Out of The Shadows (Shadows Ascending Trilogy Book 2)
Page 16
“This really fucking sucks,” Lorelei murmured beside me.
All eyes turned toward my mate and I watched the heat creep up her chest to flood her cheeks. “What?” she exclaimed. “It does. Like Damius said, we have a crazy powerful Seraphim who also happens to be Nicolae’s mate that is siphoning off the powers of countless immortals and giving them to her psycho mother and that bastard Kristoff. Oh, and they still want to capture me to use me in a blood sacrifice to free some ancient evil Archangel. Who more than likely will destroy the entire world?”
Shaking my head, I wrapped my arms more tightly around her. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Theera,” I whispered into her ear and then gently nibbled on the lobe.
“So, what are we going to do?” Nicolae said, his face crestfallen.
“I need to confer with Leo on our options. He will have the most intelligence on the matter as well as the background.” At my growl, Damius sent me an arched brow look. “Don’t even start, Flane. You know as well as I do that Leo is one of the most gifted strategists that this world has ever seen. Every victory that we have had, has been because of his careful planning. We can’t go into this one halfcocked and guns blazing. As much as all of us would like to.”
Nicolae ran his hands through his sandy hair again and heaved out a frustrated sigh. “It is going to kill me to be away from her. I don’t know how you did it for so many years, boss,” he muttered under his breath as he leaned his head back and looked up toward the ceiling. “It almost killed me to leave her behind, but she insisted that I get Naomi and Casanova boy there, out.” He jerked his chin to Nathan.
“Why is everyone always calling me Casanova?” Nathan asked, his brow furrowed as he crossed arms over his chest.
“Because you are a player, a flirt and a bastard,” I bit out. I drew Lorelei closer into my body and wrapped a possessive hand around her throat. It was an asshole move, I knew it, but I needed to stake my dominance over her.
“Not anymore he isn’t,” Naomi said with hardened eyes. “At least, not without my permission he isn’t.”
Nathan’s eyes heated as he grasped Naomi’s hand and drew it to his lips. “Only for you, cara mia.”
“Someone stab me in the eye right now, I can’t take this shit anymore.” Damius slammed his palms on the table with a reverberating slam. “Everyone go their separate ways. We have a scheduled event on Saturday. It will allow me enough time to work with Leo on a plan. And fuck do I need to feed.”
“What type of event?” Nathan asked, and cocked his head to the side. He ran his hands up and down Naomi’s arm. They looked like the picture of a happy couple. Aside from the fact that they both looked like they had been to hell and back. Which they had.
“A stupid fucking party that Drya insisted on.”
A round of groans echoed in the room. Drya, being a succubus, loved to hold parties and mingle with people. She fed off the energy and more often than not, her parties turned into raging orgies. Normally, that would be something I would love to indulge in, but not with Lorelei. She was mine and mine alone.
“Lorelei’s first party at Drya’s,” Nicolae remarked with a hint of a smile on his handsome face. “This should be interesting to say the least.”
“You aren’t going anywhere unless Adreon gives you a clean bill of health. You almost died in there, Nic.” I looked to Adreon for agreement, but the doctor looked at me with a mixture of amusement and surprise.
He held his hands up in surrender. “We will run a few tests to make sure there are not any lingering effects from your time in captivity, but you seem to be healed up.” His hazel green eyes flicked toward his brother for confirmation.
Damius sighed and rolled his eyes. “Whatever, I don’t care. Adreon is the doctor. I’m just the skull crushing vampire.”
Lorelei hid her laugh behind a cough and snuggled further into my chest. She was still upset with me for blocking her out of my conversation with Nicolae. I’m sure I would be hearing about that when we got home, but I knew she couldn’t stay mad at me for long.
“That overconfident, huh?” she snickered at me mentally.
“Always, love.” I nipped her ear again. She yelped and squirmed on my lap.
“Seriously, everyone get the fuck out of here. I’m going now.” Damius gave us his middle finger as he walked out of the chamber.
