Talon

by Alice Wade

  Talon released one hand and pushed her legs farther apart as she continued to ride him in this contorted position. He watched in wonder as her body bloomed like a rose and nearly lost control of his own release as he saw in perfect clarify, her swollen body suckle his entire length as if it were her mouth caressing him.

  “Oh, Kailani,” he whispered, fixated on the sight before him. He could stand it no longer. His hips thrust up hard, pressing deeper causing her to scream. Kailani’s nails clawed into his calves, drawing blood from their piercings.

  He continued this energetic lovemaking until she completely melted again and his body decided enough was enough. With a blood curdling howl, he emptied into her heavenly depths, causing his heart to flutter in the process.

  Then the flashes of her torture began to replay in his head as her release once more bombarded him with Kaen’s little present. Over time, Talon became more prepared for them. Their time together since her return taught him how to block most of the images, but every once in a while, one would get through his shields. His fury would boil over before he successfully reminded himself not to react.

  Talon closed his eyes to hide the effect the images had on him. Or the effort it took to ignore them. He waited for them to run their course before he opened his eyes, feeling the need to kill Kaen pass.

  Hour later they were both drenched in sweat. Kailani’s normal straight hair was plastered to her face, and Talon just looked as if he’d been running for miles. Trickles of moisture streaked his face and chest, and tiny droplets of salted beads dotted his forehead. She didn’t think he could look sexier, that is, until he smiled at her.

  As they inhaled wild deep breaths, they remained frozen in that final position, spellbound by the power of each other’s love. Talon moved first and rolled her back under him, feeling a moment of regret as he pulled from her body. He felt her lingering guilt over her reaction to Lainey earlier and he snarled. “Never doubt your position as my mate. Never.” He whispered severely, evading the last remnants of Kaen caressing her body from his mind.

  Kai snuggled to his chest and sighed, “I’ll try. It’s hard sharing you, especially after the past two hundred years of having you all to myself. To have another woman in my territory is a little unnerving.” Her look became serious as she cupped his face in an act of possessive claim. “You belong to me.”

  “And only you. I’m bound to you. Forever,” he said before his mouth slanted. He delivered the most tender kiss which had her body shuddering with emotion. “I love you,” he whispered against her lips.

  “And I you.” she whispered back.

  The memory of the magical arrow found its way into Talon’s mind. Now that he was relaxed and at peace, he needed to work out what it meant or how to fight it. Kai felt the shift and sat up, looking at him.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He sobered. “I think it’s time I went home,” he said. “I might be able to convince the king to send us help.”

  “You can’t be serious.” She looked into his eyes. “Oh, mercy,” she cringed. “You are.” She flopped back into the pillows and panicked. “You can’t do that. He’ll kill you.”

  The hand on her back was meant to sooth her, but it didn’t. “We can’t take Kaen down alone, Kai. Even with my magic, he’s got an entire legion of criminals at his disposal. Nasty, wicked men who he’s made immortal.” He paused. “I forgot to mention something else. Today, one of Kaen’s men had an arrow containing elven magic. It killed a vampire, so we must take proper precautions.”

  She paled, “How is that possible?” The thought of his elven magic being turned on him was discouraging. Not to mention, where did Kaen get it?

  “I suspect they’ve captured an elf, Kai. He must be holding whoever it is under a compulsion, because I would have felt it if they were converted.” He frowned as he said this. It was unthinkable that an elf could be detained so, but there wasn’t another explanation he could think of.

  “So, what were you thinking?” she asked, becoming tense at what his answer would be. “You’d walk into your home and say, ‘Father, I need your help’ after you’ve been exiled for five hundred years?’” That was preposterous. He would do it if it would help and that scared her to death.

  “In a sense, yes. It’s dangerous, I won’t deny. The risk is that I could be killed on sight. But I know my father, or at least I hope I do. He’ll help once he learns one of his people is being used so wrongly.”

