One Bite Per Night (22 page)

Vauxhall Gardens was a wonder to behold. Groves of trees adorned with lanterns glowing like captive stars created the illusion of a fairyland. Hedge mazes invited lovers' trysts, while music from the distant concert hall seduced with enchanting melodies. Brilliant fireworks added to the magic, while pavilions of vendors, jugglers, and artists' exhibitions courted any possible fancy. Lydia could not conceal her fascination.

While the duke paid their admission, Angelica leaned over to whisper excitedly, “A vampire could gorge herself every night here without anyone being the wiser.”

All of Lydia's predatory instincts rose to a fiery peak as she eyed the multitude of revelers. Unable to restrain the hunger, she licked her fangs in anticipation. A thread of her former humanity whispered a protest, but it was as insubstantial as smoke. She knew she should be ashamed of such thoughts, but she could not manage to do so. For the first time since her parents' deaths, she experienced a sense of belonging.

“Would you care to show me what you've already learned of the hunt?” Vincent's lips caressed her ear, making delicious shivers run down her spine.

Lydia grinned and headed in the direction of the secluded paths, in search of trysting lovers. Feeling Vincent's powerful presence behind her, she felt a kinship…a sense of
rightness
that had been absent with the duchess, congenial as their hunts had been. The sweet aroma of spring flowers added romance to the moment.

As the lanterns grew sparser, Lydia slowed her pace, moving silently across the soft grass. Her efforts were rewarded as her keen eyesight detected her targets. The two were in such a torrid embrace they would likely fail to notice a herd of elephants approaching.

With a mischievous grin, she glanced over her shoulder. “Should I take the gentleman?”

A low growl rumbled in Vincent's throat. “I think not.”

“You don't care for the idea of my mouth on his neck?” she teased, hiding her pleasure at his jealousy. He
did
still want her!

“I can think of better places for your mouth.” He sucked in his breath sharply. “I apologize for that. Please, carry on. You take the female, and the male shall be my meal.”

Lydia hid a smile at his remark and strode to the mortals. She paused and coughed delicately. “Excuse me, could you direct me to the mummers' pavilion? I have lost my way.”

The couple sprang apart like guilty children. Lydia and Vincent were upon them in a flash, entrancing the humans like mythical snake charmers. Their eyes met briefly with an intensity that sent pure lust pooling between her thighs before she sank her fangs in the woman's throat. Vincent mirrored her movement with equal grace on the man.

This time a new spice seemed to be present in her meal. Perhaps it was the sense of rightness she felt with Vincent at her side, or maybe it was the woman's pulsing desire for the man she'd been kissing. Desire that echoed throughout Lydia's body as Vincent's powerful presence made every nerve ending sing.

Carefully, she removed her fangs and bit her finger, praying her features didn't display the quick jolt of pain. With a gentle swipe, she healed the woman's puncture wounds with her magical blood. Vincent did the same. They stepped back and released their prey from the enchantment.

The man blinked, frowning at Lydia in irritation. “I say, madam, can't you see I am otherwise occupied?” He observed her flushed cheeks and Vincent's tall form behind her, and his frown turned to a leer. “I daresay, rather than watching a silly lot of mummers, you look like you would do better finding a grove of your own and receiving a good tupping from yon tall buck.”

Lydia feigned a gasp of outrage. “Come, Vincent, we shall find the pavilion on our own.”

The man laughed and returned his attention to his partner in indiscretion.

“You did that very well,” Vincent commented, wiping his mouth with a handkerchief. “I cannot say I've used such a method before.”

Lydia smiled. “That is because men never seem to have the sense to ask for directions.”

They walked in silence for a while before Vincent stopped suddenly. “Lydia? Do you feel any sort of remorse or revulsion for what we have to do to survive?”

Lydia frowned as Rafael Villar's words came back to her.

Some
of
our
kind
feel
that
we
are
monsters; Deveril is one of those.

Did Vincent truly believe he was a monster? He'd lived for nearly two centuries. She couldn't imagine someone existing with such profound self-loathing for so long. Her chin lifted. No matter, she was determined to change his mind.

