Maya reached behind herself and grabbed the edge of the table, staring up at the blue sky flickering across the ceiling. Her body was taut with desire and anticipation.
Shane leaned down, placed both hands on either side of her shivering body, and flicked one of her nipples with his tongue, sending a wicked lick of fire over her flesh. The tip of his erection brushed over her swollen entrance, teasing and tempting her. She arched her back and wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him closer still.
Not yet, youngling. His mind touched hers with an erotic whisper while he kissed and licked his way down her belly. Shane dropped to his knees and wrapped his strong arms around her thighs, opening her to him even further. He kissed the tender flesh of her inner thigh. It seems you need more convincing, and I don’t want to leave any doubt in your mind about how real this is.
Maya was about to respond when Shane’s talented tongue found her most sensitive spot and stroked. He licked and suckled her clit, sending wave after wave of carnal heat thundering through her body, making Maya scream. His arms clamped over her legs, holding her there while he continued his wickedly erotic assault. The tension of the orgasm crested brightly, and just when she thought she’d explode, Shane rose to his feet and buried himself deep inside her.
Maya’s fangs erupted with the surge of primal need. Sitting up, she wrapped her arms around him as he pounded into her time and again. Tilting her head to gain access to her neck, Shane pierced her flesh, and while his hips pumped furiously, another toe-curling orgasm rippled through Maya. Locking her ankles behind his back, she held him to her, never wanting him to stop.
With his scent surrounding her, there was only one more thing Maya needed. Nuzzling his shoulder, she sank her fangs into his flesh, A deep guttural groan rumbled through him, and tightening his hold, he thrust even faster. Riding the final wave of pleasure, they could feel the now familiar beat of their hearts beginning to pound in unison, and Maya surrendered to it all. As their unified heartbeat thundered through their entwined bodies, she whispered into his mind, I love you, Shane.
Chapter 14
Shane and Maya had used every precious minute of their two hours in the private room, and when they left, two bottles of warmed blood were waiting for them in the hallway. Sebastian and Diego had provided the perfect experience, which didn’t surprise Shane. His friends had more than lived up to their reputation as the best hosts in the industry.
Flying through the dark Louisiana night with Maya at his side, Shane could barely contain the grin he’d had on his face since their tryst at Bayou Escape. Maya told him that she loved him. He didn’t think just a few small words could sound so sweet, but they did, and he doubted that he’d ever forget the surge of joy that bloomed in his heart when she whispered them.
Making the approach to Lottie’s house, Shane felt his smile fade when he saw the defeated look on Maya’s face. Instead of looking happy and joyful like he expected, she seemed pensive and lost in her own thoughts. Shane reached out and tangled his hand with hers, which evoked a small smile but not a convincing one.
They landed side by side in Lottie’s backyard, and Shane couldn’t help but notice that Maya was looking everywhere but at him.
“The sun will be up soon,” she whispered, looking out over the moonlit waters of the bayou. “We should go inside but be quiet so we don’t wake up Lottie. I saw her car in the driveway.”
Shane grabbed Maya’s hand, preventing her from leaving, and waited for her to face him. Her back was to him and her shoulders shook as her blond hair fell over her face. Shane realized she was crying. Panic and pure fear shot through him. He flew around and stood in front of her before placing both hands on her arms and urging her to look at him.
“Maya?” Shane asked urgently. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she sniffed and stepped back, out of his embrace. She folded her arms over her breasts and walked toward the water. “It’s nothing.”
“You’re crying. Am I supposed to believe that nothing is bothering you?” Shane stayed where he was and tried to keep frustration and anger out of his voice. “After all that we have been through and everything that we’ve shared? Why won’t you tell me what’s upset you so much?”
“I think I’ve told you plenty tonight, Shane,” Maya said tightly. She looked over her shoulder at him and rolled her eyes when she saw the confused look on his face. “Right,” she said through a curt laugh while swiping at the tears with the back of her hand. Spinning on her heels, Maya glared at him before stalking past him toward the house. “Just forget it.”
