by Riley, Alexa
“Death,” my mom finishes, and I feel her pain as my dad nods in agreement.
“He was always coming for me,” I say before I move past my dad and walk out of the room.
I don’t leave the house, but instead go to my old bedroom knowing this is as alone as they’ll let me be right now. I close my eyes and pray that the sun rises soon. I put my hand over my chest to feel my heartbeat as I focus on him. I search for the connection that mates can have to see if we are different in that way, too. I’ll try anything at this point.
Treasure. I hear his voice inside my head and my cheeks warm.
They’re all wrong. He isn’t darkness, and if that’s what it feels like, I’d let it eat my light alive. I’d give up the sun for him if that’s what it took for us to be together. I want to go to him and to have him hold me, but I need to control my need for him. I think of his mouth brushing against me and how soft his lips might be. I sit up in bed when I swear I can almost really feel him. He’s close—my whole body starts to buzz and all my senses wake up.
I move quietly to the window and watch the sun rising in the distance. Glancing back at my bedroom door, I debate what I should do. Maybe they know what I’m planning, or maybe they don’t think I’m capable of sneaking out. I’ve never gone against anything my parents ever said and I can’t recall having a fight with them before today.
I make my choice because I’m unable to wait another moment. Facing death has made me bold as I open the window and feel the cool air hit my face. I jump without thinking and land easily on the ground. When my feet touch the grass I begin to sprint. I don’t go in the direction I think he is and instead I choose the thick trees in the woods to hide.
The light at the edge of the forest makes me stop and I strain my ears as I listen for a moment. I don’t hear anyone following me and I close my eyes, trying to feel him again. His need for me hits me right in the chest and I’m running again, even faster than before.
The feel of him is stronger as I get closer until I end up at Bishop’s. I slow down as the sun shines overhead and I see a wooden house nearby. It’s a small cabin, and I know Grim is inside. Grabbing the handle, I almost rip the old door off when I yank it open. Sitting in the middle of the bare room is my mate inside a cage. For a second I wonder what it’s made of if it can keep him locked inside.
His head rises and he smiles at me. “Did the sun come up, treasure?” I nod as I step in and the light comes pouring in.
He stands up and grabs the bars then pulls them open easily. I want to laugh at how easy it is for him to step out and walk to me. When the sun hits his eyes, I see small flecks of gold there that I didn’t notice before. I’ve never seen anything more breathtakingly beautiful.
“Why have you been sitting in a cage you could have gotten out of?”
He pulls me into him and lifts me easily so that I’m eye level. “I was waiting for you.”
I wrap my arms around his neck. “You knew I'd come?” I bury my face in his neck and breathe him in. Everything inside of me relaxes and all the pain is gone.
“You shouldn’t have, but I can’t let you go.” He growls as his hold on me tightens. “They’re right, I’ll curse us. You shouldn’t want a life with me.”
I lean back, unable to help my smile. “I notice you didn’t say I should go back.”
“I don’t think I can let you go,” he says, and his words are filled with sorrow.
“I’d never ask you to.” I brush my mouth against his, knowing that his possession is what makes our bond tighter. “What if I hadn’t come?”
“I stopped fighting them for you, treasure. I would have come for you soon enough.”
“You didn’t want to hurt them.”
“I didn’t want to hurt you,” he corrects, knowing hurting them would have caused me pain.
“You saved me,” I tell him as I move my lips to his neck. “But…” The hunger I’ve been unable to fight rises to the surface. “This might sting a little,” I admit right before I sink my teeth into his neck.
Chapter Five
Grim
“Fuck!” I cry out as her teeth sink into me. Not because it’s painful but because it feels like I’m going to cum.
Her tongue is on my skin and I hold her closer as she tastes me. I’m somehow sharing this with her and it’s overpowering. I’ve never had this connection to anything before, even when I’ve been called to a soul. This is somehow more consuming and I don’t want it to end.
I walk her across the room and pin her to the wall as her legs tighten around me. I’m hard and thick as I thrust my hips against her and hear the rattle of the cabin. The wood groans while I hump harder and my body won’t be contained.
“I don’t deserve you,” I say through gritted teeth. “But I will have you.”
I pull away from the wall and lay her down on the rug in front of the fire. Her teeth release me and she licks the wound. Immediately I can hear her thoughts as if I’m the one thinking them. From what I’ve heard of vampire mates, this is normal, but I never thought it would happen to me.
She reaches down to bunch her dress up before she pulls it over her head and tosses it on the floor beside us. Her creamy skin glows in the sunlight as I take off my own shirt. There’s a frenzy to be skin against skin as we pull at each other’s clothes. I can hear her demand for me as I’m naked before her and she’s in only her panties.
In one clean jerk my big hand yanks them off of her and she’s finally bare under me. Hot semen drips from cock onto her alabaster belly and I growl low in my chest. I’m much bigger than she is, and I feel protective of her. She’s so special that I’ll be gentle, but I don’t stop.
