Vicious In Love - D.D. Dass (book club suggestions txt) 📗

retreating back as he danced—rather awkwardly—toward his room. Too sleepy to greet him, not to mention she was half-naked, she closed the door, wishing she could cool herself down some.

Her skin should have been on fire. How the others had gone through this so quietly when she felt like begging for a male, one in particular, was beyond her.

Peering at her clock, she realized it was almost sunrise, time for dinner, so she quickly brushed her teeth, dressing into a pretty blood-red cocktail dress, and black flats, pinning her thick hair at the crown of her head. She was used to dressing for dinner, it was commanded by the ramai, that a female of worth should always act and look as such. She’d grown up with it, so she applied the bright red lipstick, hating the sticky feel.

Figuring she looked decent enough, she exited her room, smacking into a hard wall. What….?

Confused, she looked up, and sighed, not a wall, a man. Ian stood, glaring down at her, his eyes looking more crimson…scarier as they glinted. His face was pale, circles underlining those eyes, and blood coming from a gash in hollow of his cheekbone. Her eyes widened, had they been hunting tonight?

“Do you ever watch where you’re going?” His pale eyes traveled the length of her body and she woke a little, her body heating under his gaze. Even injured, he was composed.

“Like what you see then?” It was a tease, but when the question escaped her lips it was laced seduction. Goddess, help her.

Drowsiness was obviously making her daring, but when his lips tipped up in a crooked half-smile, she felt like she’d won something. Her breath caught in her throat, because it was just what she’d expected. He was so much sexier when he smiled, his eyes sparkling in ways that made her tingle all over.

“Again I ask, does your father know about that saucy mouth of yours?” She grinned.

“I believe you asked about my ‘smart’ mouth, but saucy sounds more me so we’ll go with it. For now at least,” she teased again, moving around his larger frame and beginning to walk away. His hand wrapped around her wrist like before in a vice-like grasp and she gasped, barely registering the fact that she was suddenly pressed to the hard plains of his body, close enough that she smelt his cologne mixed with his own masculine scent. Her body responded instantly, making her breath come faster as she bit into her bottom lip.

“Very pretty mouth,” he breathed, looming over her, cool breath on her lips. She licked them, so very eager for whatever he would give her.

Until he stiffened, pushing her away, not with so much force but enough that she backed up a few feet. And how bipolar did a guy get? Looking up, she didn’t get any emotion off his face as he stared, eyes cold.

“Stay away from me,” he was all he said before stalking away. She stared at his back, feeling anger, confusion, and a wounded pride jumble as tears pricked her eyes. Beth gritted her teeth; she would not let him be the reason for her tears. He was just an old grump…an old, very sexy grump.

Dear Goddess, what the hell was going on? Did she want him? Did he want her? He wasn’t oblivious to her…that much she was sure, but he wasn’t acting on anything…Did it matter anymore? She was going to do exactly what he said; she was going to stay away from him.

Dazed at the whole series of events, she stumbled down the spiral staircase, contemplating the whole way down if all males were so…puzzling. Vince hadn’t been that way. In fact, he was as predictable as they came. Safe, and completely Beth’s type.

It was just Ian then.

Fine, she would leave him alone. From then on, she told herself she wouldn’t even glance his way…He was as good as dead to her.

Told you so, her conscious sneered as she realized; them together had never even been a possibility. He was her father’s best friend! For the first time since Vincent, she felt really, really stupid. 

 

Chapter Three:

 

Beth’s breathing hitched uneasily as she skidded through the heavy-set security gates, taking special care to make sure the cameras, set up around the perimeter, didn’t catch her by illuminated her shadow to match the one similar to the metal entrance

Tonight was the best of nights to escape the leaders premises. They were hunting others through the streets of New York since the abduction rates of civilians were becoming an increasingly large threat. Beth frowned over the information her brother –after hours of badgering him –had disclosed. Why were so many civilians being allowed out of the civilizations suddenly?

Beth knew it was against the law. Civilians, such as herself, were supposed to be guarded at all times. The laws were still set…right?

Shaking the thoughts, she slipped passed the iron-bars, pulling her brother’s hood over her head and taking the jump. The three feet fall pinned her legs with tingles, but she ignored it, biting her lip and allowing her vision to adjust to the sudden obscurity. Beth started forward in the tunnel, running her fingers over the jagged stone walls, engraved with symbolic warning. Her only console.

As she continued forward male voices floated from another route. They were back already? She screwed her eyes shut, realizing she was directly in their path, leading towards the infamous jarred rooms, the next route over.

Except that little fact didn’t bother her at the moment. Instead, she was listening intently for his voice.

In the two weeks she’d been avoiding him, it seemed almost impossible. The male was everywhere. Even though he didn’t so much as glance her way, she couldn’t help but fixate her attention on him. And through that she’d learnt there was something wrong, particularly with her, because he easily conversed with the civilians of the ramai.  Especially the females whose eyes gleamed with hunger so fierce you’d have to be blind not to see it.

