Night Hungers (13 page)

Zane decided she liked this kid. She had a smart mouth and knew what she wanted.

Zane wanted to tell her that if anything happened to her she’d not like herself much either, but decided this wasn’t the time.

Shifting to the bird Zane went to just above the boulder then shifted back again.

Exhaustion was weighing heavily on her. She was losing blood, but she knew that she was Emma’s only chance. Her plan was to cut the wire and then materialize below to catch it. She knew that all the shifting was going to make her slower so she would cut through the wire just enough so that she had a few extra seconds.

“Okay, kid. Steady now. Okay?”

“My name is Emma, not kid. And you be careful too, Miss Zane.” She watched as Emma stiffened her legs. “Okay, I’m ready.”

Taking a deep breath and closing out everything around her Zane cut through the wire. She just managed to catch the larger boulder a few inches from the child’s head.

Tossing it to the side, Zane dropped to her knees. Her left wrist was broken and from her shoulder all the way down each arm was cut and beginning to bruise. The wound in her thigh and calf were open again and the wound in her chest was bleeding badly. Zane wanted to drop, but she still had to get the kid back over the wires and home yet.

“Kid...Emma, you okay?” Zane knew her voice was low, but Emma must have heard.

“Yes. But you look awful. Thank you for saving me. Can I go home now?”

Zane cut the wires from her. “Just give me a minute, okay?” Zane sat down hard.

There wasn’t any way she could transport them both. “I have to carry you home. Will the big cat scare you?”

Emma whimpered slightly. Zane knew she would be scared. Her panther was huge, especially to a kid. Reaching into Emma’s mind to compel her not to be afraid, Zane found the memory of her uncle’s birthday gift.

“Okay, kid. But if you tell anyone I did this I’ll never speak to you again.” Zane shifted into the beautiful carousel horse. The horse was a bright white with a mane of bright green and red hair. Her hooves were golden and the saddle a dark blood red. Emma scrambled on her back when Zane dropped down for her.

Taking several small steps to try and control the pain of running on a broken leg, Zane just managed to leap over the trip wires. Sending out a compulsion to keep other animals away until she could return to disarm it Zane turned to take Emma home.

Zane nearly fell over when she tried to take another step after the jump. Everything, every part of her, was screaming in pain. But suddenly Emma laughed. A delighted child’s laugh then she leaned down and kissed Zane on her long neck.

Zane knew then that she’d get the kid home if it killed her. She was taking her to the masters house as he was the closest. It would take them about thirty minutes to get there, so she reached out to the master.

“I have the child. I’m bringing her to you. I still have to go and get Aiden to
shelter.”

“Thank goodness. Is she all right? I’m telling her parents now. Tristan is frantic
with worry about his brother.”

“Yes, she’s fine—cuts and bruises, but nothing that won’t heal quickly. Aiden is
hidden from the man who drugged him. He is below the ground. I’ll take him...I’m
injured and I can’t make this trip again. I can get him to safety and I know he’ll be well if
you would allow me this. Could you...the queen will... I can’t work again. Not until I heal
more. Do you think, sire, that you could—”

“You have done so much for me, for my Kiss, Zane. Let me worry about the queen.

Thank you, Allison Zander. I owe you...my Kiss owes you a great deal.”

When Zane stopped in front of the mansion Tristan, Bailey, Sara, and Aaron came out to greet her and take the child. Emma was in her mother’s arms almost immediately.

With the burden of the kid off her, Zane shifted again. She nearly fell, and would have too if Sara had not caught her.

“You need to feed. Here, take mine. It’s powerful and will sustain you quickly.”

When Zane backed away, Sara advanced toward her. “Don’t be a stubborn ass, Allison, take the damned blood.”

“No. Your blood would poison me. And for as much as I would normally relish the consequences, the queen has made it impossible for me to die. I have to go.” Zane turned to Emma. “Kid, you did all right.”

Shifting, Zane went to get Aiden to shelter. The sun was minutes from its peak. So putting on some extra speed, expending energy that she didn’t really have and could ill afford, Zane made it to where his body was buried beneath the vines and earth.

