His arms tightened around her and she was reminded of the rigid presence behind her. “You will take them, Elsie. They were made especially for you,” he ordered.
Elsie didn’t know what to say. Zander had jewelry made for her. The concept was as foreign to her as giving someone a seventy-thousand-dollar car.
“Mr. Bossy Pants is giving orders again,” she grumbled as curiosity won and she picked up the first box.
With shaky hands, she untied the black ribbon and removed the silver wrapping. Inside was a black, leather box. Her hands shook as she lifted the lid to reveal the largest, emerald-cut, diamond earrings she’d ever seen.
“Zander, you shouldn’t have. These are gorgeous, and exquisite, and way too expensive,” Elsie said as she stared at the earrings.
These supernaturals lived in excess. They not only came from different worlds, but entirely different experiences. But, like any woman, she had always dreamed of owning such diamonds. When she met his gaze, she saw his emotions on his sleeve. Elsie knew to accept these gifts she was also accepting him. It wasn’t about the diamonds, but about her embracing him. She melted for entirely different reasons.
She turned around and cupped his cheeks. She saw him for the vampire he was; loyal, generous, fierce, protective, and loving, even if a bit bossy.
“They’re perfect. I love them.”
She smiled up at him as she handed him the earrings and accepted the next box. She unwrapped it, revealing a stunning bracelet. The design of delicate orchids in platinum was inlaid with diamonds, and it was breathtaking. She quickly opened the last box and saw that it contained a necklace that matched the bracelet.
“I’ve never been given such exquisite gifts, but I know it’s not the expense of a gift, but the intent behind them. Thank you. I love them!” she said.
Elsie wrapped her arms around Zander’s neck and embraced him. When she lifted her head and met his eyes, all reason slipped away. She was dangerously close to falling for this vampire.
Cailyn’s voice shattered their moment and Elsie blushed all the way to her toes. She blinked and looked over at her sister who was holding the earrings. “And, here I thought I was lucky that John went to Jared,” Cailyn remarked, as she looked at the jewelry and lifted her engagement ring, comparing the two. “These are gorgeous, El.”
“My brathair is ever the romantic one. Och, I hope my Fated Mate is as thoughtful,” Breslin commented, as she put the necklace on Elsie who was too busy staring at Zander.
“There,” Breslin patted her shoulder. “These look great on you, and the orchids draw the eye to your cleavage,” Breslin said with a wink.
What did Breslin mean about a Fated Mate? When Elsie looked to Zander to question her comment, she saw Zander ogling her breasts, and became hypnotized by his glowing eyes.
“Aye, the look is definitely eye-catching. I could eat you up, a ghra,” he husked.
“But, will it hurt?” she asked, as she looked from his eyes to the fangs peeking out from his lip.
Regardless of their differences, her body wanted what her body wanted.
“Alright, you two, if you keep this up we’re never going to make it to Confetti,” Orlando chided and pushed his way between them to give her a hug, earning a feral growl from Zander. Orlando quickly backed away, patting her shoulder.
“You look beautiful, cupcake,” Orlando said before informing her he got her a margarita machine so she would always have them on tap.
The others gave her wonderful gifts, as well, and made her feel special, but none held the meaning of Zander’s gifts. She felt truly pampered as Cailyn put the earrings in her ears and clasped the bracelet around her wrist.
After Dalton’s death, she thought her happy days were over. Her newfound joy was unexpected, yet welcome, and a kernel of hope blossomed over her future.
*****
Cailyn threw back her fourth drink then rushed back to join Elsie, Zander, Kyran and Breslin on the dance floor. The rest of the guys danced with them for a while, but eventually disappeared to the back area of the club. She smiled as she watched her sister dance.
It warmed her heart to see Elsie so full of life, relaxing and enjoying herself. Elsie deserved happiness and Cailyn wanted to see the ghosts of her past finally disappear. Between Dalton’s death and her attack, Elsie had hardened and become cynical. It was a relief to once again see the fun-loving sister she’d raised.
