Night Hungers (20 page)

“You didn’t tell him. Zane, you are an important part of his life. You and he will need to—”

“Look, MacManus, when I want you to meddle in my life I’ll let you have at it after your queen. Right now I’m making arrangements to meet with you because you requested it. That in no way, shape, or form gives you any rights to my personal life. You know, you people really need to get a life if all you have to do is screw around in others’. I’ll be at your house in an hour.”

She hung up. It was bad enough that she felt guilty that she hadn’t thought of telling Aiden, but these people didn’t have to rub it into her face too. She was nearly out the door when she had to return and clean up her tools. Damned man nearly made her forget the most fun she had all day, cleaning up and organizing her tools. Shifting to her panther just on the outskirts of town Zane moved along the perimeter of the city limits until she was about a mile from their home.

The first dart hit her in the shoulder and made her stagger. The second hit her in the hip and she could feel the effects racing though her body in seconds. By the time the third hit her in the hip again, she was going down. She reached out as quickly as she could and found Aiden.

“Drugged. Can’t talk. Listen. One mile northwest of the driveway. Don’t follow.

Dangerous.” Then everything went black.

~CHAPTER 21~

Aiden paced. He didn’t know what else to do but to pace. It had been two hours and he felt as if the entire world had slowed just to annoy him. He wanted to go after her, go out to where she said she was and find her, beat her ass, then make love to her all night.

He glared at the queen once again.

“Listen here, young man. If I wanted a man to look at me all pissed off the way you are right now I could have stayed home. As it is I’ve got Shamus driving me insane because he is under the misguided impression that I need him to hound my every waking hour. Sit down.”

There was just enough compulsion in her voice to make him sit. He wasn’t any happier with sitting across from her than he’d been pacing the room and he wanted to make sure she knew it. “She said that she’d been drugged. I could go and see if I can find her based on the location she gave me. I want you to take these fucking…” Aiden took a deep breath. “Please take the hold off the doors so that I may leave. Please.”

“Better. Much better. At least you left the threats out this time, but still no dice. You stay here until I know what is going on. I can’t let you run…Duncan, how does the saying go? I can’t let you run how?”

Aiden was going to scream. Who cared about a stupid saying? He was about to stand again when she simply looked at him with a raised brow.

“I believe it is ‘run about willing kneeling,’ mistress. Master Aiden, would you care for some refreshments? Miss Penny has made a delightful can of pie with a heavy cream.

Though I have not figured out how this particular cream has any more weight to it than the milk I purchase for the children. I can bring you some if you like.”

Aiden stared at Duncan. He rested his head on his fist and simply stared at him.

There was no hope for it, Aiden was locked in an asylum and they’d thrown away the key.

“It’s run about willy nilly. And canapé, not can of pie. Cream is heavier because…you know, I don’t care. Please let me go and find—”

The door from outside opened in the spacious kitchen and in walked Bradley and his mate Airic. Aiden groaned. More people, and why the fuck could they come in and he couldn’t go out? He stood up to go while the door was still open. He was nearly there when Aaron spoke up behind him.

“If you go out that door I will drain you. She said to wait. And you will wait. And will you stop that infernal pacing? Christ, you people walk all the time. When was the last time any of you just sat down and worked a problem out by thinking? All this back and forth makes me dizzy.”

Aiden looked at Aaron. Aiden decided that he had to die first, right after the queen.

He was going to make them suffer too. He started going over a list of things he was going to do to them both when he felt the first small touch of Zane. He had to sit down quickly.

Everyone in the room, including the children, stopped and started at him.

“Aiden, I’m at my lair. Can you…do you remember how to get here? I’m still a little
fuzzy, but I’m getting much better. I have some information for everyone, but I need you
to come here first. I need t…I need to feed from you. Can I do that?”

“Of course, love. I’ll be right…you will need to tell the queen. She is holding me
prisoner here until I hear from you and I’m not sure she will take my word that you have
contacted me.”

