by L. E. Wilson
Luukas stood up from the bed, wandering over to the windows to think. “And you were told that this is true? Not just some old fable passed down through the years for entertainment?”
“Yes. I assumed that all of your bellowing to everyone that ‘the witch is mine’ was your subtle way of stating that, by some strange quirk of fate, I was indeed ‘yours’. Nikulas confirmed it when we were talking the other day.”
He let her words roll around in his head. After a moment, he heard her getting out of bed. “I’m going to hop in the shower if that’s ok.”
It wasn't really a question, and he smirked. It seemed his headstrong witch was back to her normal self.
He heard dresser drawers opening and closing as she helped herself to some clean clothes and padded barefoot into the bathroom.
Luukas waited for the dark side to return. Waited for the need for revenge to return. Waited for the voice in his head to turn hateful and demanding. Waited for it to order him to go in there and kill the witch.
He waited.
And waited.
But the voice didn’t return. It didn’t even whisper to him.
Tentative relief gripped him. Was it gone then?
Relaxing a bit for the first time since he’d escaped Leeha's hell, Luukas purposely flexed his power, letting it out and then snapping it back tightly to him. He’d been holding it in check as best he could since coming home, afraid he couldn’t control it, afraid he would hurt someone he loved when the darkness overtook his mind. Someone like Nikulas.
Or Keira.
Did he love her? No. That wasn’t possible. He felt a bond with her, sure. They’d spent years together under Leeha’s sick control, with no one for company but each other, when she wasn’t using her witchcraft on him. And she had helped him towards the end, as best she could.
But this entire “mating” thing, that couldn’t possibly be true. He’d never heard of it actually happening in all of his more than six hundreds years of vampire life. Never. It was nothing but an old wives' tale.
Then how do you explain your feelings for this witch? This urge to keep her away from other males, and to protect her, even from yourself! How do you explain what just happened?
Keira didn’t seem to have any doubts. Actually, she seemed completely fine with the idea. Didn’t it scare her? Worry her in the least? Didn't she care that she could potentially be tied forever to a vampire that hated her? One that wasn't capable of treating her as he should? Couldn't protect her as he should? One who was now less than a male?
Striding over to the bathroom, he disregarded the locked door, easily breaking the latch and barging inside. The witch screeched and spun around in the shower, poking her head out from behind the curtain.
“Luukas! What are you doing? The door is locked for a reason!”
“Are you not concerned at all that you may be my mate? Me? The male you tortured for years? The male you can barely stand to look at?”
“Can’t stand to look at? What are you talking about?”
Throwing his shoulders back, he lifted his chin, fighting the shame that filled him whenever he thought of his reflection, of the empty shell of a male that he’d become, of his stranger's eyes.
“I’m talking about the first day we came home," he forced out. "You averted your eyes from me when we were showering. Do I disgust you so much?”
“Luukas, how could you think that you disgust me? I averted my eyes because you were naked…beautifully naked, but naked nonetheless. It just shocked me, that's all. I’ve had sex with you since then for gods’ sake. Not counting that time in the mountain when we still had clothes on. Why would I do that with someone I wasn't attracted to?”
“To save yourself?" he threw out there. "Don’t lie to me, witch. I know what you see when you look at me.”
He was furious, and he wasn’t sure why, exactly. What did he care if he disgusted the witch? He’d have her anyway. He was a Master vampire. She would have no say over staying with him. After all, she hadn’t given him a choice when she’d stripped him of his power and handed him over to Leeha to abuse.
He realized that she hadn’t denied it again. Clenching his jaw, he raised his eyes to hers, expecting to see pity, disgust, or laughter. But what he found there surprised him. He did not see any of the things he’d expected. He saw anger, and…hunger. Hunger for him.
Yanking back the shower curtain, Keira stepped out. She didn't bother to cover herself or to turn off the water.
Water droplets ran from her wet hair, over her full breasts, down her soft belly and her smooth legs. She was still a bit thinner than he would like, but still, she was lovely. Perfect.
His cock hardened immediately at the sight of her, straining towards her against the rough fabric of his jeans. He tried to tell himself that he would react this way at the sight of any lovely, naked female. But he knew he was lying to himself. He’d never felt anything for another female that was remotely similar to what he felt for this witch.
She marched over to him, arms at her sides, completely unashamed of her nudity. Upon reaching him, she didn’t hesitate, sliding her hands under his T-shirt and pulling it up over his head and down his arms, throwing it to the floor.
Running her hands up his hard stomach to his muscular chest and shoulders, she gripped his biceps and leaned forward to press a soft kiss right where his heart was. She then proceeded to press her lips to every mark and scar she could reach, peeking up at him occasionally to judge his reaction. She took her time along the raised burn scar across his abdomen. Trailing a hand around his waist, she worked her way around to the back of him. He heard her sharp intake of breath at the same time he felt her small hand on his skin, and he stiffened. His back was horrific, he knew.
“Luukas, you’ve healed. The lash marks are gone! Look!” Leaning over the counter, she wiped the condensation off of the mirror, grabbed him around the waist and turned him around so his back was to the mirror. “Look!”
