His chest where the piece of wood from
her head had gone in started to sizzle. When he tried to pull it free, all he
managed to do was grab at it, but nothing more. When his clothing caught fire
she watched as he started to burn, melt away. Quicker now, he seemed to be
disintegrating in front of her eyes, and that’s when Mac pulled her face into
his chest, blocking her view.
The sound he made as he died was
something she would never forget. He had sounded much like a burger did on a
grill, popping and dancing in the fat. She tried to look again, but he held her
still then turned his back to whatever it was and pulled her away.
“He’s dead. Don’t look, baby. It’s
over.”
She looked up at him and saw that while
his eyes were still red, they weren’t nearly as bad. He pulled her closer for a
kiss.
It was gentle and sweet despite the
coiled anger she could feel in his arms. He’d never hurt her, she knew this,
but there was something almost scary about the way he was holding himself back.
Holding back so that she’d not see what he was feeling.
“I wouldn’t have let him hurt you. Never
in a million years would I have let him.”
Mac nodded at her.
“I love you Mac. I never thought I’d say
that, but I do. You’re everything to me, and if you decide that I’m not really
what you desire in a mate, then I will die a happy woman for having known you.”
Someone clearing their throat had them
turning. They both looked over at the men standing there. Bradley looked like
he was ready to bust; the rest…well, she thought they looked hungry.
“We didn’t get to play with him.” He
looked at the men around him. “They’re not too happy they couldn’t avenge their
alpha and his family and a wisp of a girl did it for them.” He leaned forward
to stage whisper at her. “I think they were looking forward to getting in my
favor so that I’d let them date my daughter. So not going to happen. No man
touches what is mine.”
Andi laughed and turned to Mac. That’s
when she noticed that it was nearly two in the afternoon and he was still
standing there in one piece. She tried to cover him with her arms. He pulled
them down to her side, picked her up, and tossed her over his shoulder. Before
she could protest, he was speaking to Bradley.
“I’m taking her home. You guys can piss
on his ashes for all I care.” Mac swatted her ass hard as he continued. “She’s
going to need the next few days off. She won’t be walking well. If you have a
problem with that then I suggest you tell someone who gives two fucks.”
“Nope. No problem at all. But I will
need her to come to work on Monday. We’re thinking of expanding the area to
include five more buildings. My pack, it seems, is growing by leaps and
bounds.” Bradley started to turn away when he called Mac back. “I have a house
I’d like you to look at. With a mate and a baby on the way I’m thinking you
might want to move out on your own. Of course, you tell your mom I suggested
that and I’ll piss on your marigolds. Every day.”
“Deal.” Mac put out his hand and she
wanted to scream. She was lying across his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and
here he was making house deals without asking her. He smacked her ass again.
“Behave. Or your punishment is going to
be worse. Way worse.” They were suddenly in his bedroom.
As soon as he dropped her on the bed she
scrambled out of it. She was pissed and he was going to fucking know it. As she
stood there trying to catch her breath to scream at him he started taking off
his shirt.
“You don’t treat me like I’m some child
who needs daddy to beat her ass for her. Especially in front of strangers.” She
watched as the shirt hit the floor. “I’m not a kid.”
“No, you’re not a kid. Never would I
ever think of you as a child. Take off your shirt, Brandi.”
She nearly did as he told her, but she
wasn’t ready to kiss and make up. “You won’t carry me around like that again. I
don’t deserve to be treated that way. I took care of the problem and no one was
hurt.” He nodded as he took off his belt. She didn’t even know men wore belts
with jeans. Swallowing twice she took a step back. “Mac?
The belt sailed across the room and she
watched it. When it hit the chair and slid to the floor she thought it looked
like a snake uncoiling for her. She looked back at Mac when he said her name.
“I want to eat you.” His voice alone
nearly had her come. “I want to press you against the wall and lick you until
you come down my throat. Then I want to do it again and again.” He unsnapped
his jeans and crooked his finger at her. “Come here. Come to me now.”
She didn’t move, but started to unbutton
her blouse. She’d forgotten the blood the other man had drawn and the fact that
he’d touched her. Mac moved to her quickly, almost faster than she could see.
“He hurt you. I’m sorry about that.” His
tongue snaked down her neck, warm and wet against her skin. “You belong to me
now.”
“Yes,” she hissed at him. “Please, Mac. You’re
killing me.”
He chuckled at her. “Take off your
clothes, Brandi. I want to mark you again.” Nodding, she took off her blouse
and then her pants, but left her panties when he told her to. He never stopped
touching her, kissing her, licking her. By the time she was naked she was
strung tight with need. Need for him.
Chapter 17
Mac couldn’t seem to get enough of her. Her
smell, her warmth. He loved the way her breath felt on his face, the way her
mouth fit under his. He wanted to have her touch him, caress him, and hold him.
Mac wanted it all and he wanted to give it all to her. He moved to behind her and
lifted her breasts up in his hands.
“So soft. I can’t wait to see our child
suckle here. I want to watch you feed him, nurture him.” He nipped at her
shoulder. “But first, you need to feed me.”
“Mac, please. I need you.”
He guided her to the chair and held her
in front of it. He nearly was at the breaking point himself. “Lean over and
brace your hands over the arms. Don’t move until I tell you to.” He had an
idea. Probably wasn’t the best time to train her, but damn it, he needed
something to take the edge off. He moved up behind her and braced his hands on
her hips. He leaned down and licked along her spine. “Bring my belt to us.”
She started to go for it and he held her
still. When she lifted her hand, he commanded her to put it back. She turned to
look at him in question. “I can’t get it without my hands.”
