“Good to see you still in one piece,” William said without taking his sharp gaze off Savannah.
“You too.” Dominic flicked his glowing eyes to Savannah. “You have some explaining to do.” She shrunk further into the couch when she set eyes on Dominic. He turned to Tatiana as she shut the door. “How’s Courtney? I can sense Steven with her upstairs.”
“She’s the same as she was before. I set them up in the guest room.”
Tatiana moved into the room and sat on the arm of the sofa. Wearing yoga pants and a tank top, she was more beautiful than ever. Although her face was weary and reflected the stress of the past twenty-four hours, she radiated pure light, and all he wanted was to wrap her in his arms and bathe in it.
“What happened, Dominic?”
“Moravian, and the Purists he brought with him to the exchange, are all dead. He didn’t have Matt. Never did. He agreed to the meeting to get her back.” Dominic moved around the couch and leveled a serious glare at Savannah, who wept quietly. “Your father was under the impression that you and Courtney were abducted by us, and he thought you were the one we wanted to trade.”
“Tears for your father?” William murmured. “How touching.”
“He was a bastard,” Savannah said through her tears, “but he was still my father.”
Dominic nodded. He understood the conflicting emotions the girl felt because he had the same experience regarding the loss of his sister. She’d betrayed their people and allowed her hatred to rule her, but in the end, she was still his sister.
“But the note?” Tatiana said with confusion. She looked at Savannah. “Kerry found your energy signature on Matt’s note and in the cabin.”
“I know.” Savannah swiped at her eyes but looked down at her hands as she spoke. “I’d been hiding on the property in my clan form, using my psychic abilities to mask my energy signature. I saw Eric and Matt outside your cabin.” She took a shuddering breath and looked at Tatiana. “He followed Matt inside, and it looked like they were arguing. Then Eric put him in a headlock and broke Matt’s neck. I read the fake note he left on the porch but got back to the mountains before anyone saw me. That’s why my energy pattern was on it.”
“Why the hell would he kill Matt?” Dominic murmured. “That kid couldn’t hurt a fly.”
“Maybe he got wind of what Eric was up to?” William’s eyes narrowed.
“Possibly.” Dominic rested his hands on his hips, and that hinky feeling crawled up his back again. He turned his attention to Savannah. “Was Eric involved with your father?”
“No.” Savannah shook her head and clung to the puppy like her life depended on it.
“What the fuck is his deal?” Dominic said tersely. “If Eric’s not a Purist then what the hell is he doing?”
“Why wouldn’t you come to us sooner?” Tatiana asked, her voice wracked with grief for the loss of her friend. She folded her arms over her breasts, hugging herself. Dominic closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. She leaned into him for support but looked at Savannah. “When you saw him hurt Matt, why wouldn’t you tell us?”
“I was scared,” Savannah whispered. “I—I didn’t think you’d believe me. It would be my word against his. As far as all of you are concerned, I was some nasty Purist, and he was a Guardian.”
“But why even hide?” Dominic asked. “You brought Courtney back. Why wouldn’t you ask for amnesty from the prince?”
“Does it matter?” She sniffled and flicked her teary eyes to William. “I wanted Courtney and the baby to be alright. I didn’t want that child born anywhere near my father or the others. Although after the last couple of days, I don’t think there’s anyone left.”
“That may well be the case,” Dominic said. “However, Eric is still out there. He’s already tried to kill Malcolm and Zachary.”
“Are they okay?” Savannah asked.
“Yes.” Dominic nodded. “They’re on the mend, but it will be awhile before they’re up and running.”
“He’s going to find us eventually,” William murmured. “If he’s not in bed with the Purists, I can’t imagine why on earth he’s trying to kill everyone. Regardless of how baffling it is, that clearly seems to be his mission in life. I do hope I have the pleasure of killing him.”
“Not if I get him first,” Dominic said evenly.
“Will you at least let me watch?” William quipped.
The room hummed with silence for a beat or two.
