by Khloe Wren
Karl stayed like that, lying against the cold metal of the van for what felt like half an hour. When he couldn’t take it any longer he opened his eyes to discover he was alone. The golf course was now empty of the living. He looked up at his hands, and tugged on them, the rope held firm. Damn it! How the hell was he going to get back to the compound?
~ * ~
Darcy woke with a start. Her body jerked as she remembered being stabbed. The movement caused her to slip below water. She instantly panicked, not wanting to drown. Was this what dying felt like? Or was she already dead? Suddenly she was back out of the liquid and she gasped in breaths, her eyes tightly closed against the burn in her lungs.
"Piccola, breathe."
Piccola? Was she with Angelo? Had she died and gone to heaven? Because without him, there would be no heaven for her. She swiped at her eyes to clear the water away. The moment her vision was clear, she looked to where the voice had come from. Tears pricked her eyes and fell as she took in his beautiful face, with his clear deep blue eyes. He was her sapphire angel.
"Am I dead?"
Angelo chuckled at her and hauled her tight against his chest, "No, piccola, you are not dead."
Darcy nuzzled her face into his chest, taking in deep breaths to fill her lungs with his scent.
"How?" Her throat still burned so she tried to keep her words to a minimum.
"I did not go alone. I took a team with me. I rescued you while the others dealt with the Nobles."
Her lips quirked a little. He made it sound so simple.
"How am I not dead?"
"Oh Darcy, please do not be mad with me." He paused to tilt her face up to his, "I had to claim you. Only though bonding us together could I save you. You had lost so much blood. Which, of course, was their intention." He finished with a growl. His forehead creased as his whole body vibrated with rage.
She raised her hand to smooth the lines from his face. The splash as her hand moved up caught her attention. Where was she? She pulled back slightly from Angelo to take in her surroundings for the first time. She took in the large spa bath she was in, the opulent marble tiles and counters.
"This is your bathroom, in the apartment at the Docklands."
"Our bathroom, Darcy. You are truly free and rescued."
"Rescued..." She repeated the word as it triggered memories. She spun back to Angelo, "We have to go back! We need to rescue the others."
"Yes, we will. Well, you will not, but there are teams preparing as we speak to storm Noble hideouts globally. It has to be coordinated across the globe so we get as many free as possible."
"I have to go. I promised."
"I cannot let you put yourself in that level of danger, piccola. I cannot lose you."
"You don’t understand. I met someone. Someone I didn’t think I’d ever find."
She paused to take a deep breath, "Do you remember what I told you? About how I was abandoned as a baby?"
She waited for his nod before she continued, "Well, it turns out my mother was an Eternal Bride too. Her vampire was trying to get to her, but she didn't know what he wanted. She thought he wanted to harm me. So she left me at a hospital, thinking she was keeping me safe. Her vampire, Barret, caught up with her soon after, but it was too late. She couldn’t find me. I was lost in the system by then. After Barret claimed her, the Nobles took them. They are both there, at the compound. I promised her I’d come back for her."
Angelo frowned at her, "Wait, so you are the daughter of an Eternal Bride?"
"Yes, but my father was human. I think."
Angelo stroked her face with a look of complete awe and adoration on his face. She frowned in confusion.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Eternal Brides only ever have sons. I have never heard of one having a daughter."
"So, you’re telling me there are no female vampires?"
He shook his head. "No wonder you are so strong."
Before she could question him further Angelo silenced her with a passionate kiss. When he lifted away from her, she was panting with arousal. She could hear his rapid breathing and could feel his hard arousal twitching against her bottom. She went to speak but he cut her off before she could utter a word.
"Nothing will be done today. We have this day to worry about nothing but us. Not another word about anything but us, piccola."
His hand slipped from her face down to her breast where he gently kneaded her flesh.
"Oh, I missed you so much. I love you."
Tears pricked her eyes at his heart-felt declaration. She took his face between her palms and whispered against his lips, "Each day without you at my side was hell. I need you, Angelo. I love you so much."
She pressed her mouth against his. Loving how he opened up beneath her lips and took control. Their tongues danced as he lifted her. She opened her legs to straddle his thighs. She moaned when his rock hard erection pressed against her. She began to slowly rub herself up and down his shaft, allowing the ridge around the head to tease her clit on each pass. She whimpered into his mouth when he gripped her hips tightly and pressed her harder against him. He lifted his mouth from hers and trailed kisses down her jaw and neck. He slid his hands up to her breasts and pressed them together. She shuddered in anticipation as he lowered his mouth to suckle both of her achingly hard nipples into his mouth at once. Just the way she liked it.
She rocked against him one more time, the hard ridge of his head scraping her clit at the same moment his teeth scraped her nipples. She screamed as an orgasm swept through her body. She was still riding the waves of her climax when Angelo lifted her and slid his dick deep inside her still quivering sheath. She felt him touch her cervix and she gasped for breath as her body struggled to stretch to accommodate him. He held still within her, his hands now stroking her back and arms, while he kissed her neck and face. After a moment her body relaxed around him and an ache began to grow inside of her womb.
"Please, Angelo, I need—I need you to move."
