Lost Embrace

by Kym Grosso

  “I’m the worst.” Her gaze moved to Anthony, who leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. Her eyes lit up and she reached for him. “Tony. What are you doing all the way over there? Come here.”

  “You scared me, there. How’s your head?” he asked.

  “My head?” Sydney smoothed her hand over her hair. When she found the knot, she grimaced. “Shit. I thought being a vampire was supposed to give me some kind of super healing power?”

  “You need to feed,” Kade told her.

  “But I did.”

  “More often. At least every day for a few weeks. It won’t always be this way, but you haven’t been well.” Kade brushed his lips to her forehead.

  “I can’t believe he took Mya,” she began. “If we hadn’t made a scene…we did this.”

  “Stop it, Syd.” Anthony’s eyes met Kade’s. He moved to sit on the bed, bringing his legs next to hers. He shoved up onto his side, resting his head on his hand. Bringing her hand to his chest, he continued. “You know Pat better than anyone. The women he takes. The ones he tortures. He’s been after you for months. But not once did you flinch. Not once did you cave to the phone calls or the letters. And I’m not going to let you now. We,” he glanced to Kade, “aren’t going to let you be a victim. If you were feeling better, you’d kick both our asses.”

  “How am I supposed to fight like this?” she replied.

  “I want to help you.” Anthony kissed the back of her hand, refusing to let her go. His eyes met Kade’s.

  “What do you mean, help me?”

  “Anthony’s going to be your donor,” Kade said, his voice calm and caring. He knew she’d protest at first but he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

  “No.” Sydney tried unsuccessfully to sit. She grunted and fell backwards once again.

  “Yes,” Anthony insisted. “Listen, Kade’s been talking to Léopold about what’s causing this to happen to you, and I know you know this already, but he thinks you need a friend to help you get through this thing. It’s just like anything else in life. You have an accident and you’re afraid to get in the car and drive. Fall off a horse and you’re supposed to get back on.”

  “I was never on the horse.”

  “Okay, bad analogy but the principle is the same. Until Kade, you’d steered clear of the supes. I know you love Kade and you’ve become friends with some of his friends, but for a long time, all you saw was the bad side of vampires.”

  “And humans,” she added.

  “All the donors we’ve had to date have been strangers. And normally that’s fine,” Kade explained. He’d thought discussing his proposal would be the easiest path to get her to acquiesce, but he was starting to rethink his strategy.

  “I can’t control it. It’s not like I haven’t tried,” she told them, shaking her head.

  “I know, but we need to try again…you’d never hurt Anthony. Please. Let him do this for you, Sydney. Let him do this for us. Once you learn how, you’ll be free.”

  “I don’t know. This seems wrong. What if I can’t control the rest?”

  The rest? The devil is, indeed, in the details. Kade knew what she was thinking. It was perfectly normal to arouse and be aroused when feeding, but the act itself could be restrained. One learned discipline through experience, but first she must learn the basics.

  “I’ll do that for you.” Kade took her hand in his. Like mirrored souls, he and Anthony flanked her.

  “I don’t know…are you sure about this?” Her eyes darted from Kade to Anthony. “Tony, if this works…I need to know you’ll be okay afterward. I don’t want to use you.”

  “I’ll be fine. It’s not like it’s a secret that I find you attractive. But we both know that we aren’t meant to be together…not that way.”

  “You know I love you, Tony, but I’m in love with Kade.” She gave him a small smile.

  “I get it, Syd. It’s okay. I want to do this for you.”

  “I don’t know if this will work,” she hedged.

  “This will work, love. All you need to do is trust me.” Kade pressed his lips to hers, indulging in the warmth of his mate.

  “I don’t know,” she whispered into his kiss.

  “Trust us to take care of you.” Kade spoke into her mouth.

  “Yes,” she agreed softly. Her face flushed as she caught Anthony watching her.

  Reluctantly, Kade broke away and slowly turned her to Anthony, who brought his palm to her cheek. “I want you to taste him…scent him. Know your prey.”

