“Shall we, a ghra?” Zander asked and offered his arm, leading her to the buffet.
“As much as I want you to take me to our bed, we should probably eat first. You will need your energy later,” she stated and squeezed his hand.
He smiled and her heart melting even more for her king. She hadn’t believed in fate or destiny before Zander but she had no doubt that she was fated to him. Her place was always meant to be by his side.
Zander filled her plate, and then Elsie spent the next few hours eating, drinking and dancing with the Dark Warriors and various council members. All the while, the sexual tension in her body continuously rose as she imagined what the night had in store.
Unable to wait any longer, she grabbed Zander’s hand. “Let’s go,” she whispered in his ear and led him from the pool area.
Clothing hit the floor as they made their way upstairs. When they reached their suite of rooms, Zander was nude except for his socks and Ghillies.
Elsie gazed at his straining erection and her earlier question was answered. They didn’t wear anything under their kilts. And Zander was a spectacular male specimen!
“Your turn,” he rumbled in her ear.
Elsie squealed and ran toward the bed. He tackled her mid-leap and twisted, so he took the brunt of their landing. Somehow, her dress was ripped off in the process, and lay in tatters on the floor.
“Damn, I liked that dress...”
Elsie’s thoughts scattered as he nipped and nibbled his way down her neck. She gasped as he sliced through her silk panties with his razor-sharp fangs. Before she could admonish his actions, Zander’s fangs sank into her intimate flesh and she was climaxing.
“Do…we need…to do…a blood…exchange?” she asked between panting breaths.
The vampire was sexy as hell, prowling up from between her legs. And, so aroused. His shaft stood at attention like a soldier saluting his country.
“Aye, it seals the mating. We take from each other at the same time while we are joined. Are you ready, a ghra?” he asked.
She fell in love all over again as he poised between her thighs, waiting for permission.
“Yes, Zander. Take me now,” she cried out.
That was all he needed. Zander plunged deep inside with one swift thrust. She gasped as he filled her full. She would never tire of this sensation. Of Zander inside her. She felt her eyes glow and their gazes locked.
Elsie saw their full, happy life together reflected in his depths. Her fangs shot out and she heard him suck in a sharp breath. He enjoyed her bite as much as she enjoyed his.
She bit into the nape of his neck at the same time his fangs sunk into her shoulder. Their bodies exploded with the most intense orgasm of her life.
Light exploded through her and her entire body tingled with magic. She felt him shudder his release and she arched, pressing against his muscular chest as her orgasm washed through her body. The ribbon she saw earlier, binding them together, expanded with each draw of blood they took. The golden glow transformed into countless gold chains, linking him to her from every point of his body. It formed a cocoon around them and seeped into their pores.
Intense emotions overwhelmed her as she felt the change within, and their closeness intensified. She could see how much Zander loved her, and felt his pleasure as his orgasm continued. She was thankful for her immortality because she never would’ve survived the night his body was demanding.
*****
The sorcery of the mating took hold and irrevocably altered Zander. He felt their entwined souls swell once again. He took in the bond encompassing them and relished experiencing how she felt about him. He was transformed as new powers surged from his Fated Mate into him.
Mates always shared a portion of their abilities, and while he was aware that she had inherited additional powers during her transformation, he didn’t think those powers would be bestowed upon him. But now, he could feel new magic filling his body.
Tingles erupted into flames over the mate mark between his shoulder blades.
“My mark. Och, it burns. What does it look like?” he asked, twisting to catch a glimpse of his back.
“Stop moving. Let me see,” she replied and looked over his shoulder then gasped. “You have the same circle surrounding the body of your cross. It’s inked into your skin. We match, Zander. You are mine in every way,” she declared fiercely.
“Always,” he replied.
The surge of magic sent his libido skyrocketing. His body took on a mind of its own, and intended to take his little mate in ways she never dreamed.
“My mate,” Zander growled, and gave into his passion.