“I will do no such thing.” Shane moved quickly and stood in front of her, blocking her path. “Why are you acting this way?”
“You really don’t get it, do you?” Maya placed her hands on her hips and looked at him as though he were the dumbest vampire on the planet. “You probably think it’s stupid that I’m upset, and you know what? Maybe it is.” Her voice rose and she poked him in the chest with one angry finger. “Maybe I’m a dumb, silly girl with a ridiculously modern notion, but if you ask me, when a woman says she loves you, Shane, you should have some kind of response. Something.” Her blue eyes, rimmed with pain, stared up at him. “But you didn’t. You just left me hanging out there.”
Her chin tilted defiantly, and the words fell from her lips in a rush. “I know you were sent down here by Olivia to keep an eye on me and I know that we’re bloodmates, but there is still a choice. You don’t have to stay with me, Shane. If you don’t love me, I don’t want you to be with me out of duty or obligation. When we get back to New York, we can go our separate ways.”
Shane blinked, and before he could stop himself, a laugh bubbled up, making his shoulders shake. He grabbed Maya’s furious-looking face with both hands and tossed his head back as he laughed loudly before firmly kissing her lips. Her brow furrowed and the line between her eyes deepened while she continued to look at him as though he’d lost his mind.
“I’m the one who is stupid.” Shane brushed a kiss on the corner of her mouth and rested his forehead against hers. Squeezing his eyes shut, he rasped his thumb over the silky, soft skin of her cheek and whispered, “You’ll have to forgive a foolish old vampire for getting wrapped up in his own thoughts. I’ve been alone for so long, Maya.” He lifted his head and looked her in the eyes, holding her close. “I suppose it will take some time for me to remember that I am no longer a solitary creature.”
“What are you saying?” Maya looked at him through wide violet-blue eyes.
“I am saying that I am a fool—a fool who is desperately and hopelessly in love with you, and like a foolish man, I assumed that you knew. How could you not? I’ve loved you for so long, it seems, that I can no longer recall a time when the thought of you wasn’t buried deep in my soul or when your voice wasn’t drifting through my mind like a siren song, willing me closer at every turn.”
Shane dipped his head, placed a gentle kiss on her lips, and reached out to her with his mind. I love you, Maya.
Maya smiled and kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him tight. Shane’s joy was short-lived when her body tensed in his grasp and she started to shake. Her fingers curled along the back of his neck and she whispered, Werewolves.
An instant later, the pungent scent of a werewolf filled Shane’s head. Growls rumbled in the air around them, and a pair of bright orange eyes glared at him from the brush just before a massive brown wolf charged across the lawn.
“Fly, Maya,” Shane screamed. He flung her out of the path of the charging, snarling beast. “Get out of here.”
Two wolves slammed into him, knocking him to the ground before he could react. Amid the struggle, he caught a glimpse of Maya. In a battle-ready stance and with her fangs bared, he watched her shoot into the air. She was safe. Maya was safe. That was all that mattered.
Jaws snapping and claws tearing, the two beasts forc
ed him to his knees while their razor-sharp teeth tore into the flesh of his shoulder. Shane’s fangs unsheathed and he hissed with rage while they continued their assault. Barely registering the pain, he ripped one wolf off his back before tossing it aside. It yelped and struck a tree, but Shane watched it scramble to its feet before stalking back toward him. The other tackled him to the ground before he could get to his feet, and an unfamiliar weakness plagued him. A burning sensation fired through his body, and though he’d never felt it before, Shane knew what it was the effects of the werewolf’s saliva.
He was going to die.
Weakened by a substantial loss of blood and the poisonous bite, Shane held the snapping, drooling muzzle of the wolf just inches from his own face. His body burned, and he could feel the potent, poisonous werewolf saliva searing through his blood. With what little strength Shane had left, his other hand reached for the gun in his ankle holster. His fingertips grazed the butt of the gun right before the other wounded wolf came back from the treeline and latched its powerful jaws around his leg.
