Carinian's Seeker

by T. J. Michaels

  Chapter Nineteen

  Bix was right behind Sidheon as he streaked down the beach. Thankfully there was no traffic or bright lights on this part of the beach behind the house.

  “Stop, Sidheon. I’d rather not kill you if I don’t have to.”

  When Sidheon showed no signs of stopping, Bix turned on the steam, pumping his legs and arms with blinding speed. Sidheon was almost within arm’s reach. Bix stretched out his hands, his fingers mere inches from the back of Sidheon’s neck, when his world exploded.

  Sidheon turned and fired a weapon hidden on his body. Blinding pain radiated through Bix’s chest and down his left arm. His katana landed with a soft huff in the sand as he fell face down like a fallen tree.

  In all his years he’d never felt anything this excruciating. He rolled to his back in agony. The starry night sky wavered, the stars fading as his vision blurred at the edges. The pain flared and burned through his very blood. Any moment now his skin would lay in smoldering strips in the sand, melted from his bones.

  “You idiot. They don’t call me brilliant for nothing,” Sidheon crowed, standing over Bix now with a triumphant grin. “Dr. Carinian isn’t the only one smart enough to make poisoned rounds. Too bad you’ve more brawn than brains.”

  Sidheon raised a piece of driftwood as large as a small log at the exact moment the blistering pain across his chest begin to ease.

  Moving as fast as he was able, he avoided the driftwood. It landed with a thud, throwing a plume of wet sand into the air in the exact spot his head had been. Shit, Sid wasn’t fooling around. If Bix could just stay clear of the rogue’s blows long enough to get the feeling back in his sword hand.

  He rolled to the right towards the waterline. But he wasn’t fast enough. The driftwood connected with his shoulder. Damn, that hurt. Managing to raise his right arm enough to keep another blow from connecting with his forehead, Bix felt his fingers again.

  His right arm stung from the contact of the wood. The next instant, his gun was in his hand and a large black hole began to spread from the center of Sidheon’s chest where a modified bullet penetrated with a near-silent hiss.

  Sidheon’s eyes went wide as his fingers loosed their hold on the driftwood and it tumbled to the damp sand at the water’s edge. “How? How did you…?”

  “My woman may not be the only one who can make modified rounds, but I bet she is the only one smart enough to reverse engineer an antidote to your serum, you scum.” Bix rolled to his feet as Sidheon dropped to his knees, clutching his rapidly deteriorating chest, his lifeblood flowing between his fingers to pool in the cool grains underneath his failing body. Bix pumped several rounds into Sidheon’s twitching flesh for good measure and watched the north wind carry the ash away.

  Retrieving his katana, he wiped the blade on his ruined coat and slipped it into the sheath.

  On his way back to the house he tensed when his wife barreled into his mind.

  “Bix, where are you? Are you all right?”

  She was worried. Or maybe she was hurt? Damn it, he should never have left her. Carin was a strong woman, but she was just mastering her new skills and abilities. He wasn’t concerned about her ability to take Natasha down, but there were bigger and badder vamps in the house besides.

  “I’m on my way back. Are you all right? Are you hurt? I’m coming, baby.”

  “Bix, I’m fine…”

  But he wasn’t listening. He was tearing his way towards the house at full, blurring speed to reach his mate. A few more strides and he’d be back with his woman.

  The earpiece to his secure cell phone vibrated. He answered without slowing.

  “Bixler here.”

  “The surviving rogues were secured on Stealth One and are on the way to headquarters. The Iudex judges accompanied them, declaring their sentences as they boarded. Stealth Two is waiting for the rest of us.”

  “What about Natasha and the others?”

  “I don’t have a status on Natasha, but Dr. Carin had Alaan call us to put the sick vampires on Stealth Two. She insists on keeping an eye on them and assist them if possible. They’re all ready to go.”

  “Thanks, Randall.” Bix spoke in hushed tones into his mouthpiece, and calmed. At least he knew Carin was safe. She’d probably tried to tell him she was fine, but the moment he heard the panic in her voice his brain shut down and all he could think about was getting to her.

