Into Death's Arms

by Mary Milligan

  This time he couldn’t suppress the smile. “Gentlemen, I need a moment with the lady. I will return as soon as possible.” He said over his shoulder. He shut the door behind him and led me across the hall to another door. This one had a retinal scanner on it. He leaned in and the lock click open.

  “Nice,” I said.

  He grabbed my arm and practically dragged me through the doorway. “What are you doing here Macyn,” he asked as soon as the door clicked shut. He looked angry. He sounded yummy. His voice was low aggressive like the first night I’d met him. I didn’t want him to be angry with me. When had I stopped being terrified of him and started worrying about the fact that he was angry with me?

  I shrugged, “I told you we need to talk.”

  He eyed me suspiciously then said, “And you wore that because we need to talk?” He slid a finger along the rim of the corset almost touching the tops of my breasts but not quiet.

  I shook my head no at him. “I wore this to make you nuts.” Now ask me why I was baiting the big bad Vampire. I don’t know it was fun. Maybe I really was suicidal, I really didn’t know.

  He dragged me against him. His eyes were glowing just a little. “It’s working,” he breathed.

  I bit my lower lip and looked up at those amber eyes. “Is it?”

  He groaned, “I don’t want to do this again, Macyn. You get me worked up then bolt. What do you want?”

  I pouted but answered, “I had a precognitive dream.” I said softly.

  He ran his hand down the back of my neck and over my bare shoulders. Distracting me, why had I come here again? “And,” he prompted. For someone who didn’t want to do this he was awfully grabby.

  Why was I here? This was silly. I was here to warn a Vampire against treachery. I was insane. I took a deep breath and just said it. “A huge Vamp named Sumner hired the Shifters to kill you.” I put my hands up as far as they would go to show him just how big Sumner was.

  He smiled, his voice dropped to a husky tone, “and you ran over to warn me?” He tilted his head so his lips were closer to mine. “You dressed up for me,” I realized I was breathing a little faster. God, I groaned aloud, when he said it that way it sounded bad, really bad.

  “I have a date. I just stopped here on the way,” I lied. I know I’m bad. It’s wrong to lie, whatever.

  Just like that, he dropped his human suit. His eyes glowed neon, his fangs slid forward, I swear his hair moved like a breeze was moving through it but we were inside. His mouth slammed into mine. His tongue slid past my lips. I moaned, I tried hard not to but the man knew how to kiss. I’d kill him Macyn. If you were really meeting with some man I would sink my fangs into his throat and tear it from his body. Then I would take you over his corpse. Eww, I probably would have gagged at the imagery if he weren’t devouring me with his mouth. You are my AoD I will not share!

  Am not! I thought back at him. Denial wasn’t really working with my hands sliding under his shirt like they were. This is just physical attraction, I demanded. God his skin was so warm. He felt so good, so hard and smooth.

  Is it? He asked, Prove it to me, AoD, make love to me. If I am not your AoLi you could just walk away, right? He pled as he cupped my ass and pressed his erection into me. I moaned again. God help me, I was tempted.

  I dragged in a deep breath and wiggled against him. You know I can’t. Was I ripping the buttons on his shirt free? God help me. My brain seemed to be stuck on the same thought while my body was on autopilot. His mouth left mine and slid across my throat.

  He held me against him with one hand and unlaced the corset I was wearing with the other. He held my entire body in one hand, how sexy was that? “Let me taste you,” he growled against my neck and slid his hand under the corset. His hand moved along my bare back. The corset slipped down a little, exposing just a smidge more of my breasts. “Please,” I had to admit I liked hearing the man beg.

  “No way,” I gasped. I wanted to say yes. I wanted so badly to say yes. Yes to the sex, yes to the bite, yes to everything he wanted of me.

  “God, Macyn, give me something,” he whimpered. “Stop torturing me.”

  I thought about that for a minute. I had dressed to entice him deliberately. Was I torturing him? Hell, I felt tortured. I was hot and achy and thought about him at the most inappropriate times. Maybe I was torturing both of us. Who knew I was such a sadist, fuck who knew I was such a masochist?

