Stefan’s Salvation

Chapter One

A vampire walked into a bar.

Stefan Dalakis smiled inwardly as he pulled open the weathered wooden door and walked into the dimly lit bar, leaving the dark of night behind him. It amused him to wonder what the patrons would think if they only knew what walked among them.

But there was no joke to follow the opening line.

The door banged solidly shut behind him and every head in the place turned his way. They all eyed him suspiciously. His gaze swept the room, cataloguing each patron in turn. Even though the room was poorly lit and he was wearing mirrored sunglasses, he saw everything. His vision was many times greater than any human’s and there was no place on Earth where it was so dark that he could not see.

He knew very well what they saw as they stared at him. At six-foot-six, he was a tall man, but he was heavily muscled as well, which gave the illusion that he was even bigger. The long black leather duster he wore was open, revealing a black linen shirt and a pair of black jeans. He pushed his long black hair back over his shoulders and ignored the barely veiled looks of mistrust aimed in his direction as he ambled toward the bar. His boot heels scuffed across a scarred plank floor that had obviously seen better days.

The bartender eyed him uncertainly as Stefan came to a halt in front of him. Did you lose your way, mister?

Could he be any more obvious? Here’s your hat, what’s your hurry? Clearly they didn’t get many strangers here. And why would they? This was a run-down roadside bar nestled deep in the mountains of North Carolina. From the outside, the place was in rough shape. The paint was peeling from the sides of the building and the gravel parking lot was rutted with potholes. If it wasn’t for all the trucks parked in front, one might think it was nothing more than an abandoned building.

Slowly, Stefan reached up and removed his sunglasses. He wore them whenever he drove at night to cut down on the glare of the oncoming headlights. Folding them carefully, he tucked them safely inside his shirt pocket before raising his eyes to pin the bartender with his glare. The other man gasped and gripped the side of the bar, his fingers digging into the thick wood. It was perhaps an overreaction, but Stefan was used to it. In fact, these days he encouraged it.

The corners of Stefan’s mouth turned up slightly, but it by no means could be misconstrued as a smile. He glanced into the mirror hanging behind the bar. His eyes blazed a brilliant emerald green . . . Dalakis eyes. They were a family trait that marked him, his brothers and all other Dalakis males that had come before them. No, I’m not lost. He turned his gaze back to the man standing behind the bar.

The bartender swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He opened his mouth to speak and croaked instead.

Stefan waited patiently, listening with half an ear to the strains of country music blaring from the jukebox in the corner of the room. He preferred classic rock, but he did enjoy some of the older country songs.

The other man finally cleared his throat. What can I get you? He picked up a rag and began to wipe down the top of the bar. Stefan didn’t know why he even bothered. The rag was more gray than white.

Beer. Whatever you’ve got in a bottle.

The bartender was starting to relax the longer Stefan simply stood there. He reached behind him and opened up a cooler, pulling a frosted bottle from its depths. Opening the bottle with a flourish, he placed it in front of Stefan. You visiting?

Stefan had been expecting the not-so-subtle probe for information. It was the same everywhere he went. Ignoring the question, he dug into his pocket, pulled out a few bills, and tossed them onto the counter. He grabbed the bottle, turned his back on the bartender, and ambled over to a table in the corner.

Plunking the bottle down, he snagged a chair and placed it directly in the corner. Satisfied, he settled himself on the chair, tipping it back so that it balanced on two legs. Taking his time, he surveyed the room.

It was mostly men hunched over the tables, drinking and talking in small groups. There were a few women—not many, but those who were there had obviously come looking for a good time. With their skintight jeans, skimpy tops and high-heeled shoes, they were walking, talking sex. Two were blond and one was a brunette, but all three of them wore their hair teased into high, poofy styles that seemed to defy gravity. Their eyes were rimmed in dark mascara and their lips were painted the same crimson red as their long fingernails. The two blondes sat by themselves at a table. The brunette was laughing and chatting with three men who were hanging on her every word.

One of the blondes eyed him with interest and he returned her stare. She nudged her friend and bent to whisper in her ear. They thought they might get lucky tonight. Stefan heard every word they said, as if they were sitting right next to him. His hearing was as acute as his vision.

Sex. That was something that hadn’t interested him much in decades. But that wasn’t totally true, he reminded himself. He’d been very interested a couple months ago when he’d watched his brother, Lucian, have sex with his mate. He’d envied the close bond between them. He’d shared the experience with them, yet been apart from it.

But tonight, he found himself noticing both women’s bountiful breasts. He could imagine them stripped naked and lying on a bed just waiting for him to do as he pleased. They’d spread their long legs at his command. God, he could almost smell their heat—the heady aroma of an aroused woman. There was nothing else quite like it.

