Ordinary World (Cursed Kin Series Book 2) Page 5

  Blushing, Daphne saw that Conn understood she was trying to change the subject and thankfully went along with it. They spent hours on end, talking and chatting once again – just enjoying being with each other. As they came upon another exhibit, she saw it was of Vlad the Impaler and contained several vampire tools. Conn winced and immediately Daphne pulled him forward past it.

  “You can look if you want to, but I’d prefer not to relive any nightmares or atrocities from my past. I’ve had quite enough of them, thank you.”

  “Well, good news for you! I don’t plan on walking you down memory lane like that. Instead, I think we should combat the bad with some good.”

  “How is that?”

  “You mentioned dinner, right?” Daphne asked shyly, looking at him through her lashes to see a flare of desire in his warm gaze. “How about we start building on creating some good memories for you to outweigh the bad ones. Do you like steak? I know a great little place not far from here.”

  “As long as it’s not a wooden stake,” he told her, the corner of his lip upturned in a wry smile. He took her hand where their fingers were laced together and kissed her knuckles.

  “No wooden stakes, I promise.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  Daphne drove to the steakhouse nearby. It was family owned and had been there for ages. It made her feel secure to have her car there and be in control of their date. Conn was huge in her little vehicle and looked like he barely fit inside the small Volkswagen Beetle she drove, but he never said a word. Instead, he was a perfect gentleman, opening the doors for her and pulling out her chair – something that no one had ever done for her before. It made her feel pampered and special, not just in his eyes, but that he was showing it to anyone watching.

  They talked and talked over their dinner and a glass of wine. Fascinated, Daphne found herself staring at the wine glass where his lips curled around the clear glass and felt envious of the contact. It was stupid to be jealous of a cheap wineglass, but there she was! She wanted to kiss him again and treasured the smiles he gave her. Being able to talk to him seemed like such a gift and conversation came so easily between them.

  “What do you say that we head out? Would you like some coffee or another glass of wine?” she asked boldly, feeling her heart hammer.

  “You would like our evening to be done now?”

  “No, I thought maybe you would like to come to my place…”she whispered nervously, glancing away and taking a large sip of her glass as if to give her strength. She was inviting a sexy vampire to her house! Was she insane?

  “I’d like that,” Conn said intimately, rubbing his thumb over her hand.

  Ermagerd, she thought wildly, had anything ever been so sensual? So, if she gave in to the kissing, touching or went further – would it be as exquisite as she fantasized in her imagination?

  “You are frightened?”

  “No!” she squeaked and then lowered her voice. “Nervous, not frightened. Why do you ask?”

  “I can see your pulse fluttering wildly at the base of your throat like a little butterfly. Don’t be frightened of me, Daphne. I would never deliberately hurt you.”

  “It’s the unintentional stuff that I worry about,” she admitted, “but I would still like to spend some time with you and it is more important to me than fearing what could happen.”

  Conn grew silent and she felt like she could almost see the thoughts rolling around in his mind. He was just as nervous as she was at the thought of something happening. She knew he was frightened of hurting her and frankly, she didn’t want to be injured – but the more she was with him, the more she craved something deep inside. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she desperately needed a connection with him and it was stronger than any other feeling in her right now.

  Hurriedly, she waved over the waiter and asked for the check, garnering a surprised, raised eyebrow from Conn as he grinned. When they set down the bill, Conn grabbed it and shook his head, fishing out several bills from his wallet and getting to his feet. He held out his hand to her and Daphne saw that his own fingers trembled. Glancing up, she saw the desire in his eyes and placed her hand in his. It wasn’t that she needed help out of her chair, it was that they both needed the connection- gathering courage from each other.

  Daphne didn’t even remember driving home, she was so attuned and focused on the man next to her. As she walked up the stairs to her apartment, she grabbed her keys and unlocked the door.

  “Do I need to invite you in or is that a myth?” she teased half-heartedly, looking over her shoulder at where he stood. As the front door opened, she felt his arms slide around her torso and his lips touched her cheek.

