I let my fae magic take over again, this time changing to a small cat. I raked my claws down his chest and was pleasantly surprised when he dropped me. Like all cats, I landed on my feet and sprinted away, but he was right on my tail, literally.
Halfway across the room, he jerked me off the ground by my tail. I yowled as loud as my little voice could and planted all four paws on his chest. I want to be a lion, not a housecat! My body expanded with my request, knocking my vampire off balance. He fell onto his back, with me still attached to his chest. Only now, I was no longer a tiny cat, and he no longer held my tail.
“I’d say that’s cheating, but you did try to confirm if you had limits,” he said, not even breathing hard from my several hundred pounds sitting on his lungs.
Maybe I only looked this big and the glamour didn’t change my actual weight. As Braden gripped my ribs and launched me into the air, I swiftly changed to a bird and hovered in the air above him. He laughed, then flipped onto his feet and launched himself towards me.
I dipped back to the floor and dropped my magic. A wave of nausea rolled over me, forcing me to my knees. Too much. Braden landed next to me and I did a quick forward roll to avoid the bite I knew was coming. His arms wrapped around my waist as I fell out of my flip, and he pinned me to the floor.
Red swirled in his eyes for a moment before he leaned over and kissed my neck. I barely felt his fangs penetrate my skin, but they did. Damn.
I slapped my hands on his back and dug in with my claws. He released my neck and laughed, his face hovering a few inches from mine.
“Do I get three seconds to run?” he asked.
I glared at him and pulled myself up, not giving him the opportunity to avoid my bite. Another wave of lust raced through my veins along with his blood. Braden rolled to his back, carrying me with him. I pulled my lips away from his skin, my breath escaping in ragged gasps. He could not bite me again or we’d be having sex.
“This was not a good idea,” I muttered, my face flushing. I was calling it embarrassment, but it was pure physical need.
“You have three more seconds,” Braden said, his voice harsh and barely controlled.
“I can’t do this for twenty-four hours, Braden. How are you staying in control?”
“I’m not,” he hissed. “Two seconds.”
“Shit.”
~~~~~~~~~~~
Six hours later, I collapsed on Braden’s chest, my heart hammering against my ribs. Sure, it was from exhaustion, but I’d be lying if I said we hadn’t devolved into sex. A lot of sex.
How could we not? By the eighth bite, I was done holding back. I would’ve had to soak in a bathtub full of ice to turn off the heat running through my body. It was all Braden’s fault.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his fingers burning a trail down my bare back.
“Do I look like I’m okay?” I whined.
“You look marvelous, darling,” he replied, hitching his voice an octave higher in a poor attempt to mimic the actor who said it years ago.
I glared at him, sort of. I didn’t have the energy to lift my head so he could see it.
“How are you not tired?” I asked, enjoying the sound of his beating heart. Vampires were nothing like lore portrayed them.
“I’ve had enough of your blood to keep me satisfied for a long time,” he purred.
“No wonder I’m exhausted.”
“Don’t even try that, little goddess,” he said, smacking my butt. “You took way more of mine than I took of yours.”
I huffed and pinched him. I hadn’t even thought about it at the time, being too wrapped up in the passion raging between us. Now that everything cooled off, doubt and guilt started pushing their way forward. I’d thoroughly enjoyed beating the hell out of him.
Normal people don’t do that, right? I thought. Sex is supposed to be tender and slow, not violent. Tingles ran along my skin at the thought, and I sighed. Could I not be a little normal?
“Come on, let’s warm up some pizza,” my never-tired-vampire said.
He sat up, cradling my naked body against his, then stood effortlessly. I wasn’t the least bit jealous as he carried me up the long flight of steps and deposited me at the bathroom door. I hadn’t even realized I needed to go.
“Hurry up, before I get distracted and forget about your food.” His eyes drifted from my lips to my toes before he turned to the kitchen.
