“I’m sorry, Alexa, but you have never dealt with a vampire like him. I guarantee it.” He pressed a kiss to my bleeding lip. “And, don’t you dare make this into a damsel in distress scenario. You know it’s not like that.”
The power rose around us in response to the blood and sexual energy. It danced along my body like a strange second skin. His tongue slipped inside my mouth, and I tasted my own coppery blood. It made my heart race, and I sought to pull him closer, needing to feel him pressed against me.
“Don’t start with me,” I said, even as I gasped breathlessly. “It’s always like that with you. I’m not a breakable item that will crumble into dust at the wrong touch.”
“Yes,” he growled down at me. “You are. I’m not arguing about your safety. Nobody is safe when Harley sets his sights on them.”
Just when I loved where we were headed, he pulled back, a serious expression on his face. “I need you to promise me that you’ll stay away from The Wicked Kiss. And, watch for Harley. Seriously. Just until I know how far he’s willing to take this.”
“Arys…” I wanted him to stop talking about danger and getting killed. It was really cramping the mood we’d started.
“I mean it. Don’t make me beg.” He gave me an imploring look, and it was enough to unsettle me.
“This isn’t like you,” I commented, trying for casual. “What’s with the extreme worry? He’s not going to kill me.”
His wane smile grew sad and accepting all at once. “That’s what scares me most. Harley has a penchant for collecting things, most of them being people. Like me. If he gets his hands on you, that’s what you’ll be. Another toy. But, what’s fun for Harley is never fun for his toys.”
The creepiest chill crept over me as he uttered the words. Harley loved torture, and if he got his hands on me, I’d be praying for death instead.
“Stop,” I whispered, suddenly afraid to speak any louder. “I don’t want to go there right now. You have to leave before sunrise. Let’s not spend our time talking like this.”
A small bead of blood overflowed from my lip, down my chin. Arys’s eyes followed it, and his little finger was quick to catch it.
“Alright.” He brought the little crimson splash to his lips. His eyes glazed with the rush of energy, which he openly embraced. “For now, it’s all about us.”
I smiled when he reached to untie the sash to my silky robe, wasting no time hiking my short nightie up around my waist. I gave a small playful shriek and slapped at his hand when he made as if to slide my G-string to the side.
“Hey now,” I said, shoving against his solid chest in an attempt to sit up. “What’s your hurry?”
He remained steadfast so that I was deliciously trapped beneath him. He released his hold on my skimpy underwear and kissed me hard. The thrill that shot through me caused me to gasp, and Arys chuckled seductively.
“We don’t have much time. I want to make the most of it.” He whispered the words against my lips before sliding a hand up my side to cup my breast. “I need to feel you.”
His touch was possessive and demanding but had a gentle quality to it that I noted immediately. As nice as it felt, I couldn’t help but be anxious. I knew his sudden need for me came from his insecurity regarding Harley. It frightened me to know that it was eating at Arys so badly.
My arms went around his neck as I took a deep breath. His scent was made up of cologne and hair products since vampires generally have no distinct scent. When he was experiencing my weaknesses, he also smelled like wolf.
He leaned into me again. His tongue sought mine hungrily. I welcomed the warm, moist heat of his mouth as he pressed his erection against my bare thigh.
All at once, our bonded power began to grow between us, stretching and reaching for more. It was extremely rare that we made love without it encouraging the flow of our passion.
When Arys broke off the mind-shattering kiss, I was momentarily disappointed. His tongue soon traced wet lines down my neck beneath my ear, causing my body to respond with a rush of blood through my veins and a flood of heat between my legs. His fingers deftly found my nipple, and I let out a small moan when he rubbed it until it stood firm.
I entangled my fingers in his amazingly soft hair, loving the sensation as he licked and nipped at my sensitive throat. “I need to taste you, Alexa.” His voice came hot and breathy against my ear. His request caused me to tense in heart-racing anticipation. It was not often that he really bled me, and it was even less often that he asked.
