Love's Challenge (Pearl Vampire Chronicles #5) Read online

  I blushed. Great, I thought. I have to explain this? “Ummm, well, this type of blood causes a, ummm, sexual response in vampires,” I said then I glanced down. I was too embarrassed to look him in the eye.

  “Really? That’s interesting. My kind feel nothing different with any type of blood that we drink, unless it’s from a kill. Killing arouses us.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me,” I said as another shiver rocked my body. Drinking this crap and not being able to have sex made it so much worse. All the extra energy that this gave me had nowhere to go. There wasn’t a release for it.

  A week later, I was asleep but pain was filling my dreams which must have meant that my body was in pain. In my dream, I was fighting some unseen demon and it was slicing into my belly. The hunting knife that it held in its black claws sliced left to right, then right to left then back again as I tried unsuccessfully to ward off the blows. But just as quickly as the painful nightmare had begun it quickly changed to something amazing – my first time having sex with Matt in that hotel room in San Diego several years ago. It didn’t feel like a dream, it felt like I was reliving the experience all over again – I felt his mouth crush down onto mine just as it had before, I felt his tongue darting into my mouth and finding mine just like before, and just like before I felt his hand sliding down my belly, unfastening my jeans, sliding his hand inside my panties and his finger swirling around my nub until a fierce explosion rocked from inside me causing my back to arch. It was in the middle of this orgasm in my dream that my sub-conscious realized that it was really happening and my eyes flew open to find Aquila sitting next to me with his hand between my legs. As soon as he saw that I was awake, he pulled his hand back and moved to the far wall. My heart was pounding in my chest as I tried to process what had just happened. It took me a few moments to realize that I wasn’t having any pain at all – in fact, I hadn’t felt this good in weeks. “What did you do?” I gasped at him.

  “You were in pain. I helped relieve that.”

  “But I told you not to.”

  “You’re carrying my child, your body needed release. The pain you were feeling, the offspring can feel it too. I didn’t want him to be in pain.”

  “He was in pain because I was in pain?”

  “Yes.”

  “And my orgasm helps relieve that pain?

  “Yes.”

  “You didn’t tell me that.”

  “Well, now I did. Now that you know, will you let me do that again if you are in pain?”

  Really, I thought? How am I supposed to say yes to that – when I have Matt, and now Carlos, waiting at home for me – and how am I supposed to say no – when it meant that a baby would be in pain? In the end, the baby won out as I sadly shook my head then closed my eyes and fell into the best sleep I’d had for weeks.

  A few weeks later. ‘Sarah?’ Carlos thought.

  ‘Now’s not really a good time, hun,’ I thought, as I tried not to cry out. I was on my side, curled up, and I was in agony. I glanced up at the wall behind me: Fifty-eight tics, two days left. He did another flip inside me and I couldn’t help it. I groaned.

  ‘I heard that, missy. Tell me what I can do to help?’

  ‘Tell me more about your last trip. Where did you look that time? Tell me about the sites.’

  ‘Sarah, I’m not exactly being a tourist on these, you know. I’m searching, that’s all. And these searches are becoming more and more desperate. I’m leaving again tomorrow.’

  ‘What? Tomorrow? But you just got back yesterday. You need time to rest and regroup, damn it. You exhausted yourself on the last trip. And you need to spend some time with Matt, please? Wait a week. Visit with Matt. Figure out where you’re going to look next. Don’t just head out blindly like you did last time. Stop making me worry. Please, Carlos,” I thought as I clenched my teeth and tried to get the baby to stop moving by rubbing my belly. Aquila looked concerned. He came over and placed his hand on my stomach.

  “It’s time.” he said.

  ‘It’s time??? Time for what?? Jesus, Sarah. Fucking time for what?’

  I nodded at Aquila then held up one finger. ‘Please relax. It’s time for me to feed, that’s all. He regulates these things. I’m going to eat and then try to grab a nap. Are you going to wait, Carlos?’

  ‘Four days, Sarah. Not a week. I’m out of here in four days, come hell or high water. And this time I will find you. I was close last time. I even picked up your scent at one point, but then lost the trail. I’m going to find you and bring you home. I promise. I’ll check in with you tomorrow. I love you, kiddo.’

