Talon

by Alice Wade

  Kailani opened her eyes in surprise at the term of endearment before she smiled warmly in reply. Suddenly it became very clear that she had nothing to fear with Cuilwen. That one word spoken honestly and without any threatening tone spoke volumes to what her true intentions were. She no longer saw a threat from the blonde beauty and instead started to see a woman who was going to be one powerful ally and friend.

  Talon noticed the change and inquisitively looked between the two women before shaking his head smiling. He seriously expected fireworks to explode between these two not this immediate bond of friendship that seemed to have sprung up out of nowhere. Kailani never ceased to surprise him.

  Cuilwen caught his glance and smiled in return.

  Kailani, looking down at her hands and thinking about what happened yesterday, whispered, “Talon, what was done with Warwick’s body?”

  “Just his body will be burned outside the city walls,” he replied.

  “What does that mean?” She had not heard how he died, only that he had been killed.

  Cuilwen cleared her throat, “Talon beheaded him, Kailani. One of my warriors discovered a vampire just outside the wards who was under both a spell of concealment and sleep, so I left a message for this Kaen.”

  “Oh, no.” All the color drained from her face when she turned to look at Talon. “I’m so sorry.” She knew what Warwick had meant to him once upon a time. He was the first abandoned vampire Talon had trained and adopted into his coven; he was the first family Talon had after being exiled. For Talon to have gone through with that form of execution, he must have been enraged. “Are you all right with this?” Kailani resisted the urge to touch his face in comfort after catching that his eyes frosted over at her words.

  He frowned, “He hurt you, Kailani. I did what was necessary and just.”

  “Yes, but…”

  “No more on this Kai. It’s done. He deserved his end and Kaen will feel the sting of this for I just removed his greatest asset from his strategic plans.” A wicked smile played across his face, “This loss will hurt his plan pretty badly, so I don’t regret a single action.”

  Kailani nodded slowly, trying to accept this. She could still see Warwick clearly and touched her neck as she relived the memory of his fangs piercing her skin. “Thank you for coming when you did,” she finally said quietly. The power and meaning of his arrival was quite clear. If he had been a moment later, Warwick would have taken her life.

  Talon was intensely focused on his mate and watched her emotions as she accepted this news. Cuilwen felt like an intruder, so coughed to get their attention, “I’ll leave you now. I only wanted to meet you, not keep you from a reunion. Kailani, it’s an honor that you allowed me the opportunity. Rest and we shall see each other soon.” With that, the First Maiden rose and after bending her body towards the couple on the bed in respect, left them very much alone.

  As the door closed behind her, Talon sighed loudly as he pulled Kai into his embrace, holding her while he masked his face in the crook of her neck. He was incredibly relieved so he had no desire to speak or he’d stammer his words because his mind was rolling in a turbulence of emotion. Kailani broke the silence first, as her lovely voice shattered his churning thoughts.

  “So, you fed from her.”

  “I did.” He tensed but then decided to talk about it anyway, “I tried to wait, but my father delayed too long and my hunger became unbearable. I went into a craze within half a day due to the pure elven blood assaulting my senses.” He lifted his head and looked deeply into her eyes before he added, “I’m sorry if I hurt you by doing so.”

  She snorted. “I’ll not lie by saying it doesn’t bother me, but I understand. We have an agreement and in the end, your love is mine and mine alone. I know this and most of all, I trust this.” She leaned her face towards his and touched his lips then added, “I’ll always trust you.”

  He took over the kiss and pressed more firmly until she parted her lips allowing his tongue to plunge inside. An explosion of feeling raced through her mind the moment she tasted him on her tongue, a soft moan leaking around their locked lips. Kailani didn’t move because she didn’t want this moment to break and pressed closer to convince herself he was really here. This wasn’t a moment she thought she’d have again. He was home, kissing her.

