Hunger seized many vampire males when they found their mate. The irresistible force was meant for countering vampires’ violent tendencies, to subdue the Rider, their second nature, so that the vampire race could go on. It was temporary, but necessary. When in the throes of powerful emotions, vampires had trouble controlling their second nature. And they couldn’t let the Rider roam free.
Well, warriors could. It was an indication of their strength that they were able to control it again after it had been freed, so it was surprising that hunger would be affecting him. Then again, it had caught Jas too. Perhaps it was in their blood.
That a mysterious force would think Cora was his mate was self-evident. He had been obsessed with her since he met her. He admired her beauty and he was impressed with her strength. Hunger knew she would be ideal for him, even though she was human.
She could be a vampire. But he hushed his Rider’s tempting voice.
While he could reason everything to himself, it would be another matter to explain it to her. The short drive to her hall wasn’t enough for him to come up with anything plausible. Jas pulled over behind Jeremy’s car, left outside her hall when he followed Cora on foot. Jeremy scanned the neighbourhood before he allowed her to exit, but it was clear of renegades. Jas and Nick drove away and he followed her in.
“I can manage just fine from here.”
“We’re not staying.”
“What?”
“Look, you’re a renegade magnet. I can’t protect you here. I’m taking you to a safer place.”
“The fuck you are. I have my job and my studies here.”
“It’s only temporary. And you can still work and study. It’s in Mayfair, and that’s not so far.” It was tempting to simply charm her to obey, but he couldn’t do that to her. Not with hunger demanding he didn’t harm her. So he just placed a hand on her shoulder. “Please. You saw how angry I got when I thought Nick had risked your life. How do you think I’ll fare if I know you’re here, unprotected?”
She regarded him quietly for a long time. “Fine. But that doesn’t mean I trust you.”
“Fair enough.” He ignored the snort his Rider made. They both knew that while he was affected by hunger, she could absolutely trust him. He wouldn’t be able to harm her. He would harm himself first.
He watched her pack a small bag. “You should take more clothes.”
“I’m not planning to stay longer than a week, till the end of the Easter holiday.”
He had no intention of letting her move back here until the serial killer was caught, but he nodded. One battle at a time.
As far as hideouts went, Corynn could live with this one. A Mayfair luxury estate with a private car park under the building, a security guard, a lobby of marble, and a huge top floor flat decorated with taste and style. And all this with a view over Hyde Park.
“Stay out of the park after dark,” Jeremy commanded, as if reading her mind. And maybe he was. She couldn’t trust him not to do that.
“Why?”
“It’s the territory of three different wolf-shifter clans. We have an understanding with them, but that doesn’t mean we should test it.”
“Does that mean Toby can’t go running there with me either?”
He frowned. Bringing up a male friend wasn’t smart after the testosterone display earlier, but she wasn’t about to put her life on hold just because he was behaving irrationally. “Yes.”
She feigned nonchalance. “Oh, well, we can still run in Regent’s Park.”
“If you want to go running, I’ll go with you.”
She swept her gaze down the length of him. Despite her upset, the sight affected her, his wide shoulders that stretched the shirt, and long legs that looked powerful in jeans. She paused at his shoes. They were beautiful Italian leather, probably even more expensive than they looked, and utterly unsuited for running. It was impressive that he had managed to keep up with her in those. His feet must be killing him.
Looking closer, she saw that the rest of him hadn’t fared much better. His shirt was rumpled and spotted with brown and green stains as if he had been lying in the grass, and there was a tear in his jeans as a result of his wrestling match with Nick.
The fight baffled her still, the suddenness of it and the deadly fury on Jeremy’s face. The dozen warriors gathered around them hadn’t been able to break it, not Jasper and not the hugest and scariest vampire she had ever seen, who clearly was in charge.
Yet she had ended it with one touch.
She had no idea why she had stepped in. She had meant to grab his attention, but when she touched him, a connection had forged between them, instant and profound, stronger than when they first kissed. Her scientific mind was unable to comprehend or accept it, but she couldn’t deny that a cooling energy had streamed from her to him and he had calmed down.
He had been terrifying in his rage, but she hadn’t been afraid of him at all. She didn’t fear him now, as he glowered at her and issued orders. “I don’t think you’d make a good running partner for me.”
He frowned. “You’d rather run with your leopard, is that it?”
Jealousy she could understand better, but she wouldn’t allow that he had the right for it. “Yes. He’s a great runner.”
“I forbid it.”
She drew herself straight and stared him down the best she could. “You don’t get to say who I go out with.”
“I do, if you put yourself at risk.”
“Not even then. And it’s absurd to think Toby would suddenly be a threat.”
“He’s a leopard.”
“And you’re a vampire. What’s your point?”
He growled, frustrated. “Fine. But I’m coming too.”
“In those shoes? You have to be in serious pain already.”
He glanced down, as if only now realising the matter himself. “I’m a vampire.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I can heal myself.”
She hadn’t known that. Her curiosity got the better of her, temporarily wiping away her anger. “How?”
