My lips parted and even though I felt the need to speak, I wasn’t sure what to say. This man was opening up to me, laying himself open and my vampire couldn’t stomach it. But me…the man I used to be, felt jolted to the core. He wouldn’t have Tessa forever, she’d be mine. Then, what really would happen to him? How would Tessa take that? Would she deny what I knew to be her true feelings to keep this human emotionally afloat? I couldn’t see her vampire being able to, but she’d have humanity, too.
Two shadows moved through the darkness toward us and I held Tessa tighter as she squirmed in my arms. “You’ll be fine. You’ll adjust to whatever Tessa chooses.” I couldn’t continue to be near him. I lifted Tessa’s feet from the ground as I headed to Marie and Bufar at a fast pace. Only once did I glance back at Hunter. Thoughts swirled, colliding with different possibilities. Only one coalesced. One I didn’t even want to consider.
Serious faces met me as my number two and new number ten awaited my orders. I glanced at Marie, feeling her loyalty through and through. This was all she’d ever wanted—to be a member. Dead slaves were a distant memory of her past and I knew she was already on the hunt for more. She was thriving, still growing stronger from her grief. Something I knew she now thanked me for.
“Aaron is dead. Have the body disposed of.” I swallowed hard, staring over my shoulder as Hunter once again tried to stand. “Tessa hurt him pretty badly. Give him your blood for healing. Start the process. The two of you bond.”
Red lips separated as her gaze jerked to Hunter and then Tessa. “She’ll kill me when she remembers her past. I…can’t do that.”
“Yes, you can. I’m your leader and you’ll obey. Don’t worry about Tessa. This is for the best. She’ll come to see that. She’ll see everything.”
Chapter 15
Tessa
Throbbing began to register in my head and I blinked past the blurry vision of water pouring down before me. I couldn’t think. Could barely breathe past the steam rising around me. A heartbeat pulled at my ears and I rubbed my eyes as I turned toward the thudding sound. Seeing Marko’s arm extending out toward me made jump back. I reached toward the wall, walking my hands down the length as I tried to figure out what was happening. My mind screamed to run, even if I didn’t know from what. And I couldn’t see straight. The walls blurred in and out as I got to the back.
“Calm, ma minette, I’m not going to hurt you. Look, all I have is shampoo. I’m going to wash the blood from your hair.”
“Blood?” I turned, glancing at his exposed palm. The white substance in the center told me he was telling the truth. But what blood? I couldn’t remember anything. Where was I? Nothing made sense. I knew I was underground. I knew I was a vampire. And I knew somewhat who Marko was, but something was missing. Lots of things were gone from my memory. Wasn’t I supposed to be afraid? Fear was present, but I wasn’t sure why. And there was an emptiness that had me scanning the surroundings for what I was missing.
The pressure of his hand had me tensing and I let him draw me back. As his hands rubbed together and rose to my hair, I let him lather and massage the soap into my scalp. His eyes stayed on me, but I couldn’t keep his stare.
“Whose…blood?”
The words were thick leaving my mouth and I closed my lids, trying to will my sight back to normal.
“Aaron, a vampire. And I’m sure some is Hunter’s.”
My lids shot open as flashes of my human began to register. I glanced over his shoulder, instinctually looking for the tall, dark haired man. “Did I kill him?” I shouldn’t have cared, but the possibility left me feeling sick. I couldn’t deny I felt a part of me growing attached. I liked him. He protected me, even if I couldn’t remember from what.
Silence drew my attention to my leader and he tightened his fingers in my hair.
“He was alive when I had him taken. But you hurt him very badly. You’re probably going to be angry with me, but I’m having Marie give him her blood so he’ll heal. He needed it if he was going to make a speedy recovery.”
“Marie?” Did I know who that was?
“Yes. She’s my number ten. She’ll take good care of him.”
I grew quiet, not sure what to think. If Hunter took this vampire’s blood…? Nothing came. Something would happen, but what? I didn’t know and it had me pulling against Marko’s fingers. He slid them free and I stepped back, washing the shampoo from my hair. As he grabbed the body soap, I instinctively ripped it from his grasp.
