All her defences vanished before her fear. She couldn’t hold her emotions in rein, let alone control her Rider. She could only watch helplessly as it took over, pushing away her panic, regulating her heart and her breathing. In a last effort to remain herself, she shut her eyes tight and curled into a ball against Kieran’s chest. It only postponed the inevitable. The Rider forced her eyes open, and when it did, she wasn’t in charge anymore.
She saw the enemy. Her fangs shot down and her face contorted into a snarl. A deep growl vibrated her body. Then she attacked.
Chapter Twenty
Kieran’s heart stopped beating when Gemma charged at Gabriel, the fiercest, most brutal warrior the Circle had. The warrior was not known for his benign nature. He would kill her. She was so fast, the Rider in charge, that Kieran had barely registered what she was about to do when she was already on Gabriel.
He tried to shift as he ran after her, knowing he needed his wolf’s strength to be able to match Gabe, but he had nothing to shift with left. He had spent it all keeping Vincent alive.
So it had come down to this. Keeping one family member alive would mean the loss of another. The thought filled him with agony and he roared, the pain too great to keep in.
Gabe stood his ground as Gemma smashed into him. Her claws were out, sharp and long, and she reached up to scratch his face with them. He didn’t swerve, didn’t move to shield his eyes. Instead, he wrapped her in tight embrace. Her hands were free and only a hair’s-breadth from his face, but she was suddenly immobile.
"What did you do to her?" Kieran demanded in a hoarse voice, fear and worry for her tightening his throat. He needed to attack, but not until she wouldn’t be harmed in the process. "Release her this instant."
"I can’t. She’ll harm herself. She needs to gain control of the Rider before I’ll release her."
Her face, the only mobile part of her, was contorted in fury. It had changed subtly too, and not only because her fangs were down and her eyes were golden: her cheekbones were sharper and her skin was tauter. She looked alien. Yet she was still her. Gemma, the woman he loved.
"You’ll have to give her blood," Zach said, and Gabe made a face.
"Absolutely not!" He put her down, where she remained stiff as a pole.
Zach huffed. "I meant the wolf." He didn’t wait for Kieran to act but took Kieran’s arm, extended his eye-teeth, and bit through the skin of his wrist. Then he pushed the bleeding wrist on Gemma’s mouth before Kieran even registered the small pain.
He shook Zach’s hand off. He was able to feed his mate without help. He wrapped his other arm around her and placed his wrist more gently on her mouth. "Drink."
Her golden eyes flashed, the Rider acting up, but she latched on his vein and sucked thirstily. Kieran held her, murmuring soothing words in her ear, calling her back. He knew she was there; the Rider wasn’t able to push her away completely. "There’s nothing to fear, you’re strong, you can come back."
All too soon she stopped drinking. He tried to coax her to have some more, but she shook her head. "You’re injured."
Kieran almost sagged in relief. "Welcome back." He held her close for a while more, and sensed the Rider retreat inside her. Her eyes lost the golden hue too. "Okay, you can release her now."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely." A second later, Gemma was free. She collapsed in his arms and burst into tears. "Come now, love. Don’t cry." Her tears distressed him much more than the attack had. He held her tightly, stroking her back, the motions soothing. He tried to extend his energy to her too, but he had run out.
"I lost control of the Rider," she sobbed. "I’m weak."
"Every vampire loses it once in a while. If this was your first time, you’ve got nothing to worry about," Zach said. He was too close to her and Kieran bared his teeth at him. The warrior took a step back with a grin on his too-handsome face.
"But I could have killed someone."
Gabe huffed. "Hardly."
"You could have been someone defenceless."
Kieran knew she was thinking of her mother going after her, and his insides tightened in anger. How scared she must have been, a little girl witnessing her mother in that state. He wished he could have been there for her, but he felt proud, too, that his brother had. He wrapped her tighter in his arms and buried his face in her neck, grounding himself as much as her.
