by Unknown
“Make me understand.”
He sighed, his hold tightened then lessened with a kiss on top of her head. When he pulled away, he stood up with her in his arms. He turned and sat down on the side of the tub with her on his lap.
“Carissa joined freely,” he said. “She was thirteen. I had already been here for almost five years in training. She was hurt, sad, depressed, everything she should be if she had been forced here as the rest of us. I didn’t understand or know why until later on.
“Claudia, my family was old school,” he went on. “My father already had three daughters and one son before I came. I’m a second born son. And questions of my parentage came as soon as I came into this world. I didn’t look like the rest of my family. I was darker. My father beat me all the time until I learned how to stay hidden. I resented being taken, but Ambrose turned out to be the first person I ever trusted.” He finished softly, placed her on the side of the tub, and walked to the doorway.
Dimitri raised his arms up, leaning into the doorway but not leaving. From their bond, she could feel the pain of his memories.
She sniffed and stood up, reaching for a towel, wrapping it around her body. She went up behind him, closing her arms around his waist, and rested her cheek on his back. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”
Dimitri turned in her arms and brought her closer. “Carissa and I were each other’s comfort in a world which had been very cruel to us. I fed from her and she from me. And what I see in your eyes, the one question you want know is yes.” He took a deep breath, walked over to the bed holding her hand, sat down, and pulled her to stand between his legs. “I slept with her.”
Claudia felt like her gut was about to drop. She couldn’t look at him. She turned, or tried to, but he held her in place.
“We never bonded. That wasn’t there between us. Don’t you see that what she and I had doesn’t mean anything now?”
“I don’t know what to see.” More tears fell free. “I feel like this was all rushed and—and…”
“It is rushed.” She looked at him again. “Once the first link is felt, everything between vampire and bloodmate is rushed. The moment I fed from you everything changed. Now that your body has gone through the purging, our bond will only become stronger. That only happens in a true bonding. My blood in your veins and yours in mine ties us together for life.”
“I can’t be the second,” she whispered, willing the fresh onset of tears to go back and failing. “I’m sorry, but I—”
Dimitri yanked her down and silenced her with his lips, reminding her quickly the choice she made was the right one. “You’re not second to anyone,” he told her, his lips brushing against her own. “You’re the only one I want and crave. Our bonding happened so fast, Claudia, neither one of us ever got the chance to know the other or to adjust to the fact we were meant to be together until death parts us. So now we get to know each other.” He gave her another quick kiss before smiling at her. “And remember, you did ask me to not let you go.”
Claudia laughed through the tears and went into his arms. “I’m sorry, and I think I do understand. I don’t’ think my parents ever truly bonded.”
“That’s to their sadness then,” he told her in a tight embrace. “Never be sorry. This is new for me too. I have a lot of baggage on my shoulders. My soul is stained, and in my eyes, I don’t deserve you.”
“Your soul isn’t stained.”
Dimitri frowned, pushed her away, and moved to the other side of the room. “Claudia, I have so much blood on my hands, I’m amazed I can sleep at night.”
“You’re a fighter and protector for our race.”
He turned and smiled at her, his eyes lighting. “See, when you say things like that, I know deep down, I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you.”
“What’d you mean?”
“You’re acceptance of me. Most turn their back after they discover what I am, knowing the killing I’ve done.”
Claudia took a deep breath and sat in the spot he vacated, folding her hands in her lap. “My mother used to tell me stories when I was little about how a strong vampire would come one day and bond with me. She made it sound like a fairy tale.” She grinned at the memory. “When I was ten, I saw my first Guardian and was instantly fascinated. My father became upset. He read in my diary how I wanted my vampire to be one. I never saw my father act like that before and never understood why he thought the Guardians were so shameful to be around. I still don’t.” She stood up and smiled quickly. “I got my wish, Dimitri. I’ve bonded with a Guardian, but I don’t think I’m strong enough to hold on to you either.” Her voice trailed off.
He came over to her quickly, kneeling down at her feet. “Never think you’re unworthy. Right now, to me, you’re my light in a darkness I’ve been living with for so long. I don’t think before this very second I’ve realized just how lonely I really was.” He cupped her face gently in his strong hand, and she leaned into his palm. “Claudia, the first second I saw you in the clinic, I knew I had to be with you. It took a hell of a lot for me to stay away, just because I didn’t trust myself to be around you. The urge to touch you is too strong, even now.”
“So what do we do?”
“As much as I would love to take full advantage of you, I need to start Julian’s training.” Dimitri wiped her cheeks.
She leaned forward, kissing him lightly. “You sure you can’t spare a few moments for me?” She grazed the tip of her tongue over his lips. “Please?”
“Claudia,” he groaned.
“Then how about a fast bite.” She grinned. “But I want you to bite right here.” She moved his hand down between her legs. Instantly he cupped her mound. “Over my mark.”
Again Dimitri groaned. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
He pushed her down, yanked the towel away and the wet, thin panties down her legs so fast she didn’t even get to help him.
Instantly, his mouth was upon her. His tongue parted the swollen lips of her sex, licked and sucked at her, teased her clit. She wrapped her legs around his head, holding him close while panting in instant arousal.
