Black Heart (13 page)

“
Name is Julian,
yours?”

“
Marcus.”

No last names. So this was to be a fast
fuck and nothing more. Fine with him. The man’s hand disappeared
beneath the table and brushed past his straining bulge.

“
Ah. You want what I want.
Vampire?”

Marcus gritted his teeth at the pressure
being applied to his crotch. “Yes, you?”

“
Dhampyre.” Julian squeezed even
more. “I want this.”

A man of few words, all the better. Marcus
hated people who chattered inanely during sex, unless the talk was
dirty and he was in the mood for it.

“
I have a room at the Bay
Inn.”

Julian knocked back his drink and slammed
the glass on the table. “Let’s go. Now.”

Marcus walked beside Julian as they headed
to the parking lot. Now outside, Marcus had the urge to kiss him.
He knew that sort of intimacy was not on the menu once they got to
his motel room. Marcus grabbed Julian’s arm and dragged him into
the darkened alcove between the pub and the storage building. They
gripped each other’s forearms tightly. Julian snarled and pushed
Marcus to the wall. A sly smile curved about Marcus’s mouth. He
just as forcefully spun Julian around and smashed him to the wall
of the building, cracking the wood shingles. They were nose to
nose, barely a few inches from each other’s lips. Marcus kissed
him. It lacked intimacy or any real passion, but it was hot
nonetheless.

Julian seemed to hesitate.
Marcus knew then that he had not been with many men, and it was
obvious Julian did not kiss any of them, until tonight. Marcus
deepened the
kiss. He tasted the lust, the need to forget on both their
sides. They did not embrace, just kept a tight grip on each other’s
forearms. Julian’s tongue touched his at last, curling around it
possessively. Marcus moaned and broke away.

The night suddenly took a turn for the
better, or so Marcus thought. And hours later in the motel room,
the air heavy with the musky odor of sex, better seemed inadequate
to describe what had happened. Right up to the point when Julian
stood behind him, bent him over the chair and brushed his erect
cock against his ass, ready to go again. Best damned sex with a man
he’d ever had. As wild and feral as the sex was, there were also
moments of tenderness. Passion so deep, Marcus dared to hope there
could be more between them. He believed this right up to the point
he heard the desirous groans turn to bestial, animal growls and
snarls and felt the skin being ripped from his back.

****

Raylene lowered herself on Deegan’s cock.
He was lying flat on his back in the sand with his legs spread,
completely hers to do with as she willed. Already they had sex
three times. He took her from behind, and then he drilled her into
the sand, then again rolling around in the incoming tide like a
scene from an old movie. Now she had her back to him, crouching
over him, oh so slowly lowering her quivering, wet pussy onto his
iron-hard prick.

Raylene gazed out over the bay. The moon
streaked across the water giving them just enough light for their
midnight sex session. No one could see them and if someone went by
in a sailboat, they would be well hidden by the boathouse. Inch by
inch she lowered until he was fully seated within her to the hilt.
She leaned forward, her hands flat on the sand, and moved backward
on his cock. He groaned and then slapped her ass. Damn, she liked
that. He reached up and fisted her long hair, pulling her back onto
his cock even tighter, arching her neck. They were not using
condoms. Not that it mattered. They hadn’t really used them in
their previous encounters. She was amazed she forgave him as
quickly as she did. Enough years had gone by, wasted years they
could have been together. It was her fault almost as much as
Deegan’s. She stubbornly kept her mouth shut, when she should have
confronted him ages ago about the Mate Bond.

What did it matter now? All
that matt
ered was—this. She pounded faster, yelling out for Deegan
to slap her ass again. He did, just hard enough to titillate. She
could stay like this forever, his cock buried deep, joined and
meshed as one. The prospect of centuries of hot sex with Deegan
made her shatter into jagged shards. Even though she climaxed, she
kept moving. She wanted, she needed—more.

