Seth (Dark Assassins #2.5)

by Valerie Ullmer

  “I want you, gorgeous.”

  “I want you, too. I can’t wait any longer.”

  His fingers trailed down her soft belly and when he reached her lips, he sucked in a breath at the wetness that coated his fingers. He cupped her face in his hands and placed a gentle, yet deep kiss against her lips, swallowing her moans and adding some of his own when she arched against him. He pulled back from the kiss and waited for her to catch his gaze.

  Her lashes slowly opened as he held himself above her, and although he could see the desire in her eyes, there was something that he sought.

  “I love you, Aubrey.”

  Her wide, shocked eyes searched his for the truth. He had known how much she meant to him when he’d spotted her in the classroom that first day, but spending each day with her had solidified his feelings.

  She pressed her hand against his chest, right above his heart, and gave him a small smile. “I love you, too, Seth. With everything that I am.”

  Her words warmed him, and he felt as though he had been gifted with the world.

  “Thank you for showing me how to trust and love.”

  “You’re worth everything I have, gorgeous. You are everything that I’ve ever wanted, and that is why I want a chance to be with you, forever. I know I haven’t pressed this, but I would love you to turn me so that we could be together.”

  “I know. I worried that I might hurt you, and that is the last thing I ever wanted. But I’ve realized that three days is a fraction of time compared to our entire lives, and if I am careful, and with the help of Liv, I think that you can go through the transition with little or no pain. But whatever happens, we can get through it together.”

  The lump in his throat refused to budge, so instead of responding with words, he let her know how he felt through his kiss. They nipped at each other’s lips, and he moaned as she drew blood from his. Whenever her fangs elongated, he tensed in anticipation of the exquisite feelings that rushed through him whenever she drew from him.

  “Seth.”

  His hand slid along her side and he gripped her hip, tilting her as his cock pressed against her entrance. Without warning, he plunged inside and groaned as she clamped down on his cock. Pleasure and need sharpened his movements. Sliding out until the head of his cock nestled against her entrance, he drove back in and swallowed her moan at the sensation. He concentrated on her pleasure first, sliding against the spot that drew the most moans and gasps, as he sipped at her lips. His tongue teased hers, and when she scraped against it and drew blood, he sucked a deep breath. She took advantage of his momentary lapse in concentration and sucked his tongue into her mouth, lapping up his taste.

  “Fuck, Aubrey.”

  “Yes.”

  Increasing his pace, he slid his hands underneath her hips and with each drive forward, he lifted her against him. Her answering moans drove him crazy, and his control snapped. He scooped her up until her face pressed against his chest. The position gave him more room to maneuver, and as he lifted her hips and pressed her down, he drove deeper into her, seeking oblivion.

  Her mouth opened in a soundless scream as her body clamped down on his cock, and with one last thrust, he emptied inside her. His entire body shook as they came down from their high, but he clutched her to him, not even wanting an inch to separate them.

  “Are you okay?”

  Aubrey giggled against his chest as she tightened her arms around him. “That was…intense.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Seth.”

  With a sigh, he pressed his lips against her neck and lowered them both onto the bed. Their limbs stayed entangled, and he reached for the blanket and draped it over both of them. As he caught her gaze, he pressed a kiss against her lips before he settled her onto his chest. Within moments, they were both asleep.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Aubrey

  Aubrey had been lost in her thoughts on the short drive from Seth’s home to Kai and Liv’s, so when she found herself outside the front door, laughter and loud noises brought the present into sharp focus. There were voices—some were laughing, with snarls and growls peppered into the cacophony. Seth had put a hand on the small of her back, moving her forward into the most chaos she ever experienced.

  The men who were eating took up a vast amount of space at the huge rectangular dining room table next to the kitchen. Her eyes traveled over the group and landed on the one vampire she knew. Liv leaned into the arms of the vampire she assumed to be Kai, and her breath caught at the familiar look of love on Kai’s face. It was similar to the one Seth gave her.

  Taking in the couple in front of her, she hadn’t been aware that the talking had ceased. When she pulled her eyes from Liv and Kai, she jerked back in Seth’s arms as she met the gazes of several people staring at her. Despite Seth’s reassurances that they had already acknowledged her as his mate, she didn’t expect to be accepted so readily.

  Kai wrapped his arm around Liv’s waist and together they walked the short distance to where Seth held Aubrey in a similar fashion. Letting go of Liv for a moment, Kai wrapped Aubrey up in a hug, that again, felt familial. Hesitating only for a moment, she wrapped her arms around the muscular vampire and laid her head on his chest.

  Seth snuck his arm around her waist and before she was ready, she had been pulled from the hug and back into Seth’s arms.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Aubrey. I’m Kai.”

  “You…too.”

  Liv hugged her next, but Seth refused to let her move from his arms, so Aubrey laughed as Liv squeezed her for a second and let her go.

  As Liv stepped back, Aubrey scanned the rest of the room and felt her eyes widen as she took in the group of assassins.

