Chapter Nineteen
“Still no bead on those vampires?” Eclipse asked, falling into step with Kaj as they made a pass through one of the empty downtown streets.
“No.” The male peered over at him. “And not for lack of trying. Fuckers all but disappeared.”
Eclipse had a difficult time believing that. Kaj might’ve lost the majority of his high-level ranks, but there were still plenty of boots on the ground. And vampires were a tight-knit group. It was the main reason Eclipse and his brothers utilized the Misplaced Halos boards. Most of those were maintained by the vampires keeping tabs on one another. Someone knew where these traitors were; it was just a matter of unearthing them.
“So why are we out here?” Eclipse asked.
“Because someone knows something.”
That was generally the case, sure. But for the past three hours, they’d yet to encounter anyone who knew the female responsible for luring Orianna to the Dungeon or the vampires she’d been with.
“Any news from Darko?”
A soft growl was Kaj’s response.
“Do you trust the male?”
“No reason not to.”
“Doesn’t answer my question.”
Kaj peered over, his green eyes narrowed. “Right now, I don’t know who to trust.”
“Me,” Eclipse said with a smirk. “You can trust me.”
“Can I?”
His smirk pulled into a full-fledged grin. “Have I ever given you a reason not to?”
“Not yet.”
“You’re a glass-half-empty kinda guy, huh?”
Kaj grinned, the first one tonight.
“How’s Acadia?”
Another soft growl.
Eclipse was coming to learn that meant the vampire had no comment on the subject. Made hunting with him rather dull.
“Since we’re not gonna chat about feelings, why don’t you tell me what your plans are.”
“What plans?” Kaj muttered.
“For starters, how long you planning to shack up with us?”
The male laughed. He actually fucking laughed. “Not like you don’t have enough room.”
“True.” They had more room than they knew what to do with. Granted, most of the rooms were taken, and with Penelope and Obsidian expecting, Eclipse had heard they were looking to do some construction. Something about adding a nursery or some shit.
“Plus, I think Jeffr—” Kaj came to a halt, holding up his hand.
Eclipse allowed his senses to span across the area, taking stock of what and who was nearby. Two humans ducking behind a Dumpster, one male, one female. The smell of chemicals and burning plastic left him to believe they were sharing a crack pipe. In one of the abandoned warehouses, he detected three bodies, all tucked in for the night beneath a pile of rags and newspapers.
It was during the sweep inward that he picked up on what Kaj had. Three males—not human, angel, or vampire—strolling down the alley running parallel to them.
Shadow beasts? Eclipse projected into Kaj’s mind.
Based on their scent, yeah.
Hmm.
They’d yet to encounter any since Obsidian’s run-in with them a few days ago.
Because he knew it would require more than just him and the head vampire, Eclipse sent out a request to Magnar, asking his ladeare to home in on his position and make an appearance. With backup.
Less than a minute later, Magnar appeared with Echo, Cayden, and Ajax at his side. A minute after that, Reidar and Raksa joined the party.
Kaj shot off some hand signals, motioning for four to go one way and three to follow him. Eclipse opted to go the opposite direction of Kaj. Considering they were the strongest as far as powers went, he figured it might work in their favor to get these bastards corralled between them.
Taking off at a jog, Eclipse led Echo, Magnar, and Ajax back the way they’d come. They slipped between two abandoned buildings and came out on the other side. The three males he’d detected were sniffing the air, likely having caught their scent.
“Strategy?” Magnar asked, voice low.
Damn good question. If these were shadow beasts, blades and bullets weren’t going to cut it.
“See if we can maneuver them toward Kaj,” Eclipse said.
Magnar, Echo, and Ajax spread out behind him, the three males forming a wall of muscle while Eclipse tossed up a barrier that would help direct the demons backward. It worked, though they’d garnered the full attention of the beasts. A couple of snarls sounded, proof they’d picked up on Eclipse’s little trick.
At the far end of the alley, Kaj appeared, Reidar, Raksa, and Cayden behind him. All dressed in black, they blended with the night. With the exception of the light glinting off the steel blades they handled and the green glow igniting in Kaj’s eyes.
Although Eclipse would’ve been thrilled to go hand-to-hand with these assholes, they’d already learned their normal methods of elimination weren’t going to do the trick. So, rather than drag shit out, Eclipse focused on Kaj.
You said fire works, right?
Kaj nodded from his end of the alley.
Think you can give them a shove my way?
Of course. Just say the word.
Eclipse stopped, spreading his legs wide as he summoned the energy from the universe. Not quite the same amount required to draw a lightning bolt from the sky, but it was a bit more than he was used to handling, which meant he would be drained when this was all over. Because he trusted his males to get him to safety afterward, Eclipse closed his eyes, drew in more energy as he lifted his hands, palms up. Sparks ignited between his fingertips, then ignited into a full-blown flame.
On three, he told Kaj.
One…
Two…
Three!
