Ascend (The Vampire Destiny Series Book #4)

by Alexandra Anthony

  “You have my word. I won’t use my shield in front of humans or vampires and I’ll let you restrain me if I lose it. Please, I want to see them. I want to see them so we can have some time to ourselves.” I pleaded softly. I hated to beg, but my body and my mind were at war, each wanting the same thing and both equally annoyed because they were being denied of what they wanted: Stefan…and Stefan naked in our bed.

  “Go.”

  His soft mental command made me reach for the doorknob once again. My free hand tightened on his out of reflex as I pulled the door open and I stuck my head out the door into the hallway, surprised to see weak sunlight spilling through the large windows. I’d totally lost track of time and had no idea what time it was, let alone the day. I held my breath, not trusting myself to breathe in the one thing that I knew I’d want more than anything.

  Blood.

  Stefan followed closely behind me as I crept down the hallway. All conversation from the other room had quickly ground to a halt as they heard my hesitant approach and awaited my appearance. I glanced over my shoulder and exchanged a smile with Stefan. His rugged face was filled with encouragement, love…and trust. Feeling his rush of confidence through the bond gave me the courage to let down my guard and inhale a deep breath, waiting for the allure of Nikolaus’ blood to overtake me. Bracing myself, my spine stiffened and my eyes clenched shut as I waited to lose control.

  Exhaling softly, I felt no wild blood lust. Sniffing softly, each of their unique scents blended together in the spacious room. And I could hear the wet thump of Nikolaus’ heart as I stood on the other side of the room. While tempting, it was manageable. I cleared my throat and opened my eyes, glancing around the room at the people that I valued above all others. All of their eyes watched me expectantly, waiting for me to address them. Lukas seemed the most excited. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, his icy blue eyes glittering.

  I did my best to swallow my nervousness and try for nonchalance. “Don’t you all have something else better to do?”

  They all seemed to move at once, moving quickly to embrace me. Their sudden movements frightened me and instinctively, I crouched defensively and felt my fangs drop for the very first time.

  The emergence of my fangs was the tension breaker and distraction I needed. I was suddenly fascinated with the razor sharp teeth, running my tongue over the long, needle like points. Only Nikolaus had the presence of mind to step back, pulling Anna with him as he gave me the space to let me gather myself.

  “Ah, your fangs. Let me see you.” Stefan blurred to stand before me, urging my mouth open. His thumb brushed over my lips, softly stroking the plump flesh until they parted. His index finger traced over each fang, causing a hot flood of need to unleash deep in my stomach. “Beautiful.”

  “Biased.” I shot back, innocently letting my tongue flicker out to playfully lick his lingering fingertip.

  Lukas seized the opportunity and stepped to Stefan’s side. His perceptive eyes appraised me as they always did, his head cocking from side to side. He pursed his lips and nodded happily. “Awake for less than an hour and you’re already like rabbits. Typical. Someone should write a smutty romance book about the two of you. It would all be sex though since you’re obviously unable to control yourselves.” His fisted hands rested on his waist and he tapped his foot impatiently. “Tell me Mr. Romance showed you what you looked like. He gave you a few minutes with a mirror, right?”

  “A mirror?” I repeated, looking between Stefan and Lukas curiously. “Why would I need time with a mirror? I know what I look like.”

  Lukas sighed heavily. He shook his head and his eyes went skyward in bored exasperation. “Hello…you’re a vampire now. You still look like Josie, but it’s a much-improved version. You need to see this…”

  Lukas grabbed at my hand, attempting to tug me along with him. Normally, he was much stronger than me and I had no choice but to follow. But now…now I could hold my own with any of them. A smug grin settled over my face as Lukas lost a winning fight to drag me away.

  “I think the days of you dragging me around are over, Lukas,” I advised, arching an eyebrow at him. Mumbling under his breath, he walked across the room and plopped on the couch, his arms stiffly crossed under his chest.

  Anna and Nikolaus stood back against the wall, cautiously watching me. Neither had made a move to approach me, giving the opportunity to face them when I was ready.

