Christian (Vampires in America: The Vampire Wars Book 10)

by D. B. Reynolds

  With Natalie securely under Marc’s care, Christian walked alongside Duncan as they made their way to the dais. They moved through the crowd steadily, but casually, not wanting to call too much attention to what was happening. Anyone seeing Raphael speak directly to Christian would presume it was a tacit endorsement of his challenge; that was unavoidable. But there was no need to shine a spotlight on it.

  Raphael and Rajmund both turned when Christian and Duncan stepped up onto the dais, with Rajmund greeting Duncan like an old friend, which he probably was. They’d both been lieutenants to North American lords for many decades, before becoming lords in their own right.

  But Rajmund’s next move was unexpected—he offered his hand to Christian. “Rajmund Gregor,” he said. “Call me Raj.”

  Christian shook his hand. “Christian Duvall.”

  Raj grinned. “Looks like you’ll be joining us soon.”

  Christian’s smile was more cautious. He’d never doubted he would succeed in winning the South, but he’d expected his eventual reception on the Council to be more in line with Anthony’s intense dislike, or at best, Juro’s reluctant respect. This wide-open acceptance from both Duncan and Raj was not at all what he’d anticipated. But he’d sure as hell take it.

  “One way or the other,” he told Raj, agreeing with his assessment, but alluding to Anthony’s continued existence at the same time. There were two ways to gain the lordship. He could fight and defeat all of the remaining challengers, or he could simply kill Anthony and have done with it. He knew which one he’d pick, if given a choice. He wanted Anthony to die for what he’d done to Natalie.

  “Come on, Raj,” Duncan said suddenly, his worried gaze on the other side of the dais, where the three mates were deep in conversation. “I don’t like the looks of that.”

  Raj glanced over his shoulder and swore softly. “Fuck. We’ll talk later, Duvall. Congratulations.” And he and Duncan were gone, hurrying to join their respective mates.

  “My Cyn gets bored at these things. She gets . . . creative,” Raphael offered, with more than a touch of amusement in his voice.

  Christian didn’t know what to say to that, so he simply nodded, as he regarded the three women.

  “Do you think you can kill Anthony?”

  Raphael’s abrupt question swung Christian’s attention back to where it belonged, on the most powerful vampire in the room. He studied the Western lord’s face, looking for clues as to what he wanted him to say, and wasn’t exactly surprised to find nothing there. So he went with the truth.

  “I know I can kill him. And with all respect to you, my lord, given what happened to Cibor, his death should be mine.”

  “Because of the territory?” Raphael asked.

  Christian shook his head. “Because of my Natalie. Because Anthony had plans to take her out for an evening, and use his power to compel her consent. He would have forced her to agree to her own rape, and that would have destroyed her.”

  Raphael’s black eyes went cold, and Christian thought for sure he’d gone too far. But Raphael’s next words proved him wrong.

  “You’re right. His offense against your woman is far greater. I relinquish my claim. His death is yours.”

  Christian experienced a moment of disbelief, followed by the exquisite rush of pure vengeance. He could already taste Anthony’s blood on his tongue, could already hear his screams. Soon, he promised himself.

  “Thank you, my lord,” he said fervently. “His death will be as painful as I can make it.”

  Raphael bared his teeth in a terrifying grin that made Christian glad they were on the same side. “Give my regards to your woman,” he said. “And enjoy the rest of the evening.”

  Christian bowed slightly from the waist. He’d been dismissed, and he didn’t mind. He’d been away from Natalie for too long, and there were too many vampires on the hunt in this room.

  He strode across the room, loosing just enough of his power that the crowd gave way before him. Natalie was exactly where he’d left her, still in between Jaclyn and Cibor, with both their arms around her. They might not be actively trying to seduce her, but it was obvious they wouldn’t mind, either. The wonder was that they hadn’t done so before now.

  Christian growled softly, then reached in and slipped an arm around Natalie’s waist, neatly extracting her from the group hug. Cibor stiffened slightly, but Jaclyn only laughed.