Aiden knew the exact moment that she had contacted the queen. Mel looked relieved and a little pissed. Aiden wondered what Zane had said to her. It would have been great to have been a part of that conversation.

“She is at her lair and is waiting on you. Though I’m half tempted to keep you here out of spite. That woman can try my patience more than any one person I know. Go. And I expect you both back here in an hour. No screwing around and I mean it.”

Aiden left the kitchen and was standing next to Zane’s bed in a moment. He had the ability to materialize wherever he was needed for very long distances, as all of his family did. But only so long as he’d been given permission to enter a home could he go there.

He looked down at her.

There were small injuries to her shoulder he could see from what appeared to be small puncture marks. He wanted to look over her entire body, but for now he was just happy to see her. He lay down next to her on the big bed and pulled her into his arms.

“You really all right? I was so worried about you that I wasn’t sure what to think. Do you know who did this?”

“No. Please, I need you so badly. You can make the poison run out of my system faster by letting me feed.”

Aiden turned toward her and pulled her close. Her body felt cooled, almost cold to him. When he felt her tongue run across his vein he groaned and his cock hardened. As soon as her fangs sank into his flesh he rolled her over to her back and covered her with his body, warming her as best he could. Her answering moan made him glad they were lying down. He was sure he’d not have stood long with her doing the things she was doing to him and feeding.

When she pulled back after licking the tiny wounds closed. Aiden looked down at her. She already looked better. Her cheeks where rosy and her lips, pale before, were a deep pink. Aiden couldn’t help himself; he leaned down and captured her lower lip with his teeth.

“The queen said we only have an hour to get back to her and the others. I’m not sure what she would do to us if we were late, but I’d certainly like to find out if you’re up to it.” He rocked into her soft folds.

“Hummm, I’m not sure she can…oh yes, again.”

He moved again, this time with more pressure to her pussy. His cock ached to be released. Released from his tightening pants, then pounding deep into her. Zane wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer as she ran her feet down his naked calves.

She had removed their clothes again.

“I love that trick. I think that is by and far the most useful thing you can do.” He moved until his cock was just at her entrance. “I’m not going to take my time with this, love. I need to fuck you hard and fast. I need to spill my seed deep into your pussy.”

For an answer Zane moved up as he entered her. Her heat wrapped around him tightly and he felt the ripple of her body adjusting to his. It made him shudder with profound need. But he wanted more this time. He wanted to take her deeper. Pulling out, she whimpered and wrapped her legs tight around his hips.

“I want you from behind. Sit up and roll over. I want your sweet ass up here where I can fuck that tight hole with my finger while I fuck this pussy of yours hard.”

Zane rolled over quickly and before she could move to her knees, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back and up with his right arm. He had his cock ready to take her the moment she was where he wanted her to be. With one driving push, he was seated deep inside of her.

“Christ, you’re hot. Put your head down, baby, and hang on. I can’t wait any longer.”

Gripping her hips and pulling her back to him, Aiden held her still as he pulled out to the tip of his engorged cock then slammed into her. Over and over he did this until sweat poured down his back and over his eyes. Leaning over, he ran his fingers over her hard clit, gathered her cream, and brought his hand to her ass. Holding her ass cheeks open, he massaged her cream all over her tight pucker until he was sure she was wet enough. This time, instead of working her up by stretching her, he plunged his finger deep. He stopped when her cry echoed around the room.

“Please, Aiden, don’t stop. I beg you. More, I need more.” He couldn’t stop now, not when she needed him.

Moving deep into both her pussy and ass Aiden started a rhythm of in one place and out the other, keeping her filled with him over and over. When he moved a second finger into her she didn’t even slow her backward push, but pressed herself harder against him with each movement. Aiden wanted her to come, needed her to come with all he was.