  She looked into his eyes and saw calm determination. He was committed to this and she could see there was no persuading him otherwise. “I’m coming with you.”

  “No, you won’t.” Talon paused, tucking a strand of sweat-soaked hair behind her ear. He knew this would be hard for her to understand. “You can’t for two reasons. The first being you are not permitted, and the second is that I can’t bring Lainey with me and so you must stay here to protect her. I won’t be gone very long, maybe half a day. Look what was happened when I stepped from her side for ten minutes. You have to stay, love.”

  He read her terror for this plan in her silver eyes. His father wasn’t one to trifle with and she knew it even though she’d never met the man. Talon was exiled and if he were to step foot on elven lands, it meant his death and Kai knew that.

  “No,” she growled, “I come with you. If they kill you, I’ll be there to raise hell and introduce the elves to the fury of a vampire.” Her eyes were molten steel while she continued to look at the one she would give her life to avenge.

  “Thank you for your devotion but I have to do this alone. You are not elf kind and if I brought you with me, it would mean your assured death. Don’t you see?” He lightly kissed her lips as her eyes dropped tears that fell to the mattress beneath her. “For that I would surely die. No, you have to stay behind and guard Lainey. For me.”

  Kailani had a difficult time hiding the distress when she moaned, “I can’t lose you.”

  His kiss turned urgent in his attempt to quell her fears, but he felt the emotion radiate from her as she broadcast her distress. He also felt it in the shaking of her body beneath him.

  “Please don’t worry. It will be fine, love. I haven’t finished telling you how I’m going to do this. Will you listen before you react?” He said against her check as he held his face pressed close to hers. “I’ll not just walk in. I’ll contact my father first and ask for a pardon. I won’t just rush in and make demands.”

  She sobbed as his words penetrated through her fear and settled in her mind. “Then ask permission to bring me,” she cried. “Please don’t leave me behind.”

  “Shh,” he comforted. “I can’t. We don’t allow outsiders in. Ever.” He kissed her softly again. “If he grants the pardon, I’ll be fine. Trust me.”

  She sniffed twice, finding a false calm. “If you succeed, what are you going to ask him for?”

  “Twenty qualified scouts led by Cuilwen. I need her magic the most.” Soft but firm strokes from his thumbs caressed her face again to calm the anger he saw turn her eyes to liquid silver as she heard that name. He waited for the explosion and nearly laughed when it came.

  Kailani growled, “Cuilwen? Seriously?” She shoved at him and pushed him away. Cuilwen and Talon were betrothed before his unfortunate encounter with the woman who sired him five hundred years ago. According to him, Cuilwen vowed upon his exile, never to stop loving him. Moreover, when elves swore a vow, it came to pass. If she came here, would she think she had more of a claim on him after all this time? “Now you’re being cruel.”

  He laughed as he kissed her lips, his breath tickling her face, “No, but we need her, love.” His blue eyes met her silver, pleading with her to listen. “I love you. Whatever was between she and I was burned away when I met you. You have nothing to fear.”

  It wasn’t Talon she worried about.

  “Shall I put this in
to motion?” he tentatively asked.

  Kailani closed her eyes to still her anger. Damn him. If Kaen really was trying to claim an entire realm like Talon thought and he had stolen elven magic, then Talon was right. They needed help. Damn it if she could not find one valid argument against his suggestion. “Yes.” Her answer was full of grievance and he laughed again. “Just control her.”

  “Don’t worry about Cuilwen. I’ll make sure she behaves.”

  “You’d better or you may just have one less elf to fight at your side. I’m in no mood to play nice.”

  “I’ll talk with Dace before I do this, for they will need lodgings. We’ll need the humans’ support if he agrees.”

  “Good luck.” She rose abruptly, fighting the jealous anger that emerged. She didn’t like this plan and knew there was nothing to turn him away from it. “I’m taking a bath.”

