ShadowsofNight (13 page)

Emma walked over to the couch and took a seat, her eyes
fixed on the flames dancing back and forth in the grand fireplace. A lot of
things had transpired in the last twenty-four hours, leaving her feeling
restless and unsure of everything sane in her world. Now that she’d crossed
over to the dark side, she wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. Her head
hurt and her skin felt hot. Maybe she was getting sick. She hoped not.

The death of her mother came flooding back and tears burned
her eyes at the painful memories. She loved her stepfather, and she missed him
too, but not as much as she did her mother. Emma blinked rapidly, hoping to
keep the tears from spilling over.
Look at me, I’m an emotional mess.

She felt as if it was a betrayal to everyone she knew,
getting involved with Christian Voss, but his presence was a powerful force
that drew her in. Their lives were entwined now, and nothing from this point
forward would ever be the same again.

“Are you all right?” Lena sat down next to her.

“I’m fine,” Emma sighed staring down at her hands. “Just
tired.” She didn’t know what else to say, everything was such a mess.

“Can I offer you some tea?”

“No thanks.” She kept her attention focused on the fire.

“Your life is at a crossroads, and I’m sure it must be
stressful, trying to decide which path you should take. If you need to talk, I’m
here.” She got up, preparing to leave the room.

“My life has completely done a one-eighty because of
Christian…and I don’t know where to begin to reconcile that. I didn’t want him
hurt because of me, so I walked away from my career, my life. I feel like I’ve
grown soft.”

“Soft? I highly doubt that. It took a lot of courage to
stand up for Christian, knowing what he is. I think you made the right choice
though. He’s an honorable male and I sense a deep connection between you two.”

“I’m not sure what that’s all about. It’s strange. I don’t
feel like myself when I’m around him. My thoughts seem to scatter every time
he’s near.” Emma looked at Lena.

“That’s because you two are connected in a special way. I
don’t think it will be long before you give in to what we both know you feel.”

Am I that much of an open book?

Emma knew she was falling hard for Christian, but to become
like him? No, she wasn’t ready to accept that as her fate. “I’m not marriage
material, or mate material, or whatever-you-want-to-call-it material, and I don’t
plan on becoming a vampire either. Sorry for being rude but that’s the truth. I
can’t. Not after…”

She wasn’t going there. Too much information to give to a
stranger.

“No offense taken. I understand your reluctance. But none of
us chose this life, you know. You need some tea. Wait here, I’ll be right
back.”

“All right.” Emma didn’t want to argue. She thought about
what Lena said, that none of them had been given a choice.

If they had, would they have chosen this?

Lena reappeared, tea in hand. “Here, this will warm you up.”

“Thanks.” She grabbed the cup from Lena and took a sip.

“You’re welcome.” She sat beside her again and they
companionably watched the fire in silence.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” Lena glanced at her.

“When were you bitten?”

“It happened a long time ago. The Black Death ravaged Europe
in the fourteenth century. I was living in Paris when it came to our shores. The
plague created a fertile hunting ground for vampires looking for an easy meal
because there were so many people dying from the disease, no one suspected
anything else.”

“Vampires, I assume, weren’t affected by it?” She wasn’t
surprised. The beings seemed to be extremely resilient.

“Human disease has no effect on us. My parents fell ill
first and died horrible deaths. I got sick shortly after. Luckily, I didn’t
have to die in the streets like most people, because my family had wealth and
could afford the services of a surgeon. It surprised me that he didn’t flee
when the epidemic really took hold of the city. He was kind.” Lena had a
faraway look in her eyes, as if the memory brought back pain.

“It sounds like he must have been an honorable man who did
his duty no matter what the personal cost to himself.”

“Yes, Henry was the very essence of what’s good and kind in
this world. He couldn’t bear to watch me suffer, so he decided to change me
instead.” She faced Emma.

“He was a vampire?”

“Yes, and my very best friend and confidant. He did all he
could to help those who were suffering.” She smiled.

“How did he do that by creating more of you?”

