by Ines Johnson
“We have no quarrel with the Durands.” Zahara stops when she is an arm’s length from Virius. “I want that one.”
“You can’t have him,” say Hadrian and Gaius in unison.
“I’m not leaving here,” says Virius.
The man stands toe to toe with Zahara. His height and bulk dwarf her, but to my eyes, they look on par with each other. I have known Zahara for years, but she doesn’t look like the girl I knew. She looks like a force of nature. Now that I see the strength in her direct gaze, I can’t remember that meek girl who bent over my vines. I wonder if she ever even existed.
Gaius comes up to the pair. Neither appears to notice him. Zahara is sizing Virius up as though he’s the perfect specimen of grape that she’s preparing to shear from the vine. Virius gazes at Zahara as though she is the sunlight reflecting off the dew of a budding vine.
“Viri—” Gaius tries, but his brother shakes his head.
“You and Hadrian tried to save me, tried to give me purpose,” says Virius. “I’m a broken monster, but there is one thing I know how to do.”
Virius turns from Zahara then. It looks like it pains him to do so. He turns to face Gaius. Hadrian comes up to the other side of him.
“Look at her,” Virius says to his brothers. “She’s so tiny and wee. She needs me to protect her.”
Zahara scoffs at that. There’s a dagger in her hand and blood on her white dress. Exactly what has happened in here?
“Earlier, before he saw her, he called her his,” says Hadrian.
“He’s wrong,” says Zahara. “He’s mine. My captive, a sacrifice to appease the gods.”
“A sacrifice?” says Viri. “Wouldn’t be my first time. Do you have an altar? Cuffs? Rope? Anything but a stake, I’m okay with.”
Zahara blinks rapidly as she stares at Virius. For the first time, her veneer of certainty cracks, and her gaze lowers.
“Don’t worry, brother,” says Virius. “This isn’t a nightmare. I have a feeling I will sleep well from this day forward.”
Hadrian and Gaius exchange another look. But in the end, they each give Virius a hug before leaving him with the women.
Gaius scoops me up into his arms and squeezes. Then I am flying through the air. When I open my eyes again, we are out of the cave. The moon is quickly sinking beneath the horizon.
“We have to get inside,” says Hadrian.
Gaius bites his lip. His fang is sharp as it captures the flesh. I run my finger over the point, and he gasps.
“You know?” he says.
“I know,” I say. “And when you wake up tonight, we’re going to have a talk about what you did to my brother. We talk out our issues in this family, not make each other forget.”
The laugh startles out of him.
“Somebody’s in trouble,” Cari singsongs.
“Oh, you are on my shortlist, too, missy. You lied to me.”
Cari purses her lips. Then she spreads them into a wide grin, fangs and all. “Love you, Mare.”
“I love you, too, mon chou.”
I pull my sister into a firm embrace. From the corner of my eye, I spot Arneis. His scowl swings between Hadrian and Gaius.
“So, are you going to wipe our minds again?” he asks. “Make Marechal and me forget what we just saw?”
“No,” says Gaius. “You’re both a part of this family now. We protect our own.”
Arneis chews on that. But the corners of his mouth remain pinched, as though the taste is bitter. I am not looking forward to the next holiday dinner. The arguments around the table will be next level.
Still, my heart is happy. I have my family back. I have my business back. And, for the first time, I’ve made space for love in my life.
Gaius wraps me in his arms and carries me inside. The sun is at his heels as he closes his bedroom door.
“Sleep with me,” he says.
“For the whole day?” I’ve never slept the day away. It sounds irresponsible. It sounds like a plan. But that’s not what Gaius has in mind.
“Not for the whole day. For your whole life.”
34
Gaius
Her hand slaps my chest. Her nails dig into my skin. My heart stops beating as my life flashes before my eyes.
I am afraid. Not of any pain. I am afraid of any emptiness that will result if Marechal refuses me.
“What are you saying, Gaius?” Marechal asks as her hand continues to press into me. “Are you asking me to marry you?”
Am I? I’m not certain. That doesn’t sound like it would be long enough to get my fill of this woman.
“Marriage lasts a lifetime,” I say. “I can offer you more than that.”
Marechal’s throat works as she gazes into my eyes. I could compel her, but her will is too strong. And the taste of her submission is far too tempting for me to give up.
“You want to make me like you? A vampire?”
“It’s a dangerous process; too dangerous. You could die.”
“What is the success ratio?” Marechal purses her lips. Her pupils dart as they calculate.
My fangs water as her mind whirs. “You’re so fucking sexy when you talk maths.”
A shy grin spreads across her face. My dick is hard for her. But it’s my heart that is aching with need.
