Lord of Capra (10 page)

She made a strange
sound. He guessed it was her way of expressing exasperation. The vibrations
were similar to mini-earthquakes.

“Both of you act
like younglings. Why are you so fearful? As I have told Evana, and now you,
trust your instincts. You will know what to do when the time comes.”

“Trust my
instincts? I’ll know what to do?” he repeated, incredulous.

“You have been
capable of this since she fed you on the beach. She does not realize you are
ready for her. You will stop her.”

“So, what do you
suggest I do?” He hoped she might give him some clue.

“Drake, when she
feeds you again, drink deeply. Afterward, she will be weaker. Mate with her,
immediately, before she recovers. Once she draws on your blood, you will stop
her from going too far.”

“I hope you know
what you’re talking about.”

Nemesis didn’t
comment, and he detected a slight change take place in the background sounds he
associated with her life force. It didn’t seem right to think of her as having
engines.

“Evana has brought
us to within a day’s sub-light journey to Taneth. She will join you soon. I
have enjoyed our conversation. If you like, we can begin your training next
time. I recommend starting with species recognition. I look forward to your
perspectives.”

“Training…sounds
like fun,” he responded, then muttered, “If I’m still here.”

Drake sensed
Nemesis had withdrawn and glanced around absentmindedly. Noting how nothing
about his surroundings had changed, he scowled and stood with the intention of
going in search of Evana. Halfway down the path, he changed his mind, turned
and made his way back to the lounge. Better to let her come to him, he thought
irritably.

He gave the
sky-ceiling a quick glance. There’d been no change in the intensity of the
lighting to indicate if it was later in the day or not. And his patience was
almost at an end.

I’m bored. How can
that be? I’m on a spaceship, no telling how many light years away from Earth,
that’s only a day away from an alien planet. I’ve helped my vampire-warrior
princess mate fight her ghoulish enemies and even helped rescue her lovely ass
from one of them. Her spaceship’s given me some very unhelpful advice about my
love life. How the hell can I be bored?
He wanted to yell at something.

* * * *

Evana left the
pilot bed in record time. She grabbed the goblet waiting for her in the alcove
and downed the elixir in a few large gulps.

“Nem? Clothes?” She
caught top and bottoms out of thin air and hurriedly put them on. Nemesis had
informed her she’d provided the same style for Drake.

“Did you have time…”

“Everything you
showed me is ready, pilot.”

Finished dressing,
she smoothed the garments in place and took several swipes through her hair,
using her fingers to comb it into place. Satisfied, she headed for the opening
that silently appeared in the wall.

Evana immediately
located him. She watched him toss one flat stone after another, skipping them
across her pool. Since his back was to her, she attempted to sneak up on him,
hoping he was too engrossed to notice. She took one step, then another, holding
her breath while trying to slow her heartbeat. She stalked him. More steps,
closer, she was almost there. He vanished.

“About time!” He
spoke behind her, startling her into action.

In less than an
instant, she stood atop the lounge, staring wide-eyed at him. She was
astonished he’d moved so fast. As she watched him from the dubious safety of
her perch, he practically collapsed into a fit of laughter.

“Very funny,” Evana
shouted before laughing along with him. “That’s very impressive speed for such
a lazy male.” She had to throw out some kind of insult to sooth the fact he’d
taken her by surprise.

“Lazy? I’ve been
awake for hours!” Even though he yelled as if angered, his grin widened.

“Finally! You’ve
been asleep for almost two days while I’ve been working,” she complained and
jumped off the lounge.

“No way! I haven’t
been sleeping for that long.” She could tell from the look on his face he
didn’t believe her.

“Yes, you have. It’ll
be dark again soon.” Evana approached him and tugged gently on his arm, intent
on leading him toward the doorway. He seemed reluctant, but let her tow him
along.

“Did you drug me?”

“Of course not,”
Evana assured him. “You were just tired and needed rest. Don’t you feel better
now?” Not waiting for an answer, she said, “I have something to show you. I
hope you like it.”

Apparently no
longer so unwilling, he kept pace with her. “Yes, I feel better. I’m also bored
and this ‘thing’ better have something to do with food.”

Evana swallowed a
retort about his appetite. She knew he was hungry, but food wouldn’t satisfy
him. She also suspected he was more irritated than bored. Maybe he’d like what
Nemesis had done for him, at her request.

They crossed to the
other side of the control room, and Evana stopped in front of a doorway. She
glanced at Drake, smiled and said, “Put your palm on the door. It’ll open.”

