Wicked Soul (Ancient Blood #1)(81)

My pleasured scream turned into whimpers, not from pain, but from the intensity of the emotions burning through my body and mind as he drank from me.

Warin lifted his head from my neck at the sound of my whimper, my blood coloring his lips and teeth. The most intense look I’d ever seen burned in his dark eyes as he stared into mine. Into my soul. "You. Are. Mine."

"Always been yours," I gasped, feeling the truth of the words as I spoke them. He may have been claiming me with his body and words now, but I’d belonged to him from the moment I first saw him.

In a blur we were in bed, and soon my body was once again straining under his, fighting for release.

"Please," I begged as he tossed his head back, pinning my shoulders to the mattress, lost in our shared pleasure. "Please, Warin, I need you to… Oh, goddess, I need… with you!"

He heard me.

Letting go of my shoulders, he leaned back on his knees, pulling my lower body up by the hips while he increased the impossible speed he was driving into me with.

I was faintly aware of his growling shout of release as my entire body arched up, tensing every muscle in almost pained bliss. And then there was nothingness.



* * *



When I came to, it was to the feeling of Warin’s slow licks along the side of my neck where he'd bitten me.

I cracked an eye open. "Still hungry?" My voice was hoarse, probably from screaming.

He looked up, his eyes softening. "No, my love. I’m not."

Love, huh? Someone certainly got in the sweet-talking mood after sex. Mind-blowing, out-of-this-world, fantastic-beyond-description sex.

I moved to scoot into his embrace, but winced when several of the muscles in my torso protested.

“Liv,” he murmured. "I was too rough." His fangs snicked down and he lifted his wrist, without a doubt to bite into it.

I slapped a hand down on his arm. “Knock it off. I’m fine, just a bit sore." Okay, a bit more than a bit. But it was a comfortable, sultry ache that confirmed that I hadn't just passed out and had the best dream ever. I rolled over so I could cuddle into his armpit, nuzzling his chest.

“If you’re sure,” he sighed.

“I’m sure. Some of us don’t get off on drinking blood, ya know.”

He pulled me in closer and buried his face in my hair, muting his rumbling chuckle in my tangled locks.

We lay in comfortable silence for a while, and as far as I was concerned—basking in the best afterglow I’d ever experienced. Sex with Warin was good—so good I was pretty sure he’d ruined me for human men forevermore, but… there was so much more than the physical pleasure between us. In my bones, I knew everything was finally… right.

I knew then that I loved him.

Not as a friend. Not even as a bit of a crush.

No. I loved him with everything I was, and everything I’d ever be. I loved him like I’d been born with the sole purpose of loving this man. There was nothing else, and there would never be anything else.

“Your heart’s beating faster again,” Warin murmured into my hair. “And you smell of fear. What’s troubling you, little one?”

“Nothing, I just… You never told me what you found out with the skinwalkers. Did you get an idea of who’s helping them?”

Warin finally lifted his head, supporting it on one hand so he could look down at me. “You wish to speak about this now?”

“Well…” I couldn’t really fault his surprised tone. It probably wasn’t the best post-sex subject, but it was infinitely safer than the frantic panic churning in my brain. “We didn’t really get a chance to before.”

Warin snorted, then sighed and rolled over onto his back, dragging me with him so I was resting against his chest. “It’s not good news. They have vanished into thin air.”

“What? The skinwalkers? Are you saying they’re... they’re gone?” The shock numbed my throbbing heart, and I raised up to stare down at him. “Can they just… how can they just disappear?”

“I was getting too close, and the vampire behind them must have decided to cover his tracks. Only by pulling them out so abruptly, I now have confirmation that it is another vampire behind their appearance in my city. And he’s… very strong. And extraordinarily devious. Every path I went down came to a dead end. Missing people, but always with a reasonable explanation for their absence, cleverly disguised Compulsion that you’d have to know what to look for to spot.”

“But if they’re gone… does that mean he’s given up?” I asked.

“Perhaps,” Warin sighed. “There is a chance we spooked him when it became clear we were zeroing in on their hideouts. But… without knowing the motivations behind his plan, it’s impossible to say. I do know he’s deliberately sought out my domain, since no other Ancient has experienced similar issues in his territory.”

“So what do we do now?” I worried my lip between my teeth, trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling that someone was out there, watching us. Waiting for another chance to pounce.

“I am going to monitor the situation, and if possible, make use of the witches’ network so I can be prepared if and when any skinwalkers return to the area.” Lifting both eyebrows in challenge, he put a hand between my legs and pressed up, sending a bolt of sensation through my much-abused clit. “Whereas you, my love… you are going to fuck me some more, since I clearly didn’t exhaust you as much as I thought I did, if you have the energy to ask me about skinwalkers.”