Alpha Trio 3: A Special Taste (5 page)

Never would he have thought he’d crave a vampire’s bite. But then, he never could have imagined a vampire like Kall.

“I shouldn’t take any more,” she murmured, mouth brushing over his skin. She swiveled her hips, thighs tightening around his waist. It was Grig’s turn to grin.

“Do I sound weak from blood loss to you, babe?”

Kall undulated against him, squeezing him with her internal muscles. She tilted her head to the side, listening. Her dark eyes widened. “No. You’ve...” She moaned, blinking, as he drove hard into her.

“Already healed.”

Her mouth fell open, tongue flicking against her fangs. She curved one thin, dark brow at him. “Advantages of having a Shifter Mate, huh?”

Grig nodded and pressed her head back into the juncture of shoulder and neck. Kall clung to him, rocking her body, their sweat slicked skin gliding against each other as easily and deliciously as his cock slipped in and out of her dripping pussy.

With his free hand, he reached between them to splay across her smooth, muscled belly. His thumb found her clit unerringly and he began to strum her taut bud. Her spine stiffened and her pussy clutched at him as her orgasm began. Kall curved her arm up over his head, bending it to the side as she sank her fangs deep.

His own teeth latched onto the satin skin of her smooth shoulder, and despite his lack of fangs, he felt her skin part beneath his bite. The combination of Kall’s rippling silken walls milking his cock, her sucking mouth drawing at his throat, and the sweet, decadent flavor her blood, combined to send a shattering wave of orgasmic pleasure throughout his entire body.

Muscles seized, nerves sparks and sizzled, his cock throbbed. More pleasure than he’d ever felt in his life slammed into every cell of his straining body. Grig felt the gush of her fluids wetting his shaft as a honeyed trickle of blood flowed onto his tongue. She gave to him twice.

Just as he gave to her. The hot spurt of his cum inside her pussy and the heady rush of his blood in her mouth. She gulped him down even as her womb soaked up his seed. Grig felt as if everything he ever was and would be poured from him into the slight, pale vampire as she clung to him.

And with the spill of her blood into him and the delicious clench of her body, everything she ever had been or could be surged back into him. He experienced her life before Seren had taken her, her months of capture, the agony of her change, the power she’d felt in her new abilities. He understood her thoughts and feelings, could remember the tingle of shocked awareness she’d felt the first moment she’d seen him. He knew her, body and soul, every fiber of her being.

Pleasure like an atom bomb detonated in his brain and ran down his spine. Unbelievably, Grig came again. And felt Kall coming too.  She wrenched her mouth from his throat and howled with pleasure, her whole body shaking, her lips impossibly red with blood. His blood.

And then the world exploded into white light.

He didn’t know if it was minutes or hours later when he finally regained his sense of self.  The tile floor was cold beneath his bare ass and the edge of the lower bunk dug into his back. But Kall was perched in his lap, still wrapped around him.

She was conscious. He could sense it. Though her mind was whirling, every last inch of her body was sated. And she couldn’t believe the power coursing through her veins. She felt as if she could demolish a building.

Grig thought he should probably be surprised that he could tell what Kall was thinking and feeling, but he was too incredibly satisfied to care. And, like Kall, he felt better than he ever had in his life. As if he could take on the world. Perhaps more. Anything, he thought, with Kall by his side.

“I guess this means we’re well and truly Mated,” she murmured against his shoulder.

“I’d say so. Uh, unless... can you...”

She lifted her head, her lips curved into a small smile. “Tell what you’re thinking and feeling? Yes. Is that... normal?”

“You’re a vampire and I’m a Shifter, love. Nothing about this is normal.” He stroked the black silk of her hair away from her face and cupped her cheek. Though their lovemaking had been almost animalistic in its intensity, he now felt the urge to cradle her, snuggle her. In response, Kall cuddled against his chest.

“Guess we’ll have to figure it out on our own then.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “Guess so.”

After tonight. Because tonight, they were going to eliminate the threat of Seren once and for all.

“Good.” Kall brushed her mouth over his chest. It took Grig a second to realize she was responding to his thought, not his words. That was going to take some time getting used to. He felt her teeth graze him gently. “Time, we’ve got.”

“Good,” he echoed.

*****

He supposed he shouldn’t be completely surprised that Drei brought Cassandra along, though that was hardly part of the plan. Still, Grig understood why his brother might bring his Mate. For one, the hulking warrior was hardly ever able to say ‘no’ to her. But Grig had to admit that she might come in handy tonight.

Cassandra could read thoughts. If they encountered any of Seren’s little army, she might be able to glean important information. So the redhead’s presence made at least a little sense.

Em bringing Cat along was a complete surprise though. The curvy human reporter did have a special ability – according to Kall she could ‘push’ a sense of calm and comfort into another person’s mind – but it was hardly one that would come in handy tonight, as far as he could see.

Grig scowled at his brothers. “I thought it as just going to be the four of us going in.”