He looked doubtful,
but did as she instructed. The door dissolved and they stepped through, entering
a room that was familiar.

“Nemesis did this?”
Drake gaped, taking in the sight of his almost perfectly duplicated apartment. “Incredible.”

“Yes, from what I
remembered. Most of the appliances, I think you call them, will work. Nem
wanted you to be comfortable. She regrets that some of your devices weren’t
practical so she didn’t create them.”

Drake surveyed the
kitchen and living room, apparently looking for what was missing.

“No phone and no TV.”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “Well, that makes sense.”

His elbow jabbed
her shoulder, gaining her attention before he walked down the hallway toward
the bedroom. He took a quick glance inside. Apparently pleased with what he saw,
he gave her a broad smile.

“Does the waterbed
come with a warranty?”

“A what?” Evana was
at a loss.

“It means, will she
fix it when you break it again?”

She pretended to be
angry and glared at him. “I won’t break the waterbed, but take care. You don’t
come with a…warranty.”

Still grinning, he
strolled toward her, apparently unconcerned about her threat. Evana fought back
an urge to smile as he approached.

“I’ll have to
remember to thank her.” He whisked past her, giving her ass a quick squeeze on his
way to inspect the kitchen.

She left him to
explore and wandered into the bedroom to take a look around. The bed was
perfect, exactly as she remembered. Judging by the noises he made as he opened
and closed cabinet doors and drawers, Evana knew she couldn’t wait any longer.
His hunger had to be satisfied. She stripped off her clothes and made herself
comfortable on the bed.
Very nice
, she thought, as the movement of water
slowly calmed after being disturbed. She heard what she suspected was the cold
storage box door open. Then it closed with a firm bang.

“Evana?” He called
from the kitchen, and she heard more noise as he continued his search.

She brought the
base of her palm to her mouth and pierced it with a fang just deep enough to
draw a small drop of blood. The noise stopped. She blew a puff of air across
the tiny wound to send the scent toward the open doorway. Drake was there,
blocking the opening, before it arrived. His look of astonishment mixed with
hunger told Evana he now realized the food he searched for wasn’t in his
kitchen. It never would be.

“Join me?” Evana
invited.

Chapter Fourteen

Only a wisp of
fragrance and the hunger came upon him with so much urgency he didn’t recall
how he’d reached his bedroom so fast. Was it her or her blood calling to him?
He couldn’t tell. All he knew was he’d shed his clothes and was cradled within
her embrace like the last time on the beach. Vaguely, he remembered Nemesis
telling him something, but it didn’t seem very important. Nothing was more
important at that moment than Evana and what she was doing for him.

After she ripped
open a deeper gash on her forearm, he smelled the blood gushing forth. Without
hesitation he covered the offering with his mouth and drank deeply, pulling
hard on the vein. As the flow slowed, he simply fed harder, ravenous to drink
his fill.

Her gasp and soft
moan caused him slow his draw until she whispered, “Don’t stop.”

Drake continued,
forcing her blood to flow once again at a rate that matched his need. He fed
until his hunger was satiated, only then did he realize how brutally he’d
treated her. As he swallowed the last few drops, remorse overwhelmed him and he
twisted in her arms to hold her. He didn’t care if she killed him. He deserved
it for being a brute. Her body was limp, but her chest rose and fell with each
deep intake of breath. Her head rested on the pillow as if she slept, but he
noticed her looking at him through half-closed eyes.

“Evana?” He tried
to whisper her name, but the voice rumbling from his chest sounded animalistic.

“Don’t stop, my
love. I want you…” Her passionate request was left unfinished as her legs
parted.

He’d been ready for
her even before she’d asked. His cock was swollen larger than ever, hard as
steel, and ached for release. He pounced on her, and with one forceful thrust,
entered her, burying his shaft deep. His action enticed a surprised gasp of
approval from her.

Her pussy gripped
him, the walls hot and drenched. Inch by inch, he pulled out and entered again,
watching her writhe in response. Increasing the speed of his movements only
escalated his desire, and he realized that with each thrust of his hips he made
savage love to her with a new strength.

Every plunge inside
her tight sheath felt more intense than the last, sending waves of pleasure
crashing through him. Better yet, she’d joined him with her own strength in
response to his cock’s assault. She moved her hips in time to match his rhythm
as she pulled his head down and kissed him urgently. He returned her kiss,
matching her need.

