Lure of the Blood

by Doris O'Connor

  Bile rose in her throat and her hand went to the marks on her neck of her own accord as fury replaced her fear. If he thought he could just waltz in here, putting Ion’s pack in danger… They had families, damn it, and she was not going to stand by and let anyone else get hurt because of her and her misguided and foolish attraction to the vampire. None of it had been real anyway. If he could make her forget witnessing something so brutal, what’s to say he’d not also put her attraction to him into her mind?

  Rounding the corner, her heart slammed into her ribs. The wolves had formed a semicircle around Ion and Lucas. The two men swirled around each other slowly, heads down, eyes locked, the air thick with tension. She knew Ion well enough by now to realise the tight control he had on himself, the only visible sign of his wolf, the claws slowly extending from his hands as she watched. Lucas’ hands formed into claws at the same time, the smile on his face making her blood freeze. Slightly taller than Ion, he was not as muscular as the shifter, but he moved with the same graceful balance, his attention never once wavering, even as his accented voice addressed her.

  “Come to join the party, chere? Or could you just not resist me?”

  Ion’s eyes briefly connected with hers at the drawled words, a move which cost him dearly, as Lucas lunged, slicing through Ion’s t-shirt as though it was butter, exposing muscles and tendons. Marnie shrieked at the bright red stain of blood that spread all down Ion’s front, her instinctive move forward blocked by a wolf, which shifted into Jenkins, who pulled her back and out of the way.

  “No, Miss Marnie, this isn’t your fight.”

  The hell it wasn’t, but no matter how much she struggled, Jenkins’ grip on her did not waver and several other wolves surrounded them, their teeth bared, snarling at the unfolding scene. Why the hell did they not interfere? Ion was injured, damn it––he was no match for Lucas in this state. But even as she thought that, Ion pulled himself upwards. Marnie held her breath as the air shimmered around him. With a ferocious growl, a huge greyish-brown wolf leaped at Lucas. The vampire managed to dodge him, the sneer on his face sickening as he whirled around, ready to face Ion’s wolf again. Again the wolf leaped, his teeth snapping air, as he missed Lucas’ arm by a hair width. The sickening dance continued, both dodging and weaving, until Ion managed to sink his teeth into the vampire’s leg and they proceeded to roll around the floor. It was hard to tell who was who, and Jenkins moved Marnie out of the way several times, whilst the two opponents continued their violent struggles, the air full of growls and sickening snarls. Ion’s wounds were bleeding heavily and Lucas too seemed to be weakening, when suddenly Ion had him pinned by the throat, one huge paw slicing open the vampire’s side. The sound of claws slicing through flesh and the stench of blood made Marnie gag. She had to stop this insanity now. Jenkins, caught up in the excitement of Ion’s impending victory, had loosened his hold on her. With a quick stamp on his instep and sharp elbow to his solar plexus, Marnie shook him off. She jumped over the wolf closest to her, desperate to get to Ion and to stop him as he raised another paw, claws poised for the kill.

  “Ion, no, don’t!”

  ****

  Marnie’s terrified shout got through the blood mists of anger clouding Ion’s vision and he hesitated just long enough for Lucas to bring one powerful arm up and side-swipe him. He rolled off with a yelp, as he fell on his injured side, his blood boiling at the sight of Marnie leaning over Lucas, defending him from his pack. Ion called the advancing wolves back with a low growl and reined his own beast back under control with sheer will, as he shifted back to his human form. He couldn’t give his wolf free reign right now. Seeing Marnie in Lucas’ arms made him want to howl his frustration to the moon and tear the vampire to pieces.

  “So, you’ve made your choice, then. You choose him?”

  He was so fucking choked up, his voice was barely a croak and he shut his eyes in disgust at his own weakness, made worse by Lucas’ knowing chuckle.