“He’s going to find us no matter where we go.” Dominic’s voice was edged with anger. “I’ve known Eric a long time, and he won’t stop until he’s finished the job he’s set out to do. Richard and Dante will be here before sundown. I’ve kept my mind open to the two of them, so they’ll be able to follow the path.”
“How much time do you think we have?” William asked.
“Eric will wait until nightfall to try something. That should give us at least a day to prepare. Maybe two.”
“How can you be so sure he’ll find us that quickly?” Tatiana asked. “He can’t use visualization to come here. He hasn’t been here before, and he’s not imprinted on any of us.”
“He can still drive, Doc.” Dominic smirked and kissed the top of her head. “Besides, he knows Steven wouldn’t bring Courtney to the vampire stronghold. The next logical place to hide would be at the home of a woman who had no plan to be part of our world.”
“Right,” Tatiana said through a wry laugh. “Well, like my aunt Rosie always says… while you make plans, God laughs.”
Dominic and Tatiana left William downstairs with Savannah as they checked in on Steven and Courtney. Unfortunately, she was still unconscious, and he continued to be the immovable force at her side. Dominic wanted to scout the property and get a better bead on their surroundings, but Tatiana wouldn’t hear of it.
“Oh no, you don’t.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him down the hallway to her bedroom. “You need to rest—at least for a little while.”
“Normally, I’d argue with you, but I don’t think I have enough energy left.”
Dominic followed her into the bedroom. It was a bright, clean space, mostly white with accents of aqua blue, and it reminded him of the beach. His body felt heavy and cumbersome. He couldn’t remember the last time he had any sleep. In that moment, the weight of everything that had transpired hung over Dominic like a lead blanket. Eric’s betrayal. Daniella’s sacrifice.
Yet through it all, there was one thing that remained constant and kept him from feeling lost. Tatiana. His love for her held him, kept him grounded, and stopped him from tumbling over the edge into the abyss of revenge. Before Tatiana, he would have allowed bitterness and anger to take over and consume him. Now, the only thing that consumed him was his love for her and the driving need to protect her.
The king-size bed looked ridiculously inviting. Tatiana sidled up behind him and slid her warm hands beneath his T-shirt. Her fingers grazed up his back, and he lifted his arms as she pulled his shirt off and tossed it aside.
Dominic grasped her hands and held them to his belly, closing his eyes as he allowed himself a moment to simply feel her. Tatiana’s silky, soft fingers linked with his, her warm lips grazing his back. The heat from her gorgeous body as it pressed against him made him stir, but before he could do anything, she nudged him toward the bed.
Without a word, she pushed him down and lay quietly next to him. He wrapped his arm around her as she snuggled up. She laid her head on his shoulder while her fingers trailed little circles on his stomach, and she draped one leg over his.
“We can have make-up sex later,” she whispered. “Right now, even though I want to maul you, I insist you sleep.” She kissed the scar on his cheek. “Doctor’s orders.”
“You’re not a people doctor,” he said in a sleepy voice. His eyelids felt heavy, and he struggled to keep them open. “You take care of animals.”
“Yeah.” She giggled. “Then I guess I can take care of you since you’re
half tiger. Now stop arguing, and get some rest.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he murmured.
As the welcoming arms of sleep claimed him with the love of his life wrapped around him, Dominic knew he was home.
Chapter 15
Tatiana languidly emerged from the cloud of sleep. Dominic’s butterfly kisses fluttered down her arm, and his strong hand traveled up her bare thigh. The rough, calloused skin of his palm rasped over her enticingly as he nibbled her ear. He curled up, spooning her, and his erection pressed into her back insistently.
Sighing, she rolled onto her back as she stretched her arms over her head, arching as Dominic pushed her shirt up and nuzzled her breast. His hot breath washed over her skin as he flicked aside the lacy fabric of her bra and took her nipple in his mouth. Tatiana moaned as white-hot pleasure zipped to her core.
