21 Shades of Night, page 245
She tried to catch her breath for a second when he faced down the teen. “Tell the Brotherhood I wish a word.”
The teen bowed his head slightly, his eyes flashing with hatred, then he vanished.
“God, Alena,” Ephraim said, pulling her into his embrace, then he hurried her toward the house, tears streaking her face.
“Our… our son,” she sobbed. “He’s dead.”
“Aye,” he said, wiping away her tears with his kisses. “I could never have hoped he would have lived today. I realized when I tried to locate him in my own way, he would have found a way to communicate with me.”
“Unless Bertha had brainwashed him to believe you were not his father or that you didn’t want him.”
Ephraim closed the door and hugged her soundly. “Nay, lass. He would have found a way to come to me, threatened to kill me if he’d felt I’d wronged his mother, and would have learned the truth. I had hoped he might still be alive, but I feared it wasn’t really possible. As to this other matter, the Brotherhood had sent a vampire boy to entice me to leave the house. They hoped if they could separate us, they could kill each of us more easily.”
“Is Mona all right?” Alena asked, Ephraim’s concerned words he’d spoken right before he vanished, coming back to her in a flash. “You said she was in trouble.”
“The boy bit her arm, but she will live.” He winked at his immortality joke. “She had to kill him. She’s upset that the first time she’s had to terminate anyone, it was a child.”
Mona sat on the couch, holding a blood-soaked towel against her wound. Alena hurried to get the bandages. “I’ll be right back.”
When she returned, Ephraim was examining the bite.
“Are you all right?” Alena asked Mona, offering to bind her wound.
Mona scowled. “Irritated the Brotherhood would send a boy as bait. Though when he attempted to kill me, the instinct for survival took hold.” Mona touched her injured arm. “I’m sorry that Ephraim’s turning me upset you, though.”
Alena frowned at Ephraim, the old news still perturbing her. Everything was happening too fast. Too many life-altering decisions, too many lives at stake, too much confusion.
She finished bandaging Mona and said, “Remember to drink lots of water—for the blood loss.” She couldn’t help the sarcasm in her voice, because she’d trusted Mona, and she’d given her water laced with a sedative.
Alena stalked to Ephraim’s bedroom. With every intention of leaving to sort out the dilemma of who she was and what she should do, she snatched one of her boots off the floor and shoved it on. She couldn’t stay here, not for the moment. Not with all of the vampiric pressure to become one of them. Not when she still hadn’t a firm grip on being Elizabeth.
She pulled on her other boot, then grabbed up the panties she’d never had time to put on and tossed them in her bag.
Ephraim appeared beside her, making her gasp with his suddenness. He ran his hands over her arms and looked into her eyes with that hypnotic way he had that melted the ice forming around her heart. “You can’t leave us, lass.”
She frowned at him. Medieval barbarian. She pushed him aside. “I have to if I’m ever to figure out what I need to do.”
“You can’t leave, us.” He grasped her shoulders in his hands, firmly, without reservation, possessively, with no intention of letting her go. He nuzzled his face against her cheek, then dropped his head lower, touching his lips to her neck, running them over her skin with a warm, alluring sweep. His warm breath quickened while he drew closer to her, pulling her into his hard body, already geared to make love to her. “You can’t leave us.”
Ephraim’s hands massaged her shoulders while her body ached for his. She closed her eyes. As a huntress she knew what to do. But Alena wasn’t just a huntress any longer. She was Ephraim’s lover, a vampire’s mistress, like she had been three hundred years earlier. And she had been in some odd, unknown way, the mother of a... vampire.
“You are no’ going anywhere, love.”
“We must find a compromise. A change in the League rules so that the two sides can end this.” She looked up at Ephraim. “Don’t you agree?”
“You’re the daughter of the head of the League. Can you get them to listen to you?”
“Maybe David.” She didn’t think her father would listen to her. Actually, she didn’t think David would either. But she had to make the attempt to sway them to her thinking. She pulled her cell phone from her belt and dialed his number. Taking a deep breath, she felt Mona’s grief. Alena would have felt just as awful if she’d had to terminate a vampire child.
