by Renea Mason
“Yes. Thank you. It was delicious.” I handed him the ceramic bowl. “What does that have to do with me?”
He walked to the sink, retrieved a sponge and began washing the remnants of our dinner. “In the past, if a mate died, another would receive her magic, giving the vampire another chance. The search would start over, but there was always hope. Vampires in that time always knew there was another out there for them. After the last Vessel died, mates became rare, and when one died, there was no second chance. It meant eternity never feeling whole again.” He dried his hand on the dishtowel.
“I don’t understand. Are you saying because Elizabeth died, you’ll never…”
He strode to me, swiveled my chair and knelt on the floor in front of me. Taking my hand in his he turned my palm over. “I understand that this is the last thing you want to hear, and I’m trying to decide how to say it, but one way you can tell a mate is by the lines on your palm.” He turned over his palm. “See these lines here. They’re identical. That’s one way we can identify a mate. Whatever magic makes it possible changes your lifelines.”
“That means I’m your mate?” I asked hesitantly.
“You’re a mate. To be my mate, you’d have to choose me.” He pressed a kiss to the palm of my hand.
“But I’m a witch, I didn’t think witches could be mates.”
“Your father was a witch turned vampire, they are rare. Maybe that’s why. Maybe as Nasha said, the rules don’t apply anymore now that Lillie is here and cared for.” He inhaled deeply and hung his head.
“What’s wrong?” Without thought, my fingers brushed through his strands of hair.
He lifted his head and ran his fingers over my palm again. “It’s usually only these three lines that match for a mate. To find a complete match is nearly unheard of. Because of the rare nature of a perfect match, many bond as soon as they meet, not caring about if they are the one the universe created specifically for them or not. The companionship is too rare an opportunity to pass up.”
I turned his hand over and traced the deep creases in his skin.
“It’s a perfect match,” I whispered.
He nodded sadness in his eyes. “Yes, and just my luck. You hate vampires.”
I couldn’t do anything but stare at him, wondering why the world would be so cruel to us. I would have given anything to indulge his banter, see his smile, but as heavy as the truth of today had been for me, it was even more so for him.
Resting his hands on my knees for just a second, he stood and grabbed our wine glasses. “We should get some sleep. We need to head back to the states in the morning. Let me show you to the guest room.”
My mind whirled with my newfound information. Mates? Vampire daughter? Betrayal? How was I ever going to sleep?
7
Pull
I yawned and stretched, thankful for the extra space on Baron’s private jet. Eli was hiding out in the small sleeping room at the back of the plane, far away from daylight.
I still hadn’t processed everything. I honestly didn’t know that I ever would, but every time my mind tried to focus on strategy, the image of Eli’s sullen expression-filled my mind. I didn’t want him to hurt. Thinking back to the night we met, I wondered—could our connection be why I couldn’t kill him? I had never hesitated in the past, and I couldn’t deny how I felt every time he touched me. This was the worst thing that could possibly happen. I stood and was already halfway through the cabin when I realized I had no control.
Stumbling with a slight bit of turbulence, I grasped the edge of the cabinet above to steady myself. When my hand clutched the door handle to the sleeping room, I fully expected it to be locked. If I were Eli, I would have locked it, but the handle turned with ease.
I slid through the crack in the door and quickly closed it behind me, pressing my back against the metal frame. In the soft ambient lighting, Eli’s stretched form looked like the mountains against the evening horizon. What the hell am I going to do now? Why did I even come in here? With my hands behind my back and the doorknob in reach, I contemplated a graceful retreat.
His voice caused me to pause. “Clancy, is everything all right?”
I licked my lips and whispered, “Yes.”
He sat up, leaning on one elbow. “Did you need something?”
Did I? It was a question I didn’t know how to answer because even though I had every reason to stay away from him, a part of me grew anxious when he was out of reach. How could I have developed a dependency on him so quickly? How could I desire the company of a vampire?
