Burning Dawn

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

THANE’S DARK EMOTIONS wound more tightly around his heart with every day that passed.

Two weeks ago, Lucien had agreed to track Bjorn’s spiritual trail, hoping to discover every location the Sent One had visited lately, but the trail was so twisted, so tangled, he’d said when they met again today, he’d made little progress.

Malice was hiding somewhere, but Thane had found no trace of him.

Kendra’s tongue had grown back, and she’d taken to calling him “My Slave” just to remind him of her hold over him. He had resorted to violence. If Elin found out, she would be upset.

Elin...who was avoiding him.

Thane was failing at everything lately.

He’d thought taking another lover would douse his craving for the human—halfling. But when he’d chosen the siren and she had spoken to Elin with such smug derision, irritation had overwhelmed him. The siren was lucky to have left the club alive.

Afterward, Elin had walked away from him, dismissing him, and he’d stomped to his suite. Alone. He’d paced. He’d pondered. And he’d realized he had disrespected her in ways the siren never could.

Now, days later, he didn’t know what to do. He just wanted to stop hurting.

He sent Adrian shopping for new uniforms for all the girls. Long-sleeved. Midriff draped by extra pleats of material. Pants. Maybe that would help. The less he saw of her, the less he would want her. Right?

“Thane Downfall!”

His brow puckered with confusion, even as his blood heated with awareness. That sounded like Elin’s voice, only muffled. And only she called him by that silly name.

He jerked open the doors to his suite, and sure enough, there she was, trying to push her way past the guards. Arousal and anger battled for supremacy; at the same time, the tension that had been building inside of him since their first meeting cranked up another level. He needed some kind of release. Soon.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

Her gaze met his, only to skitter away. Afraid of him now?

Disappointment overshadowed both the arousal and anger.

“Yes,” she said, “there’s something wrong, and I’d like to talk to you about it. In private. If your majesty’s imperial guard would be so kind as to let me pass...”

No, not afraid. Livid. That, he could deal with. He motioned her inside. As she bypassed the vampires and Thane, he found himself leaning down to take in more of her cherries scent.

Catching the action, she sent him a scathing glance.

He silently dared her to comment. An apology would have been a lie.

When she was settled on the couch, he quietly said to the males, “I will tell you only once. Elin doesn’t need an invitation. When she wants to see me, let her through immediately.” A concession he’d never made for another.

A concession he shouldn’t have made for her.

A concession he wouldn’t take back.

He shut the door and faced Elin, then crossed his arms over his chest. He was shirtless, and her gaze chased the motion, lingering on the cords of his strength. She might as well have licked his nipples, so strongly did his body react.

“Elin,” he said, stepping toward her.

She blinked rapidly, and blushed. “I thought I was a guest rather than a prisoner—until I found out I’m not allowed to leave without your majesty’s exalted permission,” she said, her tone dripping with annoyance.

He stilled, not letting himself close the rest of the distance. “The day you saw the Phoenix king, I told you leaving the club was no longer permitted.”

Jumping to her feet, she said, “And that’s exactly why I don’t want to stay here any longer than necessary.”

Still hoping to leave him. Shouldn’t punch a wall. Must display a modicum of decorum. Hating—loving—the way her breasts had bounced with her movements, the way her skin had flushed to a rosy pink, he said, “I’ll allow you to leave...if you take an escort. And before you reject the demand or complain, try to remember that you are a half human among full-blooded immortals. You are breakable. They are not.”

Her features softened. “I get that you’re trying to protect me, and I appreciate the effort, but I’ll be with Bellorie. She’s tougher than any of your men.”

“Even the toughest soldiers require backup,” he insisted.

“I don’t care.” A stomp of her foot. “I need a break. Your men have been following me everywhere. I expect one of them to burst into the bathroom the next time I’m doing my business. I can’t take it anymore.”

He ran his tongue over his teeth. “Where do you want to go?”

“The dodge-boulder game a few clouds over. I missed the last two, and that isn’t fair to my team.”

“You’re actually going to play? Even though you haven’t improved?” He knew, because he’d watched her practice on more than one occasion.

Her eyes narrowed, but she nodded.

“There will be blood. Lots of blood.”

She shuddered but said, “No big deal. The girls have been working with me to get over the fear.”

