Immortal Blood

by Magen McMinimy

  Izzy turned her head, only after enjoying his lips for a short while.

  “Who is Meriah?” she asked in a much stronger voice then she had before.

  Damn it, Bain had gone about this wrong. Lothar would be shaking his head right now. He was supposed to explain all of this to her, before acting like a rutting animal and all but forcing himself on her.

  Bain sighed, and let Izzy’s feet touch the ground again. However, he pressed her against the wall because he was not willing to let go of her. Not now… he wasn’t going to be interrupted this time.

  “Meriah is one of the Immortal Three. It was time for my feeding.”

  Something passed over Izzy’s face, a darkening of her eyes, and then a sexy twist took hold of her lips. “So, not a girlfriend or a former lover?”

  It was a statement, not a question, but Bain nodded. “No, certainly not.”

  Izzy’s tongue slipped past her lips, moistening them before she lifted up onto her toes and led her mouth back to Bain’s.

  “Good, I don’t make out or sleep with someone else’s man.” She pushed her hips forward and nipped his bottom lip. Bain let out a deep, throaty groan as he carried her to the bed.

  He laid Izzy on her back, never removing himself from between her thighs.

  “Since we’re being honest,” he said as he gathered the hem of her shirt and moved it up her stomach, kissing the flat plane as he pushed it up and over her head to drop it on the floor next to them. A small growl rumbled from deep in his throat as she arched her exposed breast to him. “While normally a little alcohol makes for an exciting night, but not the first time. I will pleasure you all night long, Izzy, but I won’t take advantage. We won’t be having sex tonight.”

  “What?” She breathed out the word on a heated moan as Bain took one nipple in his mouth and worried the other between his rough fingers.

  Bain chuckled against her hardened nipple. “No sex, Izzy.”

  “What?” She nearly squealed the question as Bain ran his hand lower, running his knuckles along the slit to her core.

  “Don’t worry, sweet Izzy,” he said, slipping one finger past her folds. “I plan to take care of you tonight.”

  Izzy didn’t have the urge to argue. Why would she? She’d let this man do anything to her.

  Bain continued to pleasure her nipples, occasionally nipping at the hardened peaks, as he slipped a finger inside of her. Izzy rocked her hips, and Bain slid another finger deep inside of her.

  She was tight and wet, giving Bain pause at his no-sex statement. He increased her pleasure with his thumb, pressing it hard against the swollen, pink, flesh-covered ball of nerves, following the pressure with a smooth, circular motion. Bain moved his mouth down Izzy’s stomach to her navel, and then dipped lower. Anticipation slammed Izzy as Bain ran his tongue over her inner thigh.

  “Please, Bain,” she whispered as her hips jerked. She was near begging, but she didn’t care how it sounded. It had been too long since she’d had a man take the time to sate her needs.

  A soft chuckle tickled her skin as Bain pulled his fingers from her. Izzy was instantly hit with the loss of the pressure, but quickly recovered as a long, steady, moist stroke replaced it. Bain’s tongue teased her and his teeth nibbled her clit, before pushing his fingers inside of her again.

  Izzy cried out as her muscle tightened, and Bain’s tongue stroked her with a new fervor. When the sweeping fire of her orgasm hit, Bain held her thighs apart so she couldn’t close them and cut him off from his gift of her orgasm.

  Izzy was slammed with a heat that she hadn’t felt in years. The man had barely begun and she was a writhing, moaning mess on the bed beneath him. She tried to close her legs and squirm away. She wasn’t sure her body could handle another touch from him without her heart racing to a dangerous level. She was sure with one more touch from his skilled hands or sinful tongue, Ventricular tachycardia would soon follow. Still, Bain held her thighs open, his fingers lightly biting into her soft flesh. He nuzzled her thigh before returning to her core and starting his sweet assault again.

  “Bain… I can’t… I can’t take anymore.”

  Bain lifted his head, his masculine smile bordering on self-satisfied and arrogant.

  “I think you can. You taste too good, sweetheart. I’m not nearly done with you,” he whispered before dropping his head again.

