Blood at Stake (Warriors of the Krieger Book 2) (4 page)

“I had a servant dress you, a female,” he
averted his eyes, as if he was embarrassed. “They cut your clothes
off of you and sent you home in the hospital gown.”

“Thanks,” I grinned, nervously. “So, explain
what the hell happened to me.”

My hands started to shake with the need to
feed, but I could wait. My car wasn’t here, so maybe he’d take me
over to the clinic to feed, after I found a pair of pants.

“The humans,” he began. “They shot you, and
the bullet was somehow enchanted with a spell to make you sick. You
died during the night, but came back alive before they pulled out
the bullet. A nurse at the hospital believes that the enchantment
was weak and that may have just saved you.”

“What?” I gasped, in disbelief. “Those
idiots who shot me had a bullet that was cursed or something?”

“We believe so,” he nodded.

“They were nothing but a bunch of redneck
humans. How the hell would they know where to find a witch?” My
thirst peaked, but I tamped it down quickly.

Ashby approached the bed and sat down beside
me, taking my hand into his. He stiffened, “You need to feed.”

“I’ll be fine for a little while longer,” I
swallowed, changing the subject. I didn’t want to talk about
feeding. It just made me want to beg for him to let me take his
vein again. “Can you find me some pants and take me to the
clinic?”

“No,” he growled, causing me to flinch.
“Feed from me. You need strength.”

“Okay,” I said, reaching for his wrist, but
gasped when he pulled me to his lap.

“Feed,” he demanded and pulled toward his
neck. The dragon tattoo on his neck pulsed and moved as if it were
alive and watching me. I must be crazy, because I felt like that
dragon was protecting me, too.

“Wait,” I said, pulling back from his
luscious neck. “I can’t take any more from you. I took too much
yesterday.”

“I’m fine,” he assured me. “Now feed,
Lydia.”

Drinking from a warrior was like biting into
ambrosia. Ashby’s warm blood flowed over my tongue and down my
throat. It was thick, and the best thing I had ever tasted. Blood
drinking between vampires was an intimate gesture, one that was
given out of respect or love. He didn’t have to give me his blood,
but he did.

I wasn’t stupid. There was an attraction
between us, but we had never gone any further than simple
conversation. Although, many times over the past months, I would’ve
crawled into his bed like a tramp, if he’d shown the slightest bit
of interest. He was just that irresistible.

His body vibrated under my tongue, the
primal growl bubbling up from his chest caused my body to react. My
sex clenched and immediate moisture pooled between my legs. I was
helpless against the need for not only his blood, but his body.

I heard him scent the air, my arousal was a
strong taste on his senses. His body shifted, and I felt his
erection press into the juncture of my thighs. Those huge hands of
his clamped on the sides of my face, and I released his neck after
a sharp command from his voice, “Enough!”

The second after I licked his wound, to
close the punctures where I’d fed just below his dragon tattoo,
Ashby’s lips were on mine. He pressed his tongue to my bottom lip,
demanding I open for him. His tongue searched my mouth, plundering,
tasting his own life essence on my lips. I was helpless there in
his arms, my body limp against his broad chest. His hands still
held my face in place, so that he could direct his desire upon my
mouth.

We didn’t need air, but we both panted as if
we would die without it. The heady scent of our arousal flowed
thick through the room, like a blanket of fog. His right hand slid
down the column of my throat slowly, achingly, caressing the tender
flesh. Once that hand rested on the top of my shoulder, he pulled
away. His eyes flared with passion, and I saw the slightest hint of
red in his eyes. He opened his mouth on a hiss and his long, thick
fangs flashed only seconds before he struck the vein in my
neck.

It didn’t hurt as bad as I’d imagined it
would. Ashby’s fangs were larger than any other set I’d seen on a
vampire. His warrior body was made to be larger in all things,
fangs included. The hand that was on my cheek, now clamped down on
the back of my neck, holding me in place. The warrior drank slowly
at my neck, sucking and savoring my taste, and I didn’t want him to
stop. I needed more….of him.

“Please,” I whispered. “Ashby.”