David finally answered the phone. “Alena? What’s wrong?” He sounded concerned, like he was ready to jump in his car and rescue her.
“Nothing.” She twisted a curl behind her ear. “Well, and everything. Is there any way we can address the League about making drastic changes in our rules to satisfy the vampire population? We have to consider a peaceable solution.”
“Your father is here with me now.” David’s words sounded foreboding, and she suspected her father wasn’t in the mood to negotiate with any renegade vampires.
Ephraim pulled her close, and she melted into his arms. His simple loving gesture nearly washed away the concerns of the world while she leaned her head against his chest.
Her father asked, “Alena? What do you want?” Brisk and to the point, that was her father’s way.
Immediately, she went on the defensive. “Father—”
“What the hell is going on? You’re supposed to find out about this Sutton Bastrop and terminate him.”
She breathed deeply, trying to settle the anger that crept into her being, not believing her father would so single-mindedly want to eliminate Ephraim for no good reason.
“The secret,” she said carefully choosing her words, “was he was looking for his son, taken away from him as an infant. He’s discovered he had died. That was the secret project. He’s helped both David and me fight the renegades. Why is he being considered a rogue, too?”
“We know more about this case than you do.”
She stiffened, hating that they had wanted her to do this job, but had been keeping secrets from her concerning it. “Then enlighten me.”
“You have all of the information you need.”
Yes, she did. She knew about Ephraim’s plans to return to the past and annihilate her family to save Elizabeth. But she didn’t believe he wanted to do it any longer. “I see. So you have no intention of lifting the order concerning him, no matter how much he helps our cause? He helped David and me rescue Misty. He’s saved my life numerous times. This counts for nothing?”
“We won’t rescind the order to have him terminated. You’ll find out the true business he intends to accomplish and finish him. Once you’re done with him, I’ll assign you your next job. You’ve advanced to the big time, Alena. You should be proud of yourself.”
She figured they had known what Ephraim had been up to then, which incensed her even more. But she also assumed she could never convince her father that Ephraim had given up his plan. She clenched her fist, wanting to punch anything to release the anger in her system.
“Haven’t you heard, Father?” she said, the ire rising in her voice. “I’m on the Brotherhood’s terminal list. Sutton is the only one keeping me alive at the moment. But even so, both of us have risked our lives several times in the last couple of days. We must give the vampires equal representation. If we don’t, the vampires can increase their numbers so fast, we’d be overwhelmed within months. It could be the end of our very exist—”
“David wishes to speak with you.”
Alena ground her teeth. Her father didn’t want to talk peace. How in the world could they resolve this if they didn’t do something other than escalate the killing? She knew in her heart, the hunters wouldn’t win. Not this time. They couldn’t increase their numbers like the vampires could. Vampiric blood bonds with the right humans could turn half the corrupt population over to their side. It could mean the end of the hunters for good.
“Alena?” David said.
She rolled her eyes. Terminate vampires. That’s all David cared about. And her father, too, it appeared. “David, we need to convince the League—”
“Can I speak with Sutton for a moment?”
She raised her brows, while the look of surprise on Ephraim’s face mirrored her expression. “Sure.” Though she agreed, bitterness filled her. No one would listen to her, and her own kind would end up suffering terrible losses, if not total extermination. The hunters were doomed if they couldn’t see where they were headed. At the moment, she felt impotent to do anything about it.
She handed the phone to Ephraim, then left the bedroom and joined Mona still sitting in the living room, looking horribly morose.
“Would you like some hot cocoa?” Alena asked, trying to take her mind off her father’s words and calm herself.
“I would,” Mona said, smiling, her mood growing more cheerful.
Ephraim joined them in the kitchen, his look unfathomable. “David wants to come here to talk.”
“About the Brotherhood?” Alena pulled out ceramic mugs for hot chocolate.
