Vampire Mine

Chapter Ten

Sadie knew she shouldn’t give in. She didn’t need to make things easy for Trey. She was supposed to maintain some semblance of pride, show him she was more than capable of existing in a world that didn’t include him.

Unfortunately the heart wanted what the heart wanted.

All the resistance in the world wouldn’t do her a bit of good. She could try to suffocate her feelings, locking them away so no one could see them. An illusion would be created but she’d know the truth. Like a magician using trickery to deceive an audience, her efforts would be a façade.

You can’t lie to yourself.

She wanted to give him the chance he kept asking for. When she’d lashed out at him earlier she’d been devastated by Ava’s harsh treatment of Leigh. Her friend’s suffering had her acting without logical thought. She’d unleashed her anger in the only way she could, taking her frustration out on Trey. Afterward—when she listened to Diskant and Trey’s argument—she understood and accepted what Ava had done. Nothing would be easy from here on out. With danger from the Shepherds, the threat of Aldon and the possibility the pack might rebel or turn their backs on Trey and Diskant, everyone had no choice but to keep a lid on things at home.

Trey’s cock jerked, his hard, hot thickness spreading her wide. As they were, leaning against the counter, she could feel his weight bearing her down. She loved the way he felt, his large form like a shield around her. She lifted her head, gazing into the mirror. He kept his chin on her shoulder but his eyes were raised, his irises a beautiful shade of gold.

Would she fight for him? Could she?

She thought about the woman who’d tried to get his attention months ago. She’d been so angry and possessive. Using a veil to remain invisible, she’d slapped the woman’s drink, dousing the werewolf bitch in alcohol. Trey’d found it humorous. The woman who’d borne the brunt of Sadie’s wrath hadn’t been as amiable. She’d felt powerful then, proclaiming her hold on Trey even if he hadn’t been aware of it.

Just thinking about another woman touching him, whispering to him, holding him…

A tremor shook her from the inside out.

Of course she’d fight for him.

At this point she’d do anything he asked of her.

She hated entering his mind and absorbing his thoughts. Doing so was the ultimate invasion of privacy. But she couldn’t help herself. She slid easily into his head, gathering information. She’d gained a glimpse of his resolve, his determination to win her over. He wanted her to trust him even though he knew he’d hurt her. Each time she’d eased into his head she’d gotten to hear the things she wanted most. But she’d been terrified to accept what she found as truth. The last time she’d let her guard down he’d betrayed her in the worst way possible.

If it happened again—if she endured heartbreak for another time—she’d be done for.

He kept his eyes on hers and eased his cock from her pussy. She wrapped her fingers around the edge of the small counter, clenching the marbled surface. Goddess help her, she couldn’t look away. The intensity in his gaze—the way he stared at her as though she was the most precious thing in the world—made her eyes burn with tears she refused to shed. He paused, just barely lodged inside her.

“Show me.” Her request came across like a plea but she didn’t care. “Make me believe.”

He returned as gently as he’d left her, tender as his cock eased its way back inside. With a tilt of his chin he swept her hair from her neck. He didn’t stop watching her, kissing her nape. This time he didn’t take her with force. He moved cautiously, drawing out the moment until he was totally sheathed within her. His breath was warm against her throat, his lips soft as he breezed them over her skin.

If he was trying to seduce her, he was doing a hell of a job. She trembled with excitement and anticipation. A familiar tingle settled in her gums. She didn’t try to fight her body’s reaction, parting her lips as her fangs lengthened. Strangely enough, she didn’t have the overriding urge to bite him. Rather she wanted to let him tease her, was eager to see how long he could keep up with this new and unexpected game.

“I’ll give you everything I am. I’ll be whatever you need,” he vowed, moving his hips back, leaving her feeling empty as his cock slid from her depths. “I won’t let you have regrets.” His mouth swept from her neck to her cheek. “I’ll move heaven and earth for you if that’s what it takes.”

