by A. M. Hardin
I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this place has a damn ballroom. Though, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. This place is fucking huge.
As soon as we enter the large ballroom, it takes considerable effort to stop myself from standing with my mouth wide open. This . . . it just takes grand and elegant to an all new level.
The only things that aren’t very elegant are the humans that are kind of corralled into a corner of the ballroom who are clearly there as a snack for any peckish vampires. I guess I don’t have a problem with it if they’re there willingly, but I wouldn’t put it past most vampires to have compelled them into agreeing to come. Free will gets in the way of their food too much, I guess.
Parker’s mom, at least I think it’s her, rushes over to us, and her eyes flare red for the briefest second when she sees me before going back to their normal silver color. “I’m so happy you all came,” she says, ever the gracious host as she looks at everyone in our group. Her eyes come back to me, and I can tell she has something she wants to say that isn’t all that nice, but she settles for, “Mercy, don’t you look pretty? So different than usual.”
I bite my lip to stop the snicker that wants to escape. “Thank you, Bianca,” I say politely. Yes, thank you so much for the backhanded compliment.
“I hope you all have fun,” she says to us, before turning to Parker. “Parker, there’s someone here who I want you to meet.” She holds her hand out to him.
Parker shoots his mother a dark look that I’ve never seen on his face before, and it causes a chill to run down my spine. They don’t speak out loud, but from the way Bianca blanches I can guess that he’s giving her an ear-full telepathically. Mind-full? Whatever.
Bianca’s eyes narrow on me for a fraction of a second before she pales and murmurs, “Excuse me,” before turning and walking away.
“What the hell was that about?” I ask Parker.
“Nothing, Sunshine,” he mutters.
“‘Sunshine’?” I tease, hoping to lighten the mood. “Why ‘Sunshine’? It can’t be because I’m a ray of Sunshine.”
He chuckles and moves to wrap his arm around me, pulling me into him and kissing the top of my head. “You are to me,” he murmurs against my hair.
I bite my lip, not exactly knowing how to respond to that. Parker brings his thumb up and pulls my lip from my teeth, a smile playing at his lips.
“Would you like to dance?” He asks, shocking the hell out of me. He’s never wanted to dance before, even at the club last night he didn’t dance with me, which reminded me of what Kai had said before about his hatred of dancing.
I smile up at him. “Are you sure you want to?”
“With you? Hell, yes. With any other girl that my mom brought here tonight to try to pull me away from you? Fuck, no.” My heart skips a beat when I realize what he’s saying - he only wants to dance with me and his mother is attempting to set him up with other girls in order to get him away from me.
My stomach churns with jealousy, and I really don’t like the feeling of it. “Is that what your mom was trying to do earlier? Bring you to someone else and have you dance with her?”
He looks me in the eye as he nods. “But, I don’t want anybody but you, Mercy. If that means sharing you with my team, my brothers, I’ll do it.”
He looks at the guys. “We’ll be back.” I chuckle when I see them all smiling or smirking with amusement as Parker pulls me away from the group.
As Parker puts my hands on his shoulders and his hands on my waist, I let my eyes wander around the room, and I can’t stop the snicker from escaping my lips.
“What?” Parker asks with a smile on his face.
“If looks could kill, I’d be dead like a billion times over already,” I say quietly, my smile firmly planted on my face. Is it a bad thing that I find it funny that my being close to Parker is pissing off so many females?
Probably.
Parker glances around and chuckles. “I see your point.”
“So, do you think they’re pissed that you’re dancing with me, or that I’m even here?” I ask, completely serious.
He shrugs. “Don’t know. I also don’t care. I’m not dancing with anyone but you tonight, just as I’m sure the guys won’t either.” He must see the confusion on my face because he tilts his head towards the guys and there are a few females over there, flirting, and trying to get them to dance with them. I laugh when Talon scowls at the girl trying to grab his hand, and he bites out something that makes her step back.