“About more than that.”
“Oh? About you?” She looked up at him, hopeful the League would change its mind about Ephraim after all.
“He wants to talk about you and him. He wants to marry you, Alena. Apparently my little lecture with him about how you only see him as a brotherly cousin didn’t work.”
Sitting down hard on the barstool, she stared at Ephraim, totally dumbfounded. David wanted to marry her? How in the hell had that ever come about? She rubbed her temple as a colossal headache pooled there. Then her thoughts switched to what Ephraim had said about his little lecture with David.
She narrowed her eyes. “You told David what?”
Chapter 19
ALENA TWISTED A red curl of hair around her finger, her brows knit together in a frown, her vibrant blue eyes staring Ephraim down. Maybe he shouldn’t have told David that Alena only thought of him like a brother.
Ephraim smiled inwardly. No, he’d had to set her cousin straight.
“I’ll make the cocoa,” Mona offered, walking into the kitchen, undoubtedly realizing he had to iron out relations with Alena all over again.
Alena groaned and Ephraim took her hand and pulled her from the stool. “My whole life has been turned upside down ever since I got that contract to terminate you, Ephraim Campbell. I can’t marry you either! Not according to League rules.” Her eyes grew stormy, her chin tilted up, and her cheeks beautifully flushed.
“Then you’ll have to bring about their change. And I’ll help you.”
“Right.” She said the word with sarcasm rather than in agreement.
“We shall return.” Ephraim led Alena back to his bedroom.
She cleared her throat. “How much time do we have before David arrives?”
“Plenty for what I intend to do with you.”
“What did you say to David? That’s what I want to know.” She flipped a red curl dangling against her cheek behind her shoulder.
Ephraim closed the bedroom door. “I told David what you said to me about his interest in you. I knew he cared for you more than you thought he did. I mentioned nothing to him about him being a pain in the butt as you’d said.”
She punched him in the shoulder. “I can’t believe you talked to him about me behind my back.”
Ephraim kissed her cheek, then eased her onto the bed.
“I still haven’t gotten over you turning Mona, either, you know.”
He opened his mouth to speak.
She ran her fingers over his chest, targeting both nipples beneath his shirt and traced them. Her touch stirred a lower part of his anatomy. “However, she’s a good housekeeper and a pleasant woman.”
“So you exonerate me of my sins?” He pulled off one of her boots, then the other.
She tilted her chin up again in that defiant manner Ephraim had grown accustomed to and loved. He reached for her blouse, but she stilled his hands. “We were supposed to talk.”
“We will.” He pulled his hands free from hers and unfastened her first button.
“Bertha said you made love to her.” She folded her arms.
He unfolded them and tackled the next button. “Nay.”
“She said you had no scar on your foot.”
His gaze shifted from the widening gap in her blouse that revealed her heavenly breasts, unencumbered by a lacy bra this time. “What?”
“I asked about the scar on your foot, and she said you didn’t have one.”
He slipped his hand under her silk blouse and cupped a breast, luxuriating in the feel of the firm mound. Sliding his thumb over the soft flat nipple, he rubbed with a light caress. Instantly, it extended, and he craved touching his tongue to the aroused nub. “Hmm. That’s because I don’t have a scar on my foot.” He turned his attention to her next button.
“But how would she have known that?”
He shrugged. “I was barefoot sometime, and she saw me?”
“Naked you mean?”
“Did she know about my scars?” He quickly finished the rest of Alena’s buttons.
“She said she couldn’t remember them because it had been so long ago.”
“You believed her?” He pulled her blouse off and stared at her bare breasts, the nipples like two prominent cherries on mounds of vanilla ice cream, a mouth-watering feast. “Hmm, Elizabeth.” He slipped his fingers to the waistband of her jeans. Not feeling the top edge of her panties, he quirked a brow in surprise. “Have you no underwear on?”
“I was in a hurry to rescue you.”
“Wanton woman. No stays either.”
