Kat howled in pain and her eyes watered. Cameron tightened his grip on her neck once more until she cried out, “Yes! Let me go.”
Cameron released his grip and she fell to the ground. She glared up at him and rubbed her neck. “Better.”
Kat stood up and fixed her clothes. She sauntered past Cameron and perched on the edge of the desk like nothing happened. “Why would you, Cameron? To make me hate you?” Her neck already began to heal itself. That was an ability she was going to have to get used to.
Cameron walked over and slid the back of his fingers down her cheek. “You don’t hate me. You’re angry yes, but you don’t hate me.” They moved across her lips, down to her neck, then to her chest. Her body burned in hunger, hating that a part of her inside that craved him in an animalistic way. “You like what I’m doing, don’t you? A part of you inside is waking up. Otherwise you would’ve never challenged me. Admit it, you like it.” He looked behind him at Sean, grinning.
“Admit what? What do you expect me to say when you haven’t answered my question?” She pushed his hand away from her body and he glared at her.
“What is it you’d like to hear? That I am an animal? I saw my mate—” he stroked her cheek, “—and I made her mine? You’re looking for a fantasy that isn’t there. You’re looking for a sweet man where there is none. That doesn’t exist little girl. This is a cruel world. I wanted you as mine and only mine. I made that happen. Now you are. You were, and are, Raaka. There is no way to change that.”
“You’re a bastard is what you are.” She growled. “Thinking that because you made me into your mate, you can control me any more than before? Not a damn thing has changed, big boy. Sorry to disappoint. That isn’t happening. I may be forced into being your mate, but I have no feelings for you.”
“No? You think so?” Cameron reached over and seized her neck, dragging her mouth to his. The moment his mouth touched hers, Kat’s desire boiled inside. She craved him more than she wanted to allow, but it seemed like she couldn’t control herself, which frightened her. Knowing Sean stood behind them watching increased the desire. Cameron pulled away from her and grinned. “Still think so?”
“I said I didn’t have feelings toward you. I didn’t say I didn’t want to fuck you. Get it straight. I already know my place. Julian told me.” She let the name sink in. A huge smile spread across her face, provoking Cameron’s rage. “He explained everything you wouldn’t—”
Still holding onto her, Cameron slapped her. “Julian? You went to Julian? How dare you,” he snarled.
Kat narrowed her eyes. “I didn’t go to him. He came to me. He is the reason I am alive. You should be thanking him. I wanted to kill myself. I was killing myself. I was dying when he found me. I wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t.”
Cameron grabbed her and yanked her head back. “Thank Julian? Not in this lifetime, or any other. Stay away from him, Kat. I’m warning you—”
Kat whimpered in pain when Cameron tightened his grip in her hair and forced her to look at him. “Keep it up and I will kill myself. Then what will you do?” she asked.
“You value yourself so little? You threaten an act like that and I will treat you like the animal that lives inside you. I’ll chain you to my bed and force you to feed. Would you like that?”
“No,” she whispered.
“What?” Cameron growled.
“I said I won’t damn it.”
“Good. Prove it.” Cameron loosened his grip on her hair and put his wrist in front of her face. Since Kat hadn’t fed within the past twenty-four hours—and only enough to keep her alive—the animal within grumbled at Cameron’s offering. Her teeth responded and lengthened on their own. Her eyes tingled as the animal within surfaced, and she fought off the urge to grab his wrist.
“No. Don’t make me do this.”
Cameron reached down and bit his wrist, pushing it closer to her mouth. The blood glistened in front of her mouth. “You have no choice. Prove your loyalty. Feed.” He commanded, knowing as her leader and mate, she couldn’t deny him.
Kat’s anger erupted and the connection was broken. “Prove my loyalty? Who would have me? Where would I go? I’m Raaka.” The animal within emerged and her anger surged further. She forced herself to hold back and watched the wound close up on Cameron’s wrist. Instinctually, she knew denying his command was unacceptable. The animal within quivered, but forced itself upon her to prove itself to the clan leader.
