Nate.
She might be a no-show, but her sweet voice was a soothing whisper in his head. Closing his eyes, he let the male who’d made him a vampire disappear, and he concentrated on Lena, wishing he’d had a chance to make love to her.
Nate.
He inhaled, caught a whiff of the fresh scent unique to Lena’s silky skin. Rolling his head to the side, he opened his eyes again. She was standing next to him, dressed in purple scrubs, fiddling with an IV bag of blood. And she was wearing his stethoscope.
“Hey.” Her smile wrapped around his heart, and he smiled back like a besotted fool. “It’s about time you woke up. As soon as this bag empties, you should be back almost to 100 percent.”
“Are you . . .” He had to clear his throat of what seemed to be a year of disuse. “Are you okay?”
“Eidolon healed me when we first came in. Two days ago, in case you’re wondering.” She took his hand, her warm palm heating him. “For a while there, I thought I was going to lose you.”
He’d thought that too. But then she’d come out of nowhere, all fur and fangs, and . . . “You shifted,” he whispered. “I saw you.” What she’d shifted into was another question. He’d never seen anything like the huge, beautiful canine.
“I’m free, Nate.” Her voice was full of charming, childlike excitement. “I’m going to live.”
Nate pushed himself up on one elbow. “How did it happen?”
The sound of a cleared throat brought Nate’s head around. A dark-haired male in scrubs and a white lab coat stood in the doorway.
“Seems our Vladlena is a rare crossbreed. I’m pissed that I didn’t think of that sooner.”
“Why would you have?” she asked. “My father said I was his.”
“He also said you were born in human form. I didn’t put that together with your inability to shift.”
“Crossbreed?” Nate asked.
She nodded. “Apparently, my dam mated with a wolf the same day she mated with the hyena I thought was my father. Who is my father.” There was a heartbeat of silence before she added, “He might have been an evil sonofabitch, but he was good to me.”
“You’ll have to tell me about him someday,” Nate said, and she gave him that smile that knocked him off his axis again. “So how could two different species produce offspring? And how come your other brothers are hyenas?”
Eidolon spoke up. “Littermates can have multiple fathers. As far as interspecies shifter breeding . . . in most cases, it can’t happen. But hyenas are the one shifter species that can sometimes breed with both felines and canines, though the cubs are usually stillborn. Those who survive birth rarely live beyond infancy. I’ve never heard of any making it to adulthood.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “I’ll bet the fact that your father was a doctor saved your life. He said you and Vaughn were sick a lot as babies. Even if he didn’t know why you were sick, he was able to treat you.”
Lena’s fingers stroked the back of Nate’s hand absently. “What made me finally be able to shift?”
“Adrenaline,” Eidolon said. “Probably combined with strong emotion. Whatever it was, you powered through the block you had.” A commotion started up outside the room. “That’s my cue. Nate, you should feed as soon as possible, and take it easy for a couple of days. Other than that, you two can both take off. Lena, call me later.”
The second the doctor was gone, Nate jackknifed up, hauled Lena into his arms, and yanked her down on top of him. The pinch of pain in his chest was worth having her body against his. “I’m sorry, Vladlena.” He stared into her eyes, praying she could see the intense regret in his. “I’m so sorry I got you into that mess.”
She shook her head, making her braid tap against his neck. “I’m not. I mean, I could have done without nearly being killed, but because of it, I was able to shift. Really, being in that arena saved my life.”
“I killed your brother.”
Her hand came up to cup his cheek. “He’d have killed me if you hadn’t.”
Thank gods she was cool with what he’d done, because he wouldn’t take it back even if he could. That bastard had deserved to die. A sudden flare of panic shot through him as the events in the arena came back to him.
“What happened to Fade? And the club. Shit . . . Marsden—”
“Marsden’s fine,” she assured him. “In fact, he was here a little while ago to check on you. Gladius has been shut down, and Fade’s dead.”
If only that were true, and the reality was like water on flame. The demon would hunt Nate and Lena to the ends of the earth. “He can be resurrected.”
A wicked smile touched her lips, stirring the embers of the fire that had just been doused. “Sin recognized his demon species. His remains are being stored in the morgue until we can identify and kill his vivacant.”
Damn, Lena and her colleagues were awesome. “I can help with that.” He kissed her, a fleeting brush of his mouth over hers. “Oh, hey, I want to find that vampire I saw earlier.”
“You’ll have to be more specific,” she said wryly. “This place is crawling with the fangy sort.”
“Tall. Blond. Wearing armor. He’s the guy who turned me.” He kissed her again, this time just long enough to get a taste of her peach lip gloss. “I want to thank him. Never thought I’d say that.”
She frowned. “The only male who fits that description I’ve seen isn’t a vampire. He’s one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”
Nate snorted. “Yeah, right.”
“Seriously.” Her head bobbed and her dewy skin took on an excited flush that might have unearthed some jealousy if Nate wasn’t so . . . reeling. “His name’s Thanatos. He was here a little while ago.”
Yeah, that was enough to make him dizzy. “Those guys are real?”
“Very.”
