by J. S. Scott
Daric rose gracefully to his feet, Hannah cradled in his arms.
She lifted her head slightly, whispering in a drowsy voice, “I’m sorry. I think I dozed off. Is it possible for you to take me home?”
“You will stay here. Sleep.” Daric glanced at the clock. It was nearly dawn. No wonder his woman was exhausted. She’d had an exhausting day and the wine had probably added to her desire to sleep.
“The restaurant--”
“Will function just fine without you. You stay here.” He had seen the memories of Hannah going home to the empty house her father had lived in, surrounded by sorrow and regrets. She wasn’t going back there again. Not until she had healed enough to go without pain.
“For tonight,” she agreed in a slumberous voice.
Forever.
Daric’s covetous gaze caressed her face, watching her eyes flutter closed as she fell back to sleep. Having already been roasted over the coals by his woman for teleporting her earlier, he made sure she was asleep before he transferred them from the living room to his bedroom.
He dissolved their clothing as they reappeared in his bed, covering them with a quilt and fresh sheets.
Hannah snuggled against him with a trusting sigh, still sleeping the sleep of the innocent.
His cock still throbbed and his body was tense with the need to be inside her, but at the moment he could still contain the beast and enjoy the happiness of having his mate beside him, trusting him to keep her safe.
She’ll never be alone again. She’ll never suffer again. I’ll do everything in my power to keep her happy.
Daric grinned, a cocky smirk that came from knowing that he was the most powerful being that walked the earth. How difficult could it be to make one human woman happy?
The automatic shutters on his windows whispered closed, signaling the coming sunrise. He yawned and closed his eyes, letting himself slip easily into day sleep, a hint of that insolent smile still on his lips as he slept the sleep of a vampire.
Chapter 5
“Are you kidding me? I can’t do this!” Hannah stood at the top of a deserted mountain, gaping down at the seemingly endless blanket of perfect, untouched snow that seemed to stretch for miles down a never-ending incline. “Where the hell are we?” Her head was still spinning from whatever that thing was that Daric did to get them from one place to another at warp speed.
“We aren’t that far from Temple,” Daric answered, his voice agitated. “I thought this would make you happy. It’s what you wanted. You wanted to be able to ski again. I’m trying to make you happy, woman.”
“Well…I’m not.” Hannah shot Daric a belligerent look. He’d pulled her out of a perfectly warm bed, plied her with coffee and transported them God-knew- where, to the top of a deserted mountain, and he expected her ski down unknown territory after being nearly sedentary for a year. “I’m not in shape for this. I’m not ready. I haven’t done more than walk at a slow limp for months.”
Yesterday, she had been fairly certain that she’d never walk without a limp, and now anything was possible. Overwhelmed, she looked down at her favorite pair of skis with a sigh.
Daric frowned, as though offended. “You think I’d let you get injured?” He crossed his arms in front of him, biceps and triceps rippling beneath a short sleeved t-shirt. Dressed in only jeans, the lightweight shirt and black boots, Daric didn’t look in the least bit cold, although the temperature had to be nearing the zero mark.
Hannah was appropriately dressed in red ski attire, all of her wardrobe and personal belongings having mysteriously appeared in Daric’s home before she had even woken up in his bed earlier in the evening.
“It isn’t about getting hurt. Not really. I’m just not sure I’m ready for this right now.” Oh, but she wanted to be. As Hannah looked at the moonlit, perfect terrain, she wanted to drive into it, feel the excitement of the cold wind in her face as she flew down the mountain, the first to break the new and perfect snow.
New snow. Deep snow. Avalanche territory!
“Not happening,” Daric drawled, raising an eyebrow.
No. Of course it wasn’t. Hannah rolled her eyes at his arrogant stance and seemingly endless confidence that there was nothing he couldn’t do or accomplish. What she wouldn’t give right now for that kind of self-possession. After living most of her adult life taking care of Mark’s needs and never acknowledging her own, she no longer knew who she was or what she wanted. She had failed to accomplish much of anything in her life so far. She couldn’t even run Temple’s the way her father did.
