ENTANGLED
Page 26
“I saved you!”
“Oh yes, saved! Because this is so much better than being chased by a ridiculous man in a garden.” She brushed her hair over her left shoulder. “You’ve ruined my gown.”
His gaze found the pale column of her throat and his heart slammed wildly in his chest. “How, exactly, did I do that?”
“You’re at least responsible! Don’t try to deny it.” She tilted her head back, closing her eyes like some virgin about to be sacrificed. “And now you want to drink my blood.” She sighed long and loud. “Well, fine. Do it. But you better not kill me.”
Aidan wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or shake her. Instead he gripped her shoulders and jerked her forward. She squeaked, closing her eyes more tightly. Lord, she smelled good, like cinnamon and apples.
He lowered his head to her neck, breathed deeply and for one brief moment savored the moment. The murmured conversation above was barely noticeable over the rapid thump of her heart. They were curious there, above, wondering what he was planning. They’d know soon enough. Aidan flicked his tongue over his pointed teeth, testing their sharpness. Taking in a deep breath, he lowered his head to her neck. His teeth pierced the flesh easily.
Mary Ellen gasped, stiffening in his arms.
Her warm, sweet blood flooded his mouth, danced across his tongue. Complete euphoria washed over him, through him, pulsing in his veins. He’d dreamt of her taste, he’d stayed up at nights thinking about her, but never had he imagined this. Everything and everyone faded. He no longer heard the excited murmurs of the crowd above them. No longer cared that they were trapped in a dungeon. He only cared about Mary Ellen…having her completely and utterly. The loud thump of her heart, his heart…as one.
The beast inside him erupted. Took control of his body, his emotions and needs. He wanted more. Had to have more. Vaguely he was aware of Mary Ellen sinking into him, her body going limp. The human part of him knew he needed to stop…she couldn’t take much more blood loss. But he was hungry…so damn hungry.
Her blood rushed through his body, filling his form with warm life, giving him strength. And then she sighed…a soft sigh that pierced his cold heart. Aidan jerked back. The tiny holes in her neck stood out in stark contrast to her pale neck. Guilt and relief struggled for dominance. The strength that rushed through him on a heated waved pulsed in time with his heartbeat…her heartbeat, he wasn’t sure who the pulse belonged to. Mary Ellen’s lashes fluttered up, her hazy gaze so completely trusting of him. The guilt he felt was almost unbearable.
Shite, he’d fed too long. “Easy now,” he said, his voice catching with an emotion he didn’t dare contemplate.
She nodded. “Did it work?”
“Yes.” He hated himself more at that moment than he ever had before. This woman hadn’t been disgusted by him, she hadn’t shied away. She’d been a warrior, offering herself for the greater good. And he’d practically taken her soul. Gently, he settled her against the stone wall. “You stay put.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I’ll just sit here.” She slid down the wall, landing in a heap of blue silk. Seeing her small body huddled on the floor left him aching.
“Mary Ellen,” he whispered, kneeling. “I’m so—”
The door across the room screeched open. Aidan jumped to his feet and spun around. Through the black pit, two werewolves sauntered inside, their noses to the ground, scenting out their prey.
The door fell back into place with a thud that stirred the dust on the floor. As one they lifted their heads, finding Mary Ellen’s scent almost immediately. Their eerie yellow eyes locked on her. They were prime, ready to mate and she was their target.
Aidan smiled a slow, wicked smile. The man in charge, watching them from above like some god, had made one stupid mistake. Two werewolves in their prime would kill each other for a mate. Aidan wouldn’t have to do a bloody thing but sit back and wait for the winner, who would no doubt be tired and injured.
The wolves turned on each other quicker than he’d expected, their snarls and cries of pain vibrating through the stone room. Not bothered by their fight, Aidan turned his attention to the windows above. The people were in clear focus, now that he’d fed. His body no longer ached, the injury healed. They looked so utterly normal. Who knew they were a mad, blood thirsty lot? Not even the women, in their fine silk clothes, looked horrified by the violence. Their excitement was practically tangible.
Twenty feet above. The steel bars would be easy enough to break now that he’d fed. The jump…he narrowed his eyes…he should be able to make it.
He didn’t need to look back at Mary Ellen to check her welfare. He could sense her, feel her breath, hear her heartbeat…slow…so slow. Panic urged him into action.
Aidan ran directly at the far corner, so fast he knew he was a blur and was for once, thankful for his abilities. His foot hit the corner, about five feet up. Aidan pushed off and focused on those iron bars covering the windows.
He gripped the bars and looked directly into their pale English faces. Each and every one. For a moment they were too shocked to make a sound. Quickly enough, the women screamed, the small group of silk dresses and suits stumbling back in their haste to escape. The sound of shattering glass resonated through the cell as they dropped their flutes of wine.
“No need to retreat. Don’t worry.” The man in charge tried to calm their fears. “There is no possible way he can escape. The bars have been tested.”
