Frailty: The Darkshine Page 4

  Gaijryc laid out the feast in front of Helina. He’d had the softest blanket made for her, something that she could lay on and not feel the hard, cold ground. He would prefer for her to sleep in a warm, soft bed, but there was no way he could bring her to his parents’ mansion. Every DarkShine within smelling distance would be able to sense her and he couldn’t risk any harm coming to her.

  He normally didn’t eat the food he brought for her. He would like for her to eat it all, put some more weight on her too-slender body. She was delicate with everything she did, whether it was running her hand through her hair or picking up a piece of fruit with her petite fingers. He couldn’t stand to think about her sleeping in this cave all by herself. Since he had first seen her, he had stayed in the shadows and watched the cave, making sure no one bothered her. He was confused by the strong feelings that she caused inside of him. He’d had plenty of lovers during his lifetime, countless females that he had been with, although none of them compared to her.

  He watched her more intently than he had ever watched anyone before. He memorized every strand of her long dark hair, the mixture of green and brown in her big hazel eyes, and the soft curves of her petite body. She was so small and fragile compared to him, so little that he feared he would hurt her by just holding her hand.

  “I don’t like you out here. You should be in a warm home, silks and a feast before you.” He smiled as she sputtered on her drink. He could hear her little heart beating fast, could see the pulse in her neck pounding against her skin. He wondered what it would be like to taste her, to allow himself to sample what pumped through her body. He had tasted human blood many times, but he knew that drinking hers would be the sweetest of all.

  His fangs ached as he watched the pulse at her neck. His cock was hard and throbbing as it pressed against his pants. His desire for her was instantaneous—indescribable since the first moment he had smelled her, seen her. He couldn’t have her living here any longer. He needed to acquire a house for her, far away from his kind, but close enough that he could protect her. He needed to protect her, to make sure she was safe and cared for.

  He should just stay away from her—that would have been the safest thing for both of them, but his feelings were so rampant and like nothing he had ever felt before that he couldn’t. He would need to find a home for her soon, before he slipped up and she was discovered by his kind. He rose to leave and saw her eyes grow big again.

  “You’re leaving? So soon?”

  He was pleased that she cared enough to wonder, and as much as he hated leaving her, he needed to find a place for her. “I will come back at dusk. I have something I have to take care of most urgently.” He bent down once again and ran his hand down her cheek. He felt her body stiffen, would have thought it was from fear if he hadn’t been able to smell her arousal. He clenched his other hand by his side, hoping she didn’t notice the massive erection that was demanding to be let free.

  He made his way out of the too-small cave and into the morning sun. He started off at a slow pace, gradually picking up speed as he raced through the woods, away from his parents’ mansion—away from Helina. It only took him minutes to reach the road. He stayed within the tree line as he ran parallel with them, looking for anything that could be used as a home. He slowed his pace as he saw a small dirt road with overgrown trees and shrubs covering it.

  He followed the path until the trees started to clear. He spied a small, well-hidden cabin. He knew it was abandoned, had been for a while, since he didn’t sense any humans. He opened up his senses, making sure he was truly alone. Satisfied that he was, he walked the perimeter of the cabin before finally opening the front door and walking inside.

  Dirt covered the floor, and there were old pots and pans on the wooden counters. Ripped drapes hung from the only two windows in the single room and a blackened fireplace sat against the center wall. He stepped inside and walked around. A drape hung from a wall in the corner, holes throughout the brown floral printed fabric. A small dingy bed sat behind the fabric, its springs poking through the yellow stained mattress. Even though he would have preferred her to stay in the most luxurious of accommodations, he knew until he could think of something more permanent, this would have to do. He made a mental list of everything he would need to acquire to furnish the cabin and headed back to the mansion.

  Ryce stood at the window in his living room, staring out at the pristine grounds that surrounded his new home. He ran a hand over his shaved head as he watched the sun start to set. He was the first ranking lord of the DarkShine league; the highest one could get within the DarkShine army. He had led his kind into this new place, their new home.

  They had decided to keep the majority of humans as their blood source, some of them as their pets. They gave the humans a good life, a safe one in exchange for their loyalty and obedience. It was true, they didn’t need the blood of a human to survive; they could just as easily feed off each other, but there was something about a human’s blood that tasted sweet and addicting—like the most exquisite of wines on the pallet.

  He stared out the window as he felt two hands slide over his bare arms. He looked down and saw a pair of female hands with red painted nails start to move down to the already growing bulge behind his boxers.

  “Haven’t you had enough, Iena?” His voice was flat and emotionless. He had no feelings for Iena, had no feelings for anyone, for that matter. She was an easy lay that helped him pass the time.

  Her soft feminine laughter vibrated on his back. He continued to stare out the window as her hands stroked his cock through the material of his boxers. He placed his hand over hers and moved them up and down his shaft in hard, long strokes. He turned around and brought his mouth down on hers, her squeak of surprise turning into a long moan. He ran his tongue along the inside of her mouth, his fangs running over her lips.

