“Bite me.”
He released the skin and kissed his way up her neck to nibble on her ear.
“Nikolai, bite me.”
He licked around the rim of her ear, briefly dipping his tongue inside before nibbling on the lobe.
Shannon dug her nails into his scalp. “Nikolai, please. Give me what I need.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yesssss!” She hissed as his fangs sank deep. She came instantly. Nikolai fed and fed deeply, each suctioning draw sending fire through her pussy and prolonging her orgasm.
Withdrawing his fangs, he licked the wound and watched it seal. He’d fed, but it wasn’t enough. With her, it would never be enough. He gripped her hips and pulled her into his thrusts as he picked up the pace. His vision bled red, lit within as passion caused his bloodlust to rise to the surface. He closed his eyes and threw his head back, beating it back into partial submission. He couldn’t lose control. Not yet. She wasn’t ready.
The position in which he held her caused her breasts to rise out of the water, drawing his attention. He was mesmerized by the way they bounced and bobbed, nipples tight and drawn. He could see the minute tracing of veins just beneath the surface, hear the blood flowing through them. His sheathed fangs ached with the need to release and bite down.
Her claws dug holes in his back as she clutched him to her. The whimpers and moans coming from her throat were driving him out of his mind with lust. Her inner muscles gripped him tight, forcing him to fight to pull out with each withdrawal. Her legs wrapped around him with a strength that would have broken a mortal man.
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It was too much. The fragile control he maintained broke. His fangs exploded into his mouth and claws ripped through his fingertips. He latched onto her breast and bit deep; her blood gushed into his mouth. He pumped into her like a madman. No rhythm, no restraint, just the driving force of his lust. He lost all awareness of his surroundings. Dimly, he heard a scream and felt her body stiffen. He fed as the seed burst from his body and coated her vagina before flooding her womb.
Awareness slowly seeped back. His mate lay still in his arms. He retracted his fangs and licked the wound closed before laying his head on her heart. The beat was strong and steady.
He shuddered in relief. He hadn’t lost control like that since he was a fledgling. He could have killed her. You could never harm your chosen. It’s not possible, instinct whispered.
Whether it was possible or not, he’d have to be more careful in the future.
He bathed them quickly and exited the tub. Wrapping his sleeping mate in a towel, he carried her and laid her on the bed and lay beside her. She would awaken soon.
* * * * *
The first thing she smelled was Nikolai. The scent of him brought it all rushing back --
the bath, the mind-blowing orgasms. The heat was sated for now, allowing her temporary clarity of mind. Nikolai had fed from her, and she’d allowed it -- begged for it. He was a vampire. She should be horrified, appalled. She was neither. Instead, she was curious.
Curious about how he had found her and why he had chosen her.
It was not normal for a vampire to be attracted to a shifter. They were natural enemies, though they’d given up fighting each other when both species began dying out. There was no future for them, no matter how drawn to him she was or how able he was at turning her body inside out. Once her heat subsided and the moon waned, she would have to leave and forget this ever happened.
“I’ll allow you to leave, but you’ll never forget. You are my chosen. We will be together.”
Her head jerked in his direction, her eyes wide. “Did you just read my mind? How did you read my mind? I’m immune to vampire powers.”
“We are linked -- blood-bonded.”
Shannon pushed away from Nikolai. “I never exchanged blood with you.” When he only arched an eyebrow at her in response, she grew angry. “I couldn’t have exchanged blood with you. I would remember. Your mind games don’t work on me.” Using his preternatural vampire speed, Nikolai sat up and pushed Shannon back onto the bed. “Look into my eyes,” he commanded with a touch of compulsion in his voice.
Shannon did so, unable to resist. As she gazed into them, the memory of their first meeting out on the ridge that her wolf had been suppressing unfolded before her. She Nikolai’s Wolf
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watched as Nikolai found her and saw her wolf attack him. She heard him command her to sleep and observed him as he carried her to Alex.
It was his memory she was reliving. She had no doubt that it was real, even though her memory of that night was still dim. It all fit. How he knew about her, the dreams, and Alex’s refusal to tell her what happened and insistence on her remembering on her own. He didn’t want her to know.
