Sarel awoke an hour before dusk.
Working her way down Eli’s sleeping body she kissed his flat, pink nipples and licked his navel, before taking the head of his cock into her mouth. She hummed with surprised pleasure as he grew hard and firm and filled her mouth. She knew the moment he woke—his body stiffened, his hands tangled in her hair, and he stifled a groan.
Lifting his hips, he drove his cock further into her throat, bringing tears to her eyes as she fought the instinct to gag. Forcing her throat to relax, she took him deeper than she would have thought possible. Slowly, she moved her head up and down, wrapping one hand around the base of his cock as she found a rhythm and settled into it, listening to the ragged groans as they fell helplessly from him.
Sarel pulled away and swabbed the head of his cock with her tongue, laughing as he rasped out, “Bloody hell, woman,” and slammed his head into the pillow, gritting his teeth when she moved lower and licked delicately at his furred sac before taking his cock back into her mouth.
The pale, carved lines of his body called her eyes and she stared up the length of him as she slid her mouth back down until she could take no more, relishing the warm, salty taste of his skin, the smoothness of him, the slow, steady pulse she could feel in the distended vein that stood out on the underside of his shaft.
Pulling away, she cupped him in her hands and pumped his cock slowly while she studied him, fondling his balls, leaning down to lick the head of his cock before lifting back up and just watching the play of her hands on him. Eli laughed and groaned at the same time. “Are you trying to drive me mad? Studying for anatomy? What?”
With a cheeky grin, she lay back down and took him inside her mouth, sucking at him until her jaws ached with it, feeing his hands fist in her hair and shudder as he bellowed and started to pump his hips up to meet her mouth.
He came with a ragged groan and when it was done, she lifted her head to smile at him.
Eli was smiling back at her, his eyes sleepy…deceptively so.
Before she realized what he was doing he had her on her back, her thighs spread and open and he was drinking from her sex like he was starving.
Shrieking when he drove two fingers inside her, he fucked her ruthlessly to climax while he sucked on her clit. Crying out as he gently bit her clit, she quivered in anticipation when he urged her onto her knees. But all he did was spread the cheeks of her ass while she squirmed to get away. Smacking her butt he ordered, “Be still,” as he wet his finger, gathering the moisture from her sex and using it ease his way as he pressed his index finger inside her ass.
Shivering, feeling oddly cold and hot at the time, her skin feeling entirely too tight for her body, he invaded her. “Push down,” he said roughly. Obeying him, she did, and he slid his finger completely inside, causing her to scream. The scream came again as he started to fuck her ass with his finger, slowly, carefully, bringing her to climax with just that while she stayed there on her hands and knees, him kneeling behind her quivering upthrust butt.
“I am dying to put my cock inside you,” he murmured, watching as he speared the tender little hole, working her a little closer to the edge, her hot, wet sheath clinging to him tightly.
“Eli…”
“Play with your clit, Sarel,” he told her. “Touch it. Or would you like me to call Byron? He could come in here and go down on you while I do this.”
Her back stiffened. “What?”
He laughed. “You did not say no,” he murmured, filing that away. “Shall I call him? He will want to fuck you when he’s done.” Eli had to lash down the uneasy feeling that caused, but he could feel the excitement in Sarel. She wanted to have what Declan and Eli gave Tori. He could feel it. And he sensed she wanted it with Declan and Eli. Not gonna happen, sweet. No way he’d allow Tori to be hurt like that, even if Declan would go along with it. And the Irishman would never do it. He was more likely to sprout another head or turn into a vampire.
But he could let her have the pleasure of it.
Though she was nowhere near ready for a threesome, this could get her closer to that, and maybe it would wear her out enough, tire her enough that she wouldn’t wonder why Eli didn’t mount her himself.
The door opened.
Byron walked in, his eyes already hot and hungry, his black silk shirt hanging open over a broad chest. A fine vee of silky black hair between his nipples arrowed down his torso, over his belly and disappeared into his trousers. Eli communicated silently with him, warning him of Sarel’s inexperience, and Byron chided him in the same manner, speaking only into his mind, “Give me some credit. I’m no fool. I won’t scare her off. I can tell what she is to you.”
