by Laura Kaye
“Thank God,” she said.
With his blade, Kenric popped the locks and eased his mate into a sitting position. Blisters circled her wrists from the prolonged contact with the metal. She winced with each movement, and her pain echoed through his soul like it was his own. Based on the sounds of battle coming from outside the chamber doors, his team had arrived.
He ushered Emily to the edge of the platform, but they both skidded to a halt before the top step. Marguerite stood in the center of the room, glaring like a demon waiting for her next kill. She reached up, and with the flick of her wrist, a broad sword left the wall and flew into her waiting palm.
In an equal move, Kenric lifted his hand, pulling the second sword from its mount on the wall and into his palm. A strangled cry of war rent from his lungs as he sailed into the air. Marguerite raised her sword and deflected his strike above her head.
His boot struck the floor behind her. She whirled and lunged straight for his gut. He pivoted, but the blade sliced into his side. The hot flash of pain shot through to his spine. But he didn’t have time to assess the damage. Marguerite had drawn blood and was coming back for more.
They parried blow for blow, back and forth. The strike of steel on steel ricocheted off the plank floors. Years of buried anger, rage, and pain drove him.
Faster.
Harder.
He pushed Marguerite back. She dodged another swipe at her head, then leaped into the air, whirled, and came down behind him. Hyped up on Goran’s blood, the move was too fast for him to counter.
Her sword appeared at his neck. “I could so easily take your head, darling.” She pulled in, bringing the serrated tip to his throat. The sting of the blade said she’d nicked the flesh. “Why do you push me to such lengths? Was she worth it?”
“Marguerite!” The sound of Emily’s voice had them both whipping their heads to the elevated platform. Emily stood on the top step, a dark red vessel in her hand. She thrust a finger into the opening on top, then jabbed whatever she’d gathered on the tip into her mouth.
Christ! Had she found Goran’s blood?
Kenric’s heart surged to the back of his throat.
“Emily…what are you doing?”
“You bitch!” Marguerite hissed behind his head. “You cannot have them both.”
The hazel gaze that mesmerized him now glowed with a fire that he’d never seen. She lifted the fist-sized vessel up in her palm, holding it out before her. “I don’t want them both.” Emily shook her head. “Just one.” As if the world had suddenly slowed to half-speed, Kenric watched as Emily flipped her hand over, dropping the relic to the floor below. The jar slammed into the wood with a shattering crash that bounced off the walls, dueling with the cry that rang out behind him.
Marguerite dropped her sword from his neck, but lunged for his mate. Emily took to the air, her auburn waves billowing. She slammed into Marguerite, ducking her head inches from Marguerite’s broadsword. The sight trapped the air in his lungs. Marguerite lost her momentum and crashed to the ground along with Emily.
“Join me,” Kenric instructed in Emily’s head.
Kenric darted for her and grabbed his mate’s hand, pulling her back onto her feet.
Picture the wind in your mind. Emily glanced his way and gave a quick nod.
Now wrap it around Marguerite.
Together with his sword arm outstretched, the wind kicked up, rushing through the broken window with gale force. Dirt and loose debris funneled around Marguerite, the force lifting her several inches off the floor.
She whirled, a roar thundering up from her lungs as her long hair whipped across her face. Kenric squeezed Emily’s hand, and they dropped the now dazed vampire back to the floor. Somehow Marguerite managed to stagger, but regained her balance and she hoisted her sword once again. Seeing an opening, Kenric dropped his mate’s hand, swung his sword in an upward arc, connecting with her weapon and knocking it from her hand. His blow tumbled Marguerite to the floor as her sword flipped blade over hilt into the air, landing with a hard clank several feet away.
Both hands gripped the hilt of his sword, and with a cathartic roar, he lifted it overhead, preparing to erase the blight that had infested his life and the planet. In midswing, Kenric locked his muscles. He’d barely missed cleaving one of his warriors in half. Markus had materialized before him, blocking the intended path of his blade.
“What the hell are you doing?” Kenric shouted. His biceps trembled from his sudden restraint and the weight of the sword. “I almost killed you. Get the fuck out of the way!” Markus’s stoic face looked as if he’d recently stepped out of one hell of a battle. Two black eyes, and one side of his face was chewed with deep claw marks, giving every indication of a torture all his own.
“I won’t let you kill her, Kenric.” Marguerite eased up and against Markus, snaking her arms around him.
“What the fuck are you saying?” Kenric’s mind reeled. The image of the two before him…together… No!
“She’s mine.” Markus clutched the hands that stroked his chest.
Marguerite cocked her head to the side and lifted one curved black brow in Kenric’s direction. “You’ve lost more here than you’ll ever know, darling.”
Markus and Marguerite vanished.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Homecomings weren’t supposed to be bittersweet.
Emily was thrilled to be alive and have the love of her life at her side. Kenric had survived his encounter with Marguerite, but more importantly, he had severed the woman’s hold on him, and the possibility of Goran’s blood ever falling into another’s hands had been eliminated. The war still raged, yes, but a monumental battle had been won.