Cassandra was studying him quietly, but Cat crossed her arms over her ample chest. “Well, you thought wrong, little brother. This concerns us too. I’m not going to stay back by myself and worry all night.” She opened her jacket, defiantly displaying the knives clipped to her belt and a gun on her hip. She, like Cassandra, had been training with her Mate. He didn’t know if it was enough, though.

“If they get ahold of her,” Grig shot at Em, narrowing his eyes. Em cocked a dark brow.

“You think I’ll let that happen?”

Cassandra’s gaze slid to Kall, who stood slightly off to one side, polishing her sword, and then back to Grig. “Why can’t I hear you, Grig?”

The question caught him by surprise. Kall too. She glanced up, hands stilling. Grig caught her eye, winked, and then grinned at his brother’s redheaded Mate. “One of the perks of having a vampire Mate, I guess.”

“Oh!” Cassandra’s bottle green eyes went wide.

Cat gasped. “Grig, that’s –”

“Not really important at the moment. Not that I’m not happy for you and all, little bro,” Drei’s lips quirked in the barest hint of a smile before his customary scowl returned. “But we’ve got other, more pressing, matters to deal with at present.”

“Agreed. Kall, think you can cloak all of us?” Grig turned to her, slipping an arm around her waist. He suspected he could have just thought it at her, but figured it made more sense to ask aloud in the presence of others. She’d explained earlier that she could extend her ‘invisibility’ outward for a short distance, masking the presence of others within a small radius.

She bit her lip, glancing at the group. “Yeah, I think so. I feel pretty good. Like I’m running on jet fuel.” Her dark eyes sparkled at him, and he knew she was referring to his blood. Grig remembered the feel of her fangs sliding into his flesh while her warm mouth sucked at him and felt blood begin to pool in his cock again. Kall licked her lips.

Cassandra cleared her throat. “I don’t need to be a mind reader to get that subtext. Maybe we can get the show on the road before the lovebirds tear each others clothes off in the alley?”

“Serve you right if we do,” Grig snorted. “After all the PDAs I’ve had to watch from the four of you over the last few months.”

“Not the time or the place, little brother.” Em socked him in the shoulder, hard but playfully.

Grig slugged him back. “Never seems to stop you and Cat. I seem to remember an incident at our mother’s birthday party –”

“In my house?” Drei grumbled. Only a week before, he and Cassandra had thrown Elena Lupei a party at their house for her 63rd birthday. “Tell me you didn’t, Em. Where? Not my bedroom.” His brown eyes darted between Em and the blushing Cat. When she winced and her flush grew darker, Drei cursed.

Kall coughed. “Fascinating at these family dynamics are, kids, I thought we were here to kick some vampire ass.” She slid her sword into the gleaming black scabbard before checking the plethora of other weapons strapped to her slim, deadly form. She was a vision of pale skin, black clothing, and gleaming silver weapons. She even had a pair of matte black handguns holstered under her arms.

Grig grinned, his baby was blood-thirsty. And damn it was hot.

“Right. Let’s do this.” Em cracked his knuckles.

It looked just like an abandoned building, but Kall assured them that Seren had fortified it inside. They paused outside, listening. Adrenaline sparked through Grig’s veins. He felt like he could hear the very concrete as it slowly broke down beneath the weight of gravity.

Kall ran her tongue over her lower lip. He could see the tip of her fangs peaking out. Cat could too. She was staring, wide-eyed. Not in fear though, just interest. Kall winked at her.

“I hear two sets of footsteps. Babe?” Drei whispered, curving a brow at Cassandra. She nodded.

“That’s all I’m picking up. If there are more, they’re not close to the door.”

Grig cocked his head, ears straining. He could swear he heard three muffled heartbeats, one slightly slower than the others. He frowned. Kall, too, sensed more than two. Why couldn’t Cassandra?

“Would you pick up the thoughts of someone who was sleeping?” Kall asked the redhead. Cassandra shook her head.

“Not the same kind of thought pattern. Like... same radio, different station.”

Kall looked at Grig, brows raised. He nodded. “There’s three. One’s asleep.”

“How can you tell?” Em asked, checking to make sure Cat had already palmed a dagger.

“Heartbeats,” Grig answered, briefly.

“Front door armed?” Drei directed his question at Kall, fingers clenching and unclenching. They could all see the fur rippling along his skin. His wolf wanted out in a bad way.

The dark haired vampire surprised them all by shaking her head. “It’s designed to keep people in, not out. Seren was never worried about people looking for the ones he took.”

No one had come for Kall. The thought was a knife in Grig’s belly. He was going to tear Seren limb from limb for what the freaky fucker had done to his beautiful Kalla. Not that he didn’t think she was totally bad ass, and he was glad he’d found her, but still. That crazy bloodsucker had kidnapped her, turned her, and tortured her. He would pay.

His gorgeous Mate flashed him a wide, fangy grin and winked in response. She’d obviously gotten the gist of his thoughts and approved.

