Wicked Ride

by Rebecca Zanetti

  Kell straddled the bike and held out an arm to assist her. Once her butt hit the seat, she wrapped her arms around him and leaned in, closing her eyes. Better. Much better.

  He turned so his mouth was closer to her ear. “We need to talk, Alexandra. I’ll get you somewhere safe, and then we have some decisions to make.”

  She kept her eyes closed, knowing she couldn’t keep reality at bay that way. As Kell ignited the engine and started driving down the road, she had a reprieve, and she was taking it.

  Kellach nudged open the door to his penthouse and fought the urge to sweep Alexandra up in his arms. The second he’d heard about the attack, he’d nearly gone berserk. God only knew how many traffic laws he had violated getting from the flat to Grizzly territory in order to reach his mate. Night was falling with a gathering of storm clouds, and thunder rumbled in the distance.

  If this was love, he didn’t like it one fucking bit. If not, the woman was still his mate, and thus his responsibility. Deep down, she’d already burrowed into him, becoming part of him. All he had to do was convince her of that fact.

  He’d never, in his life, been so frightened until he’d seen for himself that she was all right. By the time he’d arrived, Bear had carried her safely to the office, and his men had already buried the witches who’d attacked them. In fact, by the time the bears had shifted, Garrett and Logan had apparently already taken care of business. Bear had wanted to get Alexandra to safety and out of visual before his people shifted, protecting her from a reality that was now her own.

  She walked into Kell’s flat and instantly kicked off her boots. “I can’t believe we’ve missed the existence of so many other species,” she mused.

  He shut the door, surprised by how much he wanted to engage the lock and keep her there forever. “Humans see only what they want, and we do try to remain under the radar.”

  “Why?” she asked, turning around, her gaze direct.

  He smiled at his stunning warrior. A bruise marred her jaw, another had almost faded along her cheekbone. She’d apparently stood in front of Bear, facing two known immortals, so brave and determined. It would be his great honor to find her a haven of safety and peace where nobody could bruise her. She’d probably love Ireland.

  “I find you stunning, Alexandra Monzelle.”

  She blinked. Her eyes softened to a lighter blue, and she shook her head. “Why are you a secret, Kellach?”

  He shrugged and grasped her hand to lead her into his immaculate kitchen. “If humans found out about us, it’d be war.”

  “War?” she gasped. “Why?”

  He nudged her onto a bar stool at the breakfast counter. “Humans would love to be immortal. We’d be a threat, one they needed to figure out in order to keep themselves from dying. We just don’t want to deal with it, and we don’t want to eradicate them from the earth. So we live apart.”

  She rolled her eyes and leaned her elbows on the granite countertop. “That’s silly.”

  “That’s our law.” He reached for a pan to place on the stove.

  She grinned. “You’re cooking for me?”

  He turned to face her fully. “You’re my mate.”

  A very pretty pink blush wandered up from her spectacular chest and slid over her face. He expected her to roll her eyes or to protest.

  Instead, she met his gaze levelly, a new vulnerability framing her face. “I don’t know how to be anyone’s mate.”

  That quickly, that smoothly, that unintentionally . . . she stole his heart. Her fierceness aroused him, and her intellect intrigued him. But that sweetness in such a warrior? Yeah. That owned him. So sweet that she’d had to tamp down on her natural abilities just to live among humans.

  He forgot the pan and moved toward her to grasp both hands. “Neither do I, but I’d like to try. There’s something between us, Alexandra. Something strong and something real.”

  She drew in a deep breath and then slowly nodded. “I know.”

  His chest warmed. “There’s a method to getting unmated—it’s untried and possibly dangerous—but I need you to know that it’s possible. You’re not trapped.”

  “I don’t feel trapped.” Her fingers danced restlessly beneath his hands. “I’m not making promises here, though.”

