by Katie Reus
Aiden knew she needed to feel comfortable with this, feeding from him. As a rule vamps and shifters didn’t comingle much, and vamps rarely fed from shifters. Even though she’d fed from him before, she didn’t remember it. This would be new to her.
To him, it was heaven and hell. He was so fucking turned on he was afraid he’d embarrass himself. The first time he’d allowed her to feed he’d been shocked by how erotic it was. He hadn’t been able to control himself and they’d started fucking before she’d taken a few pulls of his blood.
When she raked her teeth against his neck again and made a purring sound, the leash on his control slipped. He slid his hand under the back of her shirt, along the length of her spine, rubbing her soft skin up and down in a soothing gesture. With each stroke, she pressed harder against his neck with her teeth until finally she penetrated his skin.
There was the briefest moment of the discomfort of two pinpricks against him, but it gave way to a pure shot of pleasure as she started to suck. His cock pulsed each time she dragged in his blood.
He groaned and wrapped his other arm around her, needing to hold her completely. Needing to feel her body pressed against his. He hated that clothes separated them. He wanted skin to skin, his cock pushing inside her as she rode him.
Larissa made a low sound of satisfaction and shifted positions so that she was completely straddling him while she fed. As she clutched onto his shoulder with one hand, her other one slid down his covered chest and didn’t stop until she reached the top of his jeans. Through their link he knew exactly what she intended. And God, how he wanted it. But not now.
“No, you don’t have to,” he somehow managed to rasp out, though he wasn’t sure how the hell he found his voice. He put a hand on the back of her head, more to ground himself than anything.
Ignoring him, she tore at the fastening of his jeans, ripping the fabric and tearing the button free until she found what she wanted.
He settled his hands on her hips and held tight as she grasped his hard length. Somehow he had to ground himself, to stop himself from stripping her down and thrusting into her tight heat. He should stop her . . . for some reason. He couldn’t remember why he needed to, much less remember his own fucking name as her fingers fisted around his cock with the perfect amount of pressure.
In tune with the way she sucked his neck, she started stroking him until he couldn’t think at all. He wasn’t sure how much time passed as she sucked his neck and pleasured him, but when she pulled back, only stopping briefly to lick the wounds on his neck, he let go of his control.
She stared at him, her gaze an electric blue of hunger and raw need as her fist squeezed him. It was as if all his nerve endings lit up at once. “Larissa,” he growled her name, sounding ragged as his climax surged through him.
She slammed her mouth down on his, stroking and teasing her tongue against his as he came on her hand and himself. He was barely aware of moving until he had her on the hardwood floor beneath him, his cock still hard in her hand.
It didn’t matter that he’d come already. That had just taken the edge off. After sixty years without her, he could fuck her for days. Weeks. The thought of being buried inside her that long made another growl tear from him.
Only when her hands pressed against his chest did he realize she was trying to tell him something. His breathing ragged, he pulled his head back and stared down at her.
Her eyes were now heavy-lidded, her gaze soft with adoration. “Aiden . . . I wanted to do that for you, but what you’re thinking now . . . I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Blushing, she trailed off and he realized what she wasn’t saying.
He’d projected his thoughts to her, his hunger. And she was exhausted. This feeding would only be the first of many. She would need a few more before she was even remotely back in top form. He couldn’t just take her now on the floor like he wanted. Because once he started, he wasn’t stopping. He’d tire them both out until they couldn’t walk. Which would just exhaust her even further.
His wolf was edgy, needy. For her. He knew his wolf was in his eyes because she went still, watching him not exactly warily, but damn close.
The caution there killed him. He forced his animal back as he cupped her cheek gently. Rubbing his thumb against her soft skin, he couldn’t fight the shudder that overtook him. “We don’t have to have sex, but I want to pleasure you.” He needed it. To bind her to him even more, show her how good it could be between them.
She gave him a smile then, a real one. The first since he’d found her again and it took his breath away. “I know you do. I can feel all of your emotions right now and it’s amazing and overwhelming. I just, I don’t think it’s a good idea. If we go any further . . .”
“We won’t stop until we pass out and you need more blood.” While he hated the thought of her drinking from anyone other than him, he knew that to heal her quicker, he’d need to find donors. Supernatural ones. “After we rest, you can feed from me again and then we’ll find you more blood.”
She slowly licked her lips, the action so erotic his cock ached as he watched her tongue move. “You taste amazing. I wish I didn’t have to feed from anyone else.”
“Eventually you won’t. Once you’ve regained your strength, you’ll feed only from me.” He knew he sounded high-handed, but didn’t care. He didn’t want her drinking from anyone else. Especially another male. The thought made his wolf go rabid.
She didn’t acknowledge what he said as she continued. “Now that I’ve taken the edge off, I can find a human to mesmerize and take a little blood from. I won’t hurt anyone.”
“Is that why you didn’t feed more until now?”
She nodded. “Yes. Magda gave me some blood but it was weak. I was too afraid to search out humans on my own. I didn’t want to accidentally injure someone.”
