At least he’d know that Marcus could rest content.
And it wouldn’t be long now, judging from the tension in Marcus’ thighs, the rapidity of his strokes and the slight parting of his lips.
Rowan drank it all in, relishing this precious gift he was receiving. Sharing in the only way he could. Watching, observing, letting his eyes, his ears—all his senses—open to this unique moment of simple delight.
Marcus groaned and froze, his cock the only thing that shuddered. Spurts of come erupted from the tip as his veins pulsed with spasms of pleasure. He pulled his hand away, even then apparently aware that another watched, another was intimately involved in his climax.
Rowan shivered with him, the force of Marcus’ orgasm crossing the space between their bodies. He almost felt Marcus’ buttocks clench, almost experienced that moment when everything disappeared except one’s cock and the need to explode into the abyss of release.
And yet he was still apart, still isolated in his own arousal and desires. He turned his attention to Marcus’ face, observing the lines of tension ease as the orgasm faded away to soft aftershocks of pleasure. His expression relaxed, as did his body, sliding effortlessly into the sated pose of a man at rest.
Without another word, Marcus slept, content.
Rowan smiled and closed his eyes. Whatever lay ahead, he had this memory to hold fast within his heart. On that thought he too slept.
Shortly thereafter, he found himself face-to-face—with Thérèse.
Chapter Fifteen
“Rowan?” She sounded—tired. “You’re here?”
He stared at Thérèse. She seemed fragile, perhaps puzzled, certainly surprised at his appearance. “Did you not call to me?”
She lifted a hand to her face for a moment in a gesture that would have been confusion in any other woman. Rowan couldn’t equate it with such a simple emotion. Not from Thérèse.
“I…I do not think I did…” She blinked.
“Where are we?” Rowan looked around him at the small space. A bunk of sorts was made up along one side and the other contained an opening through which he could see starlight. The whole room moved.
“A ship. This is a ship.” She braced her feet apart to balance herself, then staggered a little, tumbling onto her bottom as she sagged to the bed.
“It is indeed.” Rowan followed her, sitting beside her, reaching for her instinctively. “Why a ship, Thérèse? Can you tell me?”
She sighed and leaned against him. “I am coming to you, Rowan. I hear you calling me. For once I hear another’s voice in my dreams. ‘Tis strange. The voice I hear is yours.” She turned her face to his. “You know, don’t you?”
He needed no further explanation. “Yes. Yes, Thérèse. I know.”
She looked away. “I…I am sorry. Sorry I burdened you with…with…”
He covered her lips with a finger. “Shhh. We will not speak of it. Not now. Not here.”
He felt the little shudder that ran over her body before she suppressed it. “You are right. I would spend what time is left in…more pleasant pursuits.” She let her hand rest on his thigh. “I grow tired. I believe I am dying.”
It was a statement spoken in a tone of calm acceptance and yet it chilled Rowan’s soul.
“I don’t mind. It’s time. But I shall miss…you.” Her hand moved higher, finding his cock, teasing it to instant arousal. “I shall miss…this.”
Rowan held her closely, his hands sliding beneath her light gown to find the silk of her skin. “I don’t want to lose you.”
Her grip tightened. “Fuck me, Rowan. Fuck me as you would the woman you love.”
Rowan unlaced her gown and let it fall, baring her breasts. He cupped them carefully in his hands, stroking their peaks, watching as they hardened beneath his gaze. Then he looked into her black eyes. “I always have.”
She fell back onto the small bunk, pulling him with her. “Have you? I never realized.” She ran her fingers over his spine then found his skin beneath his shirt. She pulled the fabric away from his chest then pulled him against her nakedness. “I do now. Probably too late, but I never did manage to understand the important things.”
Rowan rid them of the rest of their clothing, a simple act that surprised him even as he lifted her hips and tugged her gown free. It was the first time he’d undressed Thérèse—the first time he’d ever needed to. Apparently her powers could no longer evaporate their garments. He tried to evaluate this knowledge, but the sight of her body lying so quietly and openly beneath him drove all rational thoughts from his mind.
