“I get it now.” He lifted his head, his dark eyes searching out hers. “I understand why the guys get obsessed with their women. I thought they were weak, but that’s not it. I’m strong as hell, in every way. It’s just that you’re more.”
Warmth filled her at the stark wonder in his voice, and she couldn’t help but smile. “You’re the first man to be conscious after lovemaking,” she said. “I like it.”
His eyes darkened. “I gotta be honest with you. I’m thrilled as shit that I’m ten times the man that any other guy has been, but it triggers something dark inside me whenever you mention being with anyone else. I have demon heritage, and I’m destined to go rogue. I think that’s crap, and we’re not going there, but hell, you have to stop putting images in my head of other men seeing you naked. If you keep doing that, the fact I’m awesome isn’t going to mean shit.”
She almost laughed at his combination of ridiculous arrogance and total vulnerability. She loved his confidence, but it was also incredibly appealing that he knew his limits. “Okay, it’s a deal.”
He nodded, but there was still a dangerous glint in his eyes that made her belly tighten. She had to admit, the fact that he could go rogue because she’d been with other men was sort of intoxicating. She was used to dangerous, deadly males, and if he were anything less, she knew that he wouldn’t be enough. The fact he was possessive of her? She liked it. It made her feel like she mattered, and not just because of the sex. The man was sane, for heaven’s sake, and they’d just had a lovemaking session that would be imprinted upon her soul forever. He might be a sensual god, but the man had a brain beyond sex, and she liked that. A lot.
“How’s your forearm?”
The moment he asked the question, she felt a strange burning on her skin. She looked down, and her stomach tightened when she saw silver lines appearing on her arm, as if someone were using an invisible marker to draw. She grabbed his arm and held it beside hers. “They match your handle.”
He rolled onto his side, his head leaning against hers as he watched. He whistled softly, running his fingers over the marks on her arms. “There’s nothing that can prepare a guy for how damn awesome it is to watch his brand appear on his woman’s arm. I feel like a megalomaniac cavemen watching that shit. Makes me want to beat my chest, throw you over my shoulder, and parade you in front of my team.”
She laughed. “A megalomaniac? Really?”
“Hey, I’m not just a dumb, badass, hot warrior you know. I even know what a dictionary is.” He pressed his palm to her arm. “You okay?”
She nodded, surprised that it was the truth. She trusted Gabe. He was an honorable warrior, and she needed him by her side. Having them bound by the sheva bond simply ensured his willingness to help her. She had to admit, it felt amazing to have a man on her side, instead of being the enemy. “But my women come first. I need your help with them.”
“You got it.” He pressed a kiss to her arm. “Ready for the blood bond? We need to help Sophie.”
“Oh, God. Sophie.” Guilt tore through her. She’d been admiring the brand and languishing in the glow of amazing sex while Sophie had been dying. What was wrong with her? One hot guy liked her and she forgot what mattered? She sat up instantly, dislodging him from her shoulder.
He raised an eyebrow, but made no protest as he sat up as well. “This is going to create a very strong connection between us. I’ll be able to track you down no matter where you are, and no matter how hard you to try to hide.”
She looked up at him, and her gut tightened. What if he turned out like Lucien, and there was nowhere to hide from him? “Are you trying to scare me?”
“Just want you to know.”
Sophie needed her. It was too late to back out now. “Okay, I know.” She held out her palm, not wanting to think anymore. She was so far outside her comfort zone, plummeting down a slippery slope. She had no choice but to continue forward. The people she loved were in too much danger, and she couldn’t save them alone. “Do it.”
For a split second, she thought she saw fear flash across his face, but it was gone almost instantly. Instead, he called out his hook sword with a crack and flash of black light. The weapon appeared in his hand, a dangerous, lethal instrument of death.
Without hesitation, he dragged it across his chest, slicing a deep wound across his body. Then he looked at her, and fear wrapped around her. Her hands started to shake, but she held out her palm to him, lifting her chin. For Sophie.
