Hot Decadent Rising (Breath of Darkness)

by Candice Stauffer

  She froze. “Eli.” She wasn’t the kind of woman to sleep with a stranger. Waking up next to one was quite bizarre. “For a moment I thought it was all a dream.”

  “Was it a good dream?” His sturdy arms turned her around and pulled her against the delectable heat of his impeccably masculine rock-solid body. He took her thigh and pulled her leg up over his hip.

  Running her hands over his remarkably contoured chest, she kissed his neck and base of his chin. “It wasn’t bad,” she teased.

  He moved fast, lifting her as if she weighed nothing, and then he settled her down on top of him. “Not bad. That’s it?” He gripped her thighs as she straddled his waist.

  “Actually, to be entirely honest, it was better than that.” It was difficult to talk with him moving his hips and grinding his hard engorged flesh against her body. She wished she could stay in that bed with him for forever, but she had to leave. Every second she stayed she was risking being caught unaware by her father or his men. She refused to continue to put Eli in danger. She had to leave him now. “It was pretty good.”

  He wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck and pulled her down and kissed her. “You’d better be kidding,” he whispered against her lips.

  “The truth is that you’re unlike any man I’ve ever known. You’re too incredible, too spot-on, too out of this world to be real. I was a little worried you were too much for me to handle.” She’d enjoyed her share of able and willing lovers, but none had the skills to even come close to comparing to his talents. “It’s too bad I don’t have more time to play with you, but I really need to get going.” She started to get up.

  In one swift movement, he flipped her over onto her back and positioned his body between her legs. “You aren’t going anywhere. You aren’t leaving me,” he growled between clenched teeth as he lowered his body over hers and bent his head to get closer as if to kiss her. “We will be leaving together,” he whispered against her lips. “I plan to have the rest of eternity to love you with my body.”

  Love? What the hell just happened? And yet, despite the fact he’d nearly ruined everything by uttering the word love, she was helpless to resist his invitation with his impressive hard length pressed against her aching entrance. He kissed her. He swept her away. It was a long, slow, passionate kiss. Oh, his mouth…oh God, she would never forget the things he accomplished with his hot velvety tongue and lips. He was too gifted in every way, including size, to be a living breathing man.

  He’d taken her to higher peaks of pleasure than she’d ever thought possible. She wanted to spend more time savoring his kiss, but it was time to leave. “I can’t stay here with you any longer. It a shame we hadn’t met earlier. ” What had caused her to have sex with a stranger on what she was certain was the hardest, lumpiest mattress in the dirtiest run down hotel Albany, Oregon had to offer? “This can’t…we have to stop. I never intended for this to go beyond one night.” She had to get out of the bed. Staying in one place for more than a few hours was too dangerous.

  His eyes saw too much. They burrowed deep within her soul as they went from dark-brown to a hypnotic glowing golden-brown. They were beautiful. They were unlike any other she’d ever seen. She felt him in her mind, sorting through her thoughts, searching for something. Slowly he lifted his lips. It was not a smile. It was a snarl that revealed sharp lengthened canines. “You are my mate. You will not leave me. I will protect you. I will make sure you get your revenge.” It wasn’t an invitation. It was a demand plain and simple.

  His teeth should’ve scared the hell out of her, but instead they aroused her. Suddenly nervous, she laughed out loud. “You’ve picked the wrong woman to claim. I’m not mate material. I’m not free to share any more time with you. I wish we could have more time together, but we don’t have it.” Dealing with real life issues was much more of a bummer than before. She’d like to escape reality and continue to enjoy his expertise in the art of lovemaking. She would like the opportunity to humble his overbearing ass, but it simply wasn’t an option. She had to come up with a plan to get the impossible done and her time was running out. “As much as I’d rather stay here with you for a while longer, I’m leaving.” She could see his anger and frustration. He wasn’t used to being defied.