She knocked his hand away and reached forward to grab fistfuls of his shirt, then dragged him between her legs, sinking her teeth into his neck. For a moment she was repulsed by her actions, but as the warm liquid flowed through her, pleasure surged between her legs and her fingers tightened their grip.
Kat raised her gaze behind them to Sean. Sean stood there watching them with a grin on his face and Kat held his gaze. Hunger trickled through her body as her mate’s blood flowed through her.
Kat let Cameron go and licked her lips, pushing away from him. She somehow kept from ripping off his clothes and demanding he take her right there on the desk—in front of Sean. Thinking about it didn’t help her desire. She savored the sweetness of Cameron’s blood in her mouth, no longer noticing the revolting taste it once held, now it tasted like sweet nectar.
Closing her eyes a second, she relaxed as the blood made its way through her body, renewing her senses, easing all the aches and pains. There were so many new abilities she was forced to learn that it made her head spin, but she made Julian a promise she intended to keep.
Kat smiled. Cameron would think it was for him. She may never be with Julian, but damn if she didn’t plan on living for him. He was the mate she wanted and she would have him one way or another. She was his. She felt it in the mausoleum when he stroked her hair. Even if in secret, she belonged to him and only him. He came to her because he knew she needed him and wanted to protect her.
As Cameron stood there watching her, it hit her. Julian wanted to protect her and keep her safe all this time. Yes, she knew it before, but she didn’t understand it. Everything he’d done was for her. When Vincent kidnapped her, Julian worked hard to find her. When Cameron turned her; Julian came to give her the blood she needed.
It was always Julian.
Everybody knew it.
Everybody saw it the whole time, even though he tried to stay away to protect her, it was Julian from the first moment they were together. She would live all right. She would live for him. She loved him until the end of her human life, and it would last until the end of her immortal life. He felt the same way. She saw it in his eyes every time he looked at her. He was possessive of her. He was always possessive of her, which filled her with a sense of safety she’d never felt. That would never change. She could never hate him. She didn’t understand why he thought she would, but she could never hate him.
Cameron watched her while she thought over everything, wondering what she was thinking. He hoped she realized where she belonged, and to whom. “It feels good, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.”
Cameron grinned and reached up to caress her chin then pulled her body closer, wanting to feel every inch of her against him. Kat moaned as his touch set fire to her hunger. “And does that feel good?”
“Yes.”
Cameron grabbed her neck and pulled her mouth to his. Kissing her, he wrapped his other hand behind her back and tightened his grip on her. He reached his hand inside her shirt and caressed her back, leaning down to kiss her neck. He gripped her hair and dragged her head back, sinking his teeth into her skin.
Pleasure erupted throughout Kat. Her hunger grew in intensity as he drank and his hands burned through her skin. She opened her eyes and saw Sean watched her with the same desire again. The pleasure Cameron inflicted on her reached its peak and an explosion tore through her body. She tightened her grip on him, wanting him inside of her as he pulled away and forced her to look at him.
“It’s time I show you what an alpha male is capable of with h
is true mate. Would you be willing to admit you’re mine without hesitation? Or would you rather I leave you alone with Sean?”
Cameron knew what he did to her and what Sean felt. So why would he use Sean as a threat. She glanced back at Sean whose grin was a little too vicious for her comfort. Because the man liked it beyond rough.
A part of her was curious what Sean would do to her. With the hunger still burning, part of her didn’t mind the thought of being alone with him, despite it also frightening her. What the hell is wrong with me? The animal in me wants all of this.
“Careful Cameron. Part of me is considering it.” She grinned.
Cameron laughed. “Impressive. Maybe I should let him show you what he likes. I think you may be one of the few who would live through it.”
A wild grin touched Sean’s lips. “She almost had me in the beginning when I danced with her. That you’d kill me if I did, kept me from messing with her. You have to be careful with that girl. Don’t know many who could resist her.” He laughed. “Right now more than ever.”