“Wasn’t he just a little ball of sunshine today?” Nicolae slowly climbed to his feet and swallowed before turning his gaze to me. “Could I possibly get a lift back home? I don’t think I quite have the strength yet to manage shadow flight.”
“You are staying with us tonight. Someone needs to watch you and make sure that you don’t have any lingering side effects like Adreon said,” I insisted.
Aquamarine eyes flashed black for a moment before returning to their normal color. “Absolutely not. No offence, Vincent, but I don’t want to hear you fucking your mate all night when I am separated from mine.”
Kaniul stepped forward and put his hand on Nicolae’s shoulder. “How about you stay with me tonight?” The Egyptian’s amber gaze slid toward me for approval.
I nodded my acquiescence. “As long as he isn’t alone.”
“I’m not a fucking child,” Nicolae mumbled and crossed his arms over his wide chest.
“No, you aren’t, but you are someone that almost died today and has been through a severe trauma. You shouldn’t be by yourself,” Lorelei answered in her soft, soothing voice. She ran her hand down my arm and entwined her fingers with mine.
“Yes, mistress,” Nicolae rolled his eyes. “Are you going to give us all a lift back to his place or will you just leave us here to keep the other lovebirds company?” He stuck his thumb out to point out Nathan and Naomi who had proceeded to begin making out, not caring who was still in the room.
“Seriously? Get a room,” I growled. My arms wrapped around Lorelei’s waist and I set her on her feet before climbing gracefully to my own.
Naomi pulled away from Nathan, her eyes glowing with lust and unrestrained power. “We are going to have to get Drya or one of her captains over here to teach Naomi how to control her succubae abilities,” Kaniul said with a raise of his eyebrow.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and typed out a quick message to Drya to convey the situation. “Already one step ahead of you, Prophet.”
“Control my abilities, what are you talking about?” Naomi asked, still clinging to Nathan’s shirt as she settled into his lap. “Is there such a thing as a succubus vampire? I didn’t think that I could be turned if I had demon blood in me, or at least that is what Leo made it sound like.”
Now I was the one getting frustrated. I just wanted to get the hell out of here and put this day behind me. I wanted to bury myself in my mate all night long and forget about councils and evil demons, vampires, and imprisoned Archangels that wanted to destroy the world. My fingers tunneled through my hair, pulling at the blonde strands in frustration as I gritted my teeth.
“You had latent succubus abilities and blood running through your veins. I can imagine they manifest as your ability as a chameleon. Bastard Leo probably had some inkling of it, but just didn’t want to share it with you,” I snarled.
Lorelei elbowed me in the stomach to cut me off. “Vincent, stop ragging on Leo and just finish. I’m curious about this as well. So, demons can be turned into vampires?” she asked.
“If the demon blood is weak enough and the individual is mostly human, then yes, it is possible. With Naomi I would say she probably has an incubus or succubus as a grandparent. Only a quarter blood, which would account for some latent abilities, but nothing such as immortality or the need to feed. It would also mean you probably had an active sex life and enjoyed all aspects of carnal desires,” I finished on a smirk as a slight blush rose to her cheeks.
“So you are saying that one of my grandparents is a demon and that is why I have always enjoyed a lot of sex. Also, that is why I have been able to blend in and alter my appea
rance to some? Why is that?”
“As a succubus, you want to be desirable to your chosen partner. It is a power that is very common among demons of that line. Most can completely change their appearance and the most powerful can even change their gender to suit their partner’s tastes,” I added.
“Wow. That is crazy,” Lorelei said with wide eyes.
“Indeed.” I smirked as I raised her hand to my lips and pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. “What about your parents, Naomi? Did either of them have any abilities that you are aware of? Half bloods tend to be more powerful and many are even immortal. Demonic genes are strong and tend to overshadow human genetics.”
Pain penetrated Naomi’s mask of indifference for the briefest of moments before she composed herself again. “My parents were killed in a car crash when I was eight. I don’t remember much about them.” Her bright green eyes shone with tears that she desperately tried to hold back. Her lips thinned as she thought about her family. “My dad was really handsome, super charismatic and always happy. He loved my Mama and looked at her as if she were his moon and stars.”
