“Since we’re stuck here, you’ll have plenty to time to try my food. That is, if we don’t get killed,” she added.
“We’ll be fine,” Zane assured her, but based on her doubtful look, she didn’t believe he was that confident about their ability to survive. It was true, he was less confident than normal, but it had a lot to do with being unfamiliar with his surroundings. “Okay, so I’m a little worried, but we’re both good fighters, and we’ll come up with a plan.”
“You’re right,” she agreed. “We can do this. I’ve traveled through time twice and fought vampires. I can survive this.”
“You’re fucking amazing,” Zane praised, giving in to the temptation to pull her into his arms. He’d been trying to give her space, which was crazy since she hadn’t minded him touching her before all of this. Having her in his arms felt right, and he was filled with a sense of peace he hadn’t experienced since she’d been taken from him.
“I need to take a shower,” Lexi told him, reluctantly pulling away.
“I’ll help you,” he offered with a flirty grin.
She laughed. “Somehow, I think you’d just try to get me dirtier. While I might take you up on that offer any other time, I’m afraid my shower is not the stuff dreams are made of. Just let me rinse off some of this blood and those awful scented oils Talon’s servants put on me. It’s insane, but I actually prefer the smell of the blood to those retched oils.”
Zane chuckled. “Don’t you want me to wash up?”
Lexi looked him up and down. “Somehow, you managed to get much less blood on you. How is it that you’re shirtless, yet not a drop of blood got on your torso?”
Zane shrugged. “Just lucky. I think I’ll shower after you.”
“Or, you could just freshen up using the sink, and then show me how much you missed me as soon as I get out of the shower,” Lexi suggested.
Zane grinned and pulled her against his erection. “I like that option better. Hurry and shower, because when you get back, I want to lick every inch of your body.”
Lexi’s breathing became shallower. “I’ll hurry,” she promised as she rushed into the bathroom.
The fact that he didn’t follow her proved he had more self-control than most people gave him credit for.
Chapter Eighty-Seven
Lexi was trying to hurry in the shower, but it seemed to take forever to get the stench of the scented oils off her skin. She didn’t even wear perfume, so this was extra annoying. The shower could have waited since there wasn’t really that much blood on her, and Zane was sure to get her dirty anyway. That thought made her shudder with desire, and she honestly couldn’t wait to get Zane naked. Still, she didn’t want any reminders of Talon when they were together, and that included smelling his oils on her skin.
After climbing out of the shower, she was just wrapping a towel around herself when she heard a buzzing sound.
“Oh, no,” she gasped. She’d expected Zane to prowl around her apartment looking at her stuff, but for some reason, she hadn’t even considered the fact that she had not one, but three vibrators sitting on the headboard of her bed. She didn’t have guests in her bedroom, so she never put them away, and that was the last thing she’d been thinking about when she’d gotten here.
Walking into the bedroom, she found Zane lounging on her bed naked, holding her vibrator that looked like a purple penis. She’d spent enough time around Zane that she wasn’t exactly surprised to find him naked, but the way he studied her vibrator was embarrassing and arousing at the same time.
“Do you put it inside of you?” Zane asked as he met her gaze.
“Sometimes,” she admitted. “You look like you’ve never seen a vibrator before.”
“I haven’t,” he told her. “I’m sure they have them at the born vampire settlement, but people weren’t interested in showing me their toys.” Then he held up the bullet, her favorite toy. “What do you do with this one?”
“I use is on my clit,” she explained.
Zane nodded and grinned as he grabbed the rabbit. That one wasn’t her favorite, but she’d heard they were really popular. “I guess this one does it all.”
She shrugged, which must have amused Zane because he laughed. “I’ll have to remember that you don’t care for this one. The other two, I plan to use on you now.”
“Now?” she squeaked.
“Yes, now.” He reached out a hand to tug her down onto the bed. Once he had her there, Zane rolled her onto her back and opened her towel. “How many men have used these on you? I want to know how much competition I have.”