  “You can’t just walk away from me as if…” Silencing him a wolf howled. He went completely still. He was staring into her eyes, but she knew he wasn’t seeing her. The howling was followed by an eerie chorus of it. It was the freakiest thing ever. She could’ve sworn the sounds came from all around. “Go and take a shower. I need to go out and see what is going on.”

  She swore she didn’t see him move, but he was out from under her, out of the bed and fully clothed standing over her. “Huh.”

  “Don’t leave this room.” As if fully expecting her obedience, he walked out of the room.

  She sat there on the edge of the bed for a few minutes. What the hell just happened? He was gone. The best lover she’d ever had, just got up and left without so much as giving her a farewell kiss. No. What was wrong with her? She didn’t like feeling all needy. Yes. He walked out of the room, but he would be back. She couldn’t wait for him. He didn’t understand the danger she would place him in.

  She got out of the bed and made her way to the bathroom. She opened the door and turned the light on. She was shocked and appalled. More appalled. It was the nastiest, scummiest bathroom she’d ever seen. The stench caused her to gag.

  She took a quick cold shower in water that reeked of rotten eggs. After drying her body off with the most disgusting stained towel she’d ever seen, she got dressed and packed a few items, including the gun Nikolas had given to her.

  After putting her jacket on, she pulled the hood of her sweatshirt over her head and left the hotel room to walk to her car. She was nervous. She couldn’t be sure if her father’s men had somehow already identified and found the car Nikolas had given her.

  With any luck, within the next few minutes, she’d be reunited with the car and no one would be there waiting for her to return to it. She needed to make her way up north, closer to Latourel Falls, where she would set into motion her plan to get her father to meet up with her.

  She knew the trails very well. He didn’t. And, as far as she knew, his men didn’t. Meeting him there would give her an advantage. A slight advantage because he had a dozen or so armed guards and though she had a gun, she’d never actually fired one before.

  In fact, prior Nikolas giving it to her, she never touched one. She’d taken it into a gun shop to get more bullets. After laughing at her for having a gun that was too big and better suited for a man than a little feeble woman, the old man behind counter showed her how to load the bullets and take the safety off. That was the extent of her knowledge about guns. She hoped to have time to test it out before she had to use it for real. If not, she hoped it was as easy as aiming and squeezing the trigger.

  She made her way through a small wooded area between the hotel and the abandoned building. She was relieved her car was still there, but she didn’t rush to get in it and go. She remained hidden in the tree line and studied the area to make sure no one was watching for her to return. It was a dark and dreary midwinter morning. Crouched down on her knees she waited for about an hour. The wind was bitter cold. The sun was covered by a thick blanket of clouds and didn’t offer any warmth. Her hands and feet were numb, her ears ached.

  While waiting she started to think about Eli. The day had started out awful, waking to remember she had to walk away from the best lover she’d ever encountered really sucked, but it was destined to get a million times more unpleasant.

  Waiting was getting her nowhere. She wouldn’t know if her father’s men were watching the car for sure unless she exposed herself. It was time to stop stalling. She was going to die anyway so it didn’t really matter if she died right now. Well it sort of mattered. It would prevent her from killing him before he killed her. She left the tree line and more shocked than relieved that bullets didn�
�t start flying, she ran across the parking lot towards her car.

  ***

  “Where the hell did they go?” Eli had been in the abandon factory searching for the vampires that had been watching the hotel. The vampires had been waiting him out for most of the night. They wouldn’t have just decided to give up. The only way they would’ve been able to hide from the pack was if they’d used a cloaking spell. Since they were on alert it had to be powerful. Possibly demonic. He thought about his past few encounters with Demetri. He also picked up on her father’s scent. Just the fact that the tainted vampires were working side by side with humans, to aid humans was beyond odd. It was downright preposterous. “I think Demetri Demidov is involved.”

  “If you’re right that’s a huge problem. We can’t properly protect her in town. There’s too much activity, too many sounds and smells all around. Everything is unfamiliar. We need to move her. We need to get her to a location the pack is more familiar with as soon as possible.”

