“I want you inside me,” she rasped.
“Patience, balisra. Not until you come all over my face.”
Another of her strangled moans sounded in his ears as he suckled her clit, thrashing it with his tongue. He remained like that, taking his cues from her soft pleas. When she finally came, his name ripped from her throat, he felt like he was the king of the universe.
Getting rid of his clothing took a bit more work, but as he stripped, he watched her, admired the curves of her body, the smoothness of her alabaster skin. She was true perfection in his eyes. Once more he found himself wanting to claim her. He longed for the day when her skin would forever hold the imprint of his scent, her veins filled with his sonavex, the secretion he would pump into her bloodstream to mark her as his and only his.
All in due time, he knew.
For now, he simply wanted to be one with her.
Once he was naked, Kaj crawled over her once more. He snaked his arm beneath her back, brought their mouths together, then rolled so she was atop him.
“Sit on me, balisra. Take me inside you.”
Acadia’s mouth hovered over his as she reached between them, guiding his cock to the slick heat between her thighs. He held his breath as he breached her entrance, pushing inside. The tight clasp of her sex had the air expelling from his lungs in a rush. The feeling exquisite, just as it was every time he was inside her.
Kaj shifted his hands behind his head and watched as she sat up. Her breasts swayed as her hips began a perfect grind over him. Up, down, forward, back. She knew exactly what she needed, and he loved that she was willing to take it. He remained like that, observing, admiring, as she took them both higher and higher. He didn’t move to take over until she’d brought herself to orgasm. Only then did he reach for her, shifting so that she was beneath him, his body laid out over her. He ground his hips to hers, burying himself as deep as he could go.
“I love you, balisra.” He felt the need to tell her as much. He didn’t say it nearly enough, but like the dates they’d been on, he realized it was necessary. He never wanted Acadia to question how he felt about her. She deserved all of him. Not only his body, or the energy source he could provide. She deserved everything he had to give and then some.
He gripped her hip and angled his, driving into her slow and deep. The clasp of her sex held him suspended in that ethereal place that he never knew existed until he’d met her. Somewhere between overwhelming ecstasy and pure, unadulterated bliss. He clung to that sensation as he rode her. When her nails dug into his flesh, he increased his pace, put more power behind his thrusts until the bed was rocking. He fucked her harder, faster, deeper, taking everything she offered and giving the same in return.
“Balisra … I’m going to come deep inside you.”
She moaned, her body rocking with his, a perfect counterbalance until their breaths rasped out of exhausted lungs, their bodies tangled and racing to the precipice.
“Kaj!”
Her orgasm, the way her body locked down on his was what sent him over. He slammed his hips forward, burying himself as deep as physically possible, and let himself go.
“I love you, balisra.” He knew he would be telling her that for as long as he lived.
She didn’t say them back, but Kaj didn’t need to hear them. He knew. He knew deep down that Acadia loved him. Something kept her from speaking the words aloud, but she would when she was ready. Until then, he would simply continue to tell her what she meant to him.
This female was all he had ever wanted and the only thing he would ever need.
She was his very heartbeat.
After the last time Briony had come to his room, told him what she wanted, and stared at him as though he could simply nod and agree, Mirakel had seriously considered keeping his distance. After all, he’d sent her away, neither of them satisfied with the outcome.
Of course, that had been two days ago, and turned out, it wasn’t physically possible for him to stay away. Sure, it had something to do with his blood needs, but not as much as he pretended. Since he’d learned the healers had started storing blood on site, he actually had another option, though he tended to pretend it didn’t exist.
Unfortunately, he knew he had hurt Briony when he’d ushered her out of his room after she had been so candid about what she wanted from him. And that meant it was up to him to apologize.
Hence the reason he was standing outside her bedroom door, hand raised to knock. He’d been there for a solid ten minutes, plenty of time to get his thoughts in order, but he felt as jumbled and chaotic as he had ever since she walked away from him the last time.
The problem was, he didn’t know how to salvage this. Briony had been honest about what she wanted, and he’d been a coward.
Suddenly, the door swung wide and Briony’s beautiful face appeared.
“Are you going to stay out there all morning?”
There was little warmth in her tone, which told him she hadn’t forgiven him for his asshole-ish-ness.
Yes, that was a word. And he was the king of it, thank you very much.
Taking a deep breath, Mirakel lowered his hand to his side. “I came to apologize.”
“Save it.”
Ouch. He deserved that. He did.
“Briony…”
“Don’t ‘Briony’ me,” she snapped. “I put myself out there, Mirakel. I told you how I felt and you—”
He cut her off, nudging her into the room and closing the door behind him. He had no desire for the entire mansion to hear their conversation.
“First of all,” he stated firmly, “you did not tell me how you felt. You told me what you wanted.”
“And the difference is?”
“One pertains to your feelings on the matter, and the other is simply sex.”
Her amethyst eyes widened.