She stepped forward, motioning them in behind her. Grig sensed when she began projecting her cloaking power. There was a strange hum all along his skin.

Use the element of surprise, that was the plan. Seren wouldn’t be expected them to hit him at his ‘lab’. And Kall had assured them that, while he might know of her ability, he didn’t know how strong it was. Seren wasn’t aware she could hide others, only herself.

So, hidden behind Kall’s invisible force field, or whatever it was, they’d enter the complex and start taking out whatever vamp guards he had set in place. Not many, Kall thought. Seren, like most crazed despots, didn’t trust many people. It was one of the things that had made her escape easier.

They’d stay hidden for as long as they could, go in shooting, first incapacitating and then killing their enemies. It wasn’t without danger. Thought the vamps wouldn’t be able to see them, they could still be injured.

Grig felt the tiniest twinge of worry as Kall took point. Not because she was a woman. He’d worked with a lot of kick ass chicks in the squad, and been commanded by the best. No, it was because she was
his
woman. But he had faith in her ability. After all, she’d already saved his life once.

As soon as she pushed through the door, they entered a world of darkness and confusion. Cat and Cassandra froze in the doorway. Other or not, they couldn’t see without light. Not like the rest of them.

The two guards that were awake were big guys, greasy haired, probably bikers before they were turned, if the leather and tattoos were anything to go by. But when the door swung open, seemingly of its own accord, they gaped. Just for a second, before one went for a bank of monitors and the other lunged forward. Special ability, Grig wondered, or bravado?

It didn’t matter. The split second hesitation was all they needed. Em shifted suddenly, exploding into wolf form and tearing the throat from the sleeping vamp in a gout of blood. His curved yellow teeth dug deep, ripping and tearing until the bloodsucker’s head was severed and the body melted into a pool of red. The sucker barely had a chance to gurgle.

Kall’s sword flashed, even in the gloom, sending another vamp head rolling. It was a splash of red before it hit the floor.

The third guard, the one that had leapt forward, didn’t go down so easily. Drei stepped into his path, swinging a huge fist. But the second the burly Shifter’s hand made contact, he jerked and went rigid, jaw clenching so hard it looked like he might break his teeth. The damn bloodsucker had electrified skin! That was a new one on Grig.

None of them could touch him without getting zapped. Shit. How the hell where they supposed to take him down?

Kall.

With a spin so fast even Grig couldn’t follow it, she rounded on the third guard, sheathing her sword and yanking two short blades free of her waist. They swept out in a glistening, deadly arc, crossing over each other. When she slid them back in their respective sheaths, they were stained with black ooze and the last vamp was no more.

“Come on. There’ll be more inside.”

“Cassandra, you and Cat fire at anything that moves. Slow ‘em down. Got it?” Drei shook out his hand, as if still feeling the stinging shock.

Both Cassandra and Cat nodded.

They waded deeper into the complex, following Kall as she wound through dark hallways. Not much light here, Grig noticed. But then again, vamps didn’t need it to see.

Despite Kall’s prediction that there would be more vamps inside, they encountered no one as they slid stealthily deeper into the building and then headed for the stairs that would lead them down to where Seren conducted his twisted experiments.

“You could have done this by yourself,” he breathed in her ear.

Kall shook her head, silky hair brushing his cheek. “Too easy. They must all be down in the pit. Don’t let your guard down.”

As if he would.

The moved slowly down the stairs, trying to make as little noise as possible. When the door at the bottom came into view, he saw Kall’s shoulders tense. They halted, and Grig relayed what she was sending him over their bond to the others.

“Seren’s here. Kall can sense him.” Grig didn’t like that, but apparently it was a Maker/fledgling thing. And it wouldn’t matter for much longer, because soon that skeletal asshole would be dead.

Usually that sense worked both ways, but because of Kall’s special ability, Seren couldn’t sense her. Luckily, or he would have known she was here now.

Em, still in wolf form, gave a low wuff. Grig blinked in surprise as Cassandra paused beside him, gripping Drei’s favorite Sig Sauer in her long fingered hand. Her other hand was pressed to her temple.

“There’s a lot of them,” she breathed, wincing a little. “Too many thoughts for me to count. They’re all buzzing. Agitated.”

“About what happened upstairs?” Drei kneaded the back of her neck. She shook her head.

“Someone found out Kall killed the group Seren sent after Grig. Most of them are freaked by the thought of her working with us. Some are pissed, wanting to come after us in force. Seren is...” She paled, swaying slightly. “Seren is pissed. He didn’t want them to know about Kall.”

Grig’s skin shivered with the desire to change, his wolf prowling just behind his eyes. “Guess surprise isn’t going to help us much after all, if they’re all riled up anyway.”

Em gave a low whine and licked Cat’s wrist. The curvy reporter held two guns, one in each hand, her face set in a determined mask. Grig really hoped she’d be able to use them. He didn’t doubt she knew how. Em wouldn’t have brought her otherwise. But target practice was a lot different than shooting a living target, even if it was a vamp.