Her strong arms
crushed him against her, and it felt good. There was no pain he’d surely have
experienced before. She stroked her hands down his back to his hips and gripped
his ass, digging her nails into his skin, urging him to increase his efforts.

In response, Drake
rolled his hips, grinding hard against her clit before giving in to an
overwhelming urge to pound his cock deep into her tight pussy faster and
faster. Her welcoming sheath gushed with moisture, driving him on while she nipped
his neck with her lips. He felt her cries of delight against his skin as her
pleasure reached its climax. She convulsed beneath him as her orgasm hit. Her
pelvic muscles tightened around his engorged erection with so much force he
became trapped inside, unable to move.

He growled in
frustration as she buried her face against his neck. A second later, he felt
the sting of her fangs puncture his skin, driving deep into his jugular. There
was no pain, just ecstasy. She drank from him. His orgasm exploded in a violent
rush, surprising him. A frenzied growl erupted from his throat with each shot
of cum surging from his imprisoned cock.

Delirious in the
aftermath, his head fell to her shoulder, but he kept his neck exposed, not
wanting her to stop. Still wrapped in the erotic sensation of her feeding on
his blood, he groaned softly as she increased the rate of her draw.

His lips grazed her
skin, nipping and kissing.
She smells so good.
His mouth watered as he
relished the sensual feel of blood leaving his body. Without warning, he
convulsed with yet another jarring climax, rousing a threatening growl from
deep within his chest.

At that moment, a
hunger like he’d never known before overcame him. He was painfully aware that
his upper canines moved, shifting in his mouth as they lengthened to fangs.
Driven by instinct, he sank them deep into the juncture between her neck and
shoulder.

Her blood came to
him at an incredible speed, and his lethargy vanished. At the same time, she
withdrew her fangs from his neck. Stunned and panting, he removed his mouth
from her shoulder and stole a look at her.

Staring at him,
wide eyed in astonishment, she said, “You bit me.”

He ran his tongue
experimentally over his newly formed fangs. He discovered the tips were razor
sharp and highly sensitive as he explored his new gifts. And they didn’t seem
to want to go away. Neither did his erection.

“You started it,”
he taunted, flashing a half-smile to show off one perfectly formed white fang.

Watching her
warily, he withdrew his cock from her tight pussy and lowered his head to lick
each breast before latching on to one taut nipple. Her sigh of pleasure spurred
him onward and he slid down her body, leaving a trail of light kisses behind.
Each one made her tremble. All the while, he kept his gaze locked with hers.

She watched him
intently, but hadn’t made any move to stop him. He reached the tender area at
the top of one thigh, raked a fang tip across the soft skin and licked away the
line of blood that appeared before the wound healed. She shuddered, moaning his
name as her head fell back to the bed. As he spread her legs to expose her
pussy, she offered no resistance. Drake marveled at her beauty. She was so
lovely, so wet, so hot and so his. He wanted to taste her,
had
to taste
her, dip his tongue deep inside to lick her, and he didn’t care if his own
juices were in the mix. He lowered his head and lapped at her clit. Her fingers
entwined in his hair, urging him on as she twisted against his mouth.

*

With each flick of
his tongue against her swollen clit, Evana thought she might lose her mind. She
was awash in ecstasy, struggling to stay afloat in the storm of passion
building inside her. He drove her mad, licking and sucking. As he parted her
sex and gently probed one finger, then two, deep inside her pussy, she
whimpered in delight. Gradually his touch became harder, more insistent. She
moaned, unable to stop begging and pleading with him for more as she trembled
uncontrollably.

At the height of
her climax, his fangs sank into her tender folds. One pierced the quivering
nexus of her orgasm, propelling her to an experience eclipsing all others. She
thought she recognized the voice howling his name, but then all was silent.

A soothing, quiet
peace surrounded her. Drake was with her, murmuring words of love as he
caressed her, kissing her tenderly. His strong protective arms enveloped her in
a warm embrace. He said her name, calling her.

“Evana?”

 She opened her
eyes to find him leaning over her with a worried expression. She smiled, and
relief washed over his handsome face.

“What happened?”

“Not sure.” He
shook his head. “I think you fainted, but I’m sure I didn’t take enough blood
to make that happen. I know I didn’t.”

Evana’s eyes
widened as the memory of what had happened returned. “You bit me. Again. Down…”
She scrambled out from under him and sat upright on the bed. She rested her
back against the headboard.

He grimaced
guiltily. “Sorry.” He shifted to sit beside her.