“I’d rather look at you,” he told her, his voice heavy with desire from her attentions. Scooping up her long, wet hair, he pulled it into a ponytail at the back of her neck and used it to tug her head back until she was forced to look up at him. “Take off my pants, witch. I want to shower with you.”
He loosened his grip on her hair as her hands went eagerly to the waistband of his jeans. Her breasts rose and fell with her rapid breaths, and he watched them quiver as she undid his jeans, pushing them down his strong legs. He wasn’t wearing anything else. He let go of her hair so she could kneel down to help him pull his feet out.
Throwing his jeans into the corner, she stayed on her knees, kissing his thighs, his stomach, teasing him like the witch she was. Holding her hair back in one hand, he held himself in the other and guided his head to her warm mouth. She flicked her tongue over him as her hands squeezed his hips, keeping him from thrusting into her mouth as he wanted. Although he could easily overpower her, he allowed her to play her game, needing her to take his mind from everything else but what she was doing to him.
She continued to taste him with small flicks of her tongue all around his head, then opening her mouth and scraping her teeth along the smooth skin.
“Ah!” Luukas threw his head back as she played with him, letting her have her way until he couldn’t wait any longer to feel her around him.
“Take me in your mouth,” he ordered harshly. “All the way.”
Her eyes watched his face as she did so, taking him as deep as she could go before sliding him out and back in again. She smiled wickedly around his girth when her own moan of pleasure caused him to kick inside her mouth.
Both of his hands were on her head now, gently holding her hair away from face so he could watch her, so he could see her eyes when she looked up at him, and watch them darken with desire. Releasing his hip with one hand, she touched herself, pinching her own nipples as she sucked him, and then running her hand down to her clit, and back up to her breast.
Luukas’ mouth
went slack as he watched his little witch pleasure herself while she pleasured him. His cock began to throb. He was dangerously close to coming.
“No. Not yet. I want to be inside of you when I come.” Pulling her gently away from him, he lifted her to her feet and higher, hugging her against him as he took her mouth in his.
Fuck. The feel of her soft skin against his...he'd never felt anything so good.
He continued to kiss her as he climbed into the shower with her in his arms. Sitting down under the warm spray, he sat her on his lap, her legs straddling him.
Breaking off the kiss, he studied her intently, “Are you certain you're feeling up to this, Keira? You were just so ill…”
She smiled brightly, her hands running over his muscular chest and broad shoulders greedily. “I feel more than up for this. I had to stop myself from jumping you the moment you took your wrist from me. I want you, Luukas, so much. That hasn’t changed after all that’s happened. If anything, I admire you more. Want you more.”
How could that be? She saw him restrained and starved, screaming from the pain. “But I was weak…”
She took his face in her hands, forcing him to see the honesty in her eyes. “No! You were strong! So strong! I would never have been able to survive what you did. I am in awe of you, Luukas. You never broke. Not once. I was so proud of you, even as I hated myself for what she made me do to you.”
She kissed him then. Kissed him until he forgot everything but her. Her lips, her soft skin, her scent. She surrounded him completely, claiming him as her own.
Grabbing her luscious hips, he lifted her, impaling her with one strong thrust. She cried out, and he worried that he’d hurt her. She was so tight and small. But then she used her legs to raise herself up and come down fast on him again. And again.
He allowed her to set the pace; his hoarse cries joining hers as she rode him, slowly at first, and then quickly gaining speed. His fangs ached to pierce her flesh, to taste her again. It’d only been days since he’d last had her, but it felt like so much longer.
He crushed her to him and buried his face in her neck, fighting back his orgasm, wanting to wait for her. “You smell so good. I want to taste you. Can I taste you, witch?”
Her answer was to tilt her head away, giving him better access to her throat. He growled deep as he reared back and struck her hard, so starved for her he found himself incapable of being gentle.
She cried out again and rocked her hips harder as he began to pull at her vein.
“Luukas! Ah, gods!”
Holy fuck. The taste of her sweet blood! It was different now that the infection was gone. It was impossibly better. He growled again as it spread throughout his body, strengthening every part of him, igniting every nerve ending until he felt every inch of her sliding against him.
MINE.
It was the only thought he had as he rocked her up and down, faster and faster, her full breasts bouncing against his chest, her hands clutching his hair, holding him to her throat.
“Luukas! I’m coming! Ah! I’m coming!”
As her body began to convulse in his arms, he felt her bite his shoulder hard, drawing blood.
Withdrawing his fangs from her neck, he roared as he released inside of her, his cock pulsing forcefully on and on as she drank from her bite.
He held her tight under the warm water as she lapped at his healing wound like a cat, their breathing returned to normal; his little witch settling down to lay boneless on top of him.
With his face hidden in her neck, he breathed in her delicious scent, and attempted to ignore the hateful voice that had returned after all.
Chapter 25
Keira
Keira awoke with a smile on her face. Yawning, she attempted to roll over so she could snuggle into the wall of hard, warm vampire lying beside her.
Except she found that she couldn't move.
Blinking in the dwindling sunlight, she craned her head around. Her arms were stretched above her head, her wrists lashed securely to the headboard with some type of material resembling a heavy scarf, or...she glanced over at the window...a torn off piece of the curtain.