She clenched her jaw in anticipation of the pain as he took her hand in his. God, could she really do this?
Chapter 23
Sophie hadn’t ever thought of dying. She’d never really worried about it. Life had been too busy trying to save others to worry about herself. But she knew she was dying now, and it scared her. It wasn’t the right time to die. People needed her. “Vlad,” she whispered, her voice raw.
“I’m here, sweetheart.” He caught her hand in his, and pressed a kiss to her fingers. “Stay with me. Gabe said Maria’s better now. They’re going to do the blood bond, and then she’s going to heal you.”
“I’m not going to make it.” Pain shot through her stomach, and she doubled over, curled into a ball in Vlad’s arms. Her skin felt like it was on fire, and her organs felt as if acid was eating away at them. “Dammit, Vlad. I’m not ready to die.”
His grip tightened on her. “Don’t give up. It’s just a couple minutes.”
She couldn’t keep her eyes open, sagging against him. “Make me a promise,” she whispered, her voice hurting her throat.
“Dammit. You’re not going to die—”
“Get all the women out. Make sure Maria gets out, too. The demons are killing them.” Another wave of pain hit her. “Promise me.”
“No, I’m not promising. You’re going to have to take care of it yourself.” His voice was hard and unyielding.
She pried her eyes open. “What? What happened to all your declarations of support?”
“Your problem isn’t mine. My job is to rescue you. If you die, I’m out of here.”
Betrayal bit deep when she realized he meant it. “You bastard,” she hissed, trying to crawl away from him. Dammit, where was Maria? Maria! She screamed her name, but of course, there was no response. She didn’t have that connection with her.
After all these years, she should have been smart enough not to trust a man.
Damn him.
She was going to have to stay alive long enough to save the women herself, and when she finished with that, she was going to get that damn band off her ring finger and burn it.
Gabe was impressed as hell when Maria stoically held out her palm, so he could cut it. “God, woman, you’re hot as hell.”
She raised her brows. “You’re just saying that because your brand has defaced my flawless skin.”
“No. It’s because you’re you.”
Vlad’s voice hammered into his mind. What the hell are you doing? Sophie’s dying! We need help!
Maria’s eyes widened, apparently able to hear Vlad through their sheva connection. “We have to hurry.” She slammed her hand down on the edge of the blade, her face contorting in pain as the razor-sharp edge cut through her hand.
Gabe sheathed the blade and grabbed her palm, pressing his mouth to her wound. The moment the coppery taste hit his tongue, raw, untamed lust exploded through him. The need was so intense he almost doubled over. Sweet Jesus, Maria.
She didn’t hesitate, climbing onto his lap to press her mouth to the wound on his chest. The moment she took his blood into her body, he felt his entire soul explode with need for her. He grabbed her around the waist, dragged her against him, and captured her mouth with his. The moment he kissed her, he tasted the coppery blood mixing and blending, lighting a fire within him so intense he felt like he was going to explode out of his skin. Maria.
Her arms were tight around his neck, and she was kissing him just as fiercely, pouring such need into the kiss that he knew he’d never be the
same. Words began to hammer in his mind, words he didn’t know, words that were screaming to be acknowledged. He didn’t mean to say it, didn’t even know where the words came from, but suddenly, they were in his mind, pouring into her with every last bit of his strength. Mine to you. Yours to me. Bonded by blood, by spirit and by soul, we are one. No distance too far, no enemy too powerful, no sacrifice too great. I will always find you. I will always protect you. No matter what the cost. I am yours as you are mine. The words reverberated through him with such rightness, he knew it was the truth. He’d give his soul to protect her, no matter what the cost.
His words were still echoing between them, when he felt her reach out to him, offering her vow to him. Mine to you. Yours to me. Bonded by blood, by spirit and by soul, we are one. No distance too far, no enemy too powerful, no sacrifice too great. I will always find you. I will always keep you safe. No matter what the cost. I am yours as you are mine.