And, something about his use of the word “need” had me on alert. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think Arys was getting emotional on me. As far as emotions go, it’s not something we openly discuss. It’s something that somehow plays a part in our relationship but has a tendency to be glossed over.
We were both guilty of pretending we could live without the other, yet, it was a thought I couldn’t entertain. There were no claims of undying devotion between Arys and me. That was something that only came out with Shaz. But, if forced to look inward to what I felt for Arys, I couldn’t deny that there was something real there.
What it was, I couldn’t define, as it had kind of snuck up on me. I hadn’t ever intended to feel anything for him. Not really. Ultimately, we don’t always choose who we feel for.
Butterflies beat their delightful wings hard against my insides. I was nervous because I was rarely the prey. Allowing Arys to take blood from me took a lot of control on my part. I trusted him, though, and the rush of power swirling around us assisted in my readiness.
Ever so softly, he stroked the side of my face as he pulled back to look into my eyes. The tenderness in his hypnotizing gaze was shocking. I didn’t expect to see such vulnerability hidden in those ocean blue depths. I realized in that moment that, though I had become one of Arys’s strengths, I was also one of his weaknesses.
It went beyond the metaphysical weaknesses that we shared. I worried that, if he developed deep feelings for me, it would destroy him.
“Do you have any idea what you do to me?” He asked. A tantalizing grin slowly spread across his face. The sight of his sharp fangs had me excited.
“I think I have a pretty good idea. But, I’m really not liking all of the clothing between us.” I began to unfasten his jeans, and he followed my lead, stripping off his t-shirt.
He then slid his jeans off, freeing the smooth as velvet erection that I eyed hungrily. I encircled it with my hand just tight enough to coax a moan from him. His pupils dilated until his eyes were all black. He only allowed me to stroke him for a moment before pushing my hand away.
With a low murmur, he buried his face between my legs, pulling my G-string aside roughly. He directly attacked me with his tongue and I cried out at the overwhelming onslaught of sensation.
My instant reaction was to plunge both hands into his jet-black hair, careful not to scratch him with my claws. I held tight, and a series of groans and growls filled the silence. The climax was almost instant, and I shuddered beneath his persistent tongue.
He quickly slipped my underwear off and tossed it on the floor. My robe was quick to follow, but he left my nightie on, bunched around my waist. I grabbed for him eagerly when he rose above me, expecting him to enter me. When he didn’t, I was surprised to find him staring down at me.
All of a sudden, he hooked his hands under my hips and flipped us over so that he was beneath me, and I straddled him. I couldn’t hide the naughty smile that played across my lips.
Arys grasped my arm and drew it close. His tongue played over that soft spot in my inner elbow. He traced the veins there, sucking at them until they plumped up nicely. His other hand went to my hip, guiding me so that he was ready at my entrance.
I was more than ready but he stopped me with a look. I knew that look. It made my stomach clench.
“You are my wolf.” It wasn’t a question. Arys simply made the statement, but he waited for a response.
“Yes.” I nodded, my voice thick wi
th desire.
In one swift fluid motion, my dark vampire pulled me down on him so that he slid deep inside me as he sunk fangs into my soft flesh simultaneously. A pained noise escaped me as those needle sharp teeth freed the blood trapped within my vein. Every moment of pain was matched with just as much pleasure.
As we moved together, Arys gripped my hip possessively as he sucked at my bleeding arm. A trickle of blood escaped him, streaking crimson lines down to my wrist. The sight of it added to the exhilaration of the moment.
His mouth on my flesh sent a shiver down my spine, increasing the pleasure coursing through me. We rode the wave of power that crashed over us with the natural balance that we’d established over the past few months.
I clung to Arys with my free hand, and my nails left angry red scratches on his chest and stomach. I panted his name, and he made an animalistic sound low in his throat. He lapped at the bloody wound. His touch became more than I could handle as another climax began to build.
When it rolled over me, I embraced it in full and felt him tense as he reached his own peak. I collapsed on top of him, my face pressed against his chest. He licked my wounded arm again before releasing it and wrapping me tight in his embrace.
