Surrendering: A Regent Vampire Lords Novel, Book #1

by K. L. Kreig

  “Wow,” she breathed. He afforded this on a police salary? Something wasn’t adding up here, but she’d table the question until tomorrow. She simply wanted to crawl into bed and forget the last hour had happened.

  “Come on, I’ll show you to your room and get you settled.”

  “Okay.”

  Kate followed Dev up the grand staircase. She followed him through a maze of hallways, turning left and right. Good grief, she needed exit signs to find her way back out. Finally, they stopped at a bedroom and Dev opened the door. Her bags had been neatly deposited onto her bed already.

  “I hope this is to your liking.” Dev stepped aside and motioned her in.

  The bedroom was huge, but homey. It was warmly decorated in soft browns and taupes. There was a raised four-poster California king bed in the middle of the room, with a chocolate brown paisley comforter and massive amounts of matching pillows in neutral and red accents.

  She walked a bit further into the room and looked back at him flirtatiously over her shoulder, smiling. “Oh, I don’t know. Do you have anything a little nicer? A little bigger, maybe?”

  He stared at her for just a second before he burst out laughing. God she loved that sound. It flowed through her body like warmth from a roaring fire.

  “Minx.”

  Dev walked up to Kate, stopping only inches away from her. The way he walked, one may think it was ego behind his steps, but she knew better. It was confidence. It was power. It was determination. And it was unnerving. He was so close that she had to crane her head back to look in his eyes. Her heart raced and she broke out in a light sweat. Sweet Lord, he was breathtaking.

  “We’re going to be attached at the hip for the next few days.” His eyes became darker, hungrier. His voice thickened and lowered, sounding gravelly. “I’m very much looking forward to it.”

  Her breath quickened. She felt a rush of moisture between her legs. “So am I,” she whispered. She shouldn’t be encouraging him, but she was done being coy. He dropped his hungry gaze to her lips and she unconsciously licked them.

  Kiss me. God, please just kiss me already. She’d been dying to taste his lips. Taste his tongue. Taste his skin. Her body was ablaze as Dev took in her every movement.

  “Will you be okay alone?”

  “Yes, I’ll be fine. Thanks.”

  What she really meant was stay, but why couldn’t she say just it? Her mind had been a jumbled mess for days, but one thing was perfectly clear. She wanted this man before her even if it was just sex and even if it was just for a short period of time.

  “Okay then. I’ll see you in the morning. If you need anything at all, just yell for me, okay?”

  “So…ah…which bedroom are you sleeping in?” And why isn’t it mine?

  “The one next to yours.” Dev watched her lips appreciatively. “To ensure your safety, of course.”

  “Yes, of course.” She could hardly breathe. Neither broke eye contact. Neither was willing to say goodnight.

  He took several steps toward her, causing her to back up against the bedroom wall. “I’m curious, love. Do you ever have any good dreams?”

  Not at all what she was expecting him to say. His voice lowered an octave.

  “Pleasurable dreams, perhaps?” He had a knowing glint in his eye, like he knew she’d had dreams about him. Heat crept up her neck, into her face. This was a more dominant side of him she’d not seen yet and she loved it. She’d craved it.

  “No. I mean, not all my dreams are bad, no.” No way would she reveal that she masturbated to him regularly and had for months.

  “I’m glad.” His smile was so amazingly beautiful. She could definitely fall head over heels for this man. Just sex, Kate. Just. Sex.

  Kate cleared her throat. “Well, thanks for protecting me.”

  His possessive response sent shivers of desire running up her spine.

  “I will always protect you, love.”

  He closed the small gap between them, their chests almost touching now. He ran his index finger down her cheek, stopping underneath her chin. Their eyes held as he leaned in and did what she’d silently begged him to for days. He kissed her gently on the lips. He wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him. Her eyes closed as the gentle kiss turned deeper, his longing for her evident. He coaxed her lips open, teasing her tongue, exploring her mouth. She wound her arms around his neck and tried pulling him closer.

