21 Shades of Night, page 232
But the potion hadn’t quite worked the way he’d planned. His aunt had warned him not to use it to return to Elizabeth until he was a powerful enough vampire or risk dying at the hands of her kin this time. But when he finally felt strong enough and drank the potion, he’d arrived at the wrong time and place. He’d only managed to glimpse his love before losing her again. And what of Alena? She wouldn’t exist if he carried out his plan.
He paused and stared up at the moon half shadowed in gray clouds. Life had been so uncomplicated until he’d set eyes on Alena.
Mona telepathically sent a message to him. “Alena wants to see you. Shall I send her to you?”
Was the huntress ready to succumb to his will? Even if she wasn’t, he wished to be with her, now and for all eternity. “Send her to me.”
The patio door opened, then clicked shut. He waited in the shadows of the rose gardens, their burgundy petals emitting the fragrance of sweet tea, permeating the air. Alena’s light step patted along the wet brick walk, drawing closer. He fought the urge to appear before her, to take her into his arms, to kiss her like he’d kissed Elizabeth with unbridled passion and prove to her they had a past. Still, he held back, wanting her come to him this time.
Before she reached him, the sound of flapping nearby meant they had unwelcomed company.
Swooping in front of her, Sutton grabbed her wrist. She gasped, but before she could question his actions, he hurried her back toward the house.
“Someone you know?” she whispered.
“Unexpected company,” he said under his breath.
A shadowy figure lurking in the misty dark dropped in front of Alena, his black hair tied back in a ponytail, a stray strand whipping across the hard angles of his face, his dark eyes focused on Alena. Kisaro, the ancient vampire, had been turned only the year before Sutton had. He didn’t belong here. He shouldn’t be here.
Sutton quickly pulled Alena behind him, shielding her from the potential threat. “Kisaro. What do you want?”
Kisaro’s dark features appeared even more ominous because of the black shirt and trousers that he wore. “An unusual greeting for one of your own brethren.” His coal black eyes appeared depthless, focusing solely on Sutton now as if Alena didn’t exist. But Sutton knew better. Kisaro was judging him, analyzing Sutton’s mood for the unwelcome company.
“I’d heard you were entertaining tonight.” Kisaro’s gaze shifted to Alena. “I didn’t realize it was a private party.” A sliver of a smile lifted his lips. “Will you not invite me in, old friend?”
“As you so aptly put it, I’m entertaining a lady friend this evening. We’ll have to get together some other time.” Sutton waited for Kisaro to honor his wishes.
The vampire’s gaze shifted back to Alena. “You must be someone special.” His words held a touch of both amusement and menace.
Sutton’s blood iced when the flapping of wings sounded behind Alena. He whirled around, seized her arm, and pulled her against his chest.
Cybil grinned at him. Her charming smile and blue eyes bright and cheerful and directed at him, made her appear perfectly innocent. Wearing a silky black ankle-length gown, her blond hair swept up in a bun with black pearl pins decorating the curly creation, she appeared to be attending a formal dance. But her attempt at appearing harmless was merely a deadly illusion for the unsuspecting.
Her smile withering, she shifted her gaze from Sutton to Alena. “You found Elizabeth, I see.” She tried to keep her voice light and non-confrontational, but the hint of bite in her tone made him wary, and he felt Alena tense against his chest.
“Alena,” the huntress corrected the vampire, her teeth clenched, her wrist blades extended.
Kisaro stated, “Seems we have the wrong house for the bash tonight, Cybil.”
Cybil’s nearly elusive smile faded as she switched her attention to Kisaro. “Indeed. Then we must find the right one, mustn’t we?”
Sutton focused on their unspoken thoughts, but neither revealed their true purpose in being here. Although he suspected the word had been transmitted telepathically from the vampires he’d helped Alena kill earlier that evening to the others before they died. Now the Brotherhood knew he possessed one of the huntresses on their death list, and he suspected these vampires were part of the killers’ pact. Why else would they be here? He never once had held a bash.
With a deeply threatening chuckle, Cybil waved her hand and vanished.
“Some other time,” Kisaro said, inclined his head to Alena, and disappeared.
Relieved there had been no fighting but unsettled that they knew she was now located here, Sutton shoved the patio door open, then pulled Alena inside. He shut and locked the door behind them.
“But they can get in,” she whispered, alarm reflecting in her voice. She retracted her wrist blades closed with a snap.
Immediately, he pulled her against his chest and held her tight. He couldn’t lose Alena, too. Yet if he accomplished what he’d planned, return for Elizabeth... blood bond with her and keep her safe for the rest of their lives, Alena would never exist.
He’d never felt anything for the women he’d been with since Elizabeth died, but she was his Elizabeth, no matter that she couldn’t see it yet.
At first, her body stiffened. “Sutton,” she said, her hands fisted at her sides. Her voice attempted to remain firm, but the icy edge was melting. “Please...”
Warming the huntress would take a hell of a lot of work. To have Elizabeth back was worth every bit of the effort though. Kissing her cheek, he hoped to work his way to her lips without getting a blade between his ribs.
