The Alpha's Touch Boxed Set (14 Book Bundle)

by Taylor, Tawny

  At least for now, the pain had eased. Sweet relief.

  She stared at her first Master’s handsome face, committing his features to memory. Burke Langton had the most delightful mouth this side of paradise. And he looked adorable when he was sleeping, sweet and sexy. His eyelashes were uber-long, the shade of coal. His cheekbones and jaw line hewn in hard angles. His skin was the deep olive tone that perfectly set off the deep ebony of his wavy hair.

  A work of art.

  Miko Dvorak, her second Master, was sleeping behind her. As he changed positions, spooning tightly against her back, his dick prodded her bottom. She was tempted to arch her back and welcome him inside. The only things stopping her were the bazillion questions running through her head, now that her brain was finally working again, and the absolute lack of energy making her feel like she’d swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills. When she lifted her arm to brush away a strand of hair hanging over her face, it felt like her limbs were carved out of solid concrete. Too much work. She let her arm drop back to the bed. It fell like a dead fish.

  “We’re not finished with the Iugum yet,” Burke said, his eyes still closed.

  “We’re not?” She wasn’t sure how she felt about that little tidbit of information. A part of her was relieved. She was not only uncertain of what she thought about this binding stuff but also feeling like something her neighbor’s cat had dragged in. Now she had to wonder if it was because of her half-Iugum-ed state.

  “We had to wait to finish,” Miko added. “You must make the decision with a clear head, not while in the midst of a Binding Fever.”

  Now, that was thought-provoking. She shifted positions, rolling onto her back to allow her to see both men. “Binding Fever? That’s what they call that agony? I swear, I thought I was going to die.”

  Both men gave her a sympathetic nod, reminding her of twin bobble head dolls. Hunky, handsome bobble head dolls.

  “So, uh, do I dare ask? What’s left?” she said when they didn’t elaborate.

  “We both fed from you, which is why you feel so tired and weak.” Miko took one of her hands in his and stroked the back with his thumb. His touch was like feathers. Soft and teasing. Tormenting. “Now you must feed from us.”

  “Feed?” She knew she was scowling but she couldn’t help it. “As in drink your blood?”

  “Yes.”

  She shivered, and not because she was cold. She didn’t eat rare meat because the sight of those bloody juices gave her a serious case of the squicks. How would she manage to consume blood? And not animal blood, but people blood? Vampire blood. Her throat constricted, her gag reflex threatening to kick in. “And if I don’t?”

  “You’ll eventually grow stronger.” Burke sat up and snapped his fingers. In the time it took to blink an eye, he was fully dressed in a pair of black pants and a snug black T-shirt that was this close to being obscene it fit so perfectly.

  “But the Fever will return eventually as well.” Miko mirrored Burke’s actions. Although he ended up in a pair of blue jeans, his shirt was identical to Burke’s. And it looked just as good too. “I’d be willing to bet the Fever will be worse, now that we’ve fed from you.”

  “I’m thinking the same thing,” Burke said.

  Okay, she was getting the picture. Granted, earlier she’d said such noble things about wanting to be with these men forever, being willing to make whatever sacrifice was necessary to become one with them. They’d been heartfelt. She did want to be with Burke and Miko. But blood? They’d never mentioned her having to drink blood. Ew! And ew!

  All this talk about the Binding raised a few questions. What exactly would happen after she drank their blood? What did this Binding mean?

  Gosh, would she become a vampire? Would she be forced to keep a liquid diet for all eternity? Ack! Would she turn to dust if she went out in the sun?

  As much as she adored Burke and Miko, she wasn’t sure she was ready for such a huge change. She was suddenly very thankful they’d waited to complete the final step until after she’d had some time to think.

  Yes, for an onlooker, it might seem a little late to be asking these questions. If she’d seen this in a movie or read it in a book, she would’ve been skeptical. But the pain had been so overwhelming, she hadn’t been able to think of anything but finding relief. At the point when it had been the worst, there was no saying what kind of awful things she might have done to receive even a temporary break from the agony. Thankfully, she hadn’t been forced to test herself. But, she could see how someone evil might use the pain -- or more specifically the promise of a cure -- to his advantage.

