A firm hand rested atop his head and Mirakel inhaled a deep breath.
“There’s nothing to forgive,” Kaj replied softly. “You’ve never let me down, Mirakel. You couldn’t. Now stand, warrior.”
Mirakel drew himself up to his full height, met Kaj’s warm stare.
“I won’t fail you,” he promised, the words pitched low and laced with the gravelly emotion that coated his throat.
Kaj nodded. “As of this moment, I’m appointing you as my adighrielin. Do you accept the position that is bestowed upon you?”
Adighrielin. The Alpha’s advisor, his right hand. More importantly, the most honorable position within the Zenith, that which was the first line of defense to the Alpha.
Mirakel had to clear his throat even as he bowed before Kaj. “It would be my honor, phaal.”
There was a bit more throat clearing, but Mirakel noticed it wasn’t only him. Kaj seemed to be having the same problem.
A firm hand curled around Mirakel’s head, pulling him toward Kaj. Their foreheads met.
“I thought I lost you. I’ve missed you, brother,” Kaj whispered in their language.
“I’m not that easy to get rid of,” he said lightly, his chest tight, his throat clogged by emotion.
Though he’d pledged to serve the leader of his race, Kaj was more than that to him. Mirakel had looked up to Kaj his entire life. It wasn’t until their lives had intertwined that Mirakel had felt whole for the first time. As though he belonged. Having been turned out at birth, discarded by those who should’ve cared for him, Mirakel hadn’t had a family until Kaj. These past few months, the only thing that had kept him from walking right out into the sun and letting that blazing ball of fire claim him had been his desire to find Kaj. He’d held on to hope that Kaj had not been stolen from him, and that hope had paid off.
“The sun’ll be up any minute,” Kaj said, his voice a bit steadier than before. “Let’s get belowground. We need sleep if we plan to tackle the future come nightfall.”
Mirakel nodded and squared his shoulders. “After you, phaal.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Orianna hadn’t realized how disconnected she’d been with this house. Made some sense considering she hadn’t grown up here. When she thought of home, it was always the house they’d lived in before her mother’s attack, the one she and Amber had been brought home from the hospital to, the one her mother had loved from the moment she’d seen it shortly after Elizabeth had wed Erik.
This house was nothing like that one. It was familiar, sure, because Orianna had visited her mother through the years, even come here during their approved leaves back when she’d been in school. It had never been her home, though, and that had never been more apparent than now, when she found herself trapped there.
Well, technically, she wasn’t trapped, but Eclipse was, so it was almost the same difference. It pained her to know that he was in the basement, unable to leave until the sun went down in—she peered at her watch—nine more hours. Lovely. She wasn’t sure which was worse—him having to be down there or her having to be up here. Neither was a comforting thought.
“This sucks,” she muttered as she strolled through the living room, the kitchen, down the hallway, back.
It had been her routine for the past hour, ever since Elizabeth finally drifted off in her chair. Her mother looked so uncomfortable, but Orianna wasn’t about to suggest she get in bed. She’d done that once already, and her mother’s ire had surprised her. Evidently Elizabeth still believed she would be trapped indefinitely if she were to do that.
So, while Elizabeth nodded off, Orianna chose to wear the carpet and linoleum thin, pacing back and forth in an effort to stay awake. She probably should’ve taken the opportunity to sleep, but her brain was wired for sound, and she knew it wouldn’t matter if she got horizontal, sleep wouldn’t find her.
When she made another pass through the kitchen, she paused at the door to the basement. Orianna wanted to go down, to see Eclipse, but she was fighting that urge, knowing if she did, the ache that had become an incessant throb within her would only get worse. The sexual tension seemed to have settled in, making her crave him more so than was appropriate. And it was constant, not abating completely, not even when they’d just made love.
Made love.
She’d honestly never thought she’d make love to anyone. Hell, she’d never figured she’d find love, but she had, hadn’t she? With Eclipse.
Every so often, she found herself imagining a life with Eclipse. Waking up to him each night, falling asleep with him every morning. Breakfasts, dinners, holidays. The basics seemed simple. Coexisting in his world would be easy because she wanted to be there. But how could she possibly contribute? She had no skills, so what would she do for work? A convenience store clerk didn’t seem appropriate, but not because she was above it. No, more so because of the dangers lurking out there. She didn’t truly understand what the vampires wanted with her, why they had lured her to that club, but based on Eclipse’s reaction to the news, it wasn’t so they could get their swerve on.
She paused in the kitchen, her gaze swinging to the basement door. The heat was building, and she knew it had nothing to do with her hoofing it from one room to another. Her body longed for Eclipse’s, and she knew ignoring it would only make her insane.
Ah, damn.
Orianna opened the door to the basement, slipped inside, and carefully maneuvered down the rickety stairs. It was dark, save for a glimmer of light coming from Miklós’s laptop over in the far corner. Part of her had expected to find all three of them passed out cold, sleeping because it was daytime and that was when the mansion usually went into dream mode.
“Is everything all right?” Eclipse’s voice came from the alcove beneath the stairs.
The glow of his eyes was what she used to see by. “Yes.”
