Luca's Magic Embrace (12 page)

“Thanks Luca!” Kat kissed him again; this time on the lips.

“Okay, it’s settled then. Now let’s see what I can do about a donor. I’ll go check the list,” Tristan announced.

Eden’s maître d’ kept a donor list at the front desk of willing human and shifter donors who wished to experience the orgasmic bite of a vampire, sex, or both. They wore beepers around their necks that buzzed should they be called to ‘volunteer’. There were private rooms upstairs for these activities that accommodated pairs and groups. The rooms were video monitored for the safety of guests to make sure all activities were consensual and safe. It was against the law to kill during a feeding, and Eden’s state-of-the-art security system kept things legal.

Kat stopped Tristan from leaving and looked over to Luca. “Luca, I’ll feed you,” she offered.

“You sure? I thought you had an appointment. And you need to get your stuff together. We’ve got to leave soon,” Luca said.

“I’ll call the shop and give Sherri my client. They’re expecting me to leave soon anyway. Now they’ll just have to rearrange the schedule a little more quickly. Call it a perk of being an owner. And I don’t need anything else but my purse and cell phone, which I have. As soon as I get to Marcel’s, I plan to go wolf for a while. Any clothes I need, he’ll provide from the pack,” Kat answered without hesitation.

“Tristan, you mind? This isn’t our first time, but she’s still your sister.” Luca was old-fashioned in many ways and felt it necessary to get her older brother’s permission.

Tristan trusted Luca with his life and his sister’s. Luca and Kat had been tight ever since Luca rescued her, and while he hadn’t exactly talked about sex with his sister, he was pretty sure that they’d been together several times over the years.

“No problem. Go have fun, kids. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he quipped.

Luca grabbed Kat by the hand and started up the stairs toward the private rooms.

As they walked down the hallway, looking for an open feeding room, Kat grabbed Luca’s arm tighter and giggled, hoping she’d have at least an hour to make love with him before they had to take off. It had been years since they’d been together, and she was looking forward to reminiscing.

Luca, thirsting for blood, could feel his fangs pushing through his gums. Kat’s blood, heady, woodsy and potent, would surely sate his thirst. As he went to turn the handle to one of the feeding rooms, he froze.
Samantha.
She stared straight at him down the long, dimly lit hallway. There he stood arm in arm with another woman after he’d kissed her only hours earlier. The instant he locked eyes with Samantha, he registered the pain he was causing her.

Samantha stopped dead in her tracks, observing Kat hold Luca’s arms as if they were long-lost lovers. Rationally, she knew that he needed to eat and that he’d use a donor. She hadn’t offered her own blood to Luca. After everything she’d been through, she just couldn’t bring herself to do that. She honestly thought that she understood what it meant for him to feed off of someone else, but there in the hall, seeing another woman wrapped around his waist, she felt jealous. Her anger flared.

She felt like a fool for kissing him, for believing that they could have possibly had a connection. At the cabin, he’d kissed her passionately. He’d acted like he was ready to make love to her. It must have all been a ruse to get her to go with him back to New Orleans, she thought. Obviously he hadn’t felt the same toward her if he was letting Kat put her hands all over him. She felt sick to her stomach at the thought of him kissing that woman, holding her in his arms. But what could she do? He did need to eat. And a display of jealousy would be akin to showing weakness. She would not let herself be a victim again. Biting her lip, she steeled herself and began to walk toward them.

Luca watched her contemplate what was happening. He felt a strange, unfamiliar feeling in the pit of his gut.
Guilt.
No, he refused to acknowledge it. Just as Samantha came within twenty feet of him, he acknowledged her presence with a nod, opened the door, pulled Kat inside and slammed it shut.

Luca growled in hunger as he caged Kat against the door. In anger, he pressed his lips to hers, pushing his tongue deep within her mouth. Sensing his predatory nature in full force, Kat submitted, keeping her arms down and against the door, and kissed him back. Luca knew immediately something was off as soon as he kissed her. That damn witch had cursed him; he was sure of it. He had kissed Kat many times in the past, but now the only picture in his mind was Samantha. Luca bared his fangs, threw his head back and roared.

Kat reached up slowly, pulled off her t-shirt and bared her neck to him. She wasn’t sure what was wrong with Luca but it wasn’t the first time she’d seen him upset. She could tell that she probably wouldn’t be having sex with him like she’d been anticipating, but understood that Luca had something on his mind.

“You’re sure, Kat?” Luca asked. No matter how many times he fed, he always asked his donor. He wanted to make sure he wasn’t taking someone against their will, no matter what their original intentions.

“Yes, Luca. Take me,” Kat whispered.

A split second later, his fangs sank deep into her neck. As he drank, he tried to block Samantha, but couldn’t stop thinking of her.

Kat pressed her flattened palms against Luca’s chest. Then her fingers clasped his shirt tightly as she felt an orgasm rip through her. She reached down to feel Luca’s hardness and had him in her grip, when he pushed her hand away and released her.

His eyes remained red as he fell down onto the sofa. “Fuck!” he yelled.

“Luca, what’s wrong?” Kat panted. She was still riding hard from the explosive release. She knelt before him.

Luca laid back with his head resting on a pillow and his feet up on the armrest. “I can’t, Kat. And I don’t want to talk about it, okay. Just don’t ask.” He closed his eyes, wiping her blood from the corner of his mouth.

“Luca, it’s fine. You know I want to, um, finish, but if you’re not into it today, that’s okay. Your bite is quite satisfying,” she teased and put her hand over his chest. “Whatever it is, we can talk about it later, when and if you’re ready.”