  My gaze landed on my brother’s face first. His emerald eyes were guarded, but his steady heartbeat let me know he wasn’t afraid of me. He was simply waiting for my acceptance, knowing I needed my space and didn’t want to intrude until I was prepared and willing.

  Jutting my chin, I opened my arms wide enough for both Anna and Nikolaus. “I know you both want to do it. Let’s get this over with so we’re not hugging all night.”

  They both wrapped their arms around me at the same time. My head rested at the base of my brother’s throat, his pulse strumming strongly against me. I could smell his warm blood, coursing through his veins temptingly. I realized sooner than later, I’d need to feed. But it wouldn’t be on my brother.

  As if he’d read my mind, his grip on me only increased, leaning to whisper in my ear. “You won’t hurt me, Josie.”

  I nodded and hugged him back for a moment. Not wanting to press my luck, I pulled away and let Anna pull me closer. “I was so worried. Don’t do that to me again.”

  Laughing softly, I squeezed her and playfully nudged her with my shoulder. “Anna. You’re not going soft on me are you?”

  She huffed and tossed her brown curls over her shoulder. “You were out for three days, Josie. Stefan couldn’t feel you in your bond. You were in pain…” Her voice faded out and she shuddered.

  “Three days? I was out for three days?” I looked around the room to each of them. My eyes met Stefan’s steady gaze. His blue eyes looked haunted and the still fragile bond between us ached with its need to reconnect. “That explains so much. Now I understand why you were worried.”

  “I was never worried, Josie. You always have to be difficult.” Lukas retorted sarcastically. He examined his nails and shook his head dramatically. “Why would your change to a vampire be any different?”

  “Enough.” Stefan’s voice thundered through the room. He walked to the door and opened it, his patience and his self-control frayed. “Tomorrow, we have much to discuss. There are decisions to be made that require planning. But for now, I need to be with Josephine. As you can see, she is fine. She needs to feed and there are things we need to discuss.”

  For a moment, no one moved. Everyone was surprised by Stefan’s sudden outburst. Once again, it was Nikolaus that had the presence of mind to tug at Anna’s hand and slap Lukas on the back of his head. They each stopped and hugged me goodbye as they filed out of the apartment. Stefan slammed the door shut behind them and pressed his hand against the heavy wood, swallowing and breathing heavily. I stood motionless, watching as his shoulders moved with the effort of his ragged breathing.

  When his eyes swung over and connected with mine, I could feel his desire as strongly as if it was my own. His fathomless stare seemed to pin me in place and leave me vulnerable as if his eyes alone could strip me naked.

  His voice was raspy and guttural. “I have had enough of making small talk. You need to feed. And then…and then I need to fuck you.”

  Chapter 2 - Bloodlust

  Stefan strode through the room, disappearing into the kitchen. Unsure of what to do with myself, I wandered to the floor to ceiling windows and pressed myself against the cool glass in the living room, staring into the city that was just out of reach. Life went on around me: cars passing by and people dodging through the traffic on the street below. My new eyes could see the smallest detail; pick out the slightest flaw. I could see the tiny cracks in the sidewalk from this much higher vantage point. More sensitive to the sunlight than before, I found myself squinting at the weak beams of fading light from the evening sun filling the
large windows. My open palm slapped against the glass in frustration. I felt out of control, my emotions fluctuating from confusion, to curiosity to extreme arousal. My forehead fell against the glass, overwhelmed at the warring sensations building inside of me.

  I jumped when two massive arms wrapped around me, pulling me back against his chest. His head lowered to leave a blazing trail of kisses down my neck. Shivering from his touch, one arm reached up to bury my fingers in his soft blond hair at the nape of his neck. His thoughts were cautious, bordering on worry. He'd felt my rapidly fluctuating moods and simply reacted to pacify me, attempting to temper his mood to accommodate me. My change, while expected, had happened so quickly even he hadn’t had time to prepare. He was out if his element, and Stefan didn’t like to be out of control. He hadn't predicted or seen the change. He was anxious to reconnect, our bond screaming out for one another.