Eclipse opened his eyes to see Kaj pull his hands back, then shove them forward, the move forcing a wave that displaced the energy between them. The shadow beasts were caught directly in between. With that wave pushing them toward Eclipse, he did the same maneuver, launching the flames out from the palms of his hands, essentially turning his arms into flamethrowers. He nailed two of the demons on the first shot, singeing them to ash. Before he and Kaj could gear up for the next round, the third beast shot twenty feet into the sky, landing on the rooftop to the north.
“He’s mine!” Kaj yelled before he vanished.
Because he knew the male couldn’t eliminate the damn thing without some help, he sent Magnar and Ajax after the vampire even as he dropped to his knees.
“Mansion,” Reidar barked. “Now.”
Eclipse nodded, but he’d already wasted too much effort. He couldn’t disappear himself no matter how hard he tried.
Didn’t matter. Even as he let gravity take him to his ass, Reidar was already on the phone making calls. Someone would come for him. Of that he was certain. And the four males now surrounding him would ensure nothing happened to him in the meantime.
“We’ve got incoming.”
Orianna finished typing the message she’d been working on. She and Miklós had been working nonstop for the past few hours, perusing the Misplaced Halos boards, dropping a few messages in the hopes of finding someone who had seen Amber.
When she looked up, she noticed Miklós’s perfectly groomed eyebrows were cast in a deep-set V, eyes narrowed.
She sat up straight, stretched out her arms. “What’s wrong?”
Miklós held up a finger for her to wait as he spoke directly into his phone. “I need a sitrep.”
He was quiet for a moment, likely while someone was rambling on the other end, but Orianna could see the concern in his deep blue eyes. When he thrust a hand through his hair, tugging the shoulder-length strands out of their neat little bun, she got the feeling the news was bad.
“What is it?” she asked, her voice soft but stern when he set his phone down and shot to his feet.
“It’s Eclipse.”
Like a jack-in-the-box, Orianna was vertical. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” There was an oddly reassuring note in his tone. “However, he is going to need to feed.”
“What does that even mean?”
His eyes dropped to the fang marks on her neck.
“No.” She grinned. “I know what it means. But why? Why does he need to feed?”
“I’ll let him tell you himself.”
When he started moving, she followed, marching out of the conference room, down the wide hallway. Zeus trotted alongside her. Every so often he would nudge her hand, a silent reassurance he was there with her. Evidently, he was the only one who seemed to sense her panic.
“At least tell me if he’s injured.”
Miklós peered over. “No, of course not. I would tell you if he was.”
She wasn’t sure she believed him, but considering she had no recourse, Orianna merely followed him down the stairs to the main floor, onward until they reached the garage. Obsidian had already arrived, clearly having received the news.
“The only reason we brought him in,” Obsidian explained, “is because he wasn’t strong enough to dematerialize. He’s not injured, but he is drained and will need to feed.”
Orianna nodded.
“On blood.”
She smiled and tilted her head to the side. “I’m rather familiar with that part.”
Although, she wasn’t sure she’d actually fed Eclipse yet. Every time he was at her vein, it seemed more as an intimacy than a necessity.
The instant the exterior door began to rise, Orianna’s gaze swung over. She watched impatiently as the blacked-out SUV pulled in and the door closed behind it but not before the cold gusts of air ripped through the warmth. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but it wasn’t to see Eclipse get out on his own or walk over to her. He didn’t look any worse for wear, merely exhausted.
Unable to resist, she walked right into his arms when he held them open for her. Her face pressed to his chest as she let his warmth seep into her, another reassurance that he was all right. She had no idea how long she stood there, her arms around him, his hand gently sliding over her hair, but it wasn’t until someone cleared their throat that she pulled back.
“Any word from Kaj?” Eclipse asked Obsidian.
“Not yet, but the sun’s coming up soon. He’ll be back.”
That seemed to placate Eclipse, because he took her hand, linked their fingers. “I’m gonna call it a day.”
Obsidian nodded. “I’ll have Jeffrey bring food up.”
“Tell him to wait a couple of hours,” Eclipse added.
“Will do.”
As expected, Eclipse led the way to the elevator, only this one was in a panel in the garage, blending perfectly, as though it didn’t exist.
“How many of these things are there?” she asked in an effort to make conversation.
“Three.” His arm went around her shoulder, and he pulled her into him, as though he needed her to be there.
The trip up took only a minute, the door making no noise when it opened on the third floor.
Planting her hand on his hard stomach, Orianna leaned into him as they walked down the hallway. They’d come from the opposite direction than usual, so the distance to Eclipse’s private quarters wasn’t nearly as far.
“Miklós and Obsidian said you need to feed,” she told him when he made a beeline for the bed.
He nodded. “I do. But it can wait.”
“No, it can’t.”
Evidently her tone had been stronger than Eclipse had expected because his eyes shot to her face.
Orianna smiled, pleased that she could get this strong, powerful angel’s attention. “Look, you took care of me. Now it’s my turn to take care of you.”
He shook his head. “Not the same thing, sezari.”
“How do you figure?”
Eclipse removed the dark shades that covered his eyes. Those molten silver irises were churning.
“For starters, caring for you doesn’t require my blood.”
“So?”
“So?” Eclipse’s shoulders tensed. “You’ve just regained your strength, Orianna. I’m not about to deplete it again.”
