Authors: Lauren Dane
She’d be far too much for Farrelly to handle anyway. They’d find him rocking and weeping in some corner and that was enough to lighten Clive’s steps.
Clive might be covered in fingerprint bruises, scratches down his back and sides and sporting a few love marks when he and Rowan were done fucking, but they were the best kind of sting.
It was primal. And no one had ever brought it out in him the way she did.
Once they’d gotten into her room and the door closed he backed her against it and she grinned up into his face.
“It’s not like you won’t know where I’ll be,” she murmured, her grin turning into something else. He heard the speed of her heartbeat, knew she
allowed
him to. Knew too—when she tilted her head ever so slightly, exposing the pale as moonlight skin of her throat—she’d done it to excite as well as soothe.
He had a boy’s control around her when she did that. He knew the cost. The tracery of scars on her back were merely part of the ways growing up with an Ancient Vampire’s idea of discipline scarred her. That she was as open and trusting with him was a testament not to him, but to her. Rowan was as ever, a phoenix. A being of fire and change. Death and rebirth.
He licked up her neck, pressing the tip of his tongue against the juicy, fat vein, his incisors grazing to either side.
Her breath came from her lips, shaky. Her skin pebbled against his mouth. He wanted to taste her so badly he nearly shook with it. Knew from one, accidental nick of her lip the first time he’d ever kissed her that she was rich and delicious.
“Are you thinking of it?” she asked, voice gone sultry.
Taunting. His skin heated and he groaned. Human women could be vicious at times. Some were quite good at mimicking that casual tease with a little bit of an edge. But he’d never met anyone but a Vampire who could do it without an effort.
Until she taunted him with the blood she’d not given him access to.
See this
,
Scion?
Hmmm?
Don’t you want it on your tongue?
He knew that’s what she meant when she’d asked him if he was thinking of it. And yes he was.
“Yes. You know I am.” He squeezed her biceps and she shivered, stuttering a sigh. “You’ve had me on your tongue. Inside you. I’m in you still.” He kissed to the hollow just below her ear.
“Y-yes.”
He stilled for long moments. That admission...for her to give that to him after all she’d endured. For her to say it and the longing, the satisfaction that he gave her with that, with his lifeblood drove at him.
“Shall I tell you what you taste like?” she whispered, her pulse hammering against his lips.
“Yes.”
“Coppery. Sweet. There’s a slight spice to you. Cardamom maybe. But you taste like London underneath all that. Like soot and smoke and black cabs and great pubs. You taste like expensive leather goods and private clubs with heavy snifters of top shelf brandy aged with blood. You taste like class and money and power. A lot of power.”
He pressed her harder to the wall, nearly snarling as the breath whooshed from her lips. He rolled his hips, grinding himself against her. She slid one of her legs up his, meeting his thrust.
A groan stuttered from her lips as he knew he stroked over her clit.
She opened her eyes and met his gaze straight on. He nipped her bottom lip and she slid her fingers through his hair, tugging him back to look into his face again.
It hit her then, this game they’d played that got them both off so hard. Dancing on the edge of breaking her skin but never crossing the line. No matter how much she knew he wanted it.
He made her feel safe.
Struck still for long moments, she let that sink in.
No one had ever made her feel safe. And here, in the unlikeliest of males, she found it and though she’d known it for some time, the acceptance of it, and the need to give back to him even a part of what he gave to her drove her.
“You never ask.”
“I know what it would cost. You don’t need to pay that price with me.”
Rowan swallowed hard. There had been a time in her life—mostly all of it until that moment—where a Vampire taking her blood didn’t involve her consent. Or her pleasure. It had been about punishment or manipulation in some sense. It had always felt like a violation.
But it was integral to who Clive was and though he was a Vampire, he wasn’t anything like those who’d used her like she meant nothing at all.
The way they teased had worked itself into foreplay and every time he tortured them both but never violated her trust allowed her to accept the deliciously carnal taboo of it.
Talking about how he tasted had only underlined for her this connection they shared. And that it was good and nothing like what had happened to her before. She wanted him to know her taste the way she knew his.
Wanted too, that increased, deeper connection she’d have with him once she closed that circle and let him drink from her.
Rowan brought his face to hers. “What if?” She grazed her teeth over his bottom lip and then slid her tongue all around each one of his incisors until his cock pressed against her so hard she ached. “We tried a baby step?”
She let go of her fear and slid her tongue against the sharpest part of his incisor and let it break the skin.
Her blood flowed and she let it. Let herself listen to him once her taste hit him. He gripped her tighter with a sound laced with so much desire it stole her breath.
Yes, this was what she should be doing.
* * *
She flowed into him and they went to their knees right there in her room, not breaking the kiss he’d been longing for ever since he’d allowed himself to admit he was in love with her.
So.
