Embrace the Magic (The Blood Rose)

by Caris Roane

  With one arm around her shoulders and pinning her in place, while his hips worked her low, he angled his head and struck her neck. She cried out, her well pulling on his cock at the same time. She was close. He could feel it.

  He clamped his mouth over her throat where the puncture marks released the elixir he craved and he began to suck.

  *** *** ***

  Samantha felt caught up in something enormous as Ethan used his warrior strength to drive his cock deep and keep her upper body still at the same time so that he could drink from her. Where his mouth suckled, sparks of pleasure kept sending shivers and chills down her neck, over her breasts, and down her back and sides.

  The whole time, the water added a sensual force, pushing her hips constantly against what was so hard inside her, like hands massaging and kneading.

  Pleasure upon pleasure rose over her body. From deep in her faeness, she felt his vampire energy pounding against her, not polite this time, not wanting a simple bonding, but a statement of hard fact, that while she was with him, she was his.

  She held back though, just as she held her orgasm at bay, wanting all the sensations to last; neck, cock, the waterfall, his energy and hers.

  She was sure she moaned, long deep cries, but the waterfall was loud, and his grunts were animal-like. Did he even known he made those noises? Probably not.

  Her body writhed over his now. He may have kept her upper torso anchored, but her hips were free to ride him. She rose up and plunged down. The water grazing her bottom was no doubt hitting him on his upper thighs.

  He groaned and growled, still sucking fiercely. Mine, came to her, penetrating her thoughts. Mine.

  Yours, she returned.

  She breathed hard. I’m so close.

  But he let go of her neck and drew back to hold her gaze in his vampire-maddened stare.

  She planted her hands on either side of his head, still riding him, more fully now, plunging up and down.

  You’re mine, Samantha. Say it. Say, ‘I’m yours, Ethan.’ Say it.

  He looked maniacal and yet her body responded, loving that he was more vampire-beast than man, growing tighter for him, sliding up and down his column faster and faster. “I’m yours, Ethan. Yours. All yours.”

  He nodded, a single swift jerk, but he didn’t speak. Instead his telepathy once more punched inside her head. Say it again. I want to hear you say it again, that you belong to me, that your body belongs to me. Say it.

  “My body belongs to you, Ethan.” And did it ever. She felt the release barreling toward her, moving fast in the same way his personal frequency battered her faeness. She knew once he broke through, pleasure would flow, but she held tight.

  Let me in, he all but shouted inside her mind. Let me in.

  No. She shook her hair, made damp by the water bouncing off her ass. She smiled as she lifted her chin, her hips rocking. Never, she challenged him. She wanted to see more of his beast.

  He rose up just a little, lifting his shoulders up off the stone bench. He caught her arms and held her fast. He was so damn strong. His hips took over the ride. He thrust into her hard, using his vampire strength to piston into her, letting her know he intended to have his way.

  At the same time, she felt his frequency power ramping up. She panted, her face no more than a few inches from him, his eyes boring into her. Come for me, Samantha. Come now…

  At the same moment, his frequency broke through and, like a tidal wave, swamped her faeness.

  The orgasm that followed rocketed her into a place she’d never been before. She screamed, but couldn’t quite hear herself. Pleasure flowed between her legs, but also deep inside the realm-part of her, washing ecstasy through her entire body in sharp waves through her mind, down to her fingertips so that her hands clenched and released the way her body gave over to the orgasm, all the way to her feet.

  He kept working her, and maybe because of the way he’d overtaken her fae frequency, the pleasure kept rolling. She could hardly breathe and he was so hard, rubbing the part of her that clenched with infinite sensation.

  Her screams turned to punctuated cries as he thrust in deep hard plunges, then he sped up and more pleasure followed, a second orgasm that overtook the first. When had her eyes closed? How could a woman bear so much sensation? Who the fuck cared, give her more!

  Look at me.

  She opened her eyes and met his gaze. He’d held back until just this moment. She smiled, maybe a little smugly as she said, “Fuck me, Ethan. Fuck me hard and do it now.”