Zane shifted back to her human form for what she knew would be the last time until she could rest and heal. She wrapped her body around his and took them both to her lair.

She had just managed to get them into the dark room when her body simply shut down.

She couldn’t even summon the energy to get them to the bed, but on the floor near it. Her last thought before blackness claimed her was that he was going to be sore from this.

~~~

Aiden woke to a strange place. He tried to remember what had happened that would have had him on the floor then remembered the darts hitting his body as a panther.

Rolling to his side he landed on another person. He knew immediately it was Zane.

Summoning lights, the room glowed with hundreds of candle lights shimmering off the darkened walls. Looking around her lair he wondered again why they were on the floor and not the huge bed just beyond them.

Standing up, Aiden leaned down, pulled her into his arms, took her to the bed, and gently laid her down. Finding a bedside lamp, he turned it on. His breath caught at the sight of her.

Blood was smeared all over her face. Her eyes, closed, had dark circles beneath them. Bruises covered her jaw and her cheek. Dried blood ran along her neck from her ear. Her right wrist was broken and when he gently touched it she whimpered in her sleep. Commanding her into a deeper rest, Aiden set the bones. The wound in her chest was open, and sliding off the edge of her bed, he went to see if he could find a first aid kit. Finding nothing more than a band aid and some peroxide, he went back to the bedroom.

Aiden tried to think what to do. He could heal her with his blood, but she would be pissed. He could call Mel to her, but knew that Zane would be even more pissed. Smiling, he leaned into the bed near her ear. “Zane, you’re my mate, and as such I need to heal you. If you don’t have a problem with me providing for you just remain quiet.” Aiden grinned again. “Okay then.” Putting his wrist to his mouth he bit deep to bring his blood flowing quickly. Pressing it to her mouth, he tilted her head back and whispered to her.

As soon as her mouth filled, she swallowed.

Watching her feed from him made his cock swell with need. Trying for something to distract him, anything, Aiden reached for his brother.

“Christ! I’ve been worried sick. Where are you? Aaron told us yesterday that Zane
was getting you to safety, then nothing. For all we knew, you both could have been
killed.”

“Tristan, Zane is my mate. I don’t know what to do about her. She saved Emma,
didn’t she?”

“Yes. Emma said she’s rude and doesn’t say ‘please’ and ‘thank you,’ but she liked
her.”

Aiden chuckled at that. That sounded just like both of them. He wished he could have seen them together. He looked down at Zane. He could see her being rude to Emma.

But she had saved her too.

“Zane was hurt. Her wrist was broken and there are bruises all over her. Her
wounds are...I’m feeding her. She’s going to be really mad at me when she wakes.”

Aiden could feel his brother’s laughter.
“I believe, brother dear, that is a gross
understatement on your part. I believe you might have been a bit luckier with the man
who tried to kill you.”

Aiden thought his brother might be correct.
“She knew more than me about what was
going on. I walked right into a trap. I’m not even sure how I got back here.”

“Aaron said that she had the earth cover you from whoever it was that drugged you.

When she dropped off Emma at the master’s she looked exhausted. Sara tried to feed her
but…”

Aiden knew whatever had happened he wasn’t going to like. Zane was proving to be more stubborn than even he was. And that was saying a great deal.
“But what? Why
didn’t she...is it because Sara is pregnant? She’d told Sara that when she was there when
the master’s house had been shot.”

“Sara’s pregnant? Damn! No, Zane said that Sara’s blood would poison her. Aiden,
she also said that while it would make her sick, death was being denied her by the queen.

Do you know what that’s about?”

Aiden glanced at the woman now stirring on the bed. When she sat up and glared at him he knew without a doubt she was going to make him pay for feeding her. He answered his brother before closing the connection.
“No, but I intend to find out. Kiss
Emma for me, brother dear. I’ll contact you later.”

Aiden shifted around so that he was facing Zane, but just far enough away that he had time to brace for whatever she threw his way. And he had no doubt she would throw something. “How are you feeling, Allison? My brother said Emma is fine.” Aiden shifted on his feet slightly when she stood up.