  He felt a similar sensation, but for different reasons. He had desperately missed her and now had the real woman in his physical arms, not some fantasy. Talon felt a sense of urgency when he rolled them both over so she lay pinned beneath his firm body. He pulled back a little in order to look down at her blissful face, admiring the woman beneath him. Talon paused, his breath stolen from his lungs, for damn she was beautiful. She was here, in his arms and alive. She pulled at every string in his heart, a heart that was about to burst with the love he felt for the tiny creature. This was why he didn’t miss being home, and this was why he couldn’t wait to get back here. “I love you, Kai.”

  Her heavily lidded eyes partially widened as she caught his intense look.

  When she didn’t reply, he continued, “I felt your distress and was terrified I was too late to let you know I was alive.” He kissed her softly, pulling back again, “I never want you to feel like that again, love. I can’t know that you would kill yourself if you were without me.”

  Kailani turned her head to side, “I won’t promise anything Talon. I didn’t know how much longer I could stand not having you in my life. I…I’m lost without you.” She still would not meet his eyes, so he forced it by turning her chin. It killed him to hear this sorrow in her voice and needed desperately to hear her promise. He needed to know she would not try this again.

  “I need you to. For me…for Lainey.” He pushed more on the topic, “I need to know that you will not do such a stupid act and leave her alone. I also can’t stand the thought of you not walking this world, even without me.” He stroked her cheek with his thumbs for he had not released her face. “Promise me,” he growled.

  “Talon…”

  “Promise me.” He demanded more urgently.

  She could not deny him anything and frankly the raw desperation she saw in his blue eyes chilled her. With a sigh of resignation, Kailani closed her eyes in defeat, “Fine. I promise I’ll not kill myself if you die.”

  His body relaxed immediately, “Was that so hard?” Just feeling Kai warm and alive made him close to exploding for he’d missed her terribly. Snarling in frustration that he was still wearing his pants, Talon reached down, unbuttoned the closure and freed his body from the painful confines of his clothing. The moment he felt the pressure removed, he rubbed against her through the fabric of her gown and knew that would be gone in a matter of moments as well.

  While he was doing this, Kailani answered him, “Yes, it was very hard. You don’t know how deeply it hurt. I couldn’t feel you and it was the loneliest feeling that I hope never to feel again.” She responded to his attentions hiking up her nightgown to free her legs. It was just the invitation he needed, and claimed her body without hesitation.

  Counting to ten helped him regain control, he then plunged deep. The moment her heat infused him, Talon suddenly felt the most incredible feeling of completeness for this was where home was now. With Kailani, “Oh, Kai,” he whispered. He covered her body with his but found that her nightgown prevented him from feeling her fully. He craved to feel her warmth, feel her heart beating against his chest. Needed to feel it actually, for it confirmed she was alive. Shredding the fabric easily, he couldn’t help the snarl that followed when he exposed her torso and her breasts pressed firmly against his bare chest.

  “That belonged to Lainey.” Kai laughed but couldn’t say anything further because his mouth had found one of them. His tongue furiously showed her how much he’d missed her by flicking her sensitive peaks until she was near mad with need. Kailani arched her back, driving him deeper into her
body as well as forcing herself into her his eager mouth. Again she became lost in the wonderful moment of having her mate once more and submitted to his control.

  He loved her, slow and hard until she was a quivering mess beneath him. This was his mate, his life…his light as he’d called her to Cuilwen. Without her, life was pointless and a waste. With her it was vibrant and had purpose. He loved her as he’d love nothing else, not even his own life, and felt the sharp panic again that he very nearly lost her.

  He held her in a state of near orgasmic bliss as long as he could before he allowed his incisors to drop and he bit into the flesh of her breast. Drinking from Kailani was Nirvana not to mention is shoved her fast into the shattering orgasm he’d been denying her. He smiled against her skin as he heard the most wonderful sound of her screaming his name at the moment she exploded beneath him.

