Bloodseeker - Colin's Conquest Part 21

Pulling the needle out he turned the full syringe around, handing it to Colin. Their eyes met, burning brown and blazing blue, filled with tremendous apprehension. Ben lifted the corner of his mouth into a half smile of encouragement. Colin drew a deep breath and held it as he plunged the long needle through his own puncture marks on Joanna's breast, deep into her still heart.

He pressed the plunger all the way, expressing all his life-giving blood into those empty chambers. Releasing his breath he removed the needle, throwing it across the room in his haste. Still no response.

Grabbing her shoulders with both hands he shook her lifeless body and screamed. "Joanna! Come back. Joanna. Come back, d.a.m.n you!"

Tears spilled down his contorted face as he willed her heart to beat with every ounce of his soul. Slapping her cold, bluing face he pounded her chest, attempting to beat the life back into her.

"Colin..." A familiar raspy voice penetrated his grief. "Colin! Give her breath from your own lungs. Use your untapped powers and ma.s.sage her heart into beating again. Come on, Colin. Use the strength of your mind, not your brawn!"

Without turning to look for the source of the voice he blew in Joanna's mouth as he pinched her nostrils shut, watching for her chest to rise with each breath he expelled. Concentrating, he formed a mental image of her heart, his hand moving to grasp the warm organ, fingers tightening and relaxing in a rhythmic ma.s.sage.

His head ached from the effort as he consolidated all his available power to the image ... his hand, holding her heart, the warmth on his fingers, and the quiver of the muscle answering his squeezes.

Her heart began to revive! Elated, he retrieved the scalpel and made an incision on the left side of his chest above his swollen, aching heart. As the blood began to flow he lifted Joanna from the bed and held her to his chest, mumbling to her to drink and live. His revitalizing blood flowed into her mouth, trickling from the corners to stream down her neck. So weak, she swallowed once, then twice, then three times. Vitality rushed into her body as Coin's blood circulated in her veins. Heart pounding stronger and stronger, she sucked on his open vein. Colin's arms and legs began to tingle, becoming numb, and his head grew light and the sound of a thousand buzzing insects filled his ears, growing louder as he began to feel faint. The noises faded until he heard nothing, but he did not care, his Joanna lived and nothing else mattered. He allowed her to continue drinking even as his entire body grew numb and the light in his eyes dimmed to gray, then black.

His only remaining sensation the slow beats of his heart, pumping life's fluid. A faint female voice echoing, and perhaps Benjamin yelling ... be strong.

He didn't care anymore, Joanna would survive.

Ben would not allow Colin to rest, not while this mysterious, terrifying being stood in the room with him.

Grabbing his shoulders in both hands, Ben shook Colin so hard that he bounced his body on the bed.

"Colin. Colin. Colin." He repeated, over and over with growing urgency.

"COLIN!".

No response. His fingers clenched on his unconscious protector. Nothing he did made a difference.

A delicate touch on his shoulder startled Ben and he leapt right over Colin and the bed. Spinning around, his eyes opened wide as he watched a divine figure bend over Colin. Trying to yell stop, trying to yell no, his mouth wouldn't open, his voice dormant.

I intend no harm.

The words came as a song within his mind and Ben knew these notes were sent by the being that lifted his creator like he weighed little more than one of the pillows. She cradled him to her own delicate throat and held him there until he opened his mouth and sank his teeth into the offered fount. Breath quickening, eyelashes fluttering as her blood entered his voracious body. Easing him away from her throat she placed him back on the bed then stepped away before he awoke, knowing his male pride would be wounded if he knew she nursed him. Turning to Ben she winked, then laughed when his mouth fell open. Oh she would love to spend more time with this darling young one.

His head hurt and his skin stung like he had dashed naked through a patch of brambles, yet his heart filled with warmth and happiness. Through glazed eyes he caught a glimpse of Ben gawking at something across the room then he remembered ... the voice! Colin propped his weary body up on his elbows and viewed the vision before him.

"I thank you, Linnea." He smiled with immense grat.i.tude at the ethereal woman standing near the side of the bed.

"Excuse me for not rising to greet you, especially after you saved the life of my soul mate."

"I did no such thing, my young Colin. You did it yourself. I merely gave a suggestion." Light as air, her timbre, floating from afar to reach their ears so sweet and pleasing to the listener. She grinned, one corner of her mouth lifting just a bit.

