Xander (A Dark Assassins Novel Book Three)

by Valerie Ullmer

  “He was threatening to kill us, but he couldn’t pull his gaze away from Xander long enough to back up his threat. I mean, it’s fine to look, but when his attraction became evident, I figured it was time to drive a letter opener through his shoulder.”

  “Nightfall, huh?” Ghost asked.

  Xander turned to look at his boss. He knew something that they didn’t.

  “They are a shifters-only company that has been trying for years to take over our contract with the government, without success.” Ghost took a bite, but his brow was furrowed in concern.

  “Why only shifters?” Frost asked.

  Ghost cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. “They see vampires and humans as lower life-forms and believe they shouldn’t exist.”

  They all grew quiet. Ghost turned to stare at Frost, and Xander groaned and cursed under his breath when he realized where Ghost’s thoughts had led him.

  “Why didn’t they turn Frost if they suspected she was part shifter?”

  Liv, of course, had already thought about it. “I don’t think flooding a human, even a half-shifter, with venom when they are a destined mate of another would work. Most likely it will kill the human. I think the only reason that you guys didn’t die from the venom in the first place was that one, you were stronger than most humans who had been bitten, and secondly, I think that you were turned because your mates hadn’t been born at the time you transitioned.”

  “So they understood that I was part shifter and their plan was to meet Xander and have me transition, and then, what, recruit us both?”

  “I wouldn’t put it past them. They believe that all shifters should stick together. They sensed Frost was a half-shifter somehow and knew that she wouldn’t transition until she found her mate. So, they must know something that we don’t, and took a chance orchestrating the meet using the human mercenaries as bait. And since we are the only immortals in the area, they figured that they would have a good chance in finding Frost’s mate among us.”

  “They must not know anything about Dark Company if they thought anyone here would abandon their family because they expected shifters to stick together.” Seth sounded disgusted.

  “We are untraceable. Xander made sure to cover all our tracks including money, property, and even identities. We only have one government contact and it would be next to impossible for anyone to find out about them. Trust me, we’ve tried but they are untraceable. Hell, we aren’t even paid by traditional means.”

  Xander shook his head. He hated the thought of having an all-out battle with another group of immortals. But if they threatened his family, he and the others would take care of them without hesitation or regret. “I’ll start a search for the hierarchy. What are we going to do about them once I find them?”

  “We’ll make that decision when we’re better informed.”

  Frost turned to Liv. “Am I a full shifter?”

  “We don’t really know. You have all the attributes of a shifter—regenerative healing, strength, speed, and the transition you went through mirrored Ara’s—but we aren’t sure why you haven’t shifted yet.”

  Frost blinked in surprise when a tall, dark-haired shifter walked in with a beautiful woman. She had long, cascading dark hair and the lightest brown eyes she’d ever seen.

  “Are you guys talking about me?”

  Xander stood and reached his hand out for Frost, smiling at her when she linked their fingers together. “Hey, Ara. This is my mate, Frost. Frost, this is Ara.”

  Ara’s smile was dazzling as she beamed at him and threw herself in his arms. “You found her! I told you you would.” Ara pulled back and still smiling, hugged Frost tightly. “And she’s gorgeous.”

  “I know. I should have listened to you.”

  Ara placed her mouth close to Frost’s ear, but he overheard anyway. “Take care of him.”

  “I will,” Frost promised as she beamed at her new friend.

  Ara turned. “And this is my mate, Reaper.”

  Frost shook his hand, but her eyes widened in excitement. “That is a wicked name.”

  Reaper laughed. He took everyone by surprise when he pulled Frost closer and hugged her. She smiled at him, but stepped back into Xander’s arms and reached for his hand.

  I like them, all of them.

  They like you, too, sweetheart. I knew they would.

  “How did it go?” Ghost asked the newcomers.

  Ara frowned. “He was already dead, and it was very sloppy work. His throat was ripped out and we could smell a shifter, maybe two.”

  Ghost filled them in on what he and Frost had discovered, and they agreed that more research was necessary before they acted. Xander would do the computer search, hacking into systems for any information available on Nightfall. Ghost would check in with his contact. Jade and Gunnar would go to the latest location and track the scent of those responsible.

  By the time everyone headed out, both he and Frost were exhausted. After he made sure that the house was locked and the alarm set, he scooped Frost into his arms and started up the stairs.

  “I can walk, you know?”

  “Not when I have a chance to hold you. I will always choose to be near you.”

  “Holding my hand isn’t enough?” Frost smiled.

  “Nope.”

  They readied for bed before they settled into bed, lying side by side. He kissed her nose, one cheek, and then the other, before he reached her lips. Lazily, they kissed, never deepening the kiss, just enjoying the simple touch. When her eyes drooped from tiredness, he tucked her against his chest and smiled as he held her. Although their plans were changed when they came home, he was happy that Frost had met his entire family. He had no doubt that they would love her, but he had been nervous for her. And it all had gone perfectly.

  “I’m going to get to see you naked again sometime soon, right?”

  He chuckled and pulled her closer. “Yes. And don’t worry, we have all the time in the world, sweetheart.”