Lips closed around her clit, fingers slid into her, and Claudia lost herself in bliss. She fisted her hands in his hair, pulled at the locks, and pressed him harder against her flesh.
“Don’t stop,” she breathed out. “I’m so close.”
“Not without me, you don’t.”
With one jerk and twist, the button pulled free, his pants opened, and his cock sprang out. Claudia got only a glimpse of his magnificent tool before he fell over her and thrust the full rigid length of his cock into her.
She arched in welcome, wrapping her legs tightly around his hips. Dimitri pounded into her, and she welcomed it all. Clutching his shoulders, she rushed to the orgasm building in her. The tension snapped. Wave after wave cascaded through her. “Yes!” she cried, her nails digging into his back.
Two more strokes and he cried out as well. “Oh, shit!” Dimitri arched back, mouth open, fangs extended, but he didn’t sink them into her. He collapsed, his body covering hers and holding her tight.
She pushed at his leather pants, trying to move them down his legs and off.
He laughed. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Do it again.” She couldn’t catch her breath, but at the same time, she wasn’t ready for it all to end.
“Claudia, I really need to go.” She tightened her pussy around his cock, still buried deep inside her. He moaned. “That isn’t very nice.”
“You didn’t drink from me.” She almost had his pants to his knees when he kissed her deep and pulled back, his cock slipping free.
She stayed on the bed, legs spread as he cleaned himself before pulling his pants up. “You’re not ready for me to drink from you. You just purged.” She put on a pout, and he laughed again, shaking his head. “Play fair.”
“Can I at least come and watch you?”
D
imitri’s eyes narrowed, a grin on his lips. “Hmmm, not sure that would be a good idea.”
She lowered her eyes with a feeling of not being wanted. With a sharp yank of her arm, she flew off the bed and into his arms, her breath stolen by a deep kiss. When it ended, she had her eyes closed.
“Only because I might get distracted. Now, get that damn thought right out of your head.”
With a light flutter, she opened her eyes. “What thought?”
“That you’re not wanted.” He squeezed her with a slight shake. “I want you, in case you can’t feel right now what’s pressing up against you, which is why it’s not a good idea. I’ll be thinking of the things I want to do with you instead of his training.”
“Will you still think of them and later do?”
“Oh, yeah.” He kissed her again, moaning into her mouth as he panted softly. “Damn. I swear I’m never going to get out of here and get to work. You feel too damn good in my arms.”
He delivered another deep kiss that left her breathless. She gulped air and told him, “I love how you hold me. How you make me feel so safe.”
“I know.”
“How do you know?”
“We’re bonded now. Remember, I can feel your pain, just like you can feel mine, and I can sense your emotions. I’m learning all of this too, Claudia. I’ve been on my own for a very long time. Being together is going to take a lot of understanding from you and a lot of patience from me. But one thing I’m going to make very clear to you right now, I’m not letting you go. You’re my bloodmate—for life.”
She swallowed hard and nodded.
Slowly he released his hold on her. “Then I’ll see you in a few hours. I need to get some work done with Julian.”
That had her frowning, “A few hours?”
He was halfway to the door when he stopped and looked up at her. “I’m going to have to feed from you to get your blood count stable.” She made a silent ‘oh’ with her lips, and he winked. “And I’m looking forward to it.”
* * * *
“You are my leverage to get what I want.” Rage reached out, touching the tiny bundle, wrapped up tightly, sleeping in a cradle next to Renzo’s desk. “The ace in the hole.”
“What are you doing in here?”
Rage turned slowly from the baby to face the one man he wanted to rip open with his bare hands.
Renzo Ferrari stood at six foot even. He dressed and acted like a military man with a short buzz cut hairstyle without a hint of salt and pepper. His face showed the signs of his age, however. Wrinkles creased the skin around his eyes, the flesh along his jaw line sagged, and his lips thinned out too much. His once sharp green eyes held a trace of the madness taking over his mind, faint until he was roused.
Like always, Rage had to play things cool with the man. He had to detach himself from the hate burning a hole in the pit of his stomach. Bide my time. Soon I will be able to kill him. Soon I’ll avenge my mother.
He tossed a vial at Renzo. “It’s ready,” he stated in his detached, cold voice, the voice he practiced and had mastered just for Renzo. “Need to test it out.”
“You should’ve tested it on that thing you had serving you,” Renzo sneered, holding the vial up to his eye. He pushed Rage out of the way, to look down at the baby. The man smiled, touching her small head.
“I let her go.”
Renzo looked at him sharply. “Are you out of your mind!” he snapped while Rage walked over to the chair, propped his feet up on the desk and linked his fingers over his flat belly. “If you got tired of it, then you should have killed it.”
Rage almost smiled. He would have if he had put in his false teeth to keep his fangs hidden. Scraping his tongue over the sharp points, reminded him of what he was and who was responsible.
“I don’t understand why you felt you needed to keep a damn vampire’s whore in the first place. She was useless to you, unless you were fucking it?”
He wrinkled his nose in disgust, how curious Rage thought since all of the deaths started over Renzo’s twisted love of what he called a vampire’s whore. He said, “She’s more useful to me alive,” not adding he had needed her for more than fucking, something Renzo would know when the time was right.
