Lydia gasped and backed up into my chest, turning to burrow her face into my coat. Her tiny hand tangled up into my shirt. “That…that’s him. The son. His name is J…Jerry. He’s the one that wanted to kill me. His father is the one that wanted my blood…told his son to ‘get the vial’.”
“And you are sure, doll?” I asked. “This is the man that attacked you?”
“Y…yes, Ashby,” she growled. “I…I can’t look at him anymore. Please take me away from here.”
She’d been so hell bent on confronting the human that attacked her, but once she actually laid eyes on him, Lydia didn’t want to be this close anymore. Her body shook, and the scent of fear rolled off her in waves, causing my protective instincts to ignite. I had to remember that I couldn’t go into that room and tear that man to shreds.
I knocked on the glass twice, telling Powle that we were done. He led the suspect out of the room as I gathered her in my arms.
“You did great,” I praised her. “Let’s go get some things from your home, and we can spend the rest of the night relaxing at my home…our home.”
She didn’t say anything as I tucked her protectively against my side and left the station.
Chapter 11
Lydia
I woke up in the bed of a warrior. It was strange not being in my own room. Ashby had been very accommodating after we’d returned to his home with my belongings. I didn’t take everything, just a week’s worth of clothes, my toiletries and my laptop. We were mated, but I asked to keep the spare bedroom to myself. Ashby said that I could, but the tick in his rugged jaw had me thinking he didn’t like it very much.
I needed my privacy. The idea that we’d mated so damn quickly caused questions to filter through my mind about the why’s, how’s, and what the hell’s! Why did it happen after one time making love? I shivered remembering that it was the hottest sex I’d ever experienced. How were we going to proceed from here? Did he use the excuse of my safety to keep me at his home? Why was I being paranoid? How the hell did this all happen so fast?
After I pulled on a robe over my naked body, I sat in the bed for a long time asking myself stupid questions and not finding any concrete answers to my chattering mind. I kept the pillow hugged tight to my body and just told myself to let things roll, but I couldn’t shake the confused feeling I was constantly under concerning the whole mating thing.
Walking over to the closet, I retrieved my jeans and a Nights shirt so that I could get ready for work. I stumbled as I turned from the closet and cursed loudly when my knees hit the floor. Ow, that hurt!
“Lydia,” Ashby gasped from the doorway to the room I was using. His face had paled even more than his normal skin tone. “What happened?” He immediately had me in his arms.
“Dizzy,” I said, rubbing my temples. “Not sure. I feel weird, Ashby.”
I could feel his anxiety, and it left a bad taste on my tongue. Cool hands stroked my hair, my face. Quickly, Ashby laid me on the bed and rolled me over onto my stomach.
“What are you doing?” I asked into the pillow.
“Checking where the bullet wound was,” he muttered as he lifted my auburn hair out of the way. I sucked in air through my teeth when he pressed on the already healed area. “It’s hot to the touch.”
“What the hell does that mean?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he said, averting his eyes. “Let me see the others.”
Carefully, he rolled me over onto my back and untied the sash of my robe, parting it to see the spot where I was staked between my breasts. His eyes softened as he trailed his cool fingers over the now healed spot, “It’s okay, baby.” We both breathed a sigh of relief, but mine was short lived, because I suddenly weakened, everything around me started to blur.
“Ashby,” I moaned, reaching up to grab hold of his bulky shoulders.
“What is it?” he demanded, his voice vibrated throughout the room.
“I…I’m weakening,” I whispered.
Immediately, my face was pressed to his neck, “Feed, dammit! Do it now!”
I used what little strength I had left to score his neck, moaning from the taste of his warrior blood as it drained from the wound directly into my mouth. The first swallow gave me a jolt of adrenaline that traveled through my body, causing it jerk in his arms.
“Drink more,” he said, rubbing circles on my back. “I want you to feed as much as you can stand. One sip is not going to make things better,” he insisted.
