Claiming the Vampire (25 page)

“Jessica!”

It was Hawk, fighting off the second demon that had come through. He’d left his weapon behind in the Dark Fae realm and he was fighting with his bare hands, felling the half human, half lizard creature with one blow before starting to come towards her. Another demon got in his way and he howled in fury, sinking his fangs into the creatures neck and shaking him like a dog shakes a rat. The thing fell at his feet, dead, and Hawk turned back to her again. Blood dripped from his fangs.

And then Jessica felt herself splitting into two people again, like the night she’d first met him. One part of herself was fighting a desperate battle with Talia, blade against blade, mother against daughter. The other part of herself was frozen, looking at Hawk as he was now and remembering him last night. Remembering his struggle to hold himself back. His struggle against his own nature.

Hawk loved her—and he had let love change him. He didn’t care if it made him weaker or stronger. He’d taken a risk and followed his heart, and he’d conquered his most primitive instincts to be the man he thought she needed.

Her mother had never sacrificed anything. She had never let love change her. She would rather kill her only child than see her dream of power come to an end.

“I will be a better queen than you,” she said, so softly that her mother didn’t hear her.

“What did you say?” Talia snapped.

And then Jessica felt a rush of power. She lunged forward, and with a sudden twist sent her mother’s sword flying through the air.

“I said, I will be a better queen than you.”

Talia stood before her with her chin held high. “Why in the world would you think that?”

“Because I know what it is to love.”

“You didn’t learn that from me.”

“No,” she said, as Hawk reached her side. “I didn’t.”

There was a flash of light, and they all looked to the mirror. The warriors and demons who had come through were dead, and Celia was standing with her hands held out, facing the mirror and chanting.

“I will not stay here to see you take my place,” Talia said. Then she was running, her hair streaming behind her like a banner. Jessica held her breath as her mother dove into the swirling surface of the mirror just as the light emanating from Celia’s hands grew too bright to look at.

A second later, the light and the mirror were both gone.

Jessica took a long, slow breath. “Did she make it?” she asked.

Celia was leaning back on Evan now, exhaustion in every line of her body. “She made it. And she won’t be able to come back.” She looked at Jessica. “Are you all right?” she asked softly.

They’d all fought for their lives today, but that wasn’t what Celia was asking about.

“Yes,” she said. Her eyes went to the place where the mirror had been. “She wasn’t my family. You are.”

Her eyes went around the room, to Liz and Jack, Evan and Celia, Yana and the Green Fae warriors who had fought with her, and finally to Hawk. “You’re the family I’ve chosen.”

After a moment, Yana stepped forward. “What are your orders, my queen?”

My queen.

She swallowed. “Bury the Dark Fae and the demons. Tend to the wounded.” She took a deep breath. “We’ll need to call a council meeting. How soon can we get everyone together?”

“Two days should be enough time.”

“All right. Good.” She glanced at Celia, who was standing upright only with Evan’s help. “You need to sleep.” She glanced at Evan. “Will you make sure she does?”

He nodded. “Don’t worry.”

Then she looked at Jack and Liz. “Thank you,” she said, and tears welled up in her eyes. “Shit,” she muttered, wiping them away with the back of her hand.

Then Liz was there, wrapping her up in a bear hug.

“You need some time with Hawk,” she whispered. “I know you’re feeling the weight of all this new responsibility, but you need to forget that for a little while and just be with your mate.”

Hawk bent his head and spoke into her ear. “That’s good advice,” he said softly, and then she felt the brush of his fingers against the marks on her neck.

A jolt of electricity made her dizzy, but his arm was there to hold her up. She cleared her throat and looked at Yana, but before she could say a word the Arbiter made a shooing motion with her hands. “Go,” she said. “There’ll be time enough to discuss the council meeting tomorrow. Go and get some sleep.” She eyed Hawk for a moment. “Or whatever.”

Jessica felt her face turn red.