  “Holy shit.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

  The men were larger than Kai by several inches, muscular and fit, but everything about them screamed predator. The way the held themselves, ready to pounce at any threat she posed, had her tense in Seth’s arms. He held her tighter against his chest, and when she happened a glance back, his face was taut and his eyes flashed as she sensed someone stepped closer to them.

  “I’m surprised how big they are. There is no way they could pass as human.”

  Seth relaxed at her words, but he didn’t let go of her.

  Curious, her gaze returned to the group and she took her time studying them. She could tell the difference between the shifters and the vampires. Shifters were bigger; they also had a distinct scent. Not to say that the vampires weren’t as impressive. Both groups radiated strength and danger.

  “Seth, is it okay?” A shifter with piercing green eyes and jet-black hair looked at her curiously.

  “Yeah.”

  “Hi, I’m Hunter.” Without waiting for her reply, she was lifted off her feet and into the warmth of the giant shifter. He smelled of the woods and she smiled as he squeezed her once and moved her into the arms of a slimmer man, this one with sandy-brown hair and hazel eyes.

  “Gunnar.”

  There was Ara, a beautiful dark-haired woman who then introduced Aubrey to her mate, Reaper. The wolf shifter had a lazy smile and although he hadn’t hugged her, he took her hand in his and squeezed it, before she stepped back for the remainder of the introductions. She met Ghost, the assassins’ boss. He had a shock of white hair and his easy smile and hug made Aubrey feel warm. Then came the three other vampires. Kane, Thomas, and Isaac. She could sense a sadness in Kane and remembered Seth’s story about Liv’s kidnapping. Without being obvious, she drew him into a hug, tightening her arms a bit, before she released him. His answering smile and Seth’s brought a smile to her face.

  As she turned to meet a blond man, who introduced himself as Axel, she raised her brows at the look on his face. Sultry was the only word that came to mind. When he stepped forward to hug her, she gave him a warning.

  “Hands above the waist, handsome. I would hate to have to break your fingers.”

  The pout o
n his face was priceless, but when he picked her up and settled her against his chest, she smiled. Back on her feet, she turned and caught another with white hair, but when she gazed into his coral-blue eyes, she could sense sadness. It was different from Kane, who had lost his mate. Without thinking, she walked right up to him and hugged him.

  “This is Xander.” Seth answered her silent question.

  For a reason she couldn’t understand, she connected with this shifter. “It’s nice to meet you Xander.”

  When she pulled back from the hug, not letting him go, he gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. She leaned toward his ear. “After nearly ten years alone, I found Seth by happenstance. Maybe it’s not your time yet, but you will meet your mate.” She hugged him once more before she moved back to Seth’s arms.

  Xander stopped her movements when he gripped her hand for a second. “Thank you.”

  She smiled at him. Seth wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of red that moved closer to them. Turning fully to the sight, a beautiful redhead with a fabulous smile made a beeline toward them. Well no, toward Seth. An instinct she wasn’t familiar with settled inside her and she stepped in front of Seth, a protective hand on his wrist, keeping the beautiful woman away from her mate.

  Ignoring the warning Aubrey tried to send, the redhead stalked closer. With her vision narrowing on the woman, her fangs elongated and she bared them at the woman. When that didn’t get through as enough of a warning, a loud, vicious snarl ripped from Aubrey’s throat. The shifter stopped in her tracks.

  “Not you, too. Look, I’m Jade. I’m just saying hi. We’re friends—just friends.”

  Aubrey snapped out of her defensive position and blinked. She stood straighter, only to have Seth move his arms back around her waist, this time tighter than before.

  “Jade really is just a friend,” Seth assured her.

  “Of course her name is Jade,” Aubrey mumbled.

  Everyone in the room laughed. When she met Jade’s amused face, Aubrey nodded and watched with tension running through her body as Seth pulled Jade into a short hug. Seth turned to her as he released the beautiful woman and Aubrey walked into his outstretched arms, and she shivered when he lowered his lips to her ear.

  “It’s okay, gorgeous. Mates always feel possessive about each other. I didn’t like it when you touched the shifters, but I know that vampires and shifters aren’t compatible as mates.”

  “I don’t know what happened. I spotted her coming toward us and I felt rage. Does the possessiveness go away when the human mate transitions?”

  “It hasn’t happened so far.”

  “What do you mean, transition?” Hunter asked.

  Seth glanced up at his family and smiled. “I’ve found my mate and I want to be with her forever. I’ve asked Aubrey to change me, and she’s agreed. You won’t have to worry about me being a breakable human for much longer.”

  “We’re happy for you, Seth. Let us know if you need anything,” Ghost said.

  Aubrey couldn’t believe how accepting they were of Seth’s decision. Although she struggled with it for so long, his family loved him and supported him, no matter his decision. And they accepted her without an interrogation that she thought would take place.

  She grew more relaxed with Seth’s family as the hours passed. They were so comfortable with each other. Although she could sense that the assassins could pounce at any moment if they were threatened, all of them together, laughing and joking was a natural as breathing. Never being part of a family wasn’t something that she’d missed being on her own all these years, but now that she had a taste of it, she wouldn’t be able to let it go. She could see how much they loved Seth, and how much he loved them. And with that one spectacular realization, she knew how lucky she’d been to take a chance on Seth.

