Claudia laughed, quickly covered her mouth with her hand, and blushed.
“See you around,” he said.
She nodded and left him. Dimitri lay down with a groan. He was hard, hungry, and had really given big consideration to sinking his teeth into her wrist. Thank God she had the sense to walk away from him.
Not good my man—not good by a long shot!
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Chapter Four
“You are out of your mind!” Carissa yelled. She stood in the middle of Ambrose’s office, and her anger was directed at Ambrose, not Dimitri.
A baseball size bruise from the debris when the building blew up was on the side of her face. Shadow was in the room also, sitting in a chair holding his side to protect his ribs. Dimitri hung back by the door, only half-listening to what was going on. His mind drifting off to Claudia and the innocent manner in which she tried to take care of him.
Having someone who wanted to take care of him or make sure he was all right was strange to him. Not even his mother had done that.
His mother! Now that was a blast from the past.
“Calm down.” Ambrose sighed. Dimitri gave his full attention to what was going on again. “You act like it’s the end of the world.”
“He has no business training with us,” Carissa snapped.
“Why not?” Julian walked in looking calm. Dimitri and Carissa both spun around. “I have a right to fight with you as much as anyone.”
“Wrong,” Carissa crossed her arms over her chest as she faced him.
“We’ve discussed this before. He’s made a general request,” Ambrose stated in a non-negotiable tone. “He needs training to be fit enough for the hunt of his daughter, and I’ve granted it.”
“This is a mistake,” Carissa shook head.
Dimitri took a deep breath. “I agree.”
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“Excuse me?” Julian said. “What gives any of you the right to deny me the satisfaction of finding my child and destroying Renzo?”
“We’re not doing that,” Dimitri looked him in the eye, “just denying your right to our training. I understand your desire to find her, but when it comes to getting her back, I think we are more qualified than you.”
“In other words, our training is none of your damn business,” Carissa added.
“You know your problem with me has nothing to do with this.” Julian charged her or tried to. Dimitri quickly stepped between them before Julian could reach her. “I really don’t know what the hell is your problem. You’re the one who left!” he yelled, pointing at her over Dimitri’s shoulder.
“I’ve changed my mind.” Dimitri felt her stiffen behind him and rolled his eyes at it.
Just what he wanted, to be a babysitter between these two when he had other things on his mind. “Let him train just so I can kick his ass!”
“Enough!” Ambrose bellowed, slamming his hand down on the desk. “I’m fully aware of Julian’s Noble status, but this organization is built on more than our personal opinions. He has made a request for the strength to get his daughter back. You two,” he pointed at Dimitri and Carissa, “need to put your personal feelings aside. We have a job to do.” He took a deep breath. “Now I want to hear the report, and Julian will stay as I hear it.”
Dimitri gave Julian a shove back before facing Ambrose.
“I’m trying to track Renzo’s paper trail, but not having any luck as yet,” Shadow said. “He hasn’t ordered any medical equipment, and no others have been attacked or are missing. It’s like he just disappeared.”
Dimitri frowned. “No one just disappears.”
Ambrose nodded. “He’ll make a mistake. He has the child, one I’m going to take a guess at and say looks like her mother. He’s not going to want to draw any attention to himself.” He looked at Carissa and asked of the new boy, “How’s Raze getting along?”
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“Withdrawing.” she answered.
“Always hard when they are so young,” Ambrose shook his head.
And when they’ve been tossed away like garbage. Dimitri hadn’t been wanted. His mother wasn’t supposed to have any more children. But low and behold, here comes number three, and it’s a second son. Once they had discovered his mother expected again, they wanted another daughter, but got him instead. Double disappointment.
Ambrose’s voice broke through the bitter memories of his past. “I hoped spending time with Lucan would pull Raze out of his depression. It always helps to have someone you can relate with to discuss things.”
“Even though they’re near the same age, with Lucan the way he is, they don’t have much in common, Ambrose,” Dimitri pointed out. “And they’re here for entirely different reasons.”
Ambrose nodded. “Being the only one makes it harder also. Do all you can to help him adjust.” He turned his eyes to Julian. “You’ll start the training after they all have healed. Carissa and Dimitri will train you.” She made a sound, and he held up his hand.
“We’ll see how that goes before we take the next step.”
Julian gave him a nod and left the office. Dimitri decided then to ask the question they all avoided while Julian was there. “Does he Crossover?”
He felt all their eyes on him.
“I don’t think we need to jump into that possibility yet,” Ambrose answered.
“And Lucan?” Dimitri crossed his arms over his chest. “A patronus must be chosen for him.”
“And will be when the time is right.”
“Don’t wait too long, Ambrose.” Dimitri sighed. “If either does it without the necessary precautions, someone could be killed in the process.”
Ambrose nodded. “I’m aware of that, but I don’t think it’s time. We don’t need to rush into that yet.”
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Dimitri’s leg itched. Time for the stitches to come out. Another meeting with Claudia, and he hoped like hell he was going to be able to see her alone. Where the hell did that come from?
When he left the office and headed back down to the underground tunnels, he went right for the clinic. His mind went over the available patronus.
