by Brenda Trim
“Oh, hell yeah. That’s the best offer I’ve had in a long time,” Hayden replied and offered his muscular arm to Breslin. She accepted, and Alex watched the two make their way to the dance floor.
Alex looked to Bhric who had a puzzled look on his face as he stared at his twin.
“You okay?” Alex asked and wrapped her arms around her mate’s waist.
“Huh?” he asked as he turned to meet her gaze. “Aye, I’m fine. I doona know what that was all aboot,” Bhric added before placing a kiss behind her left ear, causing her to shudder.
She wanted to be alone with her vampire in the worst way. Her need was off the charts and she didn’t know how much longer she could go without having him inside her. Hopefully, the party would end soon so they could get to the real celebration. The one between the sheets.
Bhric couldn’t even think straight as the line of well-wishers seemed to grow by the second. His mate’s arousal was thick in the air and affecting every unmated male in the room. When Cade and Caell walked up and caught whiff of her scent, their eyes began glowing.
“Och, ‘tis time to end this. We thank you for coming to our ceremony, and hope you enjoy the party,” Bhric announced as he led her away from the males and to the dance floor.
Alex gazed up at him with a smile on her face. He vowed right then and there to put that smile on her face every day. She was radiant and beaming.
“That was rude, Ice-Man. They only want to pay their respects to the Prince, and congratulation you on your mating,” she said as he wrapped a hand around her tiny waist.
“They can shake Kyran’s fucking hand. We need to get this dance over with, so I can take you to our room. You’re driving the unmated males wild, a chroí,” he murmured as he kissed a path from her mate mark to her neck.
“And you’re driving me wild,” she whispered.
Alex pressed against him until there was no space between them. It took all his strength to keep her from climbing up his body. Out of the corner of his eye, Bhric spotted Rhys talking to Alex’s brother.
Bhric stopped swaying for a second and turned his head to watch the interaction. Rhys would never hurt Brad, but Bhric didn’t want the cambion scaring the male. Rhys’s stories about his time in Hell would give anyone nightmares.
Alex raised an eyebrow at him and he gestured to the scene. Alex started swaying with Bhric again, watching the pair as she stroked up and down Bhric’s chest and kissed under his chin. Her attention was distracting, but Bhric’s sensitive ears eavesdropped on the conversation with Brad and the Dark Warrior.
“What’s up, my man?” Rhys quipped.
“Not much. Is this safe to eat? You know…for humans?” Brad asked with a lifted eyebrow as he piled food onto a plate.
Rhys barked out a laugh. “Of course. Elsie made the food. But, what you really need, is a glass of my hey juice,” Rhys informed the human.
Brad accepted the glass of red liquid and held it up to the light. “This looks like blood. I’m not so sure this is what I need in my life.”
Illianna walked up and joined Rhys and Brad. Bhric could tell her presence put Brad at ease. The beautiful angel, who was the bearer of joy and happiness, had that effect on everyone.
Rhys kissed her briefly before addressing Brad again. “No blood, I promise. That’s my special recipe. It’s guaranteed to have the females saying ‘hey baby’ as they drag you to the nearest closet.”
Brad laughed. “Well, in that case,” he replied and took a deep swig. Alex’s mom insisted Rhys pour her a glass, as well. Bhric loved that they fit in as well as they did.
Suddenly, blue flashed in the corner of Bhric’s eye, and he glanced over to see Breslin dancing with Hayden. His twin looked stunning in her beaded gown. Every unmated male in the room, including Hayden, was drawn to his sister. She was by far the most sought-after female in the realm, and he wondered what lay in store for her.
Would the Goddess bless her with a mate soon? She was the last of their group, and he couldn’t imagine any male filling that role for his headstrong, passionate sister.
Across the dance floor, Bhric spotted Rhett dancing with a female he didn’t recognize. Bhric noted if their bodies were any closer, they’d be Siamese twins. The female wore a dress so short that if she bent over, the entire room would know the color of her panties.
