by Erin R Flynn
I blushed so hot I thought I might pass out. Still, I couldn’t look at him, which was stupid as he could have been holding a gun. Then again, his best weapon was currently my embarrassment. He honestly could have killed me with it.
“Who are you?” Darius demanded as he rolled to his feet, growling once he was a bit away from me. “And why can’t I sense you? There’s nothing. No smell or—you’re blank to me.”
“Aye, it’s a gift of my bloodline,” he explained. “I’m Jaxon of the house O’Cleirgh, at your service.”
“That’s the Galway coven, right? Did they survive?”
“Most, yeah. The bombs were bad hitting London and some missed their targets, but most survived, thank you for asking.”
“I’m glad for you,” Darius said quietly, clearing his throat. “Darius, of the house Katz.”
“I’m very sorry for your loss,” Jaxon muttered. “Very sorry. That was a wonderful coven. My mother never had a bad word for any Katz, nor any of my family.”
“Thank you.”
“And the lass?”
“That’s a bit complicated,” Darius admitted with a sigh.
“Hey, I thought we were mad at him for you know, watching us have sex,” I hissed at him.
“Oh, I’m sure he’ll pound me later in private, but he’s thinking I’m a good alliance to have in your coven,” Jaxon explained. “Plus, the rules against bad talking each other when we court a princess.”
“How can you even believe he’s telling the truth?” I asked Darius. I waved him off when he went to tell me he could sense it or whatever, he’d said before he could tell if I fibbed. “You can’t smell or feel him, right? What if he can hide that too?”
“Smart,” Jaxon praised. “I’m not thinking of all the ways I want to make her scream my name next.”
Darius burst out laughing. “Oh yeah, you so fucking are.”
“Well, I’m not,” I grumbled as I wiggled out of the bed to stand, missing the mark, bouncing towards the edge, and rolling out in a humiliating way, all tangled in the sleeping bag. “Ignore that.”
“I saw nothing,” Jaxon said at the same time Darius replied, “Ignore what?”
“Can we have like a minute please?” I muttered as I knelt there in defeat.
Darius was suddenly squatting in front of me, not caring at all he was still naked. He cupped my cheeks, raising my head to meet his gaze. “Oh, Inez, nothing was ruined. It was perfect, and I am a man well, well sated. I can’t pound him for being unable to look away because I was the same, I would have been the same if I was in his shoes. You are the flame we will all be so drawn to.”
“Wanting you to burn us even,” Jaxon murmured. “Bloody fuck, you are a sight.”
So was he. I finally sucked it up and glanced at him. He was maybe an inch taller than Darius, leaner though still built. His eyes were bright green in the light still left, and he had very sexy, wavy, deep red hair that hung in his eyes. I swallowed loudly and focused back on Darius.
“It was perfect for me too,” I told him, my cheeks flushing. “Thank you.”
He kissed me softly, but then it got heated, his arm moving around me. “Sorry, I want you again, and I want him to watch so he’s dying for you, My Princess.” He smirked at me when I blinked at him. “You’re a predator too, Inez. I’ve seen the way you hunt. Stalking prey is what we’re all about, and he’s doing the same for you, but you are who will win and make him beg for every attention you’ll give him.”
Crap, I shivered, loving the idea.
“How do you have an electric van?” Jaxon called over from near there.
“Inez is a miracle,” Darius answered, his eyes never leaving mine. He leaned in and pressed his lips to my ear. “And her body will make a man long for her in a way no other woman could, making any man completely addicted to her.”
“An addiction you don’t want cured?” I teased him.
“The only twelve step program I want to join is one that gives you a new level of pleasure each time,” he growled, sliding his hand under the sleeping bag and cupping my ass. “Was it everything you wanted?”
“More.” I wiggled closer to him. “I really thought women boasted when they spoke of pleasure, but now I know they’ve been missing out and it can get better if they’re with the right person.”
“I don’t deserve your praise, but I believe your words, I swear it.”