A patronus was a dedicated protector. They swore to die for whomever they were chosen to protect, and they took the oath with blood. If by chance one was young when it was done, it could push them into their transition, maybe even start a Crossover—if it was done with a Guardian. All of the Guardians had some ancient blood in them. They held a part of an elder and the knowledge and power from when they went through the Crossover.
Dimitri stopped a few feet inside the door of the clinic. It was quiet, eerily quiet in fact. He looked around, but all he saw was the back bathroom door slightly open.
At nearly the same instant, he picked up a faint scent of fresh blood and followed his nose, going right up to the bathroom. Not giving it much thought, he yanked the door open and before his eyes stood Claudia in front of the sink, her wrist held under the stream of scalding water. Blood poured from cut, one he thought was much too deep.
“Didn’t you do this last night?”
She jumped at the sound of his voice. The knife in her hand fell to the floor as she turned. Shock went across her face, to join with the tears and the pain visible in her eyes.
“You’re still in pain,” he stated.
“It won’t stop hurting.” She panted and sniffed. “I can’t get it to stop.”
He grabbed hold of her wrist, turned her back around, and held her close against his chest. Their gazes met in the mirror and very slowly, feeling like he was in a dream, Dimitri lifted her cut wrist to his mouth. He licked the cut, sucked it closed, holding back a moan of pleasure at the feel of her in his arms and the sweet taste of her blood.
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Pain! Oh fuck! He could feel the raw pain, hitting him in the gut like a fist would.
She suffered so
much and refused to ask for help.
Dimitri boxed her in between himself and the sink, pressing up against her backside.
An unbonded vampire could at least give her relief. “Where’s your mark?” His breathe quickened, his words sounding breathy and rushed. Just being so close to her drove him nuts with need. The desire to know where her mark was hid drove him. He wanted to see it, watch it as he drank from her. Hell, he wanted to touch it.
“I…I…I…” She shook her head, eyes opened wide, staring back at him in the mirror.
Dimitri pushed her hair over to the other side. He closed his hands around the back of her neck and shoulders gently rubbing the tense muscles. He massaged until they began to relax under his fingers, glancing down at the back of her neck, then pushing her shirt down to look on her shoulder. “Where is it?”
He couldn’t stop himself from moving his hand down the middle of her back to the curve of her rear. Claudia shivered but didn’t move. Back up to her waist, around to her stomach and up to the underside of a breast where he stopped. His cock throbbed in pain, pressing against his leather pants, demanding to be set free.
Damn she felt good in his arms, felt right pressed up against him.
His fangs extended, his heart beat pounded, matching the beat of hers. He wanted to drink from her, to feel her life slide down the back of his throat, and be nurtured by her and her alone.
He bent and sank his fangs into the junction between her shoulder and neck, locking his gaze to hers in the mirror. Claudia gasped and pressed back against him. She gripped the side of the sink so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her ass rubbed against his cock sending shards of pleasure mixed with pain down his spine to pool in his balls.
Her sweet blood flowed into his mouth, and he drank deeply. He gulped it as if it was going to be his last meal, and he wanted every taste he could get. Every last drop.
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Moving both of his hands up her chest, he cupped her breasts, squeezing the mounds, teasing the hard nipples with his thumbs. She gasped, her ass grinding back against his erection. Her hands left the sink and reached back, nails digging into his legs through the leather. Dimitri couldn’t stop himself from moving his hips, from grinding into her ass, pressing harder, trying to get just a tiny bit of relief from the pressure building up.
Doc Ivy’s voice rang out like ice water over his head. “Yes, Shadow, I know you want the bandage off, but that cracked rib still hasn’t healed.”
Dimitri stilled. He licked the wounds he’d made, closing them up, and released her breasts fast. The lust of the feed overcame him, but not his sense of what was right.
What he’d just done wasn’t right!
Claudia looked over her shoulder at him then back into the mirror. Her face was flushed, her breaths coming quickly. He licked his lips, meeting her stare, but not able to move yet. He just couldn’t bring himself to let her go. She felt like heaven in his arms, pressed up against his body.
“Why’d you do that?” She asked the question softly, her hand going up to her neck where his mouth had been just seconds ago.
“Because you needed it,” he answered simply. She opened her mouth, and he was pretty sure she was going protest in some way. He cut her off before she could say a thing. “And I wanted to. If you need it again, come find me.” For some strange ass reason, he kissed her on the neck right where he’d bitten her before turning and leaving the bathroom.
He was grateful Shadow and the doc were out of sight when he slipped from the bathroom and out of the clinic. It sure as hell would be embarrassing to have to adjust his dick in front of either of them. Fuck him if the damn thing wasn’t stone pounding to be free. It amazed him that he didn’t bust some of the seams holding the damn thing in.
* * * *
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Lucian decided to go see an old friend. Because of all the commotion involved in their departure from home and their arrival, there hadn’t been any free time. He and Tempest had been working at settling Lucan into their new home.