“We’ll look at the statistics another time,” I say. “For now, I just want your heart.”
She places her hand on my chest. There is a scrap of fabric there. It smells of Virius. I spare a worry for my brother as I yank it away. When I see the blood there, my fangs protrude out of my mouth.
“Are you hungry?” she asks.
I try to swallow, but my teeth feel too big for my mouth. I don’t want to scare her. But who am I kidding? This woman didn’t flinch in a room full of jaguars. My unflappable boss bitch. Life with her is going to be a ride.
“Here.” She tugs at the strap of her sundress, baring her shoulder. Then she pushes her dark hair aside, baring her neck.
Now my dick aches as much as my fangs. The adrenaline in my veins is burning. Yet, she is calm. That will not do. I want my first taste of her to be the perfect temperature of passion, pleasure, and bliss. And so I rip the garment from her body.
She is laid out bare before me. Her dark nipples are taut. Her cunny is already dripping with want. Already, she’s sweet. But I want more.
I part her thighs. Using my shoulders, I force her legs wide. My mouth waters as I gaze at those perfectly plump lips.
Marechal jackknifes off the bed as my fang scrapes the soft skin where her leg meets her secret flesh. It’s just a nip, an appetizer before I start my main course. I have little patience tonight, no finesse left.
I latch onto her pussy and begin to lave. Her body is so primed for me, so obedient to my dominance, that the first orgasm I pull from her is a simple affair. But it’s enough to sweeten her blood. And I am thirsty.
Before she comes down, I bare my fangs. I lift my head to let her see the monster whose soul she’s saved tonight. The man whose heart she now owns.
She doesn’t scream. She doesn’t flinch. She lets her head fall back in a move of submission.
The move nearly chokes the life out of me. I’ve made this strong woman surrender to me. I am humbled as her will bends. I am chastened as her back arches. But I am also hungry.
I sink my fangs into the femoral artery in her thigh. Marechal gasps, a long, low moan. Her body quakes as a second orgasm wracks her body. I plug her with my fingers so that she has something to cling to.
I pull deeply on her vessel, drinking heavily of her sweet, rich blood. Our hearts sync to the same beat. I have a feeling it will be that way for the rest of time.
The taste of her blood brings me to a climax of my own. My dick weeps in my pants as I drink her down. That has never happened to me before, and I can’t wait to do it again.
But I can already feel the sun pulling me to sleep. Any more pleasure will have to wait until a new night. The room is secure, with blac
kout curtains to keep us safe.
I wrap Marechal in my arms, shielding her from any care, taking away any worry. But she wraps her arms tightly around me too, letting me know that I will never again have to shoulder a burden alone.
“Yes,” she whispers, sleep tugging away at her consciousness.
“Yes, what mon couer?”
“That’s my answer to your question. Yes, to all of it.”
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Read the whole series for more of your favorite vampire BDSM club:
Alpha’s Blood by Renee Rose & Lee Savino
Her Vampire Master by Maren Smith
Her Vampire Prince by Ines Johnson
Her Vampire Hero by Nicolina Martin
Her Vampire Bad Boy by Brenda Trim
Her Vampire Rebel by Zara Zenia
Her Vampire Obsession by Tymber Dalton, writing as Lesli Richardson
Her Vampire Temptation by Alexis Alvarez
Her Vampire Addiction by Tabitha Black
Her Vampire Lord by Ines Johnson
Coming soon…
Her Vampire Suspect by Brenda Trim
Also by Ines Johnson
The Last Dragons
The Dragon’s Reluctant Sacrifice
The Dragon’s Ambivalent Sacrifice
The Dragon’s Willing Sacrifice
The Moonkind Series
Moonlight
Moonrise
Moonfall
The Knights of Caerleon
First Knight
One Knight
About the author
Lover of fairytales, folklore, and mythology, Ines Johnson spends her days reimagining the stories of old in a modern world. She writes books where damsels cause the distress, princesses wield swords, and moms save the world.
If you liked Ines’ Vampires, then you’ll love her Drag- ons; alpha male shifters, fated mates, and steamy romance with a touch of 80’s nostalgia! To grab a free book from the world of the Last Dragons just visit http:// bit.ly/LastDragons
Copyright © August 2020 by Ines Johnson and Midnight Romance, LLC
Editor: Tabitha Black
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writers’ imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction of this work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
All rights reserved. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the authors.
This book contains descriptions of many BDSM and sexual practices, but this is a work of fiction and, as such, should not be used in any way as a guide. The author and publisher will not be responsible for any loss, harm, injury, or death resulting from use of the information contained within. In other words, don’t try this at home, folks!
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