He murmured softly to her in his own language. “Te avio päläfertiilam. Ainaak sívamet jutta.” You are my lifemate. Forever to my heart connected—forever mine.
She answered with one of the few words of the ancient language she knew, her heart in her voice. “Sívamet.” My love. And she meant it.
Vikirnoff plunged into her until her breath was coming in gasping sobs and his body burned with a kind of fury, until their hunger for each other was so sharp and terrible there was no holding back. Her body tightened around his, clamping down with hard spasms that sent fire racing down his spine straight to his balls. His entire body shuddered as he thrust one more time, hard steel penetrating hot silk, as he emptied himself into her deepest core, further uniting them.
He lay over her, holding her close, kissing her back, nuzzling her neck, all the while trying to struggle for air. Their hearts beat the same rhythm, but the gnawing hunger, so insatiable, was still there. He could feel it in her, stirring and clawing like the greedy cat inside her, and also deep in him, where his demon roared for its mate.
Very slowly, very reluctantly, he separated their bodies and allowed her to straighten up. He crowded close, not giving her space, establishing his intentions with his wandering mouth and hands.
“I always knew you liked the June Cleaver thing. You have a secret food fetish,” she told him with a small smile.
“I will admit to a fetish, but I think it’s for you.” He bent his dark head as he dragged her even closer, forcing her to bend backward so she offered her breasts to him. He lapped at the sensitized nipples, drew her breast into his mouth, sucking with strong pulls, teeth teasing, causing aftershocks to ripple through her body. “Ainaak enyém, forever mine,” he whispered. “You know you are my heart and soul. My very life.”
Natalya loved the way his hair brushed over her skin, the way his mouth was so eager for her. She could lose herself in his body all night, never think of anything—or anyone else. He looked at her and wanted her. One brush of her hand set him on fire. Once he had taken her right in the village, shielding them from prying eyes, but it felt so de cadent. She had deliberately tempted him, allowing her fingers to trail over the front of his trousers, rubbing against him, her blouse gaping open to show her breasts—and he had responded in just the way she loved. He shoved her against a wall and took her right there, unable to wait one more second. She loved teasing him, seeing the heat building in his eyes and that stern mask disappear only for her.
He always told her how much he loved her—how much she meant to him. She found it difficult to put her emotions into words, afraid if she tried to voice the depth of her emotion, that would somehow take it away from her. She had never loved the way she loved him. She hadn’t even known it was possible.
Vikirnoff reluctantly released her breasts, skimming her mouth with feather-light kisses before straightening. “Did you hear something?”
“Someone is in the woods near our house.” She wrapped her arm around his head and drew him back down, her mouth melting provocatively with his. Heat flared instantly. Her tongue dueled with his, teasing and stroking while her hands slid over his body. Her fingers danced over the hard length of him, satisfaction making her purr as he grew thicker and harder. She wrapped her hand around him and bent down to breathe warm air over him.
His shaft jumped. She licked him much like a cat licking cream. The moist heat of her mouth engulfed him, spreading fire through his belly. He forgot visitors and caught two fistfuls of tawny hair, dragging her closer as he thrust with his hips, surging deep into her mouth. She went to her knees, wrapping her arms around his hips and taking him down her throat, squeezing and nibbling and licking until he thought he might go insane from sheer plea sure.
Natalya never did anything halfway, abandoning herself to the joy of serving him, of taking all power through her joy of sex. She loved touching him and tasting him and drawing out every drop of his seed just to see how fast she could bring him back to a fever pitch.
She made a small little purring noise deep in her throat that sent a vibration right through his shaft, and spread out to his entire body. His balls drew tight and hard, and every nerve in his body seemed centered in his groin. Lust was sharp and hungry and raking at his insides as he watched her lips slide over his shaft and he felt the white hot curl of her tongue, the heart-stopping edge of her teeth.
“Harder,” he bit out through clenched teeth. She was close to swallowing him, doing something fantastic with her tongue and throat muscles.
