Forsaken Hunger Read online

  “You’re a great mother,” she countered. “Our life isn’t exactly normal. Besides, you offered her a choice a few years ago, remember? You were ready to give it all up for her. Quit the DCM and start a new life. Kennie chose to stay in this life because she knows how important it is. You’re the most unselfish person I know.” Most of the time, but she kept that to herself.

  Daneya smiled sadly. “I couldn’t do any of this without you.”

  “Yeah, you could. Now go to sleep. The zombie look on you is not becoming.”

  Daneya chuckled, kissed her daughter then left. Cherri lay impatiently in bed, counting the minutes on the wall clock until an hour had passed. Silently, she slipped out of the room with her laptop in hand and locked herself in the bathroom at the end of the hall. Her heartbeat quickened as she pulled up her instant messenger. It was thirty minutes past her nightly scheduled time to chat with her mystery man and she feared he’d already gone to bed.

  Relief flooded her at the sight of his user name, RKM1246, on her friend’s list. She didn’t know his real name or what he looked like. Only that he claimed to hold the answer to her prayers. They’d met a month ago in a local singles chat room. He’d been so different than the other men online. Patient and charming. Somehow, in mere days, she had found herself divulging her innermost secret and shame to him.

  That she desired more than anything to have a child, and that she was unable to. The doctors had declared her barren after the miscarriage of her first and only pregnancy.

  This man, whoever he was, said there was a remedy for that. He was a healer who specialized in alternative medicine. She knew it could be a hoax. A cruel scheme to play on the wishes of a desperate woman. But what if it wasn’t?

  She typed in ‘Hi’ and held her breath.

  The response was immediate.

  RKM1246: Hi. I was starting to worry about you. Is everything all right?

  Cherri2000: Good now. Sorry I’m late.

  RKM1246: Don’t be. You’re worth the wait.

  The warmth that seeped into her cheeks spread to the rest of her body at his next words.

  RKM1246: Have you thought about what I asked last night?

  Had she thought about accepting his request to meet with him? Only about every five minutes or so. Adrenaline hit her veins at the idea of going through with it. Could she meet with a virtual stranger in the middle of the night? Then again, could she really afford not to? Her life so far was a book full of regrets, and not going would just be one more to add to the list.

  RKM1246: Or did you forget?

  Cherri2000: No. I haven’t forgotten.

  She bit her lip, fingers poised over the keys. There was still the threat of the Drakon, but it couldn’t know about her. Could it? She typed in her acceptance and held her breath.

  RKM1246: Great! Meet me at the Sunsprings Café.

  She recognized the address he entered. The twenty-four hour diner was twenty minutes away from the house she shared with Daneya. Hurriedly, she got dressed and snuck out of the house. While guilt tread on her excitement for keeping this from her friend, it was no greater than the jealousy that often wracked her. If this panned out to be a mistake, then no one except her would be the wiser. If not…

  She reined in her nerves as she pulled into the parking lot of the café. Once inside, she searched anxiously, only just realizing she’d forgotten to trade names with her online beau. Motion caught her eye from a booth toward the back. Her jaw dropped slightly when the man who was waving stood up.

  He was huge! And gorgeous enough to be intimidating. He had the muscular build of a boxer with a chestnut-colored mustache that matched his hair cut in a military style. She strained her neck to look up at him as she stepped closer. Compared to her, the man was a giant.

  “Cherri2000?” the man asked in a deep voice.

  Cherri blushed at her user name. Not original, but catchy. “Yes. How did you know it was me?”

  The man flashed pearly whites and enveloped one of her hands in both of his. “I knew you had to be the most beautiful woman who walked through that door, and I was right.”

  Heat coursed through her as he brought her hand up for a kiss. The line was cheesy and absolutely effective.

  “Can I order you something?”

  “Coffee, please.”

  He signaled for a waitress after they sat down. A steaming mug was filled for her though she only wrapped her hands around it, too nervous to take a drink.

