“I may have a hard time leaving your side, too.” I kissed his chest. “We’ll take it one day at a time, baby. You and I.”
Chapter 39
WHEN THE BATHWATER began to cool, Vadim wrapped me in a towel and took me to bed.
“We’ll see how you’re feeling tomorrow. I’d prefer not to take you to a local hospital here. I don’t trust them. Natasha recommended a doctor in Minsk.”
“I’m much better.” I snuggled against him as he spooned me from behind. “Just a little tired now, and . . . um.”
Lying next to him, under a pile of blankets, my shivering was all but gone. The warmth had soothed the pain, and the awareness of Vadim’s strong, naked body at my back tingled along my skin.
“You need to rest.” His voice behind me sounded firm, almost stern. Still, I knew he had noticed the shift in my emotions—his breathing changed, and I felt him grow hard against my backside.
“Or . . .” I took his hand off my waist and moved it higher, to my breast. “You can make me a little more tired.” I pressed my hips back, into his growing erection. “So I’d fall asleep faster.”
It was insane, feeling aroused after everything that had happened. However, the receding stress left an unusual lightness in my belly—jittery and unsettling. Despite the lingering pain in my body, or maybe because of it, I needed some physical contact, to help me shove aside the memories of the reason for the pain, which would take time to ease.
More than anything, though, I desperately wanted to have Vadim close to me—as close as was humanly possible, to make him my reality again.
“I want to dream of you when I sleep,” I whispered. “Only you, none of what has happened.”
He didn’t reply but rocked his hips into me, grinding against me. His hand squeezed my breast as he rubbed the tip with his thumb, his other hand sliding under me and between my thighs.
“Very gently then,” he groaned into the skin on the back of my neck.
“Okay,” I breathed out as his fingers stroked along my folds.
“Let me do all the work.” He nibbled at the side of my neck, rolling my nipple between his fingers at the same time. “Stay absolutely still.”
“I won’t move a muscle,” I promised breathlessly, even as my thighs jerked under the skilful glide of his fingers over the most sensitive part of my body.
Heat spread through me, warming me from the inside in a pulsating flow, chasing the remnants of cold far away into the darkness where it belonged.
“Not your hand, baby,” I said in a whisper. “I want you inside me. I need it to be real.”
I had to feel him everywhere, in my body and in my mind. He needed to take over my senses, guard my memories, and banish my fears. I wanted him to fill me completely, so that there would be no more space left for anything scary from the outside.
“Just you,” I begged.
Carefully, he wedged his knee between my legs, prompting me to open for him. Then I felt the throbbing heat of his tip at my opening.
I arched my back as he slid in, angling my hips to take more of him, greedy for every hard inch of his body.
With a low grunt, he moved back then plunged in again, sending a new wave of arousal through my insides. One hand on my breast, he worked me between my legs with the other, keeping up with the rhythm of his thrusts.
“Yes,” I whimpered as the heat and pressure building up under his fingers collided with sweet, achy pleasure. Waves of ecstasy shuddered through my body while Vadim held me tight.
One hand pressed between my thighs to squeeze every last drop of my orgasm, he pumped faster, chasing his own release. With a long growl, he tensed for a moment, before his orgasm rippled through him, too.
Holding me in the circle of his arms, as the last tremors of our joined bodies subsided, he relaxed against my back for a moment then stirred again.
“How are you feeling? I didn’t hurt you?”
Hearing the concerned note in his voice, I lowered my head, kissing his forearm across my chest.
“No, baby,” I whispered. “You’ve made it all better.”
True. The pain on the surface, as well as the one on the inside, eased under the rays of his love, making me feel like I floated on a fluffy, pink cloud, warm and comfy in his arms. And so very sleepy . . .
“Making love to you has an uncanny ability to turn the world the right way up again,” Vadim murmured in my hair.
Love!
The sudden memory of Keller’s cold, brutal words jolted me with panic, slicing through the feeling of happiness like a blade of a dagger in a hand of a maniac.
