by I. T. Lucas
He’d never heard a woman make a sound like that. It was the sexiest thing ever. Snarling, he lapped up her copious juices, the taste and smell and her gyrating hips finally snapping his resolve.
Practically tearing his shorts off, he pushed up and settled between her thighs, aligning his loaded gun with her entrance.
64
Ella
As Ella gazed into Julian’s lust-infused eyes, her heart swelled with love for him.
“My mate,” she whispered. “Make us one.”
Grasping his shaft, he ran the tip up and down her wet folds, coating it in her juices, then nudged her entrance.
She arched up, encouraging him to press forward. “I’m ready, Julian. Don’t make me wait any longer.”
But he didn’t ram into her as she’d expected. Instead, he eased inside her an inch at a time, stretching her impossibly wide but painlessly. Watching his beautiful face straining with the effort to go slow, she followed a drop of sweat as it detached from his forehead and landed on her chest.
“I love you,” he whispered and took her mouth before she could say it back.
Sweet, sweet Julian, so considerate, so selfless, but she was done waiting, and she wasn’t as fragile as he thought her to be. Wrapping her arms around him, she reached as far as she could, dug her fingers into the tight muscles of his buttocks, and pushed up, impaling herself on his length.
For a brief moment it stung, but not enough to take away from the intense pleasure of being filled by him.
Joined at last.
With a groan, Julian rested his damp forehead against hers. “Impatient girl.”
“Very.” She arched up again, getting him even deeper inside.
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him to fuck her hard, but that kind of language didn’t belong between them. It was what she’d heard in movies and read in books, but it wasn’t how she wanted to communicate with her mate.
“Make love to me, Julian,” she said instead.
And the words felt right, settling between them like a soft cloud, contrasting with the hard length pulsating within her. But the beauty of it was that both were about passion and love.
As he pulled out and surged inside her again, her inner walls clamped around him, wresting a strangled groan from his throat.
As Julian’s thrusts got harder and faster, she knew he wasn’t going to last, but that was fine. They were in no hurry, and the night was still young.
Well, not really, it was probably two in the morning, but time was irrelevant. She’d had a good rest and he was an immortal. They could keep going for hours.
Letting go of his ass cheeks, she lifted her hands to his back and wrapped her legs around the back of his thighs, clinging to him and readying for the wild ride he was about to give her.
Muscles tight, he rammed into her, hitting the end of her channel, again and again, the glow in his eyes so bright that she could feel the heat of it on her skin.
Or was she imagining it?
It was hard to tell with all the sensations bombarding her at once. And yet, she could feel him swelling impossibly big inside her, and as his ragged breaths turned into growls, she instinctively turned her head and offered him her neck.
As his hands clamped on her head, immobilizing it, she experienced a moment of fear, but instead of the bite she’d braced for, she felt his tongue laving the soft spot where her neck met her shoulder.
Even as wild as he was, Julian retained the presence of mind to prepare her, and as his fangs sank into her flesh, it was more erotic than painful. Her sheath convulsing around him, Ella’s eyes rolled back in her head as she orgasmed again.
It was too much.
And yet when his shaft kicked inside her, filling her with his semen, another climax rocked through her.
Then his venom hit her system and she floated away on a cloud of euphoria.
65
Julian
As Ella drifted off, Julian retracted his fangs, licked the puncture wounds closed, and buried his face in the hollow of her neck, still slowly thrusting inside her and riding out his orgasm.
He wasn’t nearly done, and if Ella were an immortal he would have waited a moment for her to float down and started over again. But she was still human, and as it was, this had been the best sex of his life, and he shouldn’t be greedy for more. Instead, he breathed in her scent, feeling grateful beyond measure for the gift of her.
Fates, the intensity with which he loved this incredible girl was overwhelming. She’d blown his mind, changed him from the inside out, and he was never going to be the same again. But it was all good. She’d made him a better man. She’d given him purpose, and he was going to spend the rest of his immortal life worshiping at her feet.
Right now, though, he needed to clean her up and tuck her under the blanket because she was wiped out and was probably going to keep sleeping till morning.
Sliding out of her as gently as he could, he winced as their combined issue spilled onto the sheets. There was nothing he could do about it without waking Ella up, other than maybe pushing a towel under her.
With that in mind, he tiptoed to the bathroom, grabbed a clean towel and several washcloths and tiptoed back, only to realize that he should probably soak the washcloths in warm water.
He was a novice at this, but he was going to learn and be the best mate possible to Ella. A gold medalist at taking care of his girl.
He chuckled softly as he headed back to the bathroom. His competitive streak had kicked in, and as with everything else, he needed to be the best at being a mate too.
It was a worthy goal, though. Probably more important than all the others combined.
Padding back with the wet washcloths in hand, he sat on the bed and cleaned his beauty as best he could, then gently pushed a dry towel under her tush, and covered her with the blanket.
After disposing of the washcloths, he lifted the comforter and joined his love in bed. Snuggling up to her, he kissed her temple. “Good night, my precious,” he murmured.
