The vampire quickly assessed the situation and realized the odds weren’t in his favor. With a snarl, he made a run for the window, jumping out and disappearing.
The werewolves returned downstairs in wolf form to check on Kiera. Just because the vampire disappeared didn’t mean he wouldn’t double back, hoping to catch them off guard.
Kiera was in the living room huddled in the corner of the couch with Hunter and another werewolf standing guard.
Gabriel, having heard the howl, came bursting through the front door with Michael hot on his heels. “What happened? Is everything okay?”
“Ramsey went upstairs to leave Kiera’s packages on the landing for her. The next thing I knew, I heard a scuffle and a moment later Ramsey let out a howl,” Hunter replied.
Kiera stood up and walked over to Gabriel. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she leaned into him.
Holding her close, Gabriel looked at the three werewolves in wolf form. “Ramsey, stay with Kiera at all times when I’m not here. The other two of you, patrol the outside.”
The three wolves nodded their understanding.
Deciding to call it a day at the garage, Gabriel turned to face Michael. “I think it’s time to close-up shop for the day, possibly for the week. I don’t want to leave Kiera alone anymore than I have to until the vampire is dealt with.”
Michael nodded. “I agree. Do you want me to stay here?”
“I wouldn’t mind having you around, but you have your own place now. I’ll add a few more wolves to the patrol outside and make sure a few more are inside at night,” Gabriel answered.
Chapter Fifteen
Later that night, Kiera snuggled up next to Gabriel in their bed. Her head rested on his shoulder and her leg was draped across his thigh.
Ramsey was in the hall in his wolf form; a wolf was on the second floor landing, and two more were on the main level. There were also two werewolves in human form patrolling the house.
Outside, the crickets chirped and a cool breeze blew through the trees, making the leaves rustle. The sky was clear with hundreds of stars shining brightly against the midnight black sky. Pale moonlight shone down, illuminating the guards outside of the house.
In the woods, the vampire watched the house patiently. It was almost time for his move… almost, but not quite. He wanted to snatch the woman when her mate wasn’t around. He wasn’t worried about the alpha, but knew his task would be easier without the wolf involved.
He watched the multitude of werewolves patrolling the grounds in both human and wolf form. It was amazing how easy it would be to slip past them. He had already done it several times.
A sinister grin forms his lips as he thought of the beautiful fairy hiding inside. Her scent was still with him, driving him crazy, making him thirst for her blood and her fear.
Not much longer. If he still had a heart, it would be pumping tons of blood through his body as adrenaline raced through his system. The thrill of the chase, there was nothing else like it. Not even sex had ever been this good.
The vampire withdrew, slipping further into the shadows. If he wanted to stay focused, he needed to find a snack. Nothing to fill him up, but just enough to take the edge off; heading into the more populated area, he went hunting.
***
On the third floor of the Victorian, Kiera jolted awake. She scanned the room, trying to figure out what had disturbed her sleep. Nothing looked out of place; everything was the same as it had been when she had fallen asleep earlier.
Looking out the window, the moon shone brightly in the sky. Pushing aside the covers, she slipped out of the bed and walked to the window. Peering out into the darkness, she watched the werewolves below. Her eyes scanned the woods, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
Was he out there? Was the vampire watching her this very moment? Her eyes lingered on the woods once more, looking for hidden threats; or more accurately, a hidden threat.
Sighing, she climbed back into the bed. Lying back on her pillow, she rolled to her side and watched Gabriel sleep. His chest rose and fell with each breath he took, deep and even.
Kiera smiled. He looked so peaceful. She reached out and gently traced the contours of his chest and stomach with her fingers. It amazed her that someone so strong could be so gentle with her.
Maybe she should tell him how much she loved him. What if the vampire came back and took her and she’d never told Gabriel what he meant to her?
Rolling to face the window, she stared at the moon. Her thoughts were in a whirlwind. A million scenarios played through her mind. When she told Gabriel she loved him, what would he do? Would he balk and avoid her? Would he tell her that he loved her too?
After a lot of tossing and turning, sleep claimed her for the second time that night.
Chapter Sixteen
When Kiera woke up the next day, the clock beside the bed read eleven o’clock. She yawned and stretched. It didn’t really surprise her that she had slept so late.
Getting out of bed, she headed for the bathroom. Turning on the shower, she brushed her teeth while the water warmed up. She ran a brush through her hair, getting rid of the tangles before stepping under the warm spray of the shower.
Letting the warm water cascade down her body, she felt the kinks in her neck loosen. She leaned against the shower wall as the water sluiced down her back.
“Need some help?” Gabriel asked from the doorway.
Kiera yelped and turned to face him. “You scared me to death! I thought you were at work.”
He gave her a lazy grin and his eyes roamed over her body, from the tips of her toes to the top of her head, lingering on the parts in-between. “Sorry, honey. As for work, it’s Saturday.”
“You’ve been working on Saturdays,” she pointed out.
He shrugged. “It turns out that two of the guards are mechanics when they’re home. I’m letting them work on Saturdays to earn some extra cash and give me more time with you.”
She smiled and beckoned to him. “Then what are you waiting for? Come on in.”
