Forever Valentine (8 page)

He answered her pleas, stroking in deep with each thrust until she was moaning against his chest, propped up by his strong arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist, claiming him as he moved his head down to kiss her lips. He trailed down her chin to her throat, sinking his fangs in deep as he thrust her to completion.

Ian was only a moment behind as he sipped at her amazing blood, licking her and relishing the essence of the one woman in all the world who could complete him. He was facing the door when he lifted his head, his cock still spurting within his woman. He licked his lips, knowing they were stained with her rich, red blood, and caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye.

The door was open only a sliver, but it was enough for Ian to see the Dick on the other side, spying on them. Doctor Dick Schmidt let the door close, but not before Ian got a good look at him. The piss-ant was a voyeur, it seemed, and he’d gotten an eyeful.

Ian pulled out and cleaned up a bit, helping Jena set herself to rights. He kissed her softly as he made sure she could stand on her own.

“Will you be all right? There’s something I have to take care of.”

Jena nodded weakly, sinking down into her leather executive chair. She looked thoroughly fucked and Ian had to suppress the grin of satisfaction seeing her this way always gave him.

“Where are you going?”

Ian sighed. He didn’t want her to know that he planned to silence the other man. By death, if necessary.

“Doctor Dick saw us. The little pervert must’ve unlocked your door and was peeking inside when I saw him.”

“I gave him a key for emergencies. Not to spy on me!” Though she flushed with embarrassment, her words were practical as she drew in a calming breath. “What are you going to do to him?”

“Anything I have to.”

Silence reigned for a moment before she stood and straightened her skirt. “I’ll go with you. We should check his office first. It’s two floors up.”

Ian said not a word as she led the way to Dick Schmidt’s office. When they arrived it was to find the good doctor dialing furiously as he clutched a small parchment-colored business card in one hand.

“Put down the phone.” Ian put all the influence he could into his voice. The doctor struggled against the command, but the phone settled into its cradle as Ian moved forward. He was pleased to note Jena closing and locking the door to the office behind them. Ian plucked the card out of Dick’s hand and glanced at it before tucking it into his pocket for further study. He knew the name well. Benjamin Steel was one of the few
Altor Custodis
agents Ian had been able to identify in this state, though he knew there were more. There had to be.

It was significant that Ben had given Dick his card. Could the
Altor Custodis
already know of Jena’s bloodlines? Probably. That ancient sect had watched and tracked supernaturals through more centuries than Ian had lived. They were probably watching Jena and her mother as well, which was as comforting as it was frightening. They watched and recorded, but they probably wouldn’t lift a finger to help if either of them were truly in danger. Ian began to wonder if the silver bracelet Dick had tried to give Jena on Valentine’s Day was more sinister than he’d originally thought. Had it been a test of some sort? Did Dick know or suspect what she was?

“Fucking vampire!” Dick accused in a wobbly voice. Ian turned his full attention back to the matter at hand. That certainly answered some of his questions. Ian shook his head and made a tsking noise.

“I honestly didn’t think you had any imagination whatsoever, Dick. I can’t say I’m glad to find out I was wrong.” Ian tugged Jena close to his side, tucking her under his arm. It was an obvious claim of ownership that wasn’t lost on the sniveling mortal man. Ian nearly laughed aloud when Dick’s chin rose stubbornly.

“Get away from her. You scum-sucking vampire!” Dick actually reached for his pocket and came up with a small cross he proceeded to wave at him. Luckily it was made of gold, not silver. Little did the mongrel know Ian had been a devout Catholic all his long life. Crosses—as long as they were not made of silver—held no fear for him. In fact, they represented the God he’d sworn his life to many times over since he’d been born all those centuries ago.

But Dick was starting to really piss him off.

Ian put Jena behind him and turned to snarl at the other man, baring his fangs and allowing the fire to creep into his eyes. He knew it made him look like a demon, and perhaps that’s what he needed in this case. A little show of otherworldly strength might help him take the measure of this man he had previously underestimated.