Lying on his side, he watched her gorgeous face. She looked happy, relaxed, and a small smile was lifting the corners of her lush lips. A wave of pure satisfaction washed over him because he was responsible for that expression.
A happy wife meant a happy life. He’d read or heard it somewhere. And if that was true for humans, it was even truer for immortals.
A happy true-love mate meant an eternity of bliss.
66
Kian
“And I thought Turner was paranoid,” William said as he finished preparing the third cuff. “I understand that he is Navuh’s son, but he’s not Houdini. And if he can open one cuff, he can open all four. But he can’t. I guarantee it.”
“It’s for the psychological effect.” Pushing away from the desk he’d been leaning against, Kian dusted off the back of his pants.
Even though William still used his old lab from time to time, it looked like it hadn’t been cleaned since he’d moved to the new one in the village. He hadn’t used it for cuff making, though. The last one William had made had been for Robert. That was why he hadn’t brought the components to the new location.
Nevertheless, he’d been working on a new design, and Lokan would be the first one to have the displeasure of being a test subject.
Waving with the caliper, William huffed. “If you want a psychological effect, you shouldn’t put him in the nice cell apartment. Stick him in the smallest one and have him ponder the torture he’s about to suffer.”
He clamped the tool on the completed cuff and compared the measurement to the one Turner had provided. It was important that the cuffs fit snugly but not so tightly as to cause injury.
“Turner’s plan to extract information from Lokan consists of several stages, and in the first one he’s going to be treated as well as a guest would.”
“I don’t see how that would work.” William buffed the cuff with a cloth and then placed it next to the other two.
“Neit
her do I.” Impatient for the Doomer prince’s arrival, Kian started pacing. “But I trust Turner. He hasn't failed us yet. The guy is a fucking genius, and I’m not saying it lightly. Sometimes I feel as if he’s taken over my job as the clan’s strategist.”
“If you ask me, that’s a good thing. You can focus on drumming up more business.” William removed his glasses, replaced them with protective goggles, and then reached for his earphones. “I’m about to use the whiny power sander.”
The thing should have been called a head drill because that was what Kian felt every time William turned it on.
“I’m going to be out in the corridor.”
William nodded, waiting for Kian to leave the lab before turning the tool on.
Glancing at his watch, Kian checked the time. Turner’s plane should be landing soon, and since traffic was not a problem this late at night, the Doomers should be arriving within an hour. Not that he was interested in Lokan’s men, they were already in stasis and heading for storage in the catacombs, just in their leader.
He still couldn’t believe how lucky they’d gotten. It seemed like the Fates had been working overtime to bring this about. So many things had to happen to bring Lokan into his hands.
If Julian hadn’t gone to the psychic convention, he wouldn’t have met Vivian and fallen for her daughter’s picture. But if he had acted upon it right away and started dating the girl, she wouldn’t have fallen victim to traffickers, wouldn’t have been sold to the Russian mobster, and would have never met Lokan, who'd become obsessed with her too.
Then there was Turner. If not for him and his connections in Washington, Lokan would have absconded with Vivian and Ella and they would have been lost forever to the clan.
The question that occupied his mind now was what he wished Navuh to believe happened to his son.
One option was to rig the plane to explode somewhere in the middle of the ocean and have Navuh believe that Lokan was dead.
The other option was to hide the plane somewhere and make him think that Lokan had deserted.
Kian preferred the first choice, but in case Navuh actually cared for his son, Lokan could be used as a future bargaining chip.
Until that was decided, though, they had to make sure that Navuh didn’t suspect the clan’s involvement in Lokan’s disappearance. Even if he cared nothing for his son, it would be a matter of pride for him to retaliate against the clan and he would go to great lengths to do that, including hurting humans who he suspected of association with them.
That’s why they were going to hide Lokan’s executive jet in Mexico. Once again, a friend of Turner’s was taking care of that. Evidently, making planes disappear was a service that the private operator was providing for governments as well as individuals.
It would buy them time to interrogate Lokan.
What they would learn from him would influence which option was best.
67
Ella
Ella woke up with a smile on her face, which hadn’t happened in a long time. Being snuggled in Julian’s arms might have something to do with that, as well as a good night’s sleep without expecting a visitor.
Julian had assured her that with the strong sedative Lokan had been given, he couldn’t dream actively. Which meant no dream sharing.
The question was what would happen later. Once Lokan was locked up in a cell, Kian wasn’t going to keep him sedated. Could they threaten him with bodily harm if he dared to intrude on her dreams again?
She would have to suggest it to Kian. After what she’d gone through to help him capture Navuh’s son, he owed her at least that. But that was all the mind bandwidth she was going to dedicate to the Doomer.
This was a new day and a new beginning for her, and Ella didn’t want to dwell on the past if she could avoid it.
“Good morning, gorgeous.” Julian nuzzled her neck. “Did you sleep well?”
“Fantastic.” In fact, she’d never felt better.