He groaned when she started removing her t-shirt. When it came up over her head and bared her back he saw the sword. When he took a step forward to touch it, touch her, he stopped when she turned and suddenly threw a knife.

“You stay the fuck away from me, you bastard.”

Aiden could barely take his eyes from the quivering knife that landed between his feet. It landed dead center with the blade a good inch in the polished wood floor.

“Allison, you were—”

“You had no right! I saved you. I brought you here to save you and this is how you repay me? By feeding me your blood? I told you no!”

“I have every right,” Aiden shouted back at her. “Damn it, you were hurt, bleeding. I couldn’t sit by and let you suffer needlessly.”

When she started forward he braced himself for whatever she was planning. When she reached down and pulled the blade from the floor he thought for a second she was going to bury it in his chest. But before she could do anything he noticed her bared breasts.

~CHAPTER 15~

Zane looked down at her breasts when Aiden continued to stare at her. Cupping her hands around them, trying to hide them from his view, had him stepping to her.

“Don’t, Allison. Let me...Christ, but you’re beautiful.” His voice was husky and low.

It did things to her body she’d not felt in…well, never before.

When he cupped his hands over hers and lifted them with his her breath caught. Then when he smoothed his thumbs over the top swell of her she closed her eyes, not wanting him to see the affect he was having on her. But she couldn’t stop the small moan when he ran his tongue along the same path.

Aiden’s tongue was hot and wet as he moved it along her other breast. When he gently moved her hands away and filled his with her breasts, Zane felt the ground tilt beneath her.

“Please...I...please, Aiden.” Zane hated to beg, but she needed more, more of what he was doing to her and more of what she was sure he could do to her.

Aiden seemed to understand and picked her up by cupping her ass in his hands and lifting her up so that her breasts were right at his mouth. As soon as her back touched the wall behind her he pulled her nipple deep into his mouth. Every nerve in her body felt him. Wrapping her legs around his waist Zane buried her fingers in his hair and held him to her.

“Baby, if you’re going to stop me, now would be the time. If not, I’m going to move us to that big bed and fuck you until we can’t move. Tell me, Allison, tell me you want me as much as I want you.”

Zane’s hissed “yes” had her flat on the bed quick. His mouth moved up her shoulder even as she moved her hands to the front of his shirt. As soon as she touched it, it disappeared. Aiden pulled back to look at her.

“Nice trick. Can you make us both naked? I need to feel your body beneath mine now. Right now, Allison.”

Aiden’s pants disappeared next, along with his boxer briefs, shoes, and socks. Zane reached down and cupped his cock in her hand. He was thick and hard. And the small pearl of cum on the tip made her mouth water. Thumbing it off, she brought it to her mouth and suckled it. Aiden growled deep.

“Take them off. Take them off before I tear them from your body,” he growled in her neck.

As suddenly as his clothes disappeared, hers did as well. Aiden leaned up on his hands and looked down both their bodies. His cock throbbed with apparent need and even her tight curls were wet with her cream. Aiden leaned further back on his knees. Zane whimpered.

But when he began stroking his cock with his left hand, he entered her with his fingers of his right. Zane could feel her body responding to what he was doing; the in and out motions matched what he was doing to his cock perfectly.

“Aiden, please stop playing with me. Fuck me.”

Aiden’s smile was pure sin. “So impatient. But so am I. Zane, look at me. I won’t bite if you say no. But I’m going to fuck you. Hard. And until you scream. But I won’t take you without your permission.”

Zane wanted him to. She wanted to feel his fangs sink deep into her throat as he filled her. But she didn’t want him hurt if the queen changed her mind or if she granted Zane’s wish of being set free.

“Not yet. Please. You need to talk to the queen first. You have to know what I am, who I am, and what I’ve done.”

Aiden leaned forward and, as he covered his mouth with hers, she saw the hurt. She hadn’t meant to hurt him. But as soon as she felt his cock at her entrance she forgot everything else for the moment. Scared for the first time in decades, she screamed when he slammed deep into her, breaking through her virginity quickly.