Key to Conspiracy

by Talia Gryphon

  Helmut had to return to London’s IPPA offices temporarily but promised to be in touch and to visit Gillian in Romania soon. He would accompany Brant and Claire on their drive back to the Yard. Jenna and Pavel were going back to Castle Rachlav with her while Trocar was going off to do whatever it was Trocar did. Gillian didn’t press the Dark Elf. He had situations of his own to attend to and, like the rest of his species, was enigmatic at best when it came to any sort of unwarranted self disclosure.

  For herself, Gillian was both happy and apprehensive about returning to Romania. Daed Aristophenes called her to offer congratulations on avoiding an assassination attempt and to remind her that he still had her back. Gillian wasn’t amused but accepted his compliment graciously, for her. She was to go back to Sacele, resume her cover and continue working with the Rachlavs and local authorities to uncover what she could about Dracula’s plans. There wasn’t anyplace else for her to go. Technically and officially, she was still on assignment, in the midst of a mission. That detail had not changed.

  The IPPA set Jenna, Pavel and herself up in a hotel in Rouen to allow her time to fully heal. Daed sent a handpicked squad of Marines down to guard the hotel, something which annoyed Gillian immensely but she could see his point. Jack had not been caught, despite an intensive Vampire hunt in the area, and was still at large. Interpol and the military had a better description of him this time since no one had been Pixie-bit, but any detail involving Jack was a little fuzzy, given his ability to blur and muddle his image.

  After a week of lounging around the lodge, Gillian was thoroughly sick of being coddled and wanted to get back to work. She was also contemplating killing Jenna since the tall brunette spent most of her time gushing over the salacious and sordid e-mails that she was exchanging with Tanis Rachlav.

  Gillian wasn’t at all jealous; Tanis was her friend and she wanted him to be happy as much as she wanted Jenna to be happy. She just didn’t want to examine her own feelings for Aleksei too deeply at that particular time and Jenna’s single-minded sexuality toward his brother wasn’t helping her keep her own thoughts in check. Grateful beyond measure best described her mood when the doctor IPPA sent over to examine her pronounced them fit enough to travel.

  CHAPTER 13

  THE flight back to Romania was uneventful. They picked up her car in Brasov and drove back to Sacele. Gillian found her way easily without the map, much to her surprise. It was still fairly early, around nine o’clock, when they turned up into the drive at Castle Rachlav. Driving through the lower guest house area, Gillian could see Cezar’s pack pacing the car and covering their arrival with excited barks, yips and an occasional howl.

  In Gillian’s pocket was Dante, still encased in his rocks, and in a bag Pavel carried was Grace, the other Ghost, still spelled in her stolen demi-Fey body. Gillian felt a little guilty at keeping them both in there all this time but she didn’t want to bother with either of them tonight. Tomorrow was plenty of time and daylight would make it to their advantage in dealing with the errant Ghosts. Trocar had given her specific instructions on how to release Dante and revive Grace. She’d take care of it. She’d promised.

  Castle Rachlav loomed before them, light gray, shingled roof, imposing but beautiful, like its owner. Gillian parked a respectable distance from the door and they all piled out. The pack swarmed over Pavel, some in Human form, some in Wolf form—sniffing, nuzzling, with an occasional nip or protesting yelp when one trod on another’s toes. Pavel was glad to be among his own kind and clearly relished the attention. Jenna was laughing and introducing herself to the group via Pavel and his lupine communication skills.

  Cezar, their Alpha, came toward them from the Castle itself, followed by Tanis, the Egyptians and Aleksei. Pavel pushed through the puppy pile and went to his Alpha, kneeling before him in a submissive gesture. The older Alpha raised him up to his feet and embraced the younger man. “It is good to have you back, Pavel.” He glanced over at Gillian and shook his finger in her direction. “You have done your pack proud. You kept her safe and returned her safely.”

  Gillian followed Pavel and hugged the older man, who scolded her a moment before handing her off to the Egyptian Vampires, who practically broke her ribs in jubilation at her return.