  Nothing was wrong with taking things slow. “I want to stay mated to you and figure this out.” Hell, that was the mildest way he could put how he felt, and trying to dampen his natural possessiveness forced him to bite back a growl. His woman was a modern cop who had no problem fighting. Oh, he’d win a fight with her, but forcing her to do anything she didn’t want wasn’t who he wanted to be. She had to stay with him of her own accord, regardless of his natural inclinations.

  For now, anyway. If his people went to war again—it was entirely possible sometime in the future—if he had to lock her down to keep her safe, he’d do it. But she had to decide to be his first.

  At the moment, peace ruled his world, and they all had freedom.

  His phone dinged from the counter, and he lifted it to his ear. “Dunne.”

  “Hi, Kell. This is Emma.” The Queen of the Realm didn’t believe in formality, yet he snapped to attention anyway.

  “Hello, Queen Kayrs.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Your nephews are just fine. I promise. In fact, they took care of two dangerous witches without even breathing hard.” Of course, the woman was concerned about the boys. He should’ve thought about calling her or her sister earlier.

  She laughed. “I already had an update from Bear. That’s not why I’m calling.”

  Kell stilled. His gaze caught on Alexandra’s curious expression, and his mind cleared. “No. No. Definitely not. No, no, no.”

  Emma sighed. “Come on, Kell. Just a couple tests.”

  “Hell, no.” When it came to his mate, apparently respect for the monarchy flew out the window. “No tests. You and your needles are not getting anywhere near my mate.”

  Alexandra’s eyebrows went up.

  Emma coughed. “Please? I haven’t been able to study the beginning changes in a human when she mates a witch, and I just need a couple blood samples. I promise. Just two.”

  Kell dropped his chin to his chest. The queen had been a geneticist before mating the king, and she was notorious for taking the blood of immortal species in the name of research. Of course, she had recently cured the most dangerous virus ever to plague their people.

  “If you show up here, I’m siccing Simone on you,” Kell said. At one time, about a billion years ago, Simone and the king had dated.

  Emma laughed again. “I already talked to Simone, and she agreed to take the samples and ship them to me. We’re best buddies now, Kell.”

  The vampire queen and a snarky member of the Coven Nine as best buddies? “God help the Realm,” he muttered. “I’ll talk to Alexandra, and if she’s agreeable, Simone may draw blood tomorrow.”

  The queen nearly squealed. “Excellent! Thank you so much! Congratulations on your mating, by the way. I hope you’ll find great happiness.”

  “That’s very kind of you. How are you feeling, anyway?” he asked.

  She laughed. “Fat and pregnant with Dage’s baby, who’s already doing summersaults.”

  “Stay well, Emma,” Kell said softly. “Take some time off and take care of yourself.” If anything happened to Emma Kayrs, Dage would blow up the world. “For all of us.”

  “Of course. Also, give Garrett and Logan smoochie kisses for me, would you?” Emma asked.

  “Of course.” Yeah. He’d smooch them both and get punched in the face. No problem. “Have a good night, Emma.” He clicked off.

  Alexandra pursed her lips.

  He sighed. “The queen wants your blood to study the process of your chromosomal pairs increasing to immortality.”

  “Oh. Okay.” Alexandra rolled a shoulder.

  Well, that was easy. Since she’s being so agreeable . . . “And I’d like to get you naked and roll around.”

  Her eyes darkened, and she
began to slide off the stool. “Tell you what. If you can catch me, ack—”

  His arm wrapped around her waist just as he leaped over the counter, holding tight and barreling them both over the sofa onto the bear skin rug in front of the fireplace. A click of the remote flashed the fire to life.

  She settled beneath him and then frowned. “This isn’t a real bear pelt?”

  He chuckled. “No. It’s man-made, not an ounce of real bear fur in it. I bought it to piss off Bear, but the second he saw it, he started laughing. Apparently he can tell real fur from fake.” The moment had been such a downer.

  Lex sighed and wiggled her butt, her body relaxing inch by inch against his. She reached up and brushed his hair away from his face. “I pretty much live in the here and now, Kellach.”