He also noticed Rhett’s gaze glued to Breslin and Hayden. As Bhric zeroed in on his sister, he swore she was blasting Rhett with darts of hatred with the evil look in her eyes. What the hell was going on with those two?
Bhric twirled Alex as he watched the parallel between the fire demon and the fire warrior. He would’ve thought their powers would connect them, but they were oil and vinegar. Bhric pulled Alex back to his body and held her close.
Her sugary-floral scent washed over Bhric, and he hardened against her stomach. She was his every dream come true and sent his desire through the fucking roof. She grinned up at him, and Bhric knew she was reading his thoughts.
“That’s right, my sexy mate. No’ much longer and you’ll be begging for mercy. I’m going to give you so many orgasms, your body willna recover,” he muttered against her ear. He felt her shudder when he kissed near her mate mark.
“Stop teasing, and prove it,” she countered. “From where I stand, you’re the one with a bat in your pants.”
Bhric chuckled and pushed his hips against Alex’s stomach so she could feel his steel rod. As they danced, Bhric tried to will away his erection so that they could make their exit.
He watched Rhett and his dance partner make their way towards Breslin and Hayden. The two couples stopped dancing for a moment and then Rhett offered his hand to Breslin while Hayden took the unknown female in his arms.
Rhett wrapped an arm around Breslin, and the two began slowly swaying to the love song the band was playing. Bhric glanced to Hayden who seemed more than happy to have the skimpy-dressed female against his body. When the song ended, Bhric watched Rhett lead Breslin off the dance floor and away from the party.
Okay, that was interesting. Had Breslin drunk too much of Rhys’s hey juice?
Alex reclaimed his attention when she kissed his cheek and sent an image of what she wanted through their bond. That fast, his sister was forgotten. It was time for a private dance with his alluring mate.
Chapter 21
Alex screeched as Bhric’s shoulder hit her mid-section and she was hoisted into the air. Bracing her hands against Bhric’s strong back, Alex balanced to where she could look around the room. She was giddy with happiness, and her cheeks ached from the continuous smile on her face.
Her heart was full to bursting, and she felt like a teenager again. Like the not-so-popular nerdy girl getting attention from the high-school football star, except this was a million times better. She was prom queen and Bhric her king.
Brad laughed at her and shook his head while her mom blew kisses their way. The joy on their faces was priceless. For too long, they’d looked at her with either concern, or pity, because of her cancer. It was about time they stopped feeling sorry for her and worrying.
Alex took in the room one last time as Bhric whisked her away for a night of endless passion. There had to be a million, tiny, white lights illuminating the patio and the area around the pool. The other mates and staff had gone to a lot of work for their big event.
The enclosed patio was opened after the ceremony. Where there had been walls and windows, now Alex had a perfect view of the trees in the backyard, which were also covered in lights. It was a picture-perfect wonderland.
The band, aptly named the Night Crawlers, stopped playing and catcalled to them as Bhric walked by, making everyone laugh.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked as she smacked his firm ass.
“I’m taking you to our bed, mate. It’s time to end this insufferable pain in my mating brand. But, you keep that up, and we willna make it past the kitchen. Zander and Elsie might have a say aboot us infringing on their territory,”
he growled and turned his head to bite her on the butt.
Before Alex met Bhric, fate was something written about in mushy romance novels, but after surviving the torture from Crocell and Cresil, all doubt about her role in Bhric’s life vanished. She was fated to Bhric and he was created for her.
The sexual tension in her body ignited into a full-blown inferno the more steps Bhric took. The second they hit the hallway and cleared the main area of the party, Bhric’s hand slid underneath her dress in a blazing path up her leg. His icy hand trailed higher, cooling and heating her at the same time.
Bhric had a gift. Alex’s body responded to his frozen touch with instant arousal. She became wet and achy the second her skin felt his frost. His ability had come in handy more than once to soothe her sore body after a night of making love.
Her vampire gave new meaning to the word stamina. He could go for hours on end, stopping only to allow her human body to recuperate.
