The Raven (35 page)

William deftly undid her dress, tossing it aside.

“Ah.” He breathed out, staring at the black strapless bodysuit she was wearing.

She frowned. “Don’t you like it?”

“I like it a great deal.” His eyes moved up and down, taking in every inch of the satin fabric. “Black is my favorite color.”

“I didn’t know that.” She winked.

He pressed a light hand to her chest, urging her to lie back. His lips moved to her breasts, through the bodysuit, as his fingers dipped between her legs.

“I like that,” she murmured, squeezing his wrist.

“So do I.” His hand moved to her bottom, where he traced the ascending strip that formed the thong.

He licked his lips.

He rolled her on her side, simply so he could admire her bottom, cupping and squeezing with both hands.

He slid a finger across the thong between her legs, tantalizing her.

Raven moved to her back once again and parted her legs. William’s expression was triumphant as she moved in concert with his hand.

Without warning, his fingers withdrew and he was peeling her out of her bodysuit.

He took her hands in his and extended them to her sides before lowering himself to her body.

A few urgent kisses, a few tugs on her nipples with his mouth, and he pushed inside her.

She closed her eyes and exhaled. He stretched her almost to the point of pain, but she welcomed the fullness.

William moved slowly, his mouth joined to hers before it descended to lick her breasts.

She lifted her hips to meet him, enjoying every movement, every thrust.

“How do you feel?” He spoke against her collarbone, kissing a line from shoulder to shoulder.

“Beyond words.” She flexed her hands in his, lifting her head to kiss his brow.

He released her hands and dropped his own to her backside, gripping her as he entered more deeply.

His eyes met hers and, for the first time, she saw uncertainty in them and not a little worry.

She pushed his hair back from his forehead. “Are you all right?”

“Of course.” He stifled a groan.

“You make me feel pretty.”

“For so you are. Noble and brave and pretty. Your body is soft and inviting.” Now he groaned as if tortured. “You threaten my self-control.”

“Then let go.”

“I can’t,” he gritted out through clenched teeth.

“Feed from me.”

He stilled, planting himself deeply inside her.

She felt his body tense and excitement radiate from his skin.

“Are you sure?” He traced the arch of her eyebrow, his eyes alert.

“I want to give this to you. To give myself.”

His gray eyes grew eager but his expression was guarded.

“I can feed elsewhere and share what we have in this bed only with you.”

“I’m offering myself to you because I—I care about you.”

He saw it in her eyes, the depth of her feelings.

For a moment, he was tempted to deny her and himself.

But the moment passed.

“It will change things,” he warned. “Once you give, you’ll want to give yourself again and again. Once I taste you, I won’t want anyone else.”

“Please.”

He gave her one last searching look before kissing her fiercely.

“Ignosce mihi,”
he murmured.

She felt his lips trail to her neck, cool and firm. Then she felt his tongue, licking and tasting.

Finally, she felt his teeth, nipping.

His hips pulled back and moved forward, pushing inside her quickly and deeply. A few more movements and she fell, her arms and legs clutching him as she climaxed.

Her orgasm was interrupted by a piercing pain in her neck. In an instant, the hurt was replaced by the pleasurable sensation of William’s mouth, his lips and his tongue, sucking on her.

Her climax heightened, doubled, ascended out of her control.

He continued moving inside her, his pace quickening, his strokes lengthening.

She was still orgasming, the experience absolutely overwhelming.

Within five strokes, he released her neck, laving the wound with his cool tongue.

Their eyes met and Raven saw him lick his lips. His eyes seemed to glow in the candlelight as his strokes quickened, stretching her further.

With a growl, he pushed inside her and she felt a dull coolness fill her. A short time later he collapsed, burying his face in her throat.

R
aven floated on a cloud, accompanied by heavenly voices. She didn’t know how long she lay, naked and wrapped in William’s arms.

She felt dreamy and strange, as if she were drunk.

William stroked a finger up and down her spine, his face an expression of peace.

“I understand what you mean now.” She nestled against his bare chest.

“About what?”

“About addiction. I want to have sex with you again and let you feed from me.”

He chuckled and drew her closer. “Me, as well. But I can only take so much blood from you within a certain time. We’ll have to wait and see how your body reacts.”

“Is it safe?”

He kissed her forehead, stroking his thumb across her cheekbone.

“Raven, nothing about me is safe. But I can say that I will do all in my power to give you nothing but pleasure.”