  He pushed through the front door into the foyer where he’d last seen his wife. Wounds, sore chest and all, he laughed his ass off when he found Carin sitting on an unconscious Natasha, whistling as she examined and reassured a few of the frail vamps.

  Carin took one look at him, grabbed him by the arm and tugged him into the ruined dining room. He found himself seated next to a grumbling Alaan. His friend sat stiffly at the oversized table while Tameth fussed over a small gash across his forehead. The woman threatened to skewer him if he didn’t sit still and let her tend him. Bix hid a grin at Alaan’s deep answering growl as he stayed perfectly still. After all, Tameth was a Clan Serati Seeker. Since the mission was technically over, she was no longer subordinate to Bix as the team lead, nor Alaan as his Second, Clan Elders’ sons or not.

  Bix stilled in an instant when Carin, scalpel in hand, informed him of his options—sit still or die. His coat pooled on his feet as she examined the ruined shirt in tatters over his chest where the modified bullet had hit. The flesh was red and somewhat swollen, but no gaping hole, no ashed-over skin, no dead Bix. At Carin’s amazed gasp, Tameth informed her they’d found not only her modified bullets, but also the antidote she’d been working on to counteract Sidheon’s serum. Kenoe and Dr. Lyons had administered the dose noted in her documentation before they boarded the jet. Bix knew several of the team should have left this earth at least twice over, their remains nothing more than piles of charred ash. Including himself. Instead he sported a single, puckered wound where he’d allowed Carin to dig out the bullet slug. That, and a bit of swelling on his chest and down his arm.

  The woman was so happy she buried her face against his chest and bawled like a baby. He felt every wracking sob down to the depths of his soul. Didn’t last long. If he thought she had a good set of lungs before, he soon realized he’d had no idea how good. The breath she took was deep enough to scuba dive with because she was soon screeching non-stop. She erupted at the top of her lungs, telling him how foolish he’d been to use an untested antidote, and what would she have done if he’d been hurt?

  “Damn it, Bix, what if something had gone wrong, you muscle brained clod! What if the antidote hadn’t been measured out correctly? What if…Mmmph…”

  There was, after all, one way to stop an angry woman from talking. He pulled her down into his lap and groaned into her mouth as she responded hungrily to his kiss. She had no shame, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his bottom lip into her mouth. Leaning her back over his arm, Bix couldn’t plunder her enough, feast enough, taste enough. A few annoying “a-hems” cut short their love play. No problem. He rose with Carin in his arms, and without a word walked right out the door to the car waiting to take them to the jet. He would never let her out of his sight again.

  The mop-up team arrived and within two hours and right on schedule, there was no trace of the night’s activities, with the exception of the broken glass panes. Those would be taken care of first thing in the morning.

  Sidheon was destroyed. The mole was in custody along with all of the contacts stupid enough to be in this house during the raid. The rest were headed for the V.C.O.E. Most Wanted list. In the end, Carin was safe and they’d rescued a number of altered vamp hostages. Job well done.

  The V.C.O.E. was thankful to Carin for her assistance. It had taken some time but she’d managed to develop a drug to undo Sidheon’s handiwork on the vampires he’d used as servants. In appreciation, they’d given her the pick of any of the Council’s estates. This particular property in Savannah, Georgia came complete with horses, as did the countryside man
or in Wychnor Park, England.

  Loving the feel of her horse underneath her, she urged it to go faster as Bix chased her across the rolling hills. For a woman who’d never ridden as a child, she’d caught on in no time. Even with the increased travel demands of her new Council position Carin made a habit of getting out to ride almost every day no matter where they happened to be.

  They burst into the stables and Bix was off his horse in a flash. He’d pulled her down off her mount and into his eager arms before she could get her foot out of the stirrup.

  “Are you sure we can’t stay another week?” she asked between hot little kisses.

  “Sorry, love.” He planted a loud smack against her neck. “You start a new project in sunny Charlotte, North Carolina in two weeks. We’ll head to our ranch in Montana in the morning where I can make sure you get enough rest before then.”

  “Oh, come on, Bix, I don’t make you rest before any of your secret Seeker gigs,” she argued.

  “But I’m not five months pregnant, am I?”