“Back off, doctor. I won’t warn you again.”

The hand holding the cross shook as Ian stalked forward. Gently, almost reverently, he took the cross from Dick’s trembling hands and kissed it with respect before placing it aside, safely out of harm’s way. It really was a beautiful piece, heavy with age and many blessings that sent soothing energy through Ian when he touched it.

Perhaps that was the reason he felt pity for the sniveling man. Perhaps it was the reminder of his faith that stayed his hand when he could so easily have killed the good doctor. Knowledge of his kind could not be allowed to spread. It was their most sacred law and one he’d vowed to uphold.

Or perhaps his rare compassion was spurred on by the soft, feminine voice of love in his mind.

Don’t hurt him, Ian.

Ian sighed as he used his considerable mental powers to overcome Dick’s weak mind. The man slumped to the floor in a heap, unconscious. He turned frustrated eyes to his mate briefly.

“He knows, Jena. That’s not something I can ignore. Our law says he has to be contained.”

“Killed, you mean,” she scoffed. “Look, Ian. Regardless of how I feel about him personally, he is a good doctor. He saves a lot of lives. It would be a shame to lose his talent in the world when there are so many sick people who need his skill. Isn’t there something you can do?”

Ian pulled her close, kissing her forehead softly, then sighed dramatically.

“For you, I can move mountains, my love.”

Doctor Richard—not Dick—Schmidt changed that night. Weak minded as he was, Ian found it easy to alter his memories and even improve a bit on his personality. Not long after, Richard traded in the land yacht he drove for a more economic, less ostentatious model and started doing charity work. He even donated some of his time and skill to Doctors Without Borders and set off on a voyage of self-discovery to the Third World.

Of course Ian made sure he was kept under observation by one of his enforcer brethren. Richard Schmidt didn’t know it, and would likely never remember what had brought it about, but he would be closely watched for the remainder of his days.

Ian also made arrangements for an evening wedding at a beautiful, old Catholic church in town. He’d sworn an oath to God all those years ago as a Crusader and he’d never gone back on his word. Jena was also Catholic and wanted all the trimmings for her wedding, including the beautiful old church where her mother could walk her down the aisle and tear up as her baby got married.

Ian was pleasantly surprised by his mate’s mother, Lilian. Forty-seven she might be, but she was a beautiful woman in the prime of life. She welcomed Ian with suspicion at first, but once she saw how happy her daughter was with him, she warmed right up.

Julian was with her, of course. The charming enforcer had inserted himself into Lillian’s life and looked like he was there to stay. Surprisingly, he hadn’t told Lillian everything yet, but rather, had used his surprisingly strong abilities at mental persuasion to gain the woman’s compliance.

Eventually she would have to be told about her heritage, but she was very healthy for one of the demi-vampir and Jena wanted to wait until after the wedding to break the startling news. Ian agreed. One thing at a time was enough to spring on the poor woman. Let her get used to him first, then he’d shatter her illusions of reality and explain how the world really worked.

Or perhaps he’d ask Julian or another of his old friends do it. Jena’s mother was a looker, after all, and though she thought she was old in mortal terms, measuring by the lifespan of the average vampire, she was just a babe in the woods. Born demi-vampir, she should be given the choice to convert fully to the immortality she—or her ancestors, at least—should have had as her birthright.

Ian would take it up with Marc, but it could wait until after the wedding. And the honeymoon. Lillian’s life wasn’t in imminent danger from her demi-vampir condition, so they had time. Nothing was more important now, than joining his mate’s life to his in the eyes of God.

When Ian first caught sight of his lovely bride, framed in the dark doorway of the lovely old church, his heart skipped a beat. She was so lovely.

The music started and she walked slowly down the aisle to him. The church was crowded with their friends, but he saw only her. When at last she stood beside him, he took her little hand in his. Her fingers were surprisingly cold with nerves.