“None,” she replied. “I have them because I don’t date.”
Zane’s grin was positively wicked as he leaned down until his lips were barely touching hers. “Then I guess I get to be the first man to pleasure you with these.”
“No games this time, Zane.” She tugged at his hair to pull him closer. “I need you inside of me. I need to know you’re really here with me.”
“Soon, angel,” he murmured against her mouth before nipping her bottom lip playfully. “It’s been three months, and I want you well and truly sated before I slide into your delectable body because I’m afraid I won’t have much self-control at that point.”
Lexi moaned when Zane claimed her mouth in a kiss that expressed just how much he’d missed her, how much he wanted her. She knew she shouldn’t be aroused by hearing he probably wouldn’t last long, but the fact that she affected Zane this way turned her on.
Zane’s tongue explored her mouth as he held his weight above her. She tugged at him to try to get more contact with his body, but he continued to deny her. For all his concerns about losing control, he seemed totally focused on his goal of driving her out of her sex-crazed mind.
Finally releasing her mouth, Zane smiled and reached over to snatch her bullet from the bed. “How about if we start with this one?” he suggested.
Lexi licked her lips and nodded.
Zane fumbled with the remote and turned it to the lowest setting before placing it just to the left of her clit. The man obviously knew he was tormenting her, and that was his intention. “Tell me if it’s too much.”
“Can I tell you if it’s not enough?” she asked on a moan.
“Oh, it’ll be enough,” he assured her. “But I want you to enjoy this. Remember, I’ve had months to think about you. Now, I want to see you come completely undone for me over and over again. I want to hear you scream my name at least a dozen times. You have no fucking idea how much I need that right now.”
Lexi moaned, which seemed to encourage Zane to tease her more. He pulled the bullet away and ran his tongue along her clit in maddeningly slow circles while she arched her back to try to get more pressure. He finally took pity on her and turned up the speed of the bullet before placing it on her clit. As the vibrations brought her closer to orgasm, his tongue thrust inside of her body while she writhed and whimpered.
He removed his tongue and replaced it with two fingers, slowly moving the bullet against her clit. “That’s it, angel. Let me see that sexy face you make when you come.”
Lexi’s orgasm slammed through her body so hard, she saw black spots. Zane pulled the bullet away slightly while his fingers continued to move inside of her until the spasms of her orgasm finally subsided.
Removing his fingers, Zane licked them and made a sound of appreciation deep in his throat. “I had almost forgotten how incredible you taste, angel,” he rasped out.
“Please, Zane, I need you now,” Lexi moaned.
“You feel empty?” he asked.
“Yes,” she breathed out, sure he was finally going to fuck her the way she wanted him to, but he grabbed her purple vibrator and turned it on.
Zane watched while he slid the vibrator in and out of her body. “Tell me, angel. How does this compare to having my dick in you?”
“Oh, God, Zane. How am I supposed to have a conversation while you’re doing that?”
“Answer the question or I’ll stop
,” he warned.
“You’re much better,” she answered quickly. “I want you in me.”
“Not yet,” he said, continuing to fuck her with the vibrator. Zane seemed mesmerized by the sight of it going in and out of her body, and Lexi was getting off on his reaction as much as the vibrator. Zane was always sexy, but he was beyond hot when he was aroused.
“Touch your clit for me while I do this,” he ordered.
Reaching down, Lexi ran one finger along her clit, which was still sensitive from her orgasm. Zane’s eyes darkened, and she knew he wouldn’t be able to resist much longer.
“I need to get you to pleasure yourself in front of me more often,” he murmured. “This may be one of my favorite things in the world. Nowhere near as good as tasting you, but I definitely enjoy the show.”
Lexi moaned, and her eyes drifted shut as she continued to stroke herself with Zane sliding the vibrator in and out of her body. Her legs straightened, and her back arched when her second orgasm hit.
