All Hallows Eve Read online

  Somehow, she wasn’t exactly scared so much as she was worried. It was the same feeling she used to get when she was a child. Whenever she felt the bogeyman was outside her door, she’d never be frightened of him but have the strangest urge to invite him in.

  Her mother had spoken of such a room as this when she was little. Audrey had thought they were fairy tales with medieval castles. Come to think of it, didn’t the hero of Clara’s tales have the name of Risdon?

  "Dorian Risdon," she whispered.

  A soft knock sounded and Audrey quickly stood from the bed. She expected to see the handsome stranger from the greenhouse, hoped to see him. Instead, it was a young gentleman, seeming to be about her age, with stark black hair. Audrey shivered, mentally backing away from the man’s dark eyes.

  "I’ve seen you," she whispered. "In dreams when I was a young girl. You … you were holding me down. My mother said they were just nightmares."

  "I was binding your abilities," the man answered. "I’m glad to see it worked otherwise you’d have been showing signs of magic in a world of humans."

  "But, you … you look the same. Who are you? Where am I?" Audrey demanded.

  "You do have your mother’s eyes, don’t you?" he mused. "But you have my strength. I’m glad to see you aren’t swooning."

  Swooning? Audrey thought. Who uses the word swooning?

  The man began to laugh, "Who indeed? Sorry, I must be showing my age."

  "I didn’t say anything," Audrey said, her words trembling slightly as she backed away.

  You’re my blood, she heard his voice clearly in her head. She gasped in surprise. Did she say she wasn’t scared? Oh, yeah, that was wrong. She was defiantly starting to get a little freaked out. Aloud, she whispered, "Dorian?"

  "You remember me?" he inquired, smiling at the thought.

  "That … man, Porter," Audrey hesitated, stopping short of saying incredibly handsome weirdo. "He said my father was named Dorian. You say I’m you’re blood. But, you’re too young to be my father."

  "So you think Porter is handsome? He said as much about you," Dorian stated, grinning.

  "He did?" Audrey gasped in pleasure, before catching herself. "Hey, stay out of my head!"

  Dorian laughed. "Then quit letting me in."

  I’m not letting you in, she thought with a grumble. Dorian laughed harder. She grimaced.

  "I like your spirit. Defiant like your mother." Dorian nodded in approval. "She made me court her for thirty years before she’d see me."

  "Yeah, all right. I think you got the wrong child. My mother was only eighteen when she had me," Audrey said.

  "Try adding eight hundred to that," Dorian put forth.

  "All right, then," she whispered in disbelief. "Now, this whole family reunion has been fun and all, but I’m ready to go home. If you would be so kind--" His expression turned pained, cutting off her words. "What?"

  "You can’t go," Dorian stated. "I am your father and I loved your mother."

  "Oh, so that’s why I remember you with us at Sunday barbeques," she said.

  "It was Clara’s wish to raise you in the human world. I couldn’t leave my duties in this one and the human sun isn’t necessarily good for my kind. I wanted you here with me, both of you, but knew she was right. Tonight, you were both to come home to me."

  Audrey felt the sincerity in his words.

  "Do you remember coming here as a baby? Sitting on my knee when you were two? When you were older, I’d stand outside your door and sense your presence within," he stated.

  "That was you?" she whispered.

  Dorian nodded. "Don’t you wonder why you’re not scared of this place? It’s because you know it. In your heart, you know it. You spent the night in this very room when you were a baby. As you grew older, it became too dangerous for Clara to bring you back. Her sisters were murdered and the people responsible sought to come after her. For her safety, for yours, we never told you who you were and you never came back here. We bound your powers and tonight…."

  His words broke off and he turned away, stiffening.

  "Tonight you were both to come home to me," he whispered.

  Audrey felt the truth of his words inside her. Those hadn’t been fairytales about a castle, they really happened. Slowly, she walked over to the trunk. It was locked.

  "Inside is a doll, its face is cracked," she whispered. "I tried to hide it from you. I hid it in here and I put the key…."

