These Arms Of Mine

by M. L. Briers

  “Guilty as sin…” his eyes flared and sparkled with amusement.

  “You heard her…?”

  “Nothing I didn’t already know.” His voice held that melodic sing-song quality that annoyed her so. “I tasted you – remember?”

  “Back to the others…” she said.

  “Now who’s deflecting?”

  “You’ll be curious about the Professor and his database…”

  “The watchers. It has a perverted ring to it, don’t you think?” He teased once more and she sighed at his lack of seriousness.

  “Leave them alone…”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Because I’m asking…”

  “Ah, as my one true…”

  “Say it and I swear I will stake you.” Morgana bit out, and from the look of her he was sure that she meant it.

  He twisted his head on his neck and regarded her with such scrutiny that she blushed once more…

  “Ha! I love how you blush …” he teased and she looked as if she was chewing a wasp… “It’s just that I’ve never seen it before…”

  “I don’t have to feed you, vampire…” Morgana warned him.

  “True…” he shrugged one shoulder back at her. “But desiccating ruins the skin…”

  “Will you just…?” She huffed and dropped her head forward on her neck. “Can you not be serious for one minute?”

  “Ok,” he looked at the imaginary watch on his wrist. “Time starts now…”

  “Leave the watchers alone.”

  “Done. For now.” He rolled his eyes to the ceiling and back down to her…

  “Don’t say that word…”

  “What word?”

  “The word…”

  “The word?”

  “The M word.”

  “Oh, you mean…?”

  Morgana zapped him good and hard and the man bit down on the pain that flowed through him.

  “Got it.” He bit out and felt her magic pull away.

  “Leave Maxi alone.”

  “Did she have something to do with her sister in laws attack on us?”

  “No.”

  “Then she doesn’t have to worry.” He shot back.

  “Don’t try to do more than take my blood…”

  “Oh, would you look at that? Time’s up…” Nathaniel said with glee. “Serious me is history and I’m back!”

  “Oh – goodie.” Morgana bit out. “Now get out of here so I can do some work – you’re enough to scare off the witches.”

  “Little old me? Scare people? Never.” He teased.

  “And do not hang around outside my shop.”

  “But, I thought we agreed that I’m stalky vampire now…”

  “I never agreed to anything. And as your one true … that thing we’re not saying … I can decided when to feed you and when to leave you wanting. You wanna be wanting?” she glared at him.

  “Fine. Not outside the shop…” Nathaniel tossed back as he headed towards the front door. “I’ll be up on the roof…”

  “Nathaniel!” Morgana bit out, but the door was already swinging closed.

  She dropped her head on her neck and sighed.

  “You still have that creepy watcher guy next door!” Nathaniel said, popping his head and shoulders back in for the last word, but by the time she turned; he was gone again.

  “A creepy watcher guy next door and an even creepier vampire on the damn roof…” she sighed…

  The door flew open again and she turned to give the vampire a mouthful… Claudia rushed in; grinning like an idiot with sheer excitement written all over her face…

  “Oh – my – God!” she gushed. “So you’re a real witch!”

  CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

  ~

  “Ya think?” Morgana didn’t need Claudia’s brand of excitable babble just then.

  “Yeah, but no – like a really – really – real witch!”

  “Again – ya think?”

  “Not so much…” Claudia said with a small shrug.

  “I’m not even going to touch that one…” Morgana said, scooting around to the back of the counter.

  “No – I meant – those readings – I just used you as a sounding board to see what you thought. I didn’t think you really knew…” Claudia said.

  “Then why didn’t you just ask my opinion?”

  “It was more fun to play witch…” Claudia said and Morgana frowned as she opened her mouth, speechless, and closed it again. Claudia waved it away. “Anyway – not just you a witch, but them being vampires.” She said the last word on a whisper.

  “Who’d have thought?!” Morgana said with her tone dripping with sarcasm.

  “Not me.” Claudia said on a shake of her head.

  “You know they are going to wipe your memory, right?”

  “Don’t let them…” Claudia rushed out. “I won’t tell.” She looked serious – too serious, it really didn’t suit her.

  “It’s not my call…”

  “I thought you and that Nathaniel had something going on … at least Julian said…”

  “Julian?”

  “Well, Michael too…”

  “Wait – what?” Morgana leaned on the counter and raised both of her eyebrows back at her friend.

  “We – had a drink…” She looked a little cagey.

  “All of you?”

  “Yes, they said it was protocol when a human knew what a vampire was…” she was back to whispering again.

  “Did they now?” Morgana bit out on a deeper frown.

  “Isn’t it?” Claudia asked and Morgana sighed.

  “Come here…” Morgana lifted her hands to each side of Claudia’s neck and felt for any sign of supernatural marks against her skin. Nothing.

  “Did they…?”

  “No.”

  “Oh,” Claudia sounded a little downcast.

  “Seriously?” Morgana bit back.

  “Aren’t you curious? Or have you and Nathaniel already…?”