  He ordered the pack to disperse and made to turn away himself, not wishing to see the reunion in front of him––in his fucking territory, no less––when a small hand on his injured side stopped him. The rip of cloth followed by pressure against his side had his wolf yip in pain and he was stunned to see Marnie looking up at him, her expressive eyes shimmering in tears.

  Had it not been for his shifter hearing, he would have missed her whispered denial.

  “I’m not choosing Lucas, you big hairy idiot. I just don’t want anyone else killed on my behalf.”

  Before his foggy brain could process that, Lucas’ soft laughs made the little human whip round and advance on the vampire. Every line of her body screamed her fury, and Ion watched in stunned disbelief when she poked Lucas in the chest repeatedly.

  “And you, you bloodsucking leech. If you ever thought I would choose you after what you coerced me into, you need your brain examined. I thought I made myself perfectly clear the last time. Now, fuck off the pack’s land and leave them alone. How dare you come here and start a fight. This is a family, for god’s sake, they all have children and you come here and…”

  “Chere, I came here…”

  “I.am.not.your.chere! Got that? And I don’t want to know why you came here, all I want to see is you buggering off where you came from and leaving us alone.”

  The ancient vamp’s amused laugh set Ion’s teeth on edge, whilst Marnie’s exasperated growl in response made his wolf yip in approval. Damn, she had spunk for a human. And that growl, if he didn’t know better he’d have thought there was wolf somewhere in her bloodline. But that was impossible. He would have sensed it.

  Lucas blocked the incoming slap to his face and spinning her around shoved her into Ion’s side hard enough for her to gasp in pain. Her hands connected with his shoulders in an attempt to steady herself and his skin burned where she touched him, every part of him aware of her feminine curves, fitting against him. Her scent enveloped him, calling him home and he knew his growled voice was barely human.

  “You heard her, Lucas, get the fuck out of my territory.”

  Marnie’s eyes widened, the pupils dilating as she too fell under the spell of the moon, their close proximity evoked. Ion drank in the scent of her arousal, as her breath hitched and her heart rate matched his own.

  “I can see I picked the wrong time for our talk, but you can’t protect her from this, Ion. I’ll be back when you’ve gotten this out of your system.” Lucas hesitated for a second longer, his expression wistful, his wounds already healing. With a blur of air, he was gone.

  “Let’s get you inside, little one, you’re frozen again.”

  Her protest was immediate and loud. “Never mind me, you’re hurt and you’re naked and…” The blush staining her cheeks when it dawned on her that he was indeed in his birthday suit made his cock roar to life and she tried to pull away.

  “Ion, you’re hurt and…”

  “And what, little one? Surely you’ve seen a naked man before now? It’s just a scratch. I’ve had far worse. Right now, this,” and he gestured to his cock, his voice dropping of its own accord, “hurts far more. Know of a way to make it better, my sweet?”

  Startled eyes connected with his and he held himself very still, waiting for her response. Every cell in his body ached to hold her, to possess, to brand her as his and his alone. To burn away the images of her and Lucas, to make her scream her surrender to him, to placate his wolf. She couldn’t be his mate, but fuck, he wanted her with an all-consuming need that had little to do with the moon and everything with the woman in his arms. She shivered against him, when he sniffed her neck and when he licked the damnable marks there; she sagged against him with a moan of surrender. His wolf’s howl of victory echoed through the stillness and she jumped in his arms, before snuggling in closer, her breath cool on his heated skin.

  “Ion?”

  “Yes, little one?” He looked down into eyes the colour of molten dark chocolate, mesmerised by the tentative smile on her face, which showed t
he dimples in her cheeks and made him want to lick her all over until she moaned in pleasure. She would taste divine, he was sure, his wolf almost salivating at the thought as the ache in his balls became unbearable. He couldn’t ever recall wanting a woman with such ferocious need that shattered all self-control and went beyond all reason.

  “I do know a way to make it better.”

  He felt himself harden even more at those whispered words and not wanting to waste one more precious minute, he picked her up with a muttered curse. For the second time that day he carried his precious bundle up to his bedroom, the answering howls of his pack ringing in his ears, but this time he was going to make damn sure to claim what was his.