  He didn’t need to be told that they needed to get Kara out of town, but he didn’t bother telling that to Cain. He was pleased with the younger wolf’s ability to remain calm and use reasoning. He wasn’t feeling calm at all. He had left eight of his strongest men to watch Kara’s room. He knew she was safe, but that didn’t stop him from worrying. Though they hadn’t alerted him of any trouble, he had a nagging feeling that something was wrong, that she was in imminent danger. He tried to shrug the feeling off. Surely it was only an effect of knowing her father had been there and the vampires had intended to snatch her away from him.

  Cain grabbed Eli’s shoulder and turned him around and pointed out the window. “Holy shit, Eli. Is that Kara?”

  Eli shook his head. He blinked once and then twice. He couldn’t believe his eyes. She was trying to leave him. Why? He’d told her to stay in the room. Why would she outright defy him? “Where are the men I left to watch over her room?”

  “There’s no time to worry about that. Look over there.” Though Eli immediately saw it, Cain pointed at a group of vampires that had circled her and were moving in her direction at a speed her human eyes would never be able to follow.

  Eli reacted instantly, but the vampires were on her by the time he’d shifted into his wolf form and crashed through the window. Being ten stories high and injured by the glass as he went through it, he hit the ground hard. Ignoring the pain, forcing his body to move, he ran toward her. He didn’t even bother to turn to make sure Cain followed. He didn’t need to. He trusted the young wolf.

  He was running full speed when what felt like a semi-truck slammed into his left side. Enraged that anything would attempt to stop him from reaching her he tumbled with a wolf as big as him. He went for the kill right away. It was an equaled match in size and strength, but he had something his opponent didn’t have. He had a mate in danger. It didn’t matter whether she knew it or not. Within a matter of seconds, he was crushing the other wolf’s throat in his powerful jaws. His only thought was that he had to get to Kara right now.

  Hearing Kara shout he released his kill and lifted his head. The rest of his pack had seemly come from out of nowhere. It bothered him that they had failed to keep the room safe from danger, but he didn’t have time to figure out what happened. Kara was pinned against her car by a vampire. The vampire was thrown back several feet by an unseen force. He landed flat on his back. As he started to get up a bolt of lightning raced down from the sky and struck the foul creature in the center of his chest. It burst into flames.

  Obviously confused, she stepped away from the car as if to get a better look at the smoking pile of ash. All too aware of another vampire approaching her from behind, Eli ran toward her intent on getting her inside the car. The vampire reached her seconds before he did. Eli took his human form and wrenched the vampire off her.

  As luck would have it, she picked that moment to shoot the vampire. The bullet tore through Eli’s belly. He dropped to his knees, but got to his feet quickly. He didn’t feel any pain. He couldn’t. The horrified look in her eyes would forever haunt him. He snapped the vampire’s neck, tossed it aside and reached for her.

  “I’m okay.” He took her arm and pulled her toward the car. “Get inside, lock the doors and drive away.” She stared up at him. She didn’t make any move to get inside the car so he opened the door and pushed her inside. “Get out!” Seeing Jeremy get into the passenger side Eli reached for her to pull her out, but he was grabbed from behind and thrown several feet away.

  Shocked to see Zack, he got to his feet. “What are you doing? Get out of my way!” His pack was circling, preparing to attack the demon. He now understood why the members of his pack he’d had guarding her had failed. It was Zack’s doing. “I’ve got this. Follow Kara. Protect her.”

  “You were with Emily in the basement at the bar. What did you do to her?”

  “Nothing. She was…”

  “Do not lie to me.” His eyes turning entirely black, his black leathery wings shimmered until they fully solidified as he stepped forward. “Your stench was all over the place.”

  “She was attacked by a vampire. Demetri shifted her away. You know I cannot follow your kind in that manner.”

  Eli could feel Zack struggling to gain control over his rage. It was a good sign. It meant he believed him. “Her blood was…there was so much of it. It was everywhere. Was she alive when he removed her from the basement?”