  “Gillian! We are so glad you are back, little sister,” Sekhmet cried, sweeping Gillian into an embrace then allowing Anubis to take her for another crushing hug. Gillian stopped a moment to introduce them to Jenna, who was a bit awed and amazed by the glorious Egyptians before spotting Tanis coming toward them. With what could only be described as a fangirl “squee,” Jenna pounced on him while Gillian was still being Vampire-handled by the Egyptians. Tanis was a bit taken aback but he caught her and hugged her warmly, clearly glad to see her.

  “We are glad you are safe, little warrior.” Anubis’s smile was warm and reached his eyes. Maybe they all weren’t pissed off at her after all. Noph and Montu had relaxed a bit, and hugged her boisterously, spinning her around until Tanis plucked her from their arms, Jenna still at his side.

  His kiss was innocent, brief and said more than his words. He knew they were both getting on with their lives. Hugging her tightly, Tanis whispered, “Thank you for my life, Gillian. I cannot repay you for the risk you took.”

  She hugged him back. “No worries, Tanis. You would have come for me too.”

  “Indeed I would but Aleksei would have beat me to it.”

  Releasing her, he turned her around toward his brother, who had quietly approached, waiting until he could welcome Gillian personally. Silvery-eyed Aleksei stood in front of her in all his male glory. Tall, breathtakingly lovely, his sculpted face’s harsh beauty surrounded by waves of long ebony hair, his frame large and powerful; he was clothed in knee-length black leather boots, black silk shirt, very tight black linen pants and a fitted jacket. A heavy black cape was fastened at his throat with a large ruby. The icy gray eyes settled on her own and warmed to pools of mercury, hot and burning. He looked like the lord of the manor. What he did was take her breath away.

  “Good evening, piccola. It is good to have you home.” He stood there, arms at his sides, afraid of frightening her with the intensity of his feelings, letting her choose. It was Gillian who closed the gap between them.

  What the hell, she figured. She wanted to explore the possibilities as much as he did. Time to stop being a chickenshit and see where this might lead.

  She stepped up to him, green eyes bubbling with warmth, her arms opening, and Aleksei swept her into his own powerful embrace, protectively, warmly, gathering her to him like a precious treasure. His mouth found hers naturally, and she was lost in the heat of his kiss.

  Time stopped. There was no reality except Aleksei’s arms and mouth, no feeling except what was arcing between them like an electric current. Gillian forgot herself and was soon where she’d wanted to be since she’d met him over two years before, wrapped around him like a coat.

  There was a delicate cough from Tanis and a derisive snort from Jenna, who obviously sheltered no unspoken thoughts. “Get a room, you two. Good grief, now I’ll have to scrub out my skull with bleach to get that image out of my head.”

  Gillian giggled against Aleksei’s mouth and broke the kiss, turning in his arms and realizing she was clinging to his large frame like a monkey. “Dignity, Jenna, always dignity.” She dissolved into laughter.

  Aleksei’s hot breath was on her cheek, his long black hair tickling her neck. “I do not think a room will be necessary.” He chuckled softly.

  His voice was pure seduction. Black velvet, it burned with a heat that had nothing to do with the blood he had consumed earlier.

  Gillian turned to meet those molten silvery eyes, “Really? And why is that?” she asked mischievously.

  “Because we are going to need absolute and complete privacy, carissima. A room would keep us far too close to the others.”

  Shifting her in his arms, he unwrapped her legs from his waist and scooped her up, bridal style, holding her a
gainst his powerful chest, his heart pounding in time with her own. “If you all will excuse us, Gillian will be available, tomorrow.” With that, he strode off with her into the night, Gillian waving and laughing over his shoulder.

  Laughing, the rest of the group shrugged, then meandered back into the Castle to get acquainted with one another. There was a little time to rest and welcome old friends home. One night was not so much to ask for those who had been long separated.

  Aleksei moved swiftly through the dark forest. The stars were twinkling, the moon was at the three-quarter mark, enough light for Gillian, but he didn’t need it. He needed one thing, the woman in his arms.