Cailyn, on the other hand, was wound tight as a drum, and couldn’t stop her search for Jace. Ever since meeting him in Elsie’s apartment two months ago, he remained in her thoughts. Why couldn’t she stop thinking about him? Yes, he was sexy, but it was crazy how thoughts of Jace consumed her.
It had even caused doubts about her engagement to John. Cailyn loved him, but thinking incessantly of another man went against her sense of integrity.
Still, she wanted to know everything about Jace. She knew he was a supernatural but not much more. Did he have fangs, or turn into an exotic animal? What was he like in bed? Did he have a girlfriend? Were his lips soft, or firm? Continually, her questions turned erotic, and it was frustrating as hell.
Cailyn tried to write off her interest as a by-product of how her mind worked. She was a visual person which came in handy when designing advertising presentations, but this fascination was more an obsession.
Shaking off her fantasies, she hip-bumped Breslin as she rejoined the group, and began dancing again. She watched Zander and Elsie together. They were all but making love on the dance floor. Their hands and mouths were all over each other and their bump and grind was on the verge of obscene. Cailyn had never seen her sister act that way.
Elsie and Dalton didn’t do public displays of affection, but Zander and Elsie simply couldn’t keep their hands off one another. They were two magnets drawn together, and Cailyn knew it was only a matter of time before they went at it. She heartily approved of her sister’s choice. The vampire obviously adored Elsie.
She felt something pull at her from behind. She danced a slow, sensuous circle and saw a long black hair across the room. She would know that braid anywhere. She fantasized about running her fingers through the silky strands. Her heart skipped a beat. It was Jace.
Suddenly, he moved to the side and she realized that he was kissing a woman. Cailyn stood there gaping at the sight as a heavy stone settled in her gut.
She was incensed at the passionate exchange between the two. Instantly, she wanted to rip the woman’s hair from its roots. How could he betray her like that? Jealousy ignited, and she took a step toward the couple.
Before Cailyn took her second step, she stopped. What the hell was she doing? She was acting ridiculous. There was no betrayal, nor was there a reason to be jealous. He could kiss any woman he wanted. Cailyn was nothing to him. She questioned her sanity as she fought back tears then turned and ran from the dance floor straight to the nearest bathroom.
She locked herself in one of the stalls, gritting her teeth against the tears threatening to spill over. None of this made any sense. Some unseen force that she didn’t comprehend was driving her. She took several deep breaths, trying to get a grip on her emotions.
Truth was, Cailyn didn’t even know Jace, and she was engaged to a wonderful man. John loved her and wanted a future with her. She should be satisfied with that, but, apparently, she wasn’t because she continued fixating over Jace and what he was doing with that other woman.
A soft rap on the door caused her to jump.
“Cai, sweetie, are you ok?”
Oh, God, it was her sister. Elsie was the last person she wanted to see. She would see right through any lie she attempted, and she had no desire for Elsie to find out about her obsession with Jace. She was ashamed of her behavior.
“I’m fine. Just needed to go to the bathroom.” Cailyn cringed at the crack of her voice.
“You don’t sound fine. You sound upset, and I want to know why. Please let me in,” Elsie pleaded.
As much as Cailyn wa
nted to hide for the rest of the night, she knew her sister wouldn’t leave. She unlocked the door and Elsie pushed it open. Elsie took one look at her and drew her into a hug.
“I’m PMSing, I think. Honestly, I don’t really know what’s wrong with me,” Cailyn admitted. That was as close to the truth as she could get. “It’s been so great to see you having fun, and I don’t want to ruin your night. Please don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Hey, you think the bartender could make me one of those Monsteritas you keep talking about?”
Elsie locked arms with her, and guided her out of the bathroom. “Zander is the Vampire King. I’m sure they will make anything he requests,” Elsie offered and they both laughed as they approached the main bar.
Cailyn vowed to keep her eyes off Jace and never think about him again but that lasted about two seconds. Her eyes roamed the club to see if Jace was still making out with that whore. When she didn’t see him, she wondered if they’d gone to a private room.