“Oh no, honey . . .” I turned around in his arms, then took his face between my hands. “You can’t fall in love with me.”
“I don't think I can stop that now.” He smiled, golden streaks dancing amongst the warm green in his eyes. His eyelashes of rich, chocolate brown always seemed too long and too gorgeous for his fierce, angular face. “This feeling is like an avalanche. It keeps growing bigger.”
“No, please. They’re planning to murder all of you. When you’re one of the Forgiven, you become mortal, too.”
“Who are they?” His voice hardened, as did his expression.
“The Priory. According to Keller, that is The Elder’s plan—to wait until you all turn mortal.” I shuddered. “Then exterminate you all at once.”
“Do you trust this is true?”
“Keller was bragging to me, believing I wouldn’t make it out of his hands alive . . .” Vadim’s breath hitched at my words, and I stroked his shoulder. “What do you think? You’ve met The Elder—”
“Not lately. I haven’t seen him since we started work on changing the rules. He’s been dealing with us through delegates or via phone calls. If what you’re saying is true . . .”
“How about the delegates? Have you noticed anything suspicious in their emotions towards you when you’ve met?”
“Some hostility, but no more than usual. Many members of the Priory have historically disliked us. They view our meetings as a necessary evil to endure in order to deal with us.”
I squirmed under the blankets to stay awake. Even the sharp spike of alarm didn’t seem to be able to put a stop to the bone-crushing tiredness that threatened to drag me under any minute.
“The Elder may keep some members in the dark about his plan for that purpose,” I speculated. “He is aware that you can see emotions.”
Vadim’s jaw muscles flexed. “He knows all about us, but he seems to be keeping secrets of his own.” He slid his gaze along my face, the sharp focus in his eyes melting. “You have to sleep now, Jade. Get well and restore your strength.”
“I’m worried, Vadim, for you.”
He ran his fingers through my drying hair.
“Sleep, my treasure. I’ll think about what you’ve told me, meanwhile.”
Chapter 40
“READY?” VADIM PAUSED at the door to the conference room at the hotel in Vegas and squeezed my hand.
I needed this encouragement, no matter how slight. There must be at least two hundred Incubi behind that door, almost all of them new to me. Meeting them felt like being introduced to Vadim’s family. These were his people, his tribe.
“Just give me a second.” With a free hand I smoothed out the wrinkles on the skirt of my dress, wishing I’d had more than ten minutes in the airport bathroom to freshen up. Apparently, Andras had called the meeting when Vadim and I were still in the air, leaving me no time to get ready.
“It will be fine,” Vadim whispered, leaning into me as I drew in a slow breath in an attempt to calm my nerves. “They’ll love you.”
He nuzzled the side of my face. A gentle dusting of frost prickled my skin, taking away the excessive stress.
“Thank you.” I smiled. “That works better than a glass of wine.”
“Let’s go.” He pushed the door open.
The Incubi sat around a number of tables arranged into a large square in the middle of the room. These must
have been mostly the mated ones, as many seemed to be accompanied by a woman sitting at their side. I recognized Andras and Natasha.
More demons occupied the chairs that lined the four walls in several rows along the perimeter of the room. They must be the unmated ones, as I didn’t spot any females among them.
Everyone rose from their seats as we approached the table and inclined their heads in greeting as we sat down.
Vadim’s position was directly opposite from Andras. This way, between the two of them, the Grand Masters would be able to keep an eye on the entire room.
“This is my Jade,” Vadim introduced me, simple and to the point.
The demons around us bowed their heads to me once again.
“We’ve heard what happened, Jade,” Natasha said in Russian to me. “I am so happy to see you well.”
“Thank you.” I fought the urge to touch the bruise on my face. Still angry purple, I knew even the generous amount of makeup I had put on it at the airport wouldn’t cover it completely. The side of my face still throbbed, making me feel like the bruise was even more obvious than it probably was.
