With a groan, he opened his eyes, and I recoiled in terror. The brilliant jade colour was gone. Black and grey swirled and churned through his irises, flooding the whites of his eyes, too.
“What’s wrong with you?” I asked tentatively, unsure whether I had to stay away or throw myself at him and never let go.
He blinked, the horrifying swirls melting away, dissolving into the usual warm green.
“Are you really back?” I whispered carefully.
“I had no choice.” He met my gaze. “You called me to you.”
I had no idea what that really meant and, at that moment, I didn’t really care. All that mattered was that the expression on his face was true and familiar, the blood returned to his cheeks, and there was awareness in his eyes, their colour a dazzling jade again making me choke up with relief.
He was here, and he was whole again.
“Oh, thank God!” I exhaled, lunging into his arms. “You really are back.”
VADIM
Her body relaxed in his arms, and the turmoil of her inner emotions began to settle, the colours turning lighter and brighter. The familiar red glow flickered deep under the dark shards of worry and pain, as he glided his hands up her back.
The silk of her camisole slid smoothly under his palms, but it couldn’t compare to the wonderful sensation of her skin. Eagerly, he slipped the thin straps off her shoulders, touching the expanse of her neck, back, chest.
The sound of hurried footsteps in the hallway brought Zayne through the door of the room. “Is he back?”
“Leave!” Vadim barked the order, sending Zayne back where he came from. The demon could wait.
The whole world could wait. Right now, all he needed was her.
“Vadim?” Jade asked softly, arms wrapped around him, her fingers in his hair as he buried his face in her neck. “How are you feeling, baby? Should you rest?”
This voice. Sweet, kind, calming. This was what saved him from the hell on Earth he had endured for days that felt like centuries.
She saved him.
“No rest,” he rasped. “Just you.”
He kissed her neck, with increasing urgency, as his hunger for her grew.
The phantom stabbing pain of chants still burned through him, and he needed her sweet essence to cleanse it from him.
He rose to his knees in bed, lifting her in his arms, as he claimed her lips with his mouth, hungry to feel her and taste her at once.
She gasped softly when he tossed her to the mattress, the red flared up inside her, teasing him, luring him in.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” her voice came out a little breathy this time. She rose on her elbows, her gaze sliding down his naked torso. He could almost feel it like a caress against his skin.
“Not just want.” He tore at the ties of his linen drawers. “Need, Jade. I have to have you.” He shoved the pants down his hips, freeing his painfully throbbing erection. “Please, let me take you. Now.”
His voice sounded rough and low, foreign even to his own ear. His eyes must have been glowing the unsettling red, as he was skimming every single tendril of her emotions.
Relief, affection, budding lust, and the most wonderful of them all—love. The newest emotion in her, the one that he was fairly sure she hadn’t acknowledged to herself yet.
He wanted it all.
“Now?” She sat up, letting the straps of the camisole slide further down. The edge of the neckline caught on her full breasts, and she tugged at the fabric, freeing her arms and exposing her chest to him. “Take me then.” She smiled. “I’m all yours.”
She was his. All of her. Even if she didn’t fully realise it herself yet.
The all-consuming hunger for her churned inside him. His control slipped, and he lunged.
Instead of shrinking away from his attack, she leaned in, welcoming his hands and his mouth.
“I missed you,” she moaned into his kisses, her hands roaming over his naked body. “You can’t leave me again. No one can take you from me . . .”
Sucking on her breast, he yanked the hem of her camisole up, finding his way between her legs with his hand.
“No one can,” he echoed, sliding a finger in her slick warmth.
With a sharp exhale, she lifted her hips up to meet his touch.
“I won’t let them. You hear me?” The fierce determination in her voice wouldn’t allow for any doubts even if he didn’t see it already in her emotions. “I don’t know who took you or how they did it, but I’ll do anything to stop them from ever doing it again . . .” she panted as he pumped his finger in and out of her—hot, wet, his.
“I know you will.” He rolled them over, just to feel the weight of her body on top of him. He needed that reminder of her physical presence here with him.
She had stopped the summons, broken the ritual, got him back. The power she had over him was all hers.
And this power he had no intention of fighting.
Her hips trembling, she pressed her legs tighter around his middle as he rose to catch the other swaying breast in his mouth.
The crimson light of desire swelled through her, flooding him. Hungrily, he lapped at it, like a starving dog, needing more the more he took.
She was his. All of her. And he wanted it all. Craved it. Starved for it.
The madness of this all-consuming need blinded any caution in him. Tightening his arms around her, he flipped her on her back again. Her legs spread wider, cradling his hips in invitation.
Willing, eager. And so trusting.
His head swam with the unrelenting need to take. It warred a merciless battle with his fear of hurting Jade, his most precious treasure, the only one he ever cared about more than himself, his hunger or anything else in this world and the next.
Stilling over her, he forced his eyes closed, shutting down the delicious picture of naked Jade under him. As long as he touched her, he could still ‘see’ her emotions, though. There was no way of escaping that.
In the maddening avalanche of feelings that crashed over him, he chose lust and diverted all his focus to it in a desperate attempt at controlling his insatiable appetite.
