He shook his head. “Nuh-uh.”
“Okay, sweetie.” I heaved a deep sigh, my shoulders slumping. “If you hear your sister inside your head again, you need to tell Mommy or Daddy what she needs. No more popping away to get it for her.”
“Fine,” he huffed before getting up to stomp across the room to the stack of toys he’d been playing with earlier.
Get your butt in here, husband. I need to see your gorgeous face when I tell you what our little angels have been up to while you’ve been outside puttering around in the garden.
I felt Kieran’s shock through our bond. What do you mean? I haven’t heard a peep from Sheridan on the baby monitor.
After finding a monitor that had a range of one thousand feet, he had laid claim to the parental unit and rarely handed it over to me. Apparently, daywalker babies have other ways of communicating when they need something.
My husband popped up in front of me, his jaw slack and eyes wide. “Sheridan called to Ronan?”
I nodded, stepping close to twine my arms around his neck. “Yeah, he was playing while I was reading one of those romance novels that give me all sorts of ideas”—I gave him a saucy wink—“and then he went poof. He said it was because Sheridan was cold, so he covered her with her blanket.”
Kieran chuckled, shaking his head. “At least that’s closer to an emergency than wanting an extra slice of pie.”
He made an excellent point, but I still had a bone to pick with him. Narrowing my eyes, I grumbled, “It would’ve been nice to know that daywalker babies can use telepathy. You know how much I dislike being surprised by stuff like this.”
Brushing his lips over mine, he murmured, “I promise to make it up to you.”
“I know you will.” I shivered in anticipation and wagged my brows. “Repeatedly.”
“If that’s what my beloved consort wants, that’s what she’ll get,” he vowed.
Dropping my hands to pat his chest, I wished Ronan hadn’t outgrown the need for naps so I didn’t have to wait until after bedtime. “Right now, I’ll settle for you having another talk with our son about his powers. And one with our darling two-year-old when she wakes up.”
“Sorry, you were surprised again, baby.” He flashed me a sheepish grin. “But in my defense, it’s been more than six hundred years since I was around a daywalker baby for more than a short period. I guess I’ve forgotten some of the finer details.”
“Teleportation and telepathy were the vampire gifts I had the hardest time wrapping my head around, so at least I shouldn’t be shocked anymore when it comes to them using their abilities.”
“Probably not.” His choice of words didn’t inspire confidence, but that was fair since he was one-hundred-percent correct when he added, “I’m sure they’ll find other ways to keep us on our toes.”
Thanks to my anti-hero husband, I had an eternity to enjoy all the ways they’d surprise us...and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Extra Epilogue
Kieran
Twelve Years Later
“Do you know what one of the benefits of a really big house is?” I asked softly as I came up behind Thana and curled my arms around her waist. She’d been folding clean clothes in the main floor laundry room when I snuck up on her. But she put them down and leaned back against me with a contented sigh. “I can drag you off to an unoccupied wing and make you scream without anyone hearing.”
Her giggle turned into a moan when I pushed her hair aside to glide my lips up her neck and kiss her claiming bite. Thana shivered, like she always did when I loved on the spot that proclaimed her as mine for eternity.
“Except you’re the one who’s determined to fill every bedroom in said house,” she reminded me breathlessly.
My mate clearly thought I’d forgotten that Ronan and Sheridan had been begging us to allow them to move into the east wing so they didn’t have to worry about waking the younger children since they stayed up later. Last week, when Ronan turned seventeen and Sheridan had already turned fourteen, we decided they’d earned it. They were amazing kids and adored their siblings, but we both understood why teenagers would want a place to get a break from the chaos of three little children.
“I didn’t forget, baby,” I replied in a silky tone that I knew made her hot. Her arousal flooded my mind, and I licked my lips in anticipation of tasting it. Taking hold of her hips, I turned her to face me and grinned at her slyly. “All of the kids are in the theatre room watching a movie.” Then she yelped when I hoisted her up and threw her over my shoulder.
