Bite

by Laurell K. Hamilton

  Caroline gave him a wicked grin. "Depends on your point of view."

  What the hell. She was too tired to conjure another bed anyway. She moved around to the other side and flipped the comforter back, then slid between the fine silk sheets. They felt deliciously cool and smooth against her tired body.

  With a sigh of pleasure, she snuggled in and looked at the horizon just beginning to pinken over the mountains. "Why don't you live in Avalon like everybody else? I figured you for a castle or something."

  "I was never one for conspicuous consumption. Besides, sometimes I just don't need to be around people." He paused, and something a little dark moved behind his eyes. "I kill too many of them."

  She bit her lip, painfully reminded of the girl she'd blasted. "Yeah. I guess I can understand that."

  "It's nice to come here and look out at the stars and watch the dragons."

  Caroline straightened. "You've got dragons? Here? You're kidding me!"

  "Nope. They don't come around Avalon much. Too many people." He extended a brawny arm to point at a winged shape turning lazy circles out over the mountains. "There's one now."

  She saw it breathe a long, lacy plume of flame. "Wow! Why did it do that?"

  "Probably just target practice." He slid an arm around her.

  She rested her head against his shoulder, watching the dragon. "What happens when the sun comes up?"

  "The spell barrier filters out most of the light." Galahad rested his temple against hers. His late-night stubble rasped over her hair, the sensation oddly sensual. "Sometimes if I watch, I can just see the first little bit of the dawn."

  They fell silent as the horizon slowly blushed rose behind the mountains. Another dragon came out to chase the first, dancing in the rising currents of magic. A sliver of bright disk edged upward.

  "Look," Galahad said, his voice soft. "There it..."

  But when Caroline lifted her head, his eyes were closed. He sprawled halfway across the bed, his muscular arms flung wide, his dark hair tangled around his tired face. She caught her breath at his raw male beauty. Something in her chest contracted into a tight, aching ball.

  Dammit, Caroline, don't you dare fall for him. Maybe she ought to conjure that second bed after all.

  But before she could do it, she caught a glimpse of movement at the corner of her eye.

  The dragon hung in the air looking in at her, its great wings beating lazily. Scales shimmered in the rising sun, green and blue dancing along the whipping tail. Its head was long and elegant and oddly delicate compared to the solid muscle of its body. Its eyes met hers, glowing iridescent in the light of dawn, intelligent and alien. Then it turned and flew away.

  With a sigh, Caroline lay her head back down on Galahad's chest to watch.

  THE dull gold of Geirolf's Grail was worked with naked human figures writhing together like a nest of mating snakes. They seemed engaged in every possible perversion. And a good portion of them seemed to be killing the others.

  Fascinated, Marilyn turned the cup between her palms, studying it as she waited for the sun to rise. She'd found it on Steve's body after she'd killed him, along with a note from the priest's daughter.

  Terri Grange had apparently had a little crush on her father's lieutenant, which was why she'd transported it into the pack he carried in case his magic ran out. The note she'd included said she hadn't warned him she was sending it because she was afraid of distracting him during battle.

  The key to everything was slung around his waist, and he hadn't even known it. Marilyn rather appreciated the irony.

  Now he and his supporters were dead. And so, her magic told her, was the priest and that little bitch, Terri.

  The remaining members of the cult had been quick to see logic. They all knew Marilyn had a way with a spell. And between betraying Steve and the other kills she'd racked up, she had more than enough power for some very nasty magic.

  Which didn't mean she had any intention of taking on the witch and the vampire knight Terri had described in her magic note. At least, not yet. For one thing, the cult's headquarters were located in Virginia--two time zones later than the Texas farmhouse they now occupied. The sun had already risen there, so it wasn't a good idea to gate back.

  Besides, there were only fifteen members of the cult left. Marilyn wanted better odds when they went after their Magekind foes, which was why she decided the cult would camp for the night in their defeated enemy's headquarters.

  Luckily she'd found several intriguing cages in the attic, stocked with pissed-off prisoners. To Marilyn's experienced eye, the ten men looked like a nice, beefy collection of potential warriors. Apparently the eco-terrorists had planned to magically recruit them once they got their hands on the cup.