Nate blew out a stunned breath. “Maybe I didn’t see my sire, then. Must have been hallucinating.”
Closing his eyes, he buried his face in Lena’s neck, taking in the soft floral notes of her shampoo and soap. She smelled clean, like a shower, and all of a sudden, all he could think about was getting her under a spray of hot water, naked, with his hands lathering every inch of her skin.
“So do you want to comb the hospital for your sire?” she asked, her voice a husky murmur. “Or would you rather go home? Because I know which I’d rather do.”
So did he. For two hundred years he’d searched for his sire, and now, he realized, it didn’t matter. The past was no longer important. Only the future mattered, and he was going to make sure that future included Lena.
Vladlena was going to have sex. And it was about freaking time.
Before leaving the hospital, Nate had showered and dressed in scrubs for the trip home. Then they’d taken a Harrogate bus to his place—a charming manor in the French countryside. At first she’d been surprised by his home, expecting him to be more of a city-dweller with a modern apartment. But within minutes, the cozy but utilitarian furnishings and masculine decor made as much sense as a mane on a lion. It was as if stepping over the threshold transformed him from an intense, alert vampire into a male at ease inside his own territory.
She also noticed that even as he relaxed, building a fire and pouring glasses of wine, he never stopped watching her, his gaze growing hotter by the second, until they both combusted and ended up naked on the rug before the hearth.
Lena didn’t even remember how their clothes came off. Didn’t matter. All that mattered was that they were tangled together in such a tight knot that they might never unravel. Nate’s muscular thigh was between her legs, pressing against her core with the most amazing pressure that both soothed the throbbing ache and made her squirm for more.
Vladlena might have been sheltered, might have been a little naive. But she’d had orgasms, by both herself and at Nate’s skilled hand. And now that she knew how much better it was to climax with a male who oozed sex with every fiber of his being? Her prey drive had been engaged.
And Nate was
the prey.
“Now,” she moaned, sliding his hand from her breast to her belly and pushing it lower.
He smiled against the skin of her other breast, taking a break from the maddening flick of his tongue on her nipple. “How I ever thought you were innocent is beyond me.”
She arched, rolling her hips in blatant invitation. “Let’s get rid of all doubt.”
Chuckling, he put his lips over her sternum in an openmouthed kiss that included a lot of silky tongue. It was awesome, but not what she wanted, and she fisted his penis to show him what it was she did want. His hiss of pleasure accompanied a hot sting of fang tips scraping on her skin, and gods, she nearly came. A climax had built like steam without warning, and she had to resist the temptation to ride his leg to completion like a horny . . . well . . . wolf.
That had been shocking news, but it had made sense, had quieted the nagging voice that had always told her she was different. Now she knew why, and she didn’t care how it had happened or who her biological father was. She’d always lived in the present, and presently, a hard-bodied, sexy vampire was kissing his way down her belly.
Her breath caught as he went lower, pressing a lingering kiss in the crease between her leg and her sex. Okay, she thought she’d been ready for this, but suddenly, her heart was battering her ribs, her lungs had turned to cement, and—
He licked her. The flat of his tongue went right up her center, and she melted into a liquid puddle of need. She squirmed, unsure how to handle this, but his hands shot out to still her, one arm lying heavily across her pelvis and the other spreading her for the onslaught of his mouth on her swollen flesh.
Obviously, Lena hadn’t experienced oral sex, so she had no frame of reference when it came to skill. But when Nate plunged a finger inside her core and latched his lips onto her pleasure center, she’d have to go with really, fantastically, majorly skilled. She thrashed and writhed in his grip, and the orgasm that had been boiling erupted. He worked her through it with long, sweeping passes of his tongue and pressure-intense sucks on her clit. She was pretty sure she shouted his name, and then he was on top of her, his glorious fall of hair tickling her skin, the tip of his penis poised at her entrance.
His gaze caught and held hers, brimming with concern and molten heat.
“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered.
“I’m not.” She framed his face with both hands and looked deeply into his eyes. “I want this more than anything.”
Slowly, he lowered his mouth to hers. Her entire body quivered with anticipation as his mouth touched her lips. Even though she’d just had a world-class climax, she raised her hips, seeking his possession.
“Shh,” he murmured. “Almost.” Outwardly, he was calm, in control, but the slight tremor in his voice gave him away. He was as affected by this as she was.
She opened up to him . . . her mouth, her legs, her entire being. Tenderly, carefully, his tongue breached her lips, stroking, penetrating and retreating. She became lost in the rhythm, so lost that she barely noticed the head of his penis pushing past her entrance.
“So . . . tight . . .” His voice was gravelly, strained, and she knew he was struggling for control. “Am I hurting you?”
“Not even close.” Grabbing onto his powerful shoulders, she dug her nails in, loving the way it made him hiss with approval and push deeper inside her.
“The shift . . .” He buried his face in her neck and shuddered, his big body heaving, as though the effort to remain motionless was killing him.
“It broke my hymen.” His penis twitched inside her, hitting something sensitive that made her pant. “Please, Nate. Now.”