She made sure Vincent heard the conviction of her words. “It doesn't hurt them. We take only a pint or two at most. In fact, they seem to be quite euphoric after we're done with them.” Lydia bit her lip. In the case of her most recent meal, “euphoric” was an understatement.

Vincent nodded, though he appeared reluctant to believe her. “So you do not regret my Changing you?”

“I am finding great pleasure in this existence.” Lydia willed him to see and hear the truth in her words. “My keener vision has revealed untold beauty in the night. Don't you see it?” With a sweep of her hand, she encompassed the brilliant full moon, the silvery clouds, and the cleverly lit trees surrounding them. “I can smell the perfume of a hundred different flowers. My ears delight to hear a nightingale song, the music of human laughter. I've never before felt so alive.”

The wonder in Vincent's gaze sent a thrill through her being. “When did you become so wise? So passionate? I had thought…” He shook his head. “No matter. I do not wish to cast a pall on the evening with my regrets.”

Lydia's body filled with heat from his words, and she had to clasp her hands behind her back to avoid throwing herself into his arms. “Excellent. Now that you've observed my hunting methods, what can you teach me? I promise to be an attentive pupil.”

He studied her intently. “You seem to be proficient at hunting humans. Do you think you can hunt another vampire?”

“Why would I need to do that?”

Vincent's sensuous lips curved in a smile. “Someday you may need to capture a rogue or an unsanctioned invader to your Lord's territory. Or perhaps you may be called upon to observe a suspected traitor without being detected.”

A pang of disappointment struck her at his businesslike tone. Still, her eyes widened with fascination at this new knowledge. “Shall I hunt you, then?”

“Yes, but due to my age and power, you would never be able to catch me, so I shall make it easier for you.” He grinned rakishly. “Although, not too easy.”

“And shall I bite you when I catch you?” Lydia couldn't hold back a suggestive smile. “Angelica told me she feeds from her husband on occasion.”

She licked her lips at the thought of sinking her fangs into Vincent's neck and tangling her fingers in his moonstruck hair as his rich, powerful blood caressed her tongue. Eyeing his bare throat with desire, she was grateful Angelica had instructed everyone to dress shabbily to avoid being recognized. Now the scheme had even more delightful merit.

“To do so would be considered an insult, for you would be stealing another's power…except in the case of lovers, where it is considered a gift. In this instance, I suppose you may claim a taste as your prize.” His eyes glittered with mischief. “
If
you catch me.”

Lovers
… Lydia blinked, and Vincent was gone.

“Amazing,” she breathed, sniffing the air to detect his scent.

A faint trace led her down the easternmost path. Opening her senses to the night, she dashed after him, determined to claim her prize. Wending through the turns of the mazelike groves and past merry revelers, Lydia tracked Vincent's scent. For a while, the taste of him was thick and savory on her tongue. It quickly faded, became elusive, then vanished entirely.

“
Damn!
” she muttered, turning around in futile circles.

Then a thought came to her, curving her lips in a triumphant smile.
The
Mark.
Surely it remained, binding them together. That was why his presence felt so right at her side. She closed her eyes, and her mind summoned his essence within her.

A spark ignited, flaring as brightly as the fireworks illuminating the sky. Like a key fitting into the correct lock, her senses felt Vincent so strongly she could find him with her eyes closed.

In an attempt to fool him, she took a circuitous route, humming softly as she passed the concert hall. He was behind a building that resembled a Chinese temple. Lydia ceased humming as she approached the structure, careful to remain in the shadows. On soundless feet, she darted behind statues and bushes until she was only a few yards from the building. Closing her eyes, she thought hard on her strategy.

Angelica had shown her that she could jump high and far. Lydia knew she'd be unable to vault over the temple. However, she could certainly reach the roof. There would be no way she could do it quietly, so she would have to act fast.

As silently as possible, Lydia hiked up her skirts and yanked off her petticoats, stuffing them behind the bush. She then lifted the lower half of her dress and tied it around her waist, freeing her legs.