  The waterfall became a whirling wave of water that went everywhere as Ethan took her into the air, flipped her, then caught her before she landed hard on her back.

  He laid her out flat on the bench, then pumped fast, vampire fast, with a speed that stunned her, faster than even the first time. He held court in her fae energy. He watched her and that’s when she let her faeness surround him very deep within. She stroked his vampire-ness and his eyes lit up. His breathing grew labored, his hips pummeling hers. Everything slowed as he sped up, as though time warped.

  Sensations drove to another pinnacle, different this time as she focused on his release. She dipped her chin, holding his gaze tight. She slid her hand up his neck and touched his mouth, her fingers seeking entrance. He parted his lips and she slid two fingers inside, mirroring his cock.

  Oh, shit, Samantha.

  He released, a series of powerful thrusts bringing her again. She screamed her final orgasm, watching him as his back arched, as his body writhed, as pleasure overtook his face. He growled and groaned, his hips slowing down yet wringing the last bit of ecstasy from the shared experience, with several deep, hard thrusts.

  She breathed heavily as he fell on her chest, worn out and satisfied. She wrapped him up in her arms, or at least as much of the vampire as she could reach, savoring his muscled, warrior’s body and letting herself enjoy the extraordinary thing that had just happened.

  She smiled up at the craggy rise of rock that led to a slit in the earth above. She could see a star or two winking. She winked back, so deeply satisfied, she didn’t want to move. Ever.

  Her vampire had gone caveman and she’d loved it.

  And here was something she’d definitely never get to experience in the human world, this level of lovemaking combined with power and an internal, inexplicable fae-vampire frequency exchange. Shreveport looked farther and farther away.

  She stroked his hair with her hand. The strands were thick, wet and tangled. He had incredible hair, curly in parts, wavy in others, brown overall but with long golden tendrils and curls that gave him a super-sexy appearance.

  Words she shouldn’t speak came to mind after such an intense coupling: She loved him.

  But that was impossible, wasn’t it? She hardly knew him. They’d never even sat and exchanged histories or food preferences or whether he liked foreign films or not, although she suspected not. She even smiled. No, Ethan was not a foreign film kind of guy.

  He lifted up off her, his lids at half-mast. “I felt you chuckling.”

  “So which do you prefer, French films or Danish?”

  “What? Do either of those countries make serious CGI films?”

  She smiled. “Just as I thought. I’ll have to find a fae-friend to go to the movies with me, or at least to share a Netflix evening.”

  “Where’d that come from?”

  “Oh, I don’t know, that I’m feeling so much right now, but don’t really have a basis for all the tenderness and good will pouring out of me.”

  He planted an elbow on the bench, and still buried inside her he rested his head on his fist so he could see her. “I don’t know anything about you, but I love being inside you here,” he touched her low, gliding a finger down his cock and onto her mons. “But also here.” He touched her sternum with the heel of his palm.

  “Yes, that’s where we’re also connected. You forced me deep into my faeness.”

  His smile was crooked. “You resisted on purpose, just to work
me up, didn’t you?”

  She breathed and sighed. “I did. It was so much fun.”

  He frowned. “I was so fucking out of control.”

  “That was partly my fault. As soon as I saw Quinlan, and felt his blood-starvation, I moved toward him because that was my job.”

  “Don’t remind me.” He groaned and rubbed a hand possessively over both breasts. He then leaned down and plucked at each nipple with his lips. After a moment, he said, “You’ve grown solemn. Why?”

  “Where is this going? I feel like I’m on a runaway train but the track is all over the place.”

  “That’s a pretty accurate description but let’s take this one night at a time. We’ve just been through two astonishing things, first beneath the minaret crystal and now this.”

  She smoothed her hand slowly down his cheek. “I want to share your bed again. I mean, I know that I could easily return to the guest suite, but I want to stick close, at least for now. I know that what’s happened, just as you said, is pretty astonishing, but I also know that we each have issues to resolve, heavy ones. Like, I have no idea if I should make my home here.

