Silver Blood (Blood Series Book 2)
Page 16
I stumble dizzily, heat washing over my skin.
I worry for a split second the zombie somehow infected me, but then I realize the heat’s coming from the dress, which is glowing.
"Nikoli!"
He turns to me and sees the panic in my eyes as I look down at my dress, which is shining brighter by the second and he moves using his vampire speed to get to my side. He looks down at me confused and the heat explodes out of me in a wave of blue flames reaching ten feet away from us in a blazing circle of fire. Neither Nik nor I are harmed in the blast, and I breathe a sigh of relief that Britt had a built in fail safe on my weaponized dress. If Nik had of been burnt to a crisp, she’d be getting a fucking earful from me.
Five minutes later the fire dies out, and Nik is walking among the charred remains, stabbing any zombies who still twitch, making sure to hit the brain stem to ensure they're truly dead.
I move through the remains, heading for the nearest tree that isn’t surrounded by body parts to get a little space from the situation. As I lean against it, I focus on the feeling of pain in my chest and my arm as they slowly heal.
Once Nik finishes with the zombies, he joins me at my side. He stabs his sword into the ground before cradling my face and lookings into my eyes. "Did you see the guy controlling them?"
I straighten, having completely forgotten that zombies require some kind of master. I scan the area around us, adrenaline pumping through my veins.
"Do you sense anyone?" I ask, still poised for attack as I take in our surroundings.
"No, I think we're safe. Is your dress still zapping you?"
I shake my head and sink back against the tree, feeling relieved. Britt's spell would still be active if we were in danger. "Nope, it's all calm now. I think that means we're out of harm’s way, for now at least."
"Good,” he growls. I have no time to move before his lips are claiming mine in a fire-filled kiss as he presses against me.
I feel the pure desperation in his kiss and know exactly how he feels. For a second when I felt the fire coming from the dress, I thought he would burn to a crisp, and I wouldn’t be able to save him.
I'm tired of waiting for the perfect time. I want him now.
He pulls back and we both pant heavily. His eyes meet mine, and are filled with such desire that I tremble. "I need you," he declares, his voice coming out as a thick growl.
I groan, watching as his gaze rakes over my exposed chest, his hand running over the almost healed wound. I watch as he leans forward to lick the blood from the cut with a sensual groan of his own.
He leans away and lowers himself to the ground, meeting my gaze as his hands slip under the dress. I watch him intently, waiting for the moment he realizes I’m going commando.
His eyes shoot up, and I grin wickedly. "I may have hoped we'd get some alone time together."
"Fuck me," he whispers, his eyes filled with heat. Well, that was the point, I think to myself smugly.
He stands back up, his hand going to his pants, and I watch as he unzips them, freeing his cock.
He reaches out and runs his thumb over my clit, making me clench, desperate for release.
When I moan, he meets my eyes, and I can see the struggle in his. "Are you sure, Em?"
"So fucking sure," I breathe, reaching for him and lifting my right leg to wrap around his waist. I ease him inside me, so slowly it feels like the most exquisite torture.
When he's fully sheathed inside me, I clench around him, drawing a groan from his lips.
He moves inside me slowly, increasing the pace once I get used to the size of him. I ignore the slight sting of pain that comes from not having had sex in a long, long time.
He must sense it, though, because he reaches down to rub my clit, making me instantly moan, and the pain eases.
I kiss him hungrily as he drives himself inside me, with me pinned to a tree in the middle of God knows where. We could be attacked again, and I wouldn't give two fucks as long as he's buried inside me.
My body tightens around him, and he loses his rhythm. “'Em! Fuck! Honey, if you do that, I won't last," he pants, his eyes blazing in the moonlight.
I grin and clench again, glad I have awesome pelvic muscles. A feral look comes over his face and he thrusts hard inside me, burying himself deep enough that I cry out from the shock. "Two can play at that game," he says with a wicked grin.
He thrusts faster and faster, each of us teasing the other until we both come undone together.
His legs only just hold our weight, unsteady from the rush of adrenaline so I slowly unwrap myself from him, standing on my own two feet, even though they're also shaky. My back is uncomfortable, and I peel away from the tree with a grimace, knowing it’s going to be bruised for a short time.
Nik gives me a gentle kiss after tucking away his length, and I respond by wrapping my arms around his neck. Gone is the ferocious lover, and back is the soft, tender man I've come to know.
He sighs and separates from me, guilt in his expression. "Sorry, Em, I have to call this attack in. I should have the moment we had it under control, but I just got carried away."
"Hey, are you feeling guilty about what just happened between us?" I ask, trying to get him to look at me. His gaze remains fixed on the communicator in his hand, though, so I pinch his arm.
"Nikoli! You answer me right now. Do you feel bad about having sex with me?" I demand, trying not to let the idea of that bother me, but it does. Why fuck me against a tree if he's just going to feel guilty about it after?
"I didn't want our first time to be like this; I wanted it to be special. You deserved so much more," he says sadly, regret in his eyes.
"Oh, Nik. Please don't feel bad about it. We were both running on adrenaline, and I loved every goddamn moment of it. If I hadn't wanted it, I would have told you. And if we had the chance to do it all over again, I absolutely would," I tell him, pushing the truth of my words through our connection.
