Midnight Falls: Children of the Goddess, Book 4 Read online

  His fangs had already extended, a thin trail of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth and down his chin. She sucked harder, focusing on keeping her own need for blood in check, determined to take more before the aroma drove her over the edge. The world fell away. She could feel were the rocks digging into her knees, his cock stretching her mouth and his heart beating in time with hers.

  “Take more. Take it all, wildcat. He smells of lust. Show him what he can never have.” His words should make her want to pull away, but instead they fueled her on. She felt the head of his cock hit the back of her throat and she swallowed, the muscles tightening around him. His hips jerked, his fist gripping her hair convulsively.

  “You make me weak. I would teach him you’re mine, but I can’t… I won’t…”

  His thoughts were jumbled, chaotic. He tugged her hair, pulling his cock out of her mouth. He knelt in front of her, covering her lips with his own. The taste of his blood on her tongue had her struggling against her bonds, desperate to pull him closer. Yet, though she could, she didn’t break the leather ties. She refused to think about why. She couldn’t think. She could only ache for more. More.

  He ripped his lips away and bent to suck on her breasts. One, and then the other while she arched backward. She leaned on her tied hands, pushing her breasts deeper into his mouth. She felt shameless. Wanting him to have whatever he wanted. Anything. As long as he kept kissing her. Touching her. One of his large hands slid from her back down her ass and between her legs.

  Two fingers plunged without hesitation or finesse into her sex, growling against her breast at what awaited him. “Wet. Mine.” She ground against his hand, needing to be filled with him. So good. But still, it wasn’t enough.

  “Fuck me.”

  “Let me hear your voice. Let him hear.”

  “Fuck me, please.”

  He gripped her hips and lifted her onto his lap. Her legs wrapped instinctively around him, ankles locking, a part of her afraid he’d change his mind. Afraid he’d stop. Oh Goddess, he couldn’t stop. She was too far gone.

  He didn’t go slow, but she didn’t want him to. He wrapped one arm around her waist, gripping her bound wrists with his other hand, causing her to meet his gaze. “Are you mine?”

  “Aye, damn it.”

  “Then bite me.” A thrill shot through her at the rough need in his voice. The slice of her gums increased her pleasure as her fangs extended. He tilted his head, his shaggy dark hair brushing against her shoulder at the motion and her mouth lowered to his neck.

  Her eyes rolled back in ecstasy at the first, heavenly swallow of his blood. Time slowed as her mind sought his. His heart beat in time with hers, and she sensed a wonder that matched her own at the connection between them. She could also feel his restraint, feel the agonized pain/pleasure as her tight pussy stretched for his cock. “More. More. Take more.”

  She tightened her legs around him, tilting her hips to bring him deeper inside her, eager to obey. They rocked together in a firestorm of need and desperation, as though it had been years instead of hours since they last were joined.

  His fist clenched and unclenched around her wrists, his shuddering groans bathing her neck with heat. He pierced her flesh with his fangs, and then she felt him in her body, seeking her mind. She could hide nothing from him. Her past. Her present. Her fears.

  Her orgasm crashed around her and she pushed deeper into his thoughts, wanting to share it with him, attempting to see through the dark wall that had stopped her before. Pinpricks of pain turned to sword thrusts. Liz screamed as the horrifying feeling of her mind being shredded, shattered piece by piece sent her hurtling from heaven to hell.

  “Why?”

  “Get out! Get out!”

  Liz lifted her mouth from his neck, falling off him. She broke the leather straps in time to stop herself from landing on her head, her mind reeling, in chaos. She watched him leap to his feet, his hands clawing at his head, heedless of the blood flowing from his temples as he scratched and pulled.

  “Stop! You’re hurting yourself.”

  “Can’t think. Why did you come? Hurts.”

  He moved toward Jasyn, eyes closed and one hand outstretched. Liz knew he meant to free the Were as he’d promised, meant for them to leave him to his agony, but it looked like an attack. Jasyn, whose hands were bound, swept Midnight’s legs with his own, a defiant growl roaring from his chest.

