The Wicked Kiss (30 page)

The atmosphere thickened and pulsed, much as it had the night of our strange kiss. I felt that shift in my brain, the one that brought the vampire power alive. A teasing smile graced my lips. I felt Kale's hunger like a storm coming on the wind.

He took a step back and then another, each one looked like it was killing him.

Instinct commanded me to advance on him, to back him into a corner. Would it really be so wrong? I just wanted a little taste.

“If I do what I want to right now, I won't be able to let you out of this building without bleeding you.” His eyes were wide as panic gripped him. “You barely even feel like a werewolf anymore. Without your wolf scent, I would think I was in this room with a vampiress. A damn powerful one.”

That was unsettling. I held myself in check, the warmth of my wolf balancing the cool undead urges. It was a constant battle inside me. I had to get out of there, or we were both going to lose the struggle for control.

“I'm going to go before we do something we really regret.” Pushing away from the counter, I aimed to fly past him on my way out of the room. When his hand snaked out to grasp my arm, jerking me to a halt, my power instantly reached to touch his.

Like with Harley, there was no bonding. That was with Arys and no other, which was defining all on its own. Yet there was no escaping the way my power sought to taste his, feel it and draw it into me.

“Wait,” Kale gasped, his voice low and strained. Whatever it was that he craved from me, it had him trembling. I could have stopped him; his control was pushed to the limit, not mine. “There is nothing that I wouldn't do for you. Remember that.”

Pressed against him, the scent of leather toyed with my sense of smell. His eyes held hunger, but they also possessed a wealth of knowledge and genuine affection. I allowed myself a moment to enjoy touching his exhilarating aura.

“I will. Probably sooner than you'd like.” I managed a friendly grin as I disentangled myself from him. I paused to give his hand a squeeze. “I'll tell Kylarai you asked about her. I'm sure she would appreciate it.”

I adore Kale. He is easily one of my most favorite people. But, he had a longing I couldn't begin to dream of and something in me spoke to that yearning need. As I headed for the door, I felt the weight of his gaze upon me. It would be best to avoid feeding those hungers, for both of our sakes.

The house was quiet when I slipped in through the sliding door. I was glad to see that the railing had been fixed and looked better than ever. No thanks to Arys of course. Shaz got the credit for taking on the task.

Kylarai hadn't been around when I'd come by the house to go for a much needed four-legged run in the forest. It had been quiet, and when I'd first stepped into the house, it hadn't felt like my home anymore. My belongings had slowly been disappearing, taking up residence at Raoul's. I had been putting off moving my furniture. Raoul's place was fully furnished, and I hadn't the need to do so. It also made me feel like I wasn't completely leaving the house I shared with Ky.

The rush of sexual energy slapped at me when I came inside, pulling my robe closed around me. I padded down the hall towards my room to get dressed when the hush of murmurs and whispers carried to me. Aw, crap. Maybe I could change fast and bail out before I had to hear much more.

Despite closing the bedroom door behind me, I could still hear Julian's animal rutting sounds, and it creeped me right out. They clearly hadn't known I was here or hadn't expected me back for some time.

I got busy jamming my legs into my jeans in a desperate attempt to get dressed and get out. Pulling a t-shirt over my head, I headed for the door with my robe in hand so I wouldn't have to keep wearing Raoul's. I slid my feet along the hardwood floor so that I made not a sound on my way out.

Today they were going at it like bunnies, but three days prior, they had been having a shouting match in the kitchen when I'd arrived. It really was none of my business. I wanted Ky to be happy, but I was starting to appreciate having another place to call home. It was evident that she was enjoying my absence in her own way, as well. Since the beautiful stretch of forest was outside her back door, I would likely be here often enough regardless of where I spent my nights.

I took a moment to admire my car as I approached. After two days in the shop, the damaged driver door was now good as new. My smile turned into a glare when I noticed how close Julian had parked his SUV to my Charger. There was no way he could have gotten out without dinging it with his door. I stalked around it angrily until I was sure that he hadn't scratched my car. It was the principle of the thing.

Raising my face to the fall night air, I inhaled deeply. I couldn't detect anything, but I knew I'd picked up a trace of Zoey's scent while running. I hadn't seen her though.

Raoul's daughter had crossed my mind recently. I'd been asking myself if it would be a bad idea to track her down and try to communicate with her. If that was even possible.

One could only guess as to the state of her sanity. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that I should seek her out … one day anyway.

When I turned onto Raoul's street, my heart soared at the sight of Shaz' little blue Cobalt parked in front of the house. Would my heart ever stop fluttering in anticipation of seeing him? I hoped not.

