Clariel giggled. She couldn’t help it.
“Later, my love,” she promised, as he lowered her to the floor.
Reluctantly, he set her free.
Jolie faced Mathew. “We’ll need to feed. We’re going to have one hell of a fight on our hands.”
“I’m ready, Mistress. Master Flynn and I talked.”
Jolie glanced over at Flynn, but he gave nothing away. “You need to trust him and do whatever it is he said.”
Mathew nodded. “I’ll find Chloe and feed. Then I’ll meet you at the Hummer.”
Jacques stopped him. “No, Mathew. You’re going to go in with the blood of ancients. I can’t be there physically to protect our mate, but I will be when you drink from me.”
He was shocked. “Really?”
Jacques unbuttoned his shirt and dropped to his knees. “Yes. It’s the least I can do. My blood will give you strength.”
Mathew was grateful. “Thank you, Master.” He knew that feeding from either of Jolie’s mates was a gift and honor. No one ever fed from them but the mistress. To the family, their blood was sacred.
When Jacques bared his throat, Mathew’s fangs descended, sinking into his master’s pulse, taking in the power rich blood.
As he fed, Jacques touched his mind, and Mathew opened willingly for him.
‘Please guard her,’ he said, having already heard the young vampyres thoughts. ‘We’re giving you a chance to prove that you’re worthy of our trust.’
‘I won’t let the mistress get hurt. I’ll die to protect your mate.’
‘This is your duty, Mathew. We expect nothing but success. You don’t get a second shot at this.’
‘Don’t fail,’ interjected Brogan.
Mathew’s eyes flickered to the other mate. ‘I will bring her home, if it’s the last thing I do. You have my promise.’
‘Then you will prove yourself to us,’ Jacques stated. ‘Only then will you have the right to be called her guardian.’
He wanted that in the worst way.
‘I only want to make her happy and keep my family. When I bring her home, I don’t want to be expendable.’
Both men saw what else he wanted. When he was given the role of Jolie’s guardian, he knew there was a large prize to go with it.
There was sex.
Neither man spoke. That little boon he’d earn was too much for them to swallow. It stuck in their craws, choking them.
“Flynn?”
When she called his name, he was forced to focus on her, not what was bouncing around in his and Jacques’s heads.
“Yes, baby?”
“May I feed?”
He mimicked Jacques’s position.
Immediately, Jolie straddled his legs as she pressed her torso to his back. “Thank you, Flynn,” she offered, whispering into his ear before piercing his throat.
“Anything for you and our children,” he promised, willing to give his life for them.
He only wished he could go in her place.
Jolie fed voraciously as the hunger overwhelmed her. When his body went taut with need, Jolie wished she had some free time with him too.
“That has to hurt,” stated Tommy Gress, from his position far from the feeding vampyres.
Jolie released her mate and kissed him softly on the lips. His fangs were still there, but his eyes were the icy blue she fell in love with when she first met him.
“It doesn’t,” stated Flynn.
“Jolie, you need to feed more,” ordered Jacques, as he remained in place on the floor. “I can feed you too.”
She shook her head. “You’ve fed me during sex, you’ve just fed Mathew, and you can’t. I’ll use one of our donors.”
Flynn went to speak, only to be cut off by the other detective. “If you’ll let me try,” stated Tommy, “I’d like to offer my blood to you. After all, you did save me.”
They were all surprised.
“You don’t have to do that, Tommy. I know that you fear me.”
“No, that’s not exactly true. I don’t fear you. It was the idea of you that was scary. It was also because I had Zola snacking on me regularly for days. I think I’d like to experience it without fear. Flynn didn’t look like he was in pain.”
Jolie crossed to him and touched his cheek. “Thank you. Your sacrifice humbles me,” she spoke with honesty.
He moved to mimic the position both men had taken on their knees and as he began unbuttoning his shirt, he needed reassurance. “This really won’t hurt, right?”