She looked up at him and there was so much joy in her eyes. For him. For her ability to give him this gift. If it was possible, she tightened her throat and flicked with her tongue, pushing him over edge just as fast and hard as he had pushed her. Fire streaked through his bloodstream, tore though his body. She milked him with her tight hot mouth, with his fists twisted almost violently in her hair holding her still while he thrust helplessly, going as deep as he could. His body shattered, from his toes to his head, burst into flames as jet after jet of seed was drawn from him.
Woman, you are killing me. And it felt like it, a beautiful death. He dragged her to her feet, not relinquishing his hold on her hair, his mouth finding her breasts, feeling her heightened desire. He flicked her nipples, felt the ripple of response rush through her body. He bit down gently, felt her jump, her womb clench and spasm.
“I love doing that to you,” she whispered. “It always makes me so hot to see you like that, and you always give me what I want. And I want more, Vikirnoff. I want much, much more.”
“I am always ready to accommodate you.”
Natalya wrapped one bare leg around him, rubbing against his thigh. “Keeping me happy is a full-time job.”
He reached down and lifted her with casual strength, turning her so he could rest her bare bottom on the counter. “You have nowhere to run, sívamet.”
Secretly, it was one of her favorite things when he spoke his ancient language and called her his love. His accent was sexy and intriguing and his words seemed a secret world no one else could share. “Was I running? Being in the kitchen, surrounded by all this food, I was hoping you’d be hungry.”
Vikirnoff laughed softly, his eyes going midnight dark. “I am always hungry for you.” He simply pushed her thighs wide, lifting her legs over his shoulder, and bent his head to the sweet scent of her hot core. He licked her in much the same manner as she had him, a cat lapping at cream. He knew every spot intimately, every secret hollow and what it could do to her. He made slow lazy circles around her sensitive bud, torturing her until she wanted to scream with plea sure. Her thighs jumped helplessly, hips arching toward him, as his fingers slipped into her heated channel adding to the pressure so his tongue could lap at her, suckle and stab with wicked expertise.
He did just what she asked for, but in a manner she could never conceive of. He ate her—devoured her, using his tongue as effectively as he used his shaft. His fingers only added to her slow torment, pushing her far beyond her limits into another realm.
Natalya bucked against his mouth, her body raging for release as he worked his magic. Her head thrashed wildly back and forth. Her body built up pressure fast, needing release, the tension winding tighter and tighter until she thought she might implode. Vikirnoff always held her off, pushing her further than she thought she could ever go, until she was pleading with him, sobbing, almost insane with arousal.
A sensation somewhere between plea sure and bordering on pain gripped her stomach fiercely, tightening her womb, and spread through her body. Her breath slammed out of her lungs and she swore her insides nearly convulsed. She shuddered as the spasms continued and wave after wave of sheer ecstasy washed over her.
Before she had a chance to catch her breath, Vikirnoff brought her hips down, holding her legs apart, and slammed deep into her slick hot folds. She screamed. There was no stopping the cries of plea sure as her body orgasmed again and again.
He pressed down against her small bud, as h
e slammed deeper and deeper, needing to hear those soft cries, to see her throat working convulsively and feel her body rippling with so much plea sure. He thrust hard, building the friction until her face was flushed and her mouth was open and her eyes wide with shock and lust. Only then did he take her over the edge a second time.
Natalya lay under him, clutching his shoulders, desperate to regain control. Only Vikirnoff could shatter her like that, and it was the only time she felt total release, relaxed and free of all the responsibility she had carried for so long. She turned up her face for his kiss. She loved his mouth and what it did to her. She loved everything about him. “Someone is at the door,” she said softly as she kissed the corners of his mouth and ran her lips down his throat to his chest.
“It’s just my brother and he can wait,” Vikirnoff said, his hands cupping her breasts again, thumbs stroking, sending vibrations through her entire body. “I have far more important things to do.”
Back off, Nicolae. I am just a little busy here. He sent the impression of bared teeth for good mea sure, but his brother only sent back amusement.