I tore my gaze from his perfect, naked ass and stumbled into the bathroom. What the hell had I done? Completed a quarter of my oath. Only a quarter and I felt like I could sleep for the rest of it. Only, did any of that count towards my oath? Sure there were lots of bites, but had he felt any pain? He didn’t act like it, but the punctures covering his chest and shoulders sure looked painful. I’d have to ask. It’d be horrible if we did all that and still died at the end of our twenty-four hours.
I shook my head and took care of business, then went looking for something to cover my nudity. I really didn’t want to put on another one of my way-too-expensive outfits, so I wandered down the hall to Braden’s room. It only took a few minutes to find a neat stack of t-shirts in his dresser.
“Perfect,” I quipped, pulling it over my head. It hung almost to my knees and smelled exactly like its owner.
I frowned. Would this silly obsession wear off with his blood or was I stuck like this? Sure, I’d enjoyed his company for the last few hours, but life would never allow us to spend all our time… I shook my head. I couldn’t think about it. I needed food.
Braden sat at the kitchen island in a pair of boxers. Angry red welts covered his chest and shoulders and thighs. My face flushed. I’d done that to him. He raised an eyebrow at me as soon as I walked in, but I ignored him, opening the box of pizza on the counter.
“You didn’t warm them up,” I grumbled, pulling a cold slice of goodness from the box.
“I got distracted watching you walk down the hall to my room,” he said, picking up his phone from the counter. “I almost followed you.”
My blush deepened, so I stuffed my mouth with pizza to avoid replying. Even cold, it was heavenly. Or maybe I was starving. I finished two more slices while Braden tapped away on his cell phone. I couldn’t imagine the logistical nightmare he faced with the scattered vampires. I’d forgotten all about it.
How many of the council died in the last few days? Ernesto and Sergey, then the guy who met my snake. I reached for another slice of pizza and stopped. Jack and the African clan leader died to my trees, leaving the Asian guy who walked away and Braden. He really needed to be picking up the pieces for his people, not having sex with me.
I slid off my stool and went in search of a glass. The third cabinet I opened revealed etched crystal glasses of every shape and size imaginable. I picked one and filled it with tap water, then went back to my brooding.
“Stop,” Braden snapped, startling me.
“What?” I asked.
“Your guilt is very unpleasant and completely unnecessary,” he replied.
“You don’t even know why I feel guilty,” I argued, refilling my glass. I was really thirsty.
“I don’t need to know.” He set his phone face-down on the counter and gave me a harsh look. “You have no reason for guilt. You’ve done nothing wrong. Not in the last few weeks and certainly not today.” I started to argue and he pointed his finger at me. “Don’t. The first six hours were amazing, but we still have a long way to go.”
My whole body sagged. “About that. Who determines when the time starts and stops? And who decides whether or not you’re in pain?” I asked, setting my drink in front of me. “You didn’t act like you were in pain.”
“Pain is subjective,” he said. “For me, it’s so temporary, I can ignore it and enjoy what’s causing it.” I frowned and he continued. “It wouldn’t be the same for you. Your body doesn’t heal like mine, so the pain would block out any pleasure. There are many people who actually enjoy the pain and nothing else. I’m not one of those.”
“So, you crave the violence?” I asked, trying to understand more for my own sake. Did his blood feed my desire or was it the raw aggression?
“You know, this is something you experience, not discuss over pizza,” he stated. I didn’t miss his discomfort, which added another layer of guilt.
“I know,” I snapped. “It’s…”
“If it brings you pleasure and everyone is a consenting adult, how is it wrong?” he interrupted, seeming to know what I was about to say.
His argument made sense, but I didn’t want to think of myself as a sadist. Did it really matter, though? I didn’t want anyone else to find out, but I doubted Braden would broadcast it to our allies.
“Okay, so when did our twenty-four hours start? And does this little break count as part of it?” I asked, waving a hand at him. This time I was too far away for him to grab it.
“I have no idea,” he replied, tapping his fingers on his phone.