I drank until my gut was almost overflowing. His blood coursed through my veins, giving me much needed strength.
“Better?” he asked, still worried.
“Much,” I sighed. “Thank you.”
“We need to have you looked at,” he said, stroking the hair away from my face. My robe was still open, exposing my body to his gaze.
Ashby’s eyes flickered down to the skin between my breasts, the stake wound all but vanished. As I sat in his lap, my parted robe revealed my stomach and my sex, one fold of the material had fallen away to show my left leg. Ashby ran his huge hand up my thigh and under the robe to trace the skin at my waist. His hand stopped on my side beside my left breast, his thumb tracing circles on the outer flesh.
“Doll,” he swallowed. “I’m worried about this.” I stopped him with a finger to his lips.
“I’m fine,” I assured him, but I could tell that he wasn’t convinced. “I just got weak. Until we know more about this enchantment, I’m just going to have to keep a better focus on myself. If I feel anything out of the ordinary while I’m at work, I promise to call you immediately.”
“Work,” he growled, his mated eyes flashing with concern. “Do you have to go?”
“Do you?” I asked, raising a brow. Oh, if he thought he was going to make me stay here at the estate under lock and key, then I’d pack my shit and take my ass right back to my house. I didn’t care if I had to walk,
“Yes,” he scowled. “I have to work.”
“And so do I,” I cursed. “You can’t keep me from my business, my work. It’s the only thing I’ve done that I can honestly say that I love.”
“You know,” he paused, looking a little afraid at what he wanted to say. “You are technically a Lady of the Krieger. You will be appointed guards.”
“I’ve been waiting on that,” I grumped, crossing my arms over my chest. “Who is the lucky sucker?”
“I haven’t decided yet,” he cleared his throat. “I’m going over applicants.”
“You’ve put out an ad!” I crossed my arms across my chest, glaring daggers at him. “I’m not a job!”
“Hey,” he said, kissing my temple. Damn, I wanted to be mad at him, but when he held me, the anger fled away and was replaced with lust. “I want the best to keep you safe.”
“Can I go to work now?” I asked, pushing away from him.
“I’ll drive you,” he said, turning for the door. I really wanted to throw something at him.
“No, you don’t,” he laughed.
“Quit reading my mind,” I yelled.
Forgetting the dizzy spell and the promise of a babysitter, I grabbed my things and headed to the SUV for a ride to work.
Meadow and Jackson had already arrived by the time Ashby pulled up at the back of the building. He parked next to the door and followed me inside. Jackson slid my well needed drink across the bar as I walked by, scooping it up before it came to a stop. My steps didn’t slow as I made my way to the hallway leading to my office.
My office was devoid of any personal items. It was a sterile room, only a desk and three chairs; one for myself and two for whoever was in my office. A file cabinet sat to my right. The computer and lamp were the only things on my desk. I liked things minimal and tidy. I didn’t like clutter.
“Are you going to ignore me all night?” he asked, taking a seat at the corner of my desk. His long legs kicked out in front of him, crossing his legs at his ankles. Ashby wore his black denim jeans that hugged his thick, muscular thighs. Th
e black Krieger shirt stretched across his bulky chest. His name was stitched on the pocket over his heart. He wore no jewelry, only a leather wrap bracelet that looked older than myself. His blonde hair was cropped short to his head, almost military-like in style. His golden yellow eyes, that matched my own, held a hint of worry. Over what? There were so many reasons, I could only guess. Either it was my anger at the babysitter he’d placed an ad for or the fact that some redneck group of vampire haters were after my blood, along with others of our kind.
“I’m not a child to be babysat,” I huffed, folding my arms over my chest.
“No, you’re not,” he said, squatting down next to my desk. He spun my chair where I was facing him, pulling it between his knees. He took my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. “This is for your safety, love. I need you to be safe. I want the best to protect you when I cannot. Please be nice to whoever I send for you. It’s for my own peace of mind as well. I can’t concentrate on my job, finding these humans, if my mind is constantly on you. It could cause me to slip up and get hurt…or worse.”