“What does Hannah want?” The low, rumbling voice sounded next to her ear as Daric wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
What do I want? It was the first time in her life any man had ever asked her that question. Even her father had never really asked, only gently encouraged her to reach for her own goals.
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly.
“I’ll take you home right now if this isn’t what you want to do.” His arms tightened around her, his breath forming a visible cloud of white vapor in front her face.
No! No turning back. Hannah wanted to find her way, and maybe it started by taking this mountain. “It could get dark once the moon is blocked by the trees,” she answered, her eyes scanning her purposed path.
“It won’t.” Even as he uttered the words, the path lit up with artificial light, even though Hannah couldn’t see the source.
Do it, Hannah. You know you’re dying to go.
Daric loosened his hold around her waist. “I’ll be right behind you. Don’t second guess what you want. Your instincts are almost always correct. Trust them.”
Trust me. Isn’t that what Daric was actually saying? Isn’t that what he was asking her to do?
“Yes,” he answered, his arms lowering away from her body.
Before she lost her nerve, Hannah struck the snow with her poles, lowered her goggles, and pushed herself off the mountain, plunging into some of the best fresh powder she had ever experienced. She started slowly, her confidence building as she navigated around obstacles, some of them disappearing before she even got to them. Courtesy of Daric’s magic!
Hannah flew down the mountain, laughing as she tore up the snow, her leg working perfectly. Having Daric behind her, letting her lead the way was novel. She turned her head to the right, catching a glimpse of Daric tearing down the mountain slightly behind her, skiing like an Olympic Gold Medalist.
Exhilarated by her growing speed and confidence, she let herself enjoy the ride. She knew this moment in time, this magical experience, would stay with her forever. For the first time in a very long time, she was flying down a mountain just for the sake of enjoyment, tearing up snow just because she loved to do it. She wasn’t on patrol, she wasn’t helping Mark train, and for the first time since she had been a teenager, she actually felt free.
As Hannah neared the bottom of the mountain, she felt tears form in her eyes. Coming to a halt, snowing spraying around her from her quick maneuver, she pulled her goggles up to swipe at her eyes with a gloved hand. She was panting from exertion, her body no longer in condition to tackle a run that required that much physical strength. She gripped her thighs, laughing, trying to catch her breath. Her head was down, but she saw Daric’s feet planted next to hers, his skis gone, replaced with the black boots he had previously been wearing.
Hannah straightened, still breathless but slowly recovering, her heart still pounding. “Thank you for this.” She met Daric’s eyes, not quite sure how to express what this experience had meant to her or how to tell him that it had a significance far greater than just skiing down a mountain.
“Don’t.” He speared her with a dark glance. “I already know. Why do you think we’re here? You’ve spent enough time in the shadows of another, never pleasing yourself. What does Hannah want?”
You. The word fluttered through her mind instinctively, automatically. “I didn’t really want to leave Temple. I wanted to stay here an
d learn how to run a business from my father. Vail and Olympic training were Mark’s dream. I was never happy there.” I was never happy with him. It had never truly been the location or her occupation. The problem had been her relationship with Mark.
“He never valued you. Never protected you or loved you. Why did you go if you didn’t want to?” Hannah’s ski equipment disappeared, and Daric moved closer, pinning her between his body and the trunk of a large tree, his eyes never leaving hers.
“Mark and I grew up together. We were childhood friends. I guess we just gradually became a couple. He was all I knew.” Even as she spoke, Hannah realized that even from a very young age, Mark had somehow convinced her that she needed him, and she had believed it. Somewhere along the line of their very long relationship, Hannah had lost herself. “He didn’t value me because I stopped valuing myself.” Tears flowed from her eyes, blurring Daric’s face. “All those years wasted. Time with my father that I can never get back again. I rarely even saw my dad because Mark didn’t like him.”
Daric wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly in his embrace as he grumbled, “I’ll kill the son of a bitch for you.”
