by Mandi Casey
“Sydney, you are so beautiful. Just gazing upon the perfection of your body makes it difficult for me not to spill my seed right in my jeans.” After he spoke, Blake placed his warm mouth on my now pert nipple. Tugging and sucking the nub into his mouth, he moved his hand down to unfasten the button of my pants.
I ran my hands through his dark, thick hair, reveling in the sensation of its silken strands while my eyes closed.
“You know, Matt has a point,” Blake said as he shifted from one breast to the other.
I rolled my back against the pillow. “Oh yeah, what point would that be?”
Not wanting him to stop his administrations with his mouth—I wanted to get him over his sudden talkative mood—I reached my arm down between us. I caressed the long shaft that bulged against his jeans.
Blake threw his head back and ground our midsections together. “Sydney, you are going to be the death of me, I am sure of it.”
Opening my eyes, I gave Blake my best innocent face. “Who, me?” Then I unsnapped his pants. Shimming them down a few inches, I skimmed the top of Blake’s boxers with the tip of my finger. Meeting the heated bulge of flesh reaching out for attention, a breath caught in my chest.
His hips bucked at my touch as he growled deliciously.
“Sydney, I must have you. I don’t think I can wait a second longer. Are you ready for me?” Blake’s breathing was ragged with desire.
“Yes, my wolf, I’m more than ready for you.” I smiled demurely as he stood above me, pulling his shirt over his head. He threw the clothing unceremoniously to the floor. Before I knew it, his lips were on the skin between my breasts. Blake trailed his tongue lower, tracing the sensitive skin over my ribs. My body ached to have him inside of me.
I had to admit, sex with Blake in the storeroom had been exciting. The reality of Blake making love to me on the comfortable bed covered with plush pillows was beyond any sensual dream I could have created on my own.
I threw my head back, anxious for him to take my pants off. I wanted him to have his way with me. Reaching between us, I pushed the tops of my jeans down to give Blake easier access, burning to feel his touch.
Blake took the hint. Hovering over my body, he helped unclothe me until all that remained was my stark-white bikini panties. Okay, so I’d planned to appear homely when Blake picked me up so as not to stir his desire. Silently, I sighed with relief that I had grabbed a sexy pair of panties. Nothing was worse than a man seeing a woman naked, clad in her ‘it’s laundry day’ briefs.
Stepping to the floor, Blake quickly removed the rest of his clothes, then eagerly returned to the bed. The light coming through the bedroom window from the waning moon haloed Blake’s body in a soft glow, highlighting the lines etched into his arms from his muscular frame. I reached up, placing my hand behind Blake’s neck. I urged him down on top of my body.
His lips crashed against mine, separating my lips with his tongue.
Forcing my legs apart with his knee, Blake positioned the tip of his shaft at my moist entrance. He deepened our kiss as he drove deep inside my core. With our lips locked, our bodies rocked together in a passion I’d never experienced in the past.
Blake broke our kiss without interrupting the intimate rhythm of our bodies then placed his lips on my neck as he continued to grind against me. Tension began to build in the lower portion of my abdomen. He licked his tongue along my jaw as he drove the length of him in and out of me. The pressure continued to build until Blake threw his head back, letting out a deep groan of sensual bliss. Bright neon stars erupted in my brain as I let out a cry of release as my body reached climax along with Blake.
Small quakes continued to wrack our bodies as we lay in bed, reveling in the afterglow of our lovemaking. Blake edged my body against the length of his. I snuggled close. Opening my mouth, I hesitated to ask the question that plagued my mind, not wanting to ruin the moment.
A rumble sounded from Blake’s chest before he said, “My love, you have something to say?”
Smiling with a warm heart, I acknowledged Blake knew me better than I thought, then said, “Blake, I get the suspicion you’re holding back from me.”
His eyebrows raised in disbelief, making us both break out with laughter.
