Hunter's Salvation

by Shiloh Walker

  She lifted her fingers to touch one of the feathers, but then she froze. His breath hissed out of him, and she slid out from behind him. The knife was pressing into his chest. Hard enough to pinch, not hard enough to draw blood.

  “Leaving unguarded weapons around a telekinetic is a bad idea,” she whispered.

  Vax reached up and closed his hand around the hilt of his knife. She let it go, letting him take it out of the air. When he looked at her, she met his gaze head-on. “Nice trick. And somebody decides to knock you out? That pretty head of yours might seem hard as a rock. But it isn’t.”

  “I know that. But I’m not the helpless little wallflower you seem to think. I may not be Mr. Indestructible, buddy, but I’m not helpless and I’m not stupid.” She shoved her hair back from her face. As she did, she realized her hand was shaking. She clenched it into a fist, feeling her neatly clipped nails biting into her palm. She squeezed a little more tightly, hoping it might help.

  It didn’t. She was still furious. Scared to death, too, but that wasn’t going to stop her. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. When she thought she might be able to speak without screaming at him, she said, “I will not let this go. Not until it’s over.”

  “And if it ends with you in a body bag?” A muscle jerked in his jaw, and his eyes darkened. His voice was rough.

  “If that’s the way it ends,” Jess murmured. She turned away from him and started towards the bed. Then she stopped and looked down. She was still holding the gun. The Browning fit into her hand nicely. It was the reason she had chosen it. It was neither too big nor too small. She had gone to the shooting range routinely and could hit the bull’s-eye every time.

  She dreamed of putting a bullet between the eyes of the men who hurt Randi. It was weird to think of it. Jess had done a series on the dangers of guns. Her parents had hated them. Jess hadn’t cared for them. But she would use this one to kill.

  Suddenly unable to look at it, she tucked it back inside her gym bag. “You say you know how it hurts to lose somebody, Vax. I haven’t just lost somebody. I’ve lost everybody. When Mom and Dad died, I promised I’d take care of Randi. I failed. She’s gone. I don’t have anybody now. Just getting through the day takes everything I have. How much worse could it be if I don’t make it through this?”

  She heard a soft sound behind her and then his hands closed over her upper arms. He pulled her back against him and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You sound like that’s exactly what you want.”

  It bothered him. A lot. Vax held her close, breathing in the soft, clean scent of her hair. Words weren’t something he usually wasted much time on, and right now that was bad. There had to be something he could say to make her understand how wrong this was. How dangerous.

  Her hands covered his. She didn’t cling to him, but she didn’t push him away, either. “I wouldn’t say that I want it—but it’s not something I’m going run away from screaming, either.”

  “You know what they did to your sister. They’ll do the same to you—worse. She was a warning. If they get their hands on you…” Involuntarily his own hands tightened. It took a conscious effort to make them loosen. Slowly, he turned her around and cupped her chin in his hand. Vax stroked his thumb back and forth across her cheek, aware of how soft, how delicate her skin was.

  She was strong—he had seen the muscles flex as she ran away from the were, and he had felt the power when she decked him. He didn’t have to see her in action to know she knew how to fight. But there was no way to understand the sheer power that a vampire had, the speed that came so easily to a shape-shifter. If she fell into their hands, they’d tear her apart.

  His voice was gritty as he said, “I have enough trouble sleeping at night. If something happens to you, I may never sleep again. Let this go. I’ll make them pay for what they did to her, I swear. But please…”

  The thick fan of her lashes lifted, and Vax stared into her jewel-bright eyes. “I’m sorry. But I can’t. They have to pay for what they did to her—I can’t let this go. I have to do this. Or I’ll never sleep again.” She forced a weak smile. “Sleep isn’t easy for me, either. Please, Vax…”

  He felt the warm caress of air drift across his skin as she spoke. Felt his heart knot inside his chest. And he knew he couldn’t tell her no. He should.

