The Allies of Old; Book Two Renewal: PART TWO Chapter Forty-One "Secrets"

Book Cover created in acrylic by the extremely talented @therealpaul

If you have not read the first book of the series, "Reborn", it is advisable you do so before reading "Renewal" or you will be lost. This link will provide you with a series summary as well as all sixty-eight chapters of Reborn

Chapter Forty-One

Six Weeks earlier

Jess looked over at her sister and frowned, feeling a mixture of hurt and frustration. Why did she always feel the need to make her feel stupid? It seemed like Jenna couldn’t make it through a single day without putting her down in some way.

She knew her sister loved her and the scornful comments came from a place of worry, which was why most of the time she let them slide off her back. But sometimes she wanted to scream at her.

It wasn’t as if she thought she was perfect, she knew that once upon a time she’d been a real brat, and although she’d vastly improved, she also knew her monthly mood swings were not easy to live with. But Jenna wasn’t perfect either, far from it in her opinion.

She eyed her sister who was currently staring out the window of the train as they headed back to Paris, a frown creasing her brow having just expressed her mighty opinion of Jess’s choices in men. How the next time she developed a crush on someone she might want to actually get to know the guy before letting him stick his tongue down her throat. Or other things.

Personally she thought her sister was just miffed that she wouldn’t talk about what had happened between her and Tyros. In fact she had told her it was none of her freaking business.

The same thing she’d told her on the night she’d almost slept with him.

It was the night that Anna had stolen the weapons and everyone had been distracted for a bit, what with the scary earth shaking vampire on the prowl outside, so she had slipped off with him and he’d taken her to his room. She closed her eyes, remembering…

“So what do you think?” He swept a hand towards his living space. She glanced around, taking it in. The walls were the color of leaves and decorated with abstract paintings, dark in tone. An enormous King sized bed sat in the center of a thick plush white rug and her eyes kept flicking to it.

“I like it, it’s very masculine,” she stated flashing him a smile.

He clasped a hand on her arm and led her to a black leather love seat, pulling her onto his lap. She settled into his arms and told him all about the day’s events, everything she had done with the girls since they had left that morning.

When she had finished the tale his lip was curved slightly in amusement. “So you’ve become a member of Charlie’s Angels?”

She laughed and felt some of her nervous tension subside as he leaned in and cupped her face, kissing her gently but thoroughly. She sighed into his mouth and he deepened the kiss, running his hand up the inside of her thigh and she could feel herself heating up through the material of her snug fitting jeans. He moved his hand, brushing the spot that was exuding warmth and she pulled back abruptly on a gasp.

“You are the most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes on Jessica Richmond, I want you so much it hurts,” he whispered.

She trembled with indecision and he stroked his fingers down the side of her face forcing her to look at him. She leaned forward and he kissed her more forcefully this time, and when he pulled back she felt slightly unfocused.

He began stroking between her legs and her hips moved slightly towards his hand, which was the encouragement he’d apparently been looking for. He lifted her up and tumbled her onto the bed, following her down and pinning her with his weight. He swallowed her startled protest with another intense kiss.

Her heart was beating wildly as he lay on top of her, and she knew she was all done playing hard to get. She would not be able to stop things now, so she discarded every pretense and clasped his dark hair, gyrating beneath him. He made a strangled sound and pulled back, yanking his shirt over his head. She threw her hands up to stop him from dropping back down, wanting to take in the sight of his naked chest.

Oh God, she thought in awe, he’s perfect.

His torso was etched with corded muscle, his skin golden and flawless without a trace of hair. She ran her hands over his solid pecs then looked up into his face. His eyes were a deep brown circled and flecked with gold, accented by slanting dark brows which lent him a perpetual menacing appearance. With high cheekbones and a sensual mouth, he was stunning.

“You’re the sexiest man I’ve ever seen,” she told him as a seductive smile spread across her face.

His own enticing smile appeared and he placed one hand over both of hers removing them gently as he tugged her shirt up and over her head. In one fluid movement he had her bra off and discarded beside the bed. He was straddling her hips and he stared down at her breasts, his eyes snagging on the strawberry birthmark on the underside of her right one. He dipped down and licked the mark then moved slightly to draw a nipple into his mouth. She cried out as a shock of sensation flashed through her.

He stopped suddenly cocking his head to the side as if listening to something.

Jess looked up at him questioningly as a look of irritation flashed across his face, but before she could ask what was wrong he distracted her by latching onto her nipple once more. His hands went to her waistband and he tugged on her pants then suddenly flipped her over. She squeaked in surprise as he tugged her jeans down.

“My God your arse is a work of art,” he breathed.

His breath tickled the source of his compliment and she had a feeling he was about to taste her other birthmark, which was likely peeking out from behind the string of her lacy pink thong. He moved the strip to the side and she pulled in a breath as she felt his tongue slide across it.

“JESSICA, WHERE ARE YOU!”

“Oh no,” Jess groaned into the mattress, “my sister…”

Ty released her reluctantly and sat back. “Don’t be long,” he told her quietly.

She sighed noisily as she pulled her clothes back on, then gave him an apologetic look and slipped from the room.

She ran into her glowering sister as she came around the corner.

“Where were you?” Jenna demanded.

“What do you want?” Jess shot back with equal irritation.

“Um, let’s see, we have a dangerous vampire on the loose outside and you disappear, and considering you and Tyros tend to go off into the wild blue yonder…

“Okay, that’s just stupid, as if Ty would risk taking me outside right now!”