The beast’s teeth scraped against bone, and Shane screamed with rage. A split second later, the wolf whined in pain when a sterling silver dagger whizzed through the air and lodged deeply in its neck. You didn’t really think I’d leave you here alone, did you? Maya’s teasing voice touched his mind as the wolf released Shane and stumbled away before crumpling in a heap.
He set eyes on his mate, her blond hair wild and flowing, and the deadly gleam of a warrior in her eyes. Shane held the wolf’s muzzle with both hands with his waning strength and moved it away from him. A high-pitched sound pierced the air, and Maya’s second sterling dagger hit the wolf with streamlined precision.
Weak and shaking from the significant loss of blood and the poisonous effects of the wolf’s saliva, Shane fell back onto the grass as Maya ran toward him. She slipped her arm beneath his head and moved his bloody shirt to inspect his wounds. He didn’t need to look at the injuries to know how grave they were because the horrified look on Maya’s face said it all.
His body felt heavy and cumbersome, much like the feeling all vampires had when drifting into their deep sleep during the daylight hours. Maya wept and held his head in her lap. She pierced her wrist with the sharp points of her fangs and offered him her blood.
“Drink, Shane.” Her voice was shaking. Still weeping, she held her wrist against his lips. “Please. You have to drink so you can heal.”
He took what she offered, knowing it would not be enough. His hand clasped loosely over her wrist and pulled it away gently while staring into her frightened eyes. “There are some things, youngling,” he bit out between clenched teeth, “that even our bodies cannot heal from.”
“No!” Maya screamed. She glanced frantically at the dead werewolves who had shifted back to their human form. “What about their blood? That will help, won’t it?”
“They must be alive for their blood to help neutralize the effects of the saliva,” Shane said haltingly.
“Drink my blood, Shane. Right now,” Maya yelled. She pushed his hand away and pressed her wrist to his mouth once again. “You will not leave me here alone, Shane. Do you—”
Maya’s eyes widened briefly and her body tensed before pure, unadulterated rage etched into her features. In a blur she released Shane, rose to her feet, and spun around just as a third wolf leaped from the treeline. Weak and barely able to keep his eyes open, Shane turned his head and watched Maya deliver a roundhouse kick to the wolf’s face. She reached back for her daggers, but remembered they were no longer there and flew toward the bodies of the fallen werewolves. The other wolf leaped onto her back, knocking her to the ground before she could reach the dead wolves.
Shane watched in helpless horror while the snarling beast loomed over her. Maya’s gaze locked with Shane’s. The beast reared its head back to deliver what was sure to be a fatal blow, and her face twisted into a mask of fury.
“No!” Maya screamed and placed both hands on the chest of the wolf.
Blinding light surged from the necklace, flickered up Maya’s arms, and slammed into the wolf with a blast of power. The beast was tossed through the air and shifted back into its human form before landing in a heap by the base of a tree.
As the darkness threatened to swallow him, one thought ran through Shane’s mind. His feelings for Maya had blinded him to the arrival of the wolves, and due to his carelessness, he almost got her killed. Maya sat up, shaking and stunned, and Shane watched her cautiously approached her attacker. Shane realized Maya survived only because her instincts had alerted them to the presence of the wolves. Before he passed out, Shane realized that if he survived, there was only one choice he could make.
His feelings were irrelevant. Shane knew he would have to let Maya go.
***
“He’s still alive,” Maya whispered. “But his scent is different. He doesn’t smell like a werewolf…he smells human.”
Scrambling to her feet, Maya moved toward the naked man with caution. Her body hummed from the bizarre surge of power that shot through her arms and made her toss the wolf away like he weighed nothing. Her skin tingled like she’d suffered some kind of electric shock, and when she got closer to the naked man, it became glaringly clear that two things were true.
The man was still alive, and he was no longer a werewolf. Maya looked from the man to her shaking hands before grasping the stone of her necklace.