“You’ve been pacing,” he said, motioning for her to join him.
She took his hand, allowed him to guide her down onto his lap. She straddled his extended legs, sliding her hands over his rock-hard chest, up to the warm skin of his neck. Just touching him settled something within her even as it fanned the flames on her libido.
“My mother’s finally asleep and I’ve been keeping an eye out for my father.”
His warm hands caressed her face gently, as though he’d missed her in the short time she’d been away from him. His touch soothed while, at the same time, sending her heart into a gallop. It was insane how much she wanted him, how desperate she could feel. When he guided her head toward his, Orianna shifted, angling so her lips could find their mate. She loved how she fit against him, how perfect it felt to be in his arms, as though he’d been made just for her.
Eclipse’s kiss was gentle but persistent. She could taste his hunger, and it started that familiar hum beneath her skin. The way he penetrated her with his tongue, slipping inside, grazing hers. Reverent, sweet, but underneath was an undeniable hunger. She relished the moments they could do this. Make out like teenagers, hands roaming, tongues dancing. The amount of time she’d been with him felt more like years than mere weeks, every passing hour solidifying her feelings for him to the point she could no longer see a life without him in it.
When he pulled back, his hands went to her face, holding her so she was peering into his eyes.
I need you, Orianna.
She heard the words in her mind, knew he was projecting them there.
Despite the fact her body was clearly on board, her brain shifted to Magnar and Miklós, who were on the other side of the room, probably not even ten yards away.
Do you trust me, sezari?
Of course she did.
Orianna nodded, held his stare.
Take off your shirt.
Giving herself over to Eclipse was easy. She did trust him. Not only with her body but also with her heart.
It still felt taboo because there were others nearby, but Orianna couldn’t refuse his request. She pulled back enough to do as he aske
d, loving the way his silver eyes glowed as he watched her. Without him having to ask, she discarded her bra as well.
A soft rumble escaped him as his eyes caressed her like a physical touch. His approval was what she longed for, and when he gave it so freely, Orianna knew she was lost, completely and totally done for.
His eyes shifted to her face momentarily before he cupped her breasts and lifted them. His lips met hers as he teased, his big hands kneading, plumping, sending her nerve endings toward an inevitable riot. He kissed her lips, then glided them over her jaw, her neck, lower. A gasp escaped her when his tongue glided over one nipple, then the other. Orianna sucked in air, the warmth of his mouth making chills dance over her skin. It took effort not to cry out when he nipped her with his teeth, but she could do nothing to stop the rasp of her breaths. Eclipse feasted on her breasts for long, delicious minutes while Orianna ran her fingers over the shorn hair at the sides of his head.
He paused long enough to instruct her to remove her leggings, which she did awkwardly as she straddled his thighs, her breasts still pressed to his mouth. Eclipse assisted, dragging the stretchy fabric down her thighs, making it easier for her to get them off.
“Panties, too,” he whispered.
Her eyes widened, fear that Miklós or Magnar would know what they were doing.
“They can’t see or hear us now, sezari.”
Orianna wasn’t sure how he managed that, but she wasn’t about to question him.
When she was naked, he resumed laving her, licking and sucking her nipples, working her into a frenzy until she was desperate for him. He continued to torment and tease while she freed the button on his jeans, but that was as far as she could go because of his position. Thankfully, Eclipse took over, shoving his jeans down while she yanked his shirt up.
She was in awe of his hard body. All that sleek, bronze skin stretched over so much muscle and sinew. He was perfection, all smooth planes and hard angles. She recalled all those hours spent in his bed, her hands wandering and roaming, exploring.
“Ride me, sezari,” he whispered against her ear. “I need to be inside you.”
Orianna was surprised she didn’t orgasm from his words alone.
He guided his erection against her hot center while she sank down on him.
A moan slipped up her throat as her body adjusted to his glorious girth. He filled her easily, her body slick and eager for him. Once she was seated with him fully inside her, Orianna began to move, bringing them both the ecstasy they sought. It started with her lifting and lowering on him and ended with her rocking her hips forward and back while Eclipse latched on to her neck, his fangs sinking into her vein.
Never in her life had she imagined so much ecstasy could be had. Thanks to human myths and lore, fangs were there to score and drain, vampires the epitome of evil and death. Knowing what she did, Orianna wondered who had put those rumors in play. Because this … Eclipse’s fangs in her neck … oh, God, it was heaven.
Orianna sighed as the exquisite sensations washed over her. There was no stopping her orgasm, her body suspended in that sublime state for long minutes as he fed from her and filled her at the same time.
By the time he was licking the wound closed, Orianna was hanging by a thread, in desperate need of more. Eclipse must’ve felt it, too, because he quickly shifted their positions. There was a brief chill as he separated their bodies, turning her so she was facing away from him. When she was on her knees, Eclipse behind her, he pushed deep inside her again and drove them both to the precipice. His fingers curled around her shoulders as he held on, this time riding her. Orianna hung there, suspended on the razor’s edge for long seconds, and when Eclipse slammed into her one final time, his fingertips digging in, she came as he did.