  ‘I love you too, Carlos. I’m just sorry I fought that for so long. And I’m sorry I can’t give you more.’

  ‘Why are you doing that, Sarah? You’re acting like I’m never going to see you again. What is it that you’re not telling me, baby?’

  ‘No, it’s not like that, hun. I’m just scared and I’m missing both of you desperately. This is a lot to ask, but please tell Matt that I love him and miss him too.’

  ‘You’re sure there’s nothing else?’

  ‘Positive. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I love you.’

  Silence. Crap. Please say something. ‘I love you too. I’m going to go look at the map. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.’ And he left, and it was just in time too. A blinding pain seized me and I screamed. Aquila jumped up and picked me up. He ran us over to the pool and climbed in.

  “Oh my God. You lied to me, you bastard! He’s trying to break his way out. He’s going to kill me,” I screamed as another sharp pain shoved its way through my body.

  “No, he’s trying to position himself for you to deliver. He’s trying to save you, female. Now hold onto the side of the pool and try to relax the rest of your body,” he said as he began massaging my belly.

  “Are you fucking kidding me? How am I supposed to relax with this pain?” I cried.

  He handed me two pints of blood. “See if this helps,” he said as he started pushing down on the top of my belly.

  I nearly spit out the blood that was in my mouth. “Shit! What are you doing? Stop! Stop! Please!” I cried.

  “I can’t. I’m trying to show him where he needs to go. He’s frightened. He’s afraid you’re going to hurt him. You need to calm him and show him that you’re going to do this right, female. Rub like I’m doing and start pushing. Show him you’re strong enough for this. He’s ready to come out now and if you don’t show him you can do this, he is going to tear his way out of your belly.”

  “Well, you could have warned me about this ahead of time, Aquila.”

  “I’m sorry. Sometimes I forget that you’re not like me. But you’ve done this before, yes?”

  “I was human then. Things were different. I was different.”

  “Yes. You were weaker then. You can do this. Now push!”

  “But in the water? Are you sure?”

  “Yes. The warm water soothes him. And it will help you to relax.”

  I nodded my head, took a deep breath, and pushed with all of my might.

  “That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?” Aquila said.

  “Sorry. It’s been a while. I don’t go to the bathroom like you do. I haven’t had to push like this since I became a vampire. Give me a few tries. It’ll come back to me.” I clenched my teeth and pushed again, crying out as I felt him move lower.

  Aquila nodded his head. “Better. Again.”

  “It hurts my back against the rock,” I said. Aquila nodded and moved around behind me, his huge body creating a pillow behind mine. He slid his arms underneath mine and rested his hands on my belly. I gripped his granite forearms and pushed again.

  “That’s more like it. More.”

  I pushed again, and cried out as I felt my hips shift. “He’s too big. He’s going to break my pelvis.”

  “No, he’s not. He’s working his way through very carefully. Trust me.”

  I was gasping for air, I felt like I was hyperventilating. And I was terrified. I
pushed again and saw a swirl of blood in the water.

  “Oh shit. He’s coming,” I groaned.

  “Feed again, female,” he said as he reached over and pulled the basket toward me. It had at least ten pints in it. I grabbed one and drank, then grunted and pushed again.

  “Ahhhhhhhh!” I cried as I felt his head as it tried to work its way out. I pushed again and felt his head between my legs. “His, his, his head’s out,” I moaned.

  “You have to grab him when he comes out. Grab him and hand him to me,” he said.

  I nodded my head and squeezed my eyes shut. I didn’t want to see him, at all. It would hurt too much. I took another deep breath and pushed as hard as I could. I felt one shoulder come out, then another. “The wings! His wings are stuck!”

  “No, they’re not. He’s facing down. Reach down and push him down a little when you push.”

  I did as I forced my exhausted body to give one final push. I screamed as I felt like I was being ripped apart. And then I felt something in my hands. I didn’t look, I couldn’t. I pulled him up and handed him over my shoulder to Aquila. Once he was behind me, I opened my eyes and moved as far as the umbilical cord would let me, but I gasped when I looked down and saw that the water wasn’t clear anymore. It looked like it was a pool of blood. That was when the dizziness hit. My eyes rolled back in my head and that was the last thing I remember.