“You’ve never had a man,” I say as I rub the creamy tip of my cock through her wet pink folds. “I can smell it.” I take in another deep breath of her. She settles something deep inside me, a restlessness that persisted until I met her. This is what I’ve been longing for.
Her hands go to her breasts and she touches her tight nipples. “How can you tell?” Her cheeks are the same color as her pussy lips, and though I ache to lick her there, I want to enter her more. Make us connected in every way.
“You call to me, and now that you’ve had my blood we’ll be bound for life. But the scent of you is fresh like a rosebud just opening.” I inhale as I push the thick tip of my cock into her, still worried my size will hurt her. I’m fighting myself.
“Grim, don’t be gentle. I’m made for you.” She reaches down and places her hand on mine. Then I move mine out of the way as she guides my thick length into her. “I need this to stop the ache.”
Her legs widen as I move between them and plant my hands on either side of her. I feel her fingers at the base of my cock until I’m fully seated inside her. Once her warm pussy is wrapped around me I fall onto her and cover her mouth with mine. When I kiss her and we are connected, it’s too much to bear. I barely pump three times before I can feel the rush of cum building in my cock and squirting deep inside her.
Somehow in some magical way her body responds to mine. It’s like we’ve been starved for this moment, but it’s not over. It’s only begun. The tight intensity is too much but I don’t dare stop. My mate is the only thing that matters, so I thrust in and out slowly as I cum inside her and seal our bond. There’s more for her, but I can’t control myself or my desire as a long, steady stream of semen coats the inside of her.
Her body tenses and her nails dig into my back and she cries out my name. The sun is bright in the room, but her beauty is what’s blinding. I’ve never seen someone so perfect and now she belongs to me. When I think of making love to her like this until the end of time it only makes me thrust harder and faster. We have time, but I’m desperate to make up for all the time we’ve lost. Every moment I was away from her was a moment missed.
When I feel her climax around me again, I lean back and look down at her. I watch the arch of her hips and the flush across her breasts. I taste her nipples and memorize the freckl
es on her shoulders. I see every inch of her as she comes undone for me and it’s not enough. I need it again and again and I won’t rest until I have every ounce of pleasure from her body.
Before I can think about what I’m doing I pull my cock from her body and slide down between her legs. I have to taste her desire and memorize that, too. Her clit is soft and sweet as I roll my tongue across it. She’s slick and creamy with my seed on her, but I like the two of us mixed together. I grip her thighs and hold her close as I suck on her pink lips one after the other.
“Mine!” she calls out as her fingers dig into my hair possessively. She’s not holding back either.
Our connection is so powerful that if I close my eyes it’s like we’re of the same mind and somehow pleasuring her gets me off. I’m between her legs so long that I lose count of how many times she climaxes. It’s all more than I ever imagined and I’m starved for everything. I can’t remember the last time someone touched me, and now my skin is alight with it. Ariella is everywhere all at once and I’m filled with happiness.
We make love for hours, but it goes by in what feels like seconds. Time stands still when I’m with her, but there is so much we still have ahead of us. I’m between her legs again when I hear a car in the distance.
“They won’t take you from me,” I vow as I kiss the inside of her thigh before I move between her legs and thrust inside her warmth. My cock is hard as I stare at the door while I claim what is rightfully mine. I’d let them take her before because I knew they wouldn’t harm her. I couldn’t say I wouldn’t hurt them, though, which I knew would hurt my sweet treasure. I don’t want anything to hurt her. She already took on too much of others’ pain. I wouldn’t allow more to touch her if I could stop it.
I can hear footsteps in the distance and I know there’s no stopping them from coming in, but there’s no stopping me from making love to my mate either. The deed has been done and there’s nothing they can do.
“Grim, don’t let them separate us,” she says right before clings to me and climaxes once again. I vow that I will never let that happen. I was scared that my life would only bring her darkness, but my treasure made me see she needs me as much as I need her. My darkness is stronger than anything that tries to touch her.
I growl out my own release once again as the small cabin echoes with our passion. There’s no way they didn’t hear us, and I don’t know how they have ventured out in the sun. It must be later than I realized and I look at the window to see night has fallen.
I lean down close to her and kiss her on the lips softly. “This is enough for now,” I say as I rub my nose against her. “We will have our time soon enough.”
She leans up and kisses me once again, but before she lets me pull out of her, she brings her wrist to her mouth and bites herself before she holds out her wrist for me. I nod in understanding because this is how we seal the bond. It’s the final step in our mating and I place my mouth on her without hesitation.
I close my eyes and moan when I feel the rush of heat all over my body. I want nothing more than to make love to her all over again, but the voices are getting louder. When I’m finished she licks the wound closed and kisses me softly before we both stand up.
We search until we find our clothes and try to make the best of putting them back on. My shirt is shredded and so are her panties, so we just leave the scraps on the floor where they lie.
I take her hand in mine and pull her close for another kiss as I walk over to the door and wrench it open, hoping the taste of her in my mouth will keep me under control.