  He felt her hot tongue stroke along his, felt her fangs nick at his bottom lip. She moaned as his blood coated the inside of their conjoined mouths. He flipped her around, pressing her naked body against the back of the leather couch. He didn’t bother taking his boxers off, just pulled his cock out through the flap, slid a condom on, and slipped inside of her already soaked pussy. As he pounded into her, Ryce looked out the window, his rhythmic motions no more than actions he performed at the moment. All his feelings were void, no emotion except the current physical pleasure he felt inside of the DarkShine female beneath him.

  As he finished inside of her, he quickly pulled away, ripped the condom off, and adjusted himself. He walked back to the window and stared at the rolling green hills that made up the backyard. Iena was smart enough not to bother him. He heard her leave the room and was thankful for the fact. His life had been long, nothing more than motions he performed day in and day out. He was ages old and felt every day of it.

  He had led his league in every mission that had been assigned. He did what he had to do, led who he had to, but it wasn’t him doing those things, no, it was just the body that he inhabited. His emotions had died long ago. A little piece chipped away from his soul every time his sword sunk into another body, every time his fangs sank into the flesh of his enemy. Unless something inside of him woke, he couldn’t see himself going through these same motions for much longer, not when her face was an ever-present imagine in his mind.

  The first touch

  Helina sat in the spring in the cave, leaning her head back against the hard rock. She let her limbs float weightlessly in the warm water, as if she were nothing more than air. It was a pleasant feeling, being nothing, just floating through life. She let her hand float over her stomach and up to her breast. Her nipple was hard, her fingers skimming over it and giving her chills. Her body started to grow warm, a feeling that had nothing to do with the water.

  Lightly pinching her nipple, she closed her eyes as pleasure skimmed the surface of her body. She was about to place her whole hand on her breast when she heard the familiar sound of Gaijryc at the entrance of the cave. Startled, she t
ried to get out of the water, slipping on the rocks and falling on her hands and knees. Crying out in surprise and pain, she gritted her teeth. She glanced up and fell on her bottom as she came face to face with Gaijryc.

  He was on his haunches in front of her, concern etched on his face. Helina was so shocked by his presence that she was frozen in place, her nakedness forgotten momentarily. It was then, with the chill of the air on her skin, the water dripping off her body, and his eyes roaming over her, that she remembered she was stark naked.

  Standing quickly, she slipped on the slick rocks. Gaijryc’s arms were around her waist before she hit the ground again. His chest was pressed against her body tightly and she was acutely aware of the hard planes of his muscles. Her vagina instantly grew wet with desire, her nipples becoming tight. She gasped at the feelings that were coursing through her.

  Helina glanced up and looked into his eyes, saw them at half-mast, and could hear his heavy breathing as his eyes were glued to her exposed breasts. He pulled away from her and walked over to her pallet, grabbing a blanket swiftly and efficiently. Helina stood there shivering, wrapping her arms around her breasts, and covering her mound.

  He kept his eyes to the ground as he held out a thin material for her. “Thank you.” She wrapped it around herself, her eyes still on him—his eyes still on the ground. His fists were clenched at his sides. He cleared his throat and glanced up at her. Helina’s cheeks became hot with embarrassment.

  “I have a surprise for you.”

  “You do?” Her voice squeaked, arousal still heavy in her body.

  “I will leave you to dress. I have brought a bag with some clothing for you.”

  He didn’t say anything else as he turned and left the cave. Looking down at the black bag on the ground, Helina bent and opened it up. Pulling out an outfit, she looked at it then looked back at the cave opening. Are you kidding me? He actually expects me to wear this?

  She pulled out the transparent silk skirt and matching belly shirt. Shaking her head, she pulled out several more outfits until finally she found a skirt that wasn’t transparent and a shirt that went past her navel. She found no undergarments.

  After dressing, Helina went out of the cave and saw Gaijryc leaning against a tree. Smoothing her hand down the light pink knee-length skirt, she watched him. He stared at her before clearing his throat several times. “Thank you for the clothes.”

  Pushing himself away from the tree, he walked toward her. His big body circled hers, very slowly, before he stood in front of her again.

  “You are most welcome. This color suits you.” He said the words as he ran his finger over the hem of the lace shirt, his fingers skimming along her collarbone. It was her turn to clear her throat as she started to feel the familiar stirrings of desire wash through her. “Do all your women wear those kinds of clothes?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Closing her eyes as he moved his finger across her exposed flesh, she had to bite her inner cheek to keep from moaning. “The clothes you brought me. All of them aside from this outfit are transparent. Do all your women wear clothes like that, material you can see right through?” He laughed and moved away from her, holding his hand out for her to take. Helina glanced into his eyes. He smiled gently and she slipped her palm along his. He led them away from the cave and, although Helina should have felt fear for being exposed, the emotion wasn’t present. She could see the campground ahead and she became tense. She tried to tug her arm away, but his grip was like steel. “Wait. No, stop. I don’t want to go.”

  He instantly stopped, not letting go of her hand as he stared at her with concern. “What is it, Helina? Why are you so frightened?”

  He was taking her out of the comfort of her surroundings; the woods that made her feel sheltered and covered. She didn’t want to be exposed, and if he kept on this same path, they would soon meet the road, which would also mean they would be out in the open.