I realized I hadn’t answered him when I heard his deep voice beckoned me. “Come here.” He shifted his legs over the side of the bed until he sat on the edge and reached out for me.
Pushing away from the door, I made my way to him, still unsure of what to say.
As soon as I was in reach, his hand gripped my waist, pulling me closer. “I’m sorry.” His arms wrapped around me as he rested his face against my stomach.
I closed my eyes and savored the completion I felt being in his arms, but I was still unsure where this would leave us. Tentatively, I rested a hand on his shoulder. “What are you sorry about?” My fingers played with the soft strand of hair at the base of his neck.
“Everything. You’re feeling it, aren’t you? I remember how intense it was last time for me. Confusing even. But this time…”
“What was? I’m not following.”
He sighed and gathered me closer. “The pull between mates.” He nuzzled his face against me. “I won’t deny you, Clancy. Even if you don’t want me, I’ll give you whatever comfort you need. My body, my life, they’re yours. When we’re in New Orleans we can ask the Coven Godmother to can cast a spell to counteract the pull between us, until then I’ll be whatever you need.”
I leaned back and placed my hands on his shoulders. “Why would you do that?” The question surprised even me as it left my lips.
He gazed up into my eyes, his beautifully angled features contoured by the shadows. “Because I’m not what you want. I had my chance. I had my opportunity to love once. Because of that, I know how important these bonds can be. I’ll watch over you until you can find that for yourself.”
I wasn’t sure how to feel about his words. I needed to touch him. “Until then…”
“I’ll be what you need me to be. A friend. A protector. A lover. Even though you may find another, from now until the end of time, I am yours, whether you want me or not.”
The whirling emotions rushing through me brought tears to my eyes. I should hate him. Not long ago, he was the enemy. “Why would you do that? It makes no sense. How can you say things like that based on the words of one old woman?”
“Clancy, it’s the easiest thing I’ve ever done. You’re not only a mate but one created for me for whatever reason. You are the most important thing in the world to me now, but I won’t force you to choose me, so please don’t worry.” He took my hand in his and stroked his thumb over the back of my hand.
I shook my head in disbelief. “It’s so hard for me to accept.”
He raised my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “I know. You don’t have to. With mates so much is instinct. A connection that happens beneath the surface without our permission. It’s unexplainable. But even the strongest of cosmic forces won’t make me compromise your free will.”
When I gazed into his dark eyes and became overwhelmed by his love, his devotion. Before I could talk myself out of it, my face drifted closer to his, my focus fixed on his full bottom lip. I wanted him to touch me, but his arms hung at his sides. My mouth covered his. With only our lips touching, my desire for him was already too much to bear.
A deep throaty rumble echoed in his throat. “Clancy, are you sure this is what you want? I’ll give you anything you desire, but it would kill me to see you regret it.”
I cupped his cheek. “I honestly don’t know what I want. But your touch… it… it’s the only thing that comforts me. It’s so
strange. Almost like a drug. A craving.”
He kissed the corner of my mouth. “I remember what it was like with Elisabeth. I wanted to crawl inside her skin.”
“Yes. That’s exactly how I feel.” I breathed against his lips.
He laced the fingers of one hand in my hair. “Do you want me to ease your ache?”
I closed my eyes, stopped thinking and gave myself over to sensation. “God, help me, I do.”
He twisted his hand in my hair and placed his lips against my ear. “Have you ever made love with a vampire?”
I tried to shake my head, but his grip was too tight. The idea had never been a possibility, but now it was all I could think about. “No.”
He took my hand in his and massaged my fingers. “The mechanics are pretty much the same. We give and receive pleasure like humans, our bite is where things differ. It’s quite pleasurable. I just wanted to warn you. I know how you feel about vampires. The last thing I want to do is frighten you, but once I’m inside you, the need to taste you will be too much. We don’t have to do anything. Touching you is enough for me, or I could pleasure you.”