"Maybe you should introduce me to your apprentice before he bursts and smatters us with dazzling bits of blonde zeal." Ben's face reddened in embarra.s.sment and Colin couldn't help but chuckle at him.

"Linnea, I would like to introduce my nine year neophyte, Ben. And, Ben meet Linnea, my creator."

Ben's mouth fell open in surprise at her ident.i.ty. She appeared so fragile with her small, bird-like wrists that he would never have imagined, even with her pale golden complexion that she was a fellow blood seeker.

"Believe me, Ben, I'm much stronger than you and your creator too. Don't let my human physical appearance fool you."

"You read my mind! But I'm also a vampire. I thought we couldn't do that to each other!"She laughed, watching him with affection.

"Vampire? Curious, that word." She smoothed her upper teeth with her tongue and continued.

"I am much older than you ... much older." Approaching the bed, she took Colin's hand in her own tiny one.

"I'm very glad you were successful, my dear one." Linnea hesitated, glancing at Joanna and back to him. "But you should know that the road before you is a rough one. Not only because of your chosen one, a rare woman, but also for this angelic blonde child of yours."

Colin choked and came close to going into a coughing fit. Linnea may very well slap him, but he had to do it, he had to say it once he stopped his sputtering.

"Angelic?" He grunted when she squeezed his hand to the point of the bones popping but he didn't say another word.

Both creators watched Ben, his discomfort growing as they stared. He scowled back at them, his hands in fists, b.a.l.l.s of arrogance placed against his hipbones. Even with Colin too weak to rise, the raw power in the room was enough to make a young one like him sick.

Linnea tucked her bottom lip between her teeth, looking at Ben's defiant posture. "Well appearances can be deceiving."

His fists dropped and he blushed like the young schoolboy she made him out to be. As much as he loved to be the center of attention, he was relieved when she turned away from him, back to the bed where Joanna slept.

However, his greedy eyes never left her. Long, midnight hair framed her delicate face with gentle waves that hung down past her waist, to at least the top of her pants. But wait ... she wore no pants! Holy s.h.i.+t, she wore only a man's s.h.i.+rt. It reached to right above her knees, but it was obvious she had nothing else on. Showing beneath her s.h.i.+rt, he noticed small bare feet and muscular calves that he found quite enticing. Everything about her he found ... enticing.

Ben had to get out of the room and fast. His swollen groin would be very apparent if either of them happened to look his way!

d.a.m.n these tight jeans! He ran from the room without saying a word. How could he think of such things at a time like this, and about Colin's creator no less? His organ had a mind of its own. First it stirs for Colin's chosen one, then his Creator. At least it didn't stir over Colin himself!

Clamping his hands on both sides of his head, he tried to stop his train of thought. Linnea could read his mind! This would mean disaster. He prayed that she stayed preoccupied with Colin and Joanna and didn't listen to his l.u.s.tful thoughts. Too horrible for him to contemplate and he filled his mind with other things, of card games and housework and his empty post office box.

"Do you think she will remain this way for long?" Colin touched Joanna's closed eyes with his fingertips. She did not stir, her shallow breaths hard to see under the bloodstained comforter.

"She was close to human death, Colin. Very close. I think it will take a long while for her strength to gather enough for her to rise and join you in this world."

Linnea crooned to him, her words a magical fairy tale and her touch on his arm left a trail of dancing pixies and glittering moon dust behind on his skin. His weary brain had lost touch with reality! Looking up to meet her eyes, he grew dizzy and almost swooned.

Linnea pushed Colin's head down to the bed with one hand. She smoothed his unruly curls and tucked them behind his ear then kissed his forehead.

"Rest now, my handsome, strong child."

He heard the command in that whisper and the male in him wanted to rebel against it, but he could not. The compulsion was too strong and he was too tired to keep his eyes open any longer.Linnea watched them both as they slept, wrinkles of worry marring her unblemished forehead as she imagined all the problems they would face with the others. They would find out about the female surviving the change. Joanna would emit powerful pheromones the moment she regained consciousness, if not before. How rare and wondrous that another female of their species now existed ...

but how difficult it would be for Colin to keep her to himself until she grew strong enough to defend herself. Still it would be nice to have a kinswoman to talk to ... if the others did not get to her first.