That was definitely the Larissa he remembered. Even though she’d been haughty when they first met, she’d been so kind and considerate of others. She’d viewed it as her duty to protect those she considered weaker. Because she was a bloodborn, someone higher up the evolutionary ladder than the majority of the planet, that had surprised him. But she was so respectful about not crossing boundaries and taking what didn’t belong to her. It was one of the reasons he’d fallen so damn hard for her.
Closing his eyes, he touched his forehead to hers. He knew if he pressed hard enough he could have them both naked. Using willpower he hated, he said, “Let’s get cleaned up, then get some sleep.” His inner wolf clawed at him, telling him to shut the hell up and get them both naked, but Aiden had to think about what was best for Larissa right now. Standing took monumental effort, but he forced himself to get off her and tuck himself into his jeans before helping her to her feet.
As they headed for the bathroom, she asked, “Why did you wait so long to tap into our telepathic link?”
“I didn’t want to overwhelm you at first, especially since you don’t remember . . .” He trailed off when he felt sorrow emanating from her. The scent of it filled the air and he wanted to punch himself. “I’m sorry,” he said, feeling like an ass.
“I’m the one who’s sorry. I should remember you,” she muttered, making a beeline for the shower. “Do you mind giving me a little privacy while I clean up?” She didn’t even look over her shoulder as she started stripping.
He didn’t want to give her space, but knew he should. The vibe between them changed so quickly he wasn’t sure what to do or say to make it right. They might have just shared something intense and intimate, but for her, they were still more or less strangers. Though he didn’t want to, Aiden left the room. The place had three other bathrooms so he headed for the closest one.
After he’d showered and shaved, he found Larissa lying on her side under the electric blankets. Her back was to the doorway, but he had no doubt she was aware of his presence.
“Is the room warm enough?” he
asked as he closed the door behind him, hoping to keep the warmth contained.
“It’s perfect. Thank you.” She turned over to face him, her eyes a bright beacon in the darkness. “Sorry if things got weird. I didn’t want to make things awkward. I’m just trying to adjust to everything.”
“You don’t have to apologize for anything.”
“I’m still sorry.”
“Let’s just get some sleep. Is it okay if I sleep with you?” Please say yes.
Her gaze landed on his bare chest and she nodded before turning back over. Her look had been unreadable and he could feel her shutting him out. Their bondmate link made it impossible to completely do that, but she was trying. Which told him she clearly wanted privacy from him and that she was getting stronger already.
He didn’t intend to let her push him away that easily.
He slipped into the big bed, but instead of giving her space, he sidled up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist, tugging her close. She was wearing a T-shirt and flannel pajama pants and already felt much warmer than she had earlier.
Sighing softly, she laid her arm over his and slid her fingers through his. “I like you holding me,” she murmured, her voice already drowsy with sleep.
He didn’t trust his voice so he just tightened his grip. Right now he didn’t give a shit about all the unknowns in their lives, he just cared that Larissa was in his arms and wanted to be there.
* * *
Her back arched under the onslaught of his wicked, talented tongue as he stroked her to her fourth, or maybe fifth, orgasm. The male was too much. Too intense. Far too dominating. And she couldn’t get enough of him.
It seemed to go on forever, the climax punching out to all her nerve endings until she collapsed boneless against the silky sheets. Staring up at the high arched stone ceiling of his castle, she tried to catch her breath.
As he started to climb up her body, his shoulder-length blond hair tickled her bare stomach, then breasts before he captured her mouth with his in a purely dominating move. His hands were on either side of her head, his body caging her in as his erection pressed against her belly.
She slid her hands up his chest, over his shoulders and linked her fingers behind his neck as she wrapped her legs around his waist. A frustrated moan escaped her lips when he pulled his head back. “Why are you stopping?” she whispered.
Sighing, he stretched out over her, though made it a point to keep most of his weight off her. “We have to get back to the main castle for the meeting.”
She frowned, hating that he was right. His pack had a huge castle where the majority of his packmates lived, but they also had a few other castles on their land. And her Aiden had his own castle . . .
Larissa jerked up in bed, her heart racing. Before she’d even sat fully up, Aiden moved, his blond hair free from the tie he’d used to secure it earlier.
“What’s wrong?” he rasped out, looking around the room for danger. The sun had already risen; she could see the outline of light at the edges of the dark draperies covering the windows.
“Nothing.” She reached out and fingered the soft strands of his hair. “Your hair is the same as it was before, right?”
Turning into her hand, he made a soft, growling sound she felt all the way to her toes as she cupped his cheek. “Yes, why?”
It had to have been a memory. “Is your pack considered royalty among humans?”
He shook his head. “Not in the way you think. But they’re very, very wealthy.”
“They have castles?”
His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn’t pull away. “Yes. Why?”
“I had a dream. Or I think it was. Were you and I ever in a room in a castle with a four-poster bed, a high arched ceiling. . . .” She trailed off, trying to remember more of the setting. The dream or memory was fuzzy around the edges and she’d been so focused on the very naked Aiden.