“Heaven and earth, huh?” It was difficult to speak and even harder to think, especially like this, with their bodies joined and skin touching. “That’s not going to be easy.”

“If that’s what it takes,” he repeated. “I never said it’d be easy.”

“Even if you have to leave everything you’ve ever known behind?”

Having him so close and saying such sweet things made her head spin. This was what she’d dreamed about as a young woman who’d never been in love. The magic of a stolen moment with a lover she wanted to wake up with each day. The wonder of finding the one person who would make her life complete.

“I didn’t think I could but I was wrong.” He grasped her hip and pulled her back as he moved, filling her again, keeping things slow. “When I thought I’d lost you…” His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “I tried to convince myself I couldn’t have you because of what would happen if I did. I put the importance of the pack above everything, like I always have. I’d lived that way for so long that when I found you I didn’t do what I should have. There’s no excuse for my behavior.”

“You were drunk.” Yes she was giving him a get out of jail free card, but she was tired of fighting him, or thinking about the events that had divided them for so long. “I thought you might fall flat on your face.”

“That’s true but it doesn’t matter. I’m not that man anymore. I’m not going back to an empty bed, thinking about you, wishing you were right there in my arms.”

“This isn’t just about us.” Goddess, she hated admitting that. She wanted him so much she was almost tempted to say to hell with the rest of the world. He glided back into her, the thickness of his cock nudging her G-spot. “We have to think about everyone else.” She couldn’t believe she could formulate words, not with the fire building in her belly. “Maybe Diskant’s right.”

“No, he’s not.” Rubbing his cheek against hers, he asked, “Do you know why?”

She shook her head, biting down softly on her lip.

“We’re at war, Sadie.” He increased the pace, pumping his length in and out of her pussy. She rocked back, meeting his thrusts. “Our enemies will return. We’ll have to face them head-on. I’ve seen what you can do. I know what you’re capable of. You can protect the pack in a way I can’t. You can give them a gift beyond measure. If you show them that—if you pledge your loyalty to them and to me—they’ll have no choice but to accept our mating. Diskant will back my decision. They’ll trust his judgment. They might not like it at first but they’re not stupid. They know the danger we’re in. They know what’ll happen if we’re not stronger than the people who want to kill us. And they know just how much Diskant stands to lose if he’s wrong.”

“I won’t let you hurt me again.” She made sure he saw the warning in her gaze, making her intentions clear. He had to know she wouldn’t stand for any more bullshit. “If you want this, you need to know I’m not running. If I fight for you, you’ll have to fight for me too. And your protection has to be extended to Leigh. You’ll have to give me your word you won’t let anything happen to her.”

He stopped, his cock buried inside her. Letting go of the counter, she rested her fingers over the hand he’d placed on her hip. His fingers tightened over her flesh, his grip firm.

“I give you my word. Accept my mark. Stand beside me when I face the pack.”

Uncertainty and a healthy dose of fear almost destroyed the intimacy—almost. She pushed the emotions aside, reckless and tired of hiding how she felt because she was terrified of the unknown. Once he gave her his mark, he couldn’t turn her away. She knew enough about shifters to recognize the mark carried weight. The pack would loathe her for having it but she didn’t give a shit. She was a vampire without a coven, a woman without a place to call home. In the last day she’d learned those she thought she could trust were far more dangerous than a man who’d done something foolish in the heat of the moment.

Give him what he wants.

Take what he’s offering.

She released his hand and reached for her hair, moving it away from throat. He eased back, giving her room. Once she’d tucked the heavy locks over her other shoulder she reached for him. Wrapping her fingers around his nape, she guided his mouth to her neck. He lifted his hand from her hip and pulled her shirt clear, giving him plenty of room to sink his teeth into her skin.

Giving herself over, she whispered the spell that would slow her rate of healing.

It wouldn’t last forever—no more than an hour—but he didn’t need that long.