And it had been a long time since he’d felt much of anything other than a deep, unanswered yearning to find a woman of his own. A true mate.

Maybe he’d get them to pleasure themselves while he watched. He could imagine their red-tipped fingers sliding in and out of their hot, slick channels. No. One of them could pleasure herself while the other sucked his cock, her red, pouty lips sliding up and down his length, taking him deep into her throat. The low moans would get more frantic, and when he was ready, he’d toss both of them onto the bed and fuck them.

And when they were sated, he’d lower his mouth to their necks and drink from them, appeasing his own hunger. Just the thought of it had his cock rock-hard and straining against the zipper of his jeans.

The beast inside him rumbled to life. Every heartbeat in the room pounded in his ears. He could hear the whoosh of their blood pumping through their veins. The sensation was hypnotic. He licked his lips, almost tasting the tang in his mouth.

He was hungry and they were sustenance.

Closing his eyes, he willed the beast back into submission. It wasn’t easy. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck. As the nights seemed to grow longer, it had gotten harder and harder to even have the will to fight his very nature. It would be so easy to take what he wanted with no consequences.

Taking slow, steady breaths, he ignored his throbbing erection and centered himself until he was back in total control. He opened his eyes and carefully scanned the room again. Nothing had changed. No one here knew the battle that had just been fought and won. No one knew that their lives had just been spared.

The beer was cool and the bottle sweaty in his hand as he took a long pull. He welcomed the bitterness of the brew as it slid down his throat to his belly. It did nothing to still the hunger within him.

He knew he had to feed. His brothers usually drank blood they purchased from various blood banks through dummy companies. He didn’t mind living that way, but on the road there was no other way for him to survive except to eat straight from the source. Stefan was always very careful not to take too much and to implant a pleasant memory in the mind of the donor. They were no worse off when he left them, so it didn’t trouble his conscience any.

He raised the bottle and took another swig. That is, if he even still had a conscience. Some days he wasn’t sure.

His brothers would be appalled at how close he was to the edge, and it was that fact that constantly pulled him back from the point of no return. He walked a fine line between survival and insanity. His nights grew darker and bleaker as each one came and went.

He knew he could return to New Orleans. Lucian and his new wife, Delight, would happily include him in their lives. Or, for that matter, he could fly to his homeland of Transylvania and spend time with his eldest brother, Cristofor, and his wife, Johanna. He was truly happy his brothers had found the women who completed their lives and made them whole.

But it was for that very reason that he stayed away.

Watching the two couples and their obvious happiness had almost driven him out into the killing sunlight. Almost. Stefan was no coward and no quitter. But more than that, he would not do anything to hurt his brothers, who he loved more than his own life.

As the youngest of the three, Stefan had grown up being watched over by both Cristofor and Lucian. Even now, they still tried. But those days were long over. He was more than capable of taking care of himself.

His brothers, both extremely dangerous and powerful men, had grown lax over the last century, content with their lives as they were. He, on the other hand, had survived by pushing himself to his limits both physically and mentally, constantly testing his powers and learning more.

He’d wandered the world over the past few centuries and, for the most part, he’d enjoyed himself. He’d visited places most people would only see in pictures, if they saw them at all. He’d met people from all walks of life, constantly educating himself about the various cultures inhabiting the planet.

But no matter how much he saw, how much he did, he was still left with an ache in his heart and a yearning in his soul.

He didn’t know what had made him stop at this particular roadside bar. Maybe loneliness. He’d been on the road for several months now, traveling the countryside in his specially customized truck. After Lucian and Delight had married, he’d just had to get away.

He knew what had led him to North Carolina though. He felt a small but genuine smile cross his face. How could any vampire resist visiting a place called Transylvania County? The tall mountains and trees of the state reminded him of home and he had enjoyed several days there before moving on. But he hadn’t gone far. Just down the road really, a few counties north. For some unknown reason, he’d felt compelled to stop here.

So here he was, sitting in the corner of a dingy bar not really knowing how he’d gotten there. Maybe some hot, raw sex with the two blondes would lighten his mood. Maybe pounding his cock into their wet warmth would help him feel connected to another human being, if only for a brief moment. A quick glance assured him the two women were still interested. One of them caught his attention when she opened her mouth over the long neck of her beer bottle, letting her lips slide up and down its slender neck. His cock jerked. Oh, yeah, he could use some of that tonight.