  Just a little… just a taste I needed something to ground myself in..His bite it would hurt because I wasn’t a Vampire and I wasn’t human. That would prove to me, prove to him, and prove to us both that he was not my AoLi. I found myself nodding yes. “Yes what my love,” he asked. His voice had dropped to a mere whisper and he was trembling just slightly, anticipation will do that to a body. The thought of my blood flowing through his veins my AoD blood keeping him strong, I liked that. It was wrong but I liked it.

  I took a shaky breath. “Bite me,” I breathed. I braced myself ready for unmatched pain.

  He didn’t have to be told twice he sank his fangs into my throat. I whimpered.

  It was not a whimper of pain. He slammed me into the wall behind us and thrust against me while sucking greedily. My entire world centered on his hot wet mouth and the place where our lower bodies brushed. His bite was, orgasmic. Was that a real word? I’d never used it before. I’d never felt it before. He thrust again and I had to gasp, my head fell back as far as the wall would let it go. He increased pace with both the sucking and thrusting. “Dayton,” I hissed rather loudly.

  He thrust and ground himself against me at the same time. “Dayton,” I screamed as I climaxed. He thrust twice more and tensed. He tore his mouth from my neck and screamed his own release. My blood on his lips as the sound tore itself from somewhere in his chest.

  His head fell to rest on the wall beside my face. “Damn Macyn,” he breathed. His voice full of awe, the kind of thing you usually reserved for watching a miracle. If a tornado had torn through San Fran, I would use that tone.

  I nodded helplessly. What could I say? I felt too good to complain.

  “Every time I think I have you figured out you surprise me.” He chuckled and shook his head. “I’ve got to change.” He slowly moved away from the tangle of our bodies. I had to force myself to let him move away I wanted to cling to him. This was bad.

  I was in over my head.

  That was supposed to hurt.

  It hadn’t. Why was that?

  I nodded again and rubbed my neck where he’d bitten me. Oh, God even that felt good. “Is… is a Vampire bite always like that? My dad said once that he’d been bitten and it hurt like hell. That certainly didn’t hurt.”

  He smiled I could see just a little of my blood on his lips, I shuddered again. “I am not giving the AoD any more information about my species than she already has.” He moved further into the apartment, from the little antechamber type room to a massive closet.

  I leaned around the wall still unwilling to move. What, it was my first non-self induced orgasm? I was still a little weak. I heard him shuffling around in the closet. “How else am I gonna learn,” I asked plaintively. Baiting him again, I thought I’d lost my mind.

  I could hear him chuckling. He came back out dressed in a pair of tailored black dress pants no shirt, no shoes. “You destroyed my shirt,” he pouted. The man did seem to have a thing for nice clothes not that I was complaining he looked damn good in those clothes.

  “You didn’t complain at the time.” I was still leaning against the wall. “I am supposed to tear you apart. Instead I let you bite me and you’re complaining about your wardrobe.” I stuck my lower lip out in a little pout. God I felt sexy. I’d never felt sexy before.

  He moved forward in a blur. One moment he was standing by the closet, the next, he had me in his arms. I was pressed against that delectable bare chest. His AoLi tattoo glowed. “I liked biting you,” he admitted. “I want to do it again, but the next time, I want you naked beneath me,” he breathed
.

  Oh my, I thought there was an image that’ll stick with a girl. I wasn’t sure what I had to say about that but my cell phone rang so I didn’t have to think about it too hard. “Mace,” I breathed into the phone. I seemed to have oxygenation problems with Dayton pressed against my body talking about having me naked.

  “Where are you? Who is the man at the house,” my dad asked.

  Umm talk about your uncomfortable conversations to make things worse Dayton had realized my corset had come down and was taking full advantage. He pulled it further down and ran his tongue along my nipple. I arched against him unable to speak. Didn’t you just change? I asked mentally taking short gasping breaths. “I’m doing some research,” I answered my father. I was really. I learned stuff today. Dayton Tameron’s mouth felt like heaven. See learned stuff.

  “And the man,” he asked again. Yeah, focus is good. Nearly impossible when you have the most beautiful man in the northern hemisphere tonguing you but there you have it. I didn’t want to answer his question. Umm think, think, God how could I think with Dayton doing that? I glared at him. Amusement danced in his eyes, bastard. Vampiric bastard.

