Enraptured (27 page)

“It’s ok,” she panted. “Do it. I can take
the pain.”

He froze over her, his fangs pressing
against the hollow of her throat. Her words made him realize there
was something he hungered for just as badly as her body. “Not if
you’re not ready,” he managed to force himself to say.

“I am, please Ian,” she pleaded.

His control frayed, his mouth skimmed up to
rest against the pulse beating powerfully within her neck. “It
won’t hurt if you don’t fight it. I promise you.”

He’d never lie to her, but still she
stiffened against him and braced herself for what she knew was
about to follow. She could still recall how badly it had hurt when
her father had been feasting upon her, humiliating her. Her fingers
dug into his back; his breath tickled her neck as his fangs pressed
against her skin.

Then, his fangs pierced her flesh. Her body
jerked beneath his; her nails raked down his back as her thighs
clamped against his sides. A piercing sting accompanied the
breaking of her skin, but as the first pulls of her blood began to
leave her body, the pain faded away to be replaced with a feeling
of joy. His pleasure brushed against the edge of her mind, filling
her and taking her over. He’d been right, there was nothing but
happiness here as he drank from her.

She clasped hold of his head, holding him
closer as he drank deeper from her. She was doing this for him;
she
was making him this happy. Satisfying him in ways he’d
never been satisfied before. There was no discomfort or degradation
here. There was only a growing bond that caused her heart to swell
with love. He began to move within her again, taking possession of
her in every way, and she gladly gave herself over to him. She was
his to do with as he pleased; she would never deny him.

Ian drank in greedy pulls, her blood seeped
into him and eased him in a way no one’s blood ever had. The
delicious taste of her filled his mouth. She tasted of apples and
an assortment of spices he couldn’t quite place. For the first time
in almost a year, the monster within him was completely sated and
at ease. He’d never let her go; there was no doubt in his mind of
that now. Pulling away from her, he licked the punctures on her
neck closed.

Rising over her, he grabbed hold of her
wrists and tugged them above her head. Holding them within one of
his hands, he pinned them to the pillow. His eyes burned into hers
as his hips continued to thrust and retreat. When he bent to kiss
her again, she eagerly accepted it.

She’d never experienced anything like him
before. He could kill her, yet she instinctively knew he would
never harm her. For the first time, something more began to grow
within her as her heart swelled. He’d been right, there would be no
going back, not after this.

Sweat slicked their bodies; she could feel
him holding back, trying not to hurt her, but his body still
demanded more and more from her until she couldn’t stand the
pressure growing within her. Her head tipped back as her body
shattered and fractured apart. A loud cry escaped her, her legs
shook as they clamped against his sides, and waves of pleasure
crashed through her. Unreasonable tears burned her eyes when waves
of bliss shook the core of her foundation.

Ian groaned as her muscles contracted around
his cock causing him to spill within her on the next thrust. His
body shuddered and with a loud groan he found his release. His
hands clenched on the bedding so forcefully he tore the sheets from
the mattress and shredded them within his grasp. His breath heaved
in and out of him as he fought to regain control of himself.

Her eyes were glazed over with tears
swimming in their brilliant depths when they met his. Her muscles
continued to contract around his dick, as he remained buried deep
inside of her. Releasing the sheets, he clasped her cheeks within
his hands. With a tenderness he’d never experienced with anyone
before, he kissed her leisurely. Her chest heaved below him as she
fought to catch her breath, but her fingers slid into his hair and
she pulled him closer.

“I love you too,” she murmured against his
mouth.

His fangs instantly sprang free again; they
pressed against her lips as his tongue swept into taste her, and
she was swept away by him once more.

Paige’s muscles were still limp when she woke the
next morning. A pleasant soreness lingered between her legs, one
that brought a smile to her face as memories of last night drifted
back to her. The arm around her waist constricted when she went to
crawl out of bed. “Where do you think you’re going,” he murmured in
her ear.

She laughed and turned to face him. “Aren’t
you tired?”

The lazy smile tugging at the corners of his
full mouth caused her heart to beat a little faster. “Nope.”