Aidan focused on him. The ringleader. He pierced the man’s soul with his gaze and relished when the man shivered. He could hear the rapid beat of his heart, practically taste his fear. His bald head glistened with sweat, his swollen belly pushing against the seams of his black jacket as he panted.
Growling low in his throat, Aidan gripped the bars harder and pulled them apart. The screech of metal interrupted the snarling wolves below. The bars parted easily under his strength, far enough that he could fit through. The feminine screams turned high pitched. Fear vibrated the very air around him. He would see they all paid. But not now. No, he had more important things to worry about.
Aiden released his hold and fell, landing in a crouched position on the ground. Slowly, he lifted his head, focusing on the wolves. One was lying upon the ground, bleeding, still. The other was limping its way toward Mary Ellen. She drew her knees to her chest, her face pale in the torchlight, her whimper piercing his heart.
With a cry of outrage, Aiden burst forward, teeth bared. He hit the wolf before the animal sensed him coming. The beast rolled to its side, taking Aiden with him. Crushed beneath his weight would have killed a lesser man, but Aidan wasn’t exactly human. Aiden shoved his palms into the animal’s side. The wolf flew across the room, hitting the stone wall with a thump. The animal cried out, sliding to the ground.
Aidan jumped to his feet. “Mary Ellen, now!” He held out his hand.
She stumbled upright, her body quivering with fear and exhaustion, but her eyes were trusting, so damn trusting. He reached her in one step, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her up hard against him. The werewolf was regaining his feet, his gaze locked to them.
Aidan glanced up at the windows, the spectators were long gone, leaving behind only a trail of terror and regret.
“Hold tight,” Aidan said. “It’s going to get interesting.”
Mary Ellen wrapped her arms around his neck as he burst forward.
o0o
As Aidan raced forward, headed toward the wall, Mary Ellen faded into darkness. It wasn’t until the cool night air whispered lovingly over her face, that she stirred. How very odd she felt, floating between darkness and light. She knew Aidan still held her, she could sense his presence and breathed in his spicy scent. She knew that somehow they had escaped certain death, yet couldn’t manage to dredge up enough energy to care.
“Mary Ellen, open your eyes.”
The pressure of Aidan’s arms lessened and she felt her body sliding down his hard form. An odd heat filled her veins, a
need to be closer to him. Her feet hit the ground and she opened her eyes. His beautiful blue gaze watched her as if he cared. Did he care? Was Sally right? Or had he merely saved her because she was Grayson’s sister-in-law?
He reached over her shoulder and pushed open the door to a large cottage.
“Where are we?” she asked, her voice soft, weak. Why was she so weak?
“You need to regain your strength.” He scooped her up, cradling her against his chest and carried her into a foyer. A dingy, dusty place, but even she could tell that with a little polish, it would be rather pretty with the curved oaken staircase and wooden floors.
She had little time to study the cottage before Aidan carried her up the stairs. Mary Ellen rested her head on his shoulder, and sank into him, trusting the man. “Where are you taking me?”
Down a long corridor he made his way. “So many questions.” He smiled down at her, a kind, soft smile that belied the beast she’d seen in that dungeon. What was he? Angel or Devil?
At the end of the hall he stepped into a large bedchamber. Although the room was rather empty, the space was clean, the bed made, as if someone had lived here, or was planning to. “Who lives here?”
“I will, soon.”
Surprised, she didn’t fight him when he laid her upon the large, four-poster bed. Did that mean he’d be leaving them? She felt completely angry and bereft at the thought. How dare he abandon her!
“Now, lay back,” he demanded when she struggled to sit up. “You’ve lost a lot of blood.”
Lost blood? To him, she realized with a start. Mary Ellen sank into the bed. He’d fed on her. Her blood was in his body. She should have been disgusted, so why was she oddly touched? Why did she feel closer to him than no woman should feel toward a man she wasn’t married to?
He settled on the bed beside her, his thigh touching hers and even though their clothing separated their skin, she felt his touch all the way to her toes. Gently, he brushed the hair from her forehead. Chills and heat swirled through her body, pooling into an aching need low in her gut. This man wasn’t meek and passive. This man would fight for her. Most importantly, this man would fight for life. He would not be bowed down with hardship.
“Mary Ellen, I need you to do something for me.”
Odd thoughts swirled through her head as the bed lulled her into its softness. Her lashes drifted down, her eyes so bloody tired. Her body cold, numb, so she wasn’t sure where she began and ended.
“Mary Ellen,” he snapped.
“Hmm?” she managed.
Warm hands cupped the sides of her face. “Listen to me, Mary Ellen. Please, keep your eyes open.”
But her lashes felt so heavy, her mind buzzing with numbness. “You’re so warm.” She turned her face into his hand.
“Because of your blood. Our bodies warm when we feed.”
“Oh,” she whispered, too tired to react properly to that odd statement. “I just need a little nap, all right?”
“No, not all right. Listen to me. I took too much blood.” She didn’t miss the way his voice caught with what could only be emotion. “You need to do something for me, all right?”