One hand tangled with hers above her head as the other slipped beneath the waist of her yoga pants. She was already wet as he slid two fingers inside her, and his thumb massaged the tiny nub. Tatiana bit her lip and held back the cry of desire as he took her to the brink of orgasm.
Tatiana tore her hands free and pulled his face to hers, devouring his lips and sweeping her tongue into the hot cavern of his mouth. Dominic growled, and in a tangle of limbs they cast the rest of their clothing aside, leaving them naked with skin brushing along skin.
Dominic covered her body with his and lifted her leg over his hip as he drove his thick shaft deep inside. Tatiana clung to him, kissing him as he pumped into her, filling her deeper each time, and taking all she had to give.
There was a feverish pitch to their lovemaking, as though both secretly feared this could be the last time, needing to take everything, absorb it all, afraid the memory of this moment alone would be all they had left.
Growling, with muscles straining, Dominic pushed forward in one final thrust and arched back as the orgasm rocked them both to the core. He fell forward, bracing his hands on either side of her head and stayed there, his face hovering inches from hers. His body locked inside hers, and she never wanted him to leave. She wanted to keep him there forever, to savor the intimate moment of perfection, and hide from the world in a cloud of bliss. As the effects of the orgasm faded, the sounds of the others talking downstairs brought them back to reality.
Dominic withdrew and rolled over so he was stretched out next to her. He pulled her into his sweaty embrace, and she felt his heart beneath the surface. Tatiana smiled as she noted the comforting way it beat rapidly in sync with hers.
Tatiana’s thoughts were interrupted as she picked up two new energy signatures in the house.
“Dante and Richard are downstairs,” she said quietly as she looked at their intertwined fingers.
“You can pick up on each of them individually?” Dominic asked, pulling back and adjusting the pillow so he could look her in the face. “That’s good. Your abilities are getting stronger, and when Eric shows up you’ll need every bit of power you have.”
“Maybe he won’t come.”
“Yes, he will.” Dominic played with her hair and let out a slow breath. “It’s not a matter of if, but when.”
Panic swamped her. There would be an Amoveo battle on her property. The world she’d tried to avoid had infiltrated every part of her world, and there was no going back.
“I’m going to hop in the shower.” She glanced at the digital clock on the dresser and extricated herself from his embrace. She didn’t want to think about Eric or what he might do. “It’s almost two o’clock. We should really go downstairs.”
“Hey.” Dominic grabbed her wrist and propped himself up on one elbow as he gave her a concerned look. “It’s going to be okay.”
“No, it’s not.”
Tatiana pulled her arm from his grasp and walked to the bathroom door, practically forgetting that she was naked as a jaybird. Funny. She’d never been comfortable walking around naked in front of anyone, not even herself, but somehow, being naked with Dominic seemed… natural.
However, there was nothing natural about the situation they were faced with.
“No.” Her hand lingered on the bathroom door, and she leveled a serious stare at him. “Nothing is going to be okay again.” Tatiana shivered as the reality of what her life could be like swiveled vividly into focus. “I don’t think I can live like this, Dominic.”
“Like what?” He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and smirked at her. “Waking up to hot sex every day?”
“Be serious, would you please?”
“I am.” He strode toward her, evidence of his renewed desire rearing to life. He linked his hands around her biceps, his fingertips pressing gently into her arms as he pulled her to him. “Tatiana, talk to me. Don’t shut me out.”
“I’m not a fighter.” Her voice quivered, and she fought the tears that threatened to spill over. “I’m not good at this. I spent my life healing animals and curing them. I can’t spend the rest of it running from people who want to kill me, or fighting for my life at every turn. It’s terrifying. It’s cruel, you know. I was fooled for a little while into thinking I was safe.”
“You will feel safe again. I promise, your life will not be like this all the time.” He wrapped her in his arms, his hands splayed across her back, searing her and branding her as his with every touch. “After this is over, and I put Eric down like the fucking traitor he is, I’m leaving my position as Guardian.”
