Impulse (Mageri Series: Book 3)

by Dannika Dark

  “All better? I think we’ll leave that for Justus to tidy up,” he said with a dark laugh.

  When the wave of nausea subsided, I sighed and fell on my back. “Justus is going to be so disgusted by this that we’ll probably move to a cave.”

  “The man is all business, but he has a playful side.”

  “Playful? That’s hardly a word I would associate with Justus. I doubt he’ll see the humor,” I said in a raspy voice.

  “Inside joke. I’ve known the man a long time. Friends that old always have stories.”

  That I understood. There were plenty of inside jokes with Sunny. Still, I didn’t see the humor in cleaning vomit.

  Christian pushed my frown up with the pad of his thumb. “Justus was ill once from a concoction he was forced to drink. As his guard…,” he said with a sigh, “I had to keep him alive.”

  “What was it?”

  “Liquid fire. While it works its way out of your system, you’re extremely vulnerable. He was forced to throw it up and… Jaysus, I had to jam my finger down that wanker’s throat,” he grumbled.

  “Who made him drink it? Is that something you can just slip in someone’s glass?” Wasn’t that a scary thought.

  “Impossible. The moment it touches your tongue it’s like…” I heard his mouth smacking around, doing a mental recall. “Well, Justus could probably compare the flavor more than I could since I don’t eat much. It’s vile to be sure. As for who? Old enemies. He’s quite settled from when I knew him—less reckless, more stoic. Seems to work for him.”

  Justus had progressively become the man he is; I always had the impression he was born arrogant. Probably came from a rich family with harems.

  “Drink,” Christian coaxed.

  “You need to shave your neck because I feel like I’m making out with a wild boar.”

  He laughed. “Poor bastard.”

  “Who are you calling a bastard?”

  “The boar you made out with.”

  “Is a five o’clock shadow on your neck a fashion statement?”

  “Why mess with centuries of perfection? The ladies do like.”

  Chapter 36

  “No, that’s all she’ll need. I retested her blood and she’s clear of the venom. Let her sleep it off.”

  “And her vision?” Justus asked. In my hazy state of consciousness, I heard the concern behind his clipped words.

  Page spoke softly. “I’ll be honest—I don’t know. She went too long without treatment and the damage may be irreversible.” There was a snap of a bag and rustling of fabric as her voice moved farther across the room. “Don’t let her out of that bed, do you understand? Keep her still and watch her for the next twenty-four hours. That was more Vampire blood than I’ve ever seen another Breed ingest, so she’ll need plenty of rest. No Mage healing, you’re likely to do more damage than good. I’m being very specific, Mr. De Gradi. Silver must remain still and calm; don’t agitate her.”

  There was a pause before she continued. “I don’t appreciate you turning away as if you have better ideas. Question my knowledge all you want, but don’t defy my orders. I’m here as a favor to Remi and if you have any respect for him then you’ll heed my advice. She’s my patient, do you understand me?” Her tone punctuated each word showing that Page was all business. I mentally snickered at the image I had of her: unsophisticated, dressed in discount clothes with her hair pulled up in a tight bun and holding a long, punishing ruler.

  “Before you leave, can you remove him from that bed?”

  Her laugh was soft and amused. “Is she your lover or your child? Because I see a woman in there who is capable of making her own decisions. Here’s my card. Call me immediately if her condition worsens and do me a favor—no more parties. I think she’ll feel better after a day, but no excitement. I’ll check back in after I see a few more clients. Goodbye, Mr. De Gradi.”

  I curled up against my warm pillow, wishing the voices would drown out.

  “Logan is on his way,” Justus warned.

  “Is he now?” my pillow said. “Then maybe he can be the one to untangle her arms from my body. Worry not, Justus. I have no interest in your Learner.”

  The door slammed shut.

  “Wake up,” Christian said with a hard shake.

  “Stop it,” I groaned, nudging my face against him.

  “It’s been a lovely evening, Silver, but I need to find my list of ‘things I wish I’d never done’ and add this to it.”

