Bound to the City's Vampire Master

[Part Twenty] Bound to the City's Vampire Master

"What's so funny?!" I said angrily, slamming my hands onto the desk. "I don't see what's funny about this at all!"

"So-sorry," he said, recovering.

His arms were wrapped around his waist as his face was pressed against the surface of the desk. We were attracting attention from the other people inside the store.

"It's not funny, it's just the idea that he wants-that's his grand plan? It's just the way you put it, Kay. A baby making machine?"

The woman who sat in the stall in front of us turned around to look at us again. She looked at us strangely and then turned around to focus on her burger, shaking her head imperceptibly.

Then he finally calmed down, growing serious. "You have ketchup right at the corner of your chin. Anyway, I'm going to have to talk with everyone else. If this is true, we really need to do something. Abel's back, and things are getting hectic. And his plan to establish a new race..."

His hands were clenched, but I had a feeling that he did not notice it.

"Half human and half vampire breeds..." he murmured. Silence. And then:

"I've had reports that there are more cases involving vampires lately."

He continued.

"Bodies turning up with marks. We've been trying to cover those while we search for the instigator, but eventually there will be one that slips through. Normally they're more secretive about this, since blood upon wound should heal the marks. But they're being open about it. There is a sort of mandate among them to protect their existence from being known, but for some reason..."

He shook his head. "Things are changing here in LA. When I shot Isabelle in the chest with a silver bullet, she should have crumbled into ashes. There's a sort of immunity here, and the idea that Abel should have that immunity too...there are so many questions..."

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"Where are we going to? Don't leave me in the dark," I said, crumpling the bag of food and tossing it into the trashcan with flawless precision.

"Friend's home for a while. We're going to stay there while we figure out what we can do."

"Like what?"

"This."

He grinned at me, and then took my face with his hands once more, stopping both of us on the sidewalk. He leaned in closer, and I could smell that trademark scent of his mingled with aftershave.

He kissed me roughly, lacking the gentleness and grace that Sinclair had.

"Kay..." he murmured.

And then he began probing me with his tongue. Suddenly, without knowing why, I brought my hands up and pushed him away.

"Sorry," I said, holding my other hand. "It's just-my body did that on its own. I...oh Ryder..."

"So your body is rejecting me on its own?" he repeated coolly, continuing to walk on ahead. I followed him, not wanting to be left behind. "Understandable."

"Wait-are you pissed?!" I asked him. "You can't just do that out of nowhere in the middle of the street and then expect me to-Ryder!"

We stopped in front of his motorcycle, parked in the shaded corner of the parking lot. He threw the helmet at me. I caught it, and swung my leg over the seat as he buckled his helmet.

"Ryder..." I said. "If you're not going to say anything I'm the one who's going to be pissed!"

He spun around. "Of course I'm pissed! But it's not because of just now, it's just...it's been three years. Three years. The only thing that was stopping me from just completely taking you before was because of what happened. And just being around you all the time...maybe you think I'm some sort of a super human, but I'm a breathing male. You sleep in the same bed as I do, for chrissakes. And it's not easy to-to not touch you. But you don't seem to feel the same way."