Pure Claim

by Marie Johnston

  Chapter Two

  Before hearing the click of the door unlock, X sensed the male who was about to enter. Mild surprise fluttered X’s eyelids open. Was she dreaming?

  Heavily-booted feet silently made their way across the filthy floor until the male settled down in front of her.

  She glanced up to meet the serious hazel eyes of her shifter mate and gave a weak, wry smile. “Hey Rhys, how’s it hanging?” Grimacing at her attempt to chuckle at her joke, she went for a sigh instead.

  “How ya doing, Alex?” His voice was soft and concerned, and she was growing really fond of him calling her Alex. She was too far removed from the innocent eighteen-year-old Alexandria King that had been brought here.

  He looked like he wanted to touch her, caress her bare skin, but was worried it would cause more pain. He wouldn’t be wrong.

  “Oh, you know. Just been hanging around.” Her voice was raspy, parched from lack of water. She was only given enough nourishment to keep her alive.

  “I’m going to get you down.”

  She tried shaking her head, but it made her head pound and blood trickle out faster. “You know I’m not leaving here until my job is done.”

  Caressing her cheek with a work-roughened fingertip, he stopped her argument. “We’ll get to that once we get you down and fed. And armed. Then we’ll wrap your business up or die trying.”

  Interesting. And this totally isn’t a dream. “Howdya get into the compound?”

  Irritation flitted across his face. “I had help from a surprising source. It seems there have been others planning a coup.”

  A lazy grin drifted across X’s face. “Big D?”

  When Rhys’ nodded, her spirits lifted. Maybe they could actually make this happen. She knew Demetrius had been up to something, coming to co-lead Freemont’s Sigma chapter. The Vampire Council had sent him, worried Madame G was putting their species at risk with her insane experiments and the way she began turning so many of her recruits into Agents without proper conditioning.

  Demetrius had arrived with his cock-of-the-walk swagger and blew off his duties, letting Madame G continue with free rein. Suspecting he also had plans that went against Sigma, X had formed an unusual alliance with the vampire, and he’d helped her and E undermine Madame G’s plans.

  She had also suspected he had been lacing the compound with his own vampire Agents, ones that weren’t loyal to Madame G, or Sigma. That had to be true, otherwise Rhys wouldn’t be getting her very far.

  “Ready for this?” He waited for her response before trying to get her down.

  “Let’s do it.”

  Joints that had been stretched for three weeks, a body that hadn’t been allowed to heal, and a head that had been blood-logged from hanging upside down all that time—it would hurt. So bad. Even more than when they dropped her, sprayed her off, and strung her up again.

  He rose to standing and moved to her side. He wouldn’t have to reach up far to unhook her ankles since he was a tall male. She was nearly six feet tall, but he was half a head taller than she was and wearing his shitkickers.

  She caught his scent when he moved. He smelled divine. Like a pine forest. She probably smelled like a slaughterhouse floor. Yes, they hosed her off every day or two, but really, she stank.

  His large, hot hand settled between her shoulder blades, and her eyelids actually drifted shut in bliss. No contact for weeks except for boots and fists. It was glorious. Until he started raising her body to cradle her upper half in one arm and undo her bindings with the other.

  Nausea hit strong and hard, along with invisible forces slamming into her skull. Against her will, she groaned.

  “I’m sorry.” He sounded sincere, regretful.

  “Not your fault,” she tried to murmur, but it came out more like, “mayoufau.”

  Oh hell, her head fucking hurt and the cut at the side of her neck wasn’t helping. The movement was making it ooze even more blood, not that she had a lot left to spare. It wasn’t getting heavily persuaded out of her body by gravity anymore, but she could feel the effort of her body trying to heal the Madame G-inflicted wound.

  There was nothing in her belly to vomit up, and the commander’s hard body holding her was pure pleasure. To ease her pounding head, she turned her face into his shoulder, letting his heat sink in. She was extremely glad he was clad in head-to-toe black because any other color would be hell on her sensitive eyes.