Deegan bucked under her, his thrusts
becoming more forceful. He had exposed so much of himself tonight.
While the loss of her parents wounded her deeply and she knew she
would feel the sting of loss for years to come, living and loving
with Deegan Black would help heal the cracks.

Deegan roared at the top of his lungs
as his semen blasted into her, and she followed right on his heels,
crying out her release.

Panting, her chest heaving, she pulled off
Deegan and lay next to him in the sand. He curled her in close,
laying her head on his shoulder. They lay, quietly catching their
breath. The sound of the waves gently washing ashore became a
soothing accompaniment.

“
We have sand in interesting
places,” she whispered.

Deegan laughed huskily. “Think of the fun
we will have washing it all off. Together.”

Her hand roamed over the muscled planes of
his chest. “I love you so much, Deegan. Everything will be all
right, won’t it?”

He caressed her arm. “Yes, my love, it
will.”

He turned her over on her back, his hand
spread wide over her stomach. He moved it back and
forth.

“
As I suspected, my seed took
hold.”

She sprang up on her elbows. “How can you
know that?”

His hand continued its rhythmic stroking.
“A couple of days ago, I think. I am Primoris. I know. Don’t ask me
how.”

“
But The Concealment, what if
any child we have—Oh, Deegan.”

He kissed her tenderly. “We will deal with
it, my heart. This child will have your father’s blood and your
blood. Raynor will live on. I cannot think of a better testament to
our love for him, and my love for you. Perhaps the Concealment will
not manifest itself. It hasn’t shown up in either you or Julian.
Perhaps, it ends with Raynor.”

Oh God, she hoped so. She laid her hand
over Deegan’s. A child. Already. She felt the hot tears cluster in
the corner of her eyes, the emotions overwhelming. He kissed her
again, a gentle, protective claim on her mouth. It grew in
intensity. Deegan was about to pull her on top of him when an
embarrassed voice came out of the darkness on the hill
above.

“
Captain, I am sorry. But it is
Tristan on the phone. A dire emergency, he said. I brought the
cordless with me.”

Raylene smiled under
Deegan’
s now
still lips. She would have to get used to this; her mate was the
head of their clan. Deegan jumped to his feet and walked to
Brennan, snatching the phone from him. Deegan sauntered away. She
could hear their lowered voices talking urgently, but did not
listen to the words. She absently reached for her clothes and
dressed.

Pulling on her jeans, she
wasn’
t even
aware of Deegan crouching beside her. His hand was on her
arm.

“
Stay calm, my love, it concerns
Julian. He just called Tristan to go to the Bay Inn. There has been
an incident. It is The Concealment.”

She cried out, her hand covering her mouth
in shock. “What, how...”

“
He was in the room with a man,
having sex. The man was Marcus Steele.”

She lowered her head into her hands in
agony. So much for happy futures with children who would not be
cursed. Or herself or Julian.

“
Is
Marcus—destroyed?”

“
No. I must go at once. Please,
wait for me here. You cannot be party to this. Julian would be
devastated if you came with me.” He whistled sharply for Brennan.
“Take Raylene up to the house. Stay with her until I
return.”

They were so blissful just moments before.
Her happy ending had just been smashed into bits.

****

The time
was close to three in the
morning before Deegan returned to the house. He sat in the car,
gathering his thoughts. He knew, had learned long ago that
happiness and love could be fleeting. Basically his enduring,
cynical self knew life was just a collection of vile tasks and
never-ending conflict and drama with sporadic moments of true joy
and contentment. Add in the complications of being a Vampire,
immortality, and you had quite the mish-mash of emotions. No wonder
he built a protective wall around himself. The wall was gone now,
destroyed by Raylene. Christ, he loved her. His body ached with the
need of her, not only physically, but in his heart and soul. Total
bond. He couldn’t fight it any longer. The Mate Bond had
overwhelmed him at last. Now that Raylene was such a part of his
life, it opened up a myriad of complications. She carried his
child. The Concealment and what that would mean to them, their
child, and the clan had a firm grip of disquiet in his
heart.