Seriously?
Bending her knees, she discovered that her ankles were also tied to the bed under the covers.
She stared at the ceiling as she chewed her bottom lip, and tried to decide how to handle this latest obstacle of life with her damaged vampire.
She wasn't very concerned about her predicament. After all, she could untie herself anytime she wanted with a few chanted words. However, she decided to wait it out. He'd be waking up soon, and she didn't want to cause him any further distress by not being here when he did, when he was so obviously worried about that exact thing happening.
Something in his injured mind had led him to tie her up after she'd fallen asleep this morning. Was he afraid that she would leave? Did he just want to make sure she stayed by him as he slept? Was he afraid to be alone?
Her heart ached at the thought.
Luukas began to stir beside her, and she smiled at him when his eyes shot open.
He eyed her warily, no doubt waiting for her reaction.
"I need to use the bathroom," she informed him matter-of-factly.
Without a word, he reached up and untied her wrists, then sat up and undid her ankles, his abs and back muscles rippling under her appreciative gaze. He was looking healthier every day.
"Thank you."
Hopping out of the bed as naked as she'd fallen asleep, she headed to the bathroom as if nothing strange had occurred, and she woke up tied to the headboard every day.
When she'd finished her morning - or more precisely, her evening - rituals, she wandered out of the bedroom to find Luukas had gotten up and was now in the glass-walled office with the door closed, a stack of folders in front of him and papers in his hand. As he was preoccupied, she veered off towards the kitchen rather than bother him, tying the pajama pants and pulling down the T-shirt that had become her normal attire.
She was in the midst of whisking some eggs she'd found to scramble when the front door burst inward, the objects used to barricade it flying through the foyer and into the main room. Following closely behind them was Nikulas.
Keira smiled at him. "Good morning. Er, good evening, I guess I should say."
Nik scanned the room, and she followed his gaze over to his brother, who hadn't so much as glanced up at the intrusion. She smiled again as his blue eyes came back to her.
He returned her smile and took a seat at the bar.
"Whatcha makin'?"
"Just some scrambled eggs. Thanks for the food, by the way."
"Sure. You look better," he noted.
She poured her eggs into the frying pan she had heating up on the stovetop. "Vampire blood can do wonderful things for a dying girl."
A look of relief came over his handsome features. "That it can. What happened to your wrists?"
Glancing down at the fading red marks encircling them, she blew off his concern. "It's nothing. Your brother has taken to tying me to the bed while he sleeps."
"No shit?"
She just shrugged.
"Huh."
She concentrated on keeping her eggs from burning, the kitchen silent as she cooked. Scooping them onto a plate, she took it over to the bar and sat with Luukas' brother.
Taking a bite, she looked him over as she chewed. "So, what's up with you and my little sister?"
Nik pushed his hair back off of his face, a nervous gesture for him, she'd noticed.
"What do you mean?"
"Are you bonded to her?" Keira asked bluntly. She didn't believe in wasting time beating around the bush.
He stilled. "Have you said anything to Luukas?"
"Nope." She took another bite of her eggs.
"Please don't," he pleaded. "He doesn't need this added burden right now. He's having a hard enough time readjusting to being back."
"I won't," she promised. "But tell me, does she know about all that stu
ff? Did you explain it to her? More specifically, does she know that you'll die without her blood now?"
"She knows."
"And she still left?" she asked incredulously. "That doesn't sound like Emma."
"She was angry with me, after we left you there with Luukas. She was so angry. And besides, it's better this way. I didn't exactly try to stop her."
"Better for whom?"
Nik glanced at her sideways, chewing the inside of his cheek, but didn't answer.
"Do you love her?"
"It doesn't matter..."
"Do you love her?" she demanded.
"Yes," he whispered. "Desperately. Which is why I let her leave."
"Does she love you?"
His eyes saddened. "She said she did."
Keira finished her eggs and got up to rinse off her plate. Drying her hands on the towel lying on the counter, she leaned back against it and wondered why men always had to make everything so damn difficult.
"Then quit being a martyr and go get her, Nikulas."
He shook his head. "I can't do that. Being with me...she'd just become my personal feeding bag..." He trailed off as he noticed the expression on Keira's face.
"Sorry. I didn't mean..."
"Yes, you did," she stated. "But you're being stupid."
"I'm not being stupid," he protested indignantly.
"Yeah. You kinda are," she shot back. "The whole feeding thing aside, if you love her, and she loves you, why are you making her life miserable?"
"I'm not! I'm letting her have a life. A real life. The human life she was supposed to have."
"Have you asked her what life she wants to have? It is her life, after all."
The muscles in his jaw clenched stubbornly as he looked away.
She didn't say anymore, letting him mull over what she'd said, and hoping he'd quit being stupid.
Finally, he sucked in a quick breath and scrubbed his face with his hands, then gave her a nervous smile.
"What if she doesn't want me anymore?"
Keira walked over and leaned on the counter across from him. "Well, then you'll know," she said, returning his smile with an encouraging one of her own. "But while you're there, would you let her know that I'm ok? And that I'll call her as soon as I can?"