  “Conn?” she whispered breathlessly as he untucked her shirt from her pencil skirt. Arching her back against him, his hands slid under her bra and cupped her breasts, making her moan softly as they stumbled inside together. He kicked the door closed behind him and released her briefly. Turning around, she watched fascinated as he yanked his sweater off over his head revealing his muscled torso and abdomen that had a faint trail from his stomach down into his pants. Daphne reached up to unbutton her own blouse and it was like a starving man was turned loose.

  Conn grasped her and tore open her shirt, sending buttons flying everywhere, but instead of being frightened, she was incredibly turned on. The man was so intense and she loved it. He yanked her bra downwards around her waist and before she could caution him about his fangs, he was already feasting at her breasts. He fell to his knees and held her body closely as he suckled her. His mouth was doing incredible things to her nipples making her knees weak and causing surges of pleasure to race through her body.

  “You are so incredibly beautiful,” he whispered against her skin and she could feel his hands sliding up her thighs slowly, as if he was giving her time to stop him. She could no more stop this than she could a hurricane. Her body was being blasted with sensations that she’d never felt before and her desire was rampant. She wanted him, all of him.

  His hands yanked her panties to the side and slid along her wet cleft causing her knees to buckle. Clutching his shoulders to keep from falling, she looked down to see the lust in his eyes as he stared up at her, watching her. Without looking away, he slowly slid a finger inside of her body, causing her to gasp as the feelings in her just climbed to another level. The smile on his face wasn’t aggressive or cocky, it was a man knowing that he was pleasing his woman. He slid her skirt up even higher and she knew what he was planning on doing next.

  “My legs aren’t working,” Daphne whimpered aimlessly and saw his abrupt nod as he laid her down on the couch behind her. The moment she was on her back, his head brushed against her thigh causing her to moan aloud. The stubble of his beard felt exquisite against her sensitive skin, causing her body to arch in expectation.

  His tongue touched her core and Daphne nearly came off the couch as her body trembled. She could feel his hands as they gripped her body tightly. Moments later, she was mindless as he laved, worshipped, and devoured her until she exploded against his mouth. Opening her eyes, she saw him get to his feet to remove his pants and saw the instant look of alarm cross his face.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked in a slight panic. Conn was staring at his hands, horrified and then glanced at her mere seconds before she saw him disappear right before her eyes. Daphne grabbed a throw off the couch and clutched it to her exposed chest in embarrassment.

  “Conn?” she whispered in the dimly lit room and then got up to turn on all the lights. “Conn? What’s happening?” Daphne felt a breeze in the room and realized that the A/C must have kicked on at some point. “Hello? If you are there we can be done, seriously. I mean, if you don’t want to fool around – I get it. Hello? Conn?”

  9

  Pissed off and hurt beyond belief did not begin to describe the emotions Daphne felt at being toyed with. When Conn disappeared, she had thought that she was hallucinating at first. People don’t just poof out of
sight. She enjoyed herself thoroughly but could have seriously used round two with her sexy man. Conn didn’t even get to enjoy himself and that bothered her to no end. He pleased her, but when it was his turn – he disappeared?

  W.T.F.

  She didn’t even have his cell number to call him and ask where he’d gone to. Nothing. She had his name and that was it. Shame and embarrassment burned through her as she felt used and betrayed. Apparently she wouldn’t have to worry about her vampire because he had no intention of completing what he started. That night, Daphne lay in bed and cried herself to sleep as she wracked her mind trying to figure out what was wrong with her… or him.

  Early the next morning, Daphne went in to work like nothing had happened. She checked her mailbox just in case and went on about her day. During the afternoon, she started researching and googling stuff trying to find out more information but nothing turned up. The only thing that appeared in her research was a bunch of mythology and mumbo-jumbo about vampires turning into bats and other creatures. Conn didn’t turn into a bat, he was just gone. Faded away into nothingness.