  Yeah. As a cop, she’d have to live here and now, considering people shot at her. Or threw fireballs now. Of course, when they moved to Ireland, she wouldn’t be in danger any longer.

  He pressed his already hard cock into the vee of her legs. “I get that. I’ve been an enforcer for three centuries, and during times of war, I’ve not thought about the future. You put your head down, you fight, do your job, and hope you make it through.” Even with his brothers as enforcers, his life had been a lot lonelier than he’d realized.

  Her eyes widened. “Oh my god. How old are you?”

  Amusement bubbled up his chest, widening it. “About three hundred and fifty years. Why?”

  She coughed. “You’re kidding.”

  “No.”

  Her eyes widened. “You’re an old fart. Cradle robber.”

  Geez. He kind of was robbing the cradle. “Too late to worry about that. How old are you, anyway?”

  “Thirty-one.” She stretched against him, and his blood started to burn. “Maybe forever. How weird is that?”

  A roaring rushed through him, primal and deep. He clasped her hands and pressed them above her head, which pushed her breasts against his chest. She gasped, her eyes widening, arousal expanding her pupils.

  He grinned, allowing intent to fill his eyes. “So, mate. What now?”

  Chapter 21

  Surrounded by fur and overwhelmed by male, Lex caught her breath and put up a half-hearted struggle with her hands. Kell easily held her in place, his hands heating hers, his body covering every inch of hers. So big and strong.

  A wicked glimmer glinted in his eyes, and that close, she could see the rim around his pupils. Lighter than the black pupils, but not brown. An edgy green.

  Likely, not many people had gotten close enough to Kellach Dunne to see that green.

  She pulled on her hands again, not entirely surprised when they remained right where he’d planted them. “Let go of my hands,” she murmured, not so much serious as curious about what he’d do.

  “No.” As if to prove his point, he flattened one hand over both of hers and laid the other one gently around her neck. “Your pulse matches mine in tempo.” His lips curved. “Let’s see if we can speed that up.”

  If her heart beat any faster, the little organ might explode. Heat from him spread right through her clothes and swept along her skin in a delicious ache—as if tiny pinpricks of fire licked her head to toe.

  She gasped and widened her legs, rubbing against him. The delicious friction forced her eyelids closed so she could just feel the raw electricity.

  Not for one second did she understand the chemistry between them; so overpowering was the physical that she didn’t concern herself with the emotional. Only the moment mattered. Such need and lust combusted inside her to create a hunger beyond human—as if fire was at her very core.

  His mouth possessed hers, fierce and deep, the force of him holding her head in place.

  She struggled to free her hands and touch him.

  He denied her, and his control shot shards of electric desire through her, peaking her nipples and softening her sex.

  She. Couldn’t. Get. Free.

  The thought should tick her off, but in a fluttery feminine place she’d later deny existed, desire flared to life. Never had she trusted a man enough to contain her.

  Maybe there hadn’t been anyone man enough to contain her.

  Kellach was all man . . . and more. He pressed hot, open-mouthed kisses along her jaw to the sweet spot behind her ear.

  She gasped and arched up into his hardness only to have him pin her on the rug again. Liquid shot to her thighs.

  His hips gyrated against hers, pushing his heated cock against her core. So hot, so ready, so damn demanding. His free hand swept down the front of her shirt, scattering buttons. Cool air brushed her warm chest, the contrast kissing her skin. She moaned.

  “Now that’s a pretty sound.” He licked a nipple and tweaked the other one between his thumb and forefinger with enough bite to stop the breath in her lungs.

  The erotic pain cascaded from her nipple to her clit, which began to pound with need. She moved restlessly against him, powerless in his hold.

  He chuckled against her skin, and the vibrations tickled through her. A heartbeat later, his mouth took hers again.

  He unsnapped her jeans and helped her kick them and her panties off before shedding his somewhere around their feet along with his boots. Commando. The man had gone commando. His cock lay heavily against her core.

  She pressed up into him, her fingernails curling into his palms. So badly she needed to touch. “Let me—”

  “No,” he whispered and then smiled against her mouth as she shuddered in response.