Sarel’s body went taut as a bowstring and Eli stroked his free hand down her side, soothing her as Byron dropped to his knees in front of her, smiling crookedly at her. “The things a host must do to make his guests feel at home,” he teased gently, taking her face in his hands and kissing her slowly, carefully, sliding his tongue inside her mouth, humming in appreciation at her taste.
When she didn’t freeze, Byron slowly lifted her kneeling body up and Eli stilled, cuddled his aching cock against her butt, giving Byron a few minutes, as the dark haired vampire worked Sarel back against Eli, pinning her body between them.
“Damn it,” she whispered on a shuddering sigh as Eli rocked his cock against her ass. Byron was working his way down her neck, her shoulders, catching her breasts together and plumping them up, burying his face in her cleavage before taking one nipple then the other in his mouth, suckling deep.
Sarel’s head was spinning.
It was her fantasy. It had been for five years, since that last day at Eli’s, the day she had heard him with Tori and Declan. That was the reason she hated Tori. And while Byron wasn’t Declan, he was gorgeous and he was here, sucking on her breasts, and whispering against her skin, and sliding one hand down to cup her crotch before driving two fingers deep inside her dripping pussy.
She was living a fantasy.
Twenty four hours ago, she had still been a virgin. Of course, that was because subconsciously, she had been waiting for Eli.
Byron turned and shifted, moving onto his back, with his head between her thighs. Starting by licking her, he then began driving his tongue deep inside, carefully, his fangs never once touching her, even when he began to nibble and suck on her clit.
Eli went back to finger-fucking her ass and she cried out, unable to hold back. She screamed and rocked her hips, hungry for more. “Eli, please,” she whimpered, pushing back against him. Byron’s hands held her hips still though, and she could only move so much. Two thick fingers invaded her cleft and she bucked, rocking against them, riding them and the mouth that had settled on her clit, but it wasn’t enough.
She wanted more.
“Eli!”
Groaning against her hair, he thrust his cock hard against her hip. Need grew, hot and urgent in her belly and she grabbed for him, but he stayed just out of her reach. Insane lust drove her and she dug her nails into his arm, demanding and begging. She shuddered in satisfaction as they moved around her, one of them crouching behind her, the other in front. When she looked up, Eli was kneeling in front of her, staring down at her with gleaming eyes, while Byron gripped her hips and drove deep inside her with one quick thrust.
Sarel felt like the whole thing was unreal—staring up into Eli’s face over the plane of his muscled chest, his lean belly, his thick cock only inches in front of her mouth—while a man she barely knew fucked her from behind. Byron’s hand reached around her and his fingers played tauntingly with her clit, pressing, pinching and teasing her into orgasm as Eli slid his cock between her lips and inside her mouth and she swallowed the head down as far as she could take it.
Over her head, she heard the growl that rumbled out of his chest and it sent a thrill of power through her. Eli buried his hands in her hair just as Byron slid one finger down to press against her anus.
“She’s more ready for this than
you think, Eli,” he said roughly as the tiny little pucker opened easily for him. She shuddered, caught between pain and pleasure as he worked his finger inside while he continued to fuck her.
Eli snarled and sank his fangs into his own lip, watching while another man fucked his woman. Sarel’s mouth felt like heaven, and it was…erotic, certainly, to watch another man bring her to climax while she went down on him. His hands tightened to the point of pain as his balls went on red alert with impending climax just as Byron brought her over. When she screamed and came, he spurted his come down her throat, groaning raggedly while Byron gripped her hips and shoved her ass a little lower, riding her hard and deep as her head fell away from Eli, a weak moan falling from her lips as she came.
Fuck.
He rolled her away from Byron and the three of them lay there for long minutes, the little witch unaware of his frustration as she sat up, shoving her sweaty hair out of her face, staring down at him with a smile and glowing eyes. “When can we do that again?”
Chapter Eight
Eli swore in hot, furious frustration.
Sheila was hurt.