  Miko’s suggestion that the so-called Fever would return certainly didn’t sit well with her. “Couldn’t we settle for tomato juice instead?” she offered. “Is there a less permanent arrangement we can make? I need some time yet to figure this stuff out.”

  Both men shook their heads, grave expressions on their faces.

  She heaved an intentionally loud and long sigh. “It was worth a try. Hey, how about some clothes for me too?”

  Burke snapped her a cozy velour outfit and T-shirt then sat beside her and took her hand in his. “This isn’t an insignificant decision, and although it’s being made under some pressure, you need to think it through thoroughly. There are both benefits and drawbacks to being a bound Origo.”

  “And they are? Give me the bad stuff first. I’m the kind of girl who likes to hear the bad news before the good.”

  “The most significant drawback is if something happens to any one of us, then it happens to all of us,” Miko explained.

  That statement confused her. “In what way? If you get a toothache, then I will too?”

  “In a matter of speaking, yes,” Miko said. “If you are hurt somehow, then we will also feel your pain. If you are killed, we will die with you.”

  A huge glaring light bulb flipped on in her head. “And if Burke is executed for murder then I’ll die too?” A second light blinked on. “And so will you.”

  Miko’s expression darkened even more. “Yes.”

  “So why aren’t you telling me this is a bad idea?”

  “Because I can’t influence your decision. It’s not right… and I want to complete the Iugum,” Miko admitted in a softer voice. His eyes were full of confusion and turmoil and a deep line cut between his eyebrows. “God help me, I want it more than anything.”

  She wanted something really bad too -- to touch him. She also longed to tell him she wouldn’t go through with the Iugum. To save his life. But she knew she lacked the strength to resist.

  Already, the hunger or fever or whatever was returning. Her blood felt hot as it pumped through her body. Like boiling acid. And little razor sharp spikes of awareness shot up and down her spine.

  Her Masters were touching her. They were close. They both smelled wonderful, and oh boy, how they looked!

  A lump had gathered in her throat. She swallowed hard to force it down and blinked away the stinging in her eyes. “You want to complete the Binding? Even if it means you might die?”

  “We are your Masters, and no matter what you decide, we will remain your Masters.” Burke cupped her chin and gazed deeply into her eyes, like he was trying to delve into her very soul. She both welcomed the erotic, unsettling probing and bristled against it. Could he see her secrets? Her darkest fears? “Don’t let the worry of losing us sway you. We’re not going anywhere.”

  Had she said she was worried? Maybe she hadn’t, but it was something to think about. The whole death issue, of course, took precedence over any other concerns -- sunlight and diet, saying goodbye forever to her adorable, scrumptious vampires. She broke eye contact with Burke to look at Miko. “Will you help him? Will you help us find the real killer? Or do you still believe Burke’s the murderer?”

  Miko’s gaze shifted to Burke then darted back to her. “I’ve begun to re-evaluate the evidence and there is the possibility that Burke is innocent.”

  Sylvie didn’t hesitate to show
Miko how happy she was to hear that. She threw herself at him and flung her arms around his neck. Luckily for her, even though she’d taken him by surprise, he was quick to recover -- as it seemed most vampires were. He stood quickly, holding Sylvie so that her toes barely skimmed the floor. She showered his face with sweet kisses in between thank yous.

  But within seconds, each kiss started getting longer. And each thank you got quieter until eventually, something inside her snapped. She fell into full-blown lust mode and could think of nothing but how to cram her tongue down his throat.

  Who needed to talk right now?

  Miko kissed her back for a few minutes and then seemed to find his head -- the big one on top of his body. He gently pried her off and gave her a bleary-eyed smile. “We need to decide what we’re doing before it’s too late.” His face was a deep scarlet, the shade of one of her favorite dresses.