  “Two of Demetrius’ vampires just came on for your guard duty. As long as no one bothers them, they’ll guard us.” Rhys had to pause while he grunted and worked the lock at X’s ankles. “So,” she heard a clang of metal, but her ankles remained firmly bound, “we’ll go next door so you can clean up and feed.”

  If she had any saliva left, her mouth would water. She had only fed from Rhys once before, and due to her hybrid genetics, from now on it would have to be him. Some vampires developed an aversion to blood not from their true mate after meeting them. The thought of other’s blood turned her stomach. He was the true mate to her vampire half.

  “The hell?” He shifted her to hold her more firmly as he beat on the lock at her ankles. “It’s rusted.”

  The angle he was trying to open it from, while cradling her upper body, couldn’t be helping, either. She was about to suggest he hang her back down so he could use both hands, when her legs swung free.

  Rhys smoothly caught her under her knees. He remained still, while she stiffened and winced against the sudden movement in her muscles. Her feet were cold and numb, and she didn’t have a lot of blood left to rush into limbs that had been strung high above her head. All in all, the lower half of her body didn’t hurt nearly as bad as her upper half.

  When she settled into him, he strode toward the door and gave it two soft taps. The heavy metal swung out. Agent R was waiting on the other side. He gave Rhys a nod. He looked X in the eyes and jutted his chin up. She narrowed her eyes on him as understanding dawned. Dude had balls.

  Agent R—she wouldn’t have guessed he would be under Demetrius; he had played his part well for Sigma. He and two female vampire Agents had tracked E and his family down deep in the woods and captured them. They brought him in, but somehow hadn’t mentioned the female shifter they had also tranqed, but didn’t bring in along with E and his family.

  Now it made sense. Demetrius had used Irina Bellamy to get Rhys to listen to him. If she had been brought in, it would’ve been nearly impossible for the Guardians to rescue both Irina and E’s family. X would’ve been compromised and killed if she had tried to help the shifter escape. Not even Madame G could fault her for helping her partner. Well, not any more than she had. Helping Irina would have pushed her luck too far with the madam.

  Rhys carried her down the hall to a locker room used by the guards. On the way, she sensed Agent Z. Or Zitch, as X called her, replacing the “b” because the Agent was one. X liked her.

  Zitch had been involved in her punishment, along with Agent R. They had only done their job and nothing more, unlike the other Agents who tried to fuck with her. X could respect that, even as she felt the echoes of their booted feet assailing her body. She’d been in the same situation before, forced to dole out punishment she really didn’t care to perform.

  Rhys entered the locker room, locking the door behind them. X raised her head, grateful the commander had left the lights off. Weeks spent upside down in a dark room meant her eyes were hypersensitive.

  A shower. Nice.

  X held onto Rhys’ broad shoulders and lowered her legs down to the floor. He adjusted his hold to around her waist, while she gingerly put weight on her numb feet. His hot hands were like brands against her skin.

  “Want to shower before you feed?” He spoke quietly, intimately.

  She nodded, knowing he could see well in the dark.

  He helped her to the shower, keeping an arm around her waist the whole time, while she stutter-stepped on her sore, rubbery legs. Standing to the side of the showerhead, he fiddled with the
knobs until a nice, warm spray rained down.

  She was about to dismiss him, not wanting an audience for cleaning the blood and grime off her skin, when he said, “I’ll get a towel. The Agents put your gear on the bench.”

  X didn’t bother to nod, raising her face to the spray. Maybe they would get discovered at any moment, maybe the Agents would turn on them, but she didn’t care. X let the water run over her until she felt revived enough to wash herself. Heaven must feel like a warm shower.

  The shower was stocked with everything she needed. Apology accepted. Agents R and Z must’ve banked on how this would drain some of her irritation at their beatings. Totally right. She’d still break a bone or two for payback, but she wouldn’t mangle them.

