by Brenda Trim
“I’m fine. Let’s keep walking. So do you? Eat food that is.”
He scooped her into his arms and she immediately pushed against his firm chest. “Stop it, Mackendra. You are bleeding and we canna have you leaving a trail of blood for enemies to follow. Aye, we eat food like anyone else,” he replied tightly. She stopped fighting him and looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, there was a thin trail of blood marking the path they had taken through the jungle. He was right. Besides, she was tired and ready to fall out.
Absently, she leaned her head on his shoulder as he carried her. She realized what she’d done when his arms tightened around her, but she didn’t make an effort to change her position. “I didn’t think vampires ate real food. What is your favorite food?”
“You mean other than Creamsicles?” he husked, his breath stirring the hair on top of her head. She loved his Scottish accent and how everything he said sounded sexy.
“Yeah, dessert doesn’t count.” She closed her eyes and relaxed.
“Ah, but dessert is the best part,” he chuckled low, the sound vibrating against her chest. “I like anything spicy, especially Mexican food.”
The thought of food made her stomach growl again. Her two protein bars were gone and she hadn’t eaten much in over twenty four hours. He stopped and put her down near a small stream. She opened her eyes, half expecting to find a waterfall. She would never be able to see a waterfall again without becoming aroused.
“Your leg is still bleeding. Let me see it,” he said as his hands went to her button. She put her hands over his and stopped him.
“It’s nothing, really. Leave it. I’ll clean up a bit then we can move on.” No way was she taking her pants off with him again. She had no panties on and that was asking for trouble. By now, she knew that her will-power where Kyran was concerned was non-existent.
“I need to see how bad this injury is, Mackendra. You may need my blood to heal you. If we doona stop it then we may as well paint targets on our backs.” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at her expectantly.
“Fine,” she huffed and unzipped the fabric. She gazed up at him and pushed the fabric to her knees.
He sucked in a breath and his grey eyes began glowing bright silver and she was mesmerized by the sight. She jumped when his flesh connect with hers. He had touched the blood trickling from the wound on her thigh and now brought the finger to his mouth, licking the blood from the end. A growl emanated from his throat and she saw the glint of his fangs as he breathed through his mouth.
“Fuck, you taste like Annwyn. I can try to seal this with my tongue, but the wound is deep. You will likely need my blood.” He had laid his hand on her hip and she felt it burn into her like a brand.
“You want to put your tongue where?” she choked out. She knew where she wanted his tongue and it wasn’t her injury.
“Hold still,” he said and crouched down before her.
His palms bracketed her hips, holding her in place and stared at her, daring her to stop him. Finally, his tongue traced her injury, causing her to clench with need. His tongue was hot and rough and she imagined him tracing other parts of her body that suddenly ached. He lifted his eyes to hers. His ministrations took on a desperate edge and his fervency made it bleed worse.
After several seconds, he stopped. He was breathing hard and she could see the pulse pounding in his neck. “I’m going to have to give you my blood. You will bleed oot from that cut before your healing stops it.”
“No, I don’t want your blood,” she objected. Her stomach lurched at the thought of taking blood from anyone.
He stood and grabbed her shoulders. “You are being ridiculous. You need to be healed,” he barked.
“I am many things, Kyran, most of them bitchy, but I am never ridiculous.” He chuckled and bit into his wrist. He held it up to her mouth and she glared at him.
“Doona tell me you are afraid,” he challenged. Unfortunately for her, she’d never back down from a dare. She snatched his bleeding wrist to her mouth, as bile rose in her throat. She had to swallow several times before she could proceed.
Once she had control of her rebelling stomach, she latched on and sucked hard, trying to hurt him, but it backfired. Surprisingly, the taste of his blood was like warm honey. It wasn’t repulsive in the least and it warmed her entire body. Her veins tingled as it traveled through her system. Her breasts tightened and her stomach clenched as she became aroused. That was the last reaction she’d expected to experience, but there was no denying her lust.
She moaned long and loud and sucked harder as her body tensed. She lifted her mouth and cried out as an orgasm barreled through her. She was panting and coming down from her climax as reached up and ripped a vine from the tree. She suspected where this was going and wasn’t surprised when he lifted her hands above her head. When he wrapped one end of the vine around her wrists, she became wary. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Doona speak unless I tell you to. I’m not going to hurt you, but I am going to taste you. Your sweet, succulent scent has been tormenting me.” He wrapped the other end of the vine around the tree and sat back, taking her boots and pants off her.
“I…” she trailed off when he she felt his teeth on her uninjured thigh. The tips of his fangs scraped against her flesh, but didn’t break the skin. It was a nip and then his tongue was tracing a path through her slit. She was torn between demanding he stop and begging for more. She couldn’t deny that she wanted to see where this would go, especially, when what he was currently doing felt so good.
He was an aggressive lover and she expected him to be an expert at all types of sexual play, but he seemed unsure and unpracticed. He slid his tongue through her, all the while watching her closely. She saw the wrinkle between his eyes and realized that he was looking to her for cues as to what she liked. On his next path, she lifted her hips, trying to get more pressure in the right spot. It didn’t take him long to catch on and focus his efforts on her clit. She needed more and began writhing and moving her hips.