His smile was a flash of smug arrogance. “It’s a kind of magic.”
She smiled too, appreciating the unexpected Highlander quote. “A favourite movie of yours?”
He shrugged. “I can relate to it.”
The easy admission stunned her. She had known how old he was, having read the exact date in her journal, but it was an academic kind of knowledge. Highlander was a visual representation of how things had changed during that time. It made his age tangible.
“You must have been lonely.”
He laughed, delighted, his anger all gone. “Not even a little. I’m not the only one of my kind. I have my brother and my fellow warriors. And there’s a vibrant vampire community in London, not to mention all the shifters. I’ve known your boss for centuries.”
She felt feeble all of a sudden. “I see….” But she didn’t, really. The entire two-natured world was alien to her.
He looked worried. “Come, you need something to eat.”
“No, I’m fine. I just want to shower.” His eyes flashed in interest so she hastened to add: “Alone.”
He smiled slowly. It was a winning look, but she held her ground. The fight would be a short one, though, if he pushed the issue. She was attracted to him, despite all her anger and his betrayal. Or was it because of those? Her track record with men wasn’t exactly stellar.
“You can use my room.” He led her down a hallway and showed her to a sparsely but elegantly furnished room. There was a large bed, a couple of wardrobes, and a chest of drawers, but no personal items that would have revealed little things about the occupant, like books or photos.
“Based on the interior, I conclude that you like clothes.”
He laughed. “I do, actually. But they’re not all mine. We share the rooms.” That made more sense.
“I’m not much into clothes.”
“You look great in everything you wear.”
“I’m not going to sleep.”
“What do you mean, you’re not going to sleep? Everyone needs to sleep.”
“I’m a vampire. I can go without for quite some while.”
“How?”
“I just can.” He looked stubborn, but she wasn’t about to let the matter be.
“Magic? And where does that come from?”
“Might.”
At least she had learned about that from Toby. “And how do you access that energy?” She was genuinely interested.
He shrugged. “It’s different for different species. Sentients have their consciences, which are pure Might, so don’t need special access.” She nodded, though she had no idea what sentients were. “Shifters absorb it directly to their being. And vampires … well, we drink blood.” He paused to assess her reaction.
The notion of drinking blood should appal her, but it didn’t. It intrigued her. It excited her too, which was a completely unexpected reaction. “And how often do you need to drink blood?” He didn’t answer, but she knew. “You need it now, don’t you?”
“I can manage.”
“You can have mine.”
She had no idea why she offered to feed him. She simply knew she needed to, was compelled to, as if his well-being mattered the most to her. She wasn’t prepared to let him puncture her throat, however, the mere notion too intimate, so she reached her wrist towards him instead. She expected him to accept it gratefully, but he recoiled in horror.
“No!” Turning around, he scrambled out of the door, throwing it closed. She was left alone in his room, feeling stupid.
Chapter Ten
Jeremy rushed blindly out of Cora’s room and into the wall across the hallway. His hunger would have wanted him to continue, but he collapsed on the floor, refusing to move.
Hunger had completely overridden his will. He was a strong vampire who had won the sun in less than a century. He was well able to both keep his Rider in check and operate with it when needed. Yet when Corynn had offered her wrist to him, his feet had carried him out of the door. He couldn’t understand it. He needed blood and she had offered it freely.
She’s tired after her run. Giving blood would have weakened her and the hunger couldn’t allow that, his Rider explained. How it knew about these things, when they had never experienced anything like hunger before, was a mystery. But he wasn’t about to question it, as it made sense.
So, basically, I can’t drink of her at all.
For now, yes.
That sucks.
Wait till you try to drink of someone else.
Since the mere idea appalled him, he had a fair notion how that would go. I’m screwed.
Yep.
* * *
“So, what’s going on?”
Jeremy looked up from the morning paper he was reading. He had heard her wake up and had hastily taken a seat at the kitchen table so she wouldn’t find out he had spent the night outside her room, sitting on the floor, brooding.
Her looks distracted him from answering. Well-fitting jeans emphasised her long, shapely legs and round bottom. Her t-shirt had a picture from Hitchhiker’s Guide to Galaxy on it, her soft curves making the large ‘Don’t Panic’ – and wasn’t that apt – assume an interesting shape. Her hair was down, the first time he had seen it like that, falling over her shoulders in a light brown cascade. And her face – well, that looked worried.
“What do you mean?”
She took a seat and he shot up. She lifted her eyebrows and gestured towards him. “This. Your behaviour is bizarre.”
“I … just wanted to get you some coffee.” He went to the counter where the coffee maker stood, only to stare baffled at the space-age marvel. It had been a while since he had needed to make coffee himself, and the machine didn’t look like he remembered. “Or maybe you’d like some orange juice instead?” He could manage that at least.
She smiled and shook her head. “I’m fine, thanks.”
But that suited neither the man nor his hunger. “You need to eat.”
“Will you quit that mother hen routine,” she practically growled. “Just tell me what’s going on.”