  “We were taking care of her for you,” she teased.

  Christian gave her a knowing look. “Much appreciated, but I’ll take it from here.”

  “It is just fine on her own,” Natalie said, with a growl of her own. “Stop talking about me like I’m not here.”

  “You’re right, chére. I apologize.”

  She rolled her eyes, but turned in the circle of his arm and brought her lips to his ear. “Is that Raphael’s mate?” she asked.

  He could feel the press of her soft breast and, combined with the lingering adrenaline rush of his promised vengeance against Anthony, it made his dick harden. He wanted to scoop her off to somewhere private, where he could push her skirt up her silky thighs and fuck her until she begged him to stop.

  She must have caught some of that in the look he was giving her, because she blushed furiously, and said, “Stop that.”

  He grinned at the way her words mirrored his thoughts. “Stop what?”

  “You know perfectly well what. So, is that Cynthia Leighton?”

  Christian turned his reluctant attention back to the dais where Leighton and Raphael now stood with the other lords and their mates. “It is.”

  “Hmmm,” she said, with enough of an undercurrent that Christian gave her a curious look. “Aren’t we a few lords short?” she asked quickly, almost as if she wanted to deflect his attention.

  Christian had a moment’s worry, remembering what Raphael had said about Leighton causing mischief, but decided not to pursue it further. At least not tonight. “Three, to be exact. Well, not counting Anthony, who didn’t have the balls to show up.”

  “Isn’t one of the lords actually a woman? Is she up there?”

  “You mean Sophia. No. She’s missing in action, and the others are actually worried about her. Which, if you knew anything about how powerful vampires interact, is remarkable.”

  “Do they think she’s dead?”

  He shook his head. “If she was dead, we’d all know it. When a vampire lord dies, the power backlash is strong enough to be felt all over the continent, but especially by the lords. We’d all feel it.”

  “Well, that’s good,” she murmured.

  Christian smiled bemusedly. “If you say so. I’ve never met the woman.” He lowered his head enough to kiss her lightly. “I think we’ve fulfilled our obligation here, don’t you?” He straightened, and glanced over at Marc. “You ready to blow this pop stand, mon ami?”

  Marc laughed at his use of the American colloquialism. “Ready to get out of this tux,” he agreed.

  “Time to go home,” Christian decided, then put his lips to Natalie’s ear and purred, “Someone still has a lesson to learn.”

  CHRISTIAN DIDN’T waste any time once they returned home. While Marc went directly to the basement quarters, Christian followed Natalie into her bedroom and closed the door behind him, leaning against it as he watched her undress. She started to step out of her heels, but he stopped her.

  “Keep the heels.”

  She gave him a little smile, then reached up and pulled some pins out of her hair, allowing it to tumble to her shoulders, before turning to the dresser where she slowly removed her jewelry—long, dangly earrings and a bracelet to match. Rubies, he thought, with small diamonds. He’d buy her something better, something to mark her as his.

  She pulled at the zipper under her arm, turning to face him as the dress slid down to
pool at her feet, leaving her in nothing but a barely-there black lace bra and a tiny pair of matching panties. She stood, and stared at him boldly, despite the blush heating her pretty cheeks.

  Christian did a lazy scan of her body, head to toe, and back up again, lingering at all the intriguing places covered by those bits of lace. When he met her eyes, he let her see the hunger that was burning his throat, and creating a heaviness in his groin.

  He crossed the room slowly, holding her gaze, watching her pupils dilate with emotion. There was fear there, but also desire, excitement. Was she afraid of him? Or of her own response to him? She licked her lips, a deliberate provocation that answered his question.

  Reaching out, Christian hooked his fingers in the center of her bra and tugged her closer. Flicking the clasp open, he pushed the delicate cups aside. Her breasts were heavy against his palms, large on her delicate frame, their tips a deep rose against the golden hue of her smooth skin. He molded the soft globes with his fingers, coaxing her nipples into hard nubs as she leaned into his caress. She rolled her head on her shoulders, humming her pleasure with eyes closed as she savored the sensation. Her silky hair brushed against the backs of his hands, as her fingers gripped his belt, holding on as if she needed his strength to remain standing.

