His Dark Embrace
Page 29
His mind and body merged with hers, their joining like summer lightning streaking across the sky. When he nuzzled her neck, she tilted her head to the side, giving him easy access to her throat.
She moaned softly, her hands clutching his shoulders as his bite brought them both to fulfillment.
“I’ve been thinking,” Skylynn remarked later, when their bodies had cooled.
“Oh? About what?” Although he wasn’t cold, Thorne pulled the covers over the two of them, then wrapped his arms around her again, her back to his front. She fit him so perfectly, satisfied him so completely. How had he lived so long without her?
“Well, not right away, you understand, but in a year or two or three, I think I’d like to be what you are.”
Thorne sat up, then drew Skylynn up beside him so he could see her face. “Are you serious?”
“I thought you’d be pleased.”
“That doesn’t begin to describe it, but what changed your mind?”
“Well, you’re a vampire. Sam’s a vampire and he seems to love it.” She shrugged. “I just want to fit in with the rest of the family.”
Thorne stared at her, then pulled her into his arms. “I love you, Sky Blue. Vampire or human, I’ll always love you.”
She smiled against his chest. “Will it hurt?”
“No, love.”
“And the blood? Will I learn to like it?”
“I guarantee it.”
“It’s settled then.”
“There’s no hurry. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll ...” He frowned as she bolted off the bed and ran into the bathroom. What the hell? “Sky?” He followed her into the bathroom and found her bent over the toilet. Kneeling beside her, he draped one arm around her shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know.”
Rising, he wet a cloth and wiped her face, then drew her to her feet. Wrapping his arms around her, he closed his eyes and opened his senses. Was she ill? Sometimes, he could smell sickness or disease on those he had fed upon.
But Skylynn wasn’t sick.
Feeling as though he had been punched in the gut, he gazed down at her, his jaw rigid.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
He put her away from him, his answer curt and filled with accusation. “You’re pregnant.”
Skylynn stared at Kaiden, too stunned to think, too startled to speak. Pregnant? That was impossible. He had told her so himself. Vampires couldn’t create life.
“Say something!” he demanded, and even as his anger rose, and with it the urge to kill whoever had dared touch her, he knew she hadn’t been with another man. And yet, she carried the proof in her womb.
“You can’t think ... I’ve never ... it’s impossible.”
“I know.” He drew her gently into his arms, and just like that, his anger dissolved.
“You must be mistaken,” she said. “And even if it was true, which it can’t be, how could you tell?”
“I can hear the heartbeat, quick and quiet.”
She blinked up at him. “You can hear it?” She placed one hand on her stomach. She couldn’t be pregnant, so what could it be?
Swinging her into his arms, he carried her back to bed and cradled her to his chest. He frowned as a new thought inched its way into his mind. Could it be? Was it possible? All those months when he had taken McNamara’s formula, when he had been able to consume mortal food and drink, when he had been able to abide the sun’s light and be awake during the day ... when his vampire nature had, for want of a better word, gone into hibernation ... He shook his head. Vampires couldn’t create life, and yet he could hear two heartbeats.
Thorne placed his hand over Skylynn’s womb and blinked back the sting of tears in his eyes as he sensed the barely discernable movement of new life beneath his palm.
“I guess it’s a good thing we got married.” He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lightly, tenderly. “Because we’re going to be parents.”
Chapter 48
“You’re what?” Standing in the middle of the living room, Sam stared at Skylynn. “I thought ... vampires couldn’t ...” He looked at Thorne for an explanation. “How the devil did this happen?”
Thorne shrugged. “The usual way.” He hugged Skylynn, who was sitting on the sofa beside him. They had come downstairs after taking a shower. Sky had been too excited to sleep, too anxious to call Tara and share the news, in spite of the late hour. Too eager to tell her brother he was going to be an uncle.
“You know what I mean,” Sam said.
As succinctly as possible, Thorne told Sam about Paddy’s formula.
Sam frowned. “That was for you? And that’s how you were able to be out in the sun, and eat regular food?”
“Yeah.”
Sam dropped into his usual place in the chair beside the sofa. “I thought you liked being a vampire.”
“I did. I do. But it was nice being able to go outside during the day again, to eat mortal food.” He looked at Skylynn. “To dream about a future with the woman I love.”
“Then why did you stop taking the potion?” Sam asked.
“I ran out. I tried recreating it, but ...” Thorne shrugged. “I couldn’t make it work. There was an ingredient in it that I couldn’t duplicate and no one could figure out what it was.”
Sam looked at Thorne and started laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Thorne asked irritably.