Arys and Shaz both had a key to the house, but they rarely came by at the same time.

Since Halloween night, when we'd formed the blood bond and the three of us had been intimate not once but twice, they didn't spend much time in close quarters.

I pulled into the driveway and ducked into the garage where Raoul's Jaguar was parked. I made it a habit to check over the property regularly. I couldn't afford not to be careful. I paused to run my hand over the smooth black finish of the expensive car. I hadn't driven it yet, but I intended to use it for my evening hunting excursions. It wouldn't stand out like a bright red beacon the way the Charger did.

Surveying the cold, damp garage, I was again enveloped with the feeling that I was right where I was supposed to be. I was greeted by the heavenly scent of dinner when I entered the house. Shaz called out from the kitchen, and I smiled to myself. He was simply amazing. If the scent of chicken and baked potatoes indicated anything, I was in for a treat.

When he met me at the entry to the kitchen, he held a glass of red wine in one hand and a single long stemmed red rose in the other. Though it was simple, it was easily the most romantic gesture I'd ever received. My heart melted, and I blushed.

“You rock my world, wolf boy.” I accepted the wine glass and took a grateful sip before pulling him close for the hot kiss that I craved. Shaz didn't get many nights off, and I tried to take advantage of every one. “You take such good care of me. Thanks for fixing the railing at Ky's. It looks great.”

He teased me by tracing the outline of my lower lip with his tongue before dipping it inside my mouth to taste me. I pressed against him, careful not to spill the wine. When at last he pulled back, he raised an eyebrow quizzically. “Ky's? Have you officially moved out, or are you still on the fence with that?”

“I'm not sure. I do know that being there when she and Julian are going at it is a nightmare I don't want to face again.”

Shaz chuckled and pressed the rose into my hand. I followed him into the kitchen, watching with admiration as he attended things on the stove. The temptation to rub the soft petals on my face was too strong to resist, and I gave in happily. It was less than an hour later when we were lying in those petals on the living room floor before the fireplace.

I pulled a throw blanket off the nearby sofa, and we got comfortable in front of the blazing flames. I couldn't help but flash back to a time when I'd lain naked in this very spot with Raoul. I couldn't deny how much I missed him, even as I shoved the memory from my mind.

Shaz fed me dessert from a platter of strawberries and chocolate sauce while I played with his near white locks. The night couldn't have been going any better. So of course, it had to get worse. When Arys projected his thoughts to me, it was loud and clear, setting off a domino effect reaction in me.

Wherever he was, he was hunting. His victim's screams drove him over the edge, and the walls between us came down as he tore into her with a savagery that had me shaking.

If I closed my eyes, I could almost see through his as images swarmed me.

She was bleached blonde, middle aged and heavily made up. I had no way of knowing why he'd chosen her. She fought hard, and the thrill that raced through Arys in response was easily transferred to me. Like a rabid dog, he tore into her without holding back. She didn't make noise for long.

I could hear Shaz asking if I was alright as I sat frozen stiff in his arms. Arys' strong emotions were flooding me with more than I could take. His excitement as the blood spilled was what pushed me over the edge. Snapping into action, I scrambled away from Shaz and focused on forcing Arys out of my mind. It was easier than I expected, but the damage was done.

I forced myself to concentrate on the sound of the fire crackling and the smell of logs burning. Anything to combat the bloodlust that rocked me. I closed my eyes so that I wouldn't look at my wolf mate and see food. He wasn't prey to me, but he was still a blood source. It hurt in places that never should feel that kind of agony.

Shaz was no fool, but he approached me anyway, hands held up cautiously.

“Whatever that was,” he said softly. “You can't run from it, Lex. We can deal with it.”

I whimpered softly and hid my face behind a curtain of my hair. The closer he drew, the stronger the beat of his heart sounded in my sensitive ears. I didn't realize I'd started growling at him until he told me to stop. Shaz wasn't afraid of me though, not in the least.

Not a trace of fear emanated from him.

When I bared my fangs at him though, his demeanor changed. The look in his eyes was fierce when, with a solid motion, he grabbed me and flipped me so that I landed hard on the floor beneath him. He used his body to pin me, and it came as a shock to find him dominating me like the Alpha male that he now was.

I grunted when I hit the floor. My wolf was instantly subdued as Shaz commanded respect from me with the action. Though the wolf in me was calmed, there was a part of me that was enraged and then ashamed. I was roiling with emotions, each of them leaving confusion in its wake. I choked back a sob and bared my throat to Shaz, submitting to him completely.