  He had only a moment to enjoy it before the images started to slam through his mind. Talon blocked them and concentrated on Kailani’s trembling body, trying to distract himself. It was difficult, because Kaen was thorough in his attentions and it chipped away at Talon’s ability to not react. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on Kai because nothing else mattered and that was enough to send a burning feeling as he followed. “Kai…Oh, Kai…” he repeatedly mumbled against her skin. This was so much better than any fantasy he could have dreamt up.

  He heard her sniffling, shattering the blissful joy he was shrouded in and looked down at Kai in his embrace. What he saw panicked him, because she was weeping large rivulets of tears that streamed from her eyes. “Kai?” Concerned he’d hurt her and cursed to himself that he should have waited for her to fully recover before he made love to her. “Kailani, did I hurt you?”

  “No,” she said through clenched teeth. It took tremendous effort not to fall completely apart. “No, you didn’t.”

  “Then what’s wrong?” Talon’s concern mounted as she continued to release more tears. This was very unlike Kailani and seeing her so upset him.

  “I’m just so overwhelmed with the fact you are here, with me. You’re alive.”

  He felt a wave of relief that nothing was physically wrong and relaxed against her warm flesh. “Aye, that I am. Alive and home for good.”

  * * * *

  “Pacing is not going to bring her here faster,” Deandra commented. She’d been watching Kaen pace the room in the reflection of the mirror she sat before. After she’d woken and bathed, Deandra decided that she wanted to admire her new looks closer so parked herself before her mirror and currently brushed her hair while he waited anxiously. His pacing annoyed her because she knew full well why he was anxious. He wanted another woman and that irked her to the point of being snidely amused.

  Kaen whirled around, hissing in warning. He was in no mood for her antics and just wanted her to remain silent.

  When he did this, her mind immediately compared him to a wild beast. With his fangs lowered and eyes blackened with his body poised to strike he resembled…a snake? No, that didn’t seem right…a badger. That was it. She knew she should be scared of him, but instead found his behavior amusing. Suited him right for whatever frustration he felt, and that smugness generated a cruel laugh that only sent him further into a rage.

  He was on her in seconds, flying across the room and pinning her in a choke hold around the neck using his arm and body to pin her up against the table she sat at. She grunted from the force, but didn’t want to show that the edge was cutting into her ribs. “Enough!” He growled into her ear. “Now is not the time to provoke me.”

  “I can see that,” Deandra replied calmly, trusting he wouldn’t do anything to her before they were seated on the throne. After that, well then, she might be scared, but just a little. She knew that he’d probably kill her on sight, for the slightest thing. She’d cross that bridge when she got there, though. For now, Deandra trusted that Kaen needed her more than if she were dead. That gave her the confidence to challenge him the way she’d done.

  “Then shut up,” he added, releasing her neck. The force of this action sent her forward onto the table, sending her belongings tumbling in all directions.

  Deandra rubbed the skin across her neck as her eyes followed him. She was annoyed and no longer trying to hide it. “You bastard. You are married to me, yet you await your mistress. Show some respect. I’ll tolerate her presence but under no circumstances will I be treated as second best. Is that clear?”

  “All I hear is your complaining again, Deandra. Shut up,” he snarled. “I thought I’d made myself quite clear before we wed, Lainey is priority. Lainey is what I crave. Lainey is mine.”

  Deandra stood dangerously slow from the table to face him, her own fangs extended to their full length. Her blue eyes became so dark that one could call them black as well. “I’m not someone to be trifled with. Heed my words. Show respect.” She exercised every bit of regal training because it was very difficult not to shout at him. How dare he insult her this way!

  He tripped on the rug and just stared at her. The sight of his wife in full vampire form caught him off guard. He’d forgotten a very important fact: she was now just as strong as he was. Her reaction of releasing her new wild side wasn’t something he expected and that made him chuckle. This seemed to break his fixation for the moment, allowing the small chuckle to grow into a full blown laugh.