  Sydney’s mind warred against what she yearned for, Anthony’s vital essence flowing beneath his skin. As she took his wrist to her lips, she shivered with desire. An ache grew between her legs, arousal flowing through her veins. She fought the burn in her gums, concerned about the pain she’d cause Anthony. Her eyes flew open to Kade, who stroked his hand over her hair. Unsure, she shook her head in refusal, yet she never let go of Anthony’s arm.

  “What’s wrong, love?”

  “I…I don’t want to hurt him.” Sydney’s eyes fell on Anthony, whose erection pressed into her hip.

  “We’ll do this together,” Kade promised. He leaned forward and brushed his lips over her forehead. “All of us.”

  Her chest constricted with emotion as Kade’s fingers trailed down her collarbone. She relaxed into his touch, his strong hand massaging her shoulder. Their eyes locked, and her anticipation heightened as she felt a tug on the belt of her robe. He opened the fabric and the cool air teased her nipples. Exposed, she arched her back as he thrummed the pad of his thumb over one of her taut tips. Moaning softly in arousal, her mouth grazed over Anthony’s arm.

  “That’s it. Let go,” Kade told her. His eyes caught Anthony’s and he nodded.

  “You sure?” Anthony hesitated.

  “Tony,” she began. In tandem with her arousal, the urge to bite him grew stronger. She took his hand and rested it on her bare stomach. “Please. I’m scared but I want this.”

  “Syd,” Anthony breathed. He tore his arm from her grasp and slid it around the back of her neck.

  As his lips met hers, she opened to him. His tongue swept into her mouth and she whimpered in pleasure. Unlike Kade’s possessive kiss, his was soft and gentle. His succulent taste flared every nerve in her body, and she wrapped a leg around his waist. Allowing Kade to undress her, she breathed into Anthony’s lips as her mate’s bare chest grazed her back. Kade’s strong hand cupped her breast, his cock prodding her bottom.

  “This is what you need,” she heard him tell her, his fangs scraping her shoulder.

  “Kade, I…ah,” she cried. Her eyes focused on Anthony’s; his cheek brushed into her cleavage, his soft lips grazing over the swell of her breast. The unmistakable feel of Kade’s fingers slipping into her wet folds left her pleading for more. “God, yes.”

  “That’s right, feel me inside you. Let your senses take over. Scent Anthony’s blood. Can you feel his pulse? Take what he offers. He wants you to have it.”

  “But what if I…”

  “You won’t hurt him. It’s okay. He’s agreed to this. You can do it. Give him the pleasure he seeks,” Kade commanded.

  Granted permission to enjoy the experience, Sydney smiled. She slid her hand into the front of Anthony’s pajama pants and gripped his cock, swiping the glistening wetness over his slit. A rush of dominance surged through her as she heard his groan of pleasure. His head lolled back onto the pillow, exposing the cords of his neck as she lapped his skin.

  “That’s it, love,” Kade encouraged.

  Sydney’s hips gyrated against the heel of Kade’s hand, his fingers plunging deep inside her. His thumb grazed her clitoris and her breath caught. Drenched in arousal, the walls of her tight channel contracted as he fucked her. Anthony took her nipple between his lips and sucked hard. The seductive pain rolled through her and she cried out, her fangs distending. She fisted Anthony, rhythmically stroking his cock.

  She growled as Kade lifted her hips toward him, his fingers stil
l deep inside her pussy. He pushed her legs open with his knees and began to tease her opening with the crown of his dick. She protested as he withdrew his fingers and spread the wetness of her core through her folds. He applied pressure to her clit with his thumb, and Sydney responded, tilting her ass toward him.

  “Fuck me,” she pleaded. Her mouth dropped to Anthony’s neck. The scent of his delicious blood called to her and she flicked her tongue at his shoulder. Her razor-sharp teeth scraped his skin, drawing a thin white line across his flesh.

  “Ah yeah,” Anthony grunted as she cupped his balls.

  Jolted by the sound of Anthony’s voice, Sydney froze.

  “What’s wrong?” He sighed, leaning his forehead onto her shoulder. “Why are you stopping?”

  “I hurt you,” she whispered, jarred from the moment.

  “I’m fine. I want this. You won’t hurt me…you’d never hurt me.”

  “Give me your arm,” Kade told him.

