Vampire Princess of New York (Arnhem Knights of New York)

by Susan Hanniford Crowley

  How do you figure that?

  Your muscles are relaxed. He rubbed her back, kneading more gently as he moved further down. Donovan closed his eyes, the water pounded on his back. Her derriere was so beautiful. He rubbed it and worked down between her legs, caressing the wonderful, warm, wet spot.

  With soothing rain pouring down, he climbed onto the table, his skin against hers. She moaned, a little breathless. He did it ever so slowly, inching his shaft into her. Noble gasped a bit then relaxed and sighed as he pushed in further.

  You’re supposed to be excited.

  I am. I also so comfortable joined with you, so happy and content inside.

  He laughed, caressing and kissed her shoulders, riding her ever so slowly. Wave after wave of excruciating intense pleasure rushed through her. Just as she rode out one, he started again. Moaning and writhing beneath him, he continued until she quivered all over.

  Noble opened her eyes to Donovan’s sleeping face. They were in her bed. His arms draped over her and pulled her closer. She allowed it. She couldn’t help but kiss him. Donovan’s eyes opened and gazed into hers.

  I want to do so many things to you, Sha, but they are awake downstairs and cooking. They are expecting us.

  In seconds, they were dressed. Returning to the hidden stairs, she pressed the panel that would open up into the dining room. From there they entered the living room.

  “Welcome back,” Max said.

  “Needed a little privacy?” David joked.

  Max shook his head and David stopped.

  Laura handed Shuma Moot to Evie and Noble. “Drink up, ladies. Save room. I’m making omelets.”

  “I love omelets with mushrooms.” Noble smiled then finished her goblet.

  “We’ve got lots of everything and more of that beef blood, salmon blood and rare octopus blood.”

  “I think I’ll try that octopus blue blood again,” Donovan said.

  “You’ve had blue blood?” Max asked.

  “Once when I was human. I want to see if it will taste different now.”

  Noble handed him a goblet.

  Donovan looked down at the goblet, raised it to his lips, knowing everyone in the room had stopped to await his decision.

  He sipped and licked his lips. “It’s delicious.”

  Max laughed and the family had lunch, laughing and joking, eating and drinking.

  “Noble, I would like you to have your class this evening for two hours. I think two hours every night after sunset should be sufficient for your students to digest the information and then practice on their own.”

  “I agree, Father.” Noble rolled a piece of omelet with orange marmalade.

  “David and Laura, after Noble is done with her class for the evening, I’d like you to take Donovan out and teach him invisibility.”

  “Yes, Father,” David said. Laura nodded.

  Max raised his goblet. “To the Teleportation Class!” Everyone raised their goblets then drank.

  Noble walked into the ballroom of their home. Fifty Arnhem Knights stood waiting for her lesson to begin. Donovan took his place in the back of the room. Max and Evie entered and stood beside him. Then David and Laura joined them in the back row.

  “Please, sit,” Noble said and everyone in the room complied. “I’m going to start by showing a student success. Donovan, would you mind coming up front?”

  “Sure.”

  Max chuckled, and Donovan walked past him trying to ignore the feeling of being a guinea pig.

  “Donovan has only been a vampire a short time and already he can teleport. He learned by looking inside my mind when I teleported. Donovan, please, teleport to the next room.”

  “Okay.” He poofed and reappeared in the empty room next door. We really need to go furniture shopping.

  Would you mind staying there and waiting for the others?

  No, Sha. I’m happy to help.

  In the meantime, he found that he could listen in.

  “Now everyone close your eyes and connect with my mind, through that connection that every Arnhem Knight has with each other. You will clearly see the room you want to teleport into that way.” She waited several minutes.

  Noble appeared next to Donovan. “You’ll want to back up. They are supposed to be teleporting over one at a time.”

  Twenty-three made it without incident. Then Hatcher arrived or half of him. He was stuck with his top sticking out of the wall on one side and his bottom on the other. Knights were laughing. Max appeared with Evie on his arm.

  “Knights, stop laughing.”

  They stopped, looking grim. The king commanded and they obeyed. It was that simple.

  “I will not tolerate Arnhem Knights being unkind to their brother.”

  No one said a word except Donovan. He walked up to Hatcher, who was in some distress in the wall, closing his eyes and opening then again and moaning.

  “Hatcher, look at me.”

  “Yes, my Prince.”

  “Do you know how to vapor?

  “Yes.”

  “Then vapor and move toward me. Then appear.”

  Hatcher did as Donovan suggested and successfully got out of the wall and appeared intact in front of him.”

  Out of the fifty students, twenty-eight made it through the wall. Noble teleported back to the ballroom to help the others. Hatcher finally made it through the wall without getting stuck.

  More tried to the get to the other room. Arms and legs stuck out in all directions.

  Noble raced back and forth working with each one, helping them get through. One knight was trapped almost completely inside the wall except for a hand. She held the lone hand and talked the knight through it step-by-step, until he was able to manifest in the room.

  Some were still trying to focus. Others had managed to teleport a few inches or feet in front of them. She walked each one through the steps. For this group, moving around the ballroom would be enough.