Her voice sounded desperate and husky to her own ears but she didn’t care. She needed him. Now. With a strangled groan, Angelo began to slide in and out of her. He began with slow thrusts. Darcy wrapped her arms around his neck as she threw her head back and groaned at how good he felt inside of her. He buried his face in her breasts as he began speeding up his pace. He raised his head and Darcy stared at his open mouth. With his lips curled back from his teeth, his fangs gleamed in the soft light. She clenched her internal muscles as she thought about him biting her. He hissed in response to her gripping him.
"Piccola, I need to taste you, but you don’t have much blood left. I will only take a sip. I promise."
Without thought, Darcy tilted her head to the side offering her throat to him. She watched his eyes dilate further as he focused on the throbbing pulse in her neck. She could feel her internal muscles gearing up for another release as his strokes picked up speed. He thrust into her one last time as he bit into her neck.
The moment his fangs pierced her skin she blew apart into a million pieces. She clenched her muscles around his hard flesh inside her and was rewarded with a groan and the feel of his warm seed filling her womb. Oh, how she wished it was the twenty-ninth of February and that seed had a chance at making a life inside of her. She could feel Angelo pulling on her vein, knew he needed to stop.
"Angelo. You’re. Taking. Too. Much." She felt weak, her words short and clipped as she struggled to remain conscious. She felt his fangs retract and vaguely heard him utter course words in Italian before the black spots swimming before her eyes eclipsed her vision and she slumped against his warm chest, passing out as he wrapped his arms around her.
~ * ~
Angelo cursed himself as he laid his unconscious Bride down on the bed. He’d promised her he would only take a sip. He should have known he wouldn’t have been able to stop. Not when her taste was still so new to him. He pulled the covers over her, brushed the hair from her face and dropped a chaste kiss to
her forehead. Before he stood and headed to his walk in robe to get a clean pair of jeans. He dressed quickly and with one last look at his sleeping beauty, he turned and left the room. She would need at least eight hours of sleep to recover from the blood loss, and he needed to tell his father about Darcy’s mother.
He headed to his office and grabbed his phone, rung his father and told him to come to his apartment rapidamente then he headed to the door to let him in. Once he and his father settled back in his office he started relaying what Darcy had told him about her mother, he slipped back to speaking Italian with his father as they both found it easier to understand and speak than English.
"So, your Bride is the daughter of an unclaimed Eternal Bride. I have never heard of such a thing happening before."
"I thought an Eternal Bride could not have children until they were claimed."
"And you are right, as far as vampires are concerned. Apparently humans are a different matter. No wonder the Nobles wanted her claimed to breed with. They could sense her strength. Have you noticed anything different about her since you claimed her? Any enhanced abilities?"
Angelo felt his face heat with embarrassment, "Ahh, the opportunity has not yet arisen."
His father let loose a loud laugh, "Well, when she wakes at nightfall you need her to attempt a few things, test her limits."
"She wants to come with us to rescue the others."
"I would imagine so. Her mother is there. I suggest you let her come with us, or she will, no doubt, just sneak in anyway."
"I had already drawn that conclusion myself."
Angelo sighed in resignation, "So, how are the plans going? Are we ready to go in?"
"All is going well. But it will be some weeks before we are ready to stage a global attack on all the Noble hideouts you found. The heads of the main vampire families have decided to stage the attack in eight weeks’ time. That should allow plenty of time for all countries to make their plans and prepare."
Angelo’s head snapped up from where he’d been looking at his emails, "The end of February? You do realize this is a leap year?"
His father chuckled, "Yes, son. I am fully aware of the fact it is a leap year. On the twenty-eighth, the day before the brides are fertile, all the captive vampires will be stronger. Even starved of blood, knowing their brides are in need of them will give them extra power. We need them to have that strength to aid in their rescue."
"I had not considered that. It is a valid point. We can’t leave the brides there to be raped if we can prevent it."
"That too, son. That too."
"Where are we going to take them once we get them out? They are all going to need their own rooms for the twenty-ninth."
"I know. Due to the fact we cannot know how many captives they hold I have made arrangements with this building and the one next door to have all their vampire friendly hotel rooms set aside for us."
Angelo nodded, "This apartment has the most room, so we will get the team to meet here to make our preparations."
"Sounds like a plan. Now, you had better go get some rest. Both you and your bride have had a big week. I will meet with you again in three days time to see if you've discovered if your Darcy has any special abilities now she is claimed. That should allow for you both to gain enough sleep to be back to full strength."
Angelo just grunted at his father. How the hell would Darcy take it if she did suddenly have some super power? He followed his father to the front door and let him out then locked the door behind him. He headed back to the bedroom, where his Bride, his Darcy, lay peacefully sleeping. He stood at the door watching her for a minute or two before he stripped and climbed in beside her. She rolled into him and nuzzled her face against his chest, sighing contentedly in her sleep. Angelo smiled down at her. She was so perfect for him. He kissed the top of her hair, took a deep breath, filling his lungs with her sweet scent then closed his eyes to get some sleep himself.