While she was putting the pieces together, her body began to respond to the weight of Nikolai’s naked body. Her flesh softened beneath his, and her sheath moistened. He groaned when she slid her hands down until she held his flaccid penis in her hand, fondling it until his cock hardened. She wrapped one leg around his hips and lifted toward him, rubbing the tip of his penis against the folds of her sex. Her breath caught as it rubbed against her clit, which was already hard and unfolded from its covering.
She continued to rub against him, prolonging the moment. Finally, when she’d lasted as long as she could stand, she positioned his cock at her opening. Raising her other leg to wrap around his, she pulled down while she thrust up, impaling herself on his cock. He held himself still above her, allowing her to control the depth of his penetration. Shannon rolled her hips, sliding him in and out of her sheath with the strength of her legs.
She kept up a steady rhythm, only faltering when her orgasm began approaching. She tried to fight it, not wanting to come, yet trying to balance right on the edge. Shannon’s hands spread out and gripped the sheet beneath her, claws sprouting and ripping into the sheets as she struggled for control. Fangs lengthened as her eyes went wolf, causing blood to well up in her mouth as she bit down on her lower lip. Her legs tightened until they felt like a vise.
She looked down and the sight of his shaft, wet with her juices, sliding in and out of her sheath, sent her over the edge. She pulled him into her and held him there while she shuddered around him. Her neck arched and a howl ripped loose from her chest.
As she relaxed around him, Nikolai took over. The blood on her mouth called to him.
He lowered his mouth to hers and licked the blood from her lips while he powered into her.
He grabbed her hands and pinned them over her head. His pubic bone smacked forcefully against her own with each thrust, sending shock waves through her clit.
He lowered his head to her neck while her legs once more tightened around his hips, then climbed higher to wrap around his waist, allowing him the freedom to move as he willed. His fangs sliced deep just as an orgasm took him, his sucking causing her to climax.
He relaxed for a minute before disentangling himself from her body. Getting up, he walked over to the minifridge concealed in the armoire and brought out two bottles of water.
Quickly draining one, he took the other to the bed for Shannon to drink. One look told him she was once more asleep. His little she-wolf was drained. He set the water by the bed where 88 Zena Wynn
she could see it, went into the bathroom, opened the plug so the water could drain, then removed the tray and put it back where it belonged.
Coming back to the bed, he looked at his mate. One more blood exchange and the binding would be complete. He felt pressed to complete the ritual, instinct demanding he bind her to him as tightly as possible, while his intellect advised caution. He didn’t know how her body would react to the third and final blood exchange. It was a guarantee that she would gain power. The last thing he wanted to do at this point was strengthen her beast until they had come to some kind of understanding. He was resigned to waiting until Shannon fully accepted him as her mate before completing the ritual. That day couldn’t come soon enough for him.
* * * * *
Shayla woke with her head pillowed on Rory’s back. The last two days and three nights were a blur of sexual ecstasy, but now it was time for her to leave. She had a job to do and commitments to keep. Rory lay as though dead beneath her, barely moving even when she rolled off him and sat up. He had to be exhausted.
Over the seventy-two-hour period, he’d barely slept. What little sleep he had managed had come during the daylight hours when the strength of the sun weakened the moon’s hold on his body. Shayla eased off the mattress. No matter how deeply he appeared to be sleeping, he was still a shifter, and she didn’t want to chance waking him.
With one last lingering look at him, she crept toward the stairs and made her way silently up them, leaving the doors closed but unlocked behind her. Once she successfully made it to the guest room, she threw her belongings in a bag and dressed quickly but quietly.
She desperately wanted a shower, but she couldn’t afford to take the risk.
Last night she’d made the mistake of mentioning leaving Refuge, and the man had gone ballistic. He’d shifted into his wolf-man form and taken her from behind. Her hand crept to her neck and settled there in remembrance. He’d bitten her. She’d been unable to avoid it.