  Anthony gave him a look of confusion, but complied. He released Sydney’s breast and reached his arm around the back of her neck within inches of Kade’s lips.

  “We’ll do this together, love. You with me?” he asked, his eyes meeting Anthony’s.

  “Fuck, yeah. Syd, ya got me hangin’ by a thread here,” Anthony moaned.

  Fear had strangled Sydney for far too long. Releasing her anxieties, she bared her fangs, allowing herself the freedom to take what he offered. She nicked his lip, a drop of his blood coating her tongue. Wild with arousal, she grunted as Kade slammed his cock into her pussy.

  “Yes, yes, oh God, I want you, Tony,” she rambled as she fisted and stroked him hard.

  “Faster,” he ordered, thrusting his shaft into her palm.

  “Now,” Kade instructed.

  The sight of his sharp teeth inches from Anthony’s forearm drove her into frenzy. Lost in her desire, she followed Kade’s lead as they both sank their fangs deep into Anthony’s flesh. As he thrashed in pleasure, his sweet blood flowed freely down her throat. Her mind open, she focused on driving him into a state of unbridled euphoria.

  “Holy fuck, yeah…I should have…this feels…don’t stop,” Anthony cried.

  Blood ran down his neck and over her lips, and Sydney drank her fill, lapping her tongue at his wounds. Her own orgasm built as Kade plunged into her from behind, his fingers pinching her swollen nub.

  “Harder,” Anthony yelled.

  Sydney caressed his sac while pumping him faster and faster. He screamed in climax, his seed spilling into her hands. As Kade released his arm, she removed her mouth from Anthony’s neck.

  “Get up,” Kade demanded. “Hands and knees.”

  Sydney obeyed without argument. After Kade had shared her with Anthony, he’d dominate every square inch of her body. Out of the corner of her eye, she smiled as she spied Anthony lying on his back, still reeling from his orgasm. The glow on his face exuded satisfaction and his eyes caught hers right before she felt Kade thrust into her from behind. His fingers dug into her hips, and she concentrated on balancing herself. Eagerly awaiting his next move, she wriggled her hips and was reprimanded with a hard slap on her bottom.

  “Do I have your attention now?” He laughed.

  “Sorry,” she giggled. Elated that she’d fed from Anthony, she allowed herself to relax into submission. No matter what he’d ask, she’d give it to Kade.

  “You’re magnificent, my little vamp,” he praised. “Look what you did to our poor detective. He can barely move.”

  “No pain,” she grunted. Flesh meeting flesh resounded throughout the room as he pounded into her. The smell of sex permeated her nose and her core clamped down around Kade’s cock.

  “No pain. Only pleasure. You did that.”

  “I did that…” Her words trailed off as he slammed into her again.

  “We did that. You and I.” He dug his fingers into her hair, fisting it.

  The sting of her hair being pulled reminded her that she was as alive as before she’d been turned. Kade, her husband-to-be, master of her body’s pleasure, had done what he’d promised. She’d survived and he’d never leave her unprotected.

  With her head tilted back, she was able to catch a hint of Anthony’s smile as he enjoyed the show. Deferring to Kade, she surrendered to her own desire to be watched.

  “Yes,” she breathed, unable to speak the words that eluded her.

  “You’re mine, Sydney. From that very first day we met.” He reached underneath and cupped her breast, pinching her nipple between his fingers. “You are everything to me.”

  “Always.” She was overcome with emotion; tears brimmed through her lashes as her climax teetered on the precipice of its explosion.

  “Whatever you need, I will always give it to you.”

  “Please…I can’t wait, harder,” she pleaded.

  Kade plunged into her, over and over, increasing the pace. Her pussy convulsed around him as he stroked the strip of nerves inside her core with the tip of his cock. The first wave of her climax tore through her and she screamed his name at the top of her lungs. The sound of his grunting drove her to widen her stance, welcoming every hard thrust he gave. As he came, she fell onto her stomach and he rolled her onto her side, while still quietly pumping into her.

  “I love you,” he told her, grazing his lips against her hair.

  “I love you so much. What you did for me…I’m sorry about everything. I should have trusted you.”

  “Shh, my sweet little vampire. You’re going to be all right. It’s all going to be all right.”

