A Vampire's Soft Embrace

by Caris Roane

  “Exactly. But we’ve got to return to the present. I should warn you we’ll both probably experience some dizziness.”

  He nodded. “Do it.”

  She placed her hand on his shoulder then accessed her time-pathing vibrations once more. With a thought, she took them out, though they stood in exactly the same place.

  She explained, “We’re back in the present now, but as I explained no time has elapsed while we were within the continuum.”

  He frowned and shook his head. “How is that possible?”

  “It just is.”

  He lifted his chin, listening. “I don’t hear any sounds of battle from the street. Do you?”

  “No. Nothing yet. Again, only seconds have passed in real-time.

  He stood very straight and went vampire still. To her mind, he pathed, I can hear the wraith. He’s started shrieking again.

  She followed his lead and pathed, I can hear him as well. But there’s something else you should know. The wraith was able to make mist, like a powerful fae. They kept their battle with you hidden from the villagers.

  I know. I saw it as well.

  She hadn’t been certain Devyn could have seen the mist. She was glad he did.

  He left his quiet vampire state and returned to normal. He spoke aloud. “I’ve got to go back. Now. This pair won’t hesitate to kill some of the villagers.”

  He would have taken off, but she laid a hand on his arm and held him back. “Devyn, this Invictus pair seems to have more power than any I’ve seen or heard of before.” She’d only witnessed a couple of attacks herself, but she’d seen plenty of videos on the Nine Realms internet.

  “I know. Stay here.”

  “Not a chance. You might need me again.”

  He seemed startled for a moment, then nodded. “All right, but follow behind me at a distance. Don’t let either the wraith or the vampire see you. Let me do the work.”

  She didn’t understand. She’d seen what happened before. He would have died if she hadn’t been there. “Are you sure, Devyn? I called for back-up. Maybe you’d better wait. This wraith had more power than anything I’ve seen before.”

  He didn’t seem at all offended that she questioned his ability. “You healed me and you fed me. I can’t explain it, but I feel stronger.” He held his hands out in front of him and flexed his arms. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I have more power. I know I can battle this wraith-pair now.”

  She not only felt his confidence, but she could tell his power level had changed, though she had no idea why. “Okay, then.”

  When he rose into the air, she flew after him, though she stayed back as he’d commanded.

  She just hoped that whatever change he’d experienced would make a difference.

  ~ ~ ~

  Devyn flew swiftly up the main street. Wraith-pairs wouldn’t wait around quietly and he had no idea when the Guard patrol would show up. Millerell and nearby Boylbury were in the eastern part of the realm and a long way from the centrally located Communication Center in Sandismare.

  They’d start breaking in doors next.

  When he heard realm-folk screaming, he flew faster. By the time he arrived, the mist the wraith had created was long gone and he now held a troll child in his arms twenty feet up in the air. The little girl was sobbing.

  His vampire mate held the mother in a tight grip and was already pushing her hair away from her neck. It would be a violent feed and death would follow.

  He flew fast as he pathed to Emily. Catch the child. The wraith will drop her.

  I’ve got her.

  To the wraith he shouted. “Is that the best you can do? Attack a troll child?”

  The wraith turned in the air and grinned.

  Devyn sped up. With the new power he possessed, he shot through air.

  The wraith responded exactly as predicted and opened his arms wide letting the girl fall, no doubt expecting Devyn to try to save her. Instead, Emily was right there. She caught the child, then flew her in a straight line away from the wraith-pair, in the direction of the Wild Boar.

  Devyn’s concern right now was for the troll mother. If the mated vampire tore at her neck, the woman would die. The Invictus bond would have long-since stripped the vampire of her conscience and replaced it with the psychopathic need to inflict pain.

  Devyn was also feeling the effects of Emily’s healing. He swore he’d never felt better in his life. Or stronger.

  He whipped toward the vampire then the wraith. “I’ll take you both on. What’s the fun in killing one psychopath when I can smash two into the cobbles instead?”

  When the vampire didn’t drop the troll woman, but instead opened her mouth wide and bared her fangs, Devyn had only one choice. He ignored the wraith circling overhead and went for the vampire.