Chapter Eight
Darcy came awake in the most delicious way possible. Cool thick fingers were gently stroking along her cheek bone, then down to her jaw, soft silky lips began to lay feather light kisses along the same path as the fingers had taken. She took a deep breath in and her head filled with the masculine scent of Angelo. She hummed a little as his kisses got closer to her mouth.
Her eyes fluttered open to see her beautiful vampire pulling back to stare down at her.
"Buona sera il mio amore."
Angelo’s sleep-husked voice ran over her skin and she shivered in response.
"You certainly know how to wake a girl up. What did you say?"
"Good evening, my love."
She smiled up at him, absorbing his beauty, still trying to come to terms with the fact he was hers. And that she was free.
"I didn’t thank you for coming for me. For rescuing me—"
Angelo didn’t let her finish, "You speak craziness. Of course I came for you. I love you, Darcy. There was no way I was not moving heaven and earth to return you back by my side where you belong."
Tears pricked her eyes and she closed them against the sting. The feel of his lips on hers, gently coaxing them open stole any thoughts she had. She was lost to his taste, to his feel. If only he would run his hands down her arms, maybe even slide them up to her breasts... Her entire body ached for him.
A moment later his hands left her face and slid down her arms, then caressed their way up her stomach until he was cupping her breasts. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened their kiss as he continued to torment her body.
He slowed the kiss, began to sip at her lips before pulling back and resting his forehead against hers with a sigh.
"We cannot do this. If we make love, I will bite you again. You have not had enough time to fully recover from your blood loss."
Angelo rolled from on top of her and lay beside her. With his head propped up on his hand, his hair all tousled from her hands being in it, he looked beyond sexy. She licked her lips, wishing he’d kiss her again. She saw his gaze zero in on her lips and he frowned, briefly, before leaning in to fuse their mouths together.
This time when they broke apart and were both breathing heavily, she was the one who spoke.
"I thought you said we couldn’t get hot and heavy again."
"We cannot. But I find I am unable to help myself."
She smiled up at him, "I love you, Angelo."
She watched his entire face soften before he repeated the words back to her.
A deep male voice called out Angelo’s name from beyond the room, cutting through their moment and bringing reality back into focus.
"That is my father, venire; come, get dressed and meet him. We have much to discuss."
Darcy enjoyed the view of Angelo’s naked ass as he walked over to the walk in closet to grab some clothes before she dragged herself from the bed. By the time she’d stretched and stood, Angelo was there with a pair of lightweight cargos and a plain pink t-shirt, and her sexiest undies and bra. She chuckled as she took the pile from him and began dressing. Angelo was so sweet, but his sweet was edged with sexy.
She dressed as fast as she could while watching Angelo do the same. Every move he made was sensual, elegant and made her pulse speed up. Once dressed, he turned his head and caught her staring at him in a daze.
"Per favore, Darcy, before he gets tired of waiting and comes looking for us."
He ushered her out of the room before him while chuckling and shaking his head. With his hand resting on her lower back they moved toward the main living area of the apartment.
Darcy’s steps slowed as she approached Angelo’s father. He stood tall and proud, dressed in a pressed tailored navy suit with a white shirt open at the neck. He didn’t look to be any older than forty, considering how old Angelo was, she couldn’t even guess at how old his father would really be.
"Father, I would like to introduce my Eternal Bride, Darcy."
"Buonasera, Darcy, it is a pleasure to see you looking so well."
Darcy gave him a shy smile, "Thanks, Mr..."
While still trying to decide what to call him, he cut her off with a chuckle, "Just call me Luca, or father. You are my daughter now, Darcy."
Darcy’s eyes stung with more tears. Finally, she had a father. This elegant man standing before her was willing to claim her as family. Would he embrace her as he would a natural daughter?
No sooner had the thought solidified in her mind, she found herself in a tight embrace with Luca. Her heart grew at the pleasure of feeling a fatherly hug. She rested her head on his shoulder moments before he suddenly released her and stepped back. Feeling a little rejected she looked up at him. His face was screwed up into a confused frown.
"I do not usually behave as such. I have no idea why I would have—"
Angelo’s bark of laughter cut Luca’s words off.
"I think we just discovered Darcy’s new talent, father."
"New talent? What new talent?"
Darcy’s head began to hurt trying to work out what Angelo was carrying on about.
"Let me guess your thoughts just now, piccola. After father told you he saw you as his daughter, you thought about how it would feel to have a fatherly embrace? I can imagine since you have never felt one, it would be in the front of your mind as a strong desire. And earlier, after I told you we could not get too heated, you wanted me to kiss you. Did you not?"
Darcy felt her cheeks heat with a blush, "Yes, but what has that got to do with anything?"
"Darcy, mia cara ragazza, you are special. You are the only known female born to an Eternal Bride. I informed Angelo to keep an eye out for things you do differently now he has claimed you, as the claiming may have triggered some abilities in you. It would appear, you have a degree of power over others’ minds."
"What? I... Oh hell, this is too much. I need something to eat before I can process anything else."
Darcy spun around and headed to the kitchen, with the men following close behind.
~ * ~
Angelo turned to his father as they followed Darcy into the kitchen.
"How does mind influence work? I know not of any vampires or Eternal Brides with such a talent."