The night was incredible, his mate was incredible, and he was truly complete for the first time in his life. They were two halves of one heart, and shared an intense bond. It went beyond mere lust.
After hours of blissful lovemaking, his mate blinked sleepily at him. He would let her rest before he took her again.
“Sleep, a ghra,” he whispered.
“Mr. Bossy Pants,” she muttered as she drifted off peacefully.
He pulled her sleeping form to his chest. He brushed her brown curls from her beautiful face. She sighed and snuggled closer to his heart. He never dreamed of being gifted with such a mate. She was perfect.
He lay there for hours gazing at his queen and knew the moment she dreamt. He wondered what was happening in her clever mind. Her eyes roved wildly behind her closed lids as she groaned. Zander prepared to join her dream but suddenly her eyes flew wide, and Elsie bolted upright, gasping for air.
“Oh my God, Cailyn!” she screamed.
EXCERPT FROM MYSTIK WARRIOR, Dark Warrior Alliance Book 2
CHAPTER ONE
“Thanks for picking me up tonight, especially this late. I owe you,” Cailyn murmured as she embraced her best friend on the curb outside baggage claim at San Francisco International airport.
“Anytime, you know that. And thanks for letting me drive your car, I love it. It’s the nicest car I’ll ever drive,” Jessie joked while holding the trunk open for Cailyn to throw in her bags. “So how was the wedding? And more importantly, did you spend quality time with the hot Doctor Jace?” her friend finished as she slammed the trunk closed. Cailyn was still reeling over the fact Zander had placed some of his Dark Warriors in human occupations to keep the supernaturals’ existence secret. Jace was one of those undercover supernaturals, a renowned ER physician in Seattle. But he certainly wasn’t like any doctor she’d ever been to; he looked more like a model.
Thinking of Jace, a smile crept over Cailyn’s mouth. She shook her head and crossed to the driver’s door and jumped into the plush leather seat. She thought about the question as she put the car in drive and headed away from the airport. “Surprisingly, the wedding was incredible...magical. Elsie is so happy with her sexy Scot,” she finally responded. Jessie would come unglued if she knew Zander was a vampire, let alone the Vampire King. She was dying to tell her, but some things you couldn’t even share with your best friend, like how your sister was turned into a vampire to save her life and mated to the Vampire King. “And, you should see the huge house these guys live in. It was a perfect setting, with thousands of twinkling lights…it looked like a scene from a fairytale. How were things here?”
“You didn’t miss much. I’m glad your sister is happy, after everything she went through when Dalton was killed. There is no one who deserves it more. But, you, my friend, are avoiding the real issue. You broke off your engagement to John months ago because of your attraction to this doctor. Now, spill it, MacGregor.”
Cailyn heaved a breath of exasperation. She loved Jessie, but wished she wasn’t so tenacious. She had no desire to talk about Jace. The smallest thoughts about him caused an intense arousal she had never experienced before with anyone else, not even while in the throes of passion. Then, there was this unexplainable pull, drawing her toward him. His strange, stunning amethyst eyes, and his incredible body all drew her in, like a moth to the flame.
From the moment Jace had entered Elsie’s apartment, Cailyn had been captivated by him, which surprised her. Typically, the kind of man who had a long braid, and wore a large, silver cuff wasn’t her type. The combination made her think of an effeminate man, but there certainly wasn’t anything effeminate about Jace. He was all masculine strength, and a fierce warrior to his core. She would never forget the vicious battle that destroyed Club Confetti, where he had wielded his weapons with expert precision.
She had found herself in the middle of a supernatural war, and had been terrified beyond reason, but the way Jace had moved so fluidly, and fought with confidence and vigor caused her heart to pound for different reasons. She recalled how she’d stood there unable to do anything to help or defend herself. She had been way out of her element. On one hand, she was horrified at the blood and violence, and wanted to run and hide, but on the other hand, she was captivated and enthralled by this mystical warrior. Needless to say, the situation had caused her a whole load of turmoil.
