The Dresdan Coven Trilogy

by Amber Ella Monroe

  She held her hands up to the light...

  Vicq stood just outside the balcony doors on the patio where he watched Elaina. She lifted her hands to the light and squinted as she examined them. There was no doubt that she recognized and felt the changes in her body. Yet, she was still on the brink of transformation and she would remain that way until she accepted his bond by willingly taking his blood—through the bite. Not just to survive, but to become something different entirely. They’d have to cope with the series of changes in her body over time. It would be his job to teach her how to live as a Dresdan, as she’d requested.

  Breeze picked up behind him, drying the droplets of water on his skin. The swim in the river had done nothing to rid him of the need to be with Elaina. She was awake now, and it was time to claim his mate. No more waiting behind shadows.

  She lifted her nose to the air then jerked in his direction. “How long have you been standing there?”

  He grinned. “Not that long.”

  “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  As he crossed the room in long strides, her lips turned up in a smile. Elaina threw the covers away from her, revealing the see-through gown she wore. She met him at the foot of the bed. He snaked his arms around her waist as she edged closer on her knees. Her palm slid against his neck, caressing him. She lifted her eyes to meet his.

  Red flickered around her irises, love and desire blazing in them. “I’ve missed you so much, Vicq. I wanted to tell you...”

  “I wanted to come to you sooner after I escaped, but I was certain you would reject me. It was easier to just protect you from the enemies...and also myself.”

  He lowered his head, enticing her lips into a kiss. His fingers flirted with the edges of her silk nightgown and brushed against the soft skin of her thighs. He stepped forward, bringing his body closer to hers, pressing his cock into her belly. His erection stirred the moment he sensed her heat and smelled her desire.

  A soft moan escaped from her mouth and whispered against his lips. “I want to complete the bond.” As the words flowed from her mouth, his heart filled with exhilaration at her acceptance. Elaina was whom he wanted to spend eternity with. With him was where she belonged. Fate had brought them together. Enemies could not keep them apart.

  “There is nothing I want more than to complete our union.”

  Their lips parted then delved deeper into the kiss, taking and giving equally. It started off slowly, igniting a passion within him. Her body grew pliant, and the uneasiness he’d sensed before dissipated. She pulled him to her chest, her palms pressing into his back. He grabbed her by the hips in response, bringing them even closer together. It didn’t surprise him when small fangs nipped his tongue. It would take some time for her to get used to them. Their tongues flirted and danced, fighting to keep rhythm.

  Vicq only pulled back for her sake. He lifted his hand to take her chin between his fingers and examined the small fangs peeking out from the corners of her lips. “You’re cute with these. They suit your feisty side.”

  She ran her tongue along the bottom of her top row of teeth, as if assessing the sharpness of her newly acquired fangs. “How do I keep them from dropping? Like yours?”

  “That will take time. They won’t retreat involuntarily until after the complete transformation.” He kissed her lightly on the chin and breathed in her flowery scent. “You’re only halfway, but your body wants to accept this change, just as my heart wants to bond with you now.”

  Elaina covered his hands with hers and placed them onto her thighs. “I think I’ll enjoy biting you for a change.” She pulled the edges of her gown up and over her head.

  Vicq sucked in his breath as his gaze roamed over her lovely body. Her creamy skin resembled brown sugar and honey. The delicate curvature of her neck lured him, the vein pulsing thick with brand new life. Her breasts heaved up and down with each breath and her nipples were already taut, ready to be licked and suckled. He wanted—no, needed—to drape her across the bed so he could have a snack. A six-course meal, even.

  Her fingers danced along the edge of her panties and she dipped her hand down into them. His fangs burst through his gums, all control lost. This was what Elaina did to him. How in the hell would he teach her self-control if he gave in to these desires every moment he was with her?

  He unbuckled and unzipped his trousers, letting them fall in a bundle around his ankles. Her pink tongue glided across her berry-red lips and her eyes danced from his bare chest to the rod pulsing with his seed. Stepping out of his shoes and pants, he grabbed her hips, dipped his head, and took a pebbled nipple between his lips.