Yes. His entire being trembled with the magnitude of their bond, and he pulled her up on his lap, sheathing himself inside her in a single swift move. She gasped, welcoming him into her body as she clung to him, still kissing him fiercely.
The orgasm took them both almost instantly, whipping their lovemaking into a frenzy beyond comprehension. His body bucked beneath hers violently, beyond his control as she held onto him, her hips moving as she tried to drag him more deeply inside her. In that moment, Gabe knew they had become a single unit, more powerful, more dangerous, and more vulnerable than either of them could ever be on their own. This was his woman, his life, his world, and he wanted every last bit of it.
Don’t. Maria’s breathless protest whipped through his mind. We can’t lose our vision of what’s important. I can’t be your everything. Don’t let that happen. Please.
It’s too late, sweetheart. We’re going to have to find a way to work with it. The orgasm hit with a final blow, and he gasped, holding her more tightly as it stripped from them any last sense of who they had once been, before they had become one.
The instant the orgasm released them, they collapsed as a unit, utterly spent. Gabe put his hand on Maria’s arm, feeling the heat from the brand as it marked her, even as he reached out to her with his mind. He felt her resistance, and knew she was rebelling against the closeness of their bond. They didn’t have time to fight it. Open your mind to me, sweetheart. You can’t hold back if you’re going to help Sophie.
Okay. Her shield dropped instantly, opening herself to him so completely that he felt every emotion she harbored. Fear for her friend, fear of him, self-loathing, pride, courage…the full array of what made her who she was. He caught glimpses of her memories, of times of such torment that he wanted to rip the memories from her mind so she never had to relive them again.
Except they didn’t have time for that. They had time for nothing, except Sophie. Perfect. He held the bridge with her, and then reached out for Vlad, trying to open the connection between them. Vlad. You ready?
There was no reply.
Vlad cradled Sophie to his chest, his back up against the side of the cavern. He could hear each step of the demons as they crept along the stone beside the water. They were less than ten yards away, separated only by the thick waterfall. How the hell had they tracked them already?
Sophie was utterly still against him, her heart so slow it was barely beating. Sweat was trickling down his spine, driven by the urgency to connect with Gabe and save her, but the demons were so close.
They would hear everything.
He reached out with psychic energy, testing the air. Eleven demons. Shit. He couldn’t fight them all, not with Sophie in his arms. He could feel their lust and their eagerness, and he knew that they’d picked up Sophie’s scent. They knew she was nearby. Shit.
He could feel Gabe trying to bridge a mental connection with him, but he kept his teammate shut out, needing full focus on the situation. He heard a small trickle of water, and he knew one of the demons had slipped a foot into the water. Shit. All that was between him and the demons was a thin wall of rock and a deep pond.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, shifting Sophie in his arms enough to free his right hand. He pointed his index finger toward the nearest demon, using his senses combined with his new, heightened ones, thanks to the Calydon blood bond, to pinpoint its location. He targeted every one of its cells, and then, on a whim, he tried to touch its mind, combining his powers with the psychic energy that Gabe had given him. He immediately became aware of every pulse of energy in the demon’s mind…and the demon became aware of him.
Before the demon could react, Vlad flicked his finger, pushing a subtle wave of energy at the demon. It took a step back, and he felt its focus on him blur. He immediately pushed harder, sending his energy out toward the other demons.
He caught them unaware, thrusting them into a state of confusion. He could hear them milling around, trying to refocus, and he kept up the assault, directing their bodies and minds away from the pool. Not wanting to awaken their battle instincts, he kept his assault subtle, trying to urge them away instead of forcing them.
Sophie convulsed in his arms, and he pulled her more tightly, trying to infuse his body heat into her while he pushed the demons away. “Hang on, Sophie.” The wait was interminable as he worked the demons, redirecting them. He drew on limitless patience and the focus of battle to drive them away, somehow maintaining his focus despite the rising danger to Sophie.
Finally, they were around the corner. It wasn’t as far as he wanted, but he knew he had no time.