One last time, she concentrated on Vincent's essence, pinpointing his exact location behind the temple. Tensing her muscles, Lydia took off like lightning, spirit flying as she bounded onto the roof. The moment her boots touched the tiled surface, she sprang again, soaring back into the air, only to come down in a graceful arc.

She landed upon Vincent's back, making him stumble from the impact. With a low growl, she plunged her fangs into his neck, moaning at his potent taste.

An answering groan reverberated from him, sending tremors of desire coursing through her veins. Reluctantly, Lydia withdrew her bite and released Vincent before she lost control.

“Very good, Lydia.” Pride filled his voice as he rubbed his neck. “A younger vampire would have been easy prey for you. If you'd had a weapon, even I may have been overcome.”

Lydia bowed, flushed from his praise. “Thank you, my lord.”

She waited for him to speak again. When she raised her gaze, she saw that Vincent was staring in undisguised hunger at her exposed legs.

“I, ah, needed more freedom of movement,” she explained, her cheeks burning as his eyes slowly moved higher. No doubt he could see through the thin fabric of her chemise. “I'm certain I look ridiculous…”

“You look…delectable.” His voice was silken with hunger, his eyes wolfish as they met hers. “Which brings us to your next lesson: there could be a time when you need to evade another vampire, so now I shall hunt you.”

Lydia had to bite back a moan of animalistic lust at the thought of him chasing her. Would he bite her as well? The secret place between her thighs pulsed with need at the thought of his fangs penetrating her flesh.

“All right,” she whispered.

Vincent's gaze raked across her body, rife with sinful promise. “As you are a youngling, I shall give you a head start, so run…
now
!”

Gasping with anticipation, Lydia obeyed. Vincent's blood did indeed give her more power, for she ran faster than before. Her feet hardly touched the ground as she darted past the pavilions and toward another section of parkland in which the foliage appeared less structured.

Wilderness
, a nearby sign proclaimed. There were no lanterns here, and the gurgling sound of running water would surely further disguise the sound of her movement.

When she reached the man-made forest, she felt Vincent's presence behind her just as strongly as her own pulse. There would be no hiding from him…not that she wanted it any other way. Heart pounding in her throat, Lydia ran in a zigzag pattern through the trees.

The thrill of the chase made her want to scream in excitement. She felt him closing in on her, and the sweet ache in her core deepened. Anytime now, he would catch her and—

A primal roar ripped through the air as strong arms closed around her, snatching her up from the earth with dizzying speed. Before she could catch her breath, Vincent deftly turned her around, pinning her against the rock wall of an artificial cave. She noticed he took care not to slam her into the hard surface.

His eyes glowed molten blue, like lightning over storm-tossed seas. A deep growl escaped his clenched teeth again, turning her legs to jelly as he slowly lowered his head.

“Yes,” she panted, reaching up to pull him closer.

Quick as a viper, he struck. Lydia cried out in ecstasy as his fangs pierced her flesh. She recalled the night they'd made love. The memory of his rigid length penetrating her body, coupled with the sensation of his mouth sucking on her neck in deep pulls, nearly took her over the edge.

Mad with need, she clung to him and ground her hips against him. He was too tall for her to reach the part of him she most craved. She whimpered in frustration, then disappointment as he withdrew from her.

Vincent's eyes glowed like unholy flames. “I want you, Lydia. And you want me. I can smell your desire. Shall I give you a lesson in vampire lovemaking?”

A pang of hurt struck her heart when he said
want
rather than
love
. Need for his touch shunted it away. She'd have him any way she could. Lydia reached for the buttons on his shirt.

Vincent seized her hands. “Not here. I don't want your
lesson
to be interrupted.”

With that, he scooped her up in his arms and ran. The world flew past in a blur as he catapulted across London with mind-bending swiftness. She was flying. Lydia supposed that with anyone else, she would be terrified at such an alarming rate of speed. Since it was Vincent, she reveled in the safety of his arms, resting her head on his chest. She reached up, feeling his hair flowing around her fingers in the rushing wind.