Addictive Paranormal Reads Halloween Box Set

by Nana Malone

  He spoke now in that annoying crooning voice,

  ‘You cannae dae that, darlin. You’ll be like a wee lamb to the slaughter.’

  The sad eyes, the Scottish lilt in his voice, caught her heart and that fact seriously annoyed her.

  ‘And who’s fault is that?’ she spat back.

  Marcus’s brows met as he studied her face and received the message loud and clear.

  His dark eyes narrowed and went icy cold, but Anais held her nerve.

  She would find a way to fix this.

  If Vampyres existed she’d put good money on it other unmentionables existed too.

  Perhaps she’d find a clever witchy person who could help her?

  Investigating an issue was one of her core skills.

  How hard could it be?

  Nothing like a challenge, Anais.

  Marcus’s jaw clenched and his eyes went dark.

  He spoke very slowly.

  ‘Anais. Don’t even think about go’in near a witch. I haven’t met a good one yet. You’ll only make things worse for yourself.’

  Shock had her plop back into a fat leather chair the colour of blueberries.

  She stared at him in utter horror.

  ‘You can read my mind?’

  He had the bare-faced bloody cheek to shrug as if it didn’t matter.

  ‘Aye, when your emotions are high. It’s easier since I took your vein.’

  In a flash she was on her feet and her fangs shot down, her claws curled.

  ‘Stop using that phrase, it’s driving me nuts.’

  His response was a growled,

  ‘I dinnae care if it drives you nuts. It’s a fact of our lives.’

  She spun to Saira who was watching the exchange with great interest.

  ‘Surely he cannot force me to be his mate? Even if he’s bitten... taken my vein?’

  Saira’s brown eyes went sharp.

  She flicked a wicked look to Marcus who was trying to send her a silent message.

  She ignored him and turned to Anais.

  Was that pity she saw in her eyes?

  Anais braced herself.

  ‘There is a way to extricate yourself from the bond,’ Saira drawled.

  ‘Don’t say another word, Saira. I mean it,’ Marcus ordered in a tone Anais knew well.

  There was a time when it might have intimidated her. She wondered why it didn’t intimidate her now.

  Saira narrowed her eyes fractionally as she studied Anais.

  ‘Hmm, I wonder if you have it in you...’

  ‘Saira...’ Marcus’s throaty growl warned again.

  Their eyes clashed in an unspoken battle of wills.

  The silence that followed seemed unending to Anais and she was almost at screaming pitch when Saira turned to her.

  ‘If you give your heart freely and truly to another Vampyre, Marcus will have no choice but to let you go.’

  That was it?

  What sort of a choice was that?

  These lunatics didn’t get it.

  ‘But I don’t want to be mated to a Vampyre. I don’t want to be mated to anyone,’ she yelled.

  Saira sat in the chair next to Anais and slid Marcus another look.

  ‘What this idiot fool of a man has not told you is that you have our DNA. When you ingested his blood after he took your vein, it triggered the change and you became a fully fledged Vampyre.’

  Anais simply shook her head and looked at them.

  ‘I don’t understand.’

  Saira turned to Anais and continued, ‘I’ll give you the edited version. Many years ago Vampyre mates and offspring were kept safe in the one place, a haven. However, the Legion raided the retreat, killed the women and stole the children. Time passed and many of our offspring escaped, scattering throughout the world. Somewhere in the past of your genetic footprint is a Vampyre. For generations we’ve been searching for the children of the lost. Our males can mate with one at a time. Marcus found you.’ Again she tossed him a filthy look. ‘And good luck with that because you’ll need it.’

  Hands fisted on her lap, Anais closed her eyes and tried to remain calm.

  ‘What is the Legion?’

  Marcus spoke, ‘We have enemies, beings, who wish us harm. The Legion are, or I should say were, Vampyre.’

  This could not be happening to her.

  It was like being beamed into a parallel universe.

  ‘What are they now?’