Vadim’s hand covered mine in my lap, grounding me. “You all have heard what Jade found out about the Priory.”
“That bastard Keller—” started a blond Incubus at the table.
I had got used to Incubi being generally larger than humans. This one, however, seemed to be bigger than an average demon. His hair was braided on the sides in a few plaits, with the rest of it streaming down his shoulders in golden curls, which brought Vikings to my mind.
“Ivarr,” Andras spoke patiently to the blond giant. “Raise your hand if you want to speak. There’s too many of us here today.”
With an eye roll, Ivarr raised his arm.
“My point is . . .” He dropped his hand to the table as soon as all attention was on him. “Why would we go by what that stinking excuse of a human being said? He was a murderer after all, an abuser, and an abductor. It would be fair to believe he was a liar, too.”
“We can’t ignore what he said,” Vadim argued calmly.
“Agreed.” Andras inclined his head. “If the threat is real, the consequences would be too great to disregard. Besides, Keller’s claim is in line with Raim’s warning about the Priory. In any case, a further investigation is needed.”
“At least we have been given an advance notice,” another Incubus at the table added. “And can prepare accordingly.”
Others voiced their agreement, and Andras raised his arm, calming the sudden commotion threatening to roll through the room.
“I insist we all stay in Vegas for now since our show running here is the main source of nourishment for the unmated Incubi. Those performing will stay at the hotel. The rest of us will remain in the area. I want everyone to keep an eye on each other.”
“The chances of another summoning shouldn’t be too high,” Vadim speculated. “It seemed to be Keller’s pet project. There is no proof of it having been sanctioned by the Priory. If that is the case, then with the death of Keller and his conjurer, it should be the end of it.”
“What if word leaks that we are getting ready for their attack?” Ivarr spoke again. “The Priory may decide to launch it sooner rather than wait until every one of us has been Forgiven.”
“Could they?” I whispered, leaning Vadim’s way.
However, he seemed to be deeply in thought, and didn’t respond right away.
The petite woman sitting next to me muttered quietly, “Maybe I should call Delilah, to get a general idea about the mood in the Priory.”
“Who is Delilah?” I couldn’t hold back the question, although she wasn’t addressing me, or anyone else, for that matter.
“She is a friend, sort of.” She shot a glance at Ivarr, who turned his attention to her at hearing Delilah’s name. “She helped me after I got off the Base.” The woman stretched her hand to me. “I’m Kitty, by the way.”
“Kitty Jones?” I gasped. “You escaped from Keller’s people, didn’t you?”
“I’m famous!” She exhaled a soft laugh, squeezing my hand. “Yep, that was me. And Delilah helped me get back to my life afterwards. She has a strong dislike of demons, though.”
“Is she a Priory monk, too?”
“No. Her father used to be, before he passed away. The organization doesn’t allow female members. Delilah only volunteers her help when needed.”
“Still too close for my comfort,” Ivarr added, his expression guarded.
“Well, I wouldn’t tell her what is happening,” Kitty assured him. “I’d just have a general conversation with her and hopefully she’d say something about the Priory herself.”
“Any word on Raim’s whereabouts?” Vadim asked, bringing all our attention back to the main discussion.
“He hasn’t been in touch since he left.” Andras shook his head.
“Have you tried to find him?”
“The last time I saw Raim, he didn’t seem to want to be found. If that’s the case, he will make it difficult for any search party to locate him now.”
“Sytrius could track him,” Ivarr said with a confident half-grin on his face. “Just give him some time.”
“We may not have that much time, especially if the Priory decides not to wait until all of us are Forgiven.” Vadim’s frown deepened. “They may start hunting us one by one now, those who are mortal already. It is important we have a talk with Raim. I believe he knows something, and I want to know what that is. How feasible would an effort to find Raim be?”
“He has quite a few properties all over the world. We know the location of some, but there may be more,” Andras replied.
