He raised his knee, lifting my leg a bit higher, and I felt his fingers brush over my clit, sending tremors through my body even as he continued to tease the round globe of my breast, caressing and petting the tip as he did my clit. I rocked my hips gently in response.
“Shh,” he said, the words a whisper against my neck. “Let me touch you. Heal you. Love you.”
I pressed my mouth to the arm crossed over my breasts, the arm that pinned my back to him.
He brushed against my clit again, and I sucked in a breath in response. His fingers slid lower, and I felt one dip at the well of my sex, sliding in to stretch and tease. A second finger followed, and he thrust. “So wet for me, Princess,” he said against my neck, and I felt his tongue flick against the hollow of my shoulder.
“Bite me, Zane,” I said, lost in desire.
“Not yet, love,” he said, raising my leg a little higher. His hand gripped my thigh and I felt the head of his cock nudge against my core. “Not until I’m seated deep inside you.”
I moaned, pressing my mouth against his arm in response.
He slid into me, hot, hard and oh so thick, and I nearly wept again at how good it felt. Zane. I was in Zane’s arms again, his body deep within mine. It felt… perfect. Exquisite.
It felt right.
He thrust lightly, and the sensation rocketing through my body in response was incredible. I whimpered, scoring my teeth over his arm. Zane hissed and thrust harder, the feeling of him so deep inside me, so full.
So wonderful.
“Bite me, Zane. Take all of me,” I told him.
Not yet,
I heard his whisper in his mind, even as he thrust again, rocking back into me with a hard thrust that left me breathless.
But I wanted it all, and I wanted it now. I’d waited too long for anything else. I sank my teeth into his arm, biting him with my own blunted teeth. I felt the desire rock through him, hard and sharp. He loved biting. Nothing was more erotic to a vampire. I realized that, now that I could feel his thoughts, and vowed then and there to bite him every night from now on.
Princess,
his thoughts wrapped around me.
Mine.
He thrust deep inside me again, at the very moment that his fangs sank into my neck.
And I came apart.
~*~
We made love throughout the night, wrapped in each other’s arms. For some reason, his bite didn’t put me to sleep any longer. I supposed that was one aspect of being the queen—my connection to him now overrode any side effects.
Of course, once Zane had found that out, his need to take and sip from me had gone through the roof, and he’d drunk from me everywhere, gently licking the blood from each graze of his teeth, savoring me. It was something his mind told me that he’d dreamed about forever, and the sensation was so exquisite—both the pleasure I felt in his mind and the feel of his tongue against my skin—that I was screaming with need. Then he’d lay me back down on the bed and throw my legs up in the air, fucking me until I couldn’t see straight. I came dozens of times, and each time, I felt my strength coming back. The wound in my side had long been forgotten, and by the time the sun rose and Zane lay in my arms, his head pillowed against my breasts, I was both exhausted and feeling better than I had in a long, long time.
I looked down at my breasts, covered in bite marks, and had never felt such joy. My fingers played with his dark hair, and I listened to his mind drift, sinking into the day-sleep of vampires. One by one, I could feel the other vampires quietly dozing off, having returned home. Their thoughts turned into a low hum that I felt in the back of my mind, like a sleeping cat’s purr. The man in my arms purred the loudest, and I touched his mind, expecting to see it filled with the dark dreams of vampires.
But they were only thoughts of me. And that filled me with contentment.
I lay in bed for a bit longer, savoring the feel of Zane in my arms and then slipped away to wash up. I felt good. More than good. I felt amazing.
I showered and put on a silky red robe that I found in one of the closets, eyeing all the unrelenting red with distaste. Bad enough that my eyes now matched my hair. I stared into the mirror, grimacing at the red irises. Maybe I could get contacts or something like that. Maybe I should invest in sunglasses. Lots and lots of sunglasses. It was superficial, and in the long scheme of things, it didn’t matter a whit.
I’d take the red eyes as long as I had Zane back.
