by Brenda Trim
He fell to his knees and gently scooped her to him. Her precious face blurred from his tears as he caressed her soft cheek while he cradled her broken body. She was alive, but barely. Her pulse was sluggish and weak. “Jace, get over here. Heal her, please.” The crack in his voice displayed his weakness. He needed to be strong for her. He placed a kiss on her pale lips, and placed her in Jace’s arms. He rose to face the evil slime responsible for her capture.
Lena had backed up against the wall and was staring in obvious horror. The traitorous bitch thought she would get away with this. “You will pay for this, Lena,” he spat. Lena spun and attempted to run, but Zander was faster as he lunged and grabbed hold of her throat.
He slammed her down to the hard floor. “No, Zander. You can’t, please. You love me. We’re meant to be together.” She disgusted him with her pleading. The female had misconstrued everything that had ever happened between them. She’d never been anything more than a warm body. She meant nothing to him and he’d never said, or done anything, to give her any other impression.
His rage turned his vision red as she tried to mitigate what she had done. Not going to happen. “You’re wrong aboot that. You’ve never meant shit to me. Nothing more than a body to fuck. The Goddess created me for Elsie, and her for me. I belong to her. You will suffer for what you’ve done.”
“No, Zander, please, I did this for us. So we could be together,” Lena attempted again.
“You are pathetic and deserve everything you are going to suffer,” Zander spat. He was going to make her pay for trying to take his mate’s place.
“Zander, get over here, Elsie needs you.” Jace’s words sent ice through his veins, and stoked the fire of his rage. He didn’t have time to torture Lena, as she deserved. Elsie’s needs always came before everything.
“Join your demon in hell,” he said and with a squeeze of his hand, he ripped Lena’s head from her body, tossing it aside. He was at Elsie’s side, before Lena’s body hit the ground.
“Is she going to be, ok?” he choked out, as he knelt next to them on the floor.
Jace looked up from his mate and held his gaze. The torment he saw reflected there stopped his heart. He couldn’t breathe. “She’s in bad shape, Liege. She’s lost too much blood, I can’t heal her,” Jace told him.
His stomach hit the floor, and a hollow ache engulfed his chest. Seeing his distress, Jace quickly added, “But, you can give her your blood. It’s her best chance at survival. In fact, she’s going to need a lot of vampire blood. More than you have.”
“Will she die?” he forced himself to ask.
Jace exhaled, and reluctantly responded, “I can promise you that she’ll die within minutes, if she doesn’t receive blood.”
He gently cradled Elsie’s head in his lap. Her peaches-and-cream complexion was gray, and her normally plump, pink lips were pale, dry and cracked. Blood matted parts of her curly, brown hair. He didn’t give it a second thought and with a hiss, his fangs shot down, and he bit deeply into his wrist.
“Open her mouth, Jace.” The moment Jace parted her lips he placed his bleeding wrist over her mouth. His blood flowed freely and he prayed it would give her what she needed. The wound to his wrist healed over several times, forcing him to bite deeper into his skin. All the while, there was no response from her. Her breathing remained shallow and her heartbeat faint. Eventually, blood no longer flowed from his bite, and when he sliced into his jugular, there was nothing. Still, she remained unresponsive.
Jace had said she needed more than he had. He looked over his shoulder at his brothers. “She needs more blood. Hurry,” he yelled frantically.
As Kyran, Bhric, Nikko and Breslin raced to his side, Orlando ran into the cave, followed by Santiago, and a bloodied Hayden.
“Holy shit…” Orlando breathed.
“Kyran, take Zander’s place and open a vein now. Bhric, Nikko, and Breslin, be ready to take over when he runs dry.” Jace barked from the other side of Elsie, as he placed pressure on her wounds.
Bhric placed his pierced arm over Elsie’s lips. Zander sat beside her, holding her cold hand. She had to live. She was his whole world.