“What in the devil is going on out here? Y’all are gonna wake the dead, but you woke me up first and that’s bad enough.” As Lottie emerged through the kitchen door, her voice cut through the night. Her hair was braided, and clad in her plain, white cotton robe, she padded barefoot across the lawn toward Maya. She lifted her lantern and surveyed the three naked men strewn on her back lawn. “Holy shit. You sure do live up to your reputation. They all dead?” Lottie leaned over Shane with the lantern. “Well, looks like Shane got his ass kicked sideways.”
“The two that I got with the silver daggers are dead. That one,” Maya said, pointing to the man by the tree, “is alive but he’s…changed.” Maya glanced at Lottie who knelt beside Shane and began to inspect the wound on his neck. “We need to try and use his blood to help heal Shane. Werewolf saliva is poisonous to vampires, and the only thing that might counteract it is blood from a living werewolf.”
“Bring him over here.” Lottie placed the lantern next to her and pulled Shane into her lap. She waved toward the other man but didn’t take her eyes off Shane. “Go on. What are ya waitin’ for?”
Maya tried not to think about how bad Shane looked while she ran over and grabbed the unconscious man by the arm. She dragged him across the grass and placed him next to Shane, but seconds later, the man’s eyes fluttered open and he woke up. He let out a yelp when he saw Maya and tried to scramble away from her, but she was too quick for him. In a blink, Maya was kneeling on the ground in front of him, holding him in a sitting position by both of his arms.
“If you want to survive this,” Maya seethed, “then you will do exactly what I tell you. Do you understand? I have plenty more silver weapons, and given your unwarranted attack, I’d be more than happy to decorate your pathetic carcass with them. Got me?”
He shook his head and continued to try to get away. Maya knew she couldn’t glamour a werewolf, but this man no longer seemed to possess any hint of being one. The voice of doubt and fear fired through her when she realized his blood may not help. Do or die—it was their only hope. She had to try. Maya gripped his arms tighter, locked gazes, and pushed into his mind. To her surprise, it was like running a knife through butter.
“Give me your right arm,” she murmured. The man nodded. His body relaxed and his jaw went slack while he extended his arm to her. “You won’t move or fight, and this will not hurt. Do you understand?”
Maya took his arm and pierced the flesh with her fangs. Lottie held Shane’s head in her la
p, lifting it slightly so Maya could press the man’s wrist to Shane’s lips. While blood flowed into Shane’s mouth, Lottie chanted something under her breath and rocked slowly. Maya threw a prayer to the universe, to whatever god or goddess might be listening, and begged for her lover’s life to be spared. Shane remained motionless and her hopes began to fade. Just when she thought she’d scream with frustration, Shane’s body twitched.
“It’s working,” she whispered.
Maya pushed the blood-soaked fabric of Shane’s shirt aside, and tears of relief spilled down her cheeks when she watched the wound begin to close. Laughing, she swiped at the tears, allowing Shane to drink for a few more minutes. When the man’s heart began to beat erratically, Maya knew they had to stop. It wasn’t that she cared whether or not their assassin died—he had information they needed.
Pulling the man’s arm from Shane’s lips, Maya licked the wound on his wrist closed. Shane’s body was healing, and though he hadn’t woken up yet, she felt confident that within a few more hours he would fully recover. Lottie continued to chant and stroked Shane’s head the way a mother would with a sick child.
The naked man’s eyes fluttered and Maya thought he was going to pass out. So she smacked his face a bit and brought him back to reality. She wanted to kill him. To tear his throat out and eviscerate him for the way he and the others had attacked her and Shane, but she needed answers more than she needed revenge.
“Wh-what did you do to me?” The man whimpered through wide, frightened eyes. Trying to get out of her grasp, his hands clenched and unclenched. “I…can’t shift. Th-the Vanator legend is true. Otto said all we had to do was get the necklace.”
“What’s your name?” Maya shook the man, hoping it would shake some sense into him.
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