  Izzy’s own head fell back on the pillow as her back arched with the next wave of pleasure and a fast coming, knock-you-down orgasm.

  Izzy lay motionless in bed, curled up against Bain’s side. No matter how hard she’d tried, and no matter how many times she tried to convince him she was sober enough to make the decision to have sex, he wouldn’t give in. Even though she could see he wanted to.

  He was a talented man. He spent hours pleasuring her, taking nothing for himself. Well, she wasn’t sure that was entirely true… he seemed to enjoy the effects of her orgasms, but that wasn’t the same, so Izzy promised herself she would rectify that this morning.

  “I need a shower,” she whispered against his chest.

  They’d been laying there in silence for the past half hour at least. She pressed small kisses to his muscled chest while he played with a lock of her hair. She got the impression that Bain wasn’t the type to stay the night, but he had with her. He had even held her tight against him while she fell into the best night of sleep she’d had in a long while.

  “I’ll go run the water for you.”

  Izzy lifted her head to look at him. “Thank you, then you can get naked and wait for me in there.”

  Bain smiled, a twinkle of heat in his eyes as they started to glow. “Whatever you say, sweetheart.”

  Izzy pulled the sheet to her chest as Bain slipped from bed and started the shower.

  Izzy followed not long after Bain, sliding the glass door aside to climb into the tile shower. It was a large square of neutral colors with a high showerhead. Izzy licked her lip as she watched the beads of hot, steamy water slide down Bain’s back and over the hard, perfectly shaped muscles of his ass.

  “I can feel your eyes on me, Izzy. Get over here.” Bain reached back, grabbed her arm, and pulled her to him.

  Izzy laughed as the water rained down on them. Bain ran his fingers through her hair, pushing the soaked locks from her face. She lifted up on tiptoes and placed a light kiss on his lips. He reached out to pull her close, but she pulled back, shaking her head at him, with a wicked smile on her lips.

  “What are you up too?” Bain narrowed his eyes at her, though still smiling.

  Izzy kept their eyes locked as she slid the length of his body to her knees.

  Bain’s brows lifted as a soft sigh parted his lips.

  Izzy ran her tongue from the base of his hard length to the tip of his head, before taking him deep and hard into her mouth. It was a bit of a struggle to take him all in, but she used her hand to make up for what her mouth couldn’t handle.

  Bain’s head fell back, resting on the warmed tile of the shower wall. His finger tunneled into Izzy’s hair, gently guiding and moving with the slow, deep, rhythmic pace she had set, running her tongue teasingly over the tip of his hard flesh before taking him deep into her throat again. She let her teeth graze his flesh and felt warmth pool low in her belly as Bain moaned her name.

  Izzy kept her rhythm slow and methodical. She was turned on beyond belief. He filled her mouth in ways she wanted him to fill her sex. She felt his cock twitch and his fingers dug a little deeper into her hair, pushing her to move faster. He was close.

  Bain groaned as he came close to spilling himself in her mouth. He reached down with a preternatural speed and strength, pulling her up from her knees and lifting her to his chest. Izzy wrapped her legs around his waist, settling mere inches from his swollen length as he let his orgasm flow and covered her mouth with his.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Bain lay, still a little damp, in Izzy’s bed with her half on top of him. She was a talented little human. Bain
ran his fingers through her dark, wet locks, and then down her cheek to run his fingers along her long, elegant neck. She was beautiful, soft and supple. He ached to get inside of her and knew she would have let him this morning, but for the first time in his long life, he wanted to enjoy this part. Enjoy getting to know the things his Izzy liked. He wanted to do things right.

  Bain knew he could be wading into dangerous water. The fact that he had no idea how long Izzy would be a part of his life nagged at him.

  She seemed comfortable here and apparently with his brothers too, damn Kale. But she had so many important ties to her world. Bain sighed and let the thought flow far away from him.

  A soft knock sounded at her door, a good excuse to leave the doubts in his mind. Bain smiled at Izzy, pulling the covers over her. No one else was going to get a peek at her body.

  She smiled. “Someone in this castle understands the importance of knocking,” she teased.

  “Would you have let me in last night?” Bain asked.