  Dear God, he knew he should. And if she didn’t willingly back away, he should force her. It would just take a few words, and Ms. Jessica Warren would find her tight little ass locked up in Excelsior. She’d be safe there.

  Safe and secure.

  And when the ferals that did this were dead, she’d be returned home.

  But he couldn’t do it.

  Yes, he knew how much it hurt to lose somebody you loved. Knew that it was so much worse when grief was compounded by guilt. He’d been living with that kind of guilt for so long, he couldn’t remember what life was like without its coloring his every waking moment.

  Vax couldn’t do that to her.

  He closed his eyes. He draped his hands loosely around her neck, his thumbs resting just below the hollow of her throat. He could feel the pulse of life flowing through her. All the years he had spent Hunting made it all too easy to imagine that life cut short. In a harsh voice, he said, “If you do this, then you don’t do anything alone. You stay by my side, period. You understand me?”

  In a mocking drawl, she said, “Yes, sir.”

  “Smart-ass,” he muttered. Then he kissed her. Hard.

  His hands molded to her skull and held her still. His thumbs pressed against her jaw, and when her mouth opened, he pushed inside, taking in as much of her as he could, as quickly as he could. Her hands came up, gripping his wrists. They stood there like that, touching only where their mouths and hands met on each other. Their bodies didn’t touch. He couldn’t feel the ragged rhythm of her breathing and he couldn’t feel the long, sleek lines of her body.

  He wanted to. Vax had wanted just that from the first time he had laid eyes on her. Wanted to feel her naked and sweaty under him. He lifted his head and stared at her through slitted eyes. Her face was flushed. Her lips were wet and swollen, and the soft green of her eyes had darkened to a deep, mysterious shade that made him think of the forest.

  Slowly he let go, his hands sliding from her hair. He licked his lips and tasted her on them. “You stay safe,” he whispered. His voice was ragged and hoarse. His body, as though sensing the coming frustration, started to scream at him. He wanted to grab her, yank her against him, rip off her clothes, and push her to the floor. Wanted it so badly, he was shaking with it.

  But instead of reaching for her, he turned away. “Get to sleep. We leave early.”

  “Where are you going?”

  Without looking at her, he said, “To bed.”

  “Wait.”

  He stopped in his tracks but didn’t look at her. At least not right away. But a moment passed. Then another. Finally Vax turned around and looked at her. The second their eyes met, she reached for the zipper on her short black jacket. She tugged it down and slipped it off. As it slid down her arms, she glanced towards the bed. “There’s a bed in here.”

  Vax glanced at the bed in question. It was soft and feminine, and he suspected that she didn’t like it at all. It was a pity, because it suited her a lot more than she suspected. He could imagine that long, pale body on that big bed, her hair loose around her shoulders, her arms reaching for him. “Yes. There’s a bed. But the only way I’d want to get in that bed would be if I was getting inside you as well.”

  Jess grinned. She reached for the hem of her closefitting tank and pulled it off. “Excellent—because that’s the way I’d prefer it, too.”

  But he barely heard a word she said. Under that tank top, she was naked. She had small, high breasts. Her nipples were a deep shade of pink, and as he stared at her, they puckered and tightened. Vax realized his mouth was watering. He closed the distance between them with two quick strides. He stopped in front of her and stooped jus
t a little as he slid an arm around her waist. When he straightened, her feet left the floor.

  “Thought you didn’t do casual.” He stared into her face as he spoke, even though he wanted to glance down, wanted to see how her soft, pale flesh looked pressed up against his. He didn’t, though. At least not yet. One chance to make sure she knew what she was doing.

  A smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “Vax, ‘casual’ is one word that doesn’t describe you. At all.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his jaw. “So where are you going to sleep? My bed? Or yours?”

  “Neither.” He caught a fistful of her hair in his hand and slowly wound it around his wrist. “We won’t be doing much sleeping.”