Hannah didn’t doubt it for a moment, and she smiled through her tears as she buried her face against Daric’s warm chest, her heart leaping at his defense and outrage for her sake. “No. He’s not worth a moment of your pain. I made the choice and it was the wrong one.”
“You won’t think about him again.” Daric’s tone was demanding, as though issuing a royal declaration. “If thoughts of him distress you again, I’ll kill him.”
Daric’s body was fiery hot, even in the bitter cold atmosphere, and Hannah snuggled against him, her heart hammering. No man had ever treated her as though she were precious and cherished, but this man, a male she had only known for a day, treated her like she was everything to him. It was tempting, intoxicating.
“You’re my mate, Hannah. There is nothing or no one on this earth more important to me than you.” His voice was husky, and radiating with raw emotion.
“I thought you refused me.” The words struck Hannah straight in the heart.
“I can’t.” He grabbed her by the shoulders, his eyes clashing with hers in a volatile meeting. “My fate is in your hands, Hannah. I want you, therefore I can’t refuse you.”
She shivered as she held his gaze, feeling as if she were drowning in his heated eyes. His loneliness called to her, beckoned her closer with every second that passed. Her heart aching at the thought of leaving this strong, powerful man vulnerable, she whispered, “What do we do?”
“That will be for you to decide. I’m an Ancient. On my good days, I’m just an asshole. On my bad days, I can be a vampire healer’s worst nightmare,” he replied, his voice as menacing as the scowl on his face.
Hannah knew Daric was arrogant, demanding and probably occasionally harsh, but she couldn’t manage to connect the man she getting to know with his own description. Daric was just…Daric. And there was so much emotion beneath his gruff exterior. He wasn’t a man she feared. He was her protector, her champion, the first man who had ever considered her feelings. And Hannah was fairly certain that even without the mating instinct, she would still think him the hottest man, or vampire, to walk the planet. She had always believed that sex was highly overrated, over in minutes and not particularly exciting. Now, she wasn’t quite certain she was correct in that assumption.
Taking a deep breath, she asked, “Will I get the asshole, or will you be my nightmare?” She needed to get her mind off the erotic thoughts that were starting to swamp her brain.
He shrugged his massive shoulders. “Depends on how difficult you decide to be.”
“I won’t follow your every command.” Never again would she walk in a man’s shadow.
“That isn’t what I want. I want you to do whatever makes you happy. But know this…I will be protective, high-handed and I will try to keep you from harm by every means available to me. This is a supposed to be a lull period of mating for me, a time to court you. But my need grows stronger every second, and eventually I will have a difficult time trying to control it. I already consider you mine. I’m just trying to wait for you to make the same decision.” He wrapped his arms around her waist. “You’re getting cold. Let’s go home.”
After that speech, Hannah was far from cold. The thought of Daric wanting her so desperately soaked her panties and stole her breath from her lungs. She closed her eyes as he held her tightly against him.
Dizzy from the transport, she opened her eyes to find herself in Daric’s kitchen. “I thought you’d take me home.”
“You are home,” he answered in a low, dangerous voice.
“I meant my home.” Exasperated, she stepped away from him and planted her hands on her hips.
“You aren’t going back there until you can do so without feeling sad.” He shot her a seriously cranky look.
“And you’ll decide when that might be?” she retorted.
“I’ll know. I can read your emotions and your thoughts.”
It wasn’t as if Hannah hadn’t already known that Daric was in her head, but the significance of it hit her suddenly, wondering what exactly he really could see. “Can you see my past memories, intimate memories?” she asked, wondering if he could see her less than wonderful sexual experiences with Mark.
“You won’t think about him anymore,” Daric replied, moving forward to wrap his steely arms around her waist. “I don’t see those memories. I can’t. They are filtered beyond my reach to keep me from going crazy from seeing my mate with another male. I only see them if you visualize them in your current thoughts.”