Fucking.
Good.
Caramel. Burnt sugar and salt. And power too. Goddess yes, the power from this small sip lit him up. Electric, she seemed to rush through him, filling each cell as though he’d been parched for something only she could provide.
And that was the truth of it.
She broke the kiss, blood on her bottom lip, her pupils swallowing all color in her eyes.
He leaned in and licked, taking that last bit of her.
Before he could speak, Rowan growled, her hands shoving between them until she reached the waistband of his trousers.
He leaned back to give her more access as she unbuckled and unzipped, pulling his cock free. She wrapped her hand around it, sliding up and down a few times until she flicked her gaze up to his.
“I want this. Now.”
Arm banded around her waist, he hitched her up as she struggled one leg free from her jeans and panties before she was back, so hot and wet he nearly passed out as she sank down on his cock in one move.
He managed to get to his knees, keeping his arm around her waist to hold her where he liked, pressing her to the wall to balance as he thrust up into her body.
“Now that you have it, are you satisfied?” He licked up her neck again and she writhed all around him, yanking at his razor thin control.
“Not yet, so don’t forget that part.”
Caught between a laugh and a moan, he kissed her, delighting in the way she tugged at his hair to get purchase enough to grind herself against him each time he slid deep inside her.
“I’ll have you remember my impeccable reputation when it comes to making sure my lady always comes.”
“I like to be reminded, Scion. I’m greedy that way.”
“One of your finest qualities.” He snarled a curse as she fluttered around him.
“I love it when you say bad words because of me.”
“I’m sure you do. Impudent.” He thrust harder, bouncing her and really enjoying the surprised pleasure on her face. “It’s your own fault. Breeding, you see. You had good European stock and you had to go and reject that and turn yourself into an American.”
He reached down between them to stroke a fingertip over her clit.
Rowan tried to soldier on, her words getting just a little slower at the ends. “And yet, it makes you come really hard. Fucking an American, I mean. You like it down here in the dirt.” She swallowed, her gaze blurring for a moment and Clive smiled.
“I like fucking
you
, who happens to be the most American woman I’ve ever met and you’re not even American.”
“We both know I’m a rebel.” Rowan always managed to find the energy to get the last word.
He laughed as he made her come so hard she lost all her words. Her head tipped back, her inner walls gripped him so tight he had no choice but to follow her into climax, fucking her harder and faster until they collapsed to the floor in a tangle of limbs.
Chapter Nine
Rowan strode into the room she’d chosen to be their operation hub for the time they were in Prague. “Let’s get the maps up,” she told David as they both set boxes of files, maps and other intelligence they’d gathered.
A human staff member came in and tipped her head. “Ms. Summerwaite, I’m Gemma, head of the household staff here. May I be of any assistance?”
The woman exposed her mark of service, a gryphon. Her family was nearly as old as Rowan’s father’s was.
She did regret losing that connection. Though she bore her mark, she was not of service. Not like Gemma was. Not like her father had been, her cousins. When Rowan had learned the devastating truth that Theo had been the one to order her parents killed, she’d broken that tie. Had stepped out of a noble tradition she’d been molded to be part of since before she was born.
She’d remained in contact with her father’s family—though she’d never forgiven them for lying to her all those years just as Theo had. She’d let go of a lot of the threads holding them together. It made sense that as a result she was not as close to them as she had been.
But it still left her melancholy sometimes.
Rowan tipped her wrist out as she took the woman’s hands in her own. “I’m pleased to meet you and yes, I would very much like your assistance here so we don’t put tack marks into the walls or anything.” As much as she grumbled about Vampires and their grandiose ways, she had a great deal of respect and admiration for the way they took care of their things and this remarkable home was no exception. She’d never purposely destroy something so beautiful.
Within five minutes, Gemma had a list and she left to procure the things on it with David at her side. Having people to handle details was awesome.
Clive strolled in, smug grin on his face. Not a special smug, just his Tuesday face. She thanked him for the coffee cup he’d put within her reach as she set her laptop up and began to synch it with the other two computers in the room.
Recht entered, looking around, nodding in acceptance. She hid her smile, pleased he’d approved.
David returned and together with Gemma, set up some display boards they got the maps pinned to.
As a group they all seemed to click well enough. Each had a strength they brought to the table and the rest let him or her get on with it.
Though she had noticed Warren leaving some time before and he hadn’t returned. Before she could ask after him, five Nation Vamps strolled in, all wearing some sort of stupid-looking black ops crap that looked like Halloween costumes, with Warren at their back.
“I’ve brought in some of my people to assist us.”
She had to give it to the insufferable prick, he didn’t take no for an answer.
Until she taught him to. “No thanks.” Rowan turned back to the map and her conversation with Recht. “I want to get a lay of the land. I’ve been here a few times, but where Nation Vampires hang out and those on the run might be are two different things.”