  Being held in place, unable to move, magnified every feeling bombarding her. So much and all at once. She clasped her feet at his back and rubbed against him, the friction nearly sending her over.

  “Alexandra,” he groaned, his voice a low growl.

  She opened her eyes.

  He shifted, poised at her entrance.

  She blinked. “Wait. Condom.”

  He grinned, sexy and pained. “Immortal. Witch. Can’t get or give diseases.”

  Oh yeah.

  Plus, she was on the pill, so no worries. Excitement gripped her, along with intrigue. He’d be inside her, skin on skin. An internal quake shook her.

  He entered her slowly, velvety smooth and steel hard. So big, he stretched her, mercilessly gripping her hands as she instinctively tried to fight against him. His demonstration of control and overwhelming strength shot another surge of heat to her core.

  Panic tried to rise up—an awareness that she was out of her element. No longer the hard-ass cop, the protector, but someone feminine. A female counterpart to this truly amazing male. The sensations overcame any thought or instinct for self-preservation.

  Raw, true, combustible.

  He sheathed himself completely, his free hand reaching under her to grip her butt to tilt her pelvis.

  She gasped as she took him even deeper. “Oh.” The moan escaped her.

  His fingers gripped her ass harder, keeping his pulsing shaft inside her. His lips overtook hers, and his tongue danced inside her mouth. She opened, taking him, giving everything.

  He held her tight, not allowing movement.

  Frustration welled through her as she tried to pump against him. He held her still, top to bottom, in perfect control. He lifted his head, his gaze on hers, the green glowing brighter around his black pupils. Intense and waiting.

  She blinked, and heated air exploded from her lungs. He’d move when he was ready, and she couldn’t do anything to push him. Anything.

  At the thought, at the acceptance, her body softened into the rug. All the tension dissipated, leaving her floating. Needy and floating.

  The green glowed brighter, and a matching flame rolled down his arm, across his chest, and over her nipples. Erotic heat licked her, heating but not quite burning, forcing a whimper from deep inside her.

  Fire kissed her, threatening to singe.

  An orgasm uncoiled deep inside her, pulsating around his cock. Sparks were a prelude to the devastating sensation waiting breathlessly out
of reach.

  He closed his eyes and groaned low, his biceps visibly vibrating as he held himself in check while her internal walls gripped him relentlessly. When she’d ceased, and only then, he pulled out and shoved back inside.

  The second he hit home again, fire crackled along his back, snapping along with his control.

  He pounded into her, his hands absolute, his body strong and sure. Harder and faster than possible, he thrust, taking her over. Explosions rocked her, one after another, each climbing to a pinnacle she tried to fight reaching. Too much. Way too much.

  But he was relentless. He drove into her again and again, fierce and fast, electrical shocks shutting down her brain. Lava uncoiled inside her, hotter than before, becoming the center of everything.

  She splintered, screaming his name, flashes of color cascading behind her closed eyelids. Pleasure enfolded her; lifting her so high she spiraled off a cliff and kept on falling.

  Finally, she went limp, her muscles going lax.

  He thrust inside her one final time, held himself deep, and shuddered as he came.

  Her eyelids flashed open just as the fire was snuffed out. Male satisfaction curved his lips as he brushed them against hers, still connected with her, so deep he might never let her free.

  She blinked, seeing him clearly for the first time. Deadly and strong, the Realm Enforcer had powers she’d only glimpsed.

  What had she done?

  Kellach eyed the sophisticated map illuminated on the wall of Simone’s home office, rubbing his chin. He’d dropped Alexandra off at work early that morning, and she’d texted around suppertime that she had to go on a stakeout and they’d talk later.

  They’d damn well talk later. He didn’t like knowing she was in danger, especially since she wasn’t immortal as of yet. His woman seemed to court danger, and he wasn’t quite sure how to manage that fact.

  Simone sighed loudly. Again. She sat in her leather chair, wearing a glimmering red ball gown and a deep frown.