She burrowed into his chest, blissfully happy.

“In fact, when the city is free of hunters, I’d like to take you on my motorcyle for a ride into the countryside.”

She laughed, a giddy sound.

“I’m not sure I can survive that. The last time you had me on your motorcycle, I was sick.”

“This will be much more enjoyable, I assure you.”

Another embrace, another caress, and he was helping her dress.

When her legs were too unsteady to carry her, he swept her into his arms, pausing to kiss her with every few steps.

They walked down the hall toward the dance floor, Raven gazing up at him in wonder.

She felt cherished. She felt happy.

She felt connected to him by a bond that was far more than just sex.

The experience had been nothing like she’d ever known. It seemed as if, with his mouth at her neck, she’d had a second, heightened orgasm, simultaneous with the first. Even now, she felt boundless satisfaction, the euphoria thrumming through her veins.

It had been a strange and wonderful experience. She couldn’t wait to repeat it.

Just then, William stopped.

He rumbled and bared his teeth.

“Ah, so you’ve finally finished. I didn’t want to interrupt, though I was sorely tempted.” A woman’s voice called from inside the main room.

Raven turned her head and saw the female vampyre, clad in a Renaissance-style gown of midnight blue velvet, sitting on one of the banquettes. Her fiery red hair cascaded down her shoulders, her face pale and perfect, her eyes sparkling.

She took a drink from a strange-looking glass.

“Aoibhe.” William’s tone was commanding. “Teatro is closed.”

“I came to see what might prompt the Prince to break curfew.” She nodded in Raven’s direction. “I see I’ve found the answer. You smell of sex. Shall we share a drink?”

William’s grip on Raven tightened.

“There are hunters about. Be vigilant when you leave.”

Aoibhe put her glass on the table in front of her.

“If you’ve finished with your pet, send her home. We can enjoy the hours until sunrise. I think I left my chemise in your bedroom the other day. I’d like to retrieve it.”

William muttered a curse.

Raven’s mind moved slowly, but move it did. She’d heard Aoibhe’s casual, offhand remark.

She remembered (albeit dimly) William dismissing Aoibhe as simply an ally. Everything about the female vampyre’s tone and body language indicated her relationship with the Prince was far more intimate.

Raven put her hand over her eyes, as if she could blot out the sight.

“I see your pet understands English.” Aoibhe noted Raven’s reaction. “I must have said something that upset her. Her heart rate spiked.”

Without a word, William crossed to the bar, gently placing Raven on a chair. He picked up a telephone, pressed a few buttons, and hung up.

All the while, Raven tried to make sense of what was happening, her mind struggling as if it were walking through mud.

“Did your pet leave this behind?” Aoibhe bent to pick up Raven’s cane. “You surprise me, my lord, wasting yourself on a cripple. You could have anyone you wanted. And I do mean anyone.”

“I am not a cripple.” Raven’s voice, defiant and steely, surprised even herself. She glared in Aoibhe’s direction.

Swiftly, William moved to stand between the two females. He kept his eyes on the vampyre, but spoke over his shoulder.

“Marco is coming. We’re leaving.”

He’d barely pronounced the last word when Aoibhe threw the cane like a javelin, aiming for Raven’s head.

William caught it.

Raven hadn’t even seen him move. It was as if he’d plucked the cane out of the air like a magician pulls a rabbit from a hat.

“That was not a wise decision, Aoibhe.” William’s voice was deceptively quiet. “Leave before I lose my temper.”

“Pardon, my lord. But your little one deserves punishment for speaking to me like that.” Aoibhe stood, preening like a peacock.

“You insulted her and, by association, me. How is it that she deserves punishment?” William spoke sharply.

“Come now, my love. Let’s not quarrel.” Aoibhe flashed a smile. “Send your pet on her way and spend the night with me. Now that we’ve both fed we’ll be more vigorous. Although lack of vigor has never been our problem.”

Raven gave William a condemning look.

Aoibhe’s eyebrows lifted. She was watching the interactions between Raven and William with more than a little curiosity.

“It appears your pet is the jealous type. Hasn’t she learned her place?”

“That’s enough,” William snapped. He swung the cane through the air like a rapier, slashing in Aoibhe’s direction. “Do you value your head?”

“Excuse the disrespect.” She bowed very low. “I just find the situation . . . interesting.”

“How did you know I was here?” William was abrupt.

