Beyond the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #6)(55)

A dangerous smile curved his lips as his hands grabbed the top edge of her towel and yanked her against him.

“It’s to keep him from taking his mate by force,” he growled, his eyes darkening with a slumberous invitation. “The female must be willing or the bond can’t be completed.”

She studied his lean, beautiful face, searching for some sign of resentment. Surely he had to be pissed at having his powers hijacked?

If he was, he hid it well. At the moment there was nothing but a blazing hunger that smacked into her with delicious force.

Suddenly she was acutely aware of his fingers that curled beneath the towel and branded the upper curve of her br**sts. The hard, ruthless lines of his bronzed body. His intoxicating musk that seeped through her skin and flowed through her blood.

With an effort, Harley held onto a thin strand of sanity.

Dammit, Salvatore was being stalked by a crazed psychopathic Were and a pack of crazed curs with regicide on their minds. He should be concentrating on staying alive.

“And once she agrees to the mating, his strength returns?” she demanded.

He lowered his head to trail his lips over her temple, the satin curtain of his hair brushing her cheek.

“It returns even greater than before.” His mouth traced the line of her brow. “There’s also a legend that ancient mated pairs were once capable of sharing their powers, so they were all but invincible.”

The heat shimmered through her body, the potent force weakening her knees. Instinctively she grabbed for his shoulders, her nails digging into his rigid muscles. He growled in approval.

Dammit, he wasn’t going to distract her.

This was too important.

“So how does the female complete this mating bond?”

He teased at the corner of her mouth. “I don’t know.”

She pulled back to glare at him. “How can you not know?”

“It’s not a ritual the female performs. She doesn’t dance around a bonfire or sacrifice small animals.” His lips curled in a smile filled with wicked promise. “Of course, if you wanted to dance around the bonfire naked…”

“Salvatore.”

He heaved a sigh, his hands shifting to frame her face, his gaze stabbing deep into her wide eyes.

“Either the female accepts the male, or she rejects him. It’s as mystical and unexplainable as falling in love.”

“And if she doesn’t accept him?”

“Then he’ll devote the rest of eternity to changing her mind.” With a powerful motion, Salvatore swept her off her feet and headed to the bed. Harley’s stomach clenched at the focused intent engraved on his face. “Like this.”

“Wait,” she breathed, her voice already thick with a pulsing need. “Your powers…”

The golden glow of his eyes spilled through the room. “Are ready and willing to please you.”

“I’m serious, Salvatore. You can’t go against Briggs while you’re weakened,” she protested, her breath tangling in her lungs as she landed spread-eagle on the mattress, Salvatore covering her with his heavily aroused body.

“Harley, the last thing I want to think about right now is Briggs.”

“This conversation isn’t over…”

He slid into her with one smooth thrust, and not only was the conversation over, but so was all rational thought.

Wrapping her legs around his hips, Harley closed her eyes in exquisite pleasure, settling for communicating in a more primitive language.

Harley hadn’t intended to fall asleep. One minute she’d been floating on a cloud of postcoital bliss and the next she’d been snuggling into Salvatore’s arms and drifting into unconsciousness.

She didn’t know how long she’d been out when she was awakened by Salvatore whispering in her ear.

“Harley.”

“Hmmmm?”

“Harley, I need you get out of bed and dressed as quickly as you can.”

It was the tension vibrating in his voice that had Harley’s eyes snapping open with sudden alarm.

“Are the vampires here?”

Salvatore eased from the bed and tugged on a pair of jeans. “No.”

Harley shook off her lingering glow and crawled out of bed to pull on her own clothes, shoving her fingers through her hair before fastening it back with a scrunchie. No one wanted to face trouble naked.

“What is it?”

Salvatore absently slipped on a black satin shirt, leaving it open as he sat on the edge of the bed and shoved his feet into a pair of black biker boots. A far cry from his tailored Gucci suit, but still sexy as hell.

Lifting his head, he revealed a grim expression. “Briggs.”

Harley’s blood ran cold. “He’s here?”

“Outside.”

“Shit.”

Standing, Salvatore crossed the room to grab her by the shoulders.

“Find Santiago and stay with him,” he commanded. “Styx should be here within the hour.”

Her mouth dropped open with disbelief. Did he really think she was going to be treated like some swooning female who had to be protected by her big strong male?

“No.”

“Cara, don’t argue with me,” he growled. “Not now.”

She stubbornly held her ground. “You’re not facing that lunatic by yourself.”