Mirakel stepped around her, scanning the room. It was the first time he’d been in here, and he found it oddly comforting. It was a female’s room. From the white velvet drapes hanging from the ceiling to the floor, concealing the shuttered windows, to the white shag rug peeking out from beneath the bed. Even the furniture was a brilliant white. The color in the space came from the jewel-toned pillows and throw blankets, the emerald-green bedding. It reminded him of the female herself. Unassuming to most, yet full of life.
“I don’t know how to do this,” he admitted, turning to face her.
“Oh.” Her eyes widened. “I didn’t realize… We could learn together.”
Mirakel grinned. She thought he was inexperienced. Wouldn’t that be a thrill?
“That’s not what I meant. I’m not a virgin, Briony. I’m three hundred and eighty-two years old. I’ve had numerous lovers in my lifetime, and I’d always expected I would have many more.” He met her gaze, held it. “Then I met you.”
Her face softened. “Meaning?”
“What do you know about mating habits of vampires?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
“Vampires mate for life. When a male finds his nehadon, there’s no one else for him. Ever. It’s a phenomenon known as mielix zan. It loosely translates to a sexual imprinting.”
“I didn’t realize you had a mate.” She looked sincerely apologetic.
Mirakel moved toward her. “I don’t.” He stopped when he was peering down at her. “But I have imprinted. Which means I’ve found my mate.”
Based on the glimmer in her eyes, he suspected she knew where this was going.
“You, Briony.”
“So the healer was right?”
He frowned. “What?”
“Nothing.” She smiled.
Mirakel took a deep breath. “I can’t control my nature, nor can I change it. And that puts you in a precarious situation. Or more accurately, the other males in this mansion. I know what your duties entail. I know you feed the males within this residence. I get that. But I can’t tolerate it—not even the idea of it—because I’ve bonded with you.”
“A
nd you regret that?”
He frowned. “No. Of course not.”
“Then why do you continuously push me away?”
“You deserve better than me, love. So much better.”
“But what if I don’t want better? What if I want you? You haven’t given me that opportunity.”
Okay, so he had imagined a dozen ways this would play out, but the many times he’d fantasized this convo in his head … that had never been what he’d heard coming from her mouth.
“I don’t know the first thing about bonding,” she said softly, stepping forward, her eyes still locked with his. “But I won’t know if you don’t give me the chance.”
“Is that what you want?”
“I don’t know. But I figure it’s worth exploring, don’t you?”
His gaze dropped to her mouth. He remembered how good she tasted, how perfectly she’d fit against him when he’d kissed her that first time in his room. Two days ago. That was all it had been, but it felt like a millennium.
“I won’t lie,” she stated. “I haven’t been saving myself for anyone. But in that same regard, I’ve never encountered a male I wanted the way I want you. I don’t know what that means, but I know we’ll never know if you keep pushing me away.”
Heaven help him.
“I don’t want to push you away,” he said, his voice so low he wondered if he’d merely thought the words.
“Then don’t.” She placed her hands on his chest.
He covered them with his own, continuing to hold her stare. “Forgive me, Briony.”
“There’s nothing to forgive.”
But there was. So much. He wouldn’t be an easy male for her, he knew. He was highly sexual, his needs intense. It was a character trait unique to vampires. She deserved better than that, but the bonded side of him wasn’t capable of releasing her. The mere thought of another male touching her, kissing her… It was enough to make him mental.
Easing down to his knees, he peered up at her. “Forgive me, Briony.” He knew he’d said it once, but he couldn’t move forward until she accepted it.
Her soft, cool hands cupped his face, her eyes glittering. “There’s nothing to forgive,” she repeated. “But if that’s what you need, then yes, I forgive you.”
Mirakel leaned forward, his arms moving around her, holding her as he pressed his face to her abdomen.
“I never want to hurt you. But I fear I will.”
Her arms curled around his head. “I’m far stronger than you give me credit for, Mirakel. Perhaps you should give me the chance to show you that.”
Yes. A chance.
He wanted that.
With all that he was.
“Mirakel?”
“Hmm?” He pulled back, looked up at her.
“Let’s explore this together. Just the two of us.”
“I’m going to want more than you can give.”
Her smile was radiant. “You don’t know that.”
Oh, he knew, all right.
How else did he explain every other person in his life abandoning him? He’d never been wanted before, and he’d learned over the centuries not to get his hopes up.
As much as he wanted to think otherwise, he found it difficult to believe now would be any different.
Chapter Twenty-Six
A movie.
That was what was on the agenda come morning.
Which meant Bijou simply needed to get through the next eight hours and she was home free.
Of course, being immersed in the middle of the chaos known as the training center wasn’t exactly how she’d hoped to spend her evening, but when Huracān had asked her to stop in to meet the new recruits, she hadn’t been able to refuse.
“The good news is, they’ve figured out how to bed down for now.”