Was it the effect of the incredible lovemaking? Or had it been the venom? She felt vital, invigorated, happy.
“That’s good to hear.” He kissed her lips.
She kept them tightly closed. “I need to brush. And pee.”
“Then go.” He lifted the blanket, exposing her nude body.
Her first instinct was to snatch it from him and cover up, but she didn’t.
She was starting this new day with a bang, and that meant confidence in her body, which Julian was practically devouring with a pair of hungry, glowing eyes.
“You’d better hurry, love, or you won’t make it to the bathroom.”
As she swung her legs over the side of the bed, Julian held on to her with his arm around her middle.
She glanced at the towel he must have put under her last night. “That won’t help much if you don’t let me go, and I pee on your bed.”
“Our bed.” He removed his arm from her waist. “I need to go too.” He flung the comforter off him.
Oh, boy. Ella stopped and gawked. He was fully erect, his shaft standing up like a mast. “Is that your morning wood or is it for me?”
“Both.” Smiling, he slapped her bottom. “Go. Before I change my mind.”
If she didn’t need to pee so bad, she would’ve stayed and taunted him some more. He wasn’t the only one ready for round two.
Julian allowed her about a minute of privacy before coming in, and then he joined her in the shower.
She ended up very clean and very satisfied, and then he toweled her dry and carried her back to bed.
“I could get used to that,” Ella said as he put her down.
“Me too.” He leaned and kissed her nose. “I’m going to make coffee.”
Hey, she could get used to that too, especially since Julian hadn’t bothered to put anything on, and she delighted in the sight of his beautifully muscled backside as he headed for the kitchen.
When he returned holding a tray with two coffee mugs and a plate of chocolates, she also got an eyeful of his glorious front.
“These will have to do for breakfast. We are out of everything else.” He put the tray on the nightstand.
“We could go grocery shopping.” She grinned. “This will be my first time buying stuff for my own kitchen.”
“Do you have your special glasses with you?”
Her smile wilted. “No, Lokan took them from us, together with the trackers and everything else we had on. We were lucky that he didn’t think that the hairpins could have trackers in them.”
“Thank the merciful Fates.” Julian rubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost you. I would have spent every moment of my life searching for that fucking island.”
“Don’t.” She reached for his hand and brought it to her cheek. “It doesn’t make sense to get angry over what ifs. I’m here, and we are together, and Lokan is locked in a cell.”
“What if he enters your dreams again?”
“I give you permission to beat him up if he does.”
That got an evil smile out of him. “I’m looking forward to it. I don’t want him anywhere near you ever again. That evil son of a bitch is handsome. Takes after his monster of a father.”
Ella leaned and kissed Julian’s lips. “He can’t hold a candle to you. You are a god even among immortals.”
The smile got even wider. “I think I just grew an inch.”
She glanced down. “I’d say.”
“Lusty wench.” He picked up a chocolate and put it in her mouth. “I would happily join you in bed for round three, but I need to feed you something healthier than chocolates, and the house is empty of food. We have to either go shopping or hit the café.”
She grimaced. “I don’t want to go to the café. We won’t have a moment’s peace there, with everyone wanting details of what went down. But I can’t go grocery shopping without my glasses. I think we have no choice but to go to my parents’ house.”
“Your mom invited us for brunch.”
“I know. I heard her. I just didn’t want to open my eyes.” She sighed. “I wish I were truly free, and that includes the Russian giving up on finding me.”
“You should have let the Guardians kill him.”
She waved a dismissive hand. “I’m glad I didn’t. The roadblock operation was much safer for everyone than the fake fire Turner planned to set on the Russian’s estate. No one got hurt, and I’m grateful for that. Besides, it’s not a big deal. I don’t plan on leaving the village often.”
“What about college? You said you were going to find one in the area and commute.”
“I found an even better solution. An online university.”
He arched a brow. “Since when do they teach nursing online? It’s a hands-on occupation.”
“I decided to study something else. I wanted to be a nurse to help people, but I can help more by organizing charity. My mom and I checked, and we found an accredited online bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management. I can do that while running the charity. Which reminds me.” She jumped out of bed. “I want to check how it’s doing.”
She opened the suitcase, which was still on the floor where Julian had put it last night, pulled out her laptop, and hopped back in bed.
Sitting cross-legged even though she was nude, which was a testament to how comfortable she was with Julian, Ella booted it up. Hopefully, it had enough charge left for a short session.
“Oh, wow. It keeps on growing. No major donations, but tons of small ones. We’ve collected close to thirty thousand.”
“That’s great news.” Julian didn’t sound overly enthusiastic.
“I know it’s a drop in the bucket, but we’ve just started. It will grow exponentially, you’ll see.”
“Fates willing.”
“Oh, they are.”
As his phone started buzzing, Ella remembered that hers was gone. “I hope the Guardians captured the Doomers who had our purses. The clan phones are in there. If they fall into the wrong hands, they can be reverse-engineered.”