Twenty

Out of the darkness a tendril of warm inviting light soothed her like the brilliant sunrise after a long cold night. This had been her longest and darkest of all nights. Footsteps slow, body heavy, she shuffled her feet across the dirt floor of her den. The chill air made her s.h.i.+ver and she pulled her furs tighter around her thin body, then wrinkled her nose as the stench from the matted furs attacked her sinuses.

Ah, the light! If only she could touch it, warm her clammy skin with it ... bathe in it. Willing her stiff limbs to move a little faster, she stumbled, reaching for the gentle radiance and falling, striking her elbow hard on the rock wall. She felt the warmth of the blood as it seeped from her torn skin. A tantalizing fragrance smothered her rankness with pungent, liquid redolence and awakened her long dormant hunger. The stabbing pains, not unlike the thrust of a bone knife in her gut, distracted her from the light.

Touching the wound with her fingers, she felt the warmth there and brought her fingers to her lips. Resting her fingers on her bottom lip, she licked them, first one then the other, almost swooning from the exquisite taste of the blood. She must seek more blood. Turning away from the light, she chose instead to seek the warmth and comfort of the blood.

Joanna stirred, her disturbing dreams possessing her like a disembodied demon that would not give up its link to the material world, and not allow her to wake.

The bitter cold never ceased and ice sheets covered her homeland as far as the eye could see. The sun G.o.d had forsaken them and no longer rose in the sky. All the plant eaters already perished and now the meat eaters died out as well. She had seen very few of the large four-legged furry creatures in a long time.

The surviving members of her clan still slept, unaware that she stole small amounts of their blood from time to time. She feared that they would never open their eyes again. Her heart weighed heavy in her chest, as cold as the air outside the den and sleep beckoned to her as well. If only her clan would rise! They could travel away from this frozen wasteland and seek fresh blood before she drained them all like those empty vessels she tossed out to the great fanged cats.

She paced the floor around her slumbering clan, looking from one stocky body to the next. Though they slept through dozens of seasons, they remained robust, their bodies warm and filled out in the picture of health. The others perished but these four males remained, keeping her company even in their sleep.

The command came to her from the G.o.ds to try again to awaken her clan, but, she paused, her head in her hands ... it had not come from the G.o.ds at all had it? Cold fingertips pressed hard on her temples as she struggled to understand. No, not from the G.o.ds, but from her own mind! She thought of ways to make the clan awaken and then it came to her to feed them her own blood.

All her life she believed that the voices in her head were the G.o.ds speaking to her when all along they were just her thoughts!

But what had caused this clarity and why now? Would she be able to stir her clan to a state of wakefulness after their long sleep?

Would they believe her when she explained to them that the G.o.ds lived within themselves ... so that meant, in all truth, that they were the true G.o.ds? It would be difficult to convince them. It had taken her many long seasons of listening to nothing but her own thoughts for her to realize the truth though many times her thoughts were fractured, crazed, sometimes incoherent. But, that in itself had made her realize that indeed they were all her own thoughts, her own answers to her own questions, her very own mind voice.

Dropping to her knees on the thick bed of furs beside her hibernating clan, she stared at the group. The urge to lie down beside them and drop off into the deep and dreamless sleep of hibernation was still very strong but she felt that if she did so, she would never wake again.

Even in the darkness, she made out the relaxed features of her kin. She stared, enthralled by their long dark hair and heavily bearded faces. She had long ago stopped wondering how she could see them so very well in the total darkness of the unending night. Other things in the tiny den were not so distinct, but she could see her body and those of her clansmen, as they stood out with an eerie glow not unlike the rib of the moon before a storm.

With shaking hands, she smoothed the hair back from the nearest male's face. Her favorite, this one, with his large shoulders and soft, fine hair covering his chest, the back of his arms and his face. Folding the furs back, she gazed at his tawny flat nipples surrounded by the short hairs that tickled her nose when she fed on him. She always chose the chest now to cut them with her black rock blade as the muscle was thick there and she did not wish to cause more harm than was needed to draw blood. Sad that several perished before she learned this less injurious way to get the blood she needed. But this time, she would be feeding them.

With a delicate jab, she p.r.i.c.ked her finger on the rough blade and shoved it through his lips. He did not stir. Pus.h.i.+ng deeper into his mouth, she ran her finger over his flaccid, and to her shock, moist tongue. Climbing on top of him, she straddled his chest with her legs, shaking his head as she pumped her bleeding finger in and out of his mouth. Still no signs of awakening!

