Cain's Identity (Scanguards Vampires Book 9)

by Tina Folsom

  “You’ve gotta stop, baby,” he suddenly pleaded and gripped her shoulders with both hands, gently pushing her back so his cock slipped from her mouth.

  “I’m not done.” She looked up at him.

  Cain pulled her up to stand and turned her so she found herself pressed against the shower wall, his hands already hooking under her thighs to lift her. “Oh, no, we’re not done.”

  Spreading her legs as he lifted her and positioned himself at her center, he issued his command, “Now be a good girl, and guide my cock into your pussy.”

  Her breath caught in her chest. He’d never talked to her like that before, had always been almost polite in his utterances when they’d had sex before. Yet she found that she liked the way he spoke to her now. It aroused her more than she’d expected.

  Without hesitation Faye took hold of his cock and brought it to her sex, placing it at the entrance to her wet core. When the head touched her nether lips, she moaned and leaned her head back, panting. But he didn’t enter her immediately. Instead, he moved his hips upward and let his cock slide over her clit, lubricating it with her own juices. A shudder raced through her.

  “Oh, Faye,” he murmured. “Beautiful Faye.”

  Then he drew his hips back and lowered his cock to her female folds, probing, testing, until, after an agonizing eternity, his cockhead finally parted her flesh and drove inside her.

  All air rushed out of her lungs as his thick shaft filled her and his balls slapped against her when he thrust into her to the hilt.

  “Cain!”

  Her insides went up in flames, igniting her clit and filling her entire body with pleasure. She felt her channel stretch to accommodate him and her hips undulate to beg him for more. Her hands gripped his ass now, her fingernails digging into his flesh to issue her demands.

  “More! Harder!”

  “Anything you want.”

  Cain’s thrusts turned more ferocious, his chest heaving from the effort to hold her immobile against the wall, his breath coming in rapid pants. His jaw was clenched tightly, and his fangs had pushed past his lips. The sight made her heart beat even faster. She remembered how he’d bitten her just before he’d disappeared, and she’d never felt anything as exhilarating as the sensation of his fangs lodging in her skin and his mouth drawing on her vein.

  Faye tilted her head to the side, offering him her neck.

  He kissed her there, licked his tongue over her skin, while his cock pounded into her relentlessly. She felt his fangs scrape at her skin, making her shiver with pleasure.

  “Tell me you love me,” she demanded and cupped his head.

  He ripped his head from her and captured her lips instead, drowning her request in a passionate kiss. As if something had angered him, he drove into her with even more force, his pelvic bone slamming against her clit so rapidly that she instantly exploded. An orgasm more powerful than she’d ever experienced crashed into her, just as she felt his cock spasm inside her. The warm spray of his semen filled her, lubricated her channel even further and allowed him to increase his tempo even more, until his thrusts finally slowed. He severed the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, breathing heavily.

  “I don’t know how I ever got any work done as king with you around me.”

  Faye felt her forehead furrow. Cain had always put his duties as king first. She’d always known that and accepted it. But his words seemed to suggest otherwise. And what was even stranger was that while back then he’d always freely confessed his love to her and in the same breath excused himself to deal with king business, now the opposite was happening: he hadn’t once said that he loved her, yet he was showering her with more attention than ever before.

  Cain had changed. And she needed to understand why.

  30

  An urgent knock by Haven had ripped Cain from Faye’s arms, and he’d dressed rapidly and dashed upstairs to meet him in the office. Cain was, however, grateful for the interruption. Faye had demanded to hear that he loved her when he’d been about to bite her and drink her blood, and in that moment he hadn’t been able to go through with it. Neither with the bite, nor with a declaration of his love. It wouldn’t have been fair to her. He couldn’t take her blood or tell her he loved her while he was deceiving her about himself.