At their backs, Warren interrupted. “If you’ll just give the coordinates to my people, they can do your reconnaissance for you and report back. That way we won’t need to waste time. It might rain later.”
She slowly swiveled her body, trying to keep her temper but there was something stupid and annoyingly Vampire going on and it was totally agitating.
“Back at the Keep we set the team. I’ve been clear about the make up of the team from the start. I did not include five Nation Vamps in that team for a reason,” Rowan said with what she thought was a lot of restraint.
“Why make more work for yourself?”
And she was out of restraint. “Because this is my fucking job. It’s
my
work to do. I want to look at these places with
my own eyes.
I want people whose skills
I
trust to look at these places with their own eyes. I don’t know these Vampires, so I don’t trust them or their perceptions. You see what I’m saying here?”
“This is stupid. You have a thing about Vampires and I understand it, but—”
“You’re riding my
no
,
thank you
button pretty hard at this moment and I don’t know why. Do not ever assume you know my motivations when I have told you exactly what they are already. You do not understand me in some special snowflake way. I don’t want these Vamps under my fucking feet. I never agreed to them. They need to not be in my face or my hunt.”
“This is impeding the hunt. Your attitude isn’t helpful.”
Clive moved at her side, letting her fight this one out but she knew it was only a matter of time before he spoke because he was bossy and this wasn’t his territory and he and Warren were already bickering like three year olds with one lollipop.
“I’ll decide what’s helpful. This is a fact and not up for debate.”
“Why are you so opposed to the manpower I offer?” Warren tried some sort of charming rogue thing with his features and she wanted to hit him with a brick.
Rowan curled her lip. “Really? I’m embarrassed on your behalf that you’d come at me like this.”
“Like what?” He turned on that extra lilt in his accent, Irishing it up, the shameless whore.
Clive snorted. “Now
I’m
embarrassed on your behalf.”
Rowan didn’t want this beef with Warren. He was an ally and she liked him most of the time. But he clearly had to have his perception of her shifted away from the Rowan she’d been to who she was now. A power in her own right.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re easy on the eyes, and still, fuck off. You think to yourself that I’m the girl you’ve watched grow up serving The First. And I get it. But I’m in charge and that’s that. You coming at me with some dumb line about extra manpower is an insult to my intelligence and your power. I’m not measuring my dick against yours. I don’t care about your territory. I don’t care about where you sit in relation to me at the table with Theo. This is pointless. Everyone here knows why you brought these guys in. Wrap it up and get them gone because there’s work to be done.”
“You could show more trust, Rowan.”
“Good Lord, man, stop.” Clive, more agitated than she’d seen him in some time, was clearly done being quiet.
Warren glared Clive’s way. “You’re the reason she’s suddenly so distrusting.”
“You need to back the fuck off or end up bleeding out.” Clive’s snarl was laced with violence.
Whoa.
Well, that level of vehemence was unexpected. Clive rarely tossed around the F word like that.
The Nation Vamps all milled around the small room, making her more and more agitated. David touched her elbow, drawing her into the hallway.
“Why don’t you and I go out? We’ll go to the first location. They’re going to be at this for a while and you’re only going to end up having to file paperwork with Hunter Corp. if you actually kill one of them. You can burn off your annoyance and we can get work done. We can even take Alice with us.”
“It’s good you bring that up since she’s standing around the corner trying to hear what’s going on.”
Alice poked her head around and then came out with a sheepish smile. “I think that’s a marvelous idea.”
Rowan knew she’d never be able to shake both of them and it would be good to have a few more sets of eyes so she agreed.
“And I’ve taken the liberty to arrange for a car as well,” David murmured as they left the main house after letting Gemma know they were headed out.
“You know me so well.”
“That’s what they pay me the big bucks for.”
“Oh, you made a joke! I’m having such a good influence on you.”
The car was waiting for them just a few blocks away and it was nice to use her Czech since she’d gotten rusty. She’d also be able to park it securely in the same location, which meant freedom from Nation politics at least in that one thing.
“So, do either of you want to hazard a suggestion on which place to head to first?”
“I don’t think she’s going to be sleeping rough. That’s not her style,” Alice ventured. “Given the relative importance Vampires as old as she would place on the opulence of her lifestyle, she’s not going to opt for anything but the very best.”
David nodded. “I’d like to think she’s sleeping in a crypt under the Bone Church, but I have to agree with Alice. She’s going to be close to the city if she’s here. Otherwise why do it?”
The thought of Enyo hiding out in some country house when Prague was so fabulous? Rowan agreed with them both.
“We can walk to one of the addresses so let’s do that. If a bunch of pompous Nation Vampires have a fully stocked and staffed villa up here, it’s not a stretch to imagine Enyo doing the same.”