  She huffed her dissatisfaction, but brushed a kiss to his chest and snuggled closer. Soon, her breathing evened out and Xander couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. His mate. He’d finally found his mate.

  Chapter Six

  Frost

  Frost felt the warmth of Xander pressed against her back as his soft breaths brushed against the back of her neck. His chest moved with each breath and she smiled that she’d woken up in his arms every morning since she transitioned. Sleeping in Xander’s arms was new to her, but she found that she liked it. She fell asleep faster and slept better as he cradled her close every night.

  She had stopped suppressing the smile that would form on her lips whenever she thought about how happy she was each time Xander held her hand or pulled her onto his lap to keep her close. But the mornings were the best.

  Over the past week, she realized that she hadn’t needed a lot of sleep as a shifter mix, as she had started referring to herself. She had watched as Xander worked his magic, tracking down the boss of the company, Nightfall. He had named himself Anzû, and according to mythology, he was the Akkadian demon who stole the Tablet of Destinies in order to make himself the highest god in the land. Frost had rolled her eyes when Xander had told her what he’d found. What an ass.

  While Xander had been busy with the search for Anzû and the uncovering of his organization, Frost had gotten to know the rest of the assassins better. She spent a lot of time with Jade, now that she’d been forgiven for how Frost acted when they first met. It was nice to be part of such a large, eclectic group where she could be herself without people thinking that she was either crazy or blunt.

  And because of what Xander had been working on, he had yet to fulfill his promise that she could explore his naked body. She didn’t want to get in the way of his work, but this morning she had woken with a throbbing between her legs and when his arm tightened around her, she ground her bottom against his hard cock.

  Frost knew that Xander was a heavy sleeper, especially early
in the morning. Although Xander always slept naked, she hadn’t been ready for that next step and still slept in her tee and panties. But she now found them stifling and she couldn’t wait for him to remove them.

  She turned in his arms and with slightly shaky fingers, she traced the tattoo on his left shoulder. She could feel the slight raise in his skin where the black ink had been marked on his flawless skin, but she loved the intricate detail and spent the next few minutes memorizing the feel and the look of it. She moved to trace another tattoo over his right pectoral. She had never been brave enough to get a tattoo, although she had been fascinated by some of the designs that she’d seen. On Xander, it looked sexy and added depth to his smooth olive skin.

  Without waiting another second, she slowly lowered the sheet that covered his waist and couldn’t help but stare at every inch of skin she exposed to her view. She longed to reach out and touch him there, but she didn’t want to wake him before she looked her fill. She felt naughty, taking advantage of him while he slept, but she was hoping to make him lose control and he would finally make love to her and she could be his, completely.

  Every inch of Xander appealed to her. From the tilt of his lips when she said or did something he found amusing, to how his ice-blue eyes sparked with emotion whenever she asked him to kiss her. And his body—his rock hard, sexy-as-sin body—made her core clench and her body heat with need each time she woke next to him. She couldn’t help it. But the way he said her name right before he kissed her, devoured her mouth, had her shivering in his arms.

  Not wanting to waste one more second without knowing this man, her mate, intimately, she eased herself out of his hold and glanced back to see whether she had woken him. His eyes were closed and his chest moved up and down with steady breaths, so she flipped onto her hands and knees and crawled toward him.

  For a few minutes, she wondered where she should start. Each time she would touch him, she got a thrill that would have her craving more. Now was her chance and she wasn’t going to waste it.

  Burrowing her face against his neck, she inhaled. His scent alone had her closing her eyes and biting her lip to prevent a moan from escaping. When she felt a little more under control, she pressed a kiss to the soft skin under his ear, hearing his breathing stagger for a moment before resuming the regular rhythm. She moved down to his collarbone, kissing across it until she reached the dip between the two, running her tongue up the indentation and licking until she reached his chin. She froze when he placed one hand on the small of her back to keep her close and she waited until he relaxed back into sleep before she continued.

  With her body practically vibrating, she placed small kisses on his chest, moving her touch back and forth, tasting his skin every once in a while with a small dart of her tongue. She moved to prevent her moan from escaping her throat, and when she reached his nipples, she swirled her tongue around one nub, loving how responsive he was. When she pulled back and blew on the wet area, she watched as his skin darkened as the nub pulled taut.

  She hadn’t realized that he’d woken until his hand spanned over her waist and squeezed; his hands tightened as she took the other in her mouth and sucked.

  The next time she looked up, his gaze swirled with the haze of sleep and a definite glint of desire for her. She continued to move down his body, tasting and nipping as she went. She loved that she could kiss every rise and fall throughout his body, every indent of muscle, and the cut of his hips that led to his straining cock that pressed up against her stomach.

  She straddled his lower legs and without hesitation, she bent forward and licked the head of his cock. A drop rolled onto her tongue and she tasted him before she swallowed the entire head into her mouth. Her tongue swirled around the slit to taste more of him. At the same time, she stored every grunt and moan she drew from him, learning the feel of him and what gave him pleasure. When his breath would catch in his throat, she repeated the movement, loving his reactions to her.