Chapter Six
Ariella
My parents and my uncles are crowded near the trees close by. Grim and I didn’t realize time had gotten away from us, but here they all are, coming to take me home no doubt.
“What are you doing?” I shout as Grim and I walk onto the porch of the cabin.
“Come inside and we’ll talk,” my mother says, pointing to Bishop’s house.
I nod, but Grim walks in front of me as they race to the house as quick as a flash. I don’t know what they thought coming here would do, but clearly they knew I would find a way to him. I might have never acted out before, but this was enough for them to know I’m capable of anything.
My body is tingling all over, and though Grim and I are connected in every way possible it wasn’t nearly enough time. I’m buzzing with the need to mate again and I don’t know how much longer I can wait. As if he can read my mind, he growls low in his chest and my body responds in kind.
He reaches for me before we get to the house and pushes me up against the nearest tree.
“I won’t wait much longer,” he rumbles as he buries his face in my neck and kisses me there.
I gasp and my lower body clenches with the knowledge he was just there and stretching me out. I expected pain or a little ache, but all I feel is primed for the next time. I truly was made for him and it was just proven to us in every way.
A throat clears in the distance, and though I don’t know who it is, I suspect someone is trying to tell us politely they are waiting on us.
Grim pulls away reluctantly and holds me close at his side as we walk in, making it clear no one is taking me from him. The fact that they aren’t beating him off of me is a good sign. At least in my mind. What if it’s a trap?
Once we get inside we walk to the living room where everyone but my parents are sitting. The two of them are tight together by the fireplace, but they won’t look at me when I walk in.
“You’ve been relieved of your duty,” Bishop says, and I look at him in confusion. That was not what I thought Bishop was going to say. “Reaper, you are no longer required to collect souls.”
I look to him worried for a moment that this might anger him. “I don’t understand,” Grim says as he takes a step in front of me as if there is about to be an attack. It’s not me they’d go for, but still he shields me.
Bishop stands up and walks over to his desk and points at some documents. “While you two were…” He clears his throat. “Getting acquainted, I was visited by someone. I’m not sure how it works because the Reapers are very secretive of their traditions, but once you mated to Ariella a call was sent out and a new Reaper was sent to take your place. He came to claim your axe and since we had it here, I turned it over to him.”
“You did what?” Grim’s voice is angry and the muscles of his back flex as he continues to shield me from my family. “How could you do that?”
“I’m afraid I had no choice. I’m one of the strongest vampires in the world, but even you know that is no match for Death.” Looks as though the Reapers weren’t really asking. I doubt Death ever does.
“I would never wish that life on anyone else,” Grim says, and I can hear the sadness in his voice. I place my hands on his back knowing collecting souls of the dying is a lonely job filled with sadness that none of them would truly understand.
“But would you damn my daughter to the same one?” my mother clips, but she refuses to look at him. I go to defend my mate, but Grim’s bellow stops me.
“No!” Grim’s denial echoes through the room, and I step closer to him so that my form is fully pressed to his back. He reaches behind him for me and I can feel him calm. “I would never show my mate a moment of sadness. I’m willing to give up that life, but I don’t want to curse someone else with it.” His words are pained. I know he’s talking about our children.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” I say as I peer around to look at Bishop. “Does it? You just said you’re the most powerful vampire in the world. Can’t you do anything?” I plead, knowing there has to be another way. Life can’t be so unfair to try and claim more of my mate’s life.
He rubs his chin and thinks for a moment before he finally nods. “If your kind is willing to share information with me, then I’m willing to work out an arrangement.” Bishop pretends as though he just came up with the idea, but I think it’s been brewing. Bishop hated when there was knowledge out of his rea
ch. He wanted to know everything he could.
“Such as?” Grim is hesitant, but his soul is hopeful.
“You stay here,” Bishop says, and I glance over to see my parents both staring at me.
“I don’t know if that’s a possibility.” Grim looks at my parents. “Perhaps if we were welcome.”
“Of course you would be,” my dad says, and I know that he’s being sincere. “As long as you’re no longer the reaper,” he adds.
“What do you want in return?” Grim says, addressing Bishop. He’s giving up his life for mine. No hesitation.
“I want a chance to learn everything I can about your kind.” He holds out his hands as he steps forward. “I want you and Ariella to be here with our coven so that she can be with her family and I can understand your kind. In exchange, I will consult the new Reaper and find a way to share his burden. That life is no way to spend eternity, and it shouldn’t be on one man’s shoulders for so long.” I agree. It’s a job that needs to be done, but one can’t bear it so long. Even vampires don’t walk the earth that long all alone. Maybe that’s why they die if they don’t find their mate. It’s isn’t a curse but a blessing. Who would want to be alone that long?
“What about our children?” he asks, cutting into my thoughts of what his life must have been like before me. After all of our lovemaking I could already have our baby forming inside of me. “I don’t want our son to carry on what I was cursed with.” My heart aches for my mate even more. How can anyone think he’s filled with darkness? All he thinks about is his children or me. Those are his first thoughts. He has no regard for himself.