“No, I was the only one he turned. And I know what you’re
thinking, but Henry was like a brother to me and he treated me as such.”

“You say ‘was’—past tense.”

“He was killed a long time ago.” Lena’s eyes suddenly
glistened with tears.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine.” But Emma could tell it wasn’t.

“How long have you and Marcus been together?” Emma asked,
deciding to change the subject since it was obvious talking about her friend
brought Lena pain.

“We met three centuries ago in Paris. The rest is history.”

“Wow, that’s a really long time to be with someone.” Emma
couldn’t even begin to imagine being tied to anyone for that long.

“There’s no amount of time that will ever be long enough
when it comes to him. If you decide to mate with Christian, you’ll understand.”

“Love doesn’t usually work that way with humans. They grow
tired of each other after a while, and then they usually trade each other in
for shiny new models. I guess that isn’t the case for vampires when you do the
commitment thing?”

“Nope, we don’t grow tired of each other, and I’m glad for
that. I think it’s the one blessing we’re given, the promise of true
contentment if we find our other half.”

“You feel content because of Marcus?” She raised an eyebrow
skeptically.

“He’s my other half, so yes. Hi, Christian. Are you done
talking with Marcus?”

Emma turned to find Christian watching her. Just the sight
of him did strange things to her insides. Her heart started pounding fast and a
rush of heat flooded her pussy.

“Hi.” She sat up straight and tried to act normal. “Lena and
I were just talking.”

“I’ll give you two some privacy.” Lena rose from the couch
and quickly disappeared.

“How’d it go?” Emma noticed he seemed distracted.

“We can talk about it later, but right now I think we could
both use some rest.” He walked over and sat on the couch next to her.

“Okay, if you don’t want to talk now, that’s fine.” She
didn’t like the worry in his eyes. She leaned back and tried to get
comfortable.

“Come here,” he whispered, pulling her against him.

Damn, he always had the same effect on her—scorching. She
reached her hand toward his face and traced his jawline with the tips of her
fingers. His mouth opened and she closed the distance between them. The kiss
was languorous and deep, and she could feel the passion behind it so strong
that it stole her breath. He seemed to bring out a side of her she hadn’t known
existed.

Damn it, Lena’s right.

No, she couldn’t think about that right now. She needed
answers.

“So what’s our next move?” she murmured against his lips when
he finally let her up for air.

“We have to stay here for a while, okay?” He pressed his
forehead against hers.

“I-I have to go back…” She hesitated. It wasn’t as if she
had a career or anything else to go back to.

“I need you to trust me. Can you do that?”

“If you tell me what’s going on,” she sighed.

“Not here. Come with me and we can talk in private.”

She nodded and he traced them to a room with a beautiful
view of the gardens below. There was a large bed in the center of the room and
a fireplace in the wall facing the footboard. He walked over to the bed and
took a seat.

“So what’s going on?” Emma put her hands on her hips and
waited for him to say something.

“It’s not safe for us to return right now.”

“I thought they erased the memories of my colleagues. They
didn’t? Great. So when I return, I’ll be arrested. That’s just perfect. Thanks
for the warning.”

“There’s no chance of anyone from your organization coming
after you.” He placed his elbows on his knees and rubbed his face.

“Well, that’s a relief at least. So what’s the problem?”

“Nothing I wish to discuss until later.” He traced forward,
reaching her. “I need to kiss you again.”

Hunger curled inside her belly at his words. He didn’t wait
for her response before aggressively covering her mouth. His tongue slipped
between her open lips…

And something inside her snapped.

Her body felt on fire, consumed by this powerful male who
held her in his arms. If he pulled away now, she thought she might lose her
mind at the loss of contact. With each sweep of his tongue, her body responded
on a primal level and she ground her hips against the hard length of the
arousal trapped inside his pants. She tried not to think about what happened
the last time and enjoy the moment.

“I want this.” She slipped her hand past the waistband of
his jeans to caress his cock.

“Then you shall have it,” he groaned, deepening the kiss as
she stroked him from base to tip. The knowledge of how it would feel when he
sank deep inside, inch by inch, made her even more desperate to quench the burn
that steadily grew between her thighs.