  "What is it they say? A penny for your thoughts?" The deep timbre of his voice had surprised me. Nestling deeper in his arms, I closed my eyes against the burning tears that threatened to spill over.

  I couldn't slow my mind down enough to focus on one thought. I was worried about bloodlust, Stefan's own brush with death, my father...the worry of our growing bond. I was almost immobilized when our bond was severed. How could we ever be apart?

  His hold on me tightened as he read my frazzled thoughts. A rush of strength flooded through me, his own assurance bolstering my flagging spirits.

  His lips tickled my ear. "It will work itself out, Josephine. I will not let you fail. You are stronger than you think."

  He always knew what to say. Twisting in his arms, my fingers caressed the planes of his face. I was still amazed as I took him in, so much more beautiful than my human eyes had ever been able to perceive. His deep-set sea blue eyes twinkled brightly, his prominently arched cheekbones standing out sharply only to taper to his strong, chiseled jawline. Light sandy blond stubble darkened his face, tickling my fingertips.

  He captured my hand in his and brought them to his lips. His warm breath was ragged against my skin as he kissed each finger softly.

  I closed my eyes as his mouth ghosted over my skin. "Your strength is the only thing holding me together right now. I feel so much more than before. It's..."

  "Overwhelming? Frustrating? I have been there before. It will get easier. You are hours old." Stefan finished reassuringly. "Come."

  He tugged at my hand and led me into the kitchen. As soon as I stepped away from the window, my throat was on fire. The most alluring smell filled my nose, my mouth almost watering as I inhaled the intoxicating elixir. My mind began to shut down, instinct threatening to take over.

  Blood. It was all my mind could think about. I wanted it...I needed it. I began to pull at Stefan’s hand, struggling weakly against the much stronger vampire.

  The one time I thought I might be able to match him in physical strength and I still came up short. Figures.

  "Enough. Focus." His mental voice was sharp and was like a much-needed slap across the face. I stood with my mouth gaping, wide-eyed and cautious. He pulled me to a sudden stop and his hands rested heavily on my shoulders. My eyes skittered to his face. His expression was soft, a contradiction to his harsh mental command.

  "I know it is difficult, Josephine. Your mind is fragmented and it is difficult to concentrate on the smallest of things. You must focus. Learn how to control your urges. Direct it as you do your shield."

  Nodding quickly, I remembered my old trick of pretending to bring a curtain down over my mind, instead directing it to my sense of smell. Once shielded from the temptation, my mind cleared and my mood settled. I licked my dry lips anxiously. "It’s much better. I'm ready."

  His lips curled into a proud smile as we resumed our trip to the kitchen, his hand firmly holding mine. I swallowed roughly as I noticed the large glass sitting on the counter, my fingers tightening around his. My sense of smell was closed, but my mouth still watered as I imagined the soothing liquid rushing over my parched throat. When our eyes met, his eyes were pitch black and I’m sure mine was as dark as his.

  “Fuck," he suddenly hissed, his eyes squeezing shut as he rocked back on his heels. His golden hair fell forward as his lips brushed across my cheek. "I vowed to be strong for you and keep my desire in check until you were ready. But I find watching you like this makes me want you, Josephine...in ways I can't even articulate. You must feed first."

  The carnal cadence to his voice made me want to fall to my knees. I knew that tone, and despite the fact that we were literally unbreakable as immortals, I had a feeling that walking the next day was going to be difficult.

  "A goal I would love to achieve," he teased, shifting me until I was between him and the counter. "Drink," he purred against my shoulder as his nose traced along my skin and up to my ear at the same time, his hands guided me closer to the cup filled with warm blood.

  His chest grazed my skin as I shakily lifted the glass to my mouth. Closing my eyes, I drank deeply, my eyes rolling back at the taste of the blood and the sensation of Stefan's never-ending caresses that ran a circuit over both breasts, down my stomach, across my ass, and along my spine. When he reached my yoga pants, strong fingers gripped the waistband, tugging them down to my knees along with my panties.