  The man who only moments before had been lost to passion, was now unrecognizable. He rolled off his back into a crouch, his body tensed, ready to strike. Drying blood striped his face like tribal war paint, and his eyes started to glow with a dangerous light. Liz wanted to stop it, wanted to stop his rage and disjointed thoughts from taking her control, but she couldn’t seem to break the link. She knew he wasn’t thinking clearly. Jasyn and Nicolette would die, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Even more terrifying, Liz wasn’t sure she wanted to. She just wanted the pain to stop.

  Midnight pounced, his body curling, claws extended toward his chained target. Liz opened her mouth to scream, praying to Malcolm’s Goddess to give her strength.

  “Sleep!”

  The voice echoed bounced off the walls of the small cave and Liz watched her lover’s body crumple midair, falling limply at Jasyn’s feet. For the second time in one day, dark spots appeared before her eyes. She. Did. Not. Faint. She slumped to the ground, wondering why the small, blonde pixie above her looked concerned.

  “Hannah?”

  Had Wildman killed him then? She had to be a hallucination. But as the dust cleared around the fallen vampire, and she didn’t disappear, he started to hope. He searched the opening, but didn’t see any movement behind her. “Hannah, honey, look at me. Where are the others?”

  She seemed to be in a daze, biting her lip as she attempted to tear her gaze away from Liz and the slumped man on the floor. “They’re naked.”

  “Yes, they are.” Like anyone needed to remind him. He’d been equal parts enraged, humiliated and turned on watching the lovers come together, uncaring of their audience. He knew it was the vampire’s way of claiming Liz in front of a potential rival. But he soon lost control, forgetting about Jasyn completely. With his dick as hard as a post and Nicolette’s wicked commentary running through his head, Jasyn wasn’t sure the situation could get any worse. For a moment he understood Arygon’s attraction to his own sex. Wildman was pure power, pure Alpha, the way he guided his woman’s pleasure. And Jasyn’s aggression as he’d lashed out at the lunatic had only increased his arousal.

  “I wonder what Hannah would say if she knew you were so kinky.”

  “It’s adrenaline. If you tell her anything—“

  “Oh, don’t worry, darling. My lips are sealed. Somehow I don’t think she’d be able to handle much more excitement right now.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I wish I had a witness to that. Jasyn Dydarren thanking me.”

  Jasyn jangled the chains, every part of him cringing at his helpless position. He may not be able to shift, but even he could sense the danger all around them. Just because the Shadow hadn’t approached didn’t mean they weren’t out there waiting. Without knowing their plans it was impossible to tell.

  Now the one woman in the world he most wanted to protect and keep safe was here. And completely distracted by another man’s naked body. Not exactly the reunion he’d been imagining. “I think he’s already taken, Sheba, but I’m available.”

  He had her attention now. The last time he’d called her that she’d still been human, and blissfully unaware of what he was. She’d spoken differently then, said it was how everyone talked where she came from. Jasyn had thought it was adorable. Everything about her was. She’d told him Sheba meant a sexy woman. He’d called her that the first time he’d kissed her. The first time she’d come against his hand.

  She was biting her lip again, her pearly teeth scraping those perfect bow lips, but this time her eyes were on him. He couldn’t let his feeli
ngs for her distract him. He had to get them out of here. “Who brought you here, Hannah? And how on Earth did you knock out Wildman?”

  “No one brought me here. I followed Liz. And I don’t know. Please don’t ask me right now. Let’s worry about getting you out of those chains and getting out of here.”

  He grimaced. “I’ve tried, believe me. Before you ask, I can’t shift either. The Shadow’s mark has made sure of that. What do you mean no one is with you? You couldn’t have come all this way alone.”

  Hannah stepped over the sleeping bodies and came closer, her head down, blonde bob sweeping forward to cover her face. She smelled…edible. She always had. Like a feast made especially for him. His cock grew harder, pressing against the rough fabric of his pants.

  She didn’t stop until she was standing over him, her small boots planted on either side of his thighs. He lifted his chin and got a good look at her face. Fuck. What had he done now?

  “You’re in trouble, darling.”