  I tried to shove him away but it is hard to push away a determined Vampire when you really didn’t want to hurt him. “He is being hunted by Shifters and I thought I should let him stay with us.” I answered ha; it was an honest answer even.

  “How do you know him? How do you know he’s not a spy,” his voice was hard.

  Umm, “He was a friend of moms. She introduced me to him when I was little.” I answered, that was the truth too.

  I heard a grunt on the other side. “Iris,” it was a question. I felt the pain behind it. I felt terrible for him.

  Dayton nipped that nipple he’d been lathing. I yelped. He laughed, damn that Vampire.

  “What the hell was that,” my dad asked.

  “Nothing…” I lied this time and hated myself a little for it but what was I going to say, dad I know you said stay away from Tameron but I let him bite me then we…yeah, I wasn’t going there.

  Stop it, I mouthed at him. He looked up at me with mischief-filled eyes and shook his head no. I’ll tell him where I really am, I threatened.

  He shrugged; it will take him hours to get here from Peru. He answered.

  I rolled my eyes at him. “What are you researching,” my dad asked me.

  How to answer that one without lying to dad, hmmm, “Vampires and Shifters mostly, I’ve been precoging a lot of Shifter attacks in my future. That Kinsley guy really doesn’t like you,” I announced.

  He laughed. “Yeah, I know that. I took something he really wanted from him.” His voice was soft reminiscent.

  “Yeah mom,” I said without realizing it.

  I could hear the surprise in his voice. “You have been researching,” he sounded impressed.

  “It’s a lot easier to learn things when you aren’t here to protect me from everything.” I said I sounded a little bitter. Well hell, I was a little bitter so it was okay.

  He let out a long sigh. “I know kiddo. When I get back I’ll be more careful to treat you like a grown up now, okay?”

  “Okay,” I agreed like we’d just made a deal or something. Of course I wasn’t even sure he’d want to speak to me when he returned, that thought hurt. I always known I was his whole world it had never occurred to me before just how much of my world consisted of Caden Reece. I looked down at Dayton as he caressed my belly just above the rim of my jeans and looked up at me again with that mischievous grin.

  I felt my eyes widen and I shook my head no. He so wasn’t listening because he slipped the button free and started in on the zipper. I smacked at his hands in a panic. I wasn’t letting him undress me hadn’t I already said I wasn’t going to sleep with him? I didn’t even know why I’d let him bite me. What was happening to me? “Daddy, I gotta go,” I said in a slightly startled voice.

  “I’ll be home in a couple of days we should be wrapped up here tomorrow or the night after.” He answered, “Bye.”

  “Bye,” I squeaked. I hung up the phone quick. “Are you trying to kill me?” I asked Dayton.

  He looked up at me with those neon yellow eyes and whispered, “Sweetheart, I already tried to kill you remember, your daddy threatened to cut off my head,” he grinned. The man was pure evil. Unfortunately, I seemed to be reveling in the naughty lately.

  “Ass,” I mumbled and shoved him away from me.

  He grabbed for me again and I swung away. I knew he could catch me if he really wanted to and so did he. He was letting me walk away.

  “I really do have things I have to do today.” I lied, “and don’t you have like a conference room full of Vampires waiting for you?”

  He shrugged, “They can wait.” He said dismissively. He was moving towards me again. The way he moved made me feel like I was being stalked by a tiger or some other large predator.

  I sighed and buttoned my fly. “I really didn’t come here for this Dayton.” I said trying to remind him, we weren’t doing this but it’s hard to deny when you’re still all untucked and hanging out everywhere. I pulled up the corset and tried to tie it again.

  “I know,” he said rationally. Then he smiled that big brilliant smile kind of like the cartoons when the cat corners the bird. “The AoD came here to warn the Vampire,” he paused as if to be sure I was getting all this, “that the Shifters were going to attack him.” I moved toward the door.

  “Umm, yep, that’s why I came so I’ll just be…”

  He grabbed my arms and spun me so I was facing away from him. Then pressed me against the door hard enough I couldn’t move my arms. Trapped damn it. “You’re all unlaced Macyn.” He commented running his hands up my back under the corset. Little goose bumps popped out all over my body, traitors. “I am going to let you go this time my AoD but next time you come to me dressed like you are now or,” he paused to lean in his mouth brushing my ear, “Any variation of this outfit, I know how you like to play word games, I won’t be so easygoing.” He threatened. This was easygoing, I thought confused. I felt like he’d set my entire body on fire. Then all businesslike he tied up the back and stepped away from me. I’ve said it before I’ll say it again, damn that Vampire.