“More,” she begged.
His big hands held her still and he growled against her intimate flesh. The feeling was electric and she loved it. She went to reach for him, but her wrists pulled against the ties he’d placed on them. She didn’t like not being able to touch him, but had to admit the sensation of being at his mercy was more erotic than she had believed it would be.
“Doona move,” he ordered.
“Then you need to give me more, Kyran. I like what you are doing, but you need to use your fingers, too. Fill me like you did earlier.” She cried out when he complied with gusto.
She could see the struggle for him. It was as if he wanted to do this to her more than anything, while at the same time, he didn’t want to do it at all. She was about to stop him when he became more comfortable with the intimate act. His tongue danced across her flesh and sucked her clit into his mouth, increasing the pressure when her muscles clamped down on his fingers.
He ran his free hand up her sides and paused when it reached the underside of her breast. He ran his fingers around the outside edge of her breast, teasing her before his palm engulfed it fully. Her nipples already hard from the touch of chill in the night air, tightened from pleasure. He pinched and pulled the hard tip, making her arch her back.
His eyes never wavered from her face while he feasted on her. The way his glowing eyes flared sent her over the edge and into climax. He didn’t stop there though. He continued to lick and suck on her sensitive flesh.
“Stop, Kyran, I’m too sensitive. I want to taste you, too,” she told him breathily.
“Nay,” he denied her and with a quick twist of his fingers, snapped the vine and got up and walked to the stream. He bent over and splashed water on his face.
“What do you mean no? Is this another of your hang-ups?” she asked, unable to curb her irritation. She freed her hands and thought about what had just happened.
“I doona have hang-
ups, Mackendra. We need to go. We’ve been here too long.” His voice left no room for debate and she was more confused than ever.
She had seen a vulnerable, almost human side to him when he was fumbling through his exploration at first. It was obvious he had never done that before, and for some odd reason, she liked being his first. For a minute, she imagined that he was capable of being loving and caring then wanted to kick herself for believing that that was possible. Men had been nothing but a disappointment in her life and she wouldn’t allow herself to believe this vampire was any different.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Kyran marched through the trees, willing his erection away. He had been foolish to ever taste Mackendra. He wasn’t sure what had propelled him to act on the desire. For that matter, he had no idea where the desire had come from. Much like kissing, it was completely foreign to him. He had never performed oral sex on any of his partners over the years, not wanting the intimacy. He knew he’d be in trouble if she removed her pants, but he couldn’t continue to ignore her bleeding. She hadn’t had enough time for her DNA to fully change and there was a possibility she could bleed to death. The moment he was close to her he became obsessed with tasting every inch of her and was helpless to stop himself.
It had taken less than a second for him to panic because he had no idea what he was doing. A voice in his head told him to start with what he’d seen of the act over the years. One swipe of his tongue and his embarrassment over his inexperience disappeared as the taste of a ripe orange exploded in his mouth. It didn’t even faze him that for the first time in his life a female had taken over and given him guidance.
He was accustomed to submissive females and the way she took initiative and showed him how to pleasure her was inexplicably arousing. He was coming to find this aggressive, confident female even more attractive. When she’d offered to pleasure him, he’d been tempted, but he didn’t want to scare her off. He wasn’t a gentle male and she wasn’t ready for what he needed.
It had taken considerable effort, but he had held back because she was his Fated Mate and to push her too far would alienate her altogether and that was the last thing he wanted to do. Living without his mate wasn’t an option. He needed to bring her around to accepting his lifestyle and needed to approach this in small measures. The fact that she didn’t object to being tied up made his blood sing with the possibilities.
“Where are we going anyway?” she asked, breaking the silence between them.
“We are looking for signs of a village. I need to find the dragons. I believe they are the key to getting us home,” he replied, swinging his srad to cut through the thick foliage, giving them a clear passage.
“Okay. Do you even know if they are at the top of this mountain?” He cocked his head and glanced her way. She was slightly out of breath and a light smattering of sweat beaded her brow. She was obviously tired and the blood loss was affecting her more than he liked, but they didn’t have time to waste. The Dark Fae inhabited this realm and they were vicious creatures. He doubted redcaps were the only ones they’d encounter.
“I canna find anything unless I get a lay of the land. I doona know which direction the dragons flew. I’m hoping to get a better view and see a village or any other signs of life,” he told her. The last thing he wanted was to walk around blindly and encounter more Dark Fae, or worse.
Seeing the little fiends attack his mate had nearly driven him crazy. He wasn’t accustomed to having anyone to worry about while he fought and keeping her in his sights had been impossible. He had thanked the Goddess that she had already had his blood and was immortal because that thigh injury would have killed her. The fact that she had been hurt at all made him angry all over again. He clenched his teeth and reminded himself that she was alive and well.
She stepped next to him and he wondered why until he looked down and noticed that she was holding her weapon in front of her, scanning the jungle around them. “Do you think there are more of them?”