“Your father was probably an incubus. What was his name? Did he ever mention his parents or their names?” I pressed her for answers, wanting to find out who had sired children and the startings of an entire line without my knowledge or sanction.
Naomi’s brow furrowed together and she pressed further into Nathan. It was a topic that physically distressed her, but we needed answers. And I wanted them fast so that I could get the hell out of here.
“My dad’s name was Dimitri. He never knew his mother, and said she died right after he was born. Anastasia and Aleksandr were their names.”
Nicolae’s aquamarine gaze shot straight through my heart. Anastasia. The timelines matched up. Naomi looked to be about twenty-five, and Anastasia had disappeared almost fifty-five years ago. With her father’s age, it would be logical that Anastasia could be her grandmother.
“Shit. Drya needs to know about this right away.” I scrubbed a hand over my face. She was going to freak out.
“Who is this Drya you keep mentioning and why does she need to know about me and who my grandparents were?” Naomi’s spine stiffened and Nathan wrapped his arms more tightly around her.
“Anastasia was Drya’s twin sister and one of the most powerful succubae that our world had before she disappeared without a trace about fifty-five years ago,” I said simply, with no embellishments of emotions behind my voice.
“Now that we say it out loud, I can totally see that she has the same color eyes as Drya and Stasia.” Nicolae looked pained at the mention of the lost succubus. They had been good friends and more than occasional lovers over the centuries. We had all assumed that her disappearance had been at the hands of The Syndicate, but it looks like she had run away because she had gotten pregnant. And she had died.
“Things just got way more complicated than we realized,” Kaniul said, his knowing amber eyes sparkling.
That was the understatement of the century, Egyptian. Understatement of the century.
Chapter 21
Lorelei
Vincent teleported Kaniul and Nicolae to his flat and then returned for me. His face pensive, he took my cheeks in his palms and kissed me soundly before pulling back and gazing into my eyes. Their intensity took my breath away. Red bled out from his irises and extended out into his sclera, swirling in a hypnotizing pattern.
“Vincent,” I breathed, hesitant. Waiting. Watching. Wanting him to make his next move.
The clearing of a throat broke the spell his haunting eyes held over me.
“Yeah, we are still in the room,” Nathan said, his voice thick with lust.
“Doesn’t seem to bother you,” Vincent murmured against my lips. His hot breath washed over my face, smelling of the peppermint candy he must have swiped from Kaniul’s flat on the way back here.
Nathan’s laughter reached my ears and I tucked my head into Vincent’s neck. “Let’s just get out of here, please. I don’t want to be here anymore. Not with him,” I growled.
It bothered me that Nathan was here. That he was a Guardian when he came to me at Ivan and Angelo’s club. Wait. Ivan and Angelo. “Vincent?” I asked, raising an eyebrow in question.
“Yes, love?” He blinked down at me.
“Ivan and Angelo. You said they were vampires, but did anything happen to them after…?” I trailed off, nibbling on my lip.
“They are perfectly fine. Still own the club in LA. Would love to see you back there one day. In fact, they do keep pestering me about it,” he grumbled. “Maybe we can use it as an opportunity to escape for a few days if you are up to it. Damius said that it was going to be a bit before he could get plans together and the party isn’t until Saturday.”
I swallowed thickly. Did I want to see Ivan and Angelo? They had treated me so well. I loved working with them at their club, even though I couldn’t visit it during operating hours until that fateful night. They both had loved me and taken me in, treated me like a beloved niece. One of the family.
“I think I would like that,” I whispered finally, nodding my head firmly.
“Lorelei, for what it is worth now, I’m so sorry,” Nathan pleaded with me.
Vincent’s eyes flashed fully red above me as he cut a murderous glance to Nathan. “I told you not to speak to her.” The demon had taken over his voice, layering the tones in a deep rattling power that reverberated throughout the room.
Nathan blanched and pulled Naomi behind him to protect her. “Vincent. I know what I did was wrong. But I think that we both can agree that I have paid the price for that now.” His green eyes glistened, haunted by his memories.