  At the end of two hours, Noble was exhausted. She gave the knights their homework assignment to practice teleporting around their living quarters, including how to vapor if they got stuck.

  Her head ached, and Donovan could feel it.

  Max, perhaps I should stay with Noble tonight instead of training. She’s upset. The class did not go as well as she hoped.

  Teleportation is a difficult art to learn. She is a big girl, Donovan. You have to let her cope with this in her own way. You have to train if you want to take her to Paris.

  You’re right.

  Donovan walked up to his lifemate. “Sha, I’m going to be down here training with David and Laura. Why don’t you go upstairs and rest. Have some Shuma Moot, okay?”

  “Okay.” Noble kissed him and headed for the stairs.

  “Can I join you upstairs?” Evie asked. “Max is going to stay and watch the training. I’ll just be bored.”

  “Sure.”

  They climbed the stairs. When they got to the bedroom, Evie took a seat on the little sofa in front of the fireplace. Noble poured Shuma Moot into two goblets and then joined her.

  Handing her a goblet, Noble asked, “How are you feeling?”

  “Good most of the time,” Evie said. “But tired sometimes like now. The ritual last night was very exciting.”

  “Yes, it was. To have two new vampires in the family is a big event but also very private.”

  “Yes. Just the family.”

  Evie sipped her Shuma Moot and then got up and ran to the bathroom. After a few minutes, she returned looking pale. Still she lifted the goblet again and finished it. Noble brought the little tea basket over to the table and handed her some biscuits.

  “Thank you.” Evie nibbled on a biscuit. “They’re very soothing to the stomach.”


  “Would you like me to make you some tea?”

  “Actually would you mind if I lay down?” Evie tried to recline on the little sofa, but didn’t look comfortable.

  “Please, come and lay on the bed.”

  Evie did, clutching her crackers, carefully nibbling each one so as not to leave crumbs.

  Noble lay opposite her, watching her. “Do you need me to get Father up here?”

  “No. He’s busy, and I don’t want to interfere with Papa’s training. Are you happy with him?”

  The question surprised Noble. “Um, yes, I am. I love him very much. He’s made me very happy.”

  “Are you happy with my father?” she asked Evie.

  “Max is wonderful. I never thought I could love someone as much as I love him. I was a hard sell, coming out of an abusive marriage. After losing JJ, I thought my life was over. Laura and David took me in. Papa watched over me, but I was so lost. Then I met Max. Every day is amazing. I love him so much.”

  Noble smiled. “We would have lost Max, if he hadn’t found you. He was at the end that many of the ancients reach when this world feels empty to them. I’m glad he has you.”

  Evie smiled then yawned. “Oh, pardon me.”

  “If you’re tired, go right ahead and sleep. They’ll come get us when they’re done training.”

  Noble hugged her, and Evie lay her head back down on her pillow. “Evie, are you feeling better at all. Do you want more Shuma Moot?”

  “Not just yet. I’m all right. How are you doing?”

  “I’m great. I’m just a little nervous. I don’t know anything about babies.”

  “Papa does. I do and so does Max. We’ll help you. Having a baby is magical.”

  “I thought it was painful.”

  Evie giggled. “Everything worth having is at least a little painful . . . okay, a lot painful. But then it’s all wonderful.”

  Evelyn sounded a little weird to Noble’s ears.

  “Their hair smells like heaven. They . . .” She fell asleep that fast.

  Father, you should come right away. I’m concerned for Evie.

  Max instantly appeared at the foot of the bed. A moment later so did Donovan.

  “What’s wrong?” Max asked.

  “Evie drank some Shuma Moot then rushed off to the bathroom and got sick. She ate some crackers to settle her stomach, but then told me she had to lay down. I’m concerned. She doesn’t even hear us.”

  Max picked Evelyn up in his arms. For a moment she opened her eyes and gazed up and him, whispered his name and then giggling went back to sleep. “Don’t worry. I’ve summoned Mina to meet us at my house. She’ll be all right.” And just that fast, they were gone.

  Donovan sat next to Noble in the bed. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m just shook up? It scares me to see a vampiress so fragile. I can’t believe pregnancy can do that.”

  Donovan pulled her into his arms. “Evie will be all right. Max isn’t going to let anything happen to her. Just like I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. Maybe that’s why having children with a lifemate is so important.”

  “I read that in the book too.” Noble closed her eyes leaning her head against his chest. Listening to his heart settled her. Calmed her. Their hearts had synchronized for better or worse. “Thank you for coming to Hatcher’s rescue, when I hesitated.”

  “You’re welcome, Sha. You would have in a moment or two anyway.”

  “I wasn’t a very good teacher tonight.”

  “Max and I thought you were great.”

  “How could you? First Hatcher gets stuck in the wall and then twenty more. Eighteen couldn’t manage to leave the first room at all.”

  “Noble,” he kissed her hand. “You are missing the big picture here. Every single vampire managed to teleport even if a small distance. It’s a beginning. You got the rest of the wall people out, so they will know what to do next time. You can’t expect them to all be perfect the first time out.” A grin slowly crossed his face. “Like me.”