  He snapped the towel from beneath my head and smudged it over my mouth, muttering curses when he crossed the room.

  During the last couple of drinking sessions, I felt remarkably strange—as if new feelings were flooding in me that weren’t my own. While a Mage could taste emotions from the light that came from another, I knew little about the complexity of Vampire blood. Perhaps it contained trace amounts of those feelings in addition to the information that transferred. I didn’t understand how a Vampire could read that language, but I knew that his blood was lifeless until he rolled on top of me. Only then did it swim with flavor.

  “Why the hell are you so turned on?” I accused. But it was too late—Christian was gone.

  My hands ran along the walls and I counted my steps to the bathroom. I never cared for mouthwash, but after ingesting the entire contents of Christian, a gargle was in order. I shuffled back to the bed and curled up in freshly changed sheets. Someone had cleaned the floor and the dirty towels were gone. It only took three sighs before I fell into a deep and blissful sleep.

  I was thankful Vampires carried no personal scent. Otherwise, it would have been a fiasco. Logan slipped into my room while I slept and covered me protectively. I loved the way he held me fiercely; every woman should know what it’s like to be held by a man who would lay down his life for her. Logan Cross had proven it more than once.

  His nose traced up my arm, my collarbone, and circled across my neck. Logan drew in a deep, soulful breath until his motor kicked in. Something stirred within me—a longing for his touch. I arched my back and he brushed his hands over my face.

  “How’s my sumptuous Mage?” he asked, each word dripping from his tongue like sweet honey. “Why did you hide your sickness?”

  “I didn’t want to ruin the party,” I said, kissing his pliant mouth, tasting the mint that clung to his breath.

  “Forgiven,” he whispered against my lips. Our breathing grew heavy as I drew him in.

  “Kiss me,” I beckoned. Desire stirred in me like tiny firecrackers going off.

  My fingers tugged on his zipper while I slid my other hand between his stomach and his jeans. His breath hitched and it felt wonderful when his muscles locked tight as I curled my fingers.

  “What are you doing?” he whispered in a dark and desperate voice. Logan’s excitement overwhelmed me and it was an incendiary awakening of touch and taste. I slowly pulled the zipper down and his lips grazed over mine. “We’re not doing this,” he said firmly.

  Except we were. By the weight of his chest, the swell pressing between my legs, and the way he continually breathed in my scent—I knew Logan wanted me.

  Logan’s scent changed and his body language was telling me “more” by the way he submitted. I bit his lower lip and the reaction was instantaneous. He snatched my wrists, pinned them against the pillow, and clamped his teeth on my shoulder. Not hard, but not soft. Something a mother cat would do to scold their overzealous kitten. It was raw and animalistic.

  I trembled, uncertain of how Chitah men were in the bedroom.

  He wiped a few stray hairs from my left cheek. “Did I hurt you?”

  “It’s not that.”

  His gentle fingers brushed over the bite on my neck. The punctures would leave scars for the rest of my life, and now I was forever marked by two men I hated, but not the one that I cared for.

  “I’m going to kill him,” Logan said darkly. “And it’ll be painful so that I can savor his remorse.”

  “Shhh,” I whispered.


  My hand popped the button on his jeans free. Some of his willpower came off with that button.

  Logan sat up, straddling me. “You’re ill.”

  The moment I placed my hands on his upper thigh, a sound came out of him that reminded me of the night I’d spent with him in a cave. It was primal and barely contained. It fueled me even more to claw at the fabric with my nails and slowly push my hands upward.

  Logan captured my wrists.

  “What if I said it was doctor’s orders?”

  “Then I would know you were lying.” He took a deep breath and pressed his lips in the palm of my hand.

  I closed my fingers into a fist. “Now I have your kiss.”

  “And what do you plan on doing with it?” He chuckled, softly stroking the wrist of my left hand.

  Without answering, I slid my hand between my legs and opened my fingers, releasing the kiss. Logan inhaled sharply.