He never smiled at them though, she noticed with relief. And, he asked about her. Otherwise, her father wouldn’t know she didn’t show up to training more than once a week, sometimes not at all. It cooled her jealously to the point where it was almost easy to pretend he didn’t exist. Almost.

More mutters. She recognized her father’s voice pitch higher than the others in defense. “Derik don’t even fucking try it. I will finish the prick.”

Beth inwardly winced as the heavy footsteps advanced. Acting on instinct, she dropped to her knees, flattening her back to the wall so she wasn’t as visible. The hunters messed with her about the fact that Vamps hardly ever looked down for their enemies.

A low growl reverberated off the walls and Beth’s breath caught in her throat, eyes fluttered shut. A shiver ran over her skin just at the sound. It was his and she wanted it, his lips along her skin, everywhere, on her –. Ian spoke up.

“Fuck off,” his tone wasn’t even mildly irritated, just dry. A small smile pulled at her lips. She would have loved to get underneath that stony front, because Beth knew he wasn’t as cruel as he put up. He was just another challenge. A very, very complicated challenge.

“Christ, just lay off. Both of you,” another voice muttered. “Derik, tighten up with that arms of yours. It needs to be stitched before next call. Nick you… you’re outta the game tonight. That means no vengeance.”

“My brother, I am fine,” her father said.

“Not your call,” Derik muttered.

Lucius grunted. “Enough! I’ve already spoken. It’s too damned early and the testosterone levels are high enough. Goddess, someone get me a blunt, pronto.”

Well then…Beth grinned despite the shot of sadness that stirred in her chest whenever he father was unable to avenge their lost. Malia had been years older than both Beth and Tallis, and the opportunity to really know her sister had been taken from her. It was a sharper hurt than she’d ever let on.

Cool water soaked her right side and Beth froze as the hard footsteps pounded passed her. Please, she prayed, please don’t look down. But of course that’s exactly when one of them –Ian froze, height giving the male away, being the tallest by an inch or so. Dear sweet Goddess, help me, she tried again, cutting the flow of her breathing.

She could feel his sharp eyes wandering over the caves, searching.

“Derik, my man, we haven’t all damned night! What’re you stoppin’ for?” Inwardly, she agreed. Just keep movin’ Frostbite.

His footsteps were all she heard as he stalked closer, inhaling deeply. Her heart stalled, chest aching for air. He couldn’t smell her, her scent was too light. For Goddess’ Sakes, she was an untransitioned!

Just when she thought her life was over, another presence, only feet ahead of her –the frame of a bulky male –blocked her already strained view. She could see nothing now, not even a shadow. It was both unnerving and sheltering.

At least he hasn’t seen you…yet, her conscious sneered, glaring daggers at her. Beth swallowed, inhaling a little through her nose, prepared for the worst. In that moment, she loathed him as much as he did her.

“What’s doing, Ian?” Her father’s voice was yielding, as if he were speaking to a rabid-animal which –that was exactly how Frosty acted sometimes.

Minute passed in silence, until at least, Ian muttered a muffled, “Nothing.” Then, in seconds, his footsteps vanished. Man, she thought, he was fast…scary fast.

Her father exhaled heavily before tracing altogether. Still, she kept motionless, gasping shallow strangled breaths, waiting until she heard the agonized screams.

Frantically, she clapped her hands over her ears, blocking out the sound as her body trembled, the events causing an emotional overload. Being out of tune with her emotions was hell.

Her father was constantly getting out her about missing training, but he didn’t understand. Every time she showed fact, she was welcomed or rather unwelcomed by glaring, detached emerald eyes. And every day she spoke to Vince she found herself comparing him to Ice, and to top it all off, her transition still hadn’t come.

Her mathine was so overwrought with concern she’d booked continuous appointments with Doctor Fang. A skeptical giggle bubbled over her lips. Doctor Fang, how ironic. Jeez, she was crazy she decided, leaning on the wall for support as the blood rushed to her legs.

Slowly, she stumbled out of the caves, slipped through the rusted iron bars until she broke away from the musty, suffocating air. And then, she ran. Desperately, she ran through the forests, brushing trees and dodging rocks until the screams faded into nothing but a bad memory.

Beth collapsed into the dried leaves, pulling her iPhone from her pocket and dialing the familiar number.  

He answered on the first ring. “Beth,” voice gruff with an emotion close to worry. She smiled softly.

“I’ll be at the road in five. Come get me?” He sighed over the line

“You’ve gatta stop doing this…” she swallowed. “You good?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she dismissed teasingly. “I’m hanging up so come get me!” Sitting up, she tugged off the ugly dark green beanie, unhooking her hair from its tight bun, and standing. It felt better to have her hair loose; it made her headache bearable.

Jacking her brothers jeans up, she started forward