  Saira spoke in a cold voice, ‘They are an abomination who have dabbled in magic and ruined their chance of seeding healthy offspring. They are looking for our offspring too in the hope of finding females who can bear their seed. Human females are killed by our parasitic Vampyre foetus. Too many have died as the Legion attempt to procreate.’

  Trying desperately not to panic, Anais couldn’t help the shiver of revulsion running down her spine.

  She turned to Marcus.

  ‘Does that mean the Legion will want me?’

  He crouched down, took her icy hands in his and stared deep into her eyes.

  ‘They cannot touch you because I have taken your vein and you are mine.’

  She’d worked with Marcus for six months, Anais knew how he ticked, how his thought processes worked.

  A tiny flame of hope flared in her heart.

  ‘Did you take my vein to protect me?’

  He looked uncomfortable as he shot a glance at the silent Saira who was watching them like a hawk.

  ‘It was a consideration, but not the main one. I wanted you.’

  The flame died as bitter disappointment warred with a temper that since she’s been bitten was too near the surface.

  He didn’t have strong feelings for her.

  Oh, he was attracted, but he didn’t care for her or love her.

  She pulled her hands away from his.

  ‘Want? Without a single thought or concern about me, you just took what you wanted.’

  He opened his mouth to speak, but Saira interrupted, ‘Whether you like it or not, you must be guided by our laws or face the consequences.’

  Anais blinked.

  Her gaze bounced from one to the other.

  Consequences?

  ‘What consequences?’

  ‘Few humans are aware we exist. To keep it that way we have strict laws, which guide our society. The penalty for disobedience is... harsh.’

  Anais could see where the conversation was going.

  ‘Spit it out, Saira.’

  ‘The penalty is death.’

  * * * * *

  Chapter Nine

  Anais wasn’t tired.

  Sprawled on a seven-foot couch, dressed in jeans and ribbed vest for comfort, she tried to relax.

  Her feet were bare. She studied her toes, which thankfully looked human today, and realised with something like shock that she’d been awake for three days. Yet another fact to absorb on the steep learning curve that had become her life.

  Marcus hadn’t shaved for three days.

  He sat at the vast desk in their suite barking instructions into his cell phone, his fingers racing over his laptop keyboard like an AK47 automatic.

  ‘I can’t leave her on her own,’ he told his brother James who was not a happy man at being left holding the contract with the Chinese.

  Since the deal was worth billions, Anais knew the stress was getting to Marcus.

  Served the bastard right.

  And he’d had the damn cheek to try and get her into his bed after turning her into a Vampyre. He was having a laugh. And the battle had not been pretty.

  Since Anais was still vulnerable, the decision had been made at the highest levels of Gillespie, Pattullo and Hindmarch that Anais could not be left alone.

  However, having someone hovering around her twenty-four seven, was driving her frigging crazy.

  When he’d finished talking to James, Marcus tunnelled frustrated fingers through his usually immaculate hair, which was looking all windswept, and what the hell was wrong with her th
at she found the move incredibly sexy?

  Annoyance with herself made her tongue sharp.

  ‘What’s the grand plan?’

  At her tone Marcus gave her his favourite dead on stare.

  He ran the tip of his tongue over his top teeth, a sure sign of irritation.

  Anais couldn’t resist but prod the tiger with a pointy stick.

  ‘You’re the one who got us into this situation, so what’re you going to do about it?’

  ‘We wait until the results of the blood tests come back. We’ll take it one step at a time.’

  We will, will we?

  She rose to stand in front of him and opened up the same old argument.

  ‘You had no right. No right to do this to me.’

  Marcus heaved a weary sigh.

  ‘Cut it out, darlin. The song is getting old. What’s done is done. We need to move on from this.’

  The attitude nudged her temper.

  Narrowing her eyes, Anais crossed her arms and cocked her hip.

  ‘You raped me,’ she stated baldly.

  Sincerely shocked Marcus merely gaped at her.

  ‘Anais!’ he said, his voice no more than a whisper.