Sam held up one hand while he continued to laugh.
Skylynn looked at Thorne, her brows raised.
“Sorry,” Sam said, blowing out a breath and wiping his eyes. “It’s just that, years ago, Granda made me memorize the ingredients to a formula. He wouldn’t tell me who it was for, he just insisted that I remember it, and that I never write it down. When I asked him why, he just said somebody we knew might need it someday.” He looked at Thorne. “That someone is you, isn’t it?”
“I sure as hell hope so,” Thorne said, a sense of anticipation building inside him.
“Sam, are you telling us that you know what it is?” Skylynn exclaimed in disbelief. “That you know what the potion’s made of?”
“Well, I’ve got some kind of formula up here,” Sam said, tapping the side of his head. “I don’t know for sure if it’s the one you’re looking for. To tell you the truth, I forgot all about it until now.”
Thorne scrubbed one hand up and down his thigh. Could it be true? Could Sam have had the answer all along?
“I think the ingredient you’ve been looking for is blood,” Sam said, grinning at Thorne. “Your blood. Of course, I didn’t know the formula was for you. Or that you were a vampire when Granda made me memorize it. Or that your blood wasn’t normal.”
Thorne stared at him, then shook his head. “That can’t be it. I had the potion analyzed in a lab by some of the top scientists in the world. They would have been able to detect something as common as blood.”
“You idiot,” Sam said mildly. “Vampire blood isn’t common.”
Of course, Kaiden thought. Even though Paddy hadn’t given him the formula, the old man had given him a short lesson in how it was produced, though it had made little sense to Thorne at the time.
I dump all the ingredients in a beaker, Paddy had said, and then I let the whole mess simmer for a wee bit until it’s cooked just right.
Thorne nodded as hope soared within him. His vampire blood would bind all the ingredients together, and then, somehow, his blood evaporated, all but the part that made him a vampire. That explained why the potion had given Desmarais the strength and vitality of a vampire, although it didn’t explain how it had allowed Thorne to endure the sun’s light. But what the hell. The whys and wherefores didn’t matter, as long as the formula worked.
“Do you know what this means?” he asked, glancing from Skylynn to Sam.
“Yeah,” Sam said, laughing. “It means we can all go to the beach next summer.”
Thorne leaned forward and slapped Sam on the shoulder. “I guess i
t’s a good thing Sky asked me to save your life.”
Thorne pulled Skylynn close and kissed her soundly. Then, swinging her up into his arms, he twirled her around the room until she cried, “Kaiden, stop! I’m getting dizzy.”
“Sorry, love.” He set her lightly on her feet, then took her hands in his. “Do you know what this means, Sky Blue. It means we can have a normal life.”
She nodded, too happy to speak past the lump in her throat. Thanks to Granda’s wisdom and the return of Sam’s memory, she and Kaiden and Sam could be a real family, after all.
Epilogue
Tonight was the night.
Skylynn stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, carefully plucking her eyebrows. She had washed her hair, painted her nails, shaved her legs, and put on her prettiest, sexiest nightgown. It was long and black, a mere whisper of gossamer silk.
Moving into the bedroom, she stood in front of the full-length mirror in the corner. She looked good for her age, she thought. Not that thirty-four was old, exactly. But it wasn’t young, either.
Their son, Josh, a very grown up nine and their daughter, Janae, a sweet and spoiled seven, both had their father’s dark hair and their mother’s blue eyes. From time to time, Sky wondered if her children would become vampires even though Kaiden assured her that such a thing was next to impossible. But she wasn’t so sure. He had also told her that vampires couldn’t create life, yet they had two beautiful children, children that were so healthy they had never had so much as a cold or a cavity.
A lot had happened in the last ten years. Kaiden and Sam had managed to recreate Granda’s formula so that they rarely needed blood, and then only a little. They were still vampires, after all.
Eight years ago, Tara had decided to move to California. It had been love at first sight when Sam and Tara met. Skylynn had worried that Sam’s being a vampire might pose a problem, but Tara had only laughed and said she didn’t care what Sam was, as long as he was hers. They had married six months later. Sky loved having her best friend for a sister-in-law.
Three years ago, they had all moved up to Northern California. It had taken some getting used to, living in a small town, having to drive the kids to school, not having a mall nearby. But, on the plus side, Sam and Tara lived in the house behind them. Kaiden had put a gate in the fence so the kids could run back and forth.
Sky glanced over her shoulder as Kaiden strolled into the bedroom. He whistled softly when he saw her.
Sky smiled at her husband. He was still as wickedly handsome and sexy as ever, still had the power to make her insides curl with pleasure with just one look. He wore a pair of jeans low on his hips and nothing else.