  Audrey stood and looked around. As if in a daze, she went to the fireplace and reached towards the flames. They were hot against her hand, but didn’t burn. Feeling under the ledge, she pulled the key out. Then, walking back to the trunk, she opened it. Inside was the doll, porcelain face cracked. Her hands shook and she couldn’t touch it.

  "You remember. You were so young, I wasn’t sure you would," he said.

  "My mother she … she made the memories into stories." Audrey stood. "So, what now?"

  "Now, daughter," Dorian said, looking so young it was nearly impossible for her to see him as her father. "Now I wish for you to marry."

  Chapter Three

  "Excuse me?" Audrey stated, a little louder than she intended.

  "Now, you must marry. You’re the last of your line. Clare was supposed to come back so that we could fulfill the prophecy by conceiving a son who…."

  "Wait! Stop! Slow down." Audrey lifted her hands up to stop him from talking. "Prophecy? Let’s just take a little step back here, Dad. I’m not going to get married. I don’t even have a boyfriend. In fact, I don’t even have a sex life. So really, there is no one for me to marry."

  "Really?" Dorian shot, surprised. "But, with fairy blood you must have the urge to copulate like…."

  Audrey paled. Had she just said that to the man who was technically her father? It didn’t help that he looked to be her peer. "Ew, no. Stop. I can’t discuss this with you."

  "But--"

  "No, I’m not talking sex with you. It’s … wrong." Audrey wrinkled her face.

  "Very well," her father said.

  Her father? Audrey never wanted a drink so badly in her life.

  "Here, I’ll have one delivered," Dorian said, kindly. He walked to the door and called out a short command for a drink. When he again closed the door, he smiled.

  "Get out of my head," she grumbled.

  "We’ll work on thought control, but don’t worry, I can read you so well because you are my blood," Dorian said.

  "I can’t stay here. I’ve got a business to run," Audrey placed her hands on her hips. "In fact, they’re probably worried about me."

  "Porter has taken care of it." Dorian smiled. "He really isn’t a bad man. I’ve known him for many, many--"

  "That’s who you want me to marry, isn’t it?" she demanded.

  "You read me!" Dorian said, pleased. "I opened the thought and you read it. See, I told you we were connected."

  * * * *

  Porter frowned, sighing as he looked up into the tree limbs of the forest outside Dorian’s castle home. The wind whistled gently through the large leaves, quiet and peaceful in the moonlight. All around him, the forest was dense--too dense to see through. Twigs and natural debris littered the ground. Little spots of blue light danced along the forest floor, shining through the high tree limbs. Being lycan, he didn’t need his eyes to sense if anything was around. He could easily smell or hear anything that came too near.

  He looked down the path he was heading, only to turn back around and stare at the castle. Logic told him to find Audrey another, but every time he thought it his stomach lurched with possessive anger and he felt like shifting. His hands shook and he couldn’t force himself to continue on.

  He knew how important this night was. He knew that if Audrey didn’t conceive a child at midnight, the whole realm could be lost. It had been foreseen by the elves that one of her line must give birth to the future King who would save them from the evil demons who threatened the realm. Once the demons flooded his world and destroyed it,
they’d move on to the mortals.

  Porter knew this, and yet he couldn’t move on to find her another lover. The thought of someone else’s seed planted inside her drove him to distraction. She was a stranger but then not really. He’d known her when she was a clever child. He felt the goodness in her heart, saw her with the human children. He’d heard of her endlessly through her father. And her smell, oh her smell, it called out to him. His kind had long ago learned to trust instinct in such matters as these.

  But if he was honest with himself, there was more to it than that. When he had stood close to her, the smell of her in his head, he’d felt almost whole--like she was a part of him he’d never known was missing. He had a glimpse of what could be when he looked into her dark blue eyes for the first time--of a future, of a family, of centuries of bliss. Was it wishful thinking? Was it destiny? Even as the feelings called to him, they scared the hell out of him.