  Christian freed one hand to twist in her thick hair, pulling her head back and holding her still for his kiss. His tongue traced the outline of her lips, before dipping into her warm mouth. Natalie went up on her toes with a soft moan, pushing for more, crushing her mouth against his in demand.

  He only smiled. Breaking the kiss, he lifted his hand from her breast to glide it down over her ribs, past her waist, gripping her hip briefly before slipping his fingers beneath the slender band of her panties. He snapped it with a quick movement, and she jumped, eyes flashing wide open.

  He met her surprise with a lazy grin as the lacy bits fell down the length of her legs to hit the floor, and she stood before him naked, except for her shoes. Dipping a hand between her thighs, he found her slick with arousal. She shuddered when he pushed a single finger into her opening, and her hands came up to grip his arms as she widened her stance, giving him better access.

  Christian touched his lips to her forehead, whispering down over her eyes, to her cheeks, the corner of her mouth.

  “You’re still dressed,” she fretted.

  “Yes, I am.”

  She looked up at the unapologetic confidence of his words, then gasped as he slipped a second finger into her pussy, and began stroking her, in and out, their gazes locked. A haze of desire clouded the rich brown of her eyes.

  “Christian,” she whispered, pleading.

  He held her stare, fingers pumping, gliding through the rich cream of her desire. He could feel the slight tremor of her thighs, the quivering of her inner muscles, as her body responded to the constant thrust and release of his fingers. Her nipples were hard pearls digging into his chest through the fine fabric of his shirt as she lifted her face to his, desperate for a kiss. He caressed her lips, his tongue stabbing between her teeth to taste the delicate flavor that was Natalie, matching the rhythm of his fingers into her sodden pussy.

  With a small, needy noise, she thrust her hips forward, pushing hard, trying to force her clit against the pressure of his hand.

  Christian growled, and slid his other hand around her hip, his fingers digging into the curve of her ass, before slapping her butt cheek in warning. “Behave.”

  Natalie gasped her protest, and slapped his chest. A slap he barely felt. He chuckled and felt the heat as her skin warmed with a feverish flush that rolled over her cheeks and neck, before bringing a lovely, pink tinge to the tops of her breasts. Scraping his fingers up her smooth back, he wrapped her hair around his hand again, and gently tugged her head back.

  “Onto the bed, chére.”

  Her eyes flashed open in an instant of confusion, and he curled his fingers around the nape of her neck. “Crawl onto the bed, mon ange, I want to see that pretty ass in the air.”

  Her entire body seemed to heat with embarrassment this time, and she made a little noise of wordless distress. His Natalie wasn’t wildly experienced. In fact, he imagined most of her previous sexual encounters had been conducted in the missionary position, in the dark. But, for all her shy blushing, she wasn’t unwilling. Even if he hadn’t had his fingers buried in the evidence of her soaking wet pussy, he could smell her arousal.

  She glanced toward the big bed, then back to meet his eyes once more, as if to be sure he really wanted her to do this. And then she walked over and climbed onto it, crawling all the way up to nearly the headboard before she stopped and looked at him over her shoulder.

  Christian nearly had a heart attack. Did she know how she looked? What she did to him? She was the very image of temptation. Her lips were puffy from his kisses, her big brown eyes gazing at him in perfect submission, asking what she should do next. Long, auburn hair swept over her back and shoulders, and her position provided only tantalizing glimpses of her breasts, which swayed beneath her with every breath. But it was her ass that called to him. The perfect heart shape, the firm and rounded cheeks.

  He started across the room, intent on taking her, but then paused. Hadn’t he just observed to himself that Natalie was, if not an innocent, then at least inexperienced? He needed to gentle her, to introduce her to the variety of sexual experiences in a slow, sensuous way. She probably didn’t even realize the temptation she presented, offering her ass to him like that. At least he hoped she didn’t. Because slowing the fuck down, literally, was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.