  Elaina quivered from his touch. She arched her back, pushing her breasts toward him, allowing him access to sate his appetite. He couldn’t get enough of her, and he switched from one breast to the other, nipping with his teeth and flicking with his tongue. Moving up her chest, he kissed along her collarbone and then reached her jugular. Her blood rushed through her vein like the waves of an ocean during the storm. His tongue and mouth grew parched and he swallowed. He licked her neck, soothing her skin, readying it for the feeding as he always did. She purred beneath his touch and wriggled her hips against his palm. He would have his fill of her, but first, he wanted an appetizer.

  “Vicq,” she protested when he pulled away.

  He lifted his own knee to the bed, sending her backward. The flimsy panties she wore tied at the hips, allowing him to easily pull them away to reveal her pussy to his greedy eyes. Easing her back on the bed, he pressed kisses to her belly. She urged him on and tangled her fingers into his hair as he moved lower, past her stomach and abdomen. He glanced up just in time to see her thick eyelashes sweep down across her cheeks. Pressing his shoulders against her thighs, he readied her for his exploration. The folds of her sex glistened with her arousal and her clit peeked out from under its hood. He pressed a finger into her and she moaned and lifted her hips for more.

  “Please, Vicq. No teasing. Not tonight.”

  “Believe me, mi amor, I intend to give pleasure tonight.” He blew against her wet, pink opening and grinned as she dug her nails into the mattress. Thwarting her attempts to close her legs together, he sunk his tongue into her folds, licking at her soft lips and sweetened juice. Her moans encouraged his libido and he took in her caramel apple taste before he sucked softly at her clitoris. Her pearl throbbed lightly against his tongue just as the blood throbbed against his veins. He tasted and teased until she was pulsing beneath him.

  Elaina screamed out her climax and he reveled in her release. Feeding on her essence was the next best thing to feeding on her blood.

  She lifted herself and brought him down over her, kissing him and tasting her own juices. His hardened cock brushed against her belly and she thrust her pelvis forward to meet his. Her legs wrapped around him and he guided his dick to her moist opening. She pressed kisses into his neck, mocking his routine prior to feeding. He sensed her hunger for his blood.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” she whispered.

  Out of breath, he could not muster a laugh, so he grinned. “Does it hurt when I feed from you?”

  She shook her head, lifting her hips, begging for his entry.

  “Then there is your answer.”

  He dove deep into her and nearly peaked into climax as a look of ecstasy etched across her face. Her fangs distended, sharp and white against her succulent red lips. It was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. As he pumped into her with firm, long strokes, he lowered himself, offering his jugular. He’d never offered himself this way to anyone. He’d always given from the wrist, never from the throat. But with Elaina, giving this way came naturally to him.

  Her sharp fangs pierced him, slicing through the virgin skin on his neck like a knife. He groaned against her shoulder, trying to hold back the pending release, but as she drew the blood from his vein, the seed inside his dick surged to the head. Biting into his lip, he pounded her while she fed on his blood.

  As he’d expected
, she took from him greedily. Draining him as he’d never allowed anyone to drain him before.

  Their heartbeats joined together in rhythm as she drank. Time had somehow stopped for them, and visions of Elaina, his mate, beautiful, carefree, no worries, swarmed his head. It dawned on him that this was Elaina’s wish. She’d always wanted to live a life without fear.

  “You have nothing to fear, Elaina. Te protegeré por siempre…I’ll protect you forever.”

  She extracted her fangs from his neck and cried out, her orgasm claiming her. Traces of his blood smeared her lips. This image took him over the edge and he followed her in release, erupting like a geyser. His body shook uncontrollably, and the slightest touch from her sent him into tremors of pleasure. Hot seed continued to pump within her as he regained his strength.

  “That was good…” Her breathing slowed. “But I think I have a toothache.”

  He laughed. “Oh, yeah? Well, you just bit the hell out of my neck, toothache and all.”