  Her days fell into this pattern. She would get up, work at the school and spend long hours in the evening trying to research everything she could on Conn and vampires. She eventually found a description of Conn listed as a prisoner of Niall of the Nine in old Scottish mythology. Niall? Wasn’t that his brother’s name? Googling Niall Cael, Daphne was floored to see that there was a lineage and a descendant living in the United States, working in Nashville, Tennessee.

  Weird.

  Daphne wondered if Conn knew this or if this was his brother? She assumed that if Conn was a vampire, perhaps his brother was too then? Looking up the other names, she saw that they were scattered all over the world. Conn lives in Chicago, someone named Fiacha lives in Atlanta. Loegaire was in Quebec, Maine was in Atlanta… they were all listed and all had modern day addresses. Were they all vampires? All of them alive? Conn never spoke of his family and he had some ‘splaining to do!

  Grabbing her cell phone, Daphne dialed the first number she found. Part of her didn’t expect to get an answer, rather a voicemail, but another part of her wondered if they would? Just then, she heard someone pick up. A woman’s voice.

  “Hello?”

  “Yes, can I help you?”

  “I am looking for Niall Cael, well – specifically I am looking for Conn…” Daphne blurted out and felt hot tears of worry and shame burning her eyes. She just wanted to know that she wasn’t putting herself on the line for someone that was planning on using her. She liked Conn – a lot- more than she ever realized. Listening, she heard a man and woman talking in the back ground.

  You have some other woman calling you?

  No, Holly – now give me the phone.

  I don’t think so, I should tell her to get lost.

  Holly, if she is asking for Conn – something’s happened.

  Yeah, he is a slick one- don’t you sick him on me ever again. I don’t like him flirting with me.

  He flirted with you? I’ll kill him.

  No, you won’t but you are sweet to say so- you just keep your girls from calling, okay?

  Holly, there’s no one else for me, baby- ever.

  Daphne held the phone away from her head and made a face as she heard some heavy breathing and moaning on the phone. Were they making out while she was waiting for someone to talk to her? Jeezy-peets!

  “HEY! STOP THAT!” Daphne shouted and heard them speaking again in the background.

  Conn, remember?

  I remember, love, we’ll finish this shortly.

  “This is Niall Cael. Can I help you?” Daphne burst out talking ninety miles an hour.

  “IthinksomethinghappenedandConnjustupandpoofedoutoftheroomIdontknowwhattodoandIcantfindhimIgoogledyouandfoundoutyouareallvampiresandIthinkheneedshelphellIneedhelpOMGamIgoingnuts…”she finished, panting and heard a deep chuckle in the phone receiver that reminded her of Conn.

  “Breathe Daphne,” Niall coached and then shushed Holly in the background. “Daphne, you need to tell me what happened exactly and tell me where you are at.”

  “Am I in danger?”

  “Possibly.” The flat, casual way Niall said that made her want to vomit. In fact, she reached over- grabbed her trashcan- and lost her lunch in the span of seconds.

  “Sorry. I get sick when I get nervous.”

  “That’s okay. Start from the beginning and let’s find out what happened together.”

  “Okay.” Daphne told him about the presentation and Conn’s argument, she told him of their date and finished abruptly. “…and we were kissing and then… yeah. Poof.”

  “Poof? Was there a puff of smoke or did he simply fade away and disappear?”

  “He disappeared. Does he puff into smoke too?”

  “No, but I am trying to get a handle on what could have happened since we were all cursed and magic – well, magic is magic and works differently on people.”

  “He’s cursed and that’s why he has fangs. Vampire curse, not an ‘invisible man’ kinda curse. Right? We are talking about one single hex, not a plethora of them.”

  “We all are, it’s a long story and Conn should tell you.”

  “Is he coming back?”

  “Unfortunately, yes.”

  “Whaddya mean ‘unfortunately’- don’t you want your brother to come back? What kind of family are you people?”