Taking another mouthful of beer, he casually listened in on the conversations going on around him as he pondered whether he should try and find a motel close by for the night. Most of the chatter he tuned out immediately, not really interested in whose wife was cheating on whom or why someone thought their boss was a shithead.

. . . gonna be a problem.

Stefan’s head shot up as he focused intently on the speaker. His heart was pounding in his chest and he had no idea why. With all his attention centered on the two men talking in low whispers on the other side of the room, he listened.

She just needs a little more encouragement is all. The larger of the two men had long, shaggy brown hair and a bushy beard. He punctuated his words with a nod and a mouthful of beer.

You think? The smaller, skinnier one glanced around as he spoke. His leg bobbed in a nervous rhythm.

Sure. The big man nodded again. Laurel Rose is a woman living on her own up in the hills. How hard can it be to scare her into moving?

I don’t know, Aaron. He pushed his thinning, dirty-blond hair back from his face and swiped a hand across his chin as if thinking about what his friend had just said. She don’t seem to be the type to scare easy.

White teeth flashed through the bush of facial hair as Aaron smiled. Don’t you worry, Clem. She’ll be ready to sign them papers and move by the end of the week.

Clem nodded, obviously more than willing to believe every word the other man said.

Stefan sat frozen in his chair. He had no idea who this woman was and, furthermore, it was none of his business. But some primal instinct had kicked in at the mere mention of her name. Laurel Rose. He rolled it over in his mind, examining it from every angle. He whispered it under his breath. It was a good name, a solid name, and just saying it brought him more peace than anything else had in years.

His gaze narrowed, and he studied the two men as the hunter in him surged to life. He needed more information. But first he needed to appease his hunger in order to be at his peak strength. Leaving the bottle still half full on the table, he rose and strode out of the bar without looking back.

Once again, he felt all eyes on him as he blew back out into the night as swiftly and silently as he’d entered. Only this time, he sent out a mental command as he left. He walked around the side of the building and into the darkness. Leaning against the outside wall, he crossed his arms and waited for his company to arrive.

Chapter Two

Laurel Rose McCaffey sat curled up on the window seat and stared out into the night.

Something was coming.

Shivering, she pulled the faded old quilt a bit more tightly around her shoulders, gripping the ends in her hands. Her knuckles were white. Her entire body was tense.

She didn’t question her certainty or try to brush it aside. She’d been proven right too many times before. From the time she was old enough to start talking, people had known there was something different about her.

Her grandpa had told her she was special. Some of the older folks whispered that she was fey or had the Sight. They always said it in hushed tones and glanced worriedly at her, as if she’d suddenly put some kind of hex on them.

Others weren’t quite so kind. Crazy, witch, touched, or just plain nuts—she’d heard them all and then some. She’d long since learned not to let it bother her. Content to live alone, she had very little to do with the nearby townspeople. The limited contact suited both sides.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to relax. The wind was little more than a light breeze, so it was quiet other than the usual creaks and groans the old house made as it cooled and settled for the night.

Unfurling all her senses, she waited and listened. The animals seemed fine, going about their nightly business. That was good. They would alert her to any danger. She’d always been able to talk with the animals—yet another talent that set her apart from others. And that was fine with her. Animals were much more trustworthy than people.

Whatever was coming, it wouldn’t be good. She could sense that much, but nothing more. Laurel Rose settled back against the side of the window seat and waited.

Something was coming.

• • •

Stefan cocked his head to the side and listened. He could sense something on the air. A calling. A searching. Something. It was there for a moment, no more than a whisper on the wind, and then it was gone.

A feeling of urgency swelled inside him. He had to hurry, but to where? To whom? Shrugging it off, he concentrated on the here and now. The door to the bar opened and he could hear the giggles of the two blondes as they hurried toward him.

Stepping out into the dim glow of one of the few remaining lights in the parking lot, he smiled. Ladies, he greeted them. He bowed slightly and swept his hand back, inviting them into the darkness.

They giggled and tittered as they hurried forward on the uneven ground in their high-heeled shoes. One of them stumbled slightly and Stefan grabbed her arm, steadying her. She looked up at him, her smile slowly fading the longer she watched him. It was as if some gut instinct had finally kicked in, warning her of the danger he presented. Maybe I should just go back inside.

Stefan heard the anxiety in her voice. He cupped her pale cheek in his hand and rubbed her red-stained lips with his thumb. If that is what you wish, I will not stop you. But I will not hurt you. He reinforced his words with a small mental push of encouragement. Her friend was already eagerly waiting, watching him and licking her lush lips in anticipation.

Her frown instantly disappeared. It was replaced by a sultry smile filled with sexual promise. But Stefan was no longer interested in sexual release. The women that had appealed to him only minutes before now left him cold. All he could think about was the woman called Laurel Rose.