Her pussy glowed fiery red, beckoning his fingers with its gleaming curls and the soft moisture he knew he could bring from her with just a caress. She whimpered a little as he lifted himself over her and took his weight on his hands, rubbing his chest over her taut nipples.
“So good…” Her thighs parted invitingly.
“Yes. So good.” Gently he slid downward, replacing his chest with his lips and his tongue, pressing his body between her legs as he suckled her, tenderly at first then with more force as she moved urgently against him.
Her taste spilled over his tongue, as exciting as always, as unique as always. Her very own blend of fire and flowers that never failed to arouse Rowan’s desire and send bolts of lightning to his cock.
He hungered for her, yet restrained himself—a difficult task since it was something he was unused to with Thérèse. Her passion always met and surpassed his. Her needs were fierce, strong and undeniable. But now?
She moved against his body sensuously and softly, little more than a mortal woman craving affection and possession. It was a side of her Rowan had never dreamed he might see. It touched him, moved him and made him even more determined to give her the greatest pleasure possible.
What she perceived as weakness or a sign her end was near, Rowan saw as a return to her humanity, shadows of the woman she had once been. The desire was there, the hunger was there. The heat of her passion remained a strong flame between them. None of that had changed.
Rowan knew he would never find her dull or fail to respond to her presence, be she vampire or mortal. He explored her body thoroughly; free at last to love her as a man would love a woman. He controlled the pace, moving in a leisurely fashion from her breasts down over her smooth belly to find the sweetness between her thighs.
His hands caressed her waist, slipping lower to grasp her hips and lift her a little into the correct position for his mouth—his lips—his tongue—
“Ahh, Rowan…” She cried out as he found her sensitive pearl of flesh and teased it from its lair. Over and over again he licked around and over and beneath her clit, occasionally pausing to attend to other parts of her pussy, favoring the swollen lips with hot strokes of his tongue, teasing the entrance to her sex with little darting intrusions, then returning once more to the seat of her arousal.
Her liquids flowed freely, a dam within her released by his loving touches. She was wet and slippery when he finally raised his head to look along her body at her face.
She was watching him, even as she tossed and turned beneath his attentions. Her black gaze was fixed on him—and incredibly, she smiled. It was the first genuine smile he could ever remember seeing and it stunned him with its simple, unaffected beauty.
“Oh, Thérèse…” He sighed her name, breathing over her wet pussy as he did so and making her shiver.
“Fuck me, Rowan. Fill me. Love me. Give me a memory to take with me…” Pale arms reached for him.
“I will.” He moved then, shifting his body into position, keeping it uncomplicated, holding her beneath him as his cock sought her body, her slick sheath, so ready for him now.
His gaze remained on her face as he began to penetrate her, slowly entering the cool passage, loving the way her inner muscles reached for his length. She raised her knees in welcome, clasping his hips with strong thighs, letting him know with soft sounds how good it felt.
Rowan paused as his body met hers, a comple
tion that took his breath away. They were touching so much more than just their skin. He was buried deep inside her, his pubic hair tangling with her fiery curls as he pressed himself hard against her pussy. Thérèse sobbed out a breath of pleasure, closing her eyes for a second or two and tightening her pussy to hold him thus.
“I shall never forget this…or you…”
Rowan’s heart ached even as his fangs pushed free. She was all he’d ever wanted, all he could ever hope to possess. She was a vampire, a creature of darkness and evil. And yet he loved her more than words could express.
Thérèse’s fangs also appeared as he began to move within her. Neither could fuck like this without awakening the beast lurking beneath both their surfaces—it was too sensual, too erotic and they had shared too much to pass this night untouched by their shadows.
Rowan fought the urge to feed. She was too fragile, too weak. He did not dare to think he might take too much of her blood—destroy her at this moment. He simply could not. He could only do what she asked—what he too wanted. He could only love her.