  “My apologies, Deandra.” He bowed, “I’ll be more sensitive. I’ll wait my sired vampire in the other room and not flaunt this in your face.” He smirked at her jealousy, but laughed at her reaction. She was glorious in this form, something he would best remember. Without a second glance, he moved towards the door and paused. “Good day.”

  She was infuriated. How dare he treat her so! She moved to follow when there was a knock at their main quarter’s door. Kaen waited for the servant to open the door and find out who was there, with Deandra joining him. She stood calmly and demurely at his side, looking the role of princess.

  Igor rushed in and immediately found Kaen waiting. The vampire visibly cringed when he took in the mood his leader and knew what he was about to tell him would surely bring his own death. “Your Highness’” he bowed. There was a slight shake in his voice that had Kaen’s forehead crease.

  “Enough of formalities. Where is she?” Kaen demanded.

  “Uh, about that.” Igor started. Kaen took a step forward, threatening him to get it out. The warning was not missed and Igor cleared his throat.

  “Please continue, as I’m very curious ‘about that’ Igor.” Kaen’s voice was dangerously low. Deandra actually took a step to the side and away from him, not wanting to be close by when he came unleashed.

  “I wasn’t able to retrieve her, sir.”

  “No?” The room became chilly as his temper ratcheted to a level of barely controlled fury.

  “Sir, you should see this before you overreact. I’m afraid you will find this more important than my failure.” In his hand he carried a sack where the bottom was stained dark with blood. Vampire blood at that, for the sour aroma sank. Igor held the sack out to Kaen with a certain sense of remorse.

  Kaen tilted his head to the side evaluating the sack. After a moment of reflection, he grabbed it, noting the weight and set it on the table in a wet thud. Slowly, Kaen opened it and stared in utter shock at the contents while his world came to a screeching halt. What stared back at his horror filled eyes were the lifeless sockets of Warwick whose head now sat detached in a sack on his table. They were cold, devote of any of the spark Warwick’s eyes usually contained and his ash colored hair was matted dark with dried blood.

  Kaen release a ferocious howl as he hollered in anger. Warwick that fucking bastard! He’d gone against his orders and Kaen knew this would happen! When he finally felt able to speak without ripping Igor to shreds, he chirped out a command, “Report,” and then waited while the jumpy man replied. Kaen was beyond angry an
d felt the need to kill someone…anyone to be frank. Igor was at the top of the list.

  A sweat broke out on Igor’s forehead as he watched Kaen look down into the sack. “All I remember is that Warwick demanded that I take out the disc at the inn. When I was about to cross the wards, it all goes blank. I woke up in the same location under heavy concealments, but this sack was beside my head. I have no recollection of how either I got in that position or how that sack came to be.”

  Kaen was deathly still. He froze in place staring at his friend’s lifeless face. Who had done this to him? He’d said that Talon was gone, so it couldn’t have been him, so that left Kailani. Could she have killed him. How poetic if she did. His eyes picked up the smooth edge where Warwick’s body was separated, noting the charred flesh. Talon. It had to be Talon’s sword that did that, he snorted. It didn’t matter either way, because Warwick was dead.

  He cursed and looked away. Damn him. Damn him for his conniving approach, and his libido that seemed to have driven him mad. Damn him, damn him, damn him! Kaen needed him for this next plan of attack and he felt robbed. He needed Warwick’s strategic mind and the ability to control the newborn coven, for without it, he lost the advantage. Warwick was the clever one that came up with the plot twists like capture Marigail, or finally trapping the elf. Those weren’t all Kaen’s idea. What the hell was he going to do now? There wasn’t anyone who he trusted like he’d trusted Warwick. Faelwen was good, but he couldn’t step into Warwick’s shoes, not in the least bit. This didn’t leave Kaen many options. Leading the chaotic army to overtake this castle just wasn’t something he was looking forward to. Nor did he have the patience. Kaen audibly ground his teeth in frustration, causing those around him to step back in fear. He bristled with violent anger at this turn of events and someone would pay since Warwick couldn’t stand trial.