“Is it bad that I’m glad?” I ask quietly. “I mean, I don’t see how this is fair to you guys, sharing me, but you guys don’t have any other–”
Parker cuts me off with a blistering kiss, taking my breath away. Pulling back slightly, he rubs his thumb on my cheek, just underneath the mask. “None of us want anyone else, Mercy. They all pale in comparison to you anyway.” He presses his lips against mine again. “So, no, it’s not bad that you’re glad we’re not interested in anyone else. I think the only reason it works with our group is because we’re all so close to begin with.”
“Parker,” I murmur. “I don’t know how it happened or even when it started, but I think I’m falling for all of you.”
He grins and his grip tightens on my hip. “Good, because it’s the same for me, and I’m sure if you ask the guys it’ll be the same for them.”
13
Mercy
“Well, well, it is little wonder my son is so taken with you,” a male voice says from behind me.
I turn and see an almost exact copy of Parker, just slightly older-looking, and he’s not wearing a mask for whatever reason. I glance around the room and see that the guys are all spread out around the ballroom, but I’m short enough that they probably can’t see me where I’m at by the drinks. Instead of answering the man in front of me, I just stare at him, waiting for him to get on with it.
He chuckles darkly. “Ah, well, I suppose I should introduce myself, hmm? I’m Ethan, Parker’s father.”
“I gathered that much.” I narrow my eyes at him. “What exactly is the point of this?”
He grins as his eyes wander down my body appreciatively. I stiffen, wishing like hell I had hidden a weapon on me. “You are a gorgeous little thing, aren’t you?”
He takes a step closer. I step back, bumping into the table behind me. “What do you want?”
His hand raises, and he runs a finger down my arm, making me tense even more.
“Get your damn hands off me,” I growl.
“Now, why would I do that?” He asks, a sick smile still painted on his face. “My son seems to have no problems with sharing you, so why don’t you and I go have some fun?”
My jaw drops. “You’re actually serious, aren’t you? What the hell is wrong with you?”
His finger trails back up my arm and moves to my chest. Before he has a chance to get a good feel, I grab his hand in a tight grip and bend it backwards.
“I will break your fucking hand if you try to touch me again,” I hiss. “I don’t give a fuck who you are.”
His chuckle is cut off by Parker’s voice coming from behind him. “Everything okay here?”
I push his dad’s hand away from me and meet his eyes. “Fucking peachy.” Parker’s eyes narrow, and I know he doesn’t believe me.
Which, yeah, okay, technically it isn’t. I just don’t feel like ruining tonight since it’s been a decent night.
“Dad,” Parker clips. “What’s going on?”
His dad turns and shrugs innocently. “I was just saying hello to your little half-demon here. She’s not very friendly.”
“Only when she has reason not to be,” Parker says, voice hard.
I frown. “Uh, I’m not friendly even when I have reason to be.”
Parker shoots me a pointed look. “You’re sarcastic, your words have bite to them, but that doesn’t make you unfriendly, Mercy.”
Ethan laughs. “Of course, your mother told me you were sniffing
around the girl that the supernatural world is in an uproar about now.” Ethan eyes me, making my blood run cold. “I heard you can control the hounds of hell. Fascinating. I’d really like to see this in person.”
“Don’t even think about it,” Parker bites out.
Ethan raises a brow. “Really?” He drawls. “You dare to tell me what to do in my own kingdom? My own home?”
“When it comes to protecting Mercy, yes.”
Ethan smirks. “Ah, something finally gets a reaction out of you other than your sister. I was just making a suggestion, son. Calm down.” His expression transforms from teasing to downright mean, his eyes red and his fangs exposed. “You will do well to remember that you do not rule here. Not yet.”
Parker narrows his eyes at his dad. “Whether I rule or not has nothing to do with this.”
Ethan steps closer to me, getting right in my space, and makes a show of inhaling my scent. “When you have this delicious morsel here, it definitely does.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Parker asks.
