did. I don't want to remember him when we do this, I don't wanta""

"Okay, okay," he soothed, stroking her forehead. Her body was starting to shake, fine tremors that made her look like she was lying on a vibrating bed and her lips and fingertips were starting to turn blue. He needed to move quickly before she lost much more blood.

He reached over, pulling the knife from his boot and setting it beside her head on the pillow. He leaned forward, placing his lips gently on hers. "You're sure?"

She nodded, almost imperceptibly. "Yes. Sure. Do it."

He pressed another kiss on her lips. "Okay, baby, here we go." He tilted her chin up and to the side, exposing her neck. He could see the pulse that beat feebly under the skin. He sent up a quick and fervent prayer that this would work and sank his fangs into her throat.

She cried out as his teeth pierced her skin, the sound feeble and weak to his ears. Her blood flowed into his mouth in a slow trickle, warning him she was closer to death than he'd realized. He had to time it just right, taking just enough from her to leave her hovering on the brink of death then use his blood to bring her back.

He took only a few swallows, his instinct telling him that taking more than that could push her past that delicate edge. He could feel her pulse beneath his lips slowing, becoming more sluggish, and he hurriedly reached for the knife. He sliced into the sleeve of his sweater, ripping it open to bare his arm while still keeping his lips on her throat, monitoring the ever slowing beat of her heart.

When he felt her pulse stutter and hesitate just a little longer than normal between beats, he lifted his head and quickly drew the knife across his own wrist. His blood welled up thick and dark and he brought it to her lips.

"Come on, baby, you have to drink," he said, pressing his wrist between her parted lips. She swallowed convulsively as her mouth filled with blood and he sighed with relief. "That's it, sweetheart."

His blood continued to flow into her mouth and she swallowed again, less feebly this time. He kept his eyes on her face, watching for any sign that she was beginning to regenerate. Her skin was still ashen but she was losing the waxlike appearance. He kept his wrist at her lips, encouraging her to drink, and he felt her lips flutter against his skin.

"Yes," he hissed. He pressed his wrist harder to her lips and was rewarded with answering pressure. He nearly wept with relief when she began to tentatively suckle his wrist, drawing his blood into her mouth. She made a noise, somewhere between a whimper and a moan and her eyes fluttered open.

"Keep drinking, baby," he urged, and her eyes sought his. "A little more sweetheart, you need a bit more." She obediently sucked harder, her hands coming up to hold his arm in place.

He let her drink for a few minutes more then tried to pull away. She whined a protest, her hands clinging to his arm with stunning strength, and he had to hold her head down with one hand while wrenching his wrist free. Immediately, the cut on his wrist began to heal over.

She tried to get up and he pressed his palm more firmly onto her forehead. Her skin was flushed now, the ashen pallor having been chased away by the rush of new blood. "Want more," she said, and he laughed.

"Greedy," he accused teasingly, feeling almost giddy with relief. "You need to wait a while for the transformation to be complete before you can have any more." He moved his hand off her head and grasped her hands. "Can you try to stand up?"

She swallowed, breathing heavily. "Okay," she said, and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. The room tilted dizzyingly and she sat back down hard. "Whoa," she muttered. "Dizzy."

"Yeah, that's pretty normal. You've been mostly dead all day."

She ignored the way the room spun and narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you quoting The Princess Bride at me?"

He grinned. "Just call me Miracle Max."

"The miracle part feels right," she admitted. She looked down at her nude form and grimaced in distaste. "Ew."

He followed her gaze. "Yeah, you could use a shower. But the good news is, your wounds have almost fully healed," he said, touching a finger to the faint pink line that was all that was left of the gash in her breast. "You might not even scar."

She swiped at the dried blood between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "I'm just glad I didn't die."

He tilted her head up to kiss her. "Me too. Let's get out of here."

"Good idea," she said, and tried to stand again. She started to fall as the room spun dizzyingly again and with a curse, he swept her up into his arms.

"I won't always be this dizzy, will I?" she asked as they walked out of the house.

He shook his head. "It's part of the transformation, it'll fade once your system has had a chance to adjust. In fact, I'm surprised you're still conscious. Usually, newly turned vampires have to sleep for a whilea" He trailed off as he looked down at her face and saw she was asleep. He chuckled and tucked her into the car, tucking the blanket around her naked form. He'd better stop on the way home and lay in some supplies, he was going to have a very hungry vampire on his hands when she woke up.

Chapter Seventeen.