  Her fist found its way to her hip and her left booted foot tapped on the stable room floor. “You know I’m not going for this crap, Bix.”

  With a sly smile he turned his back, removed the horses’ bits and drawled, “No problem. Alaana will be close enough to…”

  “Fine, fine, I’ll take it easy. Just don’t call her. Since I got pregnant, she won’t let me do anything fun. It’s like having a new mother.” Carin scrunched up her face on a frown and shuddered.

  She reached into the trough attached to the stall doors and threw a handful of hay at Bix while he laughed at her. Alaana, along with Alaan and his father, Ralen, spoiled Carin. She knew she was a damned brat, but hell if she was going to ask them to stop. In fact, Alaan had officially declared Carin his little sister and an adopted daughter of Clan Serati. And it was kind of nice to have a mom again. Well, more of a veritable dragon of a long-lived mom.

  “You adore Matriarch Serati and all her mother-henning ways.”

  “And your point is?” Carin snapped and hauled back her arm to throw another handful of hay. Before she could toss it, Bix blurred from his spot near a hitching post, lifted her underneath her arms and pressed her up against the wall.

  “Not sure about yours, but here’s my point.” He ground his hips against her and her legs automatically circled his waist. An unmistakable, mouth-watering erection pressed between her thighs.

  “Mmm, it’s a very nice point, too,” she murmured with a husky sigh, opening for his kiss.

  The groomsmen didn’t bat an eye when Bix walked from the stables, up through the rear gardens and into the house with Carin’s legs wrapped around his waist. They exchanged sizzling kisses as they went.

  Yep, she thought, there’s a lot to be said for being mated to a vampire.

  “You’ve got that right.”

  “Bix, will you get out of my h…? Oooh! Oh my God. Mmm, never mind.”

  About the Author

  Born into a musically eclectic family, TJ Michaels’ first love is singing, even outside of the shower. Also an avid book lover, her eBook reader is shown no mercy, forced to entertain her at all hours of the day or night. Even in the dark you’ll find her head buried in a story, whether it’s her own creation or something snagged from the local bookstore.

  So, where does this writing stuff come in? TJ taps her over fifteen years experience in technology to create realistic stories with out-of-this-world characters. And with an imagination expanded beyond belief since the birth of her two now teen-aged children (she’ll never be sane again), spinning life’s experiences into tales is a blast.

  With more books in the works, TJ hasn’t lost steam. Her mind? Yep, that’s gone, but steam there is aplenty. As a true Taurus, TJ has no intention of slowing down and is definitely too stubborn to stop when she sees the fence.

  To learn more about TJ Michaels, please visit www.tjmichaels.com.

  Send an email to TJ at tj@tjmichaels.com or sign her guestbook on her website and the crew will be sure to keep you updated on the latest endeavors.

  Look for these titles by TJ Michaels

  Now Available:

  Carinian’s Seeker

  Serati’s Flame

  Hatsept Heat

  For two Seekers of justice, hunting rogues is dangerous business. But not as dangerous as their yearning for each other.

  Serati’s Flame

  © 2007 T.J. Michaels

  Vampire Council of Ethics, Book 2

  There’s a rogue on the loose, and the Vampire Council of Ethics has just the man for the job. Alaan Serati, along with his team of elite fighters, is a Seeker for the V.C.O.E. The lethal vampire law enforcement assassin is also the most eligible bachelor of Clan Serati. His job: Take out the rogue vampire who killed his mate years ago. But working with a fellow Seeker quickly becomes a pain in his backside. How is he supposed to accomplish the mission if he can’t keep his mind or his hands off of his fellow officer?

  For more years than she wants to remember, Tameth Serati-Cole has worked almost every day, side by side, with the gruff and gorgeous Alaan. It’s been hell considering the special bond between them, something rarely developed between mates. But Alaan doesn’t really want her. He’s still pining away for the woman taken from him years ago. So when he declares his need to bond with her, this lady Seeker ain’t biting…even if she’s wanted to since the day they met.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Serati’s Flame:

  Alaan was right behind her. In typical Seeker fashion, the man hadn’t made a single sound during his approach. But she knew he was there, could sense it clearly. The soft skin at the nape of her neck danced in step with a wild and quickly spreading heat. Her pussy joined in and pulsed in time with the beat.