  She smiled. “I learned from the best.”

  Elaina had once been a tracker until she’d made one move that had led her into his arms, and now, he’d love her for an eternity.

  Epilogue

  Two weeks later: The initiation

  The electric vibrations and the pounding beat of the music flowed through Elaina as she straddled Vicq’s lap. There was a frenzy of bodies around them, dancing, gyrating to the techno music, but her main focus was her lover and the thing they both craved so badly. She lifted her chin as he dragged his tongue up and across her neck to collect the blood trailing from the two small holes at her jugular.

  They wouldn’t have been able to hear each other’s voices over the music, so Vicq projected his thoughts to her.

  I can’t wait until we’re alone. I can feel you trembling with need and can even taste the sexual desire in your blood right now.

  She smiled and leveled her lips with his to kiss him. Be patient. I want to enjoy the party you’ve given me. I promise to give you everything you desire in return.

  Tonight was her night to celebrate her initiation into Vicq’s coven. Dozens of vampires were packed into the small bar and nightclub to celebrate her new life. And more importantly, their leader’s new quest. Elaina hadn’t known how much leverage Vicq had over his followers until now. They waited on him hand and foot, yet he treated them with the same respect as his closest friends.

  A waitress brought him what was his fifth drink, and he lifted it to his mouth, chugging the glass down in one gulp. He’d been alternating between her blood and the cocktails all night. She preferred his blood, as the alcohol nor fresh cut fruit brought out for their enjoyment did anything to curb her raging appetite. Like him, she would enjoy the party now, but later tonight, she’d satisfy her desires of the flesh.

  Elaina felt warm palms rubbing against her shoulders and back. Many, both men and woman, had greeted her by touch all night. They hungered to know her just as they knew their leader. None had been as sexual as the two women flanking either side of her and Vicq at the moment.

  It seemed that everyone in the room either fed off each other’s blood or emotions. The beautiful women beside them had been feeding off her and Vicq’s emotions all night. They weren’t the only ones in the club tonight indulging in these desires. There were others inside that seemed to care less about who could observe them fulfilling their sexual needs and heavy appetites in open spaces or shadowed corners of the room.

  Each day Elaina learned something new about the Dresdan. Much of what she’d taken in would take some getting used to.

  Elaina hitched in a breath as one of the women placed a cube of ice between her lips and then bent to gently glide it across her shoulders. Small, delicate fingers traced a line down her spine until it stopped to meet the top of her leather pants and teased the exposed flesh between Vicq’s fingers. The woman continued her exploration across her back, cooling the skin on the outside but doing nothing to subdue the flames licking at her insides and pounded at her core. She arched her back, enjoying the sensations.

  Vicq dipped his head lower to nip and lick between her breasts. His tongue slid beneath her barely there crop top, teasing the tops of her nipples. His breath was heavy, hot, and laced with the smell of potent alcohol. His cock pressed against the fly of his pants and against her pulsing center. She was ready for him now, but intense, drawn out foreplay made for better fucking. He proved this fact time and time again.

  Her hips moved of their own accord above Vicq, and he grabbed them. He sipped her lips gently between his until she parted her mouth to accept his kiss.

  The woman with the ice in her mouth came to rest with it against the back of her neck. The two women were now knelt next to her and Vicq. Their bodies pressed against Elaina’s, feeding off her lust. The second woman picked up a dark cherry from the appetizer tray and placed it between her lips. The color of it contrasted perfectly with her honey-toned flesh, just a shade lighter than Elaina’s. Almond-shaped eyes swirled with blood-red and bright hazel and gazed at her. The woman leaned forward, offering Elaina the fruit.

  Elaina accepted, parting slightly from Vicq to meet the other woman’s lips with her own, biting into and moving away with half of the fruit.

  Vicq’s erection pulsed under her and he gripped the expanse of her hips even tighter.