  “I hope not.” Her wide grin vanished quickly, her lips opening with a startled gasp as Vax pivoted and took two steps. He pressed her up against the wall. Then he reached down, grabbing one leg and pulling it up over his hip, opening her. Vax pressed against her, feeling the heat of her through the layers of clothing. He could smell her—sweet, hot, and female. The scent of her went straight to his head—and his cock. That scent was intoxicating. He could smell the soap and the shampoo she’d used, but under that was the subtle scent of woman.

  He lowered his head. But instead of kissing her mouth, he ran his lips over her neck. Her breath hitched. When he reached the point where neck joined shoulder, he opened his mouth and bit down lightly. He let go of her waist, easing her to the floor. He slid his hands over her slim waist and up her rib cage, and cupped her breasts in his hands. They were small, soft, and delicate. He plumped one in his palm and pushed it high. Hunkering down, he caught one tight, beaded nipple between his teeth and sucked gently.

  Then he pulled back a little, circling the crest with his tongue.

  “Vax…”

  Vax lifted his head, staring at her from under his lashes. Holding her gaze, he straightened and slid his hands inside the waistband of her pants. The snug black cotton clung to her slender curves, and he sank to his knees in front of her as he peeled them away.

  Under the pants, she had on a pair of low-cut panties. Simple black cotton—black seemed to be the main color in her wardrobe. They dipped low over her hip bones, the cloth running between her thighs. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband and pulled them away, leaving her naked.

  Lifting his gaze, he stared up at her. Then he pressed his mouth to her. She bucked against his mouth, and he closed his hands over her hips, holding her still.

  He teased her, circling his tongue over her clit, caressing lightly over it, then retreating. She groaned, squirming against his grip as she tried to move closer. He muttered, “Be still.”

  She slammed her head back against the wall, a strangled groan falling from her lips. “Are you trying to drive me crazy?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. Am I?” Then he pushed his tongue inside her.

  The caress shattered her. He stroked in and out, pushing her closer and closer to the edge, and Jess was convinced that she was going to fly into a thousand pieces. Her knees buckled, her legs giving way under her. The only thing keeping her upright was the tight clasp of his hands around her hips. Jess braced her hands on his shoulders. Her fingers tangled in his raven black hair.

  “Am I?” he repeated, lifting his mouth just a little. The hot caress of his breath was just one more teasing stroke, one more small push closer.

  His words didn’t make sense to her. She lifted her lashes and tried to focus on his face, but she couldn’t focus on anything. Lights seemed too bright. The world felt like it was spinning around her, and nothing felt solid, nothing felt real. Nothing but the hard ridge of his shoulders under her palms and the heat of his hands clasping her hips. He asked again, but all she could do was shake her head and say, “What?”

  He laughed and then pressed his mouth against her again. He licked her clit, teasing it with his tongue and then sucking on her. One hand left her hip. When he touched her between her thighs, she cried out. She rocked against him eagerly, but he didn’t enter her. Instead he traced her folds with his fingertip with light little touches. Jess groaned his name and tried to move closer. He didn’t let her. He just kept up those feathery caresses.

  Each stroke of his tongue lashed through her like some fiery whip. He had her so swollen, so sensitive, so close to the edge, those gentle touches became a kind of erotic torture. She was caught on the edge, unable to go over but unable to ground herself, either.

  Then he pushed a finger inside her.

  At that, Jess exploded, slamming her head back into the wall and screaming his name. She bucked against him, her entire body arching. There was no end to it—just when she thought she might be able to breathe again, he moved, rising to his feet, one arm wrapped around her waist. Her feet left the floor and she lifted her knees, squeezing them around his hips.

  His cock was trapped between their bodies. She had one fleeting second to feel him, hard and throbbing, and then he moved, easing back just a little. With his free hand, he guided his length between her thighs and held steady as he pressed against her. He was hot as fire, and as he filled her, she thought she was going to burn to death in the heat of him.

  She wrapped her arms around his torso, sliding her hands up his sides. There were odd little ridges in the smooth skin, but she barely acknowledged them. She was aware of the muscles, the power, and the feel of his body rubbing against hers. The thick black silk of his hair fell around them both. Vax stared down at her as he pumped against her, and the eerie dark gray of his eyes shifted and swirled, going from deep, stormy gray to light silver.