Of course, at the time avoiding him had been the last thing on her mind. She shivered as the memory brought echoes of sensation alive in her body.
Forcing her mind to the matter at hand, she grabbed her keys and things and left the house, expecting at any moment to hear the roar of an angry wolf behind her. Throwing her belongings into the backseat, she got into the car and quickly drove away. She had a plane to catch. As she’d told Rory, she had a job waiting on her, though she’d been interrupted before she could tell him where. Remembering the possessiveness in his gaze, that might be a good thing. She had no doubt he’d track her down if he could and bring her back, kicking and screaming if need be.
The thought occurred that she might not exactly object to him dragging her back but might instead follow willingly behind him. She shoved it forcefully from her mind. As she’d told Shannon, she didn’t do till death do us part commitments, especially not with a shifter.
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She’d been thought of as a freak and looked at with fear and trepidation all her life.
Being a child prodigy was no easy thing. Thanks to the camouflage of her wild hair, matching outfits, and crazy way of talking, people forgot just how intelligent she was and how inferior it made them feel. She came across as just another computer geek. She could live with that. She could not live with the idea of turning furry once a month and really giving people a reason to be afraid of her.
As she drove through Refuge on her way to the airport, she was surprised at how lifeless and empty it seemed. A lot of the businesses in town had signs in the windows proclaiming CLOSED FOR THE BLUE MOON. If the blue moon had this big of an impact on business, there were far more shifters in the area than she’d previously credited it with.
Her flight wasn’t scheduled to leave until seven. She had just enough time to get to the airport and find a place to freshen up. By then, the plane should be boarding. There was no way she was missing this flight. She’d had a close escape, and she wouldn’t feel truly safe until the plane was in the air.
* * * * *
Before he opened his eyes, Rory knew something was wrong. Shayla! He couldn’t sense Shayla beside him. He opened his eyes. She wasn’t lying on the mattress near him. He pushed up with his hands and looked around. The bathroom was empty.
Already fearing the worst but needing to be sure, he looked toward the door leading upstairs. It wasn’t locked. Maybe she’d gone upstairs, although he’d told her repeatedly not to do so. Rising from the floor, he went up the stairs. He could sense its emptiness before he even opened the door. He glanced in the room in which she’d stayed. The majority of her things were gone. He could tell she’d packed in a hurry. Knowing what he’d find but needing to look anyway, he walked to the front door and opened it. Her rental car was gone.
He walked back downstairs like a man in a trance, leaving the front door open. Once in the basement, the scent of their mating permeated the room, hitting him like a slap in the face. She’d told him she was leaving, but he hadn’t really believed her. He thought he’d have a chance to convince her otherwise, but like a thief, she sneaked away, taking with her something more precious than money.
With a roar that shook the house, he shouted his anger to the sky. He flew into a rage the likes of which he’d never done before. His eyes went wolf and claws sprouted as he let the change take him. Like a man possessed, he ripped and shredded, tearing to pieces everything that could be torn. What he couldn’t break, he pummeled and threw until the whole room was destroyed.
When there was no other outlet for his anger, he fell to his knees in the midst of the carnage, threw back his head, and howled his anguish to the sky. His mate was gone, and with her, his unborn child.
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Chapter Ten
For the first time in weeks, Shannon woke without the heat plaguing her body. Her mind was clear. She could think, and her first thought was of escape. Not that the time she’d spent with Nikolai hadn’t been nice. Actually, it had been more than nice, but all good things must come to an end. Rory must be frantic by now, and Shayla. She wanted to know if her friend had made it into the house safely.
She looked at Nikolai lying so peacefully beside her, and her heart lurched. He really was handsome. Remembering the things they’d done brought a flush of embarrassment to her face. He’d far exceeded any dream she’d ever had growing up, back when she used to fantasize about the type of mate she’d one day have before she put away girlish dreams.
Coming up on an elbow, she leaned over him, unable to resist taking one last kiss before leaving. As her lips pressed lightly against his, Nikolai’s arms wrapped around her and rolled them until she was on her back, making a place for himself between her legs.