Blood Spirit (25 page)

Ilona
closed her eyes. She couldn't look at him when she said the words echoing in
her head. "I don't know if I can do this."

She
waited for him to speak, to get up and leave, to do anything, but nothing
happened. Opening her eyes, she saw him staring at her with those incredible
green eyes. He looked like the man who'd taken her body to unimaginable heights
and made her feel like she never had before.

"For
a long time, all I wanted to be was a man who loved women. If I recall, you
didn't like that man either."

"I
was jealous."

"And
now?"

Ilona
sighed. "I'm scared."

"Of
what? What are you frightened of?"

"I
don't know. How easily you killed that man. What I heard about what you did at
the Barcelona Archon's office. How there can be so much good and so much bad in
one soul."

Terek
stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I never professed to being an
angel."

"But
which man are you? The one who makes my heart flutter when I think of how sweet
and patient he's been with me or the one who can kill his enemies without
blinking an eye?"

Smiling,
he answered simply, "Both."

Finally,
she couldn't stop herself from saying what was in the back of her mind.
"But how do I know the man I fear won't replace the one I love?"

He
kissed her softly on the lips and leaned back to look at her. "Never. I
kill in war, whether it's on the battlefield or to protect the woman I love. I
told you I would never let anyone hurt you, and that includes me."

She
wanted to believe that. She did. But doubt lingered in her mind, and she knew
it was written all over her face.

Forcing
a smile, he said, "I love you, Ilona. I'd give my life for your safety.
But if you can't stand who I am in this war, then all you have to do is ask and
I'll release you. You'll still be my vampire and under my protection, but
you'll be free."

Free.
The word resounded in her head. Is that what she wanted? "Free? What does
that mean?"

"You'd
be like Carlie, if you wanted. You could live in one of my homes, sire if you
wish, and when I visited, you'd see me."

Jealousy
tore through her body, making her stomach knot. Free meant she'd be forced to
see him with another woman—or women—and could say nothing. Like being so close
to something precious that you could touch it but never be allowed to hold it
close to you as your own.

"I
thought you wanted to give me the world."

"I
do."

"But
you'd let me go that easily?"

"I
didn't say it would be easy. Love is never easy. But I can't fight you anymore.
You know who I am. Now you need to decide what you want."

When
he finished, he rose to leave. As she watched him silently walk away, Ilona couldn't
believe it. This couldn't be the end.

She
leapt off the bed and grabbed him by the arm, unsure what to say but surer than
ever she didn't want to lose him. "Don't go."

"Then
you know what you want?"

The
question should have been simple to answer. She loved him. That she was certain
of. "I know I don't want you to go. I know I love you and hate the thought
of you with another woman. But I don't know about anything else. I don't know
if..."

Before
she could finish her sentence, his lips were on hers and that tug in her
abdomen that came every time he touched her was making her core ache for him.
His strong hands pulled her to him, and she felt his cock, hard and thick,
pressing against her hip as she leaned into his body.

Standing
on her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself get lost in
his kiss. His lips pressed hard against her mouth, and the sensual feel of his
tongue teasing hers made her moan in need. The mixture of gentleness and desire
in him—this is what she wanted. It had stolen her heart the first time she'd
felt it in his touch, and even the thought of her life without it made her feel
empty inside.

Any
doubts she had evaporated as he slowly undid her robe, never breaking their
kiss. For the first time, he let her undress him instead of using his power to
shed his clothes with just a thought. With each button on his shirt, she
revealed his muscular chest and corded abs. Slipping his shirt off, she slid
her hands over his smooth skin, feeling the strength of a warrior's body under
her touch.

Lost
in the sheer beauty of his body, she forgot what to do next as her fingers
fumbled with his belt. With a wave of his hand, the belt and pants vanished.

"Sorry.
I seem to have forgotten how belts work," she teased.

Sliding
his hand up to fist the back of her hair, he leaned down and whispered,
"Patience is a virtue I don't possess right now."

