Finding the Lost

by Shannon K. Butcher

Page 34

 

  “Your woman?” asked Andra in a tone that was part warning, part feminine curiosity.

  Paul felt his face heat. He was overstepping his bounds. He had to remember that. She did not belong to him no matter how much he wished otherwise. She could do as she chose.

  The idea pissed him off.

  Paul stepped aside so he was no longer shielding her body from the leech. “You want him to suck on you? Fine. Be my guest. ”

  “Uh. As in bloodsucking vampire? Like Logan? That kind of suck?”

  “Yes,” said Paul, feeling pleased with her appropriate disgust.

  “No,” said Joseph and Tynan at the same time.

  Andra looked between the three men and took a half step closer to Paul. “Sorry. I gave at the office,” she told the men.

  Tynan shot her a fabulous, model-beautiful smile full of white teeth. “It’s painless. I promise. ”

  “That’s what all the vampires say,” she told him.

  “Lovely creature. I do hope your sister is like you. We could use a little humor to lighten up the place. All these stodgy old Theronai are about as much fun as a funeral. ”

  Joseph let out a low growl of warning. “Back off, leech. ”

  “See what I mean? No fun at all. But you and I, dear, we could have plenty of fun together. ” Tynan’s voice dripped with promise. He took a step nearer Andra, and another. Paul unsheathed his sword and held the naked blade in front of Tynan’s too-pretty neck.

  “Not one step farther,” he warned the Sanguinar.

  Tynan held up his hands in surrender, but it wasn’t his hands that were dangerous. It was his icy blue eyes—the kind that would mesmerize prey and hold them still while he fed. Those eyes were fixed firmly on Andra and she wasn’t looking away.

  “Apparently this is a bad time,” said Tynan.

  “Anytime is a bad time for you to suck my woman’s blood,” said Paul.

  “I’ll just leave and come back when she’s more willing. I’m sure her sister will hold out that long. ”

  “You can help Nika?” asked Andra.

  “That is why I’m here. ”

  “Then do it. ” She held out her arms as if letting him choose which one looked tastier. “Take as much as you want. Just help her. ”

  Tynan’s eyes brightened with hunger. “So generous. So selfless. Your sister is lucky to have you. ”

  Paul tightened his grip on the sword. “He wants Ni ka’s blood, too, Andra. ”

  “He can’t have it. She’s too weak. He’ll have to take mine instead. ”

  “That’s not the way it works, lovely,” said Tynan. “I’ll need hers, too. ”

  “Logan said she’s too weak. ”

  “I’m not Logan. My skills are far greater than his, which is why I’m here now. ”

  “That’s enough!” shouted Joseph. “I’m in charge here. You all elected me leader and you’re damn well going to accept that leadership, because I’m sure as hell not doing this job for the fun of it. ”

  Paul stared at Joseph, stunned. This outburst wasn’t like him at all.

  “Now,” Joseph said. “Tynan is going to take a little—and I mean a little—of Andra’s blood so we can try to figure out where she came from. Paul, you’re going to just sit there and take it. And, Tynan, if I sense even the slightest hint of magic coming off of you, I’m going to cut off your closest appendage with my sword—likely your head. You can get your leech buddies to reattach it, if you think they’re good enough. ”

  Paul looked at Andra, ignoring Joseph’s orders. He didn’t care if they cast him out for defiance. She was his to protect, and he was not going to be forsworn the day after he made the vow to do so. He stepped in front of her so that she could see only him. “Are you really going to allow Tynan to take some of your blood? We can fight them. ”

  Andra’s blue eyes widened in surprise. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “I’m deadly serious. Those are our only two options. ”

  “We can’t fight these guys. They’re the good guys. Right?”

  Paul nodded. “Though ‘good’ may be stretching it a bit. We are on the same side of the war, if that’s what you mean. ”

  “It is. Besides, he’s the one who’s going to help Nika. ”

  “I will do whatever I can,” said Tynan.

  Andra pulled in a deep breath and said to Tynan, “It’s okay. Take some blood from me, but there’d damn well better be juice and cookies waiting for me when you’re done. ”

  Andra was beginning to dislike the vampires almost as much as Paul and Madoc seemed to. If this kept up, she was going to be sucked dry before the week was out.

  Paul stood over her, his hand on his sword, while Andra sat at the kitchen table next to Tynan. Joseph had excused himself to deal with some kind of emergency, warning Tynan to tread carefully.

  “I promise this won’t hurt,” said Tynan as he leaned forward.

  “Touch her neck and you die right here,” warned Paul.

  Andra looked up at him and couldn’t help but stare. She’d never seen him look so fierce, not even when he’d faced down those demons who’d stolen Sammy. He looked like a warrior bent on revenge, barely in control of his anger. His broad shoulders blocked out the light from the living room behind him, casting his body into silhouette. Shadows flowed over the side of his face, throwing his masculine features into harsh relief. His jaw was clenched and his nostrils flared.