Bijou peered around the bunks that lined one solid wall. Two narrow beds, one set atop the other, were positioned like fence posts for as far as the eye could see. Okay, maybe not that far. If her quick math was correct, there were thirteen bunks—twenty-six beds—in total, with roughly ten feet between each. And like what she’d seen on television, they were taking their cues from the American military. Each mattress had a puke-green bedspread pulled tight with perfect corners on the ends and a single white pillow at the top.
“Will they have more privacy eventually?”
“Yes,” Huracān replied. “We’ll have two to a room. They’ll share a private bath.”
“And the females?” she asked, noticing there were currently five standing in the long line of angels and vampires.
“We’ll be placing the outlier with one of the duets, provided they all last that long.”
Bijou cut her gaze to him. “I assume that’s not a gender bias, Huracān.”
He chuckled. “Not at all. Hell, I suspect the males will ring out before the females.”
“What about meals? How are they dealing with that?”
“The heurosp have agreed to feed them until they have the kitchen in order.”
By in order, Bijou took that to mean built and accessorized, because as it stood now, there weren’t any walls, no appliances, not even running water.
“Mind if I talk with them?” she asked.
“Be my guest. I’m going to assist with the building material that was delivered this morning.”
As the hulking vampire walked away, Bijou headed toward a group of trainees who currently had their heads together and were peering down at a notebook.
“Evening,” she greeted, stopping a few feet away.
Six pairs of eyes lifted and suddenly two of them snapped to attention, backs going ramrod straight, hands at their sides, chins up.
“Stand down,” she said with a chuckle. “Treat me like you would any of the Zenith.”
“But you are the Alpha’s daughter,” one of them countered.
“And you are going to one day be working for the Alpha. I think it’s safe to say we’ll be in close contact for the duration. Might as well become friends.”
During that brief conversation, the other four had taken up similar positions, though they clearly hadn’t realized why they were doing it. And when the first two relaxed their shoulders, so did the others.
“How about we start with names,” she prompted. “My name’s Bijou. Call me Bijou. What may I call you?”
The trainees blurted their name as they moved down the line: Romer, Sariel, Berk, Engel, Koray, and last but not least, Jayke.
Not that she would remember their names. Not immediately, but she suspected as they got to know one another, she wouldn’t have issue. Of course, noting whether they were angel or vampire was much easier for her than their family-given honorific. As a vampire, Bijou could sense her own kind. They had a unique scent. Angels … well, they were masked, which was how she could detect them from humans. Always protected, that lot.
“What are you starting on?” she inquired.
Sariel, an angel, motioned toward the notebook. “It’s imperative we have our living quarters and feeding facility constructed first.”
Smart. She completely agreed.
“We’ve decided to work on the kitchen first,” Romer (vampire) noted, motioning toward the rows of bunks. “For the time being, we have our sleeping arrangements. Not ideal, but livable.”
Bijou turned and surveyed the space. “If you had your living quarters erected, it would give you more privacy from noise, right? In turn, you could run twenty-four-hour shifts on the rest. That way you’re not working on top of one another, plus you’re covering more ground by not wasting even daylight hours.”
Romer glanced at Sariel. “That’s not a bad idea.”
Sariel nodded. “I agree. Plus, we’re looking at simple walls for the sleeping quarters.”
Bijou was surprised to see the two working so well together. Then again, they were just getting started. She figured with time, their individual personalities would start to come out. The leaders would move to the front and likely clash heads, hind
ering progress, while others would hold grudges.
Hopefully they’d make some progress before that happened.
“Hey, Bijou?”
Turning, she saw Blāz strolling toward her. He smiled brightly, his nearly colorless eyes glittering merrily. “Mind giving me a hand? I need to interview a female. Thought you’d like to take a trip.”
Out of the mansion? No way could she pass that one up.
“Of course,” she told him, trying to tamp down some of her excitement. She turned back to the trainees. “Well, good luck to all of you. I’ll be around, so if you have any questions … I’ll do my best to help out.”
The two vampires—Romer and Berk—bowed before her, making her blush.
Knowing better than to wave them off, she offered a clumsy curtsy in return, then fell into step with Blāz.
“I will never get used to that,” she told the male.
“It’s nice to see, though.”
Yeah, maybe.
Still uber-weird.
“Next time, I’m driving,” Bijou told Blāz as the male steered the Escalade toward town.
“You don’t like my driving?”
“This is not driving,” she countered. “This is cruising.”
The male chuckled. “Your father would castrate me if anything happened to you. Since I’ve grown quite fond of my anatomy, I’ll stick with cruising.”
“Where are we meeting her?”
“Coffee shop.” His eyes remained on the road, even when they emerged from the angels’ dhira, offering clear visibility.
“Seriously?” She fought the urge to clap her hands in glee.
Bijou couldn’t recall the last time she’d been to a coffee shop, but she could smell it now. The poignant aroma of espresso, the sweetness of all the fancy things they poured into their fancy drinks.
“Her name’s Leilana,” he said. “The female we’re meeting with.”
Bound in Darkness Page 25