He smiles and gives me a kiss, his eyes looking less burdened. "You're right. I think I was just a bit nervous." He looks down at the communicator and presses a few numbers while I look at the destruction around us.
"Though it doesn't help Tal and Dev are going to smell it on you the moment we get within a mile of them," he mutters under his breath as he walks away, but loud enough for me to still catch it.
Too bad for them. I'm not going to apologize for what happened between Nik and I.
I watch as Nik paces back and forth, gazing at our surroundings as he waits for an answer. He freezes when someone picks up, and I see the dread on his face before he speaks. "Hey, Tal." He clears his throat, and I can feel his anxiety from here. "Uh, yeah, she's fine. I called because, there was a bit of an incident..." he trails off. I feel a spike of anger go through our tie, and I know Talon is not happy.
“What? No! She's fine, I swear. Do you really not think I can handle looking after my soul-tie as well as you?" The derision in his voice has me worried. I don't want them fighting over me.
"I know. I care for her just as much as you do, and I'd die before I let anyone hurt her. Look, can you just send a team to clean up this mess? I'll hide the bodies as best I can, but I want to bring Emerald back as soon as possible. She's supposed to be coming on patrol with us later tonight, and I don't want her in a ripped dress when we leave. Not to mention that I want her to grab some weapons first."
He sighs as he ends the call, and we wait for a team to arrive. Within a matter of a few minutes, a group of witches and vampires show up to clean up what remains of the zombies, and Nik takes that as our cue to leave.
Twenty-One – Cleaning Up
Emerald
By the time we're back in our room, I'm feeling gross, sweaty, and a little awkward in my blood-stained dress. We were lucky enough only to come across a few people on our way up, but from the looks of horror they gave me, it was pretty clear I’m not looking my best right now.
Our room is abandoned, and I sigh in relief, not quite
ready to deal with the onslaught of questions from Talon or Devin.
Nik pauses at the door to our bedroom and looks back at me with concerned eyes. "You okay, Em?"
"Yeah, just tired and dirty." I walk over to him, enjoying the way he wraps his arm around me.
"Do you want to join me in the shower?" Nik asks, the usual carefree light coming back into his eyes.
I smirk, grateful nothing has changed between us. I worried that sex would alter the way he acted around me, but he's still the same guy he was before.
"Sure, but I may need help with this dress," I tell him honestly, thinking of the zip in the back.
He grins, stripping out of his clothes in a flash and stands before me, naked as the day he was born.
My gaze is drawn to his chest where my name is scrawled over his right pec. I reach out and trace the letters with my fingers, meeting his eyes when he shivers under my touch.
It's changed, becoming darker and more pronounced. I still can't believe how the marks seem to grow and evolve the closer we get. It’s fascinating.
Nik grips my hand to stop me from going over it anymore, and I meet his steel blue eyes as they flare with desire. He doesn't say a word as he leads me into the bathroom, reaching into the shower to turn the water on, all the while freezing me in place with his gaze.
His eyes roam over my chest, going to the spot where it’s ripped, and smirks. "Did you want to keep this dress, Emerald?" I look down at it, wondering what he's getting at, when suddenly he grips the seams. A drawn-out rip sounds in the room, and I finally get his intentions.
I shake my head no, but in a split-second he tugs harder, and the dress drops onto the floor, nothing more than a bundle of fabric at my feet, and I’m left a little surprised at the suddenness of his action.
He chuckles and runs a hand up my side and over my ribs, caressing the edge of my breast until he gets to where his name is scrawled on the right side of my collarbone. He traces it slowly, the same way I did his, but drawing it out even more.
My breath hitches as he gets to the 'I,' feeling the soft caress over what happens to be a very sensitive spot. He growls at my reaction, leaning forward to press his lips to mine. I sigh into the kiss, enjoying the feel of our naked flesh against each other. He grips my ass, grinding against me, and I feel his length hardening as he picks me up and carries me into the shower.
I wrap my legs around him, and he walks directly under the spray of water, not breaking our kiss as he does so. I nip his lip, enjoying the jerk of surprise from him.
He places me on my feet, and I let the water run over me, washing away the last remnants of dirt and blood staining my skin, and am glad to see my wounds seem to have healed. I only have three small narrow cuts remaining on the left side of my chest where the zombie scratched me, but they barely sting.
Nik moves over to the second shower head and watches me with lust-filled eyes as the water draining turns pink from all the blood on him. I have no idea where he was hurt, but it's healed by now, with no fresh marks remaining, and trust me, I am definitely looking.
We wash ourselves off in silence, our gazes locked on the other, and a tension builds between us. I close my eyes as I stick my head under the water to wash out the shampoo I lathered through my hair. When I’m done, I step forward and open my eyes to see that Nik is standing directly in front of me.
He cups my face, placing a gentle kiss on my lips. I sigh into his lips, and we stand under the spray of the water for who knows how long, just slowly kissing, running our hands over one other, exploring each other’s bodies.
We finally pull apart, and I look down at the blood, which is still slowly coming off his back, and I feel the urge to take care of him.