The sound of a zipper echoed through the corridor a second before Alex felt her dress open at her back. Her head spun as he set her on the ground. The top portion of her gown slid down, exposing her breasts.
“Mmm, perfection,” he murmured as his eyes dropped and stared at her bosom.
The only good thing to come of her breast cancer was having her ‘girls’ reconstructed. She chose her size, a perfect C cup, and loved that she didn’t have to wear a bra if she didn’t want to. They would be firm and perky until the day she died.
Alex’s world righted as Bhric pulled her into his arms. She laughed as her dress fell to her waist, but was cut off as he claimed her mouth in a searing kiss.
Her breath caught as it did every time their lips touched. Bhric hungrily sank into the kiss. His arms wound tighter around her waist as he lifted her to his chest. She was lost to the fever pitch of passion and didn’t care that they were in the middle of the entryway for everyone to see. With her dress pooled at her feet.
His hard muscles pressed against her soft body, and his demanding lips pushed her mouth open. Alex’s body melted to goo when his hot tongue delved inside. She felt the corner of his mouth lift, and knew what was coming next. A blast of cold sent shivers down her spine as his icy tongue swirled against hers.
The roof of her mouth frosted over and tingled. She gasped and sucked his tongue greedily, melting the ice in her mouth. Bhric repeated his torment, letting her suffer with anticipation. She loved his supremacy at lovemaking, but that didn’t stop her from thrusting her tongue against his in a battle of wills.
“Fuck, I need you now,” Bhric growled and unclipped the sash of cloth draped over his shoulder.
“Are you going to tell me now if you wear underwear beneath your kilt?” she asked as she reached down and tried to pull the material up. The hard bulge of his cock pressed against her stomach.
“I’m going to show you,” he declared and proceeded to rip his shirt off and toss it aside before he picked her up. She managed to kick her dress so she could wrap her legs around his waist.
She moaned and bit his bottom lip when her core slid against his shaft. “You wore my favorite panties,” he murmured as he palmed her bare cheeks.
“You had better not let anyone see me,” she ordered him.
“Och, a chroí, you know better than that. I think you want another spanking,” Bhric teased as he hurried up the stairs. She was completely nude, and he only wore his kilt and possibly something underneath. His socks and Ghillies were kicked off along the way, and when he twisted and moved to get rid of the socks, it nearly had her climaxing on the spot.
“Promises, promises,” she teased as he elbowed the door to their room open.
“I always make good on my vows, mate. And, I will give you exactly what you need,” he pledged then kicked the door closed.
Her thoughts scattered as he nipped and nibbled his way down her neck. He threw her onto their bed and pounced on top of her. Immediately, he sank his fangs into her breast, and she was climaxing. She clawed at the bed and thrashed her head back and forth as ecstasy tore through her like wildfire. There was never going to be a day when she didn’t thank the Goddess for giving back her sense of pleasure. Perhaps, this is what she meant by protecting her womanhood.
Bhric removed his fangs and lifted his head. He was the picture of a fierce predator with his glowing amber eyes and blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. She wanted more. He reached down to remove his kilt. She was momentarily distracted when his arousal stood up against his stomach. He was a perfect male specimen and Alex knew how lucky she was.
“It’s a good thing I didn’t know you had nothing beneath that or I would’ve drug you into a nearby closet for a quickie,” she murmured and wrapped her hand around his length.
She stroked his erection from root to tip and enjoyed the feral sounds he made before he yanked her hand away and fell on her.
“Time for the blood exchange, a chroí. You ready?”
Alex nodded eagerly and sucked on his neck. His entire body shuddered and he whispered into her ear, “Thank you for saving me and loving me. You made me whole.” He rested his forehead against hers and held her tight.
Alex fell in love all over again at hearing those words.
“It was fate,” she agreed.
“Aye,” he muttered and plunged to the hilt, in one swift thrust. His eyes glowed brightly as their gazes locked.
He didn’t move as he pulled an elaborate dagger from a drawer. The slim silver blade had gems embedded in the hilt. She hadn’t thought about how this would happen and her heart raced.