  Chapter Eleven

  Marnie closed her eyes, letting Ion’s scent wash over her, soothing the horrific images she had witnessed. Worry over his injuries warred with the awareness of him on every level as his hard body surrounded her. He had to hurt, and no matter what he said, she would make sure to get a look at that side. Pressing the torn hem of her dress to the wound had stemmed the flow of blood. But he was no vampire, he couldn’t heal that fast, and it wasn’t just a scratch either. She would have to persuade him somehow to take it easy once they got upstairs.

  Yeah, you try that, girl. A ruthless determination emanated from the man carrying her up the stairs, three at a time, as easily as though she weighed no more than a feather. His heartbeat thundered in her ear as erratically as her own and his arms tightened around her, when she wriggled closer into the warmth of his skin, not able to stop her instinctive need to lick his chest.

  The scent and very essence of Ion exploded on her tongue. Need slamming into her, all thoughts of injuries fled her befuddled brain, when Ion pinned her against the wall, the minute they reached the safety of the bedroom.

  He slid her down his naked body with infinite slowness and they groaned in unison when his rock-hard erection made brief contact with her groin on the way down. Marnie couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. She was locked in the prison of Ion’s arms, every cell in her body craving his touch. Her knees buckled when he sniffed her neck, inhaling deeply. One of his thighs, between her legs, stopped her descent and his wolf’s grumble vibrated through her, causing more moisture to seep through her soaked thong. He had to feel that! Heat rose in her cheeks, even as his cock seemed to grow bigger still, a hard shaft against her belly, setting her skin alight where it touched through the thin barrier of her summer dress.

  Ion’s barely controlled growl in her ear was the most arousing sound she had ever heard. His delicious scent intensifying around her, she didn’t even try to stop the needy moan escaping on a shuddery breath of air.

  “Ion, please.”

  “What, little one?”

  The rasp of his rough tongue along her sensitive neck stopped Marnie from being able to respond at all, as the friction his tongue created sent sparks of electricity dancing across her body. Every lick along her fevered skin pitched her arousal higher, until the whole world was centred on the next trail of friction along her jaw. Her hips moved of their own accord, grinding her core into Ion’s roughened thigh, until the iron grip of his hands on her hips stopped her.

  “Easy, little one. This will be so much better if we go slowly. I want to taste every inch of you, drink your cream and make you come again and again against my tongue and then, only then, my sweet will you feel my cock so deep inside you, you will never want to leave me.”

  The hands on her hips softened, as Marnie froze. Shivers of excitement or fear or both, she couldn’t be quite sure which, danced along her spine at the images those growled words created. Her hands clung to his shoulders and she lost herself in his predatory smile, when she risked a glance up at his face. The eyes of his wolf were looking down on her and he crowded her further against the wall. Her breasts flattened against his chest and his thigh moved sinuously against her core.

  “So wet, my little one. Tell me, is this bounty all for me?”

  A renewed surge of moisture was his answer and his eyes darkened further. She could feel his claws slowly dragging along her sides as his hands wandered to her neck and he pulled back slightly, one hand cupping her breast through the fabric of her dress, whilst his head lowered and Marnie’s eyes fluttered closed in anticipation of his invasion.

  The gentleness of the kiss that followed took her breath away. Not the harsh invasion she had been expecting, but a tender seduction of lips and teeth, coaxing her to open on a sigh. Ion slipped into that moan, his tongue exploring every part of her mouth with agonising slowness, whilst his hand on her nipple rubbed and teased, every roll sending shards of pure pleasure between her thighs. Desperate to take the kiss deeper, her tongue sought his, but every time she tried he withdrew with a muttered growl, shaking his head and the hand on her breast stopped its intimate massage.

  “I told you, we’re taking this slow, little one. I have no wish to hurt you.”

  “You won’t hurt me, Ion. Please, I need you.”