“Cameron, if I thought you’d allow anyone to touch me, that threat might scare me. You’d kill anyone who tried and everyone knows it. You’re not the sharing type.” Kat looked at his mouth, indicating she’d had enough fooling around.
“Your blood flows through me, as mine to you. You are mine. You were right earlier when you said nobody would touch you. My men would because they’ve wanted you this entire time, but you’d never give them the chance. I will kill anyone who tries, believe me. I almost killed Sean when I saw him dancing with you. Do you know that?” Cameron looked over his shoulder at Sean.
“So you and I should have another dance right?” Kat asked Sean, looking over at him with a smile.
Sean glanced at Cameron. “Careful, Kat. Cameron won’t forbid me from dancing with you if you really want to play that game. Just to prove a point.”
Understanding smacked Kat in the face. “You’re the next leader aren’t you? If something happens to Cameron, you’re up? That’s why you’re always with him.”
A dangerous grin crept across Sean’s lips. “Ever notice how you tend to feel attracted to alphas? If I weren’t friends with Cameron I would eliminate him to play with you. I’d be careful Kat. He and I could end up not being such good friends after all.”
Kat laughed. “Oh? I’ll have to keep that in mind. Whatever happened to friends before women?”
Cameron grinned. “That’s what you do to men, Kat. He’s not an idiot ruled by his groin. Why do you think he’s next-in-line? Think I’d choose someone submissive?”
Kat’s eyebrows rose. She was beginning to enjoy where she was. “So you’ve already figured everything out, hmm? Something happens to you, I go to Sean? Is that how it works? And do you think I’m the type to act so . . . compliant?”
Sean walked over to Kat, still positioned between Cameron’s legs. He grinned and touched her chin. “Kat, I wouldn’t expect any less from you. If something were to happen to Cameron? I can promise you, I will have no problem making you mine. I’m not the next leader because I’m weaker than him. The reason I’ve stayed my position is from mutual respect. We grew up together, but I’m more than ready to take over. Would you like me to show you why?”
Kat pulled away from his touch when she noticed Cameron reaching the end of his patience. “I’m sure Cameron would enjoy it. Friendship only keeps his patience in check so much. You both are beasts.”
Cameron smiled. “You got that right.”
“Didn’t you say something about leaving? I’ve grown bored . . . and uninterested.” Kat told him, feigning boredom.
Cameron grinned and dragged her forward again to feel his lack of interest. “I certainly haven’t.” He stroked her back and thigh, causing warmth to fill her belly and heat break out along her back.
“Well, at least I feel something,” she told him against his mouth.
“You will only feel cold when you don’t feed. As long as you feed, you can feel plenty. Like this. . . .” He dug his nails into her back and she bit down on her lip in hunger. “I love how you try to deny reacting to my touch. That only makes me want to do it more, to make you so hungry you can’t hold back.”
“Jerk. . . .” She whispered.
Cameron grinned. “Keep it up. You’re going to need that strength.”
The animal within Kat stirred in response to the mate in front of her and both of the alphas in the room. The thought of what was to come was more than she could handle. She was on the brink of another explosion. Her body quivered in anticipation of what he would do to her and she could feel a new part of her reacting to it.
“You feel that, Kat? That would be you coming into the change. I can see it in your eyes. You’re reacting to Sean and me because you know deep within you, it’s the alpha male you crave. It is those males you’re born to be with. You weren’t born a weak woman. You need a strong man, and now that you’ve been Awakened? That side of you is coming out more than ever. You’re exuding a scent and aura that would attract every man on the planet if they were near you. But you will only respond to an alpha. Remember that feeling. Embrace it. You can use it to your advantage.”
Kat smiled. “Who says I haven’t?” She reached forward and grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer to her mouth, whispering against his lips, “Get me the fuck out of here. Now.” She collapsed her mouth against his and when she pulled away from him, he didn’t waste another second.
