The Third Fate

by Nadja Notariani

  “That he is, Highlander. I found her half-changed and abandoned, taken from her home against her will. We nursed her to health and completed her change, but nightly, the girl wept for an unknown male she claimed came to her in her dreams. When I entered her mind, you can imagine my surprise to discover the mystery vampire’s identity to be Alden. She’s not one of my girls, Cael. She’s young and innocent. It is the reason for the body paint – my insurance that no one would attempt to touch the girl. Those who kidnapped her had not yet sold her, thank the Fates! I know you do not keep the company of one like Conrad, but I ask your assurance that the girl will be well cared for. That thing sits on the Council, Cael, lording authority and self-righteousness over one and all, yet it is under his protection that young females are taken from their homes and villages! Jodhaa is one of the few lucky that I – or others like me – find before they are sold into a life of slavery.”

  “Alden is a good man, Raven. Rest yer mind,” Cael asserted.

  “Bring your Awakener. Weave your magic,” Raven resumed her businesslike demeanor. “But do not forget your debt to me, Maccinnis.” Without looking back she added, “Your friend will most likely be occupied with his new mate for some days. I’ll bill him later.”

  Cael knew the woman surely would.

  *

  Cael purposefully laid false trails, cloaking his movements carefully before returning to his home. Not trusting the powers that be since his unjust punishment and censure, his home had never been revealed to anyone he knew save Alden and Rowan. They were his only friends.

  Worry steadily built since Paige’s pitiful plea earlier in the night, and Cael was desperate to find her safe in his bed.

  Drink and fuck…

  He materialized, at once aware of his grave error as her scent filled his home. He’d not fed before returning. Cursing himself, he started for the stairs. If she refused him again he was not certain he’d be able to deny his thirst. Hope of restraint was nearly lost as he stepped into the master suite.

  Paige lay across the bed, her lacy bra and panties all that covered her flushed skin. Cheeks rosy from an inner heat, she whimpered as he neared, arching toward him under the pull of the bond – and her growing thirst. Her blond hair splayed around her on the bed. Her eyes, those pale green eyes, beckoned with carnal hunger.

  Cael stood at the foot of the bed unmoving, resolve firm. He would not go to her unless she surrendered all to him. Nothing less was acceptable. She reached for him, and his control nearly faltered.

  Ye must give yerself to me, lass. I willna come to ye unless ye want me to have all of ye, and ye want all of me.

  “I want all of you, Cael,” she whispered. “But I’m afraid.”

  “What are ye afraid of, lass?” he asked, acquiescing to her touch at last.

  “Of not being in control…of losing you…of losing myself…” she stammered, the call stronger than her ability to articulate.

  “Let me inside yer mind. Doona try to explain it all. I’ll know.”

  Gently, Cael rubbed her temples, smoothing her hair under his hands.

  Think what ye canna say…Give yerself to me, lass.

  Paige whimpered, her thoughts roaring in release, one rolling into another in a frenzy of outpouring emotion. She gasped at the sense of relief that flooded her, and after the torrent eased found herself able to concentrate again.

  “I…I feel calmer,” she whispered.

  “Ye shouldna hold yerself back from me. It hurts ye,” he chastised gently. “And what hurts ye hurts me, Paige.”

  She searched his blue eyes, her regret and fear - his tenderness - mingling in a singular moment of unity.

  “I’m sorry,” she admitted. “It was unfair of me to accuse you earlier. If I’d have listened and had a little faith in you the whole thing would never have happened. Hurting either of us is not what I want.”

  Her words lingered between them. Suddenly, Paige noticed the cool air against her skin and blushed deeply at her state of undress, peculiarly excited at the nearness of him. Anew, the strange hunger took root. Cael remained inches from her mouth, waiting.

  Paige had to make a decision.

  “I’m afraid of what’s happening to me, Cael Maccinnis. I’m afraid to be with you.” She paused, taking a breath before continuing. “I’m more afraid of living without you.”

  “What are ye sayin’, lass?” he rasped next to her ear.

  “That I want to give all of myself to you. I want all you have to give me, too.”