“What if Ronan or Sheridan want something out of their rooms?” she whisper-yelled.
I smacked her sexy ass as I made my way down the hall to a section of the house that was only used when we had events. “Ronan knew what was happening when I snuck out of the room. He may not want to think about his parents having a sex life, but he’s not stupid.” I chuckled remembering how I’d given him a look, and he’d wrinkled his nose in disgust while he nodded. He’d keep everyone busy for a while.
“Well, then,” Thana replied. “Walk faster, mate!”
I laughed. “Yes, ma'am!”
A small room that we used to store linens for the ballroom was just ahead on the left, and I practically ran the rest of the way to it. The door banged against the wall when I quickly turned the knob and shoved it open.
Thana started unbuttoning my shirt the second she could reach it as I slid her down my body. And she didn’t stop when she was on her feet and I captured her mouth in a deep, hungry kiss. She yanked my shirt from the waistband of my slacks and started working on my belt. “Greedy little thing, aren’t you?” I smirked when I finally let us up for air.
She yanked my shirt over my shoulders, and I hastily shrugged it off. Then I reached for the hem of her pretty, blue summer dress and pulled it up and off over her head. “I’m so glad you love dresses,” I mumbled as I gathered her up in my arms again, kissing her with even more intensity from our heated, naked skin touching.
I walked Thana backward until she was pressed against the closet that spanned the back wall. Without breaking our connections, I palmed Thana’s ass and lifted her high enough for her to wrap her legs around me. My pants were still up, but my fly was down, exposing the big bulge in my boxer-briefs. My wife’s pussy nestled right over it, and even though the two layers of thin fabric, I felt how hot and wet she was.
Releasing her mouth, I pushed my hips forward for levage and brought my hands up to her chest. I snapped the front clasp of her pale yellow bra and her gorgeous tits spilled out into my waiting hands. “So fucking sexy,” I groaned as I lifted one and sucked the hard peak into my nouth.
Thana moaned softly, and I let her nipple go with a pop. Frowning. I raised my gaze to meet hers. “Don’t hold back, baby. I want to hear your every moan, hear you call my name, hear you scram the fucking walls down.” She nodded, her eyes glazed with need. To make sure she heard me, I thrust my cock against her center and pinched her nipples.
“Kieran!” she cried as her head dropped back against the closet door.
“Better,” I purred as I bent my head and licked and sucked her tits until she was writhing and calling my name. Giving in to temptation, my fangs dropped down and I sunk them into the pink flesh around her nipple, drinking her blood while sucking the hard bud.
Thana shattered, screaming my name as her climax crashed over her. I licked over the wound to close it before switching to the other breast and sending her over the edge again before she’d come down very far from the first. When I’d had my fill, I sealed the puncture and quickly reached between us to shove my underwear down to free my long, thick cock.
It rubbed over her panties, and I growled at the barrier in my way. Feeling desperate and animalistic, I ripped them away, enjoying Thana’s gasp. I grinned at her mental reaction. It turned her on when I “acted like a caveman” when we had sex. Overwhelmed with our combined hunger, I couldn't wait another second to be inside her.
I
lined my cock up with her entrance, the tip kissing it while I grabbed her ass with both hands. My mouth found Thana’s as I thrust my hips forward while yanking her body toward me. My balls slapped against her ass as I bottomed out.
Tearing my mouth from hers, I groaned, “Fuck, baby, eighteen years together, and it’s still better every time.” I dropped my head into the crook of her neck, finding my spot and sucking on the sensitive skin as I withdrew before slamming back in. I didn’t have the frame of mind to work up to a hard fuck. Instead, I immediately began pounding in and out of her, groaning from the tight grip of her pussy around my dick.
“Kieran! Yes! Yes!” Thana yelled, her head thrashing from side to side as another oragasm built inside her. “So good,” she moaned. “Yes! Oh, Kieran!”