  Kade pulled a sheet over her, shielding her nude body from Anthony’s view and Sydney suspected he hadn’t planned to share her any further than he had. What he’d done was only to ensure that she be able to learn to feed, to give and receive pleasure within the safety of his presence.

  Anthony tied his pajama pants and shoved himself out of bed. As he went to walk away, their eyes locked and she mouthed the words, ‘thank you’. He gave her a wink and left her and Kade alone. What had happened between the three of them had forever changed her life; she’d now be able to control the sensations caused by her bite, giving her independence.

  As darkness fell, Sydney reveled within the warmth of Kade’s loving embrace. In the morning they’d face a killer, but in the heat of the night, they’d celebrate their love. No longer drifting apart, their passion and devotion to each other had withstood the impossible. Tomorrow, healed, they’d go after Pat Scurlock and Sydney swore to herself that this time when she found him, he wasn’t going to be leaving New Orleans alive.

  Chapter Ten

  Kade kissed the nape of Sydney’s neck, his arousal prodding her back. She moaned but didn’t yet wake, and he recalled the events of the prior evening. The erotic exchange with Anthony had been an extraordinary success. Surprisingly, Kade hadn’t felt jealousy as his fiancée pleasured another man. She’d shown restraint by going no further than touching Anthony, demonstrating the ability to control both her hunger and desire.

  Thoughts of the killer infiltrated his mind. He had to identify the vampire who was aiding and abetting the escapee. It made no sense that a supernatural would allow a human to lead any kind of activity, let alone one of a criminal nature. He’d ordered Luca to take an account of every vampire in the city. With over two hundred in the surrounding parishes, it wouldn’t take long to rule out the innocents, narrowing the others down to a short list. Whoever it was obviously hadn’t been in the town very long. A bigger question was how they had a connection to Pat Scurlock.

  Sydney stirred, and Kade spooned her, wrapping his arm around her waist. Despite the danger they faced, he wished he could stay like this forever. Within seconds his phone buzzed and he glanced to the bed stand, noting Luca’s text. Without releasing his mate, he reached and touched a forefinger to its glass. He cursed as he read the message: Problem at Sangre Dulce.

  Kade shook his head and rolled away from Sydney. With no time to waste, he headed toward the bathroom.
He’d let her sleep for a few more minutes before their hunt continued.

  The odor of smoke hung thick in the air as Sydney carefully navigated through the charred remnants of what used to be Sangre Dulce. It had been months since she’d been there. At one time, it housed a mixed venue for kink lovers, both humans and supernaturals alike. Unfortunately, it’d also been the scene where a former psychopath mage, Asgear, had chosen to target his victims. The dark club tended to attract both good and evil, experienced and neophytes, all congregating for the purpose of pleasure and pain.

  She was focusing on looking for clues, when she caught sight of Kade in a heated discussion with Anthony. Her stomach fluttered as she recalled her evening with both men. She could have taken it further, she knew. The desire to make love to Anthony had been strong. She and Kade had talked about the experience in detail on the way over in the car. She’d been afraid to admit her feelings, but he’d assured her she’d done well. Sexual arousal was an illusion, one that could be controlled. She suspected she’d want to drink from Anthony again, but knew she’d never fall in love with anyone but Kade. He was her universe and reason for living, every breath she took was a dedication to their love.

  The sound of her foot breaking through a piece of soggy wood drew her focus back to the scene. Why did Pat Scurlock burn down Sangre Dulce? Kidnapping and torture were the hallmarks of his crimes, not arson. Pat had always resorted to all too common ways of selecting his victims, such as trolling mall parking lots for women who shopped alone. She considered that maybe he was trying to kill a vampire. Torching the building would certainly have done the trick. But according to the firemen, Sangre Dulce was closed when the fire started; no human bodies had been found. Sydney kicked at the soot beneath her feet. Ash was ash. If a vampire had been killed, the fragments stuck to her boots could be the disintegrated remains of vampire. No one would ever know.

  “Maybe you and Anthony should go get some coffee,” Kade suggested, startling her.

  “I know you’re worried and I love you for it, but seriously, I’m okay,” she assured him.