“Please don’t tell me that,” I pleaded. “Have you not had blood oaths before?”
“Not like yours,” he replied. “Any I’ve had in the past were immediately settled. There was never a delay in the delivery. Most people have no desire to keep death hanging over their heads.”
“In my defense, you didn’t explain that part very well,” I mumbled.
“No, I didn’t,” he agreed. “At the time, I was more concerned with trapping you here with me.”
“You bastard,” I hissed, connecting the dots from my oath to the queen’s. “You were going to turn me during my twenty-four hours?”
“I could say no, but you’d feel the lie,” he answered. “I’m grateful it’s no longer necessary. Your fae magic has added a unique challenge I’m not willing to give up.”
“You said you never lied to me.”
“You asked me not to tell you about my oath with Elise,” he countered. “Again, I’m glad it’s not a concern.”
“But it is,” I mumbled. “Unless Dusha discovers something new.” He’d seemed certain about the new information during the battle, but could we really trust him? As much as I loved my elementals, they’d been manipulating me the entire time.
“You told me that she knew the fae could not become vampires,” Braden hissed as he stood. “I would not have allowed them to burn Jack’s tree if I’d known there was any doubt.”
“There wasn’t doubt, not then,” I insisted. “I didn’t think about it until this morning, and neither did you.” I pointed a finger at him and tried to calm down. “Did she know that I could be turned because of my human half?” Even if Dusha was being honest, maybe the queen wasn’t. I would’ve felt so much better if I could’ve talked to her myself. “If she did know, then the conniving bitch can let us believe the oath is voided and wait while we do nothing. At the end of the year, she’ll be rid of us.” I bit my lip and watched him grip the edge of the counter. “When did you make your oath with her? Before or after the first attack on Victor’s lodge?”
“Well before,” he growled. “I can’t believe we killed him without having this confirmed.”
“If your oath was before that, she may not have known,” I said. “And we couldn’t leave two magical trees in the middle of the barren desert. You don’t think the humans would’ve had a hay-day with that?”
Red swirled in his eyes as his anger built. Obviously Braden didn’t want me to be a vampire; it should’ve made me feel good. For some reason it didn’t. Being a vampire would keep me by his side, something I couldn’t do now. I started to ask and decided I didn’t want to know, not until we got past the next eighteen hours.
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch,” I continued. “We have a year to figure it out and find a solution if we need one.”
He started to speak several times, but finally ended with a sigh when his phone vibrated on the counter. He picked it up and glared at the screen, then swiped his hand across it.
“Can you not put everyone on hold for forty-eight hours?” he hissed into the phone.
“I’ve managed everyone except Simon’s clan,” Gordon replied on the other end. “They refuse to select another leader.”
Relief swept over me. How had I forgotten about Gordon’s injuries? He must be okay, or Braden wouldn’t be yelling at him, right?
“What is their issue?” Braden asked, turning his back to me and walking a few feet away into the living room. My cue to mind my own business.
I snatched another slice of pizza from the box and put the leftovers in the fridge for later. We’d be taking a few more breaks before we were done.
“They insist the goddess must take his place,” Gordon answered.
I nearly choked on the bite I’d just taken. Did I hear him correctly? They had to be kidding. My mind couldn’t even comprehend the idiocy of his statement.
Braden growled then started talking in a language I didn’t know. His tone indicated he shared my disbelief. I refilled my glass of water again and went in search of my own phone.
Of course, I hadn’t thought to plug mine in, so it was dead, just laying on my nightstand with a dark screen. I dug my charger out of my suitcase and solved that problem. If only the rest of my issues were so easily taken care of.
My thoughts wandered towards all the things I’d left undone. My broken relationship with Kellen. The uneasy truce with Victor. The piece of my heart still lingering at Logan’s house and the fact that I never got to say goodbye. Could I even confront Yun or Otto? Did they know his death was my fault?
I slumped down on the bed and hugged my pillow. Braden’s mumbled voice continued its argument with Gordon. I really liked his second in command. Even in the short time we’d spent together, he was genuine and kind.