  "Ah! Shit!" Porter growled. His cock was hard just thinking about bedding her. Damn he’d bet her wet pussy would feel good tightened around him. Why in the hell did she have to smell like lavender? He loved the smell of lavender. Storming back to the castle he knew what he had to do.

  * * * *

  "Well?" Dorian demanded.

  "I’ve come to ask for your … blessing," Porter said, though he didn’t appear too happy with his decision. "To woo your daughter to my bed."

  "There was no one else willing?" Dorian asked.

  "No, no one," Porter lied. "How is she?"

  "Well. I told her of her destiny," Dorian said. "She’s, ah, locked me out of the room. Whatever seal her mother put on her fairy magic is gone. She actually used it to throw me out."

  "Great," Porter mumbled sarcastically, looking up towards the spiral staircase leading to her room. "This should be real fun."

  "She thinks you’re cute," Dorian offered. "She’s attracted to you."

  Porter grunted, but didn’t say a word.

  * * * *

  Audrey sat on the bed. She was determined not to freak out over the blast of light that came from the tips of her fingertips, throwing her father out of the bedroom. Considering all she was expected to adjust to, that was nothing. She’d always envisioned a father doing things with her, like trying to play catch with a baseball. But, not her father it would seem. Hers wanted her to have sex with and get pregnant by a werewolf, so that her son may grow up to save the world--oh, and because the elves told him it would be so.

  Audrey snorted with laughter, not completely convinced she wasn’t just insane and this was some sort of lunatic’s dream.

  She sighed heavily, trying to reason. Something happened when the light came to her. She’d sensed her mother inside her, speaking to her. She sensed the truth of Dorian’s words. Audrey shook her head. Everything about her life started to make sense--the stories her mom told her, the dreams she’d always had and just assumed were normal, the strong feelings of intuition that never steered her wrong.

  When she’d told her father she couldn’t have children, he’d just laughed. Apparently she could, just not human children. The news did give her a sense of pleasure. She’d always hoped for a baby--under different circumstances. Then there was Porter. Her father finally admitted that she didn’t technically have to marry him, but he’d be pleased if she did.

  Porter was handsome and he definitely made her wet with desire just thinking about him. She’d had lovers but none that made her blood boil like he had with just one look. Always in the past after sex, she’d been left feeling somewhat unfulfilled. It was like a void was still empty. She’d assumed it was because she didn’t love the man in her bed. She looked down at her outfit and mumbled, "I wish I had a beautiful dress, something other than this stupid shirt."

  Audrey gasped to see her outfit change into a shimmering gown. The sleeves were puffed and the waist tight--so tight, in fact, that she couldn’t breathe. This would never do.

  "I wish it was off," she said in a rush to be free from the tight waist. The gown disappeared and she sat on the bed naked. Biting her lip, she said, "Give me something sexy."

  Black lingerie appeared on her body and she blushed. She hadn’t meant that. She’d meant like a nice blouse or something. It was a very neat trick though. She smiled, thinking of the money she’d save on clothes. Her mouth opened to change her outfit when the door suddenly opened.

  Porter walked in, his mouth falling open to see her. "Uh, whoa."

  "No," Audrey gasped.

  Porter grinned. "I haven’t even offered up my services and already you say no? At least give me a chance."

  "Ah, no, I … spoke this … dress…." Audrey motioned to her outfit, or rather lack of outfit, and blushed. She grabbed the comforter and pulled it over to hide her body. His eyes narrowed in disappointment.

  "Should I leave the door open?" Porter asked, his dark brown eyes warm. "If you’re going to throw me out with magic, I’d just as soon not go crashing through it."

  Audrey paled and looked at her hands. "I don’t know how I did that. Is he all right?"

  "It will take a lot more than a little fairy magic to kill a vampire. Your mother used to toss him around like that all the time when he made her mad," Porter said, running his hand through his hair.

  Audrey hugged the comforter closer to her chest. Her eyes dipped over him, taking in his tight pants. She saw the bulge of his cock and shivered. Her mouth went dry and she felt a flicker of electricity work through her, nearly pushing her forward with the desire to go to him and take him between her lips.