I laid my hand on Vincent’s chest. “Nathan, I’m not ready to have this discussion tonight. All of our emotions are a little too on edge and tensions are running high. Leave it be for now. Let me process things.” I gave him a wry smile. “Besides, you have a beautiful mate that you need to spend time with and get to know.”
Naomi peaked around his body, her green eyes blazing with need as she looked up at her mate. “Nathan, please. Adreon said he prepared a room for us. Lorelei is right. Tonight isn’t the time for this.” Her hand curled around his bicep.
Letting out a deep exhale, Nathan wrapped an arm around Naomi’s shoulders and drew her close into the shelter of his body. “Let’s go, cara.” They strode, arm in arm, through the door and away from Vincent and me.
Vincent pulled me back into his arms and kissed my temple. “Theera,” he breathed into my hair. “I need to get you home.”
I nodded and smiled at the thought.
Home.
With my mate.
It was a good feeling.
******
Firm hands wrapped around my thighs, prying them apart as a warm, wet tongue parted my damp folds. “Vincent,” I breathed as I threaded my hands in his hair. Consciousness returned to me slowly, my eyes opening to the dim light of the room and I dipped my gaze down to his head buried between my legs.
His blonde hair gathered in between my fingers, his two-tone eyes blazing with heat as he circled my clit with the tip of his tongue. “Good Morning, Theera,” he smirked, showing just a hint of his fangs before he drew my hard nub in between those perfect lips and sucked. Hard.
I threw my head back and screamed out my pleasure as my eyes rolled into the back of my head. The muscles in my thighs quivered in ecstasy and my heels dug into the mattress as I pushed my hips further into his face. “Fuck me. Now. I need you inside of me. Please,” I whimpered as his finger swirled inside of my tight channel. “More. I need more!” I screeched.
He clucked his tongue before raising his head from my pussy and planting soft kisses up my body. Slowly. He was going too slow. “Damn it, Vincent. I need you,” I growled, tugging on his hair again to try and force his head up toward mine.
“What an impatient little mate I have this morning,” he quirked his lips. “Are you hungry for more than just my cock?”
His eyes blazed with heat.
“Fuck. Yes.” I raked my nails down the flesh of his back, cutting deep enough to draw blood. The sweet aroma tickled my nose and enticed my senses. My fangs slid down in my mouth, itching to sink into his vein and gorge myself on his rich blood.
He rose over me, his gloriously hard cock pressing against my weeping pussy as he aligned our bodies together. “Is this what you want?” he asked, a grin splitting his lips as he worked his hips back and forth to tease me. His neck arched to the side as he exposed his throat for me.
“I’m in charge, little mate,” he breathed into my ear as he gathered my wrists and pinned them to the mattress above my head. “Take your fill of my blood.” He pushed his throat in front of my mouth, his throbbing pulse tantalizing me. “Of my cock.” His cock thrust inside of me in one brutal and swift motion. I cried out from the intensity, stars exploding across my vision. “Of everything that I have to give. But just remember that I am in command.”
His words made me shiver as the beginnings of a climax already racked my body. Just a few thrusts and his words and he already had me coming. This man—this demon—had me so completely wrapped up in his spell that I was utterly his. My fangs penetrated deeply into his flesh and my body jerked under his punishing rhythm. I floated on a cloud of ecstasy and pleasure. Wrapped in my mates embrace. His cock hammering inside of me. His blood dripping down my throat.
My teeth slid out of his vein as he threw his head back and roared out his own release, spilling deeply inside of me. His hands clutched tightly to the flesh of my hips. “Fuck, Theera,” he breathed as he rested his forehead against mine. Our bodies heaved, sweat dripping along our flesh as we rode out the high of our lovemaking.
His hands, so rough a moment ago, were gentle as they swept my damp hair away from my forehead. “I love you,” I whispered to him.
“I love you too,” he repeated.
This moment couldn’t be more perfect.
******
My mate wrapped an arm around my waist and dragged me toward the line that snaked around the block. Vamps is packed. The line was even longer than it was the night of my birthday several months ago.