Arys breathed my name and pressed a kiss to my sweaty temple. Soreness began to set in from the bite on my inner arm, but it was a welcomed pain, much like the one that would set in between my legs.
The best sexual afterglow was the one that needed no words to perfect it. My head rested over his still heart, the very place he once claimed I had breathed new life into, and I wondered what he was feeling. I gripped him tighter, wishing we could stay like that all day. It wouldn’t be long before the coming dawn would drive him from me, taking with him the safety and comfort I was reveling in.
Chapter Seven
After Arys left, I’d promptly fallen asleep on the futon with the TV still on mute and my nightie haphazardly arranged. I’d awoken around three in the afternoon to Ky attempting to work quietly on her laptop at the kitchen table.
After a shower and more than one coffee, I was feeling more alert and almost ready to go hunt down a rogue werewolf.
Honestly, I wasn’t in the mood to go out and mess around with an idiot Were that seemed to think he or she was a product of a Hollywood film, butchering hookers in dirty back alleys. Jez was coming along, so I could probably get away with leaving most of the bullshit to her. I’d rather take out a vampire than a Were any day. Killing a mortal could get incredibly messy.
I stood on the back deck watching Shaz as he hammered and banged at the broken railing. He grinned up at me and winked, setting a swarm of butterflies free in my stomach before flashing a disgusted look at the splintered wood.
“I need to get some new two by fours for this railing,” he announced. “It can’t be fixed like this. I’ll do it next weekend if that’s ok.”
“No problem. Arys can pay for half the cost of the wood. Or, maybe the entire cost since he couldn’t be bothered to fix it.” As soon as I spoke the words, Shaz’s eyes went to the healing bite on my inner elbow. He’d likely noticed it the moment he walked in the door. I felt ashamed and wished I’d worn a sweater.
I tried casually to turn my arm slightly, so that the two puncture marks could not be seen. He made a sudden noise of exasperation and dropped the tools he held to the ground. He took the deck stairs two at a time, coming to where I stood at the top.
“Don’t hide it.” He pulled my arm away from my side, turning it so that he could see the wound. His warm fingers grazed it, and a flood of pleasure and adrenaline swept me momentarily. “I hate that you feel you need to.”
“I don’t want to make it a bigger deal than it is.” I felt foolish and weak and once again wondered why he loved me the way he did.
“If this was something I wasn’t capable of dealing with, I wouldn’t still be here. You really need to relax.” Shaz stared down at the vampire bite with a strange expression on his perfect face. “But, tell me, why do you let him do this? Do you really enjoy it?”
“I guess so.” I searched his green eyes, finding a sincere desire for answers. “It’s all a part of the energy and the power we call. Of course, there are other aspects.” I felt awkward. I didn’t want to talk about Arys feeding from me. Not with Shaz.
He looked more comfortable with it than I felt and that struck a chord that resonated deep within me. I expected Shaz to persecute me constantly for the ways that I’d wronged him. And, when he didn’t do it, I did it to myself.
Sensing my unease, he released my arm and changed the subject. “So it’s really over for Ky and Kale?”
“It is,” I nodded and pulled him close for a tender kiss. “She and Julian seem to be an item now. I can’t say I’m thrilled about that.”
He gave a low growl at my mention of Julian. He didn’t seem to have any intention of letting this go.
“I can’t imagine what she’s thinking.” He shook his head incredulously. “She’s a knockout and the nicest person in the world. Being with Julian is punishment for women like her. She deserves better.”
“She had better.” I kept my voice low so that it wouldn’t carry. “But, it isn’t any of our business. She’s our friend, we have to support her.”
“I know. I’m just not sure how easy that’s going to be after I kick the shit out of her boyfriend.” Shaz chuckled, and the wicked sound made my eyes widen.
I couldn’t share in his enthusiasm. Unlike him, I was worried sick about that fight. Judging by his gleeful expression, he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into Kylarai’s new love.