He smiled, more than a hint of a wicked gleam in his eyes as he lay back, pulling her with him. She laid her head against his chest and splayed her hand over his stomach. She savored the gentle way he stroked up and down her back. “We were in my room many times. What were we doing in this dream?” For the first time since she’d spoken to him in those icy woods last night, she could hear the tiniest hint of a Scottish accent. He must have buried it deep when he left his pack. The thought made her sad. How he must have suffered if his own pack had rejected him. She might not remember them, but she knew how shifters were. They were so family oriented. She wondered if his new pack was better than his old one. But she held off on questioning to answer him.
“I think you can guess,” she murmured, feeling her face heat up.
“Yes, but I want you to tell me.” There he went again, with that wicked charm.
“The dream was brief, but I distinctly remember your head between my legs and neither of us had any clothing on.” She smiled against his bare chest as he stiffened.
“Did you like what I was doing?” His voice was strained as he spoke.
Grinning, she nodded. “Oh yeah.”
“Do you remember anything else?”
“No, it was very brief.” When he didn’t respond, she continued. “What is your current pack like?” She was still learning a lot about this new world, especially since shifters and vampires had come out to humans. That alone was jarring.
“Are you asking if they’ll accept you?”
She didn’t respond because she wasn’t sure if that’s what she’d wanted to know. If she was asking that, it meant she was thinking of a future with this male.
“They will,” he said quietly when she didn’t answer. “My Alpha and his mate have adopted a jaguar shifter and one of our warriors just mated with a royal member of the fae. They’re out of town on a brief assignment for her family, but should be back in a day or so.”
At that, her head popped up. “A royal member of the fae mated with a shifter? Who?” Though her coven had had enemies in every supernatural community, she’d known almost all royal fae. It seemed impossible that any one of them would have mated with a shifter.
He watched her carefully. “Brianna O’Brien.”
Larissa didn’t bother to hide her shock. “Rory and Eoghan’s baby sister?”
“You know her?”
She nodded slowly. “We were not friends, but acquaintances. I knew her brothers well, though.” When he growled, his expression turning fierce, she grinned. “Not like that.” Laying her head back against Aiden’s chest, she closed her eyes and was thankful when he didn’t press her for more. That was certainly interesting. When she’d been put into stasis, a shifter-vampire mating had been unheard-of. Especially for someone royal like her. But if Aiden’s pack had interspecies matings, maybe she and Aiden had a chance after all in this new world.
The thought soothed something deep inside her. She wasn’t ready to evaluate it yet so she let her body relax as sleep once again claimed her. The memory of drinking Aiden’s blood was so fresh, she could practically taste him as she drifted off. With every second she spent with this male she grew more and more attached and that terrified her. Everything about this new world was jarring and Aiden felt like a constant, the only safe place in a storm.
And something told her that a nasty storm was coming soon.
Chapter 10
Ryan sighed with pleasure as he poured his first cup of morning coffee. After three hours of sleep he was ready to go again. Not that he really had a choice anyway, not after all that shit from the club and the recent vamp blood dealings.
Three of his laptops were running various facial recognition software programs. One that the Council of lupine shifters used for their own investigations and two human government databases he’d hacked into. He’d plugged in different photos of individuals he’d managed to isolate from the videos he’d taken last night. Most of them were probably just
supernatural beings looking to unwind and have a good time. But he hoped to get a hit on something more.
Anything to guide them in the right direction. Jayce was already working an angle with Kat—though Ryan was pretty sure she and the enforcer had come back a couple of hours ago to snag some sleep too.
Needing to sleep was such a bitch.
As he stepped away from the counter he scented and heard Lucas at the same time. The ten-year-old hadn’t exactly learned how to stay quiet yet. While their predatory nature was inborn, for a shifter Lucas still had a lot to learn. He stomped into the kitchen, his expression serious.
Ryan raised his eyebrows. “You hungry?”
Lucas nodded. “Yeah, but I’m heading over to the main house. Vivian called and said she was saving me a seat and some chocolate chip pancakes.”
Shit, right. Ana was cooking for everyone. He didn’t have time to join them. “Will you grab me a plate?”
He nodded, but instead of leaving, sat at the center island in the kitchen. Lucas watched Ryan silently for a long moment and thanks to Ryan’s blasted “gift” he could sense the boy’s pain and confusion. Damn it, he needed to talk to Teresa about his gift soon. Hell, he needed to tell his Alpha too. He just didn’t want to.
“What’s wrong, Lucas?” he asked quietly, setting his mug down and moving to the island counter, where he took a seat next to the boy.
“Are you going to mate with Teresa?” Lucas asked.
Wasn’t that the question he’d been asking himself for the past three months? He sure wanted to. “How would you feel if I did?”
Lucas shrugged and another shot of pain rolled off him. Dread surged through Ryan. If Lucas didn’t accept her, he had no clue what he’d do. “I thought you liked Teresa.”