Stripping out of his clothes, he climbed into the shower and pushed Kiera up against the wall. Tipping her head back, he leaned down and brushed his lips across hers.
With his erection pressing against her belly, Kiera had no doubt what Gabriel wanted, and she wanted it too. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she pushed up on tiptoe and kissed him back.
Gabriel cupped her breasts with his palms, flicking her nipples with his thumbs. He trailed kisses across her jaw and down her throat. Nipping her shoulder, he thrust against her belly.
“I want you,” she murmured, desperately wanting to feel him inside of her.
Sliding his hands down to her waist, he lifted her. With her legs wrapped around his waist, she was open for him, open and ready. Reaching between their bodies, he gently rubbed her clit, making her whimper with need.
“Please Gabriel… I want you now,” she whispered, throwing her head back in ecstasy.
“Not just yet.”
Gently rubbing and flicking her clit, he continued to torment and tease, making her wiggle her hips, trying to draw him inside of her. She was so slick and swollen that Gabriel knew it was only a matter of moments before she would find her release.
He cupped her breast with his free hand and flicked his thumb over her nipple, drawing a gasp from her. Slipping a finger into her heat, he stroked the inside of her. As his finger pumped in and out of her, his thumb rubbed her clit. Bending his head, he took her nipple between his teeth and nipped her. Sucking the hardened nub into his mouth, he laved it with his tongue.
He was on fire for her and wanted to bury himself deep inside, but knew it wasn’t time yet. He wanted to make her scream, make her beg…
Kiera bucked against Gabriel’s hand, meeting his strokes, seeking her release. Her fingers twined in his hair, holding him to her breast. His fingers and his tongue were doing delicious things and she didn’t want him to stop. Pumping her hips in time with h
is strokes, she screamed out his name as her orgasm came crashing down upon her.
Panting, Kiera reached between their bodies and grasped Gabriel’s long hard shaft. The ache between her thighs momentarily satisfied, she wanted to explore new territory. Unwinding her legs from around his waist, she slid back down to the floor.
“Tell me what you want, Kiera,” Gabriel said in a husky voice.
Giving him a mischievous look, she dropped to her knees in front of him and drew her tongue across the length of him. His indrawn breath said far more than words could. Opening her mouth, she drew him between her lips, her tongue sliding against his warm hard flesh.
“Oh god Kiera, I think you’re killing me.”
In response, she took all of him into her mouth and sucked on him long and hard.
Gabriel groaned and grabbed the wall for support. To say that Kiera had surprised him would be an understatement. “Honey, if you don’t stop, I won’t last much longer.”
Giving him one last lick, Kiera stood and looked up at him. “If I can’t do that, then what can I do?”
“You can beg and scream,” he said, grabbing her hips and forcing her legs around his waist. Pressing her back to the wall, he pressed his length against her.
“I want you!”
“I don’t think you’re ready just yet,” he said, reaching between them and playing with her clit again.
Kiera rubbed her moist folds against him, wanting to feel him inside of her, stretching her, filling her. “Gabriel, I want you… now!”
He nudged her opening with the head of his dick, “Are you sure?”
Kiera tried to press forward, desperately wanting more of him. “Yes, I’m sure.”
He eased into her a little more. “Like this?”
She whimpered. “More…”
Thrusting into her hard, he asked, “You mean like this?”
“Yes… oh yes, just like that.”
Thrusting in and out of her, Gabriel drove both of them to the brink. Rubbing her wet, swollen clit, he thrust harder and faster.
Kiera grabbed his shoulders for support and threw her head back in ecstasy. She cried out as she climaxed.
Once Gabriel felt her muscles spasm around him, he let go, thrusting as deep and hard as he could until he found his release, shooting his hot seed deep into her.
Leaning against Kiera, he panted, trying to catch his breath.
“I can only hope that was as good for you as it was for me,” she murmured.
He chuckled and kissed her. “It was better.”
Gently setting her down on her feet, he slipped out of her. He caressed her cheek and smiled down at her, wanting to tell her how much he loved her, but not daring to bring it up so soon into their relationship. Married or not, it still seemed a bit early.
“We should probably get cleaned up and get some lunch,” he said, reaching for the soap.
“Are you going to wash me?”
He smiled, “That was the plan.”
“I don’t think we’ll make it to lunch if you wash me,” she said with a wicked grin.
“I’m willing to take that chance,” he replied, letting his soapy hands slide over her breasts.
Kiera instantly felt an ache between her legs and wanted him again.
Recognizing the glint in her eye, Gabriel soaped her stomach and reached for the curls between her legs. The moment his slick fingers touched her clit, he knew they were going to miss lunch.
Chapter Seventeen
One Week Later
Kiera had noticed the backyard was a little barren when it came to plants. Thanks to Ramsey and a few of the other guards, she now had a plethora of flowers.
Starting with the flowerbed closest to the backdoor, she planted snapdragons, hibiscus, marigolds and columbine. When she was finished, there was a myriad of color on either side of the back stairs.