She didn’t turn away, focusing on the canines in his mouth that elongated and broadened. A rush of magic swept through her, sending a small wave of heat over her skin. In an instant she felt the difference. He felt larger inside her, his presence more formidable. She remained an immortal but she was weaker like this, nowhere near as strong.

“There’s no going back,” she whispered, voice quaking. “You’ll never be rid of me.”

“Good,” he growled, irises brightening near his pupils. “That’s exactly what I want.”

Angling his head, he got in position.

Then he dipped his head and sank his teeth into her flesh.

He was an asshole, biting harder than necessary. Her blood coated his tongue. Metallic, warm and sweet. He chose the slope of her neck, where the delicate arch of her throat met the sleekness of her shoulder. Unless she wore a shirt that covered the area, everyone would see the mark on her skin. That’s what he wanted. Everyone would know the mating had taken place, he’d given her his brand and she’d accepted it.

Up until then he’d been excruciatingly gentle, taking his time as he fucked her, trying to convey how much she meant to him. One day soon he was going to take it further, making love to her as she deserved. The wolf, however, had other ideas. The damn thing roared in victory the instant Sadie moved her hair free of her neck. It rode him hard, wanting to own every single inch of her inside and out. He plunged into her pussy, groaning as her cunt clasped his cock.

He knew then he’d almost lost the only chance of happiness and fulfillment he’d have ever known. The connection he’d felt the first time they’d come together returned. His beast basked in the feeling, reaching out to its mate. Trey kept up the pace, slamming into her slick heat. She bowed her back to allow him to penetrate deeper, keeping her neck bared to him.

Peering up, he took in the beauty of her face.

Her eyes had drifted closed, her long lashes fanning her cheeks. Her skin had taken a rosy hue, her tiny fangs peeking out from her parted lips. She rocked with each plunge of his hips, taking every inch of his cock, her breasts bobbing with the motion. She was wet and tight, her pussy latching on to him like a fisting second skin. Releasing her shirt, he lowered his hand, skimming his fingers down her stomach and stopping when the tips rested just over her mound. Finding her swollen clit, he rubbed his middle finger over the hard little bead.

He wanted them to come together, gaining the release they both needed at the same time. Her vaginal walls gripped him and he heard her sharp intake of breath. Using pressure, he worked the hard nub with his finger and increased the intensity of his thrusts. Her hair swayed, sliding free of her shoulder. Snaking his other arm around her waist, he slammed into her.

He was so close, teetering on the edge.

His sac drew taut, a heavy tingle building at the base of his spine.

Come for me, darlin’. Come for me.

Moving his hand from her hip, he offered her his wrist. She wound her fingers around his forearm, her lips whispering over his skin. He knew the minute she slid her fangs into his skin he’d lose any control he had over his body. He trapped her clit between his thumb and fingers, pinching softly as he manipulated the bundle of nerves. Her pussy clenched so tight he had to slam his eyes closed and concentrate, determined not to climax before she did.

His best efforts weren’t worth shit, not when her tiny teeth scored his skin.

He came so hard he saw spots, tiny speckles clouding his vision. Sadie moaned, the sound muffled as she drank. His knees nearly buckled when her cunt squeezed down on his cock, milking him as Sadie found her release right along with him. She didn’t take as much she had before, gently drawing on his skin. He kept up the pace, encouraged by the wolf inside him. The animal had finally gained the ultimate satisfaction, claiming the woman destined for it.

She pulled her fangs from his wrist and flicked her tongue over the punctures, slowly nursing the wounds. He slowed his thrusts, cautious as he unclenched his jaw and eased his teeth from her shoulder. Immediately his eyes swept down, his attention focused on the evidence of his bite. Her skin hadn’t mended—two ragged tears along with smaller breaks in her pale flesh—but the bleeding was minimal.

He ran his lips over the indentions.

Finally. It’s done. She’s mine.