“I can do it.” The French came natural, but it had me stuttering at the end. I wasn’t supposed to speak that language. But I had. It made me pause, clashing with the fact that Marko spoke it, too. Why wasn’t I supposed to speak it? I hesitated, looking back toward the door. “Where’s Hunter. I want him here.”
Marko’s features tightened before smoothing out as he let out a deep breath. “He’s with Marie. I already told you that.”
“I know. But where, with this Marie?”
“In her room.”
Marko took the soap from me and squeezed a good amount into his hand. I flinched at the initial touch, too sensitive to be able to take the water, and more or less the pressure of his fingers. He seemed to realize and softened the caressing of my stomach. The tingling only caused me to reach for the wall as lust began to buffer the anxiety I felt.
“When will Hunter be back?”
The motion of his hand slowed and he glanced up for only a moment. “He won’t, Tessa. He’s not safe with you. I have him staying with her now.”
I reached down, slapping his hand off me. “He was not yours to give away. Hunter belongs to me.”
Marko straightened, towering over me as he glared down. “You’ll kill him. Is that what you want? If so, I’ll go get him right now and we’ll end his life this very moment.”
My lips separated, but somehow I knew he was right. The conflict left me whimpering past the pain in my head. I turned into the wall, letting the tears of aggravation and agony seep free. I hated this. I hated not having control. The lack thereof made me hurt the human. I didn’t need him, I knew that. And I’d wanted to kill him before, but now, I wasn’t sure where my feelings rested. He was gone and I felt like I needed him more than ever. I was afraid for him. Hadn’t he been through so much? Had I been the one to hurt him like that? Maybe it was better if he stayed away.
“Shh, don’t cry, ma minette. Everything will be okay. It’s these changes in you. You’re hurting. Come here.”
My palms pressed to the sides of my face even harder before I turned, taking in the Master before me. His outstretched arms had me rushing into them. I was scared, something I didn’t think happened often. I was tired of all these episodes stealing my sanity. Even now, it wasn’t all the way present. Or maybe it was. It was the emptiness in my head. The lost time. It was driving me crazy.
“There, there.” His arms wrapped around me, holding tight. The smell of his cologne, of his blood mixed with the scent of his power, wrapped around me, leaving me feeling even more secure. My eyes closed and I let my weight mold to his body. Fingers wrapped around the back of my neck and his palm flattened just above the swell of my ass. The contact was heaven. I didn’t feel as though the closeness happened often…if ever. It felt right, comforting, and somehow, I needed that. I needed him.
Slowly, I looked up, meeting his stare. My breaths deepened and my whole mood changed as my gaze lowered to his mouth. Hadn’t I kissed that mouth before? I could barely recall, but something told me I had. And I wanted to do it again. I wanted to taste him while he continued to hold me.
“I smell your want for me. Say it.” His voice was deep and full of need as he spoke to me in French.
“I want to kiss you. I want—”
The words were cut off as his lips crushed into mine and he lifted me, walking through the water and pinning me against the shower wall. The force nearly knocked the air from my lungs, but the worry vanished just as fast as my tongue hungrily met his. His actions sparked suc
h need, it was all that mattered. I tightened my arms around his neck, thrusting my breasts harder into his chest. All thoughts and concerns disappeared. Nothing existed but our moment and I clung to it as tightly as I held him.
“Yes,” he moaned. “I’ve waited so long for this. I love you. God, help me, I do.” His mouth pressed back into mine and I could feel him pull frantically at his belt. I didn’t hesitate to start jerking at his shirt. Material tore while our kissing grew to a fevered pitch. The concrete wall scratched against my back and I sucked in air as his fingers explored over my most private area. My pussy was so wet, so slick and swollen as he rubbed circles over the top of my slit. I broke away, moaning as he massaged back and forth quickly.
“Tell me you want me. I’ve waited so long. Let me hear you say it.”
A cry came from my mouth at the pleasure and I moved against him, greedy for more.
“I want you.”
His finger eased into my channel and I pushed down the length as I tightened my grip around his neck.