“Fuck me, Lexi,” he growled. “You are so hot, I’m burning up.” Heedless of anything but his own desire, Zane tossed the vibrator to the side. “Get on your hands and knees. I want to see my mark while I fuck you.”
Lexi didn’t hesitate for a moment. As soon as she was in position, Zane pushed her hair to the side so the mark was visible, and then he gripped her hips and slid into her body. They both moaned at the pleasure of their bodies finally joining. Nothing else mattered in that moment.
“I love you so much, Zane,” she whimpered without thinking. The words just naturally flowed from her mouth.
“I love you, too, Lexi,” Zane growled as he thrust into her body.
The only sounds in the room were their bodies slamming together and their moans of pleasure. Lexi’s orgasm was so close, but seemed just out of reach. As always, Zane knew what she needed and reached around to stroke her clit as his thrusts slowed. When her body was coiled tight and ready to explode, Zane picked up the pace of his fingers until she screamed his name. Then he thrust into her body almost violently until his cock swelled and jerked inside of her as he found his own release.
Exhausted, they both collapsed onto the bed. Zane pulled her against his body and rained kisses across her face before settling her head on his chest.
“I hope we can find a way to get you home,” Lexi murmured sleepily.
“I am home,” he murmured. “It doesn’t matter where I am. As long as you’re with me, I’m home.”
Chapter Eighty-Eight
The sunlight streaming into the room was what woke Zane. It was strange seeing sunlight in the middle of the night—sunlight that was coming from the front room of Lexi’s apartment, not the window. Zane remained motionless as the bedroom door opened.
The male who walked into the bedroom seemed vaguely familiar, but it was impossible to make out his features with the bright light at his back. Zane should have been on his feet, ready to fight, but he was overcome with a strange sense of peace. For some reason, Zane knew this male wasn’t their enemy.
“Who is that?” Lexi asked from his side, obviously feeling the same sense of peace at the male’s presence.
“I don’t know,” Zane admitted quietly without taking his eyes off the male.
“Don’t tell me you don’t recognize me,” Mitchell said with a grin as he stepped further into the room.
“Mitchell?” Zane practically gasped. It was definitely Mitchell, but certainly not the Mitchell he’d left behind. No, this Mitchell was older. While he didn’t look much older than his early twenties on the surface, there was wisdom in his eyes that came with age, and he moved with an air of confidence and power.
“That’s right,” Mitchell told him, reaching out two hands. “So, did you want to go back to your own time? Or, are you having too much fun running from vampires? Damn, I can still remember dreaming about the two of you fighting here. It was pretty impressive, even if I was wondering if I was crazy for believing my dreams were real back then.”
“We didn’t actually expect to get back from here,” Lexi responded. “We kind of figured we’d have to catch up with everyone a hundred years from now.”
“Yeah, most people were worried about that,” Mitchell told her.
“Mitchell!” a woman called out urgently and walked into the bedroom. “We need to hurry or we’ll be stuck here.”
“We’re coming, Winter,” he assured the blonde who’d entered the room. “Have you ever met Winter?”
Zane shook his head. “But I recognize her name.” Winter was the mage who’d helped save Quinn. She was very powerful, but this was more than even she could do. “I thought only powerful Fae could do things like this. Even Arawn said he wouldn’t be able to bring us back from here.”
Mitchell chuckled. “While I’d love to explain this to you, Winter’s right about the portal only staying open for a very short time.”
“You’re not the same Mitchell I know?” Zane asked.
“He will be,” Lexi said, carefully studying Mitchell.
“Good answer,” Mitchell praised. “Now, let’s go, and I promise to explain everything to you one day.”
Zane moved forward, still naked, but he wasn’t surprised when Lexi slipped a shirt over her head. Then they took Mitchell’s hands and simply walked through a tunnel lit by sunlight. It was warm and soothing. Along the way, they saw images of children playing, people laughing, and even animals Zane had never seen before.