  Hannah smiled grimly, and Jasyn knew Nicolette was right. “I couldn’t have made it here on my own? Is that what you said? You slay me, Jasyn Dydarren, you really do. You’re the one chained up and powerless.” She leaned forward, placing her hands on the wall above his head. “Your idea that I’m some fragile kid that can’t keep up, can’t protect myself, can’t deal with the truth,”—her emphasis on that word made him flinch—“is bullshit. If you’d just told me…”

  She closed her eyes, and his heart twisted. If he’d just told her. What? What he was? That she was his mate? Why he’d left for England, this time? That he’d been helping Nicolette, not only to discover the secret the Abaddon Clan was hiding, but also in an attempt to show Hannah he’d changed?

  “All of the above, Beta.”

  “Stay out of this. I know what I’ve done wrong. She would have been mine two years ago if you hadn’t—”

  “I know. Believe me. I was the one cuddling up with the old weasel so you could move around. But she could have been yours long before then, and you know it.”

  Small pebbles and dust fell on his shoulders, snapping him out of his internal argument. Hannah’s beautiful grey blue eyes had left his, looking up at her hands with an expression of shock. He followed her gaze, and his own jaw went slack. The rock surrounding the metal that held his chains in place was crumbling. Hannah’s hands were actually sinking into the wall, making it appear as soft as chalk. Jasyn gave an experimental tug and a shout of surprise when the chains, along with large chunks of the wall, came away with ease.

  He rolled out of the way of the falling debris, his legs trembling like a newborn pup as he stood. Damn he felt weak. Liz moaned, her eyes still closed, and Jasyn knew it wouldn’t be long before she woke, and he had to deal with getting everyone to safety.

  He knocked off the stone attached to his shackles, before dragging the chain behind him and heading straight for Hannah. He gripped her arms and pressed her against the cave wall. “Honey, how did you do that?” Unborns didn’t have those kinds of abilities. They couldn’t knock a vampire out with a word or make the earth move. A horrifying thought immediately sprang to his mind. “Are you claimed, Sheba? Did some vampire make you his blood mate? His grathita?” He spit out the word. It wasn’t possible. She was his mate. But how else could he explain it? And his jealousy at the mere possibility of her being joined to another made it hard for him to think clearly.

  So was her skin beneath his hands. Great Mother, how long had it been since he’d touched her, since he’d been this close? “Too fucking long.” He mumbled the words against her opening lips, answering his own question before taking her mouth with years of pent up passion.

  She kissed him back, a moan of longing vibrating against his lips. He took advantage of her open mouth, gliding his tongue against hers. After a few moments he realized she’d begun to struggle against him, but he couldn’t make himself pull back long enough to hear her reasons. He couldn’t let her go yet. Just a few more minutes. Or eons.

  Hannah had always been his addiction, a constant craving for close to a century. Hell, he couldn’t remember a time when he didn’t want her so badly his bones ached. And now with one taste he was lost. All he could think of was tasting every inch of her, laying her on the ground and making her his in truth.

  He landed close to the fire pit, his breath knocked out of him. It took him a moment to realize what had happened. She’d thrown him. Little Hannah had tossed him across the room. He was weaker than he’d imagined.

  “Or she’s stronger.”

  “Don’t talk to me.”

  “Oh! I’m sorry, Jasyn. I just—it’s just…I…” Now that was hopeful. Jasyn pushed his hair off his forehead, looking at her from beneath his lashes. She was flustered, her cheeks flushed. He inhaled. And not remotely immune to him. She certainly didn’t smell like she’d been with another man.

  “That’s okay, Sheba. I deserved it. I’m sorry.” Her startled expression was another punch in the gut. He’d been an ass for so long that a simple apology sent her into shock. He had much to make up for.

  Hannah shrugged, shuffling her feet and crossing her arms defensively. “I wish you wouldn’t call me that. Anyway, we don’t have time for reminiscing right now. I have to get you and Liz out of here before Nicolette…”

  “Before I what? Jasyn, ask her. Did they find my body?”

  “Where is she?”

  Hannah’s chin trembled for a moment, and Jasyn had to restrain himself from going to her. He wanted to soothe her, take her into his arms and tell her everything was going to be okay. That he would take care of her. “Where, honey?”