“Aye. I guarantee there are more of them. I’m certain the one that got away reported in and you can bet that whoever this Akilam is, he has more than those small soldiers.” They had reached a pinnacle and he gazed out over the land. They were in a border area and he figured that if they distanced themselves from it they wouldn’t encounter more redcaps. Those particular beings typically guarded border territories.
“Wow,” she breathed next to him, driving his gaze to her perfect face. Her normally spiked hair had fallen and lay softly around her face. She had lush lips and enchanting whiskey eyes that were full of life and fire. Her olive skin glowed with health and vitality and he was glad that she had recovered from her injuries.
“It’s so beautiful. Well, at least one half is. That side is a carpet of green. I’ve never seen leaves the shape of a starburst. What do you think is causing the difference?” she asked, pointing to the right side of what he could now clearly see was an island.
He’d bet that the lush side of the island belonged to the dragons and the sparse, almost barren side belonged to Akilam. The difference was drastic and likely the reason for the animosity between the dragons and Akilam. He wondered if Akilam was a dragon shifter or some other creature. If so, had he gone rogue? And, did he have an army of dragons at his back? He didn’t need to know the specifics. He had decided he was going to place his odds with Angus’ people.
Kyran had thought a lot about what those males had said and was convinced that Angus was the King of Dragons. Kyran should have guessed there was more to the male. Angus’ grasp of conflict and various situations was as comprehensive as his brother, Zander. There were countless times that Angus had saved their asses by being prepared with what they needed. It made sense seeing how a good king always anticipated what his people needed and ensured that they had it.
The question of why Angus had left his realm and chosen to be their servant rattled him. What had happened here? And, was it safe to approach the dragons for help? They seemed eager to have Angus back and mentioned they had been searching for him for centuries. Figuring his best bet was still with the dragons, Kyran refocused on Mackendra’s question.
“‘Tis hard to say what is causing it, but we are going to the left side of the island in search of the dragons. The creatures on this side take care of their land and give back to it. ‘Tis obvious they doona take from the earth and will be our best bet. The shifters in our world are connected to the earth and would never cause it harm and I have to believe these dragons are the same.” He thought of Orlando and Santiago and Hayden. No way would they abide destroying the land.
“Thanks, Captain Obvious. I couldn’t tell that whatever lives on this side takes better care of the land,” she rolled her eyes at him. His palm itched to spank her and demand respect. “You said you were looking for a village, but I can’t see any sign of life on either side from here,” she continued.
He let go of her sarcasm slide for now. “That is because you are no’ using your new senses. My blood should have given you keener eyesight, but you are still seeing with your human eyes. Expand your expectations.” He knew that enough time had passed for some of the changes to have occurred with her human DNA.
“You mentioned my DNA changing. So, my eyesight should be better. What else?” Her tone was thick with disbelief. It was difficult for humans to accept the supernatural and often made excuses when they did have an encounter. He hadn’t considered that his mate would doubt what he was saying about her DNA changes, especially since she readily accepted the existence of other supernaturals.
“Aye, your eyesight is already better. I noticed while you were fighting the redcaps that your reflexes and reaction time was quicker than when you fought skirm, but you will become even faster. Aside from that, your hearing will be keener and injuries will heal faster. You are now impervious to human illness, from something as simple as the common cold to a fatal disease, like cancer.”
“So not only am I immortal, I’m like Wonder Woman. I admit that will com
e in handy when I’m hunting skirm, but I hate the thought of outliving all of my friends. Wait a minute…” she trailed off, narrowing her eyes at him. “You said you noticed me fighting skirm. How is that possible? Have you been following me?”
“Aye, from the first time I saw you, I followed you every night. You are a fierce female with the heart of a lion.”
She waved her knife at him. “Tell me something I don’t know. You stalked me. Why?” Her words were sharp and caustic.
“I followed you because I couldna get you or your scent off my mind. I wanted you bent over one of my benches, but settled for watching you instead.” He enjoyed how her mouth became a wide O before her face turned red and she looked away. He suspected it was difficult to make her speechless and that it wouldn’t last long so he relished the momentary reprieve.
“You are mistaken aboot one thing, you willna outlive all your friends. You will have me and Elsie. You are now part of a larger family at Zeum and they will be there, as well. I wish I could tell you there was a way to make your family immortal, but there isna. As for hunting skirm, those days are over for you.”
“Whoa, blood-sucker. I am by no means done hunting skirm. I will not stop until I have killed every last one of them. It’s best you understand that now. And, I have no family. My father left my mom and me years ago, and is, for all intents and purposes, dead to me.”
“What aboot your mamai? Do you have any siblings?”
“My mom was killed in a car accident five years ago and my aunt died from breast cancer two years ago, so on the family front, I am all alone. I still can’t wrap my mind around the fact that Elsie is immortal. Ill say this, that woman deserves a long life of happiness. When I found her, after her husband died, she was like a wounded bird that couldn’t fly.” Little lines appeared on her forehead and between her eyes as she gazed at the landscape and he wondered if she was trying to see the world differently.
“You need to let go of your human preconceptions. You can sense anything from the small rodents that roam through the jungle, to the stream that burbles nearby, to the birds that hoot. Do you hear it?” he asked as he walked behind her and placed his hands on her waist.