  There were voices. Were they voices in my dream? Voices in my head? I couldn’t tell, but I definitely heard voices, or a voice anyway. A calm, soothing voice. The voice of a father bonding with his son. My eyes fluttered a few times then finally stayed open. I watched Aquila’s back as he talked to his son. It took a few minutes, but he finally looked around and saw that my eyes were open. He smiled at me and shifted to his left, bringing the child into his arms. The child was watching his father, listening to him then he turned his head toward me. I gasped. I cried out and I clutched my heart when I saw his eyes; they were my eyes, they were my son, Scotty’s eyes. My beautiful son who was gone so soon, killed in that car accident with my husband almost ten years before and yet the pain of the loss still felt like it was yesterday. Those eyes were staring back at me now and it was too much for my broken heart to take. I gladly embraced the darkness this time.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Bahiti walked into Matt’s office, where Carlos was studying the map and writing down notes. “Carlos,” she softly said. “Why are you still doing this?”

  “That is a stupid question, Bahiti. Why do you think I’m still doing this? I have to save her while there’s still time. You told her seventy-five days. That means I still have ten days to find her and bring her home. I’m not going to sleep until I do.”

  “She told you I said seventy-five days?”

  Carlos felt his heart begin to break as he whispered, “Yes.”

  Bahiti squeezed her eyes shut. She opened them and placed her hand on Carlos’ forearm. “I didn’t tell her that, my friend. I’m sorry, but I didn’t tell her that.”

  “Then what did you tell her. Damn it Bahiti, how long do I have?”

  She shook her head. “I’m so sorry, Carlos. The gestation of a seraphim is sixty days. It happened five days ago.”

  Carlos took four steps backward then collapsed onto the floor. He started wailing as he clutched his chest. Bahiti knelt next to him and waited for him to cry himself out. After a few minutes he shoved her arm away from him. “No, my Sarah is not dead. I’d know if she were dead, Bahiti. I’m telling you, she’s not dead.”

  “How long has it been since you’ve been able to reach her?”

  “Don’t ask me that, Bahiti. He might be moving her around or something. He knocks her out when he does that.”

  “How long, Carlos?”

  “About a week,” he mumbled then he jumped up. “NO! SHE IS NOT DEAD! I have to go find her!” He took off running, out the door and through the halls, toward the courtyard doors, ignoring Bahiti’s pleas of “Carlos, wait, please come back!”

  He was halfway down the hall when the alarms went off.

  Everyone in the courtyard started running for cover as soon as they saw Aquila lowering himself into the center of the courtyard. He was cradling his infant son in one arm and my semi-conscious, bleeding, naked body in the other. As he touched down, he gently set me in the grass at the same moment that Carlos burst through the doors. Their eyes locked and they were both too shocked to move for a moment. Finally, Aquila said, “She is alive, but weak and needs medical attention. You will see that she gets it?”

  Carlos was too stunned to speak. His mouth hung open as he slowly nodded his head. He gasped as his eyes moved to the infant, and he saw my eyes in the child’s face looking back at him. Aquila nodded and took off with his child cradled in his arms. He was gone within seconds.

  A crowd started to move toward me. “Stop. Don’t touch her,” Carlos yelled as he ran towards me. “Keith, give me your shirt,” he said as he also pulled off his own. He draped his across my chest and wrapped Keith’s around my lower half as he scooped me up in his arms. I moaned and my head fell back. Suddenly the scent of humans hit me. My eyes flew open. My teeth were down, they had been for weeks. I couldn’t really see him, but I could smell my best friend.

  “Get me away from people, Carlos. For God’s sake, keep me away from them,” I whispered.

  “Shit, Sarah. He’s got you hooked? That fucking son of a bitch raped you, impregnated you AND he got you strung out? I’m going to rip him apart,” he growled.