  As soon as he started toward her, he accessed his increased speed and he knew what he could do. He moved like lightning, whipped behind the vampire, grabbed her around the throat and squeezed. As he tightened his grip, he felt her release the troll.

  “Run!” he shouted. “To the Wild Boar.”

  Because the wraith had been shrieking, shifters belonging to the Tannisford Brigade began pouring from the bar. Devyn recognized a few off-duty Guardsmen as well.

  He held the vampire tight in his arms. He could have broken her neck easily. But ever since Mastyr Ethan of Bergisson and his blood rose, Samantha, had developed the ability to sever the Invictus bond, every Guardsman worth his salt saved as many realm-folk as possible. Most of the bonded folk were abducted and forced into the ritual that changed them from Goddess-fearing people into the hideous monsters the Invictus bond created.

  Instead of killing her, Devyn dropped her hard to the pavers, stunning her to keep her incapacitated. He had a wraith to deal with and Devyn would have to take him out.

  With his mate incapacitated, the wraith flew in wider circles, shrieking heavily. He had yellow eyes, dark lips and long stringy black hair. Wraiths, by nature, had elongated limbs and rarely walked. They floated and when turned Invictus, shrieked. His clothing reflected his physical nature. He wore a loose black tunic over gauze-like black pants.

  The wraith was in a rage.

  Devyn took his time as he approached his enemy.

  The wraith kept his wild eyes fixed on Devyn. “I was sent here by them to end you, Devyn of Boylbury.”

  Devyn was surprised. “Who would that be?”

  “A mastyr who’s grown in power since he joined forces with the dark fae, Mitrana. You know the vampire: Mastyr Leonus.”

  Leonus.

  “I’ve heard of him.” Devyn only knew him by reputation and by the long scar that marred his face all down the right side. Word was he’d aligned himself with a dark fae and this wraith just confirmed it.

  “Mitrana has imbued me with strength beyond your ability. So let’s see what you’ve got, Mastyr. Though I’d be curious to know how your fae made you disappear like that.”

  Devyn had no intention of revealing information about Emily’s ability to time-path. He watched the wraith carefully. He was big and muscled for a wraith. He reeked of power.

  Devyn used his increased speed and flew past him but inside the circles the wraith kept making high in the air.

  The wraith shrieked and turned. He sent a red blast of battle energy from his hands and arms.

  Devyn turned and met the red, fiery streaks with his own blue battle power. Sparks flew fifteen feet in the air, both red and blue.

  He circled. The wraith followed.

  Devyn felt his strength now, more than anything he’d experienced before. The wraith shouted and shrieked again, doubling the stream of killing energy.

  Devyn responded, increasing his own flow in a strong steady stream. He felt the wraith begin to diminish. Devyn pressed on, flying closer, his arms and hands outstretched. His body vibrated with more power than he’d felt in his life. On he pushed, until the red bursts lessened and began to flicker.

  The wraith shriek
ed and tried to match Devyn, but he was done for.

  Devyn released a final wave. It fried the wraith, dead center in his chest and sent him plummeting to the cobbled street below.

  A crowd had gathered, made up mostly of the Guardsmen and shifters from the Wild Boar. A few of the local residents appeared in windows and doorways.

  A cheer went up as Devyn dropped down to stand on the pavers. He checked the wraith to make sure he was dead. Smoke rose from his chest. His eyes were open, dilated and glazed. He was gone.

  Devyn caught sight of Emily who stood with the mother troll now cradling her daughter in her arms. Tears flowed down the woman’s cheeks.

  His arms and hands trembled from having released so much power. Even so, he drew his phone from the pocket of his leathers and let the Communication Center know he’d need a clean-up crew. He was told a Guard patrol would be arriving anytime.

  Glancing at the wounded female vampire, he had one more call to make. When the former Guardsman picked up, Devyn said, “Rez, I’ve got an Invictus woman you need to look at. I’m in Millerell.” The woman had wavy brown hair which matched the description of Rez’s abducted, missing daughter. Devyn had no idea if this was her. The Invictus mating process created such a violent shift in personality, it obscured the natural features of the realm-person involved. But Rez would know his daughter.