  Izzy’s brow’s furrowed. “Probably not,” she admitted.

  “Then I refuse to feel bad about my poor manners.”

  Izzy shook her head and smiled up at him. So did she.

  Bain kissed her forehead, grabbing his towel to wrap it around his hips and going to the door.

  Izzy rolled over to simply drink in the view. Bain moved with a smooth, languid confidence. It was a very attractive swagger of sorts, but he had earned the right to it. He had the build of a fighter, of a protector. His body was like a statue, solid, strong, and molded to male perfection.

  “Good morning, Darnell,” Bain said brightly.

  Izzy cringed. She didn’t want the sweet man seeing her like this. She slipped from the bed, sneaking back into the bathroom to get dressed.

  She pulled her brush through her hair before pulling it back into a ponytail, a few wisps of hair falling loose of the tie. She tucked those behind her ear and brushed her bangs off to the side. With a dusting of powder, a little black eyeliner, lip gloss, and a brush of mascara, her face was at least ready to take on the day.

  She reluctantly pulled on a pair of fitted jeans, put on a baby blue tank top, and topped it with a scoop-neck black shirt. She slipped her feet into a pair of flip-flops, gave one last glance in the mirror, and left to find Bain getting dressed.

  “What did Darnell want?” she asked.

  Bain gestured to a plump Garcia hovering over a fresh bowl of food. “He brought Garcia his breakfast and wanted to let us know breakfast was being served for us in the dining hall.”

  “Oh… do I need to change?”

  Bain gave her one long, smoldering once over before shaking his head. “Breakfast isn’t as formal as dinner.”

  “Okay, I’m starved. Let’s go.”

  Bain chuckled as he laced their fingers and headed for her door.

  “You’re thinking something dirty, aren’t you?” she accused.

  Bain kissed her knuckles. Yes, he was.

  *****

  A stunning woman sat at the table next to Uriah. She had long, black hair that Izzy was sure would reach to her waist, if not past it. She had lovely, soft features, with very light green eyes and pink, pouty lips.

  “Hello, Bain,” the stunning woman greeted them as they took their seats.

  “Hello Jelena, I didn’t expect to see you here this morning. How are you?”

  “I am well, thank you. I came for Uriah’s feeding.”

  “Ah.” There was something to Uriah and Jelena’s relationship. It was complicated, but Jelena only ever fed Uriah. Bain was certain the Immortal sister loved his brother and they all knew Uriah cared deeply for Jelena, but they weren’t supposed to fall in love with the Immortal rulers of the Underworld. It was an unspoken rule.

  “Are you going to spend some time here? Rowan will be back later.”

  Jelena smiled. “I wish I could, but my sisters require my presence. Perhaps next time.”

  “Perhaps,” Bain agreed.

  Jelena looked to Izzy, a bright smile on her face. “You must be the human, Isabelle?”

  Izzy stiffened a little, taking a sip of water to wash down the bite of food she’d just taken.

  “Uh, yes.” Izzy shifted in her seat as the stunning woman stared at her.

  “Jelena… you’re staring.” Uriah smiled sympathetically at Izzy.

  “Oh… my, I’m sorry I’ve never actually met a human. I’m not allowed in your world. I’m Jelena, one of the Immortal Three.”

  “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Isabelle the… human.”

  Jelena laughed lightly. It sounded like bells tinkling in the wind. It didn’t fit the ruler of the Underworld mold. “It’s very nice to meet you. Did you get a chance to meet my sister, Meriah, last night?”

  Izzy forced a smile. No, she didn’t get to meet Meriah… She wondered if Meriah was as stunning as Jelena. Perhaps it was a good thing she didn’t get to meet her. She might have had an issue with Bain’s lips going anywhere near her. She’d hate to have an issue with an Immortal ruler of the Underworld … but Izzy was pretty sure there would have been an issue. She didn’t like the thought of Bain’s very talented mouth on another woman. Yet, she wasn’t sure she really had right to these feelings.

  Lothar cleared his throat, causing Izzy to grimace.

  Wait… crap! He was the empath… Shit, did he catch all of that?