  By the time she had moved on from taking just the head of his cock in her mouth, they were both panting, but she didn’t stop. Torturing both of them, she took as much of him as she could, feeling the head of his cock pressed against the back of her throat, and by instinct alone, swallowed.

  In the time it took her to blink, she found herself flat on her back, staring at Xander, who kept his arms straight, holding himself away from her. Not wanting to lose the momentum she built, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer for a searing kiss. They both moaned, the sounds captured in the other’s mouth, but she needed something more. She found her hips lifting off the bed of their own accord, looking for the friction she so desperately needed.

  He pulled back from the kiss, his lips swollen and his pupils so dilated that she could barely see the ice-blue she had loved from the moment he turned his eyes toward her.

  “Why…did you stop…me?” She found herself panting as she asked the question.

  “I didn’t want to finish before we have even started, sweetheart.”

  “So…we can finally make love?”

  He pressed a light kiss to her lips. “I would like nothing more than to make love to you.”

  “Well, it’s about time. I’ve done everything but hold up a sign that read ‘make love to me, now’ on it.”

  Xander smiled and brushed the hair from her forehead, having her breath catch in her throat. “I understood the hints, but you’re new to this life and being a mate. I wanted you to be sure, since for me, this is forever.”

  “I feel the same way, Xander.” She felt her heart squeeze and tears spring to her eyes as she told him the truth.

  He truly kissed her then, but he refused to lower his entire weight on top of her. He savored her mouth as she wiggled under him. When she lay there panting and moaning, he pulled back.

  “I need you.”

  At his words, she felt her core flood and her body heat with need. “Yes.”

  He removed the gray tank that she’d slept in, but when his hand trailed down her damaged side, he paused. His eyes were glued to her pink lace panties, the ones she’d bought during their trip to Denver for the purpose of tempting him. When he glanced up and met her eyes, the hunger that was etched on his face had her blow out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. She moaned when he trailed a finger along the thin waistband, barely touching her, as he watched the skin under his touch quiver.

  His desperate gaze jerked back to hers, and without hesitation, she nodded.

  Moving with excruciating slowness, he lowered her panties over her flared hips before he slid his fingers down her inner thighs, until he discarded the slip of material somewhere behind his head.

  She held her breath, waiting to see what he would do next. As his gaze roamed over her body, not missing an inch of what she thought was an overly curvy one, she felt as though she was being caressed from his gaze alone. Her skin felt heated, not anything like when she transitioned; instead, it felt as though his hot gaze brought every one of her nerve endings to life.

  Her eyes closed as she savored the sensations of his gaze. The rustle of sheets had her groan as he moved away from her, but soon his warm hands were gently pushing apart her thighs. Her eyes popped open when he settled between her legs and his wide shoulders opened her up to his view. Instead of feeling self-conscious as she normally would, she found that Xander’s actions had her panting with need.

  His gaze met hers. “Is it okay if I taste you?”

  Her strangled moan sounded as close to a yes as she could communicate. When he flattened his tongue near her leaking entrance and licked a swath up her heated lips toward her bundle of nerves, her thoughts unraveled and she couldn’t speak coherently if she tried.

  He feasted on her—there was no other word for it—as she gasped and thrashed against the mattress, fisting the sheets as she tried to ground herself to reality. Her words, the ones that she could push past her clogged throat sounded contradictory as she tried to convey that it was to
o much and not enough at the same time.

  “You taste as sweet as I thought you would.” His voice rumbled over her.

  She had to bite her lip, preventing a dirty moan that wanted to escape her throat. But she couldn’t concentrate on his voice or his words while the sensations of pleasure she’d never experienced before washed over her. She dropped her head back against the pillow and savored each lick as he went back to tasting her.

  Unconsciously, she threaded her fingers through his soft hair and tried not to close her hand into a fist. But when he slid one long finger inside her, she clamped down on him and tightened her grip on his hair. The overwhelming sensations of his tongue, his finger, even his breaths against her heated skin had her chanting his name.

  He swirled his tongue around her bud, the first finger then joined by another, adding to the throbbing when he moved both in and out of her with practiced ease. It all had her teetering on the edge. With one last suck on her clit along with the crook of his fingers deep inside her, she shouted her release before she moaned his name in a way that she had tried to prevent earlier. Her body arched off the bed, all her muscles locked down as he drew out her orgasm.

  Before she could take a breath, her eyelids fluttered closed and the sounds around her ceased.

  Chapter Seven

  Xander

  Xander sensed more than spotted when Frost lost consciousness, and immediately crawled up to lay by her side. He cradled her head on his chest and blew out a relieved sigh when he felt her hot, staggered breaths brush over his sensitized skin. But his cock, at that most inopportune moment, jumped as Frost moved against him, her skin warm and her scent calling to him like nothing ever had.

  When he woke earlier, he could’ve sworn he was dreaming as he watched Frost kiss down his neck, and then his chest, taking one of his nipples into her sweet mouth. He shook off the last remnants of sleep and his eyes widened comically as he watched her kiss down his body. Her soft hair brushed a trail of heat against his skin that had him jump against her stomach.