He had a valid point. Fuck! The last thing I wanted was for him to get hurt because he was daydreaming about me.
“Okay,” I whispered, accepting his offer. “But, I want someone who doesn’t bitch or complain when I want to hit the mall during the night.”
“So,” he laughed, but pinched his lips together when I scowled. “You want someone who likes to shop?”
“No,” I said, rolling my eyes. “They don’t have to like to shop, they just need to be able to tolerate going with me.”
“That can be done,” he smiled, leaning in and capturing my lips.
The kiss started out sweet and innocent, but soon our bodies flared to life and our breathing deepened. The next thing I knew, he’d turned us around, and I was lying flat of my back on the desk.
“We can’t do this here,” I hissed, my eyes flicking toward the door. Ashby moved super-fast, locking the door and returning to hover over me in less than one second.
“Now we can,” he grinned. “I need you.”
I let him strip me with his superhuman speed, divesting my clothes and his, in a matter of seconds. Ashby stepped back and moaned, “Beautiful,” before trailing his large hands up the insides of my thighs. Ashby made me feel sexy just from the way he looked at me, devouring me with his eyes.
There was no work up to this. He thrust deep inside me seating himself completely in one push. I moaned from the feel of him stretching me, marking me. Leaning over, Ashby captured my lips, his fangs nicking my lip as he kissed me frantically. My own fangs lengthened, and I hissed as he hit the spot in my sex that made my womb quiver with need for him.
“My mate,” he moaned as he trailed kisses down my jaw, my neck. We’d already fed earlier, but my need for his blood was just as powerful as our need for each other’s body.
I struck his vein with a hiss. The blood flowed into my mouth, strong and powerful.
“That’s it, love,” he whispered, still pounding into me causing another orgasm to strike my core. “Drink. Ah, fuck.” I felt him swell inside me, his hardness stretching me. I released his vein and quickly wiped my tongue over the wound sealing it.
The moment he sank his fangs into the blood source at my neck, fireworks erupted in my vision, the ache in my sex turned into sheer desire as I lifted my hips off the desk to give him better access to thrust into my wet channel.
“Yes,” I purred. It didn’t matter that we were in my office, and I was spread out on the top of my desk. It didn’t matter that Ashby was taking me like a beast. It didn’t even matter that blood flowed from our necks because we were too wrapped around each other to care that the wounds were not closed yet. No, nothing mattered, because I felt safe with my mate’s arms caging my body protectively while we cursed out our release.
Ashby pumped once, twice and then, he collapsed on top of me, but rested most of his weight on his elbows. He buried his face in my neck, kissing the spot where he’d fed.
“Are you okay?” he asked, finally looking me in the eyes. His skin felt slightly warmer than usual as I ran my fingers over the bumps and ridges in the muscles on his massive arms.
“I’m fine,” I frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry,” he shook his head. “I took you like a monster.”
“No, you didn’t,” I assured him, stroking my fingers down his jaw. I laughed when he took my finger into his mouth and playfully nipped it with his teeth.
“I’m addicted to you, your scent,” he smiled. “It drives me wild.”
“Mmm,” I said, closing my eyes as he began to clean the blood from my neck and the top of my breasts with his tongue.
“What does ‘mmm’ mean?” he teased, pressing his lips to the spot between my breasts.
“I feel the same way,” I admitted. “You smell amazing.”
A knock on the door interrupted our little make-out session. Ashby quickly redressed and handed me my clothes. It only took about one second in time for us to be dressed and totally presentable by the time I said, “Who is it?”
“Jackson,” my bartender said. I walked over to the door and opened it wide. Jackson smiled warmly at me as he scented sex in the air, but righted his expression when Ashby let out a warning growl at my employee. I turned toward my mate and rolled my eyes. He was just like Dragus was with Charity, staking his claim with any man who smiled at her.