Wearily, he climbed out of his Challenger
and headed into the house. He found Raylene in his study, a
concerned Brennan sitting next to her holding her hand in comfort.
How quickly Raylene seemed to have captured Brennan’s fondness and
devotion. Not an easy man to befriend, yet Raylene had done it in a
matter of hours. They both looked up at him,
expectantly.

“
Brennan, would you mind, my
friend? I wish to speak to Raylene alone. I shall fill you in
later.”

Brennan took Raylene’s hand and kissed it,
then patted it affectionately.

“
Aye, Captain. I’ll leave you
and your lady in privacy, and I will ensure you are not
disturbed.”

Deegan waited until he heard the soft
snick of the door. He took the seat on the leather sofa Brennan
just vacated.

“
No soft words, Deegan. Tell me
everything.” Her chin rose bravely, but he heard the tremulous
concern in her voice.

“
Julian has gone with Edward to
a secret facility we have in Cape Breton, on Boularderie Island. It
is isolated, private, and it is there he will recover and allow
Edward to run tests on him.”

“
And—
what of Marcus Steele?”

Deegan ran his hands through his hair in
exasperation. “He is being treated for his injuries as we speak.
Then, he will be brought here to recover as best he can. I turned
him; I have a responsibility toward the lad. The Thropes will not
want him, not after this.”

A tear escape
Raylene’
s
eyes. “Did you see him? What is the extent of his—injuries? Won’t
he heal? He is Vampire after all.”

Deegan took Raylene’s hands to still her
rapid questions.

“
Julian was behind him, when the
attack occurred. Marcus’s back is in shreds, and Marcus made the
mistake of turning his head. The right side of his face—is
destroyed. He may lose his eye. His right arm was almost wrenched
from its socket; it is fractured in three places. Julian also broke
his leg in two places. It was like he tried to tear him
apart.”

Raylene cried out. Deegan continued. “I
made discreet inquiries; there is only one known case of a Vampire
under The Concealment attacking another Vampire. He survived, but
the injuries, the scars, did not completely heal. It was determined
it is something in The Concealment that prevented it. Marcus will
be disfigured for the rest of his existence.”

Raylene shook her head, as if trying to
deny everything she’d heard.

“
His beautiful face, Deegan. How
horrible! I must go to Julian. He needs his family, and I am all he
has. To know he did this to Marcus, it will destroy him!” She tried
to stand, but Deegan urged her to sit back down.

“
Listen to me, my love. Julian
told me to tell you that he cannot see you, not now. He needs time
to heal as well. There is one thing positive to come out of this.
Julian stopped the assault on Marcus. Edward thinks it was his
human side that overcame his Concealment lust. This is good news.
With DNA tests maybe Edward can unlock the genetic clues, work on
some remedy that will suppress the Concealment in your bloodline.
Not all is hopeless, moi chroi. Just because it manifested itself
in Julian, does not mean it will in you or our child. Do not
despair.”

She fell into his arms and cried. Deegan
let her. He held her close to his rapidly beating heart, stroking
her hair in comfort. Her family in a time frame of thirty-six hours
had been blown apart. For the time being, they had each other.
Julian was a feckin’ mess. He would be emotionally scarred. Marcus
was as big and strong as Julian, stronger even, and he could not
halt the bestial assault in any way. The damage done made bile rise
in Deegan’s throat. He would have to enlist someone to care for
Marcus long-term. He may limp and not gain complete use of his arm
or leg ever again. And his face. Jaysus. Deegan closed his eyes. He
kissed the top of Raylene’s head.

“
We must be strong, Raylene, for
Julian and Marcus both. We will be all Marcus has. He will be part
of our clan, our family. I know there has been conflict between the
three of us. Can we get past it?”

Raylene sniffled noisily into his shirt.
“Yes. We will care for him, Deegan.”