  Ignoring the lick of guilt she gave a jerk of her chin.

  ‘You took my vein without my permission and against my will. What would you call it?’

  He rose and walked around the desk.

  ‘Anais, my wee angel.’

  ‘Don’t even think of touching me, you bastard. And I’m not your wee angel,’ she snarled the words.

  Spinning away, she ran agitated hands through her hair, pacing back and forth with jerky strides.

  ‘I’m going crazy stuck here with you. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. My concentration levels are all shot to hell.’ She spun on him. ‘What are you going to do about it?’

  Marcus sent up a prayer to The Maker for guidance.

  He couldn’t blame her. But how could she possibly accuse him of rape? Nausea roiled in his gut and he pressed his hand to the spot. His conscience reminded him he hadn’t given her a choice had he?

  He adored her but she didn’t believe it and wouldn’t let him near her.

  Watching her now he had to admire her fighting spirit.

  That stubborn little chin was stuck out. Her fists were clenched ready to fight and those dark eyes flashed into his with undiluted hatred in their fabulous depths.

  Even dressed in slow slung jeans which were a little on the big side and tiny vest with no bra she looked fucking gorgeous.

  She’d lost weight and refused to accept synthetic blood products.

  If she didn’t feed soon her Vampyre would take over and there was the risk of her snacking on an innocent passer by.

  They needed to keep her locked up nice and tight.

  He could hardly pass on the duty of care to another since he was the one responsible for this mess, which was fast turning into an unmitigated disaster.

  To think he’d chosen Anais for her sweet nature.

  Looking at her now standing there like a warrior, he must have been out of his tiny mind.

  ‘You need to relax. Chill out. You’d feel better if you ate.’

  Her temper was hanging by a thread, he could tell by the clenching of her jaw.

  If she kept this up she’d end up having a breakdown.

  It was at times like this he wished his brother Daniel was around. Daniel was empathic. He’d be able to talk her down.

  ‘I’d rather die than touch blood products.’

  Marcus decided the only choice was to swallow his monumental pride.

  A man had to do what a man had to do.

  Anais found herself lifted, caught close to his chest as he stalked out of the sitting room with her in his strong arms.

  Between one heartbeat and another she was pressed under him into the duvet of his big bed.

  Heart hammering in her throat, his mouth almost touched hers as his dark eyes captured hers and she couldn’t look away.

  ‘How long?’

  Anais struggled against the heady scent of his skin, the feel of his heavy body on top of hers.

  ‘How long what?’

  ‘How long have you been madly, completely and utterly in love with me?’

  She jerked.

  At least she tried to and was frustrated when he held her firm.

  ‘A delusional Vampyre. Who’d have thought it?’

  He kissed her softly, a whisper of lips to lips.

  Then lifted his head.

  ‘Okay, I’ll go first. I fell in love with you that first day you walked into my office. With that tight little body in buttoned up black Armani, with those big dark eyes looking at me as if I was going to bite you. I’ve never been the same since.’

  By the look in his eyes he was perfectly serious, but she still couldn’t quite believe his words.

  However, her traitorous heart hammering in her chest seemed to accept the truth and it soared.

  ‘You did bite me,’ she reminded him stiffly.

  ‘So I did.’ He traced a gentle fingertip down her cheek. ‘Admit it. You love me.’

  Not a chance, sunshine.

  ‘I’m admitting nothing that might incriminate me in a court of law.’

  He smiled and her heart clenched.

  ‘I’m never giving you up. Why don’t we get married here, this week.’

  A tiny flicker of sheer happiness flared to life in her heart.

  ‘Not only delusional but insane too. How did I get to be so lucky?’

  ‘It’s not hard, Anais. You love me, I love you.’

  She had to hand it to him.

  The man had balls and nerves of steel.

  ‘And that’s it? Everything is all right with my world? Once we get back to the United States, how are we going to explain what’s happened to me?’

  ‘Easy, we just say love does funny things to a person.’