Should have been me. I should have worked with her. Instead, he’d tried to wrap her in a protective bubble, he realized. He’d avoided her, giving her space. A mistake, on both counts. Time to rectify. “If you get hurt, I will be very displeased.”

“I’m strangely okay with that.”

Seeing no other way, he said, “Very well.” Anything else would alienate her completely. “I’ll allow you to leave without an armed escort.”

She brightened, and his heart actually skipped a beat. Gorgeous girl. “Thank you, Thane.”

“If you allow me to establish a link with you,” he finished.

The brightness dulled. “No. I don’t want to link with you. Your majesty,” she added, just to be difficult, he was sure.

He used to taunt Zacharel this way. Had his leader found it as aggravating as Thane did?

“You will link with me anyway,” he said, “so that you can reach me if there’s any trouble.”

“I can reach Xerxes.”

The reminder angered him. “You shut him out.”

She gave another stomp of her foot. “So? What makes you think I won’t be able to shut you out, too?”

“Unlike my friend, I won’t let you.” He would cut through her shields if she tried.

Wrong of him? Yes. Going to stop him? No. Her safety came first. Always.

“My answer is no,” she huffed. Her pique added luscious color to her cheeks.

“This isn’t a debate.”

“Gah! You and that phrase. Just so you know, you’re both beyond annoying.”

Someone had a sassy mouth today.

He stepped into her personal space, and she gulped.

“This is not happening,” she said. “I’m not giving permission.”

“I’m not asking.” Her nearness...her scent...her beauty...her temper... It was one punch of lust after another. But...more than that. He admired her. She knew he could destroy her in a physical altercation, and yet she charged at him anyway, demanding her way.

He placed his hands at her temples, such soft, warm skin. She tensed at the moment of contact, but still he closed his eyes.

“I don’t want a bond with you,” she croaked.

“Elin,” he said, smiling for the first time in weeks. “I can taste your lie.” And never had he been so pleased.

Through the connection of flesh against flesh, he swept himself into her mind. He caught a memory-flash of her laughing up at her husband. A male of average height, with dark hair, dark eyes, and a classically handsome face. Her eyes were filled with love and tenderness.

Then a flash of the warrior Orson, calloused hands gripping her shoulders, shaking her.

The images burned away, there one moment, gone the next, mental flames leaving nothing but ash. She was blocking him. Intrepid human. But she was too late. The bond was in place.

Thane broke contact and jolted back, creating distance.

“If you encounter any problems or threats,” he said, “just think of me. Reach for me with your mind as you would reach for me with your hand. I will do the rest.”

“I know,” she grumbled. “Xerxes explained how it’s done.”

Jealousy struck—and struck hard. He breathed in and out with deliberate slowness, hoping to calm. He stoked his desires, instead. The scent of cherries roused his deepest hunger.

“I’m gonna go now,” she said with a tremor, and backed away. Could she sense the change in him?

“Not yet.” He cupped her shoulders, stopping her. “There’s one more thing you need to do.”

Her gaze got caught on his, and they peered at each other, silent, for a long time. The air seemed to thicken, as if they’d just stepped into a sultry midnight bayou. She began to pant. Her pupils dilated.

He rejoiced.

“What?” she finally asked, breathless. “What do I need to do?”

“This.” He yanked her against his body and kissed her.

He didn’t start soft, and he didn’t ease her into it. He thrust his tongue hard and demanded entrance. Surprised—or willing—she opened. He took full advantage, thrusting again and again, taking her mouth the way he wanted to take her body.

She melted against him and moaned his name. Want him. Want him so much. Can’t fight this. Don’t want to fight it anymore.

Her voice drifted through his mind, snapping what little remained of Thane’s control. He devoured her mouth, sucking, biting and thrusting. Basking in all that was Elin. Little mewls escaped the back of her throat.

He cupped her under the thighs and lifted her, fitting her core against his erection. “Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it,” he whispered. “Anything.” Just don’t leave me.

She gasped, as if she’d heard the words he hadn’t spoken. Maybe she had. He was past the point of caring. All that mattered was what came next. Her needs and his ability to meet them.

A moment passed; she stopped kissing him. He ground his teeth. She wiggled free from his grip, stood, and stepped away from him. He ground his teeth harder. When the back of her knees hit the coffee table, she met his piercing stare. It wasn’t regret that he saw—but passion. She licked her lips...and he began to hope. Slowly, so blessedly slow, she stripped from the waist down.