He must’ve read my thoughts, because he
found the hem of his shirt, that I was wearing, and slid his hand
slowly…
oh, so slowly
, up my side. His calloused hands moved
around my back and pulled me closer to his chest. At this point,
he’d slowed down on his intake of my blood. I was nowhere near weak
from what he’d taken.

I quickly realized what Ashby was doing. He
was not taking blood from me for sustenance, but to claim me as his
own. With my blood in his body and his in mine, we were connected.
He could sense me when I was in pain, scared, or in danger. Ashby
would be able to pinpoint my location, like a GPS, if I was ever
away from him. He was staking his claim on my body. What he’s doing
was primal, even for a vampire.

My shirt, well his shirt, came off in a
flash, the seams torn in his haste to undress me. I suddenly found
myself on my back, my body bare to the warrior who was hovering
above me. The heat in his eyes flashed as he looked upon my naked
skin and I saw the need within them.

“Tell me, yes,” he demanded on a growl. I
wasn’t sure if I really had a choice. Ashby’s voice changed from
the sweet brooding warrior, to the harsh demanding sex god who knew
what he wanted and consequences be damned.

And I
liked
it!

“Yes,” I whispered in a husky voice I didn’t
even recognize.

His body lifted, for only a second, before
he stripped himself of his tight black jeans and
Krieger
shirt. His chest was smooth, not a hair visible. Ashby’s broad
shoulders flexed as he moved over me, my hands automatically
grasping at his thick arms. Trying to hold the muscle there was
like trying to grab a basketball with one hand. Oh, I
liked
that!

Those sexy lips descended on mine again, and
we touched, his massive erection nudging at my core. He was hot and
demanding as he stroked my body. My bottom lip was nicked by his
fang, as he pulled away from my mouth to caress my body with his
eyes. His nostrils flared as he scented my blood. He slowly leaned
his face close to mine, so seductively, I almost lost control right
there. The moment his tongue snaked out and licked the drop of
blood from my lip, I almost came from the feel of it.

One strong arm wrapped around my back, his
hold unbreakable, as he lifted me higher on his bed. His thigh was
so large that it didn’t take much to kick my legs apart. His body
descended on mine, and I tensed as I felt his erection press into
my body.

I wasn’t a virgin. I’d been with a few men
in my existence, but I’d never been with a warrior. Ashby’s size
was impressive, to say the least. I wondered if this was a good
idea and how the damn thing would even fit.

“It’ll fit,” he growled low and
demanding.

“Quit reading my mind,” I returned, but my
demand held no weight.

He chuckled and proved me wrong when he
pushed forward. My sex accepted him eagerly, like he was made to be
there. Once he was seated, Ashby stilled, but his body shook
slightly from his need to move. His hands were shaking nervously as
he caressed my sides, my face.

Rotating my hips, I relaxed and let my legs
fall open to allow his massive hips to fill the space. The first
thrust was a test to our bodies, to see if it was right. The second
one was to prove to ourselves that it felt as good as we’d hoped.
The third, fourth, fifth and the remaining ones were shear mind
blowing sex. Each thrust threatened to push me off the bed, but
Ashby’s massive arm kept me grounded underneath him. My breasts
were not huge, nor were they small either. He groaned, as he
watched them move in time with his thrusts. Suddenly he took one
nipple into his mouth and sucked greedily at the peak. He bit down,
and I shattered underneath him.

“Come with me,” I begged as he pushed deeper
into my heat. Every drag of his length through my channel, caused
my orgasm to intensify.

“No,” he growled.

Suddenly, I was flipped over, my ass
presented to him like an offering. He covered my back and pushed
himself back inside, my desire guiding his way. The warrior’s arms
were beside mine, and I realized he had placed his body around
mine, protectively. It was like he was shielding me from anyone who
may take that moment to enter his quarters.

Ashby took his time ravishing my body,
showing me how things would be every time we’d be together. I had a
feeling this was the beginning of many nights coming alive in his
bed, in more ways than one.

My arms gave out, and I fell down on my
elbows, Ashby following me as his body continued to rut deep inside
my sex. He moved one of his hands from the bed and turned my face
toward his. Those beautiful emerald eyes, tinged with a hint of red
from his desire, stared into mine, like he was trying to find my
soul.