“I fucking love the sounds you make when I’m inside your tight pussy,” I murmured in her ear. Her muscles clenched, and I groaned, “So tight. Fuck!”
With five kids, I didn’t get to hear her like this very often. It was hot as fuck, pushing me toward coming faster than I wanted. I’d lost control of myself though, so as long as she came first, I didn’t care about drawing it out.
“Fuck, yeah, baby. Milk my cock. Fuck! Oh fuck, Thana!”
Suddenly, there was a crash, and I was falling forward. I splayed my hands behind Thana to protect her from the fall, but we didn’t go far before gravity had us sliding to the ground.
I paused and glanced up to see that we’d broken the door to the closet, but it had only fallen as far as the back wall and then we’d fallen to the floor from the angle.
“Don’t stop!” she cried.
I’d been worried about her and was going to pull out, but she tightened every muscle in her body, ran her palms over my damp skin, around and down to grab my ass. I groaned as she dug her nails into my flesh and bucked her hips.
“If you don’t start moving again, I’m going to kill you, Kieran Bancroft!”
I snorted a laugh and she glared at me, but then she leaned forward and sunk her fangs into my chest, just above my heart.
“Oh, fuck!” I bellowed as my orgasm came rushing to the surface. I picked up my wild pace, determined to make her come before me. Then I slipped a hand between us and pinched her clit, sending her spiraling up until she exploded like a firecracker.
The pleasure radiating from her bite and her orgasmic bliss in my head pushed me over the edge, and I came with a roar.
After we’d calmed and had enough energy to stand on wobbly legs, we surveyed the damage. “Oops,” I quipped with a cocky grin.
Thana rolled her eyes and smacked my chest. “We have to stop breaking stuff, Kieran.”
I frowned. “Why? It’s proof of how fucking hot you are and that your mate can’t resist you.”
“Because when we broke the kitchen table again last month, Sheridan said. ‘Ewwww. Gross, mom.’ It’s not exactly subtle to the older kids.”
I shrugged and snatched up her dress, helping her put it on. “They’ll just have to deal with knowing their parents are insanely in love and can’t get enough of each other.”
Thana melted into my arms and gave me a dreamy smile.
“Besides, they’ll understand when they find their mates.”
My wife’s smile dimmed a tiny bit.
They’ll find them, baby.
You can’t promise that.
Yes, I can. Because I will search this world over until I’ve found the mates for every single one of our kids.
Thana brightened and smiled at me with love shining in her eyes. “I know you will.”
***
Three weeks later
“You’re going to be spending a heck of a lot of time combing this world for mates if you don’t stop knocking me up, Kieran,” Thana teased as she walked into my office and plopped onto my lap.
“Perhaps. But that’s a cross I’ll have to bear because we still have more bedrooms to fill.”
Thana’s eyes went wide as she realized I’d been dead serious every time I said that.
“Seriously?” Sheridan stomped into my office and shoved her hands on her hips. “Why is it that whenever you guys break a bunch of stuff, mom ends up pregnant? Why can’t you two be normal and hide all that stuff from your poor, innocent children?”
Thana’s mouth flattened, keeping a serious expression, but I could feel her body shaking from the laughter she was trying to contain.
I didn’t bother and laughed out loud, making my daughter glare her Bancroft blue eyes at me. “You’ll understand when you find your mate, sweetheart.”
“No thanks.” She scrunched her nose like she smelled something bad. “I’m going to be a badass vampire slayer. I don’t want a dumb mate. I mean, what’s so great about it?” She threw her hands in the air and stomped back out of the room. A second later her head popped back in and she gave us a sweet smile. “Congratulations, though. I’d like to request a sister. Aura and I are feeling outnumbered.” Then she disappeared again. “Don’t break the desk celebrating!” Her shout floated back to us, and we burst into laughter.