“No, obviously I don’t mean you hold back sexually. Sometimes, I get the feeling when we’re around other wolves you’re withholding information from me. Blake, that’s a problem.”
Blake traced the length of my body with the tips of his fingers, leaving a blazing trail of heat along their paths while he thought over how he wanted to respond. With a deep breath, he said, “Sydney, there will always be the communication bond between the wolves. That’s how our pack communicates.”
His answer didn’t appease the reservations weighing heavy in my chest. “Blake, that’s not what I meant. I know you will always have that link with the wolves, but what did Matt mean when he said he’d like to be the one to spill blood to fulfill the prophecy?”
Blake sighed, then leaned his head back against the pillow while closing his eyes at the same time. His lack of a response caused my heart to clench with self-doubt. Blake could be intimate with me on a physical level, but the vibe my Selected senses gave told me he was definitely holding out on me.
I nudged him in the chest. “Blake?”
He took another deep breath in. “Sydney, speaking of the bond, my father is calling me back to the pack house.” Leaning toward me, Blake placed a quick peck on my hairline before turning to get off the bed.
Grabbing his arm, I said, “Blake, you’re just going leave?”
Blake remained silent as he searched for clothes, putting them on as each piece was found. I leaned against the wooden headboard covering myself with the sheet. Up until that moment, Blake had assured his love for me. He had a way of making me feel like the most important woman in the world.
Watching him silently put his clothes on, I realized he really was going to leave without soothing my fears. A lump formed in my throat. I swallowed several times to ease the knot while I struggled to hold back the tears.
He came over to sit at the edge of the bed. “Sydney, I have to go. My father said there’s been more trouble with the Mobile wolf, Matt.” Blake spoke the name with venomous hatred.
I nodded. “Okay, go. I know you have to deal with pack stuff. I mean you are the heir and all.”
My damn chin began to quiver despite my internal battle to hold it in, at least until I was alone.
Blake leaned in, placing a hand on each side of my face. “I can’t tell you how bad I want to stay here, with you. I want nothing more than to hold you all night long. But there are times when I have pack business that will keep me from you. Don’t worry, I won’t be long.”
The confidence in Blake’s words spurned my ego. “You know what? Don’t bother coming back tonight unless you’re ready to tell me what you’re hiding.”
Blake’s expression contorted like I’d just slapped him in the face. “Sydney, don’t be foolish. I told you I’m not hiding anything from you.”
My temper continued to rise.
“Matt mentioned blood for the prophecy. Whose blood, Blake?” I held the sheet closer around my body, feeling vulnerable.
Ruffling his hands through his hair, he turned toward the door to leave. “Sydney, I’m done with this conversation. The pack bond is crackling like crazy. I have to go.”
Without another word, he left.
I sat silent in bed listening to his heavy footsteps on the stairs. My heart sank at the sounds of him closing the front door of the house.
Blake was hiding something. It involved not only my part in fulfilling the prophecy, but something about blood. The question was, whose blood needed to be spilled?
Mine?
After locking up the house once I heard Blake’s
tires crunch on the snow, I spent the night tossing from side-to-side. Sleep proved elusive. Blake never came back even though I’d half-hoped he would. Images of Matt swirled around in my thoughts. The wolf had Blake’s pack in an uproar. Matt’s arrival may mean more than Morris led on. Morris taking Michael away from watching over Brianna seemed overkill just because the Mobile, Alabama, wolf showed up.
I rolled over onto my side. I put my hand under the pillow Blake had used. The warmth of his body no longer lingered on the soft cotton sheets. Further under the pillow, my hand hit the corner of Grandma’s journal. I gave up fighting for the quest of sleep, switched the bedside lamp on, and read.
Being enveloped in the world of the Others is not a simple way of life. My dear granddaughter, life as the Selected is both a blessing and a curse. You will be a politician with great power. With that power come enemies who will attempt to take it from you, or they will try to manipulate your emotions to use you as their own weapon.
Take caution with all.