Flynn laughed. “I remember asking that same question, and hell no! It doesn’t hurt. What you’re about to feel is the most amazing thing, my friend.” There was no more spectacular feeling in the universe.
Well…maybe sex.
“Then why did it hurt when the other vampyre did it?”
Jolie reassured him. “She was feeding on your terror and adrenaline. I won’t hurt you, Tommy, but if you can’t do this, then I can feed from Clariel.”
“No, I’ll do it.” He tracked her motions around his body, and when she ran her hand across his chest, his body involuntarily shivered.
“Are you ready, Tommy?” she whispered into his ear, like a gentle breeze caressing silk.
He nodded, despite the other three men grinning, like they were sharing some secret joke.
When Jolie trailed her tongue across his pulse and bit down, he knew what it was that made them smile. It was ten times better than sex, or anything he had ever felt in his life.
As she sucked gently at his throat, Tommy noticed a warmth flood through his body in wave after wave of earth shattering pleasure. All he wanted to do was wrap himself in it and never let go. It was an amazing feeling to have this vampyre feeding from his body.
He couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer as the pleasure pulled him under. With a gasp, his body tightened as need gripped him with an iron fist. So, this was what his friend loved so much.
He now understood.
When Jolie finally pulled her fangs from his throat, he wanted to beg her to continue. No--this was nothing like what Zola had done to him.
“Are you all right, Tommy?” she asked, staring into his eyes.
“Wow,” was all he could get out.
Jolie laughed before gently kissing him on the mouth in reward. “Thank you for feeding me.”
“It was my pleasure.”
Clariel came forward with two leather jackets--one for Mathew and one for Jolie.
“It’s time, Mistress,” she said softly.
“Thank you, Clariel.” Well, here it was. It was time to say her goodbyes, just in case. Jolie turned toward Jacques and kissed him deeply. When she pulled away, she stared into his eyes.
“Come home to me,” he ordered. “You have to come home to us.”
“I will. I promise.”
“I love you.”
Jolie’s heart skipped in her chest. “I love you too, Jacques.”
Pulling away, she moved into Flynn’s arms to mimic the kiss. When she broke free, his eyes were filled with unshed tears.
It broke her heart.
“You have to come home. I can’t go on without you,” he admitted. “You promised me forever,” he stated, touching the hand carrying their rings.
Jolie’s heart skipped. “I promise you that I’ll be back.”
He took her fingers in his and left a kiss across her knuckles. “I love you, Jolie.”
“I love you too, Flynn.”
He had to let her go. Despite everything in him, he willed his arms to release her. It was possibly the hardest thing he’d ever had to do in his life.
Jacques approached Mathew with his jacket. “Remember-- never look away from your opponent. Once you do, they’ll strike and kill you,” he said, helping him into his jacket.
“Yes, Master.”
“Don’t focus on Jolie unless she calls to you. They’ll know you’re young, and they’ll use that against her. Stay focused and don’t hesitate to kill. They’
ll take your life without a second thought.”
“Yes, Master.” Mathew wouldn’t let him down.
“If you must, put Jolie at your back. You’ll both be safer that way.”
“Yes, Master,” he said patiently.
“Please return her to us,” Jacques pleaded softly.
“I swear that I will. I’ll die to keep her alive. I want to do this to prove I can be her guardian. I want you both to know she’s safe with me.”
Yeah, that was until they got home, and he expected his big guardian reward. It took everything Flynn had to bite his tongue.
“We need to go,” she said, reaching for his hand. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.” Jolie led him from the room. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, her family waited for them, their faces blank. She knew they didn't expect her to return. Jolie could see it in their eyes.
Balzac stepped forward.
“I must protest, Mistress! You shouldn’t be doing this. We’ll find Ariel another way.”
“Balzac, if it were my baby, I’d hope my mistress would care enough to save her. So, I do have to go. It is my job, and I’ll complete it with or without your approval.”
“What if you don’t come back?”