“What’s the alternative?” she asked, but as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer. She’d already heard how the Fae were there to fuel the angels. Her thoughts instantly drifted to Acadia, the stunningly flawless fairy she’d spent quite a bit of time with these past few days. The thought of Eclipse at her neck … yeah, no way. Even thinking about it made her vision go red.
“It’s not like that, sezari.”
The laugh that bubbled out of her rang with fear, not amusement. “No, Eclipse. I … I can’t handle that.”
“Okay, but we’ll wait. At least until you’ve eaten.”
Orianna noticed the gaunt look on his face, could see the exhaustion in the lines forming around his mouth.
“I am perfectly fine,” she insisted, eliminating the distance between them. “Now where are we going to do this?”
Eclipse seemed surprised by her demanding tone, but if that was what it took to get this angel to understand she was serious, then so be it.
She stopped directly in front of him, staring up into those mesmerizing eyes, her hands resting on his chest. She felt the muscles flex beneath her palms, realized his entire body was harder than it had been when they’d been in the elevator.
“I want to take care of you,” she said softly, ensuring he heard both her sincerity and her insistence.
“The Fae are here to—”
Orianna narrowed her eyes. “Do you want to be with me, Eclipse?”
He frowned. “Of course I do.”
“Then you won’t bring that up ever again.”
“But it’s true.”
“Perhaps. But if you put your mouth on another woman—fairy, angel, vampire, whatever—you will never put your mouth on me again.”
Based on the way his eyes widened, she’d shocked him. Good. She wanted him to know she had no intentions of sharing him. Not with anyone.
“Now where are we going to do this?” she repeated.
The next thing Orianna knew, Eclipse’s hand was fisted in her hair and his mouth was fused to hers. She could taste his passion, his need. He wanted what she could offer him, but he didn’t want to hurt her.
“I’m stronger than you give me credit for,” she mumbled against his lips.
He growled, then his hands were cupping her ass, lifting her off her feet. Orianna didn’t have time to shriek before she was on her back on the bed, his enormous body moving over her. Rather than bring his mouth to hers once again, Eclipse straddled her legs as he stripped his T-shirt off, tossing it to the floor. Her eyes trailed down the sinewy lines of his torso as he dragged her T-shirt up and over her head. She silently pleaded for him to be careful because the clothes she wore were borrowed, but the words never came out.
Turned out, she liked him like this. All aggression and power, taking what he wanted, while underneath all that passion, she saw the ease with which he treated her. By the time they were both naked, Orianna was panting, desperate to feel him.
As he held himself over her, she leaned up on her elbows, pressing her lips to the strong column of his neck. He tilted his head, giving her better access as she licked his skin. He smelled so good, a natural scent unique to him.
When his big hand cupped the back of her head, the move holding her at his neck, Orianna sucked his skin into her mouth, latching on firmly. He groaned, a dark rumble vibrating through his chest. She kissed and licked, working her way up to his ear.
“I want to feed you, Eclipse.” She nipped his earlobe. “I want to heal you. Only me.”
Another dark rumble escaped seconds before he crushed his mouth to hers once more.
Chapter Twenty
Eclipse had never felt a hunger this great. And he knew there was only one capable of quenching it, sating him, healing him. Her words, her touch … they triggered the animal within. It
took every ounce of his remaining strength to keep from tearing the flesh at her neck in his efforts to take what she so willingly offered.
“Sezari…”
“Take from me, Eclipse,” she whispered, tilting her head to the side.
His eyes locked on the pulse in her neck, all that soft flesh. Brushing her hair back, he leaned in and inhaled her sweet lavender scent. How she still smelled the same, he wasn’t sure. For the past few days, she’d showered with his soap, yet Orianna still smelled sweet.
Her hand curled behind his head, urging him closer.
“I need to be inside you, sezari.”
She relaxed beneath him, her legs spreading, giving his hips the room they needed as he moved over her. His cock pulsed when he felt the silky heat of her core. Her soft moans brought him back from the brink, reminded him her pleasure was far more important than his own needs. He doubted she realized the magnitude of what she was offering. Sure, he’d taken her vein a few times, but he’d yet to truly feed from her.
Soft fingers curled around his shaft, stroking him, making his entire body tremble with anticipation. And when Orianna guided him into the blissful heat of her body, he felt some of his strength return. She did that to him. As though his entire existence was now fueled by this one female.
“Feed,” she demanded, her fingers clutching the back of his head.
“I don’t want to hurt you.” The words rasped out of his mouth as immense pleasure overcame him. The smooth walls of her sex clutched him as he sank in deeper.
“You won’t.”
How she could be so certain, Eclipse didn’t know. But her trust in him was humbling.
He shifted his hips, retreating slowly, then sinking inside her as he rested his upper body on his forearms.
“You have to be still for me,” he whispered, licking her neck. “Don’t move.”
“I’ll do my best,” she said with a soft chuckle.
Eclipse focused on the flex of his hips as he rocked in and out of her, her body stretching around him, the friction igniting the flames within him. His fangs elongated, preparing for her offering.
Salvation in Darkness Page 20