  ‘I don’t know how you can joke at a time like this.’

  He nibbled her bottom lip as if she hadn’t spoken.

  ‘We’ll get you a designer dress. This is China. They’ll run one up in an hour, maybe a diamond tiara. Diamonds would suit you. We can get a priest if you like. Tons of flowers. After that, we’ll settle in New York or anywhere else you fancy, each pursuing our careers in Gillespie, Pattullo and Hindmarch. In a few years, maybe sooner if you want, we’ll have a baby. See? All sorted.’

  He nuzzled his mouth against the pulse fluttering in delicate skin of her neck.

  Anais closed her eyes against the prickling sensation behind her lids.

  How many times had she fantasized about that precise scenario?

  Of course she hadn’t seen Vampyrism in her future.

  ‘This is crazy,’ she began.

  ‘Anais, look at me.’ He took her chin and forced her to stare into his eyes. ‘I love you, darlin. As a lawyer you’re supposed to be able to read people. For months we’ve worked closely together. You know when I’m serious.’

  ‘Marcus, I swear if you’re playing me, I’ll make it my mission in life to make yours a living hell.’

  ‘I never play games. I love you.’

  ‘Why do we need to marry?’

  Anais was well aware she hadn’t said she didn’t love him and it seriously annoyed her how complacent and certain of her he looked.

  ‘It’s too simple to live together and you are mine.’

  She was stunned she could actually laugh at a time like this.

  ‘Simple?’

  ‘Uh huh.’

  He shifted until his hips were cradled between hers and a spectacular erection pressed into her belly.

  His mouth took hers and this time it wasn’t soft, wasn’t kind.

  Everything he wanted from her, needed from her, transmitted itself through that one point of contact.

  Incredibly, she went soft as she surrendered.

  Her arms wound around his neck.

  Perhaps it was simple?

  ‘I do love
you, Marcus. But I hate you as well.’

  His forehead met hers.

  ‘I know it. I’m sorry I hurt you, Anais. I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you. Prepare you better for what the future held. Marry me?’

  There was so much to sort out. So much to learn, to understand.

  She sighed. ‘I’ll think about it.’

  The kiss he gave her was almost erotic in its sweetness.

  When he lifted his head his eyes were too dark and too intense. But she recognised the deep love in his heart for her.

  ‘I’ll make life tough at times. I’m not the easiest man to live with. But I adore you, my wee darlin. Do you believe me?’

  Her smile blossomed.

  ‘I do.’

  * * * * *

  Chapter Ten

  Marcus closed his eyes and thanked The Maker for bringing this woman into his life.

  His hands tunnelled in her soft, silky hair as he tipped her head back and plundered her vulnerable mouth.

  The sting in his cock made him groan into her mouth, ‘I need your hands on me.’

  Her big eyes stared into his and he read hunger and arousal.

  ‘Where?’

  He laughed as he undid the button on her jeans, slid down the zip.

  ‘Anywhere you like, darlin. Where would you like to start?’

  The pink tip of her tongue ran across her top lip as she undid the button on his jeans, slid down the zip and eyed his throbbing erection.

  ‘I want to taste you,’ she all but purred the words as she tilted her pelvis and rubbed herself against him in a way that had him hiss out a breath.

  Her affect on him was becoming embarrassing.

  In seconds they were naked.

  But rather than touching him, Anais appeared to need to simply kiss him to death.

  What a way to go.

  Tentative fingers slid into his hair, massaged his scalp and the effect was fucking amazing.

  Her tongue danced with his and when she took his bottom lip between her teeth and sucked it into his mouth, his cock almost exploded right there and then.

  ‘You’re trying to kill me.’

  ‘Straddle my mouth.’

  Shock held him still.

  He stared down into those naughty eyes the colour of dark chocolate and read sheer wickedness.

  Since he lived to please her, he did as she asked and placed his knees either side of her shoulders, which brought his balls, his aching cock right above her mouth.