  There was no weakening this man. He was a Chitah and always had the upper hand when it came to seduction. The cocksure tone in his voice returned. “How did you know it was me lying on top of you, hmm?” He stroked his finger across my jaw, in control once more.

  “Because I know your smell.”

  He eased himself on top of me. “Don’t say things like that. You don’t know the effect they have on me.”

  But I did. His sentences sometimes trailed into a growl, but now they ended with a breath. His skin was so warm.

  “Touch me,” I begged in a whisper against his cheek.

  “Silver, stop. I can’t do this. You need to heal.”

  “Doc said I’m healed. Don’t I feel all better now?” I nibbled his shoulder, rubbing my hands down his sides and his entire body reacted with a jerk. This was too much restraint for a man who had pursued me as hard as he had. “Why don’t you want me?”

  Logan hovered. Every word was a caress in all the places that I craved him. Between each of his sentences, he placed a languid kiss against my neck. “I want to seduce you, Little Raven. Slowly. Like a delicacy. I want to savor your arousal. Taste you. Touch you with these hands that have memorized every line and curve of your body.”

  “Then touch me.”

  “You don’t know what you’re asking. Don’t put me in a position where I have to deny you.”

  My body sagged. “I’ve been asleep for years, Logan. I want this. Right now. With you. If you don’t…”

  He lifted my chin up with his finger. “Erase your doubts. Tell me.”

  “I’m blind. Maybe I’ll never regain my sight. If you don’t want me now, then I’ll know it’s because you’re not okay with this. I need to know that this doesn’t matter.”

  “My doubt has nothing to do with your ability to see.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “Would you find a male who imposed on you in this weakened state admirable? When I said that I would take you as you are, I meant it. Blind does not mean weak; it means that we’ll experience each other through touch.” Logan’s hand cupped my breast and I moaned. “And taste.” His tongue circled on my shoulder before planting a kiss. “And sound.” A quaking purr rumbled in his chest that soothed me like a lullaby. “And smell.”

  “I like your smell.” My legs opened to him.

  “A female should be courted properly and I regret going about this the wrong way. I carried a foolish notion that because you’re a Mage, some rules did not apply. But you’re owed the same honors that a female Chitah would get.

  “Celibacy?”

  He kissed my nose. “We are virile males, Little Raven. Refraining from sex is how we show a female our strength, respect, and control.”

  “You’re also a man who likes to break rules, Mr. Cross. And I’m okay with that.”

  His fingers were on my hips, clawing. “You know I love when you call me that.”

  “Then claim me.”

  The heat between us rose by ten degrees. “There’s no going back and undoing what’s been done,” he warned.

  “I’m already undone, Logan. I want to feel like I’m more than just a challenge in your eyes—but a light.”

  His hand flattened over my chest. “Female, you are the most relevant thing about me.”

  I closed my eyes and murmured, “I wish I could see your face.”

  Logan stretched across me and a switch clicked. “Sight is overrated. Now that we’re both in the dark, what shall I do with you?” His long fingers trailed up my inner thigh and paused so close to my panties that I felt the heat from his hand and moaned. “Someday, Little Raven, my eyes will feast on your body.”

  His expert hand massaged me so slowly that whatever doubt I had about his intentions melted away. His thumb grazed over my sex and I lifted my hips for more.

  A delicious purr sounded against my ear. “You are a luscious female.”

  “Turn on the lights if you want.”

  “No.” His mouth covered mine and his tongue was hot and velvety. As he deepened the kiss, he released his hold and the weight of his body settled on me.

  “Ah,” Logan whispered. “I seem to remember you saying something about enjoying foreplay.” He sat up.

  Well this is an odd way to go about it, I thought.

  Logan held my bent knees, slightly prying apart my legs. “Where should I begin?” he contemplated.

  When his left hand moved away, I held my breath in anticipation.

  A feathery touch brushed over my panties, stroking me so insistently that I made one of those wonderful, pleading moans that every man loves to hear.

