Free Forever Black (Nightwalkers 2) by H.N. Sieverding Page A

grip was
light. Swallowing hard, she tried to moisten her dry throat. "I—"
    "Do it or I'll kill you."
    "I need to eat." With a burst of strength, she
tried to sit up. Her body was now running on pure adrenaline, and her need to
feed taking over.
    His strong hand pushed on her chest and forced her head to
the pillow. He watched her move from side to side frantically. Her mind had
left her, and she was nearing the end. He could feel her heart's intense beat,
it's frantic pace showing the desperate state of her body.
    Her body was shaking, and she was on the verge of a great
convulsion. He bit his wrist and held the steady stream of blood to her lips.
She immediately latched on, his blood tasting better than any she had ever
consumed. But this man wasn't like other vampires. He was immortal, and as the
first, he was extremely dangerous.
    As her world came back, she tried not to focus on those
thoughts. Her eyes shut tighter as she wished with all her might that this was
all a dream. She wanted to open her eyes and see Caleb. She needed to.
    Even though her hunger was satisfied, she let her lips
tremble over his skin and didn't open her eyes. She could smell him, the dark
scent of his cologne. This wasn't Caleb.
    The Count didn't move his arm, waiting for her to move. He
watched her slow tears. His next command was soft, yet firm, "Open your
eyes."
    She obeyed him. Her eyes quickly opened and locked onto his.
He didn't pull his hand from her lips, but instead studied her curiously.
    "I'm tired." She turned on her side and put her
back toward him.
    "You are not." Grabbing hold of her shoulder, he
spun her around.
    His action surprised her, Ashleigh's eyes widening.
"What do you want from me?" She quickly sat up. The high of feeding
made her unable to control her emotions well.
    "I want you to clean up." He yanked her to her
feet. "You smell of that man. You will soak in the tub until you wash the
scent of him off your body." He observed her attire, everything she wore
was Caleb's, except for her bra and panties.
    "Why are you doing this to me?" Putting a hand to
her chest, Ashleigh began to cry. "I love Caleb, he's—"
    Baring his fangs, he got in her face. She cringed backward.
"Never say that!" When he saw the terror in her eyes, he backed off.
His chest rose and fell quickly as he forced himself to look away from her. His
voice softened a little, "Come." He led her to the bathroom.
    "Where are we?" She studied the room. It didn't
look like a hotel. It was furnished handsomely, with giant gothic-style windows
and beautiful, carved wood lining the walls.
    "Home."
    Then, he pointed to the large bath that had been filled.
Smoke rose from the water, which was being churned by the powerful jets. It was
a modern bathroom, no expense spared on the decoration or the fixtures. The
bathtub was raised a step from the floor, heavy black curtains surrounding it.
    The lighting was intimate—a few candles near the doorway lit
his face. This was the first time she had observed him so closely. His skin was
pale, but not freckled, and there were no visible imperfections. This lighting
seemed fitting for such a dark prince, and the atmosphere felt outdated, like
his memories of her.
    She had to admit, she did find him very handsome. But this
wasn't surprising, because as a Master Vampire, one would expect him to be
perfect. She wasn't swayed by it, though. Not his amazing green eyes, his
perfectly chiseled cheekbones and square chin…not an inch.
    She turned around quickly. There was fear in her eyes, but
anger in her steady voice. "I want to go home." Her fists were balled
at her sides, and she sent him a glare as strong as the one he was throwing at
her. "You can't keep me a prisoner here."
    "Can't I?" He laughed as he crossed his arms over
his chest. There was a challenging look in his eyes. He liked seeing that spark
he remembered fully alive within her.
    "No."
    "Undress." His stare was glued to her body as he
motioned for her to obey his