Wow. Had it really been that long ago?
“I called Ivan and let him know we were coming. He put extra security in place for the occasion. Said business had been booming since a couple bands had been discovered here recently. Made it big and now everyone wants to be seen here,” Vincent said, absently running his hands up and down the skin of my bare arm.
I hummed my approval and slipped my hand under the fabric of his long, black duster style jacket. My palm slid around his waist and cupped his firm ass. He chuckled and swatted my own firm globes before nipping my ear in warning. “Unless you want to find yourself pushed against a wall with your skirt pushed up and my cock buried inside of you, I expect you to behave, little one.” His hot breath fanned over the side of my face as he whispered the words into my ear.
It was a cool night for October in Los Angeles, but I was burning up from Vincent’s words and heated touches. “Behave,” I scoffed. “You should behave too,” I added as a coquettish smile danced across my lips.
He brought my fingers up to his mouth and nibbled on the pads. “I should know better than to ask you to behave, my little troublemaker.”
“How did your conversation with Drya go this morning?” I asked, knowing that he spoke with the succubus regarding the connection that we had discovered between her and Naomi.
He sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Not well. She requested to see Naomi immediately—which of course Damius denied—then proceeded to rant and rave at me about how long it took me to call her and inform her of the news.”
“Twelve hours is not that long,” I said, defending him.
His red eyes regarded me with concern. “If I look at it from her perspective, it is a long time to withhold the information. This is her last family connection and I didn’t tell her about it. Although after Damius and I explained that she had recently found a bond mate, she understood that Naomi would need some time and space. We all agreed to wait until the party this weekend to make the introductions.”
Nodding in agreement I said, “That makes sense. Gives everyone time to cool off. Also gives Nathan and Naomi a few days to work out their…” I trailed off, looking for the right word.
Vincent chuckled. “Work out their sexual tension, love. I think that is the phrase you are looking for.” He brought me close into the shelter of his arms and kissed my temple. “Newly bonded pairs, be they with an incubus or Nephilim, are extremely volatile and require nurturing. Just as ours did.” His lips moved down to kiss my eyes, nose and then finally my lips.
A broad smile tilted my lips as I stood on my tip toes and pressed my lips firmly into his before pulling back. “I love you, my Seraphim mate.”
“And I love you, my Nephilim mate. Now let’s go before Ivan and Angelo send a search party out for us.” He smiled warmly down at me and we made our way down the street.
We entered the club through the large black doors and were escorted up the stairs to the VIP section by a large bouncer dressed entirely in black.
“Varobushek!” Ivan’s thick Russian accent was music to my ears as he approached us and pulled me out of Vincent’s arms to gather me in a firm embrace. The familiar endearment that he always used for me made warmth shoot through my body. I was always his little sparrow, he said. “I have missed you terribly.” His thick arms squeezed me, engulfing me in their warmth before lifting me from the ground and twirling me in a circle.
“I’m so glad you are safe, little sparrow. That our Vincent has finally found you and claimed you as his.” The words caused my throat to thicken and moisture to pool in my eyes.
“Thank you, Ivan. I have missed you and Angelo as well.” He set me on my feet at the sound of Vincent’s rumbling growl.
“That is quite enough, Ivan. Vincent looks about ready to murder you where you stand,” Angelo said with a smirk on his face as he joined us and took me into his arms. “It’s good to have you back, Lore.”
“Thanks, Angelo. Good to be back.” I smiled up at him and tucked a stray strand of dark hair behind my ear. I was a little overwhelmed with the greeting. I adored Angelo and Ivan, but after finding out that they were supernaturals and had been put in place to watch me after I moved to LA, I had been hurt.
“Lorelei, that look is breaking my heart,” Ivan said, his hand grasping mine and placing it over his chest. “What may have started out as an assignment to watch over you, turned into so much more. You are a darling young woman. We saw it from the moment you walked into our club.”
“It hurts, Ivan,” I paused, swallowing and gathering my composure, “knowing that the people that I thought were friends—people that actually cared about me—were just placed into my life to watch over and protect me. I don’t know if you really do care about me. How can I believe it?”