  Burke chuckled and she was tempted to give him a little taste of the medicine she’d just dosed to Miko. As if he’d read her mind, he sobered and crossed his arms over his nummy chest. “Miko’s right. As I understand it, it is our legal -- not to mention moral -- responsibility to make sure you comprehend all the possible consequences for your decision before you do anything.”

  “Is that the lawyer in you talking? Or the man?”

  “The man. I’ve never dealt with an Origo, in my fake law practice or otherwise.” He winked. “Frankly, I’d always assumed they were legend. Little did I know.” He chuckled again and he and Miko exchanged knowing glances. “I’m relieved to see that Miko’s looking into the case against me, but you should still remember that there’s always the possibility that one of us could be harmed or killed. And since we’ll be psychically bound for all time, we will always be vulnerable.”

  “So what’s the good news? I’ve heard the bad. Or haven’t I heard it all?”

  “That’s about it. I think.” Burke looked to Miko for affirmation, which Miko delivered with a nod.

  “I haven’t read much about Origos,” Miko said. “But I think that’s it.”

  “Good news?” she prodded.

  “The good news is you’ll be immortal,” Burke said with a smile. Dimples poked into his cheeks on either side of his mouth. Dimples! She was inspired to heave another sigh, this one of pure bliss.

  Then she remembered what he’d said. Immortal? Like live forever? Did that mean she would be a vampire? Would have to become nocturnal and drink blood? What kind of job could she hold down if she had to work from sundown to sunrise? “How exactly does that immortal stuff work? Will I have to avoid sunlight, sleep during the day, and snack on vagabonds?”

  Burke shook his head. “No. You won’t turn into a vampire. You will remain human. Consume food. Drink whatever you like. But you will not age and you will not get sick.”

  Now that was good news indeed. Not age? She’d be perpetually thirty-something? She’d never go through menopause? Or get arthritis or osteoporosis? She’d never get thick like her grandmother? Or start growing hair in places she didn’t want to think about?

  Forever thirty. Hmmm… Yes, that was one heck of a benefit. The cons were pretty bad, but the pros sure did sound great.

  “And my fountain of youth is within you two?” she asked, growing giddy. “I’ll just need to do this once? Drink your blood?”

  “Only once,” Burke said.

  “And only a small bit. A drop or two,” Miko added.

  Only a drop or two? That didn’t sound so bad. That wasn’t more than a lick. Not a gulp. She could handle that.

  So, the decision was either face certain death as a human or unlikely death as an immortal? Not much to think about when it was put that way.

  “So, do I need to sign some kind of disclaimer first?”

  Both men gave her the kind of smile a guy might give his doctor upon hearing he won’t have his testicles removed sans anesthetic.

  “There is no paper to sign,” Burke said, positioning himself directly in front of her. “At least none that I know of. Since I don’t think either of us has witnessed the Iugum,” he added, glancing Miko’s way, “we’ll have to wing it.”

  Miko nodded and stood beside Burke. “I don’t think there’s any official forms we must submit to the United Magical Nations.”

  “Okay.” She eyed their necks. Really, did they expect her to literally bite them? It wasn’t like her teeth were made for that… well, kinda. She’d consumed her share of meat in her day, but never raw. Her chompers were strong. She’d practiced good oral hygiene all her life. “Uh, what’s next then?” Her stomach did this funny little squirmy, flip-floppy thing. Blood. Ick.

  The two guys looked at each other then simultaneously said, “I’ll do it. Oh.”

  Do what? she wondered.

  Miko pointed. “The wrist, you think?”

  “Yes, that makes the most sense,” Burke agreed. “I can bite yours and then my own.”

  “No, no. I’ll bite yours and then my own.”

  They were fighting over who gets to bite whom? Would she ever understand vampires?

  “Here’s a thought. Why don’t you bite yourselves?”

  They looked at her like she’d grown two heads.

  Why was that such a bad suggestion? It wasn’t like they had a thing about biting themselves. They’d each offered to do as much a second earlier… granted, after biting the other guy.

  Finally, Burke grumbled, “Fine,” and chomped on his wrist.