Both men flinched from their position behind her. Leave it to Balzac to point out the biggest wound they had, and then pour salt into it.
The man was a total jerk.
Jolie scanned the room. “I’m glad you brought it up. Since I have you all here, I can make this official. If for some reason I’m to die in the fight tonight, I declare that Jacques shall take over as primus. He’s my choice for succession. That’s my dying wish.”
“Mistress!” Balzac began to argue.
“Oh, it’s going to get far worse,” she warned, giving him the look. “Not only will he rule our family in my place, but he’ll have a partner in the job. Flynn will be elevated as his equal and rule beside him. You’ll bow to two masters.”
Now Balzac looked sick. “A human male? You’re handing over our family to a human male? Are you out of your mind? You can’t be serious. He’s so low on the food chain that he shouldn’t even be considered worthy enough to park our cars.”
Jacques growled, ready to hurt the vampyre who insulted one of his mates.
Flynn stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. Before he could say anything to the man, Jolie moved.
The action was so fast, that Balzac didn't see it happening. She had Flynn’s nine millimeter in her hand, and fired off a shot. It hit Balzac in the stomach.
The entire family gasped.
“When I give an order, it’s to be obeyed. The next time, I’ll place that bullet where it won’t expel itself. Are we clear?”
He stared openmouthed at what she’d just done. “You just shot me.”
Jolie holstered her gun. “I’m making this my official decree. It is not negotiable. Jacques and Flynn will rule together, side by side, taking care of this family. If you don’t like it, you’ll leave with nothing more than the clothes on your back.”
Balzac said nothing.
Jolie turned. “Flynn, do you have another gun?”
“I do.”
“Don’t hesitate to shoot him again if he even tries to overthrow Jacques. In fact, anyone who tries will get a few rounds of silver in their brain.”
Flynn pulled back the shirt he was wearing to show them the gun. “I may be a lowly human, but I move fast,” he said, baring his fangs. “If you try for Jacques, I will kill you and enjoy every second of it.” When he bared his fangs, it said it all.
The vampyres took a step back.
Jolie stared out at them. “These men will take care of you and carry on. I have complete faith in them.” Jolie turned and touched both of their faces at the same time. “You both own my heart.”
Jacques wanted to hold on to her and not let her leave.
“Jolie?” came a little voice behind her.
She turned to find Cari. “Be good, imp,” she said, seeing the confusion in the little girl’s face. “How about you keep Jacques and Flynn company while I’m out?”
“I love you, Jolie,” she said, holding her dolly.
Jolie crouched down and touched her cheek. “I love you too, and I’ll see you when you wake tomorrow.”
“Promise?”
Jolie felt the tears well up in her eyes, and she knew her mates were staring at her back asking her the same thing.
“I promise,” she responded, kissing her cheek before taking Mathew’s hand in hers. As they walked out, she couldn’t turn and look back. If she did, Jolie knew she’d weep.
“Come on, Mathew. Let’s go and get this over with.”
He simply squeezed her had in reassurance.
“We have a job to do.”
And it wasn’t going to be pretty.
When they arrived at the clearing, Jolie took Mathew’s hand in hers before they could leave the Hummer. “Mathew, if anything happens to me, I need you to do something,” she said, gazing into his eyes.
“I won’t let anything happen to you.” Mathew had already made that promise to her mates.
She continued anyway. “If something happens, I need you to tell Jacques and Flynn that my last thoughts were of them, and that I went to death quickly, even if I suffered.”
“I understand.”
“I need them to believe it was quick and painless.”
Mathew nodded. “I’ll lie for you.”
Jolie hoped he would. Hopping down from the Hummer, she waited for him to reach her side. “I have faith in you.”
Then she kissed him softly on the lips.
When she pulled away, Jolie couldn’t help but notice the boyish grin on his face. She knew he was thinking about sex and his role of guardian, and if they survived this mess, she was going to have to deal with it.