  Several hours later, she could sense a shift in Seth’s demeanor, and when she lifted her gaze to his, he nodded. They had planned to make the transition after he spoke to his family. All of her qualms about changing Seth had vanished with the acceptance from those closest to him. For a split second, she felt a small twinge of sadness at leaving.

  Seth pulled her close and whispered in her ear. “We’ll see them soon. Trust me, your part of the family now, good luck ever getting rid of them.”

  Everyone chuckled at Seth’s words, but agreed with him. After another round of hugs, and a kiss on the cheek from Xander, Kai and Liv walked them to the door.

  “Here’s my cell number. If you have any problems or doubts, or you just want to talk, we’re here.” Kai slipped the paper in her hand.

  Tears welled up in her eyes, but before she could wipe them away, Kai pulled her into another familiar hug. She smiled at Kai’s reaction before she stepped back and looked at Liv.

  “Here’s several vials of morphine. You’ll be able to tell when he’s in pain, but don’t give him more than fifteen milligrams every four hours. You can do this, Aubrey. I know you can.” Liv hugged her tight.

  “Would you like to be there through his transition?”

  “We trust you. It’s intimate to drink from a mate, and unless you run into something abnormal, we want to give you the space you’ll need.”

  Those three words gave her strength, and with one last hug for both Kai and Liv, Seth pulled her close and they walked to the SUV. All her worries had been purged after talking with Seth’s family. She vowed to make Seth’s transition as painless as possible. With one last smile at Kai and Liv, they headed home.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Seth

  The front door shut behind them, and while he held Aubrey close to him, he reached behind him to lock the door. He reached for the buttons on her red button-down and when he had them undone, he pushed the shirt down her arms and off in one quick motion. Leaning forward, he traced the top of her breast with his tongue, before moving to the other. Her bra followed her shirt on the floor. Not wanting any barriers between them, he knelt on the floor and unbuttoned her jeans, dragging them and her panties down her long legs. He discarded them somewhere behind him, forgotten.

  Standing, he captured her lips in a ferocious kiss, loving the moan he drew from her. Pulling back, he caught her gaze and smiled.

  “I love you, Aubrey. I always will.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “I need you now, gorgeous. Is that okay?”

  Her head tilted a fraction and he moaned in anticipation. His hand drifted down over the soft skin on her belly and his fingers drifted against her clit and farther down, testing her readiness for him. He sucked in a breath at the feel of her wetness coating his fingers, and while holding her gaze, lifted them to his lips. His tongue wrapped around one, tasting the sweetness that was uniquely Aubrey, and shivered as she moaned at his actions.

  Without waiting another second, his hands trailed to her thighs and encouraged her to wrap her legs around his waist. When her arms draped around his shoulders, he pressed a kiss to her lips a split second before drove his hips forward, his cock buried deep inside her wet, tight heat. Each time they made love, the intensity of their connection would take him by surprise, and this time was no different. His knees threatened to give way. Pressing her harder against the door, he swallowed her gasps of pleasure as he soon found a rhythm that had both crying out.

  He slowed his thrusts, wanting to draw their pleasure out for as long as he could.

  “Seth, more. I need more.”

  Holding her close to his chest, he walked toward the bedroom and settled her in the middle of their bed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought their lips together, leaving his head swimming with desire. Distracted by Aubrey’s hypnotic kisses, he lost himself in her taste and forgot about everything but Aubrey and her body pressed to his. When she retreated from their kiss, he found himself on his back in the middle of the king-sized bed.

  Without any words between them, Aubrey lowered herself onto
his cock. Her head arched back, leaving her elegant neck exposed. He shivered as the sounds of their pleasure soon filled the room as she took what she needed from him. Watching her pleasure herself, the bold woman that she’d become over the last few weeks, left a lump in his throat. She was his entire world.

  His hands traveled over her body, feeling the light sheen of moisture that developed as she made love to him. As she lowered herself on him, she twisted her hips and drew a growl from deep in his throat. A string of curses left his lips at the feeling of his cock touching her cervix. By the way her moans turned into tiny screams of pleasure, he brushed his cock against her G-spot, time and time again. Before long, she drove her hips down and twisted. Her body convulsed and tensed against his, and an instant later, his hips drove up as he released deep inside her. He waited for her bite that would draw pleasure out for both of them, and when her tongue licked a swath across his neck, he moaned in anticipation.

  She eased her teeth into his neck and he gasped in pleasure. His cock twitched inside her.

  It took him a few moments to realize that she hadn’t pulled from him; instead, she released venom into his bloodstream. The tingles from her venom sent waves of need through him and with two strokes, he released inside her for the second time.

  Lethargy threatened to pull him under as she removed her fangs from his neck. When he opened his mouth to speak, he found that he couldn’t. His eyes widened as he watched Aubrey lift her wrist and with a quick slice from her fingernail, opened the vein in her wrist and held it to his mouth to drink. Without hesitation, he drank her blood, assured that being with Aubrey, forever, was all he would ever need.