Jace placed his hand on Elsie’s neck, and turned his attention to her leg. He had belted it off, above the open fracture. “Part of the problem is she’s still losing blood. Keep pressure on her neck, Zander. If we can get this bleeding to stop, your blood will be able to heal her.”
He nodded and removed his t-shirt then pressed the fabric on his mate’s neck. He held pressure ensuring no more was lost and felt the heat of Jace’s healing touch. He held his breath as he watched Elsie’s leg heal under Jace’s touch. She wasn’t out of the woods, yet. Once Bhric had given all he could, Kyran and Nikko each proceeded to give blood to Elsie. He poured all of his love into his hold on her neck. Did he feel changes beneath his palm? Was their collective blood healing Elsie? He refused to lift his hand to see.
He buried his head in her hair, as he waited to see if Elsie survived.
*****
Cognizance returned suddenly and Elsie braced for the pain to follow. She kept still while she assessed her body and surroundings. As she took stock an intoxicating aroma hit her nose. A sliver of recognition floated through her, but drifted away, before she could grasp it.
She finally opened her eyes and looked up at a coffered ceiling. She tried to roll over on the soft mattress, only to bump into a broad, muscular chest. Zander was asleep next to her. That was the source of the delicious scent. She glanced around and wondered how she got back to Zeum.
She had been kidnapped, tortured, and had been certain she was as good as dead. Her feelings for this vampire had given her strength. She loved him with her whole, battered heart. With that one thought, her body moistened and responded. His scent added to her arousal. She had never noticed the intensity of the fragrance, before. She detected oak, musk, and an indescribable, male essence. It enveloped her and she had trouble not devouring him in his sleep.
He looked unkempt, and there were dark circles under his eyes. She could see strain in the texture of his beautifully, bronzed skin. Wait, why can I see the texture of his skin? He opened his eyes, and she lost her train of thought at the joy in his brilliant, sapphire-blue eyes. The wash of his emotions mirrored hers.
“Och, thank the Goddess!” He kissed her fervently and then drew back to stare at her again. “I was so verra worried. I thought I’d lost you. I never want to feel fear like that again. I couldna go on without you, a ghra. You are my life, my everything.” He squeezed her tight to his chest and buried his head in her neck.
“To think what you went through…and I wasna there to protect you. I will never forgive myself for that.”
She held him close, happy she was alive and with him. “It wasn’t your fault. I’m here now.” Her mouth watered. She was having trouble thinking past her thirst. “I’m thirsty. Can I get a drink, please?”
“Of course, wait here.” She watched his muscular back and ass as he stood up and went into the bathroom to get her some water. He had the finest backside she had ever seen. The view of his front was even better. His shaft lifted with awareness as she watched him. He had a beautiful body. She gulped down the water he handed her and fought to recollect everything that had happened.
She only remembered pieces of the puzzle. “I see pictures of the demon and Lena, and remember pain, but I can’t recall all the details. How am I alive? I thought I was dead,” she whispered.
He grabbed her and held her so tightly it bordered on painful. She gaped, as he told her an incredulous tale of how she had been kidnapped and how he and his warriors located and saved her. He watched her warily as she absorbed what he had said.
“How are you feeling, a ghra? Do you have any pain?”
She stretched her leg and rubbed her ribs, then threw her legs over the side of the bed. Gingerly, she tested to see if she could hold her weight. She met his eyes over her shoulder.
“I feel surprisingly g
ood given what happened. How long have I been out?” He was hot on her heels as she made her way to the bathroom. She grabbed hold of his hand and something settled at the contact. This was where she was always supposed to be. “Ugh, I need a shower. I can smell the filth. And, I’m hungry...wait, my neck.”
She twisted toward the mirror, and was astonished that she could actually see the Celtic cross, below her left ear. She fingered the intricate knots. Her eyes snapped up, as she took in the tribal design that encircled the cross. She grabbed his broad, bare shoulders and turned him around, knowing what she would find. His cross was an exact replica of hers, except that it had no circle around it.
“How can I see it? We haven’t mated. And, why doesn’t it match yours?”