  His mouth covered hers, her sigh deep and throaty at the relief of his lips upon hers. Fevered heat re-kindled, and her body arched toward him in yearning. Desire and thirst mingled, Cael’s eyes reddening in the heat of passion. He drank in her skin’s taste, roving to her lace covered peak and biting, bringing Paige off the bed with a moan of pleasure as his hand trailed between her legs. Lower he progressed, his heated breath warming her, and she pleaded for relief.

  “I…I need…”

  “I know what ye need, lass,” he soothed, smiling against her inner thigh.

  The panties vanished. At the first stroke of his tongue over her Paige mewled, her need growing with every touch. Cael slid a single finger inside her, her gasp assuring him of her pleasure. He stilled, kissing her thighs with soft brushing kisses until she writhed beneath him. Returning to her sensitive flesh, he lapped, pressing another finger inside her tightness.

  “Ye taste so good, lass,” he murmured before sliding up her body, kissing his way back to her neck. “I want more of ye.”

  She turned her head, offering her neck in erotic submission.

  “I want you to do it,” she replied in a throaty whisper.

  He nuzzled her neck, pressed her hips open with his own. Paige ripped at the shirt covering his chest and moved to his pants before abandoning the frustrating task, willing them gone.

  “Ah, lass,” he growled low.

  Cael pushed inside her, hooking his hand under her knee and opening her vulnerably before his invasion. Stroking in and out, Paige splayed beneath him, he watched her passion mount. Heavy lidded, her eyes drank him in. Her pink lips begged him nip their lushness. Her breasts, full and lush, jounced with his every thrust. The splendor of her unbridled desire propelled him toward release, and when her fangs elongated Cael lowered his lips near her ear.

  “Drink, Paige,” he encouraged, his inner arm offered as he lowered to take her neck.

  Her moan mingled with his own, her body gripping him in her peak of pleasure, heightened by his drinking. Clasping him close Paige sank her fangs, drawing hungrily, and Cael spilled inside her, filling her with his heated essence. They rode the prolonged waves of pleasure, drinking and fucking as mates were meant to, oblivious to all but the pleasure enjoyed until each drank their fill. Kissing her wound closed as she sealed his, they returned to one another’s lips, tasting and touching for untold time.

  Ye have taken of me, lass. And I of ye. We belong to one another.

  “Don’t leave me,” she pleaded softly against his chest as he pulled her close to his side. “Ever.”

  “I willna leave ye, lass.”

  Paige remained still and quiet in his arms, mesmerized by his caresses upon her flesh. At last she spoke in a small, frightened voice.

  “Is it over?”

  “Is what over?” he asked, kissing her forehead.

  “My change. Am I a vampire like you now?”

  “Not yet.”

  “But I drank your blood,” she protested his answer, bringing a chuckle from him.

  “Aye, ye did. It will help with the changin’. Will make it easier on ye.”

  Paige grew contemplative a few moments.

  “Cael,” she whispered softly, “I wanted to drink. To bite you.”

  “Aye,” he acknowledged, her admission expected.

  He caressed her skin, swirling his fingertips over her shoulder.

  “Could I ever hurt you by drinking from you?”

  Cael r
olled her beneath him, feathering kisses across her cheeks.

  “Ye willna hurt me, lass, I told ye before. Ye give me pleasure as I do ye.”

  “Cael,” her voice was small still, and he smoothed his hands around her face, concerned at her troubled tone.

  “What troubles ye?”

  “Will you drink from other vampires? Will they drink from you?”

  He heard emotion strain her voice, flooding him with tenderness as he understood her fear.

  “Nay. Ye will be my only, Paige.”

  Rather than allow her continue in worrisome thought, he occupied her in more tantalizing pursuits, knowing that before the dawn he had to spirit them safely to Raven House.

  Chapter Eleven

  Conrad raged.

  “Openly he scorns the authority of the Council! And yet they do nothing!”

  His associate toyed with a paperweight, calculating his reply. It would do no good to rush the ancient.