  He bussed her mouth with his, then skimmed his lips down, over her chin, along her jawline, down her neck. When his lips closed over her nipple, Jess cried out. That heat, consuming, erotic, and terrifying all at once. He tongued the rosy crest, pressed it up against the roof of his mouth, then suckled her.

  Vax slid a hand down, smoothing it along the outside of her thigh, then back up, catching her behind her knee. On the other side, he mirrored the move, pushing her thighs open. Then he leaned into her. When he rotated his hips against hers, she felt every swollen, pulsating inch of his flesh. As he withdrew, she clenched around him in an effort to keep him from pulling away. She lifted her hips, trying to follow him, and he laughed. “Slow down. Are you always in such a hurry?”

  Normally? Yeah. But even if she weren’t, this was definitely something she would want to hurry. Not because she wanted it over, but because of what she could feel looming ahead of her. She could feel the thick shaft pulsing inside her, felt each subtle nuance of him as he slowly pulled out and pumped back in. She could feel his hands, hard and calloused. She could hear the unsteady rhythm of his breathing. She could feel the heat of him, spreading over her entire body like a blanket.

  Jess had had lovers. Several of them.

  But she didn’t think she’d ever been this aware of anybody before.

  He reached between their bodies, and she whimpered as he brushed against her clit. He did it again and again. Jess closed her eyes and held her breath, waiting for that next light contact. It would send her screaming over the edge—she knew it. She could all but feel the bliss that awaited her.

  But that light touch never came. She opened her eyes to glare at him, only to find him smirking at her. “Such a damned hurry,” he teased. Vax straightened, holding her against him as he moved to the bed. Without letting go, he lay her down and bent over her. Vax nuzzled her neck, bit her delicately on the ear. And all the while, he moved inside her, slow, teasingly shallow strokes that made her even hungrier.

  “Vax…” Oh, hell. Was that whimpery, breathy moan actually her?

  “Jess…” His voice was a low, silken caress.

  Digging her nails into his shoulders, she started circling her hips against his. Just a little more and she’d be there—

  He didn’t give her the chance, though. Vax dropped his weight completely onto her, his big frame crushing her into the bed. “You don’t understand slow.
” He licked her neck and then bit her gently. “Okay. We won’t do slow this time.” He tensed over her and then slammed into her. Hot, sweet pleasure exploded through her, her nerve endings sizzling with each hard, deep stroke.

  Her mind shut down and pure sensation took over. When he caught her wrists and pinned them by her head, she let him. His cock jerked inside her and Jess screamed into his mouth. He swallowed it and kissed her harder. Using teeth and tongue, he kissed his way down her chin, over her neck. He nibbled on the fleshy part of one breast, just above the nipple, taking her to the edge of pleasure. Pain threatened, and she pressed herself harder against him.

  The orgasm hit, starting low in her belly and spreading through her body with seismic intensity, each pulsating wave of pleasure lasting longer and longer. Jess keened his name. Her hands closed into fists, nails biting into her flesh.

  She was blissfully, exhaustingly sated when he started to come, filling her with hot, pulsing jets. She started to drift off into darkness as he collapsed against her and let go of her wrists. Just before exhaustion took hold, she looped her arms around his shoulders.

  Jess fell asleep smiling.

  Less than an hour later, she woke up to feel his hands on her body. As he pulled her on top of him, he muttered, “Told you we wouldn’t be sleeping much.”

  He was right.

  CHAPTER 9

  VAX almost always slept alone.

  On the rare occurrences when he stayed all night with a woman, he woke before she did and left in silence. Not the nicest way to treat a lover, but too much time spent that close to a person tended to weigh too heavily on him, stretching his control to the breaking point.

  Even somebody who didn’t broadcast her emotions to the whole world was too much a strain. Close contact strengthened an Empathic connection, and you didn’t get much closer than naked skin against naked skin.