And then Hawk was leading her firmly away, out of Talia’s bedroom and into the hallway. As soon as the door was closed behind them, he swept her into his arms.

“Where’s your room?” he asked, looking at her with so much love and desire that her bones seemed to melt.

It was a good thing she wasn’t standing up.

“The last door on the left,” she said, resting her head against his chest.

A few minutes later, Hawk was laying her down on her bed and stretching out beside her.

He smoothed a fingertip between her brows. “There’s a wrinkle here,” he said softly. “What’s that for?”

She bit her lip. “It’s just…this isn’t exactly what you signed up for.”

He raised a brow.

“I mean…I know you’re a fan of the quiet life. You know, remote Welsh mansions and all that. But if I’m the North American queen…well, I won’t be able to live that life. Not all the time, anyway. I’ll have, um, things to do.”

“Things to do?” he repeated with a smile, brushing his fingers over his mark again. His smile widened when she gasped.

“One or two things, yes.”

“I can deal with that. There are one or two things I’d like to do, too.”

“Like what?” she breathed, leaning into his caress.

“Those texts Celia and I found are just the tip of the iceberg. I’d like to do some research.”

“Research?”

“Yeah. Like Celia said, there’s a lot we don’t know about supernatural energy in this world. Maybe it’s time we found out a little more.”

“So you’ll be busy.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll be busy, too.”

“Yeah.”

“Will we be too busy for—”

“Never.”

He took her face in his hands and kissed her. “Lie back and close your eyes,” he said softly.

So she did. She closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing as he undressed her. Then he worshiped every inch of her body, kissing and caressing her until she couldn’t stay still another moment.

She wrapped her arms and legs around him. “Please, Hawk. Please.”

He rose up on his arms and looked down at her. “I like it when you beg,” he said, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

“Please,” she pleaded, arching her back. And then he nudged her thighs apart and slid inside, filling her, and a second later she felt the sting of his fangs on her breast.

She cried out and clutched at his dark head, holding him to her. Her orgasm rolled over her in waves, each one more exquisite than the last, and then he was shuddering out his own climax, emptying himself inside her.

After a long, long time Hawk withdrew from her body and lay down next to her.

“I love you,” he said, and Jessica smiled in drowsy happiness.

“I love you, too.”

“Sleep,
cariad
,” she heard him whisper.

She opened her eyes. “What does
cariad
mean?”

“It’s Welsh. It means
my love
.”

“I want to see your house in Wales.”

“You will.”

“I want to take a trip with you to Kyoto.”

“We’ll do that, too. Now close your eyes.”

“I know I need to sleep, but I don’t want to. I’m afraid that…”

“Afraid that what?”

“That when I wake up, you won’t be here.”

“I will be.”

“I know that. Intellectually, I know it. It’s just—”

“Shh,” he murmured. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“If you did, I’d hunt you down. I am a demon hunter, you know.”

The low rumble of his laughter vibrated through both their bodies. “I know.”

She burrowed into him again and closed her eyes.

“It’s not working,” she said after a moment. “Maybe you should recite some poetry. Or you could sing me to sleep.”

He smiled into her hair. “You want me to sing? All right. I’ll sing you a Welsh lullaby.”

And he did, softly, the words soothing even though she couldn’t understand them.

“That’s beautiful. What is it in English?” she asked, even as sleep began to overtake her.

And then he sang again, even softer this time.

“Sleep, my love, and peace attend thee

All through the night.

Guardian angels God will send thee

All through the night.

Soft the drowsy hours are creeping

Hill and vale in slumber steeping

I my loving vigil keeping

All through the night.”

About the Author

Chloe Hart spends a lot of time lying awake at night, thinking about vampires, demon hunters, and creatures that lurk in the darkness. During the day she writes about them. You can email her at [email protected].

The Blood and Absinthe series:

Taming the Vampire, Book 1

Bound by the Vampire, Book 2

Claiming the Vampire, Book 3

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

About the Author