  Yes, he’d never felt better than when he was with her. The sex was out of this world amazing, and his jealousy when another man so much as even looked at her was spiraling out of control. He knew he had feelings for her, emotions that were deeper than seemed possible after such a short time. But he knew he was also lying to her. He was keeping the fact from her that he didn’t remember anything about her, yet pretended to her that everything was all right. It wasn’t. And he didn’t know how to tell her. Would she reject him if she found out? Would she think he was only half a man now, not the hero she came to make love to in the shower? Not the strong warrior she looked up to? Because if she rejected him now, he would be devastated.

  Cain tried to push away the thoughts and opened the door to his office.

  Haven wasn’t alone. Robert stood in the middle of the room, flanked by Wesley and one of the king’s guards.

  “What’s going on?” Cain asked, looking at Haven as he closed the door behind him.

  “Simon, tell the king what you told me,” Haven instructed the guard.

  “I found a copy of the palace’s blueprints in the supply cellar. It was hidden between the pages of the ledger Robert keeps. There was an envelope, too.”

  Cain looked at the papers in Simon’s hands and pointed to them. “That it?”

  Simon nodded and handed him the folded piece of the paper and the envelope. Cain unfolded and examined it. It was indeed a blueprint of the palace, indicating all entrances and exits on all levels, though to his relief it didn’t indicate where the secret tunnels were located. He folded it again, then looked at the envelope. It was addressed to a PO Box in Gulfport, Mississippi.

  Cain whistled through his teeth and stared at Robert. “Explain yourself, Robert!”

  “I don’t know how that copy got into my books. It’s not mine!” Robert spat indignantly.

  “Of course it’s not yours,” Cain ground out. “That’s why it should have never been in your ledger. So what the fuck were you planning to do with it, huh?” He could venture a guess what Robert’s plan had been.

  “Nothing! I didn’t make that copy. Somebody must have planted it in my things,” Robert protested.

  Cain shoved the envelope in front of his face. “Is that your handwriting?”

  The clenching of Robert’s teeth was indication enough that he was hesitant about answering the question.

  “I asked—”

  “It’s my handwriting, but it’s not what you think.”

  “What do I think?” Cain shot back.

  “It’s the new address of our blood suppliers. I was about to mail them a check.”

  “To Mississippi? Do you think I’m stupid?” Though Cain didn’t know for certain, he assumed that his clan didn’t get its packaged blood from Mississippi. He was certain that the neighboring clan would never tolerate Cain’s clan infringing on their supplier. He hoped he was right.

  “I received a notification that they moved their billing operation to Mississippi. For tax reasons.”

  Cain cursed and went nose to nose with Robert. “So you really do think I’m stupid. I’ll tell you what really happened! You decided to cause trouble and sell sensitive information to a rival clan so they can attack us. What did they promise you? Money? Power?” Cain gnashed his teeth and felt his fangs extend.

  “I didn’t do anything of the like! I’m a loyal subject. I don’t deserve your mistrust! Have I not served you loyally ever since you became king? Don’t you know me at all?”

  The words struck a cord. No, he didn’t know Robert, and that was the crux of all his problems. He didn’t know who to trust, who was loyal to him, or who meant him harm. Despite the interrogations of the guards and all the other st
aff at the palace, he and his friends from Scanguards hadn’t gotten any further in the investigation of the assassination attempt. This was the first lead they had, and he wouldn’t let Robert’s passionate plea prevent him from doing what he had to.

  “Lock him up downstairs,” Cain ordered Simon.

  Robert glared at him. “You’re making a mistake.”

  “I’d rather owe you an apology if I’m wrong than wake up with a stake in my chest.” Then he motioned to the guard to execute his command.

  Robert didn’t struggle when Simon escorted him out the door, but kept his head high. The door didn’t shut behind them. Thomas and Eddie walked in, their heads turning to Simon and Robert.

  “Hey, guys.” Thomas pulled the door shut behind them.

  “Hey, Haven,” Eddie greeted his colleague.

  “Good to see you, Eddie. Heard you had a little trouble with the local animal population.”

  “You could call it that. Or you could call it a clusterfuck by our incredibly stupid human colleague.”