He kissed me like no one else was around, giving us our moment of after sex closeness I hadn’t wanted to miss out on. Nice.
9
I had just thought that maybe we wouldn’t be attacked that night, Jaxon’s showing up and embarrassing me balancing out the amazingness of what I’d shared with Darius, when they both snapped to attention. I’d finished cleaning up and getting dressed and had nothing but thoughts of snuggling in bed with Darius, but apparently we were handling baddies.
And my legs weren’t working their best just yet, a bit jelly like and some aching from doing what I hadn’t before.
“They’re coming,” Darius confirmed.
“They always avoid us,” Jaxon muttered, giving us a curious look. “The covens never have corrupted come to them, just their power or they’re in danger if humans are residing close to them.”
“She’s not a coven, and they always come for her,” he answered, hurrying me over to the tree. “Yeah, that tree stand was a good idea even with two of us. I’m glad you think as you do.”
“Hey, it’s not being paranoid in the apocalypse, just smart,” I joked as he about tossed me up there. The ammo was already there, and he handed up my rifle.
Then he showed Jaxon what we had, the sexy vampire looking excited to hunt. It wasn’t too big of a group, and I did well from my spot, wounding several so they got distracted with eating their own. The guys went out to handle them instead of letting them get anywhere near the camp.
“That wasn’t too bad,” I admitted, pleasantly shocked that was the least I’d seen since coming back to the US.
“There’s more,” they both warned me.
“Of course there is,” I sighed.
“So while we wait, how about you fill me in on why you’re so complicated, Princess Inez?” Jaxon asked, wiping off my short katanas he’d opted to use.
“Wait,” Darius cut in, giving me an assessing look. “Why don’t you ask him some questions as you did me?”
I felt like he’d punched me. “I trust you.”
He smiled at me. “I know you do. I do. This is all still a lot, and your brain will chirp in—as it happens for all of us—with doubt. Use this as a chance for more crumbs of trust like I heard you muttering about. I won’t be upset at all. So much is being dumped on you, settle what you can.”
It made sense and was actually smart, as I did wonder if I would start to doubt or pick on pieces of it all once hormones chilled again.
So I grilled Jaxon. His story lined up pretty well with Darius, the only difference seemed to be coven doctrine beliefs sort of thing. And really they weren’t differences, more tweaks of culture if that made sense.
We had to take a break when more corrupted showed up, but once we were done, Jaxon seemed to have filled in some gaps, standing under me and staring up at me, something unreadable in his eyes. “You weren’t testing that I’m not a bastard from a shit coven and I’m really from the house O’Cleirgh—you don’t know any of this.”
I glanced at Darius, and he shrugged. “I would never tell you what to say or answer. If you’re asking for my guidance, my answer is to do what feels right. You have strong instincts, and they helped you survive when many, many have not.”
I sat with that a moment and then focused on Jaxon. “No, I don’t. Darius is the one to drop this all on me.”
“Nope, more are coming,” Darius warned when I went to climb down from the tree stand.
“Really? Wow, I’ve never had three waves in one night,” I admitted. I told Jaxon what had happened when I’d turned eighteen and a brief gloss
over of how I’d lived since.
“Who is this fucktard hunting her?” Jaxon demanded, sounding equal parts pissed I was scared and annoyed by a pest he had to squash.
“It’s a noble I’ve met, Clarence, and several with him. He was in Princess Eliza’s court.”
“Was? I don’t know the name,” Jaxon muttered.
“Was,” Darius confirmed. “According to Clarence, she let too many cattle into her coven and didn’t listen to him, so he let the twat get overthrown.”
“Un-fucking-real,” Jaxon hissed as if hearing something truly heinous. Then he flinched. “He’s chasing her because she doesn’t know. He wants to use her and change the system.”
“That’s my guess,” Darius agreed. “He kept saying things would be different with her knowing her real place and all that drivel.”