He didn't hesitate to bite me, and it was nothing short of astounding. I hadn't expected him to go Alpha on me. His teeth didn't break my skin, but the act spoke volumes rather than the injury. I was awed and also madly turned on.

“I'm sorry, Lex, but I'm not going to let you worry about making me a victim. I'm your mate. You should never be running from me because you think you're going to hurt me.” With a strong hand wrapped around my arm, he jerked me to my feet. “Call it tough love, baby, but I have to stop this now, before it spirals out of control.” I stared at him with wide-eyed astonishment. I thought I was hearing things when he said, “You're just going to have to take my blood. It's the only way for you to realize you can handle this.”

I swallowed hard and tried to say no. My lips formed the word, but nothing came out. He smiled down at me, clearly enjoying his moment of power. When at last I could speak, I squeaked out, “Why?”

Shaz' hands were rough where he gripped my arms. “You know why. I'm not letting you do this by yourself. You're only weak if you don't let me help you.”

Awe filled me, as well as complete adoration. He was everything I needed in a man and more. But, when he held his wrist out to me as an offering, I paled and shrunk back, shaking my head. “No, Shaz I can't.”

“You will.” His tone held no room for argument, and I did a double take. If Arys had said that to me, I would have told him to shove it up his ass. This was Shaz, though, and all I could do was stare stupidly. When he saw my face fall, dismayed, his expression softened, and he added, “Trust me.”

Was he serious? Trust him? I trusted him more than I trusted any creature on the planet. It was me that I had little faith in.

“I don't want to hurt you.” I peered at him through strands of blonde and red hair as a lock fell in my eyes. He reached out to brush it away, the gesture filled with tenderness.

“It hurts me more to watch you suffer like this. For months now, I have kept quiet about this side of you, but things have changed. Let me be part of this. I'm your mate, Lex.”

There was no changing his mind. I knew that look in his jade eyes. He had made up his mind, and he was taking a stand. I should have been overwhelmed with emotion at his words, but instead I was stricken with terror.

With the bloodlust eating away at me, I was unable to cling to that terror. It fell away from me like abandoned clothing. The pulse beating in his offered wrist drew my eye, and I licked my lips hungrily. We faced each other in all of our naked glory, completely at ease with the naturalness of it.

I watched him pensively, a question in my eyes. Without words, Shaz merely nodded, waiting with acceptance and even a hint of excitement. Because it was him, I didn't snap in a frenzy of blood hunger. However, I was clinging to sanity by a very thin rope. And, I could feel that I was slipping quickly.

I had to do this. It was vital to preventing my quick descent into blood madness, and it meant something to Shaz. If I didn't act soon, I was going to lose it.

With shaky hands, I encircled his wrist with my fingers. I was virtually salivating when I drew in the clean wolf scent of him. I indulged in the urge to rub my face against that perfect skin. Pressing my lips to his pulse, I closed my eyes and savored the sensation of his life force pumping just beneath the surface.

That was all it took, and there was no going back. I bit into his wrist fast, hoping to ease the pain. When Shaz gave a small gasp, I thought I had hurt him. The pleasure that oozed from his energy indicated otherwise.

Once released, the blood dripped fast and steady. I rushed to catch it with my tongue.

The scent, taste and feeling of it in my mouth hit me like a tornado. Everything around me seemed to fall away. Nothing was left in the entire world but Shaz and me in that moment.

Along with the hot, flowing, crimson stream, I took in the freely exuded energy of a male Alpha wolf. It was like having electricity poured over and through me. Tasting Shaz was like sipping from a fount of lively power, one that I couldn't get enough of. He tasted like heaven.

It didn't take much to satiate the hunger for blood. I didn't need it to survive. Not yet.

The craving for the energy high that was building had only just gotten started. My need for my mate was immense, and giving the slowing bleed a long satisfying lick, I began to kiss my way up his arm.

Shaz reached to pull me close. The power ruled us both as we fed it with our voracious desire. He kissed me roughly, his tongue delving into my mouth between my fangs. Tasting his own blood, he shuddered and reached between my legs.

I was ready for him, already slick with feminine moisture. The wolf in me was impatient, needing him now. I needed him to claim me as I had claimed him in taking what he gave. He pressed his shaft against me, long and hard, throbbing in time with his heartbeat. That was all I needed to set off a series of small explosions in the pit of my stomach. I wrapped my arms around his neck and, at his encouragement, my legs around his waist.

He put me down against the soft carpet so that he was above me, peering down at me with eyes that had gone full wolf. Shaz thrust his way inside my warmth, and my body instinctually hugged him close in response. He plunged deep in one long stroke, bringing a small yelp from me that was both surprise and pleasure.