“You are more realm now than human. And, it matters little that they don’t match exactly. You are mine, a ghra! The Goddess gave you to me. Nothing will change that. The circle is new, and I canna explain that, but it changes nothing. I can feel your soul right here,” he thumped his chest.
He grabbed her roughly into his arms, and brought his lips down on hers. “I need you, now. I love you so much, it hurts.” She felt the same way.
She smiled widely. “Yes. You are mine. I claimed you, and will never give you up,” she agreed whole-heartedly. “I’m so sorry for letting everything stop me from recognizing, or acting, on the feelings I had for you. I loved Dalton. I will probably always hurt when I think of him, and how I lost him. He helped shape who I am, and will always hold a special place for me. I let that keep me from loving. No more.” She cupped his face and looked deeply into his eyes.
“That used to cause great amounts of guilt, and I used my guilt as a shield, to protect me. I’ve lost so much that I couldn’t permit myself to be vulnerable to another loss. I will never do that, again. It would kill me to lose you, but nothing will stop me from giving you everything I am. You may not like everything you’re going to get, but you’re stuck with me, now. I love you,” she declared as she rose up and claimed him in a passionate kiss.
She wanted him and wasn’t going to wait anymore. She lifted her sleep-shirt over her head, and dropped it onto the tiled floor. She turned the water on, stepped into the shower, and looked back over her shoulder, with a coy smile. She yelped as he scooped her into his arms. He must not be using vampire speed, since she tracked his every move. She sighed at how he set her on fire.
“I love you, a ghra. You’re perfect.”
“I love you, too, Zander.” His lips were soft when they met hers. He set her on her feet inside the shower, but kept ahold of her hips. The warm water at her back was nothing compared to the heat he caused.
“I have to have you. I need to be inside you. Feel you. Och, Goddess, what I want to do to you…” he trailed off, as he kissed a trail down her neck, and lavished attention on her pulse point. She moaned as he picked her up and cradled her against his bare chest. She loved the feel of his body as her breasts mashed against him.
Her nipples hardened with his attention to her neck and chin. Her skin was hyper-sensitive. She dropped her head back as he continued to lick and suck his way across her throat. His lips met her mouth again, and then kissed their way across her face, while he held her bottom tightly. She locked her legs around his waist and was one shift away from impaling herself on his thick shaft. Control, she needed control. She inhaled his heavenly scent and was completely lost.
There would be no going slow.
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
Zander was reeling. His mate was alive, she loved him, and he was finally going to make love to her. Life didn’t get much better. He gripped her bottom, knowing her intentions. He refused to pound her against the tile wall their first time together. He hoped she didn’t beg him because he had no will-power where she was concerned. “Let me wash you, and then I’m going to take you to bed.”
“I don’t want to wait. I need you, now,” she said against his lips.
He reared back and perused her face. Her eyes were heavy-lidded, her lips swollen from his kisses and her nipples puckered. Slow. He wanted to make love to her slowly.
“I have waited so long to hear you say that, but this time, I must make slow, sweet love to you. There will be a time for fast and furious later.” He regrettably unlocked her legs, and set her down. Claiming her lips in another kiss, he reached for the shampoo. He lathered her hair and rinsed it, before shifting his attention to her body. He soaped and worshipped her breasts, paying special attention to her pert, pink nipples. Her moans turned desperate. He felt teeth scrape his nipple, and electricity heated his blood. When she sucked his nipple into her mouth, he locked his jaw. Do not pound her into the tile, he scolded himself.
His shaking hands slipped down her abdomen, and slid into heaven. Her core was hot, wet and dripping. His finger teased her sensitive bundle of nerves, and halted at her opening. He turned to shut off the water. He couldn’t wait any longer. Not bothering to stop and dry off, he scooped her up, and placed her legs around his waist.
She moaned and writhed against him, sliding deliciously up and down his length. That small amount of friction had his balls drawing up tight, and that telltale tingle set up residence in his spine. Not yet, he gritted his teeth and staved off his orgasm.