His hips punched forward, seating him all the way inside her. She gasped at the sensation of being so full and stretched, but it definitely wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. Just the opposite, and as he began to move, slowly at first, and then with more urgency, erotic energy lapped at her, the waves growing larger, building with every thrust.
She arched into him, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist to ride his rhythm. He lifted his head to watch her through slitted lids, the blue of his eyes glowing behind them. In the dancing light from the fire, his hard-cut muscles bunched and flexed, the taut layers rolling beneath perfect skin.
This was so beautiful, more so than she’d ever imagined. Even his weight was wonderful, a counter to her femininity that made her feel so protected.
The speed of his thrusts increased, and his body trembled. Ah . . . yes. Right . . . there. Throwing her head back, she gasped at the sudden, hot ecstasy that coiled in her core. He made a desperate sound deep in his chest, sending a surge of passion roaring through her. She ground against him with an untamed urgency he seemed to call forth from her with sinful ease.
Her orgasm hovered close, searingly hot, and when he lowered his mouth to her throat, the tips of his fangs resting on her skin, she practically begged him to bite her. Eidolon had ordered him to feed, after all.
“Thank you,” he rasped, but instead of a bite, he swirled his tongue over her vein. “Oh, gods, Lena . . . we were . . . made for each other.”
She believed it with all her heart. They fit together perfectly, and she wanted to do a lot more fitting together. Often.
Finally, he sank his teeth into her flesh. Heat swamped her, a fever of pleasure that blistered her skin and set fire to her insides. The climax swept her up and away, so she could feel only Nate. His release was as powerful as hers, if the way he pounded into her with hard, uncontrolled bursts was any indication. It went on long enough for her to come again, her hips coming off the rug and his name coming off her lips.
Abruptly, he sagged on top of her, though he shifted his weight to prevent her from taking it all. She would have, gladly. But this was good, too. He was still inside her, and she got to stroke his muscular back and thank him without saying a word.
After a moment, he rolled onto his side and adjusted her so they were facing each other, bathed in the warm glow of the fire. He touched her face, his thumb brushing over her cheekbone in lazy, soothing strokes. “Did I hurt you?”
“Not even close.”
Possessive eyes focused on her. “Work for me.”
Whoa. Okay. Not words she’d expected to hear. “What? You mean like, at Thirst?”
“It’s mine now. That was the deal with Fade. Thirst, Gladius, it’s all mine.”
An anvil dropped onto her chest. “Gladius.”
He smiled. “Dismantling it will be the first thing I do. But I’ve put a lot of work into the club. It’s a decent place, and I want you there. I want you in charge of the medic station.”
She couldn’t deny that the offer was tempting. To have autonomy . . . something for herself . . . it was what she’d always wanted. But she owed Underworld General so much, and with the way the underworld was spinning out of control, they couldn’t afford to lose her.
“I have a job already,” she sighed.
“You don’t have to choose. Work at UG, but oversee the medic station and personnel at Thirst. You can hire your colleagues at the hospital to fill in or moonlight. You can use Thirst for training. I don’t care. It would be yours to do what you want with it.”
Closing her eyes, she thanked whoever was listening that she’d found this male. The canine instincts she hadn’t even known she possessed had somehow sensed that behind his hard outer shell there’d been a caring, loving vampire in there even when he was being a jerk. And now she understood the reason he’d been such a bastard at times.
But that didn’t mean she was going to let him walk all over her.
“Well?” He swept his lips tenderly over hers. “What do you say?”
She opened her eyes. “I’ll do it, but on one condition.”
He cocked a black eyebrow. “And that would be?”
“I don’t work for you. I work with you. The medic stuff will be entirely mine.”
“Woman,” he said, pressing a series of kisses along her jaw, “you can have anything you
want. I owe you.”
“For what?” She tilted her head to give him better access, because that felt so . . . damned . . . good.
“For saving my life.” His voice lowered to a husky, mesmerizing purr, and against her hip, she felt his shaft stir. “For giving me life. I was dead before. You brought me back, Nurse Lena.”
She shifted so she could nuzzle his ear. “You did the same for me. So where do we go from here?”
“If you’ll have me, all the way.”
“To the end?”
He pushed up on his elbows and rolled to mount her. As she accepted him into her body, he locked gazes with her, his eyes glittering with passion and promise. “To the end.”
Dear Reader,
I can’t tell you how awesome it has been to be included in a project with some of my favorite authors. I hope you enjoyed my story, and if so, you can find more books set in Nate and Lena’s world in my Demonica and Lords of Deliverance series. In the Lords of Deliverance series, which focuses on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, you’ll learn more about Nate’s daywalker status and his sire.
The books are, in reading order:
Demonica series:
Pleasure Unbound
Desire Unchained
Passion Unleashed
Ecstasy Unveiled
Sin Undone
Lords of Deliverance series:
Eternal Rider
Immortal Rider (coming Winter, 2011)
Happy reading!
Larissa Ione
Darkness Eternal
ALEXANDRA IVY
Chapter 1
London, England
Uriel had very specific plans for the upcoming evening.