But there had been a price to pay.
The Enclave had lost a warrior: Markus.
The same man, she’d remembered after seeing his face, who had bumped into her outside the coffee shop the night of her first attack.
The same man, evidence revealed to the devastation of all the warriors, who’d orchestrated her attack and kidnapping.
He’d been working for Marguerite.
The entire ride home, Kenric had held her in his arms as she’d dealt with the aftermath of the ancient’s blood in her system. He’d soothed her with his presence, told her how much what she’d done had meant to him. But what he hadn’t spoken of, the pain of Markus’ betrayal, she wished she could take away. She held the key to incredible powers, thanks to him, though none were the antidote for that kind of hurt.
To make matters worse, upon their arrival, Arran had announced that he, too, would be leaving. He felt responsible for not picking up on the change in Markus. The Enclave wasn’t the right place for him, he’d said. He wanted out. Kenric had done his best to change the warrior’s mind, insisting Markus had fooled everyone. Not just Arran.
None of his arguments had made a difference.
One woman saved. Two warriors lost.
In the privacy of their bedroom, Emily wrapped her arms tighter around her mate, finding comfort in the warmth of his body pressed against hers. The steady rhythm of his heart beat in her ear.
“We’ll need to relocate.” Kenric’s rich voice brushed her skin. Emily lifted her head and rested her chin on the backs of her hands. “We can’t risk everyone’s safety since Markus has switched sides.”
“Do you have somewhere in mind?”
“South Carolina has been my home for two centuries, so I would prefer for us to remain in the state,” he said, then planted a kiss to her forehead. “Besides, after Marguerite’s recruiting efforts, a large number of DEADs will need to be mopped up around this area. I’ll have Michael contact a real estate broker and begin a search for available acreage.” He slid the backs of his knuckles down her sides, then placed his arms around her, hugging her tight. “We’re down two warriors, and finding vampires who are willing to make the kind of commitment it takes to become Enclave is difficult, to say the least. But I, Guerin, and Logan will get the job done. It’s who w
e are.”
“And it’s who I am, too,” she said. “You’ve got me. Always.”
His hands dropped low on her back, caressing the skin there. “And we’re going to be fine, Wildflower.”
“I know we will.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “In fact, I’ve got to call work and let them know when I’m coming back. I don’t want to quit my job. Maybe I’ll just cut back to part time. You never know when being on staff there could be beneficial to us. Looks like I’ll be on permanent night shifts.” Emily turned her smile into her best devilish grin.”
“That’s very true. Look how it worked out for you and me.” His hands darted lower and gave her ass a squeeze, making her yelp.
“You are so bad.”
“And don’t you forget it.” His voice dipped into that lazy growl that got her juices flowing, but first, she had to get something off her mind.
“Kenric?”
“Hmm?”
“Marguerite’s last words—they keep buzzing in my head. What do you think she meant when she said, ‘You’ve lost more here than you’ll ever know?’”
“I’m sure she truly believes me not mating with her is one of the biggest mistakes of my existence. And that I will have lost an incredible opportunity or something to command a colony of minions.” He kissed the top of her head. “Christ, who knows what her mind saw for us? But nothing could be further from the truth.” His hands left her back, blazing a path along her curves until his fingers brushed the sides of her breast. “I’m exactly where I belong.”
His gaze darkened, and without warning, he rolled her on her back. “You are everything to me. When we blended, you were so afraid that something would go wrong and I wouldn’t come back. But the truth is, that night, you’re the one who gave me life. For the first time in centuries, I truly wanted to live.”
His lips singed hers. She opened her mind and allowed the provocative sensations of their bond to wash over her.
She didn’t know how she had ever made love without this euphoric rush.
Kenric’s thoughts filled her mind, guiding her to the sensitive areas of his body that drove him mad. Likewise, his movements followed every desire she relayed. Her mate knew exactly how she liked her nipples sucked. He engulfed the entire areola with his mouth, bringing the bud into an instant hard crest, and with the roughness of his tongue, he stroked the sensitized point.
Within minutes, he had her writhing. Aching.
“Fill me now, Kenric. I want you inside me, a part of me again.”
He lifted her legs, placing her calves over his shoulders. The head of his cock brushed her pussy, wringing a pleasure-filled gasp from her throat. She gripped his biceps, digging in her nails as the exquisite burn of penetration stretched her.
“God, yes!” she cried out.
“You feel so damn good,” he groaned. “I love you.”
Slowly and thoroughly he made love to her. Bringing her to climax again and again, until she thought she’d die from the pleasure.
Emily collapsed onto her pillow, and Kenric plopped down beside her. She’d never walk again. Maybe never move again, period. Her mate’s fingers played in the curls of her hair. She grinned, knowing she’d never been happier in her life.
“I have something for you.” He rolled to his side of the bed and reached for the nightstand.
“Kenric, you’ve already given me more than I ever dreamed possible.” The man was unbelievable. She had nothing to offer him but her love. Yet he kept giving.
