Darkness Surrendered (Primal Heat Trilogy #3) (Order of the Blade) (30 page)

She looked up at him. “I have no privacy from you.”

He raised his brows. “Do you want privacy from me?”

She frowned. “Not really. Not right now.”

“Good. I like that answer.” He smiled, a grim smile that was quickly replaced by a scowl. “That’s why you have no privacy from me. You’re open to me. You don’t have to be open to him.” He touched her mind, and she felt his warm presence.

Elijah was furious, and he was pulsing with the need to dominate her, to prove his ownership, to make her his own, to destroy Ezekiel and his claim to her, but it wasn’t threatening or controlling. It wasn’t oppressing. Underneath was a layer of such tenderness, such concern, such overwhelming genuine caring that Ana felt her heart swell in response. A sense of safety settled over her, the same way it had when he’d protected her the first time they’d met. Her feelings for Elijah overwhelmed Ezekiel’s darkness, and she felt Elijah’s tension ease as she embraced him and their bond—

Ezekiel’s fury smacked them both hard as he roared back into her mind, demanding his space and their attention.

Elijah’s adrenaline surged through Ana, and she tensed. “Elijah—”

“No. Focus on me.” Possessiveness raging through Elijah, he rolled her onto her back and settled himself tightly on top of her, so the lengths of their bodies were touching. There was such ownership in his touch, such power in the way he held her.

He bent his head and kissed her. His lips were warm and soft, his tongue gentle and caressing, his hand reassuring where he palmed her belly, his touch so soft and tender, the complete antithesis of the violence vibrating in his body.
Think of me, Ana. Only me.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, concentrating on the compassion in his kiss, on the burning of her forearms with his mark, on the way her body responded to his touch.

Ezekiel touched her mind.
I’m here, too. I feel your arousal, Ana. Delicious.

Elijah’s lips stilled against hers, and Ana went cold. “I can’t do this.”

“Yes, you can.” Elijah cupped her chin and forced her to look at him. Cold determination raged hard in his eyes, and she knew she was looking into the visage of a true warrior for the first time since he’d been rescued from the pit. He was focused, his energy coiled with controlled violence and deadly intent. But his voice was so tender and gentle when he spoke. “There’s no reason for Ezekiel to be present in your mind if you don’t want him to be, Ana. We can do this together.”

“I’m trying to block him, but he’s too strong.”

“Not for our bond, he isn’t.” Elijah kissed her again, and this time it was fierce, commanding her full attention. Heat leapt through her instantly at his possessiveness, and she grabbed for his shoulders as his tongue thrust deep, winding around hers, teasing, caressing and
demanding
. This kiss was about power. About control. About ownership. She felt the strength in the kiss, as Elijah drew her into his mind, strengthening the connection between them. He was using the bond to weave their spirits together, but it was also more. So much more...

I need this,
she whispered.
Make love to me, Elijah.

Yes.
His voice was so reverent, so beautiful, so tender that she wanted to cry for how he made her feel. His mouth on her breast, his hands caressing her hips, the strength of his muscles beneath her hands…they all felt so right.

Ana tangled her fingers in Elijah’s hair, relishing the softness of the strands as he kissed his way over her collarbone and across her chest. She drank in every kiss, every touch of his hands, the heart-melting tenderness of his touch. She let it fill her, chasing away all the dirt from Ezekiel and from her own nightmares. She needed Elijah too much to resist it anymore. She needed his kiss, his touch and the beauty of their connection to fill her, giving her hope about the possibility of life and light.

Give yourself over to me
. His baritone rumbled through her, insistent and possessive, but filled with such honor and respect. None of the coercion that had been present with Ezekiel.

Her entire being filled with a sense of peace and rightness, that this was where she was meant to be: in Elijah’s arms, accepting all he had to offer, allowing him to cleanse all the shadows and fill her only with the lightness and peace that he gave her.
I’m yours. In every way.
The truth of those words reverberated in every layer of her being, and it filled her with such exhilaration and excitement. She was his. He was hers. Together, they would prevail, somehow, someway, because the strength of their connection was everything.

Satisfaction pulsed through Elijah at Ana’s complete surrender to him. It was a deep-seeded male satisfaction that made him want to thump his chest and bellow to the world that he had won over the only woman who would ever matter to him.

God, I need you.
The words formed in Elijah’s mind before he could censor them, but she felt so right. The way Ana arched beneath him, the way she reached out for him, opening her mind and her soul to his safekeeping, trusting him to help her fight off Ezekiel.

Then take me, tough guy.

He growled low in his throat.
Well, when you put it that way…
Gone was the sensual seduction, his admirable self-discipline, the delicate lover, consumed by the fire that exploded inside him. Elijah fisted her hair, anchoring Ana to him as he devoured her mouth, kissing her harder, deeper, faster. Her body was slick with sweat as she moved beneath him, her hips shifting in a sensual invitation that was for no one but him. She was his, only his, no matter what was on her arm.

Her grip was tight around his neck, her kisses as fervent as his. The kisses became frenzied, his hands roaming her body, her hips, plunging inside her, and then back to her breasts. He couldn’t keep his hands still, couldn’t touch enough of her, couldn’t get enough. Ana was the same, her delicate hands so gentle and seductive as they roamed his body, as if trying to brand every inch of him with her touch.