  Haven rolled his eyes. “No need to say anything further. I’ve already heard it.”

  “No doubt Blake’s sanitized version.”

  “Trust me, I’ve already put two and two together.”

  “How is Blake now?” Cain asked.

  Haven shrugged. “Better. His leg wound is healing quickly thanks to your blood. He’ll be like new in a few hours.”

  Cain nodded. “Good. We’ll need every man we can get. Even Blake.” He turned to Thomas and Eddie. “We just found Robert with a copy of the palace’s blueprints and an envelope addressed to a PO Box in Mississippi. I can’t help but suspect he was planning to sell the information to the clan in Mississippi. He’s a traitor.”

  “That’s a grave accusation,” Thomas replied. “What’s his defense?”

  “He said somebody planted the documents, yet he admits that he addressed the envelope himself.”

  “Do you think he could have something to do with the assassination attempt?” Haven asked, hooking his thumb in his belt.

  “It’s entirely possible. He could have been the one to let the assassin in, and now he’s trying it again.”

  “Do you want me to talk to him and see if I can get anything else out of him?” Thomas offered.

  “Go ahead. You’re better at this than I.”

  “Does it even make sense?” Eddie interrupted.

  “Does what make sense?” Cain asked.

  “Robert being involved in the assassination attempt.” He shifted his weight onto his other foot. “See, if he already gave the Mississippi clan access to the palace a year ago to try to kill you, why would he have to send them the blueprints now? Wouldn’t they already know how to get in?”

  Eddie had a point. “Possible. But what if the Mississippians weren’t behind the assassination then? What if he had somebody else help him then and, since they failed, he’s now putting his money on the Mississippi clan?”

  Eddie shrugged. “Maybe. But why switch camps? The more people you involve in something like that, the more likely it is that someone is going to talk.” He looked to his partner for agreement.

  Thomas nodded. “I’ll have a word with him and see what I can get out of him. Do we have anything on him we can use as leverage?”

  Cain rubbed his hand over his face. “I wish I knew. Talk to John and see what he knows about the guy. But only tell him what he needs to know.”

  “You don’t trust him anymore, do you?” Thomas said.

  “I have my doubts about him, though I can’t fathom why he would first save me and then betray me. It doesn’t make sense. When are you and Eddie going into the Quarter to follow up on his woman?”

  Thomas looked at his watch. “Sun’s up in a couple of hours. Not much point now. We’ll go tomorrow night. In the meantime, I’ll check out Robert.”

  “Agreed,” Cain said and turned back to Haven. “Get the staff to organize a blackout van for sunset tomorrow. I want you to send Blake to the airport.”

  Haven put his hands at his hips. “Come on, you can’t just send him home now. Didn’t you just say we needed every man we can get? It’s not fair to the kid. He meant well.”

  Cain sighed. “Don’t get your dander up. I’m not sending him home. He’s just gonna play chauffeur. At least that’s something he’s not likely to screw up.”

  Haven chuckled. “You know he hates being relegated to errant boy.”

  “I do. Let that be his punishment.”

  His friend laughed out loud. “You’re way too soft on him.”

  Cain couldn’t help but smile. “I just don’t want Quinn to kick my butt when I’m too rough with his precious grandson.” Besides, he didn’t dislike Blake. He just wished the kid exhibited more common sense and less bravado.

  31

  Cain sidestepped the two vampires who were carrying a large potted plant across the hallway, while a female member of the house staff with a stack of table linens in her hands walked behind them.

  “What’s going on here?”

  The woman turned her head and bowed briefly. “We’re preparing the ballroom for your welcome home reception, Your Majesty.”

  Well, it appeared he had a ballroom, not that he’d had any time or inclination to inspect said room so far.

  “Carry on,” he dismissed her and marched to the entrance door, when he saw John come out of one of the doors on the other side. Cain motioned him to approach.

  “Good evening, Cain,” John greeted him politely.