  There was even a razor. X felt the sides of her head. Her hair had grown during her punishment, but she’d pass on shaving the sides back down. Once she was done with Sigma, she might even grow them out entirely. After the shower, she would braid the rest of her hair. Nothing was going to get in the way of destroying Madame G.

  She shut off the glorious water and chose a towel hanging by the shower entrance. After drying her hair and body, she wrapped the towel around her torso before returning to the locker room.

  She was weak, dizzy. It was only partially due to the potent male waiting for her. She was low on blood. The wound at her neck trickled blood, leaving a trail down her chest, soaking into the towel.

  “Will that heal when you feed?” Rhys’ voice was rough.

  She could sense his arousal filling the room. Hers was probably doing the same, but she had no intention of doing anything about it. Not here.

  “Probably,” she answered.

  “Do you want to get dressed first?” he asked gruffly.

  No, she wanted to stay naked around him and enjoy the torment of his desire. However, she experienced the same torment and now wasn’t the time. “Yes, I’d better.”

  “You can rest, too, after you feed.” X raised an eyebrow at him, gathering her stuff. He continued with an explanation. “We thought if we could pull this off and get you up to strength, we might be able to hunt her down.”

  “Take her by surprise.” X shrugged into her shirt and stepped into her pants, then kept the towel at her neck to catch the trickle of blood.

  Rhys didn’t say anything in reply. He was watching her every move, his eyes travelling over her body. She was doing nothing more than getting dressed, but from his rapt expression, one would think she was putting on a high-end strip tease. Even once she was fully clothed and had her aching feet stuffed into boots, he still wore the same expression.

  “Been a while since you’ve seen a naked female, Rhys?” she asked wryly.

  “Yes. But no one naked can compare to you, even with clothes on.”

  Awww. She smirked, but it held a hint of shyness. He might actually make her feel all girly.

  “You’re pretty hot, too.” Romantic words and poetry were not her forte. She gave him an impish grin. “For a redhead.”

  He scowled at her and she almost laughed. He was extra haw on the hawt scale. Deep strawberry-blond hair, with a strong face and a ruddy complexion that only complemented a body honed in nature. In human terms, he was a man’s man.

  “But, I wouldn’t know if you’re a true redhead. I haven’t gotten to see you naked,” she teased. What the hell she was doing playing with fire? This was not the time to get frisky.

  His intense hazel eyes blazed, the green in them almost glowing. He knew she was teasing, but he wanted her. So. Bad. It was a heady experience for a girl.

  “Anytime, Alex.”

  Her breath hitched at the challenge in his voice. Damn, he barely had to do anything to get to her.

  To distract herself, she checked her weapons. She wouldn’t fully trust Agent R or Agent Z. They had their best interests in mind, X had hers.

  “When I feed—”

  “I know,” he interrupted. “Now’s not how I want our first time together to be, either.”

  He was partially telling the truth. She could sense it. He wanted her, whenever he could get her. But he would respect her wishes and with her fucked-up past, she didn’t want to feel anything like Agent X when she was with Rhys. If she ever got to be with Rhys. She dedicated her life to eradicating the world of Madame G, and she was still prepared to give it.

  He was such a good male. He would have totally been worthy of Alexandria King. X was quite the goody two-shoes before Madame G had gotten a hold of her. Good grades, humanitarian projects, healthy living. She’d had a family who loved her, cherished her, protected her. Now she was Agent X, a stone-cold murderer who used her mind and body any way necessary.

  “Alex?” Rhys asked, reading into her silence.

  Maybe someday, she thought at the use of his nickname for her. Ironically, it was the name she used when she needed to blend in with the humans. For now, she needed to be X.

  “Time to eat,” she announced.

  “All right, but…” He stalled, clearing his throat. “Can you take my neck?”

  X’s eyes shot to his thick jugular, and she swallowed hard. When she had fed from him before, it was from his wrist, and that had been an intensely erotic experience. She couldn’t imagine the impact it would have with her body pressed into him. Her better judgment told her to say no, they couldn’t risk that level of intimacy. Then again, they could both die once they left this room.