  His hands moved between us. I heard the rustle of denim, the tug of the metal zipper and finally, the sound of his jeans falling to the floor. He parted my thighs and I felt his cock slip between my legs as my back came into contact with his hard chest. Two flexing, strong arms braced on either side of me, but it was the voice in my ear that caused me to lose all reason. The rational Stefan and Josephine were gone, only to be replaced with mated predators that just couldn't get enough: enough blood, enough of each other, enough of anything. We were beyond conscious thought and reason.

  "Drink. Drink all of it." I heard his command in my ear just before teeth nipped at my earlobe. "Take it all and then I am going to fuck you. Just like this."

  His words were like waving a red flag in front of a bull. The appeal of blood forgotten, my head fell back as a keening moan escaped my lips. When his cock slipped into me and he was buried to the hilt, my mouth broke away from the rim of the cup to cry out in pure pleasure. It slipped from my fingers, shattering to pieces in the basin of the sink.

  “Josephine,” he growled, his forehead falling to my shoulder. He ignored the broken, bloody glass in the sink as I felt my t-shirt being ripped from my body, leaving me naked against him. "I do not tell you enough how much I adore you." Teeth scraped against my shoulder blade as his breath came out in hot bursts across my skin. "I love that you are mine in every way. And now that you are indestructible you are perfect..."

  I moved back to meet his thrusts, my answering cry echoing in the apartment around us. The loving vampire I knew had taken a backseat to this untamed version of himself. And if his thoughts were any indication, he wasn't going to hold back anymore.

  His fingers linked with mine, but his other hand tugged at my hair, holding my neck back so that he could thrust deeper and deeper into me. He filled me over and over, his mouth leaving stinging kisses along my back and shoulders. When he finally let go of my hair, he pushed gently on my back until I was bent over the countertop. My breasts pressed against the cold granite, causing another gasp to fall from my lips.

  With the blood gone, strength surged through me...I'd never felt so alive, or more powerful. If I thought my desire for Stefan had been intense before, what I felt now made my previous feelings seem weak in comparison. Every part of me wanted more, needed more...craved more.

  Our minds merged, the overwhelming feeling of being one connected us in new ways I never thought possible. His blood now ran through my veins along with my own, and I could feel him in every part of my being. We were one in every way.

  Stefan released my hand and spread me open wider, thrusting deep within me with a swivel of his hips. Smiling wickedly, I met each of them with vigor. The sound of our immortal bodi
es meeting filled the room, along with our animalistic grunts and moans. His fingers could play me better than any instrument, bringing me to the peak of bliss. He'd then slow down, plunging harder, and then start all over again. It was a torturous dance of desire, each time bringing me closer and closer to release.

  With one hand, his talented thumb swirled over my clit and my other entrance, while his calloused fingertips skated down my spine, and his palms slapped at my skin just to make it that much more sensitive, leaving it stinging and needy. My climax came out of nowhere; hitting me hard and making my eyes burn with the need to shed tears.

  Suddenly, I was pulled away from the counter. We fell in a tangled heap of arms and legs, sprawled across the kitchen floor. Not even close to being sated, I moved quickly, straddling his lap and slowly lowering myself over his hard cock. My back met the muscles of his strong chest as he sat up against me. He wasted no time in moving me to ride him slowly.

  "Come again, älskare," he whispered in my ear as his fingers slipped teasingly down my stomach, swirling across my hipbone. "When your pussy grips me like this, it is telling me it never wants me to leave..."

  Moaning wantonly in response was all I could manage as my hips worked over him. It was slow, graceful, and more grinding than riding, but already his touch was winding the coil in my stomach tightly. The combination of his teeth on my neck, his hand cupping my breast, and his long fingers circling my clit sent me over the edge one more glorious time. A million lights lit up behind my eyes and the scream that I unleashed sounded wild and animalistic.

  "Min gudinna," he praised, giving a growl when my hand reached back to weave into the silk of his blond hair once again. I wasn’t finished with him yet.