He broke his connection with the demons, and opened his mind to Gabe. The Calydon’s energy surged over him, bridging a connection with Maria. Her feminine strength was such a contrast to Gabe’s, powerful and lethal, but definitely warmer. Tell me what to do, he said.
Maria’s energy swept through him. Look at her so I can see.
He immediately looked down, and his gut clenched. Her skin was almost black, her head lolling back lifelessly, her eyes closed. “Come on, Sophie, we can do this.” He sank to his knees as Maria’s grief tore through him. Maria, he said sharply. Tell me what to do.
He felt her pull herself together. Cut your palm, and then hers. Then hold her hand so your blood mixes.
He immediately did it, and Sophie didn’t even flinch when he cut her hand. He did as instructed. Now what?
I don’t know if this will work. You have Gabe’s blood, but not mine.
Gabe’s voice cut in. Our blood is mingled now. It’s the same as if Vlad has your blood. It’ll work.
Tell me what to do, Vlad ordered.
We’re going to go into her body and find the tainted cells. We’re going to break them up, and then draw them into your body. Then, hopefully, I’ll be able to take them out of yours, through your blood bond with Gabe. Let’s go.
She took control of their connection, and Vlad suddenly became deeply aware of the way his blood was mingled with Sophie’s. Following Maria’s lead, he focused his psychic energy on their merged blood cells, and then began following the path of her blood into her body, using each cell as a stepping stone. His mind began to merge with Sophie’s energy, and he became aware of a vicious, lethal taint rushing through her, as if a million microdots of death were cascading through her body, killing every cell it touched. Maria guided him forward, and his energy merged with one of the dots, drawing it into his own energy source. He was much stronger than Sophie’s depleted body, and it willingly released her and flowed into him, binding to his energy.
He found another, and another, and soon the poison was all flowing toward him, as if the droplets had communicated with each other and decided to prey on the stronger host. He gasped as the poison surged into him, attacking him with such force he could barely hold his focus, attacking him on both a psychic level and through their mixed blood, traveling through his open wound and into his bloodstream.
He swore, nearly doubling over at the pain, but he held his connection, refusing to break it until So
phie was clear.
Vlad. Maria’s voice broke through his focus. You need to let go of Sophie. The poison is too strong for you to handle. It’s hitting you harder than it hit her. You’re weak from the poison that was in your system earlier. You need to stop.
Sophie was still limp in his arms, and he could sense the amount of poison still in her body. No. She’s still carrying a lot. I need to clear it.
You got enough to hold her until I can get there. Break off your connection!
No.
Maria pulled back from Sophie, but Vlad’s grip on her was too strong. He didn’t need Maria to bridge his connection with Sophie anymore. He understood what Maria had been doing, and he was able to use his own energy to continue it. Dammit, Vlad! She needs you alive! If you die, she has no one to protect her until I get there!
If she dies, it doesn’t matter if I’m here or not. I’m not walking away. This was it. His moment. Why he’d come. He knew he was the only one who could save her. This was his job.
Can you pull the poison out of Vlad? That was Gabe’s voice, consulting Maria.
I’ll try, but it’s hitting him really hard.
Vlad felt Maria’s energy swirl through him, a powerful invasion that swept through him with ruthless force. His instinct was to block her, but he forced himself not to fight her, keeping his focus on Sophie. His psyche was being assaulted in all directions, but he didn’t release his focus. He just kept pouring his energy into Sophie, cleansing her body as he went systematically through each part of her body. Her heart. Her lungs. Her mind.
The moment she sucked in her first breath, a shuddering, painful inhale, triumph cascaded through him. “That’s my girl.”
She stirred in his arms. “Vlad?” Her voice was weak, and it sounded distant, as if the wind was carrying it on the breeze. His body was getting weaker, the poison breaking down his muscles with surreal speed.
He lowered them both to the floor of the cave, no longer able to support her.
Hunt the Darkness (Order of the Blade Book 11) Page 21