The image of his teeth in my neck with his cock was inside me overwhelmed my senses. I let out a breathy sigh. Moisture soaked through my panties at the thought. What would have once turned my stomach was now my darkest fantasy. “No, please. I want to… feel you.”
His voice, huskier and deeper than before, was like music to my ears. “Take off your clothes. Let me see you.” He released my hand and waited.
His appreciative gaze pursued my body while I divested myself of my shirt and pants.
I clasped my arms across my chest when my bra dropped to the ground.
“Open your arms. Never hide from me.” He extended his hands to me palms up, and I placed mine in his, in the process exposing my breasts to his gaze.
He pulled me closer, his lips closing around one nipple, sucking. “Beautiful.” The cool air puckered the wet peak when he moved his attention to the other. “Perfect.” His hands rested on my hips, looping his fingers in the hem of my panties. “Did you know one advantage of being a male vampire is the ability to control blood flow? I can make love to you for days, if you wish.” He dragged the garment down my legs.
I shivered from his words and the feel of his finger dancing over my thighs. “Days?” I swallowed hard. “Let’s see if I can survive today first.” I grinned at him already feeling as though I could combust.
“Oh, you need not worry. I’ll protect you.” He pressed a kiss against my sternum between my breasts and then stood to unzip his pants. With vampire speed, he rid himself of all his clothes.
My breath caught in my throat as I took in the lean plains of muscle, the light dusting of hair and his impressive cock. He was a work of art.
“Eli… You’re beautiful.”
He pulled me tight against him, his cock hard against my stomach. His tongue slid between my lips, and I moaned, melting against his body. “Thank you, but nowhere near as beautiful as you.”
I needed him more with each stroke of his tongue, each caress of his fingers gliding over my skin, with each kiss he drove me closer to the edge. “Please,” I begged on a whispered plea.
“There is so much we can explore, but later. I need to be inside you.”
“Yes…” I breathed against his mouth.
His hand cupped my bottom, lifted and swung me so my back hit the mattress of the tiny bed. I once expected vampires to be cool to the touch, but his skin was warm against mine, another truth that had eluded me. As he positioned himself above me, I pressed my hand against his chest where his heart should be. He watched my finger press against his chest trying to feel the soft thud under his skin.
“You know how it works, right? Once mates have bonded the vampire's heart beats again. Because I didn’t bond with Elizabeth, my heart is still, but maybe…” He paused and stared at me, but rather than finish his sentence, his mouth covered mine.
I lost all ability to think as he nestled himself between my thighs.
His hands were everywhere, his lips marking every inch of my skin with invisible kisses.
I gasped when his fingers gripped my thighs, spreading my legs farther apart. “I’m going to take you now.” His cock nudged my entrance. “It’s your last chance to turn back.” He waited for my response.
“Please…” I tilted my hips giving him greater access.
He grasped his cock in his hand and pressed just the head inside me. “Watch me. See me slide into you.”
A gush of fluid covered my sex and slid between my ass cheeks. An invitation.
“Mmm… You’re so wet.” He ran this cockhead back and forth through the wetness, and without warning buried himself to the hilt within me and stilled. A soft hum of contentment rumbled in his chest.
My back arched, my fingers dug into his back, something between a gasp and a scream escaped my lips. So full. So needed. So right. He stretched me and touched me in places I hadn’t known existed. I felt a sense of completion and he hadn’t even moved. “Oh, God… Eli…”
“I know.” A soft almost purr vibrated his throat. “There are tales of bonded mates who stay in bed for days, connected as we are now feeding on one another, entwined in every way. They say the sensation is even more intense.” With a roll of his hips, he started his dance.
“Fuck.” I bit my bottom lip. “I can’t imagine it being more intense.”
His mouth closed over the skin at the base of my throat. “This is nothing, love. Wait until I bite you. If you’ve never orgasmed from a vampire bite, you’re in for a treat. You have me inside you now, that will be my chance to have you inside me.” He moaned and began driving harder and deeper into me. “Fuck… so good.”