“Just one bite,” Ethan says, his mouth curved. “I promise I’ll leave her alone after that.” His fangs elongate as he moves closer to me.
“No!” Parker snaps at the same time my hand wraps around his father’s throat before he can get any closer. “Mercy is not a fucking snack, dad.”
Ethan chuckles, an odd sound while I’ve got my hand around his throat.
“If you ever come near me with those fangs again, I swear to everything I hold dear,” I start, moving his dad directly in front of me, so we’re looking eye to eye, “I will kill you. Being Parker’s father will not save you from me.”
Parker doesn’t say anything to defend his dad, just stands back, letting me deal with it, but staying close enough to show that he’ll help me if he needs to.
Ethan’s eyes glow, and he speaks in a soft, compelling voice. “You will let go of me.”
I snort, and his eyes widen in shock. “Yeah, maybe in your goddamn dreams.”
“Our compulsion doesn’t work on you?” He asks, appalled.
I smirk. “Nope. It never has. Even those that can go one step further than you and control minds for long periods of time can’t control me.” I found out that interesting detail when I was being held with Payne, Jerome, and Torn.
“Impossible,” he spits.
I grin. “Nah, that’s just me and my own personal brand of freak. Now, if I let you go, are you going to do the smart thing and walk the fuck away from me?”
Ethan glares at me for the longest minute before he finally nods. “I’ll leave you be. You’re much stronger than I gave you credit for.”
“Yeah, that happens a lot,” I say, letting go of his throat with a shove. He manages not to stumble, which is quite disappointing to say the least.
Parker wraps his arms around me when his dad is finally out of sight and breathes in deeply. “I’m sorry. I should have known he would pounce on you when he had the chance. I was hoping that since I, essentially, laid my own claim on you to my mother and father when we originally talked about coming here that he’d actually stay away.” He sighs. “It was apparently too much to hope for.”
I look up at him and rub his chest with my hands in soothing strokes. “Hey, I don’t blame you. That was not your fault. That was your dad’s fault for being a creep.”
He nods and kisses me gently. When he pulls away there’s an odd expression on his face.
“What?”
“Why didn’t you ever tell us that you weren’t susceptible to mind control or compulsions?”
I shrug. “It didn’t seem like it was important.” I smirk. “Plus, it’s really fun shocking you guys.” I plant a kiss on his lips and laugh.
“You’re trouble, Sunshine,” he mutters. “The guys are sick of being propositioned by women, so they’re all going to their rooms for the night.”
I frown and look at the time on the small clock placed on the table. “We’ve been here a lot longer than I thought.”
“You ready to head out, too?” He asks.
“Yeah, your dad kind of ruined my party mood.”
His mouth kicks up. “You have a party mood?”
I smack his chest as a laugh bubbles up in me. “Shut up. You know what I mean.”
He grabs my hand and brings it up to his mouth. “I do. Let’s go.”
The second the door slams shut behind us, Parker pulls me into his arms and slants his mouth over mine, kissing me slowly.
Pulling away from him, I bring my hands up and take his mask off his face. He reaches behind me and unties my mask, letting it fall to the floor between us.
“As gorgeous as your eyes are, I miss looking at your entire face,” he says softly, one hand sliding through my hair while the other drifts down my back slowly sliding the zipper of my dress down, making me shiver as the cold air touches my skin.
I make quick work of the buttons on his shirt and open it up, giving myself access to his incredible body. I run my hands across his chest and abs, relishing in the feel of his skin on mine.
I push his jacket and shirt off his shoulders, and he lets them flitter to the floor. Sweeping his hands across my shoulders, he pushes the straps of my dress over my shoulders, and it falls into a pool around my feet.
I press a soft kiss to his chest, right above his heart as I undo the buckle to his pants. Parker grips a handful of my hair, tilting my head back, and thrusts his tongue in my mouth, devouring me. My tongue brushes against the tips of his fangs, and a shiver rolls down my spine. Not a bad shiver, either. A shiver of excitement.