  Chapter Ten

  Sunlight filtered through the curtains and woke Dace from the most peaceful slumber he’d had in months. Annoyed, he rolled over to avoid the blinding light and encountered a nice warm body curled up next to him. He spooned Lainey tight, rubbing his hard body against her backside. He received such intense satisfaction from the contact, he could not resist a small, almost silent moan.

  “I’m awake,” she rasped, yet didn’t move for the feeling of his arms surrounding her was incredible. Dace’s pulsating heat on her cheeks started to awaken her own desire, but she was afraid if she moved, she would not be able to resist making love to him again. He refused her request earlier to leave with Talon and Kailani to go hunt, and demanded that she take what she needed from him instead. Because of that, they’d been exhausting themselves in sexual play since she drank more of his blood.

  “You feel so good.” His face nestled in her hair and his nose nuzzled her head. His need for her was intense, probably related to her heightened desires, but he knew he needed a break, or he would pass out from exhaustion.

  Lainey didn’t help though. Her hips gyrated slowly against his throbbing erection, increasing his stiffness. “You really must stop doing that.” Dace’s voice was strained as he tried to control the urge to enter her body.

  “I think you feel good too,” she said quietly. “I’m still overwhelmed with all these new feelings, and I’m not sure what to do with the intensity of my new libido.” She increased her efforts, even though he scooted away from her. She moved with him to not lose contact and ended up in a position which allowed him entry without much effort.

  Dace felt that and groaned. “Is this what you need?”

  Lainey writhed on the bed trying to push him further inside her with each thrust. “Yes,” she hissed.

  “You’re incorrigible.” He laughed threw himself into loving her once more. When it was over, he collapsed utterly spent into the blankets while she assumed a position curled against his chest.

  “Shite.” He said through his rapid breathing. “That was incredible.” The act of kissing her forehead was all he could do.

  “Words don’t begin to describe how happy I am.”

  The air expelled from his chuckle tickled her cheek, causing a flare-up of goosebumps over her body. “Me neither.”

  “Dace?” Lainey had been kept out of the business of the group since she returned, but she was curious about how they were doing. “How’s everything going with the group?”

  “We miss you, for sure. The management of the coffer is a mess right now; Ian is trying to take the accounting over.” He grimaced.

  Dace was annoyed at Ian’s persistence in his beliefs. He chirped at anyone who would listen that the vote to allow the vampires to remain was a grave mistake. Dace knew he was trying to get under his skin and it worked because he was truly annoyed. He snorted in an attempt to let his bitterness pass, “I’ve come to really dislike that man.”

  “I’m sorry I caused the rift.” She turned her head a little. “And don’t say I didn’t. He was fine before Kaen captured me.”

  “You didn’t,” he said anyway. “He was an ass before too, if you recall. He’s challenged my position from the start and that had nothing to do with you.”

  “How is the coffer holding up?”

  “When last I checked,” he said, “the robberies we did a few weeks back are still holding strong, even with the purchase of this inn. I replenished it a little more not too long ago so I think we can relax for awhile.”

  Lainey felt her anxiety lessen at hearing this. “What about the people? Are they settled? I really haven’t spoken with any of them since I came back, because, well you know why.”

  “Everyone is fine. They’re settling quite nicely. Morale is high now that they can be respectable people again and not sewer rats. If nothing else, we gave them that.” The pride in his voice could not be mistaken.

  “What about taxes? What are you going to do when they come pounding on our door?” This was the danger of moving back up top, having to pay King Ondre’s unrealistic tax levy.

  “I don’t know yet, but I think I can steal enough to cover all of us for awhile if we’re smart about it. It makes me sick that with the amount of wealth out there, good people are suffering.” He paused. “I just want to give them a better life than what they left behind because of Ondre.”

  “I know, but you can’t fix all their problems. We’ve talked about this before. You can only arm them with enough to get started, but they have to do the rest themselves. I would also throw Ian out if he continues to cause problems.” Her natural instinct to lead was leaking out, which Dace responded by tightening his embrace.