  “Bite your tongue!” Morgana groaned back.

  “Sore point?”

  “Festering wound.”

  “Got it…” Claudia shrugged. “But why?”

  “Because…” Morgana said and she didn’t dare to elaborate.

  She didn’t want to say it out loud. Saying it out loud meant that it was closer to being the truth than it was if she just denied it until eternity…

  “He’s your mate?”

  Morgana opened her mouth and nothing came out. Not a word. Not a sound.

  Then the sound of silence was broken by the thunderous laughter of the vampire from somewhere above them.

  “Is he … here?” Claudia looked around like she was following a bee…

  “On the roof …” Morgana groaned. “Like a gargoyle.” She added, louder that time just to make sure that the man heard it.

  “Why is he on the roof?”

  “Because he couldn’t fit down the chimney.” Morgana shot back.

  “Oh.” Claudia said on a small nod and then frowned. “What?”

  “Never mind. Let’s get back to talking about you and your soon to be memory loss…”

  “Let’s not, because it’s not happening. I wrote everything down and stashed it somewhere …”

  “That’s not going to help … they’ll get you to tell them stuff like that.”

  “I…” Claudia bit down in frustration. “I don’t want to forget!”

  “Not your call…”

  “What if I agree to give them some blood every now and then?”

  “Like a bargaining chip?”

  “Like a blood bank.”

  “Eww.”

  “But I want to remember, and it’s kind of cool, and who am I going to tell? And who would believe me even if I did?” Claudia huffed again.

  “You could always join the professor and his merry band of creepy watchers…” Morgana offered back.

  “And then I could remember?”

  “Well, if
they did wipe you, then the professor could retell you, or some such…”

  “Nah, I wouldn’t believe him.” Claudia said, downcast once more…

  “Fine. I’ll talk to them.”

  “You will?” Claudia brightened.

  “I suppose it’s the least I can do since I dragged you into this.”

  “Yeah, you kind of did,” Claudia said and Morgana’s mouth dropped open again, but the sound of Claudia chuckling followed by a big beaming smile made Morgana feel slightly better about the whole thing. “I could have had fur…”

  “You don’t agree with fur – you’re a member of PETA,” Morgana said, and both woman burst out laughing…

  ~

  ~

  ~

  Morgana dragged her backside up the stairs and flicked on the overhead light with her magic; she walked into her bedroom, and stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of the vampire laid on his side on the bed – the man was grinning from ear to ear.

  “Window – out – now.” She scowled as she lifted her hand and pointed the way.

  “That’s a fine way to greet your …” he didn’t get to finish because she zapped him. It didn’t last long, but she felt better about it. “Can you not?”

  “No, every time I see your smug little face I want to zap something, and it might as well have been you.”

  “Fine. But, I brought dinner…”

  “Then bring it to the front door like a normal person.” She snapped back.

  “Normal? Me? Perish the…”

  “Out, Nathaniel. I swear I will…”

  “Stake me?”

  “Tempting…”

  “Fine.” He pushed up off the bed and started towards her.

  “Window!” She snapped.

  “I came in the front door…”

  “And you’ll leave by the window…”

  “That’s not…”

  “Fair? Boo-hoo. Out!” When she planted her hands on her hips he knew that he was done for. There was little point in arguing with a woman when she took that stance.

  Vampire or not. She was still his mate.

  “The watchers are coming.” He grumbled as he walked towards the window and yanked it open…

  “What? When?” She demanded – just as the doorbell sounded.

  “Now.” He grinned back with glee.

  CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

  ~

  “Play nice…” Morgana said, walking over to Nathaniel and yanking him away from the window as she slammed it shut with her magic.

  “Does this mean we’re like … a couple?” Nathaniel teased and she rolled her eyes.

  “When they’ve gone – I’m going to learn to whittle.” She hissed.

  “When they’ve gone, we’re going to have a conversation about that thing that I’m not allowed to say.”

  “That’s blackmail.”

  “Not if I don’t make demands – like – I’m going to be my normal vampire self around them if you don’t…”

  “Fine.”

  “And I’m going to be peckish…”

  “Don’t push it.” Morgana bit out.

  “It was worth a try…” Nathaniel sighed. “Fangs at the dinner table it is…”

  “Fine.” She sighed.

  “To the fangs or the food?” He grinned, showing just a little of his fangs, and she placed her hands back on her hips. “I’ll let you think about it.”

  ~

  ~

  ~

  “Well, that went … well,” Morgana had looked for another word, and even the one that she’d used hadn’t really conveyed the situation.

  “How so – we agreed to disagree,” Nathaniel leant his shoulder against the door frame at the entrance to the kitchen and watched her clear away the aftermath of the dinner things into the dishwasher.

  “You and Daniella didn’t try to kill each other – ergo – a win.”

  “I still don’t like the idea of being…”

  “Watched? Stalked? Join the club…” Morgana tossed him a glare.

  “That was for your own benefit – not mine…” Nathaniel assured her. But still, he’d much rather have been inside the house than up on a roof.