“Theera,” Vincent whispered into my mind, flooding me with his warmth and calming presence. It was a familiar argument. A familiar insecurity. But it was one that I still had trouble with. How would I ever really know?
“Lorelei,” Angelo sighed. “You have to trust your instincts. Your mother taught you that, correct?”
I nodded and thought carefully about his words.
“What do your instincts tell you about us, hmm? Are Ivan and I bad guys? Did we do this just to appease the council or to broker a favor?” His soft eyes burned as he gazed at me. Hurt flickered in their depths, just beneath the surface for a moment before he blinked and washed it away. He was right. I had never sensed one thing bad about these two men.
“I’m sorry that I doubted you. It is difficult to come to terms with,” I admitted softly.
“Sparrow, we don’t blame you at all. We just want you to trust us and believe that we care for you. We will always be here for you if you have a need for us,” Ivan whispered and brought my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles.
“You are like the daughter we never had, little one. We would never harm you. In fact—” Angelo pined Ivan with a harsh stare. “—both of us were against Nathan being appointed your guardian in the first place, but we were overruled just like Vincent. We have our hierarchy just like everyone else. They convinced us that it was in your best interests.”
Ivan and Vincent both growled. Ivan held up a hand to stop Angelo from his next thoughts. “The past is in the past, Varobushek,” he said softly. His eyes brightened and he clapped his hands together. “Let’s forget these morbid thoughts. Drink. Dance. Be happy!”
Rolling my eyes, I embraced Ivan once again and savored his words. Vincent gazed down at me from beneath his long lashes, his eyes warm with emotions as he watched me with Ivan and Angelo. Ivan passed out shots of vodka—because what Russian man would be caught dead drinking anything else—and we quickly downed them before Vincent dragged me out onto the dance floor.
His hard chest pressed against my back as we swayed along to the industrial beats. The perfect blend of metal and techno made my mind shed all the worries of the last few weeks and just relax into my mate’s embrace. It was the best feeling in the world. To be able to just let go.
“This was a great idea,” I whispered into his mind.
He pressed a kiss into my neck, just above my pulse and I rocked my ass back into his growing erection. Gods, would I ever get enough of this man? My arms reached back and my fingers threaded into his hair. The soft strands felt like silk against my skin. He slid his palm up my hip to settle over my belly, pressing me back against him.
“You always drive me crazy,” he breathed into my ear. His voice carried over the loud music as if he whispered it directly into my mind as well.
Angelo and Ivan interrupted us by pulling us off the dance floor and back to the round booth where we started the evening. We spent the night drinking, laughing and having a good time. The trials and tribulations of the past weeks washed away as I was enveloped in Vincent’s arms, enjoying my time with Ivan and Angelo.
It was the perfect evening.
I rolled my head back to gaze up into Vincent’s smoldering ey
es and smiled. He was utterly perfect. My fierce demonic Seraphim. Ready to go to the ends of the Earth to protect me. I couldn’t ask for more.
“I love you,” I whispered fiercely and pressed my lips to his.
He pulled back with a large smile plastered on his face. “I love you too, Theera.”
Epilogue
Akakaios
I looked down at my daughter. Laughing. Dancing. Enjoying her time with her mate. My heart ached with the knowledge that her trials were just beginning. She deserved this small slice of happiness before the real battle began. My wings twitched along my back, the feathers ruffling as my muscles jerked. Gods, I wished this could be different. I wish the fates would be kinder to my Lorelei.
“You are thinking entirely too hard, love.” Morgana’s lyrical voice soothed my emerging temper like water extinguishing a flame. Her smooth hand slid over my back in between my wings, making me groan in pleasure at the contact.
“She is dancing. Laughing. It has been so long since she has done that,” I said absently as I reached back to capture her hand and bring it to my lips.
Her green eyes turned down toward the pool where I had reflected the images of Lorelei and Vincent at the club called Vamps. “She does look so happy right now.” Her eyes squeezed together tightly, her face becoming pained as she thought of the future. And of the past. Of the trials that our girl has already faced and those that still awaited her.
“Our girl is strong, Morgana. She will survive this.” I gathered her into my arms and placed a gentle kiss on her temple.