“As much as it will hurt to stop, I need to hear you say you want to finish what we seem to keep starting.”
She drew in a ragged breath. “Yes, I need you. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything. Make me yours.”
He closed his eyes, savoring her words. He set her back on the bed, and took in the splendor of her. “Goddess, there isna a more beautiful sight.” He wanted her body and her blood. He’d drained himself when he gave her blood, and hadn’t replenished what was lost. He was suddenly ravenous. Dizziness assailed him with thoughts of taking her vein while he took her body.
“I have waited so long for you. Over seven centuries. I can hardly believe this is happening. My life truly began the moment I saw you.” He slid his fingers down her hot, wet core.
She moaned, then sat up and licked his nipple, sucking it into her mouth, and then grabbed the base of his erection. He shook with his need for her. It worsened when a flood of wetness met his fingers.
“Stop, a ghra. You’re going to unman me. But, Goddess, you’re so ready for me.”
“I want you to lose control. Mmmm, baby, you feel so good.”
He lowered his head and licked one nipple for several minutes, and then the other, taking his time, causing her to writhe in his arms, as he nipped them with his fangs. He stopped to admire his work, his breaths heating the wet peaks. He gripped her hand, stilling its movement on his shaft.
“I could look at you for centuries, and never get enough.”
He stopped her when she reached for him again. If she touched him, at that moment, he would lose all control and take her like an animal. He ran his hands up her arms and stretched them above her head. “Keep your hands where they are. I want to explore your body.”
He trailed his hands down her chest, worked her nipples between his thumb and forefinger, sucking and licking them. He marveled at how responsive she was to his slightest touch. It was obvious that she liked his teeth on her nipples. What about his fangs? He sank them into her left breast and she detonated in his arms. He took some of her blood as he lost his seed on the bedding. They both shook from head to toe, but he didn’t pause in his ministrations. His cock remained hard as steel and wanting more.
He toured her abdomen, on his way down. His tongue dipped into her belly button, causing her to giggle. “That tickles, oh…yes, right there. I ache for you.” He smiled at her demands, and eased his fingers into her, and cursed in Gaelic at how wet and aroused she was.
“Your honey is delicious,” he whispered, as he licked his finger. She tasted so sweet.
“Yours,” she reassured him. He slid his body against hers, continuing the magic of his fingers, between her legs. Her hips lifted and she ground against his hand. He quick
ened the speed of his fingers, while he settled his body on top of hers, needing more physical contact. She was a wanton creature, and he had to have her.
*****
Her hips had a mind of their own. She wasn’t sure how he had her so close again, but she was ready to beg for release. She loved the feel of his strength against her and gasped when his erection nudged her aching core.
“Och, a ghra, you drive me wild.” His cock gliding over the nub in her slick channel, replaced his hand. His fangs pierced the flesh around her right nipple. Pleasure exploded through her core. Stars burst behind her eyelids, as she instantly climaxed.
“Oh, fu…” She lost the ability to respond, as he drew her blood. Removing his fangs, he licked her nipple one last time, before moving down her stomach. Wave, after cresting wave of pleasure, crashed through her and she felt his body shake and heard his groans of release. She would never be the same. She had never truly experienced ecstasy, until that moment.
“You’re the most beautiful creature when you orgasm. You roar, like a lioness. It’s my new favorite sound.” He grabbed the sheet, and wiped his seed from her belly. She was surprised at how little control she seemed to have with him. She felt a freedom and exhilaration she never knew possible. She wanted more and was thrilled that vampires needed no recovery time.
“You’re the king of my jungle. And, what those fangs can do. I’m officially addicted to your bite. I have to confess, I’m a bit concerned. I mean, look at your size. What if you don’t fit? I ache to have you inside me, Zander.”
He licked and nipped around her belly button. “I’m no’ done exploring, my wee lioness. We were made for each other. We will fit together, perfectly.”