  Porter cleared his throat, and Audrey was mortified to discover she was staring at his crotch. Her mouth opened but no words came out. He reached out and with a gentle shove closed the door behind him.

  Porter made a move towards her and Audrey tensed. Saying the first thing that came to mind, she asked, "So, you’re really a werewolf?"

  Porter grimaced. "Lycan."

  "Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize there was a difference," Audrey said, glancing down. She noticed the comforter had fallen to show an indecent amount of cleavage. With a quick tug she pulled it back up.

  Porter made a small sound of disappointment. "Why do you hide? We both know I’ll be tasting all of you soon enough."

  "Tasting me?" Audrey gulped. "Do you mean you’re going to eat me?"

  "Yes," Porter grinned mischievously, but the look was lost on Audrey as she paled.

  "Are … you’re going to change?" she stuttered.

  "You wish for me to shift?" he asked, letting his dark eyes glimmer with gold and blue promise. "Would you prefer me as a wolf?"

  "Ah, oh, I, ah," she managed, very stunned by the offer. He said it like it was a reasonable question.

  "Normally I do not bed fairies, being as they are so fragile and can’t handle my kind. However, vampires tend to favor the wolf and you’re half vampire blood." Porter began walking towards her, letting his eyes glimmer again.

  "I … we can’t do this," she whispered. Light began to build around her hand. She glanced at the door, trembling. "You need to go. Now."

  Chapter Four

  Porter’s whole body was stiff as he looked down at Audrey on the bed. Her cheeks were flushed to a pretty pink and he could smell the heady scent of lavender in her desire for him. Her weak words took him by surprise, especially when she so obviously wanted this to happen between them. When he looked into her eyes, he sensed she felt it too--their fiery connection.

  Seducing her into his bed would be simple. Convincing her that there was more between them than physical animalistic lust would be the hard part. Porter again looked over her form, hidden from view, and hated the way she tried to hide herself from his eyes.

  He felt, as well as saw, the fairy magic building in her hand. She was contemplating throwing him out. With lightning quick reflexes, he grabbed her fingers and brought them instantly to his hard arousal. She gasped in surprise and let go of her energy. Pleasure shot through him as she filled him up. It was as intense as any org
asm he’d ever had. He leaned his head back and a loud groan escaped his parted lips. His hips jerked and he came slightly in his pants, releasing a bit of seed.

  The wolf inside him wanted to come out and play. He felt his skin tingle with a shift. His teeth grew inside his mouth, sharp and deadly. His eyes shifted, and soon the groan turned into a full howl.

  * * * *

  Audrey sat frozen on the bed, watching Porter change in amazement. Dark brown fur covered his skin and long teeth grew from his mouth until he was every inch the werewolf--well, lycan. The scene should have scared her but she found it did quite the opposite. It aroused her further. His cock lengthened and grew beneath her hand as the wolf came over him.

  She jerked her hand away, gripping once more to the comforter pulling it close. His golden blue eyes focused in on her. He was breathing hard, panting as if he was moments away from pouncing on top of her. Audrey held still, frozen.

  A long, moment passed and slowly Porter regained control. His breathing slowed and his body gradually made the transformation back from the wolf. When he looked human once more, except for his dangerously lit eyes, he pulled his tight shirt over his head and tossed it aside.

  Without speaking, he crawled forward on the bed, forcing Audrey onto her back as he came over her. Strong muscles worked beneath his tan chest. A knee pressed between her thighs, trapping her legs beneath the red comforter. His arms moved to either side of her shoulders, not touching her.

  She was stunned, unable to move as his mouth drew close to her cheek. His breath hit upon her neck and ear, coming in hard pants as he held himself back from her body. When he didn’t move, she slowly drew her hands out and placed them on his chest. He was hot against her cooler fingers.

  Not pushing him away, and not pulling him closer, she asked, "Porter? Are you all right?"