  “He’ll have her turned fully before he allows any near her, and by then she will be protected by vampire law! He will then openly flaunt his half-born whore!”

  Conrad spat the words with disgust.

  “Unless we find her first,” the voice injected subtly. “She will be easily controlled – or disposed of.”

  “Are you listening to anything I’ve said?” Conrad roared. “He will not uncloak her, even to the Council!”

  “Perhaps I have something that will flush Cael out of his hiding – and in doing so will leave the half-born exposed.”

  Conrad paused his ranting to consider his associate’s boast.

  “How could you have something of such import, Kaiden of Clan Douglas?”

  The coven leader smiled.

  “You can come in now,” Kaiden called.

  The doors at the far end of the gilded sitting room opened inward revealing the female vampire of whom Kaiden spoke. Conrad’s mouth turned up in a viscous sneer.

  “I believe you may be correct, Kaiden. The end of Cael Maccinnis will be a glorious sight.”

  *

  Raven House was like nothing Paige had encountered. A mixture between a five-star hotel and a hedonistic playground, the estate bespoke of old-world manners in the main areas and pure sin behind closed doors. Their arrival had been relatively quiet, and Paige thought only to be staying at the estate of one of Cael’s wealthy friends. The entire day passed with nothing more scandalous than maids polishing the abundant wooden furniture and quiet movements of various servants.

  As evening approached Cael roused, explaining that things would be quite different as night wakened. He produced a sari, the cream-colored silk more beautiful than any garment she’d ever owned, urging her to wear it.

  “My closest friend, Alden, will be united with his mate, Jodhaa, this evening. Ye will look lovely.”

  “Shouldn’t the bride be wearing white?” Paige asked nervously.

  No one wanted to look the upstart to a bride.

  Cael laughed softly.

  “She’s from India, Paige. The bride wears red.”

  Paige laughed in spite of the oddity of it all. Weeks ago she was sitting at her desk in the library, wondering if she’d be able to leave in time to keep dinner plans. Nothing more exciting happened than completing a book collection. She was the frumpy Miss who arranged the flowers for weddings, not a guest wearing white silk. Certainly she was not the guest with a beautiful man beside her. Correction. A beautiful vampire beside her. Her circumstances had changed considerably. She was becoming a vampire. Suddenly, she felt ill.

  What will happen to me? Will I never go out in the sun again? Will I never die?

  The full weight of the situation slammed into her, unspoken consequences she’d not allowed herself to ruminate on, to consider. Everything had changed.

  I don’t even know who I really am.

  This thought more than the others terrified her.

  Relax your mind, lass. Ye know who ye are, and I’m here with ye.

  His presence in her thoughts comforted her. Just days ago it unnerved her to know that he heard her every private intimation. Now, a sense of belonging sprang to life in the knowledge. It troubled her, how easy it was to accept these new ideas about the world, physical and spiritual. It was as if she’d known all along that this realm existed, explained at last why she’d never fit in entirely.

  Cael’s arms wrapped her, the silk sari beneath his hands. It’s coolness slid against her skin, contrasting the heat where his hands rested. Looking back at him with a smile she shook her head.

  “You didn’t give me a chance to put it on.”

  “I couldna wait,” he murmured against her hair.

  All the fears, the uncertainties, faded when he came near. The minutes in his arms almost dispelled them completely.

  How can this man, a being as wonderful as he is, love me? What happens when he realizes that I’m nothing more than regular, boring Paige.

  Cael’s arms tightened on her, turning her to face him.

  “Doona think such things, lass. It is I that should be fearin’.”

  “You say that, Cael, but look around! This house is filled with beautiful women, and any of them would die to be with you. Why would you have picked me?”

  “Ye raise my ire, lass. Doona be puttin’ yerself down.”

  “Don’t misunderstand, Cael. I accept that I’m not like them. I suppose ordinary isn’t a word I can describe myself with anymore now that I’m becoming a vampire, but I’m not world-traveled, drop-dead-gorgeous, either.”

  “And why would a lass as wonderful as yerself be havin’ aught to do with me? I’ve shirked my responsibilities, hidin’ away in the Highlands for centuries, Paige. I’ve made many mistakes, failed those who depended on me.”