  “Evening, John. I see the festivities are coming along nicely.” Though Cain wasn’t interested in talking about the stupid party, it suited him fine as a lead-in to another subject.

  “Yes, it’s going to be quite an event.”

  “Looks like it.” Cain paused for a moment. “Listen, I wanted to let you know that now that I’ve changed my mind about the leader of the king’s guard not being allowed to be in a relationship, I figured it would be appropriate if you brought your woman—Nicolette’s her name, right—to the party. I’m planning to announce some policy changes, and having you there with Nicolette would underscore my sincerity.”

  John stared at him, clearly stunned for a moment. “Well, uh, I don’t—”

  Cain put his hand on his forearm. “Don’t say no. Bring her. I’d like to meet her. I won’t take no for an answer.”

  “Of course, in that case. I’ll make sure she attends. And thank you for the invitation.” He nodded. “Excuse me, I have to go over the shift changes with the guards.”

  “Thanks, John. And, uh, thank you for not giving me a hard time about having moved Thomas and Eddie into your rooms.”

  “I expected it. I know you trust your men from Scanguards more than anybody here. Maybe in time . . .” He didn’t finish his sentence.

  “Yes, maybe in time.” Then Cain watched the leader of his king’s guard turn and disappear down the corridor.

  He hoped that Thomas and Eddie would find out that everything with John and Nicolette checked out, so Cain could lay his worries about the leader of the king’s guard to rest.

  With a sigh, he opened the entrance door and looked down the long driveway, while the warm night air made his shirt cling to his body. A dark limousine was approaching, kicking up dust from driving too fast on the gravel road. When it finally came to a stop by making a dramatic turn to the side, gravel was whirled up by the back tires and landed on the steps to the house.

  Cain refrained from rolling his eyes and instead walked down the steps to greet his visitors.

  The door to the passenger area behind the driver’s cab opened and Gabriel stepped out. He turned immediately to gallantly help his wife, Maya, out of the car. Cain had to smile. Gabriel was an old-fashioned kind of guy and a gentle soul, despite the hard exterior he displayed.

  When he turned back, Cain had no problem making out the large scar that marred Gabriel’s face, reaching from the top of his left ear to his chin. It lent him a dangerous air, and in hi
s job as the second-in-command at Scanguards, it came in handy. He was both feared by his enemies and revered by his colleagues and subordinates—and sometimes also feared by them.

  The dark beauty by his side was something special. A doctor in her human life, she’d been turned into a vampire against her will, but had found true love with Gabriel. The blood-bonded pair was utterly devoted to each other. It was therefore not a surprise that Maya hadn’t flown out to New Orleans on her own, but had brought her husband along for company. Though Cain suspected that Gabriel was here for a different reason: to protect the woman he couldn’t live without.

  “Gabriel, Maya, I’m so glad you came,” Cain greeted them now and shook their hands.

  Any other woman he would have given a hug to say hello, but he knew Gabriel’s sentiments about his wife being touched by other men, and finally Cain understood the feeling. He felt the same about Faye.

  “So this is your place,” Gabriel replied and cast an admiring look at the enormous property. “Who would have thought?”

  “Everybody sends their love and congratulations,” Maya added with a smile. “They’re all very happy for you.”

  “Thank you.” Cain’s gaze drifted to Blake, who was getting out of the car. “Blake, would you get their luggage, please? I had a guest room on the second floor prepared for them.”

  Blake nodded and walked to the back of the limousine, opening the trunk, while Cain motioned to the front door. “Shall we?”

  “Have you settled in?” Gabriel asked, sidling up to him.

  Cain shrugged. “As much as I can. It’s an adjustment.”

  “I bet,” Maya commented, walking hand in hand with Gabriel. “But I’m sure you’ll manage.” She paused for a moment before changing the subject. “I’m anxious to see my patients. Are they in the house?”

  “I put them up in one of the cottages on the property. They are somewhat frightened and I thought it would be best if they had a place by themselves. Particularly the girl is scared out of her wits.”