  Lothar chuckled next to her and shook his head softly.

  Izzy dared a glance at him and felt a small flush warm her cheeks.

  “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t get the pleasure of meeting her.” Izzy tried for demure and pleasant; she thought she pulled it off.

  Jelena nodded. “That’s a shame. I know she would have loved to talk to you. In fact, she likely would have talked your ear off, or questioned you with no end in sight.”

  Izzy smiled and took another bite of food. She caught Kale’s mischievous eyes flicker between her and Bain, a shit-eating grin tugging at his baby face.

  “So… Izzy,” Kale started. “How ya feeling this morning? You didn’t get sick last night, did you?”

  Izzy smiled and shook her head.

  “Oh dear, were you ill last night?” Jelena asked.

  Izzy shook her head. “No, but Kale tried.”

  Jelena looked to Kale and narrowed her eyes. “Did you feed her that swill you call tequila?”

  The whole table chuckled this time, and Izzy had to wonder if Jelena had actually tried tequila before.

  “He fed that horrid liquid to me once.”

  “Yeah!” Kale broke through the laughter. “Izzy likes it.”

  Izzy shrugged as Jelena looked at her questioningly.

  “Patron is actually considered to be high quality liquor where I come from.”

  Jelena shook her head. “If you say so.”

  Uriah wiped his mouth and stood, pulling Jelena’s chair out for her.

  “I’ll catch up with you later, brothers,” Uriah told them.

  “It was good to see you all, and it was nice to meet you, Isabelle.” Jelena smiled wide at her.

  “Call me Izzy.”

  “Okay, I hope to see you again, Izzy.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Hello, Mother,” Rowan said as she and Cree entered the parlor. Esperanza lifted her gaze from her book and smiled. Esperanza studied her daughter as she set her book aside and got up from her chair nestled next to the fireplace. Rowan looked tired, small, purple bags hanging under her usually bright lavender eyes.

  Esperanza smiled and wrapped her arms around her daughter. “I’m glad you’re home. We have much to discuss, but you look like perhaps you could use a visit from your brother first.”

  “Is it that obvious?” Rowan sighed.

  “You are beautiful as always, but you look tired and run down. He can help with that.”

  Esperanza let go of Rowan and moved to Cree, giving a solid, but brief embrace to the warrior leader.

  “I take it everything is
under control at the border?”

  “Yes, everything is fine, Mother.”

  Rowan sighed, tucking her nearly white, overworked wings back into her shoulder blades. She and Cree had been in flight for hours, spending most of the night in travel to get back.

  “So what was so urgent that you had to rush out?” Esperanza started her inquisition, but Rowan had been expecting this as her welcome home.

  Cree smiled at Rowan, who waved a hand at him. Her mother was always over concerned about their people. It often left Rowan exhausted and frustrated that her mother didn’t seem to believe in her ability to rule. How many centuries did she have to rule over a prospering and happy kingdom before her mother would accept her as the strong and compassionate ruler she was?

  “The village was having theft problems and a young female brownie went missing. Turns out she and her boyfriend were the ones stealing in an effort to secure enough funds to buy their way out of our world,” Cree explained.

  “Nonsense,” Esperanza scoffed. “Few brownies have the strength to pass between worlds.”

  Cree shot an uneasy glance at Rowan, who massaged the bridge of her nose.

  “No, but there has been an uprising of Fae activity in the Human World, and rumors are flying about a new portal that will allow any Fae, regardless of power, to pass.”

  “That’s ridiculous. We know of all portals, and we control most of them. Darion only has two portals in his land, and most of the Dark aren’t strong enough to pass through them.”

  “There are stories of a group of drifters who have found a portal that anyone can walk through.”

  Esperanza’s eyes narrowed.

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “Mother, stop. We’re working on it.”

  “What if humans begin using this portal? What will you do then, Rowan?” Esperanza demanded.

  “I don’t know,” she admitted.

  If the portal worked as the two brownies believed it did, then it was a real possibility that humans could stumble into the Fae world.

  “I have a few of our men searching for the drifters. Once we find them, we’ll have more answers.”