  The pain in the demon’s voice stirred compassion in Eli. “Yes.” Eli paused. “But the vampire had already turned her.”

  “Did you destroy the vampire?”

  Opening his mind, allowing the demon to easily retrieve his memory of it, Eli nodded. “No. It was supercharged with your blood. It shifted away.”

  Zack smiled. “So my blood is in her?”

  “Yes. I need to go after Kara. If you haven’t found her yet I will help you find Emily once I know my mate is safe.” He took his wolf form. One way or another he was leaving. If that meant fighting Zack to the death, he would do just that.

  Zack held up his hand. “Wait. They’re taking your mate to an old mining shack between Latourel Falls and Multnomah Falls. I can’t go with you. I have to find Emily.”

  ~Sixteen~

  KARA WASN’T REALLY worried about herself. Not that her situation wasn’t bad. It was. But how could she be concerned about herself? She’d shot Eli. She couldn’t erase the image of the bullet slamming into his body and then of him dropping to his knees from her mind.

  Stop beating yourself up over it. I’m fine. We’re coming for you. Eli’s voice rang clear in her mind accompanied by a vivid image of a strong, well organized pack of wolves surrounding her, protecting her.

  I shot you.

  It only hurt a little.

  “Slow down. I’d hate to have to kill an officer of the law today.”

  Do as he says. The slower the better. It will buy us some time to catch up.

  You can hear him?

  Your blood runs through my veins. I can see and hear everything you see and hear as long as we’re merged.

  “Where are we going?” she asked. Of course she knew the Scenic Highway well and knew exactly where they were, but she figured it might help to get more information.

  “You’re dad wants a word with you before you die. I know it isn’t exactly the best news, but I do have a bit of information that might cheer you up.”

  She glanced over at him. “What’s that?”

  “He plans to frame Tom for your murder.”

  “He told you that?”

  “Not really. I retrieved the tidbit from his thoughts. He’s quite obsessed with killing. Personally, I think it’s a shame. You’re a beautiful, desirable woman. But I’m sure you’re well aware of that, aren’t you?”

  “I think you’re entertaining yourself at my expense. I am sure you find me as desirable as you would a rock,” she said.

  “Don’t pretend you don’t know you’re a sensual woman. You used it well. No doubt that is
how you got Eli to take interest in you. He’s normally against his kind forming sexual bonds with humans. It’s a law he’s upheld for many years.” He pointed. “Pull over right there. We have to walk the rest of the way.”

  After she stopped the car, he removed the keys from the ignition and then got out of the car and walked over to her side. He opened the door and motioned for her to get out. “It’s a good five mile hike from here.”

  “I hope you can keep up,” she said.

  He laughed. “I’ll do my best.” They walked in silence for a few minutes. “You remind me of your mom. She had a funny sense of humor as well.”

  She stopped and turned to look up at him. “You knew my mom?”

  “We shared a moment in time together. She was an amazing woman before she ran off with Maximus.”

  “She fell in love with him. He paid her back by killing her.”

  “That’s a wolf for you. They have violent fits of rage. It’s uncontrollable. I tried to warn her. She declined my offer to help her get away from him.”

  “I wouldn’t decline your offer.”

  What are you doing, Kara.

  Shh. Let me be. I got this.

  “I never made you one.”

  “It’s too bad. I would’ve appreciated being rescued.”

  “From Eli? You’re lying,” Jeremy shook his head.

  “It’s the truth. He forced his way into my room at the hotel. He kidnapped me.”

  “I believe that he kidnapped you. Just a few months ago he kidnapped his first choice for a mate. But there’s no way the dumb son of bitch forced you to do anything. He’s too pathetic, too honorable for that.”

  “His first choice?”

  Don’t listen to him, Kara.

  “He didn’t tell you about Mia Harte? I’m surprised he was able to keep from talking about her. He was obsessed with her. He chased after her for about thirty years. He was so devastated when she rejected him that he abandoned his pack.”