She had been out training, and hadn’t listened, silly woman, to Jonathon. A vamp pit had been set on his land—a deep hole, lined with stakes—had been dug and she had been out, scenting human. Jon had smelled the wood and swore hotly, told her to back off.
Had she listened? No.
What in the bloody hell was going on?
“Newsflash,” Jonathon said. “You’ve got a new friend inviting you to come and play.”
And Sheila had gotten hurt for it. It didn’t matter that her inexperience, and her not listening, had led to it. And it did not matter that Jonathon had gotten her out and she would be fine. She had been hurt, on his watch, on his lands. He had failed her.
Bloody hell.
Sarel stared at the deep pit, dug unevenly into the earth, studded with spikes of cedar. She could smell the wood a few hundred feet away. How the vampire, newly turned or not, hadn’t noticed it, she didn’t know. “A vamp pit?” she guessed sarcastically, lifting a brow, casually moving forward and placing her shoulder a little in front of Eli’s body. If he stumbled, or was pushed, she’d feel it and have time to act—
She didn’t realize that Eli caught the movement and smiled a slow smile, pleased at the protective act, or that all the others were studying her with disgust. A smattering of applause clued her in on the disgust when she lifted her eyes and saw the weres surrounded her, and Eli was looking at her with grim distrust or outright dislike. One bold individual said, “I bet you passed How to Kill a Vampire 101 with flying colors.”
Nausea rolled hot and thick through her gut and she looked away, feeling her face flush red. Eli moved around the edges of the pit carelessly, moving toward the man who had spoken, going nose to nose with him. “I imagine, Brent, that she’s mastered how to make a wolf slink away from the full moon with his tail between his legs as well. And so have I. Shall I show you?”
Brent cocked a brow arrogantly. “I haven’t forgotten what she did, Crawford.” A shaggy black brow lifted and he slid his eyes to Sarel slowly. “I smell her on your skin, and you on hers. You are my Master. I serve and respect you with gratitude, with pride. But you brought her back here, fucked her, and now all is forgiven? Was she that good? Can’t be…It doesn’t change what she did.”
“No…no, it doesn’t. You are quite right. But you’ve no right to judge me for my actions, or anybody else, Brent. The Council took pity on you, a long time ago, remember? You are no longer on sufferance, but you were once. As were many weres who were left alone and had no idea how to control their changes, their rages, their hungers.” Eli smiled sharply, revealing glistening fangs and a hard glint in his eyes. Anger rolled from his body like a wave of water as he looked from one pair of eyes to another—until their eyes fell away in deference. When he looked back at Brent, the wolf was still staring at him head on, his jaw clenched, his face going ruddy with anger. “And for your astuteness, until you can figure out why the council sent her here, you can have the pleasure of filling the pit…all by your lonesome, while I figure out who set it in the first place. Have fun with it. I imagine it took a good day and three or four people to dig it.”
Sarel felt a distant, forgotten shame coming from the were as he stared at Eli before turning away and staring into the pit. The other wolves melted into the forest, leaving Sarel and Eli. She turned and followed him slowly back to the house more than three miles away.
Once they were out of hearing range of the werewolf, more than a mile away, she said quietly, “Your people hate me.”
“The Council is testing you. You did not truly think it would be easy, did you, Sarel?” He moved over the uneven ground in silence, his feet passing over the ground lightly, easily, the moon reflecting off the white linen of his shirt, the gold of his hair. Pausing, Eli looked back at her and a small smile curled his lips. “You are not without those who understand, though. All know Lori already, and all understand that she is what you were trying to avenge. You were mistaken, you were wrong. But it was not an evil thing you were trying to do. Just a mistaken one. It’s the wolves you will have trouble convincing, but they will come around sooner than you think.”
The churning in her gut was making her feel slightly ill.
“If I had managed to convince myself, then it might be easier to convince others.” Her voice was low, soft, full of self blame. Folding her arms around her waist, she rocked back and forth on her heels and stared up at the sky through the veil of branches. “I haven’t fully forgiven myself.”