Forty Eight
Cameron opened a whole new world of the pleasure that can also come with more pain than Kat could’ve imagined. Having been Awakened, she was given a whole new body. Any wound Cameron inflicted on her during the night healed almost in an instant. He took the time to show her how fast she’d heal. The deeper the wound, the longer it would take. In some cases, it would require one to feed to help the process.
She learned how much he had held back with her while she was human. He built up so much hunger, she wasn’t sure she could handle it all, but as wave after wave of pleasure hit her—more intense than the last—she refused to let him stop. A new part of her soul came alive that night and it excited the hell out of her. She felt stronger and more alive than ever.
Cameron didn’t hold anything back that night, showing her everything he was capable of—the strength he possessed as alpha—as he dominated and controlled her body and mind. He was gentle and seductive in some moments, but others, he showed her how strong he was. Pleasure ripped through her body every time he sunk his teeth into her, and then he’d make her feed off him.
They continued through the night and by morning Kat was so spent, sleep took hold and she dozed off. Cameron gave her body the nourishment it needed to finalize the transformation, merging so much of his blood with hers that by morning, nobody could deny she was Raaka.
Kat sat up with a scream caught in her throat. She’d escaped a nightmare gripping her soul. The last thing she had felt was the cold steel of a sword piercing her heart before she came to. She pushed the clammy hair off her face and looked around for Cameron. She couldn’t find him, which didn’t surprise her. The clock said 12 AM. Long after when he would’ve gone. A note sat next to it: When you wake, I’ll be at the club. Meet me there for drinks.
She shook her head. No doubt Cameron would have taken the opportunity to rush over there to dare Julian to do something. He knew Julian would never hurt her, which is why he didn’t care about Awakening her against her will. Julian. She hoped she didn’t run into him.
Kat walked into Inferno, feeling a newfound appropriateness. Sean and the other Raaka’s heads snapped up as soon as she entered, which made her grin with a sense of belonging. She was a part of them, they’d become her boys just like she’d always imagined and she loved it. Watching them, she wondered how each of them tasted. Warmth crept up her spine. She planned on tasting each one of them behind Cameron’s back. Not one of them would deny her. Her grin grew into a smile.
Cameron was sitting at the b
ooth she used to always choose. He glanced up as she walked over. She sat down and glanced at the mirror, all of a sudden hit with revulsion for the man who was behind it. Years of memories flooded through her when she thought of Julian, and he became the last person she wanted to see.
Julian killed many of her clan hundreds of years before, and she hated him for it. Memories of all the sires and leaders before took over her nightmares during the night. She tossed and turned, remembering Julian when he was first Awakened.
His sire, Patrick, used him—Julian willingly agreed—to kill so many Raaka. He was nicknamed The Reaper back then because of who he was. All the pain he’d caused her clan, she’d seen and lived through like they were her own memories, and it made her livid. She knew all the rules that came with being what she was, but that didn’t stop her from wishing him dead. She couldn’t bear to look at the mirror anymore and turned away in disgust.
“Sleep well?” Cameron asked.
“Felt like I’ve slept for centuries. How’s that?” She grinned.
Cameron laughed. “You’ve slept for two days. You should feel well-rested.”
Kat was taken aback. “Are you serious? Yeesh.”
“Your body finishing the change. Once you fed enough, your body needed to renew itself. You’ll find you don’t sleep much anymore, but ever so often you’ll sleep longer than you did as a human.”
“Especially when certain activities make me a little tired.”
“That too.” Cameron smiled and reached across to glide his fingers across her skin.
Kat bit her lip, hiding her smile. “You know it doesn’t change anything. I still don’t like you. What you did was unforgivable.”
“Give it time. You’ll learn.”
“Or I’ll figure out a way to get Sean to kill you. Either way.”
Cameron glared at her for a moment, then seized her chin, “I don’t care where we are. I’ll still throw you across the room if you keep up the attitude.”
Dark Illusions: The Beginning Page 18