Lust like he’d never known hit him, and it hurt. But it was the best kind of hurt. She wasn’t leaving him.

He drank in her beauty, trembling with the need to touch her.

Steady. Wait for her direction.

Gaze hooded, she moved around the table, eased onto the couch, and slowly spread her legs. She crooked a finger at him. “Come here.”

A willing slave, he closed the distance, shoving the coffee table out of the way and breaking its legs. He knelt in front of her. With his hands on her knees, he forced her to spread her legs even wider. He fought to retain composure.

Mine. She’s mine. That’s mine.

He’d never tasted a woman—not the way he was currently thinking. He knew some men hated the act, and some loved it. He knew some tolerated it the same way some women tolerated sex, willing to do it to please a partner, but not necessarily enjoying it.

Now, in a daze, almost desperate, fueled by desire, he lowered his head. Hovered, still waiting. “Elin?”

“Do it. Put your mouth on me.”

He slooowly tasted her. His eyes closed, and he savored the feminine flavors that instantly drugged and addicted him. “More,” he said. He took another taste, and another, until he was lapping at her...indulging.

Her exhalations turned shallow. “Yes,” she moaned, hips writhing, seeking more of him. “Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop.”

Would rather die.

“Die. Yes, I’ll die if you don’t take me all the way.”

He reached up to knead her breasts, but she took one of his hands and sucked a finger into her hot, sweet mouth. He felt the suction all the way to his sac, and jerked, rubbing his erection into the couch. When he next licked her, he was frantic, flicking the tip of his tongue over the little bundle of nerves at her apex, again and again, and she cried out.

“More,” she said, and sucked him harder.

He slid lower, to her entrance, and thrust his tongue in and out, in and out, mimicking the motions of sex. He was so hard he feared he would burst at any second.

“Thane.” She anchored her feet at the edge of the couch and undulated against his mouth. He returned to the bundle of nerves, flicking, flicking, and slid two fingers deep inside her. She was so warm and wet the glide was easy. “Yes!”

My woman likes this. He sucked on her, using the same rhythm as his fingers, and she began to buck against him. Faster and faster. The sounds she made became incomprehensible. It was exquisite nonsense...until she grabbed him by the hair and screamed his name, her inner walls clenching on him.

He was still kissing her when her body stopped twitching. Still kissing her when she sagged against the couch, spent and boneless.

Still kissing her when she stopped sucking his finger and gave him a little push.

Though he wasn’t nearly done with her, he lifted his head. As she watched, he licked his mouth, taking in the rest of her essence. Nothing was left behind. Each little bit was a reward.

She straightened. Expression bright with contentment, she reached out and rubbed her palm over his aching shaft.

He almost spilled. He definitely moaned. “Harder.”

“No. I’m going to leave you with this,” she whispered raggedly, “and you’re not going to do anything about it. That’s your punishment for sending me away.”

Punishment. Pain.

But the best kind...

He would not be injured. She would not be injured. Guilt would never enter the equation.

It was...perfect.

He nodded slowly, eager to play her game. “I will not touch it.”

She placed a soft kiss on his lips. “Maybe I’ll see you later.”

“Count on it.” She stood, stepped around him, and clothed herself before leaving the room without another word.

ELIN STOOD BEHIND the out-of-bounds line and tried not to tremble. The Fang Bangers waited on the other side of the court, ready for the gun to fire and signal the start of the game. The team was made up of six women, with two substitutes on the sidelines. Each was a vampire.

“Hey, hemogoblins,” Savy called. “How does it feel to know you’ll be leaving the gym in pieces?”

Every member of the Fang Bangers hissed at her. One even growled, “Go ahead and start singing, fat lady songbird. This game is already over.”

Between the two teams were six huge boulders Elin would never be able to lift. Thane was right. She hadn’t improved.

Why am I even here?

Answer: because the girls asked her, and she couldn’t say no.

The “rules” raced through her mind.

The first rule of dodge boulder: there were no rules. Kidding! If a boulder was thrown at her, and she caught it, the thrower was benched, but there was no such thing as an illegal shot. Someone could nail her in the head or the groin, and she would be out. Literally. Causing someone to experience a physical death for five seconds or more added ten points to her team’s score—immortals would revive. There were no breaks (other than bones) and no time-outs. No penalty flags. The game would last until an entire team was out.