  Looping her arms around his neck, Gillian relaxed against him, inhaling his scent, cardamom and nutmeg. She knew Aleksei and knew he meant her no harm, far from it. Where he was taking her didn’t matter; they needed to examine their relationship and the Castle wasn’t the place to do it. Not tonight. Tonight they needed to be as wild and free as they could be, lost in each other, enjoying their reunification.

  He bore her up into the mountains, finally stopping at the edge of a remarkable glade, where he set her on her feet and turned her to look at what he could see so clearly. “Look, carissima. Look at the night.”

  She looked. The glade was silvery under the light of the moon and the stars. Soft grasses and moss covered the area, an inviting carpet of platinum for them to be lost in. Trees shimmered as the wind rippled their leaves and needles. They were high enough up to get evergreens but they were interspersed with the deciduous growth. Nighthawks circled and called, crickets chirped, and Aleksei was warm at her back.

  Reaching back, she took his hand, felt the large warmth of his engulf her own. Not speaking, not wanting to break the spell, she moved into the glade. Aleksei’s breath caught in his throat as he watched her walk before him. She was so small, so dynamic. Her hair shimmered with silvery iridescence and golden highlights that he could see but she could not. When she turned and looked at him finally, her eyes were fresh green pools, inviting him to cool the heat raging through him.

  Aleksei needed to hold her, needed to feel her against him, needed to calm the fear that he had for her safety when she was away. Lifting her again, he kissed her, gently at first then with more passion as she responded, once again wrapping her legs around him, feeling him pressed against her body. She could feel every tight, thick inch of him, knew it wasn’t simple lust that was bringing them together. He cared for her. Cared for her in a way no one else ever had. More importantly, despite her ongoing misgivings about commitment, she felt she could trust him.

  Aleksei carried her swiftly to a fallen tree partially braced against a large, ancient oak. He set her down on it, bringing her eye level to him, his hands moving quickly to remove her clothing as he continued to kiss her, building the heat between them.

  Leaning back against the oak, Gillian surrendered to her own needs, desires and fantasies. Aleksei was driving her wild, his kisses moving over her mouth, her neck, down her chest after he’d paused a moment to remove her shirt. Her own hands were unbuttoning the black silk shirt he wore, unfastening the cape, pushing it back from his broad shoulders, her own mouth moving over his chest, teasing his nipples and nipping him playfully.

  Groaning mentally, Aleksei managed to get her belt undone and her pants down. When he found she wasn’t wearing any underwear, he growled and moved farther down her abdomen, his lips teasing her flesh, his tongue making a hot trail down her stomach to the surgical scars she now bore. His heart twisted in his chest. She’d said she’d been injured. In her unique way of leaving out the important parts of a story, she hadn’t told him how close she’d come to death. With an effort, he forced his mind away from the “what-ifs” and focused on the “right now.”

  They’d discuss her adventure in its entirety later. Right now he had her where he’d wanted her for two years. Right now was what mattered. If he broke the spell, questioned her, let his fears for her safety override the mood . . . No, it could all wait. Her scent, her flesh, her warmth was his. Now was for making her feel pleasure, making her feel loved.

  Gill tangled her hands in his long, thick black hair, encouraging him along. Dropping to one knee, Aleksei parted her auburn curls and took a long, slow taste. Her gasp was his reward, and he delved into her with his tongue and two fingers, teasing her, enflaming her, opening her for him.

  Reaching one hand back, Gillian popped the strap on her bra, and stripped it off. She didn’t care, her body was too hot, her clothes were constrictive. Arching against his mouth, she let him plunder her body, losing herself in the sensation as she knew he wanted her to. He was in her mind, she could feel him; knew what her taste and scent was doing to him, how much pleasing her meant to him.

  “Aleksei, stop. I think I already owe you one.” She tried to sound lighthearted but the reality was she was very close and felt a little guilty about his selflessness.

  The dark head rose to look at her, his eyes were molten metal in the moonlight. “Let go, carissima. Let go and let me bring you pleasure. Let me have this. There is no scorecard. Let me make love to you, Gillian.”

  Dammit, he was doing things with his voice that other men couldn’t do with their bodies and a whole armament of sex toys. She nodded. “Okay.” Her voice sounded breathless and shaky.

