Between the Marshal & the Vampire(49)

He turned away from the monolith to study her. He was no longer human, but he still possessed human emotions despite what he claimed. That was what Mariel believed, anyway, when he looked at her this way. She saw longing in his obsidian eyes, and she doubted vampires longed for anything except more blood. Clay had fed Vellum earlier tonight, so he couldn’t be hungry.

But he was hungry for companionship, and maybe understanding.

"I have to find him, Mariel. He stole my life."

"If you can't find him," Mariel said hesitantly, "what will you do?"

"Keep looking. I have all the time in the world."

Mariel licked her lips. "What if Clay and I asked you to put off your hunt? For the time that he and I are alive? After we're gone, you can resume your hunt then."

Something flashed in his eyes, something she recognized and was shocked by.

She reached up and cupped his smooth cheek. He was built like alabaster, firm and hard and impossibly polished. But there was warmth beneath his skin now that he had fed. The blood that ran through his veins belonged to her and to Clay. They gave him life. He was theirs more than he realized.

"You're afraid of us dying," she murmured, searching his eyes. "That's why you kept pushing us away."

"I'm afraid of nothing," he said flatly.

But he was lying. He feared losing more lovers. It was a declaration of love without words, and it made Mariel's heart ache for him. He would walk the earth forever, and for most of that time he would do it alone.

She rose up and touched her lips to his. They were warm with Clay's blood. Kissing those lips meant kissing both of the men she cared for. And when she eased her tongue between them, the heat in Vellum's mouth came from Clay, too.

"I'm afraid," she admitted to him, pulling away just enough to see his expression. "I'm terrified of what you have planned because I don't know all of it. But I'm trying not to think about it because I believe that this moment here, with you and Clay, is more important. This is real, Vellum, and it's happening now, and it brings me more joy than anything has in my life."

His hands found her waist. One slid behind her, fingers running down her spine and inspiring her to arch into him. He cupped her buttock and pulled her in tight.

"This is real and important to me, too, Mariel."

"You will only have us now, in this moment," she said softly. "Why waste a second of it? Why deny yourself the pleasure? The love?"

His brows drew down in a rare display of uncertainty.

"The mountain will always be there," she went on. She kissed the strong line of his jaw. "Your fate will always be waiting. Please, Vellum. Stay with me and Clay. Be here. Be with us."

He cupped her chin and held her in place as he slanted his mouth across hers. He was never rough with her, but this time she felt urgency in his kiss, a not-so subtle demand. In his hot tongue that filled her mouth she felt the need for possession and claiming. Was he leaving his mark because he still intended to leave, or because he agreed that he shouldn't take what they shared for granted?

"Mariel," he groaned, breaking the kiss.

He buried his face against her hair and held her crushed against him. She ran her hand over his dark hair and rubbed across his broad back. She looked up at the jagged silhouette of Scar Tooth Mountain and realized that she faced it. Vellum had put his back to the mountain to embrace her.

She chose to believe it was a conscious decision and that the terrible vengeance Vellum sought had been put off for the time being. She clutched Vellum tighter, feeling protective of him. From her lips went up a silent prayer: that between she and Clay they could keep their vampire facing toward love and life, with death just a shadow behind them.

"I'll think about it," he told her.

She nearly sobbed with relief.

That night, the three of them made love in a way they hadn't before. It wasn't as much about touching each other to reach release, but about exploration. About learning what brought pleasure, and what inspired need. It was what lovers did, Mariel knew, and her heart swelled. It meant Vellum was going to stay with them.

They opted to remain in camp rather than ride until sunrise, giving them time to play and love and tease. Mariel, pleasantly exhausted by her two lovers, fell asleep a few hours earlier than normal, with Clay and Vellum lying warm on either side of her.

When something woke her sometime later, she noticed that only one of her arms was warm.

Vellum had left them for the mountain.





12


Mariel cocked the gun. "I said no."

Clay threw up his hands and began to pace. "You're mad, Mariel. This is what Vellum wanted. Don't you care about that? Or is this relationship based only on your needs?"

The question stung, but Mariel was determined. "This is about helping him. He's on his own. He can't face that vampire without us, Clay."

Clay's smile was grim. "He wouldn't appreciate hearing you say such a thing, you know. He may be a vampire, but he was once a man. He'll take care of his business on his own. He doesn't want your interference."

"Then why won't you go?"

"Because he told me not to."

To her frustration, she could tell he was telling the truth. She lowered the gun. Clay stopped pacing and stepped up to her. He carefully folded his hand over hers and the weapon.