"You didn’t go after someone defenceless, did you? You chose the scariest vampire warrior you could find and attacked him." This made her chortle, the sound a mix of laughter and tears.
"Why did you attack me?" Gabe asked, curious. "That’s not exactly a rational act, and if anything, the Rider is extremely cunning. It wouldn’t send you to a doomed fight."
She sighed and shook her head. "You came for my mother." Gabe looked uncomprehending. "I’m Gemma Byrd. About a century ago, my mother, Elizabeth Byrd, lost control of her Rider and was unable to gain it back. You came and took her away. Then she died."
Gabe stared at her, baffled, until a memory dawned. "Ah, yes. I remember now. Do you blame me for her death?" Gemma shrugged. "I only compulsed her so she would be immobile, like I did you just now. But she wouldn’t calm down and we had to bring her here. A couple of days later she died. The doctor said she had a tumour in her brain. It also made it impossible for her to control the Rider."
Gemma stiffened, as if unable to believe his words. "Brain tumour?"
"Yes. What, you think we killed her?" She blushed, indicating she had believed that. Gabe shook his head. "We very seldom have to do that. Usually when the Rider gains control, the vampire is so young they don’t survive the experience. They sort of self-destruct. But you had no trouble at all."
"You mean I don’t have to worry about it?" Kieran sensed her hope.
"It’ll get free occasionally, but if you let it out regularly, in guarded conditions, and preferably with your wolf nearby to offer blood, it’ll be much easier to keep it in check."
"Well … huh." And she promptly fainted. Kieran was holding her so she didn’t fall. He swept her in his arms, even though his wound protested.
"I’d best get her home." Aidan could look after his son. He had his mate to take care of.
Gemma woke up in Kieran’s bed. She would have known it was his even without his scent on everything, including her. The room was exactly like him, artistic and masculine, airy and uncluttered. It was decorated with modern classics, art deco, Le Corbusier and Bauhaus, sprinkled with a few older gems like the huge four-poster bed. Framed blueprints hung on the wall.
The biggest clue was the man himself, however, lying on the bed next to her, an arm and leg thrown protectively over her. A neat bandage around his biceps told her he’d had his wound seen to at some point. Otherwise he was naked.
As was she.
She felt she should protest or blush, but she was grateful the clothes were gone. They were the third set of clothes that had got covered in blood on this stay. She shuddered and Kieran woke up instantly.
"Are you cold?" He made to pull the duvet better over her.
"No. You’re warm enough." She snuggled closer to him. "How did I get here?"
"I brought you after you fainted."
"I fainted?" she asked, appalled. She had never done that in her life. She was a vampire; they did not succumb to feminine complaints. Well, not unintentionally.
He smiled. "Is that such wonder? You used everything you had to save my nephew." His voice broke and he pulled her tightly to him. She revelled in the sensation of his warm body against hers, needing the contact and comfort. His shifter energy glowed around them, his reserves filled at some point.
"How is he?"
"He’s fine. Obviously weak, but he should make a full recovery. He’ll stay at the Circle Manor for the time being, just in case."
"And you?" She stroked his chest, unable to not touch him. She didn’t know how he had got his wound, exactly, but it was clear evidence that the fight with the killer wolves hadn’
t been easy. It could as likely have been him they needed to save from a punctured lung – or worse. She buried her face into his chest, grounding herself in his scent.
He brushed her hair. "I’m fine. We’re all fine."
"Me too?"
He wound his fingers in her hair and pulled her gently closer for a kiss. "You’re perfect."
She smiled against his mouth. "Prove it." She needed to know she was back to herself. Needed to be proved that she could lose control of her body without losing the Rider again. But most importantly, she needed him.
His breath hitched and his heartbeat sped up under her palm. She stroked his chest again, enjoying the feel of his tight muscles and the steady thump of his heart. She looked at him as he leaned closer into a kiss. He stopped when their lips barely touched, his breath hot on her mouth. He swallowed.
"Are you sure?"