Shoving aside the visual of her tempting arousal, he took none. Ignoring his hunger, he tuned in all his other senses on her.
He listened to the sound of her accelerated breathing as she panted under him. Her frantic heartbeat racing under his hand when he cupped her breast.
He felt the slick, silky warmth inside her, as he entered her, slowly, savouring every inch.
He let the sounds and sensations of their bodies fused together guide him, making love to his woman like a mortal man would, using nothing but his human senses.
When her moans grew louder, he sped up.
When her body rose to meet his, he thrust harder.
And when she shifted her hips, he angled his until he hit the spot that turned her moans into screams of wild passion and she exploded into the shudders of orgasm.
“No one . . . will take you . . . away from me.” She breathed heavily, drawing him to her as he let it all go, surrendering to his own climax.
“Never.”
“Because I love you, Vadim.”
Something hot shot through his system at her words, melting into achy warmth that spread through his veins like hot butter.
“I know.” He kissed her hair, marvelling at the renewed flare of that wonderful feeling he’d first glimpsed in the eyes of Alyssa for Sytrius months ago.
This time it was all his, and his alone.
“I’ve been learning to love you, too, my treasure. Every minute of every day.”
Chapter 30
SITTING IN THE MEETING room, Vadim leaned back in his chair—ankle crossed over knee, elbow on the armrest, hand under his chin. “Speak,” he ordered Zayne.
“Andras has requested a meeting with the Priory, but was granted a phone conference instead.” Zayne filled him in on everything that had happened during his three-day absence.
&n
bsp; During the Incubi Council Meetings, I would normally be reading in the library or searching in the storage room for some old, pretty things to decorate Vadim’s room. Today, however, Vadim insisted on my presence here.
“They are hiding something.” He released a frustrated huff. “Hence the refusal to meet face-to-face—they don’t want us to read their emotions.”
“The Elder assured Andras that the Priory has severed all ties with Steffen Keller from the moment they learned from the Western Council about his kidnapping that Source in September.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“Keller, a monk from the Priory of Grimien, attempted to kidnap a Source from the Western Base in September.”
“Attempted?”
“They took her, but she ran away while they transported her along a road in northern Alberta.”
“Smart.” Vadim nodded approvingly.
“Or lucky, but probably both. She is fine now, paired up with . . .” Zayne shot a cautious glance my way before continuing, obviously deciding me worthy of his trust, “Eligor, an Incubus from the Western Base, I don’t know the human name he goes by. Are you saying Keller was the one who summoned you?”
“No, I’ve never seen this conjurer before,” Vadim replied. “Keller was the one giving him orders, however.”
“Are you certain?” Zayne narrowed his eyes, leaning in. “Your vision and your awareness wouldn’t be the best in that state.”
“He was there, Zayne,” Vadim insisted. “I recognized his voice and his face.”
“If The Elder is lying and Keller organized the summons under their orders . . .”
“I have no idea why they would do this. They have been supporting us. If they weren’t happy with something about the new agreement, the first step would be to approach me directly, through the usual channels.” He shrugged his broad shoulders as if shaking off the lingering pain of the ritual. “There was no need to resort to that.”
“A most brutal way of negotiation, I’d say,” Zayne agreed. “I’m just glad you managed to get away.”
“Did you have to murder?” I asked Vadim quietly. “To get free?”
He stared at me for a moment, an intense focus in his eyes. I wasn’t worried about what he’d see inside me—I had no fear, no judgment left. If he had to kill to get away, it was on those who took him in the first place, not on him.
“Yes,” he replied simply. “I killed a man to break the circle.”
“Good.” I took his hand in mine, and he squeezed it as if in gratitude for my acceptance.
“But it was you who set me free.”
“Me?” I gazed at him in confusion.
“I chose you, and you claimed me.” The intensity of his stare on me conveyed the gravity of the moment. Still I didn’t quite understand.
Vadim turned to Zayne. “I believe we have a way to be absolutely free now. The woman a demon chooses for his Mistress apparently can take the power away from the summoning ritual.”
“The conjurer didn’t make a mistake?” Zayne asked with a confused frown, too.
Vadim shook his head. “The ritual was performed flawlessly. I searched for a breach, but there was no way out. Until Jade called me to her—her call deprived the chants of their power.”
“Is that what happened?” I gaped at him in shock. Was that all it took? “Oh God! I should have done it sooner.”
“It couldn’t be rushed.” He stroked my hand soothingly. “You did it when you felt it. Thank you for freeing me.”
“The power of a demon’s Mistress supersedes that of the conjurer’s?” Zayne said slowly, as if testing the new concept in his mind.
“More than that. It completely deprives another human of having any power over the Incubus who has a Mistress. She is his one true master, no one else.”
“This is . . .” Zayne rubbed the short, dark stubble on his chin. “This is huge, Vadim. Enormous!” His gaze shot to his Grand Master again. “You have to let the others know right away.”
“I will.”
“Do you realise what that means?” Zayne focused on me for a moment. “If the woman we choose can stop anyone from summoning us, we no longer have to live under the threat of it happening. As slim as the possibility of anyone figuring out how to conduct the ritual properly is, it has always been there.” The grave note in his voice when he mentioned the ritual reminded me that Zayne experienced first-hand the pain of the summoning chants.