“Good, ‘cause I need about ten of them right now,” Cailyn blurted.
She wanted to get blitzed. The mere thought that Jace was in a room with another woman made her want to hunt them down, rip out the bitch’s hair extensions, and claw her eyes for touching what was hers. Now she was staking a claim to Jace? Heaven help her.
Elsie hugged her close. “You know what? I’m going to ask the others if they want to take this party back to Zeum. We can make drinks there. Zander made sure the kitchen was stocked with energy drinks and tequila for me.”
That sounded sublime to Cailyn. She didn’t want to watch Jace anymore and was grateful Elsie was okay leaving her party.
“Sounds perfect,” she said with a reassuring smile.
*****
Jace broke the kiss with the hot, little, feline shifter when he felt a peculiar zing zip through his body. It was odd because the sensation wasn’t about the female in his arms. He’d gone to Confetti to celebrate Zander’s mate and had no intention of hooking up with a female. Desire coursed through his body as he watched Zander and the others dancing. So when the shifter walked up, he grabbed her and shoved her into a nearby corner. Next thing he knew, they were all over one another.
As he looked at the sexy female, he ignored the familiar nausea and prayed, like he had thousands of times, to complete a sexual encounter. Each time he attempted intimacy of any kind with a female, he became sick. The electricity zipping through his blood was new and arousing. It made him rock-hard and in desperate need of release.
His hormones kicked higher and he returned to kissing the shifter, momentarily losing himself in the uncontrolled passion. He quickly unzipped his pants, freeing his erection, and reached up the female’s short skirt and pushed her panties aside. Unfortunately, as his shaft neared the female’s heat, it deflated and bile rose in his throat.
Goddess, not again. Just once he wanted to know the pleasure of a female. Before he had an opportunity to think further, Zander’s presence entered his mind.
“Where in the hell are you? Bluidy bastard, ‘tis my mate’s night, and you havena even congratulated her. I know you are here in the club somewhere, but we’re leaving now. You will be coming back to Zeum with us right now. I doona care what, or who, you are doing.”
“I’m sorry, Liege, I got side-tracked. I’m right behind you.”
What he couldn’t tell Zander, or anyone else, was that his nightmares plagued him nightly and he had jumped at the chance with this female when his body responded.
Thoughts of his nightmares led him to question why he’d felt such passion moments before his erection deflated. He’d never felt such desire but was certain the shifter hadn’t caused it. He could scarcely recall her name, he mused, as he zipped his pants and walked away, ignoring the female’s curses.
He hastened his steps, needing fresh air as bile rose again. He spotted his friends and fell into step at the back of the group, needing time to compose himself. He swallowed hard and willed the nausea away. He noticed Cailyn laughing with Elsie and his arousal returned full-force. She was delicate and stunning, her hazel eyes drawing him in. What was it about Elsie’s sister that intrigued him so?
Breslin ribbing Zander was a welcomed distraction. “Brathair, did you write down your mileage when we came in? I know you were a wee bit distracted by Elsie tonight. We wouldna want you to fuss the whole way home aboot the lads in valet joyriding in your Porsche,” Breslin teased as they walked to the exit.
“What are you talking about?” Elsie asked.
“I doona do that,” Zander snarled towards Breslin.
Elsie burst out laughing. “Did you just say goonie-goo-hoo?”
Suddenly, the laughter stopped and everyone fell silent.
Jace looked up and his gut hit the cement when he caught sight of an enormous archdemon, with an army of skirm, standing ten feet away.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Eyes wide with horror, Elsie stopped dead in her tracks, unable to grasp what she was seeing. She was mere feet from the ugliest creature she’d ever seen. It had gray skin, bright red hair, and sharp black horns on its head.
It had to be the devil himself sent straight from Hell.
Power radiated from its red eyes and sent chills down her spine. The creature was surrounded by at least fifty kids with fangs, and those familiar eerie eyes. She now had a name for them, and it wasn’t vampire. They were skirm.