The werewolves had cleared grass around the trees, making a ring shaped bed, trimmed in stone. Kiera planted more marigolds, columbine, and moss roses around the trees. It took several hours to get all the flowers planted and watered. By the end of the morning, the backyard was awash in color and Kiera’s back was aching.
Dusting the dirt from her clothes and hands, she climbed the back steps. Just as her hand touched the knob to open the door, rough hands grabbed her from behind, wrenching her from the stairs. Before she had a chance to cry out, her attacker was flying through the woods with her grasped in his arms.
If she had any doubts previously of who had grabbed her, she didn’t now. Only the vampire could move so quickly, making all of the trees blur as they sped past them.
He ran for what seemed like hours, but finally stopped and set Kiera down on her feet. He turned her so that she had no choice but to look at him.
“I told you that it wouldn’t be long before I saw you again,” he told her, his cold eyes staring down at her.
“Well, you have me now. Just get it over with,” Kiera said with more bravado than she actually felt. Inside she was quaking, but she hoped she was projecting a façade of calm and acceptance.
The vampire chuckled. “All in good time, all in good time. Did you ever think I might want to savor the moment? I’ve watched you, hunted you for months now. It would be rather anticlimactic if I were to just kill you right away.”
Kiera swallowed, trying to hide her fear. “What do you plan on doing with me?”
He trailed an icy finger down her cheek. “I think the first thing I’ll do is take a little sample,” he said, bending his head to her neck.
Kiera felt his cool lips touch her neck right before she felt the prick of his fangs as they punctured her skin. She cried out in pain, feeling her life force flow from her and into him.
The vampire forced himself to stop. He didn’t want to take too much at once; he wanted to make this last all night. Her warm blood flowed across his tongue like nectar from the gods, warming his cold dead body. As it slid down his throat, he fought the urge to take more, to take it all. Releasing her, he stepped back and watched her.
Kiera grabbed her neck, covering the wound. Silent tears trailed down her cheeks, her skin a shade paler than before from the loss of blood. She stumbled to her knees, sinking into the soil, unable to stand any longer.
***
On the other side of the woods, Gabriel and over twenty werewolves were searching for Kiera. Ramsey had seen her vanish into thin air, or so it had seemed, and had immediately reported the event to Gabriel.
“She has to be around here somewhere,” Gabriel growled, terror gnawing at him from the inside out, tearing him to pieces.
“We tried to follow them, but the vampire moved so fast we couldn’t even see him,” Ramsey assured the alpha. “We want to find him just as much as you do. Kiera has come to mean a lot to all of us.”
Gabriel sighed. “I know, I’m sorry if I snapped at you. I’m just worried about her.”
Ramsey nodded. “We’ll find her. Several of the wolves are tracking her now. I’m sure it won’t take long to pick up her scent.”
“If he was carrying her, she might not have left any scent,” Gabriel said, not even wanting to admit that small truth to himself, much less to anyone else.
Ramsey knew the alpha was going crazy worrying over his mate. He wished there was something more that he could do.
Gabriel and Ramsey joined the men in the woods, searching for any small clue as to where the vampire had taken Kiera. A broken branch, a scent, a footprint… anything!
Almost an hour later, someone called out, “Over here! I’ve got something!”
Gabriel, his brothers and cousins, Ramsey, and Hunter all rushed over. It was light, but there was a footprint. The scent matched that of the vampire. They finally had a lead on Kiera!
“Excellent work; now we at least know in which direction to start searching,” Gabriel said.
***
The sun was setting and Kiera was starting to think no one was coming for her. Since the vampire had sampl
ed her blood earlier, he had mostly left her alone. He paced the area, listening to the woods. More than likely, waiting for her rescue crew… assuming there was going to be one.
“Why me?” she asked.
“What do you mean, why you?”
“What’s so special about my blood? I know that I’m part fairy, but what exactly is so wonderful about that?” Kiera asked, trying to figure out why he wanted her so much.
“The blood of a fairy, in particular a royal fairy, will make me invincible. Stakes won’t be able to harm me; no one will be able to kill me.”
Kiera digested that bit of info. “So I’m part of the royal family?”
He smiled. “Didn’t your mother tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
He chuckled. “That she’s the granddaughter of the fairy king and queen.”
“What?” Kiera was stunned. Why hadn’t her mother told her?
“Yes, my dear. That means that you’re the great-granddaughter to the fairy king and queen – their only great-granddaughter it just so happens.”
“If I’m so important, then why haven’t the fairies come to rescue me? Are they just going to let me die?” she asked in a small voice.
The vampire hunkered down in front of her. “In all fairness, they’re probably staying away because they can’t take me. It would be suicidal for them to show up here.”
Kiera stared at him, incredulous. “Are you trying to make me feel better?”
The vampire grimaced. “Maybe; I don’t know. I guess I just thought our future would go smoother if you learned to trust me a little.”
“What future?”
He smiled. “Don’t you remember? I told you that I had new plans for you; to be one of us… to walk for an eternity with me.”
Kiera laughed. “As if I’d stay with you for an eternity! You kidnapped me, bit me, and you’re keeping me away from my husband. What on earth would make me stay with you?”
He gripped her neck and pulled her close. “What makes you think I’d give you a choice? It’s either join me, or die.”
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