With a pat, she jumped up and put on her shirt. “Luca, since I have the time, I’m gonna run over to the shop and just check in before I leave. I’ll be back in forty-five minutes. I promise it won’t take long.” Kat leaned over and kissed her friend’s forehead.

Luca barely saw her walk out the door, but heard it slam shut. He opened his eyes, which had returned to green, and stared up at the stark white ceiling. He’d gone centuries feeling nothing, and it had served him well. Now he was good and fucked. Guilt. He was sure he felt guilt about being with Kat. And why? Because he’d had a kiss and tickle with Samantha in the lake? No, he’d known there was something there between them ever since the first time he’d stroked Samantha’s hair in Kade’s basement. And now that he’d kissed her, he couldn’t forget the taste of her sweet, soft mouth and the feel of her breasts in his hands.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” he said aloud to himself. Feelings. Very human-like feelings could threaten his entire existence. Yet he knew in his heart that he was done for. It didn’t matter what his mind said or the logic it possessed; his heart spoke and knew what it wanted. He had to have the witch.

From across the room, Tristan could tell that Samantha had been crying. Her face was reddened from her attempts to dry her eyes. He wasn’t sure what was wrong, but pain washed over her aura. He knew that she’d been through a lot of trauma over the past few weeks, but she’d seemed relatively calm during their encounter at the cabin. Perhaps she was having a meltdown after watching the cabin burn? Or maybe she was just hungry? He knew he got cranky when he didn’t eat.

Deciding not to leave her to any of the sharks looking for a hot date, the Alpha strode over and pulled her into an embrace. “Come on, ma petite sorcière, whatever it is, it’ll all work out. What’d I tell you up at the cabin? Go to New Orleans for a little while and then come back. I’ll help you get settled back here at home.” He rubbed his hand over her hair. She was quite petite indeed, maybe five-three, he thought to himself. The top of her head barely reached his neck.

“Thanks, Tristan. I know it may not seem like it to you, but I’m a relatively strong person in spite of the fact that my life has turned into a living hell, and I have no control over what’s happening.” She spoke into his chest, pulling herself closer to him.

Samantha knew Luca had come here to feed, but couldn’t believe it when she saw him with Kat. They clearly were well acquainted with each other, and she knew damn well that vampires often had sex when they ate. She suspected more than feeding was going on tonight in ‘those rooms’. She couldn’t believe that after what they’d shared this morning, kissing and touching each other in such an intimate way, he’d take another woman to bed as if it was nothing. But then again, she didn’t really know Luca or any of the supernaturals that well. She was attracted to Luca, lusted after him, but all those feelings did not amount to a hill of beans when it came to men. Conflicted, she silently sighed. Even though they hadn’t known each other very long, Luca seemed honorable. He certainly didn’t seem like the kind of man that would touch a woman’s breasts and kiss her and then fuck a different woman less than six hours later.

Sensing her tumultuous thoughts, Tristan rubbed his hands over the top of her head and then slowly moved them down her back, sending out waves of calming reassurance into her skin. Given the temperamental nature of wolves, Tristan was well-trained in using his powers to both excite and pacify supernaturals and humans alike. He could feel her muscles relax as they began to slow dance on the floor. She held onto him tightly as if she needed security, a lifeline to hold onto.

“Tristan, I’m okay, really. Thanks. You…you’re a really good Alpha.” She giggled and looked up at him. “I can’t believe I just said that. Okay, I admit that I really don’t know what an Alpha does and you’re the only Alpha I know, but you’re a good person. I would really like it if we could be friends when I come back.” She honestly had never met someone as grounded and down to earth as Tristan before; he was a caring leader.

“That sounds like a fine plan. Tell you what…I’ll teach you all about wolves when you get back…everything you want to know, baby,” he flirted and spun her around quickly as the music changed into a sultry R&B song.

Samantha laughed out loud and threw her head back and then rested her forehead against his chest. “I just bet you would, Tristan.” He was incredibly handsome and charming and seemed to know all the right words to make everything seem all right.

A stranger’s hand on her shoulder and a loud growl jolted her back to reality.

Tristan’s face hardened as he pulled her tighter against him.

“Stand down, Luca, my friend. Remember where you are,” Tristan said calmly with an even-toned voice.

She looked up to see Luca, his eyes a fiery red. What was wrong with him?

“Did you eat yet, Samantha? We don’t have much time before we have to leave for the airport,” Luca asked, irritated that she’d found comfort so easily in another man’s arms.

She reluctantly pulled away from Tristan, yet still kept one hand on his forearm. “No, I haven’t eaten.” She spoke in a businesslike manner as if she’d just met him.

Tristan looped his arm through hers and began walking them towards the bar. “Ah, see here, Samantha. Dinner is ready now. I wasn’t sure what you liked, but I figured most girls like a steak dinner, salad. And who can say no to chocolate cake?” He pointed to a place setting at the bar.

“Thanks, Tristan. It looks delicious. I’m starving.” She kissed Tristan on the cheek and sat down, but not before shooting Luca an icy look that could have frozen water on a hot summer day.

“Luca, over here,” Tristan commanded, pointing to the end of the bar.

As they both sat down, Tristan glared at Luca. “What in the fuck is wrong with you? Don’t you get that she’s been traumatized? I know you don’t care for humans, but you’ve got to give this witch a break. I thought you’d be in a better mood after being with Kat.”