  “Did you know?” Morgana turned towards him expectantly.

  “Know…?”

  “About … oh, Goddess, just saying it … Us.”

  “There’s an us…” he pondered that thought with a small, but growing smirk on his lips.

  “Nathaniel…” she warned, ready to unleash a whooper of a zap on him if he irritated her for a moment longer.

  “I had a sneaking suspicion. I was drawn to you from the moment that I saw you, the need to protect you, to know you … but you never can tell until you do the taste test.” His eyes locked on hers and started to turn black…

  Morgana knew what that meant – emotions – either he wanted to kill her or mate with her, and she was guessing it was the latter…

  “Gee, too much romance bat-man,” she muttered as she turned back towards the dishwasher, and there he was, right in front of her – looking down at her with something akin to desire in those darkening eyes.

  “I can do romance…” his words were melodic. His tone was soft and it drew her in … she got closer – closer – closer still…

  “I don’t believe you did that!” She put her palms on his chest and tried to push him away, and yet, he nagged her wrists and yanked her towards him.

  Body to body. He wrapped an arm around her back and palmed her cheek with his other hand…

  “I’m teasing…” He promised. “When I make you mine I want you to be right there with me for every moment – every touch…”

  “Every bite?” She pressed her lips together, because she didn’t want to smile.

  “Teasing me…”

  “Let’s change the subject then.”

  “Now that I have you where I want you?”

  “Up against the dishwasher?”

  “In these arms of mine … talk about not being romantic … I can hear a song in these somewhere … and don’t say it’s before your time because everyone knows that one…”

  “What if I’m not attracted to you – you’re not exactly – eye candy…” she lied and he caught it.

  “Deny it all you want, but you’ve been attracted to me since the moment we met…”

  “Denied – strongly denied…” she bit out, but the knowing look in his eyes and the way that he arched just one eyebrow at her made her roll her eyes. “You said deny it all I want…”

  “Hmm.”

  “What?” She demanded…

  Nathaniel couldn’t wait a moment longer to taste her lips. He brought hid down on hers in a flash.

  She didn’t make a move to pull away as a rush of shocked excitement shot through her body and flipped her stomach at the same time as her heart kicked her ribs, and her brain forgot what her legs were for.

  She’d wondered what it would be like to be in his arms, to be kissed by him – to feel all of that strength wrapped around her and yet not have to fear it.

  It had been there in the back of her mind where she’d pushed it from day one of their meeting – locking it away because she never wanted to just be his witch – his tasty food source.

  She’d wanted more – a lot more, and now that it was right there in front of her for the taking; it felt like everything was clicking into place.

  In reality she’d known that she was never going to be away from him. She’d denied it to herself for so long because she felt that pull on her soul from his – it was like being on the edge of a black hole and stupidly not expecting to be pulled in by the sheer presence of his being.

  His kisses turned from exploration to red hot desire, and she was right there with him every step of the way.

  Her mind shut down to everything but his touch – the feel of his body pressed against hers. His lips devouring – his fingertips exploring, and when he lifted her up his body and she felt the hard press of his length against
her sex; she wrapped her legs around his hips and held on for the heady rush of the ride as he swept her up the stairs and into her bedroom.

  Clothes weren’t an option or a barrier. Fast hands made swift work of the fabric between them, and when he took her down to the mattress, naked, and started to explore her body from head to toe … she almost lost her mind with the need for more.

  Nathaniel climbed back up her body, and when she reached out for him – he laced his hands with hers and pushed them down against the mattress, pushing inside her and catching the gasp with his lips over hers.

  Lost. She was lost to him. Lost to the sensation of being so thoroughly loved by him.

  He took her to the edge of reason – the edge of insanity – and then he ran a hand behind her, palmed her back, and lifted her from the bed.

  His fangs elongated. The need to taste her blood on his tongue once more was like a fever within his veins … that one he could control.

  He savoured the moment before he struck, before his fangs sunk into her flesh and he took that first sip of her Fae blood – then he struck. He heard her gasp with every drawn on her blood, felt her body climb towards that very first release, and he rode with her towards ecstasy, releasing his fangs the moment that she soared, throbbed from head to toe with the intensity that swept through her body.

  Then he followed her.

  Over and over, every time that he reached for her that night – she reached right back for him.

  Bonded together. True mates.

  He’d never let anyone hurt her again.

  He’d always be by her side.

  And he’d always have her within his arms.

  One day, he knew that he’d take away the Fae within her and replace it with eternity.

  That day wasn’t yet, but he was a patient man – he’d waited that long to make her his – truly his.

  She’d asked him if he’d known that they were mates … he’d had a damn good idea from the moment that he’d set eyes on her. He’d protected her and kept her safe from that moment on.

  He’d do the same thing every day until he was nothing but ash.

  The End.

  A Note from the Authors;

  We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking the time to read one of our books. We hoped you enjoyed it, and if you would be kind enough to leave a review at Amazon that would be amazing.