“Yes, you can. Use your mind. Your hand
is just a prop. Think of the belt, and bring it to me.” He leaned down and
nipped at her ass, drawing a trickle of blood. “Bring it to me, Brandi, and
I’ll give you what you want.”
She looked at the belt and then at her
hands. “I can’t. I’ve tried before. I have to have my hands to make it work.”
Mac dropped to his knees and leaned into
her heat. Licking her cream into his mouth, he moaned. Christ, she was delicious.
Taking more of her into him, he ran his fingers through her curls.
“Would you like to come, baby? Want to
come in my mouth?” Her begging him nearly had him give it to her anyway. “Bring
me the belt.”
He watched her face as she seemed to
strain to make it move. When it uncurled slightly he slid over her clit. She
moaned and he could see sweat beading across her forehead. When the belt moved
again he stood up. He wanted to be ready when he got it.
“Bring it here, Brandi. Bring me the
belt and I will give it all to you.” The belt flew across the room and he
coiled it into his hand. “That’s my girl.”
The first swat of it across her cheeks
had her scream out loud. The bright pink line there was enough to bring him
nearly to his knees. The second time he hit her with it, careful of her tender
skin, she moaned and adjusted her hips up as if begging for more.
This time when he touched her curls he
gathered as much of her cream on his fingers as he could and ran it over her
welt. She was panting now and his own body was on fire. When he entered her it
was going to be the end of him and he wanted her to have as much pleasure as he
could give her.
Fisting his cock, he teased her with the
head. She was pushing back at him hard enough now that he had to brace himself
with each of her strokes. Guiding his cock to her entrance, he brought the belt
down as he slammed deep inside of her. His cock felt as if it exploded inside
of her. Her sheath, already tight, nearly strangled him, held him, and then
rippled along him until he felt his eyes roll into the back of his head. His
roar of release was enough to make a glass frame over his fireplace shatter.
He had to mark her, bite her. The other
vampire’s scent was all over her and now he wanted to claim her. Leaning down, he
sank his fangs into her shoulder then again at her neck. Leaving the wounds
open, he lifted her up while he was still buried in her and took her to the
bed. Leaving her body, he turned her over, lifted her legs to his shoulders,
and entered her again. He fucked her hard while he spoke
“I want you to feed from me. I’m going
to cut my chest and you’ll feed from me there. Do you understand?” He was glad
when she nodded because he wasn’t sure he could have repeated himself.
Lowering her legs, he lifted her up so
that while he was on his knees, she wrapped around him. Reaching for the
ceremonial dagger, he looked her in the eye. It was now. He would have her now.
“I love you. As my mate, I take you into
my keeping to love and to hold. I take you into my life. We will live our lives
as one.” He sliced across his chest and brought her mouth to him; she came as
soon as her tongue touched his skin. “Drink so that we can live as a mated
couple.”
He brought her wrist to his mouth and
sank his teeth into her as he came again. Her blood was hot spicy and all his
as he laid her back on the bed and moved inside of her. He brought her to
climax twice more as he filled her with his cum. He was never going to leave
her.
He woke at sometime after sunrise. He
reached for her again as he’d done several times in the night. This time,
instead of her warm body, he came up with cold sheets. He reached for her and
found her in the kitchen with Duncan. As much as he wanted to have her come
back to him, he knew that she also needed to eat. And whatever she ate now,
their child would nourish from.
“And you. You need to rest. I want to
practice more on bringing things to you with only my mind.”
He smiled at her and sent her images of
what he would give her if she did.
“
You’re not very nice, have I told
you that?”
“Not since you told me that you’d love
me for the rest of our lives. Are you eating bacon and eggs? I do hope that
Duncan isn’t cooking them.”
“No. Another of your aunts came by.
She’s making apple dumplings. And Bradley is here too. Sam said that he knows
when she’s here; she swears that he can smell the cinnamon a mile away.”
He felt her
laughter.
“I guess his mate is just as bad.”
Mac remembered when he was smaller his
aunt would make them un-birthday cakes. He and his cousins would get to enjoy
one at least once a month. He missed those days. And now, with any luck, he’d
be able to enjoy them with his own son.
“Daughter. We’re having a daughter just
to drive you insane. Besides, I think that your parents were a little strange
to name their kid Mac MacManus.”
Mac laughed.
“Actually, my name is
Aaron Pete MacManus. The woman who saved my life, another aunt; you call her
Pete. Well, her name is Piccadilly Fresno, but everyone calls her Pete.”
“You’re named after a woman named Piccadilly
Fresno? Seriously?”
He
told her he was.
“You have a very strange family. What if I wanted to call
you Aaron? Would I call your dad Blood Bank?”
“Not if you want him to answer you. Why
don’t you come back to bed? I can work on those lessons today for you.”
He rolled to
his back and fisted his cock.
“I’m so ready for you, love. Come down here
and ride me.”
“I can’t. I have an appointment with
Bradley at the site, then I have to go and meet this woman named Maddy. She has
something for me.”
He
felt her indecision
. “Are you really related to all these people?”
“No. My dad doesn’t have anyone left and
my mother is an orphan. Her only living relatives are the ones at the castle.”
He shifted on
the bed again.
“All those people you’ve met and those you’ll meet are people
that are pledged to my dad and mom. There is a deep bond between master and
these people. Deeper than most families.”
“Mac, my stepfather is still coming
here. He might show up on the doorstep at any time. What am I supposed to tell
him?”
To fuck off came to mind, but he didn’t
say that.
“You don’t worry about him. He’s as good as gone.”
He rolled
to his belly and closed his eyes.
“I’m going to dream about you all day. I’m
going to think about taking you from behind again while you lean against our
bedposts. Then I’m going to give you another bath, this time with all sorts of
toys and things.”