Fallen Hearts

by Angela Colsin

  So she wasn't at all surprised when he aggressively grasped her breast in a tight hold and lifted it to his lips, sucking the taut nipple with a hungry growl. The masculine sound exciting her just as much as the feel of his shaft throbbing in her fingers as she grasped and squeezed it.

  Rocking his hips forward for more of her attention, he licked and sucked her nipples in turn until they were tight, damp points. Maddox's head fell back with a loud moan of his name, stroking him harder in her palm until he lifted his head with a breathless curse.

  “Fuck, I can't wait, baby.”

  At that, he pried himself away and moved behind her, clutching her nape to lower her head to the mattress while roughly tugging her hips up with his opposing arm. On all fours, Maddox groaned, her anticipation ratcheting as he spread her legs wide.

  Whether impulses or sheer lust were directing Stephan's demanding movements, she certainly wasn't complaining, arching her back with a sultry moan when she felt his fingers lightly tracing up her inner thigh to her pussy.

  Pressing two digits against her slick entrance, he groaned lowly, sinking them inside with the words, “You're soaked, sweetheart. So fucking tight.”

  Lifting her hips higher for him, she purred, “And your fingers are almost as thick as your cock,” then gasped when he roughly thrust them deep. “Ah! It's so good!”

  Pulling his hand away, Stephan returned, “I want it to be better than good,” and her heart skipped a beat as he mounted her. Bending over her back, he gruffly added at her ear, “I can't stop thinking about feeding you and worshiping every inch of your body, but now?”

  During his question, his cock had slowly started sinking inside of her, stretching her tight walls around him as he growled, “Now, I wanna fuck you as hard as possible.”

  Maddox moaned breathlessly, the sensation of her lover wedged so deep between her legs better than anything she could've described, particularly when his hips drew back, then pushed forward so hard her knees rose off the mattress.

  “Yes!” she moaned loudly. “More.”

  Hearing her urgency, Stephan repeated the movement, latching an arm around her waist so his fingers could sneak between her legs to tease her sensitive clit. Maddox jerked as he batted the little nub all over, squirming in pleasure—at least, until his hips started hammering between her thighs.

  “Ah!” she cried, the bed rocking in protest to each hard thrust sending his thick cock plunging in and out of her slick walls.

  He moved as if being driven by instinct alone, and Maddox pushed her hips back to take as much as she could. But despite the wild motions, their bodies worked in harmony together, hearts racing in a wild bid to give and take.

  Stephan then pressed his mouth against her neck in a kiss, scraping his fangs over her frantic pulse as if drawn by the sound of it. Immediately, her heart skipped a beat, recalling her desire to be bitten and fucked simultaneously just as he rasped, “I want your blood again.”

  “Yes! Please … ,” she whimpered, the thought alone nearly making her come right then and there.

  Groaning over the excitement in her voice, Stephan nuzzled her neck and parted his lips against her flesh. She tensed, holding her breath until his fangs pierced her with a masculine growl, crying his name as he latched on while her hips bounced from the force of his hard shaft mercilessly pounding between her legs.

  “Stephan!” she screamed, squirming on the edge of an orgasm just as he raised his wrist to her mouth.

  “Drink, baby,” he groaned against her ear.

  She couldn't resist, eagerly sinking her fangs in as he groaned her name, and swallowed his blood with a greedy pull. The taste of it alone, much less the way it emphasized their bond as it flowed through her body, pushed her over the edge completely.

  With a muffled cry, she exploded around him, her muscles contracting rhythmically against his shaft until he suddenly grunted with his own release. His hips pounded into hers harder than he would've been able to accomplish as a mortal, and it felt so damned good she was in tears.

  Maddox simply couldn't help it. As Stephan buried his face in the crook of her neck and murmured loving words of praise against her ear, the bliss of her orgasm combined with her immense relief over his survival had her crying.

  Breathless, she released his wrist and whimpered his name, turning her head to seek his mouth for a long, hard kiss, reveling in his possessive grip as they lay on their sides with her back to his chest.

  After several moments of intense kisses and loving caresses, he finally broke his mouth from hers to rasp in concern, “Why are you crying?”

  “Because I'm happy,” she whimpered, “and because I love you so much.”

  With a satisfied groan, Stephan murmured, “I love you, too. Too much for words.”

  “You can always show me again,” she smiled. “I mean … unless you're done.”

  Stephan grinned over her teasing, nuzzling her neck with his promise. “Not by a long shot, sweetheart. A very fucking long shot.”

  39

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  8 Months Later

  The Bastion Compound

  Charlotte, North Carolina

  “It certainly took long enough.”

  If Stephan didn't know Ardilon, he probably would've mistaken the comment for a serious reprimand. But there was a facet of sarcasm to the Dead God's words as he closed the case containing the vampire and human cures for Ithrim, and Stephan couldn't blame him if he was irritated considering the way time flowed in Sutrelle.

  “Yeah, but it only took about ten days for Wesley to develop the human cure from our perspective,” he responded.

  “I keep forgetting it's been eight months here,” Maddox added, standing next to him in one of the compound's private offices.

  Nodding as if he fully understood the difficulties inherent in traveling to realms where time flowed differently, Ardilon regarded his former votary from across the desk, and mentioned, “It doesn't truly matter overall, I'm simply grateful for your success. And your survival. Though, I must ask, how is life as a vampire treating you?”

  After all that had happened, the question wasn't unexpected, and Ardilon wasn't the only one who'd been at least mildly surprised by Stephan's return. Quite a number of people in the compound had stopped to stare when they noticed his fully regenerated eyes, though it was questionable if they realized he was no longer human.