He carried her over to the bed, caging her beneath him. He lifted
slightly as she pulled her t-shirt over her head, then reached for the
waistband of her sweats and quickly yanked them off before removing his own clothes.
His thighs pushed between her legs and spread them wide. She watched him drink
her in hungrily with his penetrating gaze.

“You’re so lovely.” He leaned forward, his mouth moving
urgently against hers as his heavy weight pressed her to the mattress. The hard
planes of his chest nestled against her heated skin, further igniting the
flames inside her. He used his thighs to shove her legs apart and his arousal slid
deliciously between her slick folds, teasing her swollen clit. He stroked her
and she moved with him.

“Yesss,” she hissed.

He kissed her throat, her collarbone, grazing his lips over
each breast. Emma’s whole body trembled as his tongue circled her nipple,
suckling it gently. He snarled against her breast, increasing the suction. She
trembled when his hand slid down her belly toward the apex of her thighs.

“I smell your arousal…so sweet,” he murmured, trailing
kisses down her rib cage until he reached her sex. He spread her lips, his
mouth hovering inches above her pink folds.

“You make me ache there.” Her voice trembled.

Christian knew he was precariously close to falling over the
edge but he couldn’t tear himself away. His heart thundered as he lowered his
mouth to her tender flesh with a groan. He grew more aggressive, reaching up to
pinch her straining nipples to distract her when his fangs grazed her flesh.

“Oh God!” She cried out, her back arching as he used his
shoulders to pin her legs open. “W-wait…what are you doing?”

His fingers breached her opening while his tongue continued
to circle her clitoris. He couldn’t stop pumping his fingers in time with each lick
of her flesh.

Her muscles tightened and her vaginal walls clamped down
hard. “That’s it, baby.”

She bucked against his fingers, screaming his name.

His eyes rolled back in his head and he sank his fangs into
her flesh with a brutal groan. His cock surged, desperate to be inside her now.
He continued to suck, unable to resist the sweet taste of her blood flowing
down his throat.

She writhed and moaned beneath him, completely surrendering
to his assault on her body. When he finally realized what he was doing, he
reluctantly released her flesh, hoping the pleasure he’d given her masked what
he’d just done.

“I want you inside me,” she panted. He quickly rose,
climbing up her body and burying his length deep inside her core with one
powerful thrust.

“Christian!” Her nails scored his back as tight, wet heat
enveloped him. He began to move in a slow, punishing rhythm that ensured he
wouldn’t last long. When he came, the force of his orgasm took her right over
the edge with him. Her pussy contracted, squeezing him deliciously as it robbed
him of his seed. She gasped as his tongue entered her mouth and he kissed her
deeply, refusing to relinquish this moment.

The urge to fully claim Emma warred within him. He had to
confess to her all that he’d learned from Marcus before that could even be
possible.

But what if she continued to refuse him? Then what?

He propped himself on his elbows and caressed her cheek. Her
eyes were closed and the serene look on her face filled him with happiness. He
didn’t want to ruin it by dropping a bombshell.

“You bit me again, didn’t you?” Her eyes remained closed.

“I-I…” He couldn’t lie to her. “I’m sorry.” He slowly
withdrew.

“Wait, where are you going?” She clung to him.

He froze. “You’re not angry with me? But I thought…”

“I’m not happy about it, but at the time it felt so good I…I
couldn’t bring myself to make you stop.” She blushed.

“It’s meant to bring us both pleasure,” he mumbled.

She grabbed his cheeks and cupped them in her hands. “Just
promise me you won’t turn me, okay? That’s all I ask.”

“We need to talk,” he sighed, lifting completely off her. He
felt like a shit-heel. It probably would’ve been a good idea to tell her first
before making love to her again.

“Please tell me what you just did isn’t going to turn me
into a vampire.” Her voice had a panicked edge to it. “Can I use disinfectant
or something to clean the wounds?” She tried to scramble off the bed but he
grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back.