Eli moved closer, sliding his hands around her waist, down to cup her bottom, lifting her up against him as he slanted his mouth across hers. Pushing his tongue into her mouth, he backed her up against a tree, bracing her there before rocking against her and shuddering as her thighs fell apart in welcome and she sucked his tongue into the wet cave of her mouth. Pulling his mouth from hers, he kissed his way to her ear and murmured, “Forgive yourself, Sarel. Let it go. I forgave it the moment I looked into your eyes as you sat in my office that day, maybe before then. Let it go, and be with me.”
Chapter Nine
Sarel stared at Eli, her whole body cold.
“You are nuts.”
“No, my lady, I am not,” he replied, settling down in his chair. His lady. His. The question was—would he be able to keep her.
Elijah had waited for this discussion to take place until they had gotten home. Byron had given him a commiserating glance on the way out the door, but he hadn’t truly understood. He had enjoyed fucking Sarel too much. Why would Eli give up a chance to have that always? The soul-bond was fated.
Even fate shouldn’t be forced on a person. Especially not forever.
Eli knew about it.
Sarel did not.
Well, she did now.
“You are telling me that you and I will have what Tori and Declan Reilly have.” The words felt as though they were coming through her throat like glass over raw flesh—abrasive, painful, and sharp. He was mocking her. The bonds the hybrid vampire and the Inherent shared were rare, they were taught this fact at Excelsior. For she and Eli to share one was too unlikely.
And he didn’t really seem to like her.
Attracted to her, yes.
But like her?
“If we continue what we were been doing that last day, then yes. The bond is forged through sex and closeness. Mainly sex. I was drawn to you, but I didn’t suspect a bond was possible until I saw you at the airport,” Eli said evenly, watching her still, pale face.
“So if I don’t fuck you any more it won’t happen,” she said stiffly.
Almost soundlessly, he replied, “No.”
“What happens with this bond?”
“Our souls merge. Our—life forces, you could say. I will not have your magic. You will not have any vampiric gifts, but you will live as long as I. The only thing that will kill us is a mortal wound. And what kills one, wi
ll most likely kill the other, in time. I’ve known bonded mates whose heart’s even beat the same—they share thoughts, memories, everything.”
Sarel laughed bitterly. “You don’t want that with me,” she said, shaking her head.
Eli said quietly, “Do not tell me what I want, Sarel. You do not know me.”
“But didn’t you just tell me we are bonded?” she mocked, arrogantly.
“Not yet,” he said, growing frustrated, shoving his hand through his golden hair. He rose from his chair to pace. Usually he could sit and stare, like a lion waiting for his prey, but now he moved restlessly. “Damn it, woman. You could drive me to drink.”
Nastily, she said, “You can’t drink anything but blood.”
Emitting a loud bark of laughter, Eli stalked to a cleverly concealed cabinet and opened it, revealing an assortment of liquor bottles. Brandishing a bottle of brandy and a snifter, he poured a very full glass and downed half of it, far too quickly to appreciate the fine taste. It had taken a century to tolerate alcohol, but tolerate it he could. “Don’t know much about us, do you, pet?”
Blushing furiously, she felt like a fool.
“I can’t eat solid food, but I can drink damn near anything I choose, except dairy products or anything with strong acids. They sicken any vampire, except Tori. And acids are damn near poison.”
She sulked at the woman’s name.
“Be careful, pet. Tori is a dear friend, and you do not know it, but you’d be dead if it weren’t for her,” he warned, pointing a long, graceful finger directly at her nose.
Flinging her hair over her shoulder, she snarled, “How do you figure?”
“You would not have evaded the Council for very long if I had died. Tori is the only reason I lived. Her blood is what saved me, what bought me time while Kelsey rushed like mad to get here. If I had died, the Council would have hunted you down. And no reason, no excuse would have kept you alive. They would have pitied what you suffered thinking that Lori died. But they would have killed you still.” Eli’s eyes blazed with anger as he pictured it. Most likely, Malachi would have found her and he would have killed her. It would have been quick, because he would never torture a woman, but she would still be dead.
The Hunters Series Page 25