Her tongue swirled over his pulse. Her teeth scraped and his entire body contracted in anticipation.
The knock at the door persisted. Vikirnoff swore. “I’m killing him.” Abruptly he left her, striding across the room.
“Put some clothes on,” she reminded him with a little mischievous grin. “You just might need them.”
Vikirnoff just managed to don a shirt and jeans as he jerked open the door. “Did you not hear my…” He broke off, recognizing his visitor. One hand raked through his hair. He glanced back at the kitchen. You knew. “Mikhail.”
Of course. I was looking out for you. Her laughter tightened his body all over again. She even managed to blow in his ear.
I’m thinking of spanking you.
The last time I rather liked it. You were rather wild that night.
His body jumped again, swelling beneath the thin material of his jeans. Her voice was seductive, suggestive, almost purring. He tried to manage a smile of greeting, grateful his shirt wasn’t tucked in.
Mikhail’s dark eyes slid over him, taking in far too much. “You failed to scan. You should have known it was me and not Nicolae.”
“My woman is far too distracting,” Vikirnoff admitted. “I think of little else.” He stepped back to allow Mikhail entry. I’m killing my brother. He’s probably laughing like a hyena right now. He must have known and could have warned me.
“Welcome to the club,” Mikhail said, but shook his head. “It takes a great deal of discipline to learn to satisfy their needs as well as see to their protection.”
Their needs? Natalya sniff ed. You cannot go two hours without sex.
I take no responsibility for that. You are an addiction.
Natalya’s soft laughter brushed through Vikirnoff ’s mind teasing his senses.
“I just dropped by to make certain you had everything you needed for tonight,” said Mikhail. “I have a couple more stops to make before I can go home, and Raven is waiting.”
“We’re fine. Natalya is making some strange thing.” He glanced nervously toward the kitchen. “Unfortunately, it calls for a flame of some sort, and you know how she is so inventive. We could have a fire any minute.”
“I heard that!” Natalya called. “For your information, it is working. Well, I did set the curtain on fire and there’s a scorch mark or two on the wall.”
“She isn’t joking, is she?” Mikhail said as the smell of smoke drifted toward them.
Vikirnoff heaved a sigh. “Regrettably, no.”
“I will leave you to it then. Let Natalya know Gregori will be playing the role of Santa Claus tonight. She was concerned that no one would be doing it and she volunteered you.”
“She what?” Vikirnoff scowled toward the kitchen.
“And she said if they needed an elf for the pageant, that you look rather elvish in tights.” Mikhail’s features were completely expressionless.
“She said all that?” I am so spanking your bare little ass.
Promises, promises.
“I am not certain we have need of an elf, but I’m going to check with Sara and Corrine. They’re the ones putting the pageant together, and I’ll let them know you offered.”
Vikirnoff rubbed the bridge of his nose thoughtfully. “Mikhail, I am fully aware that you are the prince and as such should be protected at all times, but should you deliver that particular message to those women, I will be forced to cut off your head and stuff it somewhere unpleasant.”
Mikhail nodded, still without expression. “I think that is a fair reaction and one I myself might have. Suffice to say we understand each other perfectly.”
“On the other hand, should you really command Gregori to perform as Santa Claus, I would ask for a front row seat.”
Mikhail held out his hand. “Done.”
Vikirnoff, I have need of you and Natalya. Nicolae’s troubled voice filled his mind as Vikirnoff shook the prince’s hand.
He waited for Mikhail to dissolve into vapor and trail through the scattered trees toward Corrine and Dayan’s home before responding to his brother. We are on the way. “Natalya. Nicolae needs us immediately.”
“I was just putting the finishing touches on this thing. It smells funny.”
“That’s probably the lighter fluid—or the hair spray. I imagine it tastes as funny as it smells.”
Do not let on to my lifemate that anything could be wrong, Nicolae warned. If Destiny thinks for one moment that someone—or something—has tried to harm MaryAnn, she will go ballistic on me. She does not trust many people yet, and MaryAnn is family to her.