  “Carlos, I’m going to tear you a new one if you don’t focus here. I can smell them. They’re everywhere, Carlos. They’re just outside the gate, they’re in the courtyard, they’re in the clinic. I know where every fucking one is. Take me to your room and stay with me. Stay with me and keep me from getting out, because I’m gonna try, fucker. I’m gonna try to get past you to get to them. Understand?”

  He nodded, then turned and ran full speed through the doors, down the halls and into his room. He slammed the door to his bedroom and set me gently onto his bed. He picked up his cell phone and dialed Cameron’s office. “Doc, my room, quick. It’s Sarah,” he said then he hung up the phone and tossed it onto the floor. He crawled into bed and wrapped his arms around me. “Jesus, Sarah. I thought you were dead. For a minute, I thought you were dead.”

  I groaned and rolled onto my side. “I’m going to need to feed soon, Carlos. Do not give me good blood. No matter what I say or how much I beg, do not give it to me, got it?”

  “Are you sure? Cold turkey? Is that really the best way?” he said.

  “Probably not, but that’s the way I’m going to do it.”

  There was a knock on the door and then Cameron poked his head in. He went to work right away. “What have we got?” he said as he began examining me. He sniffed near me, “Strung out?” he asked. Carlos and I both nodded our heads. He began his exam at my head. “Head looks good, eyes look good.” He moved down to my arms. “Arms are fine, lungs are clear.” I winced as he prodded my belly. “How long ago did you deliver?”

  “I’m not sure. Ask Carlos. It was the last day I talked to him.”

  Cameron looked at Carlos who said, “Seven days ago.”

  Cameron nodded and moved his exam lower. “Do you want Carlos to step out?” he asked. I shook my head and held tight to Carlos’ hand. I wasn’t about to let him go anywhere. Cameron pulled my knees up and began a painful pelvic exam. I was still extremely tender and sore. Carlos felt every wince, felt every pain, and he gently caressed my forehead and tried to soothe me. “Not too bad, Sarah. You had some tearing, but it has healed fine. When was the last time you ate?”

  He shouldn’t have mentioned feeding. Suddenly I was struggling to sit up. I pushed on Carlos’ chest as hard as I could. I kicked my feet at Cameron. Luckily, they both were ready for this. Cameron had a firm grip on my ankles while Carlos had a firm grasp on my wrists. I was in a panic. I was naked and flailing around like a fish out of water, but I did
n’t care. My eyes were darting everywhere then they locked on his window. There were people out there, walking through the courtyard. Coming to and leaving from, the clinic. Humans who thought they were safe milling about with a bunch of vampires.

  “I have to, let me go, I have to feed damn it,” I yelled.

  “No, Sarah. Not that way. You don’t want to do that. I’ll get you some blood,” Carlos softly said. The word blood broke my concentration on the people in the courtyard.

  “Now? Please? Now?” I begged as I looked desperately into his eyes. He nodded and I relaxed into his arms. I curled into a ball and buried my head in his chest. He and Cameron let go of my arms and legs. That’s what I was hoping for. Before either of them could react, I pushed away from Carlos, leapt over his head and flung myself at his window. My sole intention was to crash through it and drain anyone I could find. That was the only thing I could focus on. And so I crashed into the window, which held firm because it was the strong, bullet-proof glass that I had installed after Malina had kidnapped Matt. I screamed a horrible, ear-piercing, scream as soon as I realized that the glass wasn’t going to break and I crumbled into a sobbing heap on the floor.

  “Sarah!” Carlos yelled as he ran over to me and pulled me into his arms.

  “Ummm, Carlos, I’m going to have a full-size fridge brought in here. You cannot leave her side to feed her, understand? Don’t leave her alone at all, not for anything,” Cameron said.

  Carlos nodded and Cameron stood up. Suddenly Cameron’s cell phone rang. “Yes?” he said. “He what? Okay, I’m on my way. Is he crazy? No, don’t let him do that. I’ll be there in a minute. Yes, she is. Yes. Okay,” he said then he tucked his phone back in its holster. “Something’s happened in the clinic.” Cameron said as he glanced quickly at Carlos – a look that I missed because I was too messed up. “I have to go. I’ll have Keith bring the fridge right away. And I’ll be back to check on her later this afternoon.”