  “I don’t want to be seen. What if someone spots me?”

  She was frantic, her heart beating fast, the flight or fight instinct burning brightly within her. He didn’t speak for a suspended moment and she looked back and forth, making sure no one could see her, hoping no one was around.

  “Who has caused you to be this frightened?”

  His tone made her stop her examination of the surrounding and brought her attention back to him. Is he fucking kidding me? “Well, let me see. I had to flee my home because vampires apparently decided to kill off my species. If that wasn’t bad enough…” She looked around again, her breathing increasing as fear assaulted her. He looked down at her with a dark expression on his face. She took a step back, thankful when he let go of her hand.

  “That isn’t what I asked you. Who has caused you to be this frightened, Helina?”

  She couldn’t believe he would ask her such a thing, again. After what his kind had done to everything she had ever known. Maybe he wasn’t the one who had killed her sister, but he was just as much to blame as they were.

  “I can’t believe you just asked me that again. Look around.” She gestured around the quiet forest, with not even the sound of a squirrel or bird to break the silence. “What do you hear?” He didn’t answer, just stared at her with a stoic expression. “Nothing. The answer is, you hear nothing.”

  Tears prickled her eyes but she willed herself to stay strong. Her anger fueled her and gave her the courage she so desperately needed. Helina didn’t want to take it out on him, not after how sweet and kind he had been to her, but she wasn’t able to control it.

  He shook his head, but she knew he was very aware of what she was speaking about. Swallowing roughly, she gripped the edge of her shirt, her anger starting to subside as she watched the look of defeat cross his features. He moved away and sat on a boulder, his head hanging down as he clenched his hands. She wanted to hang onto that anger that bubbled inside of her, but with him, with Gaijryc, she couldn’t find the strength to.

  “I’m sorry.” His words were spoken low, but the anguish was reflected loudly.

  Helina walked over to him, feeling deflated as she sat down next to him. Grabbing his hand, she clasped it in her much smaller one. His stare was on their conjoined hands, his jaw clenched tightly as if he were in pain.

  “My sister, the one that died…” Helina didn’t know why she was telling him about Lizelle, but the need to do just that was overpowering. Her throat felt as if it was filled with sand and she swallowed dryly again. She thought about her poor, beautiful sister lying on the floor of her room. “She was murdered. She was murdered by one of your kind.”

  Closing her eyes, Helina tried not to think of that fateful day. She slowly opened them and looked over at him, getting trapped in his dark gaze. Her body involuntarily shivered from the look he gave her, a look that showcased all of the power he actually held. “Her blood was all over his mouth, dripping down his face as he watched me. I saw Lizelle lying on the floor, completely lifeless. He told me to run, and so that’s what I did. I ran to the only place I could think of—the place that was special to Lizzy.”

  Gaijryc’s face was toward the ground, his teeth grinding. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say.” He ran a hand over his hair, mussing the short locks in the process. “Not only did my kind take over everything you ever knew, but they also took someone who was special to you.” He turned his green stare at her. “What did he look like?”

  “What?” Helina was surprised that he actually wanted to know.

  “The DarkShine that killed your sister, what did he look like?”

  “Why?” Confusion was thick within her at his motivations.

  “Just… tell… me… Please.”

  Helina stared at him as he enunciated each word. She could tell he was furious, but she didn’t know exactly why. “Well, all I remember is that his head was shaved and that he had black tattoos on the sides of his neck.”

  “Motherfucker!”

  She flinched at the rough tone of his voice and
his coarse language.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to speak like that in front of you.” He stood and helped her up, cupping his hands on either side of her face. His eyes kept dipping to her lips and Helina’s heart sped up. She thought he was going to kiss her, and even after everything they had just talked about, she desperately wanted him to.

  She held her breath as she waited for that moment when their lips would lock. She could scarcely breathe as she anticipated when she would finally feel his mouth on hers. He suddenly looked around, all attention to her mouth gone.

  “We must go. I shouldn’t be distracted. It isn’t safe for you out here, even with me here to protect you.”

  She let him lead her away, her whole body still zinging from the near experience she knew could have happened. A dark, very flashy Bentley sat on the stretch of deserted road once they broke through the tree line. He pulled her gently her toward the car, gripping her hand tightly, as if he thought she were about to run. He opened the Bentley’s door for her, all black smooth leather waiting to greet her. He gently helped her in and she instantly sank into the butter-soft leather. He closed the door—nothing more than a soft click next to her ear. As he climbed inside, he gave a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

  “Do you like classical?”

  Nodding, Helina smiled as he turned on the stereo. She leaned back in the seat as the soft notes of Bach played through the car. “I love this song.” Helina said it more to herself, but as she looked out the dark tinted window, she could see Gaijryc staring at her, a smile on his face. They drove in silence, nothing more than the classical music filling the silence.

  The ride seemed to last forever, but then he turned off onto a small dirt road. “I don’t mean to sound like a child, but are we there yet?” The side of his mouth quirked up and he pulled to a stop in front of a small cabin. It was pitch black outside, only the moon and the Bentley’s headlights showing her much of anything. “Is this where you live?”