  Great I was lamenting the fact that the Vampire was letting me go. I pulled myself together. He went back into the giant closet and got himself dressed by the time he came out I was breathing normal and pretty sure I wasn’t flushed from head to toe anymore. I say pretty sure, because watching him move in that damn designer suit was making me think he needed to go back to being half-naked. I blinked to get the image out of my head. He ran his fingers through his hair. Have I mentioned how much I love that hair? So soft so…see flushed. He opened the door to let me out. His secretary was arguing with the men he’d been in the conference room with earlier. “If you’ll just wait a moment longer I’m sure Mr. Tameron…” she broke off beaming over at Dayton.

  “Were you going somewhere Kane,” he asked the Vamp who seemed to be in charge.

  Kane a Vamp with a mane of blond hair and spearmint green eyes looked up at him. “I was not sure you were coming back.” Kane eyeballed me. So what was he saying? I wasn’t sure I wanted to know but hell he was a Vamp so I wasn’t sure I cared.

  I smiled sweetly. “See I learn the best stuff when I come here. Vampire named Kane in my city, check.” I pretended to check his name off a list. I sauntered down the hall toward the elevator. I was about halfway to the elevator when the door dinged and seven, yes ladies and gentlemen, count them, seven Shifters stepped out. Briefly, I thought of a clown car. I just couldn’t figure out how they’d all fit in that little elevator. They stepped from the elevator and shifted. They didn’t shift like the bears had shifted. Which had been a slow movement this, I took a shuddering breath; there was nothing slow about it. They flowed into their warrior forms. Like they were liquid for a moment and poured into the new form. The leader was definitely a lion. Tawny-fur rolled from the perfect blond of
his hair down his body like someone was spray-painting it on. Black claws three inches in length tore away from where his nails had been. His eyelids closed and when he opened them, they were a tawny melted butter color. His pupil was almost none existent. The bones in his jaw crunched as they moved forward. I had to flinch it just sounded painful. His incisors grew long while his other teeth became more pointed, good for rending flesh. He had been a good 6’7” before the shift now he was easily 7’3”.

  I spared a look at the others. On his left stood two more lions, they weren’t nearly as impressive in size as he but still big. One was 6’9 with that same golden fur. The other about 6’7 but his fur was a creamy white. Albino I guess, did Shifters come Albino? He was almost pretty if not for those nasty claws that clenched like he could already feel my skin giving way.

  Behind him a wolf stood, well not technically a wolf, a werewolf his fur was grey and he wasn’t as tall as the lions but his snout was bigger, it contained way more teeth. On the leaders right hand side stood anther wolf this one was black and two bears.

  I hated werebears.

  They were bigger than the wolves. Heck they were bigger than most of the lions. One stood about 7 foot even. Coarse black fur covered his body and while his teeth weren’t as impressive as the wolves, his hands were huge. I could just see him palming my whole head. The other was white but didn’t have the albino look more like a polar bear, which was possible as he stood 7’2 and must have weighed about a ton.

  The smaller wolf, the grey one, held up a crossbow I had time to blink before a silver bolt was loosed and flying toward Dayton’s chest. I felt my eyes widen. “Oh hell,” I muttered. I pulled on my power it poured out over us. White light surged from my hands enveloping not only me but Dayton as well, umm that had never happened before! I felt white light coat my body like a cool shell. I took a small-relieved breath. Facing Shifters is scary, facing Shifters with my power all aglow was a little less so. The Shifters turned away from the bright light. They might be able to go out during the day unlike the others but they were still sensitive to light. I didn’t wait for them to recover; I stepped to the side and engaged the polar werebear. I pulled out my Sig and shot him twice. I hadn’t brought my sword but I had several knives stashed on my person. I threw one it sank in and he bellowed. I yanked it back out. The light had faded enough that the Shifters could now see. Blood welled from the wound. Good, I thought.