  “My name is Rhys, by the way.”

  “Cherri.” She stumbled through the first few minutes of pleasantries, far too out of practice with flirting to offer sophistication, but Rhys didn’t seem to mind. He exuded confidence and his light brown eyes never strayed from hers.

  After a while, she grew relaxed in his company. They talked about their dreams and wishes, which seemed to coincide on every issue they raised. Somewhere along the way, she came to realize she could love this man. Was already falling in love with him.

  Her euphoria faded a small measure when the subject changed to children.

  Rhys lifted her chin with a crooked finger when she fell silent. “Don’t look so sad, beautiful. I promised you I can help, didn’t I?”

  Curiosity overrode her depression. “You only said you’re a healer. You didn’t tell me exactly how you can fix…” My problem. Her mouth went dry and her throat constricted around the words. She had only spoken to Daneya about it years ago and time hadn’t distanced her wounds. The squeeze of his hand gave her the courage to continue. “I was seven months along when I lost it. There was some internal damage… The doctors told me I would never be able to carry again.”

  Rhys didn’t ask how she’d come to lose the baby and she didn’t volunteer that information, too thankful for his discretion.

  He clasped her hands tightly and focused his gaze on hers. “Those doctors were wrong. I’ve helped a lot of women overcome obstacles in regards to childbirth. The damage can be reversed with the right procedure. I’d like to be the one to perform it, if you’ll let me.”

  This was said with such conviction that it left little doubt to his abilities. “How do you know it’ll work?”

  “Miracles happen every day, and they’re not beyond our reach. Do you trust me?”

  She was vibrating with the hope he promised. It all sounded too good to be true, yet why would he lie? What possible advantage could he have to gain by deceiving her? She had no fortune to give, only herself and her faults. “Yes,” she whispered.

  Rhys’ expression was triumphant. “You honor me. I’d like to talk with you more about it, but not here. We should go somewhere more private and comfortable. How about your place?”

  Cherri drew back her hands in uncertainty. “I don’t know. I’m in the middle of looking for a new house and staying with a friend until I find one.” She thought she caught a glimpse of irritation in his eyes that was gone in the next instant.

  “What happened to your roommate? What was her name—Daneya?”

  “Oh, yeah. I still live with her. A friend of hers is putting us up for the time being.”

  “I see,” he said with a smirk. “You’re scared to introduce me to her. Afraid she won’t approve?”

  “No! That’s not it at all.” After a pause, she admitted, “Okay, maybe just a little. I haven’t told her about you yet.”

  Rhys nodded contemplatively. “I would invite you to my place, but I live over two hours away. I’m here visiting a friend for the week. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be able to take time off work again for a while.”

  When he hesitated with disappointment written across his features, Cherri became anxious again. Worried she might lose her chance with this man. “I can talk to her tomorrow, my roommate. I’m sure she’d love to meet you.” Once she gets over the shock of the surprise.

  Rhys’ face brightened significantly. “That’s great! Write down your number and address and give me a call when you’re ready. I can come out this weekend.”r />
  She wrote the information on a napkin with the pen he provided. Afterwards, he helped her with her jacket then cupped her face gently.

  “You won’t regret this.”

  Butterflies swirled in her belly as he took her mouth with his, delving inside with heated passion. She felt lightheaded and alive for the first time in years. This was it. She’d finally hit the jackpot after a lifetime of misery.

  He slowly pulled away and murmured, “I’ll see you soon.”

  Cherri drove back to Vincent’s with a perpetual smile on her lips. The troubles of tomorrow were a shadow in her mind. They couldn’t touch her. Nothing could ruin this moment.

  * * * *

  On the other side of the clear Plexiglas wall, specimen 4-7 glared at Gabriel with undisguised malice. She was a true beauty among the other specimens, with long cornsilk hair and a delicate bone structure. She was also one of the few who still retained muscle tone this long into her captivity. Most lost their trim figures after the second year due to listlessness and depression.