  “Put your head on the bed, chére,” he said quietly, as he began stripping off his clothes, tossing his jacket and shirt onto a chair, toeing off shoes and socks as he unbuckled his belt. “But keep that sweet ass in the air,” he added, in case she didn’t understand what he wanted.

  Her eyes widened, but she did as he asked, which immediately made him wonder why he’d asked for that. The position didn’t exactly make it easier to resist her. Her glistening pussy was on full display, arousal slicking the swollen lips.

  “Fuck me,” he swore, then unzipped his tux pants and let them drop to the floor, stepping out of them and directly onto the bed behind her. His cock was so rigid it hurt. He stroked himself with one hand, while caressing her ass with the other, squeezing one of her exquisitely rounded cheeks.

  He could fuck her like this. She was more than ready for him. He could follow that inviting trail right into her pussy. It was difficult not to, but his plan, which he’d only concocted in the last few minutes, was to seduce her. To show her all the ways he could make her body sing.

  Bending low, he swept his tongue the full length of her slit, savoring her sweet flavor. Natalie squirmed, unintentionally taunting him even further. “Christian,” she whispered.

  He bent over and kissed the cheeks of her ass, biting gently. “Do you want me to stop?” he asked, while he was privately begging her to say “no.” The gods must have heard his prayers, because she shook her head, which caused her ass to wiggle and did nothing for his self-control.

  Nearly moaning in relief, he gripped her hips and flipped her over. Natalie cried out in surprise, but then smiled, spreading her thighs, and lifting her hips off the bed in welcome. He moved between her legs, letting his cock settle in the slick heat of her pussy, but he didn’t enter her yet. He was going to teach his angel all the ways he could make her feel wonderful.

  He lowered his head to the curve of her neck, nibbling and sucking hard enough to leave his mark on her. He licked away the small pain, then continued over the delicate curve of her jaw, kissing her eyes closed, brushing his lips over her mouth, before licking his way downward. His teeth closed over her collarbone, and he was struck by how fragile it was, so breakable. All of her was like that. It made him want to lock her in his basement and n
ever let her out. He growled softly, but then Natalie’s fingers moved through his hair, digging in his scalp, and he was reminded that she was strong, too.

  He transferred his attention to her breasts—beautiful and round, with large nipples that begged to be sucked. He took one in his mouth and did just that, closing his teeth over it until she moaned hungrily, her hips lifting off the bed to brush against his cock. He groaned and flexed his hips to coat his cock in her wetness, as he switched his attention to her other breast, sucking her nipple into plump eagerness. But this time, Natalie’s fingers lingered in his hair, holding on tight enough that it hurt as she pulled him against her chest, forcing him to continue worshiping her breasts.

  The pain from her grip was a jolt of lust straight to his already hard cock, and he wondered how much more he could take. He’d wanted to pleasure her, to make her come with nothing but his mouth and his fingers before finally fucking her until she shattered around him. But his Natalie was no ethereal creature. She was a woman who knew what she wanted, and demanded it. He grinned against her breast, delighted at her responsiveness. But she needed to learn that he was always in charge.

  His fangs split his gums, and he bit down on her nipple, drawing only a drop of blood. But it was enough to trigger the euphoric in his blood, enough to send Natalie soaring into orgasm with no warning but the heat of his bite. She arched beneath him, her back leaving the bed as she screamed, her strong fingers sliding down to his back where her nails dug furrows into his skin.

  Christian groaned at the pain, and nearly came on the soft skin of her thighs. He cursed under his breath. He wasn’t finished with her, but if he wasn’t careful, his balls weren’t going to give him a choice. Sliding down her body, he kissed her flat belly, the neat patch of curls over her pubis, and then dipped his tongue into her pussy. He groaned again. She tasted so sweet, as if her innocence was pooled between her thighs, just waiting to be savored. He used his mouth, mimicking the sex act, feeling her sheath contract around his tongue as her body twitched in the final throes of her bite-induced climax.