  Andra touched his arm in an effort to soothe him, but succeeded only in making him flinch. “Hurry up and finish,” he told Tynan.

  “Your arm, my lady,” said Tynan.

  Andra was no one’s lady, but she didn’t stop to argue the point. She wasn’t sure how much longer Paul could hold out. She could feel his possessiveness smoldering through their bond.

  Andra extended her arm. “You promise it won’t hurt?”

  Tynan gave her a suave smile that would have made most women’s panties melt. “Just look into my eyes and it will be over before you know it. ”

  “No,” barked Paul. “She’s mine. ” His voice was so raw the words were hardly decipherable.

  Andra wasn’t sure whether she was more flattered or annoyed at Paul’s possessiveness. If it hadn’t been for their connection and the fear for her she felt coming off of him in waves, she might have been pissed off at his barbaric declaration. As it was, she knew that he was only trying to protect her from what he perceived as a threat. “If you don’t want me to look at him, then maybe you should be the one to distract me,” said Andra with what she hoped was a seductive smile.

  He leaned down, fisted his hand in her short hair, eased her head back, and took possession of her mouth in a searing kiss. Andra’s world tilted on one end and she sighed into his mouth. Her free hand came up and wrapped around the nape of his neck to hold him in place so he couldn’t pull away this time. Somewhere beyond the floating sphere of Paul’s kiss Andra was dimly aware that something was being done to her other arm. She didn’t care what.

  Paul’s tongue teased her mouth open and she tasted his growl of approval as he slid inside. His hand tightened in her hair—a pleasurable bite of pain. He pressed her back into the chair, his lips and tongue sliding over hers in a near-frenetic need.

  Andra’s belly warmed and her limbs became pliant and willing. The luceria hummed happily, resonating with the purring of his ring against her throat. His hot fingers pressed against the pulse in her neck, and she was sure that the blood thrumming there had heated to near boiling.

  Her breathing sped up, and she could feel the flush of desire sweeping up her chest. Everything outside the two of them faded away into meaninglessness. She’d never felt anything so consuming before, and had there been any room left inside her tingling body for fear, she would have been terrified. This was not the kind of kiss that ended with each of them going their separate ways. This was the kind of kiss that melded hearts together and changed lives. There
was a kind of magic in it—a kind of power that wove them together with delicate tendrils of need. Andra was sure that there was nothing short of naked, sweaty sex that was going to quench the fire that burned in her belly.

  She was all for it.

  Paul’s body tensed with effort; then she felt him start to pull away. Andra tightened her grip on him, using all her strength to hold him in place. But he was stronger and he captured her hand in his and held it at bay.

  Andra was left panting, needy, aching. Now that they were apart, she could feel Paul’s lust—separate from her own—crashing over her in violent waves. He wanted her as much as she’d wanted him and yet he’d stopped.

  Slowly, as her muddled mind cleared, she remembered they had an audience.

  Andra’s face was already flushed with passion, so she was sure that no one noticed her blush.

  Tynan cleared his throat with a delicate cough. “I’m, ah, finished. ”

  Andra pulled her hand away and looked at her wrist. There was nothing there but unblemished skin. “I didn’t feel a thing,” she admitted.

  “I beg to differ,” muttered Tynan. “But I’m glad I didn’t hurt you. ”

  “Go help Nika,” ordered Paul. He was standing a few feet away, facing mostly toward the windows. Andra could see the pained expression on his face, and the rigid control he was trying to maintain.

  Tynan’s dark brows rose. “Are you unwell, Theronai?”

  “I’m fine. Go help Nika. ”

  Andra stood, needing to touch him—to soothe him. She reached for him.

  Paul jerked away. “Don’t come any closer or I’ll have you naked on the floor under me in thirty seconds. I don’t care who’s watching. ”

  Andra’s body was shimmering inside with the residual effects of their kiss. It took an effort of will to gather her composure and keep herself from running her hands over Paul’s taut back.

  “He’s right,” said Andra, glancing at Tynan. “Nika needs you. ”

  Tynan bowed his head. “As you wish. ”

  “Are you going to be okay?” she asked Paul, starting to grow concerned.

  “Yes. This is just the Sanguinar’s version of a joke. I’ll be there in a minute. ”

  Andra wasn’t laughing. She ached too much to find any of this funny.

  She looked at Tynan’s face and couldn’t see a sign of any humor lurking in his eyes.

  “Where is your sister?” he asked.

  “I’ll show you. ”

  Andra took Tynan to the room where Nika was resting. The door opened quietly. It was dark, so Andra flipped on the lights. Nika didn’t move, but she’d spent years having doctors and nurses invade her sleep, so she was probably used to it by now.

  She was so thin and frail, almost skeletal. Her pale hair blended in with the stark white pillows. Blue veins spread out across her temples and over the backs of her hands. The bruises from the restraints and IVs were dark, ugly marks that hadn’t yet begun to heal.