Due to their circumstances and location, there was no cuddling afterward. Just the cold separation of their bodies. Feeling slightly exposed because they weren’t alone, Orianna fumbled around for her clothes. When she located them all, she hurried to dress, then returned to Eclipse’s arms, where she wanted to remain for the rest of the day but knew she couldn’t.
“You should get some sleep,” she told him, running her fingers over his cheeks, enjoying the feel of his stubble against her fingers.
“Can’t sleep,” he mumbled against her neck. “Not without you beside me.” Eclipse lifted his head. “When night falls, we need to head back. Do you think your mother will go with us willingly?”
Orianna shrugged. It was what she hoped to talk to Elizabeth about, but she needed her mother to be alert, not immersed in that drug-induced fog she lived in.
“She needs you to look after her,” Eclipse said, as though reading her mind.
“I want to introduce you to her. When night falls. I know that’s against the rules, but…” Orianna smiled. “I really want my mother to know you, Eclipse.”
Eclipse nodded. “I can persuade her to go with us if you’d like.”
She should’ve probably been surprised that he was willing to break the rules for her. She wasn’t. If nothing else, Orianna trusted what they felt for one another.
She knew he had all sorts of magical abilities, and though she was hesitant for him to use them to manipulate her mother, Orianna wasn’t sure there was any other way.
Suddenly Eclipse pulled back, his eyes closing. “There’s a male here,” he said softly. “Just pulled in the driveway.”
It pained her to pull away, but Orianna needed to be upstairs when Erik came to the door. She wasn’t about to let him in if she could help it.
“Orianna.”
With one foot on the bottom step, she turned back to look at Eclipse. The tortured look on his face spoke volumes. He hated not being able to protect her and it physically hurt him.
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “I’ve been on my own for a long time, Eclipse. I know what I’m doing.”
His silver eyes caressed her face before he offered a clipped nod.
Without looking back, Orianna hurried up the stairs, her stomach wobbling when the stairs seemed to do the same. When she reached the door, she exhaled her relief, then stepped into the house.
No sooner had she closed the basement door than a heavy knock sounded from the front of the house. The knob was turning as she approached.
“What do you want?” she asked, yanking the door open before Erik could.
Her father’s eyes widened as he stared back at her, clearly surprised to see her. “Orianna, baby.” A smile pulled at his haggard face. “It’s so good to see you.”
Using her body, she blocked his entrance. “Why are you here?”
Erik peered beyond her into the house. “Your mother asked me to stop by.”
“No, she didn’t.”
His blue eyes lowered to her face and she saw the shift. Gone was the pleasant father who missed his daughter, in his place, the desperate, angry man who’d bled Orianna’s mother dry, stealing her money so he could fund his addiction to booze and gambling.
“I need to talk to my wife,” Erik demanded, stepping forward.
Orianna didn’t budge. “She’s asleep right now.”
His eyes narrowed. “You mean she’s doped? Because that’s the only state she’s ever in, Orianna. You’d know if you cared to stay with her.”
Fury raged in her veins, this altercation a long time coming. “Fuck you,” she snapped. “I’m the only one who’s taken care of her.”
His lip curled in a snarl. “Yeah? Traipsing across the country looking for your failure of a sister? That’s what you call taking care of her?”
“Well, while we’re laying blame”—Orianna met his hard stare—“who’s the one who put her in that fucking chair?”
“That’s not fair, Orianna. I had nothing to do with that.”
“Bullshit. You’re the reason for all of it, Dad. You single-handedly tore this family apart. And now look at us.”
Erik’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t say a word.
Orianna was about to scre
am at him when she heard car doors shutting outside. She managed to peer around her father just as two police officers were stepping out of their vehicles. Their keen gazes were scanning the area, searching for a threat.
Erik grinned. “I do believe they’re here for a welfare check. Perhaps they should be the ones to decide whether or not it’s safe for her to be here.”
Fucking hell.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Eclipse shot upright, shoulders tense, fangs extending from his jaw. For the past forty-five minutes, he’d remained still, his senses scanning the goings-on upstairs. He’d listened to two males converse, one calm, the other demanding, while a third talked in soft tones with Orianna. The topic: Elizabeth, of course. More accurately, Elizabeth’s need for help for her addiction and the fact it wasn’t safe for her to remain in the home by herself.
Orianna had been livid, but his amsouelot had controlled her temper, remaining rational in her attempt to sway them to her side.
It hadn’t worked.
“She’s gone,” he growled, the words sounding feral.
“Eclipse…” Miklós’s tone was firm, as though he could possibly keep him in control by simply saying his name.
“She’s. Gone.” His eyes burned so bright the entire basement glittered in the silver hue.
“We will get her back.” Magnar’s words were a promise.
From the instant he’d heard all those footsteps banging around upstairs, Eclipse knew he should’ve done something. At the very least, he could’ve erected a barrier around the house, making it impossible for those fucking cops to leave. Instead, he’d considered Orianna’s feelings on the matter, and now they were all fucking gone. Orianna, her mother, that bastard father.
“Breathe,” Magnar growled, the command harsh.
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