  Which gave Marilyn an idea. A little brainwashing, a shot from the cup, a murder or two for power and blood, and they'd be ready to give Arthur's idiots the shock of their lives.

  She couldn't wait.

  THE stench rolled out of the darkness in waves. Fear gripped Galahad, sick and cold, but he knew his duty. He took a deep breath, reached down, caught the rope handle of the trapdoor, and pulled. It creaked upward, carrying the smell of rotting meat.

  Mentally bracing himself, he aimed the enchanted gem set in his gauntlet down into the hole and activated it with a whispered chant. White light spilled from it.

  The little corpses lay naked, piled like dolls tossed aside by a sadistic child. "Oh, Merlin's Grail," he whispered hoarsely. "No."

  As he stared helplessly, one of the bodies stirred. For a moment, his heart stopped, thinking perhaps the boy had somehow survived.

  Then a face looked up at him that didn't belong to anything still living. "Why didn't you come in time?"

  A hoarse scream tearing his throat, Galahad jolted awake.

  7

  "GALAHAD?"

  He jerked around, his muscles coiling to strike out. Caroline blinked at him, her dark eyes wide and startled. His sleep-drugged brain jarred to full consciousness with a sense of relief.

  A dream. It had been a dream.

  He rolled out of bed and staggered toward the stairs, vaguely aware that she was hurrying after him. "Galahad? What's wrong?"

  He didn't trust himself to answer. The sticky weight of fear and failure clung to his shoulders like a rotting shroud.

  The minute he reached the exercise room, Galahad stripped off his pants and dove into the pool with the desperation of a man hungry to wash his demons away.

  The shock of hitting the water blasted him fully awake, and he started stroking hard, trying to power his way through his lingering depression.

  Sometimes he fucking hated this job. No matter how many battles he won, the war never ended. There was always another fight, on and on, world without end: Nazis, communists, terrorists, serial killers, psychopaths of every stripe.

  And no matter how many bad guys he killed, he was always too late to save some innocent. The pit in his dreams had no fucking bottom. Gritting his teeth, he swam harder.

  Finally he stopped pushing and rolled over on his back to float, his muscles jumping from the effort he'd demanded of them.

  "You want to tell me what's eating you?" Caroline said.

  Galahad looked over at her. She stood on the edge of the pool, watching him. The silky peach pajamas she wore emphasized the length of her legs and the sweet, high curves of her breasts. Hunger rose, sudden and violent. He tried to push it aside. She was still gun-shy from that asshole Dominic. "I hate the day-sleep," he told her finally over the patter of the waterfall. "I get nightmares like you would not believe, but I can't wake up."

  Sympathy warmed her dark, lovely eyes. "I know what you mean. I had some nasty ones myself. I doubt I got more than four or five hours sleep." She sighed, making those lush breasts rise and fall. Her tight little nipples tented the fabric.

  He remembered the way they'd felt hardening against his palms. Remembered the slick, tight grip of her sex as he'd stroked a finger inside. She'd feel i
mpossibly good around his cock, which was suddenly rock-hard and aching.

  God, he needed her. He needed the forgetfulness he'd find in her body. She was so damn clean. So innocent of the kind of shit he had to wade in every single day. He wanted to see the passion overtake that pretty face. Wanted to forget all the innocents he'd failed, all the men he'd killed. He wanted to plunge into her the way he'd plunged into the pool and just forget. His cock hardened in a hungry rush, arching over his belly as he floated on his back. "Caroline." His voice came out rougher than he intended, rasping with need rather than the smooth note of seduction he'd intended.

  She took a wary step back. "As impressed as I am by that morning broadsword of yours, may I remind you we've got vampires to kill?"

  Dammit, she had a point. "I assume they're back in their burrow by now."

  "Actually, no. Not yet."

  Galahad jackknifed upright until he could stand in the cool, shoulder-deep water. Despite both the temperature and the situation, his cock refused to get the message. He ignored it. "Any idea where they are?"

  "No." She shrugged, a gesture that did marvelous things to those sweet, unbound breasts. "I spent the afternoon trying to figure out how to work a locator spell. No luck. But according to the vision that started this mess, they are coming back."