Renzo groaned, moved away from the baby, and sat down. “She’ll go to them and tell them everything she’s seen.”
“That’s the plan,” he lied.
The old bastard glared at him. “What are you up to, Rage?”
Oh, the urge to smile, to show his fangs, and expose himself to the son-of-a-bitch, letting him see what he’d created. Rage held it back and only shrugged. Slowly, raising his head, he looked the man dead in the eye. “They have something I want this time. Something I plan on taking.” For my own pleasure.
Renzo shivered and glanced back at the baby.
“Does she have the mark?” Rage asked. Renzo’s shoulders slumped, giving Rage the answer he sought. Yes, she had it. She’s a bloodmate just like her mother. He stood up quickly, moving to the door of the office. “As much as you hate to admit it, fate has you by the balls. You know you can’t do anything for her. Give her back or she’ll just end up dying like Serina did.”
“I won’t lose my Serina again,” Renzo said softly. Rage glanced over his shoulder. For the first time he saw how fragile the man looked. Renzo touched the baby. “I won’t give her up to the monster that killed her mother.”
“Then she’ll die just like her mother did.” Rage walked out of the office.
Outside, Denver unloaded the contents of a box. Their eyes met, but no greeting passed between them. Yes. Denver would stay with her father if for no other reason than to look after the baby.
Oh, my brother! What kind of a life would we have had together without him?
Rage snapped his fingers and the half breeds who accompanied him followed out the door.
“Let’s get started on our own plan,” he said to them. “I want it done by the end of the week.” His car door was opened from inside, and he slid onto the back seat where two of the humans who had joined Renzo waited for him. “Tell me everything.”
* * * *
When she returned to the clinic, Claudia knew it was obvious they all knew she was a bonded bloodmate. Ivy grinned at her, Lucan smiled from his bed, and Carissa gave her a nod. Claudia was surprised to see Carissa sitting with the boy, until she learned from Ivy that Carissa was his patronus, his personal protector.
Lucan had changed so much. Overnight he’d grown as tall as his father Lucian. She knew he had never worked out, but because of his transformation, his body had developed to the size and strength of all of them.
Thick arms, muscles everywhere, strong legs, and dark hair touching the back of his neck, almost to his shoulders. Another difference was his facial features. They had changed so much, he didn’t resemble his parents any longer. His lips were fuller, the shape of his nose had changed, and his cheekbones were not as narrow. His eyes really stood out, not dark like his father’s or the gray of his mother’s. Lucan’s had altered to a bright blue that seemed to look right into her soul when his gaze fell upon her. It felt creepy and yet soothing at the same time.
After a quick check in with the doctor, Claudia went to help get Lucan up on his new feet, a struggle handling his size. Between them, Claudia and Carissa, the boy, or rather the young man, stood up. He began walking after about an hour, but he still didn’t talk much and was shaky. He had some catching up to do with his new body. The mind was willing, but his body suffered the aftereffects of the premature and excelled transition.
After two hours, Ivy told her to take off. There wasn’t much to do, and her blood count was rising. She could feel it. She wasted no time going to find Dimitri.
Claudia snuck into the gym, she thought, walking to one of the darkest corners she could find. In the middle of the room, Dimitri worked with Julian. They were both sweaty. Dimitri showed Julian a few moves slowly. He stopped every so often, corrected Julian’s stance, or had
him repeat a punch. From what she saw, Julian was learning how to take a weapon out of Dimitri’s hand.
Dimitri fascinated her in the way he moved. As large a man as he was, he could move with the grace and speed of someone so much smaller. He explained to Julian how to use circumstances to his advantage. Everyone had a weak spot, one just needed to find it and make use of it. He needed to watch his opponent’s eyes to learn what that weakness was.
She soon learned Dimitri was aware of her presence. He looked her way, and his eyes seemed to light up. He gave her a quick nod, finished what he was telling Julian, and ended the session with a slap on the back. Julian also looked over her way and smirked knowingly. She felt her face heat up, cursing her tendency to blush at every little thing.
Julian nodded at Dimitri and walked away to a bag. He bent over, picked the bag up along with a towel he slung over his shoulder. She went forward toward Dimitri.
“You look good, Claudia,” Julian said.
“Thanks. It looked like he was putting you through some intense stuff.”
“Oh, yeah.” Julian sighed, rolling his head around. “And from what he just told me before you came in, this shit is the basics. The kids learn this all before they transition.”
“Do you think you’re going to be able to handle it?”
“I don’t have a choice. Need to get my baby back.” He glanced over his shoulder. Claudia also looked. Dimitri watched them, wiping his face and chest off with a towel.
Julian gave her a wink. “I’ll let you two have some alone time. I need to find a hot tub and soak. Damn, I’m sore.” he teased as he left.
“Everything all right?” Dimitri asked.
Claudia nodded. “We got Lucan up and walking, but he’s still not talking. Doc thinks a couple more days, and he’ll be up and about. Did you notice that his eyes have turned blue?” She shivered. “When he looks at you it feels like he’s reading your mind and knows everything that’s going on in there.”