“We should get her to Mother’s court,” Jaxon worried. “She needs to be taught and learn what she must so that never happens or—”
“Hey, wait, I thought the whole not getting the memory download was the sign I shouldn’t let the past and what’s been done influence me?” I cut in when Darius looked as if he was considering it. “And no matter what I do or don’t know, I would never just let some asshole walk all over me. He’s not remotely the first who wanted or tried for that.”
“You’re right,” Darius agreed, bobbing his head. “Plus, there’s more she didn’t tell you. She’s already on a… Quest.”
“Quest?” Jaxon asked with a wide grin. “Are we finding the Holy Grail?”
“That might be somewhere on the list,” I drawled. I didn’t get to give a real answer as the next wave showed up. After that, they said we were finally clear, no one in their range of sensing.
“You are a fine shot, Princess,” Jaxon praised. “And these katanas are fantastic. Where did you find them?”
“I sort of swiped them when I was tracking something else,” I muttered, wiping my tired eyes.
Darius took the rifle from me. “Rest, you need it.” He shook his head when I went to argue. “Please, Inez? I will fill him in if you’re okay with it, but you’re not feeding.”
“Why the bloody fuck not?” Jaxon demanded, shooting Darius a look like he might thump him. “You’ve been with her for almost a week and you’ve not fed your princess?”
“Don’t blame him,” I snapped.
“And don’t upset her around weapons,” Darius chuckled, showing he wasn’t mad and he understood Jaxon’s reaction. “She tends to shoot you.”
Jaxon’s eyes went wide. “She shot you?” He burst out laughing when Darius answered.
“Hey, you also got sex, so I thought we were over the shooting thing.”
“We are, but I think it was the moment I knew I would follow you anywhere,” he admitted, leaning in and kissing my cheek. “Most would react that way to hearing I haven’t fed you. We all grew up with the knowledge. Most won’t understand how hard it is to come to grips with this.”
“How has she survived?” Jaxon asked when he started to settle.
“Iron supplements,” Darius answered as he guided me over to the bed. “Rest, please, we’ll keep watch and speak. Where’s the next location so I can plot the drive?”
“Louisville, Fort Knox,” I muttered, settling in the bed.
“The gold has surly been looted by now,” Jaxon muttered.
“Not going for the gold,” I grumbled as my eyelids closed on their own. Sleep took me, and honestly I was so tired that I didn’t wake even if they were talking.
Hell, I wasn’t sure a pack of corrupted would have roused me I was so wiped.
I woke with the sun, and Darius seemed to know the instant I was up, his hand sliding under my shirt and gliding across my stomach.
“How do you feel?” he asked as he kissed my ear. “Is your body okay?”
I assessed a moment before nodding. “I ache a bit but in a good way.”
“I do too,” he moaned, rubbing his morning wood against my ass. “Let me wake you with pleasure, My Princess. I need to taste you now.”
I gasped as his hand slid in my pants, under my panties, and his fingers pushed in me. He wound me up for several moments but then pulled his hand away, turning me so I was looking up at him as he licked his fingers.
He gave me a heated smirk. “You’re even sweeter now. Shit, you taste better than yesterday.” He leaned in and kissed me hard. “Let me fuck you, Inez. Please? I want to make my princess scream again as I fuck her like she needs.”
My heart raced for two different reasons. One, my body wanted that too. Two, his words were… Different. “Um, as long as that’s not all we do now?”
He flinched but then kissed me deeply as he pulled off my clothes. He moved us on our sides so he was behind me, his hands on my breasts. “No, we will do all we have before and lots, I promise. This is just a different level, need. I feel… Aggressive, desperate. I need to fuck you. I need it. I don’t know either, but I promise we’ll have sweet too. I know it.”
I nodded, rubbing myself against him and angling my head for another kiss.
“And you need to feed,” he whispered against my lips, his hand stroking my neck. “Please? I know it’s scary, but I’m terrified you’re not getting what you need. Let me feed you as I please you, Inez.”
I moaned, kissing him again. Yeah, I wanted that fire once more now that I knew how much fun sex was. I gasped when he pushed his dick in me, not being as gentle as last night, but not too rough either. It felt fantastic.