  That was so not an appetizing sight. “Yikes! Could’ve given me some warning,” Sylvie murmured as she struggled not to gag. She made sure to keep her gaze focused on a much more pleasant sight -- the brown shag carpet -- while Miko took care of his arm. Breathe in through the nose. Out. In. Out. How will I get through this?

  Within seconds, there were two wrists hovering under her nose, both with two tiny tooth pricks in them and a ribbon of blood running from the holes.

  The blood was a deep crimson and she’d swear it looked thicker than normal, not that she’d spent hours and hours staring at blood. It kind of oozed from the wounds, sluggish like molasses dripping from an overturned spoon. Her stomach did another flip-flop, this time threatening to lurch up into her throat.

  If only there were an easier way for a girl to gain eternal youth, like sell her soul to the devil.

  She closed her eyes and tried to visualize something more appetizing, like a triple-fudge brownie sundae with all the fixings. Oh yes, much better. Saliva collected under her tongue.

  Her eyes still closed, she reached out, caught one hand in her fingers and pulled until it was up by her mouth. Then, with her thoughts on all things chocolate and good, she pressed her lips to the skin and slipped her tongue between them.

  The taste was salty like seawater and bitter like coffee left out overnight. She fought the urge to vomit, pressed her mouth firmly to the arm, and sucked. The salty, thick liquid seeped into her mouth slowly, like a milkshake sucked through a skinny straw. When there was enough to swallow, she contracted her throat to force it down.

  Her eyes watered.

  She released the hand she’d been holding and reached blindly for the other one. Once she had a hold of it, she repeated the same process, breathing in through her nose in slow, deep breaths to counteract her gag reflex. This was one girl who’d never win Fear Factor. Heck, she got nauseated from watching the show.

  After forcing down the second swallow of vampire blood, she released the other hand and blinked open her eyes.

  When was it going to happen, whatever it was?

  Sylvie felt nothing. Or rather nothing extraordinary, that would suggest she was now eternally thirty-something. There was no gripping pain or lights or ringing in the ears. Neither was there a huge surge in energy or sudden super-duper strength. She wondered if they’d done something wrong.

  She shrugged. “Well, that was sort of anti-climactic. I don’t feel any different. Did we goof something up?”

  “Well, hell,” Burke murmured.


  Miko shrugged. “I doubt it.”

  “How can we test it?” she asked. “Anyone have a friend who’s sick? They can sneeze on me.”

  Both men shook their heads. Burke was looking like he was deep in thought. “I think I’ll call Isabella. She’ll know if we did something wrong.”

  He had his phone in his fist in a snap, but before he’d punched a single number, she had gently plucked it from his grasp and was setting it on the nearest horizontal surface she found.

  She was in the mood to celebrate -- Origo style.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sylvie had just paid a visit to the fountain of youth. This was for real! She’d never have a saggy ass or boobs. No floppy arms. Or drooping chin.

  And best of all -- no disease.

  Burke was quick to catch on to her festive mood. He scooped her into his arms, spun her until she was dizzy and then carried her to the bed.

  How she adored her vampires! She nuzzled his neck as he lowered her to the bed, inhaling his nummy bad boy vampire scent. He tugged her jacket’s zipper down, pushed the garment’s sides apart and tickled the inch of tummy exposed when the hem of her T-shirt inched north. A coat of goose bumps sprang out all over her upper body. Her nipples tightened to sensitive peaks, straining against the snug knit material of her shirt.

  It did not surprise her to find Burke had failed to provide her with a bra when he’d snapped her into clothes. Not that she was complaining. Especially after he pinched her nipples through the thin cotton.

  Sweet agony.

  Smiling, she briefly wondered why Miko hadn’t jumped into the action yet. But she quickly decided it wasn’t worth worrying about. At the moment, nothing was worth worrying about.

  It was time to just lie back and enjoy.

  Burke slid his hands beneath her bottom, wedging his arms between the bed and her backside, and sliding them upward until he found the back of her knit pants. He tugged them down, over her buttocks, her legs, her feet. They went sailing across the room.

  She giggled, realizing, of course, that as she’d expected she had no underwear on.