“Fuck, you’re so tight.” Another finger joined the first and my mouth separated in pleasure as he began to move within me. The friction had my hips rotating out of desperation and I couldn’t stop my stomach from tightening through the intense arousal. I held off the need, but it almost became impossible as he flattened his hand to the top of my slit, applying pressure to my clit.
“Who knows what you like?” he asked in English.
“You,” I moaned.
“That’s right. I know you better than anyone ever will. That’s what makes us perfect for each other. We’re one. Une âme, un seul cœur.” One soul, one heart. His fingers slid free, immediately replaced by the head of his cock. The thickness pushed at my entrance, stretching me impossibly wide as he inched inside of me. I held on tight, meeting his lips as he gripped my ass and surged in even more.
“Fuck, you feel so good. I’ve missed you so much.”
I screamed as he plunged in all the way, grinding his hips into me as he forced his way even deeper. Ecstasy exploded and I clawed at the back of his wet shirt.
“No more prolonging this. Taste me, ma minette. Sink your fangs into me and taste what is yours.”
My eyes met his and the vampire in me purred for his power. My fangs lowered and I let my fingers slide up to grip his hair. At the small jerk of my hand, his head leaned to the side and I slid my fangs home. Sweet potency washed over my tongue and the lust had my poison oozing free from my fangs. I knew it would make the experience better for him and for some reason that was important.
Within seconds, Marko was moaning deep enough to vibrate my chest. I drew hard on his vein, savoring the taste as it rushed through my body. It was too much. He was strong. So much so, I could barely take it. Tighter, I held, taking one last hard suck before I slid my tongue over the wounds.
The thrusts increased and I met his mouth again, but only for a moment before I pulled away. I reached to my neck, pulling my hair back to expose what I wanted him to take from me. Why, I wasn’t sure, but it seemed right in the moment.
“God, you tempt me. I’ve been dying to taste you. Are you sure?”
His words had me nodding and the kiss of his lips over my sensitive skin brought my hips moving back into a frantic rhythm for more. Stinging caused me to jump, but with everything going through me, I didn’t care. At the venom entering, I screamed through the orgasm that came instantly. My channel gripped his cock while he continued to thrust and drink me in. The perfection of the moment was unlike anything I could imagine. Twinges pulled at my stomach and I cried out at the uncomfortable sensations, but for the life of me, I didn’t want him to stop. Even though he seemed to be experiencing it too, Marko held me tighter.
“I love you,” he said, breaking away. “Listen to me and feel my words. I love you. I love you. To death, Tessa. You and me. There’s no one else for either of us. Remember your love. I want you to see it. Feel it.”
His pleas stirred nothing but my curiosity. Part of me was hesitant to push my mind through the pain; another part felt something come naturally. It warmed my chest. My heart.
“Jamais de ma vie je ne ai aimé que je te aime. Je ne suis pas l'un sans toi.” Never in my life have I loved as I love you. I'm no one without you.
The French words had me closing my eyes. The passion and familiarity was what I needed to hear. Tingling mixed with the tremors jerking at what I was made of and another orgasm hit hard, causing me to cry out as my body betrayed my mind. Despite the pain, the two mixed and I gasped, moaning while I traced my fingers over his lips. The swelling of his cock grew while he thrust and I pulled his bottom lip back, tracing the inside with my tongue. A moan tore from Marko and he nipped at my finger.
“Be my concubine.” His head pulled back and I saw the puzzlement in his eyes. He battled with the question, but I could see how much he wanted it, even if I wasn’t sure exactly what it meant. Why did that term pull at my memory as if I was already one, or supposed to be?
“Marry me, Tessa. That’s what I mean. Be mine, here, for all of the vampires to see. Take your place by my side. Help me rule. Let me take care of you through this tough time.”
The grind of his hips slowed, leaving me foggier than ever. What we were doing felt so good. If it stayed like this, it wouldn’t be so bad, would it? I could do this. And I’d have status. I’d rule. Wasn’t that what I was meant to do? No, there was something else. Something I was forgetting. Hadn’t I just known what it was not that long ago?
“I...”