  He returned to his task, seemingly feeding at her font until he took her careening over the edge into a blinding orgasm. Listening to her cries, he hardened further, needing the warm depth of her body to ease his own discomfort.

  Stripping off the rest of her clothes, Aleksei shrugged off his own shirt next, gathered her in his arms again and laid her on the cape beneath the tree, stretching out beside her. In the moonlight, he could see the rest of the scars that she bore from her time in the Service. Tanis had been upset with her having been hurt in the past and Aleksei was no exception. Tracing the edge of one that cut across the muscles of her arm, he looked into her eyes with a thousand questions before he moved a hand over the ones his mouth had grazed on her abdomen.

  “You were nearly gutted.” His voice was harsher than he intended.

  “Yes, but I survived. Isn’t that what is important?” She pulled his face to hers and kissed him, hard and deliberately, her own small tongue plundering his mouth.

  Aleksei moaned and moved over her, his knee parting her thighs until he rested in the cradle of her hips. His powerful arms took his weight off her while he kissed her back, his canines descending. A fang nicked her tongue again, whether on purpose or unintentionally, neither of them knew or cared. With her blood in his mouth, on his tongue, he was back on the edge of her mind again. Interestingly she felt a measure of comfort rather than invaded.

  “Nothing can happen to you, Gillian. You cannot be harmed.” Having him in her mind again only intensified her feelings. He was hot, hard and ready for her. He could have rolled over her mind, but he didn’t; he wanted her passion to be as real as his. It was.

  “Take. Your. Pants. Off” was her mental command to him.

  Aleksei rolled off her and divested himself of his boots and pants. Like her, he wore nothing underneath and his desire for her was painfully obvious to both. Damnation, apparently both the Rachlav boys were gifted in the length and breadth department. Gillian reached out and stroked his rigid sex, watching him shudder and wondering why Vampires didn’t look awkward taking off their clothes like normal people.

  “Because we have had centuries of practice, bellissima.” He chuckled, reaching out to tuck an errant hair behind her ear. When she would have moved forward to taste him, he held her back. “In time, piccola guerriera, in time, but now . . .” His voice trailed off as he kissed her again.

  Gillian responded and rolled into him, pushing at his shoulder, surprising him with her strength and pinning him beneath her. Breaking the kiss again, she rose above him, positioned him carefully and sank down on his hard length slowly until he was firmly seated within her silken sheath.

  Alekse
i thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in his life as when Gillian started to ride him. Cupping her breasts, he lay back and watched her move. Her own hands were busy, one on his stomach, one scratching lightly over his thigh, driving him wild until he growled, grasping her arm and pulling her down to his mouth. Gillian sank into the kiss again, Aleksei’s tongue hot and wet delving into her mouth in time with his thrusting body.

  As aggressive as he was, Gillian matched him. Her passion was natural and rivaled his own metaphysically enhanced prowess. Feeling her body responding, her silken channel gripping his like wet, tight bands, brought him fuller, harder into her. Rolling suddenly, Aleksei never missed a stroke but pinned her beneath him, pushing her arms up so he could get to her succulent breasts, tease her nipples to taut peaks, without breaking their shared rhythm.

  Gillian writhed against him. Her body was on fire, beginning to tighten. His mouth was everywhere; one of his hands held hers above her head while the other worshipped her breast with his mouth. The feel of him moving in and out of her, touching her deeper than she’d been touched, made her lift her hips, wrapping her legs around him and pulling him deeper into her. At once, he shifted his body to keep his main weight off her, catching her hips in his hands, tilting her body to give him a longer line, a deeper reach. He felt her reach for him in his mind, a tentative touch, questioning, and he opened for her.

  “Tell me what you need, carissima, tell me,” he whispered urgently.

  “Harder, Aleksei, I won’t break.” She sent him erotic images that nearly sent him over the edge. Her voice was breathless with passion; her cries were music to his soul.

  He never paused, never stopped moving, but pressed deeper, reaching the point within her he sought—a silken place, past the tight bands of her canal. As he hit her squarely on the g-spot, she bucked against him. Relentless, he held her at the point of orgasm; his pace increased his own need to the same fevered pitch.