“Sutton,” she said again. Her tone was meant to dissuade, but she didn’t push him away. Just one little shove, or any inkling she wanted to pull away from him would suffice to discourage him for the moment.
But he knew it was the League who tempered her actions. If she didn’t have them watching her every move, she’d want him, too.
“You’re safe with me, lass. I’ve never invited the others in. I don’t have bashes, nor do I frequent them.” He trailed kisses tenderly down to the corner of her mouth, her heart beating wildly against his chest. Was she afraid of him, or fearful of her own desires for him?
Again, he was torn between returning for his beloved Elizabeth in the past or showing Alena how much he’d love her, if only she’d love him in return. The closer he got to her, the more unsure he was of his feelings and his plans.
“We shouldn’t,” she whispered against his mouth, the sweet brandy still flavoring her lips.
He swept his lips over hers, teasing hers, not pressuring, just begging for her participation. Her mouth parted slightly and followed his. This time she didn’t discourage him with words. To his surprise and with joy tugging at his heart, she pressed her lips against his, softly at first, her fingers touching his waist with a fairy-light touch.
Elizabeth’s name rose in his throat, but he dissolved the word before it slipped from his lips. “Alena,” he moaned as tears formed in his eyes.
She paused, her gaze catching his distress. But then as if she’d decided to ditch her cautious side, she deepened her kiss, like a volcano slowly building up steam. Her warm, wet tongue tasting like peach brandy licked against his mouth, and he fought transporting her directly to his bed. She was a huntress in a time when the rules were not the same, he had to remind himself. Gradually, he had to gain her confidence.
Her fingers tightened on his waist, and he quirked a brow. Hmm, Alena. Deep within, she was Elizabeth all over again, only more cautious, more concerned about the consequences of her actions. If he could only snag her heart, show her how much they had meant to each other, catch her for good like the siren had caught him...
He shifted his hands down her back, all the way to the tip of her spine, and pressed gently. Desiring to show her how much she’d aroused him with her simple, loving gestures, he went farther than he feared proved safe. But containing the sexual craving and the bloodlust that threatened to control him...
He took a deep breath, attempting to stabilize his sanity. His canines itched to extend, not in the way they did when he was angered and desired to end the life of a fiend, but lustfully, to join with her in the ultimate sexual feast.
To his heartfelt relief, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she licked his lips and smiled when he raised his brows. “Alena.”
He hadn’t meant for her name to slip out as if he thought she was being too naughty, but when she grinned, he took her reaction to be his good fortune.
Immediately, he conquered her mouth, possessively as if she’d already given herself to him. In his heart, he knew it to be so.
She kissed him back just as surely, her tongue tangling with his in an erotic dance, her lips giving as much of a passionate kiss as they received. When he and she were nearly out of breath, she rested her face against his chest, but shook her head.
“I’m sorry.” Her words seemed heartfelt and threatened to undo him.
“Don’t be, Alena. You wanted the kiss as much as I did. We did nothing wrong.”
She looked up at him, her eyes searching for the truth. “I don’t know what to think anymore, Sutton. I’m losing my faith in the...” She took a deep breath, but didn’t finish speaking.
“In the League?”
She didn’t respond and cast her eyes downward, the dark lashes hiding the entrancing pools of blue. He combed his fingers through her silky red hair. “I’ll protect you.”
“I...”
He wished he could read her mind. Damn the hunter’s innate ability to keep him from her thoughts. Though he assumed the threat to her life, wreaked havoc with her mind.
What he wouldn’t give to take her to his bed and show her the love he shared with her as Elizabeth... to comfort her when she needed it most. But he was certain she wasn’t ready to take that big a step yet.
“Alena, do you want to talk about it?”
“I... I’m awfully tired. No dinner, the brandy, the threats to my life, I’m afraid I’ve done something...” Her voice broke. “…given you hope when there can be none.”
His heart sank at her words, but he wasn’t giving up. He had to prove to her that she had already pledged her love to him, that she was indeed Elizabeth. Together, they’d tear apart the League and the Brotherhood that threatened to keep them from loving one another.
They both craved sleep now, but would she join him where he desired to take her? He kissed her forehead and hoped his luck would hold out for just a little longer.
Chapter 7
SUTTON LED ALENA back to her room, praying she’d invite him in. With Elizabeth, no barriers had existed between them. He only wished the same were true with Alena.
When they reached the guestroom, her cell phone jingled, and he frowned at the wireless intrusion. She lifted the receiver from her waist and held it to her ear. “Yes?”
While he stood close to Alena, his fine sense of hearing caught the huntress’s words on the other end of the line.
“It’s Misty. I… I meant to call you back sometime ago, but… but…” Her voice was strained and on the verge of breaking.
“What’s wrong, Misty?” Alena’s gaze focused on the floor, her voice controlled, but he knew she concentrated on every minute detail of the call, a huntress’s training.
“Oh, Alena,” Misty sobbed, “I’m being used as a hostage to get to you. I didn’t make it to my father’s home. They… they want to exchange me for you.”
The bloody Brotherhood. Had to be. Sutton would take every last one of them out.
Alena’s eyes filled with tears. “Misty...” Her name caught in Alena’s throat. Her gaze suddenly shifted to Sutton. Did she just realize he could listen in on her conversation?