  When it had become apparent that lack of exercise and apathy affected the health of their fetuses, he’d installed several items into his facilities.

  Each cell was now outfitted with many of the comforts one might find in a real bedroom. Complete with a vanity table, a bookcase full of sanctioned reading and viewing materials, and a television mounted to the wall. Each of his facilities was also equipped with an underground fitness gym accessible to all of the specimens in rotations.

  Despite all of this, it became increasingly difficult to motivate the human females to care for themselves after a certain length of time had passed.

  Not his 4-7, though. She was just as high-spirited now as she’d been her first day at the facility over three years ago. Her fiery temper reminded him so much of another specimen he’d had under his charge. A wildcat that had brought forth something raw and primal within him.

  Daneya Perodee.

  He clenched his jaw at the memory of her. So young and temperamental. She had challenged every aspect of his being. It was that quality above all that he had admired and fallen in love with. Even when she was a child, he had known she belonged to him. A traitor may have stolen her away from him some time ago but he would get her back, and soon. No matter what it cost.

  Gabriel forced his attention back to the cell. 4-7’s wrists and ankles were bound by padded leather cuffs to the edges of her bed, as was customary during a routine check-up. The small lump in her lower abdomen was barely visible beneath the cotton hospital gown she wore. She was four months into her third pregnancy and coming along nicely. When the male nurse finished drawing her blood, Gabriel noticed the now vacant look in her eyes as she turned her head to stare at the wall.

  She was running out of energy again.

  The nurse carried his supplies out of the room along with the portable ultrasound machine he’d used on her earlier. He wrote a quick note in the specimen’s chart then handed it to Gabriel. “The baby’s doing fine, sir. Growth and heartbeat are good. I’ll inform the dietician to increase 4-7’s caloric intake. She’s not gaining as much weight as she should. Other than that, she’s healthy. Oh, and she’ll need to be serviced soon.”

  Gabriel nodded. “I’ll take care of her myself.” His skin tingled in anticipation of that particular duty. It wasn’t just about the sex for him, although that was definitely a perk. It was about power, a concept that 4-7 needed to be reminded of constantly.

  “Of course, sir. 4-2 and 4-11 also need to be serviced. Do you want me to assign men to them?”

  “4-11… Isn’t that the one you’ve taken an interest in?”

  The nurse bowed his head in humility, as was proper for a poignot. A Vampyre with a lesser power more suited to serving others in their society’s hierarchy. Even here, especially here in the bowels of Gabriel’s covert operation, the protocols of their kind were adhered to.

  As a servant, it was not within the nurse’s authority to assume the responsibilities of a superior. Only the leisonguardes, the warriors Gabriel had recruited into his fold, had the right to service the human females in their custody.

  “Sir, I meant no disrespect. I-I only,” the nurse stuttered, then took a deep breath. “I’ve managed to lower her stress levels to an acceptable rate. She responds well to me.”

  “Indeed she does,” Gabriel agreed wryly. He’d witnessed their interaction the other day and noticed the affection they so obviously held for each other despite their discretion. 4-11, if he recalled correctly, was a seeker. A human who desired to join their race by mating with one of their kind. The bond would extend her lifespan to that of the Vampyre she mated with. Although she had come to them of her own volition, Gabriel was sure she hadn’t anticipated the pregnancies taking such a toll on her.

  He waved his hand dismissively at the nurse’s alarmed expression. “You have my permission to service her until she gives birth. After all, what is best for the specimen is best for us all. They do bear our next generation.”

  The nurse bowed deeply in gratitude then hurried back into the room to release 4-7 from her straps.

  Gabriel smiled as he continued down the corridor of cells. Perhaps if 4-11 kept up her record of excellent conduct and childbearing, he would let them mate. He was not an unreasonable man, and it was possible her body could stand to bear a few more babies before her womb became infertile.