“Wow! That was a really great way to say goodbye to life. I think I can die a very happy vampyre,” he teased.
She smiled. If Jolie said more, she risked distracting him. While he, technically, would earn the right of guardians, Jolie wasn’t sure how to even go there.
That was another mess in the making.
Inside the council circle, Master Morris was waiting for them.
“Jolie, how nice to see you again.” There was no sincerity in his voice, and he stood as far from her as possible.
“You lie, Morris, but thank you. Death can’t touch you unless I will it, so you’re safe.”
What she’d love to do is pin them all to the ground and let her mistress feed from their bleeding corpses.
They were lucky she had control.
Master Nathaniel stepped forward. “I see you’ve left your mates at home as per our agreement. You must be seriously in need of our aide.”
His smirk pissed her off.
“Well, if I die tonight, I can pretty much guarantee that you’re going to be seeing them again. No, I take that back. You won’t see them since they’ll stalk you all to your grave to get retaliation.”
They all gasped.
“As for me needing your help, I do. We have a rogue vampyre in the city. It’s only a matter of time before she makes our lives hell. Right now, she’s taken one of our children.”
They didn't understand. “You’re strong, so why do you need us?”
“She’s getting help from somewhere. Zola owns nothing and is with an infant. There has to be someone hiding her out. I came to the council first because it’s protocol, and second because I hope someone here can give me a lead to chase. I want nothing else but to find her. Then I’ll handle her.”
“You’re going to kill her?” Morris asked.
Jolie didn't even pretend. “She’s originally from my family. I own her, and thus I can destroy her if I wish.”
Nathaniel stared at her. “I see.”
“I will enact no punishment on the individuals who are aiding her.”
Nathaniel lifted a brow. “Really, no retribution?”
“Not un
less they interfere.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s hard to believe that you’ll not call Death and make them pay.”
“I won’t. I only wish to get this child back to her father and kill the traitor. I want nothing more from you. I won’t ask for power, a seat, and most certainly not to come back to the society.”
“Very well, Jolie. You know you’ll have to deal with any challenges that are declared, and if you defeat them all, we’ll help you find the woman. I can’t guarantee you will get the answers you need, but you will have full cooperation.”
“Thank you, and I’m ready for the challenges. As I understand, I can’t call Death correct?”
“Exactly, you can only use what you have on you and your guardian,” said Morris, staring lecherously up and down Mathew’s body. When he actually touched the young vampyre’s chest with his fingertips, Mathew stared unblinkingly at his Mistress.
Jolie had to give Mathew credit. She knew that Delina had let male vampyres abuse him, but he didn’t even flinch. “I won’t call Death. I’ll use only my own gifts and the weapons that I have with me right now.”
Nathaniel turned to the family. “Does anyone here wish to challenge Mistress Jolie?”
There were murmurs that went through the family and just when Jolie relaxed, she heard the voice.
“I’ll challenge her,” said Mistress Isis, moving through the throngs of vamps.
She wasn’t surprised.
This bitch had it in for her.
The last time she encountered Isis, she was dancing with Jacques while she and Flynn were killing a vampyre. Her hands were all over her mate, and Jolie had promised to hurt her if she saw it again. “Hello, Isis. We meet again.”
“Greetings, Jolie. I’ll challenge you to the death. It’ll be interesting to see if you are as powerful without your gun toting human mate.”
It was blatantly obvious that Isis held a mean grudge.
Morris was surprised. “It doesn’t have to be like this, Isis. She only needs a challenger. There’s no need to fight to the death and spill blood.”
Even Nathaniel looked alarmed.
“I’m not shocked. We have an old fight to settle, don’t we Isis? You wanted to play with Jacques, and I believe I stopped your fun.”
“Yes, I believe that was what happened. I challenge you to the death. I’ll take your whole family, and not only will I have your mates, but I’ll have your wealth and power too.”
Dangerous Retaliation (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 4) Page 28