“What?” Tatiana sniffled and pulled back to look him in the face. Her eyes searched his and found nothing but his typical resolute stubbornness. “But—but you love being Guardian, Dominic. I can’t let you do that.”
“Tatiana,” he said on a sigh as he cradled her face in his hands. “I love you. Don’t you get it?” His voice, gruff and serious, surrounded her. “My place, my home… my life is with you. I already told Richard, and while he wasn’t happy, he understands my decision.”
Tatiana was speechless. However, before she could say anything else, Dominic slapped her naked butt playfully, scooped her up, and carried her into the shower. He kissed the argument right out of her.
They made love again under a cleansing spray of water, and afterwards, when they dressed to go downstairs, Tatiana caught sight of Dominic’s formidable silhouette in the light of the window. He was a soldier in every sense of the word, and his presence filled her tiny bedroom the same way it filled her heart.
Taking over, totally and completely.
As she followed him downstairs, she couldn’t help but wonder if he would do what he said. Could he really give up the life of a Guardian and be happy here, or would the life of a warrior always call him back?
***
After Dante and Richard arrived, William took a turn catching up on much-needed sleep. The others took a survey of the property, imprinting on the area. The sun was setting, and as it sank deeper into the horizon, Tatiana’s anxiety ratcheted up, bit by bit. The darkness approached, and more than likely, Eric along with it.
Tatiana’s nearest neighbor was almost a quarter of a mile away, and her property backed a nature preserve. So while there was minimal chance of human involvement, it didn’t stop her from worrying about what might happen. Her thoughts went to Matt, and tears stung her eyes, but she willed them away. Crying wasn’t going to solve anything, and the best thing she could do was to help stop the man who killed him.
However, since she wasn’t much of a soldier, she did what Rosie always did in a crisis when Tatiana was growing up. She made food. Lots and lots of food. Normally, she’d make one of Rosie’s pies, but given time constraints, they would have to settle on sandwiches.
Tatiana worked on an assortment of turkey, ham, and roast beef sandwiches for the men and enlisted Savannah’s help. The girl seemed happy to be doing something other than sitting around with a gun in her face. Savannah had showered and was wearing a pair of Tatiana’s pajamas. She was a beautiful woman, but weariness rimmed her eyes, evidence that the ghosts of her past clearly haunted her.
<
br /> Everyone had agreed that Savannah wasn’t an immediate threat, and if she’d wanted to do something, she would have done it by now. It was a guarded trust, but Tatiana was grateful for the modicum of peace in an otherwise volatile situation.
She avoided scolding Savannah when she fed Cass some lunch meat. Tatiana smiled as she watched the puppy work his soothing magic on Savannah.
“I’m not sure where you’ll go after this whole mess is finished,” Tatiana said as she put the lid on the mustard, “but why don’t you keep Casanova for a while?”
“Really?” Savannah’s green eyes lit up as the puppy licked her face. “I always wanted a dog, but my father wouldn’t hear of it.”
An awkward silence fell between them at the mention of Moravian. Tatiana didn’t push. With everything else going on, an awkward silence was the least of their problems.
“We—we should probably bring something up to Steven,” Savannah said with a little smile. “He hasn’t been taking care of himself, and he needs all of his strength.” She lifted one shoulder and looked back at the tray of food. “You know, for Courtney.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Tatiana nodded as she spread mayonnaise on several slices of whole wheat bread. Something about the way Savannah talked about Steven gave her pause. She seemed more in tune with him than anyone else, and while she was clearly concerned for Courtney, she seemed more worried about Steven.
“Tatiana!” Steven’s voice filled the house. “She’s waking up. Come quickly, please.”
Tatiana wiped her hands on her jeans and ran upstairs with Savannah close behind. Dominic, Courtney’s waking up. Taking the stairs two at a time, she ran down the hall and burst into Courtney’s room as Dominic materialized next to her.
Unclaimed Page 22