At the end of the tunnel, Mitchell released their hands. “Don’t tell me what happened. I dreamt of this, but if I know too much, it will alter what I become, and that could be very bad for you.”
“So, Winter is your mate?” Zane asked, having trouble picturing that. There was a bond between them, but it seemed wrong to call them mates.
Winter laughed, and Mitchell just shook his head.
“I’m not Winter’s type,” Mitchell said with a grin. “She’s just here because she wanted to help. That’s just how she is.”
“Since when?” Zane asked, and then felt bad about putting it like that with Winter standing right there. “Sorry, that was rude.”
Winter gave him a patient smile. “Sometimes, we learn who we truly are when we forget who we’re supposed to be.”
On those cryptic words, Mitchell pushed them the rest of the way out of the tunnel, and the portal closed.
“Is it scary that this wasn’t even close to being the weirdest thing that’s happened to me lately?” Lexi asked, and that made Zane laugh with pure joy. Looking around, he found that they were in the wooded area about a mile from the born vampire settlement.
“I guess we’d better go home,” he told her.
“About that,” Lexi began hesitantly, and Zane tensed, worried about what she was going to say.
“That vampire settlement isn’t home,” she told him. “Your home is with the other shifters, not cooped up like you are with the vampires.”
“We already went over this,” Zane argued. “My home is where you are.”
“Yes, we did go over this, and now, it’s my turn to explain something to you.” Lexi put a hand on each of his cheeks and pulled his head down to brush her lips against his. “My home is where you are. Our home is with the rest of the shifters.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, feeling like his heart was going to come out of his chest because it was beating so hard. “We don’t have some of the amenities you’re used to. We have running water, but our showers are nothing like what the vampires have.”
“I’m sure,” she assured him.
Zane kissed her, overcome with love. When he finally pulled away, he threaded his fingers through hers. “We’re still closer to the vampires. Let’s stop there first and see if we can get a ride home.”
“Race you back,” she said before she took off running to the sound of Zane calling after her.
“You won’t win if you run in the opposite direction of the born vampire settlement.”
“Damn!�
�� she muttered and hurried back toward him, a little embarrassed at her bad sense of direction.
When she got there, Zane kissed her nose. “I lied,” he said before shifting into lynx and running in the direction she’d originally been going.
“Cheater!” she shouted around her laughter and chased after him.
Epilogue
Two Months Later
Lexi loved it when Claire came to stay at the shifter settlement. Not because they’d become great friends, but because she always brought a care package with an assortment of baked goods from Layla, which was why she was anxiously waiting for Cam and Claire when they walked up the road to the shifter community.
“Oh, I’m so glad it’s your week here!” Lexi exclaimed, snatching the bag from Claire’s hands.
Claire laughed and looked at Cam over her shoulder. “See, I told you she missed me.”
“Sure looks that way to me,” Cam drawled.
Lexi ignored them as she popped a cookie into her mouth. “Don’t mess with me right now. These cookies are the only thing saving everyone in this clan from dealing with my raging PMS.”
“You could just let me get you pregnant,” Zane offered as he glided up behind her, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts.
“I say we just continue practicing the making babies part for now,” she insisted.
Zane let out a long-suffering sigh. “If I must,” he relented with a teasing grin, just before he spun her around and tossed her over his shoulder.
“Zane!” she squealed. “We need to visit with Cam and Claire first. They might have important news.”
“Nothing is more important than getting enough practice in so you’ll let me fuck you during your heat cycle,” Zane insisted.
It said a lot that she wasn’t bristling at his choice of words. She was definitely getting used to life with the shifters.
“Before you carry her off, we do have some news for you,” Cam called out. “It’s about Winter.”
That stopped Zane in his tracks. After Winter had helped future Mitchell save them, Zane had wanted to meet her, and he’d soon learned that she was still in this area. From what Lexi had heard, the Mage weren’t known for staying in one area, so it was strange that Winter was lingering so long.
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