Smiling, I padded around the big house, eyeing the rooms that were now mine. Each one was swathed in Goth queen décor, and I wrinkled my nose with distaste. The upper floors seemed to be for guests, and I suspected the vampires used them when seducing human prey to feed upon. The thought made me a little uncomfortable, but I could change that. There was no TV room, no library, nothing to entertain. I did find a single room and old computer at the back of the house that looked to be used for financial purposes, and I wondered who here amongst the queen’s entourage did the books. Something to find out.
I wandered back to check on Zane, but he continued to sleep peacefully. I touched him again, straightening that lock of messy hair on his brow, happy at the small pleasure of simply being able to touch him once more. As I reached out to caress his cheek, I noticed the ring on my finger. That old thing.
I pulled my hand back, studied the ring for a moment, and then ripped it off, tossing it against the nearest wall. I braced myself for any adverse effects.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing happened. I gave another happy laugh—I was full of laughter now, wasn’t I? —and left the room again. My stomach was growling.
The kitchen proved to be a waste, as there was nothing in it. Well, that’d have to change. I found myself drawn back to the big sweep of stairs that led to the basement and traveled down it, looking around. The big marble floor was empty, the room dark. I felt the vampires sleeping here, and as I stepped through the room, I saw the marble slabs they slept upon, lined up in rows. Like toy soldiers, waiting to be brought out for amusement. That seemed wrong to me. They were men. Individuals. I made a mental note to get them their own rooms. If I was going to change things, the first thing would be to start treating them like individuals with their own needs and wants, not as my slaves. I passed through the ranks of the vampires, looking at them as they slept. As a whole they were beautiful, though some seemed more entrenched in darkness than others.
I wouldn’t be like the old queen. I’d remember my vow to Gabriel.
Something tickled at my mind, and I found myself drawn to the back of the large underground ballroom, my internal tuning fork vibrating with a peculiar need. I found a small, narrow passageway built entirely of stone, with a dead end. A single flat platform lay against the wall, with an ancient protection symbol etched into it. Instinctively, I pressed my hand to the symbol.
The wall slid open, revealing a secret passage. Naturally. Immortals loved their hidden rooms. I strolled forward, curious what was stashed back here. A double door lay at the end of the hall and I pushed it open.
And gasped.
I stepped forward, staring. In this room, a hundred haloes hung in the air, suspended by magic. Each one burned with power, shimmering in reaction to my presence, responding only to me. I felt them in the tether of my mind, a delicate burden. I knew that the vampires wouldn’t be able to sense these, just as I’d known how to open the door. It would only respond to
me
.
When they’d fallen, one by one, the vampires had handed over their most precious gift to the queen—their halo. Each one was an individual who now responded to me, and I was responsible for their safekeeping.
These were my haloes now.
I moved forward, stepping toward one of the haloes, reaching out my fingers to touch the spinning light. It shone red, blood red, and as I moved closer, I noticed the halo was made up of drops of blood, a circlet of pure crimson liquid.
The haloes of the vampires. I looked at them a moment longer, then turned and left the room, shutting the doors behind me. I left the hall and pressed my hand on the symbol keyed to the queen of the vampires only.
I would tell no one about that room, ever. It was mine to protect.
Just like my vampires.
~*~
I wandered back through the house, snagged the cordless phone, and then crawled back into bed with Zane. He was sleeping soundly, his body heavy, but I pulled his arm over my waist and snuggled close, not caring.
Then I called Remy.
She picked up on the third ring. “Either this is a total prank call or your ass is bored of the vampires already.”
“They’re asleep,” I said softly, playing with Zane’s hair. “And there’s not a lick of food in the house.”
“And now you want me to haul my gorgeous man out of bed and bring a pizza?”
“You got it,” I told her. “That’s what friends are for, right?”
“All right, all right. Baby doll,” she said to Ethan on the other end of the phone. “Would you do the honors of calling in the order while I chat with Jackie?”
“Of course, my shimmering flower.” I heard a loud, noisy, slurping kiss, grimaced, and waited for Remy’s attention to wander back to the phone.
“Soooo,” Remy said after a minute. “Everything okay in Vampire Funland? I’m guessing so, since you sound bored and not, I don’t know, scared out of your mind.”