She laughed and traced the corner of his
lips with her finger. “Well, as a mere mortal I’d like to go to the
bathroom and take a shower.”

He tugged her back against him and kissed
her before releasing her. “Don’t bother to get dressed after.”

She shot him a look over her shoulder as she
sat up on the bed. “You’re insatiable.”

He propped his head on his hand as he ran
his finger down her delicate spine. “Just for you.” His gaze didn’t
waver from hers when his hand stilled on her back. “Don’t be gone
long.”

She swallowed as shivers of anticipation ran
through her. She gave a brisk nod. Rising to her feet, she was
surprised her legs actually supported her when she walked across
the room. He was still watching her when she glanced back at him
before disappearing into the bathroom. She closed the door, leaned
against it, and took a deep breath. Last night had been the most
amazing night of her life, but if this kept up he may kill her.

It wouldn’t be a bad way to go, she decided
as she stepped away from the door.

Disappointment filled him when the door to
the bathroom closed behind her. He couldn’t help but smile when he
heard the shower turn on a couple of minutes later. The idea of
water sliding over her slender body caused a twinge in his cock. He
contemplated getting up to join her. With a resigned sigh, he
realized he should probably call his family back instead.

Rising to his feet, he tugged on his boxers
and a t-shirt before grabbing his phone from the nightstand. He’d
sent his family a text last night, letting them know they weren’t
at the cabin anymore, but they were safe. He’d shut the phone off
afterward, unwilling to deal with the barrage of questions and
concerns sure to follow. He’d turned it back on when he’d first
woken an hour ago but turned the ringer off.

The idea of slipping into Paige and waking
her had been a more pleasant idea at the time, but she’d gotten
little sleep last night, and he’d been unwilling to disturb her. It
was also the first time in months, he’d actually slept undisturbed
and hadn’t woken with the driving urge to go and find a woman. He’d
already found the only woman he would ever be with again.

The bond still had to be completed, but it
would come in time. For now he was happy to have her by his side.
They couldn’t shut the real world out any more, and if he was going
to keep her safe, there were things he had to deal with, now.

He’d checked the family text message already
and assured them they were still fine, but he hadn’t bothered to
return any of the missed calls. He glanced at the bathroom door
before hitting send on the last number to have called him,
Isabelle.

“Where the hell have you been?” she
demanded.

“Hello to you too, Issy,” he greeted
cheerfully. “How is my future niece or nephew doing?”

“Don’t you hello Issy me!” she retorted.
“Why haven’t you been answering your phone? He or she is growing
rapidly and kicking so much my insides are beginning to feel like a
soccer ball.”

“I was sleeping,” he replied and pretended
to yawn. “I’m sure you deserve the kicking.”

“Oh, you were sleeping!” she scoffed. “It
must have been the sleep of the dead, or you shut off your ringer.
Of course I don’t deserve to be kicked, but it’s an amazing
feeling.”

Only Issy could sound so disapproving one
second and then so loving and in awe of something the next. He
couldn’t help but smile at her voice and the ease with which their
conversations could flow. “Some already consider us dead,” he
reminded her. “And of course I shut off my ringer, I need my beauty
rest. I’ve known you my entire life, I’m pretty sure you’ve done
something to piss off the fetus.”

“You could sleep for a hundred years and
still need beauty rest. And you’re an asshole.”

“Right back at you, sis.”

“Are you ok?” The scolding tone vanished
instantly from her voice.

“I’m fine.” He stretched his back as he
walked around the room.

“What happened? Why did you leave the
cabin?” He hurriedly filled her in on what had occurred yesterday.
“Are you still at the motel?” she asked when he was done.

“Yes, why?”

“The others are going to come to you,
tomorrow.”

Disappointment filled him as he glanced
across the room to the closed door of the bathroom. He wasn’t ready
to have someone invading their solitude, but he knew it couldn’t be
put off. “Who’s coming?”

“They’re still fighting over that. Everyone
wants to go.”