“I called for you at Palazzo Riccardi, hoping to see you. They dismissed me, on your orders. I caught your scent in the alley outside.” Aoibhe closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. A strange look flitted across her features.

William saw her reaction and moved toward her, his posture threatening.

“
Cave
, Aoibhe.”

“It’s her.” Aoibhe opened her eyes. “It’s the sweet-smelling one you found by the river. I didn’t recognize her at the Consilium because her blood was muddled.”

Raven felt her heart beat faster.

Aoibhe came a step closer. “I don’t suppose you’d share?”

The Prince growled.

“I don’t blame you. She’s”—Aoibhe licked her lips—“exceptional. I thought you drained her after you found her. How did you manage to keep her? She was minutes from death.”

Raven’s mind began to clear and her stomach churned.

She lifted her eyes to William’s as he walked toward her.

He handed her the cane, picked her up, and approached the door, careful to face away from the threat.

Aoibhe continued. “It wasn’t your blood in her veins. You must have given her to someone else. Who?”

When William didn’t respond, she cocked her head to the side.

“Why would the Prince of Florence save a delicious but crippled human? Is it because she fancies herself in love with you?”

Raven expelled a breath in shock, still in William’s arms.

Aoibhe clucked her tongue. “Poor little pet. I’d keep her away from bell towers if I were you.”

William lunged in Aoibhe’s direction, growling and snapping his teeth.

Raven clung to his neck, terrified he was going to drop her.

Aoibhe backed away from the angry vampyre slowly, holding her hands up. “A thousand pardons, my prince. I’ll take my leave.”

She kept her back to the wall, inching toward the exit. As soon as her hand felt the door, she flung it open, disappearing into the alley.

William snarled at the closing door, his body trembling with anger. It took more than a moment for him to regain his composure.

When he stepped outside, Raven realized Marco and the car had not yet arrived.

And they were surrounded.

F
ive men stood at one end of the alley, five men at the other. William, Raven, and Aoibhe were trapped.

The men were all large, muscular, and armed. One of the men on the left side held the leash of a massive German shepherd. The dog barked and reared, his master barely able to restrain him.

Aoibhe was huddled against the wall opposite Teatro. She lunged with bared teeth at the intruders, like a cornered animal.

The hunters, who’d been focusing their attention on her, immediately turned to William. A few murmurs lifted from the crowd as they realized the prize that stood a few feet away.

While the hunters were distracted, Aoibhe took that opportunity to begin climbing the wall to the roof.

The men reacted, shouting and moving forward. Two of them raised crossbows, releasing arrows. Sharp, whizzing sounds filled the air.

One of the archers missed his mark but the other was successful, his arrow slicing into the vampyre’s back.

She screamed and began to fall, her red hair billowing like a cloud, her blue velvet dress like a sail.

“Aoibhe, no!” William cried.

He placed Raven on her feet and sprang into the air.

His body was a blur of black as he caught Aoibhe in his arms. The archers began to shoot at both of them, arrows flying from two directions.

William seemed to avoid the arrows easily, twisting and turning even as he landed, cradling Aoibhe to his chest. Her brown eyes were wide, her mouth open, and she was gasping, as if for oxygen.

“Stop,” Raven croaked, leaning heavily on her cane.

The attention of the hunters turned momentarily to her.

She limped from where she’d been leaning against the door to the center of the alley.

“A feeder,” one of the hunters pronounced. He sounded American. “Look at her neck.”

Raven ignored the scorn in the hunter’s voice. “Stop. She’s hurt.”

The hunter grinned. “That’s the point, you stupid bitch.”

A roar could be heard from the crowd, and scattered laughter, as if the situation were funny.

Raven found no amusement in the scene. She searched the eyes of their attackers, hoping to find some sign of humanity. But the only sign she could find was in William, who bent over Aoibhe’s body, his face a mask of anguish.

While keeping careful watch on the hunters, who were still maintaining a cautious but aggressive distance, William sat Aoibhe up. He began digging into the wound in her back with his hand, black blood already staining her bright blue dress.

“They didn’t attack you.” Raven tried to reason with the men. “You don’t need to kill them.”

“She’s crazy.” A man armed with a crucifix and what looked like a small bottle of water pointed toward her.

“Of course she’s crazy!” another exploded. “They go crazy when they fuck them. They probably had her together and fed from her.”

“Shoot her.”

The command came from Raven’s left. A tall man, brandishing a garrote, jerked his chin at her. His eyes were hard, flat; his expression cool and detached. “We can’t have witnesses.”