In
her ear, she heard the slow push of his fangs as they lowered into his mouth.
Whatever else he was—warrior, lover, protector, sire—he was vampire. Turning to
face him, she saw a look of need come over him.

When
he spoke, his voice was deep and almost a whisper. "I've given up all
others' flesh and blood. There is only you, Ilona. I swear to commit myself
only to you if you will accept me."

This
is what she'd wanted from the moment she'd begun to fall for him. There had
never been any doubt she could love him, but could she accept who he was? Now
he stood there, naked in her arms, offering the only thing that mattered. With
her, he was a man devoted only to her. It didn't matter what he was to the rest
of the world.

Cradling
his face in her hands, she looked into those eyes that had seen so much of the
best and worst of the world and saw nothing but love reflected in them.
"Terek, I've been a childish fool. I couldn't see that the man who gave me
life had to be someone else to protect that life. I may never be the vampire
you are, but I'm yours, heart and soul."

Without
a word, he smiled and swept her up into his arms. As he laid her down on the
bed, he whispered, "I accept."

***

Terek
knew this feeling. He'd felt it once before, with Eva. It had been so long,
he'd wondered if he'd ever feel it again—that sweetness that was so complete
that it made him forget there was any bad in the world at all. But here it was,
inside him again.

Ilona
lay looking up at him with a smile that showed the tips of her fangs, and in
that moment he was transported back to that first time he let even the hint of
love for her cross his heart. Every trial since then, every moment when he
doubted she would ever accept her life and his place in it, faded from memory.

He
slid into her slowly, enjoying every exquisite inch as her body welcomed his.
Her soft walls enveloped his cock, creating sensations that danced over the
length of him. Ilona wrapped her legs around him as that last inch eased into
her, and finally they joined as one.

Slowly,
he made love to her, worshipping every part of her body. Her skin was like the
silks of the Far East, and he reveled in the feel of it against the palm of his
hand. Cupping her breast, he gently pinched her excited nipple between his
finger and thumb. She arched her back, moaning his name, and begged for more.

Pulling
her up from the bed, he knelt before her and lifted her onto his cock.
"Wrap your legs around my waist."

She
pressed her heels into the small of his back and hung on to his neck as he
plunged into her. Ilona's moan shot through him like a lightning bolt straight
to his cock, and he thrust into her as deeply as she'd take him. He wanted
their communion to be more than seduction, more than making love or mere
fucking. He wanted to know every inch of her, inside and out—to claim every
part of her. He wanted her to be his more completely than anyone had been in
seven hundred years.

His
hips pushed wildly over and over as he searched for that moment of possession.
He felt her body begin to tighten around him, and she pleaded, "Let me
taste you. Please. Let me taste you on my tongue."

The
sound of her begging for that which only he could give her and which a short
time ago she abhorred thrilled him. Pulling her mouth to his neck, he gave what
only the two of them shared now.

Her
fangs pierced his skin and as she eagerly pulled on his vein, she came, her
body milking his cock as her juices flowed over him. Ilona moaned against his
skin and even before his release, he was in heaven.

She
lifted her head and the woman who faced him was pure vampire. Beautiful dark
eyes stared at him, their glazed over sheen telegraphing her contentment. His
blood dripped from her fangs, the sign of a sated vampire.

"There's
never been anyone more beautiful than you are right now."

She
stared deeply into his eyes. "I don't want this to ever end, Terek.
Promise me, no matter what happens, we'll want to be this for each other."

"Always,
Ilona."

When
she kissed him, he sensed the passion that coursed through her. Although she
was vampire, her Spanish heritage remained in her as it did in him even now
after so many years as vampire. Being vampire only accentuated her Latin blood,
and he loved her all the more for it.

Her
mouth on his made him grow hard inside her wanting the release she'd had.
Slowly, she began to move up and down on his cock, and she whispered,
"Take me. Take my blood, my body. Feel what you've given me."