“Ahh, I seem to remember a conversation like this in the past. You’d desired that I wear fewer clothes, and I told you I’d be considered a loose woman.”
He smiled. “Aye. And I’d said if you wore no stays you would be thought of as a loose woman.” He chuckled, pleased that even though she’d been pissed off at him over turning Mona, she’d come to rescue him. “My dutiful love.” He grabbed her zipper, bothered still that she would be concerned about his involvement with her aunt though. “You didn’t believe Bertha truly, did you?”
“No.”
“Good. I didn’t make love to the woman. I knew her as your aunt whatever the century. And I knew she had the hots for me. But the feeling wasn’t mutual. You were the only woman I wanted.”
He pulled Alena’s jeans off, then smiled to see her creamy skin bared to him. Even now a few of the curly red hairs between her legs were dewy, wet with need. “You’re beautiful, Alena Elizabeth MacLeod.”
She reached for his zipper, but playfully ran her finger over his rock hard erection beneath the jeans, her look heated. “Are you sure we have time—”
“Plenty of time.” Though not really. His actions were a race against time, and yet, he longed to take it slow and easy. But if David arrived in the middle of their lovemaking...
Ephraim yanked his shirt off, then quickly ditched his trousers and boxers.
Before she could voice any further objection, he had her soft warm body pinned beneath him. She frowned when he grazed his extended canines along her neck. “Do you need to feed?”
“Aye. But we can wait until later.”
“I enjoy the feeling when you suck on me.” Her voice was hot and sultry and turned him on all the more.
“The sexual experience is heightened, lass. You should try it sometime.”
She snorted. “No pressure?”
“I don’t mean to rush you, but—”
“We’re expecting company.”
“Aye.” He ran his tongue over her nipple. Moaning, she combed her fingers through his hair, arousing him so fast, he feared he’d come too quickly this time.
He pressed a steamy kiss to her lips. With as much enthusiasm, she slipped her tongue into his mouth and caressed his tongue. Quickly, he pushed her thighs apart and worked his legs between hers. Before he slipped inside of her, he remembered the condom. Damn, he wished she wanted his child instead. With an exasperated sigh, he yanked his bedside table drawer open and fished out a rubber. Could she ever agree to have a bairn with him? Or would the League always come between them?
He drove away the sentiment, vowing patience.
Reaching down, she attempted to slide the condom over his length, but he stilled her hands. “I won’t make it this time, if you touch me, lass.”
The devilishly heated look in her eyes and the smile playing on her lips... the knowledge she controlled him, turned him on, willed him to do her bidding... she brought the Campbell warrior to his knees, and all he could do was beg for mercy. And she damn well knew it.
After rolling the condom on, he pushed inside of her warm, tight channel and thrust deeply. With a soft moan, she slid her hands down his back and over his butt, coaxing him to go faster.
He moved his mouth to her throat, and she tilted her chin up, exposing herself to him, willing him to bite her. The blood in her veins pounded, triggering the bloodlust to call to him. Her body arched to meet his like a dancer in concert with her partner. Even now, he was ready to release his seed, but he treasured the moment and held on for as long as he could.
Thwarting his ability to make the moment last longer, her fingers dug into his back, pressuring him to push harder, demanding that he fulfill her dreams.
“I love you, Ephraim,” she whispered.
The words he so longed to here. His Elizabeth, for all time, even if their time would be cut short again.
He thrust deeply inside her and with a husky voice said, “And I you, lass. My love, forever.”
He licked her throat, the blood pulsing warm and fast beneath her soft skin. The bloodlust won. Fully extended, his teeth sank into her vein. He sucked, her sweet blood nourishing him while he pumped his seed deep into her chasm.
He sensed the ache she wished fulfilled, the orgasm nearly achieved but out of reach, the craving to climb to the peak, and with the heady celestial climax shattering them, he forced himself to withdraw his fangs. If he took a little more of her blood, he could force her to want his, too. But he couldn’t, as much as he longed for her to be his forever. He had to let it be her choice.