Searching for answers regarding both of the prophecies led me to strange realizations. I uncovered a key ability in being the Selected. Consuming vampire blood will allow you, as the Selected, to read human minds. At the time of my writing this to you, I have only experienced this phenomenon once. The occurrence was purely by chance. I will not bother you with the details of how I came by consuming the blood of a vampire. Just know that he was quite strong.
Vampires have human servants who care for them during the daylight hours. Kieran’s coven is no different. On occasion, I have spent my nights with the vampires, having been awoken surrounded by their humans. After one especially long night with the coven leader, I began to hear things. At first, what I heard made no sense. I feared I was hallucinating. After listening intently to the sounds, I realized they were the voices of the humans guarding the coven house.
Granddaughter, should there ever come a time you seek information about the coven or the vampires’ intentions toward you, listen to their humans. Addicted to vampire blood, the humans will do anything, including selling their own children, to appease the vampires. They would sell their souls to bring notice upon themselves. From personal experience, do not befriend human addicts. The blood addiction is a very powerful one. In fact, it lasts forever. Selecteds aren’t susceptible in becoming blood dependant.
After reading about Grandmother’s discovery, I closed the journal on my lap. Sitting there, still wide-awake, I turned the lamp off. The stars twinkled through the window as I closed my eyes. Grandma had given me a great idea. Well, I wasn’t sure how great the idea was, or how safe, but I didn’t see any other options. I had to find out about the prophecies. One question Grandma hadn’t answered was, If I consumed vampire blood, would I be able to hear only the thoughts of the humans who have consumed the same vampire’s blood, or could I hear any human’s thoughts? I’d have to test the blood consumption limits.
As I finally dozed off, I struggled with whose blood I would seek. Kieran had supplied me with a vial of his blood in the past for emergencies. After an overeager rogue vampire infected multiple sites on my body from taking my blood, Kieran had sliced his tongue open and dripped his own blood into my mouth to help me heal. I couldn’t recall hearing any particular human’s thoughts, but considering the situation, I’m not sure my mind functioned clearly enough during the rescue that I would have recognized the sounds for what they were. Another option to obtain vampire blood could be from Daire.
My body reacted to the thought of the gorgeous, dark vampire who promised steamy sex with the merest nod of my consent. I resigned myself to asking whichever vampire I ran into first. I was sure Daire was old and powerful, just as I knew Kieran to be. Information, that’s what my new mission was. I needed to find out exactly what the vampires wanted from me. I also needed to know how they intended on getting it. Maybe, just maybe, the vampires would also know details of what Matt implied regarding the wolf prophecy. My now moist sheath clenched with a new vigor of need from imagining Daire standing in his well-tailored suit, promising ecstasy. I had to find out what the heck was going on with my body, too.
The burden of the unknown rested heavily upon my chest as sleep finally consumed me.
Daire stood before my bed, his pale skin glowing in the dark of the room from the moonlight beaming in through the window. “Hello, Selected. I’ve been waiting for you to invite me in.”
The smile on the vampire’s face made me wary. Fangs hung poised over his bottom lip.
I lay still on my bed, covered by the purple comforter I’ve had for years. “What are you talking about, vampire? I don’t remember ever inviting you into my house.”
Daire began to undo the tie adorning his neck, then continued to unbutton his shirt until it hung open, revealing well-toned muscles and flat, sexy abs male models would die for.
I inhaled slightly, not wanting to let on that I hoped to catch a whiff of his cologne again. He didn’t disappoint. The smell of him intensified my lust.
“No, Selected. I don’t need your permission to enter your home when you are dreaming. You’ve invited me into your dreams. I’ve simply responded.” He took the white, long-sleeved dress shirt off one arm at a time. Strippers had nothing on the vampire before me.
“I’m not dreaming, vampire. So, I’ll have you remove yourself from my bedroom.” I brought my knees to my chest, putting as much distance between us as possible. Being pinned with nowhere to run, I found myself in a precarious position.