  Something hot and dangerous flashed across his face at her whispered plea, the grip on her tightening for an instant. He smiled, the fangs of his wolf clearly visible, and Marnie held her breath at the struggle she sensed in him. The hand on her breast gripped the front of her dress and with one quick flick of his sharp claws the dress ripped, exposing her to his hungry gaze from the waist down. She sucked in her tummy on a shuddered moan as those menacing claws ran a trail over the soft skin of her abdomen, skimming the top of her thong with a feather touch, before he withdrew his claws and his fingers dipped under the elastic. His thigh spread her wider, as his fingers hovered over her clit and he resumed the kiss, his raspy tongue duelling with hers, until she thought she was going to dissolve into a sodden mess of drool and need.

  His breathing was as heavy as hers when he finally pulled back, his eyes glowing in the darkness of the room.

  “What makes you so sure I won’t hurt you. You’re such a little thing. You have no idea what my wolf could do to you.”

  Marnie couldn’t breathe under the intensity of his fevered gaze. Of course she knew what he could do. Had she not seen his wolf in action mere minutes ago, about to rip Lucas to shreds? Terror slammed into her anew, not at Ion’s wolf, but at what could have happened to him, and she bit her lip so hard she could taste her own blood.

  Ion released her with a muffled curse, all traces of his wolf gone. The flash of pain she saw in his eyes, before he turned his back on her, sliced straight through her heart.

  “Good, I knew you’d come to your senses.”

  ****

  Fuck, that hurt. What had he been thinking? She was human, dammit. Of course she would freak at the reminder of his wolf. She had barely recovered from the mauling she had received at the hands of Lucas, witnessed his wolf at his most ferocious and now he’d almost taken her against the wall as though she was one of his unmated females in heat.

  She deserved a soft bed and flowers and romance, not the harsh reality of life with a shifter, who could not control his baser instincts at the sight of the moon and the scent of an aroused female. No matter how aroused she was, he would hurt her; his wolf would take over. She wasn’t made for the rough sex the wolves favoured.

  He had to get away, as far away as he could to keep her safe. Her scent still called him on the most primal level and he didn’t sense fear from her anymore, but empathy? What the fuck? The small hands around his waist brought his wolf back to the forefront and Ion shuddered when he felt Marnie lick his back, her small teeth nipping along his shoulder blades as her hands dipped lower, skimming along his cock. Dear God, what did she think she was doing? She had no idea how close he was to losing control.

  As if sensing his struggles she froze, her rapid breath hot on his back. But instead of withdrawing, as any sensible woman ought to, she pressed her breasts into his back. At some point she must have taken off that wisp of a bra, because those heavy globes were warm and inviting against his bare back, the nipples as hard as his ever growi
ng cock as she rubbed them slowly up and down his back, her soft moans driving his wolf into a frenzy. His mouth watered and his jaws ached with the sheer willpower it took to not turn around and take those lush nipples into his mouth and suckle her into climax. The scent of her juices invaded him anew; she would be so wet and sweet and responsive, as though made for him.

  “Marnie, you have no idea who you’re raising here.” The growled warning meant to stop her, but she simply laughed, the husky tones wrapping him in a warm cocoon of sensual awareness at the same time as her hand closed around his cock and his inner wolf howled in surrender.

  The feeling of her hand on his heated flesh pushed him over the edge and into insanity as she stepped round him fully. Her soft mass of hair tumbled freely down her back, a few strands settling between her breasts. He could clearly see the spots of blood on her lip, where she had bitten down earlier, and he growled low in his throat. Her grip on his cock increased and she moved her hand up and down his shaft slowly, her eyes full of desire and need, connecting with his.

  “I don’t want slow and I’m not afraid of your big, bad wolf, Ion. I want you, now, inside me. I want all of you. Do you hear me? You would never hurt me, no matter what you think in that stupid, furry brain of yours and I am not made of glass! I won’t break and I won’t throw myself under a train, just because your wolf comes out to play.”