"Turn around."
He doesn't need telling twice, immediately doing as I demand. When he turns, I gasp, seeing the horror that is his back. Scars upon scars cover every inch of skin, and I can see the remnants of the still healing wounds from tonight. How the fuck did I not notice he was hurt that badly?
Not once did he mention being injured or move like he was in any kind of pain.
I lather my hands with soap, using it to clear off the blood so I can get a good look at the new wounds. Based on the placement of the wounds, it looks like a zombie tried to rip his heart out through his back!
My breathing is ragged as my beast and I fight for control. She wants to attack anyone who would dare hurt what's ours, and I'm of the same mind, which is making it harder to fight the shift.
Nik notices my lack of attention and turns, the spray of water washing the soap down his back. "Hey, what's wrong?" he murmurs, looking in my eyes, which I imagine are red as I fight for control.
"My beast... is angry... you got hurt," I grit out, fighting for breath as my chest tightens. I hunch over, grabbing my chest as the pain rips through me, the force of the change being denied.
It's never been this strong before, but she seems to think Nik is hers now that he’s claimed us, which is making everything harder to fight.
I look up and meet his eyes. "Run! Get out of here before I shift!"
He scoffs, and instead grips me by the hair, slamming his lips down on mine and the taste of his blood enters my mouth from where he’s bitten his tongue to entice me. He strokes my tongue with his, and my beast immediately retreats to the back of my mind. I straighten with a groan, my vampire side now desperate, needing more from him. His cock hardens between us, making me crave more than just his blood.
He lifts me up and slams me against the wall, thrusting inside me with one smooth movement, making me cry out.
He moves his head to the side, offering his neck to me, and I bite down, sucking on the delicate vein as he fucks me hard against the shower wall.
I can feel a mix of emotions coming through the tie between the four of us, and I hesitate, feeling overwhelmed by the feelings rushing through me. But before I can overthink it, Nik explodes inside me with a growl, sending me over the edge of pleasure and into a new fucking realm!
When we’re both steady enough, he helps me wash off again, taking his time to run his hands over my body, being especially gentle with my now thoroughly pounded pussy. He smirks when I twitch as his hand runs over my sensitive flesh.
When I'm all clean, he runs his finger along my collarbone, and under my chin, tilting it back to give him access to my lips. He gives me one last lingering kiss before turning the shower off and climbing out. He wraps a towel around his body, and offers one to me as well. I use it to wrap my hair, and he holds out a second one as if he knew what I would do with the first, and wraps me in it.
We walk out of the shower together, and despite feeling the others through our tie, I see the bedroom is still empty.
We each move to grab our clothes for patrol. I hurriedly get dressed, pulling on black leather pants and a skin-tight black long-sleeved shirt, adding my jacket to complete the badass look I’m going for.
I watch as Nik strips off the towel, and bends down to grab jeans from his bottom drawer. I wait, expecting for him to pull boxers on when I remember he went commando earlier. Maybe he likes it just as much as I do.
I re-think my no bra choice as I watch him pull on the jeans, and watch as he straps his sword to his waist. In the blink of an eye, it disappears and I realize he must have used his unique ability to camouflage it when we were out tonight.
Tonight will be my first time out on active patrol with the guys, and I'm a bit worried I'll disappoint them.
After all, I barely held my own tonight, and Nik was hurt because of it. True, he healed, but I still feel I should have been able to better protect him from harm.
"Nik?"
"Yeah?”'
"Uh, what exactly are we looking for on patrol? Is it just more zombies?"
He bends down to pull out a shirt, and I see his lips moving, but my gaze is distracted by the way his ass looks in those blue jeans. When I look up, it’s to see his smile.
"Sorry? What was that?"
"But, why aren't the witches trying to find their rogue members? Why are they making us do it?"
He sighs as he pulls on his shirt and moves towards me. "Because witches are capable of pretty much anything as long as it’s for the right price. That leaves the good witches in danger of being hunted to take their powers for spells. And we do not want that. So yeah, it’s left up to us."
I frown, not quite understanding all of what he's talking about, but I have too many other things going through my mind to bother asking any more questions right now. It might be easier to ask Britt about that kind of thing anyway.
Instead, I focus on putting on my boots, ready for a night of patrol. I only hope we don’t run into any more zombies.
Twenty-Two – Patrolling Together
Emerald
We’ve been walking around the city for over an hour and I'm getting bored. I thought this would be my chance to prove that I could take care of myself, but I haven't had the opportunity to do much of anything.
I sigh for what feels like the hundredth time, and Talon finally snaps.
"What on earth is wrong with you, Emerald?! You keep bloody sighing as if you have something to say, but you won't speak up. And I swear to whatever afterlife there is, if you sigh one more time..."
I hide the grin on my face, because now I am really tempted to sigh again just to poke the bear. My gaze shifts to Nik and his eyes sparkle with mischief as he mouths 'do it.'
Against my better judgement, I sigh dramatically, and Talon freezes. I wait to see what he does, but he just turns on his heel and stomps away, grumbling under his breath. Nik and Dev burst into laughter and high five each other, then I watch as Nik runs to catch up with Talon.