  “You?” She giggled. “Wasn’t it you who fell into a dumpster learning Leap and Stick?”

  “Sometimes the perfect are a little imperfect.”

  “Really? How did your training go tonight?”

  Very proudly, he declared, “I can fade.”

  Noble laughed. “So you weren’t quite invisible. You could still be seen a little.”

  “Yes, but David says I’m more than halfway there.”

  She giggled. “Halfway, huh?” Throwing up the sheets, Noble disappeared under them.

  “You’re being funny, Sha.”

  “Halfway invisible is not invisible, Donovan. I don’t do anything halfway.”

  He gasped. Her tongue rasped deliciously up his cock. “Yieee!” Donovan struggled, but Noble was ready for him this time. Using her weight efficiently, she pinned his legs so he couldn’t move and cupped his balls. She licked this cock with tiny, torturous tastes and nips.

  He tried moving again. She held him fast and slowing sucked one of his balls into her mouth.

  “Sha,” he panted. “Mon Dieu.”

  Caressing his other ball, Noble changed her plan of attack and nibbled up the side of his shaft. He moaned and writhed. Then she sucked him in, letting her fangs graze him a little on one side. Donovan shuddered and groaned. Frantically he tried to move, but she had him good. He looked under the covers.

  No one was there. Still he felt her tongue stroking him up and down, and her hot mouth sucking him in. He was a pressure cooker about to explode. Her mouth squeezed him like a vise, sucking him and releasing and going down on him again.

  He yelled throwing his head back, and the tremor built and exploded through him. Her mouth squeezed him. Her tongue caressed. He held up the sheet. She wasn’t there. The orgasm ripped through him, and she was still nibbling away at him. Gently she let him go. But where was she?

  Noble appeared a moment later by his side. Smiling. Smacking her lips. “Now that, Sha, is how to be invisible and then teleport.”

  A grin spread across Donovan’s face. He was sated through and through but in the back of his mind, he had a plan. He whispered it to her mind.

  Noble paled. “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  Donovan chuckled. “You just wait.”

  In a second he was gone. His form reappearing under the covers. Noble felt his hands on her thighs moving them apart to accommodate him. His kisses heated her inner thighs with their demand, their fire. His tongue lashing her core was her undoing. He teased her now.

  She looked under the covers and a glimmer of him remained. But the tongue was solid enough as it pierced her and plunged into her, stroking and poking deeper each time.

  “Donovan!” It was more like a plea. After a few minutes more, her brain was so baffled she didn’t know what she was pleading for. Should he do that more or something else more?

  “Do you want me to stop?”

  “No,” she moaned.

  “I am taking what’s mine!” he proclaimed before his tongue became too busy giving her the tongue licking she deserved, every crevice of her and especially her nub.

  “Ohhh!” Noble panted, clawed at the sheets, threw her head back, gasped for air. She had to think clearly, but didn’t have a clear thought in her head.

  Donovan increased his devotion of her nub, rasping across it.

  “Eiiiii.”

  He caressed her from within. The fire he started consumed her. Noble couldn’t stop shaking and writhing. She reached where she caught the faintest sight of his hair and pulled, trying to pull his head up. He put his hand over hers, caressing her knuckles.

  “Relax, Sha. Lay back a
nd enjoy the pleasure I’m giving you.” She let go of his hair. Looking again under the covers, he was gone.

  His tongue was still there, pounding into her with flickering speed. Playing with her insides, pausing to tease her core. Once the tremors began, he plunged in and out of her, sucking at her. He lapped with his tongue, as if he was a cat and she was the most delicious bowl of cream.

  “Donovan!” Noble trembled and gasped, everything in her spent. She pulled up the covers, and he was gone. Seconds later, he was laying by her side, pulling her into an embrace.

  “Time to sleep, my loves, mother and Bébé. My Noble, it’s time to sleep and dream about Paris, less than two weeks away.”

  It took several minutes before Noble found her voice. “I think you’ve figured out invisibility.”

  He chuckled. “Do you think I should test it out again?”

  Chapter 27

  Two Weeks Later

  Noble stretched across the cool Egyptian linen sheets and rolled over. Donovan nibbled her ear. “Come on, Sha. You told me to wake you when you could see Paris from the air. I had the pilot take the Montreal route, otherwise we would fly over farm land to the airport.”

  She sat up. Donovan enfolded her in his arms, as they both leaned against the edge of the bed closest to a window and gazed at the nightscape of Paris in the distance. The Eiffel Tower was glorious with lights, like thousands of sparkling diamonds winking at her, alive and dancing with color in the cold November darkness.

  Noble shivered trying to keep the thought away from her.

  What’s wrong, Sha? Donovan nuzzled her ear.

  What if we don’t find my mother’s grave?

  That little journal of the queen’s gave us some excellent information. I have the researchers in Paris working on it, and I’ll contact them as soon as we are in La Maison Rose. I believe this is our best chance of finding her.

  Noble nodded. He gently turned her away from the window. Leaning over her, he kissed her and spoke to her mind. Max and I have discussed this matter. He is concerned that you’ll be devastated if we don’t find her.