  Paige was silent, surprise showing on her face at his admission. Cael confessed his past, sharing his devastation at Gwendolyn’s betrayal and his secret shame over Rose McAllister’s death.

  “I never meant for anyone to get hurt.”

  “You must have loved her very much,” Paige said quietly.

  “Nay, lass. I didna love her, nor did she love me. We were reckless and carefree, and we enjoyed one another’s company. It would have ended once she found her mate.” He paused, holding her tightly. “Because of me, she never had the chance.”

  “Do you know why she was killed, Cael?” Paige asked.

  “That’s what has haunted me. I doona know. But I willna make the same mistake twice. Now can ye understand why I took ye against yer will that day at the airport?”

  “I understand,” she assured him, nestling against his chest. “You’re beginning to lead.”

  “Aye. It appears I am.”

  Lingering quiet allowed them to absorb the words they had exchanged, each learning much about the other.

  Paige replayed the conversation in her mind again while sitting in the hall after the ceremony. It had been a lovely, sacred sort of event, puzzling amid such a place as this. Jodhaa was so young and innocent in appearance, blushing profusely as Alden led her to their rooms. Sweetness emanated from the young Indian woman, and Alden had been so obviously taken with her.

  “What makes ye look so serious?” Cael’s silken voice requested from behind.

  Her smile was wide and immediate. Taking the drink he offered, she answered.

  “I cannot help but notice how…how open…the guests are. It is quite different from your friend and his new mate.”

  Cael laughed softly from behind her chair. His hand rested on her shoulder, igniting a fire under her skin. The room was charged with sexuality, and Paige struggled to decide if she was uncomfortable due to her own inhibitions or because she was aroused.

  “Aye. Open is a good word to describe them. Does it trouble ye, lass?”

  Her eyes scanned the room. Unoccupied female vampires strolled the rooms on the lookout for anyone not engaged in love play. Near nakedness worn like an exquisite gown, they moved gracefully amongst the guests, ensuring pleas
ure was the only concern to be had. Paige was no prude, but to parade around in only the sheer robes in front of any and everyone was more freedom than she cared to exercise.

  “Not exactly. Do they want to be here?”

  “No one is here against their will, Paige. Raven House is for those who want her.”

  “The Raven…,” she repeated. “Is that the name of the place or the owner?”

  “Both.”

  “Will I meet her?”

  “That will be up to her.”

  Soft moans overtook their conversation, coming from the room just beyond where they sat, and Paige shifted in her seat, a blush rising on her cheeks. Cael bent to her side.

  “Those sounds of pleasure whet my appetite for ye.”

  Paige cleared her throat as quietly as she could manage. Cael swirled his fingertips over her collarbone, tracing just under the silken edge of her sari. Her skin tingled at his touch, the entire room spinning as her senses drowned in the sensualist atmosphere surrounding them.

  “I…I’d …”

  “Aye, lass. It is time to go.”

  They passed through The Raven’s entertainment hall, heading for the stairs. Paige could not help but look upon the players enjoying foreplay along the way. Sex and drinking were not allowed in the open, but exploration and play were exhibited in artful creativity. Her senses were so heightened that each brush of the smooth sari against her flesh encouraged the heated wetness between her legs.

  Cael was just as affected, his hands roving her hips and waist suggestively as they mounted the stairs. Outside their room in the empty hall he pressed her against the wall, grinding his hips against her back, nipping the nape of her neck. Unblocking the spell on the door he led them in, his hunger loosed once in the privacy of their room. Ravenous, Cael stripped the sari from her body with expert movement, the cool air icy against her heated skin. Paige gasped, never before having experienced such arousal.

  Freeing his body from the confines of his clothing, Paige stroked his hardness, eager to touch him everywhere at once. Her mouth sucked at his flesh, trailing over his chest and down the line of dark hair to the weighted shaft in her hand. She swirled her tongue over the head, his ragged groan stilling her. She grew uncertain suddenly at her boldness.