  “So sensitive,” he murmured, kissing my knee and licking my inner thigh.

  My heart raced, my body trembled, and I knew with everything in me that I wanted Logan.

  Without warning, he hopped off the bed and pulled off his jeans. If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn he was taking his time to draw out the suspense. Maybe he was reading my scent like a book and had discovered the art of cliffhangers.

  His fingers leisurely slid down my leg.

  “Sit up.”

  I never knew what to expect with Logan Cross. Nerves fluttered in my stomach and I sat on the edge of the mattress with my legs hanging off the side.

  “Raise your arms,” he said.

  My loose shirt lifted away from my body and fell to a heap on the floor. His fingers gathered the ends of my hair, feeling the length of it as they moved down—the backs of his hands caressing my breasts.

  “Don’t be nervous—I won’t hurt you,” he reassured me, having picked up my tangled scent of arousal and tension.

  “What are Chitah women like in bed?” I couldn’t help but blurt out the question.

  “Submissive.”

  “Those women at that party didn’t seem very submissive.”

  He chuckled, lightly rubbing my shoulders. “In the bedroom, most of them will submit to a male as a show of respect. We certainly don’t expect them to; it’s just in their nature.”

  “Can I take this off?” I asked, touching the buttons on his shirt.

  He stepped closer and I hooked my fingers around an opening and ripped it apart. The tiny buttons dismantled, tapping across the floor.

  “Sorry,” I said. “That wasn’t very submissive of me.”

  Logan sucked in a sharp breath and his fingers dug into the skin on my shoulders. “Tell me what you want me to do to you, Little Raven,” he murmured.

  That took me off guard. Sex was always a recreational activity—like exercising. Which happened to be two things I didn’t do very often, but when I did, there wasn’t much of a warm-up.

  I shrugged so that he could feel my uncertainty. “Kiss me?”

  He knelt on the hardwood floor, sliding his hands up my thighs and nuzzling his cheek against my stomach until I thought that I would expire. “Where?”

  That single, suggestive word charged the air with infinitesimal sparks. An awareness grew between us like a tug of war—a push and pull of energy in its most basic form.

  Logan stood up an
d took my hand, pulling me to my feet. The distance between us made my heart race like an anxious hummingbird.

  “I can scent your nervousness.”

  My voice was breathier than I intended it to be. “I can’t help it, Mr. Cross. You have that effect on me.”

  “Mmm,” he purred. “Step closer.”

  I inched forward.

  “Closer.”

  My stubborn feet moved nearer on the cool, wood floor.

  “Closer,” he whispered insistently until our bodies touched. “Good.”

  The feel of his chest against mine was overwhelming. He used my body as a map to find direction and lifted my chin with the crook of his finger to kiss me. “Each time you get nervous, I want you to remember that you have me completely… in your thrall.”

  “Thank you for Max.”

  “Your heart was running free on the streets of Texas, so I wanted to bring it home.”

  “Where did you keep him? Finn didn’t mention it.”

  “Levi. He’s pretty keen on the fella. Chitahs aren’t really big on keeping pets, but now he’s been talking about getting himself one.”

  My fingers were doing a little exploring of their own between our small talk, admiring the lines of muscle in his broad shoulders. Logan was built for speed—svelte and tall, but his body was toned and capable. “Your hair seems longer,” I noted, touching the ends of it. My fingers trailed down to the V cut along his abdomen, sliding down the grooves.

  Logan dropped to his knees and hooked his fingers on the edges of my panties, slowly… slowly pulling them down. Some random thought struck me about how I really wanted him to tear them off with his teeth.

  God yes, this was going to happen. He rolled his tongue below my navel, circling dangerously. “What about Justus and Christian?” I asked.

  He lowered his voice. “They don’t exist.” His hand wedged between my legs. “Just you and me; we’re the last two left on earth.”

  A throbbing ache took hold as he scorched me with his touch and tempted me with his words. I’d never felt so sensitive, where even the softest gust of air or brush of a finger was multiplied times a hundred.