“Right,” she murmured, wanting so badly to listen to him, to understand the emotion she swore she heard in his voice.
He lifted his arm and put his wrist to his mouth, using his teeth, he scraped a line across the pale skin. Brilliant red blood welled from the wound. Aghast, Mary Ellen used her remaining strength in an attempt to sit upright. “What are you doing? Stop!” The movement was too much. The entire room spun and Aidan faded from view. She felt his strong hands pushing her back into the mattress.
“Drink.”
She lifted her lashes, his wounded arm in front of her, an offering of sorts. A strange offering. She wasn’t sure if she should be disgusted, or honored.
“Will drinking your blood turn me into one of you?” she managed.
“A vampire? No. A person is born this way.” He cupped the back of her head with his uninjured arm.
“I see.” But she didn’t see, she didn’t understand anything other than, for some reason, Aidan wanted her to drink his blood.
He sighed. “You must drink, do you understand? You must, in order to regain your strength.”
She nodded, but her eyelids were growing so heavy, her lashes fluttering down. Something warm pressed to her lips. The coppery taste of blood raced across her tongue, but somehow different…almost sweet. Her cravings stirred and she eagerly swept her tongue across Aiden’s wrist. His blood. Her blood. A desperation surged through her, a need for more.
Her fingers found his arms and she gripped his wrist, bringing him closer. Aidan’s blood pulsed through her body, filling her soul, bringing her back to life. Her very fingers and toes tingled with awareness as if she was coming back from a long, deep sleep. She could feel his heart pound against her, inside her, everywhere.
As warmth filled her soul, sated, she pulled back, falling into the pillows. Dust particles floated like flakes of silver on moonbeams coming in through the open windows. Aidan’s lovely face peered down at her, marble in the moonlight. She had never seen anyone so beautiful. Unable to resist, she reached out and smoothed her fingers down the side of his face, marveling over the feel of a new growth of whiskers on his cheeks.
“You’re better?” he asked, his gaze filled with concern…and something else…something that made her insides practically melt.
“Yes.”
He swallowed hard, his gaze searching her eyes. “Mary Ellen, there are things I need to explain—”
She latched onto his shirt and pulled him forward, pressing her lips to his. She didn’t want an explanation, she wanted him. What could he possibly need to explain? His warm body sank into her, molding to her form as if they fit together like puzzle pieces. When his velvet tongue slipped between her lips, she opened for him, deepening the kiss.
With a groan that stirred her lust, he wedged his knee between her thighs, spreading her legs as wide as her skirts would allow. How had she never taken the time to soak in his spicy scent? How had she not noticed how muscled his body was underneath the layers of his clothing? And how had she not noticed how truly brave he was?
Because she’d kept her distance and she knew why now…she was afraid of falling for the man. A man with no connections, no family, no money. Afraid she’d end up poor and miserable.
Money no longer mattered. She was no longer fighting her attraction. It didn’t matter that she had lived in poverty most of her life and had sworn never to again. It didn’t matter that her eldest sister had died in childbirth after eloping with a poor Irishman. None of that mattered but him. Aiden. The man who had risked his life for her. The man who had given her his blood.
His warm hands moved up her legs, bunching the material of her skirts.
“Clothing, all these layers,” she muttered against his mouth. “Are completely overrated.”
Chuckling, he pushed himself up and ripped the shirt from his torso, tossing the poor garment to the floor. His chest was wide, carved muscle sprinkled with dark hair. Unable to resist, Mary Ellen sat up and ran her hands over his skin, spreading her fingers through the crisp hair while he worked the buttons on the back of her bodice.
“Do you know how long I’ve wanted this?” he whispered into her ear, a soft breath that tickled the loose tendrils.
His words brought tears of regret to her eyes. How stupid she’d been. He wanted her. She wanted him. She’d just taken longer to admit her feelings. Blast it all, she couldn’t hold back her feelings any longer. Her bodice came loose and he tossed it to the floor where his shirt lay. When his hands moved to her corset, her fingers boldly found the clasp of his trousers, their hands in a frantic race.
“I’ve dreamt about you night after night,” he whispered.
Her corset came undone and was tossed to the pile of clothing on the floor.
“I think about you during the day.” His hands cupped her breasts, her nipples be
aded and hard through the thin fabric of her shift.
Mary Ellen moaned as a heated flush rushed through her body and pooled in that feminine spot between her legs. She’d been attracted to men before, but never like this. Every impure thought she’d had toward Aiden since meeting him, every feeling she’d tried to keep at bay, surged through her body in a dizzying whirl that left her breathless.
“You’re so lovely.” His mouth caught hers once more as his hands found the smooth skin where her stockings ended. He had her garters undone with a flick of his fingers. As his hand moved toward that nest of curls shielding her femininity, he deepened the kiss.
His fingers found her wet and ready. Mary Ellen gasped, arching her back and taking his fingers deeper. Entranced in a state of utter bliss, she didn’t protest when he drew the silk stockings down her legs. Nothing but her shift remained.