His lips met mine and he lifted, pressing his hand to cover over my mouth as he moved faster. “I don’t know where that came from. Don’t answer that yet. Fuck…just…love me like I love you. That’s all I want. I just want us to love each other.” A sound came from his lips and he removed his hand, kissing me. I rotated more urgently and he gripped tightly around my waist, pounding his cock into me almost violently. Warmth shot deep within and I felt him jerk with wave after wave of his release.
For minutes, Marko just held me, turning me into the shower, but keeping us joined. My head rested on his neck and I closed my eyes as exhaustion and adrenaline fought against each other. His blood was racing through my veins and I suddenly realized how much I liked that. Liked…him. A lot.
“Let me wash you.”
My feet lowered, but he still held the majority of my weight as he reached over and poured the body wash over my chest. In soft caresses, he smoothed the liquid over my breasts and stomach. When he reached between my legs, I held my breath, biting my bottom lip. A smile pulled at his mouth and I let mine come.
I couldn’t stop the attraction that left me in awe of him. The full lips grabbed my attention and I slowly rose back to his brown eyes.
“I want to be your concubine. I want to lead.”
His fingers froze on my inner thigh, only to be removed as he pulled me into his body. “I’m…honored. And probably the happiest vampire alive. You won’t regret this. I promise.”
Those full lips met mine and I let him finish washing and rinsing me. As he pulled the shower open, we both froze. Hunter’s bloody body sat on the floor directly across from the opened bathroom door, his forearms resting on his knees as he glared toward us. The pain and hurt on his face was evident. My breath caught and I felt heaviness pull at my heart—the same heart that had just belonged to Marko.
Him. Yes…how could I have forgotten about my human?
Chapter 16
Hunter
There were no words for the amount of anger and betrayal running through me. I couldn’t blame Tessa, although a part of me unwillingly did. She wasn’t in her right mind and from the look on her face, she somewhat regretted what she’d done. Or did she? Fuck, I wasn’t sure. What I knew for a fact was Marko didn’t regret shit.
He grabbed a robe from the wall, sliding it on her and wrapping a towel around his waist as he led her right past me toward the bed. I pushed to stand, following. One of my hands went to my side w
hile the other went to the hilt of the dagger.
“If you think of using that, I will kill you where you stand.” Marko wasn’t even facing me, but he sensed my actions and I couldn’t stand it. Nothing was working out here. Not my relationship with Tessa and not what I felt I should have been doing to these monsters. No one was to be trusted. How I’d even let myself open up to Marko about anything was beyond me. How was I starting to like him when he continued to hurt me by manipulating Tessa?
“How could you?” I stopped at the end of the bed as he pulled back the blankets, helping Tessa climb in. Still, she stared at me, uneasily. Hurt. God, she was hurting? I was fucking dying here. She was meant to be mine. I’d gone through hell just to try to keep Sayer away from her. I was supposed to have her this way. It was the reason I convinced her of the change. But I didn’t have her. He did. Again.
“Where’s Marie?” Marko pulled the blankets up and straightened, facing me.
“Dead. I fucking killed the bitch before she could poison me with her blood. Same with the big guy. They’re dead. The power of prayer is one hell of a thing. It’ll stop a vampire in its tracks, making them easy targets. Want to see?”
I grabbed the rosary from my pocket, dangling it in the air as I cocked my head to the side and stepped closer. A growl poured from Marko’s throat and gravity left me as I crashed into the far wall from the force he threw.
Air refused to fill my lungs, but I managed to regain my footing as I hunched over, raising the rosary back up. A groan came from my mouth and Tessa slammed her fist into Marko’s arm, speaking so fast in French, I couldn’t understand. I caught my breath, bringing myself to stand. My side was aflame from the gashes and I knew they were still bleeding, but the bandages were helping. Just not enough. I was lightheaded. Weak.
“She was mine,” I yelled. “She was mine and you took her from me again! But I’m not leaving. I’m not running away from what belongs to me. Tessa will not be your concubine. I won’t allow it. If I die trying to prevent it from happening, then so be it. At least I’ll die knowing I gave it everything I had trying to stop her from making the biggest mistake of her life.”
Lure (Marko Delacroix #3) Page 11