The streets up near the castle were lush with trees. There were people out and about but it wasn’t exceptionally crowded. Enough to provide some cover as they shifted from group to group as she circled the block where the large, gated home was located.
There were plenty of Vampires in the area, Rowan knew that much. Their energy was easy enough to locate. This was a good lead, though she didn’t really feel any power as ancient as Enyo’s.
But they weren’t all baby Vampires either.
Alice separated from them, linking her arm with a man standing outside a quiet little café. She spoke in an undertone but Rowan felt the wave of her persuasion.
Rowan took note of a few places to get a better view of the other side of the tall stone wall surrounding the house.
Alice leaned in close to the man and then kissed him, walking down the street away from the house. At the end of the block she tipped her head and Rowan headed down the parallel street to meet up with Alice several blocks away.
“He says there was a lot of activity last week at the house. Mainly in the evenings. Pale skin. Expensive cars. He never saw a female though.”
“There’s an apartment building across the street. I’m going to see what sort of view I can get from the roof. I want to see what’s on the other side of the wall.” She paused and looked up at Clive as he approached. “Good evening.”
“Have a nice stroll?”
Rowan took a quick look, noting the lack of blood. His hair was still perfect and after he fought it was mussed up. “I take it you handled your whatever with Warren. As for our stroll? As a matter of fact we totally did enjoy it.”
Clive’s smile changed and she could tell he was amused. “There’s a lovely little wine bar we’re expected in shortly. Why don’t you come back to the house and we can all talk about it.”
“Because there’s a lot of posturing and dick measuring and it’s boring and makes me want to punch every one of you people in the nose. Except for Alice because she’s a superior specimen. And Recht because he would punch me back and clean my clock.”
He put a hand over his heart. “Even me? I’m wounded.”
“That was some pretty decent sarcasm. It’s the British thing, right?”
He took her hand and tugged, bringing her down the sidewalk along with him as Alice and David followed.
“Don’t think we won’t discuss the way you snuck out of here earlier,” Clive murmured as they got back to the house and David and Alice had gone inside.
“I’m up for that,” Rowan said with enthusiasm.
He nearly tripped over his feet as he came to a halt when she’d responded that way. Which made her laugh even harder. She bumped her hip to his.
“Just kidding, sport. I don’t negotiate with terrorists.”
“What on earth does that mean?”
“It means fuck off. I do what I want.”
“Of course it does. How could I not know that?” His tone was dry, but he was amused. Deep down.
“I don’t get it either. It’s like you’re new here.” Rowan went inside, smile on her face.
* * *
Clive watched the confidence in her stride—along with her arse—as she headed into the operations room.
Warren looked her up and down. “We’ve got a meeting set up with one of my sources in about forty minutes. It’s not far. Where did you go?”
“I went to work. It’s why I’m here.” She looked around the room but said nothing, accepting the Nation Vampires had been sent away because she’d insisted.
And being exactly correct because that’s who she was.
Rowan got to work. “We’ve done some reconnaissance at this address.” She pointed to the map. “Alice spoke with a neighboring business owner who says people who can pretty much be described as Vampires were there last week but it’s been quiet for a day or two. There’re a few spots I’m going to attempt to get a better look from so I’ll head over just before dawn and get into place. Plenty of Vampire energy though. I’m sure you’ve got plenty around here, Prague being the perfect gothic wallowing spot for all the Vampire emo types. So, it could be that. But I don’t think so. Don’t know who they are or why they’re here, but there are a fuckton of Vamps in that house.”
She looked from the map back to the rest of the people in the room. “You said we had a meeting with sources? We’ll handle that then I’ll head back to that house. After sunrise will do me nicely.”
Warren started to argue and Rowan stared at him, daring him to make an issue out of the way she’d taken control again.
They all knew she’d only take so much Vampire politics before she dealt with things on her own. There was no reason to be surprised or even offended by it. She was driven and couldn’t possibly care less about hierarchy within the Nation except to protect her father and, Clive had to admit with great internal satisfaction, him as well.
“I assume we’ll head to this meet with your sources early? So we can get a look at the layout before we walk into it?” Rowan asked.
“I’m not freshly turned, Rowan.” Warren did this thing to his voice that embarrassed Clive on the other male’s behalf.
Rowan only snorted at Warren. “I suppose not. What I’d like to see is a map of the Vamp population within a twenty-five mile radius.”
“You’re mad to think the Nation would share that with a Hunter!”
“I’m going to get you a string of pearls to clutch every time I say something outrageous. I’m totally mad. Barking. And yet, if that villa I was just at regularly housed older Vampires I’d know more than I do now. It could be a guest house. An estate owned by some old Vampire family and people use it when they come to Prague. Whatever it was, I’d have more information. Which would help me track her down. The entire point of this exercise, remember?”