Withdrawing her finger, she sucked her own wound and found that no blood oozed from the small puncture. Glaring with frustration at her man's closed eyelids, she flinched, then gasped as she drew the blade across her wrist. Blood followed the blade like a dark maroon shadow as it welled up out of the cut.

Pulling his lips apart with her uninjured hand, she opened his mouth then jammed her bleeding wrist into it, flooding his mouth with her blood. For several long moments, nothing happened. Then, a deep, resonating sound filled her ears, slow at first, then pounding faster, and yet faster still as she listened. Hands closed on her wrist, holding it to his mouth as he feasted on her blood. She moaned and felt her own heartbeat keeping time with his as he came out of hibernation.

His eyes fluttered open and he watched her over the wrist he held tight against his lips. She saw, even in the darkness, the hunger in those dark eyes and fear shot through her gut as icy as the landscape outside her cave. He would not let go!

"Nuuh!" She tugged with all her might to make him release his hold on her. "Nuuh!"

Ben washed Joanna's face with a cool washcloth, trying to calm her, soothe her and let her know that he kept her safe but still she continued to toss to and fro on the bed, moaning in her sleep. He dropped into the armchair by the bed, almost upsetting it and tumbling to the floor himself. Exhaustion crept up on him, but he wouldn't leave his creator and Joanna until Colin awoke, no matter how long it took. That gorgeous creature, Linnea, may return and even though Colin claimed that she was his creator, he still didn't trust her. Conflicting images emanated from her and he couldn't understand them. Some of those images frightened him while others he found comforting.

Regardless, she had the strength to destroy Colin while he slept and this, Ben would not allow! He would die before he let anything happen to either one of them. Colin turned on his side facing Joanna and placed his arm across her waist. Ben felt sure he would be arousing soon. Well, not arousing, but waking up. His mind, always full of s.e.x, he just couldn't stop himself. Looking away from the two, he stared at the gold-corded edging on the arm of the chair. His vision blurred and the cording squirmed and wiggled like a thin golden serpent crawling toward his exposed skin. Beyond caring he didn't flinch, just watched with half closed eyes as the miniature serpent made it's way up his arm and into the collar of his s.h.i.+rt. Ben's eyes drifted shut, his youthful body sagging into the chair, even as the serpent p.r.i.c.ked his neck and lapped at the droplets of blood that spilled from the microscopic gash.

Linnea regained her human form and gazed down at the sleeping young Ben. She adored looking at him, so like her Tomas ... soft luxurious blonde hair topping an adorable round baby face. His cheeks were almost chubby. And look at those blonde lashes, barely discernable to human eyes! It felt good to be back in this form, so good to be part of a family again and she would make herself part of this family. Nothing in this world could stop her from that.

Standing at the side of the bed, she also gazed with love at her cherished child, Colin and his new mate. Earlier, she'd thought to leave them to their own destiny, but she didn't make it far before she felt the need to return to their side. Colin, Joanna, and Ben ...

this group needed her help. They just didn't know it yet.

Even at this moment, the others gathered ... others who would want to take what Colin possessed at the risk of their own lives.

The powerful blood seeker's pheromones called to them, just like her maiden call from so long ago.

As Joanna slept she called to the others in a silent, dangerous voice. Alas, nothing she could do to stop this newborn other than kill her and this was, of course, not an option. So she stood nearby, helpless ... not even able to stop the tormenting dreams. Too deep, too far into her subconscious, beyond her powerful reach and Joanna must fight her demons alone.

"Nuuuuh!" She screamed, frantic now, strangling on the sound as panic seized her. Eyes widened, he stopped feeding off her and his nostrils flared. Her arm still in his grasp, he lifted his head from the fur padding, gleaming eyes never leaving her face. Then he smiled, those full lips curling under all that facial hair.

Shocked, she didn't know how to react. Rational thought must have returned to him, but the smile was ... odd. Looking him over, he appeared fit, his muscles responded well as he sat up. Then the furs fell down from his chest, past his lap and she saw the reason he smiled. Too late to run. He pulled her underneath him and flipped her on her stomach with one easy tug of his powerful arm. She tried to squirm away, but her head b.u.t.ted against one of the sleeping clansmen and stopped her escape. The big male kneeled behind her, tearing her furs from her body with one hand while the other arm slipped under her stomach and lifted her hips to his level.