Instead of answering, she closed in the distance between their mouths and kissed him. She intended it to be slow, seductive, but the moment their mouths touched, arousal unlike nothing before washed over her. The kiss was hungry, demanding.
She pushed him on his back and climbed on him, straddling him. He was already hard. She leaned down to kiss him, his lips and throat, to bite the tight flesh on his chest.
Enjoying every bite, every scent and taste, she made her way downwards to his erection. Never having been one for brazen acts in bed, she now found it perfectly natural to continue her kisses along the length of him. Every kiss made his cock pulsate as more blood shot into it. The muscles on his abdomen tightened, creating a beautiful, sculpted bed for his erection.
Unable to resist, she scraped the hot flesh with her teeth. His hands curled into fists on the sheets, wringing them, and his breathing grew more laboured. Delighted with the reaction, she nibbled softly her way back up to the tip of his cock and promptly took him to her mouth. Sinking deep, she sucked.
His hips shot off the bed and his hands curled into her hair, both pulling her off and pushing her in. She wouldn’t let him distract her from her mission and swirled her tongue around him, tasting him. He moaned and his hands tightened in her hair. She kept on pleasuring, tormenting him for as long as he let her, her own arousal building with every move and scent.
Abruptly, he pulled off. "Enough." He turned her on her back and was on her before she had managed to spread her legs. She felt him seek her entrance and then, impossibly slowly, he sank inside her.
It was her turn to enjoy the sensations. His tight, hot flesh moving inside her, his mouth on hers, his hand on her breast. Everything he did aroused her more, made her seek orgasm that he kept out of her reach.
"Please…"
"Not yet." Tension built in her with every thrust, tightening the muscles around his erection. It was impossible for her to separate the sensations, her mind a whirl of pleasure. She couldn’t take more, she needed to come.
"Kieran!"
And finally he gave her what she wanted. Speeding up, he pushed her over the edge into a wonderful orgasm that shook her entire being. She wanted to scream her release, so she did, the sound adding to her pleasure and making him come too.
It took them a while to be able to breathe normally again, let alone speak. She held him where he had collapsed on her, not allowing him to move off when he wanted. He was hers to hold.
"I’ve never screamed in bed before."
"Oh yeah?" He sounded smug. "With me, you’ll always scream." They both burst laughing. "That didn’t come out right," he finally managed to say, but she just laughed more.
Eventually she had to sober up. "Thank you."
"I’d say my pleasure, but I’d like to know what I’m being thanked for."
"For showing me I can lose control in bed like this without fearing I’ll lose the Rider too. It was the single most frightening moment of my life when I lost it." Then she thought it over. "No. That’s not true. Mother’s Rider was scary, but I was so young I didn’t really understand what was happening. And Vincent…" She closed her eyes tightly to ward off the memory. He stroked her hair, comforting.
"What happened? I haven’t had a chance to ask anyone."
"He threw himself between the shooter and his father."
Kieran stiffened. "That’s … I’m speechless. I don’t know if I should admire him or give him a thrashing."
"I’m sure that’s what his father is thinking too."
He shook his head. "Despite my dislike of humans, I didn’t really believe they would show up with guns," he confessed.
"I think it was the Circle’s enemy that made them take to arms." Black magic. She would have found it unbelievable if she hadn’t felt it herself. The moment the shot had fired, the foul sensation had disappeared, as if it had never been.
"This whole affair has been weird from the start. I don’t understand what that clan hoped to achieve by coming here. Did they hope the Circle would do their dirty work for them? And I don’t know if I should thank the vampires for saving Vincent or curse them for bringing this on us in the first place."
"Hey! A vampire here."
He laughed, the sound echoing against her. "I never thought I would fall in love with a vampire."
It was her turn to stiffen. "You love me?"
He propped himself against his elbow and looked at her, seriously. "Yes. I love you. I know it’s the call that pulled me to you in the first place. And I know this is very fast. But it’s there. It’ll grow yet and change, but there’s no pretending it doesn’t exist."