I love you, you know.
He sent his thoughts on waves of reassurance.

I love you back. Forever, Ian.
She paused.
I mean that. I want forever with you.

Do you mean—?

Yes. I want you to make me like you, but it’ll have to wait until after the baby is born.

Baby?
Ian felt faint. The implications were staggering.

Jena was still very much mortal. Any baby they had now would be demi-vampir, like her. Able to walk in the sun.

Stay with me, Papa. First we have to get hitched. No baby of ours will be born out of wedlock.

Ian felt tears gather behind his eyes, though he refused to let them fall. His woman was amazing. She brought him laughter and love, light and now…a baby.

While he would have preferred to wait until after she’d become immortal, God apparently had other plans. Ian would not argue with God, or Fate, or whatever had caused this miraculous moment to happen. All he knew was that he’d found the ultimate happiness in this realm and he would hold on to it—to her—for all he was worth.

Epilogue

By the next year on February fourteenth, Jena and Ian had fragile, baby, demi-vampir twins to look after. Leaving them with Christy and Sebastian for the night, Ian took Jena to the same little bistro where he’d spied on her with her date the year before.

“Nothing like coming full circle,” he mused as he poured the wine. Jena was still demi-vampir and mortal. They’d decided that barring some unforeseen circumstance, Jena would stay mortal until the babies were a bit older. They weren’t quite sure how becoming immortal would affect Jena’s unique body chemistry, so they didn’t want to take the chance of her not being able to be there during the day while the babies still needed her.

Ian was able to spend some time in the very early morning sun, but did even better in the late afternoon and twilight. With Jena’s magic demi-vampir blood and multiple orgasms sustaining him, he fed only from her and was stronger than he’d ever been before.

“I liked it when you were watching over me, Ian. Though at first I found it a bit annoying.” She toasted him with her wine. “You grew on me.”

“Like a fungus, huh?”

She chuckled and tucked into the light meal she’d ordered while he just stared across at his good fortune. He still sometimes found it hard to believe this miracle had come to him. She was his salvation, his
raison d’être
. He didn’t know how he’d existed for so long without her and couldn’t envision a time when he could live without her. She was necessary to him now, in so many ways. Without her, he would cease to exist.

“Actually, I came to enjoy you glowering at me from the shrubbery and I missed you when you weren’t there. Last Valentine’s night, for example, when I went out to my car to meet Dick Schmidt,” he growled at the mention of the other man’s name, “you weren’t there. I never told you, I nearly panicked, thinking something happened to you. It worried me when you suddenly weren’t there.”

Ian reached across the small table, much as Dick had done the year before, but with much more successful results. She turned her palm into his, smiling warmly up at him.

“I’ll be with you always now, my love. For eternity.”

About the Author

To learn more about Bianca D’Arc, please visit
www.biancadarc.com
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Look for these titles by Bianca D’Arc

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Maiden Flight—Dragon Knights 1

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The Ice Dragon—Dragon Knights 3

Lords of the Were

Ladies of the Lair—Dragon Knights 1 & 2 (together in print)

Coming Soon:

Prince of Spies—Dragon Knights 4

Hara’s Legacy—Resonance Mates 1

Gracie Evans wants a Valentines she won’t forget.  Luke Forsythe plans to give her exactly what she wants.

Overheard

Maya Banks

Gracie Evans is a woman tired of the men in her life not satisfying her in bed.  She’s had a string of boyfriends, but none of them have come close to satisfying the vivid fantasies she has.  Two weeks before Valentine’s Day, she breaks up with her latest boyfriend after a night of lackluster sex.

When her good friend, Luke Forsythe, overhears her talking to their friend Shelly about what she really wants, he’s stunned.  And very turned on.  Gracie thinks there isn’t a man alive who can satisfy her in bed.  Luke aims to prove her wrong.

Warning, this title contains explicit sex, graphic language, ménage a trios.