She scooted away
and he grunted unhappily.

He peeked at her
sideways, and explained, “It seemed like the right thing to do at the time.”

She tried to be mad
at him, but had to settle for pretending. It was hard to stay angry when he
looked at her with such honesty. His blue eyes filled with desperation,
pleading for her to believe him. He was devastating. She had to drag her own
gaze away before he saw the hint of a smile on her face, which would signal he
was forgiven. She couldn’t let him off so easily.

“The right thing to
do? How did you come to that decision?”

Drake shrugged. “It
just seemed to be what you needed, or wanted. I don’t know why.” He stroked the
back of his hand up and down her upper arm, softly caressing before nudging her
playfully. “You didn’t seem to mind.”

She closed her
eyes, reliving the experience. He was right. She’d wanted him to bite her. Not
that she’d asked for it in words, but she couldn’t deny her desire.

“It was incredible,”
she finally admitted, looking at him shyly. He stared at her with such longing
she forgot to breathe. She managed to draw in a gulp of air before saying, “Something
happened. I think I was dreaming, maybe.”

“What was it?”

“When I came I
called your name.”

“Screamed like a
howler monkey,” he corrected smugly.

Evana rolled her
eyes and continued. “Then everything was silent. It was so peaceful and quiet
all around me. You were there, holding me, protecting me. Telling me how much
you…” Evana hesitated.

“Loved you?” he
finished.

Evana nodded,
chancing a glance to see his reaction. At first, his expression was unreadable,
but it turned serious as he took her hand. He gazed deep into her eyes.

“I love you, Evana,”
he proclaimed. “More than life itself, I love you.”

She met him
halfway, embracing and kissing him as he returned her kiss hard. He devoured
her, urgently claiming her lips. Evana was barely able to choke out her own
response. “I…love you…too.”

Drake pulled away
as she got the last word out. “When did you know how you felt about me?” He
seemed truly curious.

Evana swallowed
hard. “You promise you won’t laugh at me?”

His brows drew
together as he frowned. “Depends.”

“What?” she blurted
incredulously and broke away. “Then no. I’m not answering your question if you
can’t promise to not laugh. No conditions,” she declared. He laughed.

“Come on, Evana,
tell me,” he urged, between chuckles. “I won’t laugh, I promise.”

“Well, stop
laughing,” she snapped.

“Okay.” He looked
as if he was truly working hard to maintain a serious demeanor. “Okay, no more
laughing. I’m ready. Tell me.”

He did look serious
once again. Evana decided to take a chance. “I knew I was in love with you the
first time I saw you at the hospital.”

“Really?” Surprisingly
enough, he didn’t laugh.

She nodded.

“Wow,” he murmured.
“Nemesis is good.”

“Please don’t
encourage her,” she begged.

“Come over here.”
He grabbed her and pulled her tight against him. “There’s something else I want
to tell you about what happened earlier.”

Evana snuggled
closer. “What is it?”

“When you came, I
tasted it…in your blood. I didn’t notice the first time, you know, when I got
these.” He pointed to his fangs. “The flavor was so incredible. For me, the reaction
was like pouring gasoline on a roaring fire. If you hadn’t passed out, I think
I might have fucked you like some wild animal.” He flinched when she grabbed
his erection. “Oh, yeah, that’s not gone away just yet.” She stroked up and
down the shaft as he swelled even larger.

“Ah.” His head
tilted back to rest against the headboard. “Before we take care of that,” he
softly growled and caught her hand, holding it still, “there’s something else.
You said I was there with you, saying those things. Well, I was. So I guess you
really weren’t unconscious.” He released her hand and groaned as she resumed
stroking him.

With vampire speed,
Evana straddled his thighs while keeping a firm grasp on his dick. She leaned
closer to kiss his cheek and then pulled away before his mouth could capture
hers. She trailed her lips down his throat and licked his pulse. It jumped
against her tongue in anticipation. The temptation was great, but her goal was
lower.

She left his throat
and nipped and kissed her way down his broad chest, licking between the ridges
of his hard abs before caressing the full length of his swollen cock with her
lips. She peered up at him, caught his heated gaze and saw his lust-filled eyes
widen at the sight of her fully extended fangs.

“You better grab
that headboard and hold on tight,” she warned, intent on tasting his blood as
he climaxed with her fangs buried deep in his shaft.

Moments later,
Evana sampled ecstasy as her mate’s thundering roar announced his climax.