Damn it, if she didn’t ask for his assistance, he’d find a way to help her anyway. He wasn’t allowing Alena to risk her life for her friend’s.
“I see,” Alena responded into the phone, attempting to pretend nothing was wrong.
Bloody hell, woman. I’m in on this, too.
“They want you to come alone at dawn,” Misty said, her voice filled with regret.
“Yes.” Alena looked down at the floor again, attempting to hide her eyes, shimmering with unspent tears.
Sutton narrowed his eyes. The so-called Brotherhood wouldn’t stop him that easily. Weather forecasters predicted a storm-filled day, with no break in the weather for three days. Without the sun’s rays to hamper his movement, he’d go wherever he damn well pleased.
“Alena, you’re not to tell my family, but… You can’t come! Don’t come for me!”
Avoiding Sutton’s gaze, Alena clenched her teeth. “Where am I supposed to go?”
Another voice came on the line, one that Sutton instantly recognized. Kisaro. “The El Greco, the Inner Harbor. We’ll release your friend, if you take her place. We’ll track you down sooner or later, so you might as well make it count for something.”
“All right.” She sounded subdued, low key, as if she were pretending the conversation was casual and unimportant.
“And don’t bring Sutton.”
Her gaze flickered to Sutton’s, and her cheeks faintly tinged with color. “I understand.”
Sutton thought she realized he might have heard the conversation.
The phone clicked dead, and Alena took a hesitant breath.
Sutton’s neck muscles tightened into taut cords. He wasn’t letting Alena walk into the vampire’s lair alone to save her friend. She was his to protect... his like before. Only this time he wouldn’t fail.
“Is something the matter?” Sutton asked, couching his irritation while attempting to solicit her cooperation. He opened the door to the guestroom.
“I must admit it’s not the best of news I’ve received in a while, but I believe the way things are going lately, it won’t be the worst.”
Her words brought a smile of admiration to his lips. As distressed as he assumed she was over her friend’s kidnapping, she didn’t let on. In that regard, she was just like Elizabeth, calm in most crises, although when he lost her in the end, she’d been frantic, not wanting him to leave her behind, not wanting to lose him ever.
He cursed himself for her death, for her brother’s murdering her, for all the years of attempting to find her again, despairing and never coming this close to having her for his mate.
Following her into the room, he was determined to resolve the issue of her going anywhere without him to rescue her huntress friend. He rested his hands on her shoulders. When she looked up at him with pained eyes, appearing as though she’d been so deep in thought she hadn’t realized he’d followed her into the room, he began to massage her shoulders.
At first, she remained stiff, a huntress of breeding all the way through.
“You’re so tense,” he whispered, afraid if he spoke much further, she’d recognize the huskiness to his voice meant one thing—he craved having her beneath him, body and soul. “Relax, let me give you a back rub.”
At first, she stood stiffly, unmoving, as if thinking about her friend and what she had to do. But she finally reluctantly nodded and sat down on the bed. He couldn’t help the way his heart soared at her minor acquiescence.
He lifted the bottom edge of her sweater. Her eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head. Sighing a ragged breath, he pulled off one of her boots, then the other. He eyed her denim zipper, but she rolled over onto her stomach and folded her arms underneath her cheek.
“Do you want to talk about the problem?” he asked quietly.
She shook her head again and closed her eyes.
Slipping his hands underneath her sweater, he kneaded her shoulders. When she chuckled and shook her head again, he smiled.
“Massaging away the tension works better with skin against skin.”
“The more skin the better, right?” The dreamy quality of her words stirred his loins and his boxers tightened uncomfortably.
He nudged her to move over.
“What are you up to, Sutton?” she whispered.
“Seducing you. Haven’t I been completely up front with you?”
“Hmm-hmm.” She scooted over, and he sat on the mattress beside her. After pulling her curls aside from the back of her neck, he continued to massage her shoulders, her purring inticing him to keep up the action. When he leaned over to kiss her cheek, she cocked a brow. “You realize I’m still armed and can be dangerous to your well-being.”
“I don’t intend to do anything that you don’t agree to, lass.”
“Will you attempt to make love to me while I’m asleep?” She sounded almost hopeful.
On the other hand, he might have heard approval in her voice where there was none, he was so desperate to have her pledge her love to him.
“No.” He captured her hand, held it hostage, and kissed it with a long, lingering press of his mouth against her tender skin. “I’d only make love to you if you’re willing, awake, and agreeable.”
Her eyes studied his, those aquamarine liquid pools drawing him under her spell. “What do you really want, Sutton?”
You. All of you, love.
Before he answered her and provoked her into using one of her weapons, he removed one of her wrist blades, then the other. He was relieved to see her acquiesce without a struggle. After he disarmed her, he pulled her onto her back. His gaze shifted down her body, enjoying the curves outlined by her soft sweater and well-worn denims, wishing he could see her naked.
“You. Every bit of you, lass. That’s what I want.”
She tilted her chin down as if she were getting ready to scold him. “I’ve already said you can’t have me. Seems you’ll have to share your bed with Mona again tonight.”