Slowly he thrust and withdrew, picking up the pace as he gauged her responses, plunging deeper then tantalizingly pulling back only to sink into her once more.
Thérèse whimpered hungrily, meeting his moves with her own, answering his need with soft sounds of delight as his cock delved into her darkness and brought her trembling to the brink of her release.
“Together, my love. Together…” Rowan urged her on, breathless now as his own orgasm began to fire darts of tingling shocks along his spine. His balls thudded against her body, a soft slap of desire accompanying her quick harsh breaths.
Within moments they both cried out, muscles clenching, taut, shuddering as they reached the edge of the maelstrom.
Rowan exploded into Thérèse, his cock throbbing and pulsing as he emptied his heart into her along with his come. She met his eruption with pulsations of her own, sharp—almost painful—spasms of her sheath, pulling and milking his cock, sucking all that he could give her and demanding more.
He groaned then, a deep and soulful sound of completion, answered by a sob from her throat, guttural and raw. They trembled in each other’s arms, letting the shocks ripple from one to the other, Rowan unable to distinguish her orgasm from his own.
It went on for what could have been seconds or eons, but finally they both eased, Rowan allowing Thérèse to take his weight as his body sagged, sated, into her softness.
He barely noticed the sharp piercing of her fangs as she bit him.
*~*~*~*
“She is coming here. To us.”
Sidney stared at Rowan, as did the other occupants of the room. By mutual consent they’d gathered once more at dusk in Sidney’s study, not unlike any family eager to greet each other and plan their activities for the day.
But this was not a day, it was night—or would be soon. And this was not a normal family, but a gathering of vampires set on a course unique to them alone.
“You saw her?” Adrian rapped out the question that trembled on Sidney’s own lips.
“Yes. As I rested—I saw her. I don’t believe she called me, though.” Rowan looked thoughtful—and tired too. “She seemed surprised to see me. She was on a ship, a small ship. She is definitely coming here.”
Nick pursed his lips in a silent whistle. “Well, that makes our job easier.”
“Indeed.” Sidney steepled his fingers together as he sat behind his desk. “I cannot say I was looking forward to a trek across Europe to Rogaška.”
“Tell us, Rowan? If you can speak of it?” Verity’s voice was gentle as she encouraged Rowan to continue.
“She seemed—different. Definitely different. Her strength was not what I’d come to expect. She could easily have been…”
“Been what, lad?” Sidney watched him carefully.
“Mortal.” He breathed the word slowly. “As mortal as any woman.”
“And yet she is not. You know this, Rowan.” Adrian’s tone brooked no argument.
“I know. Oh believe me, I know.” He passed a hand wearily across his face. “She said her end is near. It would account for the fragility I sensed in her. And she said she was coming—to me.”
“Did you feed from her, Rowan?” Sidney asked the question uppermost in his mind.
“No. I could not. I was…afraid to. But she…” He paused, instinctively touching his neck.
“She fed from you?” Sidney leaned forward.
Rowan nodded. “Yes. The last thing I recall is the touch of her fangs.” He looked at Sidney. “Then there was nothing.”
“Damnation.” Adrian stood and paced. “She took some of your strength. Derived sustenance from you, Rowan. Now she’s coming here, refreshed by your blood, ready to take us all on. It would have been much easier had she arrived in her weakened state.”
Rowan shrugged. “I could not help it, Adrian. Truly I could not. If you could have seen her, heard her…”
Katherine tugged her tense husband back down onto the sofa beside her. “Hush, love. Rowan is correct in what he says. He had no other options. At least we know what occurred. We must be ready.”
“How?” Verity asked. “How can we be ready? What are we going to do? Do we have a plan?”
Nick smiled briefly. “Always practical, my woman. But she does have a point. Now that we know Thérèse is on her way, perhaps we should get down to basics and formulate some strategy.”