She looked him in the eyes for a long time. She couldn’t believe she had once thought his face too thin and sharp. It was perfect. She wanted to remember the look on his face forever. It would be gone once he learned the truth.
She half expected the Rider to tell her to keep her mouth shut, but her second nature had been quiet, as if it didn’t exist. Perhaps the warriors were right. She should let it out every now and then so it would be more manageable.
He cocked a brow in amused question and she sighed. She couldn’t avoid this longer. "It’s my fault your brother is dead."
The surprise on his face was so blatant it would have been comical in any other situation. "How do you figure that?"
"Mother killed those sheep, and somehow humans got it into their heads your people had done it. They wanted revenge and found your brother. But he wouldn’t have been there without me. He must have come to look for me on the farm. He often came as a wolf to check up on me."
He was silent for so long she began to fear. Then he shook his head. "You want me to blame you for my brother’s sense of duty? His need to make sure a little girl was safe?"
"If I hadn’t been there, he wouldn’t have needed to keep anyone safe."
"But then you wouldn’t be here today. You wouldn’t be making me happy. You wouldn’t have been there to save Vincent." His eyes glistened with emotion.
"So you don’t blame me?" She held her breath, his answer meaning everything to her. He smiled warmly.
"Of course not. And I’m happy you found my brother when you needed him."
She smiled back, relieved. "It was my infinite curiosity that led to that. I wanted to meet some wolves."
He leaned in to kiss her nose. "How lucky you are to have a wolf of your own to satisfy your curiosity from now on."
She laughed. "I so am. And I’m going to take full advantage of it. Unless – you’re not putting the call off or anything?"
"Not for anything. I’ve always resented humans for what happened to Colm and that’s not likely to change. As for today, you saved my nephew’s life, even though you feared it would cost you too much. How could I ever not love you for that?" She got tears in her eyes and he brushed them gently away.
"It’s not possible to stop the call for anything, but should I be angry with you for any reason, the call is there to help me see past it. And the call isn’t why I love you. I love you because you’re brave and strong and beautiful. I can see that without Might influencing me."
H
e leaned in to give her a small kiss. It released her to finally feel as strongly as she wanted to. What had felt like a small ember in her heart burst into full flame, making her entire body glow.
She reached to brush his cheek. "The call isn’t the same for me, but I feel the pull of Might too. More importantly, I feel love. I’m not afraid to anymore."
He smiled. "You’re not afraid of anything. But I’m here for you. I’ll help you back should you need it."
"I can’t promise I’m always able to express how I feel."
He leaned over and kissed her. "Small steps. There’s no need to release the floodgates at once. It’s enough for me to know you love me and that you feel the call. We can build on that. We have eternity."
They did, didn’t they? She tried out the words in her mind and they rang true. The warmth in her wasn’t because his body covered hers. It was because of him, because he was here with her, for her. Because he loved her.
She took a deep breath. "I love you."
There was a peace inside her.
Warrior’s Heart
Have you read the previous Two-Natured London novel, Warrior’s Heart? Read how Philippa came to date her fierce warrior, Jasper. Here’s the first chapter:
Chapter One
“Wake up, sleepyhead!” The cheerful command was followed by the swift removal of Jasper’s duvet, leaving him feeling cold and exposed in his nakedness. That didn’t stop him from shooting out of the bed and punching Jeremy in the shoulder.
“Fuck off, Jem, you twat!” Jasper sat back down and rubbed his face to banish the last remains of his sleep.
“Now, now, Jas, is that any way to address your little brother?” Jeremy asked good-naturedly, not even massaging his shoulder, the show-off. Jasper had given it a good punch, but the idiot had deserved it. You didn’t wake a sleeping vampire and not pay for it. “It’s your night off, remember. You can’t spend it sleeping.”
“I can do what I bloody well want,” Jas growled, still annoyed at the interrupted sleep. “I’m over three and a half centuries old. I need my constitutional.”
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