“No one is fighting,” he heard Ethan say in
the background. “We’re trying to figure things out.”

“Yeah, they’re figuring things out.” Ian
could almost hear her eyes rolling through the phone. “You know how
it is.”

“And if you weren’t hosting the newest
addition to the family, you’d be right there with them,” he told
her with a laugh.

She chuckled. “I would be.”

“Are mom and dad safe? Is everyone settled
in?”

“Hold on,” Issy said, and he heard the phone
being passed off.

“Ian!” his mother gushed into the phone. “We
were so worried about you!”

“I’m fine,” he assured her. “How is everyone
there? Are they doing ok?”

“Everyone is fine. This new location is
beautiful. There are already three separate houses on the property,
so there’s plenty of room for everyone. There’s even a barn and
Willow, Cassidy and Kyle are already angling for horses.”

“Of course they are,” he murmured. A twinge
tugged at his heart at the mention of his siblings; he rubbed at
the stubble lining his chin at the thought of the home they’d been
forced to leave behind. “Where are you?”

“We found a beautiful place in Maine.”

“I think it would be safe if you returned to
Oregon. Paige won’t tell anyone anything about us.” He didn’t tell
her Paige would be coming to live with them; he should probably
broach the topic with Paige first.

“Paige is it?” his mom asked.

“Yes. She’s been through a lot.”

“You trust her?”

“I do.”

His mother became silent before she released
a small sigh. “In all honesty we probably should have left Oregon
years ago. We’d been putting ourselves at risk by staying, and you
know this family, as long as we’re together we’re happy.”

“Yeah,” he muttered. He was still going to
miss the home he’d grown up in and the other homes they’d built for
himself and his siblings.

“Don’t feel bad. Now, are you sure you’re
safe?”

“Positive.”

“Good. Your father would like to talk to
you. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

The phone was handed off to his father and
they talked for a few minutes. Isabelle reclaimed her phone just as
Paige emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her.
Ian bent to press a kiss against the top of her head and tugged her
up against him.

“Did you just kiss the enemy?” Isabelle
inquired in a low whisper. He didn’t have to see her to know she’d
turned away from the others and cupped her hand around the phone as
she spoke.

“What?” Ethan demanded. “Let me talk to
him.”

“Wait Ethan,” Isabelle protested.

“Let me talk to him, Issy.”

Ian kept the phone away from Paige, so she
couldn’t hear the exchange or their struggle over the phone.
Bending low, he kissed her again before giving her butt a light
swat. “Why don’t you get dressed so we can get you something to eat
and maybe do some shopping? I don’t know about you, but I’d like
some new clothes, and this place doesn’t strike me as the kind of
motel with a washer and dryer.”

Her eyes lit up; she gave an enthusiastic
nod before rising on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “I’d love some food
and clothes,” she admitted before practically skipping away from
him.

“Ian. What are you doing?” Ethan demanded in
a low hiss. Judging by the different sounds coming through the
phone, he’d walked outside. Ian would bet a hundred dollars
Isabelle was hovering at his side.

“What are you talking about?” he asked
innocently.

“Look, I’ve never said one word about your
parade of women, but that girl is dangerous.”

“No, she’s not,” he said flatly.

Paige glanced up at him as she tugged on the
only pair of somewhat clean jeans she had left. There was no
underwear to bother with anymore, it was number one on her shopping
list when she got the chance. The set of Ian’s jaw and the tone of
his voice made her realize whomever he was talking to wasn’t making
him happy. He smiled at her, but it didn’t light his eyes.

They were talking about her, she realized
with a sinking sensation. Her hands clamped down on the sweatshirt
in her hands.

“There are millions of other women in this
world,
why
would you crawl into bed with that one? What were
you thinking?” Ethan demanded.

Ian grinned at Paige, but he could feel his
teeth grinding together, and she continued to stare anxiously at
him. Ethan was only trying to watch out for him, but this was none
of his brother’s business. There was no way he could tell him that
without alarming Paige more. “I’m sure I’ll see you tomorrow,” he
said instead.