Yeah. Like that was something she actually wanted to remember? “Not much likelihood of that happening,” she muttered, her arms curling around Daric’s neck, longing flooding her entire body as Daric dissolved her outerwear, leaving her clothed in only a t-shirt and jeans. “Crap, I’m back in a thong again,” she cursed loudly, annoyed by the thin strip between the cheeks of her ass. “Why do you do that if you can’t even look?”
“I torture myself with imagery,” he told her, his voice both self-deprecating and amused. “And I might look. It would be more than worth the price.” His big hands stroked over her back and down, finally cupping her ass possessively.
“No! You can look. I give you permission. Feel free.” Her modesty wasn’t worth the price of Daric feeling the pain of penalty. She could change into her own lingerie now that her own possessions were here, modest panties that wouldn’t tempt him.
“You tempt me merely by existing, Hannah. It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing,” Daric said huskily, his hands kneading the flesh of her ass, pulling her hot core up and against his pulsating cock. “I’ll always want to be deep inside you, surrounded by you, claiming what belongs to me.”
Every nerve in Hannah’s body went up in flames, her entire being feeling like liquid fire. “Please,” she whispered in a needy voice, not even quite sure what she wanted, only certain that whatever it was, she needed it now and no one but Daric could quench the flames. Confused by the intensity of her emotions, Hannah wondered which emotions and wants were her own and which were caused by the mating compulsion, the small portion of those urges that emanated from Daric to her.
“I won’t be able to stop.” Daric warned ominously as he pulled back, searching her eyes, his face a mask of tortured desire. Placing a hand on each side of her head, he closed his eyes as he growled, “Share my mind. Know what desire is yours and what belongs to me.”
Hannah’s whole body rocked as his memories, his thoughts flooded her brain. Closing her eyes at the onslaught, she shook her head furiously, overwhelmed. “Oh, God!” Confused, she clenched Daric’s shirt, fisting the cotton, desperate to be grounded.
“Relax. Separate my thoughts from yours,” Daric commanded, pulling her thrashing head against his chest. “Sort them out in your mind. I’ll help you.”
His voice penetrated the thick fog in her brai
n, forcing her to grit her teeth and try to make sense of the massive overload of information that was taxing her senses. Her body relaxed as she sensed Daric in her head, filing away most of the information from his past, leaving only the present thoughts and emotions.
Grimacing, Hannah tried to mentally push his emotions on one side and hers on another, but the dividing line was blurred, intertwined. “Shit. I can’t completely separate them,” she muttered, frustrated.
“Relax. You’ll become accustomed to the sensation. Information will come to you slowly over time. You can’t handle twelve hundred years of memories and emotions all at the same time. And the emotions of true mates are always blurred. You will know what emotions originate from me, and you will always sense how I feel, know what I’m thinking,” he answered, stroking her hair gently, massaging her scalp.
Calmed by Daric’s reassuring touch, Hannah settled, but her body was still aflame, yearning for more, clamoring for him. Nothing had changed; her need was her own, except she could sense Daric’s emotions and thoughts. And at the moment, every one of them featured the two of them entwined together in shared ecstasy. As much as Daric needed to possess, Hannah needed him to claim her. Lifting her head, she told him softly, “I need you. I need you as much as you need me.”
His dark eyes scanned her face as he replied, “If you let me take you, I’ll never let you go. Hell, I probably won’t anyway. But if I fuck you, have you once, I’ll track your ass down until you either mate with me or I die of mating conflict. I don’t have Nolan’s noble morals that allowed him to die with dignity while his mate left him. Your ass is mine. And I’ll chase you until the moment I breathe my last.”
Hannah felt a shiver run down her spine at his dominant oath, a promise that she knew that he would fulfill. As if she’d let him die? “Then fuck me, Daric. I need to know what it feels like to truly want and be wanted.”
“You’ll definitely know what it’s like to be wanted. To the point of insanity.” His mouth claimed hers roughly, his tongue driving between her lips in a frenzied meeting of mouths, a devouring kiss that left her in no doubt of how much she was needed, wanted.