“I know Kai,” she whispered. She was the only being in existence that could get away with referring to me as Kai.
I turned to face her and cupped her cheeks in my palms, tilting her head until her eyes met mine. “We have ensured that all of the pieces have been put in place. There is nothing more that we can do other than to wait.”
She laid her hand over mine and turned to place a kiss on the inside of my wrist. “That is the worst part, Kai. Everything is going to happen so soon.”
“Her mate is strong. She is powerful,” I said firmly.
“She will fulfill her destiny and finally embrace the shadows.”
Vincent and Lorelei’s story will conclude in Embrace The Shadows, coming soon to Amazon….
About the Author:
Jenn D. Young is a native of Washington, currently living in Arizona. She has always dreamed of writing about the characters that have been floating around in her head. Ever since the age of 14, she has been obsessed with romance novels and reading them as fast as she can get her hands on them. Her first love is Paranormal Romance, but she enjoys stories from all across the genre. You can typically find her listening to music or an audiobook, reading, or hanging out with her dogs Hermes and Loki.
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Other works by Jenn D. Young:
Into The Shadows
Book One in the Shadows Ascending Trilogy
Available in Kindle Unlimited!
https://books2read.com/intotheshdws
Lorelei
I’ve lived my life on the run. Always looking over my shoulder. Waiting for the day that they would find me. Everyone I have ever loved has been ripped from me until I have nothing left but memories and dreams.
His voice haunts me.
Stirs me.
Makes me yearn for him.
My demon prince from my dreams.
But will I ever find him?
And if I do, will I be able to maintain control over these abilities that are manifesting, or will they control me?
Of Love and Dragons
Book One of the Dragonkyn Mates Series
Available in Kindle Unlimited Now!
https://books2read.com/oflvanddragons
Aleria
They came to our world a decade ago looking for refuge. Many opened their arms in welcome, but not all. Forced to do the bidding of an organization bent on their destruction, my goal was simple. Get in, take what I need, and get out. My sister's life depended on it.
That all changed the moment we met. The attraction was intense, overwhelming, undeniable.
Now, I must decide between his love and my sister’s safety.
How do I choose?
Xander
For weeks my dreams were haunted by glimpses of a woman. A flash of hair, a glimmer of eyes, but nothing could have prepared me for the moment I laid eyes on her. Aleria.
She is my destined mate. The other half of my soul and the anchor of my existence. She sets my blood on fire with a simple touch.
When a secret she's been hiding is revealed, I will do anything to protect her.
Will she trust me to stand by her side?
Dragon’s Redemption
Book Two of the Dragonkyn Mates Series
Available in Kindle Unlimited!
https://books2read.com/dragonsredemption
Born with a rare condition, my life has been one of monotonous solitude. When my sister mates with a Dragonkyn prince, everything changes. In the dead of night, I'm whisked away from my home by a handsome stranger.
My sister tells me I’m safe, that her mate and his twin brother will take care of us. Drake, the handsome stranger who rescued me, is my new doctor and promises to heal my body. For years, he keeps me at a distance.
Until I turn twenty-one and the truth is revealed - we're fated mates, destined to be together.
But an enemy from our past returns and threatens our future. Can we learn to love and trust this new bond that we share or will our nemesis destroy it?
Vincent and Lorelei’s story will conclude in Embrace The Shadows, coming soon to Amazon….
https://books2read.com/embracetheshadows
Lorelei
Our lost soldier has been found, but a new enemy has emerged within The Syndicate. War is upon us and we must prepare for the fight of our lives. New allies appear, but can they be trusted?
As events unfold, and the battle rages, my powers spin out of control. Can I harness them, or will they be our downfall?
Vincent
The calm before the storm. As enemies rise and shift, someone I thought long-dead returns to threaten the balance. As I work with Lorelei to control the power building inside her, new allies join the fight. With Archangels and The Syndicate breathing down our necks, can we really win this war?
Lines are drawn. Battles will be fought. We must win or everything is doomed.
Can we embrace the shadows, or will they consume us?
Out of The Shadows (Shadows Ascending Trilogy Book 2) Page 17