He leaned against the counter next to her and rubbed his face. He shouldn’t be this tired after staying awake for only one night, but he had all but emptied his Might reserves yesterday and could really have used some blood to refill them. “I’m just trying to make you feel comfortable.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what’s going on between us, but it’s far from comfortable.”
She had him there. The struggle between his attraction to her and the demands of his hunger were straining. “You already feel violated because I wiped your memory. No need to make you fear I’d add a physical violation to it.”
She stared at him, amazed, and he held his breath. It was the truth, but not all of it. He had no intention of telling her the whole truth. “Right…. So why did it cause you to bolt out of the door when I offered you my blood?”
Arousal shot through him at the mere memory. He inhaled sharply and squeezed his eyes shut to force his body to calm down. Where was the hunger now?
He glanced at the ceiling, seeking inspiration from there. There wasn’t an easy way to bring this up. “Well, feeding can be very sexual too. In the state I was in after the fight, I wouldn’t have settled for a mere sip.” He looked her straight in the eyes, wanting her to understand. “I would have taken you. All of you.”
She blushed, but instead of fear, an unmistakeable scent of arousal filled the air. His body responded instantly. “Some girls have told me about that.”
“What, human girls? I doubt it. We make sure that humans don’t remember when they’ve been fed on.”
“Good to know I’m not the only one whose memory has been tampered with. But maybe ordinary vampires aren’t as diligent about the rules as you warriors are.”
“Maybe.” He didn’t add that it was actually illegal to mess with human minds. “As long as those fed on are willing participants.”
“Well, if sex is the incentive….” She let the words trail off and met his eyes squarely. Drawn by the promise in them, he leaned down to her. She reached up and their mouths met. He intended it to be a light kiss. No need to ignite a reaction from his inner chaperone. But her mouth was soft and her scent intoxicating.
A connection formed between them, metaphysical and magical, yet as real as the two of them. It coursed through him, carrying her essence with it, branding him as hers. The kiss deepened. He pulled her up against him and she came willingly, wrapping her arms around his neck, drinking him in.
He stopped worrying about the hunger, forgot it even existed. The only thing that mattered were her soft breasts against his chest, her mouth against his mouth, and her tongue that called his tongue to an arousing duel. His erection shot to life. He glided his hands downwards to her buttocks and pulled her hips firmly against his. The sweet pain almost made his knees buckle.
Taking a better hold, he lifted her up and carried her to his room. Their clothes took forever to remove, but finally he had her naked before him, her slender, strong body all his. He lowered her gently on the bed and followed her there, studying her with his eyes and hands. She was silky soft and firm, a heady mix of strength and femininity.
He wasn’t a patient man, and she wasn’t asking for him to go slow. But he needed to make sure she was ready for him. He kissed her again, more slowly this time, savouring the sensations her mouth evoked in him.
He let his hand find its way past the soft breasts and enticing nipples that budded when he pinched them lightly, all the way down between her legs. She parted for him and his fingers glided gently into the softness of her core. She lifted her hips, pushing them against his hand, and he teased her until her breathing grew ragged.
&
nbsp; Her hands coursed on his body like his did on hers, studying him in turn. She found his erection and took it in her hand. Her tight hold nearly made him shoot out of the bed in pleasure.
“Now, Jeremy.”
He didn’t need another command. He placed himself between her legs and glided gently in, remembering only at the last second to ignite the protective magic. It took all his self-control he was so proud of not to push in hard, his need to take her, to possess her overpowering. He wanted to make her his.
The slow movement of their bodies, their hips pressing against each other and retreating, was like a beautiful dance. Tension began to build inside him, and too soon he had to give in to his body’s urges. He pressed his head against her throat and increased his pace, his need to possess her adding potency to his thrusts. He felt her orgasm build along his, ready to push them both over.
As he sped up towards the peak, she turned her head, offering her throat to him. “Drink.”
He didn’t hesitate, had no conscious control over his actions. His fangs shot down and he bit into the throbbing pulse. With the first pull of her blood, they both came. As his body released into her, he fed, and his mind exploded with pleasure.
The day went on in a detached haze for Corynn. She slept for most of the morning, and when she woke up, Jeremy was still there, lying next to her, keeping an eye on her. She decided to take it as a given that he was behaving oddly. At least they were past his refusal of feeding from her.
She felt her entire body flush with the memory of their lovemaking and feeding. Donating blood usually made her feel weak, but she felt wonderful. Nothing was sore after the previous day’s run. She had a healthy appetite and ate the wonderful lunch Mrs Lester, the housekeeper, made. And in the afternoon she was perfectly able to go for a light jog with Jeremy.
Jeremy wore proper running gear this time round, and took her to nearby Green Park and St James’s Park. Since it was the middle of the day, they could have gone to Hyde Park too, but the smaller parks suited her better. And it turned out Jeremy was a perfect partner to run with after all. He could match his pace to hers and seemed to anticipate her every move so that they didn’t need to talk. His strong form by her side was a comforting and exciting bonus, distracting her even as he made her feel safe.
Her Warrior for Eternity Page 7