  Her heart constricted. What if he died and she didn’t? She was prepared to give her life, but what if she was left alive and alone?

  It was what she deserved, another part of her brain filled in. She’d been part of an evil organization for a decade. She continued being Agent X even after she knew Rhys was her mate. Did she really deserve the male in front of her?

  Fuck it. She’d take his neck, breathe in his scent, drink his blood down, and think about it all later.

  She finished inspecting her gear and holstered her last weapon. It didn’t look like anything had been tampered with. Then she rose and spun so she was straddling Rhys’ lap. His eyes instantly went heavy-lidded as he slid back on the bench and rolled his head to one side.

  X’s fangs throbbed, and not just from malnourishment. Being this close to Rhys, his throat bared for her, made the most exquisite desire course through her. Ever so slowly, enjoying the moment, she dropped her head down until her lips were at his nape.

  He tensed, his hands tightening around her waist. He was resisting pulling her closer. It was like he was almost afraid to breathe, afraid she’d back off and grab his wrist instead.

  That would be the smart thing to do.

  Flicking her tongue out to lick at his warm, salty skin, she reveled in his groan. When her poor fangs couldn’t take any more, she sunk them slowly into his flesh, knowing the burn would feel nothing short of erotic for the male.

  His groan deepened, and his hips thrust underneath her. Her mouth filled with rich, potent shifter blood. If her eyes were open, they would’ve rolled back in her head. Her starved body grabbed up the nutrition, while her core went up in flames.

  A whimper escaped and she unintentionally ground down onto Rhys, feeling the hard mass of him trapped by his pants. He pulled her in close as she sank fully onto him. If she hadn’t dressed before she bit him, his fly would be undone and she would be fully impaled already.

  He rocked his hips up into her and she rode him, seeking the release her body wanted so badly. The wound in her neck burned as it healed, standing no chance against Rhys’ blood. Power surged through her body, desire swamped it.

  She rode him faster, preparing for her first fully-clothed orgasm. His arms were wrapped around her, one hand holding her head to his throat. An earthquake started in her center, rippling out in the tidal wave of climax. She shook in Rhys’ embrace, crying out into him.

  When the tremors passed, her fangs retracted before she took too much from him. Her eyes fluttered open, but not very far.

  She was exhausted. Bone weary, her bo
dy spent from healing, basking in an orgasmic afterglow, the first she actually enjoyed. Usually, after she got off, it was back to business as usual. Rhys’ comforting warmth kept her in place.

  “Rest,” he said softly.

  Yes. Rest. X turned her head onto his shoulder and fell fast asleep.

  Chapter Three

  He could let her sleep for another half hour and then they had to get going.

  Rhys glanced down at X where he had stretched her out on the bench. Even asleep, she exuded power and sexuality. Her ebony hair was now dry and swept back from her face; he could get lost in her creamy complexion that had a natural blush along the cheekbones.

  She was intoxicating. And lethal.

  And not yet his.

  Rhys sighed and leaned back. His erection had finally backed off, allowing him a level of comfort. He’d never been as turned on as he had when she had climaxed with her fangs inside of him. As if drinking from him wasn’t erotic enough.

  Rhys moved off that subject before his pants became too constricting again. He could tell right away when she came out of the shower she was apprehensive about having sex with him. He wondered if she had ever had sex because she wanted to, or if it had always been forced on her, or used as negotiation. He would wait as long as she needed him to.

  Instead, he thought about how heady it was to actually be able to hold her while she was sleeping. Not dream hold her, but as X would say, “for realsies.” It wasn’t until the first twitch of a nightmare that he shifted her to stretch out, using his dream walking abilities to murmur in her ear. She settled into a healing rest and he had kept watch over her for a few hours.

  He was about to check his watch when her vibrant green eyes opened and she sat up.

  “Tell me the plan while I put a braid in this mess.” X finger-combed her hair to get it straightened out.

  Damn, she was good. Even he thought she was fast asleep. Life with Sigma had seriously honed her survival skills.