He found Carissa sitting on the roof of the house, flipping her butterfly knife back and forth. Once Lucian made his presence known, she paused and gave him a quick glance over her shoulder, but she didn’t move away. She immediately went back to staring out at the night and playing with her knife while he worked at not sliding down the roof to sit next to her.
“Nice view,” he said. She only nodded. “Don’t talk much anymore, huh?”
“At the end of every summer, I would sit up here to watch him leave.” Some time passed before she said more. “Each time I would be so pissed because I hadn’t told him how I felt about him.” She glanced at him with a frown. “You knew. I saw it in your eyes the one summer you came with him. You knew, but you didn’t say anything. Why?”
He shrugged. “It wasn’t my place.”
“The last time I watched him go, I said my final good-bye.” She turned back out to the night. “Now, I’m being forced to face my past.” She turned fully to Lucian, her gaze locked with his. “He’ll never forgive me for not saving her, Lucian, just like he’ll never forgive me for walking away without a word. Everything I’ve ever done has been to protect him and give Julian a life he could never have had if he’d tried to stay with me.”
She took a deep breath, obviously difficult for her to talk. “Our past makes us strong, just like the grief, but it can also destroy us. Don’t let his consume him. Remind him, he has something to live for.” She cocked her head to the side. “Times two.”
“Sometimes it isn’t enough when you have so many unanswered questions.” She nodded and looked back out. “He never stopped looking for you, not for eight years, until Ambrose demanded he go on the hunt for Renzo.”
She sighed. “And he found his bloodmate there.”
“It’s never been set in stone, Carissa, that we have only one.”
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Taking some time to think about what he said, she took a deep breath and spoke again. “You know I’m a half-breed, right?” He nodded. “I’m considered worse than a Guardian to the Nobles.” She drew her knees up to her chest, rested her chin on the arm lying across them. “Gavino Marino didn’t approve of even a friendship. He sure as fuck wouldn’t accept anything more, especially with a half-bred guardian. Shit, if he learns what Julian plans, he will burn us down to get his son back.”
He knew she was right, but he suspected there were some things about the family she didn’t know. “Julian turned his back on the Noble’s life eight years ago. When you left.”
She snorted and turned her head back. “I think he figured his father out.”
“Gavino Marino is the top and most powerful Noble. Julian is his heir. You figure the rest out.”
* * * *
Dimitri didn’t go up for dinner. He stayed in his room, pacing the floor, beating himself up for what he’d done. He shouldn’t have fed from her. That was his first mistake. To add to it all, he’d offered to do it again.
She’s the one you dipshit!
He knew it. Without a doubt, Claudia was his bloodmate. He just didn’t know what the hell he was going to do about it. He was a Guardian, a protector for the race. Each time he went out to fight, he added to the blood already on his hands, on his soul. How could he put that on her shoulders? She’d seen death when her family was killed, looked it in the eyes, when it came in the form of the breeds. Surely, she’d see death upon him each time he came back from a hunt.
That was his life with no guarantees that when he went out on a hunt he would ever return. Period! How could he bond with her knowing that at any given moment, he could leave and never come back? Hadn’t she been through enough without his adding more pain and worry to it?
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A faint knock on the door stopped him. Frowning, he didn’t have a clue as to who it might be. Carissa was more tha
n likely working out or messing with the boys, getting them ready. That left Shadow.
He rushed to the door, planning to tell Shadow to piss off. But when he yanked the door open, he was shocked to see Claudia standing in the doorway, a tray in her hands.
God, she was something to look at. He could have stood there looking at her for hours.
“Is this a bad time?” she asked, her face coloring up.
Dimitri cleared his throat and smiled. “No. Guess I’m just shocked. How’d—how’d you know I’d be in here?”
“Shadow.” She walked inside. He closed the door slowly. “I told him I wanted to bring you something to eat and remove those stitches. There’s no need for you to come to the clinic when I can do it for you in the comfort of your own quarters.” She flashed him a quick smile before putting the tray down on the small table. “I wanted to say thank you too, for earlier.”
She turned to him, face still flushed, hands going into the pockets of her jeans. Her hair was pulled back at the nape of her neck, and she wore a simple pink top with tiny buttons tucked neatly inside her waistband. While he looked her over, he thought what she needed was to be draped in silks, spread out on his bed, waiting for him to sink into her.
Where the fuck did that thought come from!
“You don’t have to thank me,” he said. “You needed the relief.”
She nodded. “I did. It’s strange. It just started a week ago. I was having to bleed myself twice a day, but when you found me in the bathroom, I don’t know.” Her cheeks got redder. “Guess I didn’t do it long enough.” She lowered her head, took a deep breath, and when she raised that chin of hers, he saw she was trying to appear all serious.
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“Anyway, I thought I’d come and take your stitches out. Since having them removed was why you went to the clinic in the first place.”
“Sounds like a good plan.” He reached down to his leg, scratching it over the leather.
“They’re driving me nuts.”
She giggled. The innocent sound warmed him.
He headed towards her and heard the faint sound of her breath catch in her lungs. He stepped closer, leaned down, and picked up one of the fried chicken legs on the plate.
Chapter One Page 6