His relief at discovering a way the ritual could be stopped was almost palpable, the gratitude on his face when he stared at me unmistakable.
“Thank you for discovering this, Jade.”
“Um . . . you’re welcome.” I blinked, thinking he was somewhat overdoing it with the gratitude. Although I felt like I would physically fight for Vadim’s life and freedom, all I did was call him to me.
“Raim’s parting statement worries me, though.” Vadim rubbed his face.
“Andras is concerned, too,” Zayne agreed. “He has assembled all Incubi in Vegas and cancelled Demon Army’s European tour until we have figured out exactly what the threat is. He feels that when we’re all together, we’d be easier to organize and could act quickly if required.”
“He may be right,” Vadim replied slowly, as if lost in thought.
“Do you think Raim may be in the conspiracy with the Priory against his own kind?” I asked softly, wondering where exactly his concerns lay.
Zayne glanced my way, then turned to face Vadim again.
“You’ve been in the meetings with both Raim and The Elder of the Priory,” he said. “You know them both better than any one of us here. What do you think?”
Vadim took a moment to respond, pressing his mouth into a firm line before saying, “I wouldn’t put it past Raim to have private meetings with the Priory through the years. He was the one who ended up signing the treaty and has been enforcing it ever since. Every Elder seemed to know him well, although that could be explained with Raim being a Grand Master for so long. Still, I don’t see what he could be gaining from it. What would be the purpose of the conspiracy for him?”
“Getting everyone back where you all used to be, back to the Bases, with himself in charge again?” I ventured a guess.
“He was in charge.” Zayne rubbed his forehead. “No one forced him to resign. Also, why would he bother with the warning at all if he was planning something against us?”
“Out of spite? Being the big meany that he is.” I shrugged.
“I recall Raim having an early preference for aggressive human emotions when feeding,” Vadim replied, thoughtfully. “I’ve seen him in battles. He’s always been ruthless to the enemy. However, I haven’t witnessed any deliberate cruelty or deceit on his part. He’d kill in cold blood if necessary, but not for the sake of killing. Raim is not completely without compassion, either. I saw him drain a Source once. He took the pain that drove her to madness and let her die in peace—bliss even.”
Personally, I wasn’t sure if I would classify that as compassion. Ultimately, Raim still ended up killing the poor woman.
“In any case, I’ll have to speak with everyone who is still left here at the Base.” Vadim’s gaze stopped on me. “I want you near me, at all times.” Despite his usual commanding tone, I could sense the hidden plea for me to work with him in his voice.
“I’m not sure . . .” I started.
“Zayne,” Vadim ordered, without taking his eyes off me. “Get in touch with everyone who is off Base, tell them to come back here ASAP. I’m with Andras on this one—if anything happens to any Incubus, I want the rest of us to know immediately.”
“Yes, Grand Master.” With a brief incline of his head, Zayne got out of his chair and left the room.
“SPEAK,” VADIM ORDERED to me this time, as soon as Zayne was gone. His voice remained firm, but the anxious flickering of his eyes between mine betrayed him.
My Grand Master was obviously nervous and hiding it behind the true, tried, and familiar—c
ommand.
I drew in a lungful of air, bracing myself. “I need to show my face at work, have a proper conversation with Harry, my boss. Tanya was supposed to come by my apartment this afternoon. Sure I can call her and ask her not to come . . .” I lifted my hand between us to stop his obvious attempt to interrupt me, “but that’s not the point, Vadim. I have a life outside of the Base, and it’s not that easy to drop everything.” I patted his hand on the chair’s armrest. “Not even for you.”
“That’s not the real problem, though,” he dismissed, staring at me expectantly, as if awaiting the real explanation. “It’s not just about today. Your worry is bigger than that. What is it?”
“Fine.” I exhaled sharply. “I’m scared. The events of the past three days aside, I’m still worried for you. For us. I know myself too well. The feelings I have for you are new and wonderful. No one has ever made me feel this way, not even close. Ever. But nothing lasts with me.” I’d never hidden the truth from him, but maybe he needed a reminder. “All my relationships have failed. Some never even lasted long enough to be called a relationship, to be honest . . .” I sighed heavily, hating every word coming out of my mouth, hating myself as well. “It seems to be in my nature, Vadim. Sooner or later, I know that even this wonderful feeling would fade, leaving nothing but disappointment behind. Gone. Just like all the other short thrills in my life.”
“Except for surfing,” he stated evenly.
“What?” I blinked, trying to figure out what that had to do with anything.
“You said you love surfing and never get tired of it. Why?”
“I—I don’t know.” Confused, I gave him a smile. “I just do. It’s different.”
“You said what we have is different, too. The love you have for me is unique—you’ve never felt that for anyone else. How can you be so sure it will be gone then?”
“I don’t want it gone.” I shook my head, tears prickling behind my eyelids. “But I’m afraid it will . . . And I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Don’t let the fear kill what hasn’t had a chance to flourish yet, Jade. Let it take root.”
Grand Master (Demons, #3) Page 17