  “And as for you, I’m the daughter of the woman you hold responsible for the deaths of your mother, father and sister. Do you honestly believe we could chart a path together?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know. I feel lost from one minute to the next. But I do know we should be getting back. I’ll need to apologize to Quinlan.”

  “Then we should go.”

  She caressed his face again, which led to his lips finding hers. He kissed her for a long time and she let him. She didn’t protest or suggest he had obligations to fulfill. He already knew that.

  But she felt his desire to stay just as she didn’t want to leave, because once they returned to his home, to Quinlan and the ongoing war, to Vojalie and her expectations, this moment would slip into the past. The amazing sensations she’d experienced would be forgotten, sliding away bit by bit, replaced by duties, decisions, and new obstacles to overcome.

  So she let him kiss her until once more he was firm inside her and he took her to the pinnacle all over again.

  *** *** ***

  Ethan watched Samantha dry her hair. She’d gotten dressed, as had he, but he stared at her as though never seeing her before. Trying to mesh his recent Neanderthal behavior with a woman using his blow dryer in a secret grotto cave he’d built for security purposes, proved a hard exercise for his vampire mind.

  He didn’t like complications and he especially disliked the disruption of his routine, which for fifty years of his life had meant keeping Bergisson Realm safe from the depredations of the Invictus.

  And how the hell was he going to face Quinlan, who he’d asked to come to his realm because of Samantha’s vision?

  Sweet Goddess, he wasn’t sure he could make a bigger mess of his life than what existed right now, in this moment.

  Worst of all, his deep mating frequency, the one he’d never allowed another woman to touch, had come alive with Samantha and still vibrated with his recent invasion of her faeness. Peel back one more layer, and all he could really think about was getting inside her again, anyway he could.

  He turned away, tightening the woven clasp that held his hair back.

  “I’m ready.” He felt her approach, then her hand on the back of his arm. “You’re so serious right now? What’s going on?”

  “Reality.” He walked briskly back toward the front door. He moved fast so that she had to hurry to keep up.

  “You’re being rude.”

  “I’m being practical. This shouldn’t have happened.”

  “Ethan, give it a rest, will you? We’re not married.” She even laughed.

  He turned on her. “How can you make light of this? Everything that just happened changes the future, don’t you see that?”

  “But I knew this would happen. It always does. It’s the way of life. You started thinking about work, didn’t you?”

  He shrugged. “Of course.”

  “Then let’s focus on that. After I stepped into your shower -- and you have the best showers, by the way -- I got to thinking about Ry and his involvement with the Invictus.”

  Ethan let out a long deep breath. For some reason he’d been so sure that Samantha would want to deepen their relationship, ‘take it to the next level’, something he’d heard more times than he wanted to remember in the last decade. He didn’t have another level, just his dedication to Bergisson and not bringing a woman on board who could get hurt because of who he was as mastyr of his realm. So it eased him that she spoke of Ry and not about love or commitment or anything else.

  Ry was also on Ethan’s mind; finding him and imprisoning his ass for the next millennium. He also needed to figure out what lay behind the growing organization of the Invictus. They’d never been so disciplined before, fighting as they were now in larger ranks, arrayed like soldiers, trained like fighters. Had Ry done this secretly over the decades, with perhaps the help of this mysterious ancient fae? Or maybe the one called ‘the Great Mastyr’ was involved as well.

  More than anything, he wanted to pull the veil back and have a look at what was there.

  When wraiths had first learned to bond with other realm-folk, the ensuing power the newly-created pair could forge, sent them primarily on crime sprees, usually involving draining and killing innocent realm inhabitants. But the last few decades, and especially the last several months, the typical Invictus depredations had turned to objective-based forays, like the one at the Guildhall fair. They seemed to be testing their mettle and improving their battle skills.