“Are you ready, love?” Coming up behind her, he slipped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck.
“Yes.”
“You’re sure? There’s no going back, once it’s done.”
“We’ve been over this a hundred times.” Sky leaned against him. She was thirty-four years old. Kaiden had been thirty-nine when he was turned. She didn’t want to wait any longer, or get any older. “I’m beginning to think you don’t want me to do it.”
“I just want you to be happy.”
“I am happy.” She smiled at him in the mirror. “Happier than I ever dreamed possible,” she said, and then frowned. “Are you sure it will work? I mean, now that you’re taking the potion again ...”
He placed his fingers over her lips. “I’m still a vampire, Sky. Besides, I’ve been drinking a little blood every day. Stolen from a blood bank,” he added when he saw the expression on her face. “If it doesn’t work this time, then I’ll stop taking the potion for a while.”
“Let’s do it, then. The kids are spending the night over at Sam’s.”
With a nod, Kaiden took Skylynn by the hand and led her to the bed. Sitting down on the edge of the mattress, he tugged her down beside him. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
“Not since last night.”
“Never doubt that I love you. Whatever the future holds, you’ll always be the sunshine in my world.”
His words sank deep into Sky’s heart as she wrapped her arms around him. He kissed her, slowly at first, his tongue teasing her lips before delving inside to tangle with hers.
He kissed her again, and yet again before he eased her down on the mattress, his hands moving over Sky, readying her for what was to come.
When she was breathless with anticipation, he removed his jeans, slid her nightgown over her head, and then rose above her. For a moment, he gazed into her eyes, humbled by the depths of her love, her unconditional trust.
Murmuring that he adored her, he kissed her again, ever so tenderly, and then he gathered her into his arms. Her hair was like fine silk against his hand as he brushed it over her shoulder, baring the smooth line of her throat to his gaze. He could hear the rapid beat of her heart, smell the blood flowing sweetly through her veins.
Murmuring, “This time forever, Sky Blue,” he bent his head to her neck.
After tonight, she would be his as never before.
Always and eternally his.
If you’re a lover of vampire romance,
read on for a taste of
Amanda Ashley’s Desire the Night,
coming in September.
Gideon Marquet stared into the darkness, his limbs aching from the weight of the heavy silver chains that shackled his ankles to the thick cement wall behind him. His body felt like it was burning from the inside out, causing his veins to shrink, while his skin grew painfully tight with the need for sustenance.
So long since he had fed.
So long since his thirst had been satisfied.
His eyes narrowed as a tall woman entered the basement. Clad in a shimmering white robe trimmed in white fur, she looked like an angel when, in truth, she was anything but.
The hem of her velvet robe made a soft, swishing noise as she drew closer, then knelt outside the cell.
Gideon groaned inwardly as she picked up the slender, silver-bladed dagger that rested beside a golden jewel-encrusted goblet on a low wooden table. His body tensed as she began to chant, her voice soft, almost hypnotic. He winced as she reached between the bars and dragged the blade across his right thigh. Lifting the goblet, she held it under the wound to collect the dark red blood that leaked from the long, shallow gash. When the goblet was half-full, she made a similar cut in his left thigh, chanting all the while. When the cup was full, she left the basement.
She returned a short time later.
Gideon sat up a little straighter, his fangs extending as the cell door opened and a young blond girl clad in a wrinkled brown dress was pushed inside. She fell to the floor, crying out as she scraped her knees on the cold cement. His hands clenched as the warm, sweet coppery scent of her blood filled his nostrils.
Blind with panic, the girl, who couldn’t have been more than nineteen or twenty, scrambled to her feet and ran to the iron-barred door.
“Please!” she cried, her hands fisting around the bars. “Let me out! Please, oh, please, let me out of here!”
But her frantic plea fell on deaf ears.
The girl sobbed hysterically as the woman turned and left the basement.
With her only hope gone, the girl darted to a far corner of the cell, her back pressed against the bars, her arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Tears flooded her cheeks as she murmured, “Please, don’t.”
But all he heard was the frantic beating of her heart, the whisper-soft sound of the blood flowing through her veins.
“Please.” She fell to her knees, hands raised in supplication.
But that wouldn’t save her.
Nothing could save her now.
It was feeding time.
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Copyright © 2012 by Madeline Baker
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ISBN: 978-1-4201-2828-4
Table of Contents
HE’S GOING TO KISS ME
Don’t miss these vampire series by Amanda Ashley
Title Page
Dedication
“My Dark Visitor”
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41