“Do I have to cut you with that?” she asked.
“Nay,” he replied then in slow motion he lifted it and sliced into the nape of his neck where it met his broad shoulder. A thin red line of blood trickled down. Her stomach churned and she grimaced.
“I don’t think I can drink your blood. I want to finish the bond, but the thought makes me sick.”
Bhric moved in and out of her slowly while he kissed her lips and caressed her sides, his hands wandering all over her body. He nibbled a path down her neck and bit into one of her breasts while he pinched and tweaked the other one. She detonated and spasmed around his cock, screaming his name.
While she was at the peak of her orgasm, Bhric set a fast tempo and brought her mouth to his cut and held her head in place as he bit into her shoulder. Their bodies exploded into the most intense orgasm she’d ever experienced.
Light exploded through her, and Alex’s entire body tingled as magic filled her essence. Bhric shuddered his release and removed his fangs right before his back arched. The gold bond she had seen earlier strengthened with every lap of blood she took, and it made her crave more. The revulsion was forgotten. She wanted to be closer to her mate. She closed her eyes and the golden band transformed into a million, tiny, gold chains. They were linked at every point of their bodies.
The entire world disappeared as intense emotions filled her to overflowing. Bhric’s love filled every cell of her body, and Alex clung to him as his orgasm raged on. She hoped the changes to her DNA began immediately because she may not survive what the night held in store for them.
Bhric felt the mating solidify, and he was irrevocably altered. Their entwined souls danced in his chest and down to his shaft as his orgasm raged on. He loved the longer orgasms he experienced with his mate, and it intensified with the blood exchange.
He felt her every emotion, and was humbled by the depth of her love. His siblings had always shown him love and support, but this was a vastly different feeling.
New powers surged from his Fated Mate into him. He forgot that mates always shared a portion of their abilities, and had no idea that Alex had any. They hadn’t talked about it before. He was surprised to see that she could manipulate metal. He was going to explore that after he sated his lust for his sexy mate.
Flames erupted on his mating brand then quickly changed to an intense tingle that had his need spiraling out of control. He had to have her again.
His orgasm barely waned but he began moving inside her again.
“Your mark is inked into your skin now. You will be able to see it. I thought it would be amber like my eyes, but it’s orange and blue. ‘Tis beautiful. You are mine in every way,” he panted as he shoved deeper inside her body.
“Forever, which is going to be hundreds of years,” she groaned as she clawed at his shoulders.
Magic filled the room and fed the passion between them. Bhric gave into the desire and didn’t hold back. They were two halves of one whole. What they shared went beyond words.
“I love you, Alex. You are my everything,” he declared.
“I love you, too. Now move, Ice Man. I need to feel your freeze,” Alex cried out.
Music to his ears.
EXCERPT FROM FIRE WARRIOR BOOK # 14
Excitement thrummed through Rhett as he followed Breslin up the stairs to her suite at Zeum. Her warm hand grabbed his and tugged, encouraging him to move faster. He’d fantasized about her countless times but never thought she’d succumb to him. All he could think, as he watched the seductive sway of her hips, was that she was worth the wait.
Her sleek blue gown fit like a second skin and he hardened at the sight. She had more curves than a winding road, and he itched to caress every nook and cranny. She turned and gave him that sexy smile he adored, and he almost lost it right there on the stairway. If he didn’t get her naked soon, he was going to combust.
Breslin wasn’t like the other females he pursued. She was his greatest challenge, and that was sexy as hell. Rhett was used to females fawning all over him. Easy conquests, to be exact. He also attracted the softer, more demure type.
Breslin was far from demure. Oh, she was definitely all female, but she could kick most male’s asses with her eyes closed, and that was intimidating, while at the same time, very enticing.
Suddenly, it occurred to Rhett that he was unprepared, and he cursed himself. He wished he’d known ahead of time this would be their night. Breslin deserved to be spoiled and pampered. Typically, he arranged candles, wine, chocolates, and soft music for his lovers. He was romantic, if nothing else, and believed in giving that extra touch to make his females feel special.