A Fae Guildhall.
“How long do you think I’d be staying?”
“I have no way of knowing, but at least until I can secure your safety. If that means hunting Ry down and putting him in prison, then that’s what I’ll do.”
Samantha released a long, deep breath. “Could Ry bind me by force permanently if he wanted to?”
“He could wear you down, yes.” Ethan ground his jaw. “But I sure as hell won’t let him get that close.”
Of all the men she’d ever known, she was pretty sure Ethan could make good on his words. “Let me just pack a few things.”
The tension rushed out of him like a wind that passed through the screen, the sensation was that strong. “Thank you. Take all the time you need.”
*** *** ***
One of the Guardsmen held Samantha’s suitcase as Ethan showed her how to balance herself on his right foot for the flight home. He felt her nervousness as she slid her arm around his neck, arranging her grip carefully beneath the mass of his long, thick hair.
He held her tightly against him so that she could perch both of her much smaller feet on his right boot.
“We good?” he asked, his gaze sweeping the sky overhead. He didn’t think he could bear to meet her gaze in such close proximity. As it was, his control hung by a thread.
“Yes.” She even nodded and he could feel her heart beating powerfully in her chest, working to provide what he needed.
His mouth watered. Sweet Goddess did his mouth water. Her raspberry-wine scent was thick in his nose and he could smell her blood, like an elixir from heaven.
And if that wasn’t enough, her body pressed against him had ignited his personal frequency and desire for her flowed once more. He’d never been more grateful for the leather coat and snug battle leathers that right now hid one major sin.
He forced himself to breathe. “I’m going to launch now, but I have you.” He drew her tight against him.
“Do your worst.”
He liked that she showed so much courage. She’d had to process a lifetime of change in only one night.
To his Guard, he called out, “Back to Bergisson.”
The men gave a shout as they launched into the air. He followed behind in case Ry chose to attack.
He’d already warned her that if the sight of trees coming at her freaked her out, to just turn into him and close her eyes.
To the woman’s credit, however, she faced forward, as much as she could with his arm like a vise around her.
“This is amazing.”
“You aren’t afraid?”
“Not yet, but give me time.”
He smiled.
At the checkpoint, he nodded to the Guardsmen who inclined their heads in response. He pressed on, flying swiftly through the oak forest that bordered the southern lands of his realm with the northern Shreveport regions. If he continued north, his realm would open onto an expansive valley where at least a third of his population lived in the major city of Cameron.
He shifted course, however, heading east toward the wooded hills that held his main property. On the outskirts of his land was the Guard House, a home base for his troops as well as a training facility.
He heard Samantha gasp softly as he crested yet another oak laden hill, then descended toward his modern, primary residence that housed a huge, crystal embedded, glass conservatory. Large oaks on the hill behind and throughout the grounds shaded the house.
The hour was late for a human, past one in the morning, and the woods dark. “Are you able to see everything, Samantha, even though it’s night?”
“Yes, there’s a soft glow everywhere, as though the earth is lit up, like it’s early evening, with the sun barely set. How is that possible?”
“That’s realm vision so that those of us fated to remain indoors during the day can have the company of all realm-folk without massive amounts of candles or lamps. You’ll find that at least half our people have a degree of sensitivity to sunlight.”
“Your home is beautiful. The lines and materials are modern, yet you’ve used wood in big arching curves to soften the effect. The balance is perfect.”
“You speak like an artist.”
“I am. I design jewelry.”
“Ah.” As he touched down a few yards from the front door, he released her slowly. “Check your balance.”
She stepped off his foot. How reluctant he was to remove his hand from her waist, to have her arm slide from his neck. Breaking the physical connection almost hurt.
She turned to look up at him, blinking, her lips parted. “That was so strange. The disconnection, I mean.” She touched his chest, clearly without thinking, and his vibration rose to meet her as though greeting an old, familiar friend.
Her hand rested between his pecs. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t move. He didn’t think he could. He just wanted her touching him.
His desire for her sharpened almost painfully and again he was grateful for the coat to hide what had become very stiff and full of intention. Goddess, he was a mess.
His Guard hovered in the air at least twenty feet away. He lifted his right arm slowly, raising his palm to keep them in place. He didn’t want to break this moment with Samantha. He understood that she needed to experience his frequency right now, to take in the enormity of what a connection to a mastyr vampire would be like, to add to her understanding about the nature of what it was to be a blood rose.
He could feel how easily he could seduce her right now, to travel through his frequency to hers and to work her up sexually. It would take so little. Did she know that? Did she understand how much effort it took for him to restrain himself?
Slowly, she lifted her gaze to his. “You’re trembling,” she whispered.
He nodded, just a brief jerk of his head. “It might be best if you took your hand away now. I won’t be able to hold back much longer because I’m tempted on every level. Do you understand? The need for blood and the need for sex often come together.”
She frowned slightly as she stared at her hand, but she didn’t pull back.
He wondered why she hesitated, but if she didn’t do it soon, he swore he wouldn’t be able to answer for his conduct.
Chapter Three
Samantha knew she needed to withdraw her hand, but she didn’t want to. She felt his vibration on the tips of her fingers and she felt his call on her in every pulse of his frequency; to come to him, to lie down with him, to let him take her. His vibration had tapped into something deep inside her and she loved the way it felt, especially the intense sexual component.