“Can I help ease your pain?” Göksu asked, his fluid body taking form next to me.
“That would be amazing,” I replied. “Everything hurts.” Especially my lady parts, but I wouldn’t tell him that. He probably knew anyway.
“The vampire’s blood can only do so much for you,” he said. His familiar healing warmth seeped through my body with his touch, starting with a lovely massage at my shoulders.
I closed my eyes and moaned as my aches and pains melted away. It felt almost as good as having sex, but the thought of eighteen more hours of sex didn’t feel good. We needed to come up with a new plan.
“What will you do when you’re done here?” my elemental asked, continuing his healing massage down my back.
“I don’t know,” I replied. “I should make sure Kellen’s okay and maybe even Victor.”
“Kellen’s fine.” His strong fingers left my back and picked up my left foot.
“Oh my,” I groaned. “That feels amazing.” I’d never had a foot rub, but now knew I needed one every day. Could I convince Braden to do it? An image of the arrogant vampire giving me a foot massage made me laugh.
Göksu chuckled and grabbed my other foot. “Kellen cannot think about accepting a new partner when his mind is consumed with you. Leave him to us. We’ll ensure he finds someone.” He dropped my foot and stepped back.
Tears welled in my eyes and I wasn’t sure why. I wanted Kellen to be happy, something I couldn’t give him. But at the same time, and as selfish as it was, I didn’t want to give him up.
“You’re right,” I muttered, wiping my eyes. “I guess you’re going to tell me the same thing about Victor.”
“Victor doesn’t need our help finding a mate,” Göksu replied.
“Oh, now all of a sudden you have a sense of humor,” I snapped.
“I’m not without humor.” He winked at me with the dark blue shadow that was his eye. “You need to discover who you want to be, Alisandra.”
“How do I do that?” I asked. “I’m tied to Braden for the rest of my very long life. Can I even love someone else? Will our bond let me?”
I was pretty sure the answer was no, especially after the last six hours we spent together.
“That’s up to you and the vampire,” he replied. “I suggest
you find someone who can teach you about your fae magic. It’s likely the only way the queen will stop pursuing you.”
I frowned and pulled my feet onto the bed, hugging my knees. “I thought Dusha said she would leave us alone?”
“She agreed not to pursue you, but I’m not sure that applies to her allies.”
“Oh.” It made sense, but so did her plan to just let the year run out. “Did Dusha tell you about my newest theory?”
“Yes, but I don’t think she realized you could be turned into a vampire,” he replied. “The fae are very protective of their children. They are so very rare, even the ones conceived with a human father.” He looked towards the door, but I could still hear Braden mumbling. “They would never risk one of their own with a vampire. I don’t see how she would know that her half-human children could be turned.”
“I hope you’re right,” I whispered, staring at my bare feet. I couldn’t look at him, knowing what I was about to ask. “I thought about just giving up all my magic. Can I do that without becoming a vampire?”
Göksu knelt in front of me and forced me to meet his gaze. “No, you cannot just remove your magic. It’s part of who you are.”
“But Dusha can take someone’s soul,” I argued. “Why can he not just take my magic?”
“It doesn’t work that way, child,” he replied. “If Dusha takes a soul, the person will die. Only a vampire can maintain their existence without one.”
I searched his translucent face for a better explanation. It didn’t make sense to me. Well, it did, I just didn’t want to accept it.
I sighed. “Fine, but how do I find a fae who will teach me and not try to kill me?”
“Your vampire will know someone. Convince him to tell you.” With that, my elemental vanished.
Braden must have finished his call. I sighed again. A twenty-minute break had to be long enough, especially since I was leaning towards not counting the breaks. Time to put on my big girl panties and face what was now my reality, like it or not.
I slid off the bed and almost ran into Braden at the door. The severe frown on his face didn’t detract from his ridiculous good looks.
Elemental's Domain Page 33