Rowan woke feeling hungry, amazingly well rested and h.o.r.n.y as h.e.l.l. The hungry was probably due to the fact she hadn't eaten since before the plane and that was G.o.d only knew how long ago. She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep but instinct told her it was at least a day, which would definitely account for the well rested. And the h.o.r.n.y as h.e.l.l was likely due to the man pressed up against her back with his morning wood poking her in the a.s.s.

Or evening wood, in this case. The window curtains were open and she could see the dark blanket of the sky settled over the city. A quick glance at the bedside clock told her it was just after midnight. So technically, middle-of-the-night wood, she thought, and wiggled back against it.

"Morning," he rumbled in her ear, and with a surprisingly girlish giggle she twisted in his arms to face him.

"It's the middle of the night," she pointed out.

"Is it?" He pressed a kiss to her lips, humming with satisfaction as her mouth opened automatically. "Who cares?"

"Not me," she said, and moved in for another kiss. "How long was I asleep?"

"Just about forty-eight hours," he said, sliding his hands into her hair to hold her still. He kissed her until she was practically purring under his hands. "How do you feel?"

"Like I could take on the Marines," she said, and he laughed.

"Do you mean in combat or in bed?"

"Both," she said, and placing her hands on his shoulders, rolled him to his back. She climbed on top of him and grinned. "Problem with that?"

"I don't share," he said. He swept his hands up to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and palmed them with a firm touch, making her groan. "But you can beat them up if you want."

"Nah," she said breathlessly. His touch was shooting her arousal level to critical. "I'll just work out all this extra energy with you." She smiled into his eyes, loving the l.u.s.t and love she saw there. "Problem with that?"

"Not at all."

"Good," she said. "Because there's this thing I have to do. It won't take me but a minute." She slid down, kicking the sheet to the foot of the bed and took his c.o.c.k into her mouth in one smooth motion.

"Jesus!" he growled, his hips thrusting up off the bed and shoving his c.o.c.k farther into her mouth. She adjusted quickly, angling her head so he slid into the back of her throat, and he growled again when she swallowed around him.

She pulled her mouth off him in surprise. "Wow. I never did that before!"

"You don't have to breathe as often now," he said through gritted teeth.

"That is cool as h.e.l.l," she marveled.

"Yeah, it was," he agreed, tangling his hands in her hair. "Can you do it again?"

She grinned, giddy with discovery. "I don't know. Let's see!"

She engulfed him again, sliding him all the way back and down her throat. He hissed and pushed up, thrusting himself farther into her mouth. She pulled back, using her tongue to stroke and swirl before swallowing him down again.

She lifted her head to grin at him. "I really like this," she said, and he laughed.

"I can tell," he murmured, trailing his hands from her hair to stroke her face. "You're gorgeous, you know that? Beautiful."

"I feel beautiful," she said. She gave his c.o.c.k one last lingering lick, swirling her tongue through the moisture pooled at the head before crawling back up his body. "I feel beautiful and strong and I want you so much."

She licked at his mouth, diving in when he opened for her. "I want to take you, Jack, the way you've taken me so many times. I want to make you beg and scream and forget what it's like not to be with me."

He groaned, his c.o.c.k getting even harder at her words. "Then take me," he growled, his eyes lit with a fierce light.

Rowan kissed him againa"harda"then moved back to straddle his hips. She slid her hand over his c.o.c.k, up and down, spreading his own moisture over the shaft and using it to ease the friction of her hand. He growled again, pushing his hips up to spear into her but she held herself just out of his reach.

"What do you want, Jack?" she whispered, her tongue flicking out to wet her lips and her eyes watching him.

"You," he moaned.

"How bad do you want me, Jack? Bad enough to beg?"

"Yes," he hissed, pushing his hips up so fast he almost caught her off balance and sent her sprawling on the bed. She steadied herself, brushing her dripping c.u.n.t over the head of his c.o.c.k, and he gritted his teeth against the urge to push into her.

"I don't hear you begging," she admonished, and a giggle escaped her lips.

"Laugh it up," he muttered. "Just remember, sweetheart, paybacks are h.e.l.l."

"Blah, blah, blah," she said in a bored voice then spoiled it by giggling again. "I'll worry about latera"later. Right now," she said with an eyebrow quirk, "I'm in charge. And I'm still not hearing you beg."

"I want you so much, Rowan," he said, holding her gaze with his. "I want you in my bed, in my life, in my heart, forever."