Regardless of what they were called, it was a frightening sight, and brought back the terror she felt the night of her attack. As fear barreled through her system, Elsie reminded herself that she was trained to fight and was surrounded by powerful warriors that would protect her and Cailyn.
Still, panic crept in. There was no way their small group could defeat so many. Why didn’t she feel their presence? Elsie wondered if her premonitions had abandoned her. They had always heralded doom for her, and she took that as a sign that no one she loved and cared for was going to be lost this night. There was no room to believe anything else. She withdrew the blade from her thigh sheath and readied for battle.
“Kill the warriors and capture the king. We need him,” the huge devil ordered.
Elsie’s blood turned to ice when she heard the monster order the capture of Zander. No one was taking her vampire. She grabbed hold of Zander’s jacket, looking around frantically for her sister. Cailyn had no combat skills and was defenseless. She noted with dismay that the skirm had formed a circle, surrounding them. There was no chance of getting Cailyn back inside the club to safety.
Zander yelled out, “Bhric, Breslin, protect Cailyn. Orlando, Santiago, doona shift unless necessary. Elsie, stay close to me.” For once, Elsie was grateful Zander could read her mind as he ordered protection for her sister.
The next thing she knew, every warrior had a knife in hand, and Breslin had two. Where in that short, tight dress had Breslin hidden her knives? She made a note to ask her later how she managed that one.
Flashes of fire erupted all around as the warriors began killing skirm. Elsie swung out as one charged forward, and she nicked its arm. The thing howled in outrage. She ducked under his arms and came up right against his chest and plunged her knife home. A quick flame burst to fire then he was ashes on the wind.
She turned and saw Zander’s tight expression as he fought. “A ghra, you are going to be the death of me. Stay close to me where I can keep you safe.”
“I won’t be safe if I just stand there with a target on my back, Mr. Bossy Pants. I know how to fight. I want to fight. Now, stop barking orders, and pay attention.”
She didn’t miss the slight tilt to his lips. “Aye, Mrs. Bossy Pants.”
She was smiling as she took a moment to watch the fluid way these men moved. It spoke to their supernatural nature, and proved how fierce they were. Zander ducked his attackers and parried with such grace and confidence. He never hesitated, but dealt killing blow after killing blow.
She gasped when Zander picked her up and swung around, stabbing his knife into
the chest of a skirm, who was trying to get to her. She had to pay attention if she wanted to live through this.
When he put her down, she kicked a skirm in the gut and felt her spiked heel sink into flesh. Blood poured from the wound as they circled each other. It didn’t seem to faze or slow the skirm as he fought with tremendous strength. He caught her arm and she turned to avoid his swing. The hit landed on her shoulder. She thrust her knife into his chest and he turned to ash before she withdrew the blade.
Zander taunted the ugly devil as he sliced his way toward him. “Another lapdog of Lucifer’s? Why doona you come join the fun? My blades are itching for an introduction. Mark my words, you will die for this.”
“The name is Kadir, and I will be your downfall, Vampire King.”
Elsie’s head snapped up. Had Zander lost his mind, provoking that disgusting, evil demon with fangs the size of Santoku Knives? Incredulous, she met Zander’s eyes, and saw that his beautiful blues had darkened to an endless black pit. She trembled at the anger emanating from him in vast waves. He was no longer the thoughtful guy who brought her chocolates and gave her a car. He was a ruthless king slaying his enemies.
Momentarily caught up in each other, neither detected the skirm behind him. The glint of steel flashed in her peripheral vision. She screamed out when Zander twisted and grunted in pain.
A feral beast erupted inside her. No one was going to hurt her vampire. These creatures had taken Dalton from her, had attacked her, and now sought to take him. Not gonna happen. A shrill screech burst from her lips as adrenaline dumped into her system.
She shoved Zander aside and lunged at the skirm, driving the blade through its heart. Elsie watched as he flashed, uncaring that her fingers were singed from the intense heat. When the ash form remained in front of her, she savagely hacked at it, covering herself in its dust.
Bad Boy Billionaire Boxset: A Billionaire Romance Collection Page 19
