"Come on, Grace, let’s talk some more while you eat." Ella was waiting for them in the dining room upstairs." The three women left the infirmary, Tara’s little dog trotting after them, and walked through a confusing maze of corridors into the heart of the Brotherhood’s subterranean compound. They were nearly to an elevator when a glass door whisked open somewhere nearby and deep male voices filled the area. Grace recognized Steven’s voice among them, but he sounded rougher than normal, talking about night patrols and racking up his tally of Hunter kills like it was some kind of sport for him.The other male’s voice rolled with an exotic accent, making Grace picture turquoise ocean waves and golden sunsets. It was Danny, she realized, as the two armed warriors rounded the corner and the one walking with Steven moved in to sweep Tara into a tight embrace."Hello, darling," Danny drawled and nuzzled his mouth against her neck while she laughed at the sudden amorous assault. His eyes flas
"‘I work alone, that’s why," James replied with annoyance."I may not remember anything, James, but trust me, I can help you. Or are you just embarrassed? That maybe going there without me is like... well... it means banging your head against a wall?" Now she laughed, stunning him with her open mockery. "I would have thought you were smarter than that, James."Anger pricked at him, but he held it back, refusing to let her bait him. With a shake of her head, Grace pivoted around and headed back for the shallow end, swimming with determined strokes. "I should leave," she murmured.James kept time with her, strolling along the edge of the pool. "Don’t let me interrupt your swim. I was just on my way out anyway.""I mean, I should leave the compound. It’s obvious I don’t belong here.""You can’t go back to your apartment now,’ he informed her curtly. ‘The Rogues will have turned the place inside out. Marlon will have his spies embedded all over the neighborhood, looking for you.""I know
Every smartass, apathetic reply that might have sprung to his lips fled, along with all the blood in his brain. James stood there in the doorway of his private apartments, struck stupid with shock at what he just heard. He sure as hell never saw this coming. And although all good sense told him to deny Grace’s proposal – shut the goddamn idea down before another second passed – his mouth didn’t seem capable of speech. An erotic mental image burned instantly into his mind: Grace’s lips pressed against his skin, her sweet pink tongue lapping at him, her mouth drawing deeply from his vein. He wanted that, he realised in a flash of disbelief. Wanted it so badly he shuddered with the force of it. “Bloody hell,” James muttered, finding his voice at last. “You’re insane. You are not coming with me to Berlin. And I’m leaving. I only came to grab a few of my things and I’m out of here.” When James stalked forward, meaning to dismiss her and her ludicrous suggestion without another word, G
“Please,” she gasped. “James, please. Will you … leave them on?”He didn’t reply, but he slowly pulled the denim back together and dragged the zipper up. She couldn’t help noticing that the button at the top stayed undone, baring a small vee of his smooth tawny skin.“That’s the only request you get tonight,” he said in a deep rasp. “You still have time to reconsider. But not much. Now disrobe, or ask me nicely to let you leave.”He was testing her. She knew he was deliberately pushing her now, probably so sure that he could make her change her mind with a few menacing words.Really, she should be afraid. Not just of being alone with a warrior like James, but also of the intimate, sacred act she was about to defile by drinking from a male she had no intention of taking as her mate. Truly, she degraded them both by asking James to service her like this, and if he was disgusted by the thought – or by her – she could hardly blame him.“What’s it going to be, Grace?”She stood up, too awa
Hell, she was on fire with need – both the physical thirst and the carnal one that vampire blood inspired in females bearing the teardrop-and-crescent-moon birthmark.Absurdly, James fought to distance himself from the gravity of what was happening. He tried to occupy his mind with a clinical mental inventory of her features – anything to dull the erotic movements of her mouth on him – but it was no use. Grace was too real, too damn hot, the way her spine arched and snaked with each long draw of her mouth. Her breath heaved, rapid and deep, and her lips were making deliciously wet noises in the quiet of the room.Her eyelids flicked open as if to beg permission and James was struck by the lovely amethyst color of her irises now that hunger and desire had darkened them. Her cheeks were pinkening already from his blood in her system, her lips stained a glossy, beautiful red where they held fast to his wrist.“Finish it,” James told her, his tongue thick, his own mouth dry as bone. “Take
Thousands of years ago, the Kingdom of Nork.Near the Dark River.James… James... Heal yourself. James...The deep male voice that called to James was familiar. Always in his dreams, when his defences were weakened, but it was stronger now than ever before. It was so familiar that James could almost feel the familiarity of the voice.In the back of his mind, he heard the tick, tick, tick of a clock. “Who are you?” he demanded.An image flashed in his mind. Not of the speaker, but of huge, grotesque monsters crawling toward him. Each had eight legs, with sharp, deadly points. They were black and hairy, their eyes big and beady, their tails pointed and curling toward him. They were staring him down, as if he were a tasty snack. Bile rose in his throat, but James pressed on, ignoring them.“Where are you? Who are you?” James asked.The voice whispered. James… my brother…heal yourself, and come. Time… save me, save us. The woman. She is the answer.“Answer?” James asked again and again.
A low moan caused James to jolt upright.Out of habit, he catalogued his surroundings in an instant. The moon was high, golden, the stars bright, winking from their scattered perches. Ghost trees swayed against a cool, sultry breeze. A river rushed along a pebbled bank.His brows drew together with confusion. He was enveloped by the sweetest scent of passion…fading…and the ripe scent of pain…intensifying. Who was in—?Another low, female moan sounded, broken and harsh. His attention whipped to the left, down. Grace. Grace lay beside him. And gods above, she was practically naked. Her only covering was a tiny scrap of white material between the apex of her thighs.He should remove it. With his teeth.Instantly his fangs ached. A familiar sensation in her presence. For a moment, he could only drink in the sight of her, his gaze greedy. Her breasts were small, her nipples pink as berries and beaded deliciously. Her stomach hollowed, showcasing every single one of her ribs.Clearly she ha
Grace flattened her hand over his heart, as if measuring the erratic beat against her own. So trusting she was, so trustworthy. She hadn’t left him when she’d had the chance. So forgiving, too. James had allowed her to be whipped, yet still she’d taken care of him. Had even, he mused, cleaned his teeth. His mouth tasted fresh, like mint.She groaned again, but this time, oh, this time, there was no pain in her voice. Only pleasure. Such a decadent sound. Instantly James’ shaft stood at attention, filling, hardening, and readying. He bit his tongue, his fangs sinking deep into the tissue."James?" Grace breathed sleepily. "All is well, Grace. Go back to sleep.""No, I—""You’re right. You may sleep after you tell me who hit you," he interrupted before she could make a demand of her own."You did." Warm breath trekked over his chest, tickling his skin."What?" he shouted. "Me?""Accident. No worries. And I didn’t mean to cuddle up to you. I’m sorry."She was sorry? "Grace. I am sorry."