My body screamed to let Daire have his way while my head shouted to get him the heck out of my house as fast as possible. He unbelted his pants, letting them drop to the floor. Apparently the vampire didn’t feel the need to wear underwear.
Now completely naked, Daire leaned over the bed. He slowly brought a leg up to rest his knee against the mattress. Before I could argue, he was coming closer.
I took pleasure in feeling his weight upon me as he covered my body with his own. “Daire, are you sure this is only a dream?”
The vampire laughed. “Yes, Selected. I would know the difference, as would you.”
He licked the pulse at my neck in a slow, languorous motion. The sensation sent shockwaves of excitement down the length of my body. Shifting my hips, I felt my body’s readiness for him. I tensed when I felt the length of his erection pressing along the inner portion of my thigh.
My shoulders slumped in disappointment, making Daire rise above me on his hands to get a good look at me. “Why would that upset you? If I would have known you’d have me for real I would have knocked your front door down.” As he spoke, he removed the sheet separating our bodies. “Much, much sooner.”
I glanced up to see Daire’s eyes as they glowed a fierce shade of red. He positioned the tip of his cock, readying himself entrance.
He nuzzled my ear. The whisper of his words electrified the sensitive skin on the shell of my ear. “Tell me what you want from me, Sydney.”
“I was hoping you’d be willing to donate some of your vampire blood to me.”
The surprised expression on the vampire’s face was priceless. He couldn’t have achieved such authenticity with a hundred years of practice.
My body shuddered as I was jerked from the sensual dream I’d shared with Daire. Was the vampire aware of my dream, or was I the sole participant? A cold sweat covered my body as I grabbed the rumpled blankets covering the bed to push them down by my feet.
I felt the sheets beside me. I couldn’t detect a temperature difference from my own. Daire wouldn’t have left a heat signature like Blake, but I couldn’t say for sure if he’d cooled the material down. I’d never had a vampire in my bed before, in life or in a dream.
Jumping up, I scoured my room for any trace left of the vampire. How had Daire manipulated my dreams? I was the Selected, supposedly immune to vampire influence. Despite everyone tellin
g me that was true, I started to believe otherwise.
I checked my phone for the time. The blue neon screen blinked the hour. I still had enough of the night left to call Kieran.
I needed answers.
Staring at the mirror in the bathroom with the light on, I felt an overwhelming relief. No bite marks on my neck.
Clutching my phone, I headed back to my bedroom to throw on a pair of sweats before calling Kieran. The coven leader had special powers other vampires didn’t command. I didn’t want any more surprises like Kieran showing up in my bedroom while I was naked.
After seven irritatingly long rings, Kieran finally answered his phone. “Sydney? What are you doing up at this hour?”
“I have a few questions about your new vampire, Daire.” I breathed a heavy sigh, not knowing if I could trust the coven leader. He frightened me, but I had to find out the truth.
Kieran hesitated before he asked, “Sydney, has Liam’s replacement done something wrong?”
The vampire’s Irish accent became thicker the more we spoke.
“No, well, I’m not sure. That’s why I’m calling you. Kieran, this is really hard for me to talk about, okay?” I blushed, not feeling comfortable describing my physical reactions to the vampire Kieran had assigned to watch over me.
“Sydney, do not worry, I vow assistance in whatever troubles you. Now, tell me what’s on your mind.” He waited patiently for me to get a grip on my emotions.
“The moment I met your vampire, I had a difficult time dealing with my body’s reaction to him. Kieran, it wasn’t right, it wasn’t normal.” My brow furrowed. I doubted my choice of discussing Daire with Kieran.
“My dear, don’t worry your sweet head about this one more moment. I’m sure you just reacted to his attractive personality.” Kieran let out a laugh. The coven leader was attractive, but I never understood what Grandma had seen in him. The alien-like expressions threw me every time. Hearing him laugh over the phone didn’t help the situation, either.