Slipping my hand into his pants I grip his cock and stroke it a few times, loving the groan that slips from his throat. Letting go of his cock, I push his pants and boxers down. Before Parker can protest me breaking our kiss, I get on my knees in front of him.
His hands tangle in my hair, his breathing heavy. “Mercy, you don’t have to–”
I lick his cock from base to tip in one languid stroke, cutting him off and meeting his eyes, which are blazing red. I didn’t know that vampires’ eyes turned red when they were turned on, too.
“I want to taste you,” I mutter a second before gripping him and taking his cock into my mouth, too impatient to tease him.
Parker groans above me as I suck him as deep as I can, my tongue twirling and swirling around his cock. It doesn’t take long for Parker to lose all restraint and completely take over and start fucking my mouth, using the hand in my hair to keep me still.
His cock touches the back of my throat, and I relax my jaw, sucking him in deeper, drawing a loud moan out of him. Just before he comes in my mouth, he pulls out and pulls me up. “I don’t want to come in your mouth right now,” he growls, kissing me hard. “I want to be inside you when I come.” I moan as he moves my panties to the side and thrusts a finger inside my aching pussy. “God, you’re soaked. You liked sucking my cock, huh?”
“Uh huh,” I say with a nod and a dazed smile across my face as I look in his eyes. Another finger enters me, and his thumb tweaks my clit. My climax hits me hard, damn near making me see stars. “Inside me,” I moan. “I want you inside me.”
“With pleasure,” he growls. After stripping me of my panties and bra–thank fuck he didn’t rip them off of me–he grips my hips and tosses me on the bed. I chuckle as I bounce a couple of times. My laugh dies quickly, and I bite my lip as I take in the sight of Parker completely naked. Just for me.
He climbs on top of me and pauses just long enough to lick my pussy in one long teasing stroke, then moves up my body. “We have all night for me to have my fill of your taste,” he mutters against my neck. Moving his lips across my cheek he says, “Though I’m fairly certain I’ll never have enough of you or your taste.” As soon as he’s done speaking, his cock pushes inside me.
I gasp, my back arching as I grip his shoulders tightly, digging my nails into his skin. He powers in and out of me with his cock, hitting the right spot every time, and I can quickly
feel my release building again.
He brings his mouth to my neck, kissing and sucking it enough that I know I will have hickeys tomorrow. When his fangs scrape against my skin gently, he places a kiss there.
“God, Mercy, you have no idea how badly I want to fucking bite you right now. Your scent is driving me crazy,” he groans into my ear.
Not even thinking it through, I gasp out as his hand cups my breast and tweaks my nipple, “Do it.”
He moans and licks my neck, still thrusting hard inside me, drawing my orgasm closer and closer with every thrust. “Are you sure?”
“Fuck, yes,” I moan breathlessly.
He doesn’t need to be told again, and the second his fangs pierce my flesh, I come hard around him, screaming his name. His orgasm crashes into him before mine’s even finished, and when he pulls his fangs out of my neck, he licks the puncture marks, sealing them, so they don’t bleed.
“You’re a fucking addiction,” he rumbles. Before I can say anything, his mouth is on mine again.
14
Warwick
“What do you mean there’s nothing?” I growl over the phone.
“Exactly what I said, Warwick. There is nothing demonic or otherwise that I’ve been able to find that could possibly bring someone back from the dead without them becoming a vampire or a zombie. There’s no way it can be done,” my brother explains.
“God damn it, Carsyn. You were supposed to find me something.”
My brother sighs. “Alright, there was something I found that seemed a little strange.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s not demonic, but it is dark magic. The kind of dark magic that even a dark witch wouldn’t touch because of the consequences behind it.”
“Spit it out.”
“I don’t know what exactly needs to be said, it was just mentioned in one of the books I found. There’s a way to save a life, close to death or even directly following a death without vampirism, but it’ll make the person . . . different.”