The moment he took my lips, I felt his cock
start to swell and his seed released inside me, causing another
orgasm to ignite deep within my body. He swallowed my cry of
release with his expert mouth. He didn’t stop until he was sated,
and I was weak from my release.

We fell to the side and Ashby pulled me
flush against his chest. He didn’t speak, only traced the curve of
my hip with the tip of his calloused finger. I didn’t know what to
say or even what to do at the moment. We fucked like rabid animals,
and I smiled into the barely lit room as I felt the delicious ache
radiate through my sex.

I couldn’t sense anything, other than
contentment, coming from him, so I didn’t break the spell we were
under by saying something stupid, or cheesy. I let him hold me.

For however long that would be was up to
him.

Chapter 4

Ashby

I took her like a dog takes a bitch in heat
and if it wasn’t for the sated vibe that was coming off of Lydia,
I’d have felt like the sickest of bastards.

“I’m sorry,” I admitted and pulled her so
that we were facing each other. Her soft auburn hair was mussed
from the battle we’d had on my bed, but damn she looked sexy as
hell. This woman was so petite, and I treated her like she wasn’t
the most fragile, porcelain doll in the shop.

“Never be sorry for
that
,” she
sighed, dreamily. Her scent was everywhere, and I made a mental
note to tell the maids not to change my bedding for at least a
month.

“Are you sore?” I whispered, kissing the
skin on top of her shoulder.

“Deliciously so,” she sighed. “I really need
to be going. I have to check on the club.” She removed herself from
my hold, and I watched as she floated over to where my
Krieger
shirt was discarded.

“I can have some clothes brought to you,” I
said, standing up and pulling on my jeans.

“Thank you,” she smiled and moved her hair
off to one side.

The spot where I’d drank from her had not
been closed off and two tiny beads of red welled up on her neck. I
reached out and pulled her to me. Leaning down, I licked over the
wound and watched it close before letting her go.

“I’ll take you over to the club,” I said,
after she was dressed in my shirt. She was so small that the hem
touched her knees, and my chest swelled with male pride at seeing
her in my clothes. “Your car is at your place. I’ll come get you
and take you to your house whenever you are ready.”

“That would be nice,” she said, as she took
a seat on my bed. “Thank you for everything.”

I nodded and pulled out my phone, calling
down to the servants to give them orders to bring her some clothes
to my house that was located outside the mansion. They arrived
swiftly, and I left her to shower and dress in the bathroom that
was attached to my bedroom.

Once she was dressed in a pair of jeans and
a simple white t-shirt, we left my home. I was thankful they had a
bra in her size, because I wouldn’t have left her at that club
alone looking like she did.

When I pulled her up to the back of
Nights
, I noticed she looked around the area nervously…like
she was waiting to be ambushed again. The idea of those men
touching her caused panic to well up in my chest, and I had to bite
back a snarl of rage at what had been done to her.

“I have a patrol watching the club,” I
admitted, turning in my seat to look directly at the beautiful
woman beside me. “You’re going to be safe. I want you to call me if
you have
any
problems.”

“Okay,” she said softly, but I wasn’t
fooled. Lydia was scared.

“Do you want me to stay?” I asked.

“No,” she sighed and shook her head,
determined not to look weak.

“All you have to do is say the word, doll,”
I smiled and took her hands into mine. Her tiny fists were balled
up tightly, and I used my thumb to rub the back of her hand.
Eventually, her body relaxed enough for me to open her hands flat,
so that I could bring them to my lips. After a brief kiss across
her tiny knuckles, I exited the Hummer and walked around to
retrieve her, opening the passenger door to help her from the
cab.

“I know,” she nodded, taking my hand to help
her out of the vehicle.

“I’ll stay for a bit.” I resigned myself to
just go in and sit at the bar, until she was comfortable with being
alone. Something inside my chest demanded that I not leave her. I
couldn’t explain it, but it was like my heart didn’t want to let
her go just quite yet.

We made our way inside. The music was
pumping loud enough that several couples on the dance floor didn’t
notice us arrive. The place was steadily flowing with customers,
and it looked like everyone was enjoying themselves. Lydia’s
waitress, Abby stopped by and gave her a sisterly hug, asking if
she was alright.