But he played the game. After all, they deserved some fun for what they would provide for him. Putting his arm around her, he guided her into the sheltering darkness of the building.

He pushed her back against the wall, lowered his mouth, and kissed her. Her lips were soft and sweet and she was so very eager to please him. She swept her tongue into his mouth, opening her own wider, offering him everything.

Stefan tugged at the front of her blouse, flicking at the buttons one by one until it fell open. He admired the long line of her pale belly and the generous breasts encased in a lacy bra. He stroked a finger down her neck, across her cleavage, and over her stomach until he reached her belly button.

Her friend tittered, her high-pitched voice grating against his nerves. He turned to her and pinned her with a stare. She fell silent. When he crooked his finger at her, she all but fell over herself in her haste to reach his side. He pushed her back against the wall next to her friend, leaned over, and kissed her. She was slightly shorter than her friend, but just as voluptuous. He searched her mind. Her name was Karen and she thought he was hot.

Stefan usually respected people’s right to privacy and didn’t trespass into their minds. Only when he or his family were threatened or when he needed to feed did he do so, and then he kept it at a minimum. It was as much for himself as for them. There were things floating around in people’s minds that he just didn’t want to know. He usually got the information he needed and got out. But it was a useful skill and one he kept well honed, as he did with all his powers. Only very rarely could a person block his questing mind.

He ended his kiss with Karen and returned his attention to the other delectable morsel in front of him. He skimmed his finger back up her torso, dipping into the deep valley of her breasts. A quick twist of his fingers opened the front clasp of her bra. The lacy fabric pulled away and her generous breasts tumbled out.

Cupping the pale, white mounds in his hands, he rubbed his thumbs over her distended nipples. She moaned and arched her hips against him, searching for his hard cock. The only problem was that his dick was no longer hard. The only yearning burning within him now was the need to feed.

He pinched her swollen nipples before releasing her breasts and tearing open the fastenings of her tight jeans. He thrust his hand down the front of her skimpy bikini panties and found her hot and wet.

Turning back to Karen, he leaned down and nipped at her earlobe before whispering in her ear, Open your blouse and bra. He licked at the whorls of her ear. Then open your jeans and push them down so I can finger-fuck you and your friend at the same time. He skimmed his tongue over her neck and bit the top of her shoulder lightly before releasing her.

While he told Karen what he wanted, he’d kept his fingers busy on her friend, burying two of them deep inside her. Her cream slipped from her core, coating his hand as she moaned and rocked her hips.

Clothing rustled next to them and within seconds Karen had ripped off her blouse and bra and thrown them to the ground. She fumbled with the opening of her jeans and then both jeans and panties were down around her knees.

Stefan immediately fondled her breasts, arousing the tips to hard peaks before sliding his hand lower. Karen was just as wet and ready as her friend, and he sank his fingers into her.

Leaning back against the building with their clothing mostly gone, both women made an incredibly erotic picture. But still, Stefan felt no stirring of desire.

Anger flared to life within him. He’d been looking forward to some sexual release, but this unknown woman had robbed him of it and he didn’t even know who she was. That gave her power over him and Stefan didn’t like that one bit.

The moans of the women in front of him grew louder and he chastised himself for not paying attention. The last thing he wanted was for someone to hear them and come to investigate.

Leaning closer, he spoke softly, ordering them to be quiet. Immediately, the groans of pleasure went silent but they continued to pump their hips hard, both of them reaching for release.

They really were quite lovely with their breasts bobbing as they thrust forward and backward, pleasuring themselves on his hands. Their skin was soft and their pussies hot and wet. Beyond the heavy makeup and brittle laughter, he could see the beauty in them both. He sensed their desperation with their lives and how they both longed for more than they had in this small town.

It was time.

Easily slipping into their minds, he took control of their thoughts, purposely blurring them. It was easy. They were both so open and relaxed by the beer they’d drunk and the potent desire pulsing through their veins. They would never even know what he was doing. All they would feel was the pleasure.

Stefan leaned forward and nuzzled Karen’s neck, licking the salt from her flesh. She silently tilted her head, giving herself to him. And he took what she offered. His fangs lengthened and he sank them into her soft skin. Her blood gushed forward, filling his mouth immediately. It was warm and fresh and he savored every drop as he drank deep. It slipped down his throat and hit his belly with a warmth that made him moan.

Mindful not to take too much, he carefully withdrew his teeth and licked the wound closed. It would disappear within minutes. Thrusting his fingers deep one final time, he brushed her clit with his thumb. Karen came quickly, her release