“Don’t sound so smug.” Sadie looked up from his wrist, meeting his eyes in the mirror. “You might have bitten off more than you can chew.” A smile tugged at the corners of her full lips. “You don’t really know me. Not yet. We could be great in the sack and have the best chemistry in the world but be totally incompatible when it comes to everything else.”

He felt a smile of his own forming. “Bullshit.”

“Bullshit?” she repeated, tilting her head, blue eyes playful.

“If you’ve been reading my thoughts as long as I think you have you know exactly how compatible we are.” He’d felt her presence months ago. Back then he’d thought she’d been a figment of his imagination. Then he’d discovered she was very, very real. “In fact, it’s about time you start leveling the playing field. It’s only fair I know everything about you too.”

“What do you want to know?” She pushed her ass back, rocking on his softening cock.

“Everything, naturally,” he said. “But I’ll start with your last name.”

“Hmm.” She sighed when he stroked her arm. “Dumus.”

“Sadie Dumus?” he repeated, as though he as testing the word.

“That’s right.”

“No middle name?”

“No,” she exhaled softly.

He stretched his arms past his mate and turned on the sink. Then he retrieved the hand towel on a nearby rack. He wet an edge of the cloth with warm water and took a step back. His seed had seeped from her pussy, coating the side of her thigh. He wiped it away, taking care as he cleansed her legs and swept the towel over her labia. She shuddered but remained in place, allowing him to care for her.

“Next time I’m going to draw you a hot bath, give you all the bubbles you can handle and massage you from head to toe.”

“Promises, promises.” There was humor in the retort but he noted the seriousness that had crept into her face. She reached down to pull up her pants and dropped her head. “We have a lot to do before we can relax.”

Damn. In the heat of the moment he’d forgotten about everything else. Nothing had mattered but the two of them. He’d needed to find balance with his mate in order to take the necessary steps to face what was sure to come.

“Kinsley is here.” She tried to straighten her shirt despite the fact the neck had been stretched to hell. “Ava just warned me. She said we need to cut our bathroom break short.”

Fuckedy, fuck, fuck. He quickly tucked his dick away and yanked up his jeans.

He didn’t want to rush outside and end the moment. He wanted to stay right where he was, talking to Sadie like a lover. This was the first time she’d been truly mischievous, speaking to him with happiness in her voice. He wanted it to last, learning what made her laugh, discovering all the little things that made her smile.

Besides, as soon as they left the room he’d have to get ready to kiss ass.

Kinsley had always been Diskant’s confidant, not Trey’s. They needed the man’s support but Trey wasn’t gung-ho about turning to him for help. Kinsley’s assistance—as much as they needed it—would undoubtedly come with a cost.

Sadie started to slide away from the counter and he stopped her. He turned her around, bringing them face-to-face. They were about to meet the world outside, but not before he gave her a kiss that would make her toes curl.

Dipping his head, he pressed his lips to hers. She opened for him, her tongue darting out to stroke his. He wasn’t easy or tender, kissing her hard and deep. She groaned, wrapping her arms around him. He grasped her ass with both hands, squeezing the soft mounds. He didn’t want to come up for air but he knew he had to.

Once again they were stealing a moment of borrowed time.

“Soon, baby,” he swore, heart pounding, gazing into her eyes. “I’m not going to settle for this shit. I’m going to give you everything you need. No more half-assed fucking in a hurry.”

“Now don’t go saying something like that that.” Drawing her hand down his chest, she lifted on to her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. As she leaned away, she grinned. “I’ll have you know I’m quite fond of half-assed fucking in a hurry.”

He was so shocked by the sincerity in the statement he didn’t try to stop her when she glided away, striding with her head held high for the door. He tossed the towel into the small hamper on the side of the counter, shaking his head as he moved to follow her. Once again she’d upped the ante, taking their mating up another notch.

So she liked quickies? Fan-fucking-tastic.

He couldn’t wait to show her that she’d love nice and slow even more.