  “Of course, I want Conn to return, but when he comes back- he needs… help,” Niall said gingerly. Daphne knew he was hiding something from his tone of voice.

  “Help how?”

  “How long has he been gone?”

  “Today is the fourth day,” she admitted and flinched when Niall cursed. Apparently this was bad. Really, really, bad.

  “Do you have a weapon?”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Holly and I are going to get a plane and head your way. I need you to stay safe. If he’s told you about himself, then he considers you special – but that makes you vulnerable. He won’t be himself when he shows up…and you will need to keep him away until he has returned mentally.”

  “Are you saying he’s nuts?”

  “Crazed with hunger is a more apt description. Now, I need you to text me your address and get behind locked doors. Do not open them until we arrive.”

  10

  Hungry, horrible gnawing and tearing pain is eating at his insides as Conn materializes in a dark alleyway. His body trembles with starvation and his vision is clouded in a red mist. Pain, hurt, lust… ahh yes, he remembered the delicious smell of a woman and the taste of her. He sniffed the air around him, searching and growling as the stench of unwashed bodies burned his nose. He smelled filth, urine, and sweat – not the sweet musky flower that was distinctly hers. Black hair, ruby lips and that taste…

  Yesssss, he needed that taste and felt himself snap his teeth together angrily. He had to have a sampling of her to feed this raging need in his body. No! he thought suddenly, fearful in the back of his mind as an insidious voice beckons him to a heartbeat nearby.

  Feed.

  He was beyond hungry and must find nourishment for his starved cells- then he would find his woman and bathe himself in her fluids. All of them. Her blood, her sweet body, he would devour it all and find relief to this burning pain he felt.

  The heartbeat was at his feet now.

  A homeless man lying in a gutter, in a drunken stupor, in the old part of town. Conn felt nothing but urges, guttural, animalistic urges that he had to address before his sanity would return.

  Yanking up the man, Conn didn’t hesitate as he bit swiftly into the man’s sweaty neck. The yelp of pain and the struggle only caused him to pull and fight Conn’s strong body. Conn pulled back and sank his teeth in again to gain a deeper flow to the artery pulsing under his tongue. The haze in his eyes as he stared straight ahead uncaringly finally started to ebb away, bringing the world into focus.

  Horrified, Conn jerked back his te
eth and gently lay down the man back where he was. His pulse was still there but faint. He didn’t kill him this time in order to return to who he was unlike last time. Weeks ago, he’d awoken to find a body at his feet and another being fed upon like today.

  This was why he didn’t have relationships.

  This was why he was alone.

  The others could control their urges and fed daily but he was not the same. His curse was of the vampire, but his stepmother Cairene took a special hatred of him and Niall. His brother turned into a werewolf and Conn a ghost. It wasn’t the ghost thing that freaked him out because there was a sense of nothingness to it. You existed in a state of hungry emptiness. Unfortunately for him, if you didn’t have a body- you couldn’t feed it; however, when he ‘awoke’ or reappeared?

  It was game on.

  The vampire’s instincts were debilitating to his body and mind. Everything shut down and forced him to search for blood in order to function. This is why Daphne was in danger when she was with him. His woman.

  Daphne!

  Terrified, Conn looked down and saw that he was only wearing his slacks, which meant that he had actually disappeared in front of her as they were making love. Had he hurt her? Did he bite her? He couldn’t remember. Niall was with him in London at a bad time when he awoke and couldn’t remember what he’d done. Jack the Ripper- that story had brought Daphne into his world… and the reason he was afraid to let that part of himself out again.

  Conn couldn’t live with the pain or guilt if he hurt her.

  His hands trembling, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. That was his promise to his brothers, that he would always text when he reappeared regardless of what condition or if he needed help. Opening his phone, he saw that the battery was almost dead. He kept a charged battery saver on it constantly because his life- and others- hung in the balance. Sending a group text to his family, he frowned as the phone went black. Safe… was all he said and he wasn’t sure if it went out or died first.