Pulling out of her ass he leaned over her inert body and rested his hands on either side of her shoulders. He had the leverage he needed to take her even faster. When she bared her neck for him, Aiden nuzzled deep and, with a quick swipe of his tongue, bit.

Her climax rippled along her body inside and out. His cock felt strangled for a moment then she started to pull him deeper. His own climax roared though him so quickly that he was breathless with it. Sealing the prick marks Aiden collapsed on top of her and decided if he were to die right now, he’d die a very happy vampire. Rolling over, he pulled her with him.

“Mel is pissed. She said that she hoped we enjoyed ourselves while everyone was waiting on us.”

Aiden chuckled. “And what did you tell her? It was no doubt very sorrowful and full of remorse.”

Zane snorted. “I told her that if she got fucked more often she’d be in a much better mood and to leave us alone. She said she was going to make you a eunuch if you didn’t obey her.”

Aiden felt his cock twitch at that thought. Before he could comment on that and have them hurrying to the mansion, Zane spoke again.

“I told her she could try, but Shamus would be suffering right along with you. She said she would leave all your manly parts alone.”

~~~

Simon moved along the room again. He was livid and he wanted to make sure that the idiots with him were very aware of it. He tossed another dagger at the wolf currently tied up on the wall. The blades weren’t silver so the fool would live through it…so long as Simon didn’t hit his heart, but he was going to make sure the next time he sent them on a mission they fucking did what he wanted.

“You claim you hit her, yet still there is no body to bring back to me. What the hell am I supposed to believe, that she disappeared? That some…I don’t know, creature from the black lagoon took her into his hidey hole and hid her from you? A body just doesn’t disappear no matter what you think. If you had hit her as many times as you said, then her body would fucking”—he threw another knife—“be”—then another—“there.” This one came very close to his beating heart.

Simon turned and leaned on the desk. He was furious and he was nearly at the breaking point of killing everything in the lab and anywhere else he could find someone to kill. Taking several deep breaths, he stayed there until he thought he was back under enough control so as not to take anymore lives today.

“Get that piece of shit out of my sight.” The second wolf jumped to do what Simon wanted. “I want patrols up and down that street twenty-four-seven until you either find a body or you find her. I want her found and I don’t give a shit how you do it.”

The wolf turned and looked at Simon. He didn’t know why, but he just knew whatever was going to spew from his mouth was going to piss Simon off again and he wasn’t sure he would be able to keep himself from murdering him. Taking a deep breath again Simon raised his hand to stop the wolf.

“If you value your miserable life, you will not say or ask whatever it is you’re thinking. I will kill you and him if you do.”

The wolf seemed to contemplate it, but in the end left the room. He was carrying his friend over his shoulder as he walked out the door. Simon watched them, waiting, or maybe even hoping, that he would decide to ask whatever it was anyway so that he could kill them both. When the door shut, Simon sat down and pulled the folder to him.

Two days ago he’d gotten a call from someone that Sherman had trusted telling Simon that Zulu Alpha Nine was alive. He didn’t believe him and told the man that he needed more proof than his word. Today a thick file showed up at his home. Inside it was not only what
it
had been doing since the lab incident, but also pictures. And not all of them of Zulu Alpha Nine, but also of
its
“work” that
it
had been doing.

It was an assassin. And by the pictures
it
was a damned brutal one too. The file didn’t say who
it
worked for, nor did it say how this person had gotten the information but it was
it
all right.

There was also information saying that it was working for or associated with the MacManuses. He wanted to hit something again at that. He’d been trying to get that Sara person for several weeks now and killing her husband was proving to be just as hard as finding
it
. He wondered briefly if
it
had anything to do with that and dismissed that quickly.
It
had never been that smart in the first place. A lucky chance that
it
had gotten him at all as far as he was concerned.

Moving along to the business side of his desk Simon pulled out the photo of it.

Beautiful. That was all he could think to call it. Tossing it back to the open file he watched as the cleaning crew came in and cleaned up the mess that the wolf had made on the floor.