“Raven, on the ground. Now!” William’s voice came to her in Italian.

As if in slow motion, she saw him pull the arrow from Aoibhe’s body and watched as her head lolled back, eyes wide and unfocused, body limp.

The archers took aim at Raven, just as William placed Aoibhe on the ground. He straightened from his crouch, holding the arrow in his right hand, Aoibhe’s blood covering his fingers.

“I’m already a witness!” Raven shouted. “You’re a death squad. You came here to kill beings who haven’t done anything to you just so you can sell their blood.”

“Shoot her,” the leader repeated. “Before the neighbors hear.”

Raven held her arms out, lifting her voice in Italian. “Look at me. I’m defenseless. You’re going to kill a defenseless woman in cold blood.”

“Raven, down!”

She ignored William’s command, taking no thought for her safety, arms held wide.

She could think only about protecting William and the body of the vampyre who had just died in his arms.

“You’re all murderers!” she shouted.

Something moved in her periphery.

William threw himself to her left, plucking an arrow out of the air, inches from her body. With a flick of his wrist and an overhand motion, he hurled the arrow back at the archer, where it caught him in the chest.

The archer fell to the ground, dead.

Spinning to the other side of Raven, William took the arrow he’d pulled from Aoibhe’s body and flung it at one of the other archer’s chests.

The crossbow fell from the archer’s hand, clattering on the ground. He crashed down beside it.

William pushed Raven toward the door.

“Get down!”

She tumbled, scraping hands and knees as she landed on all fours.

At that moment, the dog broke free from his leash and began running toward them.

William whirled around.

The dog growled and snapped, lunging to bite William’s leg.

He quickly grabbed the animal by its muzzle, slamming its mouth shut. Without effort, he lifted the dog and tossed it to the far end of the alley, where it crashed into a hunter, knocking him over.

The dog came to its feet, whimpering, and dragged its tail as it ran from the alley.

“Kill him,” the leader ordered, pointing at William.

Three men ran forward, throwing what looked like water and holding out crosses.

William cursed as the liquid caught him in the face, stopping him in his tracks.

He shut his eyes, lifting a hand in the direction of the crosses, as if to shield himself from them.

Raven saw pain on his features. His face bloomed a bright red, as if it had been burned. She wondered if the hunters had thrown acid on his face.

“Stop!” she screamed. “Stop it!”

The hunters inched forward. The leader was among them, holding the garrote.

William’s eyes were still closed as he groped with his hands blindly.

The leader threw the garrote at William’s head.

The vampyre brushed the water from his face with his shirtsleeve, his eyes opening.

He batted the garrote aside and leapt forward, grabbing the leader by the shirt. He knocked the hunter’s head against another. Both men dropped to the ground, eyes suddenly closed.

Raven couldn’t tell if they were dead.

William sprang forward, avoiding the crosses and empty containers of water held toward him, repeating his attack on two other men.

At the sight of a vampyre who would not be deterred by holy water or relics, three of the hunters hopped on motorcycles and took off.

William walked toward the remaining one slowly.

The hunter took what looked like salt and threw it on the ground around his feet, making a small circle.

He stared in horror as William, undeterred by the salt, placed a hand on either side of the hunter’s face and, with a sickening sound, broke his neck.

William tossed the body aside with contempt.

He surveyed the scene calmly, wiping his reddened face again with his shirtsleeve. Bodies were strewn across the alley, blood pooling on the ground.

His eyes moved to Aoibhe, who was lying motionless.

He cursed in Old English.

William’s gaze flickered to where the motorcyclists had been, then back to Raven, who was cringing by the door.

“You tried to save me.” His voice was filled with wonder. “You risked your life, tempting them to shoot you.”

She felt her eyes welling up. “I couldn’t watch them kill you.”

His expression grew furious. “Never do that again. My death is the least of your worries. Do you understand?”

When she didn’t answer, he strode toward her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, smearing Aoibhe’s blood on her skin and dress.

“Do you understand?”

“Yes,” she managed to say, fighting tears.

He released her as if he’d been burned.

“I have to go after them. They’ve seen what I can do and it’s only a matter of time before they inform the Curia. I can’t let that happen.”

Before she could ask who the Curia were, he exited the alley on foot, running in the direction of the motorcycles.

Raven pressed a shaking hand to her mouth and tried very hard not to be sick.