  “On my way.”

  Devyn felt somber as he tucked his phone back in his leathers. He wasn’t sure anyone had been so badly beaten down by the Invictus scourge as Mastyr Rez. He used to serve in the Tannisford Vampire Guard until he’d lost his wife and two young sons to an Invictus slaughter. But maybe even worse, his teenage daughter, Isobel, had been taken during the same attack. For the past two years, Rez had been hunting for her. Maybe this one, still alive, was his only surviving relative.

  Rez wasn’t far away since he lived in Boylbury as Devyn did. They were neighbors. He’d arrive in the next few minutes.

  Emily returned to him as the Guard patrol arrived, four vampires strong. Each gathered near the Invictus wraith first.

  “Big motherfucker.” The leader of the squad, Ephraim, was a near-mastyr and was expected to come into his power in the next year. He shifted to meet Rez’s gaze. “He looks over-sized for a male wraith. What was his power level like?”

  “Formidable and unexpected.”

  He shook his head. “I thought we had them all.”

  Devyn frowned. “So did I.” What the hell was going on?

  Ephraim’s gaze slid to Emily. “I know you, don’t I?”

  “I was engaged to Kyle.”

  “Right.” Ephraim drew up a little straighter, which gave Devyn pause. He could feel the vampire’s mating frequency light up. Another, what the hell?

  Without giving it a second thought, Devyn slid his arm around Emily’s waist and drew her close.

  Ephraim glanced at this move, but instead of backing up, he took a step forward and addressed Emily. “Kyle was a loss to the Guard. We miss him.” Decent enough words, Devyn thought. But there was something more behind them.

  “I miss him, too.”

  “So, what have you been up to?”

  Devyn felt Emily’s surprise at this line, as though Ephraim intended to do some flirting while he had the chance.

  “I still work at the library at Tannisford University.”

  “You seeing anyone?”

  “Well … ”

  Devyn felt something strange happen inside his own body. It was as though Ephraim’s aggression, despite Devyn’s arm around Emily’s waist, sent lightning bolts to his own mating frequency. In turn, it charged up his battle energy in a big way.

  His fangs emerged and a growl, deep and strong, powered through his throat. His grip on Emily’s waist tightened. He felt her hand slide up his back and grip his neck in what felt like a possessive hold.

  Ephraim blinked a couple of times and finally took a step back. But when Devyn saw the tips of Ephraim’s fangs emerge, he let loose with a second growl that turned into a roar.

  Ephraim finally lifted both hands and retreated.

  Devyn shook with rage, which he didn’t understand. It took him a good long moment to begin calming down and it helped to hear Emily’s voice in his head. Dial it down, Warrior. That’s it. He’s a friend, not the enemy. Yeah, come back. Come back.

  ‘Where had he gone’ was the question he couldn’t answer? He could have killed Ephraim if the vampire hadn’t retreated.

  What the hell?

  The squad had stepped in front of Ephraim, which also helped defuse the situation. The men looked stunned. Even Ephraim appeared confused. Devyn heard him say, “I don’t know why I was hitting on her like that. Shit, he has his arm around her. Sweet mother-of-the-Goddess.”

  His buddies encouraged him to move farther away. It was a smart, necessary move.

  Fortunately, the troll clean-up crew arrived and that aided in shifting everyone’s focus. Only what did the appearance of a wraith like this one, as well as his mention of Mastyr Leonus and the dark fae, Mitrana, actually mean for the Nine Realms? Was this a new threat to the peace of their world? Or was it just a singular event?

  He felt Emily stroke his neck lightly. “I think you can lessen your grip on me now, Dev.”

  He shifted to meet her gaze. Because he held her so tightly, her body was pressed up against his and she felt good. He had only one thought. He wanted to kiss her. Bad.

  Then she did something that stunned the hell out of him. She put her free hand on his chest and pathed, Follow that instinct. It’s a good one.

  What instinct?