“Then where were you?”

“I repeat, what the hell do you want?” Jess’s pitch rose and Anna appeared around the corner.

“What’s going on?” she asked with a note of concern.

“I have no idea, Jenna won’t tell me why she was yelling for me.”

“I already explained that I was worried…

“Fine, you were worried, needlessly I might add, and now you can see I’m safe and sound, so can I run along now mother?”

Jenna ignored the sarcasm, “Not until you tell me where you were or where you’re going.”

“None of your freaking business!”

“You are so not shacked up in his room right now!”

Jenna looked at Anna for help.

Anna sighed. “What can we do about it, she’s an adult-

“Oh yeah, an adult, uh huh, she sure acts like one!”

Tears of anger sprung to Jess’s eyes. “Do you have to give me a hard time every single minute? Can’t you just let me be? Anna goes running off to get herself potentially killed and you just ho hum-but me, I can’t even move without you freaking out!”

Harriet came on the scene with a slight frown. “Girls, what’s all the shouting?”

Jenna explained, gesturing wildly at her “foolish” sister.

“Why don’t we go back into the living room, I’ll make some margueritas, we’ll make a party out of it,” the older woman suggested.

Jess opened her eyes letting the memory slip away and glanced sideways at her sister who was still brooding.

Let her brood, she thought irritably, I did what she wanted and went with them that night. And while it was a decision she didn’t regret, she did feel bad for leading him on and abandoning him without explanation. She was certain it was what had led to the horrible scene between them just before he’d disappeared.

She closed her eyes once more and went back to the morning after Anna had gotten sloshed at the club where the enormous and frightening vampire had made an appearance.

She descended the stairs nearly colliding with Michael who caught her arms and smiled softly. She smiled up at the gorgeous male, momentarily caught in eyes that were so blue it was like gazing into the Caribbean Sea.
I really hope things work out between him and Anna, she thought wistfully. She had overheard him talking to Seth the morning before and the things he had said indicated he loved her friend. He was certainly a far better choice than the scary angry vampire that had taken Anna’s innocence.

“Is Tyros home?” She asked, suddenly remembering what she’d been doing.

“Yes, I believe he’s in his room.” Michael frowned and looked like he wanted to say more, but Seth came walking in and diverted his attention.

She started in the direction of Ty’s room tugging nervously on a lock of hair. She was exceedingly glad they’d been interrupted the other night, because after some serious contemplation she’d decided she was not going to sleep with him. As much as she hated to admit it, her sister was right, she shouldn’t get so involved with a vampire. It could only lead to heartbreak. But she still felt the need to clear the air, particularly since she thought he might be avoiding her.

She turned the corner by his room and nearly ran into him coming around it. He seemed distracted and agitated so she suggested they go outside for some fresh air. He nodded, placing a hand on her lower back and guiding her out onto the back porch.

He started to sit on the bench but she stopped him, suggesting they go for a walk. She was nervous about what she intended to say and felt the need to be moving. He raised a dark eyebrow as he stood and she led him across the lawn to the woods where there would be more privacy.

When they were on the path between the trees she stopped and fidgeted with her hands. “Are you upset with me for the other night?”

He swept his gaze over her, his expression unreadable.

“No,” he said finally, moving so he was standing directly in front of her. He was so close she could feel the heat of his body and his breath as he tipped her face up. “Your sister is overprotective,” he stated in the low silky tones that never failed to send shivers of anticipation down her spine.

“God yes, annoyingly so….”

He captured her lips, sinking his hand into her hair and drawing her to him. Pressed up against his lean muscular body she could feel the hard ridge of his growing erection and she pulled back abruptly, her stomach fluttering with anxiety and excitement.

“I can’t have sex with someone who doesn’t love me,” she blurted as he attempted to pull her face back to his mouth. His hand stilled and he took in a sharp breath before turning away.

He was silent for so long her feet were growing numb from the cold and she wrapped her arms around her body to suppress a shiver.

He finally glanced down at her, a cruel smile curving his lips and she shivered again, but not from the cold.

She took a step back and he watched her retreat silently, the color of his eyes deepening from rich brown to nearly black, making the gold rings and flecks stand out hypnotically.

“So Jess Richmond,” he purred, “do people call you a tease?”

She’d stopped moving when he started speaking and the menacing tone in his voice froze her to the spot. “I…no. I’m sorry, it’s not like that, I just don’t want to get hurt.”

He took a step towards her and cocked his head to the side, his eyes narrowing. “Tell me, what kind of relationship did you think we could have? Knowing what I am and what you are not?”

Abruptly she realized for him it had always been about sex. She’d thought he’d actually liked her, particularly since he’d confided personal aspects of his past. But now she saw that he would never care for a human girl who would age and die while he stayed frozen in this perfect, beautiful state. She would be nothing more than a fling to him. She felt tears pricking the corners of her eyes and tried to think of something to say.

He continued to stare at her, his eyes cold and unfeeling, reptilian almost, as he waited for her response. Hurt quickly turned to anger, and she narrowed her own eyes in return. “So because I’m going to age you’re better than me, is that what you’re saying, that I’m not worth caring about for more than my body?”

His lips curled into a feral smile. “In my experience no human is worth more than that.”

His words hit her like a sledge hammer. “You bastard,” she hissed, “You’re a monster just like your parents were!”

He moved so fast she didn’t know he had until his arms were locked around her and they were flying through the trees.

Generously created for me by @son-of-satire