“What’s up?” I asked my bartender.
“We have a situation,” he said, looking at the warrior behind me. “Humans in the parking lot. Thought maybe the Krieger could help us disburse them.”
“What’s going on?” Ashby said, immediately switching rolls from mate to warrior with just Jackson’s words.
“They’re picketing,” Jackson rolled his eyes. “Some religious group.”
“I’ll handle it,” Ashby said, removing his phone from his back pocket. He walked over to me and placed a kiss on the corner of my mouth. “I’ll take care of this and call you later.”
“Okay,” I smiled.
Ashby ushered Jackson out of the office, closing the door behind them as they left me alone. I sat heavily in my chair and winced a little from the soreness of my sex. It was a deliciously sore spot, and it would remind me all night that he’d brought me so much pleasure.
Wait!
That little jerk!
He did that on purpose!
Chapter 12
Ashby
I could smell her on my skin as I left the club. I’d left her with a little something to remember me by while she worked. I smiled to myself when I thought about how the other men in the area would react if they came close to her and smelled my warrior scent on her body. Yes, I’d marked her and left my scent on her to warn off other men. It was an asshole move, but I didn’t care. Lydia was mine.
There were eight humans outside the club holding signs. They chanted their displeasure of our kind. This wasn’t new, but it was getting old. Why couldn’t these people give it up? Vampires were doing everything we could to live in peace with the humans, but the ones like this made it harder for us to live a normal existence.
“Vamps must die! Let them see the sun! Fry them in the light!” Well, those were new. At least they’d come up with a new set of bullshit phrases to scream to those who would even listen.
“Jennings,” the human officer answered. This was a human issue, not vampire. It had to be dealt with by their warriors, the human police.
“Jennings, it’s Krieger Ashby,” I began. “I’ve got some sign toting humans in the parking lot of Nights protesting our existence. Can you send a few of your men over to handle this?”
“New group of ‘em, huh?” Oliver Jennings was a good human, and I could actually call him a friend. We’d worked together for the past few years, and I liked his no nonsense approach to things. He and I liked things cut and dry. Get it taken care of and done. No need to beat around the bush.
“Yep,” I laughed.
“Just come on out and see for yourself. I’ll be at the entrance. Unfortunately, I can’t do anything to get them to move, unless they hurt one of my kind.”
“Bummer, isn’t it,” he laughed. “I’ll be there in ten with reinforcements.”
“Thanks,” I said, hanging up.
Music filtered out of the club whenever the bouncer would open the door for an arriving patron. To a human, the sound would be just above normal volume to their ears. To a vampire, it would be like going to a live concert and standing front row. Our enhanced hearing made everything amplified. Fortunately, we could distinguish other sounds as well.
So, I had no problem hearing a gun discharge from a truck that was driving by out on the street. I immediately dropped to the ground. Every vampire in the parking lot, who was either standing in line or walking toward the building, followed suit.
An agonizing cry lit up the area as I looked up toward the sound. I smelled the human’s blood before I even saw her laying on the ground. My fangs elongated from the sweet smelling nectar, our life source. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to resist the amount of blood that was spilling onto the asphalt just yards away.
I heard the hiss of several vampires as the scent caught their attention. My feet were moving before I had another second to think. There were four male vampires who were stalking toward the source of blood. I held my hands out in front of me, “Walk away now! You don’t want any part of this. If you even look hungry, I will arrest you.”
The males froze, seeing a Krieger standing there for the first time. Their minds were so focused on the human blood that they didn’t even see me until I spoke. Bloodlust was a nasty condition, and if enough was spilt, it could cause a feeding frenzy. That wasn’t happening on my watch.
My phone was to my ear and it only took a second before the dispatcher, Taryn answered.
Blood at Stake (Warriors of the Krieger Book 2) Page 7