Vikirnoff whirled around, his lazy, casual demeanor gone at once. And to me. Tell me what you believe. He shared the information with Natalya.
I have a blood bond with MaryAnn and I can feel something is not right. I thought a vampire had come into my home and taken her blood, but I cannot get a feel for it. Perhaps Natalya’s birthmark will roar for us and let me know for certain. MaryAnn remembers nothing, but she seems disturbed, restless, definitely different. And I feel uneasy in my home.
Vikirnoff reached for Natalya’s hand as she hurried to join him. Have you examined her memories? They both dissolved, shimmering into droplets of vapor and streaming outdoors toward Nicolae’s home.
Of course I have. Over and over. Something happened to her right here, in our home. If a vampire has penetrated our defenses, I need to know. There was a moment’s hesitation. And if a Carpathian has used her to feed when she is under my protection and also Gregori’s, that is a killing offense. This is a very dangerous situation.
Vikirnoff could not imagine that Nicolae could be mistaken. If he said something was off, then no doubt it was. What Carpathian would dare risk the wrath of two ancient warriors as well as that of the “Dark One”? Everyone knew Gregori was an executioner. One did not take chances with such a man. The attacker had to be a vampire, but how could a vampire slip past an ancient into his very home?
Vikirnoff and Natalya settled into their normal forms just outside Nicolae’s home. They made a circle of the house, looking for tracks, for some sign that an enemy was near. Natalya put her hand over her birthmark and shook her head.
“The dragon is silent, Vikirnoff. There isn’t a vampire nearby, nor any evidence that one has been in the vicinity recently.”
“But something is off.”
“I agree, but I can’t figure out exactly what it is.”
She inhaled sharply, her eyes going from brilliant green to sea blue and finally opaque. Stripes banded across her hair, orange and black and even white. She dropped to all fours, fur rippled and the majestic tigress paced around the house, using her cat senses to try to find an enemy.
Vikirnoff followed the tiger back into the woods. It padded patiently through the brush and snowdrifts, following an elusive scent he couldn’t quite catch. Natalya regained her natural form a few yards from the house.<
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“Someone watched them from over there.” She indicated a thick tree. “I cannot catch his scent. He’s very clever. He uses what is natural around him, mimicking what ever he chooses so that only that is seen or smelled. He watched them drag the tree into their home and must have entered at that same time. They were distracted by the Christmas tree and not paying any attention to the something like a wind or small snow flurry. I’m betting he used both. There would have been snow flying from the tree.”
“He’s smart this one. An ancient with very sophisticated ways. Why would he choose to go after MaryAnn when she is doubly protected?”
“The challenge of it? A dare maybe. Beating Gregori and the ancients protecting MaryAnn?” she guessed.
“And the penalty, if caught, might be death? Certainly, Destiny would kill him. She’s extremely protective of MaryAnn. Nor can I see Nicolae allowing such an insult to his house. And if he didn’t kill the attacker—I would. MaryAnn saved both my brother and Destiny. She gave Destiny back her life, and in doing so, gave Nicolae life. I will not allow her to be used in this manner.”
“Be careful of what you say,” Natalya reminded him, taking his hand. “Destiny is very edgy when it comes to MaryAnn.”
Both made a long, slow perusal of the area. Were eyes watching? It felt that way, yet for all of their skills, they couldn’t ferret out the enemy.
MaryAnn greeted them at the door, her smile genuine. “Vikirnoff. Natalya. It’s so good to see you. We’ve just been putting up the Christmas tree. Skyler is visiting us. Have you met her?” She indicated the young teenager, who stood staring transfixed at Natalya.
Vikirnoff took MaryAnn’s hand and bowed low, startling her, his lips touching her skin. He inhaled deeply and allowed her hand to drop away. “You look wonderful.”
Christine Feehan 5 CARPATHIAN NOVELS Page 145