  When her gaze fell to his lips, he realized he hadn’t fully retracted his fangs. He hadn’t felt like he could because he needed to protect her, but from what? From another Guardsman who was trying to chat her up?

  On one level, he needed to let her go, but he couldn’t make his hand release her waist. And he was still thinking about kissing her.

  More in-air movement brought his gaze to Rez, who’d just arrived. His rational mind wanted to greet him. Instead, he remained silent since all he could see was more competition for Emily’s interest.

  Rez inclined his head to Devyn, but his focus was all about the female vampire. He landed near her and took a good long look. A couple of the trolls were tending to her. One of them was on the phone no doubt making arrangements for her to be taken to Bergisson Realm for rehabilitation.

  Rez lifted up then slowly levitated toward Devyn. “Thanks for calling me, but it’s not her.” Since he wasn’t a member of the Guard, he didn’t wear the long leather coat the Guardsmen wore.

  But he was the kind of man women went for, especially in a biker get-up with heavy leather boots, black leather pants studded down the sides and a leather jacket with more studs. Beneath, he wore a tank.

  Once more, Devyn’s hand tightened around Emily’s waist.

  Rez was about to push on, when his nostrils flared and his gaze locked onto Emily.

  “You’re Kyle’s woman, right?”

  “I was engaged to him. Yes.”

  But Rez, though clearly interested in Emily as Ephraim had been, shifted his gaze purposely to Devyn.

  Devyn growled again.

  Rez’s eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything else. “I’m off to the Wild Boar. Thanks for the heads up, Dev.” To Rez’s credit, he didn’t even look at Emily again and for that, Devyn was grateful.

  He was so wound up right now, he didn’t know what to do. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

  Without even asking, he took Emily straight up into the air. She didn’t seem to mind, though. She used her own levitation to keep herself upright and she leaned her head against his shoulder. Her hand clutched his jacket.

  When he heard her moan, at first he thought she was in pain. Then he caught her scent swirling over him and he figured it out. His fangs made another descent and his cock hardened.

  This was going to happen.

  If somewhere in the b
ack of his mind his guilt shouted at him, he didn’t care. He had to get inside Emily.

  He also knew it was damn mutual. He headed in the direction of Boylbury to the west. He couldn’t get there fast enough.

  Emily slid upward and before he knew what she meant to do, she had taken his throat in her mouth and was sucking on him. Hard.

  Devyn, I want you. Now. Take me home. Please. I’m yours.

  Though he knew it was wrong, he wasn’t going to fight what he felt. Not after all these years.

  He wanted Emily.

  He’d always wanted her and she was ready and willing.

  Chapter Three

  Emily couldn’t believe this was happening. Something about feeding Devyn and healing him had changed their dynamics to the point he was taking her home.

  To his home.

  Truth? She didn’t care why, only that he was speeding her toward Boylbury and he was going to take her to bed.

  At last.

  She kept suckling at his neck, something that felt very right. She was part vampire in addition to being fae and she could feel her gums ache, like she wanted to sprout a set of fangs.

  But she couldn’t, so she settled for enjoying the taste of his lemon-oak skin in her mouth.

  Using her levitation, she shifted enough to plaster her body against his. He didn’t seem to mind, but slid both arms around her and held her in a tight embrace. He flew her with perfect control through the cool April night air.

  The trip seemed way too long even though it lasted less than a minute. Boylbury wasn’t that far from Millerell, just a few miles and Devyn was moving fast.

  When he began his descent, she released his throat, though he groaned in the process. I love that you were sucking on me.

  Her body sang with desire. She was with Devyn and he was going to make love to her. I’ll do it again, when you’re inside me.

  Another groan followed, heavier this time.

  She ached all over now, in her sex, her heart, and deep in her soul. Even her chest seemed wrapped up and laden with longing. She’d wanted him for such a long time. Now he was here.

  Patience, she decided, was everything.

  Maybe courage as well, since that’s what it had taken this evening just to cross the street to him. What followed, including getting him inside the time-path with a vampire ready to deliver a killing blow, had also required all the nerve she could summon. She still couldn’t believe she’d essentially saved his life.