And he made it so much better as he bit into his wrist and held it to my lips. “Drink, My Princess.”
I did, whimpering at how good he tasted as he snarled, telling me it was good for him too. He thrust deeper in me as my whole body filled with fire and ached in a glorious way. I growled when the bite closed, wanting more of his blood and what he was doing to me.
“More,” I demanded, Darius grunting as he kissed me.
“That’s it, order me to give you what you want,” he hissed before biting his wrist again. “Drink me as I fuck you, Inez.”
It was so, so good. This time when the bite healed I didn’t want more. I mean, I did, but I felt… Full.
But I wanted more of the sex for sure. I moved my hips to meet his, crying out when he wrapped his arms around me, one hand on my throat and the other teasing my clit, and slammed into me. He growled and snarled as he screwed me silly.
I came and came again, that heat driving me insane as much as his body did.
“My Princess,” he snarled as he pinched my clit, bringing me another time before finishing deep inside of me.
“That might have been a bit much for her second time, mate,” Jaxon said from behind us, and I flinched, having forgotten he was there.
“I forgot he was there at first, but then I needed you more when I remembered,” Darius murmured against my neck. “Sorry I was so rough.”
“I liked it,” I promised, my body aching from the treatment though. “I mean, I think I screamed enough for you to know that.”
“I know, I just feel so aggressive.”
“You’re young still,” Jaxon chuckled. “You’ll get more aggressive and trying to mark your territory until she officially claims you as hers.”
“Wait, he’s young?” I asked, glancing over Darius’s shoulder at Jaxon, shivering at the heat in his eyes.
“I’m just over five hundred, Princess,” he told me.
“Inez.”
“Princess Inez.”
I let out a huff. Whatever. Darius moved to pull out, and I couldn’t stop a whimper in time as the happy hormones chilled.
He looked crushed. “I’m so sorry, Inez. Fuck, I’m—please forgive me.”
“Stop, I liked it,” I muttered, looking away from him. “Please don’t ever apologize about sex with me. It makes me feel like you regret it—regret me.”
“No, never,” he promised as he pulled me to face him, kissing me softly. “Never, only that I didn’t take more care with yo
u.”
“It felt amazing, I wanted it.” I wiggled against him, ignoring Jaxon. “I was on fire and needed you like that.” I searched his eyes when he nodded. “As long as we still have gentle too.”
“We will,” he promised again. “I will give you everything, Inez. Now that I understand what I was feeling, I’ll do better.” He frowned and looked down, making me realize I was scratching my arms. “You itch again?”
“Yes,” I groaned, my legs itching now too. “Shit.”
He was up with me wrapped in the sleeping bag in a flash. He brought me over to the van and set me on my feet by the charging cap. “Let it out. I’ll get the other batteries.”
I nodded, but the second he let go I almost went back down. I shook my head when he tried to hold me up again, leaning against the van. “No, last time I hurt you.” I did let it out the instant he released me again, the itching settling and even better after I juiced up the other huge solar batteries.
“How do you feel?” Jaxon asked, standing a few feet away, studying the scene before him carefully.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, rubbing my head. “All over the place. Give me a minute. I’ve never let that much out.”
“You’ve been eating better, and now you’re getting the blood you need,” Darius muttered as he squatted in front of me. “I think he’s asking if it hurt to do that. That was a lot of juice.”
“No, not hurt, but my head aches.”
“That might be dehydration,” Darius said before I blinked and a soft water bottle was in my hand. “It will be like anything else new and you’re already powerful, so I doubt it will be calm.”
I nodded, taking the bottle down several gulps at a time. I opened my mouth to tell them both I was really fine, and instead, my stomach grumbled loudly.
“Show me your breakfast supplies, and I’ll get going on that while you tend to her,” Jaxon offered.
“I can handle—”
“Please?” Darius whispered. “I was rough with you. Even if you enjoyed it as much as I did, I should have been less selfish your second time and certainly not jumped you the next morning.”