  He was amazed once again at the success of his plan formulated almost sixty-five years ago. Not his entirely, he admitted grudgingly. The idea had originated from a member of his kind’s mortal enemy, the Djinn. Spirits created by the god Ekros from smoke and black fire who needed living, willing hosts to contain their energy. This Djinn, who called himself Forrest, had stumbled upon a secret his race had kept hidden for nearly a millennium. In his inspiration to use it to his kind’s advantage, he had approached Gabriel with a proposition for an alliance. One Gabriel had accepted on mutual terms for the benefit of his own kind.

  The secret was simple, really. And such an obvious answer to the dilemma of his people that he couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of it himself.

  He was a korvaute—a leader among Vampyres who had devoted his entire life to science and the procreation of his kind. During the centuries of war waged against the Djinn, their numbers had dwindled at a drastic rate. The leisonguardes were dying faster than their race could reproduce. If their course wasn’t swayed, annihilation could be a certainty.

  Vampyre females were born with a finite number of eggs in their ovaries, much like human females. However, a Vampyre female had, on average, only three to four eggs. To make matters worse, those eggs became fertile only after the female had bonded her aethra, her soul, with that of a male Vampyre. Once bonded, the female could only become pregnant by her mate.

  While it was possible for a male Vampyre to bond with and impregnate a human female, there was no biological advantage other than the fact that the Vampyre genes were dominant. Each child was thus born a full-blooded Vampyre. The possible risks of exposure by accepting so many humans into their race were too great.

  When a Vampyre and a human bonded, the female’s body underwent changes with the commingling of her soul to the Vampyre’s aethra. Most of her eggs become infertile, rendering her chances of pregnancy to the same as those of a female Vampyre. None of their scientists had been able to explain or prevent this. Not even him with his rare ability to alter living tissue in the body.

  The secret Forrest had divulged to him had turned out not only to be a means to cease most of the fighting between their races, but also to increase the reproduction of Vampyres.

  If a male Vampyre were to allow a Djinn to enter his body for the duration of intercourse with a human female, he could successfully impregnate her without the permanency of bonding his aethra to the human’s soul. The Djinn could infuse his dark energy into the female to influence her body and enable conception.

  Periodically, more transfers of the Djinn’s energy wer
e needed. Although sex wasn’t required for the act, it was often enjoyed by his men. This ‘servicing’, as they called it, kept the female alive throughout the pregnancy. Otherwise, the growth of the fetus’s aethra would drain her of energy, resulting in not only the fetus’s death, but possibly the mother’s as well. The healing arts of a Djinn’s energy were as powerful and effective on a pregnant female as they were on the host the Djinn inhabited.

  When the experiments started working, Gabriel had informed a handful of his trusted superiors, cousins to the Rei’jin of the house of Avram who dealt directly with the leisonguardes. They decided to keep it a secret from the majority of their race. The offspring Gabriel kept were then doled out to their families and those of the leisonguardes in league with them to be raised as their own.

  They did this quietly so as not to alert others to their scheme. It went against every law Vampyres had regarding their interaction policies with humans.

  But Gabriel didn’t care. This was saving his race. And as far as the royal houses were concerned, their numbers were multiplying and it was all due to his breakthrough advances in research.

  As per his agreement with Forrest, half of the infants went to those Djinn who were also aware of their forbidden treaty. The infants were brought up to accept the Djinn as family and eventually become their willing hosts. With the joining of the Djinn’s energy and the Vampyre’s aethra, the Djinn could live eternally in the Vampyres’ bodies. The Vampyre’s aethra, a source of elemental or psychic power unique to each one, also acted as a conduit for the Djinn’s spirit. Combined, the Vampyre’s power was more than doubled. This made Vampyre hosts more desirable than any other species.

  Because the majority of Djinn would never condone the support of their enemy in any fashion, Forrest kept his involvement with Gabriel under wraps as well. Instead, as a general among his kind, he claimed to have orchestrated a truce between them and Vampyres. A ceasefire that the superiors in league with Gabriel upheld.