“We’re okay,” I said softly, rubbing my fingers against Zane’s sleeping cheek. I couldn’t stop touching him. I didn’t have to, and the thought filled me with intense pleasure. “I’m their leader now, for better or for worse. They can’t hurt me without hurting themselves. I don’t think they know what to do with me yet, but Zane’s at my side, and that’s all that matters.”
“Yeah, well make sure you tell them that your bestie Remy and her boytoy are off-limits.”
“I will,” I said with a smile. “Guess who’s got a mansion that’s in need of some serious redecorating?”
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Remy said with excitement. “Purple zebra couches?”
I grimaced. “We’ll see. Anyhow, come over and bring the pizza and we’ll chat.”
“Be there shortly,” she said, and hung up. I hung up as well.
The phone rang again a moment later and I answered. “Hello?”
“Me again,” Remy chirped. “I’m glad you’re back, Jackie. Really glad.”
My eyes welled. “Me too.”
“Now don’t get all sappy and shit. I’m bringing some catalogs and pizza and nail polish, since you have some time to burn until sundown. You can get emotional over pepperoni, okay?”
I laughed. “Deal.”
We hung up and I stared at the room, sighing with contentment.
Queen of the vampires. Who would have thought that was ever possible? I’d hated the queen. Never wanted to be her in a million years. But… this felt good. This felt like purpose. The Serim would be off my back because they weren’t about to come after me—not if it meant stirring up the ire of every single vampire out there. And the vampires? They answered to me now.
As for Zane—nothing could keep us apart ever again.
I had everything I’d ever wanted. Life would never be the same, but I didn’t care. Somewhere out there, Sophie was back, and I’d find a way to drop her a line and let her know that Noah wanted to see her. I hoped for Noah’s sake he’d cross her path again. But that was his move to make. I’d fulfill my promise, no more, no less. It was up to Noah to find his own happiness.
I buried my face against Zane’s sleeping chest and snuggled close.
The world was perfect.
Weeks Later… Somewhere Else
Noah Gideon crouched next to one of the double doors, gun in hand, waiting. Any moment now, the intruder would come through that door, and Noah would put a bullet through his brain.
The intruder had slipped into the sanctuary by climbing over the roof and then lowering himself down into the nearest window. He didn’t know if the man had arrived to destroy the Enforcer boys that were even now being shepherded to another monastery, but the Serim were taking no chances. They’d evacuated the premises, with only a command to Noah to take care of the vampire as best he could.
Noah Gideon, the
expendable
Serim. It rankled, but he told himself he didn’t care. Another task down. Eighty-two to go. Finish one and then move on to the next.
Something thumped just on the other side of the door. Noah calmly removed the safety on his gun and hefted it, aiming. The door handle turned. Opened a crack.
A figure stepped through.
It… wasn’t a man.
It was a woman. A familiar woman who moved like a dancer, her tall body toned and strong. A woman with bronzed skin swirling with hennaed designs over every exposed inch. Thick dreadlocks pulled into a high ponytail. Arching cheekbones. Eyes that were incredibly blue.
Noah paused, just long enough for Sophie to raise her own gun and point it at his head.
“Why, Noah Gideon,” Sophie said in a slow, purring voice throaty with an ancient accent. “We meet again.”
And she smiled at him.
I always had a plan for Jackie Brighton. As soon as she set foot on the page (or woke up in that dumpster), I knew she was going to be the queen of the vampires. Someday. She just had to put on her big-girl panties and gear up for it.
In the meantime, I had to write it, of course. You cannot imagine how crushed I was when I found out from my publisher that they couldn’t buy more books in the series. My editor has been a huge supporter of the books and my writing. I think she was just as disappointed as I was that they weren’t a hit. Unfortunately, just because I want something to succeed doesn’t mean that it will, and the sales numbers weren’t what they needed to be for my publisher to buy more of the series.
I was still determined to finish the story. Even if no one else wanted it,
I
needed to see Jackie sit on that throne and get some closure in my brain. That was the impetus for what you’ve just read. This book took a darker turn than the previous stories, but I felt like Jackie needed to experience love and loss before she could truly appreciate what she has with Zane. I hope you enjoyed
SUCCUBI ARE FOREVER
and feel a bit of completion. I know I do!