Like Jessie had said, that unrelenting attraction and confusion had made her call off her engagement to John months before. Thoughts of John reared an ugly, yet familiar guilt. He was attractive, caring, loyal, and supportive, everything she wanted in a husband. It was ridiculous to be lusting after Jace. After all, there were plenty of good-looking men in the world. Not to mention that Jace didn’t see her as anything other than Elsie’s big sister.
She glanced in her rear view mirror at the dark, empty highway behind her, contemplating how to answer Jessie. “I didn’t spend any time alone with him. It was a short trip and he was at the hospital nearly the entire time. I sort of danced with him at the reception. Well, we were all together in a big group, but we were so close we touched several times and the heat between us….” Cailyn trailed off as her body shivered in remembrance.
“How are you supposed to figure out your feelings for John versus Jace if you didn’t spend any time with him? I thought you were going to get him alone.” Jessie waggled her eyebrows at Cailyn, making her chuckle.
“You make it sound so easy. What was I supposed to do, walk up to him and drag him to the nearest closet? Look, you know how confused this whole situation has made me. I was committed to John, and I love him, yet I can’t stop thinking about Jace. Honestly, I didn’t trust myself to be alone with him. My body tends to have a mind of its own where he is concerned.”
“I have got to see this guy. He has to be smokin’ to make you, the most faithful person I know, question yourself. Did you at least finally tell your sister that you broke your engagement to John?”
“No, I didn’t have the heart to tell her. It was her big day and she has been through so much the past two years that she deserved it to be perfect. If I had told her, she would have spent too much time worrying about me. I will tell her if it becomes necessary. Things may still work out you know.” She hated how her voice sounded so uncertain. She typically had no problems making decisions, big or small. This was infuriating.
She meant what she said though. It was possible that things with John would work out. She and John had continued talking since she broke things off, and he continued to try and win her back. She refused to go back to him until she extinguished her desire for Jace though. She kept telling herself that the draw to Jace was a phase, and that it would end. The problem was, her attraction was stronger now than it had been before.
“If you don’t want Jace, can I have him? Does he make house calls? I’m suddenly feeling under the weather,” Jessie moaned and leaned her head back against the seat, placing the back of her hand over her brown eyes.
Normally, Cailyn would have laughed that off, but jealousy hot and vicious stabbed through her veins. She wanted to punch her best friend in the face, repeatedly. What was wrong with her? This was out of control. She needed to escape the confines of the car. She was close to harming her best friend. The drive to her condo in Potrero Hill was going to be a long one tonight.
“No, you can’t have him,” she bit out before she could stop herself, immediately regretting her words. “I’m sorry, Jess. I get a bit crazy where Jace is concerned. Remember, I nearly clawed some girl’s eyes out for kissing him. If you have any advice about how to resolve this, I’m all ears.”
“Cai, you need to stop being so hard on yourself. You did the respectable thing and broke up with John despite the fact that you still love him. I know you would never hurt…”
An engine revving drew Cailyn’s attention. Peering into her side and rearview mirrors she noticed a big, dark colored SUV quickly closing in on them. Cailyn got the sense that something was wrong. The aggressive manner of the other driver had panic setting in.
The large SUV loomed closer, and she realized her convertible didn’t stand a chance against the beast barreling toward her. And, it was obvious they were gunning right for her car. Her heart sped up as adrenaline dumped into her system.
“What the hell? What’s their problem?” She blurted and switched lanes getting out of their way.
“What?”
“That car behind us is all over my ass,” she replied, tension lacing her voice.
Jessie turned around in her seat. “They changed lanes with you. Are they following us?”
Cailyn had the ability to read the minds of those around her, and despite the fact that she had come to loathe her power, she lifted the barriers she had in place to protect her mind and opened her telepathy toward the inhabitants in the vehicle behind her.