“Rowan, you said she was on a ship. I’ll assume she’s making for port here along the south coast. You also said she was coming to you specifically. That means most likely she’ll land nearby. There are plenty of small fishing villages along this stretch of shore…Calshot, maybe. Lepe…”
Adrian nodded. “Either one.”
Verity stared at the sword above the mantel. “I think she’ll come here. To St. Chesswell’s. It’s where it all began, after all.”
Everybody turned to follow her gaze and Sidney nodded. “Yes, I think you’re right.”
“The Chyne?” Katherine glanced at Sidney.
“There are caves for shelter during daylight. She’s been there before in her visions. She fought us in that very place not long ago, so the memories will be fresh in her mind.”
“And it has an inlet where a boat could certainly unload a passenger.” Adrian added his mite.
Sidney sighed. “Well, there are a lot of assumptions there, but it’s all we have to go on at the moment. Let’s say then, that Thérèse will come to St. Chesswell’s Chyne. If that is so, what should our move be?”
“We have to destroy her.” Adrian was adamant. “I do not believe in all those tales about scattering salt on a devil, or a stake of ash through the heart. Certainly Thérèse is a great deal more than mortal. But she is not indestructible.” His gaze turned back to the sword. “One good blow from a weapon—like that—in her present weakened state…”
Silence fell as everybody considered Adrian’s words.
“It has to be quick.” Rowan spoke quietly. “After what she’s suffered—what she’s been through, I would ask we at least grant her that much.”
Katherine sighed. “I am still having difficulty reconciling my feelings, Rowan. Yes, she has suffered terribly—but so have her victims. However…I cannot help but endorse your sentiments. There is no need for us to prolong her agony any longer than absolutely necessary. We are not her torturers.”
Finally Sidney nodded. “I tend to agree. Last time we managed to hold her back using a combination of holy water and that weapon. It worked, but only temporarily. This is a being with amazing recuperative powers, not unlike your own, only greater. You all know how fast you heal. She probably heals faster even than you—or did, before this weakness began. We must assume she still does, since she’s fed from Rowan here.”
He opened his mouth, but Sidney waved him to silence. “’Tis of no matter at this point, lad. What’s done is done.”
“So we try to end her existence with Saint Chesswell�
��s sword?” Nick looked quizzical. “Easier said than done, my friend.”
“Yes, it will be easier said than done.” Sidney nodded. “Our strengths are few against her powers. We have the sword—a weapon I believe might serve our purpose, given its source and the fact that it has responded strangely in the past to our touches.”
“And we have each other.” Katherine lifted her chin. “We may not match Thérèse in power, but we outnumber her. There are five of us and only one of her.”
“Six.” Marcus spoke quietly. “Six of us, Katherine. Do not leave me out of this, please. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain by helping you all defeat this horror that rules your existence.” His eyes drifted to Rowan. “You are my friends. Over the past few days I have come to respect and admire your strength, your intelligence and your courage. I am honored to be a part of this and honored to stand beside you no matter what happens.”
“I plan on being there too, you know.” Sidney mildly interjected his comment.
“We could not imagine you not being there, Father. But you will stay away from whatever happens. You will not—under any circumstances—place yourself in further jeopardy.”
Sidney lifted an eyebrow. “Yes, Mama.”
The laugh that greeted his comment eased the tension in the air and allowed them all to take a breath, a much-needed step back from the darkness of the matter under discussion.
Once they’d decided to use the sword, the other details fell into place surprisingly rapidly. They would, if possible, restrain her, hold her still for the coup de grace—the blow to the heart they all prayed would end her existence.
None of them acknowledged the possibility it might end theirs as well. It was an unspoken burden they all accepted. It did not need to be discussed.
For that, Sidney was thankful. To rid the world of Thérèse at the cost of his son and daughter-in-law, not to mention the others…well, it was a terrible price to pay. He kept holding fast to the thought that his clue said “to free the Made…”
He could only place his faith in his interpretation of those words. Freedom from the curse of darkness must surely mean returning to a mortal existence.
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