  And just like a prime male, the man had the ability to make all her soft gooey emotions go stone cold with just a few words.

  “Come with me,” Alaan ordered harshly.

  Okaayy? So who the hell did he think he was talking to? It was obviously not a request. And not a drop of tenderness. Not even a damned I’m-sorry-for-being-an-asshole-on-the-flight-over. One kiss on the plane and the man thought he could order her around? Puh-lease.

  One dark brow cocked in question, Tameth looked over her shoulder and took him in slowly from his solid Doc Martin boots to the top of his gorgeous blond head. Her expression read, Yeah, right, and she knew it.

  “Look, Alaan, this is my day off. So I’m not a Seeker nor your Second, but a Clan Serati female, which puts me a little higher on the food chain than you. So guess what that means—no ordering me around until I’m back on duty. Now go away. I have things to do.” With a snort and a roll of her eyes, she turned away. A hint of self-consciousness made her more than a little aware of how high her little black leather skirt rode, baring a good bit of thigh to the man standing behind her. Pushing the thoughts away, she wrapped her fingers around the handle of her grip bag and hauled it from the floor onto the seat.

  Annoyed at Alaan’s intimidating and scrumptiously sexy presence, Tameth looked back over her shoulder. If she was going to be bad, may as well go for broke and ruffle his Seeker feathers.

  “Besides, I have plans with Kenoe. Important and, uh, definitely delicious plans,” she murmurred with a deliberately sassy edge, letting her tongue slide over a lengthening incisor, then trail along her top lip. “So, maybe next time, stud.” Turning her back on him, she dug in her bag. She had no idea what she was looking for.

  Her only warning was a quiet, menacing growl. Unable to hold back a yelp when she was propelled into the back seat of the SUV, Tameth found herself simply along for the ride as Alaan took over. And damn what a ride it was.

  The vehicle door slammed behind her and she was suddenly and completely overwhelmed by the presence of the only man she’d ever really wanted. And he was pissed off.

  “Kenoe will have to make other plans,” Alaan hissed. His voice was as hard and cold as arctic ice. But his eyes? They told an en
tirely different story. An interesting mix of iced blue and raging hot possessiveness sent a streak of sizzling anticipation down the backs of her legs.

  Her gear bag went flying into the front seat just before her back slammed hard against Alaan’s wide, thickly muscled chest. Nothing about the man was small. His hard, chiseled pecs flexed against her shoulders as she sat with her ass flat against his groin. Large, strong hands settled on each knee, spread them wide and lifted them to settle over his until she was wide open like some offering to a pagan god.

  She shivered, but not because her miniskirt bunched up around her waist. The little scrap of material that passed for today’s underwear barely covered her labial lips and the cool air evaporated as it came in contact with the suddenly too-warm skin between her legs.

  Wait a minute. She was supposed to get her stuff and meet Kenoe in the breakfast room ten minutes ago. She was a Clan Serati female. There was no way a male, prime or otherwise, was supposed to affect her this way. Right?

  He held both her hands in one of his and lifted the other to her hair. Unyielding fingers wrapped tightly around her ponytail, angled her head and tilted it backward.

  “Damn it, Alaan! I told you I have…mmmmfffff!”

  He laid a soul-searing kiss on her like a parched man and she was his own personal oasis. And she had no control whatsoever. Oh, Lord, yes!

  She tried to hold back the moan bubbling up in her throat but couldn’t. Hell, she couldn’t even remember why she wanted to resist him in the first place.

  The next moment found her bowed at the waist, breasts smashed against the cool leather of the front seat. The man had her bent over at a serious angle. Tameth's hands flew out and instinctively planted themselves as she sought to keep her balance. Slightly bent knees pressed into the firm panel of the seat in front of her. Alaan knelt on the big bench of the back seat between Tameth’s spread legs. His chest pressed tight against her back as if he couldn’t bear to lose the contact. The huge bulge pressed against her practically bare bottom told her what he hadn’t spoken aloud. He wanted her. Badly.