With every thrust, I drifted closer to the edge. It didn’t take long for my first climax to crest. “Eli, I’m…”
He arched his back, exposed his fangs and sank them into my neck.
The sound that escaped my lips was primal and fierce. Nothing had ever compared. God, the ecstasy. It felt as though my climax doubled with each of his penetrations. A harsh groan rattled in my throat as I surrendered to the most intense pleasure I had ever experienced. My legs stiffened, fingers gripped his flesh, and hips melded to his trying to pull him deeper.
With each pull of my blood, a new wave crested and crashed within the next.
On a grunt he removed his fangs, tossed back his head and slammed his hips against me, burying himself as far as he could go. My blood dripped from his fangs onto my chest, as he pumped pulse after pulse of seed inside me, filling me. He panted and thrust his hips in deep syncopated movements, ensuring all he gave me every last drop.
His tongue bathed my chest and throat in a soft sensual bath, cleaning me of the blood he spilled. All the while he remained inside me.
Trying to catch his breath, he kissed me. “I love you. I could do that every day for the rest of my life.”
I brushed a sweat-soaked tendril of hair from his face. I wasn’t capable of returning his sentiment, but I knew he could easily become an addiction.
He rolled off me and pulled me into his arms, pressing soft kisses to my face.
Now empty, his release flowed from within me and saturated my thighs. “Oh, I’m making a mess of your bed.”
He dipped his head and collected the small droplets of blood that peppered my breasts with his tongue. “Leave it. I love my scent on you.” He pulled the blankets up over us. “Close your eyes. Rest. We have a big day tomorrow. Sleep. I want you to wake in my arms.”
I had never felt so content. I rested my head against his chest, and for the moment at least, wanted nothing more than to make his heart beat again.
8
Ribbon
I had to remind myself many times that magic did not follow the rules of logic, and love was the most unpredictable magic of all. Every moment that passed, my connection to Eli grew stronger. I worried it might consume me, but as I stood in front of the tavern wher
e we were to meet a high-ranking member of a New Orleans Coven, fear overrode my desire.
Sophia sat in a high-back booth. Her red dress was tight and sensual. The glossy sheen of her long, red nails sparkled in the light from the chandelier. Her plump lips closed around the straw in her drink almost erotically.
“Miss Winchester?” Eli said as we approached the table, his hand on my back.
“Ah, vampire, I didn’t think I’d see you again since you failed us. You know what we do to those who do not meet their obligations.” Her thick Southern accent spoke of antebellum roots.
“You didn’t exactly give me all the information, now did you? Had I known you expected to be cursed…”
“Please sit and keep your voices low. We’ve contained the damage so far.” She scooted over, giving Eli space to sit beside her.
I didn’t like him being so close to her. “Damage?”
“Who are you?” The woman glared at me, before pinning Eli condemning stare. “Can she be trusted?”
Eli clasped my hand. “This is my mate, Clancy. Of course, she can be trusted.”
Sophia’s eyes narrowed. “No rings. I can sense her magic. What kind of fool do you take me for, vampire?”
He lifted my palm and turned it face up and placed his beside mine. “We don’t need fake symbols to announce our commitment, it’s written in our skin.”
The witch securitized each line in our flesh. “Remarkable.”
Eli nodded. “Indeed. Now, about the damage. Tell me what happened.”
“We’ve lost dozens so far. The night you were supposed to stop the intruder, she cast a fear curse. Each witch at our gathering has succumbed to their greatest fear. Many have gone mad. Others committed suicide. There was even a murder. The curse targeted each witch with their own personal hell. Our coven won’t be able to survive. Only the one who cast the spell will know how to dispel it. The way I see it, you have three choices. Convince her to dispel it, or kill her.” She pulled the straw from her drink and chugged the remaining liquid. “Or…”