  Elaina lifted her hand to run her fingers through the ends of the other woman’s tresses. In turn, the black-haired beauty lifted her neck in a gesture of submission she’d become very familiar with during her time at Vicq’s coven. The woman was offering her blood. Her neck was beautiful and long. Elaina imagined that the skin was delicate and easy to break—just like her own.

  Instead of biting her, Elaina slid her palm behind her neck, pulled her in, and kissed her. Her lips were sweet, just like the cherry. And soft, just like the skin at her nape.

  Their mouths glided against each other’s like silk and they pressed deeper, tongues joining in a dance. Elaina had no desire to exchange blood with this woman, but the taste of her was new and exciting. Their lips fit perfectly together and the other woman kissed her softly. Their tongues tangled and played, and before Elaina knew it, she was drawn further into the moment.

  Vicq’s dick grew even harder against her pussy. He slid his palm up her back and he pulled her away from the other woman. He stole a kiss of his own and then lifted her chin and honed in again on her neck. Heat engulfed her as he sucked at the delicate skin of her jugular.

  Evidently, the woman was relentless too, and her hands glided against Elaina’s belly and slipped under her belt. The vixen’s fingers reached Elaina’s sensitive mound and didn’t stop there as they slid farther down to touch her bundle of desire.

  Vicq’s mouth was at her neck. The vixen’s breath was hot against her earlobe. Elaina gasped as her center pulsed even more, and she pressed herself against hot fingers.

  Vicq hissed at the vixen and she finally retreated, removing her fingers. The black-haired beauty gave a shy smile of compliance. Her pink tongue moving lithely across her bottom lip before both women backed away and moved on.

  Elaina turned her attention back to Vicq and glimpsed the lust in his eyes, which turned her on even more. Her mouth watered as her enhanced vision honed in on his pulsing jugular. Within his veins was the blood she craved above all others. In his arms was the place she most wanted to be.

  “Mine.” His irises constricted and then turned into red blazing orbs.

  Yes, I’m all yours.

  She leaned in, he lifted his chin, and she sunk her fangs deep into his neck. The savory blood immediately washed over her tongue and down her throat. Through the blood, she connected with every feeling and emotion running through him. Lust. Sexual craving...innocent jealousy. Desire and need. Love and Adoration.

  She had tracked down the man who she’d love for all eternity. Yes, definitely.

  Requiem

  Preface

  The past is never dead. It's not even past."<
br />
  William Faulkner

  Interlude

  Elaina peered out from behind an abandoned building. Rogue vampires circled around a car like vultures. A sickening, nauseating feeling stirred in her gut. All of her initial instincts pointed to nothing but trouble. Agitation crept up her spine, and although her fangs were safely tucked away, her defense reflexes had already kicked in.

  The hood of the vehicle was propped up, and a man lay slumped over the engine. Dead. Another passenger—a woman—was inside, hollering bloody murder. The rogues shook the frame, rattling the woman even more. She jumped from the passenger side into the driver’s seat and fumbled frantically to get the car started…failing.

  As expected of any human scared shitless by crazed vampires in the dark of night, the woman pulled out a cell and started punching buttons.

  “Please hurry!” the woman screamed. “They look possessed.”

  Her reaction only encouraged the rogues. If consumed, her blood would carry them for days. Fear, excitement, and adrenaline lingering in the blood at the moment of consumption were the equivalent of a high dose of caffeine in fine Colombian coffee.

  The problem here was that these rogues had killed mercilessly to satisfy their cravings. They had left a handful of bodies drained dry inside the abandoned building. Elaina had heard the aftermath of the attack while making a pit stop to recoup her energy before heading back to sanctuary. It seemed that the couple outside had succeeded in escaping the building, but couldn’t make it out of the parking lot when their car wouldn’t crank.

  Elaina stood out of view and several yards away from the car, but like any other vampire thirsty for their next fix, all of her senses were heightened. Sense of smell to track the blood of prey. Keen hearing to use while hunting live humans even when they were silent. She could only imagine how excited the rogues felt to have discovered such an easy prey.