An envelope sat in his hand when he turned. “Here, I want you to have this.” He stretched his arm out and placed it on her chest.
Emily slid her fingers around the edges and picked it up. “What is this?”
“Open it.”
She gave him a puzzled look. What in the world had he done?
“Can’t a mate surprise his woman?”
“Your woman…” She giggled. “You are a total caveman.”
“And you love it,” he said in that beautiful, deep timbre of his that turned her liquid. Suddenly, he leaned forward and nipped her breast.
“Ouch!” She popped the top of his head with her hand.
He rolled back, melting her heart with the warmth of his smile. “Open the envelope, woman.”
“Fine.” She laughed and sat up before tearing open the seal. A single piece of folded paper lay inside. She pulled it free and unfolded the document. Impossible.
Tears welled and distorted the words before her, but she’d seen enough to know what she held in her hands. Her heart fluttered.
The deed to her condominium.
“Kenric St. James…” Emily lifted her head long enough to glimpse his face. He beamed. “How did you know? And when did you do this?”
“I overheard your…conversation with Jeff about what you’d had to do because of that bastard. I could tell how much that place meant to you.” He brushed her wet cheeks with his fingertips. “You deserve to own it free and clear, and I wanted to make sure it happened. So I made a few phone calls. This came today.” He leaned in and gently kissed her. His lashes tickled as he mapped her face with his soft lips. “I take it you’re happy,” he whispered at her jaw.
She nodded. Her emotions spilled free, unhampered by the fear of rejection or retribution from the master vampire who could so easily control her every move. Kenric sucked in a hard breath. His gaze sought hers, eyes darkened from the overload of both their deepest desires.
Through their bond, she shared everything. It was wonderful. Miraculous. She’d found freedom in allowing herself to become bound.
“Thank you for my gifts. Your forgiveness. There are no words needed, I can feel it in my heart.” She gently placed a palm against the coarse shadow of his beard. “You continue to amaze and surprise me at every turn, and I couldn’t love you more. This deed…” She glanced at the paper, then back at Kenric. “It really does mean a great deal to me. But you, my love…” She slipped her hand behind his neck, stroking her fingers through the short hairs at his nape. “Wherever you are, that is my home. No matter what city or town, you and the Enclave are my sanctuary.”
Did you love Kenric? Check out the rest of the Enclave series by Jessica Lee!
Acknowledgments
This book would not have been possible without the support and friendship of some very special people in my life:
The ladies of We Are The Women Writers: Lanna, Julie, Mur, and Naima. You rock!
The Carolina Romance Writers: I’m so proud to be a part of such a wonderful group of authors. Your encouragement and advice have meant the world to me.
Lanna Lejeune: Your wonderful insight and never-ending patience, during many a late-night phone call, have truly been a blessing. You are an angel.
Annette Hill: Everyone should be so lucky to have a friend like you. Thank you so much for your support and encouragement. I know you’ve always got my back.
About the Author
Almost every author’s bio states they’ve been writing since they learned to read. It’s what they’ve always wanted to do. Well, my journey wasn’t so straight and narrow. I’ve been a nurse for more than twenty years and hold a bachelor’s degree in Science with a major in Biology. So, as you can see, my career path had originally gone in the opposite direction. I didn’t discover my passion for the craft until after I’d had my son and decided to work part-time.
I’ve always loved to read but had never read a paranormal romance. Then one night at work on break, I began reading Karen Marie Moning’s Spell of the Highlander. I couldn’t believe what I had been missing and I immediately fell in love with the genre.
I wanted to write like that. I wanted to create worlds that others could find the same excitement in, as I did, when I read my first sensual, paranormal romance.
And I hope that is what I’ve accomplished in my work. Please dive in, hold on tight, and enjoy the adventure. Just be careful in the dark; you might find more than you expected waiting for you there. *wink*
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Jessica Lee lives in the southeastern USA with her husband and son. She loves writing, and can’t wait for that quiet time each day when her son is in school and she can get lost in another place and world with the fantastical, sexy creatures in her head.
She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, FF&P, and Carolina Romance Writers.
www.jessicaleenovels.com
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Read the Novels of the Enclave by Jessica Lee
Undying Embrace
Arran MacLain is a vampire on a suicide mission, driven to kill his former partner who betrayed him and the Enclave they served. But two things stand in his way: Gabrielle Stevens, the human female who holds his heart, and the past that won’t let him go. When Gabrielle’s hunt for her missing sister brings her face to face with Arran, their missions combine and thrust them into the heart of evil. Will their passion be enough to overcome the pain from their past, or will their dark desires destroy them both?
Undying Desire
He gave up his soul for a second chance to love her…
Two and a half centuries ago, Calisto Terana lost everything when a zealous priest murdered the woman he loved. Now, desperate for another chance to love her, he wants redemption for the mistake that cost her life.
She’s haunted by dreams of her own death…
After catching her fiance with another woman, Kate Bradley returns to San Diego to clear her head. The last thing she needs is romance, but after meeting Calisto she’s drawn to him in ways she doesn’t understand.