  His lips left hers, grazing an erotic path down her jaw. He held her tight as he whispered, “Good night, sweet Kate. Tonight I want you to dream about my cock inside your sweet body.”

  Winking, he turned and walked out her bedroom door. She just stood there and watched him walk out, mouth hanging open. She raised her fingers to touch her tingling lips. Holy hell.

  Before he closed the door, he turned back to look at her, his eyes dark with lust. She knew hers were mirrors. Had he decided to throw her against the wall and take her right there, she would have let him. The word ‘please’ nearly slipped from her stunned lips.

  She quickly dropped her hand. “Uh…good night.”

  He smiled and quietly shut the door. She stood there, rooted to that spot for several seconds. Or minutes. She wasn’t sure.

  Her emotions were a jumbled mess. She was disappointed, confused, relieved, and horny. She wanted him in a way she’d wanted no one else. Every emotion was ten times more intense with him than with any other man. Why did he stop? Why did she let him stop? It was evident he wanted her and she couldn’t have come off any easier if she tried. That kiss—and his erotic words—had her body on fire, the ache she’d fought for days now fueled with a vengeance.

  Damn him! Damn him for being so irresistible that she’d thrown all caution to the wind and was seriously considering sleeping with him, a virtual stranger for God’s sake.

  She made her way to the bathroom, which was as exquisite as the bedroom, with a dark brown speckled granite countertop and an amazing tiled walk-in shower with multiple showerheads. In the far corner of the room, there was an oversized sunken Jacuzzi tub. Well, at least if Dev wouldn’t make a move on her, she’d have her watery jet friends to keep her company, since she couldn’t leave with anything from her nightstand drawer.

  Once again she wondered what on earth Dev did for a living to be able to afford such extravagance, because she was no fool. This didn’t come from a police or detective’s salary. She had twenty questions lined up for tomorrow.

  She quickly changed and got ready for bed. Snuggling under the thick covers as soon as her head hit the pillow exhaustion overcame her. The emotional toll of the last few days had reached a crescendo and as she slipped into darkness, despite Dev’s erotic words to dream of his cock, she actually prayed for the opposite.

  For the first time in months, she hoped she didn’t dream of the one erotic man that, in addition to haunting her dreams, now consumed her every waking hour.

  Chapter 16

  Dev

  Dev sat in his office with the most painful hard-on he’d ever had in his very long existence. He’d never wanted a woman more than he wanted Kate. Ever. These last several days of being with her without touching her or taking her was hard enough, but walking away from her after kissing her sweet, soft lips was just excruciating. What he wanted to do was rip off her clothes, push his aching cock into her hot, luscious body, and lose himself in her softness right there.

  But he knew he had to walk away. He already knew that his sweet Kate was not the type of woman to have casual sex. Oh, he could’ve had her tonight if he’d wanted. Her desire for him was potent. When he left, her honeyed scent was so powerful it was as if his nose was buried directly in her pussy. And it was driving him out of his damned mind. He had to escape to his office to keep from knocking down her door and fucking her senseless.

  By the second night they’d spent together, he could have had her, but he already knew how her complex mind worked. She would regret it, and surprisingly he didn’t want her to. He
laughed to himself. He hadn’t given a shit about what anyone thought of him in so long, he’d forgotten what it felt like. He was a ruthless son-of-a-bitch, making all decisions swiftly and decisively, without regret, without remorse, without emotion.

  Today, though, he was a mess of emotions. Fierce possessiveness. Hot jealousy. Extreme frustration. Unimaginable fear. Unparalleled desire. All feelings he was unfamiliar and uncomfortable with. He had known her only a short time, yet she was already changing him in ways she didn’t even realize.

  She was his. The fates had already determined that. But damn if he didn’t want more from her than just simply being his. With a yearning that took him by complete surprise, he realized what he really wanted from her was…love.