  Samantha squeezed his arm. “Earlier, before we began exploring the crystal ceiling of the Guildhall, I’d felt a vision wanting to form involving Ry.” She smiled and waved a hand to encompass the grotto. “But all this happened. Now I’m thinking maybe we should return to the Guildhall and try it again.”

  “But I thought you might be too tired.”

  “Well, I am tired and a little sore in the best way, but exhilarated, too.”

  “Wait, did I hurt you?”

  She purred and moved her hand to rub his chest. “Did it seem like you were hurting me?”

  “Well, no, but I was sort of out of control.”

  “Is that what’s really bugging you here?”

  He paused for a long moment, searching her light blue eyes, trying to think, to understand. “Yes. I can’t afford to be like this. I need you to understand that Bergisson depends on me.”

  “Okay. So what do you need to do right now then?”

  “Contact my men. Finn.”

  “Then do that. Please, don’t wait on me. I’m not a delicate flower that needs to be tended to every second of the day, or rather night.” She made a slight gagging sound that forced a smile over his lips.

  He leaned into her and taking her face in one hand he kissed her. “Thank you for that. This is new to me and I guess I needed permission.”

  He felt for his phone then decided on telepathy, partly because of the noise of the waterfall. He opened his pathing frequency, and directed it toward Finn.

  Here, Mastyr. Ethan could always count on Finn.

  What’s it like out there?

  Quiet. Too quiet. I have the patrols in the usual places, but there’s a vibration in the air.

  Ethan shaded his face with his hand. He felt it as well and had ever since the attack at the fairgrounds. Ry would be coming for him, or for Samantha, and if he truly did have command of a new Invictus army, then the whole thing could explode at any moment.

  Fine. I’m working things from this end as well, with Samantha. She’s got some serious vision-based power. Quinlan’s here, too.

  That bastard? But even telepathically there was amusement in his voice. What’s he up to?

  The sight of Quinlan going straight for Samantha at the Guildhall flashed through Ethan’s mind. For a few painful seconds, he was back there and the Neanderthal need began to rise once more.


  Ethan, you there?

  Finn’s voice snapped him out of the moment and he forced the possessive feelings down as far as he could stuff them. I’ll let you know about Quinlan. I might send him to you.

  That would work. You okay? Ah, shit, I just realized he’s a mastyr as well. Did he make a play for your woman?

  She’s not my woman and yes he did.

  Okay, I get it. Stay in touch. Kyle’s checking in.

  He then called Vojalie and found that she’d returned, as expected, to his primary residence. She was never far from Bernice.

  When he mentioned their intention of returning to the Guildhall, Vojalie suggested they try using the conservatory of his primary residence. Since it was clear Samantha had some kind of connection to the crystal patterns in the apex of the roof, he agreed.

  “We’re heading back to my main house. Vojalie is there now.”

  “And Quinlan?”

  Ethan shuddered as he shook his head. “I need to speak with him, to face him about what happened, but I’ll probably be sending him to Finn.”

  “Sounds good. Ready when you are.”

  He flew her swiftly back to his home in the southern part of his realm, touching down just outside the door. He took her hand as he walked in, but kept her on his right, placing himself between Samantha and whoever might be in his house.

  As it happened, Quinlan sat on the raised fireplace hearth, the baby in his arms.

  “Ooooh,” Samantha cooed quietly. “How sweet is that? And she looks so tiny in his arms.”

  Ethan turned his head slowly and glared at Samantha, but her lips quirked which told him she’d been taunting him on purpose. He narrowed his gaze. “Will you behave yourself?”

  She caught his woven shirt in her fist and pulled him toward her as she leaned up and planted a full kiss on his lips. “No.” She then waved to the inhabitants of the living room.

  Panic set in as he followed her. He didn’t want another fight, but if she got anywhere near Quinlan, Ethan was pretty sure he’d rip the dark-haired, handsome bastard to shreds.

  But when Samantha reached the short set of stairs to the right, she turned back, winked at him, then called out, “Hey, everyone. I’m headed to the conservatory.”