  "So we wait." He gave her his best wolfish grin. "I have a couple of ideas about how to pass the time."

  Caroline took another step back. "Pinochle?"

  "How about a nice, rousing game of hide the broadsword?"

  That pretty pink tongue crept out to lick her lips. "Don't do this to me, Galahad. I'm still recovering from Dominic."

  "That prick needs his ass kicked," Galahad growled, frustrated. "My father was a court seducer before he met his new wife. They're supposed to keep it light, not convince you you're in love."

  "Yeah, well, Dominic all but promised me a ring."

  "You want me to beat him up?" He bared his teeth, meaning it.

  She laughed, the sound throaty and impossibly seductive. "It's tempting."

  Galahad stared at her, aching. "I need you, Caroline." The words emerged as more naked than he intended, but he didn't take them back. "Help me forget this. Just for an hour. That's all I need."

  She looked at him. Her expression softened at whatever she saw on his face. "All right."

  Light flashed, and the pajamas became a string bikini that made his dick rock-hard all over again. Before he could get the full effect of all those luscious curves, she dove in.

  Galahad grinned, his heart lifting at the prospect of having Caroline to himself. Suddenly he was in the mood to play.

  WHEN Caroline surfaced, the lights were out, leaving the room lit only by the Mageverse sky and moonlight reflecting off the water. Galahad was nowhere to be seen--not that she could see much anyway.

  What's he up to now? Her heart began to pound as she looked around, expecting him to surface any second and pounce. The reflections on the water were so bright, she couldn't make out anything under them. Automatically, she tried to conjure a light.

  Nothing happened.

  "If I don't want you to use magic in my house, you can't use magic in my house," Galahad said from behind her, his breath warm on her ear.

  Caroline jumped and whirled around barely in time to see the ripple as he submerged again. "Come back here, you big jerk!" She tried to levitate him out of the water, but he was gone. There must be a dampening spell built into the house he could order on and off. Which meant she was helpless.

  All alone in the dark with a horny Galahad. A wicked little thrill ran up her spine.

  This was going to be fun.

  Which didn't mean she was going to make it easy. She had her pride. Drawing in a deep breath, Caroline ducked under and shot toward the other end of the pool, swimming in long, strong strokes. As she flashed through the water, male fingers brushed her ankle, just missing a grab.

  Ha! Caught him off guard.

  Not for long. Powerful arms closed around her waist and pulled her upright. Her head broke the surface. As she gasped in surprise, Galahad's mouth covered hers in a devouring kiss. He hauled her close against the hard strength of his body, one hand cupping her backside, the other stroking her breast, fingers teasing one nipple into aching erection. She leaned into him with a moan of hunger. He lifted his head, flashed her a triumph grin, and let her go.

  And then he was gone.

  Unsupported, she sank. Shutting her mouth barely in time to avoid sucking in a lungful of pool, Caroline looked around wildly. Underwater in the darkness, she couldn't make out a damn thing but dim flashes from the surface.

  While vampires could see in the dark. Dammit.

  Okay, so he had an advantage. They'd just see how long it lasted. Kicking twice, Caroline broke the surface, drew a breath, and dove under again.

  Fingers tweaked her nipple through the thin fabric of her top. The fleeting pleasure almost made her gasp. Her heart pounding in a blend of atavistic fear and arousal, she kicked hard, trying to make it a little tougher for him to get those wicked hands on her.

  But the minute she surfaced again, he grabbed the ties of her bathing suit top. One ruthless jerk snapped it. Before she could turn, he freed the knot holding the top around her neck and pulled it away.

  Caroline whirled in time to see the top disappear under the surface with him. "You're beginning to piss me off, Galahad!"

  Arousal pulsed between her thighs. She licked her lips and thought of everything she'd like to do to him when she caught him.

  Then she imagined everything he could do to her, and the heat increased even more.

  Just behind her, he whispered, "I like to play with my food." Long fingers closed around her hips, dragging her backward.