“Would Raim even want to help you?” I ventured to ask. “Provided you find him?”
“He wasn’t happy with demon-human relationships from the start,” an Incubus with flaxen-blond hair spoke up.
A dark-skinned woman at his side who was obviously pregnant, said, “Garrett is right. Raim fiercely opposed the new agreement right up until he left. Even as he seemed to go along with the release of the women once ordered to by the Priory, Raim still tried to do everything he could to keep Incubi and humans separated.”
“If he knew about the Priory’s secret plans of exterminating us,” Vadim replied, “his motivation for opposing the changes might have been valid if somewhat misguided.”
“What motivation?” Ivarr scoffed. “Concern for the rest of us?”
“If Raim really had any concerns about anyone else but himself . . .” Kitty spoke, her delicate features set in an expression of aversion, “wouldn’t he have shared whatever information he had with the rest of us? I mean if he really wanted to help in the first place, why did he run away?”
“He does not sound like someone who would help in any way,” Natasha agreed in strongly accented English. “Looking for him may be a waste of time and resources.”
“It’s not a matter of Raim’s personal feelings,” Vadim argued. “At the end of the day, he is one of us. Regardless of what he has allowed himself to become over time, the urge to protect must still be deeply rooted in him, just like it is in the rest of us. If we get a chance to talk to him, I suggest we call on that natural instinct in him.”
“I don’t believe there is much of that instinct left, but I’d gladly volunteer to beat it back into him when we find him,” Ivarr muttered under his breath, and Kitty placed her slender hand on his bulging bicep in a placating gesture.
“Well, Sytrius will not be able to leave for any missions for the next little while. He has a family, and he should stay with them,” Vadim said. “But we’ll have to send several teams to check on Raim’s known properties on this continent, Europe and Africa. I don’t know if he has any in Asia.”
“He had a villa in the Middle East somewhere,” one of the single Incubi in the chairs by the wall offered, then added when all attention turned to him, “Turkey, I believe. At least he still had it in the nineteenth century, not sure if he still does, though.�
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“Right.” Vadim nodded. “I suggest we select Incubi from the former retrieval teams for the search party. They are used to travelling and more familiar with the modern world than the rest.”
“Looks like this is going to take some time.” Andras rubbed his forehead.
“Raim can’t disappear completely. He’d have to be showing up in public from time to time to feed,” someone said.
“Unless he has acquired his own Sources,” Kitty suggested quietly.
The idea of some private dungeon full of captive women sent a chill up my back, making me shudder.
“I still believe searching for him would be a wasted effort,” Ivarr said as if to himself, but Vadim heard him.
He inhaled deeply before replying, “Well, for better or for worse, Raim has spent most of his existence looking after our interests. I hope he wouldn’t wish us harm now.”
“Our interests?” Ivarr glared at him. “Didn’t the reason he held on to the position of Grand Master for this long have more to do with his insatiable hunger for power than with his desire to serve his kind?”
“Maybe.” Vadim’s tone remained even. “We could speculate all we want, but the only way to get a clear answer on Raim’s motivation would be to ask him directly.”
AFTER THE MEETING WAS over, the hotel staff brought in platters and drinks. With a brief apology, Vadim walked over to Andras. Pouring myself a glass of orange juice, I got up to stretch my legs.
Aside from the two couples I’d met, I hardly knew anyone here.
Zayne wasn’t arriving in Vegas until the next day. He had been granted a one-day extension of his departure from Minsk, to sort things out with Tanya. As far as I knew, they had their movie date on Saturday, but there was a disagreement after that. Vadim got a message from Zayne after we had landed at the airport that he was coming to Vegas with Tanya and Sveta. It seemed they had been able to work things out between themselves.
I followed Vadim with my gaze as he moved through the room. Ivarr joined his conversation with Andras, all three gesturing energetically as the discussion seemed to teeter on the edge of an argument now.
Grand Master (Demons, #3) Page 23