Basically, it was dodgeball on a steady diet of steroids and growth hormone.

This is gonna hurt, so bad.

Boom!

In the opening rush, every player converged in the center of the basketball court to claim a boulder. Except Elin. Have to play to my strengths. Aka survival. Dodging thousand-pound missiles equaled survival. She hung back and waited.

Her heart drummed in a wild rhythm, and sweat trickled down her spine. Loud cheers scraped at her ears. The surrounding stands were filled to capacity with immortals of every race, a sea of faces grinning with relish. Everyone was foaming at the mouth, eager to witness the first splat.

For a moment, Elin thought she felt Thane’s gaze upon her. Only he could heat her skin with a look, and melt her bones, and make her tremble. But there was no way he’d come here to watch her play. Not after she’d taken her pleasure and left him without his own, hard and desperate. She’d just thought...hoped... Well, it didn’t matter now. He was probably ticked. The sensation of being visually caressed must have sprung from their new connection. A connection she hadn’t wanted! Already she was too aware of him. She needed distance, not a chain that bound them.

Concentrate.

Good idea, and none too soon. One of the boulders acted as a heat-seeking missile, heading straight for her. Elin danced out of its path at the last second, barely avoiding a meet-and-greet with her internal organs.

Bellorie ran past her, a huge silver rock clutched to her chest. “Plan Hurt Some Biatches, Bonka Donk! It’s a go!”

That was right. Plan A: Stay close to Bellorie, but not so close Elin would be hidden. Taunt and tease the other players, drawing their wrath, and thereby making them forget the Harpy was nearby.

As Elin closed in at Bellorie’s left, Chanel tossed a boulder at one of the vamps, knocking the girl in the jaw. Impact threw her down, and she was unable to catch the stone before it hit the ground. Blood poured from her now-misshapen mouth.

Sickness churned in Elin’s stomach, but she somehow managed to breathe past it. She hadn’t lied to Thane. The girls had been working with her to help her overcome her fear. But by “working with her” she meant they’d talked about it nonstop, all while taking turns cutting their hands, and shoving the pooling crimson in her face. Immersion therapy, they’d called it.

As she’d watched their wounds weave back together, she’d realized blood wasn’t always accompanied by pain and death. Blood could be...life.

I can do this. Elin spread her arms to make herself seem like a wider target and called, “Hey, vampyra. You’re so ugly, the doctor slapped your mom the day you were born.” Okay, so that wasn’t the best trash talk, but it did the trick.

“My mom is gorgeous!” The vampire flashed very long, very sharp fangs before hurtling a rock at her. As Elin ducked, Bellorie tossed her own rock, nailing the girl in the shoulder. Out!

Grinning, Bellorie gave Elin a high five.

Okay, this was getting fun.

After they took out another player in the same manner—only four to go!—the Fang Bangers caught on and decided to take Elin out for good. One boulder after another launched her way. Blimey! There was no way to dodge them all. Then Octavia was there, catching one. Chanel was there, catching another. Bellorie and Savy were too far away. The last stone was closing in quick...

She had a choice. Dodge, and keep the game going. Or catch, and end it, ensuring victory.

She opened her arms, and—

Crack. Elin’s body skidding backward as her sternum and ribs howled. She lost her breath. Oh, the pain! Catching had been a mistake. A huge mistake.

When she stilled, she tried to focus. Stars swam through her vision.

The crowd was eerily quiet.

Then a celebration bomb detonated, and cheers erupted.

“You did it!” Bellorie screamed.

Meaning...they’d won, she realized. They’d really won! Adrenaline kicked in, dulling the pain.

The girls pulled the boulder from her kung-fu grip and jerked her to her feet. She winced as they hugged and kissed her and lifted her above their heads.

A sense of triumph flooded her. Triumph and relief. She’d helped her friends. And they really were. They were her friends. She wasn’t an outcast. Wasn’t considered a lowly slave. She was an equal, and she was liked.

Laughing, uncaring about the sting in her chest, she pumped her arms in the air. Then she found herself peering into the familiar crystalline gaze of a spectator and lost her breath all over again. Thane had come to her game. And he was grinning, those scrumptious dimples on full display.