Terek
ran his lips over the tender skin of her neck. He loved the feel of her on his
mouth, whether it be her lips kissing his, her pussy as he made her writhe
under the touch of his tongue, or her soft neck just before he took one of the
most precious gifts she could offer.

Her
hand gently held his head, and she rode him faster now. The incredible feeling
of her slick cunt sliding over his cock edged him closer to that moment of
sweet release, making his fangs ache for her blood.

In
one swift movement, he sank into her vein and her blood, delicate and sweet,
flowed into his mouth. It slid over his taste buds as it made its way toward
his throat and into his body, feeding his soul. More than anyone for centuries,
Ilona gave him what he needed. He'd existed for so long on blood that kept him
connected to his world but did little else. His soul had cried out for more,
but his heart had refused the risk.

Ilona
was that more he'd needed. He'd lied to himself all those years, convincing
himself that siring thousands of female vampires would dispel his hunger for
more. But centuries of fooling himself had never changed the cold, hard fact
that deep inside, in a place he'd even refused to admit existed, he needed
something true and real in his life. He'd filled the void with siring and
fighting, but what he'd wanted was love.

As
Ilona's blood nourished him, he let himself go, flooding her with a release
that reminded him of the man he'd been as a human, before he'd lost everyone
he'd loved and became Terek.

Lowering
Ilona to the bed, he slid out of her and laid down beside her. She turned
toward him and with a smile, kissed him on the cheek. Ever full of questions,
she asked, "What happens now with all of us?"

"All
of us?"

"Carlie,
Jasmine, you, me...all of us."

"When
it's safe, I'll send them to wherever they like. I have homes around the world,
so it will be their choice. Until then, they'll remain here."

She
laid her head on his chest and said softly, "I can't imagine loving you
and being sent away. It would break my heart."

"They
don't love me like that. I never gave them the chance to. I didn't deserve
their love because I never gave mine."

Ilona
said nothing, but after a long silence, slid up to kiss him on the lips.
Confused, he asked, "What was that for?"

"For
letting me know I'm special. You've sired thousands of vampires who adore you
and you chose me, one who fought you from the moment you made me one of
yours."

From
the beginning that had been between them.  He'd hid from feeling anything real
for so long that he hadn't understood why she wouldn't want to just be another one
of his vampires. Now that he'd let her in, he saw it so crystal clear. To be
just one of many in her life would never be enough.

This
woman—this maddening, alluring, loving woman—had led him out of the darkness
he'd created to ensure he never missed someone again. He had no idea what the
future held, but for now, they had found happiness.

Epilogue

Dante
burst into Vasilije's study and winked at Terek as he took his seat beside him
and Ilona. "The Prophecy Twins were about ten steps behind me, so give
them a minute."

"Still
tempting fate with Ramiel?" Terek asked.

"Not
to worry. He'll love his new nickname. You just wait and see."

Ilona
nudged Terek's side with her hand. "Which one is Ramiel?" she asked
innocently.

"The
one who's going to kill Dante."

Leaning
over, Dante smiled and gently elbowed Ilona. "Don't listen to him.
Ramiel's warming up. I bet that underneath that gruff outside is a real teddy
bear."

"You
push your luck," Terek warned. He still hadn't decided what to do with the
young vampire for putting Ilona in danger. If he insisted on ribbing Ramiel, he
might not have to do a thing. The fact was, though, he hadn't intentionally
looked to put her in harm's way.

"You
have no faith in me, Terek. Ilona, you have no idea how serious your man
is."

As
Ilona and Dante joked with each other, Thane and Ramiel entered and took their
seats on the other side of the room. Terek noticed Ramiel did look like he was
in better spirits than usual. Maybe they'd had another breakthrough.

Vasilije
rose from his desk to give Sasa his seat. As he stood behind her, one hand on
the back of the chair near her shoulder, Terek saw him squint his eyes for just
a moment when Thane and Ramiel arrived, but then when he looked at him again,
he was the same old Vasilije he'd known for years.