She recoiled as malevolence and anger coated her mind like slime on a bog in the bayou. Cailyn could read human thoughts like an open book, but it was difficult for her to read supernaturals. The jumbled mess she was picking up on told her that she was being followed by supernaturals. The intentions of the SUV’s occupants were tinged with dark malice, causing a shiver to run up her spine. She tried to get enough information to know what they were facing, but it became difficult for Cailyn to concentrate through her growing fear.
She had to get ahold of herself if they were going to get out of this alive. Tuning everything else out, she focused on the driver and finally caught a few disconcerting words: mate, vampire king, Triskele Amulet, Kadir, capture. These few words caused a lump to settle in her stomach. This was connected to Elsie and Zander and the archdemons desire for the power of the Triskele Amulet. They must think she had information, or worse, they planned to use her to force Zander to give up the amulet. That meant big trouble for her and Jessie.
Flooring the accelerator, she flew back into her seat as the car sped. She glanced in the mirror again and saw that she had managed to put space between her and the SUV. She clutched the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles were white. Her victory was short-lived as the engine of her pursuer roared and a quick check told her the vehicle was closing the gap. They were in deep shit.
“Hang onto your seat, Jess. They’re after us,” she advised, glancing around at the closely grouped houses of South San Francisco, searching for an escape route. The last thing she wanted was to take this chase into the suburbs and place innocent people in danger. She contemplated going to the police, but dismissed the idea right away. The individuals chasing them were not human, and the police would be ineffectual against their power. Having seen the violence in Zander’s world firsthand, she knew no human was capable of protecting her and Jessie.
“Why would they be after us? Do you recognize the vehicle?” The tremor in Jessie’s voice made her want to reassure her friend, and tell her that everything was going to be okay, but she knew that would be a lie. Cailyn had no idea what was going to happen.
A jolt, followed by the sound of metal crunching, cut off her reply as she was sideswiped. The wheel swerved, and she tried to steer away, but they managed to push her car, forcing her to exit the freeway. She realized why when she saw the signs for San Bruno State Park. That was as close to being in the boondocks as they could get her in the middle of the city.
From the corner of her eye she
saw that Jessie had turned in the passenger seat and was wide-eyed, gaping at the car behind them. She wondered if Jessie saw the red-ringed eyes or fangs of the young men. She guessed not, since Jessie wasn’t screaming bloody murder.
As she opened her mouth to tell Jessie to call Elsie, Cailyn saw two creatures that had haunted her nightmares for months. Shock and horror coursed through her, as she saw Azazel and Aquiel mere yards in front of her car. Azazel was a terrifying archdemon working for Lucifer’s right hand demon, Kadir, who wanted Zander’s Triskele Amulet to free Lucifer from hell. Aquiel was a gorgeous, but dangerous Fae helping the demons. Both of these supernaturals together meant deep trouble for Cailyn and Jessie. The fact that they had found her, and clearly believed she was a way to obtain the amulet, terrified her.
Dread engulfed her at the malicious intent on their attractive faces. Azazel’s red eyes glowed with rage, and Aquiel’s silver eyes glowed bright with anticipation. Her heart sank when she scanned the area for an escape, and found nothing but trees and green shrubbery. They were well outside of the suburbs, which meant her and Jessie were left to face them alone.
The SUV pulled alongside her, threatening to hit her again. “There’s nowhere for me to go, Jess,” she blurted. Flooring the accelerator didn’t give them any headway. The sound of cars colliding echoed before her body was thrown to the right. She struggled to maintain her grip on the steering wheel determined not to be driven off the road. She gritted her teeth as she clutched the steering wheel.
“They are going to kill us! Oh, God. Watch out, Cai!” Jessie screamed.
Ear piercing metal screeched, and she was jolted in her seat when she steered as hard as she could into the other car. She lost control of the steering wheel, and as gravity left her, she could no longer tell which way was up. As the car rolled end over end, glass shattered and air rushed through the broken window, the wind slapping her face. A loud snap was followed by excruciating pain in her right leg. The limb was on fire and engulfed by sharp pain. Without looking, she knew that she had broken a bone.
Bad Boy Billionaire Boxset Page 31