“Her mate is in for it, you know that right?”
I grinned and nodded. “That’s my girl.”
With the Sunrise
Athan Bancroft was drawn to a ring with a striking amethyst a century ago and has been wearing it all those years. He had no idea the piece of jewelry was meant for his destined consort—until he looked across a crowded ballroom straight into eyes that were a perfect match for the stone.
Selene Brassard has always been fascinated by stories about vampires, but she had no idea they really existed. Or that she’d spend the rest of her very long life with one.
But will what her parents think they know about the vampire world destroy what Athan and Selene are building together?
Prologue
Athan
A century before...
“I’m going to stop in that shop for a moment.” My friend, Silas, pointed at a small vintage emporium across the street from the tailor where we’d picked up our suits for his wedding ceremony. “I want to purchase a little gift for my Victoria to wear with her bridal gown.”
I glanced at my watch to see that it was nearing seven at night. “Best hurry. I imagine they’ll be closing any minute.” Living a mostly nocturnal life could be a pain in the ass sometimes. Humans always wanted to close up before the sun went down.
However, seeing as we were vampires, night life was definitely preferred, despite being daywalkers. Simply because we were immune to sunlight didn’t mean we enjoyed it. Our skin was pale, which made it exceptionally susceptible to burning. And our light eyes had better vision in the dark.
Plus, Silas, my two brothers, Kieran and Stephan, and I often spent our nights chasing and slaying nightwalkers. Those were the evil, stereotypical vampires that humans read about in their stories. They hunted the mates of our kind, killing off our consorts to decimate the population of daywalkers.
In the long run, it was easier to get up a little earlier in the evening to run errands and complete other tasks than to constantly pay people to open their doors to us late at night.
Silas bounded across the street, and I followed at a much more sedate pace. He’d recently found his consort, and as happy as I was for him, his constant cheer and energy were a little irritating. The sweet way he talked about his consort gave me a fucking toothache. I wondered if I would act like such a pussy if I ever found my mate. But after four hundred years, I was beginning to accept that it would never happen.
By the time I reached the front door to the shop, Silas was already inside, talking animatedly with the man behind a long display case. I hung back, waiting for him to make his purchase so I could return home and get ready for the night ahead of me.
To my right was another glass enclosure that held ornate cuff links, and I found myself a little curious, so I wandered over to take a look. When I stepped up to the display, my eyes didn’t linger on the items in front of me. Instead, they immediately wand
ered to the left where a plethora of rings sat in a bed of white velvet.
Among them was a gold ring with a thin, delicate band and an oval amethyst—the deepest and most brilliant purple I’d ever seen—in a flat, diamond-shaped setting that held smaller diamonds all around the larger stone.
As I stared at it, something unexpected and completely foreign stirred in my body. It wasn’t as though I had no sensation or feeling in my body, but without a consort, everything was muted, and we felt no attraction or arousal. Not until I touched her would I ever feel those things, and it wasn’t what I was experiencing. It was almost as though my body was attempting to wake from a deep sleep, and there was a strange warmth in my chest, which was a little disturbing.
Still, I was curious. A young man, the owner’s grandson from the looks of it, was standing behind another case, arranging whatever was inside. I called to him, and he smiled as he quickly made his way over to me.
“How can I help you?”
I pointed at the ring. “I’d like to see that one. Can you tell me anything about it?”
He lifted the top pane of glass and reached in to retrieve the trinket. “I can tell you that it's from the 1880s, but we don’t have any history on it. My grandfather picked it up at an estate sale a few months ago. The man was rumored to have been a crook, so this could have come from anywhere.”
I held out my hand, palm up, and he dropped the ring onto it. The minute it touched my skin, the feelings I’d been experiencing intensified. My skin felt hot, but not like I’d been burned from fire; it was something different. Since I’d never felt it before, I couldn’t put a name to it.
The Love Bitten Series: Volume 1 Page 7