  He wasn’t expecting to crave her love in return. Need it with every breath in his body. Now it was all he could think of. And he was pulling out all the stops to get it, which is another reason he hadn’t moved their physical relationship faster.

  He never thought he’d find her, the one person on this earth made specifically for him and no other. He knew once he found her there would be an undeniable passion between the two of them. There was that, yet there was also so much more. He knew he wasn’t imagining it; she felt as strongly for him already as he did for her. But his sweet Kate was surely playing this off as just lust, nothing more, which was why he couldn’t take her tonight. He longed for her love and affection with a deep ache that was difficult for him to comprehend.

  He was falling hard for her. He had no idea his woman would be so intelligent, sexy, passionate, and witty. She was all of those things and so much more. She was compassionate, loyal to her family, and passionate about many things in life, including her academia.

  Ren strode through his office doors. “Damian and Romaric will be here tomorrow evening, but we’ve got a video conference with them in ten.”

  He’d been completely remiss, putting off his business problems while following Kate all over Milwaukee and keeping a 24/7 protective watch over her and now he was very far behind. Now that Kate was in his life, finding Xavier was paramount. He posed an unacceptable threat to her.

  “Good. We need to find Xavier and eliminate him once and for all.”

  “True that. Were you able to get any more information from Kate?”

  “No.”

  “Work your charm, Dev. Just fuck her and she’ll tell you anything.”

  In the next second, Ren was slammed up against the wall, a large hand holding him by his neck, one pissed off vampire in his face. “You will not talk about her like that again, understand?”

  “Jesus, Dev,” he croaked. “Lighten up. I have nothin’ but respect for your Moira.”

  Dev let him go and started pacing. “Fuck! I know I’m being completely irrational. But if anyone looks at her, touches her, or talks to her I want to rip out their throat. You included.”

  “It will get easier when you bond with her, Dev. At least that’s what I’ve heard.”

  “I don’t know, Ren. I hope so. I can’t go around slaughtering everyone in my Regent just for looking at my Moira.”

  Ren slapped him on the shoulder. “I’m happy for you, man. You deserve to be happy after the hell you’ve been through.”

  He had been through hell. His entire family was slaughtered. Even after all these years, it was painful to think about. He idly wondered what his parents would have thought of Kate. There was no question—they would love her. It seemed like everyone was drawn to her. Well, except Giselle. But she hated pretty much everyone.

  He let his thoughts drift back to a time long ago.

  1559

  He’d been due home hours ago, but the female companion he’d found tonight was just too delicious to tap once. He could tell she’d been thoroughly used, as her pussy wasn’t as snug as some he’d come across, but she blew him like no other and her blood was as sweet as the blackberry jam his meme made. He rarely used a woman more than once, but perhaps he’d return to her, while he kept up the search for his Moira. She’d been one of the few women he’d found that knew about vampires and was more than willing to give freely of her body and blood in return for the indescribable pleasure she’d receive. Dangerous that, but to each his own.

  Vampires lived among humans, most humans never knowing they were anything other than what they pretended to be. They were peaceful and wanted to live and thrive as any human does. They were not to kill their prey and they were not to expose their race, for even as powerful as they were, they would be no match for thousands of humans gunning for their heads. There were some of his kind, however, like Xavier, who didn’t believe in their chosen lifestyle, desiring total power and killing indiscriminately.

  Xavier was like the brother he’d never had. At four, Xavier had been left in the middle of their village, abandoned by his parents, and Dev’s parents had adopted him as their own. They’d had an idyllic childhood and were as close as blood brothers. Now both in their early twenties, they’d drifted apart and Xavier was around less and less. Xavier’s actions lately had become more and more erratic, more totalitarian and the distance that grew between them saddened Dev.

  Then last month, nineteen people went missing from a village down the road. Entire families had just vanished without a trace. This was the third such occurrence in as many months and panic was quickly spreading among the villages. The elders knew a rogue vampire was to blame and there was an all-out hunt to find him and dispose of him before the rogue exposed them.