  Then she was plastered against Galahad again, her back to his brawny chest, his hard cock pressing her backside. His sword-callused hands slid up over her bare breasts to capture both peaks between thumb and forefinger. Pleasure spooled through her as he gently plucked them taut. "Breakfast," he purred.

  Caroline panted as hot little flashes of pleasure skated across her nerves. "You've got a kinky streak, Galahad."

  "Oh, yeah." He reached for the tie of her bathing suit bottoms. Tugging it loose, he started dragging the scrap of fabric off, raking sensitive flesh in the process. She gasped at the urgent clench of pleasure he triggered, and he chuckled, the sound deep and sexy. "In fact, maybe I'll just tie you up with your own bikini."

  Caroline let her head fall back against his wet, brawny shoulder, impossibly turned on. "Yeah, you're kinky."

  "Oh, darlin', you have no idea. Yet." Then those strong arms slid out from around her. She whirled, but he was gone. Again. "Tease!"

  She could feel her sex swelling, throbbing. Evidently Galahad wasn't the only one with a kinky streak. This was like being trapped in an erotic version of Jaws. And it was past time to turn the tables on the great white vampire.

  Caroline really wanted to get her hands on his harpoon.

  She swam for the side. If she could lure him out of the water, they'd be on more equal ground.

  As equal as you could get with a guy who could bench-press a Cadillac, anyway.

  Reaching the side of the pool, she caught the cool granite rim and prepared to lever herself out.

  "Now where do you think you're going?" Galahad pulled her back into those magnificent arms, one hand taking possession of a hard nipple while the other slipped between her thighs.

  A long, broad finger slid into her sex in a deep, breathtaking stroke. She gasped, arching her butt against his rock-hard cock. "There's a word for men like you."

  He chuckled in her ear, the sound richly seductive. "There are lots of words for a man like me. Which one do you have in mind?"

  Caroline whimpered at his lushly extravagant probes into her sex. "Tease."

  "Nope, that's not one of them. Teases never intend to follow through." Scissoring her clit between his fingers, he raked his fangs across he
r pulse. "I do."

  "When, exactly?" she panted.

  "Now." He turned her around in his arms and lifted her out of the water. The next thing Caroline knew, she was lying on her back beside the pool edge with her thighs draped over his shoulders. Still in the water, he buried his face between her legs.

  "Oh, God!" She came halfway off the stone floor as Galahad parted her lips and started feasting--licking, sucking, dancing his tongue over delicate flesh in seductive circles and swirls. His hands claimed her breasts again, stroking the soft flesh, thumbing her nipples. Driving her insane with breathtaking speed until she writhed on the stone, begging for the climax bearing down on her with every flick and caress.

  But it wasn't enough.

  She craved his massive cock, ached for his deep, driving thrusts, burned to feel his weight spread over her, big body surging against hers.

  "Galahad!" His name was a desperate, pleading scream.

  His only response was a growl.

  "Please!"

  He lifted his head, his eyes glowing red in the darkness. "Goddess, I love listening to you beg." Fangs flashed in his grin.

  She groaned, panted. "Jerk!"

  "Now is that any way to talk to a man who's got you right where he wants you?" With a muscular surge and splash, he levered himself out of the water. She whimpered at the sensation of his wet body covering hers. His cock pressed against her belly, hard as a blade.

  "Yes! Now!" Her need leaped into a hot roar, and she tried to wrap both legs around his backside.

  "Not so fast." Galahad coiled his arms around her and rolled her astride his hips, big hands spreading her thighs, lifting her, positioning her so he could trust hard into her slick, swollen core.

  "Ooooh! Galahad!" Her eyes flared wide at the stark sensation.

  He chuckled in her ear. "Like that?"

  "Jesus!" He felt so damn big.

  "I'll take that as a yes." One hand clamped over her butt, holding her in place as he started thrusting--hard, deep lunges that raked her clinging flesh with delight. He fisted the fingers of the other hand in her hair, pulled her head back. She moaned in helpless anticipation.

  The burning penetration of his fangs sinking into her throat made her yelp in a combination of arousal and erotic pain. Instinctively, she tried to pull back, but he wouldn't allow it. She couldn't move at all, held in those supernaturally powerful hands as he took her.