“Cut that out.” I grinned and poked him playfully in the ribs. I wanted to lighten the mood. “Or, I might have to give you a smack or two myself.”
He grabbed my finger and pretended to bite it. “I’m sorry, babe. I know you’re not happy about this. I can’t imagine that Ky is either.”
I shook my head but said nothing. I couldn’t wait for it all to be over. It was just another thing for me to stress over. As if Harley lurking around wasn’t enough.
“I just want time to fly so I can hit up the Halloween party at Lucy’s Lounge and unwind. For once.” I kissed the end of his cute nose. “And, you better not have to work that night, either.”
He laughed and caught my hand in his, pulling me closer so our bodies were pressed together. “Oh, don’t you worry. There is no way in this world that I would leave you alone for every guy in the place to drool over. Especially if you’re dressed as a Playboy bunny.” He gave my ass a light pinch, and I squealed in surprise.
“You know, I think just for that, I’m not going to tell you what I’m dressing up as. You will have to wait and see.” I smirked because I had no idea what I was going as. I still had plenty of time to shop.
“Well, if you’re not telling, then neither am I.” He flashed me that mischievous grin that I so loved, and my knees weakened.
“I guess we’ll both have something to look forward to then. I’m actually excited at the thought of getting out. I haven’t had much of a social life lately.”
“All kill and no thrill, huh?” Shaz pulled back to nibble my bottom lip before giving me a light nip on the neck.
“Well, a little thrill.” I threw my head back and embraced him tightly. “Not nearly as much as I’d like.” I gave in to the urge to slip my tongue teasingly along the curve of his ear. It caused him to shudder as the nerves tensed and spasmed down his back.
“Stop that! You know I’ve got to get going right away.”
“Yeah well, I’ve got to leave you with a lasting impression. I need to know how bad your wolf craves me.” I wiggled against him briefly before pulling back. I wanted to tease him but not cause him any extreme discomfort.
He groaned and resisted when I went to move out of his reach. “There isn’t a time when I don’t crave you, Lex. Hot damn, you are such a tease.”
He immediately closed the space between us so that my hands came to rest against his hard,
alluring body. When he kissed me again, the taste of pine and wolf overwhelmed my senses. It stirred the animal inside, and I had the sudden desire to be furry. Everything felt right with Shaz, natural and serene.
When he broke off the kiss, it was with extreme reluctance. “Be safe tonight. Call me when you make it home so I know you’re safe.”
The genuine affection that he had for me never ceased to blow my mind. There was no question that I loved him, and really, how could I not? He was a dream come true, everything I thought I’d never find. He accepted me in every way, flaws and all.
“You know I will.”
Shaz’s embrace was the best, most perfect embrace that I’d ever been in. He had this way of holding me just tight enough so that I felt nothing but love and security. The emotion I sensed from him when he held me was one of the most powerful energies that I’d ever felt.
After I’d kissed him goodbye another half dozen times, I sent Jez a text to say I’d be ten minutes late but was on my way. Chances were good that she would still be later than I would anyway.
I went to my bedroom and dug through the closet until I found a red, form-fitting, long-sleeved shirt. The stretchy material it was made from was both body hugging and comfortable. My favorite pair of blue jeans made it a great outfit for fighting and running in. Hopefully, that wouldn’t get excessive.
After brushing my long, poker straight hair and staring at it undecided in the mirror, I opted to leave it down but bring a hair tie just in case. Aside from my usual smoky eyeliner and blush, I wore little makeup. I didn’t generally go out all dressed to kill someone unless it was part of the plan.
I took a moment to just sit on my bed and feel the pure energy of the earth. It hummed all around at all times but required concentration and willpower to truly experience it. I used my connection to the earth for many things. Right then, I used to it to ground my own energy and attempt to center the combination of wolf and vampire in my core.
It was somewhat of a metaphysical reset button. I was able to cleanse any negative or excess energy or acquire more should I need it. It wasn’t always the optimum power source, but it was pure and steady. Of course, my energy bond with Arys gave me my very own power source, though, that too had its limits.
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