It was what Elijah needed. He wanted to live and breathe this woman who was in his arms, to never exist for another moment without her being a part of his soul. Need-filled lust consumed him, raging through him, sending him to the edge of control, until there was nothing but her body, her kisses, her desire pulsing at him, wrapping around him, calling to him.

Now,
she whispered
,
her voice hazy with lust and desire.

Now.
He shifted his weight and sheathed himself inside her in a single stroke of perfection. His entire being shouted with the rightness of it as he felt her soul wrap around him, as her legs gripped his hips. He moved again, thrusting deeper, almost unable to handle the intensity of emotions rushing through him. Again and again, deeper and deeper, until there was nothing but them, their connection, and the sheer enormity of the act.

Elijah!
Ana’s body went rigid beneath him, and he caught her scream in his mouth as he abandoned the last vestiges of his control and allowed himself to bring the depth of the moment, of their connection, of Ana into his very soul. The orgasm took them both, and he shouted her name, clinging to her for dear life as it shook every foundation upon which his entire existence was borne.

As the climax took them, Ana gripped his hair, staring at him so desperately, as if she were trying to imprint the moment and his face into her heart forever. As Elijah gazed into her silver eyes, he knew without a doubt, that he had to find a way to be the warrior she deserved. Somehow, someway, he would become that hero.

A smile broke out over Ana’s face, the most beautiful, radiant smile Elijah had ever seen. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for looking at me like I’m your entire world.”

He kissed her lightly. “You are.”

And she was.

* * *

Quinn groaned, and Elijah tensed, realizing his friend was waking up. He cursed softly, desperately wishing he could hold onto the moment forever. “You okay?”

Ana nodded, her eyes still filled with that same sparkle of contentment. “I’m wonderful.” She laced her fingers behind his neck. “That got Ezekiel out of my mind. I can still feel the taint lurking, but there’s no one inside me but you.” Her cheeks flushed at the unintended slip. “Literally and figuratively.”

Elijah laughed softly and kissed her nose. “Just so you know, that was not simply about trying to get rid of Ezekiel. That was about you and me.”

Her face softened, and she traced her finger over his lips. “I know.”

“Good.” Elijah kissed her as Quinn groaned again. He could hear the footsteps of the Order members as they headed toward their room. “We’re about to have company, and as much as I love seeing you naked, I really think I’m not stable enough to take it if everyone else gets to see you too.”

“Yeah, I agree.” Ana grabbed for her jeans, jumping to her feet to pull them on. Elijah rolled to his side and picked his jeans up, then they both froze, staring at each other.

“I’m not touching you,” she said.

“And I’m not insane. At all.” Slowly, Elijah stood up, testing his mind. The demons were still there, but he knew they were nothing but illusions. It was as if Ana was still wrapped around him, helping him sort out truth from delusion. It wasn’t even an effort to hold his focus. “It must be because we tightened the bond so much.”

Ana grinned. “Well, that’s good, right?”

“Yeah. Hopefully.” As the sound of Order footsteps grew louder, Elijah fastened his own jeans, then took over buttoning hers. Not because she needed help, but because he needed to do it.

He needed to keep touching her and keep the physical connection between them. Like Ana, he could feel Ezekiel’s presence in his mind, and it was grating at him. As he buttoned her jeans, he saw the brands on her arm: his throwing star bisected by the line of Ezekiel’s brand.

“Son of a bitch,” he growled, and the room took on the faintest of red hues.

“Elijah.” Ana’s hands dug into his shoulders. “Don’t you dare go rogue! Not now! Come on!”

He closed his eyes as she wrapped herself around him, burying his face in her thick curls. He inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of roses that was such a part of her.
I’m having a little trouble dealing with another man’s brand on your arm after I just made love to you twice.

There was the soft rumble of laughter from her.
Really? Never would have predicted you were the jealous type.
She hugged him tighter, and he lifted her so her legs went around his waist.

Me either. Go figure.
He felt the fury began to subside as Ana clung so tightly to him.

You know it’s you I want
, she said
. Only you.

The conviction and honesty in her voice struck deep in Elijah’s heart, and the last remnants of his anger faded. Elijah buried his face in her hair, holding her tight as Quinn swore and made a noise as if he were climbing to his feet.

Elijah could feel Ezekiel inside him, and knew the bastard was eavesdropping on their intimacy. Ezekiel’s jealousy was resonating through him, leaving a bitter taste in Elijah’s mouth. Ezekiel was hating their bond, unable to accept their intimacy and the fact he wasn’t a part of it. “He won’t be able to share us.”

Ana lifted her head to look at Elijah. “He’s going to kill one of us.”

No!
Ezekiel’s denial roared in their minds, and they both flinched.

Get the fuck out of my mind
. Elijah slammed up his shields and helped Ana raise hers, reinforcing them as best he could. But as Elijah touched her mind, he caught a glimpse of himself in the pit, his skin flayed off, bloody and—

Ana paled and pulled her mind from his as nausea churned his stomach. “I wasn’t even thinking of that right then.”

“But I caught it anyway because it’s woven into the fabric of your being.” Elijah closed his eyes and rested his chin on her head, trying to calm his racing heart. “It’s what I was afraid of. Tightening the bond is bringing me closer to your illusions. Every illusion you’ve ever done is still present inside you, waiting for me to run into them.”

He didn’t need to say anymore. They both knew what would happen to him if the illusions took over.

Had it been worth it to tighten the bond so much?

Elijah hoped it was. If it wasn’t, he had just sealed the fate of the one woman alive who had touched his soul.