  When Devon discovered Xavier was the one behind the kidnappings and had been keeping humans locked up like animals, he had no choice but to tell the elders, one of which was his father. The depraved things Xavier did to these humans sickened him. Violating small girls in front of their fathers; torturing young boys while their mothers were forced to watch; bleeding wives dry in front of their husbands until their bodies were nothing but shriveled husks.

  He’d known Xavier’s moral compass was questionable lately, but that he wasn’t aware of the depths of his brother’s wickedness ate at him every day since. He could have prevented this had he only chosen to speak to his father sooner. When he confronted Xavier, he simply stated this was how it should be. Vampires were not the weaker species. Vampires should rule humans, not live alongside them as equals when they were clearly superior. Humans should be treated like the cattle they were, waiting for their slaughter, while making themselves useful in the meantime by serving a vampire’s every need.

  Xavier had not been seen in over a month. Hunters had been sent to find him but had been unsuccessful.

  Dev should have flashed home, but he’d taken his horse that evening and needed to return it. Flashing such a big beast was not only taxing on his powers, but it would also raise suspicions among the humans in his small village, so he settled for the long ride home instead. Dawn was nearing, but he expected to arrive shortly afterward and, with his medallion, he’d be fine. He was well sated and in a fine mood, making plans with the same female for night after morrow.

  As he neared the village, still over a mile away, the scent of blood and smoke overwhelmed him. Forgetting the horse, he flashed to his small cottage, and the sight before him dropped him to his knees in agony. The stench of death made his stomach heave.

  His baby sister’s body lay in the doorway, her still beating heart lay beside her lifeless body. The look of horror on her face would be etched into his retinas forever. The curtain concealing his parents’ bedroom was on the floor and the entire small area was engulfed in flames, but he could clearly distinguish their dead bodies lying in the small bed.

  The attack was so fresh he must have just missed the slayer. His family had been murdered minutes ago and he’d been screwing some whore when he should have been home to protect them. He bellowed in grief and guilt and was forced to flee the house as the fire quickly spread. What he saw outside his cottage was more than his mind could comprehend.

  Slain bodies lay everywhere. Most of the homes were on fire.
Destruction was all around. His entire village had been slaughtered, but the sight that he couldn’t wrap his grief-stricken brain around was the one of his friend, his brother, walking out of one of the few homes not on fire. His clothes were drenched in blood and he had a smile on his face. When Xavier spotted Devon, he simply saluted before vanishing.

  How his parents didn’t know their attacker was upon them until it was too late was a problem that took Dev decades to solve. His dad was an elder and one of the strongest vampires alive.

  After that, hate and revenge became Dev’s only friend and he’d spent the last five hundred years trying to exact that revenge, but Xavier remained elusive—and that fucking pissed him off.

  The memory was painful, as always. He agonized every day that he hadn’t been there to save his family, his village, from Xavier’s wrath. After he discovered Xavier’s special ability, he knew he would have also been killed had he been there, but it still didn’t stop the guilt. He was surprised to find the grief felt slightly less today and smiled inwardly. Kate was already healing him in more ways than she even knew.

  The webcam rang at the same time Giselle walked into the office, pulling him out of his reverie. He answered, projecting the images of Damian DiStephano and Romaric Dietrich on his computer screen. Marco and T were with Damian. No one, not even Damian, new what T was short for. Circo was with Romaric, as usual.

  Both the other Vampire Lords were as striking as Dev. He knew neither had a shortage of willing women spreading their legs, but he was surprised that neither man had found his Moira, either. While he’d yearned to find his, he hadn’t realized how truly lonely he’d been until he laid eyes on Kate. That deep dark hole had now been filled with a woman whose essence shined brighter than the stars. He was a lucky bastard.

  “Gentlemen.” He nodded.

  Damian spoke first. “Devon, Ren. Good to see you both. Giselle, you’re looking bitchy, I mean beautiful, as always.”