  But he recalled the past two weeks in Sutrelle, learning to temper his impulses while spending time with Maddox discussing their plans for the future, and had only one answer to offer.

  “Honestly? I have my regrets, but not about becoming a vampire. As far as that goes, I wouldn't change a damned thing.”

  A small smile tugged at the corners of Ardilon's mouth. “I hope it stays that way. You deserve a reprieve in the very least.”

  Stephan could agree, thinking as he tightened his arm around Maddox's side things are definitely looking up.

  They'd returned to the mortal world the previous evening, and it was the first time since his turning that Stephan had to hide from sunlight. But he and Maddox spent the day making love in the basement of her mansion, so he certainly wasn't complaining.

  In the meantime, they'd sent word to The Bastion, though strangely, Kivsey wasn't available. Instead, Ardilon had responded, setting up a meeting time for them to deliver both cures and the formulas needed to create them.

  Now, with that matter concluded, there was only one issue remaining as far as Ithrim was concerned—and Stephan related it uneasily.

  “Before we go, there's something you need to know, Ardilon,” he began. “We'd always assumed I'd contracted Ithrim from another human in that vampire lair, but since my turning, I've recalled something in my sleep, and it's … weird.”

  “Oh?”

  Nodding, Stephan tried to explain as thoroughly as possible. “It's a vague memory that's resurfaced more than once, something that took place right after the explosion. I was out of it, and couldn't
see, but I heard a man's voice, and remember being fed something that tasted coppery.”

  Ardilon's expression became curiously interested. “Do you remember what the voice said?”

  “Not clearly, but one thing I do recall is that it was very deep, even ominous.”

  “I see,” he acknowledged plainly, making it hard to tell what he may have been thinking. “Then someone purposefully infected you?”

  “Looks that way, unless I was hallucinating.”

  The Dead God sighed in a tired fashion. “I'll keep it in mind, but whatever threat this individual posed has been neutralized now that we have a cure. Additionally, I have some news to relay to you.”

  “What?”

  “It's Kivsey,” he started. “She disappeared while investigating a naturally formed portal. We assume she somehow went through it, but were unable to follow because the portal has since closed.”

  Stephan exchanged a concerned glance with Maddox, who asked, “When did this happen?”

  “Not long ago, and we have a few mages coming to inspect the sight of the portal's location and attempt determining where it may have led and if reopening it is possible. If you'd like, you can accompany them.”

  “Yeah, we'll do that,” Stephan qualified, glancing at Maddox to see her nodding in agreement.

  “Very well,” Ardilon acknowledged while grabbing the case containing Ithrim's cure in preparation to leave. “In the meantime, I'm going to advocate your petition to start a new Vampire Order to The Crucible. You've both made good points about the way your kind govern themselves here, and I believe your request will be granted, provided you can obtain the proper backing.”

  Hearing this, Maddox let a relieved sigh. “Thank you, Ardilon.”

  One of the many things she and Stephan had discussed in Sutrelle was how inefficiently vampires were governed in the mortal world. Most races had a single Order overseeing affairs, but vampires had the magistrates of each faction taking charge—and they only cared to look out for their own.

  So the creation of a new, impartial organization would certainly help matters, though it could prove difficult to garner support when several magistrates would likely see it as a threat to their power and take drastic measures to insure their failure.

  But Stephan would do whatever it took, thanking Ardilon for his help before the divinian departed.

  After the door shut, Maddox wrapped her arms around his waist, suggesting, “It sounds like we've got our work cut out for us.”

  “Yeah, but it'll be worth it. I'm not letting some asswipe magistrate speak for me, and I still think we'd have the best chance of getting support from other solitary vampires.”

  “Maybe, but some might be too afraid of sticking their heads out.”

  Sadly, she was right. “Guess we'll have to see,” Stephan qualified, pulling her in closer.

  Smiling, Maddox leaned up to kiss him, then mentioned, “Right now, I'm more worried about Kivsey.”

  “Me too. She's smart, and resourceful, but without knowing where she went, there's no way to tell if that's enough.”

  “That's what I was thinking. So I guess we're starting a new search.” With that said, Maddox grumbled, “Why can't people ever stay in one place?”

  “Beats me,” Stephan remarked. Wherever Kivsey was, he just hoped she could hang on until the mages Ardilon mentioned found a way to reach her, and briefly wondered if Eradin could lend a little assistance if push came to shove.

  Either way, it seemed there was never a dull moment, prompting Stephan to ask, “So before anything else happens, are you hungry?”

  Maddox's golden eyes heated as she gazed up at him, playfully admitting, “A little, but is there time for … what's it called? Extracurricular activities?”

  Stephan chuckled, murmuring, “Should be,” as he leaned in, claiming her mouth in a thorough kiss that had his fangs and his cock jutting in no time.

  Running her tongue over the sharp points, Maddox tightened her grip as she cut it to tinge their kiss with her blood. Stephan growled in response to the sweet taste, having realized since his turning that such an act was a horrible tease, one that had him impulsively gripping her ass to lift her onto the nearby desk, knocking several items over in the process.

  Laughing, Maddox chided teasingly, “You're so impetuous, Stephan.”

  Jerking her skirt up around her hips, he pointed out with a wry grin, “That didn't sound like a complaint.”

  “It wasn't,” she purred seductively, undoing the buttons of her blouse one by one. “I guess you just need more practice … ”

  AUTHOR'S NOTE

  Thank you so much for reading Fallen Hearts! I hope Stephan and Maddox's tale has been enjoyable, and if you have a few moments to spare, I'd love to hear your thoughts in a review!

  For any questions or comments, or to learn more about The Crucible Series and books available, please visit my website at www.angelacolsin.com, or follow me at:

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