  “He’s not that bad yet. You saw the majority turn their back on him at the meeting. I really don’t think they’ll let him get away with this attitude for much longer. Someone will put him in his place, if not me.”

  “Still, watch him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he finds some way to discredit the thieving, yet is too greedy to turn down the spoils of our efforts.”

  Our efforts, she said to herself. She had helped, hadn’t she? Her efforts contributed to get them out of the sewers too. Were those days behind her? Lainey looked at Dace with a longing. She wondered if her role now was more of a liability because she was kept behind closed doors until it got dark. Only then could she venture out to hunt. She wasn’t sure she could play that role. She wanted to be helpful.

  “Can I go on a robbery with you?” She asked tentatively. “Would you let me continue to provide for the group and help contribute?”

  That shocked him, and scared him that she even made such a request given the circumstances.

  “You want to after what happened a few days ago?” When Lainey nodded, the gesture irked him. “I don’t like that idea. You could get caught again.”

  “So could you. If you are putting yourself in danger, at least I could be by your side while you’re doing it.” She argued. Now that she was reunited with him, she didn’t like the idea of him taking such a risk either. Especially after witnessing what Kaen did to the men he captured.

  “I don’t know. I think Talon needs to weigh in now that he’s claimed you as his ward. I don’t like the idea of giving Kaen the opportunity kidnap you back.” While he talked, his lips found her neck, and he kissed her silky skin.

  He battled an intense wave of panic at the thought of her in Kaen’s hands again. Dace wasn’t sure he could allow her to put herself in such a position. He also wasn’t sure he could survive it if she did get caught.

  Lainey forged ahead with her argument because she wasn’t persuaded. “I’m serious about this. Don’t you brush me off.”

  “Relax. I didn’t say no. I just said we need to talk with Talon.” He ran his hand across her hard stomach muscles to just beneath her breast, enjoying the soft feeling of the crease beneath them. Dace absently caressed her skin while he enjoyed this intimate moment with her, not quite ready to start his d
ay yet.

  “We need to get up.”

  In response, she moved out of his embrace only to sit on the edge of the bed with her head hung low. He caught her glance as she looked backwards and raised an eyebrow, reacting to the look of desperation on her face. Something was bothering her.

  “So, am I still a member of this group?”

  All this sitting around was killing her and frankly she missed the people. She really wanted to know if she would be accepted if she walked freely among them instead of hiding behind Talon and Kailani?

  Dace cocked his head to the side as he leaned on his elbow and evaluated her before he answered. He saw the desperation behind her question and chose his words carefully. “You never were removed.”

  She looked so vulnerable. Her wildly curly hair gave her a youthful appearance, yet he wasn’t fooled. She was dangerous with weapons, a skilled thief, and a great leader. Regardless of their initial reaction earlier, he knew they would take her back. He frankly would not tolerate any other reaction, because now that she was back and they were once more betrothed, Lainey was here to stay. Damn to anyone who argued otherwise.

  Dace knelt behind her and rubbed her bare back with his hands, feeling the tightness in her shoulders. “I can’t believe you’re this tense after what we’ve been doing,” He tugged her backwards causing her to tumble into his embrace, so he could give her front area a similar massage, spending a little too much time on her firm mounds.

  “Stop that!” she laughed. “If you want to get up, stop touching me!” Lainey’s eyes twinkled with a growing desire, but she escaped his hold and grabbed clothes and a towel, clutching them to her chest. “I’m going to take a bath,” then quickly added when she was the excitement flash across his gorgeous face, “and you will not be joining with me.”

  “No fair.” He pouted in mock upset. He lay on his side and smiled, admiring the profile of her naked body as she searched for a robe to wear to the bathing room. She amazed him and he accepted the depth of his love would never let him falter from her side again. Dace continued to watch her, his features changing more sultry and predatory.