  “They took her to her old room above the bar. She, Jasyn, she won’t wake up. She won’t eat. And I can’t hear her anymore. They were talking about hooking her up to an IV when I left.”

  “She’s hurting for you. We should tell her.”

  “No, we shouldn’t. Trust me, darling. Now is not the time.”

  Hannah walked over to Liz’s knapsack, carrying it over to where the Unborn lay, stirring. “We need to get Liz and leave before this other guy wakes up. I don’t know how long he’ll stay under before we get where we need to go.”

  “Go?”

  “I saw a cabin a few hours down the mountain. No one’s been there for a while. It’s better than sticking around this cave, and we can stay there until the others come.”

  Jasyn felt like a parrot. “The others?”

  Hannah nodded, rummaging through Liz’s things until she found a pair of leather pants and a vest. “Kit and Lux. They’re on the way. I don’t know why. I was just planning on having Liz tell me where she hid her plane so she could fly us home. You know, you could be a gentleman and turn around while I get these on her.”

  He didn’t think he should tell her that he’d already seen everything. That he’d watched Liz fuck the man beside her on the floor. That it had made him think of all the things he wanted to do with Hannah. To Hannah.

  “Sorry, honey. We can’t leave Wildman behind. Strange as it sounds, I think he’s connected to the reason we were taken in the first place.” Jasyn bent down beside the rough looking man, gesturing to Hannah.

  When she came closer, he pushed the man’s hair back, away from his neck. Hannah’s gasp had him nodding. “We noticed it a few days ago. He’s got these markings on both sides. Plus, the bastard looks exactly like Malcolm Abaddon, the hero of the Truebloods. We don’t think it’s a coincidence. There’s more going on here than we thought.”

  “Why do you keep saying we?”

  Shit. “I’ve been talking to myself for days now. This guy has no conversational skills.” Her expression softened, and he knew he’d gotten away with his slip. This time. He should just tell her and get it over with.

  “Not yet.”

  “This delusion you have that you’re the boss in this scenario is getting old fast.”

  “I have no delusions, Dydarren. Just awareness. The kind of awareness that tells me she won’t come n
ear you, kiss you, tell you how she feels if she thinks I’m looking over her shoulder.”

  “Point taken.”

  Hannah looked down at the two limp bodies and sighed. “I don’t know how we’re going to get them down the hill, but we should start now or we’ll never make it to the cabin by sunrise.”

  “Agreed. But first,” he held up his wrists, swallowing his pride with a grimace. “Can you use those abilities you won’t tell me how you got and get me out of these?”

  Chapter Four

  The scorched scarring started at his collarbone and curved up behind his ear. Intricate loops that reminded Liz of Trueblood Healer tattoos, but sharper, harder somehow. And they weren’t the soft, ethereal blue that Lux and Glynn Magriel were covered in. They were black as death.

  What had they done to him? Was this why his mind was in such turmoil? And why had they done it in the first place? She rubbed her temples at the sudden, piercing ache in her head. The first time she’d even heard of these dark marks was when Regina had been captured and tortured by Grey Wolf. The bastard had tortured her, then marked her wound, ensuring it would not heal. Now Nicolette, Jasyn and Midnight had all been victims of the Shadow Wolves’ special brand of sorcery. The kind that hadn’t been around since the war. None of it made any sense.

  Liz had woken, clothed once again while she was unconscious, in a small log cabin that smelled of stale human and fire smoke. A hunter’s cabin if the trophies nailed to the wall and draped along the floor were anything to go by.

  Hannah. She’d followed her here, determined to save her sire and her old lover, regardless of her vulnerabilities. Liz hadn’t believed she had it in her. Liz admired her more than she ever had before. The girl had potential.

  Not long after night had fallen, she’d had to escape Hannah and Jasyn’s presence. Between his silent gestures over Hannah’s shoulder whenever she started to mention Nicolette’s mental presence, and Hannah’s evasion of exactly how she’d suddenly gained her newfound abilities, being locked in with what was bound to be one angry, powerful vampire seemed infinitely more desirable.