With one powerful thrust, he filled her, burying himself all the way in her hot body before he withdrew and pounded into her again and again. She relaxed, knowing that if she could just endure the pain he would finish soon and leave her alone. His thrusts slowed, then she felt his mouth on her shoulder, his hot moist mouth as he sucked at her skin and nibbled across her shoulder to the back of her neck.

Her feelings changed, she didn't want him to stop the breeding! Not normal male behavior, but it felt wonderful and she found herself moving to meet his thrusts. He removed the arm that pinioned her to him, grasping each of her hipbones as she supported herself on her knees, rocking back to meet him, pounding him with her rear as he thrust into her faster and harder.

Biting into the back of her neck where it met her shoulder, he broke the skin and lapped at her blood as he continued to thrust harder and harder, approaching his finish. She couldn't stand it any longer, her knees wobbled, her legs collapsing as she felt an enormous pressure build and explode inside of her. She wet herself or she thought she had! Her male also exploded inside of her, spilling his long dormant seed then falling to the furs beside her, panting. The scent of their breeding filled the small den, overpowering the smell of the clan and the furs.

What had she awakened with that feeding of her blood? This was good. This was very good and she wanted to do it again. She was the one smiling now and oh, what of the others?

Would they be the same when she awakened them? She could hardly wait to find out. The big male watched as she did the same thing to the next clan member that she'd done to him ... slicing her wrist and forcing it into his mouth. This time she was more observant though and as soon as his heartbeat quickened, she pulled away, moving to the next male and then to the next. Dizziness almost overcame her as she straddled the last male. Her body swayed and her head felt as if it would float away on it's own. Thirst gripped her, twisting her gut into a painful knot.

The pulse beating in his throat engrossed her so that she did not even notice the other two males stirring and the biggest male grunting his displeasure. Before she could even think twice about it, she used her flat knife to cut the throat of her clansman and instead of feeding him her blood she drank his. She would take a small amount then she'd awaken him from his hibernation as she had done the others.

A strong hand grabbed her under her arm and tossed her aside as the big male buried his face in the sleeping man's throat. The others turned to her and the one with the shorter hair put his mouth to hers and licked the blood from her lips.

She saw that he wished to breed her also, and she was more than willing, but the big male wasn't willing to share. His roar of rage was all it took to send the other two scurrying into the farthest corner of the den away from her. But they watched every move she made, their nostrils flaring as they filled their heads with her scent. So it would be a battle between them.

Colin became aware of his surroundings. How could he have slept at a time like this? Opening his eyes, a vision of infinite loveliness greeted him. Joanna slept beside him, her dark hair surrounding her on the pillow like a silken shroud. She had a different aroma now that she survived the transformation ... sweet, alluring almost to the point of making him want to mount her right now. Shaking his head, he broke the spell and glanced over to see Ben slouched in the chair beside the bed, sound asleep with a wet washcloth lying on his thigh, soaking the jeans beneath it.

Oh but he could have some fun with this one if he chose to, but instead, he chose to let him rest. There were no signs of danger in his house, but still he felt a sense of unease that disturbed him enough to make him check the cabin and the surrounding woods.

Finding nothing helped shake a bit of the apprehension, but still, something bad happened ... somewhere.

Twenty-One

As the last vestiges of dormancy lifted, scents and sounds bombarded Joanna. Lying immobile, eyes closed, holding her breath to eliminate one of the sounds of the onslaught, the roaring in her ears lessened, but didn't stop. It droned on with a pulsating rhythm, pounding and rus.h.i.+ng, pounding and rus.h.i.+ng. It dawned on her that the deafening noise threatening to engulf her was the blood coursing through her own veins as her powerful heart pumped supernatural life throughout her body. She tried ignoring her own body's din to listen outside. Yes, it worked! All she had to do was tell herself to disregard those sounds and listen to the others.

The environmental clamor rushed in. The hum of ceiling fans, the drone of the refrigerator, the whistling of cooled air flowing from the vents, the grinding of metal against metal as the turbines on the roof turned with the faint breeze.

Then, she heard Ben speak. "Creator, when will she arise?"

Colin cleared his throat. "